Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ... Mustangs hold off Andover in 5A playoff opener Salina Central made all the right plays at the right time Friday night to edge Andover, 21-15, in its Class 5A playoff opener. Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Nine faafafines have been encouraged to use their different strengths to combat health issues in the country as they gear up for the 10th Miss Health Faafafine pageant. During the pageants speech competition held at the Ministry of Health, the Director General of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri encouraged faafafines to be part of the solution. The theme for this years pageant is Eat the Colour of the Rainbow to promote health of a variety of coloured fruit and vegetables. Leausa said fafafines are a special group of people with special traits and abilities. He pointed out that Samoa is in the middle of a crisis with growing number of Non Communicable Diseases and a high level of Sexually Transmission Infections. With all these we feel that we need special people like you with your special skills to help combat these prominent health issues, said the Director General. I know the president (Sooalo Roger Stanley) is very active in public talking to youth but I know he cant do it by himself. We need more people to do it and I feel you are specially needed now to combat these issues. Leausa recalled he had a consultant in hospital who would often ask how many senses God gave a person. He said everyone knew there were five but no one could answer which sense is the strongest of them all. Nobody could answer that and he said common sense is the combination of the five senses, said Leausa. Most of us forget to use common sense. When it comes to your situation you are a combination of common sense, not only are you masculine, you have feminine features. The president of the Faafafine Association, Sooalo Roger Stanley spoke in support. In acknowledging the sponsors together with the Ministry of Health for their partnership, Sooalo reminded everyone of the importance of using condoms. The pageant will be held tonight at the Tuanaimato gymnasium. The president promised a night of fun and laughter. We put on a great show; we make fun of ourselves on stage and for the public and we raise some funds for charities, the President said. I mean as faafafine thats what we do. But we would not be able to do this without the publics support, without our sponsors, government and ministries who partner with us. The pageant has been holding different events each day leading up to the main event tonight. Bluesky has come on board as the naming rights Sponsor for this years Miss Samoa Pageant and for that reason, this years pageant is called the Bluesky Miss Samoa Pageant 2016. Country Manager of Bluesky Samoa, Alex Abraham said their naming rights sponsorship is worth $70,000tala of which a component is in cash and the rest in prizes for the pageant. We have been part of the Miss Samoa sponsorship for the last three or four years and this year we are very happy again with the association of the Samoa Events Incorporated who have taken the lead role in running this years event, he said. Given that theyve promised to deliver a lot to Bluesky in terms of our sponsorship, we have decided to go with them and up our sponsorship this year in support. Mr. Abraham challenged the girls to consider ICT as their careers. I think for us the Miss Samoa and we have also been key sponsor in other markets like American Samoa, Cook Islands that also hold similar events and we find this as a platform where we can empower the young ladies of Samoa especially where they gravitate towards the ICT area, he said. In our organisation of 160 plus staff, we have a significant amount of female that represent our organisation but one thing I always say to my technical team is, we dont have enough females in the technical team. So this is something I put out as a challenge to our ladies here and I dont know what backgrounds you hold, but ICT is an area that you can definitely get in to. It is another area that can change the way Samoa can represent in the Pacific but also in the rest of the world. He wished them the best of luck and told them to showcase their talents. It takes a lot of courage to come here and stand before people and you have got some very good organisers and mothers who will groom you in the right Samoan way, he said. [But] this is an opportunity for you to show your talents but the beauty that you show is more than just a look and fit but it is your culture and traditions and the way you carry yourselves. We wish you all the best. It takes a lot of strength and courage to come and stand here and represent your respective sponsors, your families and also your country. He also said that there is a promotion that will be drawn on the night of the pageant. We have got a Miss Popular Tausala which is a texting promotion that starts today so everyone, you can text in to the number 4000 and vote for the different Tausala that you think is the Miss Popular Tausala and we will reveal the winner of this promotion on the night of the event, Chairman of S.E.I. Laeimau Oketevi Savea acknowledged the support from Bluesky and its staff. Bluesky has contributed a lot into technological development and it is a tool that helps Samoa develop, she said. Its been an honour and privilege to have you on board again and assisting S.E.I. as you all know these events do cost money and having great sponsors is a big boost especially for this event. So it is really lovely for them to be our naming rights sponsor and we thank you very much. It is a rare story but then it is also true. It says the government has hired the services of two New Zealand independent prosecutors to assist with the trials of its senior officers, Director of the National Prosecution Office, Mauga Precious Chang, and Police Commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil. Confirmed by the Office of the Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, the arrangement is based on consultations with respective department heads and the Minister of the National Prosecution Office, a statement from the Prime Ministers Office said. The main concern, the statement points out, is that the arrangement will ensure fairness in (the) proceedings. It goes on to explain: The principle of equality of all before the law, and fairness of the proceedings are such, that the matters require an objective view from those not involved in any part of proceedings. The prosecutor who is assigned to Ms Changs trial is Satiu Simativa Perese; it is understood he will appear in court when the proceedings start on 13 September 2016. The one who is assigned to Fuiavailili E. Keils trial is Meredith Connell, the Crown Solicitors office which is in Auckland. As Police evidence has shown, it all began when Precious Chang was involved in an incident where she was accused of negligent driving causing injury and dangerous driving. That evidence said: Police informed the Director in May shortly after the incident involving three damaged vehicles, that an investigation had commenced and charges were possible. Indeed, it was further confirmed to her a few weeks ago, that charges were now likely. However, the matter was then referred for an independent review of the evidence. And lastly, it said the decision to charge is the result of a Police investigation where the file was then reviewed by an independent prosecutor. At that time, in a statement, the Police Commissioner said the decision to charge Precious Chang followed an independent legal opinion sought by the Attorney Generals Office. And that opinion, as it turned out, was being sought from the Auckland based Barrister, Satiu Simativa Perese. Indeed, Satui had apparently been engaged on the Attorney Generals advice, who felt that this would ensure independence, and (that) he will work directly with the Police. Fine. Still, it was about that time that Police Media Officer, Maotaoalii Kaioneta Kitiona, told the Samoa Observer that (Mauga Precious Chang) was remanded at liberty until her court appearance. However, somewhere along the line, Police officers in uniform, and members of the Tactical Operation Squad (T.O.S.), were stationed outside Precious Changs office, waiting to execute an arrest warrant. The man in charge is said to be Superintendent, Sua Lemamea Tiumalu, assisted by Sergeant Magalo Pule, and in the end, Precious Chang was arrested and charged with dangerous driving and negligent driving causing injury. The story says that as she was being led away by Police officers, Chang refused to comment saying she would deal with the matter through her lawyer. She did not say who her lawyer was. However, the charges made against Precious Chang were confirmed, and later still, the Samoa Observer was told she was to appear in court, on 13 September 2016. And as it turned out, at the time, Police Commissioner Fuiavailili, was facing charges at the time including unlawful detention, perjury, providing false statements and disorderly conduct, which suggested that he also was in trouble. And that what when Cabinet - having run out of patience most likely - stepped in and suspended both Fuiavailili E. Keil and Precious Chang. Said Cabinet then: The decision follows charges filed against the senior public officials. Whereas Commissioner Fuiavailili faces charges including unlawful detention, perjury, providing false statements and disorderly conduct, Mauga was arrested on Tuesday and charged with negligent driving causing injury and dangerous driving. Which was when Cabinet delivered its ruling, saying: Suspension is with pay for an initial period of three months, it was effective immediately, and it was in line with standard procedures to ensure fair and independent review, and resolution of his case. That was 19 August 2016. Two weeks later, on 1 September 2016, a letter from a government department titled Independent Prosecutors engaged arrived. It said: The Office of the Attorney General confirms the engagement of independent prosecutors for matters in relation to Mauga Precious Chang and Fuiavailili Egon Keil. The letter also said: The arrangement is based on consultations with respective department heads and the Minister of the National Prosecution Office, It also said that the the main concern is that the arrangement will ensure fairness in (the) proceedings. And then it goes on to explain: The principle of equality of all before the law, and fairness of the proceedings are such that the matters require an objective view from those not involved in any part of proceedings. Which leads us back to the involvement of the two New Zealand law firms of Satiu Simativa Perese and Meredith Connell in this little mess, and why Samoas Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, is insisting that they are the only ones who can successfully guide these proceedings along? Is he suggesting that of the scores of well-qualified Samoan lawyers whose education has been paid for with public taxes, and are now working in government departments all over the place, not one of them is capable of getting the job done the only way he thinks it should be done? What gave him that idea anyway? Indeed, what is he talking about when he said the principle of equality of all before the law, and fairness of the proceedings are such that the matters require an objective view, from those not involved in any part of proceedings? The truth is that we have no idea what he is talking about. All we know is that the system were used to is so corrupt so that the principle of equality of all before the law might as well cease to exist, and matters (that) require an objective view from those not involved in any part of proceedings, are now fodder for the poor and the needy. In any case, if Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, is worried that fairness in (the) proceedings is impossible, then perhaps he should listen to his conscience and bow out gracefully. After all, we have no reason to doubt that those New Zealand lawyers, Satiu Simativa Perese, and one from the law of Meredith Connell, will do a fine job. Now the questions are: Why is the government doing something it has never done before? Indeed, why it is hiring two lawyers or independent prosecutors if you prefer - to assist with the trials of its senior officers, Prosecutor Mauga Precious Chang, and Police Commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil? By the way, Meredith Connell, the Crown Solicitors office, is a well respected law firm in New Zealand. A short history of the firm reads: The Crown Warrant has played an important role in our firm since Sir Vincent Meredith was appointed Aucklands first Crown Solicitor in 1922. Robert Meredith was the second Crown Solicitor in 1953 followed by Sir Graeme Speight. In 1968 David Morris became our fourth Crown Solicitor, followed by Simon Moore. In 2015 Brian Dickey became the sixth Meredith Connell partner to hold the office, creating an unbroken lineage that will extend beyond our hundredth year. As Crown Solicitors, we have prosecuted practically every serious crime before the courts in Auckland for the past 90-plus years. Its safe to say no other law firm in New Zealand can demonstrate quite the same history of integrity, experience and success. Now thats something to really think about. Indeed, such an illustrious history might have been just the stimulus, that Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, was looking for, when he picked Meredith Connell for the job. Please tell the rest what youre thinking. Despite being born and raised in New Zealand, Miss Samoa New Zealand, Naomi Eta Fruean has never had any doubts about her ancestors country. Ms Fruean expressed her utmost gratitude to her family and supporters and especially the Samoan community in New Zealand while at the same time proudly speaking of her strong ties to Samoa. The young university student has visited Samoa every year to see her grandparents who raised her and taught her the true values of being a real tamaitai Samoa. In fact it was the sad loss of her grandfather earlier this year, which encouraged her to join this pageant. I wanted to do this not only for my family, but also for my love of Samoa, said Ms Fruean. I will try and be a real role model to the young ladies and this is the event where our culture is really honoured and cherished as it was back then. Ms Fruean hopes that this will influence the young girls to really embrace their culture because its so beautiful and theres so much that they really need to see and learn. For the local girls this is a great opportunity to showcase life in Samoa. The Miss Samoa Pageant is not just a beauty pageant for Ms Fruean. You dont want to look like the girls in the magazines or on TV; its for girls of all ages, it doesnt matter how you look, what size you are, but the beauty from the inside. And if you really want to make a change in the Samoan community, its good to join in and its an amazing experience. The 21-year-old contestant is trying to capture the hearts of locals here, because she fears that because shes from New Zealand and its not her home territory, she needs to make people feel comfortable with her. I really want to get out there, and show them that Im a real tamaitai Samoa because my heart is Samoan, I may not look like a typical Samoan girl but I am Samoan, said Ms Fruean with a smile. Fruean touched on one issue, the Australian 60 minutes programme which created a bad image for Samoa in the past months. She believes that Samoa was painted in a very negative light. I will portray Samoa as the most beautiful country, which should not be defined by that one incident. Some visitors are scared to come to Samoa because of this issue; I know that they are concerned about their safety. I want to promote Samoa as a safe country, one person doesnt define the whole community, thats one issue that I was really upset about; how the media portrayed Samoa to the whole world. I am very thankful to my parents, grandparents and wider family for installing in me the key values of faaaloalo, tautua and alofa. Ms Fruean is the daughter of Esau and Siva Fruean of Lotofaga and Motootua. She is the second child of two siblings. She is currently studying for her Bachelor in Commerce majoring in Accounting and shes in her third year. Studying at the University of Auckland is an important step of building my knowledge and skills to be an effective advocate for our people. St. Marys College celebrated their 60th anniversary yesterday with a parade on Beach Road that was led by the Police Band. The parade was divided into five groups of students; 1956-1977 (Orleans), 1978-1988 (Avila), 1989-1999 (Deporres), 2000-2012 (Aquinas) and current dressed students in their uniforms. At the end of the parade, Prime Minister Tuilaepa congratulated the school for reaching their 60th anniversary. As weve come here today to celebrate together this great milestone of the school, your contributions have been borne of many of the brightest minds in this country. St Marys students have never caused any fighting or other misbehavior but you have continued to stay spiritually strong. Tuilaepa thanked the school for their great contributions to the government. Saint Marys School together with the Sisters provides a good education for those whove been educated in this school, Tuilaepa said. There have been countless good works witnessed, many pupils have secured good jobs, and as of today, former students are still carrying the good name of the school that educated them. Remember that its not us, but to God the glory and praise. Once again, Happy Anniversary! The president of Saint Marys Old Girls Association, Mataia Gaonotele Julia Schmidt thanked the past and presents students together with the Sisters for the ongoing success of the school. I know that many of you have graduated from various universities with degrees and with numerous other accomplishments. And serving our country from where youre appointed to work, with is a great joy to our school. Not only that but we want to acknowledge the excellent work of all the Sisters for their time while teaching in the school. We also want to thank the government for their continuous support in so many ways. Thank you and congratulations for all the achievements, she said. The government also promised a donation for the schools 60th anniversary. The parade was followed by mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at Mulivai. The celebration will continue with the schools ball this evening at the Faleata Multipurpose Gym at six oclock with the theme of Glamorous. Throughout its history, St Marys school in Samoa has maintained their commitment to provide a high standard of education. St Mary School opened at Savalalo in 1956, and by 1958, they decided to shift the school to Vaimoso. In 1969, the first new school building was built and in the same year, Peace Corps volunteers started to teach at St Marys College. The first principal of the school at that time was Mrs. Emeritiano. In 1980, the Parent Teachers Association was set up, and the late Tupua Tamasese Lealofi was the first Chairman while Tupua Tamasese Efi was the Vice Chairman of the committee. The museum which is dedicated to the life of one of Samoas most historical figures, has reached a new milestone. The 22nd anniversary of the opening of the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum (R.L.S.M.) was celebrated on Thursday night with a cocktail function. Along with special guests from different leadership roles in Samoa, the Miss Samoa 2016 contestants also made a special appearance. After a series of speeches and the presentation of special awards to Aumua Ming Leung Wai and Freida Keil, guests were treated to a wonderful night. Its a great pleasure for me to highlight some of our achievements for 2016, said Museum General Manager, Margaret Silva. The R.L.S. Board of Directors feels a great obligation to address all of his life, but the best part of it all is that we have Vailima, the living laboratory for exploring his life in Samoa; one of the best places on earth. The Museum continues to receive substantial outside funding so that it can be kept open for the good of Tusitala lovers and writers. It is still continuing its quest to become self-sufficient and to one day become the top tourism attraction in the entire Oceania region. It is making its progress towards that goal. Regular admissions are stable, but the most important element for growth is the ability to generate revenue through the visits of cruise ships to Samoa. In saying this, we have had eight cruise ship visits to the museum and we believe there are more on the way. More visitors to the museum also present more opportunities to increase income in the R.L.S. M. gift shop. The Museum has also had a number of educational visits from local school and visiting schools from overseas. Schools who regularly bring their students to the museum come to learn more about the colonial days of Samoa and also the history of Tusitala which is very important for our future generations. Ms. Silva continued to share 2016s highlights. This year we had a visit from a delegation from Japan along with their Ambassador to Samoa, she said. Then there were visits from the Ambassador of Poland in New Zealand, members of the Samoa International Game Fishing tournament that was held in Samoa in April, and a visit from the Brigham Young University nursing students. We were also honoured to have the Minister of International and Pacific Affairs of Australia with Her Excellency Sue Langford on one of their visits to the National League of Samoa educational programme for Vailima Primary school. Aside from official visits, the Museum has also been a preferred venue for many special occasions throughout the year. The R.L.S. Museum has hosted many beautiful weddings, family reunions and many other events, Ms. Silva said. It is also a popular venue for government officials to host and entertain their groups who come to Samoa. We have hosted the after match functions for both the Manu Samoa matches with Tonga and Georgia, the staff and I were very happy to see the boys in person. Another success for the Museum over the past year is the exposure it has received. From the Herald magazine in Scotland; the Survivor Samoa film crew, the Cook Island film crew, and many wedding shoots in the local newspapers and also on our Facebook page. But just like any other establishment, they are only as good as the support they receive. I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation to all our tour operators who are here tonight, Ms. Silva said. The reality is, we wouldnt be able to survive without your help; thank you again for all your support to the Museum. I am very happy to announce that the Government of Samoa has approved to signing over one of the automobiles used for the S.I.D.S. conference for the official use of the R.L.S. Museum. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Samoa Tourism Authority yesterday released the first draft of its waterfront plan. The plan was officially presented by the Honorable Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi during an officially ceremony held at the Samoa Tourism fale which was well attended by members of the Cabinet, the Diplomatic Corps and representatives from several ministries. The Apia Waterfront Project is a joint initiative by the M.N.R.E. and the S.T.A. with the vision to make the Apia Waterfront as an attractive destination connecting people to unique places and Samoan experiences. According to the Prime Minister, waterfronts in any country are special places across the world. They have been key features of cities throughout history, are places of great beauty and are sources of economic strengths, said Tuilaepa. The Waterfront project was not only initiated to beautify the town of Apia but its also a way to attract more tourists to our shores. We will give them reasons to stay longer in Apia and Samoa, said Tuilaepa. The Plan will also help to support and enhance the physical growth of Apia and its resilience to the ever-changing natural environment. The key objective is to enhance the remaining public spaces along the waterfront for community use, which will ensure protection of green spaces, parks, reserves, streetscapes and other recreational spaces. It is a strategic document that will guide government planning and waterfront users on future developments along the Apia Waterfront and how it is envisaged to be transformed in the next 10 to 15 years. It will enhance the remaining public spaces along Mulinuu to Taumeasina for community use and small commercial opportunities, places for communities to gather, play, relax, perform, work and trade. And the places will offer attractive and unique spaces for Samoan and visitors to enjoy creating a sense of pride and ownership of what Apia has to offer. The draft provides concept plans of how the vision for the waterfront will unfold in the coming years particularly in the four distinctive areas: The Mulinuu waterfront, Apia waterfront central, Apia Waterfront harbour and Vaiala waterfront. Prime Minister Tuilaepa acknowledged the generous assistance of the New Zealand Government in supporting Samoas vision for a revitalized Apia Waterfront. You have permission to edit this article. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Somerset, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/02/2016 -- Costume designer Olya Wallington and Matthew John Productions have teamed up with the Henrik Ibsen Museum to permanently display Olya's stunning designs in an especially-built new Museum Room. In early September 2016, during the International Ibsen Festival, the Henrik Ibsen Museum will be opening a new area dedicated to the dresses from the film Hedda Gabler, adapted from the Ibsen play of the same name and directed by Matthew John. The collection of seven crinolined dresses, a night gown and silk bathing robe worn by the film's female cast will go on display at the museum from the 8th of September. Commencing at noon the following day, the museum will play host to a public event for the opening of the exhibition that will include a Q & A session with specialist costume designer Olya Wallington and leading lady Rita Ramnani as well as director Matthew John and other members of the cast. The exhibition is part of the International Ibsen Festival which runs in Oslo from the 8th to the 25th September and is celebrated biennially in the city where the great playwright used to reside. Also part of the official Festival programme is the World Premiere of the film where audiences will be able to see the costumes in their full cinematic glory. The high-profile red carpet screening will be hosted by Oslo's leading cinema, the Vika, on the evening of September 8th. A strictly limited number of tickets to the Black Tie premiere are already available through the Festival for fans to enjoy the film in addition to the array of theatre performances of Ibsen's plays. Olya Wallington met Matthew John while working on a collection for the London Fashion Week in 2012 and was engaged as head of Costume Design in the early development stage of the film. The costumes are a central feature of any film set in the past. This adaptation of Hedda Gabler is set in the 1860's and designing the costumes involved extensive research to ensure authenticity. The period is quite well documented with drawings of ladies wearing coats and dresses but actual patterns are not available. Working closely with Matthew John, Olya developed calico mock-up costumes before selecting the fabrics and colours to suit the costumes. The fabrics themselves were designed especially for the film by Katherine Thompson of the Silk Gallery. Katherine carefully considered colour pallets, soft for Thea Elvsted and bold for Hedda Gabler, as well as damask weaves and patterns figured within the cloth to complement Olya's designs and Ibsen's portrayal of the women. The quality of the silks and the embellishing decorations used were critical in establishing both the authenticity of the costumes themselves and in reflecting the personality of the characters in the film. Olya was involved in all stages of the costumes, design, pattern cutting, mock-up, final manufacture, fittings and on-set support. About Olya Wallington Olya Wallington was born in Russia and studied Civil Engineering at Ekaterinburg University. She took a two year additional course in dressmaking and design and, when she came to England to marry, changed her career to concentrate on this. She is particularly interested in period costume design and construction and relishes the in-depth research involved. Coming from an engineering background, she is drawn to the discipline of design and pattern making and spends hours painstakingly following traditional methods of manufacture and craftwork to ensure an authentic final product. Having been brought up in Russia and becoming well-versed in the intricacy of traditional Russian costumes, she appreciates decorative detailing and is a much sought after Head of Costume Design for period films. About the Henrik Ibsen Museum Henrik Ibsen's home in Arbins Gate 1, where he lived the last eleven years of his life, is the core of Ibsen Museum. The apartment has been historically restored to Ibsen's era with the poet's own furniture and fixtures, original colours and decor. The museum also shows the exhibition "Henrik Ibsen - on the contrary" which depicts the internationally renowned playwright's life and work. Ibsen Museum is part of the Norwegian Folk Museum located in Henrik Ibsen's gate 26 in Oslo, across the street from the Royal Palace. It is expertly curated by Bergljot Geist. http://norskfolkemuseum.no/no/Tilknyttede-Enheter/Ibsenmuseet/ About The International Ibsen Festival The International Ibsen Festival opens the autumn season at The National Theatre of Norway every other year. The festival celebrates the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen through Norwegian and international performances of high artistic quality. Most of the performances are held at Ibsen's own theatre and the world's foremost Ibsen laboratory - Oslo's National Theatre. This year's Ibsen Festival has approximately 40 performances on the programme each representing a unique approach to Ibsen's works. You may, among other things, experience several interpretations of Hedda Gabler, a unique mashup of The Wild Duck and An Enemy of the People, an experimental Hungarian take onA Doll's House, a post-apocalyptic tale of Europe based on Little Eyolf, Peer Gynt with a woman in the title role, and An Enemy of the People adapted to describe the current situation in Zimbawe. The festival also offers a side program filled with magical moments, including Ibsen quizes, Ibsen for children, Ibsen lounge, Ibsen stunts, tours and exhibitions by this year's festival artist Marianne Heske. www.nationaltheatret.no/Nationaltheateret/International/The_International_Ibsen_Festival_2012/ www.ibsenfestivalen.no/history About The Silk Gallery The Silk Gallery was established in 1989 and is a leading UK based design house for furnishing fabrics. Kathryn Thompson originated the business when as a leading interior designer she was determined to create a collection of fabrics in the specific colours which her projects then required but were generally unavailable. Kathryn designs and sources her own fabrics and in doing so was from the outset determined to ensure that all manufacture is undertaken under her supervision in the United Kingdom. The Silk Gallery remains a very British Company in the sense that (uniquely in today's industry for a company of its size and influence) its entire range of fabrics is either woven or hand printed in the UK. Timeless classical themes with a contemporary twist have always been the inspiration for The Silk Gallery's innovative designs. The creativity of the designs is evident in the production process itself. The core fabric used is silk, but through years of experience and testing the company has developed yam combinations that enhance both durability and the natural characteristics of the silk. New and distinctive textures, totally unique to The Silk Gallery have been created by teaming silk with linen, cotton, cashmere, flax, wool and polyester; offering fabrics in a combination of qualities and weights with a wide variety of uses. A major part of the work undertaken by The Silk Gallery is on bespoke commission, working closely with customers or their interior designers creating custom coloured fabrics. More recently the company has introduced a complementary range of trimmings, including fringes, gimps and tiebacks, some of which include glamorous Swarovski crystal. The trimming ranges may also be custom coloured to suit the designer's specific schemes. www.thesilkgallery.com/fabrics Special Thanks to our Sponsors Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel www.radissonblu.com/en/plazahotel-oslo With 37 floors and a height of 117 meters, the iconic Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Oslo is the city's largest hotel and the tallest building in Norway. The hotel feature 675 rooms & suites, various restaurants and 34 Skybar a sophisticated bar located on the 34th floor overlooking the capital. Teo Lloyd www.teolloyd.com/ @TeoLloyd www.facebook.com/TeolloydUK High-end fashion brand with a vision of sublime femininity and sophistication. Teodosia Lloyd is a new luxury womenswear brand that focuses on ambitious and fashion conscious women. Her brand's signature is a structured classic look with a modern twist, mainly inspired by architecture. Sir Benjamin Slade and Maunsel House http://maunselhouse.co.uk/ @MaunselHouseUK facebook.com/maunselhouseweddingsandevents Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/02/2016 -- The report "Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Marketby Platforms (HiSeq, MiSeq, HiSeq X Ten/X Five, Nextseq500, Ion Proton, PGM, IonS5, PacBio & Sequel), Services (Targeted Sequencing, De novo), & Application (Diagnostic, Drug Discovery) - Global Forecasts to 2021", The NGS market is expected to reach USD 10,371.1 Million by 2021 from USD 4,031.7 Million in 2016, at a CAGR of 20.8%. Browse 106 tables and 44 figures spread through 208 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/next-generation-sequencing-ngs-technologies-market-546.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. The global next generation sequencing market is poised to witness rapid growth between 2016 and 2021. Technological advancements in NGS products, increasing applications of NGS, entry of new market players, growing partnerships & collaborations among market players, and growing incidences of cancer, inherited rare disorders, and pre- and neo-natal disorders will majorly drive the NGS market. This report broadly segments the global next generation sequencing market into products & services, technology, application, and end user. The NGS market, by products & services is segmented into pre-sequencing products & services, NGS platforms, consumables, sequencing services, data analysis/bioinformatics. The pre-sequencing products & services segment if further categorized into DNA fragmentation. Download the PDF Brochure@ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=546 End repair, A-tailing, & size selection; library preparation & target enrichment; and quality control. The NGS platforms segment is sub-segmented into HiSeq Series, MiSeq Series, HiSeq X Ten & X Five, NextSeq500, Ion PGM, ION Proton, Ion S5 & S5 XL, PacBioRS II, and Sequel System. Based on applications, the sequencing services market is segmented into targeted sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, exome sequencing, RNA-Seq, De novo sequencing, Methyl-Seq, and ChiP-seq. On the basis of technology, the global next generation sequencing market is segmented into sequencing by synthesis (SBS), ion semiconductor sequencing, sequencing by ligation (SBL), pyrosequencing, and single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing. In 2016, the SBS technology is expected to account for the largest share of the global NGS market, by technology. Read More | Get the Sample Pages@ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsample.asp?id=546 Based on application, the global NGS market is segmented into diagnostics, drug discovery, biomarker discovery, personalized medicine, agriculture & animal research, and others (marine, forensic, & biofuel research). In 2016, the diagnostics application segment is expected to account for the largest share of the NGS market, by application. The end users of NGS market include research centers & academic/government institutes, hospitals & clinics, pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, and others (non-profit organizations & agrigenomics organizations). In 2016, the research centers & academic/government institutes end user segment is expected to account for the largest share of the NGS market, by end user. This report covers the next generation sequencing market across four major geographies, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to hold the largest share of this market in 2016, while Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period from 2016 to 2021. Improving healthcare infrastructure and favorable government initiatives in Asia-Pacific region is expected to drive the NGS market in this region. Illumina, Inc. (U.S.); Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.); Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (U.S.); Roche Holding AG (Switzerland); QIAGEN N. V. (Germany); BGI (China), Macrogen Inc. (South Korea); Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg); and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Ltd. (U.K.) are the key players in the global NGS market. About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Subscribe Reports from Healthcare Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Subscription.html Contact: Mr. Rohan Unit No. 802, 8th Floor, Tower - 7, Magarpatta City SEZ, Hadapsar, Pune 411013, Maharashtra, India. Tel: 888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://mnmblog.org/market-research/healthcare/biotechnology Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets Apparently, elephants are intelligent enough to know where they are threatened and where they are protected; and currently, they feel safe in Botswana. A study suggested that they are avoiding places where they feel they are in danger and go to places that feel safer for them. For the time being, poachers and traffickers are their biggest threat. According to BBC, 30% of Africa's elephants have already vanished in a span of seven years, and half of its remaining pachyderms are predicted to disappear in nine years. Such claim was based on the result of the first pan-African survey of savannah elephants, which was funded by Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder. The survey likewise determined the worst affected areas Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Cameroon. Dr. Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders in Botswana said that the ivory poaching crisis has caused 144,000 elephants to disappear since 2007. He added that 30,000 elephants vanish every year. Chase was also the principal investigator of the study. "We are housing a lot of refugee elephants in Botswana," Otisitswe Broza Tiroyamodimo said. Tiroyamodimo is the country's director of Department of Wildlife and National Parks. He added that the current number of elephants is really high and puts great pressure on the environment. This is becoming a major problem because Botswana can not accommodate so many elephants even without the worst drought. At present, soldiers patrol the border to fight and prevent poaching. This is indeed a great challenge, for the risk keeps on increasing each day. NPR reported that illegal poachers are selling elephant tusks in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the pursuit for ivory is not the lone reason of elephant deaths. In other parts of the world, particularly Cambodia, elephants are at risk of dying due to exhaustion and heat stroke. In April, Nature World News reported about the death of Sambo, a 45-year-old elephant, after carrying tourists around. This led to a petition to lessen the work hours of elephants. With different kinds of danger around them, elephants indeed need to seek refuge. The decrease in their number in various parts of the world is alarming; hence their need for real protection. An unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was completely destroyed along with its payload in an explosion Thursday morning in Florida during a routine test. The rocket was to launch Facebook's first communications satellite into orbit and would have significantly widened Internet access in Africa. The rocket was supposed to launch the Amos-6 communication satellite, which included the capabilities for Facebook to spot-beam broadband for Facebook's Internet.org initiative. France-based satellite provider Eutelast and Facebook spent an estimated $95million on the satellite's Ka-band communication array for a five year lease. SpaceX confirmed the loss of the Falcon 9 in a Tweet later: Statement on this morning's anomaly pic.twitter.com/3Xm2bRMS7T SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 1, 2016 Photo of the explosion at the SpaceX launch site at Cape Canaveral this morning. pic.twitter.com/RWUKLGq6v4 Mike Gruss (@Gruss_SN) September 1, 2016 "Emergency personnel were monitoring the situation and standing by to assist, and the air quality was being monitored for any potential threats to employees." NASA spokesman Al Feinberg told NBC News. What triggered the explosion? The blast occurred shortly after 9am in Cape Canaveral, as smoke could be seen billowing into the sky where the $200 million Amos-6 satellite was set to launch on Saturday morning with a SpaceX reusable rocket. The explosion occurred during the preparation for the static fire test of the rocket's engines, NASA told the Associated Press. The blast reportedly shook buildings "several miles away." Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX however states that the Falcon 9 explosion happened while fueling up: Loss of Falcon vehicle today during propellant fill operation. Originated around upper stage oxygen tank. Cause still unknown. More soon. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 1, 2016 "The latest explosion of a SpaceX Falcon rocket following earlier explosions in January and June 2015 indicates the inherent unpredictability and risk involved in space flight, whether manned or unmanned, and whether missions are led by NASA or by commercial contractors." said Strategy Professor Loizos Heracleous who has worked with NASA on its strategy in the modern space race involving SpaceX. Given that SpaceX is working to provide NASA with a way to transport not just cargo, but also astronauts to the International Space Station, it is especially crucial that such learning takes place before any accident happens, He added. "This explosion will not change the long term goals of SpaceX, which are to reduce the cost of space flight through the use of reusable rockets, and eventually to colonise Mars." Skin color has long been a subject of numerous racist remarks as well as the strong fight against racism. But also known to many, of equal importance is the issue on how people should wear their hair. As of writing, the SA's Pretoria Girls High is making headlines due to black pupils' anti-racism protest that led to the suspension of the school's 'racist hair rules'. According to BBC, photos of school girls protesting sparked a debate on race after going viral over the weekend. Additionally, there were more than 150,000 tweets using the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh was used more than 150,000 times. Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng Education Minister, held emergency talks with administrators and pupils of the school. During an interview on Talk Radio 702, he criticized the school's hairstyle rules and called them "stone-age rules". While some don't get what the fuss is all about, black people certainly know what they are fighting for. In an opinion article published in IOL, it was pointed out that black hair alongside black skin and even African language have long been subjects not just of negative comments but also of attack against their identity, pride, culture, heritage, and position in society. Likewise, the fight tackles inferiority, power relations, exploitation, stigmatization, violence, and a lot more issues. Black people know their history very well and they are fighting for their voice and position in society. These are where the present protests come from. In Pretoria Girls High, students are often told to straighten their hair and Afros are not allowed. An independent investigation currently takes place while the school rules are suspended. Meanwhile, a 13-year-old girl is currently making headlines as her determination to wear her Afro showed how race still controls school rules and social perceptions on how black South Africans should behave. The young girl has since become the face of this growing movement, Quartz reported. At present, black people aim to toughen the fight against racism. Their current goal is to make it go beyond social media where it is not limited to using hashtags. NASA will launch its first-ever asteroid mission on September 8, 2016, at 7:05 P.M. EDT. It aims to return samples from an asteroid for further study here on Earth. The NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer or OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft aboard an Atlas V411 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida will be launched on September 8 to journey to a near-Earth asteroid named Bennu. It will investigate and collect samples of surface material to return to Earth in 2023 for further study. It will also examine how pressure from sunlight influences the path of this traveling asteroid. This delivers new insight into how the orbits of near-earth asteroids change over time, according to NASA. 01955 Bennu is a carbonaceous asteroid, which is classified as a potentially hazardous object. It has a 1 in 2700 chance of colliding with Earth in the 22nd century. Bennu was found by the LINEAR Project on September 11, 1999. This asteroid has a mean diameter of approximately 492 meters (1,614 ft.). The scientists also theorize that Bennu holds clues to the origin of the solar system and the source of the water and organic molecules that may have made their way to Earth. .@OSIRISREx will travel to asteroid Bennu, a remnant of the building blocks of our early solar system. pic.twitter.com/VJbcncvZhL NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) August 26, 2016 NASA is inviting the public and the media to celebrate the launch of OSIRIS-Rex sample return mission to an asteroid on Thursday, September 8 at 5:30 P.M. It is open to the public for free. It will be held at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Before the historic mission launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the NASA scientists will discuss matters about the asteroid mission on September 8th from 6:00 A.M to 2:00 P.M. These include the reasons why NASA is going to this asteroid and what mysteries it might unlock about how life started on Earth and whether life could have started elsewhere in the solar system. Whether your heart problem is on a literal or figurative level, turning to nature can be beneficial to you. According to a new research, doing so can regulate one's emotions and the heart; thus, helping a person gain a healthy balance. University of Derby and University of Cardiff researchers conducted a study in which they examined the heart and the impact of natural and urban environments on it. According to Medical Xpress, the team discovered that nature has the ability to regulate heart rhythms and that staying in woodland can generate positive changes in the body. The study suggests that nature indeed has a strong connection with our bodies, emotions, and health. "Exposure to nature is emotional and emotion is the constant companion of sensation with feelings, rather than thoughts, coming first when we encounter nature and these emotions have a physiological basis, which nature and well-being research often overlooks," said Dr. Miles Richardson, Head of Psychology at the University of Derby. According to him, nature can help balance everyday feelings like feelings of contentment, drive, and threat. There were similar studies in the past that compared the body's reaction to nature and to an urban environment. Differences between responses were found; however, researchers did not consider them as an enough of basis of nature's connection to emotion and well-being. Fast forward to present time, the team re-analyzed those studies and found that natural environments promote greater contentment and lower drive compared to urban environments. The study also suggests that nature can generate calm and joy as well as wonder and comfort. Meanwhile, Nature World News reported that nature can affect one's well-being through 'Ecotherapy'. Such therapy focuses on the mental and even physical health of people through exposure to outdoor activities that involve nature. Through camping trips and vacations, for instance, experts suggest that one's mental and physical condition can improve. COLUMBIA, S.C. The South Carolina Senates special committee to study gun problems in the Palmetto State will hold a public hearing in Hartsville this October. The open meeting will happen at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18 at the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center on the campus of Coker College in Hartsville. Sen. Gerald Malloy of Darlington is chairman of that committee. He said in a release the meeting are aimed at getting the publics voice into the decision making process. The committee will take a comprehensive look at gun issues in South Carolina and the committee is looking forward to receiving input from citizens across the state, Malloy said. Similar meeting are scheduled in Greeneville, Charleston and Columbia. Additional committee members include Sens. George F. Chip Campsen III, Chauncey K. Gregory, Greg Hembree and Marlon Kimpson. The public hearings are free and open to the public. Jim O'Donahue, originally from Milwaukee, served both in the Air Force and Army between 1945-1949 as an air to ground radio operator. He lived at King for 18 years before moving to a private nursing home earlier this month. A fire in a detached garage spread to a house on Outlook Court in the town of Dunkirk Thursday night and both were considered to be total losses, according to a law enforcement report. An initial investigation blamed a recently used lawnmower stored in the garage for starting the fire, a Dane County Sheriff's Office report said. A neighbor spotted the fire around 9 p.m. and alerted the homeowner, who exited the house with his two dogs before it became fully engulfed in flames, the report said. There were no injuries. Dane County Sheriffs Office deputies as well as Stoughton Fire, Oregon Fire, Evansville Fire, and Brooklyn Fire responded to the fire. The total value of the structure and its contents is estimated to be $500,000.00, the report said. Algoma had received payments totalling $53.4m in refund guarantees relating to the cancellation of the earlier three shipbuilding contracts, following the decision by the UK Arbitration Tribunal. In 2010, Algoma entered into contracts with Mingde to build six Equinox Class dry bulk carriers. Only two of the ships were completed and delivered from the yard. The collection of this final refund guarantee brings to an end the extended process related to the cancellation of the four Mingde shipbuilding contracts. said Peter Winkley, vice president, finance and cfo of Algoma. These funds, along with amounts previously collected, will be invested in active shipbuilding contracts now underway in Croatia and China, Winkley continued. Algoma entered into new contracts with shipyards in Croatia and China for the construction of five new Equinox Class bulkers, of which deliveries are scheduled in 2018. The instalments refunded from Mingde will be used to fund a portion of the costs for the new shipbuilding contracts. At a community meeting Thursday night, Fitchburg officials still didnt have the answer residents were looking for: What caused last weeks home explosion? City officials organized the meeting for community members affected by the Aug. 25 explosion that leveled a house at 5573 Cheryl Drive, critically injuring homeowner Brian Grittner, 57, and leaving several other dwellings uninhabitable. Grittner was in fair condition at UW Hospital. Some area residents said they are still concerned for their safety. Community members questions fielded by Fire Chief Joe Pulvermacher, Police Chief Thomas Blatter, Director of Public Works Cory Horton and others mostly fell into two categories: What happened and are we safe? Many attendees cited concerns about gas leaks, asbestos or other harmful chemicals. Pulvermacher said monitoring is continuing for toxins in the air and on the ground, but none have been found. Horton said residents would not be allowed to go back into the neighborhood if it wasnt thought to be safe. Other questions pried into the cause of the explosion, speculating on what triggered the blast with theories ranging from drugs to explosives to a gas line damaged while digging in the yard. Blatter said none of the evidence proves those theories. The investigation into the cause of the explosion is continuing, officials said. While many of the questions about the cause and effects of the explosions could not be answered, residents also were able to offer suggestions that Pulvermacher said were important. This meeting was an absolute must, he said. If we dont know the concerns, we cant address them. One resident, who said she lives in a house deemed uninhabitable across from the site of the explosion, said she has gotten most of her information through the news media rather than from the city. Pulvermacher said he would get her contact information to open up better communication. Another neighbor, Mary Katic, 62, whose home is across Lyman Lane from Grittners, hasnt been allowed to sleep there in the week since his house exploded. Her experience with investigators and officials involved with the case has been positive, she said. Everybodys been very helpful. Almost everybody that was up here, Ive talked to, Katic said of the city and law enforcement officials on the panel. While the meeting was helpful for officials, Pulvermacher said, another meeting with residents is not likely to come soon. The best time to address them is when we have a report about what happened, Pulvermacher said. Adaptronic systems help to reduce vibrations caused by running engines, alleviating tremendous stress on the components of ships. At the maritime trade fair SMM, Fraunhofer researchers are presenting a simulation tool named the Mechanical Simulation Toolbox, now available on the market. A big containership with 60,000 kilowatt two-stroke diesel engines make everything vibrate: the connectors on the engine, the high-pressure pipes for fuel and lubricating oil, the drive trains, stairs, steps, floor and ceiling made of steel. A massive problem: the vibrations are not only disturbing; they also damage important components of the ship, said Heiko Atzrodt, researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF in Darmstadt, Germany. With the software, passive and adaptronic systems for vibration reduction can be simulated on the computer. The toolbox of the Fraunhofer LBF simulates the vibrating and the required adaptronic system. The simulated system can be started up with simple models and made more complex at a later time. Fraunhofer LBF implements the software and is the service provider. Atzrodt, also the managing director of the Fraunhofer Alliance Adaptronics, said: Adaptronics is progressively gaining in importance and the demand for a generally available simulation software has been increasing steadily in recent years. We have therefore used our expertise in the past for developing the required product. Now, it is available on the market. ASIA Afghanistan Expected Council Action In September, the Council will hold its quarterly debate on Afghanistan, during which it will consider the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Tadamichi Yamamo, who was appointed as the Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Afghanistan and head of UNAMA in June, is expected to brief. UNAMAs mandate expires on 17 March 2017. Key Recent Developments The insurgency continues to take a heavy toll on the population and Afghan security forces. The Talibans increased activity and military gains in the countryas well as activity by Al-Qaida and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)have been resisted by Afghan security forces with the assistance of NATO. Several terrorist attacks occurred on 20 June. An improvised explosive device in a bazaar in Kishem district, in Badakhshan province, killed ten civilians, including five children, and injured 36 others. In Kabul, a suicide attack on Nepalese and Indian contractors and an improvised explosive device targeting a provincial council member resulted in at least 27 killed and 48 wounded. The Council condemned these attacks in a press statement. On 23 July, Council members issued a press statement condemning the terrorist attack that occurred earlier that day in Kabul, resulting in at least 80 people killed and more than 230 wounded, for which local affiliates of ISIL claimed responsibility. On 25 August, Council members condemned in a press statement a terrorist attack that occurred on 24 August in Kabul, targeting students of the American University of Afghanistan, which resulted in at least 13 people dead and 50 people injured. In August, the Taliban made significant headway in the key northern district of Baghlan. They have also continued to advance in Helmand Province in the south over the last few months. On 12 August, the US announced that the head of the ISIL Afghanistan branch, Hafiz Saeed Khan, had been killed in a US airstrike in the eastern Nangarhar province on 26 July. Reconciliation talks between the Taliban and the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), which consists of Afghan, Chinese, Pakistani and US officials, remain dormant. The new Taliban head, Haibatullah Akhundzada, recently said that a Taliban delegation had visited China on 18-22 July. It appears that Taliban hesitancy to fully engage and Afghan-Pakistan tensions are at the core of the current deadlock. The Afghan government power-sharing arrangement between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah is at a critical impasse. The arrangement calls for parliamentary elections and constitutional reforms by the end of September, but Afghan stakeholders have yet to reach agreement on these issues. This has caused public tensions between the two leaders, raising concerns over future Afghan governance prior to the donor conference scheduled in Brussels in October. On 6 July, US President Barack Obama announced that the current US military presence of 8,400 troops would be maintained until the end of his term in January 2017. The US is the main contributor to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, which numbers roughly 13,000 troops. As expected, NATO and Afghan officials issued a declaration on Afghanistan during the NATO summit held in Warsaw on 8-9 July. In the declaration, NATO agreed to continue its financial support to the Afghan Security Forces until through 2020. NATO also agreed to sustain its support mission assisting Afghan forces beyond 2016. The Council held its last quarterly debate on Afghanistan on 21 June. Briefing the Council for the last time, the then Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Nicholas Haysom, reminded Council members that during the previous quarterly debate he had said that it would be an achievement for the Afghan national unity government not to collapse in 2016. While noting progress on some issues, he said it was critical for Afghanistan to secure medium-term financial and military support from the international community, lay a foundation for a viable peace process and address the high level of violence and the lack of a set timetable for elections. Sanctions-Related Developments The 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee held informal consultations on 1 June to meet with a representative of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (a security alliance between Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) about counter-narcotic efforts. The Committee amended and added details to the listing of Taliban commander Shah Nawaz Rahmatullah on 21 July. On 8 August, the Committee met with the Monitoring Team assisting the Committee and representatives of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for updates on counter-narcotics efforts, including those of the Combined Maritime Force in the Arabian Sea (consisting of the forces of 26 NATO states and Thailand). Committee members also discussed possible updates to details pertaining to the assets of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, who was killed by a US drone strike in Pakistan on 21 May. Human Rights-Related Developments On 25 July, UNAMA, in coordination with the UN Human Rights Office, released its mid-year report on protection of civilians in armed conflict, covering 1 January to 30 June. The report documents a record number of civilian casualties since counting began in 2009, with 5,166 civilians killed or maimed (1,601 killed and 3,565 injured) in the first six months of 2016, of whom almost one-third were children (388 killed and 1,121 injured). This represents an increase of 4 percent in the total number of casualties compared to the first six months of 2015 and is the highest half-year total since 2009. The total civilian casualty figure recorded by the UN between 1 January 2009 and 30 June has risen to 63,934 (22,941 killed and 40,993 injured). During the reporting period, anti-government elements remained responsible for the majority (60 percent) of civilian casualties, but there was an increase in the number of civilians killed and injured by pro-government forces. Also during the reporting period, 157,987 Afghans were newly displaced, marking a 10 percent increase over the same period last year. The report also documents other serious human rights violations and abuses, including the deliberate targeting of women in the public sphere; use of children in armed conflict; sexual violence against boys and girls; attacks on educational and health facilities; abductions and summary executions; and the targeting of human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and judges. Key Issues An important issue for the next months is how the Council may encourage the political actors to meet the agreed electoral calendar. The ongoing key issue has been how to address the deteriorating security situation, its negative impact on the countrys stability and the toll the conflict is taking on the civilian population. A related issue is whether it is possible to generate momentum for reconciliation efforts, given the continuing heavy fighting between the insurgency and government forces. The link between drug production and trafficking and the insurgency is another ongoing issue. Options The Council could adopt a resolution or presidential statement that: deplores the high number of civilian casualties and demands that all sides avoid killing and injuring civilians, recalling that targeting civilians is a war crime; encourages efforts by the international community to support reconciliation in Afghanistan; and emphasises the importance of development assistance in promoting Afghanistans stability. The Council could also decide to visit Afghanistan to show its support for anti-insurgency, reconciliation and anti-corruption efforts and to learn how it can further assist efforts on the ground. Council Dynamics There is widespread concern among Council members about the deteriorating security environment and the toll that the conflict continues to take on civilians. There are also concerns over the fragility of the power-sharing arrangements and the uncertainty of the electoral calendar. Several Council members also recognise that after NATO pledged its continued military support in Warsaw, the upcoming Brussels conference will be pivotal in continuing international support for Afghanistan. Several Council membersin particular, France and Russia and, more recently, Egypt and Venezuelahave regularly raised concerns about the connection between drug production and trafficking and the insurgency. Russia, Egypt and Venezuela have also emphasised the increased activities of ISIL in Afghanistan as a major concern. During the 15 March briefing on Afghanistan, Japan suggested a Council visiting mission to the country. Council members considered such a trip in July, but they eventually decided against it for security and logistical reasons. However, the idea may resurface in the future. Spain is the penholder on Afghanistan, and New Zealand is the chair of the 1988 Sanctions Committee. UN Documents on Afghanistan This was a resolution renewing the mandate of UNAMA for one year. This was the report of the Secretary-General on UNAMA. This was the quarterly debate on Afghanistan. This was a press statement that condemned the terrorist attack that occurred on 24 August in Kabul, which resulted in at least 13 people dead and 50 people injured. This was a press statement condemning the terrorist attack that occurred earlier that day in Kabul, resulting in the death of at least 80 people killed and more than 230 wounded, for which local affiliates of ISIL have claimed responsibility. This was a press statement condemning the 20 June terrorist attacks in Kabul and Badakhshan Province. This was a press statement that amended and added details to the listing of Taliban commander Shah Nawaz Rahmatullah. AFRICA Liberia Expected Council Action The mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) expires on 30 September. The Council is expected to adopt a resolution in September renewing the missions mandate in its current configuration for a period of three months, pending the recommendations of the Secretary-Generals assessment mission due in November. Key Recent Developments Over the course of the year, the UN has continued its gradual disengagement from Liberia. In May, the Council lifted its remaining sanctions, an arms embargo on non-state actors, and terminated the Liberia sanctions regime, which had been in place since 2003. As mandated by resolution 2239, on 30 June, UNMIL formally transferred security responsibilities to Liberian authorities. Resolution 2239 also called on the Secretary-General to conduct an assessment mission to Liberia and provide the Council with recommendations by November on the future of the UN mission. By the end of the year, the Council is likely to evaluate the effects of UNMILs drawdown and decide whether and when to withdraw UNMIL, and on the transition to another form of UN presence in Liberia. At the height of its engagement in Liberia following the end of the conflict in 2003, UNMIL numbered more than 15,000 uniform personnel. Subsequent to the 30 June transfer of security responsibilities, UNMILs presence was reduced to 1,235 military and 507 police personnel. This relatively small UN contingent will continue to support, within its capacities, the Liberian government in protecting civilians should the security situation deteriorate. Furthermore, until at least mid-2017, the quick reaction force within the UN Operation in Cote dIvoire will stand ready to provide support to UNMIL in case of a serious threat to peace and stability in Liberia. The security situation has remained relatively stable following the transition of security responsibilities to Liberian authorities. Leading up to the transfer, there was noticeable anxiety among the general population regarding UNMILs drawdown. Some in the political opposition and in civil society groups have continued to express concerns about the readiness of Liberian authorities for the transition, and especially for ensuring security during the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for October 2017. The Liberian government has already started to prepare for the 2017 legislative and presidential elections. Current Vice President Joseph Boakai and opposition candidate Alexander Cummings have declared their intent to run for the presidency. In addition, 23 political parties have been registered, while more than 20 other political parties await approval to register. Following the end of the conflict in 2003, Liberia held presidential elections in 2005 and 2011, and current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected both times. There will be no incumbent at the 2017 elections because the Constitution bars the president from serving more than two terms in office. Sirleaf stated on multiple occasions that she would not pursue a run for the presidency in 2017. In July, with her support, Sirleafs Unity Party formally nominated Boakai as its candidate for the 2017 elections. Since its deployment in 2003, UNMIL has played a crucial role in all presidential and legislative elections. The 2017 elections are potentially risky, given that they will mark the first democratic handover of the presidency at a time when the Liberian authorities will be in sole charge of providing security in the country. The fallout from a May report exposing bribes to Liberian officials by a UK mining company has continued to impact the political climate in Liberia. The report, published by the NGO Global Witness, exposed alleged corruption on the part of a number of senior government officials, including Alex Tyler, the speaker of the House of Representatives. Following an investigation launched by Sirleaf, several of those involved, including Tyler, have been arrested and indicted on various charges of corruption. The representatives in the legislature remain split between those who support Tyler and those who demand his resignation. The corruption scandal has also negatively affected the relationship between the executive and the legislature and has prevented progress on various reforms. On 25 August, Council members held consultations on UNMIL, with a briefing by Farid Zarif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Liberia. In his briefing, Zarif devoted significant attention to the 30 June transition of security responsibilities. While commending the government on achieving this important milestone, Zarif called on the Liberian government to implement outstanding legislative and institutional reforms. Zarif noted that UNMIL started adjusting its own engagement following the security transition which has necessitated a review of the nature and form of the future support and cooperation between Liberia and UNMIL. In this regard, Zarif informed members that there are ongoing consultations between the UN and Liberian government on the revised institutional framework for such cooperation. Key Issues Maintaining stability in Liberia remains the core issue for the Council, given the ongoing drawdown of the mission and the 30 June transfer of security responsibilities from UNMIL to Liberian authorities, and the potential for destabilisation leading up to or during the 2017 presidential elections. Options The most likely option for the Council is to extend the missions mandate in its current configuration for three months, as recommended by the Secretary-General in his latest report on UNMIL. This would ensure the continuity of the mission pending the Secretary-Generals recommendations based on the assessment mission. Resolution 2239 requires the Council to review by 15 December Liberias overall capacity to ensure security and stability after the conclusion of the security transition on 30 June 2016 and security conditions on the ground, to consider the possible withdrawal of UNMIL and transition to a future United Nations presence. Council and Wider Dynamics Despite the Councils unanimous view that the UN mission should continue its drawdown towards an eventual withdrawal, some members seem to be wary regarding the timing of such actions. The overall security situation on the ground has remained relatively stable, even after the transition of security responsibilities from UNMIL to the Liberian authorities. The Liberian government, however, is facing budgetary deficits that are almost certain to affect the allocation of funds to the transition process. In addition, a number of legislative and institutional reforms have yet to be implemented. Crucial legislation on police and immigration services and on firearms and ammunition control is still awaiting adoption. The government seems to be confident in its ability to maintain control of the security situation, but there is growing concern among Liberians regarding UNMILs drawdown, given the potentially destabilising effects of the 2017 presidential elections. The P3 in general and the US in particular seem supportive of a more rapid drawdown of UNMIL. The US was also one of the main proponents of terminating Liberias sanctions regime in May. The elected members seem to be in favour of UNMILs drawdown in principle, but more cautious than the P3. However, it seems unlikely that elected members would directly oppose the lead of the US on this issue. The recommendations from the assessment mission, due in November, are likely to influence the course of the Councils actions regarding possible termination of the mission. The US is the penholder on Liberia. UN Documents terminated the Liberia sanctions regime. authorised a further drawdown of UNMIL to 1,240 military personnel and 606 police by 30 June 2016. was on UNMIL. AFRICA Libya Expected Council Action In September, the Council is expecting a briefing by the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Martin Kobler, followed by consultations. The Council will also receive a briefing by the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Ramlan Ibrahim (Malaysia). UNSMILs mandate expires on 15 December, and the mandate of the Sanctions Committees Panel of Experts expires on 31 July 2017. Key Recent Developments Since the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) in December 2015 by participants in the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue, the failure of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives to endorse the Government of National Accord (GNA) has critically hampered the political situation. On 22 August, the House rejected a cabinet list submitted on 15 February by the Presidency Council of the GNA. The House, reportedly in full quorum, also asked the Presidency Council to submit a new consensual list of proposed ministers. This requires agreement by all nine members of the Presidency Council, including two who boycotted it asserting that it is insufficiently inclusive. One of them, Omar al-Aswad, announced on 26 August his intention to re-join the Presidency Council. Five months since its arrival in Tripoli, the Presidency Council has faced numerous challenges in the performance of its duties. On 16-18 July, the members of the Libyan Political Dialogue discussed with the Presidency Council the difficulties it was facing. At the meeting, participants identified several areas where progress by the Presidency Council was crucial: delivery of basic services, implementation of security arrangements stipulated by the LPA, resumption of production and export of oil and bringing on board its two boycotting members. Kobler briefed Security Council members on these discussions on 22 July, and in a press statement they encouraged the Presidency Council to continue efforts to broaden the basis of its support and to take the necessary decisions to tackle Libyas challenges. By the time of the House vote, attempts to restore oil production (through reaching an agreement with the armed group known as Petroleum Facilities Guard) and take control of sovereign funds (by appointing a steering committee to run the Libyan Investment Authority) had sparked controversies and yielded limited results. General Khalifa Haftar continues a military offensive aimed at evicting the Shura Council and its allies from Benghazi. On 20 July, three French soldiers who were supporting this offensive died in a helicopter crash, which led to the withdrawal of French special forces soon afterwards. (Although for some time most Council members have considered, at least nominally, the formation of the GNA as a prerequisite for counter-terrorism assistance, the presence of British and American special forces in eastern Libya has been previously reported.) The offensive against Sirte, a coastal town under the partial control of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), continues to advance, involving mostly Misrata-based militias nominally under the command of the GNA with aerial support by the US. (Since 1 August, the US African Command has carried out some 80 airstrikes against ISIL targets in Sirte.) An 18 July report by the Secretary-Generaldiscussed two days later by the Councilhighlighted how success against ISIL resulted in increased tensions among competing armed groups (such as the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar and Misrata-based militias). The risk that chemical weapons might fall into the hands of terrorist groups motivated the adoption on 22 July of resolution 2298, which authorises the transfer of chemical weapons out of Libya in order to destroy them. On 27 August, some 400 tons of chemical weapons were transferred to a Danish ship in Misrata, on their way to Germany, where they will be destroyed. The security situation and difficult socioeconomic conditions continue to impact vulnerable groups, such as internally displaced persons (IDPs), migrants and refugees. According to a displacement tracking matrix published in August by the International Organization for Migration, the number of IDPs across Libya has reached 348,000, in addition to 310,000 returnees and 277,000 migrants. The report also said that 2,742 deaths have been recorded in 2016 on the central Mediterranean Sea route that connects Libya and Italy. Sanctions-Related Developments On 14 June, the Council adopted resolution 2292, which provided legal grounds for the extension of the mandate of the EUs EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia to support the implementation of the arms embargo in the Mediterranean. The resolution provides a 12-month authorisation for member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya bound to or from Libya that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo. It further authorises member states to seize and dispose of arms and ammunition found during these inspections. On 18 August, the Sanctions Committee updated its Implementation Assistance Notice Number 3 to inform member states of reporting requirements to the Committee when attempted or actual violations of the embargo are detected, and regarding the disposal of embargoed materiel. Key Issues The overarching issue is to ensure a solution to the political deadlock that addresses the issues raised by those refusing to support the LPA without reopening all of its provisions. Bringing on board the two boycotting members of the Presidency Council and agreeing on a cabinet that can be endorsed by the House are urgent and related issues. Mitigating the impact that current counter-terrorist operations, conducted by different armed groups, may have on the power dynamics on the ground and the efforts to bring together the different parties within the framework of the LPA are key issues. Exercising leverage by the external actors supporting these operations to encourage engagement in the political process and for the parties to conduct hostilities with respect for international humanitarian law is a related issue. The potential for ISIL to disperse and increase its regional reach as a result of ongoing offensives against its strongholds is an urgent issue. Options Options for the Council include adopting a presidential statement or resolution: reaffirming its support for the Presidency Council and calling on it to propose an inclusive cabinet; urging the House to consider the proposal swiftly and in good faith; and reiterating UNSMILs good offices mandate in this context. Council members could also visit Libya and the region to hold discussions with the parties, including spoilers, and regional stakeholders to overcome the political deadlock. Council Dynamics Council members generally support UNSMILs mediation efforts but have arguably failed to set a clear direction to reach and support a political settlement. Some Council members have emphasised the importance of a formal endorsement of the GNA by the House, while others have been interacting bilaterally with the Presidency Council of the GNA as the legitimate government of Libya. Several resolutions since December 2015 have called upon member states to cease support to and official contact with parallel institutions that claim to have legitimate authority, but it seems that this has not been respected by several Council members, including permanent members. In December 2015, the Council mandated UNSMIL to support the establishment of the GNA and, as a result of the deadlock over this process, the Council renewed the same mandate with technical rollover resolutions in March and June. The Council could take advantage of the current impasse to collectively revisit (and agree on) its political strategy for Libya. The UK is the penholder on Libya. Ambassador Ramlan Ibrahim (Malaysia) chairs the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON LIBYA This was a resolution providing for Libyas category 2 chemical weapons to be transferred and destroyed outside of the country. This was a resolution providing a one year authorisation for member states to inspect, in the high seas off the coast of Libya, vessels bound to or from Libya. This was a resolution renewing the mandate of UNSMIL until 15 December 2016. This was the Secretary-Generals report on the threat posed to Libya and neighbouring countries by foreign terrorist fighters recruited by or joining ISIL and Al-Qaida. This attached a letter from House speaker Agila Saleh expressing concerns that the Benghazi Defence Companies were planning to mount attacks in eastern Libya. This was from Agila Saleh, saying that all decisions issued by the Presidency Council are considered null and void and without any effect until its endorsement by the House. This was a letter from Libyan Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi, questioning the report of the Secretary-General for equating the forces loyal to Haftar with other armed groups. This was a press statement welcoming the 16-17 July meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue and the Presidency Council. THEMATIC ISSUES Protection of Civilians Expected Council Action In late September, the Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on the Secretary-Generals recommendations regarding measures to prevent attacks on health care in armed conflict, as requested by resolution 2286 of 3 May. Briefers may include the Secretary-General and representatives of civil society, although this had yet to be confirmed at press time. Press elementsor a press statementcould be a possible outcome of the meeting. Key Recent Developments In recent years, attacks on health care workers and medical facilities have been a disturbing feature of armed conflicts in numerous conflict zones. In addition to the harm caused to health care workers and facilities, such attacks have a devastating impact on people in need, whose access to health care and humanitarian assistance is curtailed. On 3 May, the Council adopted resolution 2286 on the protection of health care in armed conflictincluding medical workers, transport, equipment and facilitiesand strongly condemned any attacks against medical personnel. Since the adoption of this resolution, attacks in Syria, Yemen and Pakistan have highlighted the gravity of the problem. On 31 May, a bomb struck the Al-Ihsan hospital in Aleppo, Syria, wounding 45 people, while at least 10 people died when the Bayan hospital, also in Aleppo, was hit during an aerial bombardment on 8 June. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 71 attacks on health facilities this year in Syria. In Yemen, a 15 August airstrike, reportedly by the Saudi-led coalition, hit the Abs Hospital in Hajjah, Yemen, killing 19 people and wounding 24. WHO has reported that more than 100 health facilities have been damaged in Yemen since the fighting there escalated in March 2015. According to MSF which supported the Abs Hospitalwhich was partially destroyed in the bombingit was the main medical facilityin the western part of Hajjah governate. Following this attack, MSF withdrew its staff from hospitals in northern Yemens Sadda and Hajjah governates because of security concerns. In Pakistan, a suicide attack at the entrance to a hospital in Quetta on 9 August claimed the lives of more than 70 people; those targeted appeared to be lawyers mourning the death of a colleague, whose body was in the emergency room of the hospital. A Pakistani branch of the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant took responsibility for the attack. Resolution 2286 was designed to convey a strong political signal about the unacceptability of violations of international humanitarian law arising from attacks against medical and humanitarian workers exclusively engaged in medical duties in conflict situations. Among other things, the resolution: strongly condemned attacks against medical and humanitarian personnel and impunity for such attacks; and strongly urged states and all parties to armed conflict to develop effective measures to prevent and address attacks on health care in armed conflict; underlined the role of education and training in international humanitarian law as a means to support efforts to halt and prevent such attacks; requested the Secretary-General to promptly provide the Council with recommendations regarding measures to prevent attacks on health care workers and facilities in armed conflict; and requested the Secretary-General to brief annually on the implementation of the resolution. Immediately following the adoption of the resolution, the Council received a briefing on health care in armed conflict. The briefers included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Peter Maurer, the president of the ICRC; and Joanne Liu, the president of MSF. All of them underscored the devastating human impact of attacks on medical personnel and facilities in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Ban said that intentional and direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes and that denying people access to essential health care is a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Maurer noted that entire systems unravel under the attacks on health facilities and personnel. Liu said that although the Council is responsible for protecting peace and security, four of the five permanent membershave, in varying degrees, been associated with coalitions responsible for attacks on health-care structures, including in Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. She exhorted the Council to stop those attacks. The Council held an open debate on 10 June on the protection of civilians in the context of peacekeeping operations. Jean-Marc Ayrault, Frances minister of foreign affairs and international development, presided. Ban and President Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic addressed the Council. Maurer briefed by video teleconference. On 18 August, the Secretary-General submitted his recommendations for the protection of health care in armed conflict to the Security Council, as requested by resolution 2286. Among other things, the Secretary-General called for: adherence to international treaties; reinforcement of national legislation related to the protection of medical care in armed conflict; guarantees that medical personnel engaged solely in medical duties can act in accordance with medical ethics without being punished for doing so; adoption, review, revision and implementation of operational precautionary measures, including recording and mapping the location of medical personnel, facilities and equipment; and improvement in data collection, analysis and reporting. Key Issues The key issue for the Council is whether it can play an effective role in implementing the Secretary-Generals recommendations on the protection of health care in armed conflict and, as a result, have a concrete impact on country-specific situations in which medical workers and facilities are targeted. One complicating factor, as Liu noted in the 3 May briefing, is that several permanent members of the Council have been affiliated, to different extents, with coalitions involved in attacks on health care. A related question is how the Council can continue to maintain attention on this issue and ensure that its decisions appropriately reflect the imperatives of medical neutrality under international humanitarian law. Options The Council could consider issuing a statement that: welcomes the Secretary-Generals recommendations and urges that they be implemented by all relevant actors; urges states to refrain from exporting weapons that might be used in ways that violate international law, including in attacks on health care; calls on the UN system to develop a mechanism to collect data on attacks on medical workers and facilities across conflicts in a standardised way; and emphasises the importance of medical neutrality in relevant Council country-specific decisions. Council and Wider Dynamics The protection of health care in armed conflict is an issue of growing concern to several Council members and the wider UN membership. This is largely because of the high number of aid workers who are subjected to violence, the damage to medical facilities in numerous conflict settings and the negative implications of these attacks on the lives of civilians in need of medical care and humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, there seems to be a rising perception that parties to conflict in many contexts show little respect for international humanitarian law, which includes protections for aid workers. Leadership on this issue has been taken by five elected membersEgypt, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Uruguaythat served as penholders on resolution 2286, a resolution that was sponsored by 85 member states. UN Documents This condemned attacks on health care workers and facilities in armed conflict. This was the 12th report on the protection of civilians. This was a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in the context of peacekeeping operations. This was a briefing on the protection of health care in armed conflict. This letter transmitted the Secretary-Generals recommendations on the protection of health care in armed conflict. WASHINGTON The one great service of Donald Trumps extended peregrinations on immigration policy is to have demonstrated how, in the end, theres only one place to go. You can rail for a year about the squishy soft, weak-kneed and stupid politicians who have opened our borders to the wretched refuse of Mexico. You can promise to round them up the refuse, that is, not the politicians (theyre next) and deport them. And that may win you a plurality of Republican primary votes. But eventually you have to let it go. For all his incendiary language and clanging contradictions, Trump did exactly that in Phoenix on Wednesday. His deportation task force will be hunting criminal aliens. Isnt that the enforcement priority of President Obama, heretofore excoriated as the ultimate immigration patsy? And what happens to the noncriminal illegal immigrants? On that, Trump punted. Their appropriate disposition will be considered in several years when we have ... ended illegal immigration for good. Everyone knows what that means: One way or another, they will be allowed to stay. Trumps retreat points the way to the only serious solution: enforcement plus legalization. The required enforcement measures are well known from a national E-Verify system that makes it just about impossible to work if you are here illegally, to intensified border patrol and high-tech tracking. The one provision that, thanks to Trump, gets the most attention is a border wall. Its hard to understand the opposition. Its the most venerable and reliable way to keep people out. The triple fence outside San Diego led to a 90 percent reduction in infiltration. Israels border fence with the West Bank has produced a similar decline in terror attacks into Israel. The main objection is symbolic. Walls, we are told, denote prisons. But only if they are built to keep people in, not if they are for keeping outsiders out. City walls, going back to Jericho, are there for protection. Even holier-than-thou Europeans have conceded the point as one country after another Hungary, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Austria, Greece, Spain, why even Norway has started building border fences to stem the tide of Middle Eastern refugees. The other part of the immigration bargain is legalization. What do you do with the 11 million already here? In theory, you could do nothing. The problem ultimately solves itself as the generation of the desert those who crossed the border originally is eventually replaced by its American-born children who are automatically legal and landed. But formal legalization is a political necessity. It gets buy-in from Democrats who for whatever reason self-styled humanitarianism or bare-knuckled partisanship have no interest in real border enforcement. Legalization is the quid pro quo. If they want to bring the immigrants out of the shadows, they must endorse serious enforcement. Such a grand bargain could and would command a vast national consensus. The American public will accept todays illegal immigrants if it is convinced this will be the last such cohort. This was the premise of the 1986 Reagan amnesty. It legalized almost 3 million immigrants. Because it never enforced the border, however, three has become 11. And thats why the Gang of Eight failed. They too got the sequencing wrong. The left insisted on legalization first. The Gangs Republicans ultimately acquiesced because they figured, correctly, this was the best deal they could get in an era of Democratic control. The problem is that legalization is essentially irreversible and would have gone into effect on Day One. Enforcement was a mere promise. Hence the emerging Republican consensus, now that Trump has abandoned mass deportation: a heavy and detailed concentration on enforcement, leaving the question of what happens to those already here either unspoken (Trump on Wednesday) or to be treated case by case (Trump last week). The Trump detour into and retreat from deportation has proved salutary. Even the blustering tough guy had to dismiss it with were not looking to hurt people. The ultimate national consensus, however, lies one step further down the road. Why leave legalization for some future discussion? Get it done. Once the river of illegal immigration has been demonstrably and securely reduced to a trickle, the country will readily exercise its natural magnanimity and legalize. So why not agree now? Say it and sign it. To get, you have to give. Thats the art of the deal, is it not? AFRICA Somalia Expected Council Action In September, the Council will consider the Secretary-Generals 120-day report on Somalia. The Council is also expecting the AU to submit a report on the implementation of the AU Mission in Somalias (AMISOM) mandatethe first such report to be received since 2013. Special Representative of the Secretary-General Michael Keating is expected to brief the Council, followed by consultations. The UN Assistance Mission in Somalias (UNSOM) mandate expires on 31 March 2017; AMISOMs mandate expires on 31 May 2017. Key Recent Developments Somalia continues to prepare for elections later this year. The National Leaders Forum (NLF) held a meeting in Mogadishu from 2 to 9 August to finalise the pending issues on the implementation of the 2016 National Electoral Process. A communique issued following the meeting said that due to the existing circumstances, it is not possible to hold elections within the remaining period of the term of office for the current government institutions of the Federal Parliament and the President, which was set to end on 20 August. To avert an institutional vacuum in the constitutionally mandated institutions, the NLF authorised the current officials to remain in office until the results of the elections are announced. It endorsed a timetable for the upcoming elections, according to which voting for a new federal parliament will be held between 24 September and 10 October, and the president will be elected by the new parliament on 30 October. The communique also addressed the finalisation of the constitutional review, the transition away from the clan-based 4.5 voting system following this years election (this system gives an equal share to each of the four major clans while a coalition of smaller clans gets half a share), the allocation of seats for women in parliament, the representation of minority communities, the electoral process and college for the various sub-clans inhabiting the Banadiri area, voting criteria and other issues. On 19 August, the Councilwhich had said in resolution 2232 of July 2015 and subsequent press statements that it expected no delay in the holding of elections planned for Augustadopted a presidential statement in response to the new electoral schedule. While expressing its regrets about the delay in the electoral process, the Council welcomed the meeting of Somalias NLF on the implementation of the 2016 National Electoral Process and the continued political and security progress in Somalia since 2012. The statement also underscored the need to maintain the momentum towards democratic governance, with an inclusive and credible electoral process in 2016 as a stepping stone to universal suffrage elections in 2020. The Council noted the consensus decision of the NLF to extend the timeline for the parliamentary and presidential elections to allow for the implementation of the technical modalities that will facilitate an inclusive process, as envisaged by the National Consultative Forum in the Mogadishu Declaration of 16 December 2015. The statement regretted the delay of the original timeline and called on all Somali stakeholders to work constructively to implement the revised calendar. It also noted the NLFs decision to extend the current mandates of the federal institutions to respect this timeline. The statement welcomed the further provisions in the NLF communique, commended the establishment of an Electoral Dispute Resolution Mechanism, and emphasised the importance of adhering to the political roadmap between now and 2020, in particular in order to reach one-person, one-vote elections by 2020. Speaking about the upcoming election, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia, Francisco Madeira, reiterated on 17 August that AMISOM will work together with the Somali National Security Forces (SNSF) to ensure that the electoral process is successful, and stressed that efforts would be intensified to defeat the Al-Shabaab rebel group, noting that the focus will be on clearing main supply routes and enabling residents to move freely. Meanwhile, the security situation in Somalia remains troubled, with Al-Shabaab continuing to conduct terrorist attacks. Among such attacks recently was a double suicide car bombing targeting a government building in Galkayo in central Somalia on 21 August that killed 27 and injured nearly 90 others, the single deadliest attack the group has carried out in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. On 26 July, two suicide bombers detonated explosives-packed cars outside the office of the UN mine-clearing agency and at a Somali army checkpoint in Mogadishu. Thirteen people were killed, including a protection officer working with the UN Refugee Agency. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for both attacks. In a communique on the situation in Somalia and AMISOM adopted on 29 June, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) commended the efforts of the AU Commission for having convened the workshop that revised the AMISOM Concept of Operations (CONOPs) and took note of the meeting of the Military Operations Coordination Committee, held in Kampala on 22 June, which endorsed the recommendations of the revised CONOPs. In its communique, the PSC expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the revised CONOPs regarding AMISOMs identified priority tasks. These include support to secure the electoral process in coordination with the Elections Security Taskforce; more targeted and effective offensive operations by AMISOM and SNSF against Al-Shabaab; implementation of the Joint Technical Intelligence Committees to improve intelligence-sharing and management; and enhanced command and control by urgently filling structures of AMISOMs Strategic, Operational and Tactical headquarters with dedicated and qualified personnel. The communique also took note of the timelines of the AMISOM exit strategy presented by the AU Commission, which prioritises territorial recovery and consolidation by AMISOM and SNSF until October 2018, and a subsequent drawdown and transfer of security responsibilities to the SNSF from then until December 2020. The PSC communique also emphasised the need to align the current political developments with efforts to create a capable, inclusive and effective SNSF and urged the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo imposed on Somalia. Ending the embargo was a critical aspect of building capable Somalia security institutions, the PSC said. On 21 August, the Kenyan government said it would suspend its decision to close down the Dadaab refugee camp and send back Somali refugees until the situation in Somalia stabilises. Calling the camp an economic burden and breeding ground for terrorism, Kenya had announced in early May that it would close the site, which houses more than 326,000 Somalis, by the end of November. Human Rights-Related Developments On 24 June, the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted without a vote the outcome of the universal periodic review of Somalia, comprising the report of the Working Group (A/HRC/32/12), the views of the state concerning the recommendations and/or conclusions made and its voluntary commitments and replies presented before the adoption of the outcome (A/HRC/RES/32/109). The HRC will consider the report of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia during its 33rd session in September (A/HRC/33/64). Key Issues The most pressing issue currently is ensuring that Somalia adheres to the revised timeline for the limited 2016 electoral process and conducts peaceful, transparent and inclusive elections, paving the way for one-person, one-vote elections in 2020. Likewise, progress must be made towards the constitutional review process and completion of the federal state formation, with support from UNSOM. It is also essential that effective measures be taken by AMISOM and the SNSF to address the security threat posed by Al-Shabaab, including through the implementation of AMISOMs priority tasks as outlined in the revised CONOPs, particularly in light of the upcoming elections. As a related issue, funding gaps for AMISOM operations continue to be a key concern. Options The most likely option for the Council is to simply receive the September briefing. Given that the Council issued a presidential statement on Somalia in August, it seems unlikely that it would take further measures in September unless developments on the ground necessitate further action. Council Dynamics Council members are united in supporting Somalias electoral and state-building processes, and in their support for AMISOM, as demonstrated by unified messages conveyed during the Councils visit to Somalia in May and the uncontentious adoption of several recent Council outcomes on Somaliaincluding its 23 May press statement, 7 July AMISOM reauthorisation and 19 August presidential statement. On sanctions, the Council is divided between those members who believe it should consider lifting the measures against Eritrea, such as Angola, China, Russia and Venezuela, and those who remain concerned about Eritreas other activities in the region and seem to view cooperation with the Monitoring Group as a precondition for any changes in the sanctions regime. Venezuela has also called on the Council to heed Somalias appeal for the lifting of sanctions on Somalia, as requested by the Somali president during a briefing to the Council in April and by the AU PSC in its June communique. The UK is the penholder on Somalia, and Venezuela is the chair of the 751/1907 Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON SOMALIA This was a resolution which extended AMISOMs authorisation until 31 May 2017 with no major changes. This was a presidential statement that welcomed the meeting of Somalias NLF on the implementation of the 2016 National Electoral Process and regretted the delayed electoral timetable. This was the report of the Secretary-General on Somalia. This was a press statement that welcomed the electoral process set out in the 22 May decree issued by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Status Update Children and Armed Conflict On 2 August, the Security Council held an open debate on children and armed conflict (S/PV.7753) focused on the annual report of the Secretary-General (S/2016/360). Among the topics highlighted in both the report and the debate were the impact of extreme violence and displacement of children. The Secretary-General, his Special Representative, Leila Zerrougui, and Executive Director of UNICEF Anthony Lake briefed the Council. Sixty-nine delegations delivered statements during the debate. The concept note (S/2016/662) for the debate noted the achievements over the last 20 years and highlighted key developments in the children and armed conflict agenda in 2015 and 2016. DPRK (North Korea) On 3 August, during consultations, Council members received a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Taye-Brook Zerihoun at the request of Japan, the Republic of Korea and the US on the two ballistic missile launches conducted on 2 August by the DPRK. On 24 August, they received a briefing by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman on the DPRKs launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine on 23 August. The 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee met on 26 August to consider implementation of resolution 2270 and discuss the mid-term report submitted by its panel of experts. In a press statement issued later that day, Council members condemned the 2 and 23 August ballistic missile launches, as well as launches conducted on 9 and 18 July, as grave violations of the DPRKs international obligations under relevant Council resolutions (SC/12494). They called on UN member states to redouble their efforts to implement the measures imposed by the Council on the DPRK, in particular those contained in resolution 2270. On 30 August, the chair of the Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Roman Oyarzun (Spain), briefed Council members in consultations on the Committees work. Yemen On 3 August, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, briefed Council members in consultations on peace talks in Kuwait. Following the meeting, members were unable to agree to press elements. Three days later the talks concluded without an agreement and fighting soon intensified. On 5 August, the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee met with the Yemen Panel of Experts to consider the Panels midterm update, which was circulated in a report to committee members on 27 July. Of the Panels three recommendations, committee members subsequently approved two of them while taking note of the recommendation to issue an implementation assistance notice regarding information to include in member states reports of interdictions. On 25 August, following a meeting of foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the UK, the US and the Special Envoy in Jeddah, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced an agreement on a renewed approach to negotiations that would simultaneously address security and political tracks. On 31 August, the Special Envoy briefed the Council on the details of the new initiative, which was followed by consultations. Central African Republic On 5 August, the coordinator of the Panel of Experts of the 2127 Central African Republic Sanctions Committee briefed members on the Panels mid-term report. Also on 5 August, Zainab Bangura, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sexual Violence, briefed members, emphasising the important role of the UN and humanitarian actors in ending impunity with regard to sexual violence in the Central African Republic. On 23 August, the Committee imposed targeted sanctions on Ali Kony and Salim Kony, deputies in the Lords Resistance Army (SC/12487). Secretary-General Appointment Council members held straw polls on 6 and 29 August in the process to select the next Secretary-General. The candidates were undifferentiated as between the elected and permanent members. By the second straw poll two candidates had withdrawn, leaving ten candidates to be voted on in the third straw poll. In the second straw poll, the number of discourage votes went up by 64 percent, while the number of encourage votes dipped by 23 percent and the number of no opinion expressed ballots fell by 24 percent. In the third straw poll, there was no change in the encourage votes, the number of discourage votes went up by 13 percent, and no opinion expressed votes decreased by 25 percent. Mali On 8 August, Council members condemned the terrorist attacks that occurred between 5 and 7 August against MINUSMA in the northern region of Kidal, killing one peacekeeper and injuring another six (SC/12473). Counter-Terrorism On 8 August, the 1267/1989/2253 Al-Qaida/ISIL Sanctions Committee considered the latest reports by the Ombudsperson (S/2016/671) and the Monitoring Team (S/2016/629). The Committee also received the Monitoring Teams quarterly oral assessment of the implementation of resolutions 2199 and 2178. On 22 August, Council members condemned a terrorist attack at a wedding ceremony in the city of Gaziantep in Turkey on 20 August, during which at least 54 people were killed and over 200 injured (SC/12484). They also condemned the terrorist attacks that took place over the prior week in Turkey, during which several Turkish police officers and civilians were killed. Ukraine On 11 August, Council members held consultations on the situation in Ukraine at the initiative of the Ukrainian delegation. Abassador Volodymyr Yelchenko (Ukraine) briefed Council members on rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia over the alleged acts of sabotage and terrorism in Crimea committed by Ukrainian forces. Yelchenko denied the accusations made by Russia while blaming Russia for its attempt to escalate the tensions in eastern Ukraine. Russia condemned Ukraine for alleged offensive actions and for obstructing the Minsk agreement. Yelchenko noted that Ukraine would initiate another meeting on Ukraine, with briefers from the OSCE and DPA, if the situation on the ground deteriorated. Sudan/South Sudan On 11 August, Council members held consultations on Sudan and South Sudan. Nicholas Haysom, Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, briefed. Following the meeting, they issued a press statement welcoming the signing on 8 August of the Roadmap Agreement by opposition groups and commending the government of Sudan for having signed the agreement on 16 March (SC/12474). Guinea-Bissau On 19 August, the 2048 Guinea-Bissau Sanctions Committee met to discuss the Secretary-Generals 16 August report on the Guinea-Bissau sanctions regime (S/2016/720). The report recommended maintaining the sanctions regime as a signal to spoilers regardless of political or institutional affiliation and adjusting the measures and designations as necessary; establishing a panel of experts; establishing benchmarks to lift sanctions; and reviewing current individuals subject to travel ban sanctions for their role in the 2012 coup to determine whether they still meet the designation criteria. On 30 August, the Council held a briefing followed by consultations on Guinea-Bissau. Modibo Toure, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, briefed on the Secretary-Generals 2 August report on the situation in Guinea-Bissau (S/2016/675). Also briefing were Deputy Permanent Representative Luis Bermudez of Uruguay, which chairs the Committee and Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil) as chair of the PBC Guinea-Bissau country-configuration (S/PV.7764). Lebanon On 22 August, a meeting of troop-contributing countries to UNIFIL was held. On 24 August, Council members met in consultations to discuss the renewal of UNIFILs mandate. On 30 August, the Council adopted resolution 2305, which renewed UNIFILs mandate for an additional year and requested the Secretary-General to conduct a strategic review of UNIFIL by February 2017. Non-Proliferation On 23 August, the Council held an open debate on the challenges in addressing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials (S/PV.7758). The meeting was chaired by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Council was briefed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Emmanuel Roux, Special Representative of INTERPOL to the UN; Gregory Koblentz, Director of the Biodefence Graduate Programme of George Mason University and Kim Won-soo, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Malaysia circulated a concept note ahead of the meeting (S/2016/712). Democratic Republic of the Congo On 16 August, Council members issued a press statement condemning the killing of at least 50 civilians on 13 August in the area of Rwangoma village, North Kivu Province of the DRC, by suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (SC/12477). On 24 August, the Group of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee briefed Committee members on it programme of work. Kosovo On 25 August, Zahir Tanin, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, briefed Council members on recent developments and the latest Secretary-Generals report (S/2016/666). Tanin emphasised the need to renew efforts on the implementation of the existing agreements between Belgrade and Pristina. Tanin also informed Council members about the latest developments related to the impasse in the Assembly of Kosovo concerning the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro. Ivica Dacic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, addressed the Council, and Vlora Citaku, Kosovo Ambassador to the US, also made a statement (S/PV.7760). Liberia On 25 August, Farid Zarif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNMIL, briefed the Council on the latest UNMIL report (S/2016/706) as well as recent developments (S/PV.7761). Joakim Vaverka (Sweden), Chair of the PBC Liberia Configuration, also briefed. Zarif devoted significant attention on the government of Liberias assumption of UNMILs security responsibilities on 30 June. While commending the successful transition, Zarif called on the Liberian government to implement pending legislative and institutional reforms. In his briefing, Vaverka said that the Commission would continue to promote national reconciliation, security sector development and the rule of law. In addition, Vaverka added that the Commission would pay special attention to the preparation of the 2017 presidential and legislative elections. Colombia On 26 August, Council members were briefed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Mission in Colombia, Jean Arnault, on the recommendations included in an 18 August report of the Secretary-General on the size, operational aspects and mandate of the UN Mission in Colombia (S/2016/729). Western Sahara On 26 August, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations El-Ghassim Wane briefed Council members in consultations on the situation in Western Sahara. The briefing was requested by Venezuela in light of allegations by the Polisario that Morocco had traversed the berm in Al Guargarat, just north of the Mauritanian border, in violation of the ceasefire signed between both parties in 1991. AFRICA Sudan (Darfur) Expected Council Action In September, Ambassador Rafael Ramirez (Venezuela), the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to provide the quarterly briefing to Council members on the Committees work. The Committee will have to make a decision on a new slate of candidates for its panel of experts, once they are proposed by the Department of Political Affairs. Key Recent Developments There has been no improvement in the prolonged humanitarian crisis facing Darfur. There are currently 2.6 million internally displaced persons in the region, while approximately 2.7 million people now face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, according to the 8 June special report on the UN/AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) by the UN Secretary-General and the Chair of the AU Commission. Fighting in Jebel Marra displaced tens of thousands in the first half of 2016. On 8 August, several rebel groupsJustice and Equality Movement, the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-Northand the opposition National Umma Party signed the Roadmap for Ending the Conflict in Sudan. The roadmap calls for a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access and a more inclusive national dialogue process. The government had signed it on 21 March, but the rebels had refrained from signing for several months out of concerns about government control over the national dialogue. In a press statement issued on 11 August, members of the Council welcomed the signing of the Roadmap by the opposition groups and commended the government of Sudan for having signed it earlier this year. Soon after the opposition signed the document, from 9 to 14 August, they met with government representatives in Addis Ababa. However, these talks failed to make progress, as they were mired in disagreements over security arrangements in Darfur and humanitarian access in the Two Areas (Sudans Blue Nile and South Kordofan states). With regard to Darfur, the government had wanted detailed information on the location of rebel forces as a precondition to a cessation of hostilities; the rebels were reluctant to provide this information. With regard to the Two Areas, there were differences of view on routes for the delivery of aid, with the rebels requesting that some of the aid be delivered through Ethiopia. The Council adopted resolution 2265 on 10 February, extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts until 12 March 2017. Shortly after the resolution was adopted, Russia placed a hold on the slate of experts proposed by DPA. (A hold means that the issue remains pending on the Committees agenda but that a decision is not made, meaning that action cannot be taken on a proposal until the hold is removed or the proposal is rejected.) Two of the five experts proposed by DPA were members of last years panel, which produced the 2015 final report that some members, including Russia, found objectionable, at least in part because the report argued that funds from the trade in Darfur gold were fuelling conflict in the region. On 19 August, Russia requested that its hold be extended. According to the Committee guidelines, a hold can be left pending for up to six months; after such time, it can be extended by up to three months if the Committee determines, at the request of the Committee member concerned, on a case-by-case basis that extraordinary circumstances require additional time. However, several Committee members objected to the Russian request, which was declined as a consequence. On 25 August, the day before the hold was set to expire, Russia rejected the proposed panel, paving the way for DPA to put forward a new slate of candidates for the Panel. The Sudan Sanctions Committee met on 8 July, receiving a briefing from Zainab Bangura, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Bangura reported that sexual violence was a consistent characteristic of the Darfur conflict. She expressed concerns about restrictions on humanitarian access and impunity in Darfur. On 14 June, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed the Council on UNAMID. Ladsous described the lack of progress in finding a political resolution to the Darfur conflict while underscoring that intercommunal clashes remain a major cause of insecurity in Darfur. He emphasised that continued government restrictions on access and freedom of movement significantly hampered UNAMIDs operations. The Council adopted resolution 2296 on 29 June, renewing the mandate of UNAMID for one year. On 9 June, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda provided the semi-annual Council briefing on the courts work with regard to Darfur. Bensouda asserted that the Councils inaction had made it possible for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who in 2009 was indicted by the court for war crimes and crimes against humanity and in 2010 for genocide, to travel internationally without being apprehended, in spite of the courts arrest warrants against him. On 11 July, the ICC decided that Uganda and Djibouti, both state parties to the Rome Statute, had not complied with the courts request to arrest Bashir and referred the issue to the Security Council. Bashir was in Djibouti on 8 May for the inauguration of its president, Ismail Omar Guelleh. On 12 May, Bashir attended the inauguration of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala. During his inaugural address, Museveni disavowed his countrys support for the court, referring to the ICC as a bunch of useless people. Bashir attended the AU summit in Kigali, Rwanda, in mid-July. Prior to his arrival, Rwandas foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, announced that her government would not arrest Bashir. Human Rights-Related Developments The Human Rights Council (HRC) will consider the report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Sudan during its 33rd session in September (A/HRC/33/8). The report contains 244 recommendations. Among them are calls to fully implement the Action Plan for the protection of children in armed conflict; extend a standing invitation to all special procedures and respond positively to pending visit requests; allow unrestricted humanitarian access to all areas affected by conflicts; and carry out independent investigations into allegations of torture and excessive use of force by state officials and other human rights violations, including sexual abuse. The HRC will also consider the report of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan (A/HRC/33/65) and the Addendum on the mission to Sudan of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights (A/HRC/33/48/Add.1) during its 33rd session in September. Key Issues The longstanding key issues are the violations of the Sudan sanctions regime and the continuing security, humanitarian and human rights crisis in Darfur. A key issue for the Sanctions Committee is the fact that a Panel of Experts for 2016 has not been appointed. Under resolution 2265, the Panel was supposed to have provided a mid-term update on its work to the Committee by 12 August. Options One option is for Ambassador Ramirez to report to the Council on Banguras July briefing to the Sanctions Committee and to hold a discussion on candidates for a new panel of experts, if names are proposed to the Committee during the month. Assuming the Committee agrees on the Panels composition, the Council could adopt a resolution reauthorising the Panel to allow it to serve a full year. This would supplant resolution 2265, which renewed the Panel of Experts until 12 March 2017. If consensus cannot be achieved on the candidates for a new panel, another option would be for the chair of the Committee to refer the matter to the Security Council. At that point, a draft resolution could be put forward to endorse the proposed slate of names to serve on the Panel of Experts. Council Dynamics The 2015 Panel of Experts analysis that the illegal trafficking in gold generates funds that support the conflict in Darfur was very contentious. While some members found this analysis useful, others disputed it, maintaining that the Panel was biased and that some of its claims were unsubstantiated. China, Egypt, Russia and Venezuela opposed the inclusion of language in resolution 2265 linking the trade in gold and other resources to potential insecurity in Darfur; this language was removed as a result. Some in this group expressed concerns that making such a linkage in the context of a Chapter VII resolution could bolster arguments for additional targeted sanctions, which they believe would be counterproductive. Several Council members have been concerned for several months about the hold on the Panel of Experts. They recognise that even if a new Panel is appointed, the timeframe for its work this year will be limited. The UK is the penholder on UNAMID, while the US holds the pen on Darfur sanctions and Venezuela chairs the sanctions committee. UN Documents renewed UNAMIDs mandate until 30 June 2017. renewed the mandate of the Sudan Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts until 12 March 2017. was the UNAMID quarterly report. was the UNAMID special report of the Secretary-General and the AU Commission Chairperson. was the meeting at which resolution 2296 was adopted and included explanations of vote by China, Egypt, Russia, the UK, the US and Venezuela. was a UNAMID briefing. was the ICC Prosecutors semi-annual briefing. welcomed the signing of the Roadmap Agreement. MIDDLE EAST Syria Expected Council Action New Zealands Prime Minister, John Key, will preside over a high-level Security Council meeting on Syria aimed at ensuring the peace process gets back on track. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will brief at the meeting, which is set for 21 September. At press time no outcome was envisaged. Council members will also receive their regular monthly briefings on the humanitarian and chemical weapons tracks. On the chemical weapons track, the UN-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical weapons (OPCW) Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), the body mandated to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, issued its final report in late August. At press time, it was unclear how the Council might respond in September to the reports conclusions or whether the JIMs mandate would be renewed. In addition, the Security Council is expected to meet to follow up resolution 2286, which condemned attacks on health care workers and facilities and demanded compliance with international humanitarian law. While resolution 2286 is not country-specific, it is relevant to Syria in light of escalating attacks against medical facilities there, in particular by government airstrikes (for more details on this briefing, please see the relevant brief in this issue of the Monthly Forecast). Key Recent Developments On 7 July, Syrian government forces and allied militiasbacked by Russian air strikestook control of Castello Road, severing the oppositions final supply route into eastern Aleppo. Opposition forces, including Al Nusra Front, launched a counter-offensive on 31 July to break the siege and open a route to eastern Aleppo by fighting through densely populated southern areas of the city. In response, aerial bombardment of opposition-held areas has escalated, and on 16 August Russia, for the first time, launched an attack in Syria from Iran. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has said there is compelling evidence that incendiary weapons are being used by Syria, including in attacks in which Russian aircraft are participating. On 8 August, France, New Zealand, Ukraine, the UK and the US co-hosted an Arria-formula meeting on the siege of Aleppo. Council members heard from three civil society speakers with intimate, on-the-ground knowledge of the situation in Aleppo. Abdullah Kawlhlarepresenting the White Helmets, which rescues civilians trapped or injured by the conflictdelivered a pre-recorded video briefing from Aleppo. Dr. Zaher Sahloul and Dr. Samer Attar, both of whom work with the Syrian American Medical Society and who had recently returned from Aleppo, spoke about the increasing medical crisis the city is facing. Clarissa Ward, a correspondent for Cable News Network, provided her analysis of the fight for Aleppo, from where she too had recently returned, and what it could mean for the trajectory of the Syrian civil war. The meeting was open to all member states and the media, and it was webcast on UNTVthe first time for an Arria format meeting. The next day, Council members held consultations on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria, with briefings by Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and OCHA head Stephen OBrien. De Mistura had few positive developments to report regarding the resumption of talks, in light of the battle for Aleppo, and the difficulties between Russia and the US over a proposal to cooperate on counter-terrorism in Syria in exchange for a renewed nationwide cessation of hostilities and a formula for a political transition. De Misturas deputy, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, reported on 4 August that not much had been accomplished in July to get the talks back on track, largely due to the intensification of the military activities. OBrien reported that the encirclement of eastern rebel-held Aleppo put it at risk of becoming another besieged area and by far the largest in Syria. He reiterated his call for a weekly 48-hour pause in fighting to allow humanitarian aid to reach Aleppo. OBrien first asked the Council to support the UNs call for a 48-hour pause during a 25 July Council briefing. In press comments following that meeting, Japan, as president of the Council, said that there was overwhelming support among Council members for a weekly 48-hour humanitarian pause. However, Council members were unable to agree to issue a statement to this effect given the direct role Russia plays in supporting the government offensive. There was another attempt to respond to the crisis in Aleppo following OBriens 9 August briefing. The UK circulated a draft press statement to express support for recurring substantial pauses in fighting to ensure sustained humanitarian deliveriesto Aleppo can commence safely and effectively. It seems over three days of negotiations Russia insisted on language that the humanitarian situation had deteriorated due to terrorist activity. In the end, consensus could not be reached and the statement was not issued. OBrien briefed the Council again on 22 August and was unable to convey any significant progress in humanitarian access to Aleppo since his 9 August briefing. The Secretary-Generals report on the humanitarian situation said an estimated 250,000 to 275,000 people in opposition-held eastern Aleppo are at risk of besiegement, and called yet again for a weekly 48-hour pause in fighting. On 24 August, New Zealand, Egypt and Spain circulated a press statement that called on all parties to adhere to regular 48-hour pauses to the fighting to allow the UN to provide humanitarian assistance to all those in need and urged all stakeholders to rapidly reach agreement on the necessary operational modalities. At press time and following input from several Council members, the statement was on hold as members awaited the outcome of ongoing talks between the US and Russia. Apart from the Security Council, there were discussions in August between Russia and the UN on Russias unilateral 28 July proposal to open humanitarian corridors for civilians and rebels to leave Aleppo. The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the Riyadh-based opposition umbrella group, condemned Russias proposal for humanitarian corridors, characterising it as a euphemism for forced displacement. The same day that Russia announced its initiative for humanitarian corridors, OBrien released a statement saying that he was aware of the proposal and noting the critical need for the security of any such corridors to be guaranteed by all parties. The statement added that people should be able to use such corridors voluntarily and that no one should be forced to flee by any specific route or to any particular location. It reiterated that international humanitarian law required humanitarian access for people to leave and for aid to come in. On 3 August, de Mistura transmitted to Russia a UN position paper that outlined the conditions that needed to be met for UN humanitarian agencies to possibly be involved with humanitarian corridors in Aleppo. It seems the paper included many of the points that OCHA had already announced publicly regarding the need to ensure the humanitarian nature of such corridors, as well as detailing operational and protection considerations that needed to be present for the UN to be willing to engageespecially concerns regarding detention. Issues around detention are of particular importance in light of the incident in early 2014 when, during a UN-monitored evacuation from Homs, men and boys were separated from their families and detained by the government. Subsequently, international monitors faced difficulty in ascertaining the whereabouts of these men and boys. Amnesty International has recently reported that almost 18,000 people have died in government prisons since the beginning of the conflict in 2011. It seems Russia responded on 15 August that the UN position paper could be used as a basis for further discussion but that some elements, such as security screening of evacuees, required further work. On 18 August, in a rare display of frustration, de Mistura suspended the meeting in Geneva of the International Syria Support Groups (ISSG) humanitarian task force, which Russia and the US co-chair. It seems he did so because it was clear ten minutes into the meeting that the co-chairs had not sufficiently bridged their differences; meanwhile, the fighting in Aleppo continued to escalate, and there had been no humanitarian access to the city in July or August. In comments to the press, he again reiterated the UNs call for a 48-hour pause. On 25 August, Darayas Civil Council and the Free Syrian Army leadership struck a deal with the Syrian regime stipulating that the government evacuate residents of the town. Daraya, a suburb of Damascus, had been besieged and frequently bombarded by the government forces since August 2012. A week earlier, reports emerged that the last remaining hospital in Daraya was hit with barrel bombs filled with a napalm-like substance in a days-long bombing campaign by the regime. The UN was not involved in the deal. OBrien and de Mistura both voiced concerns, warning that civilians should be evacuated only if their safety could be guaranteed and it was on a voluntary basis. On chemical weapons, Acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-soo briefed Council members on 30 August. The meeting focused on the OPCW Director-Generals report that described discrepancies in Syrias declared chemical weapons arsenal that had not been clarified by Syrian authorities, despite repeated visits to Syria over the course of two years by the OPCWs Declaration Assessment Team (DAT). The Director-Generals report also included information that samples taken by the DAT at several Syrian facilities indicated undeclared chemical weapons activities at multiple locations. These discrepancies and lack of sufficient cooperation from Syria led the OPCW to conclude that Syrias declaration cannot be considered accurate and complete. Virginia Gamba, the head of the JIM, also briefed, presenting the Mechanisms final report on the nine cases it investigated: eight related to allegations of the governments use of chemical weapons and one related to an alleged use of chemical weapons by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The JIMs final report concluded that the Syrian regime used chlorine gas against its own population in Talmenes on 21 April 2014 and in Sarmin on 16 March 2015, both in Idlib province. It also found that ISIL used mustard gas in Marea on 21 August 2015. Attacks in Kafr Zita in Hama governorate on 18 April 2014, Qmenas in Idlib governorate on 16 March 2015, and Binnish in Idlib governorate on 14 March 2015, merit further investigation, the report said. Human Rights-Related Developments On 4 August, the special rapporteur on the right to health released a statement reporting that in areas besieged by the government or its allies, humanitarian agencies cannot deliver assistance without a cumbersome approval procedure subject to rejections and delays. Armed groups also deny convoys access to areas they put under siege, and there are reports that ISIL executes those caught smuggling food into such areas. Medical facilities in besieged areas routinely lack personnel and equipment, while the government frequently prohibits medical supplies on convoys or removes them in transit. In what appears to be an unprecedented move, the Secretary-General sent a letter on 15 August to the Security Council (S/2016/708) transmitting the Syria Commission of Inquirys 21 June oral update to the Human Rights Council and the Commissions 16 June report on ISIL crimes against the Yazidis (A/HRC/32/CRP.2). Since March 2015, Human Rights Council resolutions on Syria have included the decision to transmit all reports and oral updates of the Commission to all relevant bodies of the UN for appropriate action, including the Security Council. In 2015, no report was formally transmitted to the Security Council. In 2016, prior to the 15 August letter, a 19 April letter (S/2016/358) drew the Security Councils attention to the Commissions 11 February report and provided its document symbol but did not transmit the actual report. On 16 August, the Commission released a statement on the urgent need to protect civilians, including a reported 100,000 children, living in eastern Aleppo. The statement said the attacks against Aleppo appeared to form the prelude to a siege, designed to capture the city through an already documented strategy of surrender or starve. More than 25 hospitals and clinics have been destroyed in Aleppo by aerial bombardment since January, and two million civilians currently lack access to running water. The statement reiterated the UNs position on the requisite conditions to set up humanitarian corridors. The Human Rights Council will consider the Commissions latest report during its 33rd session in September (A/HRC/33/55). Key Issues With Syria in the fifth year of a war that has exacted a death toll of 470,000 and displaced half of the Syrian population, including 4.8 million refugees, the essential issue for the Council is to exert effective leadership in supporting a cessation of hostilities and efforts to reach a political solution. Regarding chemical weapons, the conclusions of the JIM report and the determination by the OPCW that Syrias declared chemical weapons arsenal cannot be considered accurate and complete means that the Council is in a position to consider whether Syria is in breach of resolutions 2118, 2209 and 2235. Options The ISSG and resolutions 2254 and 2268 have identified roles for the Council in the event that talks in 2016 produce concrete results towards a national ceasefire and a parallel political process. In the near term, however, day-to-day oversight of the implementation of resolutions 2254 and 2268 has been outsourced to the ISSG broadly, and Russia and the US in particular. So long as Russia and the US remain committed to this particular iteration of a political process, no matter how tenuously, options are limited for other Council members to inject new thinking or energy to help resolve the situation. Regarding chemical weapons, if the Council is able to determine that Syria has violated resolutions 2118, 2209 and 2235 then it has the option to pursue the further measures cited in all three resolutions, an implicit threat of sanctions. Council members may also request to be briefed on recent allegations of the regimes use of incendiary weapons in rebel-held areas. Council Dynamics Many Council members are of the view that the governments offensives, particularly around Aleppo and the suburbs of Damascus, confirm the regimes preference for prolonged armed conflict over a negotiated settlement unless such talks pivot significantly in their favour. There is also broad recognition that if fighting in Syria cannot be controlled, particularly in Aleppo, then it will be close to impossible for UN mediation between the government and the opposition to resume. Some Council members have observed that the ambitious talks in July between Russia and the US about counter-terrorism cooperation in Syria in exchange for a renewed nationwide cessation of hostilities and a formula for a political transition have been whittled down in August to talks focused on an Aleppo ceasefire. Expectations of a breakthrough between Russia and the US to lower violence and resuscitate the political track have been severely reduced to hopes that the two states can agree on terms for a 48-hour pause in fighting by those they are supporting. At press time, it was too early to gauge whether there was broad support in the Council for pursuing further measures against Syria with the OPCW and JIM reports pointing to non-compliance with resolutions 2118, 2209 and 2235. However, most Council members feel certain that if such a draft resolution were tabled for a vote it would be vetoed by Russia. Four of the P5 members (France, Russia, the UK and the US) are involved militarily in the Syrian war to varying degrees. In August, Chinathe fifth permanent memberreported its willingness to strengthen cooperation with the Syrian government, following Rear Admiral Guan Youfeis visit to Damascus to meet with Lieutenant General Fahd Jassem al-Frejj. Most outcomes on Syria are agreed between Russia and the US prior to adoption by the Council. Egypt, New Zealand and Spain lead on humanitarian issues. UN Documents on Syria This was a resolution that endorsed the cessation of hostilities and called for the resumption of political talks. This was the first resolution focused exclusively on a political solution to the Syrian crisis. It was adopted unanimously. This was a resolution that requested the UN Secretary-General and OPCW Director-General to recommend the establishment and operation of a UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. This resolution condemned the use of toxic chemicals such as chlorine, without attributing blame; stressed that those responsible should be held accountable; recalled resolution 2118; and supported the 4 February 2015 decision of the OPCW. This resolution was adopted unanimously by the Council and required the verification and destruction of Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles, called for the convening of the Geneva II peace talks and endorsed the establishment of a transitional governing body in Syria with full executive powers. This was the JIMs final report. This report was on the humanitarian situation. This report was on chemical weapons. This was a briefing on the humanitarian situation. Other Useful Sources Video: Aleppo Under Siege: Syrias Latest Tragedy Unfolds Security Council Arria-Formula Open Meeting (8 August 2016) MIDDLE EAST In Hindsight: The Story of the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism in Yemen Among the several controversies surrounding the Yemen conflict, there is one that has received relatively little attention. The creation of the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) to facilitate commercial shipping to Yemen, a country that in the pre-war period relied on foreign imports for 90 percent of its food, is another example of the difficult relationship between the UN and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting on behalf of the Yemen government. It also demonstrates the Security Councils reluctance to insist on the proper implementation of its own resolution. Soon after it began airstrikes in Yemen on 26 March 2015, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition imposed a naval and aerial blockade. Ships seeking entry into Yemeni ports required government authorisation and had to be inspected by coalition forces, delaying or preventing goods from entering. Vessels endured waits of up to four to six weeks before receiving a permit to enter, in particular those trying to reach Hodeidah port. The delays and uncertainty for shipping companies, along with a surge in insurance costs, further reduced the number of vessels shipping goods to Yemen. The situation was exacerbating the unfolding humanitarian crisis caused by the war, because Yemen depends very heavily on imports. Prior to the conflict, in addition to importing 90 percent of its food, it imported 85 percent of medical supplies and the majority of its fuel; this dependency could not be addressed by humanitarian aid alone. By June 2015, only 15 percent of pre-crisis imports were entering Yemen. Fuel was becoming unavailable for generators to keep hospitals open or to run water pumps. The UN began warning about the risk of famine. The coalition argued that it was enforcing the arms embargo established by the Council in resolution 2216 against Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The measures, however, went far beyond the resolutions mandate, which only authorised inspections when there were reasonable grounds to believe cargoes were in violation of the embargo. The resolution further required that states report all inspections to the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee. The coalition submitted only one inspection report of several air cargos in June 2015. Council members bemoaned the impact of declining imports on the civilian population, but as a whole, the Council did not call out the coalition for its failure to properly comply with resolution 2216. It fell to the Secretariat to address the situation. In May 2015, the position of regional humanitarian coordinator for the Yemen crisis was created to address the complicated humanitarian response and to resolve the commercial shipping issue. Amer Daoudi, who had a background in logistics at the World Food Programme and before that in commercial shipping, was appointed to the post. He would take on the task of creating UNVIM, though it seems the US was closely involved in the initial idea. Establishing UNVIM would require the cooperation of the government and coalition, and Daoudi would need to obtain their agreement. Briefing the Council on 28 July 2015, OCHA head Stephen OBrien said the mechanism has long been proposed and is still urgently needed. OBrien noted that negotiations were continuing. An agreement was struck by 6 August 2015, when Yemens transport minister sent the Secretary-General a letter formally requesting UNVIMs establishment. On 25 August 2015, Daoudi briefed the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee on how UNVIM would function. Shipping companies would have to notify UNVIM of all planned deliveries to Yemeni ports not under government control, and after reviewing information about the shipment, it would either clear vessels to proceed or flag them for inspection. Daoudi told the committee that UNVIM was expected to be ready in three weeks. But it would take another eight monthsuntil 5 May 2016for UNVIM to begin operations. Delays in obtaining from donors the $8 million needed to start the mechanism contributed to the hold-up. UNVIM was unusual for a humanitarian mechanism, so it proved more complicated, particularly for the US, to release its contribution. Funding was finally secured in December 2015. Daoudi also probably underestimated the political sensitivities surrounding UNVIM. Despite agreeing to UNVIMs establishment, officials in the Yemeni government and the coalition seemed reluctant to see it become operational and give up their control. In discussions about UNVIM with Daoudi, the Saudis expressed particular concerns over dual use of fuel and about how Iran might thwart the mechanism. Around this time, as was widely reported, Saudi Arabia was also seeking restrictions that aid money it had pledged to OCHA not be used in areas controlled by the Houthis. On 22 December 2015, OCHA Assistant Secretary-General Kyung-wha Kang told the Council that UNVIM was expected to be operational in mid-January. But by then, the Yemeni government had a new transport minister following a cabinet reshuffle and more consultations were needed. It was also during this period that Daoudi had a falling out with the Saudis. On 17 January, he was refused entry into Saudi Arabia. The UN announced UNVIMs launch in February. But continuing disagreements played out at the Councils 3 March briefing, when Yemens ambassador, Khaled Alyemany, said the government opposed UNVIMs being based in Djibouti. He claimed that the government had not been consulted on this location; the confusion has been attributed to the change in transport ministers. Meetings of the UNVIM steering committee, made up of the UN, Yemeni government and the coalition, in order to sign off on the operation were not organised until late April. Meanwhile, after temporary improvements in late 2015, imports were again in steep decline by early 2016. During this entire process, some countries sought to convince Yemen and the coalition to accept UNVIM. The Council, however, mostly limited itself to stressing in its press statements on Yemen the need for commercial supplies to enter the country. Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite (Lithuania), as 2140 Committee chair, highlighted in her October 2015 briefing the failure of states to report inspections and, speaking about UNVIM at the Councils December debate on Yemen, said any further delays are unacceptable. Those were the sharpest public rebukes. Only about a week before UNVIM became operational, in its 25 April presidential statement on Yemen peace talks, did the Council call on states to facilitate UNVIMs full implementation without further delay. Once it took off, UNVIM seems to have had a positive impact. Food imports during July were at pre-crisis levels, though fuel deliveries remained low at a quarter of needs. The Yemen Panel of Experts 27 July midterm report said that since UNVIMs establishment, disruptions to commercial shipping appear to be minimal. By 30 August, UNVIM had processed 195 vessels, conducting 10 inspections which were reported to the 2140 Committee. The main impediments to imports are now attributed to reduced capacity of ports due to damage from the war. UNVIM was conceived of as a remedy to the coalition blockade and over-zealous application of the arms embargo. It was a pragmatic solution, with potential to be a model for addressing future situations in which implementation of arms embargos might interfere with commercial shipments vital for the survival of the civilian population. But its drawn-out establishment of a year is a reminder that in politically complex situations, pragmatic solutions need political will and close attention to be able to take shape and play their intended role. UNDOF (Golan Heights) Expected Council Action In September, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations will brief Council members in consultations on the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). The Secretary-Generals report is due 22 September. No outcome is expected. UNDOF was established in 1974 to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria. Its mandate expires on 31 December. Key Recent Developments It has been two years since the spillover of the Syrian civil war into UNDOFs area of operations resulted in the relocation of most of the missions peacekeepers from the Bravo (Syrian) side to the Alpha (Israeli) side of the ceasefire line in September 2014. The majority of personnel remain based on the Israeli side, restricting mission mobility and operational capacity. Some peacekeepers remain on the Syrian side at Mt. Hermon, which is strategically important to Israel. If there were no UNDOF security presence at that position, Israel could feel compelled to man it. That would be an especially difficult challenge to regional security and the 1974 disengagement agreement. The June UNDOF report described the varying security environments in different sectors of the missions area of operations. In the northern sector, the security situation had improved, and in the central sector, clashes between government forces and armed opposition groups continued, albeit with decreasing intensity. In the southern sector, there was fighting between various armed opposition groups, particularly between Al Nusra Front (now known as the Fatah al-Sham Front) and the Free Syrian Army against the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade. Given the improved security situation in the northern sector, the UN is planning a limited return to Camp Faouar, though the timing of any such redeployment to the Bravo side is highly contingent on having the proper operational and security environment in place. The Security Council welcomed the plan for phased redeployment, conditions permitting, in resolution 2294, which it adopted in June to renew UNDOF until the end of the year. The June UNDOF report also reported that the ceasefire between Israel and Syria was largely maintained but that the situation remained volatile with a significant number of breaches of the ceasefire line. The forthcoming September report is expected to detail further violations that have occurred since the last reporting period. On three occasions, 22 August and on 3 and 25 July, Israeli forces targeted Syrian military positions after coming under fire from the Syrian side of the ceasefire lineprobably a result of errant fire. The situation in the Golan increases the possibility of escalating tensions not only between Israel and Syria but also between Israel and Lebanon and between Israel and Russia. Tensions with Lebanon have been exacerbated because of the overt presence in the Golan of Hezbollahthe Tehran-backed Lebanese Shia militia fighting on the side of the Syrian regime. On 20 July, an Israeli jet reportedly struck Hezbollah positions in Quneitraa town in the Golan held by Syrian forces and Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied being targeted by Israel, reporting instead that an Al Nusra rocket attack was responsible for the blast. Israel has a neutral policy vis-a-vis the Syrian crisis except in regard to Hezbollah. Israel neither confirms nor denies specific incidents of striking Hezbollah targets in Syria, but in December 2015 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a rare public admission, said, We [Israel] occasionally carry out operations in Syria to prevent that country from becoming a front against us. Since Russia commenced airstrikes in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015, Israel and Russia have made arrangements to avoid unnecessary confrontations of their respective forces operating in Syrian airspace. Since then, media reports have indicated that Russia has fired on Israeli military aircraft on at least two occasions, without specifying dates, locations or whether Israeli aircraft had been hit. Neither country has confirmed these reports. More recently, a Russian drone flew almost 4 kilometres into Israeli airspace near the Golan Heights on 17 July. Israel responded with two missiles and jet fire. The drone was not hit and returned to Syrian airspace. Russia told Israel that the drone had entered Israeli airspace by mistake. Key Issues Considering the security situation in the Golan, the full return of UNDOF to the Syrian side seems unlikely in the foreseeable future. This is a significant issue in as much as it constrains the missions ability to carry out its monitoring tasks. A re-emerging issue, given plans for a partial redeployment to Camp Faouar, will be the safety and security of UN personnel. The other primary concern for the Council remains the ceasefire violations. The presence of Syrian armed forces and heavy weapons in the area of separation monitored by UNDOF, Syrian airstrikes, Israeli airstrikes, the 17 July incident and artillery fire are all ceasefire violations. No military forces other than those of UNDOF are allowed in the area of separation. Options The Council is somewhat constrained in its options for UNDOF. It was established as a Syria-based mission and how it operates, including the use of enhanced equipment or new technologies, is subject to the disengagement agreement, with any changes requiring agreement by Israel and Syria, which is unlikely to be forthcoming. Nevertheless, the Council could issue a statement to: reiterate the need for all parties to exercise restraint; urge Israel and Syria to allow the use of new technologies so UNDOF could better fulfil its observation tasks; urge Israel and Syria to allow the use of enhanced equipment to better enable UNDOFs force protection capabilities; urge Israel and Syria to agree to establish more UNDOF crossing points between the Alpha and Bravo sides, since the Quneitra crossing was lost to rebel groups in September 2014; urge Israel and Syria to agree to work with the UN on contingency arrangements for the extraction of UNDOF personnel if an extreme situation arises; urge Syria to expedite de-mining around Camp Faouar and give its assurances that patrol routes and supply lines will be secured; and urge Israel to allow UNDOF to establish more temporary observation posts on the Alpha side, given the missions limited mobility there. Council Dynamics The Council has generally agreed that UNDOF contributes to stability in the region in the absence of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria. While there is recognition that the missions observation function has been significantly curtailed following its September 2014 relocation to the Alpha (Israeli) side of the ceasefire line, its liaison function remains particularly important to avoid further negative security implications for the region. Israel and Syria value UNDOFs presence and want to see the return of the mission to the Bravo side. While the security situation is still not conducive to the missions full redeployment back to the Syrian side of the ceasefire line, Council members unanimously support the UNs plan for an initial and limited redeployment to Camp Faouar if sufficient security and operational conditions are met. Council members are aware that ensuring such conditions are in place prior to redeployment is particularly important to maintain the confidence of troop-contributing countries to UNDOF. Council members remain concerned about armed clashes in the area of operations and about the tension between Israel and Syria along the armistice line, which has been exacerbated by the presence of Hezbollah and, in limited instances, confrontations with Russian aircraft. Since June 2012, Russia and the US have been the co-penholders on resolutions renewing UNDOF. UN Documents on UNDOF (Golan Heights) This was a resolution that renewed UNDOFs mandate for six months. This was the latest UNDOF report. Elephants, rhinos, hippos and other megafauna are in steep decline now, which researchers find is having a disastrous impact on the environment and on smaller animals down the food chain. Of particular concern at present is the overwhelming loss of African savanna elephants in recent years. Such pachyderms are declining by 30 percent in 15 of 18 countries surveyed, according to results of the three-year Great Elephant Census that were announced earlier this week. The census and accompanying African Elephant Atlas, produced by philanthropist Paul G. Allen's Vulcan, Inc., mark what is believed to be the largest ever Pan-African survey of savanna elephants. RELATED: Slow-Breeding Elephants Outpaced by Poachers Mike Chase, principal investigator for the Great Elephant Census, shares how the largest pan-Africa survey since the 1970s came to be, and how he hopes this data will save Africa's savanna elephants: "Elephants are a keystone species that are essential in maintaining the biodiversity of ecosystems," James Deutsch, Vulcan Wildlife Conservation Director, told Discovery News, explaining that elephants positively affect not just one, but three types of landscapes: deserts, savannas and forests. "In deserts," he explained, "elephants dig for water, providing water holes for other wildlife species. In savannas, they prevent the conversion of open grassland into dense bush -- enabling all of the grazing herbivores to survive. And in forests, they are critical seed dispersers -- many of the key rainforest tree species in Africa cannot regenerate without the fruits being eaten and the seeds transported and planted by elephants in their dung." A 2014 conference at Oxford University, "Megafauna and ecosystem function: from the Pleistocene to the Anthropocene," came to similar conclusions, noting the ecosystem importance of elephants as well as other large terrestrial mammals. In a paper summarizing the conference, University of New Mexico biologist Felisa Smith and her colleagues wrote: "One of the more pressing contemporary issues is the decline of megafauna and the loss of their ecological interactions within ecosystems. Across the Earth today, large animals are in peril, particularly predators." RELATED: African Elephant Survey Shows 'Disturbing' Decline It is estimated that a quarter of all such species are currently at risk of extinction. Two likely problems associated with the population declines are more frequent, intense wildfires and increased pressure on vegetation that sustains other life. Regarding the former, Smith and her team explained that elephants decrease tree fuel loads in a natural way that reduces both the number of fires and their size. At present, it is believed that human activities, climate change and loss of megafauna are helping to drive an unprecedented number of wildfires around the globe. The Earth Island Institute, for example, reported that the six worst fire seasons in the past 50 years have all occurred since 2000. As for increased pressure on vegetation, Smith and her team mention that large carnivores can generate "landscapes of fear," which sound awful, but actually wind up doing a lot of good. During the Pleistocene Era (2.5 million to 11,700 years ago), for example, megafauna such as the scimitar cat, American lion, saber-tooth cat and short-faced bear -- all of which were larger than the modern African lion -- kept large numbers of plant-eating animals in check, such that vegetation remained relatively healthy and therefore was better able to support insects, birds, the herbivore prey species and more. Even then, humans were killing off large mammals. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago, an increase in global human populations contributed to a two-thirds reduction of 150 species of megafauna. Lead author Nicole Boivin from the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and her team found that the disappearance of these large animals has had "dramatic effects" on the structure of the ecosystem as well as on seed dispersal. The advent of agriculture worldwide and the domestication of animals raised for food has further inflicted "unprecedented and enduring effects" on the distribution of megafauna and other species, according to Boivin and her colleagues. They add that, in contrast with domesticated animals (dogs alone are estimated at numbering one billion now), the percentage of truly wild large animals today is "vanishingly small." WATCH VIDEO: Can 3-D Printing Save Rhinos From Extinction On Aug. 31, Donald Trump delivered a mind-boggling speech on immigration, striking for its anger, mendacity, hostility, cruelty and frank bigotry. Trump has once again defied the expectations of longtime political observers with behavior that sets the bar for presidential candidates ever lower, that veers wildly outside the mainstream, that competes with historys most dangerous dictators in its audaciousness. Even as Republican strategists have advised a more welcoming attitude toward voters of color, Trump has cemented his partys reputation as the home of racially resentful white people. He has virtually guaranteed the Republican Party will struggle to attract Latino voters for the next generation. So the matter of whether the GOP nominee can pivot to a style of campaigning that more closely resembles the conventional and that doesnt scare the socks off most reasonable voters ought to now be settled: No, he cannot. This is, in the language of his Twitter handle, the real Donald Trump. He is hateful, bullying and vile. Period. Moreover, Trumps noxious views will likely set back the cause of comprehensive immigration reform even further. Since President George W. Bush tried to push forward a reasonable solution to the plight of 11 million or so undocumented immigrants living in the shadows, congressional Republicans have balked, afraid of a backlash from the far-right precincts that can determine GOP primary elections. Given the way that Trumps bashing of Mexicans and Muslims has resonated with the ultra-right, mainstream Republicans are unlikely to sanction even a mention of immigration reform. Thats despite the fact most Americans disagree with Trumps proposals. According to a July CBS/New York Times poll, 61 percent of Americans believe illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay and apply for citizenship. Fifty-seven percent oppose Trumps beautiful wall. But there is a deep partisan cleavage here. While 83 percent of Democrats oppose Trumps wall, as well as 56 percent of independents, only 27 percent of Republicans do. According to a Bloomberg poll, 73 percent of Democrats oppose Trumps plan for blanket deportations, but only 54 percent of Republicans do. Its no wonder, then, that U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, faced with opposition from the right-wing fringe, fled from his previous support for sensible policies to legalize the illegal immigrants already here. That cowardice hurts not only the Republican Party, but also the country. Our refusal to pass comprehensive immigration reform has cut off opportunities for countless bright, hard-working young immigrants whod like to go to college but cant afford it because they dont have the papers that would allow them to get scholarships and reduced tuition. Our failure to act has stifled countless illegal workers who would like to own homes and start businesses. They are Americans in virtually every way. It makes no sense to leave them in limbo. But Trump has managed to persuade many working-class whites that illegal immigrants destroy neighborhoods, peddle drugs, murder innocents and drive down wages. They take well-paying jobs, he says, from citizens who deserve them. (To be fair, most of those claims arent original to Trump. Theyve been bandied about on the right for decades now.) Much of that is simply not true. The population of criminals among illegal immigrants is lower than the percentage among native-born Americans, according to criminologists. As for the economic competition, there is no doubt that low-wage workers can be hurt by an influx of undocumented workers. The biggest burden falls on those without high school diplomas, who may see their wages fall by anywhere from 0.4 percent to 7 percent, research shows. That is certainly cause for worry. But the answer to that is to make those undocumented workers legal, which would force their employers to pay them a higher wage. Too many employers get away with paying illegal workers less money and placing them in dangerous conditions. If the solutions are all too obvious to most Americans, they represent a bridge to a treacherous new world order to many Trump supporters. And, for now, we are all held hostage to their prejudices and fears. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Google kicked off a construction project on Thursday to expand a small city-owned wetland area in Mountain View although in a classic California twist, some residents are speaking out against the upgrades. The company plans to remove parking spaces to make room for more native trees and to improve paths for pedestrians and bikers. City officials and environmental groups, including local chapters of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, have praised the project, which city officials peg at $1.6 million. But one aspect the addition of two bridges that provide a shortcut for Google workers, whose buildings are on both sides of the basin has caused a stir. Its not all about people, said Yana Khmelnik, a 40-year-old who lives in Mountain View and works in the information technology industry. We dont have to bend nature for our own comfort. The project is not necessary and would disturb wildlife, she said, adding: People no longer believe they can change something, especially when you are up against something like Google to make yourself heard. Mark Golan, a Google vice president of real estate in Northern California, said the bridges would make the basin more open for the community not just Google employees to appreciate the wildlife. To do that, you have to produce some form of accessibility, Golan said, adding that the bridges give a different view of the basin than whats available now. If you just leave it completely sequestered, it succeeds as a wildlife refuge but it doesnt succeed in terms of helping the community that wants to be able to participate. The Mountain View City Council unanimously approved the project last year, and officials described it as a win for the city, Google and environmental groups. The city has not renovated the wetland, which is known as the Charleston Retention Basin, since it was constructed in 1980. Google is funding the upgrades, which otherwise would not have happened for a while. It will save Google workers a 10-minute walk on a trail around the marshes something especially useful since the companys summer land swap with workplace social network LinkedIn. Google will take over leases on more buildings on Stierlin Court, which is on one side of the bridge. The bridges are better than stomping through the marshes, or the makeshift zip line that appeared in 2014, city officials said. Thats pretty emblematic of what tech workers do. They will come up with a technological solution to a barrier, said Councilman Lenny Siegel. Building bridges and restoring the habitat is a much better (solution) than having a zip line. City officials say Google actively engaged with environmental groups and took their suggestions into account. At one point, the company had considered having three bridges and a bicycle path on the north side of the basin. After discussions with environmentalists, Google adjusted its plans to have just two bridges, and put the bicycle path on the south side, where there would be less impact on wildlife. The projects supporters say that the residents are losing sight of the bigger picture that Googles effort will ultimately expand the wildlife habitat in the basin. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle We lost the balance, and were trying to shift the balance more to the ecological system, said Shani Kleinhaus, an environmental advocate with the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, who worked on the project as an Audubon member and much later in the process was hired as a consultant by Google. The project will remove 134 of Googles parking spaces. The company will plant 1,873 native trees, which environmentalists believe could encourage more birds like the yellow warbler and San Francisco common yellowthroat to nest there. At the same time, about 119 large trees will be removed. City officials said they are not native to the area and some are diseased. They will be replaced with 119 oaks that are native to Mountain View. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Pavel Gutsa, a former Sunnyvale resident who visited the basin often before moving to North Carolina this summer, said he disagrees with removing the trees. If you remove trees, how can it be better than it was before? said Gutsa, a 42-year-old software engineer who voiced his concerns to city officials last year. Building bridges across the basin, this will scare the wildlife even more, he said. Its not an amusement park, where you can just look at the wild animals. Construction will avoid the nesting season and instead will occur during the months in which some birds migrate to the tropics. The park is expected to be completed in early 2019. Google is still in the planning process for its proposed futuristic campus at 2000 N. Shoreline Blvd., Golan said. On that project, which is a short walk from the Charleston Retention Basin, the company is also facing debate about its plans to remove redwood trees. People like the trees, but they arent native to the area and consume a lot of water, he said. Theres a lot of discussions there, too, about the trees, Golan said. Its a sensitive topic. Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The naval shipyard at Hunters Point is the quietest neighborhood in San Francisco. Once a center for first commercial and then defense shipbuilding, the 866-acre site is now a graveyard for mess halls, railroad maintenance facilities, abandoned hangars. The shipyard has pristine bay views, and Hunters Point is blessed with a sunny microclimate, so its the perfect place for a stroll as long as youre not spooked by shattered buildings or eerie silence. Or toxic chemicals. The shipyard is a Superfund site, considered one of the nations most contaminated sites. Its the subject of an extensive, expensive environmental cleanup that has dragged on for decades. The finish date for the cleanup has shifted over the years in 2011, The Chronicle reported that the U.S. Navy hoped to be done by 2017. Now it says 2021 or 2022 seems more likely. I went to the shipyard to find out why. Like most stories about land in San Francisco, this one is complicated. Decades worth of petroleum fuels, heavy metals, PCBs and volatile organic compounds have leached into the hills serpentine rock and the bays sediment. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle It wouldnt be a short cleanup for any organization, but this one has still taken an extraordinarily long time. The Navy ceased active operations at the shipyard in 1974, started base cleanup in the late 1980s, and its still managed to transfer less than half of the parcels to Lennar Urban, the developer thats building a new story at the site. In 2010, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a development plan of 10,500 new units, with retail and entertainment facilities. The first residents moved in last year. People do wonder why this has taken so long, said Derek Robinson, environmental coordinator for the Navy. This is a long process. We have to get multiple regulatory agencies federal, state and local to agree to what were doing. We have to be very transparent with the public. And we have to do it right. I dont doubt that the process of getting approvals for a project like this is more akin to a tortoise than a hare the amount of red tape Robinson mentioned made me wince but I had to wonder. Would San Francisco allow this kind of delay if the shipyard had been in, say, Pacific Heights? Probably not. Lets just be honest about the way political power works. Hunters Point is a historically African American, lower-income neighborhood thats geographically separated from the rest of the city. Its no accident that San Franciscos Superfund site is there, no surprise that the cleanup hasnt proceeded quickly. And its no surprise either that the local community regards the cleanup crew with some suspicion. The community is one of the big challenges because there are fears, and I understand that, Robinson said. I asked Danielle Janda, the lead remedial project manager, about what people express as their greatest concern when the Navy hosts public tours. (These tours usually happen twice a year; see http://bit.ly/2bHNnqt for more information.) Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle The landfill, Janda said. There are a lot of questions about why we dont dig up the landfill and move it somewhere else. The landfill is one of the toughest spots to clean up. Located near a wetland area on Griffith Street at the bottom of a hill, it was the disposal spot for both garbage and industrial waste. Cleaning up all of those chemicals has required the Navy to prevent water from getting into the landfill. But water drains downhill, and soaks into wetland areas. So theyve built an underground wall around the landfill to prevent groundwater from seeping in. Theyve also covered it with a new layer of earth. Eventually the whole area will be revegetated with native grasses. Its less disruptive than moving all of the earth around, potentially leaching chemicals into other areas, Janda explained. Plus, where would we put the waste? Understandable, from a scientific perspective. But maybe less understandable if you have to live there. The problem at the shipyard is that the science of its cleanup doesnt mesh neatly with its politics. Robinson explained that their work will never produce a clean slate where the earth is as clean as an Edenic garden. It makes perfect scientific sense there is no such thing as chemical-free earth. The Navy needs to scrub the shipyards environment until its safe for habitation. Safe doesnt mean the past will disappear. After spending the morning at the shipyard, I even understand why the cleanup is taking so long. Its a huge site, production was dirty, and they have to deal with a Bay Area land process. The Navy is being painstaking, and Id rather they get it done right than do it fast. But politically, I cant see any leader at the city or federal level allowing this agony to drag on for decades in any other San Francisco neighborhood. And thats a problem science cant fix. Caille Millner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cmillner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @caillemillner A full 86 objects of varying size occupy a large, stark gallery at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Some are convincingly realistic, others hauntingly re-construed sculpted or painted or photographed or all three. A presentation of works by the Swedish artist Cecilia Edefalk, it is one of the more peculiar and affecting exhibitions I have seen this year. At 62, Edefalk has had relatively little exposure in the United States, though she is represented by the formidable Gladstone Gallery in New York. Sweden is very far off, of course, but I get the sense that is not the only reason she is not better known. Her subject is nature, her view idiosyncratic; she repeats herself in self-referential artistic mumbles that seem to have a logic all their own. And she works small. These are not the trappings of fame in the art world today. Eight bronze, masklike sculptures occupy pedestals at one end of the room repetitions of the same androgynous face, their surfaces variously polished, patinaed and painted. They are roughly propped up on their leftover casting sprues bronze webs formed as the molten metal cools and hardens in channels when the sculpture is poured. Like history itself, they seem half alive, half manufactured. They refer, a wall label tells us, to a second-century Roman sculpture of the philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius as a young man. They are tortured with nails driven into the surface, toppled and turned upside down; flowers sprout from their brows. History abused, history buried; history as the mulch of culture. Along one wall, on a dozen canvases, nebulous images emerge from sky-blue backgrounds: portraits not of the emperor, but of his sculpted likeness the marble original that inspired Edefalks obsessive bronze retellings. Like antique depictions of the phases of the moon, each canvas describes a different aspect of the sculpture, from front, to side, to rear and back around. We learn from curator Apsara DiQuinzios brochure essay that, in fact, the artist coordinated her work to coincide with a full lunar orbit. The 12 paintings, taken together, make up the work To view the painting from within (2002). On the opposite wall, 12 photographs constitute To view the painting from the outside (2008); each depicts the sculpture in the foreground from a different angle, the corresponding painting behind. To describe Edefalks work in such detail seems necessary. It is the only just way to respond to her compulsion, but, more than that, its my method of understanding her process and thought, as she meticulously peels away the frail tissues of time. Her reverie becomes our own meditation: on the past, on memory, on life. Other metaphors for such feelings, and the connection of self to nature, abound in the exhibition. A dandelion in seed could be a cliche about fleeting moments. But Edefalk is convincing in her obsession with the subject, with a tiny round painting of a seed head set against a pair of oversize photographs in black and white, one of a hand holding a single puffy stem, the other of an entire meadow of them. A wall of botanical watercolors takes on an extra-scientific significance in this context. An odd bronze sculpture, posing as an open, wooden, box-shaped form, bears the title Minne (2008). Sure enough, the Swedish word means memory. The sentimental in art is very much out of fashion, with its appeal to emotions so in conflict with our demand that serious art be critical, ironic, theoretical. But is there anything more needed in our current moment than authentic intimacy? Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. This, I think, is what Edefalk offers. Not the mass-produced consumer ware offered up online and in-store, but the genuine feeling that would drive an artist to catalog in bronze and paint what would seem to be every twig and limb of a birch tree (of the weeping variety, no less) cut down on a neighbors property. The series is extensive, and it wanders from the strictly documentary a cut branch painted white and black to small, subtly pigmented pieces suggesting variations in the colors of light at different times of day or year. And then there are the peculiar works that conflate the scars of tree bark with a human eye, the crotch of a branch to an heirloom high-top shoe. With searching attention to the smallest detail and constant recapitulation, Edefalk draws us in until we, too, are as entangled in affection as she is. The exhibition is on view through Oct. 16. Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1 Cecilia Edefalk: Matrix 261: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; Fridays and Saturdays until 9 p.m. $10-$12. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center St., Berkeley. (510) 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is returning to San Francisco on Sept. 12 for another big-dollar fundraiser. In an invitation to potential donors obtained by The Chronicle, organizers said this may be her last visit to the Bay Area before election day. The invitation says contributing at least $33,400 or raising $100,000 will give donors access to the chair reception with Hillary featuring an exclusive performance by a special guest, who is not identified. A $10,000 contribution guarantees admittance to a reception with special guests and front-row seating. The cheapest ticket is $250, but as is often the case with high-priced fundraisers, there is a limited availability of those offerings. The invitation did not say where the fundraiser is being held. Clinton was in California in late August, headlining eight fundraisers over three days in Piedmont, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County that raised more than $10 million. She had no public appearances then, and none is scheduled as of yet on the September trip. Theres little need for Clinton to campaign publicly in California she leads Republican nominee Donald Trump in the state by 22 points in the latest aggregation of major polls by RealClearPolitics.com. President Obama is also expected to make a swing through California to raise campaign cash before the election, according to sources close to Democratic fundraising efforts. In addition, former Vice President Al Gore will be in San Francisco for a Sept. 15 fundraiser for Iowa U.S. Senate hopeful Patty Judge, the states former lieutenant governor. Tickets run from $500 to $2,700. Since the start of her campaign, Clinton has raised $327 million and spent $268 million, according to federal campaign finance filings through July 31. Through June, Clinton had raised $46 million of that total from California donors. Trump has raised $128 million, including $52 million of his own, and spent $90 million. Through June, only $2 million of that had come from California. Trump was in the Bay Area on Monday for a $25,000-a-person fundraiser at the Woodside home of Saul Fox, CEO of the private equity firm Fox Paine and Co. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A day after Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez issued a dark warning that failing to do anything about Mexicos dominant culture would lead to taco trucks on every corner, San Franciscans, apparently unconcerned, lined up at the citys mobile tortilla-and-meat dispensaries as usual. Their response to Gutierrez? More tacos, please! Adam Richey waited in a line of a dozen people for a burrito from El Tonayenses truck outside the Best Buy on the corner of 14th and Harrison streets. The San Francisco native, who eats Mexican food two to three times a week, goes to El Tonayense whenever he is in the neighborhood, waiting in a line of 10 or so people and watching the Best Buy parking lot fill up with torta- and burrito-seekers. The more taco stands the better, all across America, Richey said. Carlos Molina eats at the stand at least twice a month. Of Mexican origin, hes an American citizen, and he says hes in the minority when it comes to those working at and enjoying San Franciscos food trucks. The guy taking orders right now isnt even Mexican, Molina said. If you see the people buying right now, none are Mexican. In fact, San Francisco can thank Mexicans for pioneering the food truck movement here, Molina said. There are roughly 110 permits for mobile food facilities in San Francisco, according to a Chronicle review of Department of Public Works data, and an estimated 300 licensed trucks and carts. Only 14 of those permits belong to traditional taco trucks primarily selling tacos, burritos, tortas and other Mexican fare. Others list tacos on their applications, but also hawk Asian noodle bowls, corn dogs and hamburgers. Public Health spokeswoman Rachael Kagan could not clarify the discrepancy in the number of trucks and permits. City data list 18,482 street intersections in San Francisco. So the number of taco trucks would have to grow more than a thousandfold to match Gutierrezs prediction. Thats a lot of tortillas to roll out. If anything, it is not taco trucks that are endangering America. America is endangering taco trucks. Connoisseurs believe San Franciscos mobile food scene is straying toward more high-end offerings. It now seems easier to find lobster rolls, wood-fired pizza, acai bowls and other relatively gourmet cuisine at food trucks than meat piled on a tortilla. Taco trucks are still thriving at construction sites and other known locations and routes, said Ross Resnick, CEO of Roaming Hunger, which tracks gourmet food trucks and helps book them for events. But weve also added a layer known more for their brands and uniqueness of cuisine. Resnick estimates that this new wave of mobile food vendors, which he calls branded gourmet food trucks generates $2 billion in sales annually. Jessica Floum and Joaquin Palomino are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jfloum@sfchronicle.com, jpalomino@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfloum, @JoaquinPalomino By the numbers A taco truck on every corner? Lets do the math. Taco truck permits in San Francisco: 14 Licensed food trucks and carts: 300 Street intersections: 18,482 Samsung Electronics recalled all its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on Friday after finding that batteries in some of the flagship gadgets exploded or caught fire. Samsungs Note 7s are being pulled from shelves in 10 countries, including the United States, just two weeks after the products release. Customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones in about two weeks, said Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsungs mobile business. Samsung said it had confirmed 35 instances of Note 7s catching fire or exploding. There have been no reports of injuries. Number of the day Zero Thats how much Nintendo paid for its dream marketing opportunity at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony, where Japans prime minister dressed as Super Mario. Prime Minister Shinzo Abes emergence in a Super Mario costume was the highlight of the handover section for Tokyo, the host of the 2020 Summer Games. Cleaning up those soaps The federal government has banned more than a dozen chemicals long used in antibacterial soaps, saying manufacturers failed to show they are safe and kill germs. Fridays decision primarily targets two once-ubiquitous ingredients triclosan and triclocarban that some limited animal research suggests can interfere with hormone levels and spur drug-resistant bacteria. The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing Have you ever heard of UberWine or UberSki? Didnt think so. Those services, like countless of other Uber add-ons, are destination-specific perks, created to suit lifestyles and address common requests. In California, that means having a driver stick with you for a day of wine tastings, while in Utah, its about getting to the slopes with your gear in tow. Our focus is on local markets everywhere we are, said Amy Friedlander, head of business development and experiential marketing at Uber. One of the companys north stars, she said, is celebrating the uniqueness of the cities they operate in all 400 and counting. Sometimes this materializes as a brief pop-up program, such as the helicopter-centric UberChopper offering that has run in such places as the Hamptons and Cannes during busy summer and festival seasons, shuttling VIPs to and from tony events. Other times its even quicker, such as a one-day event delivering kittens to corporate buildings for a brief stress-relief session. After that promotion ran, said Friedlander, the company would have needed hundreds of thousands of kittens to meet the demand that came up in response, which was off the charts. But the most useful Uber extensions arent short-term at all. We want to explore whats meaningful about a city and how we can contribute to how transportation works there, Friendlander said. She was talking about such programs as UberBike, which lets Amsterdam bikers mount their bicycles onto a car if theyd rather not pedal home, or UberPitch, a recurring pop-up service that lets entrepreneurs book a ride with venture capitalists and private equity investors in business capitals from Boston to Berlin. Usually special services are promoted only to people in the area they are offered with the help of email marketing campaigns that the company prefers to use as sparingly as possible. But for a company such as Uber, creating a hyper-local service is no small feat. It has to be offered instantly at scale, which means that city general managers for the company have to work in tandem with the most willing-to-experiment drivers to ensure that there are enough cars equipped with bike racks or pet-friendly seat covers to meet demand right away. The best way to find out about specialized services in the cities you visit is simply to browse through the app, said Friendlander. But instead of leaving you guessing about what youll find where, weve rounded up the coolest, quirkiest, and most useful offerings that are regularly on offer around the globe. UberCarSeat: New York City, Philadelphia and Washington This kid-friendly program happens to be one of the more complicated services. The pricing is simple: A $10 surcharge on Uber X rides will get you one with a car seat for your child. But youll have to check the app to make sure your child is the right age and weight for the forward-facing seats that Uber is using. For Uber, it required special training to make sure the car seats were being installed safely and the oversight of the advocacy group Car Seat Lady. The program is catching on internationally, too a similar one called UberFamily began in Istanbul in March. UberWine: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara; Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico Forget about choosing a designated driver or overpaying for a chauffeur to go from vineyard to vineyard. In some destinations, Uber has you covered for an entire day of tastings. UberWine was tested last year in the Central Coast regions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, both emerging as veritable forces in their own right. The service is also available in Mexicos burgeoning Valle de Guadalupe, where UberValle drivers pick you up at the U.S. border and take you to the best wineries for a quick and easy day trip. Napa and Sonoma, however, have yet to offer the program. UberMoto: New Delhi, Hanoi, Bangalore, Ho Chi Minh City and more Motorcycle tours in these Asian cities are coveted experiences on activity-booking sites, it costs upward of $75 for a half-day outing. Booking an UberMoto works just like any other Uber vehicle. Youll be provided with the make and model of your drivers motorcycle so you can easily find one another. Helmets are included where required by law. UberLux: Rome, London and Los Angeles Dont settle for a ride in a Hyundai. In style capitals around the globe, Uber allows riders to book top-tier vehicles each one inspected to meet certain standards. The car must be among a set of approved makes and models (including Mercedes Benz S or G Class, Porsche Panamera, any Bentley or Maybach), cant be more than 4 years old, and must have a black interior and exterior. Lux drivers are encouraged to dress professionally, provide bottled water, and be able to offer restaurant recommendations. In Los Angeles, where the pricing is most transparent, it will cost $20 for the privilege and four times the local per-minute price. UberSki: Lake Tahoe, Park City, Utah, and Santiago, Chile There are just two things you want if youre hailing an Uber in a ski town: a rack for your gear and all-wheel drive. Youll get both with UberSki, and it costs only about $5 extra for the convenience. UberBike: Amsterdam and Sao Paulo In cities such as these, Uber faces competition not just from taxis, but also from the popularity of commuting by bike. Here, catering to cyclists isnt just a useful offering its a smart business move. So Uber allows drivers to hitch bike racks to their vehicles and offer bike-and-passenger pickups as part of UberBike. Its been available in Sao Paulo for a year and costs a bit more than the regular fare. UberPet: Mexico City Who knew that Mexico City was a haven for pampered pets? Under a project begun in June, you can travel with your dogs, cats, birds and fish without worrying about potential cleaning fees. The minimum tariffs is less than $4 for a regular car and roughly $8 for an Uber Black car. Service dogs, however, are exempt from the additional charge. UberBoat: Istanbul UberBoat has popped up in Miami for Art Basel and in Baltimore for Light City annual festivals that attract thousands of travelers. But in Istanbul, UberBoat is a full-time offering. You can zip between Europe and Asia in a small, 6- to 8-person yacht or use the service to get to the airport or the nearby Princess Islands for a quintessential day trip. UberGreen: Paris, Porto and Lisbon The city that hosted the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference was also the first to offer UberGreen, which puts a spotlight on electric and hybrid cars, such as the Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius. Theres no surcharge a Green ride costs the same as an UberX trip if all other conditions remain unchanged. In Portugal, UberGreen is still in a test phase; it was launched in March with just 20 cars in Porto and Lisbon combined. Nikki Ekstein is a Bloomberg writer. Email: nekstein@bloomberg.net San Francisco received 60 applications for the open police chief position, 11 of which were from current or former members of the city force, the Police Commission said Thursday. The city is on the first leg of its search for a new leader of the police department, an agency in flux working to move away from the national notoriety gained in the past few years following a series of scandals and high-profile shootings. Acting Chief Toney Chaplin, who has headed the department since Greg Suhr resigned in May after a sergeant fatally shot a woman in a car in the Bayview, said he planned to apply for the permanent position. Also throwing their names in for consideration are two members of his command staff: Deputy Chief Garret Tom and Deputy Chief Mikail Ali. The next chief will face a historic array of challenges, including the implementation of new policies and training meant to decrease the use of lethal force and encourage de-escalation, and pressure to institute sweeping reforms led by the U.S. Department of Justice. Of the 60 applications for the chiefs job, 49 came from outside the department. Only two chiefs in the past four decades have been hired from outside the department, one of whom, George Gascon, now serves as district attorney and constant adversary of the police union with his criticism of the department and his calls for more reform. The Police Commission, which is charged with selecting three finalists from the pool of applicants, had recently held several public meetings intended to gather community input on the next chief. Ralph Andersen & Associates, the recruitment firm conducting the search, will present the results from these meetings on Wednesday. Commissioners will decide which applicants to interview based on the criteria generated from community and department input. After they choose their three candidates, Mayor Ed Lee will make the final decision. Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo A former Stanford swimmer released from jail after serving half of a six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman was greeted Friday by protesters and politicians demanding that the viral outrage stirred by the case be harnessed to protect women and toughen punishments for sex crimes. While 21-year-old Brock Turner is now free, and is expected to return to his native Ohio as a registered sex offender, the legacy of the attack outside a campus fraternity party remains in flux. Critics are pushing for the removal of Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, whose sentencing of Turner became an international story, while Gov. Jerry Brown is weighing whether to sign a bill that would require defendants convicted of such crimes to serve at least three years in prison. Unknown as well is whether the episode could spur lasting change on university campuses where many students say rape is too common and too tolerated. Its disappointing that we even have to be here to discuss this, said Stephanie Pham, 20, a Stanford junior who founded the schools Association of Students for Sexual Assault Prevention and attended a rally Friday across from the courthouse. We need to recall the judge to make sure rape is treated like the violent, heinous crime it is, and not as a drunken mistake. A handful of protesters were present at 6:08 a.m. when Turner, dressed in a white, long-sleeve shirt and dark slacks, emerged from jail in San Jose and stepped to a waiting white Chevrolet SUV to be whisked away by his parents. He refused to answer questions from reporters as he walked through barricades set up because of the wide interest in the case, a sport jacket tucked under his right arm. Were done with him, said Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith. He should be in prison right now, but hes not in our custody. Hours later, a crowd gathered in front of the courthouse, where people waved signs and chanted, Hey, hey, ho, ho, Judge Persky has got to go. Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor leading a recall effort against Persky, said, His victim did not receive justice. She said she had written a letter recommending a two-year prison sentence. The county district attorney had asked for a six-year sentence. The light sentence sends a dangerous message, Dauber said. Dont bother to call police because you will not receive justice. ... A biased judge is a threat to the entire justice system. The sentence prompted an online petition with more than 1 million signatures urging impeachment of the judge. And state legislators passed the bill that now sits on Browns desk, which would expand the definition of rape and mandate prison terms for attacks on unconscious victims. Brown has a month to decide whether to sign it. A lineup of politicians including state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles; Assemblywoman Nora Campos, D-San Jose; Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose; and Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, and Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton pushed for passage of the legislation and called for Perskys removal. As a father of a daughter who just graduated from college, I was outraged and appalled and let me just add, repulsed by Judge Aaron Perskys decision to give a rapist, Brock Turner, such lenient treatment, said de Leon, who believes the decision was made because Turner is a member of the privileged Stanford elite. Simply put, hes unworthy of the robe he wears or the bench he sits on, he said of Persky. While the case has raised wide concern about fairness in the justice system, some defense attorneys have stressed caution in moves to lengthen sentences and oust a sitting judge at a time of reforms meant to scale back an era of mass incarceration. Still, politicians and advocates on all sides have questioned Turners sentence. In an interview Friday, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi agreed that the criminal justice system has long neglected sexual assault and rape. For every 1,000 rapes reported nationally, 993 go unpunished, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. And, Adachi said, it appears race and privilege impacted the outcome of the Turner case. He said an African American man was recently sentenced in San Francisco to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. Even so, he said things can get dicey when politicians try to influence decision-making in the courts. Politicians should not be in the business of legislating what a persons sentence should be, Adachi said. Every time weve allowed that to happen, from sentence enhancements to three strikes, its been disastrous. As a defense attorney, I hope the reaction to this is not that we should just lock everyone up for life with a similar charge, because that would be a mistake. Following his release, Turner and his parents went to a Palo Alto hotel, still trailed by television cameras. When they entered the lobby, the young man was wearing sunglasses and had changed into a gray hooded sweatshirt. Turner had faced up to 10 years in prison when a jury found him guilty in March of assault with intent to commit rape and penetration of an intoxicated and unconscious person. In deciding that six months in county jail was sufficient, Persky concluded that prison time would have a severe impact on Turner, whose father had argued to the judge that a mistake and 20 minutes of action shouldnt ruin his life. At the time of the sentencing, the case was not a national sensation. What resonated across the country was the powerful 7,244-word letter that talked about two lives ruined, read by the 23-year-old victim in court. She described how Turner dragged me through this hell during the Jan. 18, 2015, attack outside the Kappa Alpha fraternity and took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice. The statement moved Vice President Joe Biden to respond in an open letter, writing to the victim, Your bravery is breathtaking, and saying her words should be required reading for men and women of all ages. The case began when Turner was arrested after two graduate students riding bikes on Lomita Court around 1 a.m. found him, then a 19-year-old freshman, on top of a partially clothed woman. The students restrained Turner as he tried to get away and called police. The woman, who was not a student, was taken to a hospital and treated for her injuries. Turner told responding officers he had seven cans of beer that night and thought he was having consensual sex with the woman, who authorities said was breathing but completely unresponsive as she lay near a tree and a Dumpster. The victim told police she had four whiskey shots and two shots of vodka, but couldnt remember anything after talking with male guests at the fraternity party, according to a police report. Turner withdrew from school Jan. 27, 2015, the day prosecutors announced he would be charged, and was banned from campus. He must remain on probation for three years and attend drug and alcohol counseling. The case has already led to some changes. Eight days before Turners release, the Santa Clara County court announced Persky would be reassigned from the criminal to the civil division, reportedly at his own request. Persky has fired back against criticism with his own website asking for monetary contributions in support of his retention. Stanford University officials recently banned the drinking of hard alcohol by undergraduates at campus parties, while exempting beer and wine. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, who helped draft the sexual assault legislation, said Friday that Turner should still be behind bars, but added, With the governors signature, the next Brock Turner will go to prison. Jenna Lyons, Michael Bodley and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com, mbodley@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Ron Chapple/Getty Image A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of gunning down a woman on a sidewalk in San Franciscos Mission District in May, police said Friday. Luis Barrios-Ixolin was taken into custody Wednesday when police caught him on Reardon Court in the citys Bayview neighborhood, officials said. San Francisco County Sheriffs Office / San Francisco County Sheriffs Office San Francisco County jail deputies released an inmate after a clerk mistakenly indicated in court paperwork that all charges against him had been dismissed, and now jail officials want him back, authorities said Thursday. Victor Rodriguez, 20, was accidentally released Wednesday about 10 p.m., even though he had several months remaining in his jail sentence. The error was the result of a court clerk incorrectly writing down what a judge said, according to Eileen Hirst, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco sheriffs office. When California voters passed Proposition 47 two years ago, reducing some low-level felony crimes to misdemeanors, they left a number of questions unanswered. One, which may be heading for the state Supreme Court, is whether the state can hold onto the DNA samples it collected from juveniles once their crime is no longer a felony. A state appeals court in San Francisco weighed in on the issue this week in two cases from Contra Costa County. In both rulings, the First District Court of Appeal concluded that a minor who had to provide a sample of genetic material after a felony conviction wasnt entitled to have it removed from the state database after the crime was reduced to a misdemeanor. A separate law applies to adults, who must provide DNA samples when they are arrested on felony charges. The samples can be erased from the database if the charges are later dropped or the defendant is acquitted. The state Supreme Court has agreed to review a challenge to that law in a case from San Francisco. Among the crimes that Prop. 47 reclassified as misdemeanors, punishable by no more than a year in county jail, were drug possession and non-forcible thefts of property worth up to $950. Ruling Tuesday in the case of a youth convicted of felony grand theft in 2011 for stealing a $46 pair of jeans from a department store, the court said that although the ballot measure declared such crimes to be misdemeanors for all purposes, the redefinition applied only to future consequences, like imprisonment, and not to DNA samples already collected. The text of the initiative declared that the reduction in punishment for certain crimes was not intended to pose a risk to public safety, Justice Peter Siggins noted in a 3-0 ruling rejecting a request by the youth, identified as C.H., to erase his DNA sample. Removing information from a database the state uses to solve future crimes would be difficult to reconcile with Proposition 47s aim to promote public safety, Siggins said. But in a dissent from a separate 2-1 ruling involving Prop. 47, Justice Stuart Pollak argued that reclassifying a crime to a misdemeanor for all purposes required eliminating all felony penalties, including the furnishing of DNA samples. The court in this case said the state could keep a DNA sample from a juvenile, identified as C.B., whose theft conviction was reduced by the proposition. The Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Diego reached the same conclusion in another case in July 2015, saying the crime in that case, a burglary, no longer qualifies as an offense permitting DNA collection. The state Supreme Court declined to review an appeal by prosecutors in the San Diego case last fall. But with appellate courts now reaching conflicting interpretations of a law that will affect many more cases, the states high court is likely to take up the issue and resolve the conflict. C.B.s lawyer, Anne Mania, said Thursday that she would ask the state Supreme Court to review his case. Offenses that are reclassified under Prop. 47 are no longer felonies, Mania said. Why should my client, whose offense was reclassified, still have his DNA in the state database? Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko Burning Man is different for each person that goes to it, whether you're a rich tech person or a boho artist. Photographer NK Guy spent 16 years trying to capture the art of Burning Man, all while taking in the experience of being in the desert surrounded by over 65,000 Burners. Guy's photographs culminated into the book, "Art of Burning Man" published last year by Taschen, and Guy discussed the experience of being part of the playa, via email. "It's been a long journey, and often difficult," Guy wrote. "The desert can be brutally unforgiving and exhausting, especially on camera equipment. But those challenges have helped me expand my skills as a photographer in ways I wouldn't have thought possible. "Where else would I be able to photograph a temporary desert city in darkness, through the open door of a plane? Or drive a 4WD up a mountain cliff to spend the night and take photos of the city at dawn? Or be on the front lines, shooting an exploding flying saucer, while fireworks crash down on my hardhat? These are experiences I could never have had anywhere else other than the Black Rock Desert." What initially attracted you to Burning Man? I initially made it to Burning Man back in 1998, though I'd heard of the event a few years earlier, when the spring 1991 Whole Earth Review magazine featured the first burn in the Black Rock Desert. The back cover photo, by Julia Wharton and Nick Lynch, was an iconic shot of the Burning Man figure standing in flames on cracked clay ground. And it must have struck quite a chord with me, because seven years later I found myself in a generic white rental car, rolling across a vast dry lake bed while the AC struggled with the heat. Good thing that Impala had a lot of cup holders. I have to admit that I was also looking for a great party and summer festival; a good midpoint on my California roadtrip from my home in Vancouver, Canada. But I really wasn't entirely prepared for what I would encounter. It was like visiting a foreign country that you'd seen only on a postcard nothing quite prepares you for the experience of full cultural immersion. But as fun as the party was, it was the art that was the real draw; the transient beauty of the massive pieces that rise from Nevada's Black Rock Desert each year. The canvas that vast desert backdrop is always the same, but every iteration of the event has its own tone or flavor, depending on what's out there. It's been fantastic catching up each year with a great community of friends, especially after I moved across the world to live in London. And after a few years I came up with the idea of producing a photographic document of the event, which culminated in the publication of my book Art of Burning Man last year. What are the people like, in your opinion? The desert seems to catalyze two contrasting, but not necessarily conflicting, impulses: self-expression and self-reliance, and community. The open emptiness is such a blank canvas that people feel liberated and inspired to reinvent themselves or explore different aspects of themselves. But simultaneously the frequently harsh conditions force people to cooperate and work together, simply to survive. These seemingly oppositional forces have been key to the event's success over the years. The result is a massive city, but an unusually good-natured and fun one. It's infectious! As a photographer, did you approach your subject of Burning Man as documentarian, or as a Burner? My first couple of years were pretty simple - I took photos just to show my adventures to friends and family. I'd traveled alone from Canada, and since I had no-one to share the experience with in those days, I recorded it all photographically. That was the germ for what became a 16 year saga that took me to the desert year after year, cameras in hand, even after I moved to Britain. I would say that being in Black Rock City as a photographer is quite different from being a regular participant. I'm there with a specific purpose, albeit one I love. And you see the world differently when you're thinking how the scene before you might look, frozen in a 3:2 two-dimensional frame. It can be an insulating distraction. So once a year I'd always take a holiday, and "go to Burning Man," as staffers like to say. I'd choose one night, usually Wednesday, and lock up all my gear. I'd go out and play with my friends, and try my best to ignore my twitching shutter finger: my camera as a ghost limb. Any favorite parts of Burning Man or standout art pieces that stick in your memory? That's a tough one. It's just impossible to single out a work that transcends all the others. But I think that the most powerful collective group of artwork would have to be the temples of Burning Man. Each year a new wooden temple is constructed on-site, then burned ceremoniously to the ground at the end of the event. First created by Petaluma artist David Best and his team, the temples have unexpectedly become the emotional core of the festival. They've become a secular sacred space, where people can gather to grieve and meditate on loss of any kind. By the end of the week the temple will be festooned with notes, letters, and personal artifacts that allow each participant to add a bit of themselves to the structure. This kind of shared personal experience of grief is not a phenomenon you'd expect at your usual summer festival. What can first-timers expect? What shouldn't they expect? It's crucial to remember that Burning Man is a participatory and non-commercial event. You have to be well prepared you can't buy your meals anywhere, or rent a comfortable bed for the night. It's all up to you! Beyond that, it's also really important to drop the idea that you'll be able to see everything. Black Rock City is a vast place, and it's literally impossible for anyone to see and experience everything that happens during that week. It's good to work out a basic list of highlights that interest you, but other than that, just go with the flow. Let things happen! Some years ago my wife and I were walking along the Esplanade on our way somewhere when a wide-eyed face-painted clown rushed up. "Dude! Have you seen the trebuchet?" "The what?" "These guys... they've got a trebuchet, and they're gonna fling a piano!" I had to confess I had no idea where it was. But, after he'd left, Jennifer and I turned to each other and agreed that a medieval siege weapon definitely sounded like something worth checking out. And eventually we found it, and watched a huge metal trebuchet hurl a flaming piano far into the sky. Thank you, clown! Any stories or anecdotes about Burning Man you could share, that sheds a light on the overall experience? There's a story behind every shot in my book. Many tales made it into the text, but one that didn't involves a black and white photo at the very end. It's a picture of the Man that I took in 2000. I'd cycled out to the open desert with some friends, where I photographed them using infrared film. And, after we finished, a dust storm blew in. We became separated as we rode back. I cycled blindly around for a while. It was my third year on playa, and I hadn't yet learned how to navigate the wilderness in those conditions. And then I suddenly found myself by the Burning Man sculpture. I wanted to take a shot, but I'd used up most of my film on the shoot. Just at that moment, the dust clouds parted, revealing the Man, backlit by the sun. I raised my camera, looked through the viewfinder, and gazed at the black silhouette on brilliant scarlet. (I was using a red filter for the IR film) I focused, took one shot, and the camera started rewinding that was the final picture on the roll! A moment later, the clouds closed in and the scene vanished. That moment was decisively gone. But I had no idea if the shot actually worked or not until I got the film back from the lab. When I finally saw it, and it looked exactly as I'd imagined it would, it was kind of a revelation. It's still one of my favorite photographs. It's that combination of events having a plan, having the plan mercilessly hijacked by happenstance, and having the aggravation of that frustrated plan dissolve into the magic of a serendipitous moment that really encapsulates the best kind of Burning Man experience to me. Answers have been edited for length and clarity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CHICAGO - Forty percent of the Giants projected rotation lost starting jobs now that Matt Cain has been turned into a reliever. Manager Bruce Bochy met with Cain Thursday to tell him Albert Suarez is starting Fridays game at Wrigley Field and that Cains new role would be in long relief. As far as where everybodys at, we think were better off with Suarez, said Bochy, adding Cain is better suited for helping us in the bullpen. Jake Peavy lost his rotation spot when the Giants traded for Matt Moore on July 31 and is on the disabled list with a lower back strain. Last weekend, Bochy told reporters Cain would pitch Friday if he came out OK from his next minor-league rehab start. But Cain was roughed up for six runs (four earned) on 10 hits and two walks in five innings with Triple-A Sacramento. The same day, Suarez started for the Giants and pitched 4 1/3 innings (three runs, five hits, two walks). The difference between the outings was extreme enough for Bochy and friends to change their minds on Cain, whose $127.5 million contract runs through next season. He has $20 million salaries this year and next year and a $7.5 million buyout on his $21 million option for 2018. Bochy was asked about Cains continuing struggles this year. Hes 4-8 with a 5.81 ERA and hasnt had a sub-4.00 ERA since 2012 when he was the ace of a team that won the World Series. Thats a hard one to answer, really, because hes been really good at times, as you know, Bochy said. Hes gone four or five innings of no-hit ball. I think for some reason, hes had a hard time maintaining his delivery. Then when he gets out of sync, he has a hard time getting back in. Bochy said it could be because of time missed due to injuries. Or Cains confidence level isnt what it was before surgeries. Bochy said Cain, wholl be reinstated from the DL Friday, could be an asset in September because he could be used against both righties and lefties and possibly throw consecutive days. More catching help: Expect the Giants to call up a third catcher soon. They have just two, and Trevor Brown is ill and isnt expected to arrive at Wrigley until close to game time. The initial plan was to start Brown at catcher and play Buster Posey at first base. Instead, Posey is catching and Brandon Belt is at first - and hitting eighth against lefty Mike Montgomery. We need a third catcher, Bochy said. Lefty heavy: With six players added to the roster Thursday, including four left-handed pitchers, Bochy has more lefties than righties in his bullpen. He doesnt recall that happening in the past. Is it a luxury or necessity? Could be both, depending on who youre playing, Bochy said. You guys might get tired of me walking out on the mound. But they all earned it. The most intriguing newcomer is Ty Blach, whos awaiting his big-league debut. Unlike others in the bullpen, Blach wouldnt be summoned in a matchup situation but in long relief or for a full inning. John Shea is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FAIRFIELD He was a successful New York accountant and commercial real estate broker, but Charles Lawrence III is behind bars Friday because he claims eye problems caused him to misread a text and believe he was about to have sex with an 18-year-old instead of a 13-year-old boy. The text he received had a one and a three which he mistook for a one and an eight, Lawrences lawyer, Edward Gavin, told Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin. I am not a pedophile, added the 60-year-old Lawrence. I used poor judgment but I have never seen, used or downloaded child pornography in my life. But Devlin said he wasnt buying it and sentenced Lawrence to two years in prison in the case involving a Fairfield minor. The thing about this case is it has this Shakespearean quality to it, or maybe a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde aspect, the judge said. But this whole case is about protecting children. You did a bad thing here. In addition to the sentence of eight years, suspended after Lawrence serves two years in prison, the judge ordered him to register as a sex offender. Lawrence was one of 10 men snagged in a sting last October at a house in Fairfield. The sting, set up by TV newsman Chris Hansen, Fairfield Police and States Attorney John Smriga, had Fairfield University theater students posing as 13-year-old boys and girls. When the suspects showed up at the house to have sex with the teenagers they were arrested and the incident was video recorded for a later television program. Smriga told the judge that beginning in September 2015, Lawrence began communicating through the Internet site Grindr with what he thought was a 13-year-old boy. Lawrence inquired about the boys sexual desires and told him he could be is teacher, the prosecutor said. At about 3:45 p.m. on Oct. 3, Smriga said Lawrence arrived at the decoy house and was subsequently arrested. On his person police found a bottle of lubricant and a bottle of nail polish remover, the prosecutor told the judge. Lawrence subsequently pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted sexual assault, attempted risk of injury to a minor and enticing a minor to have an obscene performance. Gavin told the judge that the irony of the situation is that his client knows Chris Hansen socially, commuted daily on the train with him and was aware of Hansens TV program, To Catch a Predator. After he was caught Charles sat down with Fairfield police and told them, I thought I was going to meet an 18-year-old, Gavin said. HILO, Hawaii Tourists in Hawaii who had been planning an escape to a sunny island paradise were instead hit with the threat of back-to-back hurricanes, but theyre making the best of their vacations. Julie Harrison, who lives near Buffalo, N.Y., said she was a little nervous the hurricanes would ruin her trip to the Big Island but she decided to come regardless. Its enough of an experience that I just wanted to come out anyway and make it out no matter what, said Harrison during a stop to see the bubbling crater at Kilauea volcanos summit. The islands of Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe were under a hurricane watch Friday as Hurricane Lester surged closer to the islands. Hurricane Madeline threatened the Big Island earlier in the week but was downgraded to a tropical storm and passed without causing major damage. Lester weakened to a Category 2 but is expected to remain a hurricane as it passes north of the islands Saturday and Sunday, said meteorologist Bob Burke of the National Weather Service. Large waves from 15 to 25 feet are expected to pound east-facing shores of major islands, he said. Oahus 205 campsites remained open as Lester approached, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Friday. We want to allow people to continue to plan to camp, but we want to ask those campers to pay attention ... be ready, Caldwell said. Its going to be a wet weekend. Caldwell said officials are not expecting a major impact from Hurricane Lester, but theyre preparing for the worst just in case. Honolulu Emergency Management Department Director Mark Rigg warned visitors. If youre not an experienced ocean person, I would advise staying out of the water completely, Rigg said. The popular snorkeling spot Hanauma Bay is staying open for now, and officials plan to assess Saturday morning whether to open emergency shelters, Caldwell said. The storms center isnt expected to make landfall. But if the storm veers to the south it could have a much greater impact, said Ian Morrison, meteorologist from the National Weather Service. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The federal prisons that hold 157,000 inmates have rules requiring most of them to take courses preparing them for life in the outside world. But a government report Friday found that the programs were haphazardly managed, fewer than one-third of the eligible inmates took part, and prison officials had no idea whether the classes helped former inmates lead crime-free lives. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons does not ensure that (release-preparation programs) across its institutions are meeting inmate needs or that the programs have their intended effect of helping released prisoners adjust to their new lives, said the report by the Justice Departments inspector generals office. The authors criticized the overall program and did not single out any prisons that particularly needed improvement. In response, the Bureau of Prisons said it would try to increase inmate participation and do a better job of evaluating the effects of the educational courses. The bureau runs 121 institutions for inmates convicted of federal crimes, including seven prisons in California a prison for women in Dublin and six for men in Central and Southern California. The inspector generals office said it visited six institutions, including prisons in Victorville (San Bernardino County) and San Pedro (Los Angeles County) and a detention center in Los Angeles. The release-preparation program is supposed to be mandatory for federal inmates except those sentenced to death, immigrants facing deportation after release, and a few other categories. Within 2 years of their scheduled release, inmates are to take courses in six subjects: health and nutrition, employment, personal finance and consumer skills, information and community resources, personal growth and development, and the prison systems rules for their release. They are also supposed to attend counseling sessions. The report said the content and quality of those courses are widely inconsistent and that the prisons do not systematically assess inmate needs or ask inmates for feedback. While some inmates interviewed for the report praised their courses, others said they were given information of little apparent value such as how to arrange buying a new home or were simply told what they would need to learn, like balancing a checkbook, without any further instruction. Each class is supposed to last an hour, but some attended by Justice Department staff were as short as 10 minutes, the report said. Out of more than 46,000 inmates released from the prisons between October 2012 and September 2013, the report said, fewer than 14,500, or 31 percent, had completed the courses. One reason for the low completion rate is that inmates face few penalties for refusing to take the courses, the report said. It said prison officials have declined to offer inmates good-behavior sentencing credits or other possible incentives for taking the courses, such as transfer to a halfway house before their release. The prison bureau has also largely prohibited participation by inmates assigned to isolation units for disciplinary reasons. And while the program is supposed to help inmates live legally and productively after their release, the prison bureau has not studied whether the courses make an inmate less likely to commit crimes in the future, the report said. As a result, it said, the bureau is hindered in its ability to make informed decisions to improve the (program) and maximize its effect on recidivism. The report included a series of recommendations for revamping and evaluating the program. The Bureau of Prisons endorsed the recommendations. A lawyer who has battled the California prison system over inmate health care said he wasnt surprised by the critique of federal prisons. Its typical of many prison programs around the country, said Donald Specter, executive director of the Prison Law Office in Berkeley, whose lawsuit has forced the state prisons to reduce overcrowding. They start programs which are not evidence-based, and then they do them halfheartedly. The report can be read here: https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2016/e1607.pdf Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko The report can be read here: https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2016/e1607.pdf. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHILADELPHIA Donald Trump was met with tears and gratitude as he sat with African American supporters Friday, including the mother of a slain young woman who was killed by a man who entered the U.S. illegally. The meetings, held in a ballroom in northwest Philadelphia, underscored the balancing act the Republican nominee is playing as he tries to expand his support in the race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. While Trump works to broaden his appeal among more moderate and minority voters, hes also working to maintain his popularity with his core GOP base by pressing his hard-line views on immigration. At the invitation-only roundtable discussion, Trump met with a dozen local business, civic and religious leaders who praised him for coming to the hood as part of his outreach efforts. Trump was warmly received by the group, including Daphne Goggins, a local Republican official, who wiped away tears as she introduced herself to Trump, saying shes been a Republican most her life, but, for the first time in my life, I feel like my vote is going to count. Renee Amoore, a local business leader, assured Trump that he has support in the black community, despite his low standing in public opinion surveys. But Trumps meeting also highlighted the challenges he faces making inroads with African Americans and Latinos. Protesters gathered in front of the building where Trump appeared, and a coalition of labor leaders met nearby to denounce Trumps outreach to black voters as disingenuous and insulting. Trump continued to take a hard-line stance on immigration Friday. He met with Shalga Hightower, whose daughter, Iofemi, was killed along with two friends in a 2007 attack in a Newark, N.J., school yard. In an emotional exchange, Shalga Hightower said her daughters killers should have never been here and praised Trump for giving her daughter recognition. Next stop for Trump is Detroit on Saturday, where blacks make up 83 percent of the population. He will visit a church with a predominantly black congregation. In addition to planning trips to urban centers, Trump has revamped his campaign pitch to include a direct appeal to African Americans and Latinos, making the case that decades of Democratic policies have failed them. You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, he recently argued. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Twitter users are expressing outrage over the early release of Brock Turner from prison on Friday morning. The former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman served only half his six month sentence due to good behavior. As reported previously on SFGATE, when Turner, an all-American swimmer who was an Olympic hopeful, was convicted in Santa Clara County Superior Court of three counts of sexual assault in late March, he faced up to 10 years of prison. The judge, Aaron Persky, opted for a lighter six-month penalty, saying a stiffer sentence would have a "severe impact" on the 20-year-old. The decision sparked a national firestorm as many expressed the student received a slap-on-the-wrist for a serious crime. Early in the morning on Jan. 18, 2015, two graduate students called police when they found Turner thrusting his hips against a partially clothed unconscious woman lying in a field on the Stanford campus. Turner was arrested and told police he consumed seven cans of beer at a Kappa Alpha fraternity party and was having consensual sex with the woman. According to police, the woman was "completely unresponsive" at the time. The woman didn't remember anything beyond the beginnings of her evening at the party and told investigators that she had "four whiskey shots and two shots of vodka." The victim addressed the issue of drunkenness in her court statement, saying it's unfair for Turner to use it as an excuse for sexually assaulting her. "Alcohol is not an excuse," the victim said. "Is it a factor? Yes. But alcohol was not the one who stripped me, fingered me, had my head dragging against the ground, with me almost fully naked. Having too much to drink was an amateur mistake that I admit to, but it is not criminal. Everyone in this room has had a night where they have regretted drinking too much, or knows someone close to them who has had a night where they have regretted drinking too much." A full 86 objects of varying size occupy a large, stark gallery at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Some are convincingly realistic, others hauntingly re-construed sculpted or painted or photographed or all three. A presentation of works by the Swedish artist Cecilia Edefalk, it is one of the more peculiar and affecting exhibitions I have seen this year. At 62, Edefalk has had relatively little exposure in the United States, though she is represented by the formidable Gladstone Gallery in New York. Sweden is very far off, of course, but I get the sense that is not the only reason she is not better known. Her subject is nature, her view idiosyncratic; she repeats herself in self-referential artistic mumbles that seem to have a logic all their own. And she works small. These are not the trappings of fame in the art world today. Eight bronze, masklike sculptures occupy pedestals at one end of the room repetitions of the same androgynous face, their surfaces variously polished, patinaed and painted. They are roughly propped up on their leftover casting sprues bronze webs formed as the molten metal cools and hardens in channels when the sculpture is poured. Like history itself, they seem half alive, half manufactured. They refer, a wall label tells us, to a second-century Roman sculpture of the philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius as a young man. They are tortured with nails driven into the surface, toppled and turned upside down; flowers sprout from their brows. History abused, history buried; history as the mulch of culture. Along one wall, on a dozen canvases, nebulous images emerge from sky-blue backgrounds: portraits not of the emperor, but of his sculpted likeness the marble original that inspired Edefalks obsessive bronze retellings. Like antique depictions of the phases of the moon, each canvas describes a different aspect of the sculpture, from front, to side, to rear and back around. We learn from curator Apsara DiQuinzios brochure essay that, in fact, the artist coordinated her work to coincide with a full lunar orbit. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Sibila Savage/BAMPFA Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Courtesy Gladstone Gallery Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Gladstone Gallery/Courtesy Gladstone Gallery Show More Show Less 5 of 5 The 12 paintings, taken together, make up the work To view the painting from within (2002). On the opposite wall, 12 photographs constitute To view the painting from the outside (2008); each depicts the sculpture in the foreground from a different angle, the corresponding painting behind. To describe Edefalks work in such detail seems necessary. It is the only just way to respond to her compulsion, but, more than that, its my method of understanding her process and thought, as she meticulously peels away the frail tissues of time. Her reverie becomes our own meditation: on the past, on memory, on life. Other metaphors for such feelings, and the connection of self to nature, abound in the exhibition. A dandelion in seed could be a cliche about fleeting moments. But Edefalk is convincing in her obsession with the subject, with a tiny round painting of a seed head set against a pair of oversize photographs in black and white, one of a hand holding a single puffy stem, the other of an entire meadow of them. A wall of botanical watercolors takes on an extra-scientific significance in this context. An odd bronze sculpture, posing as an open, wooden, box-shaped form, bears the title Minne (2008). Sure enough, the Swedish word means memory. The sentimental in art is very much out of fashion, with its appeal to emotions so in conflict with our demand that serious art be critical, ironic, theoretical. But is there anything more needed in our current moment than authentic intimacy? This, I think, is what Edefalk offers. Not the mass-produced consumer ware offered up online and in-store, but the genuine feeling that would drive an artist to catalog in bronze and paint what would seem to be every twig and limb of a birch tree (of the weeping variety, no less) cut down on a neighbors property. The series is extensive, and it wanders from the strictly documentary a cut branch painted white and black to small, subtly pigmented pieces suggesting variations in the colors of light at different times of day or year. And then there are the peculiar works that conflate the scars of tree bark with a human eye, the crotch of a branch to an heirloom high-top shoe. With searching attention to the smallest detail and constant recapitulation, Edefalk draws us in until we, too, are as entangled in affection as she is. The exhibition is on view through Oct. 16. Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1 Cecilia Edefalk: Matrix 261: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; Fridays and Saturdays until 9 p.m. $10-$12. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center St., Berkeley. (510) 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu An insistent protester at a Hillary Clinton rally in Cleveland on Thursday was suddenly quieted by the words of Vice President Joe Biden. "My friends died, my American friends," the heckler shouted, expressing frustration over U.S. policy in Syria. KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images A Southwest Airlines flight attendant on a plane bound for Chicago delivered the landing announcement in a very, um, animated way: by doing his best "Looney Tunes" character impressions. In a video posted to Facebook by one of his fellow flight attendants, Jordy Elizabeth, the man tells passengers that they'll be landing soon, all while impersonating a host of characters including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, the Tasmanian Devil, and Tweety Bird. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As mixed reviews of Donald Trump's immigration plan continue, one of his Latino supporters raised eyebrows on Thursday night as he pushed the Republican presidential candidate's proposal. RELATED: Trump adviser on Hispanic issues quits after speech Marco Gutierrez, founder of the group "Latinos for Trump," told MSNBC host Joy Reid that there could be "taco trucks on every corner" if Trump's vision isn't realized, Business Insider reports. The comment left Reid confused, Business Insider says. And, apparently, others were left scratching their heads, too. The odd comment sparked two hashtags, #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner and #ImWithTacos. Gutierrez also said, "My culture is a very dominant culture and it's imposing and it's causing problems," Mediaite.com said. On his Twitter page, Gutierrez is described as a real estate and mortgage expert. On Wednesday, hours after a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Trump presented his immigration plan on prime-time TV, saying that Mexico will pay for his border wall and vowing that no one living in the United States illegally could chart a path to legal status without first leaving the country. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On the verge of capping her long political career, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer announced Thursday that shes donating her voluminous congressional papers to UC Berkeley, where she also plans to launch a lecture series. Boxer, D-Calif., made the surprise announcement during a news conference with UC President Janet Napolitano at the universitys Bancroft Library. I got my political start in the Bay Area, Boxer said when discussing why she chose UC Berkeley to house her archives. When I finally went for the U.S. Senate and I represented the whole state, the support from Berkeley and Oakland, oh my goodness, the greatest. UC Berkeley promised to keep the papers a living archive for students to have access to, which Boxer said was a requirement in her decision to donate two decades of her congressional papers. The Boxer Papers will be a lasting legacy for the senator, Napolitano said. The archives hold myriad documents, including legislation that Boxer has voted on and letters to the editor in newspapers from the general public when she was running for office. She also announced a special partnership with the universitys Institute of Governmental Studies, the Barbara Boxer Lecture Series, an annual event starting next year that will bring female speakers to the stage. The series is expected to launch next year with Boxer as the series first speaker. Depending on how the elections go, Ill have a lot to say, Boxer said, adding that she hopes both men and women can attend the lecture series to see notable women. Boxer added that she also would like young women and people of color to attend the lecture series and that she hopes her archives inspire young people to get involved in politics. She said it was insane that no more than 20 women serve in the U.S. Senate. Emma Kuykendall, a first-year student at UC Berkeley, said she hopes to see women speak at the lecture series who have worked hard and have had to go the extra mile to achieve their goals. Someone who understands hard work in a more meaningful way than starting fashion trends, Kuykendall said. Throughout a career spanning four decades in public service, Boxer, who started out as a member of the Marin County Board of Supervisors in the 1970s, has been an advocate for womens rights, as well as protecting the environment and has passed legislation to improve the states infrastructure by allocating money for flood control and ecosystem restoration. As a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one of Boxers most notable efforts was her vote against the war in Iraq. While Boxers Senate run is ending at the end of this year, shes not retiring and plans to use her time to encourage more female representation in politics, said Peter True, Boxers press secretary. California makes history every morning when we roll over to drink our coffee because people dare to dream here, Boxer said. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani One city employee hired and supervised two family members. Another directed customers to make cash payments to a family members business. And in one department, employees held a barbecue and drank alcohol during work hours. Those were some of the findings highlighted in the citys annual report on its whistle-blower program that was released Thursday. It gives a broad overview of the programs investigations, but does not give the specifics of any of its findings. There were 325 whistle-blower complaints made in fiscal year 2015-16, of which 221 were investigated. Those that werent investigated mainly lacked information or were referred to another department, such as the city attorney. The number of whistle-blower claims peaked in 2008-09, at 465, and declined steadily until 2012-13, when they slowly began rising again. The controllers office substantiated 26 percent of the claims made this year, up from 21 percent last year. Sixty-two percent of the complaints were made anonymously. The vast majority of complaints, 81 percent, had to do with improper activities by city employees. Seventy-six percent of complaints were investigated and closed within 90 days. Established under a charter amendment that voters approved in 2003, the program has gone through its ups and downs. A 2011 civil grand jury report found that the program was deeply flawed, including instances of botched confidentiality for whistle-blowers and ineffective oversight. City Controller Ben Rosenfield, whose office oversees the program, countered that the report was based on factual errors and appeared to rely on just five individual complaints. Since them, however, the controller has released quarterly reports on the investigations, updated its internal system to provide better tracking of investigation trends and outcomes, and added more staff to investigate claims there are now six investigators. Larry Bush, a founding member of the good-government group Friends of Ethics, said the program has improved but could be strengthened. He said federal whistle-blower programs, unlike San Franciscos, inform the public of how much money was recaptured as a result of the investigations. He also recommended a mandatory training program for all employees on their rights under the program. In June, Board of Supervisors President London Breed introduced legislation to allow workers to make whistle-blower complaints to any city department, provide retaliation protections for city contractors and enhance confidentiality protections. According to the report, the bigger departments had the most complaints, virtually mirroring what percentage of the city workforce they comprise. Twenty-one percent of the complaints were lodged against the Department of Public Health, followed by 14 percent against the Municipal Transportation Agency and 9 percent against the Public Utilities Commission. One exception was the Police Department, which makes up nearly 9 percent of the workforce but had just 4 percent of the complaints. One reason for the disparity is that the Police Department has its own oversight unit, where people tend to file grievances. A few departments registered a high number of complaints compared with their size: The city administrators office, with 2.4 percent of the workforce, was the subject of 4 percent of the complaints; the technology department comprises 0.78 percent of the workforce but had 2.3 percent of the complaints, and the Department of Emergency Management comprises 0.8 percent of the workforce but had 1.4 percent of the complaints. Tonia Lediju, audit director at the city controllers office, said the report must balance confidentiality and disclosure. She encouraged people to come forward. We want people to feel comfortable and have confidence that it will provide confidentiality, she said. Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen Labor Day weekend is upon us, and with it comes the mass exodus of travelers heading out of the Bay Area to enjoy the last holiday of the summer. While some are doing a quick road trip to Lake Tahoe or Southern California, others are traveling with a purpose and heading out to sporting events or musicals outside of the Bay Area. Q: I need help fighting a case with Residence Inn by Marriott Phoenix, where I recently stayed. When I checked out, I saw a $250 charge on my credit card in addition to the $89 for the room. No one ever said anything about the charge. I called the front desk and was told it was a smoking charge. But I dont smoke. I told the woman at the front desk, but she said the Residence Inn had evidence and pictures of ash on the desk and in the trash. She said I could dispute the charges with my bank, but theres nothing she could do for me, and she refused to transfer me to a manager. I left a message for the manager, but never received a call back. I feel that Residence Inn is trying to make some extra money from me. Can you help? Samantha Armstrong, Glendale, Ariz. A: If you dont smoke, you shouldnt have to pay a cleaning fee. But hotels dont necessarily see it that way. As far as theyre concerned, if anyone lit up in the room, and they see evidence of it, then the person who is responsible for the bill should pay the $250 fee. And that would have been you. Is that fair? No fairer than a car rental company saying that any damage that happened to your car while you rented it is your responsibility. But its not a perfect comparison. After all, a hotel is a more controlled environment. If you were the sole guest in the room for one night, and you dont smoke, then maybe someone else smoked in your room. Dont laugh. I remember bumping into a housekeeper at a hotel as I checked out. She was puffing away on a cigarette. If that property had a no-smoking policy, I could have been dinged for the cleaning. I reviewed the correspondence between you and the hotel. In an email sent to you, the general manager correctly notes that it has a strict nonsmoking policy. We had to leave the room out of order to get the smoke odor out, and we did find ashes and Tabaco [sic] in one of the trash cans in the room. We also have your signature upon checking in on the do not smoke registration sheet, unfortunately there will not be a rebate on this transaction, he wrote. But I didnt see any photos of the alleged evidence. I happen to agree with Marriotts nonsmoking policy. Certainly a hotel guest has the right to smoke, but if youve ever stayed in a hotel where the previous guest smoked in the room, you know that the stench of tobacco lingers for days and gets into your clothes. I would pay extra to breathe clean air, a fact Marriott probably knows. I also agree that the $250 is fair. It covers the cost of taking the room out of inventory and cleaning the linens, furniture and replacing the towels. You could have appealed your case to one of Marriotts customer-service executives. I list their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer-advocacy website: http://elliott.org/company-contacts/marriott. Its true that Marriott gets more than its fair share of cleaning-fee complaints, but not enough for me to think it is using these fees to generate revenue in any systematic way. Its simply too risky. Still, I thought Marriott might want to review your case one more time. I contacted the company, and it refunded the $250 cleaning fee. Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. Find travel tips at www.elliott.org. E-mail: chris@elliott.org Twitter: @elliottdotorg MIDWAY ATOLL President Obama on Thursday took his campaign to confront climate change to this tiny and pristine spit of land in the remote reaches of the Pacific Ocean as he sought to cement a lasting environmental legacy. Obama traveled to Midway, part of the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, to note his expansion last week of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the worlds largest protected area and home to more than 7,000 species of wildlife, some of them endangered and others found nowhere else on the planet. The area is home to millions of tropical sea birds including rare albatrosses, and it teems with sea life such as endangered whales, green sea turtles and deep sea black coral, considered the longest-living marine species. He was expected to tour the 2.4-square-mile atoll and receive a briefing from U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials who manage it. The designation and Obamas trip to the island, named for its location about halfway between Asia and North America, are part of an effort by the president to showcase his commitment to combatting climate change and protecting lands and waters that can serve as refuges as the planet increasingly experiences the harmful effects of global warming. The presidents trip also carried historical significance. The island is the site of the Battle of Midway, where a decisive Allied victory was a turning point in World War II. Ancient islanders believed it contained the boundary between this life and the next, Obama said of Midway on Wednesday, speaking at a conservation summit in Honolulu. Hundreds of brave Americans gave their lives there in defense of the worlds freedom. So this is a hallowed site, and it deserves to be treated that way, and from now on, it will be preserved for future generations. The visit comes as Obama, nearing the end of his eight years in office, is reaching for lasting symbols of his achievements and seeking opportunities to check items off his must-do list while he still has the trappings and travel perquisites of the presidency. Obama announced last week that he was vastly expanding the Papahanaumokuakea monument, created by George W. Bush a decade ago, bringing its size to more than 580,000 square miles 3 times the size of California from a little less than 140,000 square miles. Scientists and environmental groups have cheered the action, which will protect an exceptionally diverse and fragile area that encompasses multiple ecosystems, from sea mounts to coastal plains with deep sea corals, and boasts more endemic creatures those not found anywhere else in the world than any other place known on the planet. Obama is not the first U.S. president to visit the remote island. Richard M. Nixon stopped there in June 1969, at the height of bird breeding season, for five hours of meetings with President Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam during which the two agreed on plans for the United States to begin withdrawing troops within 30 days. MOSCOW Islam Karimov, who crushed all opposition in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan as its only president in a quarter-century of independence from the Soviet Union, has died of a stroke at age 78, the Uzbek government announced Friday. Karimov will be buried Saturday in the ancient city of Samarkand, his birthplace, the government said in a statement. His younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, said in a social media post Monday that he had been hospitalized in intensive care after a brain hemorrhage Aug. 27. On Friday, she posted again, saying: He is gone. Little other information was available. Media freedom and human rights have been harshly repressed ever since he became leader in 1989 while it was still a republic of the Soviet Union. One of the worlds most authoritarian rulers, Karimov cultivated no apparent successor, and his death raised concerns that the strategically located country could face prolonged infighting among clans over its leadership, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. The death of Islam Karimov may open a pretty dangerous period of unpredictability and uncertainty in Uzbekistan, Alexei Pushkov, head of the Russian parliaments foreign affairs committee, told the Tass news agency. Given the lack of access to the strategic country, its hard to judge how powerful the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan might be. Over the years, the group has been affiliated with the Taliban, al Qaeda and the Islamic State, and it has sent fighters abroad. Karimov was known as a tyrant with an explosive temper and a penchant for cruelty. His troops machine-gunned hundreds of unarmed demonstrators to death during a 2005 uprising, he jailed thousands of political opponents, and his henchmen reportedly boiled some dissidents to death. Burning of Zozobra 2016 Duh. Of course we were gonna make this a weekend pick! See the massive puppet, meant to symbolize the negativity in your life, burn while tens of thousands of people yell around you. Really, it's kind a heated situation, dudes and dudettespun intended. More Info >> Beyond the Horizon; Stephen Martiniere: Futurescapes You'll love the newly-local artist who has worked with Disney, LucasFilm and Bethesda amongst others. His science-fiction/fantasy illustrations are other-worldly. More Info >> You'll love the newly-local artist who has worked with Disney, LucasFilm and Bethesda amongst others. His science-fiction/fantasy illustrations are other-worldly. The Bus Tapes Get thee to Madrid for folk Rock in the Tavern. More Info >> Get thee to Madrid for folk Rock in the Tavern. Angel Wynn: Greetings From New Mexico This selection of the well-known artist's work imitates old post cards, but on a larger scale. See landscapes in and around New Mexico in Wynn's mixed media art. Through Sept. 27. More Info >> This selection of the well-known artist's work imitates old post cards, but on a larger scale. See landscapes in and around New Mexico in Wynn's mixed media art. Through Sept. 27. Blast-Off with Three Queer Authors Book Launch Party! Three local queer authors (Kim Gryphon, Alexandra Diaz, and Bisi Ademulegun) are teaming up to celebrate the publications of their books for this free event at the Wise Fool circus studio. More Info >> Three local queer authors (Kim Gryphon, Alexandra Diaz, and Bisi Ademulegun) are teaming up to celebrate the publications of their books for this free event at the Wise Fool circus studio. Fiesta Melodrama A fiesta tradition since 1919, this roast-like comedy tells a the fictional tale of a power hungry Sheriff who wants to destroy fiestas and includes some fun-poking of local institutions and people. There are only so many performances left, too. More Info >> A fiesta tradition since 1919, this roast-like comedy tells a the fictional tale of a power hungry Sheriff who wants to destroy fiestas and includes some fun-poking of local institutions and people. There are only so many performances left, too. Fiestas de Santa Fe Fine Arts and Crafts Market The open-air art-market brings treasures in jewelry, pottery, painting and other mediums to booths in and around the historic plaza during Labor Day weekend. More Info >> The open-air art-market brings treasures in jewelry, pottery, painting and other mediums to booths in and around the historic plaza during Labor Day weekend. Lone Pinon Listen to Northern New Mexico root music inspired by Latin tones because, Norteno por vida. More Info >> Listen to Northern New Mexico root music inspired by Latin tones because, Norteno por vida. Tone In Georgia Tone In Georgia is joined by locals Tall Marsh Plant and Loretta's Got A Gun to bring you an evening of Americana you won't forget. More Info >> Tone In Georgia is joined by locals Tall Marsh Plant and Loretta's Got A Gun to bring you an evening of Americana you won't forget. Get more information about how to spend your fun days when you sign up for the SFR Weekend newsletter, delivered to your inbox each Friday afternoon. Santa Fe Reporter New Zealands eight universities still have capacity for a growing number of Chinese students, according to a marketing executive at Lincoln University who is tasked with attracting more enrollments from the worlds most-populous nation. New Zealand attracted 5,804 students from China in the year ended July 31, government data shows, up 15 percent from the same period in 2015 and 41 percent higher than in 2014. Thats still less than the 10,000 mark Lincoln University's director of greater China, Jeff Sun, says is the most New Zealand could cope with. Sun said the number of Chinese students peaked in 2001 and 2002 at around 20,000 when New Zealands relatively weak dollar and its early move in opening access to international students tapped into a growing appetite for Chinese to study abroad. The SARS virus combined with a stronger currency saw those numbers taper off, and they only started turning back around in 2010. Because we are a very small country, we only have eight universities, my personal view is the maximum we can only host is 10,000 Chinese students, Sun said. Otherwise, we dont have space. Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has been targeting international students as a source of export earnings, allowing them to work part and full-time in a bid to almost double the nations income from them to $5 billion by 2025 from 2013. That focus has bolstered migration flows to record levels in recent years, with rapid gains in the number of Indian students, some of whom secured visas through agents using fake documents and are now facing deportation. Lincoln has been trying to lure Chinese students to New Zealand since 2000 and has found its agricultural focus has been a sticking point in attracting Chinese, with parents taking a dim view of rural services. The Christchurch-based universitys ties with China include a research agreement with dairy processor Yili Industrial Group, memorandums of understanding with Chinas Henan Agricultural University and Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, and showcasing some of is technology to President Xi Jinping during his visit to New Zealand in 2014. Lincoln markets itself as New Zealands specialist land-based university, and highlights agri-business training to counter those opinions, which Sun says has been slowly shifting as China repositions its economic priorities to include environmental concerns. We can see the trend, Chinese used to study commerce or business or IT, but now something has changed and food science, viticulture, landscape architecture, the environment have become more popular, Sun said. We are small, but we have the niche market. 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Related News: SKO - FY23 Interim Results Announcement Date - 23 November 2022 Downer awarded $490 million road maintenance contract SKC - 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS AND TRADING UPDATE TCL - Result of AGM TradeWindow secures U.S. footprint with FoodChain ID October 28th Morning Report October 25th Morning Report Mainfreight Investor Day / Market Update GFI - Greenfern - Offer closes 27th Oct MCY - Quarterly Operational Update Sewing Dreams into Dresses Strolling toward the courtyard entrance off Jones Street to the N. C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh is reminiscent of window shopping a formal-wear store front. Just inside the museums glass windows, is a showroom of wedding gowns and other formal dresses. Theyre roped off and stately positioned, but theres no light on. Look closer to learn its actually Made Especially for You by Willie Kay, an expansive, interactive exhibit of the life, work and legacy of renowned dressmaker Willie Otey Kay, a Raleigh native and Shaw University Class of 1912 graduate known to sew dreams into dresses. The showroom is a bonus display unveiled August 22 in the cul-de-sac like corner of the museum, left unlighted to protect the delicacy of the garments textiles and colors. The exhibit ends September 6. Made Especially for You features well-preserved wedding, debutante and party dresses, as well as religious attire for babies to priests. Theres the 1948 Duchesse satin wedding dress with a 10-foot-train; debutante ball and party gowns; red Episcopal vestments still worn by clergy at Kays home church, St. Ambrose Episcopal; a photograph of a Tallahassee, Fla., bride and her bridesmaids wearing dresses made by Kay; and the baptismal gown of Ralph Campbell, Jr., Kays grandson, who became North Carolinas first African American state auditor; a mother-of-the-bride ensemble; and so on. The exhibit also tells the story of a woman from a family of prominent Raleigh activists in the 60s and 70s who was herself best described as soft-spoken, gentle and refined; whose sewing skills required no commercial patterns, only intuition; and whose ability to create figure-flattering formal wear that reflected the times transcended segregation as it was sought by black and white people alike. Kays business spanned over six decades she sewed into her 90s and reached heights of a McCalls magazine feature in 1935, and one of her debutante gowns landing on the cover of Life magazine in 1951. She was creative, talented and passionate, said Roselyn Egan, a Raleigh resident visiting the museum exhibit with husband, Gregory. You would need those qualities to have kept it going as she did; amazing. Really amazing. The oldest of five children of Josephine and Henry Otey, a barbershop owner, Kay grew up on Cabarrus Street, where her mother and grandmother, both accomplished seamstresses, taught her and her sisters how to sew. By the time Kay earned a degree from Shaw University in home economics, she had won First Place in the schools dressmaking competition. She also met the man she married in 1915, John Walcott Kay, a graduate of Shaws Leonard School of Medicine who went on to become the co-founder of Community Hospital in Wilmington. A few years later, at 37, Dr. Kay died suddenly, leaving his wife with five young children. Reared in the era of Black Wall Street, Kays focus turned to entrepreneurship, and she and the children returned to Raleigh to live with her parents. In Kays words, prominently displayed in the exhibit: After his death, I was nearly crazy, butI remembered that I majored at Shaw in Home Economitry. And it came to me that thats what I could do, start dressmaking. The legacy already was building among the Otey sisters, described as inseparable, determined and talented. Sisters Mildred Otey Taylor and Chloe Otey Jervay Laws had dressmaking businesses, while sister, Elizabeth Otey Constant was an expert beader, embellishing dresses made by her sisters. Another Otey sister living in Atlantic City, Josephine Otey Hayes, specialized in sewing childrens clothes. As quoted in the exhibit, Mildred Otey Taylor said, We would work together sometimes. If one of us got in a tight place, the other would help out. Kay used the money she made to send each of her six children to college at Shaw, give back to her alma mater in other ways as a successful business woman, and contribute to other educational and civic organizations in the community. NEW DELHI: The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) today said it has launched the second phase of its support to Visakhapatnam's efforts to build safe, efficient and integrated urban infrastructure. The next phase of the project will deliver an integrated smart city master plan that will not only recommend planning frameworks for the entire city, but also develop specific recommendations to grow four key urban centres, USTDA said in a statement. It will include integrated analyses and recommendations across eight priority smart city components, it said. "This includes critical infrastructure such as transportation, water supply, sanitation and energy, as well as citizen-focused areas like social infrastructure and resilience planning," it added. Since the project launched, a team of US companies - led by AECOM, including KPMG and Ibm- have been working closely with leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Vizag. Together, they have begun to identify the planning and investments required to sustainably grow and modernize the city, working toward the goal of making Vizag a clean commerce capital. In a separate statement, it also said that during the 2016 US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, the USTDA announced new partnerships that will support infrastructure development in India. "We have invested in over 130 project preparation and partnership building activities to develop sustainable infrastructure across the country, with the help of innovative US solutions," USTDA Director Leocadia I Zak said. Zak announced that USTDA will partner with India's Ministry of Finance under the agency's Global Procurement Initiative. The GPI helps countries secure better procurement outcomes by promoting the use of value-based procurement mechanisms, including life-cycle cost analysis. Further the USTDA is working with the Airports Authority of India, to extend the use of the GPS aided Geo-Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system. KPMG LLP (McLean, VA), a member of the US-India Aviation Cooperation Program, will help AAI develop a business case that encourages Indian airlines and airports to equip their aircraft and systems to utilise GAGAN, it said. It also said that the USTDA's partnership in the Indian energy sector will help India Power Corporation Limited (IPCL) implement smart grid technologies on its network, particularly at its Gaya Distribution Franchise in the Kolkata metro region. Read Also: 6 Tricks To Stumble Upon When You're On Facebook 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit To Be Held In India: Sitharaman Soldiers.jpg American soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq. Veterans of the U.S. military are getting the short changed if they attend college on Staten Island, Rep. Daniel Donovan argues. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Housing stipends for veterans attending college on Staten Island are lower than anywhere else in the city, and while they should be enough to pay for housing, it may be encouraging vets to attend off-Island colleges. When military housing is unavailable, the Department of Defense (DOD) considers the median rental and mortgage rates of private housing in the area and calculates how much the stipend should be. It also considers a veteran's pay grade in determining the stipend. While Staten Island has comparable median rents to the Bronx and Brooklyn, and comparable median mortgages to the Bronx and Queens, according to U.S. Census data, veterans attending school in those three boroughs, and Manhattan, are getting higher housing stipends from the DOD. That's why Rep. Daniel Donovan has written a letter to the DOD, asking the department to re-visit its formula for calculating stipends. He argues that since attending college in another borough is more lucrative for veterans, they are encouraged to avoid the Island. That's exactly what Douglas Encarnacion, a veteran and student at the College of Staten Island, found. He was born and raised on Staten Island and was in the Marine Corps Reserves, Army National Guard and Air Force Reserve over the course of a 21-year military career, serving in Iraq and elsewhere. Now, at age 50 and with a 6-year-old son, Encarnacion has been attending CSI studying business management since 2014. The Arden Heights resident is receiving a monthly stipend, and while he needs to stay on Staten Island because of his son's schooling, friends have chosen other off-Island schools because of the higher stipend. He served in the NYPD for 20 years and is getting a partial pension -- his ex-wife is getting the rest. More money would certainly help the single father, who is attending school full time. "I'm trying not to work the same time I'm going to school," he said. "It kind of makes things hard because I want to concentrate on my schooling." He has had to dip into his IRA when money gets tight. "If I had that extra money from living in Brooklyn and Manhattan I wouldn't have to do that." He's envious of colleagues who attend college in another borough. One recently said to him, "I'm going to go over the bridge because Brooklyn is paying more money." Like some friends who chose Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, he too considered it until deciding being close to his son's school was more important. Keegan Fernandes, 28, grew up on Staten Island and served in the Army as a healthcare specialist, being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He returned home in 2013 and since then has been living with his parents at their New Springville home to save money. He works part-time jobs at the VA, college library and as a college lab technician, and receives a $2,300 monthly housing stipend. While the stipend is for housing, veterans may use it for other living expenses, something that Fernandes argues is imperative to his being able to move out of his parents' house. He attended college for a few years, left for the Army, then came back and re-enrolled. He has a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, a bachelor of science degree in biology, a master's degree in biotechnology and is working on his master's degree in neuroscience, all at the College of Staten Island. He too finds it hard to believe that veterans in other boroughs get more money for attending school, when housing costs here are similar. In an Aug. 22 letter to Peter Levine, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, Donovan writes, "I can't help but conclude that the process as currently implemented negatively impacts veterans on Staten Island. In particular, I disagree with the decision to make Staten Island, one of New York City's five boroughs, a distinct Military Housing Area separate from the rest of the city." Noting the disparity in the housing allowance for a veteran attending college in Brooklyn versus Staten Island, Donovan writes, "This inequity causes veterans to discount the possibility of attending college on Staten Island, even if that choice would be the most appropriate fit for their career aspirations." The DOD reassesses its reimbursement rates annually and Donovan asked that this year, the department "review its decision to exclude the the Borough of Staten Island from the Military Housing Area for New York City." NWS Thunderbirds The Thunderbirds will fly over the Hudson River on Friday morning. (Courtesy of U.S. Air Force) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will fly over the Hudson River on Friday morning with sightings possible from the Staten Island Ferryboats. Starting at about 9:30 a.m., seven F-16 fighter jets will travel over the Hudson River from the New York City limit in the Bronx to the Statue of Liberty, according to a statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. The aircraft will make two passes in both directions along the Hudson, police said. The Thunderbirds push their F-16 Fighting Falcons -- the Air Force's premier multi-role fighter jets -- to the limits with their sharply choreographed events where at times they fly only a few feet apart. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The mother of slain Staten Island Officer Russel Timoshenko presented a detective's shield to the NYPD K-9 Unit dog named after her son. Tatyana Timoshenko attended the promotion ceremony where Commissioner William Bratton bestowed a detective's shield to Benny Colecchia of Staten Island on Tuesday at Police Headquarters in Manhattan. Colecchia brought the dog to 1 Police Plaza on Thursday so that Mrs. Timoshenko could put a detective's shield on the canine's collar. "She was extremely happy," Colecchia said, adding that "it was an honor" for Timoshenko to receive the shield from the slain officer's mother. "They have had great bond from day one," Colecchia said of the mother and the dog named after her son. "She speaks to Timoshenko in Russian and he understands her." Colecchia of Pleasant Plains has brought the dog to visit Mrs. Timoshenko at her home in Eltingville and also at her job at Police Headquarters over the years. Timoshenko has been helping to solve crimes as part of the K-9 unit for over five years. Colecchia, who is married with five children, is a nearly 20-year veteran of The Finest who will continue as a detective with the K-9 Unit. Russel Timoshenko of Bay Terrace was one of two officers shot during a routine traffic stop in Brooklyn in July 9, 2007. He died five days after the attack. Timoshenko and his partner, Officer Herman Yan, had pulled over a stolen BMW SUV with the three men inside. Yan was wounded, but survived. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Members of law enforcement this week did what should have been done long ago: They shut down the notorious Staten Island Motor Lodge in Grasmere. Finally. Some serious push-back against a business that has long been a bane to neighborhood residents and a blight on the whole borough. The closure followed a six-month investigation that found that the location was complicit in prostitution activity. Tell us something that we didn't know. That's been among the major complaints lodged against the lodge for years. Here's how it worked, according to District Attorney Michael E. McMahon: The hotel allowed prostitutes and their clients short rental stays. Meanwhile, multiple ads on Backpage.com for individual sex workers directed clients to the location. Yep, sure sounds like promoting prostitution to us. Police made arrests for prostitution inside the motel premises on five dates. On two of those dates, employees allegedly "permitted and promoted prostitution," authorities said. Indeed, motel workers were "part and parcel to the problem," said Inspector James Klein, commanding officer of the NYPD's Vice Enforcement Division. Of course, this isn't the first time that there have been complaints about the motel. It's been the site of prostitution, drug activity and robberies for years. In April of 2015, four teenage prostitutes were arrested at the motel in a police raid. In November, a would-be john looking for action at the hotel was robbed by a pimp and a teenage prostitute. The Advance detailed many of the shady goings-on in an expose in July of last year. The investigation that resulted in the motel's shuttering this week was launched based on numerous calls to 911, 311 and to members of law enforcement by community residents. Bravo to them. And a good thing that they continued to complain about this blight. At last their voice is being heard. Authorities are looking to ensure, through court-ordered stipulations and injunctions, that prostitution and other illegal activities will no longer be permitted on the premises. Regular inspections will be part of the regimen. In other words, this is your last chance, Staten Island Motel. Become a good, upstanding member of the community or get padlocked. And the Staten Island Motel is certainly not alone in the borough when it comes to motels with shady operations. A prostitute was murdered in April 2015 at the former Cosmopolitan Motel, also in Grasmere. Also last year, the infamous Midland Motor Inn was gutted by fire. The motel had been cited with numerous Buildings Department violations and was also known as a den of iniquity for years. And who can forget the massacre at the Ramada Inn in Willowbrook, where a young mom and her two babies were stabbed to death, allegedly by the mom's boyfriend? Staten Islanders have lived with these establishments in our midst for decades. It seemed nothing could be done to either rehabilitate or eradicate them. But things are changing here. This is not the same old sleepy Island. We've got $1 billion in private investment pouring into the North Shore, led by the New York Wheel and the Empire Outlets mall. We've got a brand-new, world-class track-and-field facility on the East Shore. Plus all those sun-and-fun amusements at the resurrected South Beach and Midland Beach. Island leaders are looking to draw more business to the West Shore's "Jobs Coast." In other words, Staten Island is more becoming a destination spot. And tourists will need places to stay. Respectable places, not hot-sheet motels that are rife with crime and drugs. Or which are being used as makeshift homeless shelters. Richard and Lois Nicotra have shown it can be done right with their successful hotel complex in Bloomingdale. The city and law enforcement must take a hard look at the Staten Island Motor Lodge and others of its disreputable ilk and decide if these establishments really do deserve to stay in business. Let this be their final warning. Let this be their last chance. A first-class ride for Cowboy Kel Bridle Path residents show love for mail carrier For the past six years, Kelvin Hoang has been delivering mail and smiles to people living in Simi Valleys Bridle Path neighborhood. We love Kelvin. Hes the best. Hes like... SV Womans Club to meet Detectives Kelly King and Jessica Getchius of the Simi Valley Police Department will discuss the problems faced by victims and perpetrators of domestic violence at the monthly luncheon meeting of... Womans flight aboard B-25 bomber honors grandfathers WWII bravery As Kerri Braemer-Castro looked down at the mountains and valleys of Camarillo from the cockpit of a World War II B-25 bomber earlier this month, she finally felt connected to... Shred your documents The Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold a drive-thru document shredding event from 1 to 4 p.m. Fri., Nov. 11 in the parking lot behind the Chamber office, 40... By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree The development came as an uneasy truce continued to hold on Thursday between Turkish troops and Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria, despite Ankara's vow that it would never negotiate with what it calls a "terror organization." The United States has called on both sides to stop fighting each other following Turkey's incursion into the area last week, and instead focus on defeating the Islamic State group. 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Yass Valley councillor Greg Butler is pushing for a light rail link from Canberra to Yass via Murrumbateman. Canberra's light rail line would extend 60 kilometres to Yass if one Yass councillor has his way. He's hoping he'll have better luck convincing fellow councillors of the idea if re-elected in September after the council previously rejected his motion to initiate planning for the link several times. "When the ACT government first proposed the network, I noticed there was no provision in their proposals for a link out to Yass," Mr Butler said. The ACT Liberals would open two local public hospitals with emergency departments in Gungahlin and Tuggeranong by late 2020, if elected at the October election. The $118 million proposal - already praised by the Australian Medical Association as a "crackerjack idea" - reaffirms the opposition's bid to make health a key issue at the polls. An artists impression of the local public hospital in Tuggeranong, as proposed by the Canberra Liberals. The pledge comes after a $395 million commitment to rebuild the Canberra Hospital building, including a new operating suite, medical imaging suite, intensive care unit and outpatient floor. The Liberals have also promised to provide 52 new nurses if they win government, with 20 coming on board from July 2017 and the rest over the following two years. Canberra's private sector was surprised by ACT Labor's decision to extend light rail to Woden, joining the opposition's calls for more detail and the business case. Canberra Business Chamber CEO Robyn Hendry said she could see the logic in the "north-south spine", but was not sure why it was prioritised over a link to Russell and the airport. Woden's Mokambo Caffe boss, Josh Gill, believes the light rail to Woden will help revitalise the struggling town centre. Credit:Jay Cronan The planned 11-kilometre route will see trams cross the lake over the Commonwealth Avenue bridge, travel through the Parliamentary Triangle, and down Adelaide Avenue to the Woden town centre. "I can see why two major population areas have been joined and how it will create energy in the city from both of these areas as well as the positive impact it [will] have for Woden, as moving public servants back might not be enough to revitalise the area," Ms Hendry said. Crossbench powerbroker Senator Nick Xenophon has called for a review of the federal lobbying register and code of conduct, as several lobbyists back widening the register's coverage. The register, established in 2008 under the Rudd Government, was promoted as an effort to bring transparency to the lobbying industry, particularly in light of the "WA Inc" scandals involving former West Australian premier Brian Burke. ANU emeritus professor of political science John Warhurst wants the lobbying register expanded. But the register and its associated code of conduct only covered third-party lobbyists and Australian National University Professor John Warhurst told Fairfax Media that at most it covered a third of all lobbyists working the corridors of power. Other groups, from unions and industry associations to in-house government relations staff at major companies, religious entities, non-government organisations and charities, were exempted on the grounds it was clear who they were acting for. Holidaymakers are set to enjoy cheaper rooms and the chance to negotiate better rates after Australia's largest online travel websites agreed to rip up contracts stopping hotels from undercutting their prices. Expedia, Wotif, Bookings.com and Hotels.com will remove clauses from contracts that required accommodation providers to always offer them the cheapest available rates, the nation's competition watchdog said. Online booking companies had to give up on having identical room prices. Credit:Bloomberg The "price parity" agreements ensured the online booking giants always had the same rates and stopped hotels from giving guests discounts over the phone or in person, raising concerns from the consumer watchdog that the contracts were anti-competitive. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said abandoning the agreements would encourage the booking companies to compete with each other, which would push prices down. Samsung Electronics is expected to announce a global recall of the large-screen smartphone Galaxy Note 7 because of faulty batteries that catch fire, South Korea's largest news agency reports, citing an unidentified company official. The world's largest smartphone maker will announce the results of an investigation and a plan to deal with the issue as soon as this weekend, according to news agency Yonhap. "In response to questions on Galaxy Note7, we are conducting a thorough inspection with our partners. We will share the findings as soon as possible," Samsung said in a statement. "Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers." Australia was one of the first places in the world where the Note 7 was released, with a launch on August 19. The right pair of oxfords can make or break a potential job candidate in staid investment banking circles in Britain, according to a new report. Candidates from less affluent backgrounds in Britain are being shut out of investment banking jobs, particularly those involving meeting clients in corporate finance, because of their dress, their accent and their manner of speech, according to the report released by the Social Mobility Commission, an advisory body created by the British government in 2010. Big earner: Australia Post chief Ahmed Fahour. Credit:Jesse Marlow Researchers at Royal Holloway, University of London, and the University of Birmingham found that some managers placed as much importance on whether a potential hire fit the traditional, polished image of an investment banker as on their skills and qualifications. The report, Socio-Economic Diversity in Life Sciences and Investment Banking, also found that managers who hired people for corporate finance jobs tended to recruit from a small pool of elite universities, such as the Cambridge, Oxford and the London School of Economics. When officials in Dorchester County, South Carolina, planned a weekend aerial spraying of pesticide, they were hoping to kill mosquitoes that might be carrying viruses like Zika. The pesticide probably exterminated plenty of the summertime nuisances, infected or not. But the spraying also left millions of honeybees dead because a government employee failed to notify a commercial beekeeper of the spraying schedule, according to the county administrator. Millions of honey bees were killes after a government employee failed to notify a commercial beekeeper of the spraying schedule Credit:AP "We've learned that the beekeeping community in Dorchester County, and in that area in particular, is larger than we were aware of," Jason L. Ward, the county administrator, said in an interview Thursday. "Our idea is to balance working with them with the issue of public safety." A beekeeper who said she had lost more than 2 million bees was not immediately available for an interview. But on Facebook, the beekeeper posted photographs and a video of mounds of deceased bees. Australia, perhaps more quickly than any other US ally, has decided the most important objective is to defeat IS and that the other internecine conflicts in Iraq and Syria are impeding the achievement of this. We have been advancing the view that finding a pragmatic compromise around which all other parties, internal and external to the conflicts, can agree, is essential for the comprehensive defeat of the main enemy. On this we've been willing to differ publicly from our closest allies; let's hope we can soon persuade them of the wisdom of our position. The second ongoing challenge confronting Australia's international interests in mid-2015 was the territorial stand-offs in the East and South China Seas. These confrontations are about much more than territoriality or resources. Were they simply about such divisible commodities, they would have been amenable to division and compromise. Central to both stand-offs is China's sense of maritime vulnerability, particularly to the ability of the US and its allies navigating through its coastal waters, which wash on to China's most populous and productive provinces. Key to addressing this vulnerability is contesting the possession of what Chinese strategists call the first island chain stretching from Japan in the north, down through Taiwan to the Philippines by US allies. China seeks sea control within this narrow strip of ocean, meaning the ability to determine who sails these waters and under what conditions. And Beijing seeks the deference of the other states interested in these waters to China's wishes. At the heart of the confrontation in both the East China Sea and South China Sea is concern about why China wants to assert sea control and how it's asserting sea control. Australia finds itself somewhat conflicted over these confrontations. On the one hand, Australia has been one of the more outspoken regional countries in voicing concern about China's actions. On the other hand, while the government has repeatedly asserted its freedom of navigation and overflight rights in the South China Sea, it has so far demurred from conducting freedom of navigation exercises close to the artificial structures China has constructed, either alone or alongside the United States. This may reflect Canberra's sense of heightened risk of conflict in doing so, or perhaps its sense of the ultimate futility of these actions because while temporarily asserting a principle, they have no material effect on China's possessions or claims. A much more creative Australian position would be to be a more active player in trying to find a solution to the stand-offs. The more the US, Japan, Australia and some south-east Asian countries assert the non-negotiability of the current order, the more Beijing feels it must assert its interests ever more forcefully. In this array of interests, there is no country that is in a position to challenge this impasse of confrontation. This should be a role that Australia considers playing. Looking ahead to the challenges of the coming year, there are some pretty clear outlines but one looms larger than most. A US presidential election will deliver one of two weak candidates to the White House. A President Trump will somehow have won despite widespread rejection of what he stands for, including from within his own party. A Clinton victory will deliver a president with ongoing investigations hanging over her head, a shocked but galvanised Republican party and a real prospect of impeachment proceedings. Maintaining a US commitment to Asia in the face of mounting trade deficits is increasingly a feat of presidential resolve, and thus probably beyond the capacities of either presidential candidate. We should prepare ourselves for a replay of the "Nixon shock" of the early 1970s, in which an America at war with itself signalled a lower commitment to Asia's security. The difference then was that this lower American commitment was accompanied by an understanding between the US and China on a pragmatic coexistence. Today we have a deepening Sino-American rivalry, along with a state of dysfunction in regional institutions that we've rarely seen before. And then of course there are events that no one can foresee, but which can suddenly consume huge amounts of our international resources and attention. These are the 9/11 type events that can divert the course of history, posing impossible questions of our readiness and imagination. Such events make hard thinking about the conceptual frameworks of our foreign policy incredibly important. The differing fortunes of two women's refuges this week has highlighted the need to look at housing vulnerability in Canberra through a gender lens. Karinya House, a sanctuary for vulnerable mothers and their babies for almost 20 years, has moved into a new home. The ACT government funded the purpose-built complex to the tune of $4.45 million while a further $450,000 was raised by private donations and contributions from community groups. Meanwhile, on the other side of town in Narrabundah, the future of Inanna, which offers crisis accommodation to women and children at risk of homelessness, is uncertain after its board and chief executive suddenly resigned. While there have been assurances that there will be continuity at Inanna, it has to be asked how this will affect other services in Canberra, services which are already stretched to the limit. The Turnbull Government's response this week to win over some of its backbenchers was to announce another inquiry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen An attempt by Labor's tactical chief, Tony Burke, to debate the Senate motion was narrowly defeated at around 4.20pm, giving those on the government benches the strong impression that they were free and clear. "Everyone was relaxed," is how one Liberal MP described the mood, "thinking Labor had played their hand." Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with Anthony Albanese after the Opposition won three divisions in an attempt to bring on a debate to establish a banking royal commission. Credit:Andrew Meares But Burke was only warming up, and quickly concluded he could create another opportunity, so long as the motion was worded differently and moved by someone else. Having drafted the new motion and secured Anthony Albanese's agreement to move it, he arranged for the spotter to monitor departures at the airport. Labor tactical chief Tony Burke. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It was then that Burke had to confront another problem. The period before the Parliament rises sees the adjournment debate, where speakers from both sides take five-minute turns until 5pm, when the House automatically adjourns without a vote. Burke advised Labor MP Steve Georganas to cut his speech very short so that the debate finished two minutes early, necessitating a vote on whether the house should adjourn. This is when Burke rolled the dice and moved an amendment, knowing the numbers were close but unsure what the final result would be. The airport spotter had reported that two ministers were at the airport, but Burke was unaware how many others had departed by car. Labor needed to win six votes to secure the support of the Parliament for its commission and won the first three before enough Coalition MPs had returned to tie the fourth. That was enough to secure the first defeat for a majority government in the House in more than half a century. Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce had driven a block from Parliament before receiving a message and hurtling back. The only vote he missed was one the Coalition won. Justice Minister Michael Keenan was not so lucky. He had not missed a division in 12 years in Parliament, but was absent without leave and faced the wrath of an angry Prime Minister when he returned to Canberra after flying to Melbourne. His assertion that he left early in relation to "some late-breaking mail about a significant operation within the AFP (Australian Federal Police)" will invite more questions when Parliament comes back. The bigger issue is where this leaves a government that Tony Abbott has observed, in the context of budget repair, is in office but not in power - and what sort of pointer the episode will be to the months ahead. "If you can't run the Parliament you can't run the country," says Albanese. "We were in control during three years of minority governmentThis mob with a majority government couldn't get through three days." Burke goes further: "There are very few times in Australian history that an opposition has taken control of the floor of Parliament and no government has survived long after it. "Malcolm Turnbull, as of Thursday night, doesn't have a working majority in the House of Representatives and, in all probability, doesn't have a working majority in his own partyroom either." The only upside for the Coalition is that the "stuff-up", as Pyne has dubbed it, came so early in the term, underscoring the imperative for discipline. But will it be heeded? Not likely by South Australian Liberal senator Cory Bernardi, who is leading a campaign to revive the changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act that Abbott was forced to abandon for good reasons. Illustration: John Shakespeare There was the farce, assisted by Treasury incompetence, of legislation proposing expenditure cuts not adding up. Somehow the government simply could not gather momentum. Beyond that, had Labor the appetite to do anything about it, was the NSW ICAC report on rorting of electoral laws, mostly by Liberals, to conceal donations by property developers. This was far from a complete gift to Labor. It yet again served as a reminder, via a corruption finding against Joe Tripodi, of the moral and ethical vacuum gripping the NSW party while Sam Dastyari was branch secretary. Even so, the ICAC had a lot of pluses, tactical and strategic. There was, yet again, the unattractive picture of a former NSW Liberal Party branch treasurer, Arthur Sinodinos seeming to stretch the credulity of the commission in denying knowledge of how developers were circumventing the law. ICAC made no adverse findings against Sinodinos, but seemed far from convinced that he had known nothing of the use of entities outside of the state in the ACT as it turns out. A task, perhaps, for an ACT anti-corruption investigation further down the track. It is clear that any ACT anti-corruption commission should have a remit extending to party organisations and funding, and the activities of "related entities", including unions and clubs. From Labor's point of view, the ICAC findings could have been used to score points against the Liberals, and not only for NSW consumption. It had been the Liberal Party which had most resisted better, quicker and more straightforward disclosure of donations and money coming into the party system. There was at least the appearance of a claim that the Liberal Party was more barefaced in setting up evasion and avoidance schemes. (The Labor machine also manipulates the system, and launders some donations, but with a good deal less art). There was some still-unmined treasure from delving for detail into reports that Turnbull himself had to dig into his piggy bank to help fund the Liberal campaign. It did not take long for Sam Dastyari to wreck everything. Cory Bernardi discovered, from Dastyari's own declarations, that he had solicited a $1670 "gift" to pay for excess staff expenditure from a Chinese investor with close links to the Chinese government. It soon emerged that this was far from the first gift he had solicited from this person. On a previous occasion the same man had contributed $40,000 towards Dastyari legal expenses. This would be eyebrow-raising (if perhaps not as rare as it should be) even if the donor had been an old Australian friend without anything to hope for or fear from Labor or a state or federal government. Senators and MPs are well paid so they do not find themselves in what, to a reasonably cynical observer, might seem to be obligations to outsiders. It is doubly eyebrow raising if the donor is a player likely to be seeking favours, contracts, licences, and the exercise of discretions from government. This is why NSW Labor, during the time of, though not at the initiative of, Dastyari, banned donations from developers. NSW Labor has much the same view about tobacco manufacturers, though not, I am afraid, about donations from alcohol and gambling interests, both of which exercise undue influence in the party's councils. But taking gifts, or donations, from foreign interests, particularly ones with clear government connections, has extra layers of indiscretion and risk, even, according to ASIO, national security risk. In many countries, including the US, it is illegal for political parties to receive gifts from foreign corporations or governments. Labor, in its own defence, can say that it proposed such legislation here, but that it was rejected by the Coalition. That gives it half a brownie point, but that even further underlines the serious misjudgment of Dastyari. It is a misjudgment that he, and an embarrassed and furious set of colleagues, have acknowledged. It is not clear whether Bernardi tipped off Turnbull's office about his find, but one might guess that he did not. In any event, the government left it to Bernardi and Senate backbenchers to develop the matter while it waited to see the pitfalls. But once it was clear that there was going to be little comeback, it put on the worried faces and agonised about all manner of temptations and risks to which Dastyari had exposed himself. The innuendo was that Dastyari might not be a fit and proper person to be in Parliament. Hesitation about entering the fray was natural enough, given that the Liberal Party has been (successfully) soliciting donations from foreign corporations, including Chinese corporations, and including the very same corporation that was so thoughtful to Dastyari. So has Labor, even if it had once invited mutual disarmament on foreign donations. Sure enough, there were any number of photographs of Coalition ministers and MPs at corporate functions with the donor, a man who had recently publicly complained that Chinese-Australian donors were not getting enough action or value for money from politicians as a result of their donations. Heavens, what could that mean? It is a continual problem for governments, and ministers that their party organisations seem to promise donors privileged access, with a hint of favouritism. It's even worse when, as in NSW, parties are heavily influenced by paid lobbyists. Many a minister is determined to be scrupulous about treating everyone equally, impartially and with integrity. Bad impressions are, of course, compounded by secrecy, evasion, or efforts to get around the spirit and intention of transparency laws. Joe Sutter, who has died aged 95, was the chief engineer behind the Boeing 747 the world's most recognisable aircraft and the "jumbo jet" that revolutionised commercial air travel following its launch in 1968. The stakes for Boeing could scarcely have been higher. With a fuselage 225 ft long and a tail as tall as a six-storey building, 747 dwarfed its rivals in both expanse and expense. At the head of it all was Sutter, who had at his disposal a 50,000-strong team of mechanics, engineers and administrators. Their industry nickname was "the Incredibles". Antony Copley, who has died aged 79, made his name as a historian of modern Indian religious and political movements but his interests also extended to changing sexual mores in history, an interest which, as he revealed in later life, was informed by his own experiences as a young gay man living at a time when homosexual acts were illegal. Recently Copley was among those who petitioned the government to issue a general pardon to the 50,000 or so men who had been convicted of gross indecency before homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967. Harry Fujiwara, the former wrestler known as Mr Fuji. Credit:AP Harry Fujiwara, known to generations of wrestling fans as Mr Fuji, a bruising martial arts master whose signature move, hurling a handful of salt into his opponents' eyes, left them in tears, died on Sunday in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was 82. Mr Fuji was a vigorous villain and a force to be reckoned with, especially when he partnered with Professor Toru Tanaka. Together, they won several tag-team titles before Mr Fuji became a manager. Charles "Champagne Charlie" Cantan, who has died of cancer aged 60, flew Sea Harriers in the Falklands War and later Airbuses for Virgin Atlantic. However, his greatest test came after a distant mission at extreme range west of the Falklands when the aircraft carrier Invincible ran into thick fog. Ordered to hold off while the carrier searched for clear space, Cantan ran low on fuel.With less than a minute's fuel, he lowered his aircraft into the fog bank, and only at 50ft did the ship's shape appear out of the mist. As soon as he landed he started to shake a condition that continued until Invincible's captain, J.J. Black, met him in the crew room with a whisky. Mick also learnt pidgin and a number of dialects in his work, and was occasionally the first white man native tribes saw. Once he was speared by a tribal man who thought a man so tall and white-skinned must be the ghost of an ancestor returning and should be seen off. In Gasmata, Foley was soon pregnant and her mother insisted that she return to Sydney for her first child, a daughter, Kerry. After that, however, she stayed in PNG despite its lack of medical facilities and over the years the family moved on to Kandrian, Rabaul, Kainatu in the Central Highlands, Mount Hagan and Kuniawa. On the way, she gave birth to her second child, son Christopher, in the back of a Land Rover. A second daughter, Kate, was born on the floor of Kainantu council chambers during a meeting. Mother and baby were carried home by local stretcher bearers ("dokta bois") with police lanterns. The third daughter, Mary, was born 2 months prematurely on a trading ship in international waters, delivered by the first mate and christened by Mick with sea water just in case she didn't survive. Once the ship landed, Foley was handed the baby to hold for an 80-kilometre trip by Land Rover to the medical station in Wewak. She did make it to the hospital in Goroka for their final child, Peter. Throughout their travels, Foley managed life and family as one of the few white women in the highlands, and one of even fewer of the white women who spoke pidgin. She cared for everyone, including junior officers and their families, and the servants, the "hausbois" and "meris". Once when the head boy, Korbul, bashed his third wife, she sent the wife to the hospital and stormed down to the "boyhaus" and when Korbul wouldn't come out and face her, threw rocks on the corrugated iron roof until the noise forced him out. He was threatened with instant dismissal if it happened again. As Mick moved upwards in his work, Foley also took on entertaining visiting royals and government people. Prince Philip and Lord Mountbatten came at different times and were duly shown around the highlands. Gough Whitlam, then the Leader of Opposition, stayed on a visit with his wife, Margaret, and Foley's main memory was that Gough wouldn't stop talking and Margaret had to drag him off to bed very late that night. Paul Hasluck as governor-general and John Gorton as prime minister also stayed over and were looked after by Foley. She cooked on fuel stoves for all the visitors, memorably on the day that everything went wrong and she managed to flavour the lemon meringue pie with kerosene. The visiting British diplomats ate it bravely, to her mortification when she realised what the odd flavour was. She loved most things about PNG, but the thing she hated was having to send her children "south" for their high school education, the girls to Loreto Kirribilli and her old school Monte St Angelo, and the boys to St Joseph's Hunters Hill and Pius X in Chatswood. Then, the early 1970s, Mick developed heart trouble and the family was sent back to Australia. Mick was asked to run the Red Cross in Darwin, but his cardiologist said he could no longer work in the tropics, so the family relocated to Sydney. In 1975, Mick died leaving Pam heartbroken and with three teenaged children still to raise. She also had to get a job and she started working for a florist because she could go out to the markets for flowers then get the children off to school. Soon that wasn't enough so she took an administrative position at ASOPA (Australian School of Pacific Administration) in Mosman. Even after she retired from ASOPA in the 1980s, she continued working at St Michael's Catholic Church in Lane Cove until well into the 1990s. She also did voluntary work with many charities, but primarily the Legion of Mary, Meals on Wheels and DART. She was also for many years secretary of the Retired Officers Association of PNG, and helped to support many other charities. Until she was 90, she volunteered at the Mater Hospital. She also liked to visit the Chatswood Catholic church and chat in pidgin with the Chinese women who had also lived in PNG. The federal government has monopoly power over Australia's defence, economy and immigration. Yet with the nation's destiny in its hands, the federal system works on a Tinkerbell system of trust "clap if you believe!" It is a polite fiction that donors will give money to politicians without expectation of a return on investment. This is all business as usual, and that's why it's so wrong. One of the biggest paymasters of Australian politics, the chairman of the property developer Yuhu Group, laid this out explosively for all to see this week. "Chinese people were always used as a cash cow by politicians but then they did not worry about helping the Chinese community," Huang Xiangmo wrote in a Chinese state-owned newspaper this week. "We need to learn how to have a more efficient combination between political requests and political donations," he wrote in Mandarin in the Global Times, as translated by the Financial Review. Huang has paid more than $1 million to both sides of Australian politics since 2012. He is also the financier for Bob Carr's pro-China outfit, giving $1.8 million to set up the Australia China Relations Institute. Carr's outfit is so relentlessly pro-China that Professor John Fitzgerald,of Swinburne University, has written of "the monotony of Carr's China-Whatever comments". Huang also helpfully paid personal bills for Sam Dastyari. In 2014 it paid a $40,000 legal bill owed by Dastyari. Dastyari held a press conference standing next to Huang in July, where Dastyari said that Australia should, instead of calling on China to respect international law, "respect China's decision on the South China Sea". Huang, fed up with being a "cash cow", is now on the record as expecting a "more efficient" response to his payments. None of this is happening in a vacuum. The president of China, Xi Jinping, has publicly called on the patriotism of overseas Chinese to advance Beijing's interests in foreign countries: "As long as the overseas Chinese are united," declared Xi, "they can play an irreplaceable role in realising the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation as they are patriotic and rich in capital, talent, resources and business connections." The Chinese Communist Party even has a department responsible for the co-ordination of Chinese diaspora and international communities as sinologist Gerry Groot, of Adelaide University, has written: "The United Front Work Department (UFWD) is the organisation through which the Party reaches out to many key non-party groups within and outside China in order to achieve important political goals. "It also monitors sensitive constituencies and selects representatives from them who they can then incorporate into the political system." There is a group of Chinese Communist Party party-connected influencers in Australia acting not merely for personal or commercial advantage but for China's national interest. As the ABC disclosed this week, the director-general of ASIO, Duncan Lewis, last year warned the major political parties that some Chinese donations posed "national security risks". The ABC's Chris Uhlmann reported that "the security warning to party chiefs is another indicator of the growing concern in intelligence agencies about the use of 'soft power' in Australia. "That includes donations to politicians and universities, urging community groups to press Beijing's cause, increasing control over Chinese language media and buying space in mainstream media. "The immediate goal is to push China's case for control of the South China Sea and, long-term, to urge a rethink of Australia's alliance with the US." Inside the parties, the connection between Chinese money and Australian foreign policy is being made starkly plain. Senior Labor figures have told MPs that Senator Stephen Conroy's tough position on China's disputed claims in the South China Sea have cost Labor a lot of money, well informed sources tell me. Specifically, they've said that big Chinese donors withheld $450,000 in payments that otherwise would have been given to Labor, the sources said. Conroy, as Labor defence spokesman, had said that Australia should assert freedom of navigation through Chinese-claimed waters by sailing navy patrols within the 12 nautical mile boundary of islands that Beijing claims as sovereign Chinese territory. An arbitration panel of jurors at The Hague dismissed China's claims as having no legal foundation. China refuses to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the international tribunal. By offering, or withholding, money, this is an attempt at deep, strategic corruption, an effort to pay politicians to change Australian foreign policy. Total disclosed payments to the major parties by Chinese corporate and business interests in the two years to June 30 last year was $5.89 million. An informed official tells me: "There is very high level concern inside ASIO about the use of donations to purchase access and influence. "It's concern about systematic behaviour by people connected to the Chinese state apparatus. It's centrally directed by Chinese intelligence." This challenge to Australia's sovereignty is a new phenomenon for our system, and it's one for which the federal system is woefully unprepared. It was bad enough that a billionaire miner could form his own political party, bankroll his way to winning some seats and then proceed to vote against tax on miners. In NSW, this blatant conflict of interest would have qualified him for ICAC scrutiny, but in the federal system Clive Palmer went unhindered. "Conflict of interest is a form of corruption," former director of prosecutions in NSW, Nicholas Cowdery, said. Palmer should have recused himself from any decisions in which he had a business interest, Cowdery said. He never did. This sort of blatant abuse has exposed the glaring flaws in the federal system. As it happens, it comes at exactly the moment that Australians' tolerance for the Tinkerbell system of trust has been withdrawn. The Dastyari case shows that, even if the rules are being followed, public opinion will not tolerate business as usual the moment Dastyari's story emerged, public rage forced him into an apology. "Corruption is endemic to the human being," a former ICAC commissioner in NSW, David Ipp, said in 2014. "It is so screamingly obvious that there is a breakdown in trust at the moment." To now the Coalition refuses to consider a federal anti-corruption body. Bill Shorten has said that could be open to a debate on the matter. Only the Greens have been firm and consistent on calling for a federal anti-corruption investigator. How can the main parties be so complacent? Does the temptation to corruption mysteriously evaporate when a politician boards a flight to Canberra? "In my view," Labor's famously clean John Faulkner remarked a couple of years ago, "the sorts of issues being raised at the NSW ICAC do not miraculously stop at state or territory borders." Of course not. The system has long been vulnerable to abuse. Now, with a serious sovereign challenge to Australia's federal parliament as well as the persistent threat of routine corporate and personal venality, the case for change is utterly unarguable. To comply with his legal obligations, Sam Dastyari needed to observe one rule only that he disclose the payment of his travel bill by his Chinese benefactor - and he did. In fact, his disclosure had been sitting unconcealed on the register of members' interests since October. It was only when Fairfax Media's Latika Bourke took the trouble to look for it this week that the $1670 payment by Top Education Institute was revealed as news. "I foolishly didn't reflect on the appropriateness of having someone else make the payment," the former general secretary of the NSW Labor party said as the reaction raged. Why would he? The same institute and its head, Minshen Zhu, have been a ready ATM for Labor. Zhu and his company had done the same thing on 28 other occasions for Labor totalling $252,078 over five years, as The Australian reported this week. All were listed not as "donations" but as "other", meaning payments in kind - services, gifts, travel, or such. None of these had created a storm, so why wouldn't Dastyari just tap Zhu when he overspent his parliamentary travel allowance? Or Huang when he wanted to pay his legal bills. The shambles in the lower house on Thursday evening came about because a number of Coalition MPs, including three ministers, had decided to leave the building early or go AWOL. They hadn't completed the concert, let alone the encores. Things are bad when a government becomes a national laughing stock and it's all self-inflicted just three days into a new term. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Treasurer Scott Morrison and Leader of the House Christopher Pyne after the opposition won three divisions at Parliament House. Credit:Andrew Meares May we helpfully suggest "arrogant disregard" and "we pay you to take the job as our elected representatives seriously"? Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull used the phrases "a degree of complacency", "a wake-up call" and "character building". He added the words "embarrassed", "humiliated" and "excoriated". The leader of the house, Christopher Pyne, and chief government whip, West Australian MP Nola Marino, did not realise in time or perhaps just miscalculated in looking the other way, as has been the practice for years. But Labor had a spotter at Canberra airport to relay to the House how many Liberals had ducked out early. In a sign of the height of the arrogance, even Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce reportedly had to rush back from the airport to be at Parliament to try to delay the division. The bungles forced MPs to cancel flights or take new ones to get back to Canberra to save the government from even greater embarrassment. And who foots the bill? Mr and Mrs Taxpayer. Mr Pyne is right: It was a stuff-up. But Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese better summed up the fallout: "If you can't run the Parliament, you can't run the country." And that's before the lingering questions about the Prime Minister's ability to deal with senate crossbenchers or control the conservative Abbott supporters in his ministry and on the backbench. They have run their own show this week on the Section 18C hate speech repeal push and remain a roadblock to important superannuation reforms. And not checking his own numbers also bolstered the growing perception that Morrison isn't quite the assiduous financial steward that the nation requires. Pots, kettles, that sort of thing The government even struggled to capitalise on what should have been easy wins against Labor. The current high profile of Anthony Albanese could easily be spun as evidence that the popular and ambitious MP still plans to wrest the Labor leadership from Bill Shorten except that it was wildly overshadowed by Tony Abbott releasing a Facebook video of the world's most stilted coffee date between himself and fellow charm-vacuum Pauline Hanson. And as bits of political theatre go, this awkwardly filmed tete-a-tete could not have been more transparent had the former PM ended it with "and I look forward to us working together in the future, if for some reason I was some position of authority in which negotiating with One Nation was intrinsic to passing my legislation, sometime in the next six-to-12 months". So that's a fresh headache for government, but luckily they have the agile intellect of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to steer them through assuming, of course, that he doesn't just wander out of parliament again. Because last time he did so, on Thursday evening, the government lost control of the lower house. The new normal The full story is absolutely compelling reading, but the short version is this: three Coalition MPs, including Dutton, left the chamber last night presumably thinking that Question Time was over and that Parliament was about to be adjourned for the week. That meant that Labor and independents had the majority. And they used this to immediately vote to defeat the adjournment motion, and then call for debate on the legislation calling for a Royal Commission into the banking sector that had passed the senate on Thursday morning. Dutton and fellow absentee Christian Porter finally came back in time to give the government the necessary numbers to adjourn the debate, which will now be waiting for them when parliament resumes on September 12. And it was embarrassing as hell for Turnbull, not least because it's estimated to be the first time in more than five decades that a government has lost a vote in the lower house. That's not a great look. And worryingly, if it happens a few more times, it's hard to see how the Governor General would consider that the Coalition has the necessary authority to govern. Are we watching the first act of The Dismissal Part 2: Whitlam's Revenge? Popcorn magnates, you're in for a golden age But more importantly, it's an indication of what the government can expect from here on in any time that enough of their MPs leave the chamber and while m'colleague Peter Hartcher makes a strong case that this will encourage party discipline, it could be read another way. Eucy is local argot for eucalyptus oil, an industry established in Victoria by a Yorkshireman named Bosisto by the banks of Dandenong Creek in 1852. The industry moved to central Victoria after the Gold Rush boom. A eucalyptus distillery operated on the edge of Inglewood until 1998, when the still was closed and turned into a museum. Come here to see how eucalyptus oil is extracted from leaves. A collection of black-and-white photos shows the back-breaking work of the cutters. As you learn, it takes five kilograms of leaves to make 50 millilitres of eucalyptus oil. The museum offers coffee and cake, barbecue facilities and a range of eucy-based cleaning products. Inglewood Eucy Museum, Grant Street North, Thurs-Mon 10am-4pm, (or by appointment), 0457 633 742, adult $7, concession $4, children $2, inglewood.vic.au/eucy-museum The mixed grill at the Empire State Hotel, Inglewood. Credit:Richard Cornish 4. Empire State Hotel This classic double-storeyed pub was designed by W.C. Vahland (see below) and built in 1872. Inside, visitors will find the original bar with two fireplaces. The dining room serves a heart-stopping mixed grill of bacon, steak, chops, sausage and egg. In the second half of last year, the hard right Queensland firebrand bought 15 books containing the words "jihad", "ISIS", "infidel", "sharia" and "radical Islam" in their titles, according to the latest release of entitlements claimed by federal parliamentarians. Liberal MP George Christensen has boosted his publicly-funded library with more than a dozen books on topics that could loosely be described as the clash between the West and radical Islam. At book club it would be considered his specialist subject. National's whip George Christensen. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen His purchases included The ISIS Crisis: What You Really Need to Know, Now They Call Me Infidel, Shariah: The Threat to America, Radical Islam Rising: Muslim Extremism in the West and They Must be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It. Mr Christensen, whose seat of Dawson has less than 0.3 per cent Muslims by population according to 2011 census data, recently established a website to "expose radical Islamic practices". He charged taxpayers $899 for books and newspapers in the six-month period, telling Fairfax Media he had read all the books but "not all of them front to back". "It's the biggest issue of our time and I like to keep abreast of it," he said. Fearsome-looking firearms lay on a table within reaching distance, but Justice Minister Michael Keenan barely looked at the weaponry. He'd already taken heavy fire and, miraculously, survived. So far. But he didn't want to talk about it. Or, perhaps, risk fate. The minister had admitted he'd stolen away from Parliament early on Thursday afternoon, leaving a furious Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull up a dry gully without enough troops to hold off Bill Shorten's hordes. Keenan's excuse was that he needed to get away early to attend to "a significant operation in the AFP [Australian Federal Police]." A humiliated Malcolm Turnbull has warned Coalition MPs to lift their game and show more discipline, as Labor celebrated exposing the government's shaky control of the Parliament. The Prime Minister slapped down senior ministers Peter Dutton, Christian Porter and Michael Keenan for their "complacency" in departing Parliament early on Thursday, leaving the government without a majority in the lower house and unable to adjourn debate. On Friday, Fairfax Media revealed Labor placed spotters at Canberra Airport and sent backbench MPs on false flag departures from their offices before capitalising on the missing MPs to highlight the flaws of the government's bare majority. Labor seized on the opportunity, coming close to pushing through a motion calling on the government to establish a royal commission into the banking industry. A ruling could be delivered within the month on Australia's claim that a special international commission has no jurisdiction to hear a complaint by East Timor. East Timor has sought a "conciliation" with Australia under a never-before invoked article of the international law of the sea in a bid to win a greater slice of oil and gas revenue from the Timor Sea. Tapping undersea liquefied natural gas in the Timor Sea. The move is the latest in what has become a bitter dispute, amid allegations Australian spies bugged the negotiations for an existing treaty that divides billions of dollars in undersea resources between the neighbours. In at times tense, closed-door sessions that followed an initial public hearing at The Hague this week, Australia challenged the legal basis of the commission to hear the case. It's the phrase that immediately has women gritting their teeth, and so it was for Amy Schumer. The Trainwreck star had a heckler removed from the audience of a recent show in Sweden after he yelled out that sexist remark just two minutes into her set. Schumer was performing at Stockholm's Hovet arena on Wednesday when the incident, which was filmed and has been subsequently posted to her YouTube channel, occurred. "Show us your tits!" the man is heard calling out on the video, prompting Schumer to stop the show. When Sophia Richie chopped her hair and visited a doctor's office recently, US tabloid magazines were there to take photos. Mindy McKnight has been heralded as "the voice for Millennial moms", and Sarah Wright Olsen's infant has been featured in print napping next to a plush rabbit. Meet the striving celebrity underclass that has risen to dominate the gossip machine. Aspiring models, third-tier reality show stars, impossible-to-place actors, YouTube vloggers and viral news subjects can now all curry coverage just by replenishing their social media accounts with photos of their babies, their butts or both. These are people you've probably never heard of or have a nagging suspicion you might have, but don't quite know why. For the record, Richie is a teenager best known for appearing on Justin Bieber's Instagram account (not to mention being Lionel Richie's daughter). McKnight films hair tutorials on YouTube. And Wright Olsen, after a supporting role on the short-lived American sitcom Marry Me, now runs a parenting blog (with Australian actress Teresa Palmer). These quasi-celebrities have crept onto our radar through supermarket tabloids and Facebook news feeds, and a crop of publications has emerged to cover them, whether sincerely or satirically. The relentless Instagram gossip outpost The Shade Room airs their dirty laundry; the deliciously absurd podcast "Who? Weekly" pokes fun at their claims to fame, and Time Inc's shiny new digital celebrity site, Instant.me, hopes to build on their brands. Pamela Anderson, the former Playmate, has described pornography as a "public hazard" that affects men's "ability to function as husband, and, by extension, as father". The former Baywatch star made the claims that pornography was "corrosive" in a joint op-ed article with Shmuley Boteach, an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi and author. Pamela Anderson has criticised porn-watchers in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. Credit:Getty They were writing in response to the latest Anthony Weiner sex scandal, in which the former US politician was caught sending a picture of his crotch to a woman in the presence of his young son. "This is a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness given how freely available, anonymously accessible and easily disseminated pornography is nowadays," they wrote in the Wall Street Journal. "We are a guinea-pig generation for an experiment in mass debasement that few of us would have ever consented to, and whose full nefarious impact may not be known for years. How many families will suffer? How many marriages will implode? How many talented men will scrap their most important relationships and careers for a brief onanistic thrill? How many children will propel, warp-speed, into the dark side of adult sexuality by forced exposure to their fathers' profanations?" The pair wrote that pornography was for "losers", an outlet for people "too lazy to reap the ample rewards of healthy sexuality". Anderson, 49, has appeared on more Playboy covers - 15 - than any other model. She has had two sex tapes leaked, the first with ex-husband Tommy Lee in 1995 and the second with Bret Michaels. Huma Abedin, a close aide to Hillary Clinton, announced on Monday that she was separating from husband Mr Weiner following the new revelations that he "sexted" another woman. "After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband," Mrs Abedin, 40, said in a statement. With nothing else like it on the market, the club was something of a leap of faith, she says. "It's about putting women and the desires of women first. Women explore their desires and do it in a really relaxed and comfortable environment without the prying eyes of men or the expectations of other people. It is completely up to your own desires. Some people like to come along and have a cocktail and mingle and have a chat with like-minded women and nothing more, that's absolutely fine," she explains. "It is exciting to be part of a team that women feel empowers and liberates them", says co-owner Renee Nyx. Credit:Victoria Dawe courtesy of Skirt Club How many "like-minded" women are we talking? The uptake has been "really surprising" says Nyx. With 5000 strictly vetted members around the world, the community has relied upon word of mouth alone to swell its numbers and attract newcomers. Los Angeles debuts this month followed by a Berlin chapter opening in October, with other locations on the cards next year. "We went from 15 to 20 to 30 women and now we're selling out. It happened really organically," Nyx says. Members are aged between 18 and 45 and are from a wide variety of backgrounds and religions. They are professional women who are "well established or on their way to becoming well established," she says. "We do this because we believe in it. We know how exciting it can be to be part of a team that women feel empowers and liberates them." She recounts meeting a member who said that because she feels she can be her authentic self at Skirt Club, she is more confident in other parts of her life. She went for a job that she had wanted for years and apologised that she hadn't been at Skirt Club because a promotion meant she had been travelling. "You just naturally do better don't you, if you are living as your authentic self?" muses Nyx. But you may well be a little more in touch with your bi side before the night is over A night at the club can "absolutely" force members to rethink their place on the Kinsey scale and their relationships, says Nyx. "I think that sometimes their sexuality takes them by surprise as well. Sometimes it's about facing yourself - it's not just about friends and families. "There's not always a need for people to come out, so to speak, it's personal. And some will come along and realise 'It's not for me. It's really fun and I had a fantastic time but I'm actually very straight.'" But more go the other way, she says, to the extent that "a few relationships have emerged from this. Five that I know of personally. A few identified as straight beforehand and met a women they fancied and surprised themselves," she says. Which is surprising, given that it's not rare for men to gift their partners a play party. "It's interesting how many partners encourage their wives or girlfriends to go. They sometimes pay for them," says Nyx. In Sydney, tickets cost from $120 to $180. "The women may be in a relationship with a man and they say they are interested in discovering more about sex with women. Most men don't see it as a threat and also I think they get off on the stories that they tell when they get home, the naughty stories are a bit of fun." But, she stresses, it's a very personal thing - and she does not even begin to make assumptions. The format. Saturday's event is a longer, more intimate evening than the "Mini Skirt" parties held as tasters, usually in public bars. "We use a private home and start at 9pm. There are welcome cocktails or bubbles, then we do a quick intro before our dancer or performer begins for the evening. Each party is themed, for example, bellydancing, burlesque, dominatrix. The performance usually ends at around 11pm," says Nyx. "After that, we play some games - there might be a naughty dice game or truth or dare or Twister that we make a little bit naughty, that's a nice way to get girls to connect and feel more relaxed about each other. "Over the next few hours, you see girls peel off into surrounding rooms, they might kiss or do more, there is that opportunity if they want to. It ends at 3am and that's when everybody leaves. Most people do stay until the end." It sounds nerve-wracking, even for those who have had sex with other women before. "The role of the team is to make everyone relaxed and see what happens," says Nyx. Hostesses introduce women and make sure they are happy and relaxed. "They are there to calm and reassure, there are a lot of people who feel nervous, probably everyone. I guess it's about putting their nervous energy into excitement rather than fear." Newcomers are given a bracelet with a key charm on it to signify their status - key wearers often gravitate towards one another, she says. At the London club, 60 per cent of women are new and 90 per cent attend alone. At Mini Skirt events, 80 per cent of guests are newcomers. What sets Sydney skirt club members apart? "A lady never kisses and tells!" says Wilder. What we can reveal, however, is that Sydney women have long been under-catered for in this area. "Sydney has been exceptionally hungry for the idea of skirt club, there is more of a gap in that element of life than there is, perhaps, in other locations," says Nyx. "It's a community feel, so many women are putting their hands up to help and be part of it." It's not your average club - or job. "I was at the first ever play party, I still remember it very fondly," says Nyx. "I found out through a friend and I had just come through a break-up of a long term relationship. "She said 'Come along.' I had no idea what this was going to be about, I didn't know what to expect. It was something new and exciting and around liberated people." "I had never even so much thought about the idea of a sex club or a party environment like this before I attended, so that fact that I'm here three years on running events is surprise. "I've been able to explore elements of my own sexuality that I might have if I wasn't a member of Skirt Club. I've met amazing, empowered women who have taught me a lot about sex but also about life." Dozens of Australians have been infected with the Zika virus this year and there are concerns more will contract it while travelling in Asia where cases are proliferating. On Friday, federal health authorities urged Australians to be careful while travelling to Zika affected areas, including Singapore where infections are soaring. Mosquitoes can transmit the Zika virus. Credit:AP "For women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy it may be more appropriate to defer travel or defer pregnancy," a spokeswoman for the Australian Department of Health said. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's smartraveller website is urging travellers to protect themselves against mosquito bites in affected regions and to consider that sexual transmission is rare but possible. Concern over the welfare of missing father Mark Tromp has heightened overnight, with nearly 20 millimetres of rain dumped on the Wangaratta area - the last place he was seen. But with the search for Mr Tromp entering its fifth day, the active effort to find him is now being primarily conducted by his family rather than Victoria Police or the SES. Waterways around Wangaratta are noticeably swollen after 19.2 millimetres of rain fell on the region since 6pm on Friday night. The deluge has also closed off some roads in bushland where Mr Tromp may be missing. Police said on Saturday that there had been no confirmed sightings of Mr Tromp since he was seen running from a car in Wangaratta on Wednesday night, despite a number of reports from the public. A man who murdered a small-time drug dealer in the presence of Harriet Wran, the daughter of late premier Neville Wran, told the NSW Supreme Court on Friday of his shame and sorrow. Lloyd Edward Haines, 31, and Michael Lee, 37, pleaded guilty in June to the murder of Daniel McNulty after he was fatally stabbed during a botched robbery at Redfern in August 2014. Lloyd Haines is escorted to a prison truck on Friday. Credit:Daniel Munoz On Friday, Wran's co-accused Haines gave evidence at his sentencing hearing before Justice Ian Harrison. "I'm ashamed of myself, I'm sorry," he told the court. There was a loud snort of derision in the Darlinghurst court room when sentencing judge Geoff Bellew said Roger Rogerson, the former detective he was about to send to jail for life for murder, "has no history of violent offending". On paper that is true but the sad reality is that for years, Roger Caleb Rogerson got away with murder, attempted murder and other heinous crimes. For those who have shaken their heads at the very idea of a 75-year-old pensioner with dodgy hips still engaging in his chosen profession as a ruthless assassin it doesn't bear contemplating how many deaths the state's most notoriously corrupt detective got away with when young and fit. The pair's death is one of Australia's most famous unsolved cases. "They smelled some rotten egg gas, but it seemed to go away as they moved closer to the edge of the water. As they searched, they discussed why the couple had acted so strangely and just assumed they'd been on drugs or something." The Bogle-Chandler case riveted Australia for years. It had everything for a country drifting towards the end of the straight-laced Menzies era: the hint of murder, illicit suburban sex, drugs, political assassination, espionage, nuclear secrets, bohemian immorality and the inability of police to find a culprit. Dr Gilbert Bogle was a former Rhodes Scholar and a physicist with the CSIRO. Australia was then a very different place. Homosexuality was a crime; equal pay a decade away; women were mainly regarded as a function of their husbands; with Beatlemania and the Baby Boomer economy a year ahead, the young were seen and not heard; Australians were not allowed to read D.H. Lawrence's four-letter word classic on English inter-class sex, Lady Chatterley's Lover; and it was just two months since the Cuban missile crisis took the world to the brink nuclear war. Then the unclothed bodies of Dr Gilbert Bogle, 38, and Mrs Margaret Chandler, 28, were found and suddenly the seamy side of Menzies suburbia was exposed full frontal. The Bogle-Chandler case riveted Australia for years. Bogle, New Zealand-born and a former Rhodes Scholar was a physicist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and married with four children. He was supposedly working on futuristic weaponry. He also had a penchant for hitting on women and taking them to parks. Chandler was a housewife with two children. Her womanising husband, Geoffrey, worked at the CSIRO with Bogle. The three attended a New Year's Eve party at a CSIRO colleague's place in Waratah Street, Chatswood, on Sydney's north shore. Vivienne Bogle stayed home with the children in Turramurra. Geoffrey Chandler left soon after midnight to meet his mistress Pam Logan at a party in Balmain that featured many members of the Sydney Push, went back to her Camperdown flat for an hour and then returned to Chatswood where he told police he asked Bogle to look after his wife, assuring her he would pick up their children from her parents' place. Bogle and Chandler left Chatswood after 4am and drove to the well-known "lovers lane" near Fullers Bridge. His body was first spotted by a teenage boy about 8.30am. Police found Mrs Chandler's body nearby on the riverbed. In 2006, Butt's Logie award-winning ABC documentary Who Killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler? claimed their unsolved deaths may have been caused by accidental hydrogen sulphide poisoning from industrial waste that had concentrated in the bottom mud of the Lane Cove River. The new book, a revised edition released in August, details the psychologist's story. Butt said in 2012 he was contacted by the retired psychologist, who was keen to pass on information about the deaths. Butt has not identified the psychologist. The psychologist told him he had saved a young woman from being sexually assaulted by a group of drunken young men in Haig Park, Canberra, about 5am one summer day in 1965. She said she did not wish to go to the police or hospital, but noticing a St Christopher medal round her neck, he asked if she was a Catholic and would she like to be taken to a nun he knew at a convent in Manuka. The young woman then broke down. She said she was having nightmares due to something she had witnessed two years earlier at Lane Cove. She told the psychologist she and her girlfriend who was dressed as a man had watched the last moments of Bogle and Chandler and had been too scared to come forward. (The woman dressed as a man scenario feeds into evidence given by a one-armed voyeur, Raymond Challis, a police prime suspect who spoke of seeing a broad-shouldered man with "blonde longish hair at the back" jump out of the bushes when he was creeping around the riverbank at the time of the deaths.) "She said that was because they were 'good Catholics' they were worried what would happen to them and their families if their friends found out what they were doing together," the psychologist told Butt. The women broke up and the psychologist was quoted saying he feared the young woman was suicidal and "exposure could have pushed her over the edge". He told Butt the woman never told him her name but he recalled she had an aunt who was a nun and an uncle who was a priest. The psychologist also said he occasionally saw the woman in the car park of the Department of Trade building in Barton, ACT. They'd wave, but never spoke again. Butt said the psychologist has signed a statutory declaration detailing the story, which contains details of the "crime scene" that could only have come from someone at the river that morning. The State Coroner has forwarded the statutory declaration to NSW Police and the Unsolved Homicide Team had advised Butt to make the story public. The agency tasked with implementing the National Disability Insurance Scheme "ran out of time" to successfully launch the roll out of the $22 billion program on its due date, with a report casting doubt on its ability to manage the scheme designed to help more than 400,000 Australians with disability. A report into the National Disability Insurance Agency's new computer system, designed ahead of the July 1 launch, found there was not one catastrophic event which led to its failure but a "series of compounding issues". It also found the agency's transition to the new system was "inadequate from the outset" and it was forced to rely on outside help to fix the problem which left people with disability and organisations which support them in limbo. The report by PwC was ordered by the Federal Government following widespread disruption to the full NDIS roll out throughout July and August. As grey-haired killers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara waited to learn their fate for murder, each of them took turns in shutting their eyes for several minutes at a time. But the former policemen, 75 and 57 respectively, were wide-eyed and standing when they were given a life sentence for the "heinous" and "audacious" murder of university student and drug dealer Jamie Gao, 20. On Friday Justice Geoffrey Bellew found the pair had been "overwhelmed by greed" when they killed Mr Gao to steal 2.78 kilograms of ice. He also said the pair had "a complete disregard for the life of another human being" when they murdered Mr Gao inside a southern Sydney storage unit in May 2014. The only Sydney service to rehabilitate children who sexually abuse other children has three times as many referrals as they can fit in and two boys alleged to have raped a six-year-old girl at school will not be eligible. The two 12-year-old boys, from a primary school on the northern beaches, were charged on Tuesday over two alleged rapes of a fellow student in mid-August. Dale Tolliday, a clinical adviser to the public service New Street, has three times as many referrals as capacity at the lone Sydney clinic. Credit:James Brickwood It's understood the six-year-old was allegedly cornered in a toilet cubicle during recess on both occasions. The girl was able to tell a teacher who then notified her parents and the school. Following a two-week investigation, the boys were arrested at Chatswood police station on Tuesday. Doctors will be on the streets treating Brisbane's homeless population from next year as part of a council-initiated mobile medical service. Brisbane City Council community services chairman Matthew Bourke said the council was seeking expressions of interest to establish and operate the new service for the city's homeless and disadvantaged. Brisbane City Council will spend $1 million setting up mobile medical units to treat the city's homeless. The 2016-17 council budget, which was handed down in June, allocated $1 million towards the program. "A new mobile medical service will be designed to service locations across the city, providing essential medical and other healthcare to those in need," Cr Bourke said. A Queensland domestic violence victim has been left feeling disgusted and frightened after being interviewed by Queensland Police after making a complaint. Julie (not her real name) is at the centre of an internal police investigation after an officer allegedly leaked her private information to her ex-partner when she had a domestic violence order against him. A Queensland domestic violence victim has been left feeling frightened after making a complaint against a police officer who allegedly leaked her details to her former partner. Credit:Kivilcim Pinar The officer allegedly accessed her details through internal Queensland Police systems and provided information, including her address, to her ex-husband. When Julie found out, she made a complaint to the Crime and Corruption Commission in June, which was then referred to Queensland Police's internal investigation branch the Ethical Standards Command. The redevelopment of the old Petrie paper mill into a university precinct will be fast-tracked after the state government declared it a priority development area. The declaration paved the way for The Mill at Moreton Bay, with the University of the Sunshine Coast at its core, to be up and running by 2020. Artists' impression of the Mill at Moreton Bay development, which will include a University of the Sunshine Coast campus. Credit:MBRC The cost of the development was still to be determined, but Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said it was expected to create 6000 jobs and add $950 million a year to the Queensland economy. "We know that every day, thousands of kids from this region leave Moreton Bay to travel into Brisbane so they can go to university," she said. A woman who had a child with her stepson has been found guilty of incest, but a judge has decided not to impose a jail sentence on her, saying he wished he could do more to help the family get back together. Victorian County Court Judge David Parsons allowed the 36-year-old woman to step out of the dock and sit next to the father of her child as he sentenced her in the County Court of Victoria on Friday. A woman who was found guilty of incest after she fathered a child with her stepson was sentenced in the County Court on Friday. Credit:AFR She was sentenced to a one-year community corrections order with supervision after pleading guilty to two charges linked to a consensual relationship with her stepson. Judge Parsons said the victim impact statements before the court were full of strong emotions, but he would be sentencing on matters of law, not morals. Mitchell and Ella Tromp speak to the media on Thursday. Credit:Eddie Jim On Thursday, Mitchell Tromp, 25, likened the sequence of events on the family's ill-fated road trip to a scary movie, with a build-up of pressure and paranoia in his parents spreading before, one by one, the Tromp children bailed out. "It slowly got worse as the days went by," he said. "They were just fearing for their lives, and then [we] decided to flee." Riana Tromp. Credit:Facebook Mitchell said he went in the car with his parents to convince them to return home. He threw his mobile phone out the window at the request of his parents, who believed it was being used to track them. The Tromp family's home, and currant farm in Silvan. Credit:Tom Cowie When their behaviour grew worse near Bathurst in NSW, he chose to leave, he said. Riana, 29, the young woman who wound up in the back of Keith Whittaker's ute, left her parents at the Jenolan Caves. The Tromp children: Mitchell, Riana and Ella. "I got an extreme shock," Mr Whittaker said. "I pulled over in a rest area. "About 20 minutes later the young woman sat up and was staring straight ahead. I asked her who she was and if she was all right? She did not know her name and had no idea where she was. A Peugeot wagon similar to the car Mark and Jacoba Tromp were last seen driving. Credit:7 News "I asked her if she needed any water or anything or was in any way injured and she said no. "Then I called the police. Until the police arrived, she mostly sat and stared straight ahead as if she was catatonic. Sergeant Mark Knight addresses the media on Thursday. Credit:Eddie Jim "They arrived about an hour later and took her back to Goulburn Police Station. "She was a well-dressed young woman and she offered to give me $50 for my trouble but I said no thanks. I was just glad to help her." A NSW police spokesperson confirmed the young woman was Riana Tromp and that officers had collected her from Mr Whittaker near Lake George at 2pm on Tuesday. They said she and sister Ella, 22, had stolen a car from Jenolan Caves and driven it to Goulburn, before Riana alighted and entered Mr Whittaker's ute. Ella kept driving back to Victoria. She is now back at home with her brother, Mitchell, who caught a series of trains back to Victoria. Police confirmed Riana had undergone a mental health assessment and was now in the care of mental health services in Goulburn with mother Jacoba, who was found wandering in an agitated state on Thursday. Both are said to be doing well. A spokesperson for NSW Police said a document which suggested the family could have shared delusional schizophrenia had been circulated among officers. But Mitchell told Fairfax Media there had been no such diagnosis and the information was incorrect. Mark Tromp was last seen running away from his daughter's ditched Peugeot in Wangaratta by a young couple who say they were 'stalked' by him in a bizarre cat-and-mouse game through the streets of the north-eastern Victorian country town. A break-in at a motel on Thursday night may indicate he had not left the city, the Border Mail reports. Police could not confirm if the culprit was Mr Tromp. Miller's Cottage manager Rosemarie O'Neill said staff discovered the break-in on Friday morning, but the room had not been damaged. "We called the police because we thought it could help them look for that missing man," she said. "We all want him to come out and be okay." Police confirmed they were fingerprinting a room after the door was found ajar at 9.30am. The bathroom had been used, the bed looked to have been used and a muesli bar wrapper was on the floor, police told Fairfax Media. Mr Tromp's family members have travelled to Wangaratta to help with the search. His cousin, who did not want to be identified, said the family's investment properties in Wangaratta were being rented out and he had no idea where to look. "We've been looking everywhere, we were up late [Thursday] night and up again at 5.15am [Friday] morning," he said. "I don't think he's been able to walk through Wangaratta without being seen." The cousin described Mr Tromp as "a normal, hard-working, honest family man" and said the paranoia of recent days was "so far out of left field". "I've been working with him and I saw no sign of this," the man said. "It's horrible He's by himself and obviously thinks someone's after him." Sergeant Mark Knight, of Monbulk police, said two sightings of Mr Tromp on either side of the Victoria/NSW border were both days old. "We haven't substantiated any sightings," he said. "I don't know where he is, I've got no idea." Mr Tromp's wife Jacoba had spoken to police and family from hospital in Yass, where she was found on Wednesday, but was yet to shed any light on what happened. "We'll continue to talk to her, but we just have to let her rest for now," Sergeant Knight said. There is no record of Mr Tromp leaving Wangaratta by train or bus and there have been no reports of cars being stolen. A shell-shocked Mitchell the middle Tromp child pleaded for his father to come home in a press conference on Thursday. "I just really want my dad to be found," he said. "He's not dangerous, he's my mate, my father. I love him. "I've never seen anyone like this or anyone conduct themselves in this way". Sergeant Knight, said he knows the family and say they have no diagnosed mental health problems. There is no evidence of a drug-induced psychosis or drug taking. No one in the family has accessed a doctor or psychologist recently or been issued a prescription, he says. They do not belong to any churches or sects and do not have debts. Two of the children live at home and all three work seven days a week in the family's successful businesses a berry farm and an earthmoving company. Daughter Ella has her own company as well, supplying trucks and drivers to Yarra Valley farms. The family moved to Silvan from nearby Macclesfield 10 years ago. Mr Tromp's brother Ken is a police sergeant in Monbulk and is believed to be helping in the search for his brother. "I am asking myself 'what is going on?'," Sergeant Knight said. "It's a mystery. But there's nothing sinister." Sergeant Knight said when he checked their home after the first reports of Riana being found near Goulburn, the house was open and keys were in car ignitions but there was no sign of any struggle. "This is just a massive meltdown, I'm sure of it. Something triggered them." Timeline Monday, August 29: The Tromps leave the family home in Ella's Peugeot to go on a technology-free road trip. During the course of the drive, it's discovered Mitchell has brought his phone with him. He throws it out of the window near Warburton, about 32 kilometres from the family home. The family continues driving towards Bathurst. Tuesday, August 30: Mitchell decides he wants to go home. He leaves the family at Kelso, a suburb of Bathurst, about 7am and makes his way to Sydney. The rest of the family continue on to the Jenolan Caves. That afternoon, they decide to split up. Ella and Riana steal a car and make their way to Goulburn then go their separate ways. Riana is found along the highway after stealing a lift in a ute and is taken to the local hospital due to stress-related issues. Ella drives back to the family home in Silvan. Parents Mark and Jacoba are reported missing and that afternoon police attend the family home to find credit cards and mobile phones lying around the house and car keys in ignitions. Wednesday, August 31: Mitchell arrives at the family home in the morning after catching the overnight train from Sydney. That afternoon, police search the Jenolan Caves area for Mark and Jacoba but are unable to find them. Thursday, September 1: Police are notified in the early hours of the morning that the family car has been located in Wangaratta and that a lone man was seen running from the vehicle. It is believed this man was Mark. Later in the day, Jacoba presents herself to Yass District Hospital after a local found her wandering around town. Police continue to look for Mark during the evening, and have no reason to believe he has left the Wangaratta area. Loading With Chris Johnston and Tom Cowie Police have released an image of a man they believe exposed himself to a teenage girl at a bus stop last month. The man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, approximately 180cm tall and about 40-years-old. He was wearing a dark beanie, black jacket and light brown pants. Police have released this photofit image of the man. Police say he went to a bus stop on Albert Street in Mordialloc about 12pm on Tuesday 8 August and exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl. She left the area and told police about the incident the following day. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to submit confidential report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au A dramatic 24 hours for Victoria Police has seen three allegedly stolen cars ram officers and police shoot at two men, leaving one of them dead. A police officer shot and killed a man after he drove at him with an allegedly stolen vehicle in Melbourne's north at 1.45am on Friday. The officer opened fire as he was pinned to the wall on the corner of a Tullamarine factory by the van during an extended pursuit. He and another officer were taken to hospital for their injuries to be treated. Two other men in the van were arrested. Victoria needs to rethink the way it funds schools, Education Minister James Merlino has declared. The state government released its response to a comprehensive review of school funding on Friday afternoon, saying Victorian students would be almost $1 billion worse off in 2018 and 2019 because the federal government had walked away from the final two years of the Gonski agreement. Education Minister James Merlino says we need to rethink school funding. Credit:Erin Jonasson "In light of this, Victoria will need to rethink our approach to school funding," Mr Merlino said. But the government's response was incredibly light on detail, and failed to say whether it would adopt many of the recommendations made in the review by former premier Steve Bracks. It failed to say what a revamped funding model might look like and whether it would establish a new watchdog to independently assess funding and performance across all sectors. The government also failed to shed light on whether it would increase principal salaries to "incentivise improved performance", particularly in poor schools. The review was commissioned by the government to inform school funding arrangements beyond 2017. It made 70 recommendations, including a needs-based funding system in line with the Gonski principles, where students received a base funding with additional loadings for disadvantage. The government said it would develop a new website to provide clear explanations of government school funding, and that school funding arrangements would be considered as part of the budget process. It said it would provide more support to school councils and ensure needs-based funding continued. Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Meredith Peace urged the Andrews government to continue lobbying the federal government to commit to the full Gonski agreement. "We know what impact that money is having on our schools and we need it to continue," she said. A protester who refused to take her seat on a plane until an asylum seeker headed for deportation was removed has been asked to pay Qantas more than $3000 in compensation. Jasmine Pilbrow, 22, boarded a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Darwin in February 2015, believing an asylum seeker passenger on the plane was en route to being deported to Sri Lanka. Pilbrow refused to sit down as flight attendants were preparing for the plane to take off. Jasmine Pilbrow outside court. Two other passengers who were not charged over the incident also stood up. The asylum seeker and Pilbrow were removed from the plane, which was delayed by almost an hour. On Friday, magistrate Meagan Keogh found Pilbrow guilty of interfering with a crew member and asked her to voluntarily pay Qantas $3429, which the airline argues it lost because of the incident, including fuel costs and delays to a number of flights. A Perth judge says a 37-year-old man caught on security footage masturbating and defecating outside a Midvale hairdresser needed to get "assistance" for the community's benefit. West Swan's Jason Jupp, pleaded guilty in the Midland Magistrates court on Friday for committing two lewd acts outside the WA Salon Supplies business in the early hours of August 8. He was given a nine-month supervision order. Mr Jupp, who appeared to be wearing high heels and a bra, was captured on CCTV footage masturbating, then defecating in the car park before reaching for toilet paper - a used portion of which he casually tossed away. A Busselton fisherman wept while pulling a dead dog from the water at his local fishing spot, seeing that someone had weighed the poor beast down with a sledgehammer attached to its choke chain. WAtoday and the Busselton-Dunsborough Mail have chosen to blur the distressing image of the dog, which Chad Woods saw while fishing for bream in the waters of the Wonnerup Floodgates. WAtoday has blurred the images of the dead dog. Credit:Facebook/Chad Woods "I was walking along looking for mullet to put on for bait and I saw basically half a dog hanging out of the water," he said. "It was a couple of hundred metres up from the floodgates and it was out probably three metres in the water. Paris: Coca-Cola workers have found a huge stash of cocaine at their factory in southern France. The haul weighed 370 kilograms with a potential street value of around 50 million ($56 million), according to Toulon prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux who called the find "a very bad surprise". "You can well imagine the surprise," a spokesman for Coca-Cola said. Credit:Viki Lascaris Employees at the plant have been ruled out as culprits, a Coca-Cola official said. "The first elements of the investigation have shown that employees are in no way involved," Jean-Denis Malgras, the company's regional president, told the news website Var-Matin. Tampa, Florida: Growing winds and driving rain from Hurricane Hermine lashed Florida's northern Gulf Coast on Friday as power outages left tens of thousands of households in the dark and forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods. Conditions deteriorated as Hermine, a Category 1 hurricane packing winds of 130 kilometres per hour, made landfall with several areas in Florida as more than 70,000 households along the coast were without power. A news reporter is covered by an unexpected wave as Hurricane Hermine nears the Florida coast. Credit:AP "It is a mess...we have high water in numerous places," Virgil Sandlin, the police chief in Cedar Key, Florida, told the Weather Channel. "I was here in 1985 for Hurricane Elena and I don't recall anything this bad." Hurricane Hermine came with a dangerous storm surge that was expected to cause 3 metres of flooding in some areas, as rising waters move inland from the coast, the National Hurricane Centre warned in an advisory. Washington: Melania Trump, the wife of US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, is suing the Maryland-based publisher of the Daily Mail Online and a blogger over stories about her past she believes are "tremendously damaging". A Daily Mail story last month cited a Slovenian magazine's report that a modelling agency that Trump worked with in New York in the 1990s also served as an escort business, linking wealthy clients with women for sexual services. Melania Trump poses on the 66th floor of the Trump Tower in New York, in March 2010. Credit:NYT In the lawsuit filed in state court in Montgomery County, Maryland, Mrs Trump said the "defamatory statements" in the article "were attacks on her reputation which discouraged members of the public from having a positive opinion of her." The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, published a retraction and apology after the lawsuit was filed on Thursday. San Francisco: A Facebook-led plan to beam satellite Internet signals down to parts of Africa went up in fiery balls of flame Thursday when a commercial SpaceX rocket exploded during a prelaunch test. The $US195 million ($258 million) satellite was aboard the unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 scheduled for liftoff Saturday from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. But the rocket and its payload blew up on the launch pad during what was supposed to be a routine test. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who was in Kenya meeting with entrepreneurs and developers at the time, wrote in a Facebook post that he was "deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent.'' Some viewed Zuckerberg's post as a strongly worded reprimand of Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX. Donald Trump is the internet troll of presidential politics. When he's securely removed from the objects of his scorn, he's tough as nails; when he's in their presence, he quivers like a bowl of jelly. Such is the way of a bully. Furthermore, when he is surrounded by supporters who cheer his base nature, he amplifies the enmity. When the applause of hostility is out of earshot, he tones down his vitriol to a whimper. He is not only a bully, it seems to me, but also something of a coward, who lacks the force of his convictions - or who lacks basic convictions at all. He seems to be simply playing to the audience, whatever that audience may be. He's amenable to the mood of any particular room. Under his rule, Uzbekistan, a country of 32 million people straddling the ancient Silk Road that links Asia and Europe, became one of the world's most isolated and authoritarian nations. Karimov regularly warned of the threat posed by militant Islamists to the stability of the vast, resource-rich central Asian region, but his critics accused him of exaggerating the dangers to justify his crackdowns on political dissent. "Such people must be shot in the head," he said of the Islamists in a speech to parliament in 1996. "If necessary, if you lack the resolve, I'll shoot them myself." Diplomatic dance Uzbekistan's relations with the United States and the European Union were frozen after his troops brutally suppressed a popular uprising in the eastern town of Andizhan in May 2005. Hundreds of civilians were killed, according to reports by witnesses and human rights groups. Karimov shut down a US military air base in Uzbekistan, established after the 9/11 attacks. The West imposed a set of sanctions on Uzbekistan and slapped a visa ban on senior Uzbek officials, prompting Karimov to seek improved ties with Soviet-era overlord Russia. But as the West slowly softened its stance on Uzbekistan, a producer of cotton, gold and natural gas, Karimov provided a vital transit route for cargo supplies for the US-led war in neighbouring Afghanistan. As ties with Russia again grew strained, Uzbekistan in 2012 suspended its membership of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which groups several ex-Soviet nations and is seen by some analysts as a regional counterbalance to NATO. From orphanage to president Karimov was born on January 30, 1938, the son of a Tajik mother and Uzbek father. He grew up in a state orphanage and later rose swiftly through the ranks of the Soviet Communist Party. He was a Soviet Politburo member and Uzbek Communist Party chief from 1989 until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. After independence, the economy remained tightly regulated by the state despite pressure from the International Monetary Fund and other bodies to introduce market reforms and liberalise the foreign exchange market. Karimov kept local media tightly muzzled and banned major foreign media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation from operating in the country. Human Rights Watch said in March 2011 it had been forced to shut its local office after 15 years in the country, saying its researchers had been denied visas and work accreditations. Giving detailed descriptions of several cases of torture in Uzbek jails, including of pious Muslim believers, HRW said: "Confessions obtained under torture are often the sole basis for convictions." "Methods commonly used include beatings with truncheons, electric shock, hanging by wrists and ankles, rape and sexual humiliation, asphyxiation with plastic bags and gas masks, and threats of physical harm to relatives," it said. In a blow to Uzbekistan's old commercial traditions, Karimov shut down many open-air markets a source of news and gossip as well as income for many as part of a campaign against what he described as black market trade. Just as in Soviet times, to avoid being overheard by neighbours, Uzbeks resorted to the privacy of their kitchens for whispered discussions about politics. Few observers believe the transition of power will lead to significant reform, however. "Victory in the power struggle will likely go to whoever is strongest and most likely to cater to the majority of elite interests," said James Nixey, the head of the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House. "It would be a surprise if the logic of authoritarianism does not win through." Karimov has two daughters. One of them, Gulnara, tried to position herself as a pop star at home and an international socialite, becoming one of the most powerful people in Uzbekistan and reportedly controlling a vast business empire. But several media, including the BBC, reported in 2014 that she had been placed under house arrest, and Gulnara has not appeared in public since then. Her younger sister Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva has risen to public prominence, serving as Uzbekistan's ambassador to the Paris-based UNESCO. She told the BBC in 2013 she had not spoken to Gulnara for 12 years. Some in Uzbekistan saw dark symbolism behind Karimov's choice of Tamerlane, the medieval central Asian ruler, as the Uzbek national hero instead of Tamerlane's grandson Ulughbek, a liberal-minded reformer. Loading "The Almighty bestowed much grace on our people, our nation, by sending us a man as great as Amir Temur [Tamerlane]," Karimov said in a 1996 speech. "We must thank the Creator 1000 times for this." Jerusalem: The Palestinian manager of the Gaza branch of World Vision, accused by Israel of diverting millions of agency dollars donated from Australia, the United States and Britain to benefit the Islamist movement Hamas, was arraigned this week at a hearing that was closed to the public. The decision to close the hearing came despite calls for an open trial from Kevin Jenkins, the president of World Vision, a major Christian aid organisation. Amal al-Halabi, 57, holds her grandson Fares while her grandson Amro, 7, holds a poster demanding freedom for his father Mohammed al-Halabi, Gaza director of World Vision. Credit:Adel Hana/AP "A trial is legitimate if it is transparent," Mr Jenkins told the Agence France-Presse news agency in an interview on Monday. "Obviously, with such serious allegations against a staff member, we are calling for him to have a fair hearing." Lea Tsemel, the lawyer for the branch manager, Mohammad al-Halabi, said that while closed hearings are not uncommon in cases like this, the proceedings against Halabi were taking place amid unusual secrecy. Chinese to invest in St. Maarten to boost tourism economy. PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr. who is contesting the Parliamentary Elections on September 26th kicked off his political campaign Thursday night with a town hall meeting that was held at the University of St. Martin. Gibson who has been in office close to nine months managed to present the two balanced budgets both 2016 and 2017, the latter for the first time in history the budget was presented and approved on time. On Thursday night, Gibson brought forward the stark reality to those that attended the town hall meeting what St. Maarten is facing especially with the global decline. He said soon Americans would not be able to travel since the world is facing an economic decline. Besides that, the Latin American and Caribbean countries are drowning in debts. As for the internet and development in technology, he said that too has largely affected the economy because people are no longer shopping locally, thus the container season will drop by 7% worldwide. Gibson gave his audience the stark picture with figures after conducting his research and the effects the current financial situation will affect St. Maarten. He said the current financial situation has the world in turmoil and there is an economic decline everywhere. He said while other countries are doing their best to form trade allies with the USA, St. Maarten cannot enter into these agreements because the country has nothing to trade except the sea, sun, and sand. Gibson made clear that the one pillar economic industry St. Maarten has tourism has been grossly neglected. Despite the gloom and doom, the country is facing he told the gathering that the only country that is on top of the world is China, and as such he and the Prime Minister William Marlin managed to get China to invest in St. Maarten in order to boost the economy. He said the Chinese bought land next to Bel Air Beach Hotel they have opened a company on St. Maarten. That company he said is owned 50% by the private sector of China and the other 50% by the Government of China. While the plan has been submitted to the Ministry of VROMI for them to process a building permit which would allow the Chinese to construct a hotel, 450 units and showroom. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project will take place on September 17th, 2016. Gibson said some 30 persons representing the Chinese will be travelling to St. Maarten for the ceremony, besides that the Chinese will be holding a forum with the government of St. Maarten to further assist the country with what it needs. Gibson said the Chinese already committed to getting at least one million Chinese tourists to St. Maarten while they also committed to finding a water source on St. Maarten where the people of St. Maarten could begin agriculture. Meaning the Chinese have expressed interest in doing all it can to assist St. Maarten with additional financing on other projects. He said that this project will boost the economy by having at least one million additional tourists coming to St. Maarten. While the groundbreaking will be taking place within the next two weeks, he could not say how long the completion of the project will take. He assured that this project will bring much-needed monies to St. Maarten and also create jobs for the people of St. Maarten. While Gibson got lots of credit for finding a solution to the economic gloom and doom, several persons in attendance shared their concerns, about bringing the Chinese in large numbers to St. Maarten. They asked how much control government would have to the investors who already started to transfer monies to St. Maarten for the project. Some wanted to know if the younger generation will get an opportunity or place in their country with the Chinese investment. Others considered the idea a good one but cautioned that government has to do more especially in road infrastructure to accommodate more traffic. Linda Richardson, asked Gibson, what guarantee can be given that the project will not be shelved after the September 26th elections and he is not in the office? Gibson said in response that the people have to know what they need to do. Greg Arrindell, created a storm as he showed his frustration because he submitted a solar energy project to the Prime Minister and to date he did not get a response. Arrindell basically used the podium to lecture the NA candidate and the current Prime Minister because he did not get a response from GEBE, but saw another company managed to sign an MOU with GEBE for solar energy. Click here to view photos from the Town Hall meeting. PHILIPSBURG:--- t. Maarten, September 2nd, 2016 The L.E.Wescot Memorial Foundation ( LEWMF) established several years ago in remembrance of the late Louis.E. Wescot to promote studies and such in the Culinary and Agricultural areas,granted scholarships to five students of the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA ) recently. The five recipients, all year two culinary students, each received an 80% scholarship for the 2016/2017 school year. The L.E.Wescot Foundation is the first organization to grant such to NIPA and its students. Foundation founder and wife of the late Louis Wescot, MP Sarah Williams-Wescot presented the scholarships during the institutions orientation day and encouraged students to pursue their education,no matter what obstacles they may encounter. The late Louis Wescot was well known on both sides of the island. A son of the soil, hailing from French Quarter, Louis always had a passion and love for cuisine, animals and agriculture. He managed several restaurants during his career, most noteworthy the many years he served as a chef at the former flagship resort, the Mullet Bay Resort. Throughout his life, Louis cared for many animals; dogs, goats, horses and even ostriches, which became a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike. He was also the owner of the prized Boer Goat Titus, winning him seven consecutive titles in the Boer category at the annual I Love My Ram Goat Competition. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Louis passing. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee will meet on September 2, 2016. The Central Committee meeting has been set for Friday at 10.00 am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. Representatives of the Independence for St. Martin Foundation will be present for this meeting. The agenda points are: Discussion with the Independence for St. Martin Foundation concerning the following topics: 1. Holding a referendum on independence 2. Getting the territory of St. Maarten on the United Nations Decolonization list Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org. SpaceX UFO Encounter is Third US-UFO Encounter in one week. 737 Engine Exploded Saturday night over Florida. In apparent reference to UFO seen in this photo, "An Anomaly" causes Facebook Satellite to explode. Second US UFO Encounter in one week--737 Engine Exploded Saturday night over FLA. A SpaceX Cargo ship exploded on the launchpad Thursday morning in Cape Canaveral during a test firing, destroying the rocket and Facebook's first ever satellite. In an reference to the UFO visible in this photo; "an Anomaly" caused Facebook's SpaceX Satellite to explode. At least two Youtube videos show a strange craft hovering around the Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket just before it exploded. The video is embedded hereinbelow. SpaceX said there were no injuries connected to the explosion, describing the sighting as "An Anomaly." The explosion occurred at the Space Launch Complex 40, according to Stephanie Martin, with Kennedy Space Center Public Information. People throughout the area heard it, as it disrupted schools and workplaces. The destroyed satellite was intended to bring the wonder that is Facebook to the far corners of the earth. While it is not clear at this time exactly how the anomaly caused the rocket to explode during refueling, this much is clear: The aliens hate Facebook, much as they did MySpace. They seem determined to destroy the Social Network. Extra-terrestrials are not very social and avoid contact. Indeed, when was the last time a UFO "friended" anyone? This is the second UFO Encounter in Florida in one week. American Airlines Flight 3472 experienced an Engine explosion Saturday night, also over Florida. http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/09/01/news/some-paranormal-experts-say-rare-737-engine-blowout-due-to-ufo-encounter/1845.html Meanwhile, security cameras recorded a mysterious Unidentified Flying Object, hovering over the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. More on that at the bottom of this page. The launchpad is used by SpaceX to launch rockets that carry supplies to the International Space Station as well as satellites. SpaceX did not have a launch scheduled for Thursday morning. It's next scheduled launch is for early Saturday morning, when it was set to carry a private satellite into Earth's obit for the Israeli company Spacecom. Anomaly is a term used in spaceflight as an alternative to UFO, which has taken on negative connotations. See for example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Norwegian_spiral_anomaly Response teams at the base were working to confirm if there were any injuries, said Brian Purtell, the public information officer for the 45th Space Wings. SpaceX was in the process of conducting a fueling test on Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral when the incident occurred, an engineer at Kennedy Space Center told ABC News. The aliens choose fuel loading as the time to attack the rocket, because they knew that's when any spaceship is most vulnerable. Perhaps they just threw in a cigarette. The explosion happened "in preparation for today's static fire," which resulted in "the loss of the vehicle and its payload," SpaceX said in a statement. The explosion was felt around the facility and a mushroom cloud could be seen over the launch site, the engineer told a reporter. Video from the scene showed smoldering infrastructure. There were no injuries as a result of the explosion, the Brevard County Emergency Management Office said. The office tweeted that "there is NO threat to general public from catastrophic abort during static test fire at SpaceX launch pad this morning." Brian Purtell, a spokesman for the Air Force's 45th Space Wing, which controls Cape Canaveral's space operations, said that personnel were being evacuated from the facility. "Once we determine everybody is out of there, then we can go in when it's safe to kind of determine what happened," Purtell said, noting that SpaceX had a scheduled launch for early Saturday morning. Update9/2: The Express (UK) has picked up our story, you saw it here first! http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/706639/Did-UFO-cause-Space-X-explosion-Shock-claims-of-anti-Facebook-alien-interference Ben Time Traveler Actual video of the "Space Anomaly" that caused Facebook Satellite to explode. Second US UFO Encounter in one week--737 Engine Exploded Saturday night over FLA. In a third UFO incident this month, a mysterious light was seen hovering in the night sky over Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri. It was captured on a security camera, sparking UFO sighting rumours among citizens. The moment was captured on a surveillance camera at Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park and was uploaded on the park's official Facebook page on Wednesday (3 August). Park authorities raised their suspicion over the unidentified flying object and captioned the video: "Unexplained Lights over St. Louis We guarantee you will be perplexed if you watch all 5 minutes of this surveillance footage." In the five-minute long video, a light is seen appearing out of nowhere and then descending, before it vanishes and reappears at another location. The object was spotted early on Tuesday morning and apart from the park's video many others claimed to have spotted the mysterious light. The video has attracted more than 500,000 views on Facebook. http://www.ufoworldnews.com/ufo-sighting-rumour-mysterious-light-over-gateway-arch-st-louis-international-business-times-uk-62/ New trainsets to enter service in 2021 Amtrak is contracting with Alstom to produce 28 next-generation high-speed trainsets that will replace the equipment used to provide Amtrak's premium Acela Express service. The contract is part of $2.45 billion that will be invested on the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor (NEC) as part of a multifaceted modernization program to renew and expand the Acela Express service. "Amtrak is taking the necessary actions to keep our customers, the Northeast region and the American economy moving forward," said Amtrak President & CEO Joe Boardman. "These trainsets and the modernization and improvement of infrastructure will provide our customers with the mobility and experience of the future." The new trainsets will have one-third more passenger seats, while preserving the spacious, high-end comfort of current Acela Express service. Each trainset will have modern amenities that can be upgraded as customer preferences evolve such as improved Wi-Fi access, personal outlets, USB ports and adjustable reading lights at every seat, enhanced food service and a smoother, more reliable ride. This procurement comes as demand for Acela Express service is as popular as ever, with many trains selling out during peak travel periods. The new trainsets will allow for increased service including half-hourly Acela Express service between Washington D.C. and New York City during peak hours, and hourly service between New York City and Boston. "As more people rely on Amtrak, we need modernized equipment and infrastructure to keep the region moving," said Chairman of the Amtrak Board of Directors Anthony Coscia. "These trainsets will build on the popularity and demand of the current Acela Express and move this company into the future as a leader in providing world-class transportation." The new trainsets will operate along the Washington New York Boston Northeast Corridor initially at speeds up to 160 mph and will be capable of speeds up to 186 mph and thus will be able to take advantage of future NEC infrastructure improvements. Additionally, the trainsets use the base design of one of the safest high-speed trainsets. Concentrated power cars, located at each end of the trainset, provide an extra buffer of protection. The trainsets will also meet the latest Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) guidelines including a Crash Energy Management system. "The next generation of Acela service will mean safer, faster and modern trains for customers throughout the Northeast," said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. "This investment will pay immediate dividends for businesses and travelers from Washington D.C. to Boston, and the fact that these new trains will be built in Upstate New York makes this project a win-win. These New York-made Acela trains will soon be zipping along the Northeast Corridor and as a regular customer I can't wait for my first ride." "The Northeast Corridor is a national economic engine that carries a workforce contributing $50 billion annually to the national GDP," said U.S. Senator Cory Booker. "Amtrak's continued investment in modernizing its fleet will only serve to enhance this vital rail link between Boston and Washington D.C. while allowing for safer and faster travel at a time when passenger demand is expected to rise. Strengthening our nation's infrastructure is essential to the economic growth of our region and the nation and this investment by Amtrak will help ensure the reliable service travelers expect." Amtrak is funding the trainsets and infrastructure improvements through the FRA's Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program that will be repaid through growth in NEC revenues. "Amtrak is grateful for all of the support we have received from Congress, especially from Sen. Schumer and Rep. Reed who represents Hornell, New York home of the Alstom facility," said Boardman. "We would also like to thank Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson and House Transportation Committee Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio for their leadership on the FAST Act. Additionally, we appreciate the efforts of Senators Booker and Wicker for their support on the inclusion of the rail title, the first time Amtrak reauthorization has been included in surface transportation legislation." Amtrak Next-Generation First Class interior In addition to the trainsets, Amtrak is also investing in infrastructure needed to improve the on-board and station customer experience that will accommodate the increased high-speed rail service levels. Amtrak will invest in significant station improvements at Washington Union Station, Moynihan Station New York, as well as track capacity and ride quality improvements to the NEC that will benefit both Acela Express riders and other Amtrak and commuter passengers. Amtrak will also modify fleet maintenance facilities to accommodate the new trains. The trainsets will be manufactured at Alstom's Hornell and Rochester, N.Y., facilities, creating 400 local jobs. Additionally, parts for the new trainsets will come from more than 350 suppliers in more than 30 states, generating an additional 1,000 jobs across the country. The first prototype of the new trainsets will be ready in 2019, with the first trainset entering revenue service in 2021. All of the trainsets are expected to be in service, and the current fleet retired, by the end of 2022. Minton could've easily gone to another hospital, but insisted on a hysterectomy at Catholic Mercy San Juan. Why? Isn't it obvious To the left, Evan Minton is the latest face in the ongoing struggle for civil rights, against those who would deny a person gender transition rights anywhere, anytime. When Catholic Mt. St. Charles Academy said early this year, that it would not accept nor enroll Transgender Students, the left declared war. The Rhode Island School placed itself in the center of a national debate over an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance that would protect transgender people's access to public accommodations. On March 9, 2016, having received a petition with 1700 signatures from Change.org, and more importantly, having pissed off at least one major alum who donated money, MSC Academy folded. They apologized for hurting anyone's feelings, and admitted Transgender students despite their previous statements that they did not have the physical facilities to accommodate them. The Daily Beast's article on the subject was even titled "hateful rhetoric." http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/04/catholic-prep-school-no-transgender-students.html Needless to say, the Daily Beast never addressed the obvious question of why a transgender person would want to attend a religious conservative catholic school. Today's headline is "Transgender Man Denied Hysterectomy at Mercy San Juan Hospital." The hospital, which is Catholic, refuses to allow a surgeon with operating privileges at Mercy, to carry out a scheduled hysterectomy on this determined, though confused, person. From the Sacramento Bee: Tuesday was supposed to be a big day for Evan Michael Minton. The Fair Oaks resident packed his bags for the hospital, said a prayer and counted down the hours until he would undergo the hysterectomy that would take him one step further in his transition from female to male. Instead he spent the day on the phone with doctors and lawyers after Mercy San Juan hospital in Carmichael abruptly canceled the procedure on religious grounds. The surgery, part of Minton's transition to a fully male body, had been scheduled for three weeks but was called off Monday as hospital officials were preparing his admissions paperwork. Both Minton and his surgeon, Dr. Lindsey Dawson, said they were caught unawares by the hospital's decision. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article98943597.html#storylink=cpy In a statement, Dignity Health, which until 2012 was affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, declined to discuss Minton's case, citing patient privacy laws. "In general, it is our practice not to provide sterilization services at Dignity Health's Catholic facilities," said spokeswoman Melissa Jue, in an emailed statement. Sterilization procedures, such as hysterectomies or tubal ligations, she said, are permitted by Catholic hospitals only to cure or alleviate a "serious pathology and (if) a simpler treatment is not available." In Minton's case, there is a clear, medical need for a hysterectomy, according to his surgeon."Gender dysphoria is very clearly a pathology," said Dawson. "It's a recognized state of health," noting that national obstetrics groups recommend that transitioning transgender patients be put on hormones and provided with appropriate surgeries. She said Minton is her first patient seeking a hysterectomy as a part of gender transition care. So in other words, she wants to open up Mercy San Juan to future transgender surgeries. In her religion, the right to transition between genders, anywhere any time, should be a right, not a privelege. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article98943597.html#storylink=cpy Dignity Health Mercy San Juan Hospital was set up for national bad publicity by Even Minton and Dr. Dawson, as the culture wars continue Personally, I doubt that they were "caught unawares" by the hospitals decision. Minton and Dr. Dawson knew full well that once the Catholic hospital figured out what was going down in their surgical theater, they would call a halt to it. Dr. Dawson in particular knew Mercy's ban on voluntary sterilizations. To make sure they knew, Minton checked into the hospital insisting he be referred to as "he. Pronouns are very important to me. I told them to call me he or him, not she or her, which they started to call me after referring to my chart." Yessir, Mr. Minton. When they saw you wanted a hysterectomy, the cat was out of the bag, and they knew you were born a girl. Well, congrats on your 15 minutes of fame. And for standing up to say that anyone should be able to get a hysterectomy any time on demand, in any place. Because, you know, that's an important right. Despite the religious convictions of the folks who funded the hospital. Despite the fact that you could just go down the street to any other hospital in Sacramento. Mexican President Nieto: "I told him I wouldn't pay for the wall." Trump: "I will build a great wall along our Southern Border." It was the high point of a rough August for the Donald. Towering over Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Donald Trump managed to look downright presidential. He controlled the conversation by picking which reporters could ask him questions (a right ordinarily reserved to the host). He said nothing especially controversial, by Trump standards. And most of all, he managed to meet with a foreign leader of an important US constituency. Benjamin Netanyahu famously refused to meet President Barack Obama in 2012, ostensibly because he was busy, but really because the two men despise each other and the Israeli PM hoped he would help challenger Mitt Romney with Jewish and Evangelical voters, by snubbing Obama Experts (those nattering but friendly Nabobs of negativity on Fox), have been saying for a while that if Trump wants to win this election, it's still possible. But he has to reach out to groups either ignored or put off by his campaign, namely African Americans or Hispanics. They say that Ronald Reagan beat Ford in 1980, despite low poll numbers, by going into black and Latino neighborhoods. There, in front of TV cameras, candidate Reagan talked about how the Democratic Party has failed minority voters by creating "a culture of dependency and broken families." Some minority voters were convinced. Trump took a longshot gamble, says Charles Krauthammer, and it paid off handsomely. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/08/31/krauthammer-on-trumps-trip-to-mexico-took-risk-and-pulled-it-off.html The invitation from Nieto was a surprise. Nieto's predecessor, Vicente Fox, advised Trump to skip the meeting, but he did not do so. It's actually rather surprising that Nieto would agree to meet with Trump, given that he's down in the polls, unlikely to win, and of course, has stopped just short of saying he would nuke Guadalajara. Nieto flatly denied Donald Trumps statement that the two did not discuss who would pay for the GOP nominees proposed multibillion-dollar border wall, saying, I made it clear Mexico will not pay. Who pays for the wall? We didnt discuss it, Trump said in response to a reporters question at a joint news conference after the closed-door meeting between the two in Mexico City. But in a tweet from Pena Nieto's official Twitter account sent later on Wednesday, the president said, At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear Mexico will not pay for the wall. Mexicos foreign minister, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, tweeted that Pena Nieto had expressed the grievance and outrage of Mexicans for insults and offenses by Trump in their private meeting. While Trump polls in the 60's with white voters, he polls under 5% with African Americans and under 15% with Hispanics. Both groups are socially conservative by nature, and it is entirely possible that Donald could shift the polling into his favor to say, 30% of each group. This could make the Great Excommunicator competitive in November. Donald Trump concluded his first meeting with a foreign leader, and flew to Phoenix Arizona. There, he doubled down Wednesday night on his vow to build a "great wall along the southern border" -- and make Mexico pay for it -- while outlining a more focused mission for the deportation force he's promised to create. In a speech in Phoenix meant to clarify his immigration positions after appearing to soften his stance, the Republican presidential nominee outlined a hardline set of proposals for tackling illegal immigration. He did not, however, definitively call for removing all illegal immigrants in the country. He said he would focus on deporting the estimated 2 million "criminal aliens" on day one. He would also make a priority of certain groups like gang members and visa overstays for removal. He insisted that any illegal immigrant could be subject to deportation under his administration. "There will be no amnesty," he said, adding that no illegal immigrant would be legalized without first leaving and coming in through "the front door." Trump said that America's current immigration system "serves the needs of wealthy donors, political activists and powerful politicians. . . . . Let me tell you who it does not serve, it does not serve you the American people. It doesn't serve you," he said. Trump Tweeted: Hillary Clinton didn't go to Louisiana, and now she didn't go to Mexico. She doesn't have the drive or stamina to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! You know what would be a really HUGE gamble? Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I'll bet you a Harriet Tubman $20 bill that we see The Russian strongman meeting Trump in October. But then again, the former Secretary of State has many foreign friends, so she could play this game too. Stay tuned. This is about to get interesting No fan of Donald Trump, Assange really hates Hillary Clinton. Release may come on eve of 3d debate Julian Assange Claims to have the goods on Hillary, and is planning an election surprise. He lives in exile in an embassy in London and considers himself a journalist, while the Obama administration and many Americans consider him to be a traitor. Appearing on Megyn Kelly's Fox News program, WikiLeaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange said on Wednesday that he planned to release "significant" information linked to the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Asked if the data could be a game-changer in the election, he said "I think it's significant. You know, it depends on how it catches fire in the public and in the media." WikiLeaks released files in July of audio recordings taken from the emails of the Democratic National Committee. These were obtained by hacking its servers. That release, during the Democratic National Convention where Clinton was officially named the party's presidential nominee, was the second batch in a series that deeply rattled the Democratic party, and ultimately forced DNC chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to step down--which Assange seemed to brag about tonight. Kelly speculated that the timing of the dump would be just before Clinton's third debate with Donald Trump. Everyone would be tuned in then and it would do the most damage to Clinton, she said, referring to the Obama administration's hunt for Assange. It was led by then Secretary of State Clinton. On 4 July 2016, WikiLeaks tweeted a link to a trove of emails sent or received by then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton published on their website. The leak contained 1258 emails sent from Clinton's personal mail server which were selected in terms of their relevance to the Iraq War and were apparently timed to precede the release of the UK government's Iraq Inquiry report. On 22 July 2016, WikiLeaks released approximately 20,000 emails and 8,000 files sent from or received by Democratic National Committee (DNC) personnel. Some of the emails contained personal information of donors, including home addresses and Social Security numbers. Other emails appeared to present ways to undercut Bernie Sanders and showed apparent favoritism towards Clinton. WikiLeaks is an international non-profit group of journalists that publishes secret information, news leaks, and steals or appropriates classified media from anonymous sources. Julian Assange Claims to have the goods on Hillary, and is planning an election surprise. Its website, initiated in 2006 in Iceland by the organization Sunshine Press, claimed a database of more than 1.2 million documents within a year of its launch. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activist, is generally described as its founder, editor-in-chief, and director. Kristinn Hrafnsson, Joseph Farrell, and Sarah Harrison are the only other publicly known and acknowledged associates of Julian Assange. Hrafnsson is also a member of Sunshine Press Productions along with Assange, Ingi Ragnar Ingason, and Gavin MacFadyen. The group has released a number of significant documents that have become front-page news items. Early releases included documentation of equipment expenditures and holdings in the Afghanistan war and a report informing a corruption investigation Often poor people languish in jail because they can't make bail, as the wealthy go home. Is it fair? In yet another face-off between the liberal left and law enforcement, the Obama Administration filed an amicus brief in a Georgia case that argues the unconstitutionality of fixed bail schedules, a system which doesn't take into account the accused's ability to pay. The Georgia case involves a defendant charged with a misdemeanor in Calhoun, Georgia. The town is so small that court is only held once a week. Although the defendant's rights were already violated by holding him for 72 hours prior to arraignment (it should only have been 48), the Obama Administration's focus is on the $160 in bail that was required to obtain a release before this arraignment. The administration's argument is that the use of a fixed bail schedule which did not take into account the defendant's ability to pay violates his rights under the 14th Amendment, the equal protection clause. The argument is that the poor should be granted the same rights as the rich. Currently, a bail schedule is usually set by county judges on a yearly basis. This fixed schedule is used by police to set bail for people who are booked into custody and would like to be out of jail prior to their arraignment before a judge. At that arraignment, 48 hours after arrest, a judge considers the criminal charges against the defendant, his criminal history, and any prior failures to appear in court. The judge will then set bail. The arrestee may appeal the bail amount and ask for an additional hearing in which to do so. Obama's beef is with the fixed schedule that applies before the arraignment. On the law enforcement side, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles County issued a stern press release decrying the White House's position. Setting bail is not constitutional, claims the ADDA, so long as it is "not excessive." Bail is also necessary in ensuring defendants show up for their arraignments and trials. As proof, the ADDA pointed out that once Proposition 47 reduced a great number of felonies to misdemeanors, meaning that defendants were not held pretrial but released on their own recognizance, failures to appear in court soared. In Monterey County there was a 33 percent increase in failures to appear. This means defendants, often drug users, are walking around free - and not receiving treatment should that have been a result of their court appearance. Without fixed bail schedules which allow the police to control possibly violent criminals prior to their arraignments, these potential threats to public safety will be allowed to walk free. The only other solution, 24-hour courtrooms, are unlikely to occur. "The assertion that it is unfair to detain a person charged with a crime pre-trial based "solely" on their inability to pay bail begs the question -- who would be in custody if they could pay the bond?" writes the ADDA. Meanwhile, Los Angeles's congressional representative, Ted Lieu (D), is sponsoring a federal bill to get rid of the money bail system altogether. Titled the "No Money Bail Act of 2016," the legislation proposes to completely eliminate the use of money bail. In a press release promoting the idea, Lieu writes, "We cannot both be a nation that believes in the principle of innocent until proven guilty, yet incarcerate over 450,000 Americans who have not been convicted of a crime." While Lieu's desire to help poor people who can't afford bail may be laudable, he provides no insight as to how he intends to protect public safety from potentially violent criminals. Furthermore, the idea of being innocent until proven guilty applies to a courtroom, not a police station. If that principle applied everywhere, no one would ever be arrested at all. The current system of criminal prosecution demands the government provide a speedy trial. This is the relief the constitution conveys to criminal defendants. In the Los Angeles Times, law professor Stephanos Bibas noted that the Supreme Court has not previously included the poor as those protected under the 14th Amendment. Metalogix Announces September Events Line-Up Including Microsoft Ignite Activities WASHINGTON, DC (Marketwired) 09/01/16 , the premier provider of unified software to migrate, manage and secure content across enterprise collaboration platforms, today announced its September lineup of events and webinars, including an update on its activity during the sold-out Microsoft Ignite () at which it will feature product demonstrations, a highly-anticipated new offerings announcement, an educational session, the Winners Presentation and the hottest party at Microsoft Ignite. Metalogixs September Events Line-up: Metalogix & Catapult Systems SharePoint Online Workshop September 7: September 8: For those already utilizing Microsoft Office 365 (O365), or an earlier version of SharePoint, that are working to determine the best path forward, this workshop will present best practices for leveraging SharePoint Online in order to maximize your O365 investment. Attendees will learn how to: Assess current state and plan for migration to SharePoint Online Simplify and automate the migration of users and content to SharePoint Online Unlock SharePoint Online-enabled productivity and cost savings Manage usage and adoption post migration and September 17 Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) SharePoint Saturday is an educational, informative and lively day filled with sessions from respected SharePoint professional and MVPs, covering a wide variety of SharePoint-oriented topics. September 26-30 Georgia World Congress Center (Atlanta, GA) Metalogix Booth 645 Expo Theater 5 (Wednesday, September 28, 12:05 p.m. 12:25 p.m.)Presented by Metalogixs Senior Director of Product Marketing, Dr. Steve Marsh, this educational session will address that when considering a move to Microsoft Office 365, chances are, youre building out a backup strategy to support your new environment. However, do Office 365s native features or a traditional backup solution provide enough to support the various backup and restore scenarios of your organizations growing Office 365 environment? This session will review real life backup and restore scenarios, explain when/where to use Office 365 tools, and detail what solutions are available when additional help is needed to meet IT and business requirements. MetaFest September 28 Centennial Park District (Atlanta, GA) Metalogixs invite-only MetaFest bash brings thousands of Microsoft Ignite attendees together to a mega street party with MC Clayton English (winner of 2015s Last Comic Standing), VIP DJ Sam Feldt and three bands: Blackfoot Gypsies, The Yawpers and Jared and the Mill. Redmond Magazine () Concept Searching () Cloud Health Technologies () Gimmal () KnowledgeLake () IPT Associates () Xgility () Timlin Enterprises () ThreeWill () OneWindow () Microexcel () Softlanding () September 28, 6:30 p.m. live from MetaFest Adam Levithan, Metalogix Aaron Rimmer, Microsoft Eric Riz, Microsoft MVP Heather Newman, Content Panda Michelle Caldwell, Microsoft MVP Susan Hanley, Microsoft MVP Mark Rackley, Microsoft MVP .@MS_Ignite News: Dont Miss @Metalogix New Offering Launch, MetaHero Awards and MetaFest Bash is the premier provider of unified management software to migrate, manage and secure content across enterprise collaboration platforms. Over 20,000 clients trust Metalogix to optimize the availability, performance, and security of their content across the collaboration lifecycle. For more information visit us at or call us at +1 202.609.9100. Metalogix is a registered trademark of Metalogix, Inc. All other trademarks used are the property of the respective trademark owners. Sabrina Sanchez The Ventana Group (925) 785-3014 Nicole Gorman The Ventana Group (508) 397-0131 Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated With Novus Light Technologies Today Visit Novus Light Technologies Today to see all the cutting-edge stories and products that you have come to enjoy on Solar Novus Today. In addition, you will find more information on related light-based technologies. Get the latest solar and renewable energy news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Green Technologies newsletter CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER What you need to know about Powerball and the $825 million jackpot Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea Leroy Chiao served as a NASA astronaut from 1990-2005. During his 15-year career, he flew four missions into space, three times on space shuttles and once as the co-pilot of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station. On that flight, he served as the commander of Expedition 10, a 6.5-month mission. Chiao has performed six spacewalks, in both U.S. and Russian spacesuits, and has logged nearly 230 days in space. You can read more of Chiao's Expert Voices Op-Eds and film reviews on his Space.com landing page. Chiao contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The possibility of alien life has fascinated humans since our own awareness that such a thing could exist. And with the recent discovery of a possible Earth-like planet around a star in our cosmic backyard, tantalizing new questions are being raised about the possibility of finding life elsewhere in the universe. NASA's Kepler mission has thus far found thousands of exoplanets, of which approximately 40 are believed to be in or near the "Goldilocks Zone" a just-right spot in orbit around a star where it's neither too hot nor too cold to support life as we know it. Now, scientists have found such a planet orbiting a star down our own cosmic "block" a possible rocky planet around Proxima Centauri, our closest star. They have christened it Proxima b. Proxima Centauri is a mere 4.22 light-years away from Earth. It is a red dwarf, a small, cool star whose lifetime is much longer than the sun's. Measurements indicate that Proxima b is a rocky planet, just slightly larger than Earth, orbiting the star at the right distance to be able to support liquid water on its surface, and thus perhaps life. [Alien World 'Proxima b' Around Nearest Star Could Be Earth-Like (Video)] In August 2016, astronomers announced that a potentially Earth-like planet orbits Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the sun. Learn about the exciting discovery in this infographic. See our full infographic here But there are big differences, too. The planet's orbital period is only 11 days, and it does not rotate on its axis (meaning the same side always faces the star). Also, the radiation environment is estimated to be much harsher than that for Earth. Still, scientists say some kind of life could exist there. I have had the privilege of flying to space, and I have gazed down at our home planet, marveled at the moon and peered out at the universe beyond. I've had time to consider this question from that vantage point, and I've experienced what is sometimes called the "Overview Effect." My view on alien life may be surprising to most. It certainly doesn't endear me to some religious organizations, but so what? There is still hope for me. Even Galileo was pardoned after about 300 years, for daring to say publicly that the Earth orbits the sun, not vice versa. I believe that there is life all over our universe, since it would be the height of arrogance to think that we are alone. Moreover, I believe that at some point, life on Earth will die out, either from natural causes, or from our own doing. To me, this is a natural progression, just like individual lives on our planet. Unlike many people, including several of my astronaut colleagues, I don't think that technology will save us. Indeed, there are strong arguments that after enabling life to thrive, technology is now hastening our collective demise. But that discussion is for another time. I believe that life is always starting in some parts of the universe at the same time that it is dying out in others. We don't know about each other, simply because the distances are so vast. To send a spacecraft even just to our next-door neighbor Proxima Centauri, using our current technology, would take almost 80,000 years. So, we won't easily find evidence of alien life around another star, especially those that are hundreds of millions of light-years away, or more. In this century, it is much more likely that we could find evidence of at least past, or even current, microbial life under the surface of Mars. Mars was a very different place hundreds of millions of years ago. It had a thick atmosphere with a magnetosphere to protect it and potential life from the sun's radiation. The temperature was much warmer, and there is strong evidence that past liquid water flowed on the Martian surface.Scientists recently observed evidence of salty streaks of liquid water, one of the requirements for life as we know it, flowing down slopes on the Martian surface during warm weather. For me, the discovery of incontrovertible evidence of past or present life on Mars would prove my theory on alien life, without having to send probes to other star systems. The discovery of Proxima b raises renewed interest in this question. My hope is that we will find answers in my lifetime, by continuing to look even closer than "down the block." Let's continue to explore Mars, which is in our own "backyard!" Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect that Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf, which is a small, cool type of star with an extremely long lifetime. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. NASA's asteroid-sampling OSIRIS-REx spacecraft being prepared for encapsulation in its payload fairing inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch of NASA's first asteroid-sampling mission is less than a week away and won't be affected by a nearby SpaceX rocket explosion that occurred yesterday (Sept. 1), space agency officials say. On Thursday, Sept. 8, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is scheduled to launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, kicking off a two-year journey to a near-Earth asteroid named Bennu. Lift off of the probe's Atlas V rocket is set for 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) and remains on track despite the explosion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at a nearby launchpad yesterday. "@OSIRIS-Rex remains on Sep. 8," NASA officials wrote on Twitter after the rocket explosion yesterday. "Initial assessments show @ulalaunch rocket & spacecraft healthy and secure, 1.1 miles from @SpaceX's pad," SpaceX is investigating the cause of the explosion yesterday. Meanwhile, launch provider United Launch Alliance is preparing its own Atlas V booster for the OSIRIS-Rex launch. [Osiris-Rex: NASA's Asteroid Sample-Return Mission in Pictures] If all goes according to plan, OSIRIS-REx will rendezvous with the 1,650-foot-wide (500 meters) Bennu in July 2018, grab a hefty chunk of asteroid material two years later and return that sample to Earth in September 2023. The main goal of the $800 million mission whose name is short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer involves better understanding of the role carbon-rich asteroids such as Bennu may have played in delivering the building blocks of life to Earth, OSIRIS-REx team members have said. "Bennu has what we believe to be some of the most primitive, organic-rich material that exists in our solar system," Daniel Scheeres, leader of the mission's radio-science team, said in a statement. "We think it was initially distilled out of gas during the dawn of the solar system, which is the main reason it was chosen for the mission," added Scheeres, an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. OSIRIS-REx's observations will also help scientists refine their understanding of the threat Bennu poses to Earth. (There's a slight chance the space rock could hit the planet in the late 22nd century.) "By visiting Bennu, we can very precisely determine its orbit, determine the physical forces affecting it and do a much better job of predicting where it will be in the next couple of hundred years," Scheeres said. "By then we should know if we need to start building a giant space tugboat." The mission will also investigate the resources Bennu possesses, providing information that may prove useful to future asteroid miners, NASA officials have said. OSIRIS-REx is NASA's first asteroid-sampling mission, but it's not the first one in history. Japan's Hayabusa mission sent home tiny pieces of the asteroid Itokawa in 2010, and Hayabusa 2 launched in December 2014 to snag samples from a different space rock. NASA has mounted other types of sample-return missions in the past. The Apollo astronauts brought hundreds of pounds of rocks home from the moon, for example, and the robotic Genesis and Stardust spacecraft grabbed particles from the solar wind and a comet, respectively. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. In space, an occultation happens when one object passes in front of another from an observer's perspective. A simple example is a solar eclipse. From a certain area on Earth, the moon passes in front of the sun and either partially or totally blocks the light. So we can say that the sun is "eclipsed" or "occulted." A lunar eclipse is another example of an occultation, but the description is a little more complicated. When this happens, anybody on the dark side of the Earth can watch the moon pass into the Earth's shadow, so that the Earth is directly in between the Earth and the sun. This eclipse or occultation turns the moon red-brown because it catches the reflected light on the edge of Earth's atmosphere, where the wavelengths are longest. It should be emphasized that occultations don't only take place on Earth they can take place anywhere in the universe. For example, the Apollo 12 astronauts flew through Earth's shadow and saw a solar eclipse on their way home from the moon in 1969. Lunar occultations The moon travels on a path in our sky that is called the ecliptic. It represents the plane of our solar system and that approximate area is where the sun, moon and planets travel in our sky. This means that the moon can sometimes pass in front of distant planets and stars. The International Occultation Timing Association provides detailed information, such as exact locations and timing of expected occultations, for anyone interested in looking at the moon passing in front of stars. These events can be observed with even a small telescope. Of the most interest scientifically are "grazing occultations." These happen when the moon's visible edge, or limb, passes by a planet or star. As the moon moves along its path during a grazing occultation, the star or the planet can wink in and out of sight. If there are multiple people watching the grazing at the same time, it can reveal much about the objects involved in the occultation or about general astronomical principles, IOTA said. For example, a star may "disappear" and reappear in stages during the graze, which would indicate that it must be a previously unknown double star whose members are so close together that they can't be seen individually in a telescope. Observers also learn more about the moon's topography, which can help with the exact timing of solar eclipses (when the moon passes in front of the sun.) More generally, IOTA added, "Such observations are useful for refining knowledge of the positions and motions of stars, and can be used to improve parameters such as the tilt of the Earth's equator relative to the ecliptic (the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun) and even the rotation of the Milky Way galaxy." There's a catch to grazing occultations, however; observers usually need to travel because the "path" of the occultation is just a few miles across, IOTA added. It's easiest to watch a star disappear behind the moon during the first two weeks of the lunar cycle, when the leading edge of the moon is in shadow. To see a star's reappearance, it's easiest in the last two weeks of the lunar cycle, when the trailing edge of the moon is dark. Very rarely, the moon can occult two planets at the same time. The last occasion was in 1998, when it passed in front of Venus and Jupiter. The next "double conjunction" will take place with Mercury and Mars in 2056. Asteroid occultations Asteroids are small, rocky bodies in the solar system. There are many locations for them, including some that pass by Earth and others that orbit in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. Occasionally, an asteroid may pass in front of a star. Since an asteroid is very small, it's important to be very precise in where you travel to watch the occultation, IOTA said. It's also best to record the occultation with a video or CCD camera since the dip in light can be subtle. If you can't travel to watch an asteroid occultation, there may still be some value to watching one happen away from the "shadow line," IOTA added. That's because sometimes watching an occultation can find a hidden moon. "Such secondary occultations should be expected to occur within plus or minus one minute of the actual asteroid occultation and be of very short duration, perhaps a fraction of a second, and may be quite distant from the predicted asteroid shadow line," the organization said. Planetary occultations These are some of the most famous occultations because they revealed basic science about the planets in our solar system. Perhaps the best-known example is when scientists observed Uranus moving in front of a star in 1977 from NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory (in other words, in midair). The scientists found rings, NASA wrote, because "they noticed the starlight winking on and off as the star first appeared to move toward the planet, and then again as the star moved away from the planet." Pluto's tenuous atmosphere, although mapped in detail by New Horizons after a flyby in 2015, was actually known about decades beforehand. In 1988, a star occultation revealed Pluto has a nitrogen atmosphere. Scientists could even see example of a "fog" layer in Pluto's atmosphere because the star suddenly changed in brightness, according to the French space agency CNRS. Planets can sometimes pass in front of other planets (which last happened when Venus transited Jupiter in 1818; the same occultation will happen again in 2065.) Planets can also occult extremely bright stars. The last occurrence was in 1959, when Venus passed in front of the star Regulus. Another occurrence between these celestial bodies is slated to happen in 2044. As for the sun, Mercury passes in front of it several times in a century; the last time was in 2016, and the next time will be in 2019. In recent history, Venus passed in front of the sun in 2004 and 2012; the next transit will be in 2117. Scientists used the Venus transit to improve their exoplanet studies. They measured its diameter and probed its atmosphere using the transit technique, then compared it to data we already have to see if the transit technique could help us make predictions about exoplanets. Uranus will appear to slip behind the moon on June 11, 2015 in a lunar occultation. It will be visible from southern Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, where the local time will be June 12. (Image credit: Starry Night Software Artificial occultations Occultations can also be artificially produced to take a look at certain phenomenon in detail. Perhaps the best-known use is blocking the light of the sun or a star to see what is nearby. Telescopes on Earth and in space regularly block the sun's light to observe the corona, the faint outer atmosphere of the sun that is otherwise blinded by the main part of the sun's disk. For the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft, blocking the sun's light created an unexpected side benefit; the spacecraft turned out to be an awesome "sun-grazer" comet catcher. SOHO has found more than 3,000 comets using this method, including the infamous Comet ISON that was first predicted to light up Earth's skies in late 2013. The comet broke up after passing by the sun, but not before brightening briefly and causing some confusion about if it had died or not. A device called a "starshade" could help scientists search for life on other worlds by using occultation. Some suggest using a starshade in conjunction with NASA's planned Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), which would launch in the mid-2020s. The basic idea is to block starlight and allow scientists to see a planet directly, rather than waiting until it passes in front of the star (or measuring the star's wobble for gravitational influences from planets.) Starshades are being tested on the ground, but none have flown in space before. Additional resources Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan has been the launch site for Soviet and Russian space missions since the beginning of space exploration in 1957. The first satellite and the first human flew into space from there. Today, the site is heavily used for Soyuz astronaut launches to the International Space Station. The site has mostly been used to launch Soviet Union and Russian cosmonauts, but after the Cold War cooled, some American and European astronauts started to launch there as well. After the space shuttle program retired in 2011, NASA shifted to having all of its astronauts fly from Baikonur until the new Commercial Crew Program is ready to launch astronauts. Test flights for the program are currently expected in 2018 or 2019, so around the 2020s fewer American launches are expected from Baikonur. Russia has also built a new launch site, Vostochny, which is eventually expected to take over many of the launches of Baikonur. Baikonur, although it is located in Kazakhstan, is an enclave of Russian territory. The Kazakh and Russian governments work together on the maintenance and operations of Baikonur, with Russia paying at least $115 million annually to lease the land. While operations continue at Baikonur, the two countries have had some disputes over how to manage the space complex over the decades. Location and early history To this day, Baikonur remains somewhat remote. It is 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) from Moscow. The launch complex is on a desert steppe east of the Aral Sea. The region is known for its harsh climate, and was mainly chosen because of its advantage for radio communications as well as its remoteness, according to Russian journalist and space historian Anatoly Zak. While its average temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius), NASA says its temperatures can range from minus 40 F (minus 40 C) in winter to 113 F (45 C) in summer. "The name Baikonur is misleading," NASA wrote of the complex. "The former Soviet Union used the name and coordinates of a small mining town, Baikonur, to describe the location of its rocket complex. In fact, the launch complex is about 322 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of the mining town near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan. This misrepresentation was done intentionally to hide the actual location of the launch complex. Although the true location is now known, the launch complex is still referred to as Baikonur." Baikonur's origins came with the Soviet desire to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles; the extended range and tracking system required did not fit existing Soviet facilities at the time. A site search was conducted in high secrecy and has only been revealed in recent decades to people such as Zak, who pieced together the area's early history through reading documents and doing interviews. The reasons for choosing what is now known as Baikonur are complex, but one major factor (according to Zak) appears to be the existence of a rail spur connected with what was then called the Kazakhstanskaya Railroad. This allowed for building materials, and later the rockets themselves, to be transported to the site. Construction started in 1955 in high secrecy; by 1957, the United States was aware of an ICBM site in the area and had U-2 aircraft scanning the zone, Zak says. A Soyuz rocket and spacecraft are seen at the launchpad at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 16, 2016, ahead of a planned March 18 launch that will send three spaceflyers toward the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) Space-age pad The first successful space launch from Baikonur is also the first successful space launch of a satellite Sputnik-1, which left Earth on Oct. 4, 1957. The cosmodrome only officially received the name "Baikonur," however, after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went into space on April 12, 1961 also a world first. Rather than reveal the location of the facility, the Soviet Union achieved its world record by telling the International Aviation Federation that it had launched from the town of Baikonur, Zak says. Prior to Gagarin's flight, Baikonur was host to the worst launch pad failure in history, known informally as the Nedelin Catastrophe after a high-ranking Soviet official who was killed in the disaster. It happened when an R-16 missile detonated on the pad due to various factors (including skipped safety checks and a rushed launch schedule) and killed an estimated 150 people on Oct. 24, 1960. The incident was kept secret for decades, even from the families of disaster victims. Baikonur was the site for all major Soviet launches, and remains so for most Russian launches today. Some of its notable early missions include the first spacecraft to go close to the moon (Luna 1, 1959); the first flight of a female in space (Valentina Tereshkova, 1963); the first flight to carry two people (Voskhod 1, 1964) and the first crewed launch to a space station (Soyuz 11, 1971). Baikonur also was the launch site for two fatal missions; Soyuz 11's three cosmonauts (Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev) died during re-entry, and the parachute failed to deploy during the first re-entry of the Soyuz spacecraft (Soyuz 1) in 1967, killing Vladimir Komarov, the single cosmonaut on board. On July 3, 1969, the Soviets made a test attempt to launch a heavy rocket capable of sending humans to the moon known as the N-1. At the time, NASA was only three weeks away from making the first moon landing. A rocket failure caused part of the N-1's fuel to detonate, heavily damaging the launch pad and surrounding area. No fatalities were reported in the incident, Zak says, which was kept secret for some time. The N-1 program underwent four test launches between 1969 and 1972, all of which ended in failure. The Soviets have launched missions to many space stations over the decades, starting with the fatal Soyuz 11 flight to Salyut 1 (the first space station) in 1967. Notably, the Soviet Union began opening its flights to other nations in 1978 under the Interkosmos program, which saw participating Soyuz astronauts from more than a dozen other nations through the late 1980s. The Soyuz program continues to this day, continuing to launch astronauts after more than four decades of operating different versions of the spacecraft. The Soviets created their own space shuttle, called Buran, which flew autonomously from Baikonur in 1988 on top of an Energia rocket. Buran only flew once, in part because the Soviet Union was running short on funds ahead of its collapse in 1991. The flown Buran prototype was stored in a hangar at Baikonur, where it remained until a roof collapse at the aging facility in 2002. The prototype was reportedly destroyed in the collapse. Americans launch from Baikonur After the Soviet Union fell in 1991, Kazakhstan and Russia underwent a negotiation process to determine what to do with Baikonur. (Some of the effects are outlined in the next section below.) The handover at Baikonur took some time to accomplish, and Russia was also unclear on the future of the Mir space station. This led to a delay for when Sergei Krikalev a cosmonaut on space station Mir during the Soviet collapse could come home, despite the health risks to having him in stay in microgravity for longer, according to Discover magazine. The Americans also stepped in with a financial agreement to help stabilize Russia's finances. NASA and Russia began joint missions to the Mir space station (including launching American astronauts from Baikonur) so that NASA could start learning from the Russians' long-duration stays in space on their various space stations. NASA docked at Mir using the space shuttle, a vehicle it used for spaceflight between 1981 and 2011. Shuttle-Mir (as the joint program was called) was a precursor to learning to work together for the International Space Station program, which began construction in 1998. Some observers say the Shuttle-Mir program also allowed the U.S. government to financially stabilize the Russian space program during a difficult time, ensuring the two sides would stay allies. The first American to fly into space on a Soyuz spacecraft was Norman Thagard, in 1995. The United States retired its aging space shuttle program in 2011, by which time several Americans had flown into space on Soyuz. To fill the gap until commercial flights began, the United States paid for seats on the Soyuz for all astronauts going to the International Space Station for the U.S. segment. The Commercial Crew Program is expected to run test flights in 2018 and 2019 and as it moves into operations, this will greatly reduce U.S. demand for Soyuz seats. The date for commercial crew operations has been pushed back several years; when the space shuttle first retired in 2011, NASA expected that SpaceX and Boeing could start launching astronauts from U.S. soil again in 2015. Now it likely won't be until 2019, at the earliest. NASA's Office of the Inspector General issued a 2016 report noting the additional costs the commercial crew delays incurred. Business Insider reported in an article about the OIG's work that Roscosmos used to charge NASA as little as $21.8 million per seat in 2008. In 2018, that price was expected to go up 372 percent to $81 million per astronaut. "Had the agency met its original goal of securing commercial crew transportation by calendar year 2015, NASA could have avoided paying Russia close to $1 billion for Soyuz seats in 2017 and 2018, even factoring in the purchase of some seats in 2016 to cover the expected transition period," the OIG report stated. Some of the major locations at Baikonur today, according to Zak, include: Site 1 (launches Soyuz, Soyuz-U and U2 boosters) Site 10 (the main residential area) Site 15 (Krainy airfield) Site 17 (the hotel and VIP cottage zone) Site 31 (the launch and processing complex for R-7 ICBM) Site 81 (where the Proton rocket launches) Site 112 (where a flight version of the Buran space shuttle was destroyed during a roof collapse in 2002) Site 254 (where Soyuz and Progress spacecraft are refurbished Tensions with local population Unrest at Baikonur in 1992 and 1993 in the wake of the Soviet Union collapse, including reports of problems in food, heating and social facilities, led a U.S. congressional delegation to visit the area in December 1993. However, the situation stabilized approximately a year later when Kazakhstan and Russian decided on a leasing deal, and the Russian government also made direct interventions, according to GlobalSecurity.org. The countries have had some disputes over Baikonur maintenance and operations in the decades since, according to Zak. In September 2007, a Proton rocket crashed in Kazakhstan, causing the country's government to ban all Proton rockets for two months as well as to ask Russia for $61 million in compensation. Since Baikonur has no large body of water nearby, rocket stages fall in the desert surrounding it in a designated drop zone. In 2011, Vladimir Popkovin (the head of the Russian space agency) told Russia's parliament that Kazakhstan had removed its ban on launching Russian ballistic missiles, Zak noted. A year later, however, Kazakhstan and Russia briefly butted heads over creating a new drop zone in the northwest of Kazakhstan, which is populated, to accommodate launches such as for the satellites Meteor-2 and Kanopus. In 2013, the New York Times reported that about 70 percent of Baikonur's residents were actually Kazakh citizens. But when the Soviet Union broke up, only about one-third of the population was Kazakh. The Times reported that Baikonur's city is behind on maintenance because the lease is seen as temporary, and there are ethnic tensions as well as issues with labor and drugs. In June 2017, a worker from Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia rocket and space company died while attempting to stop a brush fire in the desert. The fire started after a stage of a Russian Soyuz-2.1a rocket fell nearby, according to Russian news agency TASS. In May 2018, Russia transferred to Kazakhstan 44.8 square miles of the Baikonur Cosmodrome's territory as well as two platforms for a rocket known as Zenit-M, the Eurasia Daily Monitor reported. But as the news outlet pointed out, Kazakhstan even though it owns these platforms will only be able to operate them through joint projects with Russia, since Russia has the actual rockets. Further, Kazakhstan will have to spend about $245 million to upgrade the infrastructure of the launch pads. The two countries are attempting to pursue partnerships in regard to the upcoming Soyuz 5 and Phoenix rockets, which are reportedly scheduled to start launches for 2022 and 2035, respectively. Russia and Kazakhstan have had other disputes concerning Baikonur over the years, the Monitor continued. This included disputes that eventually derailed a joint space launch complex for the Angara rocket, as well as issues surrounding taxes, health and the environment. Still, the Monitor said, Russia and Kazakhstan will likely work together at least until the lease is complete. "Russia's upcoming transfer of certain Baikonur launch facilities to Kazakhstan will make the two countries' space programs even more dependent on each other," it wrote. The Soyuz TMA-11M rocket is erected into position after being rolled out to the launch pad by train on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) Russia builds a new launch complex Russia has wanted to return rocket launches to its own soil for decades; the country previously considered a cosmodrome called Svobodny, but the project failed due to a lack of funds, according to Zak. Talk of building a new complex only resumed after soaring oil prices buoyed the Russian economy. In 2011, Russia began construction on a new launch complex in eastern Russia, called Vostochny. It is located in eastern Siberia near the Chinese border. Observers said that the Russians wanted a launch pad on its own soil for both financial and political reasons (because the Russians wanted to have more autonomy over launch decisions.) The complex was expected to cost $7.5 billion when construction started in 2011, according to NBC News. That's four times higher than the original projected cost of $1.9 billion. In 2013, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pledged Vostochny would host crewed launches within five years, but there have been difficulties with meeting that deadline. Construction workers on the site went on strike in 2015 after several weeks without salary, according to Radio Svododa. Putin pledged personal oversight of construction, which was taking place amid a decline in the Russian economy, CNN reported. In 2018, a high-ranking official overseeing Vostochny's construction was sentenced to 12 years in prison amid corruption allegations. The first launch at Vostochny took place in April 2016, when three satellites were launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. The second launch occurred in November 2017 and saw a $45 million weather satellite lost due to human error; the mission was accidentally programmed as though it was launching from Baikonur. In late 2017, an article in Ars Technica pointed out that Russia's dominating position in space is changing and companies may soon go elsewhere for launches. Commercial competitor SpaceX had 16 launches in 2017, including 11 for customers. Russia had more launches than SpaceX (17) but only one-third of them for customers outside of the Russian government. Russia is developing a Soyuz-5 booster that is expected to be ready in 2021. SpaceX, however, will also evolve in the coming years, providing stiff competition. The Guiana Space Center is a facility used by the European Space Agency and the French government to launch satellites into space. The center is located near Kourou in French Guiana. The French government began launching satellites there in 1964, and offered to share it with the European Space Agency when the latter was created in 1975. ESA contributes two-thirds of the spaceport's annual budget every year. The spaceport has also been used for launches for the United States, Japan, Canada, India and Brazil, among other countries. Location and summary Like many launch sites worldwide, Kourou is located near the equator. Its latitude is 5 degrees 3 minutes north, ESA says, which makes it a good location to launch missions that will operate at or near the equator. That's because the Earth's rotation acts as an extra source of propulsion for the rocket as it brings the satellite into space, saving fuel and money. It also allows for satellites to be heavier since less fuel is required. French Guiana is also only lightly populated, with about 90 percent of the country covered by forests rather than human habitations. It's in a zone that is not prone to earthquakes or hurricanes, and its launch angle of 102 degrees allow for several kinds of missions to launch to the east or the north. In 1962, the French space agency (CNES) started to look for a launch site close to the equator. Fourteen sites were considered among several selection criteria. Some of those criteria included political stability, the existence of a port and an airport, and enough geographical area to ensure launch security, CNES said on a webpage written in French. On April 14, 1964, Prime Minister Georges Pompidou officially chose Guiana due to numerous attributes, such as its location near the equator, its small population, its excellent access to the Atlantic Ocean, its stable climate and the fact that there was already some infrastructure in place that could be expanded for a future space site. The spaceport's first mission was in April 1968, when the liquid-propellant French Veronique sounding rocket lifted off, according to launch provider Arianespace. Other missions followed, with the Diamant B launch vehicle (starting in 1970) and the European Europa launcher (1971). After the Europa program ended, European launch programs continued with the Ariane series (which is ongoing today). Ariane initially operated from the ELA-1 Launch Complex (the same complex that Europa used) between 1979 and 1989, during which time 25 Ariane vehicles were launched. (The facility is now being repurposed for Arianespace's forthcoming Vega set of lighter rockets.) ELA-2 saw 116 launches of the Ariane 2, 3 and 4 launch vehicles between June 1998 and February 2003. ELA-3 began operations in 2008 for heavy-lift Ariane 5 launches. The program is still ongoing and is well-known for launching all five Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo ship to the International Space Station between 2008 and 2014. Arianespace's medium-launch Soyuz rocket also began operations at Guiana in 2011. The Soyuz launch site at Europe's spaceport near Kourou, in French Guiana. (Image credit: ESA/S. Corvaja) Recent notable launches Excluding launches of various new rocket types by Arianespace, here are some of the notable missions that took place in the past few years (or will very shortly) after a launch at the Guiana Space Center. March 2, 2004: An Ariane rocket launched the Rosetta mission that made its way to Comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko, arriving in August 2014. After three months mapping the surface, Rosetta deployed the lander Philae that touched down on Nov. 12, 2014. Philae was supposed to hook into the comet's surface, but the harpoons failed to deploy after a decade of being in space. The solar-powered lander bounced several times and landed in a shady area, using its dwindling battery power to do just over 60 hours of work on the surface. Rosetta continued studying the comet for almost two years. On September 30, 2016, controllers sent the spacecraft into a final plunge into the comet, ending its mission. The controlled dive came as the comet headed toward the outer solar system, where the spacecraft would not be able to continue to operate under solar power. March 9, 2008: The first Automated Transfer Vehicle (named Jules Verne) left for the International Space Station. This series of five cargo vehicles was not only used to bring cargo to the orbiting complex, but also was studied to improve future space mission design. For example, sensors were used in the last mission, Georges Lemaitre, which deorbited in 2015. Scientists were interested in seeing how the spacecraft broke up as it re-entered the atmosphere, and planned to use the information for future landing vehicles. May 14, 2009: The Herschel and Planck space telescopes were brought into space together on an Ariane 5 rocket. Both observatories operated until 2013. Herschel, an infrared telescope, discovered molecular oxygen in space and also did studies of deuterium in the comet Hartley 2. The findings suggested some comets share the same kind of water as Earth. Planck mapped the cosmic microwave background, which is the leftover glow of the energy of the Big Bang. March 2021: Though its launch date has been pushed back several times, the James Webb Space Telescope is expected to launch from the center. The telescope is a next-generation successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, and will be most powerful in infrared wavelengths. JWST's mission is to uncover the origins of the universe, including when the first galaxies formed. The telescope is also able to examine exoplanets and perhaps probe the atmospheres of some of the closer and larger ones, which would be a huge boon to that field of science since atmospheric studies are mainly theoretical right now. A hydraulically-powered robot dummy designed for NASA to use in testing spacesuits, circa 1963-1965, is heading for auction. Before NASA launched men to walk on the moon, the space agency almost turned to a human-like robot to test its astronauts' prototype spacesuits. The hydraulic-powered android might have worked, too had it not been for its tendency to leak oil when used. Now, 50 years after its rejection, one of the robot dummies is set to be sold among 100 "Remarkable Rarities" offered by RR Auction. The 10-day online auction will begin Sept. 15 and culminate in a live sale at Royal Sonesta Boston on Sept. 26. "Only two of the test robots were produced the other is on display and owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum," Robert Livingston, RR Auction executive vice president, in a statement. "This [robot] was purchased as surplus from the University of Maryland." [Meet Valkyrie: NASA's Humanoid Robot in Photos] The so-called "Power Driven Articulated Dummy" project ran from May 22, 1963 through July 31, 1965. Produced by the IIT Research Institute in Chicago, the robot could be used to simulate 35 basic human motions. It was equipped with sensors at each joint to measure the forces imposed on the human body by a pressurized spacesuit. "It was impressive on the motions it could make," said Joe Kosmo, a retired NASA suit engineer, in an interview with space historian Andrew Chaikin for Smithsonian magazine in May, describing the robot on display at the institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Though a person could climb into a spacesuit and describe how it felt, the articulated dummy was designed to provide quantitative data for a more scientific approach to refining the suit's design. NASAs life-size robot dummy could simulate 35 basic human motions and was equipped with torque sensors at each joint to gather data on forces imposed on the body by a pressurized spacesuit. (Image credit: RR Auction) That is, if it didn't destroy the spacesuit in the process. The robot dummy's movements were enabled by hydraulic actuators powered by oil that flowed through a nylon-tube circulatory system. The design allowed for the android to swivel its hips, raise and lower its arms and legs, shrug its shoulders, clench its fists, and even shake hands but it could not handle the pressure needed to move the robot's extremities without leaking. [The Evolution of NASA Spacesuits (Photos)] "Leaking oil would contaminate the suit. We didn't want to risk ruining a suit," stated Kosmo. "You couldn't place the dummy inside a one-of-a-kind spacesuit." Despite trying some creative solutions, including outfitting the robot in a scuba diving wetsuit, the problem was never solved. NASA dropped the project and directed its funding elsewhere. "This remarkable robot [dummy] stands as a testament to the innovative creativity NASA inspired," Livingston said. Weighing 230 lbs. (104 kg), the android's height could be adjusted from 5 feet, 5 inches to 6 feet, 2 inches (1.5 to 1.8 m) to represent the average American male from the 5th to 95th percentile. The robot's exterior was covered with an aluminum skin and topped with a fiberglass head. Its "face" could be removed to access interior connections. The dummy up for auction is missing a forearm and hand, has various scuffs and dings to its body, and some of its wiring is frayed or damaged, according to RR Auction. It is estimated to sell for more than $80,000. The spacesuit test robot is included among a dozen other aviation and space exploration artifacts being auctioned as part of RR's Remarkable Rarities sale. Other auction highlights include a nearly 2-foot-long (61 cm) exterior panel fragment from NASA's Mercury 1 space capsule and a 1969-1970 guest book from Richard Nixon's Air Force One signed by Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the wives of the Apollo 13 crew and President Lyndon B. Johnson, among other historical NASA leaders. See NASA's spacesuit test robot in action in a Smithsonian video at collectSPACE.com. Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2016 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. So far, very few refugees have succeeded in breaking into the job market. According to the Federal Labor Office, 322,000 refugees were registered as seeking employment in July -- in other words, those whose asylum applications had already been approved. Refugees and migrants have no access to the job market until they have been granted asylum. Of the 322,000 registered refugees, 141,000 were unemployed. Many speak little or no German at all or have inadequate education. However, the majority are still young, and the hope is that migrants can be integrated into the labor market through education and training programs. Crime Germans were alarmed by the New Year's Eve assaults in Cologne. Had Germany introduced a crime problem by allowing the refugees into the country? Of course, the normal statistical probability also applies to refugees. In any group of a million people, there are bound to be those who do not abide by the law. But the statistics compiled by the authorities also show that the probability is no higher among refugees than in the domestic population. According to police crime statistics, the number of criminal acts increased by about 4 percent in 2015 over the previous year. The increase was mainly attributable to a rise in asylum- and visa-related offences. If these offences are factored out of the equation, the number of criminal acts remained virtually constant, even though the number of people in the country had increased by hundreds of thousands. The events in Cologne triggered a debate about whether a perpetrator's country of origin should be mentioned in connection with the offence. In fact, there is no denying that a certain group of immigrants are more likely to attract the attention of law enforcement. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), migrants from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are suspected of committing a crime significantly more frequently than people from other countries. In one respect, the refugee crisis has led to an increase in crime statistics. But in this case the migrants are the victims, not the perpetrators. This year, the BKA has already recorded 665 assaults on refugee accommodations. There were 1,031 such assaults in 2015, or five times as many as in the previous year. The attacks in Wurzburg and Ansbach also cast a spotlight on the possible relationship between immigration and the risk of terror. Both perpetrators came to the country as refugees, albeit before last year's big migration wave. Both were not previously on the radar of security authorities. The authorities routinely follow up on tips about the alleged Islamist activities of refugees. There was recently talk of more than 400 such reports, but investigators have yet to uncover concrete plans for an attack. However, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, is concerned that radical groups are trying to recruit members in refugee hostels. Deportations A tiresome topic in politics -- the "accelerated repatriation of rejected asylum-seekers" is part of every action plan. The number of deportations in Germany has in fact risen considerably. However, the system still does not appear to be efficient. According to the central register of foreign nationals, there are currently more than 220,000 people in Germany who should be required to leave the country. Of that total, 172,000 are officially tolerated because, for example, there are wars raging in their native countries. But there are also plenty of other reasons preventing deportations. In the case of rejected asylum-seekers who have no identity papers, for example, there is often a presumption by the authorities that the person's native country will not accept them. This is often employed as a strategy by people entering Germany, and several thousand people use this approach to avoid deportation. The German government is now pressing many countries to be more cooperative when it comes to repatriating their citizens. Asylum-seekers also can't be deported if they are unable to travel due to illness. A plan to allow only government doctors to issue the relevant health reports is now being discussed. Another problem is that many asylum-seekers facing deportation go into hiding. In order to make this more difficult, the time of deportation is no longer announced in advance. Politics and Society The European Union is drifting apart with Brexit and squabbling between member states, Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party, the CSU, are at odds , and the Alternative for Germany party is doing well in the polls. In fact, the right-wing populist party even threatens to overtake the Christian Democrats in the state parliamentary election in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday, Sept. 4. The refugee crisis is shaking up politics and polarizing society. Thousands of Germans are volunteering to help refugees, taking over where the authorities are too slow or overburdened. On the other hand, many fear that refugees are changing the country . Xenophobic sentiments are on the rise, people are taking to the streets to protest what they see as the Islamization of Germany, citizens are trying to block refugee housing and politicians are berated as "traitors." "Germany will remain Germany," Chancellor Merkel tells these self-appointed concerned citizens, "with everything that is near and dear to us." But it remains completely unclear whether and when the cracks in German society will be repaired. It's clear that China's Communist Party is investing enormous amounts of money in its transit routes toward Central Asia and in new economic zones. The standard of living among Kashgar residents is rising, and tax-advantaged high-tech parks have created new jobs in the provincial capital of Urumqi. The economy is growing at 9 percent in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, outpacing growth in many other parts of the country. In return, Beijing expects gratitude and compliance -- mistakenly. For most Uighurs, there is something far more important than having a better choice of goods to buy: respect for their people and their religion, Islam. Instead, they often experience the opposite. Mosques are placed under video surveillance, Muslim men are no longer permitted to wear long beards, and Chinese officials force their children to break the fast during Ramadan. Economic and political elites welcome the opportunities brought by Beijing's financial injections, but the local population in Xinjiang view the new Silk Road, and the domination by Han Chinese that comes with it, with considerable skepticism. This is a recurring pattern, with concerns becoming even greater immediately beyond China's borders. Almaty, Kazakhstan Almaty, Kazakhstan Two airlines now serve the route from Urumqi to Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan. New roads and railroad lines now bridge the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) distance between the two large cities. A special economic zone is being established in the Chinese border town of Khorgas. China's neighbor plays a key role in the Silk Road strategy. It is no accident that Chinese leader Xi Jinping first mentioned the new project in Kazakhstan, in September 2013, during a meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. On the surface, at least, his host seemed enthusiastic about the project. He had his railroad minister announce that the country would invest several billion US dollars in new trains and lines in the next five years. Nazarbayev, 76, the son of a shepherd and head of the regional Communist Party during the Soviet era, has been president of the independent Republic of Kazakhstan for a quarter century. He's an authoritarian ruler and ever since he built Astana, a new capital of glass-walled skyscrapers in the middle of the desert, the West sees him as a megalomaniac. Nazarbayev rules a country that is almost eight times the size of Germany but has a population of less than 20 million. He can afford extravagant projects because he controls massive natural resources, including oil, natural gas and uranium. So far, he has managed to sedate the population with revenues from these mineral reserves, but now Kazakhstan is also suffering from falling commodity prices. The per capita income, measured in dollars, has declined by half since 2013, and the economy is stagnating. Nazarbayev skillfully cooperates with the various major powers, allowing the Americans to exploit Kazakhstan's natural resources, making the European Union the country's biggest trading partner and cooperating with the Russians in the Eurasian Economic Union and in security groups. But he pays special attention to his country's "strategic partnership" with China. In recent years, pipelines have been completed to bring crude oil and natural gas from the Caspian Sea directly to the Peoples' Republic. The Chinese now control almost a third of Kazakh natural resources and are in the process of buying their way into the agricultural sector on a large scale. At the beginning of this year, Nazarbayev signed a law that granted foreign investors 25-year leases on real estate, triggering a storm of protest that shook the foundations of his power. "Down with the Chinese, Kazakhstan for the Kazakhs!" an agitated crowd chanted in a demonstration near the National Museum in late May -- despite the fact that Nazarbayev had already withdrawn the law by then and dismissed his economics minister. The public anger was directed against the alleged "selling out" of the country. A short time later, armed men attacked members of the national guard in the industrial city of Aktobe. Twenty-five people died in the ensuing firefight in early June. And the protests continue. For many Kazakhs, the new Silk Road is not a promise but a threat. This suspicion is especially palpable in the Korgas special economic zone on the border. On the Chinese side, new businesses sprang up, apartment buildings were built and luxurious shopping developed. On the Kazakh side of the border, only a few gas stations and kiosks are complete, and gaping empty lots alternate with giant garbage dumps. Kazakhs come to Korgas with the new fast train from Almaty, buy cheap Chinese goods "over there" and take the evening train home. But this minor border traffic is of little importance to Beijing. It is more interested in the big picture, and Korgas' important role as a hub through which trains roll on their way to Central Asia, Iran and, ultimately, Europe. The turnover of goods has reportedly doubled in Korgas since 2014. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan If there is anyone who is equally at home in China and Russia, the European Union and the United States, and who can evaluate the Silk Road project from a Central Asian perspective, it is Djoomart Otorbaev, the former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan. After a year in office, he became an independent political consultant in the spring of 2015. Since then, he has spent his time as an intermediary between different worlds, regularly jetting back and forth between Beijing and Moscow, Astana and Brussels. Bishkek, a four-hour drive from Almaty on an upgraded highway, was a caravan station in the days of the classic Silk Road. Today the sleepy city, with its Stalinist architecture, feels like a vestige of the Soviet era. The image is misleading, because Kyrgyzstan is more cosmopolitan, democratic and liberal than its neighbors. The small country of nomads, with a population of 6 million, maintains good relations with the West, as well as with China and Russia. Kyrgyzstan is both a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Moscow-dominated Eurasian Economic Union. "We are a poor country, wedged between the high mountains of the Tian Shan and the Pamir, without access to the sea," says Otorbaev. He praises his country's free election as "exemplary" but is critical of rampant corruption among the Kyrgyz elite. "For trade and tourism, we need every conceivable connection to the outside world, including open borders and transport routes. That's why we can only benefit from China's Silk Road project." He admires China for having lifted so many people from total poverty in the last few decades, more than any other country in the past. "But China should grant its citizens more freedom at home. And it shouldn't behave like an elephant in a china shop abroad." Otorbaev, trained as a physician, likes to dissect the situation in his native region. Whenever the Chinese overrun a place, he says, it goes like this: "They bring their own people, and they start by building what they want. And then if someone demands a permit, they bribe the relevant officials." But Beijing cannot succeed in the long run if it continues to exploit its status as the economically stronger country. "The Chinese lack soft power. They don't understand that if you want to succeed in the long term, you need to win over people's hearts." Still, he adds, senior Communist Party officials are at least listening to his criticism now, and this is progress, but it hasn't led to any consequences yet. A New Marshall Plan In an ideal scenario, the new Silk Road could become the biggest economic stimulus program since the Marshall Plan, with which the United States helped Germany get back on its feet after World War II. Russia should also benefit from the initiative. And Moscow, which needs investment during its current recession, is fundamentally interested in closer cooperation with the Peoples' Republic. Nevertheless, the Kremlin is deeply suspicious of an increasingly self-confident China. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that Beijing aims to solidify its dominant political position with the Silk Road initiative. Iran and Turkey strongly support the Silk Road project. The first direct train from China arrived in Tehran in February to unanimous applause. The Peoples' Republic has long been the Islamic Republic's biggest export partner, and the Iranians are grateful to the political leadership in Beijing for supplying them with high-tech goods and allowing Iran to continue exporting its raw materials during the sanctions. Even today, after most economic restrictions have been lifted, Tehran is unwilling to place all its bets on the West and reportedly intends to remain loyal to Beijing when it comes to lucrative deals. Turkey takes a similar view of the situation. The normally self-confident Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is very accommodating to the Chinese. This may be because Turkey has few friends in international politics at the moment. And with an economy in crisis, billions from China come at just the right time. But the new Silk Road is experiencing the greatest and most surprising success in a region that its "classic" precursor never touched: Eastern Europe. Minsk, Belarus Minsk, Belarus The most exclusive five-star hotel in the capital of Belarus is called the Beijing, an ostentatious building with 180 rooms and a conference center that holds 500 guests. The hotel was a joint project by companies from both countries. The most popular restaurant in Minsk is also named after the Chinese city, and one of the items on the menu is baozi, dumplings filled with pork or bean paste. Cantonese pop rules in the karaoke bars along the city's ring road. More than 10,000 immigrant workers have come to Belarus from China in the last two years alone. Next to Ukrainians, they are the largest group of foreign workers. Air China recently introduced four nonstop flights a week from Beijing to Minsk -- an astonishing development, considering that the two cities are 6,500 kilometers (4,040 miles) apart, and Belarus has much closer historic and cultural ties to Russia. The Union State of Russia and Belarus is a defense and economic community, and in better times political leaders in Moscow and Minsk even considered merging the two countries. But now the Chinese are gaining ground in Belarus, where they spare neither prestige nor effort, nor cost, to outdo their trade rivals from Russia and the EU. When Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Minsk in May 2015, his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, 61, rushed to the airport to pick up his guest in person and greet him with bread and salt. Xi had joint ventures established in which the Chinese held at least one more decisive vote than the rest. The most significant of these major projects is called "Great Stone." The site near the Minsk airport measuring roughly 80 square kilometers (30 square miles) is currently being developed into a giant industrial park. In phase 1 of the Great Stone project, forests are being cut down and bulldozers are digging deep into the ground. Large propaganda signs proclaim, in Russian, Chinese and English: "Time is Money, Organization is Life." Almost all the guest workers from the Far East work at the site, which will include company buildings, as well as schools, hospitals and housing for 170,000 people. The E30, the highway that connects Berlin with Moscow, passes nearby. It is quite possible that this route will eventually become an appendage of the new Silk Road, which will then lead to Beijing. Widespread Eastern European Interest As important as Belarus is as a new bridgehead in the region for Xi Jinping, he isn't putting all of his eggs in one basket. Last November, the Chinese president invited 16 Eastern European leaders to his hometown of Suzhou. It was the fourth summit meeting of its kind, and it took place largely without the participation of Western media. In China, however, the newspapers were filled with stories about the two-day meeting, which was celebrated as a milestone along the new Silk Road. And just as their hosts probably expected, all of the Eastern Europeans tried to secure a piece of the big pie -- irrespective of whether this could jeopardize their own strategic interests. In contrast to Central Asia, where some projects currently exist only on paper, many programs are already underway in Eastern Europe. Beijing reached an agreement with Serbia and Hungary in which it is paying for a new high-speed train from Belgrade to Budapest. Chinese firms are involved in the development of hydroelectric dams in Croatia and Poland. In Lithuania, funds from Beijing are being used to expand the Klaipeda port. And in the wake of President Xi Jinping's visit in late March 2016, the Czech Republic is also entertaining dreams of a privileged strategic partnership. "I would like to see the Czech Republic become China's gateway to the European Union," Czech President Milo Zeman said during the visit. Or will it become a gateway for something else? Aside from the Silk Road investments, China's state-owned companies are on an aggressive shopping spree, especially in the field of high technology. At the same time, the Communist Party uses protectionism to seal off Chinese companies in the Peoples' Republic from Western competition and harasses companies from the West. There is no sign of a unified EU strategy to combat this unequal treatment, or of a unified position on Beijing's Silk Road project. The Eastern European countries' rapprochement with the economic power from the Far East is viewed with suspicion in the EU. "It's our own fault if we in Europe do not speak with one voice," Chancellor Merkel said during a trip to Beijing last fall. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Three defendants remain in the civil suit brought by Matthew Badger, the father of the three girls killed in the 2011 Christmas Day fire in Shippan the City of Stamford, Director of Operations Ernie Orgera, and Chief Building Official Robert DeMarco. The girls mother, Badgers ex-wife, Madonna Badger, who also lost her parents in the house fire, has a similar lawsuit against the city, Orgera and DeMarco. Both suits, filed in 2012, allege that the city improperly inspected renovation work at Madonna Badgers home at 2267 Shippan Ave., that the city failed to identify that the contractor was not licensed in Connecticut, and that Orgera and DeMarco quickly tore down the structure and removed the debris to destroy possible evidence. Court records show that Matthew Badger offered to settle with the city, Orgera and DeMarco for $17 million. The city declined. Madonna Badgers attorney, Frank Corso, said Thursday her lawsuit is moving forward. We are still in the discovery phase, and that has to be completed by mid-January, said Corso, a personal injury attorney in Boston. After that, there will be a trial assignment. During discovery, the parties conduct sworn interviews and gather documents to determine the facts of the case. This week it was reported that Matthew Badger settled with two contractors who worked on the house, a $1.7 million, century-old Victorian overlooking Long Island Sound. Best Electrical Contracting of Trumbull agreed to pay $637,500 and New Canaan Design Partners paid $550,000. In 2014 Matthew Badger settled with the contractor for the renovation, Michael Borcina, and his company, Tiberius Construction, for $5 million. Borcina could not renew his state license because he had a trail of legal judgments against him for failing to complete projects. Ashes But in her suit, Madonna Badger, a prominent New York City advertising executive, targets City Hall. Among her allegations are that, six months before the fire, a city electrical inspector twice noted problems with fireblocking, a construction technique designed to prevent the quick spread of flames within walls. The inspector OKd the work anyway, according to the lawsuit. It alleges that city inspectors failed to cite Borcina for exceeding the scope of work allowed under his building permits, or for deviating from the plans. The fire marshal found three electrical circuit panels in her basement after the blaze, two of them new, but electrical permits obtained for the renovation did not authorize the installation of new panels, the suit alleges. And the two new panels were electrified by wiring tied to the old panel, it states. All of that is significant to Madonna Badger, who crawled out of her bedroom window in the Christmas-morning darkness and onto the roof, headed to her daughters burning bedrooms. She has said that she saw the electrical meter on the outside of the house throwing off big white sparks and making loud popping noises. But when an ambulance brought her to Stamford Hospital, and the fire marshal came to question her, Madonna Badger told him about the fireplace ashes. She and Borcina, who shed just begun dating at the time, had swept them from the hearth on Christmas Eve. She has said that Borcina placed the ashes in a bag and put his hand through them to make sure they were cold, then placed the bag in the mudroom. It must have been the ashes, she told the fire marshal. Demolition She has said that she came to regret her reply because the electrical meter hung on the mudroom wall, outside of where the ashes were placed. She has wondered whether fire marshals would have looked more closely at the electrical panels had she not told them about the ashes. But the electrical panels were demolished with the rest of the house, and irretrievably dumped. According to the lawsuit, DeMarco told an assistant fire marshal, Robert Sollitto, hours after the fire that the house would be torn down the next day. At about the same time, then-Fire Chief Antonio Conte was saying in a news conference that it would be a number of days before we actually find out how this occurred. According to the lawsuit, Sollitto told DeMarco that he wanted to inspect the electrical panels in the basement before the house was torn down. The following morning DeMarco went with Sollitto to inspect them. No inspection report was written, according to the lawsuit. Badger has questioned why DeMarco and his boss, Orgera, were in charge of the department that issued permits for the renovation work and inspected it, then also assessed the fire damage and decided to demolish the house before evidence could be examined further. According to the lawsuit, DeMarco told police Orgera decided to demolish the house. Orgera said it was DeMarco. DeMarco told police that Orgera told him that the owners wanted the house searched for personal property, since a good portion of it was not heavily damaged. So DeMarco hired a company to do that, though no one from the city supervised the search or saw what was recovered. The city has said the house was torn down because it was in imminent danger of collapse, but in the lawsuit Badger questions why, if that is so, DeMarco and Sollitto went into the basement to look at the electrical panels, and the hired company went in to search for her property. Neither jewelry from her bedroom, which was not badly damaged, nor other personal items were returned to her, Badger has said. DeMarco and Orgera demolished the house without notifying her, in violation of a law that says the homeowner must be notified first, according to her suit. So the years of legal wrangling over the tragedy that killed Lily Badger, 9, her twin sisters, Sarah and Grace, 7, and their grandparents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson, who were visiting that Christmas, have landed in three laps - the city, its operations director, and its chief building official. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK In the 26 years that Skip Dailey has owned his boat, he has always dreamed of taking an extended excursion beyond his mooring in Norwalk. On July 9, that dream came true as Dailey, a native of Darien, took a leave of absence from his job as a computer systems analyst in the maritime industry and set off on a nearly 1,100-mile trip on his 47-foot boat, The Idler. This boat, a Kenner Swanee, is made in Arkansas and is designed for inland waterways, so this is a trip that Ive always wanted to make, Dailey said. I headed over to Larchmont, then Hells Gate and then the Battery over to the Hudson, up to Buffalo, then to Lake Erie, then back. The boat, with its fiberglass hull and wood accents, travels up to 10 knots, and has many of the comforts of home. Theres a pilot berth in the center, a berth forward and a galley, he said. Theres air conditioning when Im docked. I will say though, I didnt bring a lot of provisions. I had most of my meals along the way. Part of the trip was a family excursion, with up to six passengers, and much of the trip was solo. He visited friends in Syracuse and Buffalo and enjoyed the sights along the way. Those sights included New York City, West Point, and Cuyahoga Lake. It was nice to have time to myself, but it was good all the way around, Dailey said. I wound up seeing friends I hadnt seen in a long time. He said that seas were reasonably calm and weather was favorable with the exception of some rough weather at his back during his return. I havent calculated how much fuel Ive used yet, Dailey said. Dailey returned to Norwalk on Wednesday and said he would take a trip like this again in a minute. Im not sure where Id like to go next, it all depends on my getting another long leave of absence from work, he said. llake@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Mary Savage beamed as she walked through the halls of the citys newest magnet school Thursday morning. The city rep and retired principal was pleased to join the opening ceremony of the districts 21st school more than four decades after graduating from Sacred Heart Academy, the girls Catholic school that formerly called the building home. Its absolutely amazing, Savage said, as she stared at the original ceilings of the 1925 building. Its just powerful to me to see the high school I attended welcome the next generation of Stamford students. The New School at 200 Strawberry Hill an extension of Rogers Magnet Elementarys International Baccalaureate program opened to 240 kindergartners and first-graders Thursday after a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local and state officials including Mayor David Martin, Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim and Principal Frank Rodriguez. Speakers addressed parents and community members, who stood under umbrellas in the rain. Im very excited to be part of this from the beginning, said Mirel Roig, whose daughter started the first grade Thursday. Roig pointed to the diverse faces in the crowd as proof that the IB program was the right choice for the school. This proves that this school is going to be for everyone, said Roig, who is a native of Mexico. The New School, which has yet to be named, will join a growing list of those around the globe to adopt the IB program, which aims to foster caring, open-minded, communicative thinkers who will help to create a more peaceful world through intercultural understanding. Its just great to see all the different, diverse faces of our parents and our kids, said Rodriguez, whos Mexican American himself. It is an example of what the IB program is about. Kim said the program demonstrates the global focus of the district. We are an international community with aspirations beyond the borders of the city, beyond this state, beyond this nation, he said. The school opens less than three years after the project was first proposed. The city bought the 10.8-acre property from the Sisters of St. Joseph in 2014 - eight years after the group closed Sacred Heart Academy. Though its officially open, construction will continue until at least 2018. The recently completed first phase of the project a $4 million undertaking began in January and included razing an old convent on the property and renovating the original school building and adjacent 1964 structure. The city expects to award a much larger contract next winter for construction of an additional wing. After the new wing is built - around fall 2018 - students will be moved there while the 1925 building is completed and the 1964 structure is converted into an auditorium. All three structures will be connected once the project is complete. Meanwhile, a new grade will be added each year until it becomes a K-8 school by 2023. The C.J. Starr Barn and Carriage House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will be rehabilitated in a later phase of the project. The entire expansion is estimated to cost $77 million, which officials said will be partly funded by the state. Officials say the decision to turn the property into an expansion of Rogers Magnet School circumventing a statewide ban on new magnet schools was a way to relieve overcrowding in the district. When the school is fully expanded, it will host about 900 students, a quarter of which will come from outside Stamford, per state law. This school is a very significant step forward for our school system and many of our elementary schools are benefiting from this new school opening today, said Board of Education President Geoff Alswanger. Rodriguez, who previously served as principal of K.T. Murphy Elementary School, mirrored the enthusiasm of everyone walking through the building. Seeing it come to fruition and seeing the building right now is just a great feeling, the principal said, adding that his baby boy was born just a week ago. Im full of energy... Were going to be doing marvelous things. noliveira@hearstmediact.com, 203-964-2265, @olivnelson NEWTOWN Police have arrested a Stamford man who they say made a threatening phone call to Sandy Hook Elementary School last month. Police arrested Pierre Beauvil, 28, of Euclid Avenue in Stamford, at about 2 p.m. Friday and charged him with breach of peace, harassment in the second degree and first-degree threatening after an exhaustive investigation, police said. C ommuters wont thank me for saying this, but the Southern rail fiasco isnt all Govias fault. Much is caused by Network Rails work at London Bridge, while the companys industrial dispute over driver-operated trains is, in reality, a government spat being outsourced to the private sector. As with junior doctors, it is the government that has ordered the staffing pattern changes. The difference is, it has ordered Govia, co-owned by Go-Ahead, to push them through as part of its contract terms. Rather than gift Govia repeated taxpayer handouts and shift the blame onto the operator, surely it would be simpler to renationalise this vast, complex and impossible-to-manage franchise until the upgrades are completed. It would be a more honest way of running the thing, at least. Its a tough world Two points to welcome in an article penned by HSBCs Stuart Gulliver today on Brexit Britain. First, his repeated use of the word we in reference to the UK. With HSBCs regular threats to quit Britain, and Gullivers personal tax arrangements, I was wondering where his loyalties lay. Second, his call for our service companies to expand in fast growing emerging markets. Hes talking his book, of course: HSBC makes good profit banking western businesses in emerging markets. But that doesnt make him wrong. Post-Brexit, Britain does need to look further afield for profits. The emerging markets share of UK exports is, as he points out, lower than it was in 1980. What he doesnt tackle, though, is how difficult and risky it can be to make such inroads. British companies went headlong into Nigeria after the fall of Sani Abachas regime in 1998, only to get tangled in corruption and, now, recession. Others went to west Africa and Libya only to be hit by war, graft and ebola. Remember Goldman Sachs confident predictions of Bric success in 2001? Now look at it: Brazils economic collapse just resulted in what some call a coup detat; Russia is ossified by sanctions; Chinas growth is slowing rapidly. Even India has slowed to two-year lows. Only today, Rocket Internet, which has repeatedly tried to make its fortune rolling out western e-commerce ideas to emerging markets, dished up a profit warning on South-east Asia, Latin America and Russia. The best foreign adventurers the Pru, Unilever and, dare I say it, HSBC have been doing it for a century or more. But even they can struggle, as Standard Chartered and Diageo have found. Yes, British businesses must look to emerging markets, but it wont be easy. S hareholders hung up on BT today after the telecoms giants own broker said its shares were no longer worth buying. JPMorgan Cazenove, house broker to BT along with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, dropped its rating from overweight to neutral and cut its target price to 440p, against an analyst average of 500p. These moves dragged the share price down 6.3p to 380.3p. The broker warned clients about a number of headwinds over the next 12 to 18 months, which it said would keep investors appetites subdued. Among its concerns are a potential forced split from Openreach, more competition for the broadband infrastructure arm, and increased so-called bundling of services by its rivals to persuade customers to jump ship. Rival broker Haitong disagreed with many of the points made, arguing that it strongly doubts Sky and TalkTalk are looking to build more fibre infrastructure and that the government is unlikely to split off Openreach, wary of BTs rising pension deficit. The share price reaction would have been worse had it not been for an upgrade by Exane BNP Paribas from underperform to neutral. The FTSE 100 ended the shortened trading week up 29.50 points at 6775.47, with defensive shares such as utilities and tobacco shares the order of the day. UBS resurrected the age-old speculation of a takeover of Vodafone by US cable giant Liberty Global after their Dutch deal was given the green light by the European Commission. Analysts pointed out that Libertys management could be enticed into a bid given that they stand to profit personally from an acquisition or merger that results in a change of control. Vodafone shares rose 0.75p to 224.1p. Bricks maker Ibstock tumbled 14p to 172.2p as private-equity firm Bain trimmed its stake to 37% after dumping 71 million of shares. Shares in property developer Segro were off 10.1p at 445.1p as it tapped investors with a placing for 340 million to fund new projects, insisting Brexit had not yet harmed business. Among the small-caps, Gaming Realms struck a marketing partnership with Heat magazine owner Bauer Media for its Spin Genie game, fronted by TV personality Louie Spence, which helped its shares up 0.31p to 19.93p. The AIM firm is backed by former Barclays executive Rich Ricci, who owns a number of horses with Gaming Realms chairman Michael Buckley. M arks & Spencer today struck a deal with employees over pay and pensions changes after offering significantly improved terms in response to a lengthy campaign by staff and MPs. The agreement, which has been signed off by the retailers employee representatives, includes a number of amendments to the proposals first tabled by M&S in May following criticism that long-serving staff were being unfairly punished. A petition over the issue has attracted over 98,000 signatures, which a group of MPs, led by Labours Siobhain McDonagh who raised the issue in parliament in July, handed over to the company at its Marble Arch flagship yesterday. The new deal still offers the original pay rise to 8.50 an hour for store staff, or 9.65 in Greater London, the removal of Sunday premiums and standardised Bank holiday pay of time-and-a-half. However, there were concessions for the 10% of M&Ss 69,000 retail staff who were set to be worse off under the new terms. As well as a transition payment to compensate staff along with another potential one-off payment to maintain existing remuneration until March 2019, M&S said from that same year, any worker set to see pay fall from current levels would get another additional payment of 50% of their reduction in total pay. They will be offered guaranteed extra hours to make up the remaining 50% that will amount to no more than three hours a week. A pensions overhaul to move staff on its not sustainable final salary pension scheme to a defined contribution plan is also going ahead, but M&S will extend the cash supplement support from the two years it originally offered to three years. M&S, which introduced the overhaul in response to the National Living Wage, said the significantly improved support means that all colleagues will either receive higher pay or the opportunity to maintain current pay level. Retail Director Sacha Berendji added: Weve listened to our colleagues, acted on their feedback and are pleased that weve reached an outcome that gives enhanced support for our colleagues as well as making necessary changes to our business. "I just feel that we should be the company that benchmarks good practices for others and unfortunately we are not." But an M&S employee who has worked at the chain for nearly 20 years, told the Standard the updated deal constituted only a slight movement and was not enough. He also expressed concern that failure to agree could result in his contract being terminated. I love my job and my customers and M&S are better than some. I just feel that we should be the company that benchmarks good practices for others and unfortunately we are not. McDonagh added: What M&S is telling them is that even if they work longer hours to make up the difference, they will earn no more money in three years time than they do today. How is that fair? It would be a betrayal to loyal staff, many with more than two or three decades professional experience, to say that this is a very good offer for them. T he effects of the last junior doctors strikes on patient care were softened by the willingness of senior hospital doctors to take over patient care on strike days which meant in some cases patients got rather better treatment from experienced consultants than they would have done. Now the solidarity of senior doctors with the juniors, who have announced a new spate of five-day strikes between now and Christmas, is wearing thin. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has said the proposed strikes are disproportionate and will cause real problems, especially at such short notice. The British Medical Association supports the strikers. The strikes will affect patients badly. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, says the strikes could result in half a million cancelled operations, and four million cancelled outpatient appointments. The strike action follows the rejection of a deal back in May that would have addressed some of the most contentious issues. It offered an average rise in basic pay of about 10 per cent, with supplements for frequent weekend working. Night-time work would attract 37 per cent above normal time rather than double as before. The new contract is intended to ensure that hospitals work effectively at weekends. Yet the disparity between weekday and weekend care is not wholly about patients access to junior doctors; consultants are less in evidence then, too, as are other staff such as physiotherapists. As for the overall attempt to make the NHS, including primary care, a seven-day operation, it needs to be re-assessed: Saturdays are more popular than Sundays with patients. This dispute, however, is not really about patient care; it is about pay. The junior doctors risk discrediting their profession by rejecting a sensible deal and resorting to this extraordinary series of strikes. They will damage the care of the patients they are meant to heal and help and will forfeit support for their cause in consequence. The instinctive public sympathy for doctors has its limits. Building down Westminster council is responding to the rash of applications from homebuyers seeking to expand downwards about 150 a year by imposing a basement tax of about 8,000 to fund an enforcement squad to monitor whether construction work complies with restrictions on noise, working hours and the number of truck deliveries. It may not nip in the bud the ambitions of wealthy home-owners who find their houses too small for saunas, gyms and cinema rooms but it may diminish the bad feeling that these iceberg developments generate among neighbours. Westminster has already brought in limits on the size of basements earlier this year. Some community groups want them banned altogether. There is, of course, a ready solution for the wealthy who find their modest Chelsea or Mayfair homes too small for their expansive tastes: they could buy somewhere bigger in the first place or just tailor their lifestyle to their living space. Southern profits go up Passenger fury at the news that the group that owns the spectacularly badly performing rail operator Southern has seen pre-tax profits go up by 27 per cent this year will not be much diminished by the news that its chairman, David Brown, will not be taking a bonus this year. Too right he shouldnt. The news puts into perspective the decision of the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, to invest 20 million of public money in rail improvements: it looks like bailing out Southern. No one objects to companies making a profit on the back of good performance: Southerns is anything but. I n 2015, the Chineke! Orchestra made their debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the Southbank Centre. Nothing remarkable about that, perhaps, although its true new orchestras dont debut often. Chineke!, however, stand distinct from those around them. Theyre Europe's first professional black and minority ethnic orchestra, with musicians recruited from across the world. Alongside great works from the classical canon, they also play music from lesser known composers, including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Chevalier de Saint-Georges, who both were black. The orchestra's founder, Chi Chi Nwanoku, sat down with the Standard for a 20 minute discussion of her achievements, the importance of the orchestra and why she was inspired to found it. Chi Chi also discusses their forthcoming performance this weekend at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Africa Utopia festival. The Chineke! Orchestra will perform as part of the Africa Utopia festival on Sunday September 4. For more information, visit southbankcentre.co.uk Follow David Ellis on Twitter @dvh_ellis Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout Review at a glance M uch the strangest scene in Venices revolutionary Virtual Reality Theatre yesterday was provided by taking off the headset and earphones and looking at the room of 25 people all immersed in their solitary worlds, moving their heads up and down while pivoting round on their circular chairs. That was spooky. What we were watching the first ever screening of Jesus VR, a US-backed film due out in full at Christmas was merely dire. Selected scenes from the Gospels were amateurishly acted out as if in a village Passion Play, all stripy robes and beards among stony ruins. The whole youre-really-there effect is provided by the fact that you can at whim look 360-degrees around and up and down. But why, when it is the story of Jesus, would you want to look anywhere but at him? And what an impudent, voyeuristic impulse to want to feel you were actually there anyway! And how inherently inartistic it is not to have what you see edited and composed for you by a film director! Even more than this, however, I was astonished, even allowing for this being totally new technology, how incredibly poor and fuzzy the picture quality was like one of the very first colour TVs. If this is the future, it is not here yet. Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout B est-selling author Khaled Hosseini says the stage version of his hit novel The Kite Runner has breathed new life into the story ahead of its arrival in the West End. The book, published in 2003, has sold 31 million copies in 60 languages and was made into a 2007 film. It tells the story of two friends growing up in Afghanistan and the moment their friendship comes apart. Hosseini said the stage version, adapted by American playwright Matthew Spangler, is very different to the film. He said: What is appealing is it lets you put a lot more of the book and text on the stage. A character can walk to the front of the stage and give a monologue, which cant be done on screen. Hosseini, 51, was born and grew up in Afghanistan and later France. After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, his family sought asylum in America and today he is based in California. He said he was an adviser but not a writer on the film version, but when it came to the play Matthew and I sat down over a few days and I made a few suggestions. It is very much his play but it was more of a collaborative process and allowed me to do some retrospective editing with scenes I felt were a bit overwrought or over-emphasised. The play, which will run from December to March at Wyndhams Theatre, stars former Casualty actor Ben Turner as the central character, Amir, who is tormented by a decision taken in his childhood. Turner, 36, said: Theres something almost Shakespearean about this story, the things it deals with are so big. Its betrayal, revenge, redemption. We all make mistakes, we can all look back and think, I shouldnt have done that. This story embodies that. On stage, the story cant help but suck an audience in. You can hear a pin drop and weeping in the audience. People are obviously deeply affected by it. Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout I t is the Concours of Elegance at Windsor Castle this weekend, with nearly 1,000 super-special cars on display in the precincts of the historic landmark. The main focus of the event will be 60 of the worlds most incredible cars, but this year there are additional events, including the Club Trophy, Jaguar Trophy and Bentley Trophy of Elegance, which each gather together 90 cars to mark the Queens 90th birthday. Its the second time the Concours, running from tomorrow until Sunday, has come to Windsor Castle, following its debut there in 2012 to mark the Queens Diamond Jubilee. This time, the Concours will also star a selection of cars from 1926, the year of the Queens birth, and a line-up of key cars of the past 90 years. Running from the Bentley 3 Litre of the 1920s, through to the Land Rover Series I, the Mini and the McLaren F1, the feature will showcase Britains pivotal role in the motor industry. This years event will have a feature lawn showcasing the latest supercars from brands such as Ferrari, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. Visitors also have the opportunity to see four of the remaining 1926 British Grand Prix cars in one place. Organised by the Royal Automobile Club, the first British Grand Prix took place at Brooklands Motor Circuit, Surrey, in 1926. Just three cars finished out of those that took part, and now a Delage 155B, Talbot 700, Thomas Special and Halford Special will be on show, offering a unique opportunity to see where top-level British motorsport began. Great models on show include Bentley Speed Six Old No 2, one of the finest Bentleys in existence, having finished second at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours race, just behind Speed Six Old No 1. The Rolls-Royce Phantom III Thrupp & Maberly, one of three roadsters built on the Phantom III chassis, is guaranteed to stop showgoers in their tracks. Another stunner is the Aston Martin Ulster Competition. Built in 1935, along with only 20 others, it has competed in more than 100 races, including an eighth-place finish at Le Mans in 1935. The Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spyder will also prove a major draw, as will the venerable Talbot Lago Pourtout Coupe, one of the finest aerodynamic designs ever. A one-off Hispano-Suiza H6C Dubonnet Xenia, meanwhile, has eye-catching art deco, aircraft-inspired bodywork. This years event will be raising funds for The Queens Choral Foundation, The Household Cavalry Foundation and Springfield Youth Club in Hackney. Tickets are available at concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets Jags the way to tour the coast in style The E-type Club Round Britain Coastal Drive, supporting Prostate Cancer UK, has launched an online auction platform for members of the public to bid for a half-day ride in the very Jaguar E-type from the iconic film The Italian Job. Split into 18 daily stages, this unique event takes place between September 12 and 29, driving for the first time the entire coastal route of Great Britain, with an average mileage of 180 per day. Details of the clockwise route can be found at e-typeclub.com, where readers can enter bids or donate on the JustGiving page. Other Jaguar E-types can also take part. We are out to raise awareness of the risks of prostate cancer and the need to get tested, says author Philip Porter, the brains behind the event. If you like, this three-week driving party for a great cause is a publicity stunt, with more than 150 fabulous E-type Jaguars. @djrwilliams B BC presenter Emily Maitlis worried for her family's safety after receiving a letter from a man who developed an "obsession" after she spurned him at university, a court heard. Edward Vines denies two charges of breaching a restraining order imposed on January 26 2009, preventing him from contacting the Newsnight presenter or her family. His trial at Oxford Crown Court heard the 46-year-old sent two letters to the journalist and emails and letters to her mother Marion Maitlis between May 10 and June 26 last year. The subject of the letters centred around Vines' belief that Ms Maitlis had acted "scornfully" towards him after he had told her he loved while the pair were studying at Cambridge University in 1990. The jury heard Vines, who was flanked in the dock by nurses from the secure hospital where he resides, has a string of convictions dating back to 2002 as a result of his actions towards the presenter. In the first letter, sent to BBC Newsnight in May 2015, he accused her of making up allegations of harassment, an offence for which he was jailed for four months in 2002. Ms Maitlis' statement, read to the court by prosecutor Julian Lynch, said: "I was at the BBC, going through my post when I noticed an envelope addressed to me. I opened it and straight away saw the name 'Edward Vines'. "I did not read the contents of the letter and handed it straight to security. "When Edward Vines contacts me, it causes me considerable stress and makes me worry about my safety and that of my family." Vines befriended Ms Maitlis in October 1989 while at university, Mr Lynch told the jury. He said: "You will hear in brief terms they were friends while they were there and at some stage Mr Vines fell in love with Ms Maitlis, a love it seems she did not return. "Thereafter it seems their relationship broke down. That seems to have begun the obsession in Mr Vines' mind. That obsession results ultimately in a number of criminal convictions." Those convictions included breaches of restraining orders in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014 and also earlier this year, for which he awaits sentence. The charges Vines now faces relate only to the letters he sent last year, which Mr Lynch described as "long and rambling". While the first letter reached Ms Maitlis, the second, sent to the Newsnight offices in June, never reached her before it was screened by security. Mr Lynch said: "The letters to Ms Maitlis are quite lengthy and they go into matters relating to their relationship at Cambridge. You may think hearing the letters they are rather long and rambling." In the letters, Vines describes his version of the events that led to the breakdown of their friendship, saying he believed he had told her in January 1990 that he loved her. He repeatedly says he wants to speak with the presenter to understand why she then "changed" and became "scornful" several months later in the April of that year. He went on to claim her allegations about being harassed were "largely made up" and borne out of an apparent unwillingness on her part to admit that she loved him. He admitted he was "frigid" and added: "You are not prepared to admit you wanted me to like you more." Vines, whose address was given as Grosvenor Road, in Oxford, pleaded for a reply from Ms Maitlis, saying: "I need to speak to you if I'm to live my life in peace." The trial continues. Additional reporting by the Press Association. A City worker today appeared in court accused of killing a recruitment consultant after his shoe was thrown out the window of a minicab. Alexander Thomson, 32, was on a night out with former colleagues last Friday when he allegedly lashed out and punched Thomas Hulme in the head following the trivial incident. At the time, the group of four were inside a minicab on Farringdon Street in the City of London, having travelled less than half a mile. Police were called to an alleged altercation at 11:20pm after the driver pulled over and stopped the car. Mr Hulme, 23, from Tooting, south London, was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead the following evening. Mr Thomson was charged with his manslaughter. The defendant, of Broomwood Road, Clapham, south London, was brought before Judge Wendy Joseph QC at the Old Bailey on Friday. He spoke only to confirm his name before the judge granted him conditional bail to return to court on September 26 for a plea hearing. In a tribute posted to Facebook, Mr Hulmes sister Lucy said: Rest in peace to my beautiful big brother. Love you so so much forever. A couple who used their south London pub as a front to sell drugs have been handed a prison sentence. Toni Sheard and pub general manager John Robinson used the Tamworth Arms in Croydon as the base for their cannabis dealing operation, police say. Officers raided the boozer last May, finding a block of cannabis resin and bags of white powder hidden away in the cellar. A further search of Robinsons Church Street home revealed more drugs and paraphernalia, alongside wads of cash. Closed: The Tamworth Arms / Google Street View The pair were arrested on suspicion of dealing drugs and later charged. Meanwhile the pub was shut down and still remains closed pending a review from Croydon council. Today, at Croydon Crown Court, 47-year-old Robinson was jailed for two years after admitting to possession of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs and possession of criminal property. Drugs: Toni Sheard was given a suspended sentence / Met Police Sheard, 29, of Tamworth Road, was given a 16-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs and possession of criminal property. Detective Constable Tom Sole, from Croydon Borough's Crime Squad, said: "This couple used the pub as a front to sell drugs. "Throughout the investigation, Sheard denied all knowledge of the drugs we discovered in her cellar. "It is clear that the overwhelming evidence we gathered against the pair was enough for them to realise that they had no option but to plead guilty. A Texas judge has refused a British woman on death row a retrial, which could have change the outcome of her 2002 murder conviction. Lawyers for Linda Carty argued that she was denied due process when prosecutors did not disclose a false witness statement claiming she had that masterminded a kidnapping and murder in 2001. According to The Houston Chronicle, Carty was sentenced to death after she was convicted of killing her neighbour, Joana Rodriguez, in May 2001. Ms Rodriguez was found tied-up and gagged in the boot of a car after she and her newborn baby were snatched from her home in Houston. Judge David Garner said prosecutors still had overwhelming evidence of the defendants guilt from other sources despite hearing Cartys appeal. He admitted that prosecutors should have turned over their witness statements during the trial in 2002 but said it was not likely to have changed the course of the conviction. Assistant District Attorney Josh Reiss told the newspaper on Thursday: These were serious and unfounded allegations of misconduct against two very senior prosecutors who have done nothing for the past two decades except protect and serve people of Harris County. And this recommendation serves to uphold their fine reputations. Carty, who was born on St Kitts when it was under British rule, reportedly led police to the vehicle where Ms Rodriguez was found asphyxiated. Her baby was rescued. Although, Carty denies she was involved in the murder, prosecutors claim she planned the kidnapping with three other men. Her alleged accomplices did not receive death sentences for their parts in the crime. Prosecutors claimed that Carty wanted Rodriguezs newborn son after suffering several miscarriages. She was convicted under the Texas law of parties which states that a person is criminally liable if one solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offence. A bus driver from London found in possession of extreme pornography featuring dogs, horses and chickens has been spared jail after claiming he did not know it was illegal. Alan Chima, 39, of Leyton, east London, was found to have 38 extreme images of women with animals as well as a half-hour long video on his laptop. Chima broke down in tears when he was detained by police and admitted possession of extreme pornographic images. He was handed a suspended jail sentence and 120 hours community service at Basildon Crown Court on Friday. Speaking for the prosecution, Richard Burrington said: "While he knew it was wrong morally to possess such images, he didn't know it was illegal. "He said it was a phase he had been going through and he got sexual gratification from those images." Paul Kaufman, mitigating, added: "He was in tears at the police station. "While he's quite adamant he had no idea this was illegal, he recognises in the eyes of most people it's abhorrent. "He was very ashamed and remains so by his behaviour." Mr Kaufman argued that the defendant was not to know the images were illegal, referring to a case in 2012 when an art gallery was criticised for having a picture depicting a naked woman having intercourse with a swan. He said: "A very respectable art gallery in Mayfair had to remove a modern scene of Leda and the swan." He argued that if the gallery was unsure of the law the defendant, who is a bus driver, had no reason to know that this form of pornography was illegal. The lawyer was referring an incident at the Scream gallery in 2012 when a passing policeman took offence to Derrick Santini's photograph depicting Greek myth Leda and the swan. It was removed but it is thought it was not recorded as a crime by police. Chima showed no emotion as Judge David Owen-Jones, sentencing him to eight months in prison suspended for two years and 120 hours of unpaid work, said: "These were shocking images and it occurred over a fairly lengthy period. Additional reporting by PA A man who raped a young au pair in a north London park over 30 years ago has been jailed. Billy Roy Day, 50, from Uxbridge, attacked his victim, who was 19 at the time, as she walked through Shirehall Lane Park in Hendon in December 1984. The woman, who had only been living in the capital for six weeks before the assault, was walking to meet a friend at the cinema when Day threatened her, claiming he had a knife. Day, of Cumbrian Way, raped his victim and sexually assaulted her in the park at around 7.30pm in the evening, Southwark Crown Court heard. No significant leads were found at the time and the victim returned to her home country soon after the attack. In 1998, samples taken from the victim and her clothing were re-examined and a DNA profile of the suspect was loaded onto the police database, but no match was found at the time. In 2013, Day's DNA was uploaded onto the DNA database and was a match to forensic samples taken from the victim and her clothing at the time of the offence. It was found to be a 1:1 billion match for Day, who lived very close to the park at the time of the attack and matched the description of the suspect. The case was reinvestigated by detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command's Complex Case Team, who with the assistance of Europol, tracked down the victim and flew to her home country to inform her of the development. As part of the re-investigation the victim's clothing was subjected to entirely fresh forensic testing and again Days DNA profile of Day was discovered. He was today jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of one count of rape and two other sexual offences in July. Investigating officer, Detective Constable Gary Farrelly of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "Day's sentence reflects the severity of the crime he committed - one he thought he had got away with all those years ago. "It was highly rewarding to be able to locate the victim and tell her that after all these years the man that had so brutally attacked her had been identified and arrested. I hope she now takes some comfort in the fact he will spend a considerable time in prison. "I hope that this case gives other victims of rape and sexual offences the confidence to report crime to the police so that we can investigate, and demonstrates that we are committed to bringing offenders to justice, whatever the passage of time. "I would like to take this opportunity to again thank police colleagues overseas, who provided immense support to the victim and the overall investigation." A US man has been jailed for 40 years after rejecting a plea bargain that would have won him his freedom immediately. Raymond Lindsey Jr, 46, was adamant he was not guilty and refused to accept a plea deal, insisting that he was the victim of a conspiracy. He was jailed by Judge Phil Grant after being convicted by jurors of assaulting a public servant and retaliation in Montgomery County, north of Houston, Texas, local media reported. His lawyer stated that he had already been in jail 19 months and would have been released with time served if he pleaded guilty. While Lindsey was said to have been appreciative of the deal, he did not want to plead guilty and thought everyone was conspiring against him. The court heard that police were called to an apartment in Southeastern Montgomery County on January 5, 2015, to a possible domestic disturbance. Officers encountered an aggressive Lindsey and his scared girlfriend, the court was told. When Lindseys girlfriend made to leave the apartment, Lindsey allegedly pointed a finger at each of the officers one by one and individually threatened to kill them before destroying items inside the flat in a rage. As he was arrested he slammed a door on the arm of a police officer several times, the court heard. The jury found Lindsey guilty of both charges. The court heard he had previously served time jail for car theft, burglary and domestic violence. A man has today been charged with the murder of a London banker who died after he was punched on a night out. Trevor Timon, of Heavitree Road, is accused of killing Oliver Dearlove, 30, who died after a single punch in the early hours of Sunday morning. Mr Dearlove, a former employee of Royal bank Coutts, was rushed to hospital where he later died of a suspected brain haemorrhage. Timon, 32, who is also charged with one count of common assault, is set to appear at Bromley Magistrates Court later today. Mr Dearlove, who worked as a relationship manager at private bank Duncan Lawrie in Belgravia, was enjoying a night out with university friends in Blackheath before he was killed. He had been planning to buy a house and start a family with his girlfriend Claire Wheatley. His mother Joy Wright described him as the perfect son. She said: He worked hard, he was the perfect son. We cant believe whats happened. Were all in a state of shock. A serving member of the Armed Forces has been charged with terror offences linked to Northern Ireland. The Metropolitan Police said Ciaran Maxwell, 30, of Exminster, Devon, was accused of making explosives and storing them around the country. He was set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, the force said. He allegedly made his own explosive devices with chemicals and components he had bought, which he then stored in "hides" around the England and Northern Ireland along with other ammunition and weapons. He was arrested on August 24 by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's Counter Terrorism Command and Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall Police. As well as the terror charges, he has been accused of fraud and intent to supply a Class B drug. Additional reporting by PA T his is the shocking moment a man was viciously assaulted by a gang of teens who attacked him with chairs and knocked him unconscious before stealing his mobile phone. The 19-year-old victim was attacked by the group as he walked towards a bus stop in Streatham. He was walking along Streatham High Road when he was approached by a group of about ten teenage boys outside the Astroria Cafe and Grill. Police said he was set upon by the gang, who knocked him unconscious with a chair before taking his phone and a small quantity of cash. Paramedics and police raced to the scene following the incident, which happened at about 10.15pm on Sunday, April 30 outside the cafe in The High Parade. Suspects: police wish to speak to these teens / Metropolitan Police The victim was rushed to hospital with cuts to his head, face and lips, but was not seriously injured. Officers have today released CCTV of the incident in a bid to catch the attackers. Police desribed the suspects as black males, aged between 14 and 16-years-old, who were wearing dark hooded tops at the time of the attack. Violent: the man was attacked with chairs / Met Police Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise the individuals in the CCTV footage or stills or who has information that could assist the investigation. A 13-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the incident on April 30, and was held on suspicion of affray, robbery and possession of a class B drug. He has been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in late November. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A staggering half a million operations could be cancelled in the wave of strikes planned by doctors, health service chefs warned today. They piled pressure on a divided British Medical Association to rein in the strikers by saying another four million outpatients would lose appointments in a completely unprecedented scale of disruption. Junior doctors will stage full strikes from September 12 to 16, on October 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11, November 14 to 18 and December 5 to 9 in the ongoing dispute over a controversial new contract. The Government hopes peer pressure and public anger will force the BMA to reconsider. Reports suggest the latest raft of disruption was not fully backed by BMA members, with the Daily Mail reporting that a leaked ballot showed just 31.5% of members supported a full walkout which was time-limited. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS leaders, said: I think its very concerning - were talking about five days in September, which is just 12 days notice to prepare, which is the shortest time weve ever had to prepare, and then were talking about four sets of five days of strikes. Thats equivalent to half a million - 500,000 - cancelled operations and four million lost outpatient appointments, so what were talking about is a completely unprecedented scale of disruption and negative impact on patients; its extremely worrying. The Patients Association said the decision to strike had triggered apprehension among the public. Chief executive Katherine Murphy said: This is a devastating blow to patients, and a destructive next step as far as any kind of negotiations go. The BMA however said it was absolutely behind the decision for further action. BMA chairman Dr Mark Porter said: I have to say it beggars belief that we can be accused of playing politics in this when the stated reason of the Government proceeding is that it was in their party manifesto. That, to me, is playing politics. Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust health charity, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that the planned strikes would represent a quite significant step up in terms of what is likely to be asked of senior doctors tasked with ensuring that care continues during industrial action. He added there had been a quite obvious shift in the opinion of medical leaders in relation to the strikes. In the wake of the industrial action, Prime Minister Theresa May accused the BMA of failing to put patients first and playing politics - something doctors have denied. BMA chairman Dr Mark Porter said: I have to say it beggars belief that we can be accused of playing politics in this when the stated reason of the Government proceeding is that it was in their party manifesto. That, to me, is playing politics. A woman is fighting for life in hospital after she was hit by a car on a busy south London road. The pensioner, 85, was struck on Bromley Hill near the junction with Avondale Road shortly before 11.25am this morning. Police and ambulances rushed to the scene where they found the injured woman in the road. Photos showed police holding up a blanket to shield the woman as paramedics desperately tried to help her. One witness said the woman appeared to have been trying to catch a bus when he heard a screech of brakes. She was taken to hospital by ambulance where she remains in a life-threatening condition. Police cordoned off the road while they investigated what happened. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit based at Catford on 0208 285 1574. P olice were called to a London cafe after a bizarre row broke out over a customer's cup of tea. Sevjan Melissa, 30, who owns Birdie Num Nums in Lewisham Way, New Cross, said staff gave the customer a lemon and ginger tea instead of the lemongrass and ginger tea that he ordered. She claims that when the man complained staff apologised and offered him a full refund but he was unsatisfied and started writing a TripAdvisor review while still in the cafe. Ms Melissa claims that when she asked him to leave, the man then called the police. However, the customer, Roberto Lattarulo, a 33-year-old recruitment manager for a healthcare regulator, has defended his actions, and claims he was not given a proper reason for being asked to leave. Unhappy customer: Roberto Lattarulo was served the wrong teabag / Roberto Lattarulo Mr Lattarulo, who lives in Lewisham and was visiting the cafe with his girlfriend, told the Standard: "I wanted a lemongrass and ginger tea, it's not something you find commonly in cafes, so I was quite surprised, but instead I got a lemon and ginger teabag. "If you haven't got something, you tell the customer you haven't got what they ordered and then offer them an alternative, but they just brought the wrong thing." Mr Lattarulo claims he was shown a box labelled "lemongrass and ginger tea" - but it contained lemon and ginger teabags. He said he was then told that the cafe was waiting for delivery of lemongrass tea, so had substituted in the meantime. He told the Standard: "I'm a senior contributor (on TripAdvisor), I review restaurants and experiences as much as I can, and because I felt a bit puzzled by the incident, a bit silly, when clearly it was something that was her fault, I started writing a review. "Obviously she got really p****d off, she said with a hand gesture 'I want you out of this cafe'." Berdie Num Nums: the cafe is a popular spot in New Cross / Google StreetView Mr Lattarulo said the couple were not asked to pay for their drinks, but were told to leave immediately. He told the Standard he felt he had not been given a proper reason for being asked to leave, and called the police to intervene. Police said it was not a matter for them, and he and his girlfriend then went to eat at a takeaway next door. Ms Melissa told the Standard: "I didn't throw him out, I just asked him to leave quite politely. "He was leaving a review over a 9p teabag and I said 'I'm going to have to ask you to leave, you're not using my internet to do that.' "I thought he was leaving but he went outside and phoned the police." Ms Melissa said she later recounted the tale to some police officers who are regular customers, who happened to stop by shortly after Mr Lattarulo had left, and posed next to their van with the teabag. Wrong tea: Mr Lattarulo was given lemon tea instead of lemongrass tea / Rex She told the Standard she thought the situation was over when the man left the cafe, but she logged on to TripAdvisor a few days later to find that he had left her a one star rating on the review site - prompting her to leave a response of her own. In his review, Mr Lattarulo slammed the cafe's "shocking customer service and vile, awful staff." He wrote: "Stopped for a quick tea after workout and specifically ordered Lemongrass and ginger tea, as I love lemongrass, though got served Lemon and ginger tea, and when questioned it, I was shown a box with a label 'Lemongrass and ginger tea.' "When questioned why I was mis-sold something, the waitress said she run out of them yesterday, and I said fine, as I specifically wanted a tea with lemongrass, hence my request. "As she saw me writing a review on TripAdvisor, she asked me to leave the premises, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Review: Roberto Lattarulo shared a picture of the teabag on TripAdvisor / Roberto Lattarulo/TripAdvisor "Shocking customer service and vile, awful staff. I will also be reporting them to Lewisham Trading Standards for deceiving customers." Ms Melissa told the Standard that although she doesn't normally respond to unfavourable reviews, she had to wanted to put her side of the story across. She said: "I found it really hilarious. We've had negative TripAdvisor reviews in the past and thought 'fair enough we were in wrong' and haven't responded, but this one was so, so petty and the guy was so, so rude that I just couldn't let it go." In her reply, she wrote: "You have left out a couple of key points. Such as the fact that we agreed we were totally at fault, you were wrongly given the tea bag and should have been informed prior to purchasing that we had made a last minute substitute. "We apologised repeatedly and offered you a refund or exchange. Neither of which were satisfactory to you. "My staff were polite and understanding of the distress receiving a lemon & ginger teabag instead of a lemongrass and ginger teabag caused you and it would have been nice if you were a little more understanding to what was clearly human error. Complaint: Sevjan Melissa with the offending teabag / Sevjan Melissa "Unfortunately, after I asked you to leave because you thought you could raise your voice and intimidate my staff. You thought I should let you use MY internet that I work 90 hours a week to pay for to let you post scathing reviews about my small independent business that I have poured my heart and soul into. "You then took it one step further and decided it best to phone the police and report me for asking you to leave the premises?! (NO, seriously people this actually happened!) "Obviously the police thought it was ludicrous as I did that a grown man would phone them to report being given a teabag with an incorrect ingredient in and then offered an apologetic refund, so opted not to waste their time coming out and stick to the real emergencies." She went on to say that Mr Lattarulo was "without a exception the rudest and most exasperating customer" she had dealt with in ten years in the catering industry, and was was no longer welcome in the cafe, although his girlfriend, who apparently "looked mortified throughout the entire exchange" was "more than welcome, anytime". However, Mr Lattarulo has in turn criticised her for "ridiculing and belittling customers" in her TripAdvisor response. "All I wanted was a clarification and she's made a storm in a teacup. "I'm not going to come back. I don't go to places where they enjoy belittling customers," he said. S adiq Khan has joined forces with leaders of the worlds biggest cities to demand governments take urgent action against climate change. Leaders from 30 cities including Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, New York, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro called on national leaders to work with them to "build a low carbon, climate safe world". It comes as Theresa May prepares for the G20 meeting in Hangzhou, China, next week, in which the worlds leading nations will discuss climate change. In an open letter, the mayors welcomed government moves to secure the Paris Agreement, the first comprehensive global deal to tackle climate change, in December 2015. But they warned "this is only the first step along the road towards our low carbon, climate safe future". They said: "To limit the global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, global greenhouse gas emissions need to peak by 2020. "Achieving such a rapid shift is probably one of the greatest political, economic and practical challenges faced by every national leader, but you do have great allies in this task: we, the mayors of the megacities of the world." They added that they were already dealing with the consequences of climate change in their cities, battling floods to heatwaves. But city leaders were also taking action such as banning the most polluting cars, rolling out fleets of electric buses and improving energy efficiency, which also had benefits for health, well-being and economic growth, they said. "For the major cities of the world it is already clear that the faster we move to a low carbon economy, the greater will be the improvement in urban citizens' standards of living, and the stronger and more sustained will be the economic development that makes that possible." The leaders have committed to setting out concrete plans for how they will deliver the greenhouse gas cuts in their cities needed to help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement to avoid dangerous climate change. "We want our citizens, markets and other political leaders to know that we are serious about making the Paris Agreement a reality. We call on the heads of states from our respective nation states to do the same," they said. T he most polluted address on the London Monopoly board has been revealed as New Bond Street. As part of a new drive to encourage Londoners to keep their lungs healthy, two scientists measured air quality levels at the board games iconic locations, from Whitehall to Whitechapel. To launch the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign in a fun way, they measured black carbon and PM2.5, tiny and deadly particulates that can be absorbed easily into the body. The most polluted Monopoly locations were New Bond Street, then Euston Road, Park Lane, Whitehall and Fleet Street. Air quality: The most polluted Monopoly location was New Bond Street / Alamy Those with the best air quality were Leicester Square, followed by Great Marlborough Street and Whitechapel Road, which has scored poorly in previous tests. Northumberland Avenue, Pentonville Road and, somewhat surprisingly, Trafalgar Square also did well. Belgian scientist Dr Patrick De Boever and a colleague crossed London on foot and public transport with hand-held devices to monitor particulates. As part of the launch there will be free lung testing events in Trafalgar Square today and tomorrow. For more information go to healthylungsforlife.org. A steel drummer honoured by Prince Charles for his services to music faces a potential ban from teaching after he attacked a pupil. Brent Holder, 38, was given an MBE for his work running one of Londons biggest steel bands. But it has emerged that, only three weeks later, in November 2013, he was convicted of battery for assaulting a pupil. Mr Holder, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, was once a champion steel drum soloist. He taught the steel drum at Addison Primary School in Hammersmith as an unqualified teacher to small groups of children. He runs the Caribbean Steel International band, a charity based in west London funded with National Lottery cash which performs at Notting Hill Carnival. Holder receiving the MBE from Prince Charles in 2013 The group came eighth at the annual Panorama battle of the steel bands at this years Carnival, with a song arranged by Mr Holder. The band also performed at London 2012 and the Mayor of Londons Thames Festival 2012. Mr Holders teaching career could now be over after a panel at a misconduct hearing last Friday concluded his conviction for battery, for an incident on May 2, 2013, was relevant to his ongoing suitability to teach. The panel at the National College for Teaching and Leadership is set to make a decision in the coming weeks on whether he should be banned from teaching. At his two-bedroom flat in Camden, Mr Holder declined to comment on the findings of the hearing. He said: I dont need to speak to you, thats all Im saying, you can say whatever you want and do what you want to do but thats a no comment from me. Have a nice day. In 2014 he spoke to the Voice newspaper about receiving his MBE, saying: I received a letter from the PM and I was like, Wah? What did I do wrong? It was a bit of a shock but it was nice to get that recognition. It was big for me. A report published by the National College for Teaching and Leadership said the panel considered Mr Holders conduct to be in breach of standards. These included upholding public trust in the profession, maintaining high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teachers professional position and having regard for the need to safeguard pupils well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions. A female police officer is critically injured after she was stabbed in the throat in a Paris suburb, it has been reported. The attacker was shot dead by police following the incident, which happened in the Vincennes area of this city this morning. Le Figaro newspaper reported that a 29-year-old man stabbed a policewoman after he first tried to attack a nurse. When officers arrived at the scene, the man turned on the policeman and reportedly injured her throat. According to local media reports the attacker was killed by police amid an exchange of gunfire. Police have not yet disclosed a motive for the attack. France has been on high alert for the past year following a series of Islamic State attacks across the country, including November's Paris attacks, which left more than a hundred people dead, and this summer's Bastille Day attack where a truck ploughed into crowds in Nice. A n advertising campaign by the Italian government encouraging women to have children has been slammed as "sexist" and "offensive". The country's newly-launched "Fertility Day" will be held on September 22, with the aim of tackling Italy's low birth rate. Italy's health minister Beatrice Lorenzin recently launched the campaign, and announced that state-sponsored events would be held in Rome, Bologna, Catania and Padova to offer the public information about family planning and encourage parenthood. To coincide with the events, the government launched a website, which included an online game, and #FertilityDay poster campaign, with 12 promotional images carrying slogans including "Fertility is a common good", and "Beauty has no age. Fertility does. The country has a falling birth rate, and a fertility rate of 1.35 children per woman, far below the EU rate of 1.6 children per woman. However, the campaign has sparked a huge backlash on social media, resulting in most of the content for the Fertility Day website being taken down. One Italian Twitter user wrote: "This campaign is absolutely ridiculous and sexist, a woman's bomb IS NOT a national property. "My country got back to the 20s, I'm so disgusted." Alexandra Lawrence, who lives in Florence, also tweeted, saying: "I am beside myself...and offended and disgusted and incredulous." While another Twitter user said: "#Fertilityday is pure fascist renewal. Pushing women to have a family ASAP and saying a woman's uterus is A COMMON GOOD? "I'm so disgusted." And another tweeted: "The #Fertilityday campaign is offensive, sexist and dangerous. I'm ashamed and embarrassed." The Italian government, which also offers financial incentives for parenthood, said the purpose of the campaign was to remind citizens of the danger of falling birthrates. It also wanted to show the beauty of parenthood, illnesses that could hinder conception and the availability of fertility treatments. T he hero backpacker who died while trying in vain to save a fellow Briton from a knifeman will now save other lives after donating his organs, his family said. Tom Jackson was injured as he tried to shield Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, during the attack at Shelleys Backpackers in Home Hill, Queensland, Australia on August 23. He died on Tuesday. His father, Les, 58, told Queenslands Townsville Bulletin: How wonderful that he died trying to save someones life and maybe has ended up saving even more and I think thats a lovely way of thinking of it. At least something has come out of the s***ness and so long as he has a legacy, that is the main thing. Backpacking tour: Mia Ayliffe-Chung had been travelling through Australia / Facebook He added: Ive got absolutely no anger at the moment, maybe that will come later. We can go through the grieving process and come out the other end as a family. Earlier this week, Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk nominated the 30-year-old for a bravery award. She wrote on Twitter: Tom Jacksons actions of putting his own life before the life of Ms Ayliffe-Chung is an extraordinary act of courage and deserves recognition. Thats why I have today written to the Australian Bravery Decorations Council to nominate Mr Jackson for a posthumous bravery award. Smail Ayad, 29, is charged with the murder of Ms Ayliffe-Chung, of Derbyshire. Police are due to charge the Frenchman with the murder of Mr Jackson, of Cheshire, on October 28. A t least 12 people are believed to be dead and 60 more injured following an explosion at a market in the Philippines. The cause of the blast in Davao, the hometown of the countrys president Rodrigo Duterte, was not immediately clear, officials said. Duterte was in the city today, but was safe and at a police station after the explosion, his son Paolo Duterte, who is vice mayor, told Reuters. The explosion in a street market outside the high-end Marco Polo hotel in Davao, in the southern Philippines, killed five men and five women, a military spokesman said. A police official confirmed at least 60 people had been taken to hospital. "We were having a meeting and we heard a very huge explosion. The first thing we thought was 'it's a bomb'," said John Rhyl Sialmo III, 20, a student at the nearby Ateneo de Davao University. "The area where there was the explosion was a massage parlour. So we saw these men and women from that place in their uniform, they went to the school lobby to seek help. They were soaked in blood." Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, speaking to CNN Philippines, described the blast as an "unspecified explosion". "There is nothing definite about it but it has resulted in the death of 10 persons, at least 10 persons, and injury of about 60," Abella said. Duterte's son Paolo told Reuters his father was far from the location of the blast when the explosion took place. Duterte had earlier given a televised news conference in the city. Duterte is hugely popular in Davao, having served as its mayor for more than 22 years before his stunning national election win in May, garnered from the popularity of a promised war on drugs that has killed more than 2,000 people since he took office on June 30. Duterte had earlier on Friday shrugged off rumours of a plot to assassinate him, saying such threats were to be expected. Davao is located in Mindanao, a large southern island beset by decades of Islamist insurgency. However, the city itself has been largely peaceful in recent years. T he authoritarian President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov has died after suffering a brain haemorrhage at the age of 78. Despite the country's own government saying Mr Karimov was critically ill, Turkey's prime minister announced today that he had died. Mr Karimov had ruled over the former Soviet republic, which neighbours Afghanistan, since 1989. He first came to power as leader of the Commnists before being made president when the country became a republic in 1991. Uzbekistan: The country neighbours Afghanistan / Google Maps His time at the helm has been criticised by human rights groups, with a UN report saying the regime uses "systematic" torture. A notorious 2005 incident in the city of Andjian saw hundreds of people killed. In recent years, the country has become a target for Islamic extremists, and there are fears a protracted dispute over his successor could destabilise the region. Turkish Prime Minitser Binali Yildrim told a televised cabinet meeting: "Uzbek President Islam Karimov has passed away. "May God's mercy be upon him, as the Turkish Republic we are sharing the pain and sorrow of Uzbek people." K atie Hopkins has been slammed by Twitter followers after criticising Abdullah al-Kurdi on the anniversary of his familys death. The controversial star lashed out at the father, whose wife Rehan and two sons Galip and Alan Kurdi drowned last year, after he appeared on the BBC on Friday morning. Following the interview, in which Kurdi urged Europe to keep its doors open to refugees, Hopkins tweeted: Lectured on caring for migrants by a man who left his wife & child at the bottom of the Med? No thank you Mr Kurdi. One follower slammed Hopkins as a cold hearted, nasty, despicable b****, while another claimed that she only says controversial things to get attention. Vile, disgusting,heartless woman, God forbid you be in a war torn country trying to survive each day like it's your last, wrote another. A number of people backed the former Apprentice star, with one person writing: She's entitled to an opinion, as are the rest of us. She's vocal about it instead of remaining quiet. X Kurdi, who now lives in northern Iraq, has given a series of interview one year after sons Alan, 3, and Galip, 5, and their mother Rehan, 35, drowned when their boat over-turned en route from Syria to the Greek island of Kos. Speaking to the BBC, he said: Every day I think of them but today I felt as though they had come to me and slept with me. This makes me sad again. Tragedy: a police officer carries the body of Alan Kurdi off a Turkish beach (AP) / Nilufer Demir/Dogan News Agency/AP At first the world was anxious to help the refugees. But this did not even last a month. In fact the situation got worse. The war has escalated and more people are leaving. "I hope that all the leaders of the world can try and do good and stop the wars, so that the people can go back to normal life. The body of three-year-old Alan, washed up on a Turkish beach a year ago, became a worldwide symbol of the refugee crisis. W hen the BBCs flagship drama returns on Sunday, well finally discover how our hero, Captain Ross Poldark, has fared since his shock bereavement and clifftop arrest. But theres another Mr P, whose character arc may yet turn out to be the more compelling one. True, Rosss black-sheep cousin Francis gambled away the family mine and took out his rage on the blameless Demelza, but every underdog has his day. As this series gets into its stride, that open-minded group we might loosely term Team Francis looks set to grow and grow. People can see him as a brattish guy who compares as nothing to Ross, says Kyle Soller, the actor who delivers this strangely endearing performance. What I saw was a really sad guy who just wants everyone to be happy but can never measure up to this person that he idolised growing up I always thought he just had a massive self-worth complex, probably given to him by his father, whos just awful to him. I really empathised with him from the beginning. In 18th-century Cornwall such touchy-feely talk would probably get you sent up before the local magistrate on charges of witchcraft, but then this is just one of the many ways in which Soller differs from his character. While Francis Poldark is a typically buttoned-up scion of the British aristocracy, 33-year-old Soller is a conscientious creative type, raised in a big family in suburban Virginia, a childhood he describes as a cul-de-sac and yellow school bus, kind of thing. US TV dramas are heaving with posh Brits passing themselves off as ordinary Americans (Dominic West, Damian Lewis, Hugh Laurie) but Soller is that rarer case: an American actor who can slip by undetected in television as quintessentially British as a BBC period drama. In fact, hes been busy assimilating for some time. He moved to the UK in 2005 to take up a place at RADA. It was there, in his third year, that he met the British woman who would later become his wife, Hollow Crown actress Phoebe Fox. These days Soller quotes vintage Ab Fab with fluency and has recently received the approval of that well-known national taste-maker, White Van Man. He pulled his window down and was like, Hey you! Youre from Poldark! Me and the Mrs always watch it! Thats when I was like, wow, the appeal is a lot more far-reaching than Id realised. While hes thoroughly at home in London, the transition from award-winning theatre actor to TV celebrity might take more getting used to. To date, the roles in his career that have meant the most were both on stage: the title role in a 2010 production of The Talented Mr Ripley at Northamptons Royal & Derngate, and Khlestakov in The Government Inspector at the Young Vic in 2011. It was really, really amazing because you were never settling and constantly striving to somehow refine it and make it better, funnier, more complex, he says of the latter. I never remember a show where I felt like I got it. It was mad but I loved every second. Poldark - Series 2 - Trailer - BBC One Sollers work may be primarily motivated by this pure love of his craft but there are other fringe benefits. His interest in history has been indulged by both Poldark and a role in upcoming feature film The Keeping Room, in which he plays a Union soldier in the last days of the American Civil War (Its a period Ive been fascinated with my whole life). Screen acting work has also enabled him to travel. Most recently hes spent extended periods of time in both Spain and Romania. 'Id tell Francis, Listen, buddy, everythings going to be OK. Just say youre sorry' Yet there are aspects hes less keen on. Sollers face lights up when he describes his dream of performing at the Berliner Festspiele, in the land of his grandfathers birth, but that light shuts off again when we turn to gossipy on-set stories. What did he make of his co-star Aidan Turner the first time they met? He was a really cool guy, he says with a shrug. Did he feel any of that famous sexual magnetism that Twitter gets so het up about? I just thought he was a really cool guy, he repeats, more sternly. Perhaps, witnessing at first hand his co-stars somewhat reluctant transformation into a historical heart-throb has made Soller wary of giving away too much. What does he make of all the attention Turner got for his shirtless scything? I dont really feel any way about it. I mean, I get my shins out in the next episode. And thats about as revealing as its going to get for now. Not that Soller seems irked by the professional requirement of image management. Hes says hes aware of his oft-remarked on resemblance to another actor, Iwan Rheon, best known as Games of Thrones human-flaying enthusiast Ramsay Bolton, and its not at all awkward if they end up at the same audition. Every actor wants to be able to think that they can play something very far away from themselves but sometimes what you look like means you get put in certain groups. Its part of the deal so you just accept it, really. Poldark 1 /6 Poldark Rugged Aidan Turner has become a Sunday night favourite in Poldark Chemistry Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark with Heida Reed as Elizabeth Modern day twist Fans were quick to spot a few anomalies in the first episode On set Eleanor Tomlinson as Demelza on location at Wheal Owles, near Botallack in West Cornwall BBC Turning heads Fans have been swooning over Ross Poldark star Aidan Turner Given that Soller is married to another actor, his total lack of status anxiety is all the more impressive. Back in 2011 this newspaper pitted husband against wife when both were nominated for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. Still, nothing. I really, really, genuinely havent been jealous, says Soller, who eventually won the award. And thats not to say that the roles shes taken havent been brilliant. I think theyve been brilliant and amazing choices, and shes done them beautifully, but its not a useful emotion. Did it take years of therapy and self-reflection to reach such a place of zen acceptance? No, not really. I come from a big family of high achievers who are all great at more than one thing, so I think I kind of got used to that. So no jealousy, especially with a family member. Its just got to be about love and support. Its hard to imagine Francis Poldark having such a well-adjusted attitude. This series, things get worse for him before they get better, as readers of Winston Grahams original novels will already be aware. If only there was some way Soller could put a comforting arm around the shoulders of this poor, misguided soul and offer him some counsel. Oh, tell me about it!, he laughs. Id be like, Listen, buddy, everythings going to be OK. Just say youre sorry. Follow Ellen E Jones on Twitter: @MsEllenEJones Bridge To Jesses and John DeLong made a clean sweep of the fourth round of Indiana Sires Stakes action after they captured the featured event of the evening, the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday evening. With a final time of 1:54.1, Bridge To Jesses notched his third consecutive victory at Hoosier Park and equaled his lifetime best. Leaving from post eight in the field of ten, Bridge To Jesses left aggressively for early position but a host of others also left alertly. Sam Widger and J S Livethedream were the first to get a call through the opening panel in a snappy :26.1 while Fly Jesse Fly and Trace Tetrick grabbed an early pocket seat. DeLong eased Bridge To Jesses back along the rail in third while the rest of the field sorted out early positions. J S Livethedream was able to slow the tempo and dictate middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:25.4 while Topville Avatar and Dale Hiteman were the first to apply pressure, first-over. As the field turned for home, J S Livethedream continued to call the shots but was bracing for the stretch battle that was about to ensue. Tetrick tipped Fly Jesse Fly to the outside and he made a bid at the leader but it was Bridge To Jesses who utilized the passing lane to get up in the final strides and win by length. Topville Avatar staged a big rally late in the lane to take home second place honours while J S Livethedream held on for third. As the 3-5 post time favourite, Bridge To Jesses returned $3.40 to his backers at the betting windows. The trip never works out like you think its going to, DeLong noted after the victory. I didnt know what Sam (Widger) would do with his horse because I know he likes the front but it ended up working out for us in the end. My horse felt great tonight, he had a lot of trot and was strong at the wire. Trained by Roger Welch, the son of Jailhouse Jesse-Bridge To Nowhere has now bankrolled $473,024 for his owners W. DeLong, W. DeLong, R. Welch, and R. DeLong. Bridge To Jesses has now won eight of ten seasonal starts and has only two off the board finishes this season. Indiana Sires Stakes action continues at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, September 2 with the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final and $25,000 consolation for three-year-old pacing fillies. The evenings 14-race card also features the return of 2015 Breeders Crown Champion Freaky Feet Pete in the $21,000 Invitational pace slated as race 9 on the program. (Hoosier Park) Justice Dept. Insists Government Can Dictate Where People Can Engage in Religious Activity, Asks Court to Dismiss RFRA Lawsuit Over SCOTUS Plaza WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- Insisting that the government can dictate where people can engage in religious activity, the Department of Justice is asking a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit, Payden-Travers v. Talkin, filed by attorneys for The Rutherford Institute challenging a 2013 regulation which broadly prohibits expressive activity in the plaza fronting the U.S. Supreme Court's building. The regulation was issued in response to a June 2013 ruling in another lawsuit, Hodge v. Talkin, filed by Rutherford Institute attorneys in which a federal district court declared a 60-year-old statute banning expressive activities on the Supreme Court plaza "unreasonable, substantially overbroad, and irreconcilable with the First Amendment." In May 2016, the Supreme Court upheld its own ban on expressive activity in Hodge. Payden-Travers v. Talkin takes up where Hodge left off, challenging the Court's broader prohibitions on expressive activity, especially as they relate to religious expression. Rutherford Institute attorneys argue the plaza prohibition violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which says the government must have a compelling interest in order to intrude on someone's religious liberty, and it must do so in the least restrictive way. The Rutherford Institute's complaint in Payden-Travers v. Talkin and the Dept. of Justice's motion to dismiss are available at www.rutherford.org. Affiliate attorney Jeffrey Light is assisting The Rutherford Institute in its challenge to the Supreme Court's prohibitions of expressive activity on its plaza. "There are a good many things that are repugnant to the Constitution right nowmass surveillance of Americans, roadside strip searches, forcible DNA extractions, SWAT team raids, civil commitments for criticizing the government, etc.but for the U.S. Supreme Court to overtly prohibit expressive activity on its grounds shows exactly how perverse our so-called system of justice has become," said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. "Unfortunately, free speech zones, bubble zones, trespass zones, anti-bullying legislation, zero tolerance policies, hate crime laws, overly vague noise ordinances, and a host of other legalistic maladies dreamed up by politicians and prosecutors have conspired to corrode our core freedoms." The plaza area in front of the Supreme Court is oval in shape and approximately 252 feet in length, is open 24-hours a day and is no different than other traditional public fora such as parks and sidewalks. The plaza has historically been used for First Amendment activities, including press conferences, tourists conversations, and filming of scenes for movies. Nevertheless, a 60-year-old statute broadly made it unlawful to display any flag, banner, or device designed to bring into public notice a party, organization, or movement while on the grounds of the U.S. Supreme Court, thereby banning expressive activity on the Supreme Court plaza. In January 2012, The Rutherford Institute filed a lawsuit, Hodge v. Talkin, on behalf of a political activist who was charged with violating the statute by silently standing on the plaza with a sign protesting police brutality. In June 2013, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl L. Howell ruled that the statute was unconstitutionally overbroad, facially unconstitutional and void. Just two days after this ruling, the Supreme Court adopted Regulation 7, which attempts to reinstate the restrictions struck down by Judge Howell by banning any "demonstration" on the Supreme Court grounds, which is broadly defined by Regulation 7 to include all forms of conduct communicating views or grievances that might draw onlookers. SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Sept. 2, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- Liberty Counsel filed its second 150-page brief in support of dismissing a lawsuit filed by Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) against American Pastor Scott Lively, responding to the 1,000+ pages submitted by SMUG to keep its vindictive and baseless lawsuit alive. SMUG filed the suit in retaliation against Lively for speaking about homosexuality and God's design for the family in Uganda. SMUG claims Lively committed an international "crime against humanity" when he shared his biblical views on homosexuality during three visits to Uganda in 2002 and 2009, even declaring Lively's "crimes" to be "one step from genocide." SMUG deems every pro-family advocate in Uganda to be a "co-conspirator" in a "criminal enterprise" to "persecute" the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) population of Uganda. In addition to seeking bankrupting financial penalties from Lively, SMUG is asking the federal court to prohibit Lively from, among other things, preaching at Ugandan churches and lobbying or advocating against same-sex marriage in Uganda. Lively's latest brief responds to over 1,000 pages of manufactured allegations and diversionary propaganda filed by SMUG in an attempt to rescue its lawsuit from the sworn testimony of its officers and directors, admitting that SMUG has no knowledge whatsoever connecting Lively to any act of "persecution." The brief, filed on behalf of Lively, shows the court that SMUG not only cannot prove a single act of "persecution" by Lively, but also concealed from Lively and the court a book published by SMUG covering a decade of the Ugandan homosexuality debate and containing information that destroys SMUG's international "conspiracy" theory. "SMUG has now made it clear that it wants to put Pastor Scott Lively's Christian faith on trial," said Liberty Counsel's Harry Mihet, Chief Litigation Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs. "Every American should be concerned about this unprecedented attempt to subjugate U.S. citizens and our Constitution to the new 'morality' of the international left," Mihet continued, "and we should pray for a just and decisive ruling from the court preserving our most cherished constitutional freedoms of thought and expression." The federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts will hear argument on Lively's motion for summary judgment dismissing SMUG's case on October 5, 2016. Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe A second purse snatching this week was likely committed by the same person from earlier this week and from two incidents in July, said Statesville Police Department Capt. D.B. Johnson. Johnson, supervisor of the Criminal Investigation Division, said around 7:20 a.m. Friday, a man snatched an employees purse at the medical office behind Lowry Drug, 750 Hartness Road. The black man was wearing a black shirt and black mask, Johnson said. SPD investigators and an Iredell County Sheriffs Office canine searched the area. A purse was grabbed from an elderly woman Wednesday morning as she walked into a medical office in the 700 block of Bryant Street. The man appeared to hold a door open for the woman but instead grabbed her purse. The description, with the exception of the clothing, is the same, Johnson said. In that instance, he was wearing a red shirt with writing on it. He was described as having a neat appearance and a medium complexion. There were two similar instances in July and both occurred in the parking lot of medical offices in the area of Iredell Memorial Hospital. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD at 704-878-3406 or Iredell Crime Stoppers at 704-662-1340. Callers can remain anonymous and a cash reward is possible. Friday, 02 September 2016 23:03:01 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Argentinian industrial production in July declined 7.9 percent, year-on-year, according to figures released this week by the nations statistics agency, Indec. As for the accumulated period of January to July, the countrys industrial output diminished 4 percent, year-on-year. Industrial output at the automotive segment fell 12.2 percent in July, year-on-year, and 13.4 percent in the January-July period, also on a year-on-year basis. According to a Indecs qualitative survey, which measured the expectancies of the nations industrial companies for the period of August to October 2016 on a year-on-year basis, 53.7 percent expect a stable pace for domestic demand in the period, while 29.8 percent foresee a decrease and 16.5 percent anticipate an increase in the domestic demand. Out of the interviewed exporting companies, 51.7 percent expect a stable Aug-October on a year-on-year basis. However, 25 percent expect an increase and 23.3 percent a decline in the industrys exports in the same period. Thursday, 01 September 2016 23:11:48 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Brazilian manganese producer BMC said this week it achieved a record manganese output, following the commissioning of a second dry screen in June this year. According to Canacana Resources, which co-owns BMC with Ferrometals BV, average production per week was 1,016 mt over nine weeks since installation in June. With a quarterly production of 7,477 mt to date, the company said it exceeded its previous record and now expects to reach a production capacity of 30,000 mt in 2016. The companys previous weekly record was 726 mt in 2015. The successful commissioning of the new dry screen has enabled us to meet our target of expanding production capacity, said Anthony Julien, president of Cancana. This is an important development, as our marketing team has identified opportunities for domestic and export sales contracts of up to 50,000 mt for our high-quality manganese oxide product. According to Julien, the increased capacity, in addition to progressive sales of the companys 2015 and 2016 inventory, allowed it to accelerate sales plans, ahead of further plant improvements scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter on the Jaburi plant, he said. BMC said its second dry screen was ordered following the success of the dry screen commissioned in 2015. Friday, 02 September 2016 09:59:43 (GMT+3) | Shanghai Anhui Province-based Chinese steelmaker Masteel has announced that it has recorded an operating revenue of RMB 21.001 billion ($3.14 billion) for the first half of the current year, down 10.4 percent year on year, with a net profit of RMB 453 million ($67.81 million) compared to a net loss of RMB 1.237 billion in the same period of 2015. Friday, 02 September 2016 16:40:38 (GMT+3) | Istanbul According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in July this year the value of South Africa 's exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 10.66 billion ($737.39 million), down 10.5 percent from June. In the January-July period of this year, South Africa 's export value of base metals and articles thereof increased by 6.3 percent year on year to ZAR 79.3 billion ($5.48 billion). In July of the current year, the country's imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 5.07 billion ($351.07 million), increasing 9.3 percent from the previous month, while in the first seven months South African imports of base metals and articles thereof rose by 0.5 percent year on year, amounting to ZAR 35.68 billion ($2.46 billion). As stated by the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD), Turkey s steel imports from China in the January-July period of this year rose by 49.8 percent on year-on-year basis to 1.59 million mt. In the first seven months of this year, Turkey s semi-finished imports from China increased by 484.7 percent year on year to 891,372 mt, consisting only of billets. In the January-July period of this year, Turkey s flat steel imports from China decreased by 54.3 percent to 191,658 mt, while its long steel imports from China were up by 72.8 percent to 96,624 mt and the countrys pipe imports from the same source increased by 4.1 percent to 155,000 mt, all on year-on-year basis. Thursday, 01 September 2016 23:09:40 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo The Steel Workers Union of Trinidad and Tobago, SWUTT, is looking to buy ArcelorMittal s Point Lisas mill, which was shut down in March this year, following the dismissal of 644 workers. According to a local media report, the union is putting together a group of investors to buy the steelmaker and resume operations. Christopher Henry, president of SWUTT, said buyers should be shareholders, not owners, of the plant and it would make a wider range of products than ArcelorMittal used to produce. The union leader said world steel prices are slightly improving. According to local press, there are at least three potential investors interested in buying the mill. Henry is expected to meet with the countrys prime minister Keith Rowley to outline the potential acquisition. ArcelorMittal attributed the mills shutdown to a combination of local and international challengesdespite the company's considerable efforts to avoid the closure of the iron and steel facility. The Trinidadbased facility was idled in November 23, 2015; 480 workers were temporarily laid off as the company worked to find an alternative solution to closing the plant. ArcelorMittal said at the time the mills shutdown was the last resort it found to the struggling subsidiary. Friday, 02 September 2016 16:14:14 (GMT+3) | Istanbul In an open letter to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on behalf of the Canadian steel industry and its employees, the United Steelworkers (USW) labor union and the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) have urged the prime minister to continue pressing China at the upcoming G20 meetings in Hangzhou, for multinational solutions to the problem of global overcapacity in the steel sector. In the letter, the USW and the CSPA stated that, despite recent efforts, the problems of overcapacity in steel and associated sectors persist in the volume of damaging and unfairly traded goods entering the Canadian market. The USW and the CSPA added that the massive state ownership of and support for Chinas steel sector is the single largest force disrupting established trade patterns and degrading pricing of steel products globally. According to the letter, unfairly traded goods pose a clear threat to the livelihoods of the over 22,000 middle-class Canadians employed directly in steel production and the additional 100,000 Canadians whose employment is indirectly supported by steel sector. In August this year, Ukrainian steelmaker Zaporizhstal 's finished steel product output decreased by 5.4 percent to 275,100 mt, its pig iron production went down by 8.8 percent to 297,300 mt, while its crude steel production declined by 7.8 percent to 322,200 mt, all year on year. The company stated that the reduced production figures in August this year, compared to the same period last year, are due to the implementation of its modernization program and the overhaul of production equipment. Friday, 02 September 2016 21:01:45 (GMT+3) | San Diego The latest data from the US Department of Commerce, Enforcement and Compliance indicates that for the month of August (as of Aug. 30), the US imported 108,069 mt (license data) of line pipe from global sources; this reflects a more than 50 percent drop from August 2015, when the US imported 142,619 mt. Theres still some stuff going on but were hardly flooded with orders, one source said. In terms of current offshore offer prices, API X-42 line In terms of current offshore offer prices, API X-42 line pipe offers from Korean steelmakers continue to be heard in the approximate range of $26.50-$27.50 cwt. ($584-$606/mt or $530-$550/nt), DDP loaded truck in US Gulf coast ports. Domestic pricing has also remained lateral, and is still holding in the approximate range of $40.00-$42.00 cwt. ($882-$926/mt or $800-$840/nt), ex-Midwest mill. US Domestic pricing has also remained lateral, and is still holding in the approximate range of $40.00-$42.00 cwt. ($882-$926/mt or $800-$840/nt), ex-Midwest mill. 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After the request is presented in the Senate's standing bureau, to convene on Monday, the Justice request will be forwarded to the legal committee for an opinion which will be sent to the plenary sitting, which is the body in charge with approving or rejecting it.DNA head Laura Codruta Kovesi on Thursday asked that the Senate be notified for the initiation of Gabriel Oprea's prosecution for culpable homicide in the case of police officer Bogdan Gigina's death.According to the DNA, the evidence collected reveals reasonable indications on committing a new offense, besides the ones for which a criminal investigation is already underway. Oamenii de la NASA sunt in ALERTA. Ce se intampla acum e fara precedent Isarescu, 'prins cu mata-n sac'. ANI scoate la LUMINA veniturile guvernatorului BNR The prosecutors showed that, on the evening of October 20, 2015, around 19:00, police officer Bogdan Gigina was involved in a traffic accident having suffered a craniocerebral hemorrhage, as consequence of a craniocerebral and facial trauma with a cranial fracture, which caused his death. "At the time of the accident, victim Bogdan Gigina was part of a motorcade accompanying Minister Oprea. This motorcade, provided by the Road Police Brigade within the Directorate General of the Bucharest Police, was made up of a motorcyclist (victim Gigina) and a team of one police officer and one agent in a traffic police car. This motorcade ran in front of Minister Gabriel Oprea's car. At the time of the accident, Minister Oprea was going to his residence in the Cotroceni neighbourhood," the DNA pointed out. Investigators said that the evidence reveals that, in breach of the legal provisions regulating the accompanying of dignitaries, then Interior Minister Oprea ordered that permanent motorcades accompany him on a permanent basis, made up of both a traffic police car (one agent and one officer) and traffic police motorcycle. AGERPRES Hundreds of banana farmers from Central and South America will again have their day in court, after a U.S. appeals court on Friday revived six lawsuits accusing several big fruit and chemical companies of sickening farmers with a toxic pesticide. By an 11-0 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia revived claims by 228 farmers from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama against companies such as Chiquita Brands International, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Dole Food, Dow Chemical, Occidental Chemical and Shell Oil. The court said a Delaware judge abused his discretion by dismissing the lawsuits instead of putting them on hold or transferring them, after another judge in Louisiana had rejected the same claims because they were brought there too late. Circuit Judge Julio Fuentes called it untenable to throw out litigation that began in 1993, without any U.S. court reviewing the merits of the farmers claims. The farmers are seeking damages from the defendants for exposure from the 1960s to 1980s to dibromochloropropane, or DBCP, a pesticide they blame for causing sterility, kidney failure, elevated cancer risk, birth defects and other medical problems. Most uses of DBCP were banned in the United States in 1977. The farmers sued on their own after a U.S. court rejected their bid to pursue a class action. Im extremely gratified that a court of this stature has finally seen the truth, and that the farmers will have their day in court, which is what they have asked for two decades, their lawyer Scott Hendler said in a phone interview. Other banana workers with similar claims have won multi-million dollar settlements. One case against Dole reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003. Lawyers for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Fridays decision reversed an August 2015 ruling by a three-judge 3rd Circuit panel, which had upheld dismissals of the six lawsuits by U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews in Delaware. Fuentes said he found merit to defense arguments that the farmers tried to game the system by shopping for a friendlier court after being shut out in Louisiana. But he said dismissal would be unfair, given that the farmers were indifferent as to which court heard their claims, so long as they were heard. Most of the lawsuits were returned to Delaware for further proceedings. Claims against Chiquita will move to New Jersey, where that company is incorporated. Before some cutting-edge online retailer can use a drone to drop granola bars on your doorstep, a railroad born when Abe Lincoln was in Congress will first have to iron out the kinks. BNSF Railway Co. is flying drones as far as 150 miles along the New Mexico desert to inspect tracks, helping the Federal Aviation Administration develop rules for operating unmanned aircraft beyond the pilot's line of sight. That's an essential step for expanding use to such commercial endeavors as deliveries by Amazon.com and other companies. "We had to invent a lot of what we're doing from scratch," said Todd Graetz, head of the drone team at Fort Worth, Texas-based BNSF, which traces its roots back to the Aurora Branch Railroad's founding in 1849 and is currently controlled by billionaire Warren Buffett. "It sets the stage for a number of other users." The "Holy Grail" is flying drones beyond what ground-based operators can see, said John Walker, co-founder of the Padina Group aerospace consulting firm. The potential uses from track inspections, to spotting criminals on the lam, to organ deliveries for hospitals will rival what happened a century ago, when airplanes became indispensable tools instead of stunt machines at county fairs, he said. "It's been barnstorming," said Walker, a former FAA program director. "Now we're getting into what is the commercial market." The FAA is eager to expand rules for long-distance drone flights, said Earl Lawrence, the agency's director of the office of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration. The agency missed a congressional mandate to allow full integration of drones into U.S. airspace by last year, citing safety concerns. Until recently, the FAA had allowed commercial drone flights only under a cumbersome, case-by-case application process. On Monday, the agency began permitting daytime flights within line of sight, no higher than 400 feet, no faster than 100 miles per hour and, generally, not above people. Those interim rules set a framework eventually to allow night flights, operations over populated areas and service beyond line of sight. The agency expects to introduce those rules next year, Lawrence said. "How do you eat the elephant? One bite at a time," he said. "We're taking it in bites. We're going from the less complex to the more complex." The agency has enlisted assistance from BNSF and other companies to tackle the challenges in an airspace crowded with the most private planes in the world. "The FAA itself can't really move this forward on its own. It needs industry," said Joanna Simon, an associate at Morrison & Foerster. The San Francisco-based law firm's clients include Facebook Inc., which wants to use drones to provide internet service. BNSF, owned by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, is particularly suited for the task. The railroad operates 32,500 miles of track crisscrossing sparsely populated areas along a well-defined right of way, which eases planning. Communications towers that are part of a safety system for trains can be used to help guide drones. The railroad also has a compelling business case. The Latitude HQ-40 drone that Graetz supervises has a six-foot wingspan and is equipped with cameras that when paired with special software can potentially detect track anomalies more quickly, possibly preventing derailments. The flights, from just outside of Playas, N.M., lay the groundwork for drone inspections of other fixed infrastructure, such as pipelines and power lines. "The more we fly, the more imagery we collect, the more we run it through the analytics, the better things get," Graetz said. Another company, PrecisionHawk Inc., is working with partners to use satellite data to build three-dimensional maps so drones by themselves can avoid objects such as grain silos and tall trees, says Tyler Collins, the director of business development. PrecisionHawk has developed drones and software to monitor the health of crop fields. "One of the most exciting things is that the FAA is fully invested in figuring out how to do this," he said. Harris Corp., which operates a network that helps the agency monitor manned aircraft, is developing systems that would extend the coverage to below 500 feet for drones, including through use of the cellular telephone network. "The challenges of moving beyond visual line of sight shouldn't be underestimated," said Carl D'Alessandro, president of critical networks at Harris, which is assisting PrecisionHawk. Companies including Google and Amazon, which has received permission to test flights beyond line of sight in the U.K., have pushed the FAA to move more quickly. Domino's Pizza Enterprises last week said it teamed up with drone operator Flirtey to deliver a pizza in New Zealand and plans to test the service there later this year. "We work with regulators and policy makers in many countries and will continue to do so," Kristen Kish, a spokeswoman for Amazon, said by e-mail. "We look forward to using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers around the world." The risks of flying autonomous planes long distance are substantial. The drones must be able to detect other aircraft and objects, such as crop dusters or hot-air balloons, and then take action to avoid them. Operators also have to determine how drones can land safely if they lose communications with people on the ground. BNSF isn't ready to reveal how it plans to overcome these challenges, said Graetz, an airplane pilot. The company and its partners are working on the final proposal to the FAA for full operation beyond line of sight, he says. Today, some of the railroad's methods are low tech, such as emails, phone calls and visits to small airports along the rail route to warn people of drone flights. "There's the process of good old shoe leather to get to know the airport managers and spreading the news about what we're doing," he said. NEW YORK Some major retailers are scrambling to work out contingency plans to get their merchandise to stores after the bankruptcy of the Hanjin shipping line has thrown ports and retailers around the world into confusion. They dont have a lot of time. Giant container ships from South Korea-based Hanjin are marooned with their cargo of what experts say are lots of TVs and printers but also loads of home furnishings and clothing. Hanjin, the worlds seventh-largest container shipper, filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday and stopped accepting new cargo. With its assets frozen, ships from China to Canada were refused permission to offload or take aboard containers because there were no guarantees that tugboat pilots or stevedores would be paid. It also has been a factor in rising shipping rates and could hurt some trucking firms with contracts to pick up goods from Hanjin ships. The company represents nearly 8 percent of the trans-Pacific trade volume for the U.S. market. While some retailers may already have merchandise for the holiday season affected, experts say whats most important is that the issue be resolved before the critical shipping month of October. Retailers always have robust contingency plans, but this degree of uncertainty is making it challenging to put those plans in place, said Jessica Dankert, senior director of retail operations for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, a trade alliance with members including Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target. J.C. Penney said Hanjin is one of several ocean freight carriers it uses and when it learned there might be an issue it began to divert and reroute its containers. It said it uses a variety of transportation methods and ports and right now does not expect a significant effect on the flow of merchandise. Target Corp. said it is watching the situation closely, and Wal-Mart said it is waiting for details about Hanjins bankruptcy proceedings and the implications to its merchandise before it could assess the effect. As of Friday, 27 ships had been refused entry to ports or terminals, Hanjin Shipping spokesman Park Min said. The Seoul-based company said one ship in Singapore had been seized by the ships owner. At the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nations busiest port complex, three Hanjin container ships ranging from about 700 feet to 1,100 feet long were either drifting offshore or anchored away from terminals on Thursday. A fourth vessel that was supposed to leave Long Beach on Thursday morning remained anchored inside the breakwater. Hanjin called us and said: Were going bankrupt and we cant pay any bills so dont bother asking, said J. Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, which provides traffic control for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Thats meant cargo headed to and from Asia is in limbo, much to the distress of merchants looking to stock shelves with fall fashions or Christmas toys. Someone from the garment industry called earlier today asking: How long is this going to go on, because Ive got clothing out there, Louttit said. Chris Rogers, a research analyst at Panjiva, which tracks international imports to the United States, said the situation isnt yet dire but could become so. October is the busiest month for cargo from South Korea to the U.S., accounting for about 11.5 percent of the annual total. But South Koreas maritime ministry said Hanjins troubles would affect cargo exports for two to three months, given that August-October is a high-demand season for deep-sea routes. The Retail Industry Leaders Association wrote to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Mario Cordero on Thursday, urging them to work with the South Korean government, ports and others to prevent disruptions. It said the bankruptcy is rippling through the global supply chain and could cause significant harm to consumers and the U.S. economy. There (are) millions of dollars worth of merchandise that needs to be on store shelves that could be impacted by this, said Jonathan Gold, the National Retail Federations vice president for supply chain and customs policy. The confusion might also sink some trucking firms that contract with Hanjin to deliver cargo containers from ports to company loading bays. Theyve got bills to pay they could literally close their doors over this, said Peter Schneider, Fresno-based vice president of T.G.S. Transportation Inc. Other shipping lines may take on some of Hanjins traffic but at a price. Since many vessels already are operating at high capacity, shippers may wind up paying a premium to squeeze their containers on board, said Jock OConnell, international trade adviser to Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics. The price of shipping a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. jumped up to 50 percent in a single day, said Nerijus Poskus, director of pricing and procurement for Flexport, a licensed freight forwarder and customs broker based in San Francisco. The price from China to West Coast ports rose from $1,100 per container to as much as $1,700 on Thursday, while the cost from China to the East Coast jumped from $1,700 to $2,400, he said. Hanjins bankruptcy was a major factor, he said. Global demand and trade have suffered since the 2008 recession, but steamship lines continued to build more and larger vessels. That weaker trade and overcapacity have sent ocean shipping rates plunging in recent years. A few months ago, Poskus said, prices hit historic lows globally down to as much as $600 per container from Shanghai to Los Angeles. That wouldnt even cover fuel costs for the huge ships, he said. Poskus expects the spike in prices to last a month or two. With about 5 percent of ships in the global trading fleet sitting idle, he believes there is room to take over Hanjins capacity and carriers already are discussing the possibility of adding ships. But he said prices would have to rise in order to be sustainable. Editor's note: Christian Taylor, who joined Cultivation Capital in early August, left the organization before this news release was published, a spokesman for the organization said. Christian Taylor, founder of Silicon Valley-based startup Payvment, has joined Cultivation Capital as a principal to focus on its new SixThirty Cyber accelerator program. Previously, Taylor was with 500 Startups and mentored accelerator companies in the areas of product design, user growth and raising venture capital. He is the founder and former CEO of Payvment, an e-commerce site that was acquired by Intuit in 2013. Cultivation Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in early stage technology and life sciences companies. SixThirty Cyber is a business development accelerator that invests up to $100,000 in a handful of cyber security-based technology startup companies each year. Emeril Lagasse was once the most over-exposed chef on the Food Network, seen pretty much around the clock and turning "bam!" into a catch phrase for cooks of all ages and abilities. Then, in 2007, the network abruptly killed his "Emeril Live," a decision that shocked fans and supposedly many insiders, as well Lagasse himself. Since then, Emeril has been around, as a judge on "Top Chef," a frequent guest on "Rachael Ray" and morning shows, and as host of short-lived shows of his own. He has never had a better showcase, though, than "Eat the World With Emeril Lagasse," a six-episode Amazon original that arrives today (Friday, Sept. 2). This Lagasse is thoughtful and quietly enthusiastic, earnestly setting out to learn about cuisine in six major food meccas. He is joined by chef friends on his journeys -- Jose Andres in Spain, Marcus Samuelsson in Sweden, Mario Batali in China, Danny Bowien in South Korea, Nancy Silverton in Italy and Aaron Sanchez in Cuba. Clearly, these are people he loves, and the affection is mutual. Lagasse is brought to tears in one episode. (Two, South Korea and Spain, were provided for preview.) This would be the trip of a lifetime for any foodie, and Lagasse is appropriately appreciative. We should be too, as we get both a travelogue and a culinary education of the kind that is rare on food shows, which are too often about competition these days. Consider the trip Lagasse takes with Bowien (San Francisco's Mission Chinese), who was born in South Korea but adopted to the United States as an infant. As Bowien gets to know his homeland, he and Lagasse take a breathtaking trip high into the mountains to meet, and eat with, Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan, considered one of the world's great vegan cooks. We can almost taste the kimchi, pulled from a pit in the ground just before it's eaten. This is food TV at its most delicious. "Eat the World" competes, if streaming shows can be said to compete with one another, with Netflix's "Chef's Table," which arrives Friday for its third season. These four episodes will all feature French chefs, including Michel Troisgros of the famous Roanne restaurant family. With each episode devoted to a single story, "Chef's Table" is delves deeply into what makes a chef and what the restaurant life is like. There's a lot of introspection, making "Chef's Table" a better bet for devoted culinary insiders than for ordinary foodies. Lagasse's show, though, is for anyone who ever wanted to "Eat the World." To say that Colleen Coble views the Missouri law that protects the confidentiality of sexual abuse and domestic violence victims as her baby is hardly an exaggeration. Coble, the CEO of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, has been working on passing and strengthening the law since 1989. I dont have children, Coble says. I have Chapter 455. That is the section of Missouri law that says when a victim goes to a domestic violence shelter or rape crisis center to report a crime or seek help, the workers or volunteers there must keep the victims information confidential. The law also shields the confidential information and crisis center workers or volunteers from disclosure or testimony in court cases. At least it did until late last month. Thats when U.S. District Judge Carol E. Jackson of the Eastern District of Missouri ruled against the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, in a lawsuit brought by the Rev. Xiu Hui Joseph Jiang. Jiang, a Catholic priest who was once associate pastor at the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis, sued SNAP and two of its leaders, David Clohessy and Barbara Dorris, for defamation related to public statements they had made about alleged abuse reported to SNAP by victims. Jiang had faced criminal sexual abuse charges, but the criminal case against him was dropped in 2015. In his lawsuit, Jiang and his attorneys sought victim information that SNAP and its attorney, Amy Lorenz-Moser, consider confidential under Missouri law. In ordering SNAP to turn over confidential information, Lorenz-Moser said Judge Jackson put her clients in an impossible situation. Its an incredible Catch-22, she said. Do you violate the order of the court or do you violate Missouri law? SNAP chose to be true to the state law to protect the confidentiality of victims information. But as a result, Jackson issued sanctions against the organization and ruled in favor of Jiang. And thats what has Coble worried. She believes the case will leave victims of sexual assault or domestic violence less protected if Jacksons ruling stands, and it will cause rape crisis centers to take the ruling into consideration when explaining their responsibilities to protect information to victims, as required by the law. We have a long history in Missouri of upholding the concept that the state has a duty to protect its citizens, Coble said. That history is in jeopardy if Jacksons ruling stands, says Lorenz-Moser. This ruling doesnt just affect SNAP, she said. Its about anyone who serves rape victims. Lorenz-Moser plans to appeal the ruling, and she hopes the appeals court finds that Jackson simply got the law wrong when she dismissed the idea that the rape crisis center privilege found in Missouri law should apply to a federal case. In her orders, Jackson based her determination that the rape crisis center privilege claimed by SNAP shouldnt apply in the Jiang lawsuit on a Missouri Supreme Court case titled Hope House vs. Merrigan. In that ruling, written by Missouri Supreme Court Judge Richard Teitelman, the court determined that confidential information held by the domestic violence shelter should be protected. In fact, it determined that the level of protection on such information was even higher than other forms of confidential privilege such as attorney-client privilege. Although trial courts are generally vested with broad discretion regarding discovery, requiring Hope House to produce statutorily protected information is an abuse of discretion, Teitelman wrote for the court. Jackson argued the Hope House case actually limited protection for victims. Both the woman who was involved in writing the original law underlying the case Coble and the attorney for SNAP Lorenz-Moser think Jackson simply got it wrong. The Hope House case is very clear, Coble said. The finding in the case is, No, you cant have the records. The protection is beyond privilege. For now, that interpretation doesnt apply in federal court in Missouri. It means that Missouri victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence have less protection than they did before Jiangs lawsuit, and that could have a huge impact beyond a dispute involving one priest seeking compensation from the federal court for alleged defamation. If victims arent guaranteed privacy, they wont come forward, Lorenz-Moser says. Its a public safety issue. Its a victims rights issue. ST. LOUIS As attorney Jane Dueker said Thursday afternoon, it comes down to the envelopes. Dueker made the remark after the end of arguments in a two-day civil trial regarding absentee balloting in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary for the 78th District Missouri House race. Dueker represented incumbent Penny Hubbard, who won the race by 90 votes. Hubbard did so by capturing 78.5 percent of the absentee ballots. During Thursdays action, Dueker repeatedly fended off claims by Dave Roland, attorney for Hubbard opponent Bruce Franks Jr., that election irregularities, including inconsistent policies by the St. Louis Election Board of Commissioners, show the need for a new election to be held. An ongoing Post-Dispatch investigation on Wednesday revealed multiple problems with absentee ballots in the Aug. 2 election. Roland centered his case on the 142 absentee ballots that were cast at the Election Board office downtown. He cited state law that says all absentee ballots must be received in a sealed envelope. The envelope provides the signature of the voter, a place to mark one of the six reasons the voter is voting absentee and a place to notarize the ballot, which must be done in all cases except those in which the voter claims incapacity as a reason for casting an absentee ballot. Roland says without the envelope, there is no way to challenge the vote. Dueker, along with the three Election Board officials Roland called to the stand, said there is no reason and no way to cast an absentee ballot in person with an envelope. At the Election Board office, the voter must complete an absentee ballot application. After it is filled out, which includes marking a reason the voter expects to not be able to vote at the polls on Election Day, an Election Board official verifies that the voter is registered and the signature on the application matches what is in the board database. These ballots were the ones Circuit Judge Rex Burlison asked the most questions about on both days. State law outlines specific steps for casting, challenging and counting absentee votes processes that involve envelopes. On Day 2, Roland hammered away at inconsistencies contained on the envelopes of absentee ballots that were mailed in. In some cases Roland said about 10 voters marked a reason such as absence from the city on their absentee ballot applications and on the envelopes, without getting the envelope notarized as required. It was human error, I guess, said Bettie Williams, the Election Boards deputy Republican director. In pointing out that the Election Board rejects some ballots for errors and not others, Roland said it adds to the question about the legitimacy of the election. After spending an extended amount of time asking Williams about the procedure for absentee balloting, Dueker interjected, prompting Burlison to ask if she had an objection. Flustered, Dueker waved her arms and said: I dont have one. After turning and walking back to her table, she added: The stupidity. In cross-examination, Dueker pointed out that some people who marked their ballots incorrectly were on the boards permanent disability list, which would require no notary but should be marked incapacity not another reason such as absence. Is it possible you were accepting these ballots so you were not jacking around disabled people? Dueker said. Yes, Williams replied. In his attack on the consistency of Election Board policies and procedures, Roland also questioned the 86 rejected absentee ballots. In several cases, the ballots were returned by the Postal Service as undeliverable. But Roland asked Pamela Lake, the boards Democratic absentee supervisor, about the others, including those rejected for not having a signature or for not being notarized. He called her attention to absentee ballots mailed in well advance of the Aug. 2 election. So if it is three weeks before the election, and the vote is rejected, would the voter know he would still be able to vote at the polls? Roland asked Lake. No, she said. If it is rejected, the voter is not notified. When Roland asked her why not, she said: When I started, that was not the policy of the board. Lake has been an Election Board employee since 2013. She did say, however, that the board has notified voters when their ballot applications were incorrectly filled out. His point was to show that if voters had been notified that their ballots were rejected, they could have sought another application. Burlison told the attorneys to get all their written arguments to him so he could begin reviewing and writing his opinion on Friday. On Wednesday, Election Board attorney Michael Stokes said that in order to have an election before the Nov. 8 general election, the board needs a decision no later than Tuesday morning. FRANKLIN COUNTY A Hermann man has been charged with assault after striking and killing a Missouri Department of Transportation worker as he was cleaning a bridge in Franklin County in April. Norman E. Haimila, 80, of Hermann was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and driving without insurance in connection with the death of Lyndon Ebker, 55, of Rosebud, Mo. Ebker was part of a MoDOT crew cleaning road salt and other grime off a bridge on Highway 100 near Bucheit Road when he was struck about 9:15 a.m. April 7. Haimila struck Ebker when he swerved to avoid a dump truck Ebker's crew had parked in an eastbound lane of the highway, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. Ebker was pronounced dead at the scene. The dump truck had a device on the back designed to minimize damage to vehicles in a collision. The workers had posted signs that work was being done on the bridge. Haimila stayed at the scene after the crash and was questioned by authorities. A warrant for his arrest was issued Wednesday. The gunman was identified as Orlando Harris, 19, a recent graduate of the school. One survivor heard him say he was 'tired of everybody' in the school and that his gun jammed at one point. WEST ST. LOUIS COUNTY Area police-canine teams gathered Friday to remember two of their own with mournful bagpipes, heartfelt eulogies and a few vigorous barks. The memorial was held for Zar and Lass, two St. Louis County police dogs that died coincidentally on Aug. 23. The unprecedented service was inspired mainly by Zar, the first dog to die prior to its retirement in the 56-year history of the county canine service. Lass had already retired. The 38-minute service was held in the American Kennel Clubs Museum of the Dog in Queeny Park. More than 120 people, most of them officers in uniform, filled the room. The size of the crowd surprised the events organizers. Many of the civilians present were relatives of dog handlers, but a few passers-by were drawn by the large flag slung between two firetrucks and the line of mostly obedient police dogs waiting along the museum walk. The arrival of another dog usually set off some rambunctiousness that would be stilled by quiet but firm commands. Among the 27 present were Hugo of Florissant, Ares of OFallon, Mo., Degan of Wood River, and Ivan of St. Louis County. The numerous participating departments included the Illinois State Police and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The event had some of the trappings of a police funeral. Cremated remains of the two dogs were placed on tables with their collars and leashes. The county police bagpipe and drum team played Amazing Grace, followed by a bugler with taps. There were a few sniffles in the room when a simulated last call for Lass and Zarr, department serial numbers 19 and 22 respectively, was played over a scratchy police radio. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar praised police dogs for courage, loyalty and innocence that is magical. We should all be so fortunate to have such partners. Lt. Brad Kelling, a former canine-unit supervisor, called caring for a police dog the most rewarding part of law enforcement. You work together, live together. But theres also a price of knowing youll have to bury your partner. Most police dogs are German shepherds, which have life spans of about 10 years. Lass retired in October. Zar was still working but suddenly became ill during a training session. Both dogs were diagnosed with cancer and were euthanized. County Executive Steve Stenger, who has three pet dogs, was among the speakers. Police chaplain Sid Brantley read a poem that included the old line about spelling God backwards. Stephen George, director of the dog museum, was delighted to host the event in its War Dogs Gallery. The museum also has a permanent display of St. Louis County police dogs through the years. Our mission is to honor the canine-human relationship, George said. With the bravery of police dogs, I cant think of a better way to use this space. Karen LaRoche of Ballwin was walking in the park when she saw the gathering and joined the service. Im a dog person, and I respect the terrific work that these dogs do for us, she said. After the speeches, many in the tightknit world of canine officers lined up to pay respects to Officers Scott Scarborough and Robert Dean, who worked with Zar and Lass. Ashley Scarborough, married to Scott, said it was hard on her to lose Zar. He was everything to us, she said. I always felt safe when he was home. He was my cuddle buddy. MARYLAND HEIGHTS About 40 Maryland Heights residents and city-based employees on Thursday night urged the City Council to restore Police Chief William Carson and Maj. Joe Delia to their longtime positions from the administrative leave status that was imposed on Aug. 25. But the council offered no comment, voting only to confirm Capt. Mike Klos as acting chief. In closed session, the council was to name a firm to review and assess police operations. Reportedly, information developed there will be key in the future status of Carson and Delia. They are receiving full pay and benefits for the time being. The city charter provides that the mayor appoints ranking police personnel and the council must confirm the appointments. At the time of the personnel moves, City Administrator Jim Krischke, who took office this year, said there had been complaints from some officers of an unfair work environment. He offered no details. About 10 residents as well as representatives of the Maryland Heights Fire Protection District, Hollywood Casino and other groups spoke in favor of restoration of Carson and Delia to their prior status, and all received loud applause. Longtime resident Tom DiBuono accused Krischke of coming up here (from Republic, Mo.) and throwing his weight around. An attorney for Delia, J.C. Pleban, charged that Krischke has twice failed to respond to requests for the names of anyone who allegedly complained abut Delia. Longtime council member Ed Dirck denied a rumor that department layoffs are coming. Thats just a lie, there will be no cuts anywhere, Dirck said. He declined to offer more information on the suspensions: We cant talk about the personnel situation. Thats the law. Id love to, but we cant. TROY, Mo. The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating allegations a Troy police officer engaged in "inappropriate conduct." Authorities won't say anything about the alleged conduct, saying the investigation is ongoing. Troy police Chief Jeff Taylor said in a statement Wednesday that the department was notified on June 28 about alleged "inappropriate conduct." He said the police turned over the investigation to the Missouri Highway Patrol "once the information was substantiated and it appeared criminal activity had occurred." The officer was suspended without pay by the police department. He resigned on July 6. The officer has not been charged. "The Troy Police Department has a zero tolerance policy regarding these types of incidents," Taylor said in the release. The Highway Patrol and Lincoln County prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to questions about the case. JEFFERSON CITY A recent Post-Dispatch investigation into absentee voting in St. Louis has turned up plenty of questions among them, where the buck stops when local elections go awry. For Kenneth Warren, a professor of political science at St. Louis University, its a familiar story. The city has a history with voter fraud, and hes been watching it for years. The recent incident reminds him of another controversy more than 25 years ago: a contentious St. Louis school board race he investigated in 1991, when now-U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt was serving as Missouris secretary of state. A probe by the citys Election Board turned up some fraud, namely from two election judges who admitted under oath that for years, they cast ballots for absent voters, sometimes even for their own relatives. As reported by the Post-Dispatch in 1992, Blunt the states top election official at the time wanted those judges charged. He also criticized the citys inquiry into the race, saying the speed of the investigation was totally unacceptable by any standard Im comfortable with. Eventually, he asked the U.S. attorneys office to get involved. But he made the limitations of his office clear. We have expressed our willingness to provide assistance in this matter, he said in a statement in August 1991. However, the board and the court have jurisdiction over this investigation. Flash forward to 2016, as Blunt is running to keep his seat in Congress against Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander. His campaign has repeatedly criticized Kanders tenure in the office Blunt used to hold. Blunts backers point to a different incident in April, where a ballot shortage in St. Louis County meant voters were turned away in 24 of the countys 432 polling places. Jason Kander never misses an opportunity to remind people that he is the states chief elections official, but the minute theres a problem, he is anxious to pass the buck rather than ensure that every eligible Missourian has the ability to vote, said Tate OConnor, press secretary for Blunts campaign, in a previous statement. Last week, a judge heard allegations of absentee ballot fraud in the 78th Missouri House district Democratic primary race, and on Friday tossed out the results and ordered a new election. A grand jury will look into the matter. Kanders opponents have added this new controversy to the list. Warren said thats smart politics, but not necessarily a fair claim. Roy Blunt was secretary of state as well, and there was fraud happening under his watch, Warren said. I dont blame him for saying it. If I was running Blunts campaign Id tell him to say the same things. But he knows its just politics to blame Jason Kander. Whos in charge? So who ultimately is in charge of local elections? Republicans have been pointing to Kanders own statements, where he identifies himself as the chief election official of the state. And he is, as defined very clearly in Missouri state law. The Secretary of State shall be the chief state election official responsible for the administration and coordination of state responsibilities pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the law says. But state statutes also make clear that county clerks or boards of election commissioners have the authority over local elections. Whether a municipality has a board or a clerk comes down largely to population. Theres a board in each county that has more than 900,000 residents. State law gives the governor authority to appoint commissioners to those boards. In St. Louis, the Board of Election Commissioners is one of the citys county offices, which is state-mandated. Its funded by the city but overseen by four commissioners appointed by the governor two Republican, two Democrat. The Help America Vote Act, a federal law sometimes known as HAVA, established minimum election administration requirements and mandated all states and local municipalities upgrade voting equipment. Implementation has been left to the states, and thats what the Missouri Secretary of State is tasked with. He or she sets voting standards, compliance deadlines and procedures for when HAVA is violated. David Kimball, a University of Missouri-St. Louis professor of political science with expertise in elections, said that means the job is largely responsive in nature. I mean, the fact that hes the sitting secretary of state, you sort of blame the current officeholder for whatever goes wrong under his watch, Kimball said. But in this case, the buck stops with the local election board. Theyre the ones that have been accepting absentee ballots. I think typically in these sorts of situations, the secretary of states job is to investigate and report on it after the fact, as to how the law might be changed and strengthened, Kimball added. Warren echoed a similar sentiment. Practically speaking, Jason Kander cannot monitor what happens in all the counties in the state of Missouri, Warren said. Thats absurd. He compared the Blunt campaign attacks to efforts to lay all responsibility for the racial unrest in Ferguson on Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon because hes the chief executive of the state. How (Kander) reacts to the incident is far more important, Warren said. If he just lets it go, then yes, you should blame the secretary of state. Overhaul contemplated Still, even some Democrats arent so quick to let Kander completely off the hook. After the shortage of ballots in St. Louis County in April, Kander tasked his offices Elections Integrity Unit with investigating the St. Louis County Elections Board and making recommendations for improvements. Lawmakers also investigated, including Rep. Courtney Allen Curtis, a Ferguson Democrat who chairs the Missouri House Special Committee on Urban Affairs. His committee, along with a House task force, grilled St. Louis County election directors who Kander has said took full responsibility for the problem. Its the secretary of states job to ensure there is confidence in the electoral system, Curtis said. As a leader, you can delegate, but when you delegate you ensure the people you delegate the responsibilities to do their jobs. If its a process problem, Curtis said he expected lawmakers might again be getting involved. Maybe its time for a complete overhaul, Curtis said. Warren maintains that no blame belongs with Kander until those following the story see how he handles the controversy. Similarly, he welcomed Blunts involvement in the school board case in November 1991, when Blunt was critical of the pace of the investigation and eventually offered his offices resources to help. I wouldnt blame (Kander) for the incident thats broken out, but he is accountable for what happens in response, Warren said. Once a problem surfaces, he should take responsibility for trying to solve the problem. Post-Dispatch reporter Doug Moore contributed to this report. JEFFERSON CITY With just over two months before St. Louis-area voters head to the polls, the incumbent in Missouris First Senate District holds a commanding fundraising lead. Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton, reported having $810,373 in his campaign war chest Thursday, compared to $209,692 for Republican challenger Randy Jotte. Despite the wide money gap, the race could prove to be a tight one based on recent election history. In 2012, Sifton, an attorney, beat incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Lembke by a 50.9 percent to 49 percent margin. In 2008, Lembke won his race by less than 100 votes over Joan Barry. Jotte, an emergency room doctor, previously has made unsuccessful bids for Congress, the Missouri House of Representatives and St. Louis County Council. He served on the Webster Groves City Council for four years. Reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission show Jotte has raised $42,825 in the past month. The bulk of his contributions came from accounts controlled by Senate Republican leaders. A complaint alleging he failed to report a $24,000 in-kind contribution from the Missouri Senate Campaign Committee was dismissed by the ethics commission earlier this week. Sifton reported raising $201,000 in the period, including a $50,000 contribution from the Carpenters District Council of St. Louis. The First District includes all or parts of Webster Groves, Crestwood, Oakville, Marlborough and Lemay. WASHINGTON A federal judge has denied an appeal from the online advertising site backpage.cm. The internet site targeted by a Senate investigation into online sex for sale now has 10 days to turn over documents to the government. The Friday decision stems from a rare contempt of the Senate vote spearheaded by Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio. The two on Friday hailed the decision as another victory in their investigation of online sex trafficking, including the trafficking of children. Their Senate investigations subcommittee had sought documents and testimony from Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer, who refused to appear or hand over any documents, arguing that the First Amendment protected the site in third-party advertising. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer ordered Ferrer to comply with that Senate subpoena and provide documents within 10 days. Backpage asked that it be allowed to withhold compliance while it appealed. Fridays action was a response to that appeal. McCaskill said in a statement that the ruling puts hers and Portmans investigation one step closer to getting to the bottom of what if any practices this company has to prevent criminal activity and were looking forward to reviewing these documents in our ongoing investigation of the scourge of sex trafficking on the internet. Backpage lawyer Liz McDougall said she had no comment. But in the past, attorneys for the website have promised to vigorously fight the Senates subpoenas based on First Amendment grounds, leaving open the possibility that the website will pursue further legal appeals. When Ferrer first ignored the subpoena, Steve Ross, a lawyer hired by the website, told the Post-Dispatch that the two sides have been in disagreement regarding both the applicability of the First Amendment to the subcommittees efforts to require production of documents from an online publisher of third-party advertisements and the relevance of such records to the work of the subcommittee. MINNEAPOLIS A black man who was shot by a Minnesota police officer in July will be laid to rest Saturday in St. Louis. A memorial service for Philando Castile will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at Ronald L. Jones Funeral Chapels in St. Louis. It will be followed by a funeral procession to Calvary Cemetery. The 32-year-old Castile died July 6 after a St. Anthony police officer shot him during a traffic stop. Video of the shooting's gruesome aftermath was streamed live online by Castile's girlfriend, who said Castile was shot after he told the officer he was armed and had a permit to carry. Authorities are investigating. Castile was originally from St. Louis. A relative said moved from the area as a boy. Also Saturday, community members in Minnesota are gathering at the site of Castile's shooting to demand justice for Castile and others killed by police. ST. LOUIS The leader of a St. Louis-based refugee resettlement group says it could sponsor roughly 300 Syrian refugees in the city by the end of September. The White House announced Monday the 10,000th Syrian refugee had been admitted into the United States, a goal set by President Barack Obamas administration to be met over the course of fiscal year 2016, which ends Sept. 30. Millions of Syrians were displaced after the civil war that erupted across the region in 2011. Some fled to neighboring countries such as Jordan, while others embarked on often risky journeys to parts of Europe. A little more than 2,000 Syrian refugees were admitted into the U.S. between fiscal years 2010 and 2015, according to the State Department, with thousands more admitted this financial year. A couple hundred Syrian refugees now call St. Louis home, according to the International Institute of St. Louis. So far this fiscal year, the organization has sponsored 225 Syrian refugees, Anna Crosslin, president and CEO of the institute, said on Thursday. More than 30 Syrian refugees were relocated to Missouri last fiscal year, according to data from the Office of Refugee Resettlement. A report issued by the institute in March said it has sponsored between 600 and 700 total refugees annually for the last few years, a number that could increase with more people expected to come from Syria. Crosslin said that most of the Syrian refugees moving to the city have been placed in homes within a short distance from the institute in the Tower Grove East neighborhood and the English language center Nahed Chapman New American Preparatory Academy on South Grand Boulevard. She said the institute works with a few dozen groups to help aid refugees arriving to St. Louis. Through volunteers and donations the organization helps people access housing, food, education and employment. Resettling more Syrian refugees depends on funding allotted by Congress, Crosslin said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations and the grass-roots campaign #BringThemHere hosted a rally on Sunday in the Delmar Loop to welcome refugees already settled here and to reiterate their hope to see more Syrian refugees admitted into the country. Were very grateful the U.S. is upholding its history and legacy, CAIR-Missouri Executive Director Faizan Syed said Thursday of the thousands of Syrian refugees accepted into the country in the last year. But it can and should do so much more. He said the countrys geographic size and economic resources make the U.S. capable of hosting greater numbers of Syrian refugees. CAIR-Missouri is working on a project with Baitul-Mal (House of Good) to relocate Syrian refugees to homes in North County because it is less expensive and has a larger network of Arab and Islamic communities, Syed said. Despite assurance from U.S. officials that Syrian refugees undergo a rigorous screening process that could take up to two years, the arrival of Syrians in recent years and attacks by Syria-based Islamic State have sparked concern about national security. Syed said CAIR-Missouri works to push back against what he described as xenophobic rhetoric that seeks to demonize people, including newly relocated Syrian families. The St. Louis region has accepted a number of refugees from around the world, most notably thousands of Bosnians who settled in the area in the mid-1990s to escape conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. At least 85,000 refugees are expected to resettle in the U.S. this year, including people from Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador and others, according to the White House. SAN JOSE, Calif. Brock Turner whose six-month sentence for raping an unconscious woman at Stanford University sparked national outcry has been released from jail after serving half his term. The one-time Olympic hopeful swimmer walked out the main entrance of the Santa Clara County jail Friday shortly after 6 a.m. PDT. Turner, who did not comment to the media, got into a white SUV. He plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. The 21-year-old must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation. Turner's case exploded into the spotlight when a poignant statement from the victim swept through social media and critics decried the sentence as too lenient. It prompted California lawmakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and led to an effort to remove the judge from the bench. Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a trash bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party in January 2015. He plans to appeal. In the June sentencing, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the "extraordinary circumstances" of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He followed the probation department's recommendation for a "moderate" jail sentence. Following backlash and a push for a recall, Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. California jail inmates with good behavior typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turner's probation. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio, 15 miles east of Dayton. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turner's neighbors informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff's office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Deputies also will check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities. Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather. "He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor," Fischer said. Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence will hold a rally in Chesterfield Tuesday to help nail down Missouri, which Republican leaders call an expected but must-win state for the party. Pence's rally will be at the DoubleTree hotel at 1:30 p.m. at 16625 Swingley Ridge Road in Chesterfield. Tickets are required for admission and can be ordered online. Missouri Republican Party Chairman John Hancock said he thinks most people expect that Donald Trump will carry Missouri, but the polling results have been close enough that the state is on both Republicans' and Democrats' watch lists. Missouri hasn't voted for the Democratic presidential nominee since 1996. But a July Post-Dispatch poll of likely Missouri voters found that Trump and Hillary Clinton were in a virtual tie. I would not be surprised if one or both of our candidates come back to Missouri before the election, Hancock said. It's definitely a must-win state on the Republican side, so obviously you want to be able to put that one in the happy sack. Aaron Willard, Missouri state director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement that support for Trump is strong in Missouri. In July, a Public Policy Polling survey found that Trump had a 10-point lead over Hillary Clinton in the state. "We are excited to have Gov. Pence in two Missouri locations next week," Willard said in the statement. "Missouri hasnt voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in the last 20 years, and the Trump-Pence campaign will do everything it can to ensure Missouri stays a red state in 2016." Eric Greitens, the Republican gubernatorial candidate for Missouri, tweeted Thursday afternoon that he'll be among those welcoming Pence Tuesday. Pence will hold the rally after a town hall in Springfield, Missouri, at 10:30 a.m. at the Springfield Expo Center. Tickets are also required for that event. Free-standing chain-link fencing can be put up in a very short amount of time at very little cost, and we all should commit to this solution until the killings in our schools stop. As we have since July 2006, each Friday well post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler. 1) On Wednesday, for the first time in 50 years, a U.S. passenger airline completed a commercial flight to Cuba. The landing may go down as one of the enduring symbols of thawing diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana. The JetBlue Airways Flight 387with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on boardlanded Wednesday in Santa Clara, Cuba, reports Fortune. Earlier this summer, the Transportation Department approved six U.S. passenger airlines including JetBlue and one all-cargo airline to serve cities in Cuba other than Havana. On Wednesday, the federal agency gave final approval for eight airlines to fly to Havana, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. The newly approved flights will provide service to Havana from Atlanta, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York City, Orlando, and Tampa, Foxx said in a blog post about the historic flight. In order to make the trip to Cuba, however, Americans must still cite a reason other than tourism, such as family visits, journalistic activity, religion, or educational activities. And, yes, there are cigar-centric tours that seem to qualify under the educational category. 2) Chicago tobacconist Hyde Park Cigars has been announced as the exclusive retailer of the new Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 Pork Beli (4.7 x 50). When it officially launches in the fall, the belicoso-sized smoke will boast a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. When I noticed that the name of this special yearly release was Pork Beli, I called my dear friend Pete Johnson, and asked his permission for use of the name, as he already has a Pork Tenderloin and Chop, said Jonathan Drew. He was cool, as always, a class act. 3) Even though the FDA regulations on cigars went into effect weeks ago, the FDA is only beginning to issue guidance on how the industry will need to comply. One such guidance was issued this week on warning label requirements for cigars, although the agency is asking for public comments on the rules. 4) Inside the Industry: Nomad Cigar Company announced the expansion of the SA-17 Lancero to additional retailers. The cigar (7 x 38) was blended and rolled in Esteli at Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez, and it features a San Andres wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. It comes in 21-count boxes and sells for $9.75. 5) From the Archives: Even the best cigar can be ruined by a bad cut. So read our tip on getting a proper cut. In it, we walk you though how to pick the proper cut for each cigar. 6) Deal of the Week: StogieGuys.com recommends Bespoke Post, a monthly collection of awesome items delivered to your door for just $45. Past boxes include fine bar accessories, shaving kits, coffee, exclusive E.P. Carrillo cigars, and more. You can skip or purchase every month. Currently available are boxes with themes including beer tasting, pretzel making, Asian cooking, and pizza making. Click here to sign up today. The Stogie Guys photo credit: Financial Times By PTI: federalism: Kumar New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) Ratification of the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST by 17 states in nearly three weeks is the best example of cooperative federalism, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said today. "As many as 17 states in almost three weeks have ratified the GST Bill and this is the best example of Prime Minister Narendra Modis doctrine of cooperative federalism," he said. advertisement "GST is the biggest taxation reform so far which will forever change the way we compute and pay taxes. At the same time, it will check tax on tax," he said, adding that it will also usher in a new era of economic growth and prosperity for all sections of the society. After Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment Bill on August 8, as many as 16 states, starting with Assam, have ratified the Bill. The states which have passed the legislation include Bihar (August 16), Jharkhand (August 17), Chhattisgarh (August 22), Himachal Pradesh (August 22), Gujarat (August 23), Madhya Pradesh and Delhi (August 24), Nagaland (August 24), Maharashtra, Haryana, Sikkim (August 29), Mizoram, Telangana (August 30), Goa (August 31), Odisha (September 1) and Rajasthan (September 2). GST being a constitutional amendment requires 50 per cent of state assemblies to ratify it. GST will create uniform market for seamless movement of goods and services with one tax rate. After the Presidential assent, the government will notify the GST Council. Union Finance Minister will head the Council, which will comprise state Finance Ministers. The GST Council will decide on the tax rate, cess and surcharges which are to be subsumed and also decide on the goods and services which would be exempted from the purview of the new indirect tax regime. The states and the Centre are working overtime and talking to stakeholders to draft the Central GST, State GST and Integrated GST laws. The CGST and IGST will be drafted on the basis of the model GST law. The states will draft their respective State GST (SGST) laws with minor variation incorporating state-based exemption. The IGST law would deal with inter-state movement of goods and services. The government plans to roll out the new indirect tax regime from April 1, 2017. PTI JTR SMN --- ENDS --- ITT Educational Services (NYSE: ESI) disclosed it received a letter from Chubb (NYSE: CB), whereby Ace American Insurance Company, on behalf of itself and the other insurance companies (the Sureties) named in the Agreement of Indemnity entered into by the Company on August 19, 2003 (the GAI), makes demand on the Company to post collateral in the amount of $19.8 million (which is equal to 100% of the outstanding amount of the Surety Bonds (defined below)) in the form of an acceptable irrevocable letter of credit. The GAI had been entered into by the Company to induce the Sureties to execute surety bonds for the Company from time to time that are required by various education authorities that regulate the Company (the Surety Bonds). In connection with the Chubb Letter, Chubb also provided notice that it plans to issue notices of cancellation on all of the Surety Bonds, starting with the largest first. Most of the Surety Bonds contain a 30-day cancellation provision. Chubb indicated that the cancellation notices are rescindable should the Company demonstrate that it will be able to operate in a fiscally responsible fashion in the absence of federal student financial aid as noted in the U.S. Department of Educations (ED) letter to the Company of August 25, 2016, in addition to the additional security the Company is required to post to the ED. If the Surety Bonds are rescinded and the Company does not maintain an acceptable surety bond for those ITT Technical Institutes where a surety bond is required, the certificate or license for those ITT Technical Institutes can be suspended, invalidated or revoked by the applicable state education agency. The Company is currently reviewing this demand and its potential impact on the business. As disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 26, 2016, the Company received a letter from the ED (the ED Letter) on August 25, 2016. The ED Letter imposed a number of new sanctions and requirements on the Company, including, without limitation, requiring the Company to provide an additional surety amount of $152.9 million to the ED within 30 days, subjecting the ITT Technical Institutes to the Heightened Cash Monitoring 2 method of payment under the federal student financial aid programs under Title IV (the Title IV Program) and restricting all ITT Technical Institutes from enrolling or beginning classes for any new students who may receive Title IV Program funds. The Company is continuing to evaluate all options available to it related to the ED Letter, and has contacted the ED to request that the ED consider possible alternatives to the EDs positions and requirements as stated in the ED Letter. The Company cannot provide any assurance that the ED will respond to the Companys requests in a favorable manner or at all. The ITT Technical Institutes generally operate on an academic schedule for education programs of study on the basis of four 12-week academic quarters in a calendar year, with new students beginning at the start of each academic quarter. The scheduled last day of classes for the current academic quarter is September 2, 2016, and the ED Letter did not have any impact on the completion of that academic quarter by ITT Technical Institute students. The next academic quarter for the ITT Technical Institutes was scheduled to begin on September 12, 2016. However, because only a small number, if any, of students who typically enroll in the ITT Technical Institutes would not be eligible for Title IV Program funds, the EDs restriction on the ITT Technical Institutes enrolling or beginning classes for any new students who may receive Title IV Program funds effectively precludes ITT Technical Institutes from enrolling any new students. As a result, the Company currently is not enrolling new students at any ITT Technical Institute for the academic quarter that begins on September 12, 2016. Additionally, the Company has received notices from several states as a result of the ED Letter, further prohibiting it from enrolling new students for the academic quarter that begins on September 12, 2016, but as the Company has already suspended enrolling new students, those notices have not had any additional impact on the Companys operations. A KFC fast food restaurant, which is owned by Yum Brands Inc, is pictured ahead of their company results in Pasadena, California, U.S., July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni By Michael Flaherty (Reuters) - KFC and Pizza Hut owner Yum Brands Inc (NYSE: YUM) said Chinese investment firm Primavera Capital and an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) will buy a stake in Yum China for $460 million as Yum prepares to spin off the business. The deal gives Primavera, a powerful China-focused private equity firm founded by an ex-Goldman Sachs banker, a significant stake in Yum's China business. It also further expands the reach of Ant Financial, which runs Alibaba's Alipay mobile payments platform and has been expanding into China's restaurant industry. The investors will receive warrants to buy an additional 4 percent stake in Yum China in two tranches at valuations of $12 billion and $15 billion, the company said on Friday. A Yum spokesman said the use of the proceeds from the deal will be determined by the future Yum China board of directors. Yum has signaled that part of the money could go toward expanding across China, as the company signaled last October that it hoped to nearly triple the amount of its restaurants in China to 20,000. KFC and Pizza Hut brands reaped the rewards of catering to China's booming economy, with patrons flooding the restaurants that offered fast Western food, a higher level of service and perceived food safety. But Yum's China business has hit road blocks in recent years, including a scandal at a minor meat supplier and bird flu outbreaks. Yum, still the largest fast-food chain in China, has also been losing ground to McDonald's Corp (NYSE: MCD). The Louisville, Kentucky-based company's move to separate its China business followed pressure last year from one of its largest investors, Corvex Management, the activist hedge fund run by Keith Meister. Meister is on Yum's board. The spinoff is expected on Oct. 31, with Yum China to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange a day later, the company said on Friday. Primavera will invest $410 million, while Ant Financial, which runs Alibaba's Alipay mobile payments platform, will put in $50 million. China's sovereign wealth fund and New York private equity firm KKR & Co were also in the hunt for a Yum China stake. Primavera's founder, Fred Hu, will become non-executive chairman of Yum China's board. Goldman Sachs is financial adviser, while Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz are legal adviser to Yum Brands and Yum China. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Fangda Partners are legal advisers to Primavera and Ant. Yum shares were up 1 percent at $91.70 in morning trading. (Additional reporting by Anya George Tharakan and Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Nick Zieminski) MIAMI (PRWEB) September 02, 2016 Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiary Stem Cell Training, Inc. will host a stem cell training course in Ransbeck, Begium Nov. 14 15, 2016 in collaboration with Didier Potdevin, M.D., a specialist in integrative cosmetic and aesthetic medicine. The stem cell training course, available to qualified physicians, will focus on stem cell protocols in cosmetic, anti-aging, and aesthetic procedures. The Adipose and Bone Marrow Stem Cell Training Coursewas developed for physicians and high-level practitioners to learn the process of harvesting, isolating, and re-integrating adipose stem cells for aesthetic medicine applications. Potdevin will host and participate in the two-day, intensive, "hands-on" training of qualified physicians in stem cell techniques and protocols, during which stem cells are harvested and isolated from the patient's own body, and redistributed to areas of the body receiving augmentation. When used in aesthetic medicine therapies, patients walk away with more natural-appearing augmentation and enjoy a faster recovery period with little to no downtime. Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for facial rejuvenation and soft tissue augmentation, and Potdevin was one of the first physicians in Belgium to use a combination of fat tissue and platelet concentrates in facial rejuvenation techniques. Because there are no incisional scars or complications associated with foreign materials, demand for stem cell cosmetic procedures is high. And since stem cell procedures do not involve going under the knife, more patients are requesting these new, non-invasive therapies. Stem Cell therapies also fit in well with Potdevin's philosophy of applying multi- and trans-disciplinary medicine to mobilize and empower his patients. According to Global Stem Cells Group CEO Benito Novas, patients are seeking more natural results from cosmetic procedures, with a quicker recovery time. Stem Cell aesthetic treatments offer both, since they are non-invasive. "Non-surgical cosmetic procedures have grown exponentially over the past five years, and the trend is expected to continue to rise, "Novas says. "Stem cells provide the ability to rejuvenate and heal, making them a natural treatment for cosmetic and anti-aging applications." The stem cell training course will be offered through Global Stem Cells Group affiliate Stem Cell Training, Inc. To learn more about the stem cells training course in Belgium, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website or the Stem Cell Training website, email bnovas(at)stemcellsgroup(dot)com, or call +1 305 560 5337. About Global Stem Cell Group: Global Stem Cells Group is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine. About Stem Cell Training, Inc.: Stem Cell Training, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary company offering coursework and training in 35 cities worldwide. The coursework offered focuses on minimally invasive techniques for harvesting stem cells from adipose tissue, bone marrow and platelet-rich plasma. By equipping physicians with these techniques, the goal is to enable them to return to their practices, better able to apply these techniques in patient treatments. ### Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/GlobalStemCellsGroup/BelgiumTraininCourse/prweb13657589.htm BANGKOK, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB unveiled its key strategic marketing plans to help drive the Thai meetings and incentives sectors forward in 2017, by realigning new market segments, focusing targeted customers, and driving aggressive strategies to help increase MICE revenue. Underlining the bureau's vision to propel Thailand's leadership position as a premiere MICE destination in Asia, TCEB also introduced the Meeting in Style, Meet in Thailand campaign to help Thailand win more meetings and incentives events, and inspired new business ideas with global industry trends through the productive and stimulating Industry Day 2016. Mr. Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, President of TCEB said, "The results of a study on economic impact in 2015 show that the Thai MICE industry helped generate total expenditure of 220 billion baht for the country's economy, while generating 164,427 jobs, and benefitting industry networking, as well as building our brand and capabilities. In the meetings and incentives sector specifically, more than 100 billion baht were spent to conduct MI events, benefiting more than 73,000 jobs. The strategic importance of the bustling sector effectively demonstrates the great contribution of MI businesses as economic growth drivers." During the first three quarters of the 2016 fiscal year, Thailand welcomed 750,742 MICE travellers, generating 60.593 billion baht MICE revenue. A total of 393,859 visitors, and 29.664 billion baht were from the meetings and incentives sector. The Top 3 MI markets for visitors were India, China, and Singapore, while TCEB's geographic targets for the MI sector also include primary markets in Asia; secondary markets in Europe, Americas, and Oceania; and new markets, where TCEB is currently conducting detailed studies, and actively raising awareness of Thailand as a premiere MICE destination, such as Eastern Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Encompassing the strategy to drive Thailand's meetings and incentives sector forward, TCEB defined its MI marketing plan for 2017 by emphasising new market segments focusing targeted customers and buyers with high travel and activity budgets, and identifying target industries as well as specifying key strategic approaches. Ms. Nooch Homrossukhon, Director of Meetings and Incentives, TCEB revealed, "In terms of target segments, TCEB has identified 3 high potential targets including 1) mega-size groups with more than 2,000 overseas delegates from direct sales and MLM, telecommunications, IT, automobile industries, especially from China, India, and APAC countries; 2) corporate meetings (such as board meetings, annual meetings, regional meetings, corporate training, and group plant visits) from the banking and finance, automobile, IT, telecommunications, and pharmaceutical industries, especially from Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, and Australia; and 3) premium incentives groups (such as executive retreats, high-tier incentives, and company outings) from direct sales, IT, telecommunications, and automobile industries, from China, Singapore, USA, Japan, India, Australia, and Europe." TCEB works to foster integrated collaboration among key industry partners to help enhance market opportunities, and showcase a wide variety of activities for MICE travellers through the five marketing plans, which include 1) Participation in international trade shows in key markets such as AIME 2017 (Melbourne, Australia), IMEX 2017 (Frankfurt, Germany), and IMEX America 2017 (Las Vegas, USA); 2) Thailand MICE Road Shows in target markets such as India, China, and Japan; 3) Sales Missions in new emerging premium markets; 4) Knowledge sharing initiative to offer an effective platform for knowledge, business, and experience exchange through the Thailand Incentive and Meeting Exchange (TIME); and 5) Market expansion through representative offices including Europe and Australia, apart from existing offices in China, India, Japan, Singapore, and USA. Especially for the high growth market in China, TCEB also reaches out to primary cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and secondary cities including Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing. Ms. Nooch also added, "In 2017, TCEB will also introduce the new Meet in Style, Meet in Thailand marketing campaign encapsulating five MI products and services ranging from 1) Meet at Delightful Destinations: which showcases a variety of MICE destinations from the five MICE Cities, to up-and-coming oasis such as Chiang Rai, Khao Yai, Hua Hin, Krabi, and Samui; 2) Meet at Breathtaking Venues: which features some of Thailand's fresh, unique off-site venues; 3) Meet with Energy: which highlights outdoor adventures, and treasured team building activities; 4) Meet the Sustainable Way: which provides the chance to host green meetings and CSR activities; and 5) Meet Around Great Flavours: which offers unique culinary journeys, from street food to fine dining, and traditional Thai cuisine." Complementing the key strategy to drive growth, the Meet Double Cities Package presents international corporate clients the opportunity to discover the diversity of Thailand. Requirements include a group size of more than 200 delegates, and staying in Thailand at least four nights in more than one city. The organiser will receive financial support of 100,000 baht. Applications are open from 1 October 2016 until 30 September 2017, and travel must take place by 31 December 2017. The Meet Sustainable Package helps promote sustainable MICE practices in Thailand. Requirements include a group size of more than 200 international delegates, staying in Thailand at least three nights, and incorporating CSR activities in the programme or organizing events at Thailand MICE Venue Standard-certified venues. The organiser will receive financial support of 100,000 baht. Applications are open from 1 October 2016 until 30 September 2017, and travel must take place by 31 December 2017. Additionally, the THAILAND BIG THANKS! campaign was created to help drive the MI sector through a financial subsidy scheme of up to two million baht for eligible Mega Size MI events with more than 2,000 international delegates staying at least three nights in the Kingdom of Thailand. Starting from 2015 until 30 September 2017, the travel must take place in Thailand within 31 December 2017. Moreover, TCEB also provides support for mega-sized events in Thailand by hosting the IT&CMA, and bidding for the SITE Global Conference. To help drive sustainable growth and equip MI operators with the tools they need, TCEB organised the seventh annual Industry Day 2016 at the AVANI Bangkok Riverside Hotel. Held under the theme of 'MI Dynamic : Share-Connect-Discover', TCEB's Industry Day 2016 also highlighted the outlook for the corporate meeting and incentives travel industry, as well as provided trends, information and inspiration to accelerate business growth. At the event, participants were able to share knowledge and engage with industry partners during the panel discussion sessions, connect with TCEB representatives from India, China, Japan, Singapore, and USA, with local expertise and global perspective on the dynamic business landscape, and discover insights by renowned global experts on how to enter into markets and win businesses. "According to the 2016 GBTA Global BTI Outlook which predicts global business travel spending to continue to increase over the next five years (2016 - 2020), driven by high growth countries including India, Indonesia, Turkey and China, and medium growth countries including USA, and Europe. This dynamic presents us with vibrant opportunities and great potential, especially in some Asian countries, and TCEB's target markets. To capitalize on this trend, TCEB is working alongside MICE operators to accommodate the increase in business travel. With our market development plans and destination promotional activities, we are confident in the potential for considerable future growth in 2017, Thailand expects to welcome 1,109,000 international business travellers, generating revenue of 101 billion baht." Mr Nopparat concluded. For further information, please contact: Corporate Communications Division, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) Ms Arisara Thanuplang Tel : +66 2 694 6095 Email: [email protected] Ms Kanokwan Kadeedang Tel: + 662 694 6006 Email: [email protected] Ms Titiwanlaya Thaimongkolrat Tel: + 662 694 6103 Email: [email protected] Ms Kwanchanok Otton Tel: + 662 694 6096 Email: [email protected] Ms Paniyada Mulalin Tel: + 662 694 6091 Email: [email protected] a publicist Tel: +662101 6860 Ms.Thittaya (Jang) +6683 668 1112, Mr.Kosin (Ton) +6681 566 2053, Mr.Sorasak (Earth) +6689 406 5544) Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160902/403779 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industry-day-2016-set-to-propel-thai-meetings-and-incentives-sector-300321998.html SOURCE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- I am very pleased that the Government of Canada signed two significant agreements with the People's Republic of China that will strengthen our cultural and economic ties. The Honourable Stephane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, signed a bilateral film coproduction treaty with Cai Fuchao, Minister of State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China. This agreement, which replaces a treaty from 1987, will further position Canada as a partner of choice in audiovisual coproduction. Audiovisual coproduction treaties allow producers to combine their creative and financial resources to develop coproductions that stimulate foreign investment, create jobs, and increase exchanges of culture and knowledge between partner countries. In order for the new treaty to come into effect, each country will have to complete domestic procedures to ratify it. Projects coproduced under a treaty are given national status in both Canada and the partner country. This makes producers eligible for national benefits in their own countries, such as funding programs and tax incentives. Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Li Keqiang also signed a Program of Cultural Cooperation for 2017 to 2019. The Program encourages cooperation, exchanges, high-level dialogue and sharing of expertise in a broad range of cultural areas. It is an important contributor to opening market opportunities in China for Canadian culture, and will deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of Canada and China. In the past 50 years, Canada has signed audiovisual coproduction treaties with 54 countries. In the past 10 years alone, our country has produced 654 treaty coproductions, whose budgets total $4.8 billion. Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr. Contacts: Pierre-Olivier Herbert Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage 819-997-7788 Source: Department of Canadian Heritage FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Titan Energy, LLC and its subsidiaries (Titan) today announced that it has commenced operations as an independent developer and producer of natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids with operations in basins across the United States. Atlas Energy Group, LLC (ATLS) (OTCQX: ATLS), a Delaware limited liability company, operates the Company through a subsidiary and holds a 2% preferred member interest. Titans shares are available to be traded regular way through the facilities of DTC and are expected to be quoted on the OTC markets in the near future. Titan has a diverse portfolio of oil and gas assets, including over 14,000 gross wells across 17 states, which produced 223 MMcfe/d on average for the second quarter of 2016. As of July 1, 2016, Titans estimated proved reserves totaled 1,013 Bcfe, consisting of 68% gas and 71% proved developed producing. As of July 1, 2016, Titans reserve report estimates the present value of those reserves to be $832 million. Titan will continue to be, through its subsidiary, the leading sponsor and manager of tax-advantaged investment partnerships (Drilling Partnerships), through which it is able to monetize a portion of its undeveloped natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids production activities. "We are excited at what I consider to be a tremendous opportunity to grow meaningful value for all of Titan Energys stakeholders," said Daniel Herz, Chief Executive Officer. I believe Titan is well positioned to take advantage of opportunities in the current energy environment. Titan has assumed the business and assets of Atlas Resource Partners, L.P. (ARP) pursuant to ARPs Chapter 11 restructuring process (subject to certain exceptions set forth specifically in the court approved restructuring agreement), which eventuated in the court ordered termination of ARP. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release and other written and oral statements made by the Companys representatives may be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are based upon information presently available to the Company and assumptions that it believes to be reasonable. Risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to materially differ from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the potential adverse effects of Chapter 11 proceedings on the Companys liquidity or results of operations; the ability to operate the business following the Chapter 11 proceedings; the effects of the bankruptcy filing on the Companys business and the interests of various creditors, equity holders and other constituents; those associated with general economic and business conditions; changes in commodity prices and hedge positions; changes in the costs and results of drilling operations; uncertainties about estimates of reserves and resource potential; the impact of the Companys securities not being listed; inability to obtain capital needed for operations; changes in government environmental policies and other environmental risks; the availability of drilling equipment and the timing of production; tax consequences of business transactions; and other risks, assumptions and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Companys reports filed with the SEC, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Annual Reports on Form 10-K (including those reports of ARP as the Companys predecessor). Investors are cautioned that all such statements involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such statements, except as may be required by applicable law. Contact: Investor Relations (877) 280-2857 (215) 405-2718 (fax) Source: Titan Energy, LLC Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis addresses an extraordinary parliamentary session to debate his alleged tapping of European Union subsidies for one of his companies in Prague, Czech Republic, March 23, 2016. REUTERS/David W Cerny PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis apologized on Friday after facing calls to quit over comments denying the existence of a World War Two concentration camp for Roma people. Babis' ANO party leads opinion polls ahead of a national election near the end of 2017 and the billionaire entrepreneur may become prime minister. He was quoted as telling local residents on Thursday on a campaign stop for regional elections in October that the Lety concentration camp, 80 km (50 miles) south of Prague, had existed only as a labor camp for those avoiding work. Lety started as a labor camp after the Czechoslovak government ordered its creation in 1939, weeks before Nazi forces occupied the country, for people "living off crime". But in 1942, German occupiers ordered Roma to be moved into Lety and another camp. Overall, 1,309 people were interned in Lety, according to the Holocaust.cz website. Of those, 326 died in the camp. About a quarter escaped or were released while the rest were transported to Auschwitz. Babis was quoted by Aktualne.cz as saying: "There were times when all Roma worked. What these morons write in newspapers, that Lety was a concentration camp, is a lie, it was a work camp. Whoever did not work, whoosh and he was there." Roma in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in eastern Europe are often poor and targets of discrimination. Many live in secluded communities with high unemployment. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, leader of the center-left Social Democratic party, which ANO rules in coalition with, scolded Babis for crossing the line in harsh comments that showed the tension in the ruling alliance. "The regional election is getting close and Babis has decided to feed on problems in cohabitation with the Roma," he said his Facebook page. "There is a very thin line between populism and Nazism. I am afraid the finance minister has now crossed it by these comments," he said, calling on Babis to apologize and brush up on history. Babis said his comments came after visiting an area where mostly Roma live and he was asking why so many were out of work, as well as why the state has not been able to improve conditions a quarter of a century after Communist rule ended. "I expressed myself poorly, it was taken out of context ... If I offended someone, then I apologize to everyone," Babis said in an ANO news conference Friday. Babis said he condemned the Holocaust and concentration camps. Late on Thursday, he also addressed his comments in a Facebook post: "I do not doubt the horrors of Nazism and the World War Two and nobody who knows me could think that." There is a memorial at the camp site but most of the area is a pig farm, despite long-time efforts by activists to close it. (Reporting by Jason Hovet and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Alison Williams) By PTI: Peshawar, Sep 2 (PTI) A suicide bomber today blew himself up at crowded Mardan district courts, killing 12 people and wounding 52 others, hours after security forces killed four suicide attackers who tried to storm a Christian neighbourhood in Peshawar in Pakistans restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding his suicide vest among the morning crowds at the main gate of Mardan district courts. advertisement "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," chief rescue officer in Mardan Haris Habib said. "So far we have recovered 12 bodies of lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Habib was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. A state of emergency has been declared at local hospitals and security has been tightened in all adjoining areas. This was second attack on Pakistans legal community. Last month, a blast in southern Balochistan province capital Quetta killed more than 70 people, nearly wiping out the senior lawyers of the city. Todays attack on court occurred hours after four heavily-armed suicide attackers tried to storm a Christian colony in Peshawar, killing one person and wounding several others before being gunned down by security forces. In the predawn attack in the same province, terrorists struck the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, and killed one Christian security guard. Soldiers backed by army helicopters rushed to spot where they exchanged gunfire with terrorists. All four terrorists were killed during the encounter. Five persons including two Frontier Corps personnel, one policeman and two civilian guards were injured in the attack. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted that all four terrorists have been killed. "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded. All 4 suicide bombers killed. Search in progress," Bajwa tweeted. Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets while two others were killed by security forces. No outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack, but such attacks are blamed on the Taliban. A Taliban suicide bomber had targeted Christians in Lahore at Easter this year, killing more than 70 people. Taliban militants stormed an army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistans one of the worst terror attacks. Todays attacks came a day after an army spokesman said that Pakistan had destroyed organised presence of militants on its soil. advertisement The army had launched operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014 in a bid to flush out militants from the countrys restive tribal areas and bring an end to the militancy that has killed thousands of civilian since 2004. PTI AYZ/SH PMS ZH AKJ ZH --- ENDS --- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis attends a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (not seen) in the West Bank city of Ramallah March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's Interior Minister Petre Toba resigned on Thursday pending a criminal investigation against him over allegations of shielding suspects in a case involving suspected embezzlement and abuse of power. Anti-corruption prosecutors asked President Klaus Iohannis earlier in the day to endorse a probe against Toba. He is the latest senior figure to be investigated in a crackdown on corruption that has been praised by the European Commission, which keeps Romania's justice system under special monitoring. The country is due to hold a parliamentary election on Dec. 11. "I decided to submit my resignation ... to avoid dragging the ministry into a public scandal on the eve of elections," Toba told state news agency Agerpres. "I strongly reject all accusations and I put myself at the authorities' disposal to help clarify the situation." Prosecutors said Toba had refused to declassify documents in a case against officials from his ministry's in-house secret service, the DIPI. They said they were investigating allegations of abuse of power and embezzling funds that cost the state 410,000 lei ($103,000). In that case, which went to trial in May, DIPI officials are alleged to have rerouted funds meant for national security towards purchasing dolls' houses, dart boards, volleyballs, archery equipment, leather-bound deluxe edition books and an electric stove worth 17,000 lei ($4,200). The prosecutors said that by refusing to declassify the documents, Toba had aided the suspects in the case. Under Romanian legislation, ministers can be investigated only with presidential approval. Iohannis is widely expected to approve the request. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Radu Marinas; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Bulldog Investors, LLC (Last) (First) (Middle) PARK 80 WEST - PLAZA TWO 250 PEHLE AVE., SUITE 708 (Street) SADDLE BROOK NJ 07663 (City) (State) (Zip) 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol PACHOLDER HIGH YIELD FUND INC [ PHF ] Iran will build two new nuclear power stations with assistance from Russia, the head of its Atomic Energy Organisation said late Wednesday. Operations to build two new nuclear power plants in Bushehr will start on 10 September and it will take 10 years for the power plants to be completed, Ali Akbar Salehi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. We will save 22 million barrels of oil per year by building these two power plants, said Salehi, who is also a vice-president, adding that the project would cost an estimated $10 billion. Read more: Iran, Russia engaged in strategic cooperation in anti-terror fight: Shamkhani Salehi said there was a cooperation contract with Russia for building the plants, but did not give details of the partnership. By Shashank Shekhar, Sneha Agrawal: Troubles doubled for the city's ruling party on Thursday as a day after it sacked a minister allegedly caught in a sex scandal, a city court sentenced an AAP legislator to 18 months in prison over a death at a factory owned by the MLA. Metropolitan magistrate Virender Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Pawan Sharma, who represents north Delhi's Adarsh Nagar area in the assembly, finding him guilty of causing the death of a labourer by negligence. advertisement The MLA later got bail so he can appeal against the order in a higher court. "It is an old case, from much before I became a member of the party and contested elections," Sharma told Mail Today. "In 2009, there was an accident inside my steel factory in Samaypur Badli in which a worker died. I have no role to play and there was no negligence on my part." The development came on a day chief minister Arvind Kejriwal released a video message, saying ousted woman and child development minister Sandeep Kumar had "betrayed the Aam Aadmi Party and our movement". Kumar, who was also heading the government's social welfare and SC/ST departments, was removed from the Cabinet over a CD purportedly showing him in a compromising position with two women. AAP sources said on Thursday that the sex video was shot years before Kumar joined the party, even as the expelled minister denied being in the clip and alleged that he is being "targeted under a conspiracy" as he is a Dalit. THE VIDEO "We will never ever compromise on our core values," the CM said. "We will prefer to die, shut down the party or perish than tolerating wrongdoings." Senior members of the party indicated that the video and photographs were clicked by Kumar himself and that "it was a consensual act". The party is conducting an internal inquiry on the contents of the CD and its leak. Some of its members on social media defended AAP by retweeting tweets that said Kumar was not in the party when the incidents took place. Sources also said the women involved were "aware of the fact that they were being filmed". "This is a conspiracy against me as I belong to the Valmiki Samaj," Kumar, a married father of one, told the media. "The plot was hatched ever since I installed Dr Ambedkar's statue (at his home). It is because I am poor and a Dalit. There should be a probe into this matter." He also pointed out that "the CD shows a comparatively thin man, whereas I weigh 150 kilos." Kumar said he resigned on moral grounds and remains a "soldier of AAP". "Someone is saying the video is two months old and others are saying it is three months old." advertisement "There is no authentication," he added. The incident has given rivals ammunition to attack the city's ruling party that buried them under a landslide victory at last year's assembly polls. Dozens of BJP members held a demonstration outside Kejriwal's residence, demanding Kumar's expulsion from AAP. The party, which is in power at the Centre and has been embroiled in bitter disputes with the Delhi government, had on Wednesday demanded Kejriwal's resignation from his post accepting responsibility for picking a "morally corrupt" MLA in the Cabinet. PROBE BEGINS "He must be rewarded for handing over Delhi's governance to people with corrupt values," city BJP leader Vijender Gupta had mockingly said. "This has never happened in any government." Sources say Delhi Police's crime branch has started probing the matter though no case has been registered. While AAP patted itself on the back for taking "prompt action" in the case, the purported whistleblower, Om Prakash, had a conflicting view. "Kejriwal had this CD 15 days ago. But he sacked the minister after we showed the CD to the L-G (Najeeb Jung). It is not at all a politically motivated step," he said. He added that an unknown man delivered the CD to him a few days ago and told him that he had approached the CM with the disk and a formal complaint almost three weeks back, but there was no action. Om Prakash claims to be a block president of the Congress, though the party has denied any association with him. advertisement ALSO READ How deep in trouble with the law is sacked AAP minister Sandeep Kumar? AAP just another party: Kejriwal's high ideals defeated by his own --- ENDS --- A shocking audio recording has surfaced according to which Ae Dil Hai Mushkil director-producer Karan Johar allegedly paid Kamaal Rashid Khan Rs 25 lakh to speak in favour of his film. By India Today Web Desk: Ajay Devgn posted a video on his YouTube channel on Thursday (September 1) which is a telephonic conversation between Shivaay producer Kumar Mangat and film critic and distributor Kamaal Rashid Khan. In the three minute, 19-second long video, Kumar Mangat is heard asking KRK why the latter tweeted in favour of Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and attacked Ajay Devgn-starrer Shivaay. It is at this point that KRK shocking reveals that Karan Johar paid him Rs 25 lakh. Hear what self proclaimed no. 1 critic and trade analyst Kamaal R Khan has to say. https://t.co/wRc7moSlsZ Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) September 1, 2016 advertisement In the video titled 'Kamaal R Khan (KRK Exposed)', Kamaal is quoted as saying, "Karan Johar ka toh thora sa karna padhta hai na" (You have to do a little for Karan Johar). ALSO READ: 5 ways in which Ae Dil Hai Mushkil exploits every Karan Johar trope in the book ALSO READ: Can Karan Johar make the best 'Karan Johar film'? When pressed further, Kamaal said, "Uska toh main favour karoonga hi, maine aapko pehle hi bata diya" (I will fever him, I had already told you), and then, added, "Jo aadmi pachees lakh bheje, usko toh favour karna hi padhega" (You have to favour someone who sends you 25 lakhs). At this point, Mangat is heard offering money to KRK to which KRK is heard saying that he would have promoted Shivaay for free but he is miffed with his hero (presumably, Devgn) for texting him back when he wished the Shivaay star on his birthday. The tweets that producer Kumar Mangat was speaking about are as follows: Ajay Devgan is showing here that how will public watch #Shivaay in theatres. https://t.co/lGLG29z50J KRK (@kamaalrkhan) August 30, 2016 Only Youngsters watch films 2-3 times and they like Ranbir kapoor, @AnushkaSharma n Fawwad so they are going to watch #ADHM not #Shivaay! KRK (@kamaalrkhan) August 30, 2016 I personally suggest Ajay Devgan to avoid clash with #ADHM Coz #Shivaay has to do min200Cr business at DBO to recover 150Cr investment only. KRK (@kamaalrkhan) August 30, 2016 Right after Ajay Devgn uploaded the video and shared it on Twitter, KRR went to damage control mode, flatly denying the allegations. Ajay Devgn has already released an official statement where he has demanded an investigation into Karan's alleged involvement in Shivaay's negative publicity. I have been a part of the Indian film industry for the past 25 years and have been associated with over 100 films. My father was a professional action director and I have an emotional connection with this industry. It therefore pains me to see that people like Kamaal R Khan are holding the film industry to ransom by spreading negativity about films to extort money from producers. advertisement It is very sad that people from our own industry are supporting such elements and spoiling the ethos of the film industry. I would strongly demand that this be thoroughly investigated by competent authorities to clarify if Karan Johar was indeed involved in this. Meanwhile, Karan Johar, producer-director of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has neither tweeted anything in response nor has he made any statement. Both Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay are scheduled to release on the same date - October 28 this year. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, directed by Karan Johar, stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Fawad Khan. Shivaay, directed by and starring Ajay Devgn himself stars Sayesha Saigal and Erika Kaar. Here's the audio recording of the conversation between Shivaay producer Kumar Mangat and Kamaal Rashid Khan: --- ENDS --- By Suhani Singh: Direction: AR Murugadoss Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Konkana Sensharma, Nandu Madhav, Atul Kulkarni, Amit Sadh Rating: (1.5/5) Young Akira witnesses an acid attack on one of her friends. Immediately her father picks a karate class over classical dance because you know she has to grow up to be a kickass woman. Though given Akira means "graceful strength" in Sanskrit, so the narrator tells, dancing wouldn't be a bad choice either. After she takes on an eve-teaser and found guilty of hurling acid on him she is sent to three years in a remand home. On her return, the college principal in Jodhpur tells her to go to Mumbai to escape the blues in the Blue city. Only it gets darker there. advertisement AKIRA REVIEW: Sonakshi Sinha's film forgives no one, not even logic ALSO READ: Has Sonakshi Sinha done the most regressive films among her contemporaries? That's because Akira (Sonakshi Sinha) has to contend with the corrupt, ruthless ACP Rane (Anurag Kashyap) and his posse of police officers who are up to no good. Her peers on campus are a pain; mom is busy with the grandkid, brother too occupied with family and Amit Sadh, making yet another superfluous special appearance, is a bore. Akira is trapped in a police conspiracy of the most convoluted sort. It involves murder, an encounter killing and a bounty of cash. Next thing you know she is declared a lunatic and confined to an asylum. The Girl with the Scar becomes the unluckiest girl alive. AR Murugadoss wants his eponymous female protagonist to be hailed as Mother India by the end of the two hour plus drama. Akira endures more than the iconic leading lady but in this case one is unable to connect to her because the story doesn't give viewers much insight into her other than her troubled past. So contrived is the narrative that characters here have to spell out everything they have done or are about to do. Konkana Sensharma appears at sporadic intervals walking about tentatively as the pregnant inspector Rabia Sultan, a part that instantly reminds one of Vidya Balan in Kahaani. Kashyap is the sassy cop aka Raghav style who enjoys a joint, brandishes a gun every now and then and goes on to deliver one-liners which don't always work. Sinha in the action heroine avatar is a refreshing welcomed change, but she is given little else to do other than demonstrate her fists of fury. With all its intent of female empowerment, Akira still ultimately feels the suffering protagonist. On the action front it pack a punch but Akira isn't emotionally hard-hitting. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Chandigarh, Sep 2 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today condemned the "attack" on journalists at an AAP patry rally in Bassi Pathana, which he alleged was "instigated" by AAP MP Bhagwant Mann. Singh demanded that Mann be booked for rioting and assault and also referred for medical check up "to check his mental fitness for public appearances, lest he provokes and instigates more people to violence". advertisement "These are the signs of utter frustration on part of the AAP leaders like Mann, who seem to have lost their mind over the developments that have taken in their party?, he said. "Such behaviour must not be let go unchecked and unexamined lest it leads to serious law and order problem," he said, adding, Mann not only needs medical and mental treatment, but legal action as well. At a partys rally yesterday in Fatehgarh Sahib, Mann not only allegedly misbehaved with media persons after arriving four hours behind schedule, but also asked party volunteers not to read newspapers. Speaking on the sacking of Dalit minister Sandeep Kumar by AAP, Singh called the move "deliberate", claiming it was a way "to divert the public attention from the ongoing crisis in Punjab". "Kejriwal had known about the existence of the CD long before he appointed Kumar as a minister. At that time Kejriwal overlooked it and appointed him as a minister and now he used the same CD against him to divert public attention from the Punjab crisis," he claimed. Singh questioned the "moral authority" of Jasbir Singh Bir and Jarnail Singh to probe the allegations against former AAP convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur. "Bir was among the 21 party leaders who sought sacking of Chhotepur. How can a complainant sit on the judgement over someone against whom he has complained?" he asked. Singh lashed out at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for "lying" about his role in approving the construction of SYL in Punjab in 1978, saying he was a "congenital liar". "It is very much part of history and record that he signed the file. Badal is a congenital liar and he was trying to hide his faults with his lies," he said. "Even his partys general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra admitted it publicly that Badal had signed the file and it was an innocent mistake committed by him (Badal)", he said, adding, "neither Badal nor his party denied it and nor could they deny it since they cannot undo the history and wipe out the records". PTI CHS CHT RG CHT --- ENDS --- advertisement UPDATED: A little bit of rain hasnt put a damper on Tauranga Olympic spirits this morning as our Bay Olympians parade through the town. Molly and Sam Meech, Alex Maloney, Luuka Jones, Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and Jason Saunders have been welcome by crowds of people lining Devonport Road and The Strand. Taurangas spirit was high despite the drizzle, as hundreds of residents lined the streets to welcome our Olympians back to the Bay. More than three hundred pupils from Tauranga Primary packed onto Devonport Road in the hope of catching a glimpse the athletes. Olympian Sam Meech shows his Bronze Medal to a young fan. Phoebe Hawes, 10, was looking forward to seeing gold medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke; while Stanley Watson, 11, was waiting for Luuka Jones. I like kayaking and she kayaks, says Stanley. Also waiting for the parade were Bay residents Bob and Lyn Smyth, who were looking forward to seeing the Tauranga sailors. Ive known them since they were knee high, says Lyn. Were very proud watching them grow up and their success. As the Olympians were driven onto Devonport Road, they were greeted to cheers and flag-waving from onlookers, while the primary students performed a kapa haka from the footpath. Prime Minister John Key today welcomed the announcement that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will attend the New Zealand Battle of the Somme commemorations in Longueval, France. The Prince of Wales will attend the wreathlaying at the New Zealand Battlefield Memorial at the Caterpillar Valley War Cemetery on September 15. The Government will be represented by Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and Ambassador to France James Kember. The Prince of Wales has attended many commemorations for New Zealand, both during the First World War centenary period, and on other occasions, Mr Key says. We are honoured that he will join New Zealanders as we mark one of the most significant and costly campaigns for our country during the First World War. Prince Charles will attend the commemoration as Field Marshal of the New Zealand Army, an honorary appointment that was acknowledged in November last year in Wellington, and when His Royal Highness joined New Zealand Defence Force personnel in Westport during Exercise Southern Katipo. The Prince of Wales will also take the opportunity to meet young people from New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, who are in France learning more about their countries participation in the Battle of the Somme. Source: Office of John Key. It could amount to a savings of 50 cents on a loaf of bread, says Bruce Ingram. Now 50 cents may seem like crumbs but not to this Bakers Delight franchisee out of Owens Place by the Bayfair roundabout. It is a reasonable saving and people should be aware of it. Two loaves a week and thats $50 a year saved. Just on bread. Marcos Garcia, with his portrait of King Salman. :: L. V. The sound of his daughters voices as they play and the lively Colombian music which his wife loves are all he needs in the background, when he takes off the uniform from his job as a local police officer and settles down to paint. In the surroundings of his own home, Marcos Garcia gives free rein to a hobby he discovered relatively recently: oil painting. For just over two years now, palettes and paintbrushes have taken up his free time to such an extent that his artistic style, which is half way between a powerful realism and very subtle impressionism, has become a second means of income for the family. Most of his commissions are from Arab tourists and business people in the Puerto Banus area. His name has spread via word of mouth among this wealthy clientele, and it eventually reached the ears of a Saudi princess who asked him to paint a portrait of her uncle, King Salman. It was at the end of May when Marcos received this request, and it came the same way as others have done: someone introduced him to the princess who, coincidentally, also paints and also speaks English, as he does. The call of a Saudi princess At the time, the princess was trying to draft an ideal sketch so she could paint the king. Three days after they met and admired each others work, however, the painter policemans phone rang. She wanted him to paint King Salman. She didnt quibble over price or terms of payment, nor were any conditions imposed for carrying out the work, which has just been completed. In a few days time, it will be leaving Spain. Marcos doesnt know why the princess wanted to give the king the portrait, or which palace will be its new home . It has been copied faithfully from an official photograph which the princess emailed to him. Marcos completed the commission in 28 days. He couldnt spend hours at a time on it because of his shifts with the police force, and was sometimes forced to leave it for several days. He says, however, that although it is not the same to paint for the King of Saudi Arabia as it would be for a private individual, he didnt feel under pressure. The hardest part was knowing when the painting was finished, which he says is always his weak point. I dont know if it is a failing in me, or because I havent been painting very long, but I find it very hard to decide when a work is ready. I could spend hours and hours on small details which I think might improve it, he confesses. Fortunately, Marcos has a personal guru who introduced him to the pleasures of painting; Carlos Belmonte, a Colombian artist who just happens to be his father-in-law. When he tells me to sign it, I know I can leave it alone, he says. The good son-in-law Marcos, with no artistic training, began by painting plain backgrounds when commissions began to build up in his father-in-laws studio. This attempt to be a helpful son-in-law led them to discover that he had hidden talent. Salman is the second king he has painted. At the end of last year he immortalised the king of Morocco twice, for his family. The first commission came from someone in the royal household and the second, which was two metres high, appears to have been at the direct request of the king. Marcos only complaint is that he was not present when the two paintings were delivered, even though the first time he was invited to Marina Smir, in Morocco, to see the work being handed over. The painter-policeman was disappointed when the sovereign didnt turn up himself. Presenting the portrait Delivery of the second portrait was more straightforward: it was collected by one of the kings representatives, who took it to his yacht in Puerto Banus and then on to Rabat. This time, Marcos is very keen to be on the scene when the king of Saudi Arabia is presented with his gift. Im not going to give it to him personally, but Im putting a lot of pressure on to be there when it happens, he says. However, now that the day is fast approaching, he admits to feeling nervous. Im concerned about what is going to happen next. If the king likes it he might commission me to do other things, but on the other hand he might just treat it like other pictures which I have done for clients who have paid me and thats the end of it he says. Even in the worst case, Marcos still has other interesting work waiting for him because he is exhibiting in Dubai in November. A magnate from the United Arab Emirates with interests in different sectors is opening the doors of one of his luxury mega-hotels to display his works and those of his father-in-law. Marcos has even painted dancer Sara Baras for a Saudi couple. Souvenir shops in Playamar, Torremolinos. :: Fernando Gonzalez The Internet search engine warns you. This is a very popular destination with travellers on the dates you have selected (87% reserved), it says. This is what happens when you are looking ten days in advance for a double room on the Malaga coast in the last week of August. There are other indications that the Costa del Sol is hosting more tourists than ever, too: try to book a table in a chiringuito beach restaurant on a Sunday, find a free table on a bar terrace in the centre of Malaga any evening or simply find a spot to lay your towel on the beach. These can be almost impossible challenges at this time of year. A record number of tourists came to the Costa in June and July, but hoteliers are waiting until August is over to confirm what many are already saying: this has been the best summer ever in terms of hotel occupancy. Just through advance bookings we were 85 per cent full in August, three or four per cent higher than at the peak time last year, and it is possible that with last-minute bookings that will go up to 90 per cent, which would be fantastic, says the president of the Aehcos Hotel Association of the Costa del Sol, Luis Callejon. There has been an increase in foreign demand because of the unfortunate situation in rival destinations such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia; nobody is denying that. In fact in July (the last month for which there are official figures), 19 per cent more foreigners stayed on the Costa del Sol than in the same month last year. On the other hand, the number of Spanish visitors dropped considerably, by 14 per cent. This special situation has meant that this has not been a good summer to make a last-minute booking. Advance reservations have been much stronger than in other years, 30 per cent more than in 2015 according to figures from the Quehoteles.com website. The other consequence of the increase in demand is obvious: prices have gone up, but there are different perceptions regarding how much. The Trivago hotel comparison site talks of an increase of nearly six per cent compared with August last year, from an average of 170 euros for a double room to 180. Trivago says the biggest increase occurred between 2014 and 2015, when accommodation on the Malaga coast rose by about 22 per cent after being practically frozen for several years. At Quehoteles.com, however, they have noted a more intense increase: The average price of hotel rooms on the Costa del Sol in August has been about 15 per cent higher than last year, says Miguel Angel Ferrero, cofounder of this online accommodation search site. He says other factors have also characterised this years peak season: Last-minute sales fell in July and August because of lack of availability and higher prices, and some places have imposed a longer minimum stay this year. This is in line with hoteliers high expectations of the international market, because there have been fewer beds available and prices have been higher, he explains. The most popular resorts have been Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Marbella, which between them have accounted for more than 80 per cent of bookings. Also, stays in all-inclusive hotels have risen by about 26 per cent, and the average stay in those resorts has been seven nights, says Miguel Angel. Recovering profitability In general, the average stay has gone up to around 4.5 days. A summer with higher prices, longer stays and advance bookings sounds like a hotel owners dream, but is it? Luis Callejon, of Aehcos, says it isnt what it seems. Prices are still at 2008 or 2009 levels, he insists, and profitability is still very low. During the crisis prices dropped by 30 to 40 per cent because of last-minute bookings. This year the big difference is that there are no offers; the official rates are being charged so although the average price per room might have gone up, the official tariff hasnt, he explains. It is understandable that hotels dont want to start ringing the bells to celebrate just yet, but it is a fact that hotel profit indicators drawn up by the National Institute of Statistics show that income per available room has not just recovered, but is at a higher level than at the beginning of the economic crisis: in July it was around 74 euros, which was 18 per cent higher than last year and 31 per cent more than in 2008. These figures refer to Andalucia, because the statistics are not drawn up for separate provinces. The price index for the region, which is also published by the INE, has gone up by 8.9 per cent in the last year, and is now four percentage points higher than in 2008. In any case, the hotel association is clear that prices will continue to recover in forthcoming years. Luis Callejon says there is a margin for this because the Costa del Sol continues to be a competitive destination, especially because of its facilities. The Costa del Sol Tourist Board agrees, and considers it essential that the quality-price ratio does not deteriorate. We are not the most competitive destination in terms of prices. In fact, we are the fourth most expensive in Spain after the Balearics, Benidorm and Canary Islands, with an average price of over 100 euros per room. Even so, according to a study we carried out in April, the Costa del Sol is the third most popular Spanish destination, with 8.12 points, behind only the Costa Brava with 8.79 and the Costa de la Luz with 8.19. Our offer may not be the most competitive pricewise, but it is in cleanliness, services, comfort, location and quality-price ratio, as all those aspects were given over 8 marks, say sources at the provincial governments Tourism Department. The restaurants, euphoric If the hoteliers are satisfied, bar and restaurant owners on the Costa del Sol are even happier. There have been considerably more clients this summer, and not only tourists but local people as well, because they are starting to go out again now, says Jose Simon, of the Mahos association, who also confirms that at last people are spending more money. Are bars and restaurants taking advantage of the increased numbers of clients and putting their prices up? In this sector it is difficult to say. If we take the IPC of the Hoteles, bares y restaurantes group as a reference, prices rose by 1.3 per cent between August 2015 and 2016. That was nearly double the national rate, but it was still a minor increase. For Jose Simon, in general prices havent gone up, and where they have it has only been by a small amount and in places which are doing good business. He is sure that bars and restaurants will be able to increase their margins when the economic recovery is consolidated. We are being asphyxiated at present, he says. Manuel Villafaina, who represents the chiringuito beach restaurant industry in Malaga province, describes this summer season as more than excellent, with many more people visiting from Spain and abroad. Many nationalities who had stopped coming to the Costa del Sol have come back this year. I dont think that is coincidental; it is the result of changes and improvements in the destination and those will pay off for years to come because the people who have come this year will keep returning now, he says. How to attract loyalty? This is a key question, and one which worries the sector: how can it earn the loyalty of clients who have other options and have only come to the Costa del Sol because of circumstances which are affecting other markets? The visitors level of satisfaction with their holiday here will determine whether they return in the future. Luis Callejon is confident that they will. If we have sufficient attractions and excellent service, people will want to come back, he says. ------------------------------------------------- Malaga city is now a fashionable tourist destination and was almost full this summer :: N. T. malaga. Malaga is a fashionable destination for urban tourism and culture, and has been recognised as such by prestigious international media such as the New York Times, which so far this year has already published three articles about the city. They all praised the regeneration of the historic city centre and the focus on art and culture. The Daily Mail has even compared Malaga with Barcelona. Tourism levels have been boosted by the opening of the Pompidou Centre and the Russian Museum, and hotel occupancy levels hit an all-time high this summer. The difference between summer 2016 and previous years has been almost palpable in the streets: the historic city centre has been filled with tourists. This is also reflected by the statistics: average hotel occupancy in July increased by five percentage points compared with the same month in 2015, from 71.8 per cent to 76.5 per cent (and a nine-point increase at weekends). During July 107,488 visitors stayed in hotels in the city, 4.8 per cent more than in July 2015. As was the case on the Costa del Sol as a whole, this increase was exclusively thanks to international demand, which grew by nearly 20 per cent and brought six out of every ten guests to the hotels. The president of Aehcos says Malaga city is now seeing a return on all it has invested in urban renewal, art and culture, and Julio Andrade, the councillor for Tourism and Promotion in Malaga, stresses that the increased number of visitors to the city is far higher than in Spains major tourist destinations. He also points out that high season is now lasting into October. However, the hotel occupancy figures are not the whole story. Self-catering apartments are also popular now. With more than 1,000 beds (counting only officially registered accommodation), occupancy in June was approximately 70 per cent, according to the INE. That figure does not take into account properties which are rented out illegally, which according to calculations by Exceltur could be a further 28,000 beds. The authorities hope that these properties will become legal now that new regulations have been introduced in Andalucia to standardise quality of rental accommodation. Rafael Porras and Cristobal Rodriguez return with Lula, Blaky and Mara after helping rescue efforts in villages destroyed by last week's disaster The two rescue workers from Malaga, with Lula and Blaky (Mara is inside the travel kennel). :: O. CHAMORRO Theyve seen a lot during their careers, but Cristobal Rodriguez and Rafael Porras will take a long time to get over what they witnessed in the area devastated by the recent Italian earthquake. The firefighters spent two days last week working as volunteers at the epicentre of the tragedy. They helped rescue efforts with three dogs from the canine rescue unit of Malaga provinces fire brigade association, Consorcio Provincial de Bomberos. The dogs, Blaky, Mara and Lula are Belgian Malinois. The men arrived back at Madrid airport last weekend where a vehicle from Malaga met them to take them back to their homes in Ronda and Cartama. These have been an intense few days, weve seen a lot of devastation, but also a lot of organisation and equipment [on hand], commented Rafael Porras shortly after landing in Spain and with the bittersweet feeling of sadly not having been able to rescue anyone alive. Looking for those still alive As soon as news of the earthquake broke, Rafael and Cristobal were contacted by Spanish rescue charity El punto de recogida, (the collection point), who work with Mano a mano, (Hand in hand), a charity run by employees of Iberia that uses the airlines resources to send humanitarian aid where needed. They told us that they wanted firefighters in Accumoli, one of the villages most affected by the quake, explained Rafael. The men asked permission from their fire brigade association and an official car took them to Madrid. Once they got to Rome we made ourselves available to local authorities who took us to a base camp two or three kilometres from Accumoli. They made them responsible for checking areas that had already been cleared to make sure there was nobody still alive in the debris. Because the houses are built with stone, the villages have been badly damaged, continued Rafael. After Accumoli they were sent to Amatrice, another of the worst affected villages. There was a lot of [good] organisation, a lot of members of public services, from the army to forest wardens, Rafael said. These are very touristic villages, explained Cristobal, commenting on the area swept away by the 6.2 quake and its aftershocks that stuck Italy on August 24th . The firefighters were also surprised by the large number of journalists that had made their way to the earthquake zone. You cant believe what you are seeing. It was quite upsetting. One of the villages is totally destroyed, said Cristobal. This emergency worker from Ronda fire station also commented on the many acts of kindness shown by local people who had been affected. Foreign first This was the first foreign mission for these two men, although Malaga firefighters are no strangers to helping internationally. The association has helped with disasters in the Philippines, Nepal and Ecuador. The unit was established in 2012 and is led by Rafael Porras who is a dog handler as well as a firefighter. According to police, a trap was laid and the accused were apprehended near Bauddhik Sampada Bhawan bus stand in Sector-14 of Dwraka at around 5 pm. By Tanseem Haider: Delhi Police has arrested three members of interstate drug traffickers and recovered over 75 Kgs of marijuana in Delhi. According to police, a trap was laid and the accused were apprehended near Bauddhik Sampada Bhawan bus stand in Sector-14 of Dwraka at around 5 pm. The police also seized 75.380 Kg of 'ganja' concealed in 30 packets. INTER-STATE DRUG RACKET The accused have been identified as Babuji Sahu, Jitender Yadav and Narender Kumar. While Sahu is a serving army personnel posted in Amritsar, Jitender Yadav is son of an ex-Sub Inspector of Delhi Police. advertisement Sahu, born and brought up in Odhisa, belongs to an area where illegal cultivation of cannabis plant takes place. Whenever, he used to go to his native place on leave, he would take ganja with him and supply it to his contacts in Delhi and UP. He used to transport the ganja in train after concealing it in his luggage. Another accused Yadav used to get the banned herb from Sahu and supply to small retailers. ALSO READ: Ganja smuggler held, 120 kg contraband seized in Andhra Drug peddler held, opium worth Rs 80 lakh recovered --- ENDS --- The appeal on social media by leukaemia sufferer Pablo Raez, motivated hundreds of people to donate blood and bone marrow in Nueva Andalucia The long queue of donors. :: L. V For Pablo. These two words were heard again and again in the hall of the Virgen Madre de Nueva Andalucia church where hundreds of donors turned up earlier this week to donate blood and bone marrow. The event, which was organised by the Centro Regional de Transfusion Sanguinea (CRTS), was especially well attended due to the appeal posted on a social networking site by leukaemia sufferer and Marbella resident, Pablo Raez. He asked for the people of Marbella to come forward and donate bone marrow and help keep those alive who are awaiting transplants. The queue to the door of the church kept the medical staff busy from early morning and into the night, with people ignoring the heat to stand and wait their turn. Pablo Raezs appeal has made a huge difference, he has managed to spread the message and motivated people; we are short of bone marrow donors not just to help this Pablo but to help all the Pablos that might be in Malaga, Andalucia, Spain or abroad explained the coordinator of CRTS, Isidro Prat. He went on to explain that people have to be between 18 and 55, fill in a questionnaire and have a blood test. The Register of Bone Marrow Donors operates at an international level and donors can be matched through their blood test with patients around the world. However, it is unlikely that the donor will ever be called to donate as finding an exact match is difficult. That is why we need so many donors to register, revealed Prat. Most of the people in the queue were unaware of the details: their enthusiasm to help was fuelled solely by Pablos post on Facebook , written while in Carlos Haya hospital waiting for a compatible donor. The mayor of Marbella, Jose Bernal, had his blood taken by co-worker Ana Isabel Gonzalez, Delegate for Equality, Health and Welfare and a nurse by profession. At a national level, Andalucia has the highest number of bone marrow donors since the register started in 1992, with 400,000 donors. Brahumdagh Bugti, president of the Baloch Republican Party, is living in exile in Switzerland after the assassination of his grandfather and revered Baloch freedom fighter late Nawab Akbar Bugti. By Gaurav C Sawant: In a swift counter attack, Baluch leader in exile Brahumdagh Bugti today threatened to sue Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif for crimes against humanity and genocide of Baloch people in Balochistan. "We will not only take Gen Raheel Sharif to the International Court and the United Nations but also file cases against his predecessors General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and General Pervez Musharraf," Brahumdagh Bugti told Mail Today in an exclusive interview from Geneva. advertisement Bugti, president of the Baloch Republican Party, is living in exile in Switzerland after the assassination of his grandfather and revered Baloch freedom fighter late Nawab Akbar Bugti. Rattled by Baloch leaders and freedom fighters praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Pakistan on Friday initiated the process to seek an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Brahumdag Bugti. "Pakistan is alarmed by the sudden global interest in the plight of Baloch people after Prime Minister Modi's Independence Day speech. Pakistan has ramped up operations killing innocent people in Balochistan indiscriminately,'' he added. The Central Committee of the Baloch Republican Party is to meet in the next 15 days to chart out the next course of action. "We intend to sue Gen Rahil Sharif, Gen Kayani & Gen Muharraf for genocide, torture and forced disappearance of Baloch people. We will also file cases against the current and past Director Generals of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Quetta corps commanders. We have evidence of their direct role," he said. The Baloch activists are preparing to sue the Pakistan army at the International Court of Justice at the Hague. Brahumdah Bugti is also seeking asylum in India. "I am actively considering seeking asylum for my people and would like to move to India myself. Being in India will be better for my people,'' he said requesting India to provide opportunities for the Baloch people trying to escape Pakistan army led genocide. Asked if Pakistan army seeking an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him would be a setback for their struggle, Bugti said that Pakistan army had tried earlier in 2011 but could not prove its case and the Swiss authorities turned down their request. Pakistan is also worried international headlines on the issue will focus global attention on the plight of the people of Balochistan. "They backed off last time and they will not make the mistake again. But we want global attention on Pakistan army atrocities - using heavy artillery and aircraft to put down Baloch freedom fighters,'' he added. Baloch activists are now planning to organize a series of seminars and discussions in the US, Europe and across several capitals in Asia, including India to highlight their cause. Armed with video and pictures and eye witness accounts of atrocities the people intend to expose the Pakistan army. advertisement "Now lets see if they drag me to Pakistan or I move court to ban the movement of Pakistan army generals across Europe,'' says a determined Brahumdag Bugti. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Colombo, Sep 1 (PTI) UN chief Ban Ki-moon today called on Sri Lankas youth to lead the way in achieving reconciliation and appreciation of diversity to emerge from the impacts of the decades-long civil war which ended in 2009. "Please continue to prove that Sri Lanka is emerging from decades of adversity, suspicion and divisiveness. Please lead the way towards rebuilding, reconciliation and an appreciation of diversity in unity," the UN Secretary General told a gathering of young Sri Lankans in Galle. advertisement Speaking at the youth event on "Reconciliation and Coexistence: the Role of Youth", Ban, who arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday on a three-day visit, said around the world, the UN is working to ensure that every young person has the education, health, employment and rights they deserve. "And the United Nations is building more and stronger partnerships with youth-led and youth-focused organisations to promote peace and development," he was quoted as saying by the Colombo Page. He said, in recent years, Sri Lanka has emerged as one of the biggest contributors to the youth agenda. Noting that most of Sri Lankas youth were born and lived their early lives during conflict, terror and displacement and many of them suffered deprivations and injustice, the UN Chief emphasised that involvement in peacebuilding, reconciliation and post-conflict transformation provide an opportunity to emerge from this trauma to play a part in creating a better future. "You are your countrys biggest asset. Sri Lankas future success depends on you," he told the gathering. Earlier in the day, Ban faced a protest by around 50 people at the UN office here who questioned where was the world body during the LTTE insurgency. At least two opposition groups handed over petitions to the UN Resident Coordinators office here protesting against the Secretary-General. This is Bans second visit to the country since 2009, when the Lankan troops defeated Tamil Tigers, following which the country has come under close UN scrutiny for its warcrimes accountability. Protesters held placards with messages like "Where were you, UN?" and accused the world body of interfering in the country. A handful of Buddhist monks representing the nationalist group Ravana Force gathered opposite the UN compound defying a police order to protest while the Joint Opposition, the backers of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, too, handed over a petition. "We urged the UNSG to stop interfering in Sri Lanka," Sisira Jayakodi, an opposition legislator and a Rajapaksa supporter, said. Ban was in the compound at the time which was tightly guarded by the police to prevent demonstrators entering the premises. advertisement Tomorrow, he is set to visit Jaffna, the Tamil-dominated northern district and a former LTTE bastion, and inspect camps of persons displaced by the nearly three decade-long conflict. PTI CORR SAI ASK AKJ ASK --- ENDS --- The woman's neighbours had warned her against feeding the stray dogs in the locality. By Mail Today Bureau: A 36-year-old lady, who worked in an IT firm, was allegedly molested by miscreants near her home in Electronics City in Bengaluru for feeding stray dogs on Monday. After much persuasion, the police registered a case in connection with the incident. READ: India safer for foreigners than its daughters, over 34,000 rape cases registered in 2015 advertisement Apparently, the woman's neighbours had warned her against feeding the stray dogs in the locality. The woman fed as many as 14 stray dogs every evening and some of them were aggressive. On Monday evening, the lady, who returned from work, started feeding the dogs and her neighbours warned her again. When an altercation ensued between the women and residents of the locality, miscreants took advantage of the situation and allegedly molested her. They allegedly dragged her hair and pulled her T-shirt. The woman then called her friend over mobile phone for help, and by the time she reached Electronics City, the miscreants had fled. READ: 51 squats, Rs 1,000 fine: Bihar panchayat's punishment to rape accused The victim and her friend alleged that the police were slow to respond to their plight and registered the complaint post mid-night. The police, however, cited jurisdictional issues to register the complaint. Also Read: 4 women raped, 9 harassed everyday in 2012-2015: Delhi Police report Minor Dalit girl gangraped in coastal Karnataka Karnataka: 2 sisters, including minor gangraped Bengaluru: Techie raped in PG accommodation by burglar --- ENDS --- The National Capital gave a luke warm response to the strike primarily because it's not a industrial state. By Anindya Banerjee: Nationwide strike, which was observed in at least 12 states, for a day turned out to be quite a success for the left leaning trade unions across the country. The National Capital gave a luke warm response to the strike primarily because it's not a industrial state. All PSU banks expect State Bank of India and it's affiliates were virtually non-operational today. advertisement The Delhi Unit of government bank federation protested at Jantar Mantar reiterating their demand to extend the revised minimum wage to all employees and not just which falls under centers jurisdiction and also vehemently protesting FDI in insurance Later the striking bank employees were joined by insurance employees and teachers who marched towards the Parliament. Stopped at Parliament street police station, they started demonstrating there. Tapan Sen, CITU Chief addressed a large crowd and said, "We are demanding one more thing apart from our 12 point charter that the government learns how to behave." Later talking to India Today, Sen elaborated, "Never before have we seen a govt try to sabotage a scheduled strike by engaging with the ones who chose to stay away from it. This is dangerous." Transport has not been hit by this strike in Delhi but nurses in Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital joined strike demanding better pay and facilities which forced the AAP led Delhi government to impose ESMA on them. On the outskirts of the city, in Manesar hundreds joined the strike which was followed by few arrests. Even industrial areas of Faridabad joined in forcing a near shut down of manufacturing plants for the day. But sources in the government suggest the government is in no mood to engage any further particularly on FDI as that is 'non negotiable' for the government. Though Sen has warned of sustained agitation in future, the biggest reprieve for the government was that BMS or Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh, an union affiliated to RSS, ideological parent of BJP staying off the protest. Bharat Bandh hits Bengal, Kerala, UP most; rallies at various places --- ENDS --- This page no longer exists or may have been moved.If you believe this is a mistake please email Frontline gears up for weaker market Frontline generated net income of $14.3 mill in the second quarter, compared with $78.9 mill in the previous quarter. The 2Q16 net income adjusted for certain non-cash charges was $48.7 mill. These non-cash charges were a vessel impairment loss of $25.5 mill related to the agreed sale of six MRs and the termination of the long term charter for the VLCC Front Vanguard, an impairment loss on shares of $4.6 mill, a mark to market loss on derivatives of $4.2 mill and minority interest of $0.2 mill. The net income in 1Q16 included an impairment loss on shares of $2.4 mill, a mark to market loss on derivatives of $8.1 mill and minority interest of $0.1 mill. As for the first half of this year, the company generated net income of $93.2 mill, compared with net income of $34.2 mill for 1H15. The adjusted net income for certain non-cash charges was $138.1 mill for 1H16. These charges were a vessel impairment loss of $25.5 mill, an impairment loss on shares of $6.9 mill, a mark to market loss on derivatives of $12.3 mill and minority interest of $0.2 mill. Net income in 1H16 reflected the combined results of Frontline and Frontline 2012, while net income for 1H15 related to Frontline 2012 only. In August, 2016, Frontline estimated that average daily cash break even rates for the remainder of 2016 will be around $21,200, $17,300 and $15,300 for its owned and leased VLCCs, Suezmaxes and LR2s, respectively. The company added that these rates were highly competitive. During the period, Frontline secured bank financing of up to $548 mill and is in the final stages of obtaining approval for further bank financing of up to $325 mill to part finance 20 newbuilding contracts. The company also Sold six MRs for an aggregate price of $172.5 mill to an unaffiliated third party and purchased two VLCC newbuildings for $84 mill each. Robert Hvide Macleod, CEO of Frontline Management, commented: In the second quarter, the tanker market experienced a downward pressure on rates, which has continued into the third quarter. While these are quarters typically characterised by seasonal weakness, the market was also affected by crude oil supply disruptions in the Atlantic basin, high levels of crude inventories, 13 vessels delivering from the newbuilding fleet and easing congestion in ports around the world. All factors considered, the tanker market has been reasonably well balanced, and we are encouraged by our performance in the second quarter. The spot market is currently at a 24 month low, and although we expect the rate environment to improve from current levels, the second half of 2016 will be significantly weaker than the first half of the year. We remain focused on maintaining our competitive break even levels and strong balance sheet. Frontlines scale, strong shareholder base and cost-effective operations are significant strengths that position us well in the tanker market, he said. Inger Klemp, Frontline Management CFO, added: We are very pleased to have secured bank financing of up to $548 mill. We are also in what we expect to be the final stages of obtaining approval for further bank financing of up to $325 mill. This new financing will partially finance 20 of our newbuilding contracts at highly attractive terms and we maintain our very low cash break even levels. STX recently applied for court receivership, and it is unclear whether the four VLCC newbuildings under contract at this shipyard will be delivered. These vessels have therefore not yet been financed, she explained. In May, 2016, Frontline agreed with Ship Finance to terminate the long term charter of the 1998-built VLCC Front Vanguard. The charter was terminated on 12th July, 2016. The company will compensate Ship Finance to the tune of around $0.4 mill for the termination of the charter. On 2 June, 2016, Frontline formed Suezmax Chartering, a commercial joint venture with Diamond S Management and Euronav. The aim of the joint venture is to create a single point of contact for cargo owners to access a large fleet of 43 Suezmaxes. On 13th June, 2016, Frontline announced that it has agreed to sell its six MRs for an aggregate price of $172.5 mill to an unaffiliated third party. The vessels will be delivered by Frontline during September and October, 2016. Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has signed a partnership with Turner Designs USA to market its Ballast-Check 2 PAM Fluorometer to shipowners worldwide. Claimed to be easy to use, cost effective and capable of providing rapid results, the hand-held device enables crew to check the quality of treated ballast water for compliance with the D2 standard of the IMOs Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention. Turner Designs fluorometer - used by authorities around the world for testing water quality - is simple, uses no chemicals and provides reliable results in less than a minute. Rune Nygaard, Business Manager, WSS Water Solutions, said: The BWT segment is still in its infancy and the industry needs to build understanding about systems, and their on-going effectiveness, to ensure compliance with this important new regulation. The Ballast-Check 2 PAM Fluorometer provides ease, insight and peace of mind. The IMO and USCG are yet to announce an approved measurement methodology, but as both organisations are investigating the use of fluorometry for indicative measurements it makes sense to follow this lead. This is a new area for compliance testing and WSS is keen to be at the vanguard of the industry, providing high quality and readily available technology solutions for our customers worldwide, he said. Ballast-Check 2 is a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometer measuring fluorescence emitted by algae in the 10 to 50um size range and supplements WSS existing testing solutions for E Coli and Enterococci bacteria. The system is officially being launched as part of the WSS product range at SMM Hamburg 6-9th September, with units available for inspection on the companys stand in Hall B5 (stand 432). At least 18 crore workers from at least 10 central trade unions (CTUs) are participating in the 'Bharat bandh' today. By India Today Web Desk: At least 18 crore workers from at least 10 central trade unions (CTUs) are participating in the 'Bharat bandh' today, also known as the trade union strike, against the anti-labour policies of the Narendra Modi government. In Pics Bharat bandh: State transport goes off road, affects normal life in Telangana The CTUs have claimed that over 18 crore workers joined the all-India strike, making it bigger than the one held last year, also on September 2. advertisement The trade union workers were joined by the employees of banks, public sector, telecom and factories seeking higher wages and protesting against Modi's "unilateral" labour reforms, investment policies and plans to close some loss-making firms. Also Read: 15 crore workers from 10 central trade unions to strike work today: Everything else you need to know In New Delhi, Nurses protest at RML Hospital, demanding salary hike, but have said that they will attend emergency cases. The striking nurses may face action for hampering health services following the imposition of ESMA by Delhi government. Delhi: Nurses protest at RML Hospital, demanding salary hike. #Tradeunionstrike pic.twitter.com/gFb1ODYNA6ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Siliguri(WB) Municipal Corporation Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya arrested along with 15 other protesters. CITU workers hold protest rally in support of their demands in Kolkata. CPM and TMC workers clash during trade union strike in Madhyamgram. CITU workers hold protest rally in support of their demands in Himachal Pradesh. Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): CITU workers hold protest rally in support of their demands #TradeUnionStrike pic.twitter.com/nRopXIaJue ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 In Left-ruled Kerala, government offices, schools and colleges are closed and all public transport is off the roads. The workers of state-run Coal India will be joining the bandh but company officials said they did not expect any shortfall in supplies for power companies. Employees of at least six public sector banks have joined the strike. This means that the banking services will be affected with many banks already having communicated to their customers about the likely inconvenience. Supply of essential commodities, like milk and water, will not be affected. Medical shops will be open, as they are exempted from the strike call. Railways have, however, opted out of the bharat bandh. Trains will be running smoothly. Siliguri(WB) Municipal Corporation Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya arrested alongwith 15 other protesters #Tradeunionstrike pic.twitter.com/TREDUk4H8yANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 CENTRE TRIES TO WOO WORKERS, BUT IN VAIN On Tuesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Power Minister Piyush Goyal, appealed to the unions to call off the strike after an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaitley tried persuading the union workers to call off the banck by announcing bonuses for state government employees for the last two years and saying that the Centre would increase wages for unskilled labourers. But the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) rejected the government's appeals to call off the strike, saying it failed to address their demands. WHAT ARE THE WORKERS DEMANDING? The trade unions are demanding social security for the workers and minimum wages of nothing less than Rs 18,000 per month. They opposed Centre's proposal to hike minimum wages for unskilled workers by up to 20 per cent, which means the wages would be Rs 12,000 per month for Tier-I cities. The union rejected the proposal saying that the hike in wages should be considering the price rise. The unions also want an assured enhanced pension of not less than Rs 3,000 per month for all sectors, including the unorganised sector. advertisement Workers also demand removal of FDI from railways, defence and other "strategic sectors". Also Read: Left says bandh, TMC says work: How trade union strike is a Trinamool-CPM fight --- ENDS --- Final scores: Week 10's high school football games on the Treasure Coast Football teams hit field Thursday and Friday for Week 10 with SSAC playoffs beginning and District 12-4S title game between Treasure Coast and Vero. The government has prepared five special teams to dismantle underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's business empire and nab India's most wanted fugitive. Dawood Ibrahim is hiding in Pakistan for over two decades. By India Today Web Desk: The government is learnt to have prepared a new blueprint to nab absconding underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is believed to be hiding in Pakistan for over two decades. The government has formed five new investigative teams of 50 officers. The teams have been mandated to dismantle Dawood Ibrahim's business empire spread over several countries. advertisement THE SPECIAL TEAMS The special teams comprise of officers drawn from the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Interpol wing of the CBI. The team has been asked to monitor Dawood and his gang's movement and activities in Pakistan, UAE and other countries. The agencies have identified 11 close associates of Dawood Ibrahim, who run his business across the globe. Seven companies dealing in aviation, power, oil, construction to garment are on the radar of the investigators. READ: After India Today expose, Dawood Ibrahim's men were worried about their master in 1993 DAWOOD CONFINED TO KARACHI The intelligence agencies have credible information about Dawood's deteriorating health, which has confined him to Karachi. Even in Karachi, his movement is restricted. Dawood and his entire family have been using bullet proof car for their movement. Six customised bullet proof Land Cruisers have been brought from Dubai for Dawood's family. Dawood lives with the name of Sheikh Ismail Merchant in Karachi. He fears that he could be attacked even in Pakistan. For security reasons, he has stopped attending phone calls himself. His wife, Mehzabin Sheikh is learnt to be receiving all the calls on his behalf and passing instructions for all operations. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: ALSO READ: Dawood Ibrahim's men arrested in Nepal It's official! UN confirms Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan Pakistan must extradite Dawood Ibrahim: Vikas Swarup --- ENDS --- Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Mumbai traffic police constable Vilas Shinde recently died in the hospital after being attacked with a wooden plank by a biker after he asked the latter for vehicle documents at a petrol pump. By Vidya : Bombay High Court today expressed concern over the increasing incidents of policemen and doctors being beaten up in the state. The division bench headed by Justice VM Kanade today said, "It is very sad that on duty police officer is beaten up on road and dies. These people serve the society 24 hours. They need to be protected by the state." advertisement Mumbai traffic police constable Vilas Shinde recently died in the hospital after being attacked with a wooden plank by a juvenile biker after he asked the latter for vehicle documents at a petrol pump. Shinde was attached to the Mahim-Bandra Causeway traffic chowky and on August 23, was noting down motorists & registration details at a petrol pump in Khar (W) when he spotted a young biker without a helmet. The motorists beat him up leaving him critical but was caught later. However, Shinde had suffered grievous injuries and slipped into coma and later succumbed. Also read: Fadnavis in the line of fire over death of Mumbai traffic cop SECURITY IN HOSPITALS NOT ENOUGH The court was hearing petitions especially concerning resident doctors who have been pointing out that they are continuously been targeted by grieving families who resort to beating them up when a patient dies. The doctors have often pointed out that the kind of security being provided at the hospitals is only minimal and needs to be stepped up by the government. After successive orders, cctv cameras were installed at hospitals. However, during the early hearings the resident doctors had pointed out that the cctv cameras can only record evidence and not prevent doctors from getting beaten up. Justice Kanade also asked the municipal corporation to look into the issue, "BMC is Asia's richest corporation, why can't private security be arranged for hospitals? Why should you depend on state to provide security?" The public interest litigation was filed by a social worker against the doctors going on strike. The doctors had pointed out the difficulties that resident doctors face with respect to their living and working conditions and also pointed to the incidents of residents doctors being beaten up. Justice Kanade also asked the state government as to why the resident doctors were paid "only 45,000" as stipend. The state and the BMC has been given three weeks time to think about providing private security at the hospitals. --- ENDS --- If ever there was a cautionary tale about why its a bad idea to buy Smart TVs, this is it. Sony recently announced on its UK support site that 50 different 2012 Bravia TV models will lose their YouTube app on September 30, as first reported by 9 to 5 Google. The reason for this loss is due to hardware limitations of the models following a change to YouTubes specifications. Google announced in August that YouTube would be moving all its traffic to HTTPS. The company warned that over time it would phase out insecure connections, which means some devices would lose access to YouTube. Samsung users of the affected Bravia TVs recently started complaining of freezing issues, black screens, and error messages when using YouTube. It appears YouTubes HTTPS switch may be the cause of these issuesthough Sony has not confirmed this. You can find a complete list of Bravia models affected by this change on Sonys support site, which includes TV sets ranging in sizes from 20 to 89 inches. Why this matters: As I said at the beginning, this is a cautionary tale for any prospective TV buyer. Smart TVs are generally a bad buy, pure and simple. While those apps look enticing, they are restricted by the rather expensive hardware that runs them and Smart TVs are often lower down the priority list for updates by app developers. Accessories such as an Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku, however, dont cost that much and are easily replaceable once they fail or also hit the limits of their internal capabilities. If you already own a Smart TV it might be wise to pick-up one of these gadgets if some of apps on your TV have already failed or started lagging in updates. If youre looking for a new TV, save yourself some money by picking up a dumb TV and a modestly priced set-top accessory or streaming stick. Sonys 2012 televisions are only the latest victims of YouTubes modernization. The original iPad and any other device older than the iPhone 4 famously lost access to YouTube in 2015 after the video site shut down its older developer programming tools. Romanian hacker Marcel Lehel Lazar, best known online by the handle Guccifer, has received a 52-month prison sentence after pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris of the Eastern District of Virginia to unauthorized access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft this past May. The 44-year-old, who was extradited to the U.S. back in 2014, admitted to targeting the personal e-mail and social media accounts of around 100 Americans over a period of 14 months via hacking, fraud, identity theft and harassment. According to the Department of Justice, most of his victims were high-profile targets including an immediate family member of two former U.S. presidents, a former member of the U.S. Cabinet, a former member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former presidential advisor, just to name a few. Prosecutors were seeking a maximum penalty of four-and-a-half years while Lazar's public defender, Shannon S. Quill, called for a sentence of three years. The Washington Post notes that Quill described Lazar's escapades as an "addiction" and argued that despite his brash online personality, the defendant was actually a devoted husband and father that was frustrated by his inability to find work in the computer industry. Lazar has more to be concerned about than just his prison term in the U.S. Romania's Justice Ministry has apparently asked Judge Cacheris to send Lazar back to Romania so he can serve time there first. Image courtesy Reuters Update: Samsung on Friday issued a statement in which it said they have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and will voluntarily replace all sold devices over the coming weeks. Samsung earlier this week said it was delaying shipments of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in order to conduct additional product quality tests. Although the Samsung representative didn't specify the nature of the tests, scuttlebutt suggested it may be related to a potential battery defect. Those tests have reportedly resulted in the discovery of a faulty battery that will trigger an unprecedented recall of all new Galaxy Note 7 handsets according to a report from Yonhap News Agency. Citing a Samsung official that wished to remain anonymous, the South Korean electronics giant will announce the results of its investigation as early as this weekend or early next week. The official said products installed with the faulty battery account for less than 0.1 percent of the entire volume sold and that the issue can be resolved simply by swapping out the battery. The most important thing, the official told the publication, is the safety of their customers and that they don't want to disappoint their loyal fans. The recall likely won't happen Friday as Samsung is still talking with US-based wireless carriers and other business partners on the matter. That said, the official affirms that Samsung has no intentions of delaying the recall announcement or hiding the results of its investigation. Industry watchers tell the publication that Samsung could use the recall to upgrade its credibility with customers, assuming of course that it handles things promptly and convincingly. Keep in mind that as of writing, nothing has been confirmed by Samsung which puts this squarely in the rumor category. Image courtesy TechRadar Sen.se, best known for its unique Mother home automation kit, has launched a new connected sensor called the ThermoPeanut. The Paris-based company's latest IoT product, which gets its name from the fact that it's shaped like a peanut, is a single-purpose temperature sensor that can be used to monitor temps in and around your house. The companion app for your mobile device lets you view current and logged temperature history. When a sensor falls out of its normal range, ThermoPeanut can play an audible tone via 90dB speaker and even send a notification to your mobile device. It can measure temperatures between minus five degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, transferring temperature data wirelessly via Bluetooth Smart (Low Energy). The sensor's battery, model CR2032, has a lifespan of up to six months and is easily replaceable. ThermoPeanut is the first in a new line of connected devices under the SensePeanut brand. A quick check of Sen.se's website reveals a handful of upcoming sensors including the PeanutButton (a smart wireless button), the SleepPeanut (a sleep monitor and alarm clock) and the MedPeanut (a sensor that'll help you remember to take your meds on time). Sen.se is selling its ThermoPeanut as of writing priced at $29 each. Depending on your intended application, it may be well worth the cost. Look for additional SensePeanut sensors to arrive next quarter. The successor of Lenovo's Vibe P1 called the Lenovo Vibe P2 has been spotted on Chinese telecom regulator TENAA, which suggests that the handset will be launched sooner than later. The Chinese smartphone maker unveiled the Vibe P1 in September 2015 and the handset hit the shelves within a month. It seems that Lenovo is all prepared to unveil the successor of the Vibe P1 as TENAA has cleared an unknown device, which could likely be the Vibe P2. The device has a codename of P2c72. Late in July this year, the Lenovo smartphone showed up on Geekbench revealing its hardware specs, and now a TENAA listing confirms some of the previously leaked hardware specs of the Vibe P2. According to the TENAA website (in Chinese), the Vibe P2 will sport a 5.5-inch Full HD 1080p display. An octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clocked at 2.0 GHz and Adreno 506 GPU are expected to power the Lenovo phone. The Lenovo Vibe P2 will be a midrange phone but will sport 4 GB of RAM. Smartphone customers can expect it to be available with 32 GB or 64 GB internal storage options. The Vibe P1 had an option to expand the storage capacity with a microSD card, so it is highly likely that the Vibe P2 will include a microSD card slot too. The upcoming smartphone is also estimated to be equipped with a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel selfie camera, which is the same one found on the Vibe P1. The Vibe P1 comes with a massive 5,000 mAh battery, which offers talk time of up to 44 hours on 3G and up to 45 hours on 4G. Standby time is 25 days on 3G and 30 days on 4G. Rumors suggest that the Vibe P2 will also include a 5,000 mAh battery, which will offer more or less the same amount of talk time and standby time. According to TENAA, the Lenovo device will be available in three color options: gold, silver and gray. The mobile device is expected to measure 153 x 76 x 8.29 millimeters, or about 6.02 x 2.99 x 0.32 inches. The Vibe P1 weighs 189 grams, or around 6.66 ounces, but the Vibe P2 could be lighter as it may weigh 179 grams, or about 6.31 ounces. The price and release date for the Vibe P2 are not yet known. But given that the Vibe P1 is available in the United States via Amazon for $223.99 and from GearBest for $208.40, customers can expect the next-generation Vibe P2 to be available at an affordable price of about $250. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Back when Coca-Cola was first introduced in 1886, the popular soft drink featured cocaine as one of its key ingredients due to the use of coca leaf from Peru. Now, in 2016, it's possible that the company could be going back to that recipe (not really), as workers at a factory in southern France this week uncovered a huge cache of cocaine worth approximately $56 million in a shipment of orange juice concentrate from South America. |#Marseille| Var: 370 kilos de cocaine saisis dans un container de Coca-Cola: La marchandise illicite valait ... https://t.co/hQI4sWLx3S DirectMarseille (@DirectMarseille) Aug. 30, 2016 The Coca-Cola factory, located in a village of Signes, produces concentrates for the company's various drinks. Following the discovery on Tuesday, the workers notified judicial police in Marseilles, who have since launched an investigation. The cocaine was hidden in bags among a delivery of orange juice concentrate and amounted to 370 kg, making it one of the largest seizures of the illegal substance on French soil in history. Earlier this year, another 370 kg cache of cocaine was discovered in a shipping container in the port of Le Havre. A seizure off the coast of Martinique last year marked a national record when French customs uncovered a staggering 1995.81 kg of cocaine from a sailboat. The drugs have a market value of around 50 million ($56 million), according to prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux, who called the discovery a "bad surprise." An investigation into "trafficking and importing illegal drugs" is underway, and authorities, who are working to find the origin of the drugs, have already determined that the employees at the Coca-Cola plant had no involvement in the incident. "The first elements of the investigation have shown that employees are in no way involved," Jean-Denis Malgras, the company's regional president, told the news website Var-Matin. This is the second major drug bust to occur this week. On Sunday, three passengers oboard the Sea Princess cruise ship were arrested in Australia after authorities found $30 million worth of cocaine stashed away in their luggage. The three had boarded the ship in England in early July, but it's unclear which port they used to transport the drugs. In the end, however, all three are facing life sentences. Contrary to the cruise ship arrests, there has been no such luck following the Coca-Cola incident. However, authorities do at least know that there is a French connection that links the shipment to its intended recipient. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon VR820, a wireless virtual reality headset that is powered by its namesake Snapdragon 820 chipset. The device looks similar to the Samsung Gear VR, but with two external cameras looking out from the headset's front. The Snapdragon VR820 comes with six-axis motion tracking, eye tracking through two internal cameras and AMOLED displays at 1,440 x 1,440 pixels resolution per eye. It is also wireless with Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac technology with internal processing capabilities, allowing it to function without needing to be connected to a computer. The Snapdragon VR820's refresh rate, which is one of the factors in making the VR experience better for users, is only 70 Hz though, compared with the 90 Hz refresh rate of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. The Snapdragon VR820, however, is not something that consumers will be able to purchase for themselves. The VR headset, which was manufactured through a partnership with China-based Goertek, is actually a reference platform that can be used by other companies as a basis for the design of their own headsets. With the Snapdragon VR820, Qualcomm is looking to put itself in a position as a major player in consumer VR technology. While VR headsets that require to be connected to PCs are powered by high-performance AMD and Nvidia graphics cards, other headsets and applications could instead be powered by chips made for mobile such as the Snapdragon 820. With the headset to function as a reference platform, Qualcomm could also have a role in decreasing the costs of VR technology in the long term. The release of the Snapdragon VR820 can be compared with the reference designs that Qualcomm released for low-end smartphones that were utilized by about 50 companies. These manufacturers, by using these designs as the basis for their devices, were able to cut down on research and development expenses and design costs, leading to lower-priced smartphones. If the capabilities of the Snapdragon VR820 for a standalone wireless VR headset sound familiar, it might be because you have heard of Intel's Project Alloy, which was announced in mid-August. Project Alloy is also a reference design for a standalone wireless VR headset, and while Intel's project seems to be more powerful, the Snapdragon VR820 will be made available much sooner. The Snapdragon VR820 will be made available to Qualcomm's business partners by the end of the year, with commercial devices that will be based on its design expected to launch shortly afterwards. Qualcomm did not set possible prices for such headsets, but it revealed that the price range would be similar to that of high-performance tablet computers. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Go Kerala App Puts Kerala Holidays Under The Hammer | TechTree.com Leveraging the states unique destination pull and brand appeal to woo visitors in the digital space, an app-driven campaign from Kerala Tourism offers sojourns in Gods Own Country at throwaway prices. The latest in a string of innovative marketing initiatives, the first-of-its-kind A Kerala Holiday a day offer gives users of Kerala Tourisms scaled-up Go Kerala app the chance to bid to win a vacation in the state every day over the contests duration. The app has already been downloaded more than 30,000 times. Launched as an Independence Day promotion, the contest features new attractive tour and stay packages rolled out daily. These are then bid on through an online auction system that rewards the lowest unique bid. In this bidding system, the package is awarded to the user whose bid is the lowest as well as unique. That is, if two users bid the same price, they will cancel each other out. Already, a winning bidder has received a premium Kerala package valued at INR 28,000 which includes boarding for three days and two nights, Ayurvedic massage and elephant ride for the throwaway rate of nine rupees. With the packages wholly supported through tie-ups with accredited industry and trade partners, the innovative contest will ensure consolidation of Keralas status as the dream getaway. The opportunity for our visitors to take a relaxing houseboat cruise on the backwaters or delight in the many diverse destinations and vistas on offer at incredible rates will undoubtedly keep them coming back for more, said Shri A.C. Moideen, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala. The contest is geared towards continuous user engagement with the implementation of a points system that will reward the user with points, which are then redeemable against souvenirs and Kerala holidays. Simply downloading the app nets 1,000 points, while there are points to be had for registering and bidding for packages. If the margin of a bid loss is close, the bidder is compensated with points. With the year-round engagement enjoyed by Kerala Tourism and a user base that is as large and diverse as it is diasporic, the state is well positioned to benefit from such campaigns. They are as much an avenue to acknowledge and further our relationship with our fans as they are marketing tools, said Principal Secretary for Tourism in Kerala Dr Venu V. Kerala Tourism, which has more than 1.2 million fans on Facebook, is a pioneer in cross-platform campaigns to spread word on state destinations. In July, it won a national tourism award for the Most Innovative use of Information Technology Social Media/Mobile App. The Tourism Department's website, one of the most popular such websites in the world, has won several national and international tourism awards. Noting that such initiatives would augment destination pull to the state, Kerala Tourism Director Shri U.V. Jose said, Strategies like these provide Kerala added visibility and traction in the fast-moving digital arena as also provide our visitors greater access to the state. The Go Kerala app is available for download on Android from the Google Play store. The iOS version is expected to be launched soon. TAGS: Press Release, Lifestyle, Google Play Store Elecciones presidenciales El pais mas grande de la region elige este domingo a su proximo mandatario. Tras no lograr hacerse con la mayoria de los votos en los comicios del 2 de octubre, Luis Inacio "Lula" Da Silva y Jair Bolsonaro se disputan la Presidencia en una balotaje que enfrenta tendencias y valores contrapuestas. Con equipos en el terreno, Telam presenta una cobertura exclusiva con noticias, analisis, opinion, fotos y mas. A delightful, initiative is filling the lives of several Australian commuters with stories and magic. By India Today Web Desk: Two best friends who swear by the eternal magic of books are stirring something rather delightful for several commuters in Australia. Titled Books on the Rail, Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus' initiative involves them leaving books across trains, trams or buses for people to read and enjoy during the course of their ride. In an age where technology seems to be tightening its grip around us humans, these 'book ninjas' want people to experience the all-invasive power of reading and transforming their lives while at it. Behind the Book! A productive day of website design and matching outfits ?? Check us out at www.booksontherail.com #booksontherail A photo posted by Books on the Rail (@booksontherail) on Jul 16, 2016 at 10:04pm PDT advertisement Launched in April, Books on the Rail has gone on to garner love and support across several Australian commuters who've been greeted to these books. "We never could have anticipated how much support we'd receive from authors, publishers and commuters and we are so humbled," Berg and Kalus were quoted as telling Upworthy. Using social media as a powerful tool to spread the word, the books come with a Books on the Rail sticker that urges commuters to "Take this book, read it, then return it for someone else to enjoy!" With 300 books currently doing the rounds, the project seeks to recruit many more 'book ninjas' who're willing to indulge in the magic of reading. Here's something to brighten up this rainy Thursday! Keep your eyes peeled for these hilarious books by @andygbooks and @terrydbooks ??? #booksontherail @macmillanaus A photo posted by Books on the Rail (@booksontherail) on Jun 16, 2016 at 2:33am PDT Looking for a brilliantly emotional read? We're about to drop this incredible book by Sarah Bannan on the tram. Keep your eyes peeled for it ??? #booksontherail @bloomsburypublishing A photo posted by Books on the Rail (@booksontherail) on Jun 1, 2016 at 3:49pm PDT --- ENDS --- On the debate, two pollsters who conducted studies, agreed on Saturday that former president Lula defeated Bolsonaro. | Read More The Bengali film Cinemawaala - which won the UNESCO-Fellini Award at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2015 in Goa and the National Award winning Kannada film Thithi will represent aesthetically elevated film making in our country. The five-day film gala will screen four films each from the participating nations. Baahubali is one of India's entries for the festival By Mail Today Bureau: The first BRICS Film Festival opens at Siri Fort multiplex in the city on September 2 and will go on till September 6. The five-day film gala will screen four films each from the participating nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. MODI'S BRAINCHILD Bollywood veteran Rishi Kapoor will be the special guest at the opening ceremony, while Minister of State for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Minister of State of External Affairs VK Singh are expected to grace the occasion. advertisement "The festival is a brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. The idea came to him during his visit to Russia. India is set to host the BRICS summit later this year, and a number of cultural events will be hosted to mark the occasion. The film festival is one such," said C. Senthil Rajan, Director, Directorate of Film Festivals. FILMS TO BE SCREENED At a press interaction on Thursday, Rajan introduced the cast of Veeram - the opening film of the festival. The film is directed by National Award-winner Jayaraj and stars Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor. Veeram is Jayaraj's interpretation of Macbeth and the film - a trilingual in Malayalam, Hindi and English - redefines William Shakespeare's immortal play using the ancient martial art of Kerala, Kalaripayattu. "It was mentally and physically a challenge to shoot this film for long hours, but the outcome was rewarding," said Kapoor. A Brazilian film entry. A Brazilian film entry. Indian films slated to be screened at the festival reveal a fair mix of mainstream glamour and arthouse finesse. While Bahubali: The Beginning and Bajirao Mastani represent India's never-ending passion for star-studded glitz, the Bengali film Cinemawaala - which won the UNESCO-Fellini Award at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2015 in Goa - and the National Awardwinning Kannada film Thithi will represent aesthetically elevated film making in our country. The closing ceremony will be presided over by Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, M. Venkaiah Naidu. The highlight of the closing ceremony will be a performance by Chinese artists, since the host nation of the film festival next year is China. --- ENDS --- Mentorn Media has promoted Question Time editor Nicolai Gentchev to Director of Current Affairs. Gentchev, who has been at Mentorn Scotland for five-and-a-half years as editor of Question Time, becomes Executive Producer of the political debate show as part of his new role which includes developing and executive producing a range of current affairs programmes. Gentchev replaces Hayley Valentine who has left Mentorn Media after three years to pursue other opportunities. Mentorn Scotland, which has produced Question Time since 2012, is currently looking for a new Editor for the show to be based in Glasgow. During his time as editor of Question Time, Gentchev has also edited BBC Scotlands Referendum Debates series in 2014 and has been executive producer on various one-off programmes, including the Big, Big Debate at the Hydro, which was nominated for a BAFTA and won the RTS Scotland Award for Best Referendum Programme. Jonathan Hewes, Chief Executive, Mentorn Media, said: "We are delighted to announce Nicolais promotion to the position of Director of Current Affairs after his extremely successful editorship of Question Time; he has a wealth of political, news and current affairs experience and as he moves to Executive Producer role, we are looking for a new Editor of Question Time." He continued: Hayley has been an incredible Director of Current Affairs, overseeing some of the standout current affairs programming of the last few years, and securing a series of fast turnaround specials with the BBC at a time of unprecedented political uncertainty. We wish her the very best in her future. Share this story By Ashish Pandey: Providing much relief to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Hyderabad High Court today issued a eight-week stay on the re-investigation of cash-for-vote scam by Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau. Naidu had approached the High Court seeking the quashing of a re-investigation order by the ACB Principal Special Judge after YSR Congress Party MLA Akella Ramakrishna Reddy filed a petition seeking a thorough investigation into TDP president Chandrababu Naidu's role in the cash for vote scam of Telangana where TDP MLAs caught on camera trying to purchase votes. advertisement On Thursday the Andhra Pradesh CM had moved petition by way of a lunch motion before Justice MSK Jaiswal. Krishna Prakash, special counsel for Andhra Pradesh appearing for Chief Minister, prayed before the court to dispense with the filing of the certified copy of the ACB court's order. Justice Jaiswal, while considering the request of the counsel, dispensed with the order and directed the counsel to serve a copy of the quash petition to the ACB and the MLA and had adjourned the case to Friday. In his petition to High court the AP CM had argued that the YSR MLA which is the petitioner did not have locus standi in the case and sought the re-investigation order be quashed. Today the high court ordered stay while hearing a petition filed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telgu Desham Party President Chandrababu Naidu. While granting the eight week stay, the court also ordered the ACB's special public prosecutor to file a counter detailing their argument in the meantime. Reacting on the stay Mangalagiri YSR Congress MLA A. RAamkrishna Reddy said India today that he will approach the Supreme Court to revive the re-investigation order. --- ENDS --- Justice Chelameswar skipped a collegium meeting held this week and wrote a letter to the CJI demanding more accountability and the need to give reasons on decisions pertaining to appointment of judges. By Anusha Soni: The tussle over the judicial appointments has taken a fresh turn with one of the five judges of the collegium registering a protest with the Chief Justice of India over lack of transparency in judicial appointments. Highly placed sources at the Supreme Court confirmed that Justice Chelameswar skipped a collegium meeting held this week and wrote a letter to the CJI demanding more accountability and the need to give reasons on decisions pertaining to appointment of judges. advertisement The letter questioned complete absence of any processes in decisions pertaining to judicial appointments.It also charted out the way forward and the changes that can be brought to the present collegium system. According to sources, arbitrariness, lack of scrutiny of decisions by collegium and the absence of open debate has irked many other judges of the Supreme Court. BATTLE OVER JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS Justice Chelameswar continues to be a part of the collegium and has not recused himself so far. The Chief Justice of India is likely to discuss those suggestions with other judges before any changes can be brought to the collegium system. If Justice Chelameswar views are accepted by the other judges of the collegium, the manner in which judges of High Court and Supreme Court are appointed across the country would be affected. Justice Chelameswar was lone dissenting judge in the NJAC verdict that had struck down the Centre's law to bring executive's interference in the appointment of judges. Even in his judgement he had raised deep concerns over the opaque and unaccountable way in which the appointments are being made. Sources say, in his letter to the CJI he has said that no reasons are recorded by collegium to approve or reject candidates and fundamental principles of democratic institutions of accountability and transparency are not followed. The battle over judicial appointments has become an open war between the government and the judiciary. CJI and law minister have been at loggerheads over judicial appointments with CJI openly criticising the government for dragging its feet on judicial appointments. After the NJAC verdict, the draft Memorandum of Procedure has been the bone of contention with no consensus between the government and the judiciary over the procedure ahead for judicial appointments. But schisms within the judiciary have come out in the open and cry to reform from within is growing louder. ALSO READ: Supreme Court raps Centre, questions delays in judicial appointments --- ENDS --- Vietnam will release 18,539 prison inmates, including 34 foreign nationals, as part of this years National Day amnesty. The State President Office announced in a press conference Friday the inmates will be released in batches starting from Monday ahead of the 70th National Day anniversary, which falls on September 2. The inmates to be freed had been sentenced for a wide range of crimes, including murder, rape, drug-related crimes and robbery. None of them committed crimes against national security, according to Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quy Vuong. The foreign nationals to be freed include two Australians, six Laotians, one Cambodian, one Thai, 16 Chinese, six Malaysians and two Filipinos. Officials did not clarify which crimes the foreign prisoners were serving sentences for. The oldest inmate to be freed is a 85-year-old man who has served four years of term and the youngest is 16 years old. Giang Son, deputy head of the president office, told the press this years National Day amnesty has once again reflected the "humanitarian nature" of the government and is aimed at encouraging the inmates to become useful citizens. He said the selection process of the amnesty was conducted in a fair and transparent manner. Deputy Minister Vuong said this years amnesty is the second biggest-ever. The biggest amnesty was conducted in 2009 when 20,599 prisoners were freed, he said. Vietnam typically grants amnesty to prisoners on major national holidays, including the Lunar New Year (Tet) and the National Day. Vietnams Ministry of Public Security has approved the reduction of prison terms for 24,826 inmates nationwide under the amnesty program for this year National Day on Friday. Nearly 2,100 prisoners have been cleared the rest of their jail time and will be able to go home soon, and 130 others have their life sentence reduced to 20 and 30 years in jail. Around 20,000 prisoners were granted amnesty ahead of the last Independence Day April 30, which marks the end of the Vietnam War. A total of 18,539 including 34 foreign nationals also received the pardon on last years National Day. Prisons across Vietnam on Monday started releasing inmates who have been granted amnesty ahead of the National Day this year. A total of 18,539 inmates, including 34 foreign nationals will be freed. Thanh Nien reporters have captured the happy moments of inmates when they were granted amnesty and when they were united with families. With initial flood-related damage pegged at $50 million, a number likely to grow substantially, East Baton Rouge public school officials are hoping to recoup as much as 75 percent of their costs from federal disaster relief. The difficulties of qualifying for reimbursement from FEMA, as well as the greater than expected damage, have prompted school officials to slow down ambitious plans to try to repair several flooded schools quickly. When the school systems 77 schools reopen Tuesday, after being closed for more than three weeks, 12 will be operating in new locations. Eight of them are relocating because of flooding, forcing four smaller schools to relocate. Even a week ago, school officials expressed hope that Twin Oaks Elementary and perhaps Brookstown Middle, both of which flooded, could be repaired quickly and obviate the need to move kids. But on Tuesday, Twin Oaks students will relocate to three different places far across town, while Brookstown students will share space with Scotlandville Middle school. Superintendent Warren Drake told the parish School Board on Thursday that hes still committed to getting Twin Oaks reopened quickly, but the revised estimate is that it wont be ready to reopen until Oct. 3. To do the work that fast, the school system will likely have to give up some of the money it could potentially recoup from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has extensive rules about what it will reimburse and under what conditions. He gave an example of a school library. Books on the top shelf that came nowhere near water have to be taken care of according to a certain protocol, Drake said. Repairs at the other seven flooded schools in the school system, however, are taking the full FEMA reimbursement route. To help navigate FEMAs process, the school system is soliciting proposals from outside consultants familiar with the federal agency. Catherine Fletcher, chief business operations officer, told the School Board that school system losses are likely to dwarf the damage the district's schools have sustained from weather events in the past decade. You add all those up and multiply by three and you get what may be up on this one, she said. Fletcher said the school system is still figuring out the bill and its insurance adjuster is still at work, but $50 million is well below the likely bill. We do not know as of yet our total losses, Fletcher said. Warren said many school employees have been nonstop since Aug. 12, when schools first closed due to flooding, and are exhausted. He urged the public to be patient as school officials try to sort things out, noting theres been some trial and error already. Were going to see things every day that were going to have to do different, he said. Just bear with us while we figure out how to do things right." Earl Kern, program manager with CSRS/Garrard Program Management, which oversees most school construction for the district, said the things that were flooded that are salvageable, offering metal chairs as an example, are being preserved, but cleaning them may not be worth the time and expense. Do you spend $80 to clean a chair when you could buy a new one for $40, Kern asked rhetorically. Im just throwing those numbers out there. Thats a decision the district has to make. Several school administrators gave the School Board a detailed, two-hour-long update on all aspects of the reopening of the schools. One of the big issues has been transportation. School officials have spent around $6 million to buy 68 buses to replace about 100 that were flooded. About 30 drivers are unable to return to work, forcing the use of substitute drivers. Besides the eight schools that were flooded, 15 more sustained some kind of moisture intrusion, largely from air-conditioning problems, but those were apparently resolved by Monday. Carnell Washington, president of the East Baton Rouge Parish Federation of Teachers, was not persuaded. He noted that the former Banks Elementary, which is being used to temporarily house flooded Glen Oaks Park Elementary, still has issues. He said several union members have spent three days at the school cleaning mold. I want to make sure that we dont have a lot of sick teachers because they are going into mold-and-mildewed schools, Washington said. After the presentation, board member Jill Dyason complimented Drakes leadership. Its been a huge comfort to me to know that you got this, Dyason said. It may look comfortable on the outside, replied Drake wearily, but its not so comfortable on the inside. Flood Recovery Plan by jeff nowak on Scribd You don't have to travel there to get a taste of coastal food, because you can count on the offerings at TabulaBeach Cafe. By Ursila Ali: The city's gastronomists share a bittersweet relationship with coastal food. Bittersweet, because the food invokes a strong desire to sink your feet in the sand and flirt with the waves, an experience you will be deprived of if you live in North India. The cuisine, be it Mediterranean or closer home, the Malabari and Malvani, offering a smorgasbord of crustacean wonders, promises to be more than satisfactory for any glutton and hence needs to be celebrated. advertisement The menu of the revamped TabulaBeach Cafe 2.0 in the lush green environs of the Siri Fort Auditorium does exactly this. If you feel a beach cafe sans a beach is a misfit in the city, you are mistaken. For at TabulaBeach, soft sand, hammocks, rustic seating and moody lighting under a large gazebo, come together to give the illusion of a perfect beach shack. The only drawback? You can't smell the salt in the air. The menu, a redux of the one at Ploof Deli: Kitchen and Bar (by the same owners) covers the famous coastal fare from Italy, Vietnam, Kerala and even Zanzibar. Go for a three course meal. Start with a salad; the red wine poached beetroot and mascarpone salad interspersed with candied nuts is a tad too pretty to eat. It tastes as good as it looks. But an understated hero of the menu is the slow roasted mushroom cooked in fresh herbs and accompanied by red wine balsamic onions, the best way to describe this dish would be to call it comfort food. Also read: Got a craving for curry? This Delhi restaurant will spoil you for choice If the slow cooked mushrooms were our second favourite, the limelight of our rather hearty lunch was Prawnography. This cheekily named dish is quite a dramatic affair, with tiger prawns cooked Thermidor style presented with Aglio Olio pasta. The dish is enough to satiate your appetite, but if you have room for more, don't miss the masala curries, the red snapper in Thai herbs and the South African lamb curry in Bread-The Bunny Chow. The interiors of the TabulaBeach Cafe give the illusion of a perfect beach shack. Photo: TabulaBeach Cafe While you can give the desserts a miss, what you must not, are their signature drinks. The Paan Ki Dukaan, we are told, has blown away a certain noir director of Bollywood when he first tasted it. A surprising concoction, a banarasi paan with vodka and a heady dose of cardamom essence, this is a brave attempt to take paan out of the beetle leaf and into your glasses. Smoking aces is another must try. With cinnamon, smoked bourbon, apple juice and the bitter Angostura that gives the cocktail a smoky, woody flavour, perfect for a rainy day. advertisement So, if there is still time till your next beach vacation, and you still find yourself longing for sandy shores, head to the TabulaBeach Cafe 2.0. Do not miss: Their Tuesday nights with live music. At Asian Games Village Complex, Khel Gaon Marg Contact: 919650250099 Meal for Two: Rs. 2,000 --- ENDS --- When the rescuers came on boats to save the neighborhood from the rapidly rising waters three weeks ago, Cyrel Brooks shooed them away from his home. Cyrel and his wife Bessie Brooks, both 75, never left their one-story home in the Park Forest neighborhood of Baton Rouge because they said they wanted to protect it, even as it was engulfed in four feet of water, swallowing up much of Bessie's wispy 5-foot frame. They continued to hunker down in the days that followed, when the water was still ankle deep, sleeping at night in their bed atop a sheet of Visqueen to protect them from the flood-soaked mattress, even though they lost power for at least five days. Three weeks later, they still didn't leave when the mold started to emerge, like dark ink blots, spidering across their walls, and repeatedly refusing the pleas of their family members to leave. And they're not the only ones who stayed. Together Baton Rouge, a faith-based nonprofit, said they've identified at least 20 flood-damaged homes where the inhabitants never left, never started a demolition and are still being exposed to hazardous mold and the residue of sewer-contaminated flood water. But the group believes that number represents several hundred others in the same situation, who are mostly elderly, and more vulnerable both physically and financially. It's a public health crisis, said Broderick Bagert, a Together Baton Rouge organizer. He said there are still thousands of homes that haven't been gutted, and he said survey results project that 5 percent of them could have people still living in them. What's worse, is there hasn't been a large scale, coordinated effort to identify homeowners who don't have the help or the resources to gut homes on their own. So Together Baton Rouge, in connection with four nonprofit organizations, is hiring 100 people to work 30 days, gutting 2,000 homes. The $250,000 price tag of the endeavor is largely being covered by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, in addition to some donations made directly to Together Baton Rouge. But if more donations come in, more people will be hired. +2 'Gut Check Saturday' helps flood victims begin rebuilding For the second Saturday in a row, volunteers organized by Together Baton Rouge were out help They've set up a website GutcheckLA.com where people can register if they need help, or they can call 1-800-451-1954. Bagert said while many locals have been volunteering their time to help their friends and neighbors, he is concerned that the number of volunteers is winding down while the need is still great. "There are elderly people sleeping in homes covered in mold tonight," he said. "The capacity of volunteers is just scratching the surface of the need." So far, the website has already been used to help deploy groups to homes like the Brooks. But beginning this week they'll move from a volunteer model to paying employees $15 an hour to do the work full time. The employees will be hired through the partner organizations: Habitat for Humanity, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), Mid City Redevelopment and Rebuilding Louisiana. It was only on Thursday, 17 days after the flood, that the walls in the Brooks' home were finally taken down and their appliances were brought out to the curb by a group of volunteers organized by LEAN. Cyrel and a neighbor had earlier removed some carpet, but at his age, he said he just didn't have the strength to properly gut a house alone. Many of his neighbors are also elderly and were dealing with the same questions about how to recover, he said. He sought quotes from professional contractors, but they were coming back in the thousands of dollars and the couple didn't have flood insurance. Bessie said she didn't want to leave because her door was so swollen that it wouldn't lock. She was afraid during and after the flood that criminals would raid her home of the valued treasures she and her husband had spent a lifetime to build together. And of course, after 19 years living in the home without an issue, they never imagined the flood waters could get so high. "Hurricanes, tornadoes, it's never affected us," she said. Joe Jenkins, of the Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church, said he met with an elderly man from his church who had flood damage and was still living at home in the Glen Oaks neighborhood. Jenkins said the man, whom he pleaded with unsuccessfully for 40 minutes to leave his house, was afraid of what would happen to him. "He's elderly and he's alone," he said. "He's wondering what's going to happen to him, he's wondering whether he had proper insurance to even get the work done, he's worried about having to live in a shelter." State Sen. Regina Barrow, a Democrat from flood ravaged north Baton Rouge, said she's concerned about the vulnerability of the elderly in this situation and has heard many stories of people afraid to leave because they don't want to be put in a nursing home. "We may need to create a new program for our golden age population," she said. "It's asinine that at age 70 or age 80, in many cases these people who have paid for their homes would actually have to take out a loan at that age." Bessie and Cyrel said they don't know what they would have done without the volunteers who stepped in to help them. Now that the home has been cleared, and some of their belongings have been stored away, Bessie feels comfortable leaving the house to stay with their nephew. "We are just so grateful," they said, almost in unison, standing in their empty home, stripped down to the studs. After the floodwaters rose in Brenda Hamners rental house in Denham Springs during the flood, she and her family lucked into a hotel room in Baton Rouge where they could wait for the waters to recede and begin rebuilding their lives. What little she was able to recover from her home sat in garbage bags and boxes crammed into two rooms at the La Quinta on Rieger Road, along with her husband, three children, four dogs and two cats. Hamners lease on the house had expired before the floodwaters arrived Aug. 13, and she said her landlord made it clear she cannot come back. But she is also finding it difficult to move forward. Each day, she said Thursday, she spends hours on the phone with the Federal Emergency Management Agency trying to get questions answered, and she waits for an inspector to come verify her losses so she can receive rental assistance. Hamner said she has spent nearly every dollar the family had saved for a down payment on a new home on the pair of $550-a-week hotel rooms they have used since they were forced from their home. The hotel is not participating in FEMAs transitional housing program, and the closest federally funded room she said she could find was in Lafayette too far to commute to bring her children to school in Denham Springs when classes resume Sept. 12. If something doesnt change come Monday, were going to be homeless, Hamner said. Day by day, were hanging on by prayer and faith. Its all weve got left. Hamner and thousands of other flood survivors throughout the capital region are running into the same problems: They may be eligible for hotel and rental assistance through FEMA, but they are facing a tight rental market, a lack of FEMA-paid hotel rooms within commuting distance from their workplaces or schools, and a maze of paperwork they dont understand. Louisiana flood recovery guide: Info on insurance, FEMA, other tips and tricks The Louisiana flood of 2016 has people asking plenty of great questions about any and all is Residents displaced by the flooding can register with FEMA to stay in hotels at FEMAs expense while looking for more long-term housing solutions, FEMA spokesman Alberto Pillot said. Under FEMAs Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, the agency will pay the hotel directly, doling out government per-diem rates for basic rooms without room service or other amenities. Hotel guests are responsible for the extras. FEMA also provides rental assistance for both homeowners and renters through the agencys Individuals and Households Program, Pillot said. Residents must first register with FEMA and have their pre-flood residence inspected by the agency to determine eligibility. Were encouraging homeowners to call their insurance company first because thats what theyre paying for and FEMA does not duplicate coverage, Pillot said. Homeowners will need a letter of determination from their insurance companies either denying payment or detailing what losses will be covered under the policy, but they dont have to wait to receive that letter before registering with FEMA, Pillot said. Go ahead and register, but the aid wont be available until we have that letter, he said. Eligibility for both hotel and rental assistance depends on the determination of the FEMA inspector who visits the home to evaluate the applicants loss, Pillot said. If they havent had an inspector come out yet, especially if we couldnt come out at first because we were waiting on the floodwaters to recede, they need to call that 800-number (800-621-3362) and schedule that inspection, he said. Financial need is not a factor in determining eligibility for hotel or rental assistance, Pillot said. The agency is looking instead at each applicants needs for safe and sanitary housing, with a goal of transitioning families into self-sustaining, long-term housing arrangements. Bunking with family or friends will not affect eligibility, Pillot said. Were trying to get them to a long-term housing solution, he said. Thats not their home, and staying with family is not a long-term solution. Were going to give them some money so they can move out and start renting somewhere else. How long rental assistance will be available is determined on a case-by-case basis and depends in part on the availability of affordable housing, Pillot said. There are no caps, he said, but homeowners typically top out around 18 months of assistance, while renters usually receive rental money for two to three months. +5 Two big reasons why just 1 FEMA trailer in place after Louisiana flooding Six days after the new FEMA trailers were unveiled to offer temporary living for flood victi Statewide, 2,036 families were receiving hotel rooms courtesy of FEMA as of Thursday, Pillot said. Another 31,865 homeowners and 11,845 renters were receiving rental assistance. But how many of those families were finding lodging in Baton Rouge remains unclear. Not every hotel chooses to participate in FEMAs transitional sheltering program, and an online list of participating hotels included none in Baton Rouge as of Thursday afternoon. Most of the available rooms listed were in the New Orleans, Lafayette and Shreveport areas. The closest rooms were in Hammond. Pillot said the list is accurate but would not include hotels that already booked their FEMA-funded rooms. He could not say how many rooms had been available in the capital city since the flooding began in mid-August. Visit Baton Rouge CEO Paul Arrigo said hotels across Baton Rouge have been "relatively full, but it's a day-to-day thing," and Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer said the downtown hotels have been booking quickly and selling out since flooding began. Those staying in hotels are a combination of evacuees, workers in town for flood-related events and regular business travelers, the officials said. At the La Quinta, out-of-state license plates outnumbered Louisiana tags by three-to-one on Thursday, with drivers hailing from as far as Nevada, Michigan and Florida. Allstate auto claims adjuster Cliff White, of Orlando, Florida, said he had been staying at the hotel since Aug. 16, with no end-date in sight. White said his work related to the flooding was pretty much finished, but the company had kept him staged in Baton Rouge in case Hurricane Hermine headed this way. Staff at the 100-room hotel said they had been booked solid since the floods. Ralph Ney, general manager of the Baton Rouge Marriott, said his hotel also has been mostly full since the floods started. He said a number of evacuees have been staying there, despite the hotel not currently being listed among FEMAs evacuee hotels. Ney said those staying at the Marriott registered and received approval from FEMA to be authorized for their rooms. He said the payments should come from FEMA, but he had not checked whether the hotel had received any payments from the agency yet. Ben Blackwell, the president of the Baton Rouge Lodging Association, and John Grubb, the association's vice president, did not return messages on Thursday. Craig Davenport, of Cook Moore & Associates, said the rental market has become equally difficult post-flood. As people realize this will be a longer recovery than they anticipated, theyre realizing they need an apartment, Davenport said. Theyre seeing its going to be six months, not six weeks. So its a really tight rental market now. Davenport said he knew of a few rentals open in northern Baton Rouge through Latter & Blum, but otherwise, I would say most of the city is 100 percent occupied. At least 25 multifamily properties were damaged in the floods, forcing landlords to move first-floor tenants into vacancies on upper floors and reducing the number of units that otherwise would have been available, he said. Apartment buildings throughout the capital region are racking up wait lists, including two complexes in Livingston Parish that havent even finished construction yet, Davenport said. Creekside Crossing in Walker is trying to finish up so they can open up, he said, adding that the complex already has 100-plus people on its waiting list. Another 36-unit complex has 50 applicants waiting for an available space. This is not just a Baton Rouge problem; its a regional problem, he said. Speaking publicly for the first time since a deadly bus crash in LaPlace last month, the Honduran national who was at the wheel said the bus c Wife of sheriff, who helped Edwards win election, lands Superdome contract months later Wife of sheriff, who helped Edwards win election, lands Superdome contract months later Paintings by Crispin Akerman. Beaver Galleries, 81 Denison Street, Deakin. Until September 11. After eight solo shows at the Beaver Galleries, Crispin Akerman has become somewhat of a local in the Canberra art scene. Recently he has moved his studio to coastal Western Australia, which frequently is the kiss of death for artists trying to keep a profile alive on the east coast. I hope Akerman will manage to maintain his standing on both sides of the continent. Crispin Akerman, Still life with figs in Paintings at Beaver Galleries. Credit: supplied About three years ago, when I last reviewed Akerman's exhibition, I made some disparaging comments about a certain sloppiness creeping into his technique. This could be interpreted as signs of haste or simply treading water as he constantly revisited his established evergreen favourite signature motif of closely observed still life compositions, generally viewed against plain colour or cloth backgrounds. In this exhibition both of these criticisms have been answered. The technique is back to its jewel-like precision, especially in such pieces as Lilies and shiraz rug and Temple jar, table and carpet, while, in what seems to be a new departure for the artist, there is a series of quite heavily worked watercolour drawings on paper of scrubland with a galah. The Galah and forest drawing is the finest of this emerging series. Australian telcos and retailers have pulled Samsung's latest smartphone from their shelves as speculation mounts there will be a global recall of the popular device due to faulty batteries that can catch fire. A Samsung Australia spokeswoman said the tech giant had "paused" sales of the Galaxy Note 7 on Friday while the company conducted a "thorough inspection" of the unit. "We will share the findings [of the inspection] as soon as possible," she said, adding that there had been no reports of issues or injuries relating in the Note 7 in Australia. Reports emerged this week of the phones "exploding" or catching fire while charging, with photos of burnt phones being shared widely online. If numbers are your thing, the annual reporting season for listed companies is not to be missed. Be they for company sales, margins, profit, cash - or umpteen other variables - there's plenty to keep any numberphile busy. The interpretation of those numbers, though, is not always easy, but it's very important.'Good' and 'bad' are relative terms in investing. The art is to understand the narrative behind companies' financial results. Master that, and the investing world is yours. A 20 per cent lift in sales is no doubt disappointing if you were expecting them to double, for example. Likewise, a halving of a company's profit will be considered great... if forecasts were for a 90 per cent plunge. Moreover, the plethora of numbers provided by companies refer to the past financial year, and it is the future that matters for investors. One of the two accused in the Mumbai police constable murder case has been sent to police custody till September six while the minor accused is in correction home. By Vidya : Two days after constable, Vilas Shinde succumbed to his injuries, Mumbai police on Friday registered a case of murder against Ahmed Qureshi. The 53-year-old traffic constable was allegedly beaten up by Qureshi and a minor on 23rd August in Mumbai. The incident took place when Shinde, attached to Bandra Mahim causeway traffic chowki, stopped a two-wheeler as the riders did not wear helmets. Suspecting the rider to be a minor, Shinde asked for driving license, which led a brawl. advertisement READ: Mumbai Police begin enquiry into cops harassing youngsters at Gateway of India The 17-year-old boy and pillion rider, Qureshi's assault on Shinde was so severely that his skull cracked. He was rushed to hospital, where slipped into coma. Despite all efforts of the doctors, Shinde died on 31st August. ACCUSED IN JUDICIAL CUSTODY A day after the incident, Mumbai police registered a case under sections relating to attempt to murder and disrupting a police officer from conducting his duty against Quereshi and the minor. While Qureshi was in police custody till 30th August before being sent to judicial custody, the minor was sent to a correction home. After Shinde's death the police converted the case of attempt to murder into a case of murder. Police have also sought fresh custody in the light of modified charges. Defence counsel opposed further police custody but the Mumbai court sent Qureshi to police custody till 6th September. ALSO READ: Mumbai cop, who was attacked on duty, dies in Lilavati Hospital --- ENDS --- At the Opera House on Saturday, Dingle will chair a discussion of the challenges faced by Asian Australians, when Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane, business leader Ming Long and academic Jennifer Whelan talk about the bamboo ceiling at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. The prevalence of stereotypes "affects your expectations of how things are going to go in life," she said. "It puts you in a box." It was a jab at the kinds of stereotypes that pigeonhole people from Asian backgrounds and which Dingle, a multi award-winning ABC journalist, found "inherently irritating". ABC journalist Sarah Dingle and business leader Ming Long say talking about the bamboo ceiling is one way to break through it. Credit:Christopher Pearce Dingle said there have been Australians of Asian descent since the early colonial days but "we don't see them on television, we don't see them in executive positions, we don't see them leading, we don't see them making decisions. Why is that? It's high time we had this conversation." Dingle said Australia needed to acknowledge its cultural diversity. "We could be so much more powerful than we are," she said. "There have been all kinds of studies that show people tend to hire people who are like themselves, and if we don't make a conscious effort to change that, it's not going to change. Doing things the way you've always done them is kind of a recipe for disaster, particularly in this age." Australians with Asian heritage make up about 10 per cent of the population, but less than two per cent of federal parliamentarians and ASX 200 senior executives. Ms Long, the only Asian woman to have led an ASX 200 company, said the scarcity of Asian Australian leaders was "an opportunity lost". Heather Bresch, chief executive at Mylan, the pharmaceutical giant that has been vilified for price increases on its EpiPen allergy treatment, maintains that her company has attained a sort of capitalist nirvana - it does good for others while doing well for itself. But the argument that Mylan has achieved a balance benefiting all of its stakeholders simply doesn't hold up when viewed through the prism of the company's recent proxy filings. Those materials detail the company's executive pay and show, for example, that Mylan's top brass received a windfall when it incorporated overseas in 2014 to cut its tax bill sharply. The filings also show that under a special, one-time stock grant created in 2014, top executives - including Bresch - stand to reap further riches at least partly on the back of price increases on the EpiPen. Under the grant, Mylan executives will be rewarded if the company's earnings and stock price meet certain goals by the end of 2018. Given that EpiPen accounted for $US1 billion ($1.3 billion) of Mylan's $US9.4 billion in revenue in its most recent year, the allergy treatment's price increases seem integral to meeting those targets and generating a big payday. I think most of us would agree that mocking someone for their suffering and attendant misery is a cruel and abhorrent thing to do. Un-Australian even, given we like to think we are the kind of country that extends a hand to those who are down on their luck or who have suffered misfortune of any kind. Such generosity of spirit does not extend to many on the political right in this country who are turning such mockery into what they seem to think is a political art form. They apparently think by using the term "industry" in front of the group they wish to denigrate that they are somehow absolved from the opprobrium that would come if they attacked these groups directly. To give an example, News Corporation columnist Bettina Arndt recently attacked what she called "the worldwide domestic violence industry" for what she portrayed as its wilful refusal to acknowledge women-initiated violence against men and for allegedly over-simplifying a complex issue. Systemic wage fraud, exploitation of workers and falsification of payroll records. There could hardly be more damning allegations levelled against a major employer operating in Australia. Yet, a year after The Age and the ABC's Four Corners program shone a light into the dark underbelly of 7-Eleven's operations in Australia, the company has comprehensively failed to deal with the biggest single case of wage fraud in the country's history. Instead, 7-Eleven has hit back, taking an ad in Fairfax papers to push its own barrow in the face of mounting evidence of its wrongdoing. The chairman of 7-Eleven, Mike Smith, also penned an opinion piece, claiming that "no organisation in Australian corporate history had responded as swiftly, comprehensively and transparently as 7-Eleven in dealing with the activity uncovered in its network". Illustration: Simon Bosch This is despite the fact the company clearly reneged on an undertaking that an independent panel, headed by former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Allan Fels, would process the claims of as many as 20,000 past and present workers who were ripped off by the company, and paid as little as $5 per hour. Instead, an internal panel was convened by 7-Eleven after Professor Fels estimated the cost of the wage fraud claims at $100 million. That new panel has been described by Professor Fels as "bogus" and a "triumph" for dodgy franchisees, and designed to save the company tens of millions of dollars in legitimate compensation claims. Indigenous people are yet again asking to be empowered. Requesting government, ever so politely, to be given the power to shape their lives. It should not be a big ask, but it is. Colonial paternalism is alive and well. Noblesse oblige still buzzes around inside some coiffured white middle-class heads. The "dear little black baby" syndrome still exerts some pull. But overriding all notions and motivations of duty on the part of bureaucrats, churches, non-government organisations, social and anthropological research institutions and business groups is the fixed belief that Aborigines cannot handle money. Here come the heroes. All of the above will tell you that many Indigenous people have a propensity to burn it up, piss it up and give it away. Maybe they do, but then, when you treat people like children, they tend to behave like children. When you offer people no respect, they tend not to respect themselves. When you are racist, you tend to make people angry. Now the white man with his burden may not believe him or herself to be racist, they may go out of their way not to be racist, they may suppress it in non-white company, but the person who is not white and middle class will pick it up in a flash. It's the condescension, it's the awkwardness, it's the body language, and it's the conversational tone. It's the inability to converse in any meaningful way, to get on the wave length. It's the lack of understanding of others lives, struggles and pain. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Teaching students have complained they were "left in the lurch" by the introduction of a new compulsory literacy and numeracy test and had to borrow money to pay the $185 fee to sit the exam. All teaching students are now required to pass the test - modelled on questions from the Year 9 NAPLAN exam - before they finish their degree. University leaders are questioning whether students who already have a degree should have to sit the exam, given they are almost certain to pass. Student teachers are angry about literacy and numeracy tests. From back left: Emma Ulrick, Sam Morales, Cassandra Denne, Mieta Robertson, Kate Smith. At front: Kale Wylie, Vincent Paul, Anna Tilley and John Lister. Credit:Paul Carracher The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) received a $1 million government tender to design and run the tests until 2018. It will also receive up to $3.7 million a year in revenue from student fees given around 20,000 education students graduate annually. John Lister, Master of Teaching student at the University of Melbourne, said the implementation of the test this year had been a "total shambles" at his university. The Turnbull government has been implored to remove asylum seekers from Nauru and Manus Island quickly or face the "high likelihood" that "many more men and women will express their despair by attempting to harm and kill themselves". The warning comes from Paris Aristotle, the pre-eminent adviser to both sides of politics on refugee issues over the past two decades, who expresses "grave concerns" that children and young people on Nauru "will respond in the same ways". Mr Aristotle says Australia should be among the countries considered for resettling the refugees and plays down the potential for such a move to reignite the people smuggling trade. "The immediate imperative is that Australia acts swiftly to change the present policy settings that are inflicting serious harm," he says in a statement written in his capacity as executive director of the Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture. A notorious group of rape cases at the Australian Defence Force Academy will remain unresolved after the government's defence abuse taskforce announced neither a royal commission nor an Australian Crime Commission probe will go ahead. The final report of the four-year Defence Abuse Response Taskforce was released on Friday afternoon despite being dated March and has reversed its own previous recommendation for a royal commission into the ADFA assaults, dating mostly from the 1990s. The cases became known as the "ADFA 24" because the taskforce received 24 complaints from women abused at the academy between 1991 and 1998. Credit:Chris Lane The Defence Abuse Response Taskforce, or DART, was set up by the former Gillard government. It was independent of Defence and was tasked with sifting through thousands of complaints with a view to making reparations to victims and recommending reforms to the government. The cases became known as the "ADFA 24" because the taskforce received 24 complaints from women abused at the academy between 1991 and 1998. Taxpayers earning more than $80,000 are set to get their promised tax cuts from October, but only after a backdown by the bureaucracy. After the $6 per week tax cut was announced in the May budget, Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan defied Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who said it would be implemented "administratively" because the Parliament wouldn't be able to sit before it was due to start on July 1. Mr Jordan told the Treasury and Finance departments that he wanted "the relevant legislation to be passed before the change will be incorporated into the income tax withholding schedules". This meant that although high earners might eventually get a refund of up to $6 per week, tax would be deducted from their pay packets at the old rate until the legislation had been approved by both houses of Parliament. I don't obey rules, or even laws. I obey the things that make sense and ignore the things that don't. I don't have a high regard for the law because I know too much about laws that have been passed that have been horrible. It used to be illegal to be homosexual and I'm supposed to have regard for the law?! I will continually question all kinds of rules, especially when they're in my way. There are rules that are stupid and I break them gleefully. If I'm on my bike at 3AM and I'm at a red light and there's no traffic or pedestrians. Am I going to sit there? No. I don't like the atmosphere that's created by a whole nation of people slavishly adhering to how things are supposed to be done. But I am interested in other people's relationship to rules. Through history, there have been points at which feeling free to break the law has been very important. The FODI topic comes from one line in The Mandibles. The protagonist says: "Perhaps the definition of a free society is one in which you can still get away with something." That is one instance of a character speaking for the author. Another character chimes in saying "breaking a rule a day is much better for your health." Obviously we have problems with terrorism and criminality. But we also have the opposite problem, when society becomes too orderly and it kills off something. Fiction and cinema are heavily consumed with writing about criminals because we are torn when it comes to criminality. We're afraid of it but we're also envious of it. I'm sure that drug dealers find the fact that a large proportion of people are volunteering half of their income to the government utterly incomprehensible. Our culture still views female renegades with suspicion. Why do we judge women who deviate from the script? We also celebrate women who break the rules. Fictional characters such as Bonnie and Clyde, for example. We have an extra fascination with women who break the rules because women are supposed to be the keepers of peace and order. I'm not sure if we are especially hard on female renegades but the discrimination is on a different level. We're more likely to cast men as renegades and admire them whereas female renegades will be cast as obnoxious, shrill, opinionated or uncooperative. Women will be difficult and men will be renegades. Traditionally, ambitious women have been given a hard time, as women are expected to be much more modest. By Reuters: Some of the world's biggest consumer groups are making halal face creams and shampoos for Indonesia ahead of a new labeling law, part of a broader push to cater to growing Muslim populations as sales in many Western markets slow. Unilever, Beiersdorf and L'Oreal are among the multinationals converting their supply chains for the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation. The law, the first of its kind, requires food to be labeled halal or not in 2017, followed by toiletries in 2018 and medicines in 2019. The companies say demand for beauty products that are halal, or target specific issues like veiled hair, will grow as the Muslim middle class grows. They note that Indonesia could influence other countries such as Malaysia where halal products made locally or by small, niche companies are also popular. Halal certification is official recognition that a product was manufactured in keeping with Islamic Sharia law. This means it must not contain traces of pork, alcohol or blood, and must be made on factory lines free of contamination risk, including from cleaning. Makers of cosmetics and toiletries say the burden is more administrative than financial, and therefore see compliance as unlocking new revenue streams. "It's an enabler to do business in certain areas of the world," said Dirk Mampe of German chemicals company BASF , which sells ingredients to toiletries manufacturers and now has 145 of them certified halal. The halal ingredients do not carry premium price tags, he said. "There is a trend that these halal products are being requested more and more, and the importance of being able to supply them is increasing." More than 1.5 billion people around the world are Muslim, accounting for about a quarter of the global population. Halal cosmetics were estimated to make up 11 percent of a global halal market worth more than $1 trillion in 2015, according to Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting. Market research firm TechNavio sees halal personal care products' sales growing 14 percent per year until 2019, outpacing the broader market. NOT-SO-SECRET FORMULA French cosmetics giant L'Oreal already has a halal-certified factory in Indonesia that supplies the domestic market and its Southeast Asian neighbors. Most products under its Garnier brand, from face washes to skin lightening creams, are halal-certified, a spokeswoman said. The personal care industry already depends largely on plant-derived ingredients, so the rules for halal often affect production more than formulation. But certification can get complicated. For example, the maker of an Indonesian skin cream with a dozen ingredients from around the world would need to give Indonesian authorities proof from other certification bodies that each ingredient was made in a halal way. Malaysia-based DagangHalal has made a business from that complexity by establishing an online database of halal certificates to ease their exchange and expedite the process for applicants. As of February, it said 38 out of over 120 certification bodies worldwide had signed up. The company, which also runs a halal e-commerce site, reported 2015 revenue of 5.6 million Malaysian ringgit ($1.4 million), up 64 percent year-on-year. It raised 3.6 million pounds ($4.7 million) from this year's London stock listing, and is betting that halal cosmetics will gain traction beyond their current strongholds of Indonesia and Malaysia. "Halal certification is a requirement that might be put in place by other countries in the future," Joerg Karas, general manager of Schwan-Stabilo Cosmetics, said in a statement last month. The German company, which is ready to offer halal-certified products to customers such as L'Oreal and Procter & Gamble, said it is "well-equipped for this niche market". Non-halal products will remain available in Indonesia following the labeling law, but may meet a backlash. "The average Muslim consumer in Indonesia is not going to buy something that effectively says prohibited on it," said Abdalhamid Evans of halal consultancy firm Imarat Consultants. Unilever, which owns five of Indonesia's top ten beauty and personal care brands, says all nine of its factories there already meet halal standards and that it is currently working with third-party suppliers of imported ingredients. Alan Jope, who runs Unilever's personal care business from Singapore, told Reuters the cost of certification was "not material". MUSLIM VALUES Competition with homegrown rivals steeped in local tradition can be fierce, especially when it comes to regulation. But Jope said the key for multinationals like Unilever -- with global marketing and development teams -- is understanding Muslim values generally and how they influence habits in specific markets with different cultures and ethnicities. "Some (values) are common across Muslim countries," he said, noting that about 90 percent of Muslim consumers say faith influences their brand choices. "But there's quite substantial differences between how a Muslim woman in Indonesia and a Muslim woman in Saudi Arabia express their faith and how that impacts their beauty regimes." He guessed that one third of the top twenty markets for Unilever's 20 billion euros-per-year business were countries with large Muslim populations, from India to Nigeria. He said better meeting their needs was a top strategic priority. To that end, Unilever has introduced products such as a gel body moisturizer that absorbs quickly beneath long undergarments and a long-lasting toothpaste appealing to those fasting for Ramadan. Like rival Henkel, it sells a line of shampoo for veiled hair, but Jope said the industry needs to improve its advertising, such as by featuring more women in hijabs. "We need to be doing a better job reflecting Muslim values in our brand communication," he said. advertisement ALSO READ: Cipla, Godrej Consumer Products in Change the World list Experts warn consumers against using locally-sourced LED bulbs --- ENDS --- Want a clothing ban that actually targets the world's evils? Ban "men in suits", not women in burkinis, a commenter has said in a newspaper letter that's quickly gone viral. In a letter-to-the-editor published in The Guardian this week, Londoner Henry Stewart exposed the hypocritical, anti-Islamic sentiment of southern France's controversial burkini bans with a bit of biting real-talk. A woman wears a burkini at a beach in Marseille in southern France. Credit:AP "No woman in a burqa (or a hijab or a burkini) has ever done me any harm. But I was sacked (without explanation) by a man in a suit. Men in suits missold me pensions and endowments, costing me thousands of pounds," he wrote in the letter. "A man in a suit led us on a disastrous and illegal war. Men in suits led the banks and crashed the world economy. Other men in suits then increased the misery to millions through austerity. A leading disability advocacy group has demanded the resignation of the chief executive of the country's largest autism service provider in the wake of a series of allegations about mistreatment of children in its care. The call for Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) chief executive Adrian Ford to resign comes as state and territory ministers fail to agree on proposed safety and quality measures under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The chief executive of Autism Awareness Australia, Nicole Rogerson, said the allegations about two Aspect schools in NSW and Victoria were "distressing". In one case a boy was allegedly left in a cage-like structure at Aspect Macarthur School in Sydney's west while another Aspect school in Melbourne allegedly used a lockable box to restrain students. Airservices Australia's approach to hiring consultants has been "callous and wasteful", according to its workplace unions. Aviation industry figures were calling on Friday for "heads to roll" over the agency's lack of probity, cost control and its failure to get "value for money" from consultancies on the $1.5 billion OneSKY air traffic control system, revealed in a scathing National Audit Office report. Transport Minister Darren Chester settled an investment property purchase while on a taxpayer-funded trip in Melbourne. Credit:Andrew Meares The Community and Public Sector Union, which has many members facing the loss of their jobs at Airservices, says the agency has been caught out by the National Audit Office after spending $9 million on external consultants ICCPM while moving to sack almost 1000 staff. The consultancy rates were up to 30 per cent higher than the Defence Department was paying ICCPM, the auditors found, with one lucrative contract processed by a senior Airservices executive who was married to ICCPM's chief executive. Sydney's Inner West Council is fending off claims of crisis after the last of the three former general managers in charge of the area left the new council. Vanessa Chan, the former general manager of Ashfield Council, was appointed above the former Leichhardt chief Peter Head and Marrickville general manager Brian Barret to the top position of the merged entity. But staff were told on Friday that Ms Chan would be leaving the council, while Mr Head and Mr Barrett, who were appointed to deputy positions, left soon after amalgamation. Multiple senior staff from the three former councils said it had been a difficult process of merger at the new organisation, which was now suffering from a lack of experience. More than two years after he was dramatically arrested while working as a senior Commonwealth lawyer, Nick Gouliaditis has been sentenced to two years imprisonment. Gouliaditis, who was employed as a senior executive lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor when he was arrested at his Sydney office in August 2014, will serve the sentence by way of intensive correction in the community. Nick Gouliaditis was arrested in August 2014. Credit:Police Media He was charged with supplying the drugs methylamphetamine (ice) and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), as well as dealing with the proceeds of crime, resisting arrest and possessing a prohibited Taser when he was arrested following a two-month police investigation. Gouliaditis entered a guilty plea least year, but in an unusual decision Judge Peter Berman adjourned sentencing saying a decision on whether or not a jail term would be imposed would partly depend on whether the offender could stay clean. It's a peculiarly Sydney tale, featuring a waterfront property with stunning harbour views, a stoush over a million-dollar renovation, and a disputed link to an unsolved Sydney crime known as the Shark Arm Murder. When businessman David Wilkenfeld, also known as David Fox, bought a ramshackle property featuring a boatshed with upstairs accommodation in McMahons Point in 2009 for $750,000, it appeared he had snared a once-in-a-lifetime bargain. Just a few years earlier, the property had been touted on the market with a price hopes of $10.2 million. Mr Wilkenfeld had got his hands on 365 square metres of prime waterfront land, featuring two original condition buildings, nestled on public land in Henry Lawson Reserve, with direct harbour access and million-dollar views across the water to the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Other houses on Henry Lawson Avenue are on the high side of the street and don't have direct harbour access. Hero backpacker Tom Jackson will continue to help others in death, after his family decided to donate his organs. Mr Jackson died in hospital on Tuesday, a week after he was critically injured while trying to save fellow Brit Mia Ayliffe-Chung from an frenzied knife attack at a north Queensland backpackers' hostel. Home Hill stabbing victim Tom Jackson. His father Les says his son's organs have been donated to help save lives. "How wonderful that he died trying to save someone's life and maybe has ended up saving even more and I think that's a lovely way of thinking of it," he told the Townsville Bulletin. A lack of communication between staff at a Brisbane hospital has been blamed for the unexpected death of a father-of-three after being given too much morphine, a coroner has found. Michael Calder, 33, died in the Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital at Chermside in the early hours of July 11, 2014, after being treated for viral meningitis and repeatedly complaining of severe headaches. The coroner neither referred the treating doctors or nurses for disciplinary action, however they still may be referred by the Health Ombudsman. Credit:Gillianne Tedder In handing down his findings on Friday, Coroner John Lock found the real estate agent died of opiate toxicity, with a morphine level in his blood well within the range to be potentially lethal. Mr Lock also highlighted a number of missed opportunities to diagnose Mr Calder's deterioration before he died. A cache of illegal guns has been seized by state, federal and US authorities as part of an investigation to tackle an international weapons operation. Investigations began after an armed robbery at a western suburbs McDonald's 15 months ago, where a Thureon AR-15 assault rifle was used. That weapon was then "backtracked" by police, which helped prevent a large consignment of weapons being imported to Australia. In June, US officials seized six fully automatic assault rifles and 96 semi-automatic handgun frames, which police allege were due to be imported to Australia. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was on a day-long visit to the Telangana capital, expressed concern over rapidly increasing cyber crimes. By Ashish Pandey: The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that cybercrimes today pose the biggest challenge to the security and law enforcement forces in the country. Addressing the Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers and other officers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad today, Singh said the role of police is changing with the advancement in technology. advertisement Singh, who was on a day-long visit to the Telangana capital, expressed concern over rapidly increasing cyber crimes. " In the last decade there has been an alarming 2400 per cent rise in cybercrimes," he added. SERVE THE PEOPLE WITHOUT BIAS Exhorting the young police officers to adapt themselves to the rapid changes in technology and the threats posed by cybercrimes, Singh said there are several challenges that the country faces and the police forces should be mindful of their role while serving the people. "We should always keep in mind that we are public servants and we need to discharge our duties accordingly. The police forces work in public domain and they are always under constant public scrutiny", Rajnath Singh added. While noting that India is a land of diversities with a tradition of living in peace and harmony, he also asked the police forces to be impartial and unbiased while discharging their duty. Singh further stressed that one should never work half-heartedly as no big goal can be achieved without full dedication. Earlier Singh laid a wreath at the Martyrs' Memorial and inaugurated the Advanced Courses Mess Building at SVPNPA and interacted with the IPS Probationers. ALSO READ: First case of 'digital kidnapping' in Punjab, cyber criminals seek ransom from pharma company --- ENDS --- "It's a pop-up industry," she said. "They open and close. We see a lot of the massage shops but we are now seeing it in apartments, it is the next step and it is even far more discreet." Senior Sergeant Marilyn Ross told Fairfax Media that city apartments - usually in residential high-rise towers - were the newest venues for illegal sex work after massage shops, karaoke bars and hotels. She said SICU worked in conjunction with the Australian Federal Police's specialist human trafficking officers. "We do see indicators [of trafficked women] at times," she said. According to Sergeant Ross the sex workers do not live in the apartments - instead the apartments are rented short-term, sometimes by a sex worker sole trader and sometimes by an 'employer' with several employees. Advertisements run on online classifieds sites. "They advertise on a number of different websites that are not only in English," she said. Sergeant Richard Farrelly of SICU - who last year found an Asian woman hidden in a wall cavity in a Seaford brothel to avoid detection - said serviced apartments as well as rented apartments were an emerging trend in illegal sex work. "They offer everything from masturbation to full sex," he said. "The apartments are all relatively new, one to two bedroom apartments. It is literally as though you are walking into someone's apartment." He said residents groups in residential towers were a key in helping police. "These places certainly impact on the amenity for the residents. They are usually open from ten in the morning until even midnight." Sergeant Ross said the apartments were unhygienic and the sex-work unregulated. "It is these types of unregulated businesses which often mean that employees are working in exploitative conditions," she said A teen who had his face stomped on in a brutal random attack says he feared he wouldn't survive the bashing. Tyson, 19, was walking home on Scott Street in Dandenong when five males jumped out of a parked car about 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 24. One punched him in the face, telling him: "this is Dandenong, welcome to Dandenong." He fell to the ground where they took turns stomping on his face and kicking him while he played dead. New York: Anthony D. Weiner confirmed on Thursday that the New York City Administration for Children's Services has opened an investigation into his treatment of his 4-year-old son, Jordan. The inquiry comes after Weiner was embarrassed yet again this week by revelations that he had sent sexually charged messages over social media to a woman he had never met. One message showed his son in a photograph that also included Weiner's crotch. Though The New York Post reported on Wednesday that the child welfare agency had begun looking into the matter, citing anonymous sources, Weiner told The New York Times the same day that he had not yet been contacted. On Thursday, however, he said that the agency had left a bare-bones letter about the investigation at his mother's house. Beirut: The father of Alan Kurdi, the young Syrian boy pictured washed up on a Turkish beach who became a symbol of the refugee crisis, has accused the world of turning its back on Syria as people continue to die. On the eve of the first anniversary of his son's death, Abdullah Kurdi pleaded with the international community to act to stop the bloodshed in his country, saying the attention paid to his family's misfortune had saved nothing. "The politicians said after the deaths in my family: Never again!" Mr Kurdi, 41, said on Thursday. "Everyone claimed they wanted to do something because of the photo that touched them so much. But what is happening now? People are still dying and nobody is doing anything about it." Nathan Law, who is running for election as part of the Demosisto party. Credit:Philip Wen On one side of the split is a previously fringe "localist" movement which seeks to preserve the autonomy and identity of Hong Kong and to keep mainland influence at bay. Many localists openly call for independence from China. "The turning point is the failure of the Umbrella Revolution because during the whole movement we still had a certain hope to realise democracy as promised," says Edward Leung, a 25-year-old philosophy student and the independence movement's de facto figurehead. Edward Leung, with microphone, leading a demonstration by the Hong Kong Indigenous party in July 2015. Credit:AP "It was like the last fight for democracy for us, we went to the streets, we initiated civil disobedience but we failed. The government didn't listen to us. Nothing was achieved, nothing changed." Previously an almost unspeakable taboo, university polls now show 17 per cent of people in Hong Kong support independence, with that figure rising to as high as 40 per cent among those under 25. Hong Kong localist leader Edward Leung walks past a Chinese national flag outside a court after he was charged with rioting on August 5. Credit:AP The calls for independence have only become louder after the city's electoral commission disqualified Leung and five other candidates from running ostensibly because their advocacy for independence contravened Hong Kong's Basic Law, the de facto constitution agreed upon the former British colony's return to Chinese rule in 1997. Thousands marched in protest in what effectively was Hong Kong's first-ever pro-independence rally. Edward Leung reacts to a group of pro-China supporters outside the court. Credit:AP Leung, who had polled well at a by-election just six months ago, was considered a strong chance of securing a seat. He is now throwing his support behind allied candidates and political parties, including Cheng, but remains furious at what he says amounts to a removal of his political rights. "It was my dream to be a representative for the people and to bring their voices inside the council and to fight for them, to protest inside," says Leung, talking over a bowl of taufufaa, a popular tofu-based dessert. Five candidates who have been rejected to participate in the Legislative Council elections, from left: Nakade Hitsujiko, Edward Leung, Alice Lai, Andy Chan Ho-tin and James Chan Kwok-keung, attend a rally outside the Hong Kong government headquarters on August 5. Credit:AP Antipathy toward the mainland has increased significantly in recent years and is particularly deep-seated among younger Hongkongers, amid a broader backdrop of concern over the city's economy, unaffordable housing and stagnant job prospects for university graduates. While growing numbers of mainland migrants, students and tourists have been blamed for crowding Hong Kong streets, more insidious has been China's increasing influence in Hong Kong's media and the disappearance of the Causeway Bay booksellers who published books critical of the Communist Party's leadership. Members of the pro-democracy group Demosisto including Joshua Wong (centre) protest in June against the "disappearance" of the Hong Kong booksellers. Credit:AP And longer-term anxiety over what will happen when the current arrangement under Hong Kong's Basic Law expires in 2047 have not been helped by Beijing's refusal to allow an unfettered choice for the territory's chief executive. "We are not extreme, we are idealistic," Leung says. "The source of the problem in political in Hong Kong is a structural problem. It's about our constitution being controlled, manipulated by an authoritarian regime in China. 'I am optimistic': Joshua Wong outside a Hong Kong court earlier this year. Credit:AP "We need to think about our future after 2047 we need to allow the chance of self-determination and ultimately we want to promote the idea of independence." Cheng says the spectre of increasing mainland influence means it is now or never for voters who want Hong Kong to have a chance of staying the same. "There are 150 mainland Chinese immigrants coming to Hong Kong every day," he says. "They can become voters and most of them won't vote for the Hong Kong people, but vote for the Communist Party." The design of Hong Kong's legislative council is such that it is stacked heavily in favour of pro-Beijing, pro-business and conservative legislators. Of the 70 seats, half are drawn from geographic constituencies, with the remaining "functional constituencies" made up of voters from occupations and industries like banking, legal services or fisheries, generally dominated by pro-establishment parties. (Pro-democracy legislators currently hold 27 seats.) While the chances of overturning the pro-establishment majority in LegCo are remote, localists crave a platform and the chance to become a mainstream fixture in local politics. Election analysts expect localist candidates to win anywhere between one and five seats; in a vote count not dissimilar to the Australian Senate's proportional representation system, minor parties can gain seats with a relatively small percentage of votes. But the divisions between pro-democracy camps risk cannibalising their support, with prospective votes split between traditional pan-democrat lawmakers, localists and other more moderate young candidates who rose to prominence during the Umbrella Revolution and are desperate to keep fading momentum alive. The face of those protests, Joshua Wong, is still too young to stand at 19. But his new political party Demosisto, formed with fellow high-profile student protest leaders Agnes Chow and Nathan Law, is running on a platform of self-determination rather than independence, which it considers impractical in the foreseeable future. Demosisto is also pushing for a referendum in 10 years' time to allow Hong Kong's voters to decide their own fate. The 2014 Occupy protests were notable for the spirit, unity and overwhelmingly peaceful manner in which they were conducted. Loading But just as the original brains behind the movement, including academic Benny Tai, have increasingly faded into the background, so Demosisto's moderate voice risks being drowned out by louder, angrier ideas. SHANGHAI, Sept. 2, 2016 -- Embraer announced today that it has signed an agreement for up to five E190s with Colorful Guizhou Airlines, including two firm orders and three purchase rights. The firm order will be included in Embraer's 2016 third-quarter backlog. The contract has an estimated value of USD 249 million at the current list price, if all purchase rights are exercised. The two aircraft will be delivered in 2017. In June 2015, during the 51st International Paris Air Show, Colorful Guizhou Airlines placed an order for seven firm E190s, four of which have already been delivered. Zhai Yan, Chairman of Guizhou Industrial Investment (Group) Co., Ltd and Chairman of Colorful Guizhou Airlines, said the company has built profound confidence in Embraer's products and services. "As a newly-established and the first locally-owned airline in Guizhou province, Colorful Guizhou Airlines needs mature aircraft and services to guarantee our steady operation. Based on the aircraft's performance during the past eight months, we are glad we picked Embraer's E190, an aircraft model with good economy, unparalleled cabin comfort, and high reliability, which has enabled us to provide passengers with a good travel experience. We hope that the E190 fleet can help us build a sky passageway inside and beyond Guizhou province, and eventually contribute to improving the connectivity of China's Southwest Region." Established in June, 2015, Colorful Guizhou Airlines completed its maiden flight only 216 days after its foundation, a miracle in the domestic aviation industry. Positioned as a low-cost regional and trunk carrier, Colorful Guizhou has already opened nine routes, including Guiyang-Zhuhai, Guiyang-Tianjin, Guiyang-Nanjing, etc., transporting over 140,000 passengers over the past eight months. "Colorful Guizhou Airlines' decision to purchase more E190s means a lot to Embraer," said Guan Dongyuan, Senior Vice President of Embraer and President of Embraer China. "It is not only a recognition of our aircraft already in operation, but also a demonstration of the sincere trust between Embraer and Colorful Guizhou. As a manufacturer, as well as a service provider, Embraer China team will continue to be devoted to customer services and support, to safeguard the smooth operation of our customers. We deeply appreciate Colorful Guizhou's trust and Embraer will be a loyal partner of Colorful Guizhou along this road to a brighter future." "China is among the most dynamic aviation markets in the world, and Guiyang is an important potential hub in southwestern China and we are glad to be part of it with Colorful Guizhou Airlines," said Guo Qing, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Commercial Aviation, Embraer China. "Embraer applauds the Chinese government's 'Belt and Road Initiatives', and we hope that, as an aircraft manufacturer, we can contribute in this process by providing the best products to our customers." Embraer has been leading Chinese regional aviation with a market share of around 80 percent for several years. Embraer has now logged 228 firm orders in China, including 190 commercial aircraft, 21 of which are pending government approval, and 38 executive jets. To date, 168 aircraft have been delivered. Embraer is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 130+ seats. The Company has 100 customers all over the world operating the ERJ and E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,700 orders and over 1,200 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft by operating across a range of business applications. Embraer is a global company headquartered in Brazil with businesses in commercial and executive aviation, defense & security. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing customer support and services. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. About every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. Contacts: Headquarters (Brazil) Saulo Passos press@embraer.com.br Cell: +55 11 94254 4017 Tel.: +55 11 3040 1799 North America Alyssa Ten Eyck aeyck@embraer.com Cell: +1 954 383 0460 Tel.: +1 954 359 3847 Europe, Middle East and Africa pressEMEA@embraer.fr Cell: +55 11 94254 4017 Tel.: +55 11 3040 1799 China Mirage Zhong mirage.zhong@bjs.embraer.com Cell: +86 185 1378 5180 Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988 Asia Pacific Nilma Missir-Boissac nilma.boissac@sin.embraer.com Cell: +65 9012 8428 Tel.: +65 6305 9955 Auto Lab - Car Comment or Concern? Answers Here Saturday 7-9 AM (EDT The Auto Lab is Broadcast Saturday's 7 to 9 AM On New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 and Streamed Worldwide Here On The Auto Channel Broadcast Date: September 3, 2016 This Weeks Show Is Listen Only, Best Of Auto Lab - No Calls This Week Auto Lab is a 28 year old interactive automotive-focused New York area radio call-in show hosted by Professor Harold Wolchok. Each week a cadre of experienced hands-on automotive experts are in-studio with advice for the New York area's 12 million people, providing listeners with honest, practical and street-smart car repair and buying advice. Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format. Listeners can hear the past 18 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on www.theautochannel.com. Listen - Auto Lab Page (Includes Audio-on-Demand Archives, Auto Programs at Community College Database, Guests Pictures Auto Answers - Maintenance, How To's, Safety, Used and New Car Buying, Ombudsmen Suggestions. From These Auto Lab In-Studio Experts Broadcast Date: September 3, 2016 Harold Bendell- Major Auto Audra Fordin-Great Bear Auto Repairs & "What Women Auto Know" David Goldsmith - Urban Classics Auto Repairs Joseph Guarino-Joe Guarino's Auto Repairs Jerry Pastore-D & J Diagnostic Johanna Pastore-D & J Diagnostic Michael Porcelli - Central Avenue Auto Repairs & I-CAR Joanne Porcelli, Esq Nicholas Prague- MTA and Rockland Community College, SUNY Auto Lab Correspondents Report Auto Safety News, New Car Reviews, Technology and Latest Auto World Information That May effect You! Broadcast Date: September 3, 2016 Russ Rader, Vice President Insurance Institute for Highway Safety TURNING OFF RED LIGHT CAMERAS COSTS LIVES, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS Dr. William Sharfman, Automotive Journalist and Consultant "DISCUSSION OF TOYOTA'S MANUFACTURING IN THE UNITED STATES Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent, Suffolk England MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS John Russell-Automotive Journalist KIA K900 LUXURY SEDAN if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... The court also asked the Dera chief to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 for moving frivolous applications and wasting time of the court. By Manjeet Sehgal: In a major set back to Haryana based religious sect head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, a CBI special court today rejected two pleas of Dera chief seeking copies of the statements given by the rape victims and summoning the then investigating officer for cross-examination. The bench comprising Justice AB Chaudhary also filed the petitioner for wasting the time of the court by moving frivolous petitions. advertisement "The court has fined Dera Chief for putting frivolous petitions and to delay the proceedings. He will pay a fine of Rs 20000," CBI Counsel HPS Verma told India Today. Also read: Haryana minister Anil Vij donates Rs 50 lakh to Dera Sacha Sauda, kicks up row Two Dera followers had accused Dera chief of molestation. The case was investigated by the CBI on the directions of the High Court. The hearing is in its final stage. The sexual exploitation case against Dera chief was registered in 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after anonymous letters were circulated about the alleged sexual exploitation of female followers by Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The letter was mailed to the then prime minister besides the court. The letter alleged that the two female followers were raped by the Dera chief. Both the victims had recorded their statements before the court and had confirmed that they were raped. Their statements are part of the CBI chargesheet which was filed on July 30, 2007 in the CBI special court. Dera chief besides the sexual exploitation of two followers is also facing murder, attempt to murder and mass castration cases. Gurmeet Ram Rahim has denied the charges and has also told the court that he is not 'capable' of making physical relations. --- ENDS --- Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi... Hospital offers safe option to dispose of meds, narcotics Los Robles Health System is working to crush the opioid drug crisis by raising awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications. Crush the Crisis will take place... Alzheimers Foundation to host free conference The Alzheimers Foundation of America will host a free virtual educational conference from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tues., Nov. 15. The event is part of the foundations 2022 national Educating America Tour. The conference, which is free and open... Authorities warn about rainbow fentanyl Victims often arent aware theyre taking it The Ventura County Office of Education and state health officials have issued a warning to schools and families about rainbow fentanyl, a form of the potentially fatal synthetic opioid that comes in bright colors. Rainbow fentanyl can be found in... Cancer support community to host remembrance event Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara invites family members and friends of those who have died from cancer to attend the second annual Evening of Remembrance from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 3 at Cancer Support Communitys Garden of Hope,... Sharad Pawar had targeted the state government over the failing law and order situation after the Kopardi gangrape case surfaced. The attack is seen targeted at Nationalist Congress Party Supremo Sharad Pawar who has been vocal against the incident. By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Calling the Kopardi rape case a very serious issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attacked leaders who are taking political advantage of the situation. The attack is seen targeted at Nationalist Congress Party Supremo Sharad Pawar who has been vocal against the incident. Fadnavis was speaking at the felicitation ceremony of Union MoS Ramdas Athawale in Mumbai. advertisement MARATHA COMMUNITY UP IN ARMS "The Kopardi incident is very serious and every one has condemned it. The Morchas by Maratha community is to express the agony in the minds of people and this expression is justified" , said Fadnavis. "We must thank the organisers that although they have shown immense strength of the community but they have also shown a restraint. Lakhs of people in mook morcha (Silent March) have expressed more strongly than any speech" added Fadnavis. CHANGES PROMISED Saying that his government has taken note of this agony and will work to change the situation, Fadnavis alleged that a few leaders were trying to take political advantage of this situation but the Maratha community didn't allow it to happen. PAWAR ATTACKED? The gruesome incident evoked strong reaction from the Maratha community. Pawar targeted the state government over the failing law and order situation over it. Earlier this week Pawar was also embroiled in a controversy over his remarks in Aurangabad about changing the atrocity law. Pawar had later denied making any such statement. Chief Minister expressed hope that all leaders in Maharashtra will try to maintain communal harmony. --- ENDS --- Looking for our weekly jewel roundup? Its still the middle of the summer slow season; well be back with another fortnightly roundup next Friday! Photo: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is currently on a visit to Indonesia, where shes acting as a special advocate for the United Nations on the topic of financial inclusion. Heres a look at some of the bejeweled pieces she wore during yesterdays meeting with President and First Lady Widodo at the presidential palace in Jakarta. Photo: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images Maxima wore one of her favorite pairs of statement earrings, which feature beaded tassels possibly garnets gathered together by a set of diamond bands. Photo: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images We also got a glimpse of a major ring on her right hand. The ring, which features a large orange gemstone, was a gift from her husband, King Willem-Alexander, to celebrate the birth of their second child, Princess Alexia. In an address to students and faculty this afternoon, Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia offered a public apology for the schools ties to the slave trade, particularly the 1838 sale of 272 slaves. DeGioias comments followed the release of a 104-page report by the university-convened Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, which documented the universitys sordid past and outlined its plans to atone for its ties to slavery. We need to ensure that this tragic moment in our history can serve as a touchstone, DeGioia said in a speech that was broadcast live on the universitys website. We can be blocked by our past, or we can be strengthened, by recognition and reconciliation. The address was met with a standing ovation. It was the first step in what the Georgetown promises will be a formal apology to descendants of the 272 Jesuit-owned slaves the university sold in 1838, the profits of which were used to pay off school debts at the time. The Washington, D.C., university will also give descendants of slaves owned by Maryland Jesuits an advantage in the admissions process, treating these applicants with the same preference afforded to children of faculty, staff, and alumni. These are among many steps Georgetown is taking in response to a report by the Working Croup committee, which began examining the schools history of slavery last September. At the committees urging, two student dormitories named for university presidents who authorized the 1838 sale of slaves for $115,000 ($3.3 million today) were abandoned in November 2015. Mulledy Hall and McSherry Hall were temporarily renamed Freedom Hall and Remembrance Hall. Georgetown graduate Lauren Williams (08) said she had no knowledge of her alma maters racist history before she learned about the residential halls last year. She cheered Thursdays news that one of the buildings will be renamed Isaac Hall in honor of one of the slaves shipped to Louisiana in 1838 (the other will be named after an African-American woman who founded a school for black girls in Washington). But she said she was disappointed the school stopped short of offering descendants financial aida proposal that the committee considered but ultimately rejected. Im proud that Georgetown is one of few universities to acknowledge its ties to slavery, but Im really disappointed that the scholarships were not upheld, Williams, features editor at Essence magazine, told The Daily Beast. There was a very tangible monetary gain from the 1838 sale, and I think admission should be free for descendants of the enslaved. She was also disappointed to learn that descendants had not been invited to committee meetings. If conversations are ongoing, I hope they will be more inclusive of people who are part of this legacy, Williams said. Sandra Green Thomas, 54, said she wished the school had made sure descendants like her were more involved in the committees decision-making process. Their behavior to me seems parallel to the behavior of Jesuits in 1838, Thomas said. They made decisions about what was best for Georgetown without any consideration of how my ancestors felt. Now Georgetown is doing the same thing today to descendants. While she said she appreciated the presidents efforts to meet with descendants privately, she believed these one-on-one meetings were inconsistent with the message he imparted to each of them. He came around and spoke with all of us about being part of a family, but I dont think thats the way you treat family, she said, adding that the descendants should have been as involved in producing the report as official committee members. Id like to give them the benefit of the doubt, she said. This is new territory for them and for us, but its an issue thats been around for a long time, and I dont see how they can reconcile this issue without allowing us at the table. Thomas was also frustrated that she and others hadnt been formally invited to President DeGioias speech on Thursday afternoon. A Georgetown student had shown her a copy of the invitation that was sent to the community, but at that point she hadnt received one yet herself. DeGioias assistant told me that I could watch it online, then he sent me the invitation after I complained, Thomas said, speaking on the phone from a cafeteria at Georgetown. Thomas and other descendants have drafted a working Declaration, which a descendant named Joe Stewart read aloud from during a Q&A after the presidents speech. Speaking on behalf of the 350 registered descendants, Stewart stressed that they want a partnership with the university. Were not talking about reparation, he said, were talking about how this university can be an asset to the world to help heal the racism that is destroying the world. Rochell Prater, whose great-grandfather Jackson Hawkins was sold by Georgetown, watched the events on campus Thursday from her home in Cincinnati. Id like to see a healing process on both sides, said Prater, 55, suggesting regular meetings between descendants and the committee. Im not interested in taking money from people, but I do think some of that money from the sale could go towards job development, entrepreneurship, and education for descendants. I feel that Georgetown taking the lead on this is awesome, but Id also say that it can be a model for healing the nationand for that Im honored, grateful, and excited. Maurice Jackson, a tenured professor of history at Georgetown and one of the faculty members on the committee, took his entire class to see the speech. Some students and teachers will be elated and some wont. Its still a majority-white campus in a very rich part of the city, he said. As for descendants who arent fully satisfied with the report, he said he understood their grievances but urged patience. Im African American, and every one of us is a descendant of slavery one way or another, he said. But if anyone thinks [this report] is going to change their life overnight, it wont. This is just the beginning. Its a labor of love and a labor of struggle. We still dont actually know for absolute sure if Chloe Mitchells daughter, Delia, really was killed by Adam Newman. This was a stray thought, as I watched the 11,000th episode of The Young and the Restless, to see Chloe first shoot Adam with (I guess) a drugged dart, and then (I guess) rig the shack he had escaped his jail cell for (he wasnt in jail because a court had deemed he had killed Delia, by the way) with explosives. Maybe it was Victor. It's always Victor. The 11,000th episode ended, as all good birthday episodes of soap operas should end, with a fiery explosion that blew the shack to smithereens and a cliffhanger: is Adam dead? Is his beloved wife Chelsea, last seen approaching the front door of the shack to finally escape with him to freedom, dead? Anyone with a passing acquaintance with Y&R in particular, and with soaps in general, know the serpentine plots can stretch across years, unresolved, and loaded with more complication than a finely baked potato can hold layers of cheese, bacon, and sour cream. The Adam Newman that may or may not have killed Delia was played by a different actor to Justin Hartley, who inherited the role and a different nameGabriel Bingham. Except he wasnt Gabriel Bingham. He was Adam, post-a lot of surgery after a car crash in which the other passenger was Billy, Delias father, who is now also played by a different actor. Patience, a willed suspension of plausibility: that is a key personality trait of soap fans. We occupy another universe where people regularly come back from the dead, where ghosts are as common as waiters, and where you may well have a shady drug-lord doppelganger waiting in the wings to take over your life (while you have been kidnapped by an insane stalker, and drugged to delirium on a mysterious desert island). Genoa Citys Police Department, as presided over by Paul Williams (Doug Davidson), shows itself consistently incapable in dealing with any kind of law-breaking. Y&R, one of only four daytime soaps left on network television, has been proudly celebrating its 11,000th episode, broadcast today, these past few weeks. Episodes have featured stills of cast members in their finest evening duds, and holding golden balloons. For Y&R, created in 1973 by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, this is an impressive achievement. Soap opera is expensive, chat and harshly lit courtrooms are cheaper, and the soap audiencefiercely devoted as is it ishas shrunken from its 70s and 80s heyday. If youre making a daytime soap opera in 2016, you are defying balance sheets and shifting demographics and doing so with love, not a little bravery, and a steadfast belief in the art of a very specific, and much parodied form of storytelling. Having visited The Young and The Restless set, I can attest to the passion and commitment it takes to get five days-worth of episodes a week produced. The show recently took on a new executive producer, Mal Young (a British veteran of soaps like EastEnders, Brookside, and Casualty, all beloved by this Brit), who has already introduced more sets, actual outdoors scenes (daytime can feel airless, with its plainly indoor-created outdoors), humor, andthank goodnessKatherine Chancellors mansion now back to its cream and gold splendor. (Sadly, theres no Mrs. C in residence any more, due to death of actress Jeanne Cooper in 2013.) Young, and myself, come from a very different tradition of soapwith grit, social issues, a more freewheeling episode structureand it will be fascinating to see if he applies any British soap tartness to the stately plush of The Young and The Restless. He certainly knows soap, and the dedication of an audience to soap, and how to command that dedication. Fans have thus far welcomed his fledgling changes. Y&R is the king of this sadly dwindling pack: its been the No. 1 daytime soap since 1988, and why was pretty visible in its birthday episode on Thursday. Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John), for example, has had a bizarre few years topped by kidnapping his sons wife Hillary (Mishael Morgan) while they were on honeymoon and then sequestering her in a secret shack (there are lots of secret shacks in daytime soap), while administering drugs to keep her alive. All this, while his son was suspected of killing her. Then she went crazy and back to her mean old self when she got her memory back. Today saw Neil reunite with his long-lost mother Lucinda (Nichelle Nichols, ex-Uhura from Star Trek), and their moving sceneshe wondering where she had been all these years; she revealing she had been an alcoholic, just like himwere touchingly realized. This being the 11,000th episode, it had to feature the moustache Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), who erupts his way unpredictably through scenes, andwhile compelling to watchis a problematic OG. For one, and as a viewer this remains extremely uncomfortable, in substituting his nemesis Jack (Peter Bergman) for an imposter, he oversaw the ongoing rape of Jacks wife Phyllis over a period of months, who thought the imposter was her husband. Phylliss fury about this was well-sketched, but a true interrogation of what she endured and the severity of it, was skirted. Victor and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) are portrayed as the shows central coupletheyre the shows Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, with the mother lode of drama, addictions, and break-upsbut he, by any measure, is a relentlessly abusive partner. It would be good to see her rebel against that. She has bursts of independence, offset by an ultimate submission to him. Right now, Nikkis addiction to Victor feels more bizarre than star-crossed. Jack begged her to maintain her integrity in todays landmark episode, and the audience said the samealthough Scott prefers Nikki as off-the-wagon-alcoholic, rather than sober. Victor, whose manipulations of his children are also far from loveable (its hard to find much that is loveable about him) led him to frame his son for murder, then relent about that and try to get him released from jail too. So, as with most disasters in Y&R, the explosion at the cabin is Victors fault. Everything usually is. He apologizes for nothing. He is a patriarch made of granite. But he does know that Chloe is mad with grief. Elizabeth Hendrickson, who plays Chloe, is one of the best performers on the show: the scene in which she learned of Delias death was an unusually raw scene for Y&R. She has pretended to have forgiven Adam. The worse part was saying I forgive you, because I will never forgive you, she said today as she prepared to finally kill him. Sharon, who until recently was hallucinating seeing Sagethe real and dead mother of baby Sully whom Sharon is raising as her ownalso knows how dangerous Victor is, and recommended that everyone avoid him. But trying to avoid Victor is as unlikely in Genoa City as trying to avoid finding out you were the victim of a psychotic fake doctor out to ruin your ex-husbands life, as Sharon herself discovered recently, when she was drugged by one such doctor while incarcerated in a mental institution, and convinced she had given birth to a baby when she wasnt actually pregnant. Yes, all this goes on, every day in Genoa City, and yet all of those enduring the outrageous slings and arrows of fate have perfect hair and sculpted abs. Are daytime soaps a little ridiculous? Maybe. But their influence is visible in the storytelling of primetime, andironicallyin the structures of the many, cheaper reality shows that superceded them. Soaps very presence and persistence are a tribute to popular storytelling. They are fictional islands in a daytime schedule otherwise filled with squawking voices repeating one another on the latest Kardashian calumny. Indeed, the sweetest thing the 11,000th episode of Y&R did was to feature a scene that was a testament to just that. Paul and his wife, the public prosecutor Christine (Lauralee Bell, daughter of the shows creators)who is just as unsuccessful as her husband in securing justice in Genoa Citywere having dinner. The check, they were informed, was being paid for by a woman who said they reminded her of her and her husband. The camera panned to Lee Phillip Bell, giving us all a beaming toast. Right backatcha, Mrs. Bell. It may be 2016, but the 1990s vast right-wing conspiracy is alive, well, and increasingly an integral part of Donald Trumps presidential campaign. Trump added the most recent addition on Thursday when he tapped David Bossie, a veteran conservative opposition researcher and longtime adversary of Bill and Hillary Clinton, as his deputy campaign manager. In an interview with The Washington Post, which first reported Bossies hiring on Thursday, Trump called him a friend of mine for many years. Solid. Smart. Loves politics, knows how to win. Bossie certainly knows how to dig up dirt, and his appointment signals that the Trump campaign may be revisiting the anti-Clinton playbook that Bossie helped write in the 1990s. Bossie knows the litany of Clinton scandals better than most; hes been bird-dogging the powerful couple since before Bill became president, and helped get the anti-Clinton attack machine up and running in Washington. In the Trump campaign, Bossie will be steeped once again in some of the darkest conspiracy theories surrounding the Democratic nominee, including that Hillary Clinton was involved in or even responsible for the death of White House deputy counsel Vince Foster, whose body was found in July 1993 in a Washington-area park with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This past July, Trump adviser Roger Stone claimed (not for the first time) that Clinton was somehow involved in Fosters death and called the nominee a mentally unbalanced criminal. Trump himself has said the theories that Foster was murdered are very serious and that the details of Fosters death are very fishy. Clinton and Foster were close friends going back to their days together as partners in the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas. Bossie will be stepping down for now as president of Citizens United, the activist group founded by Floyd Brown, for whom Bossie worked as a researcher in the early Clinton days. Brown lauded Bossies bloodhound research in his 1992 book Slick Willie: Why America Cannot Trust Bill Clinton. The book was published a few months before the election. Brown, the brains behind the notorious Willie Horton ad from the 1988 presidential race, turned Clinton-bashing and investigation into a cottage industry, both as the head of Citizens United and as a syndicated radio host. After President Clinton took office, Bossie became the chief anti-Clinton researcher for Citizens United and spent the first months of the administration digging into Clintons nominee for surgeon general, Jocelyn Elders, and longtime Clinton friend-turned-associate U.S. attorney general Webster Hubbell. As journalist James B. Stewart writes in his history of early Clinton-era scandals, Blood Sport: The President and His Adversaries, Bossie got a call a few weeks after Fosters death from a retired Arkansas Supreme Court justice named Jim Johnson. The Judge, as he was known, had become a vocal Clinton critic and turned Bossie on to an Arkansas banker named David Hale, who was under investigation and hoping to parlay dirt he claimed to have on the new president to save his own skin. Federal prosecutors werent trading, though, so Hale went looking for other outlets and ended up talking for hours on the phone with Bossie, who was eager for tips going back to Clintons days in Arkansas politics. Hale claimed that Clinton, while serving as governor, had pressured him into giving an illegal $300,000 loan to the Clintons friend Susan McDougal, with whom the couple had bought land, along with McDougals husband, Jim, at a picturesque wilderness retreat called Whitewater, which the investors hoped to turn into a vacation destination. Hales allegations were in a different category from wild speculation about Fosters death. His story became the seed of the Whitewater scandal, a Byzantine tale of bad real estate deals and financial shenanigans that engulfed the Clinton White House. Whitewater became shorthand for the Clintons collective sinsreal and imaginedand a touchstone for the conspiracy theorists who have dogged them to this day. Bossie became a source for reporters covering Whitewater and the congressional staff investigating it. He was hired in 1997 by a powerful House committee and set loose to investigate allegations of Clinton campaign finance abuse. Bossie was fired the next year over his role in releasing taped conversations with Hubbell, who was then in prison for crimes unearthed in the Whitewater investigation by independent prosecutor Kenneth Starr. Bossie is also just the latest ghost from the Clintons past to enter the current political fray. Several of the lawsuits over Hillary Clintons use of a private email server have been brought by Judicial Watch, a conservative group founded in 1994 in large measure to ferret out records about Bill Clintons administration. Judicial Watch, then headed by the litigious activist Larry Klayman, sued for records about Whitewater, as well as the controversy over firing White House travel office personnelan early scandal in then-first lady Hillary Clintons tenureand, yes, Fosters death. Now under new leadership, Judicial Watch has been credited by journalists and watchdog groups with holding Clinton accountable both for her email server and potential conflicts of interest while she served as secretary of state. But the Clinton campaign has a long memory and puts Judicial Watch squarely in the camp once occupied by Bossie and his cohort. Judicial Watch represents everything that is wrong with our political system, Clinton spokesperson Nick Merrill told The Daily Beast in June. Manufacturing wrongdoing has been central to their singular agenda since their inception They are only interested in headlines, and have made a complete mockery of our system. And Bossie? He has devoted his career ever since [the Bill Clinton administration] to trying to tear down Hillary Clinton, John Podesta, Clintons campaign chairman, said in a statement. For months now, Citizens United has been acting as an arm of the Trump campaign, and this hiring of Bossie now makes it official. This is just the latest sign that Donald Trump has put the most extreme elements of the right-wing fringe in the drivers seat of his campaign. BELLBROOK, Ohio One of Americas most famous rapists is about to serve the rest of his sentence in an unsuspecting small town in the heartland. Brock Allen Turner, the ex-Stanford University swimmer found guilty of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman while she was unconscious, will be released from jail Friday and is expected to return to his familys home in Sugarcreek Township, southeast of Dayton, where he will spend three years on probation. Still, despite the publicity dogging the case, some of the Turners neighbors in their leafy, upper-middle-class neighborhood were not familiar with the case nor knew that the family lived in the area. Others who knew about the case were hesitant to talk publicly about it. Several people in the neighborhood said they didnt want to comment. Turner spent the past three months in Californias Santa Clara County jail, or half of his six-month sentence, which prompted widespread outcry from people who believed it was too lenient. Prosecutors argued for a six-year prison sentence after Turner was convicted of three felony counts for sexually assaulting the woman, who was found unresponsive and partially clothed beside a dumpster outside a fraternity house. But Judge Aaron Persky agreed with the recommendations in Turners probation report and found there were unusual circumstances that called for jail time and probation (PDF). Down the street about a mile from Turners neighborhood, a woman sitting outside an ice cream parlor with two young children was shocked to learn Turner would be living in the area. It doesnt make me comfortable hes here, said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous because of the controversy surrounding the case. Turner will be required to register as a sex offender for life. He will have to update his registration in Ohio every 90 days, according to the Ohio Attorney Generals Office. While on probation, he will be required to undergo sex offender treatment. While the woman who spoke to The Daily Beast believed Turner should be serving more time, she also said he did not deserve to be vilified in the media. I think rape in general should carry much longer terms, she said, noting nonviolent offenders often receive much harsher sentences than the one Turner received. Because the consequences are so minimal, I think thats why its so common. Turner was arrested on Jan. 18, 2015, after two Stanford students witnessed him thrusting on top of an unconscious woman beside a dumpster. He was convicted of three felony countsassault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated or unconscious person, penetration of an intoxicated person, and penetration of an unconscious personafter a three-week jury trial. The outrage over his light sentence prompted California lawmakers on Monday to approve a bill that would make prison time mandatory for persons guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious person. A Stanford professor started a campaign to recall Judge Persky before he voluntarily transferred to civil court. The woman said she believed Turner hadnt taken ownership of his crime, either. According to a transcript of the June hearing in which Turner was sentenced, Turner addressed the court, apologizing for his actions, though he never said exactly which actions he meant. He then offered to teach and educate college students about the dangers of alcohol, to try and prevent any more families lives to be ruined. Turner claimed during the jury trial the woman had verbally consented to the sexual activity. Since Turners sentencing in June, several small, uneventful demonstrations have taken place outside the Turners home in Sugarcreek Township, said police chief Michael Brown. Turners parents also did not escape criticism over the course of their sons case. Turners father characterized the assault as 20 minutes of action in a letter to the judge submitted before sentencing, which sparked further public outcry. Lessa Leigh of Cincinnati was among the protesters outside the Turners home in June. Given the severity of the crime and the absolute callousness of the entire familys response, we felt that protesting the family was appropriate, Leigh said, referring in part to the line from Turners fathers letter. Mike Sabin, the owner of BellHOP Cafe, was reluctant to give his opinion on the case but said he had heard concern [Turner] got a fairly light sentence from community members. Others were more outspoken. I think he shouldve served more time, Ryan Vincent told The Daily Beast while filling up his pickup at the gas station in Bellbrook. I think thats not fair to the victim and to other people who have committed the same crime. Halie Hatfield, an attendant at the gas station, said she also was disappointed by the sentence. Id be furious if I were her family, she said, referring to the victim. with additional reporting by Kelly Weill China, for the first time ever, is hosting the G20, the grouping of the worlds largest economies. Beijing has a lot riding on the summit, which starts Sunday in Hangzhou. Chinas economy, although stabilized, is still fragile, and the countrys officials hope the worlds heavyweights will implement stimulus plans so they can buy more Chinese products. Chinas two-way trade fell a stunning 8.0 percent in 2015, and since then the countrys performance has deteriorated. In the first seven months of this year, exports were down 7.4 percent and imports off 10.5 percent. So China, whose economy in reality is barely growing, could use help from its 19 powerful visitors. Yet Beijing is not acting like it needs favors. Especially since June, it has engaged in extraordinarily provocative behavior in an arc stretching from India to South Korea. One might have thought Beijing would cool it in the run-up to the G20 to ensure a successful meeting. In recent months, Chinas diplomats have been fanning out across the globe to lay groundwork for the event. For instance, Foreign Minister Wang Yi flew down to New Delhi in the middle of last month to persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will go to Hangzhou, not to raise contentious issues like the South China Sea. Moreover, senior officials, seeking to keep geopolitical matters off the agenda, have been putting their points across to the media in a clearly orchestrated campaign. The Hangzhou summit must focus on economic issues, Li Baodong, a foreign vice-minister, told the South China Morning Post. This is what people want to talk about most at the summit. Actually, its not. G20 members dont seem to be overly concerned about the global economy at the moment. On the contrary, everyone wants to talk about China. Beijing has been roiling the international system in many ways, but none more troubling than trying to expand its territory, often by force. In India, for instance, there has been an uptick in incursions of the Chinese army into Indian-controlled territory in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. In July, Chinas troops intruded into Uttarakhand, a state close to New Delhi. Up until then, that region had been mostly free of such dangerous incidents. In the East China Sea, Beijing last month surrounded the Senkaku Islands with 324 fishing trawlers and 16 patrol boats. China claims the uninhabited features that Japan in fact administers, and Beijing has been trying to unnerve Tokyo with continual incursions, near-incursions, and assorted other provocations. In the South China Sea, Beijing has been trying to enforce expansive territorial claims that, after a July 12 arbitral ruling in The Hague, have virtually no basis in international law. To show its defiance of the decision, which legally binds China, Beijing sent out hundreds of trawlers, protected by its maritime surveillance craft, to surround Scarborough Shoal. The feature is far from China and just 124 nautical miles to the main Philippine island of Luzon. Moreover, the Chinese military flew a nuclear-capable H-6K bomber over Scarborough and started regular combat air patrols over the South China Sea. As a result of all this provocative conduct, several nations are beginning to coalesce against Beijing. Modi, for example, will stop over in Hanoi before going to Hangzhou, and there he is expected to stitch up agreements to help the Vietnamese defend themselves against Chinese expansionism. President Obama, after the G20, will visit Laos. That will be the first time a sitting American president has gone there, a signal Beijing is about to lose its hold on one of its few reliable friends in the region. Moreover, the U.S. and India on Monday signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, which allows for unprecedented military cooperation, including the sharing of base facilities. So why is Beijing pursuing a clearly counterproductive foreign policy? There are many explanations for what The Wall Street Journal in June of last year called Chinas impulsive style. The primary reason, I believe, is turmoil in Beijing due to the incomplete leadership transition from Hu Jintao to Xi Jinping. Xi, since becoming Communist Party general secretary in November 2012, has taken extraordinary steps to grab power, breaking decades-old norms designed to ensure stability. For a time, it appeared he had succeeding in firming up his grip, but in March infighting broke out into the open, indicating there had been disunity all along. That month, there were striking displays of defiance of Chinas ruler. The Partys Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Xis main instrument in his political purge, posted an essay indirectly criticizing the Chinese supremo. There was also a public call for him to step down, which ended up on a semi-official website. The maneuvering among civilians now appears to be intensifying as they prepare for the 19th Party Congress next year. To make matters even more complicated, as senior officers of the Peoples Liberation Army become increasingly influential power brokers, the military has become an increasingly troubled institution. There are two main reasons for discord. First, Xi Jinping, as he sought to get rid of the military allies of his civilian adversaries, has roiled the officer corps with unprecedented purges. Second, Xis reorganization of the PLA, perhaps the most sweeping in the history of the Peoples Republic, has created tensions among generals and admirals, many of whom have lostor will loseimportant postings. The symptoms of turmoil are obvious. Last month, three senior officersone a generalcommitted suicide. Moreover, at the end of the month, for the first time in Xis rule, an active-duty general was detained for corruption. From all outside appearances, Gen. Wang Jianping was sidelined because he had links to a Xi adversary and his departure allowed Chinas ruler to pick an ally to take Wangs place. The situation in the armed forces obviously remains fluid. In this chaotic situation, it is not surprising that Chinese foreign policy has begun to lose coherence, largely because hawkish elements, both civilian and military, now have latitude to do what they want. And as provocative as China is now, it could become even more so. The South China Morning Post last month reported that China might start turning Scarborough into a military fortification after the Hangzhou G20, but before the American presidential election. Reclaiming this feature, which it seized from the Philippines in early 2012, could be the incident triggering the conflict that many see coming because Beijing would be making permanent its act of aggression. The Chinese know this is one of the worst times to commit provocations. Yet at a moment when their country needs calm, its leaders just cant help themselves. That means things are terribly wrong in in the Chinese capital. A laptop containing a copy, or archive, of the emails on Hillary Clintons private server was apparently lostin the postal mailaccording to an FBI report released Friday. Along with it, a thumb drive that also contained an archive of Clintons emails has been lost and is not in the FBIs possession. The Donald Trump campaign has already called for Clinton to be locked up for her carelessness handling sensitive information. The missing laptop and thumb drive raise a new possibility that Clintons emails could have been obtained by people for whom they werent intended. The FBI director has already said its possible Clintons email system could have been remotely accessed by foreign hackers. The revelation of the two archives is contained in a detailed report about the FBIs investigation of Clintons private email account. The report contained new information about how the archives were handled, as well as how a private company deleted emails in its possession, at the same time that congressional investigators were demanding copies. The archives on the laptop and thumbdrive were constructed by Clinton aides in 2013, using a convoluted process, before her emails were turned over to State Department officials and later scrubbed to determine which ones had classified information and should either be withheld from public view or could be released with redactions. The archive of messages would contain none of those safeguards, potentially exposing classified information if it were ever opened and its contents read. The FBI has found that Clintons emails contained classified information, including information derived from U.S. intelligence. Her campaign has disputed the classification of some of the emails. The archive was created nearly a year before the State Department contacted former secretaries of state and asked them to turn over any emails that they had sent using private accounts that pertained to official business. A senior Clinton aide, Huma Abedin, told the FBI that the archive on the laptop and thumb drive were meant to be a reference for the future production of a book, according to the FBI report. Another aide, however, said that the archive was set up after the email account of a Clinton confidante and longtime adviser, Sidney Blumenthal, was compromised by a Romanian hacker. Whatever the rationale, the transfer of Clintons emails onto two new storage devices, one of which was shipped twice, created new opportunities for messages to be lost or exposed to people who werent authorized to see them, according to the FBI report. (The Clinton campaign didnt immediately respond to a request to comment for this story.) The FBI found that in the spring of 2013, just after Clinton left the Obama administration, aides for Hillary and Bill Clinton worked together to create the archive. Justin Cooper, who handled technology matters for the former president, provided Hillary Clinton aide Monica Hanley with an Apple MacBook laptop from the Clinton Foundation. Over the phone, Cooper walked Hanley through the process of remotely transferring Clintons emails from the server shed been using as secretary of state, located in her home in New York, to the new Archive Laptop, as the FBI called it, as well as to the thumb drive. Hanley completed this task from her personal residence, the FBI found. The two copies of the Clinton email archive were supposed to be stored in Clintons homes, in New York and Washington, D.C. But, Hanley later told the FBI, that never happened, because she forgot to provide the Archive Laptop and the thumb drive to Clintons staff following the creation of the archive. According to the FBI, months later, in early 2014, Hanley found the Archive Laptop at her personal residence and worked with another person to transfer the the emails to a technology company, Platte River Networks, which the Clintons had hired to manage the email system. (The name of the person helping Hanley is redacted in the FBI report, but appears to be an employee of Platte River Networks.) After trying unsuccessfully to remotely transfer the emails to a Platte River server, Hanley shipped the laptop to the employees home in February 2014. He then migrated Clintons emails from the laptop to a Platte River server. That task was hardly straightforward, however, and ended up exposing the email archive yet again, this time to another commercial email service. The employee transferred all of the Clinton e-mail content to a personal Google e-mail (Gmail) address he created, the FBI found. From that Gmail address, he downloaded the emails into a mailbox named HRC Archive on the Platte River server. Hanley told the FBI that she recommended Platte River wipe the Archive Laptop after the emails were transferred onto the companys server. But the employee told investigators that while he deleted the emails from the laptop, he did not wipe it. Emails deleted from an application might not be permanently erased. In fact, the FBI found nearly 15,000 emails that Clinton never turned over to the State Department, some of which had been deleted over time and were never found by Clintons lawyers. They ended up, among other places, in the slack space of servers Clinton had used, according to FBI Director James Comey. The Platte River employee told the FBI that he deleted the emails from the Gmail account, but that turned out not to be entirely true. Investigators later found 940 emails sent or received in 2010 that, as of this past June, were still in the account. The FBI found that 56 of them have been identified as being currently classified at the confidential level. After the employee deleted emails from the Archive Laptop, he shipped it by U.S. mail or UPS (he apparently couldnt remember) to an unidentified Clinton aide at an office location. (The precise address is redacted.) But that aide never received the laptop. She told the FBI that Clintons staff was moving offices at the time, and it would have been easy for the package to get lost during the transition period. The thumb drive containing the second copy of the archive also was never found. Neither Hanley nor [the Platte River employee] could identify the current whereabouts of the Archive Laptop or the thumb drive containing the archive, and the FBI does not have either item in its possession, the FBI report stated. The FBIs inspection of the Gmail account used to shuttle Clintons emails also turned up other concerns. Of the 940 emails still in the account, 302 were not found in the set of e-mails that Clinton eventually turned over to the State Department in December 2014, following the request that former secretaries produce their emails. Those may be some of the 15,000 emails that the FBI later discovered. The FBI also found other instances in which Clinton emails were intentionally deleted. In or around December 2014 or January 2015, two of Clintons lawyersCheryl Mills and Heather Samuelsondecided they wanted to remove copies of Clintons emails on their own laptops. The copies has been placed there months earlier during a remote transfer from Platte River. The FBI found that an unidentified individual (who again appears to be the Platte River employee) used a program called BleachBit to delete e-mail related files so they could not be recovered. The employee also told the FBI that an unknown Clinton staff member directed him to remove a backup file of the emails on the Platte River server. Its not clear from the FBI report who that Clinton staffer was and why he, or she, decided to remove the backup, known as a .pst file, from the companys server. But after Clinton turned over copies of her email to the State Department, at the end of 2014, Mills decided to implement a new policy for keeping emails in the future. According to Mills, who had also been Clintons chief of staff at the State Department, in December 2014, Clinton decided she no longer needed access to any of her e-mails older than 60 days, the FBI found. Therefore, Mills instructed [the Platte River empoyee] to modify the e-mail retention policy on Clintons clintonemail.com e-mail account to reflect this change. But the Platte River employee didnt make that change until the following March. Near the end of the month, in an oh shit moment, he told the FBI, he realized hed forgotten to put the 60-day policy into effect. He then deleted the Clinton archive from the Platte River server and used BleachBit to delete any .pst file he had created containing Clintons emails. The FBI also found evidence that an alternate cloud backup had been manually deleted during the same timeframe. This was not the best time to be erasing copies of Clintons emails. Earlier that month, The New York Times had first revealed that Clinton used a private server, and her email practices became a controversy that has dogged her campaign ever since. At the time, Clinton sought to downplay the issue, telling reporters in remarks at the United Nations, I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. So Im certainly well-aware of the classification requirements and did not send classified material. But Clinton was under intense pressure to produce copies of her emails and prove she had never sent or received classified information; a claim that she frequently repeated but was later eviscerated by the FBIs investigation. But lawmakers were also curious about Clintons email system. The day after the Times story ran, the House committee investigating the 2010 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, asked Clintons lawyers to produce all emails related to her private accounts. And a week later, on March 9, Mills sent an email to the Platte River employee referencing that request. The FBI appears to have investigated the question of whether the employee was directed to delete emails after the committee asked for them. Investigators discovered a work ticket, which referenced a conference call on March 31, 2015, with Platte River, Mills, and David Kendall, Clintons longtime attorney who oversaw the process of separating her work emails from personal messages. It was Kendalls firm, Williams & Connolly, that the Benghazi committee contacted when it wanted those official emails. Platte Rivers attorney advised the employee not to comment on the conversation with Kendal based upon the assertion of the attorney-client privilege, the FBI found. Mills told the FBI she was unaware that [the employee] had conducted these deletions and modifications in March 2015. Clinton stated she was also unaware of the deletions. But what exactly was discussed in that conference call, the FBI never found out. By PTI: From Anisur Rahman Dhaka, Sep 2 (PTI) Bangladesh police today raided a militant hideout here and killed a top Islamist extremist who helped plan the the Dhaka cafe siege and was the deputy of attack mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury. The militant was killed during a raid on a house in Dhakas Rupnagar area and the terrorist was identified by police as top Neo-Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) leader Chowdhurys second-in-command. advertisement Detective Branch Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanwar Hossain identified the deceased as Murad or Major Murad as referred to by the members of his outfit. "We raided the house on information that he had rented it," Hossain was quoted as saying by BD News. Joint Commissioner Abdul Baten said police raided the house around 9:30 PM local time. Three policemen, including the officer in charge of the nearby police station, were also wounded in the gunfight with the terrorist. Syed Shaheed Alam, officer in-charge of Rupnagar Police Station, Inspector Shaheen Fakir and Sub-Inspector Md Momenur Rahman were also injured, Baten said. They were being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Polices counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said Murad was the military trainer of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). "He was known as Major Murad in the organisation." Sanwar said police found out about Murad in the investigations after the death of Tamim, the suspected mastermind of Gulshan cafe terror attack who was killed in a raid on a house in Narayanganj on August 27. He said police raided the house in Rupnagar also on Thursday but found it locked. "We asked the landlord to inform us when the tenant returns. The landlord locked the house from outside and called police," Sanwar said. "He (Murad) stabbed police officers when they entered the house. He died after being hit by a bullet during a scuffle that ensued when he tried to flee," the police official said. Police had named Tamim, a Canadian-Bangladeshi who led the Neo-JMB, as the one who orchestrated the July 1 attack on the upscale Holey Artisan Bakery and O Kitchen restaurant in Dhakas diplomatic zone in which 22 people, including an Indian girl, were killed. ISIS had claimed responsibility for the cafe attack. But police believe that Neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which is close to the ISIS, was involved in organising the attack. PTI AR/ASK ASK --- ENDS --- ROME For most people, family planning is not a governmental matter, but a private affair that encompasses financial, career and personal decisions. So when the Italian Health Ministry launched an in-your-face (or, indeed, in-your-uterus) campaign complete with plans for a national Fertility Day to encourage young couples to get to bed and make some babies, it had about the same effect as a cold shower. The bizarre-for-modern-times initiative, led by health minister Beatrice Lorenzin, who had twins last year at the age of 42, will kick off on Sept. 22, F-Day, so to speak, with events in Rome, Bologna, Catania and Padua. There will be roundtables, Fertility Villages and, one would assume, a lot of pink and blue balloons. Childcare will be provided and adolescents will get their own dedicated tents where they will learn about sexual health and how to preserve fertility by wearing condoms so that when they are ready to reproduce, they will be disease-free. The advice is illustrated with a clothesline with condoms for every day of the week. The extensive ad campaign also includes a photo of a snarky woman holding an hourglass up to the camera as if shaking a symbolic biological clock at her childless peers, with the words, Beauty has no age, but fertility does. There are also ads with storks and dripping water faucets. Several ads are aimed just at men, including one with a bent cigarette where a penis would be on a fingers-for-legs person urging them not to damage their sperm by smoking. Another shows an empty banana peel while touting the five rules for protecting and maintaining male fertility. There was also, briefly, an online fertility game where the players dodged obstacles to fertility like cigarettes and alcohol. It might seem like an innocent enough idea to jumpstart Italys declining birthrate, which is the second lowest in Europe after Malta with just 1.37 children per woman, and has been declining rapidly, falling by 2.9 percent between 2014 and 2015. But the campaign has offended those of childbearing years because it simplifies what has become a difficult decision for many Italians because of high unemployment (35 percent for under-30s) and a clear lack of well-paid jobs. Roberto Saviano, author and political columnist, called it an insult to all those who are not able to conceive and those who would like to but dont have jobs. Twitter exploded with a cavalcade of criticism against the measure, with people calling it insulting to encourage families in a struggling economy. One student tweeted a simple question, Should I really explain why I find the #fertilityday offensive, sexist and violent? Shame on @bealorenzin. We asked a group of young women having a coffee near the Trevi Fountain what they thought of the initiative. Sarah, a 26-year-old law student, echoed many social media sentiments about how the initiative undercuts any moves to empower women in a country that has long struggled with equality. It is so surprising coming from a female minister, its like they want us to go back to the Dark Ages and be barefoot and pregnant, she said. Daniele, 27, who has a degree in psychology and is engaged to be married, said there is no place for government in the bedroom. It is irresponsible for the government to dictate when we should have children without first ensuring we will have jobs to pay for them, she said. Its offensive. Lorenzin, who recently doubled the countrys baby bonus for low-income families from 80 to 160, says she is shocked by the backlash. Fertility is a question of public health, her spokesman told The Daily Beast. The idea was to provide a venue for information on family planning and nothing else. Many people opposed to the campaign likened it to regulations set forth by Benito Mussolini during the fascist regime of the 1930s, when the government essentially demanded that couples copulate to grow the population. In a scathing op-ed piece, writer and radio personality Giulia Blasi likened it to Margaret Atwoods disturbing tale of government-sponsored baby making in The Handmaids Tale. Its the stuff of dystopian novels and fascist propaganda, writes Blasi. Something Benito Mussolini was quite good at in times when contraception was unavailable and women did not have the right to vote, much less work outside the home. Musician Daniel Seven tweeted a succinct question: Are we living in 2016 or 1939? As tech billionaire feuds go, this one is shaping up to be priceless. Shortly after Elon Musks SpaceX rocket exploded on the launch pad, Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg took to his own social networking site to throw some snarky shade in his fellow billionaires direction, and to quietly suggest he had lost any appetite to ever work with SpaceX again. Zuckerbergs chilly anger stems from the fact that when Musks Falcon rocket blew up yesterday, it incinerated a payload of particular importance to the Facebook founder a geo-stationary Facebook satellite that was intended to beam internet to the heart of Africa. Zuckerberg, who had traveled to Kenya to be in Africa for the arrival in orbit of the satellite, named Amos-6, dashed off a quick response on Facebook. As Im here in Africa, Im deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceXs launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent. As if that wasnt cold enough, Zuck then continued, Fortunately, we have developed other technologies like Aquila that will connect people as well. We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided. So, now you know what its like for Facebook staffers when you screw up on one of Zucks pet projects. Aquila is the company code name for a project involving a network of gigantic solar-powered drones with the wingspan of a Boeing 737, which will provide an internet hook up to people on the ground below, using a laser to beam data to a base station on the ground. Facebook hopes the drones will be able to fly without landing for three months at a time. An amateur pilot, Alex Moskalyuk, asked in response to Zuckerbergs post: "What's insurance like on that type of thing?" Zuckerberg replied: The problem isnt the money; its that now it may take longer to connect people. But, just FYI, the Israeli state-owned company Spacecom estimated that the cost of launching, insuring and one years operation of Amos-6 would be around $85 million. Even for Mark Zuckerberg, thats a fair bit of dough. And that's gotta hurt, although possibly not as much as the blow to his pride. Just a few hours earlier, the entrepreneur had posted a picture of himself wearing his signature gray hoodie having lunch in Nairobi with Joseph Mucheru, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of Information and Communications. We talked about internet access and his ambitious plans for connecting everyone in Kenya, Zuck wrote. In a statement on the explosion, SpaceX said the rocket exploded due to a problem around the upper stage oxygen tank which occurred during fueling. Musk has yet to publicly respond to Zuckerbergs post, but Tech Crunch imagined their private exchange... Hamdi Ulukaya is the model American immigrant success story. In 2005, the Turkish-born Kurdish entrepreneur purchased a defunct Kraft foods plant in upstate New York with an $800,000 loan from the Small Business Administration. In just a few years, his Chobani yogurt went from selling a few containers at a Long Island kosher grocery to being the No. 1 selling yogurt brand in the country with annual revenue topping $1.5 billion. In addition to employing more than 2,000 people directlyall of whom earn above minimum wage and enjoy generous benefitsthe company purchases 4 million pounds of milk from American farmers every day. Ulukaya dotes on his employees like a parent. To me, there are two kinds of people in this world, he told The New York Times. The people who work at Chobani and the people who dont. Earlier this year, he gave shares amounting to 10 percent of Chobani to his workers; a rare move for a CEO to make after the value of his highly profitable company has been established. Chobani is also a corporate sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team. Not bad for a Turkish guy selling Greek yogurtthat in itself a subtle rebuke to centuries of enmity between the two countries. In addition to earning a raft of honorary Ph.Ds., Ulukaya has been named a World Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, is the recipient of the United Nations Global Leadership Award, and has committed himself to Warren Buffetts Giving Pledge, promising to donate at least half of his wealth to charity. To that end, Ulukaya founded an organization called Tent, which assists refugees in achieving new lives. Ulukaya, who grew up in a town near the Syrian border, says he was inspired in his activism by the plight of the some 2 million Syrians now living in Turkish refugee camps. And thats where the nativist forces supporting Donald Trumps presidential campaign enter the picture. In 2012, Chobani opened the worlds biggest yogurt plant, in Twin Falls, Idaho. In addition to being one of the countrys largest milk-producing states, Idaho also happens to be one of the five highest refugee-absorbing states per capita, due to its low cost of living and 3.9 percent unemployment rate. About 30 percent of Chobanis Twin Falls work force is composed of refugees, a hiring practice that originated with the companys first factory in upstate New York, where many members of the community had been resettled from places like Vietnam, Burma, and Nepal. Ulukaya has written of the growing need for the private sector to step up and help use its innovation, voice, and resources to address the global forced migration crisis, and hiring refugees to work in Chobanis factories has been his way of putting his money where his mouth is. For his humanitarianism and thinking outside the traditional corporate box, Ulukaya now stands at the center of a vicious smear campaign. Earlier this year, in a piece originally headlined American Yogurt Tycoon Vows to Choke U.S. With Muslims, a writer for the far-right conspiracy-mongering website World Net Daily falsely claimed that refugees were being sent to Twin Falls specifically for the purpose of working at the Chobani plant and that Ulukaya was call[ing] on [the] biggest American companies to join [an] Islamic surge. (That line was later removed from the piece, as was the headline, since changed to the slightly less inflammatory U.S. Yogurt Billionaire Asks Businesses to Hire More Foreign Refugees.) The allegations have since migrated to the similarly paranoid precincts of Breitbart.com, the alt-right repository of white nationalism and xenophobia whose former executive chairman, Steve Bannon, recently merged seamlessly into the Trump campaign as its CEO. At Breitbart, the story of Chobanis refugee employees has taken on new life as the centerpiece of a broader intrigue. For the past month, Breitbart reporter Lee Stranahan has been filing dispatch after dispatch from the Idaho town alleging a nexus of disease, rape, and jihadall with Chobani and Ulukaya at its center. In breathless tones, Stranahan, who according to his Twitter bio recently relocated to Twin Falls, attacks Ulukaya as a globalist corporatist, two epithets that, in the newfangled dialect of Breitbartian-Trumpian nationalism, signify ones dubious, non-American loyalties. According to Stranahan, refugee resettlement in Twin Falls is a situation connected to the drive for cheap labor by the local food processing industry that Chobani is a major part of. Another author writing at Breitbart claims that Idaho has been a popular destination for refugees in recent years in large part due to Ulukayas efforts to import refugees to work in his yogurt factory and that Ulukaya is a figure of controversy for his decision to fill his yogurt plants with foreign refugees rather than unemployed Americans. (Eds: An earlier version of this article incorrectly credited those quotes to Stranahan.) But Idahos status as a destination for refugees dates back to the arrival of Vietnamese boat people in the late 1970s, long before the Chobani plant broke ground in 2011. Since then, the state has welcomed about 30,000 refugees from more than 50 countries. Falsely accusing Chobani and its CEO of importing foreign labor conflates a long-standing federal refugee resettlement program with the relatively recent hiring decisions of a private company. This isnt Breitbarts only conflation with respect to the yogurt plant. Another story, under the non sequitur headline TB spiked 500 percent in Twin Falls during 2012, as Chobani Yogurt Opened Plant, insinuates that the company is somehow responsible for a tuberculosis epidemic in the Idaho hamlet. Never mind that the increase in TB cases exclusively ascribed to Twin Falls actually occurred across an eight-county public health district; there exists no evidence that any of the TB cases in Twin Falls were Chobani employees, or even refugees, for that matter. Furthermore, the 500 percent spike consists of an increase from one case in 2011 to six in 2012, back down to a single case last year. The most sensational component of Breitbarts special report concerns an inappropriate sexual encounter, misleadingly labeled a gang rape, involving three refugee minors and a 5-year-old Twin Falls girl in June. Local anti-Muslim activists seized upon the incident, which is under investigation by authorities, and launched a campaign to discredit the entire refugee resettlement program, which Stranahan ominously labels Idahos Globalist Devils Bargain. Last month, a white nationalist organization called the American Freedom Party issued robocalls across Idaho informing listeners that the nonwhite invasion of their state and all white areas constitutes white genocide. (This is the same racist outfit that endorsed Trump, calling him the Great White Hope, and paid for robocalls on his behalf in the run-up to the Iowa caucuses.) In a piece headlined Twin Falls Refugee Rape Special Report: Why are the Refugees Moving In? Stranahan writes that the use of refugee labor by Chobani and other food companies in southern Idaho has led to unspecified civic consequences, the insinuation being that these businesses are somehow responsible for the June incident and that the entire refugee resettlement program should be scrapped on account of the behavior of three refugee children. Given how much Trump and Breitbart bemoan the loss of manufacturing to overseas competition and extol Americas rural values, one might have expected the populist website to applaud Chobanis employing thousands of Americans in well-paid jobs and support for the countrys agricultural sector. This has been a shot in the arm, the head of a Twin Falls paving company said back in 2011, when Chobani broke ground on its plant. The kind of success that Chobani is experiencing in the Magic Valley is setting a great example of regional collaboration between employers and community leaders throughout Idaho, Republican Gov. C.L. Butch Otter enthused earlier this year, after the company announced a $100 million expansion to build a global research and development center in Twin Falls. And it has economic development leaders all over America standing up and taking notice of what Idaho has to offer. Ultimately, however, the unfounded and hysterical attacks on Chobani, its employees, and its visionary founder are a perfect distillation of Breitbart and the presidential campaign onto which it has so shamelessly hitched itself. A toxic mix of lies, innuendo, xenophobia, and resentment, these screeds exemplify a zero-sum worldview in which gains made by the foreign-born must, somehow, come at the expense of real Americans, who, by the way, dont need your stinking, healthy, low-sugar, gluten-free, kosher, halal, foreign yogurt. Hamdi Ulukayas business ethicsfair, compassionate, cosmopolitanare a direct repudiation of Donald Trumps cutthroat, selfish, racist greed. And perhaps thats what grates Breitbart most about this green card-holding, tax-paying Turkish immigrant and the business he built from scratch. For at its heart, the Trump phenomenon is a revolt of the thuggishly second-rate, a collection of mediocrities and opportunists for whom dragging down their betters provides a fillip to wallowing alone in self-pity. As Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes was battling the worst crisis of his professional life in mid-Julya self-inflicted catastrophe borne of decades of allegedly sexually harassing and abusing female underlingshe and his third wife, Elizabeth, focused their fire on Megyn Kelly. According to New York magazines Gabriel Sherman in his latest Fox News opus, published online on Friday morning and slated as the next issues cover story, the Aileses were furious at his onetime protege, now the conservative-leaning cable outlets brightest star, for not publicly defending him in the wake of fired anchor Gretchen Carlsons sensational lawsuit alleging harassment and retaliation for rebuffing his sexual requests. Sherman, citing a Fox News source, reports that Elizabeth Ailes wanted the channels notoriously aggressive media relations department to release racy photos of the 45-year-Kelly, published years before in GQ magazine, to discredit and shame Kelly for her silence, while many other Fox women were publicly rising to their bosss defense. The media relations department refused Elizabeth Ailess demand (as it did several other outlandish tactics from Team Ailes, a source told The Daily Beast). This is just one of the juicy revelations in New York magazine national affairs editor Shermans latest opusthe most detailed account to date of how Ailes allegedly ran Fox News as both 21st Century Foxs most profitable subsidiary, throwing off a billion dollars a year, and as his personal fiefdom and sexual service. While the ousted Ailes is contractually prohibited from participating in the launch of a rival outlet to Fox, such as the widely-predicted Trump TV, the ugly allegations surrounding him havent prevented him from playing an advisory role in Donald Trumps presidential campaign. A legendary former Republican political consultant, Ailes has helped the GOP nominee prepare for the upcoming presidential debates against Hillary Clinton. Ailes, through his attorneys, has denied many of the allegations arising from Carlsons lawsuit, especially in reporting by Sherman over the past several weeks. In an especially troubling development, Sherman reports that Ailes ruled Fox News like a surveillance state, instructing the head of engineering, Warren Vandeveer, to place close-circuit cameras in various locations that allowed Ailes to monitor the goings-on in offices, studios, green rooms, the back entrance of the networks midtown Manhattan headquarters, and Ailess homes. Foxs IT department also monitored employees emails, Sherman reports. In an anecdote that does no favors for Fox News co-president Bill Shine, Ailess former deputy who was promoted after Ailess abrupt departure, Shine laughed when Ailes spotted James Murdoch smoking a cigarette on one of his close-circuit screens, and quipped, Tell me that mouth hasnt sucked a cock. (Shine told Sherman through a spokesperson he doesnt recall the incident.) Skirting the law, Fox News obtained the phone records of journalists, Sherman reports, and Dianne Brandi, the companys general counsel, hired a private investigator in late 2010 to obtain the personal home- and cellphone records of Joe Strupp, a reporter for the liberal watchdog group Media Matters who had quoted anonymous company sources in several articles. This occurred shortly before the phone-hacking scandal exploded in Britain, where the Murdochs were forced to shut down the popular News of the World tabloid in response to public outrage. (Brandi denies she did this.) Reacting to Shermans story, Media Matters announced on Friday it is considering its legal options and demanded a criminal investigation of Fox Newss alleged surveillance of journalists. This was the culture. Getting phone records doesnt make anybody blink, one Fox executive told Sherman. As for Megyn Kelly, her decision to move against her former mentor apparently sealed his fate. According to Shermans latest, as the Carlson lawsuit blew up, Kelly had confided to James Murdochwho along with his older brother, Lachlan, and father, Rupert, run Fox Newss parent company, 21st Century Foxthat a decade ago, when she was a fledgling legal correspondent in Washington and going through a divorce, Ailes had made harassing comments and inappropriately hugged her in his office. Sherman reports that Kelly, a former litigator at a high-powered Washington law firm, had established an alliance with the Murdoch sons, and that Lachlan personally approved a $6 million advance for her upcoming book to be published this fall by Murdoch subsidiary HarperCollins. Both Murdoch sonsunlike their dad, no fans of Ailesencouraged her to repeat her account of Ailess misconduct to the law firm Paul, Weiss, which was conducting an internal review of Carlsons allegations. Kelly, whose relationship with Ailes had become distant in the past few months, in large measure because of Ailess complicated relationship with Donald Trump, had sounded alarms about Ailess bad behavior as early as 2012, when she warned Fox Newss then PR-chief Brian Lewis that the top boss was being reckless, and that damaging anecdotes about his conduct could show up in Shermans book-length biography, which was published in 2014. Lewis passed on Kellys concerns to Ailess trusted executive assistant, Judy Laterza, asking her to caution him to stop harassing underlings, but instead of staging an intervention, she told Ailes that Lewis was being disloyal; he was fired less than a year later. The most eye-popping revelation in Shermans reportat least for people who work at Fox News, where expense accounts for lowly production and support staff are microscopically scrutinizedis that Ailes arranged for Laterza to be paid $2 million a year for her sensitive work. Sherman reports that Laterzas job description included identifying attractive young women that Ailes might like, and setting up private appointments for them with Ailes in his bunker-like office. Laterza also fabricated an office log of Ailess young visitors, using fake names, Sherman reports. Laterza, who didnt respond to Shermans request for comment, left the company along with Ailes when he was forced to resign with a reported $40 million severance package on July 21. Ailess attorneys, Susan Estrich and Marc Mukasey, didnt respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment on Shermans story by deadline. Kelly also didnt respond to a request for comment, and spokespeople for both Fox News and 21st Century Fox declined to weigh in on Shermans report. Other highlights from Shermans account: * As more and more women came forward to reveal their unpleasant encounters with Ailes, he called an emergency meeting with longtime friend Rudy Giuliani and lawyer Marc Mukasey, a Giuliani protege, at his home in Garrison, New York, and vehemently denied the allegations. The next morning, Ailes and his wife, Elizabeth, turned his second-floor office at Fox News into a war room. Its all bullshit! We have to get in front of this, he told executives. This is not about money. This is about his legacy, Elizabeth Ailes said. * Ailes told his executives that he was being persecuted by the liberal media and by the Murdoch sons. Ailes complained to 21st Century Fox general counsel Gerson Zweifach that James, whose wife had worked for the Clinton Foundation, was trying to get rid of him in order to help elect Hillary Clinton. At one point, Ailes threatened to fly to France, where Rupert was vacationing with his wife, Jerry Hall, in an effort to save his job. * A few days before the first GOP debate on Fox in August 2015, Murdochwho loathed Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoriccalled Ailes at home. This has gone on long enough, Murdoch said Murdoch told Ailes he wanted Foxs debate moderatorsKelly, Bret Baier, and Chris Wallaceto hammer Trump on a variety of issues. * Sherman reports: Murdoch blamed Ailes for laying the groundwork for Trumps candidacy. Ailes had given Trump, his longtime friend, a weekly call-in segment on Fox & Friends to sound off on political issues, notably Trumps anti-Obama birther campaign. Ailes also had lunch with Trump days before he launched his presidential campaign and continued to feed him political advice throughout the primaries, according to sources close to Trump and Ailes. (And in the days after Carlson filed her lawsuit, Trump advised Ailes on navigating the crisis, even recommending a lawyer.) * Elizabeth Ailes is said to be taking all of the revelations especially hard, according to four sources close to the family, Sherman reports. Frequent Fox News commentator Rudolph Giuliani, who officiated at their 1997 wedding, told Rupert Murdoch she would likely divorce Ailes. An expert in failed marriages, the twice-divorced Guiliani predicted, This marriage wont last.) * Ailes used Foxs payroll as a patronage tool, doling out jobs to Republican politicians, friends, and political operatives, such as making his personal lawyer, Peter Johnson Jr., a regular commentator on Fox shows, despite his sub-par on-air performance. (The Fox News staff nicknamed Johnson The Must-Do, Sherman reports.) Manny Alvarez, Ailess wifes doctor, became a medical commentator. Ailes also placed loyal former personal secretaries in key sensitive positions. Sherman reports that former Ailes secretary Nikole King, for instance, was sent to the finance department, where she handled Ailess personal expenses. * Beginning in 2014, Carlson used her iPhone to secretly record her private meetings with Ailes, capturing numerous instances of sexual harassment, which included his alleged comment quoted in her lawsuit: 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. Sometimes problems are easier to solve that way. Im sure you can do sweet nothings when you want to, he allegedly remarked in a different conversation. * After news broke on the afternoon of July 19 that Kelly had come forward, Ailess lawyer Susan Estrich tried to send Ailess denial to [Matt] Drudge but mistakenly emailed a draft of Ailess proposed severance deal, which Drudge, briefly, published instead. * The evening before his formal ouster, Ailes was banned from Fox News headquarters, his company email and phone shut off. On the afternoon of July 21, a few hours before Trump was to accept the Republican nomination in Cleveland, Murdoch summoned Ailes to his New York penthouse to work out a severance deal. James had wanted Ailes to be fired for cause, according to a person close to the Murdochs, but after reviewing his contract, Rupert decided to pay him $40 million and retain him as an adviser. Ailes, in turn, agreed to a multiyear noncompete clause that prevents him from going to a rival network (but, notably, not to a political campaign). In 2010, the 200th anniversary of the founding of Old Overholt, the oldest continually-maintained brand of American whiskey, passed without any fanfare. No commemorative bottling. No advertising campaign. No party. No press release. Not even so much as a tweet. Then, a couple of years later, the brands owner noticed that it was still around and, having long ago lowered its proof to the legal minimum, promptly lowered its age from four years to three. For a century and a half, Overholt straight rye whiskey had been a benchmark of quality, old and strong and full of flavor. Ulysses S. Grant drank it and so did JFK, and now it was hovering over the bottom shelf. Old Overholt, with an unbroken chain of ownership and production that stretches back to 1810, was a national institution, the flagship for Pennsylvanias long and proud tradition of whiskey making and for rye whiskey in general. Then American whiskey got hit by the late 20th century and almost didnt survive the experience. Somehow, bourbon and Tennessee whiskey managed to survive singed but relatively intact. Rye didnt die, at least, but it was certainly on life support. Now, there are new brands of rye and prestige bottlings of old ones. And yet Old Overholt, the greatest of them all, is still working the booze worlds Hollywood Squares circuit, running out the clock in speed rails and on bottom shelves from coast to coast. Its not too late to save it, though. The recent surge in popularity of straight rye whiskey has also increased demand for Overholt (hence that cut in age). Where theres demand, theres a possibility of revival, and if any brand deserves a full revival, its Old Overholt Rye Whiskey. It is one of the foundation stones of American whiskey, and its heritage is precious. This is its history, from log cabin to belching smokestack to corporate boardroom. What follows is longer and descends into more geeky detail than my usual work here at The Beast, and I ask your indulgence. The story is an illuminating one, I believe, and an important one (then again, as a native of Pittsburgh, in the whose vicinity of which most of it unfolds, I would say that). But even in the bare-bones version Ill present, its it is an intricate one, and such things take some space to unfold. In 1800, Henry Oberholtzer, or Overhold, as he anglicized it, a 61- year-old farmer from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, loaded his family and all his worldly goods into wagons and took the long and primitive road over the Allegheny Mountains to Western Pennsylvania. There, he and his sons cleared 150 acres of wilderness on the banks of a creek that fed into the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the mighty Monongahela, and set to farming. Like many German Mennonite farmers, Henry was, among many other things, a distiller. It was only good husbandry: grain and fruit converted into spirit would not spoil, was far easier to transport and could be exchanged for money or necessary goods. Farm distillers like Henry tended to be opportunists: whatever was ripe and in abundance, into the still it went. But Henry was also a German Methodist, and the part of Germany his father came from had made a specialty out distilling korn, or rye, since at least to the 1500s, and there is documentation of German Methodists making korntram, or rye-dram in Pennsylvania as early as 1760. At some point, therefore, the Overholts built a log still-house and started making small amounts of whiskey out of the grain they were growing. In 1810, Henrys second-youngest son, Abraham, then a young father of 26 and a weaver by profession, took over the management of the still-house and turned it into a business, although most likely not a full-time one. The exact circumstances are murky, but as Abrahams son Christian recalled in 1904, after that there was no Overholt connected with the manufacture of whiskey except father. At first, the distillery was an exceedingly small-scale affair, where the grain was cracked for mashing with a mortar and pestle. As the years went by, however, Abraham paid more and more attention to the distilling. Rye whiskey was making the transition from a rough, backwoods bust-head to something you could pour in a Charleston clubhouse or New York smoking room. Abraham, who rapidly earned a reputation as someone who knew how to make this whiskey right, took advantage of its popularity and began turning his distilling into a proper business. By the 1820s, he was apparently making some 12 to 15 gallons of whiskey a day, and making money at it. Overholts location would have helped: the Monongahela fed into the Ohio, the Ohio fed into the Mississippi, and the Mississippi flowed down to New Orleans, from where whiskey could be shipped to just about anywhere. No need to hump it over the mountains to get it to market. Before the decade was out, old Monongahela was an American benchmark for quality whiskey. In 1832 Abraham rebuilt the distillery in stone and expanded its capacity more than tenfold. Clearly, something was working. A couple of years later, he built a substantial new gristmill, further streamlining production as his sons no longer had to haul his grain away by wagon to be milled. This investment paid off, and not only because it opened a profitable sideline in the flour business: in 1843 Overholts old rye was being listed by name in newspaper advertisements as far away as Baltimore. This was quite unusualwhiskey distillers had not yet learned to brand their product and sold almost all of their whiskey by the barrel to wholesalers and retailers who sold it. Only the very best distilleries had enough of a reputation that their name was worth advertising. Abrahams business was very much a family concern, involving two of his four sons and various sons-in-law and grandsons. In 1854, however, those sons, Jacob and Henry, struck out on their own, joining up with their cousin Henry (the Overholts were frugal when it came to first names) to build a large, modern distillery at Broad Ford, six miles away on the banks of the Youghioghenyand, more importantly, right next to the tracks of the brand new Pittsburgh & Connellsville Railroad. There, they made Old Monongahela whiskey. In 1859, perhaps spurred by the family competition, Abraham tore down his distillery and gristmill and combined the two functions in a large new brick building, six stories high and 100 feet long and capable of producing some 860 gallons of whiskey a day. That same year, however, Jacob Overholt died and Abraham seized the opportunity to buy out his two-thirds share of the Broad Ford distillery. Suddenly, Abraham was a big distiller, making Overholt whiskey at both of his large, modern distilleries, plus a cheaper brand, Old Farm, at West Overton. He acknowledged his new status by incorporating his business as A. Overholt & Co. The Civil War did nothing to hurt Pennsylvanias rye whiskey business. Indeed, by the time the war was over Abraham was a rich man, although a good part of that came from the discovery of coal on his land. When he died, in 1870, his state amounted to a more than respectable $350,000. The next few years saw A. Overholt & Co.s ownership pass through a dizzying round-robin of partnerships, made up for the most part from family members, some of whom didnt know how to run a business. Things didnt settle down until 1881, when one of Abrahams many grandsons took the reins. Henry Clay Frick, son of Abrahams daughter Elizabeth, was born on the West Overton property in 1849. By the time he took over the company, he had been a millionaire for four years, making his fortune selling cokein this case, the coal derivative, although considering his profits it might as well have been the other stuff. Frick, well on his way to becoming one of the Americas great robber barons, didnt need the money. For him, A. Overholt & Co. was a sentimental plaything; his Rosebud, as it were. Nonetheless, he was smart enough to diversify the risk, bringing his friend and banker Andrew Mellon in as one-third owner and selling another third to one Charles W. Mauck, who got two-thirds of the profit in exchange for running the business. By the 1880s, the rye whiskey business was at its peak. Kentuckys 254 operating grain distilleries, large and small, made far more whiskey, including a lot of rye, but the real rye specialists were the 76 in Pennsylvania and the 21 in Maryland, states where they had been focusing on the stuff for well over a century. The makers of Eastern rye, as the product of those two states was known in the industry, had evolved a set of technologies and procedures uniquely adapted to making rye whiskey. In Kentucky, whether they were making bourbon or rye the small distillers used copper pot stills, much like modern microdistillers do, while the large ones used big, state-of-the-art column or continuous stills, just as they do today. Large or small, bourbon or rye, they used a sour-mash process, where some of the spent wash from the still went into the next batch of fermenting wash, and tended to age their whiskey in flimsy, unheated wood-and-tin rickhouses. In Pennsylvania and Maryland, however, the rye distillers used a sweet-mash process, eschewing the spent wash, and stored their barrels in substantial, heated brick or stone warehouses, warding off the low winter temperatures that slow aging to a crawl. But the real difference was in distillation. Eastern rye, you see, relied on the so-called three chamber or charge still, an American invention of the early 1800s that was entirely extinct and forgotten until last year, when Colorados Leopold Bros. had one made and installed for making rye (well see how that turns out in 2019). Its worth explaining how this device worked, as its a prime piece of American ingenuity, and an integral part of the history of our whiskey (from the 1810s until the 1860s it appears to have been the dominant type of still used for all American whiskies). If technical explanations make your eyes cross, I suggest you skip the next two paragraphs. The three-chamber still usually took the form of a tall, tapered column built out of cypress or cedar-wood staves and hooped with iron (the Leopold Bros. version is made of copper, as some were then). Inside, its divided by horizontal copper plates into three compartments. The bottom one has a pipe going into it carrying live steam and an outflow valve for spent wash. There are two or three upside-down J-shaped copper pipes going out the top of that chamber into the one above it, and a copper pipe leading out of that middle chamber, through the top one and into a doubler or thumper keg, like the one many bourbon distillers still use. That, in turn, leads to the standard condenser. The way the whole thing works is you fill the top two compartments with your wash and let steam into the bottom one. The steam rises through the J-pipes and bubbles up through the wash in the middle compartment, stripping off the alcohol. The alcohol-rich steam exits through the top, pre-heating the wash in the top compartment on the way, goes through the thumper, which further purifies it, and gets condensed into whiskey. Meanwhile, you use a valve to drop the depleted wash from the middle compartment to the bottom one and the top to the middle, filling up the top with new wash. When the wash in the bottom compartment is stripped of alcohol, you let it out of the still and repeat the dropping-down process. Easy. The charge still occupies the ground between the pot still and the continuous column still, much like the bolt-action rifle stands between the muzzle-loader and the machinegun. It demands manual operation, but its still cheaper and more efficient than the pot still, performing the equivalent of two and a half distillations at once. The product that comes off of it is cleaner and lighter than pot-still whiskey, but richer than most column still whiskey. Eastern rye distillers seemed to like it, anyway: an 1898 Bureau of Revenue study found 13 of 16 big rye distillers using the charge still, nine of them going with wood, while only one of 10 bourbon distillers used it. Judging by the pre-Prohibition chamber-still ryes I have been fortunate enough to taste, it yields a whiskey thats got plenty of oily pot-still texture but without the wooly sharpness that pot still rye often possesses. Unfortunately, no description of the processes used at Broad Ford or West Overton has yet been foundthere was one journalist who toured the Broad Ford plant in 1880, when it was turning out some 3,450 gallons of rye a day, and examined the various processes through which the grain passes. Unfortunately for future historians, his ability for remembering technical names is [was] below the average, as he confessed, and he could give no account of it. But companies that used copper stills almost always made mention of the fact in their advertising as it was a signifier to the public of old-time authenticity. Since Overholts advertising never made that claim, one can assume that it used the wooden three-chamber stills. Charles Mauck, about whom almost nothing is known, proved to be an inspired manager, not only of the distillery but also of the Overholt brand. Under his tenure, the company adopted Old Overholt as the official name for its whiskey and, in 1888, a portrait of Abraham himself as its logo. It also followed the lead of Old Forrester bourbon and moved to selling its whiskey primarily in bottles, rather than barrels. Each bottle carried old Abes portrait front and center on the label, where it still resides today. When the Bottled in Bond act passed in 1897, which guaranteed the age and provenance of whiskey that followed its provisions, Overholt took immediate advantage of it, although its whiskey was often bottled at well above the legal minimum of four years. The company even began advertising, regionally at first and then nationally, still a novelty for a distilling company (advertising traditionally had fallen to the retailers). It all paid off: by the turn of the century, Old Overholt had become a national brand. It wasnt all smooth sailing. On Maucks watch, the company weathered another lengthy and disruptive expansion and survived two disastrous fires at Broad Ford, the second of which cost it almost 15,000 barrels of whiskey, or four months production at the then-current capacity of 6,450 gallons a day. It also divested itself of the antiquated West Overton property and headed off an attempt by some other family members to make their own Overholt whiskey there. But as the enterprise that Abraham Overholt started in a log cabin among the tree stumps of his fathers homestead in 1810 moved into the 20th century, A. Overholt & Co. cemented its position as, if not the largest producer of Pennsylvania rye (that honor belonged to the nearby Gibson distillery), then certainly the most prestigious one. Next week, well look at Overholts rocky path through the twentieth century, and rye whiskeys triumphant revival. Find the conclusion of this series here. When asexual activist David Jay went on the Montel Williams Show in 2007 to explain his lack of sexual attraction, he was given the third degree. Had he been sexually abused as a child? Nope, said Jay. Did people just not want to have sex with him? Ive had plenty of offers, dont worry. But surely if a girl came strolling out of the room in a teddy or in some nice lingerie, hed change his mind, Williams suggested. It would probably come up before then, Jay joked. Almost a decade later, a new review in Archives of Sexual Behavior reiterates what many asexual people like David Jay have been saying to doubters like Montel Williams all along: Asexuality is not a disorder but rather a heterogeneous entity that likely meets conditions for a sexual orientation. But even after years of increasing asexual visibility, thats still a difficult assertion for many straight, gay, and bisexual people to accept. I think [asexuality] really challenges many of our societal beliefs, lead author Dr. Lori Brotto, a clinical psychologist and sex researcher at the University of British Columbia, told The Daily Beast. We see sexual attraction as being inherently human, as a core aspect of what differentiates humans from other animals, and we see it as being a necessary part of our development. So when an asexual person says theyre simply not interested in sexor that theyre interested in romance without sexthose of us who do want to do the deed can get confused. But Dr. Brottos review suggests that, no matter how perplexing people may find asexuality, theres no reason to question its legitimacy or its normality. For one, Brotto has previously found that theres a fairly stark difference between asexuality and true forms of sexual dysfunction. Through a series of questionnaires, she and a research team discovered that people who met the diagnostic criteria hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)a disorder characterized by a lack of desire that the individual finds distressingwere significantly more likely than asexuals to be in a relationship, to masturbate, and to have engaged in kissing and petting behaviors. By a margin of over 60 percent, individuals with HSDD were also much more likely to have had sexual intercourse than asexual people. That doesnt mean that asexual people dont do any of these thingssome of them dobut it does suggest, as Brotto and her co-author note, that asexuality is not likely to fit under the sexual dysfunction umbrella. For example, whereas someone diagnosed with HSDD may genuinely wish to feel more sexual desire, previous research has shown that many asexual people are not worried about their level of sexual desire, nor [do] they wish to speak to a health professional about their lack of attraction. And, as of 2013, the DSM-V lists being asexual as an exclusionary criterion for being diagnosed with HSDD. That hasnt stopped people from insisting that their asexual friends and acquaintances should ask their doctor why they lack sexual desire. Montel Williams, for instance, asked David Jay if he had his hormones checkeda question asexual people field so frequently that its on the FAQ of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), an online resource that Jay founded in 2001. The underlying assumption behind the frequent hormones questionthat there must be something wrong with asexual peopleis one that Brotto says is simply not supported by the evidence. Asexuality is common, she told The Daily Beast. It reflects one of the normal variations in sexual attraction and, in the vast majority of individuals, its not due to a choice, or a wish, or celibacy, or the result of trauma, or some other kind of psychological dysfunction or disability. It may be true, as Brotto and her co-author note in the review, that asexual people have higher rates of psychiatric symptoms, but there are also well-recognized mental health disparities between LGBT people and the general population that have been attributed to the effects of prejudice and discrimination. Thats likely the case with asexual people, too; a 2012 study of bias among college students, for example, found that asexuals were viewed as less human, and less valued as contact partners, relative to heterosexuals and other sexual minorities. Not being seen as fully human can be a damaging experience, as members of several minorities can attest. [I]t is likely that the distress and psychological symptoms experienced by asexual individuals is secondary to their experience of prejudice and discrimination, rather than asexuality being the result of an underlying psychological disturbance, the study notes. Meanwhile, theres plenty of evidence to suggest that asexuality is a sexual orientation, including the fact that most asexual people have been asexual for their entire lives, as the AVEN Wiki notes and several qualitative studies have confirmed. The existence of AVEN itselfor, as Brotto and her co-author put it, the use of networking to create identity-based communitiesis another indicator of an orientation. And there are also early studies examining possible links between asexuality and certain innate biological factors. But the question of how to define sexual orientation in the first place is still open. For instance, is asexuality best conceptualized as a sexual orientation or as the absence of a sexual orientation? (The latter is a possibility that Brotto and her co-author say has been inadequately explored by the existing science, although members of AVEN have debated it multiple times). And what does the existence of asexuality mean for more traditional definitions of sexual orientation? As researchers are learning more about the neural underpinnings of attractions and the diversity of attractions, its leading them to think much more about what makes a sexual orientation, Brotto told The Daily Beast. What we do know is that it extends beyond the conventional categories of same sex-attracted, opposite sex-attracted, or attracted to both. Literature from the American Psychological Association, for example, defines sexual orientation as an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes but that doesnt account for an enduring pattern of having no attraction to anyone. And, for some asexual people, a lack of sexual attraction can coexist with a romantic attraction to one or multiple genders. For that reason, AVEN users have coined terms like heteroromantic and homoromantic to account for the distinction between romantic attraction and sexual attraction. Its clear, as Brottos review notes, that there is likely as much variability among asexual individuals lack of sexual attraction as there is among sexual individuals presence of sexual attraction and that theres much more for people who arent asexual to understand not just about asexuality, but about themselves. The fact that an individual can develop a romantic attraction and not develop a simultaneous sexual attraction really challenges many of our societal and, I would argue, romantic beliefs about what is human and what is normal, said Brotto. I think it shakes up our thinking and causes us to question our own lives and beliefs. Whatever your orientation, thats probably a good thing. To hear members of the national security community tell it, ISIS is about to lose its grip on its Iraqi capital. In the last 10 days alone, the two U.S. generals leading the war effort have promised that the city of Mosul will be out of ISIS hands soon. Telegraphing the militarys next move usually is considered strategically daft, but American commanders now are spelling out the dates of their operation within weeks. Meanwhile, those with a political bent are pushing for the U.S.-led coalition and the Iraqi forces to move into Mosul before the end of the Obama administration term so it can end on the cusp of a major battlefield win, one U.S. official told The Daily Beast. It is a way to end on a high note, one U.S. official explained. The White House would love to see us kick off Mosul before the administrations term ends in January. It makes some sense: What general would want to leave a war to Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump? The military is adamant that political calculations are not part of their planning. Rather, they want to move on Mosul soon to exploit the wars momentuma momentum, they insist, that has swung against the so-called Islamic State, widely known as ISIS. They point to a depleted ISIS that failed to fight for the Syrian city of Jarabulus last month; its inability to retain control of the city of Dabiq southwest of there; and the repeated failed efforts of the terror group to take back the eastern Syrian city of al-Shaddadi, a key route into Iraq. When ISIS has tried to fight to retain control of a city, its militants have failed, officials noted. Most recently, despite heavy fighting, ISIS could not hold onto the strategically important city of Manbij in northern Syria and during the three-month battle for Fallujah that ended in June. And since then, the Turks have sought to close off its border beyond the area around Manbij, making it potentially harder for the terror group to move its fighters and supplies into Syria and Iraq. For the first time, I think Mosul could really happen, one U.S. defense official explained to The Daily Beast. But is it overconfidence? Some American officials are worried. They point to recent sacking of Iraqs minister of defense in a war that depends on Iraqi Security forces, to be one of the proxy armies on the ground for the U.S.-led coalition air campaign. The U.S. decision to repeatedly announce the war for Mosul will likely kick off at the end of year appears to be a push by the American military to keep their Iraqi forces on target. These officials also note the inter-fighting between Kurds in both Iraq and Syria, which could also weaken the ground forces that would be charged with battling ISIS. Moreover, there is a quiet worry that ISIS is preserving its resources to fight for Mosul and Raqqa, Syria, the capital of its caliphate. Indeed, there were reports that local forces already are expecting ISIS to use chemical weapons in the battle for Mosul. It has been very hard to predict where ISIS does or does not fight, said Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. Therefore it is difficult to conclude whether they are frequently losing or whether they have started to preserve combat power. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, this week suggested that he was surprised that ISIS was willing to fight for Manbij but not Jarbulus. Whats interesting to me is you look at the battle of Manbij, [it] took place over the course of about 74, 75 days, Votel told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday. When you look at Jarablus, when [the coalition] applied pressure there, they very quickly left that area. Critics note that a military victory does not automatically make Iraq and Syria less politically unstable. Who will lead Mosul the day after ISIS leaves? And how? The military lines of effort are still isolated from the political lines of effort, Cafarella explained. While the Turks are moving into areas around Manbij, some believe it is to go after the Kurds, not ISIS; the offensive, therefore, is not hurting the terror group. The Turks are taking villages around Manbij that were not under ISIS control, but rather held by U.S.-backed forces that already had beaten the terror group. The Turks had said the Kurds could not move west of Euphrates but to take Manbij, they had toand they did so with U.S. support and an understanding the Kurds will leave Manbij after they beat back ISIS. The Kurds have been a key force in the taking of ISIS-controlled areas of eastern Syria. But so far, the Kurds have not indicated they are willing to fight for the Arab-dominated city of Raqqa, the ISIS capital. The top U.S. commander in Iraq in charge of the war against ISIS that the cities of Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, capitals in the self-proclaimed caliphate, could both fall within a year. I dont want to make promises, but I intend to have Mosul and Raqqa done on my watch, Army Gen. Lt. Gen. Joseph Townsend said last month upon taking command. His boss, Votel, who leads U.S. Central Command, said this week he believed operations against Mosul will begin by the end of the year. Mosul famously fell under ISIS control June 10, 2014 from Iraqi forces that took off their uniforms and ran away. Since then, ISIS has controlled the city, robbed its banks, and instituted its own form of legal order and taxation based on its perverse definition of Islamic law. Wildlife officials are investigating after a Florida woman said she came across three decapitated alligators this week. "It's reprehensible. I don't understand how people could do this," Amy Best, the Loxahatchee Groves resident who made the disturbing discovery, told WPTV. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has confirmed that it found two of the headless gators, and is investigating the incident. They have not determined whether or not a human is responsible for the deaths. Its very hard to know what happened, FWC spokesperson Carol Lyn Parrish told the Palm Beach Post. It could have been predation from other wildlife or someone out there who did this. Best says she found two of the animals lying on the edge of a canal in her neighborhood, and the third was stuffed into a white container. When she posted her experience on Facebook, her neighbor, Jeff Gallasch, said hed seen the same thing. It makes me nervous because I have to be more protective, Gallasch told WPTV. I have to wonder if someone will do that to my dogs or theirdogs. The FWC said though it is alligator season in Florida right now, hunters are limited to two kills per season and they must properly dispose of the bodies. But Best doesnt think these were hunters, because whoeveror whateverbeheaded the animals left so much behind. They wasted the skin, which is the most valuable part, and then the meat, she said. In general, its been a creepy year for alligators so far, especially in Florida. One of the creatures killed a child at Disney World in June, and multiple alligators in the state have been found eating human remains. Police's counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said Murad was the 'military trainer' of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Police claimed one more top militant is killed in a drive in a militant den at Rupnagar in the capital of Dhaka. Police also claimed that he was the second in command of new JMB leader Tamim Choudhury. He was killed recently. A official of Detective Branch identified the deceased as 'Murad', called 'Major Murad' by the members of his outfit. "We raided the house on information that he had rented it," he said. advertisement Another police official said, police raided the house at Road No 33 in Rupnagar Residential Area around 9:30 pm on Friday. Syed Shaheed Alam, OC of Rupnagar Police Station, Inspector Shaheen Fakir and Sub-Inspector Md Momenur Rahman were also injured, he said. They were being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police's counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said Murad was the 'military trainer' of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). "He was known as Major Murad in the organisation." DB's official said police came to know about Murad in the investigations after the death of Tamim, the suspected mastermind of Gulshan cafe terror attack, in a raid on a house in Narayanganj on Aug 27. MURAD STABBED POLICE OFFICERS He said police raided the house in Rupnagar also on Thursday but found it locked. "We asked the landlord to inform us when the tenant returns. The landlord locked the house from outside and called police," official said. "He (Murad) stabbed police officers when they entered the house. He died after being hit by a bullet during a scuffle that ensued when he tried to flee," he added. DMCH physician Dr Jesmine Nahar said Shaheed sustained injuries from a sharp weapon in his waist and Shaheen in his left shoulder and head. "Shaheen also has a wound in his right leg, which appears a bullet injury," she added. Police had named Tamim, a Canadian-Bangladeshi who led the 'Neo-JMB', as the one who orchestrated the July 1 attack on the upscale Holey Artisan Bakery and O' Kitchen restaurant in Dhaka's diplomatic zone. POLICE LOOKING FOR HIDEOUTS USED BY MILITANTS After the attacks at Dhaka's Gulshan and Kishoreganj's Sholakia, a small sleepy town that hosts Bangladesh's largest Eid congregation, police have been looking for hideouts used by militants throughout Bangladesh. During a routine search in late July, police came under attack from militants holed up in an apartment at Dhaka's Kalyanpur. A SWAT team later stormed the apartment and gunned down nine suspected militants. Flags similar to those of radical group Islamic State, which purportedly claimed the Gulshan attack, were found in Kalyanpur. advertisement International media reports, citing several Islamic State publications, have described Tamim as the coordinator of Middle East-based group's Bangladesh operations. The Bangladesh authorities, however, maintain that Tamim led the 'Neo-JMB', which emerged after the JMB split. They have ruled out any connection between the outfit and the Islamic State. After announcing Tk 2 million reward for information leading to Tamim on August 2, police chief AKM Shahidul Hoque said police had also identified the second man and third-in-command in Neo-JMB after Tamim. "We are trying to arrest them," he had said. ALSO READ: Dhaka attack mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, two others killed in encounter with forces Dhaka Attack: Varsity teacher Hasnat Karim has been named as main accused --- ENDS --- By Shreya Goswami: Food is all about appealing to the senses. It's the attraction of the aromas, the pull of the dramatic plating, the burst of flavours as you take that first bite, and the feel of the textures, that make a dish stand out. All of these senses have to draw you in, just so that you take that next bite--and before you know it, you've savoured the whole dish. advertisement But that's about eating food. Do the senses work the same way when we're cooking, or even trying to learn to cook? Not really. When it comes to learning how to cook, it's the instructions or method that needs to be conveyed. Once you've understood the instructions, any recipe is easy to execute. The Cafe Delhi Heights team during the shoot of their second episode for the web-series. Photo: Cafe Delhi Heights That's just what we need in abundance from food shows, videos and even live cook-alongs. Clear, precise, instructions. And how would you get that if you're hearing impaired? Watch: Easy step-by-step garlic bread recipe for the hearing impaired Well, you could read the subtitles, and try to follow the actions at the same time. But, it's not as easy as it sounds, even for people who don't suffer from any hearing loss. Sid Nath, the producer of Cafe Delhi Heights' new online recipe-series, explians: "A couple of months back I was watching a French movie and while reading the subtitles I missed some of the visuals. It was then that I thought,how about creating a web series for the hearing impaired, which is not communicated through subtitles but an interpreter so that they don't miss out on the visuals." The recipe series teaches everyone how to cook dishes like Minestrone soup. Photo: Cafe Delhi Heights The recipe series teaches everyone how to cook dishes like Minestrone soup. Photo: Cafe Delhi Heights That's right! The team at Cafe Delhi Heights is making this concept a reality. "It is more to do with bridging the gap of visual content. The series would not have been possible without the support of Cafe Delhi Heights," Nath explained further. He continued to develop, and accomplish what he set out to, with the complete support of the team at Cafe Delhi Heights. Ashish Singh, their Corporate Chef, who features prominently in this web-series, has had hands-on experience of cooking and teaching how to cook. But he's not the only valuable member of the team. Also read: With 5 awards, Cafe Delhi Heights was the biggest winner at the Big F Awards last night Namrata Patro, the interpreter who translates every single word of instruction given by the chef, is the heart and soul of the project. She became a part of this project, because she believes it's a unique initiative by Cafe Delhi Heights to empower people with hearing sensory deficit. "As a Sign Language interpreter and educator, I feel hands can talk. It's a language where your fingers will spell for you and your face will talk for you. It is very creative, and this easily accessible cooking series has the potential to make a difference," she says. This unique concept has now been turned into reality by the team at Cafe Delhi Heights. Photo: Cafe Delhi Heights This unique concept has now been turned into reality by the team at Cafe Delhi Heights. Photo: Cafe Delhi Heights advertisement The venture is really unique, as all the members of the team pointed out. But what of the recipes, you ask? They are all in-house! The award-winning Cafe Delhi Heights has never shirked away from sharing their signature recipes. Vikrant Batra, the owner of Cafe Delhi Heights says, "We want our recipes to reach each and every household. With the same thought we had launched our cookbook Comfort Food. We all know the potential that internet and visuals have. Putting the two together has translated into a cooking series which overcomes communication gap. I am extremely happy to take this initiative and hope we can come up with more such initiatives." The web-series has a good schedule, almost like a complete cookery course--beginning with easy recipes like Garlic Bread and Minestrone Soup. The level of difficulty will increase with each episode, and by the time the series ends, and if you follow it through, you'll be able to cook cafe-standard dishes at home! Now who doesn't want that? advertisement Watch their second episode here : --- ENDS --- Writer: Jeff Pool, 979-845-6597, jeff.pool@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Leo Lombardini, 979-845-3763, l-lombardini@tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION Texas A&M University administrators and researchers are stepping up efforts to protect a worldwide multibillion dollar-a-year industry. Coffee is the main source of income for about 100 million people across the globe. The industry has a retail value estimated at $30-32 billion for the United States alone, reaching $170 billion worldwide, according to Dr. Craig Nessler, director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. However, experts have said the coffee industry is facing serious problems. Diseases, narrow genetic diversity, climate change and an ever-increasing global demand have experts predicting a difficult future for coffee producers. Coffee has suffered from a lack of advanced research in areas like genetics and disease resistance, said Dr. Tim Schilling, executive director of World Coffee Research, an industry-sponsored non-profit organization that partners with scientists at Texas A&M University, College Station. Diseases such as coffee rust, a hard-to-stop fungus that attacks and kills coffee trees, have spread across Central and South America, devastating production in the coffee-growing regions of Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador and Brazil. Guatemala declared a state of emergency in 2013 due to the havoc this disease brought to their farms. In response to these challenges, the Texas A&M University Board of Regents voted on Sept. 1 to create the premier scientific center in the world dedicated to the advancement of research and development to improve the quality and sustainability of coffee. The Center for Coffee Research and Education, located at the universitys Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, will seek to make rapid gains in research to sustain and grow the worlds coffee supply, said Nessler. With the creation of the new center, one of the worlds best agricultural research institutions is adding its might to the effort to solve key issues facing one of the worlds most important crops, and those of us at World Coffee Research are honored to be working alongside the center, Schilling said. The center will offer researchers and students the rare opportunity to engage in fundamental research, while at the same time providing the opportunity to conduct significant parts of their research directly on location at coffee farms of producing countries, Nessler said. It also offers the opportunity to collaborate with coffee scientists from other coffee research institutions and companies around the world. Coffee farmers are facing the challenges of increasing demand globally and decreasing land suitable for production due to climatological change. Compared to other influential crops, relatively little research has been conducted on coffee that would support farmer resiliency to such challenges, said Dr. Leo Lombardini, director of the center. The center will build on the extensive international development experience of the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and the previous research conducted by university scientists and the World Coffee Research. It will also take advantage of the WCRs existing relationships with international research institutions and the private sector. The mission of the Texas A&M Center for Coffee Research and Education is to help fill the paucity of coffee research and education, and to create economic opportunities for coffee farmers worldwide, Lombardini said. The Inter-American Development Bank estimates that in Central America and southern Mexico up to 4 million people derive their livelihoods from the coffee industry. Through these efforts, we will be helping small farmers rise out of poverty and hunger, providing them with a hope and a future for themselves and their families in fulfillment of the legacy left for us by Dr. Norman Borlaug, said Dr. Elsa Murano, director of the Borlaug Institute. -30- Former Maharashtra revenue minister Eknath Khadse during his felicitation rally claimed that he worked for BJP for 40 years but the party still chose newcomers over him. Former Maharashtra revenue minister Eknath Khadse claimed that he was forced to resign on baseless charges. By Sahil Joshi: Former Maharashtra revenue minister Eknath Khadse today on his 64th birthday elaborated his 50 years of struggles in Bharatiya Janta Party. Addressing his felicitation rally in his assembly constituency Muktai Nagar in Jalgaon, Khadse said, "It's our struggle to bring 'bahujan' face to the party in last 40 years otherwise this party was known as party of 'marwadis'. Now my party workers ask me that is this the result of years of labor and hardwork for the party." advertisement ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Eknath Khadse threatened cops to file case against whistleblower Khadse further claimed that he was forced to resign on the baseless charges. "Did I hold any girls hand, did I murder any one, did I conduct any robbery then why my resignation was taken?," said Khadse. ANGRY, DEJECTED AND DISAPPOINTED During the rally, which was attended by Bjp state president Raosaheb Danve and newly made Agriculture Minister of Maharshtra Pandurang Fundkar, Khadse accused the party insiders for planning attacks on him. "I never cared about attacks , I fought with many for the party but how can fight insiders?," Khadse said. While Khadse did not take names, he openly expressed his disappointment with party for choosing juniors over him. "In any team one person works hard proves himself and then becomes team but now newcomer and upstarts are being given the opportunity " Khadse added. Devendra Fadnavis, junior to Eknath Khadse in state politics by almost 15 years, superseded him to get to the top post in the state. This never went down well with Eknath Khadse. Eknath kahadse resigned from the Devendra Fadanvis cabinet in the month of June over allegations of impropriety surfaced against him in a land deal in Pune. Sustained media campaign and India today investigation over MIDC land deal had revealed that Kahdse misused his ministerial office to buy the land on his wife and son in law's name which was in possession of MIDC ( Maharashtra industrial development corporation). ALSO READ: India Today Impact: Eknath Khadse resigns as Maharashtra minister, supporters stage protest --- ENDS --- Yet every day we are told by big polluters with vested interests that climate change is too hard to solve and renewable energy is too expensive. Our new report, An Energy Revolution is Possible, refutes this often repeated lie. The money is hidden in tax havens We compared tax revenue lost through tax avoidance, evasion and havens (using the International Monetary Fund's estimate), to our own calculation of investment required to reliably generate 100% of electricity from renewables in regions of the developing world most affected by, and least responsible for, climate change. What we found is that there's enough money in 'missing' tax revenues to pay for half the world's population to enjoy 100% renewable power by 2030 - bringing clean, local energy to billions of the world's poorest people while protecting the environment from dirty climate-killing fossil fuels. That's before accounting for any revenue from the sales of electricity, and the potential to re-invest it in building additional capacity. It's also based on the IEA's rather conservative renewable energy cost projections to 2030. In fact, costs are likely to drop considerably faster, all the more so as the colossal rate of build-out we envisage would further accelerate technology price falls. Solving climate change is not a technical problem or financial problem. The money to bring about an Energy Revolution exists, but the political will to drive the transformation is shockingly absent. We live in a world of unacceptable and growing inequality where nearly 1.2 billion people - or a fifth of the world's population - lack access to electricity, and more than 2 billion people lack access to clean cooking fuels. Yet, major corporations and the richest 1% dodge paying their fair share of tax and pollute without limit. Time for the G20 to get serious! The G20 and other governments must get serious in their fight against tax havens and other abusive tax evasion mechanisms, by regulating at both national and international levels. One initial measure is to make public the country-by-country reporting of multinationals' economic activity and tax paid. So that the scale of avoidance by channelling profits into tax havens is laid bare for all. Another measure demanded by the tax justice movement is to set up public registers of the true owners of companies and other vehicles, along with an international information exchange to end bank secrecy. This must be backed up with strong binding laws and enforcement both nationally and globally. Increased revenue flowing into government coffers once tax haven secrecy is ended gives an opportunity for increased spending on public services, including investments in renewable energy. And there's no shortage of incredible social and community renewable energy project across the world that currently lack financing. For example, Friends of the Earth South Korea is working with the students and teachers to build 'Solar Cooperatives' on the roofs of class rooms, with the electricity generated used to power these new 'solar schools' (see photo). At the International level the Green Climate Fund was established to be the world's premier climate fund for financing adaptation and mitigation activities in developing countries, with a promise of $100 billion a year of financing by 2020. Yet developed countries are not keeping their promise and have so far not committed the necessary funding. Increased government revenue from tax havens could fill this shortfall and more. It could pave the way for socially and democratically controlled renewable energy for all. Climate change and tax avoidance are symptoms of a broken system. The transformation needed is not just switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, but also challenging the corporate power, tax dodging and greed that has led to this crisis. The economic system and the global environment are on a devastating collision course. Yet an Energy Revolution is Possible, we just have to take on the 1% to achieve it. The report: An Energy Revolution is Possible is published by Friends of the Earth international. Dipti Bhatnagar is Climate Justice & Energy Co-coordinator for Friends of the Earth International, based in Maputo. Twitter: @diptimoz Sam Cossar-Gilbert is the Economic Justice Resisting Neoliberalism Program Coordinator for Friends of the Earth International based in Paris. Twitter: @samcossa Ashish Kothari, Indian activist and author of Churning the Earth, voiced a very similar pro-degrowth argument. He said that the focus on GDP growth in India since around 1991 "has not only not helped but further marginalised those who were self-sufficient before." He calculated that in India, in the past half century over 60 million were physically displaced while some 100 to 200 million people stayed in places where land was taken away from them. This comes on top of the 300 to 400 million who were already in the margins. "You also have to realise that in India, only 7% of all jobs are in the formal sector and that the whole GDP growth was there in that little bubble, often at the expense of the rest. We figured out that in the past 20 years GDP growth in India created only 3 million new jobs while 120 million new people needed a job." But Ashish Kothari has been very active in uniting different communities around India fighting for a different economy. According to Kothari, no resistance can win without an alternative vision. "From the bottom-up, a new world view is created and it's based on values like generosity, respecting diversity, ecological resilience, equality and justice." A different kind of democracy Jason Hickel from the London School of Economics recently wrote for The Ecologist that we must end growth - not just to save our planet but to refocus the economy on meeting human needs. Many academics in Budapest would agree and add that it's not just a moral question but a scientific question: what if the world's best political compromise, the so called "green growth" advocated in many UN circles, is physically impossible according to hard core natural science? Many of the scientists here have calculated that we are looking at a collapse of society within this century if we continue on this growth path. We now live in a world where the majority of decision-makers decided to go for the impossible, as if they decided that they want to end the law of gravity. In order to change course, an alternative model is needed and that's what the degrowth discipline is working on. It requires getting rid of a couple of myths. As much as we like the concept of parliamentary democracy, the inconvenient truth is that the majority of the people who represent us through this system are not always right. Barbara Muraca, Assistant Professor for Environmental and Social Philosophy at Oregon State University told us in a packed plenary session: "More democracy doesn't mean more referenda. Economic democracy is democratic participation in shaping the modes of production and consumption." Daniela Del Bene applied the same reasoning to energy, saying that "Energy sovereignty is about being able to make decisions on energy along the whole chain, taking into account the impacts your decisions might have in other territories and rejecting the imposition of mega-infrastructure and disruption of the territory." A lot of the speakers point to the need to take back control of the many things we lost in the past decades of privatisation and deregulation. Top down degrowth: lessons for policymakers Whether it is about food, materials, products or energy: plenty of degrowth alternatives to the neoliberal market model exist and in fact flourish already. Just look at local food cooperatives vs supermarkets. The EU funded Supply Cha!nge project brings together 29 civil society organisations that try to alter the course that supermarkets have taken in our society. In the session "degrowth alternatives to the retail market monopolisation", Supply Cha!nge partners European Environmental Bureau and the Hungarian chapter of Friends of the Earth discussed both neoliberal problems and degrowth solutions in the food supply chain. In just 10 years time, the EU market share of modern retail went from 44% to 62%. Causes include the rise of private brands from supermarkets (they now have a market share of above 40%). Their supply chains are long, not transparent and most often they shift costs to small producers and the environment, using unfair trading practices. Interestingly, this trend toward retailer monopolies has stopped in recent years in a country like Hungary. More people now buy local, "national" food and the building of new hypermarkets has been made impossible, or very difficult by the Government. The Major of Bristol long ago banned supermarkets in his town. Local and national authorities can choose whether they go for the neoliberal or the degrowth economy. Forget TINA, the myth that There Is No Alternative. Top down measures need to complement bottom up degrowth alternatives like Cargonomia - a project that combines local organic farms with sustainable distribution by carbobike and do-it-yourself workshops. Another case presented was a shopping basket cooperative in a town of 120,000 in the east of Hungary, where some 60 producers in a range of maximum 50 km around the city supply 2,000 consumers with the cooperative as the only link. Volunteers ensure that the weekly orders are distributed in wooden crates picked up on Fridays. Field visits create connections between producers and consumers, playing on a need felt on both sides: to restore the direct relations. As the moderator and director of Global Policies and Sustainability at the European Environmental Bureau Leida Rijnhout said: "It's not just about food, but about social cohesion". The rise of community-supported agriculture should be seen as a good example. This author happens to be in the first CSA farm in Belgium, together with 320 other citizens. Next week we'll celebrate our 10-year anniversary with over 40 other CSA farms that have meanwhile grown as mushrooms out of the ground. But all these bottom-up initiatives would mean a lot more if the policymakers do their part of the job that needs to be done. One country shows what's possible with the right decision-making. Researcher Julien Francois Gerber has studied the resistance to the neoliberal narrative in neighbouring Bhutan. This is an example where the degrowth economy is implemented top-down. The top three decisionmakers in Bhutan decided that the Gross National Hapiness (GNH) is more important that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and they developed a set of nine indicators to measure progress on the GNH. The Bhutanese government is very explicit about not going for endless growth: they even have sufficiency threshholds: maximums that they think the country should not go above, like for pesticide use. They forbid advertising, foreign chains that suck money out of the country and cap the number of tourists to limit environmental impacts. All politicians get an obligatory course on this vision of a sufficiency economy - one where there's enough for everybody's needs but not for everybody's greed. That brings us to another buzzword in these circles: sufficiency. Efficiency helps the economy to grow further and sufficiency helps to live within planetary boundaries. Activist researcher Joachim Spangenberg said: "sufficiency includes, but is much broader than environmentalism. It's the counter-concept to "higher, faster, further, more". For those thinking that the degrowth economy will remain a niche forever, it's worth remembering that the neoliberal economists also felt like they were shouting in the desert for 30 years, before getting mainstream. With resources becoming scarcer and both atmosphere, land and oceans getting ever fuller with waste, the big question is whether the degrowth narrative of a sufficiency economy will catch on sufficiently - before it's too late!" More info: The 5th International Degrowth Conference continues on 2 and 3 September. You can follow through the livestream: http://budapest.degrowth.org/ or with the hashtag #Degrowth2016 This Author Nick Meynen is one of The Ecologist New Voices contributors. He writes blogs and books http://www.epo.be/uitgeverij/boekinfo_auteur.php?isbn=9789064455803 on topics like environmental justice, globalization and human-nature relationships. When not wandering in the activist universe or his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nick.meynen is dead, he's probably walking in nature. @nickmeynen The arms recovered include one AK-56 Rifle with 15 live rounds and one magazine, one .32 pistol with one magazine and two live rounds, two live Chinese grenades and two country made guns. By Manjeet Negi: As many as 11 militants were detained in a joint operation conducted by security forces Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao and Sonitpur districts of Assam. Cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from their possession. In a joint raid conducted which lasted for more than 24 hours, at least five Karbi Peoples' Liberation Tiger (KPLT) leaders were detained, along with four National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbjit) and two Hills State United Liberation Front (HSULF) militants. advertisement The arms recovered include one AK-56 Rifle with 15 live rounds and one magazine, one .32 pistol with one magazine and two live rounds, two live Chinese grenades and two country made guns. The raid comes as an attempt to prevent militant and insurgency groups from executing subversive activities to disturb the peace and security of the region. A case has been filed in this regard at Deithor police station. With inputs from PTI --- ENDS --- Franklin Countys first Nest classroom at Burnt Chimney Elementary is a great beginning for the school division to make the same academic curriculum available to all students, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The students will be able to stay in the classroom with their peers with a few adaptations. The school division hopes to expand the program to other elementary schools in the near future. The third-grade classroom consists of 16 students (13 general education students and three students with autism) and two teachers (a general education teacher and a special education teacher). Paraprofessionals are not used in Nest classrooms. One cluster teacher is used to divide time between classes for support during specials and lunches and to serve as a substitute when needed. The classroom is completely organized, and all distracting wall hangings are either eliminated or covered with only relevant material visualized. Adaptations are added to chairs to keep them from squeaking or scraping the floor. The rooms coloring and lighting are calm, and a quiet break area is available in the back of the room in which students are allowed to take a few minutes to calm or self-regulate themselves as needed. These are just a few of the differences between a typical classroom and an inclusive Nest classroom. Franklin County Assistant Superintendent Sue Rogers visited a school in New York City that has implemented the Nest model. It was a really great environment, Rogers said. I saw no reason we couldnt replicate it in Franklin County. Nest is an inclusive program that supports students identified with ASD. In a Nest classroom, visual aids are used to supplement verbal directions. Concrete language is used when providing directions. Daily class schedules are clearly displayed and referenced. Positive behavior is highlighted, and students are told what to do instead of what not to do. Throughout the school, brain breaks are used to encourage students to take breaks and stretch. A 5-point voice scale is used to let students know when to use loud voices and when to speak with a softer volume. In the Nest model, class sizes drop significantly, and teams of social workers, guidance counselors and administrators work together on academics, adaptive behavior, social understanding, social communication and social skills. Team meetings take place weekly. We want to give these children the best opportunity to live a happy, productive life, and we want them in the same grade level as their peers, said Dorothy Siegel with NYU Steinhardt. The school environment has the potential to be a major vehicle for therapeutic change. Education is the primary form of treatment for autism. All the therapies arent nearly as important as education. We applaud the efforts of the school division to make general education classrooms more inclusive. A passerby got out of her car and tried to warn oncoming drivers of a downed motorcyclist who was lying in part of northbound U.S. 220 in Franklin County last April moments before the biker was fatally run over by a truck. That testimony, and accounts by several others involved, emerged at a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Franklin County General District Court. At the end of the hearing, a judge certified a felony hit-and-run charge against Kevin Dwight Blackburn, 38, of Thomasville, North Carolina. State police have said that on the night of April 17, Carl Edward Pence of Rocky Mount was riding a motorcycle on U.S. 220 south of Boones Mill. Pence, 35, was near Calvary Lane when his bike collided with a deer and he was thrown onto the highway. Within moments, he was struck and killed by a 2013 Freightliner truck driven by Blackburn. Testimony at the hearing indicated that Blackburn pulled over after he hit Pence, and that an ambulance happened by the scene almost immediately, but at some point Blackburn got back in his truck and left. At the hearing, Berkley Conner, a college student from Nathalie, Virginia, testified that she was driving north on U.S. 220 that night when she came upon Pence. She said when she stopped and got out, Pence was gasping for air, just laying there. I started waving my arms, because I saw cars coming. It was a bunch, she told Judge George Jones. Conner saw Blackburns truck coming in the left lane beside another vehicle in the right, but the truck didnt stop and it hit Pence. She said it did not appear to have been speeding. Matthew Corley, an EMT for Carilion Clinic, testified that he was driving an ambulance a short distance behind Blackburns truck, transporting an unrelated patient. He saw the Freightliner bounce, he said, then realized there was something in the highway so he stopped, called a dispatcher and tended to Pence. In a matter of seconds, probably a minute or two, we lost pulse, Cor ley said. Franklin County rescue workers eventually took over but Pence died at the scene. Boones Mill Police Chief Dennis Deacon said in court he got a broadcast lookout alert for Blackburns truck and pulled him over within minutes. He said he was confused and so he left, Deacon testified. Blackburns charge will now go before a Franklin County grand jury. Its a Class 5 felony which, in Virginia, can carry one to 10 years in prison. Video footage of the incident, captured by security cameras at a nearby business, was presented to the judge Wednesday. Last month, Blackburn and C&T Durham Trucking Co. were jointly sued in U.S. District Court by Pences estate and his widow, Jessica Pence. The complaint seeks damages in the amount of $6 million and accuses Blackburn of using social media on a hand-held device at the time of the crash. A response to the suit, filed Aug. 19 by defense attorneys for Blackburn and the trucking company, denies those claims. No court date has been set in that case. What we know so far about alleged Iowa serial killer Donald Studey Lalbaugcha Raja is one of the most famous and revered Ganpati Darshans of the country. By India Today Web Desk: Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the major Hindu festivals which is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Ganesha. Observed in the month of August or September, the festival generally falls on the fourth day of the waxing moon. Lalbaugcha Raja is Mumbai's most famous Ganpati darshan where devotees come in large number to get a glimpse of their beloved deity. The first look of Lalbaugcha Raja was held yesterday evening. Photo: Milind Shelte/India Today advertisement The festival is celebrated differently across Indian states. States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu etc. celebrate Ganesh Charuthi as one of their important festivals--where almost every household installs its own statue which is worshipped through the week. Also read: Ganesh Chaturthi- 3 Mumbai home chefs teach you how to nail 3 kinds of modaks Every morning and evening, 'aartis' are done and Prasad is offered to Ganesha. In the end of the festival, the statues are immersed in the water bodies. The devotees sing songs and prayers in the name of Ganesha as the idols are carried to the sea and immersed. Photo: Milind Shelte/India Today Devotees carry an idol of Hindu elephant god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity. Idols of Ganesh are made two to three months before Ganesh Chaturthi, a popular religious festival in India. During the festival, the idols will be taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by dancing and singing, and will be immersed in a river or the sea in accordance with the Hindu faith. Idol of Lord Ganesha at Lalbaugcha Raja in 2015. Photo: Milind Shelte/India Today Ganpati Bappa Morya! --- ENDS --- On July 21, Amazon and Wells Fargo announced that they were forming a partnership to offer private student loans to those who qualified. They promised a "tremendous opportunity" for those trying to finance their education. However, on Wednesday, August 31, the two companies announced that the program would no longer go forward and that they had dissolved their partnership. The partnership represented the first attempt for Amazon to enter the student loan market while giving Wells Fargo the opportunity to grow in this area of lending. The plan was to reach out on a daily basis to millions of students who use Amazon, have an Amazon Prime Student account, and would be interested in the half a percentage point discount offered by Wells on loans made through the partnership. Following the announcement, Amazon has removed Wells Fargo from the Prime Student section of its website. Likewise, the Wells Fargo website that featured Amazon has gone and now returns its users to the bank's main student loan page. Inquiries into why the partnership was dissolved were not answered by either Amazon or Wells Fargo. The only statement made came from a spokeswoman for Wells Fargo, Catherine B. Pulley, who simply stated that the program had ended. The partnership had been discussed for over a year before the official announcement in July. Find out quickly at what rate you can refinance your student loan. The accused are absconding. They have been booked under Section 448, 323 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. By Ashish Pandey: In a major embarrassment to Telangana Police, a bunch of police personnel were caught on camera abducting a man in Hyderabad. The incident took place on Thursday when a police personnel forced Amruth, security guard of an apartment, into a police van belonging to the Special Branch under Saidabad Police Station. The entire incident was recorded on camera. advertisement In his complaint with the police, Amruth said he was forced into the police after he had a tiff with Vivekanand, son of Venugopal Raju, Special Branch Inspector posted at Vikarabad of Ranga Reddy district. Amruth said he was also bitten by the police forces. Prithviraj, Venugopal Raju's second son was also named as an accused. The accused are absconding. The trio have been booked under Section 448, 323 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. --- ENDS --- WESTPORT The school board voted to make the town whole Monday, replacing state education aid money cut by the state with surplus from its budget. The Board of Education voted unanimously to return $920,000 of its $1.4 million year-end balance to the town, while depositing the remaining $513,957 into the BOE carryover account. Westport was cut $1.1 million in state Educational Cost Sharing aid this past fiscal year, down from the planned $2 million, a difference of $920,000. The total BOE budget for the fiscal year was just over $111 million. You will note that we have an unexpended balance at the end of the year in the amount of $1,433,957.31, Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer wrote in a letter to the BOE. In light of the recent state of Connecticut reduction to Education Cost Share Grant and the corresponding estimate aid reduction to the town of Westport, it is my recommendation the Board of Education return to the town of Westport the amount of $920,000.31, as a one-time offset. Board member Vik Muktavaram questioned whether or not the money could be used for the BOE budget down the road. So for this year, while we are recommending to give about a million dollars to the town, some of this may come back in our future operating budget? Muktavaram asked. That is correct, and that is why Dr. Palmer has stated that it is a one-time offset, Elio Longo, director of School Business Operations, said. In April, it was announced that in an effort to balance the states budget, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy would cut millions of dollars in Educational Cost Sharing funds. Westport, which was set to receive $2 million through ECS, had $920,000 cut, leaving it with $1.1 million in state grant money, according to Longo. Although left with a $1.4 million cushion, at the time the cuts were announced, school administrators were very concerned by the cut to state aid, especially because the cuts came so late in the towns budgetary process. In May, former Superintendent Elliott Landon said he would have to work diligently with Longo to close the gap posed by the loss of state aid. We are trying to accumulate as large a surplus as possible and were hopeful that we might be able, through some really intelligent reworking of things offset, we hope, virtually all of that, Landon said. We dont know if thats possible, but thats our goal. @chrismmarquette/ cmarquette@bcnnew.com NORWALK A meeting between families of Norwalk Public School students with special needs and the districts new chief of specialized learning and student services, Lynn Toper, has been rescheduled for Sept. 19. The meeting was originally slated for Aug. 15, prior to the start of the new school year, but was canceled after school officials said Toper experienced a family emergency. Dr. Toper had an emergency the day before or day of and we had to postpone, said Brenda Wilcox-Williams, a spokeswoman for Norwalk Public Schools. Though the meeting was originally scheduled prior to the first day of classes in order for Toper and other school officials to proactively address concerns of parents and start the school year with a better expectation of communication, Williams said the event was rescheduled a month after the original date to avoid open houses and other previously planned beginning-of-the-year events. The calendar this time of year tends to get busy with a lot of stuff going on at the school level, Williams said. So we needed to make sure to pick a date to avoid major conflicts as well as possible. The public is invited to attend the meeting, set to run from 6-8 p.m. in room A300 of Norwalk City Hall, to get better acquainted with Toper and her vision as she embarks on her first year in the position. All of the families who have students with special needs are invited, Williams said. It will be a good opportunity to meet her in person and hear more about her background and these plans. Toper joined Norwalk Public Schools in July, vowing to improve Norwalk Public Schools special education and repair the somewhat tumultuous relationship between the parents of special education students and the school district. Previously, Toper was principal of Capitol Region Education Council Discovery Academy, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics elementary school; the principal of Jumoke Academy Charter Schools; and a special education consultant for the Connecticut Department of Education. Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski; Peg McDonald, one of the authors of the 2015 Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) Report on Special Education in Norwalk; and attorney Terri DeFrancis, who served as a mediator with the Connecticut Department of Education, will accompany Toper at the event. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK The Connecticut Department of Transportation on Tuesday will release its draft impact reports for the upcoming replacement of the Walk Bridge over the Norwalk River. The reports will include a preferred design alternative and address all anticipated impacts of the roughly $1 billion bridge replacement, which the DOT plans to begin in mid-2018. In general, we look at everything, said John D. Hanifin, project manager with the DOT. We look at the ecological environment of the river, we look at the boaters, we look at the commuters, we look at all the adjacent properties and historical impacts. All these things are evaluated. In terms of design, the DOT has narrowed its selection to a Through Truss Rolling Bascule and a Through Truss Vertical Lift Span bridge after having considered 69 movable span options. The project remains at about 30 percent design, according to the DOT. The final design of the selected bridge option will evolve over time with input from the public, according to the department. The draft reports, prepared by consultant HNTB Corp., will be posted online at ct.gov/dot/ and at walkbridgect.com/. A 45-day public comment period will run through Oct. 21 with a public hearing set for Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m., at Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Ave. To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and Connecticut Environmental Policy Act, the DOT must prepare an Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Evaluation. The Environmental Assessment is expected to address project alternatives and impacts on air, soil and water; fish, wildlife and endangered species; historic properties and American Indian sites; and noise, traffic, public health and environmental justice issues. The Environmental Impact Evaluation must, among other things, analyze the short and long-term economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of the proposed project. Local officials are eager to dig into the draft reports while at the same time acknowledging the information could be daunting. Thats going to be a very lengthy, written report to encompass all that it has to encompass, Norwalk Harbor Management Commissioner John Romano told fellow commissioners at their August meeting. Is it beyond our capabilities? More than anything else, Romano continued, the commission must establish that information within the reports is valid and not skewed by the DOT. Romanos comment reflects a concern that the transportation department is moving forward with a bridge design that it favors regardless of local input and concerns. He suggested that city engineers also review the reports. Geoffrey Steadman, planning consultant for the Harbor Management Commission, said the commission is well qualified to evaluate the waterway impacts of the bridge replacement. Other city bodies and agencies, he said, also should weigh in on the reports. We will be looking at the aspects affecting the waterway, but the aspects affecting Water Street and the social-economic impacts, those would be up to other parties, Steadman told commissioners last month. The proper review of that Environmental Impact Evaluation would involve a coordinated effort by all of the city agencies that have some role or responsibility in what happens with the bridge. Hanifin said the environmental assessment will include mitigation measures. For instance, if the bridge replacement is expected to destroy a wetland, the DOT must recreate that wetland. Another mitigation effort is already planned. Next year, the DOT will begin building a Danbury Branch Dockyard off Crescent Street and upgrade the train tracks in East Norwalk. Both projects are aimed at maintaining rail service during the bridge replacement. Were doing those advance projects so that will keep the passenger flow as we have it today, Hanifin said. After the 45-day public comment period, public and stakeholder input will be recorded and addressed in the final environmental documents. The DOT will coordinate with other agencies to further assess the impacts and prepare the final reports. Steadman reminded that other reviews and permits will be required before the DOT can replace the bridge. They involve the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They also need the DEEP permits and the Corps of Engineers permits, Steadman said. Those would be applications the following year. In spring 2014, the Walk Bridge failed to open and close properly on two occasions, halting trains along one of the nations busiest rail corridors and prompting state and federal officials to advance plans to replace the 120-year-old structure. The bridge has malfunctioned on other occasions since then. rkoch@hearstmediact.com I dont believe we can have an army without music. Robert E. Lee If wed had your music, sir, wed have whipped you out of your boots. A Confederate officer at Appomattox to his Union counterpart It would be hard to overestimate the ubiquity and importance of music during the American Civil War. In the camps of both North and South, regimental bands regularly inspired, amused, and consoled soldiers, who on a daily basis faced the threat of death, both from the mysterious onslaught of disease, borne by bugs they could not see, and from the bullets and cannon-shot of the enemy, whom they saw all too clearly in the close-quarter combat of the era. Far from their homes, music provided a diversion from both loneliness and terror; on the march and in battle, it infused the men with a spirit of elan and commitment to their cause. Music was equally important on the homefront. In an era when pianos were affordable to most middle-class homesa new one could be purchased for as little as $125 and used ones for lessmusic filled the living rooms of houses on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. Thousands of new songs about the conflict were written by scores of composers between 1861 and 1865, and sheet music for newly-minted pieces was made readily available at affordable prices by publishers. During the war, Northern presses published some 9,000-10,000 songs, and Southern ones between 600-700. The armies themselves served to advertise new songs to civilians, carrying this music with them as they marched across the land and holding concerts for civilians along the way. As in the cases of the men they missed, families found in music of the era a balm for their aching souls, which longed for the safe return of their fathers, sons, and brothers, and an end to the fratricidal conflict. Below are ten of the greatest and most popular songs that were written during the secession crisis and the Civil War. (Dixie, which originated in the the 1850s and which was published in 1859, is thus not included here.) These songs were subjected to various arrangements both during and after the war, and their character and quality depend heavily on both the skill of the arranger and the performers. The performances below have been chosen carefully, offering, in this writers opinion, the best readily available online. 1. John Browns Body (words by various authors; music from the hymn Say Brothers Will You Meet Us on Canaans Happy Shore) It was easily the most popular song among Yankee soldiers during the entire war, showing the power of music, when combined with words, to influence belief. One of the most difficult developments for historians of the Civil War to explain was the widespread adoption of the abolitionist agenda by Northerners mid-way through the war. At the wars outset, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican party were careful to frame the conflict as a war to preserve the Union, as the vast majority of Yankees held what we would today call racist views of Africans (and other darker-skinned peoples). Abolitionists were generally seen as fanatics and kooksafter all, their idea of political action included things like holding meetings during which they burned copies of the Constitutionand before Fort Sumter, John Brown himself was viewed as a wild-eyed, murderous ruffian who well-deserved his execution by Virginia authorities in 1859. Few Union soldiers who marched south in 1861 would have done so had they had any inkling that they were fighting to free the black man. John Browns Body changed all that. Originating in 1861 as a camp song meant to tease a soldier named John Brown, it was transformed into an anthem honoring the memory of the fiery abolitionist. Union soldiers throughout the country embraced it by the spring of 1862 and often sung it to irritate Southern soldiers and civilians, even if they themselves were lukewarm about abolition. Over time, however, the singing of the song itself led to changes in opinion, and by the time that Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation transformed the war into a crusade to free the slaves, the hearts of the fighting men had been prepared. Lyrics were added to John Browns Body during the course of the war, and in 1862 Northern poet Julia Ward Howe wrote a new title and entirely new set of words for the song, but, contrary to popular belief, her Battle Hymn of the Republic did not achieve widespread popularity until the war was over. 2. The Bonnie Blue Flag (words by Harry Macarthy; music from The Irish Jaunting Car) In building anew its own national, cultural identity, the Confederacy felt the need to reject traditional American anthems like The Star-Spangled Banner, Hail Columbia, and Yankee Doodle and to develop songs emblematic of their cause. Dixie, which originated as a minstrel ditty on the eve of secession, was highly popular from the wars outset, but many felt that its quaint lyrics lacked the requisite nobility of a proper national song. Inspired by the scene at the Mississippi secession convention in January 1861, Harry Macarthy, an English immigrant who had already made a name for himself as a comic performer in the South, wrote The Bonnie Blue Flag to a traditional Irish tune. The song well-articulated the not-yet-lost cause of the South in its first stanza: We are a band of brothers And native to the soil, Fighting for the property We gained by honest toil; And when our rights were threatened, The cry rose near and far Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag That bears a single star! Hurrah! Hurrah! For Southern rights hurrah! Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag That bears a single star. Macarthy later changed the third and fourth lines of the first stanza to Fighting for our liberty/With treasure, blood, and toil, an alteration that seemed to elevate the Souths cause from a mere defense of property to a noble defense of freedom itself. (It should be noted, however, that the term property would have interpreted by Americans at the time as including not only material goods such as slaves and land but also political rights.) 3. The Battle Cry of Freedom (words & music by George Frederick Root; Southern version with words by William H. Barnes) The Battle Cry of Freedom proved to be the second-most-popular song of the war in the North; indeed, among the civilian population it likely even surpassed what was probably the soldiers favorite, John Browns Body. Written by George Frederick Root, whose firm Root & Cady published more than 100 songs during the war, The Battle Cry of Freedom became an instant hit upon its creation in July of 1862. Its stirring music combined with lyrics more high-toned than those of John Browns Body to create a powerful song that served as a rallying cry among both the troops and civilians, especially as the war seemed to drag endlessly on. Yes well rally round the flag, boys, well rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of freedom, We will rally from the hillside, well gather from the plain, Shouting the battle cry of freedom! The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah! Down with the traitor, up with the star; While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of freedom! It was common for songs that were popular on one side of the Mason-Dixon Line to be adopted by the opposing section through the addition of new lyrics. This was done with The Battle Cry of Freedom, which was given Southern lyrics by William H. Barnes: They have laid down their lives on the bloody battle field. Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom! Their motto is resistance To tyrants well not yield! Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom! Our Dixie forever! Shes never at a loss! Down with the eagle and up with the cross! We will rally round the flag, well rally once again, Shout, shout the battle cry of Freedom! 4. Maryland, My Maryland (words by James Ryder Randall; music from Lauriger Horatius) Baltimore poet James Ryder Randall wrote the words to Maryland, My Maryland in April of 1861 in response to the bloody confrontation between Union soldiers of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment and a pro-secessionist mob of Baltimores citizens, who tried to prevent the unit passing through their city on the way to defend Washington. The despots heel is on thy shore, Maryland, My Maryland! His torch is at thy temple door, Maryland, My Maryland! Avenge the patriotic gore That flecked the streets of Baltimore, And be the battle queen of yore, Maryland! My Maryland! The fiery poem attempted to reassure Southerners that Maryland would indeed secedethough it never did, largely because the Lincoln Administration imprisoned many of the states legislators and instituted martial law. Randalls poem was set by sisters Hetty and Jenny Cary of Baltimore to the music of the medieval Latin college song, Lauriger Horatius and became at least as popular in the South as Dixie and The Bonnie Blue Flag in the early years of the war. Despite its politically incorrect lyricsAbe Lincoln is referred to as a tyrant and Vandal and Northerners as scumMaryland, My Maryland remains the official song of the Free State. 5. We Are Coming Father Abraham (words by James Sloan Gibbons; music by Luther O. Emerson) James Sloan Gibbons, a Quaker and an abolitionist, wrote this song in response to Abraham Lincolns call for 300,000 volunteers in July of 1862. It was soon set to several different melodies, the most successful of which was that by Luther O. Emerson. The song strongly encouraged Northern enlistment and ranked just behind John Browns Body and The Battle Cry of Freedom in popularity in the North in the first half of the war. 6. Grafted into the Army (words & music by Henry Clay Work) There were plenty of cynics who mocked the patriotic call to arms of Father Abraham. Like most wars, the American Civil War was a rich mans war, but a poor mans fight. In the North, a draftee could pay a fee of $300 to avoid conscription, his place being filled by some unknown and unlucky soul, who would be drafted instead, and who could not afford to pay for an exemption. A draftee could also hire a substitute for a lesser amount than $300, and many poor Northern men were persuaded in this way to put their lives at risk for cash. Songwriter Henry Clay Work poked fun at the system in a song that describes a poor man named Jimmy who is grafted (that is, bribed) into joining the army in this way. Our Jimmy has gone for to live in a tent They have grafted him into the army! He finally puckered up courage and went, When they grafted him into the army. I told them the child was too young, alas! At the captains forequarters, they said he would pass! Theyd train him up well in the infantry class So they grafted him into the army. Oh, Jimmy, farewell! Your brothers fell Way down in Alabarmy; I thought they would spare a lone widders heir, But they grafted him into the army! 7. Thats Whats the Matter (words & music by Stephen Foster) The father of American music, Stephen Foster, wrote several songs about the war, the end of which he would not live to see (Foster died in 1864, penniless). Thats Whats the Matter (written in 1862) is typical of so many of Fosters works: a lively, catchy tune combined with simple, yet memorable, lyrics. The song, like Fosters Nothing But a Plain Old Soldier, takes a lighthearted look at the conflict between North and South, in this case gently upbraiding the rebel crew for storming the red, white, and blue and reassuring nervous Northerners that secessions dodge is all played out. We live in hard and stirring times, Too sad for mirth, too rough for rhymes; For songs of peace have lost their chimes, And thats whats the matter! The men we held as brothers true Have turned into a rebel crew; So now we have to put them thro, And thats whats the matter! Thats whats the matter, The rebels have to scatter; Well make them flee, by land and sea, And thats whats the matter! 8. Tenting on the Old Campground (words & music by Walter Kittredge) Melancholy songs about the life of the soldier were popular around both campfire and fireplace. The most played was Tenting on the Old Campground (or Tenting Tonight), composed by a New Hampshire native, Walter Kittredge, who never actually served as a soldier. The song recounts the hardships of army life: separation from loved ones, the fatigue of marching and combat, the death of comrades. The climax of the songwhich never fails to pierce the soul of the listener in a good performancecomes when the final two lines of the chorus are jarringly altered, from Tenting tonight, tenting tonight/Tenting on the old camp ground to Dying tonight, dying tonight/Dying on the old camp ground. 9. Weeping Sad and Lonely (words by Charles C. Sawyer, music by Henry Tucker) Known also as When This Cruel War Is Over, this might have been the most popular song in all of America during the war, so deeply moving that several Union generals banned its performance in camp, lest it demoralize the troops and encourage desertions. The narrator of the song is a wife or girlfriend who mournfully bids farewell to her beloved: Oft in dreams I see thee lying on the battle plain,/Lonely, wounded, even dying, calling but in vain. More than a million copies of the sheet music for the song were sold in the North. 10. All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight (words by Ethel Lynn Beers and music by John Hill Hewitt) Protest songs often used humor and mockery, like Grafted into the Army, but they could alsoperhaps more effectivelytake the form of heartrending ballads, meditations on the death of soldiers that by their nature called into question the worth of war. One such well-known song was The Vacant Chair, but likely the most popular of these death songs was All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight, which began as a poem by Northerner Ethel Lynn Beers, called The Picket-Guard and published in Harpers Weekly in 1861. Southerner John Hill Hewitt set the poem to music of a compellingly haunting nature. it The poem tells of a lonely picket guard who is shot in the dark by a concealed rifleman. The narrator suggests with subtle yet bitter irony that the lowly privates death will be forgotten in the story of the war: Tis nothinga private or two, now and then, Will not count in the news of the battle; Not an officer lostonly one of the men, Moaning out, all alone, the death rattle. Though in naming the river on the banks of which countless men marched and died, All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight tells the story of a specific time and a specific war, the song remains a timeless in its commentary on the tragedy of war, which consigns many common men not only to death, but to oblivion. While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead, The pickets off duty forever. For more on this topic see Christian McWhirters Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War and Willard Allison Heaps The Singing Sixties: The Spirit of Civil War Days Drawn from the Music of the Times. The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now. The featured image is a detail from an image courtesy of Pixabay. The image at top is a detail from an image of Union saxhorn and drum musicians probably at Camp Griffin, Langley, Virginia, from the Library of Congress and is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Grand Islands Citizen Review Committee gave unanimous approval on Thursday to award $664,000 in Local Option Municipal Economic Development Program, or LB840, funds. The committees vote is a recommendation that will go to the Grand Island City Council during a meeting at 7 p.m. Sept. 13 for final approval. The committee was in favor of $117,000 in business incentives to Borer Wholesale to expand its Grand Island facility at 147 E. Robert St. near McCain Foods. Borer is a pump repair and supply store and intends to add eight jobs to its existing 10-person workforce. Of that incentive, $45,000 is for job training, $52,000 is for job creation and $20,000 is for infrastructure development, said Dave Taylor, Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp. president. The average pay for the new jobs would be $17.50 an hour. The committee was also in favor of $197,000 for Inland Truck Parts of Kansas to expand into Grand Island. Twenty new jobs would be created at the nearly $5 million trucks parts and service shop to be built at 4480 Gold Core Drive, just south of Standard Iron in the Platte Valley Industrial Park. Taylor said Inlands incentive is $45,000 for job training, $132,000 for job creation and $20,000 for infrastructure development. Average pay per hour for those new jobs would be $28. None of the incentive dollars would be paid upfront. Job training dollars would be paid out as positions are filled. Job creation dollars would be paid out after one year of maintaining the jobs. Infrastructure dollars would be paid out after construction, Taylor said. Both bring in really good jobs to Grand Island, he said. Obviously, with one being a new business to town, its always great for that, and the other is expanding in Grand Island. The committee also recommended in favor of the standard $350,000 of annual funding to the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp. for operations and community marketing. Winners have been announced in the Nebraska State Fairs annual decorated hay bale contest. For seven years, the decorated hay bales that create buzz and excitement for the State Fair have been a staple for the Grand Island community leading up to the event. Residents and visitors alike look forward to the contest as it shows the creativity and talent of area businesses and organizations. This years hay bales were judged on five aspects: eye appeal, construction, use of materials, creativity and whether the State Fair theme, Grand Champions. Made in Nebraska, was used. The award for Peoples Choice is calculated by the number of likes on the picture of the hay bale on the Nebraska State Fairs Facebook page. The winners received gate admission to the 2016 Nebraska State Fair, a large rosette and lottery tickets. They are: First place: Green Line Equipment with 156 points. Second place: Hy-Vee grocery store with 150 points. Third place: McDermott & Miller with 149 points. Peoples Choice: CNH with 1,400 likes. Others in the top 10 are Bosselman Enterprises, Pediatric Dental Specialists, Solid Rock Baptist, Rejuvenation Salon/Big Red Treats/South Beach Tanning, Grand Island Independent and Home Federal Bank. The hay bale decorating contest is successful because of the donation of hay bales from Roger Luebbe, hay bale transportation assistance from Chief Carriers and Kramers Iron and planning and judging by the hay bale committee members. Committee members are Joe and Jan Cook, Kurt and Bobbi McDannel, Judy Petrick, Gloria Bates and Tracy Bleier, with assistance from Jaime Parr and Janna Kuklis from the Nebraska State Fair, and Casey Haberman from the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce. Thursday was the fourth annual State Fair Cattlemans Day, an event hosted by the fair in cooperation with the Nebraska Cattlemen Association and the Sandhills Cattle Association. That meant there was no better way to celebrate the states beef industry than putting on a barbecue meal for people in the beef industry and the fairs cattle exhibitors, followed by the Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive: Open Female and Bull Selection. Gov. Pete Ricketts was one of the people who enjoyed the barbecue and, after everyone had finished eating, he extolled the importance of the industry with its $6.5 billion in annual cattle sales and its $1 billion in beef export sales to the states economy. Even though the competition was being held at the Nebraska State Fair, animals in the competition had also been bred in Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois and Tennessee, making the Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive even more intense. The Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive takes all the female cattle who won their classes at the Nebraska State Fair and has them compete against each other for first, second and third place. The competition then pits all the bulls who won their classes or divisions to see which will finish first, second and third. Ricketts was also one of the judges, although the real work of evaluating the female cattle and bulls belonged to Cheramie Viator of Cypress, Texas, and Curt Rincker of Shelbyville, Ill. However, both Viator and Rincker kept up a steady stream of conversation with Ricketts, as they apparently explained what they were looking for as first the females and then the bulls paraded through the ring. After the two judges revealed their decisions to the governor, Ricketts had the honor of revealing the third place winner, the Reserve Supreme Champion and the Grand Supreme Champion in that order. Ricketts strolled around all the cattle in both competitions, heightening the suspense before he finally announced the judges selections. Third place went to a Red Angus female named MNS Sofia 42 brought in from Elizabeth, Colo., with Kalleigh Roberts listed as the exhibitor. The Reserve Supreme Champion was an Angus female named Lazy JB Queen Latifah 525. The exhibitor for that female was Lazy JB Angus and Halie Conley, with the city and state listed for the female listed as Montrose, Colo., and Canada. Finally, Ricketts revealed that the Grand Supreme Champion in the female competition was a Simmental Found named Miss Selina, with its city and state listed as Pierce, Albion and Martell, Neb. The exhibitor was listed at Gana/Gateway Genetics. The person showing Miss Selena was Kade Nelson of Crete. After the female competition was over, Nelson acknowledged how thrilling it was to have Miss Selina named as the Grand Supreme Champion. He noted that in 2015, he showed an animal from Gana/Gateway Genetics that won its class to get into the Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive. Although it is a honor to even make it to that competition, Gana/Gateway did not make the top three last year, he said. Thursday evening, Nelson was all smiles after the female competition. Its exciting, said Nelson, who acknowledged feeling pumped up after the win for Miss Selina. After the females had exited the ring, the bulls entered one-by-one to be judged. Ricketts once again had the privilege of announcing Viators and Rinckers decisions. Third place went to a Maine-Anjou Bull named BPF Beastie Boy. The exhibitors name was once again Gana/Gateway Genetics, with the city and state listed as Pierce, Albion and Martell. The Reserve Supreme Champion was an Angus bull named Hurlbut OSU Final Exam 5130, with the exhibitors name listed as Dustin and Jeana Hurlbut of Top Line Farms, with the city and state listed as Raymond, S.D. and Tremont, Ill. A Simmental bull named Pay The Price was named the 2016 Grand Supreme Champion. The exhibitor was Volk Livestock of Battle Creek. Dean Volk of Battle Creek said it was an honor to win against such a high level of competition. You dont have to go very far in Nebraska to find reputable breeders of any breed of cattle, said Volk, who said Nebraska has breeders who have great reputations statewide, nationwide and even internationally. Just before the winners were named in the bull competition, Viator took the microphone and complimented people for what the contributions that Nebraska cattleman have made to the beef industry. She also urged people to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself to talk to people about the beef industry. My challenge to you is tell our story, Viator said. If we dont tell our story and tell it the right way, somebody else will tell it and we probably wont like their version. So my challenge to each of you is to tell about the beef industry, tell about your operations, be proud of it and be our future. By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) India and Egypt today decided to significantly step up their defence and security cooperation to effectively deal with twin challenges of terrorism and radicalisation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks covering the entire expanse of ties. With both India and Egypt engaged in fighting terrorism, the two leaders identified the menace as one of the "gravest threats" and decided to have greater information and operational exchanges to combat it, besides ramping up defence cooperation. advertisement "We are of one view that growing radicalisation, violence and spread of terror are a real threat across regions," Modi said after talks with the President of the strategically located country which is a crucial link between northeast Africa and the Middle East. The two countries also decided to expand trade and commercial ties holding that there are huge opportunities to exploit untapped economic opportunities in the two countries. An MoU on maritime shipping was also signed. The Prime Minister said the two countries agreed on an "action oriented agenda" to drive the engagements in a range of sectors apart from deciding to expand defence trade, training and capacity building. Sisi, who arrived here yesterday on a three-day visit, said his government will work towards a robust security cooperation with India besides laying out a roadmap for intensification of bilateral trade and investment cooperation. "The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They considered terrorism to be one of the gravest threats to international peace and security. They reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism at all levels. "They also reaffirmed their resolve to work together at UN on concluding the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT)," a joint statement issued after the talks said. The Prime Minister, in his statement to media said, 1.25 billion people of India are happy that the Egyptian President is here and that both of them have agreed to build on multiple pillars of cooperation between the two sides. MORE PTI MPB RT --- ENDS --- On Tuesday, Aug. 30, President Obama commuted the sentences of 111 federal drug offenders. In his first term, Obama endured the sting of critics like me who called him one of the stingiest modern presidents when it comes to the presidential pardon power. In his second term, Obama is making up for lost time. With 673 commutations, the Washington Post reports, Obama has approached 690, the number of commutations issued by the previous 11 presidents. Obama deserves credit for doing the right thing. The federal mandatory minimum sentencing system the bastard child of Washingtons ill-conceived war on drugs was supposed to put drug kingpins away for long sentences. But the system lacks proportion, and too often has been used to put away low-level and nonviolent drug offenders for decades 232 Obama commutation recipients were serving sentences of life without parole. The pardon power was put in the U.S. Constitution in part to allow the president to correct for this brand of institutional overkill. In his first years in office, I needled Obama for his lack of mercy. So now when he announces a big batch of commutations, I often hear from readers challenging me to praise the president for using his pardon power. When Obama began to turn on the spigot in 2013, I did so. As he has stepped up his efforts, I have been a little conflicted. On the one hand, I think it is great that Obama is bestowing mercy, as I have no doubt that thousands of the 193,070 federal inmates are serving sentences that far outweigh their crimes. On the other hand, I fear that the sheer volume and velocity of this effort could doom this exercise to a bad ending. The president changed his clemency criteria to allow for the early release of drug offenders also charged for firearms possession. As Obama said recently, There may be a situation where a kid at 18 was a member of a gang, had a firearm, did not use it in the offense that he was charged in, theres no evidence that he used it in any violence offense. The president is right on principle but, as his administration tries to process some 11,000 applications before he exits, the looming deadline expands the opportunity to make mistakes by releasing someone who is violent. Julie Stewart of Families Against Mandatory Minimums sees safeguards. Recipients take seriously their responsibility not to make Obama look bad. Also, some 2016 commutations come with strings recipients have to spend time in halfway houses or stick with drug treatment programs. Some commutations reduce long sentences, but the inmate still must remain in prison for some time. Former Pardon Attorney Margaret Love fears that with this rushed schedule, the administration will turn down inmates who deserve commutations. Im with Pardon Power blogger P. S. Ruckman Jr., who has seen last-minute pardons do more damage long term. Think of Bill Clintons 140 out-the-door-clemency grants. Ruckman fears that if some inmates are not well-vetted as happens with a rush job and they re-offend in headline-making ways, the next president who comes in will be gun shy with the pardon power. Me, I am thrilled Obama is using his pardon power, and crossing my fingers he is using it well. Bizarre World Series opener ends with Phillies stunning Verlander's Astros Justin Verlander's World Series struggles continued as the Astros blew a 5-0 lead, losing Game 1 in extra innings to the Phillies. By Adila Matra: The man who was responsible for the tagline 'God's Own Country' and 'Incredible India' - two huge initiatives that drove tourism - CEO of Niti Aayog, Modi government's initiative to foster state governments' participation in the economic policy making, Amitabh Kant says we need to market India as a brand internationally. MARKET INDIAN FOOD INTERNATIONALLY "The food and beverages sector is vibrant in India-growing at a rate of 29 per cent-driving India's economy. The challenge is to globalise Indian cuisine. Abroad, Bangladeshi and Nepali cuisine are passed off as Indian cuisine. advertisement No one knows about the Mopla cuisine or the Syrian Christian food in Kerala. A lot of other regional cuisine still remains undiscovered," he said. Kant said private players like TATA need to put out Indian brands on international shelves. "We need Indian coffee and tea brands that are available across the world. You walk into any tea shop and you will find Sri Lankan tea but there is not one Indian brand that's available. Milk is another such commodity that we can market," he says. SELL WITH PRIDE Just like any other challenge, these too can be solved with the help of professionals, according to Kant. "Private sector will help take Food India forward. Indian food products don't get the place it deserves. We have to cater to the needs of international audience while selling it to them. Presentation and packaging is of utmost importance. Like the Japanese does it, full of colours and appeal" Kant added that Indian brands have been rather pathetic in establishing Indian brands and that they really need to step up. "Indians must have a sense of pride and ownership. Our firms need to market their products abroad as Indian, not just any brand," he said. Apart from packaging and presenting, Kant has another tip. "Opening up the food retail sector is a huge plan in my mind. That way, the ultimate gainer is the farmer." Kant had an interesting take on the junk food service tax that Kerala recently introduced. "I, personally am not believer of taxing. I am a believer of educating. Imposing a 100 per cent tax on junk food is not the way to stop them from eating it. Sensitising them on the harmful effects of it is," Kant said. --- ENDS --- With campus classes in full swing, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is currently battling high levels of lead that have been in found in the water on campus. Drinking fountains and sinks have since been shut down in both the Lovejoy Library and the Science West Building until further notice. Interim Vice Chancellor of Administration Rich Walker said the university has tested all of the buildings and the library had mixed results. So the library, however, had mixed results. We did four tests in that building and they had some of those four tests come back above the action limit and below the action limit. So we have to take the next action step and the next action step is to test all of the drinking water sources in the building, whether thats a drinking fountain or a sink that someone might use to make their morning coffee. So thats the next step is weve taken samples of water from all of those sources in the library and weve sent them off to the lab and should have results back by the end of next week. Meanwhile, we put a temporary water in that building for people to use, Walker said. The Science West Building had all tests show high levels of lead, and Walker said the university is planning to consult an engineer to steer them in the right direction. There is no definite timeline for the pending investigation. Now the Science Building is a little different because the results that came back from the science building test were consistent but they were consistently over the action level, and that means we skip the step that says test all of the other individual sources because they were all high and instead, we take that next step and that is to one take all of the drinking sources offline, post that theres an issue, and then provide a temporary drinking water for people in the science building, and then call in a consultant who is a plumbing engineer that specializes in water quality issues, Walker said. SIUE has been conducting these lead level tests every three years. This is the second time the university has tested for lead in the past month. Walker said financially, the testing hasnt made a significant impact on the schools budget. Were required to do these tests every three years, so the cost so far has been something that we plan on every three years. The only additional cost would be for additional testing, but its not substancial, Walker said. The next step in the lead investigation is for the university to negotiate a contract with an engineer. Walker said the process for the testing began on August 7th, and has since been in effect. The university won't know anything more until sometime next week. The results came back August 17th, I believe. But we notified the campus on the 18th, the very next day, and then started the retesting the following Monday. We had the get the sample kits in so we could send it off to the lab. Theres a special protocol that needs to be followed when were doing that, Walker said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Fri, September 2, 2016 It has been thankfully rare, following the reforms that have been introduced since 1998, for Chinese-Indonesians to fall victim to widespread acts of ethnic violence. The sweeping reforms have indeed given a boost to the minority groups role in many aspects of life other than commerce, in which they have excelled for decades, allowing them to further integrate into the nation state called Indonesia. To prove the nations respect for its ethnic diversity all administrations resulting from elections held since the fall of the New Order have reserved at least one Cabinet seat for a member of the Chinese-Indonesian community. Such awareness reached a new peak when Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama became the first Chinese-Indonesian to be elected Jakarta deputy governor in 2012 and subsequently become the Jakarta governor two years later. It is therefore most regrettable that, as Indonesia marches toward greater achievements in managing its multi-ethnic relationship, reports have emerged that an Indonesian citizen of Chinese descent, Andrew Budikusuma, had filed a report with the Jakarta Police against a group of men who reportedly assaulted him aboard a Transjakarta bus last Friday night, apparently because of his ethnicity. In his testimony Andrew said he was attacked immediately after the men called him Ahok. The incident could just be a spillover from the boiling political climate ahead of the Jakarta election next February, which has seen adversaries of the incumbent governor launch a dark campaign to foil his bid for a full five-year mandate. One of the justifications for the anti-Ahok crusade is the supposed risk that the Chinese community would get a grip on both the political and economic levers of powers in Indonesia if he won reelection. Meanwhile, in July a mob set fire to temples and pagodas as well as looting shops in the North Sumatra town of Tanjungbalai after a Chinese-Indonesian woman, Meliana, complained about the volume of a loudspeaker at the mosque near her house. Many may question whether the riot was aimed at the minority ethnic group, but the fact that Meliana and her family were finally forced to leave the port city out of fear for their safety underlines the vulnerability of this nation to ethnic conflict. The mob running amok in Tanjungbalai, the hate speech targeting Ahok and the attack on Andrew should not be seen as sporadic, separate incidents, but the tip of a sinister iceberg that could sink the good ship Indonesia. The police must not tolerate any act that fuels hatred, let alone violence, against minority groups in order that a message is sent that every citizen is equal before the law. A lack of action on Andrews report, for example, would constitute a lack of state concern for minority rights and, worse, the condoning of the tyranny of the majority. Furthermore, instead of issuing superficial policies such as changing the term Cina to Tiongkok when referring to China, the government would be better employed promoting respect for the identity of the Chinese-Indonesian community by allowing its members the freedom to keep their Chinese names Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Fri, September 2, 2016 Indonesian Manpower Minister M. Hanif Dhakiri has firmly refused to send domestic helpers as requested by the government of Kuwait. As of today, the government has not entertained the idea of revoking the moratorium on sending labor in the domestic sector to the Middle East, including to Kuwait, the minister informed Kuwaiti Ambassador HE Abdul Wahab Abdullah Al-Saqar. On Aug. 18, at his office, the minister played host to the Kuwaiti ambassador. In the meeting, the Kuwaiti government specifically requested that the Indonesian government permit the sending of labor in the domestic sector to Kuwait. Although HE Abdul Wahab said that the Kuwaiti government respected the decision, he specifically requested that Indonesia exclude Kuwait from the policy. The royal family and the people of Kuwait are in need of domestic helpers from Indonesia, Abdul Wahab said. We hope that, especially for Kuwait, the Indonesian government can consider issuing a special policy. Yet, Minister Hanif was resolute and reasserted the governments decision to not send domestic workers until Middle Eastern governments show significant improvement in the treatment and protection of not only Indonesian workers, but also those from other countries. We still wont send labor to Middle Eastern countries, including Kuwait, unless they are formal workers with specific skills, said the minister, a member of the National Awakening Party (PKB). The ambassador was not discouraged by the ministers response, and continued to try to persuade the Indonesian government. He said that his government had improved the countrys protection system for foreign labor. There are plans for a bilateral meeting in November between the two countries in West Nusa Tenggara. The meeting, which is to be attended by the foreign minsters from both countries, will discuss, among other issues, labor within the domestic sector. Nevertheless, Hanif again reasserted the governments decision on the moratorium, saying there are no plans to sign any special bilateral agreements. On May 30, 1996, the two governments signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the State of Kuwait on Placement of Manpower. However, the agreement is limited to the placement of manpower for legal entities, not for domestic or personal employment. Last year, the Manpower Ministry issued Ministerial Decree No. 260/2015 on the cessation and prohibition of the placement of Indonesian manpower for personal employment in Middle Eastern countries. Kuwait is included on the list of countries affected by the decree. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 A film inspired by breast cancer survivors is set to be launched on Oct. 13 as part of world Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Titled Pinky Promise, the movie follows a friendship between four women of different ages that is later affected by breast cancer. In addition to actress Chelsea Islan and beauty queen Agni Pratistha, the cast also features Alexandra Gottardo, Dea Ananda, Dhea Seto, Ringgo Agus Rahman, Derby and Ira Maya. In addition to local cinemas, the film will be screened at special events as well as roadshows across the country. (Read also: Breast cancer survivors, warriors spread love to all) It's more than just a movie as it aims to educate people [about breast cancer], said Chelsea Islan in Jakarta, adding that she hoped to raise breast cancer awareness by joining the film. People can learn about breast cancer and how important early breast cancer detection is from this film, especially those who are in their 20s. Directed by Guntur Soeharjanto, Pinky Promise is produced by MP Pro, which also supports Lovepink, a community of breast cancer warriors and survivors. Forty percent of the films profits will reportedly be donated to the community. (kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sandy Cohen (Associated Press) Los Angeles, United States Fri, September 2, 2016 Actor Jackie Chan, film editor Anne V. Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentarian Frederick Wiseman are getting honorary Academy Awards. The film academy announced Thursday that the four industry veterans will receive Oscar statuettes at the annual Governors Awards ceremony in November. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs described the recipients as "true pioneers and legends in their crafts." Chan has written, directed, produced and starred in dozens of films, dazzling with his stunts and martial arts. His most recent release is "Skiptrace" with Johnny Knoxville; past credits include the "Rush Hour" series with Chris Tucker, "The Karate Kid" reboot and voicing a monkey in the animated "Kung-Fu Panda" films. Chan has never been nominated for an Oscar and doesn't make the kind of movies that generally would be nominated. Filmmaker Edgar Wright cheered the choice on Twitter. "So pleased @TheAcademy are awarding Jackie Chan with an honorary Oscar this year. The man is a legend of action cinema & its truly deserved," Wright wrote. (Read also: Jackie Chan busted wearing fake goods) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has long presented honorary Oscars to recognize humanitarian work, lifetime achievement and exceptional contributions to film. Since 2009, the organization has presented those statuettes at a private, untelevised dinner dedicated solely to the recipients. The move has allowed for a broader range of honorees, including comedians (Steve Martin in 2013), stuntmen (Hal Needham in 2012) and this year's editor and casting director. A film editor for more than 60 years, Coates won an Academy Award for her work on "Lawrence of Arabia." She received four other Oscar nominations during her career, working with such directors as Sidney Lumet, Richard Attenborough and Steven Soderbergh. Stalmaster has been casting since the mid-1950s. His more than 200 credits include "The Graduate," ''Fiddler on the Roof," ''Harold and Maude," ''Tootsie" and "The Right Stuff." Wiseman started making documentaries in 1967. His most recent was last year's "In Jackson Heights," about a community in Queens, New York, considered one of the most culturally diverse in the U.S. The eighth annual Governors Awards will be presented Nov. 12 at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Recent recipients include Spike Lee, Debbie Reynolds and Gena Rowlands last year and Harry Belafonte, Jean-Claude Carriere, Maureen O'Hara and Hayao Miyazaki in 2014. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Caleb Jones (Associated Press) Honolulu, Hawaii Fri, September 2, 2016 The international community came together Thursday in Hawaii for 10 days of talks by leading academics, conservation groups and government officials to address the impacts of global warming, wildlife trafficking and environmental conservation. Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced a major sustainability initiative to preserve his state's delicate ecosystem at the opening ceremony of the International Coalition for the Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress committing to protect more watershed areas and reefs ecosystems through increased regulation . Ige said Hawaii will also double its local food production to reduce dependence on many items shipped to the islands, and impose a biosecurity plan to remove and prevent the introduction of invasive species that harm local wildlife. The measures come on top of an existing plan for Hawaii, which is the nation's most oil-dependent state, to become energy independent by 2045. "As an island state, Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including increased storms, coral bleaching as well as local impacts that place our reefs at risk," said Jack Kittinger, director of Conservation International's Hawaii program in a statement. "CI is grateful to the Governor for committing to protect our natural environment so that it can continue to benefit our communities now and into the future." The conference is being held in the U.S. for the first time, and Ige called Hawaii a "microcosm of our planet earth" but also the "endangered species capital of the world." Also Thursday, President Barack Obama was travelling from Honolulu to one of the most remote corners of the Pacific Ocean Midway Atoll to amplify his call for global action on environmental protection. In his latest conservation push, Obama is expanding the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which includes Midway, to four times its current size. Speaking to leaders of Pacific island nations ahead of his trip, Obama said that 7,000 species live in the waters, and 1 in 4 are found nowhere else in the world. (Read also: Climate change affects ASEAN biodiversity) "Ancient islanders believed it contained the boundary between this life and the next," Obama told Pacific Island nation leaders Wednesday night before the conference started. "This is a hallowed site, and it deserves to be treated that way. And from now on, it will be preserved for future generations." The marine monument will grow to 582,578 square miles under Obama's expansion, an area more than twice the size of Texas. The world's largest, the monument reflects Obama's strategy of using his executive powers to put lands and waters off-limits to development, despite concerns from critics who argue his heavy-handed approach comes at the expense of vulnerable local economies. A study released Wednesday ahead of the conservation conference concluded that Africa's population of savanna elephants is rapidly declining. The animals are in danger of being wiped out as international and domestic ivory trades drive poaching across the continent, the study said. The African savanna elephant population plummeted about 30 percent from 2007 to 2014 and is currently declining at about 8 percent annually, according to the survey funded by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen. "If we can't save the African elephant, what is the hope of conserving the rest of Africa's wildlife?" asked elephant ecologist Mike Chase, the study's lead researcher. After the most powerful El Nino on record heated the world's oceans to never-before-seen levels over the past two years, huge swaths of once vibrant coral reefs that were once teeming with life are now stark white ghost towns disintegrating into the sea. The world's top marine scientists are still struggling to find the political and financial backing to tackle the loss of these globally important ecosystems. At the largest international gathering of coral reef experts in May, scientists called for action to save the world's reefs. Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef is among those hit hard, and the scientists urged the government of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to do more to conserve it. "This year has seen the worst mass bleaching in history," the letter said. "The damage to this Australian icon has already been devastating." The conference in Hawaii is hosting more than 8,000 people from 180 nations. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kim Da-sol (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) Fri, September 2, 2016 Despite the different drinking cultures around the world, there is one universal truth that no one can escape from after a night of heavy drinking: the hangover. As studies technically show, the only way to avoid the dreaded hangover is to drink less, but there are other tactics people use to reduce the pain and suffering that come having one too many. While the go-to cure for many people is to drink plenty of water in the morning, different countries have their own designated hangover food, complete with local ingredients that give an insight into the local food culture. Here is a list of some hangover foods consumed as cures in 20 countries, some unique, and some universal. (Read also: Why you should drink lemon water every morning) US - Prairie Oyster A Prairie Oyster is a drink with a raw egg, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and ground black pepper. The key is to keep the yolk unbroken -- resembles an oyster -- and drink it in one go. It is a delicacy in the southern states of the US, while it is not well known in the Midwest. Canada - Poutine Poutine is normally served in a bowl of thick cut French fries with savory gravy and cheese curd. Poutine is basically chips with gravy, which translates into pudding in French-Canadian regions. Mexico Menudo Menudo, a spicy Mexican soup made from tripe (cow stomach) is said to stimulate the appetite and senses, rejuvenate inner organs and clear the head. Brazil Coconut water Coconut water contains anti-oxidants and electrolytes -- specifically potassium -- which keeps you hydrated after a night of drinking. Anti-oxidants and electrolytes are key components of any hangover treatment. Peru - Leche de tigre Known as the ultimate Peruvian hangover cure, leche de tigre or tigers milk, is the Peruvian term for the citrus-based marinade seafood in a ceviche. It is believed to be both a hangover cure as well as an aphrodisiac. (Read also: Where to go for a drink and to dress up to impress) Italia Espresso Italians like to keep it simple, and their hangover cure is no different. Drinking a cup of espresso is a simple Italian remedy for everything. Although there are different opinions regarding coffee as a hangover cure, it is said to work as both a stimulant and a diuretic. Germany Rollmop A traditional cure for Germans is to eat rollmops, pickled herring fillets rolled around a filling such as pickled green olives. Rollmops are commonly served as part of the German Katerfruhstuck (hangover breakfast) which is believed to restore electrolytes. France Cassoulet French people enjoy eating goose casserole garnished with haricot beans and sausage as a hangover cure. The dish is filling, which is good for the gaping emptiness in the stomach a hangover leaves. Originated in the South West of France, the dish is also enjoyed in the Mediterranean region. UK English breakfast In Britain, one of the most prevalent hangover cures is a big fried breakfast: fried eggs, sausages and baked beans. The grease lines the stomach, the fried bread soaks up the booze and eggs add protein. A lot of carbohydrates in that meal also restore depleted sugar levels. (Read also: Best spots in Jakarta for alone time) Poland Pickle juice This popular Polish remedy for a hangover relies on its high concentration of electrolytes -- such as high sodium content -- to replenish and recharge the body. Japan Umeboshi plum Umeboshi Plum is a traditional, naturally processed, pickled plum used throughout Japan and other Asian countries for its incredible health-promoting properties. Named The King of Alkaline Foods, Umeboshi contains natural bacteria, enzymes, organic acids and powerful alkaline qualities. China Congee Congee has long been considered a comfort food for people who simply arent feeling well, which aptly describes anyone hungover. Congee is easy to swallow, while the thick, hearty ingredients soothe alcohol-irritated stomachs. Thailand Pad Kee Mao This simple dish comes in many forms including yellow noodles, glass noodles, wide noodles, topped with beef, pork, chicken or duck and sauce. Many Thais claim spicy sauce helps freshen them up by sweating out booze toxins and shaking off that queasy hangover feeling. Mongolia Tomato juice garnished with a pickled sheep eye. Mongolians beat a hangover with a glass of tomato juice garnished with a pickled sheep eye. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A and C and the antioxidant lycopene. Russia Solyanka Solyanka is a salty soup boiled on a dense bouillon, normally based on meat. Some Russians add fish or mushrooms, but they are rare in modern Russia. Some recipes include ingredients like kvass or cabbage juice. Iraq Pacha (lambs head soup) Pacha is a dish of boiled cow or lambs head, while other parts of lamb such as the stomach (tripe) may also be used. It is a traditional dish in Iran, Iraq and Turkey. No salt or spices are added during the boiling process. Ghana Ground pepper In order to calm the aching stomach after a night of drinking, putting ground pepper in a breakfast (soup and bread) is believed to help internal organs recover from a hangover. Sudan Cow intestine garnished with red pepper In Sudan, cow intestine is a popular ingredient enjoyed by many for an everyday meal. By eating a fresh-caught cows intestine dipped into a red pepper sauce, people in Sudan believe they can build up stamina. Australia Vegemite Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives, rich in Vitamin B and folic acid which are depleted by drinking. People in Australia believe the power of Vitamin B to aid in hangover recovery. Loyal fans of TV series Friends know exactly what we're talking about when we say 'Monica and Chandler's apartment'. By India Today Web Desk: Let's just put it out there that it's probably impossible to top this proposal, IF you're a Friends fan. Imagine getting engaged in the same set up Monica and Chandler did, really! So, Mr Ideal Boyfriend (let's just call him that for the time being), Krunal Desai decided to pop the question to his girlfriend, Radha Patel, in such a setup that even if she wanted to, she couldn't say no. (Well played, Mr Boyfriend) advertisement Even though the legendary show ended 12 years ago, the berry berry nice folks at Comedy Central decided to do a six-week FriendsFest tour in England--which was inaugurated by Janice (Maggie Wheeler), by the way. And this is how Krunal pulled it off: When he got to know of FriendsFest coming to London, Krunal got in touch with the Comedy Central team and explained his predicament. We'll have you know that Radha is kind of crazy about Friends--she watches an episode before bed every night. Krunal met up with the team a few days before the proposal was to take place, so he could come up with a plan. According to Metro, on the day of the proposal, when Krunal and Radha entered Monica's famous apartment, Comedy Central staff pretended like they wanted the couple to be their 'models'. So, Radha possibly couldn't get suspicious about a photographer lurking around. The couple was then asked to wait until the apartment was clear; the staff then closed the doors to the set. The photographer then started taking snaps of them on the sofa, with Radha still thinking they were the 'models', which is when Krunal got down on one knee and popped the question! Laughter and champagne ensued... After the proposal, Krunal told Metro, "We both absolutely love Friends, and Radha can't go to sleep without watching the show. We even had a short break in our relationship, leading people to call us the real life Ross and Rachel." A visibly excited Radha said, "When I first saw the apartment I actually thought that this would be the perfect place to be proposed to. Nothing could top this proposal, it was awesome. As Phoebe would say, he's my lobster!" --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 A short video contest for Star Wars fans has been launched by Lucasfilm, the home of the legendary film franchise. The winner of the Go Rogue contest will fly to San Francisco to attend the screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Introduced via a stop-motion animated video titled Star Wars Go Rogue, the contest allows fans to create their own stories or skits that are set in a galaxy far, far away. The video must be two minutes in length and be inspired by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with the submission deadline set for Oct. 21. In addition to attending the film screening, the winner will be able to visit Lucasfilm as well as Rancho Obi-Wan and watch the premier of the short videos on the big screen. (Read also: Darth Vader to appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) These fan-created shorts are a tribute to the incredible content that the Star Wars community posts online every day, said chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, Jimmy Pitaro. The Go Rogue campaign was designed with Star Wars fans in mind we want them to be front and center in the run up to Rogue Story by imagining and creating their own Rogue Stories. Star Wars Go Rogue is the collaboration between Lucasfilm, creative network Tongal and Star Wars fans. Released on Aug. 30 on YouTube, it introduces new Rogue One merchandise, such as action figure-sized Rebel agents, bobble-head Stormtroopers and a partially built Lego Death Star, according to The Verge. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the first standalone Star Wars film. Directed by Gareth Edwards, it focuses on a gang of unlikely heroes who aim to steal the plans to the Empires greatest weapon of destruction, the Death Star. Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna and other renowned actors, the films release is slated for December. (kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 An annual breast cancer awareness event initiated by Lovepink community is slated to return on Oct. 9 at Altira Business Park in North Jakarta. Held as part of world breast cancer awareness month, this year's Jakarta Goes Pink features a 5- and 10-kilometer charity run alongside local celebrities such as actor Joe Taslim and actress and beauty queen Agni Pratistha in addition to breast cancer warriors and survivors in a bid to increase public awareness about early screening for cancer. Registration for the race is open until Sept. 17, but those who do not want to run can opt to make a donation instead through the community's Pink Pledge program. (Read also: Are blood pressure medications linked to breast cancer?) Jakarta Goes Pink 2016 committee chairwoman Dede Gracia (left) and Lovepink Indonesia chairwoman Samantha Barbara (right) present a race pack for the charity run program.(Lovepink/File) It's one of the ways of donating, said Jakarta Goes Pink 2016 committee chairwoman Dede Gracia. In our Pink Pledge program, we have celebrities, breast cancer survivors and professional runners who will make the run for each donation given to the charity. After choosing which runner you want to support, you can choose the donation amount starting at Rp 50,000 (US$4). This year, the charity run aims to attract 1,500 runners and 3,500 fun walk participants. The event also features a fun walk with Lovepink ambassador Chelsea Islan, celebrity Dian Nitami and breast cancer survivors, breast screening, a pop-up market, SADARI or Periksa Payudara Sendiri (Check Your Breasts) on stage and Pink Attire Award. Founded in 2010 by two breast cancer survivors, Shanti Persada dan Madelina Mutia, Lovepink actively campaigns about the importance of SADARI and breast cancer awareness. Shanty told The Jakarta Post that the government's role was essential in supporting SADARI. Hopefully the government can make it easier for Indonesian women to have affordable early screenings at the hospital, she said, adding that it was also necessary to encourage a healthy lifestyle. (kes) (Read also: Getting to know tamoxifen, a drug used to reduce breast cancer risk) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Youkyung Lee (Associated Press) Seoul Fri, September 2, 2016 Samsung will issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as soon as this weekend after its investigation on explosion claims found batteries were at fault, according to South Korea's Yonhap News. Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the report on Friday, but said it was conducting the inspection with its partners, it said. "We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers," the company said in a statement. Shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone were delayed in South Korea this week for extra quality control testing. The move came after reports that batteries in some of the jumbo smartphones exploded while they were being charged. Samsung launched the latest version of the Note series just two weeks ago. Citing an unnamed company official, Yonhap said Samsung's investigation found that faulty batteries caused the phone to catch fire. The number of the Galaxy Note 7 phones with a faulty battery accounts for "less than 0.1 percent" of the products in the market and Samsung is discussing how to resolve the issue with Verizon and its other partners, the official told Yonhap. The battery issue is a fresh blow to Samsung's smartphone business that has been on a recovery track. Samsung reported stellar earnings that beat market expectations in the latest quarter and its stock price was at a record high before the Note 7's battery problems dented investor sentiment. Samsung's share rose 0.8 percent early Friday. The stock closed 2 percent lower in the previous session. (Read also: Samsung delays phone shipment after battery explosion claims) Despite the investigation in South Korea, Samsung went ahead with its scheduled launch Thursday of the Galaxy Note 7 in China. Company officials did not reply to questions about how Samsung determined which phones are deemed safe and which require further testing. It did not say if those phones are different from the ones sold in South Korea. Yonhap News said five or six explosions were reported by consumers. It cited pictures of severely damaged phones shared in local online communities, social media and YouTube. The photos and accounts could not be immediately verified. There were no confirmed reports of any injuries. It is unusual for Samsung to confirm a delay in sales of a device, and rare for it to cite a quality issue. "Every year, there have been accidents of battery explosions but it is the first time that six or seven cases happened within such a short period after the launch of a new product," said Ha Joon-doo, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp. The Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is the latest iteration of Samsung's Note series that feature a giant screen and a stylus. The Note series smartphones are one of the most expensive lineups released by Samsung and usually inherit designs and features of the Galaxy S series that debut in the spring. Samsung also added an iris scanner to the Note 7, which lets users unlock the phone by detecting patterns in the eyes. Samsung launched the Note 7 on Aug. 19 in some markets, including South Korea and the U.S. Even before the issue of battery explosions emerged, supplies were not keeping up with higher-than-expected demand for the smartphone. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Seth Borenstein (Associated Press) Fri, September 2, 2016 Scientists have found what they think is the oldest fossil on Earth, a remnant of life from 3.7 billion years ago when Earth's skies were orange and its oceans green. In a newly melted part of Greenland, Australian scientists found the leftover structure from a community of microbes that lived on an ancient seafloor, according to a study in Wednesday's journal Nature . The discovery shows life may have formed quicker and easier than once thought, about half a billion years after Earth formed . And that may also give hope for life forming elsewhere, such as Mars, said study co-author Martin VanKranendonk of the University of New South Wales and director of the Australian Center for Astrobiology. "It gives us an idea how our planet evolved and how life gained a foothold," VanKranendonk said. Scientists had thought it would take at least half a billion years for life to form after the molten Earth started to cool a bit, but this shows it could have happened quicker, he said. That's because the newly found fossil is far too complex to have developed soon after the planet's first life forms, he said. (Read also: Fossil find sheds light on how evolution produced T. rex) This photo provided by Allen Nutman shows a rock with stromatolites, tiny layered structures from 3.7 billion years ago that are remnants of a community of ancient microbes. (University of Wollongong via AP/Allen Nutman) In an outcrop of rocks that used to be covered with ice and snow which melted after an exceptionally warm spring, the Australian team found stromatolites, which are intricately layered microscopic layered structures that are often produced by a community of microbes. The stromatolites were about .4 to 1.6 inches high (1 to 4 centimeters). It "is like the house left behind made by the microbes," VanKranendonk said. Scientists used the layers of ash from volcanoes and tiny zircon with uranium and lead to date this back 3.7 billion years ago, using a standard dating method, VanKranendonk said. "It would have been a very different world. It would have had black continents, a green ocean with orange skies," he said. The land was likely black because the cooling lava had no plants, while large amounts of iron made the oceans green. Because the atmosphere had very little oxygen and oxygen is what makes the sky blue, its predominant color would have been orange, he said. The dating seems about right, said Abigail Allwood , a NASA astrobiologist who found the previous oldest fossil, from 3.48 billion years ago, in Australia. But Allwood said she is not completely convinced that what VanKranendonk's team found once was alive. She said the evidence wasn't conclusive enough that it was life and not a geologic quirk. "It would be nice to have more evidence, but in these rocks that's a lot to ask," Allwood said in an email. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, September 1 2016 Recent flooding in Kemang, an affluent area in South Jakarta, has renewed calls for the administration to overhaul the citys spatial plan. The floods were seen as a consequence of rapid development for residential and commercial purposes in the hilly area that had been designed for green space and water catchment ground. The Jakarta administration has claimed that the flooding was caused by overdevelopment along the Krukut riverbank, resulting in insufficient green space for water absorption. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, September 1 2016 The recent bust of an online child prostitution ring based in Bogor, West Java, serves as a wake-up call for the nation, particularly the authorities, on the presence of predators who use social media to prey on children. During a raid at a Bogor hotel on Tuesday evening, National Police personnel arrested a man, identified only as AR, on suspicion that he pimped out 99 boys to pedophiles. He allegedly recruited the boys via Facebook. AR was arrested following months of observation by the National Polices cybercrime division. The police reportedly caught him red-handed sealing a transaction with a customer. Seven boys below 16 years old and an 18-year-old man were also found at the scene. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Thu, September 1 2016 On Sept. 1, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) celebrates its 45th anniversary. As one of the oldest surviving think tanks in the country, this outfit has weathered changes and transformations throughout its existence. Key to its survival was the organizations ability to adapt to new challenges and to maintain its scientific credentials in the midst of political changes that swept the nation. As part of CSIS anniversary celebrations The Jakarta Posts Hans Nicholas Jong talked to some key figures within the institution and came up with this three-piece expose. It is not an overstatement that as a think tank that has been around in the country for almost five decades, the CSIS has played a significant role in helping chart the countrys course in the fields of politics, international relations and the economy. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, September 1 2016 The Association of Journalists for Diversity (Sejuk) declared on Wednesday four reporters winners of the 2016 Diversity Awards for their efforts in campaigning for peace and pluralism as well as for defending beleaguered minority groups across the country through their publications. The winners were Furqon Alya Himawan from Media Indonesia daily, Heyder Affan of BBC Indonesia, Jessica Halena Wuysang from Antara news portal and Margie Ernawati from Elshinta radio station in Semarang. Furqon, who won in the print media outlet category, impressed the panelists with his article Toleransi Memudar di Kota Pelajar (Decline of Tolerance in Student City). to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jeneponto Thu, September 1 2016 At least two people died and 63 others were rushed to hospitals and clinics after consuming green mussels in Mallasoro village, Bangkala district, Jeneponto, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday. As of Wednesday, 24 people were still being treated at three hospitals and two clinics in Mallasoro, Bangkala, Jeneponto and Makassar. Jeneponto Deputy Regent Mulyadi Mustamu said local people in Bangkala had consumed green mussels for generations, but this time they fell ill. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, September 1 2016 State-owned construction firm Wijaya Karya (WIKA) is looking to sign a Rp 17 trillion (US$1.28 billion) civil work contract this month for the construction of Indonesias first high-speed railway. WIKA is part of the Indonesian-Chinese consortium Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) that is responsible for the overall project to connect Jakarta and Bandung in West Java via a 142.3-kilometer railroad. WIKA president director Bintang Perbowo said on Wednesday that civil works on the project would take place in Walini, West Java, and along the Jakarta-Bogor-Ciawi (Jagorawi) toll road. The project is estimated to cost $5.1 billion in total, with 75 percent of the funding to come from a China Development Bank (CDB) loan and the remaining 25 percent to come from the consortium. WIKA corporate secretary Suradi said the state-controlled firm was willing to provide initial financing for the civil works, because CDB had not disbursed the loan yet. We have obtained a Rp 1 trillion funding commitment, he said over the phone, adding that the funds would come from a separate state bank loan. CDB requires all participants in the consortium to come up with their parts before the Chinese lender disburses the loan. For WIKA, that means it has to provide a total of Rp 4.6 trillion, representing the 38 percent stake it holds in the consortium. As reported before, the high-speed railway is one of the national strategic projects included in Presidential Regulation No. 3/2016, which stipulates that the government and related agencies must provide assistance by issuing permits for projects listed in the regulation. The government has given KCIC a fixed concession period of 50 years starting on May 31, 2019, and all construction work must have been completed by then. However, the project has faced several obstacles, such as land procurement. So far, KCIC has only procured around 60 percent of the total land needed. Most of the land is owned by the four state-owned enterprises that are members of the consortium, namely WIKA, construction firm Jasa Marga, railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and plantation firm PTPN VIII. The Transportation Ministry has granted a construction permitwhich is also one of the requirements put forward by CDB to disburse the loanand is giving KCIC time until December 2017 to secure 600 hectares of land needed for the project. Meanwhile, Bintang said his company would transfer Rp 726 billion this year to meet the agreement with CDB. He said he was certain the whole project would go smoothly until 2019. WIKA plans to partner with a Chinese firm on the civil construction work. ------------- To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login The Agra tourism industry is hoping that the timeline for the airport's keystone laying will not be extended this time. By Siraj Qureshi: After a long wait of over four decades, Agra will finally get a civil air terminal outside the ambit of the Indian Airforce by Dussehra this year, following a campaign run by India Today. Talking to India Today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal said that the foundation stone of the international airport at Agra will hopefully be laid by October around Dussehra at Dhanauli village near Malpura gate of the Indian Airforce Base. Singhal said that preparations for the construction of the airport are complete and the central government has informed the UP government of the requisite documentation required to sign over the land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the airport's construction and operation. advertisement TOURISM INDUSTRY HOPEFUL Following this declaration by the chief secretary, the Agra tourism industry is hoping that the timeline for the airport's foundation stone laying will not be extended this time. Meanwhile, Air India has announced that a flight connecting Delhi to Agra will begin operating soon, utilizing the existing Civil Air Terminal inside the Air Force Base at present. It will transfer the operations to the new terminal as soon as it is ready. This flight is being seen as Air India's attempt to cash in on the influx of tourists coming to Agra during the tourism season. The industry leaders expressed satisfaction to the positive outcome of a long struggle that the tourism industry of Agra fought against. Even the recent moving of the Taj International Airport project from Agra to Jewar by the then Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma was seen as an attempt of the Delhi-lobby to hurt the tourism prospects of Agra. Also read: Agra will get its airport, but Jewar Airport stays, says Union minister Mahesh Sharma DIWALI GIFT Talking to India Today in this context, Prahalad Agarwal, President of Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber said that this is a big victory for the tourism industry and the people of Agra who have been fighting this long and arduous battle for the past several years. He added that it is clear that the UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav intends to present this new airport to Agra as a Diwali gift, which will clearly improve his diminishing image among the local population following the proposal by the state government of an international airport in Saifai. Agarwal said that the land acquisition needed to be done faster on the proposed site if this project was to meet its deadline. 41 acres out of 55 acres land has already been acquired by the government while 14 acres are left due to lack of funding. 90 per cent of the villagers of the area are ready to give their land at the compensation rates proposed by the state government, while 10 per cent are demanding higher rates but they will hopefully acquiesce to the government's proposal soon in public interest. advertisement He mentioned that there is already a civil air terminal inside the Kheria Airforce base in an area of 14.8 acres but the Airforce imposes heavy restrictions on the operation of this airport citing security reasons. Spread over an area of 4870 sq. meters, this terminal is capable of handling 250 passengers at a time, with parking space for 3 airbus-320 and 3 small aircrafts. Several international charters have operated on this air terminal in the past and there are facilities for immigration and customs also on the terminal. However, the full capabilities of this terminal cannot be utilized due to security concerns raised by the IAF, which necessitates the construction of the new air terminal as soon as possible. Agarwal added since the runway and air traffic control will still be under the control of the IAF and Kheria being an important transport and mid-air refuelling base of North India, the IAF will prioritise the defence operations over civil aviation which will make it difficult to realize the full potential of even the new air terminal. --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Fri, September 2, 2016 The Indonesian Advocates Association (Peradi) of Medan has prepared 30 lawyers to assist Ivan Armadi Hasugian, 17, the suspect in the St. Yosep Catholic Church attack during mass last Sunday. Peradis legal aid head, Rizal Sihombing, said Peradi wanted to get involved in the case because Ivans parents requested legal help. We have prepared 30 lawyers to help Ivan. They are all from Peradis Medan branch, Rizal said on Thursday. Rizal explained the family had approved the legal team, who had begun to counsel Ivan during questioning by the National Polices Densus 88 counterterrorism squad and Medan Police. The police, Rizal went on, had charged Ivan with violating articles 335, 338, 340 and 351 of the Criminal Code. Rizal said he had asked police to move Ivan to a childrens detention center because he was still 17. He turns 18 in October. Last Sunday the suspect tried to bomb the church and later when the bomb failed to explode tried to kill Catholic priest Albert Pandiangan, who was at the altar. The police found a hand-drawn symbol of the Islamic State radical movement on a piece of paper among the suspects belongings. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has brushed off complaints from residents evicted from Rawajati, Pancoran, South Jakarta, who have refused to be relocated to low-cost apartments in Marunda, North Jakarta. "Do you know that almost 1 million [train] passengers from Bogor go to Jakarta and Tangerang every day? Are they complaining? Just check where the workers in Thamrin and Sudirman come from," Ahok told journalists at City Hall on Friday. Residents have complained about the distance from their former homes and workplaces as Marunda is 35 kilometers from Duren Kalibata Station in Rawajati. The city administration had offered complete compensation to residents evicted from their homes, which stood on state land, Ahok claimed. The city provided free buses, health facilities and also Jakarta Smart Cards for students. The administration would also assist residents whose shops were demolished to continue working by providing kiosks at facilities managed by city market operator PD Pasar Jaya. Ahok also stressed that the city administration would take care of around 35 children from the Shohibul Al Istiqomah orphanage in Rawajati, which was also demolished in the evictions on Thursday. The city's social agency has relocated some 30 children to a new building in Cililitan, East Jakarta. The city cleared the area near the railway tracks at Duren Kalibata Station on Thursday to make way for green space. The evictions also aimed to curb traffic congestion believed to be a result of the illegal settlements. The evictions were met with protests and a clash between public order officials and residents, who refused to leave after spending more than 30 years in Rawajati. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Safrin La Batu and Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 Undeterred by his decision to run in next years gubernatorial election, Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama has continued his policy of evictions, although this time he needs more people to support him maintaining power. As other candidates are currently seizing every opportunity to win over voters as the election nears, Ahok is doing the opposite. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 The noise regarding the tax amnesty has cast doubts among big taxpayers who are interested in participating in the program. However, the situation has opened a business opportunity for tax consulting firms. Big clients are concerned with issues about the period extension, and even revocation, of the tax amnesty. As the deadline of the first phase which offers the lowest fees will end soon on Sept. 30, they want to move quickly, according to Jakarta Consulting Group (JCG). "In a sluggish economy such as now, a higher tariff is sensitive for them. Especially clients from the trade and commodity industries," JCG chairman Alfonsus Budi Susanto told The Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Wednesday. Amid the situation, big fish will likely hire tax consultants to help them finish registration faster. Susanto estimated that consultants could assist clients to finish tax amnesty registration in three weeks. "If the clients are using special purpose vehicles, it might take less time than that," he said. Tax consultants could provide three kinds of services in regards to the tax amnesty, Susanto said. First, form filling advisory for a 0.1 to 0.4 percent fee of the assets reported; second, documentation completion costing around 0.4 to 0.8 percent; or third, an end-to-end service that costs 0.8 to 1.2 percent. However, he was yet to be able to elaborate on the exact potential of tax amnesty momentum in boosting the tax consulting business this year. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adwin Wibisono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 Abraham Lincoln once said it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt, but when confronted with evil we may want to take a more active stance, such as the one illustrated by Edmund Burke who said the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Decisions made based on both points-of-view may be a way out when arguing with irrationality. When figures from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) visited the office of Kompas to seek clarification over its reports of the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) having confiscated an elderly womans foodstuff because she opened her stall during Ramadhan in Serang, Banten, we learned that Kompas answered with wisdom and good negotiation skills. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 The reclamation project scandal entered a new stage on Thursday with the decision by the Jakarta Corruption Court to sentence a former top executive of property giant PT Agung Podomoro Land (APL) to three years in prison. The court also punished his aide for the same crime. Ariesman Widjaja was found guilty of bribing a city counselor in an attempt to foil Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas plan to impose higher financial obligations on the companies conducting reclamation projects in the Jakarta Bay. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 ASEAN should undergo changes on different levels to stay relevant in its first year as a community and ahead of its golden jubilee next year The view was expressed by various experts during a seminar held to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) said Friday that the nomination of Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the next spy chief is in line with intelligence reform agenda. Kompolnas commissioner Poengky Indarti said the commission welcomed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decision to nominate Budi to take the helm of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), saying that it would serve as a good start in the process of reforming BIN into an institution led by civilians from one previously dominated by military officials. "Instead of seeing [the nomination] as a political transaction, we see that the President recognizes [Budi's] potential and we are optimistic that Budi can reform BIN into a better civilian-led intelligence institution," Poengky said, asserting that as a civil institution, BIN should be led by a civilian. Budi is from the National Police and although the Indonesian police force was once part of the military, they are considered civilians. Should Budi take the helm of the spy agency, Poengky said, Kompolnas hoped he could lead BIN to improve its intelligence capacity, especially in the early detection of all threats to national security as well as assisting Jokowi make political decisions. Kompolnas expects that Budi, who currently serves as the National Polices deputy chief, will be able to improve coordination between the National Police and BIN, particularly to improve counterterrorism measures in the country, Poengky said. Budi is a close associate of President Jokowis patron and chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati Soekarnoputri. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adisti Sukma Sawitri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 The condition of the countrys healthcare system couldnt be more ironic. While it is dubbed as one of the potentially biggest markets in the world, Indonesia seems incapable of giving patients more than the most basic of care. Barely having recovered from a nationwide fake vaccine scandal that affected more than a million children, a recent study by the University of Indonesia (UI) has uncovered potential fraud in the National Health Insurance (JKN) schemes hospital claims costing as much as Rp 7 trillion (US$526.7 million). These incidents further call into question the governments capacity to manage the healthcare scheme, which already covers 170 million individuals, one of the largest in the world. Hospitals and health facilities, which are still far from adequate in quantity, are still weak at delivery points and with little scrutiny from the government. Although the meager care is a logical consequence of the scant system, it is hardly tolerable. The government should prioritize the expansion of healthcare provision as more people register for national insurance. The persistent lack of health infrastructure facilities, as a result of the domestic failure to keep up with growing demand for care, should no longer be accepted as an excuse. The ideal is to have the government build the health infrastructure by establishing health centers in remote areas that are less attractive for the private sector. But as the government is grappling with financing its more than $400 billion worth of infrastructure projects, it may consider opening up the domestic healthcare sector to foreign investors and providers to accelerate expansion. Indonesia has been seen as a promising market exactly because of the largely underdeveloped health system. It is among the 15 fastest growing markets globally, according to Oxford Business Group, which estimated that the countrys healthcare sector will be worth $50 billion by 2020. In the earlier years of the JKN, rolled out by the Health and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), it has already driven sales of medical devices, such as MRI machines, PET-CT scanners, most of which are imported. The market is still lucrative despite complicated import mechanisms. The presence of foreign operators may increase the availability of services and spur competition in the sector. The problem of opening the domestic healthcare market to foreign investors, however, is more than just cutting red tape and rolling out the red carpet to investors. The government should also improve monitoring of healthcare providers, especially hospitals and other medical centers in which malpractice frequently occurs and in which the fake vaccines were found. Without a strong regulatory framework and effective monitoring system, the opening of the domestic healthcare market will only lead to further abuse of patients. The UI study found that among the irregular claims from hospitals were an abnormally high number of babies delivered via C-section under the JKN, about 54 percent of 1.5 million babies delivered from January 2014 to July 2015. The unusually high prevalence of this procedure, which normally should be less than 10 percent of total child births, increased substantially the sums that had to be paid out by BPJS Kesehatan. Even if more foreign providers are present, a lack of monitoring of the quality of drugs and treatments will prevent improvement in the quality of service, while costs will rise as a result of imported drugs and treatments. And how much will people have to pay for the governments basic insurance if costs spiral out of control? The government should encourage investors and providers that can accept the modest market that characterizes the country. These investors should have an interest in producing generic drugs and have the capability to expand services for lower- and middle-income patients under the JKN. More also should be done to improve the JKNs tariff system. With evidence of mismanagement, the BPJS Kesehatan should not rely on a reimbursement system to hospitals to support the health scheme. The agency should instead limit drugs and types of treatments that can be provided by hospitals and health centers under the insurance scheme. It can also start to directly procure drugs from pharmaceutical companies, rather than only accepting bills from hospitals. Bargaining directly with pharmaceutical companies and other providers is a common practice in more advanced national insurance schemes in other countries. In France, doctors and other health professionals in private practice are paid directly by patients. Health centers are still reimbursed by fees and charges set nationwide, while state hospitals receive annual operating budgets. In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) directly carries out its own drug procurement. These two pioneers in national health insurance schemes are not without criticism. Both are currently experiencing deficits amid an economic slowdown and ageing populations in the region. The biggest disappointment is finding that the JKN is failing before it even gets around to extending healthcare to all of the countrys population. It is like firing up the gas in the burner but the hot air balloon still never being able to get off the ground. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lachlan Evans (The Jakarta Post) Sydney Fri, September 2 2016 As young and entrepreneurial nations, Indonesia and Australia must strive to position themselves to prosper in the twenty-first century, where free trade and intangible and intellectual capital are increasingly becoming the dominant drivers of economic prosperity. The resumption of talks earlier this year aimed at concluding the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (I-ACEPA) is a welcome development, as these two nations seek to deepen strong trade and other economic ties for their mutual advantage. The I-ACEPA is a free trade agreement that proposes to reduce or eliminate barriers to trade between Indonesia and Australia such as import and export tariffs as well as other, less obvious barriers including reforming and reducing business regulation and competition policy where appropriate. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Some locals attacked the ISKCON temple after jummah prayer at Kajol shah area of Sylhet city. By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Seven, including a former woman councilor, injured and 15 arrested after locals attacked the ISKCON temple at Kajolshah area of Sylhet district in Bangladesh for singing Kirtan and playing drums during the prayers session of the Muslims. According to coordinator of ISKCON temple Youth Forum, a painting competition for children and Kirtan were going on in the temple when the protest broke out. advertisement However, the clash was dispersed and took the control of the situation, said Sylhet Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Faysal Mahmud. " During the Jummah prayer of the Muslims this clash happened. As the gate of the temple was closed, the temple was saved from damages," a source said. --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has highlighted the need for ASEAN to refrain from its old ways and be more progressive in its efforts to overcome regional challenges. Speaking at a seminar to commemorate the groups 45th anniversary on Thursday, CSIS cofounder Jusuf Wanandi said that as part of its work to develop policy recommendations for the government and as a contribution to strengthening peace and stability in the region, CSIS hoped to propose an amendment of the ASEAN Charter to help regional leaders move forward with a framework that was more relevant to today and tomorrow's world. "[To create] more flexibility, lets increase peoples participation and raise peoples awareness on what ASEAN is all about. And this should not be led by the bureaucracy but by the leaders of ASEAN," Jusuf, who is also vice chairman of the CSIS Foundations board of trustees, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. Jusuf said CSIS wanted to push the idea with the ASEAN Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), a leading security studies institute. He said CSIS would call for the formation of a team to review the ASEAN Charter in 2017, corresponding with ASEANs 50th anniversary and the year when the Philippines is set to take the organization's chairmanship. Speaking during the event, Indonesian Ambassador to the UK and the Republic of Ireland Rizal Sukma said revising the ASEAN Charter, especially articles on the consensus-based decision-making process, would be a start for ASEAN to move forward in building a firm stance on various issues in the region. The charter says all organizational decisions shall be made by consensus, meaning that a single member country can veto a decision deemed not in line with its own interests. This principle is considered to be the main hurdle that has hampered decision-making processes at the ASEAN level, as shown by its latest failure to reach a consensus on how to deal with China's territorial expansion in the South China Sea. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Matteo Busto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 A result of the overheated political language in Indonesia, President Joko Jokowi Widodos policy of executing drug traffickers is flawed. The rhetoric of the war on drugs has disturbing consequences, not only in terms of foreign relations but especially to democratic consolidation and the very issue of drug addiction. The topic of drug consumption in Indonesia has been increasingly used to score cheap political points. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Bratislava, Slovakia Fri, September 2, 2016 Turkey, extremism and the European Union's evolving global strategy are on the agenda for foreign ministers of the 28-nation bloc as they gather in Slovakia's capital for a two-day meeting. Also up for discussion Friday are relations with Russia in the context of the Ukraine crisis that has led to EU-sanctions against Moscow. It's the first EU ministerial meeting in Bratislava since Slovakia assumed the six-month rotating EU presidency in July. The ministers plan to discuss future relations with Turkey as concern about the state of human rights there prompts increased sentiment to suspend EU ascension talks with Ankara. Not on the agenda is Britain's decision to leave the EU. But Slovak Foreign Ministry spokesman Peter Stano says individual participants may discuss that informally on the meeting's sidelines. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Fri, September 2 2016 A former terrorist who robbed a bank in Medan in 2010 has warned the public and authorities of potential subsequent attacks following an assault targeting a priest at a Catholic church on Sunday. The Sunday assault was reportedly also a foiled bomb attack in which the perpetrator allegedly failed to detonate the explosive. Khairul Ghozali, 50, the former terrorist, said the Sunday attack by Ivan Armadi Hasugian, 17, indicated the presence of terrorist groups that groomed suicide bombers. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 Tax expert from the Center for Taxation Analysis, Yustinus Prastowo, suggests the government to extend the first period of the tax amnesty program by at least three months. Yustinus said the public had been left in the dark until the end of August when the government finalized the ruling, or only one month away from the September deadline. "Taxpayers only have a one month window to apply for the lowest redemption rate," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. He advised that the extension should only be applied for the first three-months of declaration. "Taypayers will get a tax receipt upon their prior tax declarations. They can follow up with filing and documentation later on but they still will get the first period's penalty rates," he said. Data from the Directorate General of Taxation on Tuesday showed that the government was still far below its targets regarding the amnestys penalty payments, declared assets and repatriated funds. Penalties had only reached 1.6 percent of the target, while the declared assets and repatriated funds amounted to only 3.2 percent and 1 percent of their goals, respectively. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marcia Dunn (Associated Press) Cape Canaveral, Fla. Fri, September 2, 2016 A massive fireball and explosion erupted Thursday at SpaceX's main launch pad, destroying a rocket as well as a satellite that Facebook was counting on to spread internet service in Africa. There were no injuries. The pad had been cleared of workers before what was supposed to be a routine pre-launch rocket engine test. SpaceX chief Elon Musk said the accident occurred while the rocket was being fueled and originated around the upper-stage oxygen tank. "Cause still unknown," Musk said via Twitter. "More soon." The explosion heard and felt for miles around dealt a severe blow to SpaceX, still scrambling to catch up with satellite deliveries following a launch accident last year. It's also a setback for NASA, which has been relying on the private space company to keep the International Space Station stocked with supplies and, ultimately, astronauts. SpaceX was preparing for the test firing of its unmanned Falcon rocket when the blast happened shortly after 9 a.m. at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The test was in advance of Saturday's planned launch of an Israeli-made communications satellite to provide home internet for parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Europe. A video of the explosion shows a fireball enveloping the top of the rocket. Moments later, the nose cone containing the satellite plunged to the ground, followed by more explosions. Buildings four miles away shook from the blast, and a series of explosions continued for several minutes. Dark smoke filled the overcast sky. A half-hour later, a black cloud hung low across the eastern horizon. Video cameras showed smoke coming from the restricted site well into late afternoon. Most of the rocket was still standing, although the top third or so was clearly bent over. The explosion occurred at Launch Complex 40 at the Air Force station, right next door to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where emergency staff went on standby and monitored the air for any toxic fumes. The initial blast sent NASA employees rushing outside to see what happened. The Air Force stressed there was no threat to public safety in the surrounding communities. While the pad was still burning, it was off-limits. "We want to make sure we isolate any potential problem," said Shawn Walleck, a spokesman for the Air Force's 45th Space Wing, "because at this point, we've had no casualties, we've had no injuries, and we want to keep it that way." By evening the fire was out, but the pad was going to remain off-limits until Friday morning as a precaution, the Air Force said. Facebook spokesman Chris Norton said the social media company was "disappointed by the loss, but remain committed to our mission of connecting people to the internet around the world." Founder Mark Zuckerberg was in Kenya on Thursday, discussing internet access with government officials. The satellite's Israeli-based operator, Spacecom, said the loss will have "a significant impact" on the company. Just last November, ground controllers lost contact with the previous satellite in this so-called Amos series. The new satellite was supposed to provide services to television and internet operators and a number of clients, including Facebook. The Falcon rocket destroyed Thursday is the same kind used to launch space station supplies. The last such flight took place in July. SpaceX, one of two companies making deliveries, is also working on a crew capsule to ferry station U.S. astronauts. Two NASA astronauts were doing a spacewalk 250 miles up, outside the space station, when the explosion occurred. Mission Control did not tell them about the accident, saying all communication was focused on the spacewalk. NASA later put out a statement, saying the space agency remains confident in its commercial partners, SpaceX included. The space station is well stocked and able to weather any potential delays to upcoming SpaceX deliveries, NASA said. At the same time, NASA said it remains on track for next Thursday's launch of an asteroid-chasing and sampling spacecraft, the first of its kind for the US. The spacecraft and the Atlas rocket were inside their hangar at the time of the explosion, barely a mile away; preliminary inspections show both to be in good shape. The California-based SpaceX had been ramping up with frequent launches to make up for a backlog created by a launch accident in June 2015. In that mishap, a support strut evidently snapped in the upper stage; the problem was fixed. Until Thursday, the company had successfully carried out eight launches this year, with nine more in the wings by year's end, including the debut flight of the so-called Falcon Heavy. Now that lineup is in jeopardy. SpaceX is leasing the Cape Canaveral pad from the Air Force for unmanned Falcon launches. The company is also redoing a former shuttle pad at Kennedy for future manned flights for NASA. The first crewed flight was supposed to take place by the end of next year. Boeing also is developing a crew capsule for NASA. Even before Thursday's accident, NASA's inspector general office was skeptical there would be astronaut flights by SpaceX or Boeing before late 2018. Technical challenges are piling up and threaten to cause delays, according to a report issued Thursday. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., whose single space shuttle flight ended 10 days before the Challenger disaster in 1986, said in a statement that the SpaceX accident "reminds us all that space flight is an inherently risky business." Others also rallied behind SpaceX, including Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. "Despite the difficulties, commercial spaceflight will carry on with American drive and ingenuity," he said in a statement. ___ AP writers Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, and Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem contributed to this report. ___ Online: SpaceX: http://www.spacex.com/ (**) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar, South Sulawesi Fri, September 2, 2016 The families of 177 Indonesian haj pilgrims arrested by Philippine authorities over an alleged passport scam warmly welcomed a confirmation conveyed by the Foreign Ministry that it would immediately repatriate their loved ones. Tahir, 26, a resident of Ajangale district, Bone regency, South Sulawesi, said he was grateful that his father, Nurdin bin Palla, one of the 177 haj pilgrims, would soon return to Indonesia. Hopefully, we can immediately see him, said Tahir on Thursday, adding he got the good news from mass media. As reported earlier, the government is in the process of repatriating 168 Indonesian citizens arrested for attempting to go on the haj via Manila, the Philippines. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said it was expected the pilgrims would fly back to Indonesia on Friday or Saturday. Meanwhile, the remaining nine pilgrims were to remain in Manila for further investigation. Tahir said he last communicated with his father shortly after he was moved to the Indonesian Embassy in Manila from a Philippine immigration detention facility. Tahir said his father told him that his condition was better. He said he had changed his clothes because Indonesian Embassy officials gave him clothing. I never received another phone call since then, he added. Amriadi, 30, said he was worried about his wife, Rosdiana, 30, who had been detained for 10 days in the Philippines. Their only child also missed her very much. I always pray to God that she [Rosdiana] can still make a haj to Mecca, but if it cannot happen, it will be better that she can be immediately returned home so we can unite again. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adisti Sukma Sawitri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 The condition of the countrys healthcare system couldnt be more ironic. While it is dubbed as one of the potentially biggest markets in the world, Indonesia seems incapable of giving patients more than the most basic of care. Barely having recovered from a nationwide fake vaccine scandal that affected more than a million children, a recent study by the University of Indonesia (UI) has uncovered potential fraud in the National Health Insurance (JKN) schemes hospital claims costing as much as Rp 7 trillion (US$526.7 million). These incidents further call into question the governments capacity to manage the healthcare scheme, which already covers 170 million individuals, one of the largest in the world. Hospitals and health facilities, which are still far from adequate in quantity, are still weak at delivery points and with little scrutiny from the government. Although the meager care is a logical consequence of the scant system, it is hardly tolerable. The government should prioritize the expansion of healthcare provision as more people register for national insurance. The persistent lack of health infrastructure facilities, as a result of the domestic failure to keep up with growing demand for care, should no longer be accepted as an excuse. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 The government has issued a new regulation on minimum local content for imported gadgets, obliging 70 percent of local content in imported cellular phones, which includes the materials, workforce, and production. In terms of development, the imported cellular phones must be 20 percent locally developed. Meanwhile, in terms of application, they must have at least 10 percent local content, Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said. "As for the material, among the estimated components are touch screen modules, cameras, circuit boards, batteries, accessories, and packaging. The local workforce are those in the assembling, testing, and packaging divisions. Meanwhile, production was expected to concern assembling and testing," he said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta, on Thursday. On the development side, he continued, local content was estimated to be based on the license or intellectual rights, firmware, industrial design, and circuit design. As for the application, local content was expected to be determined by stages of activity and component computations. "It includes the requirements, architecture design, program, application testing, and application content. Meanwhile, the component computations covers the design, intellectual rights, workforce, competency certificate, and tools," Airlangga said. The Industry Ministry issued Ministry Regulation No. 65/2016 to support a similar regulation previously issued by the Communications and Information Ministry. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 The government has targeted for the implementation of the noncash food subsidy program in 44 cities in 2017 and to become a nationwide program by 2019. National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) head Bambang Brodjonegoro said on Thursday that the noncash system would not create a distortion in food prices as the voucher or e-money could only be used by designated recipients. The recipients can exchange the voucher for ricedubbed beras sejahtera (prosperity rice)at e-warung (e-stalls). Managed by the Social Affairs Ministry, at least 300 e-warung are expected to be available in December and the number will be increased to 3,000 in 2017. "Then in 2017 beras sejahtera can be accessed by 1.7 million households," Bambang said. The agency has just received a visit from the Netherland's Queen Maxima in her capacity as United Nation Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. The queen emphasized the importance of financial inclusion to support social transfers. (bbn) As many as 309 IS militants have been arrested so far, including 25 Afghans, 127 other foreign nationals and 157 "freelancers" and fighters from small groups. By Indo-Asian News Service: The Pakistan Army has said that the footprints of the Islamic State (IS) militant group have been eliminated from the country. "They tried [sneak] into Pakistan but failed and [were] apprehended," Dawn online quoted Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt General Asim Saleem Bajwa as saying on Thursday. As many as 309 IS militants have been arrested so far, including 25 Afghans, 127 other foreign nationals and 157 "freelancers" and fighters from small groups. advertisement According to Bajwa, major terror attacks planned by the IS on targets, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign embassies, consulates and their staff, the Islamabad airport, prominent public figures, media persons and law enforcement personnel, were averted. THREAT IS NOT OVER YET "A proactive approach and the efforts of the law enforcement agencies have forestalled the threat of Daesh for the time being and the network has been busted." "The threat is not over yet as their presence in the neighbouring Afghanistan is still [something] we are worried about," he said. Bajwa said the IS was operating in some parts of eastern Afghanistan and could try to enter Pakistan. While commenting on US Secretary of State John Kerry's remarks during India visit in which he urged Islamabad to push harder against militants hiding within its borders, Bajwa said operation Zarb-e-Azb was indiscriminate and against terrorists of all hues and colours. "We have no favourites," Bajwa said, rejecting the dichotomy of the "good" and the "bad" Taliban. According to Bajwa, since the launch of the operation, terrorist incidents in Karachi had declined by 74 per cent, while target killings, extortion and kidnappings declined by 94, 95 and 89 per cent respectively. --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 The government is resurrecting the old National Development Saving (Tabanas) program, proposing postal savings for people, including in remote areas, to accelerate financial inclusion across the archipelago. The Tabanas concept of saving money at the post office was implemented during the New Order regime back in 1971. However, unlike the old concept in which post offices acted as saving outlets for banks, the forthcoming concept will allow them to provide saving accounts. "The study has been finished and submitted. We are now waiting for technical policies from relevant authorities such as the Financial Services Authority [OJK]," National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) head Bambang PS Brodjonegoro said at his office in Jakarta on Thursday. According to the Banking Law, post offices can be given the authority to collect public funds as savings. "But they cannot make loans, only savings," Bambang explained. State-owned postal firm Pos Indonesia currently operates 4,154 post offices, of which 3,746 are connected through an online network, the main system needed to support financial inclusion. Pos Indonesia, Bambang added, would cooperate with Japan Post and Deutsche Post, which have successfully grown their saving businesses and transformed them into giant banks, namely Japan Post Bank Co., Ltd. and Deutsche Postbank AG. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alicia Chang (Associated Press) Los Angeles Fri, September 2, 2016 A NASA spacecraft has spied what appears to be an inactive volcano on the surface of Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The volcano is about half as tall as Mount Everest and likely last erupted several hundred million years ago, scientists reported Thursday. "It's totally cool and unexpected," said chief scientist Christopher Russell of the University of California, Los Angeles. Evidence of past volcanic activity has been spotted on many planets and their moons, but whether there ever was similar activity on Ceres remained unclear until the arrival of the Dawn spacecraft. The dome-shaped mountain appears to be made of salt and mud, unlike volcanoes in the outer solar system, which are icy, said Ottaviano Ruesch of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center who led the team that analyzed the images. Dawn observed the dome for several months and didn't detect any eruptions, Ruesch said. The volcano discovery was published in the journal Science along with five other studies that examined impact craters, minerals and ice on Ceres' surface. Dawn, which slipped into orbit around Ceres last year, is the first mission to a dwarf planet. Dwarf planets are similar in shape to planets, but they share the same celestial neighborhood with other, similar-sized bodies. Ceres was once considered a planet before it was downgraded to an asteroid. Since 2006, Ceres has been classified as a dwarf planet like Pluto, the former ninth planet. Ceres is the second and last stop for Dawn, which paid an earlier visit to the asteroid Vesta. Both bodies are in the asteroid belt that's littered with rocky debris from the formation of the sun and planets some 4 billion years ago. Dawn wrapped up its prime mission in June, flying as close as 240 miles above Ceres' surface. NASA approved a mission extension, but engineers need to move the spacecraft higher to save fuel. Dawn on Friday will begin spiraling away until it reaches 910 miles above Ceres to begin a fresh round of observations. ___ Follow Alicia Chang on Twitter: @SciWriAlicia (**) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 Indonesia is set to launch a campaign at the 71st UN General Assembly later this month to secure a seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for 2019 to 2020, the Foreign Ministry has said. UNSC non-permanent membership was important for Indonesia to be able to promote world peace and stability because many global security issues are initially discussed at the UNSC, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said. Vice President Jusuf Kalla is scheduled to attend the UN General Assembly in New York from Sept. 19 to 29, where he is set to launch the campaign for Indonesia's nomination for the UNSC non-permanent member seat. Indonesia is eying a seat that will be left vacant by Kazakhstan, which will serve as a UNSC member from 2017 to 2018, representing the Asia-Pacific region. "The UNSC is where Indonesia's voice can directly reach the world and our influence can be apparent. There, Indonesia can contribute to constructing what we call World Order," Arrmanatha said on Thursday. The government was optimistic that Indonesia, as a country that has contributed a lot to promoting peace and stability at regional and global levels, could gain a seat on the UNSC, Arrmanatha said. Indonesia's support for Palestine's independence at the Asia-Africa Conference, its commitment to upholding ASEAN unity amid the South China Sea dispute and the fact that the country was among the 10 biggest contributors to the UNs peacekeeping troops are expected to be considered by other countries in supporting Indonesia's campaign, Arrmanatha said. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam, Riau Islands Fri, September 2, 2016 An Indonesian woman infected by the Zika virus in Singapore is fully recovered. Her condition is not too serious as she undergoes home treatment, the Indonesian Ambassador for Singapore said on Friday. Ambassador I Gede Ngurah Swajaya said the Indonesian woman is a domestic worker for a family in Singapore. He gave no further details of her identity. "She is recovering. Her condition is not too serious and she receives home treatment," Swajaya told The Jakarta Post on Friday. There are around 200,000 Indonesians working in Singapore, he said citing data from the Embassy. "The Indonesian Embassy continues to monitor Indonesians living here and is asking them to take care of their health to prevent being infected by Zika," Swajaya said. He praised the Singapore government for managing the outbreak of the Aedes mosquito-borne virus that had infected at least 151 people in the city-state as of Thursday. The Health Ministry had assigned paramedics in eight seaports in Batam, Bintan and Karimun, Riau Islands, regions that commonly serve trips to Singapore. Passengers coming to the province from Singapore must go through a thermal scan as well as health checks at the seaports. There are five international seaports in Batam that connect the city to Singapore. At least 8,000 people pass between Batam and Singapore, as the two cities are only less than 20 kilometers away. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo left Jakarta on Friday morning to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 4-5, after which he will depart for Vientiane, Laos, to attend the 28th-29th ASEAN Summit on Sept. 6-8. At the meeting of the worlds 20 major economies, Jokowi will emphasize the importance of an international taxation system among G20 member countries. He also will encourage balance and fairness in the world trading system and cover small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in his speech. During his visit to Hangzhou, Jokowi is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Argentine President Mauricio Macri. The president will also visit Shanghai to attend a business meeting and visit vocational training facilities. After the G20 Summit, Jokowi and his entourage will proceed to Vientiane to attend the ASEAN Summit. At the forum, Jokowi will emphasize the importance of upholding peace and stability in the region, highlighting that it will otherwise be difficult to maintain economic growth. Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Thomas Lembong and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung will accompany the President during the visits. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has sent a letter to the House of Representatives nominating National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan to replace Sutiyoso as the countrys spy chief. State Secretary Pratikno delivered Jokowi's letter to the House on Friday, claiming that the replacement plan would support regeneration at the National Intelligence Agency (BIN). House Speaker Ade Komarudin said the House would immediately process the nomination. House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs would carry out screenings for Budi, he said. "Our plan is to follow up the matter next week and we will hold a meeting with the leaders of political factions on Monday to decide on further details," Ade told journalists at the House complex. Retired Army general and former Jakarta governor Sutiyoso has lead the agency since July 8 last year. Budi is a close associate of President Jokowis patron and chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Megawati Soekarnoputri. He found himself at the center of controversy in January last year after Jokowi withdrew Budis name as a National Police chief candidate even though he had passed screenings at the House. The withdrawal came after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) declared Budi a graft suspect. Jokowi then appointed Gen. Badrodin Haiti as National Police chief and Budi as deputy chief. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 Members of House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs have said they have no opposition to President Joko Jokowi Widodos decision to nominate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan for the role of National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief. Commission I chairman Abdul Kharis Almasyhari said on Friday that he believed the President had considered the competencies of Budi, who is currently National Police deputy chief, in intelligence affairs, although the position is traditionally held by a member of the military. "The important thing is that [Budi] has proficiency in intelligence affairs as well as integrity. The President has evaluated [the traits] himself," said Abdul, a politician from the Prosperous Justice Party. Meanwhile, Commission I deputy chairman TB Hasanuddin said the nomination of a BIN chief candidate was a prerogative right of the President. He said his party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), had no objection to Jokowis decision. The House's Steering Committee (Bamus) will soon schedule a plenary meeting to further deliberate Budis nomination. The committees deliberation is expected to occur next week, said Abdul, adding that Commission I would follow the process with an internal meeting to decide on the date of a screening for Budi. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam, Riau Islands Fri, September 2, 2016 It is not yet a matter of urgency for the Indonesian government to close Batam borders to Singapore following the spread of the Zika virus, which reportedly has infected more than 100 people in the neighboring country, a senior official has said. Overall, Batam is ready to face the Zika virus. Because of the capability of every health facility here to handle dengue, Batam is also ready to handle the virus, the Health Ministrys disease control and prevention director general Muhammad Subuh said on the sidelines of his visit to the Batam Centre Point International Ferry Terminal on Thursday. Theres no need for us to close Batam borders to Singapore because Zika is not dangerous. Its a mild disease. Its true however that the virus affects pregnant woman, endangering fetuses, he went on. Citing Health Ministry data, Muhammad said 119 people had been infected with Zika in Singapore. Meanwhile, Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore I Gusti Ngurah Swajaya said the Indonesian Embassy was closely paying attention to the spread of the Zika virus in the country, including in monitoring the condition of Indonesian citizens possibly infected with the virus. We have continued to coordinate with the Singaporean government. It has given us extensive information on the spread of the disease, said Swajaya. He further said the Foreign Ministry had issued a travel advisory for Indonesians wishing to visit Singapore in anticipation of the virus spreading. There has not yet been a travel warning. Its just a travel advisory, said Swajaya, adding that the Singaporean government was working hard to contain Zika and was coordinating quite closely with Indonesian authorities. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Edith M. Lederer (Associated Press) United Nations Fri, September 2, 2016 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wided Bouchamaoui urged people everywhere on Thursday not to "muddle up" terrorism with Islam. The Tunisian businesswoman, who co-founded the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet which won the 2015 peace prize, said Muslims who practice their faith calmly and respectfully are "victims of a semantic problem" when "terrorists" are described as "Islamic terrorists." "I think we should call a spade a spade," Bouchamaoui told the UN General Assembly's high-level forum on The Culture of Peace. "A terrorist is a killer, a murderer, a criminal and I would even say an imposter who is manipulating Islam." The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was cited by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for making a "decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia" after the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. Bouchamaoui said Tunisia is still considered "the exception" to the Arab Spring because it has been able to avoid conflict and to promote dialogue and compromise. It has also been able to promote democracy and is taking steps to counter "terrorism," she said. But after deadly attacks in Tunisia and elsewhere carried out by extremists, she said "it is absolutely crucial to review and reconsider the solutions the international community can provide to the complex issue of terrorism in order to stem as best as possible the evil." Beyond the victims who are often civilians, Bouchamaoui said "terrorism seeks to strike public opinion, to intimidate it by instilling a climate of fear and terror and they have achieved this in some places." The Nobel laureate said she and others intend to join forces to fight extremism, which knows no borders. "It must be considered as a priority of the UN agenda on the culture of peace and non-violence," Bouchamaoui said. Stressing the importance of international action, she said, "I would like to urge each and every one of you not to muddle up terrorism [with] Islam." By referring to terrorists as Islamic, Bouchamaoui said, confusion is created in people's minds between the Muslim faith "and a team of Jihadists who are prepared to blow themselves up by killing innocent people." She said threats to peace and security "linked to terrorism" are one challenge Tunisia is facing. Increased insecurity in Tunisia is mainly the result of "disastrous management" of the conflict in neighboring Libya, Bouchamaoui said. "We are very much paying a very high price for the instability in Libya. It affects our country every day, and our neighboring country." She said 2015 was a year of success for Tunisia's democratic transition, "but a terrible year for Tunisia and the world" because of extremist attacks, uncertainties, and "a lack of vision." Bouchamaoui urged international action to help young people find a future in which they have a stake and feel they can make a contribution to the world so they're not attracted to extremist groups or drawn into smuggling. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 July has set a new record in the number of foreigners visiting Indonesia, with Chinese tourists topping the list. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on Thursday that 1.03 million people visited the country in July, marking an all-time high. Compared to one year ago, the July figure is up 17.7 percent. It is also a reversal from a less-than-favorable figure in June, when the number of visits dropped by 1.7 percent year-on-year to 857,651 as a result of the fasting month. July is a traditional high season, but we think our intense efforts to promote tourism in Indonesia have also been fruitful, said I Gde Pitana, deputy minister for overseas promotion at the Tourism Ministry. The ministry attributed the increase to the free 30-day visas now offered to citizens from dozens of countries, including China and Australia, which it said made it easier for tourists to visit the archipelago. China ranked at the top of the list of countries of origin, with 153,934 visitors recorded in July, taking the helm from Singapore. The number of Chinese visitors surged 32.9 percent from June. Coming in second and third place were Australia and Singapore with 122,866 and 94,187 visitors, respectively. China is among countries the government is particularly targeting in its tourism campaign. The number of Chinese travelers visiting Indonesia is expected to climb to 1.7 million this year from 1.3 million last year. Pitana said efforts from travel agencies as well as airlines to provide access for Chinese visitors to places like Manado in North Sulawesi had played a key role in boosting visits from China. Airlines such as private carriers Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air have launched charter services connecting Chinese cities with Manado. Around 7,000 Chinese tourists visited Manado in July after the charter flights became available, compared to almost none last year, according to Tourism Ministry data. National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has also flown holidaymakers from three major Chinese cities namely Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to Jakarta. The ministry claimed its tourism promotion in the Asia-Pacific area, especially in China, had borne fruit as well. It has promoted Indonesia in dozens of Chinese cities and through Chinese media, such as search engine Baidu and television channel CCTV. We also see cities that serve as tourism gates developing significantly, he said, citing BPS data that show that Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali welcomed 482,201 foreign visitors in July, up almost 20 percent from a month earlier. As reported earlier, the current administration has made tourism part of its five priority sectors to be developed. It aims to attract 12 million foreign tourists this year, up from 10.41 million last year. It hopes to drive the number up to 20 million tourists in 2019. -------------- To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login IRF's registration was cleared at a time when the Home Ministry had sought legal opinion to ascertain whether Naik should be banned from giving speeches. By Mustafa Shaikh: Renewal of registration for Ismalic Research Foundation has not only left the Home Ministry in an embarrassed position but also shows that the Ministry was not even aware that Dr Zakir Naik's NGO's license was expiring in July. IRF's registration was cleared at a time when the Home Ministry had sought legal opinion to ascertain whether Naik should be banned from giving speeches. After India Today reported that license of IRF has been renewed under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) four junior level officers were suspended. LICENSE RENEWAL advertisement On August 9, standard questionnaire, the first point of any formal inquiry against a foreign-funded NGO, was sent to IRF. It sought details of bank accounts, including the designated FCRA account and amount of foreign contributions received and utilized by it since inception. "We had a month's time to reply to the notice, but we sent it within 10 days," said a source close to the development. Interestingly the reply was sent on August 19, same the day when its FCRA license was renewed. It's highly possible that the reply didn't reach Home Ministry before August 22. This suggests that MHA didn't know that IRF's license was expiring on July 2016, while their department renewed it for another five years. However, MHA officials said it is highly unlikely that the file regarding licence renewal for IRF was cleared in a moment of oversight because there were plans to suspend the license. Meanwhile, an IRF Spokesperson told India Today, "One and a half years back a similar enquiry was carried out by FCRA officials. They physically inspected each and every files of the NGO. They did it for three weeks. No employee of IRF was allowed to enter the office. After which we assume a report was submitted to home ministry and nothing further happened. Our license was expiring in July but NGO's are given extension till October if their renewal is not processed." ALSO READ: MHA renewed our foreign fund license last week, says Zakir Naik's IRF --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 July has set a new record in the number of foreigners visiting Indonesia, with Chinese tourists topping the list. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on Thursday that 1.03 million people visited the country in July, marking an all-time high. Compared to one year ago, the July figure is up 17.7 percent. It is also a reversal from a less-than-favorable figure in June, when the number of visits dropped by 1.7 percent year-on-year to 857,651 as a result of the fasting month. July is a traditional high season, but we think our intense efforts to promote tourism in Indonesia have also been fruitful, said I Gde Pitana, deputy minister for overseas promotion at the Tourism Ministry. The ministry attributed the increase to the free 30-day visas now offered to citizens from dozens of countries, including China and Australia, which it said made it easier for tourists to visit the archipelago. China ranked at the top of the list of countries of origin, with 153,934 visitors recorded in July, taking the helm from Singapore. The number of Chinese visitors surged 32.9 percent from June. Coming in second and third place were Australia and Singapore with 122,866 and 94,187 visitors, respectively. China is among countries the government is particularly targeting in its tourism campaign. The number of Chinese travelers visiting Indonesia is expected to climb to 1.7 million this year from 1.3 million last year. Pitana said efforts from travel agencies as well as airlines to provide access for Chinese visitors to places like Manado in North Sulawesi had played a key role in boosting visits from China. Airlines such as private carriers Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air have launched charter services connecting Chinese cities with Manado. Around 7,000 Chinese tourists visited Manado in July after the charter flights became available, compared to almost none last year, according to Tourism Ministry data. National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has also flown holidaymakers from three major Chinese cities namely Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to Jakarta. The ministry claimed its tourism promotion in the Asia-Pacific area, especially in China, had borne fruit as well. It has promoted Indonesia in dozens of Chinese cities and through Chinese media, such as search engine Baidu and television channel CCTV. We also see cities that serve as tourism gates developing significantly, he said, citing BPS data that show that Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali welcomed 482,201 foreign visitors in July, up almost 20 percent from a month earlier. As reported earlier, the current administration has made tourism part of its five priority sectors to be developed. It aims to attract 12 million foreign tourists this year, up from 10.41 million last year. It hopes to drive the number up to 20 million tourists in 2019. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mriganka Jaipuriyar (The Jakarta Post) Singapore Fri, September 2 2016 International crude oil prices staged a remarkable rally in August but momentum waned by the end of the month reminding markets once again of the transient nature of these trends under current market conditions. After losing 20 percent of their value in July, ICE Brent and NYMEX WTI rebounded by around 15 percent in August. Front-month October Brent settled at US$48.37/barrel on Aug. 30, up from $42.14/barrel on Aug. 1, and NYMEX WTI settled at $46.35/barrel on Aug. 30, up from $40.84/barrel on Aug. 1. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra Fri, September 2, 2016 Parents of a 17-year-old accused of attacking a church in Medan apologized on Thursday to Christians, especially Catholics, for their sons alleged attempt to bomb the St. Yosep Catholic Church in Medan and to kill the priest, Albertus Pandiangan. The parents conveyed the apology during a press conference in the office of Medans Indonesian Advocates Association (Peradi). Makmur Hasugian, 65, the father of the accused, said his family was shocked to learn about the attack against the church. Our family apologized. There has been no intention at all from us to hurt Christians, especially Catholics. We have Christians among our family, Makmur said, crying. He said his son was not a criminal, but a victim of radical teachings. He said there were people who influenced him and pushed him into radicalism. My son is the victim of radicalism. He is not a criminal. Someone persuaded him to do that, said Makmur, who was formerly a lawyer. Arista Purba, 54, the mother, said she was negligent in monitoring her 17-year-old boy. This is my fault. I didnt closely monitor him, Arista said, crying. Arista said she had visited her son at the Medan Police office. She said her son had apologized to all the people who were affected by the action. He apologized for terrorizing many people and getting his family into trouble, she said. The accused was an alumna of state high school SMA 4 in Medan and just graduated this year. He turns 18 in October. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli, Rizal Harahap and Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Batam/Mataram/Pekanbaru Fri, September 2 2016 As the rainy season approaches, the government is working to raise public awareness to anticipate potential outbreaks of the Zika virus in the country, following confirmation on Thursday that an Indonesian woman is being treated in Singapore for the disease. Health Ministry spokesperson Oscar Primadi said people needed to exercise extra caution during the rainy season when the population of mosquitoes swelled. Pay attention to open water areas or containers such as puddles, clothing hangers and used water bottles, he said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli, Rizal Harahap and Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Batam/Mataram/Pekanbaru Fri, September 2, 2016 As the rainy season approaches, the government is working to raise public awareness to anticipate potential outbreaks of the Zika virus in the country, following confirmation on Thursday that an Indonesian woman is being treated in Singapore for the disease. Health Ministry spokesperson Oscar Primadi said people needed to exercise extra caution during the rainy season when the population of mosquitoes swelled. Pay attention to open water areas or containers such as puddles, clothing hangers and used water bottles, he said. The rainy season in most parts of Indonesia will begin between August and November this year, Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) spokesman Harry Tirto said. On Wednesday, the Indonesian government issued a travel advisory for Indonesians planning to travel to Singapore due to the worsening Zika outbreak there, with the city-state confirming 151 Zika infections as of Sept. 1. In its travel advisory, the health ministry recommended Indonesian citizens who visit Singapore protect themselves from mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants. The government also advised people to use insect repellent and sleep under a mosquito net or inside a room with a screen mesh on the windows. Pregnant women are advised not to travel to an area with Zika. Women are also encouraged to postpone trying for a baby for up to eight weeks after they return from travel in areas where the Zika virus is present, the travel advisory read. Furthermore, the government also urged people who had just returned from Zika epidemic areas to go to a healthcare facility for a checkup within 14 days of their arrival in the country. Individuals who experienced possible Zika symptoms such as fever, rashes, joint pain, or red eyes should schedule an appointment with a doctor. Zika poses an enormous threat to pregnant women as it can harm unborn children. The World Health Organization has declared an international emergency over the virus, which has been linked to microcephaly a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. The virus is now present in many Latin American countries. Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir confirmed that an Indonesian woman was currently receiving treatment for Zika at a hospital in Singapore. One Indonesian citizen has tested positive for Zika, but out of concern for her privacy, I cant disclose her personal information, he told journalists. The information was confirmed by the Health Ministry spokesman, although he was not able to give more details as the ministry still needed to gather more information about the case. The Health Ministry has emphasized that it has taken drastic measures to prevent the spread of the Zika virus. The government has ordered hundreds of paramedics to be on alert at eight seaports in Batam, Bintan and Karimun in Riau Islands. It has also required people arriving in Indonesia from seaports and airports to fill in health alert cards to ensure early detection of the virus. In general, Batam is ready to handle the Zika virus. We dont need to close down the Batam-Singapore border crossing, Muhammad Subuh, the Health Ministrys disease control director general, told The Jakarta Post in Batam. In Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru, thermal scanners have been installed to identify passengers with body temperatures above 38 Celsius and health alert cards are being distributed. Similarly, health authorities at Lombok International Airport in Mataram have also tightened the monitoring of travelers from Singapore. (win) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 An environmental group has blamed the conversion of forests into oil palm plantations for the loss of biodiversity in Papua, adding that it had also failed to improve the welfare of local people in the province. Forests that were once a source of staple foods such as sago have been converted into oil palm plantations, which provide limited benefits, Bustar Maitar, chairman of environmental group Mighty Asia Tenggara, said in Jakarta on Thursday. The businesses deprived many indigenous Papuans of their sources of livelihood because they used to rely on sago and meat for food, which they obtained in forests, Bustar said while speaking at a seminar. He also said plantation companies had cleared more than 50,000 hectares of tropical forest in South Halmahera in North Maluku and Merauke in Papua. Bustar criticized companies for paying only meager wages to local people who helped to clear the forest. They [locals] receive a daily salary of only Rp 85,000 [US$6.40] in Merauke, Bustar said. A similar statement was made by Papuan human rights activist Anselmus Amo of the Secretariat of Peace and Justice of the Merauke Archdiocese (SKP-KAMe), who said local workers were subject to unfair treatment. Whenever they stage a protest for better pay, military personnel side with the employers, said Anselmus, adding that the plantations had also destroyed local customs, citing as an example that young Papuans now preferred to eat rice rather than sago. (rez/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 In a relatively quick move against a hate crime, the police apprehended on Thursday five men for their alleged involvement in an attack against a Chinese-Indonesian youth they believed was committed because of his ethnicity. The Jakarta Police mobile detective unit head Adj. Sr. Corm. Budi Hermanto said that all five, who were aged between 17 and 26 years, were arrested at 4 a.m. at their rented houses in Tambora, West Jakarta. We detained them when they were sleeping, Budi told reporters. The suspects have been accused of beating Andrew Budikusuma, 24, at the Transjakarta bus stop in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Friday after calling him Ahok, the nickname of Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the first Chinese-Indonesian governor of the city. Youre Ahok, arent you?Andrew repeated, recalling the incident. Police allege that when the bus reached the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) bus stop in Senayan, Andrew was attacked and his attackers tried to drag him off the bus. Andrew, who worked at a start-up company, hit one of his assailants with a glass bottle that was within reach, which apparently deterred the others. After the attack, Andrew went to the emergency department at Siloam Hospital in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, to get an injured lip and a bump on his head treated. One day after the assault, Andrew posted information about the incident on his Facebook account and got numerous responses. Ignoring his parents admonition that he should simply accept his position as a member of a minority community, Andrew reported the attack to the police on Tuesday. Officer Budi has accused the suspects of violating Article 170 of the Criminal Code on assault and said if they are convicted of the charges they would face a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Police said they seized evidence including a phone, clothes and two pieces of ID from the suspects. Commenting on the case, Transjakarta operational director, Daud Joseph, said that he underlined that violence should not occur in the Transjakarta workplace and as a mode of public transportation in the capital that included its pedestrian bridges, bus stops, corridor lane and bus interiors. It was not a trivial case, he said. To prevent a similar case in the future, he said that Transjakarta would ensure that all infrastructure was functioning properly. We will check regularly all CCTV cameras that had been installed both in the bus stops and inside the buses to make sure all of them were functioning well, he said. He said that until now all Transjakarta infrastructure has operated up to standard. We keep maintaining vigilance and security to make the passengers comfortable, he said. Andrews decision to report the case to the police got much support, including from other Chinese-Indonesians who claimed they now feel emboldened should they suffer similar assaults. The chairman of the Setara Institute, a human rights NGO, Hendardi, praised Andrews braveness in reporting the case to the police, saying the victim could become a pioneer for other Chinese-Indonesians to get equal rights. Before the downfall of the authoritarian regime of Soeharto in 1998, people of Chinese origin were denied their rights, including their right to cultural expression. The reform movement toppled the regime and brought many changes, including a recognition of the rights of minorities.(sha) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java Fri, September 2, 2016 Only two days after a child prostitution ring was uncovered in Bogor, West Java, the Indonesian police announced the arrest of two people for allegedly operating a Twitter micro blogging account to sell the services of sex workers. West Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said the two suspects, identified only with their initials, MIR, 21, and NNU, 25, sold sexual services for between Rp 1.5 million (US$ 113.49) and Rp 5 million. They first received a down payment of between Rp 500,000 and Rp 1 million. The remainder was to be paid directly to the sex workers by their clients, said Yusri in Bandung on Thursday. The two suspects received 30 percent of the fee from the sex workers, he added. Officers from the West Java Polices Special Crime Investigation Directorate arrested MIR and NNU in an operation on Aug. 11. In their Twitter account, they offered sexual services in several cities, such as Bandung, Bali, Bekasi, Bogor, Jakarta, Jambi, Medan, Purwokerto, Surabaya, Tangerang and Yogyakarta. The polices Special Crime Investigation Directorate deputy director Adj. Sr. Comr. Diki Budiman said the arrest was the result of an online tracing conducted by the cybercrime patrol unit in his directorate. The growing problem of sex services being offered online has led to a more intense police cyberpatrol in Indonesia. A separate cyberpatrol conducted by the National Polices Crime Investigation Department (Bareskrim) led to the arrest of AR in Puncak, West Java, on Tuesday, for his alleged involvement in an underage male prostitution ring. The number of victims in his prostitution ring was more than 99 children offered to male clients. We will completely investigate this [child prostitution] ring. We will arrest anyone involved in this crime, said National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian on Friday. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 Police have uncovered a human trafficking case, involving three underage girls identified only as D (12), SZ (15) and P (18), who were trafficked from Jakarta to West Sumatras capital Padang without their parents knowledge. Head of National Police information division Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul said on Friday that the three girls had now been brought back to Jakarta. The incident started when SZ and D met with their friend P about an employment opportunity on Aug. 24, an activist from Indonesian Child Protection Institution (LPAI) Henny Hermanoe told the press conference, which was also attended by Martinus in Jakarta on Friday. Interested in the job offer from P, SZ and D agreed to meet with I, a friend of P, in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java. I is a daughter of B (52), an owner of a cafe in Padang, West Sumatra. On Wednesday (Aug. 24), SZ and D were convinced by P that they would be hired, said Henny as quoted by kompas.com at Duren Tiga subdistrict office in South Jakarta. The three girls spent one night at Is house in Kelapa Dua before they flew to Padang on Aug. 25. Henny said while in Padang, the three were forced to accompany guests in a cafe owned by B on Aug. 26. They were not allowed to have contact with other people while they stayed at a motel, near the cafe. The parents of SZ and D filed a report to the police after knowing that their daughters had flown to Padang from a friend of SZ and D. Martinus said the police tracked the phones of the victims and discovered the two had been in Padang. We informed our police comrades in Padang and on Aug. 29, the Padang Police raided the Cafe owned by B, he said, adding that the police were still investigating the case. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Grace D. Amianti, Stefani Ribka and Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 The second round of state budget cuts may lead to delayed infrastructure projects and lower economic growth, although priority projects will not be affected as the country struggles to fill in a huge infrastructure funding gap. Construction of non-priority infrastructure projects will be disrupted and delayed following the state budget cuts, according to the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, which is responsible for state infrastructure projects. Following the Rp 6.9 trillion [US$517.5 million] cut, well have to adjust projects that have not been tendered and single-year packages whose progress is unsatisfactory and reschedule multi-year projects, the ministrys secretary-general Taufik Widjoyono said recently. It previously suffered from an 8.4 trillion budget cut in the first round earlier this year. Priority projects scheduled for completion this year, such as the trans-Papua and trans-Java toll roads, will not be affected, he added. President Joko Jokowi Widodo cut the revised 2016 state budget for the second time recently in a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) that shaved Rp 137 trillion off spending because of a Rp 219 trillion revenue shortfall as the government admitted it had previously set tax targets too high. I predict that there will be a lot of projects on which construction has yet to be started that will be postponed to next year, said Kenta Institute senior economist Eric Sugandi, predicting the budget cuts would reduce the multiplier effects on economic growth from government spending. Bank Central Asia (BCA) chief economist David Sumual said a cut in infrastructure spending would affect economic growth, more so than a reduction in routine expenditure, so that the government should carefully pick components to reduce. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati on Thursday evening further slashed the economic growth forecast for this year to between 5 and 5.1 percent, from previous expectations of 5.2 percent, on the back of the budget cuts. Jokowis Jokowinomics puts infrastructure development high on top of the nations economic agenda as bottlenecks have hindered Indonesia from growing at its fullest potential of 7 percent, having scrapped a multi-billion rupiah fuel subsidy to direct the saved money toward capital expenditure. (-/-) The infrastructure funding gap in Indonesia is the biggest in ASEAN as current spending plans projected $441 billion, while the projected total requirement reached $1,162 billion, according to data from HSBC Global Research. Indonesias large funding gap is unlikely to be filled without a much more aggressive policy by the government to attract private funds, HSBC Global Research wrote in its latest ASEAN Perspectives report. To ensure steady infrastructure projects in the future, construction business groups expected the government to keep priority projects intact this year and instead slash funding for projects that face difficulties in land procurement, said Indonesian Construction Association (AKI) secretary-general Zali Yahya. We hope steel usage for major projects wont be disturbed and done based on the Presidents initial vision, so national steel products will be prioritized, Indonesian Iron and Steel Industry Association (IISIA) executive director Hidayat Triseputro said. The Public Works and Public Housing Ministrys director general of water resources Mudjiadi made assurances that the ministry would prioritize cutting the budgets that were related to procurement and work travel. But we are also reviewing contracts that may get delayed for completion because of land acquisition issues. The guidance is that the cuts will not occur in strategic projects, he said. As of Wednesday, the ministry has only disbursed 46 percent of the Rp 90.2 trillion earmarked in the revised 2016 state budget. ________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com By PTI: From Harinder Mishra Jerusalem, Sep 2 (PTI) Israeli Air Force pilots held a joint military exercise with fighter pilots from Pakistan and the UAE last month in the US, even though the countries do not share diplomatic ties with Israel. The website of the Nellis Air Force base in Nevada said air force pilots from the US, Israel, Pakistan, the UAE and Spain participated in the Red Flag advanced combat training exercise, considered to be the biggest and best war simulation exercises in the world. advertisement The head of the Israel Air Forces training department, Colonel Amit, while talking to military correspondents refused to discuss the identity of the nations that participated in Red Flag but confirmed that it was done jointly with other countries, Haaretz reported. "We train together with anyone who attends the exercise. We have no say in the matter," he said. "In a group it is impossible to hide your level. If you did not carry out the mission given to you, everyone sees it," said the defence official to emphasise the importance of the thorough preparedness. Earlier in response to a question on Israels participation in the prestigious exercise alongside Pakistan, a Israel Defence Forces spokesperson had said that "the IDF trains regularly to maintain operational competency and be prepared for any potential challenge". "The Israeli Air Force was invited to participate in the high quality exercise Red Flag, and has accepted favourably", she had said. Eight Israeli F-16I (Sufa or Storm) fighter jets took part in the exercise this year, along with Israeli refuelling planes, all of which returned here yesterday. All the squadrons participating in the exercise are said to be assigned to red and blue forces. The exercise involves intercepting other aircraft, attacking targets, rescuing pilots and engaging in aerial activity under the ostensible threat of ground-to-air missiles. Col. Amit said the exercise, which ended on August 26, lasted for two weeks and included daily flights, in daylight as well as at night. Some 50 warplanes from the five countries participated in the exercise, alongwith helicopters, aerial defence units, and intelligence and special forces units. Israel and Pakistan do not have diplomatic relations but the two countries have in the past tried to come close with a meeting between their foreign ministers in 2005 fuelling speculations of some major diplomatic breakthrough. However, relations between the two countries have been rather strained since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai when Pakistan-backed terrorists also attacked the Jewish Chabad house in the city, killing six people. PTI HM ASK ZH --- ENDS --- advertisement Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Youkyung Lee (Associated Press) Seoul Fri, September 2, 2016 Samsung will issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as soon as this weekend after its investigation on explosion claims found batteries were at fault, according to South Korea's Yonhap News. Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the report on Friday, but said it was conducting the inspection with its partners, it said. "We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers," the company said in a statement. Shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone were delayed in South Korea this week for extra quality control testing. The move came after reports that batteries in some of the jumbo smartphones exploded while they were being charged. Samsung launched the latest version of the Note series just two weeks ago. Citing an unnamed company official, Yonhap said Samsung's investigation found that faulty batteries caused the phone to catch fire. The number of the Galaxy Note 7 phones with a faulty battery accounts for "less than 0.1 percent" of the products in the market and Samsung is discussing how to resolve the issue with Verizon and its other partners, the official told Yonhap. The battery issue is a fresh blow to Samsung's smartphone business that has been on a recovery track. Samsung reported stellar earnings that beat market expectations in the latest quarter and its stock price was at a record high before the Note 7's battery problems dented investor sentiment. Samsung's share rose 0.8 percent early Friday. The stock closed 2 percent lower in the previous session. Despite the investigation in South Korea, Samsung went ahead with its scheduled launch Thursday of the Galaxy Note 7 in China. Company officials did not reply to questions about how Samsung determined which phones are deemed safe and which require further testing. It did not say if those phones are different from the ones sold in South Korea. Yonhap News said five or six explosions were reported by consumers. It cited pictures of severely damaged phones shared in local online communities, social media and YouTube. The photos and accounts could not be immediately verified. There were no confirmed reports of any injuries. It is unusual for Samsung to confirm a delay in sales of a device, and rare for it to cite a quality issue. "Every year, there have been accidents of battery explosions but it is the first time that six or seven cases happened within such a short period after the launch of a new product," said Ha Joon-doo, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp. The Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is the latest iteration of Samsung's Note series that feature a giant screen and a stylus. The Note series smartphones are one of the most expensive lineups released by Samsung and usually inherit designs and features of the Galaxy S series that debut in the spring. Samsung also added an iris scanner to the Note 7, which lets users unlock the phone by detecting patterns in the eyes. Samsung launched the Note 7 on Aug. 19 in some markets, including South Korea and the US Even before the issue of battery explosions emerged, supplies were not keeping up with higher-than-expected demand for the smartphone. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 Indonesia will launch a campaign during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) later this month to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2019 to 2020 period. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said Thursday that a country that had never been involved in a war, such as Indonesia, was likely to be selected as Security Council member. A country will also get support from other countries if it contributes in the context of promoting peace at the regional and global level, he said in a press briefing. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Moscow Fri, September 2, 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin had a rare meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday but there was no breakthrough in a territorial dispute that has kept the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their WWII conflict. Abe has been pushing for progress in the dispute over the Russian-held islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the southern Kurils in Russia. Abe wants to arrange for Putin to visit Japan later this year. Putin, who met Abe in the Pacific port of Vladivostok, told the Japanese prime minister in televised remarks that Moscow is willing to build on the progress in talks that the two leaders last held in Russia's Sochi in May. "We are carefully studying the proposals that you put forward during your visit to Sochi," Putin said. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters later that the Kremlin had not expected a breakthrough on the territorial dispute, stressing the need for "long-term and thorough efforts of experts" in order to reach a compromise. Peskov also said that Abe's visit testified to Japan's interest in expanding economic ties with Russia. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2 2016 Following activity in Sumatra and Kalimantan, palm oil companies have begun expansion in Papua, which houses Indonesias only remaining virgin forests as other parts of the country have largely been converted to plantations. One such company is Korindo Group, a Korean-Indonesian conglomerate and Papuas major palm oil company. In 2013, Korindo began its aggressive clearing of tropical lowland forests for oil palm plantations in Papua. The massive deforestation and illegal burning of pristine rainforests by Korindo was uncovered in a recent investigative report by global environmental organization Mighty, Indonesian humanitarian organizations SKP-KAMe Merauke and PUSAKA, Transport & Environment, Rainforest Foundation Norway and the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM). In total, Korindo has cleared more than 50,000 hectares of tropical lowland forest in Papua and North Maluku, an area approximately the size of Seoul. Since 2013 alone, it has cleared 30,000 ha of forest in the two provinces, 12,000 ha of which were primary forests. The extent of Korindos clearing of Indonesias pristine rainforest is downright tragic, said Bustar Maitar, Southeast Asia director for Mighty. Korindo denied the allegations of slash-and-burn practices. Our hypothesis is that indigenous people who have access to our concessions have caused the fires to hunt wild animals living in the forests, the company said in an official statement. According to the report, slash-and-burn practices were apparent as there were no less than 894 hotspots recorded within the Korindo subsidiary companys concession boundaries from 2013 to 2015. Korindo was clearing forest and land in two concession areas in 2013, in three concessions in 2014 and in four concessions in 2015, the report said. Whats shocking is Korindos systematic use of fires to clear land for its plantations. Not only is this illegal, but these fires were also a major contributor to last years haze crisis, Bustar said. According to the report, Korindo had been able to get away with systematic clearing and burning for oil palm plantations with almost no accountability because Papua is a remote province with restricted access for media and civil society. Furthermore, local indigenous groups have little access to media for reporting illegal practices. Last year, the seventeenth regional military command (Kodam XVII) Cenderawasih received two units of excavators to help the military open up agricultural lands in Merauke regency, Papua, from Korindo, according to media reports. Furthermore, the government had been focusing its effort on preventing and extinguishing forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, thus largely neglecting Papua, despite the fact that it hosts the largest area of previously untouched primary tropical rainforests in Indonesia. We will check everything back because last year, we focused on fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, especially in peat areas, the Environment and Forestry Ministry law enforcement director-general, Rasio Ridho Sani, said when asked if the government was aware of Korindos alleged crimes. Currently, 75,000 ha of untouched forest remain in Korindos palm oil concessions that are at imminent risk of destruction. ____________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim and Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Batam Fri, September 2, 2016 A radio station in Batam, Hang FM, recently made headlines when Singaporean authorities accused it of spreading extremist ideology and radicalizing two of its citizens, who had been arrested under the Internal Security Act for allegedly trying to join the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. The city-states ministry of home affairs alleged that Rosli Hamzah, 50, and Mohamed Omar Mahadi, 33, started listening to Hang FM between 2009 and 2010, after which they became interested in armed jihad and IS. The radio station has strongly denied the allegations and has also been cleared by the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), which said Hang FMs religious messages had changed after 2014. The incident has focused attention on a growing number of religious radio stations associated with the Salafi movement that have been operating freely in Indonesias public sphere. Hang FM has long been accused of spreading Salafism, even though its owner, Zein Alatas, has rejected that label and said he was only trying to propagate Islam. Salafism is an ultra-conservative movement within Sunni Islam, originating mainly from countries like Saudi Arabia and Yemen. While the majority of its proponents denounce radicalism and terrorism, some people claiming to be Salafis, including al-Qaeda and IS fighters, have been engaged in violent jihad. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in this country, recently launched the Islam Nusantara campaign in an attempt to counter Salafism, which it said was not suitable for Indonesians. Ayang Utriza Yakin, a researcher at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) who focuses his studies on the Salafi movement, said Indonesian Salafis relied more on radio than door-to-door campaigns to reach a wider audience across the archipelago. That strategy, he said, had been effective. Many people have become Salafi-Wahabi followers. Bankers leave their jobs, female teachers give up their jobs, as well as artists. If the KPI does not take action to contain it, then their attempt to make Indonesia a Salafi country will be successful and, for me, that is a real threat to our diversity, he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. Recently, the countrys independent music scene was shaken by the news that former members of two veteran indie bands, Pure Saturday and The Upstairs, had joined a Salafi group called the Strangers al-Ghuraba, which considers music haram, or forbidden under Islamic law. It is unclear how many Salafi radio stations operate in Indonesia, but their number is estimated to have reached more than a hundred. The Salafy Forum on its website forumsalafy.net listed 25 Salafi radio stations located across the country that can be accessed through online streaming, including Radio Rasyid, Radio Salafy Siar, Radio Salafy Bandung and Radio Salafy Makassar. Ayang said of all the Salafi radio stations in the country, Radio Rodja had the largest network. Rodjas campaign of Salafi ideology is sophisticated and supported by high-tech equipment, enabling it to broadcast its messages through its six official branches and 65 other radio stations under its network in Indonesia both on AM and FM frequencies. In addition, Rodja now has a cable TV program to serve viewers nationwide. Ayang analyzed the sermons aired by Rodja for six months this year and found that its preachers encouraged intolerance and rejected modernity. [Radio] Rodja uses a public frequency. There should be control from the Communications and Information Ministry and the KPI as to how public space is used, he said. Rodjas operational director Abu Abdurrahman Fawwaz, however, denied Ayangs claims, saying the broadcaster only aired Islamic teachings that were based on the Quran and prophetic tradition. Whether our [preaching] is considered extreme or not is just a matter of which point of view you want to use to look at it, Fawwaz told the Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Fri, September 2, 2016 The governments plan to take control of the airspace above Riau Islands and Riau provinces has been hampered by Singapores doubt that Indonesian human resources and infrastructure are capable of managing the task. Indonesia will have the opportunity to take over the management of the flight information region (FIR) above the two provinces during the annual meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2020. Hang Nadim Airport general manager Suwarso told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that, contrary to Singapores concerns, Indonesias human resources and equipment were sufficient and the country would make the proposal at the ICAO hearing session in 2020. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has ordered the takeover from Singapore but we have to follow the procedure in compliance with the Geneva agreement on civil aviation safety. Any changes are discussed once every 10 years, so if we fail to take over from Singapore in 2020, we will have to wait another 10 years, Suwarso said. Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore, I Gede Ngurah Swajaya, said the most important thing was for Indonesia to prepare itself for the planned takeover. Human resources and infrastructure improvement are now what Indonesia must work on, the ambassador said. The airspace above Riau Islands has been controlled by Singapore since 1946. Indonesia has attempted to take control of the airspace since 1993, but is yet to be successful. (evi) The Singapore Institute of International Affairs Simon Tay (above photo, left to right), former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda and the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies vice chair Carolina G. Hernandez of the Philippines talk during the first session of a seminar held to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta on Thursday. The speakers of the second session were Malaysian Institute of Strategic and International Studies chairman and chief executive Rastam Mohd Isa (photo below, left to right), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy dean and professor Kishore Mahbubani and Indonesian Ambassador to London Rizal Sukma.(JP/Dhoni Setiawan)(above photo, left to right), former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda and the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies vice chair Carolina G. Hernandez of the Philippines talk during the first session of a seminar held to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta on Thursday. The speakers of the second session were Malaysian Institute of Strategic and International Studies chairman and chief executive Rastam Mohd Isa (photo below, left to right), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy dean and professor Kishore Mahbubani and Indonesian Ambassador to London Rizal Sukma.(JP/Dhoni Setiawan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 Technology is one of the tools Indonesia can employ to prevent and eradicate corruption, a legal expert and activist has said. A law professor from the University of Andalas in Padang, West Sumatra, Saldi Isra, said the government should use an integrated application to accommodate public complaints. LAPOR! and JAGA, two online public service systems developed by the Presidential Office and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), respectively, were among the tools that could accommodate people wanting to report alleged corruption, particularly in the education and health sectors, Saldi said. He was speaking during the launch of CEGAH, a program aimed at strengthening Indonesias anticorruption efforts. LAPOR! is an online application that Android users can download via the Play Store. Non-Android users can voice their opinions by visiting the website lapor.go.id or texting 1708, as well as via the Twitter account @LAPOR1708 and Facebook page LAPOR! The app has been available since 2013. Meanwhile, people can also download JAGA, which was introduced in July, via the Play Store. To report complaints, people need to register their name, customs identification number (NIK), place and date of birth and email address. The online-based app reportedly still requires some improvements. Adnan Topan Husodo of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said that with advanced technology, the public could access more transparent information on public service delivery, such as the city budget, which they should be able to access through the internet. Providing such information in the public domain will help increase the transparency and accountability of institutions, Adnan said (wnd/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 ASEAN should be more progressive in ensuring that its priority programs are in line with the interests of the Southeast Asian people in order to realize a fully people-centered ASEAN Community, Foreign Ministry officials have said. The Ministry's director general for ASEAN cooperation, Jose Tavares, said Southeast Asian leaders should be able to translate the ASEAN 2025 Roadmap into various programs that could transfer the organization's vision so that people in the region could feel ASEAN's positive impact. "The programs should really benefit all people on the ground, so that ASEAN will always continue to be relevant in the eyes of the people living in Southeast Asia," Jose told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a seminar to commemorate the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) 45th anniversary. He asserted that ASEAN in its first year of community had been moving in the right direction in realizing itself as an inclusive organization, adding that it must continue to play its role of maintaining peace and stability to create a conducive environment for economic development in the region. Meanwhile, the Ministry's director for ASEAN Political-Security Cooperation, Chandra Widya Yudha, said Indonesia and Southeast Asian leaders would use the momentum of the next ASEAN summit in Vientiane next week to continue strengthening regional cooperation. CSIS executive director Philips Vermonte said track two diplomacy engagement between non-state actors like the private sector or think tanks should be strengthened among the people in the region, especially when discussing sensitive issues. Among the crucial issues the community now faces is the South China Sea dispute and the ASEAN Economic Community. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 2, 2016 ASEAN should undergo changes on different levels to stay relevant in its first year as a community and ahead of its golden jubilee next year. The view was expressed by various experts during a seminar held to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday. There was special emphasis on both the political-security and socio-cultural pillars of ASEAN, considering the regions heavy focus on the economic pillar in recent years. With regard to the political-security pillar of the ASEAN Community, former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda urged ASEAN leaders to return to the basics by developing strong cohesiveness among member states, which has been set out in the ASEAN Charter. Hassan said the group members should do their homework in fostering a better understanding of one another and drop the business-as-usual approach when it comes to more sensitive issues. In ASEAN, we should learn from our setback in 2012, when ASEAN failed to agree on a final communique [among foreign ministers on] the question of cohesion and unity, he said in the first panel discussion. We cannot simply claim that ASEAN plays a central role in our engagement with other powers outside the region. He was referring to the 2012 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Cambodia, when the underlying interests of ASEAN member states with external powers got in the way of consensus. Hassan also championed a balanced process of community-building and integration, urging ASEAN to revitalize the East Asia Summit forum to enforce a much needed regional order. Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affair (SIIA), suggested that ASEAN chairs for the next three consecutive terms should work together to align the agenda toward the ASEAN 2025 Roadmap to prevent the regional agenda from changing every year. For the communitys socio-cultural pillar, Carolina G. Hernandez from the Philippines-based Institute for Strategic and Development Studies (ISDS) urged ASEAN leaders to take the concerns of their peoples seriously. I think there is a disconnect between what the elites in ASEAN think about and what the peoples of ASEAN would like to see happen, she said. She championed the role of Track II diplomacy engagement between non-state actors like the private sector or think tanks and the need to revisit the roadmap to determine whether the mechanisms therein are effective in promoting a people-centered ASEAN. During the second panel discussion, Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore (NUS), saw the need for more honest discussions between ASEAN leaders regarding the challenges faced by the bloc. Mahbubani did, however, urge ASEAN leaders not to undersell the organization, which despite its many shortcomings has worked to maintain regional peace and security in an era full of uncertainty. We should try to understand ASEAN better; it is actually the behavior within ASEAN, the level of trust [it inspires that keeps it together], he said. Former CSIS executive director Rizal Sukma, who now serves as Indonesian Ambassador to UK, emphasized the need to revise the ASEAN Charter, to adapt to the strategic environment, citing points like the decision-making process, which has proven to be more of a hurdle for ASEAN in recent times. The panel discussions were followed up by a lively dinner reception attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who congratulated the CSIS for its continued contributions to regional and national development. Next week, ASEAN leaders will convene in Vientiane for the 48th and 49th Summits and related meetings, the first time since the community was established at the end of last year. By India Today Web Desk: Martial artist and moviestar Jackie Chan has been chosen to be awarded an honorary Oscar by the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts & Science for his extraordinary contribution to cinema as an action star. The actor has starred in successful Hollywood productions like the Kung Fu Panda series, Rush Hour and The Karate Kid reboot. ALSO READ: RIP Gene Wilder; 5 Willy Wonka moments we'll never forget in our lifetime advertisement ALSO READ: Deepika Padukone enters Hollywood's top 10 highest-paid female actors' list The Hong Kong-based actor, director, writer and producer shall be honoured along with three other movie professionals including, Film editor Anne V Coates, documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman and Casting director Lynn Stalmaster. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs described all four as "true pioneers and legends of their craft." Chan made his debut in movie at the age of 8, and has since written, directed and acted in over 30 films based in Hong Kong. He's widely popular among kids for his distinct flavour of action-comedy, which are a recurring element in his films. In August, he was touted to be the second highest paid actor for 2016, with a remuneration of USD 61 million just behind Dwayne Johnson. The actor was recently in news in India, when he announced that he was looking to cast an Indian female actor opposite himself in Skiptrace 2. According to reports, Sobhita Dhulipala and Tilottoma Shome were shortlisted in the final list. However, there's still no official announcement. --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Khristian Ibarrola (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) Manila Fri, September 2, 2016 I know you have a good heart. You are a parent as well. Even if my family is poor, I will not be involved in illegal drugs. Even if they put me behind bars. I cannot accept these accusations because I am innocent. I am innocent. I am innocent. These were the words of Mary Jane Veloso as she begged for the assistance of President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday through a recorded voice message from her family on July 31. The 31-year-old Cabanatuan native is currently in death row in Indonesia on drug trafficking charges. She was scheduled to be executed in April last year but was granted a reprieve following an international outcry to spare her life. As evidenced by her cracking voice, the sobbing Veloso pleaded for her freedom from the president, who is notorious for his approach in eradicating the illegal drug trade in the country. Beloved President of the Philippines. This is Mary Jane, the former domestic helper said in her plea. Ive been suffering here in Indonesia for too long. Ive had to endure a lot in my life and despite being poor, I am a God-fearing person, she said. The past administrations efforts to bargain for Velosos freedom have remained futile, and she hopes to be free with Dutertes help. Youre my only hope, dear President. I know youre the only one who could help me, she said. I know a lot of people still believe and support me, but you know it works differently here. I need justice, and I badly need it now. Im begging you, she further said. Despite being detained since 2010, Veloso remained hopeful that she would receive pardon for a crime she said she didnt commit. Even if many doubt my innocence, God wont forget me. He sees everything Im doing; He knows Ive done no wrong, she said. The president has yet to release a statement on Velosos plea. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) Manila Fri, September 2, 2016 An alleged plot to assassinate President Rodrigo Duterte has been uncovered on a tip from the US Homeland Security that led to the arrest of two gun smugglers and the confiscation of parts for 100 M16 rifles, police authorities said on Thursday. Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Bato dela Rosa said in a news conference that the gun parts shipped from the United States and intercepted on Aug. 6 in Bacolod City in central Philippines would be used to assemble weapons for the assassination of Duterte. The importers, identified as Bryan Ta-ala and Wilford Palma, were arrested during the raid. They had expressed willingness to cooperate in the police investigation on the alleged plot against the President, Dela Rosa said. He said Palma, who was presented to reporters, had told investigators that the gun parts were ordered by a client who claimed the automatic rifles assembled would be used to kill the President. He said Ta-ala was being treated in a hospital after the raid. Seized was a balikbayan box containing the gun parts, valued at 4.5 million pesos (US$96,451) that when assembled would make 100 M16 rifles. A case was filed against the two men for violation of Republic Act No. 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act). Palma underwent the inquest proceedings before the Office of the State Prosecutor at the Department of Justice in Manila on Aug. 8. Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that Duterte was well aware of plots to kill him, and was concerned, but not worried. He eats [death] threats for breakfast. Meaning to say, its not something new to him, Abella told a news briefing, noting that Duterte has repeatedly said that he is prepared to die in his campaign against illegal drugs. Its a very heroic stand because he really understands that there is a call to war in several fronts alreadywar on drugs, war on terrorism and war on crime, he said. Dela Rosa said the US Homeland Security alerted the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to the shipment. The BOC, in turn, relayed the information to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). He said US authorities became suspicious of the shipment because the same consignees had been sending gun parts to the Philippines in balikbayan boxes for two years. You know in the US, if you order many firearms or firearm components, thats already a questionable procurement, especially now that the US is waging a war against terrorism, Dela Rosa said. He said licensed gun stores were also among the suspects clients. The CIDG said the syndicates modus operandi was to use fictitious consignees and addresses here when ordering firearms components in the United States, then shipped these to the Philippines through legitimate international cargo forwarders. The items are then sold to gun enthusiasts and shipped using local courier services. According to Palma, there were previous deliveries from the United States that were facilitated through Atlas Shippers International Inc. These involved 104 different major parts for 5.56 cal. rifles; and 298 minor parts for 5.56 rifles, accessories, and bulletproof vests, which were all delivered on different occasions to 129 people and one company across the country. Records of the Firearms and Explosives Office on those people showed that only 28 are registered firearms holders, 30 with no records, and 12 others cannot be determined because of having the same names but with different middle names. Dela Rosa said the PNP presented the suspects to the media so that the buyers of the gun parts would know that these were smuggled. He said the suspects maintained a website for individuals who wanted to order guns online. Dela Rosa has ordered those whose names appeared as buyers to cooperate with the CIDG or face cancellation of their firearms if they are license holders. The CIDG said at least 23 witnesses who had previous transactions with the suspects, including nine who voluntarily went to the CIDGs Major Crimes Investigation Unit, had agreed to give testimonies. The nine witnesses were identified as Ronald Santos y Galliguez, Ryan Douglas y Rios, Charlie Saavedra, Escalante Joe Alian, Edwin Zambas y Angeles, Maribel Bautista, Larry Paet, Santiago Macariola Inoferio Jr. and Roderick Oliveros. In Bacolod, Ta-alas lawyer, Leon Moya, called the accusation a big lie. He said his client, described as a veterinarian, was an avid fan and election campaigner of Duterte. He said he would file countercharges against agents who arrested Ta-ala in Villa Cristina Subdivision in Barangay Tangub. Ta-ala was arrested with Palma but was not brought to Manila because he was being treated for hypertension. Why buy gun parts in the United States when you can buy it anywhere in the Philippines. All you just need is money, he added. Moya dismissed the allegations against Ta-ala as a drama of the CIDG, whom he claimed wanted only to magnify everything. You dont have to go around the world talking that you wanted to kill somebody, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michael Liedtke (Associated Press) San Francisco, United States Fri, September 2, 2016 There's a quirky twist on tourism emerging amid the Silicon Valley whirlwind of innovation that has tethered everyone to their smartphones. Those omnipresent devices are being used to track down technological touchstones scattered around the San Francisco Bay area so selfies can be taken, videos can be recorded and the experience can be celebrated in a Facebook post, Snapchat or tweet. Here's a tourist's guide to nerd nirvana for those more interested in seeing the suburban home where The Woz built the first Apple computer alongside Steve Jobs than the spooky prison in the Bay where the Birdman of Alcatraz once served time alongside Machine Gun Kelly. ___ GROWING UP IN A GARAGE Silicon Valley startups have a history of humble beginnings, dating to 1939 when Hewlett-Packard Co. was founded in a Palo Alto, California, garage. It still stands at 367 Addison Ave., considered by many to be the birthplace of Silicon Valley. HP now owns the place. Jobs was one of many entrepreneurs influenced by the HP legacy as a teenager, eventually inspiring him and his engineering friend, Steve "The Woz" Wozniak, to begin working on Apple's first computer in the home of Jobs' parents. That ranch-style house at 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos, California, is now owned by Jobs' sister, Patricia. After they started Google in 1998, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin built what would become the world's dominant search engine in a garage and room they rented from Susan Wojcicki, whom they later hired (she now runs YouTube for them). The Menlo Park, California, house, at 232 Santa Margarita Ave., is now owned by Google. Shortly after starting Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and a few friends moved to Silicon Valley for what they thought would be just one summer. Zuckerberg never returned to Harvard, and the world hasn't been quite the same since then. The Palo Alto, California house where Zuckerberg did a lot of computer coding and threw some wild parties, if you believe the movies, is located at 819 La Jennifer Way. The place is still rented out by young entrepreneurs hoping some of Zuckerberg's magic will rub off on them. ___ TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY TEMPLES The headquarters of Apple, Google and Facebook have turned into must-see shrines to products that have become part of culture's lifeblood. None of the companies offers public tours, but that doesn't mean you can't steal glimpses at these factories of innovation. (Read also: Tech elites love HBO's Silicon Valley but don't think it's about them) In this Wednesday, May 18, 2016, photo, people pose by Android lawn statues at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. . (AP/Eric Risberg) ___ SEARCH STARTS HERE Google is the most accessible of the three headquarters. The hub of its Mountain View, California, campus is at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, with other Google offices sprawling almost all the way down to the nearby NASA Ames Research Center, where Page and Brin keep personal jets in a hangar. Walk down Charleston Road and you are bound to see one of the company's employees (also known as "Googlers") cruising on yellow, green, blue and red bikes placed outside all the offices to get to meetings more quickly. While strolling around, make sure to swing into the office at 1981 Landings Drive, where you can take a selfie with Android statues memorializing different versions of the operating system that powers most of the world's smartphones. Each statue represents a dessert because Google has nicknamed each version after something sweet. The menu includes "Cupcake," ''Donut," ''Eclair," ''Froyo," ''Gingerbread," Honeycomb," ''Ice Cream Sandwich," ''Jelly Bean," ''KitKat," ''Lollipop" and "Marshmallow." The latest serving of Android, called "Nougat," has just started rolling out. Finally, in the Google store on the main campus, you can buy company-branded merchandise, including shirts, hats, mugs, pens and even notebooks (the kind with paper). ___ A PLACE EVERYONE LIKES The giant thumbs-up sign replicating Facebook's symbol for liking a post has become one of the most photographed spots in Silicon Valley since the social networking company moved its headquarters from Palo Alto to 1 Hacker Way in nearby Menlo Park five years ago. Unless you happen to be in a plane or have a camera-equipped drone, you won't be able to see what's on top of another Facebook building across the street (an underground tunnel connects the offices). That building, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, features a 9-acre park atop the roof. ___ ONE MORE THING Apple, founded in 1976, has had a fiercely loyal following for decades, so its Cupertino, California, headquarters has long drawn tourists looking to get a picture of its famous logo and the 1 Infinite Loop sign denoting its address. There is, of course, an Apple store at the headquarters, where people can buy company-branded merchandise not sold in most of its other stores. But you can't get help fixing your iPhone, iPad or Mac here. You'll have to go to another store for an appointment at the Genius Bar that serves as Apple's customer-help desk. The current headquarters will be overshadowed next year when Apple plans to open a nearby 2.8 million-square-foot, circular office that has been likened to a huge spaceship sitting on a 176-acre site. Known as "Campus 2," the new building is designed to accommodate about 12,000 workers. Before Jobs died in 2011, he stipulated that the campus should be surrounded by about 7,000 trees. ___ WHAT ABOUT THE HOUSE ON TV? The HBO comedy "Silicon Valley" has won many accolades over three seasons, so fans may want to see the house that serves as headquarters for the fictional startup, Pied Piper. The location has been given as 5230 Newell Road in Palo Alto on the series, but that address doesn't exist. The house is actually is in southern California, at 5230 Penfield Ave. in Woodland Hills. So put it on the sightseeing list for your next visit to Hollywood. By PTI: Los Angeles, Sep 2 (PTI) Popular actor Jackie Chan will be awarded with an honorary Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 12. Chan will accept the Oscar alongside fellow honorees, film editor Anne Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman at the Governors Awards. "The Honorary Award was created for artists like Jackie Chan, Anne Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman -- true pioneers and legends in their crafts," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said. advertisement "The Board is proud to honour their extraordinary achievements, and we look forward to celebrating with them at the Governors Awards in November," she added. Chan is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts, in his movies. His first major breakthrough was the 1978 film "Snake in the Eagles Shadow". His first Hollywood film was "The Big Brawl" in 1980. Chan succeeded in establishing a foothold in the US with his 1995 film "Rumble in the Bronx". Coates, a native of Reigate, England, is known for her collaboration with David Lean on "Lawrence of Arabia" for which she won her first Oscar. In her more than 60 years as a film editor, she has worked on films like "Murder on the Orient Express", Richard Attenboroughs "Chaplin" and Steven Soderberghs "Erin Brockovich". Stalmaster, a one-time stage and screen actor from Omaha, Nebraska, in his five decades-old career, has cast in more than 200 feature films. Some of his notable works include, "In the Heat of the Night," "The Graduate," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Harold and Maude," and "Tootsie". Wiseman has made one film almost every year since 1967, illuminating lives in the context of social, cultural and government institutions. He has made films like "Titicut Follies", "Law and Order," "Public Housing," "Domestic Violence" and "In Jackson Heights". The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given "to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy." PTI SSN BK BK --- ENDS --- Its been a year since the lifeless body of Alan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach, and on the anniversary of his death his father has urged world leaders to help more refugees. The haunting image of the three-year olds lifeless body lying face down at the shoreline prompted a global outcry over the refugee crisis. His five-year-old brother Galip and mother Rehana also died during the ill-fated journey from Bodrum to the Greek island of Kos. (Tima Kurdi/AP) Alans father Abdullah has now appealed for countries to do more to help refugees. At first the world was anxious to help the refugees, but this did not even last a month, he told BBC News. In fact the situation got worse, the war escalated and more people are leaving. I hope that all the leaders of the world can try and do good and stop the wars so that the people can go back to normal life. (Mehmet Can Meral/AP) On Friday, celebrities including Juliet Stevenson and Vanessa Redgrave, religious leaders and local politicians will urge ministers to immediately bring to Britain hundreds of children stranded in a sprawling migrant camp in Calais. They will gather for a memorial event organised with Citizens UK outside the Home Office in London, before handing in a letter addressed to Home Secretary Amber Rudd. It will include the names of 387 children said to be eligible for asylum in the UK, including those with family links in the country and those who are to be cared for under a Government commitment to resettle more lone refugee children from Europe. (Gareth Fuller/PA) Lord Dubs, the Labour peer and campaigner who helped force the Government into accepting an amendment to the Immigration Act compelling them to take in more lone minors from Europe, said: I am deeply saddened that despite repeated calls from me and others, the Government still seems to be dragging its feet on the commitments it made when the amendment in my name was accepted. Now that the new Government has had some weeks to settle in after the EU referendum vote, there really is no excuse for any further delay. Theresa May and Amber Rudd should be taking immediate action. Since the Act received Royal Assent in May, more than 30 under-18s have been accepted for transfer from within Europe, the Home Office said. It was born a child of rebellion. And for over a century, it has maintained that spirit. Not so long ago, a fleeting glance through an 8B bus window would offer a glimpse of tall trees, still sap-green ponds, a little footbridge and gaggles of students going about their day. A picture of college life idyll. Today, you may spot posters declaring: "We debate. We dissent. We unite against oppression. We are JU." Tune in and you may just hear the protest music floating through the campus air: "Amra noi gerua laal, sabuj kimba saada-neel?Kolorob hok (We are not saffron, red, green or white-and-blue?. Let there be noise)." Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata is once again in the eye of a storm. In confrontation mode with Mamata Banerjee's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government since 2014, the university has now received a body-blow: the state government and the Governor of West Bengal, Keshari Nath Tripathi (who also happens to be the Chancellor of JU), have introduced a new clause in the statute of the university. It states that teachers and staff who speak against the policies of the institution and the government will be hauled up, face departmental probe and run the risk of being dismissed. Students and research scholars will also be under the scanner of a 'welfare officer' on 'morality and ethics'. advertisement August 16. JU. The classrooms are empty. Teachers and students stand near the administrative building, hand-in-hand, forming a human chain. A student steps forward, takes out a lighter and lets the flame lick a sheaf of paper-the 'draconian' circular-amid loud cheer. Others followed suit. Burnt shreds of paper scatter across the rain-drenched ground to be trampled by wet shoes. A burial of sorts. Slogans rend the air: "Kaala kanoon kabor jak, kabor jak (Black law, bury it)!" Outside the campus, groups of students snake through the city in a massive procession-placards, posters, bandanas and T-shirts spray-painted with eye-catching graffiti, "Poshak noi, rumal (Not clothes, handkerchieves)"-bringing traffic in busy south Kolkata to a halt. They are up in arms against the disparaging comments a state minister made about the high hemlines of JU's women students. Politics of Pinpricks It's the 'pinprick approach', a new tactic adopted by the state government, which has raised the hackles of the academic community. August has been full of pinpricks, starting with the amended statute of August 9. On August 13, state panchayat and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee said at a public forum: "Sometimes I think that these universities (Jadavpur and Presidency) should be kept closed for at least three years." On August 15, he pointed a finger at the "handkerchief-sized" dresses women students of the two universities apparently wore: "Would you like your sister to wear such short, revealing dresses?" The question is, could these repeated pinpricks have come without Mamata Banerjee's endorsement? "She cannot tolerate opposing voices and whoever tries to speak against the government, be it an innocent farmer or a college student, is pulled up," says O.P. Mishra, professor of international relations at JU. For most, changes in the statute point to a larger problem. "The reality is the effort by political agencies and the government to control academic freedom," says Gautam Gupta, professor of economics at JU. "We are told that similar moves are afoot in central institutes, where teachers are made to sign affidavits that they won't say or do anything that goes against the government." The question of appointing a 'welfare officer' as a moral guardian has angered many. "What is the definition of morality and ethics and who is setting the standards?" asks Geetashree Sarkar, a department of Bengali student and SFI union leader, who in 2014 had refused to accept her gold medal from the chancellor. "In the present context, deans are nothing but political appointees." It is pertinent that welfare officers operate under deans. advertisement Since 2011-12, when the TMC overturned 34 years of Left rule, one of its principal tasks has been to remove sympathisers of the earlier Left Front government from key positions. The Jadavpur University Act, 1981, has been revised in the state assembly three times, doing away with representation from university officers, non-teaching staff and students in the highest executive and decision-making bodies. "Instead, the government is relying on ex-officio nominated members," says All-Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA) president Tarun Naskar, who is also an MLA of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) party. The other major change the TMC government brought in was in the composition of the panel of nominees for the post of V-C. The UGC provision of having its nominee as a contender for the top post was dropped and a nominee of the state higher education department was introduced. "But the most glaring instance of politicisation was curbing the power of the Chancellor-from [being empowered to have] a nominee of his own preference for the post of V-C," says Partha Pratim Biswas, professor of engineering at JU, "the Chancellor is now allowed to select his nominee only in consultation with the state government." advertisement Changes were also introduced in the selection of deans for the arts, science, engineering and inter-disciplinary faculties. "Deans were earlier elected by teachers," says ABUTA convenor Gautam Maity. Now they are chosen by a search committee, consisting of a nominee of the government, the Chancellor and the V-C. From framing the syllabus, curriculum, recruitment of teachers and even daily activities, the government has a finger in every pie today. "What it is trying to do is muzzle free thinking by introducing a prisoner's code," says Maity. Through all this, the ruling party's agenda has been to rein in students. But it's not even the TMC alone that has issues with JU students. "When a Vivek Agnihotri wants to screen his Buddha in a Traffic Jam, JU students call it an attempt at saffronisation," says Bengal BJP vice-president, Jai Prakash Majumdar, who was Chhatra Parishad president in JU in 1978. "But when former Naxalite Azizul Haque enters the campus and gives a speech, not an eyebrow is raised. Students call him dada." advertisement Different in their political hues, but united in their purpose of controlling JU and its students, all political parties have in recent years tried to paint the university as a den of political turmoil rather than as a seat of excellence. "There is a conscious effort on the government's part to keep JU and Presidency in the headlines for all the wrong reasons...discounting what they stand for-excellence," says computer science professor and JUTA joint secretary Nandini Mukherjee. That said, students too have not backed down, booing Mamata and her brigade, waving black flags, shouting "go back" slogans and criticising the government and its policies. "The cry of 'hok kolorob' in 2014 was for the removal of a V-C who was undemocratically foisted on us," says professor of English and JUTA member Nilanjana Gupta. For four months after September 2014, Mamata avoided stepping into the campus as public outrage spread against her government. "Even though the TMC is comfortably perched in the state and has managed to make deep inroads into college politics, capturing JU is still a distant cry," says Maity. "It's this realisation that is making it vengeful." An Approaching Storm As a storm brews over the draft statute, both the chancellor and state education minister Partha Chatterjee have been busy dissociating themselves from the issue. Governor Tripathi told reporters on August 12: "The statutes were merely suggestions of the government; whether or not they are accepted depends on the university." On the same day, Chatterjee said: "We're not into such things, it was done by some committee. Let the university decide, then we'll take a final call." "It's nothing new," says ABUTA's Naskar, "they are waiting for the storm to blow over." Both JUTA and ABUTA maintain that the governor is hand in glove with the ruling party and that they have consciously introduced the clauses to divide the staff. "The university's executive council, in all possibility, will delete such a clause and send the statute for the Chancellor's consideration. He and the government have the ultimate power to decide on this, and arbitrarily at that. That is what they have been doing consistently," he says. On the campus, it feels like the lull before a storm. As evening falls, students catch up on the events of the day. They sit around in groups, in the college canteens, on the steps, on the grounds and just about anywhere, debating, over endless cups of tea, morality, ethics and the riddle of life and the universe. Another picture of college life idyll. A group of girls gathers for a selfie near Milanda's tea corner, breaking into peals of laughter: "Is this within the permissible limits of morality?" In answer, they flash the V-sign. Impromptu slogans break out in the corner-"JU is education, JU is free, JU is liberation, Chhi chhi Vichhi (shame shame V-C)"-resonating through the clear evening air. --- ENDS --- After much scrutiny and criticism, Oxford University will this year be welcoming more pupils from state schools than any time in the last 40 years. After a massive push from the universitys outreach programme, almost 60% of students will come from a state-educated background, up almost 10% on just over a decade ago, according to the BBC. There have been calls for leading universities to accept pupils from a wider range of backgrounds, and Dr Samina Khan, head of undergraduate admissions at Oxford, said they take responsibilities of diversity incredibly seriously. Eddie Ndopu. Queer Disability Activist. South African. First Disabled African Admitted to Oxford University. pic.twitter.com/jZPiYIStPP Beauty in Color (@PoCBeauty) August 30, 2016 Last year its colleges worked with 3,400 schools on around 3,000 outreach projects, and Dr Khan said the upturn in state school entries shows its efforts to increase applications from under-represented groups are bearing fruit. Oxford has offered 59.2% of places to state school pupils this year, though the final figure for acceptances has yet to be confirmed. Students receiving the results they need to attend Oxford University this autumn (Joe Giddens/PA) This compares with 55.6% last year, 51.4% in 2005 and 48.1% in 1995. Parliamentary figures show that in 1961 just a third of entrants were from state schools. However despite the surge in state school pupils accepted to Oxford this year, some people have taken to social media to express how the estimated 59.2% figure is still not good enough. The number of job vacancies for graduates has fallen after years of growth, with construction, retail and engineering particularly hit, a new study shows. There were 19,732 positions this year compared with over 21,400 in 2015, said the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). Some employers said they were repackaging graduate posts as higher apprenticeships ahead of the new apprenticeship levy which comes into force next year. Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the AGR said: The labour market for young people is shrinking for the first time since the financial crisis, but the composition of the market is also changing as employers invest more in school leaver programmes and apprenticeships. (Chris Radburn/PA) The uncertainty of Brexit is the single biggest challenge facing recruiters in the year ahead. Competition for skills and the looming apprenticeship levy are also significant concerns. While there remain thousands of vacancies available for university graduates, school leavers will find many more different options open to them for high quality jobs. A Department for Education spokesman said: Graduates continue to have stronger employment outcomes, earning on average 9,500 a year more than non-graduates.Last year the vast majority of graduates 93.9% were in employment or further study with a consistent increase over the last four years, up 3.6%. Our Higher Education reforms are focusing universities on further improving graduate outcomes, by delivering excellent teaching which gives students the skills that both they and employers need. Nora Fatehi is one hell of a charmer, from Govinda to Jacqueline, the reality TV star just keeps stunning everyone with her performances. By India Today Web Desk: The Moroccan beauty Nora Fatehi is currently featuring on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9 as one of the celebrity dancers, and has been winning hearts with her smashing performances on the dance reality show. This coming weekend, Nora is set to recreate Katrina's charm on the sets of the show while performing to the beautiful actress' hit number Mashallah Mashallah from the Salman Khan-starrer Ek Tha Tiger. Nora Fatehi performs on Jhalak. Picture courtesy: Instagram/norafatehi advertisement Also read:Amitabh Bachchan to shake a leg on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9 Nora has already posted a couple of pictures from her rocking performance on her personal Instagram account. The reality TV star will be seen doing a belly-dance to the track. Apparently, judge Jacqueline Fernandez was totally bowled over by Nora's performance, and even told her that she (Nora) is a better belly-dancer than Katrina, according to a report in The Times of India. Jacqueline Fernandez. Picture courtesy: Instagram/jacquelinef143 Jacqueline Fernandez. Picture courtesy: Instagram/jacquelinef143 Now, that is some compliment! One of the pictures that the former Bigg Boss contestant had posted on the social media featured her grooving alongside the dancing legend Govinda. Nora had captioned the picture as, "Amazing moment! Me teaching the king of dance Govinda sir how to bellydance! Dont miss this saturdays #jhalakdikhhlajaa performance 10pm on @colorstv." Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9 airs every Saturday at 10 pm on Colors TV. --- ENDS --- American woman fleeing sexual advances survives horror fall in Krabi PHUKET: A 23-year-old American woman is in hospital in Krabi after falling down a mountain last night while fleeing a man she says was sexually harassing her. The woman suffered with her injuries, which include possible broken legs, in the wild overnight until a search party found her this morning. tourismcrimesexaccidents By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 2 September 2016, 07:17PM A search party found Ms Gavios this morning (Sept 2) after she survived the night after falling 45 metres down a steep slope. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub A search party found Ms Gavios this morning (Sept 2) after she survived the night after falling 45 metres down a steep slope. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub A search party found Ms Gavios this morning (Sept 2) after she survived the night after falling 45 metres down a steep slope. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Tourist Police Lt Col Attapong Sanjaiwut and Krabi Tourist Rescue Centre Director Nitiphat Mongkolpradit were notified of the incident at 12:30pm today (Sept 2). The American woman, who police named as tourist Hannnah Michel Gavios, is now recovering at Krabi Hospital. Mr Nitiphat said the incident happened at about 11pm. Officials received a call reporting that a tourist had been injured after she had fallen down a mountain in the Railay area, he explained. "Rescue workers were searching for her last night, but they could not find her, so this morning we when out to search again and discovered her lying in between rocks about 45 metres from the trail at the top of the mountain. She was only 15 metres from the water below, he said. Rescue workers reported that Ms Gavios could not feel anything in her legs, Mr Nitiphat said. Ms Gavios is experiencing numbness on both of her legs and doctors have yet to confirm whether either of her legs are broken, he said. Ms Gavios told police that she fell while she escaping a man who was sexually harassing her. Sarayuth Tantein, Chief of the Haad Nopparathara National Park - Moo Ko Phi Phi National Park, whose officials joined the search said his officers had found the man in question. "Last night, park officials, Railay residents and people from the local cliff climbing club, all led led by park officer Boonnam Chuyradom, went to look for the victim. They found one man, later identified as Apai Raingworn, who admitted that he had made sexual advances toward a tourist while taking her from Railay to Tonsai, he said. Apai told officers that the woman panicked and ran away, causing her to fall down the mountain, Chief Sarayuth explained. The officers took the man into custody and then took him to Ao Nang Police Station, Lt Col Piyapong Boonkaew of Ao Nang Police told The Phuket News, We questioned 28-year-old Apai Raingworn from Trang and took a statement from him. He admitted to the incident and has some scratches on his body. No charge has been filed, we are waiting to question the victim, Col Piyapong said. The American Embassy has been notified of the incident. Bargains offered at Amlo Chinese tour company seized assets sell-off PHUKET: Bargain hunters will be quick to take advantage of a mass auction of items seized by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) in raids on the now-defunct Tranlee Tour company, which specialised in providing tours to Chinese tourists in Phuket. cultureChinesetourism By The Phuket News Friday 2 September 2016, 06:32PM The starting bid for the fully fitted Sampaothong 1 cruise tour boat is set at B12 million. The starting bid for the fully fitted Sampaothong 1 cruise tour boat is set at B12 million. A total of 151 assets will go under the hammer at an auction at the offices of Phuket City Municipality on Tuesday (Sept 6). The assets were seized when more than 100 officers including police, military and Amlo officials raided companies operating under the Tranlee Travel Co Ltd network of businesses at Rassada and Koh Siray, on the east side of Phuket Town, on July 6. (See story here.) The items up for auction, including 33 boats and 57 buses, will be open for inspection to potential bidders on Monday (Sept 5), Almo Secretary-General Chaiya Siriphankul said in a public announcement.. Among the bargains to be had are brand-new tour buses at starting bids of B1.4 million, older buses at just B800,000. Starting bids for boats on auction range from B12 million for the fully-fitted Sampaothong 1 cruise tour boat to B450,000 for large tour speedboats right down to just B224,000 for small runabouts. For a full list of the items up for auction, complete with photos of the main items for sale, click here. Potential bidders can inspect the items for auction from 9:30am to 4pm on Monday at the following locations: San Arun Pier on Anuphas Rd Phuket Boat Lagoon in Koh Kaew Jor Jareon Kanrualek Pier, Rassada Kanrua Sikij Pier, Rassada Rattanachai Pier, Rassada Region 8 Police headquarters in Thalang Tranlee Tour office (now closed) on Poonphol Rd, Phuket Town The auction on Tuesday is scheduled to start at 10am. Registration for the bidding opens at 9am. Bidders must front minimum deposits - by cash or cheque - for items they intend to bid on. The amount varies depending on the value of the item to be auctioned. For a list of the deposits, click here. (Thai language only). Any assets remaining unsold after the auction on Tuesday will be up for auction again at the Phuket Municipality offices from 10 am on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Sep 7-9). Former Phuket land office chiefs cremation halted PHUKET: The family of former Phuket land office chief and fraud suspect Tawatchai Anukul who died mysteriously in custody will press for justice while postponing his cremation indefinitely until the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death are cleared up. crimedeathcorruptionpolice By Bangkok Post Friday 2 September 2016, 08:48AM Rienthong Nanna, director of Mongkutwattana Hospital, said the DSIs explanation of Tawatchai Anukuls death is nonsense. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul Chainarong Anukul, a younger brother of Tawatchai, said the family has decided to put off the cremation which had been planned for yesterday (Sept 1) to wait for a complete forensic report. The decision followed growing criticism that the funeral services for Tawatchai, who was alleged to have been involved in the unlawful issuance of land deeds for wealthy people, was being rushed. Mr Chainarong admitted that the cremation has been postponed in part due to the criticism that the family might have been paid to keep their mouths shut. He said he will seek justice for his brother and wait for clearer details about the death. Even if there was evidence implicating him, he should have been punished according to the law. The way he died ... I dont think I can accept it, he said. Tawatchai, 66, was arrested in Nonthaburi province on Monday (Aug 29) after having been on the run for almost a decade for his alleged role in numerous land fraud cases in Phuket and Phang Nga. He allegedly tried to commit suicide by hanging himself with a pair of socks while being detained on the sixth floor of the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) head office on Chaeng Watthana Rd in the early hours of Tuesday (Aug 30). He died later at the nearby Mongkutwattana Hospital. According to Mr Chainarong, no legal proceedings will be initiated until the forensic examination is completed. The process is expected to take about 45 days while the Police General Hospitals Institute of Forensic Medicine has yet to release an official autopsy result. He said the document issued by the Police General Hospital indicates only the cause of death: Abdominal haemorrhaging and a ruptured liver from being hit by a solid, blunt object together with asphyxiation from hanging. The document triggered speculation over whether Tawatchai actually tried to commit suicide. Mr Chainarong said he has a number of questions about the circumstances surrounding his brothers death, including the socks. He said Tawatchais socks were short and were unlikely to be used to kill himself in such a manner. He said the DSI allowed him to look at footage from security cameras, but the footage did not show what happened in the detention room. The DSI claimed it did not monitor the room because of human rights concerns. Rienthong Nanna, director of Mongkutwattana Hospital, said yesterday that it was not possible that CPR had caused liver injuries because the procedure only involved the heart and lungs. On his Facebook page, he said the DSI informed the hospital at 1:10am on Tuesday that Tawatchai had been found unconscious and asked for an emergency team which arrived at 1:15am and discovered Tawatchai in critical condition. According to Dr Rienthong, the DSI did not inform the hospital that Thawatchai hanged himself. The emergency team performed CPR and rushed him to the hospitals emergency room at 1:33am. At 2:40am the man was moved to the intensive care unit. His condition kept deteriorating. [The medical team] continued to perform CPR but the man died at 4:45am, he said. The resuscitation did not cause a ruptured liver or abdominal bleeding ... Mongkutwattana Hospital has no idea why Tawatchais liver was ruptured. That question must go to the doctor who examined the body, Dr Riengthong said. In a press conference, he said the doctors found red marks around Tawatchais neck, but his condition was critical so they focused on CPR. National Institute for Emergency Medicine secretary-general Anucha Sethsathien also confirmed Dr Riengthongs opinion, saying while CPR could break some ribs, it could not damage the liver. Col Mana Pohchuay, superintendent of Thung Song Hong police station in charge of the investigation into Tawatchais death, said police will wrap up the investigation within 30 days. He said police have not yet received a detailed autopsy report. He said police have questioned a DSI official in charge of the detention room and will question two other people, a staff member of Mongkutwattana Hospital and one of the victims family before they can determine if it was a suicide. Col Paisit said the DSIs internal probe into Tawatchais death will be completed in seven days. Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan, former director of the Justice Ministrys Institute of Forensic Science, yesterday declined to discuss the case, saying it is better to wait for the details to be released. Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya pledged to take action if the probe into Tawatchais death suggests foul play. He urged all parties involved to wait for the forensic examination by the Institute of Forensic Medicine while noting that the victims family should be allowed to take part in the probe to ensure transparency. Gen Paiboon said he has ordered authorities to look thoroughly into all the cases related to Tawatchai. Anti-money laundering measures will be used to trace the money trail. There are questions about why the assets were not confiscated for all these years, he said. Read original story here. Phuket health officials begin scans for Zika virus PHUKET: Health officials today (sept 2) began screening patients arriving at government hospitals across Phuket for people infected with the Zika virus. healthtourism By The Phuket News Friday 2 September 2016, 04:58PM A technician demonstrates the new equipment installed at Vachira Hospital's new Designated Receiving Area for infected patients. So far no patients have been found to be infected, one official from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), who asked not to be named, told The Phuket News. Meanwhile, the PPHO is also urging residents to rid areas around their homes of standing water where mosquitos breed to prevent possible outbreak of the disease in Phuket. "Residents and tourists can help by making sure that areas around their homes and places where they are staying do not breed mosquitoes - and by doing so we are not only preventing Zika from spreading, but also dengue as well, the official, who works at the PPHO Disease Control Centre, explained. Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsathayathorn yesterday assured that the spread of the Zika virus in Thailand is not as severe as characterised by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has reported. He urged the public not to panic. The Department of Disease Control has the situation under control, he told a meeting of the National Communicable Disease Commission. Dr Piyasakol also explained that Zika was not new to Thailand. It is found annually in several patients, but it can be limited and should not to be a cause of concern, he said. Dr Piyasakol said that infections of Zika in Thailand have been found only in Chantaburi, Petchabun, Bueng Kan and Chiang Mai, with most patients already past a 28-day monitoring period and a general warning of a possible outbreak of the virus has already lifted. Phuket Immigration silent on arrest of Chinese women PHUKET: The Phuket Immigration Office has refused to comment about three Chinese women quietly arrested in Phuket last week who are accused of operating with an international criminal organisation. Chineseimmigrationcrimepolice By The Phuket News Friday 2 September 2016, 10:24AM Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn (centre), head of the Immigration Police Bureau, said the three Chinese women were alleged members of a transnational crime gang Photo: Bangkok Post / Apichit Jinakul The three women, named as Wang Jianlan, 31; Zhang Jingjing, 30; and Jiang Yuemei, 32; were presented to the press in Bangkok by Immigration Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn on Monday (Aug 29). However, Gen Nathathorn reported that the three women were found in hiding in central Phuket and arrested a week earlier, on Monday, August 22. (See story here.) The women had entered Thailand on tourist visas, Gen Nathathorn noted. The three are wanted by Chinese authorities for their alleged involvement in a major tax fraud case, Gen Nathathorn said. An investigation also found the trio were alleged members of a transnational crime gang that smuggled hazardous substances into several countries. Phuket Immigration Chief Col Kantawat Pongsatabordee denied to comment at all about three Chinese women, who were arrested in his jurisdiction. Pol Lt Col Archeep Jareonsanthisuk, Deputy Chief of Phuket Immigration, however, offered, They were arrested in Phuket, but this case does not involve the Phuket Immigration Office just Bangkok only. By India Today Web Desk: Here's a good news for Indian globetrotters! Singapore Airlines' budget carrier Scoot is all set to induct its 12th Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the Indian aviation space. And guess what, they are going to start the service of this aircraft from October 2 in the form of a flight from Jaipur to Singapore. Oh yes, you have every right to feel happy as a traveller. After all, this flight will provide an easy access to yet another international destination for Indians. advertisement Also read: Travel hacks: 7 ways to survive a long-haul flight But wait, there's more to it. In order to create a deeper connect with the Indians, the aircraft has been named Kamascootra. Commenting on this, Scoot's India head Bharath Mahadevan told The Times of India, "We wanted a name with an Indian connect... something that is quirky and funny. We considered naming the plane after superstar Rajnikanth's name like Thalaivar or something associated with Sachin Tendulkar like his jersey number or birth date. We finally opted for Kamascootra." Scoot started its operations in India with a daily service from Chennai to Singapore on May 24 this year, and Kamascootra is among the 20 Boeing 787-800 that the airline has ordered for the Indian airspace. This simply means that Indian travellers can look forward to more budget international flights in the months to come. --- ENDS --- Phuket residents fed up with inaction sandbag dangerous road PHUKET: Residents fed up with inaction by their local authority have placed sandbags and flags to mark dangerous potholes and sections of road that have washed away along neighbourhood street in Srisoonthorn, central Phuket. By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 2 September 2016, 05:56PM Residents in Baan Ya, Srisoonthorn subdistrict, today began placing sandbags in the huge potholes to warn motorists of the danger. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Residents of Moo 6 Baan Ya say that Thungsuerkhwan Rd has been in dire need of repairs for more than six months and has been the site of many accidents. The damaged section of road is 2.7km long and has no street lights at night. The residents accuse Srisoonthorn of doing nothing to fix the road, and today began placing sandbags marked with flags in huge potholes to warn people of the danger. Srinsoonthorn Mayor Worawut Songyot told The Phuket News today (Sept 2) that his office is aware of damaged road. "But the road belongs to the Department of Rural Roads and is on the boundary of Srisoonthorn subdistrict, he said. We are waiting for the budget from Phuket Provincial Office and the Department of Rural Roads is already looking for a contractor to repair the damaged section along that road," he added. The Karnataka Police nabbed three people, who were involved in 14 rape cases in North and Central Karnataka towns. By Mail Today Bureau: The Karnataka Police nabbed three people, who were involved in 14 rape cases in North and Central Karnataka towns. The trio would trap women under the pretext of securing them employment in government agencies. According to the police, Fakirappa Kadannanavar (40) and his accomplices Basavaraja Gadigennavar and Mahadevi set up a fake employment bureau promising them jobs on contract with different agencies in the government. They would then secure the trust of women looking for job by frequently meeting them. advertisement They would ask the women to be well-dressed and wear jewelry for interviews. On the day of the interview, they would take the women to a desolated place and rob them. Subsequently, Fakirappa and Basavaraja would rape the victims to ensure that they did report the robbery to the police. However, a few victims informed the police about their plight. Three of them had even lodged complaint with the police. The trio surfaced last month in Gadag, a Central Karnataka town, where they set up another employment bureau to dupe women. The police, after a detailed investigation, arrested the trio in Gadag on Thursday. --- ENDS --- 4 candidates seek two four-year terms on Codington County Commission Two of the three Codington County Commission seats have challengers this year. Here's what you need to know. In 2014, Siddaramaiah was trolled for wearing slippers to a pooja. He had vehemently denied this and even released a photo of his 'shoe-less feet'. In 2015, he said that he never claimed to be an atheist. By Pratiba Raman: Holding a lemon in his right hand, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has literally been hogging the 'lime' light. He made no qualms about revealing the lemon in his hand while walking the length and breadth of Mysuru recently. Yet, as he spoke to the video journalists, he refused to take any questions on it. A lemon, according to some beliefs, is given after a pooja to ward off evils. This has raised speculation on the CM's beliefs. In fact, this is not the first time he has displayed his superstitious side despite always claiming the contrary. In June this year, he had changed his car, allegedly after a black crow sat on its bonnet. A black crow apparently signifies a bad omen. advertisement SHOE-PERSTITION In 2014, Siddaramaiah was trolled for wearing slippers to a pooja. He had vehemently denied this and even released a photo of his 'shoe-less feet'. In 2015, he said that he never claimed to be an atheist. Ironically, the CM is the same person who took oath in 2013 in the name of truth (and not God) and is advocating the anti-superstition bill for the state. This gives fodder to the opposition resisting the bill, which has now upped its ante against the CM. They claim to be "irked" with the display of his "ambivalent attitude". CITRUS TWIST Sources tell us that Siddaramaiah may have changed perhaps due to the anxiety he suffers following his son's death. However, there are still no answers as to who gave him the lemon and why. Until then, when life gives you lemons, the CM appears set to make lemonade. --- ENDS --- By Jeman Park parkjema@grinnell.edu Unemployment rates are a critical metric for college students given their relevance for future job prospects. Poweshiek County has consistently outperformed United States averages, posting a consistent sub 4 percent rate of unemployment for the past year, until this August, when the county posted a 0.2 percent increase. Laura Mannat, Head of Marketing and Economic Development for Poweshiek County, is not worried. We are very comfortable with where the unemployment rate is at, Mannat said. Businesses here are expanding, adding additional employees, adding additional products or services. The majority of the additional growth for the county has come from already existing businesses. Other Iowa counties may be more concerned about unemployment increases due to their dependency on a sole industry. However, due to its wide range of industries, including manufacturing, construction and education, Poweshiek County is unlike most rural Iowa counties. Employment fluctuation is common within the county due to seasonal industries. Currently, the median earning in Poweshiek County, $39,959, remains slightly below Iowa and nationwide averages of $41,652 and $44,178, respectively. The increased necessity of higher qualifications may lead to higher median earnings in Poweshiek County. Overall, Iowa experienced a 0.1 percent increase in unemployment, similar to Poweshiek County. According to Mannat, the agriculture industry, one of the most prominent industries in Iowa, has recently experienced slow growth. However, due to Poweshiek Countys economic diversity, she remains unconcerned. Seasonal unemployment in the agriculture industry and construction happens pretty often. Theyre laid off in the winter, but rehired in the spring, so were not too worried, Mannat said. Mannat expressed minor challenges in filling certain open positions, where higher qualifications are necessary. The state is focusing on finding the people with the right skills for the positions that are open. They are working with community colleges and technical colleges to get them skills necessary for the jobs, Mannat said. According to the Iowa Workforce Development group, 7.9 percent of individuals are underemployed in the Poweshiek County area. A man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he molested a minor boy at his home in Vijayapura district. By Aravind Gowda: The Second Additional District & Sessions (Special) Court of Vijayapura in Karnataka has sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually molesting a minor in 2013 at his home. Rakesh Dasharath, a landlord of Honnutki village in Vijayapura district, was accused of molesting a 17-year-old boy on April 17, 2013, after luring him into his home. The victim knew the landlord and he fell into the trap. advertisement BOY INFORMED PARENTS Later, the boy informed his parents about the incident. A case was registered in the Vijayapura rural police station. The police, who probed the case, were successful in nailing the culprit. Rakesh was convicted last week for his crime and the court pronounced its verdict on Thursday. Also read: 16-year-old boy thrashed, sodomised in Delhi, 4 arrested --- ENDS --- By Calvin Tang tamgcalv@grinnell.edu Thunderstorms and heavy rain have plagued Iowa and the Midwest for the last few days, with the water levels seen to cover houses and even short buildings. Decorah, Bluffton, Fort Atkinson and Spillville all reported heavy rainfall, and the Turkey River approached a record crest. Residents of northeastern Iowa found it hard to sleep through road closures and forced evacuations. Although water supplies and water treatment plants sustained light damage, some systems may develop complications later on. The flooding has recently claimed one victim as of last week, as mentioned in The Courier. The victim was a driver and managed to dial 911. While authorities were able to find the car, the body wasnt found until it was too late. Multiple agencies have been called into action to help with the relief efforts and to provide aid to those who are in need. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is among the responders and is continuing to provide aid. [We] first got called that systems were impacted on Aug. 24, said Amber Sauser, an environmental specialist for the DNR. The following counties were issued disaster proclamation by the governor: Bremer, Chickasaw, Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek, Sauser wrote in a follow up email to The S&B. Fayette County was one of the more seriously damaged. In spite of the damages caused to housing and businesses, waste water and water supply systems were also effected by the flooding. Three waste water treatment plants (WWTP) situated in Elma, Alta Vista and Fort Atkinson are reported to have been inundated with water. Fortunately, these damages were mostly short term, and repairs will be made in a timely fashion. However, the costs for repairs were considered quite heavy. At this moment, the water and waste water systems, and primarily the waste water systems, [have suffered] predominantly short term damage, Sauser said. Most of the systems appear to be back online with only a couple requiring partial disinfection. WWTPs in Spillville and Protivin were unaffected by the flood, and the treatment plants are up and running. Other systems and storage such as the ultra violet (UV) disinfection system and aerated lagoons in Waucoma and Spillville were impacted, although the extent of the damages may not be clear until weeks or months later. Some of them had damage to the UV disinfection system, and often times, they dont know immediately how long the systems are going to last two weeks from now or a month from now it could go out and then at that point they may need to replace it, so some of them may still have what could be long term damage, Sauser said. Despite the partial disinfection in only one channel, most of these systems normally run with one channel, and therefore, most of UV disinfection systems remain operational. Many of the cities that were hit were all too familiar with the circumstances, as they were affected by flooding in 2008. Fortunately, no underground storage tanks or animal feeding systems were impacted, and so the damage is certainly mitigated, Sauser explained. The DNR will continue to provide support to face any upcoming issues, and the Parks and Recreations Department will continue to facilitate recovery for their infrastructure. Looking ahead, the DNR will most likely participate in the clean up operation as well, helping to dispose of any waste, such as sandbags, that may have been deployed during the flood. By Rojina Sharma sharmaro@grinnell.edu The S&B sat down with Professor Sandy Moffett, Theater, Professor Robert Cadmus, Physics and Professor Mark Schneider, Physics to discuss their recent performance at the Iowa State Fair with their band, the Too Many Strings Band. A Grinnell favorite, the Too Many Strings Band is a mainstay at Saints Rest and other spots around town. Continuing their streak of performing for a larger, state wide audience, the Band traveled to Des Moines to perform at and take in the Iowa State Fair. S&B: Can you tell us a little about your band? (How it came to be, where you normally perform, what kind of music you play?) TMS: Were often referred to as Too Many Strings, but we want to refer to ourselves as a string band. So its the Too Many String Band. I think it started as just kind of a once-every-other-week-get-together-and-sing-along-with-each-other. I do pin most of this as happening sort of around 1996 or so that we started actually playing. We play at the Mayflower [retirement] home, which we enjoy a lot because theres an enthusiastic group there and theyre quiet and they pay attention. We do that three to four times a year. We also play at Windsor Manor, typically once a month. One thing Im happy about is that we dont get paid for any of this kind of stuff. Often people want to get rid of some of their money and we divert it all, usually, to the Heifer International Project. So I like to think were a little philanthropic organization, as well as a musical organization. Weve played at weddings, weve played at funerals, weve played for a Red Cross fundraising once. We play at all of the retirement centers from time to time. We do ad hoc performances on campus, maybe two, three times a year depending on who wants to have us. We also like reunions. Thats one of our favorites. S&B: Why did you decide to perform at the Iowa State Fair? TMS: We just thought itd be fun. Weve performed there for five years, and weve been on two different stages, but for the last three years, weve been on something called Pioneer Hall, which is an indoor venue with lots of other stuff going on. Its not a big deal. I mean, we werent playing in a huge stadium with thousands of people and lights coming down. First year we did have to send in some recordings so that they could vet us to decide whether we were going to be a complete embarrassment. S&B: How was this performance at the state fair different from your performances on campus and around town? What was the best part of the experience? TMS: One of the things thats nice is they have sound people there who make sure you actually can be heard over all the noise thats going on. Thats nice. Generally, people are sitting in an audience whereas in a lot of other places we play, other stuff is going on. When we do fundraising things, its often associated with a dinner or something where were kind of background music. So people were actually there listening to us. And they also had an open space in front and people got up and danced, which was great! But we also like intimate things where the people are close and sort of involved and maybe singing along. I think we tend to like those more than ones where you have a big space with a whole big audience who are out there some place. And if you have people close, you dont even need all that electronic help. S&B: Will you perform at the State fair again? TMS: I think well probably do it every year, as long as theyll have us. S&B: Do you have any upcoming performances that you are excited about? TMS: On Sept. 11 theres going to be an event in the Community Arts Center. Theres not going to be a concert or anything, just people who are going to be joining in and singing along. Students will be enthusiastically welcome to that! S&B: Is there anything else youd like us to know about the band and your music? TMS: Its just been a real gift to be able to do this, and to continue to do this for as long as we have. Its always fun. Anytime I talk to people about doing this, I talk about how wonderful music is because you can continue to do it, at any level, all your life. Back in the old days, music was something people did in their living rooms and their front porches, and they didnt worry about whether it was perfect. They just did it for fun. Were trying to represent this older way of just having fun. We play a lot of original songs that Sandy and Betty have written. A lot of their songs have to do with small town Iowa, and even the ones that they didnt write have a tendency to gravitate toward Grinnell-type songs, which is why I think we fit into the state fair well. We also sing songs like Strangest Dream and Promised Land and Deportee that talk about the problems we have in the country and the injustices that need to be sung about. Rarely do these songs have a particular political orientation, but they always have a human rights orientation, and these are things we all feel pretty strongly about. By Philip Kiely kielyphi@grinnell.edu Contrary to its name, El Callejon or The Alley is located on the intersection of two roads of average width. Jose Esquivel, Bryan Hernandez, Gabrielle Matthews and Armando Perez, all 17, form the long-standing group of friends that occupies 933 High School. Were all really weird, Perez said, a sentiment echoed by his friends. That weirdness likely comes from the length of their friendship. Esquivel and Hernandez have been friends since middle school and were both nominated to apply for the Posse Foundation, bringing them both to Grinnell. Perez joined Esquivel and Hernandez in the LA Posse their first year, and Matthews membership to DC Posse ensured that the four met early as first-years. Their overlapping friend groups have helped keep them close every year. Because all are fourth-years, they were able to secure a house, but recommend that anyone considering off-campus housing start looking early on. Moving in together wasnt entirely smooth either, as the group faced logistical challenges including tricky keys and a non-functional stove. In terms of non-logistical challenges, some of their friends were concerned about the viability of the plan. A friend was worried about us living together, Hernandez said, explaining that he and Perez often needle each other. I push Armandos buttons he does it, too. We love and hate each other, Perez added. Despite the difficulties, all four pals love living off campus. It gives us an opportunity to disconnect from school, Esquivel explained. When you live in dorms you cant escape, Perez said, but he said the group is not isolated from campus either, because [they] can see Main from here. Living in the house has strengthened their friendship even further, because they spend so much more time together than they have in the past. Matthews said that housemate bonding stuff just eating together, has led to the new closeness and Perez pointed out walking to classes together as one of those bonding activities. All four enjoy living in the house, but each has their own favorite quirk. From the dad chair, a light blue upholstered rocking chair, to the narrow stairs, to the frustrating system of locks, a dozen details create a worn but warm atmosphere about the house. After just a week, Matthews found that they feel comfortable in the entire house. It feels like you are actually doing life stuff but school isnt your life. Its definitely better and more comfortable than living in a dorm. The house offers many opportunities not found in the dorms. We can make authentic food from home, Perez said, pointing out empanadas as a recent attempt. Another thing brought from far off-campus is the name El Callejon. The Alley is named for the narrow streets that run behind the childhood homes of Esquivel and Hernandez. It reminds us of home, Esquivel explained. Back in LA, you could go there and buy a bunch of really cheap stuff. To get to their house, Perez, Esquivel, and Hernandez drove 25 hours from LA to Grinnell together. Despite this constant closeness, everything is so far, so good according to Esquivel. Perez claimed that it feels like forever, but in a good way. Esquivel looks past any disagreements or differences of opinion. We connect because we are different, he said. Hernandez agreed, saying, we just click. The group is indeed disparate, made up of Posses located across the nation from each other. The four have diverse interests, with majors ranging from Sociology and Gender, Womens and Sexuality Studies to Economics and Spanish. The group serves as an advertisement for the benefits of living away from campus. Living here is like living with a big family, Esquivel said, which was met with groans from the other three. He justified himself by citing the sense of community. The other residents do share his sentiments, however. Of his three housemates, Hernandez said that they are the best people I could have here. By Isabella Kugel kugelisa@grinnell.edu As Novembers general election draws closer, the senate race in Iowa continues to heat up. Democratic candidate and former Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge, who was recently endorsed by President Barack Obama, is campaigning against incumbent Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. One of the ways Judge is appealing to voters is through an education plan announced on Aug. 24. The plan proposes strides toward higher education accessibility, including renegotiating student loan debt, offering two years of free community college and increasing federal need-based academic grants. Following the announcement of her education plan, Judge held roundtable discussions on Aug. 25 with educators and students in Des Moines to express her solidarity and commitment to helping students make college more affordable. This plan supports the recently released United States Department of Education policy changes, which notably expanded the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. These changes loosen stipulations on the type and age of applicants who can apply for loan forgiveness for their federal direct loans, decreasing the fiscal burden on those who dedicate themselves to public service. Working families in Iowa want to believe that their children can have access to an education. Young professionals want to start their career without a mountain of debt, wrote Anna Schierenbeck 18 of Campus Democrats in a letter to The S&B. Im excited to see Grassley answer to Iowans for his choice[s] this November. Grassley has been publicly scrutinized for his refusal to hold hearings for Judge Merrick Garland, President Obamas nomination to the Supreme Court. Professor Peter Hanson, Political Science, said that the divisions Donald Trump has created in the Republican Party could potentially hurt Grassley. To the extent Democrats can tie candidates like Grassley to Trump, it will hurt him It is Grassleys race to lose, but he could be defeated and there is a chance. I would say its an outside chance, but its real, Hanson said. Judge aims to break gridlock and obstruction in Washington. For her, securing the Iowa Senate seat might lead to working towards policies that effectively continue help students in a time when the rate of a college education is rising faster than any other section of the United States economy. Additionally, Obamas Pay as You Earn Plan, an income driven debt repayment plan that relieves student loan stress, has seen budding success in recent years. Since Senator Bernie Sanders emphasized the case for affordable college education during his primary campaign, there have been many similar calls from other politicians. Judge has one such proposal for refinancing student loans. The refinancing process would allow for interest to be renegotiated to the current lower rate, but currently this process only exists for certain types of home loans. Increasing parameters for need-based financial aid and simplifying the application process is also on the Department of Educations agenda, although some of these changes will not take place until late 2017. By Emma Friedlander friedlan@grinnell.edu Grinnell College Residence Life welcomed five new Residence Life Coordinators [RLCs] to campus this school year, replacing all five RLCs who left the position last year. The need to fill almost all of Grinnells RLC positions in one hiring season was unprecedented and required a lengthy hiring process that began in the spring and carried into the summer. With an entirely different Residence Life staff, Grinnellians returning to campus have needed to adjust to their new RLCs and other changes to residence life. Typically, an RLC position is an entry-level position, and its usually between one to three years. The fact that four of them left simultaneously that was really unusual, said Joe Rolon, Director of Residence Life. He states that the RLCs left for varied personal and professional reasons. Although the College went through interviews with 30 different candidates last spring, many candidates who were offered the position turned it down to instead take positions at larger universities. By July, all five positions had been filled, and despite the difficulties, Rolon is confident that the new group of RLCs will bring needed diversity and change to Grinnell. Its important to me that the RLC staff is reflective of the students, Rolon said. Its important to have diversity, but particularly diversity of thought. Last year I was the only person of color and the only male in residence life staff. Now there are more males, but theyre from diverse backgrounds. The new RLCs include Elijah Genheimer for Loosehead, Adam Gilbert for Younker, Paul Gorelik for CaNaDa, Natalie Juarez for Clangrala, Leah Reuber for LaKeRoje and Brittainy Foley for Jamaland. The RLCs led programming and training sessions for first-years during NSO, but many non-first-years feel as if they do not know their RLC and thus are not comfortable going to them as a resource. I dont know my RLC. I dont know what their name is and I dont know what they look like. So I dont want them in my living space, said Ella Williams 19 in response to RLC walkthroughs of dorms at a student-only town hall on the Colleges new alcohol policies last Tuesday. John Gallagher 17, a Community Advisor Mentor [CAM] for Jamaland, acknowledged that contact between RLCs and their residents has been limited and encourages students to take the time to get to know and communicate with their RLCs. The RLC is one of those positions that the students might not interact with as much, depending on who they are. Some of my students still dont know their RLC, but hopefully they will take the time to get to know them, Gallagher said. In the first couple of weeks its hard for non-first year students to know them. But theyre going to hold programming, so hopefully over time there will be a relationship. Gallagher also recognized that some communication issues between RLCs and students are often due to a lack of understanding about Grinnell culture. He hopes that related problems can be handled through dialogue rather than frustration. Grinnell is a unique place for students and staff. We might have a different culture than people are used to were all about trying to educate anyone thats new on campus, whether theyre a first year or RLC, about ways to hold conversations on campus, words to use on campus that are inclusive of everyone, Gallagher said. Everyone is going to come from somewhere different, so my hope is that we can make this as educational as possible. When we just call people out and get mad instead of educate and try to make things better, were not going to be as productive. Still, some students, CAs and other students have expressed disappointment with RLCs conduct toward students. Alleged incidents include RLC ignorance of preferred gender pronouns, misogynistic behavior towards students and insensitivity during NSO training. In a mental health training, talking about suicide signs, awareness and prevention, most of the CAs were moved by the anecdotes, said an anonymous north campus CA. Then they would look over at the RLCs and they were all smiling at their phones. Its small things like that where weve noticed them being disrespectful, and things like eye rolling. Ive heard [those complaints] from a few different people. Gallagher is also aware of these incidents, but again stresses that they should be solved through communication and student patience. Be willing to say this is something that bothered me, or at Grinnell this is one thing that we do. Like we use pronouns when we introduce ourselves, or we do something else that they may not do elsewhere. Not that its better or worse, but this is something thats part of Grinnells culture. The presence of a new group of RLCs is especially contentious because it is simultaneous with the arrival of new alcohol policies on campus. Smounker RLC Adam Gilbert, whose position includes a focus on harm reduction, wrote the new alcohol agreement for lounge parties and played a significant role in implementation of the new policies despite only arriving at Grinnell this summer. Still, Gilbert is confident that his prior experience in student affairs at other institutions prepared him to manage these changes. With my part in harm reduction with Jen Jacobsen, we wanted to make sure that the process was as easy for students as possible. We tore apart the old alcohol agreement website, Gilbert said. I want to simplify it even further, and for the future, thats going to be something that we try to implement. The policy overall hasnt really changed that much from a harm committee standpoint, we want to make sure that parties that happen in lounges dont turn into large parties Jen mentioned that the students havent been asking the right questions about the restrictions that the alcohol policys presenting. Regarding the lack of communication between RLCs and their residents, Gilbert expressed his hope that students feel open to getting to know their RLCs and seeing them as a resource. Ive been encouraging students to come by my office and chat. I want to increase awareness of what a great resource the RLC can be, Gilbert said. A lot more people are interested in my dog than anything I do workwise. To improve retention rates of RLCs in the future, Residence Life is easing some of the RLCs responsibilities and improving their professional and social lives at Grinnell. This is the first year that we have student staff on call thats never happened before. A lot of what RLCs were responding to at Grinnell are not the responsibilities of RLCs at other institutions, Rolon said. Were focusing on the role of RLCs as educators, so they have their own programming. I think having people starting out at the same time will help the social aspect. What Ive seen this year thats different from past years with the RLCs is that many of them will interact socially with other staff members outside of residence life, which I think helps retention Im hoping that now theyve gone through training and NSO, they can immerse themselves in the Grinnell experience. The separatist party also advised Parliamentarians to hold a special session in the Parliament and accept the 'disputed' nature of Jammu and Kashmir. By Shuja-ul-Haq : Ahead of the All-party delegation's visit to violence-hit Kashmir on September 4 and 5, the Hurriyat Conference today refused to meet the visiting Parliamentarians and urged other stakeholders to not participate in the same. In a statement issued today, Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani said, "Parliamentary delegation is coming to Kashmir after passing a resolution that Kashmir is an integral part of India. Therefore, this delegation neither has the mandate nor the intention to resolve the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir". advertisement The statement further urged other stakeholders to not participate in the delegation meeting. "We request all stakeholders to refrain from engaging in this meaningless exercise of meeting this delegation", the statement read. The separatist party also advised Parliamentarians to hold a special session in the Parliament and accept the 'disputed' nature of Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation, to be led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, is expected to meet a cross-section of people, individuals and organizations. During his visit to Srinagar last week, Singh had asked J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to prepare the ground for an all-party delegation to visit the Valley. OVER 50 INJURED IN FRESH KASHMIR CLASHES Over 50 people were injured in clashes between stone-pelting mobs and security forces even as strict curfew was imposed to foil separatist-called protest rallies. A police spokesperson said at least 35 stone-throwing incidents occurred across the restive valley, including in Srinagar where a 12-year-old boy drowned on Thursday after he was allegedly chased by security forces. The spokesperson said angry protestors defied the curfew and came out on the streets, pelting rocks at security forces. Police and paramilitary troopers dispersed the protestors by firing tear smoke shells and pellets at them. An old city area in Srinagar saw intense protests after the body of Danish Sultan Haroo, who drowned a day ago, was recovered from the Jhelum River. Residents and family alleged that the boy had jumped into the river after he was chased by the security forces. But Kashmir police chief S.J.M. Gilani denied the allegation and said there was no deployment of security forces in the area when the incident occurred. With inputs from IANS ALSO READ: Kashmir unrest: Curfew continues, Centre says governor rule or governor change not an option Kashmir unrest: CM Mehbooba loses cool, walks out of press conference --- ENDS --- Authorities have once again imposed curfew in Srinagar and districts including Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kupwara after fresh clashes. Indian government forces arrive at the site of a protest after curfew was lifted in some parts of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Monday, August. 29, 2016. By Ashraf Wani: Authorities have once again imposed curfew in Srinagar and districts including Anathnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kupwara after fresh clashes and protests erupted on Thursday. One boy from Parimpora Srinagar has allegedly drowned in river Jhelum while he was being chased by the police on Thursday. For the 56th consecutive day, educational institutions, main markets and public transport have remained suspended. advertisement SALARIES UNAFFECTED The state government has decided not to implement its decision to stop salaries of its employees who remained absent from duties during the month of August. "Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has decided to take a lenient view on this because of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Azha festival," a senior officer of the state government said. With a school boy drowning in Parimpora area of Srinagar city when a mob was being chased there by the security forces on Thursday, the death toll in the ongoing unrest rose to 73. IGP Kashmir Zone Syed Javed Mujdaba said that there was no security deployment in the area during the time of the incident. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Also read: Kashmir unrest: Curfew continues, Centre says governor rule or governor change not an option Kashmir unrest: PDP MLA's house set ablaze, Omar says things have taken an ugly turn Kashmir unrest: PDP MLA's house set ablaze, Omar says things have taken an ugly turn --- ENDS --- With Ajay Devgn alleging that Karan Johar paid Rs 25 lakh to Kamaal R Khan to speak in favour of his film Ae Dil Hai Mukhsil, KRK is back in the news. But who is KRK? By Ananya Bhattacharya: Actor/Producer/Critic. If you still don't know who Kamaal Rashid Khan - better known to the world as KRK - is, one look at his Twitter biography will give you an insight into this man. No one quite knows (or cares, for that matter) how relevant all those three words in his bio are, nevertheless, on Twitter, he's nothing short of a celebrity. For all the wrong reasons. advertisement The man is never out of news. Never out of controversy. Never away from locking horns with the big (and small) names in Bollywood. On Twitter, he has been (in)famous for giving kisses to heroines to begin his day. He then moved to talking about their boobs and butts and bodies. And what not. ALSO READ: 10 things you don't really want to know about KRK ALSO READ: FIR against Kamaal Rashid Khan for harassing female actors online ALSO READ: Ajay Devgn alleges Karan Johar paid KRK Rs 25 lakh to speak in favour of ADHM KRK is a classic case of a Twitter nobody turning into a celebrity in just a span of a few years. Actors, directors, producers have all dragged him through hell for his comments on someone's body or someone's film, but KRK is not the one to back off. Some time ago, he went on to launch his own website, where he reviews films (that 'critic' in his bio, remember?)... basically, sits in front of a camera and abuses the hell out of films he doesn't like (and that list is a LONG one). He spares no one, until, of course, they take him to court. He has a history of attacking women reviewers on Twitter for their reviews of a film he doesn't like (and I speak from a firsthand experience), drawing some otherworldly analogy between a woman's marital status and her reviews; and then, once he's brought to book, deleting the obnoxious tweets. He's done it with his own reviews and demeaning tweets. Here's a look at some of KRK's major Twitter fights with B-Towners (the MAJOR fights. A look at all his fights with B-Town people will require a novel.) KRK vs Sonakshi Sinha: KRK tried to conduct a 'Best Butt Survey' on Twitter when Sonakshi decided to hit back at him. "Please RT this if u think @kamaalrkhan is a woman disrespecting waste of space and deserves to be hung upside down and given 4 tight slaps," was Sinha's tweet for KRK. KRK vs Shah Rukh Khan: The man took on the superstar his name reminds one of too. Before Narendra Modi took the Prime Minister's seat, KRK put out a fake tweet with a photo of Shah Rukh promising to 'leave the country' if Modi became the PM. Shah Rukh hit back at KRK on Twitter, "Good time to tell all fools who r talking of a tweet that I didn't tweet, u suck as much as the grammar of that fake tweet & I'm being kind." advertisement However, off and on, he also posts pictures of SRK with the children of KRK, boasting about the King Khan's proximity to the Irritating Khan. KRK vs Sunny Leone: The Indo-Canadian adult-star-turned-Bollywood-actor had the best responses of 'em all when KRK tried to attribute a fake statement to her. He tweeted, "Yeh lo...Sunny Leone says, 'Rape is not a crime; it's just surprise sex." Leone went to the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of the Mumbai Police and lodged a complaint against the man. KRK vs Bipasha Basu: A man as subtle as a gun, KRK once tweeted about Bipasha Basu's boobs. "Believe me I go crazy when Bipasha move her boobs on the song Bipasha of Jodi breakers. (sic)" Basu retorted, "There is a lot of filth in this world and I don't think we should give these filthy, lecherous remarks any importance." KRK vs Vikram Bhatt: A few weeks ago, KRK found himself on the receiving end of Vikram Bhatt's ire. Khan tweeted, "Ab aapko pata hai ki Vikram Bhatt sahab ne jis jis ko bhi kaha ki main aap ko superstar bana doonga, voh Amisha Patel ho, Sushmita Sen ho, voh jin ko bhi kehte hain, voh bechari ghar baith jati hai. Toh zahir si baat hai, Meera Chopra ke saath bhi ye hi hona tha. (sic)" advertisement Bhatt moved court, sending a defamation notice to KRK. Soon after the notice and a very vocal post on Facebook by Vikram Bhatt, KRK went ahead and apologised publicly on Twitter. "Recognised as a troll only or respected critic n I am 100% agree with his statement. So thanks to @TheVikramBhatt for showing me right way. Anyway thanks Mr. @TheVikramBhatt for giving me very good advise n I am sorry if I hurt you in the past. Cheers and best of luck for future." He didn't stop there. He extended his apology to 'all other Bollywood ppl also': "I m sorry to all other Bollywood ppl also if I have hurt anyone by my statement or review. Today a new very serious type of critic has born." We're not sure how many people went all ROFL on seeing KRK's promise of turning into a 'new very serious type of critic'... but well. Many B-Towners have made peace with this man; some by openly declaring their truce with him, and others by deciding to give him the cold shoulder. But nothing seems to dent his popularity on social media. If he decides to mend his ways... as they say, der aayad, durust aayad. advertisement (The writer tweets as @ananya116 .) --- ENDS --- In this March 30, 2015, file photo, Brock Turner appears in the Palo Alto, Calif., branch of Santa Clara County Superior Court court for a status hearing. The former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman is poised to leave jail Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, after serving half a six-month sentence that critics denounced as too lenient. (Gary Reyes /San Jose Mercury News via AP, File) This photo provided by the Syria Press Center (SPC), an anti-government media group, shows civilians leaving the town of Suran, in Hama province, Syria, Thursday Sept. 1, 2016. Suspected government warplanes carried out several airstrikes in Syria's Hama on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, amid a lightning advance by insurgents on government-controlled areas of the central province. (Syria Press Center via AP) The nationwide strike of trade unions lead by Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) is set to cost the exchequer estimated Rs 18,000 crore. Trade union activists damaging an autorickshaw as they enforce their nationwide strike, in Bhubaneswar. Photo: PTI By Devina Gupta: As almost 18 crore central union workers go on a strike to demand labour reforms, the cost is being borne by the tax payers. The nationwide strike of trade unions lead by Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) is set to cost the exchequer estimated Rs 18,000 crore. Banks, government offices and government factories are shut, and many trade union workers were spotted protesting on the streets too. advertisement "The industry is not against fair wages and decent living standard of the workforce. But the demand for minimum wages should be balanced enough not to lead to a high cost economy", said DS Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM. Also read: Mixed response to nationwide bandh, Kerala, Assam worst hit While the Centre did reach out to the trade unions on Tuesday, increasing the minimum wage for unskilled labour sector and promising to release 2 years bonus for central employees, trade unions demand more. "Out of 12 there are 8 demands that are of labour related issues. We have agreed to seven out of 8 labour related demands. Rest is Centre's policies and we cannot go back on it",Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told India Today. Al teast 10 trade unions are demanding social security, rollback on FDI and stopping divestment drive in Public Sector Units in their 12 point charter. Interestingly, RSS affiliated Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh is not part of the strike. When questioned if the Centre failed to reach out to other trade unions, the Union labour minister claimed political motives behind the strike. "We had a round of consultations with everyone. BMS is also demanding what other Unions wanted so we reached a consensus. Its clear who is behind the trade union strike and they are not working in interest of the workers", Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told India Today Television. --- ENDS --- The government on Thursday said commercial surrogacy has become a $2 billion illegal industry and a means to exploit vulnerable women even as it vowed not to let women in India become "baby factories". Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said commercial surrogacy has also become a means of exploiting children also, when they get abandoned. "We want to communicate that surrogacy should be the last option and we in no way are going to promote the idea of commercial surrogacy," Patel told NDTV. The minister also spoke on Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2016, which was recently approved by the Union Cabinet, and has drawn criticism from several quarters. She said the government is "conscious and sensitive" and various issues which has not been touched so far may be addressed in the course of discussions in the parliament. The bill is yet to be tabled in Parliament and there will be many more rounds of deliberation, Patel said. "It's a long process. I believe that the outcomes are going to be in the larger interest of the nation," she said. She said 80 per cent of the total child births taking place through surrogacy in India are for foreign nationals. "Women in India are not baby factories. If you consider the total number of births of children which are taking place through surrogate mothers, 80 per cent of such births have been for foreign nationals. "Why are they doing this? Are Indian women only made for this purpose? They are trying to escape the tough laws of surrogacy in their own homeland and therefore they are coming to India because poor, vulnerable tribal women are easily available. They give them petty money," she said. The bill proposes a complete ban on commercial surrogacy and allows only legally-wedded Indian couples to opt for it. It also seeks to bar unmarried couples, single parents, live-in partners and homosexuals from opting for surrogacy. Following bilateral talks with visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi here on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India and Egypt would cooperate in the fight against terrorism through greater information and operational exchanges. "President and I are of one view that growing radicalisation, increasing violence and spread of terror pose a real threat not just to our two countries, but also to nations and communities across regions," Modi said in a joint pres statement with Sisi following delegation-level talks between the two sides. "In this context, we agreed to further our defence and security engagement which would aim at: expanding defence trade, training and capacity building; greater information and operational exchanges to combat terrorism; cooperation on emerging challenges of cyber security; and working together to fight drug trafficking, transnational crimes and money-laundering," he stated. Describing Egypt as a "natural bridge" between Asia and Africa, Modi said: "Your people are a voice of moderate Islam. And, your nation a factor for regional peace and stability in Africa and the Arab world." The Prime Minister said that he and President Sisi have agreed on an action oriented agenda to drive the two countries' engagements. "An agenda that responds to our socio-economic priorities, promotes trade and investment ties; secures our societies, helps build peace and harmony in our region; and advances our engagement on regional and international issues," he said. Modi said that he and Sisi have agreed to build India-Egypt ties on multiple pillars of cooperation. "We recognised that strong trade and investment linkages are essential for economic prosperity of our societies," he said. "We, therefore, agreed that increased flow of goods, services, and capital between our two economieshas to be among our key priorities." Modi said that the agreement on cooperation in maritime transport that was signed on Friday following the delegation-level talks would be an important facilitator. "I would also urge our private sector to take the lead in building new business and commercial partnerships between the two countries," he said. "To diversify the portfolio of economic engagement, we will also deepen our cooperation in agriculture, skill development, small and medium industry and health sectors." Describing India and Egypt as "two ancient and proud civilizations with rich cultural heritage", Modi said he and Sisi also decided to facilitate greater people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges. On the global level, he said India appreciated the "good work" Egypt has been doing during its current term on the UN Security Council. "Our decision to consult more closely on regional and global issues, both at the UN and outside, will benefit our common interests," the Prime Minister said. "We agreed that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed to reflect the realities of today," he said. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. This is the first bilateral presidential visit from Egypt to India since the visit of then President Mohamed Morsi. Sisi visited New Delhi in October last year to attend the India Africa Forum Summit. The Supreme Court on Friday advised Karnataka to adopt "live and let live" approach and consider releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The apex court sought to know if the upper riparian state could release at least 5TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, which, in its plea, has sought release of 50 TMC of water for its Samba crop. Justice Dipak Mishra observed that the states should go by the "live and let live" principle and live in harmony. While the hearing has been adjourned for Monday, the SC will be examining the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal report before taking a call on TNs plea. Tamil Nadu had expressed concern that lives of over 40 lakh population would be affected, if agriculture activities did not resume immediately. And, that Karnataka had not released the allocated share of water as per the tribunal order. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserted that the two states should go by distress pro rata basis and not as per the normal year formula, as there is a deficit of 80TMC feet. Karnataka Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil said, "Our legal team will present the ground realities before the apex court on Monday, as there is poor water flow into all four reservoirs and the satte's drinking water requirement cannot be met." In 1965, Abhay Charan De, later known by the honorific A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, boarded a cargo ship, the Jaladhuta, to New York to spread the teachings of Lord Krishna to the English-speaking world. He began his mission by chanting kirtans at the Tompkins Square Park in New York. New Yorkers had never seen anything like it before. They were fascinated and many of them joined in, chanting and dancing on the streets, heralding the onset of the Hare Krishna movement. They would later constitute the section of humanity we now call hippies. Soon came what is now known as the summer of love, an enthralling period in history when hundreds of hippies congregated at the Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood of San Francisco, turning the city into a haven of politics, music and drugs. Perhaps it was divine arrangement that Swami Prabhupada went there at the same time. He participated in some of the rock concerts with musicians like Moby Grape and the Grateful Dead. That summer changed the tenor of the world because till then, life was all about materialism. The hippies began questioning everything that they had been conditioned to believe. Among the revellers was an Australian called Michael who was profoundly affected by the teachings of Swami Prabhupada. Michael, who changed his name to Madhu Krisna Das after his initiation into the Hare Krishna movement in 1984 at the age of 37, says that the spiritual leader attacked the impersonalism and voidism propagated by bogus philosophers and scientists and changed so much about the western world. He introduced vegetarianism and kirtans to the western world, he tells me when I meet him in Gokarna, a coastal temple town in Karnataka, which could perhaps be called one of the last frontiers of the hippie culture in India. He influenced everything in the west from the medical system to the music scene. He says he was one of the original ones to try psychedelic drugs and mushrooms in California during the summer of love. It felt so wonderful that when I went back to Australia, I distributed a few substances to my friends there. Mushrooms used to grow wildly where we live. When we discovered them, that was an altogether different experience. The spirit of the summer of love was taken to other countries by the hippies and thus the hippie trail was born, starting at Istanbul and branching off to Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and India. In every significant stop-over along the way, there were hotels and restaurants specifically to cater to the long-haired, pot-smoking hippies. Songs like Give Peace a Chance by John Lennon, My Sweet Lord by George Harrison and Hare Krishna by The Fugs immortalised the movement in pop culture. The Bollywood movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna, which features the famous Hindi song Dum Maro Dum sung by Asha Bhosle, outlined the lifestyle of the hippies. In India, Goa soon became the predominant hippie centre. In Anjuna, hippies began renting houses many years before hotels began to be built in the 1980s to accommodate the tourists. The Anjuna flea market brimmed with hippies who began bartering exotic items, prompting a surge in the local economy. He first came to India in the early 1970s and, since then, has come many times for the spiritual atmosphere. As soon as he took up chanting, he gave up illicit sex, gambling and drugs. He would exist on a dollar a day, spending 40 cents on rent and the rest on food. There is a potency here which you cant find anywhere else in the world, he says. When I first came, the hippie culture was raging here. The hippies knew how to find all the little nectar pockets along the coast. We had the perfect choice of everything we liked. A whole bunch of us would sit and chant on the beach. We could go anywhere and feel free being there. There were no rules or regulations. But, as Bob Dylan, one of the original hippies, sang: The Times They Are a-Changin. Times changed. The Islamic revolution in Iran and the Russian invasion of Afghanistan ended the hippie trail in the late 1970s. Lebanon collapsed into civil war and the unrest in Kashmir made it less inviting. The age of Facebook, selfies, western consumerism and package tours dawned. Lennons dream of a brotherhood of man all the people living life in peace living for today increasingly began looking like utopia. When I was young, we used to travel to Kovalam, a small coastal town in Kerala, almost every summer vacation. We would take the longer route so that we could stop at Kalpakavadi, because there was a restaurant there famous for its appam and egg curry. (The Malayalam film Lal Salam is based on the life of the owner of that restaurant.) We stayed in a hotel called Hotel Samudra in Kovalam. What I remember about that place are the open-air showers. I never got used to them. Even the smallest sound would have me running for cover. In the mornings, we would set out with a large beach umbrella. Those days, an umbrella cost the princely sum of Rs 90 a day. As the shade of the sun kept shifting, the umbrella would be plucked from one spot of the beach to the next. And then there was the sea itself, spewing waves with each majestic breath. First, we would let each wave chase us, and then, as it receded, we would chase it. And then, blissful surrender. Each step into the sea would bring with it a shaft of delight, along with the refrain from my mother not to go any further. In a way, the sea is almost a character in my life. Im a product of its sights and soundsthe half-dome of the horizon, the brawling waves, the contour-less sun, the distant blending of sea and sky, lying buffeted on the salt water and watching the clouds bob up and down. But it will never be for me what it is for those who live on the coast. They have, in a way, internalised it. For them, the sea is not a sight or a sound, it is a way of life. They dont care about its external beauty. After all, one doesnt eat bread because it is beautiful. They are born of the sea and they would be rudderless and adrift without it. The peculiar thing about us is that well never leave here or change our profession no matter how dire our situation, a fisherman from the coastal village of Nattika in Kerala told me. Then there are those who derive an intense joy from the sea, like the surfers and the hippies. Theirs is not the natural adoration of the fishermen but a more consciously cultivated pleasure. They have tasted the ocean and got hooked to its heady sensations. When you go inside a wave, its like a crystal cylinder, a surfer and hippie told me in Gokarna, Karnataka. Time stands still inside that wave. It is like a revelation. Surfers will search all over the world for that experience. There was a time when hippies would congregate on the beaches of Goa and Gokarna. A whole bunch of us would come together, have big feasts and chant on the beaches, he told me. In that way, India is a bit like the last frontier which hasnt yet been tapped fully. It is sad to think that those beaches which were a melting pot of the hippie culture might soon be a thing of the past. India has more than 7,000 kilometres of coastline stretched across nine states, two Union territories and two island territories. According to a survey conducted by the Coastal Protection Development Advisory Committee, 30 per cent of the Indian coast was affected by coastal erosion in 2012. The issue is largely unaddressed. A documentary produced by Shekar Dattatri points out that over 300 new ports are being planned, an average of one port every 20 kilometres. Most of these ports are unnecessary and will trigger erosion on a scale never seen before. If we are not careful, sandy beaches in India might soon become a memory. Then what would become of all the coastal natives? What would happen to the workers who live in the ship-breaking yards of Alang in Gujarat? What would happen to those who live in the missile village of Chandipur who come out in large numbers to watch missiles getting launched from there with a massive whistling sound. They are proud to live there without understanding what exactly these missiles signify. In a way, life on the coast of India is much like life elsewherea juggling act of joys and pains and fears. But in another way, coastal life takes place in the backdrop of the sea and that makes all the difference. People here have an almost mythical belief that the sea will take care of them. Most of us are striving to be someone who we know we are not. But when you surrender your individuality to an entity much larger than yourself, you cease to strive. Instead, you just are. They too have secrets and fears and joys and hopes. But theyve floated them like paper boats into the sea. Even in the raging storms of life, they believe their paper boats will stay afloat. The scam has been reported from residential schools in the tribal belt of Jalgaon in Maharashtra, popularly known as Aashram Shaalaa. By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: In a shocking scam, it has been been found that crores of rupees were siphoned off by educational institutions showing tribal students enrolled at residential schools, but who existed only on paper. The scam has been reported from residential schools in the tribal belt of Jalgaon in Maharashtra, popularly known as Aashram Shaalaa. MONEY SPENT BY STATE advertisement Maharashtra government spends more than Rs 325 crore every year on these residential schools. The funds include Rs 225 crore for monthly allowance which is Rs 900 per child for ten months a year and Rs 100 crore for salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff. The staff strength of these residential schools is proportional to the number of students. During a recent survey for Aadhar card registration drive that covered 50 state-aided tribal schools revealed that some of the students were found to be in Madhya Pradesh or in neighbouring districts, according to a report submitted by the district administration. Documents with India Today show that 8,177 out of 25,922 students on the rolls in these Jalgaon schools could not be traced. They only existed on paper? Also read: School run by BMC functions without electricity When our team visited one of these schools, it wore a deserted look... the employee there had no answers to our questions. The watchman guarding the school gate told us that since it is holiday no students were present. AUTHORITIES START VERIFICATION After the report from the district administration, the state government too sprung into action and launched a statewide verification. Sources said that these primary surveys suggest that almost 30-40 per cent of the 2.4 lakh tribal students enrolled in the 559 such schools could be "bogus". These "fake entries" that were spotted, could have cost the government a loss of at least Rs 68 crore last year in student allowance alone. Maharashtra's Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savara was not available for comments despite repeated attempts to contact him. In the state wide survey, similar discrepancies were being reported from other districts too. Sources said that the government has decided to halt the funding for students who cannot be accounted for. The management of many of these institutions in the district are controlled by political heavyweights. So will the state government really show the political will to act against such institutions is one big question now. --- ENDS --- advertisement [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] A new police station was inaugurated in the Binyamin Regional Council district of the Shomron to accommodate the vehicles that will be part of the community patrol. The community patrol vehicles focus on quality of life crimes and work hand-in-hand with civilian officials. On hand was the Deputy Commander of the Shai District Assistant Commissioner David Biton, who explained the new community patrol in this area highlights the increasing cooperation between police and the area communities as well as the larger number of community volunteers giving of their time to take part in patrols. Binyamin Chief Commander Dudi Chiyun added this is another step towards increasing cooperation between police and civilians in the area. Binyamin Council head Avi Roeh also addressed the event, thanking police and civilian volunteers alike. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Shai District spokesman unit) The Jerusalem Municipality has issued summonses to stores violating the Day of Rest law and operating on Shabbos. The city employs non-Jewish inspectors who enforce this law. It has now been learned however that in most cases, these summonses have been canceled, Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reported on Wednesday morning 27 Menachem Av. Responding to the Army Radio report, the city explains that there is not actual change only a technical one. The city now feels instead of issuing summonses each week, information is being gathered and a criminal indictment will be filed, which is believed to be more effective rather than manage dozens of summonses issued at different times. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita addressed the Israel Bar Association Conference in Eilat on Tuesday 26 Menachem Av, preferring to speak about the need for better synchronization between the nations secular family courts and batei din. Rabbi Lau explained the dire shortage of manpower and resources is common to both court systems, admitting this results in the courts and batei din being severely overloaded and this harms the public at large. Rabbi Lau believes steps must be taken towards improved synchronization between the two systems since the current lack of communications between the family courts and batei din leads to absurd situations, citing a recent case in which a recalcitrant husband managed to flee the country after a beis din took steps against him while the family court entertained a request he filed to meet with his children. The latter was not aware of the status of the case in the beit din. As a result, the family court did not discuss the husband fleeing and did not insist that he return to Israel and not leave his wife as an agunah. Rabbi Lau expects the family courts to cooperate with batei din in all cases towards preventing women being left as agunos. Among those present during the rabbis address were Supreme Court President Miriam Naor, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Attorney General Dr. Avichai Mandelblit, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira and head of the Israel Bar Association Effie Naveh. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Mr. Yitzchak Zahavi, who heads the Jerusalem District of the Ministry of Education, on Wednesday morning 27 Menachem Av summoned ten school principals for an urgent meeting on Sunday, 1 Elul, to the ministrys Jerusalem office. They were summoned to a hearing after it has been learned during the past week that dozens of students are yet to be assigned to schools in the chareidi system due to what appears to be ongoing discrimination. At present, Zahavi has a list of 50 girls whom have not been accepted to high school and the ministry does plan to impose sanctions on the schools. The schools in question are located in Modiin Illit, Jerusalem, Betar Illit, Elad, and Beit Shemesh. The ministry views this as insubordination on the part of the principals and the schools and it is unwilling to tolerate it any longer, vowing stern measures will be taken against schools that refuse to register students as they should. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Housing Minister (Kulanu) Yoav Galant visited the chareidi community of Maale Amos, which is a part of the Gush Tzion Regional Council, located 20km (12 miles) southeast of Jerusalem. The visit was part of the momentum to construct dozens of housing units in the community. Present to greet the minister were Gush Etzion Council head Davidi Pearl and his assistant, as well as persons involved in the building project. Yoel Silver of Maale Amos spoke with the minister, acting as the community representative. He spoke of what he believes is the great potential to bring many additional frum families if only the community had available housing and the necessary infrastructure. The officials were given a look at the ministrys master plan to build thousands of housing units in the community, apparently sharing the vision that there is significant potential for growth. Galant expressed his commitment to do what he can to give his offices total backing to the plan, hoping to turn the yishuv into a city. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) A nun belonging to the global Missionaries of Charity offers a prayer inside a church at Prem Dan, a home for the destitute and old, run by the Missionaries of Charity ahead of Mother Teresa's canonisation ceremony, in Kolkata. Reuters By Indrajit Kundu: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today left for Rome to attend Mother Teresa's canonisation ceremony at the Vatican on Sunday. During her week-long trip to Europe she will also visit Germany where she will meet industrialists seeking German investments for Bengal. "Today, at the invitation of the Missionaries of Charity, I am leaving for the holy Vatican City to participate in the canonization ceremony of Mother Teresa. It is indeed a moment of great pride and honour," she wrote on Facebook. advertisement "Her love for the ailing, the needy and the entire humanity was unbounded. Bengal is more proud as Mother lived and worked here and showered us with her abundant love and care," she wrote. Mamata is being accompanied by a 12-member delegation including several industrialists from the state. Trinamool MP's Derek O'Brien and Sudip Bandopadhyay are also accompanying her. Interestingly, Mamata had earlier announced that she will not visit Rome with the official Government of India delegation led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "I am not going with the official Government of India delegation but as a guest of the Missionaries of Charity. I don't need a first row seat. I will sit with the sisters and witness the historic moment," she had announced at the inauguration of a statue of Mother Teresa in Kolkata on August 26.. The West Bengal chief minister is scheduled to stay in Italy till September 5 where she will be given a special reception by the Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi. After Rome, Mamata will meet German business leaders in Munich where she intends to pitch Bengal as an favourable investment destination. Banerjee is scheduled to return to Kolkata on September 10. --- ENDS --- The IDF has shut down a PA (Palestinian Authority)-based radio station in the ongoing war against PA incitement. A number of arrests were made and broadcast equipment was confiscated. The operation involved IDF forces and Shin Bet agents as well as agents of the IDF Civil Administration as they raided the office of the al-Sanabel Radio during the early morning hours of Wednesday, 27 Menachem Av. The station is based in the village of Dura, in the Hebron district. At least five people were taken into custody including station manager 34-year-old Faruk Aliat, a resident of Birzeit in the Ramallah district. Aliat is known to be aligned with the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) This is one of those inspirational stories that one would not believe if not for the fact the people involved provide us with a firsthand account, once again showing us the gadlus of HKBH and how he forever shines his chessed upon His people. February 2011: Rabbi Yotev Eliach was leading a group of 50 high school students in Israel. There last stop was the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Yerushalayim. During this visit Rabbi Eliach saw an elderly couple crying aside the kever of their son, Erez Deri HYD. Mrs. Deri explained Eretz was a paratrooper who was tragically killed in 2006. Then she told them something that left them speechless. See the video. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Bchasdei Hashem, 16 buses were permitted to bring mispallalim to Kever Yosef on Wednesday night the eve of 28 Menachem Av in coordination with the IDF and border police. Unfortunately, the visit was not a peaceful one as Arabs attacked soldiers and mispallalim with rocks and firebombs in addition to place burning tires in the roadway. The soldiers used riot-control adjuncts to restore order. During the violence one soldier was injured by gunfire in the Balata refugee camp area, which is part of the protective blanket operation when the kever is opened to mispallalim. The soldier was taken to Beilinson Hospital in stable condition. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The IDF is supposed to be apolitical as officers are not permitted to express political views. While this may sound pristine, reality paints another picture because officers, junior and senior alike, have a hashkafa, and this leaks out on different occasions. One prime example is Brigadier-General Ofir Winter, a highly decorated officer whose climb up the senior ranks has been painful and delayed due to his open expression of belief in HKBH, a belief he shares with his troops to the ire of the General Staff what the G word is forbidden. The same article referenced in the hyperlink sites the case of Effie Eitam, who was also a rising star but finally decided to leave the military when it became clear to him that his path to the General Staff is blocked by his decision to become a baal teshuvah. There are many other examples and of course there are examples to disprove this but the above-mentioned reality is the prevailing reality in the military today among senior command as the influx of mechinot officers by and large have not reached the ranks of leadership. In fact Winter is from the first class of Bnei David and therefore the older generation of post-mechina officers serving and we see the battle his is having. What is welcome however are comments like those aired on Wednesday 27 Menachem Av by retired Major-General Gadi Shamni, who served as Central District Commander. He spoke about Israel, referencing the state as champion of occupation in regard to Israels continued presence in Biblical areas; Yehuda and Shomron. In his address at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Shamni blasted government policy, stating We brought occupation to a level of art and we are the champions of occupation. I was head of Central Command and the commander of the occupation. The former senior commander and member of the General Staff reflects the secular Zionist viewpoint, one that is void of Yiddishkheit and HKBH while overly concerned with the fate of the so-called Palestinian people. Shamnis remarks came under fire by some including former Natioaal Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday, 28 Menachem Av, opened the 2016-2017 school year at the Tamra Haemek public elementary school in Tamra, in the Gilboa Regional Council area. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Education Minister Bennett were welcomed by the schools approximately 200 pupils in Hebrew, Arabic and English in a festive ceremony. Prime Minister Netanyahu: Hello to you all. Hello first grade. I remember when I came to first grade; I was very excited. It is very exciting. Welcome first grade was written on the blackboard. It took me a little while to be able to read the words. Afterwards it was Hello second grade and Hello third grade and so it went and this is what awaits you. Boys and girls, I want each and every one of you to do two things: First, learn. Second, be good children. Listen to your parents and your teachers; listen to your teacher. I want you to listen to me because I want you to learn learn to write, learn to read, learn Hebrew, Arabic and English. I want you to learn mathematics. I want you to learn science. I want you to learn history history of the Jewish People, the history of your public. I want you to learn the truth, and the truth says that we were destined to live together. I want you to be doctors, scientists and writers, and be whatever you want to and are able to be. I want you to be loyal citizens, integrated into the State of Israel; this is your state. I am truly excited for you. Learn well. Go back home and do what mother and father tell you. May you be successful. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Hatzalah was on hand in Beit Shemesh on Thursday morning 28 Menachem Av, working with Magen David Adom personnel to stabilize a man injured on a rooftop while working with an electric disc cutter. Hatzalah EMT David Zlikowitz explains the injured man is about 25 and he lost control of the power took and sustained a cut in his shoulder area, resulting in massive bleeding. Due to the difficulties in lowering the injured man down from the roof, the fire department was called in and paramedics were able to transport the victim. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Media Resource Group) Israeli public schools opened for the new school year on Thursday, 28 Menachem Av and the Education Ministrys Chareidi Unit provided the following information. While over 2 million children returned to their classrooms on Thursday, 410,000 are counted in the chareidi district in addition to 58 girls who remained home, still without a school. The ministrys appeals committee received 221 requests for assistance this year of which 169 were addressed to the satisfaction of parents, 34 were dismissed, and 18 are still being addressed. Last year there were only 75 complaints. It is explained the reason for the sharp increase is that this year, the committee also accepted complaints from elementary schools and kindergartens. On a more positive note, this year 58 girls were left without a school on opening day as compared to 222 last year. The Chareidi Unit of the Ministry also granted operating licenses to 90% of chareidi schools by opening day this year as opposed to only 50% last year. Seeking to diminish red tape, the licensing today is good for up to five years instead of requiring annual renewal but in practice, most schools were licensed for less than five years as per the decision of authorities granting the licenses. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the umbrella body of the European nations in the security field, has chosen Prof. Gabi Weimann of the Department of Communications at the University of Haifa to plan and establish a new teaching and research framework on the subject of online terror. The member countries of the OSCE include Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, as well as non-European countries such as the US and Canada. The organization cooperates with various bodies on security-related issues, including Interpol and others. It is certainly a pleasure and an honor to lead such a significant initiative that also involves institutions and security bodies from the European countries, as well as organizations such as Interpol and Europol, Prof. Weimann commented. Its also good to see that despite the declarations about an academic boycott, the two largest research grants I received recently both came from the European Union, he added. The OSCE was established during the Cold War in order to facilitate cooperation and the sharing of information relating to security issues between the countries of Western and Eastern Europe. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the Communist bloc, the organization became one of the most important players in the field of security in Europe. Israel is also associated with the OECD as one of its partners for cooperation. As part of its routine activities, the OECD cooperates with other pan-European bodies. An example of this is the agreement signed with Interpol in 2014 for cooperation in police training. After the OSCE member states adopted a resolution highlighting the importance of the struggle against online terror, the organization issued an international tender to locate an expert in this field. The expert will be required to establish a teaching and research framework for the OSCE focusing on the struggle against online terror and radicalization, serving the partner countries and European security bodies and organizations. The OECD eventually selected Prof. Weimann, a prominent expert in the field who recently published his book Terrorism in the Cyberspace, the product of some 20 years of research in the field. In recent years Prof. Weimann has won several research grants in his field in the United States, Australia, the European Union, and elsewhere. Two years ago, together with other researchers, he received a substantial grant from the European Union to establish a database on online incitement, violence, and terror, locating target populations for extremist messages, identifying groups liable to use radical content online, and so forth. Prof. Weizmann developed the model of the virtual community and found that even attackers who are considered lone wolves and acted independently of any organization were incited, recruited, and activated by an online community. Over the years, Prof. Weimann has studied the use of the social media by terror organizations initially on forums and YouTube, and more recently on Facebook. He has shown how these organizations have learned to use ostensibly Western messages in order to recruit Western citizens over the internet. According to the agreement signed between Prof. Weimann and the OSCE, the teaching and research framework he will establish will be based on e-learning and will provide information concerning terror organizations use of the internet. This includes such aspects as the use of the internet for the purpose of radicalization and violence; recruiting new members to terror organizations; fundraising and transferring funds to terror organizations; establishing local terror cells and organizations, and so forth. The framework will also showcase ways in which the OSCE members can cooperate with other civil society and business organizations in order to develop tools for combating terror, on the one hand, and maintaining civil rights, on the other. Online incitement, radicalization, and recruitment have had a significant impact on the recent waves of terror around the world, Prof. Weimann concludes. This has raised awareness of the importance of research and academic knowledge in this field. In a few days I will travel to Vienna to sign the agreement and launch the program. The program will be based in the OSCE headquarters at Hofburg Palace the site where Hitler declared the German annexation of Austria. Both of my parents were Holocaust survivors, so this will be a historical and a personal closing of a circle for me. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The White House was first on line to condemn the Israeli approval of 284 new housing units in Yehuda and Shomron on Wednesday, 27 Menachem Av. Adding to the White Houses disapproval is the Civil Administration decided to retroactively approve other homes retroactively, homes located in Ofarim in the Shomron. The approval is significant, including a 234-bed nursing home in Elkana, 30 houses in Beit Aryeh and an additional 20 homes in Givat Zeev. We are deeply concerned by the governments announcement to advance plans for these settlement units in the West Bank, State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing. We are particularly troubled by the policy of retroactively approving unauthorized settlement units and outposts that are themselves illegal under Israeli law. These policies have effectively given the Israeli government a green light for the pervasive advancement of settlement activity in a new and potentially unlimited way. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) A Romanian hacker who targeted the Bush family, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and others was sentenced to more than four years in prison Thursday, but will be sent to Romania to serve time on a prison sentence there first. Marcel Lazar, 44, of Arad, Romania is better known by the nickname Guccifer. In 2012 and 2013, he went on a hacking spree that enveloped roughly 100 victims, from private citizens to former presidents. He hacked the email account of Dorothy Bush Koch, daughter of President George H.W. Bush and sister of President George W. Bush. As a result of the hack, the website The Smoking Gun published private family photos and pictures of paintings by George W. Bush. Lazar hacked Powells Facebook account and sent out posts under Powells name stating You will burn in hell, Bush! and Kill the illuminati! Guccifer also hacked an email account of Sidney Blumenthal, a confidant of Hillary Clinton, in March 2013. That subsequent leak of Blumenthals emails was the first time that outsiders became aware of Clintons private clintonemail.com address, which she used to communicate with Blumenthal. It became part of the investigation of whether Clinton mishandled sensitive emails. After his arrest, Lazar also told reporters he hacked into Clintons private email server, but prosecutors and FBI Director James Comey have said he was lying. All the while, prosecutors said, Lazar showed no remorse for his crimes, though they acknowledge he has cooperated with authorities in interviews. He characterized his criminal conduct as an achievement, prosecutor Maya Song said at Thursdays sentencing hearing. Lazar himself declined an opportunity to speak on his behalf before Thursdays sentence was imposed, and walked out casually after his hearing concluded. The 52-month sentence imposed by U.S. Senior Judge James Cacheris matched prosecutors request. His court-appointed public defender had requested a 3-year term. Lazar will soon be sent to Romania to finish a prison term imposed there on similar charges of hacking accounts of Romanian officials. Lazar was indicted in the U.S. in 2014, and in March of this year Romania agreed to send Lazar to the U.S for prosecution on the condition he be returned upon request to serve his time in Romania. Officials said Romania has requested his return, so Lazar will be sent to Romania to serve time on what amounts to a 7-year sentence there, although there is some indication he could be eligible for some type of parole in 2018. After he serves his time in Romania, he would be brought back to the U.S. to serve his sentence, and then again deported back to Romania. I do believe there is uncertainty as to how all this will play out, said Lazars public defender, Shannon Quill. Lazar did not profit financially from his hacking. In court papers, Quill said Lazar was not motivated by financial gain but principally by a desire to bring to light actions of public officials and those in power in order to expose what he saw as hypocrisy, especially in those connected to the defense and intelligence sectors. Sentencing papers show Lazar was obsessed with numerology and secret societies, and that he believed Powell and others were members of the Illuminati. He only picked his nickname, a combination of the Gucci brand and Lucifer, after he felt comfortable that the numerology associated with the name was acceptable. (AP) A secret camera was found in a ladies toilet used by students of the Departments of Biology and Bio Sciences at the Mangalagangotri campus. By Mail Today Bureau: Postgraduate students of the Mangalore University in coastal Karnataka are up in arms against the administration after a secret camera was found installed in one of the women's toilet on the campus. Following widespread protests from the students, the University administration today lodged a complaint to the police, who have commenced the probe. According to students of the University, the secret camera was found in a ladies toilet used by students of the Departments of Biology and Bio Sciences at the Mangalagangotri campus. Miscreants had converted a smartphone into a camera, which had stored several pictures and 20 minutes of video recording. advertisement The mobile camera was spotted by one of the girls last week. Apparently, the mobile camera was wrapped in a paper and concealed in a cardboard painted in blue colour as a camouflage. The camera was then mounted on the wall and it remained concealed while only the camera eye was visible. The smartphone did not have any SIM card. Upon spotting the secret camera, the student immediately informed the Head of the Department of Biosciences. The matter was then referred to the University's Sexual Harassment Cell. The Cell, which probed the matter, then recommended the University to lodge a complaint with the police to trace the people, who had installed the secret camera. The one-week delay in approaching the police angered the students, who took the University administration to task. "This is the handiwork of some insiders. The suspicion falls directly on the service staff, as only they have access to the toilets apart from the students. Some pervert has installed this camera. We want the University to apprehend the culprit," said Sonia Kamath, a student. The students had in the past complained of lack of security on the campus. The absence of CCTV network near the toilet could become a hurdle for the police in identifying the culprits. --- ENDS --- With the killing of Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the Islamic State group lost one of its most powerful figures, a militant with multiple roles: A propaganda chief, overseer of spectacular attacks in Europe and a trusted lieutenant of the groups top leader. Al-Adnani was the mastermind of the extremist groups strategy of lashing out abroad with attacks that overshadowed its battlefield losses in Syria and Iraq. He formed militant cells in Europe to carry out organized attacks and inspired lone wolves who struck out on their own. Coming on the heels of the death of the groups war minister, al-Adnanis loss is likely to prompt a shake-up in the IS leadership and may force its shadowy leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, to address the loss of its most charismatic figure. Only al-Baghdadi is a more important leader, and al-Adnani was probably positioned to succeed al-Baghadi if he was killed, Thomas Joscelyn, a researcher with the U.S.-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said in an email to The Associated Press. In a statement announcing his death, IS described al-Adnani as a descendent of Prophet Muhammads family and tribe, attributes also used to describe al-Baghdadi. Still, both the Islamic State group and its forerunner, al-Qaida in Iraq have overcome past leadership losses, said Joscelyn, editor of the Long War Journal. News of al-Adnanis death sparked conflicting claims from Washington and Moscow over who targeted him. Russia said Wednesday it killed him along with 40 other militants in a strike in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo. Washington said al-Adnani was targeted by a U.S. airstrike on the nearby city of al-Bab, though U.S. officials were still confirming his death. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said Wednesday that Washington had no information to support Russias claim. The IS-run Aamaq news agency announced Tuesday that al-Adnani was martyred while surveying the operations to repel the military campaigns in Aleppo. It didnt provide details. A U.S. defense official said al-Adnani was believed to have been hit as he was getting into a vehicle in al-Bab, an IS stronghold in Aleppo province that is targeted by American- and Turkish-backed fighters in the push against the extremist group. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence information. The Soufan Group, a Washington-based consultancy firm that monitors IS activities, said that if confirmed, al-Adnanis death would be one of ISs most significant personnel losses. The death of al-Adnani could blunt the groups siren song to terror, both directed and inspired, the Soufan Group said, though it cautioned that al-Adnanis death is unlikely to bring a halt to IS attacks abroad. IS has already had plenty of time to put plans in place for further strikes, it said. As a main recruiter of foreign fighters, al-Adnani is believed to have planned and put in action attacks such as the November 2015 Paris attacks that killed more than 100 people. He is also believed to have directed the attacks on the Brussels and Istanbul airports, and the bloody hostage attack in Bangladesh. The downing of a Russian passenger plane in Egypts Sinai peninsula as well as the December 2015 attack in San Bernardino, California, and the assault in June on a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, also happened under al-Adnanis watch. Over 1,800 people were killed and 4,000 wounded in attacks overseen by al-Adnani, said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was no authorized to speak to reporters. He also oversaw attacks in Baghdad that killed more than 300 people, carried out in retaliation for the Iraqi militarys recapture earlier this year of Fallujah, said two Iraqi officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Al-Adnani, whose real name was Taha Sobhi Falaha, was born in the northern Syrian province of Idlib. Details of his militant career emerged in on-line eulogies and statements by the Islamic State group and its supporters. Al-Adnani was one of the first to pledge allegiance to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who founded the precursor of IS after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He rose to be one of his most trusted advisers, and supporters say that al-Zarqawi once told al-Adnani: Dont consult me, just brief me. His death, like al-Zarqawis in a 2006 U.S. airstrike, will only empower al-Adnanis soldiers, the militants said in announcing al-Adnanis death. Al-Adnani was a learned student of Islam, becoming strictly observant at a young age. He was a devout reader of religious books, eventually writing his own explainers about Islamic laws and traditions. He leaves behind a wealth of recorded messages with his distinct nasal voice reciting poetry in classical Arabic. His supporters said he was so zealous about teaching that there were times when he would hold as many as 14 classes a night. He was arrested frequently by the Syrian government, including in the border town of Boukamal as he headed for the first time to Iraq in the early 2000s. He was imprisoned by the Americans twice in Iraq, spending six years in prison, held along with al-Zarqawis strongest backers. In Iraq, al-Adnani set up a military camp in Haditha, west of Baghdad, where he trained new recruits. He was a religious judge in Iraqs militant-held western Anbar area before taking on the role of the spokesman for ISs precursor organization, reflecting how trusted he had become as a veteran member of the group. In late June 2014, al-Adnani formally announced the formation of a caliphate, or Islamic state, stretching across parts of Syria and Iraq, under al-Baghdadis leadership and demanded allegiance from Muslims worldwide. A powerful orator, he went on to become the voice of IS. He released numerous audio files online in which he delivered fiery sermons urging followers to kill civilians in nations that supported the U.S.-led coalition against the group. Earlier this year, he called for massive attacks during Ramadan, a call that translated into the bloodiest Muslim holy month in recent memory. The Iraqi officials said he was believed to be personally responsible for al-Baghadadis policy of remaining in deep hiding, and that he chaired meetings on al-Baghdadis behalf. Al-Adnani served several roles. Therefore, he may be replaced by multiple men, Joscelyn said. (AP) As of Thursday all students entering the 7th or 12th grades in New York state will be required to be vaccinated against meningitis. Twenty seven states already require the vaccine as part of standard immunizations. Meningitis refers to acute and often life-threatening inflammation of the membranes covering the brain. More than 1,000 people contract the disease each year in the U.S., with between 10 and 15 percent of them dying from the disease. Survivors can suffer hearing loss or limb amputation. Many public health advocates supported the push for the mandate, which lawmakers passed in 2015. The vaccines now required for 7th and 12th graders protect against five strains that cause about 93 percent of meningitis cases. (AP) Chicago saw its deadliest month in two decades in August, recording 90 homicides for the month, the citys police department said Thursday. The last time the city recorded 90 killings in a month was August 1996, according to Chicago Police Department data. Last month, there were a total of 384 shooting incidents and 472 shooting victims, police said. Chicago is on pace to have more than 700 homicides by the end of the year. The city hasnt had more than 600 homicides in a year since 2003, and not more than 700 since 1998, according to records. Police blamed the increase in violence on repeat offenders using illegal guns. The historical cycle of violence we have seen in some communities must come to an end, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a statement. Repeat gun offenders who drive the violence on our streets should not be there in the first place, and it is time to change the laws to ensure these violent offenders are held accountable for their crimes. The 90 homicides for this August compared to 54 killed in the same month last year. Police said they made 18 percent more murder arrests this past month compared to August 2015. The departments number of gun arrests this year is up 5 percent compared to the same time during 2015. The department said five districts on the citys South and West sides account for the majority of the violence. (AP) A Belgian judge has ordered Mohamed Abrini, a suspect in attacks claimed by the Islamic State organization in Brussels and Paris, held in custody for two more months. The judges decision on Thursday was announced by the Belgian Federal Prosecutors Office. Four other people suspected of involvement in the March 22 suicide bombings in Belgiums capital were ordered held for two more months. The judge ordered another month of pretrial detention for two additional suspects. Abrini, 31, admits he was the man in the hat spotted with two bombers who blew themselves up at Brussels Airport. That attack, and another in the Brussels subway, killed 32 people. The Belgian Moroccan is also believed to have been involved in the planning and execution of the Nov. 13 attacks that killed 130 people in Paris. (AP) Authorities in Florida said Thursday they have found the Zika virus in three groups of trapped mosquitoes in Miami Beach, the first time this has happened in the continental US. The Zika-carrying mosquitoes were trapped in a touristy 1.5-square-mile area of Miami Beach that had been identified as an active zone of active transmission of the virus, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a news release. This is the first time we have found a Zika virus positive mosquito pool in the continental United States, said Erin Sykes, a CDC spokeswoman. Finding the virus in mosquitoes has been likened by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to finding a needle in a haystack, but the testing helps mosquito controllers target their efforts, and it confirms that the insects are indeed a mode of transmission as suspected. The illness spreads from people to mosquitoes to people again through bites, but the insects do not spread the disease among their own population, and their lifespan is just a few weeks. The announcement was made Thursday as a poll was released suggesting nearly 48 percent of Americans are wary of traveling to U.S. destinations where people have been infected with Zika through mosquito bites. The survey of health care attitudes by the Kaiser Family Foundation also found 61 percent felt uneasy about traveling to Zika zones outside the U.S. mainland, including Puerto Rico. Most of the Zika infections from Florida mosquitoes have been in the Miami area, not the tourist mecca of Orlando and its Walt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld theme parks. There are no non-travel related cases in Orange County or central Florida, Gov. Rick Scott said earlier this week at an appearance in the Orlando area. But Miami is a major tourism draw, with more than 15.5 million people making overnight visits to the city and its nearby beaches last year. And overall, Florida set a new record for tourism with more than 105 million people from out of state and other countries visiting the state in 2015. This find is disappointing, but not surprising, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam said in a statement on Thursday. Florida is among the best in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources. Since July, authorities have linked a couple dozen cases to transmission in small areas of Miamis Wynwood district and the popular South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach. Other isolated cases not linked to travel outside the U.S. also have been confirmed elsewhere in Miami-Dade county, as well as in neighboring counties and in the Tampa Bay area, totaling 47 for the state. The Kaiser poll also found that a third of those interviewed believe Congress should make it a top priority to pass legislation increasing money to combat the virus. President Barack Obama proposed $1.9 billion in emergency funding for Zika in February, but Congress has been unable to agree on a final bill. The poll of 1,211 adults conducted Aug. 18-24 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Scott, a Republican, has repeatedly called on Congress to send the president a Zika funding bill. We still need the federal government to show up, Scott told reporters recently in Miami. Its not just a Florida issue. Putnam said Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach, and state and federal partners are continuing to work aggressively to prevent Zikas spread. The countys mosquito control team is inspecting properties to remove standing water where the bugs breed, and spraying in a 1/8-mile radius around the area where the infected mosquitoes were trapped. Officials said 95 more mosquito samples each one containing several dozen bugs have tested negative since those three were found. As it has been from the beginning, our goal is to eliminate the cycle of transmission by eliminating the mosquitoes, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said in the news release. (AP) A Turkish-owned jet leased by the private Wings of Lebanon company has landed in hot water after a flight it made to Israel. The head of Beiruts international airport, Fadi al-Hassan, said on Thursday that Turkeys Tailwind was asked to remove the Lebanese companys slogan from the Boeing 737-800 jet that it had leased until December. The plane was also banned from any future landing in Beirut. Lebanon and Israel have been in a formal state of war since Israel was created in 1948. Liza Dvir, spokeswoman of Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport, said the Wings of Lebanon jet landed there on Wednesday and departed the same day. Wings of Lebanon says the jet was sent to Turkey for maintenance. The purpose of the flight to Israel was unclear. (AP) Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cant be trusted to control the nations nuclear arsenal. Just imagine giving this guy access to the nuclear codes, a guy who says how hed consider using nuclear weapons, Biden told a group of about 250 people at a United Auto Workers union hall outside of Youngstown. Its the second time in recent weeks that Biden has campaigned on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He and Clinton made a joint appearance in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in mid-August. Biden received an expected warm welcome at the union hall as he discussed the importance of unions and the middle class. His appearance Thursday in the Mahoning Valley is significant because of Ohios traditional role as a bellwether state in presidential elections and Trumps strength in the region during the states Republican primary. Trump received more votes than popular Republican Gov. John Kasich in all of Ohios eastern counties. When talking about middle class struggles, Biden said Clinton gets it. She never yields, Biden said. She never breaks. Trump, on the other hand, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and is choking because he has his foot in his mouth, the vice president said. Biden seemed to relish the attacks on Trump. He said he met recently with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to reassure them that Trump doesnt represent America. Biden said the three presidents are scared to death about the prospects of a Trump presidency and whether he would maintain the countrys commitments to its NATO allies if they faced aggression from Russia. In July, Trump said the United States might abandon its NATO military commitments, including the obligation to defend members against attacks. I dont think hes a bad guy, but hes totally and completely uninformed, Biden said. (AP) New York Mayor Bill de Blasio says hed like state law to be changed to let police release records of officer discipline. De Blasio said Thursday on WNYC radio he believes the law should be rewritten to let the city provide more transparency. The issue has come into focus as the public waits to see whether theres any disciplinary action in the Eric Garner chokehold death case, which helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement. Any disciplinary moves wont happen until a federal civil rights investigation ends. The New York Police Department recently stopped a longstanding practice of letting reporters see a rundown of disciplinary actions. Officials say they concluded it violated a 40-year-old state law. The New York Civil Liberties Union disputes the citys interpretation of the law. (AP) Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Floridas Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain, high winds and thousands of power outages. Injuries were reported in Tallahassee as trees fell onto homes. The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Hermine later weakened to a tropical storm as it moved farther inland. Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain carried the danger of flooding along the storms path over land, including the state capital Tallahassee, which hadnt been hit by a hurricane since Kate in 1985. As of 8 a.m. EDT Friday, Hermine was weakening as it moved into southern Georgia, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the Hurricane Center said. It was centered about 35 miles northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, and was moving north-northeast near 14 mph. After pushing through Georgia, Hermine was expected to move into the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding. In Tallahassee, high winds knocked trees onto several houses injuring residents inside, fire-rescue spokesman Mike Bellamy said. He said an unknown number were taken to area hospitals with injuries that werent thought to be life-threatening. Bellamy said his agency responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Mayor Andrew Gillum estimated as many as 100,000 area residents were without electricity Friday morning. At Floridas Keaton Beach, just south of the states Big Bend where the peninsula meets the Panhandle, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise Friday trying to get to their homes. Police had the road blocked because of flooding. Taylor County Commissioner Jody DeVane said several homes were damaged. Dustin Beach, 31, rushed to Keaton Beach on Friday from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife had given birth Thursday night to a girl. When my wife got up this morning she said, Go home and check on the house. I need to know where were going after we leave the hospital,' Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats had made it. Its a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house and I hope theyre still there, she said. In Pasco County, north of Tampa, authorities said flooding forced 18 people from their homes in Green Key and Hudson Beach. Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriffs deputies used high-water vehicles early Friday to rescue people from rising water. They were taken to a nearby shelter. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge that spans Tampa Bay remained closed Friday morning because of high winds. In Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, a couple suffered minor injuries during the storm when they drove into a tree that had fallen in the road, County Administrator Dustin Hinkel said early Friday. He said storm surge of 8 to 10 feet damaged docks and flooded coastal roads. At least seven homes were damaged by falling trees, said Scott Nelson, the countys emergency manager. As Hermine moved north, Georgia Power estimated about 19,000 homes and businesses were without power statewide early Friday. Many of those were in Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County, about 15 miles north of the Georgia-Florida line. Lowndes County spokeswoman Paige Dukes said crews were dealing with fallen trees and snapped power lines, but no injuries had been reported. Winds exceeding 55 mph had been recorded in the county, with 4 to 5 inches of rainfall, she said. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared an emergency in 51 counties. He said 6,000 National Guardsmen were poised to mobilize for the storms aftermath. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina also declared states of emergency. (AP) From Naagin, Tashan-e-Ishq to Santoshi Maa, TV soaps love to kill off their protagonists, only to bring them back to boost the shows' TRPs. By Parmita Uniyal: Mohammad Nazim is back in Saath Nibhaana Saathiya and so is the show's slot in Top 5 shows of the week. Though he is now playing Jaggi, Ahem's lookalike, his return to the show has boosted the show's TRPs almost overnight. This is not the first time an Indian soap has used this formula to up TRPs. Here are other actors who returned from dead, on popular demand. Ahem Modi is back to Saath Nibhaana Saathiya as Jaggi. advertisement Mihir Virani from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi: Mihir Virani aka Amar Upadhyay, no doubt is the pioneer of this trend on Indian TV. When he died on the show, there were demands from all over to bring the character back. In fact, the popularity of his character grew in all the days when he was shown dead on the show. And when he indeed made a comeback, memory loss followed. Another hit formula that Indian soaps still swear by. Mihir Virani was killed off in a road accident. He came back to the show on popular demand. Kunj from Tashan-e-Ishq: More recently, Kunj's death in Tashan-e-Ishq was much talked about. The character dies right after he consummates his marriage with Twinkle. And subsequently, the villain of the show Yuvi (Zain Imam) becomes the hero and marries Twinkle. Since Kunj was a popular character, he recently staged a comeback, albeit with a new face (Naman Shaw). Kunj made a comeback to Tashan-e-Ishq, albeit with a face change. Ritik and Shivanya from Naagin: Since Naagin was a supernatural show, it was relatively easier for makers to bring the protagonists back from the dead. When the main villain of the show Yamini (Sudha Chandran) kills both Ritik and Shivanya, audiences were aghast. While the makers wanted both the characters dead by the end of Season 1, they had to be brought back to life (with the help of Naagmani) on popular demand. Ritik and Shivanya were brought back to life thanks to Naagmani. Santoshi from Santoshi Maa: Santoshi aka Ratan Rajput is killed by Upasana Singh's character in the show. However, the character soon returns in a different avatar. Another soul enters Santoshi's body and she is a changed person. Santoshi also returned from the dead. Anurag Basu and Mr Bajaj from Kasauti Zindagi Kay: Mr Bajaj (Ronit Roy) gets shot by Sampada, but Prerna thinks that Anurag has killed Mr Bajaj, so she shoots Anurag. Later both Bajaj and Anurag return from dead post the leap. Anurag and Mr Bajaj returned to Kasauti Zindagi Kay post leap amid much drama. Anurag and Mr Bajaj returned to Kasauti Zindagi Kay post leap amid much drama. --- ENDS --- PM Narendra Modi and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed bilateral and international issues including the latest developments in West Asia and North Africa region, the spread of extremism and radicalisation and the scourge of terrorism. By Smita Sharma: The Syrian Crisis and radicalisation gaining roots in the region were discussed at length between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Sisi is in Delhi for the second time in months, since his visit in October last year for the India Africa Forum Summit. Bilateral and international issues including the latest developments in West Asia and North Africa region, the spread of extremism and radicalisation and the scourge of terrorism were central to the dialogue held on Friday morning. advertisement Terming Egypt as the 'bridge between Asia and Africa', Prime Minister Modi laid out the path forward to counter terror and extremism. "We agreed to further our defence and security engagements which would aim at expanding defence trade, training, capacity building, greater information and operational exchanges to combat terrorism, cooperation on emerging challenges of cyber security and working together to fight drug trafficking, transnational crimes and money laundering," Modi said. The joint statement issued said : The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They considered terrorism to be one of the gravest threats to international peace and security. They reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism at all levels. They also reaffirmed their resolve to work together at UN on concluding the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). President Sisi assured that Egypt would work with India to complete plan for economic upgradation, robust military and security cooperation and towards translating the two country's shared views on counter terrorism into clear plans and action SISI DISCUSSES SYRIA WITH MODI AND KERRY The two sides also discussed the ongoing violence in Syria that has claimed tens of thousands of lives so far and has triggered a huge humanitarian crisis along with the rise of Islamic State. 'They called for a comprehensive and peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict through a Syrian-led political process, bringing all parties to the conflict to the negotiating table and taking into account the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria,' the joint statement underlined. Syria and the situation in Libya, Iraq and Yemen was also discussed between Sisi and US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday evening. In unusual diplomacy, Kerry who extended his India stay to fly to China for the G20 summit, met with Sisi who landed in Delhi Thursday afternoon on a state visit. Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department Mark Toner informed, "On Syria, the Secretary updated President al-Sisi on our work to put in place a durable, nationwide cessation of hostilities; open full access for humanitarian assistance to all areas in need, and restart a Syrian-led process in Geneva on a political transition." advertisement Ongoing efforts toward achieving a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians was also discussed between Sisi and Kerry. On Friday morning Modi and Sisi affirmed the need to achieve a comprehensive and permanent solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. INDIA-EGYPT BOLSTER CULTURAL AND MARITIME TIES Taking forward historic cultural ties and people to people contact, a special and enlarged "India by the Nile Festival" would be held in 2017 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of India's independence. Simultaneously the inaugural "Egypt by the Ganga Festival" will be held in 2017. India and Egypt also signed the Agreement on Maritime Transport to further intensify bilateral cooperation by facilitating maritime commerce saw well as transit of naval vessels. President Al-Sisi invited Indian participation in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, particularly in sectors such as petro-chemicals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, skills and IT. India Tells Sisi- OIC has no Locus Standi on Kashmir In the official talks on Friday, India raised issue of Pakistan's posturing on Kashmir with Egypt,which is a member of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) According to official sources, India objected to OIC interfering on Kashmir .New Delhi stressed that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India adding that OIC has no locus standi on its internal issue. advertisement Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had briefed Ambassadors of OIC member states based in Islamabad on 22nd of August. In a statement released,Pakistan said it had raised issue of 'killings and blatant human rights violations' in Kashmir. Addressing the press on Sisi's visit schedule and Pakistan's OIC move,Secretary Economic Relations in MEA, Amar Sinha had said, "Most of our partners, they have very good relations with us, but when it comes to OIC, they allow somebody else to run the agenda, so that is something that we are trying to change because we would want our friends to take a stand." "They take a public posture, but what they tell us privately, there is slight gap and we would like that what they tell us privately, they should also say publicly and take a stand," he had added. Sources said Egyptian delegation registered India's protests and also promised to work on multilateral forums together. --- ENDS --- advertisement There has been a sharp rise in buy-to-let landlords using holiday lettings websites such as Airbnb to list their properties, new research claims. It is estimated that nearly half of homes available on Airbnb in major British cities such as Edinburgh, London and Manchester are being offered by landlords who can potentially earn more per night on the website than renting it to a long-term tenant, the analysis by the Residential Landlords Association reveals. The data shows a typical price for a single night in a flat or house listed on Airbnb in the capital is 139, compared with 52 a night via the long-term rental market. London lets: The RLA research suggests more landlords are turning to websites such as Airbnb to list homes This means landlords can rely on fewer short-term bookings than having the need for a long-term tenant as well as avoiding lettings agents and holding onto large deposits securely. However, this trend is putting pressure on the long-term rental market, the study says and has taken 25,000 homes which might have previously been available to tenants off the market. The RLA found that 61 per cent of entire homes and apartments listed on Airbnb in London were advertised as being available for more than 90 days per year in June. The number of entire homes available on Airbnb in the capital in the last six months has risen by a quarter, taking more than 4,000 properties out of the long-term rental market. The report adds: 'There is mounting evidence that the use of Airbnb is drifting from its vision of allowing homeowners to occasionally rent out a spare room or their property when on holiday.' It is concerned that some property owners may be using holiday letting websites as a way of providing long-term accommodation without the need to abide by the regulations, safety and insurance provisions covering the private rented sector. Planning permission is required for short-term holiday lets in London available for more 90 days in any given year to prevent property owners from getting round regulations governing the long-term renting of property to tenants. The RLA is calling on the Mayor of London and the Government to undertake a review of the policing of Airbnb type models to ensure that those advertising lets of longer than 90 days have permission and are not seeking to get round the law. Popular: Launched in 2008, Airbnb is now used by many as a website to find a place to stay Berlin banned homeowners from letting out whole properties on Airbnb in an effort to keep hosing affordable in the German city after rents were steadily increasing. There is also concern as to how many social and private tenants are sub-letting in contravention of their tenancy agreements. The research shows that 41 per cent of all Airbnb listings in London in June were multi-listings meaning the property owners had more than one property listed. This increased from 38 per cent in February. David Smith, RLA policy director, said: 'London more than anywhere else in the country is in desperate need of more homes to rent and to buy. 'Given the pressures faced in the capital it is important that properties advertised as being available for more than 90 days a year are genuine holiday lets with appropriate planning permission. 'Otherwise, as well as taking rental stock off the market for those looking for somewhere to live, they are also putting tenants in a vulnerable position without all the protections offered by a tenancy agreement.' In Britain, short-term holiday lets are deemed a trading activity. This means they are not hit by the Government crackdown on tax breaks for landlords which come into play next year. George Osborne announced a clampdown on mortgage interest tax relief for landlords in his summer Budget last year. The amount landlords can claim as relief will be set at the basic rate of tax currently 20 per cent. This change will be phased in over a four-year period from April 2017. Currently, landlords can claim tax relief on monthly interest repayments at the top level of tax they pay of 45 per cent. George Osborne: The former Chancellor announced a crackdown on landlords last year - and it will mean the end of a tax break next year At the same time, homeowners using Airbnb will also benefit from a 1,000 tax-free allowance designed to boost the 'sharing economy' from next April. A spokesman from Airbnb told Andrew Ellson at the Times that it was not removing housing stock and people with more than one listing might be homeowners renting out more than one room in their property. They added: 'The typical Airbnb host in London shares their space for 50 nights a year and hosts generated 1.3billion of economic activity in the capital last year. Hosting on Airbnb puts money in the pockets of regular Londoners.' Airbnb was created in 2008 in the US to allow homeowners to rent spare rooms or entire properties for short periods as an alternative to a hotel. Roughly 100,000 properties in Britain are now listed on the website. There are fewer things in this world more British than the Spitfire and the Aston Martin. And now you can have the two combined with this 180,000 model built to commemorate 80 years since the plane first took off. Like the Supermarine Spitfire, this Aston Martin Vantage S has a V12 motor with a sound harking back to the iconic fighter plane and the same Duxford green paint job. It's been created by Jardine Motors Group Aston Martin Cambridge and a donation will be made to charity for each of the eight creations they sell. Scroll down to listen to the V12 Aston Martin and Spitfire engines Spitfire special edition: Just eight Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80s will be made. Creator, Aston Martin Cambridge, will make a donation to charity for each model sold The 180k starting price of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 is nearly 40,000 more than you'd pay for a standard Vantage V12 S, however this one also comes with a special Spitfire 80 Irvin jacket and a flying helmet and goggles. Aston Martin Cambridge has already committed to making a donation to the RAF Benevolent Fund for every car sold, with all eight likely to disappear as rapidly as the 3.9 second 0 to 62mph time. Special components are being fabricated for the car by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford. These include rainbow bloom tailpipe tips that pay homage to the Spitfires exhausts and an aluminium bar in the cabin taking inspiration from the Spitfires rear strut brace. A satin-carbonfibre rear diffuser and front spoiler, colour-coded bonnet louvres and solid sterling silver Aston Martin wing badges with Old English White inlay will also distinguish the eight custom-made specials from commoner Astons. Theres also the option to have a Spitfire serial number lacquered onto the car. The car is painted in Duxford green, just like the iconic WWII fighter plane. All models also have a satin-carbonfibre rear diffuser and front spoiler, colour-coded bonnet louvres and solid sterling silver Aston Martin wing badges The special edition cars have been built to celebrate 80 years since the first flight of the iconic Spitfire But that's not all - logo-ed headrests, saddle leather and sheepskin floor mats and Spitfire-inspired red webbing door inserts and pulls are part of the special spec. Buyers also get a themed car cover, embossed owner's manual and leather photo album of the handover, which will be during the AirSpace exhibition at Imperial War Museum Duxford. The limited edition car also has saddle leather and sheepskin floor mats and Spitfire-inspired red webbing door inserts and pulls are part of the special spec The specially created Spitfire logo will also feature on the headrests And to make the experience even more unique, owners will be able to hear a talk from a veteran Spitfire pilot, watch a Mk1 Spitfire in a demonstration display and drive their cars along the Duxford runway. Performance figures will remain unchanged from the regular V12 Vantage S, which is no weakling with 565bhp produced by a 5.9-litre V12 engine capable of maxing-out at 205mph. The 24billion takeover of ARM Holdings by Japans SoftBank may be bad news for Britains tech industry but it has got investors very excited about the prospects of other deals in the sector. Shareholders gave the seal of approval to the acquisition of the Cambridge-based business this week, sparking a flurry of activity among many other technology stocks on the FTSE. Berkshire-based Micro Focus Internationals shares have risen almost 5 per cent over the past month to 1975p, while intellectual property firm Imagination Technologies, which has been struggling, has soared 20 per cent to 247.75p. Skyrocketing: Tech industry share price growth over one year With so many leading innovators based in Britain and a weaker pound suddenly making them look much cheaper to buyers overseas, many experts are predicting ARM wont be the last technology takeover. Richard Watts, manager of the Old Mutual UK Mid Cap fund, says: There is a huge amount of merger and acquisition activity in this space as both existing and emerging companies look to reshape their businesses and to take advantage of the enormous opportunities which technology and innovation have created. Among his favourite technology companies is Paysafe. The firm is involved in financial technology. It processes transactions and also allows users to set up so-called digital wallets so they can make safe payments online without having to enter their bank or card details. Watts likes companies which are disrupting their industry by introducing new methods and technologies. He calls it a payments revolution. He says: Paysafe is growing its revenues and profits extremely quickly, and in an industry which is consolidating it could be a prime acquisition candidate. But Paysafe also has a very strong balance sheet, which means it could pursue acquisition opportunities itself. Indeed, only this week the firm announced its purchase of Canadian technology provider Income Access for 22.9million. Paysafe is the second-largest investment in Wattss portfolio, accounting for some 6.7 per cent of the 2.1billion fund, which returned 9.5 per cent over the past year. Jeremy Gleeson, manager of the Axa Framlington Global Technology fund, likes Proofpoint, which makes software for internet and email security Jeremy Gleeson, manager of the Axa Framlington Global Technology fund, likes Proofpoint, which makes software for internet and email security. It is an increasingly important area for businesses to invest in. Security breaches and cyber-attacks not only compromise a companys security and privacy but can lead worried customers to turn away in droves. Gleeson says: Criminals are getting more sophisticated in the way they launch attacks and traditional methods such as anti-virus software are no longer as effective as they once were. He likes Proofpoint because its technology helps firms to detect threats before they get inside a companys systems. In its last-quarter update, the firm grew its revenues by 42 per cent to 67.7million. Gleeson has 1.9 per cent of his 316million fund, which has returned 32.4 per cent over the past year, in the stock. He also likes US firm PTC, which makes product life cycle management software tools which help a manufacturer to design and make its products. Gleeson says: With products in general becoming more sophisticated, PTCs tools can help. As manufacturers look to increase the intelligence in their products, the internet of things (where household items can talk to each other) will be a driver of new business for PTC. Tides changing: Richard Watts, manager of the Old Mutual UK Mid Cap fund, likes companies which are disrupting their industry by introducing new methods and technologies Philip Matthews, manager of the Schroder UK Alpha Plus fund, likes accountancy software firm Sage. Recently under new management, he likes that the company is focused on improving efficiency within its business and trying to improve its level of recurring revenue. Matthews, who is looking for companies with strong balance sheets and good growth, also likes Fidessa. He says the firm, which makes software used by City traders, has made significant investment in its product and is set to deliver strong revenue growth in coming years. Some 12 per cent of the 1billion UK Alpha Plus fund is invested in technology-related firms. The fund has returned 10 per cent over the past year. But savers should not get carried away just because of one technology success story. While more takeovers may be on the horizon, there will be just as many losers as winners in the industry. Matthews says: While the recent bid for ARM Holdings highlights the attractiveness of UK technology companies, it shouldnt be treated as a proxy for the sector. Online fashion retailer ASOS has dug deep into its pockets for a 20.2million payout in order to settle a trademark dispute with two firms in Switzerland and Germany. Swiss cycle wear manufacturer Assos and German menswear retailer Anson's Herrenhaus were given the payout in order to secure a comprehensive co-existence for all parties, according to ASOS. The UK group added that it was a full, final and global settlement of all outstanding litigation with the two firms. Settled: ASOS said that the payment was for a 'comprehensive co-existence for all parties Amid relief at the settlement news, shares in AIM-listed ASOS were up 2.7 per cent, or 124p at 4,686p in late morning trading. The online retailer's boss Nick Beighton said: We are pleased to have put this litigation behind us. Entering into this settlement at this juncture is the right commercial decision for our business. Nick Bubb, an independent retail analyst, called the cost to ASOS not insubstantial. He said: When we saw the headline of the surprise announcement this morning that ASOS settles trademark disputes, we thought this was something trivial that had gone in ASOSs favour, but it is actually the other way round and the settlement cost is not insubstantial, at 20.2m in cash. But it appears that ASOS wont have trouble forking out the cash. Unlike other struggling British retailers, ASOS posted a 30 per cent rise in revenues in the four months to June 30. The fashion website managed to rake in 500million in sales over the period. Meanwhile recent data published by the British Retail Consortium and KPMG revealed like-for-like sales among retailers dropped by 0.5 per cent compared to a year earlier, primarily as clothing sales have fallen. Across its UK business, ASOS saw sales rise 28 per cent to 203.1million over the period, while sales in its international arm's sales swelled by 25 per cent to 297.4million. Looking pretty: ASOS boss Nick Beighton (pictured) said that the firm was 'pleased to have put this litigation behind' them ASOS shares jumped by around 5 per cent on the day of the results in July, although that was a rally after they fell back in May when co-founder Nick Robertson sold his stake in the fashion firm to raise 46million towards a costly divorce. Mr Robertson disposed of 1.305million shares in the group, representing 1.6 per cent of its overall share capital, through a placing to institutional investors at 3,535p a share. Man changes The worlds biggest listed hedge fund Man Group has been shaken up by its new chief executive, Luke Ellis. After the shock departure of boss Manny Roman for rival mutual fund manager Pimco, Mark Jones has moved to be group chief financial officer from his current position of co-chief executive officer of discretionary equity investment unit Man GLG. He replaces Jonathan Sorrell, who will now assume the role of president, filling the position left by Ellis. Step-up: Mark Jones has moved to be group chief financial officer from his current position Segro demand Britains largest listed industrial property developer Segro has raised 340m for a new logistics warehouse. There had been strong demand for Segros share placement, with investors buying at discounts of 4.4 per cent to 5.5 per cent to Segros Thursday closing price of 455.2p, indicating a strong appetite to fund warehouses. Italy festers Italys moribund economy stagnated in the second quarter of the year having grown by 0.3 per cent in the first. The bleak figures pile pressure on the government after a report earlier this week that showed youth unemployment in the country had risen from 37.3 per cent to 39.2 per cent. Rio sale British-Australian miner Rio Tinto has sold its majority stake in South African mine Zululand Anthracite Colliery for an undisclosed sum. Rio Tinto sold its 74pc stake to Menar Holding, and its shares rose 1.2 per cent, or 28p, to 2327p per share. Takeover finalised The 1.4billion takeover of Argos by the parent company of Sainsburys is complete. It now has 601 supermarkets, 773 convenience stores, 739 Argos stores and three Habitat stores. Shares rose yesterday by 1.7 per cent, or 4.1p, to 246.1p. Competition probe Cineworlds acquisition of five cinemas from the Empire chain is being probed by The Competition and Markets Authority. The 94million deal, which completed last month, included the sale of Empires flagship complex in Leicester Square. The Irish cabinet has agreed to appeal a European Commission decision to order Apple to repay 11 billion in tax. Irish prime minister Enda Kenny ordered his ministers back from their summer holidays on Wednesday to discuss the growing crisis after the European Commission accused Ireland of breaching state aid rules. Irish finance minister Michael Noonan announced immediately after the decision that he intended appealing the ruling, however, he was unable to persuade all his cabinet colleagues to support the move. Scroll down for video Irish prime minister Enda Kenny chaired a second cabinet meeting today to discuss whether his government should appeal the European Commission ruling on Apple's tax liability Kenny's finance minister Michael Noonan, pictured, is strongly in favour of appealing the ruling as he believes it severely undermines Irish tax policy and the nation's sovereignty Kenny and his Fine Gael colleagues feared that unless they can convince the independent ministers to support the appeal, the government may collapse forcing a general election Kenny is leading a minority government made up of members from his own Fine Gael party and several independents, who have expressed their reluctance of appealing the decision. Independent minister John Halligan admitted this morning that Ireland should take the cash so some of it could help fund hospital services in his constituency. But he eventually agreed with the decision to appeal the ruling, although the cabinet will decide next week on whether his local hospital should receive additional funding for cardiac services. Kenny needs the support of the independent ministers as well as the good will of the main opposition party, Fianna Fail, to remain in government and avoid another election. A motion will be brought before the Irish parliament on Wednesday, which will be recalled to vote on the decision. Despite heading a minority government, Kenny will likely win the vote as the main opposition party was in power when the deal to bring Apple to Ireland was agreed. Most parties in Ireland agree, apart from those on the hard left, agree with the policy of attracting foreign multi-nationals with the promise of low corporate tax rates. His Fine Gael party lost 26 seats in the February 2016 election while their former coalition partners Labour, fell from 37 in 2011 to just seven, as the electorate reacted angrily to five years of harsh austerity and tax increases. Apple CEO Tim Cook, pictured, dismissed the ruling and said his company would be appealing EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestage accused Ireland of giving Apple illegal subsidies as part of its long-running agreement with the Californian computer giant Kenny returned to power as the head of a minority government supported by several independents following an electoral collapse in February. His government is reliant on the main opposition party not blocking his legislation. Noonan is currently working on his next budget, which will be the first major test of the government. If the cabinet fails to pass the budget, it is likely the government will collapse and there will be another general election. Apple chief Tim Cook denied his company received any special treatment claiming the tech giant is the biggest taxpayer in Ireland and the United States and contributes its fair share The Irish government has received support from the White House, which cautioned against the EU's 'unilateral' measures, warning the ruling could hit jobs and investment across Europe. Irish authorities are afraid the ruling will impact other multi-national companies availing of Ireland's low corporate tax rates such as Intel, Google, eBay, PayPal, Facebook, Twitter and pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer. Independent minister John Halligan, third left, pictured before he entered government, said he wanted Ireland to accept the Apple cash, but would not walk out of cabinet on the issue The European Commission claimed the Irish government gave Apple a 'sweetheart deal' to funnel its profits through the country without having to pay the appropriate level of tax EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: ' This decision sends a clear message. Member states cannot give unfair tax benefits to selected companies, no matter if European or foreign, large or small. 'The Commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years.' The EU has spent three years investigating Ireland's deal with Apple and other US companies such as Google, Amazon, McDonald's and Fiat Chrysler are now being probed. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? The Irish Parliament will be recalled almost a month early from their summer holidays on Wednesday to vote on the appeal. If the government wins the vote, Ireland will appeal the European Commission ruling. According to the European Commission, Ireland must 'recover' the illegal state aid despite the appeal. The money will be placed in an escrow account until the appeals process is concluded. If successful, the cash will be returned to Apple. Otherwise, the money will be given to the Irish government. However, other governments can also claim part of the cash if they believe Apple should have paid tax in their jurisdiction. Advertisement Apple chief Tim Cook said he was 'confident' the EU ruling would be overturned, adding that the Silicon Valley giant was the biggest taxpayer in Ireland, the United States and the world. He said: 'The most profound and harmful effect of this ruling will be on investment and job creation in Europe.' Cook also warned that the ruling was a 'devastating blow to the sovereignty of EU member states over their own tax matters.' Noonan described the ruling as 'bizarre' and 'an exercise in politics by the Competition Commission'. Ireland has faced serious criticism over its low corporate tax regime, especially during the recent emergency bail out. Irish ministers insisted the low tax rates would jumpstart the nation's faltering economy. Noonan said: 'If you look at the small print on an Apple iPhone, it says designed in California and manufactured in China and that means any profits that accrued didn't accrue in Ireland and so I can't see why the tax liability is in Ireland.' But Vestager said Apple's Irish operation was a sham - Apple's 'so-called head office in Ireland only existed on paper. It had no employees, no premises and no real activities'. Apple paid an effective corporate tax rate of just 0.005 per cent on its European profits in 2014 - equivalent to just 50 euros for every million, Vestager said. The Apple tax bill dwarfs the previous EU record for a state aid case - 1.3 billion for the Nurburgring race track in Germany. The meeting between Modi and Xi is expected to take place in the morning of September 4. By Press Trust of India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Sunday on the first day of the G20 summit here and are likely to discuss bilateral differences over issues including the proposed USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through PoK. The Modi-Xi meeting assumes significance as India-China relations have followed a southward trajectory over contentious issues like the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist groups in the UN, China stalling India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that criss-crosses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. advertisement During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yis visit to Delhi this month, India and China formed a mechanism led by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister to address their differences. The meeting between Modi and Xi - their second in less than three months - is expected to take place in the morning of September 4, officials here said. Modi and Xi had last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 23 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Also read: PM Modi leaves for Vietnam tomorrow, to attend G-20 in China on September 4 The two leaders are to meet again in little over a month for more elaborate discussions during the BRICS summit to be hosted by India in Goa on October 15-16. Chinese officials say the two meetings between Modi and Xi could set a new direction to the bilateral relations. Modi will reach China tomorrow evening from Vietnam to take part in the two-day G20 summit. The Indian contingent will be putting up at Sheraton resort - about 30 kilometres outside the city - where Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too would stay. Modi is likely to hold bilaterals with several G20 leaders during his 48-hour stay here. Xi too is scheduled to have a number of one-to-one meetings including with US President Barack Obama. Top disarmament officials from India and China were also expected to meet to discuss issues of China "blocking" the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Beijings opposition to New Delhis bid to joining the 48-member NSG. PTI KJV ABH AKJ ABH --- ENDS --- With both her miracles approved by the Roman Catholic Church, Mother Teresa will be conferred sainthood by the Vatican in Rome on Sunday. By India Today Web Desk: Nineteen years after her death, Mother Teresa will be canonized in Rome on Sunday. Her elevation to the level of a saint by the Roman Catholic Church will be celebrated across the globe. A host of dignitaries from India will be attending the canonization ceremony. Mother Teresa was born on 26 August, 1910. At the age of 19, she came to India and spent rest of her life in the service of the poor. City of Kolkata was her base, where she founded Missionary of Charity in 1963, which is now present in 21 countries. Mother Teresa was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. advertisement PATH TO CANONIZATION Roman Catholic Church has the authority to confer sainthood on a nun or priest. Sainthood are conferred for achieving 'heroic virtue'. As per general rule, the process of canonization can only begin five years after the death of a nun or priest. The supreme pontiff has the power to give a waiver. In Mother Teresa's case, the then Pope John Paul II waived off two years. He permitted opening the Cause of Canonization for Mother Teresa. When the Cause of Canonization begins, the individual is called the Servant of God, e.g. Servant of God Mother Teresa. With the opening of the Cause of Canonization begins gathering of evidence from the life of the individual. The purpose is to find out 'heroic virtue' in the individual's life. If and when sufficient evidence is gathered, it is presented to the Pope. If the Pope finds that the individual's life was lived in accordance with 'heroic virtue', he/she will be bestowed upon the title of the Venerable, e.g. Venerable Mother Teresa. Now, proof of two miracles is examined. These miracles must have been performed after the death of the individual to establish direct intervention from heaven. A tribal woman from West Bengal, Monica Besra claimed that her tumour disappeared after she offered prayer to Mother Teresa. In the second case, a Brazilian man claimed that he recovered from coma caused by brain abscesses after prayers were offered to Mother Teresa. The Vatican approved both the miracles paving the way for canonization of Mother Teresa. --- ENDS --- In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the highest decision-making body of the Muslims said the recourse to divorce and subsequent judicial delays may drive husbands to even kill their unwanted wives. By India Today Web Desk: The Muslim Personal Law Board today told the Supreme Court it cannot interfere with religious freedom of the people during a hearing on the controversial triple talaq issue. In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the highest decision-making body of the Muslims said the recourse to divorce and subsequent judicial delays may drive husbands to even kill their unwanted wives. advertisement "When serious discords develop in a marriage and the husband wants to get rid of his wife, there are legal compulsions and time-consuming judicial processes. In extreme cases, a husband may resort to illegal criminal ways of getting rid of her by murdering her. In such situations, triple talaq is a better recourse," the statement said. The affidavit then turns sexist and claims men are stronger. "Marriage is a contract in which both parties are not physically equal. Male is stronger and female is a weaker sex," it says. The Board said the Muslim personal law were from the holy Quran and Hadith of the Prophet and were not covered by Article 13 of the constitution. Thus it could not be tested on the touchstone of fundamental rights. The Muslim Personal Law Board said securing separation through courts takes a long time and deters prospects of further marriage. It defended polygamy as a "social practice and need", and not mean to "gratify men's lust". The Board said Muslim women also have a right to divorce their husbands under the 'khula' practice. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court said it would examine how far it could interfere in Muslim laws, as it heard a plea to end the practice allowing Muslim men to divorce their wives by saying "talaq" three times. The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), one of the petitioners, did a survey last year which showed more than 90 percent of Muslim women want to end the "triple talaq" divorce tradition and polygamy. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Also read: Triple talaq: Supreme Court to examine if interference violates fundamental rights --- ENDS --- As social media debates Reliance's move to use PM Modi as a brand icon, we created a few other tongue-in-cheek brand campaigns. By India Today Web Desk: On Friday, India woke up to leading newspapers carrying front page advertisements featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoting Reliance Jio. The ad, headlined "Dedicated to India and 1.2 billion Indians" included a message lauding the "Prime Minister's inspiring vision of a Digital India". It said: "Jio is dedicated to realising our Prime Minister's Digital India vision for 1.2 billion Indians." advertisement But Reliance's move to use Modi as a brand icon was not very well received. Twitter was enraged, and many wondered if the use of Modi's image in the ad was even legal. Section 3 of The Emblems And Names (Prevention Of Improper Use) Act, 1950 clearly states that using the PM's face for endorsements - without PMO's express permission - is illegal. Read: Jio ad features Modi; PM is Mr Reliance, tweets Arvind Kejriwal "Any more proof reqd to prove that - Modi ji Ambani ki jeb mein (Do we need more proof that Modiji is in (Mukesh) Ambani's pocket)," tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. And as if outrage wasn't enough, jokes soon came into play too. "Can't wait for Modiji's voice to tell me "Mitro?, aapka dial kiya gaya number is waqt kisi anya call par vyast hai," tweeted comedian Tanmay Bhat. So, we decided to create a few tongue-in-cheek campaigns for PM Modi: Jan Dhan Yojana Bank you very much. Swacch Bharat Raising the bar, because life can be a soap opera. Skill India Skilling you softly, with this kaam. Digital India #BufferingNow: Troll se troll milao Start-Up India Kick-start your start-up --- ENDS --- Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Patrick Donachie As public schools open in Queens Sept. 8, the city Department of Education is adding new seats to keep up with the rising demand and combat the continuing issue of overcrowding in Queens. According to Space Overutilization in New York City Schools, a DOE analysis of the 2014-2015 school year that was released in June Queens school districts were operating at 109 percent capacity, with 281,634 students outstripping a target capacity of 259,231. That translated into a shortage of 22,400 seats. District 25, which includes Flushing, was at 122 percent capacity, while District 26, which includes Bayside, was at 120 percent capacity. According to the DOEs Capital Plan for 2015-2019, funding is allocated for more than 18,200 new seats, including 2,300 new high school seats in five buildings for Queens this fall. The DOE also created 2,500 new seats in five buildings in 2014 and nearly 3,900 new seats in seven different buildings in 2015 in the borough Additionally, the DOE said about 2,000 Queens pre-K seats were opened in the past two years. Citywide, schools are at 96 percent capacity. Queens and Staten Island are the only two boroughs where schools were over capacity, according to the 2016 DOE report. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams These are anxious times, underscored by the chaos and panic that gripped Kennedy Airport earlier this month when false reports of shots fired created pandemonium. Hundreds of passengers fled the terminal, creating a human stampede that swept along adults and small children. As frightened passengers milled about on Sunday night, Aug. 14, there was silence from the Port Authority Police, which had no instructions or announcements for the desperate crowds. The cause, it turned out, was enthusiastic cheering by travelers when sprinter Usain Bolt won the Olympic Gold in Rio. This abysmal lapse has exposed a fault line at the boroughs two airports, where we have been lulled into a false sense of security by counting on the Port Authority Police and Homeland Security. Where was the master plan for dealing with a large-scale incident involving gunmen or a terrorist attack? It may be time to bring in the NYPD, which has extensive experience with terrorism drills, to train the Port Authority Police. Had this been a real emergency, human casualties could have been high as the public waited in vain for direction from the Port Authority and even Transportation Security Agents. But it was only a false alarm that destroyed the illusion that Kennedy and LaGuardia airports were well protected as the entryway to the worlds No. 1 terrorist target, New York City. This was a frightening revelation for Queens, where our two airports are the crown jewels of the boroughs economy in terms of employment and commerce. Gov. Cuomo has ordered a full review of the Port Authority Polices poor response to the JFK scare. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer has urged the federal government to investigate the lack of preparedness by a variety of agencies at the airport that night. He also cited reports that TSA agents fled from their posts and found that Kennedy does not have a unified camera system, which prevented the Port Authority Police from seeing TSA footage. Even though this was not supposed to be a test run, at least we discovered the inexcusable flaws in our JFK security system. Lets hope practices are a bit more buttoned up over at LaGuardia. But JFK is not alone. Los Angeles International Airport was the scene of mayhem Sunday night as erroneous reports of gunfire spread through the airport, passengers bolted and flights were diverted. The federal government must act now to revamp security practices that will protect airport travelers and provide jittery passengers with basic information when another scarereal or notstrikes. By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal today refused to quash the environment clearance granted to the Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd, being developed by Adani Group in Thiruvananthapuram. A bench comprising NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice R S Rathore, however, constituted an expert committee of seven members to look into compliance of conditions of environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance. advertisement The green panel, while disposing of the pleas seeking withdrawal of environment clearance given to the venture, also directed the project proponent Adani Group to maintain fisheries harbour on the port for welfare of local fishermen. The tribunals order came on pleas by Thiruvananthapuram- based environmental activists, Wilfred J and V Marydasan, seeking its direction that coastal areas throughout the country, including Vizhinjam coast, be preserved and no activity be undertaken which would damage such areas. The matter was being heard since February this year by a five-member panel after the Supreme Court paved the way for resumption of hearing. However, in the meantime, one of the expert members retired. The green panel had on August 29 reserved its judgement after the Ministry of Environment and Forests and other parties, including Adani, agreed that remaining four members could pronounce the judgment and they had no objection. The harbour project got environmental and CRZ clearance on January 3, 2014. The activists claimed that the project was being established in the area which was once protected under a 1991 notification. PTI PKS AG RT --- ENDS --- Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Mark Hallum Elected officials and womens groups in Queens gathered in honor of Womens Equality Day in Forest Hills Friday to denounce S.J. Jung, the Democratic candidate challenging state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing), after his announcement that he does not support womens right to choose on the matter of abortion. The news conference was led by state Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Flushing) with remarks by Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria), District Leader Martha Flores-Vazquez and Government Affairs Manager for Campaign for Pro-Choice New York Emily Kadar. At an Aug. 23 debate at the Queens Library in Flushing, the two candidates were given the opportunity to ask each other one question. Stavisky framed her question around the fact she is the first woman to be elected to state Senate from Queens County and asked Jung about his stance on abortion. This is such an important issue, allow me to be clear: I would not support abortion unless it threatens the health of a pregnant woman. Thats the only exception that I can think of. This is a very serious issue. You know, we pretend to know everything, but I completely disagree. Life is still a mystery, Jung said at the debate in Flushing. So I will not support a womans choice. The speakers at the conference shared emotional thoughts about the realities of a world where women are forced to take a risky course of action in the face of an unexpected pregnancy due to rape situations. Koslowitz used vivid imagery to explain the experiences of women prior to the U.S. Supreme Courts decision on Roe vs. Wade, which is still waiting to be codified into New York State law. S.J. Jung is out of touch, Koslowitz said. I go back a long time to the days when if a woman wanted an abortion, you couldnt get it. And if she needed it, she had to go to a sleazy place and had an abortion with a hanger. Maybe he doesnt know about this, and hes out of touch. Many of the speakers felt it was especially unfitting for Jung to succeed Stavisky with such views toward abortion because of the incumbents status as the first female from Queens elected to state Senate. S.J. Jung should be ashamed of himself. He asks the women of Queens for their votes, while pledging himself to restrict their rights. Its appalling, said Simotas, chair of the Assembly Task Force on Womens Issues. She explained Jung did not belong in the Democratic Party because of his views. Rozic contended that Jungs views were so far removed from the needs of his potential constituents that he is not qualified to represent the women of Queens. Flores-Vazquez said to take away a womans right to choose would be to promote stress and hardship, and that stopping Jung from making it into office would be a priority for her. We need strong pro-choice women defending our rights in Albany, not those who will betray the women of Queens, Rozic said. Additional remarks were issued by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, the New York State Womens Equality Party and the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee. Its amazing to me that S.J. Jung, who wants to replace the only woman from Queens in the state Senate, also wants to abolish the most fundamental rights of women to make their own health care decisions, Katz said. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Gina Martinez Activists and elected officials joined together in a show of solidarity in Woodside last week for a transgender woman who was struck in the head with a hammer in mid-August. The 28-year-old victim, Gaby Diaz, attended the Aug. 25 rally, held only a few blocks from where the attack took place and addressed the crowd. Im nervous and at the same time Im afraid the attacker might try to find me again, she said through a translator. Im feeling very anxious because of what happened, although Im grateful to all the people who have come here to show their support. On Aug. 17 at 6 a.m. Gabby was walking on 67th Street when she was struck in the back of the head with a hammer, according to police. The suspect, who police described as a black male, got out of a gray Toyota 4Runner and made a reference to Gaby being gay before striking her, according to police. The suspect then ran back to his car and drove south down 66th Street. Gaby sustained lacerations to her head and was taken to Elmhurst Medical Center, according to police. Police were investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. There is no room for hatred or trans phobia in our community or anywhere, City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said. Our trans neighbors should be able to go about their daily lives without living in fear of a vicious attack like this one. We must come together as a one community and demand an end to violence. U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) called for more empathy for transgender people as well as more civil rights protections at the state and federal level, The hateful attack that took place in Woodside is not only an attack on the transgender community, but it is an attack on us all, Crowley said. Whenever hate rears its ugly head, it is critically important that we stand united to send a powerful message that these acts of intolerance have no place in our neighborhood, and they go against everything our community stands for. City Comptroller Scott Stringer cited 10 reported attacks against the trans community in Queens alone so far in 2016. No New Yorker should feel threatened or be attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, he said. While I am glad that the victim of this horrific attack is expected to make a full recovery, this incident underscores the dangers our transgender community faces each and every day. We must redouble our efforts to speak up for our trans gender neighbors and create a safer, more accepting city for all. From 2013 to 2015, at least 53 transgender individuals were murdered in the United States, according to Van Bramer. Almost 90 percent of the victims were trans gender people of color, and a similar proportion were transgender women. Also at the rally was public advocate Letitia James and members of the advocacy groups Make the Road New York and the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Leading members of the trans community spoke about the fear they feel in their neighborhoods and said this most recent attack is part of a bigger epidemic of violence against trans people. As this country continues to see the epidemic of violence that transgender women of color are facing, it is on each and every one of us to stand up and make a city and country where anti-trans violence is no longer tolerated and instead transgender women of color are valued in a society and the root causes of violence like joblessness and homelessness are addressed, said LaLa Zanelli, lead organizer of the project. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Patrick Donachie Police have released a video of a person of interest wanted for questioning in the fatal stabbing of a Bangladeshi woman who was the aunt of an NYPD officer in Jamaica Hills Wednesday evening. In the black-and-white video, a man wearing a T-shirt, shorts and white sneakers strolls past a front yard. The time on the security camera reads 9:11, which is approximately the time that police responded to a 911 call to 160-12 Normal Road. When police arrived, they found Nazma Khanam, 60, unconscious on the ground. She had been stabbed in the torso. EMS workers responded to the scene and took her to Jamaica Hospital, but she was pronounced dead on arrival. She was walking to her home on 161st Street, a short distance from where the attack occurred. Khanam was a former teacher and immigrant from Bangladesh. Her husband, who suffers from asthma, had fallen behind her. Attorney and activist Ali Najmi said her funeral would be held today at 2 p.m. at the Jamaica Muslim Center in Jamaica Hills. According to a tweet from the NYPD Muslim Officers Society, Khanam was the aunt of an NYPD transit officer. The NYPD said preliminarily that the stabbing appeared to be an attempted robbery, although the Daily News reported the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force was also keeping abreast of developments in the investigation. The New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations urged the NYPD to investigate the possibility that the attack was a hate crime, noting that Khanam was dressed in Islamic attire at the time of the attack. The stabbing followed the murder of Imam Maulana Akonjee and Thara Uddin last month. Oscar Morel, of East New York, Brooklyn, was arrested and charged with murdering the two men in broad daylight by shooting them both in the head a few blocks from their mosque. Morel was arraigned Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. There have been several violent incidents perpetrated against Muslims in the borough during the course of the year. The investigation into the stabbing death of Khanam was ongoing, the NYPD said. No arrests had been made thus far. Two bombs exploded outside a district court in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 52. By Reuters: Two bombs exploded outside a district court in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 52, media reported, the second attack in space of hours in the region. "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," said Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the blasts took place. advertisement At least four suicide bombers attacked a Christian neighbourhood in the Khyber tribal region earlier in the day killing at least one person. Pakistan: Terror attack in Peshawar's Christian Colony; 5 including 4 terrorists killed --- ENDS --- Hopewell Community Park remains a 'labor of love' for local community The lush green park is a product of the combined efforts of the Hopewell Township community and a symbol of decades of conservation efforts in Beaver County. The giggles are growing at the Wichita Falls Public Library, as children discover the first signs of the library's transformation into a Family Place Library. Parents are still learning about the program, but young children are already making a beeline for the far corner of the Youth Department, where Youth Librarian Celena Bradley has been madly putting together play stations and climbing tunnels. From the library's entrance, young pre-readers spot volunteer artist Audra Lambert's colorful 3-D bulletin board and scurry toward the giant representations of Roald Dahl's 'James and the Giant Peach' and the world of Curious George. The Resource Center will be part information clearinghouse for parents and playroom for pre-readers, Bradley said, calling the adult portion akin to '211 in physical form.' 'We'll be collaborating with community partners to be a hub of information about resources,' Bradley said. Everything from brochures to bus schedules are beginning to fill up racks near the parenting book shelves. Community organizations, child care providers and children's agencies have been invited to fill the center's brochure table, where they can promote their services and causes. Hundreds of new books on parenting will soon be placed on a wall of shelves installed on the back wall. For toddlers and older youngsters, the early learning area will offer an area packed with toys meant to spark curiosity and learning while giving parents enough free time to explore the library's regular shelves or find answers to questions about community resources. When they're through with their own pursuits, parents are free to join in the play for some 'stress-free, quality time,' Bradley said. The center is just one part of the Family Place Library concept being funded in Wichita Falls through grant money received by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. In mid-September, the first five-week Play with Purpose Workshop will begin for children ages 3 to 36 months and their parents. While children explore specific interactive play stations set up in the library's 'Room of Requirement' event space, different community professionals will visit with parents on topics like early literacy, speech, nutrition, music and play activities that promote child development. Both morning and evening sessions will be scheduled to accommodate working parents. Family Place Library programs have been sweeping the country, Bradley said, with more than 400 already established. The concept seemed especially apt for Wichita Falls, she said, because 'We have so many phenomenal resources here ... but a lot of people just don't know where to start to access them.' 'Why not the library? It's a free, neutral space, and people are already here' asking the very questions the Family Place Library will contain answers to, she said. While the library will continue to have 'tons of programming for all ages, this was one area we were lacking.' Pamela Anderson, who has in the past leaked two sex tapes, described pornography as a public hazard and urged men to give up watching it as it is corrosive. By India Today Web Desk: Pamela Anderson is world famous for you know what. Yes, she's famous as an actor, former Baywatch star, you dirty little mind! She, by the way, is also quite known for her leaked sex tapes, first with ex-husband Tommy Lee and another one with Bret Michaels, and for being one of the top models to be featured on Playboy magazines cover 15 times. advertisement Here are a couple of her Playboy covers Photo: FacebookPamelaAnderson Photo source: fashionmodeldirectory.com Pamela, in an op-ed written in collaboration with Orthodox Jewish rabbi and author Shmuley Boteach for the Wall Street Journal, hit hard against pornography. Pamela, the 49-year-old sex symbol, urged readers to give up watching porn. Photo: FacebookPamelaAnderson The new anti-porn crusaders also argued that porn has a "corrosive effect on a man's soul and on his ability to function as husband, and, by extension, as father." "This is a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness given how freely available, anonymously accessible and easily disseminated pornography is nowadays," Anderson and Rabbi wrote. Photo courtesy: Instagram Photo courtesy: Instagram The pair wrote the op-ed in response to the recent Anthony Weiner sex scandal. The former politician was caught red -handed sending a photo of his crotch to a woman in the presence of his son. The pair also wrote, "Simply put, we must educate ourselves and our children to understand that porn is for losers - a boring, wasteful and dead-end outlet for people too lazy to reap the ample rewards of healthy sexuality." Pamela has two sons -- Brandon who is now 20 and Dylan who is 18 -- and maybe she's worried that her sons would get access to some of her footage. Brandon Lee. Photo: Instagram (brandonthomaslee) Dylan Lee. Photo: Instagram (dylanjaggerlee) In the op-ed, they try over and over to establish that porn consumption is addictive, draw a parallel between drug addiction and porn addiction, and list bogus statistics to prove pornography will destroy the lives of your children, your family and wreak havoc on culture and society. This, coming from someone who has established a career selling sex, cannot be not seen as hypocritical. --- ENDS --- A Wichita Falls woman was arrested Wednesday on warrants for multiple and various forgery charges, including trying to pass checks on a dead man's closed account. Rebeckia Lynn Cardenas, 43, is charged with 10 counts of forgery and several other charges. She remained in Wichita County Jail in lieu of $281,000 total bail. According to arrest warrant affidavits: The string of forgeries began back in May when eight checks totaling $1,744.11 received from Cardenas were returned to United Supermarkets, 4516 Old Jacksboro Highway, as forgeries. The store filed a report with Wichita Falls police on July 19. During the investigation, detectives determined the checks came from an account opened by Cardenas under the business name Cardenas Therapy Masseuse in Fort Worth on May 20. The bank placed a 'freeze' on the account on May 26 after several bad checks had been returned that had been deposited into the account. The bank later closed the account on July 7. In June, Cardenas tried to pass checks on an account belonging to an Asian man using a paper ID with her photo on it. She also forged checks at various businesses around Wichita Falls in amounts ranging from $43.90 to $529.75 on an account that was closed after a man discovered his checkbook had been stolen. In July, Cardenas attempted to pass a check at Hobby Lobby, 2805 Southwest Parkway, but left the business without the stolen checkbook when an employee questioned why the information on the check didn't match that on the drivers license. The account belonged to a 71-year-old woman in Iowa. On July 24, a manager at Walmart, 3130 Lawrence Road, found a wallet with checks belonging to a man and an Oklahoma ID card belonging to Cardenas. While trying to contact the man, detectives discovered he had died in 2014. The wallet also had two receipts from PetSmart, 3201 Lawrence Road, totaling $162.36. Cardenas had purchased an aquarium light, which she later tried to return. Vernon City Manager Joe Jarosek agreed to resign Friday, pending a suitable severance agreement with the city, despite a fierce defense of his performance by City Commissioner Ruben Hinojosa. City Commission members had left a packed council chamber to meet in executive session to decide on Jaroseks contract, with many in the audience noting that Jaroseks departure was likely already sealed. Jarosek had butted heads repeatedly with Mayor Joe Rogers since his hiring. After less than five minutes in closed session, commissioners returned and made a motion to accept the resignation. Hinojosa called Jarosek an imperfect but effective leader who had pulled the city out of an enormous financial hole. Incompetent is the word I keep hearing, but I dont think I have seen incompetent. I think we are letting a good man go, he said. He then lit into Rogers. It sickens me as a leader of this court that you (Rogers) have sought to wreck this court and make in your court, Hinojosa said. He then said he would do whatever was necessary to see that Rogers resigned, drawing cheers from the crowd of 60-70 residents who packed the chamber. A large contingent of the fire fighters, who Jarosek had strongly defended when their chief was fired, were less vocal, but generally nodded and whispered in agreement with the crowd. Commission Travis Taylor supported Hinojosa view of the proceedings, calling it a very sad day for the city of Vernon and very embarrassing, although he made no comment on Hinojosas statements about the mayor Did (Jarosek) make some mistakes? Yes. Did I think he had made mistakes worthy of resignation? No, I dont think he did, Taylor said. Jarosek, in offering his resignation, quoted Emilliano Zapata in Spanish, then English, saying it was better for him to die on my feet than live on my knees. He stressed that his severance pay would be suitable, and he hoped he could move on to another city for a job in municipal administration, although negative press received in the local press may make that difficult. City Attorney Jonathan Whitsitt said that while discussion has been conducted on the terms of the severance package, the deal would not be made public until it is ratified and signed next week. Rogers, after the meeting, said he had no intention of resigning, asserting that he was voted in by the people, who overall think Im doing a good job. He added that he had already made all the comments he wished about Jaroseks departure. A levy Tuesday by the European Commission of $14.3 billion plus interest in Irish taxes on the ostensibly U.S. firm Apple called attention to the loaded question of to whom if anyone do large internationally operating firms pay taxes? In the case of Apple, the claim is that it owes this amount in taxes for the period 2003-2014 to Ireland, to which, under deals negotiated in 1991 and 2007, its shadow office in Ireland paid taxes at a rate of 0.0005 percent in 2014, for example. Apple's profits in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India were thus, in principle, taxed in Ireland at close to a zero rate. Apple's 'head office' in Ireland has no premises and no employees. Ireland offers firms like Apple deals like that to attract investment. Ireland apparently plans to appeal the commission's decision at the Court of Justice of the European Union, calling it wrong and not wishing to jeopardize other such deals it has or seeks with offshore companies. The commission calls the Ireland-Apple relationship, based on the tax benefit, 'illegal state aid,' disadvantaging Apple's competition. Other theoretically American companies, including Amazon, McDonald's, Mylan and Starbucks, have advantageous deals with other E.U. countries, such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Apple computer owners shouldn't worry. The $14.3 billion tax bill won't break the bank. Apple's reserves are $120 billion. In an election year in which economic inequality is a central issue, the question of to whom major companies pay taxes is of great interest. Put that question alongside the one of why Washington has not achieved tax reform at a time when the flight of American jobs overseas has impoverished the country's middle class while its very rich have become even richer, and the Apple in Ireland matter becomes of much more than passing interest. Rich Mooney, Wichita Falls In an earlier letter to the editor I laid out the lack of sincerity in Mylan's reasoning as to why they raised the cost of EpiPens so obscenely. To that end I did extensive research and found that a suitable autoinjector for epinephrine that is much less expensive. The place to go is Adrenaclick.com. Their epinephrine autoinjector accomplishes the same function as the more expensive version by Mylan. Adrenaclick is made by Amedra Pharmaceuticals in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Phone: 888-894-6528. This price is for a two pack of autoinjectors. One caveat; if you must order one through your doctor, you must remind them not to write the prescription for EpiPen, but for the Adrenaclick version instead. Show how disgusted you are with Mylan by voting with your wallet. Apple's chief executive Thursday ratcheted up the outrage over Europe's demands that it pay a record $14.5 billion in unpaid taxes, calling the decision "maddening" and expressing confidence it would be overturned. Timothy D. Cook, the Apple chief, stridently defended the company's tax practices in Ireland, countering European officials' ruling this week that the Irish government provided illegal incentives, which allowed the technology giant to pay essentially nothing some years. In an interview with the Irish broadcaster RTE, Cook said the company paid its fair share in Ireland, the United States and elsewhere. Cook noted that Apple planned to send some of its enormous amount of cash overseas back to the United States next year, although he did not specify how much. Those international reserves have been particularly divisive as they remain out of the reach of U.S. tax authorities. "The finding is wrongheaded," Cook told RTE. "It's not true there wasn't a special deal between Ireland and Apple." He continued, "When you're accused of doing something that is so foreign to your values, it brings out outrage in you." The Apple case has stirred up tensions, pitting the United States against Europe. In announcing the tax decision Tuesday, Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's competition commissioner, said Apple's sweetheart deals with the Irish government allowed the company to sidestep taxes by moving profits to a "head office" with "no employees, no premises, no real activities." The company paid just 50 euros ($56 at current exchange rates) in taxes for every million euros in profit in 2014, she said. Following Cook's criticism, she denied any political motivation, saying the decision was based on longstanding laws that prohibit member states from lavishing selected companies with favorable treatment. The case, she said, would stand up in court. "I don't think the courts will hear any kind of political opinions or feeling or what's in your stomach or whatever," she said at a briefing in Brussels. "They want the facts of the case, and that, of course, is what we have to produce." Malta In an attempt to polish the global allure of Saratoga County's Tech Valley, a task force headed by Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, addressed what it believed could be economic barriers mainly a lack of funding incentives and improvements in transportation and infrastructure that could impede growth in and around GlobalFoundries and the Luther Forest Tech Park. Known as the Tonko Task Force, the group of 73 elected officials, business leaders and economic development experts, spent the last three years creating a collaborate structure that it has set down in its study, "Saratoga: A Framework for Success." "As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I thought it was important to get an understanding of the economic growth of one of the fast growing areas of the country and get a broader sense of the innovative economy," said Tonko, in a phone interview from Washington, D.C. "The work the group did was to identify priorities and provide a framework so the area can absorb more investment." The study listed its accomplishments, such as expanding land uses permits to include high-tech manufacturing, switching the road maintenance from the Town of Malta to Saratoga County, facilitating building of a second road into GlobalFoundries to alleviate traffic congestion and completing a $20 million water project for GlobalFoundries. The group also renegotiated the mortgages of the New York State Empire State Development Corporation and Luther Forest Tech Campus Economic Development Corporation. The latter will also continue to work on the expansion of water, sewer, and storm water management as well as electricity and natural gas service on the campus. The task force also would like to see an opportunity for more tax incentives, through the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency, for businesses locating within Luther Forest. The members of the task force met three or four times a year. Tonko said those meetings would continue. "There were great dividends to the partnerships developed over the three years," said Tonko. "We all found it useful and helpful in moving things forward. It's worked itself into a good synergy." wliberatore@timesunion.com 518-454-5445 @wendyliberatore Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand plays the long game. The junior Democratic senator from New York has taken up sexual assault in the military and on college campuses as two of her main issues, and she's garnered national attention for it. But in the way of actual legislation, her efforts have hit roadblocks. Take her bill that would combat college sexual assaults: The legislation has yet to find a home in a larger congressional higher education bill that is up for reauthorization and would help it move through more quickly. Yet, "I don't see it as failure," she said of difficult legislative efforts. "Take the college sexual assault bill. It took a lot of people a long time to admit one in five women on college campuses (are sexually assaulted) before they graduate. The first part of the debate was, 'the study is not accurate.' Then three more come out with the same number." For women in high-level elected positions, success can be measured by smaller legislative accomplishments, though a number of them gravitate toward picking up bigger issues that men, on both sides of the aisle, may not have thought to seek out or may avoid altogether. Like Gillibrand at the federal level, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul has taken the reins of state campus sexual assault legislation championed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She toured the state since its passage in 2015 discussing on college campuses the "Enough is Enough" law and what it means for women in higher education settings. She has taken point on economic development by leading the Regional Economic Development Council initiative and on opioid addiction by co-chairing a Cuomo task force that went on a listening tour across the state earlier this year and helped in developing legislation to combat the heroin crisis. Even with those initiatives taking up her time, Hochul, a Democrat and former congresswoman from western New York, said she makes regular meetings with women in communities throughout the state a priority. "I always make sure I assemble my women's roundtable," she says. "We go into communities and put together candid conversations with women who are in business, nonprofits, academia. I sit down and talk about my experience but more important, I listen to theirs. (We talk about) what are the barriers that are holding us back? What else could we do to accomplish our goals?" While Gillibrand and Hochul are statewide representatives positions that come with some additional political sway women members of the rank-and-file also find themselves focusing on the broader issues that are less often discussed. State Sen. Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon, said she is working on studies regarding poverty with Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, that include data on women and children in poverty within the portions of the Capital Region they represent. Marchione in turn pointed to her experience as a single mother as shedding different light on those statistics. "Women bring a family perspective, but I don't think we should slot women," she said. "We put women on the aging committee. No, I want to be on the banking committee, economic development, transportation. We can do the job just like everyone else but we bring a different perspective, and we work well together, even women and men. Often, women's attitude is, everyone needs to win." Leigh Hornbeck and Brianna Snyder contributed to this report. Saratoga Springs The city has been selected as host of the first horse racing-centric trade show, convention and festival. Announced Friday, Equestricon will bring together fans with jockeys, trainers and owners for a three-day citywide event with activities such as around-the-clock autograph signings, concerts and panel discussions. Set for Aug. 13-15, 2017, it will be based at the Saratoga Springs City Center. "How could we not pick Saratoga?" said Dan Tordjman, co-founder of Eqestricon and a writer with America's Best Racing. "We love Saratoga. It has the best summer racing out there. There is so much history here; and the city has all the infrastructure." Tordjman is hoping the event will spread throughout the city with activity at places like Skidmore College, the Fasig-Tipton action site and Saratoga Race Course itself. He is hoping to meet soon with other venues. The dates were selected to follow the New York Bred sale at Fasig-Tipton. The schedule will also include a racing arcade, meet-and-greets with current and past racing stars, a social media lounge, bars, product and technology demonstrations, a fashion show and exhibitor booths. Equestricon will also feature breakout sessions and town halls designed to engage fans. Topics include racing photography, handicapping, aftercare, technological innovations, social media, marketing in racing, ownership and breeding. "The city has been extremely supportive," said Tordjman, who is partnering with stable owners Kathryn Sharp and Justin Nicholson. "It encouraged and excited us even more." wliberatore@timesunion.com 518-454-5445 @wendyliberatore By PTI: Mumbai, Sep 2 (PTI) The Paris Agreement on climate change is likely to enter into force by the end of this year, US Special Envoy for Climate Change Jonathan Pershing indicated here today. "The Prime Minister of India was one of the key partners in this exercise, along with my (US) President and other global leaders," he said, interacting with students of the Xavier Institute of Communications in south Mumbai. advertisement "We are now at a stage where we see this agreement likely to be in force this year itself," Pershing said. The Paris Agreement will enter into force when at least 55 countries/parties to the UN climate convention accounting for at least 55 percent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions submit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. "We have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to the order of 80 to 100 per cent," Pershing, who is part of a small team of senior Obama administration officials trying to cement durable regulations on climate change, said. He lauded the leadership by India and the US in implementing the Paris Agreement and in other multilateral climate fora, as well as the importance of climate and clean energy cooperation in the two countries mutual relation. Pershing was in Mumbai for meetings with members of the finance sector on how to catalyse investment in clean energy. Earlier, Pershing had travelled to Cairo (Egypt) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates) where he met with government officials to discuss next steps to address global climate change, including rapid entry-into-force of the Paris Agreement, implementation of countries Nationally Determined Contributions, mobilising private sector finance for low-carbon climate resilient solutions and clean energy, and climate adaptation and resilience. PTI VT NSK TIR --- ENDS --- This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Troy NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson will deliver the Sage Colleges Founder's Day Centennial address on Wednesday. The Sage Colleges this year celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of Russell Sage College. Wilson, a native of western Massachusetts, will speak at 12:30 p.m. in Bush Memorial Center, 55 First St. She is a veteran of three spaceflights, in 2006, 2007 and 2010. She logged more than 42 days in space. She began her career as an astronaut in 1996 and was assigned technical duties including developing requirements for space station payload displays and procedures, serving as a capsule communicator in the Mission Control Center, the astronaut office representative for the Orion Communications and Tracking System and developing crew efficiencies in operations products. Wilson spent two years as the Space Station Integration Branch Chief, overseeing crew issues related to space station systems, payloads, operations products and software interfaces. For a full list of Sage Colleges centennial events, go to https://centennial.sage.edu/e This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Pittstown Beginning in July, daytime thieves slipped into Capital Region homes, stealing jewelry, old coins and tools. Investigators compiled facts, and the Albany County Crime Analysis Center created a database. One feature stood out: Pillowcases were also taken. The probe's target was dubbed "the Pillow Case Bandit." On Thursday, troopers and investigators from the Brunswick and Schodack State Police barracks said they cracked the case, and arrested two suspects. Christopher Bergeron, 37, of Waterford, was charged Wednesday with burglary, arraigned in Pittstown Town Court and sent to the Rensselaer County Jail without bail, troopers said. On Thursday, his alleged accomplice, Erica Adkison, 33, also of Waterford, was also charged with burglary, arraigned in Schaghticoke Town Court and jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail. The charges are based on a Pittstown burglary, police said. Police said a suspect was seen on a porch in Columbia County and a license plate was noted, which led troopers to an address in Waterford where the plate was registered. The car's occupants, Bergeron and Adkinson, were detained and interviewed by State Police and Rensselaer County sheriff's deputies about the break-ins in a seven-county area since mid-July, troopers said. Further charges are expected for each of the burglaries as area police agencies are included in the compilation of the cases, troopers said. Aftershocks of sanctions on Russia for annexing Crimea have some local officials worried they might soon have to stave off an invasion on New York apple farms. The worry comes after European Union sanctions on Russia have forced Poland, Europe's leading apple exporter, to pivot to alternative buyers in the international fruit marketplace. Poland hopes to offset the loss of Russia, which accounted for more than half of Polish apple exports, through markets in China, Vietnam and, potentially, the United States. New York officials, however, are worried that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's potential fast-tracking of Polish fruit exports could ultimately bring bad apples and maybe, invasive pests to New York, which nationally trails only Washington State in apple production. "First and foremost, we don't need more apples in our marketplace," said Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association. "But if in fact they do come, we're more concerned with a disease or a pest." "Unfortunately, our government is in a position to say OK, and we as an industry are simply saying, 'Hold the phone here. They have to be vetted like anyone else,'" Allen said. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, meanwhile, has already pressured the USDA to nix Polish fruit imports until the agency can confirm no invasive pests will arrive in New York. "It makes absolutely no sense that we would invite these apples and pears from Poland into the U.S. if the USDA is not sure they have put controls in place to ensure invasive pests and diseases do not wind up being shipped into the U.S. alongside their fruit," Schumer said in July, also noting the damage other imported species like the Asian brown marmorated stink bug have wrought on growers. Allen agreed: "The apple industry is a huge economic driver for New York ... so it is vitally important to keep our apples safe from new threats from invasive pests," he wrote in a joint statement with Schumer. Local experts, however, are striking less-alarmist tones. "Obviously it wouldn't be acceptable to take fruit from any region that had not been assessed and cleared for possible contamination by exotic pest species not found in the U.S. I assume that would be a given," Art Agnello, a professor of entomology at Cornell University, wrote in an email Friday. While Agnello advised caution when it comes to Polish imports, he also said there are plenty of safeguards already in place. "People are very wary of new things coming in" to American agricultural markets, he said. Kerick Cox, meanwhile, said that while pathogens could certainly make their way to American fruit farms, the chances aren't worrisome. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Cox, a Cornell plant pathologist, cited monilinia polystroma a sugar-loving fungus that rots some fruit as a potential byproduct of imports from Poland, where fungicides differ from those used in the United States. Not visible to the naked eye, the "pathogen can get a foothold" after which it "reproduces like crazy," Cox said. That could be problematic, should American farmers start growing Polish varieties. But Agnello said that seems unlikely for one reason: The quality of Polish apples just isn't that good. rdownen@timesunion.com 518-454-5018 @robert_downen U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik expected remarks about her age when she ran for the office, poised to become the youngest-ever member of Congress at 30. She did not expect the collection of beaming young faces looking up at her at campaign events. "One part of this job, that I didn't know I was getting into, is serving as a role model, specifically for young girls. Families started bringing their young daughters to campaign events, a lot of times these weren't political families but they wanted to show their daughters they, too, could run for Congress someday." Stefanik, R-Willsboro, is now running for a second term. Her legacy is still unwritten. But helping young women to see themselves in her shoes is sure to be a part of it. "We need to have more women in elected offices at all levels," said Stefanik, whose district includes the North Country and Warren, Washington and parts of Saratoga counties. "I find that in Congress I have some of the most effective working relationships with women across the aisle. I also find that when there are more role models for young girls to look up to, they are more likely to see themselves in that position." While Hillary Clinton has made history by becoming the first woman chosen as a major party's presidential nominee, the number of women in elected office in the United States has plateaued. Women seeking office face an array of barriers: Having the right connections for fundraising; negative campaigning focused on them as women (or an expectation that women must be the "perfect candidates"); responsibilities outside of politics, and a system that's still mostly male, making them feel like they're not qualified and don't belong. More Information Problem: Negative campaigning Solution: Address it and move on. Know that it's going to happen, but the rewards of campaigning - raising issues important to you on a bigger stage - are worth it. Problem: Cost Solution: Try fundraising for a cause first. When you are raising money for your campaign, you can't make it personal. There will be a lot of people who say no. But people who give to candidates or causes do so because it's fulfilling to them and you are giving people a chance to connect. Problem: Family responsibilities Solution: Women who balance home and work do so by relying on a support network that allows them to integrate their private and public lives while overcoming the guilt that comes with assuming two roles that are constantly competing with each other. Problem: Self-perception Solution: Women tend to hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to qualifications and they are mindful of the time it will take and whether they want themselves out there in a public way. It takes critical mass. As more women get into office, other women can begin to see themselves there. Ask women to run. ABOUT THE SERIES Women in Politics is a four-part series exploring the lack of female representation at all levels of politics and what keeps them away, through a sampling of 30 women who hold public office. Part 1: Will there be a Hillary Clinton effect for women in politics? - Hillary Clinton has already made history, even if she doesn't become president. But why do we still see underrepresentation of women in elected office at most levels? Part 2: Gender remains a political issue - War stories. Women talk about how they're viewed on the campaign trail and beyond. Part 3: It's not easy to shatter glass ceiling - How does the culture change when women get elected? Women find quest to transform legislative assemblies takes time. Part 4: Making politics attractive again - The obstacles to women's political participation are many. But how do we get women to run? Find interviews with all 30 women who hold elected office, as well as videos and interactive graphics at timesunion.com/womenpolitics. Women in Politics, a four-part series exploring the lack of female representation at all levels of politics and what keeps them away, was born out of a feature on women in politics that first appeared in the September/October edition of Women@Work magazine, which also featured U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on the cover. Women@Work is a bi-monthly magazine, a network of more than 1,400 working women in the Capital Region and a movement, which seeks to highlight issues facing women in business, in the community and at home and offers insight and inspiration for overcoming the challenges. Join us today at tuwomenatwork.com. See More Collapse But there are many people trying to convince women that fair representation is so important that more of them have to overcome those obstacles. Erin Loos Cutraro, co-founder and CEO of She Should Run, a nonpartisan group that encourages women to seek political office, said there are more than 500,000 elected offices in the U.S. plenty of room for women to get in without the expense of mounting a federal campaign. "We need women at all levels of government, because as much, if not more, can be accomplished at the local level than at the federal level," she said. "There is power in numbers and normalizing the idea of women in office." She Should Run has asked more than 100,000 women to choose politics. A form on the group's website invites people to submit a name, contact information and a description of a woman they want to see run for office, and then She Should Run staff contacts the nominee who usually says no. "They are likely to say, 'I'm honored, but I can't see myself running,'" said Loos Cutraro. She's taken it a step further with online classes that offer free instructions about cultivating leadership, networking, communicating and finding a path to elected office. It's meant to help women who are leaders in workplace and/or their communities but haven't connected the dots as to what they could do in government. Off the Sidelines and the Center for American Women and Politics are other nonpartisan groups that offer training for women. Locally, the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society at the University at Albany trains women in leadership and political skills. About 15 women enroll each year for the six-month course, meant to take women who are already accomplished and position them to enter the public policy sphere, said director Dina Refki. Participants study gender roles, leadership theories and practices, how to advocate for socially responsible policies, write policy, public speaking, networking and how to read a budget. In addition to classwork, they spend 30 hours a week working at a state agency, the office of a member of the legislature or a nonprofit. "Women tend to shy away from leadership because of the way they are socialized," Refki said. "We try to deconstruct that." Dorcey Applyrs, a Democrat who represents the First Ward on the Albany Common Council, is a graduate. It was a life-changing experience, she said. "It was then that I started to meet women who were in elected office, and the tangible differences that they have made, and it started to become something that seemed tangible for me. I thought about it at some point, and then quickly brushed that thought out of my head. I thought, 'I don't know the first thing about Albany politics,' I just knocked it out of my mind," Applyrs said. It wasn't until someone asked her to run that Applyrs decided to go for it. That's typical. Women need to be asked, often multiple times, before they will run. The elected office that does attract women is the school board. According to the National School Boards Association, 44 percent of members nationwide are women, twice the percentage for the U.S. House and Senate. Women also make a good showing on city councils. According to a January 2016 review of councils in 15 cities by the Pew Charitable Trust, 30 percent of the members are women although that marked a decline from 2010, when it was 33 percent. And the number of women falls considerably among higher offices. In New York, 12 of 63 senators are women and 44 out of 150 Assembly members are women. The reasons why there aren't more women in these offices are complex. In part, it's because women already serving on their local school board don't aspire to higher office. "Men run to gain power, women run to get something done," Loos Cutraro said. State Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, has been in politics since 1986, when she was elected to the Warren County Board of Supervisors. She said she's noticed that women start out on school boards where they are "effective, unsung heroes." "Some move on, but many are satisfied," Little said. "Women aren't as concerned with how high you go as much as how effective you can be where you are." Also, the lack of party affiliation in school board races prevents women from using it as a stepping-stone, said Zoe Oxley, a professor of political science at Union College. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. "They need to build into a party network and be seen as a legitimate contender for a party," she said. "That's not happening on the school boards." The issue-specific nature of school board work makes the leap to broader political representation tough, Oxley added. While the road may be hard for women seeking office, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, has a compelling reason for doing it anyway. "If you tell a woman, it's all true but you're the only one who's going to fight for affordable day care. You're the only one who cares deeply about universal pre-K. If you don't run, your opponent will never do the things you think are so important, she will often say, 'I will disregard the negative atmosphere because of the issues that mean so much to me.' You just need to tell her that: 'You are the one who will carry this message. You are the one will fight for this effectively, and if you don't run, nobody will.'" Cathy Gatta, a Democrat and one of three women on the 19-seat Schenectady County Legislature as well as a former Scotia village trustee, described a galvanizing moment when she saw Gillibrand speak about sexual assault on college campuses. At the time, Gatta's daughter was about to start her freshman year. "She is a mom, and I thought, 'That is something close to her heart because she has kids, and she doesn't want parents to feel as the parents felt whose children have been hurt. I was in that spot, with my daughter starting college, and I would do anything to prevent a sexual assault from happening to her or anyone else's child," Gatta said. "My focus has always been to make my village better for my children and extended family. I've heard many men speak I could listen to Paul Tonko all day and it was inspiring, but it never made me say, 'I gotta do that.' When I saw Kirsten Gillibrand speak, I thought, 'I want to be like her.'" It is why Clinton's candidacy is so important for women, Gatta said. "At all levels, it helps women to think they can do more. We didn't know, we didn't think we could, until we saw that we could." Brianna Snyder and Jennifer Gish contributed to this report. lhornbeck@timesunion.com 518-454-5352 @leighhornbeck South Tipperary General Hospital has received a much needed boost this week with the news that the HSE is to advertise for 22 additional staff members immediately - 10 nurses and 12 healthcare assistants, writes Noel Dundon. And furthermore, the HSE has also backed the proposal to have a 40 bed modular hotel located on-site to facilitate pre and post-operative patients, thereby freeing up much needed acute beds in the hospital. The modular hotel would be attached to South Tipp General and would be the first of it's kind in Ireland, although they are widely used in the UK and Scandanavia. It would take approximately six weeks to construct and would come fully equipped. Everybody knows how much pressure has been on the staff in South Tipperary General Hospital in recent times. They are working at approximately 130% capacity whereas hospitals should really be working at about 75%. I am delighted that the HSE has agreed to advertise for the ten nurses and twelve healthcare assistants immediately and this comes following extensive consultation with the hospital officials and the INMO whose members have taken the brunt of the frustrations expressed at the frontline, Deputy Michael Lowry told The Tipperary Star this week. The announcement has resulted in a boost to morale and Professor Paud O'Regan told us that the staffing levels are now getting to a stage where they are beginning to look more acceptable. There has been a boost to morale alright but the levels are now just getting back to being acceptable. There are still many challenges to be overcome and we would see this as being the beginning of a fight rather the end of one. With the closure of Cashel and the downgrading of Nenagh hospital, South Tipperary General has come under enormous pressure and the real key is to get Phase 11 of our redevelopment sanctioned - we have been waiting 20 years for that, said Professor O'Regan who described Deputy Lowry as being extremely effective in progressing the issues with the hospital. Others have shown great interest and have done great work, but Deputy Lowry is the one who has managed to push this for us all, he said. Deputy Lowry described news of the staff additions and the HSE support for the modular hotel concept as being a breakthrough but agreed with Professor O'Regan as he added that the ultimate goal has to be to ensure that South Tipperary General Hospital is added to the Capital Programme which is currently under review and which will be re-announced in November. In the interim, Health Minister Simon Harris is expected to visit South Tipp General on October 1st to see for himself what needs to be achieved in Clonmel which has seen it's annual budget slashed by 8million in recent times to 51million - substantially lower than every other hospital of it's size in the country. The ratio of nurses/patients is currently also the lowest in the country. The modular unit, which has been put forward following extensive behind-the-scenes work by Deputy Lowry and senior consultants at the hospital would cost the HSE in the region of60,000 per week to operate. It would comprise a forty en-suite bed unit, with reception rooms, social areas and all necessary ancilliary facilities. There are 170 beds in South Tipp General at the moment and they are always full to capacity, with an additional 25-30 people waiting for treatment on trolleys per day. Crucially, should the Phase 11 of the redevelopment of the hospital get the go ahead under the Capital Programme, the presence of the modular hotel would not impede the work to be done and could operate very effeciently and effectively whilst redevelopment is underway. Already meetings have taken place between the HSE and the senior executive planners of Tipperary County Council to ensure that planning permission does not become an issue for the modular hotel. Due to the fact that it is modular and temporary, the feeling is that planning permission will not be a stumbling block and details are being thrashed out between the local authority and the HSE officials. The big step forward with this is the fact that the HSE has committed to the concept of the patient hotel and they are now accepting expressions of interest for this which effectively means that they are going to tender. Minister Harris has been extremely helpful and understanding in relation to South Tipp General Hospital and is looking at addressing the short term need through the Winter Initiative Scheme. Since the modular system would be a pilot scheme it is envisaged that a number of companies will be interested in getting involved, Deputy Lowry said. A new railway book to be launched this autumn will feature the railways of County Tipperary and its environs. The book, Falling Gradient by Joe Coleman, will be very different from other railway books. While not a specific history, it will be very people focused and will involve many retired railway workers who have shared their memories for the project based on a lifetime of work on the railways. It will include the many lines that were built in the area, the places they served, the people who built them and the people who worked them. It will include the building of the Nenagh line and its former glory as the main through route between Limerick and Dublin - once the only branch line in the country to have a 70mph speed over of its entire length. The book will cover the different traffic carried along the line, including the long gone rambling overnight goods to Dublin, the branch to the Silvermines and the shale from Kilmastulla, as well as the efforts being made to develop the line by Nenagh Community Rail Partnership. Falling Gradient will cover the building of the line from Limerick to Waterford, built during the great famine of the 1840s, and the establishment of Limerick Junction, which would go on to become one of the most famous railway junctions in the world. The book includes a social history that spans more than 170 years and the way the railways were affected by major events such as the Great War, the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, the Civil War, the severe fuel crisis during The Emergency and the bitter railway strike of 1950/51. The book will feature many interesting characters and stories that are, at times, humorous, moving and gripping, including the runaway at Roscrea, the Cahir accident in 1955 and the murder at Ballybrophy. There will be an entire chapter on The Stolen Railway, the Parsonstown (Birr) and Portumna Bridge Railway which ran for much of its length through County Tipperary and only operated for a period of 10 years between 1868 and 1878, after which it was stolen, lock, stock and barrel. Author and Limerick man Joe Coleman brings a fresh and interesting approach to the history of the railway, making it the first locally produced book on the subject. The book brings the reader in many directions with many connections through its 464 pages and 399 pictures/images (some very rare and never published before),capturing the essence of the times. Mr Coleman is the author of book; House Full An affectionate look back at the old cinemas and theatres of Limerick, the people, the stories, the films and the shows, which was specially written for Limericks national City of Culture Year 2014. The book will be launched at the Granary Library, Michael Street, Limerick, on Friday, September 30, at 6pm. It will retail at 24.95, and will be available to buy online from OMahonys Bookshop, Limerick. Social media users found a Philadelphia cop sporting a tattoo of an eagle, with its wings outstretched and "Fatherland" written above it, offensive. By India Today Web Desk: A Facebook post showing a Philadelphia Police Department officer with a Nazi tattoo went viral and stirred a debate on social media. Facebook user Evan Parish Matthews posted the picture of a policeman along with a description explaining why it is unacceptable to him that a law enforcement officer has a Nazi tattoo. According to the post, the photo is of Officer Ian Hans Lichtermann of Northeast Philadelphia's second precinct and the photo was taken on July 26, 2016 at Philadelphia's #BlackResistanceMarch. advertisement "Call the Philadelphia Police 2nd Precinct and let them know employing a police officer with a white-supremacist, Nazi tattoo is unacceptable," read his post. He presents his case with reports and argues, "in 2006, the counter-terrorism division of the FBI released a report warning of the widespread infiltration of white supremacists in law enforcement". "In 2015, the San Francisco Police Department fired seven officers after communications were discovered showing allegiances to white supremacists ideologies and expressing their desire to lynch Black folks." The photo shows a tattoo of a Nazi Party symbol popular in the 1920s, it also has "Fatherland" written above it. An eagle with its wings outstretched became Germany's symbol under Nazi rule. Photo: Facebook/Evan Parish Matthews After a few days Evan posted a status again; this time to let people know that he had filed an official complaint with the police. "The mere decision to get this tattoo, and choose his profession, casts disperses any faith in Officer Lichtermann's ability to do his job in a non-oppressive/racist manner," he wrote. This made such an impact that numerous online complaints were directed at the Philadelphia Police Department and made city Mayo Jim Kenney launch an internal investigation. "This image is particularly offensive to our WWII veterans who fought valiantly to free Europe from Nazi Germany, as well as all victims of Nazi atrocities. I understand that the PPD will launch an internal investigation, and that should run its course", read the statement. Evan's post was shared more than 6,000 times. After the social media outrage, the police department made it clear that it does not have any specific policy regarding tattoos. "The department does not have a specific policy regarding the wearing /displaying of tattoos; however, the department will quickly move to assess and determine the appropriate policy moving forward." --- ENDS --- [September 02, 2016] Ameritas Life Closes on Deal to Acquire Guardian's 401(k) Plans Business Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (Ameritas), headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, today announced it completed its acquisition of the 401(k) plan business of The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian). With the completion of the acquisition, Ameritas has taken a big step in its commitment to grow and service its retirement plans business. This transaction increases the assets under administration of the retirement plans division to more than $10 billion, representing business owners and their employees across the entire country. With a combined national sales force, a robust technical platform built for growth and a customer service team dedicated to helping employees plan and prepare for a rewarding retirement, Ameritas is poised to continue its core mission of fulfilling life. "From the beginning of these discussions we viewed this as more of a strategic relationship than an acquisition," said Bret Benham, Ameritas senior vice president - retirement plans. "We're planning a business-as-usual approach and I believe the financial professionals who do business with us, as well as our shared clients, will see little, if any, impact in the servicing of their plans. Both companies bring exceptional talent, skill and value to the retirement plans arena, and ultimately, that benefits our plan sponsors and plan participants." "Today's announcement marks the beginning of a long-term strategic marketing relationship between Gardian and Ameritas. We look forward to continuing to provide 401(k) products and services through our agency system and are committed to making this relationship a success," said Mike Cefole, Guardian senior vice president. The retirement plans division of Ameritas now provides retirement plan investment and administration services to more than 6,000 businesses and public entities nationwide. Retirement plan clients range from the single life sole proprietor to the large corporate, non-profit and governmental employers. About Ameritas Founded in 1887, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. and its affiliated companies provide a wide range of insurance and financial services to customers throughout the United States, including life insurance; annuities; group dental, vision, and hearing care insurance; individual disability income insurance; retirement plans; investments and public finance. Securities and investment advisory services offered through affiliate Ameritas Investment Corp., member FINRA/SIPC. For more information, visit www.ameritas.com. About Guardian The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) is one of the largest mutual life insurers with $7.3 billion in capital and $1.5 billion in operating income (before taxes and dividends to policyholders) in 2015. Founded in 1860, the company has paid dividends to policyholders every year since 1868. Its offerings range from life insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, and investments to dental and vision insurance and employee benefits. The company has approximately 8,000 employees and a network of over 3,000 financial representatives in more than 70 agencies nationwide. For more information, visit Guardian's website: www.GuardianLife.com, Facebook (News - Alert) page: https://www.facebook.com/GuardianLife/, and Twitter (News - Alert): @GuardianLife. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160902005042/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Global Rescue Leading Rescue Efforts for Two Missing U.S. Climbers in Pakistan Travel risk and crisis management firm Global Rescue is leading rescue efforts for two US climbers missing in Pakistan. The firm has two helicopters and a medevac aircraft on standby. The next opportunity to launch, given favorable weather conditions, is tomorrow, 3 September, at daybreak in Pakistan (2 September, 9pm Eastern). Poor flying conditions have hampered the search and rescue mission to date. Global Rescue has contacted the hospital in Skardu and confirmed that a medical team and ambulance will be at the helipad upon completion of the mission. The firm is keeping the US Embassy in Pakistan fully apprised of the mission progress. Kyle Dempster and Scott Adason were climbing Ogre II, a 7285 meter peak in Pakistan. The pair left on their climb on the North Face on 21 August 2016. Their plan was to ascend the North Face and to descend on the northwest ridge with a return to base camp around 24 August. Global Rescue was contacted on 28 August after they failed to return to base camp. The last confirmed sighting was of their headlamps on 22 August by a Pakistani member of their base camp team. The pair are not believed to possess any satellite communication or messaging capabilities. About Global Rescue Global Rescue is the world's leading provider of integrated health, safety and travel risk management services to enterprises, governments and individuals. Founded in 2004, Global Rescue has a long-standing relationship with the Johns Hopkins Dept. of Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations. The Company's unique operational model provides best-in-class services that identify, monitor and respond to member medical and security crises. Global Rescue has provided medical and security support to its clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments and academic institutions, during every globally significant crisis of the last decade. For more information, call +1-617-459-4200 or visit www.globalrescue.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160902005711/en/ [September 02, 2016] Merck Provides Update on Odanacatib Development Program Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that it is discontinuing the development of odanacatib, Merck's investigational cathepsin K inhibitor for osteoporosis, and will not seek regulatory approval for its use. Merck previously reported a numeric imbalance in adjudicated stroke events in the pivotal Phase 3 fracture outcomes study in postmenopausal women. The company has decided to discontinue development after an independent adjudication and analysis of major adverse cardiovascular events confirmed an increased risk of stroke. The data from the analysis will be presented at the American Society for Bone Mineral Research (ASBMR) in September. "We are disappointed that the overall benefit-risk profile for odanacatib does not support filing or further development," said Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., president, Merck Research Laboratories. "We are very thankful to the researchers and patients who participated in the odanacatib clinical development program. We have learned that odanacatib treatment reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures. At the same time, we believe that the increased risk of stroke in our Phase 3 trial does not support further development." About Merck For 125 years, Merck has been a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160902005107/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 01, 2016] WebSecure Technologies Signs on as an Official HexaTier Reseller TEL AVIV and SYDNEY, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- HexaTier, provider of the leading comprehensive security and compliance solution for databases and Database as a Service (DBaaS) platforms, announced today that WebSecure Technologies is an official reseller in Australia. HexaTier delivers database security, sensitive data discovery, dynamic data masking and database monitoring on the cloud and off. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325331LOGO ) "With WebSecure's proven ability in the integration of security solutions and HexaTier's specialization in database reverse proxy technology to secure databases and assure compliance, the synergy between us is compelling," said Stewart Sim, Owner, WebSecure Technologies. "WebSecure is very excited about the partnership and growth potential for both companies based on this unique offering." HexaTier's unified database security and compliance solution protects SME databases running on Amazon RDS and EC2, SQL Azure, Google loud, and Rackspace, as well as within the traditional network infrastructure. Utilizing a patented database reverse proxy, sensitive data in the database is automatically discovered and dynamically masked. HexaTier also blocks SQL injections in real time, monitors database activity performed by applications and DBAs, implements segregation of duties, and creates rule-based restrictions for accessing, copying and detecting data based on user, IP, address geography, date/time and more. "We see ourselves as the critical component in database security, regardless of where the data resides," said Dan Dinnar, CEO, HexaTier. "WebSecure's philosophy strongly aligns with our approach, as they seek out the best security technologies to provide the highest level of service to their SME customers." About WebSecure WebSecure Technologies identifies high caliber security solutions to complex problems and works collaboratively with its clients to plan, implement and support the leading technologies, such as HexaTier. Its proprietary framework - the Four Sides - scales to ensure that its solutions fit any organization's size or industry. It is based in Sydney. About HexaTier HexaTier sets the industry standard for database security and compliance in the cloud with its unified solution that provides database security, dynamic data masking (DDM), database activity monitoring (DAM) and discovery of sensitive data. HexaTier is the first and only company to provide security for cloud-hosted databases and DBaaS platforms through a streamlined and simple solution. Utilizing purpose-built, patented Database Reverse Proxy technology, the company protects against both internal and external security threats. HexaTier was founded in 2009 and headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in Boston, MA and Irvine, CA. Media Contact Amy Kenigsberg K2 Global Communications [email protected] +1-913-440-4072 (+7 ET) +972-9-794-1681 (+2 GMT) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 02, 2016] VS MEDIA Launches US$4million VS ME Content Production Fund for Creators HONG KONG, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- VS MEDIA, a cutting edge, next-generation media network, announced the launch of the VS ME Content Production Fund (the Fund). In June, the company received backing from CMC Holdings, and last month from Discovery Communications as well. Through these recent investments, VS MEDIA is setting up a US$4million content production fund which will be used to collaborate with creators to produce local formats. This is one of the greatest developments in funding of original creator IP development to date in Hong Kong, providing creators with a unique opportunity to pitch their original ideas along with the real possibility of bringing them to life and creating multi-franchising opportunities. Recruitment for the first round of submissions is open now and runs until 23 September 2016. With a view to long-term market development, VS MEDIA hopes to inspire the new generation of creators to take their content to the next level with a focus on groundbreaking ideas, high quality production standards and the potential to be distributed across multiple platforms. "There are many outstanding local creators in the market still waiting to be discovered and spotlighted, and for a lot of these, their brilliant and impressive content ideas might never come to fruition for a variety of reasons," said Ms. Jenny Li, General Manager, Hong Kong, VS MEDIA Limited. "The Fund testifies to the company's commitment and endeavor in helping unleash the power of creative talent in Hong Kong, and ultimately bringing to the market compelling campaigns with outstanding, spot-on content and impact that yild the exact results desired. With funding grants and a professional co-production journey underwritten by VS MEDIA, we are confident of recruiting more young creators with original content and ideas that will further encourage industry development as well." After the first round of recruitment, a new round of submissions will be opened every six months until the US$4million fund has been fully allocated. Successful applicants will receive technical and production support plus capital and marketing support from VS MEDIA, providing a more direct route and a great platform for them to leverage on their innovative talent and creativity to enter the flourishing influencer marketing arena and monetize their original content. Applicants are required to submit their proposals for judging based on originality and creativity. Funding will be approved and justified in respect of individually proposed ideas. Submission requirements are listed as follows: - Eligibility: Open to VS Creators only Please visit: http://www.vs-media.com/?apply if you wish to become a VS Creator Open to VS Creators only Deadline for 1 st round of submission: 23 September 2016 (Friday), 23:59 (Friday), 23:59 How to apply: Interested applicants should send their proposal and contact information (full name, phone number and social media accounts) to [email protected] Prerequisite components in the submission proposal A full synopsis along with a summary of each episode of an original short video series. The series must contain at least 6 episodes, each 3-10 minutes long. Each episode summary should be a minimum of 150 words. Production schedule, video distribution platforms, total estimated video views and overall budget Specify the language of the short video series, e.g. English, Mandarin, Cantonese "So if you are looking for the perfect time to display your talent, then your time is now. Send your proposal to VS MEDIA today. You'll have nothing to lose and everything to gain, on your way to creative success and a marketing future," recommends Ms. Jenny Li. The first round of successful candidates will be announced on 24 October 2016 (Monday) on VS MEDIA's website. More details about the fund can be found at http://www.vs-media.com/?fund. About VS M EDIA VS MEDIA is a next-generation video and social media network, which has been created and built by a new generation who are living a mobile, social and on-demand life. VS MEDIA puts professional tools in the hands of aspiring creative talent to develop, market and monetize their original content. From offering direction and support for cross-marketing, social media and search optimization, to providing production facilities and funding, VS MEDIA is Hong Kong's first locally-driven content creation service that specializes in connecting Asia's most influential creators with the world's biggest and best brands. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 02, 2016] NastyDress Launches New Sharer Reward Program SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NastyDress caters to those looking for a discrete way to buy sexy, erotic, and edgy fashion. The site has gained notoriety over the years for having high quality products at extremely affordable prices. NastyDress is always looking for ways to create notoriety and today company executives are announcing their new "Share and Get it Free" program. This innovative program will allow customers to share products with friends and if anyone buys through their referral link they will get the product free! This is a great way for customers to receive products that are over their budget. The process of the "Share and Get it Free" program is very straight forward. Old customers simply go to NastyDress and log into their user account and shop as they usually would. When a customer sees a product that is out of their budgt they can hit the share it button. Customers will get a custom direct link that they can share via email, social media, messaging apps, etc. Customers who register with a shared link will get the incentive of 50 NastyDress points, these are redeemable as discount codes for future use. After registering if the customer buys the shared product the original sharer will have the opportunity to win the product for free. Customers will get a magic button that they can click to reveal a prize. The magic button could reveal $2 off, 10% off, 50 NastyDress points, 100 NastyDress points, or even the product for free. For the sharer these incentives are huge as it could mean huge discounts or even a free product. To avoid any sort of cheating NastyDress will not be shipping out free products or any other prizes until after the 30 day money back period. This ensures that a product is not purchased and returned while the sharer gets the product free. Customers can rest assured that after the 30 day period the products and prizes will be delivered. Those looking for something less erotic should check out Trendsgal or Rosewholesale. Trendsgal offers the latest trendsetter clothing at affordable prices, whereas Rosewholesale offers wholesale prices on premium designer fashions. Both sites are sisters of NastyDress and offer the same satisfaction guarantee. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 02, 2016] G20 Night In Beijing Kicks Off Conversation About Global Economy BEIJING, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday in Beijing, China, economists, researchers, members of the development funding committee, and industry leading CEOs, including DHgate founder and CEO Diane Wang, gathered for G20 Night, the most impactful sub forum preceding this year's G20 Summit that will take place September 4-5th in Hangzhou, China. G20 Night was a closed-door meeting that sought to address world economic issues, such as innovation, the new structure of the global economy, and the role of China as a breakthrough player and leader on the global economic stage, with the Chinese economy accounting for 20% of global GDP. PROVEN METHODS The theme of this year's G20 is "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy." Chinese entrepreneurs have been markedly innovative and Chinese society as a whole has adopted technology on an unprecedented scale to overcome developmental obstacles and thrive. This has allowed China to bypass levels of development seen in the west and advance to a much more sophisticated stage, for example, skipping the mature retail phase of consumption and instead embracing highly developed e-commerce infrastructure. China has successfully transformed a develping country into the second largest economy on the planet and hopes to share their solutions and experience with the world. CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTIONS During the meeting, the leaders agreed that the best way to promote inclusive economic growth is to further promote innovation, not only in the tech industry but to reform the structure of the traditional supply chain. Leaders also reached a consensus to promote capacity-building programs such as the APEC CBET (cross-border e-commerce training) program, which was introduced to the B20 platform in 2015 and recognized by the B20 policy paper which will be submitted to G20 leaders as a case study of best practices for educating global SMEs (small-and-medium sized enterprises) on a large scale regarding how to leverage technology to upgrade their businesses. The APEC CBET program was started and facilitated by leading Chinese B2B cross-border e-commerce firm DHgate.com. "Witnessing Chinese enterprise owners submit their innovations to G20 leaders shows that China is playing a very important role in formulating global standards. The 2 main initiatives of the G20 SME Development Task Force are to help SMEs to enter the global market through cross-border e-commerce, and to encourage SMEs to utilize innovative financing mechanisms to scale up their businesses. The power of digitalization and the internet is boundless, easy access to trade and finance provide great opportunities for global SMEs to flourish, and for developing countries to improve their economies." -Diane Wang, DHgate founder and CEO, and B20 SME Development Task Force Co-chair ABOUT DHGATE DHgate.com is the first to market and the biggest transactional cross-border B2B e-commerce marketplace in China, aiming to provide global buyers with quality products at competitive prices. Founded in 2004, DHgate.com has approximately 12 million global buyers from 230 countries and regions, with 1.4 million global sellers offering 40 million products. DHgate.com's business enables buyers to directly access global manufacturers of the world's top brands with rich product selections. DHgate.com is an all-in-one platform with integrated services for international logistics, cross-border payments, internet financing, etc. DHgate.com's US, UK, Spain, and UAE product distribution warehouses allow for 24 hour delivery and convenient product returns & refunds, bringing great convenience to buyers at http://www.dhgate.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/g20-night-in-beijing-kicks-off-conversation-about-global-economy-300322071.html SOURCE DHgate.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 02, 2016] Corrosion Monitoring Market Worth 297.8 Million USD by 2021 PUNE, India, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Corrosion Monitoring Market by Type Technique (Corrosion Coupons, Electrical resistance, Linear Polarization Resistance, Galvanic, & Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement), End-Use Industry (Oil & Gas, Chemical, Manufacturing) - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, The market is expected to reach USD 297.8 Million by 2021, at a CAGR of 9.1% between 2016 and 2021. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 93 market data Tables and 50 Figures spread through 156 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Corrosion Monitoring Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/corrosion-monitoring-market-109037056.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. Increasing demand in end-use industries due to rising awareness on corrosion monitoring, advancement in technology for corrosion monitoring, and advantages of process integration are some of the factors driving the demand for corrosion monitoring during the forecast period. "Oil & Gas - Biggest end-use industry for corrosion monitoring" The oil & gas industry accounted for the maximum share of the market, in terms of value, in 2015. The oil & gas industry comprises upstream, midstream, and downstream industries. All of them are always under strict scrutiny by environment watchdogs and regulators. Sufficient monitoring and protection of assets along with durability is achieved by best practices in corrosion monitoring systems. Increasing exploration and production along with increasing demand from downstream industries are projected to increase the demand for corrosion monitoring during the forecast period. The oil & gas industry accounts for almost four-fifths of the corrosion monitoring market and trend is projected to remain more or less constant during the forecast period. "Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement - Future of Corrosion Monitoring" Ultrasonic thickness measurement technique is the fastest-growing corrosion monitoring technique globally. It is projected to register a double digit CAGR during the forecast period. This technique is fast replacing older techniques such as corrosion coupons and electrical resistance. Ease of operations, quick and fast monitoring of process and accuracy of data are the major factors for its increasing demand. When integrated with the process system of equipment, the observations cn be linked and better results for corrosion monitoring can be obtained. These factors are making this technique popular among end-user. Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=109037056 "North America and Asia-Pacific accounted for approximately 60% share of the global corrosion monitoring market in 2015" Asia-Pacific is the largest market for Corrosion Monitoring Market in the world in 2015. The Asia-Pacific market is also projected to register the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021, backed by the increasing demand from fast emerging economies of the region. North America is expected to maintain its position during the forecast period. Increasing shale gas exploration activities and stabilizing chemical manufacturing market will drive the market till 2021. High investments from manufacturers for new product development and expansion in new markets will be the growth strategies for market dominance. The major players covered in the report are Intertek (U.K.), SGS SA (Switzerland), Cosasco (U.S.), Korosi Specindo (Indonesia), Rysco Corrosion Services (Canada), BAC Corrosion Control (U.K.) Applied Corrosion Monitoring (U.S.), Permasense (U.K.), ICORR Technologies (U.S.), and Pyramid Technical Services (India). Browse Related Reports: Anti-Corrosion Coating Market by Type (Epoxy, Polyurethanes, Acrylic, Alkyd), Technology (Solvent, Water, Powder) and End-use Industry (Marine, Oil & Gas, Industrial, Infrastructure, and Power Generation) - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/anti-corrosion-coating-market-155215822.html Abrasion Resistant Coatings Market by Type (Ceramic Based and Polymer Based), Application (Oil & Gas, Industrial, Marine, Power Generation, Infrastructure, Transport, and Others) & by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America) - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/abrasion-resistant-coating-market-122764842.html Know More About our Knowledge Store @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Tel: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] At least 80 students of classes 11 and 12 of the vidyalaya, which is situated on the premises of Rashtrapati Bhavan, will attend the class. By Indo-Asian News Service: President Pranab Mukherjee will interact with and conduct a class for students of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, on the occasion of Teachers' Day on September 5, it was announced today. He will also address teachers of various government schools in Delhi on the occasion, an official release said. At least 80 students of classes 11 and 12 of the vidyalaya, which is situated on the premises of Rashtrapati Bhavan, will attend the class of the President, it said. advertisement Also read: Pranab Mukherjee urges students to study constitution, understand democratic process The event will be telecast live on DD (News) and DD Bharati channels of Doordarshan from 10.30 am onwards. It will also be webcast live on the President of India website at webcast.gov.in/president/ and live-streamed on the YouTube channel of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President will also receive the first copy of a booklet "Umang 2015" which will be released by Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi. --- ENDS --- RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said that India's economy is performing reasonably well but the lack of private investments, especially corporations not building new factories and increasing jobs, is holding it back from the desired levels. By India Today Web Desk: RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said that India's economy is performing reasonably well but the lack of private investments, especially corporations not building new factories and increasing jobs, is holding it back from the desired levels. (Raghuram Rajan interview, Part 1: 'Couldn't reach an agreement with Modi govt to continue in second term' ) "They are not doing it because the level of capacity of utilisation, how much of the capacity they are able to sell, is still relatively low. My hope is that with a good monsoon, the demand in some sectors is picking up very strongly. For example in automobiles, and cement starting to pick up. Once we have a good monsoon, a feel-good factor prevails in the economy. People start buying more, and then there is a virtuous circle that demand energises into private investment, which builds on the public investment," said Rajan in the second part of his only exit interview. advertisement Speaking to India Today's Karan Thapar, Rajan stressed on mini bang reforms which perform better than big bang ones; the need for a Planning Commission like body in India; the impact of beef-ban and nationalism, and the challenges ahead for India's economy. "Investors, both domestic and foreign, have come to realise that emerging markets like India have noisy politics. The investors tend to see through this. I am not saying nothing would perturb them, but my sense that they have come to accept emerging markets including India will have noisy politics. International industrial countries themselves have very noisy politics," said Rajan. Here is the full second part of the interview: --- ENDS --- Home Minister Rajnath Singh's meeting will be "restricted" and he is likely to interact with only those who are keen to discuss and help resolve all issues within the framework of the Constitution. By Indo-Asian News Service: The all-party delegation to violence-hit Jammu and Kashmir will include senior cabinet ministers including Arun Jaitley and Ram Vilas Paswan as well as opposition leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM, sources said. Among others the delegation would also include Congress leaders from both houses of Parliament - Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge. ALL ABOUT THE DELEGATION advertisement The delegation would be led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The government has already indicated that members of the all-party delegation during their two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir beginning September 4, will be free to meet any leader or individual or groups including separatists. The delegation will have 28 parliamentarians and senior government officials. Other members will include Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Congress leader Ambika Soni, Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D. Raja (CPI), NCP's Tariq Anwar and Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy. Two major Uttar Pradesh-based parties Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have supported the move to send a delegation to Kashmir, but said they would not nominate any party leader to go to the Valley. The decision to send the all-party delegation was taken at an all-party meeting on August 12 chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other members will include Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut and Anandrao Adsul, TDP leader Thota Narasimham, Shiromani Akali Dal's Prem Singh Chandumajra, Biju Janata Dal's Dilip Tirkey, AIUDF's Badaruddin Ajmal, Muslim League's E. Ahamed, N.K. Premchandran (RSP), P Venugopal (AIADMK), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Y.B. Subba (YSR-Congress), Jaiprakash Yadav (RJD) and Dharamveer Gandhi (AAP). Official sources, said that Home Minister Rajnath Singh's meeting will be "restricted" and he is likely to interact with only those who are keen to discuss and help resolve all issues within the framework of the Constitution. PURPOSE OF VISIT The delegation members will be given a presentation on September 3 about the tour by a team of senior officials from the Union Home ministry. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh are expected to be present when top officials of the Home Ministry will make the presentation. The visit of the all-party delegation to the Valley is aimed at holding meetings with local leaders aiming to stop the unrest that was sparked off in Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8. --- ENDS --- All the king's horses and all the king's men cannot fix the trouble Intel has gotten itself into with the fractured re-branding effort behind its 7th-gen Core (Kaby Lake) processors. The new branding scheme is somewhat confusing because it discards the previous "m7" and "m5" nomenclature for Intel's low-power SKUs and brands them as "i5" and "i7" parts. This will surely confuse shoppers, but the disappointing news is that the muddy branding waters hide a deeper undercurrent of obfuscation. OEMs can restrict Kaby Lake TDPs, which adjusts performance, into lower settings that extend below the advertised 4.5W and 15W power ranges. By the same token, Intel also allows vendors to adjust the TDP settings to exceed the normal specifications, which means there is an equal (though less likely) chance that the processors will feature higher-than-normal specs. Intel has not defined a steadfast rule that requires OEMs to disclose the TDP settings on their packaging or in the marketing materials, which means you could be playing the silicon lottery when you purchase a laptop or 2-in-1. Let's untangle the web of confusing branding and dive into the deeper topic of TDP adjustments. The Skewed SKU Branding Whereas Intel used "Core m" nomenclature for its 4.5W Skylake chips, the 4.5W Kaby Lake SKUs bear the "i5" and "i7" branding that was used for 15W and higher Skylake parts. Only the lowest-end Core m chip in the Kaby Lake family, the m3, retains the same branding across both generations. Some proclaim the move to i7 and i5 branding is vague, at best, and doesn't help the "normal" customer discern between the 4.5W and 15W processors. Perhaps more troubling is that vendors can configure the TDP either above or below the 4.5W setting. For instance, the Y-Series processors feature configurable TDP (cTDP) that includes a 3.5W "Down" setting, in addition to a 4.5W "Nominal" and 7W "Up" setting. The vendors can select the various TDP ranges either statically or dynamically. Intel describes the feature in its launch-day documentation; With Configurable TDP, the processor is now capable of modulating the maximum sustained power vs. performance. Configurable TDP thus provides design and performance flexibility to control system performance based on the cooling capability and usage scenarios. For example, a detachable Ultrabook may need more performance when used in a full clamshell mode (vs. tablet mode), or when balanced performance is needed in a quiet conference room setting. A static 3.5W setting will allow the device to fit in smaller devices due to the lowered thermal envelope, and it will also boost battery life (which is the primary reason vendors adjust TDP). Unfortunately, this permanent setting lowers performance significantly, and the vendor is not required to disclose the TDP configuration, so many do this with little fanfare. The end user cannot adjust the statically-assigned TDP value. A vendor could also choose to manufacture a beefier device that trades battery life for more performance. This technique would boost the 4.5W processor up to 7W, but one could naturally assume the vendor would emblazon this enhancement on the packaging. Dynamic TDP indicates that the device can employ on-the-fly cTDP adjustments based on sensor feedback, such as device orientation or temperature sensors. Dynamic cTDP adjustments are helpful to throttle performance when the device is hot, such as outside on a sunny day, which will help keep the chip within a safe thermal envelope. As stated in our recent Kaby Lake debut article: The "skin" temperature sensors allow the device to detect and adjust frequencies, and the device can choose to stay in a Turbo Boost state for longer periods of time based upon the thermal headroom. Accelerometers also allow the device to adjust performance based on device orientation. For instance, the device will switch to a higher-power mode when it is in a static 45-degree orientation (which indicates docking), as opposed to a 90-degree orientation, which indicates a user is holding it. AMD also allows vendors to adjust the TDP range of the Summit Ridge and Bristol Ridge APUs, though it's unclear if it supports dynamic adjustments. AMD encountered some customer pushback when it originally added the feature because OEMs did not disclose the actual TDP settings. The company reigned in the configurable TDP range with its newest APUs to discourage misleading adjustments. Y-Series Y-Series Processors 7th Gen Core i7 6th Gen Core m7 7th Gen Core i5 6th Gen Core m5 7th Gen Core m3 6th Gen Core m3 Processor i7-7Y75 m7-6Y75 i5-7Y54 m5-6Y54 m3-7Y30 m3-6Y30 Socket FCBGA 1515 FCBGA 1515 FCBGA 1515 FCBGA 1515 FCBGA 1515 FCBGA 1515 Cores/Threads 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 Power 4.5W 4.5W 4.5W 4.5W 4.5W 4.5W Base Frequency (GHz) 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1 1 0.9 Max. Single-Core Frequency (GHz) 3.6 3.1 3.2 2.7 2.6 2.2 Max. Threaded Frequency (GHz) 3.4 2.9 2.8 2.4 2.4 2 Graphics HD Graphics 615 HD Graphics 515 HD Graphics 615 HD Graphics 515 HD Graphics 615 HD Graphics 515 U-Series The Kaby Lake U-Series processors also feature the same configurable TDP range, albeit to a larger extent. The "Down" setting brings TDP down to 7.5W, and it also features "Nominal" 15W and "Up" 25W profiles. The i7 and i5 branding remain the same. U-Series Processors 7th Gen Core i7 6th Gen Core i7 7th Gen Core i5 6th Gen Core i5 7th Gen Core i3 6th Gen Core i3 Processor i7-7500U i7-6500U i5-7200U i5-6200U i3-7100U i3-6100U Socket FCBGA 1356 FCBGA 1356 FCBGA 1356 FCBGA 1356 FCBGA 1356 FCBGA 1356 Cores/Threads 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 2/4 Power 15W 15W 15W 15W 15W 15W Base Frequency (GHz) 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.3 Max. Single-Core Frequency (GHz) 3.5 3.1 3.1 2.8 N/A N/A Max. Threaded Frequency (GHz) 3.5 2.6 3.1 2.4 N/A N/A Graphics HD Graphics 620 HD Graphics 520 HD Graphics 620 HD Graphics 520 HD Graphics 620 HD Graphics 520 Staving Off The Wolves Intel probably had the inclination that discarding the m7 and m5 branding would be the source of some consternation, so the company made a change to the Intel Core badges that are on the outside of the end user products. In the past, there was no indication of which generation of the processor was inside the device, but the new branding scheme brings the "7th Gen" moniker to the badge. This might be helpful if a seventh-generation 4.5W i5 were comparable to a seventh-generation 15W i5 processor, but they aren't. Also, there isn't even a sixth-generation 4.5W i7 or i5 in existence, so it actually clarifies nothing. Confused Yet? Intel already has a somewhat confusing delineation between its "generations" branding and codenames, such as "Kaby Lake." For the record, Intel does not specifically market devices with the codename in an attempt to alleviate the confusion, but it actually just confuses the end user even more. Is it a "7th-gen Core" or a "Kaby Lake Core?" Well, confused customer, it's both. Bringing the delineated 4.5W and 15W i5 and i7 branding into the picture just creates more confusion, and it does nothing to help us determine the actual cTDP setting. The cTDP feature is useful, particularly for dynamic adjustments, but unfortunately OEMs can potentially abuse the feature. Because there isn't a requirement for the vendor to disclose the setting, you will have no idea if the device you just bought is even running at full speed. Clarification will require a trip to the vendor's detailed specs, and in some cases, a direct inquiry. The new branding makes it a whole lot harder for the average user to determine just what Intel is inside (as it were), and the cTDP settings make it even harder to determine how fast it is. Side note: Intel provided performance data of a few of its new SKUs, which were tested at various cTDP settings. Feel free to peruse the two images below to see the difference in performance. Unfortunately, Intel did not provide performance measurements with the restricted TDPs. When many actors decide to keep their personal life and choices carefully guarded, Ranbir Kapoor revealed a lot in his tell-all interview. And he isn't the only one. There are other actors who have made some shocking revelations in the past. Here's a look. By Charu Thakur : Bollywood stars are called heroes and heroines for a reason. Many fans idolise these actors. Most want to be like them. Others admire them from a distance. ALSO READ: Deepika Padukone tells the world how she fought depression ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut opens up about her personal life, says she was an unwanted child in her family advertisement While many think in real life too, these stars' lives are as glossy as the pages of the magazines their photos are published. But not all is as rosy as it looks. Like every normal person, these stars too face their share of issues. From alcohol addiction to sexual abuse, many B-Town stars have had harrowing experiences in their past. Some are still struggling with them. In a first-of-its kind interview, Ranbir Kapoor, who doesn't speak much about his personal life, made a candid confession about his alcohol problem. Speaking to Vogue magazine, the 32-year-actor revealed that his shoot-less days can turn him into an alcoholic. "It is a visual medium and I have to look after myself. I have seen it in my family, I have seen it go the wrong way; so I'm aware I have a drinking problem. When I shoot, when I work, I don't drink. But when I'm not shooting..." While many actors decide to keep their personal life and choices carefully guarded, Ranbir revealed a lot in his tell-all interview. And he isn't the only one. There are other actors who have made some shocking revelations in the past. Here's a look. Kangana Ranaut: I was an unwanted child Kangana Ranaut, who has portrayed strong characters on screen, made heads turn when she revealed that her personal life was never easy as she was the "unwanted child" in her family. "When I was born, my parents, my mother especially, couldn't come to terms with the fact that they had another baby girl. I know these stories in detail because every time a guest visited, or there was a gathering, they repeated this story in front of me, saying how I was the unwanted child in the famly." Deepika Padukone: I was suffering from anxiety and depression At the peak of her career, Deepika Padukone made a confession about her personal life that many would thank her later for. The 30-year-old actor spoke about her battle with depression and anxiety during her best phase in Bollywood. "In early 2014, while I was being appreciated for my work, one morning, I woke up feeling different. It was a struggle to shoot for Happy New Year's climax. Finally, I had a word with Anna aunty (her psychologist). She flew to Mumbai from Bengaluru, and I talked my heart out to her. She concluded that I was suffering from anxiety and depression. The counselling helped, but only to an extent. Then, I took medication, and today I am much better." advertisement Richa Chadha: Eating disorders are the best kept secret of showbiz Size zero and a perfect body have always been a fad in Bollywood. Richa Chadha, for the first time, spoke at length about the eating disorder that many in the Showbiz industry struggle with. The Gangs of Wasseypur actor revealed that Bulimia is a common disorder that plagues Bollywood and she, too, has been a victim of it. "I was told I should gain weight, then lose weight. I crumbled under the pressure like a wrecking ball had hit me. Bulimia is when you consistently hate what you look like, and compulsively induce vomiting, throw up all the food you eat, accompanied often by binge eating. You become drastically unhealthy, low on nutrition, with lack of sleep. I hated myself, gained weight in a strange way and felt like a failure." advertisement Kalki Koechlin: I was sexually abused at the age of 9 Not one to shy away from speaking her mind, Kalki Koechlin has always been vocal about issues like feminism and women empowerment. And in order to create more awareness about child sexual abuse, she revealed that she was sexually abused as a child. "I allowed someone to have sex with me at the age of nine, not understanding fully what it meant and my biggest fear after that was that my mother would find out. I felt it was my mistake and so I kept it hidden for years. If I had the confidence or awareness to confide in my parents, it would have saved me years of complexes about my own sexuality. It's important that parents remove the taboo around the word sex or private parts so kids can speak openly and be saved from potential abuse." --- ENDS --- Following an absolutely unprecedented demand from fans, Guns N Roses have expanded their highly anticipated 2017 Australian tour to include a second show at Sydneys ANZ Stadium on Saturday, 11th February. Tickets for the legendary bands second Sydney performance will go on sale at 3pm next Wednesday, 7th September via Ticketek. The Telstra Thanks pre-sale for Telstra customers starts 2pm Monday, 5th September via Telstra Thanks. GNRs 2017 Australian tour will see original Guns N Roses members Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan reuniting for one of the most eagerly anticipated tours of the century, taking on mammoth-sized venues including Melbournes MCG. Rose, Slash, and McKagan have not played Australian shores together since their infamous 1993 Use Your Illusion tour, which is still talked about to this day, in addition to their 14 ARIA Top 50 singles and multiple platinum albums. Guns N Roses Australian Tour Dates Tickets from $91.65* on sale to the general public on Friday, 26th August Tuesday, 7th February 2017 QSAC Stadium, Brisbane Tickets: Ticketek | 132 849 Friday, 10th February 2017 ANZ Stadium, Sydney Tickets: Ticketek | 132 849 Saturday, 11th February 2017 NEW SHOW ANZ Stadium, Sydney Tickets: Ticketek | 132 849 Tuesday, 14th February 2017 MCG, Melbourne Tickets: Ticketek | 132 849 Saturday, 18th February 2017 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Tickets: Ticketek | 132 849 Tuesday, 21st February 2017 Perth Domain Stadium, Perth Tickets: Ticketmaster | 136 100 * transaction fees, processing fees, transport levies and other charges may apply King Creosote should abdicate from the Scottish pop throne and become a salesman. Im the weakest link on this record, says the cosmic DIY swashbuckler of his new LP, Astronaut Meets Appleman. The follow-up to 2014s peculiarly beautiful and affecting From Scotland With Love, its an exquisite album from one of our best-loved voices, replete with a chamber-rock rabble and then some: harps and bagpipes come as standard, as does silence. Sometimes it doesnt sound like a KC record at all, continues the man also known as Fifes Kenny Anderson, coining another promotional slogan. It sounds far too good. Returning after the stellar success of his heavenly soundtrack, From Scotland With Love not to mention KC and Jon Hopkins 2011 Mercury-shortlisted Diamond Mine might seem a daunting mission to some. But the East Neuk (via space) cowboy touches down with accordions blazing, freewheeling stealth curveballs, and a wry commercial disregard. Astronaut Meets Appleman Album The logical follow on from 2014s FSWL would be to record an album of even greater acoustic grandeur than its predecessor whilst retaining much of the stripped back gnarly type of performance that King Creosote takes out on tour. Unless one is an avid follower of KCs fence output, bats in the attic written in 2009 is the most up-to-date glimpse into this middle aged songwriters life, and so the songs on Astronaut should sound at least 7 years newer, futuristic even. We took the recording process on tour, beginning in County Down, Ireland, in July 2015 with Julie McLarnon at the helm of her 2 tape reel-to-reel machine and a whole bank of analogue equipment, then onto the island of Mull for a week in each of September and October to record with Gordon Maclean at An Tobar, and finally in February of this year to the haven that is Chem19 in Blantyre with Paul Savage. Just to be on the safe side a cast of a dozen immensely talented musicians worked on 2 albums simultaneously, the names of whom can be found in glorious print in the album liner notes. You Just Want In the lead up to the release of FSWL I found myself tuning the car radio dial to find choral music that would assist my daughter in drifting off to sleep of an afternoon, and this in turn inspired a plaintive hymn-like lament of frustration and self debasement atop a cyclic 9 bar phrase that utilises a minor/major chord ratio of 6:3 On our first morning at Analogue Catalogue with stunning views across to the misty Mountains of Mourne the trio of djembe, cello, and acoustic guitar/voice struck up You Just Want, and the second live take and both of only 2 vocal passes made it all the way to the finishing line. Along the way the song was digitised and lengthened to make room for incoming double bass, violin, electric guitar, drums, keyboards, harp and backing vocals, resulting in this brooding drone that sets out the stall for the entire album. Melin Wynt In early September last year en route to Festival No.6 our 8 piece band enjoyed an overnight stop in North Wales. I woke early and took myself on a hike uphill following signs for Melin Wynt (Windmill) in the hope that Id chance upon some sort of wooden beehive structure with creaking cloth sails and a new noise for my dictaphone. Instead I was rewarded with a generals eye view of the impending invasion of the Wirral by a legion of much despised wind turbines marching in off the Irish Sea. The song therefore cried out for repetitive rhythms and the iconic Scottish wind instrument, the bagpipes, as well as a sample of an actual wind turbine to set the scene, and to further assist the sonic misting up of my eyes we added huge reverbs and delay to the chorus vocal. Wake Up To This If youve ever had the misfortune to be led by the nose up and down Edinburghs Broughton Street and regaled with recent tales of Festival debauchery whilst hobbling along on crutches and anti-depressants then youll no doubt have penned a lyric like this one in your time. After all, the girl from France dances on the tip of your tongue can only refer to a, um, fully functioning biped. This is in fact the second recorded version of WUTT, the first being an acoustic picked affair, but once an 8 piece band gets their teeth into such a song its hard enough to contain the propensity for ska/disco rhythms without taking it to Tobermory, Scotlands home of dub reggae, to record. In my songbook I drew a hand with the middle finger extended as the parting shot for this lyric, and this is the reaction I ask from our audiences instead of applause, although Im somewhat taken aback by the enthusiasm with which they take part. Faux Call Regarding the state of the music industry in 2016 it speaks volumes when the B side of a flopped single from 2006 can be dusted off, reworked and presented as a potential A side a decade later, but thats what seems to have occurred. This song is but a feeble apology to my long suffering partner-in-crime HMS Ginafore, and the cracked vocal performance you hear is in fact a masterclass of digital editing to match up the only 2 vocal performances captured at Analogue Catalogue. Im not sure forgiveness is on the cards, but the glittering harp and sweeping cello atop analogue synths as the song builds towards the close offers some hope at least. Betelgeuse Betelgeuse encapsulates best the overarching message contained within the album title I reckon, and in this recording I can hear Appleman actually meeting Astronaut and not the other way around. A lot of my songs in the writing stage end up on my phone or dictaphone, and so the first performance of Betelguese, buried below sterling baroque cello at first, slowly ebbs to make way for a band whose brief was simply to reach up for the stars. To coin a Scottish phrase, the timing of my original recording is totally hee-haw, making the drums-on-last approach doubly difficult. Sorry all! [The line my boat has sailed to Bolivia is a nod towards Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, pop pickers.] Love Life Dan Willson aka Withered Hand is the illustrator of the astronaut on the album cover, and in 2014 he invited me to sing on his utterly brilliant New Gods album, and as a thank you for his dedication to kc on King of Hollywood I have doffed my own musical cap to him. Hell most definitely hear it. Up until the time I was ensconced in studio headphones the song had but one punchline, that of the opening line really, and had it not been for my attempts to introduce my drummer and cellist to the delights of the Under the Skin soundtrack on our drive over to Oban a few days before, I doubt Id have ad-libbed the Scarlett Johansson line. Still, that SJ namecheck only served to further qualify this song as a single, for although we added the tuned percussive kitchen sink to the chorus only to then cut out 100 seconds or so during the final mix, the song already had some of my favourite performances of the entire record within its clutches. Peter Rabbit Tea One morning I heard this little mantra from the kitchen, snuck a recording onto my dictaphone, then went in search of my accordion. When the players with a more classical leaning were offered up the Astronaut songs to contribute to, it was the one conducted by a 20 month old that was instantly seized upon. During our first session at An Tobar a photo was sent over of my daughter at her high chair engrossed by two figures, the one a hi-tech and painstakingly designed astronaut figure, the other a deformed apple on cocktail sticks with what looked like a head, with the title astronaut meets appleman And so with some relief we quickly had our album working title. Surface Although budgets are tight youd be surprised to learn just how much waiting around there is during the recording process, and so to cut down on expensive non productive studio time, on the 4th day Gordon Maclean made the surely you have something else we can start on remark. Well actually no should have been my reply but instead we piled into this at a time when I had few chords and fewer words. Verse 2 was written as verse 1 was being double tracked, but despite this last minute lyrical throw of the dice, I had a full hand of word for word precision backing vocals, an epic E-bow guitar and fiddle combo, bagpipes as electric guitar, organ majesty and a synth bass playing the octaving thing I most love about kraut rock. The very day after the album was mixed Spring arrived and I had to drive from Fife across to Helensburgh, so what better time to play it loudly in the car. Somewhere beyond Stirling [Buchlyvie] the bagpipes kicked in and I whooped with sheer joy. Rules of Engagement Even after wed completed all of the aforementioned I felt that we were lacking a full stop to the album, so I nabbed this from the second set of songs with the working title The Librarian, Miss Crail. Ive long compared relationships to trench warfare, and the instrumentation started out as that of a 1950s Scottish dance band with drums, double bass, accordion and fiddle. Short and bitter a closer it may be, so why not have the Astronaut and Appleman fade into the distance under a closing canopy of harp and utterly mangled Welsh male voice choir? Melbourne-bred emo rock exponents Ceres are one of the most buzzed-about acts on the roster for BIGSOUND this year and with good reason. Part of a wave of bands proving emo is no longer a dirty word, the band have cemented a reputation for their quality songwriting and their steadfast work ethic. We recently caught up with Ceres Tom Lanyon to ask them a few questions about songs and songwriters who inspired them during the writing process for their new album Drag It Down On You, out today via Cooking Vinyl Australia Los Campesinos! The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future The first Los Campesinos! song Id ever heard. And it rattled me. Such a crushing song. When Gareth sings This thing hurts like hell, but what did you expect?. Oh man. If I didnt hear this song years ago, then Los Campesinos! wouldnt be my favourite band, and I wouldnt have asked Tom Bromley to produce the record that became Drag It Down On You. So glad all shit happened. Luca Brasi Theme Song From HQ Theres a lyric in Babys Breath, the last song off Drag It Down On You, that goes: Tyler taught me how to swear, in the songs I thought that no-one would hear I always hated swearing in my own songs, always felt forced an weird. Seeing Luca Brasi so many times, and becoming really close friends with them, including TylerI just loved the way you could feel by simply yelling FUCK, or in this case Fuckin record player. A swear word conveys in one word, what could easily take many. He doesnt know it, but Tyler taught me that. Blossom & Snow by Fraser A. Gorman Oh man. What a song. The ending of Choke is basically a poor-mans version of this song. It has a similar chord structure except I strum it like a brute and Fraser plucks it like an angel. Ive covered this song acoustically a few times, and it bums everyone out in the best way. I dont think Id ever played a minor chord before trying to learn this song, so I guess theres that too. Anathallo Kasa No Hone: The Umbrellas Bones If a song naturally goes for thirty seconds, or a minute, or twothen thats how long it should go for. Dont force it. Kasa No Hone has been in my head for a long time, I actually sing about it on our song Woodwork. But anyway, besides this being an incredible song, it taught me to not fight the process, to follow each songs build and tension. It even taught me a little Japanese, too. Holly Throsby Only A Rake Could be my favourite song of all time. This song will influence me always and forever. The most melancholic thing I could ever imagine. Never forget the first time I heard it, been trying to write something as good or as beautifully sad since. Like it or not, it's a fact of life that Kansas City sexual assaults spike in the Spring and Summer and the Westport Party district isfor danger to women . . .Sadly, the reality of rape danger doesn't often make the news. Credit to Fox4 for running this testimony from somebody who obviously felt strongly about their Midtown Kansas City experience.Developing . . . ACCORDING TO A KICK-ASS KANSAS CITY INSIDER: "They have until 9/17 to get this stupid thing done. I'm sure nothing is ever going to happen with this debacle!" NOW ON A STRICT DEADLINE . . . THE DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY HOTEL PROPOSAL HASN'T EARNED MANY INVESTORS OR INTEREST FROM FINANCIAL BACKERS OUTSIDE DEVELOPERS!!! Once again City Hall taxpayer subsidy stays losing as the Council wisely decides to limit the exposure of this town's budget for a hotel project that THANKFULLY is falling apart. Under the radar, this afternoon City Council passed an important amendment to the proposed and extremely controversial Downtown Hotel project which limits the time for developers to put together financing.Accordingly . . .This is curious given that. It seems like so much tax subsidy and a great location would invite big money interests to build something here . . . However, critics were obviously correct when they asserted that if the venture held so much promise, private equity would've made the deal long before City Hall stepped in to put it together.And so . . .Developing . . . Presidents and board members of the councils of Greek universities have handed in their resignations en masse to the Education Ministry in protest against the decision by Deputy Education Minister Sia Anagnostopolou to arbitrarily prolong their tenures on the councils for one more year. Members and heads of the councils in the universities of Athens, Thessaloniki and Macedonia made it dear in their letters of resignation that their decision was reached due to the fact that the Ministry had not clarified its intentions on the future of the councillor institution. They accuse the current political leadership of trying to disdain the councillor institution by putting its future on hold. The members argue that instead of proclaiming new electoral proceedings for the renewal of the councils boards, whose term ended on August 31, the Ministry chose to extend their terms until August 2017. It is the second time the Ministry has backtracked after Minister Filis introduced an amendment Tuesday night on the abolition of legislation that compelled students to register every 6 months if they wanted to continue their studies, essentially reintroducing the eternal students status. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The elephant of Tilos was the last elephant of Europe that arrived on the island by swimming from Minor Asia 45,000 years ago A unique exhibition entitled "Elephas tiliensis. Dwarf and three-dimensional" was inaugurated at the Museum of Geology and Paleontology of the National University of Athens on Thursday evening. This is the elephant of Tilos, the last elephant of Europe that arrived on the island by swimming from Minor Asia 45,000 years ago, the Director of the Museum, Professor George Theodorou, explained to the Athens - Macedonian News Agency. The researchers were able to collect samples, to replicate them with CT scanners and laser scanners, to turn them into three-dimensional models, calculating the correct dimensions and then to print them in 3D. "This is an innovative, modern methodology that allowed us to get closer to an ideal form of Tilos' elephant and for the first time have a mounted three-dimensional skeleton," Theodorou added. Visitors have the opportunity to see an extinct amimal in three-dimensional form and be informed about the methodology of the excavations, the original material from excavations, as well as to compare the old methodoly of copying with modern methodology that allows the construction of mirror printing samples to scale. The director of the Museum of Geology and Paleontology of the National University of Athens, Professor George Theodorou, underlined that "the university has carried out excavations on Tilos from 1971 until today. We have a cave, Charkadio, discovered by Professor Nicholas Symeonidis. This cave is home to a lot of material on Tilos' elephants. We gave the name 'tiliensis' in 2007, because it disappeared in Tilos 3,500 years ago and came to Tilos at least 45,000 years ago." Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright:freddie boy License: CC-BY-SA Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday unveiled plans to set up an Office of the Prime Minister in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday unveiled plans to set up an Office of the Prime Minister in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, during a meeting with northern Greece-based industry and business associations at the Maximos Mansion in Athens. The meeting, lasting three hours, was held ahead of the prime minister's visit to the 81st Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) on September 10-11. According to sources from the organisations attending the meeting, Tsipras said he would set up a branch of the premier's office in Thessaloniki where he will meet with Thessaloniki and northern-Greece based bodies, as well as Balkan leaders visiting Greece. While receiving representatives of the associations on Thursday, Tsipras had invited them to become "allies in the great efforts for the recovery and productive reconstruction of the country." "We will strive not to hold this dialogue annually and opportunistically each September when TIF comes around but make it constant, so that we can find the best possible solutions for the problems that you face and we face," Tsipras said. During the meeting, the business and industry association representatives raised various issues concerning them, including local matters relating to Thessaloniki port, as well as more general problems such as liquidity and non-performing loans. Tsipras also promised that the TIF will remain where it is and not be moved. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci is remaining unyielding on the security and guarantees issue, which he discussed with President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday. Specifically, Akinci has said the guarantees system will accommodate itself to 2016 as it is no longer 1960, when the system was created, according to reports from the occupied areas. However, the Turkish Cypriot leader has remained unyielding in his stance Turkey, must be part of the system, saying: We must not forget that the Turkish Cypriot people see their security coming only from Turkeys guarantees, and not from international forces. He added that it was beneficial for him to highlight that it is no longer 1960, and that in 2016 the conditions are different. It is clear that a new structure will be created after a solution. The new structure of a bizonal, bicommunal, united federal Cyprus, which will have to equal states, will create a clearer picture of those conditions. Surely, the system of security and guarantees will adapt to this situation, Akinci said. Akinci added that the security and guarantees should not be seen as a threat by one side of the other in the new structure, as it is for both sides to feel secure. Non-binding opinions The Turkish Cypriot leader has said that they exchanged non-binding opinions on the issue during their meeting on Friday, adding that changing the system of 1960 wasnt brought up in specific. Today as Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders we brainstormed on a number of ideas that are non-binding on the issue of guarantees and security. We cannot forget that the Treaty of Guarantee is an international agreement. Its final shape will be decided from the results during a five-party conference, he said. Akinci closed referring to remarks made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during his visit to the occupied areas, where he said that the goal is to have a system where both sides feel secure, adding that both Turkey and Greece have already started discussing the issue unofficially. Cavusoglu had said that the time has come for the issue to be discussed. However, Anastasiades had said on Friday, on his return from the meeting with Akinci, that the proposal he heard from the Turkish Cypriot side was not satisfactory. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report A day after making a much hyped entry into the Telecom sector through Reliance Jio, the Indian business Tycoon Mukesh Ambani along with family came to Tirumala for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara Swamy. By Ashish Pandey: Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani on Friday visited the temple town Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. To felicitate the VVIP visit, the authorities kept the Alipiri toll gate in Tirumala open at 1 am on Friday while gate remains closed between 12 midnight to 3 am usually. However, the rule was altered for the sake of India's richest man creating a flutter among the common visitors. advertisement SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH A day after making a much hyped entry into the Telecom sector through Reliance Jio, the Indian business Tycoon Mukesh Ambani along with family came to Tirumala for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara Swamy. Also read: How much Jio 4G will cost after December 31? This is cheapest 4G service in world The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Trust officials gave a red carpet welcome to the business family. The TTD authorities informed India Today that Mukesh Ambani along with son Ananth performed special poojas at the temple. The priests offered prasadam also to the Ambani family after the darshan. Meanwhile, Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation Sadananda Gowda also visited the temple town today and offered his prayers there. --- ENDS --- Featured Stories Names Honorees Who have Led the Universitys Expansion, Impact and Innovation Over the Past 50 Years Touro University will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with a gala and convocation on December 4, 2022, to be held at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. It is boom time for Kuwait's construction industry with infrastructure developments, educational facilities and new housing projects propelling the sector, which is set to reach $15.6 billion in 2020, said a report. The top 10 construction projects in Kuwait are worth $12 billion, with healthcare investments being one of the major drivers of the construction industrys growth in 2016, according to a BNC Report commissioned by The Big 5 Kuwait 2016. Out of the top 10 projects in Kuwait, six are in fact devoted to the development of new or existing hospitals and valued at $5.5 billion, it stated. According to BNC, the size of the healthcare economy in the GCC was around $40.3 billion last year, and is expected to increase at a projected rate of 12 per cent per year, reaching $71.3 billion in 2020. BNCs GCC Kuwait Healthcare Report 2016 revealed that 133 healthcare projects in the GCC were each worth over $100 million. These projects make up almost 80 per cent of the total value of all healthcare projects in the region. Dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, the organisers of Kuwaits largest construction event, The Big 5 Kuwait 2016, released the BNC list of the countrys Top 10 Projects, while investigating major opportunities and trends within the local construction industry. It includes: * Expansion of Kuwait International Airport (KIA) - Terminal 2: The $4-billion expansion of the passenger terminal stands at the top of the BNC list. With completion estimated in 2022, the new terminal building will allow the airport to accommodate 13 million passengers per year. The project involves the construction of a new terminal building comprising a basement level, a ground floor, two additional floors, a 400-bed transit hotel, waiting rooms and parking areas with a capacity of 4,500 cars. *Jaber Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah Hospital - South Surra: With completion expected this November, the $1.6-billion project includes the construction of a hospital complex over an area of 47,000 sq m. It also features a dental building on an area of 5,000 sq m, a staff and doctor's residency building, and a three-storey underground car park with a capacity of 7,000 cars. * New Farwaniya Hospital Expansion - Al Farwaniya: Valued $1 billion and due for completion by the end of 2019, the project involves the construction of a hospital complex, a dentistry building with 100 specialised clinics, 27 operation theatres and 233 ICU beds. * Childrens Hospital - Al Shuwaikh: The hospital will feature a total of 792 beds, 2,000 car parking spaces, a helipad and a free-standing day care centre. Valued at $850 million, the project is due to be completed in the last quarter of 2018. *Kuwait Maternity Hospital - Sabah Medical Area: Although still at the tender stage, the $790-million hospital is due for completion in 2018. The maternity hospital is expected to accommodate 36,000 births annually.-TradeArabia News Service Dubai-based DP World and the Summa Group, a diversified business with significant infrastructure investments in Russia, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore investment opportunities in ports, special economic zones and inland logistics facilities in the Russian Federation. The partnership will also focus on the development and implementation of cutting-edge freight delivery and port processing technologies, said a statement from the company. The development and promotion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Russian Far East transportation corridors, including free ports Vladivostok and Zarubino also form part of the agreement, it said. Both partners will leverage their international experience and exchange best practice in port management, including the efficient operation of free ports, it added. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO, DP World, said: We are always on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate with industry peers. This is one of the many ways in which we grow and develop our expertise, by sharing what lessons weve learnt in each of our sectors. The Summa Group have been extensively involved in developing trade infrastructure in Russia and elsewhere and we have done the same with a network of 77 operating marine and inland terminals across six continents and other international interests such as DP World Russia, a joint venture company that targets marine, dry ports and logistics infrastructure in the country, he said. I am pleased to have entered discussions with the Summa Group on potential areas of collaboration as Russia has always been an attractive origin and destination market for us with huge long term growth prospects, he added. Ziya Magomedov, chairman, Summa Group, said: We welcome the partnership with DP World, the global leader in port infrastructure and management, to develop the free trade zones in Russia, CIS and beyond. As you know, The Summa Group is heavily focused on transport and logistics along main trade corridors and partnership with DP World will only enhance such presence, traction and reach, he said. Furthermore, I am confident that together we will also implement and deploy such high-tech solutions that will help transform these trade corridors and the transport and logistics arena as a whole, he concluded. The Summa Group is a diversified private holding with significant investments in the port logistics, engineering, construction, telecommunications, and in the oil and gas sectors, it stated. TradeArabia News Service You can opt out of certain types of cookies (e.g. those used in social media sharing) by choosing "I do not accept". The website will still largely function well, but with slightly less functionality in places. To manage your cookie preferences in future, visit the "Cookie Statement" link at the bottom of any page. The Alaska Airlines flight will originate in Seattle with same plane service to Los Angeles and then Havana. Alaska Airlines this week was awarded the right to operate commercial service between Los Angeles and Havana, Cuba. The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) officially approved Alaska's application to begin service to the Cuban capital, which still must be approved by the Cuban government before tickets can go on sale. "We applaud Secretary Anthony Foxx and the team at DOT for their thoughtful and impartial approach toward opening U.S. commercial service to Cuba," said John Kirby, Alaska's vice president of capacity planning. "As the only carrier to be awarded daily nonstop service from the West Coast to Havana, we're excited to be one of the first airlines to serve Cuba on a scheduled basis in more than 50 years." Once Alaska receives official approval from the Cuban government, the airline will determine when to begin service. The Alaska Airlines flight will originate in Seattle with same plane service to Los Angeles and then Havana. Traveling to Cuba involves advance planning. The U.S. government doesn't allow Americans to visit Cuba strictly for tourism U.S. citizens are permitted to travel to Cuba if they fall under 12 approved categories, such as family visits, education, journalism and humanitarian projects. Learn more about the travel requirements and travel tips to Cuba at www.alaskaair.com/cuba. Tentative schedule of new service: Flight City pair Departs Arrives Frequency 286 Seattle-Los Angeles 5 a.m. 7:40 a.m. Daily 286 Los Angeles-Havana 8:50 a.m. 4:55 p.m. Daily 287 Havana-Los Angeles 5:55 p.m. 9 p.m. Daily 287 Los Angeles-Seattle 10:50 p.m. 1:28 a.m. Daily All times based on local time zones Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Travel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2022 Travel Industry Wire The court doubted the source of money and said it is "difficult to digest" that so much amount has been refunded in such a short span of time. By India Today Web Desk: The Supreme Court today asked Sahara India to specify the source Rs 18,000 crores which it claims to have refunded to investors. The court doubted the source of money and said it is "difficult to digest" that so much amount has been refunded in such a short span of time. On August 3, the court had extended Subrata Roy's parole till September 16 with a condition to deposit Rs 300 crore with the SEBI. advertisement Roy's parole, granted on humanitarian grounds following the death of his mother, was extended after he had deposited Rs 300.68 crores, giving him the opportunity to raise the remaining amount to secure bail in the case. MONEY COLLECTED THROUGH OFCDs Defending itself, the group in a statement said that the money collected through Optional Fully Convertible Debentures (OFCDs) were invested in various assets of the constitution and when the need arose for the repayments to the investors, the companies of the group made the money availabl. Sahara's lawyer also mentioned that Sahara operates from around 5000 branches across the country and all the payments were made through those branches only. Also read: Sahara case: Sebi says nearly 12k refund applications received The Sahara group, through its lawyer, said, "All the documents pertaining to these repayments have been handed over to SEBI in original, along with the original bond certificates surrendered by the investors. Again all the documents evidencing the payments to the investors have already been placed before the Hon'ble Court." The statement also added since the majority of the investors of Sahara do not have the bank accounts and they had made the investments in cash, therefore they were refunded and paid in cash only. The apex court had allowed Sahara group to go ahead with sale and alienation of their properties to raise an amount of Rs 5,000 crore as a bank guarantee which they have to deposit in addition to Rs 5,000 crore to get bail for Roy. SAHARA IN TALKS WITH CANARA BANK The Sahara chief had earlier told the court that by December, the group would be in a position to fulfill all the conditions and that talks were going on with Canara Bank for Rs 1,500 crore bank gaurantee. The apex court had passed an order on March 29 stating that SEBI would not sell any property owned by the beleaguered group for a price less than 90 per cent of the circle rates for the area in question without the permission of the court. The court had asked the SEBI to initiate the process of selling "unencumbered" properties of Sahara group, whose title deeds are with the market regulator, to generate the bail money for release of the group chief. The Supreme Court even offered to close the Pandora box if the company submits proof of source for the refunded money. The next hearing for the Sahara case has been scheduled for September 16. advertisement --- ENDS --- The pikas pickle: The fur ball known as an American pika is not coping well with climate change. Looking a bit like a mighty-eared mouse, the American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a wee member of the rabbit family that lives in the mountains of the western United States and southwestern Canada. The pikas other names rock rabbit, piping hare, hay-maker, mouse-hare, whistling hare, and cony all attest to the undeniable Beatrix-Potter charm of this alpine mammal. But sadly, we may be losing the American pika as it is disappearing from much of its mountain habitat in the U.S. While researchers have been noting the pikas slow decline, a new study now confirms the decline and suggests that rising temperatures are a driving factor. U.S. Geological Survey/CC BY 2.0 Author of the study, Erik A. Beever, a research ecologist with the United States Geological Survey, and a team of 14 researchers surveyed more than 900 locations across three Western regions where pikas have lived northern California, the Great Basin and southern Utah. What they discovered is startling, reports InsideClimate News: In California, pikas had disappeared from 38 percent of the sites. In the Great Basin, which lies between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada mountains, 44 percent of locations were pika-free. They were unable to find a single one in Zion National Park, in southern Utah, where the animals had been recorded as recently as 2011. Part of the problem is that what makes the pika so cute is also leading to its undoing. Even though they rub rocks with their cheeks, and sing and whistle and squeak, and according to the IUCN Red List, spend much of the day sitting still, observing their surroundings their cutest attribute may be their irresistible puff of fur. Even the soles of their feet are covered in fur, all except the tips of their toes. "It has this characteristic of essentially being a big fur ball, which is a really great strategy if you live on the top of a snowy cold mountain and want to stay active in those temperatures," says Mark C. Urban from the University of Connecticut, comparing the pikas dilemma to wearing a fur coat on a warm summer day. "Humans can take off that fur coat, but the American pika can't." Tony LePrieur/flickr Living high in the cool mountains makes the pika isolated, as the valleys below are too warm for them to successfully migrate to new territory. As The New York Times reports, "the thick coats that help the pika survive winter can roast them if temperatures rise above 77F degrees for as little as six hours." As things warms up, the pikas can really only move higher up the mountain. Scientists have long believed that creatures in isolated ecosystems would be the first to go as the climate changes, Urban says. The new research strengthens the theory, he adds. Alan D. Wilson/CC BY 2.0 The study is important not only because it serves as an indication of things to come for other isolated species, but may help in the plight of the pika itself. In 2010, the federal administration rejected a bid to add the American pika to the endangered species list, concluding that the American pika could handle a wider range of temperatures and precipitation than previously thought. The sweet little American pika is up for nomination again, hopefully the new data will have an impact on the decision. And not only for the pikas sake. The researchers say that the loss of these rock bunnies could have a profound impact on their mountain habitats. Despite their diminutive size, they play a starring role in the ecosystem by spreading seeds and redistributing nutrients. And as Beever notes, the data indicate a near-certain decline in key areas. "At our sites in the Great Basin, we're really not seeing any of those patches they're lost from being recolonized," he said. "It's kind of a one-way trip." Via InsideClimate News The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has launched an investigation into the sex CD case involving Sandeep Kumar. By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: The embarrassment to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has not come to an end with the removal of Sandeep Kumar as women and child development minister following the coming out in the open of a sleaze CD allegedly involving the latter. In fact, more embarrassment, in instalments, is in store for Kejriwal for a long time to come. advertisement The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, which is controlled by the BJP-ruled Centre, has launched an investigation into the sex CD case. The Crime Branch will probe the authenticity of the "objectionable CD" in which the minister is seen in a compromising position with two women. Apparently, the investigation will be a long drawn one. The police will not betray any haste in arriving at a conclusion. On the contrary, the investigation is likely to be conducted in leisure. As and when some juicy information would be obtained, they will be leaked to the media to embarrass Kejriwal and the AAP government in the Delhi to deal maximum damage to their image. The rivals such as the BJP and Congress, in turn, would derive political mileage out of this episode. The police said it will interrogate all those involved in the case. Most likely Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia would also be questioned because they had watched the CD before Sandeep Kumar was removed. This would be embarrassing for the CM and his deputy. Also read: In memes: The Sandeep Kumar sex video saga The probe will be a long one. It will be carried out in two phases. In first phase, whisteblowers will be questioned and efforts will be made to identify the women. In second phase, Sandeep Kumar will be questioned. If the members of the families of the women register a complaint, a criminal case would be registered against the former minister under various sections. Sandeep Kumar will be quizzed on the motive for making the video with women. Special teams of the Crime Branch will be constituted for the purpose. They will explore the possibility of Sandeep Kumar preparing the sleaze CD and clicking selfies to blackmail the women. The Centre has made a move. Now, Kejriwal has just one option to minimise the damage to him and his government - that of expelling Sandeep Kumar from AAP. However, so far Kejriwal has not expelled any of the three ministers whom he has removed from their posts - the then law minister Jitendra Singh Tomar who was arrested on the charges of having fake degrees, the then environment and food minister Asim Ahmed Khan for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder and Sandeep Kumar. advertisement But till then happens, the Centre would like to keep the pot boiling so that Kejriwal and the AAP feel the heat. --- ENDS --- Complainant Om Prakash today told Delhi Police Crime Branch officials that the CD was handed over to him by an unknown person. By India Today Web Desk: The Arvind Kejriwal-party today appeared to be divided over the sacking of Delhi Social Minister Sandeep Kumar after a CD of him in a compromising position with two women surfaced few days ago. While in a video message, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal earlier claimed to have taken instant action by sacking the minister, Sandeep Kumar refuted the claims and said he had offered to quit the party instead. advertisement In a letter dated August 31, which has been accessed by India Today Television, Kumar offered to quit following the uproar over the 'objectionable CD'. In the CD, the AAP leader is seen in a compromising position with two women. Also read: AAP minister sacked for sex scandal had said he touches his wife's feet every morning Meanwhile, complainant Om Prakash today told Delhi Police Crime Branch officials that the CD was handed over to him by an unknown person. Om Prakash told police that he merely acted as a middleman and had no clue who the actual sender was. Also read: Arvind Kejriwal's video message on Sandeep Kumar sex scandal: Took instant action Assuring full cooperation in the probe, he also demanded police security. On Thursday, police launched a probe to verify the authenticity of CD. No FIR has been filed against the AAP leader yet, but the police said that it will take legal opinion before any action and will also interrogate all those involved in the case. Also read: Sandeep Kumar sexcapade video: Crime branch to probe authenticity Meanwhile, Sandeep Kumar alleged that the reason behind being targeted was "because I am a Dalit." He also said that he was not the one in the video. Scores of BJP members staged a protest outside Arvind Kejriwal's residence demanding his resignation and his expulsion from AAP. Raising slogans against Kejriwal and Kumar and waving BJP flags, party workers tried to march towards the chief minister's residence in Civil Lines area, but were stopped close to it by the police, which barricaded their entry. --- ENDS --- Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 1 Showcasing exemplary courage and magnanimity, families of two young brain dead patients at the PGI, have donated their kidneys and corneas. Their generous act gave a second lease of life through transplantation to four kidney failure patients battling for survival and the gift of sight to another four, thereby impacting eight lives in all. The day started as usual for 29-years-old Varsha Sharma on August 27. Her four-year-old son was playing gleefully, while one-month-old daughter was fast asleep and everyone else in the family was busy in their routine chores as usual, completely oblivious to the impending doom till the moment when the wall on which Varsha had climbed to pluck vegetables suddenly crumbled. Varsha fell from a height of about 6 feet from and became unconscious. The family immediately rushed her to the local hospital from where she was referred to the PGI. She was admitted to the PGI on August 29. However, she succumbed to her injuries and was declared brain dead on August 31. The untimely and tragic death of another patient Gandhi Mahatoo, all of 21 years from Dera Bassi, Punjab, is also beyond comprehension and extremely difficult to reconcile. A third year BCA student from Chandigarh University, Gandhi was walking on the side of a road in Dera Bassi when he was hit from behind by a car on August 26. On getting to know about the accident, the family immediately rushed him to Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, from where he was shifted to the GMCH, Sector 32. He was further referred to the PGI and was finally admitted on August 28. But Gandhi, too, like Varsha, succumbed to his injuries and was declared brain dead on August 31. Giving information, Ajay Sharma, husband of deceased Varsha, controlling his emotions, said, My children have lost their mother at an age when they needed her the most. Hope my decision for organ donation helps some children turn lucky and save their mothers. This will be our biggest tribute to her. Varsha, who was brought up by her paternal uncle Shakti Chand Sharma after her father died when she was merely two-year-old said, It is our daughters turn to live through others. Even in her death, she lives on. The same sentiment was echoed by Gandhis courageous father Tarkeshwar Mahatoo, We are devastated by the loss of our son. He lived life to the full and his smile would light up a room. No words can convey the loss. With organ donation, at least I will be able to save someone else the pain and trauma of losing their children. He always used to be the first one to help others and even in his death, he has done so. He is our hero. Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 2 Banking operations, transport services and electricity supply were badly affected as employee unions participated in a nationwide strike on a call given by central unions. Residents faced power failure in several sectors as faults were not rectified for hours. People complained that phones calls to complaint centres went unanswered. Gopal Datt Joshi, secretary of the Employees Forum, said employees of the LIC, insurance companies, BSNL, post offices, and the Electricity, Horticulture, Water Supply and Transport departments observed a complete strike. The electricity supply to several areas was hit as more than 90 per cent of the employees participated in the strike. Defying the no work, no pay order of the Administration, over 700 employees of the Electricity Department stayed away from work. MP Singh, Superintending Engineer, said they had made elaborate arrangements to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Residents said their complaints were not attended to for hours. Southern sectors went into darkness soon after the strike began last night after a fault occurred in the supply line from Mohali. The department restored the supply after a few hours. Residents of Dadu Majra, Industrial Area and Sectors 18, 19, 21, 22, 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, 42 and 43 faced outage throughout the day. Col SS Pannu (retd), who is 96 years old and resident of Sector 21, faced a harrowing time as he could not be given treatment due to the outage. Public transport services were also hit as the CTU Employees Union stopped local buses at Sector 17 for more than an hour. The coordination committee of government employees and MC workers held a protest rally at the MC office. Rakesh Kumar, convener of the committee, announced that the coordination committee would observe a complete strike on September 28 in support of the employees demands. Gopal Dutt said they were opposing the move to privatise the Electricity Department. Charu Chhibber Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 2 Even as Union Health Secretary CK Mishra today stated that the PGI had been severely affected by the nurses strike, the institute authorities continued to claim smooth running of all hospital services. When a reality check was done, it was found that thousands of patients coming to the PGI today suffered a day of hardships and inconvenience. A large number of patients, who had turned up at various out-patient departments (OPD) of the hospital this morning for treatment, had to return disappointed in the wake of the nurses strike. The worst hit were those admitted to the Emergency and Advanced Trauma Centre (ATC) of the institute as the two areas witnessed scant presence of nursing students of NINE. My son suffered a paralytic attack and has been admitted here since last night. Since morning today, a doctor has come once to check on him and gave him medicines. No nurse has come to check him. He has been sleeping. I dont have any update on his condition for the past eight hours. What if he needs a different medicine or a different line of treatment? Who will tell me? questioned a worried Harpal Kaur. Banto, a relative of another patient, said her brother had met with an accident. He was brought here yesterday. He is badly injured. His entire back, arms and right leg are hurt. There is no nurse here to check him. The doctor came just once and told us he would need to stay here for some days. He gave some injections and medicine, prescribed some tests and vanished. Its been several hours. This correspondent visited the Emergency and the ATC four times during the day and witnessed the presence of only two nursing students in Hall A of the Emergency, two in Hall C and none in the ATC. Those who were present were struggling to manage the patient rush along with resident doctors. Yesterday, when we were informed about our duty at the Emergency, I was happy that it will be a great learning experience. However, the reality is grossly different. Today was a challenging day, especially because we are just 355, divided in three shifts, said a BSc (Nursing) student of NINE on condition of anonymity. PGI claims smooth functioning... The strike had a minor effect on the day-to-day functioning. The institute administration managed smooth running of all hospital services, including OPD and emergency services, with the help of a contingency plan in hand and assistance from National Institute of Nursing Education (NINE). Despite the strike, the hospital services were managed well. Only a few elective surgeries were curtailed in order to focus on the emergency services. The OPD registration was done as per the usual time from 8 am to 11 am. As many as 8,208 patients registered in for the OPD and approximately 154 were admitted to indoor units. With regard to surgical operations, 75 surgeries were done. Emergency operations and deliveries were performed, stated the official statement of the PGI. ...but accepts inconvenience to patients, public Taking an administrative view on the strike and inconvenience being caused to patients and the general public, the PGI administration decided to observe no work, no pay for absenteeism. To hire 150 nurses In addition to this, the administration has decided to hire 150 nurses immediately through walk-in interviews, stated an official press note. Nurses to continue strike As many as 1,500 nurses of the PGI participated in the indefinite strike on a call of the All-India Government Nurses Federation for getting their pending demands regarding the Seventh Pay Commission met by the Centre. We will continue our strike till further communication from the federation, said Lakhwinder Singh, president of the PGI Nurses Welfare Association. He said in the morning, 300 nurses on probation were threatened by the PGI authorities to come to work or face action. They went to duty in the morning but joined the strike within a few hours, he said. S Nihal Singh HAS India crossed a Rubicon in signing the military logistics agreement with the US, more than a decade in the making? The answer can only be a yes because New Delhi had crossed it in a starker form in signing the Indo-Soviet military agreement prior to the Bangladesh War. In both cases, India was coming to terms with geopolitical factors that demanded an answer, despite the lip service paid to non-alignment, a pillar of policy at one time later reduced to a museum exhibit. In Indira Gandhis time, with Nixons America wooing Maos China dramatically to change the geopolitical balance and Pakistan flaunting the China card, New Delhis out-of-the-box solution was to guard its flanks against the backdrop of an imminent conflict with Pakistan. In the present instance, Chinas aggressive moves in the region, its embrace of Pakistan by making it the key to the new Silk Road project and exploiting Islamabads anti-New Delhi reflex have been capped by President Xi Jinpings condescension and arrogance towards India. A recent wound was self-inflicted by Mr Narendra Modi raising the pitch for his countrys membership to the NSG, inviting the Chinese snub. But in essence, New Delhi had nowhere to go in the face of worrying Chinese signals by blackballing India in as many international organisations as it could. Yet the resonance of the military logistical agreement taking into account Indian sensitivities is louder than its essential features. It facilitates mutual sharing of military facilities in each others country as a matter of routine, with case by case approvals in certain instances. If China apprehends troubles, as its state-sponsored media suggests, it has only itself to blame. Defence Minister Mohan Parrikar was careful in declaring in Washington that there was no question of granting bases to America under the agreement, anticipating the flak it received from the Marxist Communists and the Congress; the latter seemed to be opposing it because it is in the opposition. Indeed, what we shall witness in the future is a battle of perception. It is true that we are moving closer to the US than ever before, but for good reasons. Ostracised by the West, President Putins Russia is moving closer to China although determined to claim a say in world affairs through its Syrian intervention. The China-Pakistan equation is clear. In a sense, the logistics agreement with the US is the fruit of Mr Modis consistent effort to build a rapport with President Obama after coming to power in Delhi. Indias compulsions were clear enough, with a neighbourhood disturbed by Pakistans words and actions and Beijing set to humiliate New Delhi. Mr Modi therefore had a point in setting his priorities. There are two other allied facilitation agreements in the military field that remain to be discussed and agreed to, but Mr Parrikar made clear in Washington that New Delhi needed first to digest the logistics text signed before launching into new areas. Here again the essence is to gain public acceptance of the logistical framework in a political environment susceptible to the charm of the non-aligned credo. The truth is that the world has changed dramatically since the peak of non-alignment. The sense of shock produced by China ripping through Indias defence in the Himalayas and the North-East was such that Jawaharlal Nehru begged for US military aid. Defence of the country took precedence over non-alignment and set in train decades of military modernisation. Mercifully, the situation is not equally stark today but the tilt towards the US is determined by broader geopolitical factors. The rationale of the present policy of the Modi government cannot be faulted. As our neighbourhood West Asian scenario tragically reveals, we live in a troubled world in which China as the aspiring superpower wants its own say, to the detriment of Indian interests. The task of convincing literate public opinion in India about the benefits of the military logistical agreement with the US is, however, made more difficult by the NDA government pursuing its domestic policies in propagating Hindutva. The resolution of the Kashmir problem, now presented with a new twist, is more difficult because of what the BJP leaders believe to be the essentials of Indian nationhood. Rationally, men and nations should view the changing geopolitical scenario as a chess game. The chess pieces a nation moves depends upon the nature of the moves made by the opponent and a chess master thinks far ahead of several possible hostile moves before deciding on his position to guard. No nation, however powerful, acts in a vacuum. Thanks to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the wars of contestation for a bite of the West European-ordered post-Ottoman Empire Middle East, the dramatic rise of China, the EU phenomenon and a new upsurge in the developing countries, we live in a different world. We cannot apply yesterdays remedies to todays and tomorrows problems. What then should be Indias course? There is no substitute for eternal vigilance. Despite contracting options, New Delhi can play its remaining cards wisely. There is no reason why New Delhi should not strengthen relations with Russia, now being cold-shouldered by the West. The Look East policy initiated by PV Narasimha Rao, needs to be taken to its logical conclusion by cultivating cordial trade relations with South-east Asian countries. There is leeway to be made in helping Africa catch up with the rest of the world. Relations with the US take priority because it remains the sole super-power and wants to build close ties with India as a balance to an assertive China, together with Japan and Australia. Whatever the mechanics involved, New Delhi is happy building bridges with Tokyo and Canberra for its own reasons. Indias geopolitical interests largely coincide with Japans and there is great understanding between the two sides. The new logistical agreement with the US is but one brick in the edifice. Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Panchkula, September 2 A battery of experts of Goods and Services Tax (GST) from Haryana and New Delhi along with Excise and Taxation Minster Capt Abhimanyu today brainstormed for more than four hours during the GST Summit- Haryana in Panchkula. Advocates, chartered accountants, tax professional and traders attended the summit in large numbers. Experts and the minister shed light on all important aspects of the GST. At present, most of the states have their different tax structures and its causing confusion and leading to harassment of traders. The main purpose of the GST is to bring uniformity in the tax structure of the country. It will also have a compliance rating system, so that the GST paying states can get information about defaulters, said Upender Gupta, commissioner, GST, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Gupta also said the GST would replace more than 10 central and state taxes. We have made all preparations for the GST and conducted a study of all taxes, which will be subsumed by the GST. It will not cause any losses to the state and if any, we will get compensation from the Centre, Abhimanyu told The Tribune. The minister said the GST was being introduced to provide a level playing field to all stakeholders who are trade, industry and consumers and for the removal of fiscal barriers in the form of multiple taxes. The GST would boost the overall investment climate and economic activities, he said. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who also attended the summit, announced that the government would constitute a task force for the successful implementation of all aspects of the GST in the state. The force will include traders, industrialists, advocates, chartered accountants, information technology experts and government officers. It would deal with grievances, if any, concerning implementation of the GST, he said. Industries and Commerce Minister Vipul Goel said the GST would help industry in a big way. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 2 The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the previous Haryana governments policy to regularise the services of contractual and ad hoc employees. The policy was framed by Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government ahead of the state Assembly elections in 2014. At the time of the policys announcement, more than 20,000 Group B, C and D ad hoc/contract employees with three years of service were expected to benefit. As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sudip Ahluwalia also made it clear that the fate of employees regularised in view of the policy would be subject to the final decision. The developments took place during the hearing of a bunch of petitions filed by Yogesh Tyagi of Sonepat district and other petitioners in August, 2014. The court was told that the then state government was trying to lure the general public by offering regularisation of jobs to employees working on contractual, ad hoc or temporary basis to gain political advantage in the Vidhan Sabha elections .The petitioners submitted the state government was even regularising the services of Group B employees, who were neither appointed through a proper selection procedure/advertisement nor appointed on a contract basis by following a set procedure. The petitioners had also submitted that the action had resulted in grave injustice to eligible meritorious candidates legitimately waiting for appointments to be made through a proper selection procedure. It was also submitted that the state governments decision was against the constitutional provisions and guidelines issued by the Supreme Court. Referring to state of Karnataka and others versus Uma Devi and others case, the petitioners contended that the apex court had held that the action of the government authorities in regularising ineligible and irregular appointees appointed on a contract basis, daily wagers or on ad hoc basis without following a proper selection procedure was not only against the Constitution but also disrespect to the constitutional ethosc. The Supreme Court had further directed all states to restrain from making illegal appointments in future and also permitted them to come out with a one-time policy for regularising employees appointed through a proper selection procedure and continuing in service for 10 years. Thereafter, the Haryana government framed a regularisation policy in July, 2011. The court was told the state governments 2011 policy was a one-time measure and it was clarified that employees would not be entitled to claim it as a matter of right. It was further stated in the policy that in future illegal/irregular appointment on ad hoc/contract would not be made against sanctioned posts. But, the previous Hooda government contrary to its earlier stand came out with the regularisation policy. The petitioners had said the petitioner organisations respected cows and calves but the members of Qureshi community be allowed to slaughter bulls and bullocks which have crossed the age of 16 years. By Press Trust of India: The Supreme Court today sought response from Maharashtra government on a bunch of petitions challenging the Bombay High Court order upholding the ban on beef imposed by state government through an enactment. A bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and DY Chandrachud issued notices to the Devendra Fadnavis government and others on the petitions including that of All India Jamiatul Quresh of Maharashtra and Delhi alleging that politics was being played on the issue of slaughtering cows. advertisement The apex court tagged the petitions with similar matter on issue and posted the matter for hearing after six weeks. The petitioners had said the petitioner organisations respected cows and calves but the members of Qureshi community be allowed to slaughter bulls and bullocks which have crossed the age of 16 years as they are of no use to farmers. Also read: Mumbai: Police raids slaughter house in Ambernath, 5 arrested The Bombay High Court had upheld the beef ban imposed by the state government after enactment of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act banning the slaughter of bulls and bullocks, besides cows. The high court, however, had said that mere possession of the meat cannot invite criminal action while striking down the relevant sections of the Act. Earlier, Supreme Court had issued notice to Maharashtra government on a separate plea challenging the High Court verdict which held that mere possession of beef of animals slaughtered outside the state cannot invite criminal action. The plea was filed by 'Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh' which had told the apex court that they were challenging part of the May 6 verdict of the High Court which had said provisions of the Maharashtra Act was an infringement on the right to privacy of citizens and unconstitutional. The high court order had come on a bunch of petitions challenging the provision of the law which had said that mere possession of beef in any place in the state is a crime. As per the Act, slaughter attracts a five-year jail term and Rs 10,000 fine and possession of meat of bull or bullock leads to one-year jail and Rs 2,000 fine. --- ENDS --- Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 1 Claims Commissioner RC Bansal, appointed by the Haryana Government to assess the loss to property during the Jat quota agitations in 2010, 2011 and 2012, today submitted his report to the state government, pegging the loss at Rs 5.54 crore. He has recommended that the amount be recovered from the protesters in the wake of the Supreme Court guidelines. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Bansal, a retired District and Sessions Judge, submitted another report on the damage caused to public property after the Mirchpur (Hisar) incident with members of a community disrupting rail and road traffic (January 15-26, 2011). A physically challenged girl and her father were allegedly burnt alive in Mirchpur by upper caste members. Bansal submitted the reports to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas here. The loss during the Jat quota stirs during September 13-16 in 2010, March 6-26 in 2011 and February 19-March 12 in 2012 was assessed at over Rs 4.45 crore Rs 2.92 crore on account of 10 claims petitions filed by private parties and Rs 1.52 crore on account of losses suffered by various government departments, including Haryana Roadways. The loss in the post-Mirchpur protests by Jats ( against the shifting of trial of the murder accused from Hisar to New Delhi) has been pegged at 8.72 lakh. The loss to Shree Gopal Vanaspati Limited, Hisar, has been put at Rs 1.77 crore, the highest by a private company. The loss to Haryana Roadways has been calculated at Rs 1.48 crore and to the Railways at Rs 5.85 lakh. Haryana has appointed retired Justice KC Puri as Claims Commissioner to assess the loss during the February 2016 Jat agitation. Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, September 2 An expert team from Singapore Cooperation Enterprises, a joint venture of Singapore Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs, will inspect the site at Jathaidevi near the airport here for the setting up of an integrated township to ease congestion in the state capital. The expert team headed by Kevin Chong, Director, Asia Pacific of the Singapore Cooperation Enterprises, will arrive here on September 7. The Government of Singapore undertaking has expressed keenness to enter into a joint venture for the setting up of an integrated township at Jathiadevi, 17 km from here. The company has already signed an MoU with the Rajasthan Government for a similar project there. With all round concern over the haphazard construction activity and increasing traffic congestion in the town here, the state government is keen to push the project. The government has in fact come in for sharp criticism for failing to give wings to its much-hyped satellite township projects despite the town bursting at the seams. The team will be arriving here on September 7 and will visit the site and hold consultations with officials of the various stakeholder agencies, informed Dinesh Kashyap, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Authority. He added that the land had already been purchased by HIMUDA from private land owners so the problem of non availability of a huge chunk of land has already been addressed. In case the Singapore Government enters into a joint venture with the Himachal Government, the possibility of partnership in other areas like smart city solutions, multi-modal transport and other urban infrastructure could come through. HIMUDA has completed the process of purchase of 250 bighas of land from private owners while a chunk of 138 bighas government land has already been carved out for the purpose. The site is located about 17 kms from the state capital here and is very close to the Jubbarhatti airport. All urban facilities like modern transport, community centre, bus stands, amusement centres, hospitals, parks, educational institutes and other such facilities will be created for the convenience of the people who choose to reside there. Vikram Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, September 2 After Ladakh raising the demand for separation from Kashmir amid turmoil in the state, the civil society in Jammu has joined the chorus for separate Jammu and integration into India. Speakers at a seminar conducted by the Jammu for India (JFI) raised concerns over Islamic domination and alleged that the Central government continued to hold the view that Kashmir represented the whole of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and Muslims of Kashmir represented all people of the state. We unequivocally demand liberation from this Islamic dispensation, said JFI chairman Hari Om. He added that a separate state of Jammu was the only alternative for nationalists. Thupstan Chhewang, BJP MP from Ladakh, had recently said the people of Ladakh were getting restless and did not want to remain with Kashmir as they felt it does not bode well for their security. He had said an attempt was being made to bring together all political parties in Ladakh in a move for a front that would push for union territory status. He had stated that he would raise the issue during the upcoming national executive of the BJP in Kerala. Taking cue from the move generated in Ladakh for separation from Kashmir, Jammu civil society today raised the same issue and called for a separate state of Jammu. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhs inability to visit Jammu and Ladakh at a time when a seditious war is being waged has given the impression that the Government of India considers all constituencies in the state that stand by India as irrelevant and peripheral to its concerns. Demonstrating such a selective liking has added fuel to the separatist war, said the JFI chairman. When contacted, BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma declined to comment on the issue. I am in a meeting and will soon revert to you with the answer, he said. He later kept his mobile phone switched off. State BJP chief spokesperson Virendra Gupta said the Government of India was not against the Ladakh MPs demand. He had vehemently demanded separate statehood for Jammu while in the Jammu Statehood Morcha before merging the body into the BJP. The BJP had won the Ladakh seat over the core issue of union territory status and it is a genuine demand. As far as Jammu is concerned, the Union Finance Minister had, during his two visits to Jammu, emphasised on the BJP cadre underlining development in Jammu, he said. Gupta added that decentralisation of power for Jammu was the primary concern and the Government of India should see into it. He further said as far as the political structure was concerned, the NDA did not advocate separate statehood for Jammu. Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 2 In view of the crucial Friday, curfew has been imposed in Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir while restrictions remained in force in other towns of the valley to avoid any law-and-order situation as the current unrest entered day 56. The death toll in the ongoing violence has reached 71. Tension prevails following the death of a teenage boy, Danish Sultan, who reportedly jumped into the Jhleum after the protesters were being chased away in Noorbagh area of Srinagar on Thursday. The body is yet to be retrieved. Curfew has been imposed in the entire Srinagar district, besides in Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts. The curfew is also enforced in Baramulla, Sopore and Kupwara towns. According to officials here, restrictions have been imposed in Budgam and Ganderbal districts in central Kashmir, apart from Bandipore and Handwara areas of north Kashmir. The decision to impose curfew and restrictions to foil the separatists Azadi march to tehsil headquarters on Friday was taken at a security review meeting here on Thursday evening. High-level protests have been taking place across the valley on Fridays, this being the eighth Friday following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8. The administration is also taking strong measures to foil the designs of separatists to block the airport road, Lal Chowk and district headquarters for two days on September 3 and 4 when an all-party parliamentary delegation is arriving for holding meetings. R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, September 2 The Jammu and Kashmir Government today told the Supreme Court that the central Minorities Act, 1992, was not applicable to the state and as such it did not have to set up a state-level minorities commission. Appearing for the state government, its standing counsel Sunil Fernandes told a Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur that the state nevertheless needed time to file its response in writing to a PIL for immediate identification of minorities in the sensitive border state to stop diversion of funds meant for them to the majority community. The Bench, which included Justice AM Khanwilkar, granted time to the state and said the case would be taken up for the next hearing after six weeks. On July 12, the apex court had issued notices to the Centre and the state government seeking their views on the PIL plea. The petitioner, advocate Ankur Sharma, had pleaded that the state government was treating the Muslims, who accounted for 68.31 per cent of the total population in the state in the 2011 Census, as a minority community, which was arbitrary, unreasonable and illegal. He said his representations to the authorities for setting up a state minorities commission to identify and notify the minorities in Jammu and Kashmir had fallen on deaf ears. He said he was forced to approach the SC as the state high court had refused to even list a PIL on the issue for preliminary hearing without citing any reason. The Central Government had issued a notification under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, on October 23, 1993, identifying Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis (Zoroastrians) as national minorities. In 2014, Jains were added to the list. But the state of Jammu and Kashmir has to date neither notified any of the communities as minorities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir nor has legislated a state minority commission Act providing for a state minority commission which may safeguard the interests of religious and linguistic minorities in the state, the PIL said. The Centre offered 20,000 high value scholarships in 2007-08 in the field of technical professional education to national-level minorities. In Jammu and Kashmir, the majority Muslims were allotted 717 of the 753 scholarships. Similarly, schemes such as the 15-point programme for the minorities were being misutilised for the benefit of the majority community in the state, the petitioner pleaded. Siphoning off minority rights clandestinely and illegally to the majority community was nothing but vote bank politics, the PIL said. The petitioner contended that minority rights were fundamental rights under Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution and as such could not be denied on account of the failure of the legislature to enact a law for the purpose. Our Correspondent Jaipur, September 2 Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Thursday night inaugurated a "Walk Through War Museum" at Amar Jawan Jyoti, the entrance gate of SMS stadium. Built by the Jaipur Development Authority at a cost of Rs 12 crore, the museum glorifies the stories of soldiers, who fought battles and won them for the country. The museum also displays ammunition and artillery soldiers used during different wars. Rajasthan, historically associated with valour, has produced soldiers who fought important battles, including Kargil and wars of 1965 and 1971 against Pakistan. R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, September 2 The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board today pleaded with the Supreme Court not to go into the validity of triple talaq and other provisions of personal laws as these fell in the legislative domain, besides being based on religious scriptures. Courts cannot supplant its own interpretations over the text of scriptures and step into the area of the legislature, the Board said in affidavit in response to the courts notice. The board defended triple talaq contending that it was better than men murdering their wives due to frustration arising from protracted legal proceedings for divorce and high expenses. The apex court had sought the boards response to a batch of PILs, including a suo motu petition, for and against such laws. Several Muslim women have also challenged the validity of triple talaq, polygamy and remarriage restrictions. Muslim personal laws were based on the tenets of Islam and as such the judiciary had no power to adjudicate on their validity in the face of womens fundamental right to equality, it said. R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, September 6 The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board on Friday pleaded with the Supreme Court not to go into the validity of triple talaq and other provisions of personal laws as these fell in the legislative domain, besides being based on religious scriptures. Courts cannot supplant its own interpretations over the text of scriptures and step into the area of the legislature, the Board said in affidavit in response to the courts notice. The apex court had sought the Boards response to a batch of PILs, including a suo motu petition, for and against such laws. Several Muslim women have also challenged the validity of triple talaq, polygamy and remarriage restrictions. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Muslim personal laws were based on the tenets of Islam and as such the judiciary had no power to adjudicate on their validity in the face of womens fundamental right to equality, it said. Unique importance has been attached to religious scriptures in the Indian legal system and in Indian culture, the Board pleaded. The practices sought to be reviewed by way of the suo motu writ petition are protected by Articles 25 (freedom to practice and propagate religion) and 26 (freedom to manage religious affairs) read with Article 29 (protection of minority interests) of the Constitution, it said. Muslim Personal Law had provided for the practices to be followed on the issues of marriage, divorce and maintenance and these practices were based on holy scripture Al Quran, it contended. Article 44 which envisaged a uniform civil code was only a directive principle of the state policy and was not enforceable. Above all, personal laws could not be challenged as being violative of Part 3 of the Constitution, the Board pleaded. The rights of Muslim women were already protected by virtue of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986 which had been upheld by the Supreme Court. In such a scenario, if this Honble Court prescribes other parameters to govern the rights of Muslim women, it will amount to judicial legislation, which is not permissible. Simran Sodhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 2 India and Egypt today decided to enhance their defence and security co-operation and signed an agreement on maritime transport. It was announced at the end of delegation-level talks between visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Terror seemed to have been topmost on the minds of both leaders. Modi said both he and Sisi were of one view that the growing radicalisation and spread of terror pose a threat not just to both Egypt and India, but to all regions. We agreed to further our defence and security engagement aimed at expanding defence trade, training and capacity building, greater information and operational exchanges to combat terrorism and cooperation on emerging challenges of cyber security, Modi said. Despite relentless change of the global order, our joint effort to find a solution for various international issues remains on track. We will work together to counter extremism and terrorism through a robust military and security cooperation and will work on evacuation of people from areas hit by natural disasters or conflicts, Sisi said in his remarks to the media. This is the first bilateral visit by Sisi to India, who had visited India last year to attend the India-Africa Summit. Modi, in his comments to the media referred to Egypt as the natural bridge that connects Asia with Africa. With reference to the growing radicalisation and threat of IS in the world, the PM reached out to Egypt and said, Your people are a voice of moderate Islam. And your nation a factor for regional peace and stability in Africa and the Arab world. It is significant to note here that Sisi represents the secular face of Egypt unlike the Muslim Brotherhood which represented the more radical side of the country. PM reaches Vietnam PM Narendra Modi on Friday flew into Vietnamese capital Hanoi to hold talks with the countrys top leadership on ways to bolster strategic bilateral ties in key areas such as defence, security, counterterrorism and trade. The visit, the first by an Indian premier to the country in 15 years, takes place on his way to Hangzhou, China, to attend the G20 Summit beginning Sunday. pti In 2000, a few months after the Kargil War, an Indian submarine slipped out of her moorings in Mumbai harbour and headed into the north Arabian Sea. The INS Shalki, one of the navy's quietest submarines, was on a specific mission. It was to track Pakistan's newest acquisition, the French-built PNS Khalid, whose deployment had been indicated by Indian intelligence. The Shalki located the Khalid and tailed it for 45 minutes, her passive sonar stealthily recording acoustic readings and frequencies. The Khalid was oblivious to the shadowing and maintained normal transit speed, which allowed the Indian vessel to record its parameters. The Shalki had, in a single patrol, gained valuable data on Pakistan's newest undersea combatant, the critical noise and equipment 'signatures' that would help the navy's warships and aircraft track the submarine. advertisement On August 24, the Rupert Murdoch-owned broadsheet The Australian published documents on the vital parameters of India's under-construction fleet of Scorpene-class submarines. India had signed a $3 billion deal with France in 2005 to indigenously assemble and build six Scorpene-class conventional submarines. The lead boat, the INS Kalvari, is on sea trials and slated to join the navy by the end of the year. Five others, being built at the Mazgaon Docks in Mumbai, will join the navy in one-year intervals by 2022. The 'Edward Snowden-sized leak', as the newspaper called the tranche of 22,400 documents, brought to the fore sensitive parameters of the submarines, that make them deadly undersea predators: "the frequencies they gather intelligence at, what levels of noise they make at various speeds and their diving depths, range and endurance and specifications of the submarine's torpedo launch system and the combat system". The leaks spilled out the kind of intelligence Shalki had gleaned about the Khalid. "It would have taken us five years of work to gather the data that the newspaper put out on a platter," a senior naval official says. This intelligence trove would otherwise have to be extracted from foreign equipment vendors and validated through undersea cat-and-mouse games. The Prime Minister's Office was alerted about the leak on August 24 by an unusual source-the London-based retired naval officer Ravi Shankaran, whom the Central Bureau of Investigation has unsuccessfully tried to extradite for his alleged role in the 2005 navy war room leak case. In a complaint filed to the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), where anyone can upload a document or lodge a grievance, Shankaran asked for an SIT probe into the leak of documents accessed by the Australian newspaper, making a more serious allegation, that "sensitive information was sold to Malaysia, which is pro-Pakistan". India's purchase of six Scorpene-class submarines from French shipbuilder DCNS (Direction des Constructions et Armes Navales) in October 2005 were meant to throw a lifeline to the navy's ageing submarine arm. The force's 13 conventional submarines are close to the end of their 30-year service lives (the average age of the fleet is 26 years). In August 2013, a refurbished Kilo-class submarine exploded and sank in the Mumbai harbour. The Union ministry for defence initially downplayed the impact of this new crisis to hit the submarine division. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar even said "it was not a big worry". The chief of naval staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, however, said the navy viewed the Scorpene data leak "very seriously". advertisement DEEP IMPACT The MoD has set up a high-level committee, headed by a three-star admiral, to probe the data leak. The committee will work closely with DCNS and France's Directorate General of Armament to examine what data has been leaked and the implications for the navy before submitting its report by the end of September. "Based on the report of the committee, we will see what mitigation measures have to be taken," Admiral Lanba told the media in New Delhi on August 29. Naval officials admit they are shooting in the dark, simply because they don't know what data has been compromised. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," one senior naval official told india today. On August 30, the navy heaved a sigh of relief when the Supreme Court of New South Wales temporarily halted The Australian's expose, and directed the newspaper to hand all its documents over to DCNS. The court was responding to a petition filed by the French firm, which alleged the leak had harmed the company's international image. Only 27 pages of Scorpene data have been put out in the public domain so far, yet there is no telling how many people may have studied and copied the documents, believed to have been leaked out of a DCNS facility in France. advertisement A DCNS press statement on August 24 said an ongoing investigation by French security authorities would 'determine the exact nature of the leaked documents, the potential damages to DCNS customers as well as the responsibilities for this leakage.' Veteran Indian submariners have termed the leaks as grievous because, they say, not only do the documents reveal sensitive parameters and compromise the submarine's biggest advantage-stealth-they also expose the Indian Navy's thought process. "It narrows down the field the adversary is supposed to act in," says Vice Admiral K.N. Sushil, former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, and a veteran submariner. "It tells the adversary what kind of sonars you can expect to go against." advertisement Adversaries could tell, for instance, at what range the submarine could be operating, and the values for its intercept sonar. When they know this particular submarine is in transit to patrol area, they can start what is called 'bracketing' or putting a series of anti-submarine measures. "Given the volume of information out there, it will allow adversaries to simulate the Scorpene's deployment patterns and come up with ways to track and hunt it," one submarine veteran says. The navy's defence is that such a large volume of data is more likely to be about build specifications and operational instructions, which are available commercially in any case. The submarine's actual performance parameters, obtained only after several months of sea trials, have not been leaked. Submariners say that the actual values may differ only slightly from the manufacturer's specifications. But there is near unanimity that the navy will need to alter the specifications of the boats, especially its radiated noise parameters. This, however, could lead to time and cost overruns. Even a 5 decibel reduction in the submarine's generated noise levels, submariners say, will cost over a million dollars. The project is already late by over four years and costs had escalated from the initial contracted figure of Rs 18,000 crore (when it was signed in October 2005 )to over Rs 30,000 crore in 2014. Project officials, however, raise doubts a former employee could have leaked the information. An Indian private sector project official told INDIA TODAY that security on the project was tight and they were updated on data protection from a French intelligence agency (the French government is a majority stake holder in DCNS). "To think that someone got all this data in one dump, and that these downloads went unnoticed, simply boggles the mind," he said. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. (Photo: Yasbant Negi) The leak is only the newest in the string of problems that have dogged the project. In 2006, the CBI probed allegations that Rs 500 crore had been paid in bribes to bag the contract, but found no evidence. The Supreme Court dismissed the PIL on the bribery charges in January this year. More recently, in June, the Scorpenes were defanged when defence minister Parrikar announced the cancellation of a tender to buy 98 Black Shark torpedoes. This was because the Italian firm that made them was a subsidiary of Finmeccanica-Leonardo, accused of paying bribes in the 2010 contract for VVIP helicopters. ORIGIN OF THE LEAKS What was the source of the leak? The Australian details the circuitous path it believes the data took, from DCNS offices in France to Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. The newspaper believes the data was taken out of France by a former French naval official, who quit service in the early '70s and joined DCNS as a subcontractor. This yet unnamed official and another French national took the data to a Southeast Asian country (believed to be Malaysia), where they were employed by a private naval firm run by a western national. Sometime in 2011, the duo was fired over a dispute and refused re-entry into office. The firm then sent the data found on their computers to their head office in Singapore. In 2013, the data was then passed on to another unnamed person in Sydney, to gauge its significance. It was deemed sensitive and locked away. It is debatable whether it would have ever surfaced but for a momentous event in April this year. On April 26 this year, Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a $50 billion deal with DCNS to design and build 12 Shortfin Barracuda-class conventional submarines. The mammoth single deal, more than India's annual defence budget, reflected regional concern over China's growing maritime military capabilities, which have sparked off a race to acquire submarines among Asian navies. The newspaper story highlighted to the Australian public the French shipbuilder's tardy record of protecting military secrets. India just became the unwitting target of that expose. Follow the writer on Twitter @SandeepUnnithan --- ENDS --- R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, September 2 The Arvind Kejriwal government on Friday withdrew from the Supreme Court its suit seeking the status of a state to the city. Appearing for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, senior advocate Indira Jaising told a Bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and NV Ramana that her client had taken the decision as it had made the same plea in half-a-dozen appeals against the Delhi High Court judgment holding the city to be a Union Territory. She said the Delhi government might file such a suit again if the necessity arose. Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar pleaded that UTs had no right to file suits against the Union government. The Bench said it was not going into this controversy now, and the two sides would be at liberty to argue on this aspect whenever the need arose. At the last hearing, the Bench had advised the Kejriwal government to withdraw the suit as it could not fight parallel cases on a single issue. The Delhi government had sought time for taking a decision. The Delhi High Court had heard about a dozen petitions over the running fued between the AAP government and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung over their respective powers. The HC delivered a consolidated judgment holding that the L-G was the boss of the UT and he was not bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers. On the other hand, any law passed by the Assembly required the L-Gs nod for notification. R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, September 2 Justice J Chelameswar, a senior judge of the Supreme Court and a member of the five-member Collegium, has written to Chief Justice of India TS Thakur seeking transparency in the appointment of higher judiciary judges. According to sources, Justice Chelameswar has decided against attending Collegium meetings unless the proceedings were recorded. In fact, he did not attend the meeting held on Thursday to discuss the governments revised draft Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for the appointment of high court and apex court judges. Justice Chelameswar has suggested that the Collegium file be sent to him so that he could give his views in writing on the candidates proposed to be appointed as judges. The top five Supreme Court judges in the Collegium are CJI Thakur and Justices AR Dave, JS Khehar, Dipak Misra and Chelameswar. Being part of the five-member Constitution Bench that had gone into the validity of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) meant to replace the Collegium system, Justice Chelameswar had delivered the lone dissenting verdict upholding the NJAC Act. In the majority ruling, the other four judges had struck down the NJAC Act and revived the Collegium system. The judgment had come on October 16, 2015. In his ruling, Justice Chelameswar had noted that Collegium had no accountability as its records were absolutely beyond the reach of even judges. Such state of affairs was not good for people and judiciarys credibility, he had said. Observing that mounting arrears was not a certificate of judiciarys efficiency, Justice Chelameswar had said the onus of making the legal system efficient lay exclusively with the Supreme Court. Just two days ago, a two-member Bench headed by him passed an order in the Madhya Pradesh Vyapam scam case, questioning the wisdom of a three-member Bench headed by Justice Khehar. The three-member Bench had sought a clarification from the Justice Chelameswar Bench whether all aspects of the Vyapam case should be revisited or only the point on which the smaller Bench had differed should be gone into. Responding to the clarification, Justice Chelameswar Bench had remarked: We completely fail to understand the reference made to Article 145(5) of the Constitution dealing with intra-court appeals. We are of the opinion that neither the Constitution of India nor any other law of this country provides an intra-court appeal insofar as the Supreme Court is concerned. A re-hearing of the entire matter as apparently suggested to the larger Bench, in our opinion, would amount to an intra-court appeal. New Delhi, September 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation tour to Vietnam and China starting on Friday. During the first leg of his four-day visit, the Prime Minister will first reach Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday night, where he will meet President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and hold wide-ranging talks with the top leadership to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and oil exploration. Briefing the media on Thursday, Secretary (East), External Affairs Ministry, Preeti Saran said, Vietnam is Indias important strategic partner and the visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties, including defence, security and trade. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) On September 3, the Prime Minister will leave for Hangzhou, China, from Vietnam in the evening to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. During the visit, India will take up issues like cross-border mobility of professionals, terror financing, tax evasion and reduction in remittance transaction cost among others, said Secretary (West) Sujata Mehta. She said Prime Minister Modi would be the lead speaker at the session on inclusive and inter-connected development. On the sidelines of the summit, the Prime Minister will have bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It would be the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Jinping after their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent, where the Prime Minister had urged China to make a fair and objective assessment of Indias application on merit for Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). On August 12, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi possibly to firm up the agenda for the talks between President Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. According to a report in Chinas state-owned Global Times, Foreign Minister Yi may also use his visit to New Delhi to acquire a perspective and an assessment of Prime Minister Modis visits to Vietnam and Laos. According to report, Beijing is viewing Prime Minister Modis visit to Vietnam rather closely, given that Hanoi is also a party in the SCS dispute and has also staked a maritime and rich energy resource claim to use of its waters. The Prime Minister will also attend a BRICS leaders meet. He will return to India on September 5. On September 7, Prime Minister Modi will leave for Laos PDR on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN and East Asia summits. At the ASEAN-India Summit, the Prime Minister and ASEAN leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction in the areas of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. ANI Hangzhou, September 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Sunday on the first day of the G20 summit here and are likely to discuss bilateral differences over issues, including the proposed $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through PoK. The Modi-Xi meeting assumes significance as India-China relations have followed a southward trajectory over contentious issues like the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist groups in the UN, China stalling Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that criss-crosses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yis visit to Delhi this month, India and China formed a mechanism led by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister to address their differences. The meeting between Modi and Xi - their second in less than three months - is expected to take place in the morning of September 4, officials here said. Modi and Xi had last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 23 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The two leaders are to meet again in little over a month for more elaborate discussions during the BRICS summit to be hosted by India in Goa on October 15-16. Chinese officials say the two meetings between Modi and Xi could set a new direction to the bilateral relations. Modi will reach China tomorrow evening from Vietnam to take part in the two-day G20 summit. The Indian contingent will be putting up at Sheraton resort - about 30 kilometres outside the city - where Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too would stay. Modi is likely to hold bilaterals with several G20 leaders during his 48-hour stay here. Xi too is scheduled to have a number of one-to-one meetings including with US President Barack Obama. Top disarmament officials from India and China were also expected to meet to discuss issues of China blocking the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Beijings opposition to New Delhis bid to joining the 48-member NSG. PTI Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 2 The operationally crucial Western Command continues to function under an ad hoc arrangement over a month after the last General Officer Commanding-in-Chief retired, a situation described in some quarters as unprecedented and intriguing. Lt Gen Ashok Ambre, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Yol-based 9 Corps was today named the new officiating Western Army Commander after Lt Gen JS Cheema, GOC 11 Corps, Jalandhar, who was appointed as the officiating Commander when Lt Gen KJ Singh retired on August 31, moved to Army Headquarters as the Director General (Infantry). Lt Gen BS Sahrawat, a December 1980-batch officer from the Kumaon Regiment who was earlier serving as Director General (Land, Works and Environment) at Army Headquarters, took over as the GOC 11 Corps today. Lt Gen Ambre is the senior most of the three corps commander in the Western Command. Army sources said the orders for the appointment of a regular Army Commander are expected to be issued soon. Two Lieutenant Generals DR Soni, an Armoured Corps Officer who commanded Bathinda-based 10 Corps and Surinder Singh, a Mechanised Infantry (Guards) Officer who commanded 33 Corps in Silliguri are slated to be elevated as Army Commanders. Lt Gen Soni, the senior of the two, is tipped for taking over as the GOC-in-C, Army Training Command at Shimla, a post which fell vacant on September 1. Lt Gen Surinder is tipped for heading the Western Command at Chandimandir. Pending their new appointments, both officers are at present attached to different formations after having completed their tenures as Corps Commanders. Lt Gen Soni had relinquished charge as Corps Commander in June end, while Lt Gen Surinder Singh moved out from Silliguri last week. London, September 2 A 62-year-old Indian-origin man wanted in India on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering his friend and business partner in Punjab last year has been traced to his home in Britain. Baldev Singh Deol, who was seen at his home in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region of England, cannot be arrested because extradition papers are yet to be processed by Indian authorities, UK police said on Thursday. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Deol is wanted by Punjab Police in connection with the murder of 54-year-old Ranjit Singh Power, an Indian-origin hotelier from Wolverhampton who went missing on a visit to India in May 2015. While his body is yet to be recovered, his disappearance is being treated as murder. This is an Indian police investigation. As yet, West Midlands Police havent received any formal request for extradition proceedings from the Indian authorities. We remain ready to assist with any inquiries should a request be made, a West Midlands spokesperson said. Indian taxi driver Sukhdev Singh remains in custody after police said he had confessed to the killing but police in India want to arrest Deol to question him on his role in allegedly instigating the killing. Of course, Im in the UK. Dont worry about it darling, Im here, Deol told The Times newspaper over phone. He has an Interpol arrest warrant against him on charges of kidnapping, murder and disappearance of evidence of offence committed but an extradition notice submitted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India is reportedly yet to be processed. Indian police believe Powers murder may have been rooted in his business dealings in India and the UK. Last October, Powers daughter said a body returned to the UK by Punjab Police was not her fathers. The corpse, found in an Indian river, was initially thought to be that of Power but DNA and dental analysis ruled out a match at an inquest in the UK in February this year. The UK Foreign Office said it is providing support to the Power family. PTI Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 2 Surgery and emergency services remained crippled on the first day of nurses strike today even as the government expressed hope that the issue would be sorted out soon. The government has called representatives of the All India Nursing Federation for a meeting on September 12, but it did not rule out an early solution to the indefinite strike. Over 2,500 nurses went on strike across central and state government hospitals in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chandigarh today with Health Secretary CK Mishra pointing out that none of the AIIMS nurses participated in the agitation. Mishra said, Outside Delhi, the only Centre Government institution where nurses were on strike today was the PGI, Chandigarh, where the impact was severe. Around 1,200 nurses were on strike in Delhi. Health services in UP and Maharashtra were partially hit. There was no strike at AIIMS, Delhi, or other AIIMS-like institutions. He said the government was making every effort to keep OPDs functional and had requested doctors to fill in for absent nurses. Health Secretary said out of nine demands of nurses, seven had been met and the remaining two forwarded to the Finance Ministry. Lahore, September 2 Lawmakers in Pakistans Punjab Assembly have condemned Defence Minister Manohar Parrikars recent statement that going to Pakistan is like going to hell and asked the government to summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest over it. Speaking on the point of order in the Assembly, treasury member Ramesh Singh Arora said Parrikars statement was regrettable. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) India has not only committed atrocities against Kashmiris for demanding their right to franchise but is also accusing Islamabad of fomenting violence in Kashmir, he said. The propaganda against Pakistan must be checked, he said. Arora and other members of the Assembly demanded that the Foreign Office summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest against Parrikars statement. Another treasury member Sheikh Allauddin suggested that the Punjab Assembly should invite Indian novelist and rights activist Arundhati Roy for briefing the assembly members on the issue. He asked the Speaker to consider his proposal seriously. Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar appreciated the suggestion and drew attention of the House towards its legal and diplomatic aspects. The Foreign Office may be approached in this respect and the next step should be taken in the light of its advice on invitation to Roy to visit Pakistan, especially the Punjab Assembly, Sarwar said. A number of other members, both from treasury and opposition, criticised India for the violence in Kashmir and supported the Kashmiris right to self-determination during Thursdays session. Parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad told the House that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formed a committee of parliamentarians to raise the Kashmir issue at international fora. Earlier, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee members had also condemned Parrikars statement and demanded that he should apologise for hurting the sentiments of Pakistanis. PTI R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, September 2 The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Sahara Group to disclose the source of Rs 22,000 crore it claimed to have mobilised and returned in cash to more than three million small investors in a short span of two months. It could not have fallen from heaven. You must have either borrowed or sold some of your properties to raise this amount. If you show us the source, we will close the case against you, a Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur told the groups senior counsel Kapil Sibal. Justices Anil Dave and AK Sikri were the other members of the Bench. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The Bench also asked the stock market regulator SEBI to thoroughly investigate with a pinch of salt the groups proposal to raise loans against its three hotels in London and New York whose value was estimated at over Rs 5,000 crore by Sahara. The apex court came out with the remarks as the group had been struggling for more than two years to raise Rs 10,000 crore, the bail amount Sahara chief Subrata Roy was supposed to pay. This was despite the groups claim that its properties were worth over Rs 70,000 crore and had in fact returned the Rs 22,000 crore raised by two of its companiesSahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd (SIREC) and Sahara India Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHIC)in the form of debentures, declared illegal by the SEBI and upheld by the Supreme Court. The Bench posted the next hearing for September 16. Sibal said his client would provide the proof by then. The same question on the source of funds had been raised in January 2014 by another apex court Bench comprising Justices KS Radhakrishnan (now retired) and JS Khehar, who subsequently recused from the case. The court had then told the group that it would have to face a CBI probe and action by the Registrar of Companies if it failed to disclose the source. If you have already returned it as claimed by you, show us the source from where you mobilised such a staggering amount, the court had asked Sahara. The court had sought to know the source as the SEBI said it was finding it difficult to ascertain Saharas claim on the basis of the several truck loads of refund vouchers it had submitted. The simple way to verify the genuineness of the refund was to go by the group companies records which however did not reflect the mobilisation of such huge funds and the disbursal. Farah Khan has herself designed the syllabus and workshops for this first of its kind course. By Indo-Asian News Service: Choreographer turned director Farah Khan, who has choreographed some iconic songs in the showbiz, now plans to open a choreography course. Farah Khan has joined hands with Shashi Ranjan's ITA (Indian Television Academy) School of Performing Arts to design first of its kind choreography course in India. "For years people have asked me why don't you open a dance class but that was never my interest. I had zero interest in just another dance class. Many people had opened dance class and they have done a fabulous job but I had no interest in it," Farah Khan said. Photo: Yogen Shah Photo: Yogen Shah Photo: Yogen Shah advertisement Also read: Farah Khan on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9: I am normally blunt, I have to judge them for what they are "When I was approached for this (choreography course) they wanted to open dance class of next level and I was thrilled. Next year I will complete 25 years in this industry so I thought this is the ideal time." The course will be first of its kind with the syllabus and workshops designed by herself. "We have sat down and formed 12 weeks' course which will literally teach you how to edit a song, how to use costumes, lenses, camera to going on the location to figuring out how to choreograph song. So from practical knowledge to theory, everything will be covered," she said. The choreography course will also see many guest lectures sharing their views and opinion. --- ENDS --- Ravi S Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 2 The call for a nationwide strike by 10 Central trade unions against Centres alleged anti-labour policies evoked a mixed response today. Response was good in the financial sector, especially banking and insurance, besides the coal sector. The Left parties and CTU leaders claimed the strike was successful. DL Sachdeva of AITUC said more than 15 crore employees and workers took part in it. CPM MP and CITU general secretary Tapan Sen said: The government should pay heed to employees so as to prevent similar strikes in future. The call for the strike was given by INTUC, TUCC,AITUC, SEWA, HMS,AICCTU, CITU, UTUC, AIUTUC and LPF. RSS affiliate BMS kept itself away from it. Union leaders addressed workers at some distance from Parliament in New Delhi. Reports from states suggested the response was good in Left-ruled states of Tripura and Kerala, JD(U)-RJD ruled Bihar and BJD-ruled Odisha. Banking and insurance services remained crippled across the country. Reserve Bank of India staff also participated in the strike. Disruption of train services was reported in Tripura, Kerala, Odisha and Bihar. Government bus services were affected in Haryana and Punjab while private buses remained off the road in Puducherry, causing inconvenience to commuters. Services were hit in Haryanas Gurugram, Faridabad and Panchkula and some parts of Punjab. In a setback to the Left, the strike had no impact in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal. Life was usual in Mumbai, the countrys financial capital. New Delhi, September 2 Normal life in various parts of the country was partly affected on Friday by the one-day nationwide strike by trade unions with banking, transport and coal mining being among the most impacted, while hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra. However, life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Banking services have been affected throughout the country as public sector banks' employees largely remained off-duty. Private banks, however, continued their operations normally. Read more: Public transport, banking services hit in region Clearing operations at the Reserve Bank were hit with trade union leaders claiming that cheques totalling Rs 19,000 crore were held up as the staff did not report to duty. "Clearing services have been impacted. Financial instrument worth Rs 19,000 crore has been held up," claimed AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam. All-India Coal Workers Federation General Secretary (CITU) D D Ramanadan said, "Dispatch, production and transport of coal have come to a standstill with operations in CIL subsidiaries BCCL, CCL, ECL and CMPDI badly hit. Around 300 workers have been arrested in Rajmahal and Chitra mines areas." "There have been instances of arrests in West Bengal and Haryana. We came to know that 12 people have been arrested in Manesar while seven were detained in West Bengal. The strike this time has greater impact than last year's agitation on September 2," All India Trade Union Congress Secretary DL Sachdev said. He said: "Buses of Punjab Roadways and Haryana Roadways were almost off the road. More than half the buses of Uttar Pradesh Road Transport were also off the road. But DTC's buses were plying while Delhi Metro was also functional". The strike is almost complete in Left-ruled Kerala where it got the support of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who courted controversy after supporting the strike on Facebook with BJP hitting out against him. Public transport vehicles in Kerala stayed off the roads and shops and business establishments downed shutters. Auto rickshaws, taxis, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses were not plying across the state with the workers of various unions taking part in the strike, reports received here from districts said. Major roads wore a deserted look in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as agitators laid siege to an ISRO bus bay here. In Telangana, banking operations came to a standstill with over 15,000 employees belonging to various banks participating in the general strike. AIBEA joint secretary BS Rambabu said demonstrations will be held in all the district headquarters along with other trade unions. "Most of the buses run by Telangana State Road Transport Organisation are kept off the roads," a senior Telangana State Road Transport Corporation official said. As many as two lakh state government employees (gazetted, non-gazetted and class 4) are supporting the strike, Telangana Gazetted officers Association general secretary A Satyanarayana said. Work was also affected in PSUs like Vizag Steel Plant, Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Ltd, Hindustan Shipyard, NTPC's Simhadri Power Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust and private industrial units in Visakhapatnam as many of the workers joined the strike. Services including banking and public transport were hit in Haryana, Punjab and UT of Chandigarh with employees of various government departments joining the daylong nationwide strike. Public transport services were hit in Punjab and Haryana with roadways employees participating in the strike, causing inconvenience to passengers. Punjab Roadways employees said they will remain on strike from 10 am to 2 pm. Buses were seen parked inside the main Bus stand opposite National highway-I. Around 2,000 nurses stayed away from work following All India Government Nurses Federation's call to join the strike. Normal life was disrupted in most parts of Odisha too. Train services were affected following 'rail roko' by agitators who squatted on the tracks at several places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaleswar, Keonjhargarh and Rayagada, police said. Vehicular movement virtually came to a grinding halt with buses, trucks, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles keeping off the roads as agitators held road blockades at many places including highways and burnt tyres and put hurdles, police added. PTI Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service Sangrur, September 2 A large number of anganwari workers and helpers today clashed with the police near the residence of Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa when the latter tried to stop them from heading towards the ministers residence. As part of their agitation, the workers had come to Dhindsas residence to submit a memorandum enlisting their demands. No one was injured in the clash. Later, the anganwari workers sat on the Sangrur bypass road and blocked it. They lifted the road blockade when a tehsildar visited the dharna site and received the memorandum from them. The workers were demanding implementation of wages on Haryana pattern, as promised by the state government in 2012, and government employee status for the anganwari workers. District president of the Anganwari Mulazam Union Punjab (CITU) Gurmail Kaur said in Haryana the anganwari workers had been getting Rs 7,500 per month and helpers were getting Rs 3,500 per month whereas in Punjab, the workers got Rs 5,000 and a helper received Rs 2,500 per month. She said they also wanted Rs 18,000 per month for an anganwari worker and Rs 9,000 per month for a helper as minimum wages. She demanded that every anganwari helper should be promoted as anganwari worker after three years of service, instead of 10 years. Ranjit Kaur Channo, a leader of the union, said in the seventh pay commissions report, the anganwari workers and helpers had been ignored. Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 2 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal said today that he would prefer to wind up the party and go home than tolerate corruption, while justifying the removal of Sucha Singh Chhotepur from the post of state party convener. In a video uploaded on social media, Kejriwal said, I am sad that a number of leaders of my party have been found involved in corruption or moral turpitude. But it is not acceptable. AAP was not founded to protect such persons. If tomorrow Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia or anyone else, including me, is found indulging in corruption, he will face immediate removal. The Delhi CM said he ordered Chhotepurs removal when he came to know about the allegations of corruption. Chhotepur told The Tribune that he was not bothered about Kejriwals remarks. I will not even let his shadow come near me. My people are supporting me. I am starting a tour of Punjab soon. I will go by what my people say. Bribery charges: Delhi CMs resignation sought Chandigarh: Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday demanded the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as his party leaders had allegedly taken bribe from prospective party candidates in Punjab. TNS Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 1 The Aam Aadmi Party today ordered an inquiry into the allegations levelled by former AAP leader Hardip Singh Kingra, a supporter of ousted state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, against party leaders Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak, even as a crucial meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), slated for this evening in New Delhi, was put off. Party sources said the meeting, where the appointment of the new state convener was to be discussed, was not held as national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal failed to make it to the venue due to a busy schedule. Earlier, addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Kingra, who quit AAP after not getting the ticket from Faridkot, released a clip in which a person allegedly close to Pathak demanded Rs 5 lakh from a volunteer for fixing a meeting with him. Kingra said he had been footing the board and lodging bill of the Delhi leaders, who never asked him about the source of the money. He said state AAP legal head Himmat Singh Shergill also enjoyed his hospitality but later turned against him. Kingra accused Sanjay of pocketing Rs 5 lakh out of about Rs 30 lakh collected from volunteers during the Maghi Mela early this year. He added that Rs 16 lakh collected from volunteers in Tarn Taran was also unaccounted for. AAP MP Bhagwant Mann said the party would verify the audio tape and probe the allegations. Pathak said, I am amused at the charges. I am willing to face any probe. Ruchika M. Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 2 Former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, Olympian and Akali MLA Pargat Singh and independent legislators from Ludhiana, Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjit Singh Bains, have announced a fourth political front to contest Punjab Assembly elections of 2017. The leaders announced the new front named the Awaz-e-Punjab online on Friday and later confirmed the development. The new front said it would fight the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party against the traditional politics of "deceit, corruption and moral turpitude". (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Pargat Singh who has been suspended form the SAD and Simarjit Bains shared a poster of the new front on Facebook. AAP's beleaguered former convener Sucha Singh Chottepur is also believed to have extended his support to the new political front. Chhotepur and his supporters HS Kingra and six of AAPs zonal heads will also join the front, a supporter close to the leader said. Read more: AAP storm may give rise to fourth front Suspended AAP MP Dharamvir Gandhi will be part of the front, sources said, adding that neither he nor Singh need to resign from their respective parties yet since Awaz-e-Punjab is a still a political front and not yet a party. As of now we have only formed a forum and not floated any party. It will be a forum of people believing in clean politics and system correction in Punjab. Awaaz-e-Punjab is not the party's final name, Singh said. However, Simranjit Bains said the front would contest all 117 seats. The leaders had reportedly held several meetings in the past week. The recently formed Swaraj Party had reportedly floated the idea of a fourth front and giving a new dimension to the state's politics. (With inputs from Jupinderjit Singh) Vishav Bharti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 1 In Punjab, an unskilled worker gets Rs 278 daily as the minimum wage among the lowest in the country. The last revision of wages in the state was done in March. The government pays Rs 308 to semi-skilled workers, Rs 342 to the skilled ones and Rs 381 to those who are highly skilled. The Union Government had on Tuesday announced to fix the minimum wage for unskilled workers at Rs 350 per day. With effect from today, such workers in Delhi are getting Rs 540. Punjab, however, is providing better wages compared to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Trade unions are of the opinion that the government is not increasing the wages under pressure from the industrialists. Raghunath Singh, national vice-president, Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said, The government should revise wages every six months as per the price index. A state like Punjab, which claims to be prosperous, should pay Rs 600 daily to the unskilled workers. State Labour Commissioner Tajinder Singh Dhaliwal said the wages were revised every six months. When asked about the low amount, he said the government was planning to form a committee which would give its report in 2017. On the basis of the committees report, new wages will be fixed, he added. The Central Trade Union, a platform of various trade unions except the BJPs Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh is also demanding Rs 600 daily as the minimum wage. It has announced a strike from tomorrow to press the government to accept its demand. With the aim of ensuring a basic standard of living, the minimum wages were introduced under The Minimum Wages Act 1948. Aman Sood Although it is the first city of Punjab that falls just across the National Highway, Rajpuras real estate market has failed to encash its locational advantage over the years. The overall slowdown in Punjab had further aggravated the realty crisis in this city that is an important rail head as well as home to a number of industries including national level cycle-manufacturing factory and a thermal plant in the area. Massive corruption in the local Municipal Committee that allowed mushrooming of illegal colonies and the active connivance of the police at the local level has made investors reluctant to buy any property here. The only buyers in the market are the ones who genuinely need the property for personal use and not investors, says Singh property owner, Kaldeep Singh. However, the situation remained grim for the property market here. Illegal colonies have been the key reason for slump in the market here. In fact, according to sources a major portion of Rajpura-Chandigarh Road and Rajpura-Patiala Road is also unapproved. Sarbjit Singh of Rajpura Properties, said illegal colonies were mushrooming without any check within the municipal limits of the Rajpura and this had led to haphazard urban housing development. Several unapproved colonies are selling plots for as low as Rs 700 per square yard and in many cases the buyers are duped by greedy owners, following which the police steps in. later the developer and the police ensure that the buyer is fixed and thus the nexus has caused ample losses to people like us and genuine investors who are afraid, he says. Records accessed revealed that the police stations in the town have thousands of complaints regarding property disputes with developers getting off the hook at the police station level and only in few cases their cases reach the court. Residential and commercial both feel the heat When one of the largest engineering companies Larsen & Toubro Ltd started the setting up of the 1400-MW Thermal Power Project in Rajpura, some years back, it was expected that the real estate activity on the Rajpura-Chandigarh and Rajpura-Patiala road will gain momentum and land prices in both these areas will go up. The realtors were expecting that the thermal plant project and the proposed master plan for Rajpura would not only bring physical infrastructure to Rajpura, but would also make the real estate sector flourish. But the effect of this project has been adverse on thr real estate growth in the city. The property rates have gone down due to this plant. Agricultural land rates that were around Rs 70 lakh per acre are now just around Rs 25 lakh per acre, said Angrej Singh, one of oldest property dealers on this stretch. Despite excellent investment destination because of proximity to Chandigarh, the real estate sector here is experiencing recession, he added. The main Patiala-Chandigarh road has some good showrooms in Rajpura that were earlier (2005-07) available for Rs 80,000 per square yard, but despite demand the owners are unable to sell them at the same rates. These are now available for sale at Rs 60,000 per square yard, claims Sarbjit Singh. Election time This being an election year has also not helped the real estate fortunes as the buyers as well as sellers are both in a wait-and-watch mode while the government schemes are also on a hold for sometime now. The overall market trend is down due to the growing anti-incumbency against the government and the only hope is that the state gets a Congress government and market sees some buyers, says Angrez Singh. Those operating in the real estate market in the state claim that Congress rule is generally good for the sector with good price appreciation and better sales. In the past nine years I have sold only 36 plots, as compared to the 178 that I sold during the five-year Congress regime, adds Angrez Singh. Encroachments a cause of concern The whole town of Rajpura and almost all main roads faces a big problem of encroachments. So much so that the monthly charge of the Municipal Committee is fixed and the hawkers have a field day. Despite recent court directions, the authorities have turned a blind eye to the menace, causing ample losses to the genuine shopkeepers, who feel helpless, says Karamjit Singh, a local resident. I have a shop to sell shirts and trousers for which I am paying a rent of Rs 15,000 per month, however a hawker sells the same just a few meters away from his illegal kiosk by paying Rs 2,000 a month to the local authorities. In these circumstances, who would want to buy or invest in property in this town, he says. Master Plan Rajpura is an important sub-division of Patiala district and its location is very ideal as two national highways cross through it. Rajpura acts as mid-point between Amritsar and Delhi and is the first railway junction of Punjab and Delhi the Amritsar Railway Line. Recognising the need for regulating the development of Rajpura, the Punjab Government had declared a Local Planning Area Rajpura (LPA Rajpura) in December 2007. Chief Town Planner,Punjab, was designated as the Planning Agency to prepare the master plan of LPA Rajpura. LPA Rajpura comprises 166 villages and the master plan was drafted in a manner that all sections of society, including the public sector, private economic sector and the social sector had a fair representation. The main aim was to develop industry, trade and commerce in Rajpura by striking a balance in the distribution of pre-dominant land uses with enhanced connectivity through road, rail and freight corridor in an environmentally sustainable manner. The draft master plan was prepared and objections were heard. In the master plan, the land-use zones had been proposed for LPA Rajpura residential zone, the commercial zone, wholesale and warehousing zone, industrial zone, logistic zone (corridor), mixed-land-use zone and rural and agricultural zone. An extensive road network has also been proposed for the master plan of LPA Rajpura. The delays which occur in the presentation of Indian appeals to the Privy Council and the House of Lords were the subject of a question to the Attorney-General on Thursday, the 27th July. It will be remembered that the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in deciding the recent case of Nanda Lal Dhar Biswas, v. Jagat Kishore animadverted strongly upon the dilatory procedure which frequently marks these Indian appeals, very much to the loss and inconveniences of the litigants concerned. In his reply to the question in Parliament, Sir Fredrick Smith stated that the House of Lords has amended the Standing Orders, so as to shorten the time for appeals to that House from one year to six months. The question whether appeals to the Council from India can be shortened, so as to obviate evils to which attention has been called, has he added, engaged, the attention of the Government. By PTI: Mumbai, Sep 2 (PTI) Sacked Goa RSS unit chief Subhash Velingkar has received support from the Shiv Sena, which said he has done no crime by demanding that regional languages be promoted in Goa schools. Sena said the BJP government came to power in Goa on the back of its election promise of promoting regional languages, but reneged from it now. advertisement "If he (Velingkar) asked the government to not give grants to English medium schools and promote Konkani and Marathi, what crime has he done? When (Defence minister) Manohar Parrikar was Leader of Opposition, he had demanded the same thing from then Congress government," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana today. "Parrikar, with help from Velingkar had also initiated a movement to press for their demands which resulted in them getting the reigns of power. But they (the BJP) went back on their words and supported English medium schools. They have broken their promise," it said. Sena said the recent events in Goa were a classic example of "attempting to bury the movement" to promote ones local language and claimed that the state government there was "plagued by corruption, adultery and anarchy." "If on one side sympathy is being shown for Baluchistan, how correct is it to cut the feathers of a bird that is toiling hard to promote local language in ones homeland. This is an attempt to murder Goas culture," the BJP ally said. Attacking the Goa government on the issue of rising number of casinos and gambling, Sena said it will need to answer people in the upcoming election if it has no connivance with the drug mafia that is selling drugs freely in the state. "The BJP had said if it came to power, it would put an end to casinos and gambling dens. But their number has only increased. The government allows all this to happen but Velingkar was termed a criminal. Not only the Goa CM, but even his remote controller in Delhi needs to answer what crime did he do or what was his fault," it said. RSS on Wednesday removed Velingkar as its Goa chief as he had crossed swords with ruling BJP government demanding the promotion of local languages in schools. Velingkar subsequently decided to float a parallel unit and said he and his supporters would function independently of the parent body till the 2017 Assembly polls. PTI MM ARS SRY RYS --- ENDS --- advertisement Shashi Sunny He is busy creating magic with flavours when we catch up with Kapil Sethi. Magic that has a lingering aroma and that you want to take home! You can definitely take back memories of food, if not aroma, laughs Kapil, as he serves food that you want to preserve as souvenirs. A chef at Tanddav in New Delhi, his resume boasts of work experience at many popular restaurants and hotels but he believes, For a chef, each day, each dish, each job should be as important. I love to experiment with food and that has helped me grow as a chef. He has had successful runs at hot spots like Lapp and DLF Emporios Cavalli Cafe. Here he reminisces about his exciting journey through a world of flavours and how he has served a wide range of palates at home and abroad. Excerpts from the interview. Why did you want to become a chef? Even as a teenager, I was interested in cooking and would try my hand at creating new dishes with something as basic as Maggi. I inherited this quality from my father. Although he was a successful businessman, cooking was his hobby and he would make many delicious dishes. Since we are Punjabis, food is very important for us, it is a way of celebrating life and that developed my love for food. What do you think is the most important quality in a chef? Patience and passion. I tell my staff that though they can use standard recipes for dishes, but it is important to put your heart and soul into everything you cook. If a chef fails to do that, then even the best of the recipes wont turn out well. How has the Indian food industry evolved over the last few decades? There has been tremendous growth in the industry. We get fresh imports from all around the world. With people and chefs travelling extensively, the world has become a smaller space, resulting in cultural exchange and introduction to many great cuisines. The Indian food industry has ably tossed up new dishes and is offering a wider variety to food lovers. Do you think the restaurant culture varies from city to city in India? Its pretty much the same, not just in India but internationally as well. With globalisation, people have started travelling extensively for work, so eating out has become a norm. Restaurants are offering global meals. Also, in all cities, eating out has become a weekend recreational activity and food joints are doing everything possible to make eating out a memorable experience. How is the Indian food received internationally? I have worked in the United States and never faced any issues while embracing any cuisine. As for our own cuisine, everyone was very welcoming and eager to learn more about the Indian food. My colleagues and customers would get very excited whenever I cooked an Indian dish on any special occasion. They started loving aloo paratha for breakfast. I even made them replace their colas with our shikanji in summer. What challenges have you faced in your career? Any interesting anecdotes you want to share? I have always regarded any challenge as an opportunity to outdo myself. I worked with the European cuisine and confectionery areas for about seven years and then I got the opportunity to work for an Asian restaurant (Circa1193), which mainly served contemporary Japanese cuisine. Initially, I cursed myself for taking up that job. What I found the most challenging was the terminology. Almost all the sauces were in black, which made recognising them very difficult. But thanks to my teams support, I was able to master them in a weeks time. When I look back now, I realise that taking up the job at Circa1193 was a wise decision. I now have the experience of working with so many interesting cuisines and as a result, I have become very experimental with my recipes. How would you like to change or contribute to the Indian restaurant scene? I am still young in the industry and I still need to learn a lot to be able to change anything. Who would you like to cook for and why? I would love to cook for chef Andrew Scott Zimmern as he loves to try unique and bizarre foods and I love experimenting with that. Saibal Chatterjee Who would have ever imagined that Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and adult film star-turned-Bollywood-heroine Sunny Leone would one day find themselves on the same platform, if only indirectly? Two anticipated feature-length documentaries on the two are part of the upcoming 41st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). These two titles complete a quartet of India-centric documentaries in the TIFF 2016 selection. Richie Mehtas India in a Day and Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiyas The Cinema Travellers, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, are also playing in TIFF, which runs from September 8 to 18 this year. Indian cinema has always had a significant presence in North Americas premier cinema event, but it seems to have done better for itself at TIFF this year than ever before. It will screen the latest films of two of Indias most feted directors, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Buddhadeb Dasgupta, and host the world premiere of actress Konkona Sen Sharmas first behind-the-camera cinematic outing. The Kejriwal documentary, An Insignificant Man, is a 100-minute film directed by first-timers Khusboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla and produced by Anand Gandhi, whose directorial debut Ship of Theseus had dropped anchor in Toronto a few years ago. An Insignificant Man was filmed over a period of a year during which the makers followed the activities and speeches of the AAP leader and his volunteers at rallies, party meetings and Kejriwals anti-corruption hunger strike. More than a portrait of Kejriwal, Ranka and Shukla have created a portrait of a country with 29 languages and 1.3 billion people struggling to achieve real democracy, TIFFs artistic director Cameron Bailey writes in the festivals official catalogue. Also in TIFFs documentary programme this year is the Canadian entry Mostly Sunny, photojournalist-turned-filmmaker Dilip Mehtas 90-minute cinematic sketch of one of the most unusual Bollywood actresses in the business today. In his introduction to the film, TIFF programmer Steve Gravestock lauds Mehta for laying out the contradictions and complications that (Sunny) Leones career has revealed in both domestic and diasporic Indian societies. Toronto-based Deepa Mehta, too, has a film in the TIFF selection. Mehtas Anatomy of Violence, which will be screened as part of the festivals Masters sidebar, probes the shocking dimensions of the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder. The film seeks to understand sick minds and horrific impulses at work behind the crime, allowing the actors in the cast to improvise and envisage possible sociological and psychological backgrounds and pasts for the perpetrators and the victim. Adoor and Dasguptas films, too, are in the Masters lineup. While the formers Malayalam-language Pinneyum (Once Again) has already been released in India, Bengali director Dasguptas Tope (The Bait) will have its world premiere in Toronto. Bailey describes Pinneyum as a scintillating contemporary noir, saying that despite the ugliness that it reveals, the film remains light and graceful its widescreen images composed with an eye both to visual harmony and to relaying the shifting power relationships among the characters. Dasguptas seventh TIFF Masters entry, Tope, tells the stories of three different characters to elliptically reveal not-so-edifying aspects of rural India in the directors trademark poetic style. Its lush cinematography may revel in the scenic splendours of Indias countryside, but Tope takes an unflinching look at how the countrys weakest and most vulnerable are used by the rich, Bailey writes. Konkona Sen Sharmas A Death in the Gunj has been selected for the Special Presentations section. Described as a coming-of-age story about a shy young Indian student who quietly and fatefully unravels during a family road trip, the film has a cast that includes Vikrant Massey, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin, Tillotama Shome, Tanuja and Om Puri. India in a Day is a non-fiction film that has been executive produced by Ridley Scott and Anurag Kashyap. Powered by Google, it uses footage shot by millions of Indians on a single day. On October 10, 2015, people across the country turned on their cameras and smartphones, filmed their lives, and uploaded the footage to a website. Toronto-born Richie Mehta, whose feature films Amal and Siddharth have screened in TIFF, and his editor Beverley Mills then edited the available footage to carve out the 86-minute film that shines a light on the diversity of India. Nothing on view in TIFF this year would probably be as magical and startlingly entertaining as The Cinema Travellers. It documents the disappearing tradition of Maharashtras mobile tent theatres and the last men standing in this fading trade that still casts a spell on people in parts of the state. Emma Akbareian Where the 1990s were about grunge and in the Noughties we went boho, in todays society it seems we are surrounded by perfectly coiffed hair. Whether its the Duchess of Cambridge or Kim Murray, the holy grail of hair is looking like youve just stepped out of a salon. Unfortunately most of us mere mortals lack the budget to have a hairdresser on call and have to opt for more DIY methods. The old adage, a man is only as good as his tools is certainly apt here; dont expect to achieve a high-society hairdo with old-school electricals. Gone are the clunky, noisy dryers and the over-frazzled hair they create, instead youll find slick machines that noiselessly tame even the messiest of barnets. The major entry to the market comes from a slightly unexpected source: Dyson. Yes the purveyor of swishy vacuum cleaners has made the haircare industry its newest target market. Dyson doesnt do anything by halves, investing 50m in the development of its Supersonic dryer. Four years of testing later and the result is an ultra-light machine, with concentrated, heat-sensitive airflow for precise styling. Hair dryers can be heavy, inefficient and make a racket. I challenged Dyson engineers to really understand the science of hair and develop our version of a hair dryer, which we think solves these problems, explains company founder James Dyson. At a slightly lower entrance price theres GHD; the brand responsible for giving us poker-straight hair also makes a mean hair-drying machine. The Auras key selling point is its Laminair technology; where most standard dryers blow air in all directions, GHDs features a concentrated stream of air allowing for precision styling. The Independent Tribune News Service Mussoorie, September 2 Chief Minister Harish Rawat along with Urban Development Minister Pritam Panwar laid the foundation stone of more than 17 projects on the Municipal Council premises here today. Rawat said Mussoorie is the pride of Uttarakhand and whatever is done for it will always be less in comparative terms. He stressed community participation for the planned development of the town and appealed to residents to cooperate. The state government was interested in providing drinking water to the town but getting Rs 300 crore for it was a big challenge. Hence people should work towards rainwater harvesting and conserve water for dry periods. He said, The town is small population wise but here aspirations are quite high. We have to find solutions to the issues of the town right from developing George Everest House to the high walls of the cemeteries. He added the performance of the Nainital and Mussoorie municipal councils should be high so that they could serve as an example to other local bodies in development. Rawat said Mussoorie should act as a guiding force for enhancing the skills of villagers residing around the town, especially in field of dairy products. It should work as a market for local goods, thus helping in branding of items produced here as souvenirs. He directed the officials to ensure that the local traditional and architecture was depicted during the construction of the town hall and the two welcome gates to be constructed in the memory of two women martyrs from the town. On the issue of the freeze zone, he said, There are some complications and he will come out with some solution to provide relaxation to the people so that development is not hindered. Panwar said the government was committed towards the development of the town and this was the first time that the government had initiated so many projects. Former MLA Jot Singh Gunsola raised the issue of delay in the construction of a combined health centre near the Civil Hospital. The Chief Minister said an inquiry into irregularities was on and he would look into the matter and try to resolve it. MC president Manmohan Singh Mall demanded blacklisting of executive agency Uttar Pradesh Nirman Nigam for the delay in the construction of the hospital and the IDH housing society project in Mussoorie. Rawat assured people that he was keen to ensure sustainable development in the town but people should also reward him for his efforts during the elections. The projects for which the foundation stone was laid include reconstruction of the town hall, Clock Tower road and a railing from Bhatta village to the Bhatta temple, construction of a road and a railing from Bhatta fall to Kyarkuli, construction of a parking lot at Landour ward, Barat Ghar at Dhobi ghat, a gazibo at Hawa Ghar of Mullingar, a musical fountain at Char Dukan. Widening of Cart MacKinnon road, reconstruction of Lambhidhar Kimadi road and the construction of the Kyarkuli drinking water project. Tribune News Service Dehradun, September 2 The one-day nationwide strike of trade unions disrupted normal life here today. The protest was held against the Union Governments anti-labour policies. Workers of public transport, government and private schools, tea estate, banking sector, health service, defence manufacturing sector, cab operators and power department took part in the strike against the Centre. Commuters were at the receiving end as government buses remained off-road till afternoon. The protesters, including government and private employees under the aegis of the Central Trade Union, gathered at Gandhi Park. They held a rally that passed through Rajpur Road, Clock Tower, Ashley Hall Chowk and culminated at Gandhi Park. They raised slogans against the Union Government. Heera Singh Bisht, state president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), said the Union Government had drafted a proposal to amend labour laws without the consent of trade unions leaders. He said the Centre should immediately draft a proposal to increase minimum wages to Rs 18,000 per month of labourers employed in organised and unorganised sectors. Private transport service operators are harassed in the name of Road Safety Bill. The government should immediately take steps to stop the contractual system in government as well as private sectors, he said. Lekhraj, district general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), said labourers should be given allowances like white collar employees working in government and private sectors. Gratuity should be calculated on 45-day per year of employees and labourers should be strictly given pension benefits, he added. Samar Bhandari, Jagdish Chimwal, Jagmohan Mehandiratta, Ashok Sharma, AP Amoli and Daya Krishna Pathak were present at the protest site. Bandh in Mussoorie Left supported trade unions workers observed a bandh and took out a rally in support of their 18-point charter of demand in Mussoorie on Friday. Hotel workers from various trade unions marched from the Landour Bazaar to Library Chowk in support of their demands. RP Badoni, president of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Mussoorie branch, said their demands included minimum wages for all workers in organised and unorganised sectors and no to the newly introduced Motor Transport Act which was detrimental to the rights of the people of the country. He said trade unions were also protesting governments decision to take factories with up to 40 workers out of the labour laws. He said several hotel and workers unions had supported the strike. Manila, September 2 At least 10 persons died and dozens were injured when an explosion rocked a market area in Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes southern home city of Davao on Friday night, the police said. Duterte was in Davao today, but was safe and at a police station after the explosion, his son Paolo Duterte, who is vice mayor of the city, said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The explosion occurred close to one of Davaos top hotels that is popular with tourists and business people, city spokeswoman Catherine dela Rey said. There was an explosion but as to what caused it, it is still under investigation, dela Rey said. Ten persons died on the spot, at least 30 injured. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told CNN Philippines that some 60 persons were injured and 10 confirmed dead. Agencies Peshawar, September 2 At least 13 people were killed and 54 others injured on Friday when a Taliban bomber blew himself up at Mardan district courts in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, hours after security forces foiled an assault on Peshawar's Christian colony by killing four suicide attackers. The attacker from the Tehreek-e-Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction apparently wanted to hit lawyers at the bar room, police said. When a policeman stopped him at the gate, the bomber threw a grenade at him and detonated his explosives laden vest among the morning crowds at the main gate of the courts. "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," chief rescue officer in Mardan Haris Habib said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Six lawyers and two policemen were among the dead. "So far we have recovered 12 bodies of lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Habib was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. The injured have been moved to a nearby hospital. A state of emergency has been declared at local hospitals and security has been tightened in all adjoining areas. Police officials said that the suicide bomber had between 7-8 kg of explosives on his body. Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif visited the Mardan Medical Complex and inquired after the injured victims of the blast. This was second attack on Pakistan's legal community within a month. In August, a blast at a hospital in southern Balochistan province capital Quetta killed more than 70 people, nearly wiping out the senior lawyers of the city. The Quetta attack was also claimed by Jamaat-ur Ahrar. Today's assault on court occurred hours after four heavily-armed suicide attackers from the same faction tried to storm a Christian colony in Peshawar, some 40 km from Mardan, but were gunned down by security forces. In the predawn attack, the terrorists struck the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, and killed one Christian security guard. Soldiers backed by army helicopters rushed to spot where they exchanged gunfire with terrorists. All four terrorists were killed during the encounter. PTI Hangzhou, September 1 As the worlds top leaders are set to discuss the state of the global economy at this weekends G-20 summit here, geopolitics, bilateral issues and growing threat of terrorism have cast a shadow over the gathering, while host China is keen on avoiding any references to the simmering South China Sea dispute. The meeting is set to take place in this picturesque eastern city on September 4 and 5 at a time when a series of terror attacks in many European countries claimed by the ISIS have threatened the international peace and security. For China, the summit comes at a time when it is waging a grim battle to minimise the impact of an international tribunals ruling which quashed its expansive claims on the South China Sea (SCS), besides tensions in its ties with India, Japan, Britain and the US. Modi who is scheduled to arrive on September 3 will stay in the city for about 48 hours, an Indian diplomat said. Details of his meeting with Xi on the sidelines are still being worked out. PTI TAMPA (Florida), September 2 Wind and rain from Hurricane Hermine toppled trees and power lines along Florida's northern Gulf Coast, inundating coastal areas with storm surges before it weakened to a tropical storm over land and plowed toward the Atlantic Coast on Friday. Hermine made landfall early on Friday near St. Marks, Florida, 20 miles south of the capital of Tallahassee, dumping heavy rains and packing winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), leaving tens of thousands of households without power along Florida's Gulf Coast. No injuries were immediately reported. It was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma more than a decade ago. A weakening Hermine moved across southern Georgia, blowing winds of 60 miles per hour (95 km) at 8 a.m. EDT, (noon GMT), according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical storm was expected to reach the coastal Carolinas later Friday, then move offshore from North Carolina on Saturday. Forecasters said it could restrengthen over the sea. In Cedar Key, an island community in northwest Florida, waters rose more than 9.5 feet (2.9 meters), among the highest surges ever seen, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tallahassee. "It is a mess," Virgil Sandlin, the Cedar Key police chief told the Weather Channel television network. "We have high water in numerous places." Some 170,000 people were without power in the affected region on Friday morning, WCTV television in Tallahassee reported. More than half of Tallahassee had lost power, the NWS said. By Friday morning, the storm barreled across southeastern Georgia, where thousands were without power. On its current path, the storm could dump as much as 15 inches (38 cm) of rain on coastal Georgia, which was under a tropical storm watch, and the Carolinas. Forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods and flash floods. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared emergencies in affected regions. A tropical storm watch extended north to New Jersey with Hermine expected to be felt over the US Labor Day holiday weekend by tens of millions of Americans living along the Atlantic Coast. Yet as it made its way north, the storm whipped up heavy rain across Florida's Gulf Coast on Friday morning. Communities as far south as Tampa shut roads due to flooding. Schools in 35 of the state's 67 counties were closed, Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Twitter. In advance of the storm, he had declared a state of emergency in 51 counties. As the sun rose on Friday morning on Hudson Beach, just north of Tampa, cars sat askew in the middle of flooded out roads. Palm fronds, tree branches and garbage cans were scattered about. Overnight, Pasco County crews rescued 18 people and brought them to shelters after their homes were flooded in Hudson Beach and nearby Green Key. Richard Jewett, 68, was rescued from his home in nearby New Port Richey, around 1:30 a.m. EDT (730 GMT) on Friday as emergency workers carried out a mandatory evacuation. "The canal started creeping up toward the house and even though it wasn't high tide it looked like it was coming inside," he said. Reuters By India Today Web Desk: Shah Rukh Khan is the most affable guy in Bollywood, and that's been confirmed by quite a few of his co-stars. And now one of his ex-employees has gone on to confirm it on a Quora thread, anonymously. She's specifically talked about his sense of humour which is razor-sharp especially when the cameras are not around. advertisement ALSO READ: After Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir is the most candid Bollywood celebrity ALSO SEE: Shah Rukh gets philosophical on the sets of Imtiaz Ali's The Ring She says, "Since he doesnt have to worry about offending anyone when cameras arent around, hes very very funny. And he has a very sarcastic & witty sense of humor. Like Chandler but with oodles of charm. I remember thinking he could have been a crazy successful stand-up comedian if he wasnt an actor." The anonymous lady even goes on to add he's a complete foodie and that he even joined her for lunch, when she brought a particular shop's chhole bature, saying he missed them a lot. She chose to keep her identity a secret citing that she still worked in the same industry. She lists 12 points which describe Mr Khan as one of the most polite, hardworking and intelligent gentlemen working in the industry. That reputation from the co-stars wasn't completely wrong then. You can read the entire answer by clicking here. --- ENDS --- Miami, September 2 Hurricane Hermine swept onto Florida's Gulf coast early today with winds and heavy rain causing flooding and cutting power to tens of thousands of people, with officials warning of "life threatening" conditions. The Category One storm made landfall around 1.30 am local time (0530 GMT) near St Marks, just south of Florida's capital Tallahassee, with 130 kilometer per hour winds extending 45 miles from the hurricane's eye, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. "There is a danger of life-threatening inundation within the next 12 to 24 hours along the Gulf coast of Florida," it added. The storm is moving north-northeast at 14 miles per hour. Some 70,000 people in rain-drenched Tallahassee were already without power as local television stations broadcast video footage of buffeting winds and cars driving through flooded streets. Authorities in several counties have issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents living on the coast and in low-lying regions. "This is life-threatening," Governor Rick Scott told journalists Thursday, urging residents to take warnings seriously. "We have a hurricane. You can rebuild a home. You can rebuild property. You cannot rebuild a life." Hundreds of schools and government offices will be closed Friday as residents brace for the storm's full impact. Hermine is the first hurricane to hit Florida in 11 years since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said 100 Florida National Guard personnel were activated, with 6,000 more on alert in the state and 34,000 members ready to deploy from elsewhere in the United States. President Barack Obama has asked FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to keep him updated on the situation "and to alert him if there are any significant unmet needs", White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "Local, state and federal officials have been working diligently to prepare for these storms and have resources on hand to respond to them as necessary," he added. Less severe but still dangerous tropical storm-force winds are buffeting several hundred miles of Florida coast, from Tampa to the barrier islands south of Pensacola. AFP Islamabad, September 2 Pakistani authorities have decided to speed up the process to bring back Baloch separatist leader and Nawaz Akbar Khan Bugtis grandson Brahamdagh Bugti, who is currently living in self-exile in Switzerland. Brahamdaghs grandfather Akbar Bugti was killed in an army operation in Balochistan in 2006, which angered several young Balochs who took up arms. Balochistan Police Department has contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh in order to complete the Red Notice application requirements for Interpol, The Express Tribune reported. After the completion of the required paperwork, Pakistan would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to Pakistan. Interpol notices are international requests of cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. In the case of Red Notices, the suspects are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Interpol assists the national police in identifying and locating these wanted people for lawful action. According to preliminary identification details submitted by the Balochistan police, the 33-year-old chief of the banned Baloch Republican Party is known in his close circles as Sahib. Brahamdagh had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent remarks on Balochistan. According to Balochistan police, Brahamdagh has two wives named Laila Bibi and Shuli Bibim and four children. He hails from the Raheja Bugti tribe and is operating the Baloch Republican Army network from Switzerland. He fled to Afghanistan during the crackdown on Baloch rebels and moved to Switzerland when Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. In Switzerland, he sought political asylum in 2011 but the Swiss government turned down his request in January 2016, citing Islamabads decision of declaring him a terrorist wanted for multiple attacks. PTI Davao (Philippines), September 2 President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday the Philippine coast guard has observed Chinese barges at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, possibly indicating that Beijing is planning new construction that could ratchet up tensions. Still, Duterte said he wouldn't raise the territorial dispute at an Asian summit in Laos next week that will be attended by several world leaders, including China's. "The coast guard made some little trips near them and there are a lot of barges. ... What is the purpose of a barge?" Duterte said in a speech in southern Panabo city in Davao del Norte province, adding that the intelligence report "was unsettling". Duterte said the barges were sighted in Bajo de Masinloc, the Filipino name for Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines that Chinese government ships seized in 2012 following a standoff with Philippine vessels. "They suspect that's going to be another construction somewhere," he said. "It could be a potential flashpoint, this China Sea." In the last three years, China has transformed seven disputed reefs into islands that other claimant countries and the United States say could become military bases to support Beijing's territorial claims. The tough-talking Duterte said war is not an option at this time given the weak Philippine military, and his government's priority is to hold talks and reinvigorate trade and economic ties with China. But he said the Philippines could take only so much, with China insisting that it owns the contested territories and refusing to recognise a July 12 ruling by an international tribunal that invalidated Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea based on historical grounds. "You cannot be slapped everyday with that kind of words," Duterte said. The arbitration ruling, he said, proved that a huge swathe of offshore territory that China claims "is really ours." He said a time would come when he would make clear to China that its expansive claim "is totally unacceptable to us". Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also have been involved in disputes over ownership of territory in the South China Sea, a busy waterway believed to be rich in undersea deposits of oil and gas. AP Stirling, September 2 The Scottish National Party is to send out thousands of its faithful to measure the appetite for independence, leader Nicola Sturgeon announced on Friday, raising the political stakes further as Britain decides how it will leave the European Union. The first minister of the devolved Scottish government said Britain's June vote to leave the EU, dragging Scotland with it, had shifted the debate dramatically just two years after Scots voted by 10 percentage points to reject independence. "Do we control our own destiny as a country or will we always be at the mercy of decisions taken elsewhere?" Sturgeon asked her Scottish National Party (SNP) lawmakers in Stirling, the site of a historic Scots battle over the English in 1297. The SNP, funding the entire project itself, aims to have at least two million nuanced responses from Scotland's 5.3 million population by November 30, Scotland's national day via a survey and doorstep interviews. Armed with that information and a better idea of what Brexit means, it can better decide whether and how to call another referendum, raising the stakes further for British Prime Minister Theresa May as she grapples with the thorny EU exit. Scotland voted 62 per cent to 38 to remain in the EU in the June 23 Brexit referendum, putting it at odds with Britain as a whole which voted to leave. The SNP says EU membership was a key factor in Scottish voters' decision in 2014 to remain part of Britain. Business leaders, in a letter to The Scotsman newspaper, called on Sturgeon to "think again", saying a new independence campaign would bring further uncertainty "to Scotland's future at a time when small and large businesses are looking for stability from all layers of government". Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson accused Sturgeon of using the EU referendum to create yet more division Reuters Peshawar, September 2 In a brazen assault, four heavily armed suicide attackers on Friday stormed a Christian colony, opening indiscriminate fire that left one person dead and several others injured before the terrorists were gunned down by security forces in this northwestern Pakistani city. The firing began around 6 am when terrorists attacked the colony and exchanged fire with security forces in Warsak area of Peshawar district in Khyber-Pakthunkhwa province, officials said. Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets while two others were killed by security forces, officials were quoted as saying by the Dawn News. One civilian was also killed in the attack, they said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded. All 4 suicide bombers killed. Search in progress, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa tweeted. In the exchange of fire, two Frontier Corps soldiers, a police constable and two civilian guards were injured. No outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Peshawar has faced numerous terrorist attacks, including the December 2014 massacre of students at an army-run school. Taliban gunmen had killed more than 150 people, most of them children, in the deadliest attack. PTI Colombo, September 2 UN chief Ban Ki-moon today said the Sri Lankan government needs to do much more to redress the "wrongs of the past" and to restore the "legitimacy and accountability" of key institutions such as the judiciary and security services after decades of bloodshed with the LTTE. The UN Secretary-General, however, welcomed the efforts made by the government of President Maithripala Sirisena, who had come to power on a pledge of reconciliation and reform after defeating Sinhala-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015. Ban welcomed the symbolic steps taken by the government to build bridges among communities, including the decision to sing the national anthem in Sinhala and Tamil on Independence Day in February this year for the first time since the 1950s. "These steps have built confidence and trust, and strengthened transparency and accountability," Ban said. But there was still much work to be done in order to redress the wrongs of the past and to restore the legitimacy and accountability of key institutions, particularly the judiciary and the security services, the UN chief said. More can and should be done to address the legacy of the past and acknowledge the voices of the victims, he said while delivering a lecture on 'Sustaining Peace and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals' here. He said this was critical for reconciliation, and for ensuring respect for human rights of all Sri Lankans, without regard for ethnicity, religion and political affiliation. In his meeting with Sirisena yesterday, Ban expressed his support to the government's reform programme as well as its reconciliation efforts with the minority Tamils. The UN chief said Sri Lanka's young population is its "biggest asset" and the future success of the nation depended on them. Ban, on his second visit to Sri Lanka since 2009 when the Sri Lankan troops defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said the country was "still in the early stages of regaining its rightful position in the region and the international community". PTI Almaty, September 2 Uzbekistans President Islam Karimov died today, the government announced, ending over a quarter of a century of his iron-fisted rule in the Central Asian nation with no clear successor lined up. Dear compatriots, it is with huge grief in our hearts that we announce to you the death of our dear president, a state TV presenter said, reading an official statement. Authorities said Karimov, 78, was pronounced dead at 8.55 pm (local time) following days of speculation that authorities were delaying announcing his death after he reportedly suffered a stroke over the weekend. The strongmans funeral will be held in his home city of Samarkand tomorrow as the country begins three days of mourning, the statement said, with Uzbekistan now facing the greatest moment of uncertainty of its post-Soviet history. Loyalist PM Shavkat Mirziyoyev is heading the organisation committee for the funeral, suggesting that he could be in line to take over long-term from Karimov. AFP Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his condolence speech said, "We have lost a great trade unionist who always fought for the rights of the common workers through his different unions". By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Veteran trade union leader Sharad Rao passed away on Thursday evening following a prolonged illness. For the past two years, Rao was under treatment for cancer . HE SPEARHEADED FEARLESSLY Rao headed strong trade unions in Mumbai that indued Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) that runs public transport buses in Mumbai, Mumbai Autorickshawsmen's Union that represents majority of auto rickshaw drivers among several other employee unions. advertisement Rao was once known as the right hand man of veteran socialist leader George Fernandes. Fernandes handed over the baton to Rao after he moved to national politics. Rao was always at the receiving end for his infamous strikes where he was mostly criticised for holding the city to ransom. Be it the auto's strike or the Safai Mazdoor Union strike, he was the one man who could bring the city to a grinding halt by a strike. Sharad Rao always commanded a great respect from the working class in the Metropolis. He joined the Nationalist Congress party later in his political career, but he continued to call George Fernandes as his leader. CONDOLENCES Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his condolence speech said, "We have lost a great trade unionist who always fought for the rights of the common workers through his different unions". Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde, Nationalist Congress Party leader and MP Supriya Sule, and leaders from different political parties and unions expressed their condolences. Rao's mortal remains will be kept for darshan at his residence in Goregaon and final rites will take place on September 3. --- ENDS --- West Bengal state government will return 997 acres of land to those who lost them after Tata's acquisition. By Romita Datta: The state government will return 997 acres of land to the land losers by making it cultivable. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said this at the state secretariat today. Tata Motors has set up its unit over 600 acres of land and there are two power substations covering 47 acres. The structures will be pulled down and will be made suitable for agricultural use, Banerjee hinted. advertisement The Supreme Court yesterday in a landmark land acquisition judgement has struck down the law by virtue of which the erstwhile Left Front government acquired land for Tata Motors in 2006-07. LAND POSSESSION WITHIN 12 WEEKS The court has also made an observation that the purpose of acquisition was not meeting the public end. Mamata Banerjee said that land losers will get physical possession within stipulated time of 12 weeks. Yesterday Banerjee had mentioned that her government will make no distinction between the land owners, who have refused compensation and supported her save farmland movement and those who were in favour of the car factory and took compensation. "We don't divide and discriminate. We are not mean minded and vindictive, " she said, when told about Tata Group's interest in Bengal. Meanwhile the Tata Motors is yet to give an opinion on yesterday's verdict. Also read: Mamata Banerjee on Singur verdict against Tatas: Can die in peace now --- ENDS --- With his ethereal but strong voice, Jason Isbell tells stories about a hard-working woman becoming a young mother, a friend struggling with cancer, stories not his own but usually with some dose of his own experience. Thats something I like about songwriting, Isbell said in a recent interview. Theres always at least a part of my own personal story, my own personal concerns in every song. I realized when I heard probably 8 or 10 years old and I heard Angel from Montgomery, the John Prine song, and thought, This guys not an old woman. Then a lightbulb went off and I thought, Well, you can be whoever you want to be in these songs. The older I get and more songs I write, I find theres always a little bit of my own personality in there. His own personality and life experience told through his music tells stories of struggle and triumph, love and loss that hes experienced on his own journey. Telling those stories in his way has earned him numerous accolades and a growing number of fans who find their own connections to the tales. Isbell said sobriety helped clear the fog. So did his family and his band. That journey to find fulfillment and the songs that came from it have helped launch Isbell to superstar status in the Americana world, part of the movement thats seen its profile grow in recent years. Its taken him from the stage at Cains Ballroom last year to this September, when he is set to headline a show at the BOK Center. I see more people who make this kind of music able to make a living, Isbell said. I dont know if I had a hand in that. I think probably more likely Im part of the group thats reaping the benefits of that. Years of work led him to this point, but his roots in the musical oasis of Muscle Shoals in northern Alabama and a family steeped in music helped guide him. From an early age, he knew what he was going to do for the rest of his life: Make music. I never felt like I was practicing, Isbell told the Tulsa World in an interview last year. It was the only thing I ever remember wanting to do with my life, probably from 10 years old when I first started understanding what a career was, that was my plan. Isbell sent his work to one of those notable Muscle Shoals recording studios and worked there before he joined several fellow northern Alabama musicians in the group Drive-By Truckers. The band was decidedly Southern rock, known for big live shows with rocking sounds and thoughtful lyrics. But that time included demons that clouded his work and life. Drinking was his priority, with his music getting brushed to the side too frequently. So I didnt have the time; I didnt give myself the opportunity to work that hard, Isbell said. And I think you probably when youre drinking like that or doing any kind of drug your time is just generally cut in half because you spend a great deal of your day recovering from the night before or getting drunk again. You dont notice as many things. You dont have as many quality conversations. You dont pay attention to the details of whats going on around you. So I didnt get inspired as often when I was drinking because most of the time I was blurry and not thinking straight. Isbell left the Drive-By Truckers in 2007 to start his solo work, initially with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, a band also made up of musicians from the northern Alabama area. Isbell and the band released two albums under the moniker, but the cloud of addiction hung overhead. In 2012, the clouds started to part. He sought treatment with the help of his girlfriend at the time, Amanda Shires, who is now his wife, a songwriter, violinist and former member of the Texas Playboys. With more clarity, Isbell was able to focus more on his music and give his process more thought. He started writing songs that would become his 2013 album, Southeastern. The work is really the important part. Thats what it comes down to, Isbell said. When I was drinking and going out and stuff, every time the sun would go down Id start thinking, All right, now its time to start wanting a drink. Now if Im writing a song, I can sit and stay where I am working for a long time and really focus in on every word, every phrase, every piece of melody. It helps a lot. With Southeastern, Isbell swept the Americana Music Awards in 2014 and put his poignant songwriting in the spotlight. With his follow-up, 2015s Something More than Free, he won his first two Grammy awards. The sun is shining much clearer now. Hes working on his follow-up to Something More than Free, but before that, hes preparing to support his wife, who is set to release her latest album, My Piece of Land, in September, her first since 2013. Isbell lent his pen to a few songs and guitar to most but took a backseat to Shires light, sweet voice. It was fun for me because there was really no pressure from where I was sitting, Isbell said. I just tried to help the songs out the best I could. I enjoy that role, not having to be the frontman sometimes. Its really convenient that she does the same thing I do. Its a really good record. She put a lot of time into the songs and it shows. I think its a step in the right direction for her for sure. With the clarity, Isbell has a better handle on his own music, the stories he wants to tell. And with his music, the stories are timeless. Music is always cyclical. It used to be every 14 years, I dont know if were still on that particular calendar or not, but every 14 to 16 years, you would have big movement from some American city that would change what was popular, Isbell said. I think its nice the type of music thats popular right now is something that could have been made a long time ago. I think people want a little bit of that to balance out the modern lives we all have now. OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Mary Fallin will not call for a special session of the Legislature to address raises for state teachers. Instead, following a meeting with legislative leaders on Thursday, Fallins office announced that an excess $140.8 million in revenues will be returned to state agencies. Michael McNutt, a Fallin spokesman, said the governor and legislative leaders discussed their commitment to an alternative teacher pay raise rather than University of Oklahoma President David Borens proposed sales tax increase that voters will consider Nov. 8 as State Question 779. SQ 779, which would raise the state sales tax by 1 cent, calls for giving teachers a $5,000 pay raise. With so many legislators terming out and a large number of new legislators who will be elected and sworn into office in mid-November, it was decided to continue to develop a teacher pay raise plan with reform that will be introduced at the beginning of the next legislative session, McNutt said. Legislative leaders want the $140.8 million initially cut from agencies in the 2016 fiscal year and now available again returned equally to agencies, he said. Fallin asked legislative leaders to set priorities for distributing the money based on pressing needs at agencies, but a consensus to do so could not be reached, McNutt said. The funds will instead be sent to agencies with September general revenue allocations, McNutt said. Fallin on July 27 said she was considering calling lawmakers into a special session to use $140.8 million in excess funds for a teacher pay raise. She later said she was also looking at other ways to raise revenue to fund the increase without using the $140.8 million. The funds became available after the state closed the books on fiscal year 2016, during which state agencies had to take two cuts due to a revenue shortfall. The second cut was too deep, resulting in the excess funds. Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, said Thursdays meeting consisted of a rehash of things that have already been discussed. He said it is probably not worth having a special session to reallocate the $140.8 million. Bingman said his members are not hearing constituents say the Legislature needs to return to special session. I would say at this point I do not favor a special session, Bingman said. I think we all agree to keep the door open if the right circumstances are in place. I would say it is very difficult in this environment to go into a special session looking to increase revenue for teacher pay raises we all would agree are deemed necessary. Fallin has said the proposed special session was not an effort to derail SQ 779. Bingman said some have concerns that if the sales tax is increased, it will be detrimental to cities and towns, which rely on the sales tax to fund projects. They have said an increase will mean it will be difficult to raise it in the future. Due to a great deal of concern about what a 22 percent increase in the state sales tax will do to cities and towns across Oklahoma, we are continuing to look for an alternative solution to put more money into the pockets of classroom teachers, House Speaker Jeff Hickman, R-Fairview said. The $140 million available from the revenue failure reductions made by the Secretary of Finance was not part of the alternative teacher pay plans we discussed today. The members of the House I have heard from continue to believe the $140 million needs to be returned to agencies as soon as possible based on the same allocation the Legislature used when we appropriated it in the 2015 session. A lawsuit has been filed in an effort to prevent the reallocation of the $140.8 million. It is pending in the Oklahoma Supreme Court. This money has already been appropriated, said Senate Minority Leader John Sparks, D-Norman. It is unlawful for the governor to continue to withhold the funds. House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, agreed with Sparks comments. Our official position is the governor is violating the Oklahoma Constitution in withholding the $140 million that was voted on by the Legislature to be distributed under the 2016 state budget, Inman said. For her to arbitrarily cut deeper than necessary so she can use the money for her own pet projects is unjustifiable. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Vietnam, China and then the East Asia Summit in Laos in the first week of September, he will be flying over what is emerging as the world's most contested waterway-and also India's newest diplomatic challenge. The South China Sea will be the elephant in the room as the PM visits the three countries. In Vietnam, which is involved in a bitter maritime dispute with China, India is moving forward with both military and commercial ties, including exploration of the South China Sea's vast oil and gas resources. China, meanwhile, is working overtime to ensure that its controversial new moves to fortify some of the contested islands and reefs in the region will not overshadow the G20 summit (September 4-5) it is hosting in Hangzhou with typical fanfare. In fact, foreign minister Wang Yi was dispatched to New Delhi to ask India "to stand with China" on "all issues" at the G20, even if he did not specifically mention the South China Sea. advertisement At the East Asia Summit in Laos, where Modi will travel from Delhi barely a day after returning from China, topmost on the agenda is dealing with what many of the six claimants, as well as other regional powers, fear is a looming crisis in the South China Sea that could easily spiral out of control. These fears have become all the more pronounced after a permanent court of arbitration at The Hague, on July 12, issued a ruling based on an arbitration initiated by the Philippines in 2013. The ruling came down hard on China's new reclamation projects as well as its expansive territorial claims-noted by a 'nine-dash line' on its maps that covers over 90 per cent of the entire sea. It declared these claims to be inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which China is a party. While Beijing rejected the findings, the Philippines and Vietnam are now pushing for the East Asia Summit to take a firm stand on the ruling, although other ASEAN members like Brunei, Cambodia and Indonesia are reluctant to upset Beijing. What is at stake is the world's second busiest choke point (after the Strait of Hormuz), which accounts for, on a single day, the passage of 15 million barrels of oil, or a sixth of the global trade. It's also one of the world's most strategically important shipping lanes, connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans. The South China Sea is also thought to hold, after Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil reserves. The Chinese are even now spending billions in surveying the sea. Besides resources, there is also national pride at stake. The dispute is emerging as a site for the many complex regional rivalries to play themselves out. Of the over 40 land features in the sea, around two dozen are held by Vietnam, seven or eight each by the Philippines and China, four by Malaysia and one by Taiwan. Implications for India It is, however, the claims of one country that appear to be of most concern to India and the region. China, which lays claim to almost the entire sea, is now engaged in a massive effort to bolster its presence by building new facilities on artificially reclaimed islands. While other claimants say Beijing is militarising the islands, China insists it is merely playing catch-up (other claimants have carried out similar projects in the past) and stresses that it hasn't restricted the freedom of navigation that underpins the region's booming commerce. At the same time, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is today present across vast swathes of the sea. By dredging thousands of tonnes of sand, it is building over the Subi and Mischief reefs in the Spratly Islands runways and newly enforced hangars that could potentially house up to a dozen military aircraft, according to new satellite images released on August 8 by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. advertisement For India, the biggest concern is the likelihood of conflict, which could choke the movement of commercial and naval vessels in a crucial waterway that sustains over half of India's trade and is worth more than half a trillion dollars to the Indian economy. While India wants to stand with the rest of the region and bat for freedom of navigation, it also does not want to upset its already sensitive ties with China. Attempting this delicate balancing act has led to some ambiguity in India's stand on the dispute, which officials insist is intentional. After the arbitration ruling, New Delhi issued a carefully worded statement indicating support for the tribunal's findings, calling for UNCLOS to be respected. Yet at the same time Delhi succeeded in not angering Beijing whose officials noted-and appreciated-the fact that India's stand was more equivocal than Moscow's. The Chinese were taken aback by the Russian statement which stressed the universality of UNCLOS. advertisement PM Modi with Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2014 (Photo: Reuters) Experts say Delhi is, at the same time, becoming less cautious about upsetting China, and is more forcefully expressing its view on issues such as freedom of navigation. India started doing so from the Shangri-La security dialogue in Singapore in 2012, during the second term of the UPA government. Under the Modi government, this has gone a step further, says China expert Srinath Raghavan, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, with India "working more closely with the US to balance China". It is no coincidence that Narendra Modi will in September be the first Indian prime minister to visit Vietnam in 15 years. By deepening ties with China's rival claimants, Delhi appears to be looking to build some leverage to counter Beijing's ever-deepening relations with 'all-weather' ally Pakistan. Risks for Delhi As China goes ahead with projects in disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Delhi is looking to deliver a clear message that Beijing will be in no position to object to any Indian economic engagement including joint gas exploration projects in the South China Sea, which will be on the agenda when Modi is in Hanoi. In a big shift, India is also in talks with Vietnam over the sale of BrahMos missiles, and in discussions with the Philippines over the sale of frigates that will be used to patrol the South China Sea. advertisement India has also sought to draw a contrast between its maritime ambitions and China's, telling the region that it offers a different kind of leadership. Unlike China, India accepted the findings of an arbitration tribunal on its maritime dispute with Bangladesh. "India preaches what it practises and the agreement with Bangladesh on our maritime boundary should stand out as an example to others," foreign secretary S. Jaishankar said pointedly in March at the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi. India has also stressed the need for "resolving maritime disputes without threat or use of force". "There are a lot of people in India who think we should ratchet things up in the South China Sea, but there is no great benefit to it," says Commodore (retd) C. Uday Bhaskar, Director of the Society for Policy Studies in Delhi. A smarter approach, he feels, would be to use the PM's upcoming visits to Vietnam and Laos to carefully gauge the approach of regional countries. New Delhi also needs to carefully think through the consequences of its increasing closeness to the American position, adds Raghavan. For instance, on the issue of freedom of navigation in territorial waters, India's stand is more aligned with China's. While the United States insists on the right of "innocent passage" for its ships, both India and China insist on prior notification for foreign warships. In fact, the US last year undertook "freedom of navigation operations" (FONOPs) to contest the "excessive maritime claims" of 13 countries including India, by sailing in their territorial waters without prior notification (Pentagon annual report). The longer term concern for India and other countries is that by building military infrastructure, Beijing could be in a position to eventually decide who can navigate the waterways of the South China Sea. Beijing's definitions of freedom of navigation increasingly appear to be limited to commercial vessels-interfering with maritime trade would be disastrous for China's economy as well-leaving unclear whether the navies of India and other countries will always continue to have access to a crucial waterway. When asked why China was uncomfortable with the presence of Indian warships in the South China Sea even while its presence in the Indian Ocean was growing, one PLAN official retorted, "The Indian Ocean is international waters, but the islands and waters of the South China Sea belong to China." In other words, in Beijing's view, the right to navigate will ultimately be at its pleasure. PLA spokesperson, Senior Colonel Yang Yujun, though, discounts the likelihood of China doing so. "You said when Indian ships enter the South China Sea, China thinks it is wrong. But where did you hear that? If it is done in accordance with international law and as freedom of navigation, that should be lawful. Such movement should be helpful for country-to-country relations and for peace and stability in the region. All those moves should be welcomed," he said. But as Beijing moves forward with strengthening its grip on the South China Sea, the fear is that this will not always be the case. Follow the writer on Twitter @ananthkrishnan --- ENDS --- The goods that Briana Hefley-Shepard creates for her business Bifftastica are enriching both artistically and financially, the entrepreneur said. Im very driven to create, but I also want it to help support my family, Hefley-Shepard said. Its part of our income. It helps us. It fulfills a lot of needs. Bifftastica, which carries items that Hefley-Shepard sews as well as vintage fabric, is named for the nonsense nickname Biff that a high school friend christened her with during high school. The company, which sells on Etsy and in various storefronts, is just one part of the increasingly popular craft marketplace where creatives and consumers connect over handmade and unique items. Global marketing research firm Mintel Group Ltd. published a report earlier this year that found 37 percent of consumers surveyed had purchased something handmade for themselves or to give as a gift in the past year. After three consecutive years of growth, U.S. retail sales of art supplies grew to $1.5 billion in 2014, the report found. Etsy, a website where creatives can set up shops to sell unique items that was launched in 2005 and has become a ubiquitous part of the handmade movement, has 1.7 million active sellers and 26.1 million active buyers. Hefley-Shepard said that shes always made and that she always will. When the 1998 Union High School graduate went to college, she started making and selling jewelry out of her dorm room before expanding to flea markets and shows. In 2010, the same year that she started Bifftastica, she launched The Alliday Show, which is accepting applications for the 15 spots at the Dec. 9-10 Retro Den show. Hefley-Shepard runs The Alliday Show and Bifftastica while working at family business Alrac Electric Inc. and teaching English as a second language at Tulsa Community College. I dont really know what free time is, and Im OK with that, Hefley-Shepard said. Once I get my daughter to sleep, I start working, and I stay up probably way too late. But I do it because I love it. Not alone Shes not the only local entreprenuer driven to create. XXXSUBHEADXXX Nikki Halgren launched Gleeful Peacock shortly after her 30th birthday as a way to find herself again. Seven years later, the business has 14 employees and its handmade and designed products are in 4,000 stores throughout the world.I felt like I had lost myself, Nikki Halgren said, remembering the time in 2009 just before she launched an Etsy shop and attended her first craft show. I was working in a beige office. I was living in a beige house. I was just so unhappy. I was wearing boring clothes, and I just really lost myself. I went on this mission to color my life. Gleeful Peacock which Halgren said she named to evoke her mission to find her color and her happiness again sells jewelry, accessories and apparel that the owner and designer describes as nostalgic with a vintage vibe. Halgren designs and puts together the items her team at the companys showroom and studio at 1913 W. Tacoma St. in Broken Arrow The business doesnt have a demographic, according to Halgren. Instead, it has an aesthetic the woman who loves the Peacocks designs is the woman who loves unique and colorful items. I think as a society we are wanting to value things more, Halgren said of the increasing popularity of goods in the handmade, craft market. Were wanting to get things that speak to us more. Were wanting brands we relate to. Halgrens initial goal for Gleeful Peacock was to take her corporate job down to 30 hours a week so she could become homeroom mom for her young daughters classroom. After around nine months of constant travel to craft shows and working on her goods into the early hours of the morning, she was able to take her corporate job to part time. After another nine months or so, she quit the job entirely. The decisions to focus on Gleeful Peacock and to let the business grow as big as it could were scary ones, Halgren said, and she held back for what she feels was a long time. I remember that moment where I was no longer going to hold it back and I was just going to let it grow and I was going to do everything I could do to grow it, Halgren said. And then I signed up for my first market, and I havent done anything to hold it back since. And its just kept growing. The markets that Halgren is referring to are the wholesale marketplaces that are now the focus of her business. Instead of traveling to craft shows on weekends, the single mom said that it makes more sense to travel a few times a year to markets in places like Dallas and Los Angeles to sell to wholesale merchants. But Halgren said she makes sure to always do a few craft shows each year. She likes to see customer reactions and see other merchants who are friends from when she launched Gleeful Peacock. Its not an easy way to make a living, but its rewarding and its fulfilling, Halgren said. And if you happen to be fortunate enough that you hit that magic where it turns into a career, its amazing. People always want to read tons of business books and learn to replicate what other businesses have done, Halgren said, but that doesnt work for her. She tells upcoming creative entrepreneurs who ask for advice that they shouldnt sideline their creativity to only making products. Use that creativity to solve your business problems, Halgren said. One major example of Halgren throwing out conventional advice is for pricing her items, she said. Theres a formula that everyone tells handmade businesses to use that takes into account the raw materials and time spent on a project to come up with a price, but Halgren said shes never used that. Instead she asks herself what shed pay for an item. Ive never used that because it just didnt work for me, Halgren said. Ive always looked at my items and thought, Whats my perceived value on that item? What would I pay for that item? And then I know Im cheap, and I add a little bit because I go, Oh, Im kind of a cheap person. Brick and mortar component Social media is probably one of the drivers of the increased popularity in homemade goods, Hefley-Shepard said. She can put something up on her businesses Instagram page and then an hour later have several orders. Yet theres also large brick and mortar component to the industrys growth, Hefley-Shepard said. Made: The Indie Emporium Shop, at 501 S. Boston Ave., is one example of brick and mortars support. Owner Christine Sharp-Crowe said that she and her husband, Thom Crowe, were invited to do a popup shop in downtown Tulsa for the 2011 Christmas season and had such a good experience that they found a permanent spot. They work with around 80 artists, many of whom theyve met through Indie Emporium, the craft show the couple organizes that is accepting applications for its 10th anniversary show Nov. 25-26 at the Bond Event Center. Theyve met other artists through the craft shows that Sharp-Crowe travels to for her craft business weather&noise, which sells her designs on linen tea towels and textiles. Sharp-Crowe said she attributes the growing popularity of handmade goods as peoples push toward owning items that ground them. I think people are just wanting to get back to their roots, Sharp-Crowe said. With me, my grandmother made everything. Having meaning behind the things that you own is becoming more important to people now. Casey Smith Twitter: @casey_garrison U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry poses for a photo with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at a reception that the Secretary hosted in honour of the 46th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas and the U.S.-Caribbean-Central American Energy Summit, at the U.S. Department of State, in Washington, D.C., on May 4, 2016 The CEO of Ramps Logistics says he is "really really disappointed" with the Guyana Revenue A On Sunday 60 Minutes meets Marcela Del Sol who has dissociative identity disorder, the same condition depicted by Toni Collette in United States of Tara. The Sum of Us If you ever bumped into Marcela Del Sol walking down the street you might be confused. She is kind and friendly but suffers from an illness which means shes not always herself. Sometimes shes a completely different woman: Lola, Angel or Bella. Sometimes she is even a man the curmudgeonly Chris. In total, Marcela shares her body with seven different personalities. Its called dissociative identity disorder and its one of the ways the brain copes with severe trauma. Despite the terrible impact DID is having on her life, Marcela wants to share her experience in the hope that others will be more tolerant. Reporter: Peter Stefanovic Producers: Jo Townsend and Sean Power Plane Wrong In the rugged and spectacular frontier of Papua New Guinea theres an outrageous treasure hunt going on Old war planes, bombers and fighters, that once flew in the battles to save Australia against the advancing Japanese during World War II are being plundered from the jungle. In a major investigation, Ross Coulthart uncovers a black-market trade in the historic wrecks which are in demand by collectors and museums around the world. The problem is the warbirds, some of which are worth millions of dollars, belong to the government and people of PNG, although that seems to be no deterrent to Australian Robert Greinert. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Gareth Harvey Facetime His name is as distinctive as Yves St Laurent and Christian Dior, but Napoleon Perdis is an Australian success story. Hes the boy from Parramatta, the son of Greek immigrants, who has made his name by making women and some men beautiful. Even world-famous celebrities line up to have Napoleon work his make-up magic on their pampered faces. Napoleons cosmetics business is now big business that has made him very wealthy, but its nothing compared to the most precious thing in his life: his family. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Grace Tobin Sunday at 8.30pm on Nine. Sonia Kruger has been absent from Today Extra due to scheduled annual leave, and not as a result of reactions to recent controversial comments on air. A Nine spokeswoman assures Fairfax that Krugers contract was ongoing and that rumours she would not be returning to host The Voice were not correct. Next year the show is not produced by Endemol Shine but by ITV Australia. Kruger has been on holidays with Seven News boss Craig Macpherson for the past fortnight. Miss Universe is due to be held in Manila in January but newly-elected Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte does not want Steve Harvey back as host, after his blunder in the 2015 pageant. Harvey famously announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner before correcting Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach as the rightful winner. Tourism secretary Wanda Teo relayed President Dutertes concerns during a press conference on Thursday, CNN Philippines reported. He cannot host. I am going to talk to the Miss Universe that he cannot host so that is my problem, Duterte told Teo (translated by CNN Philippines). I dont want him to be the host of the Miss Universe. But Harvey has a five-year contract to host. So the President will not get mad, we may add a Filipina to co-host, Teo said. Harvey has told the Miss Universe Organisation that he wanted to personally apologise to the Filipinos for the incident. Source: Variety Screen NSW and ABC have announced six virtual reality projects to be developed under the 360 Vision initiative. Sydney-based VR artist Lynette Wallworth will mentor all six projects through this stage of development. The projects come from director Samantha Lang (Carlotta), producer Chloe Rickard (Soul Mates, No Activity), producer Michelle Hardy (Skitbox), writer / producer Rosie Lourde (Starting From Now) and a team from Western Sydney arts company CuriousWorks. ABC is yet to confirm which platform it will make these available, although Screen NSW already has a VR app. In separate news, Screen NSW has announced that a second 360 Vision intensive lab will be expanded to two days in March. The projects are: Aussie Cops Genre: Narrative Comedy Company: Hardy White Pictures VR Company: Paper Moose Creatives: Writer/cast: Seaton Kay-Smith Director/cast: Nick Hunter Producer: Michelle Hardy Synopsis: Aussie Cops is an Ozploitation comedy series about two very fair-dinkum cops investigating a grisly murder. A locked door murder of sorts experienced in 360 degrees from the point of view of an inquisitive new recruit. The Hold Up Genre: Narrative Comedy Company: Jungle FTV Pty Ltd VR Companies: Cutting Edge, Nylon Studios, Panavision Australia Creatives: Executive Producer: Chloe Rickard Producer: Sarah Nichols Director: Scott Pickett Writer: Charlie Garber Synopsis: A young mans preference for the real over the virtual is put to the test when his life is threatened by two ethically conflicted bank robbers. Colony: Departure Genre: Drama/Science Fiction Company: CuriousWorks Incorporated Creatives: Writers: S. Shakthidharan, Rosealee Pearson, Elias Nohra Sound Artist, Composer: Leah Barclay Producer: Vanessa Hyde Synopsis: Colony: Departure is a VR experience about one Australian family over fifteen generations, from pre-colonial times to an imagined future. It immerses audiences in migrational journeys to and within Australia, told from the perspective of our shared past, present and possible future. Breach Genre: Drama/Thriller Company: In Cahoots Creations Pty Ltd VR Company: The Pulse Creatives: Producer: Rosie Lourde Producer: George Kaceviski Writer: Rosie Lourde Into the Prehistoric Aquarium Genre: Childrens/Factual Company: Erth Visual &Physical Inc. VR Company: Handmaid Media Pty Ltd Creatives: Director: Samantha Lang Director: Scott Wright Producer: Gemma Pepper Synopsis: Moving from the depths of the ocean floor you will swim towards the surface, encountering a range of prehistoric marine creatures of the deep. The Church Genre: Drama/Horror Company: Proxi VR Pty Limited Creatives: Writer: Harrison Norris Director: Guy Norris Executive Producer: John Gregory Synopsis: The Church is a 5-7 minute long, slow-building psychological horror experience, created specifically for VR headsets. The viewer accompanies a repairman who is called to a rural church; realising too late that hes been lured into a horrifying trap. Screen NSW has also announced development funding for three additional VR projects: The First Artists Genre: Arts Company: Blackfella Films Pty Ltd VR Producer: Fergus Pitt Creatives: Executive Producer: Liselle Mei Producer: Darren Dale Producer: Troy Lum Director: Liselle Mei Writer: Liselle Mei Writer: Jacob Hickey Synopsis: This is a journey into the most extraordinary and unique art galleries anywhere on earth. Australia is home to the most extraordinary and unique art gallery anywhere on earth. 100,000 sites. 50,000 years of history. Countless stories. To most Australians, this is a hidden world. Unseen. But imagine if this gallery could be opened up. To anyone. At anytime. Anywhere. Imagine being taken on a journey deep into the world of Aboriginal rock art to meet the First Artists. For the first time, Virtual Reality can make this journey possible. For all Australians. Cockatoo Island Ghost Stories Genre: Drama/History Company: Yumi Stynes VR Company: Triggar Creatives: Writer: Yumi Stynes Producer: Bruce Walters Director: Darlene Johnson Synopsis: What can the ghosts that lurk on Cockatoo Island teach us about our history? Cockatoo Island has ghosts. Virtual Reality goggles allow you to see them. Cleverman Company: Goalpost Pictures Creatives: Producer: Liam Heyen Synopsis: 360 exploration of the world of Cleverman Southern Cross Television (SCTV) in Tasmania has breached the broadcasting rule on election advertisements after failing to identify Premier Will Hodgman as a speaker in a political ad. The ad which ran between 23 and 28 June 2016 was in the run up to the federal election. Clause 4(2) of Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 requires all election advertisements to include an announcement immediately following the advertisement of required particulars, including the name of every speaker in the advertisement. Media watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority ruled this a breach and also found radio C91.3 FM in Campbelltown NSW failed to identify MP Russell Matheson, in a radio advertisement. ACMA indicates both broadcasters have taken steps to ensure compliance into the future. By PTI: MLAs case Chennai, Sep 1 (PTI) The Madras High Court today said Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal has chosen to stay away from the proceedings before the court challenging the en masse suspension of 79 DMK MLAs. "The first respondent (the Speaker) has chosen to stay away from the proceedings," the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan said in an order on petitions filed by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly M K Stalin of DMK and another MLA. advertisement The bench directed the counsel who appeared on behalf of the Assembly Secretary, to file a counter-affidavit within four weeks and gave two weeks time to Stalin to file his rejoinder to it. In the previous hearing, as there was none to take the notice on behalf of the Speaker, the bench had allowed the counsel for Stalin and the petitioner PTR Thiagarajan to serve a private notice on him. It had declined to stay the suspension. On August 17, a total of 79 MLAs of DMK were suspended for a week for disrupting the Assembly proceedings. The petitions have challenged their en masse suspension and sought a direction declaring all proceedings and actions taken as illegal, ultra vires and unconstitutional. PTI CORR VS APR SC --- ENDS --- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko believes that the key condition for peace in Donbas is return of full control over the Ukrainian-Russian border. However, first the control over the border should be taken by the armed OSCE police mission. Petro Poroshenko said this at the National Technical University of Ukraine Ihor Sikorskyi Polytechnic Institute of Kyiv on the occasion of the Day of Knowledge. The key condition is to ensure peace in Donbas 409 km and 300 m of the border with Russia must be taken under control by representatives of the OSCE armed police mission with Ukrainian security officials and border guards joining them afterwards, the President emphasized. I am sure that our efforts will return these territories and establish sustainable peace and security, Petro Poroshenko said. ol The illegal armed formations launched eleven attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in last day. This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center. As noted, in Donetsk direction the militants used heavy machine antitank grenade launchers to shell Troitske (69km west of Luhansk). Ukrainian servicemen in Avdiyivka (18km north of Donetsk) came under grenade launcher, heavy machine gun and small arm fire. In addition, the illegal armed groups used small arms to fire at Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk) and Verkhniotoretske (22km north-east of Donetsk). In Mariupol direction, the militants used small arms to shell Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk) and Hranitne (57km south of Donetsk). ol Russia has no plans to hold trilateral talks on gas with Ukraine and the European Commission. This has been stated by Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, "Kommersant" reports. "All issues regarding gas supply are settled by contracts by the end of 2019, so with appropriate resources the Ukrainian side could get the required amount of gas while providing funding in the form of prepayment according to the contract. As of today, we do not plan any meetings, all issues have been resolved," the minister said. Previously, Deputy Chairman of the European Commission on Energy Union Maros Sefcovic urged to restart the trilateral format of gas talks with participation of the European Commission, Ukraine and Russia. ish Korean partners are interested in investing in the Ukrainian farms. Agricultural Policy and Food Minister of Ukraine Taras Kutovyi said this during the meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine Lee Yang-goo, the Ministrys press service reports. "Today we have a number of key areas for the development of the agricultural sector. The priority for us is to support small and medium size farmers. To do this, it is primarily necessary to have the technical equipment," the Minister said. In turn, Mr. Lee Yang-goo assured that the deepening of bilateral trade cooperation with the Ukrainian side is important for the Republic of Korea. In particular, the Korean partners will invest in the development of organic production and infrastructure, namely the construction of terminals in Ukraine. ol The Government of Ukraine jointly with the European Commission for Energy Union is preparing an updated energy strategy of Ukraine and a memorandum on joint actions. Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said this at a joint briefing with Vice President of the European Commission on the Energy Union Maros Sefcovic, an Ukrinform correspondent reproted. "We are completing work on two important strategic documents. These are an energy strategy of Ukraine and a new memorandum, which we are ready to finish and sign in the near future," Groysman said. He also said that the work continued on creation of an Energy Efficiency Fund, which should be an effective tool for energy upgrading of the country. ish The European Union will provide Ukraine with EUR 600 million in aid after the Verkhovna Rada adopts a series of laws aimed at carrying out reforms in the energy sector. Vice President of the European Commission for the Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said this at the meeting with Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "I am very pleased that you have expressed such optimism regarding the adoption of these bills in the coming weeks. The European institutions and the IMF expect these laws to be adopted very much. The completion of this work will enable the EU and the European Commission to provide a tranche of EUR 600 million in macro-financial assistance," Maros Sefcovic said. In turn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy assured Maros Sefcovic that the Ukrainian Parliament had already prepared a number of laws aiming at the reforms in the energy sector. ol Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman met with Ambassador of the United States of America to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who has started her diplomatic mission in Ukraine. This has been reported by Governments portal. The PM congratulated M. Yovanovitch on her appointment as the ambassador and stressed the US holds leadership in the supporting Ukraine and the international response to the Russian aggression. Groysman informed about the practical measures of the Government to ensure the implementation of reforms with decentralization, creation of environment for business, deregulation, the fight against corruption, reform of the civil service being the essential ones. The parties discussed collaboration between the Ukrainian Government and the US Administration in retrofitting the Ukrainian customs, the establishment and launch of Investment Support Office under the Prime Minister of Ukraine. ish Malayalam actor Sreejith Ravi was arrested today after he allegedly misbehaved with minor girls on August 27. By Revathi Rajeevan: Malayalam actor Sreejith Ravi has been arrested in Palakkad for allegedly misbehaving with minor girls. The actor, known for his supporting and villain roles, was arrested under charges of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act based on the complaint by more than ten school students. The actor had allegedly exposed himself and clicked pictures of the minor girls on August 27. Based on the complaints by the students, the school principal lodged a complaint with the Ottapalam police. advertisement STUDENTS IDENTIFY RAVI He was taken into custody on Thursday evening after the students were questioned by Childline members. Initially, the FIR had not named the actor but only the number of the car in which 'the man' had come and exposed himself. This, the police say, was done to avoid a case of mistaken identity. The arrest was made after the students identified Sreejith from his photo say police sources. Sreejith Ravi will be produced in the Palakkad Additional Sessions Court by noon today. Also read: Kerala actor Sreejith Ravi arrested after schoolgirls alleged he 'exposed' himself before them --- ENDS --- The Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic appealed to the district court of Ostrava town to abolish a public association, which called itself "Representative Office of DPR", referring to the Donetsk Peoples Republic. This was stated by Foreign Ministry Spokesman Michaela Lagronova, Radio Liberty reports. According to her, this association creates a false impression that it is the official diplomatic mission and its head Nelly Liskova illegally uses the title of "Honorary Consul." In addition, Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Lubomir Zaoralek expressed concern that opening of this "representative office" would bear negative diplomatic consequences. ol Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) has scheduled 73 flights from Israel and Poland due to arrival of more than 13,000 Hasidic Jews in Ukraine. This is reported by the press service of the Kyiv International Airport. "Traditional Hasidic program is planned at the Kyiv International Airport this year: 73 flights and 13,500 pilgrims," the statement reads. The traditional pilgrimage of Hasidic Jews starts to Ukraine on the eve of the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, which is celebrated on October 2-4. Kyiv International Airport hosts a so-called "Hasidic program", increasing number of flights every year. ol facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published September 2, 2016 MONROE, La. The University of Louisiana Monroe received a donation of a large cultural landscape map of northeast Louisiana at a special presentation on campus Friday morning. The 4x6 foot map is the brainchild of Joe Cooper Rolfe, who oversees Starr Homeplacea heritage and creativity center in Oak Ridge, La. The map represents more than 2,000 hours of work by Rolfe and Jim Pennington over a three-year period. Thirty pages of text condensed into three columns on the map explain the history, geography and culture of the region. I realized that we had a tremendous untapped asset. And then I started saying, I need to go around and see what our assets are. The list of cultural assets that I had got longer and longer and longer. And I realizedthey are not assembled in any one place for people to look at. So I thought this map for schools and libraries and museums would be a good thing to have, said Rolfe. The map was conceived, designed, researched and printed in northeast Louisiana. Bob Stratton, a photographer in Monroe, executed the printing of the maps, and former Louisiana Sen. Robert J. Barham secured a grant from the state to print 100 copies for Rolfe to donate to schools, museums, libraries, courthouses and cultural institutions. While over 200 non-profit organizations had been identified to receive the map, Rolfe says that they still have about half of the maps left to give away. The map is free, but the cost of framing is not, which Rolfe says is a barrier for many organizations. The barrier for a great many people is the cost of framing the map because its large, said Rolfe. And fortunately, Dr. [John H.] McCarter stepped up and was willing to contribute the cost of framing for this map, which made it much more practical for the university to accept. McCarter, who celebrated his 95th birthday in July, is a long-time supporter of ULM. He joined ULM in the 1950s as its first geology professor and became head of the geology department, which was established under his direction. ULM President Dr. Nick J. Bruno met McCarter in 2010 when he became president of the university. He was one of my first visitors. From that point on, I developed quite a personal fondness for [McCarter] but a very strong appreciation for his knowledge. Hes a walking encyclopedia, Bruno said. Bruno thanked McCarter for funding the framing of the map and announced that it would be put on display in the conference room on the sixth floor of the university library. McCarter said that the first time he saw the map, he learned a lot from it. Its more of a cultural map of northeast Louisiana but it has an awful lot of geology on it too, whether it was intended to be there or not, said McCarter. I learned a lot from this map just looking at it, and I wanted the rest of you to enjoy it and see it too. For more information about the cultural landscape map, visit http://starrhomeplace.com/pandemoniafoundation/culturallandscapemap.htm. A year ago today, the world was moved by the photograph of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi who drowned when his family, like hundreds of thousands of other refugees, was desperately trying to reach safety in Europe. UNHCR estimates that, since Alans death 4,176 people have died or gone missing on the Mediterranean - an average of 11 men, women and children perishing every single day over the last 12 months. During the first eight months of 2016, some 281,740 people have made the treacherous sea crossing to Europe. The number of refugees and migrants arriving in Greece has dropped dramatically from over 67,000 in January to 3,437 in August, following the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement and the closure of the so-called Balkan route. The number of arrivals to Italy, meanwhile, has remained more or less constant, with some 115,000 refugees and migrants landing in Italy as of the end of August, compared to 116,000 during the same period last year. The main change, however, has been the number of casualties. So far this year, one person has died for every 42 crossing from North Africa to Italy, compared to one in every 52 last year. This makes 2016 to date the deadliest year on record in the Central Mediterranean. The chances of dying on the Libya to Italy route are ten times higher than when crossing from Turkey to Greece. These numbers highlight the urgent need for States to increase pathways for admission of refugees, such as resettlement, private sponsorship, family reunification and student scholarship schemes, among others, so they do not have to resort to dangerous journeys and the use of smugglers. The death of Alan Kurdi resulted in unprecedented expressions of sympathy and solidarity for refugees all over Europe, with many people volunteering to help and spontaneously giving food, water and clothes to refugees and even offering to take them into their homes. To document and highlight some of these individual acts of solidarity, UNHCR and photographer Aubrey Wade have developed a series of portraits of families hosting refugees in Austria, Germany and Sweden. The arrival of over a million refugees and migrants to Europe last year has also given rise to hostility and tensions within the societies hosting them. Refugees and migrants have suffered racist and xenophobic attacks, prejudice and discrimination. The ongoing challenge for Europe is to make available the support and services that refugees need to successfully integrate so that they can contribute fully to society bringing new skills, determination and a cultural richness, as they seek to re-establish their lives in their new homes. In this effort, UNHCR strongly urges governments and their national partners to commit to the development and implementation of comprehensive national integration plans. The numerous contributions refugees bring to their new societies need to be recognized. UNHCR also calls for a clear commitment to the prevention of discrimination, the promotion of inclusion and the combatting of racism and xenophobia. Further info: http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/country.php?id=105 and http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php Sudanese-American slam poet Emi Mahmoud travelled to the shores of Lesvos, Greece to recite a poem in honor of Alan Kurdi: https://youtu.be/QMjIUneTF6M Photos and videos of families hosting refugees in Europe are available for download via the UNHCR Refugees Media portal: http://media.unhcr.org/Package/2CZ7A2PNO0R6 Media Contacts: The 17-year-old requested the President to reschedule the exams in April, as the Sinhala/Hindu New Year falls in between the exam dates. By India Today Web Desk: A 17-year-old Sri Lankan schoolboy was arrested earlier this week for hacking President Maithripala Sirisenas official website and posting a message requesting A-level exams be postponed. The teenager, who was taken into custody on Monday, faces a fine of LKR 3,00,000 (Rs 1,38,250) and up to three years in jail. We traced the hack to his home in Kadugannawa,?? a police official told The Guardian. ALL ABOUT THE HACK advertisement Sirisenas website was hacked consecutively on Thursday and Friday last week - the second attack disabled the website for the weekend. The hacker replaced the presidential website's homepage with a page elucidating his demands in Sinhala language. The teenager, indentifying with a group named the 'Sri Lankan Youth', requested Sirisena to reconsider the decision to hold GCE Advanced Level Examinations in April. "Dear Mr. President, we are extremely displeased about the decision to hold [exams] in April since the Sinhala/Hindu New Year falls in between the exam dates. Therefore, reconsider that decision," read one of the messages. Other demands included, take care of the security of Sri Lankan websites, or we will have to face a cyber war,?? and, If you cannot control the situation hold a Presidential Election. Stop the Prime Ministers irresponsible work.?? www.president.gov.lk was back up and running on Monday, however. COURSE OF ACTION The teenager was arrested following a complaint filed by the presidential media division, according to police. The teenager, along with a 26-year-old man suspected of helping him, was remanded in custody on Tuesday. He has now been sent to a youth detention center. "Police filed charges under the Computer Crimes Act and the court remanded the two until Friday," Manju Sri Chandrasean, the lawyer who appeared for the second suspect, told Reuters. Sri Lankan websites have been hacked in the past, but this is the first instance of arrests being made under the 2007 laws against computer crimes, according to an AFP report. ALSO READ: Pro-Pakistan hacker on Intel agencies' watch, hacked more than 1,000 Indian websites --- ENDS --- A young refugee girl cries as she waits for a bus to take her from the shore to a registration centre on the Greek island of Lesvos in this January 2016 file photo. UNHCR/Hereward Holland GENEVA A year ago today a photograph of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdis small body washed up on a Turkish beach drew the worlds attention to the shocking danger and unfathomable loss experienced by thousands of refugees desperately trying to reach safety in Europe. Unfortunately since then, the dangers faced by those fleeing across the Mediterranean have only worsened. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimates that since Alans death, 4,176 people have died or gone missing on the Mediterranean - an average of 11 men, women and children perishing every single day over the last 12 months. So far this year, the pace of drowning deaths has only increased, setting 2016 on course to become the deadliest year on record for those attempting to cross the stretch of sea, UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler told a news briefing in Geneva on Friday (September 2). "Alan's death resulted in unprecedented expressions of sympathy and solidarity for refugees all over Europe." During the first eight months of 2016, some 281,740 people have made the treacherous sea crossing to Europe. The number of refugees and migrants arriving in Greece has dropped dramatically from over 67,000 in January to 3,437 in August, following the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement and the closure of the so-called Balkan route. The number of arrivals to Italy, meanwhile, has remained more or less constant, with some 115,000 refugees and migrants landing in Italy as of the end of August, compared to 116,000 during the same period last year. The main change, however, has been the number of casualties. So far this year, one person has died for every 42 crossing from North Africa to Italy, compared to one in every 52 last year, Spindler told reporters at the briefing in the Palais des Nations in Geneva. This makes 2016 to date the deadliest year on record in the Central Mediterranean. The chances of dying on the Libya to Italy route are ten times higher than when crossing from Turkey to Greece, he added. Spindler said the numbers highlight the urgent need for States to increase pathways for admission of refugees, such as resettlement, private sponsorship, family reunification and student scholarship schemes, among others, so they do not have to resort to dangerous journeys and the use of smugglers. "An average of 11 men, women and children have perished every single day over the last 12 months." The death of Alan Kurdi resulted in unprecedented expressions of sympathy and solidarity for refugees all over Europe, with many people volunteering to help and spontaneously giving food, water and clothes to refugees and even offering to take them into their homes. To document and highlight some of these individual acts of solidarity, UNHCR and photographer Aubrey Wade have developed a series of portraits of families hosting refugees in Austria, Germany and Sweden. The arrival of over a million refugees and migrants to Europe last year has also given rise to hostility and tensions within the societies hosting them. Refugees and migrants have suffered racist and xenophobic attacks, prejudice and discrimination. The ongoing challenge for Europe is to make available the support and services that refugees need to successfully integrate so that they can contribute fully to society bringing new skills, determination and a cultural richness, as they seek to re-establish their lives in their new homes, Spindler said. In this effort, UNHCR strongly urges governments and their national partners to commit to the development and implementation of comprehensive national integration plans. The numerous contributions refugees bring to their new societies need to be recognized. A Berlin family is hosting Kinan, a Muslim from Damascus, Syria. UNHCR/Aubrey Wade BERLIN, Germany Every Friday evening, a Berlin family gather for dinner at their home in the centre of the city. Chaim*, his wife Kyra and three of their four children sit around a candlelit table to recite blessings over wine and good food. This year, their weekly tradition has included an unlikely guest. Twenty-eight-year-old Kinan, a Syrian Muslim, has been living with the family since November 2015. He joins them most Fridays and often cooks Syrian meals that he has learned to make by watching videos on YouTube. Kinan, who prefers to be known only by his first name, used to work in marketing and pharmaceuticals in Damascus. He left Syria in July 2015 to avoid military service because, he said, he did not want to take up arms against his own people. He went first to Turkey and then Greece. After arriving in Germany in August 2015, he initially stayed in motels and an accommodation centre for asylum-seekers. Then he met Chaim through an organization called Freedomus, co-founded by Chaim, 59, a general practitioner with his own clinic. The organization publishes an informational handbook and offers some basic services for people seeking asylum, such as accompanying them to the immigration office or helping with translations. The two met just as the Chaim and Kyras 20-year-old son, Bela, moved out to pursue a career in acting. They offered his room to Kinan. Kyra, 51, said their family set-up had hardly changed since Kinan moved in. "Everyone does what they feel like doing. Hosting a refugee is a win-win situation. Integration is much easier." The experience has been smooth so far. Kinan studies German every day. Daughters Rosa, 18, and Lilli, 8, help him with his homework. Kinan's only frustration is that he wishes he was learning the language more quickly so he can start working. "Integration is not something that we should only ask from people coming into our country. We should ask this of ourselves too." "Integration is not one-sided work," Chaim said. "Integration is not something that we should only ask from people coming into our country. We should ask this of ourselves too. We must accept different food, different culture, behaviour. It's a process from both sides." Kinan now introduces himself as a Berliner. He said he loves Germany and believes his fellow Syrians need to look forward more. "People I meet are always comparing life in Germany to life in Syria. You cannot compare," he said. "If people just forget the past a bit and only look forward, I think integration will be faster and better." *Chaim passed away on 27 May, 2017. This story is part of a series entitled No Stranger Place, which was developed and photographed by Aubrey Wade in partnership with UNHCR, profiling refugees and their hosts across Europe. One year on from the drowning of three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi, thousands of people have come together to bridge cultural divides and language barriers, embracing compassion, hope and humanity even as some European governments continue to build obstacles. Their generosity is an example to the world. Meet more refugees and their hosts Find out how you can host refugees in Germany No Stranger Place is a series of stories profiling refugees and their hosts across Europe, developed by photographer Aubrey Wade. In June 2018, coinciding with World Refugee Day, the French chapter will tell the stories of some of the people in France who invited refugees into their homes. Since the death of three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi in September 2015, thousands of people have come together to bridge cultural divides and language barriers. Aubrey Wade and writer Nadine Alfa followed visits to Germany, Austria and Sweden with meetings with hosts across the United Kingdom whose generosity is helping to transform lives. By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) Normal life in various parts of the country was partly affected today by the one-day nationwide strike by trade unions with banking, transport and coal mining being among the most impacted, while hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra. However, life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. advertisement Banking services have been affected throughout the country as public sector banks employees largely remained off-duty. Private banks, however, continued their operations normally. Clearing operations at Reserve Bank were hit with trade union leaders claiming that cheques totalling Rs 19,000 crore were held up as the staff did not report on duty. "Clearing services have been impacted. Financial instrument worth Rs 19,000 crore has been held up," claimed AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam. All India Coal Workers Federation General Secretary (CITU) D D Ramanadan said, "Dispatch, production and transport of coal have come to a standstill with operations in CIL subsidiaries BCCL, CCL, ECL and CMPDI badly hit. Around 300 workers have been arrested in Rajmahal and Chitra mines areas." "There have been instances of arrests in West Bengal and Haryana. We came to know that 12 people have been arrested in Manesar while seven were detained in West Bengal. The strike this time has greater impact than last years agitation on September 2," All India Trade Union Congress Secretary D L Sachdev told PTI. He said, "Buses of Punjab Roadways and Haryana Roadways were almost off the road. More than half the buses of Uttar Pradesh Road Transport were also off the road. But DTCs buses were plying while Delhi Metro was also functional." The strike is almost complete in Left-ruled Kerala where it got the support of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who courted controversy after supporting the strike on Facebook with BJP hitting out against him. MORE PTI RNK DP KKS CS ANZ JM MKJ --- ENDS --- According to the Cauvery water tribunal, Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 50 TMC of water from the reservoir, but year after year there has been dispute over the release of water. By Akshaya Nath: Hearing Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking an interim direction for release of Cauvery water, the Supreme Court today observed that Karnataka should consider releasing water under humanitarian ground. According to the Cauvery water tribunal, Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 50 TMC of water from Cauvery reservoir, but year after year there has been dispute over the release of water. This time, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while meeting Tamil Nadu farmers, had said that due to shortage of rainfall it will not be possible to release water. advertisement After this there have been widespread protest in the state by farmers who have been complaining that lack of water will destroy their farming. At least 25 thousand million cubic feet of water has been requested to enable sowing of Sambal crop. The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices AM Kanwilkar and DY Chandrachud heard the case today, and suggested that Karnataka take into consideration the need to share water with Tamil Nadu under humanitarian grounds. Nearly 40 lakh farmers and their families will be severely affected if adequate water is not shared. Farmers in Trichy have gone on a seven day protest to grab the attention of the Central government. On the first day of the protest, protestors tied up their legs, on day two they tied up their hands and on day three they had a rope tied around their necks and today, they have been protesting sitting like dead bodies. "The Cauvery tribunal has mentioned our rights, but we have not been beneficiaries of these rights. We want the Modi government to take note of our needs and help us," said Ayyakannu, a farmer from Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court today has said that both the states - Karnataka and Tamil Nadu - should maintain harmony in this water dispute issue and has asked Karnataka government to revert by September 5 as to how much water it can release to Tamil Nadu. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Also Read: Cauvery dispute: Karnataka denies water share to Tamil Nadu, farmers blame Centre --- ENDS --- Suriya, who is currently wrapping up his upcoming actioner Singam 3, is likely to team up with director Vignesh Shivan, say reports. By India Today Web Desk: Actor Suriya is currently wrapping up the shoot of his upcoming actioner Singam 3, the third part of the Singam series. Now, rumours are rife that Suriya might team up with director Vignesh Shivan of Naanum Rowdydhaan fame. According to reports, Suriya was impressed after watching Naanum Rowdydhaan and expressed his interest to work with Shivan in a comedy entertainer. advertisement ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Pawan Kalyan- 5 things you did not know about Power Star ALSO READ: Pawan Kalyan's upcoming film titled Katamarayudu It seems like Shivan also agreed helm the project, which is tipped to be a comedy film. However, we await an official confirmation from the makers. Meanwhile, Suriya has already signed his next project with Muttiah, which is touted to be a rural entertainer. Actor Keerthy Suresh has been roped in to star opposite Suriya in the film. Also, actor Ritika Singh, who shot to fame after Madhavan's Irudhi Suttru, has been approached to play Suriya's sister in the film. Suriya's film with Muttaih is said to be an action drama based on father-son relationship, set in the rural backdrop of Tamil Nadu. Actor Rajkiran, who previously featured in the director's Komban, has been approached to play Suriya's father in the film. After Singam 3, Suriya was supposed to act under director Pa Ranjith's direction. However, the project, which was likely to take off next year has now been shelved. --- ENDS --- Wyoming Business Tips for Sept. 11-17 A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming. By Andrea Lewis, Wyoming Entrepreneur Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) procurement specialist I have come across this site -- PublicPurchase.com. What is it, and how do I use it? Jasmine, Aladdin Government opportunities can be difficult to locate. While federal opportunities over $25,000 are required to be posted on www.fedbizopps.gov, state and local government opportunities are harder to locate. A growing number of third-party providers are offering services to government entities to assist in marketing their bid opportunities. One such company is PublicPurchase.com, which is a privately held Utah firm that provides software solutions to government agencies. Agencies, for no charge, can register with PublicPurchase and use its software to manage opportunities. Vendors have access to a free registration, or they can select to pay for more services. For the purposes of this article, we only will be referring to the benefits of free registration. The free registration comes with a variety of services that are focused around its Bid Board. The Bid Board posts business opportunities from more than 1,140 government institutions from around the country. Within Wyoming, 20 current government entities are registered. Bid opportunities from these agencies will be available to those vendors who register with the agency within PublicPurchase. Examples of the agencies are cities or towns (Cheyenne, Cody, Evanston, Green River, Kemmerer, Riverton or Star Valley Ranch); school districts (Campbell County, Carbon County 2, Crook County 1, Fremont County 6 or Sheridan County 3); Fremont County government; community colleges (Laramie County Community College and Western Wyoming Community College) and the University of Wyoming; and the state of Wyoming and Wyoming Department of Transportation. Once a PublicPurchase.com user account has been created, you can manually register with each agency to do business with and receive automatic updates of bid opportunities that are in your field of business. Adding codes to your profile lets the system know which bid leads to send. All business opportunities are ready to download at a click of a button, although sometimes plans (especially construction) may have a fee attached. Many of these agencies allow vendors to respond electronically. Some agency registrations will have documents to fill out online when you register with them, while others do not. The Wyoming SBDC Network PTAC offers assistance in registering and using PublicPurchase.com. We can assist with adding codes to your registration and connecting with the appropriate agencies. For more information, contact (307) 772-7372 or amlewis@uwyo.edu. A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments are available at www.wyen.biz/blog1/. The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922. Three families in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state are awaiting the return of their breadwinners. They've written to Sushma Swaraj on Twitter, sent mails but to no avail. By Jugal R Purohit: The ordinary believer may fast from dawn to dusk for the month of Ramazan, but for Noorjehan Umar Thaim the ritual of fasting has continued since her husband, seafarer and captain, Umar Salemamad Thaim (45) was put in captivity in Iran over two years ago. READ: Sushma Swaraj to the rescue again: 3 Indians stuck in war-torn Libya to be flown back advertisement She is not alone. In all, three families in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state are awaiting the return of their breadwinners. Striking, in this case, is the near absence of any meaningful response by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) especially the minister Sushma Swaraj, celebrated often for addressing the woes of those like Thaim using the micro-blogging site Twitter. Umar loaded his 45 metre long vessel Al Shena (registered VRL 11303) in Dubai and charted course for the Yemeni port of Aden. Traversing the Persian Gulf in their 700 ton dhow (wooden boat built especially in Mandvi in Gujarat's Kutch region) was a routine matter for Umar Thaim. Transporting cargo from one port to the other is what Gujarati seafarers have done for centuries. In early August of 2014, Umar loaded his 45 metre long vessel Al Shena (registered VRL 11303) in Dubai and charted course for the Yemeni port of Aden. A usual response to a storm which was gaining strength saw Umar Thaim dropping anchor close to the Iranian port of Jask near Bandar Abbas. He would regret this decision. READ: Sushma Swaraj admits on Twitter she has no power to reform errant husbands On the fifth day of the month, before they could pull themselves back into their journey, the Iranian authorities swooped down upon them, arresting the 12 member crew and apprehending the boat. Said Isha Thaim, "They were taken to the port of Jask further east and then put behind bars in the city of Minab". It was not clear whether the arrest took place inside the territorial waters of Iran or outside. It was also not clear what charges were slapped against the apprehended crew. Most of the families, however, were in for a surprise. READ: Sushma asks stranded Indian labourers in Saudi to return by September 25 or make own arrangements Within months, the Iranians allowed the vessel to be taken away and also released nine of the 12 crew members. Only Umar, Ibrahim Sap (25) and Sajid Sumra (23) were held back. The families claim they neither knew the cause of the arrest or the cause of release. "I am in the business of dhows, so have my ancestors. At sea, it is common practice to seek shelter in case of a storm. We fail to understand the cause of their actions. We don't have even a piece of paper explaining why our relatives are being held for over two years," said Isha Thaim, Umar's relative and the owner of the vessel. "Hum Twitter pe nahee hai lekin thoda sa Twitter hum ne bhi kiya tha. Sushmaji ka koi reply aaya nahee lekin," he added. Isha Thaim and his cousin Ilyas Thaim have been camping in the capital for over a week, trying to get an appointment with Swaraj. They've enlisted support from their community, sent emails, carry a recent letter by the local BJP Member of Parliament Vinod Chavda addressed to Swaraj and are waiting. "We are yet to hear from MEA. Our families back in Gujarat have so much hope from us that they call us several times every day and ask the same question. We feel fed up that we have nothing to tell them even after spending so many days in Delhi," said Ilyas Thaim. advertisement READ: More than 2,000 Indian workers stuck in Saudi Arabia seek Modi, Sushma's help Despite a detailed email about the case followed up a day later with calls and text messages to the MEA, no response was received from the spokesperson's office. advertisement Also Read: Indian workers in Saudi, file your claims and return home: Sushma Swaraj Husband goes solo on honeymoon, Sushma Swaraj steps in to get his wife a passport to join him --- ENDS --- Want to experience how it feels to be a prisoner? Travel to this jail in Telangana. By Samonway Duttagupta: Telangana has just got something really interesting for travellers. Or should we say, crazy. Located in Medak district, at a distance of 70 km from Hyderabad, the Sangareddy District Central Jail is inviting tourists to come and experience how it feels to be a prisoner. All you have to do is pay Rs 500, and you can spend 24 hours in the jail. advertisement You might be thinking as to why would someone want to do that? Well, this jail is no less than a heritage site. The 220-year-old Sangareddy District Central Jail was built by the Nizams in 1796. When M Lakshmi Narasimha, the Deputy SP of the jail came up with the Feel The Jail idea, the jail was converted into a museum in June this year. The concept of turning it into a sort of jail experience hotel was simply an expansion of this idea. In case you want to experience this, the jail will make sure you stay exactly the same way a prisoner does. On arrival, you will be given a khadi uniform to start with. Then, you will be provided with an aluminum plate, a prison-made washing soap, and a bare mattress. Well, that's not all. You will be made to follow the daily routine of a jail inmate. As a guest prisoner, you will be woken up at 5am in the morning by two guards, as per the rules and regulations of the jail. Thereafter, you will be made to clean your own cell, and then you will be taken to the courtyard. While tea will be given at 6:30am, a breakfast of idli will be given at 7:30am. Lunch, consisting of dal, rice, and sambhar will be served between 10:30 and 11, while a dinner of curry, rice, and curd will be given at 5pm. Meals apart, the jail duties for the guest prisoner will include planting of saplings, and some cleaning, all during the day time. The day will end at 6pm in the evening, when you will be locked up in your cell again. Indeed, what an experience it would be! Just decide if you would want to add the 'guest prisoner' experience as a part of your travels. But, if the idea staying in a jail is not something of your liking, you can travel to some other parts of the country where you can simply pay a visit to ancient jails and learn about their respective histories. Here are a few of them you might like to visit: advertisement Cellular Jail, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Located in Port Blair, the Cellular Jail has attracted plenty of tourists over the years. This is mainly because the Cellular Jail holds a significant place in the history of India's struggle for freedom. The jail has been a mute witness of to the tortures meted out to the freedom fighters, who were incarcerated in this jail. Besides, the reason this jail got the title Cellular is because the entire jail comprises individual cells for the purpose of solitary confinement. It was in the year 1979 that the jail was declared as National Memorial by the Indian government. Now, the jail museum of this place draws the tourists' memories back to those years of freedom struggle. Picture courtesy: Flickr/Ankur P/Creative Commons The National Memorial of the Cellular Jail now houses a Freedom Fighters Photo and Exhibition Gallery on the ground floor, an art gallery, Netaji Gallery, and a Library on Freedom Movement on the first floor, and a gallery on the First War of Independence. Fort Aguada Jail, Goa You must have longed to visit Fort Aguada for a long time. Not only you, it has always attracted travellers from all parts of the world, mainly due to the stunning views of the sea that it offers. Besides, that iconic shot from Dil Chahta Hai has also added to its popularity among tourists. advertisement Also read: No Sunburn and VH1 Supersonic in Goa this year? Right below the fort is the Aguada Central Jail, which has always caught the attention of tourists due to its interesting location overlooking the sea. Till sometime back, it used to be the largest prison in Goa. Enough time passed, and the state government realised the tourism potential of the place. The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has recently decided to convert the jail into a museum. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Target Goa Last year, the prison moved its inmates to the new jail at Colvale. When developed into the proposed tourism spot, the jail will serve the purpose of being a heritage site apart from just being a tourist attraction. In order to ensure the revival and restoration of the site's history, GTDC has involved both the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) and Goa's freedom fighters in this project. The master plan of the Aguada Jail Museum tourism project includes the creation of activity zones, viewing galleries, amenity zones, tourist information centres, renovation of temple and chapel areas, renovation of the prison cells, prison corridors, walls, pathways, seating, water fountains, new and improved lighting of the jail campus, a well-equipped cafe and a lot more. advertisement The writer tweets at @SamonwayDg --- ENDS --- Time to get your guac on! Panchos Mexican Restaurant, located in Downtown Summerlin, will celebrate Mexican Independence Day and National Guacamole Day with a specialty Sweet with Heat Guacamole, offered exclusively on Friday, Sept. 16. (Pictured: Panchos Sweet with Heat Guacamole Photo credit: Chris Wessling). Photo courtesy of Panchos. The Sweet with Heat Guacamole brings a hot and tangy twist to the popular appetizer. The dish features fresh Serrano chilies and chunks of juicy mango tossed with Panchos signature handmade guacamole and served with tostaditas. Perfect for sharing, the Sweet with Heat Guacamole is priced at $13.95 for lunch and $14.95 for dinner for a full-sized portion that serves three to four people. The guacamole is also offered at a half-portion for two people, priced at $7.95. Acclaimed Chef David Myers will give his guests two reasons to celebrate by launching not just one, but two daily Hourglass specials at his popular French brasserie, Comme Ca, inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Guests will have the opportunity to savor the decadent flavors from Myers concept of traditional French fare with a modern twist for half-off their regular prices in Comme Cas lounge, adjacent to the speakeasy-style bar, from 5 to 7 p.m., and again from 10 p.m. until close. For the first Hourglass special between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m., patrons can indulge and drink as the Parisian do as they unwind and enjoy a cocktail in the lounge. The 18A Bar Menu, which has been created by Sam Ross of New York Citys Milk & Honey fame, features an array of meticulously hand-crafted retro cocktails made with seasonal herbs, fruits and spices. Later in the evening, between 10 p.m. until close, Comme Ca will begin its Reverse Hourglass specials which will feature items from the Hourglass Menu for half their regular price. The Hourglass Menu includes some of Comme Cas most celebrated menu items including the signature Comme Ca burger, roasted beef bone marrow and creme brulee. The Hourglass Menu will also feature items from the Raw Bar including the Grand Plateau a two-tier assortment of fresh, chilled seafood with a selection of Maine lobster, king crab legs, jumbo shrimp cocktail and oysters. Comme Cas lounge will set the stage for a truly exquisite evening for its guests. Derived from the vision of renowned designer Adam D. Tihany, the lounge depicts an inspiring atmosphere for guests as it incorporates seductive French modern decor with a pewter bar, velvet club chairs and espresso-stained ipe wood cocktail tables. At Comme Ca, lunch is served daily from 11:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. and dinner is served from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The Hourglass (late-night) menu is available from 11 p.m. to close nightly. For reservations, call 877.893.2001 or 702.698.7910, or please visit www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or www.commecarestaurant.com for more information. A civilian and four terrorists were killed in a terror strike in Christian Colony of Peshawar today morning. By India Today Web Desk: A civilian and four terrorists were killed in a terror strike in Christian Colony of Peshawar today. Four terrorists were gunned in a fierce battle with security forces. Sources said that the exchange of fire between unknown number of terrorists and security personnel took place at around 6 am. The Christian Colony lies in proximity to the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border. advertisement Witnesses claimed to have heard explosions in the area and also an helicopter was seen conducting surveillance. Sources said that the gunmen were wearing suicide jackets. Following the gunbattle, additional security forces have been deployed in the region. Hours after the attack, Pakistani Taliban-linked Jamaat-ur-Ahrar claimed responsibility for attack on Christian neighbourhood in Peshawar. Terrorist attack in Christian Colony of Peshawar has yet again triggered the debate on the increasing attacks on religious minorities in the country. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Also read: Peshawar: Blast in bus carrying government employees kills 15 Peshawar school carnage: Pakistan Supreme Court stays execution of 3 convicts Gunbattle ends in Peshawar: 132 kids among 141 dead in Taliban attack, 7 terrorists killed --- ENDS --- The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal had threatened of stern action against any attempts at forceful imposition of the strike. By Indrajit Kundu: The one-day nationwide strike called by ten central trade unions today evoked a mixed response across India. While few states like Kerala and Assam were hit by the strike, others like Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi and Tamil Nadu largely remained unaffected by it. STATES UNAFFECTED The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal had threatened of stern action against any attempts at forceful imposition of the strike. advertisement Traffic movement mostly remained normal in Kolkata with additional government buses being brought out. Metro railway services were also unaffected due to the strike. Kolkata Police had deployed over 3,000 personnel in more than 350 police pickets across the city to keep normal life intact the metropolis. Flights from the Netaji Subhas International Airport operated as regular. However, there were long queues of passengers, both at the airport and Howrah and Sealdah railway stations several hours in advance fearing traffic disruption by strike supporters. Posters asking people to shun the strike had been put up across the city in advance by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The state government has also made attendance compulsory for all government employees in Bengal for not just Friday but also on Saturday. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who left for Rome to attend Mother Teresa's canonisation on Sunday said, "The strike is totally unsuccessful. I will be monitoring the situation even though I'm leaving for Dubai. I request everyone to keep normal life intact in Bengal." A view of Howrah Station area in Kolkata during the nationwide strike. Photo: PTI State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee announced that the attendance of government employees at the state secretariat was 99 per cent. As an incentive to join work, the state government has announced that employees who attend work despite Friday's strike will get an additional holiday during Durga puja. "Bus service was completely normal across Kolkata. A total of 2275 government buses were put in action to help commuters," Chatterjee added. In Tamil Nadu, normal life was largely unaffected. Bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions too functioned normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing did not participate in the strike. Central government offices wore a deserted look with the employees joining the strike as a section of the state government employees, especially in the revenue department, participated in the strike. Private buses stayed off the roads in Tiruvarur district. The strike evoked a mixed response in Puducherry. STATES AFFECTED Some states like Kerala, Assam and Telangana were badly hit by the strike. Services including banking and public transport were hit in the state of Assam. All nationalised banks, insurance companies and post offices remained closed while buses remained off the road. advertisement Schools and colleges also remained closed. Train services were also hit in several parts with trains remaining stranded or regulated at different places, North East Frontier Railway spokesman said. The impact of the bandh was total in Barak Valley with banks remaining closed and buses, including long-distance buses, remaining off the roads. A view of a Bank during the nationwide strike in New Delhi. Photo: PTI Public transport vehicles in Kerala stayed off the roads and shops and business establishments downed shutters. Auto rickshaws, taxis, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses were not plying across the state with the workers of various unions taking part in the strike, reports received here from districts said. Major roads wore a deserted look in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as agitators laid siege to an ISRO bus bay here. The strike also evoked a good response in the industrial areas of Gajuwaka and Auto nagar areas in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district even as over 100 agitators were taken into preventive custody. advertisement Work was affected in PSUs like Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Ltd, Hindustan Shipyard, NTPC's Simhadri Power Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust and private industrial units in Visakhapatnam as many of the workers joined in the strike. All public sector banks, private banks and offices of insurance companies like LIC remained closed. The state government offices and government schools remained open, but managements of some private schools and declared a holiday today. VIOLENCE REPORTED Apart from a few sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal, the strike was mostly peaceful across the state. In Coochbehar, a government bus was vandalised by strike supporters. Several CPI(M) supporters were arrested in West Midnapore for forcefully imposing the strike. In Congress stronghold Murshidabad, Trinamool Congress workers broke open the Behrampore Municipality gate in protest against the strike. This resulted in a clash between the CPI(M) and TMC party supporters. Later atleast 60 protestors were arrested by the police. Trade union activists damaging an autorickshaw as they enforce their nationwide strike, in Bhubaneswar. Photo: PTI "Despite the government clampdown, our strike has been successful. In several districts the Trinamool goons tried to threaten people using the police but very few people have come out on the streets today," claimed CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb adding that Mamata Banerjee was pursuing a similar economic policy like the Modi government at the centre. advertisement In south Kolkata, police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse Left cadres who had taken out a rally disrupting traffic in the Behala area. Senior state CPI(M) leaders Rabin Deb and Shyamal Chakraborty took out a rally from the Hazra crossing till Kalighat in south Kolkata close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee's residence. CITU leader Shyamal Chakraborty said, "We are fighting against the Modi government, but Mamata Banerjee has imposed a struggle against us in Bengal. She has unleashed atrocities against the poor workers. This will send a strong message across the country." Meanwhile, Trinamool supporters took out rallies across the state marking 'Singur Divas' and opposing the general strike. In Kolkata state minister Firhad Hakim took out a rally while minister Bratya Basu led party workers in Dumdum. In Kochi, police intervention was required after protesters attacked call taxi service vehicles. In Thrissur, workers who reported for duty at the Apollo Tyres factory in Perambara were stopped by other union workers. However, police intervention brought the situation under control. With inputs from PTI --- ENDS --- Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Zhang Dejiang of China extended messages of congratulations to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. In the messages, they expressed their belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the Vietnamese people will successfully fulfill goals set by the 12th National Party Congress. They affirmed that China highly values ties with Vietnam and will strive to foster the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. In congratulatory messages sent to the Vietnamese Party, State, government and legislature leaders, Lao Party General Secretary and President Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou state confidently that under the sound leadership of the CPV, the fraternal Vietnamese people will achieve new and greater successes in the renovation period, towards developing Vietnam into a modern-oriented industrialised nation by 2020, with wealthy people, democracy, fairness and civilisation. They believed that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples will grow incessantly, for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. Meanwhile, the Standing Committee of the Cambodian People's Party Central Committee, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, NA President Heng Samrin and President of the Senate Say Chhum wished that the fraternal Vietnamese people would score greater achievements and the solidarity, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the Vietnamese and Cambodian Parties, governments and peoples will keep growing. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, for their part, believed that positive Government-level collaboration will facilitate major economic projects in the two countries. On the occasion, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Cambodian Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhon, and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov extended congratulations to Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. I llustration photo Specifically, the duration of the project will be extended to June 30, 2018 for the financing agreement (4564-VN) and until June 30, 2017 for the non-refundable aid agreement (TF98460). The PM has assigned the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) to work with relevant agencies to finalize the amendments to the abovementioned agreements in line with the current legal regulations. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been tasked to coordinate with the SBV and Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs to complete all legal procedures for the extensions; perform formalities concerning the adjustment of the feasibility research report in accordance with current regulations; and work with the WB to review, adjust and reach consensus on the project implementation outcomes and indicators. * PM Phuc has also approved of adjusting the investment guidelines for the Integrated Water Management and Urban Development in Relation to Climate Change in Ninh Thuan province, which uses non-refundable aids from the Belgian government. The Ninh Thuan provincial Peoples Committee has been asked to issue a decision on the adjustment of the Project Document within its jurisdiction, and instruct the implementation of the project in order to achieve the envisaged goals. The PM has authorized leaders of the Ministry of Planning and Investment to sign a diplomatic note on the specific amendments to the agreement between the two governments on additional funding for the project. Up to 150 million public sector workers downed tools in India in a nationwide strike after government talks with unions broke down AFP/Noah Seelam Up to 150 million workers from sectors including nursing, banking, manufacturing and coal mining as well as hawkers and daily wage labourers are expected to take part in the 24-hour nationwide strike, organisers said. Ten major unions called the strike after talks with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley broke down, with leaders rejecting his offer to raise the minimum wage for unskilled workers from 6,396 rupees (US$95) per month to 9,100 rupees (US$136). The Centre of Indian Trade Unions said workers were "demanding an end to the all-round attack launched by the government against their lives, livelihood and dignity" and that 150 million people were expected to lay down tools. It accused the government of a "vile conspiracy... to privatise the public sector and invite foreign capital in some parts of industry". Unions are seeking the introduction of universal social security as well as an increase in the minimum wage to 18,000 rupees a month because of rising prices. "This strike is against the central government, this strike is for the cause of the working people," Ramen Pandey of the Indian National Trade Union Congress said. "Our strike will be 100 percent successful... we will prove that this strike is the world's largest ever." Workers are also demanding the government dump plans to shutter unproductive factories, raise foreign investment caps in some industries and sell off stakes in state-run companies - over fears that creeping privatisation will jeopardise jobs. It was not possible to independently verify the number of workers on strike. Banks, shops and schools shut down in several parts of the country including southern Karnataka and Kerala states where public transport stopped running, stranding commuters and travellers. Television footage showed flag-waving protesters squatting on railway tracks in the states of Orissa and West Bengal, which has a long history of left-wing union activism. More than 20 protesters were arrested after they damaged two government buses in West Bengal, senior police official Anuj Sharma told AFP. India's power minister Piyush Goyal said the strike would not have any impact on coal supplies as there is "no shortage of coal anywhere in the country". Modi won a landslide election victory in 2014, promising a string of business-friendly reforms to attract foreign investment and revive the economy. According to the latest budget, the government aims to raise some 560 billion rupees (US$8.3 billion) through privatisation in 2016-17 and shut down some state-run firms, after losses exceeded US$4 billion in the last financial year. Previous strikes have brought cities to a standstill and cost the Indian economy millions of dollars in lost production. Photo by PRESS ASSOCIATION Britains Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyns support is so fervent, its preventing attempts by his colleagues in Parliament to get rid of him. Photo by LOS ANGELES TIMES Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said people living in the United States without legal permission who had criminal records, belonged to gangs or overstayed their visas would face swift deportation during his immigration speech at a rally in Phoenix on Wednesday. By PTI: Kathmandu, Sep 1 (PTI) Nepal today nominated Deep Kumar Upadhyay as its envoy to India, nearly four months after he was recalled by the previous Oli government over charges of non-cooperation and indulging in anti-government activities. The Cabinet meeting chaired by new Prime Minister Prachanda at his office in Singha Durbar today nominated Upadhyay as ambassadorial candidate for India and Chief Secretary Lila Mani Poudel for China, Nepalese media reported. advertisement Upadhyay, who was serving as Nepals ambassador to India since April 2015, was suddenly recalled by the erstwhile K P Sharma Oli-led government on May 6. Upadhyays nomination comes less than fortnight before Prachandas maiden visit to India after assuming office last month. The Oli-led government had levelled three charges against Upadhyaya to justify its decision to recall him and officials had said he was working against national interest. "Envoys should follow governments directives and maintain diplomatic decorum," Minister for Defence Bhim Rawal had said after the move. Upadhyaya, a leader of opposition Nepali Congress who was appointed as Nepals envoy to India in April last year, was being seen as the first casualty of the cancellation of Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandaris planned visit to India. The diplomat was also charged with siding with the Nepali Congress opposition in supporting a threat by the Maoist party led by Prachanda to topple Olis government. Besides, he was accused of breaching his jurisdiction without informing the government and visiting some western Nepal districts accompanying Indias ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae, Rawal had said. PTI SAI AKJ SAI --- ENDS --- remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Cambodias ruling party-dominated Senate on Thursday stripped opposition senator Thak Lany of her parliamentary immunity in a unanimous vote attended only by the ruling party members. A spokesman for the Senate said that Lany, who was charged with defamation after a complaint was made against her by Prime Minister Hun Sen, would not have had her immunity revoked if she had apologized for the comments, which allegedly linked Hun Sen to the murder of popular political analyst Kem Ley. An hour after senators began their meeting, Mam Bun Neang, the Senate spokesman, said the body had decided to lift Lanys immunity. They investigated and found clues that she was a culprit for defamation and incitement under the criminal code and the court had found the clues based on four witnesses who had been summoned to clarify the case, he said. Bun Neang added that the motion passed by a unanimous vote of 46 ruling party senators, while 11 opposition senators did not attend the meeting. Ly Sophanna, Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman, said now investigating judges and the prosecution had the authority to pursue Lany. Teav Vannol, a colleague of Lany in the Senate with the Sam Rainsy Party, said it was wrong to strip her of her immunity due to what he described as political pressure. He added that Lany had left the country in August following the announcement of the allegations made by Hun Sen. She ignored previous subpoenas arguing that she would only appear in court if her immunity was revoked. Sam Sokong, her lawyer, said he would meet with his client to discuss the case but admitted that now only the court can decide to free my client from the charges. By PTI: From Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Sep 1 (PTI) Nepal today nominated Deep Kumar Upadhyay as its envoy to India, nearly four months after he was recalled by the previous Oli government over charges of non-cooperation and indulging in anti-government activities. The Cabinet meeting chaired by new Prime Minister Prachanda at his office in Singha Durbar today nominated Upadhyay as ambassadorial candidate for India and Chief Secretary Lila Mani Poudel for China, sources said. advertisement However, their nomination should be endorsed by the Parliamentary hearing committee before they can be formally appointed to the top diplomatic posts. Upadhyay, who was serving as Nepals ambassador to India since April 2015, was suddenly recalled by the erstwhile K P Oli-led government on May 6. Upadhyays nomination comes less than fortnight before Prachandas maiden visit to India after assuming office last month. The Oli-led government had levelled three charges against Upadhyaya to justify its decision to recall him and officials had said he was working against national interest. "Envoys should follow governments directives and maintain diplomatic decorum," Minister for Defence Bhim Rawal had said after the move at that time. Upadhyaya, a leader of opposition Nepali Congress who was appointed as Nepals envoy to India in April last year, was being seen as the first casualty of the cancellation of Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandaris planned visit to India. The diplomat was also charged with siding with the Nepali Congress opposition in supporting a threat by the Maoist party led by Prachanda to topple Olis government. Besides, he was accused of breaching his jurisdiction without informing the government and visiting some western Nepal districts accompanying Indias ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae, Rawal had said. PTI SBP/SAI AKJ ASK --- ENDS --- During Barack Obamas first presidential campaign, the then-senator argued that the war in Afghanistan had been neglected because of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. "And that is why, as president, I will make the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban the top priority that it should be. This is a war we have to win," Obama said in 2008. Eight years later, after surging 100,000 U.S. troops into Afghanistan and then scaling back to fewer than 10,000, there is little talk of winning the war. The Afghan government continues to struggle against a resilient Taliban insurgency. And Obama says his successor will determine the next U.S. move. But neither Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton nor Republican Donald Trump has outlined what they plan to do. Indeed, over the past year the war itself has barely been mentioned by the candidates. Trump, Clinton on Afghan policy Although the United States has dramatically scaled back the number of American troops in Afghanistan, the U.S. remains deeply involved. Obama requested $3.45 billion in the 2017 budget to help fund Afghan security forces. He recommended that his successor maintain funding at that level through 2020. U.S. military trainers continue to advise Afghan forces, and U.S. warplanes carry out strikes to help Afghan units fighting on the ground. Clinton has said she supports Obamas troop draw down, but has offered little else about what she plans to do if she becomes president. Last November, during a speech focused on the Islamic State extremist group, she suggested that Afghanistan should take more responsibility for its own security. If we have learned anything from 15 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is that local people and nations have to secure their own communities. We can help them and we should, but we cannot substitute for them. Clinton did not mention the war in her sweeping policy speech when she accepted her partys nomination for president. Her campaign website, which contains policy papers on a wide range of issues, does not mention any plans for Afghanistan. Trump has been more direct about his thoughts on Afghanistan, at times calling for a complete withdrawal. In January 2013, he tweeted the U.S. should leave Afghanistan immediately. Last October, Trump told CNN that the war in Afghanistan was a mistake and he feared the U.S will get stuck there. "At some point, are they going to be there for the next 200 years? Trump asked. We made a terrible mistake getting involved there in the first place. We had real brilliant thinkers that didn't know what the hell they were doing. And it's a mess. Later that month, Trump told CNN he did not believe Afghanistan was a mistake and rather the U.S should not have involved itself in Iraq. Afghanistan better off without U.S. attention? John C. Fortier, the director of Democracy Project at Bipartisan Policy Center, believes that the past focus on Afghanistan had much to do with the political debate over whether the war in Iraq was a mistake that spread the U.S. military too thin, increasing the challenge in Afghanistan. To go back to 2008, I think our role in Afghanistan played a significant role in the campaign in part because at the time [President] Bush was unpopular, and the argument from Democrats in general and from President Obama in particular was the Iraq war has not gone as well and is not a war we should have done and the Afghanistan situation is one where we shouldve exercised force, Fortier said. Republicans have criticized Obamas handling of Afghanistan in recent years in part for his decision to announce the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, which they said signaled to the Taliban that Washington is not committed to the war effort. However, Michael OHanlon, director of research for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, told VOA that even critics of Obama's policy do not offer much in the way of alternative policies. "Even though no one is happy that the U.S is reaching its 15th year mark in Afghanistan, its not as if anybody has great ideas for either totally pulling out or for beefing the force way back up, OHanlon said. O'Hanlon says, though, that the war's lower profile this campaign season is not all bad. As a person who supports the mission in [Afghanistan], I am actually glad that it is not getting the attention because I am not sure that more attention could actually improve the quality of the debate. It might lead someone to say he or she is going to end the mission in an effort to try to be more dramatic than the opponent and that could lead to some bad policy outcomes, he said. At a time when threats from Islamic State terrorists, the war in Syria and tensions with Russia and China are the foremost foreign policy priorities for the U.S., some say it's only natural for U.S. officials to focus less on the Afghan conflict. Now Afghanistan is competing [for attention] with a lot of other countries where the U.S is engaged," said Seth Jones, the director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at Rand Corporation. "It is obviously competing with Iraq which is getting a lot of attention, its competing with Syria, it is competing with U.S. operations in Libya, its competing with the terrorism issue in Europe with the attacks in Paris, Brussels, Turkey and other locations." He said that Afghanistans role in the election campaign largely reflects U.S. public opinion on the war. I do think there is also more for the worse rather than for the better some domestic tiring in the U.S. public arena of the engagement in Afghanistan. Number of U.S. troops Declining U.S. interest in the war reflects, in part, the fact that there are far fewer Americans in Afghanistan, and U.S. combat-related casualties have fallen to just eight troops killed since the start of this year. Thomas H. Johnson, the director of the Program for Culture & Conflict Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School, makes that point. If you take a look at both Republicans and Democrats primary debates, Afghanistan is, I think, only mentioned once or twice and the Republican candidate Trump knows very little about Afghanistan. I have seen only one interview where he was asked anything about Afghanistan and his basic response was Afghanistan is really not the problem, Pakistan is, Johnson said. Johnson said Clinton and her team have not really focused on Afghanistan either, partly due to a string of international terror attacks by Islamic State that have captured the public's attention. But, he said, Islamic State's emergence in Afghanistan about a year ago might help push Afghanistan back to the center of the U.S. policy debate. Afghan leader: Country still needs foreign support| The security situation in Afghanistan remains perilous, and the government remains weak. U.S. military analysts said in a report earlier this year that the government lost control or influence of nearly five percent of its territory between January and May. A top U.S. commander said Afghan forces suffered more than 900 fatalities in July alone. That month, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani gathered with top officials from NATO countries in Warsaw to discuss the country's future. A joint statement reaffirmed a "mutual commitment to ensure long-term security and stability in Afghanistan" and said "Afghanistan will not stand alone." "Our aim remains that Afghanistan will never again become a safe haven for terrorists ... and that it is able to sustain its own security, governance, and economy and social development, while respecting human rights for all of its citizens," the statement said. Ghani told the gathering that the country will move forward, with help. "With your resolute support, we will redouble our efforts to create a democratic constitutional order and an accountable and effective state that can bring peace to our people and secure our future from the menace of terrorism," he said. The United States remains a key part of that effort, but with little discussion of their plans during the U.S. campaign, it is unclear how long that will remain the case under either a Clinton or Trump administration. Correction: A photo caption in an earlier draft of this story mistakenly identified a British soldier as an American one. VOA regrets the error. Authorities in northwestern Pakistan say a suicide bombing attack on a court complex has killed at least 12 people and wounded about 50 others. The violence happened Friday in the city of Mardan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. District mayor Himatyat Ullah told reporters an armed attacker threw a hand grenade at security guards at the gate before detonating the explosives strapped to his body. Authorities and hospital sources say a number of lawyers are among the victims and the death toll is likely to increase. The bombing occurred hours after Pakistani troops killed four suicide bombers before they could detonate their devices in a Christian neighborhood in the provincial capital of Peshawar. The attack prompted authorities to step up security around churches in the province and elsewhere in Pakistan. A military statement said the firefight with the attackers wounded two soldiers, a police guard and two civilians. A spokesman for the breakaway faction of the extremist Pakistani Taliban namely Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA) told VOA it was behind the two attacks, though it was not immediately possible to independently verify the claim. WATCH: Photos from scene of bombing A suicide attack outside a hospital in southwestern city of Quetta last month killed more than 75 people, mostly lawyers. JuA had also claimed responsibility for that bombing. The United States recently designated the group as a global terrorist organization. Pakistani officials allege JuA operates out of Afghanistans border areas and is being supported by the neighboring countrys intelligence agency, charges Kabul rejects. Fridays violence happened a day after the Pakistan military announced it has cleared northwestern semiautonomous tribal districts of militant networks and forestalled Islamic States attempts to establish a footprint in the country. The tribal areas are located on the Afghan border and have traditionally been condemned as a hub of local and international militant outfits. Army spokesman Lt. General Asim Bajwa said Thursday security forces have arrested more than 300 IS-linked militants, including Syrians and Afghans. He said they were plotting attacks on government, diplomatic and other civilian facilities, including media houses. WATCH: Police Official Discusses Attacks "They tried to make an ingress, and they failed and they have been apprehended so far," Bajwa told reporters. The general said that since the military launched a counterterrorism offensive against the Pakistani Taliban and its allied groups near the Afghan border two years ago, more than 3,500 militants around 540 soldiers have been killed. Additionally, Bajwa noted the war has also cost Pakistan an estimated $107 billion. He released the details in response to U.S. and Afghan criticism that Pakistan has been fighting anti-state militants but sparing the Haqqani Network and the Afghan Taliban allegedly using Pakistani soil for deadly attacks in Afghanistan. "Terrorists of all organizations, including Haqqanis, including Afghan Taliban, have been killed and some apprehended ... so if you say that you know actions have not been taken or (are) not being taken, that is wrong," he said. In February, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was asked how he would deal with the growing nuclear threat posed by North Korea. His answer? Have the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, killed. "I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly," Trump told CBS. Pressed about whether he was implying assassination, Trump doubled down. "Well, you know, I've heard of worse things," he said. Fast forward three months, and Trump had reversed course, saying he'd like to hold direct negotiations with the young North Korean leader. Then he sweetened the deal, inviting Kim to the U.S. for talks. "I'll speak to anybody," he said. In the span of four months, Trump's North Korea strategy had swung from possibly assassinating a key U.S. foe to inviting him to visit. As President Barack Obama heads to Asia this week for what is likely his last official trip to the region, many are wondering: What does the future hold for the U.S. approach to Asia? While Trump seems to offer a radical upheaval, the approach of his rival, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, is more traditional. During her time as secretary of state, Clinton strengthened traditional U.S. alliances and oversaw Obama's economic and military rebalance toward Asia, now in its sixth year. But even though Clinton's views on Asia provide a sharp contrast to those of Trump, there are reasons to believe her approach to the region would differ from Obama's in several respects. Most notably, differences emerge in Clinton's newfound opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal a key part of the so-called Asia "pivot" as well as her tendency to be more critical of China. Trump's unpredictability Trump's foreign policy views in general consist of an unpredictable blend of isolationism and aggression. As his comments on North Korea suggest, nowhere is this volatility more evident than in his statements on Asia. He regularly downplays the strategic importance of U.S. alliances in Asia, saying the U.S. "gets nothing" in return for the troop deployments there, a statement widely mocked by foreign policy experts. Trump at times expresses glee at the possibility of a U.S. pullout from Asia. Commenting in April on the possibility of a war between Japan and North Korea, Trump remarked: "Good luck, folks. Enjoy yourself." Like Clinton, Trump is opposed to the TPP and other free trade deals that he says ship U.S. jobs overseas. But Trump, whose own clothing line includes many products made in China, has criticized the TPP in even sharper terms, saying it amounts to a "rape" of U.S. workers. Instead of competing with China via free trade deals, as has been the unstated U.S. strategy, Trump has his own recipe for competing with the Asian giant: slam a 45 percent tariff on all Chinese imports to the U.S. and declare Beijing a currency manipulator. Trump adviser: It's deal-making But even though his approach to Asia sometimes seems haphazard, Trump has a coherent policy for the region, insists Peter Navarro, an economics professor and China specialist advising the Republican nominee. Navarro is perhaps best known for his 2011 book Death by China, which was later made into a documentary. In the film's most famous scene, an assault-style knife, wrapped in a yuan note and stamped with the words "MADE IN CHINA," plunges into the heart of the U.S. as blood oozes out. In an interview with VOA, Navarro said Trump's Asia strategy takes a cue from former President Theodore Roosevelt. "Talk softly but carry a big stick," Navarro said. "His mission is to rebuild the economy, rebuild the military not directly confront China." But how is threatening to assassinate foreign leaders consistent with "speaking softly?" For Navarro, comments like that should be seen as strategic negotiating strategies rather than serious policy proposals. "The thing that's important to understand in terms of the approach of a Trump administration is the art of the deal," he said, referring to Trump's 1987 New York Times bestselling book. "When he says, for example, 'I will slap a 45 percent tariff on China if they don't stop cheating,' his goal is not to slap a tariff on, it's to get China to stop cheating." National security establishment skeptical Trump's Asia proposals have won over few in the foreign policy community. That's because Trump's positions on Asia are contradictory, reflect an insufficient understanding of history and could result in the U.S. ceding regional influence to China, says Dennis Wilder, former CIA deputy assistant director for East Asia. "It leaves me speechless," said Wilder, now a professor at Georgetown University. "The idea that somehow we do not benefit from our forward deployed presence in East Asia, whether it's in Japan or South Korea or Singapore or the Philippines, is to not understand East Asia. It's one of the most peaceful areas of the world today, and one of the great trading partners of the United States." If Trump were to follow through on some of his seemingly isolationist Asia proposals, the Chinese "would be delighted" and would more than likely try to fill the void, Wilder says. Even if Trump were unable to implement his ideas, his tough negotiating posture alone risks driving U.S. allies to consider alternatives, according to Wilder. Wilder isn't officially endorsing Clinton or Trump, saying it sets a bad precedent for recently retired military and intelligence officials to take sides in U.S. politics. But some of his colleagues are doing just that. Shut out of NatSec community? A group of eight Republican Asia advisers last month signed an open letter not only opposing Trump, but endorsing Clinton. A similar letter, signed by 50 other prominent Republican national security experts, also eviscerated Trump, saying he'd be "the most reckless president in American history." Taken together, the letters raise the possibility of Trump eventually being shut out of the national security community if he doesn't become more restrained, says Mitchell Shivers, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. "I question whether he'll be able to attract the needed foreign policy and national security experts sufficient to run our government and protect our nation," Shivers told VOA. But Shivers holds out hope that Trump can shift to a more restrained stance. If recent weeks are any indication, there's not much hope Trump will change. Despite promising throughout the campaign that he will pivot to a more "presidential" demeanor, Trump has continued his controversial rhetoric. It's something that Navarro, Trump's own adviser, indirectly acknowledges may not change. Trump, he insists, is just representative of a "different America for the world to have to adjust to." Hundreds of Cameroonians living in northern Nigeria, near territory controlled by the Boko Haram terrorist group, are escaping atrocities and returning to their villages of birth with the hope of finding peace. Rights groups, however, say the returnees are rejected by their communities and face several forms of violence. One hundred returnees who recently arrived at the northern Cameroon border village of Zamai, where people such as Zenabou Abu, 40, talk of the lengthy treks required to find peace and stability. Abu, who escaped the Sambisa forest stronghold of Boko Haram along the Cameroon-Nigeria border, walked for three weeks with her eight children in two to get here. It was upon arriving that she saw her husband for the first time in four years, and finally learned from old friends that her parents had departed Zamai 36 years ago, when she was a kid getting settled in Sambisa with cattle ranchers. At Zamai's joint Cameroonian-UN operated resettlement camp, Houli Bernadette attends to pregnant and sick returnees. One of them, a 15-year-old girl, had been forced to marry a Boko Haram member. "She was asked to stop school and forced to get married to a Boko Haram agent when she was 14," says Bernadette "She says the girl's husband is wanted by law enforcement authorities for selling stolen cattle and handing the money to Boko Haram fighters." UN: 25,000 killed, 2.5 million displaced Since Boko Haram began launching attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger three years ago, the group has destroyed villages and killed residents, especially men who refused to join them. According to United Nations estimates, some 25,000 have been killed and more that 2.5 million have been displaced. Sali Bobo, a Cameroon-based rights advocate, says even those lucky enough to have escaped the militants find that peace remains frustratingly elusive. "They are deeply traumatized because one day they saw foreigners arrive in their villages and slaughter their husbands and male children," he says. "Memories of the horror keep coming to their minds, especially when they see people they have never seen before. They're scared and find it very difficult to communicate." Beyond being perceived as outsiders, Bobo adds, new arrivals are forced to compete with locals for limited resources. Displaced women and girls, who are extremely poor if not homeless, frequently suffer sexual harassment and sometimes rape, he says. "The returnees, who are mainly women and children, [are ordered] to obey the people of Zamai village who have agreed to host them," said Ibrahim Hamaoua, Zamai's traditional ruler of Zamai, explaining that conflicts over food and water erupt regularly. "Within the past two months, hundreds of returnees have complained of hunger and thirst," he added. "The villagers are not happy because they themselves have not had enough to eat and drink." In February, the United Nations called on the governments of Cameroon and Nigeria to ensure that areas purportedly liberated from Boko Haram forces are truly safe for people returning home. Hanoi's need for bolstered maritime defenses against an increasingly assertive China in the territorially disputed South China Sea is expected to be high on the agenda when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Vietnam later this week. Professor Sukh Doe Muni, fellow at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, says the Indian leader's arrival Friday comes as "the question of South China Sea has come up in a big way." "Narendra Modi's visit actually is the strong indication of India showing its friendship, camaraderie, solidarity with Vietnam, particularly at the time when Vietnam is facing lots of pressure in the region from China," said the former senior Indian diplomat, who once worked in Southeast Asia. Modi's Hanoi stopover, which will make him the first Indian prime minister to visit Vietnam in over a decade, comes one day before he'll join the Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, China. According to Ngo Xuan Binh, director of the Institute of Indian and Southwest Asian Studies in Hanoi, defense is a key part of "traditional" Hanoi-New Delhi relations, and there are mixed reactions among the Vietnamese public. "Some say Modi's visit to Vietnam before participating in the G20 summit shows how important Hanoi is to New Delhi, and it's also a signal to China," he said. "However, others say the visit has little impact on China, as it is a big partner of Beijing in many aspects." But Binh also says the recent tribunal ruling in The Hague, which dealt a legal blow to China's maritime claims, may bring India and Vietnam into closer diplomatic orbit. Vietnamese experts on Indian affairs, for example, have cited sources claiming that Hanoi entered high-level negotiations in June with New Delhi to buy BrahMos cruise missiles the world's highest-velocity anti-ship cruise missile currently in operation which has prompted concerns from Beijing. According to IHS Janes, "talks in Hanoi included the option of stationing a team of Indian technicians in the Southeast Asian country to offer the Vietnamese assistance in using the [BrahMos] system," and that New Delhi officials suggest the weapons transfer might be imminent. Vietnamese media quoted Indian Ambassador to Hanoi P. Harish as saying this week that New Delhi also hopes to reach agreements with Hanoi in areas of cooperation such as science, technology, defense and security. But it is unclear whether the two sides will sign any deal on BrahMos. The Stockholm-based International Peace Research Institute recently reported that Vietnam was the eighth-largest arms importer in the world from 2011 to 2015, up from 43rd in the previous five-year period, and that India is one of the largest weapons exporters to Vietnam. Rising tensions over the South China Sea maritime region in recent years have driven Vietnam to buy arms to defend itself. The husband of an American woman who has been charged of spying on China said Thursday that Beijing is trying to cover up evidence that could exonerate her. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this week that China has formally charged Texas businesswoman Sandy Phan-Gillis, who has been detained since last year, with espionage. The 55-year-old Vietnamese-born U.S. citizen of Chinese ancestry was detained in March 2015 after being stopped for questioning in the southern city of Zhuhai, where she was preparing to depart for Macau. Her husband, Jeff Gillis, said in a statement on Thursday that "these allegations are completely false," explaining that China accused his wife of conducting espionage in mainland China in 1996, but that her U.S. passport reveals that she wasn't in China at the time. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that the United States remains concerned about her welfare. We continue to monitor her case closely. Officers from the consulate there have visited her on a monthly basis since she was detained back in March of last year," he said. "We have repeatedly pressed Chinese authorities to provide further details of the case and to give our consular officers full and unrestricted access to her, as required by the Vienna Convention. We urge the Government of China to review and consider seriously the views expressed by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), including its recommendation to release Ms. Phan-Gillis. Arbitrary detention claimed In June, WGAD published a statement calling Phan-Gillis a victim of arbitrary detention, and that she hadn't been brought before judicial authorities or given access to legal assistance. Phan-Gillis, who ran a consulting firm that facilitated business dealings between U.S. and Chinese companies, was detained while traveling with a delegation from Houston, Texas. For six months she was held in a secret location, after which she was transferred to a detention center in the southern region of Guangxi, where she was initially held in solitary confinement. According to the report - the first in WGAD's 25-year history that deemed an American citizen to have been arbitrarily detained by China - Phan-Gillis has not had access to a lawyer or any communication with her family since September 2015. While WGAD says detention is deemed arbitrary if it has no legal basis or legal rights are ignored, China has warned the United Nations against questioning its judicial independence. "We hope that the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention can perform its duties impartially, respect China's judicial sovereignty, and cease making irresponsible remarks about legal cases being handled by relevant Chinese departments," said Hong Lei, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry in a news briefing. State Department officials have said that although the WGAD ruling is not legally binding, they would encourage the government of China to review and consider the opinion and recommendations received." Jeff Gillis has called on President Barack Obama to request the release of his wife when meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G-20 summit hosted by China this week. This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Mandarin Service. The U.N. refugee agency estimates nearly 4,200 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea since Alan Kurdis lifeless body washed ashore on a Turkish beach one year ago. During the first eight months of this year, the agency reports, more than 280,000 people have made the treacherous sea crossing to Europe. The number of arrivals in Greece has practically dried up, following the implementation of a European Union-Turkey accord under which migrants are prevented from leaving Turkish shores. But the numbers leaving Libya for Italy remain high. UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said Friday that the change in the migratory pattern had caused a spike in the number of casualties. So far this year, one person has died for every 42 crossings from North Africa to Italy, compared to one in every 52 last year," he said. "This makes 2016 to date the deadliest year on record in the central Mediterranean. The chances of dying on the Libya-to-Italy route are 10 times higher than when crossing from Turkey to Greece. Legal pathways Spindler said these dangers reinforce the urgent need to increase legal pathways for refugees to seek asylum in European countries. These, he said, could involve resettlement or private sponsorship, family reunification and student scholarship schemes. Meanwhile, the U.N. Childrens Fund estimated that 500,000 refugee and migrant children had fallen prey to smugglers. The agency said people smuggling and human trafficking were now estimated to be worth up to $6 billion annually. UNICEF spokeswoman Sarah Crowe told VOA that children, especially unaccompanied youngsters, who use smugglers to reach European countries of destination were very vulnerable to exploitation. It may mean that they have to pay off their debts in favors, in exploitative services, such as labor, sexual prostitution, sexual exploitation and so on," she said. "But sometimes, just out of desperation, they will fall into the hands of other criminals, organized crime, et cetera. To help protect refugee and migrant children, UNICEF is calling for greater efforts in tracking and documenting smuggling and trafficking networks that target children on the move. Let's imagine having to point out to a close friend they hadn't actually won the lottery. You'd probably feel almost as bad as they would. Well, that's where we are. Big news Earlier this week, the web was aflutter with news that radio astronomers in Russia had picked up 'suprisingly strong' radio signals coming from a star cluster about 94 light years away. The signals were coming from the Hercules constellation, and based on the power of the signals and their frequency, the buzz was that this be a message from really, really advanced aliens. Excited stargazers began throwing around phrases like "this could be a type II civilization" and other such SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) arcana. For clarity's sake, civilizations can be classified by something called the Kardashev scale. It was created by an astronomer named -- you guessed it -- Kardashev, as a way to gauge the technological advancement of any civilization. Humans are almost a type I civilization. That means we can store and use energy from our sun, but still use fossil fuels. We'll be classified as a fully type I when we go completely to renewable power. A type II civilization is one that can fully harness all the energy of their sun. That's way beyond us, and since we've never found anyone else out in space, the Kardashev scale isn't much more than a fun thought exercise. But it's important in times like these, because the strength of this mystery signal suggested an energy output on a stellar scale, far beyond us oil burners here on earth. That's really cool, and a bit scary. Bad news And then, the Russians stepped forward and very thoughtlessly ruined everyone's fun. The news is a bit buried in a press release from the Russian Academy of Sciences. "...an interesting radio signal at a wavelength of 2.7 cm was detected in the direction of one of the objects (star system HD164595 in Hercules) in 2015," it stated. So far so good. And then this: "Subsequent processing and analysis of the signal revealed its most probable terrestrial origin." Darn! Turns out that "terrestrial" likely means a Russian military satellite that no one knew or realized was out there. The Russian News Agency TASS spoke with Alexander Ipatov, from the Russian Academy of Sciences. "We, indeed, discovered an unusual signal," he told TASS. "However, an additional check showed that it was emanating from a Soviet military satellite, which had not been entered into any of the catalogs of celestial bodies." So much for winning the lottery. The first vaccine marketed to prevent dengue fever could be making people sick, according to a new study. The authors are urging public health officials to consider carefully which individuals to vaccinate, to prevent severe illness. An estimated 400 million people globally are infected each year with dengue fever, a mosquito-borne virus found most often in tropical regions. People who live in dengue-prone areas frequently are infected more than once, but most suffer relatively mild symptoms, including fever. However, more than 2 million people each year develop a severe hemorrhagic case of the disease, which can be fatal. Dengue is more severe the second time a person gets infected. About 25,000 people a year die as a result of the infection. So when Dengvaxia the first and, so far, only vaccine against dengue was approved by regulators, there was much excitement. Infections cut sharply Large clinical trials involving approximately 10,000 children, ages 2 to 14 were conducted in Southeast Asia and in Latin America. Phase-three trials involved about 21,000 youngsters between the ages of 9 and 16. Researchers found the Dengvaxia vaccine, made by pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Pasteur, reduced the number of infections by 60 percent and hospitalizations by 80 percent. But as time went on, many of those who had been vaccinated, including the younger children, fell seriously ill with dengue. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Imperial College London and the University of Florida analyzed data from all of the vaccine trials, involving more than 30,000 people in 10 countries, with long-term follow-up of the participants. One of the studys lead authors, Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer of the Bloomberg school, said it appears the vaccine acts as a silent, first infection in some people. What seems to be happening with this vaccine is that those people who have never seen dengue in the past, that have never been infected in the past, if they get vaccinated, lets say the vaccine acts like their first infection, right? So, if they ever get a second infection, or a true first infection, it would be more severe than it would have been, right? And thats the concern, said Rodriguez-Barraquer. That may explain why young children, many under the age of 9, were getting severely ill. They hadnt lived long enough to get a first infection. WHO directive The World Health Organization issued a warning not to give the vaccine to anyone younger than 9. But after further mathematical modeling, Rodriguez-Barraquer and her colleagues learned it was not only young children who were becoming sick after being vaccinated; it was also people who simply had never had dengue before. The data were reanalyzed, Rodriguez-Barraquer said, "and what we suggest is that maybe having been exposed to dengue in the past, right, is more important than age itself." The new analysis of the dengue vaccine was published in the journal Science. In countries with a high prevalence of the disease, Rodriguez-Barraquer said, the vaccine should not be a problem. Investigators concluded Dengvaxia can reduce severe illness and hospitalizations by 20 percent to 30 percent in such places. But in countries with a low prevalence, where only 10 percent of the population has been previously infected with dengue, the vaccine ought to be used with caution. Best plan: Test first Ideally, Rodriguez-Barraquer said, people should be tested before being vaccinated, to see whether they have been infected by dengue in the past. Regulators in several countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Paraguay and the Philippines, have approved Dengvaxia and are in the process of determining how best to roll it out. If used carefully, Rodriguez-Barraquer said, Dengvaxia can help control dengue, but she also is interested in seeing how new vaccines fare in clinical trials now beginning. The World Health Organization says it is alarmed at the quick spread of a cholera epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is taking emergency measures to halt its spread. Highly endemic in the DRC, the deadly cholera epidemic appears to moving with unusual speed, according to a recent WJO report that says a vaccination campaign is set to begin in the capital, Kinshasa in a couple of weeks. According to the report, an estimated 18,000 cases have been reported in the country this year practically the same number of cholera cases recorded for all of 2015. Of even greater concern is the spread of the disease from the eastern part of the country, where it is normally limited, to Kinshasa, which is usually cholera-free. Dominique Legros, head of the WHO's Department for Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases, says 2011 was the last time any cases were reported Kinshasa. That outbreak, he said, lasted almost two years with more than 2,000 cases and 88 deaths. The upcoming vaccination campaign, he added, is being launched at the start of an epidemic, and that it aims to inoculate some 300,000 people. The objective of that campaign, which is targeting the most at-risk areas of the city ... is [Kinshasa's estimated] 5 million inhabitants," he said. "The objective is to try to contain the outbreak and avoid ... [what] we had five years ago ... a long outbreak with many cases and many deaths." WHO researchers say fatality rates in highly endemic parts of eastern DRC are at 1.3 percent, while western DRC, including Kinshasa, is seeing a rate of 6 percent. Legros said there have been 13 cases of cholera and two deaths reported in Kinshasa since August 13. That is very worrisome because it affects places where there are usually no cases of cholera, no immunity of the population," he said. "The health staff is not used to cholera cases and the additional concern we have for Kinshasa is that the rainy season is coming. Usually the peaks of cholera cases in DRC are now starting in September and October. Legros said the vaccination campaign will be expanded to include two camps sheltering refugees from Burundi and the Central African Republic who are at particular risk. From Pho Chay to Banh Cam, our Prime Minister must indulge in these delectable offerings while in Hanoi, Vietnam. By Shreya Goswami: So, the Indian PM will reach Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam this evening. The purpose of his visit is to promote Indo-Vietnamese relations, before heading on to the G-20 Summit to be held at Hangzhou, China from 3-5 September. As PM Modi gears up for his four-day visit to Vietnam and China, we, the foodies of the world, wonder what he'll be eating. advertisement Sharing good meals with dignitaries, politicians, and the people of a nation does help in peace efforts. Nobody, not even hard-working politicians, can reach any agreement on an empty stomach. And while the PM's entourage usually includes a chef to cater to his specific, healthy, vegetarian food choices, we believe he should partake in some of the delicious veg food options available in Hanoi. Also read: Here's why chicken soup is perfect for your body and soul, especially during monsoon Contrary to what you might think, Vietnamese cuisine is not completely meat or fish based. In fact, they have clear designations for veg and non-veg food. The veg dishes come with the suffix 'chay' (vegetarian), while the non-veg dishes have the suffix 'bo' (meat). Now this is a marker even tourists should remember--if a restaurant front declares 'chay', you can walk in and expect pure-veg food. If a shop front declares Chay in Vietnam, it means they serve veg food. Picture courtesy: Instagram/jenkemxvx So what are the three Vietnamese 'chay' dishes PM Modi shouldn't miss out on? Pho Chay The vegetarian version of the famous Pho, now enjoyed all across the globe, is as deep and soul-warming as its non-vegetarian counterpart. Pho refers to the rice noodles which are the essential ingredient of this soup. Pho Chay is a soul-warming, breakfast favourite in Vietnam. Picture courtesy: Instagram/bglilley Pho Chay is a soul-warming, breakfast favourite in Vietnam. Picture courtesy: Instagram/bglilley Pho Chay can have everything from mushrooms, tofu and lotus stems, to sprouts, herbs and chillies. It's a powerful and energy-inducing dish, and is quite the breakfast favourite in Vietnam. It's the perfect dish to start your day with, and we hope PM Modi has some to fuel what we're sure is going to be a long day. Banh Mi Chay This dish might remind you of subs, but it's integral to Vietnam's history. Apparently, the dish originated when Vietnam was colonised by the French, and the first Banh Mis were made using crusty baguettes. Since then, the Vietnamese have made this hearty sandwich their own by putting in their own fillings. Banh Mi Chay might look like a sub, but it has a Vietnamese soul, and fillings too. Picture courtesy: Instagram/thepurpleshadow Banh Mi Chay is made with cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs, tofu, carrots, and lots of chillies. It's a hot, hot dish that can be enjoyed while on the go. So we suggest PM Modi bites into this to keep up with the energy while travelling from one meeting to the other. advertisement Also read: Guess how much the world's most-expensive grilled-cheese sandwich costs Banh Cam Crispy outside, soft and chewy inside, Banh Cam is a golden-fried ball of goodness. Made of sweet mung bean paste, and topped with toasted sesame seeds, these are sweetmeats anyone can indulge in. It's one of the most popular Vietnamese desserts, and you just can't stop at one. Banh Cam is a golden-fried dessert popular in Vietnam. Picture courtesy: Instagram/hanabi_world It's the best way to get some moonh meetha done while in Vietnam, and we hope PM Modi does try one of these laddoo-like concoctions. They would be perfect for a post-dinner indulgence, don't you think? There are definitely a lot more vegetarian offerings that you must try while in Vietnam. But we won't impose on our busy PM to go around trying them all. Just these three would be enough to convey the culinary and hospitality genius of an Asian nation with a history and potential as great as India's. --- ENDS --- advertisement European Union foreign ministers on Friday looked for a way to speak with one voice on relations with Turkey amid concerns over human rights that could threaten a key deal meant to keep refugees away from European shores. The relationship with Turkey is only one of several items on the agenda for the two-day, 28-nation meeting. The ministers are also set to discuss joint efforts to combat terrorism and plan to focus on developing the EU's global strategy during their talks. But arrival comments from participants clearly indicated that how to balance relations so they can pressure Ankara on its human rights record without jeopardizing the refugee pact was the main issue on their minds. And with the EU split on how hard to push Turkey, a solution promised to be difficult to find. Turkey is pushing for visa-free travel in the EU for its citizens and is threatening to walk away from the migrant deal if its demands aren't met. But Brussels says it will only allow that if Ankara rolls back a crackdown targeting wide segments of society in the wake of the mid-July abortive coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The agreement commits Turkey to take back migrants from Syria and elsewhere attempting to enter the EU from Turkey illegally and has strongly reduced the migrant influx into the EU since it was fully implemented in March. Ankara is also angry over calls by several EU government officials to suspend, or even end, years of talks on Turkey's entry into the EU, again because of concerns about the state of human rights. Erdogan's flirtation with reintroducing the death penalty and a terrorist law that extends to journalists are some of the issues eliciting EU apprehension. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz reiterated his call for an end to EU accession talks with Turkey as he arrived at the meeting, telling reporters that we consider cleansing actions and attempts to silence those who think differently a wrong approach. Both Kurz and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern have called for an end to EU entry talks. He also said Turkey had to meet demands for European human right standards if it hopes for EU visa liberation concessions, and for now, the conditions are not met. Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak of Slovakia, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said it was important to speak with a unified EU voice on Turkey. Ankara is an important partner, and we need to clarify among ourselves what we want from Turkey, he said. Contradicting Kurz, he said Slovakia favored continuing talks on Turkey's EU membership, describing them as the best leverage the EU could have'' with Ankara. It was an opinion others shared. We should be very clear both in our support to the Turkish authorities against the attempted coup d'etat and on asking Turkish authorities to respect the rule of law and the fundamental human rights,'' said Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. But I don't think it is helpful to say no more negotiation with Turkey.'' Expressing another area of concern, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the ministers also would discuss Turkey's ongoing incursion into Syria, as it battles both the IS group and Kurdish fighters it considers a threat. Not on the agenda is Britain's decision to leave the EU. But British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson focused on that topic in a message meant to convey London's intention to work together with the EU. We may be leaving the European Union but we are not leaving Europe,'' he said, Britain, he added, is absolutely committed to participation in European foreign policy cooperation, and European defense and security cooperation.'' Reporting on developments inside secretive North Korea often becomes a guessing game, with some news organizations repeating salacious details that portray leader Kim Jong Un as ruthless and unhinged because there is great worldwide interest in it. The problem is that most of these reports rely on anonymous sources who are not always reliable and may have agendas, as we were reminded this week. Citing an unnamed source, the South Korean newspaper Korea Joongang Daily wrongly reported that two officials in the North had been executed: Hwang Min, a former agriculture minister, and Ri Yong Jin, with the education ministry. The news organization also reported that one official was killed with an anti-aircraft gun. Some Western media outlets picked up the Joongang Daily story, reinforcing the report's credibility but also prompting the South Korean government to respond to the false information. Seouls Unification Ministry later issued a statement correcting the report. Spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said the North's "vice premier for education, Kim Yong Jin, was executed and the head of the North's United Front Department, Kim Yong Chol, was made to undergo revolutionary measures." Jean Lee, the Associated Press' former Pyongyang bureau chief, denounced the idea of a news organization releasing information that hasn't been thoroughly checked out. "I just think it is so irresponsible to put that story out before confirming the details, but it did push the South Korean government to confirm some of the details to get at least the government point of view," said Lee, now a global fellow with the Wilson Center, a policy think tank in Washington. Sorting fact from fiction It is difficult to discern what's happening within the leadership of the secretive and repressive North Korean state. "Those who do know something are not going to talk to you because when they start talking, they will be in trouble, said Andrei Lankov, a North Korea analyst and professor at Kookmin University. At least 100 North Korean officials have been executed since Kim Jong Un took power in December 2011, the Institute for National Security Strategy said in 2015. The institute is affiliated with the South Korean National Intelligence Service. But reports of executions and purges in North Korea are rarely confirmed and some have proven inaccurate. Pyongyang did confirm the 2013 execution of Kims uncle by marriage, Jang Song Thaek, for allegedly plotting a military coup. The mentor to the young North Korean leader was increasingly seen as a rival source of power, analysts said. Reports in February, however, that Ri Yong Gil, an official with the Korean Peoples Army, had been executed for corruption turned out to be false when he showed up at North Korea's party congress in May. Anonymous sources As diplomatic and economic channels of communication between North and South Korea have been cut off over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons program in defiance of U.N. sanctions, the North Korean defector community in the South has become an increasing source of insider knowledge. "The sources have been replaced by phone calls with North Korean defectors and letters, so it is probably difficult to reveal the sources, who the defectors are," said defector Ahn Chan Il with the World Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. Keeping North Korean sources' identities secret is necessary to protect them and their families, but it also makes it more difficult to assess credibility of the information provided. And some news organizations, especially in South Korea, have been more than willing to repeat salacious stories without verification. "I think that says something to the nature of the business of journalism right now, which is when it comes to North Korea, the more horrible, the more salacious, the more entertaining, the more it fits into the narrative as the North Koreans being these insane outliers," said Lee. Reports that Kims uncle Jang was killed by a pack of starving dogs have been discredited. The original report was apparently a satirical post on a Chinese social media network that was taken as fact and went viral. Nor has there been any confirmation that an associate of Jangs was executed with a flamethrower. Satellite images in 2015, however, captured what appeared to be a North Korean execution with an anti-aircraft gun. South Korea Official confirmation of developments inside Pyongyang from the government in Seoul is seen as more reliable, even though the National Intelligence Service is also gathering information from unnamed sources and has been wrong at times in the past. An unidentified South Korean official also on Wednesday told reporters that Kim Yong Jin was arrested for what seemed to mean slouching exhibiting a bad attitude while sitting in a chair during a meeting of the Peoples Supreme Assembly, then accused of being an anti-revolutionary before he was put before a firing squad. Kim Yong Chol was sent to a re-education farm for a month until mid-August, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. Recent high-level defections to South Korea, such as that of Thae Yong Ho, the deputy ambassador of the North Korean embassy in London, could provide better insight into what is happening inside Kim Jong Uns inner circle. The FBI released 58 pages of documents to the public Friday from its investigation of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's controversial use of a private email server during her time as U.S. secretary of state. "Today the FBI is releasing a summary of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's July 2, 2016, interview with the FBI concerning allegations that classified information was improperly stored or transmitted on a personal email server she used during her tenure," an official statement from the FBI's press office read. The FBI also released what it called a "factual summary" of its investigation in the interest of transparency and in response to multiple Freedom of Information Act requests. The released documents include technical details of how the server in Clinton's basement was set up. Republican candidate Donald Trump's campaign again criticized Clinton for using a private email server while she was secretary of state. Hillary Clinton is applying for a job that begins each day with a Top Secret intelligence briefing, and the notes from her FBI interview reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty," spokesman Jason Miller said in a statement emailed to reporters. The Federal Bureau of Investigation closed its yearlong probe last month into whether Clinton and her aides had mishandled sensitive information that flowed through the private email server located in her New York home. FBI Director James Comey said his agents found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by the Democratic presidential nominee. He called her actions "extremely careless" but said no criminal charges were warranted. In France, some referred to it as the summer of terror. Now, communities across the country are working to heal the wounds and avert what many French Muslims fear could be a backlash against them by politicians and citizens angry over extremists' attacks. Inter-communal tensions have boiled over on the French-ruled island of Corsica. Muslims and non-Muslims clashed on a beach in August, after reports that a tourist had taken a photo of a Muslim woman bathing on a beach in the town of Sisco touched off a riot. Muslims and non-Muslims attacked each other with fists and weapons that reports said included machetes and a harpoon. Fear has risen further after the islands militant separatists, in defiance of the Paris government, said they are ready to take matters into their own hands if the Islamic State group carries out an attack on the island. There have been no specific terrorism warnings on Corsica, but, as summer winds down, the islands beaches became a focal point in Frances battle of cultures - marked by attacks on the French mainland, such as the truck attack in Nice that killed 86 people in July and the murder, also in July, of an elderly Catholic priest during Mass in Normandy. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for both attacks. Who defends Corsica? Corsicas isolation and its fierce separatist drive have many feeling like Paris is not doing enough to protect them. After the bloodshed in France, the Corsican National Liberation Front warned the Islamic State that any attack against the Corsican people would precipitate a determined response, without hesitation or guilt. Beyond that statement, I think Corsicas entire population is asking, who is going to defend us. Are we obliged to defend ourselves? And by what means? asked Francis Nadizi, regional secretary of the far-right National Front party headed by Marine Le Pen. Corsica has one of Frances highest ratio of firearms per capita one more reason why officials are taking the separatists statement seriously. They also are not ignoring the possibility of a terrorist attack on their soil. There is real concern because unfortunately the events of recent months have shown that no one is safe, and there are elements specific to Corsica that make us fear a rising risk, said Gilles Simeoni, the islands top elected official, told VOA. In remarks published recently, Simeoni warned there has been a breakdown of the integration machine - a reference to questions about the local Muslim populations willingness to integrate into Corsican society. Mosques hit by arson Even before this summer's beach riot, there have been confrontations. Attacks have included arson fires at Muslim places of prayer. Signs of the tensions are less than subtle. In public restrooms and fences, graffiti demand: Arabi Fora, Corsican for Arabs Out. In December, a mob smashed windows and ransacked a prayer hall in the islands main city, Ajaccio. The incident happened after Muslim youths ambushed firefighters and police who were responding to reports of illegal bonfires. The prayer halls director, Abdel-Mounim el Khalfioui, said the tensions - including those surrounding the controversy over burkinis - have intensified the conversation about what it means to be Muslim in Corsica. Integrating into a society does not mean rejecting ones culture of origin in order to adopt another. That for me is not integration, el Khalfioui said. Integration is respecting the laws, respecting the land that welcomes you, respecting its traditions, respecting people, but at the same time holding on to your culture of origin. Islamic garments an issue But some Corsicans disagree. Like many people on the French mainland, they say Islamic vestments drive a wedge between Muslims and the rest of the population. I think, quite sincerely, that it is a provocation," said the National Front's Nadizi. "They will begin by the visual aspect of their vestments, before staking their communitarian claims. It could be that people will see it as a provocation, like if a man sees a naked woman walking on the street. She is going to tell him, I am free, but he sees it as a provocation, said Sabri Merdaci, a 24-year-old building maintenance worker born on Corsica to Algerian and Tunisian parents. Merdaci wears a beard and sometimes a galabiyya, or tunic. We see it as a choice that one makes in regard to religion, to identity, as it relates to Islam, he said. Merdaci said he avoids beaches where French women often sunbathe topless. Given the hostility already shown to their community, some of Corsicas Muslims worry any retaliation against Islamic State could spill into retaliation against them. In a meeting last week, a group gathered to vent their concerns about the Corsican separatists warning to the Islamic State. We took this as a provocation for those who may want to carry out an attack in Corsica, and so it is us who would have to pay, said Mohamed Jouablia, head of an association of Tunisian immigrants. It means someone does something wrong and the group reacts, goes after the other. It is collective punishment, and that is disgusting. It is unacceptable. It is that which worries us, said another member, Zerdalia Dahoun, a native of Algeria. The concept of justice is dangerous. Inciting people to do justice themselves has roused the extreme on both sides, she said. When a person dies in this age of social media, his digital imprint may live on. One California artist is exploring how to use digital artifacts to create a futuristic funeral. The process starts with a consultation at the Hereafter Institute, an immersive artistic program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The Institute is part technology company and part funeral home. Participants in the consultation learn about how they can plan their digital afterlife. "I have friends that have passed away and somehow their Facebook accounts remain alive, and so once a year when its their birthday, Facebook says, 'Wish so-and-so a happy birthday,' " resulting in a "kind of awkward, sad" situation, said Carolina Miranda, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times and a Hereafter Institute participant. Interactive performances Institute creator Gabriel Barcia-Colombo applied for a grant from the art and technology lab at LACMA and has been working on this project for the last year to examine what happens to a person's digital record when he dies. In collaboration with New York theater director Benita de Wit, Barcia-Colombo created a series of interactive performances that deal with death, technology and social media. This technology sort of has a life of its own, and the question is: How do you want to be remembered? What are you going to do with your technology? And do you want to take control of that, or do you want to sort of leave it up to these other corporations or other people to deal with your own memories? asked Barcia-Colombo. The participants of a Hereafter Institute consultation are shown necklaces with video images of a person in a locket as one way to store a person's data. They are also taken to a room with black monolith called the Hereafter Monument. On top is a vinyl record encoded with data through audio tones. With the help of technologist Pedro Oliveira, timelines of peoples profiles are placed on a record, and the data in the record are turned into text that appears on the side of the monument, as a way to remember a person who has died. 'Very moving' experience By using audio, photos and videos, a virtual reality experience of Barcia-Colombos grandfather was created. With virtual reality, people can "visit" a person who has passed away. With all this data and all these video memories, we can really sort of think about how people moved, or reacted to jokes, or how they laughed, so to be able to see him walking again ... was very moving to me, said Barcia-Colombo. "It would be a little bit difficult and disheartening to see a loved one," said Lucy Redoglia, a Hereafter Institute participant and LACMAs social media manager. "Its not a perfect reproduction of the person. Its still very digitized. Theres something a little cartoony about it," Miranda said. "So I think as a memorial it functions, but I dont think it would ever be in danger of becoming something that you could almost grow attached to because its a replacement of the person." Body scan A participant also gets a 360-degree body scan. At the end of the consultation, the participant is led to a room to witness a personalized eulogy and video presentation, with an avatar created by the body scan walking into the distance. The Hereafter Institute may be an artists creation, but participants say the ideas arent so farfetched, because digital memorials are already happening when someone dies. "You want to go back and look at all their pictures and you want to write a message to their family," said Redoglia. "These kinds of impromptu digital memorials exist, and I think what this is implying is that what is impromptu might one day be officialized," Miranda said. "And that would not be surprising to me. Would I want one of those memorials? I dont know. I dont even want a tombstone, so I dont know if I need a digital memorial, but it is not out of the ken of possibility." Barcia-Colombo said the aim of the program is to make people think about the possibilities and what they want to do with their digital footprints after death. The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) recently created some surprise when it claimed credit for green financing by citing an electricity transmission project it is funding in Bangladesh. The move openly flaunts arguments by environmental activists who oppose moves to support projects connected to the use of coal. But AIIB president Jin Liqun argued the project proposes to replace old systems that result in huge transmission losses, and thus force thermal plants to generate more electricity. The incident highlighted the growing awareness of green financing among multilateral development banks, and attempts to broaden its definition. Efforts are being made by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the G-20 group of nations to take the green financing agenda beyond clean energy projects in the solar and wind power industries. Banking regulators in different countries are now being encouraged to carefully monitor banks and insurers against financing projects that harm the environment. New alignments The G-20, which is meeting in Hangzhou in China for three days starting September 3, is expected to arrive at a consensus on the need to align the financial system with sustainable development goals. "The G-20 has highlighted experience around the world in greening credit, which in some countries, such as China, includes actions by the China Banking Regulatory Commission," Simon Zadek, UNEP lead at the G-20 Green Finance Study Group, told VOA. "In other cases, such as Singapore, the banks have acted voluntarily, as they have in South Africa, whereas the French are mandating climate-related risk reporting by financial institutions, including banks," Zadek said, explaining how the idea is spreading across the globe. The task involves re-wiring the financial system to support environment friendly projects, Zedek said, with a staggering $8 trillion dollars a year needed worldwide. He added that more than 80 percent of the funds will have to come from the private sector because public resources can meet just about one-fifth of the need. G-20 finance ministers and Central Bank governors unanimously agreed during a meeting in Shanghai last year that all 20 countries will jointly implement monetary and fiscal policies and carry out structural reforms to encourage environment-friendly development. The proposal will be put up for approval by the leaders at the Hangzhou summit. Carbon emitters Some experts argue overemphasizing green finance is to ignore the real villain of the piece, which is carbon emitters. China and several other countries have been reluctant to drastically cut down coal production and stop coal-based industries because it would result in job losses. Adele C. Morris, policy director of Climate and Energy Economics at the Washington D.C.-based Brookings Institution, thinks green financing plans would not be workable on the ground unless there is an appropriate system for pricing carbon emissions, and regulating them. She said it makes no sense to put pressure on financial markets because they have no control over carbon emissions. "Why do we need green financing if there is proper carbon pricing?" Morris asked in an interview with VOA. "It is unrealistic to put pressure on financial markets." She added that carbon emissions must be heavily taxed and coal-based projects made extremely uneconomical through government action. Until that happens, financial markets will not be excited about supporting green financing programs estimated at trillions of dollars. New measures are also needed to develop an international market for carbon pricing before financing agencies are asked to take responsibility, she said. "But asking [a] bank to pretend that market conditions are different, and they should take the responsibility for green financing is an unrealistic thing to do," Morris said. An important issue is whether the United States will be as eager as China is to endorse the green financial plan at the G-20 meeting. "The United States now has a historic opportunity to advance leadership on green finance internationally, as well as to scale up domestic innovations already in place," the Carnegie Endowment said recently. It also acknowledged China's efforts to place a special focus on green finance under its G-20 presidency. Protesters in Gabon's capital city carried out widespread looting Friday, continuing the unrest that followed Wednesday's announcement that incumbent President Ali Bongo had narrowly defeated his challenger in a nationwide vote. VOA reporter Idriss Fall in Libreville said unrest began in the neighborhood of Charbonnage and spread outward. He said most of the protesters are young men in their 20s, but it was unclear whether people who have taken to the streets are making a political statement or simply taking advantage of the situation. "People should remember that whenever you have a political crisis, people would go outside and begin looting whatever is out there. So, to be honest, I cant say that all the people going outside the streets are with [opposition leader Jean] Ping or not with Ping or have another purpose." Fall also reported that the city hall in Gabons second largest city and major seaport, Port-Gentil, was burned down. He spoke to 26 leaders of the opposition who said that the number of people killed has reached 17 but said it is difficult to independently confirm that total. The nations interior ministry reports that only three people have been killed. Over 1,000 arrests The unrest began Wednesday following official results that show Bongo with 49.8 percent of the vote and challenger Ping with 48.2 percent. Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya says more than 1,000 people have been arrested nationwide, including as many as 800 in the capital. He confirmed three deaths in the violence. Buildings throughout downtown Libreville, including the National Assembly, were set ablaze Thursday. There were also attempts to set fire to City Hall, the broadcasting house, a state newspapers headquarters and various residences, according to an interior ministry statement that accuses opposition supporters of planning the attacks ahead of time. In Washington, the State Department urged all sides to come together peacefully to avoid future unrest. It said appropriate actions may be considered going forward. "We deplore the escalation of violence following the release of those provisional election results by the government," spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. "We call upon the security forces to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all Gabonese citizens and of all residents of Gabon." Security warning Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Libreville issued a security message advising American citizens of "widespread, violent demonstrations, rioting and looting" in the capital and urging them to remain in safe locations. "Security forces have responded to the situation with tear gas and have placed roadblocks at major arterial roads, cutting off transportation across the city. There is also debris and burned cars blocking the roads in some areas," according to the security message. Ping is disputing the results showing he lost by about 5,000 votes. He said his campaign has evidence of election rigging, which he plans to present to Gabon's constitutional court. At issue are the results from one province, where the results show nearly 100 percent voter turnout, with Bongo receiving 95 percent of the vote. Some members of the electoral commission resigned as the results were announced Wednesday. While not commenting whether Washington would ask for a recount, the State Department called on the Gabonese government to release results for each individual polling station. The State Department said those provisional results still need to be certified by Gabons constitutional court. "We are asking that the legal procedures for certification of the results be followed according to Gabonese law in a fair and transparent manner, said Kirby. UN calls for calm U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for Gabon to remain peaceful after the hotly contested poll. "The secretary-general urges all concerned political leaders and their supporters to refrain from further acts that could undermine the peace and stability of the country," his spokesman said in a statement. "He also calls on the authorities to ensure that the national security forces exercise maximum restraint in their response to protests." Government conducted raids A government spokesman said security forces raided the opposition building in search of people who had set fires near the parliament building earlier in the night. "Armed people who set fire to the parliament had gathered at Jean Ping's headquarters along with hundreds of looters and thugs. ... They were not political protesters but criminals," Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze told the French news agency AFP. The U.S. embassy called for all individual polling station results to be published, after it said observers witnessed "many systemic flaws and irregularities" in the voting. The irregularities included polling stations opening late and "last-minute changes to voting procedures." Both candidates declared victory after Saturday's vote, and each side accused the other of fraud during the vote count. Gabon does not have a run-off system, so the candidate with the most votes in the 10-candidate field wins the election. Ping was running to end a half-century of Bongo family rule. Ali Bongo succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who died in 2009 after 42 years in office. Esha Sarai and VOA Afrique contributed to this report. When Peoples Liberation Army soldiers rolled into Hong Kong at midnight on July 1, 1997 to resume Chinas sovereignty from the departing British, flag-waving crowds cheered their arrival at the territorys rural border with the mainland. But nearly two decades later, Hong Kong voters will go to the polls on Sunday to participate in a legislative election unlike any they have seen here before. The atmosphere is deeply polarized, with Chinas hand increasingly felt in nearly every sphere of public life, especially since the 79-day Umbrella Movement protests of 2014, during which the Beijing-backed local government, led by Chief Executive CY Leung, took an uncompromising stance against demands for more democracy. More concern followed the subsequent disappearance of five booksellers, two of whom appeared to have been abducted one from Hong Kong and the other from Thailand and taken to the mainland. They had been publishing books critical of Chinese leaders and their alleged private lives. The prospect of mainland operatives acting willfully in Hong Kong touched a very deep local nerve. Young activists So wide have the political and social divides become that some young activists angered by a large influx of mainland Chinese and what they see as Beijings failure to honor its promises to Hong Kong under the one-country, two-systems formula that underpins its autonomy have begun urging Hong Kongs independence from China. To push their cause, a number of localists have formed political parties and are seeking entry into the political system they disdain in order to promote their cause. Polls indicate they are plugging into a reservoir of youthful discontent. A recent survey of residents aged between 15 and 24 years, released by Chinese University, shows a rising sense of powerlessness, with a more than 10 percent drop in those who felt their views had any influence upon government policy, especially in education, housing and employment. Other polls have indicated that with a multitude of candidates in the field -- and an election system originally designed by the government to fragment pro-democracy forces localist candidates could win seats in some of the five geographical constituencies that send representatives to the legislative council (Legco). Those victories would add strength to so-called pan-dem incumbents who are likely to be re-elected and have already been hamstringing the legislative body using parliamentary tactics like filibustering. Loyalty pledge Responding to this challenge via the ballot box, the Electoral Affairs Commission issued a new candidacy form requiring applicants to swear that they uphold the indivisibility of China. A half-dozen would-be candidates have been barred from the ballot on this basis, and will seek judicial reviews of the decisions after the election. However, some of their running mates have been allowed to stand. This inconsistency will likely form part of any legal challenge. In recent days the government has raised the stakes, saying even those who have been allowed to stand for election still might face a challenge after the vote. Sonny Lo, a professor of political science at the Education University of Hong Kong and a veteran analyst of local elections, is worried about hyper-politicization. Contentious politics in Hong Kong is getting more serious than ever before, he told VOA. There is the serious fragmentation of both pro-democracy and pro-government camps, meaning we cannot predict the (election) outcome easily this reflects the chaotic political landscape of Hong Kong since 1997. The formation of Legco will decide whether the various sides can sit down and hammer out disputes in a peaceful and civilized way. If not, radical forces outside Legco will test the stability of Hong Kong in coming years. Basic law One reason for the rising concern among young Hong Kongers is the realization that Hong Kongs Basic Law a piece of mainland legislation that serves as the territorys constitutional document contains a reference to 2047, when todays youth will be in their prime. Exactly what happens after that is unclear. This has prompted calls for early discussion of Hong Kongs autonomy and possible self-determination. The promises of considerable autonomy and the protections of civil, political and human rights contained in the Basic Law help explain the general acceptance of Chinese rule in 1997. Perceived erosion of these pledges since then explains much, though not all, of the current discontent. One person who viewed that implementation up close was Anson Chan, who served as Hong Kongs number-two official under both the outgoing British and the incoming Chinese administrations. She has transformed over the years, becoming a democracy campaigner and founder of Hong Kong 2020, a policy think-tank. She told VOA that in the four post-handover years that she continued to serve the government. I can honestly say Beijing did not interfere in any way with the internal administration of Hong Kong. They were scrupulous about keeping their hands off. You did not hear anybody in the (Beijing) Liaison Office piping up and commenting on all and sundry. But things, she said, have vastly changed, especially since Leung took over as chief executive and began showing deference to the Liaison Office, to which he made his first official visit as chief executive the day after he was selected. Young people observing this, said Chan, doubt whether their interests and concerns are being adequately represented. She described herself as both saddened and in a way very angry at this turn of events. Hurricane Hermine made landfall early Friday along Floridas Gulf Coast, killing one person, flooding low-lying areas and knocking out power. The hurricane diminished to a tropical storm later in the day as it moved up the southeastern U.S. coast into Georgia and the Carolinas, but it was still causing weather alerts and precautionary closures along much of the Atlantic Coast. The first hurricane to strike Florida in more than a decade, Hermine came ashore early Friday just south of the state capital, Tallahassee. Officials said a homeless man was hit by a tree and killed near Gainesville, Florida. The state's governor, Rick Scott, said power failures caused by the storm had affected an estimated 325,000 people across Florida, and he declared a state of emergency across most of the state. The storm damaged homes and roads and raised concerns about a possible increase in Zika virus infections, since the mosquitos that spread the disease thrive in pools of standing water, which were numerous because of the hurricane rain almost 17 inches inches (43 centimeters) in the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg. Scott urged residents to dump standing water wherever they could. Tallahassee's mayor, Andrew Gillum, said, "The bad news is that our electric utility system took a pretty substantial hit. In fact, in the city's history, this may have been the most significant hit to our electric utility system, with over 80 percent of our system having been affected by last night's storm." Georgia and North Carolina also declared states of emergency as the storm headed north, and President Barack Obama asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to keep him updated on the situation. Storm warnings about Hermine were posted as far north as Delaware. New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island were under storm watches. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said city beaches would be closed for swimming on Sunday, part of the Labor Day holiday weekend, because of potentially dangerous rip tides. "The number one thing I want to say to New Yorkers is: The rip tides are extremely dangerous. This is my number one message," he said. "No one should assume that they can handle these kinds of rip tides. So if you go in the water, you are putting your life in danger. It's as simple as that." U.S.-backed Syrian forces have liberated three more villages in northern Syria from Islamic State control, further pushing IS out of territory it held for years. A VOA reporter traveled to the villages of Herbel, Um Hosh and Um Qurra all now controlled by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the United States. IS has retreated to nearby villages and the SDF is pursuing the extremist group's fighters. WATCH: US-backed Forces Push IS From 3 Strategic Villages "The fighting is ongoing in nearby villages," said Mahmud, an SDF commander who preferred to use only his first name. "Our goal is to rid [IS] from all this area." The anti-IS forces advanced as U.S. warplanes targeted the extremists' positions in the area. That part of northern Syria has been strategically important for IS, situated on a vital trade route between the Turkish border and the terror group's self-declared capital, Raqqa. Islamic State has sent some of its top leaders to the area to supervise operations against Syrian government troops and other local fighters. Among those leaders was Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the chief spokesman for IS, as well as a central figure in the group's operations outside Syria and Iraq, such as in Western Europe. Al-Adnani was killed by a U.S. airstrike this week outside the village of Washiya, not far from the areas the U.S.-backed militias have just captured. Islamic State first announced al-Adnani's death, and SDF leaders in northern Syria told VOA that local residents had confirmed his fate. In addition to directing Islamic State's attacks outside the Middle East, al-Adnani was directly involved in recruiting foreign fighters to join the group, a U.S. defense official said. After news of al-Adnani's death was announced, Russia's defense ministry said its warplanes had killed him, along with 40 other IS militants, during a bombing raid in Aleppo province Tuesday. U.S. officials have dismissed that claim as "yet another attempt [by Russia] at disinformation." As IS retreats from villages in northern Syria, VOA reporters said different forces are filling the void. Within 20 kilometers of Herbel, Syrian regime troops, Turkish-backed rebels and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces have taken up positions. Remember Ishmeet Singh, who died a year after winning Amul STAR Voice of India? It's his birth anniversary today. By India Today Web Desk: Remember Ishmeet Singh, the soft-spoken Ludhiana guy who mesmerised everyone with his golden voice and went on to win Star Plus' Amul STAR Voice of India in the year 2007 at the age of 17. While his win was still fresh in public memory, his sudden death by drowning, while holidaying in Maldives with friends in 2008, sent shock waves across the music industry. advertisement Though his death initially seemed to be an accident, later his post-mortem reports hinted at foul play. His family had asked for further enquiries and Indian high commission in Maldives also forwarded the family's request to the government of Maldives. There have been no further updates on his death. Had he been alive, Ishmeet would have turned 28 today. On his birth anniversary, here's remembering his melodious voice: 1. Jab Se Tere Naina 2. Maa De Haath Di Rotiyaan 3. Ek Noor Te 4. Shukriya 5. And Ishmeet's last performance RIP, Ishmeet. Your golden voice will always be remembered. --- ENDS --- Islam Karimov was born in Samarkand, the ancient Silk Road city in eastern Uzbekistan, in 1938, at the height of Soviet dictator Josef Stalins purges. According to various unofficial biographical accounts, Karimovs father was jailed two years before his birth and was not the president's biological parent; in 1941, after his father was released from prison, Karimovs parents placed the young boy in an orphanage. They reportedly brought him home the following year, but then returned him to the orphanage in 1945. According to his official biography, Islam Karimov graduated from a polytechnic institute in 1960 with an engineering degree and then worked at various industrial concerns in the then-Soviet republic. He later worked for the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republics Gosplan or state planning committee received an economics degree and, in 1983, was made the Uzbek Soviet republics finance minister. In 1989, he was appointed first secretary of the central committee of the Uzbek branch of the Soviet Communist Party. The following year, Karimov was elected Uzbekistans president by the republics Soviet-era parliament. While Karimov convinced a majority of Uzbekistans electorate to vote in favor of the republic remaining part of the Soviet Union in a March 1991 referendum, just months later, in August 1991, he declared Uzbekistans independence following the Soviet Unions failed hardline coup. He was elected independent Uzbekistans first president in December of that year. Several opposition parties were allowed to participate in the December 1991 presidential election, which Karimov won with 86 percent of the vote; international observers, however, cast doubts on its legitimacy, with Human Rights Watch (HRW) calling it seriously marred. Western observers similarly dismissed subsequent ballots in Uzbekistan, including a 1996 referendum to extend Karimovs term in office. He ran again for president in December 2007 despite a constitutional ban on serving more than two terms, and won still another term in 2015, with 90 percent of the vote. Appalling human rights record All the former Soviet states of Central Asia remained under authoritarian rule after the Soviet Union dissolved in December 1991; Karimovs regime in Uzbekistan was one of the regions most repressive. In its most recent annual report, HRW said Uzbekistan maintained its appalling human rights record in 2015. Thousands of people are imprisoned on politically motivated charges, torture is endemic, and authorities regularly harass human rights activists, opposition members, and journalists, the US-based humanitarian group wrote. Muslims and Christians who practice their religion outside strict state controls are persecuted. Authorities force millions of adults to harvest cotton every fall under harsh conditions, netting enormous profits for the government. In 2002, two alleged members of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir were reportedly tortured to death in an Uzbek prison. According to a U.S. State Department report, their torture resulted in in extensive bruises and burns, the latter reportedly caused by immersion in boiling water. Andijan crackdown Perhaps even more notorious was the incident that took place in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan in May 2005, when security forces fired into a crowd of protesters, killing hundreds. Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the United States saw Uzbekistan, which was targeting Islamist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, as a strategic ally in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. In July 2005, however, after Washington pushed for an international investigation of the Andijan incident, the Uzbek government gave U.S. forces six months to vacate the Karshi-Khanabad Airbase in southeastern Uzbekistan, where some 800 American troops had been stationed since 2001. The U.S. forces left in November 2005. Deirdre Tynan, who is Central Asia project director for the International Crisis Group and based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, told VOA by e-mail that Karimov would be remembered as an apparatchik who lucked upon a newly independent, largely rural nation and ran it as a police state while exploiting the labor force. His legacy, as we see it today, is an Uzbekistan associated with torture, Tynan said. The full extent of his legacy we can't discern yet. It will depend on what his successor does. VOAs Daniel Schearf in Moscow contributed to this report. Media protection groups are calling on the international community to pressure President Robert Mugabe's government to respect freedom of the press in Zimbabwe. Photojournalist James Jemwa was released on bail Friday after spending a week behind bars, but the Media Institute of Southern Africa said two other journalists were still in custody and several others had been assaulted or had their equipment destroyed by police while covering anti-government protests. Media in Zimbabwe should enjoy their freedom as granted by the constitution and not at the benevolence of state agencies," said Nhlanhla Ngwenya, head of the institute in Zimbabwe. "We are seeking to engage commanders of these people who have been arresting and wantonly beating up journalists and actually express our anger and let them know that journalism is not a crime. So the fact that they are found at these protests, it is not because they like it there, but it is because they are answering to their call of duty, as much as the police do so. On Thursday, the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists said it wanted international bodies such as the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists to plead with the Mugabe government to respect freedom of the press, which has been guaranteed in the constitution since 2013. Wave of demonstrations For the past two months, Zimbabwe has been hit by an unprecedented wave of anti-Mugabe protests accusing the 92-year-old leader of failing to fix the country's economy and respect human rights. It is during those protests that photojournalists have been assaulted, arrested or had equipment destroyed by police. In a telephone interview Friday, Zimbabwe Information Minister Christopher Mushohwe maintained his earlier stance, in which he blamed journalists for the assaults from the police. "Journalists should never, ever be part of a demonstrating mob," he said. "You should always be on the side of law enforcement agents. And that is what is done internationally." If protesters resort to violence, he added, journalists' job "is to take pictures and not to be part of them." Mushohwe repeated his position despite the fact that video and photos have been circulating on social media showing police assaulting or chasing journalists and, in some instances, asking them to delete their work. A lone mountain on the dwarf planet Ceres could be an extinct volcano. Only this volcano, dubbed Ahuna Mons, didnt spew molten rock, but instead likely breathed ice and mud, a so-called cryovolcano. "Ahuna Mons is evidence of an unusual type of volcanism, involving salty water and mud, at work on Ceres," said Ottaviano Ruesch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland and the Universities Space Research Association. "Geologic activity was discussed and debated among scientists: now we finally have observations testifying to its occurrence." While no longer active, NASA says the volcano looks to be relatively young. Particularly, NASA notes that volcanism on a dwarf planet is a surprise because Ceres is made of salts, muddy rocks and ice whereas most volcanic bodies are mostly rocky. Ceres is about the same width as the U.S. state of Texas, NASA said. "The Ahuna Mons cryovolcano allows us to see inside Ceres," said Ruesch. "The same process might happen on other dwarf planets like Pluto." Ruesch is lead author of a paper on this research appearing Friday in the journal Science. The NASA team came to their conclusions about Ahuna Mons by using data from the Dawn space probe, citing evidence that it resembles volcanic domes seen elsewhere in the solar system. For example, the summit of Ahuna Mons has cracks like those seen in volcanic domes when they expand, NASA said in a news release. Also, the slopes have lines that resemble those formed by rockfalls, and the steep flanks surrounding the dome could be formed by piles of debris. NASA further described the Ahuna Mons as young because of the sharp, fine features that tend to fade over time. It is also fairly narrow with steep slopes, indicating relative youth. Also, surface of the volcano is bright, another indication of youth as surfaces tend to darken as theyre exposed to radiation and meteoroid impacts. "We're confident that Ahuna Mons formed within the last billion years, and possibly within a few hundred million years," said Ruesch, adding that the age of the solar system is about 4.5 billion years old. All of this leads researchers to say that Ahuna Mons is unlike anything that has been spotted in the solar system thus far. "There is nothing quite like Ahuna Mons in the solar system," said Lucy McFadden of NASA Goddard, a co-author on the paper. "It's the first cryovolcano we've seen that was produced by a brine and clay mix. "Ceres, which orbits between Mars and the gas giant Jupiter, is interesting because it appears to be a transition object it's not completely rocky, but it's not an ice world either,"she added. Russian President Vladimir Putin maintained in an interview with media outlet Bloomberg that Russia had nothing to doing with the hacking of the U.S. Democratic National Committee. Thousands of the DNC's emails and documents were hacked earlier this year, revealing that the DNC gave preferential treatment to Hillary Clinton over her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders. Both were vying to become the party's presidential candidate. "Listen, does it even matter who hacked this data," Putin said in the interview conducted in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok. "The important thing is the content that was given to the public." In the wake of the release of the data, DNC chairman and U.S. lawmaker Debbie Wasserman Schultz stepped down from her DNC responsibilities. "I don't know anything about it," Putin said, adding "and on a state level Russia has never done this." Putin also denied in the Bloomberg interview allegations the hack was an attempt by Russia to influence the outcome of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Putin beat back that accusation, saying that move would require a subtle understanding of American politics. "To do that you need to have a finger on the pulse and get the specifics of the domestic political life of the U.S.," he said. "I'm not sure that even our Foreign Ministry experts are sensitive enough." The Russian president's interview with Bloomberg came just two days before world leaders, including Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama, arrive in China for the Group of 20 meeting. In late July, the website Wikileaks published a collection of nearly 20,000 emails obtained from the DNC. Wikileaks did not reveal its source, though a hacker who goes by the name of Guccifer 2.0 claimed responsibility for the attack. Members of the Democratic Party and members of the U.S. intelligence community have repeatedly accused Russian intelligence services as being behind the hack. A former college student and athlete who was convicted of rape walked out of a California jail Friday morning after serving three months of a controversially lenient six-month sentence. Brock Turner left the Santa Clara County Courthouse and got into a white SUV. He plans to return to his parents' home in Ohio, where he will remain on supervised probation for the next three years. He also will be on a list of registered sex offenders for the rest of his life. Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky had sentenced the Stanford University swimming star to six months in jail and three years probation for his sexual assault on an unconscious woman behind a campus dumpster last year. A jury found Turner guilty on three felony counts: assault with the intent to commit rape of an unconscious person, sexual penetration of an unconscious person and sexual penetration of an intoxicated person. Turner served half of his controversially short term, because convicts with a clean disciplinary record in the county jail generally are released when half of their sentences are completed. The sentence along with a letter to Persky from the defendant's father, who said his son should not pay such a steep price for "20 minutes of action" sparked outrage across the country. U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both delivered speeches this week to crowds full of military veterans, with both emphasizing issues important to veterans but using strikingly different tones. Trump, who spoke Thursday at the American Legion national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, focused primarily on his plans to rebuild Americas military and fix systemic problems at the ailing Department of Veterans Affairs. While he went after Clinton twice for her plan to increase the number of Syrian refugees entering the U.S. by 550 percent and, in passing, for her use of a private email server as secretary of state his speech largely centered on policy ideas. Trump called for a "total reform" of the VA and laid out a 10-point plan to fix the agency. It included appointing a new secretary, firing employees who fail to live up to his standards, ensuring veterans receive timely access to health care and creating a commission to search out wrongdoing within the agency. "We will rebuild our depleted military and pursue a state-of-the-art missile defense. We will do it based on those three famous words: Peace through strength," Trump said. We will make sure our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have the best equipment, training and tools in the world and we will ensure that they have the best medical care in the world, both in service and when they return home as civilians." Clinton outlines plans Clinton spoke at the same venue a day earlier, frequently attacking Trump though she mentioned him by name only once for his stance on illegal immigration and for previously calling the American military "a disaster." "I completely reject anyone, including my opponent, who calls the American military, and I quote, a disaster,'" she said. "That is an insult to the men and women serving today and all who have served before who put their lives on the line." Clinton went on to outline her ideas of "American exceptionalism" and her vision of a strong, effective American military even going as far as to suggest the use of military force against Russia for its alleged involvement in the July hacking of the Democratic National Committee. Russias hacked into a lot of things. Chinas hacked into a lot of things. Russia even hacked into the Democratic National Committee, maybe even some state election systems As president, I will make it clear, that the United States will treat cyber-attacks just like any other attack. We will be ready with serious political, economic and military responses, she said. In late July, the website WikiLeaks published a collection of nearly 20,000 emails obtained from the DNC. Wikileaks did not reveal its source, though a hacker who goes by the name of Guccifer 2.0 claimed responsibility for the attack. Members of the Democratic Party and of the U.S. intelligence community have repeatedly accused Russian intelligence services as being behind the hack, but the Russian government has denied any involvement. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said there is no proof of Russian involvement. Projecting strength Clintons vision of an American military that projects strength across the world contrasts starkly with that of Trump, who spoke of advancing "Americanism, not globalism" and of his plans to secure Americas southern border with Mexico, which has become a cornerstone of his campaign. "Above all, these next four years, I will be uncompromising in the defense of the United States and our friends and allies," he said. "We are going to end the era of nation-building and create a new foreign policy joined by our partners in the Middle East that is focused on destroying ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism." While Trump spoke of an isolated America, Clinton spoke of an America that has a global responsibility to be the standard bearer of justice and strength. She said Trump was too ill-informed to lead Americas military and called him "dangerous" for his past insinuations that, under his leadership, America might walk away from its commitment to NATO and other global alliances. "Its not just that we have the greatest military or that our economy is larger than any on Earth. Its also the strength of our values, the strength of the American people," she said. "And part of what makes America an exceptional nation, is that we are also an indispensable nation. In fact, we are the indispensable nation. People all over the world look to us and follow our lead." Uzbekistan's long-time leader, Islam Karimov, was buried in his birthplace of Samarkand Saturday. Funeral rites were performed in Registan Square in the ancient Silk Road city by a mufti who said that "Islam Karimov served his people." Hundreds of men attended the burial. Karimov's coffin, covered in intricate, colorful tiles and aqua cupolas, was buried in the city's Shah-i-Zinda cemetery. Thousands of people lined the streets of the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, earlier Saturday to pay final respects to their leader as his funeral procession passed by. The government announced the authoritarian ruler's death Friday, ending days of speculation about whether Karimov was still alive following a massive stroke. Uzbek authorities said the 78-year-old ruler had been in a coma for days. He died one day after the Central Asian country's independence holiday. Karimov had been in power for more than 25 years. Karimov's younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, mourned her father in social media messages: "He has left us. ... I am struggling for words. I can't believe it myself." "May God show His mercy to him," she wrote in Uzbek on Facebook. Her thoughts drew thousands of responses. Only leader since independence Karimov, the only leader Uzbekistan has known since it became an independent nation following the collapse of the Soviet Union, crushed all opposition during his time in power, and he had not groomed anyone to take over after him. Analysts said they were concerned that the largest and most powerful Central Asian nation could face prolonged infighting, and they also warned that Islamic radicals could try to exploit uncertainty in Tashkent, the capital. The solemn official announcement of the president's death did not make clear who would rule the country in the future. As stipulated by the Uzbek constitution, the speaker of the senate, Nigmatilla Yoldoshev, is "interim president." Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was named chairman of the commission organizing the state funeral a development seen by some as an indication he would be one of the contenders to succeed Karimov. Yoldoshev, deputy chairman of the funeral commission, is not seen as a likely candidate to take power permanently. From the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences for the "heavy loss" Uzbekistan suffered. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will lead Moscow's delegation at the funeral. Alexei Pushkov, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told reporters that Karimov's passing "may open a pretty dangerous period of unpredictability and uncertainty in Uzbekistan." President Barack Obama said the United States reaffirmed its support for the people of Uzbekistan "at this challenging time." 'New chapter in its history' Obama's statement, issued late Friday before he left on a flight to Hangzhou, China, for a summit meeting of Group of 20 government leaders, said: "As Uzbekistan begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to partnership with Uzbekistan, to its sovereignty, security and to a future based on the rights of all its citizens." Putin also will be at the summit of the G-20, the world's richest nations, and he has already signaled that he hopes to engage in talks on geopolitical issues with the other world leaders there. Turkey announced Karimov's death to the world hours before it was confirmed in Tashkent. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim sent a message of condolence to the Uzbek people; the two countries have extensive ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties. Uzbek authorities said they consulted with physicians from Russia, Germany, Finland and Monaco as the gravity of Karimov's medical situation became clear. The president's daughter said the cerebral hemorrhage that led to his death occurred August 27. A senior official of Amnesty International said the rights group was not optimistic that Uzbekistans repressive regime would soon change its policies, marked by the use of torture against domestic opponents. 'Human rights abuses' Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty's deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, said: "Islam Karimovs death marks the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not of the pattern of grave human rights abuses. His successor is likely to come from Karimovs closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated." Authorities in Uzbekistan apparently had been expecting Karimov's death for days. Fragmentary reports emerging from the country told of burial preparations in Samarkand, and the closure of the city's airport for all but official flights. An Uzbek opposition blogger based in Western Europe, Nadezhda Atayeva, said Uzbek authorities appeared to be cracking down on communication channels with the outside world. Speaking to the Associated Press from France, Atayeva said a contact in Uzbekistan told her government officials had been ordered to turn off their telephones, and that internet service was slowing down noticeably. Atayeva said she spoke to her contact via Skype, but as he described the situation in Tashkent, the line went dead. The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) has warned that 40 percent of Afghanistan's population or 11.3 million people are food insecure, while chronic malnutrition affects more than 40 percent of Afghan children under five years old. WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin issued the warning Friday at the conclusion of her four-day maiden visit to the war-ravaged country, the first by a WFP chief in 13 years, to "implore" the donor community to continue their support despite the squeeze on funding because of new global crises. "This not the time for the international community to turn away from the needs of the people of Afghanistan," she told reporters in Kabul. While WFP has already reached almost two million of the most vulnerable Afghans with food and cash assistance, Cousin said, the organization needs $50 million in donor funding to reach another 1.6 million people through the end of this year. "It is the funding challenges and a turning away of the international community, or reduction in support by the international community for the activities here in Afghanistan, which will limit our ability to perform the work that is required," Cousin said, when asked what was the biggest concern for WFP's Afghan mission. She noted that the 3.6 million Afghans who the WFP is trying to help do not include thousands of refugee families who have returned or are in the process of returning home from neighboring Pakistan this year. "Many of them come across with nothing, without the ability to meet the food-assistance needs of their families," said the WFP head, adding that her organization is working with other partners to meet the needs of returnees. Cousin admitted that increased instability and conflict in some Afghan areas has forced WFP to suspend program operations periodically throughout the year. "The answer to terrorism and conflict is hope and opportunity provided by sustainable, durable economic opportunity and prosperity where every parent can access the food that they required to feed their children," she said. Afghanistan's northern provinces are traditionally inaccessible for aid deliveries during winter months, and the spread of fighting to those areas in recent months has added to the challenges facing aid groups. The leader of Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi faction accused the United States of providing logistical support and political cover for Saudi-led air strikes in the 18-month Yemeni conflict. In his first published interview since the start of the civil war, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi also told the Houthis' quarterly magazine his group was open to a peaceful solution of the conflict, in which at least 10,000 people have died. "The United States plays a major role in the aggression... including logistical support for air and naval strikes, providing various weapons... and providing complete political cover for the aggression, including protection from pressure by human rights groups and the United Nations," he said. The United States is a key ally of Saudi Arabia, which has come under fire from human rights groups over the air strikes that have repeatedly killed civilians in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and its allies, which have intervened in the conflict in support of the exiled government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, see the Houthis as proxies of their archrival Iran. The Houthis deny this and say Hadi and Saudi Arabia are pawns of the West bent on dominating their impoverished country and excluding them from power. U.N.-sponsored talks to try to end the fighting collapsed last month and the Houthis and allied forces loyal to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh have resumed shelling attacks into Saudi Arabia, Yemen's large northern neighbor. In his interview, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi said his opponents did not understand the meaning of real dialogue. "The hurdle facing negotations and dialogue is that the other party wants to achieve through the talks what it wanted to achieve through war, not understanding that the path of dialogue and peace is different to the path of war," he said. Last month U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he had agreed in talks in Saudi Arabia with Gulf Arab states and the United Nations on a plan to restart peace talks for Yemen with a goal of forming a unity government. Both the Houthis and the exiled government have welcomed the idea of a return to talks since then. The streets of Libreville remained deserted Friday morning following protests, violent clashes and buildings set ablaze as the opposition reacted to news that Ali Bongo was re-elected president of gabonearlier this week. "Everything is closed. ... You can't even find bread," VOA correspondent Idriss Fall said from the capital citys downtown. Residents are afraid to go out and streets are closed, paralyzing food transport across the country. Rampant pillaging in the capital has worsened people's fears since Wednesday's announcement by the election board of Bongo's narrow victory. More than 1,000 people have been arrested nationwide, with anywhere from 600 to 800 of them in the capital, according to Gabon's interior minister, Pacome Moubelet Boubeya. The interior minister also confirmed the deaths of three people in an official statement, but did not release their identities or provide further details. Buildings throughout downtown Libreville, including the National Assembly, were set ablaze Thursday. There also were attempts to set fire to City Hall, the broadcasting house, a state newspapers headquarters and various residences, according to the statement. "All this leads us to believe that these different actions were premeditated and planned beforehand," the statement said, without elaborating. Calls for calm France, former colonial ruler of the oil-producing Central African country, condemned the violence but said it would not intervene. In Washington, the State Department urged all sides to come together peacefully to avoid future unrest. It said appropriate actions may be considered going forward. "We deplore the escalation of violence following the release of those provisional election results by the government," spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. "We call upon the security forces to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all Gabonese citizens and of all residents of Gabon." Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Libreville issued a security message advising American citizens of "widespread, violent demonstrations, rioting and looting" in the capital and urging them to remain in safe locations. "Security forces have responded to the situation with tear gas and have placed roadblocks at major arterial roads, cutting off transportation across the city. There is also debris and burned cars blocking the roads in some areas," according to the security message. Results disputed The official results for Saturday's election show Bongo won 49.8 percent of the votes and opposition leader Jean Ping claimed 48.2 percent. Ping is disputing the results showing he lost by about 5,000 votes. He said his campaign has evidence of election rigging, which he plans to present to Gabon's constitutional court. At issue are the results from one province, where the results show nearly 100 percent voter turnout, with Bongo receiving 95 percent of the vote. Some members of the electoral commission resigned as the results were announced Wednesday. While not commenting whether Washington would ask for a recount, the State Department called on the Gabonese government to release results for each individual polling station. The State Department said those provisional results still need to be certified by Gabons constitutional court. "We are asking that the legal procedures for certification of the results be followed according to Gabonese law in a fair and transparent manner, said Kirby. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for Gabon to remain peaceful after the hotly contested poll. "The secretary-general urges all concerned political leaders and their supporters to refrain from further acts that could undermine the peace and stability of the country," his spokesman said in a statement. "He also calls on the authorities to ensure that the national security forces exercise maximum restraint in their response to protests." Government conducted raids A government spokesman said security forces raided the opposition building in search of people who had set fires near the parliament building earlier in the night. "Armed people who set fire to the parliament had gathered at Jean Ping's headquarters along with hundreds of looters and thugs. ... They were not political protesters but criminals," Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze told the French news agency AFP. The U.S. embassy called for all individual polling station results to be published, after it said observers witnessed "many systemic flaws and irregularities" in the voting. The irregularities included polling stations opening late and "last-minute changes to voting procedures." Both candidates declared victory after Saturday's vote, and each side accused the other of fraud during the vote count. Gabon does not have a run-off system, so the candidate with the most votes in the 10-candidate field wins the election. Ping was running to end a half-century of Bongo family rule. Ali Bongo succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who died in 2009 after 42 years in office. VOA Afrique contributed to this report. Centre on suspended four Union Home Ministry officials, including a joint secretary, for allegedly facilitating the renewal of licence of a NGO promoted by Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Left red-faced by it's own officers, Centre on Thursday night suspended four Union Home Ministry officials, including a joint secretary, for allegedly facilitating the renewal of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act licence of a non-governmental organisation promoted by Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, against whom ministry has been contemplating action. Those suspended are Joint Secretary G K Dwivedi, an Indian Administrative Services officer, two deputy secretaries and one section officer. advertisement As per information available with India today, the Certificate of renewal was renewed on August 19, which is valid for 3 years. ACTION AGAINST THE NGO The action was taken after the home ministry found that Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation's FCRA licence was renewed by it's own foreigners division, despite several ongoing probes by IB , NIA and MHA. "The action against two Under Secretaries and one Section Officer was due to their negligence in clearing the renewal while a case is still pending," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju tweeted. In another tweet, Rijiju said the home ministry was very clear that there should be smooth process of registration or renewal of FCRA licence but not when there is a case pending. "We had made the process of FCRA renewal online," he tweeted. The goof up was noticed when Naik's controversial NGO under scanner by multiple agencies stated that their foreign fund certificate has been renewed. Irf has been facing investigations for radicalising Muslim youths and getting foreign funding from wrong sources, Islamic Research Foundation's license under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has been renewed last week. Mumbai Police is also probing allegations against Naik. CASES AGAINST NAIK Naik is accused of radicalisation of youths for terror and receiving foreign funds and spending such funds in luring youths into radical views. Naik in a lecture, aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, had reportedly 'urged all Muslims to be terrorists'. The popular but controversial Islamic orator is banned in the United Kingdom and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He is popular in Bangladesh through hisPeace TV, although his preaching often demeans other religions and even other Muslim sects. ALSO READ: Book Zakir Naik under anti-terror law: Solicitor General advises Home Ministry --- ENDS --- Three Zambian church groups have called for peace ahead of an anticipated court ruling on the opposition's challenge to the results of the August 11 presidential election. The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, the Council of Churches in Zambia and the Catholic Bishops Conference called on leaders of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) and the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party to ensure their supporters do not engage in acts of violence after the court's ruling. The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared Edgar Lungu the winner of the presidential election with 50.35 percent of the total votes cast, compared to 47.67 percent for the main opposition candidate, Hakainde Hichilema, of the UPND. But the UPND petitioned the Constitutional Court to reject the result, citing alleged voter irregularities and fraud. Many Zambians have expressed concern about possible clashes between supporters of the two parties after the court's ruling, which is expected Friday. In an interview with VOA, Father Cleophas Lungu, general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference, said the church groups have appealed for calm. "We also indicated that we are concerned that there hasn't been enough commitment from the political leaders both from the Patriotic Front as well as the UPND with regard to accepting the outcome of the ruling," he said. UPND candidate Hichilema has reiterated his call for a meeting with President Lungu to help resolve post-election tensions and violence. But Lungu dismissed the call, saying he would only meet the opposition leader if Hichilema renounces violent acts allegedly perpetrated by UPND supporters. Father Lungu says the church groups are working behind the scenes to arrange a meeting between the two leaders. "The church did receive a request for such a meeting and for the church to be the mediator, and efforts have been ongoing in terms of bringing the two sides together," he said. He said President Lungu and Hichilema must demonstrate that their parties respect the rule of law and will respect the decision of the court. "Now is the time for people to avoid talking in a manner that would provoke people, who may be aggrieved by the Constitutional Court ruling," he said. Zimbabwe's government on Thursday banned protests in the capital, Harare, for the next two weeks. The ban was announced a day before opposition parties were to hold an anti-government demonstration. Immediately after the release of the statutory ban, which says anyone who organizes a protest may be sentenced to up to 12 months in prison, opposition parties issued a statement postponing a planned Friday protest by two weeks. In a telephone interview, Thabitha Khumalo, a leader of former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC party, said her party and others were saddened by the banning of protests in Zimbabwe. Khumalo said the opposition had no time to challenge the ban before the now-aborted Friday march. It is a violation of Zimbabwe's constitution, which gives every Zimbabwean the right to express themselves. Anyway, their ban does not mean they are stopping the wheels of the struggle, because the social and economic problems that are affecting Zimbabweans are still there. It will not create jobs; it will not turn around the economy," she said. In the past two months, Zimbabwe has been hit by a wave of protests against President Robert Mugabes government. Zimbabweans have been calling for the 92-year-old leader to embark on democratic reforms and fix the country's moribund economy or step down. But police have reacted with a heavy hand to the protests, arresting demonstrators and firing tear gas and water cannons, which has resulted in injuries. Zimbabwes presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, has fueled public speculation that President Robert Mugabe may be facing some problems after he refused to reveal to various media organizations his current health status and the country he is visiting. Charamba refused to discuss the issue with Studio 7, NewsDay and other news entities soon after the President cut short his attendance at the just-ended Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Swaziland and flew to Dubai. He told the independent NewsDay newspaper that the media is always getting it wrong on the presidents whenever he is out of Zimbabwe. According to NewsDay, Charamba declined to reveal the purpose of President Mugabes visit to Dubai, saying he would rather let the media dwell and delight on a default explanation that his boss was ill. Each time you people dont know the purpose of the presidents visit, there is always a default explanation that he is ill. So the life of the president springs between a known mission and illness. If I dont tell you the purpose, it should be illness. I will not give you the purpose of the presidents visit to run away from the default explanation. This is not new. It is year in, year out; he is sick, he dies and resurrects. His life until the age of 92 revolves around illness and death. The newspaper reports that the president visited Dubai to pick up his family en-route to Singapore where he normally receives some medical attention for what the state claims is related to eye problems. However, other sources told NewsDay that Mr. Mugabe had a scheduled trip to the Middle East on private business. Each month, Boris Kachka offers nonfiction and fiction book recommendations. You should read as many of them as possible. A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles (Viking, Sept. 6) In his first novel, Rules of Civility, Towles literally rendered 1930s New York in sepia tone via a flashback triggered by a Walker Evans photograph. His second, about a Russian count under permanent house arrest in Moscows glamorous Metropol hotel, also exudes nostalgia. But in confining the action to a single and singular location, Towles paradoxically broadens his scope. Count Rostovs bottled ruminations and adventures, stretching across thirty years of Soviet rule, are as vivid as the Metropols meticulous style and just as vulnerable to historys ruthless advance. Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett (Harper, Sept. 13) The novelist of globe-trotting dramas (Bel Canto; State of Wonder) goes domestic and somewhat autobiographical to equally keen effect. When a married man and a married woman fall in love, the subsequent reshuffling of children and households results in a very imperfectly blended family. Decades later, one grown daughter falls for an older famous author who mines their troubles for a best-selling novel. Patchetts trajectory veers from tragedy to comedy, action to introspection, but always hits home. Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known As the Jeff Davis 8?, by Ethan Brown (Scribner, Sept. 16) Far truer than True Detective, the investigative journalists fourth book is part murder case, part corruption expose, and part Louisiana noir. Eight prostitutes were killed over five years in Jennings, a poor town conveniently located on the main drug route from Houston to New Orleans. All of the women worked out of the same seedy motel, associated with violent criminals, and informed for the police. They also witnessed a brutal police shooting. The cases remain unsolved, probably not by accident. Brown lifts the veil on a likely cover-up and a town where justice is a dirty joke. Ten Restaurants That Changed America, by Paul Freedman (Liveright, Sept. 20) The Yale historians survey of paradigm-shifting restaurants, running the class gamut from Howard Johnsons to Chez Panisse, manages a tricky balance of academic rigor, interpretive insight, and delicious dish. True to Freedmans background, it also serves as a cultural and economic history of the nation, from the rise of the leisure class to the mechanized age of Ford, postwar globalization, and cultural appropriation, on down to our own fussy-casual era of trickle-down Bobo-ism. Reputations, by Juan Gabriel Vasquez, trans. Anne McLean (Riverhead, Sept. 20) Colombias recent peace deal feels like an opportune moment to discover one of its best younger writers, whos traded in the magic of his forebears for gritty realism while retaining a probing, sinuous style that makes this slim new book feel satisfyingly rich. In contrast to his violent last novel, The Sound of Things Falling, here Vasquez goes small, examining a famous caricaturist who once feared assassination but now lends his face to a national stamp. Then someone from his past forces the cartoonist to reassess the way hes wielded his pen to bring down the powerful. Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America, by Patrick Phillips (Norton, Sept. 20) Slavery is our national atrocity and racism its legacy, but in the county of Forsyth, Georgia, it spawned a literal genocide. Phillips lays bare the events of 1912, when a white girls rape led to a reign of terror that purged Forsyth of every black resident, and traces the segregated county all the way to 1987, when a large civil-rights march sought attention for Forsyths dark history and attained it at the cost of violence. Phillips, a poet, supplements his eloquent account with interviews that give voice to the descendants of perpetrators as well as victims. The Wonder, by Emma Donoghue (Little, Brown, Sept. 20) The cramped, contemporary setting of Donoghues blockbuster, Room and the movie adapted from it makes it easy to forget that the author made her bones writing fresh and unusually lively historical fiction. Her latest novel brings together both her preoccupation with child peril and her gift for history. Lib Wright, a nurse fresh from working with Florence Nightingale in Crimea, is hired to verify a case of miraculous fasting. An 11-year-old Irish girl claims to be thriving on nothing more than manna from Heaven, but soon Lib must fight to save her. Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, by Ruth Franklin (Liveright, Sept. 27) Riding the revival of the author of the chilling high-school staple The Lottery (too long remembered only for that), Franklin gives Jackson the full-fledged biography she deserves. The woman who split her writing between creepy domestic thrillers and lighter memoirs of family life and her life between writing and raising four children emerges as a mindful emissary from the pre-feminist past, whose body of work constitutes nothing less than the secret history of American women of her era. While her triumphs defied her times, her struggles and losses also informed her most revealing work. James Holmes. Photo: RJ Sangostini/Denver Post via Getty Images A little over four years ago, gunman James Holmes opened fire during a crowded opening-night showing of The Dark Knight Rises in an Aurora, Colorado, Cinemark theater, killing 12 and injuring 70. Now, after years of legal wrangling, theres a strange new status quo: Four of the shootings survivors have been ordered to collectively pay at least $700,000 to Cinemark. The details are a bit wonky, but, essentially, those four people were the last ones left suing the chain for not effectively preventing the shooting, and, having lost the suit, theyre on the hook for Cinemarks legal costs. Initially, a group of 41 plaintiffs were looking at a meager settlement of $150,000, split between all of them. The settlement fell apart, and all but four of the plaintiffs left the case. A judge found Cinemark not liable for damages, and Colorado law puts the burden on the losers to pay for the victors fees, which added up to nearly $700,000. Though the four plan to appeal, a federal case isnt looking good for them, either, so that could mean even more cash on their tab in the future. I mean, do you? Photo: STX Productions Russia has had just about enough of those Bad Moms and their Bad Mom ways. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ad agencies in St. Petersburg have declined to place billboards for the outrageous film because of alleged sexual implications. They specifically object to the slogan Do you want some Kunis? as Mila Kuniss last name sounds close to the Russian world for cunnilingus. (Per Google translate, that word is or kunnilingus; Russian is fun!) Conservative city legislator Vitaly Milonov, meanwhile, has praised the ad agencies for saving the citys pride, saying, St. Petersburg is the cultural capital, and you shouldnt bring all kinds of trash here. A Russian TV station has also refused to air a commercial where Kuniss character strokes a bare male torso. Kunis, who is the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, speaks fluent Russian, so perhaps she could head to St. Petersburg and clear things up. Though, to be fair, she does receive cunnilingus in Bad Moms, so its not like the ads are wrong. There's good reason Zika could come to India because Aedes aegypti--the mosquito responsible for Zika transmission--already has a strong presence in India. Here's how you can stay safe. By Nikita Bhalla: The deadly Aedes aegypti mosquito supposedly has another threat up its wings for India, apart from fast-spreading diseases like dengue and chikungunya. The recent confirmation of 13 cases of Zika virus among Indians in Singapore has definitely raised the risk of infection spreading across India, and New Delhi is at the highest risk--primarily because of being a popular International transit point. advertisement In addition, Aedes aegypti--the vector that carries and transmits the Zika virus (as also dengue and chikungunya)--already has a strong presence in different parts of India. Plus,September and October are the peak months for mosquito breeding and thus the risk is manifold. In the wake of such a challenging health condition, the World Health Organization (WHO) had confirmed that it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential preventative shots. Until then, there is no treatment or vaccine for Zika infection. Also read: Dengue strikes again; here's our go-to guide With the mounting cases of dengue and chikungunya in India, if Zika comes in, it could be disastrous. If it does, here are some simple, preventable measures suggested by a doctor. We contacted Dr Geetha K Subramanyam, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur, to comment on the ways you could steer clear of the life-threatening virus. Here's what she had to say: Anyone who is pregnant is advised not to travel to any Zika-infected area because the mother and child transmission rate of this virus is very high. The foetus can be easily affected leading to congenital neurological anomalies particularly microcephaly--abnormal smallness of the head, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development. If a spouse/partner, returns from a Zika-infected area, then it is preferable to avoid sex for the next 2-3 weeks because the virus can be sexually transmitted. Usage of condoms reduces the risk of spreading of this virus. If a person is returning from a Zika-infected area and has a pregnant wife, it is preferable to avoid sex. --- ENDS --- Conan OBriens passport is getting some new ink. The late-night host announced the destination for his latest travelogue on Thursdays show, and strap on your lederhosen, because Conans going to Berlin. OBrien revealed the news to guest Flula Borg, who promised to play tour guide in his homeland. The announcement was pretty last-minute, since OBrien is heading to Germany on Friday, although theres no word on when his presumable shenanigans will air. Berlin is the latest installment in OBriens continent hopping, which has previously taken the show to South Korea, Armenia, Cuba, and Qatar. And so Conans very elaborate plan to get rich in per-diem gold continues apace. Religious cults have long been a cinematic fascination (see: The Master, Rosemarys Baby, Martha Marcy May Marlene), but when have you seen actual documentary footage of what happens inside of one? Twenty-two years of documentary footage, to be exact. Will Allen, director of Holy Hell which premiered on CNN last night (encores Saturday 9/3 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST) and can be found on iTunes and Amazon joined a New Age spiritual group called Buddhafield when he was just out of film school, and spent half his life recording the antics and indoctrinations of its eccentric guru. Alternately named The Teacher, Michel, and Andreas (ne Jaime Gomez), the guru was an aspiring actor whod appeared in porn and once as an extra in, of all movies, Rosemarys Baby. He offered them a chance to be closer to God and a community of like-minded souls devoted to a drugs-, alcohol-, and sex-free lifestyle. He also rarely wore anything other than a Speedo and eyeliner, insisted his disciples perform elaborate ballets and follow him around with a special throne for him to sit on, and required all of them to take different names. There was also a darker side to his behavior [spoilers ahead]: He kept one member from seeing her dying father; threatened another with expulsion if she didnt get an abortion; suggested that certain followers get plastic surgery (of which hed had much himself); and held weekly, private hypnotherapy sessions that turned into years of sexual abuse for many of his young male devotees, including Allen. When a flood of abuse allegations led most of his original followers, including Allen, to abandon him in 2007, the guru, who now goes by Reyji (which means God-King) simply rebuilt in Oahu, where he and a handful of his original devotees recruit new followers through yoga classes. He sent spies to Holy Hells debut screenings at Sundance this January, and has instructed disciples to physically threaten former members who appear in it. We spoke to Allen, who said he cried every day for four years making this documentary, about his Buddhafield experience and the harrowing, ongoing attacks of putting his movie into the world. I was at one of the screenings in Sundance and it seemed like you and all of your Buddhafield friends who escaped and spoke out in the movie were still trying to process what was up on that screen. It was so fresh. Thats very true. All my friends, I love them so much these are my close friends and family they didnt get to see the film until it aired in public. None of them said, I want to see it first, please, before I agree. They knew me as a filmmaker, they knew me as a person, they trusted me. They were all in the audience for the first time, crying and sobbing, seeing their life up onscreen, both directly and indirectly, because Im not able to tell everyones individual story. I was able to put all of our stories as one story, and everyone approved and felt it. One of my friends, Radhia Gleis, said it was like watching a horror film for her. You put all this footage together, but do you still have that feeling when you watch it? I still cry at the right moments. [Laughs.] I feel so much for my friends. When my friends hurt, I hurt. All that footage is charged for me because its all living, breathing memories, so I havent been able to step away from all of it completely yet. But Im fine. [Laughs.] Are there specific things The Teacher was doing that now, watching it back, you find funny? Funny, absolutely. We thought he was quite a jokester, and he had a great sense of humor. Ive never laughed so hard as Id laughed in those years. We took ourselves not so seriously, but we took God very seriously, so when it comes down to his control and his power and his manipulation, theres nothing funny about that. Looking back on it and really taking responsibility for myself and my part in it, for allowing so much of it to happen and trusting him more than myself, Im angry that I let this man to suppress me for so long. Thats kind of what the film was trying to be about: How did we allow this to happen? We all didnt have all the knowledge, but we still had our intuition somewhere deep in there and we werent listening to it. The film does a good job of pointing out The Teachers ridiculousness without patronizing the people who followed him. When did you have the hindsight to realize, We were following a guy who was always in a Speedo and made us do bizarre ballet performances? I was on NPR All Things Considered and they asked me that question, and I was like, Weve got to get past the Speedo part because in Europe Speedos are everywhere. And I was on the water polo team and the swim team and I wore Speedos that was not biggest flag! [Laughs.] That was just like, Okay, weve got a guy in a Speedo and hes from Europe and he likes wearing makeup. Okay. But he was also an example of this free-flowing energy and love, kind of unedited, that was not embarrassed, that was not apologizing, and that was very attractive to those of us who were still trying to be comfortable in our own skin. The flags that are more telling are that he would lie all the time. He was borrowing other teachers words from books that we werent allowed to read. We were forbidden to seek outside information. How could someone have asked that of us, and how could we have agreed to that? But that was the spiritual deal that we had to make to stay around him. Have you thought about why you wanted to be in this group? I have. I was also trying to find parallels in a cultlike situation, like are we all co-dependent, needy people? I think my religious upbringing had a lot to do with it. I was raised Catholic, and Catholicism is a big suspension of disbelief, if you look at it. Its a big narrative, illogical, magical. Theres two statistics on why intelligent people can be taken by con men. One, theyre in transition in their life and theyre looking for assistance and answers. And con men come off as confident, like, I have these answers and I can give them to you. And another thing is also this magical element. They promise magic. If you do this, youll get this, and this magical thing will happen! Thats really appealing to a lot of people who know theres more going on in this world than we can see with our eyes. I would say that at that age [22], I was searching for truth, for the answers, and meditation came as an answer. Also, as a filmmaker right out of college, I was looking for the answer to creativity, and my first meeting with The Teacher, he said, Meditation is the well from which creativity comes from. I was like, Yeah! I never need to be frustrated again! I didnt want to experience the downside of life. I only wanted to experience the highs, without drugs or alcohol. So thats where I was at, and I dont reprimand myself for that. How did you walk away with all this footage, given how controlling he was? Well, because the group broke up in Austin and he went on the run in the middle of the night, just like he did in 1991 [in Los Angeles, where the group was formed]. Boom! Middle of the night. Gone. Pack your bags. Well, it happened again 14 years later and Im sure its going to happen now in Hawaii. And I was with him because I was still his chauffeur, and all my films were left in my house and my friend went and got them for me. But we didnt get all of them. Lots were thrown away, and he has some of my copyright material, and I think hes started recruiting new people with my films. My films used to make him look really good. I read that you stopped filming if he yelled or acted out? Imagine you and me in a room and I reach for the camera; of course youre going to be like, Oh my God, theres a camera on, and everything would change and he would stop and wouldnt really show his personality. I also out of respect knew not to film him when he was in a bad mood. Which made the film hard, because so many of the bad things were never recorded. Why did he want to be filmed so much? I dont know that he wanted to be filmed so much. Eventually he really loved it. But I think I had the need to film. It was my personality, my ego, maintaining a bit of self-identity by picking up a camera, because thats who I was. He told me not to film at the beginning, the first few years. And I was like, Why? This is so amazing! And he eventually let me film. But hes very secretive. When people would leave the group, he would literally have people break into their house and take anything that had his image on it because he didnt want the public to know who he was. So I think inadvertently, by me making all these movies, he saw me as somebody who could never be allowed to leave because I knew too much. I, of course, was very innocent to that part of him and I didnt know that he was trying to keep me there for so long, that he went out of his way to keep me there. Why keep you around in particular? Because I was around him for so long. I knew him better than most people, I saw more, I filmed more, and he also had an abusive sexual relationship with me that he called a consensual relationship. Those were all secrets and lies that he was very, very protective about. Did you understand it as an abusive sexual relationship? I didnt. It was, and I didnt register it as that. Its abuse of power, its abuse of a therapist with his trusted client, its abuse of a religious figure, a priest. Submission is not consent. Going into a situation where you are submissive and surrendered to someone youre trusting, thats not consensual. Theres a big difference. Since Ive been out of the group Ive had consensual sex and nothing but consensual sex, where theres two people on the same page and they both know what theyre doing, theres no power trip. This was not that. It was pure selfish sex for him. Once you left the group did it take you a while to get to a point where you could have consensual sexual relationships? After I got out of the group, I didnt get into a relationship for two years, and when I did, it was [with] a beautiful man who was a trauma specialist, who worked with trauma thats lodged in the body, the somatic experience. And he was so tender and loving with me and would never push me past anything I was comfortable with. Thats when I started to understand the difference between what had happened to me and how people should be treating each other. The teacher mostly abused male virgins, out of fear of contracting AIDS, correct? Yeah, I figured that out. He was grooming men, and this is my theory from my experience, but he would never let anyone get tested for AIDS. We werent allowed because he said our mind and our fear would create it, and even if we were HIV-negative. But because you couldnt get tested, he would tell us not to have sex either. So we were not having sex, supposedly, and not getting tested. Later I realized that he wanted all his little concubine men that he got involved with to be clean so they wouldnt bring anything to him, because he was never going to get tested. Now, there was one boy that he kept virginal for 20 years before he took his virginity, and the boy trusted him. Oh, this is so beautiful. Hes doing this to help me. And really, no, hed been manipulating him for years, and then he would have sex with him without a condom because he knew it was safe, and that was shocking to me. Just unbelievably shocking. Did you have any healthy relationships while you were inside the group? I thought I did. It was still a fantasy relationship. But I met a guy when I was 39. I was no longer bound to The Teacher for sex, but I was told not to have sex. I met a man who I fell in love with upon first sight, and The Teacher told me, Dont you dare get in that relationship. And I said, Fuck you! Im fucking 39 years old. Im bored. I want to have a relationship. And I did. And this man helped me get out of the group, and Im forever grateful to him. We were in a five-year relationship, and hes married now! [Laughs.] He was a true bisexual. Another part of the film I found very disturbing was when women were made to get plastic surgery. Women!? [Laughs.] Youd be lucky if the women got it. The men got it! He had some people put in cheek implants to see how it would look so he could maybe do it. Hed have people do their lips and chin implants before he did it. Or he did it to some people he thought needed it, and thats ridiculous and rude, honestly. You need to be prettier! And its like, Okay, I thought we were all beautiful God beings. I guess not good enough! Yeah, he would do all this, and it all seemed in good humor. It didnt seem ill or sick or manipulative at the time. He made everything like a game and we played along, and people were challenged by his challenges and would try to overcome their own personality to do what he wanted them to do. Was it known in the group that people were getting plastic surgery? Back in the day I remember some guy came back with a big bandage around his head and he said he had a molar pulled out and everyone was like, Yeah, sure. Everyone would just lie. Boob jobs were happening and it was like, Oh no, it was auto-suggestion. I listened to an audio tape and my boobs got bigger. And I believed it! I would defend it! Id be like, No, I saw her every day. I dont know when she got her boobs done, but I dont think she did. I think she listened to the tape. And even to this day, I havent asked her, but she went from flat-chested to a D. You went with him to Hawaii after he fled Austin and 200 of your friends abandoned him. How did you find the strength to leave? When everybody started coming out with all the pain and lies and hurt and the deception, and I got to see how he lied and denied things I knew were true, and when my dear friends started to get their power back and their moral compass back, I was like, Im with you. Please dont leave me here. I was stuck in this horrible situation helping this man because I thought he was helping you, so when you leave, I leave. It was kind of like Alice and the mirror. The mirror broke and I was free. But I didnt have the strength to free myself from my obligations and my vows until there was nothing left to serve, in my mind. And it took me years. I was never planning on making a movie. It wasnt until I went to Sundance in 2012, four years before we showed the film, when my partner at the time, the trauma-specialist guy, hes like, Will, you need to tell your story. You need to be a filmmaker. And I said, I dont know how. I gave my whole life up. He said, Go to Sundance and just introduce yourself as who you are. So I did, and thats when I decided to make my own film. But it took me four years out of the group to get there. At Sundance, was The Teacher sending spies to see the movie? Yeah, apparently he had the movie in his hands the second day. Someone recorded it from the theater? The first rumor I heard was that he saw the movie. The second rumor I heard was Hes heard the movie, so maybe someone recorded the audio to see what was said, so he could know how to dispute it, how to spin it. I dont know. I wasnt in his turf to know what he was privy to. [The Teachers formal statement on the film: It is heartbreaking to see how history has been rewritten. Holy Hell is not a documentary, rather, it is a work of fiction designed to create drama, fear and persecution; that is what sells. I am saddened by this attempt to obscure the message of universal love and spiritual awakening. It is devastating to see these friends, who were once so filled with love for the world, become so angry. I wish them only the best, and hold each one close to my heart. If any of my actions were a catalyst for their disharmony, I am truly sorry. May all beings find peace, Michel.] Is it going to be shown in Hawaii, where hes still in hiding? We just got back from Hawaii, and it was shown there at the Honolulu Film Festival. It sold out the first night. Were glad; it brought the police out that are looking for him now. The police are looking for him? Yeah, the police are looking for him for questioning. And the outside community there is very, very supportive. They want to know whats going on. Do you still have friends from the original group who are now in Hawaii? I wouldnt call them my friends any longer. I would call them family members, you know? [Laughs.] Theyre people I care for. I know them very well. Were not in communication anymore. Once you leave the group you really dont talk to each other anymore, so that friendship is severed. If they were ever to come back into the world and into critical thinking, I would be friends with them again. I have no hard feelings against them other than if theyre trying to undermine my truth or trying to disqualify my feelings. I have a huge problem with that. Have people left the group in Hawaii since the movie has started being shown at festivals and online? Yes! Weve had some amazingly beautiful stories. Id say 20, 30, 40 people have already left, people who were recruited in Hawaii, who never came from Austin. The handful of people who came from Austin, the 10 percent or 8 percent who stayed with him, that refused to listen to everyone elses stories, they started a group again with him and recruited new people through yoga and through different parts of the community. And all those people whove been with him, when I talked to them, they said there was always this underlying suspicion and doubt and mistrust, that they were never allowed to ask questions, and they never felt comfortable. So when the movie came out they all just left because it confirmed the things they already felt. They were able to see it in Hawaii? Yeah, its on iTunes and its on Amazon, so they were able to see it that way. The Honolulu Film Festival was about 15 days after the iTunes release, so a lot of them saw it before it came to Hawaii, but they were afraid to come to the theater because everyones afraid to be targeted by them. Theyre a very small community in Hawaii and they dont want it to affect their reputations. And I totally understand it. And their protection and privacy is very important to me, but Im also relieved that there are smart, critical-thinking people who have integrity who stepped aside and said, I dont believe this anymore. Even though it felt good and even though they loved each other and they had great friends, its hard to leave that. Its like an ugly divorce. Whats going on with the police in Hawaii? One of our characters, Murti Hower, was assaulted in an alley about a month after Sundance with death threats Im going to fucking come after you if you bring that fucking movie to this island. Youre hurting our businesses. Im going to find you and kill you. So those reports were given to the police and they tracked down the guy. The guys address was the same as The Teachers address. Hes his bodyguard. Now, whether The Teacher told him to do it or not, The Teacher is behind everything. He creates a volatile environment around him where he gets everybody all up in arms and they all protect him. That happened to Murti, and his wife was 15 feet away, and they have been a wreck. They filed police reports, and its still under investigation. When we left the island a week ago they were like, You guys are leaving us here with them. This group, they bully people. We did a mailer in the three-mile radius around where he lives to make the community aware of the film and that he doesnt want anyone to see it, and we have reports of people taking the flyers out of mailboxes and ripping them up. These were mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, so thats a federal offense. Today, are you in a relationship? I met a man a month after I started making this movie in 2012, who I fell in love with, but I had this huge undertaking and I devoted every day of my life for four years to this film, and I was not able to give my energy to somebody else. Which was sad. So we had a long-distance relationship that broke up, and Im single. But Im feeling very loving now. I feel very able and willing to find my man, that I can share myself with without losing myself. Maybe you needed to have the catharsis of making this movie to do that. I did. I needed to get this behind me. And I made the movie thinking that maybe only 12 people would see it. Does it feel like a weight off? I think the weight will feel off when I have a break, like maybe next week. Everyone says I need a month off. Dont go to Hawaii! [Laughs.] You know, I want to, because I love that place. I have so many friends there. Im thinking Bali, but dont tell anybody. Pablo Escobar is on the run and hes not happy about it, as the bodies of dead cops and prostitutes strewn across Medellin readily attest. Another day, another failed police raid, another cascade of Pablo-orchestrated violence. Like Murphy intones, Pablo is never more dangerous than when you almost have him. Unfortunately for Narcos, Pablo is also never more boring than when the police almost have him, again and again and again. Remember when Harry Potter and his pals spent a book away from Hogwarts to play fugitive in a magic tent? It was terrible, and I fear Narcos is tunneling itself down a similar path into the Antioquia countryside. Lets be real: Were here for Pablos desperate schemes and Penas absurd womanizing, not to see the Escobar family hustle into a hidey-hole at the end of every episode. A constantly beaten-down Pablo just makes for bad narrative. If the noose is going to tighten around our fugitive drug lord in such slow, obvious ways, were left with even less to surprise us. This is a big problem, since we already know how and when Pablo will die. Of course, hes still got one potential route of escape: Tatas doomed pleas for Pablo to abandon his kingpin dreams and flee Colombia. So far, though, Narcos hasnt revealed which government would so eagerly accept a man known for destabilizing every country he visits. Episode two also lacks the one thing everyone loves about Narcos: crazy drug lords. Not only does it not include the dentally menacing Prisco gang, we dont even see Pablos greatest enemies, Don Berna and Judy Moncada. Has Don Berna found a new hapless accomplice to sacrifice? I guess well find out next time. Also missing in action: the metrosexual Cali Cartel, which decided not to destroy Pablo last season because he can do a fine job of it himself. Were stuck waiting for them to reappear, too. At least Pablos growing desperation adds one new thing to season two: truly haunting violence. The slow execution of Limons women might be the most upsetting act ever shown on Narcos. Other Pablo-ordered attacks have had bigger body counts the airplane bombing and the supreme court takeover among them but none have been more upsetting to watch than Quica methodically shooting each woman in the head. While Pablos fugitive status hampers his operation, the DEA crew gets some restrictions of their own. This time, though, the hindrances are actually interesting. Yes, Narcos hired its very own hardass character actor to take charge as the new American ambassador. Hes joined on the flight to Medellin by Messina, the new DEA chief. Apparently, someone in D.C. got wind that Murphy and Pena spend most of their time beating up investment bankers and visiting prostitutes, respectively. Get ready to get your balls snipped! Pena moans, a not-so-subtle acknowledgement that Messina is a ball-buster straight out of central casting. Still, watching Messina handle her fratty underlings while the new CIA chief sets up cartel alliances is loads better than the usual DEA plot sink. You know, that go-nowhere story line where Murphy complains that his wife opted to take their baby back to Miami instead of hanging around a narco-state? If nothing else, Messinas threats to kick Pena and Murphy to the curb have pulled the latter out of his apartment sulk. Affection for the Medellins resident doofuses aside, its hard to argue that Murphy and Pena dont need a boss. These guys are dope dopes. Their failure to resolve a hot tip and catch Quica led to the execution of Limons brothel staff and, less directly, to Pablos coordinated attacks on Medellin law enforcement. Whenever they screw up, people die. One more victim might still be added to that body count, too, if Quica ever manages to catch up with Pablos one-time cab companion Maritza. So much for that budding taxi service, I guess. Cartel Club: Saturday is the final day to view the photo exhibit, Indias Kumbh Mela, at Art Center Waco, 1300 College Drive. The exhibit features the work of Greg Davis, National Geographic Creative international photographer, on the Kumbh Mela, a religious pilgrimage of Hindu believers who journey to bathe at a sacred river. The Art Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 752-4371. Robinson food pantry Shepherds Heart Robinson Food Pantry, 106 W. Lyndale Drive, will be open from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday for residents in need of supplemental food. All clients, new and existing, must be prepared to complete a new registration form and show proof of residency, which may include a drivers license, state ID or water bill with the clients name. For more information, email robinsonfoodpantry@gmail.com or call 307-7225. HOT Airshow The Heart of Texas Airshow will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 17-18 at the Texas State Technical College Airport, 3801 Campus Drive. The event will include the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, MV-22 Osprey, Navy TACDEMO, Coast Guard SAR, Shockwave Jet Truck, military aircraft, warbirds, skydivers, food, vendors, exhibits and more. Discounted ticket pricing options will be available online through Sept. 10 at www.heartoftexasairshow.com. For more information, email debby@heartoftexasairshow.com. Homespun history day The Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum, 315 W. Ave. B in Temple, will host a free Homespun History Family Day event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Guests can learn how craftspeople create beautiful handmade works of art and household goods through traditional methods. The free event also will include demonstrations by modern craftsmen, including presenters from Jennings Leather; Baskets by Jackie; Anita Davis Calligraphy; and members of the Weavers and Spinners Society of Austin. Visitors also can make their own yarn doll, create a basic sewing sample and get their hands dirty at the pottery creation station. For more information, call 298-5172. Barbecue fundraiser St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, 422 Sherman St., will have a barbecue plate sale at 11 a.m. Saturday. The event will continue until the barbecue is sold out. Cost is $7 per plate. For more information, call 757-0552. BAC Quilt Guild The Bosque Art Center Quilt Guild will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Bosque Arts Center, 215 S. College Hill Drive in Clifton. The program will be a trunk show presented by Judy Steward. Visitors are welcome to attend. For more information, visit www.bosqueartscenter.org. Submit items for Briefly in printed or typed form to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302. Michael F. Korpi, Ph.D., a professor of film and digital media at Baylor University, will receive a 2016 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Excellence in Education Medal at a ceremony in Hollywood in October. This award honors recipients by recognizing outstanding contributions to new or unique educational programs that teach the technologies of motion pictures, television or other imaging sciences, including emerging media technology. Korpi is a Collins Outstanding Professor (an honor elected annually by the Baylor senior class), a fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, and a senior research fellow at the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. He conducts research dealing with new communication technologies, beginning with high-definition television (HDTV) in the 1980s, transitioning to nonlinear editing systems and broadband video networks in the 1990s, and now digital cinema, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). He is also a filmmaker, having produced documentaries on topics ranging from automobile racing to refugee resettlement and world hunger. According to a release from the society, he is being honored: For his innovative methods of teaching, especially creating joint courses where multidisciplinary teams of creative and technical students collaborate on projects on an accelerated schedule. They accomplish in a single semester tasks that conventionally would take several semesters or would not be possible at all. Korpi attended Liberty University and the University of Iowa. He has been at Baylor since 1982. He and his wife, Deborah, have three grown children, Joel, Faith and Zachary. ----- Baylor University photo Michael Korpi, a professor in film and digital media at Baylor, is being honored by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers for his innovative teaching. Applause Jay Fischer, principal at Spring Valley Elementary in Midway ISD, will serve as Region 12 president for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association. Officers from the 20 TEPSA regions across the state were installed at the associations Summer Leadership Conference. Fischers career in education spans 16 years. He was a 2016 Texas National Distinguished Principal finalist and attended the Raise Your Hand Texas Harvard Leadership Program in 2015. In the military U.S. Air Force Air National Guard Airman Devin D. McDuff, a 2015 graduate of China Spring High School, graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio. The airman completed an eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness and basic warfare principles and skills. He is the son of Stacy Galle and Ronnie McDuff and the stepson of Brooke McDuff, all of Waco. Send submissions to neighborplus@wacotrib.com. A three-time felon whose mother implied he has killed five people was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for slashing the neck of a Waco woman who rebuffed his sexual advances. Jurors in Wacos 19th State District Court deliberated about 20 minutes before recommending the maximum sentence for Sylvester Donnell Bryant, 56, who was tried as a habitual criminal because of his extensive criminal background. Earlier Thursday, the jury rejected Bryants self-defense claims and his testimony that he slashed Clara Wells along the back of her neck with a box cutter, ripping a 10-inch wound that cut across her jugular vein but did not sever it, because he feared she was setting him up to be robbed and beaten. Bryant, who has two previous felony convictions for drug possession, one for aggravated assault and eight misdemeanor convictions, must serve at least 30 years in prison before he can seek parole. During punishment testimony, Bryants mother, Shirley Mims, told the jury her son came home the night of Aug. 26, 2014, after assaulting Wells and told her he tried to kill Wells. He said, If she dies, this will be number six, she said. She offered no additional explanation for her statement. Bryants attorney, Stan Schwieger, said after the trial that Bryant has not killed five people and he didnt know why she attributed that statement to her son. Bryants sister testified that Bryant shot and killed his uncle, Lee Bryant, during a family dispute in McLennan County in 1982. Bryant was indicted by a grand jury, but the charges later were dismissed based on his claims that he acted in self-defense. As Judge Ralph Strother read the life sentence from the jury, a woman sitting with Bryants family and friends bolted from the courtroom screaming. She fell down a couple of stairs leading from the courtroom and lay on the floor screaming while deputies tried to remove her from the courthouse. Deputies reported that she kicked and beat on her car after she got to the courthouse parking lot but was allowed to leave. Wells addressed Bryant in a victim-impact statement after he was sentenced, saying the only thing she regrets is seeing his mother so upset by his conviction and life sentence. But that is the only thing I regret because you tried to take my life, she said. You tried to kill me two weeks after we buried my baby sister, and my family nearly had two dead in two weeks. You left me there to die, but God saw fit to leave me here. In other punishment testimony, a woman testified that Bryant sexually assaulted her in Tarrant County in 2005 and threatened to cut her up in little pieces if she told anyone. Bryant pleaded guilty to a reduced assault charge and was sentenced to two years in prison. Wells testified Wednesday that she met Bryant at a gas station earlier that day, and the two exchanged phone numbers. Bryant called her later, and she agreed to meet him at her home, where they had a few beers. They went to his mothers house and later drove to the C&E Motel on North Loop 340. The woman spoke to some friends there and then got back in the car, which she said belonged to Bryants mother. Wells said he asked her to drive because he has vision difficulties. She said they drove away, and Bryant asked her for sex. She said no, and he attacked her, she said. She said she pulled the car over to the side of the road near New Dallas Highway and Parish Street, and Bryant took the keys from the ignition. He tore her blouse, threw her cellphone out the window and ripped off her wig in the struggle, she said. He tried to drag her from the car, and she bit him on the arm while he was trying to unbuckle the seat belt, she said. She told Bryant that she is HIV positive and has other sexually transmitted diseases because she feared he was going to rape her, she testified. As she continued to fight with Bryant, he cut her neck with a box cutter and drove off, she said. She was taken to the hospital after security guards at a nearby motel found her standing on the side of the motel. Bryant testified Wednesday that he saw Wells speaking with friends at the motel and thought she was setting him up for a beating and a carjacking. In closing statements, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Jenkins, who prosecuted the case with Aubrey Robertson, recounted Bryants long criminal history and told jurors a life sentence is the only appropriate punishment. You have heard how he ruined two womens lives, Jenkins said. I implore you to guarantee that he does not ruin another womans life. Schwieger told the jury that a life prison term will equate to a death sentence for Bryant and asked jurors not to sweep him away forever into a human dog pound. When is enough enough? Schwieger asked. I asked that you balance justice with mercy. In front of about 50 parents, residents and staff, Hillcrest Elementary School Principal Amy Mathews-Perez claimed the majority of the responsibility in hiring a teacher earlier this summer who was fired from another school district for making racist remarks on social media about segregation. Waco ISD officials held the open parent meeting Thursday night at Hillcrest to address any concerns about the hiring of former Frenship ISD teacher Karen Fitzgibbons. I want you to know I am a product of Waco ISD, and I would never, ever do anything to put this campus or this district in a negative light, Mathews-Perez said in her school cafeteria, adding her actions were unacceptable. Since returning to work for the district a little more than two years ago, I have put all of my energy into the academic growth and progress as we faced being IR (rated Improvement Required on state testing standards). Since then weve met standard two years in a row, and I believe our campus team is stronger than its ever been. However, in this situation, as the instructional leader, I did not place enough emphasis or focus on developing a thorough understanding of the administrative guidelines of the hiring process. For that, I sincerely apologize. My compliance with the guidelines was unintentionally inconsistent. Fitzgibbons was hired in July as a third grade teacher, but Waco ISD officials said they didnt know the full extent of the 2015 racially fueled Facebook post that caused her to resign from her previous school district in lieu of being fired until it was brought to their attention about a month later on Aug. 16. Yet, district officials said Fitzgibbons was honest and upfront about her previous firing over the post, meaning her Waco contract remains valid. Fitzgibbons remarks were in response to a white McKinney police officers resignation after a dispute at a swimming pool where video showed the officer wrestling a black girl to the ground. Fitzgibbons in her Facebook post suggested she might support segregation so they can hurt each other and leave the innocent people alone. A Google search of Fitzgibbons name returns several pages of results related to the post and her subsequent termination at Frenship ISD. A search also returns results showing the original post. Once Waco ISD officials investigated the incident, Fitzgibbons was assigned to a nonteaching position in the administrative building less than a day later, before school started, Waco ISD superintendent Bonny Cain said. Fitzgibbons will help with curriculum in the district. She never had any contact with any Waco ISD children in the classroom, and Waco ISD is under a one-year employment contract with Fitzgibbons that the district is legally obligated to honor, Cain said. Since Fitzgibbons was reassigned, Waco ISD officials have been investigating how such a hire could happen and how the district could prevent a hire like this from happening again. Mathews-Perez said her review of Fitzgibbons wasnt as thorough as it should have been, and the information she gave to a four-member interviewing committee was incomplete. One-on-one training Human resource guidelines are an area in my job duties that I need to improve in, and Im committed to doing that, Mathews-Perez said. Ive already attended a one-on-one training the district has provided, and Ive begun implementing a check and balance system for myself to be sure this situation never happens again. The typical hiring guidelines at Waco ISD are as follows, according to a handout given to parents at the meeting: The applicant completes an online application. A human resources staffing specialist reviews all the applications each morning. Principals are responsible for screening applicants for a campus position, including reviewing the application, resume, credentials, online references and any other documents. The principal then is responsible for scheduling interviews and developing interview questions and printing out any pertinent materials for the interview committee. The principal is responsible for following the guidelines in the hiring and interview process. The principal then sends a recommendation-to-hire form with all supporting documents to the human resources staffing specialist. The staffing specialist verifies all credentials, and if eligible, recommends a rate of pay for approval by the supervisor. The applicant is then called and offered the job. Where Mathews-Perez said she fell short was in asking the interview questions but not turning over all the documents to the hiring committee. Instead, she only turned over the resume. She didnt include the applicants entire application, which was a 10-15 page document, or the cover letter, which is routine to do, she said, adding she now knows it was a violation of the administrative guidelines. Nor did she ask what the post was about specifically, Mathews-Perez said, adding she wasnt sure if she was allowed to ask without violating a human resources policy. She said she shouldve called someone for advice instead. As parents heard her and Cain out, some had a difficult time wrapping their minds around how the district officials didnt do enough research or ask enough questions, especially when Cain read part of Fitzgibbons cover letter out loud, which clearly mentioned the incident, referencing the McKinney disturbance specifically, without giving the exact wording of the social media post. Cain said the district typically discourages officials doing the hiring research from using Google or Facebook to go on what she called a fishing expedition until the applicant has at least made it to the recommended for hire process. Mathews-Perez also said she didnt know what the McKinney incident was, nor did she even have her own Facebook account until about a month ago. Other concerns raised People at the meeting said the incident raises other concerns. Thats a point of concern. It couldve been anyone. It couldve been a pedophile. It couldve been anything. The potential here is explosive of what could have been, said Bryan Dalco, a pastor of One Fellowship United Methodist Church and an education advocate. But you didnt check. You didnt look into it, and it couldve been a number of things. Parents demanded to know when references were called from Frenship ISD whether they said Fitzgibbons was eligible for rehire, and Mathews-Perez said Frenship ISD officials said yes, she was. But KLBK13, a Lubbock media outlet, reports she may be rehireable because of a settlement between her and Frenship ISD that states, The district agrees that if a prospective employer of Fitzgibbons seeks information about Fitzgibbons employment with the district, the district . . . will provide a reference consistent with her Professional Development and Appraisal System evaluations. Cain said Mathews-Perez will be doing a better job in screening applicants and fulfilling the guidelines, and Cain also said the staffing specialist who screened the new applications should have caught the situation then. The district is working to tighten up the process there as well, she said. Its like when you think you have a belt and suspenders, you think youre OK, but clearly having a belt on and suspenders isnt enough when youre looking at the hiring practices, Cain said. The other concern parents shared was whether Fitzgibbons would have any direct impact on what students learn because of her new position in developing curriculum for the district. As of Tuesday, district officials hadnt decided what Fitzgibbons would be doing, but at the meeting, Cain said she could help write math and reading curriculum for third graders. With that response, parents wanted to know why the district didnt just write her a check and send her on her way instead. Cain said beyond the contract, that option isnt entirely off the table yet. She isnt sure that would be the best use of funds or the best way for Fitzgibbons to learn her lesson, Cain said. Right now, the district is going to provide Fitzgibbons sensitivity training. Dalco said he supports offering her training, adding Waco as a whole could be the change Fitzgibbons needs in her life by introducing her to cultural sensitivity seminars and teaching her to see diversity from another perspective during the year shes here. But this doesnt excuse the districts actions, and hes glad officials are taking steps to improve accountability, Dalco said. Other parents expressed the same sentiment and said they would like to see more open meetings similar to the one held Thursday and would like to be kept in the loop as the district continues to improve its hiring policies. I think we have a right to ask these questions after whats transpired. We all make mistakes, but we all have to be accountable as well for the mistakes we make. Its not about did she (Mathews-Perez) intentionally do something wrong. A wrong was done, Dalco said. Thats a reality, and we, as part of this community, have the right to come in and ask the questions were asking. We should never feel guilty for asking these questions, nor should anyone make anyone feel guilty for asking the questions. Its not to bash you, because through all of this, not only do we find solutions to prevent it, but also hopefully, we can find a place of healing. Theres a lot going on in this country right now, too much. That heightens this as well. Unfortunately, it does. These discussions need to take place and should be allowed to take place. One thing was for sure at the end of the meeting. Cain said after Fitzgibbons year at Waco ISD is up, she will not be back in the district. On Christmas Day 1965, as folks back home celebrated the holiday with friends and family, a bullet tore through the thigh of Waco native Marine Sgt. Louis S. Sims Sr. during heavy fighting in the Vietnamese city of Chu Lai. He was in command of 35 men at the time, and they helped whisk him away to treatment aboard a helicopter. Two years later, Sims left the Marines, but not before receiving a Purple Heart, a Combat Action Ribbon, a National Defense Service Medal and a Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was my Marine, said Shirley Sims, Louis wife. She said she thinks about her late husband every day, not just on holidays. Louis Sims died in October of last year at the age of 73, having suffered from the effects of Agent Orange and post-traumatic stress disorder in the years after his discharge. He had multiple health problems before he passed, Shirley Sims said. He had been a big man, but he was down to 80 or 90 pounds when hospice came to our home. Shirley Sims said meeting the man who would become her husband for more than 40 years was an answer to prayer, one she whispered as she walked to work at the Plantation Foods plant near Gholson Road and Lake Shore Drive that now carries the Cargill name. She noticed Louis, also an employee at the time, and they married two months later. God blessed me, and I won him, said Shirley Sims, 73, a spiritual person who said a higher power guides her path. I told him many times, God saved you for me. She said life with her Marine presented blessings and challenges. She knew he struggled with images and emotions rooted in his time in Vietnam. He seldom talked about war, at least with her, but when he did, he would mention the sound of bullets peppering the ground around him and his men. It would bother him. He would hang his head, Shirley Sims said. We didnt know for a long time he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Even with the nightmares of war tugging at his emotions, disturbing his sleep and his sense of well-being, the graduate of Wacos segregated Moore High School managed to put in more than 30 years at Plantation Foods. He also worked short stints for the city of Waco and a local meat company, Shirley Sims said. Louis Sims mood started to improve with visits to the Veterans Affairs hospital, but he could not overcome the physical problems that plagued his later years. He once asked me, Are you going to put me in a nursing home? Shirley Sims said. I said, No way, baby. I just told the doctors to tell me what to do for him and I did it. She said hospice helped her care for her husband shortly before he died, while she continued to pray for him and share Bible verses. One of her favorites is John 15:13: Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. She said she believes that verse applies to her husband and his display of courage on Christmas Day more than 50 years ago. Louis Sims Jr., 42, said his father served as the backbone of the family despite his battles with PTSD and physical challenges. He was the man, Louis Sims Jr. said. He made sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to do, held everybody accountable, the girls and me. He could be stern like a commander, but he also was soft-spoken and he could get on your level. The girls Sims referenced are Gianna Gordon and Tara Cooper, daughters of Shirley Sims who Louis Sims Sr. helped raise as his own. Louis Sims Jr. said his father talked more freely with him about the war than he did others in the family, and he often described scenes beyond belief. It was a brutal war, day in and day out, he said. His father told him of daily firefights and the use of booby traps in the jungles of Vietnam to kill or maim troops. Even when men sought relaxation and night life in larger cities, they risked having ground glass or animal feces placed in their drinks, Louis Sims Jr. said. He said his father returned to America fearful of public places and alarmed by the chilly reception he and other Vietnam vets received. The last time we went to the Heart O Texas Fair, I was 8 years old, Louis Sims Jr. said. My father could not stand to have anyone walking behind him. He said it was almost like being back at war. Going to a restaurant was out of the question. He did not like the crowds, and he knew what could be done in kitchens. He said his father would describe the jungles of Vietnam as being so black that the darkness rested on mens shoulders like blankets. Maybe surprisingly, his father enjoyed watching war movies on television in the comfort, and safety, of his home, Louis Sims Jr. said. Oakwood Cemetery On Christmas Day, the Sims family likely will visit the grave of Louis Sims Sr. in Oakwood Cemetery, as they do on most special occasions. Shirley Sims will think about her Marine, how handsome he looked in his uniform and the sacrifices he made for others, she said. She might repeat what she said when her husband was laid to rest last year: It was an honor what he did: laid down his life for his country. It made him stronger. I would like to salute all veterans and thank them for the courage to fight for this country. I pray for them all. God bless you all. Donald Trump has warned us about those Mexican rapists. Apparently the country also has body snatchers. The Republican presidential nominee immigrated briefly to Mexico on Wednesday for a hastily arranged visit with the leader of the country he has made his No. 1 scapegoat. He spent all of an hour with President Enrique Pena Nieto but when the two men emerged, whoever was occupying Trumps body sounded nothing at all like the bombastic billionaire. In the United States, first-, second- and third-generation Mexicans are just beyond reproach spectacular, spectacular, hard-working people. I have such great respect for them and their strong values of family, faith and community, this Trump look-alike declared in Mexico City. The impostor gushed about a common interest in keeping our hemisphere safe, prosperous and free, and waxed poetic about joint operations between our two countries. Trump said the countries should be working beautifully together, and that, I am sure, will happen. And the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump had called a disaster and promised to rip up? This Trump doppelganger spoke instead about improving NAFTA and making sure its updated. He pronounced Pena Nieto a friend. A reporter asked: Did they talk about his constant vow to get Mexico to pay for the border wall he wants to build? We didnt discuss that, warm-and-fuzzy Trump said. What had they done with Trump? Alas, within hours, he was back to his xenophobic self. The bickering began even before he cleared Mexican airspace, as Pena Nieto, contradicting Trump, said he had told Trump at the beginning of the meeting that Mexico would not pay for a wall. But Trump, having completed his photo op with the Mexican president, discarded the friend he had apparently just used as a prop. Trump landed in Phoenix for what was supposed to be a detailed policy address on immigration but was a familiar, nativist rant. Preceded at the lectern by Joe Arpaio, the Arizona sheriff and anti-immigration hard-liner, Trump launched into a lament for the countless Americans who are victims of violence by illegal immigrants who are dangerous, dangerous, dangerous criminals. We will build a great wall along the southern border! he said to an enormous cheer. And Mexico will pay for the wall! One-hundred percent. They dont know it yet, but theyre going to pay for the wall. So much for working beautifully together. This was the Trump we all knew, the Trump who questions the judicial independence of an American-born judge because of his Mexican heritage, who fights with Mexican-American journalists and who asserts that Mexico is killing us. Trumps trip to Mexico was something of a Hail Maria, as polls show Democratic rival Hillary Clinton with a yuuge advantage and Democrats with a better than even chance of taking back the Senate. And from Arizona and Florida on Tuesday came new signs that Trumps rebellion has fizzled. In Arizona, Kelli Ward, a pro-Trump primary challenger, had been trying to oust Sen. John McCain, whose war heroism Trump famously belittled, with a defeat-the-establishment theme like Trumps. She lost by 13 points. In Florida, Carlos Beruff said that he supports Donald Trump 100 percent, while his primary opponent, Sen. Marco Rubio, did not. Beruff lost by 54 points. But Trumps attempt at appearing diplomatic was only a feint. If his core supporters were worried and if the rest of Americans were reassured that he was softening his hard-line position, they had to wait only until he spoke in Phoenix on Wednesday night. In Mexico City, Trump endured without complaint a lecture from the Mexican president, who said that NAFTA has been good for the U.S. as well as Mexico and that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks that more than 6 million American jobs rely on trade with Mexico. Pena Nieto said that immigration from Mexico to the United States peaked 10 years ago and is now at a net negative. Mexican nationals in the United States are honest people, working people, he said. Mexicans deserve everybodys respect. Trump almost seemed to agree. Illegal immigration is a problem for Mexico as well as for us, he said. We will work together and we will get those problems solved. But back on American soil, he returned to his familiar lines: Its called America First! . . . There will be no amnesty! . . . You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country. The real Donald Trump was back. Dana Milbank covers political theater for The Post. WAHOO Stacia Nelson not only joins the Wahoo Police Department as its newest officer, but as a new face to law enforcement. Ive always been interested in law enforcement, and planned to switch (professions), said Nelson, who began Aug. 1. Nelson joins the squad after an 11-year career in health and human services and child protective services in Iowa and Nebraska. Nelson most recently worked for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. I like the investigative piece of child services, Nelson said. That job gave me the opportunity to work with a lot of law enforcement personnel. She said the timing to make the switch to another career field was finally right, with an anticipated December graduation from University Nebraska at Omaha. Nelson will receive her masters degree in criminal justice and criminology. But her training is only just beginning. Nelson, who is now observing and assisting Wahoo Police officers through police ride alongs, will train at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center in Grand Island, beginning Dec. 4. Once completing the 16-week training academy, Nelson will be a certified police officer in Nebraska. Im excited to go to the academy and learn how to do things on my own, and do my thing. she said. She said Skype and FaceTime video messaging services will be helpful to stay in touch with her husband, Seth, and four sons Payton, Barrett, Kadence and Noah during the week throughout the duration of her training. Since living in rural Wahoo for the past five years, Nelson said she already feels connected to the community members she will serve. Nelson added that her work in child protective services often had her collaborating with area schools, hospitals and other agencies that also collaborate with local law enforcement, which should make her transition that much easier. Wahoo Police Chief Ken Jackson said it was Nelsons past experience working with children that captured the departments attention. We dont usually see those qualifications at an entry level position. We live in a competitive area being surrounded by metropolitan areas, so we were quite pleased with that interest, Jackson said. Jackson added that Nelson has already been in several situations where her past experience working with children and families has been useful to the force. He added that incidents involving children and families have been on the rise over the past decade. I say thats where we have the most opportunity to make a difference in the long run, he said. Jackson said there has been discussion of making Nelson the area D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) educator after she completes her officer training. He said a two-year on the street experience is typically mandatory, but given Nelsons previous experience, the department will look to waive that requirement. The job opening at the Wahoo Police Department came after the retirement of Assistant Police Chief Dale Weiss. Weiss also served as the D.A.R.E educator. The appointment of a new assistant police chief has yet to be announced. Cut-price Australian telco TPG has just announced plans to buy spectrum in Singapore, the first step in becoming an international mobile network operator. In a statement to the stock market on Friday morning TPG revealed it has submitted an expression of interest to qualify for a New Entrant Spectrum Auction being conducted by Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority. TPG has taken its first step to becoming an international mobile network operator. Credit:Rob Homer Shares were trading lower on Friday morning at $12.36, after closing at $12.51 the previous day. "The auction represents an opportunity to establish innovative and exciting mobile telecommunications products which will support Singapore's evolving Smart Nation capabilities," TPG told the market. "If TPG successfully prequalifies, it will be able to bid for 2 lots of 2x5MHz of 900MHz spectrum and 8 lots of 5MHz of 2.3GHz spectrum. TPG notes the very positive step taken by the IDA to encourage a fourth entrant by making a substantial portion of spectrum available for sale to new entrants only." "TPG will not know if it will be successful at the auction until it completes later in the year. As such, TPG does not propose to make any further comments at this time." Earlier this year TPG announced it will spend $85 million buying spectrum in Australia, which it can use to sell mobile telephone and internet services. At the time chief executive David Teoh said: " Fixed line broadband has to-date been the backbone of our growth but we believe that wireless connectivity will play an increasing role in the future needs of Australian telecommunications consumers. We have made this significant investment to inject ourselves into that future." Mr Teoh moved to Australia in 1986 from Malaysia and set up a computer-parts company called Total Peripherals Group [TPG]. A "correction" in the apartment market could see sharp falls in all Australian home prices and a nationwide recession, a gloomy bank analyst report on the housing market warns. The report by analysts CLSA paints a "base case" scenario which says Australia's housing cycle has "peaked," with household debt now extending the country's property bubble. The shift by big banks to tighten lending standards is likely to cause a "correction" and "crisis" in cheap apartments which will spread, leading to defaults among smaller developers and a sharp contraction in construction, CLSA says. The "worst case" scenario foresees "dwelling prices falling sharply in all areas, eventually leading to a recession," the report's authors, a respected former banking analyst Brian Johnson, and his colleagues Andrew Johnston, David Murphy, Sholto Maconochie, Chris Kightley and Ed Henning say. The Trade Practices Act (from which political advertising is exempt) states advertising must not be false or misleading. If political advertising were covered by the act political parties would, in all likelihood, spend the best part of the year following an election in court. Leaders are front and centre. We long ago dispensed with 'Vote Liberal' or 'Vote Labor', in favour of 'Vote for (insert name here)'. At both State and Federal level elections have focussed on, and played out as, a battle between leaders of the two major parties. Think back to 1975. Even today, true believers express disgust at Whitlam's sacking. You never hear people say the Labor Party was sacked. It was Gough Whitlam who was, in their opinion, wronged. The Federal government was dissolved in November 1975. That is of no import in most minds because Whitlam was portrayed as the victim. Party leaders have been promoted as the person for whom you are voting, rather than respective political parties, for as long as I have been eligible to vote. Remember the 1980 slogan imploring us to "leap into the eighties lead by a bloke named (Sir Charles) Court"? Or the 1986 commercials reminding us the west was in good hands and to "vote for Brian Burke"? In reality, unless you were in the state seats of Nedlands or Balga, you could not have voted for either Sir Charles Court or Brian Burke. You voted for your local party candidate. Nobody bothered with such technicalities. It was all about the leader. Both Sir Charles Court and Brian Burke were popular premiers. In the latter's case, the cupboard full of WA Inc. skeletons was yet to begin inching open. The campaigns were all about re-electing Sir Charles Court in 1980 and Brian Burke in 1986. In 1987 we were told Bob Hawke was, "the man for Australia". Given we are a representative democracy, all the above should have implored us to vote for the respective political party. We would then be fully aware the services of a premier or prime minister were at the party's behest. The reality is, party machines change leaders without consulting the public or, until recently in the ALP's case, not bothering to consult party members either. Since 2007, the prime minister at the following election has not been the person who stood at the preceding election. Both major parties have indulged in the practice of changing leaders mid-term. It must end, or political advertising and campaigning focussing on leaders must stop. You can't say a leader is the best person to lead the state, or country, when that individual can be replaced without public consultation. In 2007, the primary website for the ALP campaign was 'kevin07'. Ironically, despite Kevin 07 convincingly winning the 2007 election, the public did not get the opportunity to vote for him "again in 10". Kevin was way too autocratic for anyone to work with, so the faceless men of the party machine decided he had to go. The party apparatchiks did not consult, or consider, the public in the decision. Rudd's replacement, Julia Gillard, was herself replaced by the man she replaced so that the ALP furniture could be saved prior to the 2013 Federal election. When party preservation is at hand, it seems returning to the person with whom one could not previously work is fine. A similar scenario played out in the case of Tony Abbott. The Liberal Party did not like the way he (and his chief of staff Peta Credlin) operated so, goodbye Tony, hello Malcolm. My issue is lack of public consultation. Parties present leaders as the person for whom you should vote. Therefore, that individual should remain until the next election, unless sound medical or personal reasons dictate otherwise. A party machine deciding a leader is too difficult to work with, or poll numbers too low, is no basis for removing a leader. Once elected, only the public should have the power to remove a leader from office. Political parties have acquired, or more realistically seized, increased power at a time of falling membership. It's time for the public to regain control of the political process and demand political parties are stripped of the ability to remove sitting premiers or prime ministers without consulting the electorate. If parties use the representative democracy argument, then it is time to insist all campaigns and advertising point toward parties, not leaders. The current practice is both false and misleading. One way or the other, it must change. Ironically, many in the ALP still lament the dismissal of the Whitlam government whilst ignoring one critical component. The final arbiters on Sir John Kerr's action were the Australian voting public. Like it or not, voters agreed with Kerr. Whitlam could have been returned had the electors not voted Coalition and installed Malcolm Fraser in the Lodge. The fallout from concerns about the growing influence of foreign-linked donations in Australian politics has reached China, with nationalist newspaper the Global Times attacking anti-Chinese hype and paranoia. Labor powerbroker Sam Dastyari has also fired back at Malcolm Turnbull, calling the Prime Minister's suggestion he had operated under a "cash for comment" arrangement with Chinese-Australian interests "disgusting and offensive". The Global Times, which has forged a reputation for its feisty criticism of anti-Chinese decisions and sentiment, has now accused Australians of paranoia and "hyping up the alarm towards China, which baffles Chinese society". "The news that Labor senator Sam Dastyari from New South Wales accepted political donations from a Chinese man has caused quite a stir," the editorial said. "When I see them," said Yarra Valley policeman Sergeant Mark Knight, referring to the bizarre tale around Silvan farming family the Tromps, people he knows well, "I'll sit them down and ask: 'What the hell happened there?'" In a strange and escalating chain of events with no real clues of what might have led there, four members from the family of five emerged from an ill-fated road-trip north cloaked in mystery and mounting concerns from family and police. "It's out of character," said George Tromp, father of missing man Mark Tromp and grandfather to his shell-shocked children. "He's just a normal bloke like me." Mr Tromp was last seen running away from the ditched family Peugeot in Wangaratta. A young couple who were out in their own car playing Pokemon Go on Wednesday night, after 10pm, says he "stalked" them. Fairfax Media has been recognised for publishing excellence at the 2016 Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers' Association (PANPA) awards. The awards, held in Sydney on Friday night, recognised The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Australian Financial Review, The Newcastle Herald and The Maitland Mercury for the mastheads' publishing, innovation and digital news. The Sydney Morning Herald's website, smh.com.au, was named Metropolitan News Site of the Year, with sister site The Newcastle Herald (theherald.com.au) taking out the same accolade in the Regional category, and the Maitland Mercury (maitlandmercury.com.au) winning the Community category. Best Regional Paper was also won by the Newcastle Herald for the fourth year in a row. Health editor of The Age, Julia Medew, won an award for Best Micro Site for her feature on assisted suicide The Big Sleep. The man who'd wheedled his way into the nation's affections, with his wide smile and penchant for cuddling crocs, was gone and no one could quite believe it. Ask around and most people can tell you what they were doing, and where they were, when the news broke. Role model: Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. The 10th anniversary of the Crocodile Hunter's death falls on Father's Day. His daughter Bindi was just eight years old when a stingray killed her celebrity father in the warm waters off Port Douglas, as he filed a segment for a new series called Ocean's Deadliest. Her brother, Robert, was not yet three. In the years since, the Crocodile Hunter's wife and children have taken up where Irwin left off, as loud voices for the protection of Australian wildlife and the habitats that sustain them. Bindi, now 18, says she's proud of that work and of being able to build on her dad's legacy. A Fremantle woman says she witnessed community safety rangers confiscate homeless belongings, blankets, and warm clothing left outside the front of the Bead Post on Tuesday. "Early this morning I witnessed three of the Fremantle council's 'community safety' rangers confiscating the few belongings and warm clothes/blankets that belonged to the homeless person or people that sleep outside the Bead Post," she posted. "They weren't there at the time so I can only imagine how heart-broken they would feel when they got back to find their few possessions gone. I realise there is no clear solution here, but it's cold outside and it this just doesn't seem right." The City of Fremantle replied on the thread explaining the unattended items were collected because they were blocking access. "City community safety officers collected these unattended items outside Australia Post as they were blocking access outside the business," the city posted. "They will store them for the week ready for the owner to collect them (most know to come to customer service to claim any collected belongings). If no one makes a claim and the items can be reused, they are cleaned and delivered to St Pat's. The City works closely with St Pat's and if you would like to donate blankets, food etc please visit them on Queen Victoria Street." Donald Trump at a coalition of 100 African-American evangelical pastors and religious leaders. Credit:AP Given all of that, how does Trump manage to corral the powerful white, evangelical vote in the primary contest for the Republican Party's nomination and in the current general election campaign? Enter the televangelist Paula White, a 50-year-old pastor, who is credited by senior evangelicals with kindling Trump's relationship with God. Self-described as a one-time "messed-up Mississippi girl" and a victim of abuse, she has carved out a career as a pastor, author and TV ranter who at one time had "millions in the bank". Pastor Paula White is credited by senior evangelicals with kindling Donald Trump's relationship with God. The taxman and a Republican congressman went after her in the wake of the 2007 bankruptcy of a church she and a former husband ran in Tampa, Florida. Those investigations went nowhere and these days White seems to be flying back on her feet with a new megachurch in Orlando, Florida; married to the rock star Jonathan Cain, of the band Journey; and she has what we are asked to believe is the country's hottest, born-again believer on her speed dial that would be Donald Trump. Remarkable as it might seem, in the face of such unabashed unchristian conduct by Trump, evangelical leaders up and down the US are falling in behind him hanging too confidently on White's word as proof of Trump's faith. "Pastor Paula had a hand, and is having a hand in his faith walk," says Pastor Mark Burns, also a popular televangelist and an ardent Trump surrogate, who annoints White as "the authority to say if he has a real, authentic relationship with God". And James Dobson, once billed by The New York Times as "the nation's most influential evangelical leader", said in an interview webcast by GodFactor.com: "I hear that Paula White has known Trump for years and that she personally led him to Christ." Other holy men are claiming that "God speaks through Trump;" and for Jerry Falwell jnr, president of Liberty University, "Donald Trump is God's man to lead our nation." White refuses to reveal Trump's miracle moment. But in a rare interview with Politico's Katie Glueck, she declared: "I can absolutely tell you that Trump has a relationship with God. He is a Christian, he accepts Jesus as his Lord and savior." As White tells the story of a 14-year relationship with the New York mogul, it began with a phone call from Trump who had been watching her on Christian television and he needed to tell her she was "fantastic". They became close she would hang out with Trump, his family and colleagues as "part of his life, his world"; she reportedly still has an apartment in Trump Tower. White was instrumental in setting up a July meeting in New York, as an opportunity for Trump to meet with hundreds of evangelical leaders; and she was a key player in establishing his campaign's evangelical advisory board which includes evangelical heavyweights like Dobson and Falwell; and that crazy-talking former congresswoman and presidential wannabe, Michele Bachmann. It's easy to see why Trump and White get on. She denies charges she preaches the so-called prosperity gospel a sort of churchification of the "greed is good" philosophy. But in a televised sit-down with Trump, in which he acknowledged the influence of his father in his financial success, she responded: "That's the principle I teach find your passion in life and figure out a way to make money." Some prominent evangelicals disown White either dismissing her as a nobody in their power cabals; or denouncing her as a charlatan, even a heretic, because of the "God wants people to be rich" tenor of her preaching. But White delivers crowds diverse ones at her gospel jamborees in Orlando; and the solid cross-section of evangelical leaders that Trump needed in New York. As a 20 per cent block of American voters, the white evangelicals are a demographic that candidates figure are easy for the picking, if their leaders are courted effectively. That all seems to be working for Trump a Pew Research Centre poll in July found that despite Trump's in-your-face rejection of so much that white evangelicals stand for in his personal and political conduct and the protests of some of their leaders, 78 per cent will vote for Trump. But of those, 45 per cent said they would actually be voting against Clinton, not for Trump. The evangelical support for Trump is significantly more than for GOP candidate Mitt Romney in 2012 who, granted, might have been suspect for some because of his Mormon faith, but at least he had a faith. And if Republican evangelicals wanted a Bible-thumping candidate in 2016, how could they go past Texas senator Ted Cruz? His oleaginous appearance, so resembling that of the insufferable Pastor William Collins in the BBC's serialisation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, marked him down as the best God botherer money might buy. All this needs to be put against Trump's comical attempts to show just how close he is to God asked for a favourite Bible story, he offers up "an eye for an eye", more as an endorsement of his own conduct than as an appreciation of its repudiation by Jesus; he referred to communion as "my little cracker" and he mistook the communion plate for the donation plate; he stumbled on the Second Book of Corinthians, calling it Two Corinthians and then offered the laughable explanation of that's what it's called in other countries. Had he ever asked God for forgiveness pause No. And if he went to war against the world's genuinely new religious superstar Pope Francis what other off-the-chart stunt might he pull? Then this bit of nonsense by Trump to the July summit in New York "Christianity ... I owe so much to it in so many different ways. I also owe it for, frankly, for standing here, because the evangelical vote was mostly gotten by me." Viewed on his statements over the years, not just those carefully parsed for this election, the evangelicals are like a demented gambler betting the house in one of Trump's casinos he's the most secular candidate they have ever tried to back into office. The "why" element of this takes a bit of disentangling. The Cruz gang was voting on the old culture wars agenda abortion, same-sex marriage and the usual laundry list of moral demands by which all of America should be made to live. The Trump mob was fired up by very un-pastor-like talk such as this from Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at the First Baptist Church in Dallas "most Americans know we're in a mess I want the meanest, toughest son-of-a-you-know-what I can find in that role, and I think that's where many evangelicals are." They saw Cruz hunkering in a holy war; they saw Trump as their standard bearer in an existential war for the nation, yes; but more particularly of themselves as the cultural architects of this place called America. In New York, Trump told them they had once been powerful, but that successive governments had reduced them to today's puniness. Trump tells them his greatest contribution to religion will be to roll back laws that prevent them from actively lobbying for candidates, as opposed to policies. But University of West Georgia history professor Daniel Williams notes that many prominent evangelicals sat on their hands until Trump published a list of the likely candidates from which he would make appointments to the US Supreme Court. Ah yes, the Supreme Court. Now split evenly, four-four, the next president might conceivably appoint three new judges, which would radically lock in the court, conservative or progressive depending on who wins, for decades to come. "Pragmatism has trumped theological purity and the comprehensive vision of national moral renewal that once animated the Christian right," Williams writes. He acknowledges that Trump is the only route to a conservative bench, but he poses this dark question: "If conservative evangelicals' support for Trump requires them to retract their convictions about the values of decency, marital fidelity and Christian virtue in public life, are they at risk of attempting to gain the Supreme Court at the cost of their movement's soul?" Culture commentator S. D. Kelly argues that none of this makes sense, unless evangelical support for Trump is cast as a bid to cling to power the last vestiges of white Christian hegemony as Black Lives Matter and other marginalised groups storm the dais "Christians are lashing themselves to the mast with this man," he writes in Christ and Pop Culture, "because he represents their last best hope to control American culture." But days of white evangelicals are numbered not only are their numbers shrinking, those of other, unsympathetic demographic groups are burgeoning. In 2008, when Barack Obama was elected as the first black president, Christians comprised 54 per cent of the country in less than eight years since then, that number has shrunk to 45. In the same period support for same-sex marriage has shot up from just 40 per cent. It now has full Supreme Court protection in all 50 states. It's not yet playing into mainstream evangelical political thought, but in some evangelical quarters debate on the appropriateness of backing Trump has become a bare-knuckled affair philosophers and theologians are quoted, reputations and standings challenged. After the July summit in New York, home-schooling champion Michael Farris took to Facebook: "This meeting marks the end of the Christian Right." Recalling his own attendance at the inaugural 1980s meeting of the Moral Majority, he wrote: "The premise of the meeting in 1980 was that only candidates that reflected a biblical worldview and good character would gain our support ... Today, a candidate whose worldview is greed and whose god is his appetites [Philippians 3] is being tacitly endorsed by this throng ... This is a day of mourning." Told that Trump embodied a Nietzschean morality, not that of a Christian, evangelical leaders were warned of the candidate's indifference to objective truth, his repudiation of the Christian concern for the poor and the weak, his disdain for the powerless they looked the other way. In Newsweek, columnist Kurt Eichenwald harangued the evangelical leadership and the GOP establishment for putting political influence over the word of God and of having been taken for a ride by Trump "you will be exposed as fools who can be tricked by any carnival barker". If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Search of Mayfield home snares alleged meth trafficker and two others By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 02, 2016 | 12:25 AM | PADUCAH, KY The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says Hall died from his injuries at a Nashville hospital early Friday morning.A collision between a minivan and motorcycle Thursday sent a Paducah man to the hospital. According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded at approximately 4:30 pm to an accident on Bleich Road near the intersection of Lakeview Drive. Their investigation showed that 34-year-old Ashleigh Farmer of Paducah was traveling east on Bleich Road when police say 51-year-old Ronald Hall of Paducah crossed over into her lane on his motorcycle. Farmer was unable to avoid colliding with him. Hall was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries. Farmer was cited at the hospital for failing to have insurance. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. * 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. 1. A method for purifying daptomycin comprising: (a) subjecting the daptomycin to conditions in which a daptomycin micellar solution is formed by altering the pH; (b) separating the daptomycin micelles in the daptomycin micellar solution from low molecular weight contaminants by a size separation technique; (c) subjecting the daptomycin to conditions in which a daptomycin monomeric solution is formed by altering the pH; and (d) separating the monomeric daptomycin molecules in the daptomycin monomeric solution from high molecular weight molecules or aggregates by a size separation technique. There was a dispute as to whether manipulating the pH was also a well known way of influencing micelle formation. Cubist's case is that changing the pH was not recognised at the priority date as a way of controllably forming and breaking micelles. pH was not referred to in this context in the literature published before the priority date. However, Dr Baker's view was that varying the pH was well known to vary the propensity for a lipopeptide biosurfactant to exhibit surfactant properties, including the formation of micelles. Adjusting the pH with the addition of an acid or an alkali could be controlled very closely, and the CMC could be varied; Baker 1 [4.45] and [8.27]. During his cross-examination, Prof Myerson [Hospira's expert] gave similar evidence, for similar reasons. He was cross-examined on this issue at T6/698/11 -702/23, and was asked about the disclosure in the 047 Patent of ways of controlling the CMC: "There is nothing particularly special, is there, professor, about using the pH to control the CMC? It is just one of a number of different ways you could control the CMC if you wanted to control the CMC? Right, but the nice thing about the pH swing is that you do minimal alteration to the solution to form and disassociate the micelles. In a separation process the ideal thing is not to add much, if anything, to the solution that you're going to have to get out again so pH swing is a good method from that basis." In order to investigate how changes in pH or temperature would affect the stability of the solution and the CMC, it was common general knowledge to perform a routine CMC study. One such CMC study which investigates changes in pH on surfactin is shown in Figure 1 of the Cooper paper (supra). Merpel notices the changing definition of standard ways. I consider that the skilled team reading Lin & Jiang would very quickly appreciate that the use of methanol in the purification of a pharmaceutical to be administered to humans was undesirable, and would look for another way to dissociate the micelles. Controlling the pH was one of three standard ways of doing this, along with temperature control and the addition of electrolyte. I set out my reasons for this conclusion in more detail below. Once the skilled team had decided to use an alternative way to manipulate the CMC to dissociate the micelles, in my judgment the evidence was clear that control of pH was one of a list of three standard ways of doing this. I have already referred, when considering common general knowledge to Dr Baker's evidence that changing the pH and changing the temperature would hav e been understood to be particularly good ways of manipulating the CMC because they were readily controllable; and to Prof Myerson's evidence that both of those methods were advantageous because they require fewer additions to the liquid solution. When considering Lin & Jiang Prof Myerson accepted that pH control was one of three routine methods that would be considered to disaggregate the micelles. "Q. But as you say, somebody who was thinking of actually using it would very, very quickly see that the use of methanol was undesirable? A. I would hope so. Q. And it would be obvious to try and fix that? A. If you wanted to adopt this process you would look for another way to change -- to dissociate the micelles, I would agree with that. Q. You say to dissociate the micelles. Put it another way, to control the CMC? A. Yes. Q. And one that would be on a short routine list, and I suggest to you at the top of the list would be controlling the pH for all the reasons we have discussed. A. I think the reason we are all saying that is because we know it works. I do not know that I would walk in and say, hey, let us do this and let us control the pH to change the micellar composition of the solution or the CMC. If I was interested in reproducing this process, I would look at all the variables, I think that is fair, pH, temperature and the addition of electrolyte." The IPKat posted a report earlier this week of the case Hospira v Cubist , in which three patents belonging to Cubist were revoked by Mr Justice Carr. A kind reader commented expressing the opinion that the reasons for finding the third patent invalid seemed a little thin. This aspect of the judgment is actually very interesting and was rather glossed over in the earlier post, and so this Kat would like to revisit the topic to look at this one aspect in a little more detail.The patent EP2264047 (the 047 patent) relates to a method of purifying daptomycin by altering the pH to change the CMC - that is not "Case Management Conference" but "Critical Micelle Concentration" - the concentration at which a surfactant (in this case daptomycin) begins to form micelles (spheres in which the lyophilic end [attracted to the surrounding liquid] of the surfactant molecule lie on the surface of the sphere and the lyophobic end [little attraction to the surrounding liquid] point into the sphere). Claim 1 was as follows:The prior art document over which this claim was held invalid, Lin & Jiang , differed in that the CMC was altered by adding methanol, not altering the pH. The judgment becomes interesting, by which I mean tricky to follow, where it considers whether and to what extent it was known at the priority date to use pH as a method of altering the CMC.When setting out the common general knowledge, at [342] the judge records that "In particular, manipulating temperature, the addition of solvent and the addition of electrolyte, were well known methods of influencing micelle formation." The judgment continues:What are we to make of this? Both experts agree that pH was known to affect the CMC, and there was an example of a study of this in relation to surfactin (another biosurfactant molecule) in the prior art. However, the judgment appears to indicate that this knowledge does not seem to extend so far as use of pH to actually control micelle formation.Then, when considering obviousness, the judge states at [364]:See what happened here? pH has now been elevated to "one of the three standard ways of doing this", whereas the three ways discussed in relation to the state of the art were manipulating temperature, the addition of solvent and the addition of electrolyte, not pH. From then on, the judgment proceeds with this new understanding, and the key final conclusion is at [369]:Accordingly, the patent was held to be obvious.So is this the right result? Clearly, whether a finding of obviousness is justified depends critically on how well known it was to use pH to adjust CMC and control micelle formation. The problem is that from the judgment, it is not clear precisely what the relevant knowledge was. The recording of Hussein-Ali Montazeri addressing the so-called Death Committee, leaked at the beginning of August over the anniversary of the 1988 massacre and fuelled public outrage. The myth of Rouhanis moderate government has been overshadowed by the revelations that many senior figures orchestrated and carried out the wave of executions in Iran that continue today. A member of the death committee and current minister of justice, Mostafa Pourmohammadi was asked to clarify the statements in the recording by the Second Deputy of the Parliament of Iran, Ali Motahari. In a sickening statement on August 28, Pourmohammadi said: You cannot show mercy to the hypocrites, because if they can bloody and soil you, they will. We take pride in executing the orders with respect to the hypocrites. On the Asharq Al-Awsat website, reporter Adel Al-Sami clarified that hypocrites is a religiously charged term used to denigrate the political activists. The audio file showing a meeting between Montazeri and a judicial committee made up of Pourmohammadi, Hossein-Ali Nayeri, the regimes sharia judge, Morteza Eshraqi, the regimes prosecutor, and Ebrahim Raeesi, the deputy prosecutor. Montazeri can be heard condemning the unconstitutional executions and warning that the regime would be seen as bloodthirsty. He said: The greatest crime committed during the reign of the Islamic Republic was executing by fire squads 6,000 political activists. This reign carried out, in its first years only, more executions than during the Pahlavi regime. This was believed to be the cause of Montazeris being stripped of his title and sentenced to house arrest. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Legislation guaranteeing a 48-hour cooling off period for payday loan borrowers is now in effect. Justice Minister Heather Stefanson announced Thursday legislation created under the former NDP government to better protect consumers from the perils of payday loans is now law in Manitoba. High-cost credit products, or payday loan-like products, can be confusing for some consumers and lead people into a cycle of borrowing thats hard to get out of, Stefanson said in a news release. This new legislation ensures there is transparency in the process and helps consumers make more informed decisions. TIMES COLONIST FILE PHOTO The new legislation regulates businesses that offer, arrange or provide high-cost credit products, better known as payday loans in Manitoba or over the Internet to Manitobans. These businesses must now allow borrowers to cancel their loans within 48 hours or repay their loans without penalty. Businesses also must be licensed with the Consumer Protection Office, provide potential borrowers with a detailed information disclosure document and give the borrower reasonable time to review the information. The legislation also stipulates businesses must have clear signage explaining the related costs and fees in each location where these loans are offered. Companies offering these loans will also support the Manitoba Borrowers Financial Literacy Fund through their licensing fees. This fund supports programs designed to educate borrowers and potential borrowers and improve their understanding of the industry. The NDP government first tabled Bill 34 in 2013, amending the Consumer Protection Act. The intent was to protect consumers who are obtaining credit from those who are circumventing payday lending legislation, said Ron Lemieux, who was the minister responsible for consumer protection at the time. kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Some Winnipeggers went camping or rented a cottage during their summer vacation. Rebecca Deng dodged bullets in a flooded war zone to deliver 24 sewing machines to South Sudan, where her group is setting up the Winnipeg Womens Resource Centre. The 41-year-old was sent by Winnipegs Emmanuel Mission Womens Group to her former home, tasked with establishing a place to empower women with job training and literacy programs. Its located in Bor, a city of close to 300,000 with a dark history linked to Winnipeg. In December 2013, 33 women were massacred at St. Andrews Anglican Cathedral in Bor. It was believed to be a revenge attack following deadly fighting in the capital, Juba. Dengs aunt was among the women who ran to the church for safety and to pray when they were slaughtered. Many members of Dengs community in Winnipeg lost loved ones in the massacre, and raised money for the Red Cross. The Emmanuel Mission Womens Group wanted to do more to find a long-term solution to prevent such violence from happening again. They decided the best way would be to empower the women of Bor with a resource centre, and Deng was the right woman to get it going. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rebecca Deng is back in Winnipeg after working to establish a womens resource centre in South Sudan. Deng arrived in Winnipeg as a refugee more than a decage ago, unable to speak English or read or write in her mother tongue. Now a University of Winnipeg student at the Global College, the single mom with two grown kids was undaunted by her mission this summer to get the Winnipeg Womens Resource Centre in Bor off the ground. In July, after landing in Juba, all hell broke loose. Deng was staying with relatives when fighting between troops loyal to South Sudans president erupted in the city. She heard gunshots overnight. In the light of day, she saw bodies lying in the streets. Many people fled to nearby United Nations camps. Deng stayed with her relatives. We were locked in and couldnt come out of the house, said Deng, who returned to Winnipeg Aug. 30. People were afraid. After a couple of days stuck in the house, shed had enough. I couldnt handle it, she said. We ran from one side of the city to the other. Unfazed by the death toll, she was determined to continue her mission. In spite of bullets flying and the flooding that followed, it got done thanks to support from South Sudanese women and men who are weary of war but not giving up on their young country. A board established this summer hired seven teachers and a program co-ordinator to be in charge of the resource centre, Deng said. Staffing was difficult because educated women in Bor are snapped up by NGOs that can offer bigger salaries than the grassroots Winnipeg group. A donor in Canada, who wants to remain anonymous, will pay to build the Winnipeg Womens Resource Centre on land donated by the cathedral where the massacre took place, Deng said. She hopes to return in May to get that going. For now, the centre is operating in classroom space loaned by the cathedral. With no civil society surviving the chaos of South Sudan, the church has become a hub for education and social programs in Bor, Deng said. One of the biggest challenges this summer was getting the sewing machines, purchased with donations, shipped from Uganda to Bor. After fighting died down in South Sudan and roads reopened, flooding in the region made them impassible, she said. Eventually, the machines arrived and two classes a day of women are learning how to operate them. Deng said they could one day be making and selling the school uniforms that are required in South Sudan but imported from Uganda or Kenya. The centre is offering literacy classes for dropout girls who were married off at young ages and vulnerable girls as young as seven whove lost one or both parents. Women whove spent generations keeping their mouths shut are taking part in a circle of elders to break their silence and share their stories, said Deng. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitobans are being asked to share their perceptions about moose and whether they think the majestic animal is in decline. Apprehensive the iconic game animal could go the way of the threatened caribou, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in Manitoba posted an online survey today. The idea is for people to share perceptions about the stability of moose populations in their area, keeping in mind the woodland caribou, also once plentiful, is listed as a threatened species in Manitoba. Marisa Wojcik / Eau Claire Leader-Telegram FILES Moose are up against a shrinking habitat, hunting and parasites such as winter tick and brain worm. An advocacy group wants to hear what Manitobans think about the moose population. We know that harvesters, academics, managers, elders and others across the province hold a wealth of knowledge related to moose numbers and moose management. Were encouraging everyone with relevant knowledge to participate in the survey. It will help inform us and create solutions, said Ron Thiessen, the executive director of the environmental advocacy groups chapter in Manitoba. The survey is anonymous and it follows on the heels of another anonymous survey completed in Ontario. The results of the Ontario survey will be discussed at the 50th North American Moose Conference set for Brandon next week and the Manitoba survey will be promoted. The Manitoba survey will stay online until Oct. 1. For decades, wildlife biologists and other scientists have been alert to a slow, steady decline of moose populations in Canada and the U.S. In recent years that drop hit a tipping point, for pockets of moose on the northern plains, including Minnesota and Manitoba. The online survey is designed to draw peoples attention to a possible collapse of moose and ignite discussion about how to save them. Moose have been an iconic player on the landscape for thousands of years. They are an important food source and a significant thread in the cultural fabric of many indigenous communities and their presence plays an important role in the ecology. Ensuring theyre self-sustaining and healthy is the key to a sustainable moose harvest, the environmental group noted. As concern over dwindling numbers has risen, so has tension between groups that represent sport and licenced hunters and indigenous communities. Its not uncommon for the hunters, most of whom are non-indigenous, to blame the drop in moose numbers on overhunting by indigenous hunters and their constitutionally protected hunting rights. SUPPLIED PHOTO Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in Manitoba posted an online survey, asking people to share their perceptions of moose populations in their area. The survey aims to put contentious differences aside and find common ground that everyone can use as a rallying point if moose are to be saved. Moose face a combined assault from several fronts, from predation to shrinking habitat, hunting and parasites such as winter tick and brain worm. Put all the factors together and moose face a perfect storm with an uncertain future. Moose have always negotiated these kinds of forces on the landscape but changes to their habitat, including those brought on by climate change and industrial activities, can exacerbate the impacts. Roads, hydro corridors can create easy access for predators, disease and hunters, all of which piles on to moose mortality region by region, Thiessen said The link to the online survey can be found at http://cpawsmb.org/ alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Status of Women Minister Patty Hajdu made a swing through Winnipeg this week on her three-month consultation tour in the process of developing the governments promised national strategy on gender-based violence. For front-line advocates who help victims of gender-based violence, it is a welcome sign of leadership on an issue that needs centralized plans of response. Hajdu, however, seems to have a glaring hole in her attempt to inform herself and her department about the extent of the problem, how current programs and services are working, and what needs to be done. MELISSA TAIT / WINNIPEG FREE PRESs fileS A memorial for victims of domestic violence in Winnipeg in 2013. Despite having one of Canadas highest domestic violence rates, there are no Manitoba representatives on an Ottawa advisory council on domestic violence. In June, when she announced the consultations, she also unveiled an 18-member advisory committee to help shape the federal strategy against gender-based violence. Their counsel will be essential in ensuring that we get it right and properly meet the needs of Canadian women and girls, Hajdu said in a statement. The committee is an impressive roster of women and men with years, if not decades, of experience as researchers, legal experts, counsellors, social workers, and advocates. They reflect a number of different communities including indigenous women, disabled women, LGBTTQ*, and university and college campuses. It sounds great, until you look closer at the make-up of the committee, and you see an awful lot of the same place lines next to the names: Ottawa. Toronto, Montreal. In all, 13 of the 18 members of the committee represent organizations based in Central Canada three in Montreal, five in Ottawa and five in the Greater Toronto Area. How many represent the Prairies? Exactly zero. There is one member from the Atlantic, one from the North and three from B.C. The Liberal Party of Canada has long been accused of not understanding or even caring about the West. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has worked hard to prove his party is not eastern-centric and made a bit of a breakthrough last fall when he won 12 seats on the Prairies (up from just two in 2011). Still, the party holds fewer than one-fifth of the Prairie seats and the attitude prevails they are a party of Toronto and Quebec. Appointing an 18-member advisory panel without a single representative from the Prairies is politically preposterous for a party that claims to want to shed the reputation for overlooking Western Canada. It is even more preposterous when you consider the issue at hand. Gender-based violence is a problem across this country, but nowhere more so than on the Prairies. Its known gender-based violence is one of the least-reported crimes an estimated six per cent of sexual assault victims go to the police and Statistics Canada reports that more than two-thirds of domestic violence incidents go unreported. But the rate of violence against women among the cases that are reported to police are highest in the Prairies. Saskatchewan has the highest rate of police-reported violence against women of any province, with 2.7 victims in 2011 for every 100 people. Manitoba is second with 2.2, followed by Alberta in third with 1.5. Ontario has the lowest rate (0.9). Indigenous women are nearly three times more likely to be victims of violence, and more than 40 per cent of the indigenous population in Canada lives in one of the three Prairie provinces. There are indigenous representatives on this committee this is not to take away from their knowledge or contribution but the fact the advisory council has not a single representative from the Prairies doesnt make sense. When asked about it Thursday, a representative from Hajdus office pointed to the consultations the minister is holding across the country, including the one in Winnipeg, and noted Prairie voices are being heard through those. That is not good enough. In June, the departments news release said: The advisory council will serve as a forum to exchange views, promising practices and research on issues related to gender-based violence. Yet that forum will be largely absent views, promising practices, and research coming out of the provinces where the problem is at its worst. Mia Rabson is the Winnipeg Free Press parliamentary bureau chief. mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @mrabson The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in Minneapolis affirmed lower court rulings on Thursday that dismissed several cases alleging law officers and city officials improperly searched individuals drivers license data. However, the three-judge panel of the appellate court found there were a few cases in which some lookups could be seen as suspicious and required further explanation from local agencies. Those cases were sent back to the district court for further proceedings. In recent years, several current and former Minnesota residents have sued municipalities, police departments and officials statewide over hundreds of license data lookups. The lawsuits alleged that officials violated the state drivers privacy protection act by accessing personal information without a permissible purpose. Some of those plaintiffs included current and former elected officials from Wabasha County. A lawsuit filed in 2013 on their behalf alleged that employees in several jurisdictions, including Winona County and the city of Winona, accessed not only data on the plaintiffs, but on their spouses, children, and other family members. State Rep. Steve Drazkowski from Mazeppa was also involved as a plaintiff in one of the suits filed then. Most of the lawsuits were dismissed in U.S. District Court. Had they not been dismissed, they could have cost cities and counties millions of dollars. The 8th Circuit affirmed several of the dismissals Thursday, but sent four cases back for more proceedings against a handful of cities. In those cases, the appellate judges found that some municipalities needed to explain numerous license data lookups. For example, in one case the appellate court found it more than passing strange that law enforcement in various cities accessed data for a radio personality while she was on the air, and at a time when she was not driving in any of those cities. In reaching its decision, the appellate panel looked at the circumstances of each individual case, and analyzed whether data were accessed on the same day or within a few hours by unrelated entities and whether there were multiple late-night accesses. The states drivers license database made news in 2012, when a Department of Natural Resources employee was accused of using it to access the records of thousands of people, the vast majority of whom were women. A February 2013 report from the state legislative auditors office found numerous cases of abuse, including a case where 88 law enforcement employees misused the database, and some continued to after leaving their job. The report found that more than half of law enforcement personnel who used whats called the Driver and Vehicle Services database had searched information on people with their same last name, or searched primarily for either women or men during 2012. Ride to Recovery has its money back. With the assistance of the Lewiston Police Department, the California-based charity that assists disabled veterans has received a check for $25,006.02 money the group had never planned to see again. In February, Ride to Recovery was the victim of a wire-transfer scam, Lewiston Police Chief Scott Yeiter said; $25,000 from an uninsured account vanished into cyberspace, with little hope of recovery. Meanwhile, a Lewiston man had struck up an online acquaintance, Yeiter said. In the course of exchanging messages, the individual he was corresponding with managed to obtain sufficient personal information to gain access to a bank account that would receive the charitys cash. However, the scam began to fall apart in March, when the mans bank, noticing unusual and suspicious activity, closed the account and sent the man a check for the balance $25,000 more than he knew was rightfully his. About that time he was contacted by his online friend, who said the money was theirs and would be driving to Lewiston from Michigan to pick it up. The man instead took the check to the police, believing it was fraudulent, and an investigation was begun. Much to the mans surprise, however, the check was good but the money still couldnt have been his. Somehow alerted to the investigation, the friend never showed, and, through the use of phony online accounts was untraceable, Yeiter said. But the money was still in the bank ... and it had to belong to someone. Five months of work with bank security investigators ultimately located and verified the source of the money. Theyre awfully happy to be getting that check, Yeiter said. Wi nona Thursday 7:45 a.m. The rear passenger-side window was smashed on a vehicle parked on the 850 block of Hickory Lane. 10:21 a.m. An individual living on the 250 block of West Fifth Street received a $3,110.82 Verizon bill, but does not have a Verizon account. Identity theft is suspected. 11:54 a.m. An ignition interlock system valued at $385 was reported missing from a vehicle parked on the 1750 block of West Wabasha Street. 1:17 p.m. A purple-and-gray Trek 18-speed bicycle was reported missing from a residence on the 250 block of Jefferson Street. 2:47 p.m. A red-and-gray mountain bike was reported missing from a residence on the 50 block of East Third Street. 3:06 p.m. Charges of domestic assault and interfering with a 911 call were referred against Robert Louis Dunn, Jr., 25, Fredericksburg, Va., following an incident at a residence on the 250 block of East Second Street. 5:05 p.m. A 43-year-old Fountain City woman suffered minor injuries in a two-vehicle collision at Fifth and Franklin streets. No citations were issued. 8:06 p.m. A black and green DK BMX bicycle and a blue-and-silver mountain bike were reported missing from the backyard of a residence on the 200 block of Mankato Avenue. 8:47 p.m. An iPhone 5s in a pink case was reported missing from the 1200 block of Gilmore Avenue. 11:22 p.m. Levi Garrett Marsh, 19, Lake Crystal, Minn., was cited for public consumption of alcohol near Broadway and Washington Street. 11:53 p.m. Jordan David Jackson, 23, Winona, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia following a traffic stop near King and Harriet streets. Friday 1:07 a.m. A window was broken at a residence on the 550 block of East Fourth Street. 1:09 a.m. Derek Adam Laux, 29,Stockton, Minn., was cited for fourth-degree drunken driving following a traffic stop near Huff and West Sarnia streets. 1:10 a.m. Jeffrey Alan Stache, 18, Dubuque, Iowa, was cited for underage drinking on the 250 block of Washington Street. 1:52 a.m. Kyle Jeffrey Weidemann, 18, Rushford, Elijah Neil Highum, 19, Rushford, and Thomas Marc Iverson, 20, Houston, were each cited for underage drinking on the 150 block of Center Street. 5:34 a.m. A Winona man discovered a tool kit and deer scent lure that did not belong to him on the front seat of his vehicle parked on the 200 block of Galewski Drive. 6:28 a.m. A car fire involving a stolen vehicle was under investigation near the Prairie Island spillway. Winona County Friday 7 a.m. A 2003 Chevy Impala, Minnesota license 075KAG, was reported stolen from a residence on North Broadway in Stockton. The Winona Area Public Schools board handed down marching orders for the community facilities task force Thursday night. The board, in preparing for the naming of the community task force members next week, adopted a charge statement to frame and direct their deliberations. The task force has seven scheduled meetings in September, October and November, delivering their findings to the board for action in December. The task forces work is part of the district facility feasibility study being prepared by Wold Architects and Engineers. All task force meeting will be facilitated by Wold representatives. The charge statement is intended to assure that everyone is on the same page, superintendent Stephen West said. We want to be sure the task force has clear direction. Paul Aplikowski, a partner with Wold, explained that the charge statement would provide task force members with essential background information that will set the stage for their discussion. That essential information includes a number of findings of fact regarding district enrollment, facilities and finances. These facts include: Since the 1995-96 school year, district enrollment has declined by 1,596 students, 34 percent, from 4,641 to 3,045 students. Furthermore, enrollment is projected to decline further to 2,739 students by the 2020-21 school year more than a 44 percent enrollment decline since the last building bond referendum. Public school funding is closely tied to enrollment; as enrollment drops, so do the funds available for district operation. In response, the school district has needed to make regular cuts to its budget. State funding for building maintenence is inadequate, requiring voter-approved referendum funding for adequate maintenance and the adapting of facilities to changing educational needs. The Winona school district maintains 40 square feet of size more per student than any of the other 20 Minnesota school districts of similar size. This additional cost puts a burden on district finances and competes with money for classroom instruction and student activities. The current financial state of the district is not sustainable. Aplikowski stressed that while the task force will focus on the facility option singled out by the board, the groups discussion will not be limited and will be open to consideration of ideas and insights brought to the table by task force members. In the final analysis, the purpose of the process is to get a long-range plan that will help the district, he said. The best facility plan for your school district is one your community will support, Aplikowski said. Your goal is something you can move forward. Until the 2000 presidential election, few people would have ever imagined that the system of taking and counting ballots could be tampered with in the United States. After all, this is the worlds best democracy. At least thats the image that we market to the rest of the world. But Florida, with its hanging chads, swinging chads and ballots disappearing altogether, proved that our great system of voting can be compromised. Computers and the internet, which are supposed to make our lives easier, more open, accountable and more convenient, also unlock and swing open broad doors of vulnerability to people worldwide who will do unscrupulous and nefarious things. The hacking of voter registration systems in Illinois and Arizona should come as no surprise. What is astonishing is that the FBI alerted Arizona officials in June that Russian hackers were thought to be responsible. But officials didnt go public with the information until this week. In Illinois, officials learned in July of a hack of the state voter registration system. That breach led the Illinois state election board to shut down the voter registration system for a week. In Arizona, the secretary of states office shutdown part of its website after the FBI discovered a potential threat to the state voter registration system. Shawn Kieffer, the Republican election director with the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners, said Tuesday that the election system hacks were a hot topic at the Election Center Conference this month in Philadelphia. A lot of discussion was devoted to cybersecurity. But the public also should have been alerted a lot sooner than now so other states could take the needed precautions to make their voting systems more secure. The FBI this month alerted states to be more vigilant of hacks of their computers governing elections. Elections are a vital part of any democracy, but so are the results. Reporting the outcome in a timely fashion with an accurate, verifiable count ensures that people will trust the system and the winners in elections. A free society banks on the election system being accountable and functioning properly. Any compromise casts doubt on the outcome, the leadership put in place and the government itself. Our free society grounded in constitutional ideals suddenly becomes suspect, and the peoples trust is shaken. Once its lost, regaining that trust is a difficult process. State and local election officials throughout the country are now trying to ensure that their systems are secure and not vulnerable to hackers foreign or domestic. The hacks follow Democratic Party organizations suffering breaches of their computer systems. U.S. authorities also have indicated that Russia may be responsible. Tampering with the U.S. election system and political parties would far surpass any Cold War low between the two countries. Aside from going back to paper registrations and ballots, file cabinets, and hand counting, state and local election offices need to redouble all efforts to ensure that their computer systems are secure. Its the only way they can make sure people completely trust the outcome of the Nov. 8 election and those that will follow. A free society banks on the election system being accountable and functioning properly. A Lyndon Station woman faces felony charges for allegedly running off with her own child, in violation of a divorce custody agreement. The Sauk County District Attorneys Office on Tuesday filed charges of interfering with the custody of a child against after her ex husband complained that 24-year-old Ashley N. Bloss left for a trip with their child and didnt return. According to the criminal complaint, Bloss scheduled an agreed trip with the child to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Then, during the trip, she allegedly called the father to say she was having car trouble and couldnt return the child to his Reedsburg home on time. The father later found Department of Motor Vehicle records stating that Bloss had moved to Indiana, where she has family, on Aug. 5. The father told authorities that he heard from other family members who said Bloss told them she had full custody and would not return the child. The complaint states that the father contacted Bloss on Aug. 25 and that she told him he would have the child back the next day. However, she never set up a time to drop off the child and had no further contact with the father. An officer with the LaPorte County jail in Indiana later told authorities that Bloss had been arrested and was incarcerated. Indianas Circuit Court website shows Bloss was issued a citation for disorderly conduct by creating unreasonable noise Aug. 18. If she is convicted of interfering with the childs custody, Bloss could face up to 12 years in prison and $25,000 in fines. A warrant has been filed for her arrest in Sauk County, and no court date has been set. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump supporters have one thing in common: theyre angry. They know theyre working as hard as they can but, instead of getting ahead, theyre frantically treading water just to stay afloat. They feel voiceless when it comes to government and believe few elected officials actually represent them. They heard all the promises, but now realize they were just words to get someone elected. Theyre fed up with the monopolistic, two-party system and believe neither party is working for their interests. They have a point. Nothing Ive read shows more evidence of all this than Mike Lofgrens 2012 book, The Party is Over: How Republicans Went CRAZY, Democrats Became USELESS, and the Middle Class got SHAFTED. Lofgren should know. He spent 28 years in Congress as a senior analyst on House and Senate budget committees and also with the House Armed Services Committee, where his main focus was on national security. He worked closely with influential Republican lawmakers, including 12 years with Rep. John Kasich whos the current governor of Ohio and one of the early GOP contenders in the 2016 presidential race. Lofgren said he left Congress in 2011 because he became alarmed by the trends I was seeing. In particular, my own party, the Republican Party, began to scare me. He witnessed how Republicans seemed to want to comfort the comfortable and afflict the afflicted in the middle of the worst economic meltdown in 80 years. It got even worse, he said, as the party took on a nasty, bullying, crazy edge and turned their supporters attention to crazy conspiracy theories like the one that swore Barack Obama is a Muslim and encouraged unfounded fears of gays, immigrants and the imaginary war on Christianity. But his most revealing evidence shows that Republican lawmakers are far from being fiscally conservative. In fact, they approve almost unlimited spending on unneeded defense projects, subsidies to the wealthiest corporations and major tax breaks that reward companies that ship jobs overseas. As a senior budget analyst, he saw it all. He doesnt spare Democrats, either. He saw the party go from making the protection of workers a top priority to one that often mirrored the Republicans slavery to big business. One possible reason, he believes, is they need to cater to huge corporations just to raise the massive amounts of money it now takes to win elections. He notes that President Barack Obama went along with Republicans by rewarding big pharma when the Affordable Care Act was designed. And the president also let the big banks off easy, even though their policies caused the Great Recession. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are right in saying the system is rigged. Lofgren blames the slow-growing economy, lack of social mobility, high medical costs, off-shoring of jobs and stagnant wages to union busting, leveraged buyouts, unfair taxation and corporatized medicine. Again, he should know. He witnessed it as it happened. He saw that corporate America became the only voice lawmakers hear. He saw how, thanks to George W. Bushs tax policies and wars, businesses and defense contractors enjoyed historic profits while the deficit spiraled upward. He saw first-hand how big banks, oil, gas and pharmaceuticals call the shots while the rest of us pay for it. As to Republican threats to cut Medicare and Social Security benefits (to which weve all contributed), he says, Cuts in your earned benefits will pay for the banks bad loans. Beautiful! Despite all that, hes hopeful. He notes we have the same assets that allowed this country to recover from the devastating Great Depression. But he believes we cant make changes until we get all private money out of our public elections and federally fund them. We also need a much shorter campaign season. Those two changes would allow legislators to do their jobs instead of spending half their time raising money. It also would give each of us the same influence that billionaires and huge corporations enjoy now. He says we need fair elections where neither party is favored by skewed voting districts. That requires a federal law to mandate district lines are drawn in a non-partisan manner that considers only natural borders and population, not voting habits. I dog-eared more than 30 pages of this book and have underlined hundreds of paragraphs of information many Americans would be surprised to learn. If you want to see how the current political system works, how to discourage corruption, how to guarantee fair elections and elect honest lawmakers, read The Party is Over by Mike Lofgren. There never has been a better time for all of us to work together and create a truly representative government. Lofgrens book shows us where to start. Iowas Medicaid program is in trouble. As predicted by other states bad experiences, Gov. Terry Branstads decision to privatize the states Medicaid program has run into serious problems. Not only are two of the three health insurance companies reporting significant losses for the first four months of operations, but providers of medical care are reporting late or insufficient reimbursements, denials of care for patients, more and costly paperwork, and other expenses. Patients report being denied medical services they did get when the state ran the program as a non-profit venture. AmeriHealth Caritas and Amerigroup are two of the three out-of-state, for-profit companies with contracts to administer the states $4 billion-plus health care program for the poor. The two companies report combined losses of nearly $110 million since April 1. The third provider, United HealthCare, declined to report losses to journalists. The troubling news was contained in a report compiled by state legislators opposed to privatization who solicited health care providers assessments of the switch to managed care by for-profit insurance companies. Branstad arbitrarily turned over the state program to for-profit companies this year, insisting they would do a better job while saving taxpayers money. So far the evidence is to the contrary. Some 400 Iowa health care providers responded to the lawmakers survey. They represented doctors, clinics, in-home care providers, hospitals, therapists, nursing homes, even non-profit agencies like Meals on Wheels. Nine in 10 report higher administrative costs, two in three have received lower reimbursement payments, and almost eight in 10 said payments are not timely. State Rep. Lisa Heddens is on the House Human Services Budget Committee. She said the responses confirm what Iowans across the state have been saying to us for months: The Medicaid mess is a major burden for Iowa health care providers. The governor disagreed, telling the media this new system of managed care replacing unmanaged care that we had before is stopping significant fraud and abuse that had occurred previously in our state and across the country, and that it is designed to improve health care outcomes. The governor offered no proof of either claim. If Iowa was encountering fraud before, it was the Branstad administrations lack of due diligence that was allowing it. The state-run Medicaid system worked fine. Privatization was simply a gift to the for-profit health insurers, two of whom have questionable records in other states. The insurers will not keep absorbing losses. They undoubtedly will demand more money from taxpayers to make their 10 to 20 percent profit margins. Its not only health care providers who suffer when for-profit insurance companies take taxpayers money to decide who gets what care and for how much. Nearly 600,000 poor Iowans served by Medicaid also will suffer through denied care and restrictions on which doctors they can see. Those ill effects already are in motion, even if the governor wont admit it. A memorial gathering will be held Friday, Sept. 9, from 11 a.m. to the time of the memorial service at noon at Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam. Inurnment will take place at St. Peters Catholic Cemetery in Beaver Dam. Anyone driving through Elroy recently may have noticed construction taking place on the new Welcome to Elroy signs. It was only last Fall that the Elroy Womans Club began a fundraising drive to replace the old signs which had stood on state highways passing through the city for almost 50 years. From the beginning, the Womans Club was impressed with the enthusiastic response of area businesses, civic organizations, and individuals in moving this project forward. An additional goal of the new signage is to formally recognize Elroy as the home of Wisconsins longest serving Governor, Tommy Thompson. It was during his term that he guided the construction of both the Sand Ridge Treatment facility and the New Lisbon Correctional facility, providing jobs for many area residents. As a State Legislator, he sponsored the development of the Elroy Sparta Bike Trail and the Omaha Trail. Recently, the Thompson family donated funds to complete the Physical Fitness Room at Royall High School for use by students and the public alike. All area residents are invited to join the celebration on Saturday, September 10th at 12 noon at the Elroy Public Library as the new signs are dedicated, donors are honored, and some interesting facets of Elroys history are explored. Governor Thompson will be the featured speaker. A reception and light luncheon will be served at noon, followed by a short program at 12:30. The event is free and is hosted by the Elroy Womans Club. After having success with its first fish boil in the spring, the New Lisbon Lions Club is bringing the event back to kick off the fall. The fall fish boil will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the New Lisbon Community Center. The Lions will start serving fish around 4:30 p.m. until its gone. The last fish boil, held in May, was a success, and the club is planning an even bigger event in two weeks. We served 363 at the last one and Ive done some good advertising again and we should exceed that number this time, said Lions member Mark Toelle. The Lions promise a true Wisconsin fish boil even better than traditional Door County boils. All the fish will be prepared over an open fire on the grounds outside the community center. The meal, which costs $10, includes boneless cod, baby red potatoes with melted butter, onions, carrots, coleslaw, dinner roll, dessert and coffee. The fall fish boil will also feature a kids meal for $5 with a choice of either a hot dog or fish. Carry-out meals are also available. Doors at the community center will open at 2:30 p.m. The fall fish boil will also include hayrides, a bean bag tournament, a 50/50 raffle and plenty of other fun activities. Were trying to plan some fun, family activities that will appeal to more people, Toelle said. To prepare the fish, the Lions are receiving donated stainless steel boiling equipment from Walker Stainless Equipment in New Lisbon. When the group hosted the first fish boil, they used equipment provided from friends of Toelles in southern Wisconsin. Having its own equipment saves the club a substantial amount of money. They donated all the labor and the majority of the materials, Toelle said. All we had to pay for was the perforated steel for the fish baskets. They built the stands and everything. What a nice donation to the Lions club. We really appreciate the help. Proceeds from the boil go back to the community center for future projects and events. Toelle is hoping to make the fish boil a semi-annual tradition with boils in the spring and fall. Originally, the Lions were hoping to host the fall boil in late October, but due to a booking issue at the community center, choose Sept. 17. Im hoping to do it typically the last Saturday in April and the last Saturday in October as the weather gets cooler, Toelle said. I would like to space them out a little and make it an event that people look forward to. The fish boil is unique to Juneau County and what distinguishes New Lisbons boil from Door Countys is the fish. The Lions serve boneless cod, whereas, in Door County, the fish is delivered on the bone. This is better than Door County because its easier to eat. And most people are amazed at how good it tastes when you boil a fish, Toelle said. JUNEAUJuneau Fire Department announced it will hold a silent parade at 8 p.m., Sunday in honor of the emergency workers who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The silent parade will line-up and begin on South Western Avenue in Juneau (along Dodgeland School). The parade will head north and turn right onto West Oak Grove Street, then proceed east. It will turn right at the four-way stop onto South Main Street and head south on South Main. The parade will take a left onto Cross Street to the Juneau Public Safety Building, 128 Cross St. City street lights along the parade route will be turned off at 8 p.m. Citizens are encouraged to line the parade route with lighted candles and American flags. Small American Flags will be handed out prior to the start of the parade along the route starting around 7 p.m. Sandwiches, snacks, cake and refreshments will be served at the Juneau Fire Department following the parade. The public is invited. All area fire, EMS, police and emergency departments throughout Dodge County and Wisconsin are invited. For any information contact Juneau firefighter Dan Jahnke at 386-2554, 210-2583 or email dj2317jahnke@hotmail.com. Keith Ripp, chairman of the Wisconsin Assembly Transportation Committee was on public radio on Monday touting his letter to the governor. He is asking the governor to study road funding in Wisconsin. On the radio show he noted that this may take some time to come up with the right solution. Keith Ripp, and fellow legislators, we are out of time! Rural road reconstruction is behind schedule. Rural road fatalities have increased dramatically as drivers try to avoid pot holes. Driver auto repairs for suspension and alignment continue to increase. We are in crisis mode. The state oversees 10 percent of Wisconsin roads. County, township and other municipalities oversee 90 percent of roads in Wisconsin. State transportation aid, funded by state gas taxes and vehicle licensing, have been reduced. In the town of Fountain Prairie, our state transportation aid in 2000 was $76,049, but in 2014 it dropped to $70,035. In 2000, the cost to rebuild a mile of road was roughly $60,000. In 2014, with increased oil costs, the same mile of road cost $160,000. To exasperate road failures, two years ago the Republican legislature increased weight limits on Wisconsin roads. The funding shortfall and cost increases are statewide. Governor Walker and the legislature are borrowing more money for state highway construction. Money paid in interest has further reduced available money for transportation aids. The gas tax needs to be increased per gallon or changed back to a percent of the price of gas. Oil companies lobbied for the per gallon tax method to protect profits. Increases in the cost of gas increases profits, but does not produce state revenue. Americans have acted to reduce gas consumption and protect the environment. Oil lobbyists buy legislative action by funding some legislative campaigns! Gary Williams and colleagues of the Summer Outdoor Adventure Club went to Flint, Michigan on Aug. 24 to deliver 54 bicycles, boxes of donated books and school supplies. Pineview Elementary fourth-graders and older students participating in the after school program learn to fix and recycle bikes. They keep one for themselves and the rest are donated to other children. Thus far the Bike Shop has sent 1,000 bikes to the Dominican Republic, 86 bikes to Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and now these bikes. Students from St. Peters, Sacred Heart, Webb, and the high school have all worked together on this bike program. Wits congratulates 2016 NRF awards winners Two Wits academics were honoured with awards at the NRF awards ceremony on Thursday night, while eight received NRF A-ratings. Wits University congratulates the winners of the annual National Research Foundation awards as well as all the new A-rated researchers named this year. Two Wits academics were honoured with awards at the NRF awards ceremony on Thursday night, while eight received NRF A-ratings. Professor Nosipho Moloto of the Wits School of Chemistry was co-winner with the Research Excellence Award for Early Career/Emerging Researchers, which recognizes the exceptional research performance by NRF Thuthuka grant holders. She shared this prize with Professor Mark Engel, from the University of Cape Town. Professor Lee Berger from the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits won the Excellence in Science Engagement award, which honours individuals in the research community at South African higher education institutions and science councils for their outstanding contributions to public engagement with science over a sustained period. The award encourages academics while working in their fields, to also contribute substantially to enhancing the publics awareness and engagement with science, technology, and innovation. Four Wits academics received new A-ratings. They are Professor Florian Luca of the School of Mathematics, Professor Lenore Manderson of the Department of public health, Professor Achille Mbembe of the Wits Institute of Social Economic Research (Wiser), Professor Lynn Morris of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Professor Claire Penn of the School of Human and Community Development and Professor Charles Feldman of the Department of Internal Medicine received their A-ratings for a second time, while Professors David Lewis-Williams and Norman Owen-Smith were awarded their A-ratings for a third time. Handing out the awards, Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor said the role that scientists and their research play is vital in the development of a country. It is without question that countries that excel in terms of research output go on to become powerful players in the global economy and are therefore able to provide a better quality of life for their citizens. In celebrating research excellence as embodied by the distinguished researchers who are receiving the NRF Awards, we are celebrating a group of men and women who are necessary and crucial to our progress towards making South Africa a knowledge-intensive economy. Scientific excellence put to the service of societal development is also a necessity for our progress as a country. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Russia expects feasibility study for Jordan in early 2017 02 September 2016 Share A feasibility study on the construction of nuclear power plants in Jordan is to be prepared in the first half of next year, Sergey Kirienko, director general of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said today. Kirienko spoke to reporters at the second Eastern Economic Forum that opened today in the Russian city Vladivostock. In March 2015, Russia and Jordan signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction and operation of two 1000 MWe VVER units at Az-Zarqa in central Jordan. "The feasibility study will provide answers to questions about financing the project," Kirienko said, as quoted by TASS news agency. The total estimated cost of the project is $10 billion, with 30% to be financed in equal parts by Jordan as a customer and Russia as the reactor vendor. Negotiations are under way on securing the remaining funding. Khaled Toukan, chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, recently told local media that the country's first nuclear power plant could be operational by 2025, if sufficient financing is secured. According to the Jordan Times, Toukan said the country is in talks with German, Czech, Chinese and Japanese companies among others to supply turbines and electrical systems for the power plant and "things are going well". Some 30% of the $10 billion project will be financed equally by Jordan and Russia, who are partners in the project. "If we secure finance by the end of 2017, we will be able to operate the first reactor by 2025," he said. In February, King Abdullah II of Jordan has stressed the importance of moving ahead with the country's plans for nuclear energy, calling for Jordan to become a role model for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Jordan's first nuclear reactor, the Jordan Research and Training Reactor, is being built at the Jordan University for Science and Technology by a consortium led by the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute with Daewoo. The 5 MWt reactor is based on version of Korea's 30 MWt Hanaro design, and is expected to start up in 2016 or 2017. Jordan is one of three countries that professional services consultancy Procorre has identified as "set to create a raft of project opportunities in the nuclear industry". The other two are Vietnam and China. In a statement today, Procorre noted that Jordan imports more than 95% of its energy, but that it hopes to generate nearly half of its own electricity using nuclear power by 2030, setting up committees to amend its nuclear legislation. Stuart Livingstone, group operations director at Procorre, said: "We're currently seeing a boom in technological developments both in countries with emerging nuclear capabilities and those more established countries, meaning the future of the industry is looking very promising." He added: "Despite a period of instability, the nuclear industry is picking itself up and creating a wealth of opportunities." Researched and written by World Nuclear Energy Related topics IAEA sees Asia as driver of nuclear energy 02 September 2016 Share Asia is one of the regions where nuclear energy is "high on the agenda" and could be one of the drivers for global nuclear power deployment, according to the deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Speaking at a conference in Manila, Mikhail Chudakov said, "There are several member states already operating nuclear power plants, and many more aspiring states [are] exploring the potential for developing nuclear power programs in this region." Rebirth of Bataan plant The Philippines is looking into operating its only nuclear power plant, built four decades ago but never used, to ensure the long-term supply of clean and cheap electricity, its energy secretary, Alfonso Cusi, has said. According to Asia One, Cusi said reviving the mothballed 620 MWe plant in Bataan province, northwest of Manila, will require a $1 billion investment. "We have to weigh all our options, with emphasis not just on meeting capacity requirements, but sustainability and environmental obligations as well," Cusi told the IAEA conference. The conference - titled The Prospects for Nuclear Power in the Asia Pacific Region - was held 30 August to 1 September. It was organized by the IAEA in collaboration with the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation and hosted by the Philippines Department of Energy. More than 120 participants attended the event, including representatives from 14 member states. The conference covered issues such as the legal, regulatory and government support for nuclear power, the management of used fuel and radioactive waste, human resource development and capacity building, and other related technical issues. "This conference provided a unique opportunity for our member states to discuss the common challenges countries in Asia and the Pacific are facing in introducing nuclear power, and to display the best practices in addressing those challenges," Chudakov said. "This is one of the regions where nuclear is high on the agenda of a number of member states and may be one of the drivers for global nuclear power deployment in the coming years." Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson, the Philippines' ambassador to Austria and permanent representative to the Vienna-based IAEA, said: "This conference is valuable from many perspectives, including the robust participation of NGOs and civil society representatives, whose support, after all, is a sone qua non to the formulation of a national position on the issue of nuclear power." There are currently 128 nuclear power reactors operable in five Southeast Asian countries plus Taiwan with a total generating capacity of more than 100 GWe. There are also 40 units under construction and firm plans in place to build dozens more. In addition, there are about 56 research reactors in 14 countries of the region. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Production starts on MOX fuel for Takahama unit 02 September 2016 Share France's Areva has started fabrication of 16 mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies for use in unit 4 of the Takahama nuclear power plant, Kansai Electric Power Company announced on 30 August. Although the unit is one of five Japanese reactors to have been restarted, a court injunction has suspended its operation. Unit 3 of Kansai Electric Power Company's Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture resumed operation on 29 January. Takahama 4 was restarted on 26 February, but has remained offline since 29 February following an automatic shutdown of the reactor due to a "main transformer/generator internal failure". However, an injunction imposed by a district court on 9 March led to unit 3 being taken offline as well and both units have since remained idle. Kansai said that four MOX fuel assemblies were among the 157 assemblies loaded into Takahama 4 before its restart in February. It said that the production of a further 16 assemblies for use in the unit is now under way at Areva's Melox facility in France. The company noted that 24 MOX fuel assemblies were loaded into the core of unit 3 in December prior to its restart. Areva signed a contract with Kansai in March 2008 to supply 12 MOX fuel assemblies for use in Takahama units 3 and 4. It signed a second contract in November of that year for the supply of a further 36 assemblies. The first shipment of 20 MOX fuel assemblies under the second contract was delivered in June 2013. Of those, 16 have been loaded into Takahama unit 3, while four are being stored in the unit's used fuel pool. MOX fuel contains plutonium recovered from used fuel by reprocessing. Used fuel from Japan, and other countries, has been routinely reprocessed in Europe, with MOX fuel and high-level waste being returned. Japan is working towards opening its own MOX fabrication facility, and has not sent used fuel to Europe for reprocessing since 1998. In February 1997, the Japanese government stated that, in line with the country's long-term commitment to nuclear energy, it was necessary for Japan to start using MOX fuel in its commercial nuclear reactors. Following this announcement, the Japanese electric power companies unveiled their plans to use MOX fuel in 16 to 18 reactors. Since then, several MOX fabrication contracts have started this process. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Email Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter Of total sales in May 2016, distressed sales accounted for 8.4 percent and real estate-owned (REO) sales accounted for 5.4 percent The REO sales share was 22.5 percentage points below its peak of 27.9 percent in January 2009 Distressed sales shares fell in most states, including the oil markets Sign Up Free | The WPJ Weekly Newsletter Relevant real estate news. Actionable market intelligence. Right to your inbox every week. Go Thank you for your interest! You will now be receiving our Weekly Real Estate Newsletter. Real Estate Listings Showcase Irvine, Ca-based CoreLogic is reporting this week that distressed residential sales, which include REO and short sales, accounted for 8.4 percent of total home sales nationally in May 2016, down 2.1 percentage points from May 2015 and down 1 percentage point from April 2016.Within the distressed category, REO sales accounted for 5.4 percent and short sales accounted for 3 percent of total home sales in May 2016. The REO sales share was 1.7 percentage points below the May 2015 share and is the lowest for the month of May since 2007. The short sales share fell below 4 percent in mid-2014 and has remained in the 3-4 percent range since then.At its peak in January 2009, distressed sales totaled 32.4 percent of all sales with REO sales representing 27.9 percent of that share. While distressed sales play an important role in clearing the housing market of foreclosed properties, they sell at a discount to non-distressed sales, and when the share of distressed sales is high, it can pull down the prices of non-distressed sales. There will always be some level of distress in the housing market, and by comparison, the pre-crisis share of distressed sales was traditionally about 2 percent. If the current year-over-year decrease in the distressed sales share continues, it will reach that "normal" 2-percent mark in mid-2019.All but eight states recorded lower distressed sales shares in May 2016 compared with a year earlier. Maryland had the largest share of distressed sales of any state at 19.4 percent1 in May 2016, followed by Connecticut (18.5 percent), Michigan (17.8 percent), Illinois (16 percent) and Florida (15.8 percent). North Dakota had the smallest distressed sales share at 2.5 percent.Oil states continued to see year-over-year declines in their distressed sales shares in May 2016. Texas saw a 1.3 percentage point decrease, and Oklahoma and North Dakota both saw a 0.1 percentage point decrease.Florida had a 5.5 percentage point drop in its distressed sales share from a year earlier, the largest decline of any state. California had the largest improvement of any state from its peak distressed sales share, falling 60.4 percentage points from its January 2009 peak of 67.5 percent. While some states stand out as having high distressed sales shares, only North Dakota and the District of Columbia are close to their pre-crisis levels (each within one percentage point).Of the 25 largest Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) based on mortgage loan count, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md. had the largest share of distressed sales at 19.2 percent, followed by Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, Ill. (18.1 percent), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. (17.3 percent), Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. (16.4 percent) and St Louis, Mo. (13.6 percent). Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo. had the smallest distressed sales share at 2.4 percent among this same group of the country's largest CBSAs. Two of the largest 25 CBSAs had year-over-year increases in their distressed sales share: Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. was up by 1.3 percentage points, and New York-Jersey City-White Plains, New York was up by 0.1 percentage points. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. had the largest year-over-year drop in its distressed sales share, declining by 7.9 percentage points from 24.4 percent in May 2015 to 16.4 percent in May 2016. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. had the largest overall improvement in its distressed sales share from its peak value, dropping from 76.5 percent in February 2009 to 9.6 percent in May 2016. Changes to the law could send perpetrators of ransomware schemes to prison for two to four years. A California bill that proposes classifying ransomware schemes as a crime classified as extortion has been approved by the state Assembly. If Governor Jerry Brown signs off on the bill it will drastically alter the way California prosecutes once of the most common forms of cyber crime. The bill was proposed by State Senator Robert Hertzberg. If passed, it would add to a long list of existing state cyber crime laws but be the first to address ransomware specifically. Prosecutors would be able to send anyone convicted to two to four years in prison. In a published statement, Hertzberg compared ransomware to a stickup. He went on to specifically reference a ransomware attack in February targeted at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center that netted $17,000. The bill has been widely supported by California law enforcement agencies including the California Police Chiefs Association and the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association. It was also supported by Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey who helped to introduce S.B. 1137. A report from Laceys office noted that prospectors currently have no way to apply existing laws to ransomware attacks. Current extortion laws describe the crime as obtaining property with someones consent by using the threat of force or exposure. In a ransomware attack, the threat has already been perpetrated by denying the user access to files and applications. The user then has to pay to undo the damage. This is a small distinction, but one that has proved to be an obstacle for prosecutors motivated to strike back against a growing wave of ransomware attacks. Californias large and influential tech community also came out in favor of the bill. A trade lobbying group called TechNet that represents major players like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook helped to introduce the bill. In a statement released by the group, Executive Director Andrea Deveau commented Hospitals, data centers, retailers, financial institutions and many others are becoming growing targets for the perpetrators. S.B. 1137 provides a clear signal to these criminals that ransomware is a criminal act and will be prosecuted as such. The lone group to come out in opposition to the bill was the nonprofit Legal Service for Prisoners with Children. They content that existing laws are already adequate to prosecute ransomware and that a larger definition of extortion would only further penalize some already in the penal system. Security vendor Symantec reported responding to an average of 4,000 ransomware attacks a day beginning at the start of Q1 2016. That is four times the rate reported at the same time last year. Waitress (illustration) By: Tanya Malhotra The owner of a coffee shop was arrested on a charge of rape after repeatedly raping his underage employee, according to police in Malaysia. Selangor police said that the married restaurant owner, who was not identified, kept forcing himself on the 15-year-old waitress and threatened to publish her naked photos if she does comply with his demands. The suspect was booked into jail, where he is being held without bail. According to the police investigation, the girl began working for the suspect last July. One day, the suspect brought the waitress to his home as his wife was at a friends wedding. He forced her to remove her clothes, and raped her. He then took photos of her naked body. The suspect continued raping the waitress numerous times over the next year. The crimes came to light after the girl asked her mother to buy a pregnancy test. When the mother questioned her daughter, she revealed that she had been raped by her employer. The mother called the police and the coffee shop owner was arrested. The girl was taken to the Selayang Hospital, where doctors determined that she was not pregnant. A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took Next Match: vs. Embry-Riddle 9/2/2016 | 2:30 p.m. Next Match Full Schedule Sep. 02 (Fri) / 2:30 p.m. vs. Embry-Riddle History -- WOUWolves.com -- Juniorand sophomoreeach recorded double-doubles, while seniorled five players with 10 or more digs, but the Western Oregon volleyball could not cap off an upset bid falling in five sets to No. 15 Florida Southern on Thursday at LCEF Court.Set scores were 25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 21-25, 9-15.The Wolves fall to 0-1, while the Moccasins rallied from two sets down to nab their first win of the year.Bettinson notched a team-high 17 kills and added 13 digs. Mehciz, the setter, dished up a match-high 45 assists while digging up 17 balls. Colasurdo had 20 digs to lead the defensive specialists.had 14 digs whilepicked up 12 digs and had three aces.The Wolves never trailed in the opening set, scoring three of the first four points on a pair of kills byand a FSU attack error. The Mocs would pull within a point but a 13-0 run closed out the opening set. WOU had only three errors to post a .350 hitting percentage in the first set.After never trailing, WOU raced out to a 6-1 thanks to a pair of kills from Mehciz and senior. Midway through the set, Bettinson had two kills to push the lead to 17-9. Florida Southern could not cut into the lead, getting as close as 24-18 before Mehciz put down the final ball of the set. The Wolves trimmed their errors to two and had 18 kills to post a massive .444 hitting mark to take a two-set lead.Florida Southern took their first lead on the opening point of the third set on a service error and built a 3-1 lead on two more early attack errors from the Wolves. In an effort for the sweep, WOU pulled even at 12-12, but a 5-0 Mocs run proved to be enough cushion to last until the end of the set.Set four looked promising for WOU beginning with consecutive kills by Orth. The Wolves built a 13-10 lead before Florida Southern reeled off eight of the next 10 points to lead 18-14. A final salvo brought the Wolves to within one, 21-20, but three costly attack errors tilted the set to the Mocs, evening the match at two sets each.The fifth set was tied twice in the first four points, but at 3-4, five straight by Florida Southern gave the ranked club the lead for good. WOU could not string any runs together and staved off one match point via a service error. The Mocs won the contest on their second match point, 15-9. FSU had eight kills and no errors while WOU put down four kills and had three miscues in the final stanza.The Wolves return to action on Friday against Embry-Riddle at LCEF Court at 2:30 p.m. The match will be the second of the Concordia Labor Day Tournament for Western Oregon. Appeal to Trace Wrexham Man Who Punched Train Conductor in Face This article is old - Published: Friday, Sep 2nd, 2016 British Transport Police have launched an appeal to trace a man who punched a train conductor in the face. Officers have today issued an appeal in relation to the assault which took place at around 7:30pm on 16 July at Flint and are looking to speak to the man pictured above in connection with the incident. The train conductor was walking down the Llandudno to Manchester Piccadilly service when he came across a man without a ticket. The man refused to pay and so was asked to leave the train at Flint. When the train stopped, the man punched the conductor in the face as he was leaving the train and ran off towards the station. It is believed the man may be from the Wrexham area. Investigating officer PC Sean Braithwaite said: The conductor was just carrying out his job when he was subjected to an unprovoked and unacceptable assault. I ask anyone who recognises the man from this image to get in touch immediately. Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting 494 of 16/7. Senator Sam Dastyari, a Labor Party factional powerbroker, is the target of a campaign implying that he is a bought-and-paid-for agent of the Chinese government because he took a payment from a Chinese company. As with all such scandals in ruling circles, this one serves a definite political agenda. It is being utilised to ratchet up anti-Chinese rhetoric and intimidate critics in the political and media establishment of Washingtons demands that Australia play a far more bellicose and prominent role in US preparations for a military confrontation with Beijing. As the parliament sat this week for the first time since the July 2 election, the Australian Financial Review published revelations that, in October 2015, Dastyari requested a Chinese-owned company, Top Education Institute, pay a $1,670 debt he incurred by overspending his publicly-funded travel entitlements. The companys chief executive, Australian citizen Minshen Zhu, has been portrayed in the Australian media as someone with close ties to the highest levels of the Chinese government because he represented overseas Chinese at the 2014 Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference. Further reports were published that in mid-2013, Chinese-owned property company Yuhu Group paid about $5,000 to settle a legal case taken out against Dastyari while he was still the general secretary of the New South Wales (NSW) branch of the Labor Party. Dastyari was elected into the Senate, the upper house of parliament, in the September 2013 election, which Labor lost to the Liberal-National Coalition. According to media reports, Dastyari has since travelled to China on at least two occasions with financial assistance from Chinese companies or state-owned bodies. Dastyari made groveling apologies in the Senate this week for accepting the $1,670 and, so far, Labor leader Bill Shorten has not demanded his resignation. The furore is nevertheless continuing. In the parliament on Wednesday, prominent right-wing Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi labelled Dastyari a Manchurian candidatein other words, a Chinese agent. The general tone of the media coverage carries the same insinuation. The payments accepted by Dastyari have been directly linked with political positions he advanced on Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea. In June 2016, following a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague that the Chinese claims were invalid, Dastyari reportedly told Chinese media: The South China Sea is Chinas own affair. On this issue, Australia should remain neutral and respect Chinas decision. Dastyaris positions on other questions have also been raised. He allegedly said the Australian government must abandon its hostile stand toward Beijings declaration of an Air Defence Identification Zone in the East China Sea between Japan and China. His statements in the Senate advocating that Australia join the Chinese-initiated Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank have also been cited. The press is now full of revelations of Chinese-linked money pouring into the coffers of Australian political parties and university-based think-tanks, all carrying the implication that influence is being bought. Since 2012, Yuhu Group has reportedly donated $500,000 to the NSW and federal Labor parties, $425,000 to state and federal Liberal party branches and $1.8 million to help establish the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). The institute is chaired by former foreign minister and NSW Premier Bob Carr, who has a history of criticising US policy in Asia. This week, the institute sponsored a speech by former Prime Minister Paul Keating, who declared that the US was a waning power and Australia cant ever be caught up in some containment policy of China by Washington. Relations between the Australian and Chinese elites have burgeoned alongside the expanding economic ties between the two countries. China is Australias largest trading partner, biggest export market and fastest growing source of foreign direct investment. The relations reach to the highest echelons of Australian politics. Images have been published of Top Education Institute executive Minshen Zhu posing for photos at functions with each prime minister since 2007Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbullas well as Treasurer Scott Morrison and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) published a report alleging that Duncan Lewis, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the countrys domestic spy agency, personally warned top Liberal, Labor and National Party officials in 2015 of the national security risks posed by foreign-linked donations. Dastyari responded to the campaign against him by retracting his statements on the South China Sea. He declared there is no difference between his position and that of Shorten and Senator Stephen Conroy. As Labors defence spokesperson, Conroy repeatedly denounced Beijing and called for Australia to send naval forces to carry out a freedom of navigation operation inside the 12-mile exclusion zone surrounding Chinese-held islets in the South China Sea. The focus on Chinese influence in Australian politics follows a four-day visit to the country in July by US Vice President Joe Biden after the PCA ruling on Chinas territorial claims. Bidens trip was aimed at ensuring that Australia, a key US ally in Asia, is firmly aligned with Washingtons drive to exploit The Hague decision to ratchet up pressure on China. In a pointed warning to any opponents of confrontation with Beijing, Biden said on July 20 that the US was determined to remain the predominant power in the region. He asserted that its military might was unparalleled and it was never a good bet to bet against the United States. The US and Australia, he declared, forged the foundations of our alliance in iron and baptised it in blood. Chinese fury over the prospect of Australia serving as Washingtons catspaw in heightening tensions was reflected in an editorial by the state-owned Global Times at the end of July. The editorial labelled Australia a paper cat and declared: If Australia steps into South China Sea waters, it will be an ideal target for China to warn and strike. Despite this, tremendous pressure is being applied to the Australian establishment by Washington and the most vocal pro-US sections of the ruling elite. Yesterday, Colonel Tom Hanson, the Assistant Chief of Staff to the US Army, bluntly told the ABC: It is very difficult to walk this fine line between balancing the alliance with the United States and the economic engagement with China. At some point there is going to have to be a decision about which one becomes more of a vital national interest for Australia, in my opinion. Directly referencing The Hague ruling and Beijings declarations that it does not recognise it, Hanson asserted: I think the Australians need to make a declaratory statement and some visible action that shows their concern and commitment to upholding a rules-based international order. Visible action by the Australian military in the South China Sea will risk, as the Global Times warned, a direct military clash with the Chinese armed forces and could trigger an all-out war between China and the US and its allies. The accusations that Dastyari is a Manchurian candidate are only a foretaste of the nationalist and militarist hysteria that will be whipped up against China and alleged pro-Chinese elements as the US demands for Australian operations against Beijing gather pace. The Gabonese capital of Libreville is on lockdown, and violent clashes are erupting after the results of Saturday's contested presidential election were announced on Wednesday. Well before any investigation of the election returns has begun, however, Paris is demanding that incumbent President Ali Bongo hand over power in the oil-rich former French colony to the French-backed candidate, Jean Ping. Political tensions were running high in the days before the announcement of the election results, with tanks in the streets and large areas of Libreville already deserted. Inhabitants stocked food and returned home early from work in anticipation of street fighting. After official results came out on WednesdayBongo received 49.8 percent and Ping 48.2 percent, handing Bongo the election under the terms of Gabon's first-past-the-post presidential election systemopposition supporters organized protests and clashed with riot police. They also partially burned down the Gabonese National Assembly Wednesday night. Yesterday, France's ruling Socialist Party (PS) issued a public statement bluntly demanding that Bongo cede power to Ping. It has been a half-century that the Bongo family has ruled Gabon, it declared. Handing over power would be a sign of good faith and would provide a good example to follow. The Bongo family, which has ruled Gabon in close collaboration with French imperialism since Ali's father took power in 1965 based on a French military intervention in Gabon that toppled Jean-Hilaire Aubame, declined to respond to the PS statement. However, after the burning of the National Assembly, they sent special forces to storm Ping's campaign headquarters and launched mass arrests. Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya said that over 1,000 people had been detained nationwide. The situation in Gabon remains extremely volatile, with contradictory reports emerging on events in the country's major cities. Several people were killed yesterday when security forces stormed Ping's campaign headquarters, and Ping said that 26 top politicians are still detained there. They include Rene Obiang, the former assistant general secretary of Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), who left the PDG last year; former Vice President Didjob Divungui Di Ding; and leaders of the opposition National Union (UN) party, Zacharie Myboto and Paul-Marie Gondjout. Ping, who sought refuge in the French embassy in Libreville before the election results came out, is working to rally support for the opposition in the European press and ruling circles. Le Monde published an extensive, sympathetic interview with Ping last night, in which he compared the situation in Gabon to that in Syriawhere the NATO powers have armed opposition forces in a war to topple the sitting president, Bashar al-Assad. Asked if he was safe, Ping replied: No one is safe in Gabon anymore. We have a tyrant that is shooting his population, just like Assad. Who can be safe in such conditions? No one! Ping called for Bongo to organize an internationally-monitored vote recount. When asked by Le Monde about his relations to the French authorities, he replied: I am doing everything I can to have excellent relations with the French, both on the left and on the right. These remarks were echoed by Ping's lawyer in Paris, Eric Moutet, who told French business daily Les Echos: Mr Jean Ping vigorously reaffirms, in agreement with the European Union and the United States, that a recount, poll station by poll station, is the only way to guarantee the integrity of the election result. Paris' claims that it is intervening to defend democracy and ensure a peaceful handover of power in the interests of the Gabonese people are a reactionary fraud. It is launching an imperialist regime change operation. Amid escalating divisions and conflicts within the Bongo clique itself, the PS government is intervening to back a dissident faction of the Bongo regime in an attempt to fashion a more stable basis for its continued domination of this key African state. The clearest indication of this is Ping's own career. The son of an influential Franco-Chinese businessman and a Gabonese mother, he is Ali Bongo's former brother-in-law, having married and divorced Ali's sister Pascaline Bongo, who played the role of financial advisor to her father Omar until his death in 2009. According to La Diplomatie, Ping has large real estate holdings both in France and Ivory Coast, whose president Laurent Gbagbo was toppled by a French military intervention in 2011, as part of a wave of French neo-colonial wars in Africa after the outbreak of the NATO war in Libya. He runs the consulting firm Ping & Ping with his son. Ping is intimately familiar with the corrupt financial circuits through which Gabon's oil wealth was siphoned off over decades by the French government and oil industry. He was a beneficiary of this system, which also allotted a small portion of the profits to buying off a tiny clique around Bongo himself. Omar Bongo amassed an estate is worth an estimated 450 million (US$503 million), triggering bitter battles among his children after his death over how to divide his power and wealth. The masses' living standards in Gabon, whose economy produces over $10,000 per inhabitant, are not significantly different from those of nearby impoverished sub-Saharan African countries where the majority of the population lives on the equivalent of a few dollars a day. French imperialism is intervening not to defend democracy, but to preserve this neo-colonial social order in Gabon. Paris felt that its interests were threatened not only by escalating social discontent with the Bongo regime, but above all by Ali Bongo's developing ties with China, whose economic and political influence is surging across Africa. After coming to power, Ali Bongo allegedly took tens of millions of dollars in bribes from Chinese construction company Sinohydro, which has won key contracts in Gabon despite the traditional influence of French construction companies in France's former African colonial empire. Ping's intervention in the Gabonese elections was well-prepared with top French officials, whom he met in Paris last October to discuss the elections. He spoke with PS First Secretary Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, Senator Jean-Pierre Cantegrit, President Francois Hollande's Africa advisor Helene Le Gal, diplomat Jean-Christophe Belliard, and Ibrahima Diawadoh, Prime Minister Manuel Valls' Africa advisor. Ping apparently worked closely with the PS and the regime installed in Ivory Coast by the French army five years ago to prepare a French-backed destabilization campaign. Jeune Afrique has published partial transcripts of an intercepted phone call Monday between Ping and Ivorian official Mamadi Diane. In the call, the two men discussed how to launch a destabilization operation against Ali Bongo after the elections. Diane: Brother, how is it going? Ping: Yes, I received the paper, we will send it. Diane: No, no, there's something else, more important. You must succeed in getting two or three people onto the electoral commission, who say there was too much funny business and resign. Ping: Yes. Diane: You understand, it will create total chaos. If you can do it tonight, it would be fantastic. Ping: OK, thanks. The Ivorian government told Diane to step down after the transcript was made public. A state election takes place Sunday, September 4, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MV). The ruling parties, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Christian Democratic Union (CDU), have focused their election campaigns on attacking refugees. There is nothing to add to the fact that refugee policy is dominating this election, reported Die Zeit. The radio station Deutschlandfunk reported: The election campaign is determined by the topic of refugees. The right-wing extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been the beneficiary. It has placed candidates on the ballot for the first time and, like the CDU, stands at 21 percent in the polls. The two parties are in a neck-and-neck race for second place behind the SPD, which leads at 28 percent. In the last election, the social democrats, who placed Erwin Sellering on the ballot for minister president, received 35.6 percent of the vote. The concentration of the election on refugee policy is even more remarkable given how few refugees live in the sparsely populated state and how many leave it as soon as possible. The German radio station Deutschlandfunk estimates that about 11,000 refugees live in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This corresponds to about half of 1 percent of the entire population of 1.6 million. Other media outlets have reported that there are only 8,000 refugees in the state. The campaign against refugees serves a different purpose. It is meant to divert into right-wing channels anger over poverty and social decline and fears on the part of middle class layers of losing their status. The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is mostly composed of rural countryside. Industries such as shipbuilding and fishing struggle to survive. The unemployment rate, at 9 percent, is one of the highest in Germany. A recent decline in the jobless rate is mostly a consequence of the fact that so many young people have continued to leave the state in search of work. The migration of young people to the west in search of work is an ongoing trend that began with the reunification of Germany 25 years ago. Altogether, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has lost approximately 300,000 residents since reunification. They have left behind dying villages and small cities and an ageing population. Tourism provides most of the jobs, especially in the summer. For the most part, these jobs are badly paid. Although unemployment is the most important issue to 38 percent of voters, this issue has barely played a role in the election. One also searches in vain for posters opposing war and rearmament. CDU candidate and the sitting Interior Minister Lorenz Caffier is leading the charge in encouraging a mood hostile to refugees. Although no fully veiled women have been seen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania up to this point, he advocates banning the burqa. On the program Report Mainz, he openly admitted that the purpose of the demand for a burqa ban was to encourage a law-and-order climate. In answer to the question whether he had seen a burqa before, he said: In case it escaped your notice, I am the spokesperson of the union [Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union]-led states in Germany, and we have worked out a position paper on security and integration, and the burqa plays a role in that. He claims that one has the feeling that Mecca is located in the middle of Germany and justifies this with the words: I believe that we use a certain visual language at certain times. And in this regard, I have nothing further to add. The spokesman for the security policy of the CDU state parliamentary faction, Michael Silkeit, put out a flyer showing the collapsing Twin Towers in New York City. When Report Mainz asked him about the flyers, he said: I think it is right. In Rostock, there are many international cruse liners. It is not new that American ships, American tourists, for example, are attacked all over the world, he said. Report Mainz commented that there have been approximately as many exploding American cruise ships as burqas in Meck-Pomm up to this point. Erwin Sellering, the lead candidate of the SPD, is also staking everything on propaganda against refugees. In an interview with Spiegel Online, he attacked German Chancellor Angela Merkel from the right. She created the impression last fall that we must accept refugees without any limit and acted at the same time as if anyone who voiced any doubts was either a right-wing extremist or an idiot. The acceptance of refugees has led to a divide in society. In the same interview, Sellering said: It is not about categorizing everyone who voices criticism as a member of the AfD. That would prevent us from seriously addressing justified criticisms. The AfD is thriving on this sort of poison. As in other eastern German states, the party is part of the far right in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Holger Arppe, their candidate in Rostock, was fined for hate speech in 2015 because of a comment he had posted on an Internet forum attacking Muslims. The lead candidate of the AfD, the former radio moderator Leif-Erik Holm, said: Fear of foreign infiltration and the loss of German identity is not irrational, but is proved by the numbers. I personally feel this fear that we Germans could decline culturally one day the way it has happened in some parts of cities. Until a short time ago, Holm was an employee of AfD European Member of Parliament Beatrix von Storch. Like her, he demands an immediate stop to immigration and the taking in of refugees. He elaborates this with demands such as: Things should be better for families, more children, more security, and more police. The AfD is also against wind power and denies climate change. It bases itself on the widespread anger against the established parties and encourages antagonisms between Germans from the east and west: We easterners are tough, we imbibed how important freedom is with our mothers milk. Many representatives of the right-wing extremist National Democratic Party (NPD) have become supporters of the AfD. In order to support the AfD, the NPD, which has been threatened with a ban, has not placed candidates of its own on the ballot. Five years ago, the NPD got 6 percent of the vote and had its own faction in the state parliament. According to recent surveys, the NPD would receive around 3 percent, so it is unlikely that the NPD could enter the government again. The AfD has large election posters everywhere. They display slogans such as More protection for families and property! Vote for the AfD now and Prevent the destruction of Germany! Vote for the AfD now. The AfD claims it did not put up these posters itself. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, an association for the maintenance of the rule of law and civil liberties is behind the posters. The association has also produced a newspaper that is distributed to households free of charge. It is called Special Edition for the State Election. It condemns Angela Merkel and recommends voting for the AfD. The association had already advocated a vote for the AfD in the state elections in Baden-Wurttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in March. According to Spiegel Online, experts suspect the association of producing a skilled packaging for illegal party donations. According to information obtained by the Bild newspaper, Josef Konrad, a spokesperson of the campaign, had 12 millionaires behind him who wanted to help the party and were planning additional campaigns. The head of the CDU in the state, Caffier, appears to have little problem to work with the AfD. He said the AfD was just more consistent and more patriotic than the CDU. However, the Left Party bears the main responsibility for the growth of right-wing demagogy. Its lead candidate, Helmut Holter, explained the rise of the AfD in an interview with Die Zeit: The AfD will not just get votes because of the refugees, but also because of frustration and anger. That goes back to the social reforms of Agenda 2010 and the rescue of Greece. Many people do not understand why there is money for that, but not for their own concerns. Holter forgot to mention his own role. The politician, who was born in 1953 and became a member of the Socialist Unity Party (SED), the state party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), is directly responsible for the social misery in the state. Between 1998 and 2006, he belonged to a coalition of the SPD and the Left Party that was responsible for the implementation of the social cuts associated with Agenda 2010. In its election program, the Left Party now promises to carry out all manner of good deeds, which everyone knows they would never implement if they were in the government. The party does not energetically oppose the propaganda against refugees. Moreover, leading representatives of the party such as Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the Left Party parliamentary faction of federal parliament, and Bolo Ramelo, minister president of Thuringia, have joined in the attacks on refugees. The cynical policy of the Left Party is to employ left-sounding phrases to cover up its support for social attacks. This has made it possible for the AfD to present itself as an alternative to the Berlin parties and rally protest voters around it. The Left Party lies at about 13 percent in the polls, 5 percent less than in the last election. Attendees at its gatherings are almost exclusively older people who have remained faithful out of loyalty to the GDR. Whether the current SPD-CDU coalition will continue to rule after the election or will be dissolved by another alliance also depends on the performance of the Green Party, which stands in the polls just barely above the 5 percent hurdle required for entering the government. However, the entry of the Greens would change little in the policies of the state government. The parties and their programs are largely interchangeable. A record 49 percent of those eligible to vote did not take part in the last election. It is to be expected that the number of abstentions will be similarly high this time. The China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (Cosco) took over 51 percent of the Greek state-owned Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) on August 10, making it the controlling shareholder. Under the deal, Cosco has management and operation rights to run the PPA until 2052. The deal was signed at the beginning of April and was rubber stamped by Greeces Syriza-controlled parliament at the end of June. The sale is part of the wider privatisation programme that has been imposed on Greece by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund in order to raise funds towards the repayment of the countrys vast mountain of debt. Following its takeover of the PPA, Cosco is reportedly also interested in purchasing the management rights of the port of Thessaloniki in northern Greece. The countrys second largest port after Piraeus, Thessaloniki is also slated for privatisation. Cosco paid 280.5 million to secure the 51 percent stake in the Piraeus port. As part of the deal, in five years time it will be able to acquire a further 16 percent stake for 88 billiononce it has completed investments worth 300 million. These include expanding the infrastructure of the cruise port, upgrading the shipyard repair zone and the construction of a multi-story garage in the RO-RO (or roll-on, roll-off) vessel port. Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) head Stergios Pitsiorlas described the Piraeus deal as a very important moment. Speaking to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, he said, The cooperation at Piraeus port is not just an economic collaboration but has strategic characteristics. Greece, via the Piraeus port, can indeed become Chinas gateway into Europe to the benefit of China and Greece. To mark the occasion, Cosco CEO Wan Min, accompanied by Pitsiorlas, visited the Athens Stock Exchange on August 11 to symbolically ring the bell for that days opening session. Speaking of the deal Wan Min stated, The Piraeus project represents a key milestone in the Belt and Road initiative, and the ports growth and prosperity will boost economic development both in China and Greece, ushering in a new era of trade cooperation and cultural exchange between east and west. The Belt and Road initiative refers to Beijings so-called One Belt, One Road strategy, which aims to expand the global reach of Chinese capitalism through massive infrastructure development to link the Eurasian landmass, as well as Africa, both by land and sea. The scheme was unveiled in late 2013 as a counterweight to Washingtons pivot to Asia, which is aimed at undermining China through a build-up of military presence in the region and through the Trans-Pacific Partnership economic bloc from which China is excluded. Cosco has had a presence in Greece since it acquired the management rights of two of the three container terminals at the Port of Piraeus in 2009. Alongside the Guangzhou South China Oceangate Terminal, Coscos container terminals in Piraeus was the groups best performing operation in terms of revenue and cargo volume in the first half of this year, increasing its revenue by 13.2 percent compared to the same period last year. This is in stark contrast with the groups overall revenue, which dropped by 0.6 percent over the same period, due to pressures from the stagnant state of the global economy. With the acquisition of the PPA container terminal, Coscos management intends to turn Piraeus into one of the largest container transit ports in Europe. The profitability of Coscos facilities in Piraeus is directly reliant on the extreme sweatshop practices prevailing there. According to several reports, the working day is often in excess of 15 hours, while breaks are considered a luxury by management. Moreover, overtime is unpaid, which means that monthly wages are never more than 700 a month. In February, Cosco workers carried out stoppages to protest working conditions in the two terminals owned by the company. According to a statement released by the Piraeus Terminals Container Handlers Union (ENEDEP), there are constant problems with the machinery, none of which have been resolved despite them being reported, which have led to health problems amongst drivers and operators. Workers have not been supplied with protective clothing against the elements nor with specially designed [safety] cages. It was this regime that prompted Coscos Piraeus operation chief to declare in 2014, No other country in Europe offers such potential. The drafting of the bill voted on by parliament in June was overseen by Shipping Minister and Syriza MP Thodoris Dritsas. An erstwhile opponent of the privatisation of the port, Dritsas had declared shortly after the pseudo-left party was first voted into power in January 2015 and he was appointed Deputy Shipping Minister that the public character of the port will be preserved and the PPAs privatisation stops here. The signing of the deal is testamentif any more was neededto the extent that Syriza has capitulated to the demands of the financial aristocracy after it signed a third bailout package last summer. There was huge opposition to the deal by dock workers in Thessaloniki and Piraeus, both of whom went on a month-long strike until June 25. The strike caused disruption to the tourist industry and in particular to cruise liners docking in Piraeus. Speaking about the strike in the first week of June, Theodoros Kontes, president the Association of Cruise Ship Owners and Maritime Agencies, estimated that possible losses in June for his sector could total up to 12 million. He added that while the loss is currently small, it would multiply from here onwards, not just for this season of maritime tourism, but for its future years as well. The decision of the Federation of Greek Port Employees (OMYLE) to call off the strike, at the very point when it could have a real financial impact, and a few days before parliament approved the deal, underscores the complicity of the trade union bureaucracy in facilitating the sell-off of state property, by diverting working class militancy into harmless channels. OMYLE justified its capitulation on the grounds that port workers in Piraeus and Thessaloniki would have the right to be transferred to the public sector after privatisation. This measure would do nothing to safeguard the interests of port workers, given that their pay would not be guaranteed in the event of a transfer. A transfer is also dependent on there being an equivalent job opening in the public sector, which is becoming increasingly unlikely given the aggressive drive to privatise Greeces ports. OMYLE was instrumental in demobilising opposition to the sale of the two container terminals to Cosco in 2009. After a series of strikes in the first half of October that year by Pireaus dock workers in protest against the takeover, OMYLE called off any future strike action after a meeting with Louka Katseli, finance minister in George Papandreous social democratic PASOK government. There followed a two-week consultation period, during which the union refrained from strike action, that concluded with Coscos takeover in November. The privatisation of Piraeus port, and the sweatshop working practices that are accompanying it, show the disastrous conditions that are being created for the working class in Greece and across Europe by the European Union and its enforcer, the Syriza government. Last week it was revealed that Cosco is the frontrunner in a bid for a tender to develop and operate a third terminal at the Spanish port of Algeciras on the Straits of Gibraltar, a key trans-shipment hub in the Mediterranean and a gateway into Europe. Coscos expansion into Europe within the framework of Chinas One Belt, One Road strategy has explosive geopolitical implications. Far from providing the possibility of a peaceful outlet for Chinese capitalism by enabling it to by-pass US military aggression and trade obstacles, Chinas inroads into Europe will stoke tensions even further. A July article on US think-tank Lexington Institutes web site argued, Chinas surge of financial investments in Greece and Europe could result in unintended security concerns in the future. If European countries become too economically dependent on China, they may side with Beijing when it comes to NATO security concerns involving China or its allies including North Korea and Russia. Though China was framed as the aggressive party, using its relations in Europe to potentially undermine NATO, the article made clear US hostility to the developments in Greece. What happens in Europe matters to America because the U.S. depends on the European Union for much of its commercial activity, and most of the members belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which provides collective security, it states, concluding, The West must tread cautiously when accepting Chinese economic deals. The US has taken a direct interest in keeping Greece within the western sphere of influence since the end of World War II. The lengths Washington went to preserve this status quo is underscored by its backing of the military coup in 1967, which ruled Greece for seven years. The coups goal was to suppress the working class and pre-empt any attempt to shift Greeces foreign policy toward neutrality between NATO and the Soviet Union. The author also recommends: One Belt, One Road: Chinas response to the US pivot [4 December 2015] According to a report released last month by the New York City Department of Investigations Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD (OIG-NYPD), as recently as last year the New York Police Department (NYPD) violated court-ordered safeguards against political spying as part of its ongoing surveillance of Muslim groups. The report, An Investigation of NYPDs Compliance with Rules Governing Investigations of Political Activity, examined the NYPDs compliance with the Handschu Guidelines, initially established as part of a class action lawsuit in 1971. The guidelines were ostensibly aimed at limiting the surveillance by police of political activity and required police to regularly file records related to surveillance. The guidelines were modified in in favor of the police in 2003 as part of an NYPD lawsuit, allowing cops greater leniency in spying on religious and political organizations as part of counterterrorism efforts. The guidelines could be modified again as part of a settlement in January of two anti-discrimination lawsuits, Raza v. City of New York and Handschu v. Special Services Division, which are currently awaiting a judges approval. The first case was filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and other civil rights groups on behalf of a Brooklyn imam, Hamid Hassan Raza, who avoided certain topics in his sermons out of fear of NYPD spying. The second is a complaint by Muslim and civil liberties organizations that the NYPD has violated the revised Handshu agreement of 2003 by failing to keep records of those that it spies on. The OIG report focused on a sample of cases closed between 2010 and 2015, and notes that 95 percent of the individuals under investigation were Muslim or engaged in an activity associated with Islam. The report discovered that the NYPD frequently continued investigations after legal authorization had expired. In over half the cases reviewed, the NYPD failed to reauthorize the use of informants and undercover officers, and regularly failed to explain the role of informants and undercover officers in the investigationdespite the fact that this requirement is set forth in the NYPD Patrol Guide, which was revised along with the establishment of the Handschu Guidelines. The report indicates that the polices anti-democratic practice of spying on Muslims continued after 2014, when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, formally disbanded the NYPDs notorious Demographics Unit, which used plainclothes officers to record the activities of Muslims in mosques, cultural centers and Muslim-frequented businesses. The activities of the Demographics Unit were exposed in a Pulitzer-prize winning series by the Associated Press that lead to a civil lawsuit, Hassan v. City of New York, based on the NYPDs spying on Muslims in New Jersey (the unit operated across state lines). The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal district court, but it won an appeal last year. John Miller, the NYPDs deputy commissioner for counterterrorism and intelligence, defended the targeting of Muslims that the OIG-NYPD documented by stating, If youre investigating al-Qaida, and TTP [Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan] and ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] plots against New York City, your investigative targets are going to be who they are. He has previously said that the recent settlements in Handschu case would not change the departments current policy. The NYPD, however, has recently announced that it would implement an electronic case tracking system for all Handschu-mandated investigations, presumably to remind cops to submit extensions. NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, who recently announced his resignation, said, The NYPD has never suggested that protecting New York City from terrorism and adhering to the Handschu Guidelines were mutually exclusive outcomes. This statement expresses a fear in ruling circles that the blatant disregard for democratic rights will further discredit the police in the eyes of the population, who increasingly associate cops with spying and brutality, even as police are frequently outfitted with military grade equipment. Earlier this month, de Blasio and Bratton both appealed to Congress to grant New York City $100 million in anti-terrorism funding as part of the Homeland Securitys Urban Areas Security Initiative. In the past Bratton let slip that such operations, such as the establishment of a 300-officer counterterrorism unit, would be used against anti-police brutality protesters. Following the proposed settlement for the Raza case in January, de Blasios law department attempted to block two Freedom of Information lawsuits by two Muslim-Americans, Samir Hashmi and Talib Abdur-Rashid, by invoking the Glomar doctrine. This is a legal principle that authorizes the government to refuse information requests by neither confirming nor denying the existence of secret operations. Trial courts ruled against the NYPD in Hashmis case, but in favor of it in Abdur-Rashids. De Blasios reforms of the police reflect little more than a change in managerial style: under the guise of anti-terror operations police are allowed to spy on the population and stockpile military grade equipment but must submit the proper paperwork. New Zealands National Party-led government is overseeing a deepening wave of job cuts that is hitting every part of the country. As elsewhere around the world, the working class is being made to pay for the economic crisis through the axing of jobs, wages and working conditions. New Zealand is highly exposed to the global slump, particularly the slowdowns in China and Australia, the countrys two largest trading partners. There has been a collapse in export prices for basic commodities such as dairy, coal and steel. The countrys annual economic growth rate has so far fallen to 2.8 percent in 2016, from 3.7 percent in 2014. Prime Minister John Key claimed in a Radio NZ interview on August 17 that the economy is growing pretty strongly. In fact, as the Otago Daily Times noted, the economy stood still in the three months to March. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) forecast that unemployment will rise from 5.2 percent to 6 percent next year. The official jobless figure was recently cut by Statistics NZ from 5.7 to 5.2 percent by excluding people who are only job-seeking online. The real unemployment rate, including those who work just a handful of hours per week, is undoubtedly much higher. The job cutting is being undertaken with the full collaboration of the opposition Labour Party and the trade unions, which agree with the underlying program of protecting corporate profits and making locally-based firms internationally competitive. Their chief role is to stifle any opposition by workers. Phil Goff, a longtime Labour Party leader who is a candidate for mayor of Auckland, has foreshadowed job cuts if he is successful. Goff is pledging to slash council costs and reduce inefficiencies to save $50 million a year. Private sector executives will be hired and council departments where staffing and expenditure are very high required to find higher levels of savings. The council-owned Ports of Auckland is cutting 50 jobs through a three-year project to automate its container terminal via the installation of driverless straddle carriers. Maritime Union general secretary Joe Fleetwood said the union was involved in discussions from the start and accepted the cuts on the basis that automation was happening one way or another. In the South Island the Christchurch city council, led by Mayor Lianne Dalziel, another former Labour MP, is presiding over job cuts as part of an agenda, worked out in collaboration with the government, of austerity and asset sales to pay for reconstruction work after the 20102011 earthquakes. The Earthquake Commission (EQC) is threatening 500 job cuts, which will see total jobs decline from 900 to 383 by January, with 242 to be lost in Christchurch, 172 in Wellington and 71 in Hamilton. CEO Ian Simpson claimed he was supporting staff, many of whom are on fixed-term employment agreements, through CV writing skills and career planning tools. Carpet manufacturer Cavalier Bremworth will close its Christchurch plant in October and downsize operations in Whanganui, blaming falling demand for woollen carpets. First Union said the moves would see around 104 redundancies. CEO Paul Alston said the company was consulting with the unions about relocating some workers to its Napier plant. The Christchurch workers have been threatened with being denied redundancy payouts if they take job offers from nearby NZ Yarn before their plant shuts. In a pattern of attacks on the public service, the Ministry for Primary Industries is seeking to cut 49 jobs, 15 percent of its workforce. The Public Service Association has not opposed the cuts. The union simply said it had grave concerns about the process being followed while supporting management moves to streamline processes. Golden State Foods closed its vegetable-processing factory in Nelson last month, eliminating 30 jobs. Silver Fern Farms is cutting 28 jobs and closing its plant in Belfast, Christchurch following the closure of its Islington plant with the loss of 54 jobs. In December, the company made more than 100 Dunedin seasonal meat workers redundant. Steel fabricator Integrated Maintenance Group cut the jobs of five production welders last month. E Tu union organiser Joe Gallagher, in alliance with the industry employers, sought to divert opposition by stirring up divisive anti-Chinese sentiment, blaming the job cuts on imported Chinese steel. Last October, the predecessor of E Tu, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, collaborated with employers to cut 200 mining and steel jobs. Education institutions hit by government funding shortfalls are targeting jobs and conditions. Auckland polytechnic Unitec will shut its Albany campus this year. Some 300 staff face the loss of their jobs over three years, with 50 already gone. Otago University has announced the axing of 20 positions across five humanities departments. The universitys College of Education will see more cuts next year. Victoria University is moving to extend working hours, introduce public holiday work and remove Sunday penalty rates for support staff. About 250 Otago University staff and students attended a protest on August 24, promoted by the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) under the slogan Love Humanities. To head off this opposition, a union spokesman pleaded with the university to slow down and reconsider its options. Similarly, last year the TEU told Unitec council it was committed to working with managers to undertake cuts in such ways that staff are brought along with the changes; and at a pace that will allow change to bed in. NZ Post cut 500 jobs last month, bringing the total number of jobs destroyed since 2013 to 1,900. The state-owned company said the cuts were due to an annual $20$30 million fall in revenue from 60 million fewer letter deliveries per year. The unions, which have been complicit in the attack on jobs since the beginning, expect a further 25 percent reduction in the workforce. Westpac Bank plans to shut 19 branches in October, hitting provincial areas with 70 job cuts. Over 300 people blocked the main street of the South Island town of Ranfurly last Friday to protest the local branch closing. Three rural towns will be left with no full-service banking. Five closures are in Waikato, a region hit hard by the dairy downturn. Hillary Clintons speech to the American Legion convention Wednesday was a full-throated declaration of the right and responsibility of the United States to control the world by military force. Clinton pledged to keep the US the dominant global military power, to uphold the military alliances through which US imperialism controls Europe and the Far East, and to wage war unilaterally if deemed necessary, regardless of world opinion. Clinton repeatedly singled out Russia and China as potential targets for US military action, although such a conflict would pose the danger of nuclear war. After listing out the various unsubstantiated allegations of Russian hacking and cyberattacks, including against the Democratic National Committee, Clinton declared, As president, I will make clear that the United States will treat cyberattacks just like any other attack. We will be ready with serious political, economic and military responses. Ominously, she said one of her first actions upon taking office would be to conduct a full review of the US nuclear forces to make sure Americas arsenal is prepared to meet future threats, i.e., to wage nuclear war. Throughout the speech, Clinton targeted her Republican opponent Donald Trump, invariably attacking him from the right, accusing him of abandoning the longstanding bipartisan commitment of both Democrats and Republicans to maintaining the United States as the worlds leading power, and being unwilling to take military action when it was required to defend US interests. Clinton set a tone of American messianism at the beginning, declaring that, during her political career, If theres one core belief that has guided and inspired me every step of the way, it is this: The United States is an exceptional nation. I believe we are still Lincolns last, best hope of Earth. Were still Reagans shining city on a hill. Were still Robert Kennedys great, unselfish, compassionate country. Lincoln and Robert Kennedy are just window-dressing. The real message was conveyed in the invoking of American exceptionalism and Ronald Reagan, and her repeated declarations that America must lead. Clinton was making an argument to the Republican Party establishment, including the neo-conservatives who instigated the US war on Iraq, that she is closer to them on foreign policy than is Trump, whom she described as erratic, inexperienced and tied politically to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Clinton did not deal in any foreign policy specifics in the speech. There was no mention of Syria, Libya, Ukraine, the Baltic States or the South China Seaall areas where the Obama administration has come into conflict with Russia or China, and where a Clinton administration would take an even more aggressive stance. She referred to Iraq and Afghanistan only as countries where the US role was winding downa brazen lie. The purpose of the speech was to present Clintons general approach to military policy in the most aggressive terms. She called for increased military readiness, modernization of weapons systems and advanced preparations for all types of conflict. We cannot lose our military edge, and that means giving the Pentagon the stable, predictable funding it needs to make smart investments, she said, denouncing the sequester caps on military spending imposed as part of a bipartisan budget-cutting deal. The US military had to be able to operate on short notice across every domain, not just land, sea, air and space, but also cyberspace. Referring to Obamas drawdown of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, Clinton said, We have redeployed well over 100,000 troops from Iraq and Afghanistan so they can go home, rest, and train for future contingencies. Those contingencies she listed later: We need to respond to evolving threats from states like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea In other words, far from marking an end to 25 years of nearly nonstop American wars, the Obama administration has prepared the ground for wars of even greater consequence, including confrontations with China and Russia, both nuclear-armed powers. Clinton ended her speech with an open appeal for Republican support, noting that 50 Republican national security experts had recently declared they would not support Trump. This election shouldnt be about ideology, she argued. Its not just about differences over policy. It truly is about who has the experience and the temperament to serve as president and Commander-in-Chief. Inadvertently, Clinton is admitting a basic truth of American politics. The two-party system deprives the voters, i.e., the great majority of American working people, of any choice on the issue of war and peace, just as it does on all fundamental political questions. The Democrats and the Republicans are united when it comes to defending the profit interests of American banks and corporations, and the global domination of American imperialism. Wednesdays speech in Cincinnati was a carefully prepared declaration of policy, one of only two public appearances that Clinton has made in the second half of August, which has been largely devoted to private fundraising meetings with well-heeled financial backers. The audience itself was carefully chosen. The American Legion has long been the most reactionary of the veterans organizations. It organized anti-communist violence during the McCarthyite witchhunts, making it most receptive to Clintons neo-McCarthyite attacks on Trumps alleged ties to Russia. Clintons speech was accompanied by a continuing rollout of support from the military-intelligence apparatus. Two retired four-star Army generals, Robert Sennewald and David Maddox, issued a joint statement Thursday endorsing Clinton. This followed a statement Wednesday by James Clad, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asia under President George W. Bush, who praised Clinton for helping other Asian countries counter Chinese bullying in the western Pacific. The corporate media recognized the significance of Clintons address. The Washington Post wrote in its news account: The speech, while repeating Clintons frequent criticisms that Trumps populist foreign policy ideas are dangerous and unworkable, went further in establishing her own position as an internationalist who is to his political right on the issue of overseas engagement. The newspaper added that during the primary contest with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Clinton had sought to downplay her foreign policy record, including her 2002 vote for the Iraq war and her hawkish positions on US intervention in Libya and Syria. This changed in the general election, however, where Clinton was using support for traditional national security tenets [to] attract Republican support. Sanders played a politically criminal role in excluding questions of war and foreign policy from the 2016 campaign. The self-described democratic socialist attracted support from millions of youth and working people through his denunciations of economic inequality and the control of US politics by millionaires and billionaires. But he was totally uncritical of the foreign policy of the Obama administration, and, by extension, of Clinton as Obamas first secretary of state. Clintons speech underscores the immense dangers facing the working class of the United States and around the world. Regardless of what happens in November, American imperialism is preparing a vast escalation of military violence. Untold millions, even billions, of lives are at stake. In the 2016 election campaign, the Socialist Equality Party and its candidates for president and vice president, Jerry White and Niles Niemuth, are building a socialist leadership to prepare for the struggles to come. At the very center of our campaign is the fight against war, which is inextricably tied to the fight of the international working class against the capitalist system. Everything depends upon this. A newly released report revealed that the Chicago Police Department (CPD) shot and killed 92 people between 2010 and 2015 and wounded 173 people during that time. Over the course of the last six years, more than 2,623 bullets have been fired by officers in 435 shootings in areas of high poverty and in deep social distress. On average, every five days a Chicago police officer shoots someone. The database of information on recent police shootings was obtained by the Chicago Tribune as part of a Freedom of Information Act Request detailing every time a police officer fired a weapon at someone. The majority of these cases have never been brought to public attention or scrutiny. The city of Chicago currently outpaces other major citiessuch as New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Philadelphia in officer-involved shootings over the last five years. According to the database, of the 435 shootings at least 235 incidents involved a person getting shot by a bullet. Four out of five of those shot were African-American males. The officers that fired a weapon were mostly veteran police officers with more than a decade of experience. Of the 520 officers that fired shots, at least 60 were involved in repeat shootings. The individuals shot range from those in their early teens to a 92-year old woman. While the majority of those shot were African-American nearly fourteen percent of the shooting victims were Hispanic and a little less than six percent were white. The common feature in all these police shootings is that they occurred in areas of Chicago with high indices of poverty and unemployment. Over the course of the last year Democratic mayor Rahm Emanuel and the CPD have faced growing public outrage against rampant police brutality. Official investigations into police brutality and killings largely proceeded within the CPD and its oversight body, the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA), with details of investigations covered up and hidden from the public. The standard operating procedure for a police report included a pro forma statement from a police union spokesperson or the department. The police review and oversight agency largely functioned as an appendage of the CPD and the mayors office. A few videos have surfaced in response to mass outrage, most notably the murder of 17-year-old unarmed teenager Laquan McDonald by Officer Jason Van Dyke in 2014. The video of McDonalds shooting was only released to the public in the fall of 2015 after an independent reporter sued the city of Chicago for obstruction of access to public records. Prior to the release of the video of the shooting, the city quickly made a financial payout of $5 million to the McDonald family in an attempt at damage control, fearing broader public unrest. Emanuel and the Democratic Party establishment in Chicago played a central role in the cover-up of McDonalds killing. In the wake of the release of the McDonald video, the Emanuel administration has been in damage-control mode to try to quell mass unrest and protests against police killings. Since then, Emanuel has made cosmetic changes to the CPD personnel with various proposals to suggest that his police forces actions will be transparent in the future. In fact, Emanuel and the police department have continued to block efforts of public oversight into officer-involved shootings since then. Despite a seven-month-long request by the Tribune to acquire information about police shootings, the data was only handed over when the newspaper threatened to sue the department for repeatedly obstructing access to public records. In the wake of the McDonald videos release, the mayors self-appointed Police Accountability Task Force presented superficial proposals for reform, one of which included the recommendation that the police superintendent acknowledge the forces history of racial disparity and discrimination. Such claims are made to prevent any real examination of the roots of police violence. While racism no doubt plays a role in these police shootings, the socioeconomic features of these shootings highlight the fundamental class character of police brutality. Even as the majority of the shootings occurred in neighborhoods that are predominantly African-American, they are also areas that reflect the concentrated impact of the social and economic crisis of capitalism. Decades of deindustrialization have resulted in extreme poverty in many working class neighborhoods on the citys South and West side. The neighborhood of Auburn Gresham took the lead with over 30 police shootings where someone was injured or killed. The per capita income in this neighborhood is just $16,032. Unemployment is more than 24 percent and nearly 25 percent of households live below the official poverty live. Other highly impoverished areas also had high numbers of police shootings that resulted in death or injuries, including the districts of Englewood, Calumet, Grand Crossing and Harrison. Significantly, more than half of the officers involved in the shootings were minority police officers, either African-American or Hispanic. Hispanic officers, according to the report, make up only 19 percent of the CPD, but they account for more than 26 percent of police-involved shootings. The CPD officer that shot their gun the most was Tracey Williams, a female African-American tactical officer who opened fire five different times in five years, killing one person, wounding another and missing three more people. These facts highlight the essential class character of the police, regardless of the individual officers race or gender, as armed guards of the state to repress the population, overwhelmingly the poor and working class layers of society. According to the data released by the Tribune, only a handful of cases of officer-involved shootings were claimed to be unjustified. In most cases, the agency declared the use of force by police officers to be justified and in almost all of these cases the police were declared to be the only witnesses involved. The police, in other words, self-report on their activity with no real oversight. Without video evidence or other eyewitness testimony, the police frequently can engage in cover ups and frame ups, as well falsely reporting the facts of the case. The CPD and the Fraternal Order of Policejust as every police department across the nation has claimed without fail that the officers feared for their life in each case in order to justify their killings. However, a joint study conducted by the Chicago Reader and City Bureau found that the majority of CPD statements on police shootings have turned out to be fabricated and based on lies. Statements given by the police union since 2012 were shown to be false by legal testimony, video, media investigations, and contradictory statements given by the police themselves. In the wake of all these revelations, the Emanuel administration has continued to work to cover up the key role played by his administration, the Democratic Party and the highest levels of the state apparatus in the United States that perpetuates the reign of police violence. Recently, Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson formally sought to fire the officers involved in the cover-up of the police murder of McDonald. Such a measure is little more than an effort to quash anger and deflect the blame from Emanuels administrations role in covering up police murders. Emanuel also recently submitted a proposed ordinance for a vote by the City Council which would rebrand the widely discredited oversight agency IPRA and replace it with another called the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA). The replacement of IPRA by COPA does not, however, herald a new era of policing in Chicago. Police killings and shootings have continued unabated since Emanuel began proposing his transparency and accountability measures earlier this year. Moreover, the new agency remains entirely subject to Emanuels control and cannot function in any genuine sense as an independent agency to review police misconduct and violence. COPAs funding remains entirely dependent on Emanuel and the Democratic Party establishment which has overseen decades of police violence and brutality. Moreover, COPA will not have the power to hire independent counsel and will have to go through City Halls Law Department, which is a major conflict of interest. The Law Department and its lawyers already represent the mayor and the police officers, who are often the ones involved in cases of police misconduct. IPRA itself was formed in the wake of anger against the previous police oversight agency, the CPDs Office of Professional Standards, which failed to carry out any action against Jon Burge and other police officers implicated in torture. In its eight years, IPRA carried out superficial investigations, collaborated closely with the mayors office of communications, and ruled that the vast majority of police misconduct cases were justified. COPAs new interim chief will be the current head of IPRASharon Fairley which merely highlights the fraud of so-called civilian oversight and police reform measures. More than 9,500 refugees were rescued earlier this week from the seas off the west coast of Libya within just 48 hours. The number of refugees who have arrived in Italy via the central Mediterranean route from Libya rose as a result to more than 112,000. The dramatic rescue operations retrieved at least two dead bodies from the water. Last Monday alone, 40 rescue operations saved 6,500 refugees from severely overcrowded boats. Alongside boats from the Italian navy and coastguard, ships from non-governmental organisations participated in the operations. Around 3,000 refugees were then pulled from the water in 30 rescue missions. Due to good weather and calm sea conditions, an increased number of refugees were attempting the dangerous crossing to Europe. However, this weeks rescue operations cannot conceal the disastrous consequences of the European Union policy of sealing off its borders to refugees. Investigations by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reveal a sharp increase in the number of refugees who have drowned during the journey to Europe, even though the number arriving on Europes coastlines has declined significantly. IOM registered 280,000 refugees who had crossed to Europe by the end of August. Between January and December 2015, the figure was over a million. While in the first three months of the year almost 160,000 crossed the Aegean Sea to Greece, this route is virtually sealed off now because of the closure of the Balkan route and the dirty deal between the European Union (EU) and Turkey. By contrast, the number of refugees arriving in Italy is almost the same compared to last year, when 116,000 refugees arrived in the first eight months. More than 3,167 refugees have lost their lives in the first eight months of the year during their journey to Europe. The central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy claimed the most fatalities, with 2,728 deaths. In the Aegean, 386 refugees drowned during their crossing, and 53 on the western Mediterranean route from Morocco to Spain. The number of deaths is thus close to equaling the figure for last year as a whole, when 3,673 lost their lives. This makes the Mediterranean by far the deadliest route for refugees in the world. One out of every 29 refugees setting out from Libya or Egypt to Europe drowns during the crossingan average of 13 refugees each day. The main responsibility for these deaths lies not with unscrupulous smugglers, who force refugees to board unseaworthy boats, but rather with the European governments who are determined to prevent the influx of any refugees. They are not only showing complete disregard for the numerous victims of their inhumane refugee policy, but also consider them as useful collateral damage in their policy of deterrence. When the Italian navy mission Mare Nostrum, which had rescued 100,000 refugees from the Mediterranean between Italy and Libya, was halted in November 2014 and replaced by the Frontex mission Triton, the EU border protection agency had already come to the conclusion that the withdrawal of naval units from the sea areas off the coast of Libyawill likely result in a greater number of fatalities. But as a result, according to Frontex at the time, far fewer refugees will risk the crossing during bad weather and the prices for the crossings increase. European navy units now operate the Eunavformed Sophia mission in these waters. As they are not performing a rescue mission, but a combat operation against people smugglers, their ships are not part of the Italian coast guards SOS system. The military ships are not even visible to the coast guards radar. The Italian coast guards operations centre always has to contact the office of commander Enrico Credendino to ask if a naval ship is active in the area around a ship in difficulty. The militarisation of the Mediterranean, with the EU effectively waging war on refugees, is to be expanded further in the future by incorporating the coast guards of North African countries more directly into the EUs policy of sealing off its borders. Marine units involved in the Sophia mission will begin this month to train the Libyan coast guard and navy. The EU has already concluded an agreement on this with Libyas unity government. What is presented as a struggle against unscrupulous smugglers and the illegal arms trade is in reality aimed above all at the refugees themselves. This is demonstrated by two instances in which the Libyan coast guard fired on two ships operated by non-governmental organisations. In April, a Libyan speedboat attacked a ship operated by Sea Watch, an NGO that monitors refugee traffic, outside of Libyan territorial waters. Armed personnel stormed the ship under the pretext that it was suspected of illegal fishing, and intimidated the crew by firing shots. On August 17, the Bourbon Argos, operated by Doctors without Borders, which was sailing in international waters north of Libya as part of a rescue mission, was targeted by the Libyan coast guard. Shots fired from a Libyan speedboat damaged the bridge of the Bourbon Argos, which was subsequently boarded and searched for hours. Despite this, the EU extended the EUBAN mission, which is aimed at rebuilding the Libyan military and police. EUBAN has the task of planning a possible future EU mission which would offer advice in the areas of criminal justice, migration, border protection and combatting terrorism, and press ahead with capacity building, as an agreement approved by the EU foreign ministers stated. NATO also intends to participate in the operation. On July 9, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the transformation of the Active Endeavour naval mission first established in 2001 into Sea Guardian, which operates off the Libyan coast. One goal is the construction of a presidential guard, which is to enable the EU and US-backed Prime Minister of the unity government, Fayez al-Sarraj, to leave his naval base in Tripoli and bring more territory under his control. In this way it will be possible, among other things, to immediately deport refugees who have arrived in Europe back to the North African country, which the German government in particular is pushing for. The human rights organisation ProAsyl has justifiably denounced such inhumane actions. Giving the Libyan coast guard the capability of intercepting refugee boats and bringing people seeking protection back to Libya is complicity in serious violations of human rights, ProAsyl wrote. Abuse and torture are daily occurrences in the internment camps in Libya where refugees are being imprisoned. While the US and its allies are currently escalating the wars in Syria and Libya, thus driving millions more to flee their homes, the European Union is sealing off their escape routes. With boundless cynicism, the western powers are forcing refugees, fleeing the consequences of their own aggressive foreign policy, to attempt ever more dangerous routes, or supporting puppet regimes to intern them in transit states. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered a major policy address on immigration Wednesday in which he laid out a ten-point plan to forcibly deport millions of undocumented immigrant workers currently living in the US. Trump spoke in Phoenix, Arizona hours after returning from a visit with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City. For those here illegally today, who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only. To return home and apply for reentry, Trump said, adding: All energies of the federal government and the legislative process must now be focused on immigration security. That is the only conversation we should be having at this time, immigration security. Cut it off. Following the speech in Arizona and press reports from Trumps visit to Mexico, the New York Times wrote that Trumps positions on immigration are muddled and are left unclear. According to the Times, Trump said that the fate of most illegal immigrants would be handled humanely, and not right away, and that Trump is moving away from his original deportation-focused policy on immigration In reality, Trumps speech elaborated a fascistic ten-point plan involving mass deportation and martial law. He repeated his calls for building a border wall stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico: We will use the best technology, including above and below ground sensors thats the tunnels [sic]Towers, aerial surveillance and manpower to supplement the wall He called for an absolute bar on granting entry to any immigrant with a criminal record, including those convicted of the crime of entering the US without inspection and those with minor crimes like driving under the influence. All those with criminal records would be immediately rounded up on day one of a Trump administration, and this would be done in joint operation with local, state, and federal law enforcement. Trump then said that immigrants arrested for any crimenot convictedwould be immediately placed into removal proceedings. Further, Trump called for strong mandatory minimum sentences for those migrants who attempt to reenter the country without papers after a prior deportation. To enforce the mass round-up of millions of undocumented workers, Trump called for a drastic expansion of police and immigration agencies. He called for the creation of a new special deportation task force within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aimed at speeding up deportations, and called for granting local police the power to hand over arrestees to immigration authorities: Finally we will turn the tables and law enforcement and our police will be allowed to clear up this dangerous and threatening mess, he said. Trump also called for immediately canceling the DACA program which has allowed several million young undocumented people who were raised in the United States to remain in the US on a temporary basis. He also proposed suspending visa issuance from any place where adequate screening cannot occur, and called for screening tests with an ideological certification to make sure that those we are admitting to our country share our values and love our people. Finally, Trump called for preventing undocumented workers from receiving food stamps, subsidized medical care, public education or any other social services. Trump combines his proposal with a fascistic demagogic appeal to American workers in an attempt to pit them against their class brothers and sisters who have immigrated from Latin America and elsewhere on the planet. Trump claimed that the purpose of his program is to serve the best interests of America and its workers, the forgotten people. Workers. Were going to take care of our workers. He added: Under a Trump administration its called America first. Remember that. But Trumps speech is a dire warning to the working class of all national backgrounds. The imposition of Trumps plan would require a mass mobilization of hundreds of thousands of police, FBI, ICE, and military personnel in every major American city. Working class neighborhoods would be placed on lockdown and militarized detachments would forcibly take immigrants from their homes and places of work. Entire cities like Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Miami, and Tucson would be placed under martial law. If such efforts are met with any resistance, violent government crackdowns would follow. Due to insufficient space in existing immigrant detention facilities, immigrants would have to be held en masse in impromptu concentration camps before being deported. Though immigrants are legally entitled to a short trial before removal, the government would likely do away with this right or undercut it substantially. After those with criminal records are removed in this way, those remaining 10 million immigrants who refuse to leave the country voluntarily would be rounded up next. Those caught attempting to bypass the newly constructed wall would be arrested or possibly shot by drone or sentry. Trumps proposal represents a further escalation of anti-immigrant policies already put in place by the Obama administration, which have resulted in over 2.5 million deportations. Trump himself said in mid-August that he is going to do the same thing as Obama, but with a lot more energy. Applicants for US citizenship must already swear they are not communists and that they do not advocate the overthrow of the US government. The Obama administration has deported tens of thousands of immigrant children, added thousands of border patrol agents and spent billions building sections of border wall with advanced surveillance and weapons technology. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton feigned opposition to Trumps speech, but she has no fundamental differences with the Republican candidates proposals. In 2006, then-Senator Clinton voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which called for the building of 700 miles of border wall across parts of California, New Mexico, and Texas, at a cost of $7 billion. In 2003, she told WABC radio in New York that I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants. Speaking on the same radio program, Clinton said: People have to stop employing illegal immigrants. I mean, come up to Westchester, go to Suffolk and Nassau counties, stand on the street corners in Brooklyn or the Bronx. Youre going to see loads of people waiting to get picked up to go do yard work and construction work and domestic work. In 2005, Clinton said: I am adamantly against illegal immigrantslets have a system that keeps track of them. During the 2008 presidential primaries, Clinton opposed letting undocumented workers possess drivers licenses, saying As president, I will not support drivers licenses for undocumented people. In 2007, she said: I do favor much more border patrolling and much more technology on both of our borders, even a physical barrier because I think weve got to secure our borders. In 2015, Clinton boasted: I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in, and I do think that you have to control your borders. Clintons anti-immigrant record is so long-established that right-wing xenophobe Pat Buchanan once praised Clinton for her forthrightness on immigration, noting that she makes [George W.] Bush sound like a talking head for La Raza. Just two days after the Australian parliament resumed for the first time since the July 2 election, the narrowly-returned Turnbull governments tenuous hold on office suffered another blow last night when it lost a series of votes in the House of Representatives. The Liberal-National Coalition government became the first majority government to suffer a defeat in the lower house for five decades. In 1962, Robert Menziess Coalition governmentwhich like Malcolm Turnbulls held just a one-seat majoritylost a number of votes, and was forced to call an early election the following year. Between 2010 and 2013, the minority Greens-backed Labor government lost numerous votes, but avoided defeats on motions of confidence until it was thrown out of office by an electoral landslide in 2013. While last nights defeats, on three procedural motions, were not fatal, in themselves, to the current governments survival, they have underscored its instability. They highlight the fragility of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls position and signal the possibility of more serious defeats in coming months. Three senior ministers, two of whom are known supporters of Tony Abbott - the former prime minister ousted by Turnbull last September - were among several government MPs absent from the chamber. This gave Labor and other opposition members a majority for almost three hours, before enough Coalition MPs returned to adjourn the house, which will not sit again until September 12. In the meantime, there were chaotic scenes as government ministers and others scurried back from Canberra airport, or flew back to the capital, to give Turnbull the numbers he needed to scuttle a Labor motion to establish a royal commission into the banking and financial services industry. At one point, when the vote was tied at 71-all, the house speaker used his casting vote to extend the debate until enough government members had returned to shut down the proceedings. This morning, the leader of government business in the lower house, Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne, tried to dismiss the events as a mere stuff up. Turnbull, however, revealed his alarm, declaring in a radio interview that he had read the riot act to the absent ministers. In an indication of the rifts gripping the government, he said: Theyve been caught out, theyve been embarrassed, theyve been humiliated, theyve been excoriated, and it wont happen again. Having barely survived the July 2 election, Turnbull began the week by declaring that this will be a term of delivery. He vowed to eliminate the budget deficit, boost military spending and strengthen the national security apparatus. The government is under intense pressure from the financial markets and the corporate elite to slash welfare, healthcare, education and other social spending, and from the Obama administration to commit itself to militarily challenging Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea (see: Australian Labor senator branded a Manchurian candidate) The opening three days of the new parliament, however, became a debacle, throwing increased doubt over the governments capacity to impose this agenda. The turmoil began on Wednesday, the first full day of the parliamentary session, when Labors call for a banking royal commission was defeated in the lower house by the narrowest possible margin75 to 73. Even to secure that win, Turnbull had to politically back-pedal. Several government MPs, particularly from the rural-based National Party, threatened to cross the floor to back Labors bill. This forced Turnbull to make a series of concessions to their demands for inquiries into predatory bank practices, which have driven a number of investment funds, businesses and farmers into liquidation. Among these concessions, the prime minister promised an inquiry by the financial ombudsman and a tribunal to hear the victims' grievances. Labors bill was later passed by the Senate, one of three defeats for the government on Wednesday and Thursday in the upper house, where it holds only 30 of the 76 seats. Labor gained the backing of some of the 11 crossbench senatorsmostly right-wing populistswho won seats on July 2 by professing to oppose the three main establishment parties, the Coalition, Labor and the Greens. Labor Party leader Bill Shorten then brought the royal commission bill back into the House of Representatives late yesterday afternoon, triggering last nights parliamentary chaos. The loss of control over parliament, even temporarily, has been portrayed by the Labor opposition as vindicating Abbotts criticism earlier in the week that the government was in office but not actually running the country. Abbott, who is regarded as more committed than Turnbull to meeting Washingtons demands, is clearly positioning himself for a possible return to the prime ministership. Shortens manoeuvre was itself politically desperate, on a number of levels. In the first place, a banking inquiry will do nothing to curtail, let alone end, the rapacious activities of the banks and finance houses, whose profits have soared since the 2008 global financial crisis at the direct expense of working people. Rather, it would whitewash the abuses, as part of Labors wider bid, assisted by the Greens, to divert rising popular hostility toward worsening social inequality back into the parliamentary framework. By pushing the banking bill, Shorten is also frantically trying to shore up his own leadership. Extracts released this week from a new book on Turnbulls ouster of Abbott confirmed that moves were underfoot twice this year to remove Shorten as Labor leader, in favour of former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese, who almost beat Shorten for the Labor leadership in a ballot after its 2013 election loss. Plans were hatched among Labors factional bosses, first in January this year and then just after the July 2 election, to instal Albanese, a member of Labors nominally left faction, as a means of boosting Labors electoral support, which remains at near record low levels. These developments underscore the crisis of the two-party parliamentary system that has been maintained for most of the period since Australias federation in 1901. Each of the establishment parties is already discredited in the eyes of millions of people, after decades of implementing the dictates of the financial elite, at the expense of the jobs, working conditions and basic services of the working class. A recent analysis of the July 2 election results by former Labor senator John Black, pointed to existential threats to both the Liberal and Labor parties, with their traditional constituencies turning against them and their votesat 28.7 percent and 34.7 percent respectivelybarely above historic lows. Only 16 Labor MPs out of 69 won their seats on first preference votes. As for the Greens, they are increasingly dependent on high-income professionals and other well-off inner suburban ex-Liberal voters. These parties are now seeking to impose an even more savage program of budget cuts and militarism, driven by a deepening global slump, the implosion of Australian capitalisms mining boom and the mounting geo-strategic tensions generated by Washingtons military and economic pivot to Asia to confront China. The New York Times Thursday published an article entitled How Russia Often Benefits When Julian Assange Reveals the Wests Secrets. The 5,000-word piece, covering three columns of the top half of its front page, boasts three bylines. Presented as a major investigative news article, it is a piece of pro-government propaganda, whose style and outright character assassination against the WikiLeaks founder seems to have been cribbed from the vilest McCarthyite smear jobs of the 1950s. Stringing together half-truths, innuendos, totally unsubstantiated assertions presented as facts and vicious ad hominem attacks on a man who has been persecuted and is effectively imprisoned because of his exposures of the crimes of US imperialism, the article has essentially three related purposes. The first is to brand Assange as a dupe if not outright agent of the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The second is to discredit in advance any forthcoming information from WikiLeaks exposing the sordid and potentially indictable activities of the favored presidential candidate of both the Times and the US military and intelligence complex, Democrat Hillary Clinton. And the third and most essential is to advance the relentless propaganda campaign mounted by the New York Times to prepare public opinion for military confrontation with Russia and intimidate and undermine the broad popular opposition of the American people to war. This anti-Russian campaign was sharply escalated following the WikiLeaks release last month of Democratic National Committee emails exposing the collaboration of the DNC leadership and the Clinton camp in the attempt to sabotage the campaign of her rival, Bernie Sanders. The response of Clinton and her supporters was to suppress any discussion about the content of the emails by waging a hysterical campaign indicting the release of material as a national security crisis deliberately provoked by the Kremlin in an attempt to subvert the US elections. This led to the open suggestion that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is Putins pawn, a theme that has been promoted as part of Clintons bid to rally the Republican national security establishment behind her campaign on a platform of aggressive war. The Times piece repeats this type of unfounded allegation, stating, United States officials say they believe with a high degree of confidence that the Democratic Party material was hacked by the Russian government. Who are these United States officials? What is the basis of their high degree of confidence? What, if any, evidence exists to substantiate this allegation? The lengthy Times piece includes not a word in answer to any of these questions. Nonetheless, using this unsubstantiated allegation as its foundation, the article advances its agenda with the kind of innuendo that the anti-communist witch-hunters of the House Un-American Activities Committee would have instantly recognized: Has WikiLeaks become a laundering machine for compromising material gathered by the Russians. And more broadly, what precisely is the relationship between Mr. Assange and Mr. Putins Kremlin? To bolster its political indictment, the Times asserts, Whether by conviction or coincidence, WikiLeaks document releases, along with many of Mr. Assanges statements, have often benefited Russia, at the expense of the West. Among these statements, the Times paraphrases Assanges comments in a televised interview last September, asserting that the US has achieved imperial power by proclaiming allegiance to principles of human rights while deploying its military-intelligence apparatus in pincer formation to push countries into doing its biding. It cites his charge that the 2014 coup in Ukraine was the result of Washington trying to draw Ukraine into the Western orbit. It also accuses him of being critical of NATO, an organization that Putin would like nothing more than to defang or dismantle. It accuses WikiLeaks of publishing damning leaks of material from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which are United States allies. The article further adds that the leaks came during times of heightened tensions between those countries and Russia. It even attributes its publication of documents exposing secret talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a US-sponsored trade and investment deal devised as an economic arm of the US pivot to Asia and the military buildup against China, to the hidden hand of the Kremlin, because Russia was also excluded from the pact. Given these criteria, one can only conclude that anyone who opposes US imperialist interventions, or, indeed, employs their critical faculties in relation to any aspect of US foreign policy, stands in danger of being indicted by the Times as an agent or dupe of the Kremlin. Further evidence uncovered by the sleuths of the Times that Assange is a Kremlin asset, is that he appeared in a short-lived television series broadcast in 2012 by Russia Today (RT), a television network partially funded by the Russian government. The article suggests that the show was a hidden means for the Putin government to keep WikiLeaks afloat. How much he or WikiLeaks was paid for the 12 episodes remains unclear, it comments. Assange, however, was not employed by RT, but rather the network (like a dozen other broadcasters) paid a fee to air the program. Under similar arrangements, RT regularly broadcasts a series featuring Larry King, the 25-year veteran interviewer of CNNs Larry King Live. So far he has not been named by the Times as a suspect. In the course of its report, the Times quotes Gavin MacFadyen, a WikiLeaks supporter and director of the University of London-based Centre for Investigative Journalism, as noting that intelligence services had a long history of using news organizations to plant stories, and that Western news outlets published material that comes from the C.I.A. uncritically. Of course the premier example of this practice is to be found in the record of the New York Times itself, most infamously in placing both its news and editorial pages at the service of the Bush administrations preparation of a war of aggression against Iraq, promoting and embellishing upon the phony intelligence about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Two of the three bylines on the Times hit piece against Julian Assange bear closer examination. One is that of Eric Schmitt, the newspapers national security correspondent, who serves as a regular conduit for the CIA and the Pentagon. Among his services rendered was a 2002 feature article, published at the height of the CIAs waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques. Sarcastically headlined There are ways to make you talk, the article was based entirely on the lying assurances of US officials that the interrogation methods being employed by the American military and CIA were all in strict compliance with the Geneva Conventions and that torture is not an option. Schmitt was also heavily involved in the Times handling of the major document leaks by WikiLeaks, which exposed US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as US conspiracies around the globe, in the Cablegate release of State Department documents. He was one of the Times reporters who was sent to the White House in 2010 to brief Obama administration officials on the contents of the material obtained by WikiLeaks and to consult on how the newspaper should handle it. The newspapers then-Editor Bill Keller commented that the US government had praised the Times for handling the documents with care. In describing the papers treatment of the WikiLeaks revelations, Keller said that in consultation with government officials, the newspaper censored any information that could harm the national interest. He went on to enunciate an Orwellian vision for the role of the media: We agree wholeheartedly that transparency is not an absolute good. Freedom of the press includes freedom not to publish, and that is a freedom we exercise with some regularity. In early 2011, Schmitt was cited as the source for a vicious personal attack on Assange, penned by Keller in defending his role as a gatekeeper for the US security services in the WikiLeaks affair. Schmitt is quoted as describing Assange as looking like a bag lady walking in off the street, and having smelled as if he hadnt bathed in days. In relation to Assange, who is under constant surveillance by the US intelligence agencies, has been described as a terrorist by US officials, and whose assassination has been regularly demanded by elements of the right, this kind of language has a definite purpose. It is designed to invoke the hostility and distaste of the newspapers upper middle class readers and thereby make it easier for the state to either jail the WikiLeaks founder or kill him. The other noteworthy byline is that of Steven Erlanger, the newspapers London bureau chief and a 30-year veteran of the Times. In addition to his reporting duties, Erlanger serves as a governor of the Ditchley Foundation, which organizes Bilderberg-style, closed-door conferences of top state officials and big business figures to discuss strategic issues of concern to US and British imperialism. Other governors include the former head of MI6, the British secret intelligence service, various bank chiefs and the senior director of Goldman Sachs. Honorary governors include former Tory prime ministers David Cameron and John Major. The chairman of the group is Lord (George Islay MacNeill) Robertson, a senior advisor to BP and former secretary general of NATO. In the kind of secret talks held by the Ditchley Foundation, the subject of how best to dispose of Julian Assange would certainly not be out of place. That such journalists should sit in judgment of Assange, after indicting him, based on no evidence, as an asset of the Kremlin, is an obscenity. Their entire article stands as a devastating self-exposure of an American media that functions as a quasi-official state propaganda organ, mobilized in the buildup to war and in which outright intelligence agents play a decisive role. [September 01, 2016] UAV/Drone Ground School Surpasses 1,000 Registrations in August CUMMING, Ga., Sept. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2013 UAV Ground School launched as the country's first dedicated FAA Part 107 UAV Ground School program (www.uavgroundschool.com/uav-pilot-courses). Official testing for the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certification began this past Monday 08/29 and the FAA reported that over 1,500 individuals took the FAA certification test on the first day. In recent months, UAV Ground School has seen explosive growth from students wanting quality instruction and in August alone saw student registrations passed the 1,000 mark. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160901/403619LOGO The UAV Ground School program is taught by FAA certified instructors and uses FAA-compliant materials that are presented in an online interactive multimedia format, allowing students to learn at their own pace. Built-in testing with real FAA test questions, an extensive documentation library, and flash card quizzes complement the program. UAV Ground School is produced by the nation's pilot education leader Gold Seal, who has prepared over 45,000 private pilots for their FAA Knowledge Test. The program is created specifically for the person who wants to be a professional UAV operator and wishes to gain full FAA certification. UAV Ground School graduates may sit for the FAA Remte Operator Knowledge Test at any FAA testing center in the United States. Passing the FAA Knowledge Test and becoming a legal and safe operator gives graduates a major leg up as commercial UAV uses continue to explode. Recreational users will also benefit from the knowledge and confidence gained from successful completion of the UAV Ground School program. Cliff Whitney, President, recently stated, "I am happy to say that on the first day of official FAA part 107 testing, UAV Ground School students reported a 100% pass rate. As an aircraft pilot and longtime UAV remote operator, I am dedicated to proper training and safe operations. Our program provides students a way to learn the in-depth FAA Part 107 regulations in an easy and fun manner. We also have a wholesale program that has been adopted by companies who offer training and use our curriculum as a means to enhance their own programs. By the end of September, there should be over 5,000 approved Remote Pilot Operators in the USA and I am proud that a large majority of them are our graduates." About Gold Seal: Gold Seal was founded in 2006 by aerospace author and Master FAA CFI Russell Still, founder of Atlanta Flight, Inc. Over 45,000 students and pilots have registered since the inception of the Gold Seal Ground School programs. In 2013, Gold Seal joined forces with Cliff Whitney, founder and president of UAV Experts and Atlanta Hobby, to promote the nation's leading UAV Ground School program. For over 30 years, Cliff has operated as a private sailplane and single engine pilot. He knows photography and video intimately through his time spent as the president of Wolf Camera. Related Files PR_2016_UAVGS-Registers 1000.pdf Related Images image1.png image2.png image3.png This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uavdrone-ground-school-surpasses-1000-registrations-in-august-300321686.html SOURCE UAV Ground School [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 01, 2016] Fitch Affirms Nebraska Methodist Revs at 'A-'; Outlook Revised to Positive Fitch Ratings has affirmed the 'A-' rating on the following revenue bonds issued on behalf of Nebraska Methodist Health System (NMHS): --$223,230,000 Hospital Authority No. 2 and No. 3 of Douglas County NE health facilities refunding and revenue bonds, series 2015. In addition, Fitch has withdrawn the 'A-' rating on the following bonds due to prerefunding activity: --Hospital Authority No. 2 of Douglas County health facilities refunding revenue bonds, series 2008A; --Hospital Authority No. 3 of Douglas County health facilities refunding revenue bonds, series 2008B. The Rating Outlook is revised to Positive from Stable. SECURITY The bonds are secured by a pledge of gross revenues of the obligated group and a negative mortgage pledge on obligated group property. KEY RATING DRIVERS STRONG PROFITABILITY: The Outlook revision to Positive is driven by better than expected operating profitability through 2015 and the six-month interim period ended June 30, 2016, supported by robust clinical activity and expense controls. Net patient revenues grew 14% in 2015 over prior year, versus 12% in total expense growth. Through the interim period, NMHS generated a healthy 5.5% operating and 12.6% EBITDA margin, both ahead of budget. NMHS is expected to generate margins consistent with the rating category medians going forward. STEADY BALANCE SHEET: NMHS' maintains liquidity metrics in line with the rating category, which are expected to remain solid over the near to medium term. At June 30, 2016 unrestricted liquidity of $393.6 million, equal to 196.3 days of cash on hand, a 21.9x cushion ratio, and 126.8% cash to debt, all in line with Fitch's 'A' category medians of 205.3 days, 18.5x cushion ratio and 143.7% cash to debt. MANAGEABLE DEBT BURDEN: NMHS maintains a conservative 100% fixed rate debt structure and moderate debt burden, and produced healthy 5.8x coverage of maximum annual debt service (MADS) by EBITDA at June 30, 2016. While NMHS has a material pension liability, it is well funded at 87% and frozen to new entrants, and the system has no additional debt planned. Capital needs between $75 million and $85 million annually over the near term should be easily absorbed by cash flow and philanthropy, as well as $17 million in remaining bond funds at June 30, 2016. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE: While NMHS again gained market share in 2015 (up 3% since 2013), the greater Omaha acute care market remains competitive. CHI Health (revs rated 'BBB+'/Outlook Negative) led with 38% inpatient share, Nebraska Medicine (NM, revs rated 'AA-'/Outlook Stable) had 25% inpatient share in 2015, against NMHS' 23% inpatient share. Still, competitive threat is mitigated somewhat by NMHS' collaborative relationship with NM, its healthier share for certain specialty services, and by Omaha's favorable economic environment. RATING SENSITIVITIES SUSTAINED PROFITABILITY: Upward rating movement will be contingent upon Nebraska Methodist Health System generating steady cash flow over the next 12-24 months through the remainder of its larger capital projects, while maintaining liquidity at levels consistent with Fitch's 'A' category median. CREDIT PROFILE NMHS operates a 423-bed hospital in downtown Omaha (Methodist Hospital, NMH), a 206-bed hospital in Council Bluffs, IA (Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital, MJE), and a 112-bed women's hospital in West Omaha (Methodist Women's Hospital, MWH). NMHS reported total operating revenue of $817 million in the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2015. Fitch's analysis is based on the consolidated entity. Currently the only non-obligated entity is Shared Service Systems, which is a for-profit medical supply distribution entity. For 2015, approximately 98% of NMHS's total revenues and 98% of NMHS's total assets are attributed to the Obligated Group. ROBUST PROFITABILITY MAINTAINED NMHS continued to benefit from a competitive landscape shift in its favor in fiscal 2015, with sustained results into 2016 which are thus far ahead of budget. For interim 2016 NMHS is ahead of its 3.3% operating and 10.7% operating EBITDA margin budget, due to better than expected retention of former CHI/ Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) patients and associated volume growth, as well as continued expense management and work on revenue cycle. Despite higher than expected clinical volumes across the system, through June 2016 NMHS outperformed its budget on both Net Revenue and Net Expense per Equivalent Discharge, by 1.7% and 0.7% respectively. Fitch expects NMHS will maintain operating cash flow near $80 million-$90 million over the medium term, producing coverage between 4.5x to 5x and supporting balance sheet stability against capital needs. DYNAMIC MARKET The Omaha metropolitan service area continues to be a dynamic operating environment with generally favorable economic indicators and above average income levels. Low unemployment has created some wage pressure and retention challenges for clinical staff. NMHS implemented a system-wide bonus payment for 2016 to help offset these pressures, and per management, maintains very strong physician satisfaction levels overall. A public conflict between CHI and BCBS of Nebraska which left CHI out of the insurer's network for approximately nine months in 2014 and 2015, which has benefitted NMHS. While this conflict was resolved during 2015, the overall impact has been accretive due to increased clinical activity and market share growth at NMHS. Thus, operating performance is expected to remain largely steady at 2016 interim levels going forward. DEBT PROFILE At fiscal 2015 NMHS had $303.4 million in total debt outstanding, which is 100% fixed rate. Total debt includes approximately $223.2 million in series 2015 public fixed rate debt and $66 million in debt directly placed with JP Morgan (News - Alert) Chase and U.S. Bank. Some covenants under the direct placement bank agreements are more restrictive than the covenants contained in the master indenture. Debt service is level, with MADS measured at $17.95 million. For 2015, NMHS reported 7.16x debt service coverage, 37% capitalization, and 191 DCOH per its covenant calculations. NMHS also has a frozen defined benefit pension plan, with a $423.2 million liability which was 88% funded in 2015. NMHS has no swaps. DISCLOSURE NMHS covenants to provide annual disclosure, and quarterly disclosure to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's EMMA system. Disclosure is provided within 60 days of each quarter-end for the first three quarters, and within 150 days of fiscal year end. Disclosure includes both financial and utilization information. Disclosure to Fitch has been routine and timely, with very good access to management. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Applicable Criteria Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 16 Jun 2014) https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/750012 U.S. Nonprofit Hospitals and Health Systems Rating Criteria (pub. 09 Jun 2015) https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/866807 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1011147 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1011147 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/20160901006527/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 02, 2016] RiskSense CEO to Deliver Keynote on Network Security and Hacking at BrightTalk Summit RiskSense, Inc., the pioneer and market leader in pro-active cyber risk management, today announced that its CEO will discuss emerging trends in network security, including big data in security, threat and business intelligence as factors to determine cyber risk exposure, and the role of human-guided machine learning in orchestrating remediation actions. WHAT: Cyber Security Trends 2016: The Most Important Insights in Security According to Gartner (News - Alert), organizations will spend approximately $92 billion on IT Security in 2016. Despite these investments, new data breaches are disclosed almost on a daily basis. Keeping abreast of emerging trends in cyber security is essential for securing the expanding attack surface of enterprises and aligning information security plans with business risks. WHEN: Friday, September 9, 2016 at 9:00 AM PDT / 11:00 AM CDT (News - Alert) / 12:00 PM EDT WHO: Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, Co-founder and CEO, RiskSense Dr. Mukkamala was part of a think tank that collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Intelligence Community on cyber security best practices. He is an expert on malware analytics, breach exposure management, Web application security, and enterprise risk reduction. He was also a lead researcher for CACTUS (Computational Analysis of Cyber Terrorism against the U.S.) and holds a patent on Intelligent Agents for Distributed Intrusion (News - Alert) Detection System and Method of Practicing. WHERE: Online presentation during BrightTalk "Network Security and Hacking" Summit. To register visit: http://bit.ly/2cd3qv8. HOW: To schedule a conversation with Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, contact Marc Gendron at [email protected] or +1 781.237.0341. About RiskSense RiskSense, Inc., is the pioneer and market leader in pro-active cyber risk management. The company enables enterprises and governments to reveal cyber risk, quickly orchestrate remediation, and monitor the results. This is done by unifying and contextualizing internal security intelligence, external threat data, and business criticality across a growing attack surface. The company's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) platform transforms cyber risk management into a more pro-active, collaborative, and real-time discipline. The RiskSense Platform embodies the expertise and intimate knowledge gained from real world experience in defending critical networks from the world's most dangerous cyber adversaries. By leveraging RiskSense cyber risk management solutions, organizations can significantly shorten time-to-remediation, increase operational efficiency, strengthen their security programs, heighten response readiness, reduce costs, and ultimately minimize cyber risks. For more information, please visit www.risksense.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at @RiskSense. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160902005073/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Actor Nick Offerman and First Lady Michelle Obama give a humorous history of exercise to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the President's Council on Fitness. Washington State Court of Appeals decision on Daniel Blizzard's appeal of a murder conviction in the death of real estate broker Vern Holbrook. Several Yakama tribal members evicted from housing projects earlier this summer will gather today to discuss their options and voice their concerns. Submit An Obituary Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form [September 02, 2016] Top 7 Vendors in the Pressure Sensitive Labels Market from 2016 to 2020: Technavio Technavio has announced the top seven leading vendors in their recent global pressure sensitive labels market report. This research report also lists five other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. The primary demand for pressure sensitive labels arise from the alcohol beverage market valued at USD 1,200.5 billion in 2015. Branding plays an important role in this market as it helps in differentiating the product from other brands and improves the shelf-appeal. Value added attributes of pressure sensitive labels such as embossing, stamping, and complex die cutting increase the quality and clarity of labels and help the product to stand out from other brands. Competitive scenario According to the report, the global pressure sensitive labels market has a large number of vendors manufacturing innovative and technologically advanced pressure sensitive labels. The market is highly competitive as vendors compete on the basis of product differentiation, pricing, and portfolios. The vendors are concentrating on expanding their geographical footprint by establishing manufacturing units, especially in emerging nations such as APAC. "Mergers and acquisition have been the key strategies adopted by the vendors in the market. Companies have engaged in strategic expansions and invested in new product development to increase the spectrum of product offerings and meet the needs of the end-market requirements," says Sharan Raj, a lead tags and labels analyst from Technavio. Vendors in the pressure sensitive labels market constantly focus on agreements, expansions, investments, mergers and acquisitions to increase market share. During the forecast period, vendors will focus on emerging countries such as China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia that show high potential for development and innovation in the market. Request sample report: http://goo.gl/0OJtgB Top seven pressure sensitive labels market vendors Constantia Flexibles Constantia Flexibles provides self-adhesive, pressure-sensitive labels that have a glue-free labeling option. It provides pressure-sensitive labels to the beverages, food, home and personal care, chemical and industrial, and pharmaceutical markets. Henkel Henkel specializes in laundry and home care, adhesive technology, and beauty care bsinesses worldwide. Some of its brands include Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. As of December 2014, Henkel employed around 49,750 people. The company spent approximately USD 549 million on R&D in FY2014. It has more than 8,000 patents worldwide. The company reported net revenue of USD 21.73 billion and USD 21.84 billion in FY2013 and FY2014 respectively. Avery Dennison Avery Dennison produces and markets pressure sensitive materials and converted products such as tickets and labels. It markets its products to apparel manufacturers, retailers, and brand owners. The company operates about 180 manufacturing and distribution facilities worldwide and had operations in more than 50 countries. For FY2015, the company reported revenue of USD 5.96 billion. The company's businesses comprise production of pressure-sensitive materials and converted products such as tickets, tags, and labels. Some pressure-sensitive materials are sold to converters that convert materials into labels and other products through printing, embossing, die-cutting, and stamping; and label printers. CCL (News - Alert) Industries CCL Industries is a converter of pressure sensitive and extruded film materials for a range of decorative, instructional and functional applications. The company serves the home and personal care, premium food and beverage, healthcare and specialty, automotive and durables, and consumer markets worldwide. The company provides innovative label solutions for consumer product marketing companies such as personal and beauty care, the food and beverage sector, households, and chemical companies. It also supplies products to major pharmaceutical, healthcare, automotive, durable goods, and industrial chemical companies. Lintec Lintec manufactures adhesives and specialty products. As of March 2015, the company had 4,413 employees working globally, generated revenue of USD 1.89 billion, and spent USD 0.062 billion on R&D expenses. The company operates in Europe, Japan, the Middle East, APAC, Americas, and Greater China. The company manufactures products such as semiconductor related tapes, coated film for multilayer ceramic capacitor production, semiconductor-related equipment, LCD similar adhesive products. 3M (News - Alert) 3M is a global company engaged in the product development, manufacturing, and marketing of a range of products for the industrial, safety, graphics, electronics, energy, healthcare, and consumer markets. The electronics business manufactures products for LCD computer monitors, LCD televisions, mobile phones and tablets, notebook PCs, and automotive displays markets. The energy business provides electrical products, including infrastructure protection, telecommunications, and renewable energy for the electrical and telecommunications markets. Inland Labels Inland Labels is a privately held label printing company that supplies customized solutions for wine, beer and other spirit labels, beverage labels, food labels and other household products. Inland supplies customized solutions for beer, wine, and other spirit labels; beverage labels; food labels; and household products and store brand labels. It also provides marketing and brand management solutions through its in*Tech division. The other prominent vendors are: UPM Raflatac Technicote NSD International NAStar Reflex Labels Browse Related Reports: Global Sleeve Label Market 2016-2020 Global Warning Labels and Stickers Market 2016-2020 Global Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives 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/20160902005015/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] After more than a two-year delay, the United States approved the sale of fighter jets to Qatar and Kuwait Thursday despite concerns by Israel and criticism over Qatar's links with armed Islamist groups. The deal has an estimated value $7 billion. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter While Boeing expressed satisfaction with the progress of the deal, American manufacturers have expressed frustration with the delay in approval and claimed that it could cost them billions of dollars and cause the Gulf states to look elsewhere for weapons suppliers. F-18 super hornet (Photo: Reuters) The approval of the deal is intended to strengthen the alliance between the United States and the Gulf Arab states, especially in light of the Iranian nuclear agreement, which many Gulf states view with apprehension. The Pentagon and the State Department had long considered the deal in which Qatar was set to receive 36 Boeing F-15 fighter jets, costing approximately $4 billion, and Kuwait was set to receive 28 F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, with the option of purchasing an additional 12a deal worth roughly $3 billion. A third deal for the sale of Lockheed Martin F-16s to Bahrain is still being considered and is likely to be approved, according to one official involved. Officials say that while the Pentagon and the State Department have given the green light to the sale, they are still awaiting approval from the White House. If and when the White House approves, President Barak Obama will have to inform congress. Qatar, which is home to a large American airbase, has increased the pace of its military procurement following a wave of revolutions in the Arab world and tensions between Iran and the Gulf states. Qatar and Kuwait are both members of a 34-country alliance that met last year in Saudi Arabia and agreed to fight ISIS and al-Qaeda. The deal between the United States and the Gulf states comes at a time when disagreements are looming behind the scenes between Jerusalem and Washington over a security assistance package between the US and Israel. Several months ago, the White House announced in congress that it intended to increase the size of the assistance package to Israel against the backdrop of a difference of opinion concerning the Iranian nuclear agreement. Netanyahu and Obama at the White House (Photo: Reuters) Under the terms of the package, the US is insisting that Israel use the billions of dollars it receives to buy goods and services originating in the United States only, instead of investing domestically. The White House described the terms of the package in an long letter to the Senate, which in April called on the White House to reach a deal on a new aid package to Israel. F-35 fighter jets Israel is set to receive (Photo: Lockheed Martin) At the beginning of last month, senior US officials announced that the two countries had closed most of the remaining gaps in the negotiations and the two sides hope to come to an agreement on a final deal soon. The aid agreement is a memorandum of understanding between the two countries and is signed every ten years. In the last agreement, Israel received military assistance from the United States totaling $3.1 billion per year, meaning a total of $31 billion over the course of the decade. This marked an increase from the $24 billion provided under the terms of the preceding agreement. A couple and their three children from Sakhnin in northern Israel, who joined ISIS last year after travelling to Turkey and sneaking over the border into Syria, have returned to Turkey. They met with family members and in the coming days are expected to return to Israel. The couple will be arrested upon their return after which the husband is expected to be charged. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The family left Israel in 2015 for Romania in order to attend a graduation ceremony for a family member who finished their studies. After arriving in Romania, they decided to enter Turkey and attempted to cross illegally into Syria. After their family learned of their intentions, they flew to Turkey to try and persuade them to return to Israel, but were unsuccessful. The family reuniting in Turkey X A Galilee resident who knows the family said the, "family members went to Turkey and made every effort to get them to come back. In the end, they managed to find them and explain the dangers of life with ISIS. The mother and the daughters did not want to go to Syria, but the husband insisted. Right now, I don't know what needs to be done to get them back to Israel, but it is important. I hope to see them back with their family." The mayor of Sakhnin, Mazen Ghanaym, said that when he learned the family joined ISIS, "We were completely surprised. These are respectful people who want for nothing. The husband works and is organized, but it is a shame he made a decision like that. We are against Arab citizens joining organizations like ISIS. Our religion is different to their criminal actions." ISTANBUL -- Turkey's president denies claims by US officials that Syrian Kurdish rebels fighting Turkish forces in northern Syria have withdrawn east of the Euphrates River. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday as he departed for the G20 meeting in China, "they tell us that YPG (a Syrian Kurdish force) has crossed east of the Euphrates. And we say: no they did not." Erdogan is apparently referring to US officials saying earlier this week that the Kurds have mostly moved to the east of the river, as demanded by Turkey. Less than a week after a political firestorm over objections raised to infrastructural work on Israels train stations on Shabbat by Haredi politicianswhich threatened to bring down the coalitionthe Prime Ministers Office (PMO) agreed to the requests made the ultra-Orthodox factions to cancelling 17 out of 20 infrastructure projects that Israel Railways asked to be completed on Shabbat Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter However, the compromise offered by Netanyahu fell short of satisfying his religious coalition partners as these insisted that all 20 projects be cancelled during Shabbat. On Friday the directory of the Rabbinate, Moshe Dagan said, As a representative of the chief rabbis I would like to state that our stance is that...carrying out the work on Shabbat is not approved and carrying out the work on Shabbat cannot happen. There is no danger to life. Dagan added the latter statement in reference to the Jewish principle of Pikuah Nefesh which permits most transgressions, such as violating Shabbat, if a life is at risk. Israels chief rabbi, Rabbi David Lau also entered the fray, writing to Minister Yaakov Litzman that he concurs entirely with the viewpoint of the Sephardi chief rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef: In light of my colleagues clarification, I agree that it impossible to determine that there is a threat to life. Prime Minister Netanyahu on a train (Photo: Reuters) From the outset, the Haredi officials refused to permit work on the three remaining projects which Netanyahu did not nullify, demanding instead that the government wait on a police decision. On Thursday night, the police informed the PMO that cancelling the three projects could endanger lives. Nevertheless, the Haredi officials rejected the evaluation, insisting that alternative solutions could be found. The cancellations will affect some 70,000 passengersmostly soldiersand will mean a delay of 10 days until the completion of the fast-train project from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Photo: Herzl Yosef Photo: Roi Idan The ultra-Othodox officials also demanded that certain changes be made to the way in which trains operate prior to, and after Shabbat. Currently, Israels trains cease to operate 20 minutes before Shabbat commences and 20 minutes after its conclusion. Model of Hashalom station upgrades (Photo: Ari Goshen) While this means that the trains do not run during Shabbat itself, it nonetheless requires workers to violate it in preparation for work. As a result therefore of the Haredi demands, some of the lines operating on Friday and Saturday night will be cancelled or their operational hours reduced. The main people to be affected by the move will be soldiers returning home from their bases at the end of the week or who are required to return their bases on Saturday night. "It limits us as soldiers and as civilians. I don't understand the logic," said Natan Gorfinkel, a soldier from Be'er Sheva. "It is terrible. As a soldier I feel that this restricts me in many ways," said Itai. "I will arrive home late for Shabbat. It restricts me." [September 02, 2016] Top 12 Vendors in the Stick PC Market from 2016 to 2020: Technavio Technavio has announced the top 12 leading vendors in their recent global stick PC market report until 2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the shipments of stick PCs. Competitive vendor landscape According to the report, the global stick PC market has only a few vendors, but Technavio analysts expect the entry of more vendors in the market in the coming years. Intel, ASUSTeK Computer, and Lenovo will be well established in the market due to their strong foothold and brand in the global PC market. "Competition in the market is low as the market is still in the initial stages of development. Intel has paved the way for new product lines, which are considered to be the replacement for portable PCs. This has attracted many vendors to the market. The majority of the vendors in the market use Intel processors in their products. This has strengthened the foothold of Intel core x86-based processor," says Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead computing devices research analyst from Technavio. The competition among the vendors is based on the availability of the products, features, and processing speed. The brand name will play an important role in the adoption of stick PCs, including the brand of the core processor installed in stick PCs. The report also states that emerging stick PC brands are opting for Intel processors, but established brands such as Google (News - Alert) are introducing stick PCs with Rockchip processors. These variations are meant to promote their products and strengthen their foothold in the market. The increase in the volume of stick PCs will help the vendors lower their cost of production and also integrate technologically advanced components such as high density NAND, LPDDR4 RAM (News - Alert), and SoC to enhance value proposition. Request sample report: http://goo.gl/JoJ1vd Top 12 stick PC market vendors ARCHOS (News - Alert) In 2016, ARCHOS has planned to establish itself as the major European network provider for connected objects through its subsidiary PicoWAN. PicoWAN is a global network operator. ARCHOS PC Stick is its only product that falls into the stick PC category. Its popularity in Europe can help it achieve significant market share in the European countries. ASUSTeK Computer ASUSTeK Computer is one of the top vendors in the PC market. It owns 7.9% market shareof the global PC shipments. In the stick PC market, it owns three types of products, two of which have Intel processors and one uses the Rockchip processor. Chromebit is its only product that uses the Rockchip processor and is the reason behind the low cost of this stick PC. Azulle Azulle is a start-up that provides only one stick PC product with a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. It is the only vendor that provides LAN to the stick PC, which gives it an edge in the market. Chenzi The company's product portfolio includes Android-based tablets, stick PCs, 3D converter boxes, digital converter boxes, enclosures, netbooks, karaoke players, portable TVs, and LED TVs. It offers only one stick PC, i.e., iView Cyber PC with Intel processor and a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. Hannspree Hannspree has only one product in its stick PC portfolio - Hanspree Micro PC desktop. It has a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. The company has a good reputation in the tablet PC market, which it can use to its advantage. iBall In 2015, iBall launched its first stick iBall Splendo in collaboration with Intel and Microsoft (News - Alert). As iBall is based in India, it can gain an edge in the global stick PC market if it is marketed properly in its home country. Due to the low price of stick PCs, they have a significant potential in the Indian market. Intel At CES (News - Alert) 2016, the company introduced a new model of Intel Compute Stick with an upgraded processor, from Atom to Cherry Trail, to improve the graphics performance of the stick PC. Even the price was increased to USD 159. Lenovo Lenovo offers products such as PCs, tablet computers, smartphones, workstations, servers, electronic storage devices, IT management software, and smart televisions. MagicStick MagicStick is a start-up and has two models of stick PCs: MagicStick Wave and MagicStick One. It is the only vendor in the market that provides an 8GB RAM. The company can use this specification to market its products to gamers and gain an edge in the overall market. Meegopad Meegopad's portfolio includes Intel Stick PC, Intel Mini PC projectors, and Android TV sticks. The company has five stick PCs in the market, four of which have an internal memory of 32GB and one has an internal memory of 64GB. Meegopad A02, which provides Remix OS 2.0, is the only product that has an expandable memory of up to 128GB, and it uses Allwinner processor. MODECOM MODECOM is one of the top vendors in PC cases market. In 2001, the company started its own production facilities in China to increase its production capacity. In 2003, it started the production of 2.1 and 5.1 speaker systems, which had great success during their launch due to their unique design. Panache Panache has only one type of stick PC, i.e., Panache Air PC. It has a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. It provides Windows 10 OS and has an expandable memory of up to 128GB. Browse Related Reports: Global Digital Learning Devices Market 2016-2020 Global Digital Educational Publishing Market 2016-2020 Global Smart Wearable Entertainment Devices and Services 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/20160902005025/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The body of Baha Aliyan, a terrorist who became a symbol of the recent wave of terror, was released Thursday morning by Israel after months of negotiations with his family Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Aliyan, who on October 13, 2015 boarded a bus with fellow-terrorist Bilal Abu Ghanem, armed with guns and axes, was killed during the attack by security forces while Ghanem is currently standing trial. Three Israelis were killed by the terrorists in the attack. Since the attack, which claimed the lives of Haviv Haim, 78, Richard Lakin , 76, and Alon Andrei Govberg , 51and wounded several others - Aliyan became one of the more prominent symbols of the escelation of violence. His legacy became one to which other like-minded Palestinians aspired and his actions transformed him into a role model worthy of emulation. Indeed, a Palestinian branch of the scouts movement recently dedicated a training course to Aliyan 'Symbol of Intifada' - The terrorist Baha Aliyan Aliyan was buried in a cemetery in the Old City in Jerusalem on conditions set out by the police which included a quiet and discreet service which fewer than 30 participants were permitted to attend. The family was also required to deposit tens of thousands of shekels in the case they violated the stipulated terms. According to Palestinian figures, 327 Palestinians have been killed in recent violent incidents, the vast majority of whom Israel says were terrorists killed while carrying out attacks. After each incident, Israel has been left in possession of the terrorists bodies. During the recent wave of terror the government declared, on many occasions, that it opposed handing over the bodies for burial, reasoning that the funeral processions often turned into a nest for incitement against Israel, further fanning the flames of terror. Scene of attack in Armon HaNatziv (Photo: Reuters) At the height of the violence, Israel held ten bodies at any given time. However, over the course of the last year it emerged that Israel had silently been returning almost all of the terrorists bodies to their families. Indeed, today, just 12 bodies remain in Israels hands, two of whom were from East Jerusalem while the remainder were from the West Bank. Among them is the terrorist who carried out the attack which killed Michael Miki Mark and the terrorist who murdered 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel as she slept in her bed in Kiryat Arba. Syracuse University in New York normally welcomes Israeli filmmakers. Haim Bouzaglo was invited to a master's class to discuss his movie "Session," starring Bar Rafaeli and Liran Levo. Similarly, Dani Menkin, creator of "Is This You?," starring Alon Abutbul was also invited. However, protests from BDS activists on campus led to the cancellation of the screening of "Settlers," a documentary film by Israeli director Shimon Dotan. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter According to The Atlantic, Dotan, who teaches communications at New York University, was scheduled to present his film at a conference on religion and cinema, which was supposed to be held next March in Syracuse. Shimon Dotan's "Settlers" However, organizers received complaints from student and faculty BDS activists, and were forced to cancel the screening of the film as well as the invitation of the director. "I am now embarrassed to share that my SU colleagues, on hearing about my attempt to secure your presentation, have warned me that the BDS faction on campus will make matters very unpleasant for you and for me if you come," wrote Professor M. Gail Hamner, who explained that because she had not seen the movie herself, she was unable to vouch for it. "I feel trapped in an ideological matrix," she confessed, adding, "Clearly I am politically naive. I feel tremendous shame in reneging on a half-offered invitation." BDS on American university campuses According to Dotan, Professor Hamner's decision is cowardly. "She didn't even ask to see the film. All she was concerned about is BDS activists not being happy with the screening of an Israeli film at Syracuse," wrote Dotan to an academic mediating between the parties. "It's very disturbing. And that happens at a university, at a temple of freedom of speech, or so we would like to believe." Dotan, 66, presented "Settlers" at the premiere of the Sundance film festival earlier this year, and next month it will be screened at the prestigious New York festival. In addition to screening the film abroad and in Israeli theatres, Dotan has also received a lot of criticism from some of the people filmed in the movie who claimed that he tendentiously presented their testimonies and concealed his political views from them. Shevah Mofet high school in Tel Aviv, which is currently the battleground of a political dispute between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, will not be turned into a school for illegal migrants, it was announced Friday afternoon. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) and Huldai reached an agreement after a heated first day of the school calendar at Shevah Mofet which kicked off with demonstrations against the intended changes , according to which the schoolwith 75% of its students coming from outside Tel Avivwould stop accepting students residing outside the city. Protests outside Shevah Mofet (Photo: Avi Mualem) The intended change was designed make room for students who live in southern Tel Avivmost of them children of asylum seekers and illegal migrantsto attend the school. Shevah Mofet will not be closed. The school will continue to operate under the same composition of its current population, Bennett announced early Friday afternoon. The statement released by Bennetts office, which hitherto refused to publicly address the matter, said, Bennett maintains that in no circumstances will Shevah Mofet be closed or its fundamental character be changed. 'Don't close a school with 100 percent graduation rates (Photo: Avi Muelam) In addition to the decision not to meddle with the schools demographic composition, Bennett and Huldai decided a professional team would be established combining the Education Ministry and the Tel Aviv municipality to remedy any outstanding problems. During the demonstrations on Thursday against the intended move teachers cried slogans such as "You don't close a school with 100 percent graduation rates" while waving placards bearing the words: "We won't evacuate our home" and "Don't replace a winning team." The protest ended at 10am, allowing classes to begin. One of the compromises reached involved moving the school to another site in which the students will be able to continue learning. Another option which may be considered is moving the school altogether to north Tel Aviv. Should the second option be implemented, it is likely that the current building will remain and be converted into a for children of migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers living in south Tel Aviv. The name of the school, however, will likely be changed. MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia and the United States could be close to reaching an agreement on Syria despite differences about how best to resolve the conflict, Bloomberg news agency reported on Friday. In an interview two days before a G20 meeting in China with US President Barack Obama and other world leaders, Putin said ongoing talks between Moscow and Washington were very difficult but on the right track. "In my view, we are gradually moving in the right direction," Putin was quoted as saying in a transcript of the interview released by the Kremlin. "I do not exclude that in the near future we may agree on something and show this agreement to the world community. "For now, it is too early to say, but it seems to me that we are proceeding, as I already said, in the right direction." Jerusalem police detained two people for questioning after they protested Thursday night at the Kfir Brigade's swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall. Protestors standing on a nearby balcony shouted for the release of Elor Azaria and were charged with disturbing the peace. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Through a megaphone, one of the protestors shouted, "Do you trust the Kfir commanders to return your children? Do you trust the Kfir commanders not to abandon your children?" Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is representing the two defendants, said that the police's actions are not legal. "It is unfortunate that the police practice a policy of silencing freedom of expression, which includes calling for the release of an Israeli soldier that fell victim to a failed Minister of Defense." Protestors at ceremony ( ) X The headquarters for the campaign working for the release of Elor Azaria responded by saying, "Two key activists were detained and questioned for four hours. The activists made it clear that their actions were not in violation of the law and furthermore, that their actions embody those of model citizens. The protest at the Western Wall is us intensifying our activities. A protest at the court in Jaffa is also planned." Elor Azaria (Motti Kimchi) At the trial Thursday, the deputy company commander was called to testify by the defense. At the military court in Jaffa, the commander was asked about the mood of the company following Azaria shooting the neutralized attacker. In his statement, Y. said, "I personally hear concern being raised all the time. I hear people saying 'if I see a suspected terrorist, I don't want to shoot because I don't want to get involved, I don't want the trouble.' A lot of people wanted to leave the platoon because they felt like they wouldn't get our support in the moment of truth." The IDF Judge Advocate General, Brig. Gen. Sharon Afek, referenced the trial without referring to it by name, saying, "You must stand trial even in the middle of a storm." NEW YORK (AP) -- Former Playboy model Pamela Anderson has teamed with a rabbi to speak out against pornography. An opinion piece by Anderson and Rabbi Shumley Boteach published by the Wall Street Journal cites the latest sexting scandal involving former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner in calling for "an honest dialogue" about the dangers of pornography and "an honor code to tamp it down." The essay calls pornography "a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness." It closes by saying "porn is for losers" and calls it "a boring wasteful and dead-end outlet for people too lazy to reap the ample rewards of healthy sexuality." Anderson has appeared on the cover of Playboy 14 times, most recently in December for the magazine's final nude issue. Two years after his son, Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, fell in Operation Protective Edge, 54-year-old Herzl died from cancer on Friday at 2:45pm. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Shaul had been undergoing chemotherapy in recent months in Tiberius's Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya. He died in the Tel Hashomer Medical Center, with his wife, Zehava, and sons Aviram and Ofek by his side. Oron and Herzl Shaul (Photo from a family album) Shaul's other son, Oron, was killed along with six other Golani soldiers after an attack on their armored personnel carrier on July 20, 2014 in Gaza City. At the time, Oron was declared missing Hamas announced that they were holding him, but the IDF leadership found that Oron was no longer alive and declared him a few days later as a fallen soldier whose place of burial is unknown , and his family observed the Jewish rituals of mourning. Herzl was diagnosed with cancer of the small intestine about one year after his son fell in battle. In recent weeks, he called for increased efforts to return his son's remains to Israel. Herzl and Zehava Shaul (Photo: Elad Gershgoren) IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot sent his condolences to the Shaul family on Friday in the name of the military. His message stated, "Herzl was the head of an exemplary family. I send a strong embrace to Zehava and to the family during this hard time. About a week ago, I met with Herzl for the last time, and I promised him that we would continue to do everything to return Oron and Hadar (Goldin) home, to a grave in Israel." President Reuven Rivlin also sent his condolences to the family: "We share in the pain of the Shaul family at the loss of Herzl, the father of the family, who was a tower of strength and determination in the struggle to return Oron home. In our last meeting, I hoped and wished that Herzl would be able to overcome his illness. At this difficult time, Nechama and I send our love and sympathies to Zehava and the children. "The State of Israel will continue to do all it can to fulfil the obligation upon it to bring Oron to rest alongside his father Herzl." The family pointed out that they learned of the death of Herzl around 3pm on a Fridaythe same time and day that they learned that Oron was no longer alive some two years ago. ALMATY, Kazakhstan Uzbek President Islam Karimov has died aged 78 after suffering a stroke, the Uzbek government confirmed on Friday, leaving no obvious successor to take over the Central Asian nation of 32 million people. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Long criticized by the West and human rights groups for his authoritarian style of leadership, Karimov had ruled Uzbekistan since 1989, first as the head of the local Communist Party and then as president of the newly independent republic from 1991. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim became the first foreign leader to offer condolences over the death of Karimov, whose former Soviet republic has close ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties with Turkey. Karimov did not designate a successor and analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided behind closed doors by a small group of senior officials and family members. If they fail to agree on a compromise, however, open confrontation could destabilize Uzbekistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan and has become a target for Islamist militants. Uzbekistan is a major cotton exporter and is also rich in gold and natural gas. Succession A hint at who will succeed Karimov may come with the government's announcement of his death - which one source said was expected later on Friday - and whoever it names to head the commission in charge of organizing the funeral. The funeral appeared likely to take place in Karimov's hometown of Samarkand, where his mother and two brothers are also buried. Municipal authorities there mobilized public workers to clean the central streets late on Thursday. A source in the government of neighboring Kazakhstan told Reuters on Friday that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev planned to cut short his visit to China and travel to Uzbekistan on Saturday, although Nazarbayev's office later denied that. Among potential successors to Karimov are Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his deputy Rustam Azimov. Security service chief Rustam Inoyatov and Karimov's younger daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva could become kingmakers. According to the constitution, Nigmatilla Yuldoshev, the chairman of the upper house of parliament, is supposed to take over after Karimov's death, and elections must take place within three months. However, analysts do not consider Yuldoshev a serious player. His erstwhile counterpart in Turkmenistan, who was also supposed to become interim leader after the death of authoritarian president Saparmurat Niyazov in 2006, was quickly detained and thus eliminated from the line of succession. Whoever succeeds Karimov will need to balance carefully between the West, Russia and China, which all vie for influence in the resource-rich Central Asian region. Another task of the new leader will be resolving tensions with ex-Soviet neighbors Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan over borders and the use of common resources such as water. MOADAMIYEH, Syria - The UN's top humanitarian affairs official says he was unable to reach agreement with Jordan on delivering aid to more than 70,000 Syrians stranded on the kingdom's desert border. Stephen O'Brien said after a border trip on Friday that 75 percent of those stranded are women and children with a "very real need" for food, water and shelter. Jordan sealed the border in June, halting regular aid delivery from its territory, after an attack by Islamic State extremists. Jordan says aid groups must find another way to reach the displaced. O'Brien says talks with Jordan will continue but that forcing the displaced to move is not an option. He says that "if there was an immediate solution, you can be absolutely assured I would be grabbing it with both hands." The trial of the soldier Elor Azaria is continuing to cause damage. The soldier's defense relies on four different arguments: The first is that the soldier acted properlypractically an Israeli hero. Kahalani stopping the Syrians in the Golan, Yoni Netanyahu leading the assault force in Operation Entebbe, and Azaria identifying an explosive that nobody else had spotted 11 minutes after the gunfire's cessation, shooting and saving everybody. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The second argument portrays Azaria as a victim of the military establishment and the political leadership (even if this leadership zigzags out of a fear of online commentators' disapproval). The third argument is mental health problems. And the fourth, the new one, is that the terrorist was dead already when he was shot. You don't have to be a talented jurist to understand that these arguments contradict each other, but the most significant one of the lot is that Azaria acted properly. In this argument's name, a Pandora's box has been opened and along with it the gaping chasm beneath all the principles and values that had been obvious in the IDF. Elor Azaria at the courthouse on Thursday (Photo: Motti Kimchi) In this argument's name this past week, several witnesses for the defense were pulverized on the witness stand of the military court in Jaffa. From the local resident who claimed that it was a hot day , so the jacket that the terrorist was wearing was evidence of explosives (but then it turned out that he had been photographed wearing a sweater himself on the same day) to the platoon commander who changed stories , claiming that the he was wary of an explosive, but he forgot to clear the area of people. I've found myself exposed to a concrete threat of explosives thrice in my life. In one case, a real explosive was neutralized in time. The two other times, it was misidentified (including a terrorist with a long coat). You don't need experts: Common sense is sufficient. Anyone who thinks that there's an explosive next to him that's about to explode doesn't comfortably walk about the area like that. It doesn't matter if he's a general, a resident of Hebron, a paramedic, or a Palestinian. Even if there were dozens of kilograms of gear on his back, from my experience, his feet would be quick, and in a circumstance where he couldn't get away, he continues securing the situation from behind cover. I suppose that anyone who testifies for and speaks in favor of Azaria understands this perfectly well. Nevertheless, a circus is going on there, and it doesn't matter how you look at itit's not bringing honor to anyone. And if that weren't enough, a new, strange sort of Breaking-the-Silence trend is taking place. The shot terrorist X I've been dealing with Breaking the Silence for years now. In my opinion, they distort the image of the IDF and consciously take part (even if it's unofficial) in the worldwide anti-Israeli movement. Now, thanks to the Azaria trial, Breaking the Silence has, for the first time, supporters from the other side. Public figures say that this is how everybody behaves, and Azaria supporters explain to the world that the Israeli army isn't what it thinks it is. The consequences are not merely confined to the courtroom. From the very beginning, I thought that Azaria could make it out of this trial safely because of reasonable doubt. He eliminated a dying terrorist, not a righteous from amongst the nations. He could have claimed that he didn't understand, that he lost his orientation, that he didn't hear, that it was an error in judgment. That would have left the investigation with a question mark: a flustered soldier or a mistake. When the public and legal argument is that he acted properly, that the entire army is feeble and its commanders liars, the odds of this decrease, along with all of our chances to make it out of this safely. Este sitio utiliza cookies para mejorar la experiencia de usuario. Aceptar Ver mas Vice President lands at Youngstown U.S. Vice President Joe Biden poses for a photo with 910th Airlift Wing firefighters here, Sept. 1, 2016. Biden landed here aboard Air Force Two before departing for business in the Valley. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eric White) This Account has been suspended. Welcome, Neighbor! Thank you for sharing my journey with me. It's a bumpy ride, but hopefully you'll find it worthwhile! To reach out to me, send me an e-mail at jamesbradfordpate@yahoo.com. Dobra, k. Szczecina 900 m2 40 miejsc parkingowych Atut: Dodatkowe dochody z paczkomatow InPostu, a juz niedugo i z myjni samoobsugowej. Tradycyjny zakup nieruchomosci, mozliwosc wykupienia uzytkowania wieczystego. Buying an ideal investment property doesn't do you any good if you don't have the best possible tenants staying there. Securing the right tenant for your investment property is as important as finding the best housing assets to invest in to thrive in the property investment scene, pairing an attractive home with a competitive and credible tenant will do wonders to help you achieve your investment goals. There are five aspects of screening prospective tenants that every landlord should go through before agreeing to rent out a property. Getting to know your potential tenants The most important thing to do first is to get a clear understanding of the type of tenant you are hoping to do business with. Is your rental property targeted to small families? Maybe you are catering towards students? Or perhaps you're focused on leasing to young professionals. Make a list of your perfect tenant's characteristics, and be sure to consider the source of income. Do they have stable employment? What are their means to pay the rent? It will also be beneficial for you to personally screen and interview potential tenants. Talking to them will help you get a sense of how they interact with others, as well as insights into their attitude and personality. You can do a simple background check using social media, or you can ask them for character and professional references (there's nothing to stop you from doing both, of course). There is also the option to verify their names with a tenancy database to make sure there are no red flags. Dressing (the property) to impress To gain the attention of high-quality tenants, you must make sure the property is in its best shape. Spend an ample amount of time inspecting your property. Take a look at the kitchen cupboards and make sure the cabinet doors are in crisp condition. If your budget permits, you can also invest in new appliances. The kitchen is one of the most frequented rooms in the house, so it makes sense to ensure that everything inside is functional and visually in good shape. It is also important to pay the bathroom a visit to see if there is a problem with the pipework. Does the room need new tiles? Is it practical to invest in a new toilet seat? How about attaching new vanity mirrors? Additionally, you can check the lighting of every room and consider replacing the bulbs with new energy efficient ones: they will be cheaper for your renters and brighten the interior of your house. A new paint job or fresh wallpaper can also give an instant makeover just make sure to select muted and neutral colours, as these will suit most tenants. Showing off the property's best assets Another way to get people to talk about your property is to use several platforms to reach potential tenants. Listing sites, online ads, and social media sites are some of the avenues you can use to market your property, but only if you utilise them effectively. The key: be as creative as you can. The general rule in advertising your property is that you cannot offer what you do not have. In this case, you should never make false promises and claims about the property. Beyond just being misleading, this can lead to fines or even earn you a trip to jail. Be as genuine as you can in making your advertisement, and you will go a long way toward earning the trust of your likely tenants. Do not forget to include striking photos in your advertisements. It pays to learn how to effectively take photos even if all you have is a mobile phone to achieve decent yet vibrant-looking photos. Put yourself in the shoes of the potential tenant: What will make you the most satisfied with the property you are advertising? What are the most important things you are looking for? If the property is geared towards families with school-aged children, it would be better to highlight the house's proximity to schools, playgrounds, and other essential areas of interest relevant to these children. If the target market are young professionals, put the spotlight on the spacious rooms which can offer ample opportunity for privacy and relaxation after a day's work. In other words, you'll want to tailor-fit to your ideal audience. Hitting the right price When deciding on the price tag to put on your property, carefully examine rates of similar houses in the area. While you want your rental rates to be competitive in order to maximise your return, you don't want to overcharge, as this could result in tenants coming and going because of costs. If you find your ideal tenant, it may be worth approaching them with the opportunity to negotiate on the price to see if you can find a win-win situation. Leaving your doors open When putting your property up for viewing, it is important to consider that some (if not all) of your preferred tenants are working a regular 9-5 job. You should be prepared to take inquiries and viewing request out of regular business hours and even on weekends. When looking for the right tenant, it's important not to be rigid with your process. This kind of arrangement is a two-way street, and you should be someone tenants could easily reach out to in the event of emergencies about the property. At the end of the day, you want someone you can trust to take care of the property and keep it in great shape for their entire tenancy. If you establish yourself as a credible and effective landlord, you do not need to spend much effort to attract potential tenants for your future property investments. MATTOON --The Alpha Upsilon chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha International is celebrating 70 years of serving the community and building long-lasting friendships within the chapter's membership. The chapter plans to mark this milestone by holding an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 11 date at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Mattoon. "All past members are welcome to attend and its open to the public also," chapter President Kathleen Grissom said of the celebration. "We are very proud of this organization, and we are very proud of this chapter." Alpha Upsilon is part of the ESA leadership and service organization that supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and its Midwest affiliate in Peoria, Easter Seals, and Hope for Heroes. The chapter also supports Camp New Hope, One Stop Community Christmas, the Mattoon Area PADS food pantry, and other local causes. Grissom said Alpha Upsilon, at 70 years, is the oldest existing ESA chapter in Illinois. She said they have taken part in many local service projects over the decades, such as holding a Santa Breakfast for children and partnering with the Mattoon Exchange Club on soup suppers in past years. Chapter Vice President Suzie Coffman said they have been actively involved with Bagelfest since the beginning of this festival in 1986. She said they sold lemon shakeups during the early years and have been selling drinks at the Bagel Breakfast in recent years. Alpha Upsilon started an annual Freaky 5K & Monster Mile benefit for Camp New Hope in 2014 and is scheduled to hold this Halloween costume run again on Oct. 29 at the camp. The chapter also held a new Back to School Rummage Sale fundraiser on Aug. 5-6 at the Cross County Mall. "This chapter in particular has been one of the most active chapters in the state," Coffman said. Grissom said one of the local chapter's signature projects over the decades has been the annual St. Jude Save a Life Traffic Stop founded by members Connie Gesell and Jodi Sparks in 1976. Alpha Upsilon members give out Life Savers candies and collect donations at well-trafficked intersections in Matton during the Traffic Stop. Grissom said "everyone pitches in," adding that those who cannot stand at the intersections count the donations or help in other ways. Chapter Parliamentarian Paula Winchester said ESA, as a whole, is one of the biggest donors to St. Jude and has raised more than $200 million over the years to support the children's research hospital. Chapter member Lisa Hubbartt added that a section of the research hospital is named in honor of ESA's longtime support. "We as a chapter are a small part of the puzzle, but ESA as a whole does so much," Hubbartt said. Alpha Upsilon members also work on many smaller projects in the community, such as delivering fresh-baked cookies to emergency responders, donating magazines to hospital waiting rooms, and collecting coupons and socks to send to military service personnel. "Everyone chips in and does little things here and there. It all ads up," said chapter member Jane Raciti, who is one of the cookie bakers. Alpha Upsilon includes several women who have been members for more than 35 years. Lois Neff said she has "loved every minute" of her 44 years in the chapter, where she has spent time with longtime friends and made new ones. Neff said she was honored in 1985 to be named as chapter and then state woman of the year. Coffman said many members of Alpha Upsilon have been recognized at ESA's state level over the years, served on the state board, and attended state conventions. Past state presidents of ESA from the chapter have included Norma Grisamore, 1959-60; Mildred Homann, 1981-82 and 1992-93; Regina Considine, 1983-84; Joyce McCoy, 1987-88; and Winchester, 2009-10. "It really made me appreciate what we are about and what we do, the kids that we help and the adults too," Winchester said of being state president. Alpha Upsilon also formed sister chapters in Effingham and Sullivan, as well as the Alpha Epsilon collegiate chapter at Eastern Illinois University. Coffman said this was the first college chapter in Illinois. Hubbartt said she was recruited by her mother, Raciti, to join Alpha Upsilon five years ago. Hubbartt said she grew up helping with the Traffic Stop and other service projects, but has enjoyed getting to know the chapter as a member. She added that, "Now I have all of these beautiful ladies as my friends." In turn, Hubbartt recruited co-worker Jamie Bryant last year to join Alpha Upsilon. Bryant said she has found that the chapter is comprised by a "great group of women who do fantastic things for the community." Coffman said Alpha Upsilon provides a great network of support for its membership during good times and bad times, including hospital visits for ailing chapter members. "When we are going through a crisis in our lives, we don't even have to pick up the telephone. They are there," Grissom said. "It's nice to know that you do have support." The last couple of weeks were the toughest of times for Indians. The terrorists, who wrought havoc in Mumbai, threatened to destroy the very idea of India.

The attack on Indias financial capital has really shaken the nation from its torpor. The incident has made common people take to the streets, cutting across lines of caste, creed, community and religion.

The consequence of the attacks has not even spared the sporting field. To be precise, it has turned India into a vulnerable cricketing hub where any foreign team will now give a second thought before planning a tour.

The terrorists launched their bloody battle in Mumbai when India had thrashed England five consecutive times in the seven-match ODI series, making a mockery of the English snobbery. Already shaken on the field, the Mumbai mayhem traumatized the British team and compelled them to leave the country midway through the series.

Some cricket pundits, administrators and former cricketers envious of Indias emergence as a new cricketing super power, started writing obituaries for India as a host nation for important cricketing events in the future. This sent shivers down the spines of cricket lovers and administrators in India.

Some feared that India is going the Pakistan way, which was robbed of several international cricket tournaments including the prestigious Champions Trophy in recent times due to security concerns. Nobody wants to be the guest of a person whose house is on fire. None should be blamed for being frightened.

But India is different in every aspect. The indomitable spirit of Indians is its greatest strength. In the past 60 years India has taken such beatings only to emerge as a much stronger nation. The largest democracy of the world may seem fragile on the face value, but has withstood several challenges in the past with resounding courage.

A nation, which braved four (1962, 1965, 1971 and Kargil) devastating wars, is on the threshold of becoming a super power. The nation is desperate to shed its third world tag. In every sector India as a nation has shown superb growth and improvement.

Its no difference in sports. Though in other sports India has only started doing well by securing its first individual gold in Beijing Olympics, cricket is the game the entire nation takes to with passion. Its all but natural that both as a cricket playing nation and international cricketing hub, India has emerged as a super power.

Our cricket team has emerged from a potential challenger, to becoming true champions by thrashing Australia 2-0 recently. Every cricket playing nation wants India to tour their country because it is the most followed team with plenty of charismatic players in its ranks.

Team India have the capacity to draw people out of their homes to the grounds. When India tour any country, people gather in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of the men in blue that ultimately proves to be a huge revenue generating factor for any country. So its all but natural that it will not be possible for any country to sever cricketing ties with India due to security reasons.

With a huge fan following and a powerful media, Indias emergence as the new cricketing hub cant be ignored. Its India which has heralded a new beginning in cricket by introducing Indian Premier League (IPL), a city-based rivalry everybody loves to take part in.

The snobbish England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with ever-conservative MCC at its helm, seems to be losing its ground as more and more English players want to be part of this money making extravaganza in India. Some foreign players may not like this third world country, but they simply cant ignore the land which fattens their purses. So much so that the IPL and even Indian Cricket League (ICL) saw players including Adam Gilchrist, Stephen Fleming and Shaun Pollock taking early retirements to get a taste of this moolah.

Moreover, best of the players from England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who generally get lukewarm response from their own people, get a sense of fulfilment when cheered by millions in India as they play for Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Superstars. Money cant buy adulation.

Indian people, despite having faced poverty, unemployment and terrorism, have always found solace in cricket in their hour of crisis. Even the greatest cynic of the game accepts its overwhelming influence on Indians. The game binds the whole nation on a common platform. It makes them forget their mundane sufferings.

A country in which cricket is considered as religion and its heroes as demigods, a handful of terrorists dont have the power to destroy the game or its spirit. Jerusalem: Israeli Air Force planes returned from the US this week after participating in the "Red Flag", considered to be the biggest and best war simulation exercises in the world, with countries like Pakistan and the UAE with whom Israel does not have diplomatic relations. The website of the Nellis Air Force base in Nevada, where the 'Red Flag' advanced combat training exercise was held, stated that the Spanish Air Force participated in the large-scale military exercise alongside planes from Israel, Pakistan, the UAE and the United States. The head of the Israel Air Force's (IAF) training department, Colonel Amit, while talking to military correspondents refused to discuss the identity of the nations that participated in Red Flag but confirmed that it was done jointly with other countries, Ha'aretz reported. "We train together with anyone who attends the exercise. We have no say in the matter," he said. "In a group it is impossible to hide your level. If you did not carry out the mission given to you, everyone sees it," said the defence official to emphasise the importance of the thorough preparedness. Earlier in response to a question on Israel's participation in the prestigious exercise alongside Pakistan, a Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson had said that "the IDF trains regularly to maintain operational competency and be prepared for any potential challenge". "The Israeli Air Force was invited to participate in the high quality exercise 'Red Flag', and has accepted favourably", she had said. Eight Israeli F-16I ('Sufa' or Storm) fighter jets took part in the exercise this year, along with Israeli refuelling planes, all of which retuned here yesterday. All the squadrons participating in the exercise are said to be assigned to 'red' and 'blue' forces. The exercise involves intercepting other aircraft, attacking targets, rescuing pilots and engaging in aerial activity under the ostensible threat of ground-to-air missiles. Col. Amit said the exercise, which ended on August 26, lasted for two weeks and included daily flights, in daylight as well as at night. Some 50 warplanes from the five countries participated in the exercise, alongwith helicopters, aerial defence units, and intelligence and special forces units. Israel and Pakistan do not have diplomatic relations but the two countries have in the past tried to come close with a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in 2005 fuelling speculations of some major diplomatic breakthrough. However, relations between the two countries have been rather strained since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai when Pakistan-backed terrorists also attacked the Jewish Chabad house in the city, killing six people. Dhaka: A wealthy tycoon who was a chief financier for Bangladesh`s largest Islamist party refused Friday to seek presidential clemency against his death sentence, an official said, paving the way for his imminent execution by hanging. Mir Quasem Ali, a key leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was sentenced to death by a controversial war crimes tribunal for offences committed during the 1971 independence conflict with Pakistan. After the Supreme Court rejected his final appeal on Tuesday against the penalty, Ali declined to seek a presidential pardon, which requires an admission of guilt. "Today (Friday) he announced his decision he won`t seek mercy from the president," Prasanta Kumar Bonik, a senior official at the Kashimpur high security jail where Ali is imprisoned, told AFP. "The authorities will now decide when and where he will be executed," he said. The Supreme Court`s decision was a major blow for the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which the 63-year-old Ali had helped to revive in recent decades. Security has been stepped up at the prison, located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Dhaka, after Ali announced his decision, local police chief Harun-or-Rashid told AFP. Five opposition leaders including four leading Islamists have been executed for war crimes since 2013, all of them hanged just days after their appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. Their families said they had refused to seek a presidential pardon as they did not want to legitimise the whole trials process. The war crimes tribunal set up by the government has divided the country, with supporters of Jamaat and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) branding it a sham aimed at eliminating their leaders. Ali, who after the war became a shipping and real estate tycoon, was convicted in November 2014 of a series of crimes during Bangladesh`s war of separation from Pakistan, including the abduction and murder of a young independence fighter. His son Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, who was part of his legal defence team, was allegedly abducted by security forces earlier in August, which critics say was an attempt to sow fear and prevent protests against the imminent execution. The executions and convictions of Jamaat officials plunged Bangladesh into one of its worst crises in 2013 when tens of thousands of Islamist activists clashed with police in protests that left some 500 people dead. The Islamist party, which is banned from contesting elections, called a nationwide strike Wednesday, labelling the charges against Ali "false" and "baseless" and accusing the government of exacting "political vengeance". A group of United Nations human rights experts last week urged Bangladesh to annul Ali`s death sentence and to retry him in compliance with international standards. Tel Aviv: Israel is to host a working group of the International Criminal Court as it weighs whether to probe alleged war crimes in the 2014 Gaza war, an Israeli official said Friday. The group`s arrival "shortly" will be unprecedented, he told AFP on condition of anonymity, saying the visit was intended to show the ICC team "how the Israeli judicial system works". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu`s spokesman declined to comment to AFP. The trip is at the request of ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. Under its statutes, the ICC must be satisfied that the state in question is unable or unwilling to pursue the matter itself before the court opens war crimes proceedings. Israel will seek to convince the visiting ICC team that it intends to see justice done over accusations it used excessive force in the July-August 2014 war in and around the Palestinian territory and events immediately proceeding it. The official could not say if the group would be given access to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to which Israel controls all passage except across the largely closed Gaza-Egypt border. The 2014 conflict between Israel and Gaza`s Islamist rulers Hamas and other factions killed 2,251 Palestinians, including 551 children, according to UN figures. On the Israeli side, 73 people were killed, mostly soldiers. Israel and the Palestinians have accused each other of war crimes. Israel is alleged to have used force indiscriminately, while Hamas is accused of firing rockets at Israeli civilian population centres and of using Palestinians as human shields. The Palestinians formally asked the ICC last year to investigate the Jewish state, which has not signed up to the ICC, for alleged war crimes. Israel vehemently opposes any ICC investigation but officials have said they will cooperate with the body to convince it of the competence of the state`s own courts. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa: Four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in Pakistan were killed early Friday during a gunfight with security forces outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, the Army said. Soldiers backed by Army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the Army said. "Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50 am (00:50 GMT)," the Pakistan Army said in a statement. "Security forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed," it said, adding that two paramilitary soldiers, a policeman, and two security guards were wounded in the gunfight. The "situation is under control," the statement said, adding that troops were now carrying out a house to house search of the area. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities are commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population. The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups, and in 2011 gunned down Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was federal minister for minority affairs. A Taliban suicide bomber targeted Christians in a park in the eastern city of Lahore at Easter this year, killing more than 70 people, including many children. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan`s deadliest-ever terror attack. The Army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. New Delhi: In the wake of heavy rainfall in the basin of Barak river and its tributaries in Assam, the Central Water Commission on Friday said the river is expected to flow in "moderate to high flood situation" in the state and neighbouring Meghalaya and Manipur over the next few days. In its advisory, the CWC also cautioned the administration of Assam's Cachar, Hailakhandi and Karimgunj districts, affected by the rising level in rivers following rains, to take precautionary measures. "In view of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state of Assam and adjoining Meghalaya and Manipur in Barak Basin, river Barak and its tributaries is rising in Assam which is affecting (its) districts of Cachar, Hailakhandi and Karimgunj," Union Water Resources Ministry said in a statement. "The rivers Barak, Katakhal and Kushiyara are expected to flow in moderate to high flood situation in the next two to three days. District administrations have been advised to take all precautionary measures," it added. New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it has withdrawn its suit seeking a declaration that Delhi is a state as it has filed six petitions challenging the Delhi High Court order that held the Lt. Governor, as the administrator of the national capital, had the last word in governance. Allowing the Delhi government to withdraw its suit filed at the beginning of this year, a bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice DY Chandrachud permitted it to file a fresh suit in the event of a fresh course of action. As Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar opposed the plea by senior counsel Indira Jaising, the bench said that it was not going into the question whether National Capital Territory Delhi is a Union Territory or not. Withdrawing the suit, Indira Jaising, appearing for Delhi government, informed the court that six petitions have been against the High Court order, with the first filled on August 31 and others on September 1 and 2. Jaising said the Delhi government will agitate all the issues that it has raised in the suit. New Delhi: After the Delhi High Court lashed out at the city government for its failure to prevent waterlogging, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said it should summon Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and ask him about it. The HC had on Thursday warned the Delhi government officials with contempt of court action if the work was not completed to control waterlogging here. Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said: This is strange. How can High Court not be concerned who is govt? HC says LG is govt and then asks CM to do the job? https://t.co/Lv76XSjCID Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 2, 2016 When HC has said that LG is govt, then HC shud summon LG for waterlogging. https://t.co/Lv76XSjCID Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 2, 2016 As the state government counsel argued that the senior officials were not in their control at all, citing the power sharing between Lt Governor and the Delhi government, the court said it was not concerned about it. The court on August 31 also pulled up the Public Works Department (PWD) and civic agencies on the waterlogging situation in the city, saying there was "no justification for clogged drains". The national capital on Wednesday came to a standstill due to waterlogging after three hours of heavy rains. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was visiting the national capital, began his lecture at IIT-Delhi, where he reached late due to the situation, with a light-hearted comment said: "I don`t know if you came in boats or amphibious vehicle of some kind." (With IANS inputs) New Delhi: Trouble seems to be mounting for sacked Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar with the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police likely to question him on Friday in connection with the alleged sex scandal. 36-year-old Kumar was sacked by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday after receiving an 'objectionable' CD in which he was purportedly shown in a compromising position with a woman. "Received 'objectionable' CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect," Kejriwal tweeted. Sources said the CD purportedly showed Kumar, also Women and Child Development Minister, in a compromising position with a woman. "The CD came to us half-an-hour back. We saw the CD and took the decision to sack him immediately. AAP has zero tolerance for crime and corruption," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters tonight. Kumar represents Sultanpur Majra constituency. He is the second AAP minister to be sacked after Asim Ahmed Khan who was Minister for Food and Supplies. On October 9 last year, Kejriwal had sacked the then Environment and Food Minister Asim Ahmed Khan for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder and recommended a CBI probe into the case. In June last year, then Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar had resigned after he was arrested on the charge of possessing fake degrees. Mumbai: In what may irk the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena on Friday extended its support to Subhash Velingkar, who was sacked as the RSS Goa unit chief for running a campaign against the saffron party after the state government continued grant in aid to 127 church-run English medium schools. Announcing his party`s support to Velingkar, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut launched a frontal attack on Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and alleged that the latter, who launched the movement with the sacked RSS Goa unit chief, forgot the cause after coming to power in the state. "Manohar Parrikar, the current Defence Minister, launched this movement with Subhash Velingkar when he was the Leader of Opposition in Goa. But after becoming the Chief Minister and coming to power, he has forgotten his promises and is granting permission to the missionary schools," he told ANI. Raut said that Velingkar`s fight is for national interest and added that his party would always support his cause. "The cause for which Velingkar is fighting is for Goa`s and national interest. Homeland will be there only if the mother tongue remains. We don`t know what is happening internally between the BJP and RSS but the Shiv Sena will always support the cause for which Velingkar is fighting," he added. The RSS had earlier this week sacked Valingkar a day after the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) of which he is a part announced the floating of a political party. Velingkar had persistently been challenging the BJP government in the state as part of the campaign for making regional languages like Konkani and Marathi the medium of instruction in schools. In the last few months, Velingkar was extremely critical of the state government`s education policies, which he said favoured the English language and not regional languages Konkani and Marathi. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear Gujarat government`s plea against a high court order of quashing of its ordinance of providing 10 percent quota for the economically backward among the unreserved category, including the agitating Patel community, on September 9 instead of September 19. The Gujarat Government mentioned before the apex court that an early hearing of the matter needed as counseling for medical admission has to be completed before September 30. Earlier, the Gujarat High Court had quashed the ordinance and had stayed the operation of its order by a fortnight at the request of the state government to enable it to file an appeal in the apex court. The high court had termed the Gujarat government ordinance issued on May 1 as "inappropriate and unconstitutional", and rejected the state government`s argument that it is a classification under the general category and not the reserved category. The court had then maintained that such classification had the dangerous potential of breaching the 50 percent quota cap set up by the Supreme Court. The judgment came on a set of petitions challenging the ordinance, saying the 10 percent provision is against the limit of 50 percent reservation. The petition filed by a group, including social activists, students, and parents, had challenged the ordinance, claiming that it was contrary to the precedents established by the Supreme Court in 1990. The BJP-led Gujarat Government had come up with the ordinance in view of Patidar agitation for reservation. The ordinance had declared reservation of 10 percent seats to candidates belonging to the unreserved category with a family income cap of Rs six lakh annually in government jobs and educational institutions. However, the state defended the Gujarat Unreserved Economically Weaker Sections (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Ordinance, 2016, stating that the provision of 10 percent quota was a classification of EWS and it should not be treated as reservation prescribed under the Constitution. Chandigarh: Former Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Prakash Singh, who headed the committee formed to probe the large-scale violence during the Jat agitation in Haryana, on Friday completely rejected Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's claims that he had claimed an re-appointment. Expressing shock, Singh categorically stated, he didn't asked for any appointment to prepare a report focussing on police modernisation. The former top cop wondered, as to why Khattar was making such statement. According to reports, Haryana CM had said that Singh was looking for re-employment by volunteering to give report on police reforms in the state. Unhappy with CM's statement, Singh said even if he is invited, he would never go to Haryana to prepare a report on police reforms. According to The Indian Express, besides forming a report on the Jat agitation for reservation, Singh was also supposed to prepare a second report on police modernisation and reforms. He conducted a meeting with police officials on the same, however, he was soon told by the Haryana Home Department that the report was not required. The Prakash Singh Committee report on the Jat agitation, had blasted the civil and police administration, particularly senior officers, for abandoning their authority which it said led to the agitation paralysing the state for days. The report did not mince words to point out to particular officers and even name some of them. "Thirty lives were lost and, on a conservative estimate, property worth Rs. 20,000 crore was devastated. It is estimated that 1,196 shops were set ablaze, 371 vehicles were damaged or set on fire, 30 schools/colleges were burnt, 75 houses were set on fire, 53 hotels/marriage palaces were devastated, 23 petrol pumps were attacked and 15 religious institutions vandalised," the committee, which went around the affected districts, pointed out. Shimla: Illegal is now legal in Himachal Pradesh, once again. For, the state assembly has passed a bill for legalising illegal constructions across the state, mainly dotted across this capital town, once known as the Queen of Hills. Some of the buildings are in danger of collapsing like a pack of cards even with a moderate intensity temblor that can be catastrophic for congested settlements where extracting bodies would be difficult. But it`s all within the legal framework, at least now. Justifying the passage of the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill of 2016, Town and Country Planning Minister Sudhir Sharma told IANS that mass demolition of illegal buildings was not practical. "So we have brought a one-time relaxation policy to get the illegal structures compounded," he added. Official sources said the amended bill would enable legalising over 25,000 unauthorised structures -- both commercial and residential -- in the state. Successive state governments earlier brought the retention or regularisation policy on six occasions from time to time. "Five times the retention policy was brought to legalise constructions in Shimla town alone. In 2009, the policy was implemented in the entire state. So far, 8,198 applications have come but only 2,108 buildings have been regularised," the minister said, adding the state High Court took serious note of this time and again. "That is why we have carried out necessary amendments to the original act of 1977 to enable the people across the state to get the benefit of regularisation for the last time," Sharma said. Earlier, this bill was brought on February 19, 2014, but on the demand of the opposition BJP, it was referred to a select committee of the assembly. After that, the government twice promulgated an ordinance to regularise the buildings. "The deliberate delays in tabling the bill gave enough time to the builders and influential people to complete the illegal constructions," an official of the state`s Town and Country Planning Department told IANS. Anguished over the government`s populist policies, Shimla resident Arun Sharma said: "Successive governments, be it the Congress or the BJP, have converted the towns literally into concrete jungles. It`s no matter that the buildings are structurally safe or not." P.C. Lohumi, who is settled in this town for over five decades, said all those who are supporting the retention policy, which would spell Shimla`s doom, have no right to talk about its degradation. "It`s strange that all the political parties are supporting the violators of law indulging in illegal constructions and showing the mirror to law-abiding people. It`s simply a nexus among the corrupt politicians, builders and bureaucrats," he added. Tremors in the past have failed to shake authorities out of their slumber. Four low-intensity earthquakes hit state`s Kullu and Shimla districts on August 27. The next day another mild quake hit Chamba district. Officials fear that a high-intensity quake can turn Shimla town into a tomb of rubble as it falls in seismic zone IV-V, suggesting severest seismic sensitivity. Planned for a maximum population of 16,000, Shimla now supports 2,36,000 people, as per provisional figures for the 2011 census. "More than 200 public utility buildings, comprising hospitals and government schools and colleges within the municipal limits of Shimla require seismic strengthening," Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar told IANS. In Sanjauli, a congested locality on Shimla`s outskirts, the dead often have to be lifted out of homes with ropes in case of mishaps. Soon after the bill for legalising illegal constructions was passed, the state high court again expressed its displeasure. "Thousands of unauthorised constructions have not been raised overnight. The government machinery was mute spectator by letting the people to raise unauthorised constructions and also encroach upon the government land," a division bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Sureshwar Thakur said earlier this week. But fearing a backlash, Minister Sharma said: "If somebody raised structurally unsafe floors or buildings in the garb of getting them regularised, we will not regularise them." COLLECTIVE MADNESS Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people." SPRINGFIELD -- People on the front lines of Illinois heroin and opioid crisis say the lack of available and affordable substance abuse treatment programs is one of the biggest obstacles they face in battling addiction and overdose deaths. Officials in public health, health care, law enforcement and education and members of community organizations from across the state gathered in Springfield on Thursday for a workshop titled Opioid Crisis Next Door: Strategies for Building Local Coalitions. But Dr. Nirav D. Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, which helped organize the event, said the name could be a bit misleading. Its arguably not next door anymore, Shah said in his opening remarks. Its arguably at our front door and knocking very, very loudly. Illinois experiences roughly 1,800 deaths per year from drug overdoses, about half of which are from heroin, Shah said, noting that overdose deaths in the state in 2014 outstripped all gun-related deaths -- homicides, suicides and accidental shootings -- combined. The number of opioid overdose deaths nearly tripled between 2008 and 2014, he said. One way the Department of Public Health is trying to stem the tide of overdose deaths is by fostering the creation of coalitions of health officials, law enforcement agencies, schools, community groups and others to combat the problem at the local level, particularly in rural communities. Shah said a multifaceted approach is the only way the state will be able to reverse the current trend. We wont be able to treat our way out of the crisis or incarcerate our way out of this crisis or even educate our way out, he said. But together we do have the ability to end this epidemic. Among those in attendance Thursday were members of the Christian County Prevention Coalition, which formed more than a decade ago and was revitalized in 2010. Dennis Metsker, who offers Christian ministry to drug users and runs the local Families Anonymous program, is a member of the coalitions executive committee. He said the community is lacking detox, treatment and sober-living programs for those who are trying to get clean. Thats our next step, said Lori Younker, a parent advocate and another coalition executive committee member. We know weve got the tools to do the prevention side, so now lets find a strong referral mechanism to get these individuals the treatment that they need in a quick manner. Pana police Chief Daniel Bland, another coalition member, said that right now area churches and faith-based organizations are doing their best to fill that need. Our recovery center in our area is the churches, Bland said. Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said the community has long had a prescription drug abuse problem, but some users are now shifting to heroin, which is often cheaper and more easily accessible. Kettelkamp said hes urged lawmakers to make more funding available for treatment facilities. The lack of treatment programs isnt limited to Christian County. Angela Stoltzenburg, manager of the Healthy Communities Partnership in Logan County, said her organization has experienced similar problems since increasing its focus on heroin and opioid addiction about a year and a half ago. That is a problem absolutely everywhere, Stoltzenburg said. The tricky thing about trying to connect people with resources is that when they have that moment where theyre ready to get help, if you dont have resources available to them immediately, thats where you lose the opportunity to help that person. Some help might be on the way. The Illinois Department of Human Services announced Thursday that it is receiving $8 million in federal grants to help combat heroin and opioid abuse. A three-year, $3 million grant will help the state expand outpatient methadone treatment programs, and a five-year, $5 million grant is targeted at preventing overdose deaths in six counties around Chicago and St. Louis by providing anti-overdose drugs to emergency responders, among other measures. The state is also asking the federal government for permission to expand Medicaid coverage to include certain treatment programs that arent currently covered. Shimla: Banks and commercial establishments were closed across Himachal Pradesh on Friday after trade unions of central government employees joined the nationwide strike to protest the violation of labour laws and privatisation. Most of the private hotels and hydropower projects, banks and government insurance companies, as well as the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) were badly hit as their employees went on a day-long strike. State-run Himachal Road Transport Corporation, however, did not participate in the shutdown. State electricity board employees joined the protest but they were not observing strike, a government official said. Also, there was no impact on air, rail and road traffic in the state. State president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Jagat Ram told IANS: "There is a complete shutdown in private hotels, hydropower projects and central departments like the Central Board of Excise and Customs." CITU is affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist. "No violence was reported across the state," a senior police officer said. New Delhi: In defence of former social welfare and women and child development minister and party colleague Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked after a sex tape involving the Aam Aadmi Party leader emerged, AAP spokesperson Ashutosh on Friday justified the act, saying it was consensual. Ashutosh tried to defend Kumar saying, 'sex is a part of our basic instincts'. While giving his justification, the AAP leader wrote in his blog: "Indian history is full of examples of our leaders and heroes who had lived with their desires beyond social boundaries. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's reported affairs with many female colleagues were juicy gossip but it didn't spoil his political career. His relationship with Edwina Mountbatten is widely discussed. The entire world knew about it. Their affections continued till Pt. Nehru's last breath. Was it a sin? History is also witness to the fact that top leaders of the Congress in 1910s were worried about Gandhiji's relationship with Sarla Chaudhary, who was distantly related to Rabindra Nath Tagore. Gandhi Ji had confessed that Sarla was his spiritual wife. Kasturba Gandhi was very disturbed. C Rajagopalchari and other senior leaders of the party had to intervene. They persuaded, pressured, cajoled Gandhi-ji to leave Sarla. Gandhiji in his later days slept naked with his two nieces to experiment with celibacy. Pandit Nehru had told him not to do so as the country would rise against him but Gandhi-ji did not budge." The blog was posted on NDTV. Besides Gandhi and Nehru, Ashutosh gave examples of ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, George Fernandes's personal lives. The AAP leader wrote: "Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia used to say that every relationship between a man and a woman is right if it is not defined by coercion and manipulation. He had a lifelong partner and lived with her without marriage. His colleague George Fernandes was married to Laila Kabir, but this was never a problem for his friendship with Jaya Jaitley. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not married in true RSS tradition but he said in parliament that he is a bachelor not celibate. He openly lived with his college friend and society did not object even once." "Chinese leader Mao Je Dong's sexual activity was not confined to women. The young males who served as his attendants were invariably handsome and strong and one of their responsibilities was to administer a nightly massage as an additional aid to sleep," Ashutosh further said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday night sacked Sandeep Kumar as social welfare and women and child development minister over an alleged "sex video" involving him. New Delhi: "Live and let live", the Supreme Court on Friday advised Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as they locked horns and traded charges in the courtroom over the release of Cauvery water. "Tamil Nadu's situation is 'water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink'. Some steps have to be taken by Karnataka so that the other State [Tamil Nadu] can exist as an entity. The principle of 'live and let live' has to be applied to this dispute," a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit said. The emotional appeal and sane advise came from the bench when Tamil Nadu brought to the notice of the court that the Karnataka Chief Minister has said that not a drop of water will be released to it. Senior lawyer F S Nariman, appearing for Karanataka, said there were rain "deficit months" in the recent past and it was difficult to release the water due to Tamil Nadu. He said the Tribunal has not provided for an alternative for Karnataka on the point of release of water during distress months. In a recent plea, Tamil Nadu had sought a direction to Karnataka to release 50.52 tmc feet of Cauvery water to save 40,000 acres of samba crops this season. In reply, Karnataka has said it has a deficit of about 80 tmc feet in its four reservoirs. Stressing that the states have to live in harmony, the court, which would hear the matter in detail on September 5, said "We cannot assume what will be the rainfall ... But if there is a formula in the Tribunal award, Karnataka is bound by it." Supreme Court judge Justice J Chelameswar had earlier recused himself from hearing the batch of petitions and cross- petitions relating to the implementation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award, filed by various parties, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Prior to this, the apex court had refused to give an urgent hearing to Tamil Nadu's plea for setting up of Cauvery Management Board for implementation of the CWDT award. At the directions of the apex court, the Centre, in 2013, had notified the final award of the CWDT on sharing the waters of the Cauvery system among the basin states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and union territory of Puducherry. The CWDT had recommended the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board/Authority on the lines of the Bhakra Beas Management Board for implementation of the order. The board, in turn, would constitute a Cauvery Water Regulation Committee for assistance. The Tribunal, in a unanimous decision in 2007, had determined the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site, including 14 tmcft for environmental protection and seepage into the sea. The final award made an annual allocation of 419 tmcft to Tamil Nadu in the entire Cauvery basin, 270 tmcft to Karnataka, 30 tmcft to Kerala and 7 tmcft to Puducherry. New Delhi: Days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Beijing to attend the G-20 Summit, China's top secret stealth fighter, the J-20, has been spotted in the Tibetan region. According to reports, the J-20 was spotted at the Daocheng Yading airport in the high-altitude Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture which lies to the east of Arunachal Pradesh. The image of the stealth fighter - one of China's most closely guarded military projects appeared on Twitter. The news was also carried out by two defence websites - www.abovetopsecret.com and www.alert5.com - days after China warned India against deploying the supersonic BrahMos missile along the Himalayas. However, the Indian Army has rejected China's concerns over BrahMos missile deployment, saying "Our threat perceptions and security concerns are our own, and how we address these by deploying assets on our territory should be no one else's concern." Interestingly, PM Modi is due to hold talks tomorrow in Vietnam, a country with a stated interest in the BrahMos missile, which can strike targets on land and at sea more than 290 km away. The image of the J-20 shows the fighter covered in tarpaulin at the Daocheng Yading airport, which is located at an altitude of more than 14,000 feet, making it the world's highest civilian airport. The deployment of the J-20 to the air base also shows that the fighter can operate from extreme high-altitude air fields, where the reduced density of air severely restricts the amount of fuel and ordnance that can be carried when the aircraft takes off. India does not operate any stealth aircraft at present. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the BJP will fight the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and other states on the issues of development, and its focus will be jobs, peace, unity and social justice. In an interview to CNN-News 18 news channel, Modi hoped that voters in Uttar Pradesh will vote on the issues of development and elect a full majority government. "There will be elections in five states in coming days and Uttar Pradesh is one of them. As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only. Our focus will be welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice," Modi said. "Our focus will be to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood in our country. We will take steps in these regard and move forward," he added. The Prime Minister said there was "no atmosphere of vote-bank politics" in the last Lok Sabha elections and there was "an atmosphere of development politics". He said an entire section of society has made a shift towards politics of development. "After 30 years, a section of our society unitedly voted for a majority government. An entire section of our society has made a shift. It is possible that the people of UP will do a similar thing for betterment of UP, they will vote keeping development in mind," Modi said. Elections are expected to be held early next year to assemblies of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, besides in Uttar Pradesh. Dedicated to welfare of Dalits: Modi Modi said he is dedicated to the welfare of Dalits, and added that "those self-appointed guardians" who see this as an obstruction to their politics were creating hurdles and tension in the country. "All those self-appointed guardians who were trying to create tension in the country did not like that Modi is with the Dalits... That Modi devotes himself to tribals. I am devoted to the welfare of all Dalits, oppressed, underprivileged and deprived," the Prime Minister said in the interview. Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble. And this is why they are levelling baseless allegations," the Prime Minister said. Modi also said that "political tones" were being given to social problems. "All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country. They must stop giving political tones to social problems. We must go forward with a purpose," he said. Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in the Centre have been targeted by opposition parties over the attack on Dalits by cow vigilantes in Gujarat in the name of cow protection. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tell-all interview with a leading TV news channel, which was aired on Friday, spoke on a wide range of issues from the national economy, attack on Dalits, Kashmir unrest to electoral politics among others, and listed out his government's top priorities as well as its resolve to clear the hurdles facing the country. Here are the top quotes of the Prime Minister:- -I leave it to the people to evaluate how my government has performed: PM -My first priority after forming government was to remove the atmosphere of despair: PM Modi. -Development is our only agenda and it will remain so: PM -Want to focus on how to make life easier for the common man: PM -The entire world says that with 7% growth rate, India is the fastest growing economy: PM -Today, we have the most amount of Foreign Direct Investment after Independence: PM -My govt's mantra - Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform, says PM Modi. -Our system, processes and forms were very complicated earlier: PM -GST Bill is perhaps the biggest tax reform since the independence of India: PM -GST Bill will bring about a big change: PM -Ease of doing business has rapidly improved: PM -Direct benefit transfer is a big reform: PM -All this would not be possible without reforms: PM -Taxation will cease to be a burden to the citizen of India after GST: PM -This time the rains have been good and this helps agriculture, which is good for the economy: PM -Issues from the past have impacted private investment: PM -Should have introduced a white paper in the Parliament on the economic situation of the country before presenting the first budget: PM Media played a big role uin my political career: PM I don't believe in short cuts because short cuts may cut you short: PM -Indians, no matter where they are, want their country to progress: PM -Many had a problem with Modi being a devotee of BR Ambedkar: PM -Some people are selectively picking issues and blaming Modi, law and order is the subject of state: PM -Incidents of violence against tribals and Dalits have gone down in comparison to the previous government: PM -As far as few incidents are concerned, they must be condemned. It hurts the interests of the country: PM -It's unfortunate that everything that we do is immediately linked to elections: PM -India has 80 crore youth below the age of 30. They can change the fortunes of the country: PM -Skill development is a ministry with its own budget: PM -The biggest tool for empowerment is education: PM I always maintain that the people of Kashmir need both development and trust: PM We have to empower the poor to end poverty: PM New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview with a leading television network, broadcast on Friday, spoke on a variety of issues, from the economy, social prejudices to electoral politics, and listed out his government's priorities as well as its resolve to overcome the challenges facing the country. Here are the highlights of the prime minister's interview: On Dalit atrocities: All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country. Thousands of years of injustice have kept these wounds open. The slightest of damage will cause a lot of pain. This is why, it does not matter whether the incident is big or small, what matters is that the incident must not happen in the first place. From a statistical point of view, whether it is communal violence, atrocities against Dalits or atrocities against tribals, data shows that such incidents have gone down in number as opposed to the previous government. If you look at Dalit MPs and Dalit MLAs, tribal MPs and tribal MLAs, the BJP has a sizeable presence. I am devoted to improving the lives of Dalits, tribals and the oppressed. I am telling this to all politicians, including BJP members, if you speak against one community then you are answerable to the nation. Many had a problem with Modi being a devotee of BR Ambedkar. As far as a few incidents are concerned, they must be condemned. Law and order is a state subject. It hurts the interests of the country. On upcoming Assembly elections: It's unfortunate that everything that we do is immediately linked to elections. BJP will fight the elections on development issues alone. Development is our only issue and it will remain so. And this is not a political issue. This is my conviction. If we want to free this country of poverty then we need development. We will need to empower the poor. The biggest tool for empowerment is education. Our focus will be on welfare of farmers, villages and jobs for the youth. He strongly pitched for three-tier simultaneous polls for parliament, state assemblies and local bodies. It is high time we keep elections and developmental works as separate entities. There will be elections in five states in coming days. As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only. Our focus will be welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice. Our focus will be to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood in our country. We will take steps in these regard and move forward. On youth empowerment: I started the Start Up initiative to empower the youth. The country has 80 crores of youth. They are below 30 years of age. If the youth has the skill, they can change the fortunes of this country. We have laid a lot of stress on skill development, which is the need of the hour. On Kashmir unrest: I always maintain that the people of Kashmir need both development and trust. Want to focus on how to make life easier for the common man. On nation building and development: The pace at which roads are being made, railways is expanded, six-fold increase in electronic goods manufacturing, these things show we haven't taken short cuts. And my motto is, as it says on railway platforms, 'short cut will cut you short'. Ten government and 10 private universities will be freed of all University Grants Commission rules. We will give them money and they must move towards becoming world class universities. If rules were holding them up, we will remove the rules. Electricity production has gone up and so has the demand. Infrastructure work is also growing rapidly and that happens when there is demand in the economy. From all this, it looks like we have moved ahead to better days. We have removed 1,700 laws that were from the 19th and 20th centuries. I have asked states also to do so. Indians, no matter where they are, want their country to progress. On Black Money: We have a strong law against black money that will dissuade anyone from stashing money abroad. He warned those with black money to declare it before the given deadline of September 30, adding that stern action might be taken after that. The first decision my government took was to make a SIT (Special Investigation Team) on black money. It is working and the Supreme Court is monitoring it. We have also made laws so that no one dares to send black money abroad from India. So more black money will not be generated. On political vendetta: History is testimony to the fact that I have never targeted anyone for political reasons. "I do not think from political perspective... I have been a Chief Minister for 14 years, I never opened a file for political reasons. We have not advised to open any file from political point of view," Modi said. He said that he wanted to bring a White Paper on the economic condition of the country when his government came into power, but refrained from it in national interest. He said that he chose to face political damage instead of damaging the economy by revealing the real situation, and alleged the figures were changed in the budget by the previous government. Many people ask me what has been the biggest mistake we made in two years. When I think about it now, I feel, before presenting the first budget I should have tabled a white paper on the economic condition of the country... We had this thought, he said. On economy: Today, we have the most amount of Foreign Direct Investment after Independence. The entire world says that at 7% growth, we are the fastest growing economy. Taxation system will also be simplified and this will not only benefit the common man, the revenues will help develop the nation. Today, there are sometimes incidents of mistrust between states. This will end that situation, it will be transparent and strengthen the federal structure. Ease of doing business has rapidly improved. All this would not be possible without reforms. This time, the rains have been good and this helps agriculture, which is good for the economy. GST is a major tax reform since independence. It will bring about a big change. About his government's mantra: My government's mantra is reform, perform and transform. Before we came to power, newspapers were filled with stories of corruption and scandals. People had lost hope. My first priority after coming to power was to remove the atmosphere of despair. I leave it to the people to evaluate how my government has performed. On being asked to describe himself: Narendra Modi, whatever he is, is after all, a human being. Why should I suppress or hide what's inside me? I am what I am. There is nothing like real or fake Modi. I relax through working only. I never get tired of working. In fact, the opposite tires me. I like Vivekananda's quotations and his style of delivery a lot. I can say Vivekananda's thought has made a huge impact on me. Media has played a major role in whatever I am today. New Delhi: India is unlikely to give French naval contractor DCNS a proposed order for three new submarines, in addition to the six it is already building in the country, following the leak of secret data about its capabilities, Indian defence officials said. Details of the Scorpene submarine were published in the Australian newspaper last month, triggering concerns that it had become vulnerable even before it was ready to enter service. DCNS had offered to build three more submarines to help India replace its ageing Soviet-era fleet, and had held talks over the past year, two Indian sources said. That offer will not now be taken up, according to the officials. "We had an agreement for six, and six it will remain," a defence ministry official briefed on the navy`s plans told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. A navy officer said there had been a serious breach of data and the navy`s efforts were focused on determining the damage done to the existing submarines. "No order will be signed, nothing is going to happen now," the officer, who is also been briefed on the submarine data leak, said when asked if the government planned to enlarge the order. India`s defence ministry has written to DCNS asking for details about the extent of the leak and how data relating to the Scorpene`s intelligence gathering frequencies, diving depth, endurance and weapons specifications had ended up in the public domain, both officials said. A naval group headed by a three-star admiral is looking at altering some features of the submarine, the first of which began sea trials in May for induction later this year, to minimise any damage. The remaining five are in various stages of production at state-run Mazgaon Docks shipyard in Mumbai and they were all due to enter service by 2020. An official at Mazgaon Docks said the firm was focused on completing the original order of six Scorpenes and that he was not aware of any plan to build more. A DCNS spokesman said the firm was in close touch with "our key customers like India to keep them informed of the development of our investigation, respond to their questions and mitigate their legitimate worries". "The investigation is still ongoing and one of its objectives is to determine the potential prejudice and minimize its potential consequences," the spokesman said. DCNS is preparing to build a new fleet of submarines in Australia for A$50 billion ($38.13 billion). Australian defence officials have warned the firm to beef up security in the wake of the leak. DCNS has said that the leak, which covered details of the Scorpene-class model and not the vessel currently being designed for the Australian fleet, bore the hallmarks of "economic warfare" carried out by frustrated competitors. Indian officials have pointed to a "non-disclosure of information" clause that was written into the 2005 contract at French insistence, the first defence ministry official briefed on the communication with the DCNS, said. But the official said the government could only invoke that clause if it was established that the data was leaked and not stolen. A French government source has said the firm had apparently been robbed, and it was not a leak, adding it was unlikely classified data was stolen. NOISE SIGNATURE Indian submarine experts say that, while the breach in information security was serious, it does not make the Scorpenes immediately vulnerable to detection. The most vital data about a submarine is its unique "signature" of noise, heat and electro-magnetic emissions, and it is the combination of such signatures that determines the ability to detect them. "If that is gone, then you might as well say goodbye to the submarine. You are exposed," said former vice admiral and submariner A.K.Singh. Such signatures are assembled in the course of the sea trials of a submarine, and in the case of the Scorpenes that has yet to happen, he said. India`s submarine arm is down to 13 vessels, only half of which are operational at any time, and is falling rapidly behind China, which is expanding its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean. Even Pakistan, which operates Agosta submarines also built by DCNS and is in talks with China for a new set of submarines, is drawing close to the operational strength of the Indian navy. The Indian government has approved the acquisition of the next generation of submarines beyond the Scorpene, in an project estimated at $8 billion. DCNS has expressed an interest in that project, as has Russia and Germany`s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The first defence official said he did not expect any movement on that project until the investigation into the Scorpene leak was completed and new security measures put in place. New Delhi: Ahead of his departure on Friday to Vietnam on a bilateral visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the southeast Asian nation as "friendly", India`s relationship with which will benefit Asia and the whole world. "Greetings to the people of Vietnam on their National Day. Vietnam is a friendly nation with whom we cherish our relationship," Modi said in a series of Facebook posts. Stating that he would be reaching Hanoi on Friday evening, the Prime Minister said his government attached a high priority to bilateral relations with Vietnam. This will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to Vietnam in 15 years since the visit of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001. "The India-Vietnam partnership will benefit Asia and the rest of the world," Modi stated. "During the visit, I will hold extensive discussions with Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc. We will review complete spectrum of our bilateral relationship." Modi said that he would also meet Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, and National Assembly of Vietnam`s Chairperson Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens," he said. "Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit." During the visit, Modi will pay homage to Ho Chi Minh, whom he described as "one of 20th century`s tallest leaders". From Vietnam, the Prime Minister will proceed to Hangzhou in China on Saturday evening to attend this year`s G-20 Summit to be held on September 4-5. "During the G-20 Summit, I will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges," he said. "We will discuss putting the global economy on the track of sustainable, steady growth and responding to emerging and entrenched social, security and economic challenges." Modi said that India would "engage constructively on all the issues before us and work towards finding solutions and taking forward the agenda for a robust, inclusive and sustainable international economic order that uplifts the socio-economic conditions of people across the world, especially those who need it most in developing countries". Kolkata: A day after an unreleased Japanese government probe confirmed that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died in a plane crash, the grand nephew of the iconic freedom fighter on Friday said that the report is inconclusive as the mystery still remains surrounding former's disappearance. News Agency ANI quoted Chandra Bose, the grand nephew of Netaji and a member of the BJP, as saying. The Japanese government had released the documents on Thursday that concluded that Netaji died in a plane crash in Taiwan on 18 August, 1945. Bose said that it is necessary to wait for the Indian Government to further de-classify the report. "This is not conclusive at all. It's the mystery of Netaji's disappearance that still remains. It is premature at this juncture to arrive at any conclusion when the process of de-classification is under way. The National Democratic Alliance(NDA)-led government, for the first time after independence, have de-classified the files and the process is on to put all files pertaining to him in the public domain, so let us wait for this process to be completed," he said. He pointed out that the report only contains sketches of the plane and people who sat in the plane, and does not count as substantial evidence to support the plane crash theory. "Now the Japanese report, which has recently been come out in website, only contains sketches of the aircraft. Where are the photographs? If a plane crash takes place there has to be a photograph or of the people who have died. There is not a single evidence to really conclusively establish the air crash, only some sketches and reports. These are not conclusive evidence in a court of law to establish the plane crash theory," he said. He also pointed out that the Justice Mukherjee Commission report clearly stated that the Taiwan authorities gave it in writing that there was no air crash on the August 18, 1945. "We need documentary proof to establish what happened to Subhas Chandra Bose after 18th Aug 1945," he added. In the report titled 'Investigation on the cause of death and other matters of the late Subhas Chandra Bose', reaches the conclusion that Netaji met with an air crash on 18 August, 1945 and died at a Taipei hospital the same evening. Immediately after taking off, the airplane in which he (Bose) rode fell to the ground, and he was wounded," the report notes in its 'Outline of the result of the investigation'. It further records that at "about 3.00 pm he entered the Nanmon Branch of Taipei Army Hospital"; and that at "about 7.00 pm he died". The findings also state that on "22 August, he was cremated (at the Taipei Municipal crematorium)". In a more detailed description of the incident, the report says, "After the plane had taken off and risen about 20 metres above the ground, one petal of the three-petaled propeller of the left wing was suddenly broken, and the engine fell off. "The airplane, subsequently unbalanced, crashed into ballast piles, beside the strip of the airport" and "was wrapped in flames in a moment. With ANI Inputs Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Islamabad: Balochistan's representative at UNHRC has accused Pakistan of committing war crimes against Baloch people and urged the international community to penalise Islamabad for its alleged human rights violations in the Baloch and Sindh regions. The Pakistani establishment is committing war crimes in Balochistan and Sindh. We appeal to Interpol to issue Red notices for Raheel Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, DG ISI and heads of FC and Rangers, Mehran Mari, Balochistan's representative at UNHRC was quoted as saying by ANI. Mari said that it's not the first time that Pakistan has resorted to misinforming international community, the European Union and Interpol. PM Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief Raheel Sharif, ISI DG and others are war criminals and they must be arrested whenever they leave Pakistan, Mari said. #WATCH Mehran Mari (Rep of Balochistan at UNHRC) on reports of Pak taking Interpol's help to nab Brahamdagh Bugti pic.twitter.com/P7VMcNshan ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 The remarks from Mari comes at a time when Pakistan has been cracking down on Baloch activists since they lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for action against Pakistan for its atrocities against the Baloch people in Pakistan. Several top Baloch leaders have accused that Pakistan of using chemical weapon against the Baloch people to suppress their voices. Sher Mohammad Bugti, a spokesman of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), has warned Islamabad about any action it is planning against other prominent Baloch activists who protest Pakistan's atrocities in Balochistan. "Before issuing a red corner notice against Brahamdagh Bugti, Pakistan should think what its global image is," Sher Mohammad Bugti said, referring to Brahamdagh, the founder of the BRP. Pakistani authorities have decided to speed up the process to bring back Baloch separatist leader and Nawaz Akbar Khan Bugti's grandson Brahamdagh Bugti, who is currently living in self-exile in Switzerland, PTI reported. Two weeks ago, in what is being seen a big strategic shift, PM Modi began to call out Pakistan for its so-called hypocrisy in commenting about Kashmir even as it continues to oppress people within its borders. And now, Baloch activists in Pakistan and those forced into exile abroad are rallying around Modi's stirring speeches against Pakistan's atrocities in the Balochistan province and in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Last week, even as Pakistan has begun to internationalize its Kashmir campaign, the country was hugely embarrassed after dozens of exiled Baloch activists in Germany came out on Saturday to chant anti-Pakistan protests and to laud Modi for his stand. Many of the Baloch activists were flying the Indian flag and shouting pro-Modi slogans at a rally they held in the town of Leipzig, media reports said. This protest came even as Nawaz Sharif announced that he has appointed a 22 MP 'K' squad to tour the world with a Kashmir agenda. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview with a leading television network, broadcast on Friday, spoke on a variety of issues, from the economy, social prejudices to electoral politics, and listed out his government's priorities as well as its resolve to overcome the challenges facing the country. Here are the highlights of the prime minister's interview: - I like Vivekananda's quotations and his style of delivery a lot. I can say Vivekananda's thought has made a huge impact on me. - On being asked to describe himself, he said, Narendra Modi, whatever he is, is after all, a human being. Why should I suppress or hide what's inside me? I am what I am. - There is nothing like real or fake I relax through working only. I never get tired of working. In fact, the opposite tires me. - Media has played a major role in whatever I am today. - Our focus will be on welfare of farmers, villages & jobs for the youth. - I always maintain that the people of Kashmir need both development and trust. - We have laid a lot of stress on skill development, which is the need of the hour - From a statistical point of view, whether it is communal violence, atrocities against Dalits, atrocities against tribals, data shows that such incidents have gone down in number as opposed to the previous government. - If you look at Dalit MPs and Dalit MLAs, tribal MPs and tribal MLAs, the BJP has a sizeable presence. - All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country. - Thousands of years of injustice have kept these wounds open. The slightest of damage will cause a lot of pain. This is why, it does not matter whether the incident is big or small, what matters is that the incident must not happen in the first place. - The BJP will fight Uttar Pradesh elections on development issues alone. - It's unfortunate that everything that we do is immediately linked to elections. - The biggest tool for empowerment is education. - Development is our only issue and it will remain so. And this is not a political issue. This is my conviction. - If we want to free this country of poverty then we need development. We will need to empower the poor. - I started the Start Up initiative to empower the youth. - The country has 80 crore youth. They are below 30 years of age. If the youth has the skill, they can change the fortunes of this country. - Indians, no matter where they are, want their country to progress. - The pace at which roads are being made, railways is expanded, six fold increase in electronic gods manufacturing, these things show we haven't taken short cuts. And my motto is, as it says on railway platforms, 'short cut will cut you short'. - I am telling this to all politicians, including BJP members, if you speak against one community then you are answerable to the nation. - I am devoted to improving the lives of Dalits, tribals and the oppressed. - Many had a problem with Modi being a devotee of B R Ambedkar. - Incidents of violence against tribals and Dalits have gone down in comparison to the previous government. - 10 government and 10 private universities will be freed of all University Grants Commission rules. We will give them money and they must move towards becoming world class universities. If rules were holding them up, we will remove the rules. - We have moved 1,700 laws that were from the 19th and 20th centuries. I have asked states also to do so. - As far as few incidents (Dalit atrocities) are concerned, they must be condemned. Law and order is a state subject. It hurts the interests of the country. - We have a strong law against black money that will dissuade anyone from stashing money abroad. - Electricity production has gone up and so has the demand. Infrastructure work is also growing rapidly and that happens when there is demand in the economy. From all this, it looks like we have moved ahead to better days. - History is testimony to the fact that I have never targeted anyone for political reasons. - Should have introduced a white paper in the Parliament on the economic situation of the country before presenting the first budget. - Today, we have the most amount of Foreign Direct Investment after Independence. The entire world says that at 7% growth, we are the fastest growing economy. - Want to focus on how to make life easier for the common man. - Taxation system will also be simplified and this will not only benefit the common man, the revenues will help develop the nation. Today there are sometimes incidents of mistrust between states. This will end that situation, it will be transparent and strengthen the federal structure. - Ease of doing business has rapidly improved. All this would not be possible without reforms. - This time, the rains have been good and this helps agriculture, which is good for the economy. - My government's mantra is reform, perform and transform. - The entire world says that with 7 percent growth rate, India is the fastest growing economy. - Before we came into power newspapers were filled with stories of corruption and scandals. People had lost hope. - GST is a major tax reform since independence. It will bring about a big change. - My first priority after coming to power was to remove the atmosphere of despair. - I leave it to the people to evaluate how my government has performed. - PM Modi said it is "unfortunate" that any developmental work is invariably linked to polls. - He strongly pitched for three-tier simultaneous polls for parliament, state assemblies and local bodies. - "It is high time we keep elections and developmental works as separate entities," Modi said in an interview to CNN News18. - PM Modi has said that he has never targeted any "dynasty" nor opened a file to settle political scores. - "I do not think from political perspective... I have been a Chief Minister for 14 years, I never opened a file for political reasons. We have not advised to open any file from political point of view," Modi said. - PM Modi said that he wanted to bring a White Paper on the economic condition of the country when his government came into power, but refrained from it in national interest. - The Prime Minister said he chose to face political damage instead of damaging the economy by revealing the real situation, and alleged the figures were changed in the budget by the previous government. - Many people ask me what has been the biggest mistake we made in two years. When I think about it now, I feel, before presenting the first budget I should have tabled a white paper on the economic condition of the country... We had this thought," he said. - PM Modi has warned those with black money to declare it before the given deadline of September 30, adding that stern action might be taken after that. - "The first decision my government took was to make a SIT (Special Investigation Team) on black money. It is working and the Supreme Court is monitoring it. We have also made laws so that no one dares to send black money abroad from India. So more black money will not be generated," PM Modi said - PM Modi said the BJP will fight the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and other states on the issues of development, and its focus will be jobs, peace, unity and social justice. - "There will be elections in five states in coming days and Uttar Pradesh is one of them. As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only. Our focus will be welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice," PM Modi said. - "Our focus will be to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood in our country. We will take steps in these regard and move forward," he added. New Delhi: In a bid to strengthen India's look-east policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the strategically important south-east Asian country Vietnam on Friday. The PM will also attend the annual summit of powerful G-20 grouping in China's Hangzhou where India is likely to seek concrete measures to check terror financing and crackdown on tax evasion. Modi's first destination will be Vietnam from where he will leave for Hangzhou on August 3 to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. The Prime Minister will return to India on September 5 and will again leave for Laos on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN and East Asia Summits. In Vietnam, Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with top leadership of the resource-rich country to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and ramping up India's engagement in oil exploration. India's ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. At the G-20 Summit, India is likely to raise a host of issues ranging from choking terror funding and checking tax evasion to cutting cost of remittances and market access for key drugs. On the sidelines of the Summit, Modi will have bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and attend a BRICS leaders' meet. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi here on Friday. Modi, who is set to leave for Vietnam, recieved Sisi at the Hyderabad House where they held a discussion. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. He met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday. Sisi, who is being accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, officials and business leaders, will also sign a number of agreements. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met visiting Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and noted that radicalization and increasing violence are threats not just to India and Egypt but also to other countries across the region. Modi, meanwhile, described Egypt as a natural bridge between Asia and Africa. Addressing a joint press conference with Al-Sisi, the PM said: "President and I are of one view that growing radicalization, increasing violence and spread of terror are real threats not just to our two countries but also to nations and communities across the region." "In this context, we agree to further our defence and security engagements..." Modi said adding that the two countries have decided to expand defence trade, training, combat capacity building, and greater information exchange to combat terrorism. The two countries are also cooperating in dealing with emerging challenges in cyber security, Modi said. Modi praised Egypt`s role during its current term at the UN Security Council and welcomed Egypt`s partnership for the next week`s G-20 meet, which is to be held in Hangzou, China. "India appreciates the good work that Egypt has been doing during its current term in UNSC. Our decision to consult more closely on regional and global issues both at the UN and outside will benefit our common interests," Modi said. Following delegation-level talks here, Modi said: "As ancient and proud civilisations with rich cultural heritage, we (India and Egypt) decided to facilitate more people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on him in the evening, and during the meeting, Sisi described ties between Egypt and India as old and "very resilient". Sisi will be hosted for a banquet by President Mukherjee on Friday evening. This is the first presidential visit from Egypt to India since the visit of then President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. (With IANS inputs) New Delhi: Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Friday said that action is being taken against the three suspended Home Ministry officials for renewing the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of Zakir Naik`s NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). Rijiju said that the defaulters were from the foreigners division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. "We have taken action against some officers in the foreigners division of the Ministry of Home Affairs because they did not follow the rules and the instruction of the government," said Rijiju. "We are very clear that any organisation, which is involved in some illegal activities or case is pending we don`t renew their licenses. So, there was some lapse found and action is being taken," he added. Three junior Home Ministry officials were removed on Thursday after it was found that Naik`s NGO Islamic Research Foundation`s FCRA licence was renewed recently despite several ongoing probes against him. According to sources, the license for Naik`s NGO was renewed on August 19 even as the government initiated the inquiry against him and his organisation. An FCRA license allows an NGO to receive foreign donations. After the Holey Artisan Cafe in Dhaka was stormed by gunmen in July, Bangladesh had complained to India about Zakir Naik and the IRF. Dhaka had alleged that the IRF and Naik`s speeches may have motivated the youth. Srinagar: Authorities on Friday imposed curfew in most places of the Kashmir Valley to prevent protests and maintain law and order. A senior police official said, "Restrictions will remain in force in Badgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora and Handwara." "Curfew has been imposed in Srinagar city and all other district headquarters and towns of the Valley," he added. For the 56th consecutive day, educational institutions, main markets and public transport have remained suspended. The state government has decided not to implement its decision to stop salaries of its employees who remained absent from duties during the month of August. "Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has decided to take a lenient view on this because of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Azha festival," a senior officer of the state government said. With a school boy drowning in Parimpora area of Srinagar city when a mob was being chased there by the security forces on Thursday, the death toll in the ongoing unrest rose to 73. IGP Kashmir Zone Syed Javed Mujdaba said that there was no security deployment in the area during the time of the incident. Jammu: The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions on the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. Different sources told IANS in winter capital Jammu, "Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire today (Friday), using small weapons and automatics to target our positions in Akhnoor sector of the LoC." "Our troops are effectively retaliating the Pakistan firing using the same calibre weapons." Till last reports came in firing exchanges were continuing in the area. No damage has so far been reported from the Indian side. Srinagar: A young police officer from Kashmir has tied the knot with a girl from PoK as cross-LoC bonds blossomed at a time when the state Police grappled with pro- Pakistan protests in the Valley. Owais Geelani, a sub-inspector with Jammu and Kashmir Police, married Faiza Geelani, a resident of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK), at a function here where only the groom's close relatives and friends were in attendance due to the ongoing unrest. The marriage was solemnised in a hotel here at a time when the cops have borne the brunt of protesters' ire in the Valley that has been rocked by nearly two-month-long unrest. The two families are related to each other but were separated during the Partition. The 'Nikkah' was performed in Muzaffarabad in 2014 when Shabir Geelani, father of the groom, had travelled to PoK to visit his divided family on the 'Karavan-e-Aman' (the Peace Caravan) bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad. "The wedding ceremony had to be cancelled several times due to the prevailing situation during which the cross-LoC bus service was suspended for many days. Finally, when the bus service resumed, the bride and her close family members arrived here on Monday for the function," Geelani senior, who himself retired from Police department as SSP in 2014, told PTI here today. Owais' marriage with Faiza, a post-graduate in education, planning and management from National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad was solemnised on Tuesday. The wedding comes at a time when the local cops, who are battling the protesters across the Valley, have been threatened by militants to stay away from their duties. Houses of some cops have been ransacked by mobs since the current unrest began in Kashmir on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces. Ranchi: Additional Superintendent of Police of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jharkhand, Anand Joseph Tigga was today killed in a road accident between Chandwa and Kudu on the Lohardaga-Latehar border. Tigga, along with a team, was on his way to Medininagar in Palamau district to conduct a raid when the vehicle they were travelling overturned while taking a turn near Kudu in Lohardaga district, Superintendent of Police (ACB), Alok said. He said Tigga, who suffered grievous injuries in the mishap, was rushed to Chandwa in Latehar district for primary treatment and was later shifted to Medical Hospital in Ranchi, but succumbed to his injuries on way. Tigga, who was also In-charge of Palamau Division of ACB, was going on official work along with the driver and two body guards, who suffered minor injuries, he said. Condoling the death, Alok said it was a huge loss to the Jharkhand Police. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and former CM Arjun Munda also condoled the death of Tigga. In his condolence message Das said it was a irreparable loss as Tigga was a good and sincere officer of the state police. Das also paid floral tributes to Tigga at Jharkhand Armed Police-1 grounds in Ranchi when his body arrived. Mumbai: Middle Vaitarna Dam, a key source of water for the metropolis, was today rechristened after Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray at a function attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena head Uddhav Thackeray. Fadnavis renamed the dam at an event organised at the site of it, built on Vaitarna river in Palghar district near here. Besides Uddhav, son of late Bal Thackeray, Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambekar and other dignitaries were also present. Terming the Sena founder as a tall leader with a big heart, Fadnavis said, "Bal Thackerayji always believed in politics of high standards. He always helped whosoever approached him." the dam, which has a height of 102 metres, was built in 2012 and supplies around 400 million litres of water to the financial capital. Soon after its completion, Shiv Sena, which is part of the BJP-led Government in the state, had demanded it be named after Bal Thackeray, who played a pivotal role in its construction. Speaking on the occasion, Uddhav hoped the dam would also start producing electricity soon. "I am happy that our demand has been fulfilled. Bal Thackeray's name means energy. So I hope with the support and involvement of the state and Central Government this dam would start producing electricity also," he said. Fatehgarh Sahib: Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann on Thursday asked his party's volunteers not to read newspapers, alleging influence of money in publication of news. Mann had reached at a party rally here four hours behind schedule. When he was asked the reason behind the delay in reaching the rally venue at Bassi Pathana near here, Mann got infuriated and said: "We don't need any media reporting of AAP's functions." He also asked workers of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to "throw" media persons out of the venue. Watch the video here: Lucknow: Over 18 lakh state government employees in Uttar Pradesh joined the nationwide strike by major trade unions protesting against the central government`s anti-labour and economic policies. The 24-hour strike was supported by the state`s 250 employees union protesting the disparities in the pay commission recommendations and non-redressal of their old, pending demands. All central trade unions, industrial federations and labour groups have extended their support to the strike. There will be no work in most departments of the state, an employees union leader told IANS. Amroha: Another case depicting the deteriorating law and order in Uttar Pradesh has come to light where a man was allegedly beaten to death after he tried to save his daughter`s modesty from the eve-teasers in Amroha district. Reportedly the victim, a student of Class XI, had complained to her father on numerous occasions of being harassed by some roadside youth from the same locality to which her father had complained about at the miscreant`s house. The culprits fit into flew of rage at this behest on Wednesday night and attacked the victim`s father at their residence, thereby beating the man to death. Uday Shankar Singh, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amroha, said that they have set an enquiry into the matter. Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday left for Italy on a week-long visit to Rome and Germany to attend Mother Teresa's canonisation ceremony and meet potential investors. A 12-member official delegation and a group of industrialists are accompanying her. She left Kolkata on an Emirates flight in the morning. "At the invitation of Missionaries of Charity, I am leaving for the holy Vatican City to participate in the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa. Mother was the mother of humanity. Her love for the ailing, the needy and the entire humanity was unbounded," she said on Twitter. "Bengal is more proud as Mother lived and worked here and showered us with her abundant love and care. It is indeed a moment of great pride and honour. Bless us Mother, so that we can continue to serve the people," Mamata said. The Chief Minister will stay in Italy till September 5 where Rome's first woman mayor Virginia Raggi will host a special reception during her visit to Vatican City. From Rome, she will fly to Munich where she will hold meetings with businessmen in the manufacturing sector. Mamata is scheduled to return to Kolkata on September 10. Caracas: Venezuela's socialist government said on Friday it thwarted a coup plot this week as opponents planned to build on their biggest protest in more than a decade with further street action demanding a referendum to remove the president. Buoyed by rallies in Caracas on Thursday that drew hundreds of thousands, the opposition coalition is planning more marches on Sept. 7 to demand a plebiscite against President Nicolas Maduro this year. But with the election board dragging out the process and Maduro vowing there will be no such vote in 2016, it is hard to see how the opposition can force it. "It was the day they wanted: massive, peaceful and inspirational. But that success leaves a key question in the air: `What next?`" wrote pollster Luis Vicente Leon in the aftermath of Thursday`s opposition-dubbed `Takeover of Caracas`. As the Democratic Unity coalition detailed its timetable for future actions, the government convened foreign diplomats on Friday to show how the arrest of several activists and capture of weapons evidenced plans to topple Maduro by force. "We have frustrated the intended coup d`etat," Interior Minister Nestor Reverol told the diplomatic corps. Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez added: "Yesterday, we stopped a massacre." Like his predecessor Hugo Chavez, Maduro frequently denounces coup and assassination plans, bringing ridicule from foes who say he is inventing them to justify repression and distract Venezuelans from their economic crisis. Reverol said this week`s detention of opposition activists Carlos Melo and Yon Goicoechea had led to the capture of arms and explosives in a makeshift camp a few kilometers from the presidential palace. They included a sniper`s rifle, Reverol said, showing photos of the arms. He added that five policemen were injured in skirmishes with stone-throwing youths after Thursday`s opposition rallies. The opposition said the troublemakers, who clashed briefly with police and National Guard troops in several parts of Caracas, were infiltrators. Thursday`s main events passed off peacefully, with the opposition saying more than a million protesters flooded Caracas, wearing white and chanting "This government will fall." They want to activate a referendum on Maduro as allowed by the constitution half-way through his term. But if it drags into 2017, and Maduro loses, it would be a Pyrrhic victory for the opposition as Maduro`s handpicked vice president would take over for the ruling party. Opposition leader Henry Ramos said calling the push for a recall referendum part of a coup plot was "crazy, a psychiatric problem." "This is a government in its death throes, trying to avoid a popular vote because it knows it`s finished." Caracas: Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have mobilized a million demonstrators Thursday in the biggest rally in decades, vowing weekly mass protests to demand a referendum on ousting him from power. Police deployed in their hundreds to keep anti-government protesters angry at food and medicine shortages apart from Maduro`s supporters, who vowed to defend his "socialist revolution." The rallies raised fears of violence in the oil-rich South American state, where anti-government protests in 2014 led to clashes with police that left 43 people dead. The leader of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable, Jesus Torrealba, told AFP it was the "biggest rally in recent decades" with "between 950,000 and 1.1 million people" taking part. Demonstrators dressed in white marched in the east of the capital, yelling "Venezuela is hungry" and "This government is going to fall." "We either come out to march or we will die of hunger. We are no longer afraid of the government," said one demonstrator, Ana Gonzalez, 53. The rallies come at a highly volatile time for Venezuela, where a plunge in prices for oil exports has led to shortages, violent crime and outbreaks of looting. "This is a historic march. Today begins a definitive stage in this struggle," Torrealba said.Thousands of Maduro supporters in red T-shirts and caps meanwhile rallied in the central Plaza Bolivar yelling to their leader: "The people are with you." Maduro estimated his supporters` turnout at up to 30,000. "Today we have defeated a coup d`etat," he told the crowd. "They have failed once again. The victory is ours." The opposition blames Maduro for the economic crisis and wants a referendum on removing him from power. He has branded the effort a right-wing "coup." "We are here at the call of our president, to defend the revolution," said 37-year-old housewife Carolina Aponte at the pro-government rally. The authorities arrested three opposition leaders in the days ahead of the march. Senior opposition figure Henrique Capriles said on Thursday that two mayors had also been arrested. Thursday`s marches remained mostly peaceful, finishing in the mid-afternoon, but isolated clashes between demonstrators and security officers did occur, with some violent incidents reported in other cities. After the protest, state security agents fired tear gas against protestors who tried to block the main highway of the city after a group of masked men threw stones at some officers. Opposition leaders and human rights organizations also reported outbreaks of violence in Maracay and San Cristobal. The MUD said in a statement it would hold two further nationwide demonstrations: at electoral offices on September 7, and a "national mobilization day" on September 14.The referendum`s timing lies at the heart of the battle. If it takes place before January 10 and Maduro loses, new elections must be held. If he loses in a recall after that date, he would simply hand power to his hand-picked vice president. Maduro said Thursday he had prepared a decree to strip lawmakers in the National Assembly of their immunity. He accused the opposition speaker of the legislature, Henry Ramos Allup, of inciting violence. The opposition "cannot be intimidated," Ramos retorted. "President Maduro, look at all these people who have poured into the streets of Caracas," he said. The polling firm Venebarometro says 64 percent of the electorate would vote against Maduro. A study by another pollster, Datanalisis, indicated eight out of 10 Venezuelans want a change of government. Maduro blames the crisis on the collapse of oil prices and an "economic war" by businesses backed by US "imperialism." Beijing: China is developing a new long-range bomber, the head of the Chinese Air Force was quoted as saying in state media on Friday, the latest move in its ambitious military modernisation programme. China has already improved its ability to strike at targets far from home and there will be further improvements in the future, the Global Times quoted Air Force chief Ma Xiaotian as saying at an Air Force open day. "We are now developing a new generation of a long-range bomber, and you`ll see it in the future," Ma said, according to the paper, without elaborating. China has been ramping up research into advanced new military equipment, including submarines, aircraft carriers, and anti-satellite missiles. This has rattled nerves regionally and in Washington as China takes a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places such as the South China Sea. The Air Force, which has for years relied on large numbers of Chinese copies of Russian aircraft, is now also developing its own stealth fighters. In July, it put into service a new, domestically developed large transport aircraft. Ma said the Air Force had entered into a "transformation" stage, changing its focus from quantity to quality, the report said. London/Jakarta: Some of the world`s biggest consumer groups are making halal face creams and shampoos for Indonesia ahead of a new labeling law, part of a broader push to cater to growing Muslim populations as sales in many Western markets slow. Unilever, Beiersdorf and L`Oreal are among the multinationals converting their supply chains for the world`s biggest Muslim-majority nation. The law, the first of its kind, requires food to be labeled halal or not in 2017, followed by toiletries in 2018 and medicines in 2019. The companies say demand for beauty products that are halal, or target specific issues like veiled hair, will grow as the Muslim middle class grows. They note that Indonesia could influence other countries such as Malaysia where halal products made locally or by small, niche companies are also popular. Halal certification is official recognition that a product was manufactured in keeping with Islamic Sharia law. This means it must not contain traces of pork, alcohol or blood, and must be made on factory lines free of contamination risk, including from cleaning. Makers of cosmetics and toiletries say the burden is more administrative than financial, and therefore see compliance as unlocking new revenue streams. "It`s an enabler to do business in certain areas of the world," said Dirk Mampe of German chemicals company BASF, which sells ingredients to toiletries manufacturers and now has 145 of them certified halal. The halal ingredients do not carry premium price tags, he said. "There is a trend that these halal products are being requested more and more, and the importance of being able to supply them is increasing." More than 1.5 billion people around the world are Muslim, accounting for about a quarter of the global population. Halal cosmetics were estimated to make up 11 percent of a global halal market worth more than $1 trillion in 2015, according to Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting. Market research firm TechNavio sees halal personal care products` sales growing 14 percent per year until 2019, outpacing the broader market. NOT-SO-SECRET FORMULA French cosmetics giant L`Oreal already has a halal-certified factory in Indonesia that supplies the domestic market and its Southeast Asian neighbors. Most products under its Garnier brand, from face washes to skin lightening creams, are halal-certified, a spokeswoman said. The personal care industry already depends largely on plant-derived ingredients, so the rules for halal often affect production more than formulation. But certification can get complicated. For example, the maker of an Indonesian skin cream with a dozen ingredients from around the world would need to give Indonesian authorities proof from other certification bodies that each ingredient was made in a halal way. Malaysia-based DagangHalal has made a business from that complexity by establishing an online database of halal certificates to ease their exchange and expedite the process for applicants. As of February, it said 38 out of over 120 certification bodies worldwide had signed up. The company, which also runs a halal e-commerce site, reported 2015 revenue of 5.6 million Malaysian ringgit ($1.4 million), up 64 percent year-on-year. It raised 3.6 million pounds ($4.7 million) from this year`s London stock listing, and is betting that halal cosmetics will gain traction beyond their current strongholds of Indonesia and Malaysia. "Halal certification is a requirement that might be put in place by other countries in the future," Joerg Karas, general manager of Schwan-Stabilo Cosmetics, said in a statement last month. The German company, which is ready to offer halal-certified products to customers such as L`Oreal and Procter & Gamble, said it is "well-equipped for this niche market". Non-halal products will remain available in Indonesia following the labeling law, but may meet a backlash. "The average Muslim consumer in Indonesia is not going to buy something that effectively says prohibited on it," said Abdalhamid Evans of halal consultancy firm Imarat Consultants. Unilever, which owns five of Indonesia`s top ten beauty and personal care brands, says all nine of its factories there already meet halal standards and that it is currently working with third-party suppliers of imported ingredients. Alan Jope, who runs Unilever`s personal care business from Singapore, told Reuters the cost of certification was "not material". MUSLIM VALUES Competition with homegrown rivals steeped in local tradition can be fierce, especially when it comes to regulation. But Jope said the key for multinationals like Unilever -- with global marketing and development teams -- is understanding Muslim values generally and how they influence habits in specific markets with different cultures and ethnicities. "Some (values) are common across Muslim countries," he said, noting that about 90 percent of Muslim consumers say faith influences their brand choices. "But there`s quite substantial differences between how a Muslim woman in Indonesia and a Muslim woman in Saudi Arabia express their faith and how that impacts their beauty regimes." He guessed that one third of the top twenty markets for Unilever`s 20 billion euros-per-year business were countries with large Muslim populations, from India to Nigeria. He said better meeting their needs was a top strategic priority. To that end, Unilever has introduced products such as a gel body moisturizer that absorbs quickly beneath long undergarments and a long-lasting toothpaste appealing to those fasting for Ramadan. Like rival Henkel, it sells a line of shampoo for veiled hair, but Jope said the industry needs to improve its advertising, such as by featuring more women in hijabs. "We need to be doing a better job reflecting Muslim values in our brand communication," he said. Brasilia: Brazil`s ousted President Dilma Rousseff appealed against the decision of her impeachment from the presidency to the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday, a day after being stripped of office. Rousseff`s defence team submitted a "writ of security" against the Senate vote that found her guilty on Wednesday of being "criminally responsible" for fiscal wrongdoing, Xinhua news agency reported. A "writ of security" is a Brazilian legal tool to protect individuals from legal decisions that may violate their rights. The head of her legal team, former Justice Minister and Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo, had previously announced that they would resort to the measure, citing "irregularities in the process" of impeachment. Rousseff was impeached by an overwhelming majority of 61 to 20 votes, for allegedly inflating fiscal accounts and downplaying a growing budget deficit to improve her chances of being elected to a second term. Rousseff, of the left-leaning Workers` Party, has denied the charges, saying the trial was politically motivated by the right-wing opposition. Her vice president, Michel Temer, of the conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, was sworn in to serve the remainder of her term through 2018. New Delhi: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha or Bakri Eid with gaiety across the world. However, this year's celebration could coincide with the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks on New York and the Pentagon which claimed 2,996 lives and injured 6,000. The date of Eid al-Adha celebration is fixed as per the lunar calendar. Eid al-Adha, also known as the feast of the sacrifice, falls on the 10th day of the Dhu al-Hijjah lunar month and is also the third day of the Hajj pilgrimage. Eid al-Adha commemorates the day when prophet Abraham was going to sacrifice his son but was instructed by God to offer an animal instead. Ankara: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today dismissed claims that a Syrian Kurdish militia had retreated east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria following Turkish strikes against the group. "Right now, people say they have gone to the east but we say no, they haven't crossed," he said during a speech at Ankara's Esenboga airport, referring to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara sees as a terror organisation linked to separatist rebels in southeast Turkey. Erdogan said he did not believe what others, including the United States, said about the YPG crossing the river, adding that Turkey would be aware if the militia had moved. Erdogan's remarks appeared to be in reference to comments made by a US defence official to AFP Monday that Kurdish forces had "all" moved east of the Euphrates. The President also said he would prevent the YPG from creating a Syrian Kurdish region on Turkey's southern border. "No one can expect us to permit a terror corridor to be created. We will not allow it," referring to a desire by Syrian Kurdish groups to unite the three "cantons" already in place in northern Syria. His comments come more than a week after Turkey launched an unprecedented military operation to clear the border area of Islamic State (IS) jihadists and halt the westward advance of the YPG. Yesterday, Ankara said it had cleared dozens of villages of "terrorists" after taking the town of Jarabulus without much resistance on the first day of the offensive on August 24. During the operation, dubbed "Euphrates Shield", Turkey has also carried out strikes against the YPG. It regards the YPG as a sister organisation to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency that has left over 40,000 dead since 1984. The PKK is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the US, but the YPG is allied with the latter against IS. Washington has given training and equipment to the group while it retakes areas from the extremists.( Paris: France will dismantle the sprawling "Jungle" migrant camp in the northern port of Calais "as rapidly as possible", the interior minister said Friday after visiting the site. Authorities must work "methodically and with perseverance .. to definitively close the camp," Bernard Cazeneuve told security forces at the barracks of the French gendarmes at Calais. The minister said the dismantling would be "gradual and controlled" but that its closure should be achieved "as rapidly as possible". Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart had earlier said that Cazeneuve assured her that the complex would be dismantled in a single operation. France has made repeated efforts to shut down the camp of tents and temporary shelters, which authorities say is currently home to nearly 7,000 migrants following a surge of new arrivals in recent months. Charities helping the migrants in the camp say the real figure is as high as 10,000. The migrants gather in Calais hoping to smuggle themselves aboard lorries crossing the Channel to Britain either through the Channel Tunnel or on ferries. Earlier this year, authorities cleared shelters in parts of the site in a bid to persuade migrants to move into more permanent accommodation or camps elsewhere on the northern coast. Bouchart, who has often clashed with the government over the "Jungle", claims the camp could soon contain as many as 15,000 migrants if authorities took several months to dismantle it. Calais residents are due to stage a protest on Monday over the effect the presence of thousands of migrants has had on their livelihoods. "I am in Calais today fully aware of the serious difficulties you face each day," Cazeneuve said Friday. Crowding at the camp is causing fresh tensions. Two migrants were seriously hurt on Tuesday in what appears to have been a fight between Sudanese and Afghan residents. The Jungle`s population also includes large numbers of Somalis, Kurds and Syrians. Cazeneuve has announced that 200 more armed police would be deployed to the site to prevent near-daily attempts to stow away on lorries heading for the ferry port, bringing the total number of police in Calais to 2,100. Since last October, more than 5,500 asylum seekers have left Calais for 161 special accommodation centres set up around France.Franck Esnee, head of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) branch working at the camp, agreed that the Jungle should be dismantled but said the proposed alternatives were "insufficient". Additional permanent accommodation is needed, he said, adding: "The government needs to encourage initiatives by local mayors who are proposing to take in migrants in their towns." The government should also encourage the requisitioning of public buildings to house migrants, he said. Cazeneuve told the regional paper Nord-Littoral that accommodation for thousands of migrants would be created elsewhere in France in an attempt "to unblock Calais". The fate of the Jungle is already featuring prominently in campaigns for next year`s presidential election. Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has called for Britain -- the country the migrants want to reach -- to take responsibility for the migrants over the Channel. "The English should examine the requests of all those who want to go to England and they should do it in England," he told a rally last Saturday in the nearby coastal resort of Le Touquet. Meanwhile the British government has dismissed as a "complete non-starter" a proposal by Xavier Bertrand, the president of the region including Calais, to allow migrants to lodge British asylum claims on French soil. After Cazeneuve met British counterpart Amber Rudd in Paris on Tuesday, the ministers presented a united front. "We are committed to working together to strengthen the security of our shared border (and) to strongly diminish the migratory pressure in Calais," they said in a joint statement. Conakry: Guinea`s president Alpha Conde and opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo met for talks Thursday, two weeks after violent protests over alleged government corruption swept the capital. One man was shot dead by police and several others were injured as at least half a million people rallied in Conakry to denounce what they said was economic mismanagement by Conde`s government. "We discussed the political, economic and social situation," Diallo told reporters after the meeting. "There was convergence of views on many issues. There were differences that we tried to iron out through the discussion... and we managed to resolve our differences," added Diallo, the leader of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea who has twice lost to Conde in presidential polls. Conde said the meeting had covered "many points" and that the two would now meet regularly. "We decided to have regular meetings... We all want the best for Guinea, Guinea`s citizens. So it is totally normal that there are regular exchanges between the president of the republic and the opposition leader," Conde said. "It will prevent manipulation by one side or the other," the president added. The rally on August 17 organised by several opposition parties had passed peacefully until shots were fired by police as the protesters began to disperse, according to witnesses and an AFP journalist who was on the scene. It was not clear what prompted the intervention by security forces. The police officer who killed the protester -- identified as 21- year-old Thierno Hamidou Diallo -- has been arrested, security minister Abdoul Kabele Camara said. The officer fired "despite strict orders", Camara said. Guinea`s constitutional court in November 2015 formally confirmed Conde`s re-election, dismissing opposition claims of vote-rigging and fraud. It was only the second democratic presidential poll since Guinea gained independence from France in 1958. Despite the country being rich in minerals, most of the population in Guinea live in poverty and survive on less than one euro ($1.08) per day, according to the UN. Ohio: Some of Donald Trump`s Hispanic backers distanced themselves from the Republican nominee on Thursday for standing by a hardline approach to illegal immigration in a key speech after indicating for weeks that he may soften his approach. Trump tried to clarify confusion about immigration, his signature policy issue, in a speech on Wednesday. He said the only way undocumented foreigners could live in the United States legally if he is elected on Nov. 8 would be to leave the country and apply for re-entry. But the businessman, trailing Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in opinion polls, did back away from earlier promises to deport immediately the 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally and said he would prioritise those with criminal records. While polls show a large majority of Hispanic voters oppose Trump, the withdrawal of support from among his small group of Latino backers underscores how difficult it is for Trump to broaden his support with minorities and moderate voters. Alfonso Aguilar, who recently organised a support letter on behalf of Trump, said he felt "disappointed and misled" by the fiery speech and withdrew his backing. "For the last two months he said he was not going to deport people without criminal records. He actually said that he was going to treat undocumented immigrants without criminal records in a humane and compassionate way," Aguilar told CNN. He is the president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles group. Trump used his Wednesday appearance in Phoenix to clarify his stance on illegal immigration. But instead of moderating his message as many expected, Trump returned to the hardline rhetoric that powered him to victory in the Republican presidential nomination race over 16 rivals, heartening conservatives drawn to Trump by the issue. Some members of a council Trump formed last month to advise him on Hispanic issues expressed reservations about or cut ties to the New York real estate developer`s candidacy after the Phoenix speech. Jacob Monty, a Texas attorney and member of the group, said he was withdrawing his support and would not vote in the election. "There was nothing pro-business in that speech," Monty told MSNBC. "We were hoping for some glimmer of the Donald Trump that we met with a week and half ago, but it never came." "SCAM" Panel member Ramiro Pena, a Baptist pastor in Texas who spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, wrote in an email to party leaders that he believed Trump would lose the election and that the advisory panel was a "scam." But other Latino advisers, including Florida pastor Mario Bramnick and Kentucky State Senator Ralph Alvardo, said they would continue working with the Trump campaign. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus downplayed the fallout from Trump`s speech, telling CNN that the nominee made clear he first wants to build the border wall and deal with criminal elements, then have a "humane conversation" about other illegal immigrants. "Somehow or another no one is talking about that piece," Priebus said. At a campaign rally on Thursday in Wilmington, Ohio, Trump said his immigration plan would treat everyone with "dignity, respect and compassion" but prioritise compassion for American citizens and include some kind of ideological screening. "We only want to admit those into our country who share our values and love our people," Trump said. Trump gave his Phoenix address, which was flagged as a major policy speech, just hours after he met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City. At a joint press conference after the meeting, Trump said the pair discussed his campaign promise to build a border wall but not which country would pay for it. Pena Nieto said on Twitter on Wednesday night he had "made it clear" Mexico would not be paying for the wall. Trump supporters at the Wilmington rally said they approved of the candidate`s immigration policies but moderate Republicans in Arizona, where Latinos make up more than 30 percent of the population, told Reuters they were less swayed by his message. Clinton`s campaign called Trump`s immigration speech a "disaster" and said it would begin running advertisements in Arizona, a sign it sees a chance of winning a state that has long backed Republican presidential candidates. Clinton raised about $143 million in August for her presidential bid and the Democratic Party, her campaign announced. Trump has not yet released his fundraising totals for the month of August. Washington: The US and its allies allegedly granted "secret" exemptions to Iran in last year's landmark agreement that sought to curb the Islamic country's nuclear program, according to a controversial new report by a Washington-based think tank. Iran was allowed to sidestep certain conditions by the Joint Commission, the deal's implementing body, as some of its nuclear facilities would not have been in compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action by January 16, 2016 -- the Implementation Day, the report claimed quoting a senior official. "We have learned that some nuclear stocks and facilities were not in accordance with JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) limits on Implementation Day, but in anticipation, the Joint Commission had earlier and secretly exempted them from the JCPOA limits," David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security said in the report released yesterday. According to the report, the exemptions involved relaxing the requirement that Iran must limit its stockpile of low enriched uranium to under 300 kgs, some of the near 20 percent LEU, the heavy water cap, and the number of large hot cells allowed to remain in the country. The report said the US and its negotiating partners -- Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- approved the exemptions. Albright alleged that the Joint Commission created a Technical Working Group to consider further exemptions to Iran's stock of 3.5 per cent low enriched uranium. This cap is set at 300 kg of low enriched uranium hexafluoride but Iran apparently has or could exceed the cap if no further exemptions are granted by the Joint Commission, the thinktank said. "The decisions of the Joint Commission have not been announced publicly. The Obama administration informed Congress of key Joint Commission decisions on Implementation Day but in a confidential manner," it said. US officials, however, immediately dismissed the report, insisting Iran was in full compliance with nuclear agreement. "Iran is in compliance with the agreement. That is a fact that is verified by independent international experts who, because of the agreement, now have the kind of access that is required to verify it," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "Iran's nuclear commitments under the JCPOA have not changed. There's been no moving of the goal post, as it were. The joint commission has always been intended to address implementation issues when they arise," State Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference. Kuala Lumpur: A Malaysian Cabinet minister has admitted that Prime Minister Najib Razak was the mysterious unnamed official who the US Justice Department said took part in the rampant looting of state funds. The admission confirmed widespread suspicions that Najib was "Malaysian Official 1" mentioned in a Justice Department lawsuit filed in July. The lawsuit -- part of US moves to seize more than $1 billion in allegedly ill-gotten assets -- repeatedly fingered the official as someone conspiring to divert vast sums from state investment fund 1MDB. Najib, who launched a crackdown last year to contain the spiralling scandal, has so far not commented on the identity of the unnamed official. But in an interview with the BBC that aired late Thursday, Minister of Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Abdul Rahman Dahlan admitted it was Najib. "It`s obvious that the so-called `Malaysian Official 1` referred to by the US Justice Department is our Prime Minister," he said in a subsequent clarifying statement. Rahman Dahlan, who also is communications director for Najib`s ruling coalition, did not address whether Najib committed wrongdoing. But he insisted Najib was not a target of the US lawsuit. His comments, however, will add fuel to persistent calls for Najib to step down and face justice. Tens of thousands of people paralysed the capital Kuala Lumpur in August 2015 with two days of protest over the scandal. Last weekend, several hundred protesters demonstrated, demanding that "Malaysian Official 1" be identified and arrested. Najib, however, has shut down Malaysian investigations, clamped down on media reporting of the affair, and purged critics from his ruling party. 1MDB, or 1Malaysia Development Berhad, was launched by Najib in 2009 and closely overseen by him. Allegations of a vast international scheme of embezzlement and money-laundering involving billions of dollars of 1MDB money began to emerge two years ago. In its scathing lawsuit, the US Justice Department detailed how "Malaysian Official 1", family members, and close associates diverted billions from the now-stricken fund. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. The Justice Department has moved to seize assets including real estate in Beverly Hills, New York and London, artworks by Monet and Van Gogh, and a Bombardier jet that it alleges were purchased with money stolen from 1MDB. It was not immediately clear why Rahman Dahlan, a staunch defender of Najib, had outed him. But the news dominated headlines in Malaysia and was a top-trending Twitter topic in the country Friday. Senior opposition figure Lim Kit Siang said Najib must immediately submit to justice to avoid further harming Malaysia`s image. "The Prime Minister .... (must) purge and cleanse Malaysia`s reputation as a global kleptocracy," he said in a statement. Analysts warn the scandal could harm foreign investment in Malaysia, but Najib has refused to give way. Political experts see no sign yet that he will be ousted before the next elections, due by mid-2018, due to his long-ruling coalition`s firm control. Tokyo: The death toll from a devastating typhoon in northern Japan rose to 14, officials said Friday, as another powerful storm approached the country`s south. Two bodies were found separately near rivers on the island of Hokkaido, a police spokesman told AFP. On Thursday evening, police also found a body near a flooded river in the hard-hit town of Iwaizumi in the northern part of Honshu island, public broadcaster NHK said. Typhoon Lionrock, which packed wind gusts of over 160 kilometres (100 miles) an hour landed on Japan`s northern Pacific coast on Tuesday evening, dumping torrential rain over a wide area. Overflowing rivers wreaked havoc, stranding many communities in the country`s largely agricultural north. Iwaizumi was the hardest hit, with 12 people dying in the town, including nine who were buried inside a building of an elderly care facility. As of Friday morning, more than 1,000 people were still cut off in isolated communities in Iwate prefecture, which includes Iwaizumi, the prefectural government said. Lionrock was the third typhoon to strike Japan`s northeast in about 10 days, the previous two causing at least two deaths. Japan faced another strong typhoon, Namtheun, which was heading north toward the southern main island of Kyushu with gusts of up to 180 kilometres per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Namtheun was on track to pass near the small subtropical island of Amami, which lies between Okinawa and Kyushu, on Saturday, the agency said. In 2013, a powerful typhoon that triggered massive landslides on Oshima island, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Tokyo, killed 40 people, while 82 died after a typhoon hit Japan in 2011. Washington: A Pakistani national has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for trying to smuggle sensitive military technology to the Pakistan army, the US Department of Justice has said. A US Court in Arizona passed the sentence on 71-year-old Syed Vaqar Ashraf of Lahore yesterday, after he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to export defence controlled items without a license. Federal prosecutors alleged Ashraf attempted to procure gyroscopes and illegally ship them to Pakistan so they could be used by the Pakistani military. Ashraf then traveled to Belgium to inspect the products and arrange for their final transport to Pakistan. He was arrested on August 26, 2014 by the Belgium Federal Police at the request of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, who had been conducting an undercover investigation of his activities. Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have decided to speed up the process to bring back Baloch separatist leader and Nawaz Akbar Khan Bugti's grandson Brahamdagh Bugti, who is currently living in self-exile in Switzerland. Brahamdagh's grandfather Akbar Bugti was killed in an Army operation in Balochistan in 2006, which angered several young Balochs who took up arms. Balochistan Police Department has contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh in order to complete the Red Notice application requirements for Interpol, The Express Tribune reported. After the completion of the required paperwork, Pakistan would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to Pakistan. Interpol notices are international requests of cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. In the case of Red Notices, the suspects are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Interpol assists the national police in identifying and locating these wanted people for lawful action. According to preliminary identification details submitted by the Balochistan police, the 33-year-old chief of the banned Baloch Republican Party is known in his close circles as 'Sahib'. Brahamdagh had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on Balochistan. BalochAccording to Balochistan police, Brahamdagh has two wives named Laila Bibi and Shuli Bibim and four children. He hails from the Raheja Bugti tribe and is operating the Baloch Republican Army network from Switzerland. He fled to Afghanistan during the crackdown on Baloch rebels and moved to Switzerland when Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. In Switzerland, he sought political asylum in 2011 but the Swiss government turned down his request in January 2016, citing Islamabad's decision of declaring him a "terrorist" wanted for multiple attacks. Islamabad: Speaker of Pakistan`s National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has written letters to the Speakers of 196 Parliaments to highlight the ongoing protests in the Kashmir Valley and garner diplomatic and political support for what Islamabad calls the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people. Speaking to President of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Masood Khan, the Speaker said that the Kashmir issue is the priority of Pakistan`s Parliament and there is a unanimous consensus across the political parties in Parliament, reports the Nation. He said that Islamabad would continue to extend its unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris for their unalienable right of self-determination, as enshrined in the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions. Appreciating Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s decision to send its Parliamentarians as envoys to garner diplomatic support for Kashmir cause, Sadiq remarked that Parliamentary diplomacy will awaken the conscience of the international community to take notice of the Kashmir issue. He also that the National Assembly of Pakistan has called an International Conference on the Kashmir issue from 13-14th October 2016, in Islamabad to generate international support for the freedom of Kashmiri people. The Speaker also remarked that he pulled back Pakistan from hosting 61st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference as its chosen President when India agitated for extending an invitation to Assembly of Kashmir. He asserted that Pakistan`s principled stance on Kashmir was more important than hosting Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. Meanwhile, India has while commenting on the letter written by Sharif to the United Nations said that these letters won`t change the reality that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. "Pakistan can write as many letters as they want to the UN. It won`t change the ground situation that Jammu And Kashmir is an integral part of India. Also the ground reality is that part of Jammu and Kashmir is under illegal occupation of Pakistan," MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi. Jakarta: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has railed against the United Nations for criticising his government, has declined a request to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, officials said Thursday. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that "contacts were had to try to set up a time" for a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum meeting in Laos next week, but that "no time could be agreed upon." A foreign affairs spokesman in Manila said that 11 heads of state had requested meetings with Duterte during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting, and that he had said yes to nine of them. "Please understand that he cannot accept them all and no one should impute any negatives on those he could not accommodate," said Charles Jose in Manila. Duterte`s spokesman Ernesto Abella said the September 6-8 ASEAN meeting in Vientiane was "extraordinarily full" and that "a number of possible meetups have to be presently foregone." Duterte has launched several tirades against the world body after a UN special rapporteur criticized his crackdown on crime, even threatening to pull out of the United Nations, a threat he later withdrew. "Maybe we`ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that disrespectful, son of a whore, then I will just leave you," Duterte said in a press conference last month. He later said the threat was just a "joke." Nearly 2,000 people have been killed since Duterte was sworn into office on June 30 and immediately launched his war on crime, according to the national police chief. Duterte has insisted most of the 756 people confirmed killed by police were drug suspects who resisted arrest, while the others died due to gang members waging warfare against each other. However rights groups, some lawmakers and others have said security forces are engaging in unprecedented extrajudicial killings. cml/mdo Rebels and jihadists battled pro-government forces in the central Syrian province of Hama Thursday as the country`s UN envoy warned that more people could be forcibly evacuated from towns besieged by the regime. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 25 civilians, including children, were killed in government air strikes as fighting raged in Hama, south of the opposition-held Idlib province. Anti-government groups, which include jihadists and Sunni Islamists, launched an offensive in Hama on Monday aimed at retaking its airport, where regime helicopters fly regular sorties against opposition fighters. "They are about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the airport" in Hama, Syria`s fourth-largest city, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman, whose group relies on a broad network of sources inside Syria. The rebels are also likely seeking to ease pressure on opposition fighters in the battleground second city of Aleppo by distracting regime forces ahead of mooted peace talks, which the United Nations is aiming to restart after a "political initiative" this month. Syria`s UN envoy Staffan de Mistura censured the Syrian government`s "strategy" of forcing inhabitants of Daraya -- a rebel-held town near Damascus that endured a four-year siege -- and warned other towns were likely to experience the same fate. De Mistura said there were "indications that after Daraya we may have other Darayas," adding that "there is clearly a strategy at the moment to move from Daraya" to other besieged areas "in a similar pattern". Hundreds of fighters and their families were bused out of Daraya last week, with other civilians transferred to government territory near Damascus for resettlement. The Syrian army has said it is in complete control of the town, from where roughly 8,000 civilians were still due to be evacuated. De Mistura pointed to worrying signs around the surrounded towns of Waer and Moadamiyat al-Sham, whose residents make up some of the 590,000 people that the UN says lives under siege in Syria -- mostly by government forces. The Observatory said Thursday that the rebel alliance in Hama seized control of 14 populated areas, mainly in the north of the province, including the towns of Halfaya and Suran. The alliance also took a military base near the Maardes area, seizing artillery shells and rockets. They were also threatening the historic Christian town of Mahrada to the west, which is home to one of the country`s largest power stations. Hama province is of vital strategic importance to President Bashar al-Assad, separating opposition forces in Idlib from Damascus to the south and the regime`s coastal heartlands to the west. Syria`s conflict has killed more than 290,000 people and displaced millions. Successive rounds of peace talks have failed to stem the bloodshed. De Mistura said he was planning to present "an important political initiative" for Syria even as the prospect of renewed peace negotiations remains dim. He refused to provide any details on what the political initiative might be, but said he hoped it would help the UN General Assembly "to look the problems in Syria in the eye" when it next meets on September 13.Syria`s civil war, which started with peaceful anti-government protests more than five years ago, has degenerated into a multi-front conflict and contributed to a migrant crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of people seeking to enter Europe. The plight of Syrians fleeing fighting was captured in stark terms last year with a photograph of the lifeless body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach. Aylan`s father, speaking on the eve of the anniversary of the tragedy, called for the war to end. "The politicians said after the deaths in my family: Never again!" Abdullah Kurdi, 41, told Germany`s Bild daily. "Everyone claimed they wanted to do something because of the photo that touched them so much. But what is happening now? People are still dying and nobody is doing anything about it." Syria`s war has seen superpowers dragged in and neighbouring countries intervene in the fight. Turkey, which has long opposed Assad, said Thursday it had made gains against the Islamic State group after launching an offensive on the jihadists in northern Syria last week. The Turkish army said it had cleared "terrorist elements" out of three villages west of Jarabulus -- a border town taken from IS militants by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels last week. Islamabad: In the latest assault targeting Pakistan`s legal community, at least 12 people have been killed and 52 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a district court in the Pakistani city of Mardan early Friday. The bomber threw hand grenades before detonating a suicide vest among the morning crowds at the court, senior police official Faisal Shehzad told AFP. "So far we recovered 12 bodies of the lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the blasts took place, told Reuters. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan`s legal community are frequently the subject of targeted killings and small-scale attacks by militants, who are also known to hit soft targets such as schools. Earlier in the day, militants launched an attack on a Christian colony in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the west of Mardan. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ur-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, in which at least one security guard was killed. Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said there were "several deaths" in the attack on the neighbourhood near Warsak Dam, in the Khyber tribal region, 20 km (12 miles) northwest of the city of Peshawar. The military said four attackers wearing suicide vests and carrying firearms were killed. "Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50 am (00:50 GMT)," the Pakistan Army said in a statement. "Security forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed," it said, adding that two paramilitary soldiers, a policeman and two security guards were wounded in the gunfight. The "situation is under control", the statement said, adding that troops were now carrying out a house-to-house search of the area. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population. The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups, and in 2011 gunned down Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was federal minister for minority affairs. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan`s deadliest-ever terror attack. The Army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. (With Agency inputs) Ankara: Turkey has swept Islamic State and the Kurdish YPG militia from an area of northern Syria, but Syrian Kurdish forces have still not met a Turkish demand to withdraw to the east of the Euphrates river, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Turkey launched a cross-border offensive into Syria last week, saying it had a dual aim of driving away jihadists and ensuring Kurdish forces did not fill the void that was left by extending their control of territory along Turkey`s border. Turkey is concerned that Syrian Kurdish fighters could embolden Kurdish militants waging an insurgency on its soil. The United States has been alarmed by Turkey`s offensive against Kurdish forces, which Washington has supported. US officials have urged Ankara to focus its attacks on Islamic State instead. Erdogan told a news conference early on Friday morning that the operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield" had been successful in clearing Islamic State and Kurdish YPG from a 400 sq km (150 square mile) area. But he dismissed claims that the Kurdish YPG, which Ankara calls a terrorist group, had withdrawn to a Kurdish-controlled canton to the east of the Euphrates River. The YPG says it has done so and U.S. officials agree that is mostly the case. "At the moment, they are saying the YPG has crossed," Erdogan said. "We are saying no they didn`t. The proof depends on our own observation." The Kurdish YPG is part of a broader US-backed coalition in Syria, called the Syrian Democratic Forces. Washington has supported the group in its battle against Islamic State but Ankara sees it as an extension of the PKK, the outlawed Kurdish militant group in Turkey. "Nobody can expect us to allow a terror corridor on our southern border," Erdogan said, adding that said Turkey had sought the establishment of a "safe zone" in Syria, but said the idea had not received the backing of other world powers. Ankara: Turkish authorities have suspended about 8,000 security personnel and more than 2,000 academics, adding to a purge of people suspected of having links to perpetrators of a failed coup, the Official Gazette said on Friday. Since the coup attempt in mid-July, in which rogue soldiers tried to topple President Tayyip Erdogan`s government, Turkey has removed 80,000 people from public duty and arrested many of them, accusing them of sympathising with the plotters. Of the security personnel removed in the latest purge, 323 were members of the gendarmerie and the rest police, according to the Official Gazette, in which the government publishes new laws and orders. It said 2,346 more academics had been removed from universities. Hundreds of academics and others have already been swept from their posts, accused of links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan says masterminded the coup. About 3,300 judiciary officials have also been dismissed, leaving a depleted workforce to manage the legal process against a growing number of detainees. The Gazette said retired judges and prosecutors would be allowed to return to work if they applied to do so in the next two months. District of Colombia: The United States announced a long list of sanctioned companies and individuals on Thursday aimed at Russia over its continuing support for Ukraine`s rebels and the 2014 seizure of Crimea. The list took aim at a key unit of Bank Rossiya, often called the personal bank of Russian president Vladimir Putin, and some of Russia`s largest construction companies. It included 17 Ukrainian separatists, 11 of them officials of the government Russia established in Crimea after illegally annexing the northern Black Sea peninsula in 2014. And it also blacklisted a large number of Russian companies operating in Crimea, including major maritime and defense businesses. The sanctions aim to lock those blacklisted out of global financial networks, thereby limiting their ability to do business, by banning any US entities and individuals from doing business with them. That would impact not only US banks but also the US branches of foreign banks, making it difficult for them to serve the sanctioned firms. The US Treasury said the new move aims at countering efforts by Russian entities to circumvent existing sanctions on individuals and companies. The Treasury stressed the need for Russia to abide by its commitments to the 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements aimed at halting the fighting between Ukraine forces and pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine. The sanctions announcement "also underscores the US government`s opposition to Russia`s occupation of Crimea and our firm refusal to recognize its attempted annexation of the peninsula," the Treasury said in a statement. "Russia continues to provoke instability in eastern Ukraine despite its Minsk commitments," said John Smith, the acting director of the Treasury`s Office of Foreign Assets Control. "Treasury stands with our partners in condemning Russia`s violation of international law, and we will continue to sanction those who threaten Ukraine`s peace, security and sovereignty." Newly blacklisted was CJSC ABR Management, an asset management firm closely linked to already-sanctioned Bank Rossiya, which serves members of Putin`s closest circle. The largest companies involved in an ongoing project to build a new bridge spanning the Kerch Strait between Crimea and the Russian mainland were listed for sanctions, including construction giants SGM Most and Moststrest. The Treasury also identified subsidiaries of energy giant Gazprom and Bank of Moscow and Gazprombank to which the sanctions on their parent also apply. pmh/acb Moscow: Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov died today, the government announced, ending over a quarter of a century of his iron-fisted rule in the Central Asian nation with no clear successor lined up. "Dear compatriots, it is with huge grief in our hearts that we announce to you the death of our dear president," a state TV presenter said, reading an official statement. Authorities said Karimov, 78, was pronounced dead at 8.55 PM (local time) following days of speculation that authorities were delaying announcing his passing after he reportedly suffered a stroke over the weekend. The strongman's funeral will be held in his home city of Samarkand tomorrow as the country begins three days of mourning, the statement said, with Uzbekistan now facing the greatest moment of uncertainty of its post-Soviet history. Loyalist Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev is heading the organisation committee for the funeral, suggesting that he could be in line to take over long-term from Karimov. Officially senate head Nigmatulla Yuldashev should now become acting president until early elections are held. Karimov's youngest daughter Lola wrote on Facebook that "he has left us...I am struggling for words, I can't believe it myself". Long lambasted by rights groups as one of the region's most brutal despots who ruthlessly stamped out opposition, Karimov was one of a handful of Soviet strongmen that clung to power after their homelands gained independence from Moscow in 1991. Karimov portrayed himself as guarantor of stability and bulwark against radical Islam on the borders of Afghanistan, crushing fundamentalist groups at home. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Karimov's death "a great loss for the people of Uzbekistan" in a telegram to interim leader Yuldashev, while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is set to jet in for the funeral. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who appointed Karimov to head the former Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan in 1989, told Interfax news agency that Karimov was "a competent man with a strong character". Born on January 30, 1938, Karimov was raised in an orphanage in the ancient city of Samarkand, before studying mechanical engineering and economics and rising up Communist Party ranks. Rights groups - which have long accused Karimov's regime of the most heinous abuses including torture and forced labour in the lucrative cotton industry - said his time in power had been a catastrophe for Uzbekistan. Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was keen to resolve a territorial dispute with Japan ahead of talks Friday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, although a solution appears far off. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. "We are not talking about some kind of exchange or some kind of sale," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News. "We are talking about finding a solution where neither party will feel ... defeated or a loser." The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties. Putin said that signing a peace treaty with Japan was a "key issue" and that Moscow "would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends." Abe`s visit to Russia -- his second this year -- comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip to the country since 2005. Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make headway on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive.Both sides have confirmed that the disputed islands will be addressed in Friday`s talks, taking place on the sidelines of an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. "I`m resolved to make progress on the peace treaty and territorial issues by holding candid and thorough talks with President Putin," Abe told reporters before he set off for Vladivostok. Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscow`s trade ties with stalwart US ally Tokyo, but doubt that they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute. "The two parties are likely to show that they are in favour of a peace treaty but will try not to publically express their disagreements about the Kuril islands," Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said. "Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognise them." Foreign minister Lavrov said earlier this year that Russia wants to "move forward" its ties with Japan but is not prepared to budge on the "result of World War II". Russia has angered Japan recently by building new modern compounds for its troops stationed on two of the disputed islands. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo last year when he visited the islands, which are home to some 19,000 Russians.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the talks that the territorial dispute was "far from the main issue on the agenda", adding that efforts to boost trade ties would be their main focus. Japan joined the US and EU to slap sanctions on Russia over its meddling in Ukraine, further hindering its already modest trade with Moscow. Bilateral trade between the countries last year fell by 31 percent to $21.3 billion (19 billion euros), in part due to the punishing economic measures by Japan. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that in spite of the sanctions imposed by Tokyo, the Russian market remains "of great interest" to the Japanese business community. Abe is travelling with a large delegation that will discuss a wide-range of economic issues with senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Energy Minister Alexander Novak, and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov. Business leaders Igor Sechin, the CEO of oil giant Rosneft, and Oleg Deripaska, who heads aluminium producer Rusal, are also set to take part in talks with the Japanese delegation, Ushakov said. During his visit to Russia`s Black Sea city of Sochi in May, Abe proposed an eight-point economic cooperation plan with Russia that focused on energy, agriculture and industrial production. S&P 500 3,901.06 DOW 32,861.80 QQQ 281.22 Elon Musk takes over Twitter but where will he go from here? Wall Street Legend Warns Financial Reset is Coming (Ad) When Will This "Suckers Rally" End? Shopify Stock Price Surges as Losses Narrow, Investments Pay Off Wall Street Legend Warns Financial Reset is Coming (Ad) Poland chooses US to build its first nuclear power plant Will Demand from EV Makers Drive Up Freeport-McMoRan stock? The Safest Option in Trades! (Ad) MarketBeat: Week in Review 10/24-10/28 Ahead of harsh winter, tourism roars back in Mediterranean S&P 500 3,901.06 DOW 32,861.80 QQQ 281.22 Elon Musk takes over Twitter but where will he go from here? Wall Street Legend Warns Financial Reset is Coming (Ad) When Will This "Suckers Rally" End? Shopify Stock Price Surges as Losses Narrow, Investments Pay Off Wall Street Legend Warns Financial Reset is Coming (Ad) Poland chooses US to build its first nuclear power plant Will Demand from EV Makers Drive Up Freeport-McMoRan stock? The Safest Option in Trades! (Ad) MarketBeat: Week in Review 10/24-10/28 Ahead of harsh winter, tourism roars back in Mediterranean S&P 500 3,901.06 DOW 32,861.80 QQQ 281.22 Elon Musk takes over Twitter but where will he go from here? Wall Street Legend Warns Financial Reset is Coming (Ad) When Will This "Suckers Rally" End? Shopify Stock Price Surges as Losses Narrow, Investments Pay Off Wall Street Legend Warns Financial Reset is Coming (Ad) Poland chooses US to build its first nuclear power plant Will Demand from EV Makers Drive Up Freeport-McMoRan stock? The Safest Option in Trades! (Ad) MarketBeat: Week in Review 10/24-10/28 Ahead of harsh winter, tourism roars back in Mediterranean Nigeria's statistics office said Wednesday that the country has dropped into recession as its all-important oil industry has suffered under weak global prices. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by 2.06 percent in the second quarter of 2016 after falling 0.36 percent in the previous three months. The technical definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Also read: How strong is the Aussie economy? An economic adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Adeyemi Dipeolu, told the Associated Press that the bleak data was largely attributed to "a sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production," resulting from vandalism and "sabotage." The figures from the country's National Bureau of Statistics placed estimated oil production at 1.69 million barrels per day, down by 0.42 million barrels per day from the first quarter. Consequently, real growth within the sector was negative 17.48 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2016. Tony Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings and the United Bank for Africa, said in an interview with CNBC Tuesday that following the fall in the price of commodities, "the government in Nigeria and across Africa need to diversify their economies." But, he warned that this process was a gradual one, as "you don't diversify an economy overnight." Also read: Recession-free days risk making Australia complacent Reflecting Nigeria's potential for this diversification, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is currently in Nigeria, meeting with technology start-ups and visiting a coding summer camp for children. According to the GDP report, Nigeria's non-oil sector was driven by the agriculture, information and communication, water supply, arts, science, education and services sectors, which all saw positive growth. But overall, the non-oil segment of its economy declined by 0.38 percent in real terms in the second quarter of this year. Story continues Elumelu was positive about Buhari's economic management of the country, commending what he perceived as the current government's genuine "realization about what the situation is" as well as its "firm commitment and determination to do something and bring change about." Elumelu also discussed Buhari's "policy stability" which would enable investors in the country to plan. Also read: Resources investment continues to dive With regards to an overarching strategy for the region, Elumelu stressed that "Africa needs private global capital to come in," and that "what is good for the private sector is good for society." He viewed such investment as enabling countries to create employment, address the issues of inequality and poverty, and "engender inclusive growth." Elumelu asserted: "this is the solution to the difficult economic times everyone is going through." Source: CNBC Irish Prime Minister and Fine Gael party leader, Enda Kenny, (L) heads a minority government, which relies on the support of the main opposition Fianna Fail party Ireland's fragile minority government agreed Friday to recommend an appeal against the EU's tax ruling on Apple but said it was recalling parliament early to debate the issue. The deal overcomes a split in cabinet surrounding the 13 billion euros ($15 billion) plus interest that the EU says Apple owes in back taxes, putting Ireland at the centre of a row between Europe and the United States. Apple chief Tim Cook has urged the government to appeal against the ruling to secure future investments but opinion polls have shown public support for Ireland taking the money and spending it on social services. "The government has decided unanimously to bring an appeal before the European courts to challenge the European Commission's decision on the Apple state aid case," Finance Minister Michael Noonan told reporters. "I believe that there are some very important principles at stake in this case and that a robust legal challenge before the courts is essential to defend Ireland's interests," he said. "The full amount of tax was paid in this case and no state aid was provided. Ireland did not give favourable tax treatment to Apple," he said. But Mary Lou McDonald, deputy leader of the opposition Sinn Fein party, said allowing Apple to avoid a tax payment was an "obscenity". "It's an agenda that has nothing to do with standing by the people of Ireland. What it demonstrates is an absolute disregard and disdain for citizens, fair play and tax justice," she said. Parliament will meet for a special session next Wednesday, ahead of its scheduled return on September 27, officials said. In Brussels, a European Commission spokesperson said: "The Commission will defend its decision in court". - 'In the public interest' - Earlier this week, three independent Irish ministers propping up the government had refused to back the appeal and said they wanted greater transparency about corporate tax arrangements for multinationals. But after the cabinet meeting, Shane Ross of the Independent Alliance said he and his colleague Finian McGrath had supported the government position. Story continues "We felt there was a state of urgency because there was uncertainty out there in the markets amongst some multinationals," he said. "We were persuaded by the argument that it was necessary to clear up that uncertainty as soon as possible," he said. Katherine Zappone, another dissenting independent, confirmed she too had agreed to the appeal "in the public interest". The back taxes that the European Commission has determined the US tech giant owes are equivalent to around five percent of Ireland's gross domestic product and almost all of its annual health budget. - 'Do the right thing' - "Ireland is caught in a dispute between the EU and US over which it has little control," the UK-based Financial Times newspaper wrote in an editorial. "Bowing to the commission's ruling would... be a tacit acknowledgement that there has indeed been something rotten in the low-tax regime that Dublin operates to attract multinationals," it said. Ireland's minority government relies on the support of the main opposition Fianna Fail party, which is likely to back the appeal in parliament. Some lawmakers believe Ireland cannot afford to undermine its tax policies, one of the main planks of a highly successful inward investment strategy that has consistently attracted the world's top tech and pharma multinationals over the past three decades. Others say Ireland should take the money and spend it on services or build more affordable homes to deal with a housing crisis. Ireland has two months to lodge an appeal against the ruling. Fianna Fail technology spokesman James Lawless said earlier that Ireland had to appeal but admitted this would be difficult to explain to voters who wanted the money "gift-wrapped on their doorstep". "I would be more interested in preserving Ireland's sovereign tax status," he said, adding: "Ireland has been caught in the crossfire between the United States and Europe". On Thursday, Cook turned up the heat saying he believed the Irish government "would do the right thing". "It is important the government stands strong on that because future investment for business really depends on a level of certainty," he said. Textron will cease making sensor fuzed weapons, like the one pictured here in 2007, because of falling sales The last US maker of cluster bombs will cease producing the controversial weapons, which are banned by most governments because of their capacity to kill or maim civilians. In a little-noticed announcement Tuesday, the Rhode Island-based aerospace company Textron said it would no longer be making its "Sensor Fuzed Weapon" -- the trade name for its cluster bomb -- because of falling sales. The bomb "is a smart, reliable air-to-ground weapon that is in full compliance with the US Defense Department policy and current law," Textron spokesman David Sylvestre said in a statement to AFP on Thursday. "However, in light of reduced product orders, we have decided to refocus our business to meet the future needs of our customers." An earlier announcement from the firm said the change would result in an unspecified number of job cuts. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission said the "current political environment" had made it tough to gain US approval for foreign sales. In May, the Obama administration moved to block sales of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen, amid reports of mounting civilian casualties there. Cluster bombs are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles or runways. But because they disperse many smaller bomblets over a wide area -- some of which may not explode for years or even decades after being dropped -- they pose a particular threat to civilians. The bombs were banned by an international treaty in 2008, but among the countries notably not part of the agreement were the United States and Russia. Mary Wareham, the arms advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said the Textron announcement was "hugely significant." "It clears the path for the US to move even closer towards the convention on cluster munitions if it wishes to, and ultimately to join it," she told AFP. A coalition of non-governmental organizations led by HRW said in an annual study released Thursday that more than 400 people were killed or maimed by cluster bombs around the world last year. They linked the increased use of cluster bombs in Syria to Russian forces who are carrying out air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. James Liang helped develop the diesel engines equipped with illegal emissions test "defeat devices" from the earliest stages, an indictment said German automaker Volkswagen on Thursday said it was challenging an order from US labor regulators to open negotiations with unionized workers in Tennessee. The move came after the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Volkswagen had illegally refused to negotiate with maintenance workers at a Chattanooga assembly plant after they voted in December to join the United Automobile Workers. In a statement, Volkswagen said it believed all the plant's workers, not simply its maintenance employees, should be able to decide on whether to organize. "This is why we disagree with the decision to separate Volkswagen maintenance and production workers and will continue our effort to allow everyone to vote as one group on the matter of union representation," the statement said, noting that the company had lodged an appeal in a federal appeals court in Washington. The UAW lost a plant-wide vote on union representation in 2014. The December vote by maintenance workers was the first time employees had chosen to organize at a foreign-owned auto plant in the southeast US, where organized labor has long struggled to make inroads. In its August 26 decision, the NLRB found that Volkswagen Group of America's refusal to negotiate was an "unlawful failure" to bargain with a certified union and ordered the company begin negotiations with the maintenance workers. "This unanimous decision makes it clear that the company has been operating in violation of federal law by refusing to come to the bargaining table," UAW Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel said in a statement. The NLRB order comes at a difficult time for Volkswagen, which is struggling to resolve criminal and civil allegations stemming from its emissions cheating scandal. Volkswagen has admitted to configuring millions of diesel vehicles around the word to defeat emissions testing. US sales for Volkswagen fell 9.1 percent in 29,384 units in August, leaving sales in the first eight months of the year down 13 percent over the same period in 2015. Hurricane Hermine is making landfall at the time of this blog post, in the early hours of Friday morning in Florida. Millions of people are in its path, and there are related tornado watches throughout the state through mid-day Friday. A NOAA update at 1:55AM shows 2-3 inches of rain have fallen in Tallahassee, where some 70,000 people are without power already. Flash flooding is reported, and more is expected. Isolated gusts of 45-50mph have been recorded in the first two hours of landfall in the "Big Bend" of Florida's West Coast. Talk about a fish out of water. John's Pass fish are flowing in the streets #WTSP #Hermine pic.twitter.com/9a2VG9qZFY Angela Clooney (@WTSPAngela) September 2, 2016 The "life-threatening hurricane," as NOAA describes it, is the first hurricane to hit the Gulf of Mexico in 3 years. It is the first to make landfall in Florida in over a decade. 0: Number of days since Florida landfalling hurricane John Kassell (@JohnKassellWX) September 2, 2016 Hurricane #Hermine update issued. #Hermine makes landfall along the florida coast just east of st. marks. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc NHC Atlantic Ops (@NHC_Atlantic) September 2, 2016 #Hermine made landfall at 1:30 AM ET near St. Marks, FL. Severe weather conditions continue, stay indoors! #alert https://t.co/6S7GwLbHOQ Florida SERT (@FLSERT) September 2, 2016 From the Tallahassee Democrat extreme weather live-blog: Tropical storm-force winds and driving rain are pummeling Tallahassee as the edge of the eyewall of Hurricane Hermine brushes by Tallahassee. The National Weather Service clocked a gust at 49 miles per hour. Doak saw an even 50. City crews are no longer out battling the outages becuase of safety concerns. The city when its safe, crews will resume work. #Hermine making landfall, coastal flooding escalating as S winds sweep onshore and astronomical high tide approaches pic.twitter.com/AdYGfCIH7n Stu Ostro (@StuOstro) September 2, 2016 WOW here comes the surge along the Aucilla River at rim of Apalachee Bay. Water levels up almost 2 feet in an hour. pic.twitter.com/7fYiusE8U4 Alex Lamers (@AlexJLamers) September 2, 2016 Most power out now on FSU campus. #Hermine pic.twitter.com/R4vNtyyoSW Matt Reagan (@reaganmatt) September 2, 2016 Local TV news coverage and national news show remarkable images of storm surges, pounding rain, powerful winds, and early glimpses at the damage. Now that the storm has made landfall, it will begin to weaken. But as it does so, it will produce heavy rains and high winds. The peak times for various areasx are different, and the storm will dissipate Friday. This is a particularly bad weekend, because many people are heading out on the highways for Labor Day holidaybut because landfall occurred in the wee hours, many people were indoors. This is a tough hit for the Sunshine State's Panhandle region, but as the storm travels north, it could cause problems all the way up in New Jersey and New York. We went to go check out a report of trees into homes but main road out is blocked by this tree! #Hermine pic.twitter.com/esVSneGFAA Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) September 2, 2016 Updated version of the radar tornado intensity reference guide now available. Download here: https://t.co/sM7xIAV72V pic.twitter.com/E0aa0rxPwf Alex Lamers (@AlexJLamers) May 10, 2016 Congresswoman Gwen Graham (D-FL), whose father was governor of Florida during Hurricane Kate 31 years ago, says said she's prepared to ask the federal government to make an emergency declaration for the area affected by Hurricane Hermine, if that is neccesary. From Bob Henson and Jeff Masters at Weather Underground: Widespread storm surge was barreling into Florida's northeast Gulf Coast late Thursday night with the approach of Hurricane Hermine. The warm waters of the eastern Gulf fueled an well-advertised strengthening of Hermine on Thursday afternoon and evening. Hermine was an 80-mph Category 1 hurricane as of the midnight update from the National Hurricane Center. NHC placed the center of Hermine about 40 miles southeast of Tallahassee, FL, just an hour or two from making landfall. Thunderstorms were wrapped around a semi-distinct eye, and heavy bands of rain were clearly evident on radar. An especially intense belt of rain was moving across the northernmost FL peninsula late Thursday. A Hurricane Warning remained in effect from Suwanee River to Mexico Beach, FL. A variety of other hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings plastered the Gulf and Atlantic coasts from Florida all the way to northern New Jersey (see below for more on Hermine's expected track). With Hurricane Gaston also active in the Central Atlantic, we now have multiple hurricanes in the Atlantic for the first time since the first week of September 2012, when Hurricane Leslie and Hurricane Michael were both active. Hermine will be the first hurricane to strike Florida since Wilma hit South Florida as a Category 3 storm in October 2005. Hermine will also be the first hurricane to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Arthur hit North Carolina on July 3, 2014 as a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds. Weather Underground is a great source for continuing storm coverage. Headed inland now, most likely last shots on Alligator Point #Hermine pic.twitter.com/8OzrZ6sefl Samuel Roback (@Weathermansam77) September 2, 2016 Waves crashing onto the road near Alligator Point #Hermine pic.twitter.com/rXEpfDVcmO Samuel Roback (@Weathermansam77) September 2, 2016 Radar image indicates bands of strong winds/rain hitting Florida's Gulf Coast as Hurricane #Hermine nears landfall. pic.twitter.com/j37vSuq3I2 ABC News (@ABC) September 2, 2016 Looks like Cedar Key, FL has just hit a new all-time record coastal flood with #Hermine. Current 5.52ft Prev 5.41ft pic.twitter.com/x6KZx9qYOn Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) September 2, 2016 At full resolution, the 00Z GFS has #Hermine at 975mb for most of that. Stronger than it is now. ? https://t.co/GujEiC1KyE Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) September 2, 2016 It isn't exactly Sandy, but the prolonged period of winds, storm surge & heavy rain is very, very bad 4 Mid Atlantic https://t.co/hghDpYpVJU Dan Pope (@weathercaster) September 2, 2016 Tropical Storm Hermine officially reached hurricane status on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, reported NASA and NOAA's National Hurricane Center earlier today. When it makes landfall, it will be the first hurricane to hit Florida since Wilma in 2005. Hermine will probably touch down along the state's eastern Panhandle in the wee hours of Friday morning, and NOAA predicts that its force and the associated water surges will be "life-threatening." It's hard to hold your phone steady when it gets bumpy! #Hermine has lots of convection on its east side ? @lbucci45 pic.twitter.com/bURfaFDRFd HRD/AOML/NOAA (@HRD_AOML_NOAA) September 1, 2016 #Hermine will pass over western Atlantic SSTs that are anomalously warm by 1-3C #passthepopcorn pic.twitter.com/89pKqlN28r Peter de Menocal (@PdeMenocal) September 1, 2016 The National Hurricane Center says Hermine is currently spinning over the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 1 hurricane. Big Bend will likely experience the first landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast around midnight, with a high chance of deadly storm surges that may reach up to 9 feet, coupled with intense rainfall and related flooding. NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this image of the hurricane at 3:15 p.m. EDT (1915 UTC). The image shows a much more organized Hermine with bands of thunderstorms wrapping around its low-level center and blanketing the entire state of Florida. The image was created at NASA/NOAA's GOES Project office, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The governor of Florida gave a stern warning to people who find themselves in the path of the storm today. Gov. Rick Scott struck an urgent tone in a state that may lack preparation because it hasn't been hit by a hurricane for more than 10 years. "This is life-threatening," the governor told reporters in Florida's capital city, Tallahassee. "The storm surge, by itself, is life-threatening." "We have not had a hurricane (landfall) in years," he said. "So many people have moved to our state (since) then, and we always have visitors." People who are in Hermine's path "should have at least three days of supplies, and heed any mandatory evacuation orders along the coast." Here are a slew of links from NASA to follow, to keep track of the storm's trajectory. Here is NOAA's advisory, as of the afternoon of Thursday September 1, 2016. The Tropical Storm Warning has been extended northward along the United States Atlantic coast north of Surf City to Duck, North Carolina, including the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued north of Duck to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, including the Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point southward, and the southern Delaware Bay. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Suwannee River to Mexico Beach A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Anclote River to Suwannee River * West of Mexico Beach to the Walton/Bay County line A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Englewood to Suwannee River * West of Mexico Beach to the Walton/Bay County line * Flagler/Volusia County line to Duck * Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * North of Duck to Sandy Hook * Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point southward * Southern Delaware Bay Interests elsewhere along the United States northeast coast should monitor the progress of this system. For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office. For updated forecasts, visit NHC's website at: www.nhc.noaa.gov. Reuters There is a greater chance of the U.S. Federal Reserve raising interest rates too far and tipping the economy into a recession, strategists and fund managers told the Reuters Global Markets Forum (GMF). "The biggest risk is that the Fed overdoes it since inflation tends to react quite slowly to higher rates, likely even more so this cycle given still not fully understood distortions to the economy caused by the COVID pandemic," said Nick Brooks, head of investment and economic research at ICG. While rate futures markets are still pricing in a 75-basis-point hike at the Fed's meeting next week, they now expect only a half-point increase in December and no more than a half a point further over the next two meetings. VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria is ready to confront other European Union members states over its opposition to a free trade deal with Canada, Chancellor Christian Kern said, because it sees it containing many of the same problems as one being negotiated with the United States. Austria opposes a proposed free trade deal with the United States, and Kern said the deal with Canada, called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), had many of the same problems. "This will be difficult, this will be the next conflict in the EU that Austria will trigger ... We must focus on making sure ... we don't shift the power balance in favour of global enterprises," Kern told broadcaster ORF late on Wednesday. According to a recording broadcast by ORF radio on Thursday, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker told Austria in June to stop its "clownery" around CETA, calling it the best trade agreement reached by the EU. One diplomat in Brussels, who is in favour of finalising CETA by the end of the year, said it would have "a disastrous effect on the credibility of the EU's trade policies" if CETA fell through. "No one would ever again engage in years of negotiations with us to see it all go south the last minute. With all the mess around TTIP, we must deliver CETA," the person said. Trade ministers from Germany and France have also called for a halt in negotiations on the EU-U.S. deal, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday praised CETA. "We shouldnt fool ourselves (about TTIP). We are still far away from what we achieved in the CETA in terms of standards and procedures. It will be a yardstick that other trade agreements are measured against," he told over 1,000 diplomats and business executives at a forum hosted by the Foreign Ministry. Austria's Kern is expected to address issues surrounding TTIP and CETA at a news conference on Friday. "We will have to see where the weaknesses of (CETA) are. Many are the same as with TTIP," Kern, a social-democrat, said, without elaborating. Despite the German official support for CETA, activists in Germany on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Constitutional Court with the aim of scuppering CETA. There are widespread concerns in Austria that the TTIP could compromise food safety standards. Kern also opposes the idea that the agreement could allow companies to challenge government policies if they feel regulations put them at a disadvantage. The European Commission hopes that the governments of the EU states can approve the trade deal before a planned EU-Canada summit at the end of October. The European Parliament would also need to vote to allow it to enter force provisionally next year. But national, and some regional, parliaments would still need to ratify it. (Reporting by Shadia Nasralla, Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by Alison Williams) By Alastair Macdonald and Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Other multinationals that do not employ as extreme Irish tax schemes as Apple Inc but shift profits via the country to tax havens could also be breaching EU rules, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday. She handed the iPhone maker a record 13-billion-euro bill for Irish registered units that Dublin authorities accepted were liable to tax in no country on Tuesday. She told Reuters in an interview that other firms' arrangements, which involve routing profits to Irish-registered subsidiaries tax resident in places like Bermuda, might fall foul of the Commission on similar grounds. "Taxes have been paid nowhere due to the Irish tax code," she said. Asked if the bill would have been different if the head office of Apple's Irish unit been registered and paid tax in Bermuda, Vestager said: "not much." Vestager said the core of the case against Apple was that it had an Irish registered company that booked most of the profits generated across Europe. However, since Ireland didn't deem the subsidiary tax resident there, the unit was able to report just a small taxable income at an Irish "branch." Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, and Washington have denounced the Commission ruling as an unjust raid on tax that should be paid in the United States. Apple's chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, told reporters on Tuesday that the assertion that Apple doesn't pay taxes anywhere on much of its profits is "simply wrong." "These are profits that are taxed in the United States, and for anybody that understands the U.S. worldwide tax system, this is very easy to understand," Maestri said. "We actually accrue those tax liabilities on our balance sheet on an ongoing basis and we've done it consistently over the years." Vestager said if Washington chose to tax the profits reported by Apple's Irish operation, she would reduce her demand accordingly. The United States could do this by forcing Apple to have its Irish units pay more in fees to Apple in California for the right to license Apple patents. "If the U.S. tax authority found that the monies paid due to the cost-sharing agreement were too few ... so that they should pay more in the cost-sharing agreement, that would transfer more money to the States and that may change the books and the accounts in the States," Vestager said. Vestager said, however, that the bill would not be affected if Apple next year moved funds from its Irish units to the United States by paying dividends, even though in this case, the dividends would be taxed. She declined to discuss which other companies' affairs were being looked at by her staff beyond two publicly announced and outstanding investigations into Amazon and McDonald's in Luxembourg. She said that since being alerted to Apple's methods and other cases by a U.S. Senate probe in 2013, the Commission has been looking through about 1,000 such instances in the EU. She dismissed accusations from Apple's Cook and others that her decision was politically motivated or driven by anti-American populism. While U.S. companies have been investigated, she said, most of 35 firms probed over tax in Belgium were from Europe, and those still being looked at were a broad sample. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; @macdonaldrtr; Editing by Anna Willard and Leslie Adler) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China needs to be a more responsible power as it gains global influence and avoid flexing its muscles in disputes with smaller countries over issues like the South China Sea, U.S. President Barack Obama told CNN in an interview to be aired on Sunday. Obama, who meets with President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit next week in China, told CNN the United States supports the peaceful rise of China but that Beijing had to recognise that "with increasing power comes increasing responsibilities," according to excerpts released on Friday. "If you sign a treaty that calls for international arbitration around maritime issues, the fact that you're bigger than the Philippines or Vietnam or other countries ... is not a reason for you to go around and flex your muscles," Obama said. "You've got to abide by international law." China, a signatory to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, recently lost an arbitration dispute over the South China Sea. A court in the Hague found China had no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and had infringed on the rights of the Philippines. Beijing has rejected the ruling. Obama said Washington had urged Beijing to bind itself to international rules and norms to help build a strong international order. "Where we see them violating international rules and norms, as we have seen in some cases in the South China Sea or in some of their behaviour when it comes to economic policy, we've been very firm," Obama told CNN. "And we've indicated to them that there will be consequences." The U.S. president said China could not expect to "pursue mercantilist policies that just advantage" itself now that China has become a more affluent, middle-income country. "Even though you still have a lot of poor people, you know, you can't just export problems. You've got to have fair trade and not just free trade," Obama said. "You have to open up your markets if you expect other people to open up their markets." (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Eric Beech) By Denis Pinchuk and Dmitry Zhdannikov VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russia hopes to fetch more than $11 billion for a minority stake in the Kremlin's flagship oil producer Rosneft before the end of the year to plug budget holes caused by low crude prices, an industry source told Reuters on Friday. The sale will be complicated by sanctions imposed on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine and by many investors' wariness of putting money into Russia as well as volatile commodity markets. But Russia is hoping to repeat the success of Rosneft's initial share offering a decade ago when it raised $11 billion in one of the world's biggest such sales, despite concerns that investors would be spooked by Rosneft's purchase of most of the assets of oil firm YUKOS, bankrupted by the Kremlin. On Friday, Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said his ministry had received documents needed to kick start the sale of 19.5 percent in Rosneft, including a valuation and proposals on terms of sale. An industry source familiar with the sale process said the stake had been valued at over $11 billion. The documents were submitted this week by Rosneftegas, which controls Rosneft on behalf of the government. Italian bank Intesa is advising Rosneftegas on the sale. In comments to Russian news agencies later on Friday, Ulyukayev said estimates the stake would be valued at around $11 billion were close to reality. After privatization, the government will keep 50 percent plus one share in Rosneft, the world's largest oil firm by reserves among listed companies. Rosneft produces over a third of Russia's total output of 10.7 million barrels per day - a figure making Russia the world's biggest producer on a par with Saudi Arabia and the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the sale of the stake should take place before the end of the year and should involve strategic investors. "I think we should be aiming precisely for that type of investment. We are getting ready and are planning to do it this year," Putin told Bloomberg News. Oil major BP owns just under 20 percent in Rosneft following the purchase of BP's Russian joint venture TNK-BP by Rosneft for $50 billion in 2013. Rosneft's own market value has fallen to $55 billion since then as a result of low oil prices and sanctions imposed on Russia, Rosneft and its chief executive Igor Sechin, one of Putin's closest allies. At its initial public offering (IPO), Rosneft was worth nearly $80 billion. Western majors will find it difficult to invest in Rosneft due to sanctions but their place could be taken by Asian investors, including from China and India, which have been seeking to develop resources in Russia. Russia is effectively competing with many other resource rich countries for money from investors to compensate for low commodities prices. The world's largest non-listed oil firm by reserves and output, Saudi Aramco, is planning to list up to a 5 percent stake in the next two years, seeking an overall valuation of over $2 trillion. The industry source said Rosneftegas was asking the government to issue a decree guaranteeing a stable tax regime during the sale of the stake and beyond. "You cannot attract solid investors if the tax regime keeps changing," the source said. (Reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov; additional reporting by Darya Korsunskaya; Editing by Katya Golubkova and Mark Potter) The logo of Verizon is seen at a retail store in San Diego, California April 21, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo (Reuters) By Malathi Nayak NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc said on Thursday that its chief financial officer, Francis Shammo, plans to retire at the end of the year and will step down from his role on Nov. 1. Verizon said its board of directors appointed Matthew D. Ellis, who is currently senior vice president and CFO-operations finance, to succeed Shammo. Shammo, 55, will be leaving after 27 years with the company. He joined Verizon's predecessor company, Bell Atlantic, in 1989 and became Verizon CFO in 2010. During his tenure, Verizon agreed to pay $130 billion to buy Vodafone Group's stake in Verizon Wireless. It also acquired AOL Inc, the owner of the Huffington Post and TechCrunch, last year and agreed to buy web pioneer Yahoo Inc for $4.8 billion in July. Ellis, 45, joined Verizon in 2013 after 15 years at Tyson Foods Inc in various roles. (Reporting by Malathi Nayak; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Phil Berlowitz) Friday, September 02, 2016 Friday Clippings From Our Newsroom Floor When it comes to the gargantuan budget deficit--upwards of a billion dollars over the next several years--we expect the R's to frame that one as a battle of the tax raisers vs. the tax cutters. That's already popping up in one contested state Senate battle. . . Despite years of evidence to the contrary, the champions of state tax cuts insist they are delivering on their economic promise. Take . . . We need to continue implementing on schedule the landmark bipartisan tax reform package of 2013, which is reducing New Mexicos business tax rate and making us more competitive. But how is that corporate tax cut making us more competitive? Are corporations moving here to take advantage of them? No. Are those here expanding? No. Meanwhile, the oil crash, combined with a decade long streak of tax cutting, has blown that immense hole in the state budget. OUTSIDE THE BOX A task force established to combat a heroin epidemic in the Seattle area has endorsed a strategy of establishing places where addicts would be allowed to take drugs without fear of being arrested. . . Addicts would receive clean needles and syringes and would be permitted to inject heroin, smoke crack cocaine and take other addictive drugs under the supervision of trained authorities. Drugs would not be supplied by the facilities themselves, said Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, the health officer for public health in Seattle and a chairman of the task force. The group was formed. . . in response to increasing heroin use in the region. Dr. Duchin said the facilities would serve a marginalized population, those who really have nowhere else to go. They inject publicly and outdoors, theyre homeless and/or unemployed, and basically debilitated by their addiction, he said. Dr. Duchin said the facilities could offer a doorway to addiction treatment and primary medical care, as well as reducing addicts risk of infections like H.I.V. and hepatitis. Deaths by heroin overdose in King County skyrocketed in 2014, killing 156 people in the county an increase of nearly 60 percent from the year before. Thanks for stopping by this week and Happy Labor Day. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. ( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2016 If there is a special session of the legislature called by the Governor this month, why wouldn't she place on the call a reinstatement of the death penalty for convinced child and cop killers? It's a classic wedge issue that the R's could take into the legislative races with full force in the crucial month of October, knocking the Dems for failing to reinstate the penalty. It's another way they get way from the budget and economic crisis that has the potential to dislodge them from control of the state House. . .When it comes to the gargantuan budget deficit--upwards of a billion dollars over the next several years--we expect the R's to frame that one as a battle of the tax raisers vs. the tax cutters. That's already popping up in one contested state Senate battle. . .Despite years of evidence to the contrary, the champions of state tax cuts insist they are delivering on their economic promise. Take this from the ABQ Chamber of Commerce:But how is that corporate tax cut making us more competitive? Are corporations moving here to take advantage of them? No. Are those here expanding? No.Meanwhile, the oil crash, combined with a decade long streak of tax cutting, has blown that immense hole in the state budget. The drug epidemic is so widespread in ABQ and NM that readers are looking outside the box for solutions. One of them sends this Thanks for stopping by this week and Happy Labor Day.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) The EU and US began work on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013, aiming to create the world's largest free-trade area (AFP Photo/Jean-Sebastien Evrard) (AFP/File) Paris (AFP) - European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici called Friday for negotiators to up the ante in stalled talks with Washington on an ambitious EU-US trade deal. Rejecting calls, notably by France, to halt the negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), Moscovici told reporters in Paris: "It would be much smarter... to pursue them, while raising our demands." He appealed for support from the trade ministers of EU member states for the TTIP, which has become a hot potato as key elections approach in the United States, France and Germany. "European trade ministers (should) support the Commission and ask it to be strong and ambitious with our American partners," he said. The talks -- conducted in secret between the EU executive body and US negotiators -- have become bogged down as suspicions abound in Europe that the deal would undercut the 28-nation bloc's standards in key areas such as health and welfare. Moscovici's remarks came after French junior trade minister Matthias Fekl said Paris wanted to halt the talks, saying US negotiators were offering "nothing or just crumbs". French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls have also thrown cold water on the negotiations, with Valls on Thursday demanding a "clear halt". Germany's vice chancellor and economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said the talks had "de facto failed because we Europeans of course must not succumb to American demands." However his boss Angela Merkel spoke out in favour of a deal, saying it would create "job opportunities" for Europe. Leaks about the planned text have sparked serious concerns among many Europeans that they will be giving up control over sensitive issues such as the use of pesticides and hormones in food production. Another issue that has raised hackles is plans for a special court to speed up cases by companies against governments over breaches on regulatory issues, which opponents see as giving firms a veto over public policy, particularly in social and environmental areas. Moscovici recalled that European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker had ruled out ceding ground on Europe's "agricultural and environmental model (and) its health norms." He added: "All this is true but it's a living process, and it's a process that is moving forward." South Korea's Hanjin shipping firm is foundering under debts of more than $5 billion (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman) South Korea's Hanjin Shipping company said Friday about one third of its cargo fleet -- some forty ships -- is marooned at sea or has been seized at ports, as international shipping staggers after its biggest ever bankruptcy filing. On Wednesday, Hanjin Shipping, the world's seventh-largest shipping company filed for court protection after its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), rejected its self-rescue scheme. The crisis has badly hit the oversupplied international shipping industry, suffering from its worst downturn in six decades and sent ripples as far as the US economy, with retailers fearing it may damage Christmas trade. "Forty-five of our 144 vessels are unable to operate in the normal fashion in some 10 countries," a Hanjin spokesman told AFP. "Some of them are being impounded, others being barred from docking or discharging," he said. Hanjin's vessels, sailors and cargo are stuck in a maritime limbo as ports, wary they will not be paid for their services, refuse to let them dock, as well as refusing to handle or free cargo already landed. Also effected are ships not owned by Hanjin but contracted by it or those belonging to its alliance members, along with cargo and containers on board those vessels. US retailers, bracing for fall-out from Hanjin's woes as they stock up for the crucial Christmas holiday sales season, have asked Washington to step in and help resolve a growing crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. 10 Hanjin vessels were either seized or denied access at Chinese terminals in Shanghai and Tianjin over the past 48 hours, according to local media reports, with another vessel seized in Singapore earlier the week. An estimated 540,000 containers are expected to face delivery delays, according to the reports. Hanjin officially entered court receivership Friday, the Seoul Central District Court announced. The court will decide whether to keep Hanjin afloat under a recovery programme including debt rescheduling or to declare it bankrupt. Story continues South Korean financial authorities reportedly consider letting South Korea's No.2 Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. take over Hanjin's good assets such as its global marketing networks and personnel as well as its own 59 ships. Financial Supervisory Commission Yim Jong-Yong on Friday met with KDB and Hyundai Merchant Marine officials and asked Hyundai to help ease cargo disruptions, Yonhap news agency said. Accordingly, Hyundai plans to deploy a total of 13 vessels to the US and Europe, Yonhap added. Hanjin faces a cash shortage of about one trillion won ($900 million) needed to roll over debts. But major creditors including the state-run Korea Development Bank decided Tuesday not to offer more help. They said the firm failed to present a viable plan to turn around its business, which has been in the red every year since 2011 amid slowing demand in China and rising charter fees to shipowners. FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Titan Energy, LLC and its subsidiaries (Titan) today announced that it has commenced operations as an independent developer and producer of natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids with operations in basins across the United States. Atlas Energy Group, LLC (ATLS) (OTCQX:ATLS), a Delaware limited liability company, operates the Company through a subsidiary and holds a 2% preferred member interest. Titans shares are available to be traded regular way through the facilities of DTC and are expected to be quoted on the OTC markets in the near future. Titan has a diverse portfolio of oil and gas assets, including over 14,000 gross wells across 17 states, which produced 223 MMcfe/d on average for the second quarter of 2016. As of July 1, 2016, Titans estimated proved reserves totaled 1,013 Bcfe, consisting of 68% gas and 71% proved developed producing. As of July 1, 2016, Titans reserve report estimates the present value of those reserves to be $832 million. Titan will continue to be, through its subsidiary, the leading sponsor and manager of tax-advantaged investment partnerships (Drilling Partnerships), through which it is able to monetize a portion of its undeveloped natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids production activities. "We are excited at what I consider to be a tremendous opportunity to grow meaningful value for all of Titan Energys stakeholders," said Daniel Herz, Chief Executive Officer. I believe Titan is well positioned to take advantage of opportunities in the current energy environment. Titan has assumed the business and assets of Atlas Resource Partners, L.P. (ARP) pursuant to ARPs Chapter 11 restructuring process (subject to certain exceptions set forth specifically in the court approved restructuring agreement), which eventuated in the court ordered termination of ARP. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release and other written and oral statements made by the Companys representatives may be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are based upon information presently available to the Company and assumptions that it believes to be reasonable. Risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to materially differ from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the potential adverse effects of Chapter 11 proceedings on the Companys liquidity or results of operations; the ability to operate the business following the Chapter 11 proceedings; the effects of the bankruptcy filing on the Companys business and the interests of various creditors, equity holders and other constituents; those associated with general economic and business conditions; changes in commodity prices and hedge positions; changes in the costs and results of drilling operations; uncertainties about estimates of reserves and resource potential; the impact of the Companys securities not being listed; inability to obtain capital needed for operations; changes in government environmental policies and other environmental risks; the availability of drilling equipment and the timing of production; tax consequences of business transactions; and other risks, assumptions and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Companys reports filed with the SEC, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Annual Reports on Form 10-K (including those reports of ARP as the Companys predecessor). Investors are cautioned that all such statements involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such statements, except as may be required by applicable law. Lithuanian English On the initiative and following the resolution of Panevezio keliai AB, the shareholder of Panevezio statybos trestas AB, as the shareholder to whom the shares hold give not less than 1/10 of all votes according to Paragraph 1 Article 23 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Panevezio statybos trestas AB (address of registered office P. Puzino Str. 1, Panevezys, company code 147732969) is convened on 3 October 2016. The place of the meeting shall be the of Panevezio statybos trestas AB at P. Puzino Str. 1, Panevezys. The beginning of the meeting - 10:00 (registration shall start at 9:30). The accounting day shall be 26 September 2016 (only the persons who are on the shareholder list of the company at the end of the accounting day of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, or the persons who are proxies for them, or the persons with whom an agreement on the transfer of voting rights is concluded, have the right to participate and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders). The Agenda of the Meeting shall be as follows: Selection of an audit company and pricing of audit services. The company shall not provide any possibilities to participate and vote at the meeting using any means of electronic communications. Draft resolutions on the items of the agenda, any documents to be presented to the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders and any information related to realisation of the shareholders rights shall be published on the website of the company at www.pst.lt under the menu item Investor Relations not later than 21 days before the meeting date. The shareholders shall also be granted access to the information thereof at the secretarys office at the headquarters of the company (P. Puzino Str. 1, Panevezys) from 7:30 till 16:30. The telephone number for inquiries: (+370 45) 505 508. The shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all votes may propose additional items to be included in the agenda and present a draft resolution of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders for each proposed additional agenda item or, in case no resolution has to be adopted, give an explanation. Any proposals for additional items of the agenda shall be submitted in writing or by e-mail. The proposals in writing are to be delivered to the secretarys office at or sent by registered mail to the following address: Panevezio statybos trestas AB, P. Puzino Str. 1, LT- 35173, Panevezys. The proposals by e-mail are to be sent to the following e-mail address pst@pst.lt. Any proposals for additional items of the agenda are to be presented by 16:00 on 19 September 2016. In the event new items are added to the meeting agenda, not later than 10 days before the meeting date the company shall inform about the additions thereof using the same means as have been used for convening the meeting. The shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all votes may propose new draft resolutions on the items that are on or to be included in the agenda, additional candidates for the members of the company bodies and the audit company. The proposals thereof may be presented in writing or by e-mail. The proposals in writing may be delivered (on work days) to the secretarys office in the company or sent by registered mail to Panevezio statybos trestas AB, at P. Puzino Str. 1, LT- 35173, Panevezys by 9:00 on 3 October 2016. The proposals presented in writing shall be discussed during the meeting provided they have been received at the company before 9:00 on the meeting day (3 October 2016). Any proposals in writing may be presented during the meeting after the chairman of the meeting reads the agenda out but not later that the meeting starts working on the agenda items. Any proposals delivered by e-mail are to be sent to pst@pst.lt . The proposals received at the e-mail address thereof by 9:00 on 3 October 2016 shall be discussed during the meeting. The shareholders are entitled to present their questions related to the agenda items to the company in advance. The questions may be sent by the shareholders by e-mail to pst@pst.lt not later than 3 work days before the meeting date. The company shall answer the questions thereof by e-mail before the meeting. The company shall not deliver the answer to any question of the shareholders in person provided the relevant information is published on the website of the company at http://www.pst.lt . When registering to participate at the meeting, the shareholders or their proxies shall present a document which is a proof of their personal identity. The proxies to the shareholders are to present their proxies certified following a prescribed procedure. The proxy issued by a legal person has to be certified by a Notary Public. The proxy issued in a foreign country has to be translated into Lithuanian and legalised following the procedure prescribed by law. The proxy may be given the authority by more than one shareholder and vote in a different manner based on the instructions given by each shareholder. The company has no special form for the proxy. Using the means of electronic communications, the shareholder may authorize some other natural or legal person to participate and vote at the meeting on behalf of the shareholder. Such proxy requires no certification by a Notary Public. The proxy issued by the means of electronic communications is to be certified by the electronic signature of the shareholder created using any safe electronic signature software and attested by the qualified certificate valid in the Republic of Lithuania. Both the proxy and the notification are to be in writing. The shareholder shall notify the company about the proxy issued by the means of electronic communications by e-mail to pst@pst.lt not later than at 16:00 on the last work day before the meeting date. The electronic signature shall be affixed on the proxy and the notification and not on the letter sent by e-mail. When sending the notification to the company, the shareholder shall refer to the internet address to be used for the purpose of free downloading of electronic signature verification software. In case the shares hold by the shareholder are kept on a few securities accounts, the shareholder may authorise separate proxies to participate and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in accordance with the rights carried by the shares kept in each securities account. In that case any instructions given by the shareholder shall be valid only for one Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. The shareholder who holds the shares of the company acquired in his name, however for the interests of other persons, before voting at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders shall disclose to the company the identity of the end client, the number of voting shares and the content of given voting instructions or any other explanation related to the participation and voting at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders agreed with the client. The shareholder may vote in a different manner using one part of his shares carrying votes and the other part of shares carrying votes. The shareholder or his proxy may vote in advance in writing by filling in the general ballot paper. Not later than 21 days before the meeting date the form of the general ballot paper shall be published on the website of the company at http://www.pst.lt under the menu item Investors Relations. In case the shareholder submits a written request, not later than 10 days before the meeting date the company shall send a general ballot paper by registered mail or deliver it in person against signature. The filled in general ballot paper is to be signed by the shareholder or his proxy. In case the general ballot paper is signed by the proxy, the document validating the voting right shall be attached to it. The filled in general ballot paper with the attached documents (if applicable) shall be delivered to the company by registered mail at Panevezio statybos trestas AB, P. Puzino Str. 1, LT- 35173, Panevezys, to the secretarys office not later than the last work day before the meeting date. The following information and documents shall be published on the website of the company at http://www.pst.lt under the menu item Investors Relations throughout the entire period starting not later than 21 days before the meeting date: the notice of convening the meeting; the total number of company shares and the number of voting shares as of the date of convening the meeting; draft resolutions on the items of the agenda and any other documents to be presented to the meeting; the form of a general ballot paper. For more information contact: Dalius Gesevicius Managing Director Panevezio statybos trestas AB Phone: (+370 45) 505 503 As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Having botched an IPO, an investment bankers career is on the line in launching a social networking company. Underlings scramble for promotion as they try to reel in the company that promises an unhackable, secure network. Meanwhile a federal prosecutor is investigating a shady hedge fund operator who appears to be operating off inside information gleaned from the investment bank. That sounds like -- and is -- a pretty standard corporate thriller. But what sets Equity apart from other tales of intrigue among the one-percenters is that it is written and directed by women with female stars in nearly all the key roles. That starts with Anna Gunn, of Emmy-winning Breaking Bad fame, as Naomi Bishop, the veteran investment banker who wants to step into the position of worldwide head of her firm, becoming a rainmaker as she enthusiastically embraces a pursuit of money. Her assistant, Erin Manning (Sarah Megan Thomas), is also angling for a promotion, hoping that by landing the security network IPO and making tons of cash, shell get a raise and a new title -- while she tries to hide her pregnancy. Investigating the hedge fund and insider information swap is attorney Samantha (Alysia Reiner) who, conveniently for the story, grew up in the same Michigan town as Naomi. The bad guys, so to speak, are guys -- fund manager Benji Akers (Craig Bierko) and his insider, a slick bank salesman, Michael Connor (James Purefoy), who also happens to be Naomis friend with benefits. That sets up a cross-country potboiler as Naomi and Erin have to fly to California to meet with the security company, selling its inventor, Ed (Samuel Roukin), on their ability to make $1 billion out of the gate while the investigation and the insider double-dealing goes on in New York. Working from a script by Thomas, Reiner and Amy Fox, director Meera Menon assembles the film conventionally, pulling the noose ever tighter on all the characters as the film progresses. But theres a female perspective that spins in via the characters and the strong performances and the script that gives the story freshness. That said, I always find it hard to care about what happens to any of the greedy one-percenters in any corporate thriller and it was no different with Equity, which, to its credit delivers a perfectly cynical and realistic conclusion. Yes, there is a loser and some winners. But the corrupt, backstabbing system goes on, leaving victims in its cash-harvesting wake. There is a lot of funereal black in Hirokazu Koreeda's lovely, gentle "Our Little Sister." And there is the pink of cherry blossoms, too. In one quietly exhilarating scene, Suzu (Suzu Hirose), the 14-year-old of the title, sits on a bike and sails through a tunnel of blossoming cherry trees, the petals arcing over the road. Life and death, death and life -- they're at the heart of "Our Little Sister." And if you succumb to Koreeda's slow rhythms, the climbs up a hill to find a magnificent view, the walks along the beach, the simple peace of a shared meal, this is the kind of movie that will leave you feeling restored, maybe a little misty-eyed as well. Set mostly in the seaside town of Kamakura, "Our Little Sister" begins with a memorial service. Three adult sisters who share a house together -- the eldest, Sachi (Haruka Ayase); middle sister Yoshino (Masami Nagasawa); and the youngest, Chika (Kaho) -- take the train to the funeral for their father. They have not seen him in 15 years. Their parents had divorced. He remarried. Now he is dead. And left behind is Suzu, a half sister they had never met. After spending the day together, Sachi, a nurse, invites Suzu to come back to Kamakura and live with them. She does, and so a new life -- for the girl, for the trio of older sisters -- begins. Like other Koreeda films -- "Nobody Knows," "Still Walking," "Like Father Like Son" -- the Japanese director's latest examines the connections, and chasms, between generations. And it also looks to how siblings can come together, support each other, survive, and thrive, when parents are gone. Adapted from a graphic novel by Akimi Yoshida, "Our Little Sister" zooms in close, observing everyday rituals, the commonplace that suddenly turns significant. The sisters' grandmother's stash of plum wine is savored, the proprietress of the seaside diner that has long been part of their lives may be forced to shut her doors. Sachi's ongoing affair with a doctor at her hospital puts her in an awkward, unsettling place: He is married, and she begins to feel like the stepmother who took Sachi's father away, who wrecked Sachi's family. And the young, ebullient Suzu has her own worries, woes. The legacy of the father haunts her in different ways. But in "Our Little Sister," Sachi and Suzu have each other, and have their sisters. Everything is going to be fine. Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion is standing his ground. Kintner waded into controversy in late July when a cybersex scandal became public, a year after he engaged in sexual activities over Skype with a woman he met on Facebook. Now, after many requests for his resignation -- from the governor, legislative leaders and many voters -- an investigation by the State Patrol, and a fine by the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission for misusing his state computer, he still refuses to give up his District 2 seat. "I have carefully considered your request. I have listened to, and understand, your concerns," he told Executive Board Chairman Bob Krist in a letter on Friday. And he has listened to the views of his constituents in District 2, he said, some of whom oppose him but many who have asked him to remain in office. Kintner encouraged the board to honor and respect the decision of the majority of those voters who elected him two times in three years. In his letter he said he has openly admitted he committed a sin, cooperated with two state agencies, paid his fine, apologized to his wife, God, fellow senators and constituents. He understands the gravity of his action, he said. But he doesn't appreciate those who have portrayed him as stubborn, defiant or unrepentant. The Legislature's Executive Board sent a letter to Kintner on Tuesday, signed by all 10 members, requesting that he resign by 5 p.m. Friday. If he failed to resign or respond to the letter, the board said, it would meet next week to consider and recommend other legislative options. "I am very disappointed," said Speaker Galen Hadley, a board member. A significant group of people have studied the violation and asked for his resignation, Hadley said. But apparently that's not enough. Krist said Friday he will cancel the Executive Board meeting and will go instead to the Legislative Council, made of up the 49 senators, as a next step. "It's apparent to me that Mr. Kintner does not respect the advice of the Executive Board and I don't think there's anything else we can or should do at this point, except to arrange for the entire legislative body to reconvene on this matter," he said. A meeting of the Legislative Council, all 49 senators, is scheduled for November. Or a council meeting could be called before that, if senators agree, Krist said. He will begin looking at censuring Kintner, he said, and at technology changes, such as close monitoring of Kintner's computer to ensure no illegal programs or activities are used or happening. Any travel outside of Nebraska could also be scrutinized. There are options of impeaching or expelling Kintner, too. And, he said, the Legislature needs to consider a law that would allow for a recall process to remove state legislators. Kintner misused his laptop when he was out of town on business to engage in sexual activities via Skype with a woman he had been corresponding with online for about a week. She then tried to extort money from him, threatening to expose the cybersex. He initially just apologized for the misdeeds to God and his wife. Then after further consideration, he sent letters of apology to his constituents and to his fellow senators. Gov. Pete Ricketts, Speaker of the Legislature Galen Hadley, Krist and numerous senators have asked or advised him to resign. Ricketts repeated his call Friday for Kintners resignation through his spokesman. As the governor has previously stated, Senator Kintner should resign before the Sept. 8th deadline to let the voters decide, Taylor Gage stated in a text message. A resignation prior to that deadline would allow candidates for the vacated legislative seat to file by petition in the November general election. Several citizen petitions have been started asking Kintner to step down as well. And about a dozen people showed up early in the week to oppose a special session to deal with the Kintner violation. Marsha Bobcock, chairwoman of the Cass County Democrats who led one of the petition drives, said the people of Cass County deserve to be represented by someone who can devote their full attention to effectively advocating for their issues without the distraction of defending against this controversy. Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, who is a member of the Executive Board and has written a series of what he calls Kintner-grams, criticizing and poking fun at the senator, even sending him a template of a resignation letter, said he knew Kintner wouldn't resign. And so, those writings will continue, he said, despite a complaint that was filed with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission against Chambers by Andrew Sullivan, an Omaha conservative activist, saying Chambers misused public resources and criminally harassed Kintner with the poems and pictures distributed to senators. "I find (Kintner's) letter of rejection to be sickening," Chambers said. "He's not making a making a confession to a preacher where he keeps referring to a sin he committed. He committed a crime, and he does not want to use that word." Having been elected, even twice, does not give him carte blanche to violate the Constitution, laws and regulations, he said. "I intend to continue trying to oust him from the Legislature since he is not willing to go gently into that good night," he said. Dick Clark, a candidate to represent southwest Lincoln in the Legislature, has been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol. Clark, whose legal name is Charles R. Clark II, was stopped by Lincoln police at 9:24 p.m. Tuesday less than a block from his home at Eighth and E streets after failing to signal a right turn, said Lincoln Police Officer Katie Flood, a spokeswoman for the department. The officer who stopped Clark, 35, noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from his 2012 Chevrolet Impala, and Clark showed other signs of impairment such as bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech, Flood said. Clark was ticketed on suspicion of DUI, failing to signal the turn, and refusing chemical and breath tests to determine his blood-alcohol content, then taken to detox. Flood didn't provide further details. Clark said Friday he had been drinking at a social event and "made the bad decision to drive myself home." "I am embarrassed at my serious lapse in judgment, and will clearly abide by the decision of the court regarding the legal consequences for my actions," Clark said in an emailed statement. "I am especially disappointed in myself for letting down all those who have worked so hard for my campaign." Clark is a registered Republican seeking to replace Sen. Colby Coash and represent District 27 in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. Coash is leaving due to term limits. Clark advanced from the May 10 primary, but came in a distant second place to Anna Wishart, a registered Democrat. A third candidate, Deb Andrews, was eliminated. Then-Gov. Dave Heineman's administration hired Clark as a policy adviser in 2011. Clark later worked for the Platte Institute for Economic Development and is now a private attorney specializing in estate planning and business formation. In Nebraska, first-offense driving under the influence is a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and probation or jail time. Offenders must also apply for an ignition interlock device and lose their driver's license for 60 days if sentenced to probation, or six months if sentenced to jail. The same penalty applies to refusing a chemical test. Refusing a preliminary breath test can also carry an added $100 fine. The Nebraska Supreme Court Friday ordered a 50-year-old Hartington man's release from prison because of an error in how he was charged and sentenced in Pierce County. After Barney Meyer was caught stealing scrap metal twice in 2011, the Pierce County Attorney's office filed a complaint charging him with burglary, theft and a separate count of being a habitual criminal. The problem is this: Being a habitual criminal isn't an offense, according to prior Supreme Court decisions. It's an enhancement that applies to those who have been convicted and sentenced twice before to at least a year in prison and increases the sentence range to 10 to 60 years, with no good time for the first 10. But, on March 29, 2012, a Pierce County judge sentenced Meyer to 10 years for being a habitual criminal, plus another two to four years for felony theft and burglary. Had Meyer been sentenced properly, he would have gotten 10 years on the burglary charge. Last year, Meyer pointed out the error in a petition asking to be released. In April, a Lincoln judge voided his sentence but stayed the decision pending an appeal by the Nebraska Attorney General's Office. On appeal, both sides agreed that the habitual criminal statute was not a separate charge, as the state Supreme Court previously has made clear. Instead, the court was asked to determine whether the state could say now that the sentence Meyer already served was invalid and attempt to increase it. The state argued the habitual criminal sentence and the two- to four-year sentence for burglary were one sentence. The Supreme Court disagreed, saying if the state had noticed the error and filed a direct appeal soon after his sentence, Meyer could have been resentenced. And the court found Meyer's 10-year sentence for habitual criminal to be void and said Meyer was being unlawfully imprisoned at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and was entitled to be released. Excluding the part of his sentence that was void, Meyer should have been eligible for parole on Aug. 19, 2013, and his discharge date was Aug. 19, 2015, according to Friday's opinion. A prison spokeswoman said Meyer would be released Friday as ordered by the court. A judge sentenced a Lincoln man to 12 to 16 years in prison Thursday for beating a woman and threatening her with a gun while he was on parole. Joshua Hubbell, 30, pleaded no contest to terroristic threats, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and third-degree domestic assault. Attorney John Ball said Hubbell, who was on prescribed pain medication and coming off illegal drugs at the time, needs treatment. On Dec. 14, with police listening in, Hubbell told a county jail inmate in a phone call that he had beaten a woman, pulled a gun on her and told her mom he was going to kill her. He told police later it was only a joke. When police talked to the 23-year-old victim, she said Hubbell had snapped and choked her until she passed out. When she came to, she told them, he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at her head while he talked on the phone saying he was "going to kill her right now." The woman fought back and was able to get her phone and call her mom, then drive away. Hubbell can't legally possess a firearm because he is a convicted felon. He was on parole on a burglary charge out of Scotts Bluff County at the time, but it was revoked as a result of what happened. The victim later wrote to the judge saying what happened was out of character for Hubbell. But Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Carolyn Bosn said he had a history of domestic assaults dating back to at least 2007 and took no responsibility for what happened here. Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret sentenced him Thursday. Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today If there is one thing that weighs heavy on Jack Way, one thing set firmly in the footings of his mind, it is the road you are driving on and the sidewalk you are walking on and the foundation upon which your house is built. All that CONCRETE, which, admit it, you often call CEMENT. I know this about Jack because he told me so in an email last week, after Id written a column using the word cement to describe my patio. The correct word would be CONCRETE, he wrote. CEMENT, used in construction, is a grey powder-like material produced at the Ash Grove Cement Plant in Louisville, Nebraska. That CEMENT is shipped to Lincoln by rail or truck, mixed with water and aggregate, the final product is called CONCRETE. I KNEW this, truly I did. And I replied, apologizing and telling Jack I would endeavor to NEVER confuse the two again (which, the former president of Concrete Industries Inc. pointed out, would be like confusing FLOUR with BREAD). And so began a series of email exchanges in which I learned that Jack had made the proper use of concrete his mission in life, writing to reporters and publishing houses whenever he saw the word used in error. Which he did dozens of times, not just by hacks like me, but even in books. (Shame on you, Random House!) But Jack rarely heard back after he sent his missives. Only twice, including my reply, in all these years. He felt like a failure. HELP, he wrote at the end of one email. Gladly, I answered, a woman who knew the nails-on-chalkboard horror of hearing people use LESS THAN when they really meant FEWER. We made plans to meet Wednesday and off I went, down my concrete driveway, along Lincolns concrete roadways, up the concrete path of the Grand Lodge at the Preserve to meet Jack. Who was perfectly charming. The 89-year-old welcomed me to his lovely apartment, adorned with model airplanes from his carrier pilot in the Navy days, and intricate model boats he put together himself -- a nod to his love of sailing -- and purple pillows and pictures, a salute to his alma mater, Kansas State. It drives the Big Red people crazy. He told me about his last house -- the house he designed and built, mostly out of concrete. Not a crack in it. He told me about his daily recumbent trike rides along the citys concrete bike trails. An hour or two a day, I love it. And about Betty, who died in 2011, and whom he met at a USO dance in Ottumwa, Iowa. He told me he and his bride came to Lincoln in the 1950s and the architectural engineer landed at the Abel family business, where he remained for 35 years, a father of two, rising in the ranks to president of Concrete Industries. When school tours came through the concrete plant, Jack would remind the teachers to take the lesson back to their classrooms and cement the difference in their students minds. Patti Laursen was there in those days. She began working as Jacks secretary in 1979, still with the company, and still a friend to her old boss. Everybody loved the man, she says. And he taught her the important distinction between cement and concrete on Day 1. He wants the people of the world to know the difference, because there is a big difference, she says. Its a tribute to the industry and to the company he worked for. Jack retired from Concrete Industries in 1992 but his devotion has never wavered. Hes still the Concrete Guy. At the retirement community, his fellow residents warn visitors not to slip up and say cement. Around here its become kind of a joke, Jack says. Im dedicated to it, and I guess thats kind of strange. But Jack? As you can see, Jack isnt strange at all. A lovely gentleman, says Jeanne Beaudette, the Grand Lodges receptionist. She just learned of Jacks obsession last week -- after five years on the job -- when a letter showed up on her desk. It seems the office manager had sent out a notice to residents about the completion of CEMENT work in the garage. Which prompted Jack to sit down at his keyboard, occasionally leaving on the ALL CAPS. We will not make that mistake again, Beaudette says. Jack does worry about offending folks, although thats never his intent. And I understand both sides, having been on them. After our visit, we exchanged a few more emails. In one, I asked if he would mind posing with a cement truck to illustrate the column. The reply was prompt. CINDY: Its a CONCRETE truck pouring CONCRETE. I attempted a rebuttal. But, everyone says ... CINDY: Now you are seeing the problem, my new friend Jack answered. You are correct, Everyone calls it a CEMENT truck. EVERYONE IS WRONG. The Nebraska Department of Education wants to give all Nebraska high school juniors the ACT college admissions exam this year instead of a battery of statewide tests. Both the ACT and the SAT submitted proposals to the education department, which is moving forward a year early with a new law that requires using an entrance exam in lieu of the state tests. Several factors made the ACT the unanimous choice among educators who evaluated the two proposals, said Valorie Foy, the departments director of assessment. Cost was one factor: The one-year contract that the state board will vote on Friday would pay ACT $1.034 million to administer the test to about 22,000 high school juniors. Thats $31,000 less than the SAT proposal. Another plus: The ACT tests students on their knowledge of English, math, reading, science and writing, content similar to the current statewide tests, Foy said. Inclusion of the writing test was important to the evaluators, she said. State law requires that schools start using a college entrance exam by 2017 but state officials decided to move ahead a year early in part because of recurring problems with administering the state writing test online. The state dropped the test, and writing assessment will be covered by a new state English Language Arts test for fourth- and eighth-graders. State officials also liked that ACT will communicate with parents about the tests and will let schools choose whether to administer them online or with paper and pencil. Thats important, Foy said, because some schools may not have enough computers available to give it to all juniors online. Statewide tests are administered online, but over a longer period of time, so it can be done with fewer computers. The ACT already is far more common in Nebraska than the SAT. Eighty-eight percent of Nebraskas 2016 high school graduates took the ACT compared to about 700 students who took the SAT. Eight districts, including Lincoln Public Schools, have been giving the ACT to all juniors for the past five years as part of a state pilot and some other districts have decided on their own to do so. One of the advantages is the possibility of encouraging students to go to college who might not otherwise have considered it. Another reason is that busy high school juniors have more reason to care about the ACT test, and therefore try harder. Juniors persistently poor performance on the statewide tests have long worried officials, who believe part of the problem is that they see little value in the tests, which gauge school performance but have no bearing on students grades. Tests such as the ACT, on the other hand, can be used to get into college or to compete for scholarships. One of the challenges of using a college entrance exam instead of statewide tests is that they may not align as closely with Nebraskas academic standards. Another point in ACTs favor, Foy said, is that the company will measure how well the test aligns with those standards. That was important to Nebraska educators, she said. A survey of educators showed little support for adding supplemental questions to the ACT directly related to Nebraska standards, but if the test doesnt follow state standards closely enough thats a possibility, Foy said. ACT also agreed to support the state in its efforts to get the U.S. Department of Education to accept the ACT results in lieu of state tests for accountability purposes under federal education law. Nebraska will be among several states seeking such approval. Loyalty oaths have been tried in the past, but eventually were struck down by the courts as either too vague, or an unconstitutional violation of free speech. These applied, as far as I can tell from reading their history, only to American citizens. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has suggested something different. He wants to screen people coming into America to see if they share American values. Trump says he would exclude not only people who sympathize with terrorists and believe in Sharia law, but those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred. Think of it this way, would the NAACP admit a member of the KKK? Who would deny them their right to turn racists away? From the reaction of the media and Democrats (but I repeat myself), one might think Trumps name is a synonym for bigot and that he is attempting to create a master race in America. Not so fast. As World Magazine editor Marvin Olasky points out in the publications Sept. 3 issue, Millions of Americans are here because their ancestors signed declarations of intention similar to what Trump is suggesting. Olasky found the declaration of intention Albert Einstein signed in 1936. He became a U.S. citizen four years later. Here is what it said: I will, before being admitted to citizenship, renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty. I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. Olasky writes that his immigrant grandfather signed a similar declaration in 1914. A century ago, he says, anarchist was the equivalent of todays terrorist. Some anarchists planted bombs, one assassinated President William McKinley. Olasky continues: Since Sharia law allows and even proposes polygamy as an act of justice, U.S. law excluded Muslims who embraced it. There were to be no divided loyalties. In order for Utah to enter the Union, the state had to renounce polygamy, a doctrine believed and practiced at that time by some Mormons. President Obama is admitting people into America who believe in Sharia law, and the polygamy it allows. No divided loyalties was the key phrase in Olaskys last sentence. How long ago and far away that seems today when our loyalties are more divided than at any time since the Civil War. Diversity has replaced unity and hyphenated identifiers now divide races and ethnic groups. Out of many, one is fading as our national motto. Out of one, many, is rapidly becoming our new one. Much of mainstream media fuel the division because conflict sells. They promote our flaws instead of the phrase from America the Beautiful, one of our great patriotic hymns, God mend thine every flaw. Instead, too many seem intent on exposing, even promoting, new flaws and dividing us further. Who will love America if we dont? Who will sacrifice their lives for freedom if not us? We had better realize America is something special, or risk losing it. Another verse from America the Beautiful is worth recalling as the presidential election approaches: O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life. Who among our leaders demonstrate their love of America more than their love of self? Go to YouTube.com and listen to the late Ray Charles version of this hymn to America. If it doesnt make you tear up, perhaps youd better check your patriotic meter. There is nothing wrong and much right about what Trump proposes for people who want to become citizens of this country. He is no more a bigot than those who wrote the oath taken by Albert Einstein and many others. So let's really put your feelings and comments in context. Because I believe you are being unfair in your assessment of what I was trying to tell you. You first wrote about a sibling getting money from your parent. You wrote: The point I am trying to make is life is expensive even for the top 5 percent. And when a sibling gets an extra $30,000 or car bought for them from a sympathetic parent, it is frustrating to the kid that is being responsible and that saved five years for the $30,000 car. I wrote: This debate has been centered on parents who choose to help adult children less fortunate than their siblings. But it goes beyond that issue. Its about people at the top of the income ladder who resent the help that people below them get. Ive heard from parents who have saved adequately for their kids college education yet complain that poorer families are eligible for need-based financial aid. They say things such as, Im being punished for saving. Or they protest, Why should families that were irresponsible get rewarded? Then I continued: Sure, you can live an expensive life on $240,000. But you dont have to. You only included part of what I included in that column, which was in context: The blessing you get from all of your scrimping, sacrificing and saving is that you live a very comfortable life. Your bills are paid. Your retirement is set. Your kids will graduate from college with little or no debt to slow them down after they launch from your house. Your responsible money habits have rewarded you richly. Enjoy the results of your labor. Even be proud of yourself if you like. But stop looking at what those less fortunate or less responsible than you have. You dont need what theyre getting." So I said it was great that you were saving and doing wonderful things for your family. That does not make me a hypocrite. What I asked you to do was stop complaining that others are getting something when they didn't deserve because they weren't as financially responsible as you have been. even with only 12% going to administration (by the way, much less than this for a large organization is an indication that they are lying or very poorly run, overhead is part of running any business, for profit or non profit), they can use the Foundation as way to give interesting, "cool," well paid jobs to their loyal supporters when they aren't in office. This is a huge personal advantage to them. They can't just get out of the foundation. They need to disburse the money and programs to other orgs. Partners in Health, The Gates Foundation and a few others could handle their programs. If they want, to start again after they are done with being in office, they can. Having any control over that much "other people's money" is never going to be seen as completely clean. Get your businesses up and running with the Microsoft Cloud, growing your startup while ensuring security and compliance for your customers. IS' 'Amaq Reports Copenhagen Police Shooter a "Soldier of the Islamic State" $1 Million Awarded to Help Ohio Coal Workers Affected by Layoffs The Labor Department has awarded the funding via a National Dislocated Worker Grant. As part of a National Dislocated Worker Grant, the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded about $1 million in incremental funding to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to help workers impacted by layoffs caused by the decline of the coal industry in Ohio. DOL announced $916,250 will be released initially, with $1,083,750 getting released later. The funding is part of the Obama administration's Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative. Thirty Point-of-Sale Success Stories Their Stories Relate To All Of Us Point-of-sale systems are critical to retail success. Businesses from fashion retail to tourist businesses have found value in POS installations. Toy Store Moves into E-commerce Space With Web Development Help From Celerant Technology The Toy Space, Inc. had been successful with its brick-and-mortar presence, but it wanted to generate revenue through its website. Celerant Technology was asked to convert its static website into an interactive point-of-sale that has expanded reach and increased revenues. Now, customers worldwide are able to quickly navigate product offerings to find the right toy. Mobile Computing Helps Pasta Making Operation Reduce Errors and Increase Productivity Steve Simonovich transformed his small Italian deli into the Santa Cruz Pasta Factory, distributing fresh pasta products to its customers throughout the San Francisco Bay area . But the transition was filled with errors costing hundreds of dollars each month due to manual processes. Using the Intermec CN50 handheld barcode readers, deliveries are more efficient, reducing onsite time from 40 minutes to 20 minutes. IPad POS Means Surfs Up for Saturdays NYC Enthusiasts of the surfing lifestyle can shop at Saturdays NYC for everything from wetsuits to high-end coffee. Co-owner Morgan Collett was looking for a Mac-based mobile POS solution to provide sales associates. The LightSpeed for iPad application was the perfect solution, with the power of a PC-based system and the aesthetic appeal Apple is known for. POS and E-commerce Combine to Sell Footwear The Shoe Gallery recently broke into E-commerce after opening stores in Georgia, Oklahoma and Mississippi. The design and functionality of its website were developed using Celerants web technology. Now, the company is able to integrate POS and website sales, and couldnt be more pleased with the results. A well known restaurant in Chicago, famous for its deep-dish pizza found the answer to organized growth with this POS hospitality solution. Radioactive Pharmaceutical Barcoded to Ensure Tracking Accuracy The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organizations division, which develops radioactive pharmaceutical products, must meet stringent inventory control compliance standards for radioactive stock. Paper-based records and hand-entered data input were leaving too much to chance when it came to maintaining compliance. And it faced a variety of database and production management challenges. The Organization found a barcode-based collaboration between SAP and BarTender that eliminated most of these issues and provided enhanced compatibility with local and international regulatory agencies. Delta Airlines Global Services Sees Value in Mobile Handheld Scanners Providing wheelchair assistance at the Delta Airlines hub in Memphis means assisting anywhere from 100 to 250 passengers while trying to turn over 100 planes in 70 minutes. Delta Airlines Global Services decided to test Intermecs CS40 handheld mobile computers that can scan boarding passes at the gate and manage movement of passengers and agents. The test was such a success that DGS plans to widen its implementation to other airports. Customized POS Displays Can Dramatically Increase Revenue Schafer Solutions has made a living from designing and manufacturing unique point of sale displays for retailers, state lottery agencies and others. Its business model, design capabilities and manufacturing process contribute to attractive POS solutions that help stimulate sales. Epsons POS Label Printer Proves to be a Valuable Asset for Energy Healing Company The challenge for GEMFormulas Natural Remedies was to find a POS label printer that could adapt with its growing line of energy healing products. Owner Isabelle Morton not only needed a versatile, on-demand color inkjet printer that could print POS labels quickly at her office, but she needed the solution to be affordable for a small yet growing business. Sports Retailer Improves Website Conversions Using a Popular POS Vendor Fontana Sports, with two locations in Wisconsin, was having success with its e-commerce site, but it was looking for a fresh redesign that would improve existing functionality and increase the sites conversion rate. The company turned to Celerants web team to provide the upgrade. Now, advanced navigational tools facilitate browsing ease and overall site usability. Karate Studio Puts a Kick Into Long Checkout Lines The American Karate Studio converted from a non-profit supported by local child welfare programs to a commercial enterprise charging consumers directly. But operating without an efficient POS solution left customers waiting in line weekly to pay for its after-school martial arts program. So the studio installed a Quickbooks-based platform, the Intuit PaymentNetwork, a POS payment processing solution that generates invoices and accepts weekly payments without having to swipe credit cards and delay parents picking up their children. Now, bookkeeping, invoicing and payment processing can all be done without making parents wait in line. Ciggys4Less gets a Scalable Point-of-sale System Until recently, franchisees of Ciggys4Less stores were relying on an older POS system that would not support additional growth successfully. According to district manager Justin Hepburn, We needed a POS system that could handle many stores and would also allow customization at each location. Executives looked to solve eight important point-of-sale challenges with one solution. The POS Prophet Systems solution offered management customization for each store, real-time sharing of data, and an integrated e-commerce and store system. Tobacco Products Retailer Strengthens its Inventory Control Managing a three store, single warehouse operation could mean problems for Mr. Bills Pipe and Tobacco in Las Vegas. Inventory control and sales transaction management were two areas that needed improvement. Retail POS consultant Software Advice pointed management to a well known company, which installed the new solution, and moved all the retailers data to a centralized, secure location. Chicago-area Gas Delivery Company Reports Significant Savings From Online POS System Fuel delivery to over 300 gas stations was becoming a headache for one gas distribution company. According to McMahon Cartage VP John McMahon, A gas station owner called the distributor; then the distributor called us and we entered the load into the system; finally, we called the driver to give him the information. Each delivery had to go through four people before it made it to the driver. Problems with delivery mistakes led to paycheck reductions of up to $30,000 for billing inaccuracy. Thanks to an online order system and handheld Zebra portable printers, delivery accuracy has improved. The company has significantly reduced errors and saved 50% of time on the ordering process. Celerants Command Retail Software Enables Rodeo Gear Retailer to Flourish at Annual Event The Wranglers National Finals Rodeo at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino was the perfect event to sell rodeo-related apparel, accessories, home furnishings and more for Texas-based National Ropers Supply/Davids Western Store. The trick was to find a point-of-sale system that could merge checkout lanes, vendor booths and customer service registers with its e-commerce site, store, warehouse and call center. The Celerant solution worked great at the event, leading to widespread adoption for the rodeo retailer. Grocer Improves Service and Operations With Integrated POS Solution A popular family-owned grocery chain in Alabama had built its reputation on a simple philosophy: provide outstanding customer service and good things will follow. In order to fulfill that philosophy, it needed to find a POS system that would connect checkout stations with its supply chain database. After a year-long evaluation phase, Bruces Foodland Stores settled on a POS and back-end solution, the LOC Store Management Suite. The system includes point-of-sale functionality, advanced maintenance, purchasing, DSD, integrated credit, mobile controllers, and gift card management. Bruces was also able to consolidate communication and reporting with all stores via SMS Host provided by DCR. Swiss Farms Convenience Stores Expands With Microsofts Dynamic AX for Retail In order to implement an end-to-end integrated database and point of sale solution, Swiss Farms chose to install Microsofts retail POS release after weeks of evaluation. 4 Must-read POS Retail Stories Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Claras Tidbits, The Toy Space, Hersheys and Crayola have enjoyed multiple benefits from the implementation of cutting-edge POS systems. See how these brands have deployed POS technology to improve operations and satisfy customers. Proof of Delivery Much Easier For Respiratory Supply Company Following the decision to implement a mobile barcode POD solution to track its medical supply inventory, Family Respiratory and Medical Supply Corporation saw significant improvement in receiving time and inventory control. On top of that, it reduced delivery paperwork by 90%. From Paper to Cloud: Optical Retailer Transitions its CRM and POS Systems Wise Eyes Optical in central Pennsylvania spent six months working with For Your Information Technologies to migrate its archaic, paper-based inventory control system to an automated bar code platform that streamlined customer interactions and sales. Citrus Grower Tracks Each Fruit With Barcode System The Produce Traceability Initiative has posed challenges for produce suppliers and food processors globally. In California, LoBue Citrus, a 78 year-old orange grower, needed to track its annual four-to-five million oranges from field to fork. Barcode technology proved to be the answer for the citrus farm. Software from FoodLogic now enables the company to print labels and scan food items with mobile Intermec SR30 barcode scanners. How Retailers Can Succeed During the Holiday Season Point of Sale News has gathered a few holiday success ideas for point-of-sale retailers. These stories address in-store beacons, integrating POS and virtual shopping, and the best ways for consumers to save money in 2015. Retail Management System a Perfect Fit for Candy Retailer I TSUGAR, with 20 candy stores and 15 outlets, has over 9,700 SKUs to manage and issues up to 4,000 purchase orders each year. If any retailer is ready for a retail management system to translate POS transactions to corporate business information, its ITSUGAR. The confection retailer looked to POSitive Technology to replace its existing system with Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Touchscreen registers, Epson thermal printers and Magellan scales are now a perfect solution for the company. Vend Integrates a POS Solution With Shopify That Solves a Clothing Retailers Online and Store Integration RAYGUN has been manufacturing uniquely stamped apparel since 2005. The problem was: the company was having difficulty integrating its two brick-and-mortar locations with its e-commerce site. The first solution was to use third-party programs, but the systems did not communicate well. So RAYGUN engaged Vend, a POS systems integrator, who upgraded the companys system. Brewer Finds a Robust, On-premise POS Application to Integrate With NetSuite Platform Northern Brewer found that its web-based point-of-sale system was inadequate for expansion and vulnerable to downtime. Retail Anywhere offered a solution that combined POS capability with a cloud backup functionality that eliminated downtime and worked well with NetSuite. Consignment Store Point-of-sale Needs Not an Easy Fix With more than 25,000 unique items in each store that turn over an average of every 30-45 days, Buffalo Exchange co-owner Rebecca Block knew she had to automate before growing further to avoid an accounting nightmare. For Block, the issue was further complicated by a lack of SKU uniformity and a significant base of cash buyers. The answer would come from a customized version of Celerant Technologys Command Central platform. Firearm Sales Tracking Made Easier Barneys Police Supply must comply with a specific regulation that few other retailers must adhere to. The firearms and tactical supplies store must register all gun purchases with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and complete background checks on its customers. With its old POS system, Barneys was faced with multiple manual entries each time a firearm was sold. Thankfully, there was a turnkey point-of-sale platform that fit the bill. The system allows shop associates to enter customer information only once, rather than two separate entries for transactions and background checks. Black Hills Aerial Adventures Tourist Company Black Hills Aerial Adventures transports its customers on a helicopter tour of U.S. national monuments. The owners were looking for a point-of-sale solution that could connect its three hubs with the administrative office and combine POS transactions with an online reservation and booking program. This company found the answer. NYC Fashion Retailer Controls Shrinkage With POS Software City Jeans, a New York City footwear and apparel retailer, wanted a streamlined solution that would lower shrinkage (lost product) and produce efficiencies in reporting, profitability, and cutting of human resource hours. The company was running over 20 hardware terminals across nearly a dozen locations. A new installation of the Pioneer POS S-Line improved inventory management, and was up and running in a matter of days. CodeBroker Study Shows Significant Mobile Coupon Redemption White-label mobile POS provider CodeBroker wanted to show its customers how effectively mobile coupons were for its customers. The study revealed several compelling results including a sizeable increase in redemptions when SMS (text) and email are combined. Check out the mobile coupon redemption rates its retail clients experienced. Visual Retail Plus (VRP) just keeps on coming out with large state of the art POS installations, incorporating Pioneer POS touchscreen computers and the full suite of VRP retail POS software for another rapidly expanding retail chain. Hili Shrem,Director of Business Development at Hackensack, NJ based VRP recently was pleased to reveal another successful installation for Americas Kids, a thriving retail store that sells youth and children clothing, furniture, and accessories. Follow us on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/ThePOSNews Visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ThePOSNews Need a POS Specialist to make this all come together? Click here to find someone who is local to you Subscribe to The Point of Sale News your privacy is respected we do not spam! Image: By Tom Murphy VII (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons President Barack Obama went off the beaten track Thursday -- way off -- to a newly expanded marine reserve on an atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, part of an effort to polish his environmental legacy. Obama flew three hours west of his native Honolulu to Midway Atoll, on the far northwestern tip of the Hawaiian island chain. The atoll is situated at the heart of Papahanaumokuakea, a vast Pacific marine reserve given protected status by then-president George W. Bush in 2006. Obama recently quadrupled its size to make it the world's largest marine reserve, home to 7,000 marine species, including many endangered birds as well as the Hawaiian monk seal and black coral, which can live for 4,500 years. "This is going to be a precious resource for generations to come," Obama told reporters on Midway's Turtle Beach. All the atoll's 40 inhabitants -- mostly US Fish and Wildlife Service staff -- greeted him. Until recently, the area was perhaps best known to military history buffs. Seventy-four years ago, the Battle of Midway was a decisive naval fight in World War II that turned the tide of the war against Japan. Obama praised the "courage and perseverance" of the vastly outnumbered American soldiers who repelled Japanese forces. "This is hallowed ground," he said. Now, he added, protecting the vast ecosystem "allows us to study and research and understand our oceans better than we ever have before." - 'Existential threat' - The president was later set to go snorkeling with friends away from journalists, the White House said. Since taking office in 2009, he has designated more protected areas than any of his predecessors using the Antiquities Act, signed in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt, who established the first national monuments. For the outgoing president, the visit is part of an eight-year effort to put the environment and tackling climate change higher on the political agenda. Scientists would be able to undertake "critically important" study of climate change in the marine reserve, he said. Although Bush created Papahanaumokuakea, he also earned international scorn by rejecting the global climate deal reached at Kyoto. Obama, in contrast, has led the charge to secure the recently struck Paris climate agreement. "Rising temperatures and sea levels pose an existential threat to your countries," he said in Honolulu earlier to representatives of Pacific island nations at the World Conservation Congress, a major conference of thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists and policy makers. "And while some members of the US Congress still seem to be debating whether climate change is real or not, many of you are already planning for new places for your people to live," he added. Asked on Midway whether he would focus on tackling climate change as part of his work after he leaves office in January, Obama said he may try to influence Republican politicians who deny the phenomenon. "This is something that all of us are going to have to tackle and maybe I get a little more of a hearing if I'm not occupying a political office," he said. After his Hawaii visit, Obama is set to attend a G20 meeting in China, where he is expected to announce the joint formal joining of the Paris climate accord with President Xi Jinping. Deploying Pre-5G Internet of Things-enabler is its first move. With the aim to disrupt the triopoly in Singapore telco field, MyRepublic formally announced its intent to be the fourth mobile operator in Singapore. In a statement released on Tuesday, the group said they submitted its Expression of Interest (EoI) to the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore with the goal to roll out a network that is Pre-5G, which according to the group, is built to deliver better speeds, lower latency and seamless connectivity. According to MyRepublic Singapore COO Yap Yong Teck, it will be one of the first networks in the world designed to enable and support emerging Internet of Things (IoT). We see fixed and mobile technologies converging, connectivity always being available, and the growing IoT informing our Smart Nation. MyRepublic wants to play a greater part in shaping what is to come, Yap said. In its EoI, it detailed the key part of planned Pre-5G rollout, which is the Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) technologies. These are small cells and seamless wireless handover technologies. The group garnered support from its strategic partner-investors including Sunshine Network, Brunei's DST and Xavier Niel, founder of France's Free telco. "The opportunities in Singapore from mobile and data services are extremely exciting, and we're very proud to have such a group of industry experts and leaders share our vision," said MyRepublic CEO Malcom Rodrigues. He added, "Looking at our existing IT capabilities and the synergies with our fixed business, we estimate we already have 80% of a mobile telco in place." Starting as a small start-up, the group claimed it already has 135,000 customers across Singapore, New Zealand, and Indonesia, with 10,000 new customers added each month. It is set to launch in Australia by the 2016 wind up. The outcome of the new entrant spectrum auction is expected to be announced in IDA in October. More From Singapore Business Review TV presenter Steve Harvey's role as presenter of the Miss Universe' pageant could be under threat, due to the disapproval of the President of the Philippines. Rodrigo Duterte is not keen to let the presenter back on the Miss Universe stage when the 2016 pageant hits Manila in January, CNN Philippines reports. Harvey hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons last year when he announced Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach as the first runner-up in the competition. In fact, the Filipina beauty was the winner, but Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez had already been crowned before the mix-up came to light, causing confusion on stage. However, the country's tourism secretary Wanda Teo pointed out that Harvey has a five-year contract with the pageant organization. Have you ever wondered how a movie about your life would be like? For Pablo Escobar, his life story is the gripping focus in The Infiltrator, which premiered in cinemas around the world last week. In The Infiltrator, federal agent Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) goes undercover to penetrate the vicious trafficking network run by Escobar himself. Escobars life of crime has also been chronicled in Netflix series, Narcos, which tells the story of how this unassuming man rose from the ashes to become a powerful force in the Colombian drug cartel during the 70s and 80s. Heralded as one of the worlds most notorious kingpins, this Colombian drug lord was responsible for an estimated 80 per cent of the cocaine supply into the United States at the peak of his reign. While Escobars case fascinated a generation and rocked the world (and the criminal underworld), Asia is also home to a slew of infamous kingpins as well. Today, we take a look at five of Asias greatest and most cunning underworld kingpins of days past - some of whom could even put Escobar to shame. 1. Wong Keng Liang Photo: Getty Images In 1998, a thin, bespectacled Malaysian man was ambushed and arrested upon arrival at the Mexico City International Airport. This man was none other than Anson Wong Keng Liang, otherwise known as the Lizard King, and even more widely recognised as the Pablo Escobar of wildlife trafficking. Wong was lured to Mexico as part of an elaborate investigation, aptly labelled Operation Chameleon - which sought to capture one of the worlds most active and leading smugglers of wild animals. But Wong wasnt just a mere reptile smuggler. Wong operated his illegal trafficking ring under the facade of private zoos and businesses, and traded some of the worlds most elusive and rare creatures. These included endangered Komodo dragons, Spixs macaws, and even animals thought to be extinct, such as the Grays monitor. Wong was sentenced to 71 months in prison by the US government in 2001. Story continues After his release, he returned to Malaysia, but was arrested again in 2010 while on transit to Jakarta when a lock on his suitcase broke, revealing a writhing mess of boa constrictors, vipers, and a South American turtle inside. Wong was again sentenced to five years in jail, but was released a mere 17 months later in 2012. 2. Dawood Ibrahim Photo: BBC Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar was born on 26 Dec 1955. His father, then a head constable at the Crime Investigation Department (CID), would have never expected that his son, only mere decades later, would transform into one of the deadliest kingpins in Indian history. This kingpin was better known as Bhai, which literally means brother in Hindi, and also translated to Don in the lingo of the Mumbai underworld. Ibrahim is notoriously reputed as the leader of a ruthless organised crime syndicate, D-Company, and with a net worth of over US$6 billion, is believed to control much of the hawala system in India - which is the unofficial system for money brokerage, money transfers, and remittance. Apart from a very profitable drug business, this kingpin is also involved with arms trafficking, and even terrorism - Ibrahim is suspected to be one of the masterminds behind the tragic 1993 and 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. The United States Department of Treasury also believes that Ibrahim had ties with Osama bin Laden, and declared Ibrahim as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2003. He is also on Interpols most wanted list. While there are claims that he is hiding out in Pakistan, the exact whereabouts of this kingpin are still unknown. 3. Khun Sa Photo: Wikipedia Heroin and opium use was globally rampant in the latter part of the 20th century. From the 1970s to the 1990s, 75 percent of worlds opium trade originated from Southeast Asias very own Golden Triangle, which was an overlapping area across Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. Within New York alone, 80 percent of the heroin on the streets came from the Golden Triangle during those few decades. This was the work of the King of the Golden Triangle, a General Khun Sa, who controlled more than half of the drug trade in the region. He was a brutal kingpin, who even had control of private armies - the Shan United Army and the Mong Tai Army - and who singlehandedly built a global drug empire. Despite the negative public perception of him as a criminal, Khun Sa saw things in a different light - that, despite the means, the drug trade was actually enabling the poor in Burma to feed their families. In 1977, he made an open challenge to the American government (who was on his tail) to buy his opium crop so that he could have the money for his people. Unlike the other kingpins on the list, Khun Sa made a peaceful surrender in 1996, and thereafter went into deep hiding until his death in 2007. Not much is known about the later years of his life after he disappeared from the underworld, and from the public eye. 4. Freddy Budiman Photo: Merdeka.com The next kingpin on the list belongs to todays modern era. In May 2013, officials from Indonesias National Drug Agency raided a truck in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. Inside the truck, they uncovered a literal truckload of ecstasy - a whopping 1.4 million pills, to be exact. These all belonged to drug kingpin, Freddy Budiman, and heinous leader of an international drug syndicate. He had ordered the pills from China, and somehow had the drugs smuggled through security checks successfully. Even after he was arrested, thrown into prison, and given a death sentence, he still continued to surprise and defy authorities at every turn. His drug trade business never stopped flourishing even while he was doing time - because he was conducting it from within prison! Budiman consumed and sold drugs within the facility, possessed a dozen contraband cell phones, and even had the liberty of having frequent intimate encounters with his girlfriend - all while in prison. Right before his execution, he sent out a public confession which detailed how corrupt officials were deeply involved in his illegal activities for many years; this confession shone a heavy spotlight on Indonesias corruption standards and arguably flawed legal system. For his crimes, Budiman was executed via firing squad on July 29, 2016. 5. Wong Chi-ping Photo: AFP Photo/Bay Ismoyo In January 2015, officials from Indonesias National Narcotics Agency carried out one of the biggest drug busts the country has ever seen - and finally nabbed Wong Chi-ping, a Hong Kong drug kingpin who had been hunted by authorities for years. Wong was the boss of a global drug ring, wanted in seven jurisdictions across the region for his involvement in drug trafficking. And just what was so impressive about Wong? His syndicate moved illegal drugs in tonnes. The 2015 bust had officials uncovering an incredible 860kg of high-grade methamphetamine (more commonly known as meth and nicknamed shabu shabu in Indonesia), stuffed into sacks of coffee. In a humiliating turn of events, police forced Wong and his lackeys to burn the drugs (worth 1 trillion rupiah, or more than S$100 million) in an incinerator. Wong was tried for illegal smuggling of synthetic drugs, and placed on death row. About the author: Cherylene Renee ponders about the deeper meanings and themes behind movies and television shows, and also spends an unhealthy amount of time on Netflix. In her free time, she also blogs on her travel and lifestyle site, Wandersugar.com. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram. WASHINGTON -- Mark Burns has done well for himself as a Donald Trump surrogate. The African American pastor, in his Twitter bio, says he "can be seen on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC & Fox Business Network" and provides a link to a Time profile titled "Meet Donald Trump's Top Pastor." He got a speaking slot at the Republican convention, and the Trump campaign has sent out his quotes validating the candidate. On Monday, this Trump mouthpiece took it upon himself to tweet a cartoon of Hillary Clinton in blackface, holding a sign proclaiming "#@!** THE POLICE" and saying, "I ain't no ways tired of pandering to African-Americans." In the ensuing (and predictable) backlash, Trump senior adviser Boris Epshteyn tried to disown the surrogate, telling MSNBC's Kristen Welker that Burns "speaks for himself." Burns, unchastened, called in to the same show to defend himself, saying "we're not playing the political PC game to make you feel good." Only hours later did he delete the offending image and tweet: "I want to Apologize for my Twit." But there's no way to apologize for all of the twits speaking for Trump. Trump's surrogates are a decidedly B-list group of Trump supporters who argue his case on the airwaves. Though all presidential campaigns have surrogate networks, Trump has a complication: Credentialed conservatives and elected Republicans generally won't defend him. And so the cable news outlets scrape the bottom of the barrel to find people willing to make Trump's case. Little wonder veteran GOP operative Kevin Kellems quit as head of Trump's surrogate operation earlier this summer after less than two weeks on the job. As Burns was provoking the blackface brouhaha, CNN was dealing with an ethical morass over Trump surrogate Corey Lewandowski, whom CNN put on contract as a commentator after he was ousted as Trump's campaign manager. But it turned out Lewandowski continued to be paid $20,000 a month by the campaign; "severance," the campaign said. Late Monday, ABC News reported that Lewandowski -- still with CNN -- was back to advising Trump, talking to the candidate almost every day and "running the show" at Trump rallies. Yet Lewandowski is hardly the most exotic animal in Trump's surrogate circus. Al Baldasaro, a surrogate for Trump on veterans' issues, said in a radio interview that Clinton should be "put in the firing line and shot for treason." He also suggested Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who spoke at the Democratic convention, is a "Muslim Brotherhood agent." Rudy Giuliani, once revered as "America's mayor," has become a punchline as Trump surrogate for playing doctor on Fox News: "Go online and put down 'Hillary Clinton illness.' Take a look at the videos for yourself." Surrogate Omarosa Manigault, once a contestant on "The Apprentice," defended violence against demonstrators at Trump events: "You get what's coming to you." Andrew Dean Litinsky, also a former "Apprentice" contestant, defended a 78-year-old Trump supporter who sucker-punched a black protester at a Trump event: "It looks like good exercise." On CNN, surrogate Jeffrey Lord has distinguished himself by saying the Ku Klux Klan is "a function of the left." After Trump said the U.S.-born judge in a case against him was a "Mexican" whose heritage disqualified him, Lord said those criticizing Trump were the real racists. And young Trump surrogate Kayleigh McEnany cheerfully defended waterboarding as a "bit of discomfort." Paid mouthpieces for the Trump campaign don't fare a whole lot better. Trump lawyer Michael Cohen last year defended Trump against an old allegation by his first wife by falsely saying "you cannot rape your spouse." Cohen recently became an Internet star when, asked on CNN about Trump's poor poll numbers, he responded repeatedly and nonsensically: "Says who?" Then there's national spokeswoman (and reality TV star) Katrina Pierson, whose pre-Trump days include 2012 tweets asking if 9/11 was "an inside job" and lamenting that both President Obama's and Mitt Romney's fathers were born abroad. "Any pure breeds left?" she asked. This month on CNN, she blamed the death of Army Capt. Humayun Khan (Khizr's son) on Obama and Clinton: "It was under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton that changed the rules of engagement that probably cost his life." Khan died in 2004, during George W. Bush's first term. But no matter: In Trump's surrogate circus, anything goes. The latest survival horror flick Dont Breathe opened in cinemas last week, and tells the story of three Detroit thieves who decide to break into the home of an old, blind army veteran. In a violent twist of events, the thieves are trapped in the house, and in their attempts to find an escape route, are forced to engage in a frightening game of cat-and-mouse with the very man they tried to rob. We wont give away too much spoilers, but this seemingly fragile old man is hardly as defenceless as he appears to be and is in fact a very, very dangerous serial killer. This breathtaking thriller is a breath of fresh air (forgive the puns) and a terrifying new spin on the serial killer horror genre. In reality however, the possibility of encountering a serial killer, while statistically low, is very real. Americas Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) provides a shocking estimate that there are between 25 to 50 active serial killers operating within the country at any given time. A serial killer is defined as a person who carries out a series of lawful homicides - at least three or more - over a period of time. In many cases, the murders are inextricably linked by certain patterns in his or her choice of victims, and in the murder methods as well. To be clear, serial killers are by definition distinguished from mass murderers, who take the lives of several people in one single incident (for example, during a bomb attack or shoot out.) A little closer to home, Asia is also no stranger to serial killers; we have seen our fair share of spine-chilling murderers across the region. Here are some of the creepiest and most vicious serial killers weve seen thus far in Asia. 1. Tsutomu Miyazaki Photo: Murderpedia The year is 1962. In Itsukaichi, a small town in Tokyo, a mother goes through premature labour, and gives birth to a child with deformed, gnarled hands as a result. This child was Tsutomu Miyazaki. As a result of his deformity, Miyazaki was made fun of and ostracised for most of his childhood, and became very much a loner for most of his life. He developed depression and a severe inferiority complex. Story continues Decades later, Miyazaki would become embroiled in a series of schoolgirl murders that would grip the nation - between August 1988 and June 1989, Miyazaki kidnapped and mutilated four young schoolgirls, who were aged from four to seven years old. It was also discovered that Miyazaki had engaged in necrophilia - sexually violating each of the dead girls, but only after they were killed. He even dismembered a hand from one of his poor victims, eating parts of flesh and drinking blood from it. This serial killers gruesome crimes caused a nationwide panic and earned him the nicknames Otaku Murderer and Dracula. Miyazaki was finally apprehended in 1989, and eventually executed years later in 2008. 2. Ahmad Suradji Photo: OnlineIndo.TV In 1988, Ahmad Suradji, a cattle breeder in North Sumatra, Indonesia, claimed to have had a vivid dream in which he saw his deceased father. His fathers ghost told him that he was destined to kill 70 women and drink their saliva. In doing so, he would gain supernatural abilities and become a powerful mystic healer. Thus began a long sequence of ghastly murders, as Suradji heeded the advice from his dream. Over the course of 11 years, Suradji killed 42 girls and women, who ranged in age from 11 to 30. They were all killed in ritualistic fashion, strangled with a cable, and then buried up to their waists in a sugarcane plantation near his home. What made the murders even more eerie was that each corpse was consciously buried with the head neatly facing Suradjis house - he believed this would intensify the power he would gain from the kill. On the contrary, these burials were what led to Suradjis downfall, when they were discovered in 1997. Suradji was promptly arrested and tried for murder. Despite Suradji maintaining his innocence, the court found him guilty and had him executed via firing squad in 2008. 3. Charles Sobhraj Photo: Hindustan Times During the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, overland travel along the Hippie Trail was incredibly popular. The Hippie Trail was seen an alternative, cheaper route for adventure travel, and provided western tourists with passage from Europe to Southeast Asia. It was on this trail that Frenchman Charles Sobhraj carried out a series of murders in cold blood, specifically within the trail in the areas across Thailand, Nepal, Turkey, Iran, and India. Sobhraj, who was of Vietnamese and Indian origin, preyed on western travellers along the trail; he first befriended them, and then used a variety of poisonous concoctions to weaken his unsuspecting victims before killing them. Some were stabbed, some were strangled, and some were even burned to death. He allegedly committed at least a dozen murders during the 1970s. Sobhraj was renowned for his powers of deception and evasion, gaining a notorious reputation after several successful escapes from high-security prisons, and earning himself the title of The Serpent. Despite multiple arrests over the past few decades, he managed to evade incarceration at every turn, until 2010 when a court in Nepal upheld the life sentence he received for murdering a US citizen. Sobhrajs iconic and deceptive murders are a cautionary tale for free-spirited travellers everywhere. 4. Yoo Young-chul Photo: Wikispaces This is a serial killer Hannibal Lecter would have been proud of, and one that terrified a nation. In less than a year across the span of September 2003 and July 2004, Yoo Young-chul, a South Korean native, carried out a series of horrifying murders across the countrys capital, Seoul. He began his killing spree by breaking into homes and bludgeoning wealthy senior citizens with a home-made hammer. The initial police investigation was off to a rough start; Yoo was a meticulous killer who left no trace that he was ever there. Later in March 2004, Yoo switched targets and began preying on escort girls and female masseuses. By the time he was arrested in July that year, he had already murdered 21 people. His unfortunate victims were not selected by pure chance, however; he had long harboured a deep resentment for the rich, and also for slutty women (after being rejected by an escort girl). In a rare television interview, Yoo explained his motives, saying that women shouldnt be sluts, and the rich should know what theyve done. But wait - it gets even more grisly. Yoo confessed to acts of cannibalism, and recounted chowing down on the livers, brains, and other various organs of his victims. Yoo is currently in jail, having been given the death sentence for 20 murders. 5. Le Thanh Van Photo: Murderpedia In 2004, Le Thanh Van was sentenced to death by an appellate court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Her crime? The ruthless, single-handed murder of 13 people with use of cyanide poisoning. Van had previously spent a year in an army medical team, where she learnt how to mask the poison in a way that would leave no trace in the victims body. This skill came in handy when police were searching for evidence to charge her with murder. Despite uncovering a vat of unnamed poison in her possession, forensics were unable to find any trace of the chemical in any of her victims bodies. Her victims even shockingly included family members, namely ex-husbands, her mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and foster mother. Vans merciless killings of those nearest and dearest earned her the nickname of the Black Widow Poisoner. Her modus operandi was identical for each case - Van would first administer the fatal poison to her unwitting victims, and then, acting as a (falsely) concerned loved one, would take them to the hospital. After the victim died, she would fraudulently forge wills and other legal documents, taking complete possession of their property. About the author Cherylene Renee ponders about the deeper meanings and themes behind movies and television shows, and also spends an unhealthy amount of time on Netflix. In her free time, she also blogs on her travel and lifestyle site, Wandersugar.com. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Its the Halloween season once again, and when the leaves change and the weather gets chilly, you know its time to turn up the frightsin real life and in the digital space. As they say, everyone is entitled to one good scare around All Hallows Eve, especially after the data breaches and security fails that some of the worlds top companies have gone through in 2022. This year, maybe more than ever, weve seen that hacking groups have no scruples and are willing to disrupt any organizationno matter if they are a nonprofit or provide life-saving healthcare services. Lets take a look at some of the scariest hacking groups that security teams need to know this year. Read the Article Related: Uptime at Any Cost: Why Cyberactors Increasingly Targeted Manufacturing in 2021 Recommended: Employees: The First Line of Defense Against Cyberattacks Millennials have already been blamed for the downfall of several once-popular product categories CDs, newspapers, maybe even cable TV. But while everyone was focused on the younger generations obsession with high tech replacements for those items, sales for a household staple have been declining steadily. Bar soap yes, bar soap is the latest product category to see a decline thanks in part to young consumers. Market intelligence agency Mintel found that nearly half of U.S. consumers think that bar soaps are covered in germs and that they can potentially transfer harmful bacteria. And young consumers were far more likely to hold those beliefs than older consumers who are more used to bar soap. But its probably not just those beliefs about germs that are causing more consumers to think twice about purchasing bar soap. There are also more options available to consumers today, like in-shower moisturizers. Specialty bath and shower products offer consumers potentially more benefits than bar soap. And even those who would buy bar soap in addition to those products can now choose lower end bars instead of fancy products that serve the same purposes as those new liquid shower products. Soap companies may not be able to change everyones opinions about bar soaps and bacteria. But if they want to compete with all the other products out there, they need to present products that offer additional benefits or position their products in ways that will appeal to those consumers who are switching over to liquid soap products. Take This Question Away From This Product Life Cycle Example What products or services does your small business offer that may be loosing popularity with younger customers and what are you doing to adapt? Regardless of the challenges they face, small businesses are optimistic about their growth, a new study has found. CAN Capitals 2016 Small Business Health Index (SBHI) reveals 64 percent of small business owners are expecting growth in the next 12 months. However, the study also found small businesses also faced other significant challenges such as the number that currently accept mobile payments. Report on Small Business Optimism 2016 Small Business Owners Upbeat About Future Its encouraging to see small business owners feeling so good about their prospects for growth, said Daniel DeMeo, Chief Executive Officer for CAN Capital. Interestingly, other recent studies have also found small businesses hopeful about their future prospects. The 2016 State of Small Business Report, for instance, found 71 percent of small businesses anticipating revenue growth this year. Half of them, in fact, are planning to hire. Similarly, a nationwide survey conducted by insurance company Allstate, in collaboration with USA Today, found 79 percent of small businesses feeling optimistic about the environment in which they operate. Most Businesses Still Dont Accept Mobile Payments However, as the survey reveals, there are also significant challenges. For example, only 34 percent of small businesses are accepting mobile payments today. Thats a worry because mobile payment is rapidly gaining popularity as the consumers preferred method of payment. It goes without saying small businesses need to take mobile payments seriously. Luckily, adopting mobile payment programs doesnt have to be a challenge for businesses. Gene Signorini, the vice president of mobile insights at Mobiquity told American Express OPEN Forum, Mobile has really taken away the requirement that you have to build big systems and be a large company to be successful with technology. In many ways, it is easier for small businesses to adopt mobile payment programs because they dont have a large infrastructure to work through so small businesses can jump right in. Also, mobile payments can provide a host of benefits to small businesses including allowing businesses to better capture purchasing information and thus improve customer service. About the CAN Capital 2016 Small Business Health Index (SBHI) The CAN Capital Small Business Health Index measures small business owners sentiment about economic, business and consumer trends as well as other factors such as access to capital, growth and competition. CAN Capital conducted the online study of small business owners between July 12 to 18, 2016. Percentages are based on 1,000 responses. For better or for worse, WhatsApp has utterly redefined the way its community communicate using their smartphones. Since its inception in 2010, the intuitively-designed messaging app has exploded in popularity bursting its way into popular culture and cultivating a formidable user base of over a billion people worldwide. But with great power comes great responsibility. And after announcing a seemingly innocent change in its privacy policy last week, its looking like WhatsApp may not be acting responsibly with your data. Outlining a series of policy changes in a blog post Thursday, the company said that it wants to further develop the type of interactions taking place across the WhatsApp community. How? By making it easier for companies to reach you with advertisements. In the first major overhaul since it was acquired by Facebook for the princely sum of $19 billion in 2014, WhatsApp has confirmed it will now give Facebook full access to the phone numbers that people use with their WhatsApp accounts. In turn, that means Facebook will be able to track app users and gather crucial data with which to target them with more heavily targeted advertising. Privacy campaigners are already on the warpath. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Monday. And British authorities have launched an investigation of their own after the Information Commissioners Office raised concerns WhatsApp and Facebooks new arrangement might be breaking European data protection laws. Yet at the end of the day, these potential legal proceedings should be the least of WhatsApps worries. A Lesson on the Importance of Trust in Business When Facebook purchased the wildly popular messaging service in 2014, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum immediately came out and declared the acquisition would in no way impact the apps historically water-tight privacy policies. Citing childhood experiences growing up under the iron fist of the Soviet Union and the K.G.B in the 1980s, Koum assured users that WhatsApps fundamental values and beliefs would not change as part of the deal. Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA, and we built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible, Koum wrote. If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldnt have done it. Speculation to the contrary isnt just baseless and unfounded, its irresponsible. It has the effect of scaring people into thinking were suddenly collecting all kinds of new data. Thats just not true, and its important to us that you know that. The message appeared to comfort users. But two years on, it looks like the company has completely turned its back on that promise if only indirectly via its new parent company. Sure, messages you send and receive on WhatsApp will still enjoy end-to-end encryption. Yet by offering your phone number and all associated data up to a company that has already been slapped on the wrist for invading users privacy, its fair to say that WhatsApp has very publicly shifted its business focus from building user trust to building revenues. While businesses certainly have the right to earn revenue, this might not bode well for WhatsApp in the long term, and there is definitely a lesson to be learned for other companies, here particularly for small businesses that gather and hold important information about their customers. But really, it can apply to any business that makes a promise to customers. First and foremost, WhatsApps blatant pivot on privacy rules is completely off-brand. In a way, its eerily reminiscent of George H. W. Bushs infamous no more taxes promise. Users took on the fledgling app because it provided them with a cheap and dynamic alternative to standard and costly messaging platforms and stringently defended their rights to privacy. They were promised time and time again that WhatsApp would not collect or use their data in any way, shape or form. Moving away from that promise will undeniably shake users confidence in the service and bearing in mind there are plenty of near-identical alternatives to WhatsApp, a sizable user exodus very well may be on the horizon. Meanwhile, the legal proceedings launched against the company in response to these changes suggest that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook fully understood the potential legal implications of the policy change. If global authorities conclude the companies are now in breach of certain data protection laws, the financial ramifications could be staggering. At the end of the day, WhatsApp should prove a cautionary tale for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Mishandling data or invading users privacy wont just lose you customers. It could put you out of business entirely. Just remember: if you betray your communitys trust, you may never get the opportunity to earn it back. The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out - Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg who is on a surprise tour to Kenya took time off to sample country's wild side and he was totally blown away Any person visiting Kenya can never go back home without sampling our country's beautiful nature and especially our wildlife. This always leaves them enchanted! READ ALSO: Trip spoiled!Facebook Mark Zuckerberg loses almost Ksh9.6 billion in explosion Mark Zuckerberg (left) takes a boat ride at Lake Naivasha. Photo:Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was also charmed by Kenya's wild side and shared some pictures of what he saw and fell in love with. The Facebook founder enjoyed seeing baby giraffes and couldn't hide his joy. Photo; Facebook/ Mark Zuckerberg. He spent a better part of his sight-seeing in Lake Naivasha where he even took a boat ride and totally fell in love with the country. And he was totally wowed by Kenya's enchanting nature. Photo: Facebook/Mark. The Facebook CEO is in a surprise visit to the country where he is meeting entrepreneurs and learn about mobile money. The Facebook CEO was enchanted by Kenya's wild. Photo: Facebook/ Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg melted the hearts of Kenyans after he took fish and ugali for lunch. The giraffe met a new (Facebook) friend. Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook CEO took lunch at Mama Oliech's restaurant at Yaya centre in Nairobi, shocking many. He took a boat ride in Lake Naivasha and got to see hippos. Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg. He founded Facebook at 23 years of age and is now the 6th richest man in the world. READ ALSO: Former Cabinet Secretary William Ole Ntimama is dead Cover Image: AFP Source: TUKO.co.ke - There are three Kenyan tribes that are known internationally for what people from these communities do - They are the Luo, Maasai and Kalenjin communities The world, no doubt, knows about Kenya. Kenya has been known for its vibrant tourism sector, its elite athletes and its strong economy against other East African countries. READ ALSO: Nairobi coffin maker explains the tribes that buy expensive coffins (photos) Well, aside from the country being the pride of East Africa, there are three tribes that are internationally known on their own merit. No, its not because the second president of Kenya was from this tribe or that he ruled for 24 years. Former president Daniel Moi celebrates his 92d birthday today, Friday, September 2, 2016. It is because of our elite athletes. Many of those who represented Kenya at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil came from the Kalenjin community. READ ALSO: List: Reasons men from one Kenyan community are refusing marriage Rudisha celebrates his gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics Their constant wins at international meets have not only brought glory to Kenya but given the Kalenjin community a stereotype. If you come from here, you are expected to be an athlete who wins mega bucks just for running. Some of the athletes whove put Kenya on the map are David Lekuta Rudisha, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Catherine Ndereba and Pamela Jelimo just to name a few. Shall we not forget silver medalist Julius Yego who also comes from this community? READ ALSO: Did Raila call Luyhas "wajinga"? He issues a lengthy response to Mudavadi Julius Yego at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He won a silver medal. He lost out on the gold after suffering a foot injury. His start in the sport- learning how to throw the Javelin by watching videos on Youtube- definitely made for a great Kenyan success story. Maasai The Kenyan tourism sector continues to put the Maasai community on the international map because they use many people draped in Maasai apparel to welcome tourists in airports as well as hotels around the country. READ ALSO: Jubilee is a party of two communities President Uhuru Kenyatta with Maasai Moran in Kajiado County. The Maasai people themselves market themselves by getting involved with tourists as is seen in Narok county at the Maasai Mara National Park. A tourist performs with Maasai men. Image: Magical Kenya They make Maasai ornaments and sell them to tourists who then market Kenya in their home countries. READ ALSO: Video: Kenyan girl teaches Kikuyu men how to ask for sex from ladies Luo The minute Americas President Barack Obama announced his plans to vie for president in 2004 on the Democratic ticket, the world stopped and knew who the Luo community are. US President Barack Obama and President Uhuru Kenyatta share a light moment as Obama signs the visitors' book at JKIA. This is because Obama has Kenyan blood. His father is from the Luo community who come from the western parts of Kenya. Obamas father hails from KOgello, Siaya county and travelled to the United States for further education. It was while he was there that he met and married Baracks mother. President Uhuru Kenyatta with US President Barack Obama during his state visit in Kenya Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Raila Odinga: How Uhuru Kenyatta resurrected ethnicity His detractors went into a furor, claiming Obama was a Luo man and not an American citizen. They said he was not qualified to vie for president but his campaign managed to prove them wrong. His trip to Kenya in 2015 also shined a light on Kenya again. His 'Luo origins' were spoken off again across the globe. US President Barack Obama, CORD leader Raila Odinga with their wives at the White House. Image: Facebook/Raila Odinga CORD leader Raila Odinga's claim to be related to Obama (because they both have Luo roots) also gained worldwide attention when an al-Jazeera journalist called him out on his lie on live television. Source: TUKO.co.ke - Kenyans have been known to behave like sycophants to show their support for politicians - Politicians incite them to fight against each other or an institution while they themselves sit back and watch everything unfold - Here are some instances of politicians who are friends but behave like rivals in the eyes of the public In public, Kenyan politicians talk a big game to show they are rivals. They rally the electorate to vote for them while badmouthing their counterparts. But, away from the public eye, these rivals are friends. They dine together, they do business with each other and their families hang out together. READ ALSO: The day President Uhuru publicly defended Raila Odinga's sister At this point, the electorate is left fighting, acting like sycophants- fighting each other for the sake of a politician's career while the politicians themselves are safe and only care about themselves. Here are the instances Kenyan politicians set aside their rivalry for 'friendship' as Kenyans fought their street battles: Raila Odinga with a section of Jubilee politicians at State House for an honourary luncheon for South Korea's President President Uhuru introduces CORD leaders Raila Odinga and Wetangula to South Korea's PresidentPark Geun-hye Raila vs Duale These two have been rivals over who would win the presidency in the 2017 General Election. In August 2016, Duale was quoted saying that Jubilee will win the election, telling Raila that If God has not decided for him to be Kenyas president, then he cannot force himself on Kenyans. READ ALSO: Photos of 7 politicians who have worked and fell out bitterly with Raila Odinga CORD leader Raila Odinga shares a light moment with Deputy President William Ruto Raila vs Ruto Raila has always sought to know the source of DP William Rutos wealth, claiming that Ruto was the godfather of corruption in the government. Raila has also been known to support Governor Isaac Ruto in his fight against DP Ruto, therefore, cementing the enmity between the two of them READ ALSO: Veteran ODM legislator announces bid to challenge Kidero Cord leader Raila Odinga with Justin Muturi and Aden Duale at the National Assembly buildings on Tuesday, March 15. Raila will sit in on the historic vote on the Gender Bill Raila vs Muturi Three months ago, Raila expressed anger at how National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi failed to recognize his presence when he and his daughter Rosemary visited Parliament buildings. At the same time, Muturi recognized visiting Ugandan parliamentarians in the public gallery. The second time these two have gone head to head was when Muturi snubbed orders to allow Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi back to the house. Raila threatened to demonstrate against Parliament and Muturi relented. READ ALSO: IEBC has given Jubilee license to spend Eurobond and NYS money in 2017 -Raila Evans Kidero na Mike Sonko Sonko vs Kidero Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko is planning to unseat Governor Evans Kidero from his seat. On numerous occasions, the two have clashed over matters concerning the Sonko Rescue Team project. The two have, however, come together to mourn each others relatives including Sonkos father. READ ALSO: Respect me William, angry Moi tells DP Ruto CORD co-principal Moses Wetangula with DP William Ruto Ruto vs Wetangula By virtue of being in opposing coalitions, the two are separated by a political divide. Ruto has, however, been known to attempt to extend an olive branch to CORD co-principal Moses Wetangula to join the Jubilee government, and at all times, Wetangula refused. Wetangula has also been known to touch on corruption scandals that DP Ruto was alleged to be a part of. Governor William Kabogo and DP William Ruto hugging each other at a function in Kuresoi. Ruto said Kabogo only advised him to look for votes all over Kenya. Image: DPPS Ruto vs Kabogo Kiambu Governor William Kabogo at one time went on record telling the deputy president not to campaign in Mount Kenya regions because people would not automatically vote for him just because he is a Jubilee leader. Kabogo drew ire on himself from leaders in the same region. READ ALSO: CORD and Jubilee agree on 2017's General Election date Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and Deputy President William Ruto meet at a past event. Image: PSCU Ruto vs Ruto DP Ruto and Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto started out as close friends but their political rivalry sent their friendship to the pit. Governor Ruto has been known to block Rutos projects from being implemented in the Rift Valley region including a KSh 800 million university. DP Ruto is greeted by Baringo Senator Gideon Moi. Ruto vs Moi These two have been battling it out to be the renowned Kalenjin kingpin. DP Ruto and Gideon Moi have been battling it out for over 15 years to inherit the political mantle left behind by former president Daniel Moi, Gideons father. READ ALSO: Cabinet Secretary makes fun of how Wetangula was battered by his wife Jubilee leaders Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto with CORD leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka at State House Nairobi Cord vs Jubilee The two coalitions have been battling it out in the run up to the 207 General Election. CORD is of the opinion that Jubilee rigged himself into power in 2013 and are aiming to remove them from power in 2017. CORD and Jubilee members mingle at a State House luncheon hosted by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The political divide between the two has left government-appointed leaders clashing with legislators from the opposition coalition. READ ALSO: I have no apologies for calling Kidero a thief and a murderer -Sonko At times, Joseph Nkaissery, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, has clashed with CORD legislators on matters security especially during the anti-Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission boundaries demonstrations. Source: TUKO.co.ke LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The differential for Forties fell on Friday despite fast-depleting floating storage while the differential for Ekofisk firmed. * Floating storage, mainly Forties, was greatly depleted by the week's end, falling to about two 80,000 tonne cargoes -- the Searanger and the Stride. The VLCC Maran Thetis that sat with Forties off Hound Point for a little more than a month set sail on Thursday to Tenerife, Reuters ship-tracking showed. * The SCF Surgut, which loaded crude at Sture in Norway at the start of August, set off for Gothenburg, Sweden, on Friday after sitting off the British coast for a month. The Ligovsky Prospect Aframax tanker that loaded Forties at Hound Point at the beginning of August also set sail on Friday for Britain's Fawley refinery, tracking showed. WINDOW SUMMARY * Vitol sold a cargo of Forties to Glencore (Frankfurt: 8GC.F - news) at dated Brent minus 30 cents a barrel, loading Sept. 12-14. * Glencore bid for a cargo of Forties loading Sept. 16-18 at dated Brent minus 15 cents a barrel. * Glencore bid for a cargo of Ekofisk loading Sept. 25-Oct (HKSE: 3366-OL.HK - news) . 2 at dated Brent plus 30 cents a barrel. * PetroIneos bid for a cargo of Forties at dated Brent minus 20 cents a barrel, loading Sept. 19-24. (Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by David Goodman) By Noah Barkin GREIFSWALD, Germany (Reuters) - The one year anniversary of Angela Merkel's fateful decision to open Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees has brought scrutiny, criticism and a flurry of new questions about her leadership. What was she thinking when she welcomed a flood of migrants with the casual promise "we can do this", German media are asking. Will she run for a fourth term next year in the face of unrelenting attacks from her Bavarian sister party and sagging popularity ratings? And, more immediately, can she weather regional elections this month in which voters may punish her conservatives and deliver new gains for the far-right? If Merkel is feeling the pressure, she is doing her best not to show it. On a trip to her Baltic coast electoral district in eastern Germany this week, she visited a yacht maker, listened attentively to scientists at a plasma research institute and ate sausages with locals in the town square in Greifswald. The trip to the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which holds an election on Sunday, followed a week of intense diplomacy in which Merkel met with a total of 15 European Union counterparts to discuss the bloc's response to the Brexit vote in Britain. Germany, Europe and the world may be undergoing dramatic changes, but Merkel, the message from her camp goes, remains a constant - solid, a bit boring, but unflappable and above all hard-working. To her fans, this remains her biggest strength. "I admire her backbone, her long-term vision, the fact that she doesn't bend when the political winds blow in her face," said Cordula Arlt, 46, a Waldorf school teacher who was shopping in the Greifswald market square when Merkel visited. But to her growing list of critics, including the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) and rising anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, she is seen as stubborn and tone-deaf to the concerns of ordinary Germans. A series of attacks in Germany over the summer, two by refugees, have only deepened outrage in the anti-Merkel camp. "People are very unhappy with her refugee policies," said Helmut Schroeder, a 61-year-old unemployed locksmith in Greifswald. "It's astonishing that one woman could take such a momentous decision on her own. We are not a monarchy." POLARISING FIGURE As the voices of these voters testify, the refugee crisis, and Merkel's response to it, have turned her from a unifying, reassuring figure in Germany who was fondly referred to as "Mutti" or Mum, into a polarising figure who elicits head-scratching and even fury. A poll this week showed that 50 percent of Germans don't want her to run for a fourth term next year. Two in three say they are unhappy with her handling of the crisis. Despite that, she is expected to run for and win a fourth term in 2017, a feat that only Helmut Kohl, the father of German reunification, has achieved in the post-war era. Merkel has been coy about her intentions, in part because CSU allies are pressing her to disavow her refugee stance in exchange for their endorsement. But her advisers suggest she will run because she sees her biggest challenges -- refugees, Europe after Brexit and the digital transformation of the German economy -- as unresolved. "It would look like negligence if she said she didn't want to continue in the current situation," one of her close advisers told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Merkel's backers note that despite the turmoil of the past year, her conservatives still enjoy a double-digit poll lead over their centre-left rivals, the Social Democrats (SPD). And while Merkel's popularity is down sharply, it still compares favourably with leaders in other big countries. Nor is there an heir apparent on the German right. Still, Merkel has looked uncharacteristically vulnerable over the past 12 month. She has admitted mistakes -- in failing to foresee the tide of refugees and in her handling of an EU migrants deal with Turkey that has halted the influx but, critics say, left her susceptible to blackmail from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. "MAJOR LAPSE" Oxford historian and author Timothy Garton Ash sees that past year as evidence Merkel may be losing her political touch. "Merkel is Europe's indispensable leader, because of the position of Germany, but also her standing and experience as a leader," he told Reuters. "But there is a universal law in politics that says 10 years is enough. When leaders stay longer they start making mistakes. It happened to De Gaulle, Kohl, Thatcher and to Erdogan and Putin. Now it seems to be happening to the pragmatic, cautious Angela Merkel." Over the past weeks, German media have painstakingly reconstructed the events that led to Merkel's decision in the night of Sept. 4 last year to suspend EU immigration rules and allow thousands of refugees camped out in Hungary through to Austria and on into Germany. By the end of 2015, a million migrants had entered the country. The consensus, one year on, is that she was right to allow the refugees into Germany on that night to avert a humanitarian crisis, but was slow to recognise the consequences of her decision and flat wrong in her assumption other European countries would help share the burden. "There was no realisation that the mood in Germany would eventually turn, nor any preparation for that day," said a senior CDU lawmaker who has worked closely with the chancellor. "For months, Merkel just dug herself in. It was a major lapse." The political tremors are still being felt. On Sunday in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the anti-immigrant AfD could win more support than Merkel's CDU for the first time ever in a state vote. Two weeks later, support for her party is expected to slide to a record low in an election in the capital Berlin. "Neither vote will be pretty for the CDU," the Merkel adviser said. "But we will move on. It won't distract her from the challenges we face in Germany and in Europe." (Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) FORT CARSON, Colo. A Colorado Army post is holding a memorial for a soldier from Illinois who died in a noncombat incident in Afghanistan. Thirty-six-year-old Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Wilbur of Granite City will be honored Thursday in a service at Fort Carson, Colorado, his home post. The Defense Department says Wilbur died Aug. 12 in Kandahar. The cause of death wasnt released. He was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, part of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson. GALVESTON, Texas A man already charged with abducting and killing a 19-year-old woman in Oklahoma was indicted Thursday in the 1997 slayings of two girls in Texas. A Galveston County grand jury indicted William Lewis Reece on murder counts in the deaths of 12-year-old Laura Smither of Friendswood and 17-year-old Jessica Cain of Tiki Island. Reece was already serving a 60-year prison sentence in Texas for kidnapping earlier this year when he led police to graves where remains were found of Cain and Kelli Cox, a 20-year-old University of North Texas student who was last seen in Denton in 1997. The 57-year-old registered sex offender is charged in Oklahoma with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 1997 death of 19-year-old Tiffany Johnston. Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady said Reece wouldnt be tried in Galveston until the Oklahoma case was resolved. The murder indictments were sought because insufficient evidence had been gathered to support capital murder indictments, Roady said. Previously, Reeces attorney, Anthony Osso, had said his client had hoped to avoid the death penalty by cooperating with authorities. Smithers remains were found near Pasadena, an east Houston suburb, more than two weeks after she failed to return from a morning jog in Friendswood in April 1997. Cain had been missing since August 1997, when her abandoned car was found on Interstate 45 near Tiki Island, a community across from Galveston Island. Her remains and those of Cox were exhumed last March from a pasture on the southern fringe of Houston. Smithers mother, Gay Smither, said Thursday that she had prayed throughout the time that her daughter was missing that she would return home. She said that when the girls remains were discovered, it at least provided some resolution. Our prayers werent answered the way we wanted, but our prayers were answered, she said. Prayer does work. We may not like the answer we get. Gay Smither said she found comfort in knowing the man she believed to be responsible for her daughters death had already been locked up for years. However, she also said she had forgiven Reece and would like to tell him that, to let him know he can change his life. A man who was carrying a note demanding money and who had pieces of a foam mask stuck to his face was arrested near Indian School and Wyoming in northeast Albuquerque Wednesday, according to Albuquerque police. Officers believe Evan Lemmon, 23, was planning on committing an armed robbery. A citizen called police Wednesday morning to report that a man was putting on a mask and wiping down the inside of a vehicle in an alley near Menaul and Moon and looked suspicious, according to spokesman Tanner Tixier. Officers discovered the vehicle he was in was stolen, and they arrested him. Lemmon, was carrying a note that read, I have a gun, give me the 10s, 20s, 50s and 100s now! Officers also found he had a mask with him, and pieces of the mask were still glued to his face. Lemmon was charged with receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools and tampering with evidence and booked into the county jail. Officers and detectives more than likely foiled an armed robbery attempt, Tixier said. The Santa Fe restaurant world continues to send out shoots to enliven the Albuquerque dining scene: notably, this summers opening of Tsais Chinese Bistro, a new iteration of Wok on Cerrillos Road. After a 15-year run in Santa Fe and a subsequent brief stint in Las Vegas, Nev., the Wok family has returned to New Mexico to an Uptown location one block west of Coronado Center. In its clean and softly lit space evocative of feng shui aesthetics, with dark wooden furniture and red linen-covered tables, the family is raising the bar on Duke City Chinese food. In addition to serving very good interpretations of classic dishes like chicken in garlic sauce and garlic eggplant ($8.95), along with a tender crispy orange beef, served in a glistening mahogany sauce, not a bit cloying, but subtly flavored with orange peel and Sichuan peppers ($9.95), they are introducing new tastes from their kitchen with their specialty Taiwanese dishes. Chef Tsai trained in orthodox Taiwanese cooking in Los Angeles, so that bodes well. The menu is on the restaurants website, tsaischinesebistro.com. Service is all-around genuinely helpful, and you can get good explanations from your server. A good entry point is the crispy salty popcorn chicken, far more complex than the name implies. These are no ordinary chicken nuggets. Each bit of the piled-high appetizer plate of hot, juicy, fried chicken pieces fairly explodes with five-spice, sweet and salty crispiness ($7). I look forward to sampling the garlic Taiwanese green cabbage. Anthony Bourdain wannabes and adventurous foodies can test their boundaries with Chinese eggplant stir-fried with pork intestine and basil. Another outstanding dish is Uncle Tsais spicy dumplings ($5.95), chicken-stuffed handmade dumplings blissfully drowned in a sea of deep brown garlic sauce that strikes exactly the right note of mouth-watering heat. I could eat them all day. The rich egg drop soup is elevated far above the bland, pale broths that usually go by that name. Lunch specials ($6-$8) are served 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, allowing for a nice late lunch. Many standard menu preparations, like kung pao and General Tao are offered with tofu, and there is a wide assortment of vegetarian menu options, including vegetable tofu soup ($4-$6), and moo shu vegetable ($8.25). In addition, a whole Peking roast duck ($38.95), numerous shrimp and seafood plates, lo mein and chow fun noodle dishes and several versions of egg foo yong ($10) round out the menu. I am happy Tsais has opened in Albuquerque, serving fresh Chinese food that radiates pure flavors. Someday I may be even happier, should the restaurant extend its hours to Sunday. Tsais Chinese Bistro LOCATION: 2325 San Pedro NE, 505-508-2925 HOURS: 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday; Noon-8 p.m. Saturday NO ALCOHOL Despite declining enrollment, University of New Mexico students earned an all-time record number of degrees last academic year. In all, UNM awarded 5,674 degrees up from 5,489 the 2014-15 school year. And while UNM had no exact graduation figures, the schools four-year graduation rate last year was on track to exceed 20 percent for the first time in years, according to Provost Chauki Abdallah, who presented the numbers during his report to a UNM Board of Regents committee on Thursday afternoon. He cited several factors for the increased degree numbers: reducing the number of credits needed to earn a degree, increasing student support services and having a more engaged faculty. Think of the academic path as a pipe with holes in it that leak water, Abdallah said. In order to move more water to the end of the pipe, you can start with more water and/or plug the holes. All of our interventions within UNM have focused on plugging the various holes that have led to students dropping out. Administrators have trimmed the number of credit hours required to earn most bachelor degrees from 128 to 120. And administrators scrapped the old remedial class model in 2015 for a new one that integrates students more quickly into regular classes. They also use data to focus resources where they are most needed. There were 3,707 bachelor degrees awarded in the past academic year, up from 3,666 degrees awarded in the 2014-15 school year and slightly down from the 3,736 awarded in the 2013-14 school year. Masters and doctorate degrees reached record numbers at 1,362 and 292 degrees, respectively, driving up the total number. Last year, graduates earned 1,266 masters degrees, and doctoral students earned 222 degrees. Professional degrees law and medical degrees went from 335 degrees two years ago to 313 degrees last year. At the same meeting, but in a different presentation, Terry Babbitt, a UNM administrator who tracks enrollment, estimated the student population for the current fall semester at 27,150 students 200 fewer than last year. The target was about 100 more than that, Babbitt said. Were not cheering the numbers. The climate around the state is still very volatile. Were not recovered from trying to stabilize enrollments from really high recession gains. Overall, enrollment is down among underclassmen and mostly the same for graduate students. Babbitt also said there were fewer non-traditional students this year. But there were increases in the incoming freshman class and the Anderson Graduate School of Management, which he called positive signs for future enrollment. UNM is expected to have final fall enrollment numbers a week from today. Student enrollment at UNMs main campus has been declining steadily since 2012. Enrollment is a main revenue source for the university, and the enrollment shrinkage comes at a time when state funding for the university may decrease as the states budget woes continue. The revenue is not going to be found from this area without us doing different things, Babbitt said. UNM degrees 2015-16 5,674 2014-15 5,489 2013-14 5,564 2012-13 5,212 Fall enrollment 2016 (estimated) 27,150 2015 27,353 2014 27,889 2013 28,644 2012 29,100 EDGEWOOD When it dawned on 11-year-old Pauline Sanchez that Gov. Susana Martinez had visited her sixth-grade writing class at Edgewood Middle School on Thursday to announce that Pauline had won the top prize in the New Mexico True Summer Reading Challenge, she began to cry. But her family quickly passed on reassurance to the governor that they were tears of joy. Many of her family members had sneaked into her classroom to surprise the girl after Martinez arrived to talk to the class about the summer reading program. Pauline was among more than 1,100 New Mexico students who had a chance of winning an all-expenses-paid family vacation to Disneys Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., by reading at least 12 books over the summer. Michael Sanchez said he was sure his daughter had read more than a dozen books over the summer, and that all of his three children are voracious readers. I dont know why they like reading so much, other than they learn by example, because I read all the time, he said. Once she had gotten over the shock, Pauline said she was excited about winning the reading contests grand prize. Although she had been on trips to places like Colorado and the Philippines before, she said she had never been to any place like Disneys Animal Kingdom. Were so excited to reward students like Pauline and others who worked so hard to read over the summer, Martinez said. More than 1,000 kids across New Mexico took time over summer break to stay on top of their reading skills before heading back to class. This is wonderful to see, and we wish them all a successful school year. By offering prizes, the program encouraged students to read a total of more than 13,000 books over the summer to maintain their skills during the long break. The summer reading challenge from May 9 to July 31 was open to students between ages 5 and 12. Every participant who submitted a reading log with at least six books will receive a New Mexico True bookmark and a certificate. Readers who submitted a reading log with 12 books read, as well as a short essay on Why I Love New Mexico, had their names entered in the drawing to receive one of several prizes. Martinez said Pauline, whose family lives northeast of Edgewood, wrote in her essay that she loved New Mexico because of its natural beauty, especially flowers and the mountains because her favorite color is green. Thats my favorite color, too, Martinez said. If you go by coverage in publications around the country (and Great Britain), the biggest news out of Santa Fe over the past several weeks is the potential sale of designer and film director Tom Fords 20,000-acre ranch south of Santa Fe. The Manhattan-sized estate and its reported $75 million price tag have provided fodder for publications ranging from Maxim to the U.K.s Daily Mail to World Architecture. The big attraction, in addition to Fords celebrity and the high asking price, are the sensational (if you consider architecture sensational) pictures released to promote the sale. Varietys site posted a gallery of 22 pics. Fords Cerro Pelon Ranch is a high-desert, ultra-modern Xanadu, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando in nothing approaching Santa Fe Style. It also features an Old West movie set. Headlines around the world proclaim the place insane, mind-blowing, stunning, humongous and bonkers. Heres a sample of some of the coverage: From Esquire: Designer and film director Tom Ford has made a (very lucrative) career out of reinterpreting the world around him into something far more aesthetically pleasing. Whether its mens suits, womens ready-to-wear, or his mid-century modernist-infused film A Single Man, Ford has an extremely keen eye when it comes to beauty. So it shouldnt come as a surprise that his tastes in real estate are pretty damn lust-worthy as well. Gaze upon it, and do your best not to let your brain explode in a fit of envy. From Variety: Internationally acclaimed and almost preposterously handsome fashion designer and occasional film director Tom Ford and veteran fashion magazine editor Richard Buckley officially put their Manhattan-sized ranch just south of Galisteo, NM, up for grabs with a super-sized reported asking price of $75 million. Our research indicates the couple acquired the so-called Cerro Pelon Ranch in 2001 for an unknown amount and online marketing materials show the scenic spread, about half an hour drive outside of Santa Fe, encompasses 16,208 deeded acres and another 4,454 leased acres for a total of 20,662 acres. By comparison the land area of Manhattan covers 21,612.8 acres. Its several miles along a winding and dusty drive on a well-maintained dirt road from the ranchs main gate to the main residence, an extraordinarily long, land-hugging ultra-minimalist concrete and glass pavilion that appears to float on a shallow, lake-sized reflecting pool. The rigorously austere yet undeniably operatic residence, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning self-taught Japanese architect Tadao Ando with construction overseen by the vaunted American firm of Marmol Radziner, adjoins what listing details describe as a state of the art horse barn with 8 stalls. There are two circular riding rings, one of them covered and the other accessed by a low-lying bridge that makes a dramatic traverse across the reflecting pool. (Ford) wont be giving up a real estate foothold in New Mexico entirely as he and Buckley also own a low-slung hilltop mansion in Santa Fe that tax records show measures in at about 9,400-square-feet with 10 fireplaces. From GQ: Some rich guys have mansions. Other rich guys have architecturally important compounds in the middle of the picturesque New Mexico desert. Tom Ford falls pretty squarely into that second category. Theres an air strip and a hangar for you to land and store your private plane. If thats not extravagant enough, theres also a film set included. Silverado Movie Town, where scenes for Silverado, Wild Wild West, and All the Pretty Horses among other Westerns were filmed sits on the 20,000-acre estate, too. Which means that while the whole kit and caboodle will cost a potential buyer lots of money, its got its own revenue stream literally built right in. From W magazine: Ford told W back in 2004 that he had to woo the reluctant Tadao Ando to accept the project, but once the architect actually visited the site he agreed to tackle the project. Ando is so much about light and mass, which is so perfect for New Mexico, said Ford. Historically, Spanish architecture in New Mexico had been about mud walls with a fortresslike quality to them and about light. The light is so strong that I wanted someone who would understand the importance of it. Ford seems to be looking to unload the property after purchasing a $53 million estate in Beverly Hills, California that once belonged to the actor William Powell. From Maxim: Famed fashion designer Tom Ford might be the most stylish ranch hand of all time. The man who revived Gucci and even has a Jay Z song in his honor has put his stunning Santa Fe ranch up for sale. And all hes asking for it is $75 million. A $5,000 grant from the Viking Foundation of Lincoln is helping the Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln/Lancaster County expand its career exploration program, called CareerLaunch, for teenage club members. Among the most prominent of our Viking Foundations core values is that All people deserve an opportunity to learn and work, and to learn to work, said Steven Eggland, who created the Viking Foundation in 2012 to help improve and enrich the lives of individuals especially children who are less fortunate. The modest grant we have made to the Boys & Girls Club provided us with a perfect opportunity to help put that value into action, Eggland added. The Viking Foundation grant really made us evaluate what we could do to step up the career exploration program and push it forward, said Nick Dean, executive director of the local Boys & Girls Club, which provides after-school and summer programs at Park Middle School, 855 S. Eighth St. Before receiving the grant, the club only offered career exploration classes in a classroom setting with curriculum provided by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, said Andy Larson, operations director at the local Boys & Girls Club. The grant afforded us the opportunity to expand what we did before, he said. Now we can physically transport kids to job sites or have business representatives come and talk to the kids at the club. It makes all the difference in the world. Otherwise, a lot of these kids wouldnt know those careers are possible. So far, club teens have visited or hosted representatives from places like Career Academy (a joint venture between LPS and Southeast Community College), Crete Carrier Corporation, Duncan Aviation, EducationQuest, Old Navy, Southeast Community College, Sysco, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Innovation Campus, Wells Fargo and Talent Plus. During a summer field trip to Talent Plus, 18 students underwent talent evaluations, Dean said. Afterward they called every kid up front, awarded a certificate and told everyone about their strengths, he said. The kids got a lot out of it. Marquell Richardson, 15, a sophomore at Lincoln High School, said the CareerLaunch program and a summer field trip to visit with Engineers Without Borders at UNL were excellent learning experiences for him. It showed me that I want to have a career building things, so I plan to major in either engineering or construction at a four-year university, Richardson said. Completing the program helped me land my first job, added Alex Torres, 17, a Lincoln High senior. Skills I learned in the program prepared me for filling out the application and how to present myself at interviews. After completing the weekly CareerLaunch curriculum and visiting with various career representatives, 80 percent of working-age participants found part-time jobs this year, said Dean. More about CareerLaunch CareerLaunch includes skill-building activities that assist teens in finding and keeping a job, Dean said. Teens receive tips for job hunting, writing cover letters and resumes, and what to wear to an interview. The program is designed to be comprehensive, introducing young people to the world of work and providing the tools they need to prepare for a career. The program gives youth the opportunity to explore various careers based on their interests and talents, helps them determine the corresponding educational path they need to pursue and guides them in mapping out a plan for their future. In addition, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America offers a CareerLaunch website, http://www.greatfutures.org/pages/Gap-CareerLaunch.aspx, that helps club members match careers with their interests and talents, identify training and educational/college requirements, and seek financial aid. Park School addition Another aid to expanding Boys & Girls Club programs is a 12,500-square-foot addition to Park School. Construction began in April on the $3 million addition, which is one of the final projects paid for with proceeds from an LPS bond issue passed by voters in 2014. A capital campaign by the Boys & Girls Club organization will pay $350,000 toward the Park School addition, which will include a third gymnasium, two additional classrooms and a commons area. The goal is to have the addition ready for summer 2017, Dean said. Well be able to expand our club hours and appeal more to older teens with a special night open until 11 p.m. one Friday a month, and well increase our hours overall until 8 or 9 p.m. for the older kids. New and exciting activities should bring in more older teens. We hope to reconfigure the existing area and dress it up for the younger kids. Lincoln Boys & Girls Club About 1,300 students participate in the local Boys & Girls Clubs after-school and summer programs at Park School, Dean said. A core group of about 250 students attend daily during the school year. Members include high school, middle school and grade school students. As part of helping kids develop the tools they need to prepare for higher education and a career, club activities begin after school at 3 p.m. with Power Hour a time designated for completing homework with tutoring from Park teachers in classrooms designated by grade levels. Power Hour is the first program every day after school from 3 to 4 p.m., and everyone coming to the club that day is required to attend, Dean said. After homework is done, club members eat dinner in the schools cafeteria and participate in a club activity of their choice. Programming at the club from 4 to 7 p.m. is supervised by youth development staff from the Boys & Girls Club. The club has five full-time staff members and more than 100 volunteers each semester, many of whom are college students. During the summer, an additional 35 part-time staff members assist the program activities. Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister has been a Boys & Girls Club board member for many years. Earlier this year he talked informally with kids at the club about exploring career opportunities in the policing profession. We are excited to be part of programming at the Boys & Girls Club, to show the kids at a young age how they can contribute to the success of Lincolns future through employment at LPD and in the policing profession, Bliemeister said. We are able to show the human side of our officers, lay out challenges they would face and, most importantly, show how they can be a positive influence by being part of our agency. When our officers or I come to the club in uniform, we dont see hesitation or skepticism in our interactions. The kids want to know who we are and what our jobs entail. Bliemeister noted that historically, the time immediately following school being let out and before parents are home is peak for criminal activity. As a citizen of Lincoln and as chief of police, I am grateful for the passionate staff at the Boys & Girls Club who dedicate their lives to serving these kids, he said. How you can help Dean said he believes the CareerLaunch program will continue to improve, and well continue to try to sustain it, but there will be a need for future funds. If you would like to make a donation to the Boys & Girls Club, contact Dean at 402-477-4134 or ndean@lincolnbgc.org. In my day job as editorial page editor, I see dozens of letters to the editor each week. But this one really caught my eye. It was one of many sent to the Journal concerning the horrific last hours of Victoria Martens, who at 10 years old was truly an innocent. The depths of depravity shown by her killers sent shock waves throughout the community, and, believe me, that included a newsroom of world-weary journalists. It also deeply affected Don Vernay, a Rio Rancho lawyer who has spent his career defending clients facing the death penalty mostly in Texas. Many times, his efforts were unsuccessful. Three of his clients have been executed this year alone. He has worked to provide a defense to clients who run the gamut from mass murderers to child and cop killers. Since one of his successful defenses involved a man prosecutors claimed killed a 10-year-old Montana boy in 1996, then cooked and ate him and served some of the dish to his neighbors, he thought he had seen it all. But he said nothing prepared him for little Victoria. Ive seen them all, but this one really, really hit me, Vernay said. Its just beyond comprehension what these people did to that kid. So he sat down last Friday and wrote what he titled My Personal Rubicon and sent it to the Journals letters website, ABQjournal.com/letters. It really was a gut reaction, he said Tuesday. Heres a portion: Although I am not one to argue religion or politics, I have nonetheless held my ground in the face of arguments made by those who voiced strong support for the death penalty until I read the article in last Fridays Journal setting forth the details of the unspeakable sexual assault, murder and dismemberment of an innocent 10-year-old child Having put the paper down, instead of engaging in my usual knee jerk defense lawyers analysis of the manner in which these perpetrators could be represented, the only thought that entered and remained in my mind was why are these people allowed to live? Strong feelings coming from a man who has spent the last 30 years defending those charged with taking a life. Ive represented guys for whom guilt is not an issue, he said. Ive handled a lot of bad ones. Vernay recognizes that the role of an attorney is to give a client the best possible defense the rule of law permits a job that someone will wind up doing for those accused in the Victoria Martens case. But still, my thought was I quoted from The Brothers Karamazov why are these people allowed to live? That was really a visceral reaction on my part, I mean, Im not going to run out and say Im pro-death penalty now because of this particular case, but this one really hit home. It just knocked the wind out of me. Vernay is not a member of the State Bar of New Mexico, but he was involved in the defense in an infamous local mass killing the John Hyde case of August 2005. Hyde was a mentally ill Albuquerque resident who in a single day shot and killed five people, including two police officers. Hyde remains in the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, where he will spend the rest of his life. Vernay still has a few death penalty cases he is working on in Texas but today is focusing on creating metal sculptures that are shown in the Jezebel Gallery in Madrid. He has also self-published a novel about the last day of a death row prisoner called Today and Tomorrow and has written a full-length play on the death penalty that almost made it to Broadway. He moved to New Mexico 13 years ago. He had been looking for a home in Santa Fe but wound up in Rio Rancho after finding one with a room that was perfect for an artists studio. He didnt move to Albuquerque: I call this place (Albuquerque) Mogadishu. Its really astounding, the level of violence here. And Im a kid who grew up on the streets of New York City. Im not some country boy from Montana. As I said earlier, at some point, someone is going to get the unenviable job of representing the three people accused of killing Victoria. New Mexico does not have a death penalty. But the accused in America have the right to a proper defense. UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to editorial page editor Dan Herrera at 823-3810 or dherrera@abqjournal.com. After months of contentious court filings, a trustee has been named to run the business affairs of Railyard Co. LLC, the local firm that developed the Market Station commercial building in the city-owned Santa Fe Railyard and that filed for bankruptcy last year. In March, a judge ordered local owners Richard Jaramillo, and Steve and David Duran removed from management in favor of replacement with a court-appointed trustee. In his order, Bankruptcy Judge Robert Jacobvitz cited gross mismanagement, bookkeeping discrepancies, and the acrimony and loss of trust between the owners and anchor tenant REI and Railyard Co.s lender, Thorofare Asset Based Lending, as grounds for taking the extraordinary remedy of appointing a trustee. A trustee, Craig Dill of Albuquerque, was accepted by Jacobvitz in July over objections from Jaramillo and the Durans. Dill is identified in court documents as a real estate broker with more than 30 years of experience in commercial sales, finance, auditing, bookkeeping, management and negotiation. He has served as a Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee in three difficult and complicated cases, the judge wrote. The Durans and Jaramillo are now representing themselves in the case. Lawyers who previously represented them have withdrawn. In a filing, Steve Duran maintained that the U.S. Trustees office, which selects trustees for specific bankruptcy cases and submits them for a judges approval, has improperly influenced Dill. Duran contended that Dill has already admitted that the value of the property (Market Station) should be based on income only instead of including any equity as value. Dill, Duran argued, has been tainted by the position and direction ofAlice Page, trial attorney for the U.S. Trustee, which is evident in her testimony on several occasions that the estates only course for reorganization is by liquidation, an avenue that is a more drastic option than rehabilitation of the bankrupt company by restructuring its debts. Duran says in other court filings that there is $6 million in investment and equity in the project by Railyard Co. and that Page has made statements that the owners do not have any equity in the deal. Judge Jacobvitz, in his order naming Dill as trustee, characterized Dills positions somewhat differently, saying Dill has said that, in any real estate transaction, the most important thing is rental income. His order said there is nothing to even faintly color Mr. Dills independence in the case and that Dill has no scintilla of personal interest in matters affecting this estate. Mr. Dills primary motivation is to revitalize the Debtor (Railyard Co.) for the benefit of all parties involved, the judge wrote. Also according to the judge, Dill testified that because the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corp. (SFRCC), the nonprofit that runs the Railyard under contract with city government, has refused to consent to allowing national chain restaurants at Market Station a long-standing policy intended to keep the Railyard development local his first approach would be to try to find high-quality local tenants for the property acceptable to the SFRCC rather than litigate with the SFRCC. Restaurant space at Market Station was previously occupied by local chain Flying Star, which has itself filed for bankruptcy. The Market Station owners also had objected to Chris Pierce, a prior selection to take over the projects operations by the U.S. Trustee for the District of New Mexico, Samuel K. Crocker, on conflict of interest grounds. Attorney Pierce had represented the Market Stations architect, with whom Railyard Co. might have legal disputes. Judge Jacobvitz agreed that Pierce was not an appropriately disinterested person who could serve as trustee. Other issues also continue to be disputed in the bankruptcy, including city governments claim against Railyard Co. for about $270,000. In 2012, the city of Santa Fe purchased four units in Market Station as a condominium for office space, part of a settlement agreement with Railyard Co., which had blamed City Hall for delays in the Market Station project delays that Railyard Co. contended had helped cause its financial problems. The city maintains there were irregularities in a fund that was supposed to provide common area maintenance and that the city was not provided an accounting of how the Common Expense account has been spent. The city is concerned that Market Station condo association funds were spent on contractors who werent licensed and says that its unknown whether Railyard Co.s Jaramillo directed association funds to entities Jaramillo had an interest in. City government also maintains theres no evidence that Railyard Co. paid its required contributions to the fund and that the city cant ascertain whether common expense money was misappropriated. Railyard Co. has denied the citys assertions, saying it paid all common expenses from its own account and then classified the citys share as income. Im sure that I speak for a lot of others when I say that I am fed up with the constant barrage of political coverage forced upon us every wakening moment of the day. Turn on the television and what do you find? Political ads, political commentary, polls, candidates comments on every topic under the sun, voters comments on subjects about which they are clueless, expert opinions on the same, accusations of impropriety by one candidate of his opponent, and every other form of political claptrap that one mentally overloaded individual can imagine. And it doesnt matter what news channel you turn to. They are all sourced, it seems, by the same supplier. So let me ask, is there anything else going on in this world besides politics? Is Russia still invading Ukraine? Are there new volcanoes being formed off Iceland? Is the economy doing great or is it in the toilet? Is a gigantic meteorite five miles across hurtling through space towards the earth? I wouldnt know. These news items are only footnotes to the media. For them, the real news story is the election! I think this all came to a head when Al Gore did not concede the election to George W. Bush in the 2000 election. Do you remember how long it was before we knew who our president was? It was almost up to inauguration day! I mean, hanging chads! Youve got to be kidding! You can tell a voters intent from a piece of partially disconnected paper? That seems very appropriate for the technological age! So, for 16 years, we have had to listen to one party constantly bashing the other in order to hold onto their majorities or try to recapture them. Lets just forget about solving the countrys problems! Lets just keep reminding the public how many problems we have! Lets suggest a new stimulus since the last one worked out so well and increased the nations debt to an almost eye-popping $19 trillion! Do numbers like that even exist in nature? Im not sure! So, after all of this inundation of political ads and the billions of dollars spent on them over the last 16 years, what do we have? A crumbling infrastructure, an anemic economy, a dwindling military, an increasing entitlement class, an increase in racism, and the clincher: one really angry electorate! Well, at least those voters that still have a job are working and love this country. WASHINGTON Donald Trump has warned us about those Mexican rapists. Apparently the country also has body snatchers. The Republican presidential nominee immigrated briefly to Mexico on Wednesday for a hastily arranged visit with the leader of the country he has made his No. 1 scapegoat. He spent all of an hour with President Enrique Pena Nieto but when the two men emerged, whoever was occupying Trumps body sounded nothing at all like the bombastic billionaire. In the United States, first-, second- and third-generation Mexicans are just beyond reproach spectacular, spectacular, hardworking people. I have such great respect for them and their strong values of family, faith and community, this Trump look-alike declared in Mexico City. The impostor gushed about a common interest in keeping our hemisphere safe, prosperous and free, and waxed poetic about joint operations between our two countries. Trump said the countries should be working beautifully together, and that, I am sure, will happen. And the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump had called a disaster and promised to rip up? This Trump doppelganger spoke instead about improving NAFTA and making sure its updated. He pronounced Pena Nieto a friend. A reporter asked: Did they talk about his constant vow to get Mexico to pay for the border wall he wants to build? We didnt discuss that, warm-and-fuzzy Trump said. What had they done with Trump? Alas, within hours, he was back to his xenophobic self. The bickering began even before he cleared Mexican airspace, as Pena Nieto, contradicting Trump, said he had told Trump at the beginning of the meeting that Mexico would not pay for a wall. But Trump, having completed his photo op with the Mexican president, discarded the friend he had apparently just used as a prop. Trump landed in Phoenix for what was supposed to be a detailed policy address on immigration but was a familiar, nativist rant. Preceded at the lectern by Joe Arpaio, the Arizona sheriff and anti-immigration hard-liner, Trump launched into a lament for the countless Americans who are victims of violence by illegal immigrants who are dangerous, dangerous, dangerous criminals. We will build a great wall along the southern border! he said to an enormous cheer. And Mexico will pay for the wall! One hundred percent. They dont know it yet, but theyre going to pay for the wall. So much for working beautifully together. This was the Trump we all knew, the Trump who questions the judicial independence of an American-born judge because of his Mexican heritage, who fights with Mexican-American journalists, and who asserts that Mexico is killing us. Trumps trip to Mexico was something of a Hail Maria, as polls show Democratic rival Hillary Clinton with a yuuge advantage and Democrats with a better than even chance of taking back the Senate. And from Arizona and Florida on Tuesday came new signs that Trumps rebellion has fizzled. In Arizona, Kelli Ward, a pro-Trump primary challenger, had been trying to oust Sen. John McCain, whose war heroism Trump famously belittled, with a defeat the establishment theme like Trumps. She lost by 13 points. In Florida, Carlos Beruff said that he supports Donald Trump 100 percent, while his primary opponent, Sen. Marco Rubio, did not. Beruff lost by 54 points. But Trumps attempt at appearing diplomatic was only a feint. If his core supporters were worried and if the rest of Americans were reassured that he was softening his hard-line position, they had to wait only until he spoke in Phoenix on Wednesday night. In Mexico City, Trump endured without complaint a lecture from the Mexican president, who said that NAFTA has been good for the U.S. as well as Mexico and that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks that more than 6 million American jobs rely on trade with Mexico. Pena Nieto said that immigration from Mexico to the United States peaked 10 years ago and is now at a net negative. Mexican nationals in the United States are honest people, working people, he said. Mexicans deserve everybodys respect. Trump almost seemed to agree. Illegal immigration is a problem for Mexico as well as for us, he said. We will work together and we will get those problems solved. But back on American soil, he returned to his familiar lines: Its called America First! There will be no amnesty! You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country. The real Donald Trump was back. Alas. Email: danamilbank@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. Bad enough that on Nov. 8, Albuquerque voters could have to squint through tiny type proposing an over-reaching sick-leave ordinance. Worse yet that the tiny type could summarize seven pages of an over-reaching sick-leave ordinance. Worst of all, the tiny-type summary refers to a sick-leave plan drafted, not by elected lawmakers with staffs of researchers and attorneys entrusted with ensuring legality and constitutionality, but by a special-interest group. Thank the metro areas burgeoning ballot petition system, where the vocal minority has a good shot at getting the voting few to determine rules that will govern the silent majority. State law requires county clerks across New Mexico to submit their ballot questions by 5 p.m. Sept. 13. Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver says she will abide by the County Commissions decision. Commission Chairman Art De La Cruz says, As long as its within the law, and the font size is acceptable, I would support both of them on there. (Both is the sick-leave ordinance and a revision of the citys public financing system for mayoral campaigns.) Yet Albuquerque City Attorney Jessica Hernandez says the ordinance summary approach is a legal no-go, since the City Charter requires the proposal to be published in its entirety. Even if a summary were allowed, it would be very bad public policy, because it guarantees voters wont know what they are really approving or rejecting. There is no way to cram the salient points of seven pages of new law into a single paragraph. Rather than enable a special interest that sought to circumvent the debate inherent in having the City Council vet proposed legislation, the County Commission should reject the tactic of all the ballot questions, printed to fit and include only those that fit in their entirety in a type size voters can read. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. WASHINGTON Donald Trumps hard-line proposals to crack down on illegal immigration this week drew fire from Democrats and pro-immigrant groups in New Mexico, but some New Mexicans and a spokeswoman for the states lone Republican in Congress credited the New York businessman for opening a dialogue with Mexicos president and trying to solve the problem. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, traveled to Mexico on Wednesday to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto. After the meeting, Trump flew to Phoenix and delivered a nationally televised speech that filled in details of his immigration platform. Trump vowed to build a great wall along the southern border, hire an additional 5,000 Border Patrol agents and enact a zero-tolerance policy for criminals living in the U.S. illegally. The Republican presidential candidate also vowed to deport millions of immigrants and subject foreigners who apply for citizenship to rigorous ideological scrutiny before granting them legal status. Trump has made a border wall the drumbeat of his campaign, and he doubled down on that idea during his speech in Arizona. We will build a great wall along the southern border, he said to cheers. And Mexico will pay for the wall 100 percent. They dont know it yet, but theyre going to pay for it. Trump told reporters Wednesday that he and Pena Nieto discussed the idea of building a wall during their meeting in Mexico, but not how it would be paid for. On Twitter, Pena Nieto disputed Trumps version of the exchange. At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall, Pena Nieto tweeted. But after their meeting in Mexico City, Pena Nieto stood alongside Trump and said the two held a constructive exchange of views even though we might not agree on everything. Trump in turn praised the Mexican president, who has also invited Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to Mexico. During his speech in Phoenix on Wednesday, Trump proposed creating a deportation task force, enlisting state and local law enforcement in efforts to round up criminal undocumented immigrants, and said he would block funding for sanctuary cities that try to protect unauthorized immigrants from deportation. He said he would triple the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officers. Trump was accompanied in Arizona by family members of people killed by immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, and he denounced current American deportation policies. He also blasted Clintons proposal to make undocumented immigrants eligible for Obamacare and predicted she would extend welfare and other benefits to them. Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, said Trumps speech did little to bridge his divide with Hispanics who find his immigration rhetoric distasteful. If he was trying to get closer to a Latino or immigrant community, I think he did not achieve that goal, Garcia said. In general, there is too much deportation in his policy and there is no immigration reform and no serious attempt to fix the system. Garcia called the idea of building a wall without substantial immigration reform a shameful political act. When he talks about arresting everybody who comes across, I think he is just expanding the criminalization of immigrants and the militarization of the border, Garcia said Wednesday. He had an opportunity to pull himself away from that very distorted and harmful policy to something more rational, and I think we did not see this tonight. On border security, Trump proposed adding 5,000 more Border Patrol agents to the current force of 20,000-plus agents and said he would put more of them on the border instead of behind a desk. The National Border Patrol Council, which says it represents 16,500 agents, endorsed Trump in March. Tricia Elbrock, who ranches in New Mexicos remote Bootheel region, said she approved of that idea. Elbrock and other ranchers in the area have been calling for more agents on the border ever since one of her ranch hands was allegedly kidnapped, then let go, by drug runners in December. He always said hes going to build a wall, Elbrock said. It wont work unless you man it. He may get it done. Hell need a Congress that works with him. He definitely has my vote. On increasing the number of Border Patrol stations, she said, Those stations have to be put on the border or very close to it. Rep. Steve Pearce, a New Mexico Republican who represents southern New Mexico, including the border area, has urged the Trump campaign to tone down its harsh immigration rhetoric, but Pearce has also voiced support for his candidacy. Megan Wells, a spokeswoman for Pearce, said Thursday that he was spending time with family and unavailable for comment on Trumps speech. But she said the GOP presidential candidates meeting with Pena Nieto was a clear and successful step in the right direction. Immigration reform is a problem that needs all sides working together in an atmosphere of respect to secure the borders first, then develop realistic plans that do not involve amnesty, Wells said. Donald Trump still needs to have a respectful dialog with the Hispanic community. Democrats in New Mexicos congressional delegation roundly denounced Trumps speech and his immigration proposals generally. Sen. Tom Udall called Trumps proposals divisive and inhumane. Criminalizing, rounding up and deporting millions of people and building a wall to keep them out isnt a rational plan for dealing with immigration or national security, Udall said. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, a Democrat who is chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Trump doubled down on his divisive immigration policies. Once again in appealing to his extreme Republican base, Trump is seeking to divide our country with hatred and bigotry by demonizing immigrants and the Hispanic community, Lujan said. Sen. Martin Heinrich said Trumps immigration position rejects American values and represents the worst prejudices. Heinrich and other Democrats in New Mexicos delegation oppose mass deportation of people who are in the country illegally, instead preferring a new policy that would allow them to earn citizenship. New Mexicos remarkable spirit is rooted in our diversity, history and culture, which have always been enriched by our immigrant communities and family members, Heinrich said. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., said it was hard to take (Trump) seriously. He is focused on making political appeals to his xenophobic base of voters, while Hillary Clinton wants to work with Congress to create a sensible and fair process to address the 11 million immigrants who live in our communities without legal status, she said. With the election roughly two months away, Trump has been trailing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the polls. But a new national poll by Fox News on Wednesday showed Trump chipping away at Clintons lead: 48 percent of respondents supported Clinton, while 42 percent favored Trump. That was a smaller gap than the 10-point spread in the same poll earlier this month. The poll also shows that a large percentage of voters remain uncertain about their choice. Meanwhile, a University of Southern California/Los Angeles Times tracking poll released Wednesday showed Trump leading Clinton nationally 45 percent to 42 percent, while a Reuters poll showed Trump down by 2 percentage points. Both candidates are deeply unpopular with American voters. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released Wednesday found that 56 percent of registered voters view Clinton unfavorably while 63 percent said the same about Trump. SANTA FE The Democratic Party has filed an ethics complaint with the secretary of state against a freshman Republican legislator who is running for re-election and whose Albuquerque district is considered key to which party controls the state House of Representatives. The complaint against Rep. Sarah Maestas Barnes alleges she failed to report on 2015 and 2016 financial disclosure statements that a business partly owned by her husband, Harry Barnes, leases an Albuquerque building to the state Human Services Department for more than $91,000 annually. Maestas Barnes in a statement on Thursday called the complaint false and frivolous and a smear campaign. The complaint was filed Aug. 25, two weeks after Maestas Barnes filed an amended financial statement with Secretary of State Brad Winters office disclosing her husbands ownership interest in the company and the HSD lease. This information had not been previously disclosed in my prior Financial Disclosure Statements as I was not fully aware of my husbands interests until recently, she said in a letter to Winter. Maestas Barnes, a lawyer, has represented House District 15 a swing district since 2015, after she defeated a Democratic incumbent in the 2014 election. She faces a challenge this November from Democrat Ane Romero, as Republicans try to retain control of the House, where they currently have a 37-32 advantage. Theres one House vacancy, with a Democrat the sole candidate on the ballot in the district. Harry Barnes is a part owner of T&D Fortress, LLC, which Maestas Barnes said bought the building in 2011. According to Human Services Department spokesman Kyler Nerison, the lease for the building has been in place since 2004, and the rent hasnt changed since the lease was first signed with the original owner. Nerison said the lease, which contained renewal options, went through a competitive bidding process in 2004. The state Governmental Conduct Act says state agencies cant enter into contracts with businesses in which legislators or their families have substantial interest unless the legislator discloses the interest and the contract is awarded in accordance with the Procurement Code. The Democratic Party complaint says there is no indication the Procurement Code was complied with once Maestas Barnes was elected in 2014. The Democratic Party said Maestas Barnes failure to disclose the information pointed to an intentional disregard for the law and disrespect for New Mexico taxpayers. House Speaker Don Tripp, R-Socorro, said in a statement that Maestas Barnes was fully transparent and immediately filed appropriate disclosures when she learned of her husbands partial ownership of the business. Maestas Barnes said in a statement, My two primary responsibilities are caring for my two young children and serving my constituents. I had no involvement in my husbands partial interest in this property. SANTA FE The Republican candidate for secretary of state, Nora Espinoza, is attacking her Democratic opponent, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, in an online video over her record as Bernalillo County Clerk. Toulouse Oliver says the ads claim that she missed deadlines to mail out ballots to members of the military is false and that Espinoza, a Roswell lawmaker, doesnt understand election administration. Its the latest dust-up in the hotly contested race to fill out the remaining two years of the term of former Secretary of State Dianna Duran, who resigned last year and pleaded guilty to misusing her campaign funds to cover gambling expenses. Only one county clerk in New Mexico has missed deadlines for mailing ballots to our servicemen and women, begins the video posted on Espinozas Facebook campaign page. Federal law requires that validly requested absentee ballots be sent 45 days before an election to uniformed service members, their families and overseas citizens who have applied by that date although applications are still accepted, and ballots mailed, after that. Toulouse Oliver, who has been clerk of the states most populous county since 2007, says her office has never failed to send out ballots on the 45-day deadline to voters whose applications have been successfully processed. It was close in 2014 after Duran refused to allow advisory questions on the ballot in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties, and the dispute went to the Supreme Court. The court overruled Duran on a Friday and the ballots were due to be mailed the following day. Toulouse Oliver said her office met the deadline after her staff worked overtime. Espinoza provided the Journal with a spreadsheet that included the names of some 2012 military and overseas voters whose applications were received before the 45-day deadline, but whose ballots were mailed or emailed after that. Toulouse Oliver said she couldnt verify the accuracy of the list, but she said there are several reasons the processing of ballot requests can be delayed while her office follows up with voters for example, information thats incomplete or that conflicts with voter registration data, or missing email addresses, or incorrect addresses that cause emails to bounce back. Weve always met the deadline for everything we were capable of processing, she said. New Mexico was under U.S. Department of Justice monitoring in 2012 because, in 2010, elections officials in six other counties Bernalillo was not among them did not send out absentee ballots by the 45-day deadline. That consent agreement was lifted before the 2014 election. Espinozas online video says that Toulouse Oliver has a record of failure in the office and that her election as secretary of state would be a disaster for New Mexico voters. The ad cites a 2012 incident in which Bernalillo County elections workers discovered an unopened, uncounted batch of about 125 absentee ballots more than three weeks after the election. Toulouse Oliver says that was immediately reported to the secretary of state, the votes were added in before the state certified the election results and the handling of absentee ballots has been tightened up. Espinozas ad says Toulouse Oliver certified false election results, a reference to her having signed the certification of the countys 2012 general election results before the missing ballots were discovered. Espinozas ad also criticized Toulouse Oliver for cutting the number of polling places from 230 to 69, which the Republican nominee claims led to long waits in two elections. Thats a reference to the 2012 implementation of 69 vote centers at which Bernalillo County residents can vote on Election Day, no matter where in the county they live. Toulouse Oliver says the vote centers have reduced the need for poll workers, saved the county money and are more convenient for voters. I think this attack is more reflective of my opponents lack of understanding about the challenges of election administration than it is about my record, the clerk said. Espinoza, a former teacher and a businesswoman, has represented a Roswell-area district in the state House since 2007. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal In the year since Machete Bob was reported missing and presumed dead, four people were charged in the bludgeoning death of the woman they believed was responsible for his demise. But Robert Machete Bob McGuires own fate remained a mystery until this week when court documents obtained by the Journal offered some clarity. It appears that 44-year-old McGuire may have been killed with a crossbow. Detectives found his body, clothed only in Hanes briefs, buried in a shallow grave in Valencia County last February, according to court documents filed this week that contradict earlier police statements that the body had not yet been found. The Office of the Medical Investigator could not immediately determine his cause of death. Through the course of the investigation, police were told that 29-year-old Tiffany Boyer was angry at McGuire, so she told another man he raped her. Later, a witness pointed to that man as a potential suspect in McGuires death. After McGuire was reported missing, police said four of his friends beat Boyer to death, angry over her accusations and her suspected involvement in their friends disappearance. It was months before police found her body, and even longer before they could determine how she died. Regarding McGuires death, the witness told police in August 2015 that she was in her trailer when she heard McGuire scream as if he were being hurt. She said she saw a man and a woman in the living room and saw the man set a crossbow down next to the door. The man went into McGuires bedroom, then came back into the living room carrying a bloody arrow, according to court documents. When the witness asked the woman if McGuire were dead, she replied probably. (The witness) saw the woman stuffing her Amish-made Afghan (blanket) into a plastic garbage bag along with the bedding from Robert McGuire (Machete Bob), the detective wrote in the documents. The witness said she saw the pair wipe down the front door of the trailer and leave, but she didnt see McGuires body. She never saw McGuire again, and his disappearance was reported to police. Although police say there is no proof that McGuire raped Boyer, the man told others that he was angry about the allegations, according to the documents. The man told Tiffany he was sick of people in this town treating women like that and not to worry, he would take care of Robert, the detective wrote. In June, APD was reporting that the body was still missing. APD spokesman Tanner Tixier said that was because saying his body had been found would have drastically affected this case. He said that no one has been charged in McGuires death, despite the womans account, and that not enough probable cause exists to make an arrest. Had disfigured hand McGuire got the nickname Machete Bob about 20 years ago when he got in a fight with several men, his mother told the Journal in a phone interview Tuesday. One of the men came at him with a machete, and he put up his hand to protect his head, said Geraldine Haskin McGuire. It cut his whole hand open. After that, she said, his left hand was basically a cadaver hand with skin and he couldnt pick anything up. I always figured if anything ever happened to him, they would be able to identify him (by his hand), Geraldine McGuire said. But, she said, when Valencia County deputies found his body, it was too decomposed for that. Geraldine McGuire said that she hadnt seen her son for about eight months before his disappearance and that he would frequently fall out of touch with his family. However, she said, if they needed him, he would always show up. If there was an emergency, he would come over, and if we had to go to the hospital, he would drive us there, she said. Otherwise, we wouldnt see much of him. That didnt stop us from loving him. Four suspects arrested In early June 2016, police arrested Shawna Cannon, 38, William Alexander, 56, Joshua Taramasco, 30, and Stephanie Stepp, 26, and charged them with murder, kidnapping and other charges in Boyers death. According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, a couple days after McGuires disappearance in August of last year, the foursome took Boyer to a northeast Albuquerque house, lined the floor with plastic and the windows with cardboard, and bludgeoned her to death with a hammer. Her decomposed body was found dumped in southern Torrance County in November. Cannon posted bond and was released in late June, but the other three are still in the county jail. When Ohio legislators passed a bill restricting how doctors could administer abortion pills 12 years ago, supporters said it would create a safer way to end a pregnancy. The law, they said, would protect women from unscrupulous abortion providers who passed these pills out like skittles. But the law made abortions more dangerous in Ohio, according to a new study, which says the statutes requirements increased complications and follow-up visits for women who took the drug to end their pregnancies. The study, published in the online journal PLOS Medicine, looked at 1,156 Ohio abortions before the law went into effect and 1,627 afterward to determine if women had more complications or other negative outcomes. House Bill 126 was signed into law in 2004 and spent seven years tied up in court battles before going into effect in 2011. It required abortion providers to adhere unswervingly to decade-old FDA recommendations when prescribing mifepristone. The pill is part of a duo used to induce so-called medication abortions. Theyre viewed as a safe alternative to more invasive, surgical abortions. For women in Ohio, the abortion pill law meant going to a provider at least four times an initial consultation followed by a mandatory 24-hour waiting period, two trips to administer pills and a final follow-up to make sure there were no complications, said Ushma Upadhyay, of the University of California San Francisco, the lead researcher on the study. It also meant one standard dosage for all women, which could increase complications. Complications meant more visits. Without the Ohio law, the number of visits could be halved, according to Upadhyay. The law meant a woman had to come back and get additional medical treatments, unnecessary medical treatments, Upadhyay said. If a woman is not treated and she has an incomplete abortion, it could lead to an infection, it could lead to hemorrhage, additional bleeding. Probably at that point, she would have ended up in an ER. The time and money costs were most prohibitive for the poor, the study said, because the states Medicaid law doesnt typically cover abortions. Poor women, she said, were less likely to return for complications they couldnt afford to treat. The FDA updated its recommendations earlier this year, which brought Ohios requirements up to date, Upadhyay said. But the state will lag behind again whenever the greater scientific community makes an improvement in how to administer the drug. Still, critics of the law said it chips away at abortion rights and makes pregnant women in Ohio less safe in the process. Lets dispel the notion that the antiabortion crew is out to make abortion safe; theyre not, said Kelly Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio. Their single goal is to make it inaccessible. When they pass these regulations, its really about limiting access. The Ohio law, experts say, prevents doctors from tailoring the medicine to individual patient needs or taking into account new studies or best practices for how the drug is prescribed. Upadhyay, whose research focuses on the effects of womens empowerment and gender equity on reproductive health, pored over thousands of medical files from before and after the Ohio law took effect. Among the findings: Negative side effects from mifepristone were more common after the law went into effect. (15.6 percent after the law, up from 8.4 percent). Women who had medication abortions after the law was passed had three times the odds of requiring an additional treatment. Before the law was passed, 4.9 percent of women required additional treatments. Afterward, that ratio jumped to 14.3 percent. There was an 80 percent decline in medication abortion in Ohio between 2010 and 2014 while non-medication abortions stayed constant over the same time period. The law was written to keep Ohio women safe, said Ohio Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr., R, its sponsor. In 2002, when mifepristone was a new and not widely used, he said he read reports that women who had been prescribed the drug had died. There were reports and they reported people dying from it. A woman was just passing them out without instructions, without telling people what do to. They were dying because these pills were being handed out like candy. Brinkman told The Washington Post he opposes abortion in all forms. He was a representative from 2001 until 2008, when term limits prevented him from running again. He was reelected in 2014. As a legislator, hes introduced several antiabortion bills, including an outright ban in 2006. Brinkmans bill joined a parade of state laws across the country that sought to restrict abortions by requiring waiting periods, ultrasounds, counseling or stringent standards for abortion centers. In July, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law that required abortion clinics to meet expensive hospital-like standards of surgical centers. The Ohio law was one of several passed by state legislatures to restrict access to medication abortion. Brinkman said his solution was to make providers adhere to FDA recommendations, which he called the gold standard. For Ohioans, he said, that was a better standard than medical research that could be inconclusive and contradictory. Theres a lot of debate in the [scientific] community over everything, he said. Since 1930, Pluto was planet. About four or five years ago, Plutos not a planet anymore. But Upadhyay said the FDAs recommendations were outdated by more than a decade when the Ohio law went into effect in 2011. Researchers had conducted more studies about the drugs efficacy, international medical organizations had determined better practices and doctors had determined better ways to use it, an accepted practice known as off-label use. After approval, clinical trials continue, and there are just the realities of everyday use, Upadhyay said. Research just continues after the protocol was approved by the FDA. Doctors found, for example, that mifepristone could safely be administered up to 10 weeks after a woman got pregnant instead of seven, Upadhyay said. The drug also can be administered at lower dosages for some patients, which would limit side effects. Thats big, she said. At seven weeks, a lot of women dont even know theyre pregnant if its unintended. If youre not planning for it, youre not thinking of it. In 2016, the FDA changed its guidelines, including the dose, the dosing regimen for taking these drugs. It also modifies the gestational age up to which Mifeprex has been shown to be safe and effective, as well as the process for follow-up after administration of the drug, according to the agency. NARAL Pro Choice Ohios Copeland said she and Brinkman have been on opposite sides of the abortion debate for more than a decade. I have to say that when this study came out, there was a big part of me that was like, I told you so. I told this legislature that women would pay a price for their political interference, Copeland said. Its not satisfying to be right when people are suffering. I do hope it would be a wake up call for some of these legislatures, that youre playing with peoples lives. abortion-ohio According to federal data, there are at least 2 million, 2 million, think of it, criminal aliens now inside of our country, 2 million people, criminal aliens. . . . Since 2013 alone, the Obama administration has allowed 300,000 criminal aliens to return back into United States communities. These are individuals encountered or identified by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], but who were not detained or processed for deportation because it wouldnt have been politically correct. Donald Trump, immigration speech in Phoenix, Aug. 31, 2016 We fact-checked many claims from Trumps 75-minute speech introducing his 10-point immigration plan in a roundup, but his claims about the number of criminal aliens released by ICE called for a deeper dive. Trump used these figures to argue his proposal for zero tolerance for criminal aliens, vowing to remove them from the country. Trump has proposed the mandatory return of all criminal aliens since he released an immigration plan on Aug. 20, 2015. Criminal aliens refers to noncitizens convicted of a crime. We were curious: Are his figures correct? This proposal is framed around deporting undocumented immigrants who have committed violent crimes. Trump said he would push for two new laws aimed at punishing criminal aliens convicted of illegal reentry and removing criminal immigrants and terrorists, including previously deported unauthorized immigrants. He said he would name these laws after victims killed by people in the United States illegally. Trump cites federal data, saying there are at least 2 million criminal aliens in the country. This number comes from a Department of Homeland Security fiscal 2013 report saying there were 1.9 million removable criminal aliens. But this figure refers to a broader population of non-U.S. citizens with criminal convictions. It includes undocumented immigrants and people who are lawful permanent residents, or those who have temporary visas. Lawfully present people in the United States who are convicted of serious crimes are subject to removal from the country. The exact number of illegally present non-citizens within that 1.9 million figure is not clear. Calculations by the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank that doesnt take positions on immigration legislation, show about 820,000 (43 percent) of the 1.9 million are unauthorized immigrants with criminal convictions. But Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors lower immigration, said most of that 1.9 million figure are undocumented, but she did not provide any specific data. She said it was based on information she received from a DHS source she could not reveal, which we cant independently verify. The Trump campaign consulted Vaughan on the speech and used her calculations for statistics on criminal aliens. Trump says 300,000 criminal aliens were released by ICE since 2013, and they were not detained or processed for deportation. This figure lacks a lot of context. ICE has provided its estimates for released criminal convictions to the House Judiciary Committee. Between fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2015, there were 82,288 criminal aliens that ICE released into non-custodial settings. Vaughan added an additional 200,000 based on her calculation of the number of people ICE released per prosecutorial discretion guidelines. Most of these encounters were in jails, of people who were arrested and were identified by ICE as a criminal threat. Once ICE decides not to pursue deportation, the local law enforcement would release them from jail. They are not technically classified as the same criminal alien definition by ICE at that point. Then she added an additional 18,646 deportable aliens that ICE was seeking but were ignored by state and local law enforcement. That adds up to just over 300,000. We ran Vaughans calculations by ICE, which declined to confirm a number calculated by an external group. Immigrants can pay bond out of ICE custody. They may be lawful residents who are granted some type of relief under the law, or people granted asylum for fleeing persecution, said Kevin Johnson, dean of the University of California at Davis School of Law. He added: U.S. authorities may decide not to seek removal of low-level criminal offenders. It is known as prosecutorial discretion. Some minor crimes, for example, might not warrant destroying families. Trump says ICE didnt deport the 300,000 people out of political correctness. This is an attack against discretion guidelines and the 2014 ICE deportation reprioritization, which Vaughan said excuses too many offenders from deportation. ICE says the new priorities focus on removing undocumented immigrants who pose the most serious public safety and national security threats. The idea behind the 300,000 number is to reflect the number of criminal aliens who were avoiding deportation, or were not held in custody despite the fact that they are considered criminals [or a criminal threat], Vaughan said. There are people ICE must release, based on orders from an immigration judge. Federal courts and the Supreme Court have requirements dating to 2001 that limit how long ICE can detain people who are ordered to be removed. Of the 82,288 released criminal aliens reported by ICE, 56 percent (46,422) were released based on discretion. An additional 38 percent (31,314) paid bond. The rest were released under legal requirements or because they couldnt get travel documents to leave the country. So not all are because of Obama administration decisions. Trump also proposed to issue detainers for illegal immigrants who are arrested for any crime whatsoever, and they will be placed into immediate removal proceedings if we even have to do that. A detainer is a term for a request by ICE to a local or state agency to hold a person (usually in jail) until ICE can take over custody. It doesnt necessarily mean the person is present illegally, and detainers dont begin deportation proceedings, according to the American Immigration Council. Under Trumps proposal, a person arrested by police regardless of how serious the crime is, without knowing whether they are present illegally would be held in jail, and their removal proceeding would begin without due process. Such an approach to enforcement is consistent with Trumps call to bring back two DHS enforcement programs that rely on local governments, which are being phased out because they didnt effectively target violent criminals, and opened up the potential of racial profiling. This is going to be a real problem, said Marie Provine, an Arizona State University professor who co-authored a book on local police and immigration enforcement, Policing Immigrants. She said Trumps proposal would overwhelm local law enforcement and federal immigration courts, without effectively targeting people who committed serious crimes. Trump used fuzzy math to back up his proposal to remove criminals who are in the country illegally. The 2 million figure refers to the total number of removable criminal aliens as determined by DHS, and refers to convicted non-citizens in the country legally and illegally. While he states it as fact, an independent think tank analyzing immigration policy estimated that more than half of the 2 million are convicted criminals who are not U.S. citizens, but lawfully in the country. Trumps other figure is a complex calculation by the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower immigration. In general, figures provided by organizations with a goal to change policy should be viewed with skepticism. The number that directly fits the ICE definition of criminal aliens released into the community is 82,228 about 27 percent of Trumps figure that the agency reported to Congress. Of that figure, 56 percent were released based on ICEs discretion, or being politically correct, as Trump would say. The rest adding up to 300,000 includes a variety of calculations, including those considered a criminal threat, not necessarily criminal aliens. Federal immigration enforcement data, especially relating to illegal immigration, are not always transparent or reliable. That leads to outside groups recalculating federal data to make their point which then gets elevated when a prominent person is willing to cite it in a major speech, such as Trumps immigration address in Phoenix. Trump states both figures as simple fact, when both calculations are much more complex than that. trump-factcheck ALAMOGORDO An Alamogordo police officer was shot and killed Friday morning during a foot pursuit of a man with multiple warrants, making it the second on-duty death of an officer in the state in less than a month. The suspect, Joseph Moreno, was also killed in the morning shootout near a trailer park in Alamogordo, police said at a news conference. Police identified the slain officer as Clint Corvinus, 33, a four-year veteran who graduated from high school in Alamogordo. Authorities said he is survived by his parents, girlfriend and an 8-year-old daughter. I am again so very saddened to see that yet another courageous law enforcement officer has been killed in the line of duty, Gov. Susana Martinez said in a statement, adding that violence against law enforcement in the state must end. Alamogordo Police Chief Daron Syling, in a news conference, said Corvinus was struck by gunfire Friday morning and died from his injuries at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center. He was a field training officer at the time of the incident. The suspect, Moreno, was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. A convicted felon, he had been in and out of jail and prison numerous times over the past 10 years and was slated to go to trial in December on drug charges. Corvinus was one of two Alamogordo officers patrolling the area of the 600 block of South Florida Avenue when he made contact with Moreno, who had three active warrants for his arrest, according to Alamogordo police. As officers made contact, Moreno fled, and that is when shots were fired. State Police and additional Alamogordo officers responded to the shooting scene near the White Sands Trailer Park around 8:30 a.m. The Department of Corrections said that Moreno had been released from prison in February 2015 for time served. Court records show that he was picked up in 2013 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and a habitual offender. He was arrested last year, in August, on charges of possessing narcotics. Moreno was scheduled to go to trial on those charges in December. A booking photo from the city of Alamogordo showed Moreno with dramatic facial tattoos, including one across the jaw that resembled the teeth of a skeleton. Later Friday, mourners began placing flowers, notes, an American flag and stuffed animals in an impromptu memorial for the officer outside the police department in the town of about 31,000 some 200 miles south of Albuquerque. The violence against our police officers has to end, Martinez said in her statement, and we must do everything we can to stand up for those who put their lives on the line every single day to protect us. The governor has said she would back legislation for capital punishment for crimes, such as killing a law enforcement officer, when the Legislature convenes in January. In the most recent legislative session, prior attacks on police including the May and October 2015 shooting deaths of officers in Albuquerque and suburban Rio Rancho galvanized an unsuccessful push by Republicans in the state Legislature for a slate of tough-on-crime legislation. Within hours of the shooting Friday, Rep. Nate Gentry, an Albuquerque Republican and the states House Majority leader, issued a statement that called for laws that put and keep the violent criminals who terrorize our communities behind bars. Meanwhile, law enforcement across the state expressed condolences Friday for Corvinus fellow officers and family. Flags were being flown at half-staff outside the Alamogordo police department. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said in a statement, Im heartbroken to hear about the tragic death of Officer Clint Corvinus, who was killed today in the line of duty. My deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and the Alamogordo Police Department. New Mexico stands with the entire Otero County community during this difficult time. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., said, As the Alamogordo community grieves the loss of Officer Corvinus, we must pray for all our nations officers that patrol our streets to keep us safe. My condolences and prayers are with Officer Corvinuss family, friends and with the Alamogordo Police Department. Attorney General Hector Balderas offered: Rest in peace Officer Corvinus, your service and sacrifice to protect New Mexico families will never be forgotten. Corvinus death marks the second fatal shooting of a police officer in a rural area of the state in less than a month. Three weeks ago, authorities said an Ohio fugitive gunned down Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop in Hatch, a village about 100 miles west of Alamogordo thats known for its green chile crop. The suspect in that shooting, Jesse Hanes, was arrested after a dramatic car pursuit, a carjacking and the shooting of a bystander whose car Hanes stole, police said. He has been charged by prosecutors in Dona Ana County with Chavezs death. President Barack Obama has staked much of his foreign policy legacy on boosting Americas presence in Asia. He has increased the number of Navy ships in Asias contested waters, forged ties with old adversaries, and relentlessly pursued a massive and controversial Asia-Pacific trade accord. But as he heads to the region for his 10th visit since 2009, the presidents effort to shift Americas focus more decisively toward Asia remains a work in progress. And the unfinished and reversible nature of the presidents signal foreign policy initiative raises an even larger question: In an age of political dysfunction at home, chaos in the Middle East and growing threats to the liberal international order, is it possible for any president to set a strategic foreign policy course and stick to it? Obamas trip to Asia, which begins Saturday in China with a Group of 20 economic summit and includes a first-ever presidential visit to Laos, offers one view of the challenges Obama has faced in pursuing his overarching vision. We see this trip as really bringing together a number of the presidents top priorities for the last seven and a half years, said Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser. The list of legacy-defining items includes managing the increasingly tense territorial disputes between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea, cyberespionage, climate change and trade. Just as daunting are the flashpoint issues of the moment that could serve to deflect the presidents attention. In China, Obama is set to meet with President Xi Jinping, but his most closely watched meetings likely will be with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a critical and increasingly troublesome ally in the battle against the Islamic State. Thats going to be a very contentious meeting and drive as many headlines as anything he will do in Asia, said Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, a global political-risk consulting firm. In recent weeks Erdogan has blasted the United States for failing to extradite a U.S. resident whom the Turkish leader blames for a recent coup. Obama will also need to address tension arising from the increasingly nasty shooting war in Syria between Turkey and the Kurdish militia fighters both critical allies in a fight against the Islamic State. The meeting with Erdogan highlights a paradox for Obama. The White House has long insisted that the most consequential development of the 21st century is the rise of the Asia -Pacific region as an economic powerhouse. But the problems and opportunities in Asia rarely come with the pressing deadlines or the prospect of dire consequences as crises elsewhere in the world. We arent about to go to war in Asia, said Patrick Cronin, senior director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Things are pretty calm and people are mostly doing business. But there is a lot of jockeying about who is going to determine the rules of the road in the area. For the moment, the main jockeying has been with China, which escaped the global recession largely unscathed and has been eager, as the worlds second largest economy, to throw its weight around. Increasingly Chinese leaders have been unwilling to make concessions or show patience when it comes to settling territorial disputes with neighbors. The aggressive stance, in turn, has provoked alarm. China took a situation where it had a relatively friendly Asia and turned almost everyone against it, said Orville Schell, a longtime China scholar. Thats a very bad place for China to be in. When China gets spurned or rejected, it loses face. It brings out the most obdurate side of the country, a very dangerous side. But it has opened up opportunities for the Obama administration to forge closer ties with former adversaries such as Laos, Vietnam and Burma that crave a larger American presence as a counterbalance to China. The administrations flashiest initiative has come in Burma, also known as Myanmar, where the White House is seeking to build on the dramatic opening in the former hermit-like military dictatorship. In mid-September, shortly after he returns to Washington, Obama will welcome Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who is now leading Burmas government. Other moves have drawn less attention. As part of the negotiations around the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the largest free-trade deal in a generation, the White House has extracted promises from Vietnam to legalize labor unions. The former Communist foe has begun conducting lower level disaster relief exercises with the U.S. military that administration officials say could blossom into larger military exercises and a more permanent American presence in Vietnams Cam Ranh Bay. In Singapore, U.S. Navy ships and surveillance planes have become a regular presence. The U.S. military is working with Laos, a former adversary, to remove ordnance left over from the Vietnam War. U.S. Marines are turning up these days regularly in Australia. But the long-term success of the administrations strategic shift to Asia hinges on the massive 12-nation mega trade deal, which is now hung up in Congress. The White House has spent years negotiating the agreement with allies, using the sometimes contentious talks to set tougher rules on the environment, human trafficking and child labor. In many ways it is seen as a litmus test for whether or not the U.S. has staying power in the region . . . whether or not we can be counted on, Rhodes said. It would be a seen as a significant setback for American leadership if we dont move forward. The trade pact has broad support among Washingtons foreign policy establishment but has been bottled up in the Senate, where bipartisan resistance has mobilized against it. Today both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump oppose the deal in its current form. The Washington gridlock highlights how much Obamas strategic pivot toward Asia is dependent on events beyond his control. Obama can say whatever the hell he wants about it in Asia, Bremmer said. His work is back home where hell have to call in every possible favor and still get lucky in the lame duck session to get it passed. Without the trade deal, it is not clear whether Obamas moves many of which are incremental and draw little interest in Washington will be enough to engineer the historic shift he has been seeking. Some analysts say the sum total of these smaller efforts has been enough. Its very difficult to get credit in the moment when strategic change is so incremental, said Derek Chollet, a former Obama administration official and author of The Long Game, a book assessing the presidents foreign policy. This is a play that will unfold over years. Others in Washington are more critical. This is the most important foreign policy initiative he has tried to take over the last eight years, Bremmer said. But the legacy of the Asia pivot will be very weak if he cant get the trade agreement. obama-asia Last year, a domestic-violence victim failed to appear and testify at her alleged abusers trial. A Florida judges response was to ignore the victims tearful pleas, hold her in contempt of court and send her to jail. Earlier this week, Seminole County Judge Jerri Collins found herself on the opposite side of the bench as she received her own harsh scolding from Floridas chief justice. Collins stood through nearly six minutes of public reprimand after the Florida Supreme Court found that she violated the states code of judicial conduct. Chief Justice Jorge Labarga said Collins berated and belittled a victim of domestic violence and used sarcasm and inflammatory language against the woman, who repeatedly pleaded with Collins to not send her to county jail because she had to take care of her then-1-year-old son. The victim apologized for failing to appear, citing anxiety, depression and a desire to move on from contact with her abuser as reasons why she did not appear for trial, Labarga said. Meanwhile, Judge Collins, you raised your voice, used sarcasm, spoke harshly and interrupted the victim. Labarga said Collinss behavior brought unnecessary criticism upon your court, created the impression that she was biased toward prosecutors, and impaired the publics perception of Florida judicial systems fairness and impartiality. Judge Collins, this is indeed a sad day for you, a sad day for the people of Florida and a sad day for the judiciary upon which our people depend for justice, Labarga said. I cannot emphasize enough how intolerable your behavior was in this case. Collinss aggressive attitude toward the victim drew public ire after a video of the July 30, 2015, hearing in her courtroom in Sanford, Fla., was broadcast by an Orlando television station, according to the Orlando Sentinel. A Facebook page and an online petition calling for her impeachment have since surfaced. The man accused of abuse, Myles Brennan, who is also the father of the victims son, was supposed to go to trial last year. But the victim, the prosecutions key witness, failed to appear. As a result, the state dismissed the charge of dangerous exhibition of a weapon, and Brennan pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of simple battery. He served 16 days in jail, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Collins then ordered the woman to appear in court to explain why she shouldnt be held in contempt. You think youre going to have anxiety now? Collins asked the woman. You havent even seen anxiety. Collins explained that a jury of six people had been selected for the trial of Brennan, who has a history of domestic violence. You were required to be here by a court order. You disobeyed a court order knowing that this was not going to turn out well for the state, Collins told the woman. Is it true, what you told police, is it true? Those statements you told police on the day of this incident, was it true? In response, the woman mumbled a Yes. Then why wouldnt you come to testify? Collins asked. The woman explained that she had asked for the case to be dropped and that she wanted to move on with her life. She also said that she was just not in a good place right now. Im homeless now. Im living at my parents house, the woman said as she sobbed. Everything has been shut off. I just sold everything I own. Collins, again, interrupted, and told the woman that her anxiety did not do anything for her. She found her in contempt of court and sentenced her to three days in county jail. At that point, the womans sobs became louder, as officers walked toward her to take her in custody. Judge, Ill do anything. Please, please! the woman begged. I have a 1-year-old son and Im trying to take care of him by myself. Im begging you, please, please! Unfazed, Collins told the woman that she shouldve showed up at the trial. Ive already issued my order, she said. Earlier this year, Collins reached a plea deal with the state agency that polices judges and agreed to a public reprimand, the Orlando Sentinel reported. In July, the state Supreme Court issued an order stating a public reprimand was not a sufficient punishment. The court ordered Collins to complete courses on anger management and domestic violence but found that she was within her legal authority to send the woman to jail for contempt of court. Collins has expressed remorse and acknowledged that she shouldve been more patient and less aggressive with the victim, according to the order. Collins was appointed to the bench in 2005 by then-Gov. Jeb Bush (R). She was reelected in 2014, winning the election primary with 51 percent of the vote. Her six-year term will end in 2021. According to the Seminole County judges website, she presided over misdemeanor cases, such as driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license and domestic violence. She began her career at the Seminole County State Attorneys Office in Sanford. She switched to private practice, and then moved on to prosecuting crimes against the elderly and disabled. She attended the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Georgia, according to the Florida Bars website. florida-judge MISSOURI CITY, Texas Officials say two high school students have been arrested over a spate of BB gun shootings in a Houston-area neighborhood that left three people slightly hurt. The Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office says an 18-year-old male was arrested Friday at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City on a misdemeanor charge of making a terroristic threat. A 17-year-old male was arrested at home on a felony charge of injury to a child. Authorities say the BB gun attacks happened Aug. 19 through Aug. 27 at Sienna Plantation. One man was shot in the leg while riding a bike. Another victim was shot in the shoulder while walking his dog. Authorities say a 12-year-old boy was shot on the left side of his body. Other individuals were threatened. They started up the 23,000-foot Ogre-II peak in northern Pakistan on Aug. 21. The two were to reach the summit and descend in five days. But two weeks later, the mountain climbers from Utah have yet to return. The Alpine Club of Pakistan announced Thursday that Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson, who arrived in Pakistan on July 24 for a two-month expedition, were missing in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, the Associated Press reported. Spokesman Karrar Haidri said the club got in touch with local authorities and the climbers families after they did not return on the expected date, the Associated Press reported. Pakistani military helicopters will begin searching Saturday morning, Pakistan Standard Time, after weather conditions hampered rescue efforts for 10 days, Jonathan Thesenga, a friend of the climbers, told The Washington Post. Its a very difficult time right now because of the unknown and because we want to get up to them and help them, said Thesenga, who said hes been in contact with the search crew in Pakistan. We owe a huge amount of gratitude to the Pakistani government for scrambling all of their available assets and their commitment to finding Scott and Kyle. The climbers family started a GoFundMe campaign Wednesday to help pay for the costs of the rescue efforts. In two days, more than 4,000 people have raised more than $173,000. Dempster and Adamson were last seen Aug. 22, when their headlamps were spotted roughly halfway up the peak, according to the GoFundMe page. But a snowy storm moved in the next day and has continued in the region since. Thesenga, of Utah-based Black Diamond Equipment that sponsors Dempster, said the two nearly died when they tried to climb the icy and treacherous Ogre-II summit last year. Adamson broke his leg, according to Dempsters account of what happened, after falling 100 feet. Both men fell 400 feet while trying to descend, according to the AP. This year, they decided to return. They wanted to finish what they started and summit the peak, Thesenga told The Post. Dempster, 33, and Adamson, 34, are two of their generations most accomplished alpinists and have built their careers climbing some of the worlds tallest peaks, Thesenga said. After the unsuccessful attempt last year, Dempster wrote an essay about the climb published in the Adventure Journal: When people asked about my summer expedition to Pakistan, I found a myriad of ways in which I could answer. All were true, but some were substantially more brief than others. To family and friends I prefaced the complete experience with, Im really sorry. I nearly died. I could have killed Scott. It was my negligence, and I promise it wont happen again. I watched as their faces melted from excitement to concern to heartbreak. Tears were shed and I saw their trust in me evaporate. Fault in judgment and action call on the individual to own his or her mistake. Ive apologized. Im grateful to have learned. And because of that lesson, Im now a safer climber. I count on seeing my future all purpose is directed toward staying alive. After all, life is awfully fragile, and something as trivial as a tiny stick breaking in the woods can change its course. Earlier this year, two European climbers discovered the body of fellow climbers David Bridges and Alex Lowe, who vanished in a massive avalanche in 1999. Hikers David Goettler and Ueli Steck found the remains while climbing Tibets Shishapangma, the worlds 14th-tallest peak, towering at about 26,000 feet above sea level. Dempster and Adamson have known each other since they were teenagers and are frequent climbing partners, Thesenga said. Dempster co-owns High Ground Coffee in Salt Lake City, according to a short biography on Black Diamond Equipments website. He first started climbing in 1994. His perfect day, he wrote, involved the smell of coffee waking him up before the sun rises. Crawl outside of a sleeping bag. Pack up camp. Climb into the night. Kiss my girlfriend and thank her for a great day. Repeat, Dempster wrote. Adamson started climbing at age 16 and quickly became an active member of the climbing community in Utah. Scotts ultimate goals, even from a young age, are putting up long technical alpine mixed lines in the greater ranges; chasing the unknown, according to a short biography on the Liberty Mountains website. Over the past 20 years he has been filling the gaps to achieve that goal in all mediums of climbing. Thesenga said the mens families remain optimistic that the two will be found. pakistan-climbers-repeat LAS CRUCES Dona Ana Countys top prosecutor has cleared two Las Cruces police officers of wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of a robbery suspect last week. The office of Third Judicial District Attorney Mark DAntonio has concluded that officers were justified when they shot and killed 36-year-old Juan Gabriel Torres on Aug. 21, LCPD said in a statement. Torres allegedly robbed a Chevy pickup, abandoned it in the middle of a busy thoroughfare and then lunged at officers with a large hunting knife. Three officers responded to the scene. Sgt. Michael Henke and officer Johnathan Boehne fired their weapons; officer Christopher Gamez was transitioning from his duty weapon to a Taser when Torres lunged toward Boehne, according to the statement. LCPD said video and audio from Boehnes lapel camera show that officers repeatedly ordered Torres to drop the knife but he refused to do so. The evidence shows that officer Boehne and Sgt. Henke discharged their weapons when Torres lunged toward Boehne, according to the statement. Court records indicate that Torres who had a long criminal record and had served time on assault charges suffered from schizophrenia, paranoia and anti-social disorder. The LCPD statement does not address Torres mental health, and a spokesman indicated the police department would not be available to comment Friday, out of respect for the incident in Alamogordo where early reports suggest an officer and suspect are dead in a shooting. Jerry Schalow has been named president and chief executive officer of the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce, the chamber board of directors announced Wednesday. Schalow comes to Rio Rancho with more than two decades of experience in collaborating with businesses and consumers throughout New Mexico and the Southwest, most recently as president of First Santa Fe Insurance Services, an affiliate of First National Bank of Santa Fe. He worked closely with Isleta Pueblo to develop Native American Insurance Group, which is now one of the largest insurance agencies of its kind focusing on the needs of tribal entities. Erin Hagenow, who has served as the chambers interim executive director since June, will continue to work with RRRCC through Sept. 30 to coordinate the transition to Schalow. Longtime RRRCC President and CEO Debbi Moore stepped down in April to take a similar position with the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. Prior to FSFIS, Jerry was vice president for HSBC Bank in New Mexico, Arizona, California and Texas. He worked with many industries, but has particular expertise with financial services, non-profits, real estate development, retailing, and service-based companies. Schalow is a graduate of Texas Tech University and has served on numerous boards and commissions. He most recently served as a board member for the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico Connections Academy Charter School and St. Felix Pantry in Rio Rancho. I am excited about working with Rio Rancho, its surrounding communities, Sandoval County and Albuquerques West Side to continue building upon the foundation already in place at the chamber, Schalow said. Our efforts will focus on collaborating with businesses and area leaders on economic growth and on building partnerships that support those efforts. The buzz surrounding the proposed Facebook data center in Los Lunas has mostly centered on the potential economic impact of bringing the social media giant to New Mexico. But some say an equally exciting aspect of the project is the green rider contained in a contract between Facebook and the states largest utility. Its a good, balanced model for how other companies could come into this state and have all their energy needs provided by renewables, said Steve Michel, attorney for Western Resource Advocates, an intervening party when the contract was before state regulators. Facebook is deciding between Los Lunas and West Jordan, Utah, for the site of its new $250 million data center, and is expected to announce its decision this month. On Aug. 17, the state Public Regulation Commission approved a special services contract between Facebook and Public Service Company of New Mexico for the utility to supply the company with renewable energy for all of its electricity requirements. The green rider creates a legal mechanism for PNM to acquire renewable energy on Facebooks behalf and then to be compensated by Facebook for those resources. Under the rider, the data centers energy would come primarily from three solar facilities built by PNM and funded by Facebook. When the facilities produce more energy than the data center uses, PNM would credit Facebook at the market price of energy acquired from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona. Should the solar facilities produce less energy than the data center requires, PNM would power the site with its existing infrastructure at a rate that includes a fee that is fixed for 10 years, according to a different part of the contract. PNMs regulatory filings show Facebook could pay the utility up to $31 million a year for electricity. The green rider expands economic opportunity for renewables, which are less costly than coal and nuclear and are fixed, meaning the rates dont increase, for (a) decade, Mariel Nanasi, executive director of New Energy Economy, wrote in an email. This is the kind of price stability and security businesses are looking for, Even if Facebook doesnt locate its data center in New Mexico, said Michel, the green rider demonstrates to other companies that the regulatory process can be streamlined for large customers seeking to power their operations through renewable energy. PNM requested an expedited review process for the project, and the commission approved the contract 40 days after PNMs application was filed. The real attractiveness is that its a way to satisfy customers, developers and utilities, said Michel. There arent many things that do that. Peter Gould, attorney for New Mexico Industrial Energy Consumers, said although he doesnt believe the green rider would be an appropriate template for all businesses, he does think it could be beneficial to the state. Weve got to find different creative ways to jumpstart the New Mexico economy, said Gould. Maybe this is one of them. MEXICO CITY Six weeks ago, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto stood alongside President Barack Obama in the White House and pledged his absolute will to cooperate with whichever candidate won the U.S. presidential election. Even that banal political statement landed with alarm in Mexico. Thats because the night before, the man who formally accepted the Republican nomination for U.S. president was Donald Trump, who built his campaign around calling Mexican immigrants criminals and vowing to wall off the border and roll back trade ties. Pena Nietos comment during the July 22 visit to Washington, however, hinted at the already brewing notion among some factions of the Mexican government that a meeting with Trump might be worth organizing. In the weeks that followed, Mexican cabinet members and advisers to Pena Nieto debated fiercely about whether to invite Trump to Mexico, either before or after the election, according to people here familiar with the discussions. The result was Trumps surreal appearance Wednesday, calmly talking about his plans for the border wall as he stood alongside Pena Nieto, who hardly spoke a critical word about the American candidate. The event marked a dramatic departure from Mexicos historic caution about getting involved in U.S. presidential politics and has been roundly criticized in this country, where Trump is widely loathed. The meeting has divided the Mexican government and is being portrayed as a sign of ineptitude from Pena Nieto, who already had dismal approval ratings. This is probably the single worst public relations disaster of his entire administration, said Jorge Castaneda, who was Mexicos foreign minister from 2000 to 2003. The substance of [Pena Nietos] entire message should have been that the wall and the deportations and revisiting NAFTA are all unacceptable positions to Mexico, and all would constitute serious threats to the U.S. relationship with Mexico. Mexico has long sought to carefully calibrate its relations with its more powerful neighbor and chief trading partner seeking good ties but insisting on respect for its sovereignty and its citizens contributions. But Trumps bid for the presidency has utterly flummoxed the Mexican government. Its response has veered from one extreme to the other, with officials first dismissing Trumps candidacy, then abruptly replacing the low-key Mexican ambassador in Washington this past spring and crafting an aggressive public relations strategy to counter Trumps claims and show Mexicos value to Americans. In March, Pena Nieto compared Trump to Hitler. While it is common for American presidents to visit Mexico soon after being elected, a high-profile meeting between the Mexican president and an American candidate is quite unusual. In 2008, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, visited Mexico while a presidential candidate, along with other senators, and met privately with then-President Felipe Calderon. But that didnt have the state-visit flavor of Trumps appearance. Andres Rozental, who served as Mexican ambassador to Britain and was a career diplomat for more than 35 years, expressed astonishment that the Mexican government gave Trump a formal greeting at the presidential hangar, flew him by helicopter to the presidential palace and allowed him to appear with Pena Nieto before the worlds media. The planning was entirely done in secret and outside of the Foreign Ministrys knowledge, he said. It was certainly done in an extremely amateurish and totally unprofessional way. Critics said the Mexican president not only took a huge political gamble but appeared to botch the execution of his strategy. Pena Nieto meddled in the electoral process of the United States, and as I see it, what was the use? asked Lorenzo Meyer, a history professor at the College of Mexico. Mexico is a weak country, and we have to take great care with symbols its almost the only thing we have and he gave to Trump international exposure. Over the summer, Finance Minister Luis Videgaray, who had been Pena Nietos campaign manager in the 2012 election, was a leading advocate for the Trump visit, according to Mexicans familiar with the deliberations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. Videgaray, an MIT-educated economist, had been a state-level leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, and his political career had advanced along with Pena Nietos. The president selected Videgaray to be his behind-the-scenes liaison to the Trump campaign. Videgaray and other aides saw a Trump meeting as a political risk that was worth taking, in case Trump won the election, the sources said. But some senior members of the Mexican government strongly argued against such an invitation among them, Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu. The Mexico City daily Reforma reported Friday that Videgaray was especially concerned after ratings agencies Moodys and Standard and Poors had lowered their outlooks on Mexicos sovereign debt to negative in recent months because of the state of the countrys public finances. Trump has threatened to slap a 35 percent tariff on many imports from Mexico, potentially making things worse. Videgaray wanted to bring Trump to calm financial-market fears over the potential impact of his victory on the countrys economy, the newspaper reported. This was the type of political decision that was not popular but was needed, said one person in Mexico who was familiar with the decision-making, describing the advocates position. This was going to cost us in the polls, but it was important to meet face to face with the most dangerous candidate on the turf. Videgarays spokeswoman, Claudia Algorri Guzman, said that the idea and the decision to invite Trump were Pena Nietos. Any other account is false, she said. Pena Nieto wrote in an editorial that ran on the front page of Mexicos El Universal newspaper Thursday that it is his responsibility to meet with both U.S. presidential candidates, but especially Trump, because there are things that he should hear in person from the President of Mexico, beginning with how Mexicans feel. First, I was very clear in public and in private in emphasizing that in Mexico we feel offended and hurt by his pronouncements about Mexicans, he wrote. Pena Nietos three-page invitation, dated Aug. 25, was delivered to Trumps campaign headquarters in New York by courier on the next day, a Friday. Hillary Clinton received an invitation the same day. Dear Mr. Trump, began the note to the Republican candidate. On November 8th, the American people will choose the next President of the United States of America. I am sure that the electoral process will be one of vibrant debate, contrast of ideas and intense citizen participation, honoring the great democratic tradition of America. The letter referenced Pena Nietos recent meeting with my good friend President Barack Obama, noted the huge volume of trade between the two countries and called for strengthening their partnership. Therefore, it would be a great honor to meet with you and have a direct conversation about the common future of our nations, the letter concluded. For this purpose, I have instructed the Secretary of Foreign Relations to contact your office. Some Mexican officials who opposed the invitation didnt realize that a visit would happen so fast, and on Trumps terms. It occurred on the same day he gave an immigration speech in Phoenix. Things got out of control, said the Mexican familiar with the decision-making. This was mishandled, to say the least. Key parts of the Mexican government were not fully informed about the invitation and Trumps quick acceptance. The U.S. Embassy was alerted to the visit by the Secret Service, which was arranging security for the trip, but by Tuesday afternoon the American diplomats still hadnt received final confirmation of the visit. On Tuesday, Ruiz Massieu, the foreign minister, was in Milwaukee, unaware that Trump would be landing in Mexico City the next day. In her speech in the United States, she emphasized the importance of trade and the contributions of undocumented workers to Wisconsins economy, and she appeared to take a jab at Trump. The facts speak against the stereotypes, she said. History against intolerance. Cooperation against xenophobia. The next afternoon, as Trump stood alongside Pena Nieto, Ruiz Massieu sat with other cabinet members in the front row, a funereal look on her face. Karen DeYoung in Washington and Gabriela Martinez in Mexico City contributed to this report. mexico-trump Pope Francis canonizes Mother Teresa on Sunday, declaring the sainthood of a 20th-century figure renowned for her ministry to the poor and dying. Yet as the pope celebrates her sanctity, he will also be furthering a boom in the business of minting saints during his papacy. Theologians and papal watchers say Francis is proclaiming new saints at a rate not seen since the heady days of John Paul II, the churchs canonization champion. In his 3 1/2 years as pope, Francis has presided over 29 canonizations 11 more than Benedict XVI, his predecessor, at the same point in his papacy. If you consider that one of Franciss canonizations involved 813 15th-century Italian martyrs, he may even hold the record a record the pope is said to have jokingly embraced. It is not just the number that is notable but, in some cases, the speed and manner of canonizations, as well as Franciss willingness to bless the causes of candidates touched by controversy. By doing so, he has sparked a measure of controversy himself. When John Paul II died, there was a very strong feeling that there had simply been too many saints made, that the process was being cheapened, said Austen Ivereigh, author of The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope. I think theres a feeling that Benedict deliberately slowed the whole thing down, Ivereigh said. He canonized fewer. I suppose whats happening with Francis is that the pace we saw before Benedict is being resumed. In the Roman Catholic Church, the path to sainthood can take decades, frequently centuries. Yet Mother Teresa who will now be officially known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta reached the threshold of sainthood a relatively quick 19 years after death. Francis, in fact, has now presided over three of the fastest canonizations in modern church history those of Mother Teresa, John Paul II and a Spanish nun who died in 1998 and was declared a saint last year. The blessing of such rapid sainthoods has irked critics who argue that the Vatican is in danger of becoming an assembly line of saints. A certain historical distance is required in order to properly examine the holiness of a persons life, said Edmund Arens, professor of fundamental theology at the University of Lucerne in Switzerland. If a person led an exemplary life, why not take time to analyze it properly? Some also say that Francis may be favoring candidates who reflect his personal focus on inequality, mercy and the plight of the poor. They cite, for instance, last years beatification an intermediary step to sainthood of the Rev. Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran bishop assassinated in 1980. Romero is seen by some as a leftist symbol in his native El Salvador, and his cause had been stalled for years. But in 2013, only a month after Francis assumed office, a senior Vatican official announced that the pope had unblocked Romeros path to sainthood. This is very important, to do it quickly, Francis said of Romeros cause a year later. Some Vatican officials privately concede that the pope is playing pastoral politics utilizing the saint system to leave his mark. Yet others strongly counter that the pope is not cherry-picking saints, adding that the system simply does not work that way. Yes, the pope gives the ultimate up or down on candidates he is presented with. But, they say, he does not select his own. The final word is the popes, but the pope does not act in a vacuum, said the Rev. Robert Sarno, a senior official in the Vaticans Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He does not just reach back in time and look for saints. Many Catholic scholars see an added benefit in faster canonizations, especially for contemporary figures such as Mother Teresa and John Paul II who can seem more relevant to the lives of modern Catholics. Rather than study her life through arcane texts, the student of Mother Teresa can simply watch reruns of her television interviews on YouTube. Many Catholics still vividly recall the electric, stadium-size Masses of John Paul II. They lived under the same circumstances as we do, therefore theyre much closer to us, said Manfred Becker-Huberti, a Catholic theologian at the Philosophical-Theological University of Vallendar in Germany. They serve as role models. Someone like Mother Teresa can inspire people not just to worship her but to change their own lives. Like John Paul II, Francis has not shied away from candidates considered relatively controversial including Mother Teresa, who labored for most of her life in the slums of the Indian city then known as Calcutta (now Kolkata). She became perhaps best known for her hospices, where the poor and dying could pass with dignity. The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis but rather the feeling of being unwanted, she is quoted as saying in a 1971 biography. Yet if her lifes work generated admirers and earned her a Nobel Prize, it also spawned critics who charged her missions with failing to embrace modern medicine to treat and ease the suffering of patients. The people she saved were people in a graveyard waiting to be buried, people who were not given the right medications. People who suffered, said Tariq Ali, a British journalist who co-produced a critical documentary on Mother Teresa in 1994. That Francis is doing this is a regression in the sense that you just make all these people saints with dodgy records. Many theologians and Vatican watchers say Mother Teresa a woman who often seemed to be canonized by public opinion while she lived would have been on the fast track to sainthood regardless of who was pope. Saints are lofty figures seen by practicing Catholics as figures who can intercede with God on their behalf. Typically a cause, or case, for sainthood can start only five years after death. Candidates are generally forwarded to Vatican City from the diocese where they died, with postulators in Rome compiling reports to submit to a panel of Vatican authorities. Most candidates generally require two proven miracles, though figures who died for the faith need only one. Such claims are verified through exhaustive, if secretive, reviews. In the case of Mother Teresa, John Paul II initially lifted the five-year rule, allowing her process to start early. Although the second miracle attributed to her intervention a Brazilian man who recovered from a brain infection after praying to her is alleged to have occurred in 2008, Vatican officials say they were not made aware of it until 2013, following Franciss official trip to Brazil. All Francis did to further her cause, officials suggest, was sign on the dotted line. Yet in other instances, Francis has effectively waved the two-miracle rule, accepting only one, or even none, no fewer than eight times. In select cases, that has served to speed up sainthood. They include the case of Peter Faber, one of the founders of Franciss own Jesuit order and a figure viewed as a personal hero of the pope. Francis, on his own birthday, canonized Faber, earlier telling the Catholic magazine America the reasons he found him so worthy. It was, the pope said, because of Fabers dialogue with all, even the most remote and even with his opponents, his simple piety, a certain naivete perhaps, his being available straightaway, his careful interior discernment, the fact that he was a man capable of great and strong decisions but also capable of being so gentle and loving. Stefano Pitrelli in Rome and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report. pope-teresa JACKSON, Miss. The man who might be president came to this city last week and Priscilla Sterling could barely stomach that he was still in the race, much less in her home town. When she saw the clips on television, she saw throngs of white people wearing Build That Wall T-shirts in a state where the Confederate emblem is still etched into its flag. With them came Donald Trump, with his latest campaign chief, this one with ties to the white nationalist movement, pitching voters on a newfound notion that he could be a savior for African-American communities. All of it together the rallies and rhetoric, the echoes of oppression rekindled fears for Sterling that Trump was excavating the racist vestiges of the Old South. Theres just been something in the atmosphere, Sterling said recently, as she drove through block after block of unemployed men and women sitting on the front porches of dingy homes with sunken roofs in one of this citys oldest black neighborhoods. Trump has said that he does not want the votes of white supremacists. He will undertake his most direct appeal to black voters and whites looking for comfort that he is not a racist on Saturday when he tours Detroit with his most prominent African-American surrogate, Ben Carson. Those efforts started to gain steam here in Jackson, where Trump said at a rally last week that the lives of black Americans were so impoverished and crime-stricken that they had nothing to lose by voting for him. But, with his vow to make America great again, a slogan that feels to many blacks like a not-so-subtle reference to days that were anything but great for them, many here fear that Trump has emboldened a resentment among whites that will endure regardless of the outcome of the general election. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there was a 15 percent increase in the number of hate groups tracked in 2015, partially attributed to the Trump candidacy and controversies over the Confederate flag. African-Americans such as Sterling said they didnt need those statistics to sense a change. They said they felt it in looks and stares from white people on the street and in being ignored when they entered gas stations or convenience stores. My family has worked so hard to reconcile the races, said Sterling, 48, a distant cousin of Emmett Till, who was abducted, brutalized and murdered in 1955 at the age of 14 after he had allegedly whistled at a white woman. The white men who killed him were acquitted by an all-white jury; no one would be convicted in the case until 2004. In Mississippi, its been hard. But Trump is making it harder . . . by getting people excited about making America like it was in the past, Sterling said. Does he know about the past? Bobby McGowan, an African-American county board supervisor, said that a few weeks ago he was driving a charter bus through a rural area outside Jackson when some young white men threw rocks at him. To me, that was racism, McGowan said. These were things that used to happen in the old days. It was here in Mississippi, after all, where young civil rights activists were slain during the Freedom Summer, a 1964 voter registration project. A year earlier, civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in the driveway outside his home in Jackson. The older generation suffered the indignities of having to bow their heads when they passed a white person on the street and lived through intense white flight that decimated Jacksons economy. That shift began after the desegregation of the public schools in the 1970s, said Robert Luckett, a history professor at Jackson State University. The trend continued after the city government went from having three citywide elected positions to a council that represented different city wards. Jackson elected its first black mayor in 1997. When black people started getting political power, that was it, said Kenneth Stokes, an African-American who was first elected to the City Council in 1989. They left for he suburbs. Between 2000 and 2010, Jacksons white population decreased by 40 percent. The city is now 80 percent black. Many of Trumps white supporters in Mississippi are quick to emphasize that his business experience will help bring jobs to all communities, including black ones. I think hes saying things in the way to get people talking about the issues, said Stephen McDill, 32, a white customer service representative who lives in a suburb outside Jackson where Trump is popular. If there are some in the African-American community that are scared, I understand that, because of the history. But Im not scared for my African-American friends or neighbors. Weve come a long way, even though we still have farther to go. For some blacks here, the question of how to respond to Trumpism has upended the order of things. Charles Evers, 93, is the brother of the slain civil rights hero. A local radio talk show host, he unsettled many with his decision in March to support Trump even as he acknowledged a swirl of racism around the campaign. Evers, who became a Republican in 1980 but backed President Barack Obama, said he likes Trumps business experience and his focus on getting jobs back into the black community. He pays no attention to the supremacist idea. Aint they all racist? said Evers. What I know is Trump has black people working for him, that he gives us jobs. There are always going to be racists in the world, so that doesnt matter to me. To some of Everss radio listeners, his sentiments reflect a Trump-infused world that they barely recognize. Trump has got even Charles Evers talking crazy. Nothing is the same, said LC Palmer, 47, an auto mechanic who is black.. For Sterling, everyday occurrences reinforce her sense that racial civility is breaking down. On a recent afternoon, her mother waited for her to come home from a doctors appointment. Her house is small, with pink shingles, next to an empty lot. An American flag hangs from her front porch. Inside is crowded with binders and books and certificates and diplomas going back to Sterlings grade-school years. As Sterling plopped on the sofa, she began to tell her mother, Gloria Williams, about her unpleasant experience at the doctors office. A staff member told her that her insurance had expired, Sterling recalled, which was wrong. Sterling was unable to get cellphone reception in the building, so she asked to use an office phone to call her employer and clear up the mistake. The staff member, who was white, told her no, Sterling said. The staff member then told her that she needed to pay hundreds of dollars for her screening. Sterling began to wonder whether she was treated so harshly because she was one of the few black patients at the office. I cried. I cried because I felt it was racism, she said. This is the attitude and the atmosphere that Trump is causing. He is fostering this hate and when you plant negative seeds, people act on it. Sterling and her mother recalled that magical moment when Obama was elected, how there were drug boys and clubgoers crying in the streets because a racial barrier had been broken. He hadnt been a perfect president the area was still struggling and they did not know a single person who benefited from his signature health-care law but at least he had been their president. He went to those white folks on bended knees and they treated him so bad, Williams said. We know why. Even Ray Charles wouldve been able to see that. But still, things were not so bad over the past few years, Sterling said. Not great, but tolerable. At least people knew it was wrong to treat others badly. And now we have people talking about the KKK coming back, said her mother, who moved to Jackson in 1966 after she received death threats in another town for registering black people to vote. You know, some times I wonder if Im almost paranoid, Sterling said. I have mixed-race nieces and nephews, and I have worked for racial reconciliation. But sometimes when they pass with those old trucks, with all those tattoos with the history of my family and my ability to speak out, I dont know if I should be worried. She paused. Are they coming for me next? I try my best to be calm, but Im scared. I pray to God to give me the strength to continue to believe that things will get better. trump-mississippi We can help you make sense of the agribusiness industry, extending from chemicals and fertilizers used as inputs into agriculture, to the commodities, food and by-products that are an output to farming, with policy and regulation applied at every step of the value chain. MOUNT PLEASANT A woman is facing pending drunken driving charges after a two-vehicle accident Thursday night at Highway 11 (Durand Avenue) and Oakes Road, the Mount Pleasant Police Department reported. According to a news release, the woman, whose identity was not provided, had two children under the age of 16 in her car at the time of the collision. Police said there were no serious injuries, and none of those involved were transported by ambulance to the hospital. Police said both children were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Police and South Shore Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the intersection at 8:20 p.m. Upon arrival, officers reported that two vehicles were involved: a blue Mitsubishi Galant and a silver Volkswagen Passat. The driver of the Volkswagen had no other occupants in her vehicle, police said. An investigation determined that the operator of the Mitsubishi failed to yield the right of way to the westbound Volkswagen driver as she attempted to turn left from eastbound Durand onto Oakes, police said. A traffic standard also was knocked down in the collision, police said, and required traffic to be diverted for a time. The driver of the Mitsubishi was required to take field sobriety tests, which she reportedly failed and was then taken into custody. The suspect driver was transported to Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints hospital for an evidentiary blood test, police said. Results of the test will be reported, police said. The children were turned over to a guardian and the intersection was eventually returned to normal with no remaining traffic obstructions, police said. Modified On Sep 02, 2016 04:08 PM By Alshaar New models, big discounts and bigger launches the past month saw it all from Indias automotive industry. As a result, the passenger car market rocketed by 15 per cent in the month of August, with major car manufacturers selling more than 2.53 lakh units in the country. As expected, the countrys largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India Limited led the pack last month with 1,19,931 units shipped to customers, at a 12.2 percent growth. Its small car market though, continued to be hampered by its ageing portfolio and the challenge from Renault that sold almost 13,000 units in August, registering a remarkable 200 per cent-plus growth. The French carmaker also managed to stay in the headlines last month with the launch of the 1.0-litre version of its hot-selling Kwid hatchback. Among other auto majors was Indias second-largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor India Limited. It sold 43,201 units in August with a steady 6.2 per cent growth from last year. With the recent launch of the fifth-generation Elantra executive sedan, it is hoping to carry the same momentum into the forthcoming festive season. Domestic carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra will also be hoping for similar movement in the coming days as its sales also rocketed up by 29 per cent to 18,246 units. Tata Motors too continued its upward trajectory from the past few months on the back of the Tiago hatchback. It registered a healthy 16 percent growth by selling 13,002 units. Other carmakers, including Nissan, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen, were all in the green last month as Honda Cars India remained the only manufacturer to experience negative growth. With sales dipping under the 14,000-mark, the Japanese carmaker fell by almost 11 per cent. Overall, financial experts are predicting the same trend to continue in the coming months ahead of the festive season; with the current fiscal heading towards a double-digit growth for the first time in five years. Up next soon is the list for the top-selling passenger cars from August; stay tuned! S No Manufacturer Units Sold Growth (%age) 1 Maruti Suzuki Pvt Ltd 1,19,931 12 2 Hyundai Motor India Ltd 43,201 6.7 3 Mahindra & Mahindra 18,246 29 4 Honda Cars India 13,941 -10.9 5 Tata Motors 13,002 16 6 Renault India 12,927 227 7 Toyota Kirloskar Motors 12,801 15 8 Ford India 8,548 2.6 9 Nissan India 5,918 111 10 Volkswagen 4,447 6 Published On Sep 02, 2016 06:18 PM By Raunak for Skoda Kodiaq 2018-2020 The Czech automakers debutant 7-seater SUV looks promising with Volkswagen Group's MQB platform, the tech on board, and its design. Skoda has revealed its flagship and first-ever 7-seater SUV, the Kodiaq, in Berlin, Germany. The Kodiaq made its concept debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and the production version has been teased a lot of times. The large Czech SUV is expected to hit European roads in early 2017, while its Indian launch will most likely happen around the festive season of 2017. Let us see what the 2017 Kodiaq has to offer in terms of design, features and mechanicals. Design and Chassis The design of the Kodiaq stays true to its concept the VisionS and it looks unmistakably like a Skoda. The SUV is based on the Volkswagen Groups modular transverse matrix (MQB) platform, and it stretches 4,697mm in length, 1,882mm in width and is 1,676mm tall. The Kodiaq features a wheelbase of 2,791mm. Since the Kodiaq is using VWs lightweight modular MQB platform, the SUV weighs relatively less. The entry-level petrol variant with front-wheel drive tip the scales at 1,452kg and 1,540kg with all-wheel drive while the range-topping diesel with four-wheel drive weighs 1,761kg. Speaking of the design elements, the front fascia features a twin headlights setup similar to the pre-facelift Yeti, but are narrow and raked. The headlights are closely flanked by the three-dimensional radiator grille, making its front facade look sharp and elegant. The tail lamps feature standard LED lighting and get C-shaped graphics similar to the rest of Skodas. Additionally, both the lights of the SUV feature a crystalline structure inspired by the Czech crystal glass art, similar to that of the Skoda Superb. The SUV comes standard with 17-inch wheels and 18-inchers are available in the range-topping trims, while 19-inch polished alloy wheels are optional. Interiors and Features Though the cabin shares most of its features with the latest third-generation Superb, the overall design is typical SUV-ish with large AC vents and boxy layout. The steering wheel, instrument cluster, and AC controls are shared with the brands flagship sedan, the Superb. The Kodiaq will be available in 5-seater and 7-seater versions globally, but it is most likely to be offered only with the latter option in India. The 5-seater version offers a boot space of 720-litres, and 2,065-litres with the rear seats folded down. It also comes with an electrically operated tailgate, and can (as an optional extra) be opened with the firms virtual pedal system. In terms of the infotainment system, the Kodiaq comes with Skodas latest capacitive touchscreen-based units, which come standard with Apple CarPlay, Google Android Auto, and MirrorLink support. A 6.5-inch unit is standard in the Kodiaq, while it also offers bigger 8-inch units with navigation. The top-of-the-range infotainment system offers features such as a 64GB flash memory and a DVD drive along with an optional LTE module (4G), and owners can also add a WLAN hotspot (optional). The Kodiaq also offers optional wireless charging for smartphones supporting the same. The optional Phonebox charges a smartphone inductively and also connects it to the car's aerial both processes occur wirelessly. Like the Superb, the Kodiaq will also feature a Canton Sound System. The unit in the Kodiaq is rated at 575 watts and features ten speakers, including a subwoofer. The optional ambient lighting is built into the door trims of the SUV and can be set to ten different colours. In terms of safety features, the Kodiaq, in India, will get similar features as the recently launched Superb. The Kodiaq is most likely to come with 8 airbags along with most common electronic aids. The SUV will also offer optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), which will be available in the Superb as well in India in 2017. The DCC controls the work of the shock absorbers depending on the situation, in conjunction with the available driving modes Comfort, Normal or Sport. Moreover, it also comes with an Off-road mode, which is optional for the all-wheel-drive versions, in combination with the existing driving modes. Engines and Transmission The 2017 Kodiaq will have five engine options globally. There are two petrol engines on offer 1.4-litre and 2.0-litre TSI along with a single diesel 2.0-litre TDI. Transmission options include 6-speed manual and 6- and 7-speed DSG automatic transmissions. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org ATLANTA Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro met in Plains, Georgia, Thursday to exchange ideas on matters relating to democracy and human rights in the region. They discussed possibilities of cooperation and agreed on some of the principal challenges facing the hemisphere: Venezuela Sept. 1 Protest: They congratulated the Venezuelan people who conducted a peaceful demonstration today in Caracas, which reaffirms the will of the people for a democratic resolution in connection with the recall referendum. Recall Referendum: They agreed on the need for the recall referendum (a constitutional right of the Venezuelan people) to be held in 2016. They agreed, too, that, it was incumbent upon the National Electoral Council to ensure that that expression of the will of the people takes place within the duly stipulated timeframes. Political Prisoners: They jointly condemned the proven existence of political prisoners in Venezuela and demanded their immediate release. Haiti President Carter and Secretary General Almagro pointed to the need to comply with the electoral timetable and called for much-needed democratic stability to be achieved in that country as soon as possible. Colombia Both men emphasized their commitment to peace in Colombia. They trust that the recent agreements signal the end to a uniquely painful period in the history of Colombia. ### "Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope." A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. The NCUA banned former credit union executives who collectively stole more than $1.1 million from their respective credit unions. John C. Barry, a retired police officer and the former office manager of the merged $7 million Portland Maine Police Department Federal Credit Union pleaded guilty to embezzlement and falsifying NCUA Call Reports. He was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, five years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $533,791. In December 2014, PMPDFCU was consolidated into the $108 million TruChoice Federal Credit Union of South Portland, Maine. Sherry Garner, a former president/CEO of the merged HD York Federal Credit Union in York, Pa., pleaded guilty to bank larceny and tax evasion. She admitted to embezzling $252,106 from the credit union between 2010 and 2013. She also admitted to federal income tax evasion for not reporting her embezzled income and owed $62,704 in back taxes. She was sentenced to two years in prison, three years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $314,810. In May 2014, the $2.7 million, HD York FCU was merged with the $69 million White Rose Credit Union, also based in York. Capitol Hill isnt the only place where we, as a unified credit union movement, must meet and discourse with our elected officials. In fact, this summer presented a host of opportunities to connect with lawmakers and get in their ears about credit union priorities. It began during the two national party conventions. Working closely with the Ohio Credit Union League and Pennsylvania Credit Union Association, both of which led inspiring fundraising efforts, we created two leave-behind projects that not only will have a lasting effect on the host cities but also raise credit unions standing among lawmakers. Along with two widely attended public forums on the middle class, these efforts gave CUNA, leagues, and member credit unions an unmistakable presence at the national conventions. These events involved hundreds of lawmakers who, thanks to our work, left the conventions with a stronger sense of the importance of credit unions in their communities. Zimbabwean Army Prepared For Cyber Warfare The Zimbabwean army is ready to deal with those using the internet to destabilise the southern African country, the state-owned Herald newspaper reported. Zimbabwe National Army commander, Lieutenant-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, warned they were training their officials to detect and deal with internet threats. As an army, at our institution of training, we are training our officers to be able to deal with this new threat we call cyber warfare, where weapons, not necessarily guns, but basically information and communication technology, are being used to mobilise people to do wrong things. We will be equal to the task when the time comes, Sibanda was quoted as saying. The country has in recent months been hit by a wave of protests, as Zimbabweans demand that the government deal with the ongoing economic decline. On July 6, the country came to an abrupt standstill as Zimbabweans downed tools, demanding better services. Many businesses, shops, schools, government departments and courts were closed. Public transport came to standstill. The protests were reportedly organised through social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp. A cleric in the southern part of the country galvanised thousands of Zimbabweans to stand up against the malfunctioning government of longtime ruler Robert Mugabe through a video he posted on his Facebook page in May. Baptist pastor Evan Mawarire, 39, unwittingly began the This Flag movement when he expressed his frustration at the state of his nation, wearing the Zimbabwean flag around his neck. Since then, a number of other social media movements have sprung up throughout the country. This resulted in the ruling Zanu-PF government accusing the governments of Britain, United States of America, and France of interfering in the countrys internal affairs. Ein News: http://bit.ly/2aTWbWJ Farmers in western Lancashire are blaming the Environment Agency (EA) for a return of flooding, which is threatening their livelihoods once again. Heavy rain last week has swamped the drainage system leading into the River Cocker, between Garstang and Cockerham, leaving many farms underwater and essential crops ruined. One of the worst-affected farms belongs to Adam Sutcliffe, who milks 150 cows, with followers, on 110ha in the village of Winmarleigh, See also: Advice to help you protect your farm during flooding It is heartbreaking, he said. We were behind already, having had the same fields underwater for three months last year. We had grants for reseeding and took a first crop of 140 acres of silage though it was pretty poor. The next cut was ready and we got about 20 acres of it before the rains came and now the remaining 120 acres is underwater again. I dont know if the crop is salvageable, but we have to try. The smell is awful its like someone flushed a toilet on half my farm Adam Sutcliffe, farmer I reckon we have enough fodder to see us to Christmas, but what will happen after that I dont know, he told Farmers Weekly. We are currently pumping water out round the clock its costing me 900/day to keep the pumps running, and I have to go out in the middle of the night to fill them up with diesel. I dont know if the crop is salvageable, but we have to try. The smell is awful its like someone flushed a toilet on half my farm. Root cause Mr Sutcliffe says the root cause of the problem is the EAs decision a few years back to cease maintenance of the ditches. It has also installed new automatic gates at the entrance to the river Cocker estuary, which are designed to be opened and shut by the tide. But farmers say the gates are too heavy, get silted up and are blocked by debris on the seaward side, while the field ditches are so choked with weed and algae that they dont flow out fast enough. Ted Mitchell, who keep 200 dairy followers on the same plain, says the problems are made worse by all the water that drains off the M6 motorway on the eastern boundary, which adds to the capacity problem. He too blames EA cuts, which means farmers now have to apply for licences and foot the bill for clearing ditches. Priorities According to NFU county adviser Adam Briggs, the EA prioritises housing and businesses when it comes to flooding, but this does not encompass farmland. We have been working with several organisations, including the Country Land & Business Association and the Environment Agency, and local farmers to try and sort it out, he said. In particular, he wants to see farmers given permanent licences, so they dont have to apply separately every time work needs doing, and for farmers to be able to get involved in silt clearing on the seaward side of the gates. Also, when work needs doing, we want a situation where everyone shares the cost, rather than just the one farmer who has to do the work. Politics The plight of farmers in the area has also drawn political support. Local Labour MP Cat Smith described the situation as heartbreaking and said environment secretary Andrea Leadsom should recognise the false economy of the governments austerity agenda as it risks the livelihoods of local farmers. These farmers need the Environment Agency to undertake the works necessary to ensure that this drainage system is effective, and to maintain the system until long-term local maintenance arrangements can be put in place, she said. The EA admitted it prioritises investment where there is greatest risk to people and property. An EA spokesman said: In areas where our maintenance investment is changing we work with the local community to explain the changes and the options available to them. Environment Agency representatives have met with the community in Cockerham and Winmarleigh to explain the changes to our maintenance programme and have provided advice and guidance on the options available to them for undertaking maintenance. Meetings have been well attended by MPs, parish councillors, farmers, the NFU and CLA and Natural England and we are pleased to have supported the community to undertake recent dredging works. On Sepetmeber 8, activist S. Brian Willson will speak and answer questions before the Santa Cruz premiere of the film "Paying the Price for Peace" at Louden Nelson Community Center. Many activists in Santa Cruz share part of the history shown in this inspired film - the struggle against the wars in Central America in the 1980s, the actions at the Concord Naval Weapons Station and the attack on Brian there by a moving freight train that took his legs, the many actions to stop the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and much more. We share as well many of the up to the moment struggles that the film illuminates, and the many leaders sharing the path with Brian, like Medea Benjamin and David Swanson. Brian, with his partner Becky Luening, made Santa Cruz home for a number of years, where Brian was a member of the Bill Motto VFW Post 5888 ("the Post for Peace"), and directed a group called the Veteran's Peace Action Teams (V-PAT) that sent teams of vets to Central America to rebuild communities torn apart by the American funded wars there.After losing his lower legs at Concord, and suffering a major brain injury, Brian has recovered to live a luminary and inspiring life, continuing his work for peace, justice, and locally based, petroleum free economies around the globe!The film premiered in Portland, Oregon on July 3, and additional screenings in California include San Luis Obispo Library on September 2, Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on September 6, and First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco on Sept. 7.Paying the Price for Peace: The Story of S. Brian Willson tells the story of S. Brian Willsons courageous attempts to promote peace through nonviolent actions, as well as the struggles and activism of other American veterans and civilians. The documentary features other notable peace advocates such as Daniel Ellsberg, Blase Bonpane, Martin Sheen, Colonel Ann Wright, Ron Kovic, Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin, Camilo Mejia, Mike Prysner, Bruce Gagnon, David Hartsough, David Swanson, and Alice Walker.The production team held two successful Indiegogo crowdsourcefunding campaigns, and obtained contributions from over 200 donors including multiple chapters of Veterans for Peace, Noam Chomsky, Medea Benjamin, and many other individuals. Funds raised went towards production expenses, an original music score, editing, narration by Peter Coyote, and final post production and DVDs. The movie also includes archive footage of Brians Fast for Life, the scenes at the Concord Nuremberg Actions at the Concord Naval Weapons Station, footage from VFP conventions, many U.S. peace demonstrations in major cities, and interviews with members of organizations such as the A.N.S.W.E.R coalition, CodePink, Veterans For Peace, and interview subjects such as President Ortega in Nicaragua, and more. In exchange for contributions, donors will receive copies of the finished documentary on DVD, signed movie posters, signed copies of S. Brian Willsons book, Blood on the Tracks, peacepins, credit in the film, and be invited to upcoming screenings of the documentary.S. Brian Willson, is a former Air Force Vietnam Veteran turned Peace Activist, who lost both of his legs during a peaceful demonstration when he was struck by a munitions train that was speeding 3 times over the legal limit toward the protesters at the Concord Naval Weapons Station, California. Consequently, thousands of antiwar demonstrators converged at the site and ripped up the railroad tracks, blocking all trains for the following 865 days in protest of all munitions shipments to the US government backed wars in Nicaragua or El Salvador. Congress had subsequently passed legislation that prohibited funding the covert US backed wars to overthrow democratically elected governments in Central American countries, especially Nicaragua. But even then, the Reagan administration illegally continued to support the Contra war. The film also depicts actions and other spokespersons of todays peace movement, the ongoing U.S. wars of aggression in multiple countries. The film shows why current antiwar activists challenge a perpetual war profiteering economy calling for an end to supporting Americas illegal wars.The Santa Cruz Chapters of Veterans for Peace, CodePink, and the Peace & Freedom Party invite you to an evening with S. Brian Willson and the new film about his life and times, and the continued movement for peace and justice around the world!"Paying the Price for Peace"Louden Nelson Community Center, corner of Center and Laurel Streets, Santa CruzThursday September 8th, 6-9PM$5. and up, by donation!Brian will join the community at the beginning of the film screening to speak and answer questions because he needs to catch a train back to Portland late in the evening. Then the film will be shown, which runs about an hour and a half. If time permits, there will be more Q and A with the producer Bo Boudart after the film.To learn more about Brian and his work, please visit Brians website at http://www.brianwillson.com/ . Brian has also published the book, Blood on the Tracks: The Life and Times of S. Brian Willson. For more information visit http://bloodonthetracks.info/ LifeStyle The best LifeStyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel LifeStyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Deb Hutton and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand. Get Foxtel - Buhari says change will come after much hard work, patience and perseverance - The Nigerian president says he will keep to his promise, as he plans to do everything possible to make live better for Nigerians - Governor Rauf Aregbesola says President Buhari has not disappointed the citizens as regards his promise to the people President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the promised change by his administration will come after much hard work, patience and perseverance, Premium Times reports. Speaking at his at his one-day working visit to Osun state, on Thursday, September 2, Buhari promised that his administration will do everything for possible to make life better for Nigerians, even as the nation is being faced with the ugly reality of recession. Buhari's change will come after much hard work and patience He said: During our campaigns, we promised our people positive and progressive change, he said. But history has taught us that change does not come as easy as that. Change will come after much hard work, patience and perseverance. We promised that we shall do everything for our country and our people and this wont be long in coming. Buhari also used the occasion to commission some projects executed by the Rauf Aregbesola administration, including the Osogbo Government High School which has about 3000 students capacity. Buhari commission some projects executed by the Rauf Aregbesola administration, including the Osogbo Government High School which has about 3000 students capacity The president expressed his felicitation on the commemoration of the creation of Osun 25 years ago, saying its creation was for development. He said: Our government has been helping states to realise their developmental plans irrespective of political parties. We are here to commission Osogbo Government High School, one of the legacy projects of Rauf Aregbesola. The facility here is worthy of emulation by other states. What we are witnessing here is a fulfilment of our government policy on education. The economy of scales in this edifice is unquantifiable and so we must seize the opportunities the school has in stock. READ ALSO: Fast all in one -- UC Browser Governor Aregbesola said President Buhari has not disappointed the citizens as regards his promise to the people. Reacting after, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state said President Buhari has not disappointed the citizens as regards his promise to the people. READ ALSO: Recession: Buhari Demands understanding from Nigerians The governor accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the cause of the challenges we are Nigerians, as a result of the party rape of the nations resources Aregbesola said: He has not disappointed us. He has faced his task with courage and doggedness. No doubt, he is facing some challenges part of which is the fall in revenue that has put about 28 states under severe financial crisis. He continues with a rare sense of doggedness and faith in God as he faces the turbulent situations. We are satisfied with the way he manages the affairs of the state and leads us. The challenges we are facing are as a result of the previous partys PDP rape of our resources. Governor Aregbesola put the cost of the newly commissioned Osogbo Government High School at N1.35 billion, and said the school had standard facilities. He said besides classrooms, there are offices, laboratories, toilets, library, bookshop, sick bay, and multi-purpose hall which can accommodate 1000 students for examinations. He said: It is part of our partys manifesto to provide basic education and you can see that in the way All Progressive Congress governed states pay so much attention and commitment to education. When we came in here at Osun, we first held an education submit headed by Prof. Wole Soyinka. Now, we have built 14 elementary schools, 15 middle schools and 11 high schools. Dignitaries in attendance at the event include; Governors of Oyo, Borno and Lagos States, Abiola Ajimobi, Ibrahim Shettima and Akinwunmi Ambode respectively. Deputy governors, ministers, members of the national and state houses assembly, and permanent secretaries were also in attendance. Legit.ng recalls that Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nigerias vice president recently said that Nigerians should not be in a rush with the present federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari, as it took over a bad economy from the former administration. Osinbajo informed the citizens that the Buhari-led government was working 24 hours every day to find a lasting solution to the present harsh economy. He said the administration of President Buhari has concluded that before the end of September, the Bank of Agriculture will begin giving out single digit interest loans to farmers in the country.l Source: Legit.ng Working at a huge multinational company that pays very well is surely the goal for most young Nigerian graduates. More specifically, working at Facebook is one plum job, many would go to great lengths to land. According to Forbes, Mark Zuckerberg is worth $54.4 billion. His company which was established in 2004, employs about 3,000 people. The pay structure at Facebook is indeed mouth-watering, software engineers are paid about $106,521 - $175,597 yearly, data scientists earn between $84,234 - $188,434, while product designers with the company earn a little less than that. Not surprisingly, there are about 11 Nigerians working with Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, and at least 7 of them are in the top echelons of the company. Here they are: 1. Chukwuemeka Afigbo Chukwuemeka Afigbo formerly worked at Google According to Crunchbase, a database for tech heads, Emeka is a Strategic Product Partnerships manager for Facebook. He is focused on helping developers in Africa and the Middle East succeed by leveraging Facebooks platforms , products and initiatives. Emeka has a passion for growing the tech ecosystem in emerging markets. Prior to Facebook , Emeka led Google developer community initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of the Africa and Middle East Developer Relations team. He played a huge role in Mark Zuckerberg's recent visit to Nigeria. 2. Ebele Okobi Ebele Okobi formerly worked at Yahoo Ebele was one of the moderators of the Town Hall meeting held in Nigeria with Mark Zuckerberg and Nigerian developers and entrepreneurs. She is Facebooks Head of Public Policy, Africa. Before joining Facebook, Ebele was the founding Global Head and Senior Legal Director for Human Rights at Yahoo, where she led global efforts to address the legal and policy issues related to privacy, free expression and access. READ ALSO: Hilarious! See when Mark Zuckerberg met Goodluck Jonathan (video) 3. Morin Oluwole Morin Oluwole has worked at different positions within Facebook Since joining Facebook in 2006, Morin has held several diverse roles. She is currently the Luxury Vertical Lead for Facebook/Instagram. She has been the business lead and chief of staff to the vice president of global marketing solutions at and walks among power women around the world, who are relentlessly charting their own paths to success. 4. Francis Ebong Francis Ebong has had a great career so far Francis Ebong is the Director, Online Operations at Facebook. The graduate of the George Washington school of business, formerly worked as Director, Business Operations, Postmates and from 2011-2014 he has worked with Apple from 2011-2014, and as a logistics director in the US Navy. 5. Ime Archibong Ime Archibong formerly worked with IBM Ime Archibong is the Director of Global Products Partnership at Facebook. Ime has led several of the companys major media related partnerships, including those in the music industry and online video space. Prior to joining Facebook, Ime was an Advanced Technology Business Development Professional at IBM where he focused on the licensing of IBMs global portfolio of storage research technology. Ime started his career at IBM as a software engineer. READ ALSO: Fast all in one -- UC Browser 6. Nmachi Jidenma Nmachi Jidenma is the founder of CPA an award winning website Nmachi Jidenma works at Facebook as its Global Payments & Commerce Partnerships Manager where she manages partnerships with financial services companies and develops new product initiatives at the intersection of payments, commerce, social networking and advertising. Prior to Facebook, she worked as a Global Business Development Manager for PayPal's billion dollar. 7. Laurence Aderemi Laurence Aderemi built Moni a money transfer Previously, Aderemi was Googles head of mobile strategic partnerships in Europe. He joined Google as part of the AdMob acquisition where he led strategy and business development for EMEA. Before AdMob, he was European general manager at Yahoo. He is now the Head of Payments and Commerce Partnerships for Facebook Global. We wish them, greater careers ahead. Source: Legit.ng Editor's note: Igbos have been living in Lagos for a long time and have also contributed their quota to the development of the state. In this opinion by Clement Udegbe, he argues that the moves made by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode indicates that the governor and by extension Lagos is hostile towards Igbos, He urged them to move towards developing Igboland. Lagos is not for Igbos The new plan by Governor Ambode is to either force Igbos to go and start buying lands in Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe and other areas in the hinter lands; build houses and markets to develop those areas, or go back to the South East as Governor Fashola told them to do after the deportation of Igbos in 2013. The risk in this new plan is best captured by an Igbo proverb that says when a child starts planning to eat plenty fresh vegetable, the vegetable also plans how to give the child diarrhoea. No one, including the owners of Lagos, can say what Lagos will look like without Igbos, or what Igbos will do if they have to be forced to relocate. READ ALSO: Nwabueze blames Buhari for militants, pro-Biafra activities However, some Igbo traders may foolishly rush to those areas and start fresh struggles to own land and develop them, thereby repeating the same mistake they made after the civil war. These ones will always see themselves as wiser than the rest. They are the ones who often boast to themselves that they spent huge sums of money just to sand fill some deep swampy areas in Ojo, Abule Egba,Okota, Ejigbo areas, etc, before building. They forget that the cost of sand filling alone would have given them three mansions or more in their dry Igbo land. Igbo elders must work towards development of Igboland An Igbo proverb says that wisdom is like a hand bag: you pick up yours as you go about your affairs. But it appears many Igbos forget theirs in their villages with respect to Nigeria! They have this mind set, attributable to after effects of the civil war, to settle outside their state, no matter how close. Igbos and the strange interest in developing other places For example, Igbos strangely prefer to go and buy lands, build and live in Asaba and its environs, and commute to their markets stalls and shops in Onitsha, while neglecting all that vast good land from Ogbaru, to Aguleri and their environs. Many Igbo buy swamps from Port Harcourt, Elele, etc, in Rivers State and develop them, while neglecting the solid land around Owerri and Aba. They prefer to congregate again the same place where they lost abandoned properties after the civil war. The Imo State Governor is not ashamed of the craters that have rendered the Imo portion of the Portharcourt Owerri Road impassable since he came to power over five years ago. Similarly, his Anambra counterpart looks the other way as his people suffer untold hardship traversing just between Awka and Enugu, a distance of less than 80 kilometres. The governors of Enugu and Ebonyi have also failed to do the needful about the failed portions of their link roads. Only God knows what the people of Ebonyi go through daily to link up with other parts of Igbo land, and Nigeria in general. Igbos participate and invest in huge sea port development programmes in neighbouring states, while neglecting the vast ocean front they have in Azumini area in Abia State. Indeed it is baffling why Igbos have failed or refused to develop their own zone with the same zeal they put in other zones. While no Igbo man has made it to the list of the world richest, it is obvious that there are factors militating against them as a people. And until they wake up and address these factors, they will continue to run from pillar to post whenever their host governments sneeze! This is why the new Ambode plan against Ndigbo in Lagos is a welcome development. Perhaps it will make them to begin to think differently and to reconsider their ways in Nigeria. It will help them to rediscover that Igbo spirit that existed in the days of Zik of Africa,Dr. Michael Okpara, Dr. Akanu Ibiam and a host of other Igbo patriots who worked assiduously with other patriots from the South West and the South South to create the Nigeria that the Military and their political friends have worked equally hard to undermine since 1966, barely six years after our independence. A word is enough It will perhaps make Igbos realise that no matter how long the crocodile remains in the water, it can never become a mangrove tree. No matter how long they may live in Yorubaland, Tivland or Hausaland, they will remain Igbo people. And until something fundamentally revolutionary happens, Nigeria, as I see it, cannot do without ethnicity and religion. I pray that a new movement that will not be polluted by these two cancers presently killing Nigeria will start someday. READ ALSO: Ndimele Emmanuel Ofor appointed as perm sec in Ogun The Ambode plan is not fair and kind, and Igbos must take it seriously to avoid the enslavement it implies. The Holy Bible, which over 80 percent of Igbos believe in, declares that affliction shall not arise a second time against the righteous. And given the obvious religious agenda of the ruling APC, Igbos must find ways to re-engineer their own society and reduce the Pull Him Down Syndrome among themselves. The Lagos State government has not hidden its dislike for Igbos. So Igbos should develop a strategy now to survive within the context of one Nigeria, or be pushed into the ocean! When your best friend leaves you, or pushes you to the wall, you either fight back, take a walk from the relationship, or re-strategise to live without him. Yorubas, many of who are good friends to Igbos, will stand to benefit more in the face of this unprovoked aggression, especially in the event that Igbos relocate not less than 40 percent of their investments to Igbo land within the next five or six years. Igbos need to come together and plan on how to create the foundation for a true Igbo mix within their South East Zone, such that qualified Igbos can be appointed into relevant political offices within Igbo land. Concluded NB: President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to show that he does not need Igbos, and that should encourage Igbos to plan to live better after his exit from power, whenever that may be. Igbos can do it, because failure to plan, is planning to fail. This opinion was written by Clement Udegbe This opinion first appeared in Vanguard The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Legit.ng Opinion page! Source: Legit.ng The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has returned to Nigeria and is currently in a closed door meeting with President Muhammmadu Buhari, presidential media aide on new media Bashir Ahmad says on Twitter. He is expected to brief State House Correspondents after the meeting. Zuckerberg visited Nigeria on August 30-31 where he met with technology developers in Lagos. The Facebook founder was hosted by the Co-Creation Hub in Yaba, and also visited Angela a tech incubation company he invested in before heading to Kenya. While it appeared that he shunned the Nigerian government while he dined with Kenyas, his presence puts an end to that speculation. READ ALSO: See video of when Mark Zuckerberg met Goodluck Jonathan Mr. Zuckerberg is expected to be a guest at the Aso Villa Demo Day in Abuja, a government technology initiative. The 30 startups that were initially selected to pitch at Aso Villa Demo Day will have the opportunity to meet with Mark Zuckerberg at the event. Source: Legit.ng - One of the son's of ex-minister, Tuoyo Etoromi Oduah has released a damning message to his father Satchie Etoromi - He expressed his sadness towards the death of his brother, late Maxwell Chinedu Etoromi - He claimed he called his father to inform him about the death of his brother Stella Oduah (R) and late son Etoromi (L) Following the statement of Satchie Etoromi, Senator Stella Oduah's ex-husband, one of their sons, Tuoyo Etoromi Oduah, has released a damning statement to his father. In the statement, he denounced his father saying that he will rather be a bastard than be called a son of Mr Etoromi. Tuoyo Oduah accused his father of being an attention seeker in the course of his brother's death. Reacting to the claims by his father saying he was not informed of the death of late Maxwell Etoromi, he said he called his father on the day of the incident to inform him. He also said he was ready to start a new beginning with his father but does not want anything to do with his father after issuing the statement. READ ALSO: I read about my son's death on social media - Father Read full statement sent to Legit.ng below: "I feel so heartbroken and distraught that during our time of mourning for my beloved brother, I have been reduced to issue a press statement against my biological father, Mr Satchie Etoromi. "Life is serious. It is not a Nollywood movie. This is madness. This is evil. This is defamation. This is attention seeking. This is opportunism. This is shamelessness. This is jealousy. This is abnormal. This is bitterness. This is shocking! "Buwa and I were the product of a short and abusive marriage that ended almost 30 years ago. To a man with many other wives and children. Stella Oduah is the only father, mother, carer and provider that my brother has ever known. The Oduah family is the only Family that he has ever been part of and Akili Ozizo in Anambra state is the only hometown he has ever had. "I called Mr Satchie and the Etoromi family to inform them immediately my brother passed. I offered flights, accommodation and special care for him or the representatives of the family throughout the funeral. I offered to build a relationship and have a new start. I was happy and optimistic. But i was wrong. Instead of asking about his dead son, he proceeded to use my brothers passing as an excuse to shamelessly insult my mother just like he is doing now, issue death threats and even ask for dowry from almost 30 years ago. "This is madness. Mr Satchie Etoromi's motivation is not love, not grief, not reconciliation, not to reach out but to seek attention, bitterness, revenge, jealousy, abusive tendencies, possessiveness and maybe even genuine madness. READ ALSO: Stella Oduah's son dies after being given wrong medication "Mr Satchi Etoromi, I beg you with God to please leave us alone forever and let Buwa rest in peace. May God have mercy on your soul on for what you have just done. I wanted to forgive and reconcile but your recent actions and character have revealed that it is better to be a bastard than be your son. "This will be the first and last time that I will acknowledge and respond. Any further public words and actions from Mr Satchie Etoromi will be addressed through legal means. Late Maxwell Chinedu Etoromi gave up the ghost on Friday, August 26, after he took a wrong medication prescribed for him following a tooth surgery. The 28-year-old, died at a Turkish private hospital in Abuja. Source: Legit.ng 7 companies sign MoUs to erect factories in Sez The Special Economic Zone (Sez) Development Committee has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with seven industrial and business firms to establish their factories at the countrys first dedicated area for industrial operation. - Minister Lai Mohammed has said that Nigeria recovered about N78 billion, and 3 million dollars from looters since the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari - However, the minister stated that its not enough for what Nigeria needs to revive economy Lai Mohammed, the minister of information, has revealed the amount recovered by Muhammadu Buharis government so far. Mr Mohammed stated that these funds cant rescue Nigerias economy as they are a far cry from what the country needs to revive the economy. READ ALSO: Nigeria experiences worst economic recession in 29 years The minister said this on Friday when he appeared on a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja. The minister, speaking during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, added that the amount of money recovered is always being made public. He said: What we have recovered and if my record is right is about N78 billion, and 3 million dollars. We have been able to block various accounts in which about 9 billion dollar is found but those are not money available to us because we are still in court over them. The government spends N165 billion every month to pay federal civil servants, even what has been so far recovered will not even pay 50 per cent of the salaries in a month. Minister Mohammed gave assurance that every cent recovered will be sensibly spent and nobody could re-loot what had been returned under the incumbent government. He further clarified that Nigerians should understand that what had been recovered was so little in comparison with what the people needed on a regular basis. READ ALSO: Buhari under MASSIVE fire over Nigerias economic recession N400 billion seems a lot, but you must also understand that for three or four years contractors were not paid, he added. So, when we paid this money to contractors, they also use part of it to settle their own debt, they use part of it to recall laid off staff. But the truth of the matter is that many of them have been paid, they are yet to mobilise to site and they cannot do so until the rains are over. Nigeria has recently announced its first recession since 1991, according to Central Bank data. The country has been slammed by low oil prices, attacks by Niger Delta militants and foreign currency shortages. The National Bureau of Statistics fresh report put estimated oil production at 1.69 million barrels per day, down by 0.42 million barrels per day from the first quarter. Source: Legit.ng - President Muhammadu Buhari met with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg behind closed door at State House at Abuja on Friday, September 2 - The president commended the social media genius saying he is an inspiration to a good number of Nigerians - Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity posted a statement on his Facebook wall on the details of the meeting between his principal and Zuckerberg President Muhammadu Buhari received the behind the social media platform, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. Buhari said the seventh wealthiest man is a point of reference to Nigerians. The Facebook founder attended the Aso Villa Demo Day taking place today, September 2, in Abuja. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Buhari in closed door meeting with Mark Zuckerberg (Photo) The spokesman to the president, Femi Adesina gave an incite of what transpired when both men met at the State House on Friday, September 2. President Muhammadu Buhari with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg According to the statement, it reads: President Buhari commends Zuckerberg for inspiring Nigerian youths into entrepreneurship President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja commended the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of social networking website, Facebook, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg for sharing his wealth of knowledge with Nigerian youths, and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs. READ ALSO: 7 brilliant Nigerians working at Facebook Receiving the internet entrepreneur in the State House, President Buhari said the various meetings held with Nigerian youths since his arrival were most timely as the country was already exploring opportunities to spur development through entrepreneurship. Nigeria has always been identified as a country with great potentials for growth, especially with our youthful population, but now we are moving beyond the potentials to reality. I am impressed by your simplicity in sharing your knowledge and wealth with those with less income, the President said. President Buhari noted that the simplicity and magnanimity of the entrepreneur, who is among the worlds richest men, had also challenged the culture of lavish wealth display and impulsive spending that had become peculiar to Nigerians. In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets. We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share, he added. In his remarks, Zuckerberg said he was impressed by the interest, energy and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by young Nigerians in all the ICT camps that he had visited. I was highly impressed by the talent of the youths in the Co-creation Hub in Yaba. I was blown away by their talent and the level of energy that I saw, he said. Zuckerberg said he was in the country to promote the penetration of fast and cheap internet connectivity, Express-wifi, that would help people create online businesses and reduce poverty. The Tweet below shows a comparison between Zuckerberg and a rich Nigerian: Source: Legit.ng Alan Kurdi's father in plea for migrants a year after tragedy The father of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old boy who drowned a year ago as his family fled Syria, has urged Europe to keep its doors open to migrants. Editor's note: Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, has taken to his Facebook page to speak directly to the people of Nigeria, honestly describing the situation in the coutry and reasons behind it. A swift look at the previous government leadership -- mistakes made, deliberate beggaring of own nation and lies -- and specific plans of the current administartion concerning each and every Nigerian in the country. Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it Let me start by asking an important question: who wants to kill racy introspection? There is a cacophony of voices telling the Muhammadu Buhari administration to close its eyes to the past; that given the enormous tasks that lie ahead, history and its consequences for our nation should be the least of the government's preoccupation at this juncture. I disagree. Let us keep a fiery memory of the past so that we don't repeat its mistakes. Look back, look ahead. The future must of necessity be built on the foundations of the past. The Conservative party took power in Britain six years ago from Labour. Check the British press, they are talking about Labour 24/7, is anyone complaining? READ ALSO: Buhari adopts Jonathans agric policy, Nigerians react Japheth Omojuwa, one of Nigeria's top three influencers seemed tasked in his patience reacting to calls that we must stop talking about the immediate past administration in this country. "People are still talking about who ran governments in 1865 you want us to forget those who left government last year? (Expletive)" Music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who many agree was a philosopher disguised as Afro-musician taught in one of his songs that without knowing where you are coming from, you won't know where you are going. Wise men say that the empty can doesn't disappear by simply kicking it down the road. To avoid repeating the past mistakes, Nigerians must come to terms with what went wrong with the past, how bad were things, what was done wrongly, what the past government should have done, before we come to what needs to be done to right those wrongs. Believe me, episodes from the Jonathan era can fill books, and other possibilities such as courtroom drama thriller. Current situation was caused by years of mismanagement and corruption Against this backdrop, I sought to hear our erudite Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun on where we are coming from, vis-a-vis the administration's chosen path to recovery and accelerated growth. What is the administration doing to revitalize the economy? She spoke at length on the many measures being put in place, many of which are not glamorous. They of necessity come with pain. Why should Nigerians be asked to endure pains? Why should they be asked to make adjustments? The simple explanation is that the economy was broken, and just as they do the broken leg, you must bear the pain of fixing it. The current situation was caused by years of mismanagement and corruption. As explained by President Buhari again and again, trumpeted by Madam Adeosun and other senior officials, we solely relied on oil, the price of which was as high as US$140 per barrel. Government simply reticulated oil revenue through personal spending by corrupt leaders, wasteful expenses and salaries. This was done rather than investing in what would grow the economy. READ ALSO: New Niger Delta militant group warns President Buhari over MEND Economies grow due to capital investment in assets like seaports, airports, power plants, railways, roads and housing. Nigeria has not recorded a single major infrastructural project in the last 10 years. In short the money was mismanaged. In addition to failing to spend money on what was needed, no savings were made by government unlike other countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Norway. To compound the problem, the previous government was borrowing heavily and owed contractors, and international oil companies. When this government took over we had accumulated debt back to the level it was before the Paris Club Debt Forgiveness. All these factors were building up to Nigeria heading for a major crisis if the price of oil fell. Nigeria did not have fiscal buffers to withstand an oil shock. The oil shock should and could have been foreseen. These are matters that both the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and Professor Chukwuma Soludo, both of them eminent former Central Bank Governors had occasions to warn the government of the day about, but they were clobbered. The dire warning was written all over the wall, but they were ignored by Nigerias economic managers. What should they have done? If Goodluck Jonathan... They should have had the courage and vision to do as the present administration is doing through the Economic Team, the Ministry of Finance under Madam Adeosun and the various agencies of the state to envision a better future by first of all fighting corruption. Look at what a civilian administration is today doing to the military, investigating their finance and accounts that the military could not do to themselves. See what the current administration is doing sanitize the huge salary bill by eliminating payroll fraud. So far, the federal payroll has been rid of about 40,000 ghost workers. More than eight billion naira stolen monthly has been saved. We are also saving on wasteful expenses like First Class Travel and Private jets for official trips. The federal government is not limiting the reforms to the centre but forcing state governments to reform their spending and build savings or investments. Government is also increasing spending on capital projects especially on infrastructure needed to make Nigerian businesses competitive and create jobs. The administration is at the same time blocking leakages that allowed government revenues to be siphoned into private hands. READ ALSO: Stop that! Emefiele accuses Sanusi of spreading lies about economy Currently, there is focus on key sectors (apart from oil) that can create jobs and or generate revenue such as agriculture, solid minerals and manufacturing. If these things had been done when the oil price was as high as US$140 per barrel, Nigeria would not be in the current predicament. We would not be suffering now if we had no cash reserves but we had regular supply of power, a good rail system, good roads and good housing. Now that the oil has fallen as low as US$28 per barrel, it is very difficult to do what is needed but they must be done to save Nigeria. There is no other way if we want to be honest. If PDP were still in power they would have continued deceiving people, by borrowing to fund stealing and wastage and the problem would have simply been postponed for future generations to face. We will create an environment where people can thrive and where business can grow There are many who say that this governments economic strategy is unclear whereas the previous government seemed well co-ordinated. I will make the confession that we, the officials hired to communicate government policies, that includes myself, have not done as well as we should have. The truth is that more than any other time before, there is a clear direction and strategy for achieving growth and development. Revisionists may not agree, but the truth of the matter is that the previous administration only had one issue, which was how to spend money (oil revenues and borrowed money). As mentioned earlier this spending was focused on the wrong things and even though the economy seemed to be growing it was not sustainable, it was, as described by Minister Adeosun, a classic boom and bust driven solely by the oil price. Unemployment was and remained high (never forget the NIS jobs that exploited thousands of desperate graduates in a scam that was used to fund house purchases in high brow areas and claimed so many lives). Inequalities were growing (our then president boasted about the highest number of private jets when most Nigerians could barely afford to eat). Terrorism and social unrest were growing. Real development was lacking. As soon as the oil price fell, these vulnerabilities were exposed. READ ALSO: You are an insult to Yoruba kingdom, PDP READ open letter to Fani-Kayode From its records so far, this administration is trying to reset the Nigerian economy and ensure that it attains its potential and is diverse and resilient. We are doing this at a time when the global economy is in crisis due to the oil price collapse. Even rich nations like Saudi Arabia are experiencing problems. The government is people-focussed and wants the economy to grow in a way that will create a more stable future which is not dictated by world oil prices (over which we have no control). No more boom and bust (thanks Minister Adeosun). Nigeria wants to take responsibility for its own destiny, therefore our policies will ensure that Nigeria returns to growth in a sustainable manner. No more dependence on oil. Every part of Nigeria has a role to play in contributing to our growth. We will create an environment where people can thrive and where business can grow. This government believes that Nigerians deserve to know the truth To this effect, all relevant agencies have been reoriented to: Focus government spending on infrastructure which will create jobs and opportunities for Nigerians across a number of sectors (not just oil). Ensure that we reduce our reliance on oil by developing other revenue streams such as taxes, efficient customs collections and other government revenues. Develop key sectors in which we have comparative advantage. Encourage development of agriculture to ensure food security for our huge population. Develop petro-chemical industry on the back of the oil industry. Develop solid mineral extraction and Develop light manufacturing to provide locally made basic needs and reduce importation. If you are an official of this administration and a mixer, that is someone who mingles with citizens high and low, a charge you are forced to defend is that this government seems to be bringing austerity and suffering to the people. Blame not, Buhari. The current pain is due to the mismanagement of the past. What Nigeria is currently experiencing was inevitable. This government is simply being honest with the people instead of piling up debts and concealing the truth by pretending all was rosy. This government believes that Nigerians deserve to know the truth. READ ALSO: Revealed! 5 Nigerians whose death will destroy Nigeria, no 1 will shock you (Pictured) People stole unbelievable amounts of money. The kind of money some of these ex-officials hold is itself a threat to the security of the state. Since it is not money earned, they feel no pain deploying just anyhow to thwart genuine and well-intentioned government efforts. Sadly, even that which was not stolen was wasted. Government coffers were left empty, with huge debts unpaid and unrecorded (this government is working to quantify the amount owed). Even the current high food prices can be traced to past deceit. For example, the previous government purchased fertiliser in 2014, worth N65Bn and left the bill unpaid. In 2015 the suppliers could not supply fertiliser which resulted in a low harvest, shortages and high food prices. This government had to pay off the debt so that the suppliers could begin to supply fertiliser again. We are fixing everything Jonathan broke Across Nigeria a green revolution is occurring as Nigerians are going back to the farms, from rice in Kebbi and Ebonyi to Soya and Sesame in Jigawa and Kano. At the same time Nigerians are looking inwards to identify commercial opportunities from agri-businesses. Most of our road contractors had not been paid since 2012, many of them had sent their workers away adding to the unemployment problem. This government has released capital allocations in the last three months that is more than the whole of 2015. In 2015 Nigeria spent a paltry N19Bn on roads, in three months we have spent N74Bn and we are already releasing more. READ ALSO: Zuckerbergs humility is a lesson to all notoriously wealthy Nigerians Buhari In the transport sector in 2015, government spent just N4.2Bn; we have spent N26Bn with more to follow. We are starting a concession that will revive our old rail system for freight, whilst we build a new high speed rail system. Moving heavy goods by rail will reduce our transport costs which will reduce food prices and will save our roads from damage from heavy loads. Government will embrace the private sector through PPP, concessions and other collaborations to deliver services and infrastructure efficiently. There is hope for Nigeria Nigerians expected a lot from President Buhari and are right to have done so. Many feel disappointed. While much of this warranted, a lot more is arising from opposition politics. A man who has promised good things is being accused of failing to use the palm to cover the sun or that he is unable to stop the rain. Nigerians are right to be disappointed but they must direct their anger at the right quarters. The bad management and corruption of the past are firmly to blame. This government is fighting corruption. It is working hard to do things right and do them in a manner that will endure. No government has ever considered the poor like this one. READ ALSO: The REAL cause of Nigerias current recession Sanusi Under the current budget, the administration devoted N500Bn for social intervention programmes for those who need and deserve support. There are also programmes for affordable housing with mortgages which will transform thousands from tenant status to homeownership. Any process that will endure, must involve some pain but things will begin to improve. There is always a time lag between policy and effect. That is why the bad effects of past policies are manifesting now. Similarly, the positive impact of the work being undertaken to fix Nigerias problems will soon begin to show and we will emerge from this period stronger, wiser and more prosperous. There is hope for Nigeria, a hope that was previously clouded by corruption, greed and lack of focus. Nigeria is starting over and everyone has a role to play. Look back, look ahead. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Legit.ng Opinion page! Source: Legit.ng - NDLEA nabs female pilgrim on her way to Saudi Arabia with 76 cocaine wraps after excretion - Woman caught said she swallowed the hard drug pellets in order to grow her cosmetic business from the proceeds of the sales of the cocaine - The 55-year-old was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on an Emirate flight on Friday, September 2 The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) issued a statement revealing that a Nigerian female travelling to Medina, Saudi Arabia, in order to observe the yearly pilgrimage has tested positive to ingestion of hard drugs on Friday, September 2, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. READ ALSO: NDLEA nabs 184 traffickers, seizes over 96kg of hard drugs The woman whose name is Basira Binuyo is 55 years old. Wraps of cocaine Binuyo was nabbed while on the exit checking of passengers on an Emirate flight travelling to Medina via Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Hamisu Lawan, NDLEA commander at the Abuja airport stated that she has so far excreted 76 pellets of drugs that tested positive for cocaine. Meanwhile, she is still under observation until the drugs are completely expelled. READ ALSO: Ezimoha who was executed for drug trafficking buried The alleged drug trafficker is an indigene of Irepodun local government area of Kwara state, North central Nigeria and she is married with three children. She is said to be a trader at Dosumu market, Lagos state. Binuyo Basira Iyabo While narrating what pushed her to do what she did. Binuyo said her need to make her business grow bigger made her commit the crime. The 55-year-old Nigerian said: I wanted to expand my cosmetic business but I have no money. My sponsor offered to foot my expenses to Saudi on pilgrimage. I was excited until I was asked to take drugs along. I wanted to decline but considering the offer of a million naira, I accepted. I swallowed the drugs in Lagos and took flight to Abuja on my way to Medina but I was caught in the process. It was the same sad tale about two weeks ago, when three Nigerians from Kwara state were arrested in Saudi Arabia for possessing cocaine Source: Legit.ng Editors note: Militants in the Niger Delta region have been bombing oil and gas pipelines in a bid to force the federal government to develop the region. In this opinion by Yakubu Mohammed, he points out that billions of naira has been spent in the region with nothing to show for it and urged militant to hold their leaders accountable. Why cant you ask your leaders? This is one question that has refused to go away. And not being optional, it is a question that must be answered. How much have we, the people as provided in the constitution, been able to hold the government, our governments, accountable to us? Or, to simplify it, how much have our representatives in the National Assembly and the various houses of assembly in the 36 states and the FCT been able to hold the executive accountable to us, the people, by scrupulously executing the mandate of their oversight responsibilities? The answer to this all important question, I wish to suggest, is central to most of the problems of governance that have been the lot of many a government in this country since the lowering of the Union Jack in 1960. File photo of militants In this season of dialogue, it is appropriate that we dont lose sight of this question as we seek to find a lasting solution to the problems of insurgency in the North East and the militant agitation in the Niger Delta Region. If the question is posed and a correct answer is found to it on the negotiation table, the rest of the country, seething with frustrations and anger, depression and even oppression, will borrow a leaf from the resolution of the crisis in these two turbulent regions. As a case study in conflict management and resolution, this question will be more appropriate today if it is directed specifically at Niger Delta, historically more deprived and more volatile since the discovery of oil at Oloibiri in the early fifties READ ALSO: New Niger Delta militant group warns Buhari over MEND The oil, instead of being a blessing, has turned out to be a curse, and has been the cause of all the violent agitations in that region since independence. The territory, at the risk of a boring repetition, has suffered all manner of deprivation, neglect and despoliation making most of the land inhabitable and agriculturally unproductive. In September 2008, I wrote a piece in Newswatch in which I argued that anything short of a state of emergency or something equivalent to a Marshall Plan for the region would not solve the problem. That same year, I recall vividly, one of the most poignant interventions in the murky affairs of the region came from the then speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole. He posed the question which I regarded at that time as relevant and which till date has remained relevant, a question which was not answered then and has not been answered even today. And this question has to be answered if we must get to the root of the Niger Delta conundrum. Dimeji Bankole: There is a problem in the Niger Delta. The region is exploding. A state in the South-South collects more (from the federation account) than all the states in North East and the law makers in those states are not asking questions on how the money the governments collect from the federation account is used. No state assembly from this region has asked the governors the questions. Question, question but no answer.' Militants in Niger Delta region The rise of militancy In 2008, the Niger Delta Avengers had not been born. Its forerunners, the Niger Delta militants of various hues and sizes were ruling the creeks and threatening to make the country a hell on earth especially for those fingered to be the architects of their misfortune. Their credo, it seemed, was if there was no peace in Niger Delta there was going to be no peace in the rest of the country. They resorted to all kinds of criminal activities, chief of them being the kidnapping of foreign oil workers to extort ransom. It is a measure of their success that kidnappings have today become a growth industry across the country, in and outside the creeks. President Musa YarAdua came to an understanding with the militants at a round table conference. He demanded and secured cease fire from them and, in return, he granted them amnesty, with generous amnesty allowance to boot. In September 2008, he announced the creation of a Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs specifically to take care of the Niger Delta Region. Dont forget that his predecessor, President Olusegun Obasanjo, as one of the practical steps to address the imbroglio of the turbulent region, had, in 2000, created the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with the mandate to develop the region, free the people from exploitation and provide modern amenities and other infrastructures that would have a major impact on their lives. The NDDC, which had replaced the defunct OMPADEC, was now to become a parastatal in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. What all this amounted to in effect was an over padding of various layers of responsibilities designed, apparently, to bring succour to a region whose nerves have been jaded and afflicted by something akin to terminal illness. Of all the six unrecognised geo-political zones, it is only the South-South zone that enjoys the privilege of an entire ministry created for its comfort. It is also blessed with an octopus called the NDDC with a 2016 budget of N241.9 billion. The six state governments have responsibilities for the various states in the region and they draw from the federation account. Each local government in the region has a responsibility to the people in the region with generous allocation from the federation account. The father figure in Abuja, aka the Federal Government that superintends over the whole country, of course, has responsibility via other ministries and agencies for the same Niger Delta region. READ ALSO: Anxiety as troops deploy weapons to Niger Delta Yet, this patient, permanently stock to the sick bed, is not responding to treatment. But before any one begins to talk of an alternative medicine, it is germane at this juncture to look at Bankoles question again. Or if that question is suspect, coming from an outsider to the region who can easily be dismissed as an interloper, shouldnt we take a look at the one posed by Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum, the non-magician who happens to be from the same Niger Delta Region, this suave and urbane intellectual who is not a stranger to the situation in the region. He cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be accused of interloping in the business that is dear to the hearts of his people. The other day, while visiting the home of the Ijaw leader, Pa Edwin Clark, the minister asked his people to tarry a while and see if they could find an explanation for the misfortune that befell a humungous 40 billion dollars that had been sunk into Niger Delta in the last 12 years. He said the funds that had been allocated to the region during this period did not tally with the situation in the region. Question, question. No answer still. And there is also no answer to the revelation made recently by the report of the ministerial technical audit committee on contracts which said that N700 billion had been spent on contracts by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs with little or no impact at all. The minister, Uguru Usani, (not to be mistaken for a man from Nguru in Yobe State) admitted that the ministry had successfully completed only one project since its inception in 2008. That one project is the Cassava Processing Plant in Ondo State. And, hold it, it was completed by the current Buhari administration. It is not as if the ministry was lackadaisical or not sufficiently committed to the welfare of Niger Delta people. How can anybody accuse the inaugural minister, Uffot Ekaite or his successor, Godsday Orubebe, (you remember him?), of sabotaging the interests of their beloved people? Dont forget that these gentlemen, all eminent in their own right, did not come from the wrong side of the geographical divide and cannot therefore be said to be one of those working against the interest of Niger Delta Region. As the angry avengers have decided to cease fire and engage in dialogue and negotiation with the government, they will do well to reflect on Bankoles troubling questions and Kachikwus confirmation that more than 40 billion dollars had been sunk into the region without anything to show for it, to say nothing of the technical audit committee report into the activities of their own ministry which has painted an unflattering picture of a litany of abandoned projects. In moments of uncontrolled anger, it is possible to point at innocent people as the culprit, the source of your sorrow and anguish. I extend this modest homily to all other aspiring avengers across the country who are likely to go for the jugular of the innocent in search of the root cause of their own misfortune. This opinion first appeared in The Guardian The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Legit.ng Opinion page! Source: Legit.ng At least 12 killed, 52 wounded in attack on Pakistan court: rescue official At least 12 people were killed and 52 wounded when two bomb blasts were detonated outside a district court in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a rescue official said. I am super pale. Red-hair-and-freckles pale. Family-history-of-skin-cancer pale. But, unfortunately for me, I cant get enough of the beach. I love the salt and surf. So what do I wear on the sand, after summer after summer of painful, blistering burns? Everything. I wear my favorite skimpy red string bikini, it just happens to be covered by full length yoga pants, a long sleaved rashie, a massive sun hat and sun block. Lots of sun block. You might have seen aging-conscious celebrities like Madonna and Nicole Kidman wearing similar outfits to protect them from the suns damaging rays. Its a very attractive ensemble. Im considering adding gloves. I assume I could have worn my gorgeous beach outfit in one of the 15 French seaside cities that banned the burkini, but only because Im not Muslim. Thats what made this ban so stupid. I remember when France bought in a similar restriction against headscarves. It was perfectly ok to wear a bandana, just not an obviously religious cloth covering exactly the same amount of hair. That is ridiculous. It emphasizes that this is strictly about religion, and one religion in particular. Governments shouldnt tell women what to wear. Period. As long as a woman is sticking to the bare minimum standard of public decency, leave her alone. Are your private areas covered? Yes? Carry on. Last month, French authorities went one step further. Rather than simply telling women what to wear, they made a covered woman disrobe in public. They completely stripped her of her dignity, in addition to her tunic. She wasnt even wearing a burkini, she was wearing her normal clothes on a day out with her family as she wasnt going to swim. Were Muslim women not allowed to wear their everyday clothes to the beach? Were they to be banned from this public space? The ticket she was issued said that she was to be fined for not wearing an outfit respecting good morals and secularism. I still dont understand this. Whose morals? Is being covered from knees to elbows now immoral? Is it only immoral on beaches? What happens in winter? Seriously. If she got a ticket for wearing her everyday clothes at the beach in summer, was the same rule to apply when walking along a beach in winter? If I wore my normal sun-fearing outfit to the beach, would that have been ok because it is secular, rather than religiously prescribed? How on earth would they have known? Would it have been immoral to cover my pasty white skin? Or was this a line only Muslim women could not cross? If so, what kind of horrendous, discriminatory bullshit was that? It made Francethe birthplace of liberty, equality and brotherhoodlook ridiculous and petty. And the internet gloried in it, posting photos of covered Christian nuns on the beach, or unattractively rotund hairy men in speedos, asking were they not more offensive (you had to feel sorry for the poor older gent whose photo was illustrating that particular meme). Yes, the poor woman was flouting the new law. But why was it the law? Why do our societies all over the world have this obsession with controlling womens clothing? In more conservative cultures, women may be expected to cover up so as not to tempt men. In many western countries, women can be blamed for courting sexual assault if they wear a short skirt. A few decades ago, bikinis were immoral because they didnt cover enough skin, now burkinis are questioned because they cover too much. WTF? In 2016, women from one particular religious group are being told to undress because why? National security? Pushing Muslims further into the margins is more likely to increase terror sympathies, not nullify them. While regulations requiring faces to be visible on official ID cards etc are reasonable, necessitating women to bare their legs and arms while swimming is not. If you want to make a demoralised, isolated young man even more vulnerable to radicalisation, show him a video of a Muslim mother being forced to unclothe in public. Womens rights? Enforcing a burkini ban because Islam enforces modest dress on women is nonsensical. You cant claim to stick up for a womans right to wear whatever she wants by denying her the opportunity to wear whatever she wants. I cant believe I just had to write that sentence. The women who are going to Frances beaches in their burkinis are not house bound, meek lambs. They are getting out in society and enjoying life in a way that makes them feel comfortable. What is wrong with that? Laicite? France has a strict separation between state and church, and this translates to a restriction of religion to the private sphere. No religious symbols can be anywhere near government business. But since when is your choice of swimming attire government business? I understand that France has been the victim of horrific terrorists attacks. They have a large population of angry, detached young men. They are scared. But this is not the answer. Narratives like this in France, in the US, all over the Western world are not helpful. They are creating an us v them world view, but the them is all Muslims, not just people with violent, destructive, brutal ideology. The us should be all the sane people. The them should be all the extremists of any destructive ideology. Remember, the vast majority of victims in this multifaceted war are Muslim civilians. We should be supporting moderates, not making their lives more difficult, more undignified and desperate. Our leaders should be speaking inclusively, reinforcing a sense of belonging and claiming the higher ground, not humiliating mothers in front of their children. Its wrong, and its not who we are. It is counter to the freedoms and values we claim are central to western culture and thought. Laws like this just play into the extremists hands. Frances burkini ban has since been overturned. Higher courts found the restriction illegal, because it violated basic freedoms. Hurrah. This decision is a triumph not only for common decency, but also for common sense. However, it does not overturn the ground swell of fear, and of general othering that many visible Muslims in our communities face on a daily basis. While this particular anti-Muslim restriction has failed, what abhorrent, counter-productive measure do our fear-mongering politicians have in store for us next? (For more on the Burkini Ban, read Shannon Houstons feature from Tuesday.) Local non-profit rallies community support for greenfield k-9 By: MECA Foundation Contact Debra Lopez ***@sbcglobal.net Debra Lopez End -- Greenfield, WI, August 25, 2016: MECA Wisconsin Police Canine Vest Foundation, a local non-profit, will be holding its 1annual MECA Foundation Luncheon. The fundraiser, hosted by That's Amore, 5080 S 108Street in Greenfield, will be held on Sunday, October 9from 11am-3pm. All proceeds from the luncheon will help fund a new police K-9 for Greenfield Police Department."Our mission has always gone beyond vesting Wisconsin's police dogs. Helping purchase the police canine is our way to help keep Greenfield safe," said Dr. Marla Lichtenberger, Founder of MECA Foundation.Tickets for the luncheon are $50 per person and will include a choice of Sicilian Steak with Garlic Butter Pasta, Chicken Piccata, or Spaghetti and Meatballs. Lunch also includes your choice of coffee, soda, tea or one cocktail. The fundraiser will also feature both a silent and live auction and "surprises" throughout the afternoon.Tickets can be purchased online at www.mecafoundation.org or in person at Milwaukee Emergency Center for Animals, 3670 S. 108Street in Greenfield.The MECA Foundation's mission aims to provide total wellness for Wisconsin police k-9's offering early veterinary care, raising funds to help purchase and train police K-9's for police departments, providing police K-9's with protective vests, supplying the police K-9 units with various equipment (including, but not limited to police K-9 vehicles) and more. The MECA Foundation's vision is to become one of the largest educational programs for Wisconsin schools by way of educating our youth and our communities on the importance of police K-9's and how they keep our communities safe.For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Lichtenberger, please contact Debra Lopez of Debra Lopez Public Relations at 262-989-0604. This month, Inc. magazine ranked Mark Spain Real Estate No. 1350 on its 35th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. By: Mark Spain Real Estate Mark Spain Real Estate news makes the Reuter's sign in Times Square New York! Contact TC McClenning, @RealtorPR Top Cat Creative Services ***@topcatcreative.com TC McClenning, @RealtorPRTop Cat Creative Services End -- The Inc. 5000 represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy's most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino's Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on Inc. 5000."We are honored to be named one of America's fastest growing private companies. We attribute our success to our brand reputation in the industry, our high performance team and our commitment to unrivaled customer service. We are extremely happy," Chairman and CEO Mark Spain responded.The 2016 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of(available on newsstands August 23) is the most competitive crop in the list's history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year growth of 433%. The Inc. 5000's aggregate revenue is $200 billion, and companies on the list collectively generated 640,000 jobs over the past three years, or about 8% of all jobs created in the entire economy during that period. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000."The Inc. 5000 list stands out where it really counts," says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. "It honors real achievement by a founder or a team of them. No one makes the Inc. 5000 without building something great usually from scratch. That's one of the hardest things to do in business, as every company founder knows. But without it, free enterprise fails."Mark Spain Real Estate ( http://www.markspain.com ) connects buyers and sellers through effective marketing, strategic advertising and a client-focused experience. The firm serves all of metro Atlanta and Athens, Ga. In 2015, MSRE helped nearly 1,300 people buy and sell homes, representing $289 million in gross real estate sales. Spain and his team are credited with career sales well over $2+ billion and are on pace to surpass the $3 billion mark in 2016.One of only 190 real estate-related firms in America to make the list, Mark Spain Real Estate was second in Georgia for residential real estate firms. The number of real estate companies making the list is up from 159 companies the year before, showing continued growth and improvement in the real estate market throughout the U.S.The Inc. 5000 honor comes on the heels of MSRE being named No. 6 on The Thousand Top Real Estate Professionals list in June. The national awards ranking is sponsored annually by REAL Trends and advertised inand based on 2015 sales production.Mark Spain is also the only metro Atlanta real estate agent to be endorsed by Barbara Corcoran, the real estate mogul frequently seen on ABC'sVisit YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jm5T15_ W65c ) to see the 30-second testimonial.Mark Spain Real Estate's headquarters is located in Alpharetta, Ga., at 12600 Deerfield Parkway Suite 450. For more information about MSRE or the active Atlanta and Athens real estate markets, call 770-886-9000 or visit www.markspain.com to request a free online home evaluation or sign up for property alerts. The Mark Spain Real Estate app is also available as a free download at app.markspain.com.###The 2016 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2012 to 2015. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2012. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2015. The minimum revenue required for 2012 is $100,000; the minimum for 2015 is $2 million. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.Founded in 1979, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 15,000,000 today. The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation's most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. Up & coming Costa Rican actor Leynar Gomez is making a name for himself in the US with a recurring role in the Netflix series, Narcos and is speaking exclusively this Friday on The Sissy Gamache Show! 7:30pm EST on MNN Ch 56 TWC Manhattan By: Sissy Gamache Leynar Gomez Contact Charles Casano - Associate Producer ***@thesissygamacheshow.com Charles Casano - Associate Producer End -- Leynar Gomez, is the up-and-coming Costar Rican actor of the moment. He has written and produced various plays, and was nominated last year for his incredible role as a hustler in the poetic drama PUERTO PADRE. This year he appears in "Zafiro", Andres movie, and also PRESOS, which has already been nominated for best film in Film festivals abroad. Leynar just got back from the Malaga Film festival where he received a best actor nomination for his role as a prisoner in Presos. He has also appeared in the current Netflix series, Narcos starring Wagener Moura as Pablo Escobar and is slated to begin filming it's second season in a few weeks.Sissy is currently in Costa Rica, part business and part vacation and has landed an exclusive interview with the praised actor, whose career is expected to only rise further after these projects, particulary with Presos (also known as "Imprisoned"in the US) which has already won Best Film at the Costa Rican International Film Festival.And now Mr Gomez will share his praise with Sissy this Friday at 7:30pm EST on MNN Channe 56 (Time Warner Cable Manhattan) or streamed LIVE from mnn.com or www.thesissygamacheshow.com Tripcook Travel Business Promotion Agency has the pleasure of announcing the first winner of the recently launched Travel Business Contest. The contest is conducted for travel businesses and individuals listed in 37 categories of Contact Michael Shapiro ***@tripcook.com +77058734695 Michael Shapiro+77058734695 End --Aba Sayyoh (http://abasayyoh.com), Tashkent, Uzbekistan, listed under http://tripcook.com/cc--Uzbekistan--Tour_Operators--uz8, has been an extremely active and resourceful member of the Tripcook community contributing a great deal to the travel products and services advertised on the website. This travel company has an excellent niche website devoted to travel in Uzbekistan and neighboring countries of Central Asia, namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, with possible extensions to Iran and China.The Aba Sayyoh travel website has met most of the criteria used by Tripcook for its nomination "Quality Travel Website". Their website is well-designed, with neat and flossy appearance. Its topics cover all areas that a traveller to the region would need to know about. The site features rich photo and video content. All materials are bilingual, translated into English and Russian, to cater the target audience and clientele. The website seems to be well-optimized for search; its navigation allows for quite easy and convenient browsing. Importantly, the mobile version of the website is as functional as the desktop one. The contents seem to be updated on a regular basis, and the most recent testimonials of clients are available both in text and video formats.The Tripcook's Travel Business Contest is conducted on a monthly basis for listed members. To date, it has four nominations:Quality Travel Website, Effective Travel Office, SEO Expert and Social Buzz Expert. The winners are invited to use the Winner Badge on their website to improve visitors experience and reflect corporate achievements.Tripcook is a company that serves travel businesses and individuals employed in the tourism and hospitality sector across the world. The declared mission is to develop and present a set of effective tools to promote and grow travel businesses online. CYBERPOL & ECIPS moves HQ back to United Kingdom following General Assembly held in light of "BREXIT" ! By: CYBERPOL CYBERPOL Contact ECIPS ***@ecips.eu ECIPS End --, recently moved its HQ (Head Quarters) back to the United Kingdom. This comes after much political pressure and a degree of confusion in Brussels resulting from a drive towards what would have amounted to a conflicting between national and international laws which are contrary to CYBERPOL and the community who's interests it serves. Cyberpol is a not for profit organisation operating in the public interest internationally under Treaty 124 of the Council of Europe and by Royal DecreIndustry commentators and experts welcomed the decision taken by the General Assembly following the "BREXIT" vote for CYBERPOL and ECIPS to return to its roots in the UK.In recent months CYBERPOL has received endorsements from major international players including recognised firms such as Verizon and cyber security specialists the Ascot Barclay Group.CYBERPOL has, in addition, received much support from law-enforcement agencies active in the international cyber security landscape and in particular those who recognise and have a need for cross border collaboration in the support of their fight against organised Cyber Crime and online fraudsters.ECIPS, the European Centre for Information Policy was a co-founding body for the establishment of CYBERPOL and was first recognised by Royal Decree in Belgium as an international not for profit organisation in July 2015, under reference http://cyberpol.info/ Koninklijk%20Besluit% 20CYBERPOL.pdf The President of CYBERPOL, Mr. Ricardo Baretzky has advised that following the move back to the UK, the door remains open for all countries internationally along with EU member states to join CYBERPOL in its quest to make the Internet a safer environment for all.The newly appointed Secretary General of CYBERPOL Mr. Jay McGowan informed media sources that CYBERPOL is on track to become a significant force, with applications to join increasing as the organisations reputation and objectives become main stream."The need for cross boarder collaboration in the fight against the ever growing risk and level of sophistication deployed by online adversaries requires a coordinated effort, CYBERPOL provides a vehicle to make this happen"The European Centre for Information Policy and Security ECIPS co-hosted the very first International CYBERPOL Cyber Security Summit in Brussels on the 17and 18November 2015. The event received much attention and was attended by several officials from the international community. CYBERPOL continues to grow steadily with official representatives now across eight countries; including the Unites States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Africa, Hungary and Italy. Contact Lookupfare ***@lookupfare.com Lookupfare End -- Finding cheap and affordable deals on airline tickets and other travel services is no more a walk in the park now days. Over the last few years, the travel industry has witnessed a boom with more and more travelers emerging at quiet a steady rate and with the increase in number of travelers, the prices of all the travel services has also rose simultaneously.People no more limit their holiday plans just to their domestic cities but have also started to fly on international shores as well. Be it a family vacation, a romantic getaway or an official tour, finding deals within the budget is top of any travelers concerns. The high prices occupies a significant part of your vacations and as a result you are not left with much to relish your holidays. What you pay actually is much more than what you bargained for. The lack of awareness of different travel booking portals is amongst the chief causes why not many are able to book low cost deals and instead pay exorbitant prices.This is where LookUpFare comes in, certainly one of the best fight booking websites out there today for finding cheap and low cost flight deals. In the recent media interaction, the public relations manager also announced the launching of the exclusive LookUpFare app. The manager addresses the media saying "Finding and booking cheap and low cost flight deals would no more be a concern as with our exclusive LookUpFare app, undoubtedly one of the bestyou would find your desired deals at your fingertips and book within minutes. All you need is an android device with an internet connection."He further added "We also offer special deals and offers from time to time which will help you save even more than what you could have imagined. You can find number of deals on the occasion of various festivals and add sugar to your festival trip. We also provide exclusive deals for various major events around the world, be it a music festival, a sporting tournament or a business conference, you will be able to find deals and offer that suit your budget".LookUpFare is presently offering some exclusive deals with sun country airlines. It is an American airline headquartered at MinneapolisSaint Paul suburb of Mendota Heights, Minnesota and is based at MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport. The airline offers scheduled and charter services to 38 destinations across United States, Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean with a fleet size of 21 aircrafts. So if with LookUpFare youtickets, you might just land yourself some of the best deals for your trip.LookUpFare also offers full refund on ticket cancelations with their exclusive program called MACP (Major Airlines Cancelation Policy). AT just $14.99 extra, you can cancel your tickets with full refund and save yourself against hefty cancelation fees and penalties. http://www.lookupfare.com Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years. The dramatic and refreshing winds of change that excited the world in the immediate post-1994 era in South Africa have been snuffed out by a government seemingly oblivious to the damage that its inept management is causing. Media Contact Ruth Coggin 011-4870026; 082-903-5819; Archbishop Emeritus Ndungane: 082-894-1523 ruth@quo-vadis.co.za Ruth Coggin 011-4870026;082-903-5819;Archbishop Emeritus Ndungane: 082-894-1523 End -- This view was expressed today by Archbishop Emeritus Njongonkulu Ndungane, at the end of a week in which two highly respected financial institutions, Futuregrowth and Jyske Bank, announced that they would not be supporting SOEs, the Rand took another knock, and speculation about the Hawks' actions against the Minister of Finance continued unabated.Archbishop Ndungane, considered one of South Africa's elder statesmen, said mismanagement by the government of the economy, state owned enterprises (SOEs) and its public and unsavoury infighting would bring South Africa to its knees."It should be remembered that it was financial sanctions, the like of which the actions by Futuregrowth and Jyske remind us, that was one of the key drivers in bringing apartheid to its knees. The ANC-led tripartite alliance would do well to remember this. Its mismanagement as a government, its financial policies in particular and the clumsy, antagonistic treatment of its own minister of finance by one of the organs of the state, has effectively resulted in it scoring an own goal. It will struggle to regain the initiative not only on the domestic playing field, but internationally as well, and the chances of the country being downgraded to junk status at the end of the year are now good."This government has systematically destroyed all the good done in the immediate post-1994 years. The winds of change for the better that it could have been instrumental in bringing about in Africa as a whole have turned into a force five gale. It is nothing short of iniquitous."Archbishop Ndungane said that many people, including former Robben Island political prisoners, had made huge sacrifices in the hope that the freedom that was won in 1994 would bring about a sustainable future for future generations. He said he found it ironic and tragic that this opportunity was being squandered by hyenas intent "on gorging themselves sick at the feeding trough of the state". Strangely, he noted, this included some who themselves had made sacrifices to bring about the change that they now ignored in their duty to govern for the good of all people.As a result people who were poor and were discriminated against in 1994 as a result of apartheid, are now poorer and still suffer from unfulfilled promises to alleviate their plight. Promises of a fair and just society in which everyone, irrespective of colour, creed or race, had a place in the South African sun, have come to be seen as empty: the lies of politicians who act only in their own interests."I regrettably have to say that South Africa is at a moment as seminal as that day in 1990 when the then apartheid president, F W de Klerk, unbanned political organisations such as the ANC and PAC and announced the release of the father of our democracy, Nelson Mandela, and other political prisoners. It took a statesman, no matter how much we disagreed with him at the time, to do this."The question is: is there a statesman in any of the leadership structures of the tripartite alliance ready to take similar steps? Events of the past year suggest not. I hope I am wrong and wait to see if the tripartite alliance in general and the ANC in particular can rise above the polluted political waters it has dragged us all into."EndsNote: Archbishop Emeritus Njongonkulu Ndungane is the former Archbishop of Cape Town. He held this office as head of the Anglican Church in South Africa for 11 years from September 1996 to September 2007 when he retired. He is currently the Executive Director of the Historic Schools Restoration Project (an initiative to restore the historic schools of South Africa) and President of African Monitor (an independent continent-wide organisation that monitors the development of grassroots communities) It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search In California's Sierra Nevada mountains, as more precipitation falls in the form of rain rather than snow, and the snowpack melts earlier in spring, it's important for water managers to know when and how much water will be available for urban and agricultural needs and for the environment in general. While changing precipitation patterns can have a significant impact on stream flows in the Sierra Nevada mountains, a new study by UC Santa Barbara researchers indicates that shifts in vegetation type resulting from warming and other factors may have an equal or greater effect. Their findings appear in the journal PLOS One. "We found that vegetation change may have a greater impact on the amount of stream flow in the Sierra than the direct effects of climate warming," said lead author Ryan Bart, a postdoctoral researcher at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. Bart co-wrote the paper with Bren professor Naomi Tague and fire ecologist Max Moritz, an associate at UCSB's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. As the climate continues to warm and produce more severe droughts, fires and tree die-off events across the western United States, the potential for widespread vegetation-type conversion is becoming increasingly plausible. Wildfire is a particularly important factor. Exacerbated by climate and drought, fires such as the 2013 Rim Fire in Yosemite National Park can destroy entire stands of forest, which may not return. In some cases, they may be replaced by shrubs, raising the question of whether such a shift in vegetation type will leave more or less water in nearby streams. The findings were generated using the Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys), a spatially distributed model of which Tague is the primary architect. Because the future composition of shrub lands and the distribution of shrub species in the Sierra Nevada is unknown, the researchers examined stream flows under multiple possible scenarios of vegetation-type conversion in two Sierra Nevada watersheds. The team focused on the lower montane zone -- which ranges in altitude from 4,000 to 7,000 -- because the trailing, lower edge of many forests is likely to be the most susceptible to vegetation-type conversion. While some forest-to-shrub land conversion scenarios resulted in higher stream flow, depending on factors such as the size and area covered by shrub leaves relative to tree leaves, Bart noted that a shrub-dominated landscape would not necessarily result in more water in stream. "Intuitively, you might think that shrubs would use less water than trees because they're smaller, but field work from a related study has shown this isn't always true," he explained. "Shrubs are adept at pulling water out of the soil, so that in some cases, a decent-sized shrub may use just as much water as a much taller tree. It is only when shrubs are much smaller than trees that we see less water used by vegetation and thus more stream flow." The researchers also found that increases in stream flow would be observed only during wet years. "During very dry years, it doesn't matter what vegetation you have on a landscape, whether a tall tree or a small shrub," Bart said. "Each vegetation type will be able to exploit all the available water." The goal of the study was not to specify how much water will be available in the watersheds. "It's a small-scale study of just two watersheds, but it's the first to examine what might be the implication of vegetation-type conversion on stream flow in the Sierra Nevada," said Tague. "Our results show that the hydrology and ecology communities need to collaborate to understand how mountain landscapes will change 50 or a 100 years from now in the Sierra or elsewhere," Bart said. "The results underscore the importance of accounting for changes in vegetation communities to accurately characterize future stream flow for the Sierra Nevada." Every year, 57,100 children who started primary school in England at a healthy weight end up obese or overweight by the time they leave, according to new statistics published by Cancer Research UK. This worrying statistic adds to the fact that one in five children are already overweight or obese when they start primary school. And by the time they leave, that figure rises to one in three. To highlight the staggeringly high level of children's obesity and epidemic of rising ill-health, Cancer Research UK has transformed a shop front into an XL school uniform shop to show the new norm of larger school uniforms. The Government has reneged on its commitment to publish a robust strategy to tackle the crisis of children's obesity. Encouraging exercise and a sugar tax alone won't curb the rise of ill-health which could cost the NHS billions. Commitments to protect children from junk food marketing and mandatory targets to reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in food are also vital. We know that obese children are around five times more likely to grow into obese adults, and carrying too much weight increases the risk of cancer as well as other diseases. Sarah-Louise Bridgewater from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, mother of two, said: "As a mum, my number one priority is to make sure my children are healthy. Seeing these outsize school uniforms has really worried me. "As much as I want to, I just can't watch my children 24 hours a day and it's hard to stop them spending their pocket money on junk food. We've got to pull together to stop kids stuffing themselves with fatty sugary food that's going to make them ill later in life." Being overweight or obese is the single biggest cause of preventable cancer in the UK after smoking and contributes to 18,100 cases of cancer every year. It is linked to 10 types of cancer including bowel, breast, and pancreatic. Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK's director of prevention, said: "The Government has failed children. More than 57,000 children will become overweight or obese during primary school each year in England, and the Government had a chance to prevent this. The childhood obesity plan is simply not up to the task of tackling children's obesity. Instead, the next generation faces a future of ill health, shortened lives, and an overstretched NHS. "It will take more than encouraging exercise and a sugar tax to tackle the obesity epidemic. The Government has already recognised the influence of junk food marketing on children's health by banning junk food advertising during children's programmes -- it's time to close the loop hole during family viewing time. "Young waistlines have been expanding steadily over the last two decades. With so many overweight and obese children in England, we are seeing a greater need for larger school uniforms. And it's a shame the Government has missed an opportunity to save lives." In the 1960s, a team of excavators uncovered the ruins of the ancient city of Lambityeco (AD 500-850), in what is now Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca, Mexico. In a recent return to the site, the discovery of a carved stone crocodile by Field Museum archaeologists has provided a key to revising long-held ideas about the site. During the early excavation, archaeologists unearthed seemingly conflicting evidence. On the one hand, they found a palace with iconic frescoes that indicate the close connections between Lambityeco and nearby Monte Alban, a much larger urban settlement in the region. However, not all of the pieces recovered during this study seemed to fit this narrative. Some of the artifacts showed marked differences with those from Monte Alban. Because of these differences, the archaeological team attributed Lambityeco to a later time period than Monte Alban, an interpretation that stood for decades. Nevertheless, more recent reanalysis of materials from Lambityeco has shown that the site was actually contemporaneous with Monte Alban, leading to new questions. Over the last four years, new excavations led by Gary Feinman and Linda Nicholas of The Field Museum (in conjunction with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History) have expanded the investigated area at Lambityeco, and their discoveries have yielded a richer history than was originally thought. When the civic-ceremonial area of Lambityeco was first settled, the public buildings were clearly laid out in a manner closely reflective of that at Monte Alban. Yet, during the occupation, a major reorganization in the use of space occurred in the ceremonial core of Lambityeco. The architecture was remodeled so that it no longer reflected the construction patterns at the larger site. This shift likely reflected a distancing in the relationship between the two Valley of Oaxaca centers. "During this time period, the relationship between Lambityeco and Monte Alban shifted," said Field Museum MacArthur Curator of Anthropology Gary Feinman. "The people of Lambityeco began to remodel their buildings and reorient the use of space in order to differentiate themselves from Monte Alban." Evidence collected over the past four years has helped illustrate this change. One key feature that changed at Lambityeco was its ballcourt -- an important structure for both ceremony and recreation in prehispanic Mesoamerica. In its original design, the ballcourt at Lambityeco, which was discovered by the Museum team in 2015, was laid out in a very similar pattern to the one in Monte Alban: both were constructed with the same orientation and were entered from the north side of the court. However, less than two centuries after the ballcourt was created in Lambityeco, the people sealed its north entrance and created a new stairway on its northeast corner -- a major shift from the layout at Monte Alban. At this same time, the frescos in the palaces, excavated in the 1960s, were covered over, and never re-created again. Another piece of evidence that helps illustrate this change at Lambityeco is a large stone carved on three sides with an image of a crocodile that was discovered during this recent field season. This is the largest carved stone found to date at Lambityeco. Although similar crocodile stones have been found at other sites in the Valley of Oaxaca, this was a unique discovery. Not only was it one of a few carvings of its kind to be discovered still in its prehispanic context, but the Field Museum team also found that the stone was moved from its original location during the long-ago occupation of Lambityeco. "We believe that this crocodile stone was originally a part of a stairway leading up to a temple at the heart of the civic-ceremonial center of Lambityeco," said Linda Nicholas, archaeologist at The Field Museum. "However, when the people reconstructed the core area of the site, the entrance to the temple was blocked and the stairway was dismantled." The stone was moved so that it leaned against the new facade of the building, where it continued to serve ritual significance, as evidenced by remains of charcoal and ceramics used to hold incense that were deposited right in front of the stone. The stone, when found in this location, was upside down with one of its carved sides completely hidden from view. These observations further indicate that the stone had been repositioned from its original location. As new evidence continues to accumulate from Lambityeco, questions continue to arise. What caused this political shift between Lambityeco and Monte Alban? What is the full extent of architectural changes made within the city? Although, anthropologists continue to work on answering these questions, it seems like one fact remains true. In its short-lived history, Lambityeco was a center of significant importance that still holds many clues to understanding the rich prehispanic history of the Valley of Oaxaca. Rutgers University engineers have found a simple method for producing high-quality graphene that can be used in next-generation electronic and energy devices: bake the compound in a microwave oven. The discovery is documented in a study published online today in the journal Science. "This is a major advance in the graphene field," said Manish Chhowalla, professor and associate chair in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in Rutgers' School of Engineering. "This simple microwave treatment leads to exceptionally high quality graphene with properties approaching those in pristine graphene." The discovery was made by post-doctoral associates and undergraduate students in the department, said Chhowalla, who is also the director of the Rutgers Institute for Advanced Materials, Devices and Nanotechnology. Having undergraduates as co-authors of a Science paper is rare but he said "the Rutgers Materials Science and Engineering Department and the School of Engineering at Rutgers cultivate a culture of curiosity driven research in students with fresh ideas who are not afraid to try something new.'' Graphene -- 100 times tougher than steel -- conducts electricity better than copper and rapidly dissipates heat, making it useful for many applications. Large-scale production of graphene is necessary for applications such as printable electronics, electrodes for batteries and catalysts for fuel cells. Graphene comes from graphite, a carbon-based material used by generations of students and teachers in the form of pencils. Graphite consists of sheets or layers of graphene. The easiest way to make large quantities of graphene is to exfoliate graphite into individual graphene sheets by using chemicals. The downside of this approach is that side reactions occur with oxygen -- forming graphene oxide that is electrically non-conducting, which makes it less useful for products. Removing oxygen from graphene oxide to obtain high-quality graphene has been a major challenge over the past two decades for the scientific community working on graphene. Oxygen distorts the pristine atomic structure of graphene and degrades its properties. Chhowalla and his group members found that baking the exfoliated graphene oxide for just one second in a 1,000-watt microwave oven, like those used in households across America, can eliminate virtually all of the oxygen from graphene oxide. The Rutgers engineers' research was funded by the National Science Foundation, Rutgers Energy Institute, U.S. Department of Education and Rutgers Aresty Research Assistant Program. From the depths of Lake Malawi, Melissa Berke has helped uncover evidence that offers new insights into a long-held theory about Africa's climate history. The research from Berke, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame and Environmental Change Initiative affiliate, suggests that Africa has gradually become wetter over the past 1.3 million years -- instead of drier as was thought previously. The findings shine new light on the "savanna hypothesis," which held that humans in Africa as a whole migrated to grasslands due to a changing climate. The sediment samples that Berke studied came from Lake Malawi in southeast Africa, whereas data used for the savanna hypothesis came from the north. Her research suggests that climate conditions across Africa may have been more variable than once thought. Importantly, Berke's samples also reflect the longest continuous record of temperature data ever collected on the African continent. Apart from their age, the materials she analyzed were of exceptional quality. "Lake Malawi is one of the deepest lakes in Africa, and the sediment samples taken from it are finely laminated. You can readily see how it changes across intervals of time," said Berke. Berke's research specialty is to look for biochemical markers -- "chemical fossils" that help scientists measure changes in vegetation and climate over time. One of the most enduring markers she examines is a commonplace substance known as leaf wax. "All terrestrial leaves have wax," she said. "It's what makes water bead on grass or an oak leaf. Long after stems and roots have faded away, leaf wax residue can be preserved for hundreds of millions of years. Each leaf has its own chemistry, so when it washes into a lake or ocean we use it to tell us about its environment." Earlier this year, Berke boarded a research vessel in the Indian Ocean with 29 international scientists to retrieve sediment cores off the coast of southern Africa. Her findings will build on the Lake Malawi research and examine sediments that date seven million years, the oldest such samples taken in this location. Berke's work takes a decidedly long view. As a geologist, she can speak of events that happened "only 23,000 years ago." Yet she's also quick to point out why this look back at Africa's geologic past should matter now. "When we look at today's climate, at flooding in Louisiana or West Virginia, or fires in California, we need historical context to understand what's happening," she said. "We can't just rely on modern climate data to understand the past. Those records only go back 150 years. The more data we have about what's happened across millions of years of climate, the better our predictions of the future will be." Antibiotic treatment within the first year of life may wipe out more than an unwanted infection: exposure to the drugs is associated with an increase in food allergy diagnosis, new research from the University of South Carolina suggests. Analyzing South Carolina Medicaid administrative data from 2007 to 2009, researchers from the College of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Arnold School of Public Health identified 1,504 cases of children with food allergies and 5,995 controls without food allergies, adjusting for birth month and year, sex and race/ethnicity. Applying conditional logistic regression and adjusting for factors including birth, breastfeeding, asthma, eczema, maternal age and urban residence, the researchers found that children prescribed antibiotics within the first year of life were 1.21 times more likely to be diagnosed with food allergy than children who hadn't received an antibiotic prescription. The association between antibiotic prescription and development of food allergy was statistically significant, and the odds of a food allergy diagnosis increased with the number of antibiotic prescriptions a child received, growing from 1.31 times greater risk with three prescriptions to 1.43 times with four prescriptions and 1.64 times with five or more prescriptions. The interdisciplinary research team, led by Bryan Love, Pharm.D., found the strongest association between children who were prescribed cephalosporin and sulfonamide antibiotics, which are broad-spectrum therapies (adjusted OR 1.50 and 1.54, respectively), compared with narrower spectrum agents such as penicillins and macrolides. The study was published recently in the journal Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology. This research builds upon previous studies finding that normal gut flora is critical for developing the body's tolerance to foreign proteins such as food. Antibiotics are known to alter the composition of gut flora, and U.S. children ages three months to three years are prescribed 2.2 antimicrobial prescriptions per year on average, according to the literature. The study's results suggest a potential link between the rise in antibiotic prescriptions for young children and the rise in diagnosis of food allergies in children. Given the study's findings and the body of research suggesting that antibiotics are frequently improperly prescribed to treat viral infections, Love said that prescribing medical professionals should be cautious before ordering antibiotics for young children but noted that it can be difficult to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections. "We need better diagnostic tools to help identify kids who truly need antibiotics," he said. "Overusing antibiotics invites more opportunity for side effects, including the potential development of food allergies, and can encourage antibacterial resistance. The research team is currently expanding the scope of their study, analyzing data from multiple states using a retrospective cohort design to determine if their findings hold in a larger patient population. Other current and former University of South Carolina researchers involved in this study include Joshua R. Mann, James W. Hardin, Z. Kevin Lu, Christina Cox and David J. Amrol. Cooperation between Finnish and Chinese research groups has now opened up new opportunities for developing treatments targeting acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer. A research group led by Professor Daoguang Yan from Jinan University in Guangdong has cooperated with Professor Vesa Olkkonen from the Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research on the Meilahti Campus to uncover a new mechanism which enhances the viability of cancerous T-cells and promotes their reproduction. The researchers discovered that the T-ALL leukemia cells use a specific signalling pathway to maintain their intense, oxygen-dependent energy metabolism and ability to divide. The pathway is largely based on the ORP4L protein, which is expressed only in cancerous T-cells but not in healthy ones. "The new results establish that ORP4L binds the protein group that transmits signals on the membranes of the cancerous cells, which accelerates the release of calcium ions from the endoplasmic reticulum. This way the 'power plants' of the cell which run on oxygen, the mitochondria, are free to produce energy to their full capacity," explains Professor Olkkonen. Severing the newly discovered signalling pathway could prevent cancerous cells from growing and reproducing. This means that identifying the pathway will enable the development of new leukemia treatments which target different sections of the pathway. The study was published in the Nature Communications journal. advertisement Interest in ORP proteins brings researchers together Professor Yan has been in charge of his research group at Jinan University in Guangzhou, Guangdong, since 2009. While working in Helsinki at the National Public Health Institute of Finland between 2005 and 2007, Yan became interested in ORPs, a family of proteins which bind oxysterols (oxidised cholesterol derivatives) in humans, and their role in cell signalling. Oxysterol-binding proteins are found in the areas where cell organelles come into contact: they transmit lipids and signals between them. An abnormally intense expression of the ORP4 protein had previously been observed in certain cancer cells, and Yan and Olkkonen suspected that it transmitted signals which maintained the malignancy of the cells. In 2009, Professor Yan discovered that ORP4L was being excessively expressed in T-ALL leukemia cells, and ever since, he has been studying the function of this protein and its significance in leukemia. Professor Olkkonen's research group identified the ORP protein family between 1999 and 2001, and is still studying the functions of these proteins, including ORP4L. Olkkonen has made regular visits to Yan's laboratory, and together with Yan has supervised the ORP4L research, the top project at the laboratory. ORP inhibitors to become new cancer drugs? The now-published study used both cultured cancerous T-cell lines and leukemia cells isolated directly form the blood of patients. The expression of the ORP4L protein was blocked or excessively boosted in experiments on the cultured cells. The significance of the protein in the reproduction of leukemia cells was also studied in vivo by transferring ORP4L-manipulated human leukemia cells to immune-deficient mice. "What makes our findings particularly interesting is that small-molecule inhibitors for the ORP proteins have been discovered, and we may be able to use them to develop new drugs to treat T-ALL leukemia and perhaps other types of cancer as well," Olkkonen states. In male cells of the fruit fly Drosophila, the X chromosome is twice as active as in female cells. Researchers at LMU Munich have now discovered how the enzyme responsible recognises the chromosome. In many species, the sex chromosomes are unequally distributed: in humans as well as in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster male cells only possess one X chromosome, unlike female cells, which contain two Xs. Male fruit flies compensate for this short-coming by doubling the activity of their single X chromosome. This vital process is controlled by the enzyme complex known as DCC (dosage compensation complex). "How this regulator distinguishes the X chromosome from all the other chromosomes has remained unsolved for a long time," says LMU biologist Professor Peter Becker from the Biomedical Center (BMC) at the LMU. Becker's team has now reported on an important conceptual and methodological breakthrough: the researchers demonstrate that a key role in the process is played by the fine detail of DNA shape. In addition, they have also identified the part of the enzyme complex that binds to the X chromosome. The insights gained from Drosophila are not only important for understanding the gene regulation in flies, but also illustrate fundamental mechanisms that affect all life forms in similar ways. The scientists have reported their results in the journal Nature. Some 300 binding sites for the DCC enzyme complex to the X chromosome are known to date. From their DNA sequences, researchers have calculated the recognition sequence (known as the consensus sequence), in which each position is occupied by the particular DNA building block, which occurs most frequently in comparison with all binding sites. "The problem is that the consensus sequence signature that can be robustly identified at most DCC binding sites is also present some thousands of times on all other chromosomes," states Becker. "For this reason, we have previously been unable to predict whether a particular DNA sequence is actually a functional DCC binding site or not." A novel strategy Becker describes as 'genome-wide biochemical analysis' has now provided a major step forward. The researchers were able to demonstrate that one specific building block from the DCC regulator -- the MSL2 protein -- is sufficient to reliably bind the consensus sequence. Furthermore, the MSL2 protein actually possesses two DNA binding domains, of which one binds to a DNA sequence, which extends the previously known consensus sequence. "We called this new signature 'PionX', because it turns out that these binding sites represent the first DCC contact points to the X chromosome. There are, however, some 2,700 sequences in the fly genome that resemble the PionX signature a lot, of which only 57 function as genuine MSL2 binding sites," relates Becker. "The decisive breakthrough was achieved by BMC bioinformaticians, first and foremost Tobias Straub, who calculated how the sequence of the base pairs affected the intricate structure of the DNA, also known as 'DNA shape'," states Becker. The researchers identified a particular shape shared by PionX sequences that is preferably recognised by the MSL2 protein. This structure makes the vital difference: it distinguishes the binding sites on the X chromosome from all others, enabling a selective interaction and regulation by the dosage compensation complex. "Our work has decisively advanced the understanding of chromosome-wide regulation during the process of X chromosome dosage compensation," states Becker. "However, our current progress only explains part of the X chromosomal recognition in vivo and we still have to improve our ability to distinguish correct DCC binding sites from 'false-positive' and false-negative' sites identified by our algorithm." In the future, the researchers intend to further refine the genome-wide biochemical analysis strategy, in order to better understand the recognition of the X chromosome by the DCC. Health Minister Thapa meets Dr KC, discusses his demands Health Minister Gagan Kumar Thapa met Professor Dr Govinda KC on Friday and held discussions on his demands for reforms in medical education sector. NASA's Juno spacecraft has sent back the first-ever images of Jupiter's north pole, taken during the spacecraft's first flyby of the planet with its instruments switched on. The images show storm systems and weather activity unlike anything previously seen on any of our solar system's gas-giant planets. Juno successfully executed the first of 36 orbital flybys on Aug. 27 when the spacecraft came about 2,500 miles (4,200 kilometers) above Jupiter's swirling clouds. The download of six megabytes of data collected during the six-hour transit, from above Jupiter's north pole to below its south pole, took one-and-a-half days. While analysis of this first data collection is ongoing, some unique discoveries have already made themselves visible. "First glimpse of Jupiter's north pole, and it looks like nothing we have seen or imagined before," said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "It's bluer in color up there than other parts of the planet, and there are a lot of storms. There is no sign of the latitudinal bands or zone and belts that we are used to -- this image is hardly recognizable as Jupiter. We're seeing signs that the clouds have shadows, possibly indicating that the clouds are at a higher altitude than other features." One of the most notable findings of these first-ever pictures of Jupiter's north and south poles is something that the JunoCam imager did not see. "Saturn has a hexagon at the north pole," said Bolton. "There is nothing on Jupiter that anywhere near resembles that. The largest planet in our solar system is truly unique. We have 36 more flybys to study just how unique it really is." Along with JunoCam snapping pictures during the flyby, all eight of Juno's science instruments were energized and collecting data. The Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM), supplied by the Italian Space Agency, acquired some remarkable images of Jupiter at its north and south polar regions in infrared wavelengths. "JIRAM is getting under Jupiter's skin, giving us our first infrared close-ups of the planet," said Alberto Adriani, JIRAM co-investigator from Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome. "These first infrared views of Jupiter's north and south poles are revealing warm and hot spots that have never been seen before. And while we knew that the first-ever infrared views of Jupiter's south pole could reveal the planet's southern aurora, we were amazed to see it for the first time. No other instruments, both from Earth or space, have been able to see the southern aurora. Now, with JIRAM, we see that it appears to be very bright and well-structured. The high level of detail in the images will tell us more about the aurora's morphology and dynamics." Among the more unique data sets collected by Juno during its first scientific sweep by Jupiter was that acquired by the mission's Radio/Plasma Wave Experiment (Waves), which recorded ghostly-sounding transmissions emanating from above the planet. These radio emissions from Jupiter have been known about since the 1950s but had never been analyzed from such a close vantage point. "Jupiter is talking to us in a way only gas-giant worlds can," said Bill Kurth, co-investigator for the Waves instrument from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. "Waves detected the signature emissions of the energetic particles that generate the massive auroras which encircle Jupiter's north pole. These emissions are the strongest in the solar system. Now we are going to try to figure out where the electrons come from that are generating them." The Juno spacecraft launched on Aug. 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida and arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. JPL manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA's New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. Researchers discovered a new snake species in Madagascar and named it "ghost snake" for its pale grey coloration and elusiveness. They found the ghost snake on a recently opened path within the well-traveled Ankarana National Park in northern Madagascar in February 2014. They studied the snake's physical characteristics and genetics, which verified that it is a new species. The researchers from the LSU Museum of Natural Science, the American Museum of Natural History and the Universite de Mahajunga in Madagascar named it Madagascarophis lolo, pronounced "luu luu," which means ghost in Malagasy. Their work was published in the scientific journal, Copeia, today. The ghost snake is part of a common group of snakes called Madagascarophis, or cat-eyed snakes, named for their vertical pupils, which is often found among snakes that are active in the evening or night. Many of the cat-eyed snakes are found in developed areas or degraded forests. However, the researchers found the ghost snake on the national park's iconic pale grey limestone Tsingy rocks. "None of the other snakes in Madagascarophis are as pale and none of them have this distinct pattern," said Sara Ruane, post-doctoral researcher at the LSU Museum of Natural Science and lead author of the paper. The researchers conducted genetic analyses and were surprised to find that the ghost snake's next closest relative is a snake called Madagascarophis fuchsi, which was discovered at a site approximately 100 kilometers north of Ankarana several years ago. Both were found in rocky, isolated areas. "I think what's exciting and important about this work is even though the cat-eyed snakes could be considered one of the most common groups of snakes in Madagascar, there are still new species we don't know about because a lot of regions are hard to get to and poorly explored. If this commonly known, wide group of snakes harbors this hidden diversity, what else is out there that we don't know about?" Ruane said. Malagasy master's student Bernard Randriamahatantsoa spotted the snake on the path. Randriamahatantsoa, Ruane and their collaborators discovered the ghost snake after hiking for more than 17 miles in near-constant rain from their field site to the Ankarana park entrance, whilst in search for a different species. "It was really tough. It was a lot of work, but the payoff was big," Ruane said. "Snakes are hard to find under the best of circumstances. They are pretty elusive." That's why the researchers conduct their fieldwork during the rainy season in Madagascar when snakes and their prey, such as frogs, lizards and even other snakes, are most active. After discovering this new species, the researchers returned to the U.S. to conduct their morphological and genetic analyses. Part of the study of the snake's physical characteristics includes counting all of the scales on its belly, its back, counting how many scales touch the eye and the number of scales on the upper and lower lips. Ruane extracted DNA from tissue samples from the ghost snake and the previously found Madagascarophis fuchsi. She compared three genetic markers shared across the species of Madagascarophis to determine how similar the new species was to those previously known. In addition, Ruane and her colleagues mapped the genetic family tree, or phylogeny, for the entire group of Madagascarophis, which has five species. "All of the analyses we did supported that this is a distinct species despite the fact that we only have this one individual," she said. The American pika is a chatty creature who lives in cold mountain climates and who rubs his little cheeks on rocks he wants to claim as his territory. In short, this wild distant relative of bunnies, who uses a distinctive, sharp little bark to communicate, is just objectively cute. This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Jay Ryser But a new study shows that a warming planet is threatening the alpine creature, who thrives in the high mountains all the way from New Mexico to Canada. And the pika is already disappearing. Dodo Shows Dodo Heroes Woman Devotes Her Life To The Stray Dogs Of Bali Shutterstock Researchers surveyed areas where pikas had been seen as recently as 2012 - but the pikas were nowhere in sight. Shutterstock This comes as little surprise to scientists who have been warning that a warming climate would mean danger for alpine creatures, among many other vulnerable animals and ecosystems. Shutterstock The pika's fur is built for the very cold weather. If the temperature reaches 77 degrees, the pika's warm coat can actually kill them. And if temperatures do increase by 5.4 degrees by midcentury, as is predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this could be the beginning of the end of the pika. This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Jay Ryser "This is kind of an indication of what's happening in our mountain ecosystems," Erik A. Beever, author of this new study and an ecologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), said. Shutterstock SEOUL, KOREA, REPUBLIC OFSamsung Electronics recalled all of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on Friday after finding batteries of some of the flagship gadgets exploded or caught fire. Samsungs Note 7s are being pulled from shelves in 10 countries, including South Korea and the United States, just two weeks after the products launch. Customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones in about two weeks, said Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsungs mobile business. He apologized for causing inconvenience and concern to customers. The recall, the first for the new smartphone, comes at a crucial moment in Samsungs mobile business. Apple is scheduled to announce its new iPhone next week. It is a blow to Samsungs reputation and robs the company of momentum it had built in smartphones by capitalizing on a lull in demand for iPhones between new models. Demand for the iris-reading Note 7, which debuted to glowing reviews, and the release of the companys biggest profit in two years had driven its share price to a record as analysts raised their price targets. The unexpected recall would surely irritate buyers and the latest incident looks worrisome, said Lee Seung Woo, an analyst at IBK Securities Co. in Seoul. Samsung said it had confirmed 35 instances of Note 7s catching fire or exploding. There have been no reports of injuries related to the problem. The company said it has not found a way to tell exactly which phones may endanger users out of the 2.5 million Note 7s already sold globally. It estimated that about 24 out of 1 million units may have a faulty battery. After complaints surfaced online, Samsung found that a battery cell made by one of its two battery suppliers caused the phone to catch fire. Koh refused to name the supplier. There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process, so it was very difficult to figure out, Koh told reporters at a news conference. It will cost us so much it makes my heart ache. Nevertheless, the reason we made this decision is because what is most important is customer safety. Customers reports of scorched phones prompted Samsung to conduct extra quality controlling tests and delay shipments of the Note 7s this week before the recall. South Korean high school teacher Park Soo-Jung said she had rushed to buy the new phone, pre-ordering and then activating it on Aug. 19, its official launch date. The 34-year-old living in the port city of Busan said that she was bruised when she rushed out of bed after her phone burst into flames, filling her bedroom with smoke stinking of chemicals. Shes having second thoughts about buying another newly released device, especially after losing all her personal data stored in the destroyed Note 7, she said. If the exploded phone had burned near my head, I would not have been able to write this post, she said in a popular online forum Thursday, where she shared a photo of the scorched Note 7 and described dousing the flames. Note 7 sales started two weeks ago. While the recall is a black mark for Samsung, its a relatively quick response to a serious product defect. When the iPhone 4s antenna design proved to cause dropped calls, Apple responded by giving customers a free bumper case to mitigate the issue three weeks after it went on sale, an episode now known as Antennagate. China is not affected by the sales suspension. The company said it used a battery made by another supplier for the Note 7s sold in China. SHARE: Former Playboy model Pamela Anderson and a rabbi have jointly written an essay declaring that pornography is a public hazard and for losers. Their piece in the The Wall Street Journal dismisses pornography as a boring wasteful and dead-end outlet for people too lazy to reap the ample rewards of healthy sexuality. Anderson, 49, has appeared on the cover of Playboy 15 times, most recently in December for the magazines final nude issue. Her co-writer is Rabbi Shumley Boteach, an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi and author. Their essay was prompted by the latest sexting scandal of former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner, whose marriage crumbled this week after he was caught texting an image of his crotch to a woman in the presence of his four-year-old son. Weiners wife, Huma Abedin, 40, is a senior aide to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. How many families will suffer, Anderson and Boteach write. How many marriages will implode? How many talented men will scrap their most important relationships and careers for a brief onanistic thrill? How many children will propel, warp-speed, into the dark side of adult sexuality by forced exposure to their fathers profanations? From our respective positions of rabbi-counselor and former Playboy model and actress, we have often warned about pornographys corrosive effects on a mans soul and on his ability to function as husband and, by extension, as father, they write. Andersons past activism includes support for animal, human and environmental rights, including support for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and fighting rainforest deforestation, poaching and slash-and-burn agriculture). SHARE: JOIN THE CONVERSATION Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free) Sign In Register Kathmandu-Hetauda road widening project speeds up The construction of Hetauda-Kathmandu fast track that was obstructed due to the recent Madhesh unrest and subsequent fuel crisis in the country caused by the border blockade has been expedited. HANGZHOU, CHINA-For a place that has inspired artists and poets for centuries with its idyllic West Lake, Hangzhou is still a blip on the radar of North American travellers but not for long. Its the first Chinese city to host the G20 Summit, which takes place in September. It boasts a thriving tech industry; e-commerce giant Alibaba is based here. It recently ranked on the New York Times list of 52 places to go in 2016. Hangzhou is ready to share its old-world splendour and natural beauty with the world. Here are ways to enjoy it all: Street shopping: Take a stroll beneath the charming paper lanterns crisscrossing cobblestoned Hefang St., where youll never walk more than a few steps without passing a souvenir shop or street food/snack stand roasted walnut or candied insect, anyone? Pick up a colourful water bottle or cute sippy cup from MB2 Cup or inexpensive gifts and tech gadgets from Miniso, a shop that just happens to have every little item you forgot to pack in your suitcase. Gone fishing: There are 56 varieties of fish and 171 species of birds hiding in the lush Xixi National Wetland Park, Chinas first protected wetland park. It opened to the public in 2005 and spans more than 11.5 kilometres. More than 70 per cent of the park is comprised of water, so its best seen via a sightseeing boat or on a fishing adventure. If youre lucky, you might see traditional fishermen with cormorant birds catch a silver carp. Photo opps: Immerse yourself in the wackiness factor that is SongCheng Resort, a Chinese theme park with knife-throwing performances, friendly costumed characters, floral photo backdrops, and American Gladiator-style obstacle courses. You wont find any English signage; most of the parks visitors are from Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia. Dont leave without catching the Legend of Romance show, a spectacle featuring lasers, acrobats, waterfalls, live horses and contortionists. Tea time: When it comes to tea, Hangzhou is Chinas Champagne region. Visit the China National Tea Museum, surrounded by green fields of tea, for a complimentary tasting of some of the countrys finest blends, including a delicate green tea, mellow black tea, top-grade oolong, and heavenly scented jasmine. Enjoy a purple clay workshop, learn about the history of West Lake Longjing tea, and pick up a ceramic tea set from the museums well-curated gift shop on your way out. Chinese medicine: At the Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine, splendid architecture and scenery make up for what is lacking in the exhibitions. Visitors gather in an outdoor waiting area and queue in long lines for some face time with Mr. Ding, who has worked at the cultural centre in Hangzhou for more than 50 years. The herbalist dispenses sought-after advice on coping with common ailments, from headaches to nausea. Soulful retreat: At the northwest end of the city, Lingyin Temple is one of the oldest and most significant ancient Buddhist temples in China. In the Mahavira Hall, youll find a wooden statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, the largest in the country. With more than 300 Buddhist statues (the oldest dates back more than 800 years), picturesque pagodas and spectacular grottoes throughout the surrounding area, its no wonder the temples name means temple of the souls retreat. Paradise found: The newly opened Midtown Shangri-La is in the vibrant Kerry Central complex, a modern mixed-use development in the downtown Xiacheng district with an office tower, apartments and a high-end shopping mall. The hotel is also a five-minute walk to West Lake. Its spacious guestrooms and suites feature cosy mood lighting, large feather duvets and luxury amenities. Its worth upgrading to enjoy access to the Horizon Club Lounge, which includes complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and cocktail hour. Denise Dias was hosted by the Hangzhou Tourism Commission and was a guest of the Midtown Shangri-La, neither of which reviewed or approved this story. Read more about: SHARE: CLEVELAND, OHIO-Walking down the streets of the Waterloo Arts District, I stumbled upon an indie record shop called Blue Arrow Records. I felt like I was walking on music history, with floors covered in old record posters. Draculas greatest hits were underneath my right foot and nearby was Elvis Presley looking oh so handsome. At that moment, I realized, Cleveland is a special place. Whats there to do in Cleveland? my family had asked me. Well, its a little jewel that Canadians tend to bypass for cities like New York and Chicago. Its only a five-hour road trip away from Toronto on Lake Erie. One corner of the Waterloo Arts District looked like a revitalized junk yard, sprinkled with what looks like Christmas lights and sculptures. This is Cleveland now revitalized through arts. Like Pittsburgh or Detroit, Cleveland was part of the Rust Belt. It lost a lot of people when the manufacturing industry collapsed. Thanks to tax credits, low property cost and a huge investment into the arts, Clevelands population has now bounced back. It increased by 79 per cent since 2000, according to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Whats nice about travelling here is that you can feel the passion, the raw sense of creativity and the resilience of artists. The city is home to 78th Street Studios, 170,000 square feet of art galleries, artist studios, performance spaces and music recording studios. Every third Friday of the month, the eclectic art maze, originally home to the Baker Electric Motor Vehicle Co., opens for a night of visual exhibits. You will see metal track doors and old freight elevators where the cars were once taken down to the loading docks for distribution. Now the place is roaming with creative types whove put their love and sweat into their paintings, photographs and sculptures. Besides the burgeoning arts movement, Cleveland has a long history with music. At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you literally go through the majestic evolution of music. Theres Michael Jacksons sparkly glove, Janis Joplins psychedelic Porsche and scribbled lyrics from the Beatles. With the worlds largest collection of rock artifacts, the Hall of Fame reminds you that music lives strong, no matter what political unrest or turmoil is happening across the globe. On a smaller scale, the Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern is an ultra retro bar that has become an institution and a true Cleveland treasure for live music. I sank my teeth into a gourmet hot dog topped with Froot Loops during the kitsch Polka Happy Hour. Only here will you get an intimate show by Cleveland Orchestra musicians. If youre feeling fancy, go to Severance Hall to catch the Cleveland Orchestra. Theres something chilling about hearing 100 members of the orchestra perform together for a full-on classical experience. Tenacity meets style in a town where you can browse modern art inside a turn-of-the-century car factory, hear the orchestra perform live inside the local hot dog joint and chow down on pierogis at the legendary Beachland Ballroom concert venue. While admiring the intricate red and yellow hues from hand blown glass at the Glass Bubble Project in the Ohio City neighbourhood, I was told by owner and artist Mike Kaplan that once you catch the art bug, in Cleveland, its hard to leave. Emanuela Campanella was hosted by Destination Cleveland, which didnt review or approve this story. When You Go Get here: Its a five-hour drive and youll need a car to get around and check out the various art districts. Stay: The Westin Cleveland Downtown is close to everything. It features contemporary art and has a farm-to-table restaurant called Urban Farmer. Do your research:Thisiscleveland.com. SHARE: MONTREALWhen the image of a comatose Simon-Pierre Canuel emerged last spring, news of his severe allergic reaction after mistakenly being served salmon at a Sherbrooke, Que., restaurant travelled the world. It was a cautionary tale of the lethal dangers for some people of dining out, as well as the responsibility of restaurants and their staff, after Canuels waiter became the subject of a criminal negligence investigation and was arrested and released without charge by police. Three months later, that tale has become muddled. Sherbrooke police now say that their investigation into the matter has led them to look into reports of other alleged similar incidents involving the presumed victim. Were not confirming that there have been other incidents. What we are confirming is that we have received information about them, said police spokesperson Martin Carrier. News reports said there were incidents in Quebec as well as in France and that Canuel had sought financial compensation after the incidents. Neither the news reports in Quebec nor the Sherbrooke police provided any details of the alleged incidents. Canuel and his lawyer, Francois Daigle, could not be reached for comment Thursday. But in a letter that Daigle sent this week to Cogeco Nouvelles, the radio station that first reported there had been other cases, Daigle wrote that the information is totally false. The information would appear to clash with what Canuel told police after his experience at the restaurant in Sherbrooke. According to a July 29 affidavit that local police used to obtain a search warrant in their investigation, an officer recounted that Canuel said he had never had previous health problems after dining at a restaurant. The affidavit was first obtained by La Tribune, a local newspaper in Sherbrooke, which provided a copy of the nine-page document to the Star. Its the first time that I have had problems at a restaurant concerning my allergies, Canuel told police, according to the affidavit. Normally everything is fine. When there is any risk whatsoever, the waiter tells me and I take no risk. Canuel, a trained first-aid provider and the president of a company that offers medical and ambulance services for special events, said he also took great care when he sat down to dinner on the night of May 29 at Le Tapageur, a restaurant on Sherbrookes main downtown strip. He was accompanied by his partner, who was a medical resident, according to the affidavit. When Canuel ordered a plate of steak tartare, he recounted telling his waiter of his allergies to seafood and salmon. I told him to advise the chef to change the utensils and to prepare my plate separately to avoid any contamination, the affidavit quotes Canuel as saying. The server repeated the order but took no notes. Canuel told police that he saw the waiter talking to what appeared to be friends at another table and taking one or two shooters with them, according to the affidavit. When the food arrived at the table, Canuel said he took one bite and realized immediately that he had received salmon tartare, not steak tartare. Five minutes later, according to the affidavit, Canuel began having trouble breathing. One witness recounted to police that a server approached her asking if she had an EpiPen, a medical device with which those suffering from an allergic reaction can administer a life-saving dose of medicine, the affidavit said. Canuel has said in news reports that he had left his in his car that night. When Canuel lost consciousness, his partner called 9-1-1 and began delivering life-saving resuscitation. Canuel woke up in the hospital, suffered a heart attack the following night and stayed in hospital for five days in total, according to the affidavit. A spokesperson for the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke said details of a patients stay are confidential, meaning it was not possible to confirm that Canuel was a patient or obtain details about his course of treatment. Police executed their search warrant at the restaurant on Aug. 2 and reported back to the court that they had seized footage from a surveillance camera in the restaurant, a copy of the restaurants menu and two letters in which the cook and the server describe what happened on the night in question. Police also obtained a copy of Canuels $74.13 bill for the meal. Carrier, the Sherbrooke police spokesperson, said that the investigation continues. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWAFederal Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch is doubling down on a controversial survey of party members that asks whether refugees and other would-be immigrants should be vetted for anti-Canadian values. In a written statement issued by her campaign Friday, Leitch defended her move and offered a list of the kinds of anti-Canadian values she said ought to be screened out. Screening potential immigrants for anti-Canadian values that include intolerance towards other religions, cultures and sexual orientations, violent and/or misogynist behaviour and/or a lack of acceptance of our Canadian tradition of personal and economic freedoms is a policy proposal that I feel very strongly about. Leitch, a former Stephen Harper cabinet minister who helped unveil the so-called barbaric cultural practices snitch line during the last federal campaign, talked tough about her move. In my bid to become the prime minister of Canada, I will be putting forward policies that will make Canada safer, stronger and that will enhance a unified Canadian identity. Canadians can expect to hear more, not less from me, on this topic in the coming months. However, Leitchs latest comments are raising red flags for one of her leadership rivals and some Conservative commentators as the party struggles to inspire Canadians interest in its leadership contest, and tries to put forward a moderate, tolerant face, distinct from its conservative cousin, the Republican Party, in the U.S. election campaign. Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong, who is a declared candidate for the leadership, issued a statement Friday criticizing Leitchs position. This suggestion, that some immigrants are anti-Canadian, does not represent our Conservative Party or our Canada. In order to win in 2019 we need to build a modern and inclusive Conservative Party that focuses squarely on pocketbook issues that matter to Canadians, and not on issues that pit one Canadian against another, wrote Chong. Chong cited the public criticism of Leitch by key Conservatives, including Crestview consultant Chad Rogers, who said Leitchs survey amounted to dog-whistle politics. Rogers tweeted: certainly Kellie should be screened for Canadian values. Two strikes. Chong said Conservatives need to unite around a fiscally conservative agenda that is inclusive of Canadians from diverse backgrounds. Another high-profile and longtime Conservative party supporter and strategist, Tim Powers, echoed Chongs concerns Friday. The Conservative Partys rebuilding efforts shouldnt be based on dividing and defining people. Conservatives need to include people, not exclude them. Apparently Kellie Leitch thinks division is the new multiplication. Canadians dont like this style of politics just ask Stephen Harper, said Tim Powers, an Ottawa consultant. The office of Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose said she would offer no comment, saying Ambrose had no intention of wading into it. Leitch was undeterred by her critics and appeared to blame the media for casting her survey in an unflattering light. She said it asked whether or not the government should screen potential immigrants for anti-Canadian values as part of its normal screening for refugees and landed immigrants. Oftentimes, debating and discussing these complex policies requires tough conversations, conversations that go well beyond media sound bites and simplified labels. I am committed to having these conversations, to debating these issues and I invite Canadians to give their feedback. Fridays statement by Leitch stood in contrast to her teary display of regret in a recent CBC interview about her participation in the snitch-line announcement. That policy announcement during a campaign when the Conservatives were also pushing a niqab ban during citizenship ceremonies contributed to an impression many voters held, and party members said, painted the Conservative Party as intolerant. Leitch said it overshadowed real concerns about women or children in danger. Canadian Press first reported about the survey Thursday, noting Leitchs survey also asked other surprising questions, such as Do you think Canadas response to terrorist threats should include therapy and counselling for potential terrorists, or should it focus on incarcerating them? Another question asks whether swearing allegiance to the Queen should be removed from the oath of citizenship, whether people should be able, as the courts have allowed, to recant that part of the oath after taking it, or, whether someone who recants the pledge to the monarch should lose their citizenship entirely. The preamble to another question states: Some people say that our politicians and political parties should encourage multiculturalism that celebrates our differences, while other people say that our politicians and political parties should encourage a unifying Canadian identity based on historic Canadian values. The survey allows respondents to choose one or the other, or both, or say they do not know. Leitchs campaign manager, Nick Kouvalis, told CP that more than 8,000 people had responded since it was sent out Tuesday. Read more about: SHARE: The family of a Toronto-area resident who had been detained in Egypt without charge says the man has returned to Canada. Khaled Al-Qazzaz a permanent resident of Canada and a University of Toronto engineering graduate was once an aide to Egypt's ousted president Mohammed Morsi and was arrested alongside the former leader in July 2013, when the Egyptian military removed Morsi from office. After an ordeal that lasted three years, Al-Qazzaz was abruptly cleared to return to Canada last month and landed in Toronto on Aug. 14, his brother-in-law said. He's overwhelmed with joy and emotion, and with finally the opportunity to start fresh, to have a complete family again, Ahmad Attia told The Canadian Press in an interview. It's still becoming a reality for us. Al-Qazzaz was never charged, nor did Egyptian authorities explain exactly why they had arrested him. The 37-year-old was initially held incommunicado for more than five months, his family said, with Egyptian authorities not acknowledging he was in custody. He was then held in solitary confinement in a small, cramped cell until he was transferred to a hospital in Cairo in late 2014 due to his deteriorating health, the family said. He was released from custody in January 2015 and was set to return to Canada in April that year but was stopped at Cairo's airport and told he couldn't leave. His approval to travel to Canada last month came suddenly, Attia said. We don't know what triggered it but we believe it's the combined effect of the advocacy and the voices who were speaking out here in Canada, the human rights groups who kept up on the case and the Canadian government, who more recently took some actions on raising the case with the Egyptian government, Attia said. A recent visit by Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion to Egypt is thought to have been particularly helpful, Attia added. Our family owes many thanks to thousands of Canadians and we are very grateful to the honourable minister Dion and his office for championing our case, he said. Egyptian authorities allowed Al-Qazzaz to return to Canada on medical and humanitarian grounds, Attia said. Al-Qazzaz chose to return quietly because he, his Canadian wife and their four children wanted privacy as they began a transition back to normal life at their Mississauga, Ont., home, Attia said. Al-Qazzaz now plans to get medical treatment for a severe spinal condition and eventually plans to return to working in the education field. Our campaign to free Khaled ... was our life, so to be able to close it and move on is very emotional, Attia said. We're just very grateful to everyone who never gave up. Read more about: SHARE: Tiny, slightly stooped, face as creviced as a dry gulch, head covered by a blue-edged white headscarf, she was one of the iconic figures and brands of the last few decades of the 20th century. She was born in 1910, an ethnic Albanian, in the Macedonian town of Skopje, and named Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu. When she died in 1997, however, the world knew her as Mother Teresa of Calcutta. On Sunday, she will be canonized a Roman Catholic saint by Pope Francis in St. Peters Square for her exemplary life and, by the Vaticans judgment, having had a hand in two miracles. Mother Teresas canonization is especially meaningful, Greater Toronto followers told the Star, because of her humility and the fact she was an accessible figure of modern, not ancient times. She was the most ordinary person youd ever want to meet, not in the slightest intimidating, recalled Monsignor Ambrose Sheehy, 73, who is semi-retired in Toronto. Unless you knew that she was doing this extraordinary work, you really wouldnt perceive it, just talking to her. She seemed just like any other person. She had a most amazing quality that way. Harry McAvoy of Newmarket, who visited Mother Teresas convent in Kolkata as a young man, said: Im 57 years old, so I grew up knowing Mother Teresa. I had a chance to meet her, a chance to see her in Calcutta, in her element. Many of us have grown up knowing about her. You dont have to be a great intellect to grasp what she was about, he said. By the time she died at 87, Mother Teresa had won the Nobel Peace Prize and owned an almost fearsome faith. She awed multitudes by her work among the poorest of the worlds poor. She appalled some most famously the late writer Christopher Hitchens by the company she kept (bankrolled by rogues) and good works that he alleged were less than met the eye. Still, in Greater Toronto, which she visited several times, Sheehy and McAvoy are just two of the many excited about her canonization. Sheehy, who still works part-time at St. Augustine Seminary and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination next year, recalled Mother Teresa calling him on a visit to Toronto in the late 1980s. She was looking to establish a convent here and asked to be taken downtown to meet some poor people, he said. So soon enough, the two were walking past a ramshackle rooming house. We went in there, and she spotted a man in the very first room on the main floor, Sheehy said. The man was bedraggled, and the room was a mess. But Mother Teresa went over and put her arm around him and hugged him. And then she found a broom and started cleaning up the floor. I came back out on the street before she did because the smell was so bad I was gagging. I couldnt take it. When she came out, she said, Why did you leave so early? I said, I couldnt take the smell. And she said, Well, if you had real love youd understand that the smell doesnt matter. She was a very, very humble little lady, but she was extremely determined, very powerful, Sheehy said. Oh yes, when she got something in her mind she meant business. McAvoy was a 22-year-old business student at Humber College in 1981 when he made a six-week trip to India with a study group. Before departing, he asked a bishop who was a family friend how he might meet Mother Teresa. The bishop suggested simply knocking on the door of the Motherhouse in Kolkata. So he did. Mother Teresa invited McAvoy and a friend to join her at mass, he recalls. Afterward, she sought him out again to chat and signed his copy of Malcolm Muggeridges book Something Beautiful for God, which remains a prized possession. While there, McAvoy saw her home for the Dying and the Destitute, and an orphanage she ran. Those experiences were profound, he said. I grew up in Toronto, in a middle-class family. The sound, the noise in Calcutta, the smell, the poverty, was overwhelming. And in the midst of all that, you go into this community where these sisters live and the peace! And then you go see their work, and theyre literally picking people up off the streets who are days away from death. Theyre bathing these people. Theyre spoon-feeding these people. Since that day, McAvoy has followed Mother Teresas example, working with street kids and raising money through the Archdiocese of Toronto for charitable work. It totally changed my life, he said. For 35 years Ive been involved with helping the poor and those in need, and it all goes back to that whole experience. SHARE: Ryerson University called in an external investigator last year to probe allegations of workplace bullying by Wendy Cukier, one of the schools most prominent academic leaders, the Star has learned. Cukier was slated to become the first female president of Brock University in St. Catharines, but the appointment was unexpectedly cancelled in a mutual decision announced Monday, three days before she was scheduled to take the job. John Suk, chair of Brock Universitys board of trustees, said in an emailed statement Thursday that Cukier was initially chosen after a vigorous reference check process and that the school was not aware of the investigation into alleged bullying at Ryerson. Cukier, meanwhile, has not responded to requests for comment from the Star this week. According to a series of internal emails, as well as interviews with former staffers, the long-time Ryerson executive was accused of fostering a toxic work environment where some employees felt demeaned, overworked and disrespected. The allegations originally came from an anonymous email account that claimed to represent the views of about 15 staffers in Cukiers office, when she was Ryersons vice-president, research and innovation. The accusers also claimed they were frequently coerced into working overtime without pay, and spoken to disrespectfully by Cukier, which in some cases caused people to weep in the office. One email to the human resources department claimed the worker had to miss a dead family members visitation because Cukier made the employee work. The emails show that in August 2015, after the group of employees threatened to leak their allegations to the media, Ryerson hired an external investigator to interview people from Cukiers office and produce a report on any problems with the workplace culture. According to one former staffer who spoke with the Star on condition of anonymity, the report was delivered to the office verbally last January, at a meeting attended by Cukier and other managers. By that time Cukier had already been announced as the next Brock University president, which was revealed in December 2015. The staffer said the participants were not told that bullying had occurred nor that it was a toxic environment. They were told the investigation uncovered problems with office communication and suggested staff exercises and retreats to improve a sense of workplace togetherness. This included a team-building activity that featured Lego blocks, as well as an off-site retreat where respect, better communication and work-life balance were discussed as ways to improve the workplace. According to an email to employees from Ryersons human resources office last summer, the bullying investigation was carried out by Jennifer Wootton Regan, a Toronto lawyer who specializes in workplace mediation and training. She did not return requests for comment Wednesday and Thursday. The Star was unable to determine if any action against Cukier was prompted by the investigation. An email last March to the employee account from Ryersons assistant vice-president of human resources, Christine Sass-Kortsak, said a number of measures had been taken to address issues raised by the investigation, but did not say what they were. Ryersons director of communications, Michael Forbes, said the school would not comment on specific human resources issues. He added, however, that school management takes such matters seriously. We are dedicated to being an employer of choice with a very strong commitment to workplace civility, Forbes wrote. When issues do arise, the university has a variety of tools, processes and procedures to ensure a positive workplace for our community. Now that Cukier wont be taking the job at Brock, she will return as a faculty member at Ryersons Ted Rogers School of Management, Forbes said. She is currently on post-administrative leave, which Forbes described as akin to a sabbatical that typically lasts for a year, to which tenured employees like Cukier are entitled. According to Ontarios public salary disclosure database, Cukier was paid $289,784.04 for her role as a Ryerson vice-president in 2015. The Star reached out to dozens of people who worked with Cukier at Ryerson. Several declined to comment. Five people agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because they worried it could affect their careers. Four said they felt bullied working for Cukier. That wasnt the fifth individuals experience, who reported having stayed in that work environment for several years implying that if it had been toxic the person would have moved along. Julie Cafley works for the Public Policy Forum and has researched executive hiring and firing at Canadian universities. Commenting on media speculation that the cancellation of Cukiers Brock presidency could bring up issues of gender bias, Cafley noted that many people she has interviewed in her research have said some post-secondary institutions maintain an old boys club culture where women are disadvantaged. Furthermore, she said only 19 per cent of university presidents in Canada are women, while only two of the last nine presidents to have been fired are men. Is there inherent sexism, are there different expectations for male and female leaders? Cafley asked. I cant help but go back to that gender question. She added that the long transition between the time Cukiers Brock job was announced and her scheduled start-date nine months could have been a factor that caused friction between existing leadership and the incoming president. In a statement Thursday, the chair of Brocks board of trustees, John Suk, would say only that the decision to cancel Cukiers presidency was mutual. Read more about: SHARE: Last March, Jennifer Neville-Lake held up a photo album filled with photos of her three children. The grieving mother used the book, titled My consequences, to illustrate her passionate plea to the public to consider the outcome of drinking and driving. Driving while intoxicated is a problem on the rise in parts of the GTA. A data analysis shows impaired-driving charges continue to grow in some suburban areas, and rates remain stubbornly high even where charge numbers have dropped. Neville-Lakes album was the embodiment of any parents worst nightmare. Neville-Lake and her husband Edwards three children Daniel, 9, Harrison, 5, and Milly, 2 as well as her father, Gary Neville, 65, were killed in a crash with an SUV driven by a drunk driver last September in Vaughan. Marco Muzzo, whose blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit, pleaded guilty to impaired driving and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. When you choose to drink and drive, youre choosing to kill someone elses babies, like mine were killed, Neville-Lake said following the sentencing. Like all of mine were killed, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon just after 4 oclock. The horrific crash that happened nearly a year ago the anniversary is Sept. 27 was well-publicized, but police say drivers arent getting the message. York Regional Police charged 16 people with offences related to impaired driving over the final weekend in August the latest batch of arrests in what they have called the continuation of a disturbing trend. Our enforcement strategy is showing that the numbers are not going down, said traffic bureau Insp. Randy Slade. In 2015, York police laid 1,029 charges related to impaired driving, up from 885 the previous year and 717 in 2013. Since then, the rate of charges per 100,000 residents has spiked to 94, from about 67. Slade said 85 per cent of offenders are male and the vast majority are between the ages of 22 and 34. Muzzo was 29 at the time of the deadly collision. I think the million-dollar question is: How do we (send a message to) males between 22 and 34 to get their act in order? Slade said. Everybody knows were out there, and we publish information about our long-weekend results or when weve had a bad week. How do you message this group to change their behaviour? Clearly the fear of being caught is not having any impact. Halton Regions numbers are also rising. Last year, Halton police laid close to 450 charges, about 100 more than they did four years ago. In the past decade, the rate of charges per 100,000 residents has grown to 82, from about 62 per year. This really is one of the larger societal ills, said Halton Sgt. Ryan Snow. This is a situation where I would probably be trying to challenge the public and say: You know what? This is not an issue that any one entity, for instance government or the police, are solely responsible for preventing. The usual deterrents, such as licence suspensions, criminal convictions and threat of injury, simply dont seem to be strong enough motivation to end drinking and driving, he said. One of the things that really has to happen is we need a wholesale change of behaviour in the motoring public, said Snow, comparing it to whats happened with tobacco. There was a time that the public accepted smoking on airplanes. Were in a situation now where smoking as a behaviour is almost socially verboten, especially in public circles. But in Durham and Peel regions, impairment charges have been declining for several years. Between 2010 and 2015, Durhams total of impaired charges dropped to 764 from 870. Peel has seen a reduction to 1,428 last year, from 1,677 in 2012. But even with the decline, these two regions still had the highest rates overall: Durham with about 116 charges per 100,000 residents, Peel with 104. Every area is different, said Det. Const. Todd Gribbons, of Durham police. You have your rural areas, and then you have your business areas, so it all depends on whats going on in the area and the information that we receive where we can target things. Rates in all four suburban regions are drastically higher than in Toronto, which had about 48 charges for every 100,000 people in both 2014 and 2015. Snow said transit, or lack thereof, could play a factor. Whereas downtown residents can rely on public transportation, people living in Halton or Durham may be more car-dependent. Thats a problem when alcohol enters the picture, especially where there are higher speed limits. We see a lot more fatalities that are related to speed in areas that are generally more rural and as a result have higher speed limits, Snow said. In some of the more outlying areas the north end of Peel, Durham, Halton or even up as far as York when you talk about impaired operation, generally one of the aspects that leads to your significant and life-altering injuries and/or fatalities is going to be an element of speed. The lack of designated bar areas in the suburbs may also contribute to more incidents, Slade said. In most drunk-driving cases, offenders had been drinking in homes rather than bars, he said. If this group (males 22-34) are our biggest offenders and theyre drinking at residences before they go out to bars you have to own what they do after they leave your house, he said. If you cant stop the offender, can you stop the location? If its not at a bar and its at someones house, maybe the message needs to go to (householders). Torontos rate held steady from 2006 to 2012, averaging 70 to 79 arrests per 100,000 people, before dipping to about 59 in 2013. The drop in numbers could be due to the public taking the safety messaging from government, police and third-party agencies to heart and changing their behaviour, Toronto police Const. Clint Stibbe in a statement. The challenge we face is reaching zero. We have a long way to go to meet that goal. The reality is even one person driving impaired is one too many. But Andrew Murie, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, sees regions with declining impairment charges differently. To him, these trends are actually cause for concern a sign that enforcement is dipping. Since 2008, Criminal Code charges for alcohol-impaired driving have dropped by 21 per cent in Ontario, according to a MADD Canada report to be published later this month. Licence suspensions of at least three days have declined by nearly 40 per cent since 2010. Id have no problems with what Ontario is doing on criminal and licence suspensions if the death rate was falling with it. And its not, Murie said. Its a major concern, because theres been a dramatic decrease in Ontarios enforcement on impaired driving without the parallel decrease in deaths. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in July found that Canada led all wealthy countries in percentage of road deaths linked to alcohol impairment. Canada topped the list of 19, with 33.6 per cent of all motor vehicle fatalities involving alcohol. Nearly a year since Neville-Lakes father and three children were taken too soon at the hands of a drunk driver, York police say drunk driving is a problem that shows no sign of slowing down. And it has police officers like Slade confounded by what to do next. Right now, Im looking for the answer, and its not me coming up with it, he said. I thought we were beyond this. SHARE: A year ago, Tima Kurdi was just a suburban mother, a hardworking immigrant in British Columbia who had knocked on many doors in a helpless effort to bring over her siblings and their families from war-torn Syria. On Sept. 2, 2015, the Port Coquitlam womans life was forever changed because of the drowning deaths of her nephews, Alan, 3, and Ghalib, 5, and their mother in the Aegean Sea while fleeing to Greece. The tragedy thrust her into a new role: appealing to the Canadian conscience over the long-standing refugee crisis. Overnight, Kurdi was thrust into the spotlight, becoming a spokeswoman for millions of Syrian refugees to people in Canada and around the world shaken by the image of tiny Alan lying facedown and lifeless on a Turkish beach. The plea she and other Syrian Canadians had been making for years to politicians was finally heard. Just weeks later, the new Liberal government swiftly opened Canadas door to thousands of Syrian refugees, and community sponsorship groups sprang up to embrace them. I would never have imagined that after that image of Alan, something would happen for the better, reflected Kurdi, who came to Canada in 1992 and lives in Port Coquitlam with husband, Rocco Logozzo, and their 23-year-old son, also named Alan. Related: Alan Kurdi changed the world and saved many lives It was very hard and emotional for me with the reality we live it, that it took a tragedy until somebody would take action. Its the power from God to wake up the world to help the suffering people, added Kurdi, who until then had been unsuccessful in bringing her two brothers Abdullah, Alans father, and Mohammad, to Canada. Over the past year, Kurdi has been invited by non-governmental organizations to travel to Germany, Belgium and Turkey to advocate for Syrian refugees. Mohammad, his wife and five kids have now joined her from Turkey. They have since opened the Kurdi Hair Design salon. For months, Kurdi was showered with media attention, forgoing her privacy and sharing her grief in public. But she and her family werent the only people whose lives were changed by little Alans death: Syrian refugee families have been given the opportunity that Alan didnt have to build a new life in Canada. Members of Muslim and Arab communities who have felt disenfranchised in Canada have a renewed sense of belonging. And ordinary people who rolled up their sleeves to engage in refugee issues feel a fresh pride in being Canadian. There has been a profound shift among Canadians in terms of our idea of refugees. For all of us on the ground, we were used to reaching out to religious groups and labour unions for help, said Janet Dench, of the Canadian Council for Refugees. Now, all organizations suddenly are trying to find ways to offer help for refugees. People are proactively thinking from the perspectives of refugees not just the Syrian refugees but other refugees as well. Dench called Alan Kurdis death a defining moment that shifted Canadians attitude toward the distant refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East. The Liberals decision to change the name of the federal department from Citizenship and Immigration to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada underscored that shift, said Dench. Brian Dyck, chair of the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Agreement Holder Association, said few people would have expected the refugee crisis to become a campaign issue in last Octobers federal election. Then prime minister Stephen Harper was forced to address the Conservative governments record on the refugee crisis, while Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, who eventually lost his seat in the election, suspended campaigning to return to Ottawa to deal with the fallout. Its hard to say if it changed the outcome of the election, said Dyck, but Canadas response to the refugee crisis was certainly discussed a lot for several weeks. It was during that time when 41-year career civil servant Deborah Tunis was tapped by Alexander to co-ordinate the federal governments Syrian resettlement project. Tunis was then 15 months into her retirement, busy taking university courses in Islamic architecture and post-colonial literature while spending time with her seven grandchildren. It was the second week of September. I hesitated when I got the call. It was not the task. It was not too daunting at that point. There was a longer timeline and a more modest target, said Tunis, who was the immigration departments director general of the integration branch when she left the office in June 2014. The hesitation was, it seemed at the time the whole issue around the refugees was politicized. But I believed in public service. I remember Alan Kurdis photo, but I had no idea it would tap into this wave of Canadian interest and support. Soon after the Liberals won the election, the resettlement project shifted into a higher gear, as the new government was adamant about bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015, a difficult deadline that was later extended. Tunis travelled across Canada to meet with provincial officials, sponsorship groups and settlement organizations, amid constantly changing timelines due to delays in overseas refugee screening and transportation. She worked through Christmas and New Year before finally getting a break in February. Her appointment ended in May. Its constant troubleshooting and problem-solving, she said. But in my 40 years in government, Id never seen that kind of communication effort between government departments. I am so impressed by the generosity of Canadians, and Im proud of being part of this historic national project. Dyck said sponsorship agreement holders across the country have been overwhelmed by demands from small community groups for refugee families. Some have had to hire more staff to handle calls and inquiries. We are seeing other refugee populations benefiting from it. This has woken up people on what we can do, said Dyck. There have been a lot of grey-haired people in the refugee resettlement circle, but now we have captured the interest of the next generation. Its exciting to know things have changed. Raja Khouri, president of the Canadian Arab Institute and one of the founders of Lifeline Syria, said Canadian Muslims and Arabs have felt a tidal change in the tone of the country toward the community. Its a 180-degree change from the tone of rejection under the previous government to a new government that says, These people need help. They are not a threat and are contributing members of the society. Its no longer the rhetoric of fear, said Khouri, who came here from Lebanon in 1988 and currently serves as an Ontario human rights commissioner. The welcoming of Syrian refugees felt like a welcoming for all of us of Arabic and Muslim backgrounds. We feel like we are included, again. Kurdi said Canadians response has helped the familys healing. It kept her moving until this summer, when she crashed into a deep depression. I just didnt want to talk to the media and anyone. I just wanted to hide myself. I had kept pushing myself to talk about Syrian refugees and finally broke down, said Kurdi. I was trying to be a ghost from the public, so I could grieve. As the anniversary of Alans death approached, Kurdi said, her thoughts were with Abdullah, Alans father, who is on his own in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Mourning the loss of his wife and two boys, he decided against moving to Canada. I just want to remind people that there are still many refugees out there who need our help. Please keep your door open. Keep your heart open, said Kurdi. Remember Alan. During a visit to Toronto on Canada Day in July, Kurdi said she was recognized and greeted everywhere by strangers. I was at this restaurant, and the owner gave me a hug and said, Im so proud to have you in. Someone at a coffee shop just came up to me and said, Thank you, Tima, Kurdi recalled. Alan has changed the life of everybody. SHARE: Category 1 storm hit early Friday, causing one death, rain, high winds and thousands of power outages. East-Coast residents warned as tropical storm regains steam and heads north. DEKLE BEACH, FLA.The first hurricane to hit Florida in more than a decade wiped away beachside buildings and toppled trees onto homes Friday before plowing inland on a path that could send it rolling up the densely populated East Coast with heavy rain, high winds and flooding. Hermine quickly weakened to a tropical storm as it spun through Georgia and the Carolinas. But the National Hurricane Center predicted it would regain hurricane strength after emerging over the Atlantic Ocean. The system could then lash coastal areas as far north as Connecticut and Rhode Island through Labour Day. Anyone along the U.S. East Coast needs to be paying close attention this weekend, said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the National Hurricane Center. In Florida, Hermines main impact came in the form of power outages and damage from storm surges. A homeless man south of Gainesville died when a tree fell on him, Gov. Rick Scott said. He later took to a Blackhawk helicopter to visit the coastal communities of Cedar Key and Steinhatchee hit hard by the damage from flooding and storm surge that crumpled docks and washed out homes and businesses. Scott pledged that businesses would be eligible for help from the state. But its unclear whether Florida will get any federal disaster assistance as the state begins to clean up from the storm. An estimated 325,000 people were without power statewide and more than 107,000 in neighbouring Georgia, officials said. At 8 p.m., the hurricane centre said the tropical storm was approaching the tourist resort of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina amid warnings the storm threatens a dangerous storm surge up to southeast Virginia. Hermine had top sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving northeast at 20 mph (32 km/h). Forecasters said the system could strengthen back into a hurricane by Monday morning off the Maryland-Delaware coast before weakening again as it moves north. Tropical storm watches and warnings were posted up and down the coastline. Amtrak says it has cancelled or altered some service on the East Coast as the storm approaches. Back in Florida, a storm surge at Dekle Beach damaged numerous homes and destroyed storage buildings and a 100-yard fishing pier. The area is about 60 miles (97 kilometres) southeast of St. Marks, where Hermine made landfall at 1:30 a.m. in the Big Bend area, where Floridas peninsula and panhandle meet. Nancy Geohagen walked around collecting photos and other items for her neighbours after the storm scattered them. I know who this baseball bat belongs to, she said plucking it from a pile of debris. An unnamed spring storm that hit the beach in 1993 killed 10 people who refused to evacuate. This time, only three residents stayed behind. All escaped injury. In nearby Steinhatchee, a storm surge crashed into Bobbi Pattisons home. She wore galoshes and was covered in black muck as she stood in her living room amid overturned furniture and an acrid smell. Tiny crabs darted around her floor. I had a hurricane cocktail party last night and God got even with me, she said with a chuckle. Where her bar once stood was now only wet sand and rubble. Pattison and two neighbours managed to set upright a large wooden statue of a sea captain she had carved from wood that washed ashore in the 1993 storm. In Keaton Beach, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise Friday, trying to get to their homes. Police blocked the road because of flooding. Dustin Beach, 31, rushed there from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife gave birth to a girl Thursday night to see if his home still stood. When my wife got up this morning, she said, Go home and check on the house. I need to know where were going after we leave the hospital, Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats survived. Its a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house, and I hope theyre still there, she said. High winds knocked trees onto several houses in Tallahassee, injuring people inside. It was sometime after midnight when Alan Autry, 48, started hearing the large pines in his Tallahassee neighbourhood start to crack and fall to the ground. Then he heard one come down on the top floor of his house. The tree didnt initially crash through the roof, and Autry and his wife went to a neighbours house. Sometime before dawn, the corner of his house collapsed from the weight of the tree. Weve been married 13 years and this is our fifth hurricane, said Autry who moved from central Florida six years ago. By far, this is the worst damage weve ever had. Tampa and St. Petersburg escaped major damage. Up to 17 inches of rain fell in the area over the last two days. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. The Florida governor declared an emergency in 51 counties and said about 6,000 National Guardsmen stood ready to mobilize for the storms aftermath. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina also declared emergencies. SHARE: Local body reshaping negotiations after Oli, Deuba return home As the second rung leaders failed to find a common position on local body restructuring, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has decided to start negotiations when chiefs of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML return home after their medical treatment abroad. A sweeping constitutional challenge to medicare is set to begin next week. If past court rulings are any indication, the anti-medicare forces have a good chance of winning. This challenge, before the British Columbia Supreme Court, has been more than seven years in the making. It is spearheaded by Brian Day, a Vancouver physician and long-time critic of Canadas medicare system. Like medicare itself, the lawsuit is subtle. It doesnt challenge the Canada Health Act, the overarching federal statute that regulates provincial provision of universal public health insurance. Nor does it say, as some critics do, that government should bow out of the health insurance field entirely. Rather it takes aim at the delicate array of provincial rules and regulations that allow Canadas one-tier health care system to exist. In particular, Day is challenging two B.C. rules -- one that prevents physicians enrolled in the public medicare system from also offering privately paid care (sometimes called double-dipping) and another that bans the use of private health insurance to pay for treatments deemed medically necessary. Day, who for years has been openly flouting the double-dipping rule at his private Vancouver surgery clinic, says these rules infringe upon his patients constitutionally protected right to life, liberty and security of the person. In April, Justin Trudeaus federal Liberal government was granted leave to intervene in the case on the side of B.C.s provincial government. At the time, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott said, correctly, that the case has overwhelming national implications. Of necessity, Canadian medicare is a delicate balance between Ottawa and the provinces. The federal government agrees to help fund provincial health care. In return, the provinces agree to adhere to the principles of the Canada Health Act including those requiring them to offer comprehensive physician and hospital care, without user fees, to all residents. To achieve this, all provinces with the exception of Newfoundland ban double-dipping by physicians. The bigger provinces, including B.C., Ontario, Alberta and (in all but a few cases) Quebec ban the sale of private insurance for medically necessary services. In effect, most provinces are saying this to their doctors: You may opt out of medicare if you want (although for some even that right is limited). But if you do, you must give up the lucrative income that comes with operating in the public system. The provinces concern, backed up by evidence from Australia and New Zealand, is that double-dipping specialists would spend too much of their time treating lucrative private patients bankrolled by private insurance. Since there are only a finite number of physicians in Canada, wait times in the public system would therefore increase. According to the CBC, Ottawa has commissioned an expert report for the trial that makes just this point. But in the end, what experts say may not matter to the courts. In 2005, a similar case this one involving Quebec resulted in a split ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada. A four-person majority in that case agreed that Quebecs ban on private insurance broke Quebec law. But on the issue of whether the ban contravened Canadas charter of rights and freedoms, the seven-member panel was evenly split three to three (with the seventh justice, in effect, abstaining). Whats interesting, and depressing, about that ruling is that the three justices who found Quebecs ban on private insurance unconstitutional dismissed out of hand the kind of expert evidence Ottawa is said to be amassing. The minority judgment from this threesome, co-authored by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, dismissed the testimony of pro-medicare experts as assertions of belief. As a rival minority report produced by the three dissenting justices on the other side pointed out, McLachlan and her colleagues were also oddly selective in the evidence from other countries that they chose to consider. Whatever the B.C. court decides, the Day case is fated to ultimately land on the Supreme Court of Canadas doorstep. At that point, will the B.C. and federal governments be able to persuade McLachlins increasingly activist court not to meddle with the political compromises behind Canadian medicare? Dont count on it. Thomas Walkom's column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. SHARE: NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Biogen (BIIB) were advancing in early-morning trading on Friday after the FDA granted its Alzheimer's treatment aducanumab a fast-track designation. The designation is meant to bring new treatments for serious conditions with unmet medical needs to market more quickly. Aducanumab targets beta amyloid plaques that many scientists believe contribute to the cause of Alzheimer's. The treatment is being evaluated for two phase 3 trials to assess its safety and effectiveness in slowing cognitive impairment in people with early forms of the disease. Biogen is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, MA. Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates the stock as a "buy" with a ratings score of B. Biogen's strengths such as its impressive record of earnings per share growth, increase in net income, revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and notable return on equity outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow. You can view the full analysis from the report here: BIIB TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. The main dealmaker of Verizon Communications (VZ) is retiring after a nearly three-decade run at the telco that continues to walk down its path of transformation. Verizon Communications announced Thursday that its chief financial officer Fran Shammo plans to retire at the end of 2016 following a 27-year tenure. He will step down as CFO and executive vice president on Nov. 1 prior to his retirement. Matt Ellis, senior vice president and CFO of operations finance, will succeed Shammo. Ellis currently heads up the New York-based telco's wireless and wireline business divisions. Shammo's retirement comes as Verizon continues its transition to diversify outside of wireless by particularly expanding its footprint in digital media, advertising technology and telematics, among other areas. In fact, Shammo has been leading Verizon's finance and strategic strategies since November 2010 and has been a key figure in much of the telco's major M&A. Under his leadership, Verizon paid $4.4 billion for AOL and AOL subsequently bought Millennial Media for $250 million last year. Earlier this summer, the telco emerged as the winner in the auction for Yahoo! (YHOO) and agreed to shell out $4.83 billion with plans to merge the Internet company with AOL. Verizon, which had been widely anticipated to score Yahoo! even before the Starboard Value-inspired sale process launched, has particularly highlighted its excitement for Yahoo! Sports, Finance and News since announcing the deal. Meanwhile, Verizon also entered the telematics field in 2012 by purchasing Hughes Telematics for $612 million and has continued to expand its footprint. This year, it has already scooped up privately held Telogis and Fleetmatics Group (FLTX) for $2.4 billion. Also in 2016, Verizon agreed to buy fiber network operator XO Communications for $1.8 billion from Carl Icahn. Elsewhere on the M&A front, the telco is currently exploring strategic alternatives for its data center assets that largely consist of the Terremark Worldwide assets it paid $1.9 billion for in 2011. Also on the divestiture side, Verizon sold its wireline operations in California, Florida and Texas to Frontier Communications (FTR) for $10.54 billion in addition to a portfolio of wireless towers to American Tower (AMT) last year. In 2013, Verizon took full control of Verizon Wireless by buying a 45% stake in the business from Vodafone Group (VOD) . "This is a great time for me to make this personal move. For Verizon, 2016 has been a significant transformational year, and I will leave knowing that the company is well-positioned to deliver on its strategic initiatives," Shammo said in a statement. Before taking on the CFO role, Shammo led Verizon Telecom and Business and played a key role in the launch of Verizon Wireless. Ellis, 45, joined Verizon in 2013 following a 15-year gig at Tyson Foods (TSN) . He has been providing financial leadership for various business units of the Verizon umbrella. Verizon has enjoyed a solid ride this year especially as the market has rewarded high dividend yields. Shares are up 14% year-to-date. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Petrobras (PBR) were rising in late-morning trading on Friday after disclosing that 11,704 employees signed up for its voluntary dismissal plan that ended August 31. Brazil's state-owned oil company estimates that the program will cost about 4 billion reais, or $1.23 billion, and could save as much as 33 billion reais through 2020. The amount of employees who decided to leave was in line with Petrobras's expectations that up to 12,000 employees would leave as part of the dismissal plan. But Brazil's primary oil union warns that the layoffs could negatively impact the company as highly trained staff depart, Bloomberg reports. "The company is giving up a work force of 20,000 in only two, three years. You would need more than a decade to restore this kind of knowledge," Jose Maria Rangel, a leader at the FUP oil workers' federation, told Bloomberg. Additionally, oil prices are climbing on a weaker dollar this morning following the August jobs report, which also is benefiting Petrobras stock. Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates the stock as a "sell" with a ratings score of D+. Petrobras's weaknesses include its generally high debt management risk, disappointing return on equity, weak operating cash flow and feeble growth in its earnings per share. You can view the full analysis from the report here: PBR TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Apple (AAPL) were higher in early-afternoon trading on Friday after Ireland's cabinet said it would join Apple in its appeal of the European Commission's ruling that the Cupertino, CA-based iPhone maker must pay $14.5 billion to Dublin in back taxes, Reuters reports. Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said that Dublin will fight any unfavorable ruling in order to protect a tax system that attracted numerous multinational employers. Earlier today, Noonan persuaded the Independent Alliance, comprised of five lawmakers, to back the appeal, according to Reuters. Ireland's minority government, which is led by Noonan's political party Fine Gael, depends on the backing of independent lawmakers including the political group the Independent Alliance. (Apple is a core holding of Jim Cramer's charitable trust Action Alerts PLUS. See all of his holding with a free trialhere.) Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates the stock as a "buy" with a ratings score of B+. Apple's strengths such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, expanding profit margins, increase in stock price during the past year and notable return on equity outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income. You can view the full analysis from the report here: AAPL TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. Your Money, Your Retirement, and the 2016 Presidential Election - What changes will you need to make to your portfolio should Hillary Clinton become president? What happens to your investments should Donald Trump become president? Join us on Sept. 12 as our panel of the world's top financial experts provide trusted information on the investment risks and opportunities that arise with the upcoming presidential election in November. [Learn more about the event and RSVP.] NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has asked Mylan (MYL) to turn over information that shows why it needed to raise the price of EpiPens from $50 to $600 over the past nine years, she said on CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Friday afternoon. The state wants information on the pharma company's pricing practices, she explained on the show. "We have heard public reports that it costs a few dollars to make the drug and what we're tying to drive at is what is the reason for this price spike that's affecting so many people," she said. Minnesota's government will also investigate claims from U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. that Mylan may have misclassified EpiPens under Medicaid, causing Medicaid to grossly overpay for EpiPens. Mylan now owes an estimated $4 million from Medicaid overpayments, Klobuchar said. The state realizes that the hike in EpiPen prices has affected not just individual patients, but the government as well, since schools and medical assistance programs buy the drug, Swanson said. "So we're looking at both angles," she said. When CNBC reached out to Mylan for a comment, the company said that they have complied with all Medicaid rules, as well as all federal laws, CNBC's Kelly Evans noted. "You know, that's what they have said. I have seen that statement as well. The purpose of the inquiry is to get to the bottom of whether they have or not," Swanson said in response. Knowing when to step in and protect your aging parents from financial scammers or themselves can be tricky. (iStock/iStock) Taking care of our independent-minded elderly parents can be a huge challenge. That challenge will increase as parents grow older. Between 7 million and 10 million adults are caring for aging parents from a long distance, according to Pew Research Center. Meanwhile, financial fraud against older Americans costs them as much as $36.5 billion a year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says. So a good question is: How do you know it is time to step in to protect your parents from financial predators or even from themselves? There are two decisions that become particularly difficult as our loved ones age, says Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, head of the Senate Committee on Aging. One is deciding when it is no longer safe for them to be driving. The second is when it is no longer prudent for them to handling their own financial affairs. Both are difficult decisions. Knowing when to step in can be emotional and complicated. But financial planners say there are telltale signs. More often than not, its the kids coming to us asking for help, says Ryan Wibberley, CEO of CIC Wealth in Gaithersburg. They may not want to have the conversations with parents. Elderly parents are reluctant to tell them about finances. Financial adviser Tom West, a partner at SEIA in Tysons Corner, says: The biggest challenges of adult children and aging parents usually have to do with the ideas of privacy, control and independence I dont want you to know my stuff. It may be because of embarrassment. West adds, Ive met a lot of aging parents that would prefer to suffer mildly than to burden the kids. Collins says there are a number of warning signs. One is failing to pay bills on time and confusion about whether or not bills have been paid, she says. Indications that he or she can no longer manage a checking account. Another, she says, is if you are seeing unusual withdrawals that are not tied to a purchase, like a washing machine or a new car. Leslie Thompson, partner at Spectrum Management in Indianapolis, cites others. If we notice things are different, like forgetfulness, bouncing checks or needing money outside of the norm, we will have conversations with our clients, she says. If we feel the client is in danger, we will contact the family. Michelle Jacko, CEO of Jacko Law Group in San Diego, says one longtime client missed an appointment with a financial adviser, who then made a home appointment. The adviser discovered that the client was disheveled. A man half her age was living there and ordered the adviser to leave. The adviser reported the situation to financial regulators and law enforcement officials, and the woman is now getting help. Jacko says people can take steps to prepare: Organize financial documents and create a durable power of attorney. Also, she says, interview your parents financial advisers and get to know what your parents want. Collins has introduced a bill, the Senior Safe Act, which would empower banks and credit unions to combat financial abuse. Its similar to a law we have in Maine that has been valuable, she says. In one case, a teller noticed a customer was suddenly making large withdrawals. The manager notified family members, who discovered she was a victim of a scam. In the bill, we say that if the front-line workers at financial institutions, like bank or credit unions, are trained to recognize these signs and report their concerns in good faith to the authorities, they are not violating bank secrecy laws, she says. We have been able to stop some truly sad situations. Mechanism to curb medical trips abroad on cards: Minister Thapa Newly appointed Health Minister Gagan Thapa has said he is working to develop a mechanism for curbing foreign visits of political leaders for medical treatment. The government never solved his murder. Pvt. Felix Halls body hung in this position for about six weeks. His feet rest on the dirt that he dug out of a ravine wall in an effort to release the pressure of the noose around his neck. Photo by Sgt. Robert Templeton, Fort Benning Military Police Detachment, U.S. Army, March 28, 1941. (Department of Veterans Affairs records) (US Army/US Army) Pvt. Felix Hall was strung up in a jack-knife position in a shallow ravine. A quarter-inch noose, tethered to a sapling on the earthen bank above him, dug into the flesh of his neck. His feet, bound with baling wire, were attached by a second rope to three other saplings, and his hands were tied behind him. Hall succeeded in kicking loose his legs and freeing his left hand. Then, while he still had breath, he desperately scraped dirt loose from the ravine wall, trying to scoop out enough of the sienna-colored earth to build up a mound beneath his feet that he could stand on to take the strain from his neck, the FBI would later report. He got the dirt up to the arches of his dangling feet. But the earth was soft and loose and ultimately not enough to support his weight. When investigators eventually arrived on the scene and examined his body, hed been suspended in this position, in the woods of Fort Benning, for more than six weeks. Maggots were eating his flesh. It was early in 1941, eight months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and with World War II already raging overseas, the United States was recruiting young men to serve their country. Hall, a 19-year-old black man from Alabama, had volunteered just a few months earlier. At Fort Benning, he was training for the possibility of fighting overseas in a unit of African American soldiers. Instead, he became the victim of the only known lynching on a U.S. military base in American history. The government never solved his murder. In their investigations, the FBI and the War Department failed to obtain and in some cases ignored critical information about the crime. The investigation report, along with War Department correspondence, raises questions about whether federal authorities were serious about finding his killers. His lynching was an inconvenient reminder of violence against black servicemen at a time when the military was working hard to recruit young men of all races for a looming war. The FBI compiled a 130-page investigation file, which has never been disclosed publicly until now. In the various reports, correspondence, lab results and photographs that make up this file, there is no record that anyone on base went looking for Hall when he disappeared. Although he appears to have vanished after walking through a white neighborhood on base in the middle of the afternoon, investigators did not identify anyone who could detail his movements. Nor is there any evidence that investigators pursued several accounts that Halls white boss at the on-base sawmill had quarreled with him a day earlier and threatened to kill him. For months after his body was discovered, military authorities told the public that Halls death may have been a suicide, though a military physician who examined the body within two weeks of its recovery ruled it a homicide and put that on Halls death certificate. According to the official record, Halls decomposing body was discovered by an engineer regiment on a training exercise six weeks after the killing. But in an interview earlier this year, a retired social worker who grew up on base revealed that her stepfather had found the body of a black man hanging in the same location in the woods in early 1941 and that he had reported it. There is no mention of such a report in the file. Halls lynching initially prompted a burst of publicity around the country. The public, both blacks and whites, wrote countless letters and petitions to the government demanding justice and information about his killing. But over the following months and years, the government released only a fraction of its findings. Even today, the FBI continues to redact a key part of the 75-year-old report. In 2014, Northeastern University Law Schools Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, which seeks to uncover details of racially motivated murders during the Jim Crow era, began digging up documents on Halls case. Those documents were turned over to Northeasterns School of Journalism, prompting a year-long investigation into the lynching and the governments failure to see justice done. This article is based on the FBI file, a separate War Department report and correspondence, a 500-page file maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government records, as well as a range of archival documents and interviews with people who were at Fort Benning at the time of Halls death or otherwise knew him, and their descendants. Seventy-five years after Halls life was cut short, Americans are wrestling again with questions about the value placed on the lives of young black men and the ability of the criminal justice system to transcend its historic double standard. Halls case may be cold, but it still resonates. Hall was born on New Years Day 1922 in Millbrook, Ala., a rural town 11 miles north of Montgomery. His mother died of tuberculosis a week before his third birthday. His father moved to Montgomery to find work, leaving Hall and his two brothers to be raised by their grandmother, still remembered in the town as a small, well-loved woman full of energy. Halls family and friends nicknamed him Poss. When he was a teenager, Hall watched his older cousins enlist in the military and leave town to train for war. The only work available to black teenagers in Millbrook was picking cotton. Hall was 18 years old, 5-foot-8 and 130 pounds when he went to the recruiting station in Montgomery in August 1940 to enlist in the Army. He was assigned to Fort Benning in neighboring Georgia, where he would join the 24th Infantry Regiment, one of the first all-black military units, organized after the Civil War. By all accounts, Hall loved those initial months away from home. He seemed happy in the Army and swept up with his social life. In his journal, he kept a list of every girl he was sweet on. Florence Cotton lived at 742 North McDonough Street, Montgomery. Cordelia Huffman lived at 52 Chilton Street. On one page, he declared his love for Miss Ada Mae. Sometimes he met girls out on the town. He liked to go to a bar and get a drink in the evening, but he was never seen drunk. He liked to make conversation with everybody, white or black. Months after Hall disappeared, the FBI interviewed Sgt. Frank O. Williams, who had trained Hall, and reported his impressions: WILLIAMS stated that he was very familiar with [Halls] habits, and considered him an all right individual; that he had no trouble with him during training, and that his discipline was good, although at times HALL seemed to be more of a kid than a soldier, as he was usually playing pranks on others, and almost always in a very jovial mood. Sergeant WILLIAMS knew of no trouble in which HALL had been involved, and knew no one that disliked [the] victim. Hall went home to Alabama for Christmas in 1940. He turned 19 on Jan. 1. One week later, he had a routine physical exam at Fort Benning. He had grown half an inch and gained 15 pounds in the five months since enlisting. On Jan. 31 he made his first and only payment, 65 cents, on a life insurance policy. He named his grandmother as the beneficiary. On Feb. 12, he went to work as usual at the sawmill, where he was detailed by the Army, assigned to keep the fire burning. When the shift ended, he told two friends he was heading to the post exchange the only one for blacks on the segregated base where he could order a hot meal and eat it at the counter. The former 24th Infantry playhouse for black soldiers at Fort Benning. Pvt. Felix Hall said he was headed to the post exchange, located next door, on the last day he was seen alive. (Kevin D. Liles/For the Washington Post) The post exchange was within clear sight of the sawmill, but Hall never made it. He was last seen alive about 4 p.m. in Block W, a poor, all-white neighborhood between the mill and the exchange. It was home primarily to noncommissioned officers, about 30 small houses arranged scattershot on a strip of land between a swampy field and railroad tracks. At bugle call the next morning, for the first time during his military service, Hall did not report for duty. Hall didnt seem the kind of person to go AWOL. He had two cousins on the base, and his best friend from home, who enlisted the day after he did, slept in a nearby bunk. But nearly a month after Hall vanished, he was declared a deserter. In the reports compiled by the FBI and the War Department, there is no record of investigators asking Halls friends and cousins whether they had looked for him after he disappeared or whether they suspected foul play. Nor is there any record in the investigation file that Fort Benning officials notified authorities in Halls home town that he had vanished, although such notifications were routine practice in the case of missing soldiers. All that time, Halls body was just out of sight, no more than a 15-minute walk from the bustling center of the post. Residents of the post often hunted in the woods for food or sport. Soldiers traipsed through them to frequent bars and pick up prostitutes in an Alabama town just across the Chattahoochee River. Halls body was recovered on the morning of March 28,1941, by a platoon of the 20th Engineer Regiment, which was training in the woods. I began to smell the odor of something dead, Pvt. Banks Lawing later told a board of officers at Fort Benning. Walking further I saw a body hanging from a tree on the embankment. The rope connecting his wrists was loose. His skin was peeling away. A Fort Benning physician on April 8 ruled Halls death a homicide. The FBI later concluded there were multiple assailants. From the position of the body and the location in which it was found, the FBI report said, it does not appear that one man could have committed the crime. Yet for the next four months, the War Department and authorities at Fort Benning told the public that they were investigating the possibility that Halls death was a suicide. On April 14, the elevator man at 409 Edgecombe Ave. in Harlem walked into work with a leaflet hed received outside the subway in Brooklyn that morning. It had a hand-drawn picture of Felix Hall, in uniform, hanging by a noose from a tree. The headline read, Negro Soldier Killed by Lynchers. Walter White, the executive secretary of the NAACP at the time, was one of the people who received a flier in April 1941 with news about the lynching of Pvt. Felix Hall earlier that year. As word of Halls death at Fort Benning, Ga., spread across the nation, criticism of the federal governments silence about the killing grew louder. (National Archives and Records Administration/National Archives and Records Administration) The royalty of black Harlem W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, musicians and artists lived and worked in the apartments at 409 Edgecombe. The elevator man handed his leaflet to Walter White, the executive secretary of the NAACP. White had already received a letter describing the discovery of Halls body. A black soldier had written home to his mother the day after it was found. They tried to claim he hung himself, the soldier wrote. The soldiers mother handed his letter over to her local NAACP chapter in Ohio, whose director sent it on to New York. White wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, rebuking them for the suggestion that Halls death was a suicide and demanding an investigation. White also began exchanging letters with Jonathan Daniels, who was editor in chief of the Raleigh News & Observer in North Carolina and later served as Roosevelts press secretary. Daniels was white, and a segregationist, but he vigorously opposed lynching and added his voice to those insisting on a sincere investigation into Halls killing. At the end of May, Daniels published an article in the Nation criticizing the governments silence regarding Halls death. A month later, in a letter to the War Department, Daniels wrote that the delay in any report on secret hearings about a homicide, lynching, or suicide (whichever it was) seems to me pretty bad. If a Georgia County was as secretive about the investigation of a possible lynching, everybody would say it was a cover up. Now, the FBI says that all racially motivated crimes are a high priority, though the bureau declined to discuss the specific Hall case. Crimes of this nature are not only an attack on the victim, but are meant to threaten and intimidate whole communities of people, FBI spokeswoman Samantha T. Shero said in a written statement to The Washington Post. The FBI is committed to working with both our law enforcement and community partners to aggressively investigate these types of allegations and bring justice for the victims and their families. But at the time,the FBI conducted a tag-team investigation over the course of 17 months. The bureau rotated at least half a dozen agents through the Hall case. None were seasoned agents the youngest investigator was just 24, the eldest 31. Fort Benning officials and military police also had a part in the probe. The FBI ultimately identified two best suspects in the lynching. Both men lived in Block W, where Hall was last seen alive. The first suspect was Sgt. Henry Green. His neighbor, Mrs. S.S. Thompson, reported at the time that Green had been sitting outside his house with a shotgun, prepared to shoot a colored Peeping Tom who had been disturbing the residents. There had been a number of reports of Peeping Toms turned in to the Provost Marshals office from this area immediately prior to the murdering of the victim, but none were made after his disappearance, an FBI agent reported. Green and his brother-in-law, Sgt. Ace Milliard Allison, were off work the day that Hall disappeared. The FBI developed a theory that the two men spent the day drinking at Greens house and captured Hall when he was passing by on his way to the post exchange. Green admitted that he had a gun and that he had said he would kill any black Peeping Tom who came to his window. But he denied that he sat outside waiting for one, and he denied having any involvement in Halls death. The second suspect was Sgt. James C. Hodges. Hodgess house was along the route Hall took each day, walking between the sawmill and his barracks. According to the FBI, Hall was last seen alive in the vicinity of Hodgess house. Capt. Marvin J. Coyle, who as provost marshal was head of the military police at Fort Benning, believed that Hodges had a motive to kill Hall and a reason to commit this crime in the manner in which it was committed, according to the FBI. But two paragraphs detailing Hodgess possible motive remain redacted from the investigation report 75 years after they were written. The FBI continues to withhold this information, citing a legal exemption designed to prevent the disclosure of information that would be considered an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. When asked for a more specific reason, an FBI official said the information was probably redacted because it pertained to individuals who were 100 years old or younger and still thought to be alive, thus protected by the exemption. The official did not say who they were. Hodgesdied in 1961. An appeal of this redaction was rejected by the FBI earlier this year. Dorothy Carter, Hodgess eldest living child, was 12 in 1941. In a telephone interview, she remembered her father as a drunk a man who would beat her and her siblings, then lapse into tears. She wasnt surprised when told during the interview that her father had been a lynching suspect. I wouldnt doubt it. I wouldnt doubt it at all, she said. She added: If a group got together, he would have been right in the middle of it saying, Lets go. Lets go. He was a coward. He wouldnt have done it on his own, but if a group was going, he would have been right in the middle of it. The government did not prosecute either Green or Hodges. No other suspects were seriously considered by the FBI, records show. According to the accounts of black soldiers, someone had threatened to kill Hall just a day before he vanished: Henry J. Smith, the white civilian foreman at the sawmill. Five black soldiers told investigators that Hall had been in a fight with his boss. Several named Smith, but none claimed to have witnessed the encounter. Pvt. Willie Ellison reported to the FBI that hed heard from two people that Smith had threatened to kill Hall if he did not call him Sir. According to Sgt. Osie Goldsby, Hall had said that he was planning to desert the Army because, an FBI agent wrote, he was afraid of a foreman by the name of SMITH at the saw mill who had threatened to kill him because the victim and other negros at the saw mill had been teasing SMITH. Pvt. Willie T. Smith, another black soldier, reported that Hall said that his boss had threatened to strike him and that to defend himself, Hall picked up a cant hook, a long metal pole with a hook at the end used for handling logs. Pvt. James Arthur Perry, also black, heard that Hall was ordered not to return to work. In contrast, five white people, including four civilian sawmill employees and one soldier, reported knowing nothing of a fight between Hall and Henry Smith. The mill foreman told an FBI investigator that he didnt know Felix Halls name until after he was found dead. He said that he couldnt remember the last date he had seen Hall at work, that hed never argued with a black soldier and that he did not manage black soldiers. Both the sawmill manager and clerk concurred with Smiths account. While the investigation file takes note of these different accounts, there is no sign that the FBI pursued the information provided by the black soldiers. There is no record of follow-up questioning of witnesses or any other effort to distill the truth from the conflicting information, no attempt to get to the bottom of what transpired at the mill. In short, the accounts provided by the black soldiers who in the Jim Crow South would ordinarily have been afraid to tell a white investigator anything they knew about the hanging of a black man were simply set aside. Smith, who died in 1951, was never named as a suspect. Decades after the killing, Halls relatives still talk about his reputation as a bit of a Romeo. His cousin James Fenderson was only 6 when Hall died but grew up hearing that Hall had flirted across the color line, which could easily get a black man lynched in the South. Hundreds were killed for interacting with white women, sometimes after nothing more than a glance. Hall was known to speak with white people of both genders and all ages, more casually than was considered appropriate at the time, Fenderson recalled in an interview. Kenneth Thomas grew up with a similar understanding, even though he is from a different branch of the family tree. Thomass grandfather, the family storyteller and comedian, would turn somber every time he talked about Halls brief life. My grandfather said Felix was a ladys man, Thomas recounted in an interview. Back in 1941, the word at Fort Benning was that Hall had his eyes on a white woman and was killed for it. That was the rumor that Pearl Follett heard. She was 12 at the time, a white girl living with her family in the Bradley Area neighborhood of the post. Now 87, Follett is a retired social worker with short white hair and pale blue eyes. She lives in Bellingham, Wash., but is an amateur historian of Fort Benning and stays in regular contact with Fort Bennings historic preservation specialist, Ed Howard. In an interview, she said she remembered the spring day in 1941 when her stepfather, Army Sgt. Howard W. Gillispie, a World War I veteran, came home after hunting in the woods. As soon as he was through the door, he told her mother that hed found the body of a black man hanging in the woods. He wasnt a coward, so it stuck in my mind that he was afraid, Follett said. That really stuck in my mind. Why was he afraid? He wasnt afraid of anything. She recalled that she and her older sister had listened through their bedroom wall to their parents as they talked over what they should do. As my memory has it, he got other men to go to the site, Follett said. She is confident that he reported what he saw. He was a man by the book, she said. Whatever happened, he would have done absolutely what the law required. Last winter, as part of research for a book about Fort Bennings history, Follett dug into Halls case by ordering old issues of the Columbus Ledger through her local public library. She found a 1941 article in the Georgia newspaper describing where Halls body was found by the 20th Engineers. It matched the place that her stepfather had described. The FBIs investigation file makes no mention of an earlier discovery by Folletts stepfather. My sister said and she got around the neighborhood more that the neighbors said they werent supposed to talk about it, Follett said. When scary things happened, they were hushed up. On Sept 8, 1941, William H. Hastie wrote a memo to his boss, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, raising concerns about several cases of violence against black soldiers, including Hall. In each instance, the War Department had done little to investigate the incidents and even less to communicate with the public. Hastie, an African American, had already been a successful lawyer and a federal judge when Roosevelt appointed him to the War Department in 1940 as civilian aide to the secretary. His mandate was to improve race relations in the military. The War Department remains silent, Hastie wrote to Stimson. The public interprets this silence as indicative of indifference. Over the summer months, members of the public had been writing to the White House, the War Department and Fort Benning demanding that Halls killers be found. A dentist from New Jersey, the women of a Baptist church in Alabama, a World War I veteran from around the country came letters of anger and concern. As the months passed and accounts mounted of other black soldiers being beaten or shot on military bases, Hastie grew increasingly frustrated. Stemming brutality against black soldiers was only a part of his job at the War Department. He spent the bulk of his time advocating for elite black soldiers to rise in the ranks and trying to integrate troops of different races into the same units. But the War Department, alongside the American Red Cross, thwarted even his effort to integrate the blood at blood banks. Hastie resigned his post in January 1943. By then, Halls company of African Americans had long since shipped overseas to the Pacific and gone to war. James Fenderson, 80, was 6 when his cousin Felix Hall was lynched. When Fenderson was a teenager, his mother and other older relatives told him that Halls ghost still roamed the railroad tracks in Millbrook, Ala. (Alexa Mills/Alexa Mills) There is no known gravestone for Felix Hall. His death certificate does not say where he was buried. His father, James Hall, and grandmother Sarah Hall received $5,000 from the government and $1,000 from the life insurance company, paid in monthly installments of approximately $30. James Fenderson is probably the last living relative who knew Hall. Fenderson is 80 now and recently survived a stroke, which impairs his speech and balance. He walks with a cane. When Fenderson was 15, his mother warned him against becoming too friendly with a white boy in Millbrook and used Halls death as a life lesson. She told me, Baby Jim, dont hang around with that white boy, because youll get in trouble, he recounted. I said, What do you mean, Mama, Ill get in trouble? She said, You dont know what happened to Poss. I said, What happened to Poss? She said, He was lynched. I said, Lynched? I said, Whats that? His mother and other older relatives told Fenderson that Halls ghost still roamed the railroad tracks in Millbrook. Fenderson left Alabama a year later, at 16. I was afraid the people were going to lynch me, too, he said. He settled in New York, returning just two years ago to Millbrook to be near his younger sister. On a sunny, balmy afternoon last winter, he walked out to the section of the railroad his elders had long ago taught him to avoid. He tapped his cane against the rails as he thought back about his cousin. Im peculiar about ghosts, Fenderson said. Thats why I dont come down this way. Alexa Mills is a recent graduate of Northeastern University School of Journalisms masters program in Media Innovation.Washington Post research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report. Thirty years ago, Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith teamed up for Walk This Way, proving to the mainstream that hip-hop and rock-and-roll had more commonalities than contrasts. The song also paved the way for three decades of rap-rock collaborations, with very mixed results. For every Judgment Night soundtrack theres an album like Lil Waynes Rebirth. For every Rage Against the Machine, theres a Limp Bizkit. And while Banks & Steelz the pairing of Interpol frontman Paul Banks and Wu-Tang Clan mastermind RZA never reaches Fred Durst and companys repugnant lows, it will probably go down as a misstep for both artists, an answer to a question nobody asked. On Wednesday night at the 9:30 Club, Banks, RZA and Walkmen drummer Matt Barrick trudged their way through Anything but Words, the groups just-released debut album. In matching black blazers, Banks played guitar and sang as RZA rapped while manning a synthesizer and occasionally a tambourine, the latter a particularly strange sight from the man who told you to protect your neck and bring the ruckus. Compounding the incongruity, RZA spent most of the night anchored behind his gear, an emcee forced to work the crowd with his hands tied behind his back. As they launched into their set with Ana Electronic, the trio seemed to be on different pages: Either Bankss angular riffs or RZAs synth arpeggios were out of tune, with Barricks rhythm unable to serve two masters. Things improved as the night went on, but all three were never in the same pocket. Instead, the pendulum swung between songs that better suited either Banks or RZA, but never both. While exacerbated by their uneven live performance, the problem with Banks & Steelz is systemic: As much as they want to cross-pollinate the post-punk revival and New York hip-hop, neither Banks nor RZA is willing or able to find much common ground, despite their previous attempts. This isnt Bankss first foray into hip-hop: In 2013, he took a break from Interpol to release a widely panned mix tape with an unprintable title. Nor is it RZAs first flirtation with rock, as he has worked with the Black Keys on both their BlakRoc album and his The Man with the Iron Fists soundtrack. RZAs songs with the Black Keys werent exactly groundbreaking, but blues rock and hip-hop proved to be more familiar bedfellows than the traditions from which Banks & Steelz are pulling. Its a lesson they learned for one of the nights highlights, Love and War, a melancholy ballad featuring RZAs falsetto singing! that you can actually dance to. As RZA told the crowd, If youre not having a good time, then youre wasting your time. But while the guys onstage might be having a good time indulging their collaborative fantasies, the rest of us have to settle for another milquetoast entry in the rap-rock discography. THE DISTRICT Juvenile fatally shot, man wounded in Southeast A juvenile was fatally shot and a man was wounded Thursday afternoon in Southeast Washington, according to D.C. police. The juvenile was pronounced dead at a hospital, D.C. police spokesman Sean Hickman said. Police did not immediately release his name or age. The shootings occurred about 2:15 p.m. in the 1900 block of 16th Street SE, near Good Hope Road and Minnesota Avenue. Police broadcast a lookout for a man dressed entirely in black. They released no other details. Peter Hermann Two accused of firing BB gun at bystanders Two men have been charged after BB-gun pellets were fired at pedestrians near Metros Van Ness station in Northwest Washington, authorities said Thursday. Hudson Edmund Taylor, 19, and Daniel Eduardo Hernandez, 22, both of Northwest Washington, face charges that include two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, three pedestrians including a special police officer were hit on Veazey Terrace, near Connecticut Avenue, by pellets and suffered minor injuries, according to police. About noon Wednesday, someone on Van Ness Street near Connecticut Avenue also was hit by a pellet. Police said he had minor injuries. Dana Hedgpeth MARYLAND Man dies after being hit by car in Potomac A pedestrian was fatally struck Tuesday night by a Lexus in Potomac, police said. About 9 p.m., officers went to Bells Mill Road at Windsor View Drive after the report of a collision involving a pedestrian, Montgomery County police said in a statement. Police said Simon Saikmon Eng, 65, of Potomac was walking west on the eastbound side of Bells Mill Road near Windsor View Drive when he was struck by a Lexus LS 430. The car was driven by Guy Wassertzug, 50, of Potomac, police said. Eng was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. But he died, the statement said. An investigation continues. Justin Wm. Moyer VIRGINIA Dominion details plan for power line Dominion Virginia Power will propose running a major transmission line beneath two sets of railroad tracks in Alexandrias Potomac Yard and north Old Town neighborhoods, bringing a long-running dispute between the city and the utility closer to resolution. Dominion alerted the city in a letter that it will formally propose to the State Corporation Commission later this year the least objectionable option recommended by a local citizens work group a route that would include an underground line from Dominions Glebe substation along Four Mile Run and down the CSX railroad tracks to a rail spur that ends at the Potomac River substation, just west of the NRG power plant on the river. Patricia Sullivan Third-graders at a Fairfax County elementary school play an educational game on an iPad in December 2014. Under an initiative, students in several Fairfax County schools will get their own devices this school year. (Tin Nguyen/Fairfax County Times) At Chantilly High in Fairfax County, students have long had a variety of ways to get their hands on computers. The school encourages students to bring in their own laptops and smartphones, and also has laptops available for students and teachers to check out. But the school district is trying a new approach this year, putting school laptops directly into the hands of every student at Chantilly High and its seven feeder schools for the entire year through an initiative called FCPSOn. The school district expects to distribute 7,800 laptops to students as part of a pilot program that eventually could be expanded. It is the first time this approach known as one-to-one has been tried on a large scale in Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginias largest school district with more than 186,000 students. The school district which is spending $2.1 million to provide the laptops and train teachers on their best use in classrooms is hoping the investment will pay off with more-personalized learning and seamless integration of electronic technology into classroom activity. Students in five other Fairfax County high schools also are receiving their own laptops with the help of a state grant. Were looking at changing teaching and learning, said Teresa Johnson, principal of Chantilly High. Internet access is critical for Fairfax County high school students because many textbooks are available only online. And although Chantilly offered laptops for some students to take home, most of the schools laptops and tablet computers previously had been for use on campus only. Other D.C.-area school districts have already tested large-scale one-to-one programs, and others are preparing pilots. Officials in Arlington County, Va., aim to provide every student in grades two through 12 with an iPad Air or MacBook Air by 2018. Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland has given laptops to 50,000 students. Some school districts, such as Loudoun County, Va., have opted to encourage students to bring in their own devices and have used school equipment to provide for students without such devices. The Loudoun district is expanding its technology offerings to motivated teachers who complete professional development before their classrooms are outfitted with devices. The district will furnish classrooms in 15 schools with enough laptops for all students through an effort that aims to individualize lessons. [Do kids learn more when they trade in composition books for iPads?] Proponents of the programs say that when students have their own laptops and can take them home that easy access boosts learning. They have access to all the applications theyre using in school, said Lori Cleveland, the principal of Greenbriar West Elementary in Fairfax, where all students will get their own devices. She said that even a well-equipped family might not be able to access all of the software that children use in classrooms. Ross Bosse, who teaches advanced placement U.S. history and comparative government at Chantilly High, said the laptops will allow him to use technology more efficiently in the classroom, rather than relying on students to bring their smartphones or depend on out-of-date school equipment. He will be able to have students respond to questions in online classroom forums and see their responses in real time. I can have one-to-one contact with every student in the class through the keyboard, Bosse said. Students having their own laptops also means less time spent wrangling devices at school, where teachers sometimes compete for a limited supply of laptops. It should be that all of our students and teachers have the opportunity to utilize the technology and resources at school, said deputy superintendent Steve Lockard. They shouldnt have to wait to get a cart of laptops. They shouldnt have to wait for older or less-reliable equipment. But Lockard said the vast school system wanted to start small with its rollout, hoping to avoid the pitfalls that have hampered other one-to-one efforts. Providing individual laptops is also a way to teach students responsibility. Teachers at Greenbriar West Elementary will spend two weeks teaching youngsters how to use and care for the computers. The students will return the devices at the end of the school year. Cleveland said learning to use technology responsibly is an essential element of the curriculum in the 21st century even for very young schoolchildren. We are looking to develop 21st-century skills, Cleveland said. Technology helps us get there. As parents, community leaders and school officials puzzled over the precipitous drop in standardized test scores at one of the Districts leading public high schools, Emma Buzbee had a logical explanation. Buzbee, a senior at Wilson High School, said she and other high-performing students either refused to take the test or intentionally flubbed it to focus on Advanced Placement tests, which were given the following week. A high score on the AP exam can strengthen a college application, earn a student college credit and exempt them from certain required college courses. The standardized test administered by the District, on the other hand, has no effect on students. But that test, known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), is used to judge the performance of schools and, starting next year, evaluate teachers. Which means the PARCC exam carries high stakes for teachers and school officials and no stakes for students. When Buzbee realized that the review session for AP chemistry at Wilson High was scheduled last spring at the same time as the PARCC exam, she felt she had little choice. Chemistry was such a difficult subject for me, and the AP exam is very strenuous, Buzbee said. Me and a lot of people in my class decided not to take the exam and go to the review instead. There was never any explicit reason we were given about why we were supposed to take the [PARCC] exam. Buzbee said she never intended to create problems for her school. Federal law requires school districts to give a standardized test in math and reading to every student annually in grades three through eight and once in high school usually to sophomores or juniors. School districts are required to test 95 percent of eligible students. Interviews with several Wilson students and parents showed there was confusion at the school last spring swirling around the PARCC exam. In response to complaints from public school students, teachers and parents about over-testing, school districts across the country have allowed families to opt out of the federally required tests. D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said she could not grant requests from about 100 Wilson parents asking for their children to be excused from the tests because D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) has no such policy. It appears some took matters into their own hands. Ellen Leander said her son, who is now a junior at Wilson, answered a few questions on his PARCC exam and then walked out because he didnt want to miss a chemistry lab. He wasnt thinking, Its going to be a win for Wilson if I win on this test, Leander said, adding that the resulting drop in the schools PARCC score doesnt mean that instruction is weak or the school isnt performing. Im not concerned with the quality of education at Wilson. I think its a strong school with great teachers. Despite the city not having an official opt-out policy, some Wilson students interviewed said they received permission to skip the test after their parents emailed school administrators. Sophie ReVeal, a senior at Wilson, said her parents got a school administrator to remove her from the PARCC testing pool so she wouldnt have to miss two AP English classes. She said the testing process was disorganized and confusing but shouldnt reflect poorly on the schools teachers and student body. I do feel guilty that we didnt take it because it seems that we could have taken it and it would have helped the school, she said. But I do blame the school for doing a really bad job on organizing it. It was really confusing, people felt forced into it, and it just didnt feel valuable to a lot of students and wasnt worth their times. Results of the PARCC tests, released Tuesday, showed that just 21 percent of Wilson students met or exceeded expectations on the English portion of the exam, compared with 50 percent in 2015. There was a 10.5 percentage point increase in the number of Wilson students meeting or exceeding expectations in math. At School Without Walls High School another high-performing DCPS school where students must apply for admission there was a 12.4 percentage point drop in students meeting or exceeding expectations on the English portion and a 24 percentage point drop in math. On the day the scores were made public, Kimberly Martin, Wilsons principal, said she was aware that some students rushed through the English test, spending five or 10 minutes on an exam that is designed to last at least 90 minutes. She sent a letter to Wilson parents Wednesday pledging improvements. We need to work on resolving some of the test administration conflicts, Martin wrote. We know we need to be especially cognizant of the Advanced Placement administration dates as they relate to PARCC testing. Asked to elaborate, Martin agreed to an interview with The Washington Post but then canceled it Thursday. D.C. officials have been scrambling to defend Wilson and School Without Walls. The grown-ups are in charge of setting the tone for the students of whats important. Our students do rational things, they had a reason for doing what they did, said Jennifer C. Niles, the Districts deputy mayor for education. If we didnt create the optimal environment to succeed, thats on us. This is the second year that public school students in the District have taken the PARCC exam. Unlike the previous standardized test that D.C. students took, the PARCC exams given to high school students are course-based, not grade-based. Most of the students who took the English and math PARCC exams were sophomores. But some upperclassmen who took geometry in eighth grade were also given the PARCC geometry test, even though several had already taken the PARCC exam as sophomores. Henderson acknowledged Tuesday that there was some confusion within the school system about which students should be tested when. [A top-performing D.C. school just saw a dramatic drop in its English test scores] Its unclear how many students opted out of the test or intentionally failed it. The D.C. State Board of Education said there is no way to differentiate students who were merely absent on testing day from those who intentionally stayed home to avoid the test. The PARCC participation rate at Wilson was one of the lowest among the Districts high schools, though it remained similar to the schools low participation rate the previous year. Just 68 percent of students who were supposed to take the test at Wilson did so, according to data from DCPS. By comparison, Anacostia High School had a 90 percent participation rate on the English portion on the exam. An assistant principal at School Without Walls sent a letter to the school community before the test, acknowledging some confusion and saying that the school could not accept any exceptions to taking the test. The school, which has a much smaller student population than Wilson, had a participation rate above 90 percent on the English portion of the exam. THE DISTRICT Police identify teen slain in Anacostia D.C. police identified a teenager who was fatally shot Thursday afternoon in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington. Authorities said Kevin Anthony Jackson II, 17, of Southeast died shortly after arriving at a hospital. The shooting occurred about 2:15 p.m. in the 1900 block of 16th Street SE, a residential street off Good Hope Road. Another person was wounded. Peter Hermann Man fatally shot Friday in Northeast A 28-year-old man was fatally shot early Friday in the Brentwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, police said. Lamar Purnell of Northeast was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 12:40 a.m. in the 2500 block of 14th Street NE. Dana Hedgpeth and Peter Hermann MARYLAND Federal officer faces murder trial in April A Maryland court on Friday set an April 3 trial date for a federal security officer whose alleged two-day spate of killings in May sent authorities on a manhunt in Montgomery and Prince Georges counties. Eulalio Leo Tordil, 62, a Federal Protective Service officer from Adelphi, faces charges of murder, attempted murder and firearms violations in Montgomery Circuit Court for the May 5 and 6 shootings that killed three, including his estranged wife, wounded three others and triggered lockdowns at schools and government buildings. Authorities in Prince Georges County also have charged Tordil with first-degree murder and related counts in connection with the slaying of his estranged wife. Spencer S. Hsu Laurel couple slain; their son is charged A man has been charged in the slaying of his parents in their Laurel home, according to police in Howard County. Craig Dennis White, 30, was charged with first- and second-degree murder and assault in the deaths of his mother, Linda White, 61, and his father, Glen White, 66. The family lived together in the 9500 block of Queens Guard Court in the part of Laurel that lies in Howard County, authorities said. Police found the couples bodies Thursday after receiving a call requesting a check on their welfare. Dana Hedgpeth Nepal-Japan ties celebrated Nepal and Japan marked the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations amid a function in the Capital on Thursday. Montgomery County Council members are sworn in at Richard Montgomery High School on Dec. 1, 2014, in Rockville. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) The leader of a group opposed to term limits in Montgomery County asked a circuit court Friday to block placement of the issue on the November ballot, charging that many of the signatures submitted in support of the measure are invalid. Republican activist Robin Ficker spearheaded a drive to collect an estimated 17,649 signatures of registered voters for a ballot question asking whether county council members and the county executive should be limited to three consecutive terms. If passed, Proposition B would bar five of the nine council members from seeking reelection. Last week, the Montgomery Board of Elections certified that Ficker had the minimum 12,573 valid signatures, more than the required 10,000. The lawsuit, filed against the county and the Maryland State Board of Elections by former Rockville city council member Tom Moore, chair of No on B, said a spot check of Fickers petitions showed dozens of problems, including instances where names were just printed, not signed. The complaint also said the dates on many signatures seem to have been filled out by the same hand, a violation of the law. The people of Montgomery County have the right to see that the laws concerning petitions are followed, Moore, a Democrat, said in a statement Friday morning, just as they have the right to vote for candidates they feel are best equipped to represent them, no matter how many times those candidates have been elected before. Kevin Karpinski, attorney for the Montgomery Board of Elections, did not return a phone message Friday afternoon. Ficker said Friday he was confident that Moores suit will be thrown out, citing a legal ruling that ended his 2010 attempt to place term limits on the county ballot. A Montgomery Circuit Court judge dismissed his lawsuit challenging the Board of Elections rejection of his signature petitions. Judge Robert A. Greenberg said Fickers campaign organization, the Citizens Charter Committee, did not meet the legal standard requiring that the plaintiff be more aggrieved than the average taxpayer or voter. I dont see how Tom Moore is more aggrieved by this than the average voter, Ficker said. A hearing is expected to be held next week. Eulalio Tordil, 62, charged in fatal shootings in the D.C. area, is taken into custody in Bethesda, Md., on May 6. (Alex Brandon /AP) A Maryland court on Friday set an April 3 trial date for a federal security officer whose alleged two-day murder rampage this May led authorities on a manhunt in Montgomery and Prince Georges counties and spread panic at some high schools and shopping centers. Eulalio Leo Tordil, 62, a Federal Protective Service officer, of Adelphi, faces murder, attempted murder and firearms charges in Montgomery Circuit Court for the May 5 and 6 shootings that killed three and wounded three others and triggered lockdowns at schools and government buildings. [Suspect in custody in shootings at mall, grocery store, high school] Tordil, who has pleaded not guilty, did not speak at Fridays scheduling hearings in Rockville, where he made his first in-person appearances before Montgomery County Circuit Judge Sharon V. Burrell and Administrative Judge John W. Debelius III. Tordil, who had a goatee, was manacled at the wrist and ankles and wore a green jail jumpsuit and eyeglasses. In events that revived memories of the Beltway sniper shootings in 2002, the manhunt started after Tordil allegedly fatally shot his estranged wife and wounded a bystander coming to her aid in the parking lot of High Point High School in Beltsville, where Gladys Tordil, 44, a chemistry teacher at Clarksburg High School sat in her SUV waiting to pick up her daughters. Norma Winffel, wife of Malcom Winffel, who was slain by alleged mass gunman Eulalio Tordil in May, talks about her husbands legacy from their home. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post) Within 24 hours, Tordil also allegedly shot and killed Malcom Winffel, 45, of Boyds, as he tried to stop Tordil from carjacking two women outside the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, where he wounded two others. Tordil was arrested near the Aspen Hill Shopping Center in Silver Spring, after allegedly killing another victim in her car. [Shooting suspect was trying to carjack victims, records show] Police in Prince Georges County also have charged Tordil with first-degree murder and related charges in connection with the slaying of his estranged wife. Tordil shook hands with his attorneys from both counties Friday before being returned to Montgomery County jail. Montgomery County States Attorney John McCarthy did not oppose the request by Theresa M. Chernosky and David Booth, Tordils Montgomery and Prince Georges public defenders, respectively, to postpone the trial from November, citing the complexity of the case. Chernosky and McCarthy said there were thousands of pages of documents, video surveillance evidence, DNA and ballistics forensic evidence, and expert witness evaluations that needed to be completed and reviewed, as well as evidence and witnesses for multiple crimes across jurisdictions. We need the time to go through it, Chernosky told Burrell. Its a complicated case, McCarthy said. We dont oppose the motion. A shuttle bus driver has been charged with sexually abusing a woman he had picked up at her home Thursday, according to D.C. police, who said they are seeking other women who may have been victimized. The driver, identified as Jamie Munoz, 52, of Forestville, Md., was charged with felony second-degree sexual abuse of a patient or client. A D.C. Superior Court judge on Friday released Munoz and ordered him to stay away from the victim and her home. He set a preliminary hearing for Sept. 29. Munozs attorney did not return calls seeking comment. Police said the victim walked into a police station Wednesday and reported being assaulted the previous day. Police said she told them she got into the van at her apartment building in Southwest and that as she boarded, he touched various parts of her clothed body and asked when she would have sex with him. Authorities said they interviewed Munoz at police headquarters and that he admitted to touching her breasts but said it started with mutual flirting and touching. He told police, according to the arrest affidavit filed in court, that after he touched her breast, she laughed and said, I like you Jamie. According to the affidavit, the woman told police that she did not want to be touched by the defendant and became very upset. D.C. police did not identify the company that runs the shuttle van. Authorities are asking anyone who may have had contact with the suspect that they feel was inappropriate to call the sexual assault unit at 202-727-3700. D.C. police identified a teenager who was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington. Authorities said Kevin Anthony Jackson II, 17, of Southeast died shortly after arriving at a hospital. The shooting occurred about 2:15 p.m. in the 1900 block of 16th Street SE, a residential street off Good Hope Road. Another person also was wounded in the shooting, who police identified as a driver for a pizza shop who was making a delivery and who is believed to be a bystander. Police said that man had been shot in the lower body and ran to the next block, where he was found injured. He was being treated at a hospital. Relatives of the slain Jackson could not be reached on Friday. Police said they do not yet know of a motive. The District is suing a company that builds large LED signs in the city, saying the signs were constructed illegally and are a danger to the public. The lawsuit, filed in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday against Digi Media Communications and the owners of buildings where the signs were erected, says the signs tower over and above pedestrians, causing substantial and significant risk to public safety. The suit also said that the signs were not approved by the Districts Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and that they were constructed despite stop-work orders. Many of these sign locations are in the downtown core and in areas near metro stations and other high-traffic pedestrian areas, the complaint read. . . . Thousands of people pass underneath or alongside defendants LED signs which are not permitted or inspected by DCRA causing a significant risk of death or injury if one of these massive signs were to fall on a passerby. The suit identified eight locations in the District where the signs or brackets for the signs were allegedly constructed without proper permits. Permission to put up brackets was granted for the inside of the buildings, but the brackets went up on the outside of the buildings, the suit said. The suit also claimed Digi Media seeks to illegally blanket the city with 52 large-scale LED screens. The District has enacted building and sign regulations for reasons that include protecting the safety of our residents and preserving the aesthetic nature of our city, D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine said in a statement. The Office of the Attorney General believes Digi Media has unlawfully installed these signs, and we are taking action to enforce the law. In a statement, Digi Media said the signs were not a danger. Digi Media complied fully with all applicable permitting regulations as those regulations have been consistently applied for years, and which have been used by others to erect numerous signs around the city in locations analogous to Digis, an emailed statement from a Digi Media spokesman said. All construction work related to the brackets for Digis signs was fully permitted with DCRA. Digis installations are carefully engineered and have never been the subject of any injury or accident anywhere. As of Friday, a sign in at least one location named in the lawsuit had been removed. [Verizon Center facade to get new digital, billboard-size signs] The sign controversy comes after billboard-size digital signs were approved for Verizon Center in 2013, despite residents two-year battle against them. Melania Trump, shown on opening night of the Republican National Convention in July, filed a defamation lawsuit in Maryland. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post) Attorneys for Melania Trump have filed a $75,000 defamation lawsuit against a Gaithersburg political blogger and the Daily Mail, which each published that the wife of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at one time worked for an escort service in the 1990s before she met her husband. Melania Trump filed the lawsuit Thursday in Montgomery County Circuit Court where blogger Webster Griffin Tarpley lives and where the British tabloid transacts business, her lawsuit asserts. Tarpley was sued for an Aug. 2 blog post titled Where is Melania Trump in which the article included a statement about the alleged escort work. In the Maryland filing, Trumps attorneys asserted Tarpleys blog was false and that she did not work as an escort or as a prostitute and that she did legitimate and legal modeling work for legitimate business entities. Trumps attorneys contacted Tarpley on Aug. 21 and demanded a retraction, the filing says, adding that Tarpley published a retraction and apology a day later. Tarpley did not respond to an email seeking comment on the defamation lawsuit, and telephone numbers listed in his name did not accept messages. On his website, a posting attributed to Tarpley said: Melania Trumps lawsuit against me is without merit. Mrs. Trump is a public figure actively engaged in the Trump for president campaign. We are confident that Mrs. Trump will not be able to meet her high burden of proving the statements published about her on my website were defamatory in any way. Her lawsuit is a blatant attempt to intimidate not only me but journalists of all stripes into remaining silent with regard to public figures. This lawsuit is a direct affront to First Amendment principles and free speech in our democratic society. Also in Thursdays lawsuit, Trump sought such damages from the Daily Mail, which published an Aug. 20 article that said Trump worked as an escort at a gentlemans club in Milan before she moved to New York in 1996. Trumps attorneys wrote the defamatory statements in the article were attacks on her reputation which discouraged members of the public from having a positive opinion of her. The Daily Mail removed the article from its website, but by the time of the filing it had not issued a retraction and apology, according to the complaint. The Daily Mail published a retraction and apology after the lawsuit was filed Thursday. Although court documents set the lawsuit as seeking damages in excess of $75,000, in a statement, Melania Trumps attorneys estimated damages at $150 million. These defendants made several statements about Mrs. Trump that are 100% false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation. Defendants broadcast their lies to millions of people throughout the U.S. and the world without any justification, Trumps attorneys said in a statement about the lawsuit. Here is what you need to know about MS-13, a street gang with an international reach. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) Here is what you need to know about MS-13, a street gang with an international reach. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) An 18-year-old man has been arrested in a series of what police describe as random robberies and assaults in Northwest Washington this week that might be linked to the MS-13 gang. In one case, the suspect and others possibly linked to the case identified themselves as affiliated with the gang Mara Salvatrucha, which in the Washington area has been mostly active in the suburbs, according to a statement from D.C. police. Federal law enforcement officials have said MS-13 considered one of the most dangerous groups linked to murders, prostitution and drug trafficking has begun to reassert itself after years of relative quiet. D.C. police charged Christian Mendoza of Northwest with two counts of robbery, two counts of assault with intent to kill and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. [MS-13 glorifies violence] The incidents earlier this week in the District occurred over several hours, from 11:30 p.m. Monday through 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. The attacks were in the neighborhoods of Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan. Police said the first incident occurred about 11:30 p.m. Monday in the 3100 block of 16th Street NW. Police responded to a call about a fight and said they found a person inside a car suffering from a stab wound. The victim told police they had been robbed by several men. About 1:10 a.m. Tuesday, police said, the suspect hit a man in the head with a rock and stabbed him in the back in the 1700 block of Columbia Road NW in Adams Morgan. Police said the suspect fled on a bicycle. At 2:45 p.m., police said, the suspect and others approached a young man on a bicycle and asked whether he was a member of MS-13. Police said Mendoza and others all armed with knives chased the victim and that one of the assailants stabbed him. The last assault occurred about 12:30 p.m., when police said Mendoza and another young man robbed a person of a bicycle at knife point in the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue NW. In that case, police said in a statement, Mendoza and his friend identified themselves as Mara Salvatrucha and questioned the victim. A Prince William County judge on Thursday said that prosecutors can seek the death penalty in the case of Ronald W. Hamilton, the Pentagon information-technology specialist accused of fatally shooting his wife at their Woodbridge home and then a responding rookie police officer. Circuit Judge Lon E. Farris denied two requests by Hamiltons attorneys to bar a jury from weighing execution as an option in potential sentencing. Hamilton, 32, dressed in a navy blue blazer and lighter-blue collar shirt and slacks, appeared straight-faced as Farris announced his ruling. Prince William Commonwealths Attorney Paul B. Ebert has said he is likely to ask a jury to impose a death sentence if Hamilton is convicted. In court, Hamilton attorney Edward J. Ungvarsky, pointedly criticized Prince Williams longtime prosecutors for seeking the death penalty more frequently than the vast majority of other jurisdictions, arguing that Hamilton might be executed simply because of the arbitrary nature of where the shootings happened. If the killings had occurred elsewhere in Virginia or in a different state, Ungvarsky contended that his client would likely face at most life in prison if found guilty. Prince Williams high rate of death penalty cases compared with the rest of the nations, he said, violates Hamiltons constitutional rights against cruel and unusual punishment. [Hes a retired cop. Now his son is accused of killing a cop and his own wife] Ronald W. Hamilton (Prince William County Police) James A. Willett, a Prince William County prosecutor who handled the capital murder case of Washington sniper John Allen Muhammad, who was convicted and executed, fought back against the contention that his office seeks the death penalty without careful consideration. Willett also lashed out against Ungvarskys motion labeling Prince William as one of the few counties nationwide that is actively involved in seeking death and executions of its citizens. It's stunning, Willett said. It reveals the mind-set of the defendant, he said, adding that Ungvarskys criticisms of his office have abandoned any pretense of objectivity. He pointed at Hamilton and said there was nothing arbitrary in pursuing the death penalty against someone who gunned down two people with no justification at all. Yes, it is arbitrary, Ungvarsky told the judge. He then cited a 1998 interview that Ebert, the top prosecutor, gave to the Richmond Times-Dispatch saying that he frequently seeks a capital murder charge even if its questionable as whether or not it fits in that category. Ungvarsky laced his argument and written motion with numerous statistics: He said that despite a downward trend in death sentences in Virginia, Prince William leads the commonwealth with the highest number of executions since 1976 and that it still ranks among the top 2 percent of counties 62 out of more than 3,100 that have produced the majority of executions in the modern death penalty era. A 2013 analysis by the D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center found that in Prince William, there were nine executions of death row inmates between 1976, when the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty, and 2102. Farris denied the defense motions but didnt say why. Ashley Guindon died on her first day on the street as a police officer. (AP) Under Virginia law, prosecutors can seek capital murder in specific circumstances that include the killing of a law enforcement officer, a murder-for-hire or the premeditated killings of more than one person within three years. On the night of Feb. 27, Hamilton and his wife, Crystal Hamilton, 29, a recovery-care coordinator for wounded and ill Marines, had an argument in their Woodbridge home, according to police, family and friends. Crystal was planning to go out with friends for dinner, and their 11-year-old son, Tyriq, had just returned home from a slumber party and was taking a shower. But Hamilton began arguing with his wife, telling her not to go. After Crystal Hamilton called 911, her husband threw her against a wall and shot her while their son was fleeing the house, authorities said. Three Prince William police officers arrived, including Ashley Guindon, 28, who was on her first day on the street. When Guindon approached the door to their home, Ronald Hamilton fatally shot her with a rifle and wounded the other two officers, police said. The Hamiltons son, their only child, had safely reached a neighbors house. The double slaying prompted an outpouring of support and grief across Washington. Thousands of people turned out for a live-streamed memorial service for Guindon, who had been sworn in the day before the shooting. Services for Crystal were held in her home state of South Carolina and at the Marine Memorial Chapel in Quantico. During an earlier hearing, a sergeant testified that Hamilton confessed to the killings after his arrest. For Hamiltons family, charges that he killed his wife, let alone a police officer, generated an excruciating irony. His father, also named Ronald Hamilton, served as a former second-in-command of the Charleston, S.C., police department before retiring in 2001. The younger Hamilton has claimed, through his attorney, that his two tours in Iraq psychologically damaged him. Nepalgunj tense over statue dispute Police clashed with pro-monarch supporters as the latter installed a bust of late king Birendra Shah at Dhambojhi Chowk in Nepalgunj, Banke, on Thursday. Jill Breen, a midwife, examines 10-week-old Maggie Dickson while her parents, Jamie and Shannon Dickson, look on at their home in Waterville, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP) Jennifer Crook is a licensed midwife who lives in Birmingham, Ala. She has presided over about 200 home births, but to do so, she and her patients have had to drive two hours across the state line to Tennessee. The reason: Alabama is among 22 states that do not license midwives who deliver babies outside hospitals. And violating the rules in Alabama isnt worth the risk. Its certainly not a place that you want to practice as an illegal midwife because the state has prosecuted in the past, said Crook, whose license is from Tennessee. She began her training in 1997 and practiced until 2012. Now she lobbies for licensing in Alabama. By not allowing midwives to perform out-of-hospital births, Crook said, states are depriving expectant mothers who may not have easy access to obstetric care in a hospital of a safe and, for some, desirable method of delivery. Some critics, including doctors organizations, refute that home deliveries attended by midwives are indeed a safe alternative to hospital births. But whats clear is that the state regulatory terrain for midwives poses a problem for consumers at a time when the number of births taking place outside hospitals, usually in homes or free-standing birthing centers, is increasing. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, 53,635 babies were born outside a hospital, including 35,184 home births and 15,577 birthing center births. Women often choose out-of-hospital births so they can deliver their babies in an intimate, familiar setting where they think their wishes for natural childbirth are more likely to be honored. Alaska has the highest percentage of out-of-hospital births (6 percent), followed by Montana (3.9 percent), Oregon (3.8 percent), Washington (3.4 percent), Idaho (3.4 percent) and Pennsylvania (3.1 percent). Midwives in Pennsylvania assist with out-of-hospital births even though the state does not issue them licenses, according to groups that represent midwives. Alabama and Nebraska prohibit midwives from assisting in home births. Types of midwives Generally speaking, there are two types of midwives certified nurse-midwives and certified professional midwives. Certified nurse-midwives attend births almost exclusively in hospitals or in hospital-run birthing centers. They are registered nurses who have completed training recognized by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education and have passed a certification test administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board. They are licensed in all 50 states and the District. At least 11,100 certified nurse-midwives are practicing in the United States, according to the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Certified professional midwives such as Crook attend to births outside hospitals, typically in homes or birthing centers unaffiliated with hospitals. Generally, they cannot administer drugs, even painkillers associated with delivery, other than antibiotics or medication to prevent hemorrhaging. They do not need a college degree. They can enter the profession through a clinical internship with someone who holds a license or an educational program that may or may not be nationally accredited. To become certified, they must pass a clinical evaluation and a written test administered by the North American Registry of Midwives, which reports that there are about 2,600 certified professional midwives practicing. There is a third, much smaller, group of midwives: certified midwives, who are not nurses but are college graduates who undergo the same midwifery training and testing as nurse-midwives. Only Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island license them, with most of the approximately 100 licenses being held in New York. Like nurse-midwives, certified midwives practice mostly in hospitals. According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, 94 percent of the births attended by certified nurse-midwives or certified midwives in 2014 occurred in hospitals. A fight over licensing NARM and other groups representing certified professional midwives argue that licensing limits in many states leave patients at sea when judging the qualifications of midwives they may want to hire. Its a huge consumer issue, said Ida Darragh, NARMs executive director. Expectant mothers want midwives whose qualifications are recognized by the state. And they want their midwives to be legal, not underground. Midwives have been prosecuted in Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Dakota, usually for practicing medicine without a license, Darragh said. The certified professional midwives groups have made progress in recent years: Indiana approved licensing for such workers in 2013, Rhode Island in 2014 and Maryland in 2015. But efforts have faltered in other states including Alabama, Illinois and South Dakota, often as the result of opposition from groups representing obstetricians and nurse-midwives. The licensing conflict also hampers reimbursement for midwifery. Medicaid agencies in only a dozen states authorize payment for certified professional midwives, according to the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. Part of the opposition reflects concerns about the safety of home births. A 2014 study that appeared in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that the rate of neonatal deaths of midwife-attended home births was three times as high as that of midwife-attended hospital births. [Home birthers: Feeling misunderstood and harshly judged] With all the complications that can arise in childbirth, choosing to have a baby at home makes no sense, said the studys chief author, Amos Grunebaum, a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College and the chief of obstetrics at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. You have many options at hospitals pain control, intravenous medication, fetal monitoring, a team available if something goes wrong with mother or baby, blood transfusions, Grunebaum said. None of these are available at home births. Those are a throwback to old times. It is unprofessional to tell women they can deliver at home when all these options are available in the hospital. But a 2014 study in the American College of Nurse-Midwives Journal of Midwifery & Womens Health found healthy outcomes for the vast majority of midwife-attended home births. A 2007 study commissioned by the Washington State Department of Health determined not only that midwife-attended deliveries for low-risk pregnancies are safe but also that they result in significant cost savings over hospital births. But Amy Tuteur, a former obstetrician and onetime clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School, argues that certified professional midwives are inconsistently and inadequately trained and that their practice should be abolished. They would not be able to practice midwifery in any other industrialized country, Tuteur said. But NARMs Darragh said midwives in other parts of the world do more than care for expectant mothers and newborns. They provide general primary care, administer medications and even perform abortions. Certified professional midwives in the United States have no need for that kind of training and should not be penalized for not having it, Darragh said. Our training is very well structured and comprehensive, she said. Accredited training Certified professional midwives groups recently entered into an agreement with other midwife organizations, a pact that might enhance their chances of broader licensing. The deal recommends that any new states that license certified professional midwives require that they be educated by an accredited midwifery teaching institution. Separate apprenticeships would no longer suffice. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which helped broker the deal, said that would remove one of its objections to licensing although the group would also insist on other restrictions in state laws, including limiting certified professional midwives to low-risk pregnancies. Crook, the midwife who now lobbies for licensing in Alabama, is critical of the agreement, however. She said it would create unnecessary hoops for midwives to jump through to get a license. Still, Crook, who has a masters degree in public health, said states such as Alabama need to allow midwives to practice. The state ranks near the worst in the country for preterm births, low birth weights and infant mortality. And only 29 of Alabamas 67 counties had hospitals with obstetric services as of 2014. Midwives, she said, are actually part of the solution. CALIFORNIA Stanford sex offender released after 3 months Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a Stanford University fraternity house, was released from a Northern California jail Friday morning after serving half of his widely criticized six-month sentence. Turner was freed shortly after 6 a.m. local time and left the jail without saying a word, according to reporters in San Jose. Video of Turners departure from the jail showed him walking briskly toward a waiting SUV with his eyes downward, avoiding questions from a throng of reporters. The former Stanford swimmer was convicted this year of three felonies, including assault with the intent to commit rape. The Turner case gained nationwide attention when his victim, known only as Emily Doe, wrote a 12-page impact statement calling his jail sentence a soft time-out. After his release, Turner can return home to Greene County, Ohio, where he will be required to register as a sex offender and start his three years of probation. The case ignited public outrage, which swelled further with the news that Turner was set to be released three months early for good behavior. The prosecutor had pushed for a six-year prison term, but Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Turner to six months in county jail as well as probation, and ordered him to register as a sex offender a decision that led to calls for the judge to vacate the bench. Persky has recused himself from hearing criminal cases and has asked to be moved to another court. The case also prompted lawmakers in California to pass legislation imposing mandatory prison sentences for those convicted in sexual assault cases, including instances in which the victims were unconscious or too intoxicated to consent. The bill is awaiting the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown (D) after it was approved by the state Senate and Assembly with overwhelming support. Lindsey Bever and Amy B Wang TEXAS Evidence in hundreds of cases was trashed Hundreds of criminal cases in the Houston area are in jeopardy after a deputy constable destroyed more than 20,000 pieces of evidence while cleaning out a crammed property room, authorities said Friday. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said nearly 150 cases have been dismissed so far because of the loss of evidence. She said investigators are reviewing more than 1,000 other cases involving various charges, including at least one aggravated-assault case. The deputy cleaned the property room in January. His boss, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman, said he learned about the loss of evidence about two months later. He then notified the district attorneys office. The deputy has been fired. Associated Press Philippines Explosion kills 12 in presidents home town An explosion killed 12 people and wounded 24 at a night market in President Rodrigo Dutertes home town in the southern Philippines, a region under a heightened security alert because of a military offensive against Abu Sayyaf militants, officials said. Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the regional military commander, said it was not immediately clear what caused the explosion Friday in Davao City. The area of the market where the blast occurred was cordoned off by police bomb experts and investigators. Police Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan said witnesses gave contrasting accounts, with some saying it was a cooking-gas tank that blew up while others suggested that it might have been some kind of explosive. Police set up checkpoints on key roads leading to the city, about 610 miles south of the capital, Manila. Police forces in Manila went on full alert at midnight following the blast. Duterte, who served as a longtime mayor of Davao City before assuming the presidency in June, was in the region but did not immediately issue a statement. His spokesman, Ernesto Abella, urged the public to be vigilant. Philippine police officers look at dead victims after an explosion at a night market that has left about 10 people dead and wounded several others in southern Davao city, Philippines. (Manman Dejeto/AP) Philippine forces have been on alert amid an ongoing military offensive against Abu Sayyaf extremists in southern Sulu province, which intensified last week after the militants beheaded a kidnapped villager. Associated Press VENEZUELA After rally, government says it foiled a coup Venezuelas socialist government said Friday that it thwarted a coup plot this week, as opponents planned to build on their biggest protest in more than a decade to demand a vote to remove the president. Buoyed by rallies in Caracas on Thursday that drew hundreds of thousands, the opposition coalition is planning more marches Sept. 7 to demand a plebiscite against President Nicolas Maduro this year. But with the election board dragging out the process and Maduro vowing that there will be no such vote in 2016, it is hard to see how the opposition can force the issue. The government convened foreign diplomats Friday to show how the arrest of activists and capture of weapons offered evidence of plans to topple Maduro by force. Like his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, Maduro frequently denounces coup and assassination plans, bringing ridicule from foes who say he is inventing such allegations to justify repression and distract Venezuelans from the countrys economic crisis. Opposition leader Henry Ramos said that calling the push for a recall vote part of a coup plot was crazy, a psychiatric problem. Reuters FRANCE Rest of Jungle migrant camp to be dismantled French authorities will dismantle the remaining half of the Jungle migrant camp near Calais as quickly as possible as the town struggles to cope with new arrivals, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Friday. In February and March, authorities dismantled the southern half of the camp, where thousands of migrants and refugees fleeing war or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia had massed, hoping to make their way to Britain. About 7,000 migrants are living in the remaining northern half of the camp, up from 4,500 in June, according to local authorities, although humanitarian groups put the number closer to 9,000. I want the closure of the camp as quickly as possible, Cazeneuve told reporters, saying it would be done methodically. Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart told reporters she had received assurances from Cazeneuve that the camp would be dismantled in one go, although he gave no time frame. Reuters Burkina Faso border post attacked by suspected militants: A customs official was killed and two others wounded in an attack on a border post in northern Burkina Faso, the latest in a spate of attacks along the border with Mali that began about a year ago. The incident occurred in the town of Markoye, about 224 miles from the capital, Ouagadougou, according to a spokesman of the paramilitary police. Greek police say drone smuggling plot foiled: Greek police say they have foiled a plot by inmates to smuggle drugs and cellphones into a prison using a drone operated by accomplices outside. A police statement said four Albanian prisoners including one who was out on a furlough and has been arrested will be charged with drug offenses and running a criminal gang. Two other people were taken into custody for allegedly preparing to smuggle the drugs into the prison. Police found the drone, seven ounces of heroin and 400 grams of marijuana in their possession, as well as 16 mobile phones. From news services While we are consumed with the ups and downs of the bizarre U.S. presidential campaign, Barack Obama will make his last trip to Asia as president. The direct purpose of his trip to China is to attend a meeting of the Group of 20, but perhaps more importantly, the visit is intended to breathe life into one of his big ideas: the pivot to Asia. It is a genuinely important policy, but Obama is now the last man standing willing to push for it. Foreign policy is consumed with momentary crises often created by failing states and violent groups. But in the long run, the future is shaped by winners, not noisy losers. And when the flash points of today have passed, the rise of Asia will remain the dominant trend of our time. The Pacific will be the arena that defines the 21st century. According to the World Bank, in just 10 years, four of the five largest economies in the world will be in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States will be able to shape the 21st century only if it remains a vital Pacific power. How should Washington approach this region? One central task is obviously to prevent China from dominating it. That job has been made somewhat easier by Beijings recent expansionist moves, especially in the South China Sea. These actions illustrate the challenge China faces it is not rising in a vacuum. Asia is a crowded continent, and every aggressive move by Beijing produces an angry reaction from neighbors such as Vietnam and the Philippines. India, which has resisted any moves that would suggest it is ganging up with the United States against China, has nonetheless moved in that direction in recent weeks. The Obama administration has also enhanced security cooperation with a range of traditional allies such as Japan, Australia and Singapore. But Washingtons policy is not containment. It cant be. China is not the Soviet Union but rather the most important trading partner for every country in Asia. The larger project, writes Kurt Campbell, who was until 2013 the State Departments top Asia hand, in his smart book The Pivot, is to strengthen Asias operating system that is, the complex legal, security and practical arrangements that have underscored four decades of Asian prosperity and security. That means bolstering freedom of navigation, free trade, multilateral groups and institutions, transparency and accountability, and such diplomatic practices as peaceful resolution of disputes. The most vital of these right now, Campbell notes, is trade. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is the sine qua non of Washingtons pivot to Asia because it works at many levels simultaneously economic, political and strategic. It boosts growth, shores up U.S. alliances, sends a powerful signal to China and, most importantly, writes the rules of the 21st century in ways that are fundamentally American. Without it, expect China to begin drafting those rules in ways that will be very different. And yet the TPP is under assault from every quarter in the United States. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Donald Trump flatly oppose it. Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) have said that it doesnt meet their standards anymore. What these standards are, they havent specified. Harvards Robert Lawrence has noted that for workers, the TPPs gains far outweigh its losses. The notion, often peddled by Trump, that the United States comes out badly in trade deals can be asserted only by someone who knows nothing about the topic. The simple reality is that the United States is the country with the largest market. As a result, it has the most leverage and as foreign officials have often complained to me it uses it, asking for exemptions and exceptions that few other countries get. The TPP is no different. Asian countries have made most of the concessions. And because their markets are more closed than the United States, the deals net result will be to open them more. One could argue that Sanders is speaking out of conviction, though it is strange to hear the idealistic socialist viciously denounce trade policies that have lifted hundreds of millions of the worlds poorest people out of poverty. With Trump, who knows what he actually believes? The others most importantly Clinton and Ryan are shamelessly adopting positions that they must know are wrong. The Republican Party has now reversed itself entirely on two of its core beliefs, immigration and trade, going from a party of openness to one that wants walls and tariffs. With the Asia pivot, Obama is pursuing the deepest, most enduring interests of the United States. But in doing so, he is now alone in a Washington that is increasingly awash in populism, protectionism and isolationism. Read more from Fareed Zakarias archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Moshe Marvit is a labor and employment lawyer and a fellow at the Century Foundation. He is the co-author of Why Labor Organizing Should Be a Civil Right. The first Labor Day celebration took place 134 years ago in New York City, at a time when organizing a union was not yet a protected right. In that era, labor unions were often viewed as criminal conspiracies, and a few years later, with the passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act, they were treated as anti-competitive trusts. It took years for labor to debunk these myths indeed, some still think of labor unions in these terms but many others persist. Myth No. 1 Unions are for the working class only. Labor seems to suffer from a branding problem specifically, the notion that unions are for blue-collar workers in old-school jobs. As journalist Harold Meyerson wrote in the American Prospect , labor stands in the minds of many for autoworkers and steelworkers, for the cutting-edge industries of 1935. Likewise, the AFL-CIO has bemoaned the misperception that organized labor is predominantly a blue collar movement. Despite their old-fashioned image, labor unions also include new industries and white-collar workers. The professional class has not been immune to workplace issues of mistreatment, outsourcing and stagnant or declining wages, and as a result its members have increasingly joined unions. For decades, the percentage of professional workers in unions has grown, and now professionals are the majority of union members in the United States . Conversely, the share of union members in traditional blue-collar jobs such as manufacturing and mining has diminished along with those industries. In addition to traditional unionized professions such as teaching and nursing, graduate students, student athletes, doctors and digital journalists have pushed for labor representation. Myth No. 2 Workers can be forced to join unions. Right-to-work advocates have for decades repeated the phrase compulsory unionism to advance the myth that workers are sometimes forced to join a union. The fact is that ending compulsory unionism is the only way to introduce real accountability into todays labor unions, Stefan Gleason wrote in 2003 in the National Review Online . At the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Robert P. Hunter declared that Michigans public schools are in crisis, and compulsory unionism is one of the roots of the problem. The reality is that closed shops, which restrict hiring to union members, have been illegal in the United States since 1947 . In every jurisdiction in America, if the majority of workers choose to be represented by a union, any worker can object and choose not to join without risking his or her job. In non-right-to-work states, these objecting workers still pay a fair-share fee that covers the costs of representing them at work. These fees vary union by union and year by year based on expenditures, but typically they constitute 70 to 85 percent of regular union dues. Objecting workers do not pay for any political or other activities of the union. In right-to-work states, a worker can choose to pay nothing, even though the union must represent all workers equally, regardless of their membership or payment of dues. Nobody, anywhere, is ever forced to become a union member. Myth No. 3 Right-to-work laws would bankrupt unions. For the past year, unions across the country have been terrified by a single word: Friedrichs, referring to Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a Supreme Court case that was all but certain to place public-sector employees in a right to work status. That would have meant workers who benefitted from union contracts would not have to pay any union dues. In briefings before the court and in public articles, labor advocates cast the issue in the language of economics, as one of free-ridership: At the Century Foundation, education policy analyst Richard Kahlenberg summarized Friedrichs as a referendum on whether there is a constitutional right to free ride on public sector unions. But right-to-work does not necessarily translate into high levels of covered, free-riding workers who dont pay. For instance, all federal employees, including postal workers, are under right-to-work. In the federal workforce (excluding postal employees), 79 percent of the workers who are covered under a union contract have chosen to join; among postal employees, more than 92 percent covered under a contract have chosen to join. In a brief submitted in the Friedrichs case, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy pointed out that union membership among union-represented workers has remained around 80 percent despite right-to-work policies passed in recent years. Yet right-to-work laws threaten to expose real weaknesses inside unions: a lack of solidarity and participation among members. Twenty-five years ago, in their study on union membership attitudes and participation, Daniel Gallagher and George Strauss wrote that compared with European unionists, those in North America look upon unionism more as an insurance policy than an instrument in the class struggle or even as a social movement. Labors approach to its membership has changed little during the intervening years, with unions still presenting themselves as a service to their members. Though it is difficult to gauge levels of solidarity, one way of measuring it is through the use of strikes. Strikes are among labors strongest weapons, but they require a great deal of solidarity to ensure that workers dont cross the picket line or that the union does not face a decertification vote following the strike. Between 1990 and 2015, the number of strikes declined by more than 90 percent, from 801 in 1990 to 72 last year. Myth No. 4 Unions help only union workers. Critics of unions often frame them as private interest organizations that help only their members. In a 2011 column about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walkers right-to-work crusade, commentator John Lott alleged, for example, that AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was fighting for some workers but hurting other workers. It is true that unions often limit their activities to matters concerning their membership. But it is wrong to conclude that this work does not help workers more generally or that unions dont organize for the common good. A new paper from the Economic Policy Institute shows that higher union density has historically led to higher pay among nonunion workers. In fact, if union levels were in 2013 what they were in 1979, nonunion men would be earning an additional $109 billion per year. Groups like the Service Employees International Union have spent millions in a fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, even though they are unlikely to get an increase in membership in the short term. Call it the tide that lifts all boats. Beyond wages and benefits, research has shown that unions are among the few groups that represent the priorities of the middle class. Teachers unions, for example, have found creative ways to better the lives of students through collective bargaining, with the Chicago Teachers Union going on strike in part for increased libraries and other resources, and the St. Paul teachers union fighting to limit foreclosures during the school year for households with school-age children . Myth No. 5 Unions are a bulwarkagainst globalization. From NAFTA to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, labor unions have positioned themselves as the primary critics of, and protectors of workers against, globalization and free trade. The AFL-CIO, for instance, states that the TPP appears modeled after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a free trade agreement that boosts global corporate profits while leaving working families behind. Likewise, the SEIU calls the TPP NAFTA on steroids and a secret trade agreement that must be stopped. The reason for their opposition is clear: Increased globalization often leads to more competition with countries where workers are paid far less, exploiting those workers while making it difficult to keep American wages high. But despite the best efforts of labor, including large protests in the 1990s, globalization has largely continued apace, and U.S. workers have paid the price. According to the Economic Policy Institute, while NAFTA promised to create 200,000 new jobs for American workers, since its 1994 inception 682,900 jobs have been lost. Another EPI report found that international trade depressed wages for non-college-educated workers by 5.5 percent, meaning an annual loss of $1,800 for the average worker. Meanwhile, workers overseas often face even worse labor conditions, with fewer protections and lower wages. Twitter: @MosheMarvit Five myths is a weekly feature challenging everything you think you know. You can check out previous myths, read more from Outlook or follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY has issued a long-anticipated report on what it should do to reconcile the Catholic institution to its historical ties to slavery. The university is taking several steps immediately, notably giving preferential status in admissions to descendants of enslaved people whose labor benefited Georgetown, which is a move in the right direction and a sign of the schools sincerity. But those are first steps only; as the university acknowledges, more will be needed. Georgetown President John J. DeGioia on Thursday released the report and recommendations of a working group that for the past year has been studying the universitys involvement in slavery, including the sale of 272 slaves in 1838 by Jesuits who used the proceeds to keep the school afloat even as they knew they were doing wrong in tearing families apart. From the start, the group wrote, it faced a daunting challenge: On one hand, nothing could justify the very great harm done over an extended period of time to people reduced to chattel for Georgetowns profit; on the other hand, both the perpetrators and victims of these offenses are long dead, so there is no obvious way to seek or offer forgiveness. Aiming to strike the right balance, Mr. DeGioia said that Georgetown will give descendants of those enslaved people the same admissions boost accorded to children of faculty, staff and alumni; offer an apology for its role in slavery; rename two campus buildings, in honor of one of the slaves sold in 1838 and of a free woman of color who founded a school for black girls in Georgetown in 1827; create an institution for the study of slavery; and build a memorial to those who were enslaved. Mr. DeGioia also mentioned less concrete plans to address disparities in housing and access to health care in the District and to identify new ways to enhance access and opportunity for those wanting to go to college. Widening college access is particularly critical; we hope Georgetown lives up to its promise to engage and collaborate with slave descendants, some of whom were unhappy with exclusion from the working group. While other universities have had to confront their roles in slavery, Georgetown is unique in that the meticulous records kept by the Jesuits and the fact that the slaves continued to practice their Catholic faith have allowed genealogists to identify and locate their descendants. These are real people whose fates have been affected: That presents Georgetown with both a burden and an opportunity. Now even ex-MPs want state privileges Days after the former president joined the bandwagon of key political leaders who have claimed excessive state privileges, former parliamentarians have demanded pension and medical services. Richard Cohen, in his rush to admit wrongdoing in his Aug. 30 op-ed, Bribes turned into gifts, tried to tag Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton with the same thing. Mr. Cohen took bribes and used them himself. Surely he drank and shared with friends at his home all those bottles of Canadian Club. I wonder which Broadway shows and sporting events he attended. He compared taking those personal bribes to people giving money to the Clinton Foundation, which didnt get them anything from Ms. Clinton. He conveniently forgot that this wasnt money Bill or Hillary Clinton took home, like he took his bribes home. Rather, this money bought things such as HIV/AIDS drugs and malaria drugs for millions of people, saving many lives. Peter D. Rosenstein, Washington In his Aug. 24 op-ed, 2016s Ralph Nader?, Dana Milbank accused Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein of making more likely the singular threat of a President Trump. He echoed legions of Democratic Party partisans who never think it is time for a progressive third-party presidential candidate to run because the Republican candidates are always worse. They use politically bigoted words such as spoiler, reserved for treating third-party candidates like second-class citizens. Many otherwise-tolerant reporters, columnists and editorial writers are quite okay with smaller candidates being obstructed in many ways, from ballot access to the debates. Such discrimination counters a candidates civil liberties. Everyone has an equal right to run for public office. What kind of twisted logic insists that smaller-party competitors should forfeit their First Amendment rights to speak, petition and assemble freely? Dissent and resistance that attract voters historically have improved politics and achieved justice in our country. Arent liberals pleased that earlier third parties ballot access was easier in the past and their voters rejected Mr. Milbanks kind of advice? In 1840, the Liberty Party first opposed slavery. Later, new parties fought the exclusion of women from voting, asserted the rights of farmers and industrial labor and initiated calls for Social Security, unemployment compensation, minimum wages, health care for all and electoral reforms. They first put on the table most of the positive improvements from government. Shamefully, the decaying Democratic Party works to block millions of voters from having a choice of progressive third-party candidates. No country in the Western world places more obstacles to third-party and independent candidates getting on the ballot than the United States. Democrats and Republicans built this exclusionary duopoly. As a result, major redirections and reforms, often supported by a popular majority, are excluded from electoral arenas. Without a competitive democracy, our political system cannot attract better candidates. A political monoculture with safe, gerrymandered incumbents serving myopic commercial interests is systematically undemocratic. It helps explain why the Democratic Party has been unable to defend this country from the worst Republican Party in history at the congressional and state levels. Mr. Milbank justified his dont run, drop out screed by referencing my campaign in 2000 as costing Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore the presidency. Were the Greens responsible for the absurd electoral college that threw an election? Mr. Gore won the popular vote handily. More than 300,000 registered Democratic voters in Florida voted for Republican nominee George W. Bush. Then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs administration unlawfully purged thousands of Democratic voters from the states rolls, and Palm Beach County used deceptive butterfly ballots. The Florida Supreme Courts mandated recount was blocked by a narrow conservative majority on the Supreme Court that then selected Mr. Bush as president. Why blame the Greens for these and other sine qua nons absent any one of which Mr. Bush would have been denied the presidency? Mr. Gore, who bore the brunt of a political coup from Tallahassee to the Supreme Court, has not scapegoated the Green Party. Scapegoating, besides debilitating its practitioners, has a grotesque and vindictive tail, harassing lawful competitors while ignoring self-renewal and external reforms. Ms. Stein will not abandon the Green Partys resistance to Wall Streets disastrous attack on our economy, the bipartisan expansion of the war-making empire and the bipartisan backing for bloated military and corporate welfare budgets that starve monies for public works and services. She opposes both parties, indentured to the craven demands of monied interests. Lets stop the chronic censorious whining and work to secure fair, competitive elections for all candidates. Ralph Nader, Washington HAND IT to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), for political savvy at least, in choosing the Ocean City boardwalk as backdrop for his announcement that Maryland public schools cannot open until after Labor Day starting next year. Give him less credit for caring about the educational needs of the states students. In fact, we would say it is a sad day when education policy is driven by Tilt-A-Whirl attendance in Ocean City rather than whats best for students. Lets hope lawmakers figure out a way to return rationality to this matter. Mr. Hogan on Wednesday announced that he had signed an executive order mandating that public schools begin classes after Labor Day and complete the state-required 180 days of instruction by June 15. The order would take effect with the 2017-2018 school year. School after Labor Day is now the law of the land, he crowed, flanked by Comptroller Peter Franchot, a Democrat who has made a crusade out of extending summer vacations from school. Setting the school calendar traditionally has been left up to local jurisdictions; only one Worcester County, home to Ocean City starts after Labor Day. Montgomery, Prince Georges and other systems have good reasons for starting earlier. Research shows that students, especially low-income students, lose ground if vacations go on too long. In addition, many tests, such as those for high school Advanced Placement courses, are given in early May. Pushing back the school year robs schools of valuable time to prepare students for these tests, while pretty much guaranteeing that the final weeks of school will be wasted. The trend nationwide has been for earlier school starts and more days of school. Democratic leaders in the General Assembly, who previously beat back pressure from tourism and business interests for a post-Labor Day start, questioned the legality of the governors order. They have asked for a legal opinion from the state attorney general. For his part, Mr. Hogan said his legal counsel advised him of his authority under the state constitution. With polls showing popular support for an extended summer, he practically dared lawmakers to undo his order with legislation. They would probably lose their jobs, he said. The order does allow local school districts to ask for a waiver of the late start from the Maryland State Board of Education, but it is unclear what standards the board would use. That puts local school boards, which typically would set calendars for 2017-2018 this fall, in a bind. Do they hope there will be an end run around the governors order, or do they cut teacher development days, time off for religious holidays or spring break? That dilemma does not seem to trouble Mr. Hogan. Palestinians walk past a sign painted on a wall in the West Bank town of Bethlehem in 2015. (Thomas Coex/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) Despite what Bud Hensgen claimed in his Aug. 31 letter, BDS is not anti-Semitic, the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement applies a double standard to Israel, the only state for the Jews. Hence, it is anti-Semitic. Do BDS advocates call for cultural and economic boycotts of the Arab world for its treatment of women, gay men and lesbians, apostates, and religious minorities? Or China for its suppression of free speech and dissidents? BDS asks that Israel grant the Palestinians a right of return, but does it ask for the right of return for Syrians, Iraqis, Libyans, Yemenis, Somalis, Vietnamese and others who fled their homelands due to conflict? Do proponents of BDS insert themselves into the other active land disputes occurring in the world, including in Crimea, Northern Cyprus, the Caucasus, Tibet, Kashmir and Kurdistan? Why the obsession with Israel? Steve Postal, Arlington ITS USEFUL that Donald Trump has clarified his plans for Larissa Martinez, who started classes this week as a freshman at Yale University, having graduated in the spring as class valedictorian at her Texas high school. After weeks of waffling, and suggestions that his views on immigration might be softening, Mr. Trump has set the record straight: Ms. Martinez has no future in America. The recipient of a full scholarship to Yale, Ms. Martinez is hoping for a career as a neurosurgeon. As it happens, shes also a top-notch student, a compelling public speaker and, according to Mr. Trumps policy, a high priority for deportation. Discarding his dalliance with fairness and compassion, the Republican presidential nominee this week tossed red meat to the xenophobes in his base by reaffirming his intention to launch a crusade of mass deportations that would target, according to an analysis by The Post, at least 6 million people. Among them, he said, would be immigrants who have overstayed their visas. That category would sweep up Ms. Martinez, who, at age 13, accompanied her mother and sister to the United States on a tourist visa; they stayed after the visa expired, having fled an abusive home in Mexico. Of course, there is no place in Mr. Trumps cramped mental universe for someone like Ms. Martinez. To Mr. Trump and the crowds who egg him on, undocumented immigrants are criminals, murderers, rapists, carriers of disease and drug smugglers, fit to be rounded up by deportation agents and shipped far, far away. Just why Mr. Trump would prioritize visa-overstayers for deportation, and not those who entered the country illegally in the first place, is unexplained. Logic is hardly the point of his policy. He asserts that illegal immigrants have stolen jobs from Americans and triggered a crime wave. In fact, they have met a labor market demand for low-wage workers and been a catalyst for economic growth. Watch Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's full speech on immigration in Phoenix. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) While there are undoubtedly instances of terrible crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants as there are by authorized immigrants, and green card holders, and, it goes without saying, citizens they are hardly the rule. In fact, young immigrant males are incarcerated at roughly half the rate of native-born Americans. Illegal immigrants, like legal ones, are generally law-abiding and extremely hard-working. To the GOP nominee, illegal immigrants are a useful instrument with which to whip his supporters into a froth of nativist agitation. He would hire thousands more immigration and Border Patrol agents; he would create a special deportation task force; he would round up the criminals whose countries refuse to accept them. He would do it all on Day One, in the first hour, the first minute, in the first fleeting seconds of his administration by fiat, presumably, because he makes no reference to Congress or legality or judicial precedent. It will all be so fast, so beautiful, so efficient. Believe him. The self-contained imposter who called briefly on Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday was masquerading as Donald Trump. In fact, the real Mr. Trump is the man who has been on television all these months, playing on hatred and fear, threatening people such as Ms. Martinez, who represent American values more truly than Mr. Trump ever could. In a presidential year expected to produce record turnout among Hispanic voters, there are few signs that Hillary Clinton is performing any better among Latinos than past Democratic presidential candidates even with immigrant-bashing Donald Trump as her GOP opponent. In Nevada and Florida, the two battleground states with the highest Latino populations, the Democratic nominee remains locked in a close race with Trump. Clinton is polling about the same as Democrats in previous contests among Latinos nationally, apparently gaining no ground from Trumps historic unpopularity. The close polls in Nevada and Florida have prompted Clintons allies to begin spending money targeting Hispanic voters in those states. The campaign itself will also begin airing Spanish-language ads in battleground states after Monday. But some Democratic strategists fear that Clinton has already missed a unique opportunity and warn that counting on Hispanic voters to turn out just because they hate Trump is not a reliable strategy. Unlike President Obama four years ago, Clinton has run virtually no Spanish-language television ads in the general election, with the exception of a spot that aired during a one-day soccer event. Im worried literally to death now that because Donald Trump is so visceral that theyll think that Latinos will turn out because of that alone, said Chuck Rocha, president of Solidarity Strategies, a Latino political-consulting firm that worked with Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary season. Hate alone wont motivate somebody to vote. . . . They need something to vote for. Lorella Praeli is Hillary Clintons Latino vote director. (Tomas Guevara/Para El Tiempo Latino) [As she gains in polls, Clinton seeks Latino support in unusual places] The GOP nominee has staked much of his campaign on cracking down on illegal immigration, portraying Mexican immigrants, in particular, as rapists and criminals who take American jobs. Trump has promised to build a massive wall along the U.S.- Mexico border and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, while also suggesting that birthright citizenship should be abolished. As a result, just 18 percent of registered Hispanic voters have a favorable view of Trump in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. But there is also evidence that Clintons standing with Hispanic voters may be weakening. According to the same poll, Clintons favorability among Hispanics fell in August from 71 percent to 55 percent, a drop outside the samples 10-point margin of error. A new Latino Decisions poll released Friday found that 70 percent of registered Latino voters said they would definitely vote for Clinton or were leaning toward doing so, a drop from 76 percent who said the same in April. The survey, conducted for the immigration advocacy group Americas Voice, also found that support for Trump rose from 11 percent in April to 19 percent in August. When you have less than 20 percent in your polling with Hispanics, how much worse could it get? said Florida-based Republican strategist Al Cardenas, referring to Trump. Its not so much that Donald Trump is doing better with Latino voters, but shes doing worse. Thats tightened up the race in Florida and Nevada. Clinton campaign officials defend their Latino voter strategy, including the decision not to begin airing general-election ads on Spanish-language television until later this month. The campaign has been aiming digital advertising at Latino voters since early July, and it did heavy Spanish-language advertising during the Democratic primaries. If they start doing it now, I think theyre on time, said Federico de Jesus, a Democratic strategist who was the Hispanic media director for Obama in 2008. Obviously, we would have liked them to do it earlier. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump unveiled a 10-part immigration policy plan during a speech in Phoenix on Aug. 31 after meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto earlier in the day. (The Washington Post) If they wait too much longer until late September, that might be more concerning, he added. According to Lorella Praeli, Clintons Latino vote director, the campaign has consistently targeted Latino voters through digital ad campaigns in Spanish, appearances by surrogates on Spanish-language radio and through English-language ads targeted at Latino audiences through non-Spanish-language media. There are new tactics, new strategies and new platforms, Praeli said. The way that we absorb information is also evolving, and if you dont adapt to that, then were missing out on reaching Latino voters where they are. With fewer than 70 days remaining until Election Day, television ads targeted at Hispanic voters in Spanish are beginning to roll in, albeit slowly. A new Spanish-language television ad from the voter registration group Mi Familia Vota is aimed at Hispanic voters in Arizona. Pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA Action announced a small ad buy this week in Nevada and Florida targeting Latinos in Spanish. Florida and Nevada are behaving like battleground states theyre supposed to be close, said Priorities spokesman Justin Barasky. Thats a problem for Trump. We have said on the record countless times that we expected the race to be competitive and close, and in a lot of cases, it is. [Pro-Clinton super PAC to invest in ground operations to mobilize voters of color] In 2008, Obamas campaign began airing Spanish-language ads in mid-September, a timeline Clinton could still match this year. But in 2012, the presidents reelection campaign spent tens of millions of dollars on ads in Spanish beginning in April, although he did not have a competitive primary campaign. Obama won Latino voters in 2012 by 71 percent to 27 percent for GOP nominee Mitt Romney the largest for a Democrat since Bill Clinton won 72 percent of Hispanics in 1996. Latino turnout in 2012 also hit a high of 11.2 million voters. This year, an average of recent Post-ABC polls shows Hillary Clinton leading Trump by 70 percent to 25 percent among Hispanic voters similar to Obamas margin over Romney. Given how badly Democrats have been burned in recent elections by low turnout from episodic voters like Latinos and millennials, you would have thought the Clinton campaign would have spent more [on ads] than Obama, rather than less, said a Democratic strategist who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the state of the race. Polls show that Clinton is weakest among Hispanic voters who are English-dominant and U.S.-born, while Spanish-dominant and foreign-born Hispanic voters are more likely to support her over Trump. The campaign has been running English-language ads targeted in part at the first group. One English-language campaign ad called Brave, featuring Clinton and a young girl, Karla Ortiz, whose parents are undocumented, proved to be highly effective across a range of demographic groups, a campaign aide said. The ad debuted in the primaries against Sen. Bernie Sanders and has continued throughout the general-election campaign. Still, Democrats say there is no substitute for engaging many Hispanic voters in Spanish and in bilingual ads. People want to see that theyre being reached out to, de Jesus said. They want to feel like their vote is in play and theyre not being taken for granted, and speaking in their language is important. Gov. Pat McCrory, lower left, delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C., in February 2015. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, left, applauds with House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate Leader Phil Berger, right. (Gerry Broome/AP) The emails to the North Carolina election board seemed routine at the time. Is there any way to get a breakdown of the 2008 voter turnout, by race (white and black) and type of vote (early and Election Day)? a staffer for the states Republican-controlled legislature asked in January 2012. Is there no category for Hispanic voter? a GOP lawmaker asked in March 2013 after requesting a range of data, including how many voters cast ballots outside their precinct. And in April 2013, a top aide to the Republican House speaker asked for a breakdown, by race, of those registered voters in your database that do not have a drivers license number. Months later, the North Carolina legislature passed a law that cut a week of early voting, eliminated out-of-precinct voting and required voters to show specific types of photo ID restrictions that election board data demonstrated would disproportionately affect African Americans and other minorities. Critics dubbed it the monster law a sprawling measure that stitched together various voting restrictions being tested in other states. As civil rights groups have sued to block the North Carolina law and others like it around the country, several thousand pages of documents have been produced under court order, revealing the details of how Republicans crafted these measures. This year more states than ever will require potential voters to show photo ID to vote in the election. Heres why this is so controversial. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) A review of these documents shows that North Carolina GOP leaders launched a meticulous and coordinated effort to deter black voters, who overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. The law, created and passed entirely by white legislators, evoked the states ugly history of blocking African Americans from voting practices that had taken a civil rights movement and extensive federal intervention to stop. Last month, a three-judge federal appeals panel struck down the North Carolina law, calling it the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow. Drawing from the emails and other evidence, the 83-page ruling charged that Republican lawmakers had targeted African Americans with almost surgical precision. [Appeals court strikes down North Carolinas voter-ID law] Gov. Pat McCrory (R) filed an emergency petition to restore the law, but a deadlocked Supreme Court on Wednesday refused his stay request, meaning the law will not be in effect for the Nov. 8 election. Because the lower court did not offer specific guidelines for reinstating early voting, however, local election boards run by Republicans are still trying to curb access to the polls. In lengthy interviews, GOP leaders insisted their law is not racially motivated and their goal was to combat voter fraud. They called their opponents demagogues, who are using the specter of racism to inflame the issue. The Rev. William Barber II, president of North Carolinas NAACP chapter, center, gestures at a podium during a news conference on voting rights on June 21 in Richmond. (Steve Helber/AP) The Rev. William Barber II, president of North Carolinas NAACP chapter, said the policies enacted by the law speak for themselves. You didnt hear about fraud in North Carolina until blacks started voting in large numbers, said Barber, who has also led a series of large protests against the law. Then all of a sudden, theres a problem with how people are voting. People keep asking, When they passed this law, were they racist in their heart? It doesnt matter, he added. You look at the heart of their policies. If I tell you this law is going to affect black people more than anyone else, and you still go ahead and do it, you yourself are making clear exactly what you are. Longtime Republican consultant Carter Wrenn, a fixture in North Carolina politics, said the GOPs voter fraud argument is nothing more than an excuse. Of course its political. Why else would you do it? he said, explaining that Republicans, like any political party, want to protect their majority. While GOP lawmakers might have passed the law to suppress some voters, Wrenn said, that does not mean it was racist. Look, if African Americans voted overwhelmingly Republican, they would have kept early voting right where it was, Wrenn said. It wasnt about discriminating against African Americans. They just ended up in the middle of it because they vote Democrat. Barber, though, argued that Republicans are playing with words. You cant expect racists to come right out and sound like racists, he said. Theyve substituted the word racial with the word political. *** Fights over race and voting rights are nothing new in North Carolina. Its history like those of many Southern states is littered with laws and policies specifically designed to deter black voters: literacy tests, poll taxes and required recitations of the preamble of the Constitution. [How North Carolina became the epicenter of the voting rights battle] The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned many of these practices. But as recently as the mid-1990s, voter turnout among African Americans here remained low, with only 37 percent voting compared with 48 percent of whites. In the late 1990s, when Democrats controlled the legislature, the state tried to make voting easier for all residents. The new rules allowed voting before Election Day, same-day voter registration and the counting of votes cast in the wrong precinct. The laws ended up helping black voters more because they often face more financial and logistical barriers, said Rep. Henry Mickey Michaux, 85, one of the states first black legislators, who helped pass many of the new voting rules. Some folks dont own a car. Some have the type of job where you cant take a day off. With the new laws, voter turnout in North Carolina went from 43rd place in the nation to 11th. The increase was especially big among black voters. Then, in 2010, North Carolina experienced a seismic political shift: Republicans took control of the House and Senate for the first time since 1898. For years, GOP legislators said, they had watched Republicans in other states such as Georgia and Indiana pass voter ID laws. Now they had the power to do the same in Raleigh. House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate Leader Phil Berger tapped Rep. David Lewis, a tobacco and cotton farmer from the rural center of the state, to oversee the effort to pass a voter ID bill. In 2011, legislators passed a law requiring all voters to produce a photo ID, such as a drivers license. But the states governor, then still a Democrat, vetoed the bill. Rep. David Lewis explains proposed redistricting maps during a redistricting committee meeting in February at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh. (Travis Long/The News & Observer) In an interview, Lewis said he was driven by a deep concern about voter fraud, particularly people showing up at polls and deliberately impersonating another person. But there is little evidence that such fraud is a problem. A 2013 report by North Carolinas Board of Elections showed that between 2000 and 2012, out of nearly 40 million votes cast, only two cases of in-person voter fraud were referred to a district attorney. Lewis and other Republicans insist fraud could be happening all the same. Just because its not documented doesnt mean it doesnt exist, he said. So in 2012, when McCrory won the governors office, Lewis and others tried again. Within months of McCrorys victory, emails show, the state election board began receiving requests for demographic data from a top aide to Tillis named Ray Starling and a group of GOP lawmakers, including Lewis and state Reps. Tim Moore and Harry Warren. They asked for statistics on voter behavior broken down by race: Who voted early, and who voted on Election Day? Who voted out of precinct? They asked about what kinds of people were registered to vote but did not have a drivers license. They asked about student ID cards which some states allow as a form of voter ID and how many African Americans had them. Moore did not respond to requests for comment. Lewis, Warren and Tillis said they requested the data to make sure their bill would not violate federal laws against discrimination. Over several email exchanges, state researchers told GOP legislators that between 318,643 and 612,955 registered voters appeared to lack IDs issued by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. And the data attached showed that the percentage of black people at risk of losing their vote under the new law was much higher than that of whites. In another email exchange, officials at the University of North Carolina received a data request that came from Lewis. I was asked by a State Representative about the number of Student ID cards that are created and the % of those who are African American, a university official says to his lower staff. No explanation is given for why Lewis needs the data, just a plea to hurry on it. He needs it in 2 hours or less. But for all the keen interest Republicans expressed in emails about voting methods heavily used by minority voters, the law they drafted in April 2013 at first did not touch any of it. Instead, it focused initially only on voter IDs. Once that early version of HB 589 passed the House, it sat for two months in North Carolinas Senate. When reporters asked about the delay, Tom Apodaca, the Republican chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, pointed to one reason: the U.S. Supreme Court. *** Under a decades-old provision in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 called Section 5 Southern states like North Carolina with a history of voter discrimination could not change election laws without the approval of federal officials. But in the spring of 2013, as North Carolina Republicans were working on their bill, a court case called Shelby v. Holder was being argued before the Supreme Court that threatened the very existence of Section 5. On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court issued its ruling on the case, nullifying Section 5. Explaining the courts 5-to-4 decision, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that history did not end in 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. In the decades since then, he said, voting tests were abolished, disparities in voter registration and turnout due to race were erased, and African-Americans attained political office in record numbers. In North Carolina, within hours of the court ruling, Apodaca told local reporters, Now we can go with the full bill. With the legal headache of Section 5 out of the way, he said, a more extensive omnibus bill would soon be introduced in the Senate. Weeks later, at 9 p.m. on a Monday, five days before the end of the legislative session, Republican lawmakers emailed out their new version of HB 589. Democratic state Sen. Josh Stein remembers getting the email while sitting at his kitchen table that night, already dressed for bed. My jaw just hit the table. The bill had grown from 16 pages to 57, tacking on more than 50 new parts. The new bill shortened early voting by half, cutting one of the Sundays when black churches held their Souls to Polls drives. It eliminated same-day registration and out-of- precinct voting. It also proposed changes that, to Stein and other opponents, made no sense unless you were purposely trying to discourage voting. For example, it canceled an existing rule that let 16- and 17-year-old high schoolers pre-register to vote in civics classes or when they got drivers licenses. And it took away counties ability to extend poll hours on Election Day during extraordinary circumstances such as long lines. On the next day, a hearing on the bill was packed. Republicans in charge began by giving the crowd one white piece of paper with 10 lines on it. Only 10 people would be given the chance to talk, they explained, with just two minutes each. That total of 20 minutes, it later turned out, would be the only public testimony Republicans allowed on the revised bill. Members of North Carolina student chapters of the NAACP and opponents of voter-ID legislation wear tape over their mouths while sitting silently in the gallery of the House chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, where lawmakers debated and voted on voter-identification legislation in Raleigh in April 2013. (Gerry Broome/AP) During the hearing, Stein read into the legislative record studies and statistics to show the bill would disproportionately hurt African American, minority and younger voters. The idea, he said, was to show that Republicans knew exactly what they were doing and lay the groundwork for the legal battle ahead. On the Senate side, Republican Sen. Bob Rucho was tasked with defending the bill. I dont agree with your premise, he told Stein and other critics, and secondly, I dont look at race as whos going to vote. What were trying to do is make sure that we have an equal opportunity for every single person to vote, and its not designed on race in any manner. In the space of three days, Republicans managed to get HB 589 approved by the Senate Rules Committee, passed in a Senate floor vote and sent back to the House for a final vote on the second-to-last day of the legislative session. A federal court judge would later write, Neither this legislature nor, as far as we can tell, any other legislature in the country has ever done so much, so fast, to restrict [voting] access. On July 25, 2013, the bill passed the House, 73 to 41. Everyone who voted for the law was a white Republican, and every black member of the legislature voted against it. As the final vote was cast, Democratic representatives all stood up, held hands and bowed their heads in prayer. Rick Glazier, a white Democratic representative at the time, was on the House floor with Michaux, the black legislator who helped pass many of the voting-access laws being dismantled by HB 589. Ill never forget the look on his face. To see the thing you had fought for your whole career destroyed in a matter of days, Glazier said. He had tears in his eyes. *** Lewis said he deeply resented critics who have painted the bill and its supporters as racist. When Democrats were in power, I may not have agreed with them, but I never questioned them personally or tried to impugn their reputations, he said. On the day McCrory signed HB 589 into law, the states NAACP chapter sued over the voter ID portion of the bill, while the League of Women Voters and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice challenged its other parts, such as cutting early voting, same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting. National lawyers from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Advancement Project stepped in to help. The Justice Department later joined as well. In January, the federal district judge overseeing the consolidated cases sided with the Republicans and kept HB 589 in place. The judge, Thomas D. Schroeder a George W. Bush appointee said that Republicans offered plausible explanations for why they requested racial voting data and enacted the law. But on July 29, the three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit all Democratic appointees overturned Schroeders decision. North Carolinas Republican leaders have condemned the 4th Circuit ruling and called its judges partisan. The stakes are high for both sides. With just weeks before early voting begins, McCrory is locked in a tight race for reelection against Roy Cooper, the state attorney general. As a swing state, North Carolina could also be pivotal in the presidential election. The Republican state Senate and House leaders said in a statement: We can only wonder if the intent is to reopen the door for voter fraud, potentially allowing fellow Democrat politicians like Hillary Clinton and Roy Cooper to steal the election. Meanwhile, the years-long fight has metastasized into a county-by-county war throughout North Carolina. When the appellate court restored that week of early voting previously eliminated by HB 589, the judges did not specify what times or places the early voting would take place. Now, Republicans in many counties appear to be using that opening to carry out the intended cuts of HB 589 anyway. In recent weeks, after the 4th Circuits ruling, the election board in Guilford County tried to cancel Sunday voting and slash the number of polling sites, especially in black and student-heavy neighborhoods. After hundreds disrupted a meeting with chants and protest songs, the board passed a scaled-back compromise plan. Soon after, the election board in Wake County which includes the state capital, Raleigh tried a similar move by restricting the restored early voting days to a single location with limited parking. And in heavily African American Lenoir County, Republican election board members are trying to eliminate Sunday voting and evening hours and slash polling sites from four to one. When the Republican governor asked the Supreme Court to temporarily reinstate the restrictions of HB 589, he argued that the 4th Circuit struck down the law too close to Election Day, which threatened to create confusion. He was worried, he said, about the harmful effect it could have on voters. Julie Tate in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: Getting a photo ID so you can vote is easy. Unless youre poor, black, Latino or elderly. The smoking gun proving North Carolina Republicans tried to disenfranchise black voters The crusade of a Democratic superlawyer with multimillion-dollar backing President Obama waves to guests while departing the White House on Aug. 31 to embark on a nine-day trip to Asia. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images) President Obama has staked much of his foreign policy legacy on boosting the United States presence in Asia. He has increased the number of Navy ships in Asias contested waters, forged ties with old adversaries and relentlessly pursued a massive and controversial Asia-Pacific trade accord. But as he heads to the region for his 10th visit since 2009, the presidents effort to shift U.S. focus more decisively toward Asia remains a work in progress. And the unfinished and reversible nature of Obamas signal foreign policy initiative raises an even larger question: In an age of political dysfunction at home, chaos in the Middle East and growing threats to the liberal international order, is it possible for any president to set a strategic foreign policy course and stick to it? Obamas trip to Asia, which begins Saturday in China with a Group of 20 economic summit and includes a first-ever presidential visit to Laos, offers one view of the challenges he has faced in pursuing his overarching vision. We see this trip as really bringing together a number of the presidents top priorities for the last 71/2 years, said Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser. The list of legacy-defining items includes managing the increasingly tense territorial disputes between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea, cyberespionage, climate and trade. Just as daunting are the flash-point issues that could serve to deflect the presidents attention. In China, Obama is set to meet with President Xi Jinping, but his most closely watched meetings probably will be with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a critical and increasingly troublesome ally in the battle against the Islamic State. Thats going to be a very contentious meeting and drive as many headlines as anything he will do in Asia, said Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, a global political-risk consulting firm. [U.S. is trapped between its allies ambitions in Syria] In recent weeks Erdogan has blasted the United States for failing to extradite a U.S. resident whom the Turkish leader blames for a recent coup attempt. Obama also will need to address tension arising from the increasingly nasty shooting war in Syria between Turkey and Kurdish militia fighters both critical allies in the fight against the Islamic State. The meeting with Erdogan highlights a paradox for Obama. The White House has long insisted that the most consequential development of the 21st century is the rise of the Asia-Pacific region as an economic powerhouse. But the problems and opportunities in Asia rarely come with the pressing deadlines or the prospect of dire consequences of crises elsewhere in the world. We arent about to go to war in Asia, said Patrick M. Cronin, senior director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Things are pretty calm, and people are mostly doing business. But there is a lot of jockeying about who is going to determine the rules of the road in the area. For the moment, the main jockeying has been with China, which escaped the global recession largely unscathed and has been eager, as the worlds second-largest economy, to throw its weight around. Increasingly, Chinese leaders have been unwilling to make concessions or show patience when it comes to settling territorial disputes with neighbors. The aggressive stance has provoked alarm. China took a situation where it had a relatively friendly Asia and turned almost everyone against it, said Orville Schell, a longtime China scholar. Thats a very bad place for China to be in. When China gets spurned or rejected, it loses face. It brings out the most obdurate side of the country, a very dangerous side. But the situation has opened up opportunities for the Obama administration to forge closer ties with former adversaries such as Laos, Vietnam and Burma that crave a larger U.S. presence as a counterbalance to China. [China slams U.S.-South Korea military drills even as it stages naval war games of its own] The administrations flashiest initiative has come in Burma, also known as Myanmar, where the White House is seeking to build on the dramatic opening in what was previously a hermitlike military dictatorship. In mid-September, shortly after he returns to Washington, Obama will welcome Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who now leads the government. Other moves have drawn less attention. As part of the negotiations around the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the largest free-trade deal in a generation, the White House has extracted promises from Vietnam to legalize labor unions. The former communist foe also has begun conducting lower-level disaster-relief exercises with the U.S. military that administration officials say could blossom into larger military exercises and a more permanent American presence in Vietnams Cam Ranh Bay. In Singapore, U.S. Navy ships and planes have become a regular presence. The U.S. military is working with Laos to remove ordnance left over from the Vietnam War. U.S. Marines are turning up regularly these days in Australia. But the long-term success of the administrations strategic shift to Asia hinges on the massive 12-nation trade deal, which is now hung up in Congress. The White House has spent years negotiating the agreement with allies, using the sometimes-contentious talks to set tougher rules on the environment, human trafficking and child labor. In many ways it is seen as a litmus test for whether or not the U.S. has staying power in the region . . . whether or not we can be counted on, Rhodes said. It would be seen as a significant setback for American leadership if we dont move forward. The trade pact has broad support among Washingtons foreign policy establishment but has been bottled up in the Senate, where bipartisan resistance has mobilized against it. Today both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump oppose the deal in its current form. The Washington gridlock highlights how much Obamas strategic pivot toward Asia is dependent on events beyond his control. Obama can say whatever the hell he wants about it in Asia, Bremmer said. His work is back home, where hell have to call in every possible favor and still get lucky in the lame-duck session to get it passed. Without the trade deal, it is not clear whether Obamas moves many of which are incremental and draw little interest in Washington will be enough to engineer the historic shift he has been seeking. Some analysts say the sum total of these smaller efforts has been enough. Its very difficult to get credit in the moment when strategic change is so incremental, said Derek Chollet, a former Obama administration official and author of The Long Game, a book assessing the presidents foreign policy. This is a play that will unfold over years. Others are more critical. This is the most important foreign policy initiative he has tried to take over the last eight years, Bremmer said. But the legacy of the Asia pivot will be very weak if he cant get the trade agreement. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump unveiled a 10-part immigration policy plan during a speech in Phoenix on Aug. 31 after meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto earlier in the day. (The Washington Post) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump unveiled a 10-part immigration policy plan during a speech in Phoenix on Aug. 31 after meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto earlier in the day. (The Washington Post) The morning after Donald Trump once again embraced his hard-line immigration posture in a shouted speech, at least four members of his two-week-old Hispanic advisory council said they might not vote for the Republican presidential nominee and warned that his harsh rhetoric would cost him the election. At meetings Thursday on the 14th floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan, the candidates top aides held the opposite view. They thought his tough talk on immigration combined with a whirlwind trip to Mexico on Wednesday had, in the words of one adviser, won him the election. How do you like our poll numbers? Trump excitedly asked in a brief telephone interview with The Washington Post on Thursday. He rattled off recent surveys that he said show his support has inched up. For nearly two weeks, Trump has publicly and privately debated how best to describe his immigration positions, especially when it comes to the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants in the country. He spent days floating a series of possible changes and gauging the reaction, and even visited Mexico for a few hours Wednesday in a bid to appear more presidential. But later that night, he decided to stick with the far-right positions that were key to his success in the Republican primaries and could help him cement the support of white men one demographic where he beats Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 1 of 14 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Photos from Donald Trumps trip to Mexico to meet with President Pena Nieto View Photos In his first formal international trip as the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump visited a country where he is broadly despised for his vilification of illegal immigrants. Caption In his first formal international trip as the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump visited a country where he is broadly despised for his vilification of illegal immigrants. Aug. 31, 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, right, shake hands with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto after their joint statement at the Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP Wait 1 second to continue. The roller-coaster debate which continued Thursday after a speech the campaign heralded as definitive centered on Trumps repeated calls during the primaries to deport all of the undocumented immigrants in the country. He suggested that his declaration applied even if they have lived here for decades, are contributing members of society or have children who are U.S. citizens, although he appeared to back away from his call to immediately deport all of the illegal immigrants living in the United States with a deportation force. But in the end, the debate within the Trump campaign turned out to be about messaging rather than policy. He hasnt changed his position on immigration, Trump surrogate Katrina Pierson said on CNN last week in remarks that were widely mocked at the time but in hindsight seemed to capture internal thinking. Hes changed the words that he is saying. The public side of the debate took a turn on Aug. 20, when Trump held a hurriedly organized Saturday meeting with a newly formed National Hispanic Advisory Council at Trump Tower. He asked those around the table to share alternatives to mass deportation, signaling that he was willing to change his mind on the issue. The council urged Trump to focus on how undocumented immigrants contribute to the nations economy and abandon his plans to quickly deport millions a view Trump heard from fellow business owners and wealthy Republican donors over the course of the summer. For several days, the candidate seemed to echo these views, saying in interviews with Fox News Channel that he would be willing to work with those who came here illegally and are living prosperous lives. At a town hall meeting in Texas, Trump even polled audience members to get their input on the fate of the nations undocumented immigrants, using his most flattering language to date. But some Trump advisers told him that many voters like his stubborn dedication to issues that other politicians wont touch, and warned that flip-flopping on immigration would make him no different from the career politicians he has accused of being weak and beholden to donors. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said that he intends to create a deportation task force for removing violent undocumented immigrants in the U.S. (The Washington Post) [Fact-checking Trumps immigration speech] These advisers urged Trump to use tough, nativist language in his immigration speech in Phoenix on Wednesday to create as sharp a contrast as possible with Clinton. They argued that by showing strength and force of leadership, Trump will attract undecided voters. We had a serious adult conversation about where we are. The people that won this debate said, Look, this is what got us here, and we cant abandon it, one Trump adviser said Thursday, speaking on the condition of anonymity to be candid about the campaigns internal deliberations. There were many of us who made input, and it was clear that the hold-the-line people, we had more sway with him. I think the political calculation is, you cant abandon the base. By Thursday of last week, Trumps tone was noticeably different during an interview with CNN, when he said that any immigrant who wants to become a legal resident would have to leave the country and apply to return a process that can take many years. You have a lot of people being deported already, he said on CNN, having praised the policies of President Obama and former president George W. Bush in an earlier interview. Were going to do that vigorously. As Trumps campaign was debating whether and when he should give an immigration policy speech, the nominee received a three-page invitation from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. The prospect of a preelection Trump visit alarmed several Mexican cabinet members, but Pena Nieto decided to do it. Advocates for the meeting viewed it not as a chance to raise the presidents sagging approval ratings, but as a political gamble that was important in the long run in case Trump won. But Trump surprised them by agreeing to come within days. Not all parts of the Mexican government were fully informed about the plan, and the U.S. Embassy was alerted to the visit by the Secret Service, arranging the logistics of his trip. Trump arrived Wednesday afternoon hours before he was to give his immigration speech in Phoenix and met with Pena Nieto for about an hour. Each then gave friendly remarks praising his neighboring nation. Many pundits lauded Trump for seeming willing to work with the leader of a nation that he has insulted so deeply during his campaign. Hours later, Trumps tone changed significantly as he gave his formal policy speech broadly painting many undocumented immigrants as violent criminals and promising that he would quickly deport millions. At least 5 million immigrants would be subject to rapid deportation under Trumps latest proposals, according to a Post analysis. That is all him. Those are his decisions, a top campaign aide said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal talks. He got very different viewpoints on immigration. But in the end, it was all him. That speech has to be his words, his cadence, his delivery. [Trumps big immigration crackdown comes with a 5-year price tag: More than $50 billion] Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani who traveled with Trump to Mexico and has been a key figure in the candidates discussions on the issue said the contrasting speeches showed Trumps range. This is what a president has to be able to do, Giuliani said. If youre meeting with a head of state, youll act differently than if you were at the Heritage Foundation speaking to scholars or speaking at a rally. Thats why Trump seized on the invitation so quickly. He wanted to show that he could operate on several fronts and speak to different audiences, boldly and regardless of the risk. But the harsh tone of the policy speech stunned Jacob Monty, a member of Trumps Hispanic advisory council and a Houston-based immigration lawyer. Monty has helped Trump raise money and wrote a newspaper column in June headlined, A Latinos case for Donald Trump. The speech was just an utter disappointment, he said in an interview Thursday. Soon afterward, Monty resigned from the advisory group and posted on Facebook that he will not vote for Trump. I dont want to be a prop like the Mexican president, Monty said in the interview. We were out there defending him. And then to be just lied to like that it doesnt feel good. Its not okay. [Trump risks alienating voting blocs with wavering on immigration] Others felt the same way. Ramiro Pena, a Texas pastor, called the advisory council a scam in an email to campaign and party leaders, according to Politico. Massey Villarreal, a Houston businessman, deemed the speech awful in an interview with NBC Latino. Alfonso Aguilar, a Latino activist, tweeted that he felt disappointed and misled. Even as those defections were unfolding Thursday morning, more than a dozen senior Trump campaign staff members met at Trump Tower to map out their strategy for the rest of the race. The mood in the room was charged and optimistic, with attendees praising Trumps speech and trip as a jolt to his bid, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting. One Trump ally involved in the talks Thursday described Wednesdays drama as the day that won him the election because of Trumps reiteration of his conservative views on immigration, which many in his orbit consider crucial to wooing economically frustrated working-class voters. And in another sign that Trumps orbit would continue to hold to its combative ethos, longtime conservative operative David N. Bossie was introduced as the new deputy campaign manager. Bossie, previously president of the Citizens United advocacy group, has been a prominent investigator of Clinton controversies for decades. A friend of mine for many years, Trump said, speaking from his office in New York. Solid. Smart. Loves politics, knows how to win. Yet even after his big speech, Trump continued to send mixed signals. Were going to sit back, were going to assess the situation, were going to make a decision at that time, he said on Fox News Channel on Thursday night about undocumented immigrants who had not committed other crimes. I want to see, before we do anything further, I want to see how it shapes up when we have strong, impenetrable borders. Joshua Partlow in Mexico City contributed to this report. Priscilla Sterling, a distant cousin of Emmett Till, stands in front of her home in the Georgetown neighborhood of Jackson, Miss., on Sept. 1. (Ben Depp/For The Washington Post) The man who might be president came to this city last week and Priscilla Sterling could barely stomach that he was still in the race, much less in her home town. When she saw the clips on television, she saw throngs of white people wearing Build That Wall T-shirts in a state where the Confederate emblem is still etched into its flag. With them came Donald Trump, with his latest campaign chief, this one with ties to the white nationalist movement, pitching voters on a newfound notion that he could be a savior for African American communities. All of it together the rallies and rhetoric, the echoes of oppression rekindled fears for Sterling that Trump was excavating the racist vestiges of the Old South. Theres just been something in the atmosphere, Sterling said recently, as she drove through block after block of unemployed men and women sitting on the front porches of dingy homes with sunken roofs in one of this citys oldest black neighborhoods. Trump has said that he does not want the votes of white supremacists. He will undertake his most direct appeal to black voters and whites looking for comfort that he is not a racist on Saturday when he tours Detroit with his most prominent African American surrogate, Ben Carson. Those efforts started to gain steam here in Jackson, where Trump said at a rally last week that the lives of black Americans were so impoverished and crime-stricken that they had nothing to lose by voting for him. But, with his vow to make America great again, a slogan that feels to many blacks like a not-so-subtle reference to days that were anything but great for them, many here fear that Trump has emboldened a resentment among whites that will endure regardless of the outcome of the general election. In an effort to flip the script and court African American voters, Republican nominee Donald Trump is trying to broaden his appeal by attending Saturday service at a black church in Detroit. While some welcome his presence, many prominent African American pastors in the community are less enthused and more skeptical of his intentions. (Alice Li/The Washington Post) According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there was a 15 percent increase in the number of hate groups tracked in 2015, partially attributed to the Trump candidacy and controversies over the Confederate flag. African Americans such as Sterling said they didnt need those statistics to sense a change. They said they felt it in looks and stares from white people on the street and in being ignored when they entered gas stations or convenience stores. My family has worked so hard to reconcile the races, said Sterling, 48, a distant cousin of Emmett Till, who was abducted, brutalized and murdered in 1955 at the age of 14 after he had allegedly whistled at a white woman. The white men who killed him were acquitted by an all-white jury; the Justice Department reopened the case in 2004. In Mississippi, its been hard. But Trump is making it harder . . . by getting people excited about making America like it was in the past, Sterling said. Does he know about the past? Bobby McGowan, an African American county board supervisor, said that a few weeks ago he was driving a charter bus through a rural area outside Jackson when some young white men threw rocks at him. To me, that was racism, McGowan said. These were things that used to happen in the old days. It was here in Mississippi, after all, where young civil rights activists were slain during the Freedom Summer, a 1964 voter registration project. A year earlier, civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in the driveway outside his home in Jackson. The older generation suffered the indignities of having to bow their heads when they passed a white person on the street and lived through intense white flight that decimated Jacksons economy. That shift began after the desegregation of the public schools in the 1970s, said Robert Luckett, a history professor at Jackson State University. The trend continued after the city government went from having three citywide elected positions to a council that represented different city wards. Jackson elected its first black mayor in 1997. When black people started getting political power, that was it, said Kenneth Stokes, an African American who was first elected to the City Council in 1989. They left for the suburbs. Between 2000 and 2010, Jacksons white population decreased by 40 percent. The city is now 80 percent black. Many of Trumps white supporters in Mississippi are quick to say that his business experience will help bring jobs to all communities, including black ones. I think hes saying things in the way to get people talking about the issues, said Stephen McDill, 32, a white customer- service representative who lives in a suburb outside Jackson where Trump is popular. If there are some in the African American community that are scared, I understand that, because of the history. But Im not scared for my African American friends or neighbors. Weve come a long way, even though we still have farther to go. For some blacks here, the question of how to respond to Trumpism has upended the order of things. Charles Evers, 93, is the brother of the slain civil rights hero. A local radio talk-show host, he unsettled many with his decision in March to support Trump even as he acknowledged a swirl of racism around the campaign. Evers, who became a Republican in 1980 but backed President Obama, said he likes Trumps business experience and his focus on getting jobs back into the black community. He pays no attention to the supremacist idea. Aint they all racist? said Evers. What I know is Trump has black people working for him, that he gives us jobs. There are always going to be racists in the world, so that doesnt matter to me. To some of Everss radio listeners, his sentiments reflect a Trump-infused world that they barely recognize. Trump has got even Charles Evers talking crazy. Nothing is the same, said LC Palmer, 47, an auto mechanic who is black. For Sterling, everyday occurrences reinforce her sense that racial civility is breaking down. On a recent afternoon, her mother waited for her to come home from a doctors appointment. Her house is small, with pink shingles, next to an empty lot. An American flag hangs from her front porch. Inside is crowded with binders and books and certificates and diplomas going back to Sterlings grade-school years. As Sterling plopped on the sofa, she began to tell her mother, Gloria Williams, about her unpleasant experience at the doctors office. A staff member told her that her insurance had expired, Sterling recalled, which was wrong. Sterling was unable to get cellphone reception in the building, so she asked to use an office phone to call her employer and clear up the mistake. The staff member, who was white, told her no, Sterling said. The staff member then told her that she needed to pay hundreds of dollars for her screening. Sterling began to wonder whether she was treated so harshly because she was one of the few black patients at the office. I cried. I cried because I felt it was racism, she said. This is the attitude and the atmosphere that Trump is causing. He is fostering this hate, and when you plant negative seeds, people act on it. Sterling and her mother recalled that magical moment when Obama was elected, how there were drug boys and clubgoers crying in the streets because a racial barrier had been broken. He hasnt been a perfect president the area is still struggling and they do not know a single person who has benefited from his signature health-care law but at least he has been their president. He went to those white folks on bended knees and they treated him so bad, Williams said. We know why. Even Ray Charles wouldve been able to see that. But still, things were not so bad over the past few years, Sterling said. Not great, but tolerable. At least people knew it was wrong to treat others badly. And now we have people talking about the KKK coming back, said her mother, who moved to Jackson in 1966 after she received death threats in another town for registering black people to vote. You know, sometimes I wonder if Im almost paranoid, Sterling said. I have mixed-race nieces and nephews, and I have worked for racial reconciliation. But sometimes when they pass with those old trucks, with all those tattoos with the history of my family and my ability to speak out, I dont know if I should be worried. She paused. Are they coming for me next? I try my best to be calm, but Im scared. I pray to God to give me the strength to continue to believe that things will get better. Correction: This report originally misstated the status of the Emmett Till case. The federal government reopened the case in 2004, but there has been no conviction. [How Americas dying white supremacist movement is seizing on Trumps appeal] [Inside Donald Trumps strategy to shed the racist label] Parties bicker over appointment of High Court judges The constitutional deadline to transform appellate courts into High Courts will end in less than three weeks. But the ruling alliance and opposition parties, like on many other issues, are at odds over the appointment of judges as well. On a recent evening, aides to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani invited several foreign journalists to his palace for an informal conversation. The journalists arrived to find a lavish picnic supper set up on the lawn. Soon after the guests sat down, the president unexpectedly strolled up and joined them. Ghanis government is grappling with relentless poverty and insurgent violence, and the president faces unprecedented internal dissent and public attack. He is accused of being an autocratic micromanager and a remote academic with no feel for the common man. On that evening, though, he seemed confident, sympathetic and utterly unperturbed. Holding forth on the Afghan economy, he rattled off head-spinning statistics about irrigation and living standards. Asked how he could appear relaxed with so many crises swirling around him, Ghani waved the subject away. What upsets him, he confided, are meetings that dont start on time. Crises, he added with a serene smile, make me calm. Ghanis performance seemed intended to both dazzle and disarm his small audience, something he has failed to achieve with the Afghan public. At 67, with a history of health problems, he spends 18-hour days on the job, reaching for the sky with long-term regional development schemes and digging deep into the state bureaucracy to root out corruption. Yet these superhuman efforts, popular with foreign donors, have generated little domestic goodwill. They are resented by officials whose authority he has stripped away and ex-militia leaders who expected the old patronage system to keep making them rich. Meanwhile, disillusionment is deepening among ordinary Afghans as the government has failed to bring jobs or security. President Ghani is a victim of his own vision, said Timor Sharan, who represents the nonprofit International Crisis Group in Afghanistan. His reform agenda created high expectations, but people need to see tangible results. He thought he could sacrifice himself for the future, but if he fails, it will have a terrible historic impact on our country. Even such constructive critics say Ghani has been his own worst enemy. They describe him as intellectually arrogant, impatient with underlings and too busy to indulge in the tea-drinking chats with elders and ethnic strongmen that enabled his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, to hold together a divided society emerging from decades of brutal conflict and ideological whiplash. A startling recent outburst by Abdullah Abdullah, Ghanis normally polite partner in the national unity government forged by U.S. officials after fraud-plagued elections in 2014, signaled that such frustrations are reaching a critical mass. Abdullah complained that Ghani had no time to discuss issues with him and that someone so impatient does not deserve to be president. The two men have since held a series of private patch-up meetings, and both are under pressure to keep their uneasy marriage together at least until a conference in Brussels in October, at which about 100 governments and international agencies will hear Ghani present his vision and track record on reform before signaling the extent of their commitment to the countrys future. But the apparent detente has not fooled the sharks circling Kabuls drifting and damaged regime. They include former warlords who see an opportunity to extract concessions, plus an assortment of embittered bureaucrats, tribal rivals and supporters of Karzai, who spread constant unflattering stories, rumors and conspiracy theories about Ghani and his aides. One persistent complaint is that Ghani has hamstrung government agencies and ministers by taking centralized oversight to absurd extremes. Officials told stories of the president reviewing costs for meat and rice at a girls school and personally interviewing hundreds of candidates for low-level administrative posts. He is interfering with appointments at low levels, and he humiliates people who object to his decisions, said one ministry official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly. He appoints ministers but he doesnt give them authority to do their jobs. He is trying to stop corruption selectively. This is not the right way to bring reform. The other accusation is that Ghani has surrounded himself with advisers from his Pashtun ethnic group and clan, while shutting out those from other backgrounds. Both of his vice presidents are from ethnic minorities, but several of his closest confidants, such as the national security adviser, Hanif Atmar, are fellow Ghilzai Pashtuns. He has also alienated influential Durrani Pashtuns, whose tribe ruled the country for centuries. The response from Ghanis camp is that such charges are inaccurate or motivated by sour grapes. His advisers acknowledge that he has not devoted enough effort to public explanation and political schmoozing. But they insist that he is scrupulous about vetting appointments on merit alone and that delving into the minutiae of hiring and spending is the only way to root out corruption. This is just an excuse for ministers to hide their weakness. They know how to steal more than how to spend, said Finance Minister Eklil Ahmad Hakimi. Under the procurement commission created and chaired by the president, Hakimi said, only expenses over $300,000 must be reviewed by the panel. Last year, after it uncovered rigging in defense fuel contracting, Ghani fired 17 officials and canceled an $800 million contract. Ghani has shown no signs of softening his draconian reform policies or temperamental personality, but since the blowup with Abdullah he has taken more time to reach out to groups he once ignored and respond to public tragedies. After insurgents attacked an American-run university in Kabul last week, leaving 13 dead, he visited victims and toured the campus the next day. At the dinner with journalists, Ghani spoke passionately of wanting to help the countrys poorest families, and explained how building dams could generate enough electricity to create several million jobs in agriculture. The poor must be the owners of Afghanistan, he declared in what he hinted would be a theme of his speech in Brussels. Abdullah has said he is still committed to cooperating with Ghani to ensure the survival of their national unity government. But its tenuous legitimacy has made both men vulnerable to threats from former warlords, who could easily bring down Ghanis crusade to bring technocratic rule to a traditional society based on dealmaking and informal consensus. Some observers say the tension between Ghanis need to strengthen political stability and his centralized drive to build a modern state is fast coming to a head. They suggest that the president, who authored a scholarly book called Fixing Failed States, needs to learn from Karzais laissez-faire leadership style. Otherwise, they warn, he may lose on both counts. The president wants to leap into the future, but he is ignoring the bombs in his path, said Wahid Majrooh, a spokesman at the Public Health Ministry. He has some good experts around him, but hedoesnt have enough support. This is a one-man show. If he succeeds, it will be a miracle that transforms the country and maybe the entire region. If he fails, he will fail alone. Read more: U.S., European military advisers work to boost lagging Afghan combat readiness Students, police recount harrowing scenes in Afghan university attack Afghan ID cards were meant to stop voter fraud but instead stoked ethnic division Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Islam Karimov, the Communist Party apparatchik who transformed post-independence Uzbekistan into a brutal personal fiefdom while reaping political and economic benefits from the U.S. war in Afghanistan, has died in Tashkent. He was 78. The presidents death was announced Sept. 2 by state television after days of official silence about his health. His daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, wrote on verified social media accounts that he had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on Aug. 27. His death brings a threat of instability but offers slight chance of change in Uzbekistan, a landlocked, mostly Muslim country in Central Asia that Mr. Karimov ruled even before independence from the collapsing Soviet Union in 1991. At least publicly, he had not named a successor. A wily political survivor who emerged unscathed from Uzbekistans Soviet-era corruption purges, Mr. Karimov maintained iron-fisted stability over his 31 million people during the 1990s while neighboring countries were roiled by political turmoil and even civil war. President George W. Bush, right, meets with the president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, in the Oval Office at the White House in 2002. (Kenneth Lambert/AP) To maintain his grip, he fostered Uzbek nationalism, harassed the political opposition and targeted independent religious centers of power, justifying mass arrests of Muslims as necessary in the struggle against Islamist radicalism. Although he eschewed the golden statues and other trappings favored by some post-Soviet dictators in his region, Mr. Karimovs domination of his countrys politics for a quarter-century was no less complete, nor less savage. As parliament considered a 1998 law to place tighter restrictions on religion, ostensibly to combat extremism, Mr. Karimov exhorted: Such people must be shot in the forehead! If necessary, Ill shoot them myself! Reports of macabre methods of torture, including the boiling of prisoners to death, followed. Mr. Karimovs brand of stability found support in Moscow and in the West as a bulwark against Islamist radicalism Uzbekistan shares a border with Afghanistan to the south but he also led his country into economic stagnation. Although Uzbekistan is Central Asias most populous nation, rich in hydrocarbons and valuable minerals such as gold, 16 percent of the country lives below the United Nations poverty line of $1.25 per day, and Uzbekistan has become known for an annual cotton harvest produced through the forced labor of its citizens. Meanwhile, Mr. Karimovs family is believed to have amassed fabulous wealth, siphoning off hundreds of millions of dollars in state profits and engaging in a byzantine political struggle in which Mr. Karimovs daughter and once-prospective heir, Gulnara Karimova, reportedly has been put under house arrest by her mother. Once known for a globetrotting lifestyle at New York and Paris fashion shows that drew global scrutiny, Karimova has not been seen in public for two years after she was ensnared in a wide-ranging bribery probe involving foreign telecommunications firms seeking access to the Uzbek market. But perhaps her gravest mistake was publicly comparing her father to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov was born Jan. 30, 1938, in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, in what was then the Soviet Union, to an Uzbek father employed as a handyman and a Tajik mother. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from a technical school in Tashkent and found work as an engineer in an aviation plant. Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov, left, and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in 2006. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) In the late 1960s, he married into a well-connected family, became a protege of powerful Communist Party leaders and began advancing at the powerful state planning agency Gosplan. He was appointed finance minister in 1983 and six years later rose to the rank of first secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan. As the Soviet Union collapsed, he quickly sidelined political opponents and consolidated his power, winning presidential elections and declaring independence from Moscow in 1991. Even then, as Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachevs reforms and the collapse of the Communist Party sparked starry-eyed visions of democratic transition in other post-Soviet republics, Mr. Karimov was charting an authoritarian path. He banned public protests and advocated Chinese-style reforms, a tremulous balance between a market economy and socialism. Mr. Karimov was not alone in imposing insular and hard-line rule in former Soviet lands in Central Asia. In neighboring Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, who died in 2006, had declared himself president for life and built a personality cult so sweeping that he renamed the months of the calendar. Niyazovs successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, has maintained near-complete control and sharply limited relations with the West. Mr. Karimov followed the path of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in leveraging a strategic location for aid and payouts from Washington for use as logistics hubs after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. At the same time, Mr. Karimov waged internal battles against political challenges or any hints of dissent. He portrayed his opponents, both the political opposition and independent religious organizations, as threats to national stability. By 1993, his main opponent, poet and political activist Muhammad Salih, had fled the country for exile in Turkey. He also attacked religious centers of power, decrying the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism. A series of six car bombings in Tashkent in February 1999, apparently a targeted assassination attempt against Mr. Karimov, sped a government crackdown. Im prepared to rip off the heads of 200 people, to sacrifice their lives, in order to save peace and calm in the republic, he said on Uzbek radio after the attack. Thousands of Muslims were arrested, and reports of torture followed. Several alleged Islamists discovered in 2002 were boiled alive, according to human rights agencies and a forensic report by the British Foreign Office. Rights organizations claim that Uzbekistan is still holding thousands of political prisoners, far more than any other post-Soviet country. Mr. Karimovs most ferocious known act of repression came in 2005. After the arrest of 23 businessmen in the eastern city of Andijan, Uzbek security forces fired into a crowd of thousands with live ammunition. Mr. Karimov said the protesters were armed, while eyewitnesses claimed they were peaceful, and many were women and children. The government put the death toll at 187, but rights workers claimed it was far higher. Despite such human rights abuses, Washington sought out Tashkent as a key ally in the fight against Islamist militancy. After the 9/11 attacks, the United States struck a deal with Mr. Karimov to use the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in the countrys south to ferry troops to Afghanistan. After a White House meeting in 2002 with President George W. Bush, Mr. Karimov received more than $500 million in aid and credit. The relationship unraveled after the slaughter in Andijan provoked calls by Washington for an international investigation. In response, Uzbekistan evicted the U.S. military from Karshi-Khanabad, cutting off a key transit point for humanitarian relief to northern Afghanistan. However, by 2008, the two countries had repaired the relationship, and the United States was using Uzbek territory to ship military cargo along a land route to Afghanistan. The Obama administrations top diplomats Hillary Clinton and John F. Kerry have continued diplomatic forays to Tashkent to maintain ties in their roles as secretary of state. Mr. Karimovs first marriage, to Natalya Petrovna Kuchmi, with whom he had a son, ended in divorce. In 1967, he married Tatyana Akbarovna, with whom he had two daughters. His elder daughter, Karimova, 44, a diplomat educated at Harvard, released pop anthems with glossy music videos under her stage name Googoosha. At home, she was known for strong-arming local businesses. In documents released by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, U.S. diplomats described her as the single most hated person in the country. Her bitter divorce in 2001 from an Afghan American businessman also stoked negative headlines. Mr. Karimovs younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, 38, who lives with her businessman husband in Paris, is not believed to be seeking power. Instead, the countrys next leader probably will be chosen by a number of political kingmakers. But the Soviet-style system assembled by Mr. Karimov is likely to persist. Authoritarianism will remain in Uzbekistan for the time being, and I think for a long time, said Kamoliddin Rabbimov, an Uzbek political scientist in exile who formerly worked in Tashkents Institute of Strategic Studies. They think that these methods are the only way to maintain the stability and the integrity of Uzbekistans government. Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia want to retry former Virginia fovernor Robert F. McDonnell, even after the Supreme Court threw out the first case against him and narrowed the definition of public corruption. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Less than three months after the Supreme Court vacated the convictions of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell, the U.S. attorneys office that prosecuted the Republican has recommended to Justice Department higher-ups that they endeavor to try him again, according to people familiar with the case. The recommendation from the U.S. attorneys office in the Eastern District of Virginia does not guarantee that McDonnell will once again have to battle corruption charges in court. The decision ultimately rests with senior officials at the Justice Department, including the deputy attorney general and possibly the attorney general. But it is a significant step that demonstrates how despite a Supreme Court ruling upending McDonnells convictions and significantly narrowing what can be considered public corruption, the prosecutors who convinced jurors that he was guilty the first time believe they could do it once more. [Hillary Clinton and her familys foundation arent likely to get the McDonnell treatment. Heres why.] An attorney for McDonnell, a Justice Department spokeswoman and a spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office all declined to comment. Asked in an interview earlier this week whether she would accept the recommendation of prosecutors who handled the case whatever that might be Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said, Thats working its way through the process, so Im not able to give you a comment on that. Prosecutors have until Sept. 19 to formally inform the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit what they intend to do and if they are going forward to set a briefing schedule. Supreme Court unanimously voted to overturn the public corruption conviction of former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell. Here's what you need to know about the decision. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were convicted in 2014 of public corruption charges after jurors concluded that they lent the power of the governors office to Richmond business executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr. in exchange for $177,000 in loans, vacations and luxury goods. Prosecutors alleged that the McDonnells helped Williams specifically by arranging meetings for him with other state officials and allowing him to host an event at the governors mansion to promote a product he was trying to sell. In one case, prosecutors alleged, the governor pulled out a bottle of that supplement, Anatabloc, and told other state officials that it worked for him. Legal analysts have said Maureen McDonnells fate is probably tied to that of her husband. Prosecutors alleged that the ultimate aim of the bargain with Williams was to get Anatabloc studied by state researchers or included in the states health plan. Neither came to fruition. And although the former governors convictions were upheld by a federal appeals court, the Supreme Court decided that was in error. Justice Department officials are probably weighing not only whether a case could be brought again but also whether it should. McDonnells first trial spanned five weeks, and it came after months of bitter and time-consuming pretrial litigation. Four prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Justice Departments public integrity section were consumed by it. McDonnell was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison; his wife to a year and a day. And from the case came a unanimous Supreme Court ruling that experts say makes prosecuting politicians on corruption charges substantially more difficult than it was before. It is possible more successful challenges could lead to a further narrowing of corruption laws and hamper other investigations. The Supreme Courts ruling dealt a critical blow to the case against McDonnell but not an immediately fatal one. The court decided that jurors were wrongly instructed on the meaning of the term official act the thing that prosecutors were required to prove McDonnell did or tried to do for Williams in exchange for the businessmans favors and offered a definition far more narrow than what jurors had considered. For the purposes of a bribery case, an official act must involve a formal exercise of governmental power that is similar in nature to a lawsuit before a court, a determination before an agency, or a hearing before a committee, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote.He said it must be something specific and focused and that the public official must make a decision or take an action on it, or at least agree to do so. Setting up a meeting, talking to another official, or organizing an event without more does not fit that definition of official act, Roberts wrote. McDonnells defense attorneys had wanted the case to be thrown out wholesale on the grounds that prosecutors had presented insufficient evidence of an official act. But the Supreme Court declined to do that, saying both sides had not had an opportunity to address the question in light of the courts clarified definition. And the opinion offered a possible way forward. While setting up meetings or calling other government officials could not be official acts by themselves, Roberts wrote, they could serve as evidence of an agreement to perform such an act if, for example, jurors concluded the meeting helped show an official was attempting to pressure or advise another official to do something more. In McDonnells case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit decided that something more would be trying to influence whether researchers at any of Virginias state universities would initiate a study of Anatabloc; whether the state-created Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission would allocate grant money for the study of Anatablocs key ingredient; or whether the state health plan would include the product. But, because of the jury instructions, jurors might not have considered those things and wrongly convicted McDonnell because they concluded that he arranged meetings for Williams or contacted other state officials in exchange for Williamss generosity, Roberts wrote. If the Justice Department allows prosecutors to go forward, they will first have to convince the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit that there is enough evidence to proceed which is no guarantee. That decision itself could be appealed to the Supreme Court.And if they ultimately go to another trial, prosecutors would have to recalibrate how they present their case, focusing less on the meetings and events themselves than on how they show that Williams and McDonnell had broader plans. That will not be easy. Roberts noted in the opinion that several McDonnell subordinates had testified at trial that the governor asked them to attend a meeting, not that he expected them to do anything other than that. If that testimony reflects what Governor McDonnell agreed to do at the time he accepted the loans and gifts from Williams, then he did not agree to make a decision or take an action on any of the three questions or matters described by the Fourth Circuit, Roberts wrote. But he noted that jurors may have disbelieved that testimony or found other evidence that Governor McDonnell agreed to exert pressure on those officials to initiate the research studies or add Anatabloc to the state health plan. Rachel Weiner and Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report. Read more: McDonnells case might help others accused of corruption Officials: Federal prosecutors investigating Virginia Gov. McAuliffe A volunteer collects evidence at the site of a suicide bomb attack at a district court on Friday in Mardan, Pakistan. (A Majeed/AFP/Getty Images) At least 12 people were killed and 54 wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up Friday just outside a district court in Pakistans northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said. They said the lone attacker threw a grenade at the entrance and then detonated his vest after an officer at the gate called him aside to be searched. The terrorist attack occurred just hours after four would-be suicide bombers entered a community of minority Christians near Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing one civilian and shooting and wounding a security guard and three other security officers in an exchange of gunfire. The assailants were all shot and killed, according to the military spokesmans office in Islamabad. The courthouse bombing took place in the center of Mardan, a busy commercial city in the restive province near Pakistans tribal region along the Afghan border that is home to a variety of Islamist militant groups. Police said the dead included lawyers, police officers and passersby. Some of the wounded were in critical condition at a nearby hospital. Both attacks were claimed by the Jamaat-ur-Ahrar group, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, which also claimed a huge assault that killed 93 people, including numerous lawyers, in the southwestern city of Quetta a month earlier. In that Aug. 8 attack, a prominent attorney was gunned down and then bombers blew themselves up outside a hospital where dozens of his colleagues had gathered to protest and mourn his death. Shireen Zada, a lawyer who was wounded in the Mardan bombing, said she had seen the man approach the security gate of the courthouse and throw a grenade when a police officer accosted him. I was standing outside the court when a door fell on top of me from the first blast, she said. Thats how I was saved from the second attempt. Police said all other attorneys, judges and other court personnel had been taken to safety, and rescue officials said between 30 and 40 people had been taken to various hospitals for treatment. Aamir Iqbal in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report. Read more: Scores of attorneys killed in suicide attack in southwestern Pakistan A generation of a citys lawyers killed in Pakistan attack Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Pope Francis waves to people during a parade near the Ellipse on his visit to Washington in September 2015. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Pope Francis will canonize Mother Teresa on Sunday, declaring the sainthood of a 20th-century figure renowned for her ministry to the poor and dying. Yet as the pope celebrates her sanctity, he will also be furthering a boom in the business of minting saints during his papacy. Theologians and papal watchers say Francis is proclaiming new saints at a rate not seen since the heady days of John Paul II, the churchs canonization champion. In his 3 1/2 years as pope, Francis has presided over 29 canonizations 11 more than Benedict XVI, his predecessor, at the same point in his papacy. If you consider that one of Franciss canonizations involved 813 15th-century Italian martyrs, he may even hold the record a record the pope is said to have jokingly embraced. It is not just the number that is notable but, in some cases, the speed and manner of the canonizations, as well as Franciss willingness to bless the causes of candidates touched by controversy. By doing so, he has sparked a measure of controversy himself. When John Paul II died, there was a very strong feeling that there had simply been too many saints made, that the process was being cheapened, said Austen Ivereigh, author of The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope. I think theres a feeling that Benedict deliberately slowed the whole thing down, Ivereigh said. He canonized fewer. I suppose whats happening with Francis is that the pace we saw before Benedict is being resumed. Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity look at the official canonization portrait of Mother Teresa during a ceremony Sept. 1 at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) In the Roman Catholic Church, the path to sainthood can take decades, frequently centuries. Yet Mother Teresa who will now be officially known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta reached the threshold of sainthood a relatively quick 19 years after death. [Pope Francis calls for study on reinstating female deacons] Francis, in fact, has now presided over three of the fastest canonizations in modern church history those of Mother Teresa, John Paul II and a Spanish nun who died in 1998 and was declared a saint last year. The blessing of such rapid sainthoods has irked critics who argue that the Vatican is in danger of becoming an assembly line of saints. A certain historical distance is required in order to properly examine the holiness of a persons life, said Edmund Arens, professor of fundamental theology at the University of Lucerne in Switzerland. If a person led an exemplary life, why not take time to analyze it properly? Some also say that Francis may be favoring candidates who reflect his personal focus on inequality, mercy and the plight of the poor. They cite, for instance, last years beatification an intermediary step to sainthood of the Rev. Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran bishop assassinated in 1980. Romero is seen by some as a leftist symbol in his native El Salvador, and his cause had been stalled for years. But in 2013, only a month after Francis assumed office, a senior Vatican official announced that the pope had unblocked Romeros path to sainthood. This is very important, to do it quickly, Francis said of Romeros cause a year later. Some Vatican officials privately concede that the pope is playing pastoral politics utilizing the saint system to leave his mark. Yet others strongly counter that the pope is not cherry-picking saints, adding that the system simply does not work that way. Yes, the pope gives the ultimate up or down on candidates he is presented with. But, they say, he does not select his own. The final word is the popes, but the pope does not act in a vacuum, said the Rev. Robert Sarno, a senior official in the Vaticans Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He does not just reach back in time and look for saints. [Why Mother Teresa is still no saint to many of her critics] Many Catholic scholars see an added benefit in faster canonizations, especially for contemporary figures such as Mother Teresa and John Paul II who can seem more relevant to the lives of modern Catholics. Rather than study her life through arcane texts, the student of Mother Teresa can simply watch reruns of her television interviews on YouTube. Many Catholics still vividly recall the electric, stadium-size Masses of John Paul. They lived under the same circumstances as we do, therefore theyre much closer to us, said Manfred Becker-Huberti, a Catholic theologian at the Philosophical-Theological University of Vallendar in Germany. They serve as role models. Someone like Mother Teresa can inspire people not just to worship her but to change their own lives. Like John Paul, Francis has not shied away from candidates considered relatively controversial including Mother Teresa, who labored for most of her life in the slums of the Indian city of Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. She became perhaps best known for her hospices, where the poor could die with dignity. The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis but rather the feeling of being unwanted, she is quoted as saying in a 1971 biography. Yet if her lifes work generated admirers and earned her a Nobel Prize, it also spawned critics who charged that her missions failed to embrace modern medicine as a way to ease the suffering of patients. The people she saved were people in a graveyard waiting to be buried, people who were not given the right medications. People who suffered, said Tariq Ali, a British journalist who co-produced a critical documentary on Mother Teresa in 1994. That Francis is doing this is a regression in the sense that you just make all these people saints with dodgy records. Many theologians and Vatican watchers say Mother Teresa a woman who often seemed canonized by public opinion while she lived would have been on the fast track to sainthood regardless of who was pope. [Pope Francis offers hope to divorced Catholics, says no to gay marriage] Saints are lofty figures seen by practicing Catholics as someone who can intercede with God on their behalf. Typically a cause, or case, for sainthood can start only five years after death. Candidates are generally forwarded to Vatican City from the diocese where they died, with postulators in Rome compiling reports to submit to a panel of Vatican authorities. Most candidates generally require two proven miracles, though figures who died for the faith need only one. Such claims are verified through exhaustive, if secretive, reviews. In the case of Mother Teresa, John Paul initially lifted the five-year rule, allowing her process to start early. Although the second miracle attributed to her intervention a Brazilian man who recovered from a brain infection after praying to her is alleged to have occurred in 2008, Vatican officials say they were not made aware of it until 2013, following Franciss official trip to Brazil. All Francis did to further her cause, officials suggest, was sign on the dotted line. Yet in other instances, Francis has effectively waived the two-miracle rule accepting only one, or even none no fewer than eight times. In select cases, that has served to speed up sainthood. They include the case of Peter Faber, one of the founders of Franciss own Jesuit order and a figure viewed as a personal hero of the pope. Francis, on his own birthday, canonized Faber, earlier telling the Catholic magazine America the reasons he found him so worthy. It was, the pope said, because of Fabers dialogue with all, even the most remote and even with his opponents, his simple piety, a certain naivete perhaps, his being available straightaway, his careful interior discernment, the fact that he was a man capable of great and strong decisions but also capable of being so gentle and loving. Stefano Pitrelli in Rome and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report. Read more Francis takes refugees back to Rome after provocative, emotional Lesbos visit Pope Francis talks about love and sex Italy could finally allow civil unions but what will the pope say? Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Police remove late King Birendra's statue installed in Nepalgunj The half-figure statue of late King Birendra Shah installed at Dhambojhi Chowk in Nepalgunj that led to an altercation between the police and by pro-monarch supporters was pulled down by security personnel on Thursday around midnight. Mexican comedians put on a play called Los Hijos de Trump, or Sons of Trump." In this play, Trump and his golden-haired carbon copies steal from the blind and bribe the police. The play was adapted from another play, a satire on big spenders, "Brokers." Oct. 3, 2015 Mexican comedians put on a play called Los Hijos de Trump, or Sons of Trump." In this play, Trump and his golden-haired carbon copies steal from the blind and bribe the police. The play was adapted from another play, a satire on big spenders, "Brokers." Henry Romero/Reuters Six weeks ago, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto stood alongside President Obama in the White House and pledged his absolute will to cooperate with whichever candidate won the U.S. presidential election. Even that banal political statement landed with alarm in Mexico. Thats because the night before, the man who formally accepted the Republican nomination for U.S. president was Donald Trump, who built his campaign around calling Mexican immigrants criminals and vowing to wall off the border and roll back trade ties. Pena Nietos comment during the July 22 visit to Washington, however, hinted at the already brewing notion among some factions of the Mexican government that a meeting with Trump might be worth organizing. In the weeks that followed, Mexican cabinet members and advisers to Pena Nieto debated fiercely about whether to invite Trump to Mexico, either before or after the election, according to people here familiar with the discussions. The result was Trumps surreal appearance Wednesday, calmly talking about his plans for the border wall as he stood alongside Pena Nieto, who hardly spoke a critical word about the American candidate. The event marked a dramatic departure from Mexicos historic caution about getting involved in U.S. presidential politics and has been roundly criticized in this country, where Trump is widely loathed. The meeting has divided the Mexican government and is being portrayed as a sign of ineptitude from Pena Nieto, who already had dismal approval ratings. This is probably the single worst public relations disaster of his entire administration, said Jorge Castaneda, who was Mexicos foreign minister from 2000 to 2003. The substance of [Pena Nietos] entire message should have been that the wall and the deportations and revisiting NAFTA are all unacceptable positions to Mexico, and all would constitute serious threats to the U.S. relationship with Mexico. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is slated to meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto as he tries to clarify his past comments about Mexico and immigration. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Mexico has long sought to carefully calibrate its relations with its more powerful neighbor and chief trading partner seeking good ties but insisting on respect for its sovereignty and its citizens contributions. But Trumps bid for the presidency has utterly flummoxed the Mexican government. Its response has veered from one extreme to the other, with officials first dismissing Trumps candidacy, then abruptly replacing the low-key Mexican ambassador in Washington this past spring and crafting an aggressive public relations strategy to counter Trumps claims and show Mexicos value to Americans. In March, Pena Nieto compared Trump to Hitler. While it is common for American presidents to visit Mexico soon after being elected, a high-profile meeting between the Mexican president and an American candidate is quite unusual. In 2008, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) visited Mexico while a presidential candidate, along with other senators, and met privately with then-President Felipe Calderon. But that didnt have the state-visit flavor of Trumps appearance. Andres Rozental, who served as Mexican ambassador to Britain and was a career diplomat for more than 35 years, expressed astonishment that the Mexican government gave Trump a formal greeting at the presidential hangar, flew him by helicopter to the presidential palace and allowed him to appear with Pena Nieto before the worlds media. The planning was entirely done in secret and outside of the Foreign Ministrys knowledge, he said. It was certainly done in an extremely amateurish and totally unprofessional way. Critics said the Mexican president not only took a huge political gamble but appeared to botch the execution of his strategy. Pena Nieto meddled in the electoral process of the United States, and as I see it, what was the use? asked Lorenzo Meyer, a history professor at the College of Mexico. Mexico is a weak country, and we have to take great care with symbols its almost the only thing we have and he gave to Trump international exposure. [After subdued trip to Mexico, Trump talks tough on immigration] 1 of 14 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Photos from Donald Trumps trip to Mexico to meet with President Pena Nieto View Photos In his first formal international trip as the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump visited a country where he is broadly despised for his vilification of illegal immigrants. Caption In his first formal international trip as the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump visited a country where he is broadly despised for his vilification of illegal immigrants. Aug. 31, 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, right, shake hands with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto after their joint statement at the Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City. Dario Lopez-Mills/AP Wait 1 second to continue. Economic concerns Over the summer, Finance Minister Luis Videgaray, who had been Pena Nietos campaign manager in the 2012 election, was a leading advocate for the Trump visit, according to Mexicans familiar with the deliberations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. Videgaray, an MIT-educated economist, had been a state-level leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, and his political career had advanced along with Pena Nietos. The president selected Videgaray to be his behind-the-scenes liaison to the Trump campaign. Videgaray and other aides saw a Trump meeting as a political risk that was worth taking, in case Trump won the election, the sources said. But some senior members of the Mexican government strongly argued against such an invitation among them, Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu. The Mexico City daily Reforma reported Friday that Videgaray was especially concerned after ratings agencies Moodys and Standard and Poors had lowered their outlooks on Mexicos sovereign debt to negative in recent months because of the state of the countrys public finances. Trump has threatened to slap a 35 percent tariff on many imports from Mexico, potentially making things worse. Videgaray wanted to bring Trump to calm financial-market fears over the potential impact of his victory on the countrys economy, the newspaper reported. This was the type of political decision that was not popular but was needed, said one person in Mexico who was familiar with the decision-making, describing the advocates position. This was going to cost us in the polls, but it was important to meet face to face with the most dangerous candidate on the turf. Videgarays spokeswoman, Claudia Algorri Guzman, said that the idea and the decision to invite Trump were Pena Nietos. Any other account is false, she said. Pena Nieto wrote in an editorial that ran on the front page of Mexicos El Universal newspaper Thursday that it is his responsibility to meet with both U.S. presidential candidates, but especially Trump, because there are things that he should hear in person from the President of Mexico, beginning with how Mexicans feel. First, I was very clear in public and in private in emphasizing that in Mexico we feel offended and hurt by his pronouncements about Mexicans, he wrote. Pena Nietos three-page invitation, dated Aug. 25, was delivered to Trumps campaign headquarters in New York by courier on the next day, a Friday. Hillary Clinton received an invitation the same day. Dear Mr. Trump, began the note to the Republican candidate. On November 8th, the American people will choose the next President of the United States of America. I am sure that the electoral process will be one of vibrant debate, contrast of ideas and intense citizen participation, honoring the great democratic tradition of America. The letter referenced Pena Nietos recent meeting with my good friend President Barack Obama, noted the huge volume of trade between the two countries and called for strengthening their partnership. Therefore, it would be a great honor to meet with you and have a direct conversation about the common future of our nations, the letter concluded. For this purpose, I have instructed the Secretary of Foreign Relations to contact your office. Left out of the loop Some Mexican officials who opposed the invitation didnt realize that a visit would happen so fast, and on Trumps terms. It occurred on the same day he gave an immigration speech in Phoenix. Things got out of control, said the Mexican familiar with the decision-making. This was mishandled, to say the least. Key parts of the Mexican government were not fully informed about the invitation and Trumps quick acceptance. The U.S. Embassy was alerted to the visit by the Secret Service, which was arranging security for the trip, but by Tuesday afternoon the American diplomats still hadnt received final confirmation of the visit. On Tuesday, Ruiz Massieu, the foreign minister, was in Milwaukee, unaware that Trump would be landing in Mexico City the next day. In her speech in the United States, she emphasized the importance of trade and the contributions of undocumented workers to Wisconsins economy, and she appeared to take a jab at Trump. The facts speak against the stereotypes, she said. History against intolerance. Cooperation against xenophobia. The next afternoon, as Trump stood alongside Pena Nieto, Ruiz Massieu sat with other cabinet members in the front row, a funereal look on her face. Karen DeYoung in Washington and Gabriela Martinez in Mexico City contributed to this report. Read more On the Mexican border, a surge of migrants ahead of a possible Trump Wall Halfway through his term, Mexicos Pena Nieto has tumbled in polls The movement to legalize pot gains speed in the Americas Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Credit: Courtesy Summer 2016 was the year I fell in love with body oils. I think I spent a cumulative month of this entire season exclusively giving myself a rubdown with luxurious oils that make my body feel like a million bucks, especially one in particular. Juara Kartini Body Oil became a daily necessity (sometimes twice), not because I required it, but because it just made my skin glisten and shine in the sexiest way possible. If it makes you feel that lovely, that why not do it twice? Of all the things to have a second helping of on the regular, I'd say body oil is the most benign. What It's Called: JUARA Kartini Body Oil How Much It Will Set You Back: A new fall dress from Zara... or $58; credobeauty.com Who's It For? Anyone looking to truly pamper themselves, yet also nourish and firm their skin in the long term. When to Use It: It can be used after the shower, or before you go out to get that fabulous glow. It can also be used to smooth hair, and you can add a few drops to your bath. Interestingly enough, the name Kartini comes from one of Indonesia's most revered princesses. She dedicated her life the education and empowerment of women and children. RELATED: 6 Products Made to Conquer Uneven Skin Tone What It Feels Like: Silky soft and ultra light. Bonus: It absorbs super quickly, so that's fabulous. What It Smells Like: The scent is delicate, warm, and inviting--a bit of vanilla coupled with a hint of something tropical. RELATED: The Best Wrinkle Treatments From Head-to-Toe What the Experts Are Saying: "The Kartini Body Oil from Juara leaves your skin impossibly soft and glowing. It's a luxurious treatment for the body. I love it," says Gianpaolo Ceciliato, a celebrity make-up artist who works with Emma Roberts and Emily Ratajkowski. Those little cheeks! King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan is taking a page from Kate Middletons parenting book and sharing snapshots of his adorable 6-month-old son but the Dragon King went one step further, using the images for the royals official calendar. In the photos, which were released by cultural organization Yellow Bhutan, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck is decked out in traditional garb a checked robe with cream-colored cuffs, tiny navy shoes, and a round yellow button bearing his fathers face. The toddler is laughing at something off-camera in one image and looking straight at the lens in another with an endearingly serious face. PHOTOS: Prince George's Baby Album: Kate Middleton and Prince William's Firstborn Son Our September calendar is a treat, featuring these adorable images of His Royal Highness The Gyalsey, as photographed by His Majesty The King, the accompanying Facebook message on Yellow Bhutans page reads. It is a joy to see our little Prince growing up so quickly, and touching to see him already begin to carry our Royal Duties. Princess Charlotte at 6 Months Old: Who Does She Look Like Most? The Bhutanese king and his wife, Queen Jetsun Pema, welcomed the Duchess and Prince William to their country during the British royals tour through India and Bhutan in April. There, the Duke and Duchess had the honor of taking part in a Chipdrel, a traditional welcome procession, complete with music and ceremonial dress. In May, the Duchess of Cambridge shared images of daughter Charlotte in honor of the royal tots first birthday, capturing the little fashionistas curious and playful nature. PHOTOS: Kate Middleton and Prince William Visit India and Bhutan: Photos of Their Royal Tour The Duke and Duchess are very happy to be able to share these important family moments and hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as they do, the palace told Us Weekly in a statement. Related Content: From Cosmopolitan On Mexican soil for the first time as the Republican presidential nominee, a firm but measured Donald Trump defended the right of the United States to build a massive border wall along its southern flank, standing up for the centerpiece of his immigration plan in a country where he is widely despised. But within hours of Trump's visit, a dispute arose over the most contentious part of the billionaire's plans to secure the U.S. southern border - his insistence that Mexico must pay to build that wall. When answering questions from adjacent lecterns before a Mexican flag after his meeting at the official residence of the country's president, Enrique Pena Nieto, Trump said Wednesday the two men didn't discuss who would pay for a cost of construction pegged in the billions. Silent at that moment, Pena Nieto later tweeted, "At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall." With the meeting held behind closed doors, it was impossible to know who was telling the truth. But the difference in how Trump and Pena Nieto recalled their talk was an example of the political risk taken on by two unpopular politicians who arrived at the meeting having spent months quarreling from afar. Trump began his campaign by deriding Mexico as a source of rapists and criminals, and piled on in the months to come as he attacked Mexico over free trade, illegal immigration, and border security. Pena Nieto responded by condemning Trump's language, saying those were the sort of words that gave rise to Adolf Hitler. Pena Nieto did not repeat such criticism Wednesday but acknowledged Trump's comments had "hurt and affected Mexicans." "The Mexicans deserve everyone's respect," he said. The trip and the later dispute, arriving 10 weeks before America's presidential Election Day, came just hours before Trump was to deliver a highly anticipated speech in Arizona about illegal immigration. That has been a defining issue of his presidential campaign but also one on which he's appeared to waver in recent days. Story continues Trump stayed on script after the meeting, reading a statement from notes and politely answering shouted questions from reporters about his promise to force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border between the two countries. "We did discuss the wall. We didn't discuss payment of the wall," Trump said. Writing later on Twitter, Pena Nieto said the subject was among the first things the men discussed. He has, for months, said "there is no scenario" under which Mexico would pay for the wall. "From there, the conversation addressed other issues and developed in a respectful manner," he added. Those issues included the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has called the worst trade deal in history. Pena Nieto suggested there was room to improve the trade deal, while the New York businessman promised to promote trade deals that would keep jobs in the Western Hemisphere - a departure from his standard "America First" rhetoric. Trump's presence Wednesday, his first meeting with a head of state abroad as a presidential candidate, sparked anger and protests across Mexico's capital city. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox bluntly told the celebrity businessman, despite Pena Nieto's hospitality, he was not welcome. "We don't like him. We don't want him. We reject his visit," Fox said on CNN, calling the trip a "political stunt." Pena Nieto was less combative as he addressed reporters alongside Trump. He acknowledged the two men had differences and defended the contribution of Mexicans working in the United States, but he described the conversation as "open and constructive." He and Trump shook hands as the session ended. Pena Nieto's performance came in for immediate condemnation from his many critics in Mexico. "Pena ended up forgiving Trump when he didn't even ask for an apology," said Esteban Illades, the editor of Nexos magazine. "The lowest point of the most painful day in the history of the Mexican presidency." After saying during his Republican primary campaign he would use a "deportation force" to expel all of the estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally, Trump suggested last week he could soften that stance. But he still says he plans to build a huge wall - paid for by Mexico - along the two nations's border. He is under pressure to clarify just where he stands in the Wednesday night speech, which had been rescheduled several times. Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, told CBS earlier Wednesday that Trump would make clear "that there will be no path to legalization, no path to citizenship. People will need to leave the country to be able to obtain legal status or obtain citizenship." Campaigning in Ohio, Democrat Hillary Clinton jabbed at Trump's Mexican appearance as she promoted her own experience working with foreign leaders as the nation's chief diplomat. "People have to get to know that they can count on you, that you won't say one thing one day and something totally different the next," she told the American Legion in Cincinnati. Her campaign jumped on Pena Nieto's later tweet too. "It turns out Trump didn't just choke," said Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta in a statement, "he got beat in the room and lied about it." You Might Also Like Irelands coalition government, led by Enda Kenny, is set to appeal against Tuesdays decision by the European Union to fine Apple 13 billion ($14.5 billion) plus interest for breaking anti-trust rules. Apple already said it will appeal against the ruling. E.U. competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Tuesday that deals between Apple and the Irish tax authorities in 1991 and 2007 contravened E.U. rules on state aid, which outlaw preferential treatment for individual companies. The deals enabled Apple to channel European sales through Ireland and benefit from an ultra-low tax bill sliding from 1% of its European profits in 2003 to 0.005% in 2014. The E.U. said Apple will have to pay back the money they pocketed from those arrangements, with the Irish government ordered to recover the unpaid taxes, plus interest. The Irish government on Friday recommended an appeal against the E.U. ruling but said it would summon lawmakers to parliament on Wednesday to debate the issue. Irelands Finance Minister Michael Noonan said: The government has decided unanimously to bring an appeal before the European courts to challenge the European Commissions decision on the Apple state-aid case. He added: I believe that there are some very important principles at stake in this case and that a robust legal challenge before the courts is essential to defend Irelands interests. The full amount of tax was paid in this case and no state aid was provided. Ireland did not give favorable tax treatment to Apple. However, some Irish politicians opposed the governments position and favored keeping the extra taxation it would receive. Mary Lou McDonald, deputy leader of the opposition Sinn Fein party, said: Its an agenda that has nothing to do with standing by the people of Ireland. What it demonstrates is an absolute disregard and disdain for citizens, fair play and tax justice. The Irish government felt compelled to appeal against the decision as it may set a precedent and threaten its low-tax deals with other multinationals. Story continues Related stories Update Your Computer: Apple Issues OS X and Safari Patch Following Attempted Human Rights Hack Jessica Alba Joins Apple's 'Planet of the Apps' Reality Series Apple to Appeal E.U. Tax Ruling, Which CEO Tim Cook Says Has 'No Basis in Fact or in Law' Suicide is one of the 10 leading causes of death in the US. Pinpointing the cause of any one suicide is almost impossible, as there are a number of potential factors. This makes working on prevention efforts incredibly important. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the jobs that have the highest rates of suicide per 100,000 people in an attempt to figure out where to focus those prevention efforts. (The analysis does not imply that the jobs themselves are the cause of suicide, only that there are indeed certain professions where rates of suicide are notably higher than average.) The report, published in June, looked at suicide data organized by occupation from 17 states in 2012, compiled in the CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System. The 17 states were: Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Overall, the report found that people working in farming, fishing, and forestry had the highest rate of suicide at 84.5 per 100,000 people. Here are the occupations that had the highest suicide rate per 100,000 people: Highest rate Suicide The researchers did note that they were limited because about 5% of suicide cases couldn't be assigned an occupation. And the 17 states where data was collected aren't necessarily indicative of the entire nation. The report noted the importance of suicide prevention practices, such as employee-assistance programs, workplace-wellness programs that educate on suicide warning signs, and employee education about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day: 1-800-273-8255. NOW WATCH: Women are more attracted to men with these physical traits More From Business Insider From an early age his parents recognized his advanced intelligence and now hes the youngest student on record at Cornell University. Jeremy Shuler, 12, is the son of two aerospace engineers who could read books in English and Korean when was only two-years-old, according to ABC News. High level SAT and Advanced Placement test scores at the age of 10 showed that the home-schooled boy was ready to enter college. Quiz: Are You Ready for Back to School? Cornell Engineering Dean Lance Collins told ABC that what sealed the deal was Jeremys parents willingness to move to Ithica, New York to support their son, as his father transferred from Lockheed Martins Texas operation to its location in upstate New York. I wanted to make sure he had a nice, safe environment in terms of growing up, Collins said. Quiz: Can You Guess These Back to School Prices? Jeremys parents have some worries about their son making the transition to college, where much of the student body is much older than their child. We were concerned about him socializing with other kids, his mother Harrey Shuler said. At the playground he was freaked out by other kids running around screaming. But when we took him to Math Circle and math camp, he was very social. He needed someone with similar interests. [ABC] Politics of restructuring Increasing the number of local bodies means weakening them while strengthening the province and the centre Two California brothers who brutally killed their parents nearly three decades ago play chess with each other regularly by mailing in moves as they carry out life sentences in separate prisons for the double murder. Erik and Lyle Menendez have not seen each other since they were thrown behind bars, but they communicate often through snail mail, according to journalist Robert Rand, who is writing a book about the brothers case. They do write letters to each other, Rand told the Today show in a new interview. And actually, recently, theyve been playing a chess match together that they make moves by mail. In 1989, the brothers opened fire on their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, blasting the couple with 15 shotgun wounds as they were sitting in their Beverly Hills living room and watching television, TIME previously reported. The jury heard disturbing details during the trial, including the fact that Erik put the shotgun in his moms cheek and blew away her eye and nose. The brothers claimed they were abused by their father and were acting in self-defense. They were later convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Now, Lyle Menendez, 48, and Erik Menendez, 45, are both married after tying the knot while in prison, Today reports. Lyle Menendez wedded his wife through a ceremony conducted over a speakerphone, Rand said. His brother started a hospice program in prison, where he is well-liked by the other inmates, Rand said. Neither are allowed to have conjugal visits under California law. Read More: Can a Sibling Effect Help Draw the Troubled Toward Terror? In 2005, Erik Menendez said he regretted the crime but said he was not a murderer during a rare jailhouse interview with MSNBCs Rita Cosby on Live and Direct. Im not a killer. I never was. Its not who I am, he said. But you killed your parents? Cosby replied. Thats true, but Im not a murderer, Erik Menendez said. You know, itsI didnt do this crime because Im a bad person or for whatever reasons that have been put out there. I panicked and I reacted in the worst imaginable way. As the U.S. celebrates Labor Day weekend, the holiday heralds the start of a new seasonthe return to school, the retiring of summer whites. But its history is rooted in celebrations of the American worker and support for workers rights. Here are some of the most important moments in the history of Labor Day: New York Citys monster labor festival Before becoming a national holiday, Labor Day was celebrated in individual states. Among the first were New York, New Jersey and Colorado, which approved the holiday in 1887, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. But even before then, the holidays origins are evident in parades and picnics that supported labor issues and workers rights. Linda Stinson, a former historian for the U.S. Department of Labor, described one parade in particular as pivotal to the holidays history: Various unions in New York City joined together for a monster labor festival on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882. Ahead of the celebration, the Central Labor Union passed a resolution, declaring that the 5th of September be proclaimed a general holiday for the workingmen in this city. An estimated 10,000 people marched in the parade, many losing a days pay in order to participate. Read more: How Labor Day Was Celebrated When Unions Were on the Rise A national peace offering Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, established by President Grover Cleveland as an election-year concession to union workers, who had reason to be upset with him following a deadly railroad strike. Workers for George Pullmans sleeping car company had staged a strike after Pullman cut their wages but kept their rent prices at the same rate. The 150,000 members of the American Railway Union showed their support by refusing to work on trains carrying Pullman cars. The strike became a national issue that disrupted train traffic across the country, prompting Cleveland to dispatch troops to Chicago to end the strike. The confrontation led to riots, and many of the protesters were wounded or killed. TIME later called it one of the bloodiest strikes in U.S. history. Story continues A bill establishing the holiday was quickly approved by Congress, according to PBS News, and Cleveland signed the bill into law, hoping to appease the nations workers. (He ultimately lost his bid for reelection anyway.) Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter The World War II effort: Free labor will win The unemployment rate fell dramatically during World War II, dropping from 14.6% in 1940 to 1.2% in 1944, when American workers were responsible for aiding the Allies through the production of planes, tanks and guns. In a way, the fate of the world was in the hands of American laborand Labor Day was celebrated accordingly. The role of labor in wartime was highlighted by messages like this one, from the Workers of America, which celebrated Labor Day in 1942 by saluting those involved in producing war materials: American labor salutes the great war production job already done, dedicates itself to the still greater job ahead and throws this challenge to the Axis: that freedom of the individual to think and speak and worship and work shall no perish. Free labor will win, declared the film reel. While the number of laborers grew, the wartime period also stoked the beginnings of a backlash against unions, as workers felt pressure to meet higher production demands without a wage increase. Many unions also did less to protect the rights of the greater numbers of African-Americans and women who joined the workforce during the war. Still, by 1945, a record 35.5% of the non-agricultural workforce was unionized, as the organized labor force grew from 10.5 million members in 1941 to 14.75 million in 1945, according to the Economic History Association. By comparison, the union membership rate was 11.1% in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, but this can be very tough to define. There is great debate regarding which metrics are the best to focus on in this regard, and which are not really quality indicators of future performance. Fortunately, with our new style score system we have identified the key statistics to pay close attention to and thus which stocks might be the best for momentum investors in the near term. This method discovered several great candidates for momentum-oriented investors, but today lets focus in on Tata Motors Limited TTM as this stock is looking especially impressive right now. And while there are numerous ways in which this company could be a great choice, we have highlighted three of the most vital reasons for TTMs status as a solid momentum stock below: Short Term Price Change for Tata Motors A great place to look for finding momentum stocks is by inspecting short term price activity. This can help to reflect the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand right now. It is especially useful to compare it to the industry as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area. With a one week price change of 8.9% compared to an industry average of -0.8%, TTM is certainly well-positioned in this regard. The stock is also looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the four week price change compares favorably with the industry at large as well. Longer Term Price Change for Tata Motors While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. That is why looking at longer term price metricssuch as performance over the past three months or year-- and comparing these to an industry at large can be very useful. And in the case of TTM, the results are quite impressive. The company has beaten out the industry at large over the past 12 weeks by a margin of 13.0% to 3.1% while it has also outperformed when looking at the past year, putting up a gain of 64.3%. Clearly, TTM is riding a bit of a hot streak and is worth a closer look by investors. Story continues TATA MOTORS-ADR Price TATA MOTORS-ADR Price | TATA MOTORS-ADR Quote TTM Earnings Estimate Revisions Moving in the Right Direction While the great momentum factors outlined in the preceding paragraphs might be enough for some investors, we should also take into account broad earnings estimate revision trends. A nice path here can really help to show us a promising stock, and we have actually been seeing that with TTM as of late too. Over the past two months, 1 earnings estimate has gone higher compared to none lower for the full year, while we are also seeing that 1 estimate has moved upwards with no downward revision for the next year time frame too. These revisions have helped to boost the consensus estimate as two months ago TTM was expected to post earnings of $3.12/share for the full year, though today it looks to have EPS of $3.60 for the full year now, representing a solid increase which is something that should definitely be welcomed news to would-be investors. Bottom Line Given these factors, investors shouldnt be surprised to note that we have TTM as a security with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Momentum Score of A. So if you are looking for a fresh pick that has potential to move in the right direction, definitely keep TTM on your short list as this looks be a stock that is very well-positioned to soar in the near term. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Tale of the Tape, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 TATA MOTORS-ADR (TTM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Proudly entering its fourth decade of specialty service as a leather wholesaler, this leading North American leather supply company is celebrating 30 years of business. Industry expertise, quality and service, drive success for this four-generation family business, operating from its warehouse in Calgary, Alberta Canada CALGARY, CANADA / ACCESSWIRE / September 2, 2016 / Just by walking into Buckskin Leather Company, individuals reveal themselves to be a person who cares about quality. Celebrating 30 years in 2016, this family-run business has been sourcing and distributing the best leather supply in the world from their warehouse in Calgary to upholsterers, designers, saddle-makers and movie producers. They just may be the best-kept secret in the city. Consider this an introduction. With a personal history that dates back to a time when tanneries still dotted the North American landscape, Michael Schluessel carries on a family tradition that began with his grandfather, Kurt, in post-war Germany. They also see a growing number of DIYers and hobbyists, but Buckskin Leather Company is a Canadian, USA and worldwide leader when it comes to supplying leather upholstery hides, sheepskins, vegetable-tanned leather and leather cowhides to the trade professionals who need them. "Its their raw material for them to make a living. It's important to me personally that I am filling that need," says Michael, from his Nanaimo, B.C., home, where he runs is West Coast sales operation. Today, Michael runs Buckskin Leather Company with two full-time employees and his wife, Janet, and daughters, Nikole and Michaela, who recently got involved and turned the business into a four-generation legacy. Surviving for three decades is no small feat in an industry that has changed as much as wholesale leather distribution. It requires expertise, growth and the knowledge that quality service will prevail. When Canadian tanneries disappeared due to environmental and economic realities, Michael and his now retired father, Wolfgang knew where to go to find quality leather at a good price. Story continues "Everyone still needed leather, but all the tanneries were out of business," he recalls. That means they supply the best high-end natural full-grain and top-grain leather available, providing a vast selection and distinguishing themselves by making sure customers can get as much leather as they need in the same colour and quality as they need. When walking into their shop or perusing the online virtual tour what one quickly discovers is that Buckskin Leather Company is committed to maintaining not only quality, but inventory. "We set out to get the best leather that we could," says Michael, who still does the buying himself, visits the tanneries, and inspects the product. "It costs the same to bring in quality leather as low-quality. It ships by weight." It gives him quality control over his inventory and allows him to be confident in what they stock and offer their customers. The market for quality leather, hides and rawhide is vast and diverse. Michael proudly talks about supplying the movies that shoot in Alberta, such as the recent blockbuster The Revenant. "Most of the leather in that was from us," Michael says. Surely, a Hollywood production is good business and an exciting customer, but Michael says that leather trade professionals always need good material. "If it's good material, you'll have the business forever. Our marketplace caters to people who appreciate that." For more information, please visit https://www.buckskinleather.com Contact Info: Name: Michael W. Schuessel Organization: Buckskin Leather Company Address: 5220 1a St SE, Calgary, AB T2H 1J1 Phone: +1 403 617 4435 SOURCE: Buckskin Leather Company On a global scale, America has had a relatively short history. Our nation's 1776 origin makes the U.S. far younger than most European and Asian countries. But while our history only spans a couple of centuries, our oldest cities are steeped in rich culture, heritage and tradition. The biggest moments of our country are contained in stone buildings on the East Coast and iconic monuments scattering our nation's capital. And while we continue to celebrate classic institutions and our storied histories in top cities across the country, some places have evolved into flourishing hot spots in recent years. Here are five vibrant American destinations in the midst of a renaissance. [See: 10 Top Historic Hotels Across the U.S.] Charleston, South Carolina Charleston seems to have found a way to balance the old and the new like no other Southern city in America. The cobblestone streets and the horse-drawn carriage rides along Market Street are just two examples Charleston's unique culture and heritage. Beautifully adorned mansions remind visitors of a bygone era. However, those new to Charleston will soon find discover that there's much more to the city beyond its relics of the past, from hidden speakeasies and gastropubs from some of the hottest, up-and-coming chefs and mixologists in the country. Even the city's hotels are upping the cool factor with unique touches. Take The Vendue, which doubles as an art gallery, or The Restoration, which boasts a rooftop bar that would make any New York City hipster swoon. And every corner of this Southern locale brims with Instagram-worthy backdrops. Philadelphia In Philadelphia, it's not uncommon to see lines of school buses waiting outside Independence Hall. After all, shipping high school students off to Philly to a close look at the location of America's genesis is a common occurrence. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are just two sites that continue to draw history aficionados and student field-trippers, alike. Aside from its historical landmarks, Philadelphia also boasts some of the most delicious and decadent bring your own beverage restaurants in the country. Mercato, Lolita and Laurel are just three top eateries where you can bring your favorite bottle of wine or six pack of beer and chow down. This concept not only creates a culture that brings in young college students looking to cut costs, but also keeps new generations coming together to eat in the City of Brotherly Love over and over again. Story continues [See: New York City Hotels Where History Was Made.] Portland, Maine A perennial favorite among New England residents, Portland offers visitors the chance to take park in quintessential pastimes such as exploring rocky coastlines, digging into lobster rolls and, brushing up on the area's fascinating role in our nation's history. While the area's beaches are one allure, Portland's impressive skyline is another top selling point. The chance to follow the Portland Freedom Trail or visit the famous Tate House appeals to history buffs, but Portland's main draw is its series of classically chic, nearby coastal towns that keep trendsetters on their feet. The newly reopened Cliff House Maine in Cape Neddick, just 45 minutes outside Portland, is just one example of a historical landmark that continues to evolve. The property opened its doors after the Civil War, but it continues to lure new visitors today with its trendy raw bar and magnificent ocean views. St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine isn't just one of America's oldest cities; it's also one of our continent's oldest cities. This northern Florida hub was originally occupied shortly after Ponce De Leon washed onto the shores of Florida in 1565. Later, the area changed hands between the Spanish, French, Spanish and British before it became a part of the U.S. after a long series of wars. Though St. Augustine stills celebrates its heritage -- and highlights its historical sites like the Castillo de San Marcos -- it is now a bustling beach town with a striking juxtaposition of old and new attractions. Restaurants such as Michael's Tasting Room and Costa Brava play off the Spanish influence from St. Augustine's past, while also providing patrons with modern tapas. Make sure to carve out some time to explore the beach for the stunning oceanfront views, along with the excellent Spanish cuisine. [See: 16 Free Things to Do in the Top Affordable U.S. Destinations.] Washington, District of Columbia It probably comes as no surprise that our nation's capital is covered in historical memorabilia. Travelers from the world over visit the area to explore the monuments and memorials displayed around our National Mall. Many buildings across the district have deep-seated roots, but you may be shocked to hear that the political epicenter also boasts some of the most incredible food scenes in the country. Top-rated chefs are flocking to hip neighborhoods, such as Logan Circle and Shaw, to cook up mouthwatering dishes. The district's most famous chef, Jose Andres, boasts a variety of crowd-pleasing restaurants across town, but even more impressive are his food and drinks laboratories, Minibar and Barmini. Casually placed in Penn Quarter, patrons are privy to drinks mixed with liquid nitrogen and floral embellishments and small bites such as smoked oysters and a new signature, a meringue rubber ducky filled with foie gras. Erin S. Block is a freelance travel writer and TV/documentary producer in Washington, DC. Her work has been published by BBC.com, The Huffington Post, Mashable.com and National Geographic's Intelligent Travel Blog. Erin has also worked on specials and programs for the National Geographic Channel, PBS and the Discovery Channels. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, she spent two years with National Geographic Traveler magazine. Erin is currently working on projects for PBS. Follow @erinsblock on Instagram and Twitter to see her full story. Wildfires, tsunamis, and earthquakes devastate communities across the globe, but the disasters are compounded in countries lacking the infrastructure necessary to reach the victims of natural events. Researchers at the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security assessed the disaster risk in 171 countries, analyzing exposure to natural hazards and societal vulnerabilities, to produce the World Risk Index. For its sixth report, the team focused on critical infrastructure and its role in delivering aid. When it comes to aid measures following extreme natural events, the challenges mostly lie in the last mile of the logistics chain: organizing transportation despite destroyed streets or bridges and ensuring fair distribution when there is a shortage of for example water, food and shelter, project director Peter Mucke said in a press release. Crumbling transport routes, unreliable electricity grids and dilapidated buildings not only hinder humanitarian aid from overseas, but also delay crucial aid for those affected in the event of a disaster. According to the study, Vanuatu, Tonga, the Philippines, Guatemala, and Bangladesh are the five most dangerous places to live. Thirteen of the 15 most dangerous countries are in Africa and received their scores mostly because of underdevelopment that limits the reach of humanitarian relief in the region. The top five safest places to live are Qatar, Malta, Saudi Arabia, Barbados, and Grenada. The U.S. ranks No. 116. While the islands of Vanuatu and Tonga face a multitude of natural hazards, from earthquakes to volcanic eruptions, wealthier countries were able to lessen their risk ranking thanks to higher standards for building codes, larger food supplies, and increased access to information technology. The example of Australia demonstrates how a low level of vulnerability can lower disaster risk. The country mitigates its exposure, which is mainly to drought, earthquakes and sea-level rise, and thus attains a ranking of 121st from 171 in the World Risk Index, the analysts reported. However, the example of Japan shows that a low level of vulnerability cannot fully compensate for extreme exposure. Despite its very low vulnerability, the country is in place 17 in the World Risk Index because of its very high exposure, mainly to earthquakes and floods. Story continues The study also found that countries such as Liberia (No. 56), Zambia (No. 66), and the Central African Republic (No. 71) have the opposite problem of Japan: They face a much lower risk of natural disaster but are highly vulnerable to any that occur because of a lack of infrastructure and plans for emergency services. Researchers said developing high-quality, accessible roads in more remote areas could help emergency teams reach victims. In addition, existing infrastructure must be better managed, with the researchers noting that a single event can wipe out a critical bridge for a remote community. Nature cannot be controlled. Humans can only influence to a limited degree whether, and with what intensity, natural events are to occur, the researchers wrote. But [we] can take precautions to help prevent a natural event from becoming a disaster. Donate: Become an Advocate for Animals Around the World: Give to World Animal Protection Today Related stories on TakePart: See 8 Design Hacks That Tackle Environmental Disaster After a Disaster, Blood, Sweat, and Cash Is Better Than Canned Goods Children Are Most at Risk From Climate Change Original article from TakePart Growth at a reasonable price or GARP investing is one of the popular strategies offering a blend of both growth as well as value investing. It helps an investor to get exposure to stocks that are undervalued and have impressive growth prospects. This strategy works best in a scenario when markets are rebounding from a slump. Though it is a blend of growth and value investing, it is quite different from the blend strategy, which seeks to build up a portfolio of both value and growth stocks. Key Features of GARP The GARP strategy seeks to offer an ideal investment by borrowing the best features of both value and growth investing. While investors following the GARP strategy give precedence to value ratios such as price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-book value (P/B) ratio, they also use earnings per share (EPS) growth rates and return on equity (ROE) like growth investors to identify potential stocks. However, the range of the values of metrics that are considered by GARP investing may differ from those that are considered by value or growth investors. While value investors look for an extremely low P/E ratio to choose a company, investors following the GARP strategy focus on stocks that have relatively higher ratios but less than their respective industry average. Meanwhile, GARP investing chooses stocks with P/B ratios lower than their industries similar to value investors. Separately, investors following the GARP strategy give priority to stocks with a track record of impressive EPS growth over those with extremely high growth rates. Companies that meet GARP investing criteria are believed to have past as well as expected growth rates between 10% and 20% over the next few years. Another metric, which is borrowed by GARP investors from growth investing, is ROE. Like growth investors, the GARP strategy looks for stocks with higher ROE than their industry average. Screening Parameters Along with the criteria we discussed in the above section, we have also considered favorable Zacks Rank Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) to make the strategy more profitable. Story continues Zacks Rank less than or equal to #2 (Only Strong Buy and Buy rated stocks can get through.) Last 5-year EPS & projected 35 year EPS growth rates between 10% and 20% (Strong EPS growth history and prospects ensure improving business.) ROE (over the past 12 months) greater than the industry average (Higher ROE compared to the industry average indicates superior stocks.) P/E and P/B ratios less than X-industry average (P/E and P/B ratios less than that of the industry indicate that the stocks are undervalued.) Just these few criteria have narrowed down the universe of over 7,700 stocks to only six. Here are the six stocks that made it through the screen: Teleflex Incorporated TFX is primarily engaged in manufacturing, developing and supplying medical devices for different procedures in the medical industry throughout the globe. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 7.1%. DST Systems Inc. DST provides sophisticated information processing and computer software services and products. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 7.8%. DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. DFT is a leading owner, developer, operator and manager of wholesale data centers and a real estate investment trust. In addition to a Zacks Rank #2, DuPont Fabros Technology also has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 0.4%. j2 Global, Inc. JCOM provides cloud-based communications and storage messaging services. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 5.9%. Heartland Financial USA, Inc. HTLF is a multi-bank holding company that provides full-service retail banking through bank subsidiaries. In addition to a Zacks Rank #2, Heartland Financial also has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 11%. Acme United Corp. ACU is involved in production and sale of medical products, and different items for school, office and home use. This Zacks Rank #2 stock has a last-quarter positive earnings surprise of 12.4%. 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 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 DST SYSTEMS (DST): Free Stock Analysis Report J2 GLOBAL INC (JCOM): Free Stock Analysis Report HEARTLAND FINCL (HTLF): Free Stock Analysis Report TELEFLEX INC (TFX): Free Stock Analysis Report DUPONT FABROS (DFT): Free Stock Analysis Report ACME UTD (ACU): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Prohibitory period fixed for central bank staff The second amendment to the Nepal Rastra Bank Act forbids employees of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) from joining banks and financial institutions (BFIs) for up to three years after quitting their jobs. In recent years, postbaccalaureate programs -- or postbac programs, as they are commonly known -- have become a popular steppingstone for students looking to enter medical school. Applicants often ask whether a postbac program is the right option for them. Before enrolling in such a program, it is important for applicants to carefully weigh their options because postbacs are expensive and require a significant time commitment. If you are among the following types of individuals, you may benefit from considering a postbac program. [Understand the factors behind medical school admissions.] 1. Applicants who want to change careers: Many people decide to purse a career in medicine after completing an undergraduate degree in another field. Some even opt to go into medicine after spending several years in a totally different career. For these individuals, a career changer postbaccalaureate program can be the most viable path to medical school. These programs are usually two years long and designed to prepare individuals with little or no life sciences background. In these programs, the applicant completes the prerequisite courses for medical school , such as general biology, chemistry and physics. These programs also offer upper - division science courses like physiology and provide advising to premedical students. Some programs, like the one at Goucher College , even offer MCAT preparation. 2. Applicants with a low undergraduate GPA in premed courses: These programs are a great alternative for prospective medical school students who have completed most or all of their premedical requirements but had a subpar performance. Record enhancer postbaccalaureate programs offer applicants the opportunity to redeem themselves by taking upper - division life science courses over the span of a year. What constitutes a low GPA may vary from applicant to applicant. On average, applicants with GPAs below 3.5 who are looking to enter allopathic medical school should consider a record enhancer postbac program. Having said this, every applicant is different , and prospective students need to take into account factors like MCAT scores as well as extracurricular experiences . Story continues [Get tips for applying to medical school with a low GPA.] 3. Applicants whose medical school prerequisite courses are outdated: Some medical schools, including the University of Massachusetts--Worcester, require that prerequisite courses be completed within a certain number of years before the application. Other medical schools do not have set expiration dates on courses but give preference to applicants who have completed their prerequisite science courses more recently. Postbaccalaureate programs can be a good option for applicants who completed their science courses more than a few years before their application to medical school. For these applicants, their postbac science courses can also serve as a review of science concepts in preparation for the MCAT. 4. Reapplicants to medical school: For some reapplicants, these programs can be a way to show continued commitment to academics as they go through the application process for a second time. This is especially true for individuals who did not get accepted to medical school despite good grades, strong MCAT scores and extracurricular experiences. In such situations, completing a post-bac program can give the applicant an extra edge. However, it is important to note that these program s are not always the answer for reapplicants. Before considering a postbac, reapplicants should work with advisers to identify and try to improve on specific weaknesses in their application . 5. Applicants who were not science majors in college: Many undergraduate premedical students choose to major in fields such as the humanities or the arts while also completing their medical school prerequisite courses. For these students, a degree in another field can be of great value, making them well-rounded future physicians. However, choosing this track often means not having time to take science courses beyond the minimum requirements for medical school. While many medical schools require only one year of general biology, most like to see additional courses like immunology or physiology. Taking additional upper-division science courses in a record enhancer program can be a great way for these applicants to strengthen their application even if their undergraduate GPA is high. [Check out ways to find a postbaccalaureate medical school program that fits you.] 6. Applicants with borderline MCAT scores: The best way to make up for a borderline MCAT score is to retake the MCAT and improve. However, in some circumstances this may be difficult. For example, applicants who have taken the test multiple times and received several borderline scores may not want to attempt the test again. For these applicants, a stellar performance in a postbac program may partially compensate for their borderline MCAT performance and tip the scale in their favor as they seek admission to medical school. On Friday, Sept. 2, the world learned about the passing of longtime character actor Jon Polito at the age of 65. Born in Philadelphia, Polito knew he wanted to be an actor at the age of 12 after he saw his sister Rosemarys performance as Anastasia on a local stage. Polito honed his craft at Villanova Universitys theater program. Upon graduation, he headed to New York and immediately found work. Thanks to his undeniable talent, Polito told the Philadelphia Inquirer, he never had another job but acting. After a successful run in theater that earned him an Obie Award in 1980, Polito decided to try his luck in Los Angeles and was almost immediately rewarded for it. According to the actor, he left New York on a Friday and landed his first television role the following Monday. The 80s would see Polito split his time between theater in New York and various TV shows, typically playing police officers or gangsters. In 1990 Polito had what he called his greatest professional experience, playing Johnny Caspar in the Coen brothers Millers Crossing. According to Polito, he almost didnt get the part. He told Groucho Reviews that he refused to read for any part other than Caspar. After a long casting session, he said: They eventually came back and asked me to read, to see what I would do with Johnny Casper. And not only did I read, and they liked it, but they made me go through the entire role. I had to read every scene from the movie. And then they finally cast me as that part. From there, Polito went on to have a fruitful relationship with the Coen Brothers. He had memorable roles in Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Big Lebowski, and The Man Who Wasnt There. In the 90s, Polito worked constantly in both films and television. He had a run on Homicide as Detective Steve Crosetti and notable guest appearances on Seinfeld and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As for films, Polito worked in many, such as The Crow, Blankman, Stuart Little, Gangster Squad, and Big Eyes. All told, he would work in more than 100 movies. Combined with several television roles and off- and on-Broadway plays, Polito amassed more than 200 showbiz credits over four decades. As prolific as he was, Polito said he lost out on roles because he was openly and proudly gay. Following an infection after a recent surgery, Polito slipped into a coma on Sunday and passed away on September 1. He is survived by his husband, Darryl Armbruster. Rest in peace, Jon Polito. If youd like to share your thoughts, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Widely derided after a report that he plagiarized nearly a third of his university law thesis, President Enrique Pena Nieto conceded on Thursday that he may have made a "methodological error". Speaking at an unscripted question-and-answer forum at his ceremonial palace in downtown Mexico City, Pena Nieto said he had not intended to steal anyone elses ideas when he compiled his 1991 thesis about Mexicos presidency. When the story by one of Mexico's leading investigative journalists broke last month, Pena Nietos spokesman Eduardo Sanchez dismissed the reported plagiarism as "style errors". "I can remember my studies well, remember how I researched, and what I put forward in my thesis. Nobody can tell me that I plagiarized my thesis," Pena Nieto said. "I may have misquoted or not quoted well one of the authors consulted - it may well be." "I may have committed some methodological error," he added. "But in no way did I want to appropriate the ideas of others." In late August, Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui reported that 28.9 percent of the president's 200-page thesis, titled 'Mexican Presidentialism and Alvaro Obregon,' were found to be plagiarized. The plagiarism report was one of a series of blows that Pena Nieto has been forced to fight off, after he, his wife and his finance minister were enveloped in a series of conflict of interest scandals. (Reporting by Natalie Schachar and Jean Luis Arce; Editing by Simon Gardner) (Adds details on Pershing Square, Citadel fund, Jana fund) By Svea Herbst-Bayliss BOSTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Billionaire investor William Ackman's portfolios climbed nearly 6 percent in August, boosted by strong gains at drug company Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc where changes that the hedge fund manager has helped push for appear to be instilling new confidence. Pershing Square Holdings, one of the hedge fund's portfolios, climbed 5.8 percent last month, shrinking its loss for the year to 14.3 percent, an investor in the fund said. In March the fund had been down 25.6 percent. Valeant gained roughly 39 percent in the last month. A year ago, Valeant's stock began cratering amid questions about the company's business and accounting practices and its stock price is still down 87 percent in the last 52 weeks. In the last few weeks, it began recovering as the company's new chief executive officer eased worries about a possible default and the company hired a new chief legal officer and chief financial officer. Similarly bets on quick service restaurant company Restaurant Brands International and snack food maker Mondelez proved helpful. Other hedge funds also told their clients that they scored gains in August. Jana Partners, an activist fund like Ackman's Pershing Square, was up 1 percent in August, shrinking its year to date loss to 3 percent, an investor in the fund said. Citadel's Wellington fund gained 2.4 percent in August and is now up 0.5 percent for the year, a person familiar with the figures said. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Leslie Adler, Bernard Orr) American Airlines is investigating an alleged altercation between one of their workers and actress Emilie de Ravin after she accused an employee of assaulting her as she tried to bring a breast pump on board a Thursday flight. Through several tweets, de Ravin said she was "grabbed forcefully, my carry-on bag ripped out of my hand" while she was at LAX on Thursday morning. De Ravin is calling for the employee to be fired. The Once Upon a Time actress says the captain of the flight had to intervene in the situation as she writes that there "is NO excuse 4 physical force being used on someone trying to take her breast pump carry on." A spokeswoman for the airline told The Hollywood Reporter that breast pumps are allowed onboard flights. Considered a "medical assistance device," a breast pump does not count against a carry-on item, according to the spokeswoman. The alleged incident is "still under investigation," accordingly to the spokeswoman, who added that the airline apologizes to de Ravin. See de Ravin's tweets below: Dear @AmericanAir I was grabbed forcefully,my carry on bag ripped out of my hand @ lax this morning by AA employee A. 3 witnesses.(cont... - Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 By and @AmericanAir female employee Autonette Please kindly dismiss this woman from @americanair employment. Luckily our pilot was (cont... - Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 very kind and helpful & apologetic on woman's behalf & assisted in getting her name & instructions on who to contact to report her.(Cont... - Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 very kind and helpful & apologetic on woman's behalf & assisted in getting her name & instructions on who to contact to report her.(Cont... - Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 However ther is NO excuse 4 physical force being used on someone trying to take her breast pump carry on.NOT OK @AmericanAir #accountability Story continues - Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 Apart from this incident and DISCUSTING woman, thank you for a smooth and safe flight @AmericanAir - Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 Read more: Emmy Poll: Who Should Win Best Lead Actor in a Drama? Nothing can come between a sister's love not even an overseas adoption. Aubrey and Avery Lumpkins were living at the same Chinese orphanage until Aubrey was adopted by an American family when she was 9. When Aubrey flew to her new home in Kentucky, she left Avery behind without ever knowing they were actually sisters. Read: Family Discovers Adopted Daughter's Long Lost Twin At Chinese Orphanage And Now Wants To Adopt Her Too But last year, her adopted mom, Lisa Lumpkins, was scrolling through Facebook and noticed a young girl that looked remarkably like her daughter. She contacted the orphanage and DNA tests found the girls were indeed related. Last week, Avery flew to America to reunite with her sister. The Lumpkins family, who gathered at the airport to welcome her, adopted her, too. The girls, both 13, have picked up right where they left off, their mom said. "They're loving being together," Lumpkins told InsideEdition.com. "They remembered being [at the orphanage in China] together, but they had no clue they were sisters." She said that while Avery has been bonding with everyone else in the family, including four other adopted children and two biological children, it's obvious she and Aubrey have a special relationship. "She's so protective," Lumpkins said about Avery, whom she suspects is Aubrey's twin. Both girls have cerebral palsy, but Lumpkins said Aubrey has more trouble walking. "Aubrey likes being really independent," she said. But when Aubrey approached a set of steps, Lumpkins said she watched Avery instinctively stick her arm out, and offer her support. "She knows Aubrey won't ask for help, but she was afraid Aubrey was going to fall." Likewise, Aubrey has become extremely attached to her sister, even though Aubrey doesn't speak Chinese, and Avery has not yet learned English. Story continues The long-lost sisters were only able to be reunited last year, when Lumpkins saw a picture of a girl on Facebook that looked nearly identical to Aubrey, whom she adopted in 2013. "I was speechless. I was like, Wow! She looks just like my daughter,'" Lumpkins told InsideEdition.com in a previous interview. She eventually asked the adoption agency to run a DNA test, which confirmed the two girls are related. Lumpkins decided she would have to bring the sister home. After a battle against time (a Chinese adoption law required children to be adopted before age 14 or face eviction from the orphanage) and a scramble to raise enough money through their GoFundMe, Aubrey's biological sister, Avery, became the latest addition to the Lumpkins clan. Read: Mom Who Wrote a Letter to Adopted Daughter 20 Year Ago Gives it to Her on Her Wedding Day As Avery met her new family at the airport last week, Lumpkins said "Avery's hollering Aubrey's Chinese name, 'Ha Mei.' All the way down the escalator, she was crouching down, yelling her name." Leading the way was another girl they decided to adopt at the last minute, Molly: "Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She was like 'Mom, mom!' She hollered as loud as she could." "I think that made everybody cry," Lumpkins said. Watch: Couple Drives 32 Hours to Adopt Blind Dog as 'Brother' to Blind Dog They Already Own Related Articles: Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's murder rate increased by 4.9 percent in the last year, official statistics showed Friday, with the police minister admitting the country was struggling with "a prevalent culture of violence". A total of 18,673 people were killed in the 12 months to March -- 51 people every day -- up from 17,805 in the previous year. Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said the sharp increase was largely down to domestic violence and alcohol abuse. "What it says about us South Africans is that we are violent, we have a prevalent culture of violence," he told journalists. "It's not about what the government can do, it's about what we can (all) do. It's a huge societal issue that we have to deal with." Officials said most murders occurred indoors, in urban areas and involved people known to each other. The latest figures reveal that South Africa's murder rate has risen by nearly 20 percent in four years. The high crime rate is seen as hampering the country's social cohesion, economic growth and international reputation -- especially as a tourist destination. - 'Crimes point to social ills' - Carjacking, which is one of the most prevalent crimes in South Africa, increased by 14.3 percent last year, while house robberies were up 2.7 percent. Sexual offences were down 3.2 percent, though many experts say that incidents are underreported. The governing African National Congress (ANC) expressed its alarm at the number of murders and carjackings, saying they "make our people... live in fear". "While police are central to the alleviation of acts of criminality in society, such crimes point to social ills and thus require interventions beyond the police," the party said in a statement. Sparsely populated Northern Cape was the only province that recorded a decrease in murders, while Eastern Cape province, recorded the sharpest increase -- posting a jump of 9.9 percent. Story continues South African police have increasingly come under fire for failing to bring down crime levels, although officials insist that the numbers are lower compared to before the end of apartheid in 1994. Poverty and record levels of unemployment are often seen as key drivers of crime in South Africa, where economic growth is expected to flatline this year. The government recently announced that crime statistics would now be released quarterly, instead of once a year, saying it would help improve policing. "Violence -- whether it's murder, rape or assault -- is not something that the police can prevent or reduce on their own," said Gareth Newham of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think tank. Paris (AFP) - Clashes in Gabon have left five people dead since incumbent Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a disputed presidential vote. Bongo's victory over challenger Jean Ping by a razor-thin margin of just under 6,000 votes in a weekend poll sparked fighting in Libreville and Port-Gentil, the country's economic capital. Ping claims the vote was rigged. Africa has known similar electoral unrest in the past, including in Gabon. Here are some of the other violent elections that have dogged the continent: - Ivory Coast - After a five-month-standoff, incumbent Laurent Gbagbo was detained on April 11, 2011 by forces backing rival Alassane Ouattara, who was recognised internationally as the winner of Ivory Coast's October 2010 presidential election. Gbagbo had refused to stand down and some 3,000 people died in the post-election unrest. He is currently on trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in relation to the clashes. - Kenya - Violence sparked by disputed results in Kenya's December 27, 2007 presidential poll won by Mwai Kibaki claimed some 1,300 lives and left about 600,000 displaced according to documents filed before the ICC. Elections in 1992 and 1997 also led to violence and related inter-ethnic clashes in 1992 in the western Rift Valley killed hundreds of people. - Nigeria - Unrest that claimed more than 800 lives flared in Nigeria after a disputed April 2011 presidential election in which President Goodluck Jonathan was declared victor. Defeated opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari alleged rigging. Elections in April 2007 elections were also criticised by the opposition and observers and led to violence that officially left 39 people dead. The European Union believes at least 200 died. - Togo - In 2005, Faure Gnassingbe won a disputed presidential election after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema. Between 400 and 500 people were killed in related clashes. - Zimbabwe - Story continues In the March 29, 2008 general election, the ZANU-PF party of long-serving President Robert Mugabe was defeated by the Movement for Democratic Change of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai's supporters then became targets of violence in which 180 died according to Amnesty International. Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off presidential election against Mugabe, citing violence against his supporters. The March 2002 elections won by Mugabe were also marred by violence. - Democratic Republic of Congo - In late 2011, general elections that were hastily organised and marred by allegations of fraud were accompanied by violence. A UN report that was denounced by authorities in Kinshasa spoke of around 30 deaths and accused government forces of serious human rights violations. Incumbent head of state Joseph Kabila officially won re-election, but challenger Etienne Tshisekedi rejected the results. The country has been mired in crisis ever since. - Madagascar - The island nation was paralyzed by protests during a political crisis in 2001-2002. Incumbent Didier Ratsiraka challeged the proclaimed victory of Marc Ravalomanana in the first round of a presidential poll and subsequent fighting killed several dozen people. - Gabon - In August 2009, the last declared victory by Ali Bongo also sparked clashes that officially left three people dead. Opposition parties say at least 15 people were killed. As insurance giant American International Group (NYSE:AIG) continues to downsize after its near collapse during the 2008 financial crisis, at least one section of the financial services giant appears safe from a potential sale: The companys SunAmerica mutual fund unit, the FOX Business Network has learned. People inside AIG say the company has backed away from selling the $23 billion mutual fund outfit, and will instead rebrand the unit as AIG Funds. The rebranding is expected to take place later in the year, the sources add. A company spokesman would neither confirm nor deny the news regarding the sale or the rebranding. The move by AIG is seen by many inside the company as a snub to activist shareholder Carl Icahn. Icahn has attempted to break up AIG into smaller pieces, and to spin off certain units as a way to boost the insurer's moribund share price. In January, people inside AIG began taking steps to spin off the mortgage insurance unit. Though the sale has yet to take place, company officials announced layoffs and other downsizing measures to fend off a more drastic overhaul supported by Icahn. Icahn also initially wished to sell SunAmerica mutual funds, which are sold to retail investors through financial advisers like Bank of Americas Merrill Lynch unit. Despite Icahns strong objections, AIG insiders say management wants to keep the unit because of its strong performance and popularity among investors. Icahn didnt return calls for comment. Icahn owns 4.4% of AIG, and management gave both he and fellow activist investor John Paulson (who owns about 1% of the company) each a seat on the companys board. AIG once one of the largest and most profitable companies in Corporate America -- received a massive and controversial bailout from the federal government during the 2008 financial crisis. This was a decision designed to save the entire banking system from collapse, since the insurer underwrote credit protection on troubled bonds and other financial instruments held by the big banks. Story continues The companys collapse was the subject of various federal investigations, and its bailout is still the subject of litigation. Meanwhile, the company in its current form has struggled to regain some share of its former profitability, though it continues to underperform its peers in the insurance industry. In November of last year, Icahn disclosed his stake in the company and quickly began to push for a breakup of AIG into three business units mortgage, life and property-casualty insurance. As mentioned, his plans also included the sale of certain assets like SunAmerica. In recent months, however, Icahn has shied away from putting overt public pressure on AIGs CEO Peter Hancock. Hancock continues to look for ways to prune the insurer's far-flung operations, but at least for now, he is intent on keeping pieces he deems too important to the core of the business, such as SunAmerica, people familiar with his thinking say. Related Articles Rebuilding Ranipokhari: Unesco urges authorities to follow norms Unesco has expressed serious concerns about inappropriate rebuilding of historic structures, in particular Ranipokhari in Kathmandu. The mother of a 5-year-old boy who JetBlue accidentally flew to Boston instead of New York City from the Dominican Republic is demanding answers. Andy Martinez, 5, was reunited with his mother once he was located in Boston after being placed on the wrong flight. Read: Mom Claims Son With Pacemaker Was Hassled by TSA: 'Could You Please Just Do Your Job?' The child was flying solo from Dominican Republic and was supposed to meet his mother, Maribel, inside JFK Airport in New York. Instead, he was placed on a flight to Boston. His panicked mother waited at the terminal in New York for hours demanding answers after she believed he was kidnapped. Andy's mother flew back a week earlier while he stayed with family. Maribel paid an extra $100 for him to fly by himself to JFK under the supervision of a JetBlue flight attendant. Instead, he and another boy somehow switched places, both ending up in the wrong cities. At first, the airline told the grief-stricken mother they found the boy after a 3-hour wait. When they presented a boy to her, she said "that is not my child," according to reports. Once it was discovered he was in Boston, they were eventually reunited. Speaking at a press conference Friday morning, the 38-year-old mother, her lawyer Sanford Rubenstein and an interpreter expressed their outrage. Any parent can understand the terrifying fear a mother goes through knowing that her child is missing, Rubenstein said. This never should have happened and the JetBlue employees should be ashamed of themselves. Read: Woman Gives Birth Mid-Flight And Names the Baby 'Jet Star,' After the Airline He added: It's a mother's worst nightmare that their 5-year-old child is missing." Rubenstein also added that they have written a letter to the FAA requesting a full independent investigation as to how it could have happened. JetBlue is promising a review of the incident. The airline refunded the family's flights and while it gave them a $2,100 voucher toward future JetBlue flights, the mother doubts she will ever use that offer. Story continues "We are also reviewing the incident with our leadership and Santiago airport team to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future," JetBlue said in a statement. Watch: College Choir Gives Incredible Performance on Plane After Flight Attendant Asks Them to Sing Related Articles: An alleged white supremacist and his girlfriend have recently been indicted for murder after allegedly chasing down and killing a black teenager with their Jeep, police said. According to police, couple Russell Courtier, 38, and Colleen Hunt, 35, allegedly came across 19-year-old Larnell Malik Bruce outside a Gresham, Oregon, 7-Eleven just before midnight on Aug. 10. Bruce was reportedly at the gas station charging his phone with a friend when Courtier and Hunt allegedly approached. After Courtier and Bruce allegedly engaged in a physical altercation, the teenager pulled out a knife to protect himself, according to the Portland Mercury. Bruce then allegedly tried to run from the scene. But with his girlfriend in the passenger seat, Courtier used his Jeep Wrangler to intentionally chase down and run over Bruce, police allege. Bruce died from his injuries days later. Alleged White Supremacist Killed a Black Teen by Running Him Down with a Jeep: Police| Crime & Courts, True Crime Prison records obtained by the Portland Mercury reveal that Courtier is a longtime criminal who was on parole for attacking a woman with a knife the night he allegedly ran over and killed Bruce. Courtier is also an alleged member of a white supremacist prison gang called European Kindred (EK), even getting a tattoo of the group's logo while in prison, according to the Mercury. Courtier allegedly first got involved in the gang during a years-long stint at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution following a 2001 attack on a man, the paper reports, citing prison records. By 2004, Courtier was busted for allegedly fighting with a black inmate before "a group of white inmates faced off against a group of black inmates," according to records. 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 2015, he allegedly wrote a letter from a different prison to another EK member requesting backup from the gang because he was "getting run up on by redskins." However, the message was intercepted by prison workers, according to the Mercury. Courtier also allegedly threatened a prison guard of color that he would "take care" of him when he got out of prison, according to the paper. Both Courtier and Hunt pleaded not guilty in Bruce's death during an Aug. 22 court appearance, according to KGW. They were arrested on accusations of attempted murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon, and were indicted on Aug. 19, according to OregonLive. The couple remains in a Multnomah County detention facility on numerous charges with bail set at more than $500,000, police said. It was not immediately clear if they had retained attorneys. Their trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 3. Bruce was a stranger to the couple before he died, according to police. Since his killing, his family has requested privacy and has not spoken publicly. The world economy seems to have recovered from the Brexit jolt, but uncertainties surrounding the Fed decision of a rate hike and other global issues still exist. Amid the prevailing economic conditions, investing in the consumer staple sector is safe due to its defensive nature. In the consumer staple sector, the tobacco industry is showing some good signs right now. Reynolds America Inc. RAI and Altria Group, Inc. MO are two of the largest tobacco companies in America. Both these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Even though a little unconventional, tobacco seems to be a relatively safer sector to invest in at present. These companies stand to benefit from the addictive nature of tobacco. Smoking rates have, in general, been declining in the developed countries, while rising in the developing ones. This figure is anticipated to grow and resulting into steady sales and attractive yields for investors. So, let us find out which cigarette maker looks solid right now. Earnings Performance Altria Group made a strong start to 2016 recording both higher earnings and sales backed by strong pricing power and better-than-expected volume growth in first-half 2016. The company even raised its fiscal outlook based on robust first-half 2016 results. Supported by lower excise tax, gross profit and operating income increased year over year during the period. Altria upgraded its shopping website marlboro.com which provides engaging content directly to adult smokers through mobile devices. The core tobacco segments yielded decent results with Marlboro achieving its targeted market share in the first half. Brands like Copenhagen and Skoal also gained share during the period. ALTRIA GROUP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise ALTRIA GROUP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | ALTRIA GROUP Quote Reynolds also reported higher year-over-year earnings and sales in first-half 2016 backed by increased cigarette and moist snuff pricing. Its impressive brand portfolio of tobacco products aids in sustaining strong business momentum and generating decent profits. Further, the company invests consistently in innovation and brand building, which have helped it to maintain its leading position in the industry. Story continues REYNOLDS AMER Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise REYNOLDS AMER Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | REYNOLDS AMER Quote Dividend Yields Tobacco stocks reward investors with attractive yields. While Altrias dividend yields 3.42%, Reynolds American has a dividend yield of 3.39%. What do the Numbers Say In terms of share price, Altria is racing ahead with a 14% appreciation year-to-date in 2016 against Reynolds appreciation of almost 7.80%. However, with regard to long-term growth, Reynolds seems to have the lead. Its estimated long-term growth rate is 11.93%, which is way ahead of the industry growth rate of 9.70%. Also, it is better than Altrias long-term growth rate of 7.4%, which is behind the industry growth rate. However both these stocks carry a VGM ScoreScore of F. Further, both stocks are overvalued as is evident from their unfavorable P/E ratios compared with the tobacco industry. Reynolds P/E ratio is 21.33 while that of Altria is 21.58. On the other hand, the P/E ratio of the industry is 19.80. Altria, the Winner Undoubtedly, both Altria and Reynolds have delivered the goods in 2016 and have their own share of strengths and weaknesses. However, Altria emerges the winner when it comes to dividend yield and share price appreciation. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 ALTRIA GROUP (MO): Free Stock Analysis Report REYNOLDS AMER (RAI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. There are dolls that wet themselves, and then there are dolls that make you wet yourself. American Horror Story, of course, prefers the latter. Just in case you were heading into the Labor Day weekend a little low on nightmare fuel, Ryan Murphy and company have cooked up a new teaser for the sixth season of the FX anthology series. Baby Face, the latest in a string of promos for the new season features ominous, tinkling piano music, a spooky vocal chorus, and one seriously creepy doll. Also Read: 'American Horror Story': Did Rotten Tomatoes Just Leak Season 6 Title? Like, the creepiest doll in all of creepy-doll history. Sleep tight, kiddies Whether the latest tease actually has anything to do with the upcoming season, which premieres September 14, is anybodys guess FX boss John Landgraf has already stated that a number of promos are deliberate misdirects to keep fans in the dark, as the show is infamously guarded about details. (Just ask series star Evan Peters but dont expect an answer.) [Murphy and Stephanie Gibbons, FX head of marketing and on-air promotions] went out and made many more trailers than youve actually seen for hypothetical seasons of American Horror Story, meaning different genres and different places, Landgraf said at the Television Critics Association press tour this summer. And one of them is accurate, and the others are just misdirects. Also Read: 'American Horror Story' Gets Corny With Latest Promo (Video) Wanna get a jump-start on your next case of insomnia? Click on the video below. Related stories from TheWrap: 'American Horror Story': Did Rotten Tomatoes Just Leak Season 6 Title? Evan Peters' Own American Horror Story: Watch Actor Squirm Over Season 6 Questions (Video) 'American Horror Story' Gets Corny With Latest Promo (Video) In an attempt to accelerate its Smart Beta efforts, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. AMP closed the deal to acquire Emerging Global Advisors through its affiliate Columbia Threadneedle Investments. The deal terms remain undisclosed. Although Ameriprise shares were down 1.2% following the deal closure announcement, it had gained about 5% since the transaction was announced on May 11. The affiliates aim is to establish a foothold in the exchange-traded fund (ETF) market. Further, Colombia Threadneedle recently filed for multiple ETFs under the Columbia Beta Advantage banner. The attempt is to grow organically by offering its own smart beta strategies. Emerging Global is an established player in the smart beta market accomplished by its ETFs based on customized indices. The acquisition is expected to complement Columbia Threadneedles existing actively managed product lineup and add Emerging Globals expertise in product design, marketing and distribution of smart beta strategies. Apart from assisting in the operations and trading functions specific to ETFs, Emerging Global will help to develop the necessary marketing collateral, sales strategy and wholesaler tactics. Columbia Threadneedle plans on using Emerging Globals product development team and sales network to establish an immediate presence in the smart beta ETFs. Further, Columbia Threadneedle has also signed a preliminary licensing deal to develop nontransparent strategies by using NextShares technology owned by Eaton Vance Corp. EV. The transaction marks the second acquisition of Colombia Threadneedle in the ETF market. Colombia first broke into the ETF market with the acquisition of Grail Advisors in May 2011. Currently, Ameriprise Financial Inc. holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some better-ranked stocks in the same space include Federated Investors, Inc. FII and Fifth Street Asset Management Inc. FSAM, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 AMERIPRISE FINL (AMP): Free Stock Analysis Report FEDERATED INVST (FII): Free Stock Analysis Report EATON VANCE (EV): Free Stock Analysis Report FIFTH STREET AM (FSAM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research For those who dont receive Lena Dunhams Lenny e-newsletter, the Friday edition featured the Girls creators interview with comedic force Amy Schumer, who once again addressed the uproar over one of her Inside Amy Schumer writers, Kurt Metzger, who mocked rape accusers on social media. Why are these women treating him like he raped someone? she said. Hes not Bill Cosby; Kurt has never raped. What he was saying was horrific, and he was being a troll. He can be an Internet troll. The interview covered a wide range of topics, from tattoos to the tragedy of mass shootings, but Schumer spoke at length about the comic being, as Dunham put it, a real dick about rape and women who have been assaulted. Also Read: Kurt Metzger Defends Himself and Amy Schumer Following Social Media Firestorm Metzger was subject to online backlash after writing about Aaron Glaser, a comedian associated with the improv-comedy mainstay Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in New York City. Glaser was accused of raping multiple women, and was banned from performing at UCB after an internal investigation. Guys I have just heard some disturbing news, this guy Jiff Dilfyberg is a rapist! I know because women said it and thats all I need, Metzger wrote online at the time. Never you mind who they are. They are women! ALL women are as reliable as my bible! A book that, much like a women, is incapable of lying! Schumers unvarnished response: First I was like, f Kurt. Its been years that hes been doing this. Hes one of those guys, like a lot of the guys that Im friends with, who are degenerates. Kurt was saying this awful stuff, and in previous years, I would be like, Youve got to shut up. Hed be like, All right. Then it would kind of go away. This time, it was just so bad. But also, why are these women treating him like he raped someone? Hes not Bill Cosby; Kurt has never raped. What he was saying was horrific, and he was being a troll. He can be an Internet troll. The fact that I had to answer for it I was like, Ugh, why this week? [Jokingly:] I was like, if theres scandals, cant they be about me? I do understand that [Kurts actions] would come back to me. I can see myself thinking that if I heard somebody on someones staff was doing that. Id be like, I wonder how they are going to handle that. I get it. I get it, and I wasnt even resentful of the connection. I was resentful of the lack of trust. Like, Have I earned any good will with you guys? Do you believe that I feel that rape victims should be shamed on the Internet? Have I built up any sort of good will? Story continues Also Read: Amy Schumer Recalls Her Sex Assault: 'I Didn't Have a Perfect Rape' (Audio) Dunham opined on the topic as well: I dont think anyone should be a troll on the Internet, but I also get crazy about the idea of trigger warnings because a book isnt what I have a problem with. What I have a problem with is actions in the world. I understand that art and public figures teach people how to behave, but I want to be outraged about whats truly happening, because its always happening. When Schumer responded with a rhetorical question about why the focus wasnt on the rapist, Dunham came back with, I want to see a movie where youre Inspector Clouseau and youre like, Guys, theres a rapist! And everyone ignores you. With Schumers box-office clout, the two could probably make that movie happen. Related stories from TheWrap: Amy Schumer Shreds Sexist Heckler During Stockholm Show (Video) Amy Schumer Recalls Her Sex Assault: 'I Didn't Have a Perfect Rape' (Audio) Kurt Metzger Defends Himself and Amy Schumer Following Social Media Firestorm Shahi pledges to buy at least 15 aircraft Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeeban Bahadur Shahi has stressed on the need to develop infrastructure for overall development of the tourism sector. For Amy Schumer, social media gives her a platform to speak her mind, but it's often more of a burden. The comedian has talked about everything from body image to Kurt Metzger, a writer on her show Inside Amy Schumer who posted a controversial Facebook rant about rape, on social media, even when she didn't want speak up. Schumer addressed it all and more in an interview with Lena Dunham for Lenny Letter. Dunham started the interview by talking about body image, asking Schumer about when she called out Glamour magazine for putting her in a special "plus-size" issue. "What I was so glad about was that you were just being like, 'Why, when you see a woman and she has 18,000 contributions to the world, would your desire be to place her in a random category you came up with?' " Dunham says. "Right. I said, 'I think it's unfortunate that we still live in a time and a country where normal isn't good enough. The media body-shames women of healthy, normal sizes,' " Schumer says. "That's why I spoke up about the plus-size thing. Because plus size, unfortunately, still does have a negative connotation." But Schumer had no interest in writing about Metzger, while her Twitter followers hounded her for a comment. "First I was like, f--- Kurt. It's been years that he's been doing this," Schumer says. "He's one of those guys, like a lot of the guys that I'm friends with, who are degenerates. Kurt was saying this awful stuff, and in previous years, I would be like, 'You've got to shut up.' He'd be like, 'All right.' Then it would kind of go away. This time, it was just so bad. But also, why are these women treating him like he raped someone? He's not Bill Cosby; Kurt has never raped. "What he was saying was horrific, and he was being a troll. He can be an Internet troll. The fact that I had to answer for it a I was like, 'Ugh, why this week?' [Jokingly:] I was like, if there's scandals, can't they be about me? "I do understand that [Metzger's actions] would come back to me. I can see myself thinking that if I heard somebody on someoneas staff was doing that. I'd be like, 'I wonder how they are going to handle that.' I get it. I get it, and I wasn't even resentful of the connection. I was resentful of the lack of trust. Like, 'Have I earned any good will with you guys? Do you believe that I feel that rape victims should be shamed on the internet? Have I built up any sort of good will?' " One topic that Schumer felt extremely compelled to address is gun control, which has become a core cause for her after two women were shot and killed at a screening of her movie Trainwreck in 2015. RELATED VIDEO: Everything You Need to Know About Amy Schumer "I just wanted to do anything and everything I could," Schumer says. "And then I got really angry, and I was like, this is not OK. I want to really do something a So then I started going to events and meeting all these families of victims." "I got to go to the White House with my brother and my sister when Obama signed his executive order on gun control, and all these people were there, all these victims of shootings. All these people who joined this movement to try and help stop gun violence, and they come over and they are like, 'Thank you, because nobody listens to politicians, they listen to celebrities, so thank you, please keep helping us.' " "Hearing that, and seeing Obama deliver that speech like, tears just shot right out of his face when he started crying about the first graders being shot I was just like, I am a lifer, I am in this. I really hope I donat have to die for it, but I would." Amy Schumer does not mess around when you mess with her stand-up show. While performing in Stockholm Sweden on Wednesday, the comedian had a male fan kicked out after he interrupted her by yelling, "show us your t*ts." Schumer did not shy away from the heckler and instead pointed the man out in the crowd and put the spotlight on him. "Now, don't get shy," she said. "What do you do for a living?" she asked. When he responded that he was in sales she said, "How's that working out for you because we're not buying it." She then warned him that if he shouted out again, she would have him escorted out of the theater. "If you yell out again, you're going to be yelling 'show me your t-ts' to people in the parking lot, because you're gonna get thrown out." Unfortunately, the man did not heed her advice and after yelling out once again, was quickly shown the door by a security guard. "Bye. I'm going to miss you so much," Schumer quipped. We're coming back to London for another No Ceilings show, and we can't wait. This time we're heading to Camden Assembly with three rising artists each with their own unique style: Klangstof, Oscar #worldpeace, and Saint Clair. Klangstof's journey has been from Norway to Holland and eventually to L.A. and signing with always on-point label Mind of a Genius (Zhu, Gallant, They.). The music is danceable, emotional, and epicwe've been obsessed ever since we heard "Hostage." Klangstof will be joined by British rapper Oscar #worldpeace, whose rapid fire flows and catchy hooks have got him a Mike Skinner cosign and impressive buzz. Rounding out the bill is still mysterious artist Saint Clair, who impressed us with her moody pop on debut track "Sailing." No Ceilings London goes down on October 4 at Camden Assembly. Check out music from the artists below and buy tickets to the show here. Continue Reading On Complex When we first heard the word barndominium four months ago, we fell in love. This mashup was coined to describe an old barn converted into a loftlike living space. And it turns out, were not the only ones enamored with these rustic residences. According to your clicks, a beautiful Texas barndominium soared into the top spot when we surveyed this weeks most popular homes on realtor.com. This old red structure has been transformed into a three-bedroom residence with all the expected modern conveniences, including an open kitchen with granite countertops. Yes, in a barn. Beyond the bodacious barn, two other homes in Texas popped up in popularity: a fixer-upper in Waco and a regal ranch in Godley. Away from the Lone Star State, you also clicked on a bargain mansion in rural Virginia, the most expensive home in Detroit, and another shotgun home in New Orleans. Please lay down your weapons, and take a gander at this weeks most-clicked homes. Price: $899,900 Why its here: A smart spend! Co-listing agent Cory Allen said this Midwest mansion has a replacement estimate of over $2 million. Built in the 1930s and designed by architect A.M. Strauss, this beautiful brick Tudor is an awesome opportunity to live the old-money lifestyle with spending a lot. With almost 9,000 square feet of living space, the five-bedroom estate is only $101 per square foot. Fort Wayne, IN realtor.com Price: $895,000 Why its here: This rustic ranch is close to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, but far enough away to offer over 12 acres of land. Naturally, it has a workshop, barn, and windmill, as well as an outdoor kitchen and pool. Godley, TX realtor.com Price: $1,750,000 Why its here: This cool Craftsman in West Hollywood has plenty of its century-old charm still intact. Smart upgrades to the two-bedroom home are visible throughout, which pushes its price tag into the multimillion-dollar range. Story continues Los Angeles, CA realtor.com Price: $2,990,000 Why its here: Its Detroits most expensive home! Fully renovated and currently operating as a bed-and-breakfast, its a 10-bedroom Victorian mansion with 9,000 square feet of living space. If youve ever dreamed of scrambling eggs for strangers, make your way to the Motor City now. Detroit, MI realtor.com Price: $115,000 Why its here: This 11-bedroom former church is still drawing plenty of interest a couple of weeks after topping our most popular list. You dont have to pray for affordabilityits right here. Odell, IL realtor.com Price: $85,000 Why its here: Its a big fixer-upper deep in the heart of Texas. This old house needs serious TLC, but the paltry initial investment makes it totally tantalizing. The four-bedroom property is only $23 per square foot, which makes it a serious bargain for someone willing to put in the work. Aside from the price, were very intrigued by the barbecue shed in the backyard. Waco, TX realtor.com Price: $149,900 Why its here: Its a lot of house for the money, said listing agent Michelle Davis. The former duplex has been converted back into a single-family residence with five bedrooms. There was a lot of interest in this grand brick building, said Davis, who accepted an offer this week. Wyandotte, MI realtor.com Price: $514,900 Why its here: Last week, a double shotgun in the Big Easy topped our list. This week, we find a single shotgun home in New Orleans blasting into the third spot. And as with last weeks winner, this reconfigured shotgun residence is in the red-hot Audubon neighborhood. New Orleans, LA realtor.com Price: $549,000 Why its here: Its a 12,000-square-foot mansion for less than $550,000! Listing agent Janie Harris told us only two families have owned the estate since it was built in 1919 by a paper mill magnate. The price isnt a reflection of the homes conditionits in fabulous shapebut the location is a bit rural. She described the home on nearly 25 acres as an island all to itself, adding that it would make a perfect B&B or a relaxing weekend getaway for a wealthy DC-area buyer. Only about 3.5 hours from the nations capital, the Alleghany County area is up and coming, Harris said. This bargain mansion would be a sweet score for a savvy buyer. Covington, VA realtor.com Price: $120,000 Why its here: Its been four months since we came across our first barndominium. And history repeats itself thanks to this similar structure on 10 acresit strolled away with the crown of most popular this week. This West Texas property looks like a classic old red barn on the outside, but the interiors are like new. The rustic staircase is a highlight, as is the fact the builders were able to squeeze three bedrooms out of the old building. Were ready to bet big on the future of barndominiums! Kemp, TX realtor.com The post Another Amazing, Tricked-Out Barn Sits Atop This Weeks Most Popular Homes appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Two more Hollywood agencies are facing off in the courtroom over allegations of poaching - this time it's APA and Gersh. APA is suing its ex-agent Garrett Smith over his recent exit to Gersh, claiming he breached his contract by leaving and encouraging others to go with him. According to a lawsuit filed Thursday in L.A. County Superior Court, Smith's one-year contract was subject to extensions at APA's discretion through his third year with the agency. His initial contract was set to expire September 23, but APA in June extended it for another year. Smith's talks with Gersh began in July, according to the complaint, and involved not only terminating his own employment but also "diverting [APA's] existing and prospective client relationships and business opportunities, as well as certain of [APA's] employees, to Gersh" - ultimately leading to his resignation in August. In addition to breach of contract and unfair competition, APA is also suing Smith for breaches of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fiduciary duty and the duty of loyalty. APA is seeking statutory and punitive damages plus and injunction to prevent Smith from providing services to Gersh during the term of his employment agreement with APA. The Agency for the Performing Arts filed a lawsuit today against the Gersh Agency over the alleged poaching of agent Garrett Smith and also filed a separate suit against Smith. APA claims that Gersh hired the agent away early last month, despite his being under contract through September 2017. In its suit against Gersh, filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court (read it here), APA says it had extended Smiths contract on June 17 for one more year, a period set to begin September 24, and that Smith had agreed to the extension. APA alleges however that beginning in July, Smith was already discussing ending his employment with APA to move over to Gersh. Defendant [Gersh] hired Smith despite being specifically advised by Plaintiff that Plaintiff was entitled to Smiths exclusive services for the duration of the employment agreement, the suit reads. Further, says APA in the suit, Defendant knew of the economic relationship between Plaintiff and Smith, and intended to disrupt and interfere with that relationship. In the suit against Smith, also filed today in LA Superior Court (read it here), APA reiterates these accusations along with additional details. At issue, APA says that its employment agreement with Smith have APA the right to extend his contract in one-year increments for a period of up to three years, periods during which they had exclusive rights to his services. Aside from the extension, says APA, Smith violated his employment agreement by going over to Gersh before the current term was up. Plaintiff (sic) breached his duty of loyalty to Plaintiff by, among other things, rendering services for Gersh during the term of the employment agreement, seeking to divert Plaintiffs existing and prospective client relationships and business opportunities to Gersh, the suit against Smith says, and soliciting certain of Plaintiffs employees and encouraging them to terminate their employment with Plaintiff and accept employment at Gersh. Story continues Related stories Gersh Agency Taps Darah Wagner As VP Global Television Brendan Fraser Signs With Gersh Agency 'Good Witch' Star Bailee Madison Signs With Gersh By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he will appeal the European Commission's ruling that his company received an unlawful 13 billion euro ($14.5 billion) subsidy when Ireland gave it preferential tax deals and that he was confident the decision would be reversed. But over a dozen lawyers, including three advising companies on appeals, told Reuters it was impossible to predict how EU courts would rule in an area that has not been tested before. State aid cases have up until now centred on targeted tax laws that countries introduce with an obvious aim of attracting investment and jobs by reduced tax bills. In the Apple case, and several others, the Commission has been investigating whether member countries' tax authorities were secretly giving tax breaks by being too generous in their application of accepted tax principles. The Commission believes some member states allowed companies to shift profits into untaxed subsidiaries by approving inappropriate transfer prices -- the prices subsidiaries of multinational companies charge each other for intra-group transactions. Most experts said the EU judges dealing with any Apple appeal to overturn the ruling would be focussed on whether the European Commission has strayed too far into dictating national tax policy by rejecting Ireland's view of transfer pricing. What Apple and Ireland have done sounds really outrageous but the last word has not been spoken as to whether the Commission can use transfer pricing rules to identify what a subsidy is, said Herwig Hofmann, Professor of law at the University of Luxembourg. Theres a good argument to be made that if you want to do that, actually you have to harmonize tax laws and you dont have the power to do that. EU law says only governments can approve a harmonization of tax systems. The Commission has also been investigating tax transfer pricing at Fiat, McDonald's (MCD.N), Starbucks (SBUX.O) andAmazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) . The companies and the countries which gave the rulings all deny special treatment was given and have launched, or are considering, legal appeals. Story continues NO SPECIAL ADVANTAGE Some lawyers say that Apple's arrangement was legal in Ireland and theoretically available to any company and so the California-based company could not have received a advantage that was selective key factors in most state aid cases. Theres nothing that I have seen in any of the cases that have been taken by the European Commission that suggests there is selective application of the rules, Tim Wach, Global Managing Director at international tax advisors Taxand. However, other lawyers note that Apples unusual tax structure involving companies which are tax resident nowhere means its tax rulings are unlikely to have many close comparators. And the rulings lead to a less than 1 percent tax rate -- something most other companies dont enjoy. If I had to bet my dollar on something here, I think Apple could have a hard time overturning the selectivity argument, said Georg Berrisch, a partner at Baker Botts in Brussels. Last year, the European Commission published a list of six tax rulings and 59 measures similar in nature or effect since1991, which it had challenged on the basis of state aid rules. It was successful in almost all cases. Officials say these show its current actions are in line with previous precedents. Many experts in the field disagree and last week the U.S. Treasury issued a detailed paper which assessed earlier cases and said in none of the 65 cases involving State aid nor in any other cases examined by the U.S. Treasury Department, did the Commission challenge how a Member State tax authority applied its own transfer pricing rules in granting a specific ruling. OVER TO THE COURT Europes highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), will hear any appeal by Apple. The court usually backs the Commission, but lawyers say it sometimes disagrees in state aid cases where it usually comes up against countries. The Irish government is still considering whether to launch its own separate appeal. Some lawyers say ECJ judges are influenced by political considerations and that if the Commissions rulings prompt a major spat with the United States and member states dont support the Commission, the court may hesitate to enforce a tax demand of up to 13 billion euros plus interest. So far, France and Germany have voiced support for the Apple ruling. The UK, which has voted to leave the bloc, filed a submission in support of the Commission's case against Fiat, according to lawyers involved in the case. The UK declined comment. A spokeswoman for the court said political considerations do not come into its decisions. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager agreed. I dont think the courts will hear any kind of political opinions or feelings or whats in your stomach or whatever. They want the facts of the case, she said. The ECJ could decide the Commission is allowed to challenge transfer pricing but knock back the Commissions methodology for calculating Apple's bill. That would leave the door open to a smaller tax demand being levied. The amount isnt set in stone at all, I think this figurehead of 13 billion, that is yet to be analysed in detail, Hofmann said. If the court backs the Commission, the executive would theoretically be free to challenge hundreds of other complex tax arrangements used, mainly by U.S. companies, to minimize taxes on European sales. A Reuters investigation in 2013 showed that at least 74 percent of the 50 biggest U.S. technology companies, including Google (GOOGL.O) and Facebook(FB.O), use practices similar to Apples to reduce their tax bills Ireland is now supposed to calculate exactly how much Apple owes, which is typically paid ahead of an appeal, using the Commissions methodology. However, a quirk of the Apple ruling may delay this. The Commission said other EU countries could claim some of the 13 billion euros by re-assessing the income of Apple subsidiaries on their territories. Apple's appeal will first be to the EUs General Court, which will take two to three years to rule, lawyers say. A likely appeal to the ECJ could take another two years. In meantime, lawyers will be watching more advanced cases. Denis Waelbroeck, of law firm Ashurst in Brussels, who is advising Luxembourg on its appeal in the FIAT case, said the General Court could give a ruling on that next March. Whatever outcome we get will influence Apple, he said. (Additional reporting by Foo Yun Chee and Alastair Macdonald in Brussels; editing by Anna Willard) Dublin (AFP) - Ireland's fragile minority government agreed Friday to recommend an appeal against the EU's tax ruling on Apple but said it was recalling parliament early to debate the issue. The deal overcomes a split in cabinet surrounding the 13 billion euros ($15 billion) plus interest that the EU says Apple owes in back taxes, putting Ireland at the centre of a row between Europe and the United States. Apple chief Tim Cook has urged the government to appeal against the ruling to secure future investments but opinion polls have shown public support for Ireland taking the money and spending it on social services. "The government has decided unanimously to bring an appeal before the European courts to challenge the European Commission's decision on the Apple state aid case," Finance Minister Michael Noonan told reporters. "I believe that there are some very important principles at stake in this case and that a robust legal challenge before the courts is essential to defend Ireland's interests," he said. "The full amount of tax was paid in this case and no state aid was provided. Ireland did not give favourable tax treatment to Apple," he said. But Mary Lou McDonald, deputy leader of the opposition Sinn Fein party, said allowing Apple to avoid a tax payment was an "obscenity". "It's an agenda that has nothing to do with standing by the people of Ireland. What it demonstrates is an absolute disregard and disdain for citizens, fair play and tax justice," she said. Parliament will meet for a special session next Wednesday, ahead of its scheduled return on September 27, officials said. In Brussels, a European Commission spokesperson said: "The Commission will defend its decision in court". - 'In the public interest' - Earlier this week, three independent Irish ministers propping up the government had refused to back the appeal and said they wanted greater transparency about corporate tax arrangements for multinationals. Story continues But after the cabinet meeting, Shane Ross of the Independent Alliance said he and his colleague Finian McGrath had supported the government position. "We felt there was a state of urgency because there was uncertainty out there in the markets amongst some multinationals," he said. "We were persuaded by the argument that it was necessary to clear up that uncertainty as soon as possible," he said. Katherine Zappone, another dissenting independent, confirmed she too had agreed to the appeal "in the public interest". The back taxes that the European Commission has determined the US tech giant owes are equivalent to around five percent of Ireland's gross domestic product and almost all of its annual health budget. - 'Do the right thing' - "Ireland is caught in a dispute between the EU and US over which it has little control," the UK-based Financial Times newspaper wrote in an editorial. "Bowing to the commission's ruling would... be a tacit acknowledgement that there has indeed been something rotten in the low-tax regime that Dublin operates to attract multinationals," it said. Ireland's minority government relies on the support of the main opposition Fianna Fail party, which is likely to back the appeal in parliament. Some lawmakers believe Ireland cannot afford to undermine its tax policies, one of the main planks of a highly successful inward investment strategy that has consistently attracted the world's top tech and pharma multinationals over the past three decades. Others say Ireland should take the money and spend it on services or build more affordable homes to deal with a housing crisis. Ireland has two months to lodge an appeal against the ruling. Fianna Fail technology spokesman James Lawless said earlier that Ireland had to appeal but admitted this would be difficult to explain to voters who wanted the money "gift-wrapped on their doorstep". "I would be more interested in preserving Ireland's sovereign tax status," he said, adding: "Ireland has been caught in the crossfire between the United States and Europe". On Thursday, Cook turned up the heat saying he believed the Irish government "would do the right thing". "It is important the government stands strong on that because future investment for business really depends on a level of certainty," he said. Shree Airlines to diversify into fixed-wing operations Nepals largest helicopter operator Shree Airlines plans to diversify into fixed-wing operations by bringing in three jets for starters in a move expected to shake up the domestic aviation sector which seems to have quietened down of late. A total solar eclipse is one of the most otherworldly experiences a person can have on Earth. By an almost incredible coincidence, the the tiny, humdrum moon and the gigantic, raging sun are arranged in such a way so that the former can blot out the latter. Although the moon is about 400 times smaller, it covers the suns disc because its about 400 times closer to the Earth. A small group of dedicated travelers follow eclipses around the world, chasing the spectacle of the blackened sun's corona and the umbra, the conical shadow the moon casts over Earth. The community is tightly knit, bonded over the life-altering experience of losing the sun. Many umbraphiles are self-described eclipse addicts, having witnessed a dozen or more eclipses. Several gathered this week in equatorial Africa for an annular eclipse, and are already planning their itineraries for what they've dubbed the Great American Eclipse of 2017. Next August will be the first time the path of a solar eclipse will cross the nation since the year of its founding. Recommended: The Audacious Plan to Save This Mans Life by Transplanting His Head Midday on August 21, those fortunate enough to have a clear sky will see the sun slowly but inexorably consumed. A dark circle will slide over it, and the air will turn colder in an instant, as though someone had opened an Earth-sized freezer door. Warm air will stop rising from the ground and the wind will change direction, all while the umbra sweeps the land, making the sky so dark that stars emerge. Birds will hasten back to their roosts. At the moment of total eclipse, the sun will darken entirely, leaving only a halo of fire. Order your eclipse glasses now, in other words, and book a trip to my part of the country, where we will have the best view. I would say most people still find it, in a way, a sign of some kind of providence. Of course, there is another, less literal way to experience the mystery of an eclipse. For thousands of years, people in cultures around the world have depicted eclipses in art, imbuing them with fear and dread and a heavy dose of the supernatural. A Chinese myth held that eclipses happened when a sky dragon dined on our star. In the Americas, the Inca had a similar tale, only the hungry beast was a jaguar. Story continues In Western Europe during the Middle Ages, eclipses took on a dual meaning, and became a means for expressing varieties of both religious and scientific experience. Georg von Peurbach, Theoric nou planetarum, 1423-1461 Science Museum / SSPL In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, astronomy and solar eclipses were a huge craze. Virtually anyone who considered himself an educated person then took an interest in art and science, in a way that doesnt really happen anymore, says Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum in London. The popularization of telescopes and printing presses brought astronomical knowledge into middle class homes, he says. It was also a time of discovery, with new planets like Uranus and Neptune brought into the celestial fold, as well as new moons around distant worlds. Recommended: I Spent 30 Years Covering American Politics. Here's What I Wish Other Journalists Knew. By the time of the Enlightenment, eclipse artwork played a surprisingly important role in science, he says: There are intriguing occasions when the artistic eye has been of real utility to the scientific process. An art historian who runs the UKs national science museum, Blatchford recently searched the museums collections for representations of eclipses, for a paper on their role in the history of astronomy. He says he was especially struck by artists ability to capture the ethereal nature of an eclipse in a way that even photographs cant. When an eclipse happens, you only have a tiny amount of time to observe whats going on. But of course artists have a great skill of absorbing everything, he says. In early Christian art, eclipses appeared in scenes of the crucifixion to signify the anger of God and to represent the collective grief of the universe, Blatchford says. The Gospels tell of a darkened sky at the time of Christs death, which some scholars have interpreted as an eclipse. From Luke 23: 44-45: It was now about the sixth hour and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured and the veil of the temple was torn in two. By the Italian Renaissance, paintings still held religious meaning, but their depictions of the sky and stars were drawn from early modern astronomy, Blatchford says. Of all Blatchfords finds, my favorite is a 1735 painting by German painter Cosmas Damian Asam. It depicts St. Benedict, who is said to have experienced a vision of the whole world gathered together under a sunbeam. This is a fitting analogy for a solar eclipse, but what astonishes me about this painting is its rich detail. You can see not only the eclipse, but the solar corona, and the so-called diamond ring effect, which occurs when sunlight streams through lunar mountains. Here it falls right on the saints head. Recommended: Donald Trump's Campaign Is Based on Fear Jay Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College, has written that this painting may be the first accurate depiction of a total solar eclipse. He thinks Asam himself might have witnessed at least one, or maybe each, of the total solar eclipses that took place in 1706, 1724 and 1733. In one picture, youve got a lot of religion and a lot of science, says Blatchford. Even after the advent of photography, artists played a role in capturing eclipses, he says. He points to this lithograph of a total eclipse in Wyoming in 1878, produced by a French artist named Etienne Trouvelot. It is less detailed than modern photographs, but arguably more beautiful. The lithograph leaves some room for interpretation, letting your eye and brain do the work. A photograph is more passive, simply collecting light through a lens. Even in the 20th century, as photography improved, scientists still asked artists to accompany them on eclipse expeditions. They felt photography was still a bit crude in capturing the full magnificence, Blatchford says. Its about the atmospherics you get. Really a long time after the first official photograph of an eclipse in 1851, artists were still valued for their insights. In 1918, the US Naval Observatory invited the American portrait painter Howard Russell Butler to paint a solar eclipse. His work depicted the corona, the glowing, wispy ring visible beyond the dark circle of the moon. The paintings perspective work supported the hypothesis that the corona was the suns atmosphere, and not the moons. In the latter half of the 20th century, artists depictions of eclipses were less important to scientific discovery and more important as a means of interpretation. For a cosmic event of such rarity and strangeness, an artists eye seems like a useful tool indeed. Though eclipses are well-understood physical phenomena, they are still imbued with mystery, and thats something an artist can capture better than any camera. Blatchford told me he visited an installation by the artist Michael Benson, who produces planetary landscape images from spacecraft data. A picture at his exhibition, Otherworlds: Visions of Our Solar System, featured a view of a solar eclipse taken by NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory. Blatchford said from that perspective, it seemed impossible that the wee moon should blot out the sun. Even though rationally we understand an eclipse, I would say most people still find it, in a way, a sign of some kind of providence. They still cant quite believe its happening, he says. Even if you know what is happening, why its happening is a different question, isnt it? I think some of my colleagues get annoyed when I make that distinction. But I think most of our fellow human beings do make a distinction between understanding a technical explanation and wanting to look at even deeper explanations behind it. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. By Jamie Freed SYDNEY, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Australia's competition watchdog on Friday said online booking agencies Expedia Inc and Priceline Group Inc's Booking.com had agreed to allow Australian hoteliers to offer lower rates for direct bookings by telephone and walk-ins but not through their own websites. The deal, following an investigation, comes after Germany's antitrust regulator ordered Booking.com to scrap the practice of forbidding hotels to offer rooms at lower prices on their own websites. Similar changes have been made in Italy, France and Sweden. "They will now be able to offer lower rates through telephone bookings and walk-ins, offer special rates and deals to customer loyalty groups, in addition to offering deals via Expedia and Booking.com," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement. In a statement, Expedia said the changes did not apply to bookings marketed or published online. Expedia and Priceline dominate online hotel bookings globally and in Australia, where Wotif had once been a strong independent player before being bought by Expedia for A$703 million ($530.77 million) in 2014. Expedia and Priceline raised their commission rates to 15 percent from 12 percent after the Wotif takeover. Hotels have been unable to offer lower rates on their websites and by telephone and for walk-ins due to contractual clauses even though they did not need to pay the commission to online travel agencies for direct bookings. The Accommodation Association of Australia (AAA) has lobbied for those contractual clauses to be removed. AAA Chairman Richard Munro on Friday said his group had not been consulted before the deal between the online travel agents and ACCC was announced. "It is a long way off what we wanted," Munro told Reuters, referring to the inability to offer lower prices online, which is the most popular booking method. "It is only a very lukewarm way to where we need to be and consumers in this country aren't getting the best deal." Story continues Global hotel chains like Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Accor SA have focused on expanding their loyalty programme offerings and offering discounts and perks like free internet access and special meal deals to members to encourage customers to make direct bookings. Booking.com. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ($1 = 1.3245 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Stephen Coates) Seven years ago, Pia Hauk, M.D., a pediatric allergist at the National Jewish Health hospital in Denver, received the kind of phone call no parent wants to getthat her young daughter had suffered a serious allergic reaction to peanuts. Hauk rushed to the school and found, to her great relief, that her child was fine. School employees knew exactly how to proceed because they had an emergency action plan on filea list of a childs allergies and steps to take in case of an allergic reactionfor her daughter. Children spend eight hours a day, five days a week in a school environment, says Robert Lemanske, M.D., past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and a professor of allergy and immunology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Its critical that we do everything we can to prevent them from having an allergy or asthma attack while they are there, he says. Unfortunately, not all parents have provided their childrens schools with the necessary information about their childs allergies or asthma, and not all schools are as prepared for emergencies as Hauks was. Heres how to keep your child safe while at school. Start With Your Doctor As close to the start of the school year as possible, have your pediatrician or allergist review the allergy or asthma medications your child needs, Hauk says. Make sure youand, if appropriate, your childknow when and how to use those drugs, including an inhaler for asthma and an automatic epinephrine injector, such as an EpiPen, for a severe allergic reaction. Work with your doctor to make sure your child understands what they are allergic to or what can cause asthma attacks, so they can try to avoid those triggers. The older they get the more responsibility you can put on the child, Hauk says. Also ask your doctor whether your child needs to bring medications to school and, if necessary, to prepare an action plan that outlines the steps school officials should take in case of an allergic reaction or asthma attack. All children with asthma need such a plan, and many with food and other allergies do, too, Lemanske says. Also ask the doctor to complete any paperwork the school might require. (Read about when and how you should have your child tested for allergies.) Story continues Talk With the School Schedule time to talk with your schools nurse. If it doesnt have one, ask who's in charge of student health issues and talk with that person. Provide the school with any paperwork you already have from your doctor and ask if any additional information is needed. In addition, ask these questions: How do they store medication to keep it safe and to prevent it from being confused with medication for other students? How do they ensure that essential medication travels with students on school trips? Is medication accessible during after-school activities? In some cases, the office where such medication is stored gets locked up at the end of school day. In that case, you may need to provide an extra set of emergency meds and instructions for the after-school program. Allergies: Identify Triggers About 15 percent of children with food allergies have an allergic reaction in school, according to the nonprofit Food Allergy Research and Education organization. If your child has a food allergy, talk with the school to see if the cafeteria can provide meals that avoid your childs triggers. If not, pack lunches and snacks, and make sure that your child understands the importance of not sharing food with other students, Hauk says. Give the teacher a supply of allergy-free treats to have on hand for classroom celebrations. And show your child how to check food labels for known allergens. Many times allergies stem not from food but environmental triggers, such as pollen. If you suspect your childs reactions stem from pollen, talk with the school about keeping windows closed to prevent pollen from drifting into the classroom and also running the air conditioning, Hauk says. Classroom pets might also be an issue for some children. Ask your childs teacher about swapping guinea pigs and other pets with furs for turtles or fish. And because pet hair can be transported on clothing, children should not borrow friends coats. Asthma: Prevent Attacks Schools pose special risks to children with asthma, for several reasons. First, exercise is common cause of asthma attacks, so gym class can present challenges to some students. Lemanske emphasis that while exercise-induced asthma should never prevent children from participating in physical education, students prone to the problem may need to use an asthma inhaler first and should always have one on hand. Chalk dust can also trigger asthma in some people, so children should make sure to wash their hands after writing on the board. Finally, returning to school increases exposure to germs that can cause colds or the flu, and that can increase the risk of having an asthma attack. So its extra important for children with asthma to get the flu vaccine, and for them to practice good basic hygiene, like washing their hands regularly, Hauk says. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. New Europe Film Sales has sold French rights to Icelandic suburban satire Under the Tree, directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson (Paris of the North) to Bac Films Distribution. New Europe is headed by Jan Naszewski. Under the Tree is produced by Icelands Netop Films, Polands Madants and Denmarks Profile Pictures. Shooting ended Aug. 30 with completion expected in April 2017. Pic turns on a man forced to move back in in with his parents after his wife kicks him out. While he fights for custody of his 4-year-old daughter, he is gradually sucked into a dispute between his parents and their neighbors regarding an old and beautiful tree, which casts a shadow over the neighbors lawn, according to press notes. It stars Sigurdur Sigurjonsson (Rams), and it will be shot by Polish cinematographer Monika Lenczewska (Difret, Imperial Dreams). Under the Tree had previously pre-sold the 2 million euro ($2.23 million) film, which is supported by the Icelandic Film Centre, Danish Film Institute, Polish Film Institute, the Nordisk TV & Film Fond and Eurimages, to Sena for Icelandic distribution and to RUV for free TV in Iceland. Scanbox has acquired Scandinavian rights. Related stories Exclusive Clip From Venice Competition Film 'The Untamed' [VIDEO] Venice: Josh Hartnett In Advanced Talks For 'Jack of Hearts' Venice: Tom Ford, Jake Gyllenhaal Talk of Return and Reworking in 'Nocturnal Animals' (Reuters) - The possibility of winning Europe's most prestigious club competition in his hometown has given Wales winger Gareth Bale extra motivation to help Real Madrid become the first club to defend their Champions League title. The former Tottenham Hotspur winger has won the Champions League twice in three years since his record-breaking move to Real in 2013. Manchester United's Paul Pogba has since overtaken Bale as the world's most expensive player. If Bale were to achieve an unprecedented third Champions League title in this season's final at Cardiff, it would make him the only Welshman to win the competition three times, surpassing Ryan Giggs, Ian Rush and Joey Jones. "I played the (2014 European) Super Cup in Cardiff before and it was an amazing experience to have my friends and family close by," Bale told British media. "I suppose there's a little more motivation if there needs to be any more and we'll be trying to make history in Cardiff. "We know we have a chance and we will be trying our best to do that. My aim is to win as many trophies as I can and as many Champions Leagues as I can." English Premier League clubs spent a staggering 1.165 billion pounds ($1.55 billion) on new recruits during the close season but Bale felt the massive outlay will not necessarily translate into success on the continental stage. "It is difficult winning the Champions League regardless. No matter what goes on in the transfer market or how much you spend you have to perform on those nights," the 27-year-old said. Bale dazzled for Spurs with several notable performances in their 2010-11 Champions League campaign. The north London club return to the competition for the first time since that campaign and Bale was looking forward toa possible meeting against his former side. "It is great to see them back, and doing well, I wish them well in the Champions League -- until they play us," he said. ($1 = 0.7534 pounds) (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien) Fuel cell producer Ballard Power Systems Inc. BLDP announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with strategic partner, Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Company Limited ("Broad-Ocean"), with a goal of producing fuel cell modules for use in buses and commercial vehicles in select cities and regions across China. On Aug 18, Broad-Ocean made a $28.3 million strategic equity investment in Ballard Power, making it the largest shareholder of the latter. This equity investment and the signing of the MoU were part of a strategic collaboration between the two companies dated Jul 26, 2016. Expansion in China The latest deal is part of Ballard Powers expansion strategy in China. It will allow the company to expand its operations in key Chinese markets such as Wuhan, Chongqing, Shandong Province and Beijing. Ballard Power expects to make full utilization of Broad-Ocean's electric vehicle (EV) expertise, customer base, operations scale and supply chain strength to strengthen its foothold in important Chinese cities. The deal will also call for fuel cell production in China to lower costs and drive scale of operation with minimum investment. BALLARD PWR SYS Price BALLARD PWR SYS Price | BALLARD PWR SYS Quote China a Key Market for Ballard Chinese authorities have decided to lower their emission levels gradually. In addition to factories and utilities, transportation plays a major role in increasing pollution levels. Thus, the country is expected to see an increase in demand for fuel cell energy-based vehicles because of their environment-friendly nature. On Jul 18, Broad-Ocean signed an agreement with its partner for the purchase of 10,000 fuel cell vehicles, including buses and delivery trucks, which will all be powered by Ballard Powers fuel cell technology. Ballards Presence in Asia This July, Ballard Power and China-based Guangdong Nation Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology Co. Ltd. formed a joint venture to produce fuel cell stacks at a facility located in Yunfu city, northwest of Hong Kong. This five-year deal has the potential to generate total revenue of $168 million for Ballard Power. In August, Ballard Power Systems Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement with Toyota Tsusho Corporation ("TTC"), a unit of the Toyota Group, to expand its operations in Japan. This strategic tie-up will allow Ballard market its fuel cell products in Japan (Read More: Ballard Power to Expand in Japan via Toyota Deal). Our View The back-to-back deal wins by Ballard Power in Asia surely confirms the increasing importance of fuel cell technology. Going forward, India could offer huge opportunities for expansion. Last year, Ballard Power received an initial 100 unit order from Reliance Jio Infocomm for backup power system. With Reliance Jio recently deciding to launch its telecommunication operations on a massive scale, it might look to Ballard Power again for fuel cell backup power systems. Zacks Rank & Key Picks Ballard Power Systems currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the same industry include Nidec Corporation NJDCY,Stoneridge Inc. SRI and TTM Technologies Inc. TTMI. All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 STONERIDGE INC (SRI): Free Stock Analysis Report TTM TECHNOLOGIE (TTMI): Free Stock Analysis Report BALLARD PWR SYS (BLDP): Free Stock Analysis Report NIDEC CORP-ADR (NJDCY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A wealthy tycoon who was a chief financier for Bangladesh's largest Islamist party refused Friday to seek presidential clemency against his death sentence, an official said, paving the way for his imminent execution by hanging. Mir Quasem Ali, a key leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was sentenced to death by a controversial war crimes tribunal for offences committed during the 1971 independence conflict with Pakistan. After the Supreme Court rejected his final appeal on Tuesday against the penalty, Ali declined to seek a presidential pardon, which requires an admission of guilt. "Today (Friday) he announced his decision he won't seek mercy from the president," Prasanta Kumar Bonik, a senior official at the Kashimpur high security jail where Ali is imprisoned, told AFP. "The authorities will now decide when and where he will be executed," he said. The Supreme Court's decision was a major blow for the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which the 63-year-old Ali had helped to revive in recent decades. Security has been stepped up at the prison, located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Dhaka, after Ali announced his decision, local police chief Harun-or-Rashid told AFP. Five opposition leaders including four leading Islamists have been executed for war crimes since 2013, all of them hanged just days after their appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. Their families said they had refused to seek a presidential pardon as they did not want to legitimise the whole trials process. The war crimes tribunal set up by the government has divided the country, with supporters of Jamaat and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) branding it a sham aimed at eliminating their leaders. Ali, who after the war became a shipping and real estate tycoon, was convicted in November 2014 of a series of crimes during Bangladesh's war of separation from Pakistan, including the abduction and murder of a young independence fighter. Story continues His son Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, who was part of his legal defence team, was allegedly abducted by security forces earlier in August, which critics say was an attempt to sow fear and prevent protests against the imminent execution. The executions and convictions of Jamaat officials plunged Bangladesh into one of its worst crises in 2013 when tens of thousands of Islamist activists clashed with police in protests that left some 500 people dead. The Islamist party, which is banned from contesting elections, called a nationwide strike Wednesday, labelling the charges against Ali "false" and "baseless" and accusing the government of exacting "political vengeance". A group of United Nations human rights experts last week urged Bangladesh to annul Ali's death sentence and to retry him in compliance with international standards. By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh police on Friday killed the man they believe trained the militants who attacked a Dhaka cafe on July 1 killing 22 people, a senior police official said. The man, known as Murad, was the head of the military wing of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, Additional Inspector General of Police Mokhlesur Rahman said. "He trained the attackers who carried out the July attack," Rahman told reporters, adding police were still trying to identify his actual name. He was killed in a shootout when police launched a raid after being tipped-off to his whereabouts just outside the capital. Four police officers were wounded when the militant attacked them with machetes, a pistol and grenades, Rahman said. The raid came six days after Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, accused of masterminding the cafe attack, was killed when police stormed a militant hideout. Analysts say Islamic State in April identified Chowdhury as its national commander. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the cafe attack where militants singled out non-Muslims and foreigners, killing Italians, Japanese, an American and an Indian. The attack in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter was one of the most brazen in Bangladesh, where Islamic State and al Qaeda have claimed a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The government denies that Islamic State or al Qaeda have a presence in the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million people. But security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe assault suggested links to a trans-national network. The scale of that attack and the targeting of foreigners has could hurt foreign investment in the poor South Asian economy, whose $28 billion garments export industry is the world's second largest. On July 26, police killed nine militants believed to be plotting a similar assault. (Editing by Robin Pomeroy) So much to do Madhesi parties have high hopes that this government will address their grievances Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China, a White House official said Friday. It will be the first official meeting between the two leaders since May took office in July after David Cameron quit following the British vote to leave the European Union. Obama had spoken out strongly against a Brexit, warning voters in the referendum their nation would go "to the back of the queue" for a US trade deal if they opted to leave. In Hangzhou, the two leaders "will discuss a range of bilateral and global issues, and, as close friends and steadfast allies, the United States and United Kingdom continue to enjoy an enduring special relationship," the official said. Obama is also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 meeting. The US leader will also meet with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with whom relations have become more complex following the country's intervention in Syria. (Reuters) - Belgium celebrated Saint Arnould, the Patron Saint of brewers, on Friday by blessing a barrel of beer in a Brussels cathedral. Dressed in costumes and accompanied by a band, the knights of the "Brewer's Paddle," or Belgian Brewers' Guild, marched from the city's iconic Grand Palace to the altar where the consecration ceremony was held. According to the tradition, Saint Arnould was the son of a brewer and therefore learned the secrets of brewing at an early age. "It's a great moment of conviviality. Knights meet there, we forget about competition," said Michel Tasnier, who has been a member of the "Knighthood" for 27 years. "The key word of this is the quality of beer, produced with knowledge and drunk with wisdom." Xavier Pirlot, production manager at Chimay Brewery, also spoke highly of the event. "It's the day, the D-day of my year, of my brewing year," said Pirlot. "It's the opportunity for me to meet my colleagues and to celebrate our beer." The ceremony is followed by "Beer Weekend," an event gathering all brewers on the Grand Place to get the public to discover Belgium's best brews. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Editing by Dan Grebler) Actress Gabrielle Union, who plays a silent woman who was raped in Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation, has written an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times revealing her "stomach-churning confusion" as she learned that Parker was accused and acquitted of rape. The actress was herself raped at gunpoint at age 19, in the back room of the Payless shoe store where she was working, leading her to become an advocate for sexual-assault victims. She says this experience, "a stain that is finely etched into [her] own history," continues to affect her on a core level. "Rape is a wound that throbs long after it heals," Union writes. "And for some of us the throbbing gets too loud. Post traumatic stress syndrome is very real and chips away at the soul and sanity of so many of us who have survived sexual violence. " She continues: "Since Nate Parker's story was revealed to me, I have found myself in a state of stomach-churning confusion." Indeed, Union says she took the Birth of a Nation role, a nonspeaking part, because she "related to the experience" and wanted to "give a voice" to her silent character. Read more: Academy President on 'Birth of a Nation' Backlash: "People Need to See the Movie" "In her silence, she represents countless black women who have been and continue to be violated," Union says. "Women without a voice, without power. Women in general. But black women in particular. I knew I could walk out of our movie and speak to the audience about what it feels like to be a survivor." In her op-ed Union gives voice to her "confusion" as well, explaining that she doesn't know what actually happened between Parker and the woman who claimed he raped her. "As important and groundbreaking as this film is, I cannot take these allegations lightly," Union writes. "On that night, 17-odd years ago, did Nate have his date's consent? It's very possible he thought he did. Yet by his own admission he did not have verbal affirmation; and even if she never said 'no,' silence certainly does not equal 'yes.' Although it's often difficult to read and understand body language, the fact that some individuals interpret the absence of a 'no' as a 'yes' is problematic at least, criminal at worst. That's why education on this issue is so vital." Story continues The actress who's married to Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, the father of young boys, says she's recently understood that in addition to many other lessons, she and Wade need to talk to their kids about "boundaries between the sexes. And what it means to not be a danger to someone else." Read more: Oscar Voters Ponder Nate Parker and 'Birth of a Nation': "I Would Not Go to the Movie" "To that end, we are making an effort to teach our sons about affirmative consent," she says. "We explain that the onus is on them to explicitly ask if their partner consents. And we tell them that a shrug or a smile or a sigh won't suffice. They have to hear 'yes.'" She continues, "Regardless of what I think may have happened that night 17 years ago, after reading all 700 pages of the trial transcript, I still don't actually know. Nor does anyone who was not in that room." Still, she remains committed to Parker's film, arguing that it serves as a teaching tool. "I believe that the film is an opportunity to inform and educate so that these situations cease to occur on college campuses, in dorm rooms, in fraternities, in apartments or anywhere else young people get together to socialize," Union says. Part of the promotional plan Fox Searchlight is undertaking for Birth includes a college tour. And she hopes that her role will resonate with other women who have been raped but remain silent. Read more: Nate Parker's Path to Forgiveness How 'The Birth of a Nation' Can Survive a Rape Trial Scandal "I took this part in this film to talk about sexual violence," she says. "To talk about this stain that lives on in our psyches. I know these conversations are uncomfortable and difficult and painful. But they are necessary. Addressing misogyny, toxic masculinity and rape culture is necessary. Addressing what should and should not be deemed consent is necessary. Think of all the victims who, like my character, are silent. The girls sitting in their dorm rooms, scared to speak up. The wife who is abused by her husband. The woman attacked in an alley. The child molested. Countless souls broken from trans-violence attacks. It is for you that I am speaking. This is real. We are real. Sexual violence happens more often than anyone can imagine. And if the stories around this film do not prove and emphasize this, then I don't know what does." She adds, "It is my hope that we can use this as an opportunity to look within. To open up the conversation. To reach out to organizations which are working hard to prevent these kinds of crimes. And to support its victims. To donate time or money. To play an active role in creating a ripple that will change the ingrained misogyny that permeates our culture. And to eventually wipe the stain clean." Read more: Nate Parker's 'Birth of a Nation' Faces Uphill Battle Amid Resurfaced Rape Claims Gabrielle Union, who will be at the Toronto Film Festival later this month when Nate Parkers Birth Of A Nation is screened and will take part in the press junket afterward, wrote an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times today. She noted that when she read all 700 pages of court documents from the 1999 rape charge against Parker and the films co-creator Jean McGianni Celestin, it sent her into a state of stomach-churning confusion. Union, who co-stars in the film as a woman who was raped, said she did not take the news lightly because she herself was raped at gunpoint 24 years ago. She writes that she actually took the role so she could start a conversation about sexual violence. I took this role because I related to the experience, Union writes, both as an actress and as a rape survivor. I also wanted to give a voice to my character, who remains silent throughout the film. In her silence, she represents countless black women who have been and continue to be violated. Women without a voice, without power. Women in general. But black women in particular. I knew I could walk out of our movie and speak to the audience about what it feels like to be a survivor. The Toronto screening will take place in only nine days, and Parker will be joined by Union and fellow cast members Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King and Penelope Anne Miller in what Fox is calling a video junket where questions will be fielded by them all. My compassion for victims of sexual violence is something that I cannot control, she wrote. It spills out of me like an instinct rather than a choice. It pushes me to speak when I want to run away from the platform. When I am scared. Confused. Ashamed. I remember this part of myself and must reach out to anyone who will listen other survivors, or even potential perpetrators. She said even after reading the court documents, she still doesnt know what happened in the room that night 17 years ago but says that she believes the film gives her an opportunity to speak up, educate and inform others to try to prevent more incidents of violence like what happened to her. I took this part in this film to talk about sexual violence. To talk about this stain that lives on in our psyches. I know these conversations are uncomfortable and difficult and painful. But they are necessary. Addressing misogyny, toxic masculinity, and rape culture is necessary. Addressing what should and should not be deemed consent is necessary. She also encouraged others to help victims of rape. Story continues Celestin initially was convicted, but that was overturned on appeal, and his case was not retried. Parker was acquitted of the charge in 2001. The victim subsequently committed suicide after suffering through harassment and enduring a stressful trial. RelatedFox Searchlight, Nate Parker Confront Old Sex Case That Could Tarnish The Birth Of A Nation Related stories 'The Birth Of A Nation' & Nate Parker Will Get Toronto Press Conference, Not From Festival But From Fox Nate Parker: Earlier Comments Made "From A Standpoint Of Ignorance" Nate Parker Won't Face Public Press Grilling As 'Birth Of A Nation' Screens At Toronto Nate Parker continues to face intense scrutiny for his involvement in a 1999 college rape trial. This time, its coming from Gabrielle Union, one of the stars in his highly anticipated film The Birth of a Nation. As important and ground-breaking as this film is, I cannot take these allegations lightly, Union wrote in an essay for The Los Angeles Times. Union, 43, addressed the case from the point of view of a rape survivor. Twenty-four years ago I was raped at gunpoint in the cold, dark backroom of the Payless shoe store where I was then working, Union said. Two years ago I signed on to a brilliant script called The Birth of a Nation, to play a woman who was raped. One month ago I was sent a story about Nate Parker, the very talented writer, director and star of this film. Seventeen years ago Nate Parker was accused and acquitted of sexual assault. Four years ago the woman who accused him committed suicide. In 1999, Parker and his then-classmate Jean Celestin were accused of sexual assault by an 18-year-old female classmate at Penn State. Parker was acquitted in a 2001 trial, while Celestin who is listed as a collaborator on Birth of a Nation was initially found guilty but whose conviction was later overturned on an appeal. Since Nate Parkers story was revealed to me, I have found myself in a state of stomach-churning confusion, Union writes. I took this role because I related to the experience I knew I could walk out of our movie and speak to the audience about what it feels like to be a survivor. Last week, Parker apologized for his insensitive response to the controversy in an interview with Ebony magazine. I gotta be able to look at it and say, well, you know, I have engaged in hyper-male culture, Parker said about the case. And Im learning about it, and Im learning how I can change and help young boys and young men change. In her essay, Union touched on how she and husband Dwyane Wade are raising brilliant, handsome, talented young black men. My husband and I stress the importance of their having to walk an even straighter line than their white counterparts, Union said. A lesson that is heartbreaking and infuriating, but mandatory in the world we live in But recently Ive become aware that we must speak to our children about boundaries between the sexes. And what it means to not be a danger to someone else. Union added that she read all 700 pages of Parkers trial transcript, and admitted, I still dont actually know. Nor does anyone who was not in that room. But Union maintained that Birth of a Nation can hopefully help start a conversation about and bring an end to sexual violence. I took part in this film to talk about sexual violence, she said. To talk about this stain that lives on in our psyches. I know these conversations are uncomfortable and difficult and painful. But they are necessary. TORONTO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd said on Friday that its encryption technology is being used to toughen a "spy-proof" Samsung tablet that is being used by German government agencies dealing with classified information. The device, a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, includes a security card and encryption and certification software developed by BlackBerry's Secusmart, which locks down data stored on and transferred from the SecuTABLET, the Canadian company said in a statement. Knox, a Samsung security product, is also included. Canada's BlackBerry, a smartphone pioneer, has sought to build up its focus on security and productivity software and the management of more popular handsets as it trims its own money-losing phones. BlackBerry did not disclose the value of the deal with the German agencies. It unveiled its second Android-based handset in July. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Phil Berlowitz) At least 10 people are dead and another 60 injured after an explosion at a night market in the Philippine town of Davao, the hometown of controversial President Rodrigo Duterte. It is unclear what caused the explosion and whether it was an accident or a targeted attack, but the blast coincided with Dutertes arrival in Davao. He was nowhere near the scene at the time, and quickly sheltered at a police station. The incident came just days after local media reported that Philippine police claimed they had foiled an assassination plot against Duterte, the loudmouthed president elected this summer who has launched an aggressive shoot-to-kill campaign against anyone suspected of drug-dealing. Right now, we cannot yet give a definite answer to as to who is behind this as we are also trying to determine what really exploded, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, the presidents son, said in a statement. More than 2,000 people have been killed by the Philippine police this summer, prompting condemnation from human rights groups and the United Nations, which have called the aggressive campaign a violation of human rights. This week, Duterte, who previously threatened to pulled the Philippines out of the U.N., turned down a request from Secretary General Ban ki-Moon to meet at a summit in Laos next week. According to U.N. officials, the meeting would have focused on his war on drugs. Photo credit: Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a media forum of the All-Russia People's Front in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Dmitry Lovetsky/Pool A Bloomberg journalist grilled Russian President Vladimir Putin over which candidate he favors in the US presidential election in an interview published on Friday. Putin demurred, saying that he didn't have a preference, but Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait pushed him. "I'm just looking at some of the things that Donald Trump has said about you, like in 2007, he said, 'Putin's doing a great job.' And in 2011, he praised your no-nonsense way, next year he said you were his new best friend, next year he said you were outsmarting the Americans, he said you have good ratings together, I could go on and on like that," Micklethwait said. The Bloomberg editor added: "You're really telling me that if you have a choice between a woman who you think may have been trying to get rid of you and a man who seems to have this sort of great affection for you, almost bordering on the homoerotic ... you're not going to make a decision between those two? Because one of them would seem to be a lot more favorable toward you." Putin didn't take the bait. "You know, I essentially already answered your question," Putin said. "I will reformulate it again in different words. We are ready to work with any president, of course. I also want to say that it depends on how ready the future administration is. If someone says that they want to work with Russia, we will welcome it." Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, praised Putin after the Russian leader described him as "very talented." NOW WATCH: Trump now says he never met Putin here's footage of when he said the opposite More From Business Insider TU professors condemn efforts to distort Nepali writing Professors from Central Department of Nepali at Tribhuvan University have expressed grave concern over the circular imposed to Nepali readers and writers on the use of writing, and urged all concerned to take initiative to deny this circular. Donald Trumps press conference on Wednesday, held after he met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, left observers buzzing about trade agreements, immigration, humanitarian crises and bobby pins. Yep, just a few months after his famous hairspray speech, delivered to a crowd of amused coal miners in West Virginia, the Republican candidate raised questions this week as to whether he had stood on the podium with a couple of bobby pins crisscrossed into his do. Trump rockin those bobby pins today in Mexico. I was wondering why he looked SO AMAZING. pic.twitter.com/UWCL5gaglM Adam Shapiro (@adamshapiro) September 1, 2016 Others werent quite so sure, and some simply delighted in the possibility. Does Trump have a bobby pin in his hair? Ari Kohen (@kohenari) August 31, 2016 Is trump wearing a Bobby pin? Justin West (@jwestPhotog) August 31, 2016 Im watching Trump speak from Mexico, and I cant get over the fact that he has a bobby pin controlling his epic #combover. David Gershfeld (@DavidGershfeld) August 31, 2016 I wonder if Pena Nieto can see the bobby pin in Trumps hair #TrumpEnMexico pic.twitter.com/LMjwCLtWJ3 Meredith Allison (@RockTique) August 31, 2016 My dad was watching something about trump and immediately yelled do you see his bobby pin?! ???????? KEEKS (@kianamanzo13) September 1, 2016 But others were serious about getting answers. Story continues No really, did Trump have a Bobby pin in his hair today or not? Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 1, 2016 While it certainly looks as if the heavily shared close-up image of the Donald (in top tweet) does indeed contain bobby pins, Yahoo Beauty is wondering if those have been at all doctored, as press images of the event appear to show some strands of hair that have clumped together from too much product, forming a pinlike point: According to master grooming expert Ann Shim of the Grooming Lounge, The [above] photo looks pretty normal. The other looks doctored. It looks like its been sprayed and pasted back. And she cant help but add, I dont know who his stylist is, but he has a terrible haircut. It doesnt look like hes had a cut in two months. Though obviously, he keeps it long to mask the thinning on his crown. If it does happen to be a bobby pin, shes mystified. Ive never known a man in my entire life to ever wear a bobby pin in his hair, Shim says. And if somebody left it in there by accident, hes probably going to fire them. But lets say, just for fun, that the pins were real. That, says a very bemused Mila Grigg, CEO of MODA Image and Brand Consulting, would have not been the worst thing to happen. My first thought was he is typically seen as a rough-and-tumble type of man, and this definitely shows he has a feminine side! she tells Yahoo Beauty. If those really are bobby pins, I would bet that he, or his stylist, simply forgot to remove them after getting his hair into place. At least now he can relate to the busy women of America who walk out of the house with random bobby pins, clips and only one eye of mascara! Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. TOKYO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan's policy review this month will debate some unintended consequences of its stimulus programme such as a flattening yield curve and potential pitfalls of its purchases of exchange-traded funds, sources familiar with the plans said. The central bank may fine-tune its policy tools to address problems at its Sept. 20-21 rate review such as making its bond buying more flexible, the sources said, though there is no consensus yet on what the best approach would be. "The key is to explain why the yield curve has flattened so much just by adding negative rates to asset purchases," said one of the sources on condition of anonymity. "There may be room to consider steps to address this." Earlier, BOJ board member Makoto Sakurai told Reuters the yield curve has flattened more than expected. "One thing we could consider as a policy option is ways to change the shape of the yield curve." The BOJ's decision in July to double its purchases of exchange-traded funds (ETF) has given rise to another source of headache that may be discussed at September's review. While the BOJ does not reveal details of its buying and entrusts it to trust banks, analysts say it disproportionately benefits a handful of high-priced shares that have outsized weightings in the Nikkei stock average. The BOJ may discuss making some technical changes that help level out any such discrepancies as part of a broader debate on how its policies are affecting markets, the sources said. (Reporting by Leika Kihara, Yoshifumi Takemoto and Sumio Ito; Editing by Richard Borsuk) (Reuters) - Canadian plane and train maker Bombardier Inc said on Friday it had received the final installment of $500 million from the province of Quebec as part of a previously announced investment in its CSeries aircraft program. The Quebec government signed a deal with the company in June to invest $1 billion in the CSeries program, which has struggled with years of delays and cost overruns. (Reporting by Anet Josline Pinto in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) Washington (AFP) - Forty-five years after inmates revolted at the US prison Attica, a historian has begun to unravel what she calls the tangled web of official lies about the ruthless suppression of the bloody uprising. Heather Ann Thompson of the University of Michigan has gathered the results of 13 years of research into "Blood in the Water," a 720-page book on the 1971 incident in the upstate New York facility. Still, she says the authorities refused her access to "hundreds and hundreds of boxes of materials." "The evidence is clear that they don't want to do that because then the extent of the cover-up would be clear," she told AFP. The uprising occurred at the end of a period of high-profile civil rights and racial justice battles in a country still struggling with race issues. The summer of 1971 was coming to an end. Midway between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in the western corner of New York state, the Attica prison held a majority of African American and Puerto Rican prisoners, monitored by guards who were virtually all white. Conditions were appalling. Held in suffocatingly hot cells not renovated since the 1930s, prisoners received a mere half-gallon (two liters) of water a day, which they also had to use for their laundry and cleaning. They were allowed only one shower a week and a single roll of toilet paper a month. The prison spent just 63 cents per prisoner per day to feed them. - Treated like 'beasts' - Prisoners were forced to work. "Black prisoners also endured the worst jobs," Thompson said. There was other discrimination, whether religious -- Islam was banned -- or cultural, such as mail in languages other than English dumped in the trash. It was in that context the revolt broke out on September 9, 1971. Around 1,300 prisoners seized control of the buildings, taking guards and other employees hostage. "We are not beasts," one of the rebel prisoners declared amid intense negotiations that went into a fourth night. Story continues "From the moment that the prisoners took over Attica, I believe that everybody in Washington, from the FBI to the army, the navy, the marines, the CIA, the attorney general's office and the office of the president were being informed of what was happening," Thompson said. But on September 13, the governor of New York state, Nelson Rockefeller, sent in troops. Advancing through clouds of tear gas, hundreds of police officers and national guards opened fire on the unarmed inmates. Twenty-nine prisoners and nine hostages were killed and some hundred men were seriously wounded. A 10th hostage who was shot later died. The explanation the authorities provided, and the media ran with, was that the prisoners had slit their hostages' throats. "That was not true -- every hostage had been killed by law enforcement and by guns," Thompson said. "The government wanted to portray it as a black insurrection." Combing through archives, the historian concluded that Rockefeller had purposely sacrificed the hostages' lives ordering the prison to be retaken by force. "He made that decision even when everyone warned him that the hostages would die, that it was going to be a massacre -- and that's the word they used incidentally: massacre," she said. - 'Black business', Mr. President - "When it ended so terribly and so many prisoners were killed, all that (President) Richard Nixon wanted to know from the governor, Rockefeller, was 'was it a black business?'" Thompson said. "And Rockefeller said: 'Yes, Mr President it was!' And of course once he (Nixon) felt that it was all black prisoners, he was fine with it, it did not bother him." In the days and weeks that followed the uprising, guards and others exacted their revenge on prisoners. Many were tortured. Nearly half a century later, the prisoners' protests and the false claims against them have had major -- paradoxically opposite -- repercussions, the historian said. "In the immediate aftermath of Attica, there is a moment of great reforms" that made some prisons more humane, she said. "But it was very short-lived." "Because the state officials lied about what happened and said that the prisoners had committed atrocities, it helped to turn this entire nation against civil rights and prisoners' rights," she said. As a result, the United States began locking up more people than any country. "Attica became like the fuel for this engine that was punitive criminal policy." In Sidney Lumet's 1975 film "Dog Day Afternoon," Al Pacino plays Sonny, a robber surrounded by police officers who takes bank employees hostage. Looking to raise sympathy during the standoff, he shouts "Attica! Attica!" Tired of the constant difficulty women receive for breastfeeding in public, a British bookshop has posted a tongue-in-cheek sign in their front window encouraging women to be ostentatious. Coventry, youre alright you #ostentatiously #bookshopbreastfeed A photo posted by Judi Ellard (@judiellard) on Aug 22, 2016 at 2:12pm PDT We only allow breastfeeding if it is done ostentatiously, the sign reads. Catching the eye of Judie Ellard who shared an image on Instagram, the sign pokes fun at the notion that breastfeeding is something that should be hidden away in a dark corner, or even a restroom. Instead, The Big Comfy Bookshop wants to encourage women to find their inner queen as implied by the crown drawn beneath and breastfeed out in the open with pride. The secondhand shop located in Fargo Village, Coventry is somewhat known for its clever signage, but its nice to see that theyre addressing an issue that has become such a controversial subject in the media. Tip jar. A photo posted by The Big Comfy Bookshop (@bigcomfybooks) on Aug 5, 2016 at 7:58am PDT Todays sign. #comein #fargocov #bookshop A photo posted by The Big Comfy Bookshop (@bigcomfybooks) on Jun 28, 2016 at 1:48am PDT We do books and cake. Not cars. #motofest #coventry #bookshop A photo posted by The Big Comfy Bookshop (@bigcomfybooks) on Jun 4, 2016 at 3:34am PDT What do you think of the sign? Let us know by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f198561%2fa126a20b56c443ef85056fa6d99fc830 Now this is what friends are for. Ross Kelly, a year six student at Amaroo School in Canberra, Australia has been recognised with a Fred Hollows Humanity Award for going above and beyond when it came to helping a fellow classmate, Isam Gurung. SEE ALSO: A 10-year-old girl is teaching her deaf puppy commands in sign language Gurung, who is profoundly deaf, moved to the school from a specialist school around a year ago. Initially very shy and not keen on attending class, Kelly was determined to find a way to help the new student settle in. "We started out writing notes to each other and I decided this wasn't very efficient because there was always a delay," Kelly told ABC News. So Kelly stepped it up by learning Auslan (Australian sign language) so they could both communicate with each other. Now they've become great friends too. "Ross has used his skills to interpret whole school assemblies, pass on messages to Isam and sign at Scout events," their teacher Sara Jayn Middleton, said in a statement via email. "His attitude towards inclusivity is one many can only be in awe of." The school does provide an interpreter, but there's something very special about having a friend that can communicate with you particularly one that's picked up a language to do just that. The pair hang out at Scouts, with Gurung recently hosting a deaf awareness night. "We played a game with Auslan, we taught all the hearing Scouts the signs and the Auslan alphabet and the numbers up to 10," Isam's father, Indra Gurung, told the ABC. Winning the top award allows Kelly to nominate a charity for a A$5,000 (US$3,779) donation, and he's chosen a school eye-health program in Cambodia run by the Fred Hollows Foundation. It's the gift just keeps on giving. By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's long-dormant equity capital markets could be set for a revival in the coming months that might help offset slower-than-expected merger and acquisition activity, bankers said. Growing appetite for risk among local investors and expectations of a more business-friendly government after the ouster of former President Dilma Rousseff could help resuscitate a market that has seen only one initial public offering over the past 23 months, the bankers said. That compares with 10 over the previous two years. While IPOs are not imminent, bankers at Itau BBA SA and Morgan Stanley say they expect between five and seven more offerings to take place before year-end. Brazil's benchmark stock index is up 35 percent this year, the world's second-best performer, on optimism about Rousseff's replacement by her former vice president, Michel Temer. Stung by dozens of capital-raising deals that fell short of promised returns during Rousseff's five years in office, foreign investors in particular are wary of equity offerings in Latin America's biggest economy. However, they could quickly return if Temer effectively tackles Brazil's budget problems and reignites confidence in the economy, said Roderick Greenlees, Itau BBA's global head of investment banking. "There is a situation of repressed demand for capital, which can lead more companies to go ahead with their offering plans," Greenlees said in an interview, suggesting there is pent-up appetite for such deals. A renewed flow of equity offerings could lead to the reworking of some M&A deals now being negotiated, according to bankers including Marcus Silberman, head of Brazil M&A at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The equity market's revival comes after dozens of M&A deal talks ran aground in recent months as buyers and sellers split over valuations and worried that the nation's political crisis could trigger regulatory or tax changes. Story continues One example is homebuilder Gafisa SA, which is leaning toward listing low-income home unit Construtora Tenda SA rather than selling part of it to a partner in the belief that an IPO could fetch more, people told Reuters last month. Likewise, Carlyle Group LP and CVC Brasil Operadora SA founder Guilherme Paulus' failure to find a buyer for their majority stake in the travel agency led them to sell part of their holdings through a public offering. M&A transactions accounted for half of Brazil investment-banking advisory fees over the past four years. In the past year, equity underwriting fees in Brazil have fallen more than 50 percent to $51 million - an amount equivalent to a quarter of M&A advisory proceeds in the same period, Thomson Reuters and Freeman Consulting data show. JUGGLING ACT Itau BBA, Brazil's largest investment bank, expects companies to raise up to 10 billion reais ($3.1 billion) this year from offerings. In many cases, companies raising new equity will do so while at the same time exploring a full or partial sale to a strategic buyer, Bank of America's Silberman said. Access to funding will also help cash-strapped companies raise capital at a time when bankruptcy filings have hit a record. Others view offerings as a way to fuel expansion as the country's economy revives. Still, increased offerings may be a mixed blessing for private equity funds, said Eduardo Miras, co-head of Brazil investment banking at Morgan Stanley. "Although private equity sponsors may have to pay more to invest in companies, active public equity markets give them an additional alternative for divestments," he said. BRF SA's Middle East-based food processor Sadia Halal, and medical imaging provider Centro de Imagem Diagnosticos SA, which filed for an IPO this week, are among candidates for listing debuts. Call center firm Contax Participacoes SA also recently filed to sell shares in a private placement. According to bankers, the return of cash-flush foreign investors is a necessary condition for the success of offerings next year. Companies and shareholders raised about $1.9 billion from Brazilian follow-on offerings this year, according to Thomson Reuters and bourse operator BM&FBovespa SA data. The number does not include private placements and restricted-efforts deals. Last year follow-ons and IPOs raised over $5 billion. The value of Brazilian corporate takeovers fell 11 percent to $21 billion in the year through Aug. 31 from the year-earlier period, while the number of announced M&A transactions slumped 16 percent from a year ago, Thomson Reuters data show. ($1 = 3.2272 Brazilian reais) (Additional reporting by Robert Levine in New York; Editing by Christian Plumb and Bill Rigby) By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Ana Mano SAO PAULO, Sept. 2 (Reuters) - Growing tensions over Oi SA's bankruptcy process are driving some bondholders to court Brazil's government as an ally against several investors whom they view as a threat to the phone carrier's survival. Private creditors and their advisers have been meeting in recent weeks with cabinet members, state-controlled bank executives and industry watchdog Anatel about heading off rogue investors who may try to break the carrier up in the middle of Oi's reorganization, seven people directly involved in the process have told Reuters. The push to find common ground with the government comes after Brazilian officials pledged in June to keep their distance when Oi filed for bankruptcy protection in June after talks to restructure 65.4 billion reais ($20 billion) in debt collapsed. The stakes are high. Oi is Brazil's largest fixed-line carrier, employs some 140,000 people and is the only phone company in 1,800 Brazilian towns, or about one-third of the nation's 5,500 municipalities. Several state banks have lent billions in reais to Oi, leading creditors and government officials to discuss options ahead of the presentation of Oi's recovery plan expected late next week. "We envision a plan in which private creditors bear losses accordingly with their risk-taking, and no predator shareholder prevails," said a senior government official who asked for anonymity because the matter is sensitive. "The ideal would be for everyone to understand that the new Oi must provide services with quality." The prevailing view among state agencies is that some of the activist investors seeking control of Oi through litigation want the state banks acting as the carrier's lenders to take heavy loan losses - a situation the official described as "worrying." A recent plan by Brazilian distressed debt investor Nelson Tanure and his partners in fund Societe Mondiale FIA to oust part of Oi's board and present a parallel recovery plan involving the disposal of some non-essential assets has particularly spooked some in the government, some of the people involved said. Story continues While there is nothing unusual in Anatel wanting Oi to stay as a stable industry player, or in state banks seeking to minimize potential losses, their backstage role reflects the government's push to protect jobs and avert service disruptions as Latin America's biggest economy struggles with a harsh recession, the people said. Still, Anatel's official mandate only allows it to bar a bidder that already owns an existing telecom operator in Brazil, which is not true of any of the known potential acquirers. Rio de Janeiro-based Oi owes Anatel and lenders Banco do Brasil SA, Caixa Economica Federal SA and BNDES a combined 20 billion reais ($6.2 billion) - making the government the carrier's No. 2 biggest creditor after bondholders. That debt includes back fines, loans and licensing fees. For a graphic, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2bTSB2b Communications Minister Gilberto Kassab told Oi Chief Executive Officer Marco Schroeder at a meeting on Monday that the government is mainly concerned about assuring continuity of the company's services during the process. In a statement that day, Kassab said that the outcome of Oi's recovery and a planned regulatory and industry revamp will determine the fate of an industry braced for consolidation in the long run. Along with the sheer size of its claims, the government holds a major trump card: the ability to push for a thorough congressional revision of industry rules that rids Oi of mandatory spending in costly fixed-line infrastructure - a precondition for the reorganization to succeed. The government could forego the spending requirements provided that Oi has a "credible investment plan" to enhance service coverage, the senior government official said. While Congress operates independently of the executive branch, President Michel Temer's PMDB party is the biggest in the legislature. Press representatives for Brasilia-based Anatel and state lenders Banco do Brasil SA, Caixa Economica Federal SA and BNDES declined to comment, as did Brazil's communications ministry. Tanure and Societe Mondiale declined to comment, as did Oi. In a statement to Reuters, Oi's majority shareholder Pharol said it is "ready to negotiate with the different parties taking part in Oi's recovery plan as long as the rights of all shareholders are preserved." ESCALATING TENSIONS The reorganization has done little to calm tensions over Oi's future, with creditor Aurelius Capital Management LLC forcing Oi's Netherlands-based subsidiary to seek creditor protection and Tanure fighting Oi's board members. To be sure, previous attempts by the government to meddle in the reorganizations of power firms Celpa SA and Grupo Rede Energia SA cost bondholders enormous losses less than four years ago. Yet, more Oi creditors, potential new investors and minority shareholders say they want Anatel and other state agencies in their corner. Anatel, for instance, could allow Oi to swap part of its 10 billion-real debt to the regulator for new investments, two senior government officials said. Such a move needs the approval of the nation's budget auditing court. The government's clout in the Oi bankruptcy was also shown by a move in recent weeks by a group of over 80 bondholders to launch talks with BNDES, Caixa and Banco do Brasil on a common stance in formulating Oi's recovery plan. Reuters reported on Aug. 16 that the Moelis & Co-advised group has discussed with the lenders whether to give Oi a grace period of at least five years and cut borrowing costs on some debts. "It's not that every agency we talked to is following a common script, but certainly they have a clear idea of what's good for Oi, the industry and the government," according to a person familiar with the bondholder group's strategy. Likewise, New York-based boutique investment bank AGCM Inc, which is representing a group of potential bidders for Oi, has decided to hold off on a takeover proposal until it can present the plan to relevant state entities - creditors and shareholders alike - involved in the reorganization, one of the people said. AGCM and Moelis declined to comment. ($1 = 3.2264 Brazilian reais) (Additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in Sao Paulo and Leonardo Goy in Brasilia; Editing by Christian Plumb and Edward Tobin) Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's sacked ex-president Dilma Rousseff said Friday she will abandon the presidential residence next week and continue the fight against her successor Michel Temer from her adopted hometown, Porto Alegre. The 68-year-old leftist leader must leave the Alvorada official residence in Brasilia within a month after senators voted Wednesday to fire her over charges she illegally manipulated the national budget. In her first media briefing since then, she repeated her claim that Brazil's new president Temer had led a "coup" in having her impeached. Rousseff's lawyers have already lodged an appeal in the high court against the impeachment, which she says was a plot by Temer, her former vice-president turned enemy. "I will not stay in Brasilia. I will go to Porto Alegre... early next week," Rousseff told a briefing of foreign reporters. "Democracy was on trial alongside me. Unfortunately, we lost," she said of the impeachment process. "I hope that we can rebuild it and make sure that this never happens again." Rousseff was born in the southern central city of Belo Horizonte but built her political career further south in Porto Alegre. Her daughter and grandchildren still live there and she keeps an apartment in the city. Rousseff's impeachment ended 13 years of rule by the leftist Workers' Party. Temer is due to lead the country until the end of the current presidential term in 2018. His government has announced plans to cut spending, notably on pensions, promising to create jobs and strengthen public finances. The Workers' Party on Friday called for early elections to elect a new leader following the impeachment. "Faced with a usurper government, we believe the only way to restore democracy in the country is through a popular vote," party chairman Rui Falcao told a news conference. BRASILIA (Reuters) - Major parties in Brazil's governing coalition pressed the Supreme Court on Friday to overturn a Senate decision allowing former President Dilma Rousseff to remain politically active after her dismissal in an impeachment trial this week. The Senate voted on Wednesday to remove Rousseff from office for manipulating the federal budget to hide the real state of Brazil's ailing economy in the run-up to her 2014 re-election. In an unexpected separate vote, lawmakers spared the leftist leader from an eight-year ban on running for public office or holding any position in government, as provided for in Brazil's constitution. "They did a last-minute legal trick and guaranteed the former president's political rights," Senator Jose Medeiros, of the Social Democratic Party, said on Friday. He spoke after filing a request to annul the second vote, which he said was unconstitutional. His motion was joined by another from the Democrats party and the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, two heavyweights in the coalition assembled by the new President Michel Temer, following a similar motion by Green Party Senator Alvaro Dias on Thursday. The head of the ruling Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Romero Juca, also condemned on Twitter the Senate's vote separating the matter of Rousseff's ouster from her political rights in the years ahead. Brazil's new President Michel Temer, who was sworn in after Rousseff was dismissed, has played down the twist in her final removal. "The Senate made that decision, wrongly or rightly, but the Senate made that decision," Temer said on the sidelines of a business summit in Shanghai ahead of a G20 summit in China. The Senate decision, which garnered support from several members of Temer's fractious PMDB, appeared to reflect unease over whether the doctoring of budget figures that Rousseff was convicted of was truly an impeachable offense. Rousseff herself appealed to the Supreme Court on Thursday to annul the decision to oust her, a request that is unlikely to succeed. A reversal of the vote granting her political rights is also seen as improbable since it was allowed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski, who presided over the impeachment trial in the Senate. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Tom Brown) UK Minister Rory Stewart in Nepal The UK Minister of State at the Department for International Development (Dfid), Rory Stewart, is on a visit to Nepal to take stock of the impact of last years earthquakes, assess the progress made on reconstruction and reaffirm the UKs support for Nepals development, according to the British Embassy. BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Britain is committed to European foreign and security cooperation even though it is preparing to leave the European Union, its foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said on Friday as he arrived for talks with other EU ministers. Johnson, a former mayor of London and a colourful politician with a long record of gaffes and scandals, was a high-profile "Leave" campaigner in Britain's June referendum which resulted in a vote to quit the EU bloc. As Britain and the other 27 EU states gear up for painful divorce talks, Johnson reiterated that Britain "may be leaving the European Union but we are not leaving Europe." "The British government, under Theresa May, is absolutely committed to participation in European foreign policy cooperation and European defence and security co-operation," he said. EU's foreign ministers are meeting in Bratislava to discuss the bloc's strained ties with Turkey, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where the so-called Minsk peace accord for the east of the country has stalled. "The events in Ukraine are still very worrying, and it's important I think that we continue to keep pressure up on Russia and we see progress based on the Minsk Agreement," Johnson said. "There can be no relaxation of that pressure until such time as we see the Minsk Agreement being advanced," he said in referring to EU's sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Richard Balmforth) BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Britain is committed to European foreign and security cooperation even though it is preparing to leave the European Union, its foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said on Friday as he arrived for talks with other EU ministers. Johnson, a former mayor of London and a colorful politician with a long record of gaffes and scandals, was a high-profile "Leave" campaigner in Britain's June referendum which resulted in a vote to quit the EU bloc. As Britain and the other 27 EU states gear up for painful divorce talks, Johnson reiterated that Britain "may be leaving the European Union but we are not leaving Europe." "The British government, under Theresa May, is absolutely committed to participation in European foreign policy cooperation and European defense and security co-operation," he said. EU's foreign ministers are meeting in Bratislava to discuss the bloc's strained ties with Turkey, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where the so-called Minsk peace accord for the east of the country has stalled. "The events in Ukraine are still very worrying, and it's important I think that we continue to keep pressure up on Russia and we see progress based on the Minsk Agreement," Johnson said. "There can be no relaxation of that pressure until such time as we see the Minsk Agreement being advanced," he said in referring to EU's sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Richard Balmforth) London (AFP) - A British soldier has been charged with a range of terrorism offences linked to Northern Ireland, including bomb-making and keeping an arsenal of explosives and weapons, police said on Friday. Ciaran Maxwell, 30, a Royal Marine, allegedly obtained chemicals and components for bombs between 2011 and 2016, as well as an image of a Northern Ireland police pass and items of police uniform. He was also charged with "creating and maintaining hides in England and Northern Ireland to store explosive substances, explosive devices, components for explosive devices, ammunition, weapons," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Maxwell, who had been living in Exminster in southwest England, was arrested on August 24 by counter-terror police. He was to appear in court later on Friday. The 1998 Good Friday peace accords largely ended the three decades of violence in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, in which 3,500 people were killed. However, the threat level for Northern Ireland-related terrorism within the province has been set at severe -- the second-highest of five levels -- since it was first established in 2010. The level, determined by the MI5 domestic security service, means an attack is considered highly likely. The threat level for Northern Ireland-related terrorism in the rest of the United Kingdom was raised one level from moderate to substantial -- the third-highest level -- in May this year, meaning an attack is considered a strong possibility. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f198653%2fgettyimages-598306584 LONDON It's not often that one gets a Royal visit, so it's important to make the very most of it. SEE ALSO: These adorable photos prove that 3-year-old Prince George is still as cute as ever That's precisely what construction worker Sam Wayne did when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Nansledan near Newquay, Cornwall. While Kate and Wills looked around the 218-hectare site that will provide future business and housing for the local area, Wayne had other plans ones that involved a selfie, and a pretty awesome one at that. Here's Wayne grabbing a cheekie selfie with the Royals. Sam gets high-vis' with the Royals. Image: Getty Images If you're curious to see how that selfie turned out, wonder no more. Wayne proudly posted his effort on Facebook. Image: sam wayne/ facebook A job well done, I'd say. Screen Shot 2016 09 01 at 6.45.20 PM Burning Man the annual festival held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert kicked off August 27. Though tens of thousands of people travel there by car, those who can afford it choose to touch down on the playa by private plane or helicopter. Every year, volunteers build Black Rock City Airport from scratch on a dusty road a week before the festival starts. As USA Today notes, crews section off runways, make customs checkpoints, and direct planes and 'copters when they arrive. Neither the FAA nor the TSA is officially associated with the BRC airport, but they keep in close contact with airport's managers. Not every Burner that uses the airport is ultra-rich, but most of the Burning Man's wealthiest attendees arrive there. Paris Hilton, for instance, flew into the playa by helicopter with a group of friends mid-way through the 2016 festival. A photo posted by Paris Hilton (@parishilton) on Aug 30, 2016 at 7:06pm PDT Helicopter companies also offer special charters just for Burning Man. Santa Monica-based company Burner Air, for example, is offering direct, private flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Reno to the playa. "Our flights land on the playa at Black Rock City Airport so you can be at your camp within minutes of landing," its website reads. "Burning Man flights start at $599 and are a great way for Theme Camps to fly to Burning Man. Avoid the traffic and travel in style." Black Rock Helicopters is also advertising a ride between Reno, Nevada, and the Black Rock City Desert on a S76 jet. The company recently posted an Instagram of Will Smith, who presumably took a chopper to the playa. The video below, which boasts that the helicopter has room for eight people and 600 pounds of cargo, makes it look pretty luxurious. White girls in the ad even wear fashionable lingerie and native-Americanstyle headdresses, despite numerous other Burners recent pleas against the cultural appropriation. Story continues Though Black Rock Helicopters doesn't post the price for its service, Burners often pay between $500 to $2,500 for other similar, luxury charters (depending on the plane and distance). Here's one from Santa Barbara Helicopters, which decorated the craft's interior with colorful pillows and rugs for Burners. A post shared by Eric (@blackrockhelicopters777) on Aug 23, 2017 at 8:00pm PDT In recent years, some Burners have spoken out about the exclusive nature of people flying in on jets. Larry Harvey, the festival's founder, wrote in 2014 that wealthy Burners who throw their own exclusive ragers on the playa clash with the fundamental principles of Burning Man: self-reliance and community. In the recent years, billionaires like Google's Larry Page and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg have also been spotted on the playa with the who's who of Silicon Valley. But a fancy ride and luxe party sure do look good on Instagram. NOW WATCH: An inside look at Marine One Obamas favorite presidential perk More From Business Insider byron wien Blackstone Vice Chairman Byron Wien spent the summer meeting with power players in US finance, real estate, technology, and politics. And the mood was summed up by one word: complacency. "As I reviewed my notes for the four lunches, I noted a mood of complacency," Wien wrote in his latest market commentary. "The setting was pleasant, the food good and the weather agreeable. All of the attendees had done well in their careers. Some truly frightening possibilities were looming out there, but they didn't seem imminent. The intermediate future was likely to be like the recent past: lower but positive returns." Each summer, Wien hosts lunches with luminaries from across the US business and political spectrum events Wien notes that have evolved from having just a few attendees to rooms of closer to 100. In short, these are places to see and be seen. This is where you capture the consensus of what elites are thinking. Wien said that three major narratives emerged from these meetings. The first is that populism is rising in developed markets, as evidenced by the UK's Brexit vote and the rises of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. The second is that productivity continues to disappoint, meaning that profits and standards of living are likely to stagnate or worse, drop. Which leads to the third theme: secular stagnation. The causes of this, in the view of those Wien met with, seem to be technology and globalization sort of flattening the Earth. Wien's discussion of the issue reminded me of Josh Brown's argument that we have "too much of everything and it's not good for anyone." These are also more or less the "Very Serious Person" echo of Louis CK's bit about how everything is amazing and nobody is happy. "The US was still considered the best place to invest in spite of all its problems," Wien wrote, "but there was nobody who expressed table-pounding enthusiasm about an investment idea." These are people paid to have ideas, act on those ideas, and get those ideas right. Story continues And no one was excited about anything. The real-estate folks weren't optimistic a change in character. The politics discussion didn't seem all that much fun Hillary Clinton is expected to win, not much is expected to change in Washington, and, as Wien wrote, "One strong Trump supporter suggested that I not take The Donald's statements literally." No one thought China was experience a so-called hard landing. And, over all this, it's the theme of complacency which we've seen in research commentary all summer that really captures where we're at and what "smart people" are thinking right now. "As you might expect, the conclusions of a group like this might serve as a contrary indicator, and sometimes they do," Wien wrote. "But in August 2001, one participant had warned of a major terrorist attack in the United States during the following year, and last summer a number of attendees thought the appeal of Donald Trump's message was underestimated and he had a good chance to be the Republican nominee. "In any case, those who came to the sessions this year were sufficiently confused that they listened carefully in search of an insight that would help them find clarity in the outlook." For better or worse. NOW WATCH: Paul Krugman weighs in on the Apple tax debate More From Business Insider By John Tilak and Diane Bartz TORONTO/WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Canada's Potash Corp of Saskatchewan and Agrium Inc are more likely to win approval for a potential merger in Canada than the United States, but U.S. rejection of the deal would scuttle it globally, competition lawyers said. Potash and Agrium confirmed merger talks on Tuesday, a deal that would create a fertilizer and farm-retailing giant. Canada is likely to look more favorably on the combination because its regulators more strongly weigh the potential for achieving efficiencies such as reducing overhead and optimizing shipping. This position has its roots in a desire by policymakers to strengthen companies operating in Canada's smaller market. "The efficiencies defense will certainly loom large," said Nikiforos Iatrou, competition group chair at law firm WeirFoulds, in Canada. "It's possible that in this case the efficiencies win the day in Canada but don't carry the day in the United States." The defense was highlighted this year, when the Canadian Competition Bureau approved a deal between Superior Plus Corp and Canexus Corp, saying that efficiency gains would be greater than the anti-competitive effects. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission blocked the same deal, which was then scrapped. U.S. TO FOCUS ON PRODUCT PRICING Potash and Agrium have significant operations in the United States, which would spur review by the Federal Trade Commission or the Justice Department. U.S. regulators would focus primarily on prospects for the deal to raise prices for the companies' fertilizer products, which account for as much as one-third of input costs for U.S. corn farmers. A combined Potash and Agrium would control 62 percent of potash capacity in North America, 30 percent of phosphate production capability and 29 percent of nitrogen capacity, according to National Bank Financial. Both U.S. regulators have taken an aggressive stance on mergers, said Andrea Murino, co-chair of competition at U.S. law firm Goodwin Procter LLP. Story continues "Just based on the market shares, the deal is going to get some really close scrutiny," she said. The prospect of having only two big U.S. potash sellers, down from three, might worry antitrust enforcers, said Ethan Glass, a Justice Department veteran now at Quinn, Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. The merged company could sell Agrium's Canadian potash mine to ease those worries, he said. Agrium-Potash's clout could also be diluted by other developments with rival miners Mosaic Co and K+S AG planning to add capacity in North America. Under the Canadian review, Potash and Agrium could argue their merger would enable the Canadian company to be a stronger global player. "This idea of creating a 'national champion' pops up from time to time - and the federal government is often pressured to consider measures that would be supportive of this," said Subrata Bhattacharjee, law firm BLG's vice chair of competition. The deal may also catch the attention of regulators in China, a major potash buyer. Agrium, Potash and Mosaic sell potash offshore through jointly owned Canpotex. Huy Do of Canadian law firm Fasken Martineau said Chinese regulators may see the deal as an opportunity to dismantle Canpotex. (Reporting by John Tilak in Toronto, Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Diane Bartz in Washington, D.C., Michelle Price in Hong Kong; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) 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 In a bit of a surprise move, our northerly neighbor, Canada, has joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The AIIB has garnered a bit of controversy, with naysayers arguing that the bank is just a way for China to gain more influence in the world. The United States has not signed on to the bank... But it's only one of two G8 members to not do so, now that Canada has thrown its hat into the ring. Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Russia have already signed on to the bank. In fact, Canada's membership will bring the total number of members to 58. As the name suggests, the AIIB will invest in infrastructure in Asia. And in late June the bank announced $509 million in loans for four projects (via New York Times): Spread electric power in rural Bangladesh, Improve living conditions in slums in Indonesia, Repair and build roads in Pakistan, and Improve roads in Tajikistan. The bank is partnering with other institutions like the World Bank in order to fast-track some of these projects. What's interesting is that the AIIB is focused on projects that will lead to better economic development across Asia. Institutions like the World Bank are more focused on alleviating poverty. The difference between the two could make for some meaningful changes in Asian countries. This, in turn, could help boost trade to the AIIB members. [More from StreetAuthority.com: The Top 5 Companies According Investor Ratings] Indeed, that's one of the reasons cited for Canada to join the bank. The New York Times reports: Canada said on Wednesday that it had applied to join China's version of the World Bank, breaking with previous leaders who had shared United States officials' skepticism of the new Beijing-led lender. The move came during a five-day trip to China by the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, who is seeking to burnish trade, business and political ties with Beijing. China's relationship with the previous Canadian government had been lukewarm. Story continues In a press release, Canada's Finance Minister Bill Morneau said, "Succeeding in the global economy of tomorrow will require strategic partnerships and openness to the world. Canada is always looking for ways to create hope and opportunity for people around the world, and membership in the AIIB is an opportunity to do just that." But what does this mean for boots-on-the-ground investors? Will Canadian stocks get a pop? Should we be looking at emerging markets? These are long-term moves that are seeking to make a big impression with smaller projects. The Pakistan road improvement project, for example, will construct 64km of the national motorway, M-4, connecting Shorkot and Khanewal in Punjab province. The project is expected to cost $273 million, with the AIIB loaning $100 million of that sum. [More from StreetAuthority.com: Oil Bounce Could Lead To A Quick Pop For Producers] While the amount of money is not that substantial -- at least when compared to major infrastructure projects -- the four-lane highway will make it easier to move goods across Pakistan, and make the road safer for drivers. The transportation sector accounts for about 10% of the country's GDP, and much of the country's roadways were constructed before 1950. This section of the M-4 is part of a major trading route, the north-south corridor, which connects 56% of the country's population. In other words, it's a big deal for Pakistan. But these types of deals are difficult to invest in. And if there is an opportunity, it is likely to be more risky than many investors can stomach. So perhaps it's the member countries that benefit most over time... And this new member may be an easy way for investors to dip a toe into global trade ties. Canada has a number of companies listed on U.S. exchanges, and many brokers make it fairly cheap and easy to invest on Canadian exchanges, too. You could cherry-pick key stocks based on news of trade deals between Canada and Asia... [More from StreetAuthority.com: Here's What Uber's Departure Means For China's Economic Future] Or you can play the slow burn of investment trends like this with a simple ETF such as the iShares MSCI Canada (NYSE: ECW). Without a news story or deal announcement, the weight of the fact that Canada is the sixth member of the Group of Eight to join the AIIB gets dispersed over a long period of time. But it's a significant connection in global trade and investment. Risks To Consider: As with many ETFs, ECW is a basket of stocks that's designed to limit risk by offering exposure to multiple industries. While this is exactly what attracts risk-averse investors, it also lessens the impact of big stock moves of individual companies. This trend is perfect for the slow, diversified country-based ETFs, though. The AIIB is playing the long game, and slow and steady always wins that race. Action To Take: Consider adding EWC to your portfolio as trade ties increase and the Canadian economy benefits from growing emerging markets. The past five years has seen the EWC drop by about 10%, but since the beginning of 2016 this ETF has climbed 18.5% -- a significant rebound. If the EWC climbs back to its 2014 high of $33.11, that's another 74% in the bank. Editor's Note: You may remember the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 for making the capital gains on your home tax exempt, but buried in the same 317 pages of legislation is another, much larger loophole that lets you retire 100% tax-free, right here at home. Full details here. Related Articles (Corrects to show rules took effect in March, not May, in 7th paragraph) By Alastair Sharp TORONTO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Canada's television regulator said on Friday it will use the pending expiry of broadcast licenses as leverage in talks with distributors to judge their adherence to new rules forcing them to offer channels individually. Distributors that collectively provide television service to three-quarters of the Canadian market will see their existing licenses expire in 2017, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said. The regulator said it has also told the country's four largest television distributors - BCE Inc, Rogers Communications Inc, Shaw Communications Inc and Quebecor's Videotron - not to expect the typical seven-year extensions this time around. "We have put people on notice that these renewals are likely to be short-term in nature," a CRTC executive said during a not-for-attribution briefing with journalists ahead of hearings next week on sweeping new CRTC rules that created a C$25 "skinny basic" package of television channels. The regulator has taken an aggressive stance in support of consumer choice in recent years. The Canadian government has also said it is looking to overhaul laws governing broadcasting, media and cultural industries to support local content. The CRTC in May warned that broadcasters must invest in robust news operations, as a string of television and radio stations cut jobs and reduce programming in an effort to adjust to rising online competition. The Sept. 7-8 hearings will review adherence to the new CRTC rules that took effect in March. They require that all extra channels be offered individually by December. The CRTC said some 177,000 viewers had signed up to skinny basic packages by the end of June, up from around 100,000 soon after the rules come into force. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Paul Simao and James Dalgleish) By Annabella PultzNielsen and Nikolaj Skydsgaard COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Residents of the 'free town' of Christiania in Copenhagen began tearing down cannabis-selling booths on its main street on Friday, two days after a shooting incident rocked one of Denmark's favorite tourist attractions. Known to Danes as "the town", Christiania was founded on abandoned military grounds by squatters in 1971 and is known for its rainbow-colored hippie houses and its cannabis trade, which generates approximately 1 billion Danish crowns ($150 million) a year, according to police. Free town residents decided at a gathering on Thursday night to start demolishing the booths, concerned that Christiania's liberal drugs culture has been taken over by organized crime. "I'm not a smoker myself, but I am pro-legalizing. There are so many smokers in Denmark, and it cannot be fair that only 600 residents of Christiania should deal with all the trouble of supplying the entire country," said one of them, Tanja Fox. On Wednesday evening two police officers were shot during a routine operation while attempting to arrest a known drug-dealer, and one is still in critical condition. A civilian was hurt by gunfire. The suspected shooter was arrested and died on Friday of gunshot wounds sustained during the operation to capture him. The drug trade is run by bigger gangs according to Danish police, who from time to time remove the cannabis booths only to see them up and running again the next day. "If they start building up the booths again tonight, then well, we're here tonight as well. The plan is to continue tearing them down until it works," Christiania resident Helene Schou said. "I'm not saying hash should disappear completely from Christiania, but we needed a kiosk and what we had was a supermarket." Copenhagen police director Thorkild Fogde told reporters: "This is not just about hash. It's about organized crime and violence. I hope that what we're seeing today is an attempt to actively help the police." Christiania has become Copenhagen's fourth biggest tourist attraction, with half a million visitors a year. "This is too bad. We went here to buy actually, and this was one of our highlights of the trip to Copenhagen," said 22-year-old German tourist Mick, who did not want his last name used. (Additional reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) Project comprises 106 semi-detached houses and 3 bungalows. Having awarded the only prime residential Government land sales site since 1996, CapitaLand has nothing but best for its Victoria Park Villas as it unveils contemporary crafted homes with sophisticated home systems. Victoria Park Villas is a residential housing project located in the city-state's most-sought after District 10. The 403,000 sq ft. land at the junction of Coronation Road, it will be the site of 106 semi-detached houses with prices ranging from $4.4 million to $7.6 million. Three exclusive bungalows will also be built on the land, with prices sitting at around $11 million to $12 million. CapitaLand Singapore CEO Wen Khai Meng said the houses would come with smart home systems and modern designs. Victoria Park is the group's second residential project in the city-state to incorporate smart home systems nect to Cairnhill Nine, which was launched March this year. "Victoria Park Villas will appeal to landed homebuyers not only for its prestigious District 10 location, but also for its contemporary design with premium fittings, integrated appliances and private lifts, he explained. He added, The development will also appeal to discerning and foresighted buyers who prefer move-in-ready landed houses without having to bear the high costs and time needed to rebuild an existing house or build a house from scratch." The site is a 10-minute drive to Orchard Road and Central Business District. It is also surrounded by schools and campuses. More From Singapore Business Review Brussels (AFP) - Caterpillar said Friday it is considering closing its plant in Belgium and making 2,000 workers redundant as the US heavy equipment maker plans global job cuts amid lower demand. The firm, famed for its iconic yellow diggers, said it is "contemplating" moving production from its sole plant in Gosselies, Belgium to one in Grenoble, France and other manufacturing sites outside Europe. "If this intention would be confirmed, it would result in a collective lay-off of about 2,000 employees and in the closure of the Gosselies site," Caterpillar said on its website. Antonio Cocciolo, an official for the FGTB union, expressed "total disgust" when he told AFP that an American executive speaking in English effectively announced the "complete closure of the site" in the French-speaking area of Belgium. Appearing shocked or in tears, several workers gathered Friday at the plant near Charleroi airport, south of the Belgian capital Brussels where a heavy vehicle blocked one entrance. Some 1,300 jobs were already cut in 2013 at the plant in a region where unemployment has topped 20 percent. "It's an abrupt decision and a real drama," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was quoted as saying by Belga news agency as he pledged to work closely with the regional government to support workers and their families. In another statement on Thursday, Caterpillar said it was also considering closing its Monkstown facility as part of restructuring in Northern Ireland that could result in the loss of up to 250 jobs. The company is also mulling stopping production of 25-tonne and larger material handlers in Northern Ireland, including the planned launch of large material handler models for Europe. Caterpillar linked its statement Friday to the "global restructuring and cost savings plan announced in September 2015," which called for cutting 10,000 jobs worldwide, or nine percent of its work force, and closing 20 plants. Story continues In July, Caterpillar said it planned additional job cuts in the second half of 2016 as sluggish conditions in the energy and mining sectors weighed on second-quarter earnings. Caterpillar, which manufactures industrial equipment for energy, mining and construction companies, said it expects higher costs due to restructuring and job cuts as it cited global economic uncertainty due in part to political upheaval in Turkey and Britain. Net profit fell 31 percent to $550 million. Revenue fell 16 percent to $10.3 billion. Sales dropped in all three of Caterpillar's industrial businesses. Caterpillar acknowledged that oil prices have risen in 2016, but said the jump has not sparked major new investment. Mother Teresa, the revered but controversial nun whose work with the dying and the destitute made her an icon of 20th Century Christianity, will be declared a saint on Sunday. The elevation of the Nobel Peace Prize winner to Catholicism's celestial pantheon comes on the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death in the Kolkata slums with which she is synonomous. Teresa worked with the poorest of the poor in the sprawling metropolis formerly known as Calcutta for nearly four decades, having initially come to eastern India as a missionary teacher with Ireland's Loreto order. Born to Kosovar Albanian parents in what is now Macedonia in 1910, Teresa died in 1997. By then she was a household name around the world and also a citizen of India, the adopted homeland that embraced the diminutive and doggedly determined sister to the extent that she was granted a state funeral. Her canonisation has been completed in unusually quick time on the back of the extraordinary popularity she enjoyed during her lifetime and with the help of influential supporters. The late pope John Paul II, a personal friend, was the pontiff at the time of Teresa's death. He fast-tracked her beatification (the step before sainthood). The current pope, Francis, is also an admirer of a woman he sees as embodying his vision of a "poor church for the poor." The Missionaries of Charity, the order that Teresa created in 1950, now operates in 133 countries and comprises almost 5,000 male and female members. - Missionaries not social workers - During her life, Teresa was widely revered as a self-sacrificing force for good, despite ferocious criticism from prominent intellectuals including the British writer Christopher Hitchens and the Australian feminist academic Germaine Greer. Hitchens wrote a book about her entitled "Hell's Angel" that branded her a hypocrite who fetishised the suffering of the poor while making sure she herself had access to the best available health care. Story continues In death, Teresa's legacy has become more widely questioned as researchers have revealed irregularities in the financing of her Order's activities and questioned the running of her missions, many of which have been described as insalubrious at best with little attention paid to hygiene or alleviating the pain of patients. Her reputation has also suffered as the focus of Western aid work has moved away from immediate relief to development programmes designed to deliver sustainable improvements in living standards: the model of teaching people to fish rather than feeding them fish. Teresa was well aware of such criticism during the latter stages of her life, answering them by saying that her faith in Christ made her know that holding the hand of a dying person was a worthwhile activity. Nor did she deny that evangelism was her primary purpose: we are missionaries, not social workers, she said in various formulations over the years. - Miracles - There was never the slightest hint of her compromising on the tenets of Catholicism in the name of improving the lot of impoverished communities, a stance most famously illustrated by her description of abortion as murder by mothers in her Nobel acceptance speech in 1979. Around 100,000 pilgrims are expected in Rome for Sunday's ceremony, around a third of the total that turned out for Teresa's beatification, seen as the last major outing for John Paul II who died in 2005. Under Catholic canon law, the proclamation of a saint usually requires the candidate to have inspired two miracles - one allows beatification and the second clears the way to sainthood. In Teresa's case the first miracle, approved in 2002, involved the 1998 recovery of a Bengali woman, Monica Besra, from an ovarian tumour. The second, recognised in December, relates to a Brazilian man, Marcilio Haddad Andrino, who claims to have suddenly woken up without pain in 2008 after his wife prayed to Teresa for relief from the agony caused by brain tumours. Andrino will attend Sunday's ceremony while Besra, 50, told AFP she would mark the occasion at her home in the village of Nakor. "I have always considered her a saint, like God," she said. "I prayed to her day and night and always believed that she would fix me. "I'll be praying and celebrating here at home on Sunday. Her canonisation is a wish come true." From Town & Country This month, you will be able to purchase art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection online. The museum is selling over 700 pieces of Chinese ceramics at Christie's to benefit its acquisitions fund, and the works will be available to buy both online and during a live auction on September 15th in New York City. Many of the ceramics were donated to the museum by prominent collectors like John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Samuel Putnam Avery, and the pieces date from the Song to the Qing dynasty, which mean that some are nearly a thousand years old. The estimates for the works run the gamut, with some poised to sell for only a few hundred dollars; others could go for close to a million dollars. The online sale is especially full of great deals, with a large selection of items estimated for go for less than $1,000. A jar crafted during the Jin-Yuan dynasty (1115-1368) has an estimate of just $200-$300, while a cup and saucer from the Kangxi period (1662-1722), which came from of John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s collection, may go for $600-$800. Bidding for the online auction will take place from September 13th through the 22nd, so keep an eye out for the lots. You just might be able to score a 17th century ceramic that was once displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art for less than the price of a pair of designer shoes. You Might Also Like As students around the country head back to school, one Chicago teacher welcomed his incoming class with a hip-hop music video. Read: Librarian Revealed to Have $4 Million Fortune, Which He Leaves to University He Worked at for 50 Years First-year teacher Dwayne Reed welcomed his 4th grade class with a music video stressing the importance of school and how he plans to make learning incredibly fun. In the video posted to YouTube, he dresses up as a mad scientist, a gym teacher, and of course, himself. When you do good work it will get acknowledged because I know that you are gonna head off to college, he rapped. The video called Welcome to the 4th Grade, was posted August 20, has more than 822,000 views. Read: Mom Donates School Supplies in Honor of Late Son for What Would Be His First Day of Kindergarten The song has a familiar melody to Michael Jacksons "I Will Be There." A representative for Reed says in a statement that he did not intend to steal, rip, riff, or mimic Mr. Jackson's song, but apparently, powerful songs and their sounds can remain lodged in people's memory even decades after they've been released or heard. "As to avoid any controversy or issues, Mr. Reed has chosen not to sell his "Welcome to the 4th Grade" song, opting only to use it as a fun way to connect with his students and start the school year with some excitement! Watch: Hasta Luego! Students Bid Farewell to Spanish Teacher With Montage of His Morning Greetings Related Articles: Beijing is expanding its large-scale land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said Friday, despite an international court ruling rejecting most of China's claims in the resource-rich area. A UN-backed tribunal ruled in July that China's claims to almost all of the strategic sea had no legal basis and its construction of artificial islands in disputed waters was illegal. But Duterte said he received an "unsettling" intelligence report showing China had sent barges to the contested Scarborough Shoal and had appeared to begin construction in the area for the first time. China previously constructed artificial islands in the Spratly chain in the South China Sea. The United States warned in June of "actions" if Beijing extended its military expansion to the Scarborough Shoal. "I think they are starting in (Bajo de) Masinloc and this will be another ruckus there," Duterte said, referring to the shoal by its local name. He said the Philippine Coast Guard found "a lot of barges" near the area. "There seem to be new barges coming in and they suspect that's going to be another construction." China has sought to assert its claims in the South China Sea by building a network of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations. Its massive land reclamation has prompted criticism from the US and claimant countries, with Washington warning it endangers freedom of navigation in international waters. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to the sea, through which over $5 trillion in annual trade passes. The Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and far away from the nearest major Chinese landmass, is a particular flashpoint. China took control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a stand-off with the country's navy. Duterte's comments come a week before a regional summit in Laos where the South China Sea dispute will be on the agenda. Story continues He said he would consider bringing up the construction work during bilateral talks with Beijing, adding it would affect global commerce. "If (China) continues building military installations there ... insurance would go up for the ships and the goods they transport. Because then it would be a source of conflict and thereby the threat is always there." Duterte, who took office two months ago, has vowed to mend ties with China after his predecessor Benigno Aquino angered Beijing by filing the arbitration case in 2013. He has said he would not raise the matter of the ruling in Laos to avoid escalating tensions. But on Friday, Duterte he said he would insist on China's compliance with the verdict during direct talks with Beijing. He criticised the Asian giant's statements saying it would ignore the ruling. "We can only take so much but you cannot be slapped every day with (those) kinds of words." By Ben Blanchard and Nate Raymond BEIJING/NEW YORK (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry on Friday criticized the U.S. indictment of an ex-Air China Ltd employee for smuggling packages on behalf of Chinese military personnel stationed at China's U.N. mission in New York. Ying Lin, who prosecutors say also helped a Chinese national flee the country last year amid an FBI probe, was charged in an indictment filed in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday after being arrested in August 2015 on an earlier charge. The new indictment alleged Lin, while working for Air China at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, helped smuggle packages onto flights from Chinese military officers at its U.N. mission and employees at China's consulate. In return, Lin, 46, received among other things tax-exempt purchases of discounted liquor and electronic devices, the indictment said. China's Foreign Ministry in a statement to Reuters said it was paying close attention to the case. "The relevant accusations and insinuations against Chinese diplomatic personnel based in the United States have ulterior motives," the ministry said. "We want to stress that Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel overseas always respect relevant international treaties and local laws and rules," it added. Lin, a U.S. citizen, is set to be in court on Tuesday. "Ms. Lin is a hard-working single mother," Deborah Colson, her lawyer, said on Friday. "The charges against her lack merit, and she looks forward to her day in court." Lin, who was Air China's station chief at Newark Liberty International Airport, was previously linked to Macau real estate billionaire Ng Lap Seng, who was charged last year over a bribery scheme at the United Nations. Prosecutors say Ng bribed former U.N. General Assembly President John Ashe to support a U.N.-backed conference center in Macau that his company, Sun Kian Ip Group, would develop. The new charges against Lin came after Ng's lawyers filed papers showing the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked him if a Chinese associate who owned a $10 million mansion on Long Island, Qin Fei, was involved with foreign intelligence. Property records list Lin as an agent for Qin's mansion. While her indictment does not identify the Chinese national she allegedly helped flee, the description matches that of Qin, whom Ng called a consultant to Sun Kian. Qin has not been charged. His lawyer did not responded to requests for comment. Ashe, a former U.N. ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda, died in June. Ng has pleaded not guilty. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Robert Birsel and James Dalgleish) By James Pomfret and Venus Wu HONG KONG (Reuters) - China pressured the Hong Kong government to disqualify six candidates who advocated independence from a crucial citywide election, as part of a campaign to bolster its interests and win seats for its allies, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. Reuters was not able to independently verify their assertions, which come ahead of an election on Sunday to fill 70 legislative council seats in the city of 7 million people. In the wake of the 2014 "Occupy Central" pro-democracy protests in which tens of thousands took to the streets, it is the territory's most contentious vote since the 1997 handover. Beijing's refusal to grant full democracy to Hong Kong had prompted around 20 mostly younger activists to seek to run on platforms advocating various forms of independence or greater self-determination - anathema to the stability-obsessed Communist Party leadership. China's Liaison Office in Hong Kong did not respond to a faxed request for comment, and neither did the State Council's Information Office in Beijing. Hong Kong's chief executive's office also did not respond to emailed questions. In July, Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission had ruled that all those standing in the election must sign a pledge that Hong Kong is an "inalienable" part of China. Since then, the commission has rejected applications to run from half a dozen candidates, including some who signed, on the grounds that advocating independence was incompatible with that pledge. "They laid down a direct order, that this pro-independence movement must be purged," said a source in frequent touch with Chinese officials, referring to a verbal message he said was sent from Beijing to the Hong Kong government. The source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, did not give further details of how the message was conveyed. A second source with ties to senior Hong Kong and Chinese officials said that, given China's "zero tolerance" for independence, "the Hong Kong government has to be seen to be doing something, they couldn't just do nothing". The second source, who also declined to be identified, did not refer to a "direct order", but agreed that Beijing had sent a strong signal of what was expected to the Hong Kong authorities before the disqualifications began. ULTIMATE CONTROL Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed back to China in 1997 under an agreement that gave ultimate control to Beijing but promised Hong Kong greater freedoms and separate laws for at least 50 years. The second source with ties to officials said China had left details of how to exclude pro-independence candidates to the Hong Kong government to decide. Beijing was displeased, however, that only six candidates had been barred, the source added, with others viewed with suspicion by China - including a group calling for a referendum on Hong Kong's future after 2047 - allowed to stand. The failure of the 2014 protests to win any concessions on greater democracy has increased calls from some activists for an outright break with China, a move some say would imperil Hong Kong's economic and political future. A poll in July by the Chinese University of Hong Kong suggested around one in six residents now support independence. Hong Kong's Beijing-backed leader, Leung Chun-ying, has issued frequent stern warnings against the nascent independence push as he eyes a second term of office next year. Opposition democrats are defending 27 seats in the legislative council - crucially above the one-third threshold that allows them to wield a veto over some legislation. Pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Ho said it would be "psychologically very bad" if the democrats were to lose their veto bloc. "They can change the electoral system," he said, referring to pro-Beijing and pro-establishment parties. "And it will be easier to force through legislation at the will of the government." Starry Lee, the head of Hong Kong's largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), said her party aimed to assuage Hong Kong's worsening social divisions. She rejected suggestions that China were interfering in Hong Kong elections or that Beijing directed her party's strategy, although she said issues were sometimes discussed with Chinese officials. "Our election is handled by the DAB," she said. "We will discuss, we will liaise sometimes, but we have our decision-making process." (Reporting by James Pomfret and Venus Wu; Editing by Alex Richardson) south china sea map Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency has announced that the country will be taking action against online maps that it says are inaccurate. According to Xinhua, Chinese officials deemed some online maps imprecise and said that they would heighten efforts and order revisions to protect national sovereignty and interests." These purported errors include inaccurate depictions of the boundary lines that had left out several territorial islands. Because the cartography flaws may have also leaked state secrets, the report claims that the maps harmed China's territorial sovereignty, national security and interests and may impair the international community's understanding of the position and claims of the Chinese government. Although the decree was circulated by several state-run agencies that ordered websites to reinforce their self-discipline and comply with legal procedures before publishing maps online, its unclear what the repercussions would be. Further, its unclear whether these regulations would extend beyond Chinas borders. This regulatory action comes at a time when territorial disputes in the region have been in full swing. Following a recent ruling by the international tribunal at The Hague, Chinas claims to the highly contested South China Sea have been deemed baseless and subsequently struck down. However, even though Philippines legal counsel called it an overwhelming victory, the ruling seems to have little impact on the progress of Chinas development of artificial islands in the South China Sea. In addition to the developments in the South China Sea, the East China Sea has also been a source of international contention. In August, China reportedly had a fleet of more than 230 fishing boats and about 28 coast-guard vessels surround the Senkaku islands near Japan. NOW WATCH: China just opened the worlds highest and longest glass bridge More From Business Insider BEIJING (Reuters) - China is developing a new long-range bomber, the head of the Chinese air force was quoted as saying in state media on Friday, the latest move in its ambitious military modernization program. China has already improved its ability to strike at targets far from home and there will be further improvements in the future, the Global Times quoted air force chief Ma Xiaotian as saying at an air force open day. "We are now developing a new generation of long-range bomber, and you'll see it in the future," Ma said, according to the paper, without elaborating. China has been ramping up research into advanced new military equipment, including submarines, aircraft carriers and anti-satellite missiles. This has rattled nerves regionally and in Washington as China takes a more muscular approach to territorial disputes in places such as the South China Sea. The air force, which has for years relied on large numbers of Chinese copies of Russian aircraft, is now also developing its own stealth fighters. In July, it put into service a new, domestically developed large transport aircraft. Ma said the air force had entered into a "transformation" stage, changing its focus from quantity to quality, the report said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Paul Tait) By Adam Jourdan and Michelle Price SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Chinese government said on Friday it was investigating two high-profile takeover proposals involving U.S. companies, the latest sign of its growing influence on whether deals are approved - even those appearing to have little impact in China. The Commerce Ministry said at a briefing on Friday it was probing ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing's planned acquisition of U.S. rival Uber Technologies Inc's (UBER.UL) China unit and Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) purchase of movie studio DreamWorks Animation. The scrutiny, announced the day before world leaders descend on China's eastern city of Hangzhou for a meeting of the Group of 20, underscores the ministry's increasingly tough stance on companies that strike deals without seeking its approval. The Chinese are increasingly using their regulatory might to gain influence in the global economy, according to one expert in international relations. "DreamWorks and Comcast barely touch China, but it's a way to assert their new position in the world. They want to remind us, 'We're big and you have to pay attention to us,'" said Jim Lewis, of Washingtons Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. A representative of the U.S. Department of State declined comment and referred queries to China's Commerce Ministry. There had not been a filing for the Didi-Uber deal, the ministry said last month. Comcast already said it had completed the deal for DreamWorks, which may indicate it did not think it needed to wait for Chinese approval. The ministry requires companies to notify it of transactions before they close if those merging have combined global turnover in the previous year exceeding 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) or their combined China income exceeds 2 billion yuan ($300 million). Didi said its deal did not trigger these thresholds, while lawyers said they were surprised that the DreamWorks deal was being probed given its small China footprint. Story continues "With the DreamWorks-Comcast deal, I was kind of surprised," said Wendy Yan, Shanghai-based partner at Faegre Baker Daniels. The ministry said it had launched the investigation into the takeover following unspecified complaints that the combination of Comcast, one of the largest U.S. cable and broadcasting groups, with the movie studio could hurt competition in the Chinese market. "I'd be interested to know who made such complaints and how exactly the (Comcast-DreamWorks) merger would affect the China market because they are not in a dominant position," added Yan. A representative for Comcast declined to comment on the Chinese probe. Comcast, owner of NBCUniversal, said in April it would buy DreamWorks, the producer of the "Kung Fu Panda" and "Shrek" franchises, for $3.8 billion. DreamWorks was one of the first Hollywood names to open a production studio in China and NBCUniversal in 2014 announced plans to open a $3.3-billion Universal theme park in Beijing. China's film market, the world's second largest, is a magnet for movie producers looking to tap the country's 1.4 billion people, even though there are signs that stellar box office growth may be starting to slow. Comcast announced the completion of the DreamWorks deal last week. The ministry has the power to fine companies it believes should have sought clearance, and can also force them to sell assets to get approval, or even to unwind transactions "If (Comcast) didn't file and they should have filed, this will be resolved with a fine and a press release," said Bruce McDonald, a veteran of the U.S. Department of Justice, now at law firm Jones Day. "Is this China just being tough on a U.S. company? I don't think so, it might be them being sticklers for following Chinese filing rules." CONSUMER ANGER Lawyers said that the Didi deal to buy Uber's China unit had caused a stir among local consumers and rivals. The two ride-hailing firms were already the number one and two top players together controlling around 90 percent of the market. The ministry had signaled its discontent with the two companies last month because they had not filed a merger application to the regulator. A representative for Uber referred questions to Didi. A Didi spokeswoman said: "We are in communication with the authorities." Consumer groups and rivals have warned that fares could rise steeply if the two companies join forces. Both Uber and Didi had spent billions of dollars subsidizing fares in a price war to lure riders and drivers. Marc Waha, head of the antitrust practice at Norton Rose Fulbright in Hong Kong, said a key concern for the ministry would be the elimination of Uber as a competitor to Didi. "If the market is considered to only comprise those two car hailing services, the transaction could be seen as a merger from two-to-one, which is likely to be problematic, however small the target is." "Very often a small target acts as a maverick on the market, leading to low prices," he added. The ministry has developed a reputation globally as a tough regulator, but it has only blocked two transactions since China's antimonopoly law came into force in 2008, compared with 1,447 unconditional clearances, Norton Rose data shows. Faegre Baker Daniels's Yan added, however, Chinese regulators could end up with a deluge of new deals to work through if the latest probes were a sign of things to come. "If the China government reaches out its hands too far they may need to deal with things they are not able to do and they need to have the manpower to review all these global mergers which may not have China implications," she said. (Additional reporting by Diane Bartz and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Martin Howell, Nick Zieminski and G Crosse) * China ministry: no Didi-Uber China merger application received * Didi had disputed need to apply after deal announcement (Adds comments from ministry spokesman and Didi spokeswoman) SHANGHAI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - China's commerce ministry is investigating the planned acquisition by ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing of U.S. rival Uber Technologies Inc's China unit over anti-monopoly concerns, the ministry's spokesman said on Friday. Shen Danyang told reporters the Ministry of Commerce would look to protect fair market competition and consumer interests in the deal, which will create a roughly $35 billion giant dominating China's car-hailing market. A representative for Uber could not be reached immediately for comment. A Didi spokeswoman said: "We are in communication with the authorities." It is unclear how the investigation could affect Didi's planned acquisition and subsequent integration of Uber's China unit, already the top two players in the market. That had raised monopoly concerns as Didi claims an 87 percent market share. After the deal was announced last month, the ministry unexpectedly said it had not received a necessary application filing to merge from the two firms. Didi replied that the two companies did not need to file for approval to merge because they did not meet the financial threshold. The Ministry of Commerce's anti-monopoly office has already held talks twice with Didi, requesting clarification of the transaction and why the company had not applied for approval, as well as asking the firm to provide relevant documents and materials, Shen said on Friday. The investigation is ongoing, said Shen, who did not say when it might conclude. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Adam Jourdan; Additional reporting by Paul Carsten in Beijing; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) Antonov an 225 Ukraine's Antonov Company and the Aerospace Industry Corporation of China have agreed to a deal this week to recommence the production of the AN-225 Mriya. Only one AN-225 was ever completed, and it entered service in 1988. A second Mriya airframe was partially completed before the fall of the Soviet Union. This week's Chinese-Ukrainian agreement calls for the completion of the second AN-225 by Antonov and its delivery to AICC. The agreement also calls for the commencement of series production of the AN-225 in China under license from Antonov. A relic of the Soviet space program, the AN-225 was designed as a platform to carry the Buran space shuttle. Following the cancellation of the Soviet space program, both the completed and the uncompleted AN-225s sat idle for a decade. In the early 2000s, the completed Mriya was refurbished and returned to service as a commercial heavy lifter. Antonov AN 225 The AN-225 holds 240 world records including the record for the heaviest cargo ever carried by a plane 253 tons. According to Antonov, the AN-225 can carry a 200-ton load nearly 2,500 miles. The gargantuan heavy lifter is powered by six Ivchenko-Progress turbo-fan engines each producing more than 51,000 pounds of thrust. NOW WATCH: What it's like to fly on Qatar Airways the best airline in the world More From Business Insider Geneva (AFP) - A cholera epidemic has killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said Friday, as it prepared to launch a vaccination campaign in Kinshasa. The United Nations health agency voiced deep concern over the outbreak that has infected some 18,000 people, including 517 who have died, since the beginning of the year. Cholera is endemic in DR Congo, but usually only affects the east of the country. This time however, the acute diarrhoeal infection has spread west along the Congo river and has reached Kinshasa for the first time in five years. The capital has suffered 13 cases and two deaths since August 13, Dominique Legros, head of WHO's cholera division, told reporters in Geneva. "That's very worrisome because it affects places where there is usually no cases of cholera, no immunity in the population, (and) the health staff is not used to cholera cases," he said, pointing out that in such areas the mortality rate is often very high. In a bid to stem the epidemic, Legros said WHO was sending support materials and experts to DR Congo and that it had decided Friday to support a large-scale vaccination campaign in Kinshasa. In all, some 300,000 people living in the most risk-prone parts of the capital will receive the two-dose vaccine, getting the first jab between September 22 and 25 -- and the second two weeks later. "The objective is to try to contain the outbreak and avoid that we have similar situation like we had five years ago," he said, referring to the last outbreak in Kinshasa in 2011, which over a two-year period infected some 2,200 people and killed 88. Across the country, that outbreak made 21,750 people ill and left 424 people dead. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and causes acute diarrhoea, with children facing a particularly high risk of infection. There are between 1.4 and 4.3 million cases of the disease worldwide each year, and as many as 142,000 deaths, according to WHO statistics. By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation will shut down its fundraising affiliates in Sweden and the United Kingdom if Hillary Clinton wins the U.S. presidency in November, a spokesman for the global charity said this week. The foundation has in recent weeks begun announcing planned new donor restrictions to allay criticism that wealthy supporters might be expecting special treatment from the U.S. government in return. Both the William J. Clinton Foundation UK in London and the Clinton Foundation Insamlingsstiftelse in Stockholm will close if Clinton becomes president because of their acceptance of foreign funding, Brian Cookstra, a spokesman for the Clinton Foundation in New York, said in one of a series of emails responding to questions from Reuters. Both organizations exist to receive donations overseas, neither have any employees, and they are overseen by board members of the main Clinton Foundation in the United States, their financial statements show. Some of the foundation's foreign outposts have drawn extra scrutiny because donors can give money anonymously. The foundation said last month it would no longer accept foreign funding for at least some of its work if Clinton is elected, although Donald Trump, Clinton's Republican rival for the presidency, continues to accuse Clinton of being corrupted by foreign donors. She has dismissed this as a political smear. In order to become President Barack Obama's secretary of state in 2009, Clinton signed an ethics agreement promising to annually publish the names of all donors to her family's philanthropy, including foreign governments that have collectively given tens of millions of dollars. Clinton also promised that her charities would seek prior approval from the State Department's ethics office before accepting new donations from foreign governments. The charities have since conceded they did not keep these promises, blaming oversights. (http://reut.rs/2c7iqgk) The foundation's outpost in Stockholm has received nearly 270 million Swedish crowns, about $30 million, since it was established in 2011, while Clinton was still secretary of state. Most of this money was given by the Swedish Postcode Lottery and the Dutch Postcode Lottery, according to the Clinton Foundation Insamlingsstiftelse's website. About $6 million came from other donors that are not disclosed by the Clinton Foundation Insamlingsstiftelse. Cookstra said those donors were included in the donor list published on the main Clinton Foundation's website but declined to identify them or say why they were donating in Sweden rather than the United States. The foundation also declined to explain a discrepancy in donations in records from 2012. The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation said it donated 6.6 million crowns (about $1 million) that year, but the Clinton Foundation reported this amount as 19.7 million crowns (about $3 million). Cookstra also declined to say whether the foundation has other fundraising arms set up in foreign countries besides the United Kingdom and Sweden. The British arm of the Clinton Foundation has raised at least $400,000 since 2007, according to records held by the British government's Charity Commission. The State Department says it has no record of being notified about the foundation's overseas outposts during Clinton's tenure. "The State Department was not responsible for monitoring or approving the organization and operation of the Clinton Foundation or its offshoots," Elizabeth Trudeau, a department spokeswoman, said in a statement. "The Department reviewed all information submitted to it. You would need to ask the Foundation whether there were additional matters that it should have submitted for State Department review." (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) UFC / Getty Nate Diaz has a bit of a reputation for being all gangster, boosted up by recent skirmishes between his crew and both Conor McGregor and previous opponent Michael Johnson. But according to CM Punk, theres a softer side to the younger Diaz brother and Punk got to see it at UFC 200. UFC 200, I was doing an autograph signing and the guy I was signing the autograph for started like pointing behind me, Punk told Fox Sports. I heard someone like yelling my name and I turned around, and I was on a riser and Nate Diaz was on the ground and he was like, Hey, man. Come here! I was like whats up? and he was the nicest f**king guy. I dont know if hell get mad and this will ruin the image of Nate Diaz, but he was like, Hey, man. I talked some s**t before and I dont know you and Im sorry, and hes like, Gilbert (Melendez) and Ronda (Rousey) said that youre a cool dude and they love you, and I started looking around for the cameras. I was like alright. I thought that was super, super cool of him. Super nice guy. Nate was one of many UFC fighters that reacted negatively to CM Punks signing with the UFC, declaring it was horrible for the sport. I dont dig it, Diaz said back in 2014. He has got no fights. I know hes a big draw. I looked him up. Everyones going to buy tickets. Its going to be great for the venue and the UFC, but at the same time, it downgrades all the fighters. Hes an amateur. Youre going to put an amateur in there with pros? That makes us all amateurs, so I think its ridiculous. As far as Im concerned, f**k him, f**k the whole situation. Keep in mind this was the old Nate that used to only make $40,000 a fight, way below what CM Punk is probably getting paid for his potentially disastrous foray into real fighting. Now that Nate is clearing a million dollars per fight, theres probably a lot less bitterness when it comes to other guys with way less experience making a lot of money. (via FOX Sports) A Coca-Cola Company KO unit has signed agreements with Charlotte-based Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated COKE under which the latter will expand its distribution footprint to new markets in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and West Virginia. COCA COLA BOTTL Price COCA COLA BOTTL Price | COCA COLA BOTTL Quote The expansion drive includes the proposal stated in the letter of intents issued last year as well as this year. With the latest spreading out, Coca-Cola Bottling has moved into Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Bloomington, Terre Haute, South Bend, Fort Wayne, Lafayette and Anderson in Indiana; and Louisa, Kentucky. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Bottling has signed a manufacturing agreement under which it will acquire three manufacturing facilities in the cities of Cincinnati, OH; Indianapolis and Portland, IN. Apart from these deals, the bottler is currently focused on the expansion of its distribution territories in parts of northern Ohio and northern West Virginia. Along with that, the company has plans to take over a manufacturing facility in Twinsburg, OH. Coca-Cola Bottling will also carry out the exchange of distribution territory in the southern parts of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi and a manufacturing facility in Mobile, AL for distribution territory in parts of Arkansas, southwestern Tennessee and northwestern Mississippi and manufacturing facilities in Memphis, TN and West Memphis, AR. Last Month, Coca-Cola Bottlings second-quarter 2016 earnings as well as net sales improved 6.3% and 36.7% year over year, respectively. Organic growth in the legacy territories as well as expansion through the acquisition of several new distribution territories from Coca-Cola led to the stellar performance. Comparable net sales increased 4.5% driven by a 4.5% increase in volume, particularly in sparkling and still portfolios. Coca-Cola Bottlings top line also benefitted from the expansion of Monster Beverage Corporations MNST product distribution throughout the companys area of operation. During second-quarter 2016, the company expanded its territories to include Maryland and Delaware and took over two manufacturing facilities in Maryland, under its agreement with Coca-Cola. Most of The Coca-Cola Companys beverages are manufactured, sold and distributed by independent bottling partners like Coca-Cola Bottling Co, Coca-Cola European Partners Plc. CCE and Coca-Cola FEMSA S.A.B de C.V. The company is one of the largest independent bottlers of the products of Coca-Cola Company and intends to expand its distribution territory through the acquisition of production centers from Coca-Cola as part of the latters global re-franchising initiatives in 2016. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 COCA-COLA EU PT (CCE): Free Stock Analysis Report COCA COLA CO (KO): Free Stock Analysis Report MONSTER BEVERAG (MNST): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A national spotlight has been cast upon Colin Kaepernick for his protest of the national anthem. Hes been called anti-American. Hes been called anti-military. Kaepernick is neither and does not harbor resentment for America or its military. Hes not starting some mythical race war. What Kaepernick has done, which is particularly radical for a black athlete in America, is unapologetically challenge the societal structures that oppress people of color. His silent protest of the flag has sparked an ongoing discourse on racial inequalities and Kaepernick does not intend to shy away from that discussion. He addressed the media about his message after the Niners final preseason game. Kaepernick quickly put to rest any notion that he is anti-military or anti-American. In fact, veterans are some of the very people that Kaepernick is fighting for. Men and women in the military fight for our freedoms and Kaepernick wants to ensure that every American receives those freedoms equally. I think its a misunderstanding. The media painted this as Im anti-American, anti men and women of the military, and thats not the case at all. I realize that men and women of the military put themselves in harms way for my freedoms of speech and my freedom in this country and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee. I have the utmost respect for them. I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way. Its something to make sure that I wasnt just talking about something, but being involved and actively trying to make a change in these communities. Ive been very blessed to be in this position and make the kind of money I do. I have to help these people. 22 military vets a day commit suicide, but this country will let the vets go and fight the war for them but when they come back they wont do anything to try to help him. Thats another issue. These issues need to be addressed. Story continues Kaep is most likely referring to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is woefully understaffed and overwhelmed. Fixing a highly dysfunctional government organization may not be within the scope of a professional athlete, but Kaepernick wants to start a sharper discussion on the issue. Mending these broken structures requires pressure, and that pressure can only be applied if the general public has conversation that makes them uncomfortable. The message is we have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with. We have a lot of people that are oppressed. We have a lot of people that arent treated equally; that arent given equal opportunities. Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed. There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about that need to be brought to life. We need to fix those things. Something thats hard to address is what the real issues are and coming to the point where we can admit that these are issues. Once we admit that we can deal with them, we can fix them and we can make this country, these communities a better place. Police brutality has been a sticking point in Kaepernicks message. He wore socks in practice that depicted cops as pigs that predictably made people mad online. Its easy, convenient rather, to reduce Kaepernicks message to those socks and dismiss his entire message on equality. A large portion of people probably tuned Kaepernick out once they saw those pigs on his feet. Those same people probably never took the time to read about racist text messages circulating in the San Francisco Police Department. The same department that demanded an apology from Kaepernick after he protested the flag. These issues, and Kaepernicks protest, will not feather into the ether. Kaepernick does not have the look of someone who plans to shy away anytime soon. Yes, I am planning to take it a step further. Im currently working with organizations to be involved. Making sure Im actively in these communities. As well donating the first $1 million I make this year to help these communities and then help these people. Colin Kaepernicks message reads crystal clear, even if blind nationalism attempts to muddy it. oil rig The US oil-rig count climbed by one to 407 this week, according to the oil-field-services giant Baker Hughes. The bigger increase was in the gas-rig count, which rose by seven to 88. That took the combined tally, which also includes two miscellaneous rigs, up by eight to 497. Last week, the oil-rig tally did not increase for the first time in nine weeks. The rebound in the count that preceded that flattening came as crude oil approached $50 a barrel and some producers became more confident in the industry's outlook. The total rig count last week was 489, as gas rigs fell by two to 81. West Texas Intermediate crude oil is headed for its worst week since March, even amid a 3% rebound on Friday. Futures tanked on Wednesday after the Energy Information Administration reported a greater-than-expected build in US inventories last week, bringing concerns about the market's oversupply back to the forefront. WTI futures traded up 2.6% to $44.30 a barrel after the rig-count release. Here's the most recent chart of the oil-rig count: oil rig count sept 2 NOW WATCH: Paul Krugman weighs in on the Apple tax debate More From Business Insider By Peter Marino Within the span of 24 hours, two unexpected events in Central Asia earlier this week may finally have dragged China into the global struggle against terrorism. Looming instability in the Central Asian, majority Muslim country of Uzbekistan, followed by an attack on the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan, highlight Beijings security risks. During the G20 summit in Hangzhou this weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping would be wise to seek the advice of leaders who have longer-term experience fighting terrorism and then move quickly to develop new security measures at home. For the last 15 years, as the worlds most powerful countries have focused much of their attention on international terrorism, Beijing has largely been able to avoid the issue. It condemned the September 11 attacks, and offered some intelligence cooperation to the George W. Bush administration and the U.S.-led war on terror. But for the most part, China initially sat out the thorniest questions of how to deal with terror groups abroad and handle the fallout of militant violence at home. This was largely because China didnt attract the attention of terror groups. In the early 2000s, its international profile was still low, so Beijing had the luxury of not having to take positions on issues that would place it in the sights of al Qaeda and others. Although it was slowly intensifying its suppression of the Muslim minority Uighurs in Xinjiang province, few outside China paid much attention. And Chinas presence in the Middle East was small, restricted largely to oil and gas purchases from abroad. But over the last decade, Chinas fast-growing economy has required a deeper and broader presence overseas, often with facilities and citizens on the ground in volatile regions. In the last five years, the Chinese navy has had to rescue its citizens twice, once in Libya in 2011 and again from Yemen in March of this year. Chinese citizens have been killed in terror attacks in Mali, and Chinese peacekeepers have been killed there and in South Sudan. Attacks have occurred domestically as well. Chinese citizens were the victims of a car bombing in Tiananmen Square in 2013 and a coordinated knife attack in Kunming in 2014, both connected to Uighur attackers. Beijing has so far responded to these domestic and foreign attacks by intensifying its intelligence gathering in Central Asia and starting to build a security presence close to the Middle East with its first overseas base in the northeast African nation of Djibouti. So far, this has all been moving slowly. The pace may start to quicken. On August 29, Islam Karimov, the 78-year-old president of Uzbekistan, was hospitalized after a serious stroke, and conflicting reports started circulating about whether he is alive or dead. Almost immediately, palace intrigue and the succession struggle in the isolated country became public. As the most powerful Central Asian republic, Uzbekistans own stability helps underpin the security of the whole region, an obvious area of concern to China. If Karimovs death, now confirmed, results in a prolonged power vacuum, the region could become less stable with each passing day. In this case, Beijing could feel compelled to pick or endorse their man in the succession struggle, possibly along with Russia, to help end it. This could very easily turn the losing faction against Beijing, with unpredictable long-term consequences. Chinas vulnerability became even more obvious less than a day after Karimov was hospitalized, when a suicide bomber struck the Chinese embassy in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. The bombing was doubly threatening to Beijing. Not only was it a foreign threat to its interests and presence, but Beijing's belief that the attacker was an Islamic militant relates directly to Chinas treatment of its own Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang province, which borders Kyrgyzstan. Beijing sees the Uighurs as a separatist threat, and this attack will only increase that perception. If history is any guide, Chinas reaction in Xinjiang will follow a pattern of state intrusion and minority suppression, either through its increasingly sophisticated internet monitoring technology, its enormous police and paramilitary presence throughout the territory, or both. And if China does decide on a more aggressive effort to resist terrorism, and finally becomes the last of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to be dragged into this global fight, it will, somewhat perversely, have a greater chance of being treated with the Great Power status it has long coveted. (Peter Marino is the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Society for International Affairs, a new U.S. foreign policy think tank in New York City. He often writes on intra-Asian diplomatic and political affairs and U.S.- Asia Policy. @TheMetSociety) Fox News Toni Tennille is coming out of retirement to fulfill a lifetime wish. The Grammy-winning singer, known for her bouncy 1975 song "Love Will Keep Us Together" alongside her former husband Daryl Dragon, is set to lead the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center production of "Hello, Dolly!" in Prescott, Arizona. By Rina Chandran MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women in parts of conflict-hit central and eastern India are more vulnerable to violence and eviction from their land because a decades-long insurgency has made it harder for them to claim equal land rights, according to a new study. Thousands of people, mostly men, have been killed or gone missing in the insurgency since the late 1960s led by rebels known as Naxals, who claim they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and landless indigenous people. That has left women to tend to families with few resources, including land. In the 10 villages surveyed by land rights advocacy group Landesa in eastern Jharkhand state, only 4 percent of housing plots and 3 percent of agricultural plots were owned solely or jointly by women. In contrast, 59 percent of housing plots and two-thirds of agricultural plots were owned by men. "Women face enormous problems when the death or disappearance of their fathers or husbands leaves them without access to land," said Naveen Kumar, head of research at Landesa. "Their vulnerability comes from patriarchal norms and stalled development programs because of the conflict," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Jharkhand is among the poorest states in India, where prevailing laws and tribal customs do not favor women owning land. When men die or disappear, their land and property are often claimed by male relatives, leaving their wives and daughters homeless and dependent on others, Kumar said. Women who make claims to land are often subject to violence, with families even hiring militants to evict them, according to Landesa. VULNERABLE POSITION Across India, only 13 percent of farmland is owned by women, despite laws granting equal rights in most states. The figure is lower for lower-caste Dalit and indigenous women who are single. Single women in rural areas bear the brunt of entrenched customs and superstitions, including a bias against girls from birth, limited education and early marriage. In Jharkhand, single women who own land may be branded "witches" and ostracized by the community. More than a third of the single women surveyed by Landesa said they had received threats of eviction. "Single women are in a considerably more vulnerable position. They do all the work on the land, yet they are not part of the decision making and have no claim on the land," Kumar said. "Their communities fear that if land is given to women, it may be lost, so they have no equal inheritance rights," he said. Earlier this year, the Jharkhand government approved amendments to two laws to enable the acquisition of tribal land for commercial use, including for roads and mines. Environmentalists have criticized the move, saying more checks and balances are needed to prevent the misuse of land in the resource-rich state where tensions run high between poor farmers and industrial developers. In addition, a change in long-held patriarchal traditions is also needed to protect the rights of women, Kumar said. "When we asked the women whether daughters should receive a share of parental land, only 20 percent said yes," Kumar said. "For them, land means men. They don't even see themselves as entitled to land. This needs to change," he said. (Reporting by Rina Chandran, Editing by 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.) (Adds Sycamore statement, more background on the company) By Jessica DiNapoli Sept 1 (Reuters) - A consortium comprising companies and liquidators prevailed in a bankruptcy auction for U.S. teen retailer Aeropostale Inc with a $243.3 million bid, potentially saving 229 of its stores, Aeropostale said on Thursday. The outcome of the auction ensures that Aeropostale will continue as a business, albeit with much fewer than the 800 stores it had before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May amid fierce competition from online retailers and the fast-changing tastes of its young clientele. The deal with the consortium, which includes licensing firm Authentic Brands Group LLC, mall operators Simon Property Group Inc and General Growth Properties Inc, and liquidators Gordon Brothers and Hilco Merchant Resources, is subject to approval by a bankruptcy judge in a court hearing scheduled for Sept. 12. Aeropostale said the consortium intends to operate at least 229 of its U.S. stores, in addition to Aeropostale's e-commerce business and its international licensing business. The successful completion of the auction also marks the end of a row between Aeropostale and its lender, private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Aeropostale had accused Sycamore of plotting a 'loan-to-own' scheme to push the chain into bankruptcy. Aeropostale had to make merchandise purchases through apparel sourcing company MGF Sourcing, which is owned by Sycamore, as a condition of a loan it received from the private equity firm. Aeropostale had accused Sycamore, of imposing, through MGF, "onerous" payment terms on the retailer in attempt to hurt its cash position. Sycamore refuted these claims, and the bankruptcy judge last week sided with the buyout firm, denying a request by Aeropostale to bar Sycamore from using the $150 million it is owed as credit to bid in the auction. "We are pleased with the outcome of the Aeropostale bankruptcy auction, which will result in the repayment of our debt while enabling the company to keep open more than 200 stores, preserve thousands of jobs and continue to serve customers," Sycamore said in a statement. At least five U.S. teen retailers, including Wet Seal LLC and Pacific Sunwear of California Inc, have filed for bankruptcy in the past two years, as the spending habits of young people shift and they visit malls less often. (Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in NEW YORK) By Martinne Geller and Randy Fabi LONDON/JAKARTA (Reuters) - Some of the world's biggest consumer groups are making halal face creams and shampoos for Indonesia ahead of a new labelling law, part of a broader push to cater to growing Muslim populations as sales in many Western markets slow. Unilever (ULVR.L), Beiersdorf (BEIG.DE) and L'Oreal (OREP.PA) are among the multinationals converting their supply chains for the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation. The law, the first of its kind, requires food to be labelled halal or not in 2017, followed by toiletries in 2018 and medicines in 2019. The companies say demand for beauty products that are halal, or target specific issues like veiled hair, will grow as the Muslim middle class grows. They note that Indonesia could influence other countries such as Malaysia where halal products made locally or by small, niche companies are also popular. Halal certification is official recognition that a product was manufactured in keeping with Islamic Sharia law. This means it must not contain traces of pork, alcohol or blood, and must be made on factory lines free of contamination risk, including from cleaning. Makers of cosmetics and toiletries say the burden is more administrative than financial, and therefore see compliance as unlocking new revenue streams. "It's an enabler to do business in certain areas of the world," said Dirk Mampe of German chemicals company BASF (BASFn.DE), which sells ingredients to toiletries manufacturers and now has 145 of them certified halal. The halal ingredients do not carry premium price tags, he said. "There is a trend that these halal products are being requested more and more, and the importance of being able to supply them is increasing." More than 1.5 billion people around the world are Muslim, accounting for about a quarter of the global population. Halal cosmetics were estimated to make up 11 percent of a global halal market worth more than $1 trillion in 2015, according to Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting. Market research firm TechNavio sees halal personal care products' sales growing 14 percent per year until 2019, outpacing the broader market. Story continues NOT-SO-SECRET FORMULA French cosmetics giant L'Oreal already has a halal-certified factory in Indonesia that supplies the domestic market and its Southeast Asian neighbours. Most products under its Garnier brand, from face washes to skin lightening creams, are halal-certified, a spokeswoman said. The personal care industry already depends largely on plant-derived ingredients, so the rules for halal often affect production more than formulation. But certification can get complicated. For example, the maker of an Indonesian skin cream with a dozen ingredients from around the world would need to give Indonesian authorities proof from other certification bodies that each ingredient was made in a halal way. Malaysia-based DagangHalal (DGHL.ISD) has made a business from that complexity by establishing an online database of halal certificates to ease their exchange and expedite the process for applicants. As of February, it said 38 out of over 120 certification bodies worldwide had signed up. The company, which also runs a halal e-commerce site, reported 2015 revenue of 5.6 million Malaysian ringgit ($1.4 million), up 64 percent year-on-year. It raised 3.6 million pounds ($4.7 million) from this year's London stock listing, and is betting that halal cosmetics will gain traction beyond their current strongholds of Indonesia and Malaysia. "Halal certification is a requirement that might be put in place by other countries in the future," Joerg Karas, general manager of Schwan-Stabilo Cosmetics, said in a statement last month. The German company, which is ready to offer halal-certified products to customers such as L'Oreal and Procter & Gamble, said it is "well-equipped for this niche market". Non-halal products will remain available in Indonesia following the labelling law, but may meet a backlash. "The average Muslim consumer in Indonesia is not going to buy something that effectively says prohibited on it," said Abdalhamid Evans of halal consultancy firm Imarat Consultants. Unilever, which owns five of Indonesia's top ten beauty and personal care brands, says all nine of its factories there already meet halal standards and that it is currently working with third-party suppliers of imported ingredients. Alan Jope, who runs Unilever's personal care business from Singapore, told Reuters the cost of certification was "not material". MUSLIM VALUES Competition with homegrown rivals steeped in local tradition can be fierce, especially when it comes to regulation. But Jope said the key for multinationals like Unilever -- with global marketing and development teams -- is understanding Muslim values generally and how they influence habits in specific markets with different cultures and ethnicities. "Some (values) are common across Muslim countries," he said, noting that about 90 percent of Muslim consumers say faith influences their brand choices. "But there's quite substantial differences between how a Muslim woman in Indonesia and a Muslim woman in Saudi Arabia express their faith and how that impacts their beauty regimes." He guessed that one third of the top twenty markets for Unilever's 20 billion euros-per-year business were countries with large Muslim populations, from India to Nigeria. He said better meeting their needs was a top strategic priority. To that end, Unilever has introduced products such as a gel body moisturizer that absorbs quickly beneath long undergarments and a long-lasting toothpaste appealing to those fasting for Ramadan. Like rival Henkel (HNKG_p.DE), it sells a line of shampoo for veiled hair, but Jope said the industry needs to improve its advertising, such as by featuring more women in hijabs. "We need to be doing a better job reflecting Muslim values in our brand communication," he said. ($1 = 4.0480 ringgit) ($1 = 0.7614 pounds) (Additional reporting by Cindy Silviana in Jakarta, Astrid Wendlandt in Paris, Tina Bellon in Frankfurt and Ben Hirschler in London; Editing by Anna Willard) Copenhagen (AFP) - Residents of a freewheeling, semi-autonomous Copenhagen neighbourhood on Friday tore down the stalls of a busy cannabis market after a brutal shooting prompted a public backlash. A 25-year-old man late Wednesday allegedly shot two police officers -- critically injuring one of them -- and one civilian during a drug raid on Christiania, which was founded by squatting hippies in the 1970s and has a long history of openly trading drugs. He died early Friday from gunshot injuries sustained during his arrest in a suburban area of the capital. "The 25-year-old man ... died overnight in Rigshospitalet (hospital) from his injuries," the Independent Police Complaints Authority said in a statement. The agency is investigating the incident because police used their guns during the arrest. Police have said the man, named by media as Mesa Hodzic, had links to the radical Islamist group Millatu Ibrahim and that he sympathised with the Islamic State group, but that there was no evidence that extremism had inspired the shooting. The drug trade in Christiania, focused on the main drag known as Pusher Street, has since long been taken over by criminal gangs from other parts of the city and police estimate that annual sales are worth up to one billion kroner (134 million euros, $150 million). In a bid to deter violent criminals from coming to the neighbourhood, residents on Friday tore down the colourful open air stalls used by drug dealers and put up stickers urging the public to stop buying drugs in the area. Police have repeatedly cleared the area in the past, only to see new stalls pop up hours later. "The most important thing for us is to try to do something about the crime without turning to violence ourselves," Christiania spokesman Risenga Manghezi told public broadcaster DR. Wednesday's shooting had prompted a backlash from Danish politicians and commentators, but on Friday Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen tweeted: "Well done Christiania. Now stand firm!" By late afternoon, Danish media reported that cannabis was again being sold in the area, albeit on a smaller scale than before. * Conservative leader Rajoy loses second vote of confidence * Politicians have 2 months to find deal or election called * Another election would be third in a year (Adds result of vote) By Sonya Dowsett MADRID, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy failed in a second attempt on Friday to win parliament's backing to form a government, increasing the likelihood that Spain will have to hold another election - its third in a year. After inconclusive elections in December and June, an entrenched stand-off between the parties has left Spain without a government for eight months, posing a threat to the economic recovery and putting a freeze on spending plans. Rajoy, leader of the centre-right People's Party (PP), stumbled at the first attempt to win a second term on Wednesday when he fell six short of the 176 votes needed for an absolute majority in the 350-seat assembly. In Friday's vote he needed just 11 abstentions to get a simple majority and form a PP-led minority government but, as expected, the same 180 members of parliament that rejected him on Wednesday repeated their votes. Rajoy's PP and opposition parties now have until Oct. 31 to strike a deal before another election is called automatically. Under the timeline imposed by Spanish law, the next ballot could fall on Christmas Day, although politicians said they would do all in their power to bring it forward by a week. Rajoy said in a speech ahead of Friday's vote that a December election would come too late to draft spending plans for next year or repair damage to economic growth. "Not having a government has a high cost and all of us Spaniards will have to pay," he said. FOCUS ON REGIONS The impasse is beginning to weigh on Spain's strong three-year economic rebound from recession which saw the country post one of the highest growth rates in the euro zone in the second quarter. Bond yields have crept higher this week, increasing the government's borrowing costs as investors become more cautious. Opinion polls so far have shown that a third election would deliver another hung parliament. Story continues Acting Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Thursday that Spain would fail to meet its budget commitments for 2017 unless it got a stable government soon. It must present a 2017 fiscal plan to the European Commission by mid-October. After Rajoy's failure in both votes, the focus now shifts to regional elections on Sept. 25 in the Basque Country and Galicia. There is unlikely to be any deal before those elections are out of the way, analysts say. Rajoy's anti-regionalist rhetoric has damaged his standing with Basque and Catalan parties that have traditionally helped support minority governments at a national level. Not one supported him in the parliamentary votes. But depending on the outcome of the Basque ballot, the PP could try to get support from a small conservative party there, the PNV, for another parliamentary vote of confidence at a later stage in exchange for helping it govern at a regional level. So far the PNV has said it would not back that plan. However, the Socialists may be more open to negotiations once the regional ballots are over, once it no longer has to worry about alienating its supporters in those elections by allowing a second PP-led government beforehand. (Editing by Angus Berwick and Robin Pomeroy) Rachel Blooms SNL audition tape featured a Space Jam bit, and yes, you can watch it! Rachel Blooms SNL audition tape featured a Space Jam bit, and yes, you can watch it! We all know Rachel Bloom from her awesome show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Then theres the fact that she drops truth bombs about Hollywood and is a total feminist boss. Yeah, shes kinda brilliant. But did you know that this talented actress auditioned for Saturday Night Live in 2012? No? Well, she did and her audition was pretty special, because she impersonated Katharine Hepburn auditioning for Bugs Bunny in Space Jam. OH YES SHE DID. The people have asked and I have answered: here is my 2012 audition tape for SNL in which I do an impression of Katharine Hepburn auditioning for the role of Bugs Bunny in the movie "Space Jam." I truly never thought this would ever be for public viewing. A video posted by Rachel Bloom (@racheldoesstuff) on Sep 1, 2016 at 9:18pm PDT Heres how this all came to light. Following SNLs Twitter call for fans to say who they want to be host on the upcoming 42nd season, Blooms Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-star Donna Lynne Champlin nominated Bloom (which is a great idea btw). And that prompted this tweet: I could finally do the impression of Kate Hepburn auditioning for "Space Jam" that was on my SNL audition tape! https://t.co/ti82Rlxyvh Rachel Bloom (@Racheldoesstuff) September 1, 2016 Thankfully, the video was released on Thursday, and, as you saw, it was smart, weird, zany, and incredible just like Bloom herself. Ummmmmmm okay, its official: Rachel Bloom NEEDS to host SNL. And the internet agrees! Dear Lorne Michaels: PRETTY PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN ASAP. THANKS. The post Rachel Blooms SNL audition tape featured a Space Jam bit, and yes, you can watch it! appeared first on HelloGiggles. PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis apologized on Friday after facing calls to quit over comments denying the existence of a World War Two concentration camp for Roma people. Babis' ANO party leads opinion polls ahead of a national election near the end of 2017 and the billionaire entrepreneur may become prime minister. He was quoted as telling local residents on Thursday on a campaign stop for regional elections in October that the Lety concentration camp, 80 km (50 miles) south of Prague, had existed only as a labor camp for those avoiding work. Lety started as a labor camp after the Czechoslovak government ordered its creation in 1939, weeks before Nazi forces occupied the country, for people "living off crime". But in 1942, German occupiers ordered Roma to be moved into Lety and another camp. Overall, 1,309 people were interned in Lety, according to the Holocaust.cz website. Of those, 326 died in the camp. About a quarter escaped or were released while the rest were transported to Auschwitz. Babis was quoted by Aktualne.cz as saying: "There were times when all Roma worked. What these morons write in newspapers, that Lety was a concentration camp, is a lie, it was a work camp. Whoever did not work, whoosh and he was there." Roma in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in eastern Europe are often poor and targets of discrimination. Many live in secluded communities with high unemployment. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, leader of the center-left Social Democratic party, which ANO rules in coalition with, scolded Babis for crossing the line in harsh comments that showed the tension in the ruling alliance. "The regional election is getting close and Babis has decided to feed on problems in cohabitation with the Roma," he said his Facebook page. "There is a very thin line between populism and Nazism. I am afraid the finance minister has now crossed it by these comments," he said, calling on Babis to apologize and brush up on history. Babis said his comments came after visiting an area where mostly Roma live and he was asking why so many were out of work, as well as why the state has not been able to improve conditions a quarter of a century after Communist rule ended. "I expressed myself poorly, it was taken out of context ... If I offended someone, then I apologize to everyone," Babis said in an ANO news conference Friday. Babis said he condemned the Holocaust and concentration camps. Late on Thursday, he also addressed his comments in a Facebook post: "I do not doubt the horrors of Nazism and the World War Two and nobody who knows me could think that." There is a memorial at the camp site but most of the area is a pig farm, despite long-time efforts by activists to close it. (Reporting by Jason Hovet and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Alison Williams) Frankfurt (AFP) - German carmaker Daimler said on Friday it would pilot a project to allow sensor-studded, networked cars to share information about available parking spots to save drivers time. "The daily hunt for a parking space often takes up as much time again as the actual journey," the Mercedes-Benz maker said in a statement, causing "stress and annoyance". Daimler will work with Bosch -- the world's largest auto-parts maker -- on the scheme dubbed "community-based parking" in its home city of Stuttgart, capital of southwestern Baden-Wuerttemberg state. During the project, set to begin "imminently", participating cars will use built-in ultrasound sensors to scan the roadside while travelling at speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour (34 miles/hour). Information about free parking spaces will then be sent via a "secure connection" to Bosch's cloud computing service to be processed. One technical challenge will be identifying which gaps in the roadside are genuine parking spaces and which are exits from parking garages. But with enough cars travelling down the same street, spaces that are repeatedly registered as empty can be identified as likely exits, Daimler explained. The first iteration of the technology will simply provide drivers information about the probability of finding a parking space on a particular street. With a larger base of users in the future, it will be possible to display available parking spaces in real time on a dashboard map or in the carmaker's smartphone app, Daimler said. Connected cars and their associated services are becoming one of the biggest areas of research and development for manufacturers and component suppliers, fitting into the wider "Internet of Things". Dallas Police Chief David Brown will retire in October, after more than three decades and one of his most challenging years on the force, he announced Thursday. In a written statement, Brown said that "after much prayer," his last day as Dallas' top cop would be Oct. 22 his 56th birthday. Brown is a 33-year veteran of the force and has been chief since 2010. "Serving the citizens of Dallas in this noble profession has been both a true honor and a humbling experience," Brown wrote. "I became a Dallas cop in 1983 because of the crack cocaine epidemic's impact on my neighborhood in Oak Cliff," he wrote. "I wanted to be part of the solution. Since that time I have taken great pride in knowing that we have always been part of the solution and helped to make Dallas the world class city it is today." Brown drew national attention, and widespread praise, for the poise he displayed in the aftermath of the July sniper shooting that killed five police officers during a protest in Dallas. "Let's always remember the fallen officers including the five officers on July 7, 2016, and the brave men and women of the Dallas Police Department for their sacrifices to keep Dallas safe," Brown wrote Thursday. "I know the people of Dallas will never forget the ultimate sacrifice they made on the streets of our city that awful night." Assistant Chief David Pughes will step in as interim chief, according to WFAA, while a national search is underway for Brown's replacement. His statement characterized the decision to retire as "difficult." Dallas Police Chief Announces Retirement 'After Much Prayer' and a Challenging Year on the Force| Crime & Courts, True Crime, Real People Stories After the summer's tragic shooting, he became one of the most visible figures in the country's ongoing conversation about policing and race and he has a deeply personal connection to police violence. A third-generation Dallasite and the first born-and-raised police chief in decades, a devout Christian and former accounting major, Brown has long been focused on better policing through better community relations and de-escalation and racial bias training. He has said his department's revised training procedures helped lead to an 80 percent drop in excessive force complaints between 2009 and 2015, according to the Dallas Morning News. And he said the procedures helped lead, last year, to a 30 percent drop in assaults on officers and a 40 percent drop in shootings by police. Brown has also faced criticism, including for being inflexible. Police union officials said Brown's policies slowed down officers, according to the Morning News, while others have said his emphasis on community policing misspends resources. His retirement comes months after the city's four police groups called for him to step down, in part over a planned scheduling change for many officers. Brown dismissed such calls at the time, with the backing of city leadership. It was the officers he leads that Brown said Thursday he won't forget, even in retirement. "Officers, your extraordinary service will forever be etched in my heart and will serve as a guidepost for me in the next phase of my life," he wrote. "You will always be in my prayers." With ADAM CARLSON Copenhagen (AFP) - A Danish man who shot two police officers during a drug raid in Copenhagen earlier this week was an Islamic State group member, the jihadist-linked Amaq news outlet said Friday. But Copenhagen police said they had seen no evidence to back up the claim. The 25-year-old, named by local media as Mesa Hodzic, shot two police officers and a civilian on Wednesday during a drug raid, and died Friday of gunshot wounds he sustained during his eventual arrest. "The perpetrator of the attack that targeted the police in Copenhagen is a soldier of the Islamic State and carried out the operation in response to calls to target the countries of the coalition," Amaq said, citing an unnamed source, referring to the international alliance battling IS in Syria and Iraq. Danish police said on Thursday that Hodzic had links to the radical Islamist group Millatu Ibrahim and that he sympathised with IS, but that there was no evidence that extremism had inspired the shooting. Late Friday, Copenhagen police tweeted: "Still nothing in the investigation that suggests the perpetrator's actions were influenced by his sympathy for IS. Nothing further." Hodzic shot the police officers, one of whom is in critical condition, when they stopped him during a drug raid on the Christiania neighbourhood, which was founded by squatting hippies in the 1970s and has a long history of open drugs trading. He was critically wounded when police opened fire during his arrest early Thursday in a suburban area near Copenhagen's airport and died the following day. - Violent past - In addition to three counts of attempted murder, he had faced preliminary charges of possessing a firearm and trafficking 48 kilos (106 pounds) of cannabis, 2.7 kilos of skunk -- a powerful type of marijuana -- and over 1,800 joints. He was described by police as a regular in Christiania, where he reportedly came cycling on Wednesday to collect the day's takings from a stall in the neighbourhood's infamous open-air cannabis market, which is controlled by criminal gangs. Story continues The 25-year-old came to Denmark from Bosnia and Herzegovina aged four, and was arrested in 2010 along with his father and brother on suspicion of repeatedly stabbing a man with a kitchen knife, but was later freed, according to Danish news agency Ritzau. He had also been arrested on suspicion of committing a violent assault with a knife in 2007. Copenhagen was rocked by twin attacks in February last year, when gunman Omar El-Hussein killed a filmmaker outside a free speech event and a Jewish security guard outside the city's main synagogue. A Danish-Palestinian, El-Hussein had sworn loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on his Facebook page. At least 12 people died and dozens were injured when a bomb tore through a bustling night market in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's home city on Friday, authorities said. The blast occurred just before 11:00pm (1500 GMT), leaving bodies strewn amid the wreckage of plastic tables and chairs on a road that had been closed to traffic for the market in the heart of Davao city. An improvised explosive device caused the explosion, presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said, adding drug traffickers opposed to Duterte's war on crime or Islamic militants may have been responsible. "There are many elements who are angry at our president and our government," Andanar told DZMM radio, after referring to the drug traffickers and the militants. "We are not ruling out the possibility that they might be responsible for this but it is too early to speculate." Twelve people were confirmed killed and more than 30 others injured, according to Ernesto Abella, another presidential spokesman. Davao is the biggest city in the southern Philippines, with a population of about two million people. It is about 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from the capital of Manila. The blast occurred in the centre of Davao, close to one of the city's top hotels that Duterte sometimes holds meetings in, as well as a major university. "The force just hurled me. I practically flew in the air," Adrian Abilanosa, who said his cousin was among those killed, told AFP shortly afterwards. Duterte was in Davao on Friday but was not near the market when the explosion occurred, according to his aides. They said he went straight into meetings with security chiefs following the blast. - Violence-plagued region - Davao is part of the southern region of Mindanao, where Islamic militants have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency that has claimed more than 120,000 lives. Communist rebels, who have been waging an armed struggle since 1968, also maintain a presence in rural areas neighbouring Davao. Story continues Duterte had been mayor of Davao for most of the past two decades, before winning national elections in a landslide this year and being sworn in as president on June 30. Duterte became well known for bringing relative peace and order to Davao with hardline security policies, while also brokering local deals with Muslim and communist rebels. However in 2003, two bomb attacks blamed on Muslim rebels at Davao's airport and the city's port within a month of each other killed about 40 people. Duterte has in recent weeks pursued peace talks with the two main Muslim rebel groups. Its leaders have said they want to broker a lasting peace. - Abu Sayyaf threat - However Duterte also ordered a military offensive to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf, a small but extremely dangerous group of militants that has declared allegiance to Islamic State and vowed to continue fighting. Fifteen soldiers died on Monday in clashes with the Abu Sayyaf on Jolo island, one of the Abu Sayyaf's main strongholds about 900 kilometres from Davao. Presidential spokesman Andanar referred to the fighting on Jolo when he speculated on who may have been behind Friday's bomb attack. The Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for three bomb attacks in 2005 -- one in Davao, one in a nearby city and a third in Manila -- that killed eight people. The Abu Sayyaf, notorious for kidnapping foreigners to extract ransoms, said it conducted the 2005 attacks in response to an offensive against it at that time. Andanar on Friday also raised the possibility of drug lords carrying out the attack as a way of fighting back against Duterte's war on crime. Duterte has made eradicating illegal drugs the top priority of the beginning of his presidency. Security forces have conducted raids in communities throughout the country to arrest or kill drug traffickers. More than 2,000 people have died in the war on crime. The United States, the United Nations and rights groups have expressed concern about an apparent wave of extrajudicial killings. But the United States quickly released a statement expressing deep condolences for Friday's blast. (Adds details on judge's ruling, comment by companies) NEW YORK/WILMINGTON, Del., Sept 2 (Reuters) - A Delaware judge on Friday granted a motion to expedite Alere Inc's lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories, which seeks to ensure that Abbott lives up to the terms of its $5.8 billion takeover of the diagnostics company, representatives for Alere said. Alere filed suit last week in the Delaware Court of Chancery, arguing that Abbott is trying to stymie the deal by purposefully delaying key submissions to anti-trust regulators. Abbott denies the charges. Delaware Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock did not say when a trial would be held and did not address hearing dates. Instead he ordered the parties to go back to their clients and ask if they would consider mediation. Former Chancellor William Chandler is available to be a mediator, according to the judge. "The judge's suggestion that the parties work together is helpful and we look forward to engaging in that process," Abbott said in a statement. "Abbott continues to be compliant with its obligations under the merger agreement." An Alere spokesperson said the company was pleased with the court's decision. Abbott agreed to acquire Alere in February. In late April, Abbott struck an even bigger deal to buy St. Jude Medical to position itself as the dominant player in the market for cardiovascular devices. After the St. Jude deal was announced, Alere said in a filing that it had declined an offer from Abbott to pay it up to $50 million to break off their merger agreement. Alere claims in its complaint that Abbott is motivated to end its deal with Alere in order to free up capital for its $24 billion takeover of St. Jude. Abbott has said it is in compliance with the deal and that Alere's financial problems and related delays in filing its financial statements had slowed its progress. (Reporting by Michael Erman in New York and Tom Hals in Wilmington, Del.; Editing by Leslie Adler) NEW YORK/WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - A Delaware judge on Friday granted a motion to expedite Alere Inc's lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories , which seeks to ensure that Abbott lives up to the terms of its $5.8 billion takeover of the diagnostics company, representatives for Alere said. Alere filed suit last week in the Delaware Court of Chancery, arguing that Abbott is trying to stymie the deal by purposefully delaying key submissions to anti-trust regulators. Abbott denies the charges. Delaware Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock did not say when a trial would be held and did not address hearing dates. Instead he ordered the parties to go back to their clients and ask if they would consider mediation. Former Chancellor William Chandler is available to be a mediator, according to the judge. "The judges suggestion that the parties work together is helpful and we look forward to engaging in that process," Abbott said in a statement. "Abbott continues to be compliant with its obligations under the merger agreement." An Alere spokesperson said the company was pleased with the court's decision. Abbott agreed to acquire Alere in February. In late April, Abbott struck an even bigger deal to buy St. Jude Medical to position itself as the dominant player in the market for cardiovascular devices. After the St. Jude deal was announced, Alere said in a filing that it had declined an offer from Abbott to pay it up to $50 million to break off their merger agreement. Alere claims in its complaint that Abbott is motivated to end its deal with Alere in order to free up capital for its $24 billion takeover of St. Jude. Abbott has said it is in compliance with the deal and that Alere's financial problems and related delays in filing its financial statements had slowed its progress. (Reporting by Michael Erman in New York and Tom Hals in Wilmington, Del.; Editing by Leslie Adler) The state Democratic party in Ohio and some of its county organizations and voters have asked the Supreme Court to reinstate five days of early voting in this years general election the so-called Golden Week that had been heavily used by black and low-income voters who tend to support Democratic candidates. courtfreize535 Enacted eight years ago, after a debacle that resulted in very long lines at voting places in the 2004 elections in Ohio, Golden Week was eliminated by the state legislature three years ago, and that action has been tied up in court challenges since then. Two years ago, on the very eve of the start of early voting, the Supreme Court split 5-to-4 in blocking it. That case, though, was settled before the Justices could rule on the validity of the early voting option. In a close election in a battleground state such as Ohio, early voting can potentially affect outcomes. In the 2004 election, 60,000 voters many of whom were black and had low incomes cast ballots during Golden Week, and in 2012 the comparable figure was 80,000. President Obama won the state in both elections, with strong support among minorities. The new Democratic plea on Thursday to the Court argued that Republican officials in the state have been working since the 2012 election to narrow voting opportunities for those likely to support Democrats including the elimination of Golden Week in 2013. In a split decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected the Democratic challenge to the elimination of this voting option. The application (16A223) was filed with Justice Elena Kagan, who acts on emergency legal matters from the Sixth Circuit area, which includes Ohio. She has the authority to act on her own, or to refer the issue to the full Court. If the Court, now with only eight members, has the issue referred to it by Kagan (which is likely) and if it divides as it did on the same voting provision two years ago, it very well might split 4-to-4 this time. Story continues The difference this time is that there is more time for state election officials to adapt to restoration of the early voting span than there was two years ago when the Court had to act at nearly the last minute before early voting was to begin. In addition, the Justices are being asked to revive the practice rather than to block it. Whether those factors will make a difference is unclear at this point. The Democratic application argued that the Sixth Circuit Court majority had wrongly blocked the restoration of the early voting days, overturning a federal trial judges ruling last May that the elimination of those opportunities was unconstitutional and violated the federal Voting Rights Act. The Sixth Circuit ruling, the new application contended, would mean that Golden Week would have been eliminated only five weeks before it was set to commence on October 4, thus disrupting the plans that were going forward to carry out the trial judges May order in favor of the extra voting days. The Sixth Circuit Courts opinion said early voting was merely a matter of choice, and its elimination was not the result of an obstacle imposed by the state government. The majority of the panel said the trial judges order reinstating Golden Week was an example of how federal courts become entangled, as overseers and micro-managers of the minutiae of state election processes. The Democratic challenges asserted that the Sixth Circuit Court majority had used the wrong legal analysis, and subjected the elimination of the early voting span to the most permissive form of review rational basis. The result also conflicted with the reasoning used by other appeals courts on similar election procedures, the Democratic plea said. Ohio previously had a 35-day period of early voting, with the first five days referred to as Golden Week because voters could register and vote at the same time. Registration closes 30 days before the election itself is held, and early voting can continue during that month for those who have succeeded in registering. Justice Kagan is expected to seek a response from Ohio officials before she acts on the new application or refers it to the full Court. Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston is Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent. Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011. Denniston has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com. Recent Stories on Constitution Daily Hamiltons Treasury Department and a great Constitutional debate Podcast: Americas biggest constitutional crises Aaron Burrs trial and the Constitutions treason clause By Humeyra Pamuk GAZIANTEP, Turkey (Reuters) - As U.S.-led coalition jets from a Turkish air base began to pound Islamic State targets in Syria in the summer of 2015, Ilhami Bali passed on what appeared to be an order from the militant group's leadership in Raqqa: unleash war on Turkey. Bali, identified by Turkish prosecutors as the most senior Islamic State figure in Turkey, asked a fellow militant in the border city of Gaziantep to draw up a list of potential targets. Cash, suicide bombers and equipment would be sent from Syria, he said. "Turkey has waged war on us ... so we're waging war back," the Turkish national wrote in an email from Syria, according to documents prepared by Ankara prosecutors and reviewed by Reuters. "I asked who should we hit and they say it does not matter; be it PKK (Kurdish militants), be it Turkish soldiers, be it tourist spots. Whatever you have planned." The email was sent to Yunus Durmaz, who prosecutors say co-founded Islamic State's Gaziantep cell along with Bali. Durmaz provided a long list of possible targets, including NATO Patriot missile batteries, foreign missions, U.N. offices and a popular nightclub in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya. Documents that form part of a judicial investigation into the cell, which Turkish prosecutors say carried out at least two major bombings last year, give a rare insight into the genesis and operations of the wider Islamic State network in Turkey. Islamic State has grown increasingly active in Turkey, according to the government which blames it for seven suicide bombings across the country over the past year, though the group has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The prosecution documents show how suspected members of the Gaziantep cell set up safe houses to accommodate fighters, facilitated the passage of some to Syria, rented depots to store weapons and ammunition, paid salaries, kept records of expenses and made bombs and suicide vests with components purchased inside Turkey. Having a strong presence in Turkey has been crucial to Islamic State's Middle Eastern battle plans and their attempts to strike at the West, as they use the NATO country as a transit route for fighters and equipment. Hundreds of Turks have been recruited to fight in Syria, while weapons experts say Turkey has become the most important source for components to make improvised bombs used by Islamic State forces. Turkey has also been used as the gateway between the group's territory, in Iraq and Syria, and Europe - where it has carried out attacks in countries including France and Belgium. The country is also traditionally a popular destination for Western tourists, who have been struck in at least two of the Turkish bombings blamed on Islamic State earlier this year. The documents regarding the Gaziantep cell were prepared by prosecutors based on suspects' testimonies, email exchanges, security camera footage and digital evidence collected during police raids. An official at Ankara's main courthouse verified the documents were genuine. The Ankara prosecutors' office could not be reached for comment on the cell or the investigation. HOME-MADE EXPLOSIVES Turkey, initially seen by Western allies as a reluctant partner in the fight against Islamic State, stepped up its campaign in July 2015 by opening by its Incirlik air base to the U.S.-led coalition, making bombing raids on the group's positions in northern Syria easier and more frequent. The country then became a primary target. "The planes are hitting us here more," Bali wrote to his fellow Turkish national Durmaz in the email last summer. "I know you have a tough job, but console the hearts of devout Muslims. Hit them ... so we can be happy." The Turkish attacks blamed on Islamic State have been a factor in Turkey's decision to send troops and tanks into northern Syria for the first time last month in an attempt to drive back the group from its border. Bali and Durmaz's Turkish cell carried out at least two major bombings, the prosecution documents say: one in July 2015 in the southeastern town of Suruc, where 35 mostly Kurdish activists were killed, and a twin suicide attack in Ankara last October, when more than 100 people died. Durmaz was also the mastermind of two more attacks carried out earlier this year, Gaziantep governor's office said in a statement on Thursday. The two men, helped by a core of around a dozen accomplices, trained at least 150 fighters for attacks across Turkey, according to the documents. Their cell ran at least two safe houses and four depots in Gaziantep. The group bought at least 1.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate - a chemical used in agriculture but also to make bombs. Police have also seized hand grenades, machine guns, ammunition and bombmaking components such as fuses, ball bearings and explosives in raids on the cell since last October. "Data points to Turkish Islamic State members manufacturing explosives inside Turkey, including the vests used in at least three, but perhaps more, attacks inside Turkey since 2015," said Aaron Stein, a Turkey specialist at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based international affairs think-tank. "The vests are far better constructed than the ones used by Islamic State in France and Belgium. These guys are far better trained in bombmaking." A February report by the UK-based Conflict Armament Research said Turkey was a hub for acquiring bomb-making components which can then be shipped to Syria and Iraq. "Turkey is the most important choke point for components used in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices by Islamic State forces," it said. STRATEGY The seven suicide bombings blamed on Islamic State in Turkey since July 2015 have killed more than 250 people. But the group has not claimed responsibility for any of them. This may be a deliberate strategy, experts say, by a group which has boasted about bombings elsewhere in the world. "They are connected with Raqqa," said a senior security official who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. "The bombings are a result of instructions from their leaders." "But they see Turkey as a recruitment area and they don't want to openly say they are targeting a Muslim society. Leaving it as a question works better than spelling it out." Such considerations may also explain why the targets in Turkey have largely been Kurdish interests or foreign tourists. Suspected cell member Yakub Sahin said in testimony to prosecutors that he was told that rallies in Suruc and Ankara were targeted because they were members there of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an outlawed group fighting the Turkish state for Kurdish autonomy. "They are all enemies of God," Durmaz is said to have told Sahin when he expressed doubt over the killing of civilians. The PKK is closely linked to Kurdish militia fighters in Syria fighting Islamic State. The Suruc and Ankara rallies were both attended by largely civilian pro-Kurdish activists. DURMAZ KILLED It is unclear when the Gaziantep cell was founded, but police began monitoring some members in 2012. Some suspects were detained last year and at least eight have fled to Syria, according to media reports and a police source. Durmaz himself was killed in May when he detonated a suicide vest he was wearing during a police raid on a Gaziantep safe house. Bali's whereabouts are unknown. The Gaziantep governor's office declined to comment on the investigation into the cell. Prosecutors, who launched the investigation after the Ankara bombing last October, say the cell used safe houses to accommodate fighters - both those smuggled into Turkey from Syria, and others en route to Syria to fight for Islamic State. Hundreds of Turkish citizens are thought to have traveled to fight in Syria over the past four years. In 2012-2014, many joined Islamist groups including Jabhat al-Nusra fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - who Turkey wants to see ousted. Some later shifted to Islamic State after the group proclaimed its caliphate in 2014. Turkish officials say at least 700 Turks have joined Islamic State, but some diplomats say the number could be more than 10 times that. "There was no secret," said one resident in the sleepy border town of Elbeyli, adjacent to Islamic State-held territory, describing vehicles regularly crossing the border at night. He declined to be named for fear of retribution. "Some people made a fortune out of this and there is still demand. Unless you wipe out its roots, it will not end." (Editing by Nick Tattersall and Pravin Char) By Roberta Rampton ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - Barack Obama starts his last trip to Asia on Saturday as U.S. president, aiming to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific but distracted by crises ranging from Brexit to the battle against Islamic State. With the clock ticking down on his presidency, Obama will attend a G20 summit in China, a visit that will underscore the challenges he has faced with a rising world power that is both an economic partner and strategic rival. His final meetings in the region with Chinese President Xi Jinping could set the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office in January. Obama will seek to highlight his legacy of stronger ties with Southeast Asia, particularly during the first-ever U.S. presidential visit to Laos, and his success in elevating the issue of climate change on the world stage. But there will be few bright spots in talks with fellow world leaders, who are grappling with the sagging global economy, fallout from Britain's vote to leave the European Union, increasing suspicion of globalization, the fight against Islamic State militants and territorial disputes in East Asia. During his past nine trips to Asia, Obama has sometimes been distracted by other international developments from the emphasis he sought to place on boosting U.S. military and economic ties to the fast-growing region, leading critics to doubt whether the U.S. commitment will last. The latest visit coincides with the race to succeed Obama in the Nov. 8 presidential election, where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, his former secretary of state and co-architect of his Asia strategy, has opposed his Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, raising concerns among the 12 nations in the pact. Republican nominee Donald Trump has alarmed allies like Japan and South Korea by suggesting they should pay more for their security and even develop their own nuclear weapons to protect against the threat posed by North Korea. Derek Chollet, a former defense adviser to Obama, said one of the challenges the United States faces is reassuring governments in Asia that the United States means what it says when it comes to rebalancing towards the region. "Asia partners are suspicious that even if we really mean it, that we're easily sidetracked," said Chollet, author of "The Long Game," a book about Obama's foreign policy. LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR OBAMA-XI TALKS Obama will start his visit on Saturday with China's Xi. The leaders have forged cooperation on combating climate change and curbing Iran's nuclear drive but have failed to narrow their countries' main differences. Irritants include U.S. accusations of Chinese cyber hacking, disputes over trade and Beijing's pursuit of contested claims in the South China Sea. Michael Green, a top Asia adviser to former Republican President George W. Bush, said he did not expect the Obama-Xi meeting to yield much. "No grand joint declaration as we saw early in the administration, no celebration - perhaps some agreements on climate change - but a pretty rough and scratchy relationship," Green said. Obama faces another tricky meeting when he holds talks with NATO ally Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, with relations strained over strategy on Syria's civil war and concerns about Erdogan's crackdown on opponents after July's failed coup. White House aides have left open the prospect of an informal encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which whom Obama is sharply at odds over Syria and Ukraine. China will closely watch Obama's first meeting with brash new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, slated for Tuesday at an East Asia summit in Laos. In July, the Philippines, with U.S. backing, won a challenge against China's South China Sea claims at an international arbitration court. Despite the longtime U.S.-Philippines alliance, Duterte recently insulted the U.S. ambassador, calling him a "gay son of a whore." Evan Medeiros, Obama's former top Asia adviser, said such comments plus Duterte's skepticism about the U.S. relationship meant that trust needed to be rebuilt. The White House has said Obama will not pull his punches over human rights concerns, which include thousands of extra-judicial killings since Duterte took office two months ago, according to date released this week. Strains with Duterte could add to Obama's difficulties in forging a united front on the South China Sea with Southeast Asian partners. China may see an opportunity to "drive a wedge" between the United States and Philippines as Beijing seeks a bilateral arrangement with Manila over the South China Sea, Medeiros said. Western diplomats in Beijing, however, said the Chinese government had its own difficulties reading Duterte. "He seems to change his mind every 24 hours," said one senior Western envoy, referring to Duterte's China policy. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney and Simon Cameron-Moore) By Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) - After three decades running McDonald's Corp restaurants, Tony Plunkett thought he knew everything about flipping burgers for a profit, and last year went out on his own with a start-up franchise in the Australian city of Melbourne. But he soon learned his industry was being turned inside out by the Internet, and he has since signed on with UberEats, the food delivery service of Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL]. Last month, he opened Australia's first restaurant - a leased kitchen in a shuttered Sydney night-club - run entirely on deliveries by the U.S. ride-sharing firm. "When you're running your own delivery service, you need your driver to come back and that's dead time," the founder of On It Burgers told Reuters. "You don't need the Uber guy to come back, he just keeps going." Plunkett's experience reflects a broader digital upheaval sweeping the food service industry. Just as the most established food order-taking websites of Just Eat Plc, GrubHub Inc and Germany's Delivery Hero Holding GmbH prod restaurants to start in-house delivery operations, the arrival of UberEats is seeing a new wave of participants dispensing with both tables and drivers completely. The shift to outsourcing everything but the kitchen is not just shaking up cost-conscious restaurants. It's a direct threat to the order website companies themselves, which have been on rapid acquisition sprees in a race to dominate markets from Berlin to Manila. Some firms are even trying to convince restaurants to dispense with sit-down tables and use their centralized kitchens to dispatch food to increasingly mobile consumers. In Australia, a high minimum wage has restaurants even more anxious to cut overheads, and global players are flocking in to find a new growth market. In the food delivery industry's biggest buyout of a single entity globally, Just Eat bought Australia's top food delivery site, Menulog, for A$855 million ($658 million) last year. Delivery Hero, backed by Rocket Internet, has also bought local rivals in Australia. Story continues And competition is heating up, with visits to the UberEats app up nearly 60 percent from April to July, its first four months in Australia, according to website analysis provider SimilarWeb. "We're quite immature in a bunch of cities in Australia, so obviously we're very much in acquisition mode there," Adrian Blair, Just Eat's chief operating officer, said on a recent earnings call. London-based Deliveroo, which recently raised $275 million and saw improved traffic to its Australia website, also plans to scale up its bicycle delivery operations, posing an extra challenge to those order-taking sites which rely on restaurants having their own drivers. "People are being more conservative than they were," said Deliveroo's Australia manager Levi Aron. "Given that climate, we're able to have a situation where we have investors who are re-investing in the business, (which) does show that there's something going on here." Toon Gyssels, CEO of Delivery Hero's main Australian acquisition Foodora, said the market was "especially appealing because of the food culture on the supply side ... but also on the demand side: people appreciate good food and will pay money for that, and they also want to pay for convenience." CASUALTIES All this competition has boosted monthly online food orders in Australia to above one million - giving firms the scale to expand and helping the restaurant industry grow at three times the rate of overall retail sales in April-June. And the online food delivery sub-sector is growing faster still, up at least 39 percent for each of the first five months of this year, according to Morgan Stanley. But an island market of 24 million people can quickly become crowded. "I wonder if in the long term it's sustainable," said James Eling, founder of Melbourne-based restaurant consultancy Marketing4Restaurants. The lure of replacing the cost of drivers with Uber's mark-up delivery costs "will definitely enforce a sanity check," he added. Just Eat's purchase of Menulog carried a price-earnings multiple of 371, more than 12 times the 2015 level of tech buyout valuations across Asia, which are themselves the highest in a decade, according to Deloitte. Many financial analysts describe an investment bubble in food delivery markets globally. Such eye-popping valuations can only be justified if an eventual dominant player can consolidate, creating the necessary scale and pricing power, they say. Early last year, Indian restaurant website aggregator Zomato bought U.S. rival Urbanspoon, marking its entry into North America and Australia. It said then it planned to hire 300 people in Australia and extend into online order-taking. It has since quit North America and shut down the Urbanspoon brand. It is taking orders in Australia, but has hired just 85 staff. A spokesperson said Zomato sees Australia "contributing to a larger share of our revenue in the longer term". Stock analysts have also softened in their enthusiasm for the market, saying it's unpredictable. Broker Jeffries said in a recent note it was keeping a "finger in the air" on Just Eat's earnings outlook in Australia given Menulog's limited operating history. It also trimmed its Australia forecasts, which "may have been a bit too bullish ... previously". Plunkett, the burger entrepreneur, meanwhile, is already planning breakfast and late-night menus to keep the orders coming in around the clock. Ultimately, he said, he would like to take his kitchen-only business in the opposite direction and, if costs permit, set up a regular shopfront with tables and chairs. "If you've got a productive kitchen, why not?" he said. (Reporting by Byron Kaye, with additional reporting by Eric Auchard in FRANKFURT and Swati Bhat in MUMBAI; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Ian Geoghegan) On a cool Sunday evening in March, a geochemist named Sun Weidong gave a public lecture to an audience of laymen, students, and professors at the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, the capital city of the landlocked province of Anhui in eastern China. But the professor didnt just talk about geochemistry. He also cited several ancient Chinese classics, at one point quoting historian Sima Qians description of the topography of the Xia empire traditionally regarded as Chinas founding dynasty, dating from 2070 to 1600 B.C. Northwards the stream is divided and becomes the nine rivers, wrote Sima Qian in his first century historiography, the Records of the Grand Historian. Reunited, it forms the opposing river and flows into the sea. In other words, the stream in question wasnt Chinas famed Yellow River, which flows from west to east. There is only one major river in the world which flows northwards. Which one is it? the professor asked. The Nile, someone replied. Sun then showed a map of the famed Egyptian river and its delta with nine of its distributaries flowing into the Mediterranean. This author, a researcher at the same institute, watched as audience members broke into smiles and murmurs, intrigued that these ancient Chinese texts seemed to better agree with the geography of Egypt than that of China. In the past year, Sun, a highly decorated scientist, has ignited a passionate online debate with claims that the founders of Chinese civilization were not in any sense Chinese but actually migrants from Egypt. He conceived of this connection in the 1990s while performing radiometric dating of ancient Chinese bronzes; to his surprise, their chemical composition more closely resembled those of ancient Egyptian bronzes than native Chinese ores. Both Suns ideas and the controversy surrounding them flow out of a much older tradition of nationalist archaeology in China, which for more than a century has sought to answer a basic scientific question that has always been heavily politicized: Where do the Chinese people come from? Story continues Sun argues that Chinas Bronze Age technology, widely thought by scholars to have first entered the northwest of the country through the prehistoric Silk Road, actually came by sea. According to him, its bearers were the Hyksos, the Western Asian people who ruled parts of northern Egypt as foreigners between the 17th and 16th centuries B.C., until their eventual expulsion. He notes that the Hyksos possessed at an earlier date almost all the same remarkable technology bronze metallurgy, chariots, literacy, domesticated plants and animals that archaeologists discovered at the ancient city of Yin, the capital of Chinas second dynasty, the Shang, between 1300 and 1046 B.C. Since the Hyksos are known to have developed ships for war and trade that enabled them to sail the Red and Mediterranean seas, Sun speculates that a small population escaped their collapsing dynasty using seafaring technology that eventually brought them and their Bronze Age culture to the coast of China. Pit of oracle bones in Anyang, China. Photo credit: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons. Suns thesis proved controversial when the Chinese travel site Kooniao first posted it online in the form of a 93,000-character essay in September 2015. As the liberal magazine Caixin commented, His courageous title and plain language attracted the interest of more than a few readers. That title was Explosive Archaeological Discovery: The Ancestors of the Chinese People Came from Egypt, and the essay was reproduced and discussed online, on internet portals such as Sohu and popular message boards such as Zhihu and Tiexue. Kooniao also set up a widely read page dedicated to the subject on the microblogging platform Weibo hashtagged Chinese People Come From Egypt which contains a useful sample of responses from the public. Some of these simply express outrage, often to the point of incoherence: That experts absurd theory randomly accepts anyone as his forebears, fumed one. This is peoples deep inferiority complex at work! Another asked, How can the children of the Yellow Emperor have run over to Egypt? This topic is really too pathetic. The important thing is to live in the moment! Other commentators have been more thoughtful. If they are not fully convinced, they are at least willing to entertain Suns ideas. In fact, a rough count of comments from the intellectually curious outnumbers those of the purely reactionary by about 3-to-2. As one user wrote, I approve. One has to look intelligently at this theory. Whether it turns to be true or false, it is worth investigating. Another wrote, The world is such a big place that one finds many strange things in it. One cant say it is impossible. One more wrote, One cant just sweepingly dismiss it as wrong or curse out the evidence as false. Exchanges between cultures can be very deep and distant. Anticipating his critics, Sun wrote online that to examine anew the origins of Chinese civilization may appear ridiculous in the eyes of some, because historians long ago stated clearly: We are the children of the Yan and Yellow Emperor. Historian Sima Qian took these legendary figures as the progenitor of the Han Chinese; and the Yellow Emperors great-grandson, Yu the Great, as the founder of the semimythical Xia dynasty. These served as the origin stories for imperial China and continued to be credited for decades after the Republic replaced it in 1912, so that even the nations most iconoclastic and rebellious sons Sun Yat-Sen, Chiang Kai-Shek, and Peoples Republic founder Mao Zedong among them have at some time or other felt the need to pay their respects at the Yellow Emperors tomb. Even now, the oft-repeated claim that Chinese civilization is approximately 5,000 years old takes as its starting point the supposed reign of this legendary emperor. Unbeknownst to many, an anti-Qing Dynasty agitator was the first to publish (under a pseudonym) this claim for the nations antiquity in 1903. As his nationalist ideology had it, If we desire to preserve the survival of the Han Nation, then it is imperative that we venerate the Yellow Emperor. At that time, the Qing dynasty was in serious decline, its obvious backwardness compared with Western powers the cause of much soul-searching. Anti-Qing intellectuals began to examine critically the roots of Chinese civilization and, for the first time, seized on the idea that they lay in the West. The work that most captured their imagination was that of the French philologist, Albert Terrien de Lacouperie, who in 1892 published the Western Origin of the Early Chinese Civilization from 2300 B.C. to 200 A.D. Translated into Chinese in 1903, it compared the hexagrams of the Book of Changes with the cuneiform of Mesopotamia and proposed that Chinese civilization originated in Babylon. The Yellow Emperor was identified with a King Nakhunte, who supposedly led his people out of the Middle East and into the Central Plain of the Yellow River Valley around 2300 B.C. Sun Yat-Sen in Guangzhou, 1924. Photo credit: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons. Liu Shipei, the Peking University history professor and true author behind the pseudonymous chronology of the Yellow Emperor, was among the first to promote Sino-Babylonianism in books such as his 1903 History of the Chinese Nation. By 1915, the theory was widespread enough that the national anthem of the republic, commissioned by President Yuan Shikai referred to it obliquely, calling China the famous descendant from Kunlun Peak, which Chinese mythology locates in the far, far West. Another endorsement came from Sun Yat-Sen, founder of the Republic of China, who stated in his 1924 Three Principles of the People lectures that the growth of Chinese civilization may be explained by the fact that the settlers who migrated from another place to this valley already possessed a very high civilization. To these and other revolutionaries, Sino-babylonianism was not only the latest European scientific opinion. It was the hope that since China shared the same ancestry as other great civilizations, there was no ultimate reason why it should not catch up with more advanced nations in Europe and America. Sino-Babylonianism fell out of favor in China during the late 1920s and early 1930s, when Japanese aggression escalated and a different nationalist politics took hold. Chinese historians, seeking to distance China from imperialist powers, cast a critical eye on Western origin theories and their earlier supporters. At around the same time, modern scientific archaeology was debuting in China. The discovery of Neolithic pottery in Longshan, Shandong, in 1928 showed that eastern China had been inhabited by indigenous groups before the Bronze Age migration Lacouperie had posited. In the same year, excavation of the city of Yin began. On account of the excellence of the Yin-Shangs material culture its famous oracle bones, for example, whose writing is the ancestor of the modern Chinese script used today that polity is often considered the root of Chinese civilization, situated well within Chinas borders, in present-day Anyang, Henan. In the end, Western origin theories were replaced by what sounds like a compromise: a dual-origin theory of Chinese civilization. The view proposed that Eastern Neolithic culture moving West encountered Western Neolithic culture moving East, fusing to form the progenitors of the Shang. It held steady until the 1950s. But Chinese archeology took a radical swing toward more extreme nationalism after the 1949 founding of the Peoples Republic of China, when, in the words of the historian James Leibold, Chinas scientific community closed inward on itself. Nationalism and authoritarianism required the interpretation of archaeological evidence as proof that Chinese civilization had arisen natively, without outside influences. As the Sichuan University archaeologist and eventual dissident Tong Enzheng wrote in his fascinating account of the politicization of scholarship between 1949 and 1979: Mao Zedong implemented a comprehensive anti-Western policy after 1949, which expanded already extant anti-imperialism ultimately becoming total anti-foreignism. Unavoidably, Chinese archaeology was affected. Maoism also required a belief that Chinese civilization had developed in accordance with objective Marxist historical laws, from a primitive band to a socialist society. Mao-era archaeologists thus strove to use their findings to prove these laws, legitimizing the status quo. As Xia Nai, the director of the Institute of Archaeology himself, wrote in a 1972 paper, We archaeologists must follow the guide of Marxism, Leninism, and the thought of Mao Zedong, conscientiously fulfilling the great guiding principle of Chairman Mao, to make the past serve the present. Its no surprise then that during the Cultural Revolution meetings were convened under such absurd headings as Using the Antiquities Stored in the Temple of Confucius in Qufu County to criticize Lin Biao and Confucius. Meanwhile, revolutionary sloganeering found its way into scientific publications alongside the data. Left: Oracle shell with inscriptions. Photo credit: Chabot Space and Science Center/Wikimedia Commons. Right: The Yellow Emperor. Photo credit: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons. Blatant ideological bias faded from scientific endeavors in the post-1978 reform era, but the ultimate goal of Chinese archaeology to piece out the nations history remained. The best-known example from that era is the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project, directly inspired by the achievements of Egyptian archaeology. State Councilor Song Jian toured Egypt in 1995 and was particularly impressed by a genealogy of the pharaohs that went back to the third millennium B.C. This prompted him to campaign for a project included in the governments ninth five-year plan that would give Chinese dynasties a comparable record. Mobilizing over 200 experts on a budget of around $1.5 million over five years, the Chronology Project has been considered the largest state-sponsored project in the humanities since 1773, when the Qianlong emperor commissioned the Siku quanshu, an encyclopedia roughly 20 times the length of the Britannica. Some questioned the Chronology Projects motives. One of the most prominent detractors was University of Chicago historian Edward L. Shaughnessy, who complained, Theres a chauvinistic desire to push the historical record back into the third millennium B.C., putting China on a par with Egypt. Its much more a political and a nationalistic urge than a scholarly one. Others criticized the projects methods and results. The Stanford archaeologist Li Liu, for instance, took issue with the fact that it regarded the Xia as historical and fixed dates for it, when there is still no conclusive archaeological evidence for its existence. But the project also had defenders, including Harvard anthropologist Yun Kuen Lee, who pointed out that the intrinsic relationship between the study of the past and nationalism does not necessarily imply that the study of the past is inherently corrupted. The usefulness of archaeology in bolstering a nations pride and legitimacy explaining and, to some extent, justifying its language, culture, and territorial claims means that most archaeological traditions have a nationalistic impulse behind them. Thus, in Israel, archaeology focuses on the period of the Old Testament; in the Scandinavian countries, it focuses on that of the Vikings. The important question that we should ask, Yun went on to say, is if the scientists of the project were able to maintain scientific rigor. In some ways, Suns current theory is an unintended result of the Chronology Projects scientific rigor. At the projects launch in 1996, he was a Ph.D. student in the radiation laboratory of the University of Science and Technology. Of the 200 or so items of bronze ware he was responsible for analyzing, some came from the city of Yin. He found that the radioactivity of these Yin-Shang bronzes had almost exactly the same characteristics as that of ancient Egyptian bronzes, suggesting that their ores all came from the same source: African mines. Perhaps anticipating serious controversy, Suns doctoral supervisor did not allow Sun to report his findings at the time. Sun was asked to hand over his data and switched to another project. Twenty years after the start of his research and now a professor in his own right, Sun is finally ready to say all he knows about the Yin-Shang and Chinas Bronze Age culture. Although the public has mostly received Suns theory with an open mind, it still lies outside the academic mainstream. Since the 1990s, most Chinese archaeologists have accepted that much of the nations Bronze Age technology came from regions outside of China. But it is not thought to have arrived directly from the Middle East in the course of an epic migration. The more prosaic consensus is that it was transmitted into China from Central Asia by a slow process of cultural exchange (trade, tribute, dowry) across the northern frontier, mediated by Eurasian steppe pastoralists who had contacts with indigenous groups in both regions. Despite this, the fascination with ancient Egypt appears unlikely to go away soon. As the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology project demonstrated, the sentiment has deep, politically tinged roots. These were on display again during President Xi Jinpings state visit to Egypt in January to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. On arrival, Xi greeted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with an Egyptian proverb: Once you drink from the Nile, you are destined to return. They celebrated the antiquity of their two civilizations with a joint visit to the Luxor temple. It remains to be seen whether Suns evidence will be incorporated into mainstream politics to prove a long-standing Sino-Egyptian cultural relationship. But if it is, the proverb Xi uttered after he set foot in Egypt will have been strangely prophetic. Top image: Xuan Yuan Inquires of the Dao, scroll, color on silk. Courtesy of the National Palace Museum in Taibei/Wikimedia Commons. If you only read one thing: Donald Trump is set to step up his outreach to African-American voters this weekend as he travels to Philadelphia Friday and Detroit Saturday. The Detroit stopan interview with a prominent black pastorhas been carefully scripted, so much so that the campaign has requested the questions in advance and prepared answers for the candidate. Those proposed answers, which leaked to the New York Times sound nothing like Donald Trump, whose Trumpian pitch to voters of color has thus far been, What do you have to lose. The outreach is important since Trump is depending on lower turnout and gains in the black community in order to stand a chance at victory in November. Thats why Hillary Clinton is leaning on President Barack Obama so much, and is expected to deploy him extensively in the final weeks of the campaign. Trump is also struggling to devise a plausible map to victory, facing consistent polling gaps in swing states that he has yet been able to narrow. After a puzzling August schedule, the GOP nominee is ramping up his efforts in Ohio in the coming weeksa swing state he must win, but where he doesnt have the support of the Republican governor, John Kasich. The drip-drip-drip of Hillary Clinton email news continues, as top Bill Clinton aides were found to be soliciting a State Department diplomatic passport in emails to Huma Abedin. Meanwhile, the government will turn over a complete record of Clintons schedules from her time in office to the press before Election Day. A government agency challenges God to prove he exists. Trumps fuzzy math on criminals. And Clintons massive fundraising haul. Here are your must reads: Must Reads Three Unanswered Questions About Donald Trumps Immigration Policy TIMEs Tessa Berenson on what we still dont know Leaked Script Shows What Advisers Want Donald Trump to Say at Black Church The unscripted candidate sure is reading a lot off a teleprompter [New York Times] Story continues Obama Visits Midway, Highlighting Monument and Commitment to Environment Expresses hope he can continue climate fight after presidency [New York Times] Black Vote Concentrated, But Key in Trump-Clinton Matchup Trump needs to make a dent to have a chance [Associated Press] New Batch of Hillary Clinton Emails Show Blurred Lines With Foundation Contacts Conservative group Judicial Watch points to request for diplomatic passport for charity officials trip to North Korea [Wall Street Journal] Inside Trump Tower: Facing Grim Reality Three weeks until early voting, the campaign scrambles to pick a path and stay on it [Politico] Sound Off Every day you turn on the nightly news, you hear about how some self-interested banker or some Washington insider says they oppose our campaign. Or some encrusted old politician says they oppose our campaign. Or some big time lobbyist says they oppose our campaign. I wear their opposition as a badge of honor. Donald Trump in Ohio Thursday on the parade of Republicans endorsing his rival And then were going to make a decision at a later date once everything is stabilized. I think youre going to see theres really quite a bit of softening. Trump on his immigration plans to radio host Laura Ingraham just hours after his hardline speech on immigration Bits and Bites This Government Agency Just Asked God to Prove He Exists [Center for Public Integrity] State Dept. to give AP all Clinton schedules before election [Associated Press] Trumps fuzzy math on undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes [Washington Post] Real Trumpettes of Bel Air [Politico] Putin Says DNC Hack Was a Public Service, Russia Didnt Do It [Bloomberg] Excerpts From a Draft Script for Donald Trumps Q&A With a Black Churchs Pastor [New York Times] Hillary Clinton Raised $143 Million in August [Associated Press] Hillary Clinton Wins Support From Two High-Ranking Generals [TIME] Why Hillary Clinton Is Buying Ads in Red-State Arizona [TIME] Trump to stump in Philly on Friday for African American votes [Philly.com] Clinton proposes consumer response team to monitor drug price hikes [CNBC] David Bossie, a conservative operative and president of Citizens United, is joining Donald Trumps presidential bid as deputy campaign manager, a spokeswoman for the campaign confirmed. Trump, in an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, announced the hire and said that Bossie has been a friend of mine for many years and that he was solid. Smart. Loves politics. Knows how to win. Bossie gained fame in the 90s when, as a congressional investigator, he probed the financial dealings of Bill and Hillary Clinton. He resigned in 1998 amid controversy over the release of an edited taped prison recording of Webb Hubbell, a Clinton associate. The next decade, through his activist organization Citizens United, he ventured into documentary filmmaking, starting with a response to Michael Moores Fahrenheit 9/11 called Celsius 41.11. In 2008, he released Hillary, the Movie, tied to Clintons presidential bid. But he challenged federal election law guidelines that restricted the movies marketing, and the litigation made its way to the Supreme Court and ended in their landmark Citizens United ruling in 2010. Despite the focus of the ruling on its impact on campaign finance, Bossie has defended it as an important victory for the First Amendment. Bossie produced Occupy Unmasked, a critical look at the Occupy movement, in 2012 from a screenplay by Stephen Bannon. Trump named Bannon his campaign CEO last month. Bossie will work with Kellyanne Conway, Trumps campaign manager. Clinton has cited Hillary, the Movie in her calls for overturning the Citizens United ruling. They took aim at me, but they ended up damaging our entire democracy, Clinton told the Associated Press last year. We cant let them pull that same trick again. Bossie has been a party activist as the head of Citizens United and its political action committee, but he was taking a more direct role in the GOP even before he was hired by the Trump campaign. Story continues Bossie was a delegate at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and told USA Today that his membership in the RNC was a sign that the establishment is really moving much more towards the conservative movement, which is an exciting thing for the grassroots. Update: The Clinton campaign issued this statement from campaign chairman John Podesta: David Bossie is so craven and maniacal that in the heyday of the overreaching, Gingrich-era Congress, the top Whitewater conspiracy theorist in the House had to fire him for doctoring evidence. He has devoted his career ever since to trying to tear down Hillary Clinton. For months now, Citizens United has been acting as an arm of the Trump campaign, and this hiring of Bossie now makes it official. This is just the latest sign that Donald Trump has put the most extreme elements of the right-wing fringe in the drivers seat of his campaign. Related stories CNN Readies Back-to-Back Documentaries on Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton Donald Trump Says He and Mexican President Discussed Wall, But Not 'Payment' Stephen Colbert Dubs Donald Trump's 'Softening' on Immigration 'Electile Dysfunction' David Bossie With a little over two months left before the general election, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to add to his campaign staff. On Thursday Trump announced that former Citizens United president David Bossie would be joining him as his deputy campaign manager, the Washington Post reported. Bossie will join campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who was just hired amid another campaign shake-up last month. "He's a nuts-and-bolts tactician as well, who's going to help us fully integrate our ground game and data operations, and help with overall strategy as my deputy," Conway said. Bossie lead the Citizens United lawsuit that culminated in a landmark US Supreme Court decision in 2010 that allowed super PACs, nonprofits and corporations to make unlimited contributions to political campaigns. Citizens United has also led the charge in requesting documents from the State Department amid allegations that Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic rival for the White House, ran a pay-to-play scheme with Clinton Foundation donors while she was secretary of state. Bossie was also involved in a 1990s investigation of Bill and Hillary Clinton's finances as a result of the Whitewater real-estate scandal. Last month Trump reshuffled his campaign, tapping Breitbart News chief Steve Bannon and GOP strategist Kellyanne Conway to serve as CEO and campaign manager, respectively. NOW WATCH: Trump spokeswoman: Capt. Khan's 2004 death was probably caused by Obama's and Hillary's policies More From Business Insider donald trump Donald Trump on Saturday will make another pitch to African-American voters. The GOP presidential nominee will visit a black church in Detroit his first such appearance in front of a predominantly black audience since launching his run for the White House in June 2015. Trump's outreach has largely hit a wall in the last few weeks. Among other things, the GOP nominee has made his appeals to black voters while standing among mostly white audiences, and his rhetoric has been slammed as insincere and out of touch. Initially, Trump was not expected to directly address the audience at Great Faith Ministries International, The New York Times reported, but a campaign spokesman later told the newspaper that the candidate would speak to the congregation "for five to 10 minutes" after a private, one-on-one interview with the church's pastor. According to The Times' Yamiche Alcindor, Trump will speak from an eight-page script during the interview. The script reportedly features suggested answers to questions that were submitted in advance. "The proposed answers were devised by aides working for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee," The Times noted, citing an official involved in the planning. Here's more from The Times: "The document includes the exact wording of answers the aides are proposing for Mr. Trump to give to questions about police killings, racial tension and the perception among many black voters that he and the Republican Party are racist, among other topics." Video of the interview will be edited "so that the final version [reflects] the campaign's wishes," The Times said. It will air on the church's television network. Hillary Clinton's campaign was quick to condemn the affair. "Donald Trump's latest gimmick to act as if he cares about the black community is downright shameful, insulting and cowardly," Hillary for America's Marlon Marshall said in a statement. Story continues Donald Trump The appearance signals the Trump campaign's effort to recalibrate the brusque tone its candidate initially adopted when he first began asking black people for their votes. The candidate has been polling in the single digits among black voters for some time amid criticism that his campaign appealed mostly to white, nationalist sensibilities. Clinton attempted to call that out last week in a speech lambasting the real-estate mogul's alleged pandering to the alt-right movement a subset of conservative voters who applaud racially tinged nationalist views. Trump bristled at the notion and accused Clinton of "race-baiting" to reel in African-American votes. NOW WATCH: Who is paying for the wall? Trump and Mexico's president contradict each other More From Business Insider Malachi Love-Robinson, the Florida 19-year-old previously accused of impersonating a doctor and practicing medicine without a license, was arrested again on Monday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirms to PEOPLE. The teen who calls himself "Dr. Love" now faces charges of grand theft and fraud. He was free on $18,000 bail from his twelve pending felony charges, according to the Sun-Sentinel, and was released Monday on $8,000 bail for the new allegations, authorities said. Details on the new grand theft charge stemming from an alleged Oct. 13 offense were not immediately available, according to MSN. Court records show the fraud charge is for allegedly writing a bad check for an alleged $1,500 down payment on a car, the Sun-Sentinel reports. 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. Love-Robinson has been arrested three times in the past six months. A spokesperson for the Palm Beach County District Attorney's office tells PEOPLE he has not entered a plea for any charge against him and no information about his lawyer is available. In February, Love-Robinson was arrested after an undercover operation by the Palm Beach Narcotics Task Force and the Florida Department of Health, police said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Love-Robinson allegedly performed a physical exam on an undercover agent and offered medical advice at a clinic he allegedly started called New Birth, New Life Alternative Medicine and Urgent Care Clinic, police said. Love-Robinson was arrested two weeks later for allegedly responding to house calls and taking money from elderly people who believed him to be a doctor, police said. He has been charged with two counts of practicing medicine without a license; two counts of practice of naturopathy without a license; three counts of forgery; two counts of grand theft from a person 65 or older; and three counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information, the Sun-Sentinel reports. With the new charges, Love-Robinson faces up to 90 years in jail if convicted, according to the paper. Love-Robinson defended himself in an interview with Good Morning America following his first arrest, claimed in the interview that he is a doctor just not an M.D. "I do currently hold a Ph.D. in what, I don't feel comfortable disclosing because that is not the issue here," he said. "The issue that I face now is accusations." The teen later stormed out of the interview. 2 Sep - Everything seemed to have been going as planned since Pia Wurtzbach successfully bid for the next Miss Universe to be held in the Philippines. The beauty queens around the world will be arriving next year, with the coronation night currently in development, and the reigning Miss Universe set to crown her successor. Everything was going well except for one thing, according to Rappler, President Rodrigo Duterte doesn't want American TV personality Steve Harvey to host the show. Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo revealed recently that Duterte is still reacting negatively towards the fact that Harvey will be hosting the pageant, to be held next year in January. "[Duterte] said, "He cannot host. I'm going to talk to the Miss Universe that he cannot host, so that's my problem. I don't want him to be the host of the Miss Universe," said Teo. However, she added that there may be a problem with not having Harvey as a host, since he is contractually bound to the pageant for five years - a contract he just recently signed before the coronation night of Miss Universe 2015. When asked what she would do to appease both parties, Teo stated that they may look for a local co-presenter to share the hosting duties with Harvey instead. On the other hand, Teo also revealed that they will possibly hold several events for the beauty queens around Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, and Vigan. It was not made clear as to why Duterte wasn't happy with Harvey. However, Harvey did made a mistake while hosting the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, when he misread the name of the actual winner, Pia Wurtzbach with first runner-up, Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez - which ruined the experience for both Miss Universe hopefuls and the countries they were representing. (Photo Source: http://news.abs-cbn.com/) Embraer reaches the four-digit mark in business-jet deliveries. If there is such a thing as an ordinary jet delivery, this certainly was not it. In April, employees of Embraer Executive Jets (embraerexecutivejets.com)Embraers business-jet divisiongathered in a hangar at the groups headquarters in Melbourne, Fla., for the delivery of the companys 1,000th business jet. Executives, sales staff, interior designers, and line workers from the adjacent factory crowded the back of the hangar and filled the chairs that had been set out in rows in front of a stage. They listened to a celebratory speech by CEO Marco Tullio, who said the moment was like a dream. Then, as the music swelled and the lights came up, the curtains to the side of the stage parted, revealing a buffed and gleaming Legacy 500. The employees cheered; afterward, they drank from Champagne flutes emblazoned with a 1,000th-delivery logo and toured the aircraft, posing for pictures with it. The $20 million Legacy 500 is an impressive aircraft, with a range of 3,600 miles and a top speed of 537 mph. Its the first midsize executive jet with fly-by-wire controls, and its spacious cabin has a flat floor and more than 6 feet of headroomboth of which are unusual for a jet this size. The aircraft went into service in 2014 and was the companys fourth clean-sheet design in less than a decade. Embraer, which was established in 1969 in Brazil, didnt begin delivering business jets until 2002; thanks in part to the Legacy 500, it reached the 1,000-delivery mark in just 14 years. The company entered the business-jet market with the Legacy 600 (then called the Legacy Executive), a redesigned version of the ERJ135 regional airliner that it introduced in 2000 at the Farnborough International Airshow. Embraers venture was soon bolstered by Flight Options (flightoptions.com), which took delivery of several Legacy 600s in 2003 and added them to its fractional fleet. Flight Options was founded by Kenneth Ricci, who now heads Directional Aviation Capital, the investment firm that owns Flight Options and other private-aviation companies. Flight Options continued to invest heavily in Embraer; most notable is the $1 billion order that it placed for the Phenom 300 in 2007. Another Directional Aviation company, Flexjet (flexjet.com), was the recipient of the 1,000th Embraer business jet and took part in the ceremony. Story continues Rapid Ascent At the 1,000th-delivery ceremony in Florida, Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro commented on the fast emergence of Embraer as a major player in the business-jet field. He noted how it has gone from having a zero market share in 2002 to a 17 percent share in 2016. Said Silvestro, They did the right thing every step of the way. 1969: Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (Embraer) is established as a government-owned corporation. 1994: Embraer is privatized. 2000: Embraer introduces the Legacy 600 (then called the Legacy Executive), its first business jet; deliveries begin in 2002. 2005: Embraer forms Embraer Executive Jets, the business-jets division based in Florida. 2008: Embraer Executive Jets begins deliveries of the personal-class Phenom 100, its first clean-sheet business-jet design. 2009: The first Phenom 300, a light-class jet, is delivered. 2013: The Phenom 300 becomes the worlds most delivered business jet for the first of three consecutive yearsand counting. 2016: The 1,000th Embraer business jet is delivered. More From Robbreport.com This Dolce & Gabbana Refrigerator Doubles as Art Driving the $335,000 2017 Bentley Mulsanne Speed on the German Autobahn This $18 Million Jackson Hole Estate Is a Contemporary Teton Mountains Sanctuary Cinema Meets Architecture in Gentle Monsters New Vision Quest Sunglasses The $2.85 Million Piper M600 Executive-Grade Turboprop Aircraft Enters Service The New Pop-Up at Barneys New York Brings a Sense of High Fashion to Home Decor SAO PAULO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Most Latin American stocks and currencies firmed on Friday after surprisingly mixed U.S. jobs data muddled the outlook for a rate hike this year. U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 151,000 jobs last month after two straight months of more robust gains, while wage gains moderated. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected an increase of 180,000. Many traders had been making bets on a U.S. rate increase as soon as September following recent hawkish comments by Federal Reserve policymakers. But bets on a September increase dropped after Friday's jobs report, while the odds of a December increase eased to slightly better than even, according to U.S. future markets. "Markets were on a positive roll in terms of U.S. economic figures and were caught off guard by the payroll numbers. The future U.S. rate trajectory remains very murky," said Intercam brokerage trader Glauber Romano. Chile's and Colombia's pesos strengthened over 1 percent, also supported by rising prices of copper and crude oil, respectively. But the Brazilian real had a somewhat volatile session as many traders worried that President Michel Temer could face difficulties gathering support for austerity measures in Congress. Brazilian shares, however, jumped almost 2 percent as blue-chip stocks such as state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA and lenders Itau Unibanco SA and Bradesco SA. Shares of Embraer were among the biggest gainers after the planemaker booked five orders from China's Colorful Guizhou Airlines. But utility CESP Companhia Energetica de Sao Paulo dipped 0.1 percent on news that it will be excluded from a preliminary review of the country's benchmark Bovespa stock index. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1610 GMT: Stock indexes Latest Daily YTD pct pct change change MSCI Emerging Markets 899.85 0.98 12.21 MSCI LatAm 2,446.88 1.88 31.26 Brazil Bovespa 59,348.48 1.91 36.91 Mexico IPC 47,872.55 0.65 11.39 Chile IPSA 4,135.94 0.37 12.38 Chile IGPA 20,523.94 0.37 13.07 Argentina MerVal 15,885.39 0.91 36.06 Colombia IGBC 10,225.99 0.71 19.64 Venezuela IBC 11,817.31 -1.21 -18.99 Currencies Latest Daily YTD pct pct change change Brazil real 3.2508 -0.08 21.42 Mexico peso 18.6515 0.51 -7.62 Chile peso 672.2 1.23 5.58 Colombia peso 2,954.6 1.12 7.27 Peru sol 3.389 0.15 0.74 Argentina peso (interbank) 14.9050 0.03 -12.90 Argentina peso (parallel) 15.25 0.20 -6.43 (Editing by G Crosse) Dont mess with mama! Emilie de Ravin tweeted up a storm on Thursday, September 1, claiming she was physically accosted by an American Airlines employee for trying to take her breast pump on a flight. PHOTOS: Viral Stars: 2016's Biggest Internet Celebrities Dear @AmericanAir I was grabbed forcefully, my carry on bag ripped out of my hand @lax this morning by AA employee !. 3 witnesses, she tweeted before detailing the ordeal. PHOTOS: Celeb Moms on the Go The 34-year-old Once Upon a Time actress welcomed her first child, daughter Vera Audrey, with her boyfriend, director Eric Bilitch, in March, and the pair announced their engagement in August. American Airlines issued a statement to Us in response to de Ravins scathing Twitter complaint. PHOTOS: Celebs Fight Back on Twitter! We saw the tweets and we are looking into the issue, and we do apologize to the customer for the inconvenience, the statement reads. Just to clarify the policy, we absolutely welcome breast pumps on board the aircraft. In fact, they do not count against your carry on baggage. So normally youre allowed one bag and a personal item aboard the aircraft, but a breast pump we consider a medical device so that is allowed in addition. We will have our Customer Relations reach out to [Emilie de Ravin]. PHOTOS: Babies of the Year! In addition to the statement, the American Airlines account tweeted at the Australian actress to reassure her that they were looking into the incident. @emiliederavin This is very concerning to us, Emilie, the tweet reads. Please follow us with more details so we can take a closer look. Related Content: Awards season already? As summer winds down and Labor Day rolls in, red-carpet prep for the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 18, is already well underway. And thanks to a bevy of existing and brand new pop-in beauty destinations in Los Angeles, get-glam services are more accessible and convenient than ever. Here's where to go to get beautified when 11.9 million people are tuning in for your close-up (or you just want to look good for an Emmys rose party with friends). Celebrities reserve their beauty team favorites via high-end makeup, grooming and hairstylist agencies well before the Emmy Awards are announced with only an inkling of a potential nomination. (In-demand power trio the Streicher Sisters of Striiike beauty studio in Beverly Hills typically book four to five weeks out for awards-show season, for example.) But Hollywood is a company town (the Creative Arts Emmy Awards are on Sept. 10-11), so there's a lot more than in-front-of-the-camera talent making their way to the show: spouses, publicists, agents, writers, directors, costume designers, sound mixers, editors, cinematographers, producers, managers, lawyers, assistants and more. That's many a smoky-eye, mani-pedi, haircut to do. So book your appointments at these places ASAP. A photo posted by STRIIIKE (@streichersisters) on Nov 28, 2015 at 2:26pm PST Read more: Blowout Subscription App Vive Launching in L.A., Justin Bieber's Manager Invests QUICK TURNAROUND There's Drybar for blowouts, Blushington for makeup and Skin Laundry for laser & light facials. Add to the mix newly opened The Face Bar in West Hollywood, which focuses on facial peels; Alchemy 43 in Beverly Hills, which offers facial fillers and more; and medspas SkinMatrx in Burbank and celebrity dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban's brand-new SKINxFIVE in Pacific Palisades for peels, microdermabrasion facials, Botox, laser rejuvenation and radio frequency treatments. If you need a little pre- or post-Emmy pampering, the new Burke Williams Simply Massage and The Now Massage Boutique (there's a new Santa Monica location) offer moderately priced massage services in nice settings. Story continues A photo posted by The Now (@thenowmassage) on Aug 25, 2016 at 8:14am PDT ALL-IN-ONE GLAM DESTINATIONS At Kinara in West Hollywood, in addition to the go-to Red Carpet Oxygenating HydraFacial, there are also body treatments, nail services, waxing and Goddard + Bragg hair salon services. There's the aforementioned Striiike in Beverly Hills for makeup, brows and hair (though good luck getting an appointment), while sought-after aesthetician Brigitte Beasse of Brigitte Beaute skincare in Beverly Hills does lymphatic facial massage magic conveniently above Jose Eber Salon. Industry-frequented hotels like The Ritz Carlton Los Angeles in downtown L.A. near The Microsoft Theater (where the Emmys are being held) offer a wide range of beauty services including its Red Carpet Radiance facial. Read more: Courteney Cox Says She Regrets Cosmetic Procedures FOR MORE DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATIONS Furrowed brows, lipstick lines, blotchy skin, hands and decolletage can be treated, says dermatologist Shamban of SKINxFIVE. "Many actors come in from location for the awards shows and their skin has been clogged from consecutive days of makeup, so they're also looking for visible improvement with a polished finish of fresh, firm and glowing skin." But that takes time. Plan out your treatments. Botox, for example, "should be done one week to 10 days before the event," says Shamban. A lot of actors don't give their Botox enough time to settle in, that's why you see so much bad Botox on the red carpet!" A photo posted by GLAMSQUAD (@glamsquad) on Apr 30, 2016 at 6:43pm PDT Remember to vet all service providers. Many medspas use registered nurses, aestheticians or nurse practitioners. Request that a board-certified doctor connected to the medspa treat you, if that makes you more comfortable. Or, find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Board Certified Dermatologist on the American Board of Medical Specialties Certification Matters website (certificationmatters.org). ORDER IN Sometimes true pampering is when services come to you. Enter massage-on-demand services such as soothe.com and zeel.com. Glamsquad comes into your home to create hair, makeup and nail gorgeousness. The ease of their services is "empowering," says Glamsquad creative director Giovanni Vaccaro. "We launched this company to provide clients with an easier, faster, more consistent way to get ready and bring quality beauty professionals into the home." Think of it as equal opportunity red-carpet treatment. Read more: How to Get Ariana Grande's Signature Ponytail, According to Her Hairstylist Bratislava (AFP) - The EU is not going to get an army of its own in the near future but in the meantime it should play a greater security role, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said Friday. "We all agree that the European army is not something that is going to happen any time soon," Mogherini said after an informal meeting of the 28 European Union foreign ministers in Bratislava. "But what can happen very soon, if member states are committed, is to advance in the field of European defence and that is what I put on the table today," she said. Member states, led by Britain, agree with the principle of increased defence cooperation but baulk at the idea of giving up the crucial sovereign right to decide their own security policy. However, a growing list of security challenges, from the migrant crisis to international terror, have emboldened the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, and Mogherini to push the idea forward. "Fifty, 60, 100 years from now, who knows?," Mogherini told a briefing when asked about the possibility of a "European Army." "The important thing is that all the ministers appreciated the plans... now is the time for real stuff and this is only the beginning," she added. Earlier this year Mogherini unveiled a "Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy," winning approval from EU leaders to develop her plan. Mogherini said Friday that the foreign ministers were unanimous in backing the concept and she would now work on concrete proposals to put it into effect, suggesting the first operational results could be seen early next year. British foreign minister Boris Johnson -- who campaigned for Brexit -- attended the meeting in Bratislava and said earlier that Britain remained committed to defence cooperation with the EU even though it had voted to leave the bloc. Britain is an important, nuclear armed military power, plus it holds a veto as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Its shock June vote to quit the EU stoked intense speculation that the other member states might now press ahead with the type of joint defence initiative London had stymied. EU leaders and top officials have recently stressed the possible role the bloc could play in ensuring security for its citizens in a dangerous world. By Gabriela Baczynska and Sabine Siebold BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers toned down their sometimes harsh views on Turkey as they gathered in Slovakia on Friday, although concerns about a crackdown following a failed coup were still running high. Turkey has accused the EU of being slow and half-hearted in its condemnation of the attempted coup, while hurrying to criticize President Tayyip Erdogan for the ensuing purge of officials from the police and army to journalists and academics. The bloc wants to keep Turkish cooperation in cutting the influx of refugees from conflict zones such as Syria and the souring of relations has triggered worries that Ankara could walk away from the deal. Miroslav Lajcak, foreign minister of Slovakia, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the bloc must mend ties. The 28 EU foreign ministers will meet Turkish EU minister, Omer Celik, on Saturday. "It's not normal that after the failed coup when we expressed the strong solidarity with the elected leaders of Turkey, instead of getting closer to each other, there is mutual frustration," Lajcak told reporters. "Turkey is an important partner ... I expect that after tomorrow's meeting we will help to improve, normalize the atmosphere between the EU and Turkey." But Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticized Turkey's direct military intervention in Syria and stressed the rights concerns. "I am certain that we will demand that Turkey respects the principles of the rule of law in coming to terms with the aftermath of the coup," he told reporters, as, in Berlin, the German government stuck to a parliamentary resolution on the 1915 massacre of Armenians, which has upset Ankara. Turkey blamed the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for the failed coup, in which more than 200 people were killed, and went on to detain or dismiss tens of thousands of people that it accuses of sympathizing with him. Some in the EU were skeptical and believed Ankara was using the failed coup as a pretext to go after Erdogan critics. On the table also is visa liberalization for Turkey, which has refused to change its counter-terrorism laws in a way that would assuage concern in the EU that Ankara is applying them too broadly in order to quash dissent. However, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said a good relationship with Ankara was vital to preserve the agreement on halting the flow of migrants into Europe. "Whoever attacks the stability of Turkey would attack the security of Europe because currently Turkey is the one to halt the migratory flow to Europe," he said. Austria, by contrast, has suggested the EU should drop EU accession talks with Turkey on concerns over democracy and economic matters. On Friday, Austria's foreign minister Sebastian Kurz said in Bratislava that Vienna wanted to cooperate with Turkey but not as an EU member, noting that the aftermath of the coup has been "very negative". "The coup must clearly be condemned... But waves of purges, silencing those who think differently is in our opinion the wrong way," he said. Others stressed the need to combine cooperation with Turkey with putting pressure on Ankara over democratic standards. "Part of these tensions are coming from misunderstandings and we have to slow these down," Italy's Paolo Gentiloni said. "Other issues are very serious and so the support to Turkish authorities cannot be separated from our commitment to the human rights and the rule of law. We have to balance the two." (Additional reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova in Bratislava, Alastair Macdonald in Brussels and Andrea Shalal in Berlin Editing by Louise Ireland) By Alastair Macdonald and Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Other multinationals that do not employ as extreme Irish tax schemes as Apple Inc but shift profits via the country to tax havens could also be breaching EU rules, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday. She handed the iPhone maker a record 13-billion-euro bill for Irish registered units that Dublin authorities accepted were liable to tax in no country on Tuesday. She told Reuters in an interview that other firms' arrangements, which involve routing profits to Irish-registered subsidiaries tax resident in places like Bermuda, might fall foul of the Commission on similar grounds. "Taxes have been paid nowhere due to the Irish tax code," she said. Asked if the bill would have been different if the head office of Apple's Irish unit been registered and paid tax in Bermuda, Vestager said: "not much." Vestager said the core of the case against Apple was that it had an Irish registered company that booked most of the profits generated across Europe. However, since Ireland didn't deem the subsidiary tax resident there, the unit was able to report just a small taxable income at an Irish "branch." Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, and Washington have denounced the Commission ruling as an unjust raid on tax that should be paid in the United States. Apple's chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, told reporters on Tuesday that the assertion that Apple doesn't pay taxes anywhere on much of its profits is "simply wrong." "These are profits that are taxed in the United States, and for anybody that understands the U.S. worldwide tax system, this is very easy to understand," Maestri said. "We actually accrue those tax liabilities on our balance sheet on an ongoing basis and we've done it consistently over the years." Vestager said if Washington chose to tax the profits reported by Apple's Irish operation, she would reduce her demand accordingly. The United States could do this by forcing Apple to have its Irish units pay more in fees to Apple in California for the right to license Apple patents. Story continues "If the U.S. tax authority found that the monies paid due to the cost-sharing agreement were too few ... so that they should pay more in the cost-sharing agreement, that would transfer more money to the States and that may change the books and the accounts in the States," Vestager said. Vestager said, however, that the bill would not be affected if Apple next year moved funds from its Irish units to the United States by paying dividends, even though in this case, the dividends would be taxed. She declined to discuss which other companies' affairs were being looked at by her staff beyond two publicly announced and outstanding investigations into Amazon (AMZN.O) and McDonald's (MCD.N) in Luxembourg. She said that since being alerted to Apple's methods and other cases by a U.S. Senate probe in 2013, the Commission has been looking through about 1,000 such instances in the EU. She dismissed accusations from Apple's Cook and others that her decision was politically motivated or driven by anti-American populism. While U.S. companies have been investigated, she said, most of 35 firms probed over tax in Belgium were from Europe, and those still being looked at were a broad sample. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; @macdonaldrtr; Editing by Anna Willard and Leslie Adler) San Francisco (AFP) - Brock Turner, the former Stanford University student whose light sentence for a campus sexual assault ignited a national furor, was released from jail Friday after serving three months of a six-month sentence. TV news cameras caught the 21-year-old former swimmer as he left the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, and quickly drove away in a car without commenting. Turner was convicted in March of three counts of sexual assault after being caught raping an intoxicated and unconscious 22-year-old woman behind a dumpster at a fraternity house. He was released early from jail for good behavior while incarcerated. Judge Aaron Persky set off a storm of outrage in June when he sentenced Turner to only six months in prison, followed by three years probation, setting aside prosecutors' call for a six-year prison term. Persky, who had also been a student at Stanford, now faces a recall campaign and has removed himself from hearing criminal cases. The case threw a spotlight on the problem of rape and sexual assault on US college campuses, amid criticism that handling of these cases is often lax and has given rise to a climate of impunity. Turner's victim, identified as "Emily Doe," made a powerful statement at his sentencing that drew international attention. "You don't know me, but you've been inside me, and that's why we're here today," she told her attacker in the statement read in court. "You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today." A letter to the court by Turner's father, stating that the blond, blue-eyed athlete did not deserve to be jailed for "20 minutes of action," further stoked the debate. The woman was rescued from her attacker by two international students from Sweden. Frankfurt (AFP) - A former top Volkswagen manager and engineer has filed a multi-million-euro lawsuit against the car giant in a dispute over patents, German media reported Friday. Wolfgang Schreiber, the one-time head of VW subsidiaries Bugatti and Bentley, brought the case before the state court in Munich and is asking for 10 million euros ($11 million), DPA news agency said, citing a court spokeswoman. Der Spiegel magazine had earlier reported that Schreiber's claim was for "several hundred million euros", describing it as the country's largest-ever patent suit by an employee. He was named as the inventor on several patents related to double-clutch transmissions after being appointed head of gearbox development for Volkswagen in 1996. The former engineer believes he has not been adequately compensated for his brainchild, as double-clutch gearboxes have been included in more than four million vehicles built by the group, Spiegel reported. When contacted by AFP, Volkswagen confirmed that Schreiber had taken legal action against the company, without providing details. "Previous conversations with him did not lead to an agreement," it said in a statement. "Because of the ongoing proceedings we can't provide any further information. However, we are maintaining our legal position." German law calls for employee inventors to be compensated "appropriately" for their creations, above and beyond their salary. But employees and firms have repeatedly clashed over the definition of "appropriate" compensation. By Patricia Zengerle, Matt Spetalnick, David Brunnstrom and Antoni Slodkowski WASHINGTON/YANGON (Reuters) - The United States is considering further easing or lifting sanctions against Myanmar around the time of a White House visit this month by the country's new leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, U.S. officials told Reuters. President Barack Obama is expected to decide on the extent of the sanctions relief after consultations between Suu Kyi and his administration to gauge how far she wants Washington to go in loosening the screws on Myanmar's still-powerful military. Obama will attend a Group of 20 leaders' summit this weekend in China followed by an East Asia summit in Laos, where Suu Kyi may also be present. She will visit Washington on Sept. 14-15 for meetings with Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, members of the U.S. Congress and business leaders. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democracy icon, helped persuade the West to impose sanctions during her years as a jailed opposition leader. She is now trying to strike a balance between showing her people the economic rewards of a democratic transition while keeping pressure on the country's generals for further reforms. Obama's historic opening to Myanmar followed by its peaceful transition to an elected civilian-led government is seen as one of his foreign policy achievements. But with less than five months left in office, his administration remains wary of giving up leverage for removing the vestiges of military rule. Suu Kyi's Washington visit would be her first since her National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept into power after November 2015 elections. Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, met this week with congressional staffers and told them the president was considering reducing sanctions or removing them altogether, several U.S. officials said. The U.S. officials spoke to Reuters this week on condition of anonymity. The White House declined comment. Washington is eager to expand relations with Myanmar to help counteract China's rise in Asia and let U.S. businesses take advantage of the opening of one of the world's last "frontier markets" - fast-growing but less developed emerging economies. MILITARY-RUN ENTERPRISES Most of the remaining U.S. measures restrict business with military-run enterprises, including bans on imports of Myanmar's jade and gemstones, and with black-listed individuals. Obama has already eased some sanctions on Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, several times. This included the removal in May of state-owned banks from the U.S. blacklist and of measures against seven key state-owned timber and mining firms. But many restrictions were renewed for another year. "We're looking at things related to trade, investment and commerce, and trying to see what can be done to improve the investment environment in Myanmar," a U.S. government source said of the changes being weighed. These could include adding Myanmar to the Generalized System of Preferences program, which provides duty-free treatment for goods from many poor and developing countries, the sources said. A key question is how far Suu Kyi wants Washington to go in relaxing pressure on the military, which has a strong hand in politics through a military-drafted constitution as well as an economic powerbase. "If our bosses are in the room with Aung San Suu Kyi and she says 'I want you to lift all the sanctions,' it is hard to imagine them saying no," a congressional source said, when asked whether members of Congress would go along with lifting U.S. sanctions. Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency by the constitution drafted by the former junta because her two sons are British citizens. She holds the title of foreign minister, but is Myanmar's de facto government leader. She and the NLD have been criticized for not doing enough to help Myanmar's oppressed Rohingya Muslim minority. Some backers of removing sanctions argue that easing Myanmar's international isolation could help improve human rights by boosting the economy. However, Human Rights Watch called on Friday for the U.S. government to keep sanctions in place to deter the military from derailing democratic reforms. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, editing by G Crosse) A senior aide to President Vladimir Putin made a pilgrimage to one of Greeces holiest places in May, despite being barred from the E.U. under sanctions imposed for the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Three sources independently confirmed to TIME that Vladislav Surkov, a close associate of Putin who was involved in the 2014 Crimean invasion, had travelled to the Holy Mountain of Athos, a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians, around the same time as the Russian President. Putins visit to the holy site on May 28, along with a retinue of Russian priests, state officials, energy executives and wealthy patrons of the Orthodox Church, is the subject of a TIME feature. The Kremlins response when asked about Surkovs travels was prompt but very brief, consisting of just one sentence typed out on the letterhead of the Russian presidential administration. This information, the statement said, does not correspond to reality. Read More: Russias President Putin Casts Himself as Protector of the Faith Surkov has been banned from traveling to both the U.S. and the European Union since 2014, when he helped to orchestrate the Russian annexation of Crimea. As an E.U. member, Greece is legally obliged to help enforce those sanctions. The Greek official who oversaw the Russian state visit is Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis, who did not reply to written requests for comment. Vladislav Surkovs presence on this trip would seem unlikely to Kremlin watchers, and not only because it would constitute a breach of E.U. sanctions. While there are plenty of pious officials in Putins immediate circleapparatchiks who switched from the Soviet dogmas of communism to the Orthodox tenets of faith as the political winds turned in Russia in the 1990sSurkov has always kept his distance from them. For more than a decade, Surkov has been known in Russia as the brains behind the thronethe chief architect of Putins system of bloodless authoritarianism (known in Surkovs writings as sovereign democracy)and, more recently, as his countrys lead negotiator with the U.S. in the stalled efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. But outside of his official functions, he has cultivated a reputation closer to that of a hipster savant, with a wide range of interests that are hardly in line with the traditions of Orthodoxy. Story continues Read More: A Group of British Teenagers Had a Private Audience With Vladimir Putin Among other works ascribed to him in Moscow are lyrics for members of the Russian goth-rock band Agatha Christie, as well as a novel, Almost Zero, that is tinged with scenes of torture and characters mocking the Orthodox faith. His favorite American poet is the Beatnik bard Allen Ginsberg, whose works Surkov can recite from memory. In 2011, when a Russian photographer visited Surkovs office in the Kremlin, he found a framed portrait of the rapper Tupac Shakur on his desk next to another one of President Barack Obama. There were, however, no Orthodox icons or other religious images in the room. And even while Surkov served as the governments chief of religious affairs in 2012 and 2013, hardline Orthodox believers pointed to his intellectual pursuits as a sign of his supposed Satanism. So his presence on the Holy Mountain would not just seem out of character. It would also signal a broader shift in the political class, says Alexander Dugin, one of the Kremlins favored ideologues, who was among Putins entourage on Mount Athos in May and confirmed that Surkov was also there. The fact that even secular cynics like Surkov joined such a delegation shows that the Orthodox worldview has already spread deeper through the layers of the political elite, Dugin says. And that is a natural process. Read More: Putin Says Democratic Party Hack Was a Public Service But Russia Didnt Do It As TIME has reported, Athos is much admired by the more conservative wing of Putins circle, whose members often profess devotion to the Orthodox faith. The President himself has made a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain twice, once in 2005 and once this year, visits that have been hailed as evidence of Russias return to leadership within the world of Orthodoxy. Supporters of this trend within the Russian elites tend to believe in the imperial legacy of the Church, says Sergei Chapnin, a religious scholar who edited the official journal of the Russian Orthodox Church until late last year. That legacy dates back to the age of the Russian czars, who saw themselves as the rightful heirs and guardians of the one true Christian faith, he says, and that [view] is now being reanimated. This has been clear in Russias recent military incursions in Ukraine, as well as its bombing campaign in Syria, both of which Putin has tried to justify as a means of protecting Orthodox Christians. Within the political elites in Moscow, this shift has brought equally dramatic changes to the status quo. It is now common, for instance, for state officials to have an Orthodox dukhovnik, or spiritual guide, to offer them advice and take confessions of their sins. Putins dukhovnik has long been rumored to be a prominent Moscow bishop named Father Tikhon, who enjoys a great deal of sway with the President. Just this week, the bishop helped arrange a visit to Moscow for a group of students from Eton, an elite British boarding school, and Putin granted them a long and private audience in the Kremlin. Olga Vasilyeva, a long-time friend and devotee of Father Tikhon, was appointed Minister of Education and Science last month. On May 27, when Surkov is said to have visited Athos, he also seems to have sought the council of a spiritual guide. Father Makarios, a well-known resident of Athos who took his monastic vows nearly half a century ago, confirmed that Surkov came to see him. Driving into the courtyard of his cell that day in the company of a Russian tour guide, Putins adviser introduced himself as Vladislav, a top Kremlin official, says Father Makarios, whom TIME interviewed on Mount Athos two days after the visit. At first, the monk did not realize just how powerful his guest might be. But the visit did not especially surprise him; Father Makarios knew that Putin was due to arrive on Mount Athos the following day. Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, had arrived the day before. Boats and helicopters were coming and going all week with Russian dignitaries and supplies. And in the last few years, it has become common for Father Makarios to receive wealthy and influential guests from the Russian-speaking worldincluding, he says, one senior member of the former government of Ukraine, whose violent ouster in 2014 set the annexation of Crimea in motion. In the last years we have too many Russian pilgrims, says Father Makarios in accented English, sounding somewhat exasperated with all the new guests. As a rule, he says, their spiritual needs stand out from the rest of his guests, who are mostly Greek. What I see different in them is that they try not to be responsible for their deeds, he says of the Russian pilgrims. Thats why they ask a lot of questions, so that the responsibility is on someone else. One Russian businessman has even built a house for himself on Father Makarioss property, ensuring a comfortable place to stay during his frequent trips to see the monk. Other Russian pilgrims have come to Father Makarios with a written catalogue of sins, which he likes to take away and tear to shreds without reading a word. They say, Oh, my sins! And I say, Your sins are gone. Theyre finished. They belong in the past. In Orthodox tradition, this type of absolution is typical of the bond between the believer and his spiritual guide. The value of this relationship, says Father Makarios, is the confidence it gives the faithful in tackling moral dilemmas. At least in the Greek branch of Orthodoxy, the dukhovnik tries to offer freedom from the moral paralysis that comes with excessive feelings of guilt. All those who try to govern the flock do so with guilt, so they are easily governed, says the monk. That is what I try to help them overcome. But Surkov was an unusual case. Instead of asking for redemption he seemed intrigued by spirituality in general, Father Makarios says. I felt good with this guy. Hes more than ten years close to the President, and he has bright eyes. This is very important, because [normally] you become a machine. Asked whether they discussed any matters of state or Russian policy, the monk laughed and said he would not be qualified to give advice on issues like that. Nor did he have any photos or other physical evidence of Surkovs visit. To help rule out a case of mistaken identity, I showed Father Makarios pictures of all the senior officials who travelled with Putin to Athosabout a dozen in all. Studying these photos, the monk shook his head and asked to see others. Only when shown a photo of Surkov did he say, Yes, thats him, Vladislav. A third source, who asked to remain anonymous, also says he saw Surkov on Mount Athos that day. What remains a total mystery is how Surkov could have entered Mount Athos in circumvention of E.U. sanctions. Although Amanatidis, the Greek deputy minister, did not respond to TIMEs queries about Surkov, he told this reporter in May that Putin and his delegation were treated like any other foreign guests. The spiritual bonds between Russia and Greece are very deep, he told me. But that doesnt in any way mean that this treatment is special for Putin. Yet the Greek authorities were seen to show some leniency in welcoming the Russian visitors. When Dugin, the pro-Kremlin ideologue, arrived at the airport in northern Greece along with a crew of Russian TV reporters and cameramen, Greek police pulled him out of the line at passport control. Dugins role in the Russian military intervention in Ukraine had gotten him placed on a U.S. blacklist in 2014, freezing his U.S. assets and denying him visas, all in retaliation for his alleged recruitment of paramilitaries to fight against the Ukrainian military. But the E.U. stopped short of issuing a similar ban against Dugin, so he was surprised by the behavior of Greek police. After a night in detention, he learned that some E.U. officials, apparently in Hungary, had put him on a list of undesirables, which had raised the red flag at the airport. This is all a reaction to Crimea, against the people in Russia who especially supported the return of Crimea, Dugin says. But each [E.U.] country can choose to act on these recommendations as it likes. After some pressure from Dugins contacts in the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Greek authorities apparently chose to let him pass. They could not legally have done the same for Surkov. His name is on the E.U.s most restrictive list of Russian officials involved in the annexation of Crimea. So it seems remarkable that he would choose to violate those sanctions for the sake of what appears to be a pilgrimage. But even if he did join the Russian delegation in May, it would not quite make him a full-fledged member of what Dugin refers to as the Athos Club. He is cut from a totally different cloth, Dugin says. Many of the people who traveled with Putin to Athos this time were relative newcomers to the Orthodox faith. These were people who saw that this had become the trend in the Russian elite, he says. Now were seeing, layer by layer, the return of the elites to their Orthodox roots. Kelly Dodd doesn't plan to fall victim to the so-called Housewives marriage curse. The newest Real Housewives of Orange County star's relationship with her husband of more than 10 years, Michael Dodd, came into question after Kelly revealed on the show that they had actually been separated and pursued a divorce a few years back. "So, my husband I met him in 2004," Kelly tells ET. "We got married, had a baby in 2006. I was married to him for a while, [then we] moved to San Francisco. I didn't like San Francisco. We had problems in the marriage. So, I got a job working at the Orange County Register in Orange County. He let me move and then Michael was going back and forth." WATCH: Tamra Judge 'Surprised Somebody Wasn't Arrested' After Fight With Kelly Dodd Kelly says that back and forth put extra strain on their marriage, and the couple grew apart. "I filed for a legal separation, and met another guy," Kelly recalls. "[We] got engaged, I filed for divorce, and then me and the other guy didn't work out. I went back to my husband, stayed with my husband. This was three years ago everything's back on track." Kelly told her co-stars that she didn't like Michael's "control freak" nature, and compared him to Adolf Hitler at the peak of their problems. That comparison shot up red flags for Heather Dubrow, who previously told ET she wouldn't be surprised if Kelly and Michael got divorced today. "A lot of people feel like some women come on the show because they know their marriage is in trouble," Heather pointed out. "They're looking for a way out, or looking for something for themselves." But Kelly promises that she and Michael are in a much better place than they were about five years ago. "We forgive each other," Kelly says. "We have a pretty good marriage now. I mean, we have ups and downs, like everybody we try to deal with our problems head on. We're still together. We're happy. I mean, as happy as I can be. I mean, there's days where I want to kill him, or wish he'd die. Just kidding, no!" Story continues WATCH: Shannon Beador Reacts to Kelly Dodd's 'Vicious Attack' "We've both gotten older, wiser, a little bit more patient with each other," she explains. "He realized it's cheaper to keep her and and I realize, you know, if you're with one a**hole, you might as well be with your a**hole husband with a kid." Still, not all of Kelly's Housewives co-stars seem to buy that her marriage is stable. Shannon Beador asked Kelly if she loved her husband, but all Kelly said on camera was "He's a really nice person, you know what I mean?" "I did say, 'Yes,'" Kelly reveals. "But they didn't show it I do love my husband. Of course! I had a kid with him. I planned it." Today, Kelly says she and Michael couldn't be further from divorce. "You never know what's going to happen in the future, but what I do want people to know is, it takes work," she shares. "Relationships take work. I don't want to get divorced." WATCH: Vicki Gunvalson Admits She Still Loves Brooks Ayers Kelly notes it's easier to stick with Michael, too. That way they don't have to divide assets, split custody of their daughter and deal with new men and women coming in and out of their family. "I just hope for the best," Kelly says. "I hope that we stay together. I don't want to get divorced. He doesn't want to get divorced." Keep tabs on where Kelly's life goes every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET when The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo. In the meantime, check out what Vicki Gunvalson had to say about her newest co-star in the video below. Related Articles Expedia Inc. EXPE is reportedly gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO) to list its Trivago hotel search platform. Reuters reported that the IPO could value Trivago at more than $1 billion and is likely to take place in the U.S. later this year or early next year. Bank pitches for IPO rules will start next week in New York. Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi had informed investors in July that Expedia management and the Trivago founding team were preparing for a stock market listing of Trivago. The CEO also confirmed that there are no plans for a Trivago spin-off. About Expedia Expedia is one of the world's leading travel services companies. It provides wholesale travel to offline retail travel agents. Expedia's main businesses and brands include Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Expedia Corporate Travel, Trip Advisor and Classic Custom Vacations. Expedia's companies also operate internationally with sites in Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands and China, through its investment in eLong. EXPEDIA INC Price EXPEDIA INC Price | EXPEDIA INC Quote About Trivago Expedia will retain two-third of Trivagos shares that it currently holds. The remaining one third, held by Trivago owners, will be sold through the IPO listing. Founded in 2005 in Duesseldorf, Germany, Trivago is one of the leading hotel search platforms in the world. The company is known as one of the most successful start-ups in Germany. In 2012, Expedia acquired 62% of Trivagos stake for $531 million. Since then, it has been growing significantly and has expanded to Brazil, Japan and the Middle East. In 2015, Trivago contributed 9.3% to Expedias total revenue. Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider Currently, Expedia has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector include Stamps.com Inc. STMP, Facebook, Inc. FB and LinkedIn Corporation LNKD, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 EXPEDIA INC (EXPE): Free Stock Analysis Report STAMPS.COM INC (STMP): Free Stock Analysis Report FACEBOOK INC-A (FB): Free Stock Analysis Report LINKEDIN CORP-A (LNKD): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Manolo Serapio Jr and Manuel Mogato MANILA (Reuters) - An explosion at a packed night market in the home city of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte killed at least 12 people on Friday and wounded dozens more, officials said, but the cause of the blast was not immediately clear. The blast tore through a street market outside the high-end Marco Polo hotel, a frequent haunt of Duterte, who was in the southern city of Davao at the time but was not hurt. "We were having a meeting and we heard a very huge explosion. The first thing we thought was 'it's a bomb'," said John Rhyl Sialmo III, 20, a student at the nearby Ateneo de Davao University. "The area where there was the explosion was a massage parlor. So we saw these men and women from that place in their uniform, they went to the school lobby to seek help. They were soaked in blood." Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, speaking to CNN Philippines, described the blast as an "unspecified explosion". "There is nothing definite about it but it has resulted in the death of ... at least 10 persons, and injury of about 60," Abella said. Police later said two of at least 30 people taken to hospital had since died, bringing the toll to 12. Regional police chief Manuel Guerlan said a ring of checkpoints had been thrown around the city's exit points. "A thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the explosion," he said. "We call on all the people to be vigilant at all times." Duterte is hugely popular in Davao, having served as its mayor for more than 22 years before his stunning national election win in May, garnered from the popularity of a promised war on drugs. His election has prompted a spike in drug-related killings, with more than 2,000 people killed since he took office on June 30, nearly half of them in police operations. Duterte has typically spent his weekends in Davao, in the far south of the archipelago nation, since taking office, so his presence there on a Friday was not unusual and he had given a televised news conference earlier in the day. His son Paolo Duterte, who is vice mayor of the city, told Reuters that his father was nowhere near the scene of the blast, which happened around 10:30 p.m. (1030 a.m. ET), and afterwards was safe at a police station. Five men and five women were killed, Paolo Duterte said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. "It's a sad day for Davao and a sad day for the Philippines," Paulo Duterte said later in a statement. Davao is located in Mindanao, a large southern island beset by decades of Muslim insurgency. The region is also home to Abu Sayyaf, a rebel group loosely linked to Islamic State and notorious for making tens of millions of dollars from kidnappings. However, Davao itself is largely peaceful and Duterte has been credited with transforming it from a lawless town to a southern commercial hub for call centers and offshore business processing services. Duterte had earlier on Friday shrugged off rumors of a plot to assassinate him, saying such threats were to be expected. Asked on Thursday about the same rumor, presidential spokesman Abella described Duterte as heroic and said: "He eats that for breakfast, its not something new to him." (Additional reporting by Karen Lema, Enrico Dela Cruz and Neil Jerome Morales; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ralph Boulton) VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis will make Mother Teresa, the world's most famous nun, a saint on Sunday. Following are key facts about her life. EARLY LIFE Mother Teresa was born to ethnic Albanian parents on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia, and named Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu. Deeply religious, she became a nun at the age of 16, joining the Loreto abbey in Ireland. Two years later she was given the name Sister Teresa. CALCUTTA In early 1929 she moved to Calcutta, now known as Kolkata, where she became a teacher and, 15 years on, headmistress at a convent school. In 1946 she received "a call within a call" to found the Missionaries of Charity, officially established as a religious congregation in 1950. Nuns of the order began calling her Mother Teresa. The Indian government granted her citizenship in 1951. The following year Mother Teresa opened her first home for the dying, and in 1957 her first mobile leprosy clinic. She worked for three decades in India before leaving for the first time in 1960, going to the United States to address the National Council of Catholic Women. WORK SPREADS WORLDWIDE In 1965, Pope Paul VI granted the Decree of Praise to Mother Teresa's religious order, bringing it directly under Vatican jurisdiction. That same year the first Missionaries of Charity house outside India was founded, in Venezuela. Others later opened in Italy, Tanzania, Australia and the United States. In 1979 Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for the world's destitute. "I am unworthy," she said. Despite declining health, including arthritis, failing eyesight and heart problems, she continued to work. Pope John Paul granted her request to open a shelter for vagrants inside the walls of the Vatican. In 1988 she opened her first communities in the former Soviet Union. In March 1997 Sister Nirmala, a former Hindu who converted to Roman Catholicism, succeeded Mother Teresa as leader of the Missionaries of Charity. On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa died of a heart attack at her order's headquarters in Kolkata. An array of world dignitaries attended her funeral. PATH TO CANONISATION In October Archbishop Henry D'Souza successfully petitioned the Vatican to waive the usual delay of five years after death before initiating the beatification process. In late 2002, the Vatican ruled that an Indian woman's stomach tumor had been miraculously cured after prayers to Mother Teresa. Pope John Paul wanted to declare her a saint immediately, bypassing the beatification process, but was dissuaded by cardinals. In December 2015, Pope Francis opened the way for her canonization by approving a decree recognizing a second miracle attributed to her intercession with God -- the healing of a Brazilian who recovered from a severe brain infection in 2008. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by John Stonestreet) (Reuters) - Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, an authoritarian ruler who has warned of a militant Islamist threat to the whole Central Asian region, has died after suffering a brain haemorrhage, three diplomatic sources said on Friday. Karimov has run the ex-Soviet republic of 32 million - the region's most populous - with an iron grip for 27 years and speculation is rife over who will succeed him. Below are some of the key figures who analysts say may play a crucial role in deciding who runs post-Karimov Uzbekistan. SHAVKAT MIRZIYOYEV * A 59-year-old former regional governor has been prime minister since 2003 and is personally in charge of agriculture, a key sector of the economy. Many Central Asia experts see him as a possible successor to Karimov. * As prime minister, Mirziyoyev has been a pliant subordinate of Karimov and at the beginning was seen as a transitory figure who would not be in his post for long. With time, Karimov has learned to respect him as a talented manager. * Opposition media reports say that in dealings with his own subordinates, Mirziyoyev can fly into a temper and will resort to swearing and curses to make his point. RUSTAM AZIMOV * A fluent English speaker who headed a local bank at the age of 33, the 57-year-old finance minister is seen as relatively liberal-minded and competent. * A government member since the late 1990s and always linked to the finance portfolio, Azimov has been a key figure leading uneasy talks with international financial institutions critical of Uzbekistan's slow market reforms and heavy state interference in the economy. * Analysts say Azimov is a much stronger politician than Mirziyoyev and is likely to be better equipped to deal with the outside world. But a key question is likely to be who can secure the backing of the security services and the army. RUSTAM INOYATOV * The 72-year-old has run the powerful SNB security service for 21 years and is widely seen as Uzbekistan's main kingmaker. * He was a key figure in suppressing an uprising in the eastern Uzbek city of Andizhan in 2005 when 187 protesters were killed, according to official information. * Inoyatov's influence spreads far beyond the SNB and he is actually in control of the army and police, many of whose senior officers also come from his feared secret service. * "His word will be the final one in deciding who will lead Uzbekistan after Karimov," said Uzbek journalist Alexei Volosevich, adding that Inoyatov had not displayed any presidential ambitions himself. * His support has been particularly crucial for the political fortunes of Mirziyoyev, Central Asia expert Arkady Dubnov told independent news agency www.fergananews.com. LOLA KARIMOVA-TILLYAEVA * Karimov's younger daughter is also expected to have a say in deciding who will succeed her father, analysts say. * The influence of Uzbekistan's 38-year-old ambassador to Paris-based UNESCO has risen in the past couple of years after Lola's elder sister Gulnara - an outspoken and extravagant socialite and fashion designer - was reported to have fallen out with her father and was placed under house arrest. * In a rare contact with mass media, Lola said in a written reply to questions from the BBC in 2013 that she had no political ambitions and declined to say who she thought could succeed her father. She also said at the time that she had not been on speaking terms with her sister for more than 12 years. TIMUR TILLYAEV * Little is known about Lola's husband. She said in the BBC interview that Tillyaev was "a businessman who has never taken part in Uzbekistan's political life". She said he was a shareholder in a trade and transport company and owned a small chain of shops in Geneva. * Sources in Tashkent told Reuters that Tillyaev's transport company supplies goods from China to the largest wholesale market in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital. * The couple and their children moved to Switzerland after selling almost all of their property in Uzbekistan, Lola said in the 2013 interview. * Deliberately distancing themselves from Uzbek politics, Lola said her husband "had never been linked to the cotton business, or oil and gas, or any other national natural resources". (Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Richard Balmforth) A Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to Tyler Clementi is from a family friend he only knew casually. When the 18-year-old Rutgers University student jumped off the George Washington Bridge in 2010 after learning his college roommate filmed and posted a video of him kissing another man, Ellen DeGeneres, Madonna, and Monica Lewinsky were among the thousands that paid tribute to him and called for an end to bullying. But then 10th-grader Christopher Rim went beyond those efforts. "[Tyler] was a family friend who was in orchestra with my brother," Rim, who is a graduate of Academies @ Englewood in New Jersey, tells PEOPLE. "His death had a huge impact on our family and our community. I knew I had to do something to keep the conversation about bullying going within the community." Rim was a sophomore in high school when he founded the organization, It Ends Today. Its mission is to educate young people about the very real damages caused by bullying. "When we first launched in 2010, we had about 18 volunteers from my high school and we traveled to nearby middle and high schools to talk about the importance of bystander intervention and anti-bullying. It was truly a grass roots effort," says Rim, now 21. "The organization currently operates 26 chapters across six countries and has over 350 active volunteers. We reached over 1.8M students since we started!" How a Family Friend Is Keeping Tyler Clementi's Memory Alive in His Fight to End Bullying: 'I Had to Do Something'| Heroes Among Us, Real People Stories, Real Heroes Many credit the success with the structure of the presentations that begins with a five-minute video where a student is explaining the horrific impact of bullying. When the video ends and the lights go on, the video's featured student is standing on the stage, ready to lead the discussion about bullying. "Once we started doing presentations, others noticed and asked for the presentation to be done at their schools," says Rim. "It's built on peer-to-peer education. At first, a lot of people disagreed with the method I used. No research backed it up. There was no data. But unlike most academics and researchers, I had the opportunity to visit and talk to students at schools where there was bullying and see that this made a difference." Natali Taglic was a sophomore in high school when she saw bullying as a growing problem in her community. She she decided to bring the organization to her all-girl high school in Demarest, New Jersey. "I went to a chapter meeting and just loved what they were doing," says Taglic, now 21, whose family emigrated from Croatia. "I talked to the person in charge and [my school administrators]. Right away, everyone was so interested to start the organization at our school." Many students were initially hesitant to admit they were bullied, but once they attended the student-run meetings, they were more open to sharing and working toward resolutions. Sasha Von Shats heard about It Ends Today in her New Jersey high school. "I used to be bullied and I couldn't wait to get involved in It Ends Today," says Von Shats. "There was a lot of cyberbullying and a lot of kids committing suicide. I could relate and wanted to be part of it." Story continues How a Family Friend Is Keeping Tyler Clementi's Memory Alive in His Fight to End Bullying: 'I Had to Do Something'| Heroes Among Us, Real People Stories, Real Heroes Von Shats started a mini chapter at her school and became involved in everything from recruiting speakers to fundraising. "We traveled everywhere between New Jersey and California. We even did an assembly in Orlando when we were sophomore and we were the only kids there," she said. "We were with teachers, police officers and others who wanted to talk about how to stop bullying." Working on It Ends Today helped Von Shats admit to her mother that she had morphed from outgoing to sullen because of bullying. "It Ends Today taught me how to be myself and go beyond bullying," she said. "When I graduated from high school, I lost a bunch of weight and became very outgoing again....That's because of what I learned from It Ends Today." How a Family Friend Is Keeping Tyler Clementi's Memory Alive in His Fight to End Bullying: 'I Had to Do Something'| Heroes Among Us, Real People Stories, Real Heroes And Von Shats spread that message to others, including students in elementary school. One of the most effective activities was asking each student to crumple a piece of paper. Then students were instructed to apologize to the paper and attempt to smooth it out. "We showed them that despite the apologies, the paper was still damaged. The apology didn't do anything to change that," she said. "I remember one little girl doing that and having her voice get very shaky and her eyes become watery. She was a bully in the class. It was very touching to see that she really understood our message." When Rim entered Yale University, where he's majoring in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience, he was concerned It Ends Today would stall. His work with the researchers at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence allowed him to conduct research and gather data, which he used to strengthen his nonprofit and bring it under the Facebook's new project, InspirED. Other members of the online community to help high school students and educators work together to bolster learning communities include Lady Gaga's "Born This Way Foundation." "His success can be measured a bunch of ways," says Seth Wallace, project coordinator of Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. "If you just think of the impact on kids at these schools, you can see it goes up and up. He has accomplished something really big with It Ends Today." By Julia Edwards and Jonathan Allen WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton, under questioning by federal investigators over whether she had been briefed on how to preserve government records as she was about to leave the State Department, said she had suffered a concussion, was working part-time and could not recall every briefing she received. Clinton, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, raised the health scare during her 3-1/2-hour interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department prosecutors on July 2, according to an FBI summary released on Friday. Besides the 11-page interview summary, the FBI also released other details of its investigation into her use of an unauthorized private email system while running the State Department, in which it concluded she mishandled classified information but not in a way that warranted a criminal prosecution. Clinton told investigators she could not recall getting any briefings on how to handle classified information or comply with laws governing the preservation of federal records, the summary of her interview shows. "However, in December of 2012, Clinton suffered a concussion and then around the New Year had a blood clot," the FBI's summary said. "Based on her doctor's advice, she could only work at State for a few hours a day and could not recall every briefing she received." A Clinton campaign aide said Clinton only referenced her concussion to explain she was not at work but for a few hours a day at that time, not that she did not remember things from that period. The concussion was widely reported then, and Republicans have since used it to attack the 68-year-old candidate's health in a way her staff have said is unfounded. The FBI report, which does not quote Clinton directly, is ambiguous about whether it was her concussion that affected her ability to recall briefings. The FBI declined to provide further comment on the report. Clinton, who is challenging Republican Donald Trump for the White House in the Nov. 8 election, has been dogged for more than a year by the fallout from her decision to use an unauthorized private email account run from the basement of her Chappaqua, New York, home. Republicans have repeatedly attacked Clinton over the issue, helping drive opinion polls that show many U.S. voters doubt her trustworthiness. Trump's campaign issued a statement immediately following the FBI report's release saying the notes from the interview "reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty." Clinton has said that in hindsight she regretted using a private email system while secretary of state. According to the report, Clinton told the FBI that she did not set up a private email server to sidestep the law requiring her to keep her business communications a matter of public record. At least one federal judge is examining whether this was the case as part of a lawsuit against the State Department concerning public access to Clinton's government records, which the U.S. government said it had no access to in response to requests from members of the public. The documents also show that Clinton contacted former Secretary of State Colin Powell in 2009 to ask about his use of a personal BlackBerry phone. In his reply to Clinton via email, Powell told Clinton to "be very careful" because the work-related emails she sent on her BlackBerry could become public record. "I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data," Powell said, according to the summary. After her use of a private email system became public knowledge in March 2015, Clinton repeatedly said she did not use it to send or receive classified information. The government forbids handling such information outside secure channels. The FBI has since concluded Clinton was wrong to say that: At least 81 email threads contained information that was classified at the time, although the final number may be more than 2,000, the report said. Some of the emails appear to include discussion of planned future attacks by unmanned U.S. military drones, the FBI report showed. "CLINTON believed the classification level of future drone strikes depended on the context," the FBI's interview summary said. The U.S. government requires that military plans be classified. The FBI released its report on Friday afternoon before the Labor Day holiday weekend, a time many Americans are preparing to travel. State Department spokesman John Kirby said he would not comment on the FBI's findings because the department "does not have full insight into the FBI's investigation." He declined to say whether State Department officials still discussed the planning of future attacks using drones in unclassified emails. "I'm not going to speak to past email practices," he said. "We trust State Department employees to use their best judgment when conveying sensitive information, taking into account a range of factors." The Clinton campaign released a statement welcoming the report's release. "While her use of a single email account was clearly a mistake and she has taken responsibility for it, these materials make clear why the Justice Department believed there was no basis to move forward with this case," Brian Fallon, a campaign spokesman, said in a statement. Some Republicans saw the files as confirming their belief that the Department of Justice should have prosecuted Clinton. "These documents demonstrate Hillary Clinton's reckless and downright dangerous handling of classified information during her tenure as secretary of state," Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said in a statement. "This is exactly why I have called for her to be denied access to classified information." (Reporting by Eric Beech, Jonathan Allen, Ginger Gibson and Julia Edwards; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler) From Country Living The state of Florida has gone without a hurricane for a record 3,965 days. But that streak could end this week, as Hurricane Hermine is set to make landfall in northwest Florida and into Georgia. According to USA Today, both Florida and Georgia have declared states of emergency in preparation for downed trees, power outages, and dangerous storm surge flooding. Hermine strengthened from tropical storm status to hurricane status on Thursday afternoon. NBC News reports that if Hermine keeps its hurricane status as it makes landfall in Florida, it would be the state's first hurricane since Wilma in 2005. Hermine has "24 hours to make a run at ending Florida's 11-year hurricane drought," NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins said. "It should be a close call." According to an update from the National Hurricane Center, Hermine is heading for the North Florida coast, and is expected to be "life-threatening" with flooding rains. Hurricane warnings and watches have already been issued for various parts of the state, and other areas are still under tropical storm watches and warnings. Hermine is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rain over northwest Florida and southern Georgia, though some areas could see up to 20 inches of rain. Florida governor Rick Scott warned residents that standing water from Hermine could attract mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus. He advised to empty any containers that are full of water as soon as it's safe. So far, Floridians and reporters have shared scenes of the impact the storm is already having on their towns. UPDATE: heavy rain, gusty winds have arrived in FL Big Bend ahead of Hermine. @breakingweather will deteriorate pic.twitter.com/OTklewj9wz - Reed Timmer (@reedtimmerTVN) September 1, 2016 If you live in the area, we've rounded up 9 ways to prepare for a hurricane. You Might Also Like Cigna Corp. CI is going through a rough patch with niggling concerns like an underperforming Life and Disability segment, CMS sanctions on the sale of Medicare Advantage policies, a weak public exchange business and uncertainty surrounding the Anthem ANTM merger. These compelled the company to cut its full-year 2016 earnings guidance to $7.75$8.10 per share from $8.95$9.35. Cigna has one of the greatest shares in the Disability market. But this business has become increasing unpredictable and volatile in recent years. The segment suffered due to modifications made to the disability claim process. The modification includes upfront medical review of claims to conduct further physical examinations, deeper medical history reviews and enhanced documentation. These modifications resulted in longer claim cycles, thereby increasing disability durations and claim inventory which did not favor its business in the first half of 2016. Investments are being made in this segment to strengthen the operational processes in a manner that will lead to improved customer experience and lower claim volatility. The life subsegment suffered from a spike in claims. Though the company is taking necessary steps to restore profitability of the segment, we would remain cautious until we see it posting favorable earnings. Another friction faced by the company is the blockage of the deal to merge with Anthem by the Department of Justice. The deal may now be delayed to 2017. The merger, which would have raised the rank of the company in the industry is now shrouded in uncertainty. Any delay would adversely impact the company and come in the way of its desired operational performance. In fact, in 2015 the company incurred a loss of $57 million in connection with the anticipated merger and $62 million in the first half of 2016. Unfavorable refinancing expenses and unexpected costs associated with the delay can be a matter of concern. The company also faces restriction from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the sale of Medicare Advantage policies. Effective Jan 21, 2016, the CMS imposed sanctions suspending Cigna's enrollment and marketing activities related to all Cigna Medicare Advantage and standalone prescription drug plan contracts. To date, it remains unclear as to when these might be lifted. The sanctions point directly to failure to comply with coverage determinations, appeals and grievances, and Part D administration which CMS characterized as systemic and longstanding and unchanged even several years after warning the company. Cigna wont be allowed to market or sell Medicare Advantage policies or Part D drug plans to new clients in the open enrollment season that will start in mid October. If Cigna is unable to address these issues prior to open enrollment, its MA membership will be hit hard and be a drag on its earnings. Moreover, Cigna is currently losing money in its public exchange business. It is mulling over discontinuing operations in the Texas market. Though the company said that it has intentions to selectively expand its public exchange presence to a few new geographical regions in 2017, we view this as quite unlikely in the light of similar comments coming from Aetna and UnitedHealth just after pulling back from the exchanges citing increasing losses. While Cigna, which carries a Zacks Rank # 5 (Strong Sell) remains mired in its problems, we take this opportunity to look at other health maintenance organization (HMO) stocks in the space providing better investment opportunities. These include Humana Inc. HUM, United Health Group Inc. UNH and WellCare Health Plans, Inc. WCG. We have picked these three stocks using our style score system. Not only do they have a solid Value Style Score of A or B and a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy), they also witnessed a rise in earnings estimates over the past 60 days. Story continues CIGNA CORP Price and Consensus CIGNA CORP Price and Consensus | CIGNA CORP Quote The Picks Humana with a Zacks Rank #1 has strong fundamentals. Its strong-performing individual Medicare Advantage and other government-sponsored plans remain the highlights. Also, its Healthcare Services business is well poised and will contribute to its growth. Last month, Humana won a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to administer TRICARE benefits to about 6 million people, which nearly doubles the number of military beneficiaries served by Humana. However, challenges in its individual commercial medical business pose as concerns. Also, its merger with Aetna remains uncertain. Nevertheless, the company raised its 2016 earnings guidance to at least $8.56 from $8.32 predicted before. Humana has also witnessed a 4.3% increase in its Zacks Consensus Estimate to $9.23 per share for 2016, over the past 60 days, with 11 out of 12 analysts covering the stock raising their estimates. Its long-term EPS growth rate is 13.5%. It has a Value Style score of B. HUMANA INC NEW Price and Consensus HUMANA INC NEW Price and Consensus | HUMANA INC NEW Quote UnitedHealth, with a Zacks Rank #2, is the most diversified health maintenance organization. Though the company remains troubled by its public exchange business and has exited most of the markets, it is still attractive given the strength in its other business segments. Instead of its heavily regulated Health Benefits business, the company is focusing on investing and growing its health services business branded as Optum. To this end, the company acquired Catamaran last year. The acquisition is evidently fruitful thanks to the revenue accretion from it. Optum is becoming an increasingly valuable business and is expected to contribute about 42% to UnitedHealth Groups consolidated operating earnings this year. Also, the companys membership has grown over the past five years by nearly 13.5 million or 40% well diversified across commercial, government programs and international offerings. The companys membership is further set to grow in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid as well as commercial plans. UnitedHealth also has a strong balance sheet and generates handsome cash flows which allow it to increase dividend payments and make regular share buybacks. Moreover, UnitedHealth witnessed an increase in the 2016 Zacks Consensus Estimate to $7.90 per share from $7.88, over the past 60 days, with eight out of 14 analysts covering the stock raising their individual estimates. Its long-term EPS growth rate is 13.4%. It has a Value Style score of A UNITEDHEALTH GP Price and Consensus UNITEDHEALTH GP Price and Consensus | UNITEDHEALTH GP Quote WellCare Health Plans WCG with a Zacks Rank #2 remains well poised to grow in the Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Part D business. During the second quarter, it closed the Advicare transaction, gaining greater Medicaid presence in South Carolina. The company is taking both organic and inorganic steps to fuel its growth and trying to double its revenues between 2017 and 2021. The company also increased its 2016 adjusted earnings per diluted share guidance to a range of $4.95 to $5.05 from its previous guidance of $4.55 to $4.70. WellCare Health also witnessed a 7.5% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate to $5.01 per share for 2016, over the past 60 days, with each of the nine analysts covering the stock raising their individual estimates. Its long-term EPS growth rate is 17.7%. It has a Value Style score of A. WELLCARE HEALTH Price and Consensus WELLCARE HEALTH Price and Consensus | WELLCARE HEALTH Quote Confidential: Zacks' Best Investment Ideas Would you like to see a hand-picked "all-star" selection of investment ideas from the man who heads up Zacks' trading and investing services? Steve Reitmeister knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click for his selected trades right now >> 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 CIGNA CORP (CI): Free Stock Analysis Report HUMANA INC NEW (HUM): Free Stock Analysis Report UNITEDHEALTH GP (UNH): Free Stock Analysis Report WELLCARE HEALTH (WCG): Free Stock Analysis Report ANTHEM INC (ANTM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research From Popular Mechanics Body armor is considered a pretty standard piece of infantry equipment today, and of course we are all familiar with the armored knights of centuries past. But what happened in the meantime? Well, let's have a look at World War I. You might think steel plate body armor was long gone by the 20th century, but in fact it was not. Virtually all countries experimented with armor (although none issued it to large numbers of troops). The German armor is perhaps best known, as it was a popular photo prop for cheerful American troops celebrating victory at war's end. This German armor covered only the front of the body, and was issued to sentries, primarily. Standard orders were that the armor was not to be used in attack missions because it seriously restricted the wearer's freedom of movement. (Having tried it myself, I know first hand that aiming a rifle is virtually impossible with this armor on.) However, not everyone had the same idea of what armor should be designed for. Consider this Austrian experimental armor: Photo credit: Soviet Gun Archives Looks pretty awkward, right? Wide and goofy? The mustache is pretty awesome, but the armor? Well, consider its alternate setup: Photo credit: Soviet Gun Archives The armor isn't designed for just running around in. The whole point is that you can take it off, fold the side under, open the little hatch, and you have a handy portable pillbox! It only protects from the front, though, so it's vital that you don't get flankedor attacked with explosives like grenades or artillery. Photo credit: Soviet Gun Archives It is not known if this folding armor was ever produced in quantity or saw any real combat use. It sure was a nifty idea though. Photo Credit: Soviet Gun Archives Ian McCollum is the founder of ForgottenWeapons.com, a website and YouTube channel dedicated preserving the history of rare and obscure guns from around the world. You Might Also Like PARIS (Reuters) - Cash-strapped French farmers evoked the spirit of the country's 18th century revolution on Friday, decrying as insensitive the choice of a grand chateau in the Loire valley for a meeting of EU agriculture ministers. The meeting at the Chateau de Chambord, built some 250 years before the nation's high-living aristocracy were ousted by workers and peasants in the 1789 revolution, was called to discuss the future of European agriculture. "Ministers at the chateau, peasants on the street," was the title of a statement from the main farmers union objecting to the choice. "You can't enjoy castle luxury when peasants are dying of hunger!," said Bernard Lannes, chairman of the lobby group Coordination Rurale. Twenty ministers joined the meeting while unions held protests outside the castle grounds and in the nearby city of Blois. French Agriculture Stephane Le Foll defended the choice, saying the castle was under his ministry's supervision and thus free of charge. "When France wants to have influence it must be proud of its history, of its heritage," Le Foll told Reuters, adding that his counterparts were "dazzled" by the site. France has faced months of sometimes violent protests over falling milk and meat prices in France. Grain growers, who had been spared in previous years as they enjoyed high world prices or good harvests, were also hit this year after heavy rain in the spring severely damaged their crops at a time of low prices. France has the biggest agricultural sector of all EU countries. Overall French farmers will lose between 4 and 5 billion euros in revenue this year, Xavier Beulin, the head of France's largest farm union FNSEA said. Le Foll invited his European counterparts to Chambord to discuss the challenges facing the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), which has the biggest share of the EU budget, after Britain's decision to leave the bloc. Le Foll said ministers had agreed at the meeting on the importance of the CAP and the need to simplify it for farmers, had tackled the challenges they have to face and stressed the need to find new tools to avoid new crises. The EU farm ministers will meet again in Bratislava on Sept 12 and 13 under Slovakia's turn as EU president. (Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, additional reporting by Simon Carraud; Editing by Andrew Callus, Greg Mahlich) Evian (France) (AFP) - The leaders of EU heavyweights Germany and France on Friday called for a new push to invigorate the bloc after Britain's shock Brexit vote. Twenty-seven EU leaders will meeting without Britain in Slovakia on September 16 and France's Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a joint statement that a "new impulse" was required . "With Brexit and the rise of populism and even questions on the very idea of Europe, a new impulse is needed for the European Union," they said. "France and Germany will assume their responsibilities" to do this, they added. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will not trigger Article 50 -- the formal notification which starts a two-year negotiating period before Britain leaves the EU -- until next year at the earliest. Speaking two days ahead of a G20 summit in Hangzhou in China, Hollande and Merkel underscored Europe's role in trying to spur growth and international trade. "We will do our level best in China to see that the most important countries can give a new push to growth and global commerce," Hollande said. Merkel on the other hand said that European countries "will do all they can to fight protectionism." London (AFP) - The Nobel Prize-winning head of Europe's biggest biomedical research centre in London said that Britain's vote to leave the EU is worrying his European employees and will hit "extremely important" funding. Paul Nurse, head of the world-renowned Francis Crick Institute, told AFP that EU funds account for around 5 million a year (5.9 million euro/$6.6 million), or around five percent of his annual budget. "It's money we can use in a wide variety of ways," he said in an interview at the institute's new futuristic 650-million headquarters near the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras, which was inaugurated this week. "It's not tied down in particular objectives and that's extremely important... when you're trying to run an innovative research institute," said Nurse, who won a Nobel Prize in 2001 for his work on cell cycles. Nurse said 55 percent of the institute's post-doctoral researchers were from other parts of the European Union and some of them were concerned about their future status. "If we increase the bureaucracy that has to be overcome to get scientists to work here, that will be an issue. "Maybe more important is the risk of a xenophobic reputation spreading out there -- that Britain is not open for international business," Nurse warned. He is not alone in his concern and the government was forced to move relatively quickly last month to reassure the scientific community that funding for existing projects would remain in place, even after Britain leaves the EU. - Already feeling the effects - But Mike Galsworthy, programme director for the campaign group "Scientists for EU", said: "They didn't pledge a single penny beyond what they have to legally." The group, which campaigned for Britain to stay in the bloc in the run up to the landmark referendum, said it had registered more than 400 cases of scientists who were already feeling the adverse effects of the June 23 vote to leave. Story continues Some are British scientists who have been excluded from EU funding applications by continental colleagues because Britain may have left the bloc by the time the projects are realised. Others are foreign researchers who are turning down posts in the UK following the referendum, while others who are already here are voicing concern about whether they should stay. "We want to raise awareness of the fallout that's happening because that's the only way of persuading politicians to take action and move quickly," Galsworthy said, adding: "There's general nervousness". Losing EU research funds would hit Britain's scientific community to the tune of almost 1 billion a year, technology consultancy Digital Science has calculated. Britain is the second largest recipient of EU research funds after Germany, receiving 8 billion in the past decade compared to 8.3 billion for Germany. "EU funds have been used to prop up and cover systemic issues with how we chose to fund research in the UK, both at a governmental and corporate level," said Digital Science's managing director Daniel Hook. "Brexit, and the loss of EU funding for the UK's research base, represents a number of severe threats to leading British success stories in the research sector, unless the UK government makes up the shortfall," he said. - An opportunity? - Some have argued that leaving could be a good thing, led by the "Scientists for Britain" group which campaigned for the country to leave the EU. John Ball, a Canadian-British geneticist and medicine professor at Oxford University, argued that position in a commentary in the Financial Times newspaper, though he did say that he would have nonetheless preferred to stay in the EU. He said there could be benefits if the government lightened regulation like Switzerland and increased state aid like in the United States to allow more competition. "Brexit offers opportunities to UK science," he said, blaming the EU for "needless regulatory hurdles associated with huge inefficiencies and delays". But for Nurse, there is no "upside" to leaving the EU. "We will get through it, we will be able to manage it," he said. "I just wish we didn't have to do it." DAKAR (Reuters) - Gambia's main opposition party named a new leader on Thursday to challenge President Yahya Jammeh in a December election after the jailing of its previous candidate. The United Democratic Party said it had chosen Adama Barrow, a 51-year-old businessman, to lead its campaign to end Jammeh's 22-year rule of the small West African state. Human rights groups accuse Jammeh of systematically repressing dissent, straining relations with Western donor countries. Nearly 50 protesters were jailed in April and May during rallies calling for electoral reform, including former UDP leader Ousainou Darboe and other senior figures. Darboe and 18 others were sentenced in July to three years in prison. Two of the party's members have died in custody, prompting calls for an investigation from the United Nations and the United States. The government has denied allegations that one of the victims died from torture. Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission on Thursday set the election date for Dec. 1. Candidates were requested to submit their applications between Nov. 7-10. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) When creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss predicted that season six of Game of Thrones would be the best one yet, some wondered if the declaration was a publicity ploy. But 23 Emmy nominations later, its clear it wasnt. BATTLE PLANS With the fate of Westeros hanging in the balance, viewers gasped as Jon Snow rose from the dead, cried over Hodors self-defining dirge, cheered for Aryas vengeance, and were stunned by the fiery rise of Cersi to the throne. But it was the Battle of the Bastards episode, which featured the climactic clash for Winterfell between an undersized Stark army and Ramsay Boltons massive forces, that was most memorable, collecting six nominations by itself, including one for sound mixing. MONTHLONG SHOOT Battle of the Bastards was meticulously planned and executed, says production sound mixer Ronan Hill, who has worked on nearly all of the series 60 episodes. Directed by Miguel Sapochnik, the episode took 25 days to record, using hundreds of crew members to film the battlefield sequences at a location outside of Belfast. With each scene mapped out in advance, the sound department was able to prioritize characters dialogue to wireless microphones and record action using stereo effects. FULL GALLOP As the two armies converge, Sapochnik reveals the carnage from Snows perspective, slashing through the crashing cavalry, narrowly defying death. To add to the dynamics of the sequence, it was never enough for the sound team to simply record the dialogue in the moment. We try to get a real sense of the drama wherever possible, says Hill. We even fitted mics to cameras on tracking-crane arms and placed wireless mics on the horses to get clean hoof effects for the charge into battle. SUFFOCATINGLY REAL In the scene where Snow is being trampled by his comrades as the Bolton forces surround them, re-recording mixers Onnalee Blank and Mathew Waters were asked to create the sounds of Snows struggle under the pile of flesh. Story continues We spent the most time on that scene. We probably worked for 10 hours just to get his breathing down so you can hear him suffocating, says Bank. We wanted the audience to feel like everything was closing in a claustrophobic feeling. And then when Snow reaches out of the pile, we hear a full range of [sound], and your ear kind of goes Awww. Related stories From 'Stagecoach' to 'Better Call Saul,' New Mexico Has Long Hosted Major Hollywood Projects 'Stranger Things': Meet the Man Who Played the Monster 'Game of Thrones' Casts Jim Broadbent for 'Significant' Season 7 Role In November of 2014, representatives from Danish design house Georg Jensen met with Pritzker Prizewinning architect Zaha Hadid at the brands London studio and began designing an eight-piece collection inspired by some of Hadids most jaw-dropping architectural creations. The collaboration was Hadids first with the Danish brand, and the resulting items (which Hadid reviewed and approved in March of this year before her untimely passing at age 65) debuts today, September 1. The Georg Jensen Zaha Hadid Collection (from $600 to $30,000) includes three cuff bangles and five bold rings available in sterling silver or sterling silverplated with black rhodium set with black diamonds. Many of the designs dramatic curves and fluid lines mirror the mountain-like forms of Hadids iconic Wangjing Soho building in Beijing. The jewelry, along with the nearly 1,000 structures in Hadids portfolio, helps ensure that the boundary-breaking architect will have a legacy that lives on through a multitude of mediums. (georgjensen.com) More From Robbreport.com Savile Row Updates Usher Tailoring into the Future The $2.85 Million Piper M600 Executive-Grade Turboprop Aircraft Enters Service The New Pop-Up at Barneys New York Brings a Sense of High Fashion to Home Decor This Patek Philippe Watch Is Todays Most Collectible Timepiece Driving the LevanteMaseratis First-Ever SUV Pininfarina Puts Power to the Pedal with Its E-voluzione Electric Bike From Town & Country In the fall of 1838, Georgetown University sold 272 slaves to raise funds for the school. Today, the Catholic institution is atoning for that sin-by awarding descendants of slaves preferential status in its admissions process, the New York Times reports. The school's president John J. DeGioia, is expected to outline the plan in a speech this afternoon that will include a number of additional steps the school is planning to take. Photo credit: Getty It will, reportedly, "offer a formal apology, create an institute for the study of slavery, and erect a public memorial to the slaves whose labor benefited the institution, including those who were sold in 1838 to help keep the university afloat. In addition, two campus buildings will be renamed-one for an enslaved African-American man and the other for an African-American educator who belonged to a Catholic religious order." The move to give descendants of all slaves (not just the 272 sold by the school in 1838) preferential treatment in the admissions process is unprecedented. While other universities, such as Brown, Harvard, and the University of Virginia, have acknowledged their connections to slavery, none have offered this form of direct reparations to slave descendents. Georgetown notes this is the same preferential treatments offered to legacy applicants. To read more about the university's plan, read the full story at the New York Times. You Might Also Like TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili on Friday expressed condolences over the death of Uzbek President Islam Karimov in a statement on the presidential website. "We express our deep condolences over the death of Uzbek President Islam Karimov. Islam Karimov led his country in the most difficult period of its history and under his leadership Uzbekistan achieved significant development, state building and prosperity," the statement said. "I'd like to express my condolences from me personally and on behalf of the Georgian people to the president's family and Uzbek people," Margvelashvili added. (Reporting by Margarita Antidze; Writing by Alexander Winning) Berlin (AFP) - Germany's government reiterated Friday that a parliamentary resolution recognising Turkey's World War I-era massacre of Armenians as "genocide" was non-binding but denied it was distancing itself from the vote to appease Ankara. Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was clear that the June vote, which infuriated Turkey, had no legally binding character but was "a political statement". But she rejected claims, made by news site Spiegel Online, that by publicly reiterating this point, her government was caving in to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The federal government is not distancing itself from this resolution. I want to explicitly deny that," said Merkel, echoing earlier comments by her spokesman Steffen Seibert. Merkel also told RTL television that in talks with Turkey "we have pointed out that resolutions are not legally binding, they are political statements". A Spiegel reporter fired back at the government, tweeting that it was "doing exactly what it says in the report which (it) is denying: explicitly pointing out that the resolution is non-binding". A veteran lawmaker of the far-left Die Linke party, Gregor Gysi, also accused the government of having "de facto distanced" itself from the resolution "under pressure from Erdogan". - 'Many areas of friction' - Already tense relations between Berlin and Ankara took a nose-dive after the Armenia vote three months ago. Erdogan angrily charged that the 11 German lawmakers with Turkish roots who backed it should undergo "blood tests" to see "what kind of Turks they are". Turkey has since then denied German lawmakers the right to visit their national troops on the Incirlik NATO air base, used by Western allies to fight jihadists in Syria. There are also fears the growing discord could endanger an EU-Ankara agreement under which Turkey has moved to halt the mass flow of refugees and migrants into Europe. Story continues Merkel said that she hoped lawmakers could soon visit Incirlik, and also vowed that the EU would stick to its side of the refugee bargain, including easing visa rules for Turks, as long as Ankara fulfilled all conditions. But she warned that "time is running out" to reach an agreement in October as originally planned. German-Turkish ties have been under strain for some time, with Berlin also speaking out against Turkey's tough line against critical journalists and its Kurdish minority, and the mass arrests that followed July's failed. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there had been "many areas of friction, not just since the coup attempt", and again urged Turkey to respect the rule of law in its treatment of post-coup detainees. Germany is home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish population, the legacy of a massive "guest worker" programme in the 1960s and 1970s. BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government on Friday said it was not distancing itself from a parliamentary resolution on the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces that has strained ties with Turkey, but emphasized that the measure was not legally binding. "There can be no talk of the German government distancing itself from the Armenia resolution," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters at the regular news conference. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Editing by Victoria Bryan) Berlin (AFP) - The head of the German Jewish community said the rise of the right-wing populist and anti-migrant AfD party was "frightening", ahead of a key state election Sunday. The Alternative for Germany party is polling above 20 percent in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where Chancellor Angela Merkel has her electoral seat. Support for the AfD in the state is at a similar level to Merkel's conservative CDU and just behind the centre-left Social Democrats. "The voters aren't realising they are voting for a party that doesn't want to distance itself from the far-right spectrum," president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany Josef Schuster told AFP Friday. The AfD, which gained support when Germany took in a huge influx of refugees, "offers just slogans, no solutions", said Schuster. Merkel said in an RTL television interview she wanted to encourage people to vote "and to vote for parties that offer solutions to problems," adding that the AfD was not one of them. The AFD, founded as an anti-EU party, has shifted to an anti-Islam and anti-migrant platform, protesting the arrival in Germany of a million asylum seekers in 2015. Since 1945, no far-right party has managed to establish itself permanently in the German political landscape. But recent polls have given the AfD 10 to 15 percent support ahead of national elections next year. Schuster said that if citizens worried about the huge refugee influx and about recent jihadist attacks, then "to an extent this is understandable, but no reason to vote for the AfD". LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A German national dubbed the "Hollywood Arsonist" was found guilty on Thursday of setting dozens of fires in the Los Angeles area nearly five years ago, prosecutors said. Los Angeles County Superior Court jurors found Harry Burkhart, 29, guilty of 25 counts of arson of property, 18 counts of arson of an inhabited dwelling and other charges including possession of an incendiary device, the local district attorney's office said in a statement. Burkhart faces a possible sentence of more than 88 years in prison, the statement said. The trial began on Aug. 15, and after closing arguments on Wednesday jurors deliberated for less than a day before returning their verdict. At the trial's opening statements, a prosecutor told jurors that Burkhart lit the fires because he was enraged by the deportation hearing of his Russian-born mother, Dorothee Burkhart, who was ordered to be extradited to Germany to face criminal charges. Burkhart set more than 40 fires in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley and in nearby West Hollywood between Dec. 30, 2011, and his arrest on Jan. 2, 2012, prosecutors said. The blazes charred cars and homes, causing an estimated $3 million in damages, but caused no deaths. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Leslie Adler) BERLIN (Reuters) - German officials have told Turkey that German lawmakers must be allowed to visit 250 German soldiers stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, and expect a visit planned in October to occur, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday. Matthias Schaefer, spokesman for the ministry, said Turkish and German officials remained in talks about the issue. He said it remained to be seen how Turkish officials responded to requests from lawmakers to travel to the base in October. Turkey had banned lawmakers from visiting the base in response to a June parliamentary vote declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a "genocide." German officials have said the resolution is not legally binding. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Victoria Bryan) BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the parliamentary leader of her conservative party that she is not distancing herself from a Bundestag resolution on the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces that has strained ties with Turkey, according to sources briefed on the matter. Volker Kauder, the head of the Christian Democrats in parliament, told a meeting of party members that he had spoken with Merkel and she emphasized her position, said the sources, who attended the meeting. Kauder said Merkel also noted that she had voted to support the resolution during a party meeting before the vote, although she was not present when the vote took place in June. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier were also not present, the sources said. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Victoria Bryan) (Reuters) - Former shareholders of Good Technology Corp, a mobile software maker, are suing JPMorgan Chase & Co for breach of fiduciary duty, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. JPMorgan was "self-interested" and "conflicted" in its dealings with Good Technology, which led the start-up to sell itself to BlackBerry Ltd in 2015 at a "fire-sale" price of $425 million, the shareholders said in the amended lawsuit filed in Delaware Chancery Court. Good Technology was being advised by JPMorgan at the same time as the investment bank was advising BlackBerry, according to the lawsuit. JPMorgan prioritized its relationship with BlackBerry over its dealings with Good Technology, the complaint said. The lawsuit valued Good Technology at over $1 billion. Blackberry and JPMorgan were not immediately available to comment on the issue. The New York Times first reported the amended lawsuit earlier on Thursday. The complaint is part of a suit Good Technology shareholders originally filed in October 2015. The suit already named Good Technology directors and executives as defendants and accused them of conflicts of interest. The case is Good Technology Corporation Stockholder Litigation, Court of Chancery, State of Delaware C.A. No. 11580-VCL (Reporting by Andrew Hay) Diane Green The entire tech industry is racing to build artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, computers that can learn and react to stuff they've never seen before, sort of like a human brain. Naturally, tech giant Google is smack dab in the middle of this trend. Just like the move to mobile gave rise to companies like Uber and Snapchat, Google's chairman Eric Schmidt believes that machine learning will underpin the next crop of game-changing successful companies. Google has built a team of machine learning researchers that call themselves the Google Brain Team. As this team creates new machine learning technology, they make it available to others as a service on Google's cloud. But it turns out the Google Brain is actually a real thing that exists inside Google's massive collection of data centers, the company's head of cloud Diane Greene told attendees at the Oktane tech conference on Tuesday. "Visiting the data centers. They are just unbelievable. They are acres and acres and you go through a double door and there's thousands and thousands more servers. There's not a lot of people," she says. "And we have something called Google Brain, where we do our machine learning with special processors. And there's the Google Brain," she says, describing seeing it behind those double doors. "It's like science fiction," she said. One little known fact: Google's data centers and the Google Brain are not painted in "Google colors," the primary colors, popular with pre-schoolers, that are used for Google's products and the sprawling Googleplex HQ. Instead, Google has hired artists to paint beautiful murals on the outside of its data center buildings. Mural Inside the data centers, the servers use LED lights, so they kinda of glow, just like you'd imagine a massive computer brain one that is getting smarter all the time to look. It does seem like science fiction. google data centers Story continues NOW WATCH: Forget the gross factor: There are serious health reasons for why you shouldn't pick your nose More From Business Insider Per a Reuters report, it is rumored that Alphabet Inc.s GOOGL Google has pulled the plug on Project Ara that sought to build modular smartphone. The move is in sync with the companys plan to streamline its efforts in the hardware segment which includes the likes of Chromebook and Nexus phone. What is a Modular Smartphone? A modular smartphone is a device with interchangeable modules for various types of components such as batteries, cameras, speakers etc. Of late, the concept caught the attention of the tech community as it offers a means to reduce electronic waste by prolonging the lifespan of an electronic device. However, their bulkiness and high costs involved in their manufacturing process make them less attractive as a commercial proposition. Project Ara Project Ara was launched by Motorola in 2013. The project was taken care of by the Advanced Technology and Projects group that Google decided to hold onto even after its divestiture of Motorola Mobility to Lenovo in 2014. The companys aim was to create a phone that could be customized by users according to their requirements. Googles plan to launch the smartphone in Puerto Rico fell through in 2015. Early this year, the company had announced the delay of the launch to 2017. Moreover, after the Ara team announced that the smartphone would have a fixed CPU, antennas, GPU, battery, display and sensors in place of the earlier fully modular design, Ara lost its charm. Whats Next? While it is now clear that Google will no longer be releasing the device, it may consider licensing the technology to a third party manufacturer. The question remains - if Google couldnt do it, will someone else be able to? ALPHABET INC-A Price ALPHABET INC-A Price | ALPHABET INC-A Quote Zacks Rank & Key Picks Currently, Alphabet carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology space include Avid Technology, Inc. AVID and Infoblox Inc. BLOX, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Aspen Technology, Inc. AZPN, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Story continues Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 AVID TECH INC (AVID): Free Stock Analysis Report ASPEN TECH INC (AZPN): Free Stock Analysis Report INFOBLOX INC (BLOX): Free Stock Analysis Report ALPHABET INC-A (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Letitia Stein GULFPORT, Fla. (Reuters) - As Hurricane Hermine lashed out at Floridas Gulf Coast, Maia Marksberry got as close as she could to the fury, gripping tightly to the side of a floating dock. As blinding rain hammered down, and waves crashed over her, Marksberry reveled at the sight of jumping fish and stingrays. "All the creatures were having a blast," said the 42-year-old longtime sailor, who feels most alive on the water. "We were just hanging onto the boat cleats like a bucking bronco." Hermine carved a destructive path across Florida, with one feared dead as trees and powerlines toppled, then weakened to a tropical storm plowing toward the Atlantic Coast. Sitting at the edge of Boca Ciega Bay in Gulfport, Florida, joined by a handful of people that she had just met at a bar's hurricane party, Marksberry had scores to settle with the sea. In 2008, she was living along Galveston Bay in Texas when Hurricane Ike destroyed her home and everything in it. She ended up homeless. Just within the last month, she got her own place again, moving to a small waterfront city in the Tampa Bay region that calls itself the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. "I had some peace to make with the Gulf last night," said Marksberry. Even though she has sailed into some powerful storms before, she said: "It was a wild night." As Hermine blasted in, marking the first hurricane to hit Florida in 11 years, Marksberry's ex-boyfriend bashed his shin on the dock and left. But she stayed out, watching the waves bash an unmoored sailboat into a fishing pier. Around midnight, as the storm neared landfall in northwest Florida, she left for bed so she could get enough sleep before leaving for work in the morning. "I would have loved to stay all night," she said. (Reporting by Letitia Stein; Editing by David Gregorio) Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f198783%2f5baa8f41625b4092963389abac2be6be LONDON Sept. 2, 2016 marks 350 years since the Great Fire of London tore through the city, leaving mass devastation in its wake. SEE ALSO: Beatrix Potter stamps are here, and they are so fluffy you will die To mark the occasion, Royal Mail has released a set of six graphic novel-style stamps reimagining the fire and locating the action within a street-map design. This is the first time Royal Mail has used a graphic-novel style of illustration for its stamps. Image: royal mail The stamps were designed by comic-book artist and writer John Higgins, who has contributed to the likes of Watchmen, Judge Dredd and 2000 AD. The Great Fire of London broke out in a bakery in Pudding Lane on Sept. 2, 1666 and lasted until Sept. 5. Image: royal mail The fire devastated 13,200 houses and it's believed to have destroyed the homes of 70,000 of London's 80,000 residents. While the exact death toll is unknown, it was believed to have been small: only six deaths were recorded. It is an honour to illustrate these stamps and to commemorate this moment in history 350 years on," Higgins said in a statement sent to Mashable. Image: royal mail "Capturing the story of the Great Fire of London in just six special stamps was a wonderful challenge. I am thrilled to have been chosen to bring the graphic-novel style to Royal Mails Special Stamps for the first time." The Great Whisky (or Whiskey) Ride Harley-Davidson riders from around the UK gathered in the Scottish Highlands for the annual Thunder in the Glens rally last weekend and visited the Speyside Distillery to be presented with commemorative bottlings celebrating the events 20th anniversary. Speyside Distillery is the home of Beinn Dubh an unusual ruby-black colored whisky which was launched at Thunder in the Glens last year. It was well received by the thousands of bikers at the event, which claims to be the biggest Harley-Davidson rally in Europe. The distillery released two limited editions for the anniversary. The first is a rare 20-year-old single malt from the archives, with just 200 bottles produced. They also produced a second anniversary single malt with commemorative label, available in greater quantities. One of the commemorative bottles was sent to the home of Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee. George McGuire is the rally co-ordinator for Thunder in the Glens and led the ride out to the distillery, which is located near the village of Kingussie. We feel a special affinity with Speyside Distillery, and being able to take so many of our visitors out here has been a truly magical experience one of the highlights of the entire weekend. As we were traveling further and further away from civilization, I am sure some of them thought I was pulling their leg and the distillery didnt actually exist. But thats the real beauty of Speyside Distillery it can only be found by those who want to seek it out. However, now that so many Harley owners around the world have become fans, Im not sure how much longer it will remain a secret. In a shakeup for Greek broadcasting, the country has awarded just four broadcasting licenses, a move that drastically cuts back the number of TV channels operating there. Skai TV and Antenna won two of the four licenses, with the other two going to new entrants, Greek ship owner Evangelos Marinakis and contractor Yannis Kalogritsas, after a bidding round held over three days. With only four licenses offered, some of the eight private channels now broadcasting in the country will have to close. Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprass says the move will help regulate the sector and is in line with its international bailout obligations. But critics say the move will result in a curbing of free speech and put thousands of people out of work. The new licenses take effect in 90 days, but will most certainly be challenged in the courts. Sky has taken a 4 million ($4.49 million) stake in Frances Molotov, an over-the-top video platform that distributes free and pay TV channels and content to consumers via a freemium model. The investment is part of a larger Molotov financing round, according to Skys release, and the latest in a series of Sky investments in innovative start-up companies. The company released no further details as what the larger financing round entails. Molotov was launched in 2014 by AlloCine founder JeanDavid Blanc, Canal+ founder and Cannes Film Festival President Pierre Lescure and Jean-Marc Denoual, former senior executive at TF1 Group. Molotov unveiled launched its first publicly available service in July. Related stories 'The Young Pope' Trailer: Jude Law Is A Contradiction, And God - Venice Sky's 'Riviera' Completes Cast Opposite Julia Stiles In Neil Jordan Jet-Set Thriller Sean Bean 'Broken' For BBC One; Sky's 'Delicious' Adds Iain Glen & More - Global Briefs The Greek government announced Friday it had awarded licenses to four private broadcasters, halving the number of private channels and bringing to an end a protracted and controversial tender process. The winning bids went to two existing networks, Skai TV and Antenna TV, as well as shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis and businessman Yannis Kalogritsas. Most of the countrys eight national private broadcasters, who have already mounted a legal challenge, will have 90 days before going off air. While the bidding began at 3 million euros ($3.36 million), the four licenses were ultimately secured for between 43.6 million euros ($48.8 million) and 75.9 million euros ($85 million), pumping 246 million euros ($275 million) into the states coffers. The government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras leftist Syriza party called the auction an attempt to regulate the media sector, which for years has been plagued by political cronyism, mismanagement and spiraling debt. But critics accused the government of using the process to strengthen its own grip on the industry. Related stories Greek TV Business Teeters Amid Government's Attempts at Broadcasting Reforms Greek Parliament Passes Contentious TV Bill Greek Media Strike Over TV License Overhaul carlson-ailes Getty Image As forecast earlier this week, journalist Gabriel Sherman has dropped a rather damning NY Mag expose about Roger Ailes. Sherman, of course, wrote the a book on Ailes, and hes the journalist that the former Fox News CEO and Chairman loathes the most. Theres even a report that Ailes wanted to dispatch goons to beat up Sherman, who hopefully has some fantastic home security, especially after his latest missive. The entire piece launches from Gretchen Carlsons recent sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, but the article spans far and wide and truly dives into an alleged pattern of predatory behavior. Sherman fills in some blanks about the reported audio tapes that Carlson was said to possess and which could result in a massive settlement. Carlson was reportedly so disturbed by her boss sexual demands and knew she stood no chance against him unless she recorded his actions. So thats exactly what she did: Taking on Ailes was dangerous, but Carlson was determined to fight back. She settled on a simple strategy: She would turn the tables on his surveillance. Beginning in 2014, according to a person familiar with the lawsuit, Carlson brought her iPhone to meetings in Ailess office and secretly recorded him saying the kinds of things hed been saying to her all along. 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. Sometimes problems are easier to solve that way, he said in one conversation. Im sure you can do sweet nothings when you want to, he said another time. After more than a year of taping, she had captured numerous incidents of sexual harassment. One of these reported quotes is not new, but the notable detail here is that Carlson claims she has proof, and the article details the lengths to which she went to protect it, including employing an IT technician to shield her devices from Fox News spyware along with other precautions. And Carlson was planning to file her lawsuit this fall, but that date got pushed forward when she was fired on the day after her contract expired. Story continues The rest of Shermans piece details an awful lot of reported enabling going on for Ailes. While Rupert Murdochs sons detested him, the titan protected Ailes for some time. Ailes was even hired despite being a known handful who had torn through a series of network jobs with his volatile behavior. NBC executive David Zaslav reveals that he feared for his own safety after threats from Ailes, who referred to him as a little f*cking Jew prick. And his poor treatment of women apparently goes back to the time of Nixon: It was Ailes well-known reputation for awful behavior toward women that prevented him from not being invited to work in the White House. Sherman also explores Ailes childhood obsession with TV he suffered from hemophilia and how he eventually began working as a network gofer, but quickly rose to power with some disturbing results: [H]e used his growing power to take advantage of the parade of beautiful women coming through his office hoping to be cast on the show. Over the past two months, I interviewed 18 women who shared accounts of Ailess offering them job opportunities if they would agree to perform sexual favors for him and for his friends. In some cases, he threatened to release tapes of the encounters to prevent the women from reporting him. The feeling I got in the interview was repulsion, power-hungriness, contempt, violence, and the need to subjugate and humiliate, says a woman who auditioned for Ailes in 1968 when she was a college student. Theres plenty of other gross stuff in the article, including how anyone who complained about a hostile work environment would be seen as a whiner or someone who cant take a joke. An assistant would allegedly record fake names in a ledger anytime a woman visited Ailes office, and a former Fox News makeup artist revealed her suspicions: [T]he whispers about Ailes and women were growing louder. Karem Alsina, a former Fox makeup artist, told me she grew suspicious when Fox anchors came to see her before private meetings with Ailes to have their makeup done. They would say, Im going to see Roger, gotta look beautiful!' she recalled. One of them came back down after a meeting, and the makeup on her nose and chin was gone. All of this continued for many years and never became a cause for concern until Carlsons lawsuit and perhaps more tellingly Megyn Kellys claims that he made overtures to her too. Kelly is considered by the Murdochs to be the future of the network, so her name made the network start to freak out. So if all of these allegations are accurate, Ailes behavior was overlooked for some time even though a lot of people suspected something was up. But with Kelly stepping into the ring, suddenly everything mattered: Now Ailes had made himself a true liability: More than two dozen Fox News women told the Paul, Weiss lawyers about their harassment in graphic terms. The most significant of the accusers was Megyn Kelly, who is in contract negotiations with Fox and is considered by the Murdochs to be the future of the network. So important to Fox is Kelly that Lachlan personally approved her reported $6 million book advance from Murdoch-controlled publisher HarperCollins, according to two sources. The article contains a little side note about Donald Trump and how Rupert Murdoch wasnt thrilled with how Ailes threw the networks coverage so solidly behind the Republican candidate. One line that Trump was not permitted to cross, however, was Megyn Kelly. But Sherman writes that even while the network publicly supported Kelly, Ailes privately blamed her for creating the crisis between herself and Trump. Kelly also, according to one Fox source who spoke with Sherman, grew violently ill before the Cleveland debate and worried that Trump had paid someone to slip something into her coffee. Kelly is a huge asset to the network, and its obviously a good thing that the network dispensed with Ailes. But the result is also disheartening with regard to Shermans rendering of several stories from other women who were ignored or quieted when they complained. Even long before Fox News (1969, in fact), Ailes reportedly assaulted a model in a hotel room and covered his tracks. The woman said, I remember Ailes sweet-talking my parents out of pressing charges. As for the future of Fox News, Sherman paints some astute predictions. He believes that things will hold steady until after the election, and then there will be a bloodbath. Hes predicting that Bill OReillys retirement noises will become the real deal. Kelly may head elsewhere (shes in a good position in contract negotiations, but other networks are making plays for her), and here comes the predictable kicker Hannity will go to Trump TV. Many have speculated that this (his very own television network) would be Trumps true endgame too, if and when he loses the presidential election. The full piece by Sherman functions as an eye opener even for those who think theyve heard it all about Roger Ailes. You can read more here. (Via Daily Intelligencer) Photos: Getty Images by Tobias Burns The new revelations arrive in Gabriel Shermans New York magazine feature. Gretchen Carlsons sexual harassment lawsuit against ousted Fox News chief Roger Ailes, filed in July, may boast a previously unknown piece of evidence: tapes of Ailes making sexually inappropriate comments, recorded by Carlson on her iPhone. In his bombshell New York magazine feature, Ailes chronicler Gabriel Sherman reports that Carlson began sneaking her iPhone into meetings with Ailes in 2014, to capture the executive making the sort of sexually suggestive remarks that Carlson had allegedly heard him make repeatedly in the past. 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, Ailes said, according to the article. Another purported line from Ailes to Carlson: Im sure you can do sweet nothings when you want to. Ailes has repeatedly denied all sexual harassment charges brought against him, though the Sherman report suggests that Ailes may settle out of court with Carlson for a lofty eight-figure sum. More than a dozen women have come forward to accuse of Ailes of sexual harassment, including former Republican national committee field adviser Kellie Boyle and former model Marsha Callahan. The Fox News Channel, a subsidiary of the Murdoch family-helmed 21st Century Fox, bid adieu to Ailes in July, about two weeks after the Carlson suit was filed on July 6. The network launched a speedy investigation into Ailes conduct, the findings of which have yet to be released, and Rupert Murdoch assumed Ailes position at the head of the network. Neither Fox News nor a representative for Gretchen Carlson immediately responded to a request for comment for this article. READ MORE Roger Ailes Lawyers Ramp Up Attack on Biographer A documentary capturing moments of one of Hong Kongs biggest civic protests could become the next Ten Years, last years dystopian imagining of Hong Kong under Chinese rule. The new film, Yellowing has been denied general release in the citys theaters despite repeated pleas. It documents the 79-day Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong in 2014 and includes footage capturing clashes between protesters and the police, as well director Chan Tze-woon being punched in the face by a policeman. Yellow was the color of the umbrellas carried by protesters as a shield against rain and tear gas. The film premiered at the Hong Kong Independent Film Festival in January. Ying E Chi, an independent film body that was among the producers, has been negotiating with theaters ever since. Ying E Chis Vincent Chui has often worked with commercial cinemas to host special screenings of independent films. But after Ten Years won the best picture prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards in April, sparking an immediate political backlash, cinemas told him that there would not be any slots for Yellowing until 2017. I was hoping Yellowing can get general release. Ying E Chi helped me negotiate with cinemas for a long time, but we failed, Chan told Variety. The Hong Kong Theaters Association could not be reached for comment. Chan has instead taken to staging guerrilla screenings. He said 20 screenings reaching nearly 3,000 people have been staged so far. Chui says that in order to meet the requirements for next years HKFA nomination, five ticketed public screenings were held this week at the Hong Kong Film Archives. Like Ten Years, Yellowing is also enjoying a festival career. It played at the Taiwan International Documentary Festival in May and will next go to the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Chinese Documentary Film Festival in Hong Kong later this month. It has also been submitted for competition at the prestigious Golden Horse Film Awards in Taiwan. Story continues Freedom of speech and creativity in Hong Kong has been eroded over the the years. Im very worried [about the future of Hong Kong cinema]. The topic of your films can directly or indirectly affect your films chance of accessing a wider audience, Chan said. Related stories Film Review: 'Ten Years' Anti-China Movie '10 Years' Crowned at Hong Kong Film Awards Hong Kong Government to Boost Film Marketing Geneva (AFP) - Zika cases found in Guineau-Bissau do not stem from the virus strain linked to a surge in birth defects in Latin America, the World Health Organization said. When Guinea-Bissau announced in early July that it had recorded several cases of Zika, it was believed to be the second country in West Africa hit by the so-called Asian strain of the virus after Cape Verde. That strain has been spreading like wildfire in Latin America since 2015, and has more recently taken hold in Asia, with researchers warning Friday that 2.6 billion people worldwide were in danger of infection. But in a report published late Thursday, WHO said that "in Guinea-Bissau, the gene sequencing results of the four confirmed Zika cases sent in July have preliminarily confirmed that the cases are of the African lineage." This, it said, means that the cases were "not (from) the predominant global outbreak Asian lineage." The African strain of the Zika virus, which takes its name from Uganda's tropical Zika forest where it was first discovered in 1947, has been widespread on the continent since then. But until recently, Zika caused little concern, as it usually led only to mild, flu-like symptoms, with many Africans appearing to have built up immunity against the virus. It remains a mystery whether immunity to the African Zika strain can offer protection against the Asian strain. Benign in most people, Zika has been linked to a form of severe birth defect called microcephaly which causes newborns' heads to be abnormally small. It can also cause rare adult-onset neurological problems such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which can result in paralysis and even death. - 'Further surveillance needed' - In its report, WHO said "investigation of five reported cases of microcephaly" was going on in Guinea-Bissau. While the African strain of the virus found in the country had "not been associated with microcephaly and other neurologic complications, further surveillance is needed," the UN health agency said. Story continues Since the spread of Zika did not spark concern before the current outbreak began last year, WHO pointed out that little work had been done previously to track the virus and there had been only "very few confirmed cases of the African lineage." Peter Salama, the WHO's chief on outbreaks and health emergencies, told reporters Friday that the microcephaly cases in Guinea-Bissau had been detected even earlier than the Zika cases, stressing that it remained unclear if they had any connection with the virus. "At the moment, we don't know the answer," he said. In an outbreak that started mid-2015, more than 1.5 million people have been infected with Zika in Brazil, and more than 1,600 babies born with abnormally small heads and brains. Seventy countries and territories have reported local mosquito-borne Zika transmission, with Brazil by far the hardest hit. WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency last February, and the UN agency said Friday that that assessment still stands. From Cosmopolitan If you are obsessed with or confounded by Donald and Melania Trump, you can thank and former model agency head Paolo Zampolli for bringing them together. The New York Times has published a short profile on the Italian socialite and businessman who threw the now-famous party at the Kit Kat Club in 1998 where Monald (Delania?) was first born. Zampolli came back into the public eye a few weeks ago, when the Daily Mail suggested that he and Melania ran an escort service in the 1990s. Trump's lawyer claimed the report was false and sent a note to several media outlets calling it defamatory. Zampolli first met Melania in Milan, where he helped launch her modeling career. He later helped her come to the U.S.: Mr. Zampolli recalled that he asked her, "Would you like to come to New York to try the market?" where, he explained, she could make more money. "I would be very interested," he said she replied."She was a very beautiful girl with her head on her shoulders," Mr. Zampolli said.Mr. Zampolli said that he secured an H-1B visa for the eventual Ms. Trump, calling the process "very very easy to do." She moved into the same Union Square apartment building where he had lived and became friends with his girlfriend, a Hungarian model named Edit Molnar.Mr. Zampolli said the photographer of a nude photo shoot of Ms. Trump that surfaced last month on the front page of The New York Post had incorrectly dated the pictures 1995, which raised questions about whether she had worked in the United States before possessing a work visa. "I spoke to the lawyer that did the visa, my understanding is that she came in '96," he said, adding "I had nothing to do with the green card." In 2005, the ID Models founder told the Observer that his matchmaking would send him to heaven: "In Italy," Mr. Zampolli added, "they say that when you introduce two people that get married, you are going to go straight to heaven."And does he believe this?"Why not?" he said, before bursting into a hearty belly laugh. Story continues In New York, he became known for his lavish parties, which the Times notes have "featured an alligator, tiger cubs and models at nightclubs blowing kisses at Fashion Television cameras." The dude has swag, marrying Brazilian model Amanda Ungaro and networking his way into becoming, by appointment, the "United Nations ambassador of Dominica, a country of which he is not a citizen" in 2013. Paolo Zampolli's alligator at his birthday at Soho Grand. pic.twitter.com/WxMos5DlUl - Richard Johnson (@HeadlineJohnson) March 7, 2014 Zampolli also knew the Clintons and says he has met former president Bill Clinton "many, many, many" times. But these days, it seems that he shares a stronger allegiance with the Trumps. Asked about the election, he said, "I am scared and we need borders in this country." Zampolli, who lives in Manhattan, has since left the modeling world to work in real estate and diplomacy. He also started an environmental advocacy organization called We Are the Oceans. "The ocean dies, we die," he told the Times. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Zampolli was a promoter in addition to being a former model agency head. Follow Prachi on Twitter. You Might Also Like On this day in 1789, George Washington signed into law the act that created the Treasury Department. The move became crucial to Americas survival, but it also created a constitutional debate about federal powers that remains with us today. The Founders knew that government under the new Constitution had to stabilize the shaky financial foundations of a new nation that struggled with debts incurred during and after the break from Great Britain. In July 1789, Congress approved a bill establishing a Treasury Department and sent it to President George Washington for consideration. At first, President Washington offered the Secretary of the Treasury job to Robert Morris, who was known as the financier of the Revolution and had led a predecessor department during the pre-Constitution era. Morris declined, but recommended that Washington turn to Alexander Hamilton for the critical position. (Morris and Hamilton had similar visions of a national bank that would become a point of political debate for generations.) On September 2, 1789, Washington signed a Treasury Act that said there shall be a Department of Treasury, in which shall be the following officers, namely: a Secretary of the Treasury, to be deemed head of the department; a Comptroller, an Auditor, a Treasurer, a Register, and an Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury, which assistant shall be appointed by the said Secretary. It immediately became the biggest department in the executive branch, with 39 employees. Hamilton became Treasury Secretary on September 11, 1789, and shortly after, Hamiltons vision of a strong central banking system that supported manufacturing, as well as agriculture, met with equally strong opposition from Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Edmund Randolph. Hamilton presented this vision in a January 1790 treatise called Report Relative to a Provision for the Support of Public Credit. The report to Congress detailed Hamiltons argument that a coordinated system of central federal credit and debt was needed for the nations survival. Story continues In the affairs of nations, in which there will be a necessity for borrowing, Hamilton wrote. That loans in times of public danger, especially from foreign war, are found an indispensable resource, even to the wealthiest of them. And that in a country, which, like this, is possessed of little active wealth, or in other words, little monied capital, the necessity for that resource, must, in such emergencies, be proportionably urgent. Back in December 1787, Hamilton argued in The Federalist No. 30 that a central economic system with managed debt was critical to the United States ability to undertake commerce. (Hamilton had actually first argued for a national bank in 1779 at the age of 24.) The power of creating new funds upon new objects of taxation by its own authority would enable the national government to borrow, as far as its necessities might require. Foreigners as well as the citizens of America, could then reasonably repose confidence in its engagements, Hamilton wrote. The 1790 report offered several controversial proposals. First, Hamilton wanted the Treasury Department to redeem federal debt on generous financial terms. He also proposed that the federal government assumed debt incurred by the states and that the states become equal partners in the federal debt. Hamilton also wrote that the Secretary contemplates the application of this money, through the medium of a national bank, for which, with the permission of the House, he will submit a plan in the course of the session. The final proposal about a national bank met with immediate objections from Madison and Jefferson as falling outside the bounds of the Constitution. Madison believed it was clear that the Constitution intended for the states to charter and run their own banking systems. Hamiltons proposal was a broad construction of federal powers [that would deliver] a powerful blow at the barriers against an indefinite expansion of federal authority, Madison argued on the House floor. Madison insisted that Hamilton wanted to use the government to establish the national bank as a corporation a power that fell outside of Article 1, Section 8, as a power granted directly to Congress. Attorney General Randolph told President Washington that he agreed with Madisons reasoning. Jefferson also urged Washington to veto a proposed bill to establish a national bank. He used many of the same arguments made by Madison, arguing that a strict reading of the Constitution made it clear that establishing a national bank fell outside the bounds of the Necessary and Proper Clause. Washington, in turn, asked Hamilton to respond to these arguments. Hamiltons lengthy reply, written in one evening, supported the idea of implied powers granted by the Constitution. In his Opinion on the Constitutionality of an Act to Establish a Bank, Hamilton made an argument that the Constitution implied that Congress could take necessary actions to meet national goals, regardless of whether these measures were explicitly stated in the Constitution It leaves therefore a criterion of what is constitutional, and of what is not so. This criterion is the end, to which the measure relates as a mean, he argued. If the end be clearly comprehended within any of the specified powers, and if the measure [has] an obvious relation to that end, and is not forbidden by any particular provision of the Constitutionit may safely be deemed to come within the compass of the national authority. Washington agreed with Hamilton and thus declined to veto the bill that proposed the First Bank of the United States. The bank became a reality in 1791, but the debate over these core constitutional concepts remains strong today. In the subsequent years of Hamiltons time as Treasury Secretary, the American economy stabilized, but the philosophical rift between Hamiltons Federalist allies and the Jefferson-Madison faction grew into the first version of partisan politics that we all know well today. Hamilton resigned as Treasury Secretary in 1795. Scott Bomboy is the editor in chief of the National Constitution Center. Recent Historical Stories on Constitution Daily 10 essential facts about Alexander Hamilton 12 famous Americans killed, involved in duels Podcast: Hamilton, the man and the musical By now everyone has seen it: the photo of French police standing over a woman in a headscarf on a beach, ordering her to move or to disrobe. Though the beachgoer wasnt wearing a burkini, her situation was the result of so-called burkini bans in coastal France and elsewhere. These bans prohibit women from donning the full-coverage swimsuit thats been interpreted, variously, as a symbol of Muslim extremism, a form of enslavement and, of course, just a simple, modest garment that protects ones skin from the sun and scrutiny, one that a woman has a right to wear wherever she damn pleases. However, if we accept that governments can regulate swimwear, wed like to propose a regulation that could actually bring more gender equality into the world: Men, as in France, should be required to wear swim briefs. Oh, did you think all those old French men were wearing tiny Speedos just for kicks? Yeah, no: Most public pools in France ban any swimwear for men that could pass for streetwear which rules out those low-slung, baggy board shorts ubiquitous on American beaches. Its because of hygiene, the attendant at the Piscine Aspirant Dunand, in the 14th arrondissement, told my unsuspecting, trunk-wearing husband this summer, before dispatching him to a sad vending machine filled with teeny-tiny boxed Speedos. Who knew the French were such sticklers for cleanliness? Hygiene is the official reason that public pools ban burkinis and going sans swim cap whether youre a man or a woman. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told OZY it has no information about the relative hygiene risks of swim garb, but a spokesperson did ask us to remind readers not to go swimming with diarrhea or uncovered open wounds. Back to the Speedos: There is good reason to mandate them besides hygiene. In the summer, Paris public pools are a glorious place for guy-watching. Lounging women ogle and judge, as the men, freed of choice and modesty by the pools dress code, parade past in eye-catching swimwear. Some even look like Ryan Lochte before his appeal collapsed under the weight of his own broish idiocy. In a reversal of a summer day practically everywhere else, men are openly scrutinized for their physique, and treated, as women routinely are, as something to be looked at rather than someone to be listened to. To be sure, some men like, you know, women dont want to be freed of that choice. You might say bans on certain types of swimwear, no matter the reason, infringe on our rights to cover up or dress down as we like. And youd be right: American men would never stand for being told they have to strip down to Speedos, even if it were to keep pools safe. Ergo? French women shouldnt have to dress uncomfortably because it offends some French ideal of secularism that still, somehow, manages to make an exception for beach-going nuns. Related Articles Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company HPE is set to report third-quarter fiscal 2016 results the third quarterly release post its split from Hewlett-Packard Company on Sep 7. Last quarter, the companys earnings were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Prior to the split, Hewlett-Packard Company was a leading global provider of computing products, technologies, software and services to individual consumers, SMBs and large enterprises, including those operating in the public and educational sectors. Products like PCs and access devices, imaging and printing-related products and services, enterprise IT infrastructure, and multi-vendor customer services including support, maintenance, consulting, integration and outsourcing comprised its offerings. Post the split, Hewlett-Packard Companys PC and printer business operates under the name HP Inc. HPQ, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise offers commercial tech products. Zacks Model Indicates Likely Earnings Beat Our proven model shows that Hewlett Packard Enterprise is likely to beat earnings estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Hewlett Packard Enterprises Most Accurate estimate stands at 45 cents while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 44 cents, resulting in an Earnings ESP of +2.27%. Thus, the combination of the companys Zacks Rank #3 and positive ESP makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat this quarter. HEWLETT PKD ENT Price and EPS Surprise HEWLETT PKD ENT Price and EPS Surprise | HEWLETT PKD ENT Quote Factors to Consider We believe that the parent companys (Hewlett-Packard Company) initiative to split the business has started benefiting Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. In our opinion, a split allows a customized approach to two different businesses, which might not have been possible if they operate as a single entity. Story continues Notably, during the second quarter, the company witnessed year-over-year growth in revenues for the first in the last six quarters (considering the segment prior to split). The upside was mainly driven by a strong performance at the Enterprise Group segment. On a constant-currency basis, revenues increased 5% year over year. Moreover, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has reiterated its earnings guidance for fiscal 2016. The company has done reasonably well in enterprise class server, storage market, networking and related services, and it intends to maintain its focus on these fast-growing and higher-margin businesses. Therefore, post the split, Hewlett Packard Enterprises Chief Operating Officer (CEO), Meg Whitman, has been looking on reducing the companys large portfolio of non-core businesses that are now struggling to maintain their growth trajectory. Keeping with this, the company has sold its stake in Mphasis Limited, an IT services provider in Bangalore, India. Furthermore, in late May, Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced a major restructuring initiative that includes the spin-off of its Enterprise Services segment and a merger of the same with Computer Sciences Corporation CSC in an all stock-exchange agreement. The transaction is expected to allow Hewlett-Packard Enterprise to focus better on faster growing businesses and unlock value for shareholders. Moreover, according to a Reuters report published yesterday, the company is in talks with buyout firm, Thoma Rova LLC, to sell its software division in a transaction that would fetch the company somewhere between $8 billion and $10 billion. The primary motive behind such a massive restructuring drive is to reassure investors of the companys sustained focus on improving profitability and returning value to shareholders in the form of dividend and share repurchases. We believe that Hewlett-Packard Enterprises ongoing business overhaul will yield long-term benefits by supporting innovation and leading to cost savings. We also believe that successful deployment of the companys products will boost its top line, going forward. However, macroeconomic challenges and tepid IT spending remain near-term concerns. Competition from International Business Machines and Oracle add to its woes. Other Stocks Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Here are a couple of companies that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat: eGain Corporation EGAN has an Earnings ESP of +50.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. Science Applications International Corporation SAIC has an Earnings ESP of +1.27% and a Zacks Rank #3. Want more information on HPE earnings? Make sure you check out our live preview at 1pm central time on Tuesday, which discusses the best options trades ahead of the report. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 HP INC (HPQ): Free Stock Analysis Report EGAIN CORP (EGAN): Free Stock Analysis Report COMP SCIENCE (CSC): Free Stock Analysis Report HEWLETT PKD ENT (HPE): Free Stock Analysis Report SCIENCE APP INT (SAIC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Linda Thrasybule (Reuters Health) - A new study adds to evidence that hospice care during the last six months of life is associated with better overall experiences for patients and a lower likelihood of dying in a hospital. Consistent with other studies demonstrating benefit, the use of hospice care is associated with better quality-of-care outcomes, including patient-centered care metrics, study leader Ruth Kleinpell and colleagues write in the journal BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, online August 16. In other words, Kleinpell told Reuters Health, Hospice care can provide patients and families with a better dying experience. The research team studied more than 163,000 patients enrolled in Medicare, the U.S. governments insurance for the elderly and disabled, who had died in 2010. All had been hospitalized at least once in the previous two years for a chronic illness associated with high mortality rates. Roughly 47 percent of patients were in hospice in the last six months of their life. Hospice admissions were tied to a number of variables, the team found, including higher patient satisfaction ratings, better pain control, reductions in hospital days, fewer deaths in the hospital, and fewer deaths occurring with an ICU stay during hospitalization. In the U.S., Medicare provides hospice benefits for patients who arent expected to live more than six months. Those benefits include medications, equipment (such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, commodes and oxygen), home visits from nurses, chaplains and social workers, and other services for the patient and family members. The majority of patients today still die in hospitals, said Kleinpell, a professor at the Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago who works in a critical care unit at Rush University Medical Center. If someone is hospitalized and approaching the end of life, hospice care is more optimal so they can get the care they need, she told Reuters Health by phone. Susan Miller, who specializes in hospice and palliative care at Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island but who was not involved with the current study, said for patients nearing the end of life, hospitals palliative care teams typically address management of symptoms such as pain and include discussion of goals of care including the choice of hospice. Hospice care offers symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, and it's a Medicare benefit, she said. Whats most important is that patients and their families have crucial conversations about hospice care with their doctors, Kleinpell said. Patients should be enrolled in hospice early," she said, "so when conditions worsen, they and their family members get the appropriate help to prepare for whats next. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2c5phVV BMJ Support Palliat Care 2016. Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee weighed in on media bias in coverage of the 2016 presidential race. The FOX Business Networks Dagen McDowell listed two recent examples to support allegations of bias by the mainstream media. In a re-airing of an interview with a retired New Jersey police officer on Headline News, his Trump for President shirt was blurred out. And CNN edited the word crooked out of a Donald Trump tweet the network showed on air. To which Huckabee responded, Its an example of the fact that journalism is dead as we once knew it. Huckabee then reflected on how the mainstream media used to be more objective in its coverage of politics. It used to be that if you read a story written by a journalist you didnt really know whether that journalist liked the person he was writing about or didnt. And I always said, the best journalists were the ones who when I read the story about me, I couldnt tell whether he liked me or not. And when I read that I said, thats a real journalist. I dont read many stories like that ever there just arent any. According to Huckabee, today there are an increasing number of examples of liberal bias in the mainstream media. Today the bias in the media, weve seen it this week, you just gave two examples from Headline News and CNN. We see it all the time with Facebook, you see it with the New York Times, the Washington Post organizations that used to be respected in journalistic circles and now are nothing more than fronts for left-wing claptrap. But McDowell pointed out signs of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clintons dislike of the media as well. Trump, he frequently criticizes the mainstream media and he goes after individuals, he goes after whole networks. But Hillary Clinton has just as much disdain for the media it has been 272 days I think since she held a press conference, and that doesnt seem to have any impact. Related Articles (CARRABELLE, Florida) Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Floridas Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain and high winds. The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Hermine later weakened to a tropical storm as it moved farther inland. Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain carried the danger of flooding along the storms path over land, including the state capital Tallahassee, which hadnt been hit by a hurricane since Kate in 1985. As of 5 a.m. EDT Friday, Hermine was weakening as it moved into southern Georgia, the Hurricane Center said. It was centered about 20 miles west of Valdosta, Georgia, and was moving north-northeast near 14 mph. After pushing through Georgia, Hermine was expected to move into the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding. In Floridas Pasco County, north of Tampa, authorities said flooding forced 18 people from their homes in Green Key and Hudson Beach. Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriffs deputies used high-water vehicles early Friday to rescue people from rising water. They were taken to a nearby shelter. In Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, a couple suffered minor injuries during the storm when they drove into a tree that had fallen in the road, County Administrator Dustin Hinkel said early Friday. He said storm surge of 8 to 10 feet damaged docks and flooded coastal roads. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. Many took no chances with Hermine. Story continues Tallahassee resident Tom Duffy, 70, said Thursday that he planned to reserve a hotel room for Friday night in the neighboring state of Alabama if downed trees caused the kind of power outages he expected. The city government tweeted there were about 70,000 power outages reported around the capital city early Friday. Weve dodged bullet after bullet after bullet, Duffy said, but added that Hermine has taken dead aim at the city, where blustery winds sent trees swaying. Residents on some islands and other low-lying, flood-prone areas in Florida had been urged to clear out. Flooding was expected across a wide swath of the marshy coastline of the Big Bend the mostly rural and lightly populated corner where the Florida peninsula meets the Panhandle. Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned of the danger of strong storm surges, high winds, downed trees and power outages, and urged people to move to inland shelters if necessary and make sure they have enough food, water and medicine. You can rebuild a home, you can rebuild property, you cannot rebuild a life, Scott said at a news conference Thursday afternoon, adding that we are going to see a lot of flooding. Scott, who declared an emergency in 51 counties, said 6,000 National Guardsmen were poised to mobilize for the storms aftermath. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina also declared states of emergency. Across the Florida line in south Georgia, about a dozen people had already showed up by Thursday evening at a Red Cross shelter that opened at a city auditorium in Valdosta thats normally used for banquets and gospel concerts. Cynthia Arnold left her mobile home for the shelter with her brother and her 5-year-old grandson, adding Im not just going to sit there and be ignorant. Rains of 4 to 10 inches were possible along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas by Sunday. Lesser amounts were forecast farther up the Atlantic Coast, because the storm was expected to veer out to sea. ___ Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro and Curt Anderson in Miami; Jason Dearen in Perry, Florida; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida; and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report. Miami (AFP) - Hermine uprooted trees, flooded streets and blew out power Friday as the hurricane swept across Florida's Gulf coast, grinding down to a tropical storm as it moved north. A homeless man was killed by a falling tree, Florida Governor Rick Scott said. There were no other reports of injuries but emergency crews worked "non-stop" overnight, rescuing 18 people from rising flood waters in Florida's Pascoe country, and several families in Hernando County, Scott said. "Today, we know there is a lot of work left to do following this storm," the governor said in a statement. "The number one thing is to stay safe," he said. "Life-threatening coastal flooding and rip currents will continue and we must all remain vigilant." Overall, the region appeared to have weathered the storm well, to the relief of local officials. "Things are great here," said Van Johnson, the mayor of Apalachicola, near where Hermine roared ashore at hurricane strength around 1:30 am local time (0530 GMT). "We didn't experience any of the expected storm surges, damage to property," he told CNN. "The city fared well." Crews were out clearing away fallen trees and branches, and looking for downed power lines. Scott said 253,000 people were without power. "Stay out of standing water especially near power lines," Scott advised Floridians. Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum said many power lines and trees were down and 100,000 customers left without electricity in his area. "Our crews are right now out and surveying the damage," he told CNN. He warned residents to stay inside while authorities ensured there was no threat from downed power lines and other potential dangers. - Heading along US East Coast - At 2100 GMT, Hermine was 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Charleston, South Carolina and moving along the Atlantic coast at 20 miles per hour (30 kilometers per hour). Story continues The storm was packing sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said, warning of possible storm surges. Hermine threatened to bring heavy rains, flooding and tornadoes up the East Coast on the country's summer-ending Labor Day weekend. A tropical storm warning was issued for areas as far north as Sandy Hook, New Jersey, a beach resort area located 40 minutes by ferry from New York. "There is a danger of life-threatening inundation during the next 48 hours" in coastal areas from North Carolina to Connecticut, the NHC said. Georgia has declared a state of emergency in 56 counties, and North Carolina in 33 counties. Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said 100 Florida National Guard personnel were activated, with 6,000 more on alert in the state and 34,000 ready to deploy from elsewhere in the United States. President Barack Obama has asked FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to keep him updated on the situation "and to alert him if there are any significant unmet needs", said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Hermine was expected to veer off the North Carolina coast by Saturday afternoon. The hurricane was the first to hit Florida in 11 years since Wilma in 2005. Its winds rose up to 80 miles per hour before it came ashore just east of the town of St Marks on Florida's Apalachee Bay. Local television stations broadcast footage of buffeting winds, lashing rain and flooded streets. Hermine is expected to dump five to 10 inches (12 to 25 centimeters) of rain over the southeastern United States, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches. The last hurricane to make landfall in the United States was Arthur in 2014 in North Carolina. Delek US Holdings, Inc. DK is an Oil Refining and Marketing company that could be an interesting play for investors. That is because, not only does the stock have decent short-term momentum, but it is seeing solid activity on the earnings estimate revision front as well. These positive earnings estimate revisions suggest that analysts are becoming more optimistic on DKs earnings for the coming quarter and year. In fact, consensus estimates have moved sharply higher for both of these time frames over the past four weeks, suggesting that Delek US Holdings could be a solid choice for investors. Current Quarter Estimates for DK In the past 30 days, 3 estimates has gone higher for Delek US Holdings while one has gone lower in the same time period. The trend has been pretty favorable too, with estimates narrowing from loss of 28 cents per share 30 days ago, to loss of 12 cents today, a move of 57.1%. Current Year Estimates for DK DELEK US HLDGS Price and Consensus DELEK US HLDGS Price and Consensus | DELEK US HLDGS Quote Meanwhile, Delek US Holdings current year figures are also looking quite promising, with 3 estimates moving higher in the past month, compared to none lower. The consensus estimate trend has also seen a boost for this time frame with estimates narrowing from loss of $2.05 per share 30 days ago, to loss of $1.50 today, a move of 26.8%. Bottom Line The stock has also started to move higher lately, adding 31.5% over the past four weeks, suggesting that investors are starting to take note of this impressive story. So investors may definitely want to consider this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock to profit in the near future. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Tale of the Tape, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 DELEK US HLDGS (DK): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Reuters) - Indian banks' loans rose 9.6 percent in the two weeks to Aug. 19 from a year earlier, while deposits rose 9.2 percent, the Reserve Bank of India's weekly statistical supplement showed on Friday. Outstanding loans fell 203.30 billion rupees ($3.04 billion) to 72.76 trillion rupees in the two weeks to Aug. 19. Non-food credit fell 192.10 billion rupees to 71.72 trillion rupees, while food credit fell 11.10 billion rupees to 1.04 trillion rupees. Bank deposits fell 330.50 billion rupees to 97.26 trillion rupees in the two weeks to Aug. 19. Source text: (https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=37960) (India Headline News Team) By Bernadette Christina Munthe JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's procurement agency has reached an initial agreement to import an extra 70,000 tonnes of buffalo meat from India this year, as it seeks to balance the effects of food import controls aimed at improving self sufficiency. "In principle they both agree. We'll discuss the details today," Bulog procurement director Wahyu said on Friday, referring to discussions with the trade and agriculture ministers. Wahyu, who like many Indonesians goes by one name only, said the deal would bring Indonesia's total buffalo meat imports to 80,000 tonnes in 2016. The buffalo meat imports are intended to help stabilize meat prices that have climbed as a result of beef and cattle import restrictions. "Buffalo meat imports provide a meat alternative to the community that's cheaper, healthy and Halal," Bulog CEO Djarot Kusumayakti told reporters. According to trade ministry data, beef currently costs around 115,000 rupiah ($8.68) per kg. Bulog is selling buffalo meat for 65,000 per kg at a consumer level. President Joko Widodo said earlier this year he wants fresh beef to cost around 80,000 rupiah per kg. Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population, imports virtually all of its cattle from Australia - a trade that was worth nearly $600 million in the last financial year. Indonesia is pushing importers to start breeding their own cattle as part of efforts to reduce its dependence on imports. Last year, Indonesia had to cull millions of chickens to ease supply swings and issued more import permits for cattle to cool beef prices. Bulog will also import 260,000 tonnes of raw sugar this year, "most of it from Brazil," Bulog CEO Djarot Kusumayakti told reporters. In June, Southeast Asia's largest economy said it would control wheat imports that had jumped after corn imports were capped this year. ($1 = 13,251 rupiah) (Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Richard Pullin) As a young real estate developer in Atlantic City, Donald Trump dealt with people who had ties to organized crime, according to a new Wall Street Journal examination of his career. The Journal reports that although Trump knew a business partner in Atlantic City had connections to "unsavory" people and although an FBI agent advised him in a sit-down that there were easier ways to invest, Trump nevertheless went ahead with plans to break ground in Atlantic City. He would ultimately go on to own four casinos there. People Trump dealt with as a real estate developer in New York also had ties to the mob, according to the Journal. Among these people were Kenneth Shapiro, who was identified by law enforcement as an agent of Philadelphia mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo; Robert LiButti, a gambler convicted of tax fraud who was banned from New York racetracks; and John A. Cody, a union leader found guilty of racketeering, the Journal reports. The newspaper said it reviewed thousands of pages of legal and corporate documents and interviewed dozens of Trump's business associates in its examination. Here are five key takeaways: 1. Trump has acknowledged that he sometimes worked with people who may have had ties to the mob. But the now Republican presidential nominee told the Journal that he either wasn't aware of the ties at the time or that he had only casual relationships with the unsavory figures. "If people were like me, there would be no mob, because I don't play that game," Trump said, adding that he's "the cleanest guy there is." 2. In the 1970s and 1980s, people with ties to the mob were reportedly so embedded in the real estate world that it was all but impossible for developers to avoid them. People in the industry told the Journal that dealing with people who had ties to organized crime was unavoidable in the construction, real estate and gambling worlds 30 or 40 years ago, especially in New York and Atlantic City. Trump "wasn't going to build Trump Tower without having those connections. Every builder in New York had to do that at that time," said Michael Cody, the son of a mob-linked union leader Trump dealt with. Asked about a concrete contracting firm he dealt with that law enforcement said had ties to New York Mafiosi, Trump said, "That was a major contractor. You hear stories that they may have been [mob-controlled]." "In the meantime, I was a builder. I was never going to run for office," Trump said. "I'd go by the lowest bid and I'd go by their track record, but I didn't do a personal history of who they are." 3. Trump was accused of making illegal campaign contributions to former Atlantic City mayor Michael Matthews. Trump, as a casino owner, couldn't donate money to local politicians who controlled zoning and signs in Atlantic City. One man who Trump leased property from, alleged Philadelphia mob agent Kenneth Shapiro, told a federal grand jury that he secretly gave thousands of dollars to the mayor on Trump's behalf. "Donald was always trying to maneuver politically to get things done," Shapiro's brother Barry told the Journal. For his part, Trump denied making secret contributions to the mayor, saying, "I'm not interested in giving cash, okay? a The last thing I'm doing is now handing cash." Of Shapiro, who the government has described as a conduit the Scarfo crime family used to buy influence with the mayor, Trump added, "I never remember him asking me for money. He was always straight with me ... I didn't know Shapiro well other than to know that we did a pretty small little land transaction down in Atlantic City, which was fine." 4. Trump Plaza was fined for illegally funneling $1.65 million in gifts to a racehorse trader named Robert LiButti. The Journal described the late LiButti as a "major profit source" at one Trump casino, whose gambling losses earned Trump Plaza $11 million between 1986 and 1989. A Trump employee said LiButti, who had been convicted of tax fraud involving horse sales in 1977, repeatedly called New York gangster John Gotti "my boss," according to a 1991 state investigative report. Trump, in an interview, described LiButti as a "high-roller in Atlantic City" and a "nice guy" but said he "had nothing to do with him." But according to Jack O'Donnell, who ran Trump Plaza in the late 1980s, Trump "spent time" with LaButti and even attended his daughter's birthday party. LaButti's daughter confirmed to the Journal that Trump attended her party. Later, the Journal reports, "regulators, in a ruling that didn't cite Mr. Trump personally, fined Trump Plaza for funneling Mr. LiButti $1.65 million via gifts of expensive cars quickly converted into cash." 5. Despite all this, Trump says dealing with gangsters is "not my thing". "When you have those relationships, in the end, you lose," Trump told the Journal. "You can solve some problems short term, but long term, you've got a disaster." What do Elon Musk and Mary Dillon have in common? Both are CEOs who have bought shares of their own companies just before the share prices moved higher. You have probably heard of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. In 2013, he made a big statement by buying over a million shares of Tesla stock for $100 million even though he already had plenty of shares. Musk went out on the limb even further, as he had to borrow the money from Goldman Sachs to buy the shares. He used his previous holdings in Tesla, and stakes in other companies, as collateral. Since then, shares of Tesla are up over 100%. But who is Mary Dillon? She's the President and CEO of Ulta Beauty, a cosmetics and beauty product retailer with stores across the United States. The CEO of Ulta bought nearly a million dollars worth of shares on the open market in March 2014 and September 2014. Since the March 2014 purchase, shares are up 150%. Clearly it is beneficial for investors to follow insider buying activity. Digging below the surface to find the obscure purchases by folks like Mary Dillon is where the big rewards can be found. Continued . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Massive Insider Opportunity Ends Saturday Suddenly six key officers poured $947,500 of their own money into their small-cap health stock. This "Cluster Buy" can only mean one thing: Those in-the-know expect a major price jump. Could it have something to do with rumored divestitures and acquisitions, plus a big institutional buy-in and projected 66% earnings growth? Don't miss your chance to make the most of this and a handful of other compelling opportunities. Check Zacks' insider portfolio before it closes to public entry midnight Saturday, September 3. No extensions. See insider stocks now >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Insider Buying Sends a Strong Signal Why would these two CEOs spend so much of their money on their own companies' stock when they already own a ton shares already? Story continues Greed! Pure and simple. The opportunity to make more money motivates people - even people who are already billionaires like Elon Musk. If top insiders are buying, it's because they know something very good is going on at the company. Maybe it is a new product. Or contract. Or pending merger. Whatever the reason, they are very confident that shares will be on the rise. After all, who would buy more stock in a company if they knew it was sinking??? Buy When the Insiders Buy When high level insiders buy, they are required to report the purchases to the SEC within 48 hours of the trade. The trade then becomes public information. Hedge funds and other professional investors routinely use this information to get an edge on their trades. For most of us, though, it's not easy to get access to the insider information. While the media will trumpet huge insider buys like Elon Musk's $100 million purchase, did you hear anything about Mary Dillon's $475,000 purchase in September 2014? The challenge is getting easy and reliable access to all the insider trades and then figuring out which ones to buy. Where to Find the Insider Buys Anyone can go on the SEC website and get the insider trading information but it's time consuming to search by individual companies. Some investment firms collect the insider buying data and can provide it to you as a weekly list. Have you ever seen one of those lists? The sheer number of companies can be overwhelming. In some instances, the insiders have been known to buy en masse. Then what's an investor to do? This happened during the stock market dip in August 2011. As stock prices fell, insiders felt that their companies were undervalued and rushed out to buy shares. That August, insiders bought stock in 50 different S&P 500 companies in just one week. Even if you got a list of those stocks, how would you narrow it down to the stocks that were truly worth buying? To solve this problem, our Zacks research team developed a strategy that monitors selected insider buying activity at companies that already show strong earnings and excellent valuations. We do the work of sifting through all the insider buys so you don't have to. Today, just 10 stocks meet the demanding criteria of our Zacks' Insider Trader. One of them is a particularly massive "Cluster Buy" in which 6 key officers ponied $947,500 of their own money to buy shares. I rarely see such compelling testimony to the future of the company. Five of the six insiders were already awarded shares as part of their compensation, but they wanted more. Even the General Counsel joined the party. This stock is selling for only about $6 per share and our strategy is signaling that right after Labor Day is an excellent entry point. You are welcome to share this and 9 other insider trades with explosive gain potential. But please be aware that we must limit access to these stocks. Entry to our portfolio closes to new investors Saturday, September 3. See Zacks' insider stocks now >> Best, Tracey Tracey Ryniec, Zacks' value and insider strategist, is Editor in Charge of the Insider Trader portfolio. 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 To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Beirut (AFP) - Officials at Beirut's international airport said Friday they were investigating how a teenage boy was able to sneak onto a flight and travel to Turkey without a ticket or passport. The boy boarded an Istanbul-bound plane operated by Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines, on Wednesday. He was discovered by the crew onboard after the plane had already taken off, when they realised there were more passengers on the aircraft than on the manifest they had been given, local media said. "Widescale investigations are ongoing into the details of the incident and how the child passed through the security checkpoints and boarded the plane without being detected," airport authorities said in a statement published by the official National News Agency. It added that anyone found to have been "negligent" would be punished, and that security procedures were being strengthened "to prevent the recurrence of such an incident." Local media said the boy was 13 years old, and had managed to sneak through the multiple security points in the airport and board the plane, taking a seat in business class. His nationality and the purpose of his journey were unclear. Passengers flying from Beirut's Rafik Hariri airport generally pass through at least five security points, including one before they enter the airport and a final examination of their documents by security at the departure lounge, before boarding flights. Millions of passengers pass through Rafik Hariri airport each year, and the incident comes after officials acknowledged that security at the facility needs work. In March, Transport and Public Works Minister Ghazi Zaiter told a press conference that there was a $1.4 million shortfall in funds needed to bolster security measures at the airport. The boy's adventure prompted criticism from Walid Jumblatt, a leading political figure and head of the Druze minority, who linked it to the country's ongoing political stalemate. Lebanon has been without a president for more than two years, with its parliament locked in a standoff between two rival political blocs. "All of this is due to the political and administrative chaos" in the country, he wrote on Twitter. DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's government stands fully behind its corporate tax regime, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said on Friday, ahead of an independent review it commissioned into how multinationals pay their tax. The Irish government has decided to appeal a demand by the European Commission that Apple pay Dublin 13 billion euros in back taxes, although independent members of the coalition called for the review. "This government stands fully behind our corporate tax regime. It is absolutely essential that this system and this rate be maintained," Donohoe, a member of the main Irish coalition party, Fine Gael, told a news conference. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) * Parliament set to endorse tax challenge decision * Independents win review of multinationals' taxation * Apple to fight huge Irish back tax bill * Irish PM's party wants to protect corporate tax regime * Obama to raise tax avoidance at G20 summit (Adds ministers' comments) By Padraic Halpin and Conor Humphries DUBLIN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Ireland's cabinet agreed on Friday to join Apple in appealing against a multi-billion-euro back tax demand that the European Commission has imposed on the iPhone maker, despite misgivings among independents who back the fragile coalition. The Commission's ruling this week that the U.S. tech giant must pay up to 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) to Dublin has angered Washington, which accuses the EU of trying to grab tax revenue that should go to the U.S. government. With transatlantic tensions rising, the White House said President Barack Obama would raise the issue of tax avoidance by some multinational corporations at a summit of the G20 leading economies in China this weekend. Paradoxically, Ireland is determined not to accept the tax windfall, which would be equivalent to what it spent last year on funding its struggling health service. Finance Minister Michael Noonan has insisted Dublin would fight any adverse ruling ever since the European Union began investigating Apple's Irish tax affairs in 2014, arguing that it had to protect a tax regime that has attracted large numbers of multinational employers. On Wednesday, he failed to persuade a group of independent lawmakers, whose support is vital for the minority government, to agree to fight the ruling by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager that Apple's low tax arrangements in Ireland constitute illegal state aid. However, he won them over when the cabinet met again on Friday. Noonan said the retroactive nature of the EU ruling was "little short of bizarre and outrageous". "How could any foreign direct investor come into Europe if they thought the valid arrangements they made under law could be overturned a generation later and they be liable to pay back money," he said at a news conference. Story continues Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said Dublin stood behind its corporate tax regime as a means of creating jobs. "This ruling has seismic and entirely negative consequences for job creation in the future," he said. Apple, keen to defend its own interests, has already said it will lodge an appeal. For Fine Gael, the main Irish coalition party, a broader principle is at stake. It wants to take on Brussels to safeguard Ireland's decades-old low corporate tax policy that has drawn in multinationals such as Apple, creating one in 10 jobs in what was once an impoverished country. A FAIR RATE OF TAX The Independent Alliance, a group of five lawmakers, fell in line after the coalition agreed to conduct a review of what tax multinationals pay and what should they pay. Transport Minister Shane Ross, an Alliance member, defended Apple up to a point. "I think they were acting legally. What they were doing was making use of extraordinary loopholes that existed there," he told reporters. "Multinationals provide absolutely vital jobs to the economy ... (but) multinationals should pay a fair rate of tax in Ireland." A failure of the Alliance to come on board would have cast doubt on the government's survival prospects. Dublin has just over two months to lodge an appeal to the EU's General Court. If that fails, Dublin has said it plans to take the case to the European Court of Justice. The issue goes to parliament on Wednesday next week, when lawmakers will be recalled from their summer break. The main opposition party, Fianna Fail, also favours challenging Brussels, so the government should easily win the Dail's backing to fight what is by far the largest anti-competition measure imposed on a company by the EU. Some Irish voters are astounded that the government might turn down the money, and the left-wing Sinn Fein party has led attacks from the opposition. Apple was found to be holding over $181 billion in accumulated profits offshore, more than any U.S. company, in a study published last year by two left-leaning nonprofit groups, a policy critics say is designed to avoid paying U.S taxes. But Apple chief executive Tim Cook has said part of the company's 2014 tax bill would be paid next year when the company repatriates offshore profits to the United States. OBAMA TO TAKE THE LEAD The U.S. government is keen to ensure that it, and not Ireland, gets the revenue. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said leaders of the G20 developed and emerging economies would tackle the wider issue when they meet in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sept. 4-5. "The president will ... lead the discussion at the G20 about combating tax avoidance strategies that are implemented by some multinational corporations," Earnest said. "We need to find a way to make the global system of taxation more fair - more fair to countries around the world, particularly countries like the United States." A number of G20 governments are worried about how multinationals move profits around so they end up getting taxed in a country that has very low corporate rates. Last year the Organisation for Economic Co Operation and Development unveiled new measures to tackle corporate tax avoidance. A number of countries have moved to implement some of them measures, but the United States has not. It needs to change its own tax rules which, for example, allow companies to build up tax-free profits offshore. However, Congress has struggled for years to agree such reforms. ($1 = 0.8937 euros) (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Tom Bergin; writing by David Stamp; editing by Giles Elgood) World-famous graffiti artist Banksy may not be a former public schoolboy after all, but instead could be a team of artists led by a member of the band Massive Attack. Since July 2008, Banksy has been thought to be ex-Bristol Cathedral pupil Robin Gunningham. But according to an investigation by journalist Craig Williams, 31, Banksy could well be a team of artists led by graffiti artist Robert Del Naja, known as 3D, from the band Massive Attack. Williams says he has discovered at least six occasions where work claimed by Banksy popped up shortly before or after Massive Attack gigs in the same cities around the world. 3D - Is Banksy actually a group of people led by Massive Attacks Robert Del Naja? (Pictures: Getty) Speaking after five months of research, Williams said: The search for the real identity of Banksy is a story one that never fails capture the imagination of the media and the millions of fans across the globe of the subversive Bristol street artist, ever since he came to the publics attention back in 1997 with his The Mild Mild West mural. "But what if Banksy isnt the one person everyone thinks he is. MORE: Tourists Are Terrorists: Spanish Locals Hit Back At Influx Of Brits MORE: JK Rowling and Amy Schumer had a lovely little chat on Twitter He added: "A rumour exists from 2010 that his work that went up around North America was his work but were not necessarily painted by him, but rather by a street team that happened to be following the Massive Attack tour,. "And on analysis of his North American work, this makes perfect sense. Coincidence - Williams claims Bansky mural have popped up at the same time as Massive Attacks on several occasions Banksy rose to fame in the late 1990s with his provocative stencil work. Around the same time Massive Attack was releasing Mezzanine with band member Robert Del Naja credited as being the first graffiti artist in Bristol. According to Craigs investigation, Banksy murals have popped up across the world to coincide with Massive Attack performances, including in Los Angeles in 2006 and San Francisco and Toronto in 2010. Story continues Prediction - Williams thinks a new mural could pop up after Massive Attacks gig in Bristol Massive Attack are due to play a homecoming gig in Bristol on Saturday, and Craig has predicted Banksy will make a return too. He added: Perhaps the assertion then that Banksy is just one person is wide of the mark, instead being a group who have, over the years, followed Massive Attack around and painted walls at their leisure. "And perhaps, at the head of such a group we have Del Naja. A multi-disciplined artist in front of one the seminal groups in recent British music history, doubling up as the planets most revered street artist. Now that would be cool. Moscow (AFP) - Lambasted for brutally crushing dissent, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov kept a stranglehold on power for over 25 years -- even at the expense of his own daughter. The veteran leader, 78, who died on Friday several days after suffering a stroke, played Russia, China and the West off against one other to avoid total isolation as he steered his strategic state out of the collapse of the Soviet Union. He was to be buried on Saturday in the ancient city of Samarkand, his hometown, state television said. "Islam Karimov has been the state for over quarter of a century, ruling with an iron fist," Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, told AFP. "The last 25 years have been known largely for repression -- that's his legacy." Karimov's authoritarian rule came under fire over accusations of heinous rights abuses, most prominently over bloodshed in the city of Andijan in 2005, but the most serious threats to his reign came from far closer to home. In a court drama with echoes of Shakespeare, the former Soviet apparatchik -- at the helm since 1989 -- had his eldest daughter put under house arrest in 2014 during a family feud in which she compared him to brutal Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The spectacular fall from grace of Gulnara Karimova -- a pop-singing, corruption-tainted socialite once seen as a possible heir to her father's throne -- appeared to show just how far Karimov was willing to go to keep his iron grip on power. Karimov, long the subject of rumours about his ill health, has now left no obvious successor in a country that has never held an election judged free and fair by international monitors. He won Uzbekistan's first elections after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and last March cruised to his fifth five-year term with over 90 percent of the vote. "Without a strong government there will be chaos in society," Karimov warned ahead of the poll. Story continues - 'Sorcery' - Born on January 30, 1938, Karimov was raised in an orphanage in Samarkand. He studied engineering and rose up the Communist Party ladder to become head of Soviet Uzbekistan in 1989. Like the authoritarian leader of neighbouring Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Karimov led his country through the transition from the former USSR without any major challenge to his rule. Critics, however, say he squandered the potential of his cotton-rich nation of 30 million -- by far the most populous in ex-Soviet Central Asia -- and allowed a corrupt elite to amass huge fortunes. The major challenge for Karimov came when the palace power struggle within his own family emerged in 2013. The house arrest of the once-untouchable Gulnara Karimova, 44, came after a war of words played out in the international media during which she accused her mother and younger sister of sorcery, and assailed the country's security chief on Twitter for harbouring presidential ambitions. Prosecutors have since launched investigations into her and her business associates' alleged connections to a "criminal gang". Formerly a fixture at fashion events in the West, Karimova is also under investigation in Europe over a $300 million (276 million euros) telecoms corruption scandal. - 'Hundreds killed' - After the majority Muslim republic gained independence in 1991, Karimov launched simultaneous battles against Western culture and Islamic fundamentalism, stamping out radical groups at home. Right groups have repeatedly accused his regime of torturing opponents and using forced labour in the lucrative cotton sector. The authorities have consistently denied the reports -- including the notorious claim that two alleged extremists were boiled alive in 2002. The most persistent accusations from rights activists remain that government forces killed hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Andijan on May 13, 2005. The government dismissed the reports of a massacre and said the violence was a response to Islamic extremism. Although there was no independent investigation of the killings, which followed the arrest and subsequent jailbreak of a group of religious businessmen, a report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) estimated the death toll at between 300 and 500 people. Facing Western criticism, Karimov shut down a US military base in the country that had been used to support Washington's campaign in neighbouring Afghanistan, threatening ties he had nurtured since the September 11, 2001 attacks. But over a decade on, Uzbekistan still receives US aid and both Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have jetted in for talks over the past year. As world powers continue to vie for influence, activists wonder how the nation's rights record can ever improve. Moscow (AFP) - Long lambasted for brutally crushing dissent, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov has kept a stranglehold on power for over 25 years -- even at the expense of his own daughter. The veteran leader, 78, in a critical condition after suffering a stroke, has played Russia, the West and China off against one other to avoid total isolation after steering his strategic state out of the collapse of the Soviet Union. "Islam Karimov has been the state for over quarter of a century, ruling with an iron fist," Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, told AFP. "The last 25 years have been known largely for repression -- that's his legacy." His authoritarian rule has come under fire for alleged rights abuses, most prominently over bloodshed in the city of Andijan in 2005, but the most serious threat to his reign appears to have come from far closer to home. In a court drama with echoes of Shakespeare, the former Soviet apparatchik -- at the helm since 1989 -- reportedly had his eldest daughter put under house arrest in 2014 during a family feud in which she compared him to brutal Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The spectacular fall from grace of Gulnara Karimova -- a pop-singing, corruption-tainted socialite once seen as a possible heir to her father's throne -- appeared to show just how far Karimov was willing to go to keep his iron grip on power. Karimov, long the subject of rumours about his ill health, has no obvious successor in a country that has never held an election judged free and fair by international monitors. He won Uzbekistan's first elections after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and last March cruised to his fifth five-year term with over 90 percent of the vote. "Without a strong government there will be chaos in society," Karimov warned ahead of the poll. - 'Sorcery' - Born on January 30, 1938, Karimov was raised in an orphanage in the ancient city of Samarkand. He studied engineering and rose up the Communist Party ladder to become head of Soviet Uzbekistan in 1989. Story continues Like the authoritarian leader of neighbouring Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Karimov led his country through the transition from the former USSR without any major tests to his rule. Critics, however, say he squandered the potential of his cotton-rich nation of 30 million -- the most populous in ex-Soviet Central Asia -- and allowed elite corruption to flourish. The major challenge for Karimov came when the palace power struggle within his own family emerged in 2013. The reported arrest of the once-untouchable Gulnara Karimova, 44, came after a war of words played out in the international media during which she accused her mother and younger sister of sorcery, and assailed the country's security chief on Twitter for harbouring presidential ambitions. She has since been kept under house arrest as prosecutors probe her and business associates over connections to a "criminal gang". Formerly a fixture at Western fashion events, Karimova is also under investigation in Europe over a $300 million (276 million euros) telecoms corruption scandal. - 'Hundreds killed' - After the majority Muslim republic gained independence in 1991, Karimov launched simultaneous battles against Western culture and Islamic fundamentalism, which was viewed as a major threat. Right groups have repeatedly accused his regime of torturing opponents and using forced labour in the lucrative cotton sector. The authorities have consistently denied the allegations -- including the notorious claim that two alleged extremists were boiled alive in 2002. The most persistent accusations from rights activists remain that government forces killed hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Andijan on May 13, 2005. The government dismissed the reports of a massacre and said the violence was a response to Islamic extremism. Although there was no independent investigation of the killings, which followed the arrest and subsequent jailbreak of a group of religious businessmen, an OSCE report estimated the death toll at between 300-500 people. But over a decade on, Uzbekistan still receives aid from the United States and both Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have jetted in for talks over the past year as their countries continue to vie for influence, much to the chagrin of rights activists. Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel is to host a working group of the International Criminal Court as it weighs whether to probe alleged war crimes in the 2014 Gaza war, an Israeli official said Friday. The group's arrival "shortly" will be unprecedented, he told AFP on condition of anonymity, saying the visit was intended to show the ICC team "how the Israeli judicial system works". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman declined to comment. The trip is at the request of ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, whose office, in a brief statement, confirmed Friday it "is in talks with both Palestinian and Israeli authorities about a potential visit". Under its statutes, the ICC must be satisfied that the state in question is unable or unwilling to pursue the matter itself before the court opens war crimes proceedings. Israel will seek to convince the visiting ICC team that it intends to see justice done over accusations it used excessive force in the July-August 2014 war in and around the Palestinian territory and events immediately preceeding it. The official could not say if the group would be given access to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to which Israel controls all passage except across the largely closed Gaza-Egypt border. The 2014 conflict between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other factions killed 2,251 Palestinians, including 551 children, according to UN figures. On the Israeli side, 73 people were killed, mostly soldiers. Israel and the Palestinians have accused each other of war crimes. Israel is alleged to have used force indiscriminately, while Hamas is accused of firing rockets at Israeli civilian population centres and of using Palestinians as human shields. The Palestinians formally asked the ICC last year to investigate the Jewish state, which has not signed up to the ICC, for alleged war crimes. Israel vehemently opposes any ICC investigation, but officials have said they will cooperate with the body to convince it of the competence of the state's own courts. Story continues Meanwhile, Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki met Bensouda in The Hague on Friday for unspecified talks. "#ICC Prosecutor receives MFA of #Palestine: #ICC stands for independent & impartial justice #withoutfearorfavour" said an ICC tweet, which shows a smiling Bensouda and Malki shaking hands. Malki in October last year handed over a new dossier allegedly documenting "Israeli aggression" after a fresh wave of violence gripped Israel and the Palestinians. Jerusalem (AFP) - The launchpad destruction of an advanced Israeli communications satellite may have dealt a blow to the country's aerospace industry, the Israel Space Agency (ISA) said Friday. The unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a test in Florida on Thursday, destroying the Israeli-built and -owned Amos 6 satellite that Facebook planned to use to beam high-speed internet to sub-Saharan Africa. Dramatic footage broadcast by ABC News showed the rocket burst into a ball of flame amid what appeared to be a succession of blasts -- sending its payload tumbling to the ground as a dense plume of black smoke filled the air. ISA chairman Yitzchak Ben Yisrael said the blast's shock waves could reverberate far beyond Cape Canaveral. He said the incident could jeopardise a pending deal for the sale of private Israeli firm and Amos-operator Spacecom to China's Xinwei group, reportedly worth $285 million (255 million euros) and conditional on the satellite successfully entering service. "This is the second blow, ahead of the Chinese deal," he said, recalling the blackout of the Amos 5 satellite, which like Amos 6 was owned and operated by Spacecom. Communication with the Franco-Italian made Amos 5 was lost in November 2015, four years after it was launched from Kazakhstan. "There is a major question about the launch and I very much hope that Spacecom is strong enough to overcome these things and to order a new satellite," Ben Yisrael told Israeli public radio. "If it orders a new satellite, it will take between two and three years to fill the gap." - 'Strategic' business for Israel - Amos 6 manufacturer Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) said the satellite was "the largest and most advanced communications satellite ever built in Israel." "Obviously, we are disappointed about this incident in the launch vehicle and are ready and willing to assist Spacecom in any manner," it said. Story continues "The communications satellite business is strategic for IAI and the State of Israel." The Israel Space Agency, part of the country's science ministry, said that "support for the space industry in Israel will continue with the aim of continuing at the forefront of technology." It said Science Minister Ofir Akunis would convene industry leaders on Sunday for "an emergency debate and situation report." David Zusiman, former project manager for the Amos 3 and 4 satellite projects and involved with the early stages of Amos 6, said the explosion was a setback but not necessarily a disaster. "Amos 6 can be replaced by an identical satellite which it will be possible to order immediately, thanks to the insurance money they will get," he said in an interview on public radio. "The insurance is supposed to cover the cost of a complete satellite, including a new launch." The Amos 6 has an estimated value of between $200 million and $300 million, according to John Logsdon, former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. "The problem is that Amos 6 was supposed to replace Amos 2 which is now quite old and needs replacing," Zusiman said. "There are a number of satellites on the international market which could match Amos 2, they are also old but they could still work for a few more years," he added. "The clients who bought the extra capability of Amos 6 could suffer damage because it sets back their programmes by two to three years. "I don't know if the image of the Israeli space industry will be harmed. "From a rational point of view there was a fault with a small part of the system. The rocket is reliable, it works. The IAI satellite has 100 percent success in space, something very rare." (Adds comment from CalSTRS corporate governance director) By Svea Herbst-Bayliss BOSTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Chris Cernich, who has been instrumental in determining the outcome of some of America's most hotly contested mergers and proxy contests as head of special situations research at Institutional Shareholder Services, said he has left the advisory firm. "I've had the single best job in the financial markets - a front row seat to pivotal moments in M&A and shareholder activism," Cernich told Reuters on Thursday, confirming his departure from ISS. He declined to comment on his future plans. ISS said in an internal email, seen by Reuters, that Cernich has "decided to pursue new opportunities outside of ISS" and that Cristiano Guerra was named the acting head of special situations research. Cernich played a critical role in recommending how mutual funds, pensions and other large investors cast their votes on boardroom battles ranging from computer maker Dell's decision to go private to hedge fund Starboard Value's play to oust all 12 directors at Darden Restaurants. For six years Cernich weighed in on roughly 180 contests, leading him to become an expert in industries ranging from restaurants to railroads to insurers and chemical companies, said hedge fund managers and other investors who worked with him. Anne Sheehan, head of corporate governance at the California State Teachers' Retirement System, known as CalSTRS, called Cernich's departure "a big loss to ISS." "His thoughtful approach to analyzing contested situations has been an invaluable resource to investors, like CalSTRS. He set the standard for thorough, methodical, and unbiased research in the marketplace," Sheehan, whose pension fund oversees $193 billion in assets, said in an email. Cernich has not decided where to go next but he is sure to receive offers from corporations who want him as a director, hedge funds who want his insight into proxy battles and banks who work with companies and hedge funds on contests, fund managers and industry analysts said. Story continues His predecessor in the position at ISS, Christopher Young, moved to Credit Suisse where he is a managing director and heads contested situations for the bank. Cernich's departure comes at a time ISS is likely to be as busy as ever going into the proxy season that unofficially begins in the early fall. ISS, which has some 1,400 clients, including the world's biggest mutual funds and pension funds that oversee some $20 trillion in assets, has come under criticism in recent years for being too powerful in these expensive and high-stakes contests. Analysts say it is nearly impossible to win a shareholder vote without the backing of ISS even though a recommendation from the firm does not always spell victory. Last year, ISS backed Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management, which tried to add directors at DuPont but lost the vote. ISS recommendations can send stock prices up or down. As Cernich dug into the arguments on each side, fund managers, lawyers and analysts said he distinguished himself by keeping an open mind. He observed and commented, but kept a distance from the involved parties, they said. He came to corporate America with a doctorate in literature and an MBA and felt the position at ISS allowed him to keep writing long papers. In May, he published a note titled "Shakespeare in the Boardroom," about family drama at corporations including Viacom. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Alan Crosby and Leslie Adler) Urdax (Spain) (AFP) - Italy's Valerio Conti won the longest stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Friday as the main favourites enjoyed a leisurely ride in the sun. The 213.4km course from Bilbao to Urdax near the French border was dominated by a 12-strong breakaway, with Conti pulling clear in the final 20km to come home alone. Colombia's Nairo Quintana retained the race leader's red jersey ahead of Tour de France winner Chris Froome, who is at 54 seconds. Swiss Danilo Wyss won the sprint for second ahead of Russia's Sergey Lagutin, 55 seconds behind the stage winner. But with tough mountain stages to come, including Saturday's first trip into the Pyrenees, the overall contenders essentially took the day off. Riding at a pedestrian pace, the peloton came over the finishing line almost 34 minutes behind the winner. Saturday's 14th stage is 196km long from Urdax to Aubisque and includes three first category climbs before the final hors category ascent to the finish. It is highly likely to provoke some serious skirmishing amongst the overall contenders, with Quintana looking to gain time on Froome. There is a 37km individual time-trial in a week in which Froome is expected to make significant gains on Quintana. Rome (AFP) - An Italian government campaign urging young couples to "get on with it" to boost the country's flagging birthrate has been pulled after a furious backlash on social media. Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said Friday she had ordered changes to the online campaign after a series of captioned images intended to promote an upcoming Fertility Day were slammed as patronising, sexist and hectoring. The biggest outcry was over an image of a fraught-looking young woman touching her stomach with one hand and holding an egg-timer in the other, with the sand running away. "Beauty has no age. But fertility does," said the caption, widely criticised for implying women delaying pregnancy had only themselves to blame if they ended up childless. Men were not treated any more sensitively. A picture of rotting banana skin was deployed to make the point that: "Male fertility is much more vulnerable than you might think." That was making a similar point to a picture of a man holding a cigarette with the warning: "Don't let your sperm go up in smoke." Another image shows a wading bird on the edge of a nest, imploring surfers to: "Get a move on! Don't wait for the stork." The tweets, released to promote a Fertility Day planned for September 22, quickly went viral -- the initial incredulous reaction being amplified by a swell of support for Lorenzin from pro-family groups. - 'Demographic suicide' - Criticism of the campaign focused on the numerous obstacles to having children in Italy, including high unemployment, low wages, weak maternity rights and inadequate childcare provision. One of the most popular tweets was a cartoon by Virgilio Natola showing a female hand holding up a pregnancy test kit bearing the result: "Go abroad and find yourself a job." Others cited Italy's falling birthrate as a serious problem. "The criticisms of #fertilityday are ridiculous," tweeted Comitato Articolo 26, one of the groups involved in organising recent "Family Days" in opposition to legislation on gay civil unions. Story continues "In the country of demographic suicide, a lot, lot more should be done." Announcing a review of the campaign, Lorenzin said: "We did not intend to offend or provoke anyone. If the message has not gone across as we we would have liked, we will change it." Lorenzin, a practising Catholic, was left looking isolated after Prime Minister Matteo Renzi appeared to criticise the campaign. "As far as I know, none of my friends had their kids after seeing an advert," he said in a radio interview on Thursday. Italy has the lowest birthrate in the European Union and one of the lowest in the world, with only eight babies born for every 1,000 residents in 2015, according to EU figures released in July. A total of 485,000 babies were born in the country last year, a record low and less than half the level of the 1960s. Lorenzin warned earlier this year that the current "catastrophic decline" would reduce the number of newborns to 350,000 within a decade unless action is taken to reverse the trend. She has proposed doubling "baby bonus" child benefits to encourage more couples to start families and existing parents to expand theirs. Italy is telling women to have more babies in this totally sexist ad campaign Italy is telling women to have more babies in this totally sexist ad campaign The decision to have children is huge, and should always, always be up to the mother. But unfortunately, there are often pressures from society to give birth or expand your family, and women are experiencing it especially hard in one country in particular right now. According to Cosmo, due to the declining birth rate in Italy, the government has introduced a new #fertilityday ad campaign. This translates directly to: Beauty has no age. But fertility does. As you might imagine, this sparked tremendous outrage from women all over the internet. The #fertilityday campaign is offensive, sexist and dangerous. I'm ashamed and embarrassed SHINEEWORLDV (@sciainii) September 1, 2016 From what weve seen so far, this campaign is a misguided attempt to create positive change, and the result is totally unacceptable. The #fertilityday campaign is offensive, sexist and dangerous. I'm ashamed and embarrassed SHINEEWORLDV (@sciainii) September 1, 2016 And it gets worse. The country is holding their first actual #FertilityDay on September 22nd, and this bizarre holiday will feature a series of events that encourages families to expand. The website features stories that further encourage procreation, discuss male infertility, and show photos of baby bumps, doctors, and toddler shoes all designed to play on peoples emotions. And oh-so-ironically, they only have succeeded in driving people further away from the cause. One Italian website even published an article entitled, Cheers. Alcohol halves your fertility, accompanied by a photo of clinking cocktail glasses. SICK BURN! And we kinda love it! Wake me up when #fertilityday ends Uzzo (@neodie) August 31, 2016 We hope that these ads are reworked into something that uses some actual tact and intelligence, because Italian women (just like women everywhere) deserve to be treated with respect, as does the incredibly personal matter of having kids. COME ON, ITALY! Were literally smacking our foreheads right now. The post Italy is telling women to have more babies in this totally sexist ad campaign appeared first on HelloGiggles. Italys Health Ministry is taking a tone-deaf approach to encouraging people to procreate. (Photo: Getty) Declining birthrates in Italy have prompted the countrys Health Ministry to take drastic measures, but its solution to the population threat is causing problems of its own. Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin will launch the countrys first Fertility Day on Sept. 22, essentially to encourage couples to have more babies. The campaign is being marketed primarily to women with preachy taglines such as Fertility is a common good. Now the country is coming under fire for spreading a message thats offensive, sexist, and alarmist, according to CBS News. A series of promotional posters bearing the controversial catchphrases have been called fascist propaganda, according to ABC. One such ad shows a young woman holding up an hourglass; the image is accompanied by the message Beauty has no age. Fertility does. Other images read, Hurry up! Dont wait for the stork, Young parents. The best way to be creative, and Prepare a cradle for the future. Quartz points to another tasteless ad, which shows an image of a rotting banana peel. The accompanying message is Male fertility is much more vulnerable than you might think. The misguided missives have provoked some social media users to take mocking jabs at the campaign. Dont be selfish. Let the Italian government know if & when you are ovulating. Apparently, its their problem now #fertilityday Writer.Interrupted (@writerlysundays) September 1, 2016 The only fertile thing I want to have is my mind. #fertilityday Valentina Cantori (@valecantori) August 31, 2016 Mussolini, is that you again?#fertilityday Bree Va Nei Campi (@onabedofroses) August 31, 2016 Italys fertility rate is currently 1.4 children per woman, which is low compared with the U.S. rate of 1.9 and the average rate of 2.45 when all of the worlds countries are taken into account, CBS News reports. In addition to offensive, the campaign is also being called hypocritical. Another promotional tagline, The constitution protects responsible and planned parenthood, seems ironic to many critics. Italy, after all, is one of the countries with the lowest gender equality in the European Union, according to a 2014 report; this assessment is reflected in the countrys dearth of child care services and inflexible work arrangements, says CBS News. Some women on the workforce, according to Quartz, are even made to sign their own resignation letter when theyre hired, which can be used to push them out of their roles if they become pregnant. Working Moms Viral Photo Shows Kids Dont Have to End Your Career Add to that the countrys high unemployment rate at 11.6 percent, its double that of the U.S., and for people under 25 its an alarming 40 percent and the country is not exactly incentivizing young people to start families. Here in Italy a lot of people say, Dont you think we dont procreate because you, the state, dont allow us to do it? That we cant afford to have a child? says Diego Maglioni, a resident of Turin. If you want to build up a campaign in order to inform [people] about fertility, thats OK. But [first] build up circumstances that allow people to make babies. Then it will be their choice. The official website for Fertility Day includes event information and an online fertility game, in which the player can choose to be the sperm or the egg and is challenged to avoid the enemies of fertility, such as alcohol, smoking, junk food, and a sedentary lifestyle. The site also includes a host of educational information about the initiative, including guidance about male infertility as well as when and how to control the reproductive sexual organs of children. Andre Agassi Wants Dudes to Embrace Being Bald Quartz quotes author Roberto Saviano as calling the campaign as an insult to all: Those who are not able to conceive, and to those who would like to, but do not have jobs. In a post on the website Medium called The Fertility Day Fiasco, writer and radio host Giulia Blasi accused the Health Ministry of promoting a campaign that treats all women as little more than walking incubators. And then theres the court of public opinion, which can always be relied upon to call it like it sees it. No nothing. No neonatal care, no day care, no head start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing.#fertilityday RECANATI (@muconasale) August 31, 2016 Fascism called, it wants its policies back. #fertilityday Nerys (@_laNerys) August 31, 2016 There are a million reasons why the birth rate in Italy is so low, yet the government decides to offend people instead. #fertilityday Nerys (@sundaffodils) August 31, 2016 Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. TOKYO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Japan has asked the European Aviation Safety Agency to ensure a problem with Rolls-Royce engines powering Boeing 787 Dreamliners does not repeat to cause flight disruptions or affect safety. Japan's Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism said on Friday it issued the request after ANA Holdings , Japan's biggest carrier, cancelled 18 flights last month to repair corroded turbine blades in the Rolls-Royce engines on some its Dreamliner fleet. Officials at the EASA were not immediately available for comment. Since February, three ANA flights have experienced engine trouble, once on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo, a second time in March on a jet traveling to Vietnam and most recently on a domestic route in August. The biggest operator of the carbon composite jet on Tuesday said it would replace the faulty turbine blades in all 100 engines on its 50 aircraft, an operation that could take as long as three years to complete. Of around 450 Dreamliners in operation worldwide, two fifths use the Rolls-Royce engines. Carriers can choose either the Rolls-Royce engines or General Electric Co's GEnx engines for their Dreamliners. (Reporting by Maki Shiraki in TOKYO and Tim Hepher in PARIS; Writing by Tim Kelly; Editing by Joseph Radford) TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has asked the European Aviation Safety Agency to ensure a problem with Rolls-Royce (RR.L) engines powering Boeing (BA.N) 787 Dreamliners does not repeat to cause flight disruptions or affect safety. Japan's Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism said on Friday it issued the request after ANA Holdings , Japan's biggest carrier, canceled 18 flights last month to repair corroded turbine blades in the Rolls-Royce engines on some its Dreamliner fleet. Officials at the EASA were not immediately available for comment. Since February, three ANA flights have experienced engine trouble, once on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo, a second time in March on a jet traveling to Vietnam and most recently on a domestic route in August. The biggest operator of the carbon composite jet on Tuesday said it would replace the faulty turbine blades in all 100 engines on its 50 aircraft, an operation that could take as long as three years to complete. Of around 450 Dreamliners in operation worldwide, two fifths use the Rolls-Royce engines. Carriers can choose either the Rolls-Royce engines or General Electric Co's (GE.N) GEnx engines for their Dreamliners. (Reporting by Maki Shiraki in TOKYO and Tim Hepher in PARIS; Writing by Tim Kelly; Editing by Joseph Radford) TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will propose a broad cooperation in the energy sector with Russia that could include a nearly $10 billion (7.53 billion pounds) investment in Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. The report comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a two-day business conference beginning Friday in Vladivostok. The two are expected to discuss closer cooperation in such areas as energy and technology, with Japan hoping to strengthen economic ties and create a breakthrough in a decades-long territorial dispute. The Nikkei said the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is considering investing as much as 1 trillion yen ($9.7 billion) to buy 10 percent of Rosneft through the government-backed Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp, or Jogmec. In addition, Japan will consider joint surveys for oil and gas projects in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. It will also seek technical cooperation in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, the site of the 2011 nuclear disaster, the paper said. METI was not immediately available for comment. METI Minister Hiroshige Seko, the newly appointed minister for economic cooperation with Russia, is accompanying Abe on the trip to Vladivostok. (Reporting by Chris Gallagher, additional reporting by Yuka Obayashi, editing by Richard Pullin) TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will propose a broad cooperation in the energy sector with Russia that could include a nearly $10 billion investment in Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. The report comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a two-day business conference beginning Friday in Vladivostok. The two are expected to discuss closer cooperation in such areas as energy and technology, with Japan hoping to strengthen economic ties and create a breakthrough in a decades-long territorial dispute. The Nikkei said the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is considering investing as much as 1 trillion yen ($9.7 billion) to buy 10 percent of Rosneft through the government-backed Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp, or Jogmec. In addition, Japan will consider joint surveys for oil and gas projects in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. It will also seek technical cooperation in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, the site of the 2011 nuclear disaster, the paper said. METI was not immediately available for comment. METI Minister Hiroshige Seko, the newly appointed minister for economic cooperation with Russia, is accompanying Abe on the trip to Vladivostok. ($1 = 103.1600 yen) (Reporting by Chris Gallagher, additional reporting by Yuka Obayashi, editing by Richard Pullin) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday tried to make headway on a lingering territorial dispute as they sought to boost trade, but failed to make a breakthrough. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the leaders had discussed the disputed islands at talks that had focused on boosting trade ties but remained vague on the prospects of solving the conflict. "We are now sensing the readiness of our Japanese partners to discuss issues tied to joint business activities on the islands," Lavrov said, adding that the countries were also mulling humanitarian cooperation. Abe's visit to Russia -- his second this year -- comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip there since 2005. Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News ahead of the talks that Moscow was seeking a "solution where neither party will feel... defeated or a loser." "We are not talking about some kind of exchange or some kind of sale," he said. Putin said signing a peace treaty with Japan was a "key issue" and that Moscow "would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends." Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make progress on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive. - Rapprochement efforts - The two sides, meeting on the sidelines of an economic forum in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, had expressed the hope of easing some of the tensions surrounding the contested islands. "I'm resolved to make progress on the peace treaty and territorial issues by holding candid and thorough talks with President Putin," Abe told reporters before he set off for Vladivostok. Story continues Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscow's trade ties with stalwart US ally Tokyo, but doubt they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute. "Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognise them," Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said. Foreign minister Lavrov said earlier this year that Russia wants its ties with Japan to "move forward" but is not prepared to budge on the "result of World War II". Russia has angered Japan recently by building new modern compounds for its troops stationed on two of the disputed islands. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo last year when he visited the islands, which are home to some 19,000 Russians. - Boosting trade - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the talks that the territorial dispute was "far from the main issue on the agenda". Japan joined the US and EU in slapping sanctions on Russia over its meddling in Ukraine, further hindering its already modest trade with Moscow. Bilateral trade between the countries last year fell by 31 percent to $21.3 billion (19 billion euros), in part due to the punishing economic measures by Japan. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that in spite of the sanctions imposed by Tokyo, the Russian market remains "of great interest" to the Japanese business community. Abe's delegation also took part in talks on a wide-range of economic issues with senior Russian officials, including Lavrov, Energy Minister Alexander Novak, and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov. Business leaders Igor Sechin, the CEO of oil giant Rosneft, and Oleg Deripaska, who heads aluminium producer Rusal, were also part of the Russian delegation. During his visit to Russia's Black Sea city of Sochi in May, Abe proposed an eight-point economic cooperation plan with Russia that focused on energy, agriculture and industrial production. Jared Fogle is suing the parents of one of his female victims. According to documents obtained by Us Weekly, Fogle filed a motion on Thursday, September 1, in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, arguing that his victims parents are to blame for her destructive behaviors. PHOTOS: Stars at Court As previously reported by Us Weekly, Fogle was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison on child pornography charges in November 2015. In March 2016, a female victim identified only as Jane Doe filed a complaint for damages against the former Subway spokesman and his accomplice in the case, Russell Taylor, and Taylor's wife, Angela Taylor. PHOTOS: Celebrity Mugshots According to Jane Does complaint, Taylor installed hidden cameras to secretly film minors changing their clothes and bathing inside his home. The complaint alleges that Taylor distributed some of these sexually explicit images and videos of Jane Doe and other minor children to Jared Fogle. Jane Doe is suing Fogle and Taylor as well as his wife for $150,000 each and claims to suffer from severe emotional distress and personal injuries. In the new motion filed by Fogle on Thursday, he claims that the girls parents are partly to blame and asks that they be added as defendants in the suit. Fogle alleges that the girls parents fought and abused alcohol in front of her, causing her distress. He argues that because of the parents behavior, they may be liable for some of her claims against him. Fogle also blames Jane Does parents divorce. The filing states: "Custody and parenting time (agreements) that required Jane Doe to constantly rotate her living arrangements caused unnecessary stress, anxiety, and trauma for Jane Doe." Celebrity Scandals of 2015 Revisited: From Giuliana Rancic's Zendaya Hair Controversy to the Duggars Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox! Related Content: Rob Lowes Comedy Central roast quickly turned into the skewering of conservative pundit Ann Coulter on Saturday, and according to comedian Jeff Ross, she didnt find any of it funny. She was awful, Ross told Conan OBrien on Thursday. She hated every second of it. She wouldnt laugh. He did mention he noticed her crack a smile at one of his jokes: Ann Coulter wants to help Trump make America great again. You can start by wearing a burka. Also Read: Ann Coulter Gets Burned at Rob Lowe's Comedy Central Roast When I heard she was coming I stopped writing jokes about Rob Lowe, Ross said. On Saturday, at the taping of the Roast Rob Lowe, Coulter found herself an object of ridicule, as every comedian and guest in the lineup laid into her. She seems stiff and conservative, but Ann gets wild in the sheets. Just ask the Klan, joked roast master David Spade. It looks like shes having a good time. I havent seen her laugh this hard since Trayvon Martin got shot. Also Read: Ann Coulter Will Roast Rob Lowe, Because Why Not That voice, its like fingernails on a chalkboard in an inner-city school you wanna defund, Ross joked. Anns against gay marriage. Whats your thinking on that? If I cant get a husband they shouldnt, either? What was the roughest thing you said about her, do you remember? asked OBrien. How do I roast someone from hell? Ross said. Comedy Centrals Roast of Rob Lowe will air on Labor Day. Watch Rosss interview with the late-night host above. Related stories from TheWrap: Watch Jeff Ross Trash Ann Coulter by Channeling Prince (Video) Ann Coulter Hammered by Conservatives for Smearing US War Hero's Dad as 'Angry Muslim' Jennifer Lawrence has returned to her popular role as the face of Dior, with a new campaign for the French fashion house. The Oscar-winning actress was shot by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier in the series of portraits, which see her reclining in a white armchair wearing cozy knitwear and posing with handbags from the brand's Diorever and Diorama collections in metallized leathers and strong colors. Dior and Lawrence have a long-standing working relationship, with the star fronting the brand's AW15 accessories campaign and being named the face of its Dior Addict makeup line in the spring of last year. Shooting deaths in Chicago so far this year have surpassed last years total number, while the month of August proved to be the most violent month in the city in about the last 20 years. As of August 31, shooting deaths in the Windy City have increased to 425. Reverend Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, joined the FOX Business Network to discuss the staggering statistics and possible causes behind the rising amount of shooting deaths. Chicago is a theater for the gun market, Jackson said. Chicago is the Middle West and guns are coming in great numbers, thats why there should be some commitment. People cannot sit on their porches, children cannot go to school, cannot play in the parks. Its beyond the citizens capacity to stop it. Jackson, known for his work as a civil rights activist, explained that government needs to step in to help curb the epidemic. The silence of the [Illinois] governor and even the federal governmentthe federal government has some obligation. When there was a killing in Orlando and Sandy Hook, the entire federal government moved on it. But there is no commitment to rebuild the infrastructure of inner cities. The reverend explained that without focusing on fixing this type of infrastructure spending, Americas struggling cities will continue to suffer. So long as were more committed to investing in the Far East and China and the like, and not investing in our cities, we are paying a price, Jackson said. Republicans ignore it because it seems that they cant get votes there. And Democrats often times throw their hands upWe need help desperatelyPeople need jobs, healthcare, housing and access to capital. Related Articles By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Manoj Kumar NEW DELHI (Reuters) - It's been two years since India emerged as the world's fastest-growing major economy, but the rapid expansion has done little to improve the lot of Ashok Kumar. GRAPHIC: India's job market http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/INDIA-ECONOMY/010021JQ3SH/INDIA-EMPLOYMENT.jpg Parked up and sitting on the kerb, the 25-year-old truck driver is going nowhere fast. He is the sole breadwinner for the 13 people in his extended family and his monthly salary is stuck at $150. With new, better-paid jobs hard to come by, Kumar lacks options. He fears becoming unemployed like his elder brother, who recently returned to their village in Uttar Pradesh after months of searching in vain for work. Data out on Wednesday showed India's economic growth slowed to 7.1 percent in the quarter to June, a 15-month low. That is faster than other major economies, but not fast enough to create enough new jobs to absorb all the one million people who join the workforce every month. A government survey found that job creation fell by more than two-thirds in 2015. Analysts at HDFC Bank estimate that for every percentage point the economy grows, employment now adds just 0.15 of a percentage point - down from 0.39 in 2000. It's a major challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has promised to create 250 million jobs over the next decade. "For one job, there are at least 20 candidates," said Kumar. "If you want the job, you can't afford to bargain." Nearly two-thirds of India's 1.3 billion people are under 35 years old. This rising demographic "bulge" will create the largest working-age population in the world. At the same time China, which has long curbed family size, will age as a society. Whether this so-called demographic dividend will translate into the kind of economic gains seen in Japan and Korea, or lead to upheavals, depends on India's ability to generate jobs. Yet, despite average annual growth of 6.5 percent between 1991 and 2013, India added less than half the jobs needed to absorb new job seekers. Story continues MORE WORKERS, FEWER JOBS Under Modi, India has opened up further to foreign investment, hoping to generate more manufacturing jobs. A loan scheme for small businesses has been set up and there are plans for a $1.5 billion fund for startups. Modi has also launched a programme to train over 4 million people in different skills in six years. Pronab Sen, country director for the International Growth Centre, a British-backed think tank, said such measures were "laudable", but they aimed at boosting supply when more demand was needed. "India has become a demand-starved economy," Sen said. "If there is no demand, there will be no incentive to produce more which, in turn, will mean no new jobs." The level of desperation for work is staggering. In August, nearly half a million people, including post-graduates, applied for 1,778 jobs as sweepers in the city of Kanpur. This was not a one-off. Last year, in Uttar Pradesh, 2.3 million people sought 368 low-level government jobs that required a primary education and ability to ride a bicycle. Competition for such jobs has become fiercer as the public sector's share in formal employment is declining. Two years of drought has caused distress in farming, while the construction business has suffered a prolonged downturn making work scarcer in the two sectors that employ the bulk of India's unskilled workforce. Satellite cities around the capital, like Greater Noida were, until recently, bustling with construction activity. Now, Greater Noida's skyline is dotted with half-built, abandoned, high-rises. Cranes and diggers stand idle. In Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region, housing starts fell 41 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year, according to consultancy Knight Frank. Across India, starts were down 9 percent from a year earlier. Bhuwan Mahato, a contractor who supplies workers to construction projects around Noida, says demand for labour is down by at least 25 percent. "I wish I hadn't joined this business," said Mahato, a 30-year-old migrant from the state of Bihar. "But, truthfully, there are no other opportunities, either." (Writing by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Simon Cameron-Moore) Joe Biden While campaigning for Hillary Clinton in Ohio on Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden was interrupted by a protester who repeatedly shouted at him about friends he said were killed during a combat mission in Syria. "Some of my friends, my American friends, died," the protester said. "Why did you tell the YPG to go back across the border?" the man shouted, referring to a mission to liberate the Syrian city of Manbij. The crowd attempted to shout the man down, but Biden addressed him directly. "Because the deal was to get them into Manbij, and to work, was they go back across the Euphrates so we could have special forces move in that's why," Biden said. As the man continued to lament that his comrades died, Biden said, "So did my son." Biden's son Beau served in the US Army for nearly 15 years. He died in 2015 after a long battle with brain cancer. Watch the exchange between Biden and the protester below: Video: Biden stumping for Clinton in OH when man protests over Iraq War: My friend died! Biden: So did my son. https://t.co/zl5VPFBBUq Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) September 1, 2016 NOW WATCH: Penn Jillette reveals what it was like to work with Donald Trump on 'Celebrity Apprentice' More From Business Insider After fending off a primary challenge this week, Sen. John McCain opened his general-election campaign with a frank suggestion: Hillary Clinton, and not Donald Trump, is likely to become the next President. If Hillary Clinton is elected president, Arizona will need a Senator who will act as a check, not a rubber stamp for the White House, the Republican, who is bidding for his sixth term, says in a campaign video released Wednesday. The video doesnt mention Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump by name. But it makes an appeal to the many voters who are dissatisfied with your choices for President, casting McCainand a Republican Senate majorityas a critical counterweight to Clintons policies. McCain has had a tricky relationship with Trump, who infamously declared that McCain was not a war hero. The Arizona Senator spent some five-and-a-half years in a North Vietnamese prison cell after his Navy plane was shot down in 1967. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who werent captured, Trump said in July 2015. Despite the tension between the two men, McCain endorsed Trump for President in May. McCain continued to support the controversial nominee throughout his own difficult primary, wary of alienating Trump voters. Hes not the first prominent Republican member of Congress to imply that Clinton will emerge victorious in November. In early August, House Speaker Paul Ryan dropped a similar hint. If we fail to protect our majority in Congress, we could be handing President Hillary Clinton a blank check, Ryan said in a fundraising message. Jon Polito, the veteran character actor who had a memorable story arc as an anguished cop on Homicide: Life on the Street and was a familiar presence in Coen brothers films, has died. He was 65. Polito, a specialist in playing no-nonsense types like cops and off-kilter criminals during a too-short career that still included nearly 220 credits listed on IMDb, died Thursday at City of Hope hospital in Duarte, Calif., of cancer, his managers announced. He was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010. An Italian-American actor from Philadelphia, Polito and his distinctive bald pate showed up recently on Modern Family as Jay's (Ed O'Neill) business rival and former best pal Earl Chambers, the owner of Closets Closets Closets Closets. And on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he appeared as Danny DeVito's long-lost brother. On a ninth-season episode of Seinfeld, Polito played Sylvio, the flabbergasted building super who attempts to evict Newman (Wayne Knight) after the postal carrier installs a "reverse peephole" so he can spot anyone in his apartment before he enters. Polito portrayed Baltimore detective Steve Crosetti on the first two seasons of NBC's acclaimed drama Homicide: Life on the Street. His character becomes distraught when his officer friend is shot in the head while catching a suspect and blinded. Crosetti commits suicide, and Polito was publicly bitter about having the cop written out of the show (though he patched things up and returned as the deceased Crosetti for a 2000 telefilm). Aficionados of the Coen brothers' work will recognize Polito for his characters Johnny Caspar, the gangster who offers advice on how to shave, in Miller's Crossing (1990); Lou Breeze, the studio flunky, in Barton Fink (1991); Mr. Bumstead, the restless executive, in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994); Da Fino, the private investigator sniffed out by Jeff Bridges' The Dude in The Big Lebowski (1998); and Creighton Tolliver, the eccentric businessman with the awful toupee, in The Man Who Wasn't There (2001). Story continues Asked in a 2005 interview about being typecast, Polito said: "I don't have a problem - first of all, my theory is there are only gangsters and cops. There are also fathers, but they are really boring unless some tragedy happens to the father. I don't mind typecasting, but I will not do the same thing over again." He also played crime boss Phil Bartoli opposite Dennis Farina on the 1980s Michael Mann NBC drama Crime Story. Born Dec. 29, 1950, Polito studied acting with Irene Baird in the theater department at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He landed a standby role in the original Broadway production of David Mamet's American Buffalo in 1977 and made his onscreen debut as Thomas "Three Finger Brown" Lucchese in the 1981 NBC miniseries The Gangster Chronicles. Polito starred on Broadway with Faye Dunaway in 1982's The Curse of an Aching Heart and played Howard Wagner, who fires Dustin Hoffman's Willy Loman, in the 1985 Tony Award-winning revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, which the cast later reproduced for CBS. His film resume also includes Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Critical Condition (1987), Homeboy (1988), The Freshman (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), The Crow (1994), Stuart Little (1999), The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000), View From the Top (2003), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Gangster Squad (2013) and Big Eyes (2014). He is survived by his husband and partner of many years, Darryl Armbruster. PARIS (Reuters) - Attempts to ban burkini-clad women from the beaches of France's Riviera coast suffered a further setback when a judge in the city of Nice declared the prohibition of the body-hiding swimwear to be illegal there. The verdict delivered on Thursday was the latest of several rulings against bans imposed by local authorities in dozens of southeastern beach resorts in the peak holiday month of August - bans that sparked intense controversy inside and outside France. Nice, where 86 people died in an Islamic State militant attack in July, was one of some 30 towns in the largely right-wing part of the country to ban the burkini on the grounds that it presented a threat to public order. The burkini, which is predominantly worn by Muslim women and covers all of the body bar face, hands and feet, has become a target at a time when identity politics is gaining traction following a string of deadly Islamist attacks in France. The bans have exposed secular France's difficulties grappling with religious tolerance in the wake of the attacks. Nice became a symbol of the burkini-ban controversy when local and foreign media relayed pictures of police ordering a woman lying on the beach to remove some of the clothing that covered most of her body. The United Nations human rights office earlier this week called on French beach resorts to lift their bans on the burkini, calling them a "stupid reaction" that did not improve security but rather fueled religious intolerance. While the controversy may wane with the end of the summer vacation period, the burkini furor highlighted the tensions set to dominate ahead of elections next May. While traditionally Catholic but also home to large Jewish and Muslim communities, France has made the strict separation of church and state a cornerstone of political life for well over a century. (Reporting by Brian Love; Editing by Andrew Callus/Mark Heinrich) Justin Bieber covers Tracy Chapmans Fast Car and KILLS it Justin Bieber covers Tracy Chapmans Fast Car and KILLS it Justin Bieber has been smashing records left and right since coming onto the scene as a tiny baby Canadian years ago. justinbieber1 Although lately the news hes been making hasnt exactly been good, theres no denying that the boys got talent. Recently, Bieber covered Tracy Chapmans iconic song Fast Car for BBC Radio 1 Live, and its really great. Fast Car came out on Chapmans debut album in 1988, pushing her into the spotlight when it became a massive hit. Rolling Stone even ranked it among its top 500 songs of all time. Chapmans performance of Fast Car at Nelson Mandelas 70th Birthday Tribute propelled it to the top 10 charts in the US and the UK. Chapman herself has garnered many awards, including a Billboard Music Award, two Brit Awards, an American Music Award, a Europe Music Award, and an impressive three Grammy Awards. So while Biebers cover of Chapmans iconic song is great hes got a long way to go to catch up with this legendary songstress. Check out Biebers cover of Fast Car below! And if you like the song, you should definitely follow it up with a live performance from Tracy Chapman herself Bieber totally killed it, but we still think he could take some notes. #isittoolatenowtosaysorry? The post Justin Bieber covers Tracy Chapmans Fast Car and KILLS it appeared first on HelloGiggles. For more Entertainment Tonight videos visit Yahoo View. Kate Middleton is no clothing snob. The 34-year-old Duchess of Cambridge visited the Eden Project in Cornwall, England, on Friday, where she looked perfectly put together as always in a blazer and trousers combo. But if youre thinking the mother of twos style is unattainable, think again her printed trousers are actually from the Gap, and are currently on sale for $29.99. Of course, her navy blue Smythe blazer is a bit pricier. The classic piece retails for $595. Getty Images WATCH: Kate Middleton Looks Truly Badass During Her Sailing Excursion Getty Images This isnt the first time the Duchess has sported a surprisingly relatable style. Shes been known to love Zara and Banana Republic, and shes not afraid to recycle some of her favorite pieces and rock them to high-profile events. The Duchess was joined by her husband, Prince William, at the Eden Project, where they were adorably thrilled to meet an animatronic baby dinosaur as part of their Dinosaur Uprising program. Friday marks the second day of their two-day trip to Cornwall and Scilly Isles in England. The Duke and Duchess meet one of the baby dinosaurs from the @edenproject Dinosaur Uprising programme pic.twitter.com/D3REHlkzc0 Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 2, 2016 WATCH: Kate Middleton Wows in a Floral Dress at a Charity Event With Prince William Watch the video below to see the royal couples recent adventures, including the Duchess pouring herself a pint of Healeys famous alcoholic Rattler cider while touring their warehouse and production hall! Related Articles The Royals in Jurassic Park? Kate Middleton and Prince William continued their trip in Cornwall, England on Friday, traveling to the Eden Project. There, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge encountered some very unusual creatures. WATCH: Kate Middleton Pours Herself a Pint, Greets Crowds With Prince William on Official Outing: Pics! "The Duke and Duchess meet one of the baby dinosaurs from the @edenproject 'Dinosaur Uprising' programme," the Kensington Palace account tweeted, sharing a picture of William and Kate interacting with the animatronic baby dino. The Duke and Duchess meet one of the baby dinosaurs from the @edenproject 'Dinosaur Uprising' programme pic.twitter.com/D3REHlkzc0 Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 2, 2016 The Royals seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their visit, also exploring a rainforest biome, which is the world's largest undercover rainforest. Unfortunately, their trip to the Scilly Isles was temporarily postponed, which the Palace's Twitter account addressed early Friday morning. It's the tropics in Cornwall! We're inside the Rainforest Biome - the world's biggest undercover rainforest pic.twitter.com/9rc8UcAG2P Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 2, 2016 WATCH: Kate Middleton and Prince William Promote Children's Mental Health, Speak Out About Fears as Parents: 'We Do Face Worries' "The Duke and Duchess's visit to the Isles of Scilly has been delayed, due to poor weather conditions affecting travel arrangements. They still hope to visit this afternoon if weather conditions improve," the account noted. Story continues The Duke and Duchess have now arrived @edenproject for their slightly amended programme today. pic.twitter.com/50Dmu9lzBp Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 2, 2016 It's been a busy few days for the couple. On Thursday, they visited Truro and toured Healey's Cyder Farms where Middleton was spotted pouring herself a pint of the alcoholic apple cider. For more on their day out, watch the video below: Related Articles ALMATY (Reuters) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev plans to travel to Uzbekistan on Saturday, cutting short his trip to China, a Kazakh government source told Reuters on Friday. The sudden change of plans could indicate that the Kazakh government is preparing for an imminent announcement of Uzbek President Islam Karimov's death. The Uzbek government said on Friday Karimov's health has sharply worsened and described his condition as critical. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Maria Kiselyova) Subcompact hatchbacks and sedans may be a minor part of the U.S. market, but they're hugely important in the rest of the world. So the launch of a new generation of Kia Rio during next month's media days at the Paris Motor Show is worthy of note, even if some U.S. drivers and dealers yawn. The new model, like most updated designs these days, has an incrementally longer (0.4 inches) wheelbase and is 0.6 inches longer and a fraction of an inch wider than the current car DON'T MISS: 2016 Kia Rio - review After releasing a handful of teaser drawings last week, Kia has now released the first photos of what seems likely to be sold in North America as the 2017 or perhaps 2018 Rio. We know that design responsibility was split between the company's studios in Germany and Californiathough the main design center in Namyang, South Korea, likely had a strong influence as well. Kia calls the design of the new fourth-generation Rio "progressive," and notes that it's just a bit lower than the outgoing model. New Kia Rio While the car depicted in the sketches was low, almost squat, and perched on huge wheels, the production design is somewhat closer to the current generation's more conventional and upright form. Kia says the longer front overhang and a lengthened hood convey a "more confident and balanced appearance" than the outgoing model. The interior features a dashboard angled towards the driver, with a large horizontal touchscreen as the interface to a new infotainment system. ALSO SEE: 2013 Kia Rio Will Come With Optional Stop-Start System (May 2012) The cabin itself features gloss black and brushed metallic trim throughout, for a more modern finish. Large trapezoidal vents provide a visual feature, although the rendering's low central row of toggle switches where the dash meets the center console have been modified into more conventional plastic paddles. (Actual toggle switches would be an unusual feature that harkens back to several generations of Mini Cooper.) Story continues New Kia Rio Kia Rio concept New Kia Rio Inline four-cylinder engines will remain the sole options, with a choice of manual gearbox or automatic transmission. Start-stop seems likely to be fitted to European models, but it's unclear if it will come to North America. While a relatively minor player in the U.S. subcompact market, the Kia Rio is actually the Korean brand's best-selling vehicle on a global basis. In the U.S., the company is likely better known for its Optima mid-size sedan and its Sorento and Sportage crossover utility vehicles. CHECK OUT: 2012 Kia Rio Hatch: Five Doors, 40 MPG Starting At $14,350 (Sep 2011) The first Kia Rio landed in the U.S. for the 2001 model year, offered in sedan and wagon forms. The wagon departed for the second generation that launched in 2006, with the new sedan joined by a five-door hatchback. The current generation, launched for 2012, continued with a hatchback, along with a much sleeker fastback sedan version. _______________________________________ Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter. Kino Lorber has acquired all rights to Homeland: Iraq Year Zero, a five-hour, two-part documentary from Iraqi-French filmmaker Abbas Fahdel. In February 2002, about a year before the U.S. invasion, Fahdel traveled home from France to capture everyday life as his country prepared for war. He spent time with family and friends, including his 12-year-old nephew, Haider, as they went about their daily lives, which had come to include planning for shortages of food, water and power. No strangers to war, the Iraqis thought they understood what was coming, and could even manage to be grimly humorous about what they felt would likely be a major and lengthy inconvenience. And then, the war began. When Fahdel resumed filming in 2003, two weeks after the invasion, daily activities had come to a near standstill, the city was overrun with foreign soldiers, and many areas of Baghdad had been closed off to ordinary citizens. Kino Lorber will release the pic on October 6 at Anthology Film Archives in New York and play it in select theatrical and non-theatrical runs in the ensuing months. A VOD and home video release is planned for next year. Here is a trailer: RelatedGravitas Ventures Acquires Worldwide VOD Rights To Richard Branson Doc Dont Look Down Gravitas Ventures has gotten in bed with Friends Effing Friends Effing Friends, a postmodern romantic comedy from writer-director-producer Quincy Rose about sex among friends, missed opportunities, unrequited love and how the grass always appears to be greener on the other side. Jacob (Tyler Dawson), a freelance copy editor from Los Angeles, struggles to find love as he clings to the carefree, selfish ways of his youth. With the help from his best friends, Steve and Laura (Graham Skipper and Jillian Leigh), a couple who are going through their own troubles, Jacob begrudgingly is set up with Sarah (Christina Gooding), a writer in need of an editor, under the guise of work. Jacob and Sarah hit it off immediately, however, when Jacob is invited over for a dinner, he meets Sarahs wild and beautiful roommate, Camille (Vanessa Dubasso), whos about to move out of town. What could go wrong? Gravitas will release the film October 11 on VOD. Here is the trailer: Story continues Related stories Gravitas Ventures Acquires Worldwide VOD Rights To Richard Branson Doc 'Don't Look Down' Fan-Fic Genre Pic 'Slash' Acquired By Gravitas Ventures Ahead Of Comic-Con Panel Geoffrey Rush Drama 'The Daughter' Lands At Kino Lorber EXCLUSIVE: British actress Georgina Campbell (After Hours) has landed the female lead of Lyta Zod in Krypton, Syfys Superman prequel pilot from David S. Goyer and Warner Horizon Television. Based on the DC Comics characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Krypton is set two generations before the destruction of the legendary Man of Steels home planet. It follows Supermans grandfather Seg-El whose House of El was ostracized and shamed as he fights to redeem his familys honor and save his beloved world from chaos. Campbells Lyta Zod is a member of Kryptons military caste and the daughter of a general, Alura Zod. Lyta Zod serves as a cadet and has also been having a clandestine, forbidden romance with Seg-El (not cast yet). This marks the U.S. TV debut for Campbell, who won the BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actress in 2015 for Murdered by My Boyfriend. She soon will be seen in the upcoming third season of Broadchurch as well as the feature King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, directed by Guy Ritchie. Campbell is repped by Independent Talent. Image (2) syfylogo1__140402211700-275x148.jpg for post 708663 David S. Goyer and showrunner Damian Kindler executive produce Krypton for WBTV and Goyers Phantom Four. Colm McCarthy serves as co-executive producer and will direct the pilot from a story and teleplay by Goyer & Ian Goldberg. The pilot will be filmed in Serbia. Related stories 'Killjoys' & 'Dark Matter' Renewed For Third Season By Syfy Syfy's 'Channel Zero': Second Installment Sets Amy Forsyth As Star, Gets Title 'Brave New World' To Be Adapted By Grant Morrison & Brian Taylor For Syfy Larry Wilmore, Stephen Colberts former The Daily Show colleague and the guy who took over Colberts Comedy Central timeslot when Colbert bowed out to move to CBS, paid The Late Show host a visit tonight. Actually, he attempted to take over the show, starting the opening monologue asking the studio audience if theyd seen Donald Trumps incendiary immigration speech the previous night. I havent seen that many angry white people since they canceled a Coldplay concert. Colbert came out to claim he his rightful position as host. I thought whoever leaves Comedy Central at 11:30 gets Late Show, responded Wilmore, now a late-night host without a show. In Mid August, Comedy Central announced it had canceled The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore after about a year and a half on air, owing to ratings. The late-night show was created and executive produced by Jon Stewart and hosted by Wilmore. The timing, less than two months before the presidential election, surprised many, including Wilmore, who said in a statement he was saddened and surprised, adding, I guess I hadnt counted on The Unblackening happening to my time slot as well. On his show, hours after the network announced the news, Wilmore added that, on the plus side, I must say this show going off the air has to only mean one thing, racism is solved. We did it! [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLj61l6h80U&w=620&h=340] Related stories Larry Wilmore, Stephen Colbert Still Recovering From White House Correspondents' Dinner Scorching Stephen Colbert On Donald Trump's Immigration Flip-Flop: "Electile Dysfunction" Clinton Aide Huma Abedin Announces Separation From Anthony Weiner In Advance Of Showtime's 'Weiner' Premiere By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - Used incorrectly, laser pointers can damage the retina of the eye and may cause some irreversible vision loss, according to researchers who treated four boys for these injuries. Doctors, teachers and parents should be aware that this can happen, and limit childrens use of laser pointers, the authors write. This was initially thought of as a never event, that never happened, said senior author Dr. David R. P. Almeida of VitreoRetinal Surgery, PA, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But we have four cases so it does happen sometimes, though its still unusual. The authors report on two 12-year-olds, one nine-year-old and one 16-year-old who came to a medical center with central vision loss and blind spots within hours to days after looking into or playing with a green or red laser pointer. In one case, the boy looked at the reflection of a laser pointer in a mirror. Two others simply pointed the lasers at themselves, and the fourth was engaged in a laser war with a friend. The researchers report in Pediatrics that three of the boys had potentially irreversible, although relatively mild, vision loss. One boys vision continued to worsen two weeks after the injury and eventually decreased to 20/40 best corrected visual acuity in both eyes, which is at or close to the limit for obtaining a drivers license in most U.S. states. Long-term outcomes for these patients will be pretty mild vision loss, Almeida said. Males may horse around with things more, or we just happened to have boys in our series, Almeida told Reuters Health by phone. Injuries could be just as likely for girls. He advises parents to be careful about where they buy laser pointers, as some retailers may not list the power rating or may list it incorrectly, and to limit use for kids under 14. Most consumer laser pointers fall under class II or class IIIA level of safety according to the American National Standard Institute, with a power output of five milliwatts or less. But class 3B or class 4 level lasers may emit up to 500 milliwatts or more and these lasers may cause immediate eye hazard when viewed directly, Almeida and his coauthors write. Retinal tissue in the back of the eye leads to the brain, and it has no ability to regenerate after tissue loss, Almeida said. One patient developed bleeding and needed an injection in the eye, which can be particularly unpleasant for children, he said. Kids may use laser pointers as long as they avoid improper use, Almeida said. Unsupervised use of these laser pointer devices among children should be discouraged, and there is a need for legislation to limit these devices in the pediatric population, he and his coauthors write. Women who continue to experience pain from childbirth one month after having a baby may be more likely to develop postpartum depression, a new study suggests. Specifically, researchers found that women in Singapore who had pain that lasted longer than four weeks after they gave birth had higher scores on tests that measured the women's risk for postpartum depression. This was compared with both new mothers who had no pain following delivery and with women whose pain resolved by four weeks. The findings suggest that persistent childbirth pain in women is linked with a greater risk for postpartum depression, said Dr. Ban Leong Sng, the senior author of the study and the deputy head of the department of women's anesthesia at KK Women's and Children's Hospital in Singapore. [11 Big Fat Pregnancy Myths] The exact mechanisms to explain the link between persistent childbirth pain and postpartum depression are still being investigated, Sng said. However, possible explanations could include genetics, hormonal influences, and an association between psychological vulnerability to both depression and pain, he suggested. The researchers presented their findings this week at the World Congress of Anesthesiologists in Hong Kong, but the results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. In the study, the researchers collected data from 200 healthy women in Singapore who were giving birth for the first time. All of the women received an epidural for pain relief during labor and delivery. During their pregnancies, the women completed tests to rate their perceived level of stress and sensitivity to pain. Six to eight weeks after giving birth, each woman was interviewed by phone to evaluate her level of anxiety, determine whether she was experiencing persistent childbirth-related pain and assess her risk of postpartum depression. The researchers found that 5.8 percent of the women in the study reported having symptoms four weeks after giving birth that suggested they were at risk for postnatal depression. This rate is lower than researchers expected, said Dr. Helen Chen, a co-author of the study and a senior consultant in the department of psychological medicine at KK Women's and Children's Hospital in Singapore. Story continues This lower rate of postpartum depression may have resulted because the sample consisted of healthy women who had received epidural pain relief, rather than women in the general population, Chen told Live Science. Those other women may or may not be as healthy and might not have received similar or any form of pain control during childbirth, Chen said. Worldwide, the prevalence rate of postpartum depression is generally between 10 and 15 percent, according to the study. [Blossoming Body: 8 Odd Changes That Happen During Pregnancy] But the research findings support the need to address pain comprehensively to lessen a woman's risk of developing postpartum depression, Sng told Live Science. To do this, anesthesiologists can better address childbirth pain through their evaluations and treatment of the condition during and after labor and delivery, he said. To ensure their physical and emotional well-being, women should receive both a pain evaluation and a screening for postpartum depression after they deliver, Sng said. Getting a good start The link between postpartum depression and pain during delivery and after childbirth is an incredibly neglected area of research, said Dr. Katherine Wisner, a perinatal psychiatrist who directs the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disordersat the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The newest and most intriguing piece of data provided by this study concerned the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score, a screening tool used worldwide to measure a woman's risk for postpartum depression, said Wisner, who was not involved in the study. This scale was found to be closely related to the duration of a woman's childbirth pain, Wisner said. Moreover, the researchers showed that the longer a woman's pain went on after childbirth, the greater was her risk of having a higher score on this screening exam for postpartum depression, Wisner told Live Science. Women who reported never having any childbirth pain after delivery scored, on average, 4 points lower on the depression screening than women whose pain lasted more than 4 weeks, she said. Meanwhile, women whose pain resolved within four weeks scored, on average, 2 points lower on the postpartum depression screening than women who had childbirth pain lasting more than 4 weeks, Wisner said. A lower score means a lower risk for postpartum depression. The study shows that it's very important to get women off to a good start after they give birth, Wisner said. This good start helps a woman gain more confidence and develop her sense as a mother, Wisner explained. If a woman is impacted by a cascade of negative things right after giving birth uncontrolled pain following a C-section, pain during breast-feeding, or pelvic pain, for example she does not get off to a good start, Wisner said. Women can be assertive with their health care providers about the pain they may be feeling postpartum, she said. Thinking that it's normal to have pain that lasts can be detrimental, Wisner added . Pain after childbirth should be a variable that women's health care providers watch carefully, Wisner said. Most women do well with standardized pain management after giving birth, so speaking up about feeling uncomfortable can help get pain under control early so it might not linger, she said. More attention needs to be paid to the control of childbirth pain, because it is one of the modifiable factors that can reduce the risk for postpartum depression, Wisner said. And more long-term studies of persistent childbirth pain are needed to see if some of these women go on to develop chronic pain, she 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. (Adds details from decision, comments, background, byline) By Jonathan Stempel Sept 2 (Reuters) - Hundreds of banana farmers from Central America and South America will again have their day in court, after a U.S. appeals court on Friday revived six lawsuits accusing several big fruit and chemical companies of sickening them with a toxic pesticide. By an 11-0 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia revived claims by 228 farmers from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama against such companies as Chiquita Brands International, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Dole Food, Dow Chemical, Occidental Chemical and Shell Oil . The court said a Delaware judge abused his discretion by dismissing the lawsuits instead of putting them on hold or transferring them, after another judge in Louisiana had rejected the same claims because they were brought there too late. Circuit Judge Julio Fuentes called it "untenable" to throw out litigation that began in 1993, without any U.S. court reviewing the merits of the farmers' claims. The farmers are seeking damages from the defendants for exposure from the 1960s to 1980s to dibromochloropropane (DBCP), a pesticide they blame for causing sterility, kidney failure, elevated cancer risk, birth defects and other medical problems. Most uses of DBCP were banned in the United States in 1977. The farmers sued on their own after a U.S. court rejected their bid to pursue a class action. "I'm extremely gratified that a court of this stature has finally seen the truth," and that the farmers will "have their day in court, which is what they have asked for two decades," their lawyer Scott Hendler said in a phone interview. Other banana workers with similar claims have won multi-million dollar settlements. One case against Dole reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003. Lawyers for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Friday's decision reversed an August 2015 ruling by a three-judge 3rd Circuit panel, which had upheld dismissals of the six lawsuits by U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews in Delaware. Story continues Fuentes said he found merit to defense arguments that the farmers tried to "game the system" by shopping for a friendlier court after being shut out in Louisiana. But he said dismissal would be unfair, given that the farmers were indifferent as to which court heard their claims, so long as they were heard. Most of the lawsuits were returned to Delaware for further proceedings. Claims against Chiquita will move to New Jersey, where that company is incorporated. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler and Richard Chang) Miami (AFP) - An unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launch pad during a test in Florida, destroying a satellite that Facebook planned to use to beam high-speed internet to Africa. The blast at Cape Canaveral -- though it caused no injuries -- marks a setback for the California-based private space firm and its founder, internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, who wants to revolutionize the launch industry by making rocket components reusable. "Loss of Falcon vehicle today during propellant fill operation," Musk tweeted. "Originated around upper stage oxygen tank. Cause still unknown. More soon." Dramatic footage broadcast by ABC News showed the rocket burst into a roaring ball of flame amid what appeared to be a succession of blasts -- sending its payload tumbling to the ground as a dense plume of black smoke filled the air. "At approximately 9:07 am ET (1307 GMT), during a standard pre-launch static fire test for the Amos-6 mission, there was an anomaly at SpaceX's Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 resulting in loss of the vehicle," the firm said. "Per standard operating procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries." But the explosion destroyed the Israeli communications satellite that the Falcon 9 was due to deliver into orbit on Saturday -- drawing a dismayed reaction from Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg. "As I'm here in Africa, I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page. Facebook was contracted to use the Amos-6 to provide broadband internet coverage for large parts of sub-Saharan Africa and other remote parts of the world as part of the social media giant's Internet.org initiative. "Fortunately, we have developed other technologies like Aquila that will connect people as well," Zuckerberg said, referring to the solar-powered plane being developed by Facebook to make the internet available in remote areas. Story continues "We will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided." European satellite operator Eutelsat -- Facebook's partner in the project -- said in a statement it was committed to expanding broadband access in Africa despite the loss of the Amos-6. - Heaviest payload - A NASA spokeswoman told AFP that emergency services at the nearby Kennedy Space Center were monitoring the situation and conducting air quality tests to ensure there is no threat to the health of staff. Officials at the center advised workers to remain inside until further notice, but Brevard County Emergency Management said there was no threat to the public from the incident. The Amos-6 was the heaviest payload to date for a SpaceX rocket, with an estimated value of between $200-300 million, according to John Logsdon, former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. The accident -- the second of its kind since SpaceX was founded in 2002 -- comes just over a year after a Falcon 9 rocket failed after liftoff on June 28, 2015, destroying a Dragon cargo capsule bound for the International Space Station (ISS). Before that, SpaceX had logged 18 successful launches of the Falcon 9 -- including six of 12 planned supply missions to the ISS carried out as part of a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. It had carried out another eight successful launches since June 2015, including last month when a Falcon 9 successfully placed a Japanese communications satellite in orbit, and then landed intact on a floating drone ship. Before then the firm lost several rockets as it attempted to land them upright on an ocean platform at the end of a flight -- a crucial part of its strategy for reusable spacecraft. - 'Valuable experience' - While the blast is likely to disrupt SpaceX plans for six more launches between now and January 2017, experts made clear that such incidents are a normal part of the space learning curve. "It's clearly a setback, but how great the setback is and how long the delay, it's impossible to know until there is more information available," said Logsdon. He noted that the launch pad damaged on Thursday was distinct from the one that will serve to launch SpaceX's Crew Dragon, intended to ferry astronauts to the ISS starting in late 2017. NASA said in a tweet that Thursday's SpaceX explosion "reminds us that spaceflight is challenging. Our partners learn from each success & setback." Loizos Heracleous, a professor of strategy at Warwick Business School, said such setbacks were par for the course -- and would not affect SpaceX's stated long-term goals of slashing the cost of space flight through the use of reusable rockets, and eventually colonizing Mars. "SpaceX is gathering valuable experience, and each accident brings lessons on how to enhance the integrity of the craft for future missions," he said. "Given that SpaceX is working to provide NASA with a way to transport not just cargo, but also astronauts to the International Space Station, it is especially crucial that such learning takes place before that happens." Mylan could be facing another issue when it comes to the EpiPen, a drug used to treat severe allergic reactions that has seen a price increase of more than 500% since 2007. The company's stock was down by more than 4% Friday shortly after Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey said they sent a letter asking about a possible misclassification of the EpiPen under the Medicaid program. Mylan's stock has fallen by 17% since the debate around the EpiPen's price began to heat up on August 22. The letter, sent to Sylvia Burwell, the secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services, asked for more information about whether the EpiPen had been classified as a generic drug (specifically something called a "Non-Innovator Multiple Source Drug") instead of a branded drug, which may have led Mylan to underpay Medicaid. Mylan said in a statement emailed to Business Insider that the classification issue stemmed from a new rule that was introduced this year. "The rule establishes a new process for pharmaceutical companies to follow if they have products, like EpiPen, approved under a what the FDA calls a 'new drug application' that they believe should continue to be treated as a non-innovator drug," Mylan said in the statement. "The new process requires the submission of an application for non-innovator status to be submitted to CMS on or before April 1, 2017. Pursuant to the new rule, Mylan intends to file an application for non-innovator status regarding EpiPen on or before April 1, 2017." Wyden epipen Late on Thursday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also called out the classification. "I am deeply troubled by Mylan's misclassification of the EpiPen as a generic drug," Klobuchar said in a statement. "The Minnesota Department of Human Services has estimated that this misclassification will cost our state more than $4 million in overpayment this year alone. That's just one state, over the course of one year, for one drug." Story continues Wyden also tweeted his concerns: #EpiPen price increase is absurd. Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) September 2, 2016 .@FrankPallone & I are demanding answers from @HHSgov about what Mylan may owe Medicaid for #EpiPen https://t.co/YFto14SYge Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) September 2, 2016 In the face of outrage over the price of the EpiPen, Mylan said on Monday that it would make an "authorized generic" version of the EpiPen that would cost $300 for a two-pack, half the cost of the branded drug. It will continue to produce the branded version with a list price of $600 for a two-pack. To fend off public outrage over the EpiPen's cost which has risen by 500% since Mylan acquired the drug in 2007 the company had also previously raised its copay-coupon system to cover $300 of people's out-of-pocket cost. But that discount did little to get it out of the woods. Mylan has said it plans to launch the generic product in "several weeks," depending on when it can whip up the new labels. Here's Mylan's full statement: "Mylan has complied with all laws and regulations regarding the Medicaid rebate classification of EpiPen Auto-Injector. EpiPen meets the definition of 'non-innovator' drug in the Medicaid rebate law. EpiPen has been classified as a non-innovator since long before Mylan acquired the product. Mylan's classification of EpiPen as a non-innovator drug is consistent with longstanding written guidance from the federal government. Just this year, the government adopted a new rule intended to clarify ambiguities in the Medicaid rebate law. The rule establishes a new process for pharmaceutical companies to follow if they have products, like EpiPen, approved under a what the FDA calls a 'new drug application' that they believe should continue to be treated as a non-innovator drug. The new process requires the submission of an application for non-innovator status to be submitted to CMS on or before April 1, 2017. Pursuant to the new rule, Mylan intends to file an application for non-innovator status regarding EpiPen on or before April 1, 2017. It would be premature to comment further on this issue until CMS makes its decision on our application." NOW WATCH: KRUGMAN: Free markets won't solve the problem driving EpiPen prices higher More From Business Insider PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed and 52 wounded when two bomb blasts were detonated outside a district court in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a rescue official said. "So far we recovered 12 bodies of the lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the blasts took place, told Reuters. (Reporting by Jibran Ahmad: writing by Drazen Jorgic) BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon indicted two Syrian intelligence officers on Friday in connection with twin bombings at mosques in Tripoli in 2013, state media said, the deadliest attack in the city since the end of Lebanon's civil war in 1990. The two blasts, at the Sunni Muslim Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in the northern Lebanese city, happened within minutes of each other in August 2013 and killed more than 40 people and injured hundreds. A Lebanese military court accused Syrian intelligence officers Muhammad Ali Ali, of the "Palestine Branch", and Nasser Jubaan, of the "Political Security Directorate," of planning and overseeing the attacks, Lebanon's National News Agency said. The court ruling announcing the indictment said investigators were still trying to uncover the names of the officials responsible for giving the two officers their orders. According to NNA, the ruling said "the order was issued from a high-level security body within the Syrian intelligence service". Shortly after the bombings, five men were charged, including a Sunni Muslim cleric close to the Syrian government. Syria, which had a military presence in Lebanon for 29 years before pulling out in 2005, is now in the sixth year of its own civil war. Sectarian strife has spilled over from Syria and exacerbated similar tensions in Lebanon. For the first three years of Syria's conflict, Tripoli, about 30 km from the Syrian border, saw frequent clashes between Sunni Muslim insurgents and groups supportive of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect. But the clashes, which left hundreds dead and wounded, ceased in 2014 after a deal was reached that allowed a prominent Alawite leader to flee to Syria. Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, a Sunni politician vocally critical of the Syrian government and its ally Iran, said on Friday: "The era of Syrian tutelage is gone and will not return, and threats from the Syrian regime will not scare us." In response to the court's findings, Rifi said he would ask the Lebanese government to expel Syria's ambassador to Lebanon and to cut diplomatic relations with Damascus. The Syrian government could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Laila Bassam; editing by Mark Heinrich) NBC News anchor Lester Holt will moderate the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, set for Sept. 26. CNNs Anderson Cooper, ABC News Martha Raddatz and Fox News Chris Wallace are set to moderate the second and third face-offs between the Democratic and Republican candidates. CBS News correspondent and CBSN anchor Elaine Quijano will preside over the vice presidential debate on Oct. 4. The Commission on Presidential Debates, the non-partisan org that organizes the events, said that Steve Scully, senior executive producer, White House and political editor for C-SPAN Networks, will serve as back-up moderator for all four debates. NBC Nightly News anchor Holt will be at the helm of the first Clinton-Trump meeting, a debate that is expected to draw unusually high ratings because of the unconventional nature of the 2016 campaign to date. The candidates will meet on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Democratic VP pick Tim Kaine, senator from Virginia, and Republican VP contender Mike Pence, governor of Indiana, will meet at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. The selection of Quijano marks the first time an anchor from a digital news network has been tapped for one of the commissions debate assignments. Clinton and Trump will gather again Oct. 9 at Washington University in St. Louis for a debate held in a town-meeting format at Washington University. Cooper and Raddatz, chief global affairs correspondent and co-anchor of This Week, will moderate that session. The final presidential debate will be held Oct. 19 at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, with Fox News Sunday anchor Wallace moderating. Wallace marks the first Fox News journalist to be tapped for a national general-election debate in the 20-year history of the cabler. These journalists bring extensive experience to the job of moderating, and understand the importance of using expanded time periods effectively, said Frank Fahrenkopf and Michael McCurry, co-chairs of the Commission on Presidential Debates. The formats chosen for this years debates are designed to build on the formats introduced in 2012, which focused big blocks of time on major domestic and foreign topics. We are grateful for their willingness to moderate, and confident that the public will learn more about the candidates and the issues as a result. Story continues (Pictured: Lester Holt, Anderson Cooper) Related stories Why the Trump Factor Makes Picking a Debate Moderator a Delicate Job 'NBC Nightly News' in Rio Means Olympic Feat for Lester Holt Anderson Cooper on Interviewing Donald Trump, Covering Orlando and CNN's Big Year Instagram is the perfect place tog too if youre feeling a little alienated from your favourite celebrities. It looks like the celebrities took over Instagram this week with a vow to give their fans a taste of their personal lives wth a plethora selfies. We meandered through the maze to get you to best of the lot. Have a look. The Sunday Selfie: Alia Bhatt posted a really cute Sunday selfie to Instagram this week, peeking out from under the curtains as she stares on into the early morning sun. The added Prisma only enhances her curious beauty. A photo posted by Alia (@aliaabhatt) on Jul 17, 2016 at 12:33am PDT The Best Friend Selfie: They say no one knows you like your best friends. And with hectic schedules, it becomes hard to keep in touch with those who know you best. Shraddha Kapoors glowing smile in this group selfie show exactly how elated she is to be reunited with her #FishGang. A photo posted by Shraddha ~ (@shraddhakapoor) on Jul 14, 2016 at 4:29am PDT The Lazy Morning Selfie: With the sun in his eyes contrasting with the dark hue of his t-shirt, Shahid Kapoor dazzles us with a gorgeous morning drive selfie that melts our heart while piercing us with with a steely gaze. A photo posted by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jul 13, 2016 at 11:33pm PDT The Prisma Selfie: Doesnt this remind you of an animated version of the lead of Prince of Persia? Varun Dhawan makes every gamer girls dream come true with a gorgeous topless selfie in his bed with a Prisma filter to it. A photo posted by Varun Dhawan (@varundvn) on Jul 15, 2016 at 11:36am PDT The Snapchat Selfie: Ritiesh Deshmukh welcomes Halloween a little too early this year with a scarily terrific snapchat selfie promoting his new release, Great Grand Masti. Make way for some naughty horror comedy. By Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Affectionately called the "saint of the gutters" during her lifetime, Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be made an official saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, just 19 years after her death. A Nobel peace prize winner, Mother Teresa was one of the most influential women in the Church's 2,000-year history, acclaimed for her work amongst the world's poorest of the poor in the slums of the Indian city now called Kolkata. Hundreds of thousands of faithful are expected to attend the canonization service for the tiny nun, which will be led by Pope Francis in front of St. Peter's basilica. Although criticized both during her life and following her death, Mother Teresa is revered by Catholics as a model of compassion who brought relief to the sick and dying, opening branches of her Missionaries of Charity (MoC) order around the world. "Even in popular culture she's identified with goodness, kindness, charity," said Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the MoC priest who campaigned for her sainthood. In novels or movies often characters say, "'Oh, who do you think I am? Mother Teresa?'" he told Reuters. Her critics view her differently, arguing she did little to alleviate the pain of the terminally ill and nothing to stamp out the root causes of poverty. In 1991, the British medical journal the Lancet visited a home she ran in Kolkata for the dying and said untrained carers failed to recognize when some patients could have been cured. Kolodiejchuk said her detractors missed the point of her mission, arguing that she had created a place to comfort people in their final days rather than establish hospitals. "We don't have to prove that saints were perfect, because no one is perfect," he said. CHRISTIANITY 'NOT THE ONLY WAY' In her adopted India, a primarily Hindu nation, Mother Teresa has been accused of looking to convert the destitute to Christianity - something her mission has repeatedly denied. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the umbrella right-wing Hindu organization that helped create India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also accuses Mother Teresa of revelling in the misery of others. "As a resident of Kolkata, I feel insulted to see its poverty being glorified by the MoC. As a Hindu nationalist I also feel that Christianity is not the only way of salvation," said Jishnu Bose, the RSS spokesman in the city. But Mother Teresa still has legions of supporters in India, including BJP Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "All her life she worked to serve poorer sections of Indian society. When such a person is conferred with sainthood, it is natural for Indians to feel proud," Modi said on Sunday in a radio broadcast. Mother Teresa was born Agnese Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Macedonia. She became a nun at 16 and moved to India in 1929, creating her mission in 1950. The Roman Catholic Church has more than 10,000 saints, many of whom had to wait centuries before their elevation. But Mother Teresa, one of the most recognizable faces of the 20th century, was put on the fast track to sainthood after dying of a heart attack on Sept. 5, 1997. The late Pope John Paul II bent Vatican rules to allow the procedure to establish her case for sainthood to be launched two years after her death instead of the usual five, and she was beatified in 2003. The Church defines saints as those believed to have been holy enough during their lives to now be in Heaven and able to intercede with God to perform miracles. She has been credited with two miracles, both involving the healing of sick people. The latest involved a Brazilian, Marcilio Andrino, who unexpectedly recovered from a severe brain infection in 2008. He and his wife Fernanda will attend the canonization, which is considered the highlight of Pope Francis's Holy Year of Mercy. (Additional reporting by Philip Pullella in Rome and Subrata Nagchoudhury in Kolkata; editing by John Stonestreet) Lionsgate and Starz aren't waiting for their $4.4 billion merger deal to close before unveiling an integration plan, according to disclosures in regulatory filings made Friday related to the transaction. The two companies in virtually identical Sept. 1 employee memos, published in the Friday filings, said Deloitte Consulting has been hired to assist with integration planning. And Lionsgate and Starz have agreed on the leadership and structure of an integration planning team to make recommendations on possible synergies and cost savings. Lionsgate and Starz in a previous SEC filing indicated that operating cost synergies from the proposed merger should reach $50 million and annual cash tax savings will exceed $150 million through fiscal year 2021. The annual cost savings are expected to come from eliminating jobs and the advantages of scale in production, manufacturing and marketing costs. There's no word on merger-related job losses in the employee bulletins following the transaction, which is expected to close before the end of 2016. "During this initial planning phase, the integration team members will develop function-specific plans and recommendations for integrating and aligning policies, procedures and technologies," employees were told. The combined Lionsgate and Starz entity will operate or be invested in 30 channel platforms around the world, including the flagship Starz platform that reaches 24 million U.S. subscribers, the Starz Encore network with over 32 million subscribers and five OTT services. Lionsgate earlier said that CEO Jon Feltheimer will become CEO of the combined entity, while Michael Burns will remain vice chairman. Chris Albrecht, whose current contract as head of Starz runs through 2020, will remain president and CEO of Starz, running the premium cable network as he joins Lionsgate's executive committee with expanded duties. Starz and Lionsgate will remain separate companies until the transaction is completed, with the merged company headquartered in Santa Monica, according to the SEC filings. Starz employees were told the company will have a "continued presence" in Denver, New York and London, as well as other offices. Read more: SEC Filing Reveals John Malone Backed Lionsgate Against Rival Bids for Starz Defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.s LMT Mission Systems and Training division recently won a modification contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for development of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (ABMD) 5.1 system and adaption of Aegis Ashore. The latest modification has raised the total cost of the Aegis project from $2.24 billion to $2.44 billion. The contract is valued at $204.3 million and was awarded by the Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, VA. Work will be carried out in Moorestown, NJ. Work is scheduled to be complete by Sep 30, 2018 and on completion, it will deploy a certified ABMD 5.1 baseline. The contract will utilize fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation funds. LOCKHEED MARTIN Price LOCKHEED MARTIN Price | LOCKHEED MARTIN Quote About Aegis Lockheed Martins ABMD is the naval component of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). It is the worlds only maritime BMDS that can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines and surface ships, while protecting the fleet against aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Over time, Aegis has evolved new capabilities to counter emerging threats and leverage new technologies. Its latest configuration, called Baseline 9, offers an open architecture framework to allow endless flexibility. ABMD 5.1 and Aegis Ashore The ABMD system is available in many versions and the Baseline 5.1 version is scheduled to begin deployment in 2018. ABMD 5.1 will incorporate the SM-3 Block IIA a new high-speed missile co-developed by the U.S. and Japan into its combat system. This version also boasts improved data links to permit engage-on-remote operation and will be able to engage longer-range missiles. On the other hand, Aegis Ashore is the first operational land-based version of the Aegis Combat System, which aims at offering affordable solutions to expand the protection of the Aegis Combat System to inland areas. The first Aegis Ashore site has already been installed in Deveselu, Romania and is expected to become operational by the end of this year. The second Aegis Ashore site, which will initially be deployed with Aegis 5.1, is set to go online in Poland in 2018. Story continues Our View Headquartered in Washington, DC, Lockheed Martins Mission Systems and Training business carry out some of the companys high-profile programs including the Aegis Combat System, Littoral Combat Ship, MH-60 helicopter avionics, and military and commercial orders. The divisions second-quarter sales of $3.3 billion improved 53% from the prior-year quarter. However, operating profit declined 23% year over year to $202 million, while operating margin shrunk 600 basis points to 6.1%. Going ahead, the company expects 2016 Mission Systems and Training net sales to grow in the mid-double-digit percentage range. That said, the aforementioned contract gain has high potential to significantly boost revenues from Lockheed Martins Mission Systems and Training division. Stocks to Consider Lockheed Martin currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the same space include Engility Holdings, Inc. EGL, Ducommun Inc. DCO and General Dynamics Corp. GD. While Engility Holdings and Ducommun sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), General Dynamics carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 GENL DYNAMICS (GD): Free Stock Analysis Report LOCKHEED MARTIN (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report DUCOMMUN INC DE (DCO): Free Stock Analysis Report ENGILITY HLDGS (EGL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research London (AFP) - Starvation, torture and rape: the grim daily realities of prisoners inside Syria's Saidnaya military prison have been recreated in harrowing 3D detail by a London-based agency, established to highlight claims of rights abuses. Human rights campaigners Amnesty International are the latest organisation to call on Forensic Architecture's (FA) expertise, creating the first navigable model of the jail as part of a drive to raise awareness about political prisoners in Syria. Israeli activist and architect Eyal Weizman, 46, created FA in 2011, and it is now based in the leafy streets of south London, on the campus of host institution Goldsmiths, University of London. Its interdisciplinary laboratory specialises in producing analysis and evidence to be used in human rights cases brought to international courts, with architecture a key tool in helping to accurately recreate events occurring in chaotic surroundings. Before FA, no surveillance groups or journalists had been able to "access" the notorious prison, located 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Damascus, used by the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The laboratory pieced together testimonies given to Amnesty by former prisoners with satellite images found on the Google search engine and other publicly available online material. - Sunlight clues - "It's about unravelling the facts based on small details," explained architectural researcher Stefan Laxness. "Picking up on the spatial details inadvertently mentioned by the detainees, using that to build up what they experienced helped us also understand how the prison might be structured, and we started to notice a pattern in the trajectory each detainee has throughout the building." One detainee described how sunlight illuminated a certain part of his cell at a certain time of day, helping the team to verify his account. "When he placed the cell in space with a certain orientation, and then you run a sun simulation... lo and behold their testimony actually corroborates with the physical parameters. In some sense that validates the interviewee and his story," Laxness said. Story continues Researchers also travelled to Istanbul to interview "hearing witnesses" who were either blindfolded or not able to see directly other parts of the prison. These former detainees did not have detailed visual information of the prison, but provided valuable evidence based on aural accounts of the rhythms of life inside, the routines of torturers and even mundane occurences such as water leaks. Laxness said the former detainees were not necessarily familiar with 3D technology but "very quickly" understood how it worked and wanted to talk about their experiences and contribute to the model. - Urban warfare - Other studies conducted by the agency include reconstruction the August 2014 bombing of Gaza, Guatemala's Ixil genocide of 1978-1984 and the 2011 sinking in the Mediterranean of a boat carrying 63 migrants from Libya. FA is currently the only provider of such analysis, working with Human Rights Watch, international courts and the United Nations with key evidence. The work combines traditional disciplines, such as mapping, ecology and law, with new technologies like 3D, as-well as the testimonies of victims and prominent witnesses. But the changing nature of war is bringing other disciplines to the fore in untangling events. "Architecture provides a crucial look, vital to understanding contemporary conflicts," said Weizman, explaining that the migration of conflicts towards urban environments demanded a fresh approach. "The city is a dense media environment," he added. "There are a lot of journalists and more and more citizens are filming what is happening around them. "To understand and build a picture from all these sources, you need to build architectural models and place all these videos in space, to reconstruct the narrative of events," he said. At long last, Mother Teresa is about to become a Saint! At long last, Mother Teresa is about to become a Saint! Widely beloved humanitarian icon Mother Teresa will officially become a saint in two days time. Pope Francis will canonize her as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican on September 4th, less than two decades after her death. The canonization process actually typically takes longer in some cases, its taken centuries but the Vatican made the decision to fast-track hers, because she was,and still is, such a popular figure. Across the world, Mother Teresa is views as a religious icon, and even won the Nobel Peace Price back in 1979. She set up her own religious order, the Missionaries of Charity, in Kolkata, India in 1950. Though she was born in present day Macedonia, Mother Teresa adopted India as her home after moving there in 1929; She became a citizen in 1951, but her work, and influence, really expanded around the world. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi explained in in a recent radio address to the country: It is natural for every Indian to take pride in her sainthood; after all, the bulk of her work was in the country. Modi also explained she spent her entire life in the service of people belonging to economically weaker and underprivileged sections. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal (where Kolkata is located), is planning to make the trip to Rome to witness this, and explained to Time, I am excited to be a part of the event in Rome. I dont need a first row seat. I will not go there as a part of state delegation but will be a member of Missionaries of Charity. I will sit with them and witness the moment when Mother will be announced as Saint. On August 26th which would have been Mother Teresas 106th birthday Banerjee unveiled a life-size statue of the nun in Kolkata. She died in the city in 1997, on September 4th, and her canonization comes on the 19th anniversary of her death. The post At long last, Mother Teresa is about to become a Saint! appeared first on HelloGiggles. North Korea's military on Friday released a white paper condemning South Korea and the United States for conducting joint military exercises, calling it a product of Washington's "hideous" hostile policy toward Pyongyang. A mission of the Korean People's Army (KPA) at the truce village of Panmunjom said that the allies' annual military drills are nothing more than exercises to prepare for a preemptive nuclear strike against North Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The Seoul-Washington annual military drills are set to wrap up the two-week run on Friday, and have long been denounced by North Korea as a rehearsal for northern invasion. "The white paper branded the joint military exercises as a direct product of the hideous hostile policy toward the DPRK pursued by the U.S. and its military strategy," the KCNA said. The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea. It is rare for the North's military to issue a white paper denouncing the military drills as they usually make public their stance through other means such as statements or open letters. North Korea has said that its nuclear weapons program serves as a deterrence against what it called Washington's hostile policy. "If they persistently resort to military exercises and other nuclear war exercises against the DPRK, they will face the most merciless and miserable end," the white paper said. Seoul's unification ministry said North Korea seems to be aiming to use the white paper as evidence to vindicate its claim that the Seoul-Washington exercises are useless. "It is quite unusual that the North's military issued such a white paper," Jeong Joon-hee, a ministry spokesman, said at a regular press briefing. Tensions are running high on the divided peninsula as North Korea threatens to conduct another nuclear test and launch additional ballistic missiles. Last week, North Korea test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile toward Japan, and marked the longest flight by such a missile during a test. (Yonha) By Astrid Wendlandt and Pascale Denis PARIS (Reuters) - Louis Vuitton has launched its first perfume range since the founding merger of its parent LVMH (LVMH.PA) in 1987, targeting middle-income shoppers amid a downturn in luxury spending. This week's launch is an important step for the French brand as it tries to strike the delicate balance between increasing its number of more affordable goods while retaining its cachet. Until now, shoppers on more modest incomes have only been catered for by Louis Vuitton's key chains and very small leather goods, costing around 200-300 euros apiece. But the brand needs to boost sales growth after a sharp slowdown in the past three years, and with little sign of an industry recovery as security fears and geo-political uncertainty hit the tourism flows vital for luxury brands. Louis Vuitton's collection of seven perfumes, with names including "turbulences" and "matiere noire" or "dark matter," are on sale for around 200 euros ($224) for a 100 ml bottle. That is close to the price of niche perfume brands such as By Kilian, which have been enjoying sales growth four to five times higher than big, traditional fragrance providers whose prices cost under 100 euros. Perfume has been more resilient to the industry downturn than some parts of the luxury market, with global sales estimated to have risen 2.9 percent to about 15 billion euros last year. Within that, sales by niche brands jumped about 15 percent to around 1 billion euros. At first, Louis Vuitton will sell the perfumes in only about 180 of its 460 stores. Analysts estimate they could generate 60-80 million euros of sales in the first year. By comparison, luxury giants such as Chanel and LVMH's Dior, whose products are much more widely distributed, make about 2.5 billion euros a year from perfumes and cosmetics. Louis Vuitton, which declined to say how much it has invested in the project, gave star industry "nose" Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud four years to prepare the launch. Story continues The perfumer, who worked for decades with fragrance producer Firmenich, created many commercially successful perfumes including L'Eau d'Issey for Issey Miyake and L'Oreal's (OREP.PA) Poeme for Lancome and Acqua di Gio for Armani. Some industry analysts said Louis Vuitton took its time with the launch partly out of concern the move could exacerbate its ubiquity problem - the result of having opened too many shops, which dented its perceived exclusivity. Since 2012, the brand has worked to remedy this by putting the brakes on expansion and elevating its market positioning by producing more expensive handbags, with many available only in limited numbers. ($1 = 0.8912 euros) (Editing by Mark Potter) KENDALLVILLE East Noble Middle School students and staff on Thursday welcomed 30 middle school students, four teachers and a group leader from Qingchun Middle School in Hangzhou, China. The Chinese group arrived Wednesday night from Chicago, and the students are staying with host families. They will be here until this afternoon, when they return to Chicago for a flight back to China. They spent about two weeks touring New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., before coming to Kendallville. The East Noble visit is their only opportunity to see an American school. This the third time Chinese students and educators from the Qingchun Middle School have visited East Noble Middle School in the past seven years. An East Noble group of students and educators visited the school in Hangzhou in 2010 and 2012. Qingchun Middle School is currently on a two-week summer break, and classes will resume next week. They students attend school from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Only a handful of the students understand some English. Despite the language barrier, East Noble Middle School Principal Andy Deming said the Chinese students are attending classes with their host students, and today will give presentations in social studies classes about their country and school. Theyre like middle school students everywhere, and our students welcome them, Deming said. Deming said the visit is a great opportunity for the Chinese group and local students, staff and host families to learn about their different cultures and education systems. The Chinese educators observed several classes. In Nancy Bodekers eighth-grade science class, they watched students use fortune-telling fish fish-shaped pieces of red film that curled when placed in the palm of their hands. How the fish curled determined the fortune. Gao Yong Gang, a vice principal and science teacher at the Qingchun Middle School, was fascinated by the fortune-telling demonstration. He kept his curled-up fish. Math teachers Wu Jian Min and Zhajxu Hun and geography teacher Zhong Qin took lots of photos with their cellphones. In Christina Gustins seventh-grade science class, students were learning the scientific method. Four Chinese girls Pan Guangwei, 15, Huang Hong Ying, 14, Xu Ting, 13, and Ding Mincheng, 15 sat at a desk, writing in Chinese in their notebooks. All four were staying with one host family. When asked how the students and teachers were selected to go on the trip, the group leader, Alma (using her English name), said: Very good students. Very good teachers. Hangzhou, with a municipal population of 6.25 million, is on Chinas east coast on Hangzhou Bay, between Shanghai and Ningbo, and is considered one of Chinas most prosperous cities. Qingchun Middle School has about 1,300 students in grades 7-9. East Noble Middle School has about 600 students this year in grades 7-8. Most of the Chinese students live close enough to their school to walk or ride bicycles to and from school, or take public transport. They had never ridden in a school bus. But they got their chance Thursday when the Chinese delegation joined their host families and a group of middle school teachers after school for a trip to Crazy Pinz in Fort Wayne. Its tapping into cloud-based next-gen security solutions. Telecommunications company M1 Limited tapped into the brilliant minds at Proficio and Secura in the efforts of beefing up its cyberattack defenses. M1 inked a partnership with Proficio for a round-the-clock security operations centre network monitoring service, the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform. The said platform provides a firewall and threat intelligence cloud that enables M1 subscribers to safely use applications. "The Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform enables M1 customers to most efficiently and effectively adopt a prevention-oriented security posture to best protect their internal assets and safely enable critical operations that rely on the use of applications," M1 said in a statement. Meanwhile, the telco also shook hands with Secura Group's subsidiary Red Sentry for cyber advisory and consultancy. Secura Chief Executive Officer Paul Lim said the alliance will allow the group to tap into the telco's enterprise customer base as a growth springboard for its cyber security business. "Our alliance with M1 allows us to leverage on our partners established brand in Singapores connectivity market and vast corporate customer base. With Red Sentrys strong product expertise and 16-year track record, we are confident that this will be the start of a mutually beneficial alliance for both companies, Lim noted. More From Singapore Business Review By Scott Malone BOSTON (Reuters) - (Editor's note: This story contains language in the second paragraph that may offend readers) The president of Maine's state Senate on Friday said he would not pursue a special session to censure Governor Paul LePage for leaving a profanity-laden voicemail message for a lawmaker amid a dispute about the governor's comments on race and drug dealing. Senator Michael Thibodeau, who like LePage is a Republican, earlier in the week had said he was interested in a one-day special session to officially reprimand the two-term governor for calling a Democratic state legislator a "little son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocksucker." But on Friday he said he would not follow the lead of state House Speaker Mark Eves, who began polling lawmakers in his chamber as to whether they were ready to call a special session "to take action regarding the Governor's conduct." "He is unfit to serve as Governor and must resign or be removed from office," Eves said of LePage in a statement on Friday. That query, Thibodeau said, went further than Senate Republicans were willing to go, adding that his party had been ready to vote for a one-day session to vote on an official censure of LePage, whose current term extends through 2018. "We're not interested in coming back for impeachment," Thibodeau told reporters. The state House and Senate both adjourned in April and are not due to meet again until after the November elections. LePage has faced a flurry of criticism over the past week for saying that members of minority groups from out of state were responsible for the lion's share of the heroin trade in Maine. He drew further criticism after leaving a profane and widely circulated voicemail for a lawmaker that he believed had called him a racist. Earlier in the week he mused during a 15-minute radio interview about the idea of not finishing out his term, only to come back a day later to say that he would not resign. Earlier this year a group of lawmakers started an effort to impeach him, contending the governor overstepped his authority by threatening to withhold funds from a nonprofit group that hired a political rival, but that effort collapsed before making it to the full House. Under Maine's constitution, Thibodeau would have been first in line to succeed LePage if he stepped down or was removed from office. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by James Dalgleish) Bogota (AFP) - A majority of Colombians look set to back the government's peace deal with the FARC rebels in a referendum next month, a key step in ending the 52-year conflict, a poll showed Friday. The government of President Juan Manuel Santos has asked Colombians to vote on October 2 on this question: "Do you support the final accord to end the conflict and build a stable and lasting peace?" The August 24 peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) will only be ratified if the "yes" camp passes the threshold of 4.4 million votes -- 13 percent of the electorate. A strong majority -- 59.5 percent of the people surveyed -- said they would vote "yes" in support of the agreement, according to the Datexco poll conducted for El Tiempo newspaper and W Radio. That was nearly double the number of those opposed to the deal, at 33.2 percent, while 4.7 percent said they were undecided and 2.6 percent had no opinion. The Datexco telephone survey, conducted with 2,019 adults in various parts of the country on August 31 and September 1, has a margin of error of 2.13 percent. It is not yet know when the peace deal will be formally signed. Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said this week that the United Nations had invited Santos and FARC leader Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez to sign it at the UN General Assembly in New York, which opens on September 20. Once the deal is formally signed, the FARC will have 180 days to demobilize, disarm and relaunch itself as a political party. The UN has agreed to monitor the process. The government and FARC began a landmark ceasefire Monday, the first time both sides have put down their weapons since the Marxist guerrilla group was launched in 1964. The conflict, which has drawn in various left- and right-wing armed groups and gangs, has left 260,000 dead, 45,000 missing and 6.9 million uprooted from their homes. TheWrap takes a look back at the last eight months to see how Making a Murderer changed the case of Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who were convicted for the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach. Making a Murderer Gets Released The documentary was released on Dec. 18, 2015. At first, it received an approval rating of 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Ken Kratz was Bashed on Yelp A week after the doc aired, doc fans took to Yelp to warn potential new clients checking his law practices Yelp page against hiring him. Mr. Kratz is a seasoned sexual harasser, with deep knowledge of abuse victims which he took advantage of. He has a long experience in evidence fabrication, and has the required strategic thought skills to send innocent men to jail for forged crimes, one man wrote in a Yelpreview posted Sunday. When you think of garbage think of Mr. Kratz, he is the living representation of immorality and indecency that you need by your side to solve any legal issues. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Viewers Target Prosecutor Ken Kratz - On His Yelp Page White House Petition A White House Petition was started shortly after the documentarys release, asking for the pardoning of both Avery and Dassey. It required 100,000 signatures before Jan. 19 to be eligible for an official White House review. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' White House Petition Surpasses 100,000 Signatures Avery Cant be Pardoned by Obama Although there was a White House Petition to pardon Avery, President Barack Obama is constitutionally barred from pardoning Avery, because he was convicted in state court. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer's' Steven Avery Can't Be Pardoned by Obama: Here's Why Protests Outside of the Courthouse In January, people protested outside the Manitowoc County Courthouse. Supporters traveled from as far as Texas, Florida and Oregon. The event was live streamed on Periscope drawing hundreds of people online, some from out of the country like Belgium. Story continues Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery Supporters March on Manitowoc Courthouse The Family Launched a Fundraising Website In January, the uncle/nephew combo found guilty in the killing of a local photographer launched a fundraising website through their family in an attempt to raise money to mount another defense effort. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Family Launches Fundraising Site for Steven Avery, Brendan Dassey Avery Hires a New Lawyer Avery hired Kathleen Zellner, an Illinois-based attorney who specializes in wrongful convictions, in January. The Zellner Law Firm is looking forward to adding Mr. Avery to its long list of wrongful conviction exonerations, Zellners statement read. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer's' Steven Avery Has a New Lawyer Averys Ex-Fiancee Calls Him a Monster, Not Innocent Jodi Stachowski, the ex-fiancee of Avery, says he is a monster and that hes not innocent in the murder of Halbach. In a January interview with HLNs Nancy Grace, Stachowski admitted that she ate two boxes of rat poison just so I could go to the hospital to get away from him and ask them to get the police to help me. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery's Ex-Fiancee Calls Him a 'Monster' Halbachs Family Think The Doc Is Terrible Its terrible, Teresa Halbachs aunt, Kay Giordana, told People. I cant believe this came out. It is really unfortunate. Also Read: Teresa Halbach's Family: 'Making a Murderer' Is 'Terrible' Bomb Threat at Manitowoc County Sheriffs Department On Feb. 3, a bomb threat was called into the Sheriffs Department. Authorities say that the caller claimed there were bombs in the building and that he was getting justice for Steven Avery, the man at the forefront of the series, who was convicted of the murder of Teresa Halbach after being exonerated for a rape he didnt commit. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Bomb Threat Targets Manitowoc Sheriff's Department Investigation Discovery Aired a Special About the Case The special, aired in February, claimed that 16 people testified to his whereabouts, saying that Avery could not have been Penny Beernstens sexual attacker in 1985, and that all vials of blood have a puncture hole (this was a piece of key evidence that was used to suggest law enforcement had framed Avery), among other revelations. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Investigation Discovery Says 'Critical Details Missing' From Netflix Series Transcripts Suggested Avery Touched Dassey Inappropriately In February, TheWrap obtained transcripts from a May 13, 2006 interview, in which Dassey told police that Avery sometimes tried to grab his penis through the pants. In a phone call later that day to his mother, Barb Tadych, Dassey said he told police that Avery would grab me somewhere where I was uncomfortable. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Reporter: Evidence Ignored That Steven Avery Sexually Abused Brendan Dassey But Dassey Denied the Sexual Abuse After TheWrap was told that reporters and lawyers ignored the possibility that Avery molested Dassey, a 2006 mental evaluation revealed psychologist Robert H. Gordons conclusion that Dassey had not been molested. Brendan reported having no history of being physically or sexually abused, Gordon wrote. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Brendan Dassey Denied Sexual Abuse in Psych Evaluation Steven Avery Jr. Doesnt Know If His Father is Guilty Averys son had no idea whether his father is guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach, for which hes currently serving life in prison. I have no idea, Steven Avery Jr. told Crime Watch Daily in an interview. I mean only one person can answer that and that is Teresa. But she cant answer it no more. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Update: Steven Avery Jr. Has 'No Idea' If His Dad Is Guilty (Video) Ken Kratz, Michael Griesbach Published Tell-All Books Both Kratz and Michael Griesbach, the latter being a prosecutor responsible for helping Avery get out of jail in his first case, wrote a tell-all book chronicling the case and its representation in Making a Murderer. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Prosecutor to Write Tell-All Book Kathleen Zellner Says There Are a Couple New Suspects In an in-depth profile published in March by Newsweek, Zellner said that she has found a couple of suspects, both men who knew Halbach. We have a couple, Zellner, who specializes in wrongful convictions, said. Id say theres one, leading the pack by a lot. But I dont want to scare him off, I dont want him to run. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Update: Avery Lawyer Cites a 'Couple' of New Suspects in Teresa Halbach's Death Ken Kratz Admitted to Suicidal Thoughts Ken Kratz told Dr. Drew that he had suicidal thoughts after this whole thing kind of blew up, referring to the Avery Case and an Associated Press report exposing racy texts he sent to a 25-year-old woman while Kratz was prosecuting her ex-boyfriend. Kathleen Zellner Will Be in Sequel In May, one of the filmmakers, Laura Ricciardi, told TimeOut London that she and Moira Demos have been talking to Kathleen Zellner about the potential of filming with her and continuing the story. Prison Emails Were Released In June, USA Today obtained more than 1,900 pages of emails after the publication requested the documents under state opens records laws on January 26. The paper asked for emails sent or received by staff that pertained to Avery, Dassey or Making a Murderer. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery, Brendan Dassey Prison Emails Released After 5 Months Making a Murderer Gets New Episodes In July, it was announced that Making a Murderer is set to return to Netflix with new episodes that are already in production. The coming installments will follow up with convicted murderer Steven Avery and his co-defendant, Brendan Dassey, as their respective investigative and legal teams challenge their convictions. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' to Return to Netflix With New Episodes Brendan Dasseys Conviction Overturned In August, Dassey had his conviction overturned. Federal magistrate judge William E. Duffin granted Dasseys writ for a petition of habeas corpus, finding that Dasseys imprisonment was unlawful because his confession to the murder of Teresa Halbach was involuntary. In reaching that decision, Duffin wrote that the misconduct of Len Kachinsky, Dasseys court-appointed attorney, was indefensible. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned Motion for Evidence Filed On August 27, Zellner filed a motion demanding physical evidence from the murder of Teresa Halbach for further scientific testing that she claims didnt exist during the trial. In the filing, Zellner revealed that Mr. Avery has already completed a series of tests that will conclusively establish his innocence and that she intends to reveal the identity of an alternate suspect once she has the test results. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery's Lawyer Files Motion for New DNA Tests Zellner Teases Brendan Dassey Decision Zellner teased the media and documentary fans on Sept. 2, tweeting a picture of a man she helped exonerate in a murder case, who held a signing saying It is over. A spokesperson from the Wisconsin DOJ denied all media speculation about the fate of Dassey. State Will Appeal Dasseys Overturned Conviction The state of Wisconsin said they would appeal Dasseys overturned conviction, saying that his confession was voluntary and the investigators did not use constitutionally impermissible tactics. Avery is Engaged On Sept. 24, news broke that Avery is engaged to be married. The betrothed is Lynn Hartman, identified as a legal secretary which might come in handy from Las Vegas. The couple has reportedly been dating for eight months but have only met in person once. Brendan Dassey Will Be Released On Nov. 14, a judge ordered Dasseys supervised release, pending possible retrial. According to court documents obtained by TheWrap, U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Duffin granted Dasseys motion for release conditional upon his supervision by the U.S. Probation Office. Dassey will not be allowed to obtain a passport and can only travel in the courts Eastern District of Wisconsin. He is not allowed to possess a weapon or any controlled substances. Wisconsin DOJ Files Emergency Motion On Tuesday, Attorney General Brad Schimel filed an emergency motion to stay Dasseys release. Dassey Will Be Home for Thanksgiving Dassey will be home for Thanksgiving after the judge in his case rejected the states latest motion. According to a Wisconsin Department of Justice release obtained by TheWrap, Dassey will be discharged from prison no later than Friday at 8 p.m. Attorney General Brad Schimel plans to file an emergency motion on Wednesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit seeking a stay of this release order. Nope, He Wont Be Home For Thanksgiving On Nov. 17, the judge ordered that Dassey will remain in prison pending an appeal of his overturned conviction, Attorney General Brad Schimel said. Moments ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted the State of Wisconsins motion to stay U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffins order to release Mr. Brendan Dassey. Mr. Dassey will remain in prison pending the outcome of the appeal, Schimels office said in a release. Fellow Inmate Says Avery Confessed to the Murder Joseph Evans, who is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife, alleges in a nine-page letter published on the Rockford Advocate that Avery described raping and killing Halbach. He said he put the knife to Teresas throat as he guided her to his bedroom, Evans wrote. Steven said Teresa was crying and begging him not to kill her. Zellner Alleges Teresa Halbach May Have Been Killed by Ex-Boyfriend In June, Zellner filed a 1,200-page notice for post conviction relief in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, in which she alleged that Teresa Halbachs ex-boyfriend may have killed her. In the filing, Zellner notes that Halbach was in an abusive relationship with Ryan Hillegas prior to her murder and that jealousy could have been his motive for the murder when Halbach didnt remain romantically interested in him. Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ruling That Dasseys Confession Was Coerced In June of this year, a federal appeals court has upheld the ruling that Dasseys conviction was coerced and he should be released from prison. The majority of the three-judge panel agreed with Judge William Duffins August ruling that Dasseys confession of the murder of Teresa Halbach was involuntary and that investigators violated Dasseys rights. State Requests Rehearing in Dasseys Case In July, the Wisconsin Department of Justice requested a rehearing by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit after the federal appeals court said his conviction was coerced. Avery Denied New Trial In October, Avery was denied a new trial by a Wisconsin judge. Judge Angela Sutkiewicz ruled that Avery had failed to establish any grounds that would trigger the right to a new trial in the interests of justice. Zellner then told TheWrap that she would be filing a motion to vacate the judges order and that she plans to conduct further testing and amend his petition with new witness affidavits. Judge Rejects Averys Bid For New Trial, Again In November, Averys request for a new trial was rejected by Judge Sutkiewicz again. According to the Post-Crescent, the ruling comes after Zellner appealed her filings to a higher court. Related stories from TheWrap: 'Making a Murderer' Steven Avery Dumps New Fiancee: 'She Is a Golddigger' 'Making a Murderer' Subject Steven Avery's Dr Phil Interview Set to Air Next Week 'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery Legal Team Gets Shake-Up Steven Averys lawyer Kathleen Zellner is teasing the media and Making a Murderer fans again, this time tweeting about the pending release of her clients co-defendant and nephew Brendan Dassey, then deleting the tweet shortly after. According to local Wisconsin news outlet WBAY, Zellner, who doesnt represent Dassey, tweeted a picture on Thursday evening of Ryan Ferguson, a man she helped exonerate after he was wrongly convicted of murder in Missouri. In the picture, Ferguson holds a sign saying It is over, mimicking the text of the attorneys tweet. However, the tweet has since been deleted. On Friday morning, Zellner once again took to Twitter, tweeting, The Wisc AG has only one moral, just and righteous decision to make for BD: Let him go it is over. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery's Lawyer Files Motion for New DNA Tests The Wisc AG has only one moral, just and righteous decision to make for BD: Let him go it is over.#MakingAMurderer Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) September 2, 2016 However, a spokesperson from the Wisconsin Department of Justice denied all media speculation about the fate of Dassey, who was convicted along with Avery in the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach. I am aware of the rumors floating out there, and there is no truth to them. There is nothing new to share today, DOJ spokesperson Johnny Koremenos told WBAY. Attorney General Brad Schimel also spoke with WISN in Milwaukee on Thursday, adding, Im not prepared to make any announcements on that yet. We have made some decisions, but Im not prepared to announce that right now. Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Brendan Dassey Retrial May Hinge on Teresa Halbach Family Decision On Aug. 12, federal magistrate judge William E. Duffin granted Dasseys writ for a petition of habeas corpus, finding that Dasseys imprisonment was unlawful because his confession to the murder of Halbach was involuntary. Story continues In reaching that decision, Duffin wrote that the misconduct of Len Kachinsky, Dasseys court-appointed attorney, was indefensible. Dassey, who is now 26, was convicted in 2007 of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault and mutilation of a corpse in Halbachs murder. His lawyers filed his writ of habeas corpus in 2014. Related stories from TheWrap: 'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery's Lawyer Finally Heads to Manitowoc (Photo) 'Making a Murderer': Prosecutor Who Backed Steven Avery in 1st Case Says Filmmakers 'Distort the Truth' South Korea giant Hanjin Shipping said Friday about a third of its cargo fleet -- some forty vessels -- is marooned at sea or has been seized at ports, as the industry staggers after its biggest ever bankruptcy filing. On Wednesday, Hanjin Shipping, South Korea's largest and the world's seventh-largest shipping company, filed for court protection after its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), rejected its self-rescue scheme. The company is foundering under a debt estimated at some six trillion won ($5.37 billion), posting a net loss of more than 473 billion won in the first half of this year after racking up total net losses of about 1.2 trillion won over the past three years. The crisis has badly hit the oversupplied international shipping industry, suffering from its worst downturn in six decades, and sent ripples as far as the US economy, with retailers fearing it may damage Christmas trade. "Forty-five of our 144 vessels are unable to operate in the normal fashion in some 10 countries," a Hanjin spokesman told AFP. "Some of them are being impounded, others being barred from docking or discharging," he said. Since last last month, Hanjin's vessels, sailors and cargo have been stuck in a maritime limbo as ports, wary they will not be paid for their services, refuse to let them dock, as well as refusing to handle or free cargo already landed. Also effected are ships not owned by Hanjin but contracted by it or belonging to its alliance members, along with cargo and containers on board those vessels. US retailers, bracing for fallout from Hanjin's woes as they stock up for the crucial Christmas holiday sales season, have asked Washington to step in to help resolve a growing crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Ten Hanjin vessels were either seized or denied access at Chinese terminals in Shanghai and Tianjin over the past 48 hours, according to local media reports, with another vessel seized in Singapore earlier the week. Story continues An estimated 540,000 containers are expected to face delivery delays, according to the reports. - Hyundai to the rescue - Hanjin officially entered court receivership Friday, the Seoul Central District Court announced. The court will decide whether to keep Hanjin afloat under a recovery programme including debt rescheduling or to declare it bankrupt. Hanjin Shipping's assets will in the meantime remain frozen, and the court-appointed new management is required to come up with a new rehabilitation plan by November 25. South Korean financial authorities reportedly are considering letting South Korea's No.2 Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. take over Hanjin's good assets, such as its global marketing networks and personnel as well as its own 59 ships. Financial Supervisory Commission Yim Jong-Yong on Friday met with KDB and Hyundai Merchant Marine officials and asked Hyundai to help ease cargo disruptions, Yonhap news agency said. Accordingly, Hyundai plans to deploy a total of 13 vessels to the US and Europe, Yonhap added. Hanjin faces a cash shortage of about one trillion won ($900 million) needed to roll over debts. But major creditors including the state-run Korea Development Bank decided Tuesday not to offer more help. They said the firm failed to present a viable plan to turn around its business, which has been in the red every year since 2011 amid slowing demand in China and rising charter fees to shipowners. Seoul, as part of a state-led drive to restructure ailing industries, has pressed Hanjin and Hyundai Merchant Marine to revamp their business and persuade creditors to extend loan terms. Hyundai Merchant Marine avoided bankruptcy after reaching an agreement with creditors on a debt restructuring plan in May. But Hanjin failed to convince creditors. * New chief vows to beef up risk management, get to bottom of case * Taiwan President calls case "ridiculous and incredible" * Cenbank issues rare statements clarifying cenbank chief's role (Adds comments from Taiwan regulator, background) By Faith Hung and Liang-Sa Loh TAIPEI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Mega Financial Holding's new chairman said the Taiwan state-controlled firm will strengthen risk management after its banking unit was hit by a U.S. fine for anti-money laundering violations, a case that has hugely embarrassed the island's government. "There are lots of doubts about us. We'll do whatever we can to find out what has happened," Michael C.S. Chang, 68, told reporters on Friday. "We are going to have a deep review and thorough reform." Chang, who took up his post on Friday, will have to clean up what Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called a "ridiculous and incredible" matter, which is threatening to seriously undermine her three-month-old administration. New York authorities in mid-August slapped Mega International Commercial Bank with a $180 million fine for violations that included lax attention to risk exposure in Panama, the first time in a decade that a Taiwan-based financial institution has been penalized by U.S. authorities. Taiwanese financial regulators flew to Panama and New York this week to continue their investigation into whether Mega's activities led to breach of any Taiwanese laws. In 2009, Mega's banking unit also ran afoul of Australian authorities over compliance and anti-money laundering rules. A trained accountant, Chang is known as a firefighter who has dealt with Taiwanese lenders in crisis before. Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), during its previous term in office, appointed Chang as chairman of First Financial Holding Co, another major state-controlled financial firm, where he held the position from 2006 to 2008. Chang's predecessor, Shiu Kuang-si, quit on Wednesday two weeks after being appointed as chairman, in a bid to address allegations of conflicts of interest. Shiu was president of Mega when the suspect transactions took place, and he is the brother-in-law of Taiwan's central bank chief. Story continues Another former Mega chairman, Tsai Yeou-tsair, who resigned in March, has been banned from travel abroad, while a former finance minister has been questioned by prosecutors. Taiwan Premier Lin Chuan has also had to weather calls to resign, with critics blaming him because the boards of state-controlled financial institutions are packed with government-selected appointees. The case has embroiled the central bank, which prides itself on being an independent institution and has been headed by Governor Perng Fai-nan, 77, for 18 years. This week the central bank was forced to issue rare statements stating Perng was involved in the Mega case only at the request of other financial regulators in Taiwan. Financial Supervisory Commission Vice Chairman Kuei Hsien-nung in early August requested Perng's help to plead with U.S. authorities, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for more time for Mega to deal with the case. "At the time, there was no information that showed Mega was related to any criminal liability," Kuei told Reuters this week. "This was all done for the country. We would not have selfish intentions," he said. (Writing by J.R. Wu; Editing by Stephen Coates and Muralikumar Anantharaman) By Faith Hung and Liang-Sa Loh TAIPEI (Reuters) - Mega Financial Holding's <2886.TW> new chairman said the Taiwan state-controlled firm will strengthen risk management after its banking unit was hit by a U.S. fine for anti-money laundering violations, a case that has hugely embarrassed the island's government. "There are lots of doubts about us. We'll do whatever we can to find out what has happened," Michael C.S. Chang, 68, told reporters on Friday. "We are going to have a deep review and thorough reform." Chang, who took up his post on Friday, will have to clean up what Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called a "ridiculous and incredible" matter, which is threatening to seriously undermine her three-month-old administration. New York authorities in mid-August slapped Mega International Commercial Bank with a $180 million fine for violations that included lax attention to risk exposure in Panama, the first time in a decade that a Taiwan-based financial institution has been penalized by U.S. authorities. Taiwanese financial regulators flew to Panama and New York this week to continue their investigation into whether Mega's activities led to breach of any Taiwanese laws. In 2009, Megas banking unit also ran afoul of Australian authorities over compliance and anti-money laundering rules. A trained accountant, Chang is known as a firefighter who has dealt with Taiwanese lenders in crisis before. Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), during its previous term in office, appointed Chang as chairman of First Financial Holding Co <2892.TW>, another major state-controlled financial firm, where he held the position from 2006 to 2008. Changs predecessor, Shiu Kuang-si, quit on Wednesday two weeks after being appointed as chairman, in a bid to address allegations of conflicts of interest. Shiu was president of Mega when the suspect transactions took place, and he is the brother-in-law of Taiwans central bank chief. Story continues Another former Mega chairman, Tsai Yeou-tsair, who resigned in March, has been banned from travel abroad, while a former finance minister has been questioned by prosecutors. Taiwan Premier Lin Chuan has also had to weather calls to resign, with critics blaming him because the boards of state-controlled financial institutions are packed with government-selected appointees. The case has embroiled the central bank, which prides itself on being an independent institution and has been headed by Governor Perng Fai-nan, 77, for 18 years. This week the central bank was forced to issue rare statements stating Perng was involved in the Mega case only at the request of other financial regulators in Taiwan. Financial Supervisory Commission Vice Chairman Kuei Hsien-nung in early August requested Perng's help to plead with U.S. authorities, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for more time for Mega to deal with the case. At the time, there was no information that showed Mega was related to any criminal liability, Kuei told Reuters this week. This was all done for the country. We would not have selfish intentions, he said. (Writing by J.R. Wu; Editing by Stephen Coates and Muralikumar Anantharaman) All They Will Call You All They Will Call You, we'll be rolling out a series of book trailers featuring portions of the documentary starting Labor Day, September 5. As you may know, this is the single subject that has consumed the past six years of my life, and I can't wait to share it with you all. An added bonus is that these feature the song I recorded with my homey Friends and supporters ofwe'll be rolling out a series of book trailers featuring portions of the documentary starting Labor Day, September 5. As you may know, this is the single subject that has consumed the past six years of my life, and I can't wait to share it with you all. An added bonus is that these feature the song I recorded with my homey Lance Canales __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Long Stories Cut Short _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sky Below: Selected Works Writers keep writing, publishers keep publishing. Let's hope readers keep reading. This week, a few new books due later this year and on into 2017, including the exciting news that's much-anticipated look at the plane wreck at Los Gatos will hit the shelves in January. Tim is establishing himself as a writer of impressive prose (he's already a poetry phenom) who deals with the full scope of human drama from intimate personal details of daily life to universal truths, all skillfully revealed in finely crafted stories.University of Arizona Press - January, 2017[from the publisher]is the harrowing account of the worst airplane disaster in Californias history, which claimed the lives of thirty-two passengers, including twenty-eight Mexican citizensfarmworkers who were being deported by the U.S. government. Outraged that media reports omitted only the names of the Mexican passengers, American folk iconpenned a poem that went on to become one of the most important protest songs of the twentieth century,. It was an attempt to restore the dignity of the anonymous lives whose unidentified remains were buried in an unmarked mass grave in Californias Central Valley. For nearly seven decades, the songs message would be carried on by the greatest artists of our time, includingand, yet the question posed in Guthries lyrics, Who are these friends all scattered like dry leaves? would remain unanswereduntil now.Combining years of painstaking investigative research and masterful storytelling, award-winning author Tim Z. Hernandez weaves a captivating narrative from testimony, historical records, and eyewitness accounts, reconstructing the incident and the lives behind the legendary song. This singularly original account pushes narrative boundaries, while challenging perceptions of what it means to be an immigrant in America, but more importantly, it renders intimate portraits of the individual souls who, despite social status, race, or nationality, shared a common fate one frigid morning in January 1948.Tim Z.Hernandez was born and raised in Californias San Joaquin Valley. An award winning poet, novelist, and performer, he is the recipient of thefor poetry, thefor poetry, thefor fiction, and thefor historical fiction. His books and research have been featured in the, theand. Hernandez holds a BA from Naropa University and an MFA from Bennington College. Hernandez makes his home in El Paso, where he is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at El Pasos MFA Program in Creative Writing. You can find more information at his website, www.timzhernandez.com.The author posted this message about his new book:For more on the story behind the story, here's a video of the Guthrie song performed by the one and onlyand the often under-appreciated. Take a listen., Foreword byUniversity of Arizona Press - February, 2017[from the publisher]Xbox videogamer cholo cyberpunks. Infants who read before they talk. Vatos locos, romancing abuelos, border crossers and border smugglers, transvestites, drug kingpins, Latina motorbike riders, philosophically musing tweens, and so much more. The stories in this dynamic bilingual prose-art collection touch on the universals of romance, family, migration and expulsion, and everyday life in all its zany configurations. Each glimpse into lives at every stagefrom newborns and children to teens, young adults, and the elderlyfurther submerges readers in psychological ups and downs. In a world filled with racism, police brutality, poverty, and tensions between haves and have-nots, these flashes of fictional insight bring gleaming clarity to life lived where all sorts of borders meet and shift.Frederick Luis Aldama and graphic artists fromgive shape to ugly truths in the most honest way, creating new perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about life in the borderlands of the Americas. Each bilingual prose-art fictional snapshot offers an unsentimentally complex glimpse into what it means to exist at the margins of society today. These unflinching and often brutal fictions crisscross spiritual, emotional, and physical borders as they give voice to all those whom society chooses not to see.Frederick Luis Aldama is the Arts and Humanities Distinguished Professor of English and University Distinguished Scholar at The Ohio State University. He is founder and director of, a mentoring and research hub for Latinos, and the author, co-author, and editor of twenty-six books, includingandNorthwestern University Press - October, 2016[from the publisher]The ferocious acumen with which the award-winning poet Martin Espada attacks issues of social injustice inmakes it no surprise that the book has been the subject of bans in both Arizona and Texas, targeted for its presence in the Mexican American Studies curriculum of Tucsons schools and for its potential to incite a riot among Texas prison populations.This new edition ofwhich won the, opens with an introduction in which the author chronicles this history of censorship and continues his lifelong fight for freedom of expression. A dozen of Espadas poems, tender and wry as they are powerful, interweave with essays that address the denigration of the Spanish language by American cultural arbiters, castigate Nike for the exploitation of its workers, reflect upon National Public Radios censorship of Espadas poem about, and more.is a potent assault on the continued marginalization of Latinos and other poor and workingclass citizens in American society, and the collection breathes with a revolutionary zeal that is as relevant now as when it was first published.Martin Espada, born in Brooklyn in 1957, has been called the Latino poet of his generation. He is the author of fourteen collections of poetry, as well as an editor, essayist, and translator. He is currently a professor in the Department of English at the University of MassachusettsAmherst.Translated from the Spanish and with an introduction byNorthwestern University Press - October, 2016[from the publisher]Chilean poet Raul Zurita has long been recognized as one of the most celebrated and important voices from Latin America. His compelling rhythms combine epic and lyric tones, public and most intimate themes, grief and joy. This bilingual volume of selected works is the first of its kind in any language, representing the remarkable range of an extraordinary poet. Zuritas work confronts the cataclysm of the Pinochet coup with a powerful urgency matched by remarkable craftsmanship and imaginative vision. In Zuritas attempt to address the atrocities that indelibly mark Chile, he makes manifest the common history of the Americas.Raul Zurita, a prolific poet and visual artist, has chronicled the violence against the Chilean people since the 1973 coup that replaced Salvador Allendes democratic government with Augusto Pinochets military dictatorship. His work has been widely translated. Along with other artists, he founded the art action group, dedicated to the creation of political art resisting the military regime. In 1982 he composed a poem in the sky over New York, and in 1993 he bulldozed ni pena ni miedo (no pain no fear) into the coarse sands of the Atacama Desert. Zurita has been awarded theand a scholarship from the Guggenheim Foundation. He is a professor emeritus at the Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago.Anna Deeny Morales is a literary critic and translator. Her translations of Raul Zuritas works includeand. Her translation ofbywas published in 2015, and her essays and translations of poetry by, and, among others, have appeared in such anthologies asand in journals, including the, and the. She teaches in the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University.____________________________________________________________________Later.is the author of several novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction books and articles. His collection of short stories,was a finalist for the 2016 Colorado Book Award.is scheduled for publication byin September, 2016. LONDON (Reuters) - A serving member of the British armed forces was charged with terrorism offences on Friday in connection with Northern Ireland, London's Metropolitan Police said. Ciaran Maxwell, 30, was arrested in Somerset, southwest England, last month. He is charged with making and storing explosives linked to the preparation of an act of terrorism and was appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court in London later on Friday. Maxwell, of Exminster, Devon, was also charged with fraud and possession of cannabis. Police said related property searches in Exminster were now complete but those at a wooded area in Devon would continue into next week. (Reporting by Stephen Addison; editing by Kate Holton) Madrid (AFP) - Mexican film director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu condemned Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto for meeting US presidential candidate Donald Trump, branding it a "betrayal" in an article published Friday. The billionaire real estate tycoon, who has made repeated verbal attacks on Mexico, met Pena Nieto in Mexico City on Wednesday at the invitation of the Mexican president. "Enrique Pena Nieto's invitation to Donald Trump is a betrayal," wrote Inarritu, who won the Oscar for best director in February for his drama "The Revenant". "It endorses someone who has insulted us, spat on us and threatened us for over a year before the entire world. It lacks dignity and emboldens a hate campaign against us," he wrote in an opinion article in Spanish daily El Pais. Trump launched his campaign last year by declaring that Mexico was sending "rapists" and other criminals across the border. The Republican nominee has threatened to make Mexico pay for a wall on the border to stop migrants from entering the United States illegally. He has also vowed to deport millions of Mexican immigrants illegally living in the United States, and cancel trade agreements with Mexico. Pena Nieto has faced a barrage of criticism over his decision to hold talks with Trump, with many accusing him of weakness and humiliation. He defended his meeting, saying in a television interview on Wednesday that "we must confront the problems, threats and risks facing Mexico." Inarritu is the first filmmaker to win best director Oscars twice in a row. He won the Academy Award last year for "Birdman," which also scooped up the best picture Oscar. By Emily Stephenson PHOENIX (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday that anyone who is in the United States illegally would be subject to deportation if he is elected, sticking with his hardline position after flirting with a softer approach. In a major speech in the border state of Arizona, Trump took a dim view of the 11 million people who crossed into the United States illegally, a week after saying many were "great people" who had lived in the country for years and contributed to American society. He said all people in the United States illegally would have "only one route" to gain legal status if Trump were to win the Nov. 8 presidential election: "To return home and apply for re-entry." "Our message to the world will be this: You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country," Trump said. "People will know you can't just smuggle in, hunker down and wait to be legalized," he said. "Those days are over." Trump again vowed that Mexico would pay for construction of a "great border wall" between the two countries. He spoke hours after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto told Trump in a face-to-face meeting in Mexico City that Mexico would not pay for it. "We will build a great wall along the southern border," Trump said. "And Mexico will pay for the wall - 100 percent. They don't know it yet, but they're going to pay for the wall." Trump said at a joint news conference with Pena Nieto that he and the Mexican leader did not discuss who would pay for the wall. Pena Nieto remained silent on the issue at the event, but said later on Twitter he did raise the issue. "At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall," Pena Nieto said in a tweet. HARDLINE RETURN Trump used the Phoenix speech to clarify his stance on illegal immigration after prevaricating on the issue last week. He returned to the hardline rhetoric that powered him to the Republican presidential nomination over 16 rivals, heartening those conservatives drawn to Trump by the issue. Ann Coulter, a conservative activist who had fretted that Trump might be softening, tweeted: "I hear Churchill had a nice turn of phrase, but Trump's immigration speech is the most magnificent speech ever given." Correct The Record, an organisation supporting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the Nov.8 presidential election, slammed Trump. "Tonight confirmed what we knew all along - there is no softening, Correct The Record spokeswoman Elizabeth Shappell said. Trump's "America First" positions are aimed at rallying middle-class people who feel they have lost jobs to illegal immigrants or to the outsourcing of jobs abroad. However, he may have put himself at risk of limiting his ability to broaden his base of support to include more Hispanic-Americans and more moderate Republican voters who do not think it is possible or practical to crack down on all illegal immigrants. In his speech, Trump emphasized that his priority would be to quickly deport those among the undocumented population who have committed serious crimes. "As with any law enforcement activity, we will set priorities," Trump said. "Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation. That is what it means to have a country." He said he would form a commission to study which regions or countries he would suspend immigration from, saying Syria and Libya would be high on his list. This would be his way of carrying out his proposed ban on Muslims from some countries without getting into their religious affiliation. Trump said he would also establish a "deportation task force" to identify criminals subject to deportation, would triple the number of federal deportation officers, and increase the number of border patrol stations. MILD REBUKE, PROTESTS Trump is trailing Clinton in opinion polls and the New York businessman's aides hoped the trip would make him look presidential and show he was willing to deal head-on with thorny issues such as relations with Mexico. Pena Nieto said at the joint news conference with Trump in Mexico City that the many millions of Mexicans in the United States deserved respect. However, he offered only a mild rebuke of Trump for his rhetoric. "The Mexican people has felt aggrieved by comments that have been made, but I was sure his interest in building a relationship is genuine," Pena Nieto said. A few dozen demonstrators gathered beneath a monument to Mexican independence in the centre of the capital to protest against the visit, some holding placards emblazoned with captions such as: "You are not Wall-come" and "Trump and Pena out." Trump has been pilloried in Mexico since he launched his White House campaign last year. Clinton, a former secretary of state, said on Wednesday Trump could not paper over his previous harsh language against Mexico. "It certainly takes more than trying to make up for more than a year of insults and insinuations by dropping in on our neighbours for a few hours and then flying home again," she told a convention of the American Legion military veterans' group in Cincinnati. (Additional reporting by Christine Murray, Ana Isabel Martinez and Dave Graham in MEXICO CITY and Alana Wise in WASHINGTON; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler and Paul Tait) Microsemi Corporation MSCC announced yesterday that it has joined forces with Moog Controls Limited, a division of Moog Inc., Southampton University and University of Bristol to initiate a new project called NEMICA. Details of the Project NEMICA is a three year, 1 million pounds project dedicated toward the development of high temperature resistant control systems for next generation aircrafts. It will develop nanoelectromechanical (NEM) technology based reprogrammable memories and gate arrays that could resist long-term exposure to high temperatures. The U.K. government technologyagency's "Innovate UK" program will partially fund this two-phased project. Issues to be Resolved Currently, it is not possible for system designers to place electronic control systems close to the point of measurement and control in a high temperature situation. To address this challenge, the NEMICA project will develop control systems that can operate at high temperatures. In phase one, existing systems will be upgraded to operate at a temperature of 175 degrees Celsius. In phase two, resistance level will be stretched to 225 degress Cesius through NEM technology-based novel field programmable gate arrays developed by Southampton University and University of Bristol. MICROSEMI CORP Price MICROSEMI CORP Price | MICROSEMI CORP Quote Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider Currently, Microsemihas a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector include Stamps.com Inc. STMP, Facebook, Inc. FB and LinkedIn Corporation LNKD, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1(Strong Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 STAMPS.COM INC (STMP): Free Stock Analysis Report MICROSEMI CORP (MSCC): Free Stock Analysis Report FACEBOOK INC-A (FB): Free Stock Analysis Report LINKEDIN CORP-A (LNKD): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Shares of Microsoft Corporation MSFT have been scaling steadily higher over the last 12 months. The companys stock provided a return of 32.4% as compared to the S&P 500s 11.3% over the period. The upside can be primarily attributed to robust performance from the companys Office 365 subscription model, Azure cloud services, and a revamped Windows 10 platform. With Satya Nadella at its helm, Microsoft has had a series of restructuring measures that helped the company to revive its growth trajectory. The company's strategy includes divestiture of the non-performing assets, which helps it to focus on its core operations, like it did with its Nokias feature phone divestiture to Foxconn. Meanwhile, Microsoft recently announced the divestment of its MSN China web portal to XiChuang Technology, a company co-founded by Liu Zhenyu, who formerly held the position of General Manager in MSN China. However, the amount of the deal has not been disclosed. We note that the buyout will help XiChuang benefit from MSN Chinas search advertising business. What Led to the Divestment? China, being the most populous nation in the world, is an important market for Microsoft and all the major technology companies. However, the countrys strict regulatory practices are a matter of concern, particularly for the U.S. based companies. In this regard, we note that in 2014, Microsofts offices in Shanghai, Chengdu, Beijing and Guangzhou were raided by Chinese regulatory authorities on the grounds of anti-competitive concerns that stemmed from compatibility issues between Windows and Office products. In May 2016, Microsoft had announced plans to shut down its Chinese web portal owing to strict government regulations and stiff competition from the nations web portals such as Tencent and Sina. Whats Next ? Story continues Microsoft is shifting its focus from being an online content provider to offering services and software for its Windows 10 platform in China. Additionally, cloud services and computing represent lucrative segments for the company which will help it to fortify its position in China. MICROSOFT CORP Price MICROSOFT CORP Price | MICROSOFT CORP Quote Zacks Rank & Key Picks At present, Microsoft carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the broader technology space are Avid Technology, Inc. AVID and Infoblox Inc. BLOX, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1(Strong Buy) and Aspen Technology, Inc. AZPN, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 MICROSOFT CORP (MSFT): Free Stock Analysis Report AVID TECH INC (AVID): Free Stock Analysis Report ASPEN TECH INC (AZPN): Free Stock Analysis Report INFOBLOX INC (BLOX): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Tom Esslemont LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Brokers in Egypt's underground trade in human body parts use prostitutes to tempt migrants to sell their kidneys as hospitals turn a blind eye to illicit dealing in donated organs for transplants, a report says. Undocumented African migrants arriving in Cairo, desperate for cash, told the British Journal of Criminology that sex workers were offered as a "sweetener" before or after removal of their organs. "(One pimp) used the services of sex workers as leverage when negotiating fees with both sellers and buyers," the report said. "A night with a sex worker was offered as an extra inducement to sell." Organ purchase is banned in Egypt, though the country is a common destination for transplant tourism, along with India, Pakistan and Russia, according to separate research by Erasmus MC University Hospital Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In April, images published on social media showed the badly scarred bodies of Somali migrants on an Egyptian beach, suggesting they had had organs removed. In July, a British newspaper reported that African migrants were being killed for their organs in Egypt - a common transit country for migrants - if they could not afford to pay off their people smugglers. "The Egyptians come equipped to remove the organ and transport it in insulated bags," people smuggler Nouredin Atta was quoted by Britain's Times newspaper as telling investigators after his arrest. The picture of organ trading in Egypt extends beyond the criminal underworld, with mainstream hospitals conducting transplants using kidneys procured through backstreet deals, according to Sean Columb, the report's author. Columb, a law lecturer at Liverpool University in Britain, spent weeks in the Egyptian capital interviewing brokers and donors, mostly from Sudan. Nobody from Egypt's Health Ministry was immediately available to comment on his findings. While the buying of kidneys is banned in Egypt, it is not illegal to pay for a transplant procedure, Columb's report said, with some recipients paying up to $100,000 for a new organ. Little data is available on the amount donors receive in Cairo, but one of the 13 sellers Columb spoke to said he was paid 40,000 Egyptian pounds ($4,500) for his kidney. Deals were usually struck in a public place, such as a cafe, in the company of a broker and representative of a registered transplant laboratory, the report said. Egypt, at a crossroads between the Middle East, north Africa and the Mediterranean, has become a major transit hub for thousands of migrants and refugees seeking to enter Europe. Around one in 10 - or some 10,000 - migrants and refugees arriving in Italy from the north African coast have sailed from Egypt since the start of the year, the International Organisation for Migration said, with the remainder traveling from Libya. THUGS, THREATS AND EXTORTION Blurred lines between the illegal purchase of kidneys and legal transplant operations means organ removal is rarely reported to the authorities, Columb said. "Should a transplant professional (surgeon) suspect that an organ has been donated illegally there is no legal duty to report this to the relevant authorities," the article said. Surgeons turn a blind eye to the fact that some migrants give up body parts against their will, the report said, while some brokers threaten donors with big fines if they don't go ahead with removal. "The doctors don't want to know anything. They take the money without question," one broker told Columb. "It is possible the brokers connected to the laboratories could have been part of a more traditional organised crime structure with links overseas," Columb told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The report cites the case of one donor who said security guards imprisoned her in an operating theatre while her kidney was removed. The operation left her with persistent abdominal pain, meaning she has little choice but to work as a prostitute, the report said. Another would-be donor decided not to go ahead with the operation despite receiving threats from brokers. "She informed the (Egyptian and Sudanese) brokers of her decision not to go ahead with the operation, but they insisted that it was too late for her to reconsider, as the health checks and surgery had already been paid for," the report said. The woman said she continued to receive threats from the organ traffickers, who told her they would come and take her kidney, that nobody would care and she would get nothing, according to the article. Global data on illicit organ removal is scant. According to the 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), only 12 countries reported cases of trafficking for organ removal between 2010 and 2012. Victims of this type of exploitation represent just 0.2 percent of trafficked people, UNODC said. ($1 = 8.8799 Egyptian pounds) (Reporting By Tom Esslemont; editing by Timothy Large. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, womens rights, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) For the first time, NASA scientists have found direct evidence of a mysterious form of icy volcanism on a former planet named Ceres, located in the asteroid belt. In the 1800s, Ceres was a small planet with big dreams. But that all changed later that century when scientists realized that there were huge differences between planets and the newly minted classification of asteroids. After five decades of planetdom, Ceres was demoted to lowly asteroid. If Ceres was going to be an asteroid, it would be king of the asteroids. It held the honor of being the first asteroid ever discovered, and it reigned supreme in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, dominating a third of the belts mass. Then, in 2006, Ceres was once again reclassified, this time as a dwarf planet not quite a planet, but not quite an asteroid, either. Now Ceres had to share the spotlight with Pluto and the rest of the dwarf planets out there. And at just 600 miles wide, Ceres is one of the smallest dwarf planets in our solar system. A few tricks up its sleeve gallery 1472763288 ahuna williams But that hasn't kept Ceres from shoving its way to the spotlight. The tiny dwarf planet has continued to baffle scientists with mysterious white spots and disappearing craters. And it turns out the icy world still has a few more tricks up its sleeve. One of those tricks includes a massive ice volcano called Ahuna Mons that spews boiling salt water. Published alongside six other studies on Thursday, NASA scientists released a paper in Science that claims that Ahuna Mons is the strongest evidence yet for the existence of these mysterious ice volcanoes. The scientists used data from the Dawn spacecraft they sent to investigate the asteroid belt. Ahuna Mons is a gigantic pyramid-shaped mountain taking up a huge, isolated chunk of Ceres that has been baffling scientists for years. It's 13,000 feet high and 11 miles wide at its base about half the size of Mt. Everest. And on a planetary body the size of Texas, that kind of structure stands out. Scientists had no idea how such a giant, isolated mountain could have formed on the dwarf planet. Story continues Another interesting fact about Ahuna Mons is its age. While a few hundred million years sounds ancient compared to the young volcanoes on Earth, it's extremely young compared to volcanoes on the moon and Mars. And even weirder than its disproportionate size, its age, and its lonely location is the material that the volcano is made of ice. Scientists have long suspected that crazy ice volcanoes, called cryovolcanoes, exist on Pluto and Ceres and even Saturns moon Titan, but Ahuna Mons has given them their first real evidence of cryovolcanism. What is cryovolcanism? Cryovolcanoes are kind of like regular volcanoes except ... different. Instead of spitting out molten rock when they erupt, they spit out a mixture of salt and water. As Ahuna Mons spews out the salty water it freezes, creating an icy dome at the top, which, for the NASA scientists was one of the telltale signs that Ahuna Mons is a cryovolcano. The scientists used geological maps of the region made from images taken by Dawn as it orbited Ceres, Ottaviano Ruesch, NASA scientist and lead author of the paper, told Business Insider. They looked at craters and used 3D elevation models look at what processes could form the isolated mountain. Because they were able to exclude formation by tectonic plates and erosion, volcanism seemed like their best choice. "The only process that forms an isolated mountain is volcanism," Ruesch said. After studying the 3D models they made of Ahuna Mons, the scientists also compared its structure to that of other volcanoes. They found that the small volcanic dome, as well as the flanks and summit, are all extremely similar to what you'd find on Earth, the moon, and Mars. "We've seen hints of cryovolcanic activity in the past but weren't sure at all so this is an important discovery that puts constraints on how Ceres could have evolved," Ruesch said. "This mountain on the surface tells us what's going on the interior." According to Ruesch, the volcano could shine light on a key process in the evolution of Ceres that formed new crystals and minerals such as salt. It was this salt that enabled the formation of fluids on Ceres. That's because when you add salt to water, it lowers the temperature at which the water freezes, allowing it to stay fluid for longer. As Dawn continues orbiting around Ceres, scientists will take more images of the mountain to see if there are any changes and make sure there isn't any life still brewing in the volcano. This will allow them to add temporal dimensions to their models, taking more pictures over a longer period of time. "We don't expect to find any [activity] but you never know," Ruesch said. "Nature surprises us every time so we want to make sure the volcano isn't active." So Ceres might not be a planet. And it might not be king of the asteroids. But its home to a giant volcano made of ice. And thats pretty cool. NOW WATCH: This mysterious pyramid-shaped mountain in space is actually a gigantic ice volcano More From Business Insider Millions of public sector workers went on strike across India Friday protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans for greater privatisation and a proposed minimum wage hike they say is inadequate. Up to 150 million workers from sectors including nursing, banking, manufacturing and coal mining as well as hawkers and daily wage labourers are expected to take part in the 24-hour nationwide strike, organisers said. Ten major unions called the strike after talks with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley broke down, with leaders rejecting his offer to raise the minimum wage for unskilled workers from 6,396 rupees ($95) per month to 9,100 rupees ($136). "This strike is against the central government, this strike is for the cause of the working people," Ramen Pandey of the Indian National Trade Union Congress said. "Our strike will be 100 percent successful... we will prove that this strike is the world's largest ever." Workers are also demanding the government dump plans to shutter unproductive factories, raise foreign investment caps in some industries and sell off stakes in state-run companies -- over fears that creeping privatisation will jeopardise jobs. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions said workers were "demanding an end to the all-round attack launched by the government against their lives, livelihood and dignity" and that 150 million people were expected to lay down tools. It accused the government of a "vile conspiracy... to privatise the public sector and invite foreign capital in some parts of industry". Unions are seeking the introduction of universal social security as well as an increase in the minimum wage to 18,000 rupees a month because of rising prices. It was not possible to independently verify the number of workers on strike. Banks, shops and schools shut down in several parts of the country including southern Karnataka and Kerala states where public transport stopped running, stranding commuters and travellers. Story continues Television footage showed flag-waving protesters squatting on railway tracks in the states of Orissa and West Bengal, which has a long history of left-wing union activism. More than 20 protesters were arrested after they damaged two government buses in West Bengal, senior police official Anuj Sharma told AFP. India's power minister Piyush Goyal said the strike would not have any impact on coal supplies as there is "no shortage of coal anywhere in the country". Modi won a landslide election victory in 2014, promising a string of business-friendly reforms to attract foreign investment and revive the economy. According to the latest budget, the government aims to raise some 560 billion rupees ($8.3 billion) through privatisation in 2016-17 and shut down some state-run firms, after losses exceeded $4 billion in the last financial year. Previous strikes have brought cities to a standstill and cost the Indian economy millions of dollars in lost production. The Buffalo County Sheriffs Office said Thursday that seat belts may have prevented a deadly outcome in a severe crash Wednesday afternoon that involved two cars and a large utility truck. Alexander Carlson, 23, of Winona, Minn., was southbound in a silver Grand Am about 3 p.m. on Hwy. 35, preparing to make a left turn onto Bluff Siding Road, when he was rear-ended by a gold Ford Taurus driven by Sophia Korpal, 23, of Arcadia, according to the sheriffs office. The crash pushed Carlsons vehicle into the path of an oncoming BNSF Peterbilt truck driven by John Byrnes 45, of Pekin, Ill. The truck hit Carlsons vehicle head-on and broke the car apart, spinning the front 360 degrees and throwing it into the northbound ditch, with the rest of the vehicle coming to a stop in the northbound lane. All three drivers were wearing their seat belts, which greatly minimized their injuries given the extent of damage to the vehicles, the sheriffs office said in a release. Initial reports Wednesday were that just Carlson was injured, because Korpal and Byrnes had been transported from the scene by private vehicles to Winona Health, while Carlson was transported by ambulance. The Winona Fire Department, Winona Area Ambulance Service, Fountain City Fire Department and First Responders, Wisconsin State Patrol, Buffalo County Highway Department, and Snappers and Borkowskis towing all assisted at the scene. Harirampur (India) (AFP) - Sitting in her mud house in eastern India, Monica Besra vividly recalls the "blinding light" emanating from Mother Teresa's photo that she believes helped cure her cancer -- one of the two recognised miracles that propelled the nun towards sainthood. Besra, a tribal woman from West Bengal, became an overnight sensation in September 1998 when she claimed that a picture and a medallion of the world's most famous Roman Catholic nun had cured her ovarian tumour. "Two sisters carried me to the church since I was too weak to stand or walk by myself," the 50-year-old told AFP at her tin-roofed home in Harirampur on Thursday. Her village is some 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Kolkata, where Mother Teresa -- who is set to be canonised on Sunday -- devoted her life to helping the sick, the poor and the dying. "As soon as I entered (the church), a blinding, divine light emitted from Mother's photo and enveloped me. I closed my eyes, I couldn't understand what was happening. It was indescribable, I felt faint," the mother of five said. On September 5, 1998 -- exactly a year after Mother Teresa's death -- nuns placed a tiny aluminium medallion that had been blessed by the future Saint Teresa of Kolkata on Besra's stomach and prayed for her. She recounts how she awoke to go to the bathroom a few hours later, a walk usually too painful for her to carry out alone. "I got up from my bed feeling so light and good. I looked down to see the giant lump had disappeared. I couldn't believe it. I touched that part, poked it, pinched it. It was really gone. I wasn't dreaming it," said Besra, who still wears the medallion around her neck. The next day she was proclaimed cured, a feat hailed by the Vatican as a miracle leading to Mother Teresa's beatification -- a crucial step on the path to sainthood -- that took place in October 2003 in Rome, with Besra in attendance. Story continues The Pope last year recognised a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa -- the 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man suffering from multiple brain tumours, paving the way for her canonisation by the Vatican. - 'Fictitious' - Besra's claim, however, is not without its detractors. Doctors who treated her have said there was no evidence of a miracle and that her tumour, which was at an early stage, had responded to medicine. "Besra was rid of her tumour with the help of very strong medicines and treatment for several days at Balurghat Hospital," former West Bengal health minister Partho De told AFP in 2002. "I mean no disrespect to Mother Teresa but it is stretching the truth to say that it was a miracle worked by her." Prabir Ghosh, general secretary of the Indian Rationalist and Scientific Thinking Association, has challenged her story from the outset. "The miracles attributed to Mother Teresa for her sainthood are fictitious claims. There is no scientific evidence to prove the claims," Ghosh told AFP in Kolkata. "Missionaries of Charity (the nun's order) has fudged facts to claim miracles to secure sainthood for the Roman Catholic nun." Missionaries of Charity has consistently declined to respond on the issue. For her part, Besra, whose beliefs are not strictly in line with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, remains unmoved by her critics. She maintains that Mother Teresa "performs miracles only for those who believe and I have always believed". Although her sainthood is only now being made official, Besra said she always considered the nun a saint with the power to heal. "Her canonisation is a wish come true," she said. By Subrata Nagchoudhury and Sunil Kataria KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - On the eve of her canonization as a Roman Catholic saint, and 19 years after her death, the order founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta is going strong - even without her charismatic leadership. The Missionaries of Charity gained world renown, and Mother Teresa a Nobel peace prize, by caring for the dying, the homeless and orphans gathered from the teeming streets of the city in eastern India. They also drew criticism for propagating what one skeptic has called a cult of suffering; for failing to treat people whose lives might have been saved with hospital care; and for trying to convert the destitute to Christianity. While staying true to their cause, the Missionaries of Charity say they have responded to their detractors. "There is no change in our way of treating the sick and dying - we follow the same rule that Mother had introduced," said Sister Nicole, who runs the Nirmal Hriday home in the ancient district of Kalighat, the first to be set up by Mother Teresa in 1952. The nuns no longer picked up people "randomly" off the streets, she said, and only took in the destitute at the request of police. "Any good work will be challenged - but if the work is genuinely good it will survive such criticism and carry on to be God's true work," said Nicole. PRAYER AND WORK Hundreds of thousands are expected to gather in Rome on Sunday for a canonization service led by Pope Francis, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, in front of St Peter's Basilica. Kolkata, as the former capital of the British Raj is now called, is holding prayers, talks and cultural events. But no major ceremony is planned to mark the path to sainthood for the two miracles of healing attributed to Mother Teresa. The low-key mood reflects an often-heated debate over religious intolerance in India, a predominantly Hindu country of 1.3 billion people. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said Indians felt "proud" about the canonization, the head of a Hindu grassroots movement that supports his government provoked controversy last year by accusing Mother Teresa of seeking to convert people to Christianity. Her order denies this. Kolkata Archbishop Thomas D'Souza played down any suggestion that Mother Teresa was not loved and respected by people of other faiths in a city that is home to 170,000 Roman Catholics. "Mother is certainly not a goddess to them," he told Reuters. "But she is deeply venerated and people - cutting across caste, community and creed - are respectful to her work." The everyday work of the Missionaries of Charity goes on, meanwhile. On a recent day at the spartan Kalighat home, male inmates with shaven heads and wearing green uniforms lay on bunks. Women ate in a canteen while others were cared for by volunteers. One inmate, a man of about 40 called Saregama, had just died. "Saregama died with dignity and care," said Sister Nicole. "We prayed for him." The number of homes that the Missionaries of Charity run has grown to nearly 750 in India and abroad, from the 600 that Mother Teresa left when she died in 1997. At Mother House, her old headquarters down a narrow lane, the mood was one of silent prayer. Inside, a notice still hung on the wall saying: "Time to see Mother Teresa: 9 am to 12 noon/3 pm to 6 pm. Thursday closed." Mother House still attracts visitors to India like Pedro Afonso, a lawyer from Brazil who had come with a friend for evening mass. He gave thanks for the miracles that will bring sainthood to Mother Teresa and said that, in Kolkata, she "had chosen the right place for her work and charity". (Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Robert Birsel) Sept 2 (Reuters) - The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Friday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com. MARKEL INTERNATIONAL The specialist insurer appointed Timothy Foister as energy underwriter, based in Singapore. GLENCORE PLC Senior U.S. copper and zinc trader at Glencore Plc, Tim McGee, has left the Swiss-based commodities producer, a spokesman said on Friday. COMMERZBANK AG Sean Costello, head of leveraged loan capital markets at Commerzbank, has stepped down from his role after 11 years at the bank. KEMPEN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT NV Kempen Capital Management NV, a unit of Kempen & Co NV, named Kornelis Buursma as business development director with effect from Sept. 1. LLOYDS BANK COMMERCIAL BANKING NORTH AMERICA The bank which is a part of Lloyds Banking Group Plc , said it appointed Alasdair Gardner as the head of its global corporates coverage team. (Compiled by Gayathree Gansan in Bengaluru) Chicago-based Music Box Films has picked up all U.S. and Canadian rights to Francois Ozons Frantz, which is competing at the Venice Film Festival before playing at Telluride and Toronto. Inspired by Ernst Lubitschs lesser-known film Broken Lullaby, Frantz, which opens in the aftermath of Germanys WWI defeat, follows Anna (Paula Beer), whos still mourning her fiance Frantz, who was killed the year before in a battle in France. A tale of guilt and forgiveness, the film centers on Annas unexpected relationship with a mysterious Frenchman (Pierre Niney) who claims to have been Frantzs friend from before the war. Sold by Paris-based Films Distribution, Frantz was produced by Mandarin Films, the producer of Ozons films since Potiche, which was also released in the U.S. by Music Box. Frantz is the latest in a string of Mandarin-produced French films acquired by Music Box. The outfit recently released Anne Fontaines Sundance-premiering The Innocents, also repped by Films Distribution. This is an eloquent, evocative, and stunningly emotional film by a master filmmaker operating at the highest level. Were very pleased to be working again with Francois, Mandarin, and Films Distribution, said Music Box managing director Ed Arentz. Francois Ozons Frantz stirred strong interest from U.S. buyers over the summer, but in the end we decided to put the movie in the hands of Music Box Films, a trusted partner and truly one of the leading foreign language distributors in North America. We know they will do great with it, just as they have done on our previous collaborations, said Films Distribution co-founder Nicolas Brigaud-Robert. Music Box is planning a theatrical rollout in the Spring. Frantz will play at Toronto in the special presentation section. The deal was negotiated by Films Distributions Nicolas Brigaud-Robert and Music Box Filmss William Schopf. Related stories Post-Holocaust Documentary 'Aida's Secrets' Bought by Music Box for US Story continues Nanni Moretti's 'Mia Madre' Sells to Music Box Music Box Acquires U.S. Rights to 'The Brand New Testament' (EXCLUSIVE) Music Box Films just acquired all North American rights to Frantz, Francois Ozons latest feature that has its international premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival. The film, which was inspired by Ernest Lubitschs 1932 film Broken Lullaby, had its North American premiere at the Telluride Film Festival before going on to a Special Presentations slot at the Toronto International Film Festival. Music Box plans to release the film in 2017, at the end of the first quarter. The film is set in a small German town after the countrys defeat in World War I. Anna (Paula Beer) mourns every day at the grave of her fiance Frantz, who was killed the year before in a battle in France. One day she sees a man (Pierre Niney) laying flowers at Frantzs grave who claims to be a friend of his. Their bond of sorrow propels a surprising and haunting tale of guilt and forgiveness. Mandarin Films, the same production company for Ozons films since his 2010 film Potiche, produced the film. Music Box previously worked with the filmmaker the 2010 film and has released several Mandarin Film productions over the past eight years. Included in that long list is the more recent The Innocents from Anne Fontaine. The deal terms were negotiated by Films Distribution partner Nicolas Brigaud-Robert and Music Box Films president William Schopf. Related stories On Eve Of 'Ove' Film Release, Novelist Fredrik Backman Deals Four New Works To Atria Books Music Box Films Acquires Black Comedy 'Brand New Testament' Music Box Films Acquires Swedish Box Office Hit 'A Man Called Ove' Narcos is back to run out the clock on drug lord Pablo Escobar: The presumably final 10 hours of the Netflix drama once again relies heavily on the fine, minimalistic performance by Wagner Moura as Escobar to hold your interest, and insists on using the voiceover narration of a DEA agent to dare you to keep watching. Narcos may be about a drug war, but its also a production at war with itself. As we rejoin the saga of the real-life crime kingpin, Escobar is trapped by Colombian law enforcement and the governments army. He slips past them in a casual way, and were off: At its best, Narcos has a sure sense of how to dramatize the extent of the power Escobar had on his country and the fear he struck in the hearts of so many, including a large percentage of the people tasked with capturing him. The show invariably contrasts this fearsome foe with his behavior at home, as a loving husband, father, and son. It is in maintaining a credible balance within these contrasting scenes that Moura keeps Escobar from becoming an exaggerated, Al Pacino-as-Scarface kind of super-gangster. The bad-guy Escobar who wreaked awful damage with the drugs he sold and the orders he gave to kill his enemies, murdering many innocent bystanders in the process is constantly compared to the Escobar who plays games with his children and has long, romantic chats with his wife, played by Paulina Gaitan. The show ought to be complimented as much for making sentimental-Escobar as convincing as violent-Escobar. Related: Narcos Stars Talk Pablo Escobar on the Run in Season 2 The overarching problem with the series is its framing device. American DEA agent Steve Murphy, played by Boyd Holbrook and a sad, droopy mustache, narrates the show as though to guide Americans through an alternate world. Or perhaps the shows creators, Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro, wanted to make this part of their production an homage to the crime-sagas-with-narration, such as Martin Scorseses Goodfellas. Story continues But as low-key fine as Holbrooks performance is, Steve Murphy is written as one of the least interesting characters in this production, which leads us to wonder, Why is this low-level schmo telling us the tale? His words also frequently overreach for a kind of poetic eloquence the character we see onscreen simply does not possess. Thus even in final-hour 10, Murphys voiceover is comparing Colombia to a place where the bizarre shakes hands with the inexplicable, as though he were reading from some witty Gore Vidal essay on Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The second season of Narcos increases the number of enemies, the proliferation of factions arrayed against Escobar and his minions in the cocaine trade. They now include not only forces of the Colombian and American governments, but also the CIA, rival drug cartels, and a band of terroristic thugs calling themselves Los Pepes, which stands for People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar. It is to the producers credit that they manage to make all these various factions distinct in their appearance and motives. While Narcos isnt much for visual splendor its filmed as a cut above your average basic cable-TV-true-crime documentary it has Mouras wonderful performance as its central image, one that will be what people remember about Narcos. Moura uses the bulk weight he put on for the role to communicate Escobars inner feelings. His heavy stomach is a stand-in for his heavy heart as Escobar becomes more melancholy about the pain his criminal acts have caused his family. And Mouras usually quiet, blank expression is a perfect way to communicate the limits of Escobars sympathy: Sure, he feels sorry for his wife and kids and himself, but he also has a psychopaths detachment from the suffering caused by the drug trade he has built. Your engagement with Narcos is going to depend on how much you can become concerned about Escobar and his fate, how much you can look past the series easy melodrama to savor its more subtle and moving moments of political intrigue, and the small, vivid subplots about the Escobar gangs individual lives. The suspense lies not in, as the pushy voiceover narration has it, the notion that Pablo is never more dangerous than when you almost have him, but when you see him in his struggle to keep his waning power. Narcos is streaming now on Netflix. A mission to study the inner workings of Mars is now set to launch in the spring of 2018, NASA announced today (Sept. 2). The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, was originally scheduled to launch in March 2016, but NASA delayed the launch indefinitely due to a serious structural problem with one of the probe's two science instruments. Now, scientists with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have been tasked with fixing the problem before the 2018 launch date. The instrument redesign and delayed launch date will add $153.8 million to the initial $675 million budget, NASA officials said in a statement. [What's Inside Mars? NASA's InSight Mission Will Probe Deep | Video] The probe must be launched during a particular window, when the Earth and Mars are positioned in such a way that the probe can easily reach the Red Planet. That window will open on March 5, 2018, according to the statement. The probe is now scheduled to land on Mars on Nov. 26, 2018. The InSight mission's central aim is to understand how Mars and other rocky planets formed. The probe will land on the Red Planet surface and stay there for a full Mars year (687 Earth days). Two instruments on board InSight will study the planet's internal geologic activity, as well as the internal temperature of Mars. By studying the planet's interior, scientists will gather clues about the planet's history, including how it formed, the statement said. Zooming out, this information can be fed into an understanding of how the other rocky planets in the solar system formed and how rocky planets might form around other stars. The delay in launch was caused by a problem with one of the probe's instruments, the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS), which will measure very small seismic activity on Mars. The instrument "requires a perfect vacuum seal around its three main sensors in order to withstand harsh conditions on the Red Planet," according to the statement, but inspections done ahead of the initial launch date found leaks in the vacuum chamber. Story continues The SEIS instrument was initially provided by the French Space Agency (CNES), with the participation of the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Imperial College and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), according to NASA's website. Under the new plan, JPL scientists will be responsible for "redesigning, developing and qualifying" the portions of the instrument that failed. CNES will "focus on developing and delivering the key sensors for SEIS, integration of the sensors into the container, and the final integration of the instrument onto the spacecraft." "We've concluded that a replanned InSight mission for launch in 2018 is the best approach to fulfill these long-sought, high-priority science objectives," Jim Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, said in the statement. While the budget increase will not affect any current missions, NASA officials said there "may be fewer opportunities for new missions in future years, from fiscal years 2017-2020." "It's gratifying that we are moving forward with this important mission to help us better understand the origins of Mars and all the rocky planets, including Earth," Geoff Yoder, acting associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in the statement. Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield.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. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f199114%2f2211e403ef394376b17c48bd4755a7c2 New photos beamed back to Earth from NASA's Juno spacecraft show the beautiful, giant planet as never before. Storms swirl in the new images, taken just before Juno's close pass by the planet on Aug. 27. The spacecraft's closest pass that day brought it about 2,500 miles above Jupiter's cloud tops, according to NASA. The new photos reveal never-before-seen views of the planet's north polar region. SEE ALSO: We're about to get our closest-ever look at Jupiter First glimpse of Jupiters north pole, and it looks like nothing we have seen or imagined before, said Juno principal investigator Scott Bolton, in a statement. Its bluer in color up there than other parts of the planet, and there are a lot of storms. There is no sign of the latitudinal bands or zone and belts that we are used to this image is hardly recognizable as Jupiter," he said. "Were seeing signs that the clouds have shadows, possibly indicating that the clouds are at a higher altitude than other features. Details of Jupiter's clouds revealed by NASA's Juno. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS The new images also show that, unlike Saturn, Jupiter doesn't have a hexagonal jet stream in its north and south poles. Saturn has a hexagon at the north pole, Bolton added. There is nothing on Jupiter that anywhere near resembles that. The largest planet in our solar system is truly unique." Juno also caught sight of Jupiter's auroras, snapping photos of the planet's extreme cosmic lights in infrared. Until now, scientists hadn't been able to see Jupiter's southern aurora, but a powerful instrument on Juno revealed them for the first time. This infrared image from Juno provides an unprecedented view of Jupiter's southern aurora. Such views are not possible from Earth. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS "These first infrared views of Jupiters north and south poles are revealing warm and hot spots that have never been seen before," said Alberto Adriani, co-investigator on Juno's Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper instrument, in a statement. Story continues "And while we knew that the first-ever infrared views of Jupiter's south pole could reveal the planet's southern aurora, we were amazed to see it for the first time." Scientists also created a video (below) allowing viewers to "hear" the sound of Jupiter's auroras as Juno observed them. The raw data taken by Juno didn't include a sound file, but researchers working with the mission converted the radio emissions into sound to better understand it. Jupiter's auroras are larger than Earth itself, and unlike our planet's auroras, Jupiter's don't just come and go intermittently depending on how strong the sun's solar wind is as the time. Jupiter's auroras fueled by its powerful magnetic field are constantly shining above the huge world. Juno should continue to help scientists learn more about Jupiter's auroras, clouds and other aspects of the large planet as its 20-month-mission continues. All of the spacecraft's instruments have been turned on and are collecting data, and they should continue to send information back to Earth through the course of the craft's next 36 flybys of Jupiter. Lionsgate is pushing its YA film Nerve back into 600 theaters this weekend to take advantage of the Labor Day holiday when kids are out of school. The film was released July 27 and became a hit among its core audience of young girls. It since has collected $36.9M stateside and $47.6M worldwide. The company has partnered with mobile ticketing service Atom Tickets to offer the film at a cut rate of $5 when tickets are purchased through the app. Nerve stars Emma Roberts and Dave Franco and centers on a high school senior who finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of watchers. It will play in about 188 cities nationwide, including such major markets as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Related stories Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge' Rivets With 10-Minute Ovation At World Premiere - Venice 'Hacksaw Ridge': Mel Gibson's Faith-Based WWII Action Pic Has Lido Believing - Venice Lionsgate Hires Deloitte To Craft Post-Merger Integration Plans With Starz Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Friday to recover the body of soldier Oron Shaul who was killed in Gaza in 2014 following his father's death. "In the name of all Israel, we share in the family's pain and assure them we will continue to do everything to bring Oron back so he can be buried according to Jewish ritual," Netanyahu said. He was speaking after paying a condolence visit to the soldier's family after the death of his father, Herzl Shaul, of cancer. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday he was determined to recover the bodies of two soldiers killed in Gaza, including Shaul, although he was opposed to striking a deal with Hamas which rules the Palestinian territory. Shaul, a soldier in the 2014 Gaza war, was believed by the Israeli army to have been killed along with Hadar Goldin, and the Islamist movement Hamas is thought to hold their bodies. Channel 10 television on Monday quoted Lieberman as saying, in private conversations, that the return of the soldiers' remains was improbable and that he does not want to negotiate with Hamas. The report triggered an uproar with Goldin's twin brother, Tzour, telling military radio that Lieberman was ignoring "his responsibilities and the army's code of ethics". Goldin's family later issued a statement denouncing "the abandonment of soldiers on the battlefield by the minister of the defence". But the ultra-nationalist Lieberman dismissed the accusations against him. The Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin: Did the Russians hack U.S. election databases? (Yahoo News photo illustration, photos: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters, Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters, AP, AP) A top cybersecurity firm said Friday it has found significant links between the hacks of two U.S. state election databases this summer and suspected Russian state-sponsored attacks against the ruling political party in Turkey and members of the Ukrainian Parliament. ThreatConnect, a firm founded by former U.S. military intelligence analysts, said it discovered the connection this week by researching a Web address linked to one of the election hacks and cited in an Aug. 18 confidential flash alert to state election officials. The alert was first reported Monday by Yahoo News. The same IP address was previously used in a spear-phishing campaign that began last March against members of the Ukrainian Parliament, Turkeys ruling AKP party and Germanys Freedom Party, ThreatConnect said in a research report titled Can a BEAR Fit Down a Rabbit Hole? Yahoo News has obtained an advance copy of the report, which is being released on ThreatConnects website today. The firm acknowledged that the connections were not conclusive since different hackers can use the same IP address. But it concluded that the common IP address and other circumstantial evidence make it more likely that the cyberattacks on the Arizona and Illinois Boards of Elections this summer were state-backed rather than criminally motivated activity. Weve cracked the egg open, said Rich Barger, the chief intelligence officer of ThreatConnect and a former U.S. military intelligence analyst. My gut tells me that with enough evidence, this eventually could point us to Russian state involvement. The release of the ThreatConnect report comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his first public comments on the issue, denied that his government had any role in the recent cyberattack on the Democratic National Committee. Putin said the focus of public attention should be on the content of emails released by WikiLeaks, not on the hackers. Does it even matter who hacked this data from Mrs. Clintons campaign office?, Putin said. I dont know anything about it, and on a state level, Russia has never done this, he said in a Reuters interview. Story continues Putin also said that the Russian government had no intention of interfering in the U.S. election. We have never interfered, are not interfering and do not interfere in domestic politics, he said. Still, the possibility that Russian intelligence may have been behind the recent election database attacks in Arizona and Illinois has heightened concerns among U.S. officials that the Kremlin may be seeking to tamper with this Novembers presidential election. While not commenting on the details of his investigation, which is ongoing, FBI Director James Comey underscored those concerns at a cybersecurity conference in Washington this week: We take very seriously any effort by any actor, including nation-states, and maybe especially nation-states, that moves beyond the collection of information about our country and that offers the prospect of an effort to influence the conduct of affairs in our country, Comey said. FBI Director James Comey speaks at a government symposium on cybersecurity, Aug. 30, 2016, in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The ThreatConnect report highlights the danger of what some U.S officials describe as increasingly brazen Russian cyberattacks. Besides the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and other political groups, several Washington think tanks that specialize in Russian affairs have been targeted, according to a report this week in Defense One. James Lewis, a cyberexpert at one of those think tanks, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Yahoo News that his organization has been regularly visited by FBI agents about once a month, he said who have informed it of Russian cyberattacks on its computers, including the pilfering of emails and of internal research by its scholars. CSIS own cybersecurity firm has concluded that the hacks were committed by the same Russian intelligence service suspected of the attack on the DNC, Lewis said. Ive had the distinction of having had the most number of hard drives that have been infected, said Heather Conley, a former State Department official and now a CSIS scholar who specializes in Russian military affairs. She said the attacks on her computer have occurred around times when she is preparing to give congressional testimony. One instance was when she was about to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee last fall to present findings about Russias military buildup in the Arctic. She was alerted by CSIS security that a virus had infected her computer and then metastasized on her hard drive. They just must be interested in what Im writing and what Im pursuing, she said. While some of these attacks might seem to fall under the category of standard spy agency snooping, the cyber intrusions cited by ThreatConnect point to potentially more sinister activity, involving apparent attempts to manipulate political events overseas. The firm said it found evidence that fake Turkish domains, hosted at the malicious IP address cited in the FBI flash alert, were registered in January 2016 and used to send phony spear-phishing emails to members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling AKP party. The cyberattacks began shortly after Turkey shot down a Russian airplane on the Syrian border. This was followed in July by the release by WikiLeaks of nearly 300,000 AKP emails and the WikiLeaks data-dump of nearly 20,000 internal Democratic National Committee emails. That episode embarrassed top party officials and led to the resignation of DNC chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. If Russian intelligence was behind the release of the AKP emails, it would be consistent with Russian collection and influence operations that have recently focused on U.S. politics as well as providing it with intelligence about Turkeys knowledge of ongoing [Russian] military operations in Syria, ThreatConnect wrote in its report. The firm pointed to other indicators of potential Russian involvement in the Turkish attacks and in cyberattacks targeting Ukrainian Parliament members of the political party of President Petro Poroshenko, who is at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In its flash alert to state election officials, the FBI identified a total of eight IP addresses that were used in the attacks on Arizona and Illinois. Six of them, ThreatConnect says, are hosted by a Russian-language Internet firm called King Servers. In addition, ThreatConnect noted that one of the IP addresses appears to link to a 2015 cyberattack on the Ukraine power grid and a so-called denial-of-service attack on news media in that country. The firms conclusion: Whether it is to ultimately collect intelligence, influence public opinion, or sow discord, doubt or contempt with respect to political ideologies the individuals behind this activity, whoever they may be, are looking to manipulate multiple countries democratic processes. Caracas (AFP) - A day after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's opponents staged a mass demonstration calling for a referendum on removing him from office, their victory still looked far from certain on Friday. Here is how Venezuelan analysts and key players see the next few weeks developing as the opposition presses for a referendum before the crucial turning point of January 10. - More protests - The head of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), Jesus Torrealba, told AFP that around a million people joined in Thursday's march. The coalition vowed to take to the streets again on September 7 and 14. "The toughest challenge for the opposition is converting their potential energy into kinetic energy. This protest march has not changed who is in charge of the institutions," said Luis Vicente Leon, head of polling firm Datanalisis. "Once they are in the street, a winning strategy for the opposition would be to stay there, to show that they are in the majority and remind people what the majority wants and that they will not be quiet until they get it." - Government resists 'coup' - Maduro has vowed to resist, branding the opposition "fascist right-wing" stooges of US "imperialism." He staged his own rally in defiance of the opposition's gathering on Thursday. He threatened to strip opposition lawmakers of their immunity to go after them in the courts. His Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said she had proof that opposition protesters had plotted violence. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said security forces had detained various opposition leaders over recent days and had "frustrated a coup d'etat and defeated violence." The government had already launched court appeals against the MUD, accusing its members of electoral fraud in the referendum petitions. Maduro wrote off Thursday's opposition demo, claiming: "The victory is ours." - 'More intensity' - Story continues The opposition wants to hold the referendum by January 10. If it takes place before that date and Maduro loses, new elections must be held. If he loses in a recall after that date, he would simply hand power to his hand-picked vice president. But the National Electoral Board has scheduled the next stage of the process for late October, putting a January 10 referendum virtually out of reach. The opposition says the electoral authorities are controlled by Maduro. For the next stage in the referendum process, the opposition needs to gather four million signatures to back its call for a plebiscite. The electoral board says it will announce on September 13 the exact date when it will let the opposition gather those signatures. The opposition has vowed to rally the next day. On its own, "that march will not make the board change its schedule," said Eugenio Martinez, an electoral analyst. "If the opposition settles for one demonstration it loses. That is why they have announced more protests that will grow in intensity," he added. "All these protests added together could succeed in pushing the electoral authorities to speed up the process." The National Labor Relations Board has dismissed an unfair labor practices charge filed against Actors Equity by opponents of the unions plan to require small theatres in Los Angeles to pay their actors at least minimum wage. Some smaller playhouses here pay their actors as little as $7 a day, and opponents of the unions plan say that making them pay minimum wage will put many small venues out of business. In their NLRB complaint, they claimed Equity breached its duty of fair representation. We are pleased with the NLRB decision, Equity said in a statement. Our policies provide for both paid and volunteer opportunities for Los Angeles members. Equity applauds the NLRBs decision to dismiss the frivolous charge. Californias minimum wage is $10 an hour. Kathleen Hennessy, a spokesperson for the California State Labor Commissioner, told Deadline that stage actors are not exempt from the states laws. There is no such exemption for actors at non-profit theatres. Opponents have also filed a suit in federal court seeking to block the union from imposing its minimum wage rule. That action is still pending. Related stories Ballots To Finally Be Counted In WGA's Bid To Unionize Peacock Productions Producers Actors' Equity Leaders Say They've Been "Threatened" By 99-Seat Plan Opponents Actors' Equity Says L.A. Theatres Can Afford To Pay Minimum Wage Jake Gyllenhaal in Nocturnal Animals (Photo: Merrick Morton Universal Pictures International) By David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter David Lynch meets Alfred Hitchcock meets Douglas Sirk in Nocturnal Animals, a sumptuously entertaining noir melodrama laced with vicious crime and psychological suspense, which more than delivers on the promise of A Single Man, writer-director Tom Fords first foray behind the camera seven years ago. Confidently dovetailing three strands that depict present and past reality, as well as a dark fictional detour that functions as a blunt real-life rebuke, the film once again demonstrates that Ford is both an intoxicating sensualist and an accomplished storyteller, with as fine an eye for character detail as he has for color and composition. Focus Features should be able to count on sophisticated adult audiences lapping up this Dec. 9 release, whose pleasures include a coolly acerbic critique of the Los Angeles contemporary art scene that, like much of the sly humor coursing through Fords screenplay, dances flirtatiously around the fringes of camp. Premiering back to back in Venice with Denis Villeneuves Arrival,Nocturnal Animals also provides Amy Adams with another multi-faceted role, this time as a woman whose unhappiness is rooted in buried guilt. Ford adapted the screenplay from the late American novelist Austin Wrights 1993 book, Tony and Susan, and the films title comes from the novel within that novel. It was also the term that aspiring author Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) used to describe his now-divorced wife Susan (Adams), a chronic insomniac. While the novel is about the choices that define us and their consequences for people along the way, it is also about the extremely intimate act of reading, as access to another persons thoughts, feelings and experience. Ford echoes that underlying theme by making Nocturnal Animals, in subliminal ways, a movie about watching movies. Story continues An eye-opening sequence that plays under the opening titles features a hefty middle-aged burlesque dancer in drum-majorette accessories but otherwise naked, dancing in front of a red curtain. Those who found A Single Man somewhat questionable in its depiction of early-'60s Los Angeles as a place entirely populated by specimens of physical perfection with zero percent body fat and fabulous wardrobes might be tempted to interpret this sequence as Fords F.U. response. Related: Tom Fords 'Nocturnal Animals Lands Awards Season Release Date The in-your-face images are actually part of an art installation curated by Susan, who long ago abandoned her own artistic ambitions to move into gallery management. While her handsome, philandering second husband Walker (Armie Hammer) has hit a rough patch in his powerbroker dealings, their professional success is reflected in the cold steel, stone and glass fortress in the hills where they live, with Los Angeles spread out below like a glittering carpet. Adams innate vulnerability is nicely played off here against Susans sleek appearance, as smooth and painstakingly put-together as the pristine surfaces of the world in which she moves. But shes plagued by gnawing unhappiness and unable to make the similarly well-heeled and privileged friends in whom she confides understand. Believe me, our world is a lot less painful than the real world, says Carlos (Michael Sheen), the gay husband of an eccentric socialite (Andrea Riseborough) who pairs chunky statement jewelry with Liz Taylors old hair and caftan. (This couples too-brief appearance is a hoot; can someone please write them their own movie?) Susans sense of isolation is compounded when she receives a manuscript from ex-husband Edward, almost 20 years after they last spoke. Its harrowing plot comes to vivid life in her head, with Tony (Gyllenhaal again), his wife Laura (Isla Fisher) and their obnoxiously entitled teenage daughter India (Ellie Bamber) heading off on vacation. In the movies white-knuckle centerpiece sequence, the family is nudged off a lonely stretch of West Texas freeway by rednecks in another vehicle, led by Ray (a chilling Aaron Taylor-Johnson). This being a Tom Ford movie, even the white trash has gorgeous bone structure, but these guys are genuinely menacing. The ugly intensity of their scenes is palpable, as is the terror they unleash. Back in Los Angeles, Susan is increasingly unsettled as she reads on; her own world begins to mirror that of the book in the fluid overlapping transitions of ace editor Joan Sobels tricky scene-structuring. Events in the novel get even more twisted as Tony works with gnarled cowboy detective Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon) to find the perpetrators of that fateful nights brutal crimes. Susan, to whom the book is dedicated, sees Laura as her obvious stand-in, and interprets the fictional characters grim fate as retribution from her ex-husband. The novel also forces her to acknowledge the growing cracks in her current marriage. Related: Cannes: Tom Ford to Go It Alone on 'Nocturnal Animals After George Clooney Exit At around that point Ford then begins folding in scenes plucked from the past, back when Susan and Edward were together. She was his sharpest critic during their marriage, her discouragement sapping his drive to become a writer. Laura Linney appears in one delicious scene, channeling Glenn Close to perfection as Susans mother, an icy Texan matron whos all lacquered hair, martinis, pearls and withering condescension. While expressing her stern disapproval of Susans plan to marry Edward, whom she views as a weak romantic, she warns her daughter, Just wait. We all eventually turn into our mothers. As their marriage hits the rocks, Edward confronts Susan with that uncomfortable reality. Perhaps the most impressive evidence of Fords growth as a director is the complex juggling act he pulls off with the storys three parallel strands, each of them distinct and yet forming a seamless whole. The scenes involving Tony and Bobby have the flavorful feel of gritty Western crime but also, in Gyllenhaals raw performance, the scalding pain of revenge that barely serves as a Band-Aid to wounds that can never heal. Shannons typically idiosyncratic spin on a small-town Texas archetype is no less riveting. This gruesome drama plays in stark relief against the astutely observed shallowness of the glamorous L.A. art world. Two brief but pricelessly arch scenes in particular stand out, one with Jena Malone as a gallery staffer wearing a sublimely ridiculous high-fashion getup (which looks like it was borrowed from Kristen Stewart in Personal Shopper), and one with the divine Kristin Bauer van Straten as a cosmetic surgery freak with lips like pillows and eyes like daggers. Related: Cannes: Tom Fords 'Nocturnal Animals Sells Worldwide to Universal, Focus In terms of visuals, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey plays up the contrasts between the sterile perfection of the Los Angeles environments and the expansive vistas of Texas, with their painterly skies staring down on a lawless land. Production designer Shane Valentino also does striking work finding eerie echoes of the fictional crime in some of the art pieces on display in L.A. While there was no denying the eye-popping beauty of A Single Man, the movie was so meticulously aestheticized it made Todd Haynes look like Kevin Smith. It also was guilty of being stylistically derivative, with camera sequences and still compositions that often looked like studied imitations of the work of filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai and Pedro Almodovar. Nocturnal Animals is no less manicured even the desert shacks could be artfully distressed fashion-shoot locations. And unsurprisingly, the end credits are an orgy of high-end designer names and contemporary American art luminaries. But the sumptuous look here feels very much of a piece with the storytelling as a whole, unequivocally owning its visual signature. The tempestuous strings of Abel Korzeniowskis lush score provide an additional ballsy flourish, explicitly nodding to Hitchcock and Sirk. Just as Colin Firths achingly nuanced performance drove A Single Man, the invaluable Adams provides the compelling center here. She fully inhabits every flicker of Susans complex emotional responses, right through to the quiet gut-punch of the final scene, in which Edwards payback becomes complete. This is not a drama about atonement or forgiveness, but about unblinking discoveries that dig deep into the decayed carcass of a dead relationship. But the effectiveness of Adams performance should by no means imply that this is a one-woman show every role has been impeccably cast and every actor makes an incisive impression in this ceaselessly gripping stunner. Venue: Venice Film Festival (Competition); also in Toronto festival Opens: Friday, Dec. 9 (Focus Features) Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Karl Glusman, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Sheen, Ellie Bamber, Jena Malone, Kristin Bauer van Straten Production companies: Fade to Black, in association with Artina Films Director-screenwriter: Tom Ford, based on the novel Tony and Susan, by Austin Wright Producers: Tom Ford, Robert Salerno Director of photography: Seamus McGarvey Production designer: Shane Valentino Costume designer: Arianne Phillips Music: Abel Korzeniowski Editor: Joan Sobel Casting: Francine Maisler Sales: FilmNation No rating, 117 minutes. Back in the CD era, there were few executives as powerful as Best Buy's Gary Arnold. As the main music buyer for the electronics giant, he helped oversee the chain's growth from a tertiary "specialist" seller into a dominant force in music retail, moving hundreds of millions of albums to a voracious customer base. Starting in the early '90s, Best Buy was first to embrace exclusives on a national scale, poking competitors (other big box retailers like Walmart and Target) with what were then called "value adds." Not unlike what the industry is seeing today, with artists like Frank Ocean and Drake opting for a digital partnership that would shut out all others (Apple Music over Spotify, in both cases), product offerings that favor one merchant at the expense of another have a long history. So what was the first ever music exclusive? Back in 1995, Arnold and his then boss Jeff Abrams stunned music retail when they came up with an exclusive Beatles CD interview disc as a giveaway to anyone buying the Beatles' Anthology 1 album. A bonus CD manufactured without input from the Beatles' label, Capitol Records, was in the clear when competitors complained. The result of the exclusive offering? It was seen as a very successful promotion that helped Best Buy sell 800,000 units of the Anthology 1 package, Billboard reported at the time. Others, like longtime music industry executive Jim Urie, point to another promotion with Barbra Streisand (a bonus concert video on VHS) a decade earlier. Even more remember the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, a Walmart exclusive that got major media attention at the time. Billboard tracked down Arnold (who left Best Buy in 2012 to start his own firm, Gary L. Arnold Consulting) to speak on how the industry has changed... and not changed. Billboard: How did the idea to have Best Buy offer a free Beatles interview CD to every customer that purchased the Beatles Anthology 1 come about? Story continues Gary Arnold: It was Best Buy trying to find a way to bring excitement to the business and to show the labels how to give extra value to the consumer. It was not about the exclusive, it was about trying to get the consumer to come in and shop more frequently. Traffic is important and we found when there is an exciting offering of differentiated product, it drove a lot of traffic to the benefit of the stores. From Beyonce to Frank Ocean, Breaking Down the Mechanics, and Politics, Behind Streaming Exclusives How many did you sell in the first week? We sold a couple hundred thousand in the first week, but it wasn't just our promotion. It was a wonderful collection of music, including the then-unreleased "Free As A Bird" song. There were all sorts of other marketing going on around that project, including, if I remember correctly, a network television special on the album that ran over a number of nights. So customers came pouring into Best Buy and what that said to us is, if you put together a massive creative campaign, the customer would respond and everyone would benefit. Best Buy also utilized windowing with a Prince release in 1998 and a U2 DVD in 2001. Our relationship with Prince started with Crystal Ball. Since we were both in his backyard in Minnesota, we had pursued a dialog for a long time and one day he called. He had put out Crystal Ball already through his website and now wanted it to go to retail. He provided us with the artwork we could use and we came up with a very elaborate package with a clear see-through case, and later it came out in a more traditional package. We had an exclusive window for a couple of weeks. With U2's Elevation 2001: Live From Boston, that was a project that that they wanted out in conjunction with a tour so we had it for a short window exclusively. At that point, deluxe packaging and value-added packaging was one thing, but an exclusive window really upset our competitors. It became very clear that exclusive windows would cause a lot of negativity. I remember after that I approached them on something else and they [the U2 camp] responded by saying, "This time, could we do something that won't start World War III?" But retail reaction didn't stop you from pursuing exclusives? We were trying to win every day with the consumer, and one way to do that was to have differentiated project rather than just competing on price levels. If you look at the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Tom Petty projects, each of which we had exclusively for a short window, they were multiple discs each with four DVDs, but we had them priced between $19 and $29. In every case, the artists were aware of the price point and they were excited about the value created for the fan. That's why it worked. 'Bad for the Industry': Spotify's Artist Whisperer Troy Carter Slams Exclusives, Updates Company's Subscriber Total What do you think about today's discussion of exclusives, as they relate to digital services? It makes the days of physical retail look very uncomplicated. We were very good at selling one thing to a lot of people. In today's world, you have to figure out how to sell a concert package, a song, a stream and how to monetize each niche. You have to put on all these different hats to maximize results and profitability. There continues to be a lot of stress in the market, due to the exclusives. How does selling a subscription to a Spotify or Tidal compare to the Best Buy's effort to get a customer in the store? It's more difficult to get the kids to go to a new site than it was to get them to go to a different [brick and mortar] retail store. No matter which store you bought the CD from, when you got home, it would play right away. Now, you have to go and learn how to get on the new site, and get a new password and then figure out how you're going to get your playlists over there. It's a much harder process to switch services. I just got accustomed to the site I am on and setting it up on all my devices and now you want me to go to another service and start all over again? I'd much rather wait until the album is available everywhere, including my service. Isn't that the old person view? I don't know. I talk to my children who are 21 and 22 and they seem to have the same attitude on this. What experiences in the brick and mortar world translate to the digital world? I think you still have to focus on the consumer and not the competition. The consumer will tell you if you are winning and losing. Look, we did exclusives, but soon so did Walmart and Target and with deluxe packages that did great things for their stores. If you are going to participate in this area, expect to be beaten sometimes. You don't win every game. New York (AFP) - On the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the New York museum that honors that dark day in US history is turning to something lighter: art. Visitors to the National September 11 Memorial Museums new exhibit Rendering the Unthinkable are not being asked to relive the violence through turbulent canvases or painful performances. Rather they are taken on a journey to soothe the pain and reflect on a terror attack that is now part of New Yorks DNA. Opening on September 12, one day after the 9/11 anniversary, the exhibit will feature works by 13 local artists paintings, video and sculptures. Each lived through the 2001 attacks in his or her own way, including one who lost his firefighter brother, whose body was never found. Several, such as Ejay Weiss, incorporated ash from Ground Zero into their works. His four acrylic paintings enhance the chaos, with a calming square of blue sky in the center. The now-distant morning when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were struck by hijacked airplanes, claiming 2,753 lives, is one New York still remembers well. As horror rained down on the city, additional deadly attacks were carried out on the Pentagon and on a commercial airplane that crashed in rural Pennsylvania. A few days after the attacks, Manju Shandler began creating paintings to represent each of the victims. At the beginning, we didnt even know how many had died, she said. In the end she painted nearly 3,000 victims, and 840 of the paintings will be displayed at the exposition. Slideshow: 9/11: Then and now - 15 years later >>> Some of the depictions, which are each four by nine inches (10 by 23 centimeters), feature photos of the victims while others are more stylized, showing a man with his hair on fire, a silhouette or a snake. There is no direct correlation for each of the victims, Shandler said of the works, which took her three years to complete. It was a way to take all the pain and release it. It was cathartic, she said. Story continues - Counterpoint - Sculptor Christopher Saucedos two brothers, both New York City firefighters, responded to the attack, with one never to return. Although Saucedo normally works with steel and other metals, he couldnt bear to create his 9/11 piece from metal, the only material left in the World Trade center after the attacks. Pressing white linen pulp on blue handmade paper rectangles, Saucedo created three panels ethereal compositions on which the white linen forms what first appears to be a cloud, but on closer examination is in fact the World Trade Center buildings. Also in the expo is a video by the Blue Man Group, a performance art collective, which was inspired by the scraps of paper from the World Trade Center that blew into the yard of their rehearsal space in Brooklyn after the attack. A bronze statue of a woman falling to the ground, hand extended, pays homage to both the dead and living. Eric Fischls Tumbling Woman is on loan from The Whitney Museum. The art on display, born out of the tragedy, is a counterpoint to the museums historical exhibition, said director Alice Greenwald. While the museums mission is factual, meant to tell the tale of September 11 and the people who lived and died in the attacks, the art exhibit is intimate and spare, she said. It is a very contemplative space, she told AFP, during a visit organized for journalists. The exhibit will give us another way in to remembering that day and the array of emotions we have been through, she said. Since opening in May 2014, the museum, built on the former site of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, has welcomed nearly seven million visitors, according to its president Joe Daniels. _____ Related slideshows: Slideshow: 9/11: Then and now - 15 years later >>> Slideshow: Remembering 9/11 >>> Slideshow: Tribute in Light >>> Slideshow: World reactions to the 9/11 attacks A look back >>> Slideshow: How the 9/11 attacks were reported on front pages around the world >>> Slideshow: 9/11 Memorial and Museum >>> Barack Obama once declared himself the first Pacific president. But now, as he prepares to meet Saturday with Group of 20 leaders in the Chinese city of Hangzhou during his last visit to the region as president, the centerpiece of his Pacific policy appears moribund. The president spent five years negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 11 other countries in North America, Asia and Latin America covering 40 percent of the global economy, making it potentially the largest trade deal in U.S. history. The White House claims the deal benefits American businesses by eliminating tariffs to every TPP signatory, which would make American exports more competitive across Asia. The independent U.S. International Trade Commission found that the deal would increase U.S. annual real income by $57.3 billion, boost U.S. GDP by $42.7 billion, and create 128,000 U.S. jobs by 2032. But those economic benefits couldnt sell the public on the deal. Last summer, after Obama teamed up with Republicans to pass fast-track trade authority, which allows the White House to quickly push through trade deals, he seemed poised to get the pact sealed before he left office. One year later, hes facing a very different reality. Pushed to the left, especially by the insurgent primary run of Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton abandoned support for TPP, even though she had championed it as Obamas secretary of state. Many Democrats are leery of the trade deals environmental and labor provisions, and fear it gives too much bargaining power to big business. Her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, has made opposition to trade deals like TPP a cornerstone of his campaign. He maintains it would benefit China, even though Beijing is not a signatory; whats more, the death of TPP gives China the opportunity to negotiate its own Asian trade deal, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The bullet we wont dodge is when China goes into countries on the front line and says, as they have been saying by the way, We are here, we are not going away, you better think twice what happens when President Obama leaves town,' Michael Green, a former top East Asia official in the Bush administration, told CNN Friday. Story continues Also at risk is U.S. credibility. The pact was negotiated in good faith. If America abandons TPP, it would be a major blow to Washingtons regional credibility, as Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong suggested during a visit to Washington earlier this month. For Americas friends and partners, ratifying TPP is a litmus test of your credibility and seriousness of purpose, Lee said. Asian countries want America to be engaged. But we need to know that this engagement will be sustained, we need to know that agreements will be upheld, and that Asia can depend on America. Obama insists TPP is not dead, and is promising a push to get it passed during the lame duck session of Congress after Novembers election. But if he cant get it done there, it will fall to his successor. Unfortunately for Obamas trade legacy, both candidates have vowed to make sure that TPP withers and dies on the vine. Photo credit: WIN MCNAMEE/Getty Images HONOLULU (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will hold a formal meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May during the G20 summit in China on Sunday, a White House official said. The meeting is their first since May took office in July. "The president and the prime minister will discuss a range of bilateral and global issues, and, as close friends and steadfast allies, the United States and United Kingdom continue to enjoy an enduring special relationship," the official said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton, writing by Jeff Mason; Editing by Chris Reese) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China needs to be a more responsible power as it gains global influence and avoid flexing its muscles in disputes with smaller countries over issues like the South China Sea, U.S. President Barack Obama told CNN in an interview to be aired on Sunday. Obama, who meets with President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit next week in China, told CNN the United States supports the peaceful rise of China but that Beijing had to recognize that "with increasing power comes increasing responsibilities," according to excerpts released on Friday. "If you sign a treaty that calls for international arbitration around maritime issues, the fact that you're bigger than the Philippines or Vietnam or other countries ... is not a reason for you to go around and flex your muscles," Obama said. "You've got to abide by international law." China, a signatory to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, recently lost an arbitration dispute over the South China Sea. A court in the Hague found China had no historic title over the waters of the South China Sea and had infringed on the rights of the Philippines. Beijing has rejected the ruling. Obama said Washington had urged Beijing to bind itself to international rules and norms to help build a strong international order. "Where we see them violating international rules and norms, as we have seen in some cases in the South China Sea or in some of their behavior when it comes to economic policy, we've been very firm," Obama told CNN. "And we've indicated to them that there will be consequences." The U.S. president said China could not expect to "pursue mercantilist policies that just advantage" itself now that China has become a more affluent, middle-income country. "Even though you still have a lot of poor people, you know, you can't just export problems. You've got to have fair trade and not just free trade," Obama said. "You have to open up your markets if you expect other people to open up their markets." (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Eric Beech) Image credit: INS Kalvari at sea trials. By Indian Navy, CC BY 2.5 in, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48541427 The leaking of highly sensitive data regarding the Scorpene submarine, designed and developed by French naval defence company DCNS, and running to around 20,400 pages, has been identified as a potential threat risk to India, if the papers end up in the hands of an enemy. On its part, DCNS has obtained a court order which restricts the paper that had published the data, The Australian, from releasing further leaked documents. The company has also implied that the leaking of the data might have occurred from Indias end, rather than France. While the Indian Navy has since jumped into damage control mode, and is trying to ascertain the level of security threat that the documents pose, this is not the first time that the Armed Forces has been caught in a difficult position. We take a look at some of the biggest scandals that have rocked the Armed Forces: Adarsh Scam: A 31-storey building, which was constructed in the prime Colaba locality of Mumbai, and was meant to house war widows and Indian defence personnel, was being used by politicians, bureaucrats and military officers, who over the years, had bent various rules to get flats allotted to them below the market rates. This scandal was exposed in 2010 by a newspaper, and led to the resignation of Maharashtra CM, Ashok Chavan. Kargil coffin scam: Post the Kargil War of 1999, between India and Pakistan, allegations arose over corruption in the purchase of coffins by the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government. The charges were that the Government had purchased 500 caskets from the US based company, Buitron and Baiza, for USD 2500 each, which is 13 times the original amount. This led to a loss of USD 1,87,000. While the three Indian Army officers Major General Arun Roye, Colonel SK Malik and Colonel FB Singh were named in the chargesheet filed by the CBI, the Supreme Court of India, in October 2015, gave a clean chit to the then Defence Minister George Fernandez and former Prime Minister, Vajpayee. Story continues Bofors Scam: A major political scandal that rocked the Armed forces and the nation, the Bofors Scam relates to illegal kickbacks which were paid to Swedish and Indian government officials in the US$ 1.4 billion deal between Swedish arms manufacturer, Bofors, and the government of India, under the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This was for the sale of 410 field howitzer guns, and a supply contract of almost twice that amount. The story was first broken by an investigative piece done by Reuters, which was then followed up by The Hindu and journalist Chitra Subramaniam, who procured over 350 documents which detailed the payoffs. Barak missile scandal: Jointly developed by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and RAFAEL Armament Development Authority of Israel, contracts had been signed in October, 2000, for the procurement of seven Barak missile systems at a total cost of USD 199.50 million and 200 missiles at USD 69.13 million. Though many groups had objected to the purchases, including the team that originally visited Israel to observe the missiles performance and A.P.J Abdul Kalam, who was heading the DRDO then, the procurement was carried out, and as per the CBI, at a much higher rate than initially quoted by Israel. The corruption came to light when the Tehelka magazine, as part of its Operation West End tapes, showed several senior defence personnel and ministers, R K Jain, treasurer of Samata Party and close aide of George Fernandes, discussing bribes paid for defence deals, including for Barak missile purchase. The case was, however, closed in 2013, with the CBI admitting that it had no evidence to nail the accused, which included Fernandes, Jain, ex-president of Samata Party Jaya Jaitly, former Navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar and businessman Suresh Nanda. AugustaWestland scam: The Congress led UPA Government, in 2010, signed a contract with Italian helicopter manufacturer, AugustaWestland, to purchase 12 AugustaWestland AW101 choppers for the Air Force to carry the President, Prime Minister, and other VVIPs. On 12 February, 2013, Bruno Spagnolin, the CEO of Finmeccanica, the parent company of AugustaWestland, was arrested by Italian authorities on charges of bribing middlemen, while trying to get the deal with the Indian Air Force, and it was put on hold. The then Defence Minister, AK Antony, ordered a probe the following day. The Italian court, in 2014, named former IAF cheif SP Tyagi, stating that he had been bribed by Finmeccanica for the deal, but later, in 2015, an Italian court found that there was no evidence of corruption in the deal. Sukna Land scandal: In 2008, military officers transferred a a 71-acre civilian land, adjacent to the military cantonment in Sukna in West Bengal, to a private real estate developer on the pretext of building an educational institution. Since it was near the military establishment, an NOC was required. Avadesh Prakash, who was serving as the secretary to Army Chief, Gen Deepak Kapoor, was found guilty of influencing Lt Gen PK Rath, Commander of the 33 Corps, to issue an NOC. While, in 2011, a court martial found Gen Rath, and five others, guilty of issuing the NOC to the builder, the court martial of Gen Rath was quashed in September, 2014, as the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) did not find any irregularities in the issuing of the NOC, especially since it was on private land. Samba spy scandal: In 1979, 50-odd persons, including two officers and six other ranks of its 168 Infantry Brigade and its subordinate units at Samba, 40 km from Jammu on the international border, were arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan at the insistence of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (MI), after of two self-confessed Pakistani spies, Sarwan Dass and Aya Singh, revealed their names. In 1994, however, Dass came out with the shocking revelation that he had falsely implicated the officials, under extreme duress. It was found out that the entire case of spying had been fabricated by the army. The revelation came after those accused of spying, spent their main years in prison, where they were subjected to torture, and their families had to live in poverty. Army recruitment scandal: Sukhpritsingh Arjunsingh Randhawa, a retired army colonel, was recently arrested on charges of recruiting candidates into the army, at the Artillery Centre in Nashik, using fake documents. Upon interrogation, the four men admitted to have paid Rs 6 lakhs to get recruited in the Army. A total of seven people, including the retired Colonel, and an agent, have been arrested in connection with the case so far. This is just one among the many such recruitment scams that have happened in the Armed Forces. RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Concerns about a controversial off-road race running through a new national monument in Nevada turned out to be much ado about nothing - sort of. The ''Vegas-to-Reno Best in the Desert Race'' didn't end up crossing into the Basin and Range National Monument on Aug. 19 as was planned and approved by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management over the objections of conservationists. The 37-mile segment on existing dirt roads through the monument northeast of Las Vegas was rerouted because a military helicopter crashed and sparked a wildfire nearby the night before. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a suburban Washington D.C.-based government watchdog group representing past and present federal workers, had argued unsuccessfully for months that the two-day, 640-mile race dubbed the longest of its kind in the nation would cause ecological damage to the fragile desert lands in the monument President Obama designated last summer stretching across more than 1,000 square miles. ''Kind of a weird ending,'' Jeff Ruch, the group's executive director, told The Associated Press on Thursday. ''Nobody is explicitly saying anything, but the race through the monument never happened.'' Ruch said he didn't learn of the last-minute detour until he received a confidential call from a BLM employee earlier this week. The agency's failure to inform the public was further evidence of the secrecy surrounding the inappropriate approval of the route in the first place, he said. BLM spokesman Chris Hanefeld confirmed Thursday agency officials informed race organizers hours before the start they had decided to reroute the course so the Air Force could secure the crash site. He said the detour was selected from alternatives studied as part of an environmental assessment conducted before approving the original route a week before the start. ''We didn't issue a press release. Why would we?'' Hanefeld said Thursday. Story continues ''The bottom line is the helicopter went down for whatever reason. They needed to secure the site. We needed to make a decision. We made a good decision, so the race went on. Everything went well,'' he said. The U.S. Air Force said in a statement the day after the helicopter crash that four crew members were treated for non-life threatening injuries after the HH-60G Pave Hawk from Nellis Air Force Base went down during a night training mission on the Nevada Test and Training Range near the monument. Based in part on earlier criticism from PEER, BLM had set a 35 mph speed limit on the original route through the monument, and prohibitted any passing of vehicles so as to ensure the racers remained on the established dirt roads. More than 350 all-terrain vehicles, including trucks, cars, dune buggies and motorcycles competed in timed intervals in the two-day race that ended near Dayton on Aug. 20. ''The fact that BLM had already reduced this race to a glorified parade only underlined it should never have allowed racing inside the monument in the first place,'' Ruch said. ''Plotting this race through a national moment was conceived in secrecy, so it is only fitting that it ended in a mysterious fog.'' A Malaysian cabinet minister has admitted that Prime Minister Najib Razak was the mysterious unnamed official who the US Justice Department said took part in rampant looting of state funds. The admission confirmed widespread suspicions that Najib was "Malaysian Official 1" mentioned in a Justice Department lawsuit filed in July. The lawsuit -- part of US moves to seize more than $1 billion in allegedly ill-gotten assets -- repeatedly fingered the official as someone conspiring to divert vast sums from state investment fund 1MDB. Najib, who launched a crackdown last year to contain the spiralling scandal, has so far not commented on the identity of the unnamed official. But in an interview with the BBC that aired late Thursday, Minister of Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Abdul Rahman Dahlan admitted it was Najib. "It's obvious that the so-called 'Malaysian Official 1' referred to by the US Justice Department is our Prime Minister," he said in a subsequent clarifying statement. Rahman Dahlan, who also is communications director for Najib's ruling coalition, did not address whether Najib committed wrongdoing. But he insisted Najib was not a target of the US lawsuit. His comments, however, will add fuel to persistent calls for Najib to step down and face justice. Tens of thousands of people paralysed the capital Kuala Lumpur in August 2015 with two days of protest over the scandal. Last weekend, several hundred protesters demonstrated, demanding that "Malaysian Official 1" be identified and arrested. Najib, however, has shut down Malaysian investigations, clamped down on media reporting of the affair, and purged critics from his ruling party. 1MDB, or 1Malaysia Development Berhad, was launched by Najib in 2009 and closely overseen by him. Allegations of a vast international scheme of embezzlement and money-laundering involving billions of dollars of 1MDB money began to emerge two years ago. Story continues In its scathing lawsuit, the US Justice Department detailed how "Malaysian Official 1", family members, and close associates diverted billions from the now-stricken fund. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. The Justice Department has moved to seize assets including real estate in Beverly Hills, New York and London, artworks by Monet and Van Gogh, and a Bombardier jet that it alleges were purchased with money stolen from 1MDB. It was not immediately clear why Rahman Dahlan, a staunch defender of Najib, had outed him. But the news dominated headlines in Malaysia, and was a top-trending Twitter topic in the country Friday. Senior opposition figure Lim Kit Siang said Najib must immediately submit to justice to avoid further harming Malaysia's image. "The Prime Minister .... (must) purge and cleanse Malaysias reputation as a global kleptocracy," he said in a statement. Analysts warn the scandal could harm foreign investment in Malaysia, but Najib has refused to give way. Political experts see no sign yet that he will be ousted before the next elections, due by mid-2018, due to his long-ruling coalition's firm control. * Olympus sues Woodford, ex-colleague for over 15 mln pounds * Woodford says allegations "baseless", countersues * Olympus official says alerted in 2014 * 2014 transfer value of pension was 64.5 mln pounds By Kirstin Ridley LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Olympus, the Japanese medical equipment and camera maker, is suing former CEO and whistleblower Michael Woodford in a multimillion-pound legal row over allegations of wrongdoing surrounding an executive pension plan. Almost five years after Woodford lifted the lid on one of Japan's biggest corporate frauds, his former employer is claiming more than 15 million pounds ($20 million) from him and a former colleague, alleging they conspired to maximise their pension benefits by unlawful means, according to court filings. Woodford, Olympus's first foreign chief executive, was fired two weeks into the job in 2011 after persistently querying unexplained payments worth around $1.7 billion and demanding the resignation of its former chairman and vice president. He then alerted global authorities and the media. Olympus initially said Woodford was fired for failing to understand its management style and Japanese culture. But in September 2012 the company and three former executives pleaded guilty in Japan to cover-up charges. Olympus's KeyMed unit, a surgical products maker in southern England, has now filed a High Court claim against Woodford and Olympus veteran Paul Hillman alleging they breached their duties as directors and trustees of the defined benefit pension plan. Woodford and Hillman, a former company director who resigned in 2011, deny any wrongdoing and say they acted at all times in accordance with their duties. "Mr Woodford and Mr Hillman consider the claims against them to be completely baseless and look forward to taking the proceedings to trial and demonstrating what they consider to be the true motivations behind the claims by Olympus," they said in a joint statement. Woodford, who joined Olympus in 1981 and rose through its ranks to become CEO, has countersued Olympus. He alleges the case brought by KeyMed breaches a 2012 out-of-court settlement over his dismissal and is seeking damages "in the high seven figures". Story continues Olympus headquarters in Tokyo declined to comment. Rudolf Muench, a Hamburg-based general manager at Olympus's European headquarters in Germany, said KeyMed was only alerted to possible wrongdoing in 2014 when the "substantial value" of one of the pensions became known. "KeyMed has a responsibility towards its stakeholders and therefore could not ignore the evidence that was presented," he said in an email to Reuters. "DELIBERATE WRONGDOING" In documents received by the court on Aug. 26 and seen by Reuters, Olympus said the 2012 full and final employment settlement with Woodford did not prevent further legal action when claims were based on "deliberate wrongdoing or fraud". The case against the men hinges on allegations that they obtained board approval to set up the executive pension plan in 2005 by concealing from others that the purpose of the scheme was "to increase the security of their pension". This was contrary to a board agreement there would be no enhancement of executive benefits through the scheme, the documents allege. Olympus said the executive scheme provided for overly generous fixed 5 percent per annum increases in pension payments once the pension was activated, that it adopted an overly conservative investment strategy and that it dropped a provision to cut benefits for younger surviving spouses. Woodford and Hillman, whose wife is more than 10 years his junior, said the pension plan was established in 2007 after two years of discussions and that it was transparent and set up in consultation with the board, senior executives, independent trustees and on the advice of advisers and lawyers. They said Olympus raised no concerns about the pension plan during the last decade before issuing a claim in August 2015 and added allegations of fraud four months later "without any evidence to back them up". Woodford, 56, said his annual pension benefit rose to 993,000 pounds at the end of his 30-year Olympus career. This was converted into a capital sum of 64.5 million pounds and transferred to a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), a UK government-approved scheme, with Olympus's approval in 2014. Defined pension benefits are linked to the number of years employees work and their salaries, are paid for life and can be paid to spouses, partners or dependants when the retiree dies. Hillman, who is 64 and drawing his pension, told Reuters by telephone there was a catalogue of correspondence to show the executive scheme had been set up and run correctly. "There is a picture being painted of us being devious and doing things in dark corners when everything has been done openly, in a transparent way," he said. ($1 = 0.7536 pounds) (Reporting by Kirstin Ridley; Editing by Ruth Pitchford) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Journalists from NBC, ABC, CNN and Fox News will moderate the three scheduled debates between U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump ahead of the Nov. 8 election, the nonpartisan group organizing the events said on Friday. NBC anchor Lester Holt will ask questions at the first debate on Sept. 26 in New York, while ABC global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will co-moderate the Oct. 9 "town meeting" style debate in St. Louis, the Commission on Presidential Debates said. Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will moderate on Oct. 19 in Las Vegas, it said in a statement. CBS journalist Elaine Quijano will moderate the single vice presidential debate on Oct. 4 between Republican Indiana Governor Mike Pence and his Democratic rival, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, the commission said. C-SPAN's Steve Scully will be a back-up moderator for all four of the debates, it added. Trump, the Republican candidate, has said he will take part in the three debates but wants to see the conditions. Representatives for the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday's announcement. The New York businessman, who has never held elected office, has had repeated run-ins with the media since launching his campaign last year, charging networks like CNN with "phony reporting," sparring with MSNBC hosts and insulting Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly. His campaign has also black-listed several reporters and news outlets. Clinton, the Democratic candidate, has said she will participate in all three debates as scheduled. Separately, NBC has said Trump and Clinton will participate in a "commander-in-chief" forum focused on military issues on Sept. 7 in New York, appearing separately. On Friday, Trump's son Eric raised questions about ties between the anchor for that event, Matt Lauer, and the Clinton Foundation and said NBC and its cable offshoot MSNBC have been against his father. "Obviously, there's a lot of speculation because of his involvement with the foundation," Eric Trump told Fox News in an interview. "I hope he'll be fair." Representatives for NBC said Lauer was not a member of the foundation and that he had interviewed former President Bill Clinton for the network's "Today" show, not on behalf of the foundation. Trump's reality television show, "The Apprentice," debuted on NBC in 2004. NBC later cut other ties with the businessman, dropping his "Miss USA" and "Miss Universe" pageants, and Trump sued. NBC is a unit of Comcast Corp.. Fox News is part of the Twenty-First Century Fox Inc, ABC News is owned by Walt Disney Co, while Time Warner Inc owns CNN. CBS Corp is also publicly traded. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Frances Kerry) I was on a plane on my way to the Telluride Film Festival when the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released this years list of honorees for the Governors Awards. For various reasons the well-thought out selections did not really surprise me, with the exception of Jackie Chan. You could have put a gun to my head and given me 1000 guesses and I still probably wouldnt have imagined his name and Oscars together, but I should have in retrospect. It is not that he hasnt had a spectacular film career. He certainly has and then some starting with his first film credit at age 8 in 1962. It is just that the titles of the majority of his movies dont exactly scream Honorary Oscar, but then again neither did so many of the films of Roger Corman, and he SO deservedly won one in the first year of these Governors Awards. Now we are in the 8th year of Governors Awards. Definitely a lot of jaws dropped this morning when his name made the august list of Honorary Oscar winners. Out of Chans incredible 131 film credits listed on IMDB, you run across titles like Rumble In Hong Kong, Shanghai Noon, Dragon Forever, Legend Of The Drunken Master, An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn, Police Story 4: First Strike, and on and on. Of course there are the enormously successful Rush Hour movies, Cannonball Run, a re-imagined Around The World In 80 Days and so on, but among all those 131 credits only two movies in which he participated have even been whispered in the same breath with Oscar, and that would be Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, in which he voiced the character of Monkey. (Those films both got an Animated Feature nomination.) Jackie-Chan-Skiptrace-Movie But the Academy is always capable of surprise, and after thinking about it, this one made some sense. At first I thought of all the actors who have been overlooked, from Donald Sutherland (never even nominated), Doris Day, Max Von Sydow, Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve and countless others, and I wondered what they might think about Jackie Chan karate kicking his way to the front of the line, but actually I dont think this honor is for acting as much as it is for extraordinary stunt work as well as global cinematic influence and success. Its a creative choice, and quite frankly, having written one of these Governors Awards evenings for the Academy, I can guarantee that the prospect of some entertaining Chan film clips will really liven up the show. This is certain to be a crowd-pleasing reel to end all reels. It also is another moment for diversity, particularly with the Asian community who met with the Academy last year after feeling slighted and ridiculed by some stereotyped moments on the Oscar show. Not many Asian artists have received Oscar glory so Chan also holds the flag for them. Today after I landed in Telluride I spoke with one of the Governors who was in on the vote Tuesday night. I think this choice was also a statement that we are an international organization and we take in the impact of film globally. I am very pleased with the overall list, the Governor told me, adding that the award to legendary casting director Lynn Stalmaster (who will turn 89 less than a week after the Governors Awards) was the first ever given to someone in that profession. In fact the casting directors only recently got their own branch, if not their own category. This was a long time coming and so well deserved. You can just imagine the actors Stalmaster has helped discover since 1950, when he started amassing his nearly 400 Casting Director credits, lining up to present the Oscar to him. Although 90 year old Film Editor Anne V. Coates already has an Oscar statuette, it was given 53 years ago for the immortal Lawrence Of Arabia. Shes the last key creative member of that legendary crew still standing, but her remarkable run as an editor started actually 64 years ago and shes still working, with her most recent credit on Fifty Shades Of Grey just last year. From The Horses Mouth to Becket to Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines to The Elephant Man to Erin Brockovich and Out Of Sight, hers is an awe-inspiring career worthy of another statuette recognizing a lifetime in the cutting room. In fact I often see her around Oscar time at various events and I stare, just thinking she cut Lawrence Of Arabia! As for 86 year old Frederick Wiseman, his career is just as remarkable and it is about time the Academy recognized this master of cinema verite. Oscar Nominations Live Stream His 44 feature documentary credits as a director since 1967s Titicut Follies averages out to basically one movie a year right up through 2015s In Jackson Heights. Incredibly he has never even been nominated for an Oscar, and this honorary statuette was a long time coming in itself. A faithful group of Wiseman supporters have put his name before the board through a letter-writing campaign for years, and finally they have thankfully been heard. What links all four of these honorees, who have had very different motion picture careers, is just the pure longevity of thriving and innovating in their chosen profession for well over half a century. There is more than 200 years of active work in the movie industry between them. I am not sure that was the intended criteria when the Academys Board Of Governors met Tuesday night, but that is what they achieved with this intriguing and deserving list of 2016 Honorary Oscar recipients. The Governors Awards takes place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland Center on Saturday November 12. In addition to being a great place to bow down to some film legends, it is also a good spot to be if you are campaigning for an Oscar nomination. It is in its short history a key stop in the awards season and a must-not-miss event. Related stories In Oscar Seasons To Come, Foreign Voters Will Bring Their Tastes With Them Well Go USA Acquires Jackie Chan Film 'Railroad Tigers' Governors Awards Honorees: Jackie Chan, Anne V Coates, Frederick Wiseman & Lynn Stalmaster By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Three people were killed and up to 1,100 were arrested in Gabon on Thursday, the government said, in a second day of rioting over the announcement of President Ali Bongo's re-election and his main rival's accusation that the vote was rigged. Opposition challenger Jean Ping accused the elections commission of inflating Bongo's score to hand him a slim victory and extend his family's nearly half-century rule in the oil-producing Central African country for another seven years. Ping called on Bongo to step down. Violent protests raged in at least nine neighbourhoods of the capital Libreville, two witnesses and a police source said on Thursday, a day after demonstrators set fire to the parliament building following the results announcement. "We want everyone to see, to tour the city, to witness the level of devastation, destruction, violence organised by certain politicians who do not want to recognise their defeat," Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya said. He told a news conference that several television stations, supermarkets, shops, and private homes had been looted in Libreville and the city hall was targeted by arsonists. Violence erupted in several other cities and provinces as well, he said. Moubelet Boubeya said protesters had used grenades and police had seized AK-47 assault rifles, an accusation an opposition spokesman rejected. Gabon's sovereign dollar bonds fell across the curve with the 2024 and 2025 issue hitting a seven-week low on the back of the violence. [nL9N18Y005] Ping told Reuters in an interview that two people were killed and others wounded when the presidential guard assaulted his party headquarters overnight. He called for international assistance to protect the population against what he described as "a rogue state". "The only solution is that Bongo recognises defeat, because he was beaten," Ping later told France's BFM TV. He said that contesting the results through Gabon's constitutional court, the official channel for complaints, was pointless. "The constitutional court, like Gabon's electoral commission, is a tool of the governing authority. They do what they are told to do," he said. Bongo's office accused the Ping camp of planning "coordinated attacks on symbols of the state", adding that security forces had in response encircled Ping's headquarters and clashed with his supporters, resulting in one death. WHO WON? WHO LOST? "The elections gave their verdict. I know who won and who lost," Bongo, first elected in 2009 upon the death of his father Omar Bongo, Gabon's president for 42 years, told reporters on Thursday. "Who lost? A small group whose only aim is to take power for themselves." The United Nations called for restraint. Former colonial ruler France, the United States and the European Union urged the authorities to release polling station results for greater transparency. Bongo's spokesman rejected the request. "Transparency exists," Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze told BFM TV. "Those who want a bureau by bureau count will only be able to do this by going through the constitutional court." On Thursday, a witness reported hearing gunfire and blasts in the Nkembo neighbourhood, near Libreville's city centre, while another saw protesters pillage shops, turn over rubbish bins to block streets and smash cars in the Avea neighbourhood. A heavy police and army presence was visible on the streets throughout the city. "This is just a consequence of the current situation. This is because of the victory of Bongo against Jean Ping," said witness Alex Mbadinga, 32. Libreville residents said the internet was cut on Thursday. Social media networks including Twitter and Facebook stopped functioning overnight. Earlier in the week, customs officials seized satellite telephones they said had been imported illegally. PATRONAGE SYSTEM French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said there was no room for violence within the political process. "I'm calling, therefore, all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid additional victims." The office of French President Francois Hollande also called for calm, which "means a process to ensure transparency in the election results". Bongo won 49.80 percent of votes in Saturday's election against 48.23 percent for Ping, according to results read by Moubelet Boubeya on Wednesday. The announcement had been delayed by one day. [nL8N1BC1XY] Bongo benefited from a patronage system lubricated by oil money ahead of the vote. But economic headwinds caused by falling oil prices and crude production have led to budget cuts in one of Africa's statistically wealthiest nations, providing fuel for opposition charges that many ordinary Gabonese citizens have not enjoyed the fruits of oil wealth and suffered under his rule. The government says it plans to diversify the economy through investments in manganese mining and cash crops like palm oil and rubber. Ping, a political insider who has served as foreign minister and African Union Commission chairman, was a close ally of the late president and fathered two children with his daughter. An EU observer mission criticised a "lack of transparency" among institutions running the election and said Bongo had benefited from preferential access to money and the media. (Additional reporting by Matthew Mpoke Bigg in Accra, Tim Cocks in Dakar, Joe Bavier in Abidjan and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Joe Bavier and Tim Cocks; Editing Mark Heinrich) Maputo (AFP) - Albinos in Mozambique have suffered more than 100 attacks since 2014, a UN expert said Friday, with hunters persecuting them for everything from their toes to their faeces. Ikponwosa Ero, the UN Human Rights Council's special expert on albinism, said she was "deeply struck" by the sense of fear within the community in Mozambique. While widely reported in neighbouring Tanzania and Malawi, attacks against albinos in Mozambique were a new phenomenon, said Ero at the end of her 12-day mission to the country. "(They) are hunted and their body parts are wanted -- everything from their heads to their toes, their hair, their nails and even their faeces are collected," she told reporters in Maputo. Ero said local activist groups had gathered evidence of more than 100 attacks on albinos since 2014, with the real figure thought to be higher. Between 20,000 and 30,000 Mozambicans are living with albinism, which causes white skin because of a hereditary condition that leads to an absence of pigmentation. "It is believed that the masterminds operate in a secretive but powerful cross-border network akin to that of drug barons," Ero said. "To date, none of them have been caught or prosecuted and perceived networks are yet to be identified." Canadian charity Under The Same Sun has documented 178 murders of albinos in Africa over approximately 10 years. Tokyo (AFP) - Pacific island states and countries failed on Friday to strike a deal to protect shrinking supplies of tuna and adopt cutbacks following a regional conference, officials said, sparking condemnation from conservationists. The Pacific Ocean is the world's largest tuna fishing ground, accounting for almost 60 percent of the global catch. But supplies are dwindling and conservationists say urgent action is needed to ensure populations remain viable. The 10 participants "could not reach an agreement" on proposed regulation after five days of talks at the Northern Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) annual conference, Japan's Fisheries Agency said in a statement. The partipants, which include Japan, China, the United States, Fiji, Vanuatu, Canada, South Korea, the Philippines, the Cook islands and Taiwan, agreed to the conference in the Japanese city of Fukuoka after sharp declines in bluefin tuna brood stock last year. Japan, which consumes roughly 70 percent of the global bluefin tuna haul, has suggested introducing cutbacks if stocks drop for three consecutive years. But the Japanese proposal was opposed by other participants at the meeting, including the US, that want tougher measures to protect the species, fisheries agency official Kazuya Fukaya told AFP. Fukaya added that the issue will be discussed again at the committee's next annual meeting in South Korea. Environmental groups expressed frustration over the stalemate, with Greenpeace calling it "extremely regrettable as the stock of Pacific bluefin tuna is in a state of emergency." "Japan, the world's largest consumer of bluefin tuna, bears the responsibility to strengthen domestic rules (on fishing)," Greenpeace said. The conservation group has proposed an immediate two-year moratorium on all commercial fishing. "The latest stock assessment for Pacific bluefin, released in 2016, found that the population has been heavily depleted to just 2.6 percent of its historic unfished size by nearly a century of overfishing," Greenpeace said in its proposal. Conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature has recommended the ten countries introduce a catch limit and adopt a long-term bluefin tuna recovery plan. From Popular Mechanics The smoke is clearing from the catastrophic accident that detonated a SpaceX rocket during prelaunch tests, but the issue of who winds up paying for this disaster may not be cut and dry. If past experience is to be a guide, NASA and taxpayers in general may wind up footing the bill. Let's start with Thursday's explosion. The fact that it happened on the ground may make insurance a little dicey, as Space News editor Peter de Selding sagely pointed out: SpaceX explosion didnt involve intentional ignition - E Musk said occurred during 2d stage fueling - & isn't covered by launch insurance. - Peter B. de Selding (@pbdes) September 1, 2016 Surely such a small loophole wouldn't make a difference to an insurance company? Ah yes, of course it would. While insurance on payloads during rocket launches is well-trodden turf, insurance on damage that happens on the ground isn't. It can lead to fights and literal buck-passing. This isn't just cynicism. We've seen this sort of thing before. In 2014, an unmanned rocket operated by Orbital ATK exploded 3 seconds into launch, taking with it a cargo of space station supplies. The spaceport was damaged, but at least the FAA requires launch companies to get flight insurance. Or so they thought. A report by the NASA inspector general laid out the details: "We reviewed the policy in effect at the time of the Orbital mishap and found that, while it covers damage from aircraft and aviation operations, it explicitly excludes spacecraft and launch vehicles." Yes, you're reading that correctly. If an airplane had crashed into the Virginia launchpad, the insurance would cover it. But if a spacecraft damaged it, no dice. Essentially, NASA had bought insurance that satisfied the letter of the law but made little real-world sense. And so there was a bailout. In the aftermath of that 2014 explosion, the Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Authority desperately needed cash to repair the pad. Four Virginia Congressional representatives submitted language through an appropriations committee that directed NASA to fund repairs. NASA caved in and paid. "On March 13, 2015, NASA issued a notice of intent to non-competitively increase the value of its existing contract with VCSFA by $5 million," the IG report says. NASA took funding from programs within its Space Operations budget, including the International Space Station, and used it to help Wallops rebuild. Story continues The inspector general's report on the mishap includes a clear warning. "As NASA continues to rely on commercial companies, it is important to ensure all parties comply with procedures and clarify who pays for what in the event of a mishap." But with talk of insurance loopholes and gaps in coverage already starting, you can just bet that everyone involved with this SpaceX disaster-including Facebook, who was invested in the satellite that was destroyed-is watching their wallets. SpaceX explosion didnt involve intentional ignition - E Musk said occurred during 2d stage fueling - & isn't covered by launch insurance. - Peter B. de Selding (@pbdes) September 1, 2016 If de Selding is correct here, then the cost to rebuild is up in the air-and insurers could slip away from a payout. SpaceX would be expected to foot the bill. However, there would be little to stop another Congressional delegation from stepping in to set up a bailout, citing the need to resupply the space station and support the American space industry. After all, the precedent has been set. Why is Orbital any different? Giving money to a billionaire is never popular in public, yet it seems to happen often. The damage to launch insurance market may be unavoidable. Over the past two years, the cost of insuring SpaceX flights has decreased to the same level as its more seasoned competitors. With this mishap, those rates could rise as insurance company trust in innovation plummets. Even if the insurers don't get stung, they could act like they did and get less generous with all spaceflight companies. In some ways, gravity is easier to escape than your insurance company. You Might Also Like It was a rough week for drug stocks with focus once again shifting to the pricing policies of pharma and biotech companies. Mylans MYL pricing policy for EpiPen raised a storm with lawmakers questioning the companys pricing actions. Meanwhile, companies like Novartis NVS and Roche RHHBY came out with positive regulatory/pipeline updates. Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories EpiPen Pricing Weighs on Mylan: Mylan was in focus the whole of last week thanks to the EpiPen pricing controversy. According to lawmakers, as of May 2016, Mylan hiked the price of its life-saving combination product by more than 480% in the U.S. from $103.50 for a set of two in 2009 to $608.61. Although Mylan took steps to lower the impact of this issue by increasing the maximum value of its savings cards to $300 (from $100), expanding eligibility of its patient assistance program and announcing the upcoming launch of a generic EpiPen at a 50%+ discount to the branded product (Read more: Mylan Promises $300 Generic EpiPen), lawmakers continue to question the companys pricing policy. With Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeting that EpiPens can be the difference between life and death. There's no justification for these price hike, the drug pricing issue will remain in focus (Read more: Did Hillary Clinton's Tweet Cause the Sell-Off in Mylan Stock?). Novartis Scores Another Win in Biosimilar Segment: Novartis scored another big win in the biosimilars area with the company gaining FDA approval for its biosimilar version of Amgens blockbuster drug, Enbrel. Erelzi, Sandozs (Novartis generic arm) biosimilar version of Enbrel, has been approved for the treatment of multiple inflammatory diseases. However, Amgen is not giving up without a fight. The company has already filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Sandoz to keep away cheaper versions of Enbrel from the market (Read more: Novartis Gets FDA Nod for Biosimilar Version of Enbrel). We note that Sandoz was the first to gain approval for a biosimilar in the U.S. the company gained approval for Zarxio, a biosimilar version of Amgens Neupogen (filgrastim) last year. Setback for Teva Copaxone 40 mg: After receiving unfavorable rulings from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) last week for a couple of patents covering multiple sclerosis treatment, Copaxone 40 mg (Read more: Mylan Obtains Favorable USPTO Ruling for Copaxone), Teva TEVA got another unfavorable ruling this week. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has ruled in Mylans favor in its inter partes review (IPR) proceeding. Teva is already facing generic competition for its older formulation of Copaxone (Copaxone 20 mg). The company, which had worked on converting patients to the new formulation to lower the impact of the entry of the generic version of Copaxone 20 mg, is likely to leave no stone unturned to delay the entry of generic versions of the new formulation. Copaxone is the lead product in Tevas branded franchise and brought in sales of more than $2 billion in the first half of 2016. Roches Tecentriq Impresses in Lung Cancer Study: Roches cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq hit the primary endpoints in a late-stage study the treatment helped people with a specific type of lung cancer live significantly longer compared to chemotherapy. A significant improvement in overall survival was observed regardless of PD-L1 status (Read more: Roche Immuno-oncology Drug Tecentriq Positive in Phase III). Roche is currently looking to expand Tecentriqs label into the treatment of people with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease expresses PD-L1, as determined by an FDA-approved test, and who have progressed on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy -- a response from the FDA is expected by Oct 19, 2016. Mylan Progresses with Herceptin Biosimilar in the EU: Mylan and partner Biocon are making progress with the regulatory process for their biosimilar version of Roches cancer drug, Herceptin (trastuzumab). The companies said that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted their regulatory application for review. The companies believe theirs is the first regulatory application for a Herceptin biosimilar to be accepted for review by the EMA. Herceptin, used for the treatment of certain HER2-positive breast and gastric cancers, is one of Roches top-selling pharma products with 2015 global sales crossing CHF 6.5 billion including sales of more than CHF 2 billion in the EU. With governments across the EU working on lowering healthcare costs, biosimilars represent major commercial potential. Performance Story continues LARGE CAP PHARMA Industry Price Index LARGE CAP PHARMA Industry Price Index The NYSE ARCA Pharmaceutical Index was down 0.7% over the last five trading days. With questions being raised about the repeated and significant price increases for EpiPen, focus is back on drug pricing issues in the healthcare sector. Most of the major pharma stocks recorded a decline last week with Bristol-Myers BMY losing 3.4% while Merck MRK was up 0.9%. Over the last six months, Bristol-Myers declined 11.6% while Merck was up 21.6%. What's Next in the Pharma World? While Mylan will continue to remain in the news as investors, lawmakers and media remain focused on drug pricing, watch out for an update on Tevas generics business following the close of the Actavis generics deal. Confidential: Zacks' Best Investment Ideas Would you like to see a hand-picked "all-star" selection of investment ideas from the man who heads up Zacks' trading and investing services? Steve Reitmeister knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click for his selected trades right now >> 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 ROCHE HLDG LTD (RHHBY): Free Stock Analysis Report BRISTOL-MYERS (BMY): Free Stock Analysis Report NOVARTIS AG-ADR (NVS): Free Stock Analysis Report MERCK & CO INC (MRK): Free Stock Analysis Report TEVA PHARM ADR (TEVA): Free Stock Analysis Report MYLAN NV (MYL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has railed against the United Nations for criticising his government, has declined a request to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, officials said Thursday. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that "contacts were had to try to set up a time" for a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum meeting in Laos next week, but that "no time could be agreed upon." A foreign affairs spokesman in Manila said that 11 heads of state had requested meetings with Duterte during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting, and that he had said yes to nine of them. "Please understand that he cannot accept them all and no one should impute any negatives on those he could not accommodate," said Charles Jose in Manila. Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella said the September 6-8 ASEAN meeting in Vientiane was "extraordinarily full" and that "a number of possible meetups have to be presently foregone." Duterte has launched several tirades against the world body after a UN special rapporteur criticized his crackdown on crime, even threatening to pull out of the United Nations, a threat he later withdrew. "Maybe well just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that disrespectful, son of a whore, then I will just leave you," Duterte said in a press conference last month. He later said the threat was just a "joke." Nearly 2,000 people have been killed since Duterte was sworn into office on June 30 and immediately launched his war on crime, according to the national police chief. Duterte has insisted most of the 756 people confirmed killed by police were drug suspects who resisted arrest, while the others died due to gang members waging warfare against each other. However rights groups, some lawmakers and others have said security forces are engaging in unprecedented extrajudicial killings. Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte does not want Steve Harvey to repeat as the Miss Universe host following an embarrassing on-air blunder last year where he named the incorrect winner. Harvey misread his cue card at the end of the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, announcing Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner and Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach as first runner-up. Gutierrez was crowned before Harvey realized his mistake that it was actually Wurtzbach who won. It was Harveys first time hosting the pageant. Even though his countrys delegate won, President Duterte does not want a repeat of last year. The Miss Universe 2016 pageant will be held in Manila, Philippines, in January. Tourism secretary Wanda Teo relayed Dutertes concerns during a press conference on Thursday, CNN Philippines reported. He cannot host. I am going to talk to the Miss Universe that he cannot host so that is my problem, Duterte told Teo (translated by CNN Philippines). I dont want him to be the host of the Miss Universe. However, due to a five-year contract, Harvey will remain as host, Teo said. So the President will not get mad, we may add a Filipina to co-host, Teo said. Harveys gaffe caused an outcry. He even invited both Wurtzbach and Gutierrez to his talk show following the pageant, during which Harvey apologized to them and denied reports that he was drinking that evening and skipped rehearsal. Relive the moment below: Miss Universe 2016 airs Jan. 30, 2017. Related stories TV News Roundup: History's 'Alone' Renewed, FX Sets Premiere Dates for 'Sex&Drugs' and 'Tyrant' Steve Harvey, Mark Burnett Team for ABC Seed-Funding Competition Series 'Little Big Shots' Renewed for Season 2 at NBC By Neil Jerome Morales MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines is stepping up President Rodrigo Duterte's battle on drugs with incoming college freshmen set to face tests for illegal drug use from next year, an education official said on Friday. A wave of 2,400 killings unleashed in a war on drugs since Duterte came to power two months ago has gained popular support in the Southeast Asian nation, but has alarmed the United Nations and the United States, Manila's close ally. The government seeks to make drug testing a requirement for all incoming college students, said Julito Vitriolo, the executive director of the Commission on Higher Education. "This was born out of the president's call to make campuses drug-free, because we see the pervasive effects of drug use," he said in a television interview. "What's important is for students not to use drugs. It will be a deterrent if they want to continue their studies," Vitriolo said, adding that those testing positive could go through rehabilitation before being admitted to college. Drug testing for university admission is now done on a voluntary basis. "It is something that we should be doing because the drug menace is real," Monico Jacob, president of STI Education Systems Holdings Inc, told Reuters, referring to compulsory tests. STI, which has more than 103,000 students this academic year, has performed mandatory drug testing for the past five years. Duterte won the May election by a landslide on a promise to wipe out drugs and dealers. He has named politicians, police generals and judges linked to the drug trade. Police data show 2,400 deaths in the drug war after Duterte took over, a toll police say is a result of drug dealers resisting arrest or gang feuds. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) For visitors to Southern Africa, elephants have long been synonymous with the expansive savannah of that region. With a rise in poaching throughout the area, however, the elephant population of the continent has been dwindling at a rapid rate. Approximately 30 percent of Africas elephants have been killed in the past seven years and around one half of the remaining population is projected to be dead in the next decade, according to new data from the Great Elephant Census, released by CNN. The non-profit conservation group Elephants Without Borders conducted the census, in which scientists used low-flying planes to count the number of elephants in Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the surrounding region. "I don't think anybody in the world has seen the number of dead elephants that I've seen over the last two years," Mike Chase, elephant ecologist and architect of the survey, told CNN. Botswana, which has long been considered a safe haven for refugee elephant populations, has begun to lose that reputation as poachers have been drawn to the elephant-dense region. Chase counted 20 dead elephants in a small region of Botswana in just two days, according to the same CNN report. Each year, approximately 30,000 elephants are killed, and the African elephant could soon be locally extinct in some places, such as in parts of Cameroon. For experts in the field, these results are sadly unsurprising. The poaching of elephants for ivory has gone uncontrolled, or barely controlled, for a number of years, Deborah Olson, executive director of the International Elephant Foundation, told Travel + Leisure. And conservation of this species should be important to everyone, not just-elephant lovers, according to Olsen. They are a keystone species, she said, noting how they prevent the savannahs from becoming overgrown, while also distributing seeds in their fecal matter. Theyre just so important to the environment. Related Articles Warsaw (AFP) - Poland on Friday launched an investigation into the weekend murder of a Pole in Britain, which authorities there believe could be a hate crime. British police are already investigating six teenagers in connection with the death of factory worker Arek Jozwik. They have said one line of their investigation is that it was a hate crime. The 40-year-old died from head injuries after being attacked Saturday in a rundown open air shopping centre in Harlow, a working-class town northeast of London. "Under Polish law, foreigners who commit crimes against Polish citizens are subject to trial before a Polish court," Warsaw regional prosecutor Jakub Romelczyk told Poland's TVP Info public broadcaster, confirming the probe. "Our investigation is independent from legal action taken in the state where the crime was committed." In a separate Friday statement, the Warsaw district prosecutors' office said it plans to ask British authorities to cooperate in the investigation. The Polish foreign ministry said it would raise the issue of attacks on Polish citizens living in Britain when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visits Warsaw on Saturday. Speaking on Wednesday where Jozwik was murdered, Poland's ambassador to Britain Arkady Rzegocki condemned a rise in xenophobic attacks after the June 23 Brexit referendum. The dead man's brother Radek Jozwik, 36, was quoted as saying in The Sun daily: "The police have told us he was attacked because they heard him and his friends speaking the Polish language". Harlow has one of the highest concentrations of Eastern European immigrants in Britain. An estimated 800,000 Poles migrated to Britain after Poland's 2004 entry into the European Union. A Philadelphia police officer is under investigation after photos showing alleged Nazi-themed tattoos popped up on social media, authorities said. In the photo circulated on social media by activists Wednesday, an officer identified as Ian Hans Lichtermann is seen standing by his bike, wearing a short sleeve uniform shirt that exposes the tattoos on his forearms. On his left arm is the word Fatherland, above a tattoo of a spread-winged eagle resembling a symbol used by the Nazis known as the Parteiadler. Distinct from the Reichsadler, an eagle looking over its right shoulder that was used to symbolize Germany since medieval times, the Parteiadler looks to the left.. Lichtermanns right arm displayed an assault rifle over an American flag and the slogan For God and Country, a motto used by many military regiments. The picture is said to have been taken on July 26 at a Black Resistance March held during the Democratic National Convention. Officer Lichtermann was part of a line of nearly one hundred police officers who were blocking entrance to a major city intersection, Evan Parish Matthews wrote when he posted the photo, which had been shared nearly 7,500 times by Friday afternoon. The Philadelphia Police Department said its internal affairs unit was reviewing the photo, but noted the department does not have a tattoo policy. Read: Police Seize Assault Rifles, Bomb-Making Instructions and Nazi Mementos [H]owever, the department will quickly move to assess and determine the appropriate policy moving forward, PPD wrote in a statement. The Department does not condone anything that can be interpreted as offensive, hateful or discriminatory in any form, the statement continued. This is a very sensitive topic for both the citizens that we serve as well as the officers providing service to the public. We must ensure that all constitutional rights are adhered to while at the same time ensuring public safety and public trust arent negatively impacted. Story continues John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, the local law enforcement union, defended the tattoo to The Philadelphia Inquirer, saying: I've seen it. It's an eagle. Not a big deal. But Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney did not share McNesby's view, calling the tattoo incredibly offensive. "In this environment in which open, honest dialogue between citizens and police is paramount we need to be building trust, not offering messages or displaying images that destroy trust, Kenney said in a statement. Read: Man Arrested After Arsenal of Weapons, Nazi Paraphernalia Found In Home: Cops Many on social media have echoed Kenneys sentiments, taking to the police departments Facebook page to call for Lichtermanns ouster. The Philadelphia Police Department cannot, in good conscience, employ an office with such a tattoo. If this man is a white supremacist (and with that tattoo, he likely is), then that means his beliefs are rooted in the destruction of the people he's sworn to serve. It's an egregious conflict of interest, one person wrote. I implore you to handle this with all the prudence that it deserves. White supremacists have been allowed to operate with impunity in police departments for far too long. Philadelphia's citizens deserve better, another commented. Lichtermann has served in the department since May 2003 and earns about $72,000 annually, according to reports. He reportedly hung up on The Philadelphia Inquirer when the newspaper reached out for comment. Watch: Exactly How Armed Robbery Suspect Had Neo-Nazi Face Tattoos Removed For Trial Related Articles: Donald Trump has warned us about those Mexican rapists. Apparently the country also has body snatchers. The Republican presidential nominee immigrated briefly to Mexico on Wednesday for a hastily arranged visit with the leader of the country he has made his No. 1 scapegoat. He spent all of an hour with President Enrique Pena Nieto but when the two men emerged, whoever was occupying Trumps body sounded nothing at all like the bombastic billionaire. In the United States, first-, second- and third-generation Mexicans are just beyond reproach spectacular, spectacular, hard-working people. I have such great respect for them and their strong values of family, faith and community, this Trump look-alike declared in Mexico City. The impostor gushed about a common interest in keeping our hemisphere safe, prosperous and free, and waxed poetic about joint operations between our two countries. Trump said the countries should be working beautifully together, and that, I am sure, will happen. And the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump had called a disaster and promised to rip up? This Trump doppelganger spoke instead about improving NAFTA and making sure its updated. He pronounced Pena Nieto a friend. A reporter asked: Did they talk about his constant vow to get Mexico to pay for the border wall he wants to build? We didnt discuss that, warm-and-fuzzy Trump said. What had they done with Trump? Alas, within hours, he was back to his xenophobic self. The bickering began even before he cleared Mexican airspace, as Pena Nieto, contradicting Trump, said he had told Trump at the beginning of the meeting that Mexico would not pay for a wall. But Trump, having completed his photo op with the Mexican president, discarded the friend he had apparently just used as a prop. Trump landed in Phoenix for what was supposed to be a detailed policy address on immigration but was a familiar, nativist rant. Preceded at the lectern by Joe Arpaio, the Arizona sheriff and anti-immigration hard-liner, Trump launched into a lament for the countless Americans who are victims of violence by illegal immigrants who are dangerous, dangerous, dangerous criminals. We will build a great wall along the southern border! he said to an enormous cheer. And Mexico will pay for the wall! One-hundred percent. They dont know it yet, but theyre going to pay for the wall. So much for working beautifully together. This was the Trump we all knew, the Trump who questions the judicial independence of an American-born judge because of his Mexican heritage, who fights with Mexican American journalists, and who asserts that Mexico is killing us. Trumps trip to Mexico was something of a Hail Maria, as polls show Democratic rival Hillary Clinton with a yuuge advantage and Democrats with a chance of taking back the Senate. And from Arizona and Florida on Tuesday came new signs that Trumps rebellion has fizzled. But Trumps attempt at appearing diplomatic was only a feint. If his core supporters were worried and if the rest of Americans were reassured that he was softening his hard-line position, they had to wait only until he spoke in Phoenix on Wednesday night. In Mexico City, Trump endured without complaint a lecture from the Mexican president, who said that NAFTA has been good for the U.S. as well as Mexico and that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks that more than 6 million American jobs rely on trade with Mexico. Pena Nieto said that immigration from Mexico to the United States peaked 10 years ago and is now at a net negative. Mexican nationals in the United States are honest people, working people, he said. Mexicans deserve everybodys respect. Trump almost seemed to agree. Illegal immigration is a problem for Mexico as well as for us, he said. We will work together and we will get those problems solved. But back on American soil, he returned to his familiar lines: Its called America First! ... There will be no amnesty! ... You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country. The real Donald Trump was back. Alas. By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Police investigating the slaying of Colorado child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey declined on Thursday to address the media hype surrounding the 20th anniversary of one of the most sensational unsolved murders in the annals of American crime. Boulder Police Chief Greg Testa said in an unusual videotaped message that his department will not participate in a flurry of television specials, documentaries and news articles slated to run between now and December. The 6-year-old girls bludgeoned and strangled body was found by her father in the basement of her familys Boulder home on December 26, 1996, a day after her parents reported the child missing and a ransom note left in the house. Videos that surfaced of the blond, blue-eyed youngster in full makeup performing in beauty pageants helped attract international attention to the case. Testa said the latest flurry of media accounts offer "distorted" facts and "many theories on how this crime occurred and who is responsible," adding that his homicide detectives are actively following up on leads in the hope of ultimately identifying a suspect in the girls murder. We have not and will not give up, Tesla said. We remain focused on this investigation and finding justice for JonBenet. To date Boulder police have processed more than 1,500 pieces of evidence, including some 200 DNA samples, reviewed at least 20,000 tips, letters or emails and interviewed more than 1,000 individuals. Police critics, however, have said the failure of investigators to secure the house at the outset led to a contaminated crime scene that made it difficult to solve the case. Early on, suspicion swirled around the girls parents, Patsy and John Ramsey, because of the odd circumstances surrounding the events, including a purported ransom demand for $118,000, the exact sum John Ramsey received as a work bonus that year. In 2013, it was revealed that a grand jury impaneled to hear the case in 1999 voted to indict the girls parents, but then-District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to prosecute the case, citing insufficient evidence. Story continues Patsy Ramsey died in 2006, and John Ramsey, a computer software executive, moved away from Colorado and has since remarried. The girls older brother, Burke, who was aged 9 at the time and home during the killing, has granted an interview to talk-show host Dr. Phil McGraw that is slated to air later this month. (Editing by Steve Gorman) By Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) - The Portuguese government's focus on raising consumption will fail to stop the economic slowdown and could complicate deficit and debt reduction as investment keeps falling, the chief of the country's main business lobby warned. Antonio Saraiva, president of the Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP), told Reuters his group was worried by this week's final second-quarter GDP data that showed growth well below levels promised in the budget. He did not share the government's optimism that a pick-up is under way. "We don't have investment or economic growth worthy of the term," said Saraiva, citing the quarter-on-quarter expansion of 0.3 percent. "We are worried because the main engines, investment and exports, are cooling off." Some analysts say weak growth could undermine Portugal's last investment-grade credit rating that keeps it eligible for bond purchases by the European Central Bank, potentially setting off a new debt crisis after a 2011-14 EU/IMF bailout. With this year's budgeted growth target of 1.8 percent now practically unachievable and most economists seeing a slowdown from last year's 1.5 percent, Saraiva said the government must focus on promoting investment and exports in next year's budget, to be presented next month, by implementing much-needed reforms. The minority Socialist government, backed in parliament by the hard left, took over in November and has reversed many austerity measures of the previous administration to give more income to households in the hope of boosting consumption. Portugal had imposed painful austerity under its bailout terms. However, domestic demand growth slowed to just 0.2 percent from the previous quarter's 0.6 percent and 1.3 percent a year ago, while investment fell and exports grew less than in 2015. "The domestic market is small and supply volume saturated - it's not enough to solve the growth problem. When this government makes its main bet on private consumption and higher income, this does not give us tranquillity," Saraiva said. Story continues Investor doubts about whether the government will survive if the leftist parties reject budget cuts likely to be required next year have also affected investment decisions, he said. The government touts a fall in second-quarter unemployment to five-year lows of 10.8 percent as a sign that growth is picking up. But Saraiva said that "all other indicators are worrisome" and the good jobless data are linked to the country's tourism boom, which means many summertime jobs are temporary. Prime Minister Antonio Costa vowed this week that even with the current growth this year's deficit target of 2.5 percent of GDP will be achieved. But Saraiva said the longer-term sustainability of deficit and debt was at stake. He criticised the administration for quietly shelving a gradual corporate tax reduction announced by its predecessor and urged it to provide more tax clarity and stability to investors. While lauding the government for pushing for less red tape for businesses, he said the main concern for companies was the slowness of the justice system that often means years before firms can receive what they are owed via courts. "The justice reform for the economy has failed," he said, referring to the previous government's attempts to unclog the courts after much pressure from the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund. "The country needs reforms to promote investment - justice reform, less red tape, tax stability, strategic bets on certain sectors such as deep-water ports, naval maintenance, digital." (Reporting by Andrei Khalip; editing by Mark Heinrich) President Obama is set to hold talks with Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China on Sunday, and there is a wealth of evidence that it will not be a comfortable meeting. The sources of discord are many. Turkeya U.S. and NATO allyis currently engaged in a standoff with Kurdish-majority militias in northern Syria that are also backed by the U.S. Erdogan is also irritated with the U.S. for not immediately handing over Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based religious leader who stands accused of backing the failed military coup that rocked Turkey on July 15. The stakes of a worsening American-Turkish faceoff are soaring. Further disagreement risks escalating the conflict in Syria, deepening Turkeys own internal crisis and hampering the fight against ISIS. I think that Obama will have a hard time, a rough time with Erdogan. Both issues are explosive and I am not sure that Obama is in better position to treat these two questions, says Bayram Balci, a researcher at Sciences Po in Paris, referring to the duel crises over Gulens extradition and U.S.-support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. Read More: Inside the Turkish Militarys Civil War The two leaders face a sweeping and delicate set of military and geopolitical questions with few obvious answers. On Aug. 20, a suicide bomber killed more than 50 people at a wedding party in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep. Turkey blamed the attack on ISIS, which is believed to have carried out a series of lethal attacks inside Turkey, including the devastating gun and bomb assault on Istanbuls main airport in June. In an apparent response to the Gaziantep bombing, Turkey sent tanks and warplanes to back a force of Syrian rebel fighters to retake the town of Jarabulus from ISIS, marking Turkeys most direct intervention in Syria to date. The incursion also placed Turkish forces in close proximity to a rival group, the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which are led by a Kurdish-majority militia called the Peoples Protection Units (known by the acronym YPG). With the help of U.S. airstrikes, the YPG and its allies had retaken the key town of Manbij from ISIS earlier in August, prompting scenes of celebration as residents celebrating the end of jihadi rule by trimming their beards and smoking cigarettesboth forbidden by ISIS. Story continues But the cross-border operation also appeared aimed at deterring the Kurdish forces of the YPG. Turkey regards the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a militant Kurdish separatist group that is branded a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the U.S. The U.S. takes a different view, treating the PKK and YPG as separate organizations, and adopting the YPG as a reliable and important ally in the broader coalition against ISIS. Read More: The U.S. and NATO Need Turkey The U.S. embrace of the Kurdish militias infuriates the Turkish government, which considers the YPG-dominated enclave in Syria as a base for the Kurdish separatist campaign inside Turkey, a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives over the course of three decades. A ceasefire between the Turkish military and the PKK collapsed in the summer of 2015, plunging much of southeastern Turkey into conflict and displacing some 350,000 people. Obama and his administration now face the task of defusing the standoff between its two allies in northern Syria. Turkey wants the YPG to leave Manbij and withdraw east of the Euphrates River. The U.S. military claimed on August 24 that the militias had done just that. Air Force Col. John L. Dorrian, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS then clarified in a tweet that some forces remain to finish clearing, IED removal as planned. Erdogan is not convinced. At the moment, they are saying the YPG has crossed, Erdogan said on Friday, according to Reuters. We are saying no they didnt. The proof depends on our own observation. The White House announced the upcoming meeting with Erdogan earlier this week in an apparent attempt to defuse tensions with Turkey. In the meeting, Obama is expected to try to persuade Erdogan that Turkish forces should focus on the shared goal of fighting ISIS, rather that pursuing a potentially costly campaign against American-allied Kurdish militias. Read More: The Coup May Have Failed but Fear Still Rules Turkey This doesnt necessarily have to be a bad thing, says Aaron Stein, an analyst on Turkey with the Atlantic Council in Washington, The intersection of American-trained rebels on one side and the YPG-SDF on the other, regardless of how it happened, regardless of the nuts and bolts and the sequencing of events, the battle plan was for these to guys to meet up some place. Obamas task might be easier if the summit were not taking place during a nadir in Turkish-U.S. relations. The two allies have long-running disagreements over how to handle the war in Syria and the fight against ISIS. American observers also have concerns about Turkish measures taken after the coup that they see as compromising democratic rights and freedom of expression. In the wake of the failed July coup attempt, Erdogans government tightened restrictions on media and educational institutions as a part of a broader security crackdown. Obama did not meet Erdogan when the Turkish leader visited Washington in March in a move widely interpreted as a high profile snub. Were definitely at a low point. Its a multitude of factors, says the Atlantic Councils Stein. The abortive military coup in July supercharged an existing streak of anti-American sentiment in Turkey. Turkish officials felt that the U.S. government was slow to take a strong stand in support of the elected government. On the night of the coup attempt, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry initially called for stability and peace and continuity within Turkey, a statement that sounded vague in Turkey, where tanks rolled into the streets and warplanes bombed the capital. The U.S. later stood against the coup, but for many in the Turkish government, public, and media, the damage had already been done. Erdogan is demanding the extradition of the man he blames for the coup: Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamic movement leader who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. The Turkish government claims Gulens followers established a network of operatives within the state, including the military, which sprang into action on the night of the coup. While some observers and U.S. officials privately express doubts that Gulen was responsible for the coup, the Obama administration insists it is cooperating with Turkey, running the extradition request through a set of required legal procedures. Visiting Ankara last week, Vice President Joe Biden said, We have no, no, no, no interest whatsoever in protecting anyone who has done harm to an ally. None. The attempted coup killed more than 240 people and traumatized much of the public in Turkey, where the military has prompted the removal of four governments since 1960. After surviving the attempted insurrection, Erdogan enjoyed an outpouring of political support, even from those who previously opposed his government. As a result, Erdogan enters his meeting with Obama with a broad domestic coalition behind him. In Turkey 80% of public opinion thinks that Gulen is behind the coup. Whether this is true or not the most important thing is that this belief reinforces Erdogan in his policy with the U.S., says Balci, of Sciences Po. He has the support of the Turkish populationAKP base or notalmost all Turks think that the US has a responsibility in the coup via Gulen. Sept 2 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. - U.S. president Barack Obama, reaching Asia on Friday, will seek to reassure allies of his determination to win congressional approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade accord, but his own party is opposing the deal. http://nyti.ms/2bGRepv - Israel is courting international money as it tries to nurture a fledgling natural gas industry and evolve into an energy exporter. Israel's energy minister, who was kicking off a road show for energy investors, spoke to a few dozen oil executives, contractors and analysts on Thursday in London about the country's future and potential of being a top supplier to Europe. http://nyti.ms/2bGRwMO -Apple Inc's chief executive Tim Cook on Thursday stridently defended the company's tax practices in Ireland, countering European officials' ruling this week that the Irish government had provided illegal incentives, which allowed the technology giant to pay essentially nothing some years. http://nyti.ms/2bGSmZX -An explosion of a SpaceX rocket on Thursday destroyed a $200 million communications satellite that would have extended Facebook Inc's reach across Africa, dealing a serious setback to Elon Musk, the billionaire who runs the rocket company. http://nyti.ms/2bGUHo1 (Compiled by Gaurika Juneja in Bengaluru) Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to meet with new British Prime Minister Theresa May, but he did find time for a two-hour sit-down with 11 students from one of Britain's most expensive boarding schools, Eton College. The students from the renowned all-boys school were photographed at the Kremlin, shaking hands with Putin and sitting with him around a table. The Telegraph reported Wednesday that the meeting was believed to have been set up by a Russian bishop after he gave a talk at the Berkshire college in March. Its not clear exactly when the meeting took place. The newspaper also wrote that one of the boys, David Wei, said he organized the trip to improve relations between the West and Russia. Wei reportedly wrote on Facebook: It took me a total of ten months, 1040 emails, 1000 text messages, countless sleepless nights, constant paranoia during A2 exam season, declining academic performance but here we are. Guys, we truly gave Putin a deep impression of us and he responded by showing us his human face. An Eton spokeswoman told The Telegraph the trip was in no way connected with the school. Recommended: Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts This was a private visit by a small group of boys organised entirely at their own initiative and independently of the College, she said. The Kremlin has declined to comment, according to the newspaper. Some of the boys shared their Kremlin experience on social media. Trenton Bricken, who, per his Facebook page, just started college at Duke University, shared on August 24 this photo, captioned, Two hour meeting with President Putin. He was small in person but not in presence. The Sun spoke to a source close to the students, who said the boys went last week and didnt tell anyone they were going, I would assume it was so the school didnt find out because I dont think they would be happy. The source said: Story continues From what I understand, they were talking to him about Eton because he had a keen interest in the college, mainly due to previous politicians in the UK who had attended. After they got home, the boys posted the pictures to social media, which I thought was strange because it looked like they had been trying to keep it quiet previously. Weis hopesthat the meeting would improve relations between the West and Russialikely wont be realized. But at least the boys got some cool photos out of it. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. (Reuters) - Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen said on Friday that if he had his way the former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman would be in prison. "If we had our way, Brock Turner would be in state prison serving a six-year sentence, not going home," Rosen said in a statement following Turner's release on Friday morning after three months in jail. Rosen urged California Governor Jerry Brown to sign a bill passed by the legislature that would bar short sentences for similar situations, saying: "With the Governor's signature, the next Brock Turner will go to prison." (Corrects first paragraph to add words "that if he had his way") (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) (Repeats story first published on Sept 1, no changes to text) * IBA to expand workforce by a third * Proton therapy said to be more precise * Demand estimates vary, several studies ongoing * IBA first to make cheaper, more compact systems By Robert-Jan Bartunek LOUVAIN LA NEUVE, Belgium, Sept 1 (Reuters) - When Yves Jongen stood at the controls of his proton therapy machine fifteen years ago to treat a cancer patient for the first time he was petrified. Now Jongen's company IBA is hiring 400 engineers to cope with demand for the technology, increasing its workforce by a third, and expanding its production capacity to make up to 30 machines a year, from a maximum of eight now. "It is such a responsibility to send a beam of potentially lethal particles into the body of a fellow human being. It is exciting but scary at the same time," he said. Proton therapy made the front pages in Britain last year when five-year-old Ashya King was removed from hospital by his parents, against the advice of doctors, and flown to Prague for treatment using an IBA-made machine. There are only 170 proton therapy treatment rooms worldwide to handle about 1 percent of radiation therapy patients. But there is already a consensus on the technology's benefits for certain types of patients, such as children and young adults with spinal cord and base of brain tumours and a growing belief that it could also limit side effects. King's family say he is now free of cancer. A spin-off of the Catholic University of Louvain's nuclear physics department, IBA began life making cyclotrons to produce radioisotopes for hospitals and radiopharmaceutical companies. "We would sell one machine a year and enjoy ourselves a lot doing it," said Jongen, 68, who founded IBA in 1986. IBA's offices on the edges of a university campus, near a roundabout decorated with parts of Belgium's first ever cyclotron, are bursting at the seams, with offices split into ever smaller cubicles. Proton therapy originated in the physics labs of the post-war period when scientists first described how protons could radiate tumours with more accuracy than standard x-ray therapy. Story continues The technology at the time was not good enough to tackle tumours deep inside the body, however, and in the late 1980s Jongen was urged by an oncologist to "revolutionise cancer therapy" by applying his cyclotron technology to proton therapy. Jongen needed to create a cyclotron strong enough to speed up particles to two thirds of the speed of light. On a flight back from Australia inspiration struck and when he got off the plane he had sketched a basic framework for the new machines. When IBA opened its first centre at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in 2001, it was the first to install a ready-made product outside of the big nuclear physics centres. Nowadays, the group competes with U.S. group Varian as well as Japanese heavy industry groups Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo, and is market leader outside of Japan, a position it hopes to consolidate with the introduction of a much more compact version of its machines. EXPANDING MARKETS Scientific uncertainty about where proton therapy is useful and where it is not, may in part explain why studies have shown vastly differing estimates for demand, ranging from just 1.5 percent in Britain to 20 percent in the United States. "Researchers always assumed that there were benefits to proton therapy over traditional radiotherapy, but only over the past years have we had a string of medical studies to effectively prove this in the field," said Roderick Verhelst, analyst at private bank Degroot Petercam. Medical studies are focusing on using proton therapy in gastric, liver, lung, and pancreatic cancers as well as left breast cancer, in order to minimize damage to the heart. There are, however, also cases in which experts believe that proton therapy's higher cost may not be justified. "There are examples where using proton therapy wouldn't bring an advantage as the side effects are already small with conventional therapy," said Stephanie Combs, head of radiation oncology at Munich's Rechts der Isar Hospital. Proton therapy's costs have also hampered its growth. The powerful cyclotrons behind the technology weigh some 220 tonnes and need to be housed in a bunker, meaning therapy centres occupy entire hospital wings. The machines, which can take years to build and calibrate, have a price tag in excess of 100 million euros ($112 million), setting a high threshold for smaller hospitals to invest. In response, IBA was the first to shrink the cyclotron to less than a quarter of its original weight, while still delivering the energy needed. These compact systems, which come at a quarter of the cost, allow smaller hospitals to install them alongside traditional radiation therapy machines. "Other companies have signed contracts to install such compact systems but have yet to deliver a fully operational treatment room," Verhelst said. According to IBA's own forecast, a worldwide increase to 20 percent of radiation patients treated with proton therapy would require the number of installed rooms to rise above 2,500. In the first half of 2016, IBA's order intake grew by about a third to 143.6 million euros ($160 million). Since 2014 its share price has quintupled. ($1 = 0.7612 pounds) ($1 = 0.8957 euros) (Editing by Alexander Smith) (Adds details, quotes, background) By Katya Golubkova MOSCOW, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday the government should not discriminate against any market players willing to bid in the privatisation of oil producer Bashneft. Answering a question about interest in Bashneft from oil major Rosneft, Putin said it was not the best option if one state-controlled company acquired another state company, but the key was who gives the most money for the state budget. "Rosneft, strictly speaking, is not a state company. Let us not forget that a part of it is owned by BP, a British company," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg, according to a transcript published on the Kremlin's website. The government decided last month to postpone the privatisation of a 50.1 percent stake in Bashneft, a midsize oil producer. Sources close to the deal and the government said the delay was intended to calm infighting between, on one hand, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and his allies, and on the other side rival Kremlin groups who want Bashneft to stay out of Rosneft's hands. In the interview, Putin did not clearly indicate who he thought should buy Bashneft. "At the end of the day, for the budget it's important who will give more money during the sale ... In this sense, we cannot discriminate (against) market players, none of them," Putin said. Revenue from the Bashneft privatisation is needed to fill holes in the state budget, which is running a deficit of 3 percent of gross domestic product this year. With that transaction postponed, the planned sale of a 19.5 percent stake in Rosneft will be next on the privatisation schedule. Putin said the state was actively preparing for the Rosneft privatisation and the sale was planned to happen this year. He said, though, the state would not sell the asset "at any price". He added that in his opinion, strategic investors should buy into Rosneft. Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said his ministry had received proposals on how to conduct the Rosneft privatisation from Italian bank Intesa, which has been selected as an adviser on the deal. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Christian Lowe; Writing by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Lidia Kelly and Dale Hudson) Transparency, accountability and the preservation of the common good must be ensured, and the La Crosse County Board and the county health department are doing that by passing a resolution urging the Department of Natural Resources to follow what is already law. There are a few Wisconsin counties and private well owners who have been gravely impacted by polluted surface water and groundwater. Once a water source is contaminated, the turn back point is over. The cost to taxpayers is even higher when a source is left to be contaminated, not to mention the health risks to the community in the process. Every citizen should ask why the DNR doesnt ensure clean water. The states water belongs to the people of Wisconsin, not a select few. Leaders in Madison are desperate to make it appear that taxes can be cut, but at what cost? This shows a lack of concern for the future and insight into how effective governmental agencies should work. Cut taxes and defund the DNR? Dont protect one of our most important resources? What kind of leadership does this represent? Wisconsin is open for business" at all costs: lowering tax rates, giving businesses startup funds for creating jobs, deregulating important environmental standards or not enforcing existing regulations, and letting businesses write the regulations. Support an active engaged county board advocating for this states most valuable resource: water. Call your local and state representatives and ask them to guarantee safe water for our community. Make clean water an election issue. Carolyn Mahlum-Jenkins, La Crosse By Jack Stubbs MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said he did not know who was behind the hacking of U.S. Democratic Party organizations but the information uncovered was important, Bloomberg news agency reported on Friday. In an interview two days before a G20 meeting in China with U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders, Putin said it might be impossible to establish who engineered the release of sensitive Democratic Party emails but it was not done by the Russian government. "Does it even matter who hacked this data?" Putin said. "The important thing is the content that was given to the public." "Theres no need to distract the publics attention from the essence of the problem by raising some minor issues connected with the search for who did it," he added. "But I want to tell you again, I dont know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this." The hacked emails, released by activist group WikiLeaks in July, appeared to show favouritism within the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and prompted the resignation of the body's chairwoman. A computer network used by Clinton's campaign, and the party's fundraising committee for the U.S. House of Representatives were also hacked. Clinton, who polls show as leading Donald Trump in the campaign for the U.S. presidential election in November, has said Russian intelligence services conducted a cyber attack against her party. Some officials have suggested Moscow is trying to influence the U.S. election. Putin dismissed the allegations. "We have never interfered, are not interfering and do not intend to interfere in domestic politics," he said. "We will carefully watch what happens and wait for the election results. Then we are ready to work with any American administration, if they want to themselves." Relations between Russia and United States hit a post-Cold War low in 2014 over the Ukraine crisis, and Washington and Moscow have since clashed over diverging policies in Syria. Story continues Obama said in August he would discuss the cyber attack with Putin if Russia was responsible, but it would not "wildly" alter the two countries' relationship. The U.S. election contest has been hard fought and frequently dominated by both candidates' attitudes towards Russia. Clinton has rounded on her Republican rival Trump for his perceived praise of Putin and what she says is an "absolute allegiance" to Russia's foreign policy aims. Trump, in return, has said Clinton's own close ties to the Russian president deserve greater scrutiny. Putin said both candidates were using shock tactics and that playing "the anti-Russian card" was short-sighted. "I wouldn't like for us to follow their example," he said. "I don't think they are setting the best example." (Reporting by Katya Golubkova,; Writing by Jack Stubbs,; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Mark Trevelyan) By Christian Lowe and Maria Tsvetkova MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said an agreement between oil exporters to freeze output would be the right decision for the global market and a compromise should be found for Iran to achieve a deal. Attempts by OPEC and non-OPEC oil exporters to reach a pact on stabilising production levels earlier this year foundered because Iran, which is anxious to increase exports after the lifting of international sanctions, declined to participate. "I think that from the point of view of economic expediency and logic, it would be right to find some sort of compromise" on Iranian output, Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg, a transcript of which was published on the Kremlin website. "I would very much like to hope that all the participants in this market, who want to maintain stable and fair world prices for energy resources, will at the end of the day take the necessary decision," Putin was quoted as saying. He said he would convey his position to Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he may meet on the sidelines of a G20 gathering in China this weekend. "It wasn't us who rejected a freeze on production volumes, it was our Saudi partners who at the last minute changed their point of view and decided to take a time out in taking this decision," Putin was quoted as saying. "If Prince Salman and I talk on this subject, I will of course lay out our position again: we believe that it (an output freeze) is the right decision for global energy." An informal meeting between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and exporters outside the group is due to take place in Algeria later this month. RUSSIAN OUTPUT DOWN Oil output in Russia, the world's biggest producer of crude, was near record highs over the past year but fell to 10.71 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, its lowest in almost a year. The drop in Russian production last month brought it close to that of top crude exporter and OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia, which pumped an average of 10.70 million bpd, an increase from July, according to a Reuters survey. Story continues According to Russian energy ministry data, decreases at Rosneft, Bashneft, Novatek and production-sharing operators were behind the fall in output last month. (O/RUS1) The energy ministry sees domestic oil output at 542-544 million tonnes this year after it hit 534 million tonnes (10.73 million bpd), a 30-year high, in 2015. (Additional reporting by Katya Golubkova, Natalia Chumakova and Olesya Astakhova; Editing by Christian Lowe and Dale Hudson) MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin says Russia and the United States could be close to reaching an agreement on Syria despite differences about how best to resolve the conflict, Bloomberg news agency reported on Friday. In an interview two days before a G20 meeting in China with U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders, Putin said ongoing talks between Moscow and Washington were very difficult but on the right track. "In my view, we are gradually moving in the right direction," Putin was quoted as saying in a transcript of the interview released by the Kremlin. "I do not exclude that in the near future we may agree on something and show this agreement to the world community. "For now, it is too early to say, but it seems to me that we are proceeding, as I already said, in the right direction." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to reach a breakthrough deal on military cooperation and a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria last week, but said teams from both sides would try to finalize details in Geneva. The negotiations between senior U.S. and Russian officials, aimed at securing a broad ceasefire in Syria, are now seen lasting into the weekend as fighting in the country intensifies. There is also hope of agreeing a weekly 48-hour truce in the divided northern city of Aleppo to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations. (Reporting by Jack Stubbs, Editing by Angus MacSwan) By Vladimir Soldatkin and Kiyoshi Takenaka VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Friday to draw up proposals this year to end a row over a group of disputed islands that has bedevilled relations between their countries for over 70 years. The dispute stems from the Soviet Union's decision, in the final days of World War Two, to seize the islands - known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kuriles - that Tokyo says are its sovereign territory. Concessions over the islands would carry risks for Putin but could boost Japanese investment in Russia at a time when Moscow, battered by low global oil prices and Western sanctions, badly needs an injection of cash. From Tokyo's perspective, better relations would allow Russia and Japan to form a counter-balance to China, the region's rising power. Meeting on the sidelines of a business forum on Russia's Pacific coast, the two leaders agreed that officials on both sides would keep working on a draft deal that Abe and Putin would consider when the Russian leader visits Japan in December. Though Russia and Japan have strong diplomatic and commercial ties, the dispute has prevented them signing a treaty formally ending their World War Two hostilities. "Particularly regarding a peace treaty, the two of us alone had quite an in-depth discussion. It is now clearer how to proceed in talks based on the 'new approach'," Abe told reporters. "Finding a solution through leaders' mutual trust would be the only way to break away from this abnormal condition, where no peace treaty has been concluded for more than 70 years." Abe said he wanted the December summit with Putin to take place in his home town of Nagato city "in a relaxing atmosphere so that talks on a peace treaty would accelerate." "WE DON'T TRADE IN TERRITORIES" Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters he detected a new willingness from the Japanese government to find common ground. "Of course the leaders discussed the issue of a peace treaty," Lavrov said. Referring to the preparatory work being carried out by officials, he said: "There was an agreement that we will continue these consultations and the results will be passed on during the visit of the Russian leader to Japan, which will take place ... before the end of the year." Any concessions by Putin on the islands would carry political risks for him, potentially hurting the image he has crafted at home as a leader who stands up for Russian national interests in the face of outside aggression. In an interview with Bloomberg news agency before he met Abe, Putin indicated he would not contemplate giving up territory. "We're not talking about some exchange or some sale," Putin was quoted as saying. "We are talking about finding a solution where neither of the parties would feel defeated or a loser. "We dont trade in territories, although the problem of a peace treaty with Japan is a key one," he said, noting that Moscow was keen to work with Tokyo to resolve the problem. (Additional reporting by Ami Miyazaki and Linda Sieg; Writing by Christian Lowe and William Mallard; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a fraternity house was released from jail Friday after serving half a six-month sentence that critics denounced as too lenient. Brock Turner's case ignited fierce debate over campus rape and the criminal justice system. It led California lawmakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and prompted an effort to recall the judge. The 21-year-old told authorities he plans to live with his parents in his native Ohio, where he must register as a sex offender for life. Lawyers say the requirement will make it difficult for him to find jobs and housing. Here are some questions and answers about Turner's impending release: --- WHAT WAS TURNER'S CRIME? Turner and the victim drank heavily at a fraternity party and left together in the early morning hours of Jan. 18, 2015. About 30 yards from the frat house, she passed out near a trash bin. Turner was sexually assaulting her when two graduate students passing by on bicycles confronted him, pinned him down as he tried to flee and called police. Turner, then an Olympic hopeful, unsuccessfully argued that the encounter was consensual. He was convicted of three sexual assault felonies, including digital penetration of an unconscious woman. --- WHAT WAS HIS SENTENCE? Six months in jail, three years of probation and registering as a sex offender for life. Turner faced a minimum sentence of two years in prison, and prosecutors argued for six years. Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the ''extraordinary circumstances'' of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations in departing from the minimum sentence. The judge followed the probation department's recommendation for a ''moderate'' jail sentence, saying prison would have a ''severe impact'' on Turner and he likely ''will not be a danger to others.'' Story continues Critics argue the sentence minimized sexual assault on college campuses and called attention to inequality in the courts. They say Turner's ability to hire an experienced criminal attorney set him apart from many defendants who rely on overworked public defenders. --- WHY DID THE CASE GENERATE SO MUCH ATTENTION? Buzzfeed published the victim's powerful statement that quickly circulated on social media. She read it before Turner's June 2 sentencing, noting probation officials took into account his lost swimming career in its recommendation to the judge. ''How fast Brock swims does not lessen the severity of what happened to me, and should not lessen the severity of his punishment,'' the victim said. ''The fact that Brock was an athlete at a private university should not be seen as an entitlement to leniency, but as an opportunity to send a message that sexual assault is against the law regardless of social class.'' CNN anchor Ashleigh Banford read the entire 7,200-word statement on air and members of Congress took turns reading it aloud on the House floor. Vice President Joe Biden wrote a public letter to the victim saying, ''I do not know your name - but your words are forever seared on my soul.'' The woman has not spoken publicly. The furor grew after letters surfaced that Turner's family and friends wrote urging the judge to be lenient. Turner's father lamented that his son's life was ruined by ''20 minutes of action'' and his grandparents complained that ''Brock is the only person being held accountable for the actions of other irresponsible adults.'' --- WHY WAS TURNER RELEASED AFTER ONLY THREE MONTHS? Turner, like nearly all California jail inmates, was released after serving half his sentence. As long as jail inmates stay out of trouble behind bars, they generally get two days of credit for every day served. --- WHAT'S THE FALLOUT? The California Assembly voted 66-0 Monday to make a prison sentence mandatory for the same crime Turner committed. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has not said whether he would sign it. Judge Persky is facing a recall effort, with organizers saying they will begin collecting signatures in April to try to qualify the issue for the November 2017 ballot. A women's advocacy group has filed a formal misconduct complaint with the state agency that disciplines judges. He also has voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. Prosecutors earlier removed from an unrelated sex assault case. --- WHERE WILL TURNER LIVE? Turner is expected to return to his parent's home near Dayton, where he grew up and excelled as a high school swimmer. Ohio prison officials have agreed to take over monitoring Turner, and he is required to register as a sex offender with the county sheriff. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. He will be subjected to random drug and alcohol tests and required to attend substance abuse counseling. He is required to pay his victim restitution, which has not yet been determined. Most significant, he is required to register as a sex offender for life. --- WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER? He must complete a sex-offender counseling class for one to three years. He cannot live near schools, parks and other places where children congregate. He will be barred from working with children in any capacity. He will be required to submit to random polygraph tests and waive patient-counselor confidentiality privileges. His name, photo and address will be publicly available on Ohio's online sex offender registry. The local sheriff plans to send postcards to Turner's neighbors informing them that a sex offender has moved in nearby. Turner has to check in with the sheriff every three months and is subject to random searches of his home. He must seek permission from law enforcement to travel out of state, lawyers say. --- IS TURNER APPEALING HIS CONVICTION? Turner's trial lawyer indicated he would. Court records show Solomon Robert Wollack is representing Turner through the Sixth District Appellate Program, which provides court-appointed appeals attorneys to defendants who can't afford them. Wollack said the appeals court has not yet received the trial record, ''so we are still very early in the process at this time.'' He declined further comment. By Steve Keating NEW YORK (Reuters) - After 17 trips to Flushing Meadows and six U.S. Open titles Serena Williams did something on Thursday she had never done before -- win a match indoors. With the new high-tech retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium slammed shut because of persistent rain, Williams swept past American compatriot Vania King 6-3 6-3 in a tidy 65 minutes to ease into the third round. "It was a little different playing with Ashe closed but it still feels great," said Williams. "It's very, very loud out there. "It's definitely different because everywhere you play is really quiet. Here it's super loud." Indoors or outdoors, night or day, rain or shine, it has made little difference to Williams at the U.S. Open, the 34-year-old having now racked up 86 victories at Flushing Meadows. Williams's victory against an over-matched King may have been one of her easiest, the world number one in complete control from the outset, looking like a champion who never had to shift out of first gear. Despite the one-sided match, Williams was extremely critical of her performance, convinced it should have been better. "I just think it should have been a different scoreline for me," said Williams. "I feel like I made a lot of errors but there's nothing I can do about that now. "What really matters is I got the win." Williams arrived at the year's final grand slam with concerns swirling around a sore shoulder that hampered her at the Rio Olympics and forced her to pull out of a tournament in Cincinnati. But she put any doubts about her fitness to rest, blasting 13 aces past King while hitting 38 winners to just four by her opponent. "It's stable, I just got to keep it like that," Williams said of her right shoulder. "It's two matches in and usually you want to be able to play seven matches "I definitely want to keep it as good as it can be." It seems every year history beckons Williams at Flushing Meadows and on Thursday she reached yet another milestone by tying Martina Navratilova for most career grand slam wins with 306. There are other marks well within the American's grasp during the fortnight. A seventh U.S. Open title would move her past Chris Evert for the most in the Open Era. It would also be her 23rd grand slam win, moving her past Steffi Graf, again for the most in the Open Era, one shy of the great Margaret Court who tops the all-time list with 24. (Editing by Andrew Both) PARIS (Reuters) - Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Friday that France's days of meddling in African countries' politics were over, as former colony Gabon counted the cost of riots that followed a disputed election. The foreign ministry in Paris, along with the United States and the European Union, on Wednesday urged Gabonese authorities to release election results from individual polling stations for greater transparency. The spokesman for the winner, President Ali Bongo, rejected that request on Thursday. Interviewed on France 2 television on Friday, Ayrault said: "We are Africa's partners but we do not want in any case to intervene in countries' internal affairs. That would be disrespectful of Africans, they don't ask for it". France acted only when countries requested Paris' help, he added. On Sunday, Bongo's allies had expressed anger over a French Socialist Party statement declaring that early results showed challenger Jean Ping to be the winner. They accused it of failing to respect the sovereignty of a country where 14,000 French citizens live, and which hosts a French military base with 450 troops. They said it harked back to the era of La Francafrique, when Paris played puppet-master in African countries decades after post-colonial independence, propping up leaders like Bongo's father in exchange for pushing business to French firms. Following Wednesday's announcement of Bongo's narrow victory, Ping accused authorities of rigging the ballot There are recent precedents of France becoming involved in African countries such as in the Ivory Coast in 2011. After Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down following a disputed election, France went to the United Nation's Security Council to get a mandate to send troops and help swing a civil war in favor of Bagbo's rival Alassane Ouattara. Gabonese government spokesman Alain-Claude Nze told French television BFM TV that the government expected France to help ease tensions and bring both sides to a peaceful resolution. (This version of the story corrects the spelling of Gbagbo and Ouattara in paragraph 11) (Reporting by Marine Pennetier; writing by Leigh Thomas; editing by John Stonestreet) Madrid (AFP) - Spain's acting prime minister will seek parliament's backing to form a government for the second time on Friday but has little hope of success, raising the possibility of a third election in a year. Mariano Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) has ruled since 2011, lost a first confidence vote on Wednesday with 170 in favour -- six votes short of the required absolute majority. This time around he only needs more votes in favour than against but he is expected to fail again since the parties that opposed him have said they will maintain their "no" votes rather than abstaining to allow him to form a minority government. The PP, in power since 2011, won the most seats in elections held in December and June but fell short of a majority both times as voters angry over corruption and austerity flocked to new parties. It has only managed to secure the support of new centrist party Ciudadanos and a lone MP from the Canary Islands. If there is no breakthrough two months after Wednesday's parliamentary ballot, vote-weary Spaniards will be asked to return to the polls in December. The PP has pressured the Socialists, their main rivals who finished second in the last two elections, to drop their opposition. "We can't have new elections, we can't be this ridiculous," said the PP's parliamentary spokesman, Rafael Hernando, ahead of the second vote in the assembly expected late Friday. Rajoy argued during Wednesday's debate that he deserved to be prime minister again because his party had won 2.5 million more votes than the Socialists in the June 26 election and was the only formation to boost its showing. But Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez told MPs that Rajoy had "no credibility" because of allegations of illegal financing that have dogged the PP under his watch. "We are going to do what we said we would do during the election campaign, which is to not allow Rajoy to remain at the head of the government," the Socialists' parliamentary spokesman Antonio Hernando said Thursday. Story continues - 'Clear cost' - Although Rajoy remains in office as acting prime minister, he has no power to propose legislation or spend on new infrastructure projects such as roads and railways. Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria warned ahead of Friday's vote that a caretaker government cannot approve a budget for 2017, it can only roll over its spending plan for 2016. This would have "a clear cost" to Spaniards and the economy since new projects cannot be approved and government spending in may areas would remain frozen, she added after a weekly cabinet meeting. The lack of a fully-functioning government could even affect the payment of social benefits such as pensions and civil servant salaries to 14 million people as this depends on the budget, she said. "As far as it can, the caretaker government will maintain peace of mind," she said. Spain must submit a draft 2017 budget to the European Union which outlines cuts to bring its budget deficit down to 3.1 percent next year by October 15. - Basque elections - One factor that could change the political calculus is the result of regional elections in the Basque Country on September 25. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), which has five seats, could support Rajoy nationally if it needs the backing of the PP to govern in the Basque Country following the regional polls. The PNV has backed minority PP governments in the past but Rajoy has angered the party with policies it feels weaken its efforts to protect the Basque Country's distinctive language and culture. Photo: CBS Fifty years ago this month Sept. 8, 1966, to be exact 20th century TV viewers got their first glimpse of what life in the 23rd century might be like. Their time travel device of choice? Star Trek, a new series from producer Gene Roddenberry that he described as a Wagon Train to the Stars, a reference to a popular western series that depicted a caravan of settlers making their way across the post-Civil War American frontier. Roddenberry applied that premise to the so-called final frontier of outer space, sending the diverse crew of the Starship Enterprise to the farthest corners of the galaxy seeking out new life and new civilizations. In the half-century since Star Treks debut, weve witnessed five more series that offer a glimpse into the franchises idyllic future, where space exploration is as ordinary as walking to the post office and Earths nations have put aside their differences to serve a common goal. And after a 10-year hiatus without a new Star Trek series, January 2017 will see the first Trek premiere since Star Trek: Enterprise launched its maiden voyage 15 years ago on Sept. 26, 2001. Thats when Bryan Fullers highly anticipated Star Trek: Discovery boldly goes onto CBS before moving over to the networks streaming service, CBS All Access. Related: Star Trek Flashback: Writer David Gerrold Talks Tribbles The idea of the creator of Hannibal and Pushing Daisies being handed the keys to his own Star Trek starship is exciting even if youre not a card-carrying Trekkie. (For the record, this isnt Fullers first tour with Starfleet: A lifelong Trek fan, he got his start writing scripts for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.) As we anticipate Star Trek: Discoverys debut, were looking back at Treks previous missions by ranking all of the series premieres all of which are available on Netflix and Amazon Prime, along with the entirety of each of the six Star Trek series weve watched to date. Story continues Q bedevils the Enterprise crew in Encounter at Farpoint. (Photo: Everett Collection) 6. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Encounter at Farpoint (Original Stardate: Sept. 28, 1987) The story of the numerous false starts and failed launches of a second Star Trek TV series could fill an entire book. (In fact, it did.) All of that baggage carried over into the development process for The Next Generation, which had the added challenge of making fans and newbies alike fall in love with a new crew rather than James T. Kirks band of explorers. And you can feel the uncertainty throughout Farpoint, a stiffly written and acted two-hour premiere that led off a largely underwhelming first season. Its most valuable contribution is introducing one of TNGs best villains, John de Lancies dimension-defying Q, who would return several times during the run of the series, most notably in its series finale All Good Things, which is as mind-blowingly good as Farpoint is mind-numbingly dull. Think of this episode as a false star that both TNG and Star Trek itself had to get out of its system before venturing onto bigger and better things. Archer assumes command in Broken Bow. (Photo: Everett Collection) 5. Star Trek: Enterprise: Broken Bow (Original Stardate: Sept. 26, 2001) The appeal of Star Treks divisive prequel series which manages to be both underrated and properly rated at the same time always lay in watching an early crew wrestling with the limits of pre-Original Series future tech. Jonathan Archers crew, for example, never had the benefit of streaking across the galaxy at speeds higher than Warp 5. In its best moments, Broken Bow taps into some of that sense of wonderment that accompanies tales of early pioneer exploration, aided immeasurably by Scott Bakulas genuinely affecting performance as Archer. Its just a shame that everything else about the episode feels so routine, up to and including his blandly characterized crew. And then theres the infamous decontamination scene, where designated heartthrobs TPol (Jolene Blalock) and Trip (Connor Trinneer) lotion each other up in their skivvies in an embarrassingly pardon the pun naked attempt to engage Trekkie hormones. The Star Trek crew gets animated in Beyond the Farthest Star. (Photo: NBC) 4. Star Trek: The Animated Series: Beyond the Farthest Star (Original Stardate: Sept. 8, 1973) The 70s and 80s are littered with forgettable Filmation-produced Saturday morning spinoffs of popular franchises. But Star Treks journey into animation retained some of the sophisticated storytelling glimpsed in its live-action counterpart. Take the premiere episode, which strands the members of Kirks Enterprise this was a rare case where many of the original actors returned to voice their cartoon selves on a dead star occupied by an alien eager to seize control of a starship and jet off to other inhabited worlds. (Funnily enough, William Shatner borrowed elements of this storyline for his entry into the Star Trek film franchise, The Final Frontier.) Look past the admittedly retro animation and youve got an entertaining pocket-size Star Trek story. Janeway and crew in Caretaker. (Photo: Everett Collection) 3. Star Trek: Voyager: Caretaker (Original Stardate: Jan. 16, 1995) In a sense, Voyagers first episode was the easiest entry of the series to make. After all, slingshotting the crew of the titular ship some 70,000 light years away from the safety of Federation-occupied space is a gripping hook. Filling that fresh patch of galaxy with equally compelling stories, though, is a challenge that Voyager regularly struggled with over its seven-season run. Taken on its own terms, the feature-length Caretaker is actually on par and even superior to several of the franchises feature-film installments. (If faced with the choice of watching Caretaker or Star Trek: Insurrection, for example, the smart Trekkie chooses Caretaker every time.) And Kate Mulgrews presence at the helm of Voyager as Capt. Janeway is quietly revolutionary; her authority is never challenged, and her competency is never in question. From the moment she appears onscreen, Mulgrew passes right through the Star Trek glass ceiling as if it never existed in the first place. Sisko and Picard have a frosty meeting in Emissary. (Photo: Paramount) 2. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Emissary (Original Stardate: Jan. 3, 1993) DS9 is considered among many discerning Trekkies to be the finest Star Trek series made to date, introducing the concept of season-long (and even series-long) serialized arcs into the franchises previously episodic approach, and mining interpersonal conflict for drama instead of avoiding it, as Roddenberry often preferred. The series announces its intentions in a thrilling way at the top of Emissary, with a lengthy sequence that depicts a Borg-possessed Picards attack on a starship that results in numerous deaths, including that of the wife of DS9s hero, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). Siskos display of anger over her death, as well as his expressed unhappiness at being stationed at the titular space station, are rare to see in a Starfleet officer, and promises the beginning of a fascinating character arc that sticks the landing seven seasons later. Emissary receives bonus points for one of the headiest sequences in Trek premiere history: an extended scene where Sisko explains the theory of linear time to an alien race that has no understanding of such concepts. Its like attending a philosophy lecture at light speed. Kirk and McCoy try to avoid The Man Trap. (Photo: CBS) 1. Star Trek: The Original Series: The Man Trap (Original Stardate: Sept. 8, 1966) Lets take a moment to acknowledge that The Man Trap wasnt supposed to be viewers first exposure to Star Trek. CBS shot down Roddenberrys original Shatner-free pilot, The Cage (which wasnt made publicly available until the 80s); and the second first episode, Where No Man Has Gone Before, aired as the third installment after concerns that it was too expository. Watching The Man Trap, viewers certainly feel as if theyve been dropped into the middle of an ongoing mission, which is actually a benefit for the series. The characters are introduced to the viewer without the sometimes-leaden need to introduce them to each other. The Man Trap also offers a fun monster alien of the week in the form of a shapeshifting creature who feeds on the salt in mens bodies, and shines an early spotlight on the chemistry that defined Treks Holy Trinity of Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Bones McCoy (DeForest Kelley). If you were a young nerd who stumbled upon this episode one night in 1966 without any previous knowledge of Star Trek, its understandable why youd be hooked for 50 years and beyond. Watch the Entire Comic-Con 2016 Star Trek 50th Anniversary Panel: All six Star Trek series are available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Star Trek: Discovery premieres on CBS and CBS All Access in January 2017. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f19588%2fgettyimages-568534733 We're just one day into back-to-school season, yet America's youth can't stay out of trouble. Take, for example, the teen who apparently got suspended for refusing to remove his probably great hat: As his report reads, "Asked Cameron to take off his cowboy hat. He replied Yee haw partner and kept walking. Did not take off his hat." This offense apparently landed him in two days of in-school suspension for "Defiance/Willful Refusal." In actuality, all Cameron deserves is light teasing for establishing himself as that guy so early in the school year. BONUS: Corgis head to corgi prom An explosion was reported in Davao City, Philippines late Friday night, local time. Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte said in a statement on Facebook that there are "at least 10 people who perished because of the incident and a number were reported wounded." He also said authorities are working to determine the cause of the explosion. The explosion at the Davao night market has killed at least 10 people and injured 60, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement on Facebook. He also said that "it is best that the populace refrain from reckless speculation and avoid crowded places." Reuters reported that Duterte said his father, President Rodrigo Duterte, is safe. The Philippines president was previously mayor of the city, which is also his hometown. The vice mayor has asked people to return to their homes and the bars to close down. The Philippine National Police has asked the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious packages or persons, according to Region 11 Director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan. Davao is located in the southeastern part of Mindanao island in the Philippines. In 2010, the city had a projected population of about 1.46 million people. This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates. NBC News' Emma Ong, Carolin Fiehm and Micah Grimes, and Reuters contributed to this report. (COPENHAGEN, Denmark) Residents of Copenhagens semi-autonomous Christiania neighborhood on Friday tore down the areas hashish market after an alleged drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested after a shoot-out with police. Authorities and his defense lawyer said Friday that he had died from his wounds. The violence marked an escalation in clashes between police and drug dealers who sell hashish openly in Christiania, a largely self-governing enclave created when hippies occupied abandoned navy barracks in 1971. Sale of hashish is illegal in Denmark. Fed up with the violence, some of Christianias 600 residents on Friday morning tore down the market stalls used by drug dealers on the neighborhoods infamous Pusher Street. Denmarks TV2 showed people using saws, cordless drills and crowbars to dismantle the stalls. Others cheered as heavy machinery knocked down plywood stalls and tore down stone walls, leaving piles of rubble of what once were hashish dealers booths. It is important that we do this today with the wounded police officer in our thoughts, community spokesman Risenga Manghezi told The Associated Press. But we cannot guarantee that they wont pop up again, unfortunately. Copenhagens police chief Thorkild Fogde welcomed the dismantling of the hashish supermarket, adding it was a clear attempt to help the police. He acknowledged he could not exclude hashish sale would move to other parts of the city. Danish lawmakers, who for years have called for the open hashish sale to stop, rushed to applaud the residents action. Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen tweeted Great Christiania. Hold on tight. Though many Christiania residents have liberal attitudes toward drugs, they are uncomfortable with the presence of criminal gangs running the hashish trade in the neighborhood. Story continues What we, the residents, dont want is to be associated with the violence connected to the hashish sale, Manghezi said. As for now we have no concrete plans as to what will happen with Pusher Street. Authorities say the gunman, identified as Mesa Hodzic, a Danish national born in Bosnia, opened fire on two police officers as they tried to arrest him late Wednesday. The gunman also shot a bystander in the leg. One of the officers is in critical condition while the other and the bystander are stable, police said. Police later shot Hodzic as they confronted him south of Copenhagen. He was taken to Copenhagens university hospital, where he died from his wounds early Friday, his defense lawyer Jacob Kiil said. Manghezi said Hodzic was not a Christiania resident. Since Pusher Street was created in the late 1980s, police have raided the hashish sale dozens of time and have torn down stalls several times with little luck. In 2004, residents and hashish dealers together dismantled stalls. Shortly after, stalls and booths mushroomed again. The last time the Revolution performed together, in 2012, they left a spare guitar onstage for their estranged leader, Prince, just in case he showed up to jam. He never arrived. This Thursday, when Wendy, Lisa, and all the gang reunited once again for the first of three sold-out nights in Princes hometown of Minneapolis, at First Avenue the legendary, 1,500-capacity club where Purple Rains iconic concert scenes were filmed the circumstances were obviously very different. There would be no hope of a full reunion. But the late Princes presence was still definitely felt on this highly emotional evening, from the moment a noticeably choked-up Wendy Melvoin took the stage alongside keyboardists Lisa Coleman and Dr. Fink, bassist BrownMark, drummer Bobby Z, and special guests Dez Dickerson and Andre Cymone. I encourage every one of you to take every one of these songs and make them your own sing along, so he can hear you! Melvoin said at the start of the two-hour set, before launching into Lets Go Crazy. It was an undoubtedly joyous opener, but the songs lyrics about death, the afterworld, and especially elevators took on darker, deeper, much sadder new meaning in this context as did other classic Prince lines, like Some people want to die, so they can be free in Controversy, or If I gotta die Im gonna listen to my body tonight in 1999, or Its such a shame our friendship had to end in Purple Rain. (You can cry, if you want to, BrownMark sweetly told the audience during the latter song.) At one time, 32 years ago, a little 52 man had filled up this little room, and the silver screen, with his massive presence. Melvoin and company couldnt compensate for his absence, of course. All night long, it felt like something (or more specifically, someone) was missing. But in front of a purple-clad crowd that included loyal locals as well as far-flung fans whod traveled from Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, New York, and England just for this once-in-a-lifetime show, they did their old boss proud even if at times the band members, particularly Melvoin, almost seemed too overwhelmed with emotion to continue. Story continues If Prince saw this right now, hed be in tears, Melvoin declared at one point. The most gut-wrenching moment of the night came when Melvoin later asked the audience to be quiet, explaining that the stripped-down song she and Coleman were about to perform was so intense, they needed total silence in order to power through it. That song was Sometimes It Snows It April, a grief-stricken ballad that has taken on great weight since Prince died this past April 21. Spectators at First Avenue openly, messily sobbed throughout and at times, it almost appeared Melvoin herself was about to break down. But she kept it together and delivered a powerful performance that connected with every fan in the room, all of them still in mourning less than five months after Princes shocking death. However, despite the shows many bittersweet and poignant moments, for the most part the mood in the room was celebratory a glam slam, a true rave un2 the joy fantastic. Weve been waiting a long time for this, Dickerson excitedly told the audience, and the Revolution certainly seemed to be making up for lost time, playing with gusto. Even the occasional flubs like a few lyrical missteps, or an awkward moment when Melvoin tripped and fell, but leapt right back onto her feet like a stealthy ninja didnt slow them down one bit. Happy highlights of the night included a real sexy MF, neo-soul sensation Bilal fresh off his star turn this past June on the BET Awards stellar Prince tribute lending his otherworldly screechy falsetto and sultry stage presence to The Beautiful Ones, Private Joy, When Doves Cry, and Kiss. (Thats a gift, Melvoin marveled at Bilals octave-straddling vocals.) Later, Princes Purple Rain co-star Apollonia Kotero appeared and tossed costume-jewelry earrings into the crowd for good luck (a cute nod to the movie scene when she gave The Kid a single gold loop). And during the encore, Princes brother Omarr Baker, ex-fiancee Suzannah Melvoin (twin sister of Wendy, and the inspiration for Nothing Compares 2 U), and ex-wives Mayte and Manuela Testolini joined the celebration, for a boisterous all-star singalong of Baby Im a Star. #apollonia hands out earrings for good luck at #TheRevolutions show A video posted by Lyndsey Parker (@lyndseyparker) on Sep 1, 2016 at 11:21pm PDT In the end, the fans at First Avenue and the band members onstage werent really partying like it was 1999. They were partying like it was 2016: grieving a major loss, acknowledging the sad passage of time and the fact that Prince can never be replaced but still exuberantly celebrating the mans music and legacy. I can feel the love right here in my heart, Cymone proclaimed at the end of the evening. Said Melvoin: Its been heavy, huh? We miss him a lot Know that he loved all of you [Minneapolitans] so much. This is his home. This is where it all happened. Its our great honor to be on this stage together to do this for him. We will always love him, forever and ever. The Revolutions full First Avenue setlist was: Lets Go Crazy Computer Blue Mountains Do It All Night Lets Work Partyup Uptown Little Red Corvette 1999 Sometimes It Snows in April Raspberry Beret The Beautiful Ones Private Joy When Doves Cry Controversy Kiss Baby Im a Star Purple Rain Follow Lyndsey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Amazon, Tumblr, Vine, Spotify Rob Kardashian has this super simple, yet super sweet thing to say about Caitlyn Jenner Rob Kardashian has this super simple, yet super sweet thing to say about Caitlyn Jenner Weve talked about Rob Kardashian kind of a lot lately mainly because he recently gave an interview with People about how Blac Chyna pulled him through a difficult period in his life. But another important thing he spoke out about in the interview was Caitlyn Jenners transition from male to female. Of course, the article reminds us that Jenner used to be Kardashians stepdad, so its only natural that hed have a few things to say. Talking about the issue, Kardashian simply said, I know how it can be to feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Kardashian recently opened up about his struggles with weight gain and personal insecurities, so it feels like he genuinely understands and respects where Jenner was coming from. No #SocialMediaQueen can be crowned without posting a selfie, so here's my first! #TeenChoice http://www.whosay.com/l/tuQaSXJ A photo posted by Caitlyn Jenner (@caitlynjenner) on Aug 6, 2015 at 11:12am PDT He went on to say, Everybody has their own issues. As long as Caitlyn is happy, Im happy. Awwwww. Isnt that just kind of the best attitude especially about people we care about? Short and sweet, yet his words are enormously mature and powerful. Its great that Kardashian is opening up about his feelings, and that theyre so positive because unfortunately, the world is still learning how to be comfortable with members of the LGBTQ+ community, and every bit of acceptance helps. We have no doubt that Kardashian is going to be a caring and empathetic dad and husband to Blac Chyna! A photo posted by Blac Chyna (@blacchyna) on Mar 23, 2016 at 8:57pm PDT Keep doing your thing, Rob. The post Rob Kardashian has this super simple, yet super sweet thing to say about Caitlyn Jenner appeared first on HelloGiggles. By Alonso Soto BRASILIA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A restive Congress and fallout from a weak economy will likely limit the ability of Brazil's new President Michel Temer to rush through spending cuts and the welfare reforms investors had hoped to see soon after the removal of his leftist predecessor. The Senate's dismissal of President Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday cleared the way for Temer, interim president since May, to push through fiscal reforms to close a yawning budget gap that cost Brazil its investment grade credit rating in 2015. But that momentum could be short-lived as Temer's business-friendly agenda faces an uphill battle, his economic advisers and senior lawmakers told Reuters. Ideological divisions and political rivalries within Temer's 22-party alliance could jeopardize the approval of reforms, while high unemployment and expectations of a fragile economic recovery have policymakers wary of a deeper austerity push. "There is no consensus within the government alliance on any of these austerity measures," said Raimundo Lira, a senior senator with Temer's Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB). "Some parties want to move faster while others want to move slower and we need to find the right balance." After replacing Rousseff in May, when she was suspended to stand trial on charges of breaking fiscal rules, Temer won over investors with promises to end years of interventionist policies, sell government assets and stabilize public debt. Brazil's Bovespa stock index and real currency rank among the world's best-performing assets this year. However, Temer has come under fire from investors and some allies for watering down austerity measures to garner support for Rousseff's ouster, including pay increases for an array of public servants. Lawmakers from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Temer's main ally in Congress, are among the loudest voices in favor of austerity. Brazilian assets seesawed on Wednesday as PSDB legislators slammed leading senators from Temer's PMDB for backing a measure that allowed Rousseff to retain the right to hold public office. Story continues Aecio Neves, leader of the PSDB, denied any prospect of a split in the coalition but called for the government to make good on its promises to push through austerity measures. A high-profile test for the ruling coalition in the days ahead will be a vote on a hefty wage hike for Supreme Court justices, backed by Temer's party but opposed by the PSDB. NO NEW MEASURES Temer's own advisors are resisting deeper budget cuts and tax increases to quickly rebalance the accounts as they try to avoid suffocating an incipient recovery. A draft 2017 budget presented on Wednesday relied largely on privatizations and an uptick in economic growth to raise tax revenues and narrow a budget deficit. Congress is expected to vote in the coming week on bills to increase private participation in the aviation and oil industries while the government is drafting plans to launch an infrastructure concession program and sell state enterprises. Temer also plans to submit this month his controversial pension reform, likely raising tensions with powerful groups such as the military, public school teachers and police officers. Labor unions, some who support Temer, have vowed to protest any changes to one of the world's most generous pension systems. Pushing through these reforms is ambitious enough, Temer's aides say. "No new measures are planned beyond what we already announced," said one adviser who asked for anonymity because he is not allowed to speak publicly. "Temer will maintain the pace of the fiscal adjustment." Some members of the PSDB have taken aim against Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles for being too soft in pushing austerity. Meirelles, a former central bank governor who is considered an architect of Brazil's economic boom of the last decade, is seen as a potential rival for PSDB candidates for the 2018 presidential elections. "I hope that after the vote Meirelles will be zealous with the public accounts," Senator Jose Anibal said on the sidelines of the impeachment trial in the senate. "You cannot make more concessions." Anibal and other PSDB leaders told Reuters tensions have subsided and Temer has promised to focus on fiscal adjustment in the two remaining years of his term. On the other end of the spectrum are several smaller centrist parties voicing concerns over the reforms and planning to propose changes to avoid social spending cuts. At the heart of Temer's reform agenda is a proposal to limit public spending growth for up to 20 years aimed at cutting a budget deficit that has tripled in less than a decade. Allies are considering lowering the lifetime of that measure to four years or less, altering the indicator used to limit spending growth and allowing extra health and education spending. For the head of the Lower House commission debating the amendments, Danilo Forte, changes are inevitable but he believes lawmakers are focused on resolving the budget crisis. A return to economic growth will help the adjustment by increasing tax revenues, said Forte, a member of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). "You can't just force a fiscal adjustment," he said. "That doesn't work in Brazil as we have seen in the past." (Reporting by Alonso Soto; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) MOSCOW/VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The expansion of sanctions on Russia by the United States is unlikely to have a material impact on Russia's economy, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich was quoted by Intefax news agency as saying on Friday. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has added dozens of people and firms to the list, first introduced after Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and expanded over its support for rebels in the east of the country. It also added a number of Gazprom's producing and gas shipping companies to the list. Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller told reporters in Vladivostok on Friday it would not have any impact on the company. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova and Oksana Kobzeva; writing by Katya Golubkova; editing by Maria Kiselyova) Vladivostok (Russia) (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview aired Friday that Moscow and Washington could soon reach a cooperation deal on Syria. "In my opinion we're gradually heading in the right direction and I don't exclude that we'll be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Russian and American officials are holding negotiations in Geneva aimed at reestablishing a ceasefire in Syria and cooperating militarily against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups in the country. "The talks are very difficult," Putin said. "One of the key problems is that we insist, and our American partners do not object to this, that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organisations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra." Russia and US are on opposing sides of the Syria conflict with Moscow flying a bombing campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Washington demanding he go. Any military cooperation between the two sides in Syria could prove a game-changer but many in the US -- which is leading a separate coalition against IS -- are sceptical that Moscow can be trusted. Russias Paralympians will not be allowed to participate in this months Games in Rio under a neutral banner, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said Thursday, further enforcing a blanket ban on the country after revelations of a widespread state-sponsored doping program. A statement from the committee said nearly 200 Russian athletes who applied to compete independently would not be granted the right to do so, Agence France-Presse reports. The ban by the IPC on Aug. 7 was in response to a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which claimed Russian athletes abused banned substances at the behest of government officials. Dozens of Russian athletes including the entire track-and-field team were banned from the recently concluded Rio 2016 Olympics. But none of the Paralympic athletes will be allowed to feature, for their country or otherwise. Read next: This Is What Russias Doping Scandal Means for the Olympics The main goal of the IPC is to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world, Xavier Gonzalez, the chief executive of the IPC, said in a statement. Tragically, however, the Russian authorities have denied their athletes this chance through their actions. [AFP] By Jack Stubbs MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said he did not know who was behind the hacking of U.S. Democratic Party organizations but the information uncovered was important, Bloomberg news agency reported on Friday. In an interview two days before a G20 meeting in China with U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders, Putin said it might be impossible to establish who engineered the release of sensitive Democratic Party emails but it was not done by the Russian government. "Does it even matter who hacked this data?" Putin said. "The important thing is the content that was given to the public." "Theres no need to distract the publics attention from the essence of the problem by raising some minor issues connected with the search for who did it," he added. "But I want to tell you again, I dont know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this." The hacked emails, released by activist group WikiLeaks in July, appeared to show favouritism within the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and prompted the resignation of the body's chairwoman. A computer network used by Clinton's campaign, and the party's fundraising committee for the U.S. House of Representatives were also hacked. Clinton, who polls show as leading Donald Trump in the campaign for the U.S. presidential election in November, has said Russian intelligence services conducted a cyber attack against her party. Some officials have suggested Moscow is trying to influence the U.S. election. Putin dismissed the allegations. "We have never interfered, are not interfering and do not intend to interfere in domestic politics," he said. "We will carefully watch what happens and wait for the election results. Then we are ready to work with any American administration, if they want to themselves." Relations between Russia and United States hit a post-Cold War low in 2014 over the Ukraine crisis, and Washington and Moscow have since clashed over diverging policies in Syria. Obama said in August he would discuss the cyber attack with Putin if Russia was responsible, but it would not "wildly" alter the two countries' relationship. The U.S. election contest has been hard fought and frequently dominated by both candidates' attitudes towards Russia. Clinton has rounded on her Republican rival Trump for his perceived praise of Putin and what she says is an "absolute allegiance" to Russia's foreign policy aims. Trump, in return, has said Clinton's own close ties to the Russian president deserve greater scrutiny. Putin said both candidates were using shock tactics and that playing "the anti-Russian card" was short-sighted. "I wouldn't like for us to follow their example," he said. "I don't think they are setting the best example." (Reporting by Katya Golubkova,; Writing by Jack Stubbs,; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Mark Trevelyan) By Clement Uwiringiyimana KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwanda has signed a deal with the African division of Portuguese construction firm Mota-Engil to build an international airport at a cost of $818 million, the company and government officials said. They said the first phase of the airport, which is part of a push to attract more tourists and boost Rwanda as a conference destination, would cost $418 million and is expected to start in June next year and be completed by December 2018. Rwanda's plans for the new Bugesera International Airport date back to 2011 when it first announced it was seeking bids from the private sector to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the airport through a 25-year concession. "The first phase is for 1.7 million passengers (per year) capacity and it gets all infrastructure associated for $418 million," Mota-Engil Africa Chief Executive Officer Manuel Antonio Mota told reporters late on Thursday after signing an agreement with government officials. Rwanda said in a statement that Mota-Engil would operate the airport for 25 years, with an option to extend another 15 years. When it first sought bids, the government said the first phase would involve building passenger and cargo terminals and a 4.2 km runway to handle large commercial airplanes, while the second phase would be for a second runway and more terminals. Mota-Engil said the second phase costing $400 million was expected to raise the airport's handling capacity to 4.5 million passengers per year. Neither Mota-Engil nor the government said when the second phase would start. The existing international airport in the capital Kigali has an annual capacity of 1.6 million, according to the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, though it has little scope for expansion. "Bugesera International Airport is coming in at the time when it is badly needed because we all know that the current airport capacity is not matching the growth of our traffic in terms of aircrafts, in terms of passengers," James Musoni, Rwanda's minister for infrastructure, said. The coffee and tea producing country expects its economy to grow 6 percent this year and 2017 and then 6.5 percent in 2018. (Editing by George Obulutsa and David Clarke) Marc Benioff About a week ago, Salesforce surprised the industry by spending over half a billion dollars to buy a startup named Quip, a productivity app founded by Facebook's former CTO, Bret Taylor. Salesforce reported to the SEC that it bought the company with $582 million worth of stock and some unnamed "equity awards", while TechCrunch's Ingrid Lunden reported that the cash component brought the total price to about $750 million. Quip was valued by its investors at about $376 million after its last round about a year ago, according to investment tracking firm PitchBook. So Salesforce paid a premium for this company. Talking to Wall Street analysts on Wednesday, CEO Marc Benioff explained why he thought Quip was worth the money. First off, he wanted Taylor to work for Salesforce, Benioff said: "I did not expect to get a call from someone who I have incredible respect for, Bret Taylor, who is the CEO of Quip. I have followed his career for many years, I try to have dinner with him once a month. Everyone knows the incredible work he did with Google Maps. "Everyone knows he was the CTO of Facebook and he had accepted an investment from Salesforce to this company and we were talking about the possibility of Salesforce acquiring his company and him joining our team as one of our top technical leaders. "And thats a dream that this company has had for several years. Everyone here and many people in the industry as well covet and love Bret and when we had that opportunity, we took that." But Benioff also underscored what we originally reported when the deal was announced: this was a chance to take on Microsoft directly on its home turf of Office apps. This after a short-lived period where Microsoft and Salesforce were friendly. Microsoft integrated Salesforce's products with Office 365 and even considered buying the company. For years prior to that, the two companies were big rivals. Microsoft is a major competitor to Salesforce for its flagship customer relationship management software. And Microsoft has plans to do a lot more with its CRM software with its $26 billion purchase of LinkedIn, and snatched LinkedIn out of Benioff's hands. Story continues Satya Nadella When Salesforce first bought Quip, Benioff sent a bunch of retweets about how Quip planned to take on Microsoft. To the Street's analysts on Wednesday he was even more straightforward. He said that he planned to bake Salesforce's own productivity apps like email, spreadsheets and word processors into all of Salesforce's other apps. "We have to have productivity built in. All of our applications need to have core productivity applications, whether it is email, like with Salesforce Inbox or spreadsheets or word processors like Quip, live documents. All of that has to be an integrated part of what we are doing. We believe that strongly. We have obviously done a lot of great work with Microsoft as well, with their products. We have now our own product in this category. And this is going to be really important for us going forward and it's the reason that we bought Quip." But he also suggested that productivity apps could be its own new huge business for Salesforce, saying: "You could even break productivity out as its own application category. I think all of you know productivity itself has a huge TAM [total addressable market], $26 billion a year TAM." Note that Microsoft reported that its total fiscal year 2016 revenue from its Productivity and Business Processes division, which includes Microsoft Office, was $26.5 billion. Quip's CEO, Taylor, said in an interview with Recode that Salesforce is going to set its very large, sophisticated salesforce up to sell Quip's apps to more companies. In other words, Benioff has a not-so-subtle message to Microsoft: game on. NOW WATCH: Forget the gross factor: There are serious health reasons for why you shouldn't pick your nose More From Business Insider Girls are being held accountable for boys poor grades. Whats wrong with this picture? (Photo: Getty Images) An assistant principals apparent attempt at humor fell flat at Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, last week. Phil Morgante sent kids and parents into an uproar with his sexist comments while addressing students about school dress codes at assemblies last week. Morgantes words were meant to be lighthearted, according to Liberals Unite, but instead seemed sexist and to blame girls and their revealing outfits for boys poor grades. Ladies, I know youve been working on your abs since the Olympics, Morgante quipped in audio released online. But your shirts cant be up here. Its gotta cover the whole gut, OK? So, cover up. Then came the bombshell: Ladies, I still blame you all for boys low grades because of tight clothing. Yes, he really went there. Saying a boy gets distracted, or gets worse grades, because some girls showing her bra strap or her tummy or her shorts are too short, thats wrong, said Elizabeth White, the mother of a middle school boy in the Fort Bend school district, to ABC 13. White added that at 48, shes still being told what is and isnt appropriate to wear at her age. White told the network shes using the unfortunate incident as an opportunity to talk to her son about sexism. Its just kind of gross because he teaches teenage girls, said Piper Cotton, a Clements student. He made it seem like girls are just in school as a distraction for boys, when in reality our education is just as important as theirs, added Em (not her real name), a junior, according to ABC 13. Still other students felt Morgante had a right to enforce the schools dress code, but went about it in an ill-advised way, blaming the girls and failing to hold the boys accountable for their own behavior and academic performances. Maybe I can improve my rank if I wear tight, distracting clothing often enough, snarked one anonymous female student on Twitter, according to Odyssey. I regret not telling off Morgante when he basically said its us girls fault that boys over-sexualize girls because of our clothing smfh Im heated, added another. Story continues This incident comes about a week after a high school in Victoria, Australia, made headlines for blaming the female students short skirts for landing the school on a porn-sharing website, and one brave student came forward to defend herself and the rest of the young women. It seems like quite a few school officials could use some sensitivity training when dealing with incidents that objectify their female students. Its understandable that Morgante would want to address the poor grades among his students. According to the Odyssey, Clements High School is one of the top 100 high schools in Texas and has a high rate of placing students at universities across the country. But poor grades are no excuse to send the message that its a girls responsibility to not dress provocatively so a boy can excel in class in fact, its flat-out misogyny. Morgante has not commented on the incident himself, but the Fort Bend school district did release a statement to the media, which read: During assemblies last week, when speaking about the dress code, a Clements High School administrator made comments that were inappropriate and offensive to students. These comments should not have been made, and do not represent the beliefs of Fort Bend ISD or the Clements administrative team or faculty. The comments were a failed attempt at humor and inappropriate. Following concerns expressed by students, the Clements principal took prompt action to address the comments and apologized to the student body. We have high expectations for both students and staff at Clements High School and throughout Fort Bend ISD. Our goal is to provide a safe, positive learning environment where all students feel supported and valued. Please know this situation is being addressed, and appropriate actions will be taken. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Stirling (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday launched a major new survey on independence, saying the Brexit vote had changed the conditions that existed when Scotland voted against secession in 2014. "Brexit raises afresh the issue of independence.... It would allow us to take control of our own destiny," Sturgeon told lawmakers from her Scottish National Party, which favours breaking off from the rest of Britain. Centre-left leader Sturgeon said the survey would be conducted through a website and by polling party members, aiming to reach two million people, or around half the electorate. The results are due by St Andrew's Day on November 30 -- celebrating Scotland's patron saint. "I believe it is right that our party does now lead a new conversation on independence. It will be a new debate, it will not be a re-run of 2014," she said. Scots are deeply divided on the issue and a new poll by YouGov published on Friday found 54 percent were against independence and 46 percent in favour. In Scotland's independence referendum two years ago, 55 percent voted against and 45 percent in favour. But Sturgeon said she believed support for separation would increase once the effects of Brexit become clear and argued that the weakness of the main opposition Labour Party meant the centre-right Conservatives could be in power for decades to come. She called the Conservative government's failure to prepare for a "Leave" victory in the June EU referendum "reckless and irresponsible" and warned the result would badly damage the Scottish economy. "I am not prepared to stand by and watch that happen without a battle," Sturgeon said, adding that she would seek extra powers from London for Scotland to preserve EU ties to help businesses and universities. Addressing Prime Minister Theresa May she said: "You do not have a clear mandate to take any part of the UK out of the single market" of the European Union. Story continues May has spoken out against Scottish independence and promised to involve Scotland in negotiations on Britain's future relationship with the EU. Britain as a whole voted to leave the European Union by 52 percent to 48 percent but in Scotland the result was 62 percent to 38 percent in favour of staying in the EU. Within hours of the result, Sturgeon said a new independence referendum was "highly likely" although formal consent would be required from Britain's national parliament to hold a new vote. She cant be 50! Halle Berry's age-defying bikini body She stunned us with her breathtaking entrance, sashaying along the beach in a belted orange bikini as Jinx in Die Another Day. Halle Berry looked flawless in that iconic bikini moment from the Bond flick, and now, 14 years later, the Academy Award winning actress has send mercury soaring once again by sharing a behind-the-scenes snapshot of her latest beach photo shoot on Instagram. Clad in a lattice strappy black two-piece, the mother of two flaunted her toned body, making us wonder whether she really is 50. Yes, 50 is the new 30 for Halle Berry! Berrys age-defying beachbody has become the talk of the town. Her washboard abs serve as a workout motivation for everyone out there. Two months back, the dusky beauty shared another photo showcasing the same bikini, revelling as she hit the half a million followers mark. The Bond girl celebrated her 50th birthday last month, posting a gorgeous photo of herself in a diaphanous white outfit, with arms spread out, captioning the same With open arms I welcome 50 Im so blessed to be here! Like wine, some get better with age! Berry is reportedly single following her split from her third husband Olivier Martinez last year, with whom she has a two-year old son, Maceo. Berry has a daughter, Nahla, from her previous relationship with model Gabriel Aubry. Earlier this year, there were rumours that she was dating rapper Chris Webby, who is younger to her by 22 years. The actress next project is a spy comedy Kingsman: The Golden Circle, scheduled to be released next year. Check out Halle Berrys recent Instagram photos. By Aradhana Aravindan and Marius Zaharia SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Wealthy Singapore has the funds and expertise to fight Zika, but its warm, wet climate and one of the world's most densely packed populations mean the mosquito-borne virus may be controlled but not eradicated, at least for years, infectious disease experts say. The tropical city-state, a major global financial and transit hub, is the only known place in Asia with active Zika transmission, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease and Prevention. So far, the virus has been detected in 189 people since the first locally transmitted infection was reported six days ago, and the areas from where they have been reported are spreading. In his first public remarks on the outbreak, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday: "We must assume that Zika is elsewhere in Singapore." Zika can cause serious birth defects when pregnant women are infected, a link discovered last year with the virus's arrival in Brazil, where its impact has been greatest so far. It is primarily spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which also carries dengue, a potentially fatal virus that Singapore authorities have been battling for decades. Hundreds of specialist workers conduct island-wide inspections for mosquito breeding grounds, spray insecticide and clear stagnant water. Residents of homes where water is allowed to stagnate in flowerpots or elsewhere can be penalized. Entomologists and infectious disease specialists say Singapore's experience with dengue has primed authorities to contain Zika. A healthcare system ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as among the top 10 in the world is also in Singapore's favor. Singapore, with a "very technologically advanced health system", was able to identify the disease "very early", David Heymann, chairman of the WHO's emergency committee on Zika, said on Friday. "But in other countries where it might enter at some time, that might not be the case." But almost daily downpours, average temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), large green areas and a population of more than five million people packed in a city that is half the size of Los Angeles, which has a population of 4 million, make Singapore a hospitable area for mosquitoes. "As demonstrated by the inability to eradicate dengue, the same can be said for Zika virus," Cameron Webb, a medical entomologist at the University of Sydney, told Reuters. "This is a mosquito that is not found in the swamps, it's found in the cities. Mosquito-borne disease is something that we are going to have to manage for many years to come." Singapore health ministry officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on their outlook for Zika. More than 11,000 cases of dengue have been reported in Singapore so far this year, with the authorities warning the number could exceed 30,000 by year-end, a record high. In 2013, about 22,000 cases of dengue were reported. Wong Sin Yew, an infectious disease physician at Gleneagles Medical Centre in Singapore, said it was unclear for now whether Zika would become as widespread as dengue. "If we keep having more and more cases, and more and more areas affected, then unfortunately it would indicate the infection has become established," he said. STRICT REGULATIONS The pace at which the infection numbers have risen in Singapore highlights how fast Zika can spread but equally, it also shows the government's ability to detect the virus. Such efforts, along with scientific research into possible vaccines and methods to eradicate mosquitoes, could help Singapore contain the disease, experts say. Singapore already has strict "no breeding" regulations for outdoor areas. The health ministry, in a statement on Friday, said it will be introducing several measures to "enhance the surveillance of the disease and protection of Singaporeans". It did not give details. "We also urge all Singaporeans to take the appropriate precautions to prevent mosquito breeding as vector control is critical in preventing transmission and reducing the risk of the virus from taking root in Singapore," the ministry added. Even if Singapore could contain the spread of Zika, its status as an international trade and transit hub puts it at risk of further infections. More than 55 million people pass through the airport each year and tourism arrivals topped 8 million in the first half of this year. "Even if this outbreak of Zika virus was to stop tomorrow, there is no reason why an infected traveler may not bring Zika virus back to Singapore," said entomologist Webb. However, there are some indications that these risks could ease in the next few years. A study published by British scientists in July said the Zika virus infecting countries in Latin America could burn itself out in two to three years, as people develop "herd immunity", which occurs when a high percentage of a population has become immune to an infection either through developing natural immunity or through vaccinations. (Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Miral Fahmy and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Deal and other deals? The Obama administration is pushing back against reports that the United States and other countries agreed to allow Iran to evade restrictions in last years historic nuclear deal. There has been no loosening of Irans commitments and there have been no exceptions given, State Department spokesman John Kirby insisted at a Thursday press conference. But a new paper by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, FPs John Hudson and Dan De Luce report, claims that the United States and other countries granted Iran exemptions so that Tehran would be eligible to receive relief from punishing economic sanctions earlier this year. The two have lots more, including details from Capitol Hill, here. Europe and Moscow want to talk. Washington? Not so much. U.S. officials arent thrilled about a German proposal for new arms control pact with Russia an idea that France is also supporting. Daniel Baer, the U.S. envoy to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, told Reuters that while Washington wants to continue talking to Moscow, in the context of a situation where Russia is violating a bunch of agreements that its made before, one should approach the idea of any new agreement with some caution. The report comes the same day that the U.S. Treasury Department announced a series of new sanctions against Russia aimed at targets who skirted previous penalties put in place after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2014, FPs David Francis writes. Treasury announced the sanctions as Russian troops continue to gather on the border with Ukraine where theyre conducting military drills. On Thursday, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported EU sanctions would remain in place for another six months, something that is of particular concern to Washington. Aussie flub. A U.S. Army Colonel took the unique step Thursday of openly calling out one of Washingtons closest friends over who it does business with. Speaking on Australian radio, U.S. Army Pacific Assistant Chief of Staff Col. Tom Hanson said that the Australians need to make a choicebetween balancing the alliance with the United States and the economic engagement with China. Story continues FPs Paul McLeary asked the Defense Department about Hansons comments, and a spokesperson quickly distanced the building from his opinions: the idea that Australia, or any country, needs to choose between its longstanding ties to the United States and its emerging links with China presents a false choice, they wrote in an email. The comments are particularly stinging for the Aussies, who in fact have been struggling to balance how close to pull to Beijing economically, since it is difficult to ignore a growing economic powerhouse who happens to live down the block. Jets away! Maybe! A long-awaited deal to sell dozens of American fighter jets to Qatar may finally happen, according to a new Reuters report. The sale, which has been in the works for two years FPs Dan De Luce chronicled the fascinating back-and-forth earlier this year would be for 36 Boeing F-15 fighter jets valued at around $4 billion. Another request for the sale of 28 F/A- 18E/F Super Hornets, plus options for 12 more, to Kuwait in a deal valued at around $3 billion is also working its way through the State Department. 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 Russias Pinky swears Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the hacking of the Democratic National Conventions network and the subsequent leak of its files, but denies any Russian involvement in the breach. In an interview carried by Bloomberg, Putin said that the perpetrator of the attack is immaterial and that the important thing is the content that was given to the public. Putin also denied Russian complicity in the break-in, saying I dont know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this. Cybersecurity firms have attributed the attack to Russian intelligence-linked hacking groups, a claim echoed by FBI officials. Russia and Japan are looking to settle a decades-long island dispute, and Russias President Vladimir Putin chatted with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Friday about the islands that Russia seized in the waning days of WWII off the northern coast of Japan. Moscow isnt talking about handing the islands back, but it seems theyre interested in talking. About something. At the same time, however, Moscow says its getting set to deploy a new division worth of troops to keep an eye on those same islands in Russias far eastern province of Chukotka. The deployment would have the side effect of placing lots of Russian troops just a few dozen miles from the coast of Alaska, BTW. China Chinas top air force officer says the Peoples Liberation Army is in the market for a new bomber. According to the AP, Ma Xiaotian, commander of the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), offered cryptic remarks about plans for a next generation strategic bomber, saying only that you will see it in the future. The most advanced existing strategic bomber in the PLAAF thus far is the H-6K. South Korea Seoul may be the latest customer for Boeings P-8 Poseidon submarine-hunting spy planes. South Korean defense officials tell the Korea Joongang Daily that Seoul is eyeing the P-8 as part of its attempt to address the threat from North Koreas new ballistic missile submarine, saying that there are limits with the outdated antisubmarine patrol aircraft currently operated by the [South Korean] Navy. South Korea currently operates the Lockheed P-3 Orion, originally developed in the 1960s. Iraq The Iraqi military has purchased some shiny new attack aircraft for its war against the Islamic State. Satellite imagery of Baghdads Rasheed Air Base shows a total of 21 Su-25 close air support planes, a step up from the Russian Frogfoot aircraft known to be in Iraqs inventory. Its not quite clear where Iraqs new planes came from, though Moscow seems the likeliest candidate. Russia announced that it would sell Su-25s to Iraq in two batches batches back in 2014. Iran, as well, sent five of the planes to Rasheed in the summer of 2014. Navy New documents from a lawsuit against the Navy show that the service may have upheld a punishment against a Marine in order to cover up its complicity in the abuse of an Afghan child sex slave, according to the Washington Post. Marine Maj. Jason C. Brezler sent a classified report over an unclassified webmail service about an Afghan police chief, Sarwar Jan, accused of keeping child sex slaves. The document shows that Navy and Marine officials knew of allegations against Sarwar Jan before one of the children he abused killed three Marines in an August 2012 attack. The documents filed in court show that a Navy judge advocate general recommended against offering Brezler an administrative review on charges of mishandling classified information in order to minimize media attention to the case in the wake of the attack. Bots o war According to local media reports, Saudi Arabia has purchased Wing Loong drones from China. The drone, made by Chinas Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, closely resembles the American Predator drone made by General Atomics and is capable of firing air-to-ground missiles. IHS Janes previously reported that satellite imagery showed Chinese CH-4 drones, which resemble the American Reaper drone, on the runway at Jizan Regional Airport. Hoverbike The Army Research Laboratory is trying to make your childhood dreams come true with a real life hoverbike. PopSci reports that a new video released by the lab shows a prototype hoverbike, which resembles an oversized quadcopter. The Army has dubbed the aircraft the Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle and says it can be used to rapidly resupply troops on the battlefield. Initial plans for an Army hoverbike, reported in 2015, suggested that the service may be looking to use hoverbikes for tactical reconnaissance. Photo credit: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images Geneva (AFP) - Six suspected cases of meningitis have been identified in a Syrian town near Damascus that is under siege by government forces, the World Heath Organisation (WHO) said Friday. The suspected cases were diagnosed in the town of Madaya between August 3 and August 30. WHO has already evacuated two of those infected, a child and an adolescent. The UN agency said it was in contact with health officials about sending medicines and organising the evacuation of the other four suspected cases. An activist in Madaya, Abdel Wahab Ahmed, who works at a health facility in the town, told AFP that the mother and two sisters of the evacuated child had also become infected. "The family has been placed in medical isolation in their home, after two weeks of treatment with the only medicines available failed," he said. Several cases of meningitis are reported every week, according to WHO. Most of them are viral forms of the disease, which tends to be less severe than the bacterial form. WHO was not in a position to say Friday which type of meningitis was suspected in Madaya. On August 19, the Red Crescent evacuated 18 people, including 13 sick children from Madaya, according to a doctor who treated the children. Among the children was a 10-year-old boy who had been suffering from meningitis for a month. Under a September 2015 accord, all evacuations from the government-besieged towns of Madaya and Zabadani have to be done in parallel with similar evacuations from Fuaa and Kafraya. JOHANNESBURG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - South African grocery retailers have lost a bid to delay a hearing into a complaint brought by Massmart that accuses them of anti-competitive behaviour, the antitrust watchdog said on Friday. Large food retailers Shoprite, Spar, Pick n Pay had sought to delay the hearing into Massmart's complaint on the grounds there is already a wider investigation into factors that could be distorting competition. Massmart, a division of Arkansas-based Wal-Mart, lodged the complaint in 2014, saying its expansion into the grocery sector was being hampered by lease arrangements that restrict malls from renting out space to rival food retailers. Known for its Game chain that mainly sells electronic goods, Massmart has been trying to push into the grocery market since Wal-Mart took a controlling stake in 2011, a move that pits it against rivals that also include upmarket food retailer Woolworths. The Competition Commission has said exclusive clauses in leasing agreements, which can restrict malls from renting out space to rival food retailers for up to 20 years, could be one of the features preventing more competition. Its sector-wide investigation, which will also examine competition between small informal foreign-owned shops and local stores popularly known as "spazas", is expected to be completed by the end of May 2017. (Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; editing by David Clarke) JOHANNESBURG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The South African cabinet has asked President Jacob Zuma to launch a judicial inquiry into why the country's top banks cut ties with a company owned by the wealthy Gupta family, who have been accused of holding undue political sway over Zuma. The prominent business family is accused by the opposition of being behind Zuma's abrupt sacking of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December, a move that rattled investor confidence and triggered calls for the president's resignation. The Guptas have denied using their friendship with Zuma to influence his decisions, including cabinet appointments, or advance their business interests. The president has acknowledged the Guptas are his friends but denies anything improper. The cabinet said in a statement released late on Thursday that the judicial inquiry should consider taking legal action against the banks for closing the accounts of the Guptas' company, Oakbay Investments. An inter-ministerial team set up by the cabinet in April to look into the reason for the account closures said it received evidence showing the banks were influenced by "innuendo and potentially reckless media statements." The cabinet also urged Zuma to set up a state bank, saying the sector was controlled by a few financial institutions. It was not immediately clear when the inquiry would be launched. Bongani Ngqulunga, spokesman at the presidency, said he could not immediately comment. Oakbay, whose businesses stretch from media to mining, announced on Saturday that it planned to dispose of its South African businesses this year. The firm said in April that it would struggle to run its operations after the banks terminated its accounts with them. Although the Guptas' relationship with Zuma has been a source of controversy for years, it burst into the open in March when senior figures went public to say the family had exerted undue sway, including offering cabinet positions. The Guptas have denied the allegations and say they are pawns in a plot to oust Zuma. South Africa's anti-corruption watchdog is investigating whether Zuma allowed the family to make government appointments. (Reporting by James Macharia; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) * Row reignites after request for inquiry into Gupta accounts * Minister blames "innuendo" for Gupta account closures * Guptas deny holding undue sway over Zuma (Adds Gordhan comments, background) By James Macharia JOHANNESBURG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - South Africa's presidency said on Friday that a minister not a cabinet team had asked for a judicial inquiry into why banks cut ties with a company belonging to the Gupta family, conflicting messages from a government which appears increasingly divided. On Thursday, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane had said the inter-ministerial team, set up by the cabinet in April and led by him, had cabinet backing for its proposal to set up such an inquiry to consider legal action against the banks. That could trigger further turmoil after markets were rocked by a police investigation of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. South Africa's Treasury is also in public rows with state-owned companies over their dealings with firms linked to the Guptas, who have been accused of holding undue sway over the President Jacob Zuma. The statement from Zwane's team said the banks that had closed Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments' accounts were influenced by "innuendo and potentially reckless media statements". The prominent business family is accused by the opposition of being behind Zuma's abrupt sacking of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December, a move that rattled investor confidence and triggered calls for Zuma's resignation. The Guptas have denied using their friendship with Zuma to influence his decisions, including on cabinet appointments, or to advance their business interests. The president has acknowledged the Guptas are his friends but denies any improper behaviour based on that. REGRET OVER CONFUSION On Friday evening, presidency spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga said in a statement that the proposals by Zwane, which had drawn criticism from political commentators, were not the views of the inter-ministerial team, nor the cabinet. Story continues Ngqulunga said the presidency regretted the confusion caused by Zwane's statement, which "was issued in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the task team or Cabinet". As part of its recommendations, Zwane said his team also urged Zuma to set up a state bank and called for new banking licences to be issued to end the "oligopoly" in the industry. He also said that although Gordhan was one of the cabinet team's members, he did not take part in its meetings. Asset manager Futuregrowth said earlier this week it had decided to stop lending money to six state-owned companies because of the swirling political uncertainty. Gordhan said on Friday that Futuregrowth's decision was a "very concerning development". Speaking to the SABC news broadcaster in China, where he has accompanied Zuma for a G20 meeting, Gordhan said "we in the Treasury have been warning both political figures and people who run some of our institutions to be careful ... and make sure your governance is right". "Don't think that the world is not watching us in some of the things that are happening in some of these SOEs (state-run enterprises). Those people are not obliged to lend us money." Gordhan is embroiled in a separate investigation into whether he used a tax service unit to spy on other politicians - something he denies - and that has also put markets on edge about the fate of Africa's most industrialised economy. Several banks and companies had cut ties with Oakbay, including South Africa's top four: Standard Bank, Nedbank, Barclays Africa's Absa and First National Bank (FNB), part of FirstRand. In April, Oakbay approached government departments including the presidency to express "deep disappointment" over the account closures, saying this made it "virtually impossible" to do business in South Africa. A family spokesman for the Indian-born businessmen, who moved to South Africa in the early 1990s, said any inquiry would not change plans announced on Saturday for the Guptas to exit their South African businesses this year. Although the Guptas' relationship with Zuma has been a source of controversy for years, it burst into the open in March when senior political figures went public to say the family had exerted undue sway, including offering cabinet positions. (Additional reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Louise Ireland) JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's rand weakened on Friday, giving back modest gains of the previous session in cautious trade ahead of jobs data from the United States that investors will eye for clues on the likelihood of a rate hike there this year. * Rand retreats 0.24 percent to 14.6365 per dollar at 0630 GMT versus overnight close of 14.6015. * Government bonds extend gains from previous session, yield on benchmark 2026 paper down 3 basis points to 8.975 percent. * Local assets remain sensitive to fallout from asset mangers decision to freeze funding to government firms citing political interference and mismanagement. * Blue chip futures index down 0.4 percent, indicating bourse to open lower when trade resumes at 0700 GMT. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia) Brock Turner, the former Stanford University student convicted of sexual assault, was released from jail on Friday serving just three months of his six-month sentence. Shortly after 6 a.m. local time, Turner, 21, rushed right passed a crush of media (and protesters) as he left jail and got into an awaiting SUV, which sped off. Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith told reporters soon after Turner's release that "he should be in prison right now, but he's not in our custody." Smith added that "we need to change the laws in California ... if you rape someone who is unconscious and intoxicated, you go to prison." She said she was "outraged" by the sentence when it was first handed down. In March, Turner was found guilty of three felonies for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster outside an on-campus fraternity party last January. 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. The case garnered national attention, and sparked outrage, when Judge Aaron Persky sentenced the convict to six months in county jail after prosecutors asked for six years holding that a lengthy sentence would have a " severe impact" on him. Turner has admitted to having sexual contact with the woman, but maintains that it was consensual. Turner will have to attend drug and alcohol counseling and receive random testing, as part of recommendations of the probation department handling the case. A judge has also ordered Turner to register as a sex offender, according to ABC News. Former Stanford student Brock Turner was released from Santa Clara County jail on Friday after serving three months for sexual assault. Turner was sentenced to six months in jail in June after he was found guilty of three felony counts of sexually assaulting an unconscious and intoxicated 22-year-old woman outside a fraternity house in January 2015. He was released three months early for good behavior. The 21-year-olds case ignited fierce debate over campus rape and the criminal justice system. It led California lawmakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and prompted an effort to recall the judge, the Associated Press reports. Turner told authorities he plans to live with his parents in his native Ohio, where will be on probation for three years and must register as a sex offender for life. Lawyers say the requirement will make it difficult for him to find jobs and housing. The judge on his case, Aaron Persky, has faced backlash stemming from his perceived bias in sentencing. More than 1 million people signed petitions calling for his removal from his judicial position. In August, he announced he will no longer hear criminal cases, at his own request. Fifty years young this year, the original Star Trek series boasts a plethora of classic episodes. But when it came time for this mild-mannered Trekkie to introduce his two young Starfleet cadets to Gene Roddenberrys final frontier, there was only one gateway voyage I considered: The Trouble With Tribbles. First aired on Dec. 29, 1967 midway through the shows second season Tribbles may not be the most dramatic hour of Trek, but thats a big part of its charm. Depicting the infestation of the Enterprise by a gaggle of rapidly replicating balls of fluff called Tribbles, the episode is light-hearted enough to engage the attention of new viewers, while still offering vintage Trek elements like Klingons, Shatner-isms (This is my chicken sandwich and coffee!) and Spock and Bones snarkfests. In advance of the three-day Trek-thon, Star Trek: Mission New York, I spoke with the man behind Tribbles, writer David Gerrold, about the origin of the episode (which is newly available as part of a mammoth 50th Anniversary Blu-ray set that debuts on Tuesday), its lasting legacy, and whether we can expect to see more of those fur balls in Bryan Fullers upcoming Star Trek: Discovery series. Yahoo TV: First off, congratulations on 50 years of Star Trek! Which also means 50 years of being asked about The Trouble With Tribbles. David Gerrold: Yes, I have written other stuff for Star Trek as well as other shows, but Im always pleased that people remember Tribbles. The idea grew out of looking at the first few episodes of Star Trek, including The Man Thing. I thought, Were not going to recognize the danger with every alien we meet. The ones who are going to be the most dangerous are the ones were not going to realize are dangerous until its too late. So I came up with the idea of these cute little fuzzy creatures. I was always fascinated by ecology, and I was inspired by the case of rabbits in Australia, this whole idea that they became predators because there werent any predators already there. I had the great privilege of working with producer Gene L. Coon, who told me what the studio still needed, while giving me the room to be inventive. I cant think of a better training ground for a young writer. Story continues Watching Tribbles again recently, I remembered that theres so much more to the episode than just the Tribbles. Chekovs bar fight with the Klingons, for example. Walter [Koenig] really enjoyed doing that scene. One of the things I wanted to accomplish with the episode was giving the other Enterprise characters as much to do as possible. When I studied screenwriting at USCs film school, there was a teacher who hammered my class religiously on story structure. So when I was working on Tribbles, I was very conscious that this scene set up that scene. I think the real strength of the script is not that the scenes are funny its that theyre in the right order! When the episode went into production, the script remained essentially unchanged the story structure was correct. There were two scenes that Coon added: the teaser at the beginning with Chekov and the scene with Spock and McCoy in the lab when Spock talks about the ermine violin. How did Gene Roddenberry feel about the episode? Gene was on vacation all that summer, and when he came back, he was a little bit disturbed that the show had taken so many comedic turns. I believe that was one of the reasons why Gene Coon left the show; Roddenberry wanted more gravitas, and Coon felt we needed to lighten up so our characters were more human. Related: Ranking 50 Years of Star Trek Series Premieres The film series later followed a similar trajectory as well, from the seriousness of The Motion Picture to the comedy of The Voyage Home. Harve Bennett took over with The Wrath of Khan, and he understood that these actors were capable of comedy and that they loved doing it. We were lucky to have such an extremely talented cast who knew their characters very well, and could be funny without breaking character. Were you on set during the shooting of Tribbles? Yes, I was on the set every day, but I was very young and inexperienced so I didnt talk to anybody. I just stood and watched. I was even embarrassed to ask to have my picture taken with the cast! They were all in character so intimidating; I wouldnt even talk to the guys dressed up as Klingons. They were so scary! [Laughs] Working on Trek spoiled me. When youre working with those actors you get spoiled, and then you go to other shows and realize you cant write dialogue that is nuanced or clever because [the cast] doesnt know how to deliver the lines with the same sense of timing. How did the experience of writing for Star Trek at that time differ from other shows that you worked on later? We didnt have a writers room, we had a story editor, line producer, showrunner, and executive producer. And if Roddenberry was present, hed be part of the process. I dont think Ive ever been part of a writers room; Ive sat in on production meetings where were throwing ideas at each other, and thats exciting when youve assembled the right ensemble of creative people. The industry has changed; we no longer have freelance writers, we have writing staffs. There are strengths to that, but theres also a weakness: If you have a writers room, youre not going to get a Trouble With Tribbles. Youre not going to get that guy who comes in with the oddball idea that illuminates everything else youre doing. Tribbles was a fluke, but it worked to highlight a whole other aspect of what was possible on Star Trek. When you dont get ideas coming in from outside, theres a bit of a tendency to get insular unless you have an ambitious writing staff. These days, youd have instant feedback after your episode airs thanks to social media outlets like Twitter. When did you get a sense of the fan reaction to Tribbles? I didnt know how well the episode had been received until a year later when I went to a meeting of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, and they told me five episodes of Star Trek had been nominated for a Hugo Award, including Tribbles. That was a very big clue to me that Star Treks comedy episodes were as appreciated as the serious ones. The Tribbles later returned on Star Trek: The Animated Series and Deep Space Nine. Did you enjoy both of those appearances? Dorothy Fontana became the producer of the animated series and called me to do a sequel to the Tribbles. I had a lot of fun writing it. She said, You have to write this just as youd write a primetime episode, because thats what the audience expects. Filmation [the famous animation studio that produced the cartoon series] was almost walking distance from my house, so I spent a lot of time over there seeing what the animators were doing. Today, you see how limited the animation was, but at the time, I was thrilled it was so accurate to the original series. Those episodes could have been done live action except the special effects budget would have broken the back of the studio! For the Deep Space Nine episode [Trials and Tribble-ations], I thought they did a brilliant job recreating the look and feel of the original series. They went back to the original lenses, makeup, lighting, and film stock. I was an extra on that episode, and it was like traveling back in time 30 years. Do you know if there are any plans to bring back the Tribbles for Star Trek: Discovery? I was sitting by my phone, but it never rang. [Laughs] I have no idea what Bryan Fuller has planned, but I know hes an incredibly talented producer. And hes got Nicholas Meyer, who is also one of my favorite writers. I think its going to be a very, very good series. Star Trek is available for streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime. ALPBACH, Austria (Reuters) - Multinationals like coffee chain Starbucks (SBUX.O) and online retailer Amazon (AMZN.O) pay less tax in Austria than one of the country's tiny sausage stands, the republic's center-left chancellor lamented in an interview published on Friday. Chancellor Christian Kern, head of the Social Democrats and of the centrist coalition government, also criticized internet giants Google (GOOGL.O) and Facebook (FB.O), saying that if they paid more tax subsidies for print media could increase. "Every Viennese cafe, every sausage stand pays more tax in Austria than a multinational corporation," Kern was quoted as saying in an interview with newspaper Der Standard, invoking two potent symbols of the Austrian capital's food culture. "That goes for Starbucks, Amazon and other companies," he said, praising the European Commission's ruling this week that Apple (AAPL.O) should pay up to 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in taxes plus interest to Ireland because a special scheme to route profits through that country was illegal state aid. Apple has said it will appeal the ruling, which Chief Executive Tim Cook described as "total political crap". Google, Facebook and other multinational companies say they follow all tax rules. Kern criticized EU states with low-tax regimes that have lured multinationals - and come under scrutiny from Brussels. "What Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg or Malta are doing here lacks solidarity towards the rest of the European economy," he said. He stopped short of saying that Facebook and Google would have to pay more tax but underlined their significant sales in Austria, which he estimated at more than 100 million euros each, and their relatively small numbers of employees - a "good dozen" for Google and "allegedly even fewer" for Facebook. "They massively suck up the advertising volume that comes out of the economy but pay neither corporation tax nor advertising duty in Austria," said Kern, who became chancellor in May. ($1 = 0.8965 euros) (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Dominic Evans) By Emily Stephenson and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Clinton Foundation on multiple occasions during Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state asked senior U.S. government officials to vet her husband's contacts with potentially controversial international figures, according to emails released by the State Department. The emails, reviewed by Reuters, were part of a batch of nearly 400 messages recently released by the State Department after requests from the conservative group Citizens United, a group that has long been critical of the Clintons. The exchanges show a top foreign policy adviser to the foundation sought guidance from the State Department on former President Bill Clinton's interactions with people including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian government officials and business leaders, and Gulnara Karimova, the socialite daughter of Uzbekistans late president. The emails offer a glimpse of the intricate relationship between a private charity with a broad global mission and the State Department under the leadership of a secretary who is married to a former president. Former government officials reached by Reuters said there was nothing inappropriate in the interactions of the foundation with the State Department over the potential meetings, some of which did not occur. The latest batch of emails likely represents only a partial view of all the exchanges between the State Department and the foundation. It is unclear how frequently the foundation sought advice from the State Department on meetings involving Bill Clinton. In one instance, the emails show Amitabh Desai, a foreign policy adviser to the foundation and to Bill Clinton, raised the possibility in 2009 of a meeting between Bill Clinton and Syrian President Assad. At the time, Assad wanted better ties with the West. "Would this be concerning for State?" Desai wrote in an email alerting Hillary Clinton aide Jake Sullivan to the possible meeting. "The Syrians expressed a keen interest in facilitating this," Desai said in an email a few days later. The Syria visit was proposed to be tacked onto a forum Bill Clinton was invited to attend in Israel in November 2009, according to the emails. The meeting never happened, according to Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel who helped to organize the trip. The State Department sometimes communicates with charities, such as about circumstances that might involve the safety of Americans or highly sensitive diplomatic situations, but it typically does not vet their contacts with foreign leaders to this extent. State Department spokesman Elizabeth Trudeau said officials occasionally provide talking points and briefings to ex-presidents. Much of Bill Clinton's communications with the State Department stemmed from an ethics agreement that was put in place when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state in 2009. The agreement was aimed at avoiding conflicts of interests stemming from contributions to the foundation and Bill Clintons paid speeches and consulting. Trudeau said these were "voluntary steps" taken to avoid "even the appearance of a conflict of interest." Angel Urena, press secretary for Bill Clinton, said the requests for State Department input on potential meetings, talking points and other information was done in order to inform the administration of President Clinton's interactions with foreign governments and dignitaries, so that the administration could in turn offer advice or voice any concerns." Urena said Bill Clinton had sought advice on his activities since he left office in 2001. The Clinton Foundation referred questions to Urena. Hillary Clintons presidential campaign declined to comment. CHARITY QUESTIONS LINGER Clinton's campaign to win the Nov. 8 presidential election has been dogged by criticism of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, a global philanthropic organization. The foundation has said it will stop accepting at least some foreign and corporate donations if Hillary Clinton becomes president and that Bill Clinton would resign from the foundation's board. In one previously unreported email exchange, Desai wrote to the State Department in May 2012 informing officials that Bill Clinton would travel to Monaco to raise money for the foundation at an event where he might cross paths with the elder daughter of the Uzbekistan president. Gulnara Karimova, a businesswoman and pop star, was described in a 2005 cable from a U.S. embassy official as the "single most hated person in Uzbekistan" because of her flamboyant lifestyle in an authoritarian country. She has since come under investigation in an international bribery scandal. Ahead of the event in Monaco, Desai wrote that the organizers had invited Karimova to be one of the events sponsors "apparently without our approval." The Uzbekistan president's daughter "will be listed in the program and will see (Bill Clinton)," he said. "Would (the U.S. government) have concerns? If so, we can go back to organizer and ask them to return her sponsorship and disinvite her, however I assume that would ruffle some feathers, Desai said. The emails released to Citizens United don't contain a reply to Desai's inquiry. However, a collection of photos from the Monaco event posted on the internet show Karimova attended it. They do not show any pictures of her with Bill Clinton. (Editing by Caren Bohan and Edward Tobin) How you can still make friends even when you work from home How you can still make friends even when you work from home More and more people are working from home nowadays and for good reason. For some folks, working from home means more freedom, a better work-life balance, increased productivity and a number of other awesome perks. But, of course, there are downsides blurred lines between work and everything else in life, the lack of a set schedule, and the inability to go into an office everyday where you actually surround yourself with living, breathing humans. Not to mention the task of becoming friends with people becomes pretty difficult. If you dont have the option of connecting with other people regularly through your job, you may find friendship to be no easy feat. The working-from-home-and-still-meeting-friends struggle is real, but it can be done. Here are a few ways Ive learned to make friends while working from home: Get out of the house portlandia bingewatch I admit it Ive given into the temptation of living in pajamas and not leaving my apartment for days while I binge-watch The Walking Dead. Though that time of my life was glorious, I personally dont recommend anyone else repeating this behavior too often, for the sake of both your work life and social life. Whether you go out with your significant other, visit the friends you already have, or run errands with family or anybody else you are more likely to meet people through your social network when you engage with it outside of your cave. Plus, going out in any capacity will help you to keep your social skills sharp. If youre brave, you can always go out alone and try to make friends that way, too. If you regularly bring your laptop to a coffee shop to get work done, observe your surroundings. Do you see someone else doing the same? Then strike up a conversation! They may be looking for friends, too. The Internet is your friend (sort of) computerphone Spending lots of time solo may result in you being online a lot. In itself, surfing the net isnt a bad thing. But social media can become a black hole of wasted time staring at faces of people you dont even desire to hang out with in real life isnt necessarily helping you make friends. But fear not! Social media can potentially grant you the opportunity to connect with people who would make great IRL friends. You just have to be intentional about it. Story continues Use social media to find other people who love what you love whether its rock climbing, writing, philosophy, baking, etc. You name it, and there are people connecting over it online. Obviously, its important to be careful when you first meet people this way. (Its probably not a bad idea to get together for the first time in a public place, and let other people know where you are going.) Not every RT or like is going to turn into a BFF, but you never know. Some of my best IRL friendships started on Facebook or Twitter. Allow yourself to be set up on blind (friend) dates The author (L) with her friend, Autumn The author (L) with her friend, Autumn More than a year ago, one of my friends reached out to me on Facebook and introduced me to her friend, Autumn. Our mutual friend said that Autumn and I had a lot of common interests, and that wed probably get along really well. That friend was super right (thanks, Bethany!), and during the next year, Autumn and I became close even though we lived on different sides of the country. I spent the summer in Southern California, near where Autumn lives, and we finally got to hang out in person. IT WAS THE BEST. If you dont have friends who set you up with other friends, be sure to let your them know you are down for that. Who knows you better than your pals do? Join an organization Poverty Rate Rises To 15 Year High You can also make friends by joining organizations for causes or hobbies that are important to you. Volunteering, attending conferences, sharing opinions and advice, or commiserating about work can all be good ways to connect with others who care about the same things or may even be pursuing the same career. Its kind of like having co-workers! If you dont know of specific groups that you want to join, a quick Google search will help you get started. It might take some time, but it is totally possible to make friends when you work from home. Youll for sure have to put in effort, but it is so worth it. The post How you can still make friends even when you work from home appeared first on HelloGiggles. trevor pryce netflix nfl In "Kulipari," two-time Super Bowl champion Trevor Pryce's new animated series for Netflix, frogs defend their homeland against nefarious scorpions who want to take it over. It's a classic battle of good versus evil, and while "Kulipari" is aimed at kids, it's not a lighthearted romp. Pryce says the series can get a bit dark something that initially scared off Hollywood dealmakers. Getting "Kulipari" onto the small screen was a struggle, but the uniqueness of the tale, which initially took the form of an ongoing illustrated novel series (three so far), eventually prevailed. "I made a very deliberate decision," Pryce told Business Insider about pitching "Kulipari." "You are going to hear something from me you've never heard." He didn't want to pitch the same retread schlock Hollywood hears four to five times a week, even if it meant a lot of "no"s up front. Pryce ended up having to make the series on his own dime before eventually scoring a distribution deal with Netflix, a rising children's programming powerhouse. Here's Pryce's story: netflix kulipari an army of frogs The start Pryce's inspiration for "Kulipari" came from an unlikely source: waiting for cable to be installed. "When I decided I would take writing creatively seriously, I became a product of my environment," Pryce said. "With three kids, all my TVs had cartoons on all the time." But one day Pryce was between homes, and his 65-inch TV hadn't had a cable box installed yet. "I had one DVD: 'Planet Earth.' And watching 'Planet Earth' over and over again, I kept going back to a particular scene about the Amazon," Pryce said. "They had these tree frogs that were jumping from tree to tree. When you slow it down, [the frog] looked like a spear." That image stuck, and when he watched "300," another image floated up: the Persian army as scorpions. His heroes and villains came together in his head. After that, developing the story was easy, Pryce says. He plucked elements of aboriginal Australian mythology and wrote the pilot in just three days. Story continues This wasn't Pryce's first brush with creating a story for Hollywood. In 2008, he sold a story idea to Sony Pictures after pitching the CEO on it for 20 minutes a man gets hit by lightning and his mind is filled with an insane amount of knowledge. At a point during his pitch, Sony's CEO asked him, "So what happens next?" Pryce didn't know. "I thought you would tell me," Pryce told the CEO. "I was thinking, 'You're Sony Pictures,'" Pryce said with a laugh when recounting it. But selling "Kulipari" wasn't so easy. kulipari Hollywood When Pryce's agent began shopping the "Kulipari" script, Pryce couldn't get anyone in Hollywood to bite. "This is a cool idea, but it's a little dark," is what Pryce heard a lot. He was frustrated. "'Hunger Games' just came out and kids were killing kids!" he said. "I was just killing frogs and scorpions. But 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' had just come out and was a big hit." And Hollywood, in Pryce's experience, always wants a replica of what's popular in the moment. "Whatever is hot on screen is what someone else's boss wants," he said. And more specifically: "Hey, do you have 'Cloudy With a Chance of Subway Sandwiches'?" But eventually Kulipari found a home with Cartoon Network, which fell in love with the show. The only problem was it wanted to turn it into a comedy. "'Thundercats' had failed miserably, and 'Kulipari' was bought on to pair with 'Thundercats,'" Pryce said. "But 'Adventure Time' and those kind of shows were doing incredible." Cartoon Network wanted to know whether there was an "Adventure Time" version of "Kulipari" something more lighthearted. "It became very obvious very quickly that this wasn't going to work," Pryce said. So Pryce bought "Kulipari" back from the network. And when Pryce thought about the path forward for "Kulipari," he knew he need to finance it himself. "I gave myself the green light," he says. Pryce says he never thought of bankrolling "Kulipari" as a risk, and that it took him about 10 seconds to make the decision. Some of his ideas Pryce thought might have been better for someone else to throw their money into, but not "Kulipari." Pryce says he knew where the floor was with "Kulipari," and that it was already pretty high. He wasn't worried. kulipari 2 Enter: Netflix Midway through production, Pryce approached three companies to distribute "Kulipari." "I wanted streaming because the serialized nature of it," he said. "The series is not 13 random episodes. It is one consecutive, continuous story." He also wanted to control the narrative pace. Netflix immediately blew him away, he says and not because of the money. "The reason I went with Netflix wasn't because they were big and powerful and cool," he says. "It was because the executives read the book." Pryce considers it a success that people around the world, in countries like Russia and Germany, will get to watch his show in their native language. He's not worried about the money as much, though he's lined up a deal with Under Armour and is finalizing one with a toy company. kulipari 4 The future After Pryce was drafted, he said his goal after the NFL was to run a record label by the time he was 35. That never materialized, but he started his own record label and scored an indie movie. Pryce is hyperactive, and his mind is always going from one creative thing to another. But for now, he's focused on "Kulipari" and a new drama script he's finished. But he's only working on projects he really believes in. "I had a project in development at HBO, and I remember being on a call with like 10 executives," he said. "I just hung up in the middle of the call. I thought, 'This is a waste of my time.' "But this is the one: 'Kulipari.' The rest of it is nonsense. The rest of it doesn't move the needle." NOW WATCH: Netflix just dropped a new 'Luke Cage' trailer and it looks incredible More From Business Insider By Elisabeth O'Leary STIRLING, Scotland (Reuters) - The Scottish National Party is to send out thousands of its faithful to measure the appetite for independence, leader Nicola Sturgeon announced on Friday, raising the political stakes further as Britain decides how it will leave the European Union. The first minister of the devolved Scottish government said Britain's June vote to leave the EU, dragging Scotland with it, had shifted the debate dramatically just two years after Scots voted by 10 percentage points to reject independence. "Do we control our own destiny as a country or will we always be at the mercy of decisions taken elsewhere?" Sturgeon asked her Scottish National Party (SNP) lawmakers in Stirling, the site of a historic Scots battle over the English in 1297. The SNP, funding the entire project itself, aims to have at least two million nuanced responses from Scotland's 5.3 million population by November 30, Scotland's national day via a survey and doorstep interviews. Armed with that information and a better idea of what Brexit means, it can better decide whether and how to call another referendum - raising the stakes further for British Prime Minister Theresa May as she grapples with the thorny EU exit. Scotland voted 62 percent to 38 to remain in the EU in the June 23 Brexit referendum, putting it at odds with Britain as a whole which voted to leave. The SNP says EU membership was a key factor in Scottish voters' decision in 2014 to remain part of Britain. Business leaders, in a letter to The Scotsman newspaper, called on Sturgeon to "think again", saying a new independence campaign would bring further uncertainty "to Scotland's future at a time when small and large businesses are looking for stability from all layers of government". Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson accused Sturgeon of using the EU referendum to create yet more division. "Re-heating the referendum debate will only add a further cloud of uncertainty over Scotlands future, just at the moment when we need a government dedicated to security and stability." But Sturgeon took the Conservatives to task for "accidentally" taking the country out of the EU, and said staying in the single market was a red line for Scotland. "This summer we witnessed seismic changes which will have a deep impact on our ambition for this country," Sturgeon said. "The UK that existed before June 23 has fundamentally changed," she said. She would negotiate "in good faith" with London to get the best deal for Scotland and secession had to be an option too, she said. "While I take nothing for granted, I suspect support for independence will be even higher if it becomes clear that it is the best or only way to protect our interests," she said. Some doubt Scotland would now opt for independence given that it rachets up economic uncertainty during an already clouded outlook due to Brexit. But in a nod to her critics, Sturgeon vowed not to skirt the difficult economic questions and said a specially commissioned SNP group would consider an independence policy program aimed at expanding the economy, cutting fiscal deficit and deciding a monetary strategy. Scotland's fiscal deficit hit 9.5 percent of GDP in the year to March, more than twice that of Britain as a whole, hindered by a low oil price. That makes balancing the books tough without unpopular austerity measures which the SNP opposes. The offer to keep the pound at the 2014 referendum and a dependence on oil as an asset were widely seen as weak points in the independence argument last time. The party will have a deep trove of information on which to base its next steps by the time the shape of the Brexit negotiations in London and Brussels become clearer. A YouGov poll published a week after the Brexit vote however showed most Scots still wanted to remain a part of Britain, by 53 to 47 percent. A YouGov poll in the Times newspaper on Friday put support for remaining at 54 percent to 46 percent. (Reporting By Elisabeth O'Leary, editing Kate Holton and Richard Balmforth) This super interesting study shows where in the world men do the most housework This super interesting study shows where in the world men do the most housework Despite the fact that its now extremely common for both men and women to hold full-time jobs outside of the home, the allocation of housework is still decidedly very uneven. In fact, according to Bloomberg, the balance of housework women do in the U.S. in comparison to men hasnt actually changed all that much in 63 years. MAJOR UGH. And a new study about gender convergence in housework tells us where in the world men are chipping in the most and the least. According to this graph And incase youre wondering, while the U.S. came somewhere in the middle of all the countries surveyed, American women still do about an hour more housework per day than American men. Again, MAJOR UGH. And yes, women do more in every country they studied. While this technically isnt all that surprising, the numbers dont sting any less. Because it essentially means that women all over the world (even in the seemingly most progressive countries) carry an unequal burden of the workload. Theyre expected to give it their all at the office while going home to a second shift. Fellas, if youre reading this, TAKE NOTE. And then do some dishes. Otherwise there just might be a mass-migration to Norway. H/T Motto The post This super interesting study shows where in the world men do the most housework appeared first on HelloGiggles. The Federal Election Commission today announced a $7,150 fine against a shady super PAC that seemingly scammed nearly $50,000 from James Bond actor Daniel Craig as well as additional funds from scores of lesser-known donors. The super PAC, known as Americans Socially United, was launched in 2015 to support Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had denounced super PACs and Americans Socially United in particular during his primary bid against Hillary Clinton. It was operated by alleged fraudster Cary Lee Peterson, a self-described "congressional lobbyist and election campaign guru" who the FBI arrested earlier this year in connection with a securities fraud case. Peterson's super PAC failed to file a mandatory campaign finance report earlier this year that would have detailed its financial activity between July and December of last year. Thats the period during which Craig a British actor who is also a U.S. resident legally able to make political donations gave $47,300 to Americans Socially United. (Around the same time, Craig also donated the legal maximum of $2,700 to Sanders official campaign committee.) Its nice to see that the FEC is keeping an eye on these things, Brad Deutsch, who served as Sanders campaign lawyer, told the Center for Public Integrity. I would hope the FEC doesnt stop at this." Last year, Deutsch authored two letters to Peterson, accusing him and his super PAC which operated a number of purportedly pro-Sanders websites, including BetonBernie.com, BetonBernie2016.com, PledgeSanders2016.com and SociallyUnited.org of being illegal and causing harmful confusion for supporters of Senator Sanders campaign. This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Craig, the actor known for playing James Bond, hasnt said how he initially came across Peterson or Americans Socially United. But other Sanders supporters have told the Center for Public Integrity that they discovered the super PAC by mistake. Story continues Its long been unclear how much money Peterson, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Americans Socially United raised. The super PAC has only filed one mandatory campaign finance report with the FEC. It did so last year nearly seven weeks after it was first due, after multiple inquiries from the Center for Public Integrity. In this sole report, which is riddled with discrepancies, Peterson states that Americans Socially United raised about $100,000 from its formation in February through June 2015 including about $28,000 from small-dollar donors who had each contributed $200 or less. According to the filing, Americans Socially United was about $50,000 in the red on June 30, 2015. It has not filed a campaign finance filing since. In March, Peterson was arrested by the FBI and then spent nearly three months in federal custody in California and New Jersey. He was released in June into the custody of his mother, who lives in Arizona, after posting a $200,000 secured bond. The government has alleged that Peterson engaged in wholly fictitious business deals. Peterson has pleaded not guilty. Within days of his release, Peterson registered two new political groups with the FEC: the Alliance Against Disabled Inmate Abuse and Democrats Socially United, a super PAC that is purportedly backing Clinton in the 2016 White House race. This story was co-published with the Huffington Post, TIME and VTDigger. Related story: Bernie Sanders scourge out of jail, back in super PAC business Related story: Did this shady pro-Bernie Sanders super PAC just dupe James Bond? This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels destroyed a helicopter with a TOW missile on Friday, rebels and a monitor said, in Hama province where they have launched a major assault in an area of strategic importance to President Bashar al-Assad. Rebel group Jaish al-Azza, part of the Free Syrian Army alliance, said in a statement it had "destroyed a Russian helicopter" near the village of Rahbat al-Khattab, about 5 km (3 miles) northwest of the outskirts of government-controlled Hama city. Jaish al-Azza published a video online showing a helicopter bursting into flames and thick black smoke shortly after landing. It also showed rebels launching a TOW missile. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria's five-year-old conflict, said a helicopter, believed to be Russian, was hit by a rocket as it landed. It said the fate of the crew was not known. Russian defense officials could not immediately be contacted for comment. Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in September last year, to support Assad after insurgents took large swathes of territory in the summer. Since launching the offensive in the northern Hama countryside early this week, rebels have captured a number of towns and villages. The targeted area is populated by Christians and Alawites loyal to the government and is close to the mountain heartland of Assad's Alawite sect. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) NEWS BRIEF The Syrian Ministry of Tourism released a new promotional video of the coastal city of Tartus, featuring its expansive Mediterranean coastline, packed beaches, and lush green landscapes. But the video fails to capture one thing: the countrys five-year civil war. The one-minute, 43-second video titled SyriaAlways Beautiful, set to an upbeat remix of Alan Walkers Faded, was one of many videos posted to the ministrys YouTube page in recent weeks in an apparent effort to entice tourists to visit areas of the war-torn country still under the control of President Bashar al-Assads regime. Although the aerial footage of the bustling beach town gives viewers a sense of Syrias once-booming tourism industrythe country welcomed 8.5 million visitors in 2010 it provides a stark contrast to what Tartus has since become. Five years into the civil war, which has claimed the lives of almost half a million people and displaced millions, the city has been bombarded by the Islamic State, including an attack that killed 150 people and wounded 200 others in May. Recommended: When Will Hillary Clinton Give In and Hold a Press Conference? Local Syrian news outlet Al-Masdar News notes that the coastal enclave depicted in the video has virtually been untouched by the war. But such assurances are unlikely to convince the numerous countries that have issued travel warnings to their citizens asking them to avoid visiting the country. No part of Syria should be considered safe from violence, the U.S. State Department says on its website. The potential for hostile acts exists throughout the country, including kidnappings and the use of chemical warfare against civilians. Prior to the start of the civil war, foreign tourism accounted for 14 percent of Syrias gross domestic product, Bloomberg reports. The country was a popular tourist destination for its numerous historic monuments, many of which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One tourist spot, the city of Palmyra, saw many of its ancient ruins destroyed by ISIS militants this year. Story continues Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. By Paul Carrel and Andrea Shalal BERLIN/COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - Ercan Karakoyun has long played a prominent role in Berlin's Turkish community, promoting education and dialogue among Muslims and Germans of other faiths. Now, however, whenever he can, Karakoyun avoids the bustling streets where many Turks live in the German capital. He says he has received six death threats via email and Facebook that are being investigated by police. "One message said: 'We know where your daughter goes to school'," he added. Karakoyun heads the Foundation for Dialogue and Education in Germany, a movement that supports Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric Turkey blames for July's attempted coup. The group has been active in Germany for many years, operating 150 tutoring centers in the country, 30 government-recognized schools and a dozen interfaith dialogue projects. It has long been seen as a moderate Islamic group although it has faced criticism over a lack of transparency. Now though, tensions are rising among the community of 3 million people with a Turkish background in Germany following the failed putsch. They have split into supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his opponents, and they are vying for influence. The divisions mirror those that are now in stark relief in Turkey between Erdogan's supporters and two other groups - Gulen backers and ethnic Kurds. Karakoyun said ties with Erdogan supporters had been strained for several years but the situation had spiralled out of control since the coup was thwarted. "Erdogan's witchhunt in Turkey against Gulen supporters is now being carried out here," Karakoyun said. The rivalries have raised questions about a failure to better integrate Turks, some of whom have lived in Germany for decades. They have also deepened scepticism in Germany about migrants at a time when Chancellor Angela Merkel is under fire over her open-door refugee policy. The government has a policy headache. Although concerned about Turkey's record on human rights and a crackdown on opponents since the failed coup, it needs Ankara's help to stem the flow of migrants from countries such as Syria. KURDS PLAN TO MARCH One immediate concern is a march planned in Cologne on Saturday by leftist groups and Kurds, who account for one in three immigrants from Turkey. This follows a ban on a large, annual Kurdish festival nearby which angered the Kurds, especially as Erdogan supporters were allowed to hold a rally in Cologne on July 31. Security officials worry that Erdogan supporters could take to the streets to counter the Kurdish march, expected to attract about 30,000 people, and that there could be violence. Tempers flared when Germany's top court prevented Erdogan from addressing the July 31 rally via videolink. With many people of Turkish origin just back from summer holidays in Turkey, there are concerns that passions have been fueled by media coverage "back home" which is dominated by criticism of Germans, coup plotters and Kurds. "We cannot allow this conflict to be imported to German soil. We have to pay particular attention to those cases where massive pressure is being applied to Germans with a Turkish background here," Nicola Beer, general secretary of Germanys libertarian Free Democratic Party, told Reuters. Community leaders say a pervasive and longstanding sense among young Turkish Germans that they are shunned in society makes them pliable and more attuned to the political mood in the homeland, to which they feel attached but barely know. "Because they (young Turks) are ill-informed (about events in Turkey) many get emotional quickly. Some are charged like ticking time bombs," said Kazim Erdogan, 63, a psychologist who is no relation of Turkey's president. "The atmosphere (in the Turkish community in Germany) is completely poisoned. We are at a tipping point." Lists of businesses identified as backing Gulen, and calling for boycotts of their products or services, have appeared on social media. "We are outing these parallel forces and their henchmen!" read one entry, listing over 20 firms in the Stuttgart area, at least one of which denies such links. Turkish officials say the German government's concerns about tensions in the Turkish community are overblown and the majority of Turks in Germany have rallied behind Erdogan since the coup. Sixty percent of Turks in Germany voted for his AKP party in the latest national elections, according to the Organisation of Turkish Communities in Germany. QUESTIONS ABOUT INTEGRATION But Labour and Social Affairs Minister Andrea Nahles told Reuters after meeting Turkish groups in Berlin's Kreuzberg neighborhood that the situation was "ripping families apart." Government officials are worried about the role played by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) which operates through some 900 associations across Germany, most of which are mosques with imams dispatched from Turkey. "DITIB is used to spread the Turkish government's message in Germany," Ole Schroeder, deputy interior minister and a member of Merkel's conservatives, told Reuters. Politicians from right and left want DITIB's influence curbed, and many, including Schroeder, are calling for the group to stop importing clerics who are trained in Istanbul. DITIB has denied being steered by the Turkish government or posing any threat to Germany. Merkel has urged Turks in Germany to show "loyalty to our country," a comment that divided her ruling coalition and pointed to growing angst about strains in the Turkish community and Ankara's influence on it. [nL8N1B553N] Tensions with Ankara grew when German parliament passed a resolution in June declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide. They rose further when a government report in August called Turkey a hub for Islamist groups, and government data show a quarter of the 850 militants who have left Germany to fight for Islamic State had a Turkish background. Cansel Kiziltepe, a Social Democrat member of the Bundestag lower house of parliament, said the situation showed Germany had not implemented any meaningful integration policies until the early 2000s. "If people aren't integrated, then they don't feel like they belong here," she told Reuters. "And then they're susceptible when someone comes (along) who shows apparent strength and tries to incite these people against the majority (in) society." (Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin, Alexandra Hudson in London, David Dolan in Istanbul and Joseph Nasr in Cologne, Editing by Timothy Heritage) By Paul Carrel and Andrea Shalal BERLIN/COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - Ercan Karakoyun has long played a prominent role in Berlin's Turkish community, promoting education and dialogue among Muslims and Germans of other faiths. Now, however, whenever he can, Karakoyun avoids the bustling streets where many Turks live in the German capital. He says he has received six death threats via email and Facebook that are being investigated by police. "One message said: 'We know where your daughter goes to school'," he added. Karakoyun heads the Foundation for Dialogue and Education in Germany, a movement that supports Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric Turkey blames for July's attempted coup. The group has been active in Germany for many years, operating 150 tutoring centres in the country, 30 government-recognised schools and a dozen interfaith dialogue projects. It has long been seen as a moderate Islamic group although it has faced criticism over a lack of transparency. Now though, tensions are rising among the community of 3 million people with a Turkish background in Germany following the failed putsch. They have split into supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his opponents, and they are vying for influence. The divisions mirror those that are now in stark relief in Turkey between Erdogan's supporters and two other groups - Gulen backers and ethnic Kurds. Karakoyun said ties with Erdogan supporters had been strained for several years but the situation had spiralled out of control since the coup was thwarted. "Erdogan's witchhunt in Turkey against Gulen supporters is now being carried out here," Karakoyun said. The rivalries have raised questions about a failure to better integrate Turks, some of whom have lived in Germany for decades. They have also deepened scepticism in Germany about migrants at a time when Chancellor Angela Merkel is under fire over her open-door refugee policy. The government has a policy headache. Although concerned about Turkey's record on human rights and a crackdown on opponents since the failed coup, it needs Ankara's help to stem the flow of migrants from countries such as Syria. KURDS PLAN TO MARCH One immediate concern is a march planned in Cologne on Saturday by leftist groups and Kurds, who account for one in three immigrants from Turkey. This follows a ban on a large, annual Kurdish festival nearby which angered the Kurds, especially as Erdogan supporters were allowed to hold a rally in Cologne on July 31. Security officials worry that Erdogan supporters could take to the streets to counter the Kurdish march, expected to attract about 30,000 people, and that there could be violence. Tempers flared when Germany's top court prevented Erdogan from addressing the July 31 rally via videolink. With many people of Turkish origin just back from summer holidays in Turkey, there are concerns that passions have been fuelled by media coverage "back home" which is dominated by criticism of Germans, coup plotters and Kurds. "We cannot allow this conflict to be imported to German soil. We have to pay particular attention to those cases where massive pressure is being applied to Germans with a Turkish background here," Nicola Beer, general secretary of Germanys libertarian Free Democratic Party, told Reuters. Community leaders say a pervasive and longstanding sense among young Turkish Germans that they are shunned in society makes them pliable and more attuned to the political mood in the homeland, to which they feel attached but barely know. "Because they (young Turks) are ill-informed (about events in Turkey) many get emotional quickly. Some are charged like ticking time bombs," said Kazim Erdogan, 63, a psychologist who is no relation of Turkey's president. "The atmosphere (in the Turkish community in Germany) is completely poisoned. We are at a tipping point." Lists of businesses identified as backing Gulen, and calling for boycotts of their products or services, have appeared on social media. "We are outing these parallel forces and their henchmen!" read one entry, listing over 20 firms in the Stuttgart area, at least one of which denies such links. Turkish officials say the German government's concerns about tensions in the Turkish community are overblown and the majority of Turks in Germany have rallied behind Erdogan since the coup. Sixty percent of Turks in Germany voted for his AKP party in the latest national elections, according to the Organisation of Turkish Communities in Germany. QUESTIONS ABOUT INTEGRATION But Labour and Social Affairs Minister Andrea Nahles told Reuters after meeting Turkish groups in Berlin's Kreuzberg neighbourhood that the situation was "ripping families apart." Government officials are worried about the role played by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) which operates through some 900 associations across Germany, most of which are mosques with imams dispatched from Turkey. "DITIB is used to spread the Turkish government's message in Germany," Ole Schroeder, deputy interior minister and a member of Merkel's conservatives, told Reuters. Politicians from right and left want DITIB's influence curbed, and many, including Schroeder, are calling for the group to stop importing clerics who are trained in Istanbul. DITIB has denied being steered by the Turkish government or posing any threat to Germany. Merkel has urged Turks in Germany to show "loyalty to our country," a comment that divided her ruling coalition and pointed to growing angst about strains in the Turkish community and Ankara's influence on it. Tensions with Ankara grew when German parliament passed a resolution in June declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide. They rose further when a government report in August called Turkey a hub for Islamist groups, and government data show a quarter of the 850 militants who have left Germany to fight for Islamic State had a Turkish background. Cansel Kiziltepe, a Social Democrat member of the Bundestag lower house of parliament, said the situation showed Germany had not implemented any meaningful integration policies until the early 2000s. "If people aren't integrated, then they don't feel like they belong here," she told Reuters. "And then they're susceptible when someone comes (along) who shows apparent strength and tries to incite these people against the majority (in) society." (Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin, Alexandra Hudson in London, David Dolan in Istanbul and Joseph Nasr in Cologne, Editing by Timothy Heritage) BANGKOK (Reuters) - Peace talks between Thailand's military government and Muslim separatists ended on Friday with no breakthrough but an agreement to meet again, and with the insurgents denying responsibility for a string of bombs last month. A decades-old insurgency in the Muslim-majority southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat has claimed more than 6,500 lives since it escalated in 2004, according to the independent monitoring group Deep South Watch. Talks between the government and the insurgents began in 2013 under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra but stalled after the military overthrew her government in 2014. MARA Pattani, an insurgent umbrella group involved in the negotiations, said in a news conference in Malaysia, where the talks took place, that both sides had agreed to more dialogue. The group said it would consider the creation of "safety zones" proposed by the Thai government to show good faith. General Aksara Kerdphol, the Thai government's lead negotiator, told Reuters that MARA Pattani denied playing a role in recent violence, including a string of bombings that targeted several tourist towns last month. "The other party told us they were not responsible for the violence and that they would cooperate with the government in building a peaceful situation," Aksara said. The string of bombings killed four Thais and wounded dozens of people, including foreigners, and was linked by police to the southern insurgents. Analysts say the main group believed to be behind the bombings, Barisan Revolusi Nasional, launched the attacks after having been left out of talks. Thai authorities diffused a car bomb in Narathiwat early on Friday, shortly before the negotiations began in Kuala Lumpur. "An explosive ordinance disposal team diffused a device, an 80 kg gas cylinder, inside a stolen milk truck," said Colonel Yutthanam Petchmuang, a deputy spokesman for the army's Internal Security Operations Command. Yutthanam declined to comment on whether the attempted attack was aimed at coinciding with the talks and said an investigation was going on. (Reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak, Aukkarapon Niyomyat, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Writing by Cod Satrusayang; Editing by Robert Birsel) BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's 88-year-old king, the world's longest reigning monarch, has been treated after having water in his lungs and his condition has improved, the palace said in a statement late on Friday. In a monthly update on King Bhumibol Adulyadej's health, the palace said he had no fever and his breath and blood pressure have gradually improved after a "continuous renal replacement therapy" since Thursday after blood test showed there was water in his lungs and the function of kidneys reduced. The therapy replaces the normal blood-filtering function of the kidneys. It is used when the kidneys are not working well. The king's condition showed some improvement in most of August before he had rapid breathing and sticky phlegm on Wednesday, and an examination showed severe infection in his blood, the statement said. He had a mild fever on Wednesday and a team of physicians had to administer antibiotics after his blood pressure dropped, the palace said. News about the king's health is closely monitored in Thailand, where King Bhumibol is deeply revered. The king has been treated for various ailments over the past year at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital and was last seen in public on Jan. 11, when he spent several hours visiting his palace in the Thai capital. Anxiety over the king's health and an eventual succession has formed the backdrop to more than a decade of bitter political divide in Thailand that has included military takeovers and sometimes violent street demonstrations. In August's statement, the palace said the monarch was being treated for a "low fever" and a "possible infection" in his blood. News about the royal family is tightly controlled in Thailand, where laws protecting the royals from insult make it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king, queen, heir to the throne or regent. (Reporting by Khettiya Jittapong; Editing by Antoni Slodkowski and Alison Williams) They may not be judges or lawyers, but these adorable pooches play one of the most important roles in an Oklahoma courthouse. Read: Lulu the Funeral Therapy Dog Brings Smiles to Mourners: 'She Just Knows How to Go to People' When young victims of crime are called to testify in court, they rely on therapy dogs Boo, Nala, Chance, Missy, Morgan and Zack to help calm their nerves. According to Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, "it is flat-out a miracle to see the difference between children who do not have a therapy dog versus someone who actually has a therapy dog." Like therapy dogs in other circumstances, the loveable pups are meant to sit beside a child on the stand, and ease their anxieties as they prepare to testify. One of the dogs, Boo, is not quite big enough to reach the child, so his handler created a custom stand to prop the pup up. Kunzweiler told KOTV, the dogs' presence may empower the victim to speak up about traumatic experiences. Or, as victim advocate Sally Van Schenck said, "[children] can be afraid of a defendant in the courtroom; the dogs act as protectors, not that that ever happened, but it makes that child feel safer." Sometimes, according to KOTV, the suspect will see that a child is calm enough to spill the truth and enter a plea so the victim will not have to testify in the trial at all. Read: Jake the Pitbull Becomes Honorary Firefighter After He's Rescued From a Devastating Fire The dogs and their owners, who all work as volunteers, are even having fun helping the victims in need. "What better way to help people than with your best buddy?" one of the dogs' handlers said. Watch: See Moment Owner Reunites With Therapy Dog That Went Missing For 2 Months Related Articles: In the past year, the issue of expensive cable set-top boxes has been an explosive one both in courts and in regulatory quarters. The latest development came on Friday when the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a decision to reject an antitrust lawsuit accusing Time Warner Cable of impermissibly tying premium cable television services to the leasing of these cable boxes. The action reviewed by the 2nd Circuit was a consolidated, multidistrict suit that targeted TWC (now a part of Charter Communications) for allegedly abusing its market power over premium cable services in 53 markets. According to the complaint, consumers weren't able to use their own cable box to get certain cable television services like VOD programming, program guides, parental control devices and "start over" functionality. In the majority opinion, 2nd Circuit judges Ralph Winter and Denny Chen write that to state a valid tying claim, plaintiffs must plausibly show that the sale of one product is conditioned on the purchase of a separate product, and that the seller has sufficient market power and uses actual coercion to convince a consumer to buy both products. Winter and Chen add that no tying arrangement can exist unless there is sufficient demand for the tied product separate from the tying product. With that framework, they conclude that cable boxes and premium cable services haven't plausibly been held up as separate, in-demand products. "The Complaint alleges that, '[b]ut for TimeWarners unlawful tying requirement ... there would be a thriving market in which consumers would have a choice in their purchase of cable boxes,'" states the opinion. "However, the Complaint lacks any allegation that there have ever been separate sales of settop boxes and cable services, whether or not 'premium, in the United States, even in markets where cable providers face competition and, more specifically, in markets where Premium Cable Services are available through competing fiber optic networks that do not use settop boxes." The latest decision (read here, including a dissent from 2nd Circuit judge Christopher Droney) follows a flurry of court activity on this topic. For example, last October in Oklahoma, Cox Communication suffered a $6.31 million jury verdict in a cable TV tying case before a judge two weeks later overturned it. And on Wednesday, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals allowed class certification to move forward in what likely clears Comcast's proposed $15.5 million settlement with its subscribers. The newest 2nd Circuit decision nods to FCC acknowledgements that efforts to create separate markets have failed. For the past year, the agency has been navigating cable and content companies in an effort to reform rules and inject competition into the set-top market. The industry has been discussing whether it's fair and legally permissible to require cable and satellite operators to provide "information streams" for the creation of new apps and devices. After feedback, the FCC is expected by insiders to circulate its latest set-top box proposal by the end of next week with a possible vote at a Sept. 29 open meeting. Ex-fashion designer Tom Ford enthralled the Venice film festival Friday with a gripping tale of betrayal and revenge, unveiling two films in one with his hotly-anticipated "Nocturnal Animals". The romantic thriller, Ford's second feature film after "A Single Man" (2009), spooked and stirred in equal part, with arresting performances from US stars Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal as lovers gone awry. From the first scene -- wildly obese women dancing naked -- to the bittersweet close, the former Gucci designer produced a visually stunning and richly complex evocation of human frailty and retribution. "Loyalty is important to me. The story is about when you find people in your life, you hang on to them. This is a cautionary tale about what can happen in your life when you let them go," Ford told journalists on Venice's Lido. Adams, 42, plays Susan, who lives a privileged but lonely life in Los Angeles with her oft-absent husband. One day she receives a novel, "Nocturnal Animals", written by her ex-husband Edward, played by Gyllenhaal. - 'Haunting' - Edward's note, which asks her to read the novel and contact him, comes out of the blue, 19 years after she left him. It sparks a bout of soul-seeking from Susan, with flash-backs of her life with Edward, and unveils a dark secret. "There was a rumble beneath the screenplay. Tom told me he absolutely had to tell this story and I couldn't say no," said Gyllenhaal, 35, who described playing a man impotent in the face of horror "wonderfully frustrating". The narrative takes on a second strand as the violent events in the novel are played out as pictured in Susan's head as she reads, and she discovers the story is a channel for Edward to express the heartbreak she caused. In the novel, Tony Hastings -- also played by Gyllenhaal -- is stopped by a creepy trio of joy-riders while driving across Texas at night, and his red-headed wife and daughter (resembling Susan and daughter) are abducted. Story continues Hastings is left to try and track down the gang's ringleader, psychopathic Ray (played brilliantly by Britain's Aaron Taylor-Johnson), with the help of detective Bobby Andes (Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon). Ford, who adapted the screenplay from Austin Wright's 1993 book "Tony and Susan", said "if it doesn't stay with you, haunt you, challenge you, it's not a successful film for me" -- not a concern he should have here. - 'Very scary indeed' - He added that there was a lot of himself in all three characters -- Susan, Tony and Edward. Susan "with her lack of self-confidence", Tony and Edward who are sensitive rather than dominant. "They do not possess the stereotypical traits of masculinity that our culture often expects, yet in the end they both triumph. As a boy growing up in Texas, I was anything but what was considered classically masculine. "Many things from my own life have worked their way into the screenplay for the film, just as details from Susan and Edward's life together seeped into Edward's story," he added. Adams manages to make troubled Susan sympathetic, something she found difficult: "it was a tricky one to prepare because when I first started exploring Susan, I didn't like her, and I can't play a character I don't like". For his part, family-man Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 26, said he did a lot of research for his role, including extensive reading on American serial killer, kidnapper, rapist, and necrophile Ted Bundy. The result, Ford admits, is "scary, very scary indeed". Bangladesh police raided a militant hideout in the capital Friday, killing a suspected top Islamist extremist who helped plan the deadly attack on a cafe in Dhaka that left 22 people dead in July. Police said the slain extremist was Major Murad, 35, who stabbed and injured three officers during the raid on a five-storey building in Dhaka's Rupnagar neighbourhood where the suspect had rented a flat. "He was a senior member of the JMB (Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh) and trained the five gunmen who attacked the Gulshan cafe," Sanwar Hossain, a senior counter-terrorism officer in the Dhaka police force, told AFP. "He was smart and fluent in English. He was the chief trainer of the JMB and one of the planners of the cafe attack. He was shot dead after he stabbed three of our officers who were trying to take him alive," he said, adding that the three policemen had been hospitalised. The raid came days after police killed three suspected Islamist extremists including the alleged mastermind of the cafe attack, JMB leader Tamim Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen. Police have blamed the JMB for a wave of murders targeting foreigners and members of religious minorities in which at least 80 people have been killed. Since the cafe attack in July police have shot dead at least 27 Islamist extremists. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Gulshan attack, releasing photos from inside the cafe during the siege and of the five men who carried out the deadly assault and were shot dead at its finale. But Bangladeshi authorities have rejected the claim, saying international jihadist networks have no presence in the world's third-largest Muslim-majority nation. Critics say Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration is in denial about the nature of the threat posed by Islamist extremists and accuse her of trying to exploit the attacks to demonise her domestic opponents. Earlier this week US Secretary of State John Kerry said during a visit to Dhaka that there was evidence to link the extremists behind the recent spate of deadly attacks in Bangladesh to IS. Travis Scott's Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight has landed. After unveiling his dark album cover, a striking image shot by esteemed photographer Nick Knight which illustrates Scott with black wings, the Missouri City rapper unleashed a flurry of tracks during a live listening session on his Beats 1 show .wav as well as a stunning visual. Among the set's standout offerings are collaborations with The Weeknd ("Wonderful"), Kendrick Lamar ("Goosebumps"), Andre 3000 ("the ends) and Kid CuDi ("Through the night"). Twenty-four hours before his sophomore album's release, Billboard managed to wrangle a few minutes with Scott on the phone to discuss linking with Lamar and 3 Stacks as well as the real meaning behind Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight. Houston ft. Travis Scott - Back to the Block | Billboard Why did you decide to title your album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight? It all stemmed from me having that frustration of just like wanting to do creative s--t and just not being able to do it. It took five months for my action figure to come out. It took eight months for the Hype Williams video to come out. I just felt like I was confined in a box. I couldn't do s--t I wanted to do to help forward pop culture and music. It's like motherf--kers still tryna hold me back so that was the whole gist of it. "In the trap" has nothing to do with coke or anything. It's literally a trap. {"source":"Publicity","title":null,"title_text":null,"path_original":"\/files\/media\/travis-scott-2016-album-art-billboard-embed.jpg","path":"\/files\/media\/travis-scott-2016-album-art-billboard-embed.jpg","image_path_original":"\/files\/media\/travis-scott-2016-album-art-billboard-embed.jpg","file_uri":"public:\/\/media\/travis-scott-2016-album-art-billboard-embed.jpg","extension":"jpg","type":"image","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","file_size":524291,"width":928,"height":924,"orientation":"landscape","caption":"","credit":null,"animated":false,"id":"626351"} Story continues And nothing to do with Brian McKnight? Nothing to do with Brian McKnight but the title came from me, Quavo and [Young] Thug working on "Pick Up The Phone." Young Quavius was rapping, bouncing off ideas, and I was letting him know the story and the vibe of my album so when he was doing his verse, dude just says "Birds in the trap sing Brian McKnight." I ran in the booth and I was like, "Bro, this is it!" [Laughs] Travis Scott Premieres 'Pick Up the Phone' & '90210' Videos, Celebrates Beats 1 Show at .Wav Party in L.A. How is Birds sonically different from your previous projects? I just think it's the consistency. Every track is its own banger and has its own feel. I feel like with Rodeo, I was putting a lot of emotion and a lot of thought into it, collected beats and trying to make s--t sound epic. I feel like this s--t is straight me. It's cutting straight down to everybody want to eat. Where did you record this album? I recorded most of the bangers in my crib. I got this song "Goosebumps" with Kendrick [Lamar] and the first song "the ends" was the first song I recorded in my crib [in Beverly Hills] when I got it. I finished [the songs] off on the tour bus on the Saint Pablo tour. I was doing that s--t in the field. I don't like studios. That's why all my s--t be leaking. How did you link with Kendrick Lamar for "goosebumps"? I met him at the [MTV Video Music Awards] one year and he came up to me and was just like, "Yo, man, I f--k with your music. It's super dope and inspirational." I was like, whoa, this is the best rapper in the globe -- he f--ks with my music! That's one of the things that made me want to keep working on my music and try to keep it going 'cause I'm not the most rappity rap ass n---a. That's not me but I really love Kendrick's music. I really love Andre [3000's] music. I really love 'Ye's s--t. I really love Jay's s--t. I like rappers. It's just dope that these dudes came to La Flame's world to get down on some ill beats. Travis Scott Orchestrates His Own Trap Opera on 'Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight': First Listen Your last project had narration from Tip. Are you hoping to do the same with this project? Well, I was gonna have [Andre 3000] narrate the album but he ended up doing a verse and I was surprised. I ain't even know. Click here to listen to Birds in The Trap Sing McKnight via Apple Music. Treehouse Foods Inc. THS has been riding on the back of its solid fundamentals, cost cutting initiatives and expansion through back-to-back acquisitions. Also, this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock appears to be a sound investment opportunity, with a long-term earnings growth rate of 17.50% and a VGM Score of B. Moreover, the stock has jumped over 23.5% year to date. Lets delve deeper to find out whats leading to the bullish run for this Illinois-based food company. Driving Factors Treehouse Foods has witnessed positive same store growth trends in food away from home outlets, which mainly focus on clean ingredients and labels, resulting in higher demand for natural or organic type products. This is owing to customers changing preference toward more freshly prepared foods, and natural, organic, or specialty foods. The company expects continued growth in this area and will focus on the necessary resources available to address these trends, and prioritize consumers needs by developing new formulations, packaging, and sizes. In addition, it has expanded its product offerings through a number of acquisitions in the past. The most recent one was in Feb 2016, when Treehouse Foods acquired the Private Brands Business from ConAgra Foods, Inc. CAG for $2.7 billion. The Private Brands Business is a leading manufacturer of private label refrigerated and shelf stable products in the bars, bakery, cereal, condiments, pasta, and snacks categories. The addition of Private Brands will boost the companys portfolio and is expected to be more accretive to fourth-quarter seasonal sales. This will lead to a higher percentage of both sales and profits in the third quarter. The company expects to utilize its scale, management depth, integration expertise and access to capital to pursue both small and large acquisitions in the future. We note that the company is also in the process of cutting costs and improving efficiency. It is closing and consolidating facilities, which will help maintain margins. Story continues TREEHOUSE FOODS Price and Consensus TREEHOUSE FOODS Price and Consensus | TREEHOUSE FOODS Quote Healthy Q2 Performance Recently, TreeHouse Foods reported second-quarter 2016 earnings of 54 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, earnings declined 18.2% from the year-ago level due to lower gross margin and currency headwinds. Net sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.5% due to the lower margin structure of the acquired business of Private Brands. Nonetheless, sales surged 103.3% year over year due to the buyout of the private brands operations of ConAgra Foods and favorable volume/mix, primarily in the North American Retail Grocery segment. Notably, the company has delivered positive earnings surprises in three of the past four quarters. In the trailing four quarters, it outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 7.12%. For 2016, TreeHouse is optimistic about its acquisitions and plans to focus on integrating its recently closed acquisition of the Private Brands Business. TreeHouses net sales are expected to double in 2016 to approximately $6.3$6.5 billion, driven by the addition of the Private Brands Business, despite its lower margin structure than the legacy TreeHouse business. We believe TreeHouse Foods positive earnings surprise history, coupled with strong earnings potential underscore its solid future potential. Other Stocks to Consider Some other well-ranked stocks in the food industry include Ingredion, Inc. INGR and Omega Foods Corp. OME, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 CONAGRA FOODS (CAG): Free Stock Analysis Report OMEGA PROTEIN (OME): Free Stock Analysis Report TREEHOUSE FOODS (THS): Free Stock Analysis Report INGREDION INC (INGR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Maurice Tamman and Chris Kahn (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has pulled into an effective tie with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, erasing a substantial deficit as he consolidated support among his partys likely voters in recent weeks, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos national tracking poll released Friday. The poll showed 40 percent of likely voters supporting Trump and 39 percent backing Clinton for the week of Aug. 26 to Sept. 1. Clinton's support has dropped steadily in the weekly tracking poll since Aug. 25, eliminating what had been a eight-point lead for her. Trump's gains came as Republican support for their partys candidate jumped by six percentage points over the past two weeks, to about 78 percent. That is still below the 85 percent support Republican nominee Mitt Romney enjoyed in the summer of 2012, but the improvement helps explain Trumps rise in the poll. The Reuters/Ipsos poll is conducted online in English in all 50 states. The latest poll surveyed 1,804 likely voters over the course of the week; it had a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of three percent. Different polls have produced widely different results over the course of the campaign. In part that's because some, like Reuters/Ipsos, have attempted to measure the preferences of who's likely to vote, while others have surveyed the larger pool of all registered voters. And even those that survey likely voters have different ways of estimating who is likely to cast a ballot. Polling aggregators, which calculate averages of major polls, have shown that Clintons lead has been shrinking for the past few weeks. Those averages put her advantage over Trump at between three and six percentage points. Some of the more recent individual polls, however, have the race even tighter. Voters don't elect the American president directly, of course, but through the Electoral College, an assembly representing each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the number of legislators they have in Congress. As of last Friday, the separate Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation polling project estimated Clinton was on track to win the Electoral College, by about 332 votes to 206. Those numbers were scheduled to be updated later Friday. In recent weeks, Clinton has come under renewed criticism over her handling of classified information while serving as U.S. secretary of state, and her family's charitable foundation has come under fresh scrutiny for the donations it accepted while Clinton served in the Obama administration. Meanwhile, Clinton hasn't been campaigning as actively as Trump. TRUMP'S BUMP Trump, meanwhile, has reshuffled his campaign leadership and sought to broaden his appeal to moderate Republicans and minorities. He recently suggested that he would be a better president than Clinton for African Americans, and has taken steps, including a meeting this week with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, to reach out to immigrants. It remains to be seen whether those efforts will click. Clinton has led Trump through most of the campaign for the November election, though neither candidate appears to have inspired America. In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, more than 20 percent of likely voters opted for a choice other than the two major nominees, whether an alternative candidate, "would not vote" or "unsure." That figure is significantly higher than the 10 percent to 14 percent of respondents who answered similarly at this point in the 2012 campaign. Both President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney enjoyed substantially stronger support at this point in the summer of 2012 than either Trump or Clinton does now. And while Trump has consolidated his support among Republicans, likely voters are expressing an increasingly sour view of Clinton: The share of likely voters with an unfavorable view of the former secretary of state has grown to 57 percent, compared with Trump's 54 percent, her worst showing on that metric in a month. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said he remains convinced Clinton is ahead, somewhere in the range seen among the polling aggregators. There has been a closing thats completely natural, Sabato said. Every four years, you have two national party conventions that produce a bounce of varying sizes. Clinton got a substantial bounce this year that lasted for a full month. Its usually gone around Labor Day, and by then well be where we should be, which is right around four to five points for Clinton. In a separate question in the Reuters/Ipsos poll that included alternative-party candidates, Clinton and Trump were tied at 39 percent. Seven percent supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, and two percent supported Jill Stein of the Green Party. (Edited by Michael Williams) Washington (AFP) - Skidding in the polls with less than 70 days until election day, Donald Trump takes his presidential campaign to Detroit Saturday for a charm offensive targeting African American voters, who have flocked to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Aware he faces an uphill battle to succeed President Barack Obama in 2017, the Republican White House contender has been making pointed appeals to black voters in recent weeks. In doing so, Trump is acknowledging a community he has all but overlooked until now -- but which makes up 12 percent of the US electorate. His pitch? "What do you have to lose?" runs Trump's argument. Democrats have claimed to speak in your name for decades, he argues, but look at the numbers: you are hardest hit by poverty and unemployment, you live in neighborhoods plagued by violence, and you are stymied by failing schools. "They don't care about you. They just like you once every four years -- get your vote and then they say: 'Bye, bye!'" he told African American voters -- albeit while addressing an overwhelmingly white rally in Ohio late last month. To bolster his case, Trump points at the Democratic stance on immigration, claiming his rival would rather give a job to a new refugee than an unemployed black youth. The African American electorate traditionally leans heavily Democratic. In 2012, 93 percent of black voters threw their weight behind Obama, according to exit polls -- an overwhelming enthusiasm that Clinton appears to have kept alive, taking 90 percent of the black vote in her primary contest against Bernie Sanders. What exactly Trump, 70, plans to do in Detroit remains unclear. After recording a televised interview he is supposed to attend a worship service at a black church in the Motor City, briefly addressing the "Great Faith Ministries International" congregation before meeting residents of a black neighborhood. As often with Trump, much will hinge on whether the business magnate sticks to the carefully prepared script -- or whether he chooses to improvise -- raising the likelihood of a controversial outburst. Story continues - Racist backers - Excerpts from an eight-page working document published Thursday by the New York Times give a taste of the scripted interview questions to be asked by the church's pastor, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, and the answers drafted by Trump's advisers. Trump's scripted responses seek to strike a presidential tone, pledging to approach the office "with the utmost wisdom" and to "serve all Americans without regard to race, ethnicity or any other qualification." Asked about the document, the pastor confirmed that he had submitted questions in advance, but said they were still liable to change -- and strongly denied he was working hand in hand with Team Trump. "He has made statements and his statements are that I want to make the black community better," Jackson told CNN. "So we want to know the answers. We want to know how you are going to do that." "There's a lot of perception out there that there's a lot of racist people that are following his campaign. "These are questions that we're going to ask. And then when it's all said and done, then let the people decide." Democrats regularly remind voters that Trump's backers include the former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke -- although the candidate has publicly rejected the extreme-right endorsement. They also point out that Trump was the spearhead of the dubious "birther" movement which sought -- with backing from the Republican Party's right-wing -- to cast doubt on the nationality of America's first black president. Donald Trump jetted to Mexico this week for a meeting with President Enrique Pena Nieto that aides hoped would make the unabashed New York TV personality-turned-Republican nominee appear presidential, and prompt the shrinking number of undecided American voters to give him a fresh look. Instead, he came back for an immigration-themed speech later Wednesday in Arizona and fell back on the raw instincts that won him unexpected success in the GOP primary but have kept him from expanding his base in the general election against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Unpacking the latest machinations on his signature immigration proposals lends insight into whats ahead for Trump in the final weeks before Election Day: a narrowing path to the White House on an already-difficult electoral map. The wall Trump kicked off his campaign for president in June 2015 promising to build a great wall on the United Statess 2,000-mile southern border and vowing Mexico would bankroll it, a wildly popular pledge with his supporters. From day one I said that I was going to build a great wall on the SOUTHERN BORDER, and much more. Stop illegal immigration. Watch Wednesday! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2016 But the wall is practically unworkable and politically unfeasible. He estimated the cost at $10 billion though some say it would be more than double that but not funded by the American taxpayer. Much of the wall would run through private land, necessitating the use of eminent domain, and require approval from an already skeptical Congress. Trump says he would force Mexico to finance the behemoth infrastructure project, but he has not quite cemented this payment plan. We did discuss the wall. We didnt discuss payment of the wall, Trump said during his appearance with Pena Nieto. Mexico will pay for the wall, Trump said hours later in Phoenix. One hundred percent. They dont know it yet, but theyre going to pay for it. Story continues But Pena Nieto said he directly told Trump his country will not pay, a stance hes since repeated in defending and describing the meeting. Even with the aerial surveillance and anti-tunnel technology Trump has promised, experts believe the wall would not stop those determined to cross it. Moreover, illegal crossings have dropped to their lowest levels in roughly four decades. Among Mexican immigrants, the apparent focus of Trumps immigration plans, the flow has reversed since 2009, more are leaving the United States than coming. Trumps wall may be human. With his pledged 5,000 Border Patrol officers joining the 17,500 already assigned to the land border, enough agents stand along the border stationed roughly only 200 feet apart. Mass deportation Trump has threatened with varying force to deport the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Youre going to have a deportation force, and youre going to do it humanely, he told MSNBCs Mika Brzezinski in November. But last week at a Fox News town hall, he said, There certainly can be a softening. Three days later, he reversed again, saying, My stance is very strong. There will be no amnesty. There is no legalization. Then on Wednesday in Mexico, Trump said, Illegal immigration is a problem for Mexico as well as for us. Hours later in Arizona, where he leads Clinton narrowly, he promised policy details but veered quickly into rhetoric. He said hed form a deportation task force to remove dangerous undocumented immigrants who have evaded justice just like Hillary Clinton. He quipped: Maybe theyll be able to deport her. But he continued, Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation. That is what it means to have laws and to have a country. Otherwise we dont have a country. Some aspects of his proposals arent all that different from current policy. In 2014, President Barack Obama instructed federal agencies to direct limited resources to removing immigrants who pose security threats or have more serious criminal records. But Trump went further than promising to throw out Obamas executive actions granting deportation relief, vowing that while some would be removed faster than others, none of the 11 million would be exempt from deportation. Still, he left many unanswered questions about how hed carry it out. By most measures, the U.S. side of the border is as safe as its ever been. Obama has deported more people and devoted more money and manpower to border security than any other president including giving Mexico millions to crack down on its southern border. Why it matters to Trump but wont for November From his very first speech, Trump said Mexico wasnt sending its best people, broadly painting those as rapists, criminals, and drug dealers. Trump is far from the first politician to benefit from scapegoating and fear mongering. And being tough on border security has long been boilerplate Republican policy. But Trump has found particular potency with this strategy in 2016, tapping into often-overlooked frustration over economic inequality, and heightened anxiety over national security. As was on full display in Arizona, he consistently falls back on that base political instinct, which helped win him a record number of votes in the Republican primary, including some people who typically dont go to the polls. Yet while tripling down on the wall and deporting millions may rally his base, such promises do not grow it. The GOPs oft-cited autopsy report following its 2012 presidential election loss prescribed that the party soften its tone, particularly on immigration, to broaden its outreach with fast-growing populations of left-leaning minority voters or risk losing the White House for a generation. Democrats came into 2016 with that advantage, by demographics and voter affiliation. And Trump has strengthened it, with his rhetoric and hard-line immigration policy dragging his approval ratings with large sections of the electorate. Latinos in particular comprise a large chunk of the voting population in key battleground states he needs to win but stands to lose. With early voting starting in days, north of the border isnt looking too welcoming for Trump either. Photo credit: HECTOR VIVAS/STR/Contributor Marco Gutierrez Latinos for Trump On Thursday's episode of "All In with Chris Hayes," Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez warned that his culture was "imposing" and "dominant" and that "if you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner." The proliferation of taco trucks is a stupid reason to worry that there is too much immigration. But in a weird way, Gutierrez's warning was an insightful comment on America's immigration politics. Anti-immigration politicians talk a lot about crime and jobs and fiscal burdens, but that's not what animates public opinion on immigration. Cost-benefit analysis is not what animates public opinion on almost any issue. Most voters do not have opinions about policies they have feelings about issues. In the case of immigration, our politics is about feelings like these: Do you want more of these culturally different people around, or not? Does it make you nuts to have to press 1 for English? Does the spread of Mexican-oriented businesses make you feel encroached on, as if your culture is being taken over by another culture? There are a lot of voters out there who like tacos as a food item but who don't like the trends that have them feeling "surrounded" by taco makers. As Lee Drutman described for Vox last month, the most solidly Republican cohort of states is those that, over the past 25 years, have had large percentage increases in their immigrant populations from a low initial level. Arkansas was just 1% foreign born in 1990. By 2014, it was 4.7%. On an absolute level, that surely leaves Arkansas far from awash in taco trucks. But the decline in cultural homogeneity is felt and, by many voters, disliked. They're expressing that dislike by voting for Trump. NOW WATCH: DATA SCIENTIST: There's an easy way to tell if one of Trump's tweets came from him or his campaign More From Business Insider Elbeyli (Turkey) (AFP) - Syrian rebels supported by Turkish and coalition air strikes pushed further west into areas held by Islamic State in northern Syria as Ankara and its allies step up a campaign to rout the jihadists from the border area. Turkish strikes destroyed three buildings used by IS around the villages of Kunduriyah and Arab Izzah, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of the border town of Jarabulus, the army said in a statement. The pro-Ankara rebels took Jarabulus from IS last week on the first day of an unprecedented Turkish offensive aimed both at IS and a US-backed Kurdish militia that had been leading the fight against the jihadists. In the last few days the rebels have been moving quickly to clear the jihadists from the last stretch of the border under their control, backed by Turkish artillery and Turkish and coalition air strikes. The army said the area around Kunduriyah was now controlled by the opposition rebels. An AFP photographer at the border said Turkish-led forces were undertaking operations near the town of Al-Rai, about 20 kilometres further west. On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis estimated IS only retained control of about 25 kilometers of the border, east of Al-Rai. Turkey sent tanks and troops into Syria on August 24 to both combat IS -- which has been blamed for a string of suicide attacks inside Turkey -- and halt the westward advance of the Kurdish People's Protection Militia (YPG). Turkey sees the YPG as a terror offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) waging a bloody three-decade insurgency on its soil. The Turkey-Kurdish fight is yet another complication in Syria's tangled civil war, with both Turkey and the US seeking to retake territory from IS jihadists by supporting different proxy groups. Washington, which backs the YPG, on Monday expressed alarm at Turkey's bombardments of the group and called on its two allies to remain focused on fighting IS. - Kurdish protesters teargassed - Story continues Ankara has said the YPG will remain a target unless it returns east of the Euphrates river into the two cantons under Kurdish control. On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed US claims that the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had retreated to the northeast, as demanded. "Right now, people say they have gone to the east but we say no, they haven't crossed," Erdogan said. A US defence official in Washington, who requested anonymity, said that any continuing presence by the YPG in the area was "completely insignificant". Turkey's operation against the YPG has raised tensions with Syrian Kurds in other areas. On Friday, Turkish security forces fired tear gas and water cannon at stone-throwing protesters in the Syrian border town of Kobane, which Kurdish militia took from IS in 2015 after a lengthy battle. The demonstrators were protesting the route of a five-kilometre wall being built by the Turks between Kobane and the Turkish town of Suruc. By Ece Toksabay ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey renewed air strikes on Islamic State sites in Syria on Friday, extending operations along a 90-km (56-mile) corridor near the Turkish border which Ankara says it is clearing of jihadists and protecting from Kurdish militia expansion. Turkey's 10-day-old offensive, its first major incursion into Syria since the war started five years ago, has alarmed the West. The United States has voiced concerns about Turkish strikes on Kurdish-aligned groups that Washington has backed in its battle against Islamic State. Germany said it did not want to see a lasting Turkish presence in an already tangled conflict. Turkey has said it has no plans to stay in Syria and simply aims to protect its frontier from the militant group and the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an extension of the outlawed Kurdish PKK group fighting an insurgency on Turkish soil. "Nobody can expect us to allow a terror corridor on our southern border," President Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference. Washington says Turkish action aimed at the YPG, part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition, risked undermining the broader goal of ridding Syria of Islamic State, which has attacked Western and Turkish targets. Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies began the Aug. 24 offensive by seizing Jarablus, a Syrian frontier town, from Islamic State, before turning their sights on what the army said were YPG positions. The YPG denied they were there. In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus called on the United States to put more pressure on the YPG to return east of the Euphrates river, a move that Turkey hopes would keep the Kurdish militia in check. CLEARING TERRITORY The Turkish military said its warplanes had bombed three sites around the Syrian settlements of Arab Ezza and al-Ghundura, west of Jarablus, roughly in the center of the 90-km stretch of territory that Turkey says it aims to clear. The government has not said it wants to establish a "buffer zone" but its forces are likely to have to stay in the region for some time to support the Syrian rebels it is backing who number just 1,500. Concerned at the arrival of a new military player in the already complex conflict in Syria, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier cautioned Turkey against keeping its military there. "We all must have an interest in avoiding long-term military confrontations on Syrian soil," he told reporters in Bratislava. Erdogan said the Turkish operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield" had been successful in clearing Islamic State and Kurdish YPG from a 400-sq-km (150-square mile) area. He denied claims that the YPG, which Ankara calls a terrorist group, had withdrawn to a Kurdish-controlled canton to the east of the Euphrates river, a key Turkish demand. The YPG says it has already removed its forces from the area of the Turkish-backed campaign. U.S. officials have also said it has mostly withdrawn its forces to the east of the Euphrates, a natural boundary cutting through northern Syria. "At the moment, they are saying the YPG has crossed (the Euphrates)," Erdogan said. "We are saying no they didn't. The proof depends on our own observation." His comments were echoed by Kurtulmus, the deputy prime minister, who spoke to Reuters while on a visit to Chicago. He urged the United States to work with its NATO ally Turkey on "all different terrorist threats," a reference to their stark differences in Syria policy. "We would like to see the pressure of the U.S. on the PYD to go to the east of the Euphrates," he said. "So it would be very useful if we would apply this operation with the U.S. forces together." (Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Bratislava, Angus McDowall in Beirut and Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and James Dalgleish) Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey wants to normalise relations with Syria, the prime minister said Friday, confirming a policy shift after years of supporting rebels opposed to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. "We have normalised our relations with Russia and Israel," Binali Yildirim said in a televised speech. "Now, God willing, Turkey has taken a serious initiative to normalise relations with Egypt and Syria." Relations between Turkey and Egypt sharply deteriorated after the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Syria, Turkey had persistently insisted Assad's departure was key to any resolution of the country's five-year war and backed rebels trying to oust him. But last month Yildirim signalled a shift, saying that Assad was "one of the actors" in Syria and could stay on temporarily during a transitional period. Last week, Turkey launched an operation against Islamic State jihadists and a Kurdish militia in northern Syria. Ankara said Damascus was forewarned of the operation, via Russia. Since taking office in May, the Turkish premier has sought to resume Ankara's longstanding policy of having "zero problems" with its neighbours. In June, Turkey mended ties with Russia which were sorely tested by the shooting down by Turkey of a Russian warplane along the Syrian border. Turkey this summer also normalised ties with Israel after a six-year rift caused by a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid flotilla. ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkish security forces used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a group of protesters along the Syrian border on Friday, Turkish military sources said, but denied suggestions that they opened fire and killed at least one civilian. The protesters were demonstrating against Turkey building a wall on the Syrian border near the Kurdish Syrian town of Kobani, the security sources said. An official from the Kobani town council, Anwar Musallim, told Reuters that Turkish forces used live ammunition as well as tear gas. Musallim cited a local health official saying that one 17-year-old had been killed and 83 people wounded. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that one child had been killed and more than 30 people injured. When asked about the reports, Turkish military sources said: "A group approached the border and attacked construction machinery, workers and soldiers on the border with stones. Tear gas and water cannon were used against them. There has been no incident of opening fire." Footage from Kurdish news agency ANHA showed young men, some of them in bandanas, throwing stones from the Syrian side of the border as Turkish security forces sprayed them with water cannon in an attempt to push them back. Kobani is about 35 km (22 miles) east of the Syrian border town of Jarablus, which Turkey-backed rebels seized last week from Islamic State in an incursion which has also seen clashes with Syrian Kurdish militia fighters. Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. But it views the Syrian Kurdish YPG, which is backed by Washington, as an extension of Kurdish militants who have waged a three-decade insurgency on its own soil. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz and Lisa Barrington; Additional reporting by Can Sezer; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick Tattersall) A Thai military court issued two more arrest warrants Friday accusing Muslim men from its insurgency-torn south of involvement in last month's tourist town bombings, deepening speculation the attacks were waged by rebels from the border region. The new warrants came as Thai officials met for peace talks with representatives of the ethnic Malay militants behind the 12-year revolt in Thailand's three southern border provinces, a Muslim-majority area known as the 'deep south'. No one has claimed responsibility for the August 11-12 bombing spree that struck top tourist towns further north, killing four and wounding dozens. But security analysts say the attacks bore all the hallmarks of the southern insurgents, even if the tourist towns lay far outside their traditional conflict zone. Thai authorities have now identified five suspects -- all Muslim men from the deep south, several of whom have a record of involvement in the insurgency. Yet police stressed again Friday it was too early to determine a motive for the blasts that fell on a public holiday and rocked Thailand's vital tourist industry. "Their motivation is still unclear because we have not managed to get any in custody," deputy national police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen told AFP. If the rebels are to blame, it would be an unprecedented expansion of a campaign that has killed 6,500 people -- mainly civilians -- since 2004 but rarely spills outside the border region or targets foreigners. It would also undercut the Thai junta's claims to have stemmed violence in the restive border region since its 2014 power grab. The new arrest warrants named two men in their thirties from Pattani, a province in the heart of the insurgency, and said they were wanted for carrying out bomb and arson attacks, according to a police statement. The warrants were issued as Thai government negotiators met with representatives of the rebels in neighbouring Malaysia as part of an ongoing peace process that has born little fruit under junta rule. Story continues The rebel negotiators said "significant progress" was made at the meeting, without elaborating, according to a press conference shared on Facebook. But the leader of the Thai government's delegation stressed that no agreements were signed and said the talks were still in the "confidence building" phase. A source told AFP the recent bombings were discussed but did not provide any more details. The insurgents never claim their attacks and little is known about the inner-workings of their shadowy network. Observers speculate the movement is fractured and have cast doubt on the ability of the rebels' representatives to control militants on the ground. After weeks of on-again, off-again talks, American and Russian negotiators remain huddled in Geneva, trying to hammer out an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria, and potentially, on coordinating air strikes against jihadist targets there. But few in the Pentagon, at least, have much faith in Moscow. I dont trust the Russians one iota, a senior defense official with knowledge of the negotiations told Foreign Policy. No one thinks that any of this is actually going to come to pass. The latest round of talks kicked off on Wednesday with the hope of reaching a preliminary agreement before U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in China on Sept. 4. On the table is a tough set of conditions that Moscow would have to get Syria to agree to, and uphold, before any U.S-Russian coordination could take place. First would be grounding the Syrian air force and ending the barrel bombing of cities like Aleppo and Homs in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach millions of trapped civilians. Moscow, which is backing the regime of Bashar al Assad, would also have to stop bombing Syrian opposition forces who are battling Assad. The U.S. and Russia would remain free to bomb the Islamic State during the ceasefire, however. Only after the Syrians and Russians stand down and aid starts flowing would the U.S. consider working with the Russians to target the Nusra Front, al Qaedas one-time affiliate in the country. During this latest round of talks, the message to the Russians does have to be that theres a window closing here, and we need to see that they can reach a real agreement and that they can back it up, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters at the White House Aug. 29. The proposal hasnt gone over well at the Pentagon, where defense officials have continually blasted Russian motivations in Syria and expressed deep misgivings over taking Moscow at its word. Story continues The Russians are using these talks in Geneva just as a cover to continue taking Daraya and bombing the crap out of the opposition in southwest Aleppo, the defense official said, so they can say were talking to the Americans, meanwhile theyre hitting the ground hard. The official added that were not falling for this naively, so if they violate its terms, then we just walk away. The newly installed commander of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State isnt convinced, either. On the day he took command in Baghdad last month, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend said that as a soldier, Im fairly skeptical of the Russians, adding that hes hesitant to believe the coalition can cooperate with them. Critics have said that if a deal is reached, the United States would risk losing support among the various rebel factions on the ground. Many are already skeptical of the United States, which prods the rebels to fight ISIS, but is less keen to see rebels take on the Syrian government, which is responsible for the vast majority of the 500,000 deaths in the five year-old civil war. Targeting Nusra fighters without accidentally hitting other opposition forces could prove next to impossible, as the rebel units are mixed together on the ground in a latticework of shifting alliances, said Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. And opposition groups that have ties to Western governments have repeatedly rejected appeals from Washington to move out of areas where Nusra is located. Theyre all refusing to do so, Lister said, as they would see it as effectively ceding territory to the regime. Even if coordinated air raids against Nusra could be carried out successfully, any deal between Russia and the United States likely would jeopardize Washingtons long-term goal of reaching a political settlement to end the war, as it could destroy any leverage the U.S. still had with the more moderate rebels, experts and former diplomats said. Trust is already at an all-time low, Lister said, but there is still a desire within the mainstream opposition to work with the West in general, including the United States. But external intervention like this would be catastrophic in damaging that level of trust. The former U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, agreed. The Syrian rebels have looked at the U.S., and particularly this partnership with the Russians, and said if the Americans are defending the Russians, then the Americans are not credible, Ford said. The American defense official admitted that we would have to sell this to the opposition. We want to do something that is in their interest and would create a genuine humanitarian pause. While the talks continue, American and Russian defense officials and their Facebook accounts have become embroiled in a back-and-forth over who really killed Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the Islamic States propaganda chief and operational commander, killed in an airstrike near Aleppo earlier this week. After ISIS announced his death Tuesday and American officials acknowledged that they targeted him in an airstrike, Moscow said that its own bombers had killed the jihadist along with 40 others. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook rejected the claim, telling reporters Wednesday, we dont have any information at this point to support Russian claims that they carried out this strike. In a shot at Russian operations in Syria, Cook noted that Moscows aircraft rarely target Islamic State objectives, instead spending much of its time supporting the Assad regime. Another defense official anonymously called the Russian claim a joke. In response, the Russian Ministry of Defense posted a rebuttal on its Facebook account Friday, saying it is not a surprise that the Pentagon has no information on the Russian strike, and calling Russian claims a joke is the sole thing they can say to justify their unawareness. FPs Dan De Luce contributed to this report. Photo Credit: AMEER ALHALBI/AFP/Getty Images SHANGHAI, Sept 2 (Reuters) Chinas commerce ministry is investigating the planned acquisition by ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing of U.S. rival Uber Technologies Incs China unit over anti-monopoly concerns, the ministrys spokesman said on Friday. Shen Danyang told reporters the Ministry of Commerce would look to protect fair market competition and consumer interests in the deal, which will create a roughly $35 billion giant dominating Chinas car-hailing market. A representative for Uber could not be reached immediately for comment. A Didi spokeswoman said: We are in communication with the authorities. It is unclear how the investigation could affect Didis planned acquisition and subsequent integration of Ubers China unit, already the top two players in the market. That had raised monopoly concerns as Didi claims an 87 percent market share. After the deal was announced last month, the ministry unexpectedly said it had not received a necessary application filing to merge from the two firms. Didi replied that the two companies did not need to file for approval to merge because they did not meet the financial threshold. The Ministry of Commerces anti-monopoly office has already held talks twice with Didi, requesting clarification of the transaction and why the company had not applied for approval, as well as asking the firm to provide relevant documents and materials, Shen said on Friday. The investigation is ongoing, said Shen, who did not say when it might conclude. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Adam Jourdan; Additional reporting by Paul Carsten in Beijing; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) traviskalanick Uber tried to buy its largest American ride-hailing rival, Lyft, in 2014, but negotiations fell apart over price, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick confirmed to the Economist. Its a really powerful thing for a company to compete. It makes you fierce about serving your customer," Kalanick told the Economist. The weekly newspaper interviewed Kalanick for a fantastic long feature about the world's most valuable startup. Uber had been considering purchasing Lyft going back to 2014, but wouldn't pay more than $2 billion for the startup, Bloomberg's Eric Newcomer previously reported. Even as Lyft's President John Zimmer insists that his startup isn't for sale, the ride-hailing company has received a fair amount of interest from suitors. Lyft has held talks with Amazon, GM, and Uber, among others, The New York Times reported last month. The reason that Uber would have bought its smaller rival is so that the two companies would no longer have to compete for customers and drivers on price. It would have been a similar rationale to why Uber China and Didi Chuxing merged earlier this year. "Many of Ubers investors wish the two had gone forward with a deal, so that Uber would not have to keep battling for share," according to the Economist. Uber may have passed on Lyft. But it has made other splashy purchases in the meantime. Most recently, Uber bought Otto, a self-driving truck startup, for a reported $680 million. Kalanick told Business Insider's Biz Carson that it would help Uber break into the "multitrillion-dollar" trucking business. NOW WATCH: It's going to be a bad year for the iPhone here's why More From Business Insider LONDON (Reuters) - British businesses recovered some confidence about their prospects after a post-Brexit vote scare, but remained largely pessimistic about the economic outlook, a survey showed on Friday. The proportion of businesses that were optimistic about their own prospects over the next 12 months rose to 48 percent in August, up from 46 percent in July, according to the monthly survey conducted by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The overall confidence index reached 109.7 in August from 105.0 in July, regaining much of the ground it lost immediately after the UK voted to exit the European Union on June 23, when it fell from June's 112.6. But companies remained downbeat about the economy in the next 12 months. Although the proportion of pessimistic businesses fell to 45 percent in August from 49 percent in July, that was still well above the 25 percent posted in June, before the referendum. Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will not start the formal divorce procedure from the EU by triggering Article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty until next year, to allow time to come up with a negotiating stance. "Once the UK shows its hand on Brexit and invokes Article 50 things could change for the worse quickly," said Stephen Harmston of YouGov. "But as businesses and consumers don't know when this will happen, they have seemingly decided to just get on with it." (Reporting by Laura Gardner Cuesta) Amman (AFP) - UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien on Friday lamented the "dire" living conditions endured by more than 70,000 Syrian war refugees trapped for months on the border with Jordan. "The living conditions of the people stranded at the berm are dire," O'Brien told a press conference after visiting makeshift camps for tens of thousands of Syrians who have fled the fighting in their country. Jordan has since June 21 blocked the passage of aid to the refugees and their entry after a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed seven of its soldiers in the desert area. Since then, humanitarian organisations have been able to send aid to the refugees just once, in early August, lifting the aid across the frontier using drones and cranes. "There is no access to basic resources such as food and water, with over 75 percent of that population estimated to be women and children," O'Brien said. "They desperately need assistance and our humanitarian support." However, he also called Jordan's security concerns "very legitimate", and said discussions were under way with Amman to find a way to deliver aid without endangering the kingdom's security. O'Brien emphasised the commitment of donor countries to help Jordan ease the burden of the refugee crisis. The country already hosts more than 600,000 Syrian refugees according to the United Nations, a figure the Jordanians put at 1.4 million. Amman regularly complains of a lack of international aid, believing it has "reached its limits" and regularly urges the international community to share the responsibility. UN chief Ban Ki-moon Friday toured Sri Lanka's former killing fields and met with war-battered minority Tamils after urging Colombo to reduce the army's presence to ease tensions following decades of ethnic bloodshed. The UN secretary general held talks with the main opposition politicians in the northern town of Jaffna, 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Colombo on the final leg of the two-day visit. The region saw some of the bloodiest battles during the 37-year war with the entire Jaffna population of 800,000 displaced at various stages of the fighting, with many still refugees in their own country. Dozens of Tamil civilians held pictures of their loved ones still unaccounted for seven years after the war ended and staged a silent demonstration outside the Jaffna public library where Ban met with local politicians. "About 100 people from my village signed the petition asking him (Ban) to help us get back our property," Tamil fisherman, Joseph Rasanayagam, 59, told AFP before the UN diplomat's visit. More than 100,000 Tamils cannot access their homes in the region, either because they were destroyed in the fighting that ended in 2009, or because the land is still occupied by the military. Tamil groups maintain 32 camps for internally displaced persons in the Jaffna peninsula. Giving a public lecture in Colombo earlier, Ban welcomed what he called symbolic steps taken by the new government to ensure ethnic reconciliation but called for more momentum to ensure lasting peace. "I also urge you to speed up the return of (Tamil) land so that the remaining communities of displaced people can return home," Ban said in the presence of Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. "In parallel, the size of the military force in the (former war zones of) north and east could be reduced, helping to build trust and reduce tensions." - 'Important lessons' - He also pressed for accountability for the "tens of thousands of civilians" who perished in the final months of the war in 2009, a figure disputed by the former government. Story continues "There is still much work to be done in order to redress the wrongs of the past and to restore the legitimacy and accountability of key institutions, particularly the judiciary and the security services," Ban said. Tamil politicians have asked the UN to intervene and ensure an investigative mechanism. Colombo has said it is willing to accept foreign technical and forensic expertise. On the first full day of his visit Thursday, dozens of majority Sinhalese nationalists rallied outside the UN compound in Colombo, protesting against the UN's actions during the prolonged ethnic war. Ban said on Friday that the UN too learnt lessons from Sri Lanka's conflict. Tamils had accused the UN of failing to protect civilians during the fighting while the then government in Colombo accused the world body of interference. "Sri Lanka has taught us many important lessons," he said. "Building on these, the United Nations has taken wide-ranging steps to strengthen our focus on human rights, particularly during times of political and humanitarian crisis." FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Uniper, the power generation and energy trading unit to be spun off from E.ON later this month, has warned of a serious blow to business should Britain leave the European Union, in what are the group's strongest comments on the matter so far. In its listing prospectus, published on Friday ahead of a planned Sept. 12 trading start, Uniper said that its large exposure to Britain, where it owns 7 gigawatt of mostly gas and coal-based generation capacity, carried substantial risks. "The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU could affect the Uniper Group in a number of different ways and could have a material adverse effect on the Uniper Group's United Kingdom and overall business, prospects, financial condition and results of operation," it said. (Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Maria Sheahan) What if the United Nations didnt exist? Its a question easily answered, because for nearly all of human history, it didnt. History teaches us that order in international relations is the exception, rather than the rule, Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister, writes in a new report on the uncertain future of the UN. Since the rise of the modern nation-state, both prior to and following the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, disorder has been the dominant characteristic of inter-state relations. We tend to think of the United Nations as just another part of the global furniture. But its actually a recent addition. Over the last 500 years, Rudd notes, there have been four major efforts in Europe to construct order after periods of sustained carnage: in 1648, after the Thirty Years and Eighty Years wars; in 1815, after the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars; in 1919, after World War I; and in 1945, after World War II. The first three of these orders have had, at best, patchy records of success. The jury is still out on the fourth. That fourth attemptthe United Nationsis now in a period of transition as the race for the organizations top job nears its end. Its the most important election nobodys ever heard of, and hinges on secret straw polls at the Security Council that could yield a result within the month. Rudd, whose name was once mentioned among the potential contenders to replace Ban Ki-moon as secretary-general, is not in the mix. (Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull refused to nominate him.) But the study he released this week as chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism is a guide to the global forces that will confront whoever takes the jobincluding the possibility that the United Nations itself, though its unlikely to collapse anytime soon, might gradually atrophy to the point of irrelevance. Story continues The concept of entropy in international relations is instructive here, Rudd writes: Under this argument, any international order, once established, is immediately subject to the natural processes of decline and decay, ultimately resulting in a return to disorder. Recommended: Photos From Burning Man 2016 There is growing evidence of nation-states walking around the UN to solve major problems and then perhaps coming back to the UN when its all done as some sort of diplomatic afterthought, Rudd told me. The United Nations continues to establish rules for how people and states should conduct themselves in the world. The problem is, if you simply set norms and dont do anything about the execution of those norms, as the international agency given that function back under the charter of 1945, then you start to lose complete relevance over time. We are facing the biggest set of external changes and challenges to the global order since 1991. I asked Rudd whether the remaining secretary-general candidates were advocating the kinds of reforms hed like implemented at the United Nations. I ... understand that in a competitive selection process such as this, many candidates are going to choose to be publicly diplomatic about the sort of problems the UN faces, he responded. Presumably he himself can be less diplomatic, now that he is no longer auditioning to be the worlds chief diplomat. We are facing the biggest set of external changes and challenges to the global order since 1991, following the fall of the Soviet Union, Rudd told me. Over the last 25 years, we havent seen anything comparable to the current state of great-power relations. We havent seen anything comparable to the current intensity of the globalization process. We havent seen anything comparable to the emergence, for example, of terrorism as a mainstream threat to many societies across the world. These are new phenomen[a]. Each age has had its own new phenomenon. But in a quarter of a century, which is a long time [for] an institution that only has a 70-year history, its a set of circumstances which should cause us to act. Recommended: From Whitewater to Benghazi: A Clinton-Scandal Primer Rudds report includes numerous prescriptions for reinventing the institution, from striking a new international agreement on resettling refugees to more rigorously measuring the results of UN initiatives. The United Nations, Rudd told me, is much better at reacting to crises than anticipating and preventing them. He proposes investing in a policy-planning staff that can analyze global trends several years into the future, and in what he calls preventive diplomacy. As an example, he cited the UNs appointment in 2013 of the former president of East Timor, Jose Ramos-Horta, as a special representative to the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau, which had just experienced a military coup; within roughly a year, Ramos-Horta had helped forge enough political consensus for elections to be held. Prevention could also mean, for instance, prepositioning food aid in countries at the earliest warnings of famine, or tracking unemployment patterns to predict where violent extremism could emerge. But its Rudds diagnosis of whats ailing the United Nations that is particularly notable. The rise of non-state actors such as terrorist groups, intensifying rivalries between the United States and Russia and China, and a fierce backlash against globalization are all challenging the assumption of recent decades that the dynamics of greater global integration were somehow unstoppable, he writes. The United Nations is the worst system of international governance except for all the others. This is an urgent problem, Rudd argues in the report, because despite its many failings, the United Nations is the worst system of international governance except for all the others. Among other things, he writes, the UN has helped avert another world war; played a role in drastically reducing the share of the global population living in extreme poverty; created a system of dispute-settlement institutions to counteract the long and malignant history of territorial and trade disputes sparking international conflict; staved off the all-out proliferation of nuclear weapons that looked so likely in the early 1960s; and provided humanitarian relief to vulnerable populations that, before the advent of the UN, were often simply left to die. But recent years have brought worrying signs of weakness, according to Rudd. The UN wasnt a participant in international talks to restrict Irans nuclear program, he points out, even though one of its institutions, the International Atomic Energy Agency, was tasked with helping implement the resulting agreement. The UN has been similarly absent from efforts to address other major security challenges like the war in Ukraine and the acceleration of North Koreas nuclear program. It sluggishly responded to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, and has bungled the refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe. And it has failed to prevent mass atrocities and resolve chronic conflict in countries like South Sudan and Syria. The UNs role in spreading a cholera epidemic in Haiti through the unsanitary practices of its peacekeepersa role the organization only recently acknowledged, after years of denialshas further tarnished the institutions image. Recommended: Can Melania Trump Win Her Libel Lawsuit? Meanwhile, escalating tensions between the United States and China over cyberspace and territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas, and between the United States and Russia over NATO expansion and Russian actions in Ukraine, threaten to make the UN Security Councilwhere all three countries can veto resolutions as permanent membersas dysfunctional as it was during the Cold War. Rudd adds that as terrorism spreads around the world, becoming the top security priority for many countries, the United Nations has failed to adequately respond to, or even define, the problem, which doesnt easily fit within the UNs state-centric view of the world. [T]he UN has been unsuccessful in confronting the question of state-funded terrorist activity, in dealing with the political, economic, and social root causes of terrorism, and in agreeing and promulgating a global narrative on countering violent extremism, he writes. Most striking is Rudds assessment of the predicament national political leaders find themselves in, given that he was, not so long ago, one himself. These leaders, he writes, are no longer, in substance, capable of delivering self-contained, national solutions to the problems faced by their people, which contributes to a related crisis of legitimacy for the international institutions nation-states have constructed. This crisis of legitimacy has direct bearing on the future of the United Nations. Countries, Rudd writes, are increasingly split between globalists and localists, particularly amid feeble economic growth following the 2008 financial crisis: This, in turn, is beginning to create a fertile political space for more extreme political movements, either of the far left or the far right, driven by populist protest against the broad, globalizing consensus of the mainstream political center that has by and large prevailed over the last few decades. Protectionist sympathies are therefore on the rise, as are xenophobic approaches to migration and, more broadly, a political impetus to throw up the walls against the forces of continuing globalization. This, in turn, is breeding new nationalist and mercantilist movements, which vilify not only their own governments, but also the regional and global institutions of which their governments are members and to which too much sovereignty, in their view, has already been ceded. The net result is a fracturing and failure of national politics. We are seeing weakening national support for regional institutions such as the European Union. Global institutions such as the UN are seen as even more remote from local concerns. On a daily basis, we hear reports of the United Nations succeeding with this or that, or failing to do this or that. But we rarely pause to consider what these successes and failures say about the relevance of the UN in the world todayand what the world would look like without it. Rudds report can ultimately be read as a plea for something pretty basic: to not take the United Nations for granted. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. By David Ingram (Reuters) - Disruption of a local prosecutor's speech at the University of Chicago by hecklers unhappy with her handling of a police shooting may have been the last straw for administrators at one of the country's most prestigious schools. After years of tolerating dissenters who shouted down unpopular speakers on campus, the school is now considering a policy of meting out suspensions, expulsions or other punishment for those it sees as violating free speech rights. "I think the university is now signaling that we mean business here," said Jerry Coyne, an ecology and evolution professor and an outspoken critic of dissident students who he says are acting "entitled." "What they're basically saying is, 'We have the right to harass anybody we don't like,'" Coyne, who is not a member of the faculty committee, said about the disrupters. University rules already bar interfering with campus activities, but faculty and students said they could not recall them ever being enforced. The panel is seeking ways to streamline a "cumbersome" student disciplinary system that dates back to the era of Vietnam War protests, according to a memo sent to faculty in June. The aim is to protect "freedom of expression, inquiry and debate" from interference, the memo says. The proposal is the latest volley in a battle on U.S. university campuses over what constitutes free speech in an academic environment. When does a student have a right to heckle and shout down someone with an offensive point of view? Should a school cancel a speech that generates too much controversy? Does a student have a right to be warned before attending an academic lecture that may prove upsetting? On the last question, the University of Chicago came out strongly last month in favor of giving faculty the right to decide if and when to warn students whenever lecture material might upset or offend some of them. Story continues Students, for instance, have been known to object to lectures on novels containing scenes of sexual assault. In August the dean of students, Jay Ellison, sent a letter to incoming students saying that such "trigger warnings" were strictly optional. He vowed the university would not cancel a talk or presentation no matter how much controversy it generated or how strongly some students objected. Some students defend their right to heckle speakers they consider morally objectionable. They say that authority figures such as the prosecutor who spoke in February at the University of Chicago, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, have many opportunities to speak their minds. Alvarez, who took more than a year to charge a white police officer who fatally shot a black teenager in 2014, has drawn harsh criticism in Chicago from Black Lives Matter supporters. "In a world that is consistently silencing black voices, I think it's important to make ourselves heard in a way that we cannot be ignored," said Mary Blair, a University of Chicago sophomore who was part of the Alvarez protest. In March, Alvarez lost a primary election. Her office did not respond to interview requests. Located in the third-largest U.S. city, the University of Chicago, which dates to 1890, is highly ranked academically, lending its name to the "Chicago School" of economics. President Barack Obama, who taught law there, has stood up for campuses hosting divisive speakers. "If you disagree with somebody, bring them in and ask them tough questions," Obama told Rutgers University's commencement in May. He said students should not "shut your ears off because you're too fragile." Rutgers in New Jersey is one of many U.S. schools that have canceled speeches in the face of protests in recent years. In March, hecklers shut down an event for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the University of Illinois at Chicago. At the University of Chicago, the chairman of the faculty committee, due to make recommendations by Dec. 15, said he is keeping an open mind about how to change the disciplinary system. "We're not opposed to protest. We're opposed to disruption," said Randal Picker, a law professor. "These are university campuses; there should be a lot of activity on them." Some students blasted the creation of the committee, calling it an attempt to discourage left-leaning causes. "It comes from a place of reputation management, of wanting to preserve the university's image to alumni, to parents, and to try to control the issues that are on the university's agenda," said Cosmo Albrecht, a member of student government and a junior from San Antonio, Texas. Maurice Farber, a senior who is president of the university's Israel Engagement Association, supports getting tough with disrupters but would not rule out heckling someone who denied the Holocaust, for example. "It's very difficult for me to say that I wouldn't try to shut someone down who was spreading a message of hate," he said. (Reporting by David Ingram in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and David Gregorio) U.S. light-vehicle sales dropped 3.5% year over year to 1.51 million units in Aug 2016, per Autodata. This is the third month of a sales decline this year. Moreover, sales on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) basis declined to 16.97 million units in the month from 17.86 million units in Jul 2016 and 17.79 million units in Aug 2015. Product segments like trucks and utility vehicles continued to record strong sales. General Motors Company GM was the leader in terms of sales volume for Aug 2016. Among the six major American and Japanese automakers, FCA US was the only one to record year-over-year sales improvement last month. Now, let us take a look at the U.S. sales figures reported by individual automakers. U.S. Automakers General Motors recorded 256,429 vehicle sales in August, marking a 5.2% year-over-year decrease. Retail sales fell 5.4% to 212,915 units. Ford Motor Co. F reported an 8.4% decrease in U.S. sales from the year-ago period to 214,482 vehicles in Aug 2016. Sales volume of the Lincoln brand vehicles advanced 7% year over year to 9,243 units in the month. Sales of the Ford brand declined 9% year over year to 205,239 vehicles. FCA US LLC controlled by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles FCAU recorded a 3% year-over-year rise in sales to 196,756 vehicles in Aug 2016. Japanese Automakers Toyota Motor Corporations TM sales dropped 5% year over year to 213,125 units in Aug 2016. Sales at the Toyota division declined 4.6% to 182,187 units. Lexus sales fell 7.6% to 30,938 units. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. HMC recorded a 3.8% year-over-year decrease in sales to 149,571 vehicles in the month. Sales in the Honda Division dropped 3.5% to 135,325 units. Further, sales of the Acura Division fell 7% to 14,246 vehicles. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. NSANY reported a 6.5% year-over-year decline in sales to 124,638 vehicles in August. Sales in the Nissan division slipped 6.9% to 114,199 units, while sales of the Infiniti Division fell 1.8% to 10,439 units. Story continues Outlook Many analysts believe that U.S. auto sales are reaching a plateau. While sales are expected to remain strong in the second half of 2016, it is not certain if annual sales will be able to surpass the record levels achieved in 2015. Nevertheless, the U.S. auto sector looks set for a good year, with sales already reaching 11.67 million units in the first eight months. High employment levels, rising personal income, low fuel prices and easy availability of credit are some factors that have been driving sales. Moreover, the high average age of cars on the U.S. roads should continue to boost replacement demand for cars. However, the pressure to maintain the attractive incentives and deals may strain the margins for automakers. Auto-Tires-Trucks Sector Price Index Auto-Tires-Trucks Sector Price Index Confidential: Zacks' Best Investment Ideas Would you like to see a hand-picked "all-star" selection of investment ideas from the man who heads up Zacks' trading and investing services? 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The US State Department on Wednesday said Abdulqadir (also Abdiqadir) Mumin is "the head of a group of ISIL-linked individuals in East Africa," using another term for IS, and branding him a "global terrorist". Here's what we know about the man, and the threat he poses. - British links - Mumin was born in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland and lived in Sweden before moving to the UK in the 2000s, where he was granted British citizenship. In London and Leicester, he developed a reputation as a firebrand preacher at extremist mosques and in videos posted online. Monitored by MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, Mumin is thought to have known Mohamed Emwazi, the IS executioner nicknamed 'Jihadi John', and Michael Adebolajo, one of two people convicted over the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in London. In 2010, Mumin travelled to Somalia to join the Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-aligned militant group -- which both Emwazi and Adebolajo had tried to do, but were unsuccessful. On arrival, he reportedly burned his British passport then served as a Shabaab propagandist and imam -- "an ideologue not a commander," according to Matt Bryden, director of Sahan Research, a Kenya-based think tank. - Defection to IS - Mumin was dispatched to mountainous eastern Somaliland on the border with his home region of Puntland in 2012 to bolster the fervour of fighters under the command of local Shabaab leader and Warsengili clan militia leader Mohamed Said Atom. Atom surrendered to the Somali government in 2014 and Mumin eventually took control of the Puntland faction which, separated from the bulk of the Shabaab in Somalia's south, has always been an orphan group. Largely abandoned in the inhospitable Golis mountains, Mumin reimagined himself as a commander, despite lacking any experience on the battlefield, and announced his defection to IS, along with a handful of fighters, in an audio message last October. Story continues In the following months, his small group of fighters was harried and attacked by the Shabaab loyalists with local Puntland media describing him as being "on the run". - Little support - Mumin's motivations remain opaque. In a briefing note, the International Crisis Group think tank suggested his departure may have been "a pre-emptive attempt... to lay claim to the spiritual leadership of a future IS franchise in Somalia." The switch to IS has not won him much support -- neither in manpower, money nor material -- with most observers believing he has between 20 and 100 followers, predominately from his own Majerteen clan. Washington said Mumin has "expanded his cell of ISIL supporters by kidnapping young boys aged 10-15, indoctrinating them, and forcing them to take up militant activity." Even so, as a bid to take over Shabaab territory, Mumin's gambit appears to have failed dismally. A video released in April showed Mumin at a small training camp with a handful of supporters in headscarves and grey tunics carrying a variety of assault rifles, grenade launchers and machine guns. - Expansion prospects 'limited' - The remoteness of the Golis mountains has so far saved Mumin from the fate of other defectors who were hunted down and killed, or chased into exile, by the Amniyat, the Shabaab's intelligence unit that has crushed IS attempts to take control of the East Africa jihad. In an article published this week by the Washington-based Hudson Institute think tank, researchers Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Nathaniel Barr described IS as having "only a small and tenuous foothold in Somalia" under Mumin's leadership. Arguably, Mumin's biggest successes is his designation by the US as a serious terrorist threat -- making him the potential target of a drone strike. Despite his less-than-impressive performance, analysts say it would be wrong to dismiss his nascent group. "Its prospects for expansion are limited," said Bryden. "But there is potential." Moscow (AFP) - Uzbek President Islam Karimov was in critical condition after a stroke, authorities said Friday, as claims mounted that he had already died with no clear successor lined up. Speculation that more than 25 years of Karimov's iron-fisted domination might be nearing its end has swept the tightly-controlled Central Asian nation since Sunday when officials said he had been hospitalised, with foreign-based opposition media claiming he was already dead. Rumours over his fate were further inflamed when both Turkey's prime minister and the president of ex-Soviet Georgia on Friday separately announced Karimov's death and extended their official condolences. Official details of Karimov's condition were laid out on Friday in a statement posted on an Uzbek government website. "Dear compatriots, it is with a very heavy heart that we inform you that yesterday the condition of our president deteriorated sharply and, according to doctors, it is evaluated as critical," it said. The terse announcement -- also carried by state newspapers and television on Friday -- confirmed officially for the first time that Karimov, 78, had suffered a stroke last Saturday. The veteran leader's youngest daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva had on Monday announced on social media that he was in intensive care after a cerebral haemorrhage, describing his condition as "stable". Two days later, she hinted he was making a recovery. The opposition Ferghana news agency, which is based in Russia, on Thursday said preparations were under way for Karimov's funeral in Samarkand, his hometown, with streets being cleaned and parts of the city centre cordoned off. The city's international airport was to be closed to all but officially permitted flights Saturday, aviation authorities told AFP. A diplomatic source in neighbouring Tajikistan said President Emomali Rahmon was to fly to Uzbekistan on Saturday, without saying where he was heading or why. Story continues Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that former Soviet master Moscow had "no news" on Karimov's possible death and was waiting for official information. - Power struggle? - Long lambasted by rights groups for brutally crushing dissent, Karimov has ruled landlocked Uzbekistan since before it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The strongman has portrayed himself as a bulwark against radical Islam on the borders of Afghanistan, stamping out fundamentalist groups at home. Despite persistent claims over his health in recent years, Karimov has not left any clear successor -- with some now speculating that senior regime insiders have started jostling to take his place. In theory, the head of the senate, Nigmatulla Yuldashev, should step in until elections can be held if Karimov dies or is incapable of ruling but analysts have dismissed him as a water-carrier. Instead, the frontrunners to take over long term are believed to be Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev, known as a tough-guy enforcer, and Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov. The country's powerful security chief Rustam Inoyatov, who has held the post since 1995 and is seen as a key player behind-the-scenes, is already 72 and has a reputation tainted by violent suppression of protesters. Amnesty International (AI) said Karimov's death would mark "the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not of the pattern of grave human rights abuses." "His successor is likely to come from Karimov's closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated," AI's Denis Krivosheev said. Karimov's elder daughter Gulnara, a flamboyant figure formerly seen as a potential heir, has dropped out of the running after she was placed under house arrest in 2014. The socialite business magnate fell from grace after a bitter family feud burst into the open as she accused her mother and younger sister of sorcery, compared her father to Stalin and assailed Inoyatov on Twitter for corruption and harbouring presidential ambitions. Born on January 30, 1938, Karimov was raised in an orphanage in the ancient city of Samarkand, before studying mechanical engineering and economics and rising up Communist Party ranks to become head of Soviet Uzbekistan in 1989. - Rights abuses - His regime has repeatedly been accused of heinous rights abuses -- including torturing opponents and using forced mass labour in the lucrative cotton industry. Most seriously, the authorities have been accused of killing hundreds of protesters in the eastern city of Andijan in 2005. In the wake of international criticism over the alleged massacre, which Karimov's regime rebuffed, Tashkent shut down a US military base used to supply operations in neighbouring Afghanistan since 2001. But the wily veteran has played Russia, China and the West against each other to keep Uzbekistan from total isolation and continues to receive limited US aid. Despite economic growth figures of some eight percent, critics say that Uzbekistan's economy is in a dire situation with a corrupt elite in control of most of its industry. ALMATY, Sept 2 (Reuters) Uzbekistans President Islam Karimov is critically ill, his government said on Friday, paving the way for the first transfer of power in Central Asias most populous nation since 1989. Reinforcing the impression that a change of leadership is imminent, the president of the countrys neighbor Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, planned to travel to Uzbekistan on Saturday, a Kazakh government source told Reuters. The two countries have long vied for regional leadership of the former Soviet states in Central Asia, and both men have held power since independence. The Uzbek government which has denied widespread speculation that Karimov, 78, may already have died said in a statement on Friday that his health had sharply worsened. The veteran leader has been in hospital since suffering a stroke last Saturday. Nazarbayevs office could not be reached for comment on Friday and a government spokesman declined to comment on his travel plans. Karimov has ruled Uzbekistan, a major cotton exporter also rich in gold and natural gas, in an authoritarian style since 1989, first as a Communist leader, and then as president from 1991. He has no obvious successor and analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided by a small group of senior officials and family members. If, however, they fail to reach compromise, open confrontation could destabilize the nation of 32 million that has become a target for Islamist militants. A hint at who is going to succeed Karimov may come with the governments announcement of his death and whoever it names to head of the commission in charge of organizing the funeral. (Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov; Aditional reporting by Olzhas Auyezov in Almaty; editing by John Stonestreet) Paradise anyone? Vanderpump Rules stars Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz are taking some "time away" to honeymoon in Bora Bora. NEWS: Inside Katie Maloney & Tom Schwartz's Very 'Vanderpump Rules' Wedding: Lisa Officiated, Stassi Was a Bridesmaid! The newlyweds jetted to the Indonesian island last weekend and have been happily Instagramming pics from their island vacation ever since. Needless to say, it certainly looks like the Bubbas are having a "dreamy" time! Maloney gushed over her hubby, sharing pics of Schwartz getting his feet wet literally. "My husband is looking ffhhhiiiiiiiiinnee!! Honeymooning with my bubba love is dreamy," she captioned one photo of Schwartz standing on the beach. In another post, Maloney joked about "a little fishy" a.k.a. Schwartz wearing flippers swimming under their bungalow. My husband is looking ffhhhiiiiiiiiinnee!! Honeymooning with my bubba love is dreamy. #dome #twobubbs #tahitiisforlovers A photo posted by Katie Maloney (@musickillskate) on Aug 28, 2016 at 2:09am PDT I saw a lil fishy swimming under our bungalow. I was chumming that water. @twschwa A photo posted by Katie Maloney (@musickillskate) on Aug 29, 2016 at 12:00am PDT The new bride captured some of the tropical scenery in a couples' shot showing off the gorgeous Tahitian sky, while Schwartz shared a pretty epic video of him diving into the water behind a breathtaking sunset, and a sweet snap eating the "best meal" of his life. Bora Bora looks especially gorgeous through the lenses of these sunnies. @diffeyewear is partners with Eyes on Africa so with every pair of sunglasses sold they donate a pair of reading glasses to someone in need. You can look as cute and cheesy as of but using our code TOMANDKATIE and get 25% off! Woohooo A photo posted by Katie Maloney (@musickillskate) on Aug 31, 2016 at 3:16pm PDT A video posted by Tom Schwartz (@twschwa) on Aug 29, 2016 at 9:04pm PDT I'm no foody but without a doubt, just had the best meal of my life. Thank you #lavillamahana for a world class experience and thank you for @revel9 for setting it up and taking care of us #borabora A photo posted by Tom Schwartz (@twschwa) on Sep 1, 2016 at 12:06am PDT NEWS:'Vanderpump Rules' Star Katie Maloney Celebrates Bridal Shower with Co-Stars -- See the Pics! The lovebirds aren't the only ones enjoying their Bora Bora honeymoon, Stassi Schroeder crashed the party! Maloney posted a pic of her Vanderpump Rules co-star with mascara running down her face (we're guessing that's from jumping in the water, not crying). "She was so sad she came to Bora Bora," Maloney joked in the caption. She was sad so she came to Bora Bora A photo posted by Katie Maloney (@musickillskate) on Sep 1, 2016 at 1:15pm PDT The reality star couple tied the knot last month in a ceremony held near Lake Tahoe, California. See more on their nuptials in the video below. Related Articles An outwardly normal suburban Perth couple who abduct, torture, and murder schoolgirls must face their funny games in debuting writer-director Ben Youngs genre-bending powerhouse thriller Hounds of Love. Brave audiences will be rewarded, if thats the word, with a harrowing ride that morphs from discrete horror to probing character study and back again in a vivid yet admirably restrained 108 minutes. Look for strong word-of-mouth both for and against to propel this beyond festivals to specialized play. Its Christmastime 1987 in the sun-baked western Australian city as Evelyn and John White (Emma Booth, Stephen Curry) brutalize and kill a teenager in a discretely photographed sequence that reveals little blood but a chilling routine. They cruise the neighborhood, offer the victim a ride, then chain her in the guest room of their nondescript tract house. When theyre finished, John buries the body in a nearby wood while Evelyn enjoys a mid-afternoon nap. Meanwhile, teenage student Vicki Maloney (Ashleigh Cummings) is reeling from the separation of her well-meaning but apparently incompatible parents, mom Maggie (Susie Porter) and noticeably more well-to-do dad Trevor (Damian De Montemas). When she acts out against her mother by sneaking away for a night-time party, Vicki is deceived by the Whites and finds herself trussed in that guest room. From the beginning, John seems to take an unusual interest in this particular victim, which noticeably distresses his partner. Gradually, Vicki, as well as the audience, learn Evelyns had her children from another man removed from the house and that John, a dead-eyed control freak, may not have her best interests at heart and has bought her a large dog to delay kids of their own. Though clearly traumatized by her ongoing ordeal, Vicki takes advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves, including an escape attempt and a chance to persuade Evelyn of Johns deceit. A tense and plausible confluence of events abetted by Vickis boyfriend Jason (Harrison Gilbertson) and incorporating a visual joke lifted from The Silence of the Lambs brings things to a climax at once violent and cathartic. Story continues Young seems to have based his fastidiously multi-layered script on elements of at least two real-life serial-killing sprees in Perth that affected him as a youngster, that of Eric Edgar Cooke, aka the Night Caller, and, more substantially, David and Catherine Birnie, instigators of the Moorhouse Murders so named after the road on which they lived (Malcolm Street in the film). Far from Michael Haneke-level lurid, the film generates a coiled depravity and almost unbearable tension from the determined tracking shots of cinematographer Michael McDermott and Dan Luscombes trance-like, Tangerine Dream-inspired score. Young also effectively deploys the Moody Blues Nights in White Satin, Cat Stevens Lady DArbanville and Joy Divisions non-LP single Atmosphere though not, tellingly, the Kate Bush song with which the film shares a title (never explicitly explained). Clayton Jaunceys production design is detailed and evocative, keyed around a well-worn set of kitchen knives. For such a bold film to work, the performances must be all-in, and the three leads are committed to Youngs vision: Booth (Gods of Egypt) is terrifyingly skittish, Cummings (Tomorrow, When the War Began) fearless, and Curry who is, believe it or not, a popular Australian comedian redolent of pure evil. Funding organization Screenwest claims the film is the first to be developed, filmed, and posted entirely in the state of Western Australia. This bodes well for the local industry, as Hounds of Love is a calling card not soon forgotten. Its easy to mock James Franco for the polymath showiness of all his extracurricular endeavors (actor! filmmaker! poet! collector of academic degrees! the worlds first and last postmodern Oscar host!). Yet if you leave the snark aside, there is something half-crazy/admirable about the scale of his ambitions. Besides, its no easy task to pull together a feature film, and Franco has directed close to a dozen of them. Up until now, he hasnt been very good at it. Whether its a sexually transgressive (but actually cautious) documentary curio like Interior. Leather Bar. or one of his two (count em) Faulkner adaptations, Franco as a filmmaker has been more diligent than competent. At Cannes in 2013, as the audience sat dying through Francos As I Lay Dying, I tried to relieve the tedium by glancing to my left, and saw that half the people there were asleep. But In Dubious Battle, Francos adaptation of a 1936 John Steinbeck novel, brings surprising good news: He is getting better! Seriously. It was clear, from the earthy, tin-shack period atmosphere of his Faulkner films (the best thing about them), that Franco is drawn to the rural Americana of an earlier era. Now, dramatizing Steinbecks docu-fiction about a labor strike carried out by fruit pickers in California in the early 30s, he re-creates the grimy hopelessness of the Depression the ragtag clothes and hungry stares, the migrant desperation of people who literally dont have a pot to ps in in a way thats authentic and immersive. Of course, a movie can only thrive for about five minutes on vivid period atmosphere alone, and thats why In Dubious Battle is a breakthrough. For the first time, Franco pulls the drama together too or, at least, he does it well enough to come up with his own scrappy, understated version of a Hollywood liberal rabble-rouser. In Dubious Battle is about something much bigger than one strike. It shows the formation of the American labor movement from the ground up, back in the days when to go on strike was to take your life in your hands, to risk starvation or getting your head bashed in. Franco plays Mac, a devoted member of The Party (Steinbecks gloss on the American Communist Party or the International Workers of the World). In his case, its all about fighting for the basic rights of people who dont have them. Along with a new recruit, the tall, boyish Jim (Nat Wolff), he travels up to orchard country to infiltrate the workers and orchestrate a strike from the inside. The Depression, of course, has left everyone high and dry, but those at the top, like Bolton (Robert Duvall), the smug patriarchal owner of Bolton Orchards, seem to be getting through just fine. (Any subtextual commentary on the economic inequalities of America today is purely intentional.) Early on, Bolton stands up in front of his apple pickers and squabbles with them about the wages he can afford to pay them. The rate hes offering is a dollar a day, but thats not enough to live on (even in 1933), and the workers, led by the burly, righteous London (Vincent DOnofrio), are demanding that he own up to his promise to pay them three dollars a day. Bolton wont relent, and Duvall, that sly dog who loves to find the human side of corrupt men, shows you that Bolton representing the aristocratic classes of the time truly does view his workers as dogs. Hes blind to their suffering, but more than that, he thinks this is their lot in life. Thats a mind-set you cant argue with. At first, the workers want nothing to do with Mac and what they see as his pie-in-the-sky idealism. For them, fighting the status quo is a dangerous lose-lose. But Mac, who Franco plays with a wiliness of his own, sees that theyre a tinderbox, full of anger thats just waiting to be lit. They finally agree to a tentative work stoppage, but thats merely the opening act. Bolton brings in a trainload of scabs, and its here that the situation ignites: Macs old Party colleague, the broken-down but still fiery Joy (Ed Harris), gets up and makes a speech about basic rights and what they really are, a speech that Harris delivers with rousing bellicosity and conviction. The speech is so effective that a company sniper shoots and kills him on the spot. (This is no exaggeration of the kind of thing that went on.) That becomes just the recruitment tool that Mac needs. Franco has filled his cast with seasoned actors who, like Harris, fit the period setting snugly, and each one makes an impression. DOnofrio, who is now 57, has settled into a blustery white-bearded middle age, and he plays London, who becomes the workers spokesman, as an ordinary man who knows that he wasnt put on earth to lead a revolt, which makes his stabs at doing so all the more affecting. Sam Shepard plays a rival farmer who agrees to house the workers in tents on his land (once theyre banned from the Bolton estate), in exchange for their picking his crop for free. Shepard, who has always looked like he came from the 30s, makes this farmer a compelling contradiction, a hard case with a soft spot. At its center, though, where the movie should seethe with passion, it sags a bit. Franco has made a film about an uprising thats much more convincing than, say, Free State of Jones. In Dubious Battle shows you the nuts and bolts of how the labor movement was built, one strike and threat and dead body at a time. The strike breakers will stoop to anything at one point, Boltons adult daughter, whos being groomed to take over his land, leads a worker away from Shepards apple barn by having sex with him, so that her goons can set the barn ablaze. Yet the story of Mac and Joe, the workers party advocates who are making all this happen, never really ignites. As a director, Franco has learned how to stage a scene, but he and his screenwriter, Matt Rager, dont build layers into the action. The movie gives us bits and pieces of drama, but in a larger way it doesnt invite us in. Yet In Dubious Battle has to be acknowledged as a major growth ring in Le Cinema de Franco. He has learned by doing, and he has acquired skills that are beginning to fuse with the best side of his instincts, which is to look at subjects with a candor that mainstream movies too often avoid. In Dubious Battle isnt a totally clear-cut good movie, but its a scrupulous and watchable one. And it makes me think, for the first time, that James Franco has a good movie in him. Related stories James Franco, Zoe Kravitz, Jack Reynor to Star in Sci-Fi Film 'Kin' James Franco Developing Crime Movies 'Smonk,' 'Poachers,' 'Hell at the Breech' Toronto Film Festival Adds Movies From James Franco, Terrence Malick, Ken Loach (Reuters) - Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who the government said on Friday had died aged 78 after suffering a stroke, saw himself as the protector of his Central Asian nation against the threat of militant Islam. To his critics, he was a brutal dictator who used torture to stay in power. Karimov, who steered his former Soviet republic to independence from Moscow in 1991, tellingly chose Tamerlane, the 14th century Central Asian ruler and conqueror with a penchant for mass murder, as Uzbekistan's national hero. Karimov brooked no dissent during his 27 years at the helm, stubbornly resisted pressure to reform the moribund Uzbek economy and jealously guarded his country's independence against Russia and the West. In a typically feisty rebuff to Western calls to respect human rights, Karimov said in 2006: "Do not interfere in our affairs under the pretext of furthering freedom and democracy, Do not ... tell us what to do, whom to befriend and how to orient ourselves." Under his rule, Uzbekistan, a country of 32 million people straddling the ancient Silk Road that links Asia and Europe, became one of the world's most isolated and authoritarian nations. Karimov regularly warned of the threat posed by militant Islamists to the stability of the vast, resource-rich Central Asian region, but his critics accused him of exaggerating the dangers to justify his crackdowns on political dissent. "Such people must be shot in the head," he said of the Islamists in a speech to parliament in 1996. "If necessary, if you lack the resolve, I'll shoot them myself." ---------------------------------------------------------------- For a FACTBOX on key figures, please click http://reut.rs/2c6pY36 ---------------------------------------------------------------- DIPLOMATIC DANCE Uzbekistan's relations with the United States and the European Union were frozen after his troops brutally suppressed a popular uprising in the eastern town of Andizhan in May 2005. Hundreds of civilians were killed, according to reports by witnesses and human rights groups. Karimov shut down a U.S. military air base in Uzbekistan, established after the 9/11 attacks by al Qaeda on the United States. The West imposed a set of sanctions on Uzbekistan and slapped a visa ban on senior Uzbek officials, prompting Karimov to seek improved ties with Soviet-era overlord Russia. But as the West slowly softened its stance on Uzbekistan, a producer of cotton, gold and natural gas, Karimov provided a vital transit route for cargo supplies for the U.S.-led war in neighboring Afghanistan. As ties with Russia again grew strained, Uzbekistan in 2012 suspended its membership of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which groups several ex-Soviet nations and is seen by some analysts as a regional counterbalance to NATO. STATE ORPHANAGE Karimov was born on Jan. 30, 1938, the son of a Tajik mother and Uzbek father. He grew up in a state orphanage and later rose swiftly through the ranks of the Soviet Communist Party. He was a Soviet Politburo member and Uzbek Communist Party chief from 1989 until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. After independence, the economy remained tightly regulated by the state despite pressure from the International Monetary Fund and other bodies to introduce market reforms and liberalize the foreign exchange market. Karimov kept local media tightly muzzled and banned major foreign media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation from operating in the country. Human Rights Watch said in March 2011 it had been forced to shut its local office after 15 years in the country, saying its researchers had been denied visas and work accreditations. Giving detailed descriptions of several cases of torture in Uzbek jails, including of pious Muslim believers, HRW said: "Confessions obtained under torture are often the sole basis for convictions." "Methods commonly used include beatings with truncheons, electric shock, hanging by wrists and ankles, rape and sexual humiliation, asphyxiation with plastic bags and gas masks, and threats of physical harm to relatives," it said. In a blow to Uzbekistan's old commercial traditions, Karimov shut down many open-air markets -- a source of news and gossip as well as income for many -- as part of a campaign against what he described as black market trade. Just as in Soviet times, to avoid being overheard by neighbors, Uzbeks resorted to the privacy of their kitchens for whispered discussions about politics. Karimov has two daughters. One of them, Gulnara, tried to position herself as a pop star at home and an international socialite, becoming one of the most powerful people in Uzbekistan and reportedly controlling a vast business empire. But several media, including the BBC, reported in 2014 that she had been placed under house arrest, and Gulnara has not appeared in public since then. Her younger sister Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva has risen to public prominence, serving as Uzbekistan's ambassador to the Paris-based UNESCO. She told the BBC in 2013 she had not spoken to Gulnara for 12 years. Some in Uzbekistan saw dark symbolism behind Karimov's choice of Tamerlane, the medieval Central Asian ruler, as the Uzbek national hero instead of Tamerlane's grandson Ulughbek, a liberal-minded reformer. "The Almighty bestowed much grace on our people, our nation, by sending us a man as great as Amir Temur (Tamerlane)," Karimov said in a 1996 speech. "We must thank the Creator 1,000 times for this." (Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Gareth Jones) LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In a vigil on Friday marking the first anniversary of the drowning of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, campaigners urged the British government to take in almost 400 unaccompanied children stranded in the so-called Jungle camp in northern France. An image of three-year-old Kurdi's lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach last year sparked global outrage and drew attention to the plight of children fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. In the Calais camp, hundreds of child migrants have ended up living in squalid conditions. Campaign group Citizens UK called on Amber Rudd, Britain's home secretary (or interior minister), to accept 387 children it says are eligible for asylum in Britain. Relatives of children in the Jungle, a squalid, sprawling encampment near the port of Calais, celebrities including actresses Vanessa Redgrave and Juliet Stevenson as well as religious leaders and politicians took part in the event. "We are only talking about fewer than 400 children," Stevenson said in a statement. "How can it be argued that Britain cannot cope in providing new homes for these children?" Citizens UK says 178 of the children it says are eligible for asylum have the right to come to Britain under an EU "Dublin" rule because of their close family links to the country. According to the Home Office, more than 120 under-18s have been accepted for transfer from Europe this year. "Our priority is to protect the best interests of children who are in need of our help," a Home Office spokesman told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an email. "We continue to work closely with the French government to ensure that children in Calais with family links in the UK are identified, receive sufficient support and can access the Dublin family reunification process without delay," he added. Europe is grappling with its worst refugee crisis since World War Two. In 2015, nearly 96,000 lone children sought asylum in the European Union, almost four times as many as the previous year, according to the European Asylum Support Office. In January, the EU's criminal intelligence agency Europol said at least 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees had vanished after arriving in Europe, at risk of falling prey to trafficking gangs. (Reporting by Pietro Lombardi @PietroLombard10; Editing by 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 www.trust.org) From Cosmopolitan Donald Trump likes to sue people. As the Daily Beast's Olivia Nuzzi pointed out last year, Trump "has sued people, businesses and entire cities and countries. He's sued a newspaper, his ex-wife, a quaint business card store in Georgia and a Native American tribe." And now, he has the power to sue people volunteering online to make phone calls for his presidential campaign. Trump volunteers signing up on the candidate's website must agree to a lengthy nondisclosure agreement, which says, among many other things, that they won't speak badly about Trump or his family members. During the term of your service and at all times thereafter you hereby promise and agree not to demean or disparage publicly the Company, Mr. Trump, any Trump Company, any Family Member, or any Family Member Company ... Family members are described in the contract as Trump's wife and children, their spouses, children and grandchildren, and Trump's siblings and their children. According to the contract, volunteers are agreeing to refrain from speaking badly about the Trumps even after the campaign ends. And the Trumps can take legal action if a volunteer breaches that contract. Each Trump Person will be entitled to all remedies available at law and equity, including but not limited to monetary damages, in the event of your breach of this agreement. The nondisclosure agreement also prevents volunteers from sharing information, and from working or volunteering on other campaigns during the course of the election. (They can, however, work or volunteer for another candidate once the election concludes.) The agreement is required for people wishing to sign up for Trump Red Dialer, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, which lets volunteers sign up online to call potential voters for Trump. Nondisclosure agreements are common in the business world and among certain campaign employees, but, as the Cincinnati Enquirer noted, forcing online volunteers to sign such an agreement is unique to the Trump campaign. Hillary Clinton's campaign does not require it of her online volunteers. Story continues Trump's Ohio campaign spokesman Seth Unger told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "We are running a state-of-the-art campaign for Mr. Trump that involves best-in-market volunteer platforms, and it is attracting thousands of volunteers who are tired of the same old Washington corruption and back room deals and are securing votes for a change in November." Follow Michael on Twitter. You Might Also Like Wal-Mart Stores Inc.WMT reportedly stated that it will eliminate about 7,000 back-office jobs, mostly in accounting and invoicing positions at its U.S. stores. The company intends to reduce headcount at all of its approximately 4,600 stores in the country over the next several months. This move is part of the retail giants efforts to streamline its stores and make them more efficient. The Wall Street Journal first reported the number of job cuts on Thursday. This move is an extension of a program announced in June for headcount reduction on the West Coast. In June, Wal-Mart, the country's largest private-sector employer, said it would cut back-office jobs at each of its 500 stores in mostly West of Colorado. This would affect as many as 1500 workers, in an attempt to see if those functions could be replaced by workers in the home office and machines. Per reports, Wal-Mart wants to get workers out of the backrooms on to the sales floor to help customers, as it has been constantly striving to improve customer service. The customer-facing jobs would include positions like working in the online pickup department or as pharmacy technicians. For back-office functions, Wal-Mart plans to automate the work, rather than relying on dedicated accountants and other staff. The changes will be effective this year and extend into 2017. Wal-Mart stated that the job cut was not a downsizing move, and the affected and displaced workers will find new jobs that involve direct contact with shoppers. WAL-MART STORES Price and Consensus WAL-MART STORES Price and Consensus | WAL-MART STORES Quote Bentonville, AR-based Wal-Mart has been making efforts to understand the evolving needs of its customers to regain their confidence, and thus, boost sales in the face of increased competition from traditional and online players. Additionally, Wal-Mart is making huge investments in e-commerce initiatives to compete with the biggest online retailer Amazon.com AMZN and to improve customer service. Story continues The company is also paying its workers more and training them to improve its stores performance. Wal-Mart being the largest private employer in the U.S. with 2.2 million employees, raised wages of more than 1.2 million employees of Walmart U.S. and Sams Club in February, as was announced in Jan 2016. The move marks the second phase of the companys two-year $2.7 billion investment in workers. Wal-Mart spent $1 billion on raises and training last year, per the plan announced in Feb 2015 to hike wages of approximately 500,000 full-time and part-time associates at Wal-Mart U.S. stores and Sam's Clubs. Though the wage hike will raise the expense burden on the retailer and reduce its earnings over the near term, we believe this will keep workers contented and also help improve Wal-Marts customer service. Also, it will ultimately encourage shoppers to spend more. Wal-Mart currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Stocks to Consider Other well positioned retailers include Tilly's, Inc. TLYS and The Children's Place, Inc. PLCE. Both sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 AMAZON.COM INC (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report CHILDRENS PLACE (PLCE): Free Stock Analysis Report WAL-MART STORES (WMT): Free Stock Analysis Report TILLYS INC (TLYS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Larry Fine NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twice grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka rallied from 5-2 down in the second set to clinch victory over Italian Alessandro Giannessi on Thursday and reach the third round of the U.S. Open. After dominating the opening set, the third-seeded Swiss battled back to force a tiebreak and then broke the Italian in the final game of the match to finish a 6-1 7-6(4) 7-5 victory. "I was trying to be a little more aggressive," said Wawrinka, who blasted 57 winners, including 26 off his forehand, in the Louis Armstrong Stadium contest. "I'm very happy the way I won the match." Wawrinka will next face 64th-ranked Daniel Evans of Britain, a 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-2 winner against Germany's 27th seed Alexander Zverev. Wawrinka, who has emerged from the shadow of compatriot Roger Federer after winning the 2014 Australian Open and 2015 French Open, was asked if he thought he was a threat to win the title at Flushing Meadows. "I'm number three in the world with a great career so far," the 31-year-old Swiss said. "I'm happy with what I'm doing so far in my career. I'm happy the way I'm playing so far in this tournament. Let's see what can happen." Wawrinka said he was pleased with the competitive level of the match, especially given they had to deal with a rain delay after starting and liked the pace on the Louis Armstrong court. "I think in general was a great level," he said. "I'm feeling well, playing some good shots. "Armstrong I think is a little bit faster than what it used to be, a little bit faster than the other courts." (Editing by Greg Stutchbury) The White House is launching an event inspired by South by Southwest that will focus on innovation, film and music. Called South by South Lawn, the Oct. 3 event will bring together creators, innovators, and organizers who work day in and day out to improve the lives of their fellow Americans and people around the world, according to a blog post by Jason Goldman, the White House chief digital officer. Obama spoke at South by Southwest in Austin this year. The event will be in coordination with the American Film Institute, the Presidents Committee on Arts and Humanities and South by Southwest. It will include panel discussions on topics like how to make change stick with organizers who are having an impact. It also will include interactive booths. Another feature will be the latest White House Student Film Festival, in association with the American Film Institute, with a showcase of student short films. And there will be musical performances with artists to be announced. The White House is taking nominations for those interested in attending or recommending someone to participate. Related stories MPAA Praises Obama's Move to Advance Trans-Pacific Partnership President Obama: 'Our Greatness Does Not Depend on Donald Trump' President Obama on Baton Rouge Shooting: 'We Need to Temper Our Words and Open Our Hearts' The Obama administration is teaming with SXSW to create "South By South Lawn," a miniature edition of the festival staged at the White House. The one-day event, planned for October 3rd, will feature panel discussions, short student films and live performances, in keeping with the long-running fest's Interactive, Film and Music components, NPR reports. According to a White House statement, SXSL will "bring together creators, innovators, and organizers who work day in and day out to improve the lives of their fellow Americans and people around the world." In March, President Barack and Michelle Obama visited the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, where they spoke about topics including education, civic engagement, creative thinking and entrepreneurship. The new fest "[celebrates] that spirit of innovation." The White House website is seeking nominations for the the official line-up. The deadline to submit a nominee is September 10th at 5 p.m. SXSW will feature "interactive booths [that] encourage attendees to engage with and learn about new technologies and innovations," submissions from the third-annual White House Student Film Festival and musical performances from both well-known and emerging artists. At the 2016 SXSW, President Obama joined The Texas Tribune editor-in-chief Evan Smith as part of the Keynote Conversation at SXSW Interactive. Michelle Obama delivered the keynote address at SXSW Music, promoting her Let Girls Learn initiative. Queen Latifah served as moderator on the keynote panel, which also included Diane Warren, Missy Elliot and actress Sophia Bush. Related Content: MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins will try and build on their new-found momentum in the second of a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night at Target Field. The Twins avoided history in an 8-5 win in Thursday's series opener, snapping a 13-game losing streak, one shy of the team record set in 1982. Minnesota flexed its muscle, getting a three-run homer from Byron Buxton and a two-run blast from Trevor Plouffe, opening up a six-run lead before holding on in the late innings. "It's a relief," said Twins manager Paul Molitor, "but we know that you can't enjoy these things very long." Chicago hit Twins starter Ervin Santana hard, piling up 11 hits in five innings against the Minnesota right-hander, but was able to scratch just two runs across the board and stranding 10 off Santana. The White Sox left 12 men on base overall while the Twins were more efficient, leaving two on base. "We left a lot of runs out there," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "We left 10 guys at one point, and they had cashed everybody in. When you look up there and see you've left 10 guys and they didn't leave any at one point, that really kind of tells the tale." Kyle Gibson will get the start for Minnesota, looking to bounce back after allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks in his last outing against the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander went beyond 5 1/3 innings in just one of his six starts in the month of August, compiling a 6.62 ERA in those starts. Gibson has been good against the White Sox this season, however, allowing one earned run in 12 2/3 innings. Carlos Rodon will get the nod for Chicago, hoping to build on a strong month of August. The left-hander went 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA in five starts last month and didn't allow more than two runs in any of those outings. Rodon will be making his fourth start against the Twins this season and has been roughed up in each of his last two games against them. He allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings in a loss at Target Field on July 31 and gave up four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings in a no decision at U.S. Cellular Field on June 30. From Country Living If you're in the market for a new home, investing in a house that needs renovations seems like a good idea. With a discounted price tag, you can use the money you save to turn your house into something you truly love. But while that sentiment makes sense in theory, the math likely won't work out like that. After analyzing over 70,000 fixer-upper listings, Zillow Digs discovered that the fixer-upper discount isn't all that great. In a press release, the real-estate company revealed that "fixer-upper homes list for just 8 percent less than market value, which, for the median fixer-upper, would save buyers only $11,000 for renovations." When it comes to remodeling, we all know that $11,000 probably won't cut it. Photo credit: Hero Images/Getty Images When narrowing in on specific cities, that figure gets even lower in some metro areas like Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($6,000), Atlanta, GA ($4,000), and Phoenix, AZ ($1,000). To get the most bang for your buck, slightly more expensive markets will get you a better deal. Why? Even if the discount isn't as high as it is in other areas, the cash savings will be higher, because of how in-demand the market is. The fixer-upper discount in San Francisco, CA, for instance, is 9.5 percent, but the savings for renovation come out to an impressive $54,000. High savings can also be found in San Jose, CA,($38,000) and Seattle, WA ($24,000). So before you commit to a fixer-upper, do the math, advises Zillow's chief economist, Svenja Gudell. For more city-by-city breakdowns, see Zillow's full analysis below: Metro Renovation Breakeven on Median-Priced Home ($) Fixer-Upper Discount (%) Prevalence of Fixer-Uppers (% of all listings) United States $ 11,000 7.6% 1.6% New York-Northern New Jersey $ 12,000 4.4% 2.0% Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $ 12,000 2.7% 2.7% Chicago, IL $ 19,000 13.8% 1.7% Dallas-Fort Worth, TX $ 6,000 5.4% 1.4% Philadelphia, PA $ 17,000 13.7% 2.7% Houston, TX NA NA 1.3% Washington, DC $ 15,000 Story continues 5.9% 1.8% Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL $ 4,000 2.9% 1.6% Atlanta, GA $ 4,000 4.9% 1.7% Boston, MA $ 10,000 3.6% 1.9% San Francisco, CA $ 54,000 9.5% 2.0% Detroit, MI $ 6,000 8.7% 1.8% Riverside, CA $ 3,000 1.2% 2.0% Phoenix, AZ $ 1,000 0.4% 0.9% Seattle, WA $ 24,000 8.2% 1.7% Minneapolis-St Paul, MN $ 15,000 8.4% 1.1% San Diego, CA $ 11,000 2.7% 1.6% St. Louis, MO $ 16,000 16.9% 1.6% Tampa, FL $ 6,000 5.9% 2.6% Baltimore, MD $ 23,000 16.6% 2.6% Denver, CO $ 9,000 3.8% 1.3% Pittsburgh, PA $ 15,000 21.2% 2.2% Portland, OR $ 19,000 7.3% 2.4% Charlotte, NC $ 11,000 9.5% 1.3% Sacramento, CA $ 9,000 4.5% 2.3% San Antonio, TX NA NA 1.3% Orlando, FL $ 7,000 5.6% 2.0% Cincinnati, OH $ 23,000 25.3% 1.8% Cleveland, OH $ 22,000 31.9% 2.4% Las Vegas, NV NA NA 0.7% Columbus, OH $ 19,000 18.0% 1.9% San Jose, CA $ 38,000 6.5% 1.5% Austin, TX NA NA 0.9% Virginia Beach, VA $ 19,000 13.1% 2.0% Nashville, TN $ 6,000 5.0% 1.2% Download the free Country Living Now app to stay up-to-date on the latest country decor, craft ideas, comfort food recipes, and more. You Might Also Like In April 2013, Real Housewives of Orange County audiences watched Gretchen Rossi flipped the script and proposed to her longtime boyfriend, Slade Smiley. Fast-forward three years, the happy couple is still engaged and confirms that "technically the wedding planning is in full-force," but they haven't marked a date on the calendar for a variety of personal reasons. Rossi and Smiley, who will celebrate eight years together in February, plan to have a destination wedding for their big day, but hope to welcome a baby first. "Really, the thing that ultimately held us back from pulling the trigger is the fact that Slade and I don't do anything really small; we kind of do things over-the-top and a little snazzy. Right now, our focus is really on trying to have a baby of our own, and our money and our stuff is going towards that and towards his son," 37-year-old Rossi exclusively tells PEOPLE. "Until we kind of get some of those things figured out, I think it doesn't feel right to spend $200,000 on a wedding right this minute. I think that's why we're at that place." She says of having her big day with a white dress: "That is definitely my hope and dream. We're just putting our resources into other things that are a little bit more of a priority for us right now. Once we feel like it's appropriate to spend that kind of money on the type of wedding that we would like, then we will definitely consider that." Though the couple hopes to have a formal wedding, they aren't in a rush to say their nuptials for anyone else's sake. "The truth is that Slade and I already feel married and we're in a very committed relationship as if we were married, and so it's not something that we feel like we have to have a marriage certificate to qualify our love for each other," she says. So what is the couple hoping for when it comes time to walk down the aisle? Rossi tells PEOPLE that they both have "always had kind of this vision and dream to get married in a castle." "Every castle that we found and looked at was in Italy or some really far away place. The more that we looked at that we just thought, 'Gosh, that would be so difficult to get our family and friends to that type of a location.' So we started looking for anything here in the States that would resemble a castle-like feel," she tells PEOPLE. "We came across the Biltmore and we were so taken back by it. It's such a breathtaking property. It's just so beautiful. I think every girl wants to feel like a princess on her wedding day, and I think that kind of sets the theme for that." She also revealed that fellow Housewife NeNe Leakes' second wedding served as inspiration. "We really want our wedding to be a full weekend event where there's something to do every day and everybody is coming in and really enjoying themselves. That's our vision. When we went to NeNe Leakes and Gregg's wedding, that's what they did. They really made it an event for all their guests all weekend long. It was such a memorable wedding that we both said to each other, 'That's the kind of feel and the kind of experience that we want all our guests to have.' That's kind of what is in our mind when it comes to the Biltmore," she says of the North Carolina property. RELATED VIDEO: Gretchen Sets the Record Straight When it comes to guest count, Rossi says "100 would be perfect for me." And for hopeful fans who are eager to witness Rossi and Smiley say "I do" from their television screens, the Bravo alum says there's a possibility if the circumstances are right. "We want it to be very authentic to our love and to how we feel for each other, and I just think that it has to be the right network and the right channel for us to say yes to that," Rossi says of televising the event. "I really want it to truly to be more of a true documentary rather than a reality, soapy-type documentary that's berating." As the couple looks to the future, they're reflective of their past and the hurdles they overcame that built the committed relationship they're in today. "As [viewers] know watching us on the show, we've gone through hell and high water to stay together and be at where we're at," Rossi says of her 42-year-old fiance. "We've both sacrificed so much for each other and that day is going to be such a special, special day for us. I'm really looking forward to that day." The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Mondays (9 p.m. ET) on Bravo. Tall people are better than short people at gauging how far away they are from objects in the middle distance, a new study reports. The researchers say the results are evidence for the idea that people's spatial perception abilities are influenced by their height, and develop over time. The human brain depends on a certain model to provide "the best guess of where objects could be located," said study co-author Teng Leng Ooi, a professor of optometry at The Ohio State University. That model, or "intrinsic bias," is typically revealed when people have very little information about where an object is located, e.g., literally in the dark, and must make an educated guess. People usually underestimate the distance between themselves and an object, and as objects get farther away, the effect gets larger. "Our previous studies have shown that the intrinsic bias is an imaginary curve that extends from one's feet and slants upward to the far distance," Ooi told Live Science in an email. In the new study, 24 people were split into two groups of 12, based on their height. The average height (measured at the eyes) in the groups were 4 feet 11 inches (149.3 cm) and 5 feet 8 inches (173.4 cm). Over three experiments, objects were presented in different levels of light, with different amounts of information to help determine location. The people then guessed the distances to objects by a variety of means, such as pacing out the distance with their eyes closed, so the study was not dependent on the subjects' sense of units of measure. The results showed that the people in both tall and short groups showed the bias, increasingly misjudging the distance to far-away objects. However, the taller participants were more accurate in their guesses, and the difference in performance between groups was consistent across all conditions, the researchers said. When tall participants sat in a chair and shorter participants stood on boxes to adjust their eye levels, the tall people were still more accurate in the middle distances. Because previous experiments showed people are better judges of distance from a higher vantage point, the researchers said, the new result is evidence that taller people have accumulated experience in guessing the distance to objects, and that their height has shaped a mental model of distances. Story continues However, other researchers said they were skeptical of the findings. "I'm a little bit dubious of the results," that show taller people are better at guessing distances, said Maryjane Wraga, a psychologist at Smith College in Massachusetts, who was not involved in the study. Because of variations in individuals' vision, Wraga said, the study, with only 12 participants in each group, would have benefited from more participants. Any pattern that emerged based on the study groups might be consistent since all three experiments used the same participants. Furthermore, "if it's a true effect, it's a modest effect." Wraga told Live Science. The differences in performance between the height groups at distances up to about 33 feet (10 meters) were small, Wraga said, and most people interact with those closer objects much more often in their daily lives. "It's not a uniform effect; it's mostly occurring for distances that are farther away." "The ideas that they're presenting are very interesting," John Philbeck, a psychologist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., told Live Science. But he was also concerned about replicating the results, and called the sample size "a little on the thin side." "If this effect is real, there are ways to compensate for it in the real world," Wraga said, such as moving our heads and bodies to gather more information, which people probably do naturally, but was restricted in the experiments to specifically test the mental model. How should shorter people feel about the results? "Not worried at all," Wraga said. The researchers said they are interested in future studies with more subjects in a range of heights, development in children and investigating whether animals have different visual biases, possibly based on their ecological niche. The study was published today (Aug. 31) in the journal Science Advances. 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. Ive never really understood why regular Indian women, even educated and working professional friends of mine maintain a shrouded silence when they are going around/getting married/are pregnant? I mean are these three functions or events in our life so critical that we must hide it from girlfriends whom we otherwise need - a shoulder to cry on, go shopping, click selfies with and party with? Is female jealousy synonymous with the archetypical buri nazar that we are always being warned about, fearfully, mostly by other women in our circles? Mothers, aunts, sisters, mother-in-laws, grand-mothers. Just recently, a girlfriend confessed shes dating a guy, three months later, by her own admission, and kept pleading not to tell my parents, as she hadnt told hers - the logic of which I still havent quite grasped. Even now referring to the man in question, as the guy/my guy, as if revealing his name would mean a sort of sacrilege, and finally after much prodding, revealed only his first name, that too sounding hopelessly guilty all the while, constantly telling me she would spill the rest of the beans, when wed be introduced in person, an event that is as rare as the solar eclipse, I suspect by now. I cant get over how silly the whole premise is or help ask myself why we become weak and suddenly cagey when we find a man and how fragile the foundation of most romantic relationships are, in the first place. And if these instances, are a window to the shifting nature of female friendships, as well? If this initial shyness could be the beginning of a deeper, and more greatly damaging submissiveness? This morning, another woman friend revealed how her cousin sister who she had grown up with had hidden the fact that she had conceived, allegedly on the rigid insistence of her in-laws, having miscarried before, and how the first three months were precarious. How I consoled her saying one of my college friends too, who was and remains very close, never shared news about her pregnancy, till I visited her and was shocked to see her full term. Her reason being that some of her school colleagues had miscarried, earlier, and so she was just being cautious. A few days ago, social media was flooded with pictures of Kareena Kapoor Khan at the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week, revealing her baby bump, with a fierce female pride. Even as maternity fashion and photo shoots, yoga classes, baby showers and B-town celebs like Arpita Khan, Salmans sister and second time mom, Genelia D Souza unabashedly tweet their maternity photo shoots online- why is the rest of the country, ordinary women, like you and me, shrouded in a protective, primordial silence? Story continues What scares us as a sex? Why do we hide our happiness? What black magic and back-biting do we fear? What failure defines us? A deep-seated cultural preference for sons has in any case already skewed Indias 1.2 billion populations gender demographic, especially in the Western states of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab. In Haryanas Jind district, for instance, the sex ratio is 871 females per 1,000 males, compared to the national average of 940, according to the census of 2011. This has prompted men from these regions to hunt for brides in impoverished areas such as West Bengal and Bihar, and even as far away as Kerala in the South. In a 2011 study, British medical journal Lancet claimed that up to 12 million Indian female foetuses had been aborted in the previous three decades. In 2014, the United Nations added that the dwindling number of Indian girls had reached emergency proportions and was contributing to crimes against women. The imported brides, referred to as paros, are treated like domestic slaves who have little or no inheritance rights on the family property, according to Smita Khanijow of anti-poverty agency, Action Aid India. During 2001- 2011, the share of children to total population has declined and the decline was sharper for female children than male children in the age group 06 years, held the study Children in India 2012- A Statistical Appraisal conducted by the Central Statistical Organisation. Though, the overall sex ratio of the country is showing a trend of improvement, the child sex ratio is showing a declining trend, which is a matter of concern, the study further added. According to the report, female child population in the age group of 0-6 years was 78.83 million in 2001, which declined to 75.84 million in 2011. The population of girl child was 15.88 % of the total female population of 496.5 million in 2001 that declined to 12.9 % of total number of 586.47 million women in 2011. In a climate where the sex ratio is already disproportionate and dismal, shouldnt we women stand up for one another? Why the mistrust, the misconceptions that are seeped in religion and patriarchy, and how will hiding the truth, help? By Jo Griffin LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Brazil must do more to ensure its landmark law on domestic violence combats the crime in a country where statistics show a woman is killed every two hours, said Maria da Penha, whose own fight for justice led to a law named after her 10 years ago. Da Penha, a biopharmacist in northeast Ceara state who was left paraplegic in 1983 after her husband tried to kill her, has shared her name for the past decade with the law praised by the United Nations as world leading on gender violence. The Maria da Penha law toughened sentences for offenders and set up specialized courts, police stations and shelters for women in cities of more than 60,000 people. It also gave judges the powers to grant protective measures, like restraining orders, making domestic violence visible. In March, Brazil's National Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) credited the law and linked programs with a 10 percent drop in homicides of women at home over the decade. But activists say other data suggests gender violence is still rampant. In 2015, the Forum for Public Security estimated a rape occurred every 11 minutes in Brazil while another group, the Map of Violence, said a woman was killed every two hours. Da Penha, 71, said there was still a long way to go with smaller cities still lacking the new special services for women. "Unfortunately, in the majority of districts women at risk of domestic violence have nowhere to go to make a complaint," Da Penha told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an email interview. Since 2009, the Maria da Penha Institute has teamed up with universities to train people working with domestic violence survivors so their work is not "compromised by macho attitudes". But changing a wider culture of machismo is not easy. "It's clear that we all agree there must be an end to gender violence, but what are we doing to achieve this? How many of us still go along with old sayings such as, 'no one should interfere in a fight between husband and wife?'," she said. EMBLEMATIC FIGURE In Brazil, Da Penha is revered for her work on women's rights. Former President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, who passed the law in her name, was among those to congratulate her publicly on its 10th anniversary last month. But it is her personal story and long fight for justice that has made her an emblematic figure for supporters around Brazil. In 1983 her then husband shot her while she slept, leaving her paralyzed. When she returned home after four months in hospital, he tried to electrocute her while she took a shower. Her case against him languished in court for two decades and he eventually served just two years in jail for his crime. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights criticized Brazil for not doing enough to prosecute and convict perpetrators of domestic violence and in 2006 the Maria da Penha Act was born. That international intervention was necessary then shows the extent of Brazil's negligence of gender violence, Da Penha said. "We need to act to change perspectives on this patriarchal and macho culture that violated and still violates millions of women in (Brazil)," said Da Penha, adding education was vital. Nevertheless, a lot of progress was made under President Dilma Rousseff, who has just been impeached, she said. She cited a 24-hour "Disque Denuncia" hotline to receive and report calls about domestic violence, and the 2015 law that criminalizes femicide. But Da Penha said women's rights activists must get behind implementation of the law to ensure tolerance of violence ends. "I never imagined that my struggle, which began with a lot of pain and suffering, would end up where it did ... To have the law named after me is also a big responsibility, since it does not permit me to stop [my work]," she said. (Reporting by Jo Griffin, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; 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 http://news.trust.org) These are the women who taught me to embrace androgynous style These are the women who taught me to embrace androgynous style Lovable human mess George Costanza of Seinfeld once said, I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable. Unknowingly, the dim-witted loon was waxing philosophical on the expressive qualities of fashion and the social ramifications of our wardrobe choices. Okay, maybe he wasnt referring to the fashion worlds lack of inclusiveness as a whole, but he did have a great point (and great taste in textiles). The alternate universe that houses our favorite celebrities and supermodels may pride itself on its inclusiveness, but Hollywoods embrace of gender diversity is a slow burning fire. As gender becomes more fluid and the lines between the mens and womens departments become blurred, tastemakers have advocated for self-expression and radical self-acceptance through androgynous fashion. Here are eight stars and celebrities who have played by their own rules in the spotlight and beyond, and inspired me to embrace my own androgynous style. Kristen Stewart Amazon & Lionsgate With The Cinema Society Host The New York Premiere Of "Cafe Society" - After Party K-Stew has come a long way since trademarking the faraway gaze and malcontent demeanor of her Twilight days. Stewart has since experimented with all aspects of her look from lopping off her long mane of auburn hair, to trading in frilly frocks for extreme silhouettes and neutral color palettes. Milla Jovovich "Ultraviolet" Los Angeles Press Conference The supermodel and Resident Evil siren has always been a risktaker onscreen and off, including her fashion choices. Jovovich even had a stint as a fashion designer thanks to her collaboration with Carmen Hawk (which, sadly, ceased operations in 2008). Jovovichs eye for fashion hasnt dulled, though. Shes likely to be snapped in pantsuits, dress slacks, or dapper, impeccably tailored rigs. Grace Jones "The Last Emperor" New York City Premiere Always one to crank up the heat of the cultural climate, Grace Jones has built a legacy on her non-conforming image. Part alien diva, part catwalker, and with a dash of masculine aura and a flat top haircut for good measure, Jones has become an apocryphal archetype of androgynous fashion. Just take a look at the cover of her fifth studio album Nightclubbing, or take a gander at her stage dynamics from the 80s Jones is in a class (and gender) all her own. Story continues Annie Lennox Eurythmics On Stage Who knew that the performer whose haunting voice anchored the Eurythmics hit Sweet Dreams was also an activist and fashion idol in the making? Known for her tightly cropped, Fanta orange hair and dashing taste in suit wear, Lennox honed a chameleonic presence both onstage and off. Tilda Swinton Marvel Studios Hall H Panel The Scottish actress is the reigning queen chameleon of Hollywood, morphing into a gender defying Virginia Woolf protagonist one day, and transforming into a batty-eyed ice queen in Trainwreck the next. Swintons bravery and confidence seeps from every performance and red carpet walk she tackles, making it clear that she is far beyond definition and breaks the conventions of our time of any time, really. Cara Delevingne London Celebrity Sightings - August 05, 2016 The bushy browed British triple-threat (She models! She sings! She acts!) has traipsed from runway to alleyway in her gender volleying style. As likely to throw on a ball gown as she is a pantsuit with a pair of sneakers, Delevingne (and her amor Annie Clark) are a chic couple that have brought luxury and flair to androgynous fashion. Talk about a power couple. Patti Smith Photo of Patti SMITH A proponent of the personal uniform, Patti Smith has translated her utilitarian artistic approach to her wardrobe, rendering her timeless. Who doesnt remember that faraway stare framed by the Keith Richards shag, black dungarees hoisted up by black suspenders immortalized on the cover of Horses? As that debut album was Smiths artistic credo, it was also the tenet of her gender scorning fashion sensibilities. Nico Photo of NICO All lithe limbs and blunt bangs, Nico injected bold masculine fabrics and cuts into the mod trends ubiquitous of her time. Rising to fame in the 1960s as a Warhol muse, Nico often decked her willowy frame in classic silhouettes and neutral colorsoften favoring extreme poles of the spectrum with black or white. Combined with her husky, dulcet voice, Nico was a whole universe of contradiction, all brewing behind kohl-lined eyes. The post These are the women who taught me to embrace androgynous style appeared first on HelloGiggles. Less than two weeks after opening to the public to much global fanfare, the world's highest and longest, glass-bottom bridge in China has closed. Stretching 430 meters over the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and 300 meters above the valley floor, the glass-bottomed bridge opened August 20 to thousands of waiting visitors, eager to become the first to test out the feat of structural engineering. But with little notice, officials closed the bridge Friday, angering tourists who had journeyed to the canyon or already bought tickets to make the hair-raising crossing. Park officials were quick to allay any safety concerns and said the temporary closure is necessary for upgrading and improving guest services after being overwhelmed with demand, reports Xinhua news. While the guest capacity is limited to 8,000 visitors a day, more than 10,000 people have been swarming the site for their chance to see the bridge. Park officials also posted a message to Chinese social networking site Weibo apologizing for the inconvenience and explaining that the closure is necessary to improve the facility. During the temporary closure, officials are expected to make improvement to parking, ticketing and customer service. BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles' playoff hopes are fading a bit while the New York Yankees are trying to pull back into the postseason race, and both will have a chance to help their causes when they meet in the opener of a three-game series Friday at Camden Yards. Baltimore (72-61) lost four of its last six games and slipped four games behind first place Toronto in the American League East. The Orioles also are tied with Detroit for the final wild-card spot with the Yankees (69-63) sitting 2 1/2 games behind them. New York has been making a move with a bunch of young players doing well, led by catcher Gary Sanchez. He's the rookie who's already banged out 11 homers and 21 RBIs in just 25 games and posted an impressive .374 batting average as the kids are leading the way after the Yankees unloaded a bunch of high-priced veterans at the trade deadline. "It's definitely a nice feeling when you're doing well, and at the same time, the team is doing well," Sanchez said through an interpreter to MLB.com. "We're right there in the fight; it's even better. If we keep winning games, we'll have a good chance of making the playoffs." New York's big question is if the young players can continue to play well in the pressure-packed final 30 games after taking two of three in Kansas City. They'll have to do it against the American League East, as will the Orioles, as both teams play most of their schedules in the division in the last month. On Friday, Dylan Bundy (7-5, 3.71) gets the start for the Orioles, who dropped two of three to Toronto this week. The right-hander has pitched very well since joining the rotation in mid-July although running into trouble in two of the last three starts, including last Saturday's outing versus New York. That's when Bundy allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings and took the loss. The Yankees send Chad Green (2-3, 4.09) to the mound. Baltimore touched him up for four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings last Saturday but got a no-decision in the win. Story continues The Orioles made several moves on Wednesday to try and improve their outfield depth and give them speed and defensive help. They began having problems out there when utility outfielder Joey Rickard went on the DL on July 22 (retroactive to the day before) due to a thumb injury. Losing him was costly, manager Buck Showalter said earlier this week. It hurt the team's versatility in the outfield, and that situation worsened when center fielder Adam Jones strained his hamstring and has been out since last Friday. Showalter said Wednesday that they're hoping Jones can return on Friday The Orioles also acquired outfielders Drew Stubbs (waivers from Texas) and Michael Bourn (trade from Arizona), which gives them that extra help in the outfield, especially if Jones needs more time to recover. But the Orioles, who've been slipping since the All-Star break, know that the time for winning is now. "It's big from here on out," pitcher Yovani Gallardo said. "All these games are real important for us, and we just have to figure out a way to get it done." By Michael Flaherty (Reuters) - KFC and Pizza Hut owner Yum Brands Inc said Chinese investment firm Primavera Capital and an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd will buy a stake in Yum China for $460 million (345.65 million pounds) as Yum prepares to spin off the business. The deal gives Primavera, a powerful China-focused private equity firm founded by an ex-Goldman Sachs banker, a significant stake in Yum's China business. It also further expands the reach of Ant Financial, which runs Alibaba's Alipay mobile payments platform and has been expanding into China's restaurant industry. The investors will receive warrants to buy an additional 4 percent stake in Yum China in two tranches at valuations of $12 billion and $15 billion, the company said on Friday. A Yum spokesman said the use of the proceeds from the deal will be determined by the future Yum China board of directors. Yum has signalled that part of the money could go towards expanding across China, as the company signalled last October that it hoped to nearly triple the amount of its restaurants in China to 20,000. KFC and Pizza Hut brands reaped the rewards of catering to China's booming economy, with patrons flooding the restaurants that offered fast Western food, a higher level of service and perceived food safety. But Yum's China business has hit road blocks in recent years, including a scandal at a minor meat supplier and bird flu outbreaks. Yum, still the largest fast-food chain in China, has also been losing ground to McDonald's Corp. The Louisville, Kentucky-based company's move to separate its China business followed pressure last year from one of its largest investors, Corvex Management, the activist hedge fund run by Keith Meister. Meister is on Yum's board. The spinoff is expected on Oct. 31, with Yum China to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange a day later, the company said on Friday. Primavera will invest $410 million, while Ant Financial, which runs Alibaba's Alipay mobile payments platform, will put in $50 million. China's sovereign wealth fund and New York private equity firm KKR & Co were also in the hunt for a Yum China stake. Story continues Primavera's founder, Fred Hu, will become non-executive chairman of Yum China's board. Goldman Sachs is financial adviser, while Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz are legal adviser to Yum Brands and Yum China. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Fangda Partners are legal advisers to Primavera and Ant. Yum shares were up 1 percent at $91.70 in morning trading. (Additional reporting by Anya George Tharakan and Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Nick Zieminski) HONG KONG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Yum Brands Inc's China unit has secured an investment worth about $460 million from an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding and private equity firm Primavera Capital, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum, owner of the Pizza Hut and KFC fastfood chains, has been looking to spin off its 7,205 restaurants in China by the end of 2016, amid pressure from activist investor Corvex Management, whose founder, Keith Meister, is on Yum's board. It was unclear how big a stake the two investors would get in Yum China for the investment, or what value it puts on the Chinese division. Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial Services Group, which is valued at about $60 billion, was making the investment, the source said. Primavera is a private equity firm founded by former Goldman Sachs banker Fred Hu. Ant and Primavera were not immediately available for comment, while Yum could not be reached for comment. (Reporting by Denny Thomas; editing by David Clarke) CHICAGO (Reuters) - (In Aug. 30 story, corrects paragraph 4 study attribution to Mariana Leal of Hospital Agamenon Magalhaes and colleagues in Brazil instead of a team led by Dr. Marli Tenorio and Dr. Ernesto Marques of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Pernambuco, Brazil) A study in Brazil of 70 babies whose mothers had confirmed Zika infections found that nearly 6 percent had hearing loss, adding a new complication to the list of ills the virus can cause when women are infected during pregnancy. The Brazilian study, published on Tuesday in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's weekly report on death and disease, confirmed less rigorous reports of deafness among infants born to mothers with Zika infections. The finding is part of an effort to fully characterize the harm caused by the Zika virus during pregnancy. The virus is best known for causing the severe birth defect microcephaly, characterized by undersized heads and underdeveloped brains. But other studies have shown that Zika can cause other brain abnormalities, vision problems and joint deformities. In the latest study, Mariana Leal of the Hospital Agamenon Magalhaes and colleagues in Brazil examined records from 70 infants with microcephaly whose mothers had laboratory-confirmed Zika infections during pregnancy. They found that nearly 6 percent had hearing loss without any other plausible cause. Several other viral infections during pregnancy can cause hearing loss, including rubella and cytomegalovirus, or CMV, infections. The current study adds Zika infection to that list. Scientists say Zika should now be considered a risk factor for hearing loss, and children who were exposed during pregnancy but have normal hearing at birth should be screened regularly for delayed or progressive hearing loss. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly. (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has banned all demonstrations in the capital Harare for the next two weeks because they are likely to cause public disorder, according to a government notice issued on Thursday. President Robert Mugabe's opponents have become emboldened by rising public anger over an economic meltdown, cash shortages and high unemployment. Violence erupted last Friday when police fired teargas at opposition leaders and hundreds of demonstrators. [nL8N1B71KE] The government notice said the police decided to impose a 14-day ban on all forms of protests in the capital after an assessment by the police commander for Harare, district Chief Superintendent Newbert Saunyama. People who organise or participate in demonstrations during the period could be fined and jailed for up to a year. Saunyama declined to comment further, while national police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said she had no details. Douglas Mwonzora, legal secretary for the National Electoral Reforms Agenda which was planning a march on Friday to present demands to the electoral commission, said the protest had been postponed to September 17. "The notice is definitely unconstitutional but there is not enough time to challenge it and get a judgment before the demonstration tomorrow, so we decided to postpone it," Mwonzora said. Opposition parties say the electoral commission is biased in favour of the ruling ZANU-PF and is run by security agencies loyal to Mugabe, charges the commission denies. Mugabe, 92, has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Dominic Evans) The Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council announces a call for proposals in three categories: arts and cultural heritage, presenter/production assistance, and small towns/rural areas. All proposed projects must take place between Dec. 1 and Nov. 30, 2017, and culminate in a capstone event that is accessible and open to the public. Online applications will be available throughout September with a deadline of Oct. 1. SEMAC, a non-profit arts agency, is designated by the state of Minnesota Arts Board as the regional arts council for eleven southeastern Minnesota counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona. Arts and cultural heritage fund grants Proposals for the grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 are accepted from qualified applicants located in the SEMAC region. A match of 20 percent is required in this category. The fund will support arts focused activities in three key areas: 1) arts and arts access, 2) arts education, and 3) arts and cultural heritage. SEMAC encourages applicants to research and develop proposals that incorporate two or more of the key areas with an emphasis on creating lasting partnerships among regional nonprofit arts organizations and other nonprofit groups. In addition to eligible arts organizations, nonprofits that do not have arts as a primary focus, such as schools, senior centers, community education, cultural groups and colleges are invited to apply. Future funding of these grants depend on appropriate use of current funding. SEMAC urges arts organizations, non-arts organizations with an arts component, and government entities to apply. First-time applicants must contact director@semac.org to make sure that the proposed project qualifies in this category. Presenter/production assistance grants Proposals for presenter/production assistance grants offer funding up to $3,000 to qualified applicants in the SEMAC region. Matching funds are required. Presenter assistance grants are intended to help regional arts organizations and educational institutions sponsor appearances by touring artists or companies who have demonstrated high levels of artistic quality. These grants are not for local productions or artist residencies in schools. Production assistance grants support activities by arts organizations directly involved in the creation, performance, publication, and exhibition of art. The two distinct subcategories within production assistance grants are: 1) arts production projects, and 2) administrative support projects. Small towns/rural areas grants The small towns/rural areas grants offer funding up to $3,000 to qualified applicants located in areas of the SEMAC region with populations under 7,500. Matching funds are required. SEMAC wishes to support and encourage the creation and development of art and arts organizations in communities with populations under 7,500. This support may be used for assistance in activities which directly involve the creation, performance, publication, or exhibition of art or assistance in administrative, operating, or capital expenditures. Applicants may include arts organizations, government entities and public or non-religious private schools, either individually or in cooperation. These grants are not for individual artists and cannot be used to fund school residencies. For information about the grant application process, eligibility, or grant writing assistance, contact the SEMAC office at 2778 D Commerce Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901 or call 507-281-4848. Information may also be found on our Web site at www.semac.org. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund. Harare (AFP) - A Zimbabwean court denied bail on Friday to 58 people arrested during protests last week against President Robert Mugabe, who has vowed to crack down on a surge of anti-government dissent. The court freed another 11 people on $50 (45 euros) bail each, including security guards picked up from their work, bystanders and a journalist. "In respect of all the others, bail is refused," Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe said, concluding a nearly week-long hearing. Last Friday, riot police fired tear gas, beat up several people and blocked off the site of the opposition demonstration in the capital. Protesters fought back, throwing stones at police while some set tyres ablaze and pulled down the sign for a street named after Mugabe. Friday's demonstration -- which had been authorised by a court -- was to demand electoral reform before 2018 when Mugabe, 92, plans to stand for re-election. Zimbabwe has seen a mounting tide of violent protests, with demonstrators calling for the resignation of the veteran leader, who took power when Zimbabwe won independence in 1980. Promise Mkwananzi, leader of the Tajamuka ("We are agitated") protest group, was also arrested at Friday's protests and denied bail earlier this week when he appeared in court on public violence charges. Authorities on Thursday imposed a two-week ban on protests in Harare. Opposition parties led by Movement for Democratic Change chief Morgan Tsvangirai and former vice-president Joice Mujuru had planned to gather in the city on Friday for a march. Since 2000, the country has endured an economic crisis that has now caused food and cash shortages, with the government struggling to pay civil servants and the military. On Wednesday, a call for a general strike was largely ignored, with the opposition blaming the poor response on intimidation by security forces which have been deployed in many towns. Magistrate Mahwe criticised police for arresting a 68-year-old man who was granted bail on Friday. "The court struggles to imagine how such a man of advanced age participates in violence," Mahwe said. (Adds comments from shareholder spokesman, updates closing share prices, in paragraphs 3, 9-11) By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Del., Sept 2 (Reuters) - Horsehead Holding Corp was cleared to exit bankruptcy on Friday although a U.S. judge acknowledged that allegations by the zinc producer's shareholders that their investment was being unfairly wiped out came very close to derailing the company's plan. Horsehead can now proceed with its plan that will eliminate most of its $427 million in pre-bankruptcy debt, cancel its stock and allow the company to emerge from Chapter 11 under the control of its noteholders, led by Greywolf Capital Management. Shares in Pittsburgh-based Horsehead plummeted 91 percent to close at 4 cents in over-the-counter trading. "This was one of the most difficult decisions in my 10 years on the bench," U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Sontchi said at a hearing in Wilmington, Delaware. Bankrupt companies generally present plans to a judge with support from major parties in a case. Horsehead had to defend its plan during a three-day trial against allegations by an official equity committee that noteholders were enriching themselves at shareholders' expense. The shareholders attacked a valuation by the Lazard investment bank and argued that Horsehead was a "loan-to-own" play by secured noteholders, who bought the company's debt at a discount and then provided a bankruptcy loan with strict provisions. Sontchi said the noteholders "shot themselves in the foot" by including a "no-shop" provision in the bankruptcy loan. Without it, the company could have tested its value with an auction and avoided this week's trial that largely turned on experts' competing views of valuation. Sontchi said that the evidence showed the company was worth around $650 million, or roughly equal to the claims held by creditors, leaving nothing for stockholders. "I knew it was long odds," said Guy Spier, chairman of the equity committee, who said he was grateful that the judge took the rare step of ordering an official equity committee. Story continues Such committees are usually reserved for unsecured creditors and they get funds from the company to hire lawyers and advisers. Still, Spier said he believed Horsehead would be worth up to $1.5 billion in five years, which would be a windfall for noteholders. "We were not in a position to put the system on trial," he added. Shareholders can still pursue a class action against directors that could be worth $50 million. Horsehead filed for Chapter 11 protection in February after idling its zinc production facility in Mooresboro, North Carolina, amid weak zinc prices. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Alistair Bell) By Adam Jourdan and Michelle Price SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Chinese government said on Friday it was investigating two high-profile takeover proposals involving U.S. companies, the latest sign of its growing influence on whether deals are approved - even those appearing to have little impact in China. The Commerce Ministry said at a briefing on Friday it was probing ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing's planned acquisition of U.S. rival Uber Technologies Inc's China unit and Comcast Corp's purchase of movie studio DreamWorks Animation. The scrutiny, announced the day before world leaders descend on China's eastern city of Hangzhou for a meeting of the Group of 20, underscores the ministry's increasingly tough stance on companies that strike deals without seeking its approval. The Chinese are increasingly using their regulatory might to gain influence in the global economy, according to one expert in international relations. "DreamWorks and Comcast barely touch China, but it's a way to assert their new position in the world. They want to remind us, 'We're big and you have to pay attention to us,'" said Jim Lewis, of Washingtons Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. A representative of the U.S. Department of State declined comment and referred queries to China's Commerce Ministry. There had not been a filing for the Didi-Uber deal, the ministry said last month. Comcast already said it had completed the deal for DreamWorks, which may indicate it did not think it needed to wait for Chinese approval. The ministry requires companies to notify it of transactions before they close if those merging have combined global turnover in the previous year exceeding 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) or their combined China income exceeds 2 billion yuan ($300 million). Didi said its deal did not trigger these thresholds, while lawyers said they were surprised that the DreamWorks deal was being probed given its small China footprint. "With the DreamWorks-Comcast deal, I was kind of surprised," said Wendy Yan, Shanghai-based partner at Faegre Baker Daniels. The ministry said it had launched the investigation into the takeover following unspecified complaints that the combination of Comcast, one of the largest U.S. cable and broadcasting groups, with the movie studio could hurt competition in the Chinese market. "I'd be interested to know who made such complaints and how exactly the (Comcast-DreamWorks) merger would affect the China market because they are not in a dominant position," added Yan. A representative for Comcast declined to comment on the Chinese probe. Comcast, owner of NBCUniversal, said in April it would buy DreamWorks, the producer of the "Kung Fu Panda" and "Shrek" franchises, for $3.8 billion. DreamWorks was one of the first Hollywood names to open a production studio in China and NBCUniversal in 2014 announced plans to open a $3.3-billion Universal theme park in Beijing. China's film market, the world's second largest, is a magnet for movie producers looking to tap the country's 1.4 billion people, even though there are signs that stellar box office growth may be starting to slow. Comcast announced the completion of the DreamWorks deal last week. The ministry has the power to fine companies it believes should have sought clearance, and can also force them to sell assets to get approval, or even to unwind transactions "If (Comcast) didn't file and they should have filed, this will be resolved with a fine and a press release," said Bruce McDonald, a veteran of the U.S. Department of Justice, now at law firm Jones Day. "Is this China just being tough on a U.S. company? I don't think so, it might be them being sticklers for following Chinese filing rules." CONSUMER ANGER Lawyers said that the Didi deal to buy Uber's China unit had caused a stir among local consumers and rivals. The two ride-hailing firms were already the number one and two top players together controlling around 90 percent of the market. The ministry had signaled its discontent with the two companies last month because they had not filed a merger application to the regulator. A representative for Uber referred questions to Didi. A Didi spokeswoman said: "We are in communication with the authorities." Consumer groups and rivals have warned that fares could rise steeply if the two companies join forces. Both Uber and Didi had spent billions of dollars subsidizing fares in a price war to lure riders and drivers. Marc Waha, head of the antitrust practice at Norton Rose Fulbright in Hong Kong, said a key concern for the ministry would be the elimination of Uber as a competitor to Didi. "If the market is considered to only comprise those two car hailing services, the transaction could be seen as a merger from two-to-one, which is likely to be problematic, however small the target is." "Very often a small target acts as a maverick on the market, leading to low prices," he added. The ministry has developed a reputation globally as a tough regulator, but it has only blocked two transactions since China's antimonopoly law came into force in 2008, compared with 1,447 unconditional clearances, Norton Rose data shows. Faegre Baker Daniels's Yan added, however, Chinese regulators could end up with a deluge of new deals to work through if the latest probes were a sign of things to come. "If the China government reaches out its hands too far they may need to deal with things they are not able to do and they need to have the manpower to review all these global mergers which may not have China implications," she said. (Additional reporting by Diane Bartz and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Martin Howell, Nick Zieminski and G Crosse) Samsungs unprecedented decision to recall all Galaxy Note 7 handsets sold to date, and to stop sales in various markets around the world, is definitely in your favor. Who wants to run around with a mobile device that might catch on fire while charging? We already told you everything you need to know about Samsung's decision, but there is a pretty big question that the company still hasn't answered: What are you supposed to do right now if you own a Galaxy Note 7? DONT MISS: Bloomberg just laid out everything to expect at next weeks big iPhone 7 event First of all, the Galaxy Note 7 is not being sold in stores anymore. Sprint and T-Mobile already confirmed as much, so dont expect it to be shipped to your door anytime soon. Secondly, Samsung will replace your device whether its faulty or not. And it all happens free of charge. But youll have to wait a few weeks for Samsung to produce a new batch of phones that will have safe battery packs inside. But that doesnt mean you have to keep using the Galaxy Note 7 phone until a replacement is available. Instead, youd better contact your carrier and bring your device in as soon as you can. Sprint will offer you a replacement phone to use until your new Note 7 is out: We are working closely with Samsung to ensure those customers who already have purchased the device are taken care of. For those customers that previously purchased the Note 7 we will offer them a similar device until the issue is resolved. Customers should go to a nearby Sprint store to exchange their Note 7 device. T-Mobile is telling customers they can bring the phone in for a full refund: Starting immediately, customers who are concerned about using the Note 7 can return the device to T-Mobile for a full, complete refund. Theyll get a full refund of anything paid for the device and any Note7 accessories. Well waive any restocking charges and shipping fees, and customers can keep the free Netflix subscription they received with purchase during pre-order. Customers can visit their local T-Mobile store where they bought the device or call 611 or 1-800-937-8997 to do this, and they can then use their refund to choose a similar device or any device in T-Mobles stores, including a new Note7 replacement which we expect to be available in the next two weeks. Story continues Verizon and AT&T will likely weigh in soon, and we'll update this post when they do. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Google is looking to unveil a number of new hardware products on October 4, according to a report from Android Police. Among the devices to be unveiled that day are two new flagship phones, a 4K-capable version of Chromecast as well as Googles first Daydream VR viewer. Google is also expected to give an update on Home, its competitor to Amazons Echo device. Google has long cooperated with select hardware manufacturers to build its own flagship phones. Known as Nexus phones, these devices were meant to provide the latest and greatest Android experience, without the customizations and bundled apps that often find their way to phones sold by mobile operators. In the past, these devices have been marketed under the Nexus branding. Multiple reports over the past couple of days indicate that Google may be ready to ditch that brand, and a source told Android Police that Google is looking to instead use the Pixel brand instead. The company had in the past used Pixel as the branding of a high-end Chromebook. According to this latest report, Google is preparing to introduce two new Pixel phones at the October event. The release will likely coincide with the introduction of Googles first mobile VR viewer; Google officially announced its Daydream VR platform in May, and at the time said that it wanted to both build its own mobile headset as well as encourage partners to build versions for their phones. The company is also said to introduce a new 4K-capable Chromecast, which it apparently had been working on for some time. And Google said earlier this year that it was going to ship its smart loudspeaker Google Home before the end of the year. Home will offer direct voice access to Googles assistant, similar to the way Amazon Echo can be used with voice commands. Related stories Does YouTube Ad Policy Equate to Censorship? Give Me a Break Google Fiber Told to Lay Off Half of Its Staff (Report) TV Ad Growth Overshadowed by Surge of Digital Giants Like Facebook, Google Just a little more than three months ago, Google declared it would release its highly customizable Project Ara smartphone to consumers next year. No longer: Google parent company Alphabet appears to be shelving that initiative, which aimed to develop phones with parts that can be swapped out like LEGO blocks, reported Reuters and The New York Times. A Google spokesperson confirmed to TIME that the information reported by Reuters is accurate, but declined to offer any comment. The move is part of Googles efforts to consolidate its hardware operations, which includes products like its Nexus smartphones and Chromebook computers. While the company is suspending plans to release a modular smartphone, it may work with partners to bring the technology to market through licensing agreements, according to Reuters. Google had been facing some setbacks with Project Ara. The first device to come out of the program was intended to launch in Puerto Rico last year, but the company scrapped that pilot. Project Ara generated excitement among some in the technology world because it promised to reimagine the way smartphones are built. Rather than being forced to upgrade your entire phone whenever you wanted a better camera or new features, phones released under Project Ara would have allowed you to replace old components with more advanced technology. After its developer conference in May, Google painted a picture that depicted future Ara smartphones like Swiss Army knives. Owners would be able to snap on health-focused sensors like a glucose detector or an air quality sensor to fit their needs, as CNET noted. Or they could opt for more traditional additions like a larger speaker or battery. Even if Google mothballs Project Ara, the modular smartphone concept remains alive elsewhere. Motorolas new Moto Z phones, for instance, have a special connector on the back that allows owners to quickly attach accessories like a miniature projector or battery pack. LGs G5 also comes with similarly configurable hardware for snapping on camera grips and other accessories. These types of modular phones are exciting in part because they come at a time when smartphone growth has seemingly stalled. Even so, its unclear whether modular smartphones will resonate with a broad enough audience to turn Project Ara into a viable hardware business. One of the things Apple will do differently this year when it comes to its newest iPhones is to install different amounts of RAM on the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 will have 2GB of RAM like its predecessor, while the iPhone 7 Plus is going to be bumped up to 3GB of RAM. Thats what most reports claim, explaining that the features of the dual-lens camera thatll be found on the phablet will require extra memory. But why isnt Apple going for massive RAM upgrades as its biggest rivals? DONT MISS: Official: Samsung recalls Galaxy Note 7 worldwide, announces replacement program Flagship Android devices ship with 4GB of RAM, while some device makers went for 6GB of memory inside a phone. One reason is that the iPhone probably doesnt need as much memory. The iPhone 6s with its 2GB of RAM is still faster than the handsets with double or triple the memory because Apple does a great job at optimizing software performance. But one other reason is that RAM is pricey, and theres only so much to go around. And Apple likes its money. A new report from DRAMeXchange says that RAM prices are going up as Apple has been ramping up demand for the iPhone. As such, other devices will suffer. "With the official launch of the next iPhone release on September 7, the entire smartphone supply chain is now under a critical period of intense stock-up activities." DRAMeXchange director Avril Wu said. At the same time, there is still high demand for memory components from Chinese smartphone brands, so both the DRAM and NAND Flash markets are experiencing tight supply. It looks like Apple is carefully planning its RAM consumption. iPhone RAM demand is driving up prices, something Apple doesnt want from suppliers. So Apple is probably more interested in making the iPhone 7 perform better without increase the amount of RAM, if theres no reason to do it. The report says that demand for servers has also heated up recently, becoming one other factor that explains DRAM price increases, which means PC RAM supply has also tightened. Story continues Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Westbound Interstate 90 motorists traveling to southbound Highway 61 toward La Crescent began using the fly under bridge Sept. 2, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The opening marked another step as the Dresbach Bridge project nears completion this fall. Most recently, the westbound I-90 motorists wanting to go south on Hwy. 61 had to exit just west of the river bridge (currently the exit into the rest area and the boat ramps), and then follow ramps to a traffic signal to turn south. Prior to that, motorists were detoured to Dresbach and returned on I-90 eastbound to travel south on Highway 61. Additionally, the eastbound I-90 ramp to southbound Hwy. 61 will be closed on today (Thursday) for about a week for pavement repairs. Motorists using this route will be moved to the ramp that also provides access to the rest area from eastbound I-90. Signs are in place to direct motorists. By Se Young Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS> recalled all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones equipped with batteries it has found to be fire-prone and halted their sales in 10 markets, denting a revival of the firm's mobile business. Koh Dong-jin, head of the South Korean company's smartphone business, expressed regret over the recall, which will affect markets including South Korea and the United States, at a news conference on Friday. Models in China feature a different battery and are not being recalled by the world's biggest smartphone vendor. The recall comes just over two weeks after the launch of Samsung's latest premium phone, which features an outsized screen and high-resolution camera, and follows reports of the 988,900 won ($885) phone igniting while charging. Koh, who declined to comment on the number of phones needing replacement, said Samsung had sold 2.5 million of the premium devices so far. The manufacturer plans to replace not only phones with faulty batteries sold to consumers, but also retailer inventories and units in transit. "I can't comment on exactly how much the cost will be, but it pains my heart that it will be such a big number," he said. The scale of the recall is unprecedented for Samsung, which prides itself on its manufacturing prowess. While recalls in the smartphone industry do happen, including for rival Apple Inc , the nature of the problem for the Galaxy Note 7 is a serious blow to Samsung's reputation, analysts said. It must act quickly to minimize damage to its smartphone recovery, after a string of product successes had reversed a fall in market share, they added. CUSTOMERS PUT ON HOLD The phone first launched in 10 markets in North America, Asia and the Middle East. Further roll-outs have occurred since in markets like China, where sales started just this week. Its wider availability, set for coming weeks, is now on hold. Germany's biggest operator Deutsche Telekom said it had stopped delivering orders for the Galaxy Note 7, while French operator Orange said on its website that it had stopped pre-sales of the phone and postponed its planned sales launch - scheduled for Friday. In Britain, mobile carriers EE and Vodafone continue to accept pre-orders for the Note 7 on their sites. A Vodafone spokesman said its planned September 19 sales launch could now slip, but was waiting for more details from Samsung to decide. U.S. operators have been taking pre-orders since early August. The No.1 U.S. wireless carrier Verizon Communications Inc said it has stopped selling the Galaxy Note 7 in light of customer safety. If a customer wants to return or exchange the Galaxy Note 7, Verizon said it would waive the restocking fee it charges customers through September 30. T-Mobile US , majority owned by Deutsche Telekom, also said it has suspended sales, while AT&T and Sprint could not be reached immediately for comment. SECOND-HALF HOPES Samsung has said it aimed for the Note 7 to maintain strong sales momentum in the second half of the year against stiffening competition from the likes of Apple Inc , which is widely expected to release its latest iPhone next week. "I am concerned more about a potential reduction in sales than recall costs," said analyst Jay Yoo at Korea Investment & Securities. "The recall is likely to be a blow to earnings." Samsung said new sales of the Note 7 in affected markets would resume after it deals with replacements, a process it expects will begin in about two weeks. The firm would extend refund periods for affected customers and offer exchanges for other Samsung phones, Koh said. Investors sold Samsung shares after the delay announcement on Thursday, stripping about $7 billion from the firm's market value, which remains just off recent record highs. Sentiment recovered somewhat in trading on Friday as the shares rose 0.6 percent compared with 0.3 percent in the broader market <.KS11>. Credit Suisse said a recall or major shipment delays could wipe 1.5 trillion won ($1.34 billion) from Samsung's 2016 operating profit estimate of 30.2 trillion won in an "absolute worst case" scenario. But the brokerage said that scenario was unlikely, as it expected Samsung to resolve problem before the fourth quarter. HI Securities analyst James Song said the replacement costs may be somewhat limited as Samsung could recycle components of the recalled phones. "It is clever for Samsung to replace the affected models, not offering fixes. That helps enhance consumer confidence and help reduce potential falls in future sales," he said. Samsung's mobile division accounted for about 54 percent of the firm's January-June operating profit of 14.8 trillion won. While there are occasional reports of phones catching fire or otherwise burning users, documented cases that lead to widespread product recalls remain relatively rare. In 2007, the largest battery recall in consumer electronics history took place when Nokia , then the world's top mobile handset maker, offered to replace 46 million phone batteries produced for it by Japanese maker Matsushita Battery. ($1 = 1,117.4300 won) (Additional reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in Seoul, Harro ten Wolde in Berlin, Mathieu Rosemain in Paris, Eric Auchard in Frankfurt, Laura Gardner in London, Malathi Nayak in New York; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Alexander Smith) About a week ago, a Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone in Korea reportedly caught fire while charging. After a second report surfaced in Korea, Samsung was prompted to suspend shipments of the model to Korean cell providers, pending an investigation. According to the Yonhap News Agency and other Korean news outlets, the problem was traced to the batteries in a small number of phones. Samsung has not disclosed how it plans to address this issue. Phil Berne, a public relations manager, said in an email that the company is "conducting a thorough inspection. We will share the findings as soon as possible." The phone is still available in U.S. stores. If your Note7 is unusually hot to the touch when plugged into a charger, disconnect it immediately and take it to the store for service or replacement. Thanks to redundant safety technology routinely installed in batteries and charging systems, as well as manufacturing standards developed and shared by independent labs such as UL, situations like these are rare. But they're often frightening. A battery, from a chemistry perspective, is a bomb, albeit a controlled bomb in that its energy is released in a controlled way, says Qichao Hu, CEO of SolidEnergy, a developer of high-energy-density material used in mobile devices, high-altitude drones, and clean-energy vehicles. Lithium ion batteries, commonly used in smartphones and laptops, have a higher energy density than other batteries, which means they pack more energy into a smaller form factor. This makes them more attractive for portable devices. But it also makes them more volatile when things go wrong. If the charger is damaged in any way as to affect the way it regulates voltage or current inside the battery," says Hu, "then you could have situation where youre overcharging the battery." Overcharging causes the cathode to become unstable, he explains, releasing oxygen and making the battery overheat. As the battery gets hotter and more unstable, it can suddenly discharge all of its energy. Story continues "The resulting sparks," says Hu, "could cause that tightly packed bundle of oxygen, heat, and volatile materials, which are themselves trapped inside the phone, to explode. Consumer Reports testers have been conducting a routine evaluation of Note7s models from the major carriers for more than a week. To date, we've found no major issues, despite subjecting the phones to a series of battery-related tests involving heavy use of the camera, display, and wireless connections and repeated charging and discharging of the batteries. Our complete test results will appear in our ratings soon. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. When we talk about 4K in televisions we talk about luxury however with the advent of technology the 4K televisions are no more a thing of the elite, The brands are coming up with innovations trying to bring this technology at an economical price however to go for the best of the segment you would still have to cough up an exorbitant amount of money. Television companies are using a varied variety of terms to describe the latest range of televisions in the market hence before hitting on the list we would like to brief you over these terms. The most commonly used term which this article is about is the 4K or Ultra HD which means that the television screen will contain 3840 X 2160 pixels in an all, the next term you often come across is OLED which is the acronym for Organic LED, the type of television in which the light is emitted by each pixel which gives us vibrant colors and really thin designs. Now, lets quickly explore the best options available in the segment of 4K televisions. 1. LG OLED65B6P This model from the house of LG featuring OLED with Ultra HD display has taken the love of audio visual enthusiasts to another level. The television displays perfect black and infinite contrast using the each pixels independent ability to product its own light and color. This guy also offers best High Dynamic Range experience in addition ability to play Dolby Visual content. The television features WebOS 3.0 which the most innovative LG Smart TV platform offering various features to make the device easier and comfortable to use. The TV comes with a 4.0 channel speaker system with an output power of 40W. Available at a price of $3999.99 for the 65 variant, this option is worth considering if you are a lover of OLED screens. You can also go for the 55 variant of the device offered by the company just in case it suffice your needs. 2. LG OLED65E6P This is yet another variant of the aforementioned OLED model by LG and the only difference between the two is the use of Picture on Glass technology which makes this option a thousand bucks expensive than the above listed model. With this technology there comes in a bold and elegant designing technique in which the OLED module is applied directly to the back of the glass panel for an ultra slim look. Though, this might seem to be just another change in the ergonomics however this completely changes the look of the television and it looks a lot slimmer than the previous version. All the other features are same as of the above . To own this piece of technology you will have to spend $4999.99 which would definitely be worth it. Story continues 3. Sony X930D / X940D Next in the league is the Ultra Slim TV X930D / X940D from Sony which is available at a price tag of $2,499.99. The device features Sonys signature triluminous display complimented with the HDR in the HDR10 format. This presentation from Sony is definitely one of the sleekest and skinny when compared to the others in the market. Going by the numbers Sony has by far the best picture quality in the segment and when it comes to video, by using the MotionFlow technology it manages to achieve great balance between motion resolution and smoothing. In addition to all the other features this television also supports Android TV to cater to your movie and gaming needs. 4. Samsung KS9500 The next in the list is a model from the electronics behemoth, the Samsung KS9500, which has been smartly priced at $2799.99 for the 65 variant. This model from Samsung is the 2016 upgrade to the 2015 KS9500 and offers a lot more features than its predecessor. The device is Tizen powered smart system and has features like automatic detection of what you connect to it, be it your gaming console, streaming set top box or your cable box and there on you can control it automatically. This version is a bit thicker but that makes it have better black levels and overall contrast, this produces good natural effects if we talk about the 3D effect. Another leap in this version is the compatibility of the Samsungs Smart Things system with which you can control a number of things including the smart lights, thermostats, wireless cameras that too from a variety of brands with an easy interactive interface. Well, at this price, it definitely seems to be an attractive deal however, we before going for this we should consider another variant from Samsung listed below. 5. Samsung JS9500 This model from Samsung definitely produces the best pictures compared to any other television present in the market, it offers excellent contrast, superb color and video processing and deep black black levels. It also has the ability to get brighter than the OLED TVs at times. The device like the KS 9800 features a smart remote and Samsungs smart TV system which are very easier to use. The only negative thing about the smart TV is that the picture suffers when we look from off-angles which obviously is the case with other TV options listed here as well. This guy has been priced around $7999.99 for now however considering the fact that its predecessors were also priced in the same range during the time of launch but the prices are usually slashed by the year end, you can expect a deep fall in the prices pretty soon. And if you can get this system around $4k then this would definitely we a deal breaker considering the wide range of features it as to offer. The list of the options is pretty straight forward however the choice is really difficult, but we hope we highlighting the major points listed out here that makes these devices stand out would definitely help you out in your next purchase of the 4K televisions. Have anything to add to this story? Feel free to comment in the comment section below. Picture credit: Official Website Ps: All the prices have been taken from the official websites and are for the 65 Inch variants. Global broadband services and technology company, ViaSat Inc. VSAT, with its long-time partner Eutelsat, is spreading its wings across the Atlantic, as it signed an agreement to provide in-flight Wi-Fi services with Finnair. This follows a similar contract with EL AL Israel Airlines, which is currently in customer trials phase, and is scheduled to enter full retail service by the end of this year. The Finnair Contract The Finnair contract entails the installation of a high-speed wireless Internet network on the airlines entire Airbus A320 series short-haul fleet flying in Europe. The installation will begin in May 2017, and is slated to finish by Jun 2018. As the prime contractor to the airlines, ViaSat will supply its vertically integrated in-flight Internet system, which will include an end-to-end service that will leverage connectivity from Eutelsat. The connectivity service will leverage KA-SAT, Eutelsats high-capacity Ka-band broadband satellite. With passengers increasingly valuing high-speed Internet during their flights these days, the ViaSat in-flight Wi-Fi system will allow Finnair to unlock greater value for its clients by enabling them to use their own device to engage with the Internet. ViaSat delivers download speed of 12 megabits per second, faster than most existing services. It also allows passengers to stream Internet video. ViaSats Booming Wi-Fi Business ViaSat has, till date, installed its system on about 500 commercial airplanes. This figure includes most of the United Continental Holdings, Inc.s UAL Boeing 737 fleet as well as the JetBlue Airways aircraft. VIASAT INC Price and Consensus VIASAT INC Price and Consensus | VIASAT INC Quote ViaSat has been expanding its Wi-Fi business further. In June, the company secured a contract to provide internet access on 100 new American Airlines Group AAL planes. ViaSat is also reportedly supplying Wi-Fi to Air Force One and other government aircraft. Story continues Further, ViaSat recently inked a multi-year agreement with leading aerospace company, Dassault Aviation. Per the deal, ViaSat will equip the first Falcon 8X with its Ku-band terminal to deliver advanced Internet and corporate network access to operators. In addition, in February, ViaSat secured a deal to deliver Wi-Fi services to the domestic fleet of Qantas Airways. Growth Prospects We believe that the companys significant contract wins will boost its leading position in end-markets, allowing it to gain a competitive edge over its peers. ViaSat expects robust growth as it capitalizes on its competitive advantage and sturdy demand for its highly cost-effective satellite bandwidth products. The company projects strong growth opportunities in satellite services and government systems segments, which should drive top-line growth in the coming quarters. ViaSat currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the same space is Clearfield, Inc. CLFD, holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> 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 VIASAT INC (VSAT): Free Stock Analysis Report UNITED CONT HLD (UAL): Free Stock Analysis Report AMER AIRLINES (AAL): Free Stock Analysis Report CLEARFIELD INC (CLFD): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Googles new Allo app will take on Facebooks Messenger Google has a messaging problem. Despite its massive size and reach a number of its services including Android and Gmail regularly capture a billion monthly users Google has fallen off when it comes to the most popular trend in consumer tech: messaging apps. And thats where we say, Hello, to Allo, Googles upcoming messaging app. Named after the French word for hello, Allo aims to compete with the Facebook Messengers, Whatsapps and WeChats of the world when it becomes available for download in the coming weeks. Its all about the eyeballs But why would Google, one of the biggest companies on Earth, a brand thats virtually synonymous with the internet itself, care about messaging apps? One word: engagement. Smartphone users spend an average of 23 hours per week on messaging and social apps, according to John Jackson, research vice president for mobile and connected platforms at market research firm IDC. That level of engagement is off the charts and highly desirable, Jackson said. And right now it is the province of the Facebooks and Twitters and Snapchats and Instagrams of the world. Google Allo will include a number of features including stickers, emojis and transforming text. Ultimately, apps like Allo are another way for companies to pull in more money through advertising dollars. The more Google is able to keep you engaged with its apps, the more it can learn about you. And for an advertising-driven business like Google, that kind of information is king. And no matter how much your friend Bill in I.T. tells you he loves Google+, the service simply cant compete with Facebook or Instagram. And while many people still use Googles Hangouts app, it doesnt quite have the same features or social cache that apps like Snapchat, Whatsapp and WeChat offer. But Allo, Google hopes, will. Yes, that means Allo will include emojis and goofy features like the ability to increase or decrease the size of your text so you can make it seem like youre shouting or whispering your message. The app will also allow you to send end-to-end encrypted messages as long as you enter incognito mode, that is. Story continues But if all of these features are already available through other apps, how will Allow help Google compete? By adding the one secret ingredient the tech giant has that its competitors dont: Google. Adding a dash of Google See, like Facebook Messenger and WeChat, Googles Allo will support bots, computer programs that talk to you like human beings. Think of bots as a kind of automated operator that picks up when you try to call your cable company. But instead of infuriating you, bots help you complete tasks that youd normally need to leave your messaging app and open another window to accomplish. Facebooks Messenger now has 1 billion users. Facebooks Poncho bot, for example, will provide you with a weather update if you ask it, Whats the weather like? Allo takes things a step further with its Google assistant. This built-in bot will automatically understand the context of your conversations and provide you with information directly from Google. Say for example, you want to know the score of the Mets game. Simply ask the assistant in Allo and it will tell you the score. You can also access Googles Search, Maps, YouTube and Translate apps through Allo. Even more impressive, if youre talking about going out to to an Italian restaurant for dinner with a friend, Allos Google assistant can look up Italian restaurants in your area and help you book a table. All of this means, as Google explained in a blog post announcing the messaging apps debut, Allo means users will, no longer have to jump between apps to do things. In other words, Allo users will remain engaged with Googles product rather than opening competitors apps. The platforms are increasingly able to suck in all kinds of third-party services so you dont have to leave the [message] stream, Jackson explained. So he or she who controls the stream controls quite a lot. Still, Allo will need to work well in order for it to see the kind of success of its competitors. Unfortunately, well have to wait until Allo is available to find that out. Stay tuned. More from Dan: Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. 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MR.WILLIAM BETHA + 229-66213758 From: ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com > Sent: August 30, 2016 11:43 AM Subject: Re: Re:United Bank Dear, ,Thank you as I am waiting ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com >August 30, 2016 11:43 AMRe: Re:United Bank Dear, ,Thank you as I am waiting UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH FOR AFRICA BENIN AGBOKOU STREET, COTONOU PLOT- 47 AVEN- APPOSITE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN. TEL-PHONE NUMBER + 229 66213758/ FAX 66413902. Dear, There is no way for us to send $100 to you because the principal amount of $2.5Million was already uploaded into ATM card issued for you, and there is mistake because I went to Couriers delivery company here in Benin today to negotiate how much is their delivery charges, they will take to delivered your ATM card to you, Courier delivery company will take to deliver the ATM card to your destination is $250 plus our official security keeping of $100, that is $350 for all expenses for your ATM card before it will reached you, can we give you account to transfer fee of $350? To enable your ATM card delivered to you. Can we give account to transfer the fee of $350 today or tomorrow? To enable your ATM card delivered to you without any problem or delay. YOURS SINCERELY, UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH GROUP BANK FOR AFRICA BENIN. MR.WILLIAM BETHA + 229-66213758 From: ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com > Sent: August 31, 2016 1:13 AM Subject: Re: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com >August 31, 2016 1:13 AMRe: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH FOR AFRICA BENIN AGBOKOU STREET, COTONOU PLOT- 47 AVEN- APPOSITE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN. TEL-PHONE NUMBER + 229 66213758/ FAX 66413902. Dear, Were in receipt of your mail, your ATM card and pin code number is intact with us in our office, but it's not possible for us withdraw money out from your ATM card why because it's issued on your name, how could legal bank like us to do something illegally? It's very big an offence that banker can use ATM card issued for customers withdrawing the money uploaded. Secondly, to sending money to you through western union, you cannot pick it up in western union in your country because you don't have transfer permit certificate which can helping receiving money from western union, but you can sending money through western union or money gramand bankers cannot pay fee required from customers from bottom of his or her pockets because it's illegal and too suspicious. The only option we can give you account to transfer the charge fee of $350 to our account, to enable you receive the ATM card we issued for you.Moreover open this attachment file to see the ATM card we issued for you and my staff ID Card. All you need to do to receive your ATM card issued for you is if you can send fee to us through western union or transfer the fee of $350 to us bank transfer then we can give you account to transfer the fee, as soon as you send the fee of $350 to us we send the ATM card to you. YOURS SINCERELY, UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH GROUP BANK FOR AFRICA BENIN. MR.WILLIAM BETHA + 229-66213758 From: ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com > Sent: September 1, 2016 1:50 AM Subject: Re: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com >September 1, 2016 1:50 AMRe: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH FOR AFRICA BENIN AGBOKOU STREET, COTONOU PLOT- 47 AVEN- APPOSITE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN. TEL-PHONE NUMBER + 229 66213758/ FAX 66413902. Dear, Actually who told you that I'm not sound like I'm not banker who working United bank for Africa Benin Republic Branch? I was confirmed that you contacted United bank of UK, we not United bank of UK, we are United Bank of Africa Benin Republic branch, you have nothing in United bank of Uk, and stop communicating with United Bank of UK, because you have nothing to do with them. Any body tell you that I' m not banker, may God punish him or her, stop communicating with United Bank of UK to avoid deceiving you, because there is lot of enemies of progress in this world, you may chosen someone as your best friend telling him or her your secrete but you may not know that he is enemy of yourprogress fighting to make sure good thing cannot come to you, because she know that if you receive your ATM card from us have became wealth forever. Your ATM card is not with United Bank of UK and your fund is not in united bank of UK, United bank of Uk, they don't know aboutthis your ATM card, who issued this ATM card is yours United Bank for Africa Benin Republic Branch. If you like to receive the ATM card we issued for you stop communicating with other bank and stopping telling any body about this ATM card, like I told you once you send the fee of $350 we send your ATM card we issued for you without any problem nor delaying, I 'm sorry to tell that your friend contacted us who worked in United bank of UK telling usto send the fee to us for us tosend your ATM card to her without your concept and we refuse, don't ever tell your friend or any body about your ATM card, keep it secret until you receive it ok. and we want you to send the fee of $350 to us through western union or money gram. Use this information to send the fee of $350 to our accountant's information through western Union or money gram. Receiver Name. . . Chinedu Edoche Country. . . Benin Republic City. . . Cotonou Text Question. . Colour Answer. . . blue I am waiting for you to send the MTCN payment information of $350 to us today to enable us send the ATM Card to you. YOURS SINCERELY, UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH GROUP BANK FOR AFRICA BENIN. MR.WILLIAM BETHA + 229-66213758 From: ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com > Sent: September 1, 2016 10:54 AM Subject: Re: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com >September 1, 2016 10:54 AMRe: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH FOR AFRICA BENIN AGBOKOU STREET, COTONOU PLOT- 47 AVEN- APPOSITE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN. TEL-PHONE NUMBER + 229 66213758/ FAX 66413902. Dear, Do youwant to transfer the fee of $350 bank to banktransfer? yes or no, or do you like usto transfer the principal amount uploaded into the ATM Card we issued for you, bank to bank transfer? YOURS SINCERELY, UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH GROUP BANK FOR AFRICA BENIN. MR.WILLIAM BETHA + 229-66213758 From: ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com > Sent: September 1, 2016 1:36 PM Subject: Re: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com >September 1, 2016 1:36 PMRe: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH FOR AFRICA BENIN AGBOKOU STREET, COTONOU PLOT- 47 AVEN- APPOSITE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN. TEL-PHONE NUMBER + 229 66213758/ FAX 66413902. Dear, It means that all the mail we sent to you since you are not read it? Or you are not understood all the mail we sent to you, actually we issued your ATM card and also holding the money on this ATM card, our bank name is united bank for Africa. Can we give you account to transfer the fee of $350 to us bank to bank transfer? Were waiting for your urgent mail. YOURS SINCERELY, UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH GROUP BANK FOR AFRICA BENIN. MR.WILLIAM BETHA + 229-66213758 From: ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com > Sent: September 2, 2016 6:33 AM Subject: Re: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting ATM CARD REMITTANCE CASH < atmremitcash1@outlook.com >September 2, 2016 6:33 AMRe: Re:United Bank Dear, Thank you as I am waiting UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH FOR AFRICA BENIN AGBOKOU STREET, COTONOU PLOT- 47 AVEN- APPOSITE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN. TEL-PHONE NUMBER + 229 66213758/ FAX 66413902. Dear, Transfer the fee of $350 to us bank to bank transfer below this account. BANK NAME: UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA. ACCOUNT NAME: PAUL EDOCHIE ACCOUNT NUMBER: 515500008699 BANK ADDRESS: 01 B.P, 2020 COTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC. CODE IBAN: BJ0621067015151550000869992 CODE SWIFT/BIC: COBB BJBJ Remember to scan the transfer slip to send to us as soon as you transferred the $350, moreover, were waiting for you to transfer fee of $350 to us today bank to bank transfer, so that we can block the ATM card we issued for you, to off loading the principal amount of $2.5Million into that ATM card issued for you to transfer to you bank to bank transfer. YOURS SINCERELY, UNITED BANK FOREIGN REMITTANCE CASH GROUP BANK FOR AFRICA BENIN. MR.WILLIAM BETHA + 229-66213758 If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more.... Do you enjoy a good gothic novel? Do you wonder what it would have been like to be a part of a trio of three gifted sisters living a lonely... Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier Those who habitually put items in their recycling bins that don't belong there are the target of the ordinance amendment, not those who make an occasional, accidental mistake, said Public Works Director Jeff Demers. This week on our national parks journey, we travel to the largest state in terms of land area: Alaska. Alaska is home to more national parks than any other state. It is also home to North Americas tallest mountain -- the 6,190-meter high Denali peak. The peak gives the surrounding protected area its name. Welcome to Denali National Park in central Alaska. Denalis grounds covers more than 2.4 million hectares. Within the park are glaciers, clear rivers, peaceful forests, and wildlife such as wolves, moose, bears, and sheep. Denali National Park seems huge; yet only one road goes through the park. Hundreds of thousands of visitors travel down that road each year to experience the Alaskan wild. From Mount McKinley to Denali Denali National Park was first established almost 100 years ago. At the time, the park and North Americas tallest mountain were known by another name. Many Americans knew the famous peak as Mount McKinley. In the late 1800s, gold miners unofficially named the peak after William McKinley, the 25th U.S. president. At the time, McKinley was still a presidential candidate. McKinley himself never traveled anywhere near the mountain. But the name stuck. In Alaska, however, locals continued to call the mountain Denali. The word Denali means the high one for the Athabascan people, many of whom lived north of the mountain. The area became a national park on February 26, 1917. Its name was Mount McKinley National Park. Some naturalists disagreed with the naming decision. A debate continued for more than half a century, a sign of the areas long and complex history. In 1975, Alaskan state officials asked the federal government to change the name to Denali to honor the native Alaskans. But congressional members from the state of Ohio - where McKinley was from - opposed and blocked the renaming efforts. In late 1980, weeks before his presidency ended, Jimmy Carter increased the size of the park from 800,000 hectares to 2.4 million hectares. The expanded park also took on a new name. It became the Denali National Park and Preserve. The naming debate, however, was not over. Although the park took the name of Denali, the mountain itself still remained Mount McKinley for another 35 years. In August 2015, President Barack Obama officially changed mountains name from Mount McKinley to Denali. The announcement was made shortly before Obama traveled to Alaska. His visit was aimed at publicizing the effects of climate change in the state. Obama became the first active president to travel north of the Arctic Circle. U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said of the name change: "With our own sense of reverence for this place, we are officially renaming the mountain Denali in recognition of the traditions of Alaska Natives and the strong support of the people of Alaska. Protecting a unique ecosystem - past and present The animals living within Denali National Park are just as famous as its tallest peak. In fact, Denali was the first national park created in order to protect wildlife. The park is home to 39 kinds of mammals and over 160 kinds of birds. Many people come to Denali to see the parks largest mammals. Some moose here weigh well over 500 kilograms. More than 1,700 caribou live within the grounds. Dall sheep flock together on hillsides. Wolves are everywhere in the park. Denali is known as one of the best places to observe wolves in the wild. Giant grizzly bears also can be seen. They enjoy catching salmon and eating wild berries in the summer. Denali also protects the remains of a prehistoric ecosystem. In 2005, geologists discovered fossilized evidence of dinosaur tracks within Denali. Tests showed the fossil to be about 70 million years. It was the first sign of dinosaurs in central Alaska. Since then, scientists have discovered more than 300 fossil sites. The fossils preserve evidence of other ancient creatures and many kinds of plants. With each discovery, a more complete picture of Denalis past comes to life. A long history of mountaineering Adventure-seeking travelers visit Denali to climb North Americas tallest peak. The first successful climb to the very top happened on June 7, 1913, when four men reached the summit. Every year, more than 1,000 people try to reach Denalis summit. Only about half of them succeed. Climbing Denali is extremely difficult. Climbers face harsh conditions and extreme weather. Winds can blow at speeds of more than 160 kilometers an hour. They must use special equipment to travel along glacier ice and difficult terrain. The Kahiltna Glacier is the longest glacier here. Climbers know it as the starting point for 'summiting' Denali. It sees some of the most extreme temperatures of any place on Earth. Most successful climbs take about three weeks. Several local businesses offer group climbs. Enjoying Denali Visitors can enjoy Denali in more restful ways, too. Many people travel by bus along the parks single road. Travel companies offer half-day bus tours. Others choose to ride bicycles along the long road. This gives them a chance to get up close to Denalis wildlife and peaceful environment. The park operates six campsites and offers several kilometers of trails. Denali is also home to a group of sled dogs. These Alaskan huskies are an important part of the park experience. Visitors can watch sled dog demonstrations in the summer to learn about this traditional Alaskan way of travel. Celebrating 100 years As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, Denali National Park is preparing to mark its 100th anniversary next February. The parks past, present and future connect many different cultures and people across time. Im Ashley Thompson. And I'm Dorothy Gundy. Ashley Thompson adapted this report with materials from the National Park Service. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story journey - n. an act of traveling from one place to another peak - n. the pointed top of a mountain glacier - n.a very large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley or over a wide area of land reverence - n. honor or respect that is felt for or shown to (someone or something) ecosystem - n. everything that exists in a particular environment flock - v. to gather or move in a crowd mammal - n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin fossil - n. something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks summit - n. the highest point of a mountain harsh - adj. unpleasant and difficult to accept or experience terrain - n. land of a particular kind tour - n. an activity in which you go through a place (such as a building or city) in order to see and learn about the different parts of it trail - n. a path through a forest, field, etc. Korean-American filmmaker Grace Lee grew up in Columbia, Missouri. There were not many other Asian families in the university town in the Midwestern part of the U.S. When she was a girl, her family tried to fit in with American culture. That culture included food. We sort of kept our kimchi to ourselves in our basement refrigerator, Lee says. Kimchi is a well-known Korean condiment made from fermented cabbage, radish, scallion or cucumber. But in the 1970s and 1980s when Lee was young, people in places like Columbia, Missouri would never have known what kimchi was. We never exposed it to anybody, Lee says. Over 30 years later, food culture in the U.S. has changed a lot. Kimchi is now found as a condiment on American foods like hamburgers. Lee wanted to examine the evolution of Asian food in America in her documentary Off the Menu. It came out in 2015. Lees work is now available on DVD and as part of the American Film Showcase. The program brings documentaries and independent films to audiences around the world. The showcase is part of a program supported by the U.S Department of State and produced by the University of Southern California. Audiences in countries like Armenia, Nepal and Vietnam see American films. Experts lead discussions about the films as a way to help people around the world better understand American culture. Lee traveled around the U.S. to make her movie about Asian food. She did not think tofu would be a very popular food in a state like Texas. She spoke with Texan Gary Chiu, the son of immigrants from Taiwan. He runs the oldest tofu factory in Texas. Chiu said he makes both tofu eggrolls, a traditional Asian food, and tofu tamales. Tamales are a traditional food from Mexico. Lee says Chius business is an example of fusion: mixing the food culture of China, Mexico and Texas. Some people say food helps the healing process. Lee wanted to find out if that was true. In 2012, six members of a Sikh temple in the Midwest state of Wisconsin were killed. A man with a gun entered the temple and started shooting as people in the temple were getting ready for a meal called langar. Lee talked with people from that temple. They told her they continued the tradition of langar even after the shooting. They said it helped heal the community. You cant pray, you cant be in tune in with God, unless your belly is full, one temple member said in the film. Off the Menu ends its 60-minute tour of the U.S. in Hawaii. One family still tries to practice the traditional Hawaiian large meal called a luau. Although much of the food consumed by Hawaiians is imported, Hiilei Kawelo says she and her family try to catch seafood just like their ancestors did. In the film, she tells Lee when you eat it, youre eating the essence of all the skills passed down from generation to generation. The Center for Asian American Media, which helped pay for the film, also talked with Lee about her film. She said she hoped the documentary would help people learn more about what it means to be Asian-American. She wants viewers to learn about the people behind the food that has become a big part of life in the U.S. To really do the topic justice, wed probably need an ongoing series, Lee said. Im Dan Friedell. Heidi Chang wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. What do you think about Asian food in the U.S.? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story basement n. the part of a building that is entirely or partly below the ground condiment n. something (such as salt, mustard, or ketchup) that is added to food to give it more flavor ferment v. to preserve and change the flavor of a food through a chemical process sometimes used to convert sugar into alcohol evolution - n. a process of slow change and development tofu n. a soft, white food made from soybeans and often used in vegetarian cooking instead of meat essence n. the basic nature of a thing : the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is tour n. a trip to several different places, a journey through different parts of a country or area Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg met Pope Francis at the Vatican Monday and gave him a high-tech gift -- a drone. However, it was not a working drone. His gift was a model of the aircraft Facebook plans to use to bring internet access to people in developing countries. Zuckerberg posted a picture on Facebook showing him presenting the model drone to the Pope at his Santa Marta residence in Vatican City. We gave him a model of Aquila, our solar-powered aircraft that will beam internet connectivity to places that don't have it, he explained. The businessmans wife, Priscilla Chan, also attended. Zuckerberg said they were touched by the meeting. You can feel his warmth and kindness, and how deeply he cares about helping people. He praised Pope Francis for finding new ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world. The Facebook founder and his wife launched the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in December 2015. He said he spoke with the pope about the initiatives goal to advance human potential and promote equality in all parts of the world. The organization works on many issues. They include personal learning, fighting disease, connecting people and building strong communities, according to information on its website. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said one topic discussed was "how to use communication technologies to alleviate poverty, encourage a culture of encounter, and make a message of hope arrive, especially to those most in need. Facebook disaster help Zuckerberg announced he was traveling to Italy after a deadly 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the country last week. Nearly 300 people died in the quake, which hit the central part of the country. In a Facebook post, he expressed concern for victims of the earthquake and their loved ones. Facebook has tried to improve communication during disasters. A few years ago it launched its Safety Check system. The program allows users to let loved ones know they are OK after a disaster or terrorist attack. In Italy, Zuckerberg held a live question and answer session with Facebook community members. The Facebook founder also met in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. He said the two discussed the earthquake, and how technology is creating jobs to help Italys economy. Zuckerberg spoke about Facebooks efforts to provide equipment to researchers across Europe to study artificial intelligence. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from VOA News and the Associated Press. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. What international causes would you like to see Facebook get involved in? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story drone n. a small flying machine flown remotely by a pilot beam v. to send out streams of light faith n. a system of religious beliefs potential adj. capable of becoming something real alleviate v. make something less difficult or painful encounter n. meeting and interacting with others artificial intelligence n. the development of computers to perform intelligence-related tasks without human involvement Brazils new president has appealed for national unity after lawmakers voted to remove Dilma Rousseff from the office Wednesday. In a speech to the nation, President Michel Temer said the vote in the Senate was open and democratic. He called it a moment of hope to reclaim confidence in Brazil. And he urged Brazilians to put the national interest above group interests. The Senate impeachment and conviction of Rousseff ends 13 years of rule by the Workers Party of Rousseff and former president Louis Ignacio Lula da Silva. The Senate voted 61 to 20 to end the presidency of Brazil's first female leader. She was found guilty of violating budgetary laws in an effort to improve her chances of re-election in 2014. Rousseff faced questions about the case for 14 hours on Monday. Her removal raises questions about the future of social programs, which are said to have lifted millions of Brazilians out of poverty. After the vote, Rousseff called her removal an attempt to seize power and restated that she was innocent of the charges. In a statement, she said, "They (Senators) decided to interrupt the mandate of a president who had committed no crime. They have convicted an innocent person and carried out a parliamentary coup." Mark Jones is a Latin American expert at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He told VOA that Brazil is deeply divided and faces difficult economic problems. Jones called Temer, who had been Rousseffs vice president, a deal-maker who is willing to make compromises to get things done. Temers Democratic Movement Party had ruled in a coalition with Rousseffs Workers Party until now. Jones called the charges against Rousseff comparatively minor. He said they did not involve personal enrichment or illegal payments. He added that Rousseff faced public anger over suspected corruption involving her party. He added that had Brazil's economy been growing instead of shrinking Rousseff would likely still be in office. Im Jonathan Evans. Victor Beattie reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Give us your thoughts in the comment section below. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story confidence n. a feeling that a person can do something well or that success is possible interrupt v. to cause some process to be stopped for a period of time mandate n. the power to act that voters give to their elected leaders coup n. an attempt by a small group to take over a government or organization conviction n. the act of finding that a person is guilty of a crime This is Whats Trending Today. American Bill Nye is a science educator, actor and writer. Nye is probably best known as the presenter and star of Bill Nye the Science Guy, a television program from the 1990s. The show explained science to children in an enjoyable, humorous way. One-hundred episodes of The Science Guy were shown on Public Broadcasting Service television stations across the United States. Teachers also played videos of the program in classrooms. Americans who grew up in the 1990s may still recognize and remember the shows opening music. For many young people, Bill Nye helped make science fun and interesting. The U.S. television industry recognized him for his work on the childrens show. Now, almost 20 years after the show ended, Bill Nye is getting a new show. The streaming service Netflix announced this week that it will release Bill Nye Saves the World next year. The new talk show will deal with issues related to science. It will include special guests and scientific demonstrations from Bill Nye himself. Americans who grew up watching the Science Guy reacted with excitement on social media. Bill Nye trended on Twitter and Facebook. One Twitter user wrote, this might be the best news of 2016. Another wrote, @BillNye is going to have a show on Netflix so everything is right in the world again. Netflix hopes its large audience of millennials -- the young people who watched the childrens show -- will now want to see Bill Nye Saves the World. The show will be released in the spring of 2017. And thats Whats Trending Today. I'm Dan Friedell. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story episode - n. a television show, radio show, etc., that is one part of a series guest - n. a usually well-known person who is invited to appear or perform on a program, at an event, etc. millennial - n. a person who was born in the 1980s or 1990s Ready for another TV binge? These shows are most worthy of your precious time. The No. 1 issue facing the Nebraska Legislature this session is tax relief, according to the state chamber of commerce. On Thursday morning, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted its annual legislative forum and breakfast at North Plattes Holiday Inn Express. The chamber focuses mainly on four things economic development, job creation and retention, friendlier tax climate and fewer regulations, said Barry Kennedy, president of the state chamber. We spend the bulk of our time, especially when the Legislature is in session, at the Capitol monitoring and lobbying issues on behalf of our members and the business community in general. Jamie Karl, vice president of public affairs and policy for the state chamber, offered statistics on Nebraskas rankings in several areas. These are the same comparisons that site selectors and business leaders across the country look at when they make their decisions on where to relocate or expand a business, Karl said. We looked at the broadest comparison we could find: CNBCs Best States for doing business. This study looked at over 60 different areas of economic competitiveness. Karl said Nebraska came in at No. 11 this year. Thats good because were still a strong performer, Karl said. But the bad news is weve dropped from seventh place last year, and two years ago we were actually fourth place in this study. The key reason, Karl said, is that this year the study placed a much heavier emphasis on the workforce. In that area Nebraska has fallen to 19th overall. Every single study deemed us as a high-tax state, Karl said. Four primary taxes determined state and local tax burdens: real estate, vehicle, state income tax and state sales tax. Nebraska had the second highest tax climate overall, Karl said. Only Illinois was worse. Karl said there were some positives as well. Were the second best state for fiscal solvency hats off to the Legislature and executive branch for that, Karl said. Were the third best state for millennials, including job opportunities, third best legal climate in the nation and fifth best state for business incentives and economic development. While much of the discussion focused on the states tax climate, Kennedy pointed out some bills that were passed in the last legislative session, including one establishing an infrastructure bank to speed up road repairs. This is an idea that should provide more resources into construction of roads, maintenance of roads especially county roads bridges, Kennedy said. Theres lots of bridges in the counties across the state that need repairs, a lot of them built a long time ago. This will help provide resources to help preserve some of those and also hopefully will expedite our expressway system. The Legislature also extended the Nebraska Advantage Act by three years. The law, LB 1022, clarified the Legislatures oversight of Nebraskas business incentive programs, including the Advantage Act, which gives tax incentives to businesses expanding or relocating in the state. Businesses can apply for incentives based on how much money they invest and how many jobs their business will create, among other criteria. It was set to expire next year, but has been extended to Dec. 31, 2020, Kennedy said. District 42 State Sen. Mike Groene, who also spoke at the meeting, said he disagreed with the extension. Our biggest disagreement was over the Advantage Act, Groene said. Im a rule-of-law person. We stretch things, we bend things, and it wasnt the chambers fault, but the extension of the Advantage Act should have come through the Revenue Committee. There were games played and it was done in executive committee. Groene closed the meeting with what the Legislature has to deal with in the next session. The biggest issue is the budget, Groene said. We were short $95 million at the end of the first quarter. Projections are we will be $650 million short at the end of September and could be close to $1 billion short by the end of the year if the ag economy doesnt turn around. Groene asked where the Legislature is going to find the money. Wheres it going to come from? Education is 48 percent of our general fund budget, Groene said. The University of Nebraska, were third or fourth in the nation per capita in support of our university system. Our tuition is the lowest in the Big 10, but can we afford that? Groene also said public schools funding could be an issue. Were spending $800 per student more than the average state, Groene said. Thats $240 million more we spend in our little state of 1.8 million people than the average state does. Thats going to have to take a hit; the university is going to have to take a hit. Thursday was the fourth annual State Fair Cattleman's Day, an event hosted by the fair in cooperation with the Nebraska Cattlemen Association and the Sandhills Cattle Association. That meant there was no better way to celebrate the state's beef industry than putting on a barbeque meal for people in the beef industry and the fair's cattle exhibitors, followed by the Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive: Open Female and Bull Selection. Gov. Pete Ricketts was one of the people who enjoyed the barbecue and, after everyone had finished eating, he extolled the importance of the industry with its $6.5 billion in annual cattle sales and its $1 billion in beef export sales to the state's economy. Even though the competition was being held at the Nebraska State Fair, animals in the competition had also been bred in Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois and Tennessee, making the Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive even more intense. The Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive takes all the female cattle who won their classes at the Nebraska State Fair and has them compete against each other for first, second and third place. The competition then pits all the bulls who won their classes or divisions to see which will finish first, second and third. Ricketts was also one of the judges, although the real work of evaluating the female cattle and bulls belonged to Cheramie Viator of Cypress, Texas, and Curt Rincker of Shelbyville, Ill. However, both Viator and Rincker kept up a steady stream of conversation with Ricketts, as they apparently explained what they were looking for as first the females and then the bulls paraded through the ring. After the two judges revealed their decisions to the governor, Ricketts had the honor of revealing the third place winner, the Reserve Supreme Champion and the Grand Supreme Champion in that order. Ricketts strolled around all the cattle in both competitions, heightening the suspense before he finally announced the judges' selections. Third place went to a Red Angus female named MNS Sofia 42 brought in from Elizabeth, Colo., with Kalleigh Roberts listed as the exhibitor. The Reserve Supreme Champion was an Angus female named Lazy JB Queen Latifah 525. The exhibitor for that female was Lazy JB Angus and Halie Conley, with the city and state listed for the female listed as Montrose, Colo., and Canada. Finally, Ricketts revealed that the Grand Supreme Champion in the female competition was a Simmental Found named Miss Selina, with its city and state listed as Pierce, Albion and Martell, Neb. The exhibitor was listed at Gana/Gateway Genetics. The person showing Miss Selena was Kade Nelson of Crete. After the female competition was over, Nelson acknowledged how thrilling it was to have Miss Selina named as the Grand Supreme Champion. He noted that in 2015, he showed an animal from Gana/Gateway Genetics that won its class to get into the Supreme Champion Beef Cattle Drive. Although it is a honor to even make it to that competition, Gana/Gateway did not make the top three last year, he said. Thursday evening, Nelson was all smiles after the female competition. "It's exciting," said Nelson, who acknowledged feeling "pumped up" after the win for Miss Selina. After the females had exited the ring, the bulls entered one-by-one to be judged. Ricketts once again had the privilege of announcing Viator's and Rincker's decisions. Third place went to a Maine-Anjou Bull named BPF Beastie Boy. The exhibitor's name was once again Gana/Gateway Genetics, with the city and state listed as Pierce, Albion and Martell. The Reserve Supreme Champion was an Angus bull named Hurlbut OSU Final Exam 5130, with the exhibitor's name listed as Dustin and Jeana Hurlbut of Top Line Farms, with the city and state listed as Raymond, S.D. and Tremont, Ill. A Simmental bull named Pay The Price was named the 2016 Grand Supreme Champion. The exhibitor was Volk Livestock of Battle Creek. Dean Volk of Battle Creek said it was an honor to win against such a high level of competition. "You don't have to go very far in Nebraska to find reputable breeders of any breed of cattle," said Volk, who said Nebraska has breeders who have great reputations statewide, nationwide and even internationally. Just before the winners were named in the bull competition, Viator took the microphone and complimented people for what the contributions that Nebraska cattleman have made to the beef industry. She also urged people to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself to talk to people about the beef industry. "My challenge to you is tell our story," Viator said. "If we don't tell our story and tell it the right way, somebody else will tell it and we probably won't like their version. So my challenge to each of you is to tell about the beef industry, tell about your operations, be proud of it and be our future." The C.V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University, in partnership with the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute will host Cultural Revolution: Propaganda Art and Historical Memories exhibition from September to November, 2016. The exhibition will be inaugurated with a film screening, a lecture and a reception on Thursday, September 22, 2016. The two-month exhibition will showcase the Cultural Revolution collections of the C.V. Starr East Asian Library, particularly posters, pamphlets, booklets, documents, and Mao badges and busts. The film screening will present China - The Red Sons: Inside China during the Cultural Revolution in 1968, a rare documentary film on Chinese people taking part in Cultural Revolution shot by Australian filmmaker Roger Whittaker during a trip to China in 1968 organized by the Australian Union of University Students. The lecture will be delivered by Prof. Guobin Yang, University of Pennsylvania. Ronald Reagan The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive. Albert Einstein If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack. Winston Churchill It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so. With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts. Winston Churchill Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself. Harvey S. Firestone It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions. U.S. Supreme Court Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping. Jean Cocteau If talk in B-town is to be believed, then the reason Emraan Hashmi and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will not be starring together in Baadshaho is because of a statement the former made on the Koffee with Karan chat show two years ago, when he called the actress "plastic". While one may have assumed that the two parties would have moved on from the incident considering all the time that's passed, rumours would have otherwise: we hear that in June this year, Aishwarya was one of the first actresses to be approached for Milan Luhtria's Baadshaho, which stars Hashmi alongside Ajay Devgn. However, she reportedly turned down the role (said to be inspired by Maharani Gayatri Devi) once she found out that several of her scenes would be opposite Hashmi. Sources claimed that the actress hadn't forgotten the "plastic" jibe he'd levelled at her. Emraan Hashmi who is currently busy promoting his erotic horror thriller Raaz Reboot has laughed off those reports. "I dont know who was approached for the role of the leading lady but its like going back into history... that (the remark on Koffee With Karan) was two years ago. The statement was made in jest and its all for the hamper [laughs]. I am a big fan of Aishwarya Rai and if I meet her I will definitely apologise because there was nothing personal (to it), Emraan told Firstpost. He adds with a laugh, Karan just nudges you and makes you say these things. To win a hamper makes you greedy and makes you do such foolish things. He continues, I have no idea whether she refused the film because of my statement that only the makers and people who approached her know. Lot of actors are approached for a role. I havent had the chance to meet her. She would have forgotten this incident but obviously she was reminded of it because of articles in newspapers. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Film Certification has raised issues with some of the sequences in Raaz Reboot. While there have been reports that the film was cleared with an 'A' certificate with no cuts, Emraan revealed that the entire truth was not told: Actually the information given out was wrong. Everything was not cleared by the CBFC, there were few omissions, which I dont know why, never came out. The film got an 'A' certificate not because of erotica which happens with most of my films but its got more to do with the visual impact of the horror scenes and probably its not suitable for audience under 18. Im happy with an 'A' certificate but what is upsetting is that certain cuss words were deleted, then the word b***h was omitted. I fail to understand why they're fine with retaing a few mentions of the word f**k in the film, but not b***h. I can't figure out any logic to it. And why chop cuss words when the film has an 'A' certificate? Hashmi wonders. When we spoke with producer Mahesh Bhatt about the elements the CBFC wanted 'toned down' in Raaz Reboot, he said: Even the Hollywood film Exorcist had women suddenly breaking into profanities and abuses. It shocks the viewer and makes you feel that this person has been possessed by something that is evil. The censors came down heavily on this sequence in our film but we stuck to our guns, and finally, it was the cuss words that were reduced which I found absurd. Whether I say f**k five times or 10 times, what difference does it make? Its a good person possessed by evil force who is saying f**k, a word that is commonly used in our social space. Bhatt added, It (what gets passed and what doesn't) all depends upon the mood of the CBFC members and their interpretation of guidelines. They know that the producer is vulnerable. He has his back against the wall and there is a clock ticking, with promotions heading to an all time high. The CBFC is in the Dark Ages, there is the demon of regression which somebody must vanquish, and only then we can have a freer and better cinema. Upcoming Malayalam film actor Sreejith Ravi has been taken into custody by the Ottapalam police following complaints from a few school girls of misbehaviour. Speaking to IANS, an official attached to the Ottapalam police station confirmed that Ravi is in their custody. "We are verifying the complaint against him by school girls and only after verification would there be further action. So far no arrest has been recorded," said the official who did not wish to be identified. The actor was taken into custody after a group of school girls alleged that he exposed himself before them, which has been denied by him. The incident occurred last month. The FIR did not carry the actor's name and only mentioned the car's registration number. There were also allegations that the police were trying to protect the actor. Ravi, an engineer by profession, is the son of hugely popular actor TG Ravi who has been in the industry for more than four decades. Ravi junior began his film career in 2005 and has donned the grease paint in more than 50 films, including Nallu Penunngel directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Some of his other popular films include Chanthupottu and Mission 90 Days, which tells the tale of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. With inputs from IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he took charge at a time when the country was seen as a sinking ship when Brics thought the 'I' in the acronym had toppled over. In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, the Prime Minister spoke to Rahul Joshi, group editor of Network18 on how reform is key for the country and what it had taken so far to revive the sagging economy. Edited excerpts: My first question. Two years ago you came with a historic mandate. How do you view the last two years and what do you think has been your biggest achievement? After getting the responsibility of becoming the Prime Minister it has been about two years and three months. India is a democratic country and the people evaluate governments regularly. Media also evaluates. And these days professional survey agencies also do this. And I think this is good thing and that's why I leave it to the people to evaluate how my government has performed. But I will definitely want that whenever my government is evaluated, the situation of the government before we came to power must be kept in mind, what the state of the country was, what the media was discussing. If we keep that in view, newspapers were filled with news of corruption, despair. People had lost hope, they thought everything has sunk. If a patient, however good the doctor, is despondent, medicines will not cure him. And if the patient is hopeful, then even an average doctor can cure him. The reason for that is the patient's inner belief. My first priority after forming the government was that the atmosphere of despair should be removed and create hope and belief in the country. That doesn't happen with speeches, steps need to be taken, it has been shown to be done. And today after more than two years, I can say with certainty that there is hope not just in the people of this country, the trust of the entire world in India has grown. There was a time when we were being seen as a sinking ship. In the Brics, the 'I' was seen as if it had toppled over. Today it is said that if there is a bright spot, it is India. I think this in itself will be a good way to evaluate. You had come to power on the issue of development, so a question on the economy. After a lot of effort you succeeded in passing the GST Bill. How big a success do you see this and what is the common man going to gain from it? This is perhaps the biggest tax reform since the independence of India. This reform will bring a big change in India. Very few people in the country pay taxes. Some people pay taxes because they are patriotic, they want to do something for the country. Some pay taxes because they don't want to break the law. Some pay to avoid any trouble. But most don't pay because the process is no complicated, they think they might get stuck in the process and won't be able to come out. GST will simplify tax payments so much that anyone who wants to contribute to the country will come forward. Secondly, today if you go and eat at a hotel, the bill will come with this cess, that cess... And people send on Whatsapp, so much bill and so much cess... all this will end. And then we see at octroi and state-to-state (border) check posts, miles of vehicles standing. When vehicles are standing, it hurts the country's economy. Now all of it will become seamless, movement of goods from one state to another. Taxation systems will also be simplified and this will not only benefit the common man, the revenues will help develop the nation. Today there are sometimes incidents of mistrust between states. This will end that situation, it will be transparent and strengthen the federal structure. After coming to power, your biggest challenge was the economy. You not only had to bring back on track but also increase the pace of growth. How do you assess the situation and your own achievement? You are right, there was a negative atmosphere and that had an echo effect. The country's traders and industrialists had started looking out. There was a paralysis in government. On one hand it was this situation on one hand. On the other we had to face two successive droughts. Third, there was a slowdown in the global economy. So there were a series of challenges. It wasn't only after we came to government, even after that there were challenges. But our intention were strong, policies were clear. There was decisiveness... because there was no vested interest. The result of this was that positivity spread very quickly. Today, we have the most amount of foreign direct investment after Independence. The entire world says that at seven percent growth, we are the fastest growing economy. Whether it is the World Bank, IMF, credit agencies, even UN agencies, they all say India growing rapidly. So those policies which are helping growth has been emphasised. All obstructions are being removed with policies. All this has resulted in speeding up the economy. This time the rains have been good and this helps agriculture, which is driving force for the economy. This has raised hopes that the coming days will be much better. Usually it is one or two things that are talked about, but today growth has being talked about in all sectors. Electricity production has gone up and so has demand. Infrastructure work is also growing rapidly and that happens when there is demand in the economy. From all this it looks like we have moved ahead to better days. You are absolutely right that the monsoon is very encouraging and stock markets are also up. Would you like to tell us what the next wave of reforms will be? First of all, in our country, whatever is talked about is seen to be reform. If it isn't talked about, it isn't seen as reform. It shows our ignorance. Actually, reform to transform. I say in my government reform, perform and transform. And since I am sitting for an interview, I would say reform, perform, transform and inform. Take ease of doing business. Our ranking is improving very quickly. This is not possible without reform. Our systems, processes, forms were so complicated. Now they were reformed, so our rankings are going up. A UN agency has said that from 10 in the next two years, we could be at number three. These small things need to be improved. Even today there is licence raj in some areas. That needs to go. This is an important reform that is happening at every level, administrative, governance, legal. Like we removed 1,700 laws that were from the 19th and 20th centuries. I have asked states also to do so. These are very big reforms that people, because of lack on information, don't consider reforms. Take education, where we have taken an important step that no one gave attention to. We have said that 10 government and 10 private universities will be freed of all University Grants Commission rules. We will give them money and they must move towards becoming world class universities. If rules were holding them up, we will remove the rules, now do it and show us. This is a major reform but doesn't get people's attention. Direct benefit transfer is a big reform. Earlier who knew where MNREGA money was going. Now it is sent by DBT. So is gas subsidy and student scholarships. All these for me are reforms in governance, transparency. We are getting in more technology. These have to be done at a larger scale. At the centre of this is the common man. How to make life easier for the common man, how they will get what is their right, we want to stress on these. There has been economic growth and improvement but private investment is still a little slow. Some sectors are still in trouble, like real estate. Venture capital funding of startups has slowed. What message would you like to give to private industry and foreign investors? I see that because of your integrity and decorum, you didn't ask me this question bluntly. Most people do... Modiji in the last two years what mistake did you make? Today I think, before presenting the first Budget, I should have placed a White Paper in Parliament on the economic situation in the country. This thought had come to me. I had two paths. Politics told me that I should put out all the details. But the nation's interest told me that this information would increase the hopelessness, the markets would be badly hit, it would be big blow to the economy and the world's view of India would get worse... it would have been very difficult to get the economy out of that... I chose to stay silent at the risk of political damage in the national interest. At that time the situation in public sector banks was coming out and how budget numbers were moved around... I didn't put these details out in public. It hurt us, we were criticised, it was made to look like it was my fault. But I took the political damage in the country's interest and the result of that I am being able to fix things, despite shortcomings. The impact of all these issues from the past have impacted private investment, like non-performing assets of banks, that I am trying to fix now. I held a session with bankers and told them there will be no call from the government to you. These things would have tightened the screws. Despite that, the pace at which roads are being made, railways is expanding, six fold increase in electronic goods manufacturing, these things show we haven't taken short cuts. And my motto is, as it says on railway platforms, 'short cut will cut you short'. We don't want to take any short cuts and the results are showing. Anyway the situation has improved, we don't have to worry about these things but let me tell you about the days in the beginning, in May 2014, I chose the tough path. And when unbiased people analyse the situation, I am confident they will be surprised. Modiji, you seem to have cracked down on black money. In fact, it is reported that because of your crackdown on black money, small businessmen are hiding either in Dubai or London. You haven't spared political dynasties either. Will this process continue? First, from a political standpoint, i have neither thought about this and nor will I do so in the future. I have been a state CM for 14 years. And history is testimony to the fact that I have never opened any file due to political considerations. I have never been accused of this either. It has been over two years here too. The government has given no instruction to open any file. The law will take its own course. I have no right to indulge in any cover up. You saying that we haven't spared any dynasty isn't correct. We have made requisite legal changes so that the black money circulating inside the country can also be curbed. There's a scheme which is running till the 30th of September. For all those who are still willing to come in the mainstream. I have said this in public, that 30th of September is your last date. You may have made mistakes with whatever the intention may be, whether it has been done willingly or unwillingly, here is your chance. Come in the mainstream. I have this plan for people to sleep peacefully at night. people must accept this. And none should blame me if I take tough decisions after the 30th. This money belongs to the country's poor. None has the right to loot this. This is my commitment. I am working with full force and will continue the effort. London: A classified 60-year-old Japanese government document on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death made public on Thursday clearly concludes that the legendary freedom fighter died in a plane crash in Taiwan on 18 August, 1945, backing the official version. Bosefiles.info, a UK website set up to document evidence on the circumstances surrounding Netaji's death, today said this is the first time the report titled 'Investigation on the cause of death and other matters of the late Subhas Chandra Bose' has been made public because it remained classified by Japanese authorities and was kept a secret by the Indian government. "The report was completed in January 1956 and submitted to the Indian embassy in Tokyo, but since it was a classified document, neither side released it," the website says. The seven-page report in Japanese and a 10-page translation in English reaches the conclusion that Netaji met with an air crash on 18 August, 1945 and died at a Taipei hospital the same evening. "Immediately after taking off, the airplane in which he (Bose) rode fell to the ground, and he was wounded," the report notes in its 'Outline of the result of the investigation'. It further records that at "about 3.00 pm he entered the Nanmon Branch of Taipei Army Hospital"; and that at "about 7.00 pm he died". The findings also state that on "22 August, he was cremated (at the Taipei Municipal crematorium)". In a more detailed description of the incident, the report says, "After the plane had taken off and risen about 20 metres above the ground, one petal of the three-petaled propeller of the left wing was suddenly broken, and the engine fell off. "The airplane, subsequently unbalanced, crashed into ballast piles, beside the strip of the airport" and "was wrapped in flames in a moment. "Mr Bose, wrapped up in flames, got off the plane; Adjutant Rahmin (Colonel Habibur Rehman) and other passengers exerted themselves to take his clothes off... his whole body was seriously wounded by burns." The Japanese government report on the death of Netaji, who was 48 years old then, backs the Shah Nawaz Khan-led inquiry instituted by the then Indian prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, which had investigated the matter later in 1956, according to a press release issued by the website. The report provides salient features relating to his condition and the treatment administered to him at the hospital. It then reads: "Until about 7 pm he kept clear consciousness, and had talks with Adjutant Rahmin, but suddenly his consciousness was lost, and his heart ceased to move. In spite of several injections of heart stimulant and artificial aspiration (respiration), he could not revive." The document adds: "By his side were Military-Surgeon (Toyoshi) Tsuruta, Colonel Rahmin, Interpreter Nakamura and a gendarme (as a guard) at the moment of his death." The report also includes four sketches: of the airport and where the plane crashed; of the plane and where each passenger sat, including Bose; of the hospital and the room where Bose was treated; and a more detailed one of the same room and the bed in which Bose breathed his last. The investigation obtained evidence from 13 Japanese officials who, the report asserts, were "considered to have had some relations with the matter". These included survivors of and eye-witnesses to the crash besides two doctors who treated Netaji at the hospital. Ashis Ray, creator of Bosefiles.info, said: "This is yet another decisive breakthrough. There is now no reason why the government of India should not accede to Bose's daughter Anita Pfaff's request to transfer her father's ashes from Tokyo to India." "An unimpeachable authority like the Japanese government has independently corroborated and vindicated bosefiles.info's previous chronicling of events." "I am reliably informed Japan's diplomatic archive plans to release the document at the end of September. A copy of the document has been given to the Indian government. The fact is the Indian embassy in Tokyo and the ministry of external affairs in Delhi had misplaced the copy given to it in 1956," Ray said. Essential services such as banking and transport are likely to be hit on Friday as 10 central trade unions go on one-day nationwide strike, protesting against "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. "The strike is on. We are getting good response. More information will pour in after sometime. Around 90 percent workers at BHEL's plant in Tiruchirapalli have not reported at work in the morning shift," Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Tapan Kumar Sen told PTI. He further said, "Vizag steel plant is 100 percent closed. At some places there would be instances of 'Rail Roko'. This is going to be a successful strike as more than 15 crore workers will come on streets to protest." Following this, normal life was paralysed in Bihar, Odisha, Kerala and Punjab, while the strike evoked a mixed response in Puducherry and Karnataka. It was business as usual for Tamil Nadu and Mumbai Last year, these 10 trade unions had called nationwide strike and around 15 crore workers participated in the agitation. Sen further said, "Gurgaon industrial area is completely closed and the police have arrested about 12 people in Manesar area. All this information indicates that the strike will be bigger this time." All major unions, excluding RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike call, terming the government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage as "completely inadequate". On its part, the government has asked all ministries to ensure that public utilities and essential services are not affected. Secretaries of all departments have been asked to take effective measures for smooth running of various services coming under their respective ministries. Sspeaking to reporters in Mumbai, labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya on Thursday blamed the previous UPA regime for the issues faced by the workers and said the present government "doesn't want a confrontation with labour unions" and rather needs their cooperation and support. He had conceded banking and insurance sectors are likely to be impacted more due to the strike, while adding that out of 12 demands of the trade unions, eight are related to the labour department and seven of them have been agreed to. Business as usual in Mumbai despite strike It was business as usual for public transport in Mumbai despite one-day nationwide strike call given by central trade unions, while it evoked a mixed response in rural Maharashtra. The suburban trains, autorickshaws, taxis and city buses continued to operate normally, without affecting the daily schedule of lakhs of commuters in Mumbai and suburbs. A CPM state unit leader told PTI that there were instances of 'rasta roko' (block roads) at various places in rural Maharashtra. "Our activists staged 'rasta roko' agitation in Thane and Nashik districts," CPM leader Ashok Dhawle said. He claimed that there was an 'overwhelming' response to the stir in the industrial belts of Maharashtra. Several government employees also stayed away from work, he said. All India Banks Employees Association general secretary Vishwas Utagi said entire financial sector will get paralysed today with all banks, except SBI, being on strike. The LIC, Nabard, GIC among others are also participating in the strike, he added. Kerala The strike hit normal life in Left-ruled Kerala with public transport vehicles staying off the roads and shops and business establishments downing shutters. Autorickshaws, taxies, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses are not plying on roads across the state with the workers of various unions taking part in the strike. Major roads wore a deserted look in the state capital where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as the strike supporters laid a siege of an Isro bus bay here. Train passengers had a tough time as they had to walk to their homes after alighting at the railway station here. However, police helped patients coming to the Regional Cancer centre here by arranging transport. All major unions, barring RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike, terming as "completely inadequate" the Central government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage. This is the first major strike in Kerala after the CPI(M) led LDF government came to power in May this year. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has courted controversy after expressing support to the strike on Facebook with BJP hitting out against him. VSSC officials said employees of Indian Space Research Organisation's units here were stranded at the bus bay at Pattom here. Three convoys of buses, which were to carry employees from different localities, could not leave as strike supporters laid siege of the bus bay of ISRO units at Pattom here. About 6,000 odd employees of the VSSC in Thumba, Isro Inertial Systems unit, a Research and Development unit of Isro at Vattiyoorkavu, Liquid Propulsion systems centre (LPSC) and Indian Institute of Space Science Engineering college at Valliamala have been held up, sources said. The union leaders led by former CPI(M) MLA, V Sivankutty staged a dharna in front of the bus bay this morning preventing employees from getting into the buses. "Not a single bus has left the Pattom station since 7 am. We are not sure when the convoys will ply," a VSSC official said. In the past 15-20 years, we were never affected due to strikes as employees used to get transport arrangements, the official said. Some vehicles of Technopark employees were also blocked. In the Apollo Tyres Perambra unit, BMS workers came for work for the 6 am shift and striking workers tried to prevent them. However, police intervened and allowed them to enter the unit. Employees of the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) were also prevented at Kochi, police said. Tamil Nadu The strike did not have much impact on normal life in Tamil Nadu as transport services and other businesses began the day's functioning normally. Bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions are functioning normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing is not participating in the strike called by ten central unions protesting "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. The striking union members staged demonstrations at various places raising slogans in support of their demands. A Madurai report said the strike did not affect normalcy in most parts of southern districts of the state. However, inter-state buses to Kerala were stopped at the border towns of Nagercoil and Theni. Central government government offices wore a deserted look with the employees joining the strike while section of state government employees, especially in the revenue department, are also participating in the strike, the report said. Shops in most places were open and autorickshaws were seen plying as usual. Police have been deployed for providing security to PSUs and government offices to prevent any untoward incident. Officials said essential services were maintained and buses were operated by members of 'Anna Thozhirsanga Peravai', the AIADMK backed trade union. Private buses were off the road in Tiruvarur district. More than 50,000 police personnel have been deployed in southern districts, police said adding so far no untoward incident had been reported. Bihar Bihar evoked strong support from local trade unions as normal life was affected with autorickshaw and other public vehicles off the road. Banks too remained closed. As public transport was not available, passengers, particularly alighting from trains, had a harrowing time reaching their destination. Schools recorded thin attendance of students while government as well private sector employees also had tough time reaching offices in the absence of proper public transport. Reports from districts said the agitators disrupted train services in Begusarai and Jehanabad among others. Banks of major cities like Patna, Munger, Bhagalpur, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Purnea,Chapra, Arrah, Biharsharif, Katihar, Begusarai, Samastipur and Gopalganj remained closed. NABARD, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks also remained closed. In many parts of Bihar, the protesters held dharna and took out processions. Odisha The nation-wide strike called by central trade unions crippled normal life in Odisha with protesters coming on roads and railway tracks affecting the traffic movement all over the state. Train services were affected as trade union activists staged rail roko by holding sit-in on tracks at many places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaleswar, Keonjhargarh and Rayagada, police said. Over two dozen passenger and express trains were delayed at different railway stations as the rail roko continued for some time, they said adding goods trains were also stranded at several places. Vehicular movement came to a halt with buses, trucks, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles keeping off the roads with supporters of the strike staging road blockade at many places including highways by burning tyres and putting hurdles, police said. While shops and other business establishments downed their shutters, some educational institutions, banks and insurances offices remained closed. Government offices recorded thin attendance in several places as union activists staged picketing to enforce the strike. In the state capital of Bhubaneswar, major roads wore a deserted look with vehicles refraining from plying though some two-wheelers were seen in some areas. However, the protests remained by and large peaceful. The strike affected mining operations in most areas including Talcher, Angul, Bonai and Koira. However, work in Paradip port and industrial units in the port town remained largely unaffected as special arrangements had been made to ensure operations though reduced attendance was witnessed, sources said. Punjab, Chnadigarh, Haryana Despite the government warning to enforce 'no work no pay' policy, services including banking and public transport were hit in Haryana, Punjab and UT Chandigarh. Employees of departments like roadways, electricity, health, corporations held demonstrations at various places in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. At some places, employees claimed the district administration "forcefully" asked roadways employees to ply buses. The government departments had already set up control rooms to lodge complaint against vital services being interrupted due to protests. At prestigious health institution Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), various planned surgeries were today postponed in the wake of around 2,000 nurses joining the nationwide strike call given by All India Government Nurses Federation. Meanwhile, a spokesperson of PGIMER said planned surgeries at the health institute were postponed in view of strike by nurses. "But OPD and emergency services are normal at PGIMER," shesaid. Around 2,000 nurses stayed away from their work following a strike call given by All India Government Nurses Federation. Public transport services were hit in Punjab and Haryana with roadways employees participating in the strike call, causing inconvenience to passengers. "Employees are protesting at all the 24 depots in the state," he said adding that the state roadways had fleet of 4,200 buses," Haryana Roadways Workers Union, General Secretary, Dharamveer Hooda said. However, he accused Jind district administration of resorting to lathicharge at protesting roadways employees so as to resume bus services. "But we have not allowed to run the buses," he said. Hooda also claimed the state police have taken 21 leaders including union's President Sarbat Singh Punia into the custody at odd hours in Fatehabad. "This is completely illegal and we will protest against the same at Fatehabad," said Hooda. A report from Hisar and Kaithal in Haryana said public transport remained paralysed, forcing passengers to use private vehicles to reach their destinations. A large number of passengers could be seen stranded at Hisar, Hansi, Uklana , Barwala, Adampur and other bus stands. Almost all offices at mini secretariat here looked deserted as government employees did not join their duties. Meanwhile, in Punjab a report from Phagwara in Punjab said while Punjab roadways buses were also off the road, PRTC buses were seen plying. A staff member of Punjab Roadways said they will remain on strike from 10 am to 2 pm. Roadways buses were seen parked inside the main Bus stand opposite National highway. Banking operations were also hit at public sector banks in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with bank employees participating in the nationwide strike. Karnataka The bandh-effect wan not as severe in Karnataka as in other states. While the state-run transport buses remained off the roads causing inconvenience to office-goers and those travelling to distant places, shops, establishments, markets and hotels functioned normally. Though some auto and cab unions had announced their support for the bandh, their movement was by and large normal in Bengaluru. Metro services are also functioning normally. Keeping safety of students in mind, authorities in various districts have declared holiday for school and college goers. Police have made elaborate security arrangements in the state to avoid any untoward incident. In Bengaluru police personnel have been deployed across the city. Thirty-six platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police, 21 of City Armed Reserve and 270 Police patrol vehicles are deployed across Bengaluru, officials said. Demonstrations are being held by trade unions across the state. At a march held in the city, protesters with banners marched from Town hall to Freedom Park here shouting slogans against government policies. Puducherry The nation-wide strike evoked a mixed response in tPuducherry as private buses, autos and other passenger vehicles were off the roads while state-run buses were operated as usual. Shops and establishments downed their shutters. Cinema houses suspended the shows for the day. However, government departments registered normal attendance, official sources said. Police sources said around 1,200 workers of different trade unions were taken into custody when theyblocked roads at several places. Police pickets have been posted at all vulnerable points. A batch of employees of centrally run premier health institute JIPMER observed a fast extending support to the strike, called by the centraltrade unions to press their charter of demands. Telangana, Banking operations came to standstill in state as over 15,000 employees of various banks participated in the strike. All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEAP) Joint Secretary B S Rambabu said demonstrations will be held in all the district headquarters along with other trade unions. "Though branches will be open, there is no business taking place in PSU banks. Clearing will also be impacted. However, there will not be any problem with regard to ATMs' functioning," Rambabu told PTI. Most of the buses run by Telangana State Road Transport Organisation are kept off the roads, a senior official said. As many as two lakh state government employees (gazetted, non-gazetted and class 4 employees) are supporting the strike, Telangana Gazetted officers Association General Secretary A Satyanarayana said. "We will not directly participate in the strike, but wear black badges and attend duties," Satyanarayana said. According to him, Revenue department officials are not participating in the strike as they are busy in reorganisation of districts. Most of the industrial parks witnessed thin attendance. Andhra Pradesh The strike evoked a good response in the industrial areas of Gajuwaka and Auto nagar areas in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district even as over 100 agitators were taken into preventive custody. Work was affected in PSUs like Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Ltd, Hindustan Shipyard, NTPC's Simhadri Power Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust and private industrial units in Visakhapatnam as many of the workers joined in the strike. Work was affected in PSUs like Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Ltd, Hindustan Shipyard, NTPC's Simhadri Power Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust and privateindustrial units in Visakhapatnam as many of the workers joined in the strike. All public sector banks, private banks and offices of insurance companies like LIC remained closed. The state government offices and government schools remained open, but managements of some private schools and declared a holiday on Thursday. District Education Officer R Krishna Reddy said all government schools are working as usual and there was no problem at any school. There was no information of closure of any school in thedistrict, he said. Though majority of the buses of Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation were plying as 60 percent of the national mazdoor union workers did not participate in the bandh, the other private transport systems like autorickshaws, jeeps and vans remained off the roads causing some inconvenience to the commuters. The strike was total in the industrial areas of the Gajuwaka and Auto nagar in the city. Visakha Steel Employees Congress general secretary Mantri Rajasekhar said the strike was total in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Although the strike was largely peaceful, the administration had tightened the security. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (special branch) B Ravi Kumar said the situation was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported anywhere in Visakhapatnam. However, nearly 120 agitators, who were obstructing the vehicular traffic, were taken into preventive custody, he said. With inputs from agencies Srinagar: A police officer from Kashmir has tied the knot with a girl from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir as cross-Line of Control bonds blossomed at a time when the state Police grappled with pro-Pakistan protests in the Valley. Owais Geelani, a sub-inspector with Jammu and Kashmir Police, married Faiza Geelani, a resident of Muzaffarabad in PoK, at a function in Srinagar where only the groom's close relatives and friends were in attendance due to the ongoing unrest. The marriage was solemnised in a hotel at a time when the police have borne the brunt of protesters' ire in the Valley that has been rocked by nearly two-month-long unrest. The two families are related to each other but were separated during the Partition. The nikkah was performed in Muzaffarabad in 2014 when Shabir Geelani, father of the groom, had travelled to PoK to visit his divided family on the Karavan-e-Aman (the Peace Caravan) bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad. "The wedding ceremony had to be cancelled several times due to the prevailing situation during which the cross-LoC bus service was suspended for many days. Finally, when the bus service resumed, the bride and her close family members arrived here on Monday for the function," Geelani senior, who himself retired from Police department as SSP in 2014, told PTI in Srinagar on Friday. Owais' marriage with Faiza, a post-graduate in education, planning and management from National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad was solemnised on Tuesday. The wedding comes at a time when the local cops, who are battling the protesters across the Valley, have been threatened by militants to stay away from their duties. Houses of some cops have been ransacked by mobs since the current unrest began in Kashmir on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces. The groom's father, who hails from Karnah town near the Line of Control(LoC), said it was his longing to visit members of his divided family -- due to the 1947 war between India and Pakistan in Muzaffarabad that led to the marriage of his son to the girl from PoK. "In 1947, our family got divided and only my father was left on this side while rest of his family were left on the other side. Most of our lands and estate are in Muzaffarabad... in fact, Karnah was part of Muzaffarabad till 1947. "I had heard a lot of things from my father about my grandfather and other relatives in Muzaffarabad ... When my grandfather died, my father could not attend his funeral as there was no cross-LoC movement allowed. So it was my desire to pay my respects at the grave of my grandfather," Geelani said. During the visit to PoK, Geelani felt the need for bringing close the divided family and proposed the match between Owais and Faiza. "I called Owais on phone and he give his nod and we performed the Nikkah," he said. Geelani expressed the hope that marriages like his son's case would help bring the divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir closer. "The people living along the LoC have been worst sufferers of the conflict and acrimony between India and Pakistan. I think opening of all traditional routes along the LoC would increase people-to-people contact, leading to better understanding between the people on two sides of the LoC. "Once that happens, may be one day, the governments of two sides will also understand each other better and find a way out of the decades-old uncertainty," he added. Manipur, still simmering in tension even after days of agitation against cancellation of selection tests to recruit constables, on Friday saw violent protests on the streets of Imphal. Five BJP members were injured in the agitation. Protesters kept the police and para-military forces on toes by attempting to storm the Assembly amidst the two day sitting of the monsoon session. The police tried to contain the mob led mostly by BJP leaders and workers by firing tear gas canisters. Five women who got seriously injured were rushed to the hospital. The agitation against the irregular police appointments are seen to have some serious political implications before the Assembly election in 2017. The Okram Ibobi Singh-led Congress government finds itself in the backfoot after BJP supported the agitation and its leaders took to the streets. K Bhabananda Singh, the President of state BJP told Firstpost, The state government has given us no assurance that they will fulfill our demands. Hence, our agitations will continue. On the other hand the state government accused some parties of politicising the issue. N Biren,the spokesperson of Manipur Congress told Firstpost that the appointment of police constable is not an issue to be politicised. The agitations sparked off soon after the Manipur government decided to start fresh recruitments in order to fill up the 2000 vacant posts of constables. A group of candidates who took similar tests held in the year 2013 demand that results of those tests be declared. The 2013 process of appointment was cancelled after allegations of mark tampering. The government began the appointment process afresh on the grounds that the Chairman of the recruitment body had resigned. Very few of the candidates who took the 2013 tests were ready to buy this argument and they took to the streets. The BJP, buoyant after the Assam state election results, soon joined the agitators taking the movement to a new height. In the agitation two of the BJP MLAs were arrested but released. The Singh government has been facing tremendous protests on its perceived failure to protect the ethnic identity of the Meiteis by implementing inner line permit system. The ongoing protest is another eyesore for the ruling Congress Party before the assembly election to be held in 2017. The state BJPs spokesperson N Mangi told IANS on Friday that democratic protests will continue on Monday amidst assembly session. With inputs from IANS Hundred days have passed since four state governments assumed power after the May 2016 assembly elections. While Jayalalithaa scripted history in Tamil Nadu for being the first CM to be elected for a successive second term, Mamata Banerjee shocked allies and opponents alike by coming back in power with a resounding victory. Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala and Sarbananda Sonowal in Assam on the other hand, rode to power on the promise of a corruption free government. Here is a look at how are these nascent governments are doing after 100 days in power. Tamil Nadu Breaking a decades-old jinx, as AIADMK won a successive term in the assembly elections, J Jayalalithaa was sworn in for the sixth time as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 23 May. Hundred days since then, just like the other three states that went to polls in May, the government listed out its achievements to gain brownie points with the people. However, what marked out the southern Indian state from Assam, West Bengal and Kerala, were the exuberant government ads. As AIADMK, led by Jayalalithaa, completed 100 days in office on Friday, Tamil Nadu Assembly was decked up with choicest flowers of different hues and varieties to mark the occasion. The entire House, including visitors' gallery, was decorated with flowers. Portraits of leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, former chief ministers Rajaji, Kamaraj, C N Annadurai and saint poet Thiruvalluvar were adorned with life-size garlands. Exuberant full-page newspaper ads, typical of the cult politics that's prevalent in the state, listing out Jayalalithaa government's key achievements were printed. Adverts featuring the chief minister, wearing a benign smile, greeted the citizens as they woke up on Friday morning. On the occasion of completing 100 days in office, the government tried to woo the voters by announcing an increase in the maternity leaves granted to state government employees and sanctioning crores of rupees for development and upgradation of hospitals in the state, according to a report by Zee News. Often lauded for its populist measures, the Jayalilthaa-led government also recounted its achievements such as reducing Tasmac shops, providing free electricity of 200-750 units to handloom and powerloom weavers, and other schemes like providing 4 to 8 grams of gold to girls at the time of their marriage, in its advertisements. The advertisements, according to Quint, also touts schemes like free bus passes given to 31.12 lakh school girls, extension of Chennai metro rail, and 100 units of free electricity promised to all households. While battling a disproportionate asset case, the chief minister continued to unravel largely popular schemes. Recently, she flagged off 100 motorcycles and 250 bicycles for improved police patrolling in Chennai, stating that these new vehicles will help the police access narrow streets and congested places better. According to a report in The Indian Express, the state government also wrote off crop loans of nearly 17 laks farmers in the state. Often targeted for its populist agenda, the government also marked an increase in the collection for state coffers, according to a PTI report. Commercial Tax revenues in Tamil Nadu rose by 6.55 percent to Rs 20,128.16 crore in the first four months of the ongoing fiscal compared to Rs 18,890 crore in the year-ago period. The government boasted of some success in gaining investments for the state. Tamil Nadu has facilitated 56 non-MoU projects with investment commitments of Rs 11,282.52 crore till July through single window clearance. The policy note, quoting the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, said between April 2011 and June 30, 2016, the state attracted investments of Rs 3.75 lakh crore, which include domestic and foreign investments in the pipeline, according to PTI. West Bengal No one has more reasons to celebrate 100 days in power than Mamta Banerjee. The occasion of marking 100 days in power was made sweeter for West Bengal chief minister as on Friday her party got enlisted as a national party. Another victory came Mamata's way just around the time in the garb of the Singur verdict, which gave her party a moral high-ground over her political rivals. "It was a landmark judgment. We will follow the order of the court line-by-line," she said. Hailing the Supreme Court judgement on Singur as "victory of the masses", the Trinamool Congress said those who had been involved in forcible land acquisition there should apologise to the people. Meanwhile, Mamata has been persistently trying to re-brand the state's image as well. She is on a week-long visit to Rome and Germany to attend Mother Teresa's canonisation ceremony and meet potential investors to improve infrastructure and create jobs in the state. Besides this, the West Bengal state Assembly on Monday passed a resolution to change the name of the state from West Bengal to 'Bangla' in Bengali and 'Bengal' in English, stating that the name Bangla has a historical and cultural background. ""Whenever we go out of India or to some other state we are known as people from Bengal," Mamata said, justifying her decision to change the state's name. Also when CMs in several states are whipping up public sentiments towards liquor ban, Mamata went against the grain to allow clubs and hotels to serve liquor 365 days a year in her state and reduced the number of annual dry days to four and half instead of 12 a move being hailed as "pragmatic" by the industry. She has also taken a firm stand against the nationwide call for strike in a state that has been notorious for trade union protests and bandhs in the past. She warned of strongest possible action against "miscreants" who try to disrupt public life and will ensure compensation for damage to shops or vehicles. "There is no bandh in Bengal tomorrow. I appeal to the common people that Durga Puja is coming and on 5 September we have Teachers Day. So let's keep things moving. Let's take Bengal forward. A lot of damage has already been done," she said. Kerala With his government completing 100 days in office, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached out to people through All India Radio, cautioning them against the threat posed by communal forces and drug mafia in the society. Touching base on several important issues through PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat styled programme, Vijayan talked about communal harmony, the drug menace in the state and hygiene and waste management. Claiming that the LDF government could bring in substantial changes in the last 100 days, Vijayan said they were following a "two-pronged" approach of stepping up measures for long-term development and taking immediate steps to redress grievances of the marginalised sections. Setting up of Kerala Infrastructure Fund Board for mobilising resources and announcement of various debt relief measures for different sections in the society were a part of the two-pronged approach, he said in a statement. Vijayan also listed disbursal of welfare pension to beneficiaries among some of his government's achievements after it was voted to power in May 2016 Assembly polls. Lauding the chief minister's political and administrative achievement an article in BusinessLine calls him "loh purush" (Iron man). According to the article, a government ad commemorating 100 days in power, puts out its achievement with a subtle, no-frills slogan, Now we have a government. Another article in The Indian Express, comments on Vijayan's political acumen. "Vijayan has the advantage of holding the party under his firm control... the CPM led by Vijayan had the final say on vital matters. Today, Vijayan faces no dissenting voice within," the article reads. However, the so-called seemingly 'invincible' political leader admits that the path ahead is tough. The chief minister conceded that there was a resource crunch in the state. There is a plan to mobilise Rs 50,000 crore for taking up various infrastructure projects in the next five years, he said, adding that the funds would be mobilised through Kerala Infrastructure Fund Board. On the social sector, Vijayan said his government's main priority was to protect human rights, secularism and democracy. On the welfare sector, Vijayan pointed out that the first step of his government was to hike the amount of all welfare pensions to Rs 1,000. The government also took steps to ensure that the beneficiaries received pension with arrears before the Onam festival, he said, adding that an amount of Rs 3,100 crore was going to reach the people by Onam. Stating that steps were on for implementation of the Food Safety Act in the state, he said new ration cards would be distributed among the people in the next six months. Another "major achievement" of his government in the short period was opening the closed cashew factories, mainly in Kollam district, and thereby, ensuring jobs for nearly 18,000 workers, the Chief Minister said. Meanwhile, adding another feather to the state government's cap, Kerala Tourism recently bagged six National Tourism awards for 2014-15 in the marketing category for states. Assam Battling insurgency from separatist groups and floods, the Sonowal government has completed its 100 days in power. Among its many challenges, the chief minister has decided to curb insurgency by urging Centre to seal Indo-Bangladesh border. Speaking on the occassion of his 100 days in power, Sonowal told reporters that his government is following a policy of "zero tolerance for corruption." Hitting out at the erstwhile Congress government Sonowal said, "People's lives were crippled under corruption during the last government. Our thrust has been to give people relief from it. Our ministers are not only talking against corruption but are acting against this menace," he said adding, they are working to make the administrative system efficient and corruption-free so that its regains people's faith. He also claimed that his government is working on controlling spiraling prices of food items, he said and asserting that the rates were lower in Assam than in Delhi. But all that said, with a regime marked by acute floods, terrorist attack in Kokrajhar, blasts in Tinsukia so early on in its rein, and the long standing issue of Nagas and Bodos, Sonowal will have a tough time ahead. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that Lt Governor Najeeb Jung had returned the Delhi government's file on hiking minimum wages in the city highlighting the escalating tension between the two sides. "On a day when 18 crore workers are on strike, Modi's LG returns file on minimum wages," Kejriwal tweeted. On a day when 18 cr workers are on strike, Modi's LG returns file on minimum wages Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 2, 2016 Radiologists and nurses from across the nation are on a strike demanding hike in their basic pay. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government last month approved the revision of minimum wages by about 50 percent in the national capital. After the cabinet's approval the minimum wages in Delhi for unskilled workers will increase from Rs 9,568 to Rs 14,052 per month, while for semi-skilled worker it will rise from Rs 10,582 to Rs 15,471, and skilled worker from Rs 11,622 to Rs 17,033. After the cabinet's approval the file was sent to Lt Governor for his nod. Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai had also met Jung over the issue and said the LG returned the file citing some errors in it. "I met LG on Friday and he told me that there were some errors in the minimum wages file so he returned it and asked us to submit it again," Rai told reporters after the meeting. He added: "The LG had agreed with the government's decision to increase the minimum wages in the national capital." Rai added that he would submit the file to Jung on the same day. "I have called an emergency meeting of officials of the department over the issue. We will again send the file to LG after doing away with the errors on Friday itself," Rai added. In a comprehensive and exclusive 75-minute interview with CNN-News18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Rahul Joshi, group editor of Network 18, on a number of issues including politics, economy, Kashmir unrest and repeated attacks on the Dalit community. The interview was conducted on Thursday and will air on Friday night at 9 pm exclusively on CNN-News18. Here's an excerpt, in which Modi talked in detail about social imbalances. #PMSpeaksToNetwork18 on a wide range of issues, from Kashmir to Dalits and UP Polls. Catch the conversation at 9 PM. pic.twitter.com/QN1UeFJyjU News18 (@CNNnews18) September 2, 2016 "As far as some incidents are concerned they need to be conedemned. There is no place for those in a civilised society law and order is a state subject. Some are selectively picking issues and blaming Modi. I don't know what purpose this serves, but it hurts the interest of the country," he said. "This is a social problem, which is deeply rooted. Politics over social imbalances is a disservice to society. To all those who have faced injustice for generations, today the BJP has a sizeable presence of tribal MPs and MLAs. Ever since I celebrated the 125th anniversary of BR Ambedkar and after the UN celebrated his anniversary and 102 countries observed the anniversary and the Parliament discussed his life and work for two days, many people had a problem with the thought that Modi is a devotee of Ambedkar. Self-appointed guardians are trying to create tension, they didn't like That Modi is with Dalits and devotes himself to tribals. I'm devoted to the development of all Dalits, the oppressed, under-privileged and the deprived. Those who use this as an ovbstru to their politics, those who have fed this country with the poison of caste divide have destroyed the country. We must go forward with a purpose. Are these incidents fitting of a civilised society?" #PMSpeaksToNetwork18 Incidents of communal violence, atrocities against Dalits and tribals have decreased, compared to the previous govt. News18 (@CNNnews18) September 2, 2016 Modi added, "I want to tell politicians, including those in my own party: All those in public life, politicians, social workers, we need to unite for benefit of country and society; we must be extra vigilant for the sake of bonhomie. Whenever we are wounded, even the slightest touch of paper causes pain. Hundred years of injustice have kept wounds open. It doesn't matter if incident big or small, it shouldn't happen." Joshi then asked how Modi will assure that his agenda is development alone? Modi said that the country has "faith that our agenda is development. But all those people who didn't want a government like this to come to power, those who didn't want the previous regime to go, they are the ones who create trouble. Development will remain our agenda. It's not a political issue; it's my conviction. If we want to free the country of poverty, we must help the development of the poor." Cow vigilantism has taken the country by storm: from the Una incident, where four Dalit youths were brutally thrashed for skinning a cow, to the case of Mohammad Aklaq, who was lynched to death by a mob of Hindus for consumption of beef, and many others. These attacks gave rise to a mega Dalit unrest across the country: Members of the community staged protests in Gujarat, which later snowballed across Saurashtra in July. Roads were blocked from different parts of Saurashtra region across Junagadh, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Amreli districts. The protests also spread to Ahmedabad, where some Dalits were detained, according to the police. A bus was reportedly torched in Dhoraji town of Rajkot district. Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel met family members of the victims at Mota Samaliyala village in Una. Even the Rajya Sabha on 20 July wasn't spared from the uproar over the issue of rising Dalit atrocities in Gujarat. The Congress and BSP demanded answers from the government regarding the violent protests in the state. The issue was raised as soon as the house met, and opposition members from different parties, including the BSP, Trinamool Congress, and Congress said they have submitted notices for a debate. The agitated opposition members trooped near the PJ Kurien's podium, shouting slogans against the government. The Maharashtra government also plans to issue official IDs to 'gau rakshaks' and as many as 2,388 applicants are apparently coveting the position (which does not pay) to serve as eyes to monitor the beef ban. Narendra Modi on 7 August came down heavily on these "gau rakshaks", who mainly attacked Dalits, telling them, "if you have to attack, attack me" but stop attacking "my Dalit bretheren". Modi lashed out at these cow protectors and denounced them for aiming to create "tension and conflict" in the society and asking the states to take stringent action against them. Modi has also been questioned over his silence on the issue of attacks on Dalits by Hindutva groups. He responded saying, "I would like to tell these people that if you have any problem, if you have attack, attack me. Stop attacking my Dalit brethren. If you have to shoot, shoot me, but not my Dalit brothers. This game should stop." Modi also asked what right the perpetrators had to exploit Dalits and said the unity in society should be our priority. "I know this problem is social. It is a result of sins which have crept into the society... But we need to take extra care and save society from such danger (of social strife)," he said. Modi said the society should not be allowed to be divided on the basis of caste, religion and social status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the focus of the government is only development and not divisive politics. In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, the Prime Minister spoke to Rahul Joshi, group editor of Network18 on how the country needs development for poverty alleviation. He also referred to the sporadic anti-Dalit violence happening in different parts of the country and said that these need to be condemned. Edited excerpts: Mr Prime Minister, let us move away from the economy and talk a little about politics. Many states go to polls next year. Social discrimination and fundamentalism is raising its ugly head again. Dalits and members of backward classes have in fact started saying that the BJP and Sangh are anti dalits. How will you assure the people that your agenda is development and development alone? The country has full faith. That our agenda is only development. There is no confusion in the minds of country folk. But all those people who never wanted that a government like this come to power.. those who never wanted the previous regime to go.. they are the ones who have trouble. So, development is our only issue and it will remain so. And this is not a political issue. This is my conviction. If we want to free this country of poverty then we need development. We will need to empower the poor. As far as some incidents are concerned, they need to be condemned. It has no place in any civilised society. But we must not forget that law and order is a state subject. Some are selectively picking issues and blaming Modi for it. I don't know what purpose does it serve for those who are doing this. But this is surely hurting the interest of the country. such incidents must not happen. From a statistical point of view.. whether it is communal violence...quomi hullad... atrocities against dalits, atrocities against tribals... data shows that such incidents have gone down in number as opposed to the previous government. But the issue is not of what happened in their government and our government. The issue is that this is not befitting our society. We have a culture dating back thousands of years.. we have seen some imbalance in our society... we have to intelligently take our society out of this imbalance. This is a social problem. It is deeply rooted. Politics on social imbalances is disservice to society.. to all those who have faced injustice for generations. this is why, whenever any incident happens anywhere... today, in this country...dalit MPs and dalit MLAS.. tribal MPs and tribal MLAs.. the BJP has a sizable presence...and ever since I celebrated the 125th anniversary of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar.. when UNO also celebrated Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's anniversary... 102 country's observed the 125th anniversary... Parliament for two days discussed the life and works of Babasaheb Ambedkar...many people thought that Modi is a devotee of Babasaheb Ambedkar...they started having problems. When we identified five sacred places associated with Babasaheb Ambedkar, whether it was Mau.. the birthplace of Babasaheb Ambedkar...Nagpur, Mumbai.. where we set up his memorial on Indu Mill...memorials at two places in Delhi.. converting the place where he stayed in London as a memorial...in a way we set up five pilgrimage spots.. and we did it. All those who were self appointed guardians were trying to create tension in the country did not like this. That Modi is with the Dalits. That Modi devotes himself to tribals. I am. I am devoted to the development of all the dalit, oppressed, underpriviledged and deprived. Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble. And this is why they are levelling baseless allegations. All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country. They must stop giving political tones to social problems. We must go forward with a purpose. And I want to ask the society also...are these incidents befitting of a civilised society? I spoke from the ramparts of the Red Fort.. on the incidents of rape...I said that parents must ask their sons also. Where they are going, what they are doing? We ask our daughters this. And I want to tell the politicians also.. I will ask my party leaders also.. You are answerable to the nation... and that is why, all those living in public life.. whether political or social workers.. even if we are representing a particular community... for the benefit of the country's unity, society's unity... for the sake of bonhomie.. we must be extra vigilant.. whenever we are wounded, even the slightest touch of a paper also causes pain. thousands of years of injustice have kept these wounds open. The slightest of damage will cause a lot of pain. This is why, it does not matter whether the incident is big or small, what matters is that the incident must not happen in the first place. Which govt had more incidents and which didn't is not the point. We all have to work collectively to give strength to the country's unity. Mr Modi how important is social harmony for economic progress? Economic progress alone is not the solution. Peace, unity and harmony is essential for society. Even in a family, no matter how well off you may be...even if you are sitting over a heap of rupees... the family's unity is important. This is true for the society also. We don't need unity to fight poverty alone. We need to be united and harmonious for whatever it takes. We need to be committed to social justice. And that is why, unity for economic progress alone is not important. Peace, unity and harmony are useful in family, life, society and for the nation. And to all those who believe in vasudhaye kutumbakam ...the whole world is one. All political parties Mr Modi talk about removing poverty. But poverty is an issue of grave concern in our country. Job creation is a major challenge for you and you have kept this in mind too. What will be your strategy on both these counts. You are right. Poverty alleviation has been a political slogan also. A lot of politics has also happened on poverty. And a lot of programmes for poverty alleviation have also been started keeping elections in mind. I do not want to get in a controversy on whether it was good or bad. But my path is a little different. We have to empower the poor to end poverty. If the poor is empowered, then he has enough power to alleviate poverty. Politics can be done by keeping the poor poor. But freedom from poverty can only come by empowerment. The biggest tool for empowerment is education. The next point is employment. if we get economic empowerment, then it can serve as a tool to change things on its own. All the initiatives that we have taken over the past few years, like the Mudra scheme - at least 3.5 crore people have taken the benefits of the Mudra scheme and they got about Rs 1.25 lakh crore through this scheme. Many of them are those who have got money from the bank for the first time. These people will do something or the other. They will get sewing machines, stitch clothes. They will do something. It is possible that they might employ a few. This empowerment will give these people a lot of power. To educate their children. Suppose a person buys a taxi. Then they would feel they must educate their children. They will move forward. One of the things that we have done is called Stand Up India. I have told banks that every branch must give financial aid to a dalit, a tribal and a woman. They must make them an entrepreneur. The country has 1.25 lakh branches of banks. If they empower even three people each, they will benefit 4-5 lakh families. People who did not have this sort of financial empowerment, will feel empowered. They will be an economic strength. This is the Stand Up programme. Start Up... To give employment to the young, I have started this scheme. These are small decisions. I have also sent an advisory to the states. That they must move forward in this direction. We have big malls in our country. Lakhs and crores of rupees are spent in constructing them. There is no time restriction for them. They can run toll 10 pm, 12 pm, 4am...but there will be a government representative with a stick in his hand and ask a small shopkeeper to shut his shop... that it's evening now.. why? We have said that these small traders who have small enterprises.. they are free to be open 365 days, 24/7..so that they can go about doing their business and also employ a few. And these are the people who drive the economy in our country. This is where we are working to empower. We have laid a lot of stress on skill development. Skill development is the need of the hour. We have changed systems. Skilled development is a ministry. it has a different budget. And work is being done at a huge scale. Skill development by government, skill development through public private partnership, skilled development through skilled universities, collaborating with other countries who have done good work in developing skills. the country has 80 crore youth. they are below 30 years of age. if the youth has the skill, they can change the fortunes of this country. And we are laying stress on this. the country's youth & employment are at the centre of all the economic activity. in the agriculture sector also, if you move towards value addition, it will create more opportunities to generate employment. A youth from the village who has had to go to big towns under pressure, if he is given value addition and agriculture-centric rural development, if we empower him, then employment opportunities shall be created. We are laying stress on this. And we can see some good results. Amethi: Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked party workers involved in groupism "to mend their ways" so that a united Congress can win the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due next year. "Those dabbling in groupism should mend their ways and stay united to give a crushing defeat to other parties in the elections," the Congress Vice President said at a meeting with party leaders that went on till wee hours on Friday. Rahul discussed threadbare the issues before the party and asked party workers to fan out in the interiors to make people aware of Congress' policies and programmes. He also discussed ways to counter the strategy of opposition parties. Winding up his three-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Rahul on Friday participated in the district vigilance committee meeting. Meanwhile, some protesting anganwadi workers tried to gather on the route to be taken by the Congress leader to air their grievances. When police tried to stop them they were involved in a fracas. Later, when Rahul arrived on the scene while leaving for Lucknow, he came out of his car and listened to their grievances. Rahul is scheduled to embark on a yatra from Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh on 6 September to highlight problems being faced by the farmers. The yatra will conclude in Delhi after a month. A Google search on Rahul Gandhi returns queries related to his age and marriage as the two most popular topics. It's hardly a reliable statistic. Nevertheless, it gives us an indication of how the Gandhi dynasty scion is perceived in popular opinion. More than a decade into active politics, the Congress vice-president still retains the impression of an unwilling hero unable to carry his surname and completely at odds with the greatness thrust on him. Try as he or his party might, that impression was further reinforced, not dispelled, by Rahul's latest shenanigans in court on the issue of whether RSS is indeed responsible for killing Mahatma Gandhi. The Congress spin doctors have since been busy projecting Rahul's decision to stand for trial in the defamation case as an act of volition. They are at pains to point out that Rahul has decided to take on the RSS as part of a larger ideological battle. But this argument is specious. It is futile now to claim that Rahul is keen to 'set the record straight' and 'eager to lock horns with the RSS' when all that he has done in the last two years is to seek legal recourse for avoiding the trial. In fact, it has barely been a week since Rahul's counsel Kapil Sibal, while pleading for quashing of the case, told Supreme Court on 24 August that his client never meant to implicate the RSS organization as a whole in Mahatma Gandhi's murder. A closer look at the timeline of the case and court proceedings on Thursday would reveal that Rahul's latest shot at martyrdom is a belated attempt at making the best out of a script gone awry. The defamation suit was filed by RSS functionary Rajesh Kunte back in 2014, acting against the Congress vice-president's remarks at a public rally in Bhiwandi in March where he reportedly said: "RSS ke logon ne Gandhiji ko goli maari aur unke log Gandhiji ki baat karte hai." Facing a court summons issued by a Bhiwandi magistrate court, the Congress vice-president had moved the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the defamation complaint. It is instructive to note that on that occasion, Rahul Gandhi through his counsel RS Cheema had taken a very different stand from the one he adopted on Thursday. According to a report in The Times of India, Cheema told the High Court on 10 March, 2015, that "Rahul was addressing the members of a rally on the point of philosophy of Congress and his statement should be read in that context. Rahul made a plain statement and did not intent to harm the reputation of RSS" His petition was dismissed by the court. This is direct contradiction with Congress's narrative that there has been no U-turn from the its vice-president. Other inconsistencies remain. Soon after Rahul's declaration in court on Thursday that he stands by the 2014 statement, party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala rushed in to say that Rahul's "fight is not against any individual, but against an ideology that divides the country using caste, region and religion. This will further embolden the Congress to fight communalism", according to a report in Business Line. If fighting for secularism was Rahul's grand motive, why did he repeatedly try to avoid the trial? What happened inside the hallowed premises of Supreme Court on Thursday further corroborates the impression that Rahul Gandhi was actually cornered and had little option left except facing trial. According to a PTI report, the hearing on Thursday before a bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice R F Nariman started with Kunte's counsel UR Lalit submitting before the court that he needed more assurance from Rahul Gandhi that RSS won't be targeted again. "I can agree with his stand if he states that he did not intend to involve RSS for the offence. If he says he did not intend to involve RSS, let him clarify. Let him say that he believes that RSS as an institution was not involved in the killing," Lalit told the Bench which sought his response to Rahul Gandhi's stand during the last hearing on 24 August that he referred to the people belonging to RSS for Mahatma Gandhi's killing, not the institution itself. "For the last 60 years, every time when there is election and whenever it is a political battle and wherever there is minority votes, RSS are the capital hook," Lalit said. Following arguments and counter-arguments Rahul Gandhi's counsel submitted that his client stands by his comments, reported the newspaper. "I stand by each and every word. I will never take my words back. I stood by it yesterday, I stand by it today and I will stand by it in future as well. I am ready to go to the trial," senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rahul, submitted. The details of the proceedings reveal that Kunte's stand left very little manoeuvering room for Rahul Gandhi. At this stage he had to either categorically comply with the demand or, as he finally chose to, stand by his earlier comments and try to make political capital out of a legal setback. The Congress later made no bones about the fact that this will now become a full-blown political battle. The slow judicial system will anyway present huge opportunity for political propaganda and the party would want to cash in on it. The Congress reckons that creating some heat and dust on 'Mahatma Gandhi vs RSS' would serve two crucial purposes ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in a clutch of states. One, an aggressive posturing would ensure blanket coverage for Rahul Gandhi and two, it could be the veritable masterstroke to counter BJP's nationalism card. BJP's usurping of Congress icons and adopting a muscular brand of nationalism has left Congress searching for an answer. It makes immense sense, therefore, to have a larger public debate about RSS role in Mahatma's assassination. The only problem is, this strategy requires Rahul Gandhi to play his part with elan. Few would bet on him. It is indeed rare in affairs of two countries that their foreign and defence ministers are in each others capital on official visit at the same time. And this is precisely what has happened in the case of India and the United States this week. Few hours later, on the day Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his American counterpart Ashton Carter concluded the bilateral logistics exchange memorandum of agreement (LEMOA) in Washington DC, the US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker (her simultaneous visit to India with Kerry has not been highlighted strangely by our mainstream media) were meeting their Indian counterparts, Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, in what was called the "Second India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue". Though the dialogue has ended, Kerry has stayed back for two more days (till Friday); he will fly to China directly from here to join President Barack Obama. China is hosting this years G-20 summit, a meeting of 20 heads of government representing the developed and developing countries of the world, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In fact, the year 2016 has been very hectic as far as the official parleys between India and the United States are concerned. If US Secretary of State, Commerce Secretary and Defence Secretary have been to India, Indian Defence Minister and Finance Minister have visited the United States (Finance Minister Jaitley was there in June). Later this month, Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be on a US tour to carry on with his counterpart (Homeland Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson) 'Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue'. Significantly, Prime Minister Modi has been to the United States twice this year (altogether four times in the last two and half years). In March this year, Modi was in Washington for the two-day Nuclear Security Summit where world leaders from over 50 countries shared their assessment of the threat from nuclear weapons and materials. This was essentially a multilateral summit hosted by President Obama. But Modis visit in June was strictly a bilateral affair. Its importance lay in the fact that this was the second state-visit by Modi during the term of the same President(Obama too has been the first American President to come to India twice, last time as the Chief Guest of our republic day function at the short-invitation of Modi). If one adds to these official interactions, the mutual visits of the business leaders of the two countries in recent years, which include the top executives from Google, Apple, Facebook and Tesla Motors, it can be said that the present status of the Indo-US ties could be at a historic high. Let it be noted that the history of Indo-US relations has been marked otherwise by more downs than ups. So much so that a former US-diplomat, Dennis Kux, wrote a book, titled 'Estranged Democracies' (India, being largest and the United States being the most powerful). Things started to change after the end of the Cold War. Irrespective of who has been power in Delhi and Washington since then, the two countries have been moving forward. Indo-US relations are no longer a hostage to US-Pakistani and Indo-Soviet relations. Indo-US annual trade is now worth more than $100 billion a year. There are currently closer economic ties and collaborations between the two, and that includes ambitious schemes on energy augmentations and defence collaborations. Strategically speaking, the two countries share concerns over the Islamic fundamentalism, global terror networks, unending conflict in Afghanistan and a truculent China. There is at the present increased cooperation between the two countries military and intelligence establishments. Today, India-US relations cover a broad range of bilateral issues and shared objectives, including regional security, economic cooperation, defence, trade, and climate challenges etc. Obviously, these pose challenges and offer opportunities. Therefore, in January 2015, President Obama and Prime Minister Modi elevated the US-India Strategic Dialogue (starting in 2009) to the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue(S&CD), reflecting the United States and Indias shared priorities of generating economic growth, creating jobs, improving the investment climate, and strengthening the middle class in both countries. The inaugural S&CD took place in 21-22 September, 2015 at Washington DC. Kerry and Pritzker, thus, came here for the second S&CD. In fact, the joint-statement of this meeting or dialogue, issued on 31 August, reflects the magnitude of the issues that were covered. It runs into as many as 63 paragraphs or points, both big and small. The issues covered ranged from "Strategic, Defence and Security" to "Regional consultations and Global issues" to Climate, Energy and Environment to Commerce, Economy, and Growth to Innovation and Entrepreneurship to Ease of doing Business to Smart Cities Cooperation to Travel, Tourism, and People-to-People Ties to Standards Cooperation to Transportation Sector Cooperation to Trade Policy to Science and Technology to Health, Education, and People-to-People Contacts. India and the United States have everything to gain as close partners, if not allies, given their shared ideals of democracy, pluralistic ways of life, equality and justice. And yet if they had been estranged, it is also because of their democratic systems. Ironical as it may sound, but the fact remains that both being democracies mean that there are institutional bottlenecks, resulting in complex and slow decision-making systems. As American scholar Joseph Nye has said, there is protectionism in all democracies. Both India and the United States face pressures from vested interests which prevent the two countries from reaching levels of the trade and investment that otherwise would be beneficial to both parties. There are various industries and economic areas where the United States and India have not always seen eye to eye. In other words, though one hears that sky is the limit for the two countries partnership whenever the leaders of the two countries meet and one comes across promising announcements and high-sounding agreements, problems arise when the stage of implementations of the agreed ideas arise. Obviously, the two governments have a lot to do for overcoming these inherent challenges, irrespective of which parties they belong to, whether in India or in the United States. In the ultimate analysis, it all boils down to how each of the two governments positions itself as a partner that is valuable enough to the other. In fact, the writer's Indian-American friend Professor Amit Gupta, who teaches in the United States, has an interesting explanation on the direction of the Indo-US relations. According to him, "It is important to keep in mind that there are five India-US relationships: the government to government relationship; the military to military relationship; the one between Bangalore and Silicon Valley; the one between Indian students and American universities; and finally, the one between the Indian diaspora and India. Of these, the first two are the ones on which the Indian government pins the most hopes, but these are also the most problematic. The India-US relationship has improved significantly since the bad days following the 1998 nuclear tests but they have plateaued at the political and military levels. What PM Modi needs to do, therefore, is to push the development of the other three sets of relationships that are both far less complicated to foster and much more. I will end with a little bit explanation of Amits last "relationship" the ascendancy of the Indian- Americans both in number and profile in the United States. Indian- Americans have been continuously outpacing every ethnic group socioeconomically to reach the summit of the US Census charts. They have attained the highest educational levels of all ethnic groups in the US According to Wikipedia, 71% of all Indians have a bachelor's or high degree (compared to 28 percent nationally and 44 percent average for all Asian American groups). Almost 40 percent of all Indians in the United States have a master's, doctorate or other professional degree. After all, the best and brightest students in India emigrate to America. A study from Pew Research Centre has shown that 80 percent of Indians were holding college or advanced degrees, surpassing the previously Taiwanese average figure of 74.1%. In fact, the percentage of the number of Indian- Americans who have a master's, doctorate or other professional degree is five times the national average in America. What all this means is that these high profiled Indian -Americans, having best professional jobs, constitute a huge constituency for India which no American government or business can ignore. But then, for better or concrete results, there has to be some systemic changes in India in its governance, something that is not easy, given the weighty presence habitual US - bashers in our political, administrative and intellectual establishments, most of whom, incidentally, also happen to be the biggest opponents of the liberalisation of the economy and governmental reforms. Four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in Pakistan were killed early Friday during a gunfight with security forces outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, the army said. Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the army said. "Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50 am (00:50 GMT)," the Pakistan army said in a statement. "Security forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed," it said, adding that two paramilitary soldiers, a policeman and two security guards were wounded in the gunfight. The "situation is under control", the statement said, adding that troops were now carrying out a house-to-house search of the area. One civilian was also killed in the attack, they said. "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded. All 4 suicide bombers killed. Search in progress," Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa tweeted. Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar.Sec forces Promptly responded,all 4 suicide bombers killed.Search in progress. Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 2, 2016 Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attempt, with a spokesman telling journalists in Peshawar they had killed many "infidels" in the assault. The militants regularly exaggerate their claims. JuA claimed it was behind Pakistan's deadliest attack this year, a bombing that also targeted Christians in a crowded Lahore park that killed 75 people on Easter Sunday. And the group has said it was behind an attack on a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta last month that killed 73. Islamic State had also said it carried out that attack, though the Pakistani military said Thursday there was no evidence to support the claim. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population. The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups, and in 2011 gunned down Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was federal minister for minority affairs. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's deadliest-ever terror attack. The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. With inputs from AFP Islamabad: On Friday, Pakistan for the first time admitted that the Islamic State had a presence in the country but plans by the dreaded group to target important personalities by and attempts to organise itself have been thwarted. "Daesh tried to make an ingress into Pakistan, but the core of its group have now been apprehended," army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa told a press conference, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State. In this connection, 309 arrests have been made including 25 foreigners of Afghan, Syrian and Iraqi nationalities, he said. They were involved in attacks on media and security personnel, and were planning attacks on government, diplomatic and civilian targets, he added. This is the first acknowledgement by Pakistan, which has consistently denied any IS presence on its territory and rejected claims by the outfit of carrying out last month's suicide blast on a hospital that killed 75 people. A faction of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had also claimed responsibility for the 8 August attack. Bajwa said the threat of IS is now from Afghanistan where it is present in at least three border provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Khost. He added that proper gates would be installed at 18 major crossing points between Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of border management to ensure no one crosses the border without valid documents. Islamabad: One civilian and two suspected terrorists were killed on Friday when unidentified gunmen attacked Peshawar's Christian Colony, Pakistani security sources said. An ongoing firing between the gunmen and security personnel reportedly began around 6 am, when five to six terrorists attacked the colony, the sources told DawnNews. #UPDATE Pakistani media says four terrorists have been killed in exchange of fire with security forces in Peshawar ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 The gunmen were reportedly wearing suicide jackets, the sources said. The sound of explosions was heard in the area, eyewitnesses claimed, and a helicopter was spotted conducting aerial surveillance. Terrorists attack Christian Colony in Peshawar in Warsak Garrison, exchange of fire continues: Pakistan media ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Additional contingents of security forces, including police, Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army commandos have been deployed to the area and an operation is ongoing, DawnNews reported. The colony lies near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. General Asim Bajwa tweeted the following, giving an update on the terrorist attack. Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar.Sec forces Promptly responded,all 4 suicide bombers killed.Search in progress. Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 2, 2016 With inputs from IANS Twelve people have been killed, and 52 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a district court in the Pakistani city of Mardan early on Friday, police said, the latest assault targeting Pakistan's legal community. The bomber threw hand grenades before detonating a suicide vest among the morning crowds at the court, senior police official Faisal Shehzad told AFP. Earlier Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province told Reuters that they had recovered 12 bodies of the lawyers, police personnel and civilians. "Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," said Habib, who was quoted in the Express Tribune. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. A state of emergency has been declared at local hospitals and security has been tightened in all adjoining areas, a PTI report said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan. Pakistan's legal community are frequently the subject of targeted killings and small-scale attacks by militants, who are also known to hit soft targets such as schools. Blasts at Mardan district court kill 2, injure 18 https://t.co/CnaSV4x6fY pic.twitter.com/YzQWHruE7a Dunya News (@DunyaNews) September 2, 2016 Earlier on Friday, there was indiscriminate firing in a Christian colony in Peshawar. The suicide attackers were heavily armed and the terrorists were then gunned down by security forces in Warsak area. According to an earlier Firstpost report, the firing began around 6 am when terrorists attacked the colony and exchanged fire with security forces in Warsak area of Peshawar district in Khyber-Pakthunkhwa province, officials said. Dawn News reported that the attackers had detonated their suicide jackets while two others were killed by security forces. The colony is situated near the borders and sources informed the Pakistani newspaper that the area "is susceptible to cross-border movement of terrorists. Tehreek-i-Taliban splinter group Jamaatul Ahrar has a presence in the area." One civilian was also killed in the attack, they said. "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded. All 4 suicide bombers killed. Search in progress," Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa tweeted. Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar.Sec forces Promptly responded,all 4 suicide bombers killed.Search in progress. Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 2, 2016 With inputs from agencies New Delhi: Signalling a major shift in ties, India and Egypt on Friday decided to step up their overall defence and security cooperation to tackle the twin challenges of terrorism and radicalisation besides enhancing economic and trade engagements. A series of decisions to combat terrorism were taken in wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the two countries have been engaged in staving off the threat of extremism and radicalism. Identifying terrorism as one of the "gravest threats", they decided to have greater information and operational exchanges, apart from ramping up defence cooperation. Both sides also inked a pact on maritime transport which will facilitate maritime commerce and transit of naval vessels. The Prime Minister said the two countries agreed on an "action oriented agenda" to drive the engagements in a range of sectors while Sisi resolved to work towards a robust security cooperation with India and lay out a roadmap for intensification of trade and investment. "President and I are of one view that growing radicalisation, increasing violence and spread of terror pose a real threat not just to our two countries, but, also to nations and communities across regions. "In this context, we agreed to further our defence and security engagement which would aim at expanding defence trade, training and capacity building," Modi said at joint media interaction with Sisi. Modi said both sides have also agreed on greater information and operational exchanges to combat terror. Cooperation on emerging challenges of cyber security and working together to fight drug trafficking, transnational crimes and money-laundering were other key decisions taken at the meeting. Complimenting Sisi's leadership, Modi called him "a man of many achievements", both at home and abroad, and said "1.25 billion people of India are happy to see you in India. Egypt itself is a natural bridge that connects Asia with Africa. Your people are a voice of moderate Islam." For India, Egypt is a strategically located country which is a crucial link between northeast Africa and the Middle East. After coming to power two years back, Sisi has initiated major reforms to strengthen Egyptian economy. On trade ties, the Prime Minister said it was decided to deepen cooperation in agriculture, skill development, small and medium industry and health sectors to diversify the portfolio of economic engagement. "We recognised that strong trade and investment linkages are essential for economic prosperity of our societies. We, therefore, agreed that increased flow of goods, services, and capital between our two economies has to be among our key priorities," said Modi. Vatican: The woman the world came to know as Mother Teresa of Calcutta was called a lot of things in her lifetime. She was the "Saint of the Gutters" and an "Angel of Mercy." But also a "religious imperialist" and, in the words of British author Christopher Hitchens, "a fanatic, a fundamentalist and a fraud." For all the eloquence of her critics, she was always far more revered than reviled. Millions acclaimed her as an icon of Christian charity and a global symbol of anti-materialism and worthwhile self-sacrifice. On her death in 1997, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II predicted Teresa would "continue to live on in the hearts of all those who have been touched by her selfless love." Since then however it has become apparent that the private Teresa was a more complex personality. The austere persona she displayed to the world with her gaunt, masculine face, masked a lighter, albeit troubled, soul. For long periods, she was plagued by doubts about the faith that drove her mission to provide comfort to the dying. "There is so much contradiction in my soul," she wrote to the Bishop of Calcutta in a posthumously published letter dating from 1957. "Heaven means nothing to me, it looks like an empty place." Missionary vocation Two years later, she wrote to a priest friend saying: "If I ever become a saint, I will surely be one of darkness; I will continually be absent from heaven to light the light of those in darkness on earth." As of Sunday, the saintly tag becomes official thanks to a fast-track canonisation process that reaches its conclusion on the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death in what is now Kolkata. Baptised Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, Teresa was born into a Kosovar Albanian family in 1910 in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman empire and now the capital of Macedonia. Her father, a businessman who was involved in the region's byzantine politics, died when she was eight. By the time she was 12, according to biographers, Agnes was already a regular visitor to Catholic shrines and knew that she wanted to dedicate her life to missionary work. At 18 she enrolled in an Irish order, the Sisters of Loreto, spending a brief period in Ireland learning English before her departure for India in 1929. There she spent two decades teaching geography to the children of well-to-do families before founding her own order in 1950. Jokes and laughter In 1979, her work in the Calcutta slums was rewarded with the Nobel peace prize. In her acceptance speech she made a fervent defence of her approach to helping the poor, which was by then coming under increasing critical scrutiny. To those who said birth control was vital to combatting poverty, she replied that abortion was "direct murder by the mother." To those who said her Order should promote development, she replied that she was a missionary, not a social worker. "We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world," she said. "For we are touching the Body of Christ 24 hours." Teresa could come across as an ascetic figure and as a strict task-mistress to those under her. "She spoke her mind," Pope Francis recalled in 2014. "I would have been a little bit scared had she been my Mother Superior." Those who knew her best however paint a different picture of the chocolate and ice cream-loving nun. Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, a member of her Order who promoted her sainthood cause within the Vatican, recalls a maternal, easily-amused character who could sometimes be found bent over in laughter while discussing the day's events with fellow nuns. "She could be very demanding and at the same time, especially when a mistake was made, she could be very loving and tender and understanding as well," he told AFP. "You felt that she was a mother," he said. "She was not very good at telling jokes but she had a sense of humour and could really find the funny aspects in ... daily life." Washington: The United States (US) announced a long list of fresh sanctions on Thursday aimed at Russia over its continuing support for Ukraine's rebels and the 2014 seizure of Crimea. The new list took aim at a key unit of Bank Rossiya, often called the personal bank of Russian president Vladimir Putin, and some of Russia's largest construction companies. It included 17 Ukrainian separatists, 11 of them officials of the government Russia established in Crimea after illegally annexing the northern Black Sea peninsula in 2014. And it also blacklisted a large number of Russian companies operating in Crimea, including major maritime and defense businesses. The sanctions aim to lock those blacklisted out of global financial networks, thereby limiting their ability to do business, by banning any US entities and individuals from doing business with them. That would impact not only US banks but also the US branches of foreign banks, making it difficult for them to serve the sanctioned firms. The US Treasury said the new move aims at countering efforts by Russian entities to circumvent existing sanctions on individuals and companies. The Treasury stressed the need for Russia to abide by its commitments to the 2014 Minsk agreements aimed at halting the fighting between Ukraine forces and pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine. The sanctions announcement "also underscores the US government's opposition to Russia's occupation of Crimea and our firm refusal to recognise its attempted annexation of the peninsula," the Treasury said in a statement. "Russia continues to provoke instability in eastern Ukraine despite its Minsk commitments," said John Smith, the acting director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. "Treasury stands with our partners in condemning Russia's violation of international law, and we will continue to sanction those who threaten Ukraine's peace, security, and sovereignty." Newly blacklisted was CJSC ABR Management, an asset management firm closely linked to already-sanctioned Bank Rossiya, which serves members of Putin's closest circle. The largest companies involved in a new project to build a bridge spanning the Kerch Strait between Crimea and the Russian mainland were listed for sanctions, including the two construction giants SGM Most and Moststrest. HATTIESBURG, Miss. and MCLEAN, Va. -- Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) today announced the opening of its newest hotel, the dual-branded Hampton Inn by Hilton Hattiesburg and Home2 Suites by Hilton Hattiesburg, bringing a total of 144 new rooms to Mississippi's third largest city*. The new dual-build hotel adds to the growing footprint of properties built using Hilton's successful dual-brand strategy. Both properties are owned and managed by Kana Hotel Group. Both Hampton Inn by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton Hattiesburg offer guests convenient access to businesses in the area such as Kohler, Coca-Cola Bottling and Kimberly Clark. For families visiting area students, the hotels are just a short drive from the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University. Visitors can enjoy local dining and shopping in the downtown city center, just a few miles from the hotels, and visit local attractions including the Hattiesburg Zoo, Longleaf Trace Gateway, Paul B. Johnson State Park and Pep's Point Waterpark. "Hattiesburg has seen an uptick in its tourism industry, with an increase in visitor spending over the last fiscal year**, due to recent interest in development and local attractions," said Phil Cordell, global head, Focused Service and Hampton Brand Management, Hilton Worldwide. "Within this growing city, the new Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites hotels will provide travelers to the area a comfortable and value-driven stay while allowing them to customize their visit with these two brands." The dual-brand concept creates enhanced and larger communal areas than what would be standard at a stand-alone property, benefitting both business and leisure travelers. The hotel has two distinct lobbies and dining areas - each catering to the needs of their respective guests - while sharing one registration desk and an outdoor saline pool. Located at 120 Plaza Drive, Hampton Inn by Hilton Hattiesburg provides guests a fresh start to each day with On the House hot breakfast which includes eggs, oatmeal and waffles. In addition, the hotel provides Hampton's On the RunTM Breakfast Bags filled with a multi-grain bar, an apple, an artisan breakfast bread loaf and a bottle of water with a flavor packet for those guests on the go, available Monday through Friday. Also, other amenities include free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour business center with complimentary printing and a 24-hour fitness center. Each guestroom includes the brand's signature Clean and fresh Hampton bed, HDTV, refrigerator and coffeemaker. Home2 Suites by Hilton Hattiesburg, situated at 116 Plaza Drive, provides all-suite accommodations featuring fully-equipped kitchens and modular furniture allowing for guests to personalize their room. The hotel also features easy access to technology with complimentary Internet, inviting community spaces, and trademark Home2 Suites amenities such Spin2 Cycle, a combined laundry and fitness area, Home2 MKT for grab-and-go items, and the Inspired Table, a complimentary breakfast that includes more than 400 potential combinations. Guests can also enjoy an outdoor saline pool, patio with seating, fire pit, and fitness room. Most Home2 Suites properties are pet-friendly. Hampton Inn by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton Hattiesburg participate in Hilton's award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors. Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to benefits including an exclusive member discount, free standard Wi-Fi, as well as digital amenities that are available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors app, where HHonors members can check-in, choose their room, and access their room using a Digital Key. For more information or to make a reservation, visit Hampton Inn by Hilton Hattiesburg and Home2 Suites by Hilton Hattiesburg or call +1 601 268 0606 or +1 601 261 3800, respectively. Read more at news.hampton.com and news.home2suites.com. *SOURCE: Newsmax **SOURCE: Hattiesburg American About Hilton Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,800 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 122 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2021 World's Best Workplaces list and been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. In 2021, in addition to opening more than one hotel a day, Hilton introduced several industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 128 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Jennifer Hughes Director, Brand Public Relations - Hilton Worldwide +1 901 374 6518 Hilton GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Australias prime minister warned yesterday against fomenting distrust of Muslims as he outlined tougher measures against supporters of the Islamic State movement. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australian laws will soon be amended to give Australian F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet pilots the same legal standing as their coalition partners when conducting airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria. The Australian legal definition of combatants will be expanded to include people supporting armed fighters and will become consistent with international norms. Turnbull, who is resisting pressure from lawmakers to ban Muslim immigration and relax hate speech prohibitions, described the Islamic State group as the most pressing national security threat that Australians face. But he also warned there had been an increase in far-right extremism directed against Muslims in Australia. The latest alleged militant plot disrupted by police led to the arrest of an anti-immigration campaigner who was charged last month with preparing a terrorist attack in the city of Melbourne. We cannot be effective if we are creating division, whether by fomenting distrust within the Muslim community or inciting fear of Muslims in broader society, Turnbull told Parliament. Division begets division. It makes violence more likely, not less, he said. The government plans to introduce legislation to Parliament this month that would enable courts to keep prisoners convicted of terrorist offenses behind bars for indefinite periods. Legislation is to be introduced in November that will create a new offense of advocating genocide. The crime will enable police to make an earlier arrest when someone is radicalizing others. Control orders that can force suspects to wear tracking devices and obey curfews could apply to 14-year-olds. Currently the minimum age is 16. The burden of evidence would also be reduced for a court to jail a suspect with a preventative detention order on the basis that a terrorist attack could occur within two weeks. Turnbull is resisting demands from several senators to stop Muslim immigration, and also resisted pressure this week from lawmakers in his own conservative government to water down laws that ban offending anyone because of race or nationality. Meanwhile, a 42-year-old Sydney man was sentenced yesterday to eight years in prison for helping seven men travel to Syria to fight with Jabhat al- Nusra and other al-Qaida affiliates. At least two of the fighters have died. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Parliament yesterday that 110 Australians were fighting with the Islamic State group and other militant groups in the Middle East and up to 65 Australians have been killed. The passports of 213 suspected militants have been canceled, she said, while the government has refused to issue passports to another 24 people to prevent them from joining the fight in Syria and Iraq. Rod McGuirk, Canberra, AP/MDT The Federation of Trade Unions handed yesterday morning a petition to the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong. The petition calls on authorities to enforce measures relating to the Casino smoke ban in order to protect workers health. The organization claims that some casinos have been violating local regulations by allowing its visitors to smoke occasionally and that, in order to bypass the law, they have also being installing VIP rooms in their central areas calling them smoking lounges. In some cases, these arrangements are made without permission from the authorities. The Federation also said that in order to help affected workers, they have been collecting relevant information in the casinos and have launched a platform for reporting such cases. According to data disclosed by the Federation, some 90 complaints have already been made since the platform was launched on July 21. Some of these complaints have been forwarded to the relevant law enforcement authorities, but the problems have persisted, the Federation informed. According to the association a total of 86 smoking lounges have been authorized and another 21 requests are still being processed. RM What happens in Vladivostok stays in Vladivostok. A phrase that couldve captured Soviet obsession with secrecy during the Cold War is gaining new meaning for Vladimir Putin, whos taking a gamble as he aims to turn Russias easternmost nuclear garrison into a freewheeling center of commerce and casinos to lure investors and bettors from Asia. Stung by oils collapse and sanctions, Putin declared the once-closed Pacific city of 600,000 a free port last October, slashing red tape and introducing unprecedented legal protections for investors in the hopes of spawning a bustling frontier outpost closer in spirit to Las Vegas than Moscow. But the plan may also work too well: By chasing foreign money wherever he can get it, hes risking over-dependence on a powerful China. The project is already rekindling age-old fears about encroachment across the Far East, a vast, sparsely populated and resource-rich region that the czars didnt bring fully to heel until the second half of the 19th century when a weakened China ceded control of it. The Chinese are coming, said Nikolai Markovtsev, a former lawmaker who runs the local branch of the liberal Yabloko party. They understand that Russia is weakening, that China is strengthening and that they can gradually take control of these territories in 100 or 150 years. Putin, whos forging closer ties with China in part to challenge what he considers U.S. global hegemony, has more immediate concerns. He told lawmakers in December that developing the region, where just 6.3 million people live in an area larger than India, is a national priority that requires investment from wherever it can be found. On Friday, hell make his case at a two-day forum in Vladivostok that will be attended by the leaders of Japan and South Korea before all three head to China for the annual Group of 20 summit. Billing the city, which is less than 100 miles from China and North Korea and two hours from Tokyo by plane, as a business-friendly gateway to all of Russia is paying off, according to Vasily Markov, a director at the Russian branch of accounting firm Deloitte LLP. The application process is smooth and there is a minimum of red tape, which is unusual in Russia, Markov said. So far the level of interest has been high, but many investors want to see how the zone develops before they move in. While foreign arrivals to Russia have dropped 21 percent this year, theyve jumped 22 percent in Vladivostok, led by China and spurred by the opening of Macau magnate Lawrence Hos USD172 million Tigre de Cristal casino, Russias largest. Hos Summit Ascent Holdings Ltd., one of four gaming groups building in the area, is already planning a $500 million expansion. Companies registered in the zone are entitled to a five-year tax holiday, no tariffs, streamlined customs and, eventually, border-issued visas. These and other incentives have helped boost investment across the Far East by 10 percent, though the region remains economically depressed, according to Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev, Putins envoy to the federal district. If we maintain this pace for another five years, we can safely say the process will be irreversible, Trutnev told state news service TASS last week. Then well be able to say the Far East will never again be like what it was. With $2.7 billion in investment commitments and a booming tourist trade, the zone is a rare example of Putin attempting to loosen the states grip on the economy. But like everywhere else in Russia, success will depend on overcoming a culture of greed and graft that Transparency International rates worse than in much poorer countries like Pakistan and Mozambique. Putin has admitted that corruption in Primorsk, the coastal region that includes Vladivostok, is bad even by Russian standards and that it deserves its reputation as the crime capital of the country, telling the nation in his annual call-in show in 2011 that criminality there is worse than any other region. His latest effort to tame what some call the Wild East came in June, when Vladivostoks long-serving mayor, Igor Pushkarev, was arrested on suspicion of rigging city auctions in favor of relatives. Pushkarevs predecessor, an ex-convict widely known by the handle Winnie-the-Pooh, fled to Thailand for medical treatment after he was charged with abuse of authority. A Vladivostok court ruled in 2012 that he could return to Russia without going to prison. But its not like Moscow, seven time zones west, doesnt set an example. Authorities spent $20 billion preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vladivostok in 2012, including a $1 billion span to the barren Russky Island dubbed the Bridge to Nowhere. The main contractor was Arkady Rotenberg, an old Putin friend. Russia declared Russky Island a special zone after the APEC summit in a bid to attract investment, but shut it down this year after failing to win a single commitment. And an early attempt at creating a free port like Vladivostok, at the nearby oil hub of Nakhodka, collapsed in 2006 after tens of billions of rubles went missing, according to Markovtsev, the former legislator. But none of this seems to worry the Chinese. With more than 100 million people just over the border in Manchuria, Chinese companies have pledged more than $2 billion of investment in the Far East, mostly for an oil refinery in the Amur region, according to the Far East Development Ministry. Concerns about an influx of Chinese has stirred controversy throughout the country, fueled in part by the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, or LDPR, one of four parties with seats in the State Duma, or lower house of parliament. Last year, after Trans-Baikal, a region on the Chinese border, announced plans to lease 285,000 acres of unused land to a Chinese agricultural company, the LDPR warned of a takeover by Beijing. This is an important geopolitical question, said Deputy Duma Speaker Igor Lebedev, an LDPR leader. The governor of Trans-Baikal will be Chinese in 20 years if this issue isnt resolved. Russia gained control over most of the present-day Far East, including Vladivostok which in Russian means Master of the East when Chinas decaying Qing dynasty signed away the territories in two treaties in 1858 and 1860. The government in Moscow is seeking to counter public concern over Chinese encroachment by offering Russians free parcels of land in the hopes of spurring a mass migration along the lines of Abraham Lincolns Homestead Act of 1862. For now, Russias relations with the U.S. and Europe have soured so much that Putin has no choice but to court China, according to Alexander Lukin, an Asia expert at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. But Beijing must not be given a monopoly, Lukin said. Henry Meyer, Jake Rudnitsky, Bloomberg The Commision of Audit (CA) criticized the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) for its lack of commitment in planning for the construction of government buildings, which caused around MOP5 billion to be paid out in rental and renovation works. The CA stated that between 2004 and 2014, 68 public services that rented facilities and parking spaces clocked up a surprising MOP4 billion while the renovation works for the permanent spaces was undertaken for MOP1.03 billion. Describing the amount of money spent on government buildings as staggering, the commission said the situation is quite rare internationally. The commission stressed that they already pointed out the problem in 2006 when they urged the government to find permanent spaces for its services. However, after over six years, construction of permanent public facilities has not yet commenced. The CA thus implied that there is an absence of logical justification for the continuation of the status quo. Between 2012 and 2014 the Chief Executive reviewed two proposals regarding the substantial fees the government covers annually on the rental of its public services. The proposals, which were presented by the Financial Services Bureau (DSF), were then forwarded to DSSOPT, however the department said there were no lands available for constructing office buildings. According to the CA, since then DSSOPT has suggested that new reclaimed lands should be used, but the proposals were archived. The commission also noted that DSSOPT has revealed it did not exercise its legal obligations by not practicing the necessary steps for the resolution of the public services installations. In response to the CAs criticism of the bureau, DSSOPT issued a statement on Wednesday implying that the reclaimed land was reserved for the construction of public housing in line with the Secretary for Transport and Public Works previous announcements. Although the bureau admitted they recognize the importance of the CA report and will follow up necessary works, it noted that respective departments are conducting a study on urban development to create an overall plan. In the meantime, DSSPOT has indicated that they are following up on the construction of buildings, namely the new facilities of the Court of First Instance (TJB), Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA), the Public Prosecutions Office and the police department site in Taipa. It noted that it is has been making efforts to build more facilities for public services, as per the government request. Indonesia is screening travelers from neighboring Singapore for the mosquito-borne Zika virus as the city-state reports a growing number of infections and its first case of a pregnant woman testing positive. Indonesian Health Ministry spokesman Oscar Primadi said yesterday that health officials are recommending that the Foreign Ministry issue an advisory against nonessential travel to Singapore, particularly for pregnant women. Singapore on Wednesday said it had identified 22 new Zika cases in one particular area of the city and its first case involving a pregnant woman. Zika has mild effects for most people but doctors believe infection during pregnancy can result in babies with small heads, which is known as microcephaly, and other serious developmental disorders. Singapore had 155 cases as of Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising travelers to Singapore to take precautions such as protecting themselves against mosquito bites, and because the virus can also be sexually transmitted, to use condoms or not have sex. Primadi said thermal imaging equipment to detect abnormal body temperatures was installed at eight Indonesian ports with routes serving Singapore, including the capital Jakartas airport. He said travelers will also be given a health questionnaire so they will recognize symptoms and know to immediately report to health authorities. Yesterday, Malaysias Health Ministry said a 58-year-old woman who traveled to Singapore had become that countrys first Zika case. Health Minister S. Subramaniam said the woman and her husband visited Singapore for three days from Aug. 19. The woman developed a rash a week after her return and later tested positive for Zika in her urine, he said. Her daughter in Singapore tested positive for Zika on Tuesday. We can conclude that it is rather easy to get infected by the virus when visiting places that has outbreak, including Singapore, he said. Proactive action from the community can help stop the spread of Zika virus in Malaysia. Subramaniam said the virus was believed to be imported from Singapore because the woman started experiencing symptoms on the same day as her daughter. The ministry has started control activities such as eliminating mosquito breeding sites and fog spraying in her residential area and other places that the patient had visited. Indonesia has not yet reported any local Zika infections but an Indonesian woman in Singapore is among those infected there. Niniek Karmini, Stephen Wright, Jakarta, AP Representatives of the Love Macau Association met outside the Government Headquarters yesterday afternoon to present a letter to authorities lobbying for Ubers legalization and regulation in the MSAR. The association cited the local communitys broad and popular support for the ride- sharing app as their rationale for demanding that the government take measures to regulate the sector. The association presented a survey it had conducted which showed that 97.2 percent of some 3,069 respondents said that they support Uber in Macau. Only a minority indicated that were against the firms continued operation or had no opinion on the matter. In another online survey, more than 90 percent of approximately 20,000 respondents said that they support the continued operation of Uber, according to the associations leaders. As of last night, the official Uber ePetition has reached 19,745 signatories, just over 250 shy of its target of 20,000. Organizers posted a notice to inform the public that the petition had garnered 15,000 signatures within the first 24 hours of being uploaded. Among the activists yesterday afternoon was Love Macau Association president Cloee Chao, who argued that the popular service provides tourists and residents with a level of convenience not offered by the traditional taxi firms in the city. If [traditional] taxi services satisfy the community then people would not be interested in ride-sharing companies, a statement issued yesterday afternoon noted. Taxi services [today] damage the reputation of the city and its image, the statement added, due to the bad behavior of some drivers. The government cannot solve this problem, but Uber can solve it. Chao also responded yesterday to the suggestion that legalizing services like Uber would only add to the number of road vehicles in the territory, exacerbating traffic congestion. She argued that the vehicles will be in the territory and on its roads whether they are affiliated with Uber or not. Love Macau Association has urged the government to rethink the issue more carefully and create reasonable legislation to tackle the pressing issues of Macaus taxi sector. Another demonstration outside the Government Headquarters, organized by some of the leaders of yesterdays meeting, is being planned for Sunday in Tap Seac Square. The demonstration will begin at 3 p.m. and will involve a march on the Government Headquarters at an unspecified time later in the afternoon. Organizers anticipate at least 600 attendees. While in Boise on Thursday, Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence defended Donald Trumps immigration proposals to a Boise TV station, but he didnt say what he thinks should happen to undocumented immigrants who havent committed other crimes while living here. Pence, who is the governor of Indiana and is Trumps running mate, was in Boise for a fundraiser that drew Republican luminaries including U.S. Sen. Jim Risch and Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter, according to the Spokesman Reviews Eye on Boise blog. Pence was in Utah earlier on Thursday, and was scheduled to return to Indiana Friday morning. Pence talked to Boise KBOI 2 for a few minutes on the tarmac on his way out of town. Despite Trumps big loss to Ted Cruz in the March presidential primary (Pence voted for Cruz himself, although he praised Trump at the same time as endorsing Cruz), he sounded confident that the campaign would have no problem bringing Cruz supporters into the fold. I truly do believe that the common-sense conservative agenda Donald Trump has articulated has resonated here in Idaho, Pence said. I heard that from folks today. What polling there has been so far and the history and registration numbers would seem to bear out Pences optimism all of the polls have shown Trump to be ahead of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Idaho, and a Democratic presidential candidate hasnt carried the state since Lyndon Johnsons 1964 blowout. Pences visit came on the heels of Trumps visit to Mexico to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto and a major speech on immigration policy Trump gave in Arizona on Wednesday, in which he vowed to deport any undocumented immigrants who are arrested for a crime while living here and reaffirmed his support for a border wall that he says Mexico will pay for, but seemed to back away from deporting undocumented immigrants who dont commit crimes while living here. Pena Nieto said after the meeting that Mexico will not pay for the wall. Pence said Trump, in the speech, laid out a roadmap to end illegal immigration. Pence said undocumented immigrants who have committed other crimes need to be deported, and after that then we can consider those who might still remain in this country. Pence said the focus should be on border security, and he voiced his support for Trumps signature proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, saying it is about stopping drug and human trafficking as well as illegal immigration. Pence also said Trump would work with Congress to end sanctuary cities i.e., cities where the local authorities dont cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Republicans in Congress have been pushing legislation to cut off federal funding for such cities. Literally for more than a generation, weve talked about the crisis of illegal immigration in this country, Pence told KBOI. And its a crisis that has cost American jobs, its lowered wages in this country, and too often its brought outright tragedy and violence to families in this country. The Pew Research Center estimated that 50,000 undocumented immigrants lived in Idaho as of 2012, about 3 percent of the states population. Most of them are from Mexico, and Pew estimates undocumented immigrants make up 4.6 percent of the labor force and their children 5.5 percent of the school population. A sizable chunk of that population lives in the Magic Valley, where they are a significant share of the agricultural workforce estimates in 2013 said between 75 and 90 percent of Idaho dairy workers are here illegally. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine was also in Idaho earlier this month, also for a private fundraiser. (His was in Sun Valley.) Neither Kaine nor Pence held any public events during their brief trips to the Gem State. TWIN FALLS The man accused of murdering a 20-year-old woman in Twin Falls last week has waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing. Glenn Joseph Tures, 44, of Twin Falls is being held without bond in the Twin Falls County Jail and was entitled to a preliminary hearing within 14 days of his arrest. That hearing was set for Friday morning, but Tures attorney on Thursday filed a document waiving the 14-day time restriction. The delay is typical of serious criminal cases, as defendants facing serious charges often choose to delay the preliminary hearing at least once to give their attorneys time to prepare a defense. Tures was charged Aug. 25 with first-degree murder after police said he walked into the police station and confessed to killing Anessia Shaye Winterholer, whose body was found Aug. 21 in the basement of a Twin Falls home. Glenn Joseph Tures came to the Twin Falls Police Department on his own accord and confessed to me that on August 20 he led the victim to the basement of 458 Filer Avenue and killed her, Detective Jonathan Wilson wrote in a sworn affidavit. He said he decided to strangle her once they were in the basement. He described placing his hands around her throat and squeezing until she stopped resisting and stopped breathing. Court documents do not describe a motive for the killing, and Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs declined to speculate about the motive last week. A new date for Tures preliminary hearing was not set Thursday. During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors must prove to a magistrate judge they have sufficient evidence for the case to be bound over to district court. But it would not be unusual for Loebs to seek an indictment from a grand jury instead, a process that happens behind closed doors and which negates the need for a preliminary hearing. That was the route the prosecutor took last summer, securing indictments for two men in the slaying of Kent Storrer and for 87-year-old Paul Robert Welch in the killing of Barbara Sue Chitwood. FILER Three Filer School District employees are under police investigation over allegations of misconduct. The school district became aware of a situation Monday evening, school officials said in a statement Friday afternoon. The employees were placed on leave. The district and police have not released the names of the employees and declined to discuss the nature of the allegations. But it appears one of the three employees is Superintendent John Graham. The note from the school was signed by Middle School Principal Shane Hild, who is now the districts acting superintendent. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority and we take these allegations seriously, the district said in the statement. The case has been turned over to the Filer Police Department, Sgt. John Darnell confirmed Friday. He declined to comment on the specific nature of the allegations. No one answered the phone Friday at the school district office or Filer Middle School. School isnt in session until Tuesday. And school board members did not return multiple phone calls. Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs said his office was unaware of a police investigation. As soon as Filer school officials became aware of the allegations, local law enforcement was contacted and the district opened an independent investigation, according to the statement. Everyone at the District is working closely with law enforcement and will do everything required to assist them with their investigation, it said. The district has a responsibility not to rush to judgment and risk inadvertently causing harm to any member of our school community, according to the statement. We would ask for patience and understanding as the matter is investigated. At this point in the investigation, these are the only details we can provide. We will update you when the investigation is complete. BOISE The Idaho Commission for Libraries awarded $200,000 to 47 elementary schools to buy books for preschool through first-grade students. Money was also used to allow five schools to open their libraries during the summer. The funds were in the form of mini-grants, for amounts between $1,000 and $5,000 each. The goals of the grant program are to increase the amount of reading done at home, increase access to quality books in elementary school libraries, and to increase the number of children reading at grade level. Forty-two grants, totaling $175,000, were awarded to elementary schools. In addition, five schools including Horizon Elementary School in Jerome were awarded $5,000 grants so their libraries could remain over during the summer. Other south-central Idaho recipients: Blaine County School District: Bellevue Elementary School ($5,000) and Ernest Hemingway Elementary School ($2,000) Cassia County School District: Raft River Elementary School ($5,000) Twin Falls School District: Oregon Trail Elementary School ($5,000) and Rock Creek Elementary School ($5,000) TWIN FALLS A vocal opponent of the College of Southern Idahos Refugee Center has filed a petition seeking a seat on the colleges board of trustees. Rick Martin will face incumbent Laird Stone, a Twin Falls attorney, for the zone two seat during the Nov. 8 election. The deadline to declare candidacy was 5 p.m. Thursday, with three seats up for grabs. Incumbent Jan Mittleider, a retired CSI physical education professor, is seeking reelection in zone four and Jerome resident Jack Nelsen is seeking the zone three seat. Currently, CSI trustees dont represent a certain zone. But that will change with the November election. A new law requires geographic representation on Idahos community college boards. Martin who leads the Committee to End the CSI Refugee Center said Thursday if elected, hed work to build some support among trustees to phase out the Refugee Center. CSI was founded to provide post-secondary education for students not as a refugee resettlement center, he said. Its an extreme financial burden on the community. Martin, a Buhl resident, grew up in Twin Falls. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served until 2000. Now, he works in the health care technology industry. Earlier this year, Martin turned in a petition for a ballot measure seeking to ban refugee centers in Twin Falls County. But with 894 signatures, it fell almost 3,000 short of what was needed to get onto the May ballot. The refugee resettlement program at CSI has been around since the 1980s. It became the focus of controversy after news came out more than a year ago that Syrians could be among the refugees resettled in Twin Falls. Martin said his priorities as a trustee would be ending the refugee resettlement program, improving the colleges financial transparency and accountability and developing a method to provide free tuition to students in Twin Falls and Jerome counties. Refugee resettlement is dragging the college down and gives CSI a bad reputation, Martin said. He claims refugees are bringing in communicable diseases. Refugees coming to the U.S. are required to pass a health screening before coming into the country. In June, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported that seven refugees with active tuberculosis were resettled in Idaho between 2011 and 2015, but none of them were contagious. Martin also claims refugees moving into the Magic Valley make it hard for young people and the elderly to find a decent place to live in Twin Falls and that their presence in the workforce drives down wages. Its time for CSI to move on and let someone else take over the refugee program, he said. As for the colleges finances, Martin wants to see CSI outsource most of its financial operations. He also wants the college to create an Office of Special Investigations to handle internal audits and investigations of whistle-blower complaints. He cited the Dawn Marie Orr case. In July 2015, the former CSI business office employee was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison after embezzling more than $530,000 from the college. Martin said another goal he would have as a trustee would be focusing on potential students in Twin Falls and Jerome counties by providing some with free tuition. There would have to be some kind of litmus test, he said, which would include factors such as how long theyve lived in the area, having at least a C average and getting a letter of recommendation. Martin said he has looked at the colleges finances. I believe they have the money to offer free tuition, he said. CSI is spending money on off-campus centers outside the taxing district, he said, while enrollment numbers are down. Martin added, I feel the college is failing the students in the geographical location thats basically funding the operation. Martin has a history in the local political scene. In March 2015, he circulated flyers saying that voting yes for a Buhl school bond would harm the poor and elderly. Martin told the Times-News that month his objective was to get facts out before the election. In 2012, Martin distributed altered sample ballots. His name was listed, but not his opponent incumbent Terry Kramerfor Republican Castleford precinct committeeman. News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-10-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. La imagen del nino musico que llora fue catalogada como una de las fotografias mas emotivas de la historia moderna. Esta foto fue tomada de un nino brasilero de 12 anos (Diego Frazzo Turkato), tocando el violin en el funeral de su maestro, la pieza musical favorita del fallecido, que lo salvo del ambiente de pobreza y crimen en el que vivia. En esta imagen, la humanidad habla con la voz mas fuerte del mundo: "Cultiva el amor y la bondad en un nino y acumularas amor y bondad. Y solo entonces construiras una gran civilizacion, una gran nacion". Fotografo: Marcos Tristao Morocco, host country of 22nd UN Conference on Climate Change (COP22) scheduled in Marrakech next November 7-18, will host the 1st meeting of UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) in Rabat Sept. 20-24 to prepare a preliminary draft text of a declaration on ethical principles in relation to climate change. An agreement was signed Thursday in this regard between Morocco and UNESCO at its Headquarters in Paris. By hosting this first meeting of high-level international experts, the North African kingdom confirms its commitment to promote effective climate change adaptation based on a sound ethical ground. The outcome of the Rabat meeting of AHEG will be sent to UNESCO Member States for comments and feedback. In November 2015, the General Conference of UNESCO, at its 38th session, adopted a resolution mandating the Director-General to prepare a preliminary text of a non-binding declaration on ethical principles in relation to climate change. The aim is to complete and enrich the existing reference instruments, taking into consideration the outcome of negotiations carried out within the framework of COP-21 and COP-22. The holding of COP22 in Morocco is an international recognition of the countrys efforts to boost renewable energies and environment-friendly economy. Morocco has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 32% by 2030. In its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to address climate change to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC,) the country has unveiled an ambitious plan to increase the share of renewable electricity capacity to 42 pc in 2020 and to 52 pc by 2030. Gabons parliament has been set on fire on Wednesday as opposition supporters took to the streets in the central African nation after incumbent President Ali Bongo was declared the winner in a fiercely contested presidential election. The riots started immediately after Gabons Minister of Interior announced the August 27 election results, which extend Bongo familys 50-year rule of the oil-rich nation. According to the official results, the incumbent president won with 49.80% of the vote, ahead of the 73-year-old former African Union Commission Chairman who came second with 48.23%. Ali Bongo won with a slight difference of 5,594 votes, as he garnered 177,722 votes, while Ping reaped 172,128 votes. The police clashed with rioters in Libreville as they were marching towards the Electoral Commission office to protest the results. Opposition leader Jean Ping on Thursday told RFI that two people were killed and many wounded when the presidential guard attacked his partys headquarters overnight. The government spokesperson, Alain-Claude Billie-By-Nze, said the Republican Guard that stormed Pings campaign headquarters were in search of criminals responsible for setting fire to the seat of the National Assembly in Libreville. Ping denied the accusations saying that there were no weapons at his headquarters and requested international assistance. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged political leaders and their supporters to refrain from further acts that could undermine the peace and stability of the country. The EU, France, and the U.S. called for publishing the results for each polling station. It was the countrys most tightly contested presidential election since it adopted multi-party rule in 1990 and it is the first time that the Bongo familys grip on power had been seriously challenged. A research group led by Professor Daoguang Yan from Jinan University in Guangdong has cooperated with Professor Vesa Olkkonen from the Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research on the Meilahti Campus to uncover a new mechanism which enhances the viability of cancerous T-cells and promotes their reproduction. The researchers discovered that the T-ALL leukaemia cells use a specific signalling pathway to maintain their intense, oxygen-dependent energy metabolism and ability to divide. The pathway is largely based on the ORP4L protein, which is expressed only in cancerous T-cells but not in healthy ones. "The new results establish that ORP4L binds the protein group that transmits signals on the membranes of the cancerous cells, which accelerates the release of calcium ions from the endoplasmic reticulum. This way the 'power plants' of the cell which run on oxygen, the mitochondria, are free to produce energy to their full capacity," explains Professor Olkkonen. Severing the newly discovered signalling pathway could prevent cancerous cells from growing and reproducing. This means that identifying the pathway will enable the development of new leukaemia treatments which target different sections of the pathway. The study was published in the esteemed Nature Communications journal. Interest in ORP proteins brings researchers together Professor Yan has been in charge of his research group at Jinan University in Guangzhou, Guangdong, since 2009. While working in Helsinki at the National Public Health Institute of Finland between 2005 and 2007, Yan became interested in ORPs, a family of proteins which bind oxysterols (oxidised cholesterol derivatives) in humans, and their role in cell signalling. Oxysterol-binding proteins are found in the areas where cell organelles come into contact: they transmit lipids and signals between them. An abnormally intense expression of the ORP4 protein had previously been observed in certain cancer cells, and Yan and Olkkonen suspected that it transmitted signals which maintained the malignancy of the cells. In 2009, Professor Yan discovered that ORP4L was being excessively expressed in T-ALL leukaemia cells, and ever since, he has been studying the function of this protein and its significance in leukaemia. Professor Olkkonen's research group identified the ORP protein family between 1999 and 2001, and is still studying the functions of these proteins, including ORP4L. Olkkonen has made regular visits to Yan's laboratory, and together with Yan has supervised the ORP4L research, the top project at the laboratory. ORP inhibitors to become new cancer drugs? The now-published study used both cultured cancerous T-cell lines and leukaemia cells isolated directly form the blood of patients. The expression of the ORP4L protein was blocked or excessively boosted in experiments on the cultured cells. The significance of the protein in the reproduction of leukaemia cells was also studied in vivo by transferring ORP4L-manipulated human leukaemia cells to immune-deficient mice. "What makes our findings particularly interesting is that small-molecule inhibitors for the ORP proteins have been discovered, and we may be able to use them to develop new drugs to treat T-ALL leukaemia and perhaps other types of cancer as well," Olkkonen states. Explore further Scientists identify possible double drug combination to attack leukaemia More information: Wenbin Zhong et al. ORP4L is essential for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell survival, Nature Communications (2016). Journal information: Nature Communications Wenbin Zhong et al. ORP4L is essential for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell survival,(2016). DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS12702 An Italian government campaign urging young couples to "get on with it" to boost the country's flagging birthrate has been pulled after a furious backlash on social media. Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said Friday she had ordered changes to the online campaign after a series of captioned images intended to promote an upcoming Fertility Day were slammed as patronising, sexist and hectoring. The biggest outcry was over an image of a fraught-looking young woman touching her stomach with one hand and holding an egg-timer in the other, with the sand running away. "Beauty has no age. But fertility does," said the caption, widely criticised for implying women delaying pregnancy had only themselves to blame if they ended up childless. Men were not treated any more sensitively. A picture of rotting banana skin was deployed to make the point that: "Male fertility is much more vulnerable than you might think." That was making a similar point to a picture of a man holding a cigarette with the warning: "Don't let your sperm go up in smoke." Another image shows a wading bird on the edge of a nest, imploring surfers to: "Get a move on! Don't wait for the stork." The tweets, released to promote a Fertility Day planned for September 23, quickly went viralthe initial incredulous reaction being amplified by a swell of support for Lorenzin from pro-family groups. 'Demographic suicide' Criticism of the campaign focused on the numerous obstacles to having children in Italy, including high unemployment, low wages, weak maternity rights and inadequate childcare provision. One of the most popular tweets was a cartoon by Virgilio Natola showing a female hand holding up a pregnancy test kit bearing the result: "Go abroad and find yourself a job." Others cited Italy's falling birthrate as a serious problem. "The criticisms of #fertilityday are ridiculous," tweeted Comitato Articolo 26, one of the groups involved in organising recent "Family Days" in opposition to legislation on gay civil unions. "In the country of demographic suicide, a lot, lot more should be done." Announcing a review of the campaign, Lorenzin said: "We did not intend to offend or provoke anyone. If the message has not gone across as we we would have liked, we will change it." Lorenzin, a practising Catholic, was left looking isolated after Prime Minister Matteo Renzi appeared to criticise the campaign. "As far as I know, none of my friends had their kids after seeing an advert," he said in a radio interview on Thursday. Italy has the lowest birthrate in the European Union and one of the lowest in the world, with only eight babies born for every 1,000 residents in 2015, according to EU figures released in July. A total of 485,000 babies were born in the country last year, a record low and less than half the level of the 1960s. Lorenzin warned earlier this year that the current "catastrophic decline" would reduce the number of newborns to 350,000 within a decade unless action is taken to reverse the trend. She has proposed doubling "baby bonus" child benefits to encourage more couples to start families and existing parents to expand theirs. Explore further India moves to ban booming commercial surrogacy business 2016 AFP Schematic of mice with dysfunctional and functional Wnt signaling. Credit: University College London Memory loss in mice has been successfully reversed following the discovery of new information about a key mechanism underlying the loss of nerve connectivity in the brain, say UCL researchers. Published today in Current Biology, the study funded by Alzheimer's Research UK, Parkinson's UK, Wellcome, MRC and the EU investigated the mechanism driving communication breakdown in adult brains specifically, the loss of connections between nerve cells in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that controls learning and memory. The team found Wnt proteins play a key role in the maintenance of nerve connectivity in the adult brain and could become targets for new treatments that prevent and restore brain function in neurodegenerative diseases. The breakdown of connections between nerve cells is an early feature of diseases like Alzheimer's and is known to cause distressing symptoms like memory and thinking decline, but the biological processes behind it are poorly understood. Nerve cells are connected at communication points called synapses and the slow degeneration of these connections is an important area of study for researchers looking to slow or stop Alzheimer's disease. Lead author, Professor Patricia Salinas (UCL Cell & Developmental Biology), said: "Synapses are absolutely critical to everything that our brains do. When these important communication points are lost, nerve cells cannot exchange information and this leads to symptoms like memory and thinking problems. The Wnt pathway is emerging as a key player in the regulation of the formation, maintenance and function of synapses, and we have provided strong evidence that the Wnt proteins are also critical for memory. "Understanding the role of Wnts in Alzheimer's disease is an important next step, as there is potential we could target this chain of events with drugs. Preventing or reversing the disruptions in connectivity and communication between nerve cells in Alzheimer's would be a huge step forward." Increasing evidence suggests that deficiency in Wnt function contributes to disruption of brain connectivity in Alzheimer's disease and therefore resulting in memory loss. The team studied the impact of a protein called Dkk1, known to block the action of Wnts and found at higher levels in people with Alzheimer's, in brain circuits and memory. Genetically modified mice in which Dkk1 can be switched on, disrupting the action of Wnts and its downstream chain of events were used. To avoid any disruption to normal brain development driven by Wnts and Dkk1, the researchers waited until the mice were adults before switching on Dkk1 in an area of the brain important for the formation of new memories. When Dkk1 was switched on in the adult mice, the researchers found the mice had memory problems, and that this coincided with the presence of fewer synapses between nerve cells, indicating a communication breakdown. However, when the researchers switched Dkk1 back off, the mice no longer had memory problems, the number of synapses increased back to normal levels and brain circuits were restored. Dr Simon Ridley, Director of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "This study in mice adds further weight to a growing body of evidence implicating Wnts and its related proteins to nerve cell connectivity and memory. By understanding mechanisms driving healthy nerve cells, we can best unpick what happens when these processes go so wrong. "This research sets a solid foundation for future work to explore the role of Wnts in diseases like Alzheimer's, and this biological process is already a key target being explored by expert teams in the Alzheimer's Research UK Drug Discovery Alliance. Researchers are taking huge steps forward in their understanding of what happens in the brain in health and disease, and we must now capitalise on these discoveries to deliver effective treatments that can transform lives." More information: Reversal of Synapse Degeneration by Restoring Wnt Signaling in the Adult Hippocampus. Current Biology. DOI: Journal information: Current Biology Reversal of Synapse Degeneration by Restoring Wnt Signaling in the Adult Hippocampus.. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.024 (HealthDay)For patients with new-onset diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and severe hyperglycemia, metformin and sitagliptin treatment after normoglycemia remission correlate with increased relapse-free survival and prolonged remission, according to a study published online Aug. 29 in Diabetes Care. Priyathama Vellanki, M.D., from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a prospective four-year study involving 48 African-American subjects with DKA and severe hyperglycemia. Participants were randomized to metformin (17 participants), sitagliptin (16 participants), or placebo (15 participants) after normoglycemia remission. Oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted at randomization, at three months, and every six months for a median of 331 days. The researchers found that the metformin and sitagliptin groups had significantly higher relapse-free survival compared with placebo (P = 0.015), and significantly prolonged mean time to relapse (480 versus 305 days; P = 0.004). Compared with placebo, the probability of relapse was significantly lower for metformin and sitagliptin (hazard ratios, 0.28 and 0.31, respectively). Compared with those with hyperglycemia relapse, individuals who remained in remission had a higher disposition index and incremental area under the curve for insulin, with no significant changes in insulin sensitivity. "This study shows that near-normoglycemia remission was similarly prolonged by treatment with sitagliptin and metformin," the authors write. "The prolongation of remission was due to improvement in -cell function." Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, which manufactures sitagliptin. Explore further Add-on sitagliptin cuts risk of insulin initiation in T2DM Copyright 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved. (HealthDay)For women trying to conceive, moderate alcohol consumption has no impact of fertility, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in The BMJ. Ellen M. Mikkelsen, M.P.H., Ph.D., from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues conducted a prospective study involving 6,120 female Danish residents in a stable relationship with a male partner who were trying to conceive. Alcohol consumption was self-reported and categorized into standard servings per week. The researchers found that during follow-up, 69 percent of participants achieved a pregnancy. The adjusted fecundability ratios for alcohol consumption of one to three, four to seven, eight to 13, and 14 or more servings per week compared with no alcohol consumption were 0.97 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.91 to 1.03), 1.01 (95 percent CI, 0.93 to 1.10), 1.01 (95 percent CI, 0.87 to 1.16), and 0.82 (95 percent CI, 0.60 to 1.12). For women who consumed only wine (three or more servings), beer (three or more servings), or spirits (two or more servings), the adjusted fecundability ratios were 1.05 (95 percent CI, 0.91 to 1.21), 0.92 (95 percent CI, 0.65 to 1.29), and 0.85 (95 percent CI, 0.61 to 1.17), respectively, compared to no alcohol intake. The data did not differentiate between regular and binge drinking. "Consumption of less than 14 servings of alcohol per week seemed to have no discernible effect on fertility," the authors write. "No appreciable difference in fecundability was observed by level of consumption of beer and wine." Explore further High alcohol intake associated with slightly decreased female fertility Copyright 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved. (HealthDay)Otolaryngologists experienced a slight decrease in productivity after implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) system, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Yarah M. Haidar, M.D., from the University of California-Irvine Medical Center, and colleagues examined the correlation between transitioning to an EMR system and physician productivity in otolaryngology in an observational study conducted at a tertiary care academic ambulatory center. Five practicing otolaryngologists were examined for 12 months before and 12 months after transitioning to a new EMR system. The researchers found that the monthly mean work relative value units (wRVUs) decreased among all five practitioners, from a mean of 334 before EMR implementation to a mean of 284 after implementation. There was also a decrease in the mean monthly clinic visit volume from 132 to 121. When the physicians were examined separately, only one had a significant decrease in wRVUs; no significant change in wRVUs or clinic visit volume was seen for the other physicians. After clinic, physicians spent an average of 2.1 and 1.9 hours reviewing and editing documentation before and after transition to the EMR system, respectively. "Transitioning to an EMR system in an ambulatory otolaryngology tertiary care setting slightly decreased physician productivity as measured by wRVUs and clinic visit volume in the 12-month period after implementation in an incentivized compensation system," the authors write. Explore further Internists report considerable EMR-linked time loss Copyright 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts Page After the very eventful, and actually totally fun, week in Palouse, we rested for the weekend on the lake in Couer dAlene. We also continued to melt away. We didnt do too much, sorry to say, and now we will need to go back to this part of Idaho to give it a proper visit. We were just happy to have an RV park with 50 amp power so we could run the A/C on full blast! On Monday we had a nice drive to Missoula, Montana arriving at a cute little RV park with big shady trees. Considering it has still been in the 90s and low 100s, every little bit helps! Some posts on this site contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). Opinions are always my own and Ill never promote something I dont use or believe in. Also as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We had two days of scouting in the Missoula area, but as the hours continued we quickly realized that we were going to be unable to do any photos. There is so much haze from smoke that the sky is totally and completely grey and flat. You can barely make out the outline of the mountains. We are bitterly disappointed. We were supposed to be staying in Missoula until the middle of next week but we are now leaving today and are heading to Glacier National Park early. We had to totally re-arrange that part of the trip as well. The smoke and haze are still in the west part of the park, so we were going to stay in the east. However, only the west has availability because of the holiday. We will be staying in the West for a week doing the best we can with sunrise and wildlife then we are moving to the east for 10 days before making our five-day run to Red Bay, Alabama. I am done with the heat! Neither Mr. Misadventures nor I are made for hot weather and weve had it for the last four weeks. We came to Oregon to get away from the heat, but that just didnt work out! Glacier is in the 40-50s during the day I welcome that! Current location: Jim & Marys RV Park Missoula, Montana. On our way to Glacier West KOA in West Glacier, Montana. That was my week, how about yours? Save U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and Denise Juneau debate Thursday at 7 p.m. in Billings. Zinke, a Republican, is a first-term congressman. Juneau, a Democrat, has been Montana's superintendent of public instruction for the past eight years. They met Monday night in Frazer for the first of four scheduled debates. Two more are set for Great Falls on Oct. 5 and Oct. 8. Follow along here for live updates. In their first public campaign appearance together, Gov. Steve Bullock and candidate for superintendent of public instruction Melissa Romano painted themselves as friends of all students and their opponents as favoring only a fraction. Bullock, a Democrat, is running to retain his seat against GOP challenger Greg Gianforte. Romano, a fellow Democrat, is a Helena teacher facing off against state Sen. Elsie Arntzen, R-Billings. Bullock and Romano paired up in Missoula's Bess Reed Park on Thursday afternoon, surrounded by a group of about 25 supporters and teachers. One of those was MEA-MFT president Eric Feaver, who said while Romano faces a couple of uphill battles relatively unknown in the political sphere and a Democrat in a largely Republican state "she stands for public schools." The stop was part of Bullock's "Innovate and Educate" tour this week. They were in Great Falls on Wednesday, and will hold a rally at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Lazy Green Park in Helena. "With how out of step Greg Gianforte is, it's no surprise he decided to hitch his wagon to my opponent," Romano said. *** Romano's agenda is threefold: supporting school infrastructure, funding public preschool and "fighting for every single Montana child, from children with special needs to our highest achieving students." She spoke generally of the positive economic impact of quality school facilities, and the importance of funding early childhood education, specifically through Bullock's $37 million Early Edge preschool proposal. "We have seen record graduation rates and if we want to see those graduation rates continue to increase, we must invest in our earliest learners and provide public preschool," she said. "As a former kindergarten teacher myself, I have seen firsthand the positive impacts of public preschool and how that's best for our kids." Romano said Arntzen and Gianforte are "completely out of touch" when it comes to education pointing to Arntzen's voting record. In the 2015 legislative session, Romano argued that Arntzen voted against Early Edge. "How can we go ahead and put a new cohort of students in, young ones, if we don't have healthy buildings?" Arntzen said, noting that school buildings need to be taken care of first. "There needs to be local control, for sure, and also local responsibility. And I believe the state has a responsibility in this." Arntzen voted for a bill eventually vetoed by Bullock that would have created a publicly-funded "education savings account" to be used so the family of a child with disabilities could seek an alternative education. Opponents saw it as diverting public dollars to pay for private programs. *** Gianforte and Arntzen announced a four-pronged effort to expand computer science education in May. Since then, he has spoken generally about education, but has not put forth other formal education policy proposals. The initiative would expand computer science curriculum to every Montana high school, make computer science qualify as a core science course to meet graduation requirements, push state colleges to offer computer science teaching certificates to train more instructors, and make coding classes fulfill foreign language requirements. Montana has no foreign language graduation requirements. "Greg announced his main education proposals back in May with a focus on working to get computer science in every high school, putting a renewed emphasis on trades education, supporting local control of schools with more parental say, and working to reconnect education with job outcomes," Ron Catlett, Gianforte's press secretary, said in a statement. "Greg believes that the goal of education should be to help every child reach their full potential." Arntzen wants to see changes in several areas. She would like a concerted effort focusing on the middle school population, specifically in mental health and academic counseling. "If we focus our energies on middle school, that will lead to a larger trajectory of success when they leave public schools and are looking at the next step," she said. That's going to force improvements of recruitment and retention, she said, particularly in rural Montana. The funding formula needs to be reviewed and looked at in "non-traditional" ways, she said, and that includes how special education is funded from special needs to gifted and talented. *** Bullock said Thursday that Gianforte supports private schools to the detriment of public education. Bullock said he doesn't want Montana to become the next Kansas, where income tax cuts last year led to budget deficits that forced some schools to close early. "Don't kid yourself, our education system would look fundamentally different if we don't make sure that I get re-elected and Melissa Romano gets elected to the superintendent of public instruction," Bullock said. Bullock's Early Edge initiative is returning in the upcoming legislative session his second go at the $37 million proposal to fund public preschool. Montana is one of eight states that doesn't fund preschool. Early Edge is proposed as a voluntary program for school districts, who would apply for a grant to fund or expand a preschool program. In 2015, Early Edge didn't make it through, which Bullock said was "certainly frustrating." "I hope it's not because of politics," he said. "I hope it was more of not understanding." It's common that first-time efforts don't succeed, Bullock said. But this is something that can't wait decade. Early Edge is proposed to be funded by the state's general fund. "How you do it is you make it one of your priorities," he said. "A budget is a reflection of the priorities we as a state have." Bullock said that doesn't mean cuts to other programs. "It's not getting rid of 'X' to do this," he said. His budget proposal won't be ready until mid-November, he said, and efforts such as Early Edge "are still being fleshed out." A Florence man will spend at least the next decade in the Montana State Prison without the possibility of parole for raping two girls under the age of 10. Daniel Jay Dodson, 32, was sentenced Friday by Missoula County District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps to a total of 50 years in prison with 30 years suspended after an emotionally-charged victim impact statement from the victims mother. He will be eligible for parole after 10 years. After listening to the testimony, Deschamps reluctantly agreed to follow the recommendations of a plea agreement between Dodsons lawyers and county prosecutors. Under the terms of the deal, Dodson will be under state supervision until he is 77 years old and will undergo treatment. Dodson was arrested this past April after a woman called 911 saying he had followed her 9-year-old daughter into her room. The girl later told her mother that Dodson had her perform a sexual act on him. The girl told police Dodson also fondled her. During Dodsons initial appearance, Chief Deputy County Attorney Jason Marks said another child had come forward claiming Dodson had sexually abused her. Dodson originally pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea to guilty in exchange for the agreement. The victims mother described how shortly after Dodson met the child, the victim started having health problems and emotional outbursts. She described how, unbeknownst to her, Dodson was taking showers with the girl and forcing her to perform sex acts on him. I had multiple discussions with the school therapists when she would turn in incomplete papers with the words I hate my life and I want to die written on it, the victims mother said, choking back tears. She also described how Dodson allowed his 40-year-old male friend to sexually assault the victim as well. The victim, she said, suffered staring spells, stomach aches and migraines, and saw all kinds of specialists to figure out what was going on. I would wait outside the door while my daughter took her hour-long shower, wailing the whole time that nobody loves her, and why would anyone want to be her friend or love somebody like her, the mother recalled. That she wished that she was dead. That it would be so much better if she just died. The victims grades dropped as Dodson spent more time with her, the mother added, and teachers would tell her that it was a problem she needed to work harder on at home. She would lie awake at night, not making a sound, the victims mother said. She would later tell me that this was something she did to prepare herself for when (Dodson) came into her room at night. The victims mother didnt find out that Dodson posed a danger to her daughter until late October of 2015. She had to cut back her hours at work, and she and her two daughters were homeless for three months, sleeping on her sisters couch. All this time, (Dodson) was making plans with another single mother for playdates, eventually violating the innocence of another child, she said. I believe (Dodson) has no remorse, and that he takes no responsibility for his actions. He has clearly shown this. She told the judge that her daughter hopes that Dodson is incarcerated until she is an adult so she can live what little is left of her childhood. My request to you is that (Dodson) is incarcerated until every little girl is an adult so that no one again has to lose a minute of their childhood because of (his) monstrous desires and his willingness to act on those desires, the victims mother said. She then directly told Dodson that she didnt hate him in much the same way that she wouldnt hate a car if her daughter was in a car accident, because they both are broken and dont have feelings. I promise you that she will heal and that you did not break her, she concluded. *** Judge Deschamps seemed particularly moved by the mothers statement. For a minute, he wavered on whether he wanted to follow the terms of the plea agreement and impose a longer sentence, but that would have meant allowing Dodson to withdraw his guilty plea and possibly take the case to trial. Your testimony was very moving and Ive certainly got a different view of (Dodson) than what I had up until that point, Deschamps said. Im shocked to hear about this long history of terrible violence against this child. Deschamps said hes been publicly criticized for following plea agreements in cases like this. However, he wanted the victim and her family to understand the risks of allowing the case to go to trial where a jury would determine guilt. A trial for cases like this can be emotionally draining for everyone involved, Deschamps said. Theres always a chance that he could be found not guilty. Because of the risk that he might be found not guilty and the emotional trauma it creates for the victim, sometimes prosecutors enter into these agreements to try to get a measure of justice. The victims mother said that she felt the plea agreement was too lenient, but she trusted Deschamps' opinion. In the end, Deschamps decided to follow the plea agreement. Its not without some empathy for the victim, he said. Ive seen people who have killed people get a roughly equivalent sentence. Dodson was allowed to speak and apologized for his actions. If I could go back in time and take back what I did, I would no matter what cost to myself, he said. Ive created a ripple effect of pain and destruction on families and communities. I hope and pray that they could forgive me someday and that they receive the help they need to heal and get past these terrible acts. I will be glad to receive the treatment in prison to help me understand why I would do this and the tools I would need to make sure nothing like this could ever happen again. I want to get better. Dodson also said he is saddened by the harassment his family and parents are dealing with because of his actions. I have caused so much pain and suffering, he said. I cant say sorry enough. May God bless everyones lives. Deschamps suggested to the victims' families that because the plea agreement does not include restitution, they may want to consider civil litigation. However, he acknowledged that Dodson has no money right now and will not be making much, if any, money in prison. When Dodson was arrested last April, he was on felony probation following a 2010 incident in which he drove the wrong way on U.S. Highway 93 and hit another vehicle near Lolo. HAMILTON In his 23 years of practicing criminal law, Josh Van de Wetering said he has never seen a case with 400 separate felony counts. Late Wednesday, the Missoula-based lawyer filed a motion asking the trial for Dr. Chris Christensen be delayed a year to provide the time hell need to build a defense for his client. Van de Wetering formally took on Christensens case last week. The Florence physician faces hundreds of charges for allegedly providing his patients with illegal prescriptions. In his motion, Van de Wetering said any discussion about a continuance in a trial depends on the nature and size of the underlying case. This one is as big as they come, he wrote. Van de Wetering said the state has had more than four years to compile its case, which so far includes close to 11,000 pages of discovery and 28 expert witnesses. The case was investigated by county, state and federal authorities. The case is also legally highly unusual, if not unique, Van de Wetering wrote. Merely the number of counts puts the case in a class by itself. Beyond that, Van de Wetering said the issues in this case have not been debated in court before. There does not appear to be another case in Montana that has been brought under a legal theory that doctors can be criminally liable for the deaths of their patients, that their prescribing practices can open them to criminal charges under the criminal endangerment statute, or that doctors can be charged with drug distribution for writing prescriptions, he wrote. Christensen was arrested August 2015 after he allegedly provided hundreds of illegal prescriptions to his patients, including to two who died from overdoses. He had been without an attorney since December after the state Public Defenders Office asked to be taken off the case when it was determined Christensen had too much money to qualify for state-funded counsel. Van de Wetering was hired after members of Christensens wifes family agreed to pay the lawyers fees. In his motion, Van de Wetering said Christensens sole source of income was his Social Security retirement and his wifes earnings after he was forced to close his clinic. Van de Wetering said his client has not been dilatory in failing to obtain private counsel. Christensen contacted the nine lawyers recommended to him by his OPD counsel. Six of the nine said they couldnt handle his case. The other three agreed to take the case, but required an upfront retainer that Christensen said ranged from $200,000 to $500,000. Van de Wetering said Christensen didnt have the money to retain competent counsel or anywhere close to it. He had borrowed from friends and family simply to make bail. The motion said Christensen also had attempted to file bankruptcy with the hope that once that was accomplished, he could ask again for a public defender. A bankruptcy lawyer told him that he couldnt file for bankruptcy until he filed his 2014 taxes. Van de Wetering said Christensen was unable to accomplish that task because all of his computerized financial information was seized by law enforcement. When the computer server was returned, it no longer worked. An IT expert hired by Christensen said he couldnt retrieve the data. Apparently the governments process of mirroring the hard drives had somehow corrupted them, according to the motion. Given the unique circumstances presented by this case, Van de Wetering said his client could have asked for a longer delay. He is asking for 12 months, Van de Wetering wrote. It is both reasonable and necessary and of only minimal burden to the State. At a court hearing a week ago, Ravalli County Deputy Attorney Thorin Geist said he would file a response quickly to the motion to delay the trial. If convicted on all charges, Christensen, 67, faces a prison sentence of up to 388 life terms, plus 135 years and a fine up to $20 million. He remains free on a $200,000 bond. Sophia Richter and Ailey Robinson, two Hellgate High School sophomores, spent 12 weeks and countless after-school hours earlier this year developing an app called Mood Toast. It's designed to recognize depression symptoms, according to well-accepted mental health standards. They were two of 28 young women who participated in the Montana Code Girls pilot class, which is a free, after-school technology program open to all Montana girls ages 9-19. The mission is to inspire and empower more girls to get interested in careers in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, known as STEM. On Thursday, Richter and Robinson sat down with Montanan Gov. Steve Bullock and Code Girls co-founder Devin Holmes as part of Bullocks statewide tour of education and innovation programs. Were here to talk about the experiences of young women who code and why its so important that young women get the opportunity to code, Richter said. The girls designed their app as part of the Montana Technovation Challenge, which inspires students to use computer programming skills to solve real-world social problems. Our app contains a self-evaluating test tool, Robinson explained. The test was made off of the (Patient Health Questionnaire 9), which psychologists today use to evaluate patients to see if they have depression or not. We also worked with our school psychologist to make sure every question was valid and every suggestion we gave to the user of the app was backed up. Robinson also said that anyone who suspects they may have depression or is diagnosed can use the application as a self-test tool, thereby making it easier for someone who is hesitant to see a specialist. The Technovation gave us a better idea of how to code and the business aspect of creating an app, she said. Because of the Montana Code Girls class, both young women are now more focused on their career ambitions. Richter said she wants to pursue a career as perhaps an anesthesiologist or some other health-related career and Robinson wants to look into maybe becoming an astronomy professor. We strongly believe that all women should get involved with technology and coding, Richter said. Technology is a growing industry that is mainly dominated by the male population. And by getting young women to be interested in technology and not shying away from it, we can have positions in that growing industry. Women need to be represented in the sciences. The Montana Code Girls class is a partnership with the Big Sky Code Academy, which is a nonprofit organization that offers a 12-week computer programming course offered in Missoula. Holmes founded Montana Code Girls with Doug Walter earlier this year. He announced on Thursday that the program will look to enlist as many as 150 young women across the state next year, and they can live anywhere in the state as long as they have access to a computer and the internet. They learn more than just coding skills, Holmes said. They learn the entrepreneurial plan. They learn to take video, learn to do market analysis and even how to develop a log. So its far more encompassing than just the coding part. Holmes said he was inspired by a film about the national Technovation Challenge to start one here in Montana. The nonprofit organization has community partners such as the Missoula Public Library to help them offer the program for free. Im happy to announce that starting this fall Montana Code Girls is going to be a statewide program, he said. We have taken the Technovation Challenge curriculum and have added more components. Holmes said that a recent College Board report that showed that girls who take advanced placement computer science classes are 10 times more likely to study computer science in college. And we know that we have a gender diversity challenge in the technology sector, Holmes said. The more that we can do to encourage the interest in technology, the more that we can do to encourage girls to study (technology) when they go on to higher education, ultimately results in a better workforce. And that fundamentally is the purpose of Montana Code Girls. Bullock spent time going over the Mood Toast app with Richter and Robinson and reiterated his support for the program. STEM initiatives like Montana Code Girls are essential to making sure that we equip all Montana students with the skills they need to succeed in a 21st Century workforce and growing economy. For more information visit mtcodegirls.org. In one day, a Rattlesnake Elementary School teacher walked 19,000 steps. She walked so far because of the construction underway at the school, which has blocked off one section and forced staff and students to walk in a "U" rather than a square. Out of all of Missoula County Public Schools' current facilities projects, Rattlesnake's is the most invasive. "But the whole thing has gone surprisingly smooth," said Principal Pam Wright. "We knew it was going to be unusual so we over-planned." While it was somewhat of a shock for staff, Wright said kids have enjoyed the change. "It's like when the lights go out at home and you and your family focus on each other," she said. "These kids will remember this forever." The approximately $4 million project includes adding five classrooms, a library remodel, renovations and upgrades to several existing classrooms, new windows on the east side of the building, a new boiler and ventilation system, a new collaborative breakout learning space, security and wireless internet upgrades, a sprinkler system, and a partial roof replacement. At a June school board meeting, Rattlesnake kindergarten teacher Lisa Thomas expressed concerns about the construction's disruption. "I'm not going to say it's been easy. It's been tough," Wright said. "But I think everyone can see the end and the benefits. Everyone has stepped up to the plate and done what they needed to do. "It's an ambitious project in a short time frame." *** Phase one is expected to wrap up by Oct. 1. That includes a new parking lot and drop-off area along Pineview Drive, a new asphalt play area on the east side, and building remodels on the north end. A remodeled area next to the temporary main office off of Mountain View Drive will turn hallways and "wasted space" into collaborative breakout classrooms. Learning spaces will flow down a corridor, with no narrow hallway. "It spills into all these different possibilities," Wright said. And kids are all under one roof now, as modular classrooms were removed and taken to Jefferson School, a swing space for Franklin students this year. One room that's already finished is a counselor's office. Before, she had worked in a converted custodian's closet. And there's a strange sight in the gym: a temporary classroom, its walls made of leftover shelves and closets. The fourth-graders call it "Fort Pernell" for their teacher, Stephanie Pernell. They'll be here less than a month before moving into an actual classroom. "It will be inconvenient for a period of time, but we'll make sure we do our appropriate evaluations and we have a safe and secure environment," superintendent Mark Thane said last week. *** The rest of the project should be finished by the end of December: classroom additions off of Pineview Drive, classroom overhauls in the heart of the school, and an entry and main office addition off of Van Buren Street. The temporary main office will be used until the entire project is complete. The library was opened up, adding skylights and bright color swatches. Librarian Robin Nygren as well as librarians from other schools were still working Thursday to get everything unpacked and set up. "You can kind of see the potential through the boxes," Wright said. To accomplish this, construction crews work all day including another shift that starts once school ends and works until midnight. They also work weekends. Temporary walls are scattered around the school, blocking kids from construction. Four HEPA industrial air scrubbers are running in the building; they'll move to other schools as they go under construction. Originally, they blasted as dust settled. Now, they're still running due to wildfire smoke. In the first week, staff has sometimes had to go "old school," Wright said. They couldn't get into the building until last Thursday, Aug. 25. When they did, their phones and email didn't work as rewiring was still happening. The goal is for the network to be fully functional by the end of this week. On Thursday, a teacher rounded a corner, laptop in hand, searching for a wireless signal. So they set up an app texting system, Wright said, and a bulletin board outside the temporary office. Pieces of paper with teachers' need requests are tacked to the board, as well as a note to the entire school: "Keep thanking all construction members for their amazing work." *** One saving grace has been more than half of the student population walking or biking to school, Wright said, pointing to an overflowing bike rack. Last school year, Rattlesnake had 492 students, according to the Office of Public Instruction. Buses turn off of Van Buren onto Mountain View, turning around at the end and looping back to drop kids off at the temporary main entrance. Parents are expected to drop off kids in the school's southwest parking lot. "Everyone will dismiss on the same side of school until Oct. 1," Wright said of when Pineview Drive construction is expected to wrap up. "Then at that point they won't feel that pressure." BILLINGS U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau made fewer mentions of their partys presidential candidates in their second debate Thursday night and instead reserved their critiques for each other as they played to a rambunctious crowd. The debate between candidates for the state's sole U.S. House seat at Petro Theater on the Montana State University-Billings campus drew a near-capacity crowd of about 400. Campaign organizers divided the seats by placing yard signs in each: Juneau supporters to stage right and Zinke supporters to stage left. Throughout the debate, each half tried to cheer and boo over the other, particularly as the candidates ignored event rules to make rebuttals. At one point, the debate moderator directed the candidates to focus on the questions being asked and to not hijack the debate. Libertarian candidate Mike Fellows was unable to make the event on short notice due to personal illness. Repeating some themes from the first debate Monday night in Frazer, Democrat Juneau sought to cast Republican Zinke as more interested in his career than Montana. Im proud of the record in my tenure as Superintendent, she said. In Congressman Zinke, you have someone who has not done the job for Montana. You have someone more interested in getting on the 24-hour news. Zinke defended himself, noting that while he might not agree with all his constituents he will listen and give their thoughts fair consideration. I represent all Montana, he said. For a reason. I have a plaque on my door that says my office belongs to the citizens of Montana. I tell you my office and my vote is not mine, its yours." Several moderator questions focused on natural resource development and land management, from coal and Colstrip to the Keystone XL pipeline and forest management. Other questions covered campaign finance transparency, relations with Russia and Iran, the resettlement of Syrian refugees, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and how to reform the VA. *** An early question to Juneau asked if she supports coal mining on the Crow Reservation and focused on a $1,950 donation from the Lummi Nation in Washington state. In denying a permit for the Gateway Pacific Terminal on the Washington coast, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cited the Lummis' treaty rights to fish the shore where the terminal would have been located. The port could have received coal mined on the Crow Reservation. Juneau responded by saying she stands on the side of Crow coal and that shed met with Crow Tribal Chairman Darrin Old Coyote earlier Thursday. Zinke called the donation blood money and noted that Juneau had voted against the Otter Creek coal development in 2010 as a member of the state Land Board. In a question about whether that vote would indicate her future opinions on coal leases, she said the lease was not in the best long-term interest of the state. The board voted 3-2 to lease the tracts to Arch Coal. The project effectively ended when Arch Coal announced bankruptcy this year. I spoke with landowners in the area who were opposed to it, she said. The tribe (Northern Cheyenne) was opposed to it. She pointed out later votes she called pro-coal, including a vote to expand the Signal Peak coal mine in 2014. Ive taken votes on the state Land Board that are pro-coal, pro-oil, pro all-of-the-above. And I stand by that record. Zinke used the question as an opportunity again bring up money donated from the Lummi and called on Juneau to return it. If shes so pro-coal, Id ask that she give the money back, Zinke said, leaning over the lectern. Juneau fired back by suggesting Zinke did not have Montanas interests at heart. She noted that 80 percent of contributions to his campaign have come from out of state and that it is impossible to tell what special interests support him because their money is funneled through one of two political action committees in support of him. Im supporting all their issues, Juneau said, referencing Crow Nation. Not just when it comes to special interests lining Congressman Zinkes pocket. First of all Miss Juneau, Zinke said, looking at her sideways. I take offense that you say special interests are lining my pocket. I did not take a donation from the Lummi tribe. He defended his record of support for tribal nations, saying sovereignty should mean something, before asking for an apology and calling for civility. He said the out-of-state contributions to his campaign came from thousands of low-dollar donors that believe in the same things we do and said they were a necessity to have a big enough voice as the states lone congressman. *** In the final question of the night, the candidates were asked if they supported the Keystone pipeline, denied by the Obama administration in 2015, which would have run through the northeastern corner of the state. Juneau again cited her record on the land board, saying she voted for an on-ramp that would been built if the project went forward. She added oil companies need to be held accountable for safety and spills. We know what happens when pipelines leak, she told a crowd familiar with pipeline spills in the Yellowstone River in 2011 and 2015. Zinke enthusiastically said he supported the pipeline. Let me show you a little leadership. The answer is yes, he said. The Keystone pipeline was the most greatest, smartest engineered product in the history of the nation. It was safe. Even the EPA said it was safe. *** Colstrip played a large role in the nights questions. A moderator asked why not leave the future of the coal-fired power plant in the hands of the market, namely low natural gas prices that make it cheaper to produce electricity in natural gas-fired plants. Zinke said federal over-regulation is more harmful to Colstrip than market forces. He said the loss of Colstrip would bring up the cost of electricity to major manufacturers in Montana, including the refinery in Billings. Butte would be gone, he said, taking about the copper mine there. Colstrip is the heartbeat of it. Juneau was more acknowledging of outside factors determining the future of Colstrip, saying she would focus on providing leadership to help the town and those who lose jobs find a way forward. In general, Zinke sought to cast Juneau as a liar and to highlight his conservatism. Juneau often took pragmatic ground on some questions and did not provide much detail on others. This was clear, for instance, when the candidates were asked how they would handle increased tensions with Russia and the countrys growing ties with Iran. Zinke generally criticized the president for not taking strong stances on diplomacy matters. He went on to detail the complications of having Russia in the same airspace as America while they had competing goals for the region and said he had serious concerns about Irans intentions with regard to Israel. Juneau did not mention Russia, Iran or any country in her response. When looking at any of these issues, American safety has to come first, she said. Sometimes we have to work with people we dont like to get the job done. *** In a similar question to what the candidates fielded Monday night, a moderator asked if the candidates felt an accelerated screening process for Syrian refugees left America open to security threats. We need to put American safety first and foremost, but we need to remember we have a moral center as Americans, Juneau said, using the question to criticize an amendment Zinke sponsored in 2015 to defund the Department of Homeland Security. Zinke said he co-sponsored the amendment because it prevented money from being used to carry out any executive actions that would have granted amnesty to immigrants in the country illegally. He also said women and children can be a threat and carry out terrorist attacks and that the country needs a better vetting process. Another question asked the candidates to expand on comments from the Monday debate about how best to reform the Land Water Conservation Fund. Zinke was asked to clarify how he would reform the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal program that gives grants to states and tribes to buy public parks. Zinke said three changes are needed a broader revenue source, a streamlined process and ways to incentivize collaboration between local, state and federal governments. The current funding which comes from fees paid by offshore drilling companies is too risky, he said. Juneau suggested that the program was not necessarily broken, just underfunded and that it needed long term authorization rather than constant uncertainty. The moneys there, he said. What we need is leadership. On questions about the Veterans Administration, Zinke highlighted his expertise while taking a swing at the too-big bureaucracy that he said ballooned under President Barack Obamas leadership. To improve (the Choice Act), weve got to push more authority to the state in Helena, he said. Let them make the decision rather than some bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. Juneau, as she did Monday, said the Veterans First Act is a good start, highlighting that it made funding more flexible. Zinke has said he opposes the bill. Zinke also was asked about statements he made in Billings telling veterans they should work toward getting jobs and calling reliance on government services "economic slavery." We have to wean them off the dangerous cycle of economic dependency on the government, Zinke said. Dont be a victim. Be a value-added part of society. Juneau said the government needs to keep promises it makes to veterans on providing support in terms of job training, housing and health care after their service is over. When they are out there doing their job and they come home, we need to fulfill their obligations, she said. The next debate between Zinke and Juneau is set for Oct. 5 at Heritage Hall at Great Falls College Montana State University. The candidates squared off for the first time in Frazer on Monday. The candidates said previously they would like to hold a debate on the Crow Reservation but a date has not been set. Montana health insurers continue to paint an inaccurate picture of air ambulances services in the state. Repeatedly they have failed to explain why Montana citizens pay sky-high insurance premiums, only to end up with large balance bills after theyve been faced with a critical illness or injury that required an emergency air transport. After all, didnt they purchase health insurance as a form of financial protection? The Montana Economic Affairs Interim Committee, along with the state auditor's office, has been conducting a series of hearings related to air ambulance issues. A great deal of information has come to light in those hearings that is in conflict with much of the misleading information that has been put forth by some of the insurance companies. According to national data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services presented at the hearings, prices for emergency helicopter transports in Montana are in line with the rest of the country, not outrageously inflated as some insurers would have you believe. The only thing that is different about Montana is that the insurance companies have found a way to not pay for the majority of the cost, even though the patient has been paying insurance premiums believing they had coverage. Private air ambulance providers are not categorically refusing to be in-network with the dominant insurance companies based in Montana. They are refusing to enter into ridiculously low "take it or leave it" offers that are about 1/4 of what is paid by insurance companies in neighboring states. The Montana insurance companies are under no pressure to negotiate, as they just pay whatever amount they want to pay, and pass the rest on to the patient as a balance bill and try to blame the air ambulance service. If you have purchased health insurance in Montana and feel you have been mistreated in this manner by your insurance carrier, you may have the option to pursue legal action. You could contact your private attorney, or file a complaint with the Montana state auditor's office. Some health insurers in Montana have notified the state that they intend to increase their premiums by over 60 percent. All the while, they continue to pay their executives higher and higher salaries and stick their patients with large balance bills far exceeding their deductibles. Not every health insurer in Montana treats their beneficiaries this way. Maybe it is time for you and your employer to consider changing insurance companies. Before agreeing to pay a dime more in increased premiums, you should require your insurance carrier to tell you in writing if they will actually pay for your expenses if you have a medical emergency, or if they will be leaving you with a balance bill. You may also want to call or write your elected officials in Helena. They will soon be considering legislation that holds the patient harmless, and forces the insurance company and the air ambulance provider to negotiate an agreement, or fight it out in court if necessary and let a judge decide what is reasonable. Either way, the patient will be held harmless and owe nothing beyond their copayments and deductibles. There is no need for new federal laws. That is just an excuse to avoid legislating a solution. The Montana legislature has all the power it needs to solve this growing problem. All they need is a push from the voters. A huckleberry housewarming basket to affordable housing developer Homeword for moving so quickly to respond to its residents concerns. The Missoula developer responded within the week after residents in two of its housing complexes were threatened with eviction, despite having paid their rents. Equinox and Solstice are low-income housing developments owned by Homeword but managed by Tamarack Property Management Co, which distributed the pay or quit notices to about a dozen residents just minutes before closing its office for the day. Homeword showed that it took its residents concerns seriously with an announcement describing meaningful steps to resolve their concerns by increasing staff capacity at Tamarack and establishing a fair and consistent communication protocol, among other broader preventative actions. Flaming chokecherries to the arsonist or arsonists who set fire to the Missoula Food Bank, which has been burned twice in the same spot on an exterior wall within nine days. The food bank is asking its Third Street neighbors to help keep a watchful eye on the building, which helped more than 18,000 individuals last year make ends meet by helping to put a few more meals on their tables. Huckleberries to the Alice Lee Lund Charitable Trust, which is giving the University of Montana a $5 million donation to build a new 500-seat auditorium at the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences. The gift made for a fine back-to-school present for students at the Education College, and for generations of future students who will get to hear world-class presentations at the state-of-the-art auditorium. Chokecherries to the $1.2 billion cost of retrofitting the coal-fired power plant at Colstrip to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30-47 percent. At Gov. Steve Bullocks request, the U.S. Department of Energy analyzed the cost of reducing emissions at Montanas largest coal-fired power plant and the states largest source of carbon dioxide pollution. The numbers in that analysis show that retrofitting the plant would cost far too much money for too little return, especially in a declining coal market. Montana needs to quit spending its time and resources trying to prop up polluting industries, and devote its efforts to helping Colstrip workers transition into stable, good-paying jobs. A healthy serving of huckleberries to Montanas obesity rate, one of only four in the nation to actually decrease between 2014 and 2015, according to the annual report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report notes that adult obesity rates decreased in Montana, Ohio, New York and Minnesota. It increased in Kansas and Kentucky, and remained stable everywhere else. Montana also boasts the fourth-lowest obesity rate in the nation, at 23.6 percent. Colorado has the lowest, at 20.6 percent, and Louisiana has the highest, at 36.2 percent. BILLINGS - A longtime Billings drug dealer with six state felony drug convictions will spend the rest of his life in federal prison after law enforcement seized more than a pound of methamphetamine and two guns from his motel room. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters on Thursday sentenced William Maurice Smith, 48, to life with no release, which was the mandatory term because of Smiths criminal record. A jury convicted Smith in a three-day trial in April of conspiracy to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Smith was indicted in February 2015 and accused of drug trafficking from the fall of 2014 until Jan. 30, 2015. A drug investigation led to law enforcement officers serving a search warrant on a room Smith used at the Country Inn and Suites and finding a pound of meth, the prosecution said in court records. Officers also found an eight-ball, or 3.8 grams, of meth, two handguns and two digital scales in the room and seized about 45 grams of meth from Smiths waistband. All of the meth was nearly pure. A search of a vehicle driven by Smith turned up another firearm and $6,840. Watters imposed the life terms on the drug counts and sentenced Smith to a minimum mandatory consecutive five years on the firearms count. He also is forfeiting three firearms and $6,840 cash seized in the case. Watters noted that Smiths designation as a career offender because of his prior drug convictions resulted in the mandatory term under laws enacted by Congress. While Smith had a difficult childhood and lived on the streets, he adopted the street lifestyle and spent most of his life dealing drugs in the Billings community, the judge said. Smith has six felony drug convictions, five in Yellowstone County and one in Big Horn County, dating from about 1988 until 2011. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek called Smith a dangerous career criminal who has spent his life distributing drugs in the community. A life sentence was warranted and deserved by Mr. Smith, she said. Smiths attorney, Larry Jent of Bozeman, referred to the mandatory sentence and said, I have nothing further. Smith asked the judge to continue the hearing, maintained his innocence, wanted another trial and complained about his attorney. Jent, he said, never once listened to my side of story and wasnt willing to investigate his side. I feel like I was unfairly tried, Smith said. Theres been a gross injustice here, Smith said. Watters denied Smiths request to end Jents representation and to continue the hearing. Smith has had five other lawyers before Jent, and his trial was reset seven times. Watters told Smith he has the right to appeal his conviction and sentence and to raise challenges regarding his legal counsel. WEST GLACIER The Portage man who lost his life earlier this week hiking Mount Jackson in Glacier National Park was a grandfather-to-be eager to return home. Danny R. Pilipow, 56, of Portage, was killed Tuesday when he and his son fell off a trail on the east face of Mount Jackson, the Glacier County Sheriffs office said Friday. His 27-year-old son survived with minor injuries, officials said. He wanted to get home in time to see the baby, his mother, Jackie Stanley, 77, of Portage, said Friday night. Pilipow and his son, Chris, were no strangers to Glacier National Park. The father and son traveled there often for vacation, and Pilopow himself would return several times throughout the year to hike other Glacier peaks, she said. Pilopow who had childhood ties to Griffith and Hessville and attended Morton High School also had an unmatched fascination with the railroad that stretches to childhood, Stanley said. The day he turned 18, the [Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad] hired him on, she said. When he died, Pilipow was just three years from retirement from the Indiana Harbor Belt. He has traveled every Amtrak line, she said, and clocked in at least one million miles on the railroad. Ask anybody on the railroad. They all loved him. When I called and told the office, they announced it and they said they had all eyes crying there, she said. I had guys calling me, crying. Grown men crying. Glacier Park spokesman Tim Rains said Pilipow fell 80 to 100 feet. His 27-year-old son was able to self-arrest on the snowfield, a mountaineering term for using a combination of the climbers boots, hands, feet, knees, elbows and, if available, ice axe, to stop a fall down a snowfield, ice field or glacier. Pilipows son was unable to locate his father, and hiked to a backcountry campground at Gunsight Lake. The incident was reported to Park Dispatch at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday. The son was taken by helicopter from the backcountry to West Glacier, and transported by ambulance to North Valley Hospital in Whitefish. Two Bear Air and Minuteman Aviation helped park rangers locate Pilipows body Wednesday, and a technical rescue team worked with Minuteman Aviation to recover it Thursday. Mount Jackson is one of half a dozen of the approximately 175 mountain peaks in Glacier that are 10,000 feet or higher. At 10,039 feet, it ranks fourth on the list. Rains said Mount Jacksons climbing routes are considered arduous, with an approximate elevation gain of 4,800 vertical feet, high amounts of loose scree, (and) a significant amount of exposure on narrow ledges with steep drop-offs. In a photograph at the Glacier Mountaineering Society website, Dan Pilipow and Chris Pilipow are identified as two of nine hikers pictured making their way along a very narrow trail on a cliff face on Mount Clements during a different hike. Chris Pilipow is taking the train back to Indiana, she said. Funeral services are pending. He was the best. Im not ready to let him go, Stanley said. He was the most outgoing. Never raised his voice. He always wanted to make sure everybody was happy. KALISPELL Two Kalispell men pleaded not guilty to felony criminal endangerment this week following an incident this summer where several people who were floating the Flathead River reported bullets whizzing over their heads, and shots landing within 10 to 15 feet of their watercraft. Four of the people floating the river at the time were children. Court documents say Jason and Ryan Bauch admitted to a Flathead County Sheriffs deputy they had been firing an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a 9mm semiautomatic pistol southwest of Columbia Falls near the river on July 24. The two men reportedly told Deputy Mark Askvig they had hollered, This is declared a fire zone, toward the river. When they didnt hear a response after a few minutes, they said they donned ear protection and began shooting the guns. Charging documents say the men were 150 to 200 yards from the river. *** At 8 p.m. that day, the sheriffs office received three reports of shots being fired near Jellison Road and South Hilltop in Columbia Falls, according to court documents. One of the callers said she believed the shots were being intentionally fired at people floating the river. Two of the callers were women who were in rafts or canoes that allegedly came under fire. The third reporting party was a woman in a residence on Jellison Road who later told Askvig she heard shots being fired, and rafters yelling and screaming at the shooters to stop shooting and advising that there were kids on the raft, charging documents say. That witness also said she could see rounds hitting the water around the watercraft and heard one of the rafters say a bullet had just gone over the rafters head. *** Askvig and Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Jason Fredenberg responded to the area, and could hear gunshots. Askvig said he could see the impact of bullets on the other side of the river, and Fredenberg said he could see bullets hitting trees near the river. Deputy Askvig announced his presence and heard a male voice respond, said the charging document, filed by Flathead County Deputy Attorney Travis Ahner. The deputy found three males at the scene. Ryan and Jason Bauch allegedly told Askvig they had been the only two shooting the guns. The Bauchs stated that they did not hear any yelling coming from the river because they were wearing ear protection while shooting, Ahner told the court. One of the reporting parties said she was in a raft with her boyfriend and four children between the ages of 8 and 12. The woman told the deputy some bullets traveled over their heads and that she had yelled at the shooters to stop shooting. The other caller was a woman who was canoeing with her boyfriend. She told Askvig that they had rounds pass over their heads, and impact the water within 10 to 15 feet of their canoe. Ryan Bauch and Jason Bauch face up to 10 years in prison each, and $50,000 fines, if convicted. The trial for a Texas man prosecutors say fatally shot a Whitehall man and injured two others has been set for Sept. 12 in Butte district court. Tony Dwade Sawyer, 49, denies killing Joe Powers, 37, and wounding two other men in a triple shooting in a rural area southeast of Butte in November 2015. Saywer fled the scene on Fish Creek Road and was a fugitive until he was apprehended by law enforcement officers a day later in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He faces felony charges of deliberate homicide and two counts of attempted deliberate homicide. Sawyer is being held at the county jail on $1 million bond. A bail motion was denied by Judge Brad Newman in January, according to court documents. Newman granted a defense request for a jury view of the alleged crime scene about 13 miles from Butte. In his order filed last week, he wrote the Court finds good cause for the Defendants request for a jury view, citing the visit would afford the jurors a better understanding of the evidence heard at trial. The jury view would be limited to a visual study of the terrain and topography with no testimony, argument, or discussion about the case, Newman said during a pretrial hearing Thursday. A visit to the alleged crime scene was slated for Sept. 15. Newman agreed with Public Defender Ed Sheehy and Butte-Silver Bow Deputy County Attorney Michael Clague, ordering a pool of 85 prospective jurors be considered for the high-profile trial. A few weeks back I attended the Decision America tour with Franklin Graham at the Capitol steps in Helena. Thousands of people from across Montana and beyond joined together to pray for our nation. It was very refreshing to see folks from many different denominations and all walks of life choose to set aside their differences and unite together as one cooperate body in prayer for this great country we live in. Made me think about the future What do you suppose eternity in heaven will be like Reality is it will be all folks from all walks of life uniting together in worship of King Jesus. I am pretty confident that there will not be a Lutheran section, a Catholic section, a Pentecostal section, etc. All those differences will melt away as we stand before Jesus. Dont get me wrong, our denominational structures are important but sometimes we really just need to go back to that childlike faith that Jesus talked about. I think that old Sunday School song we all used to sing needs to ring true in all of our lives today Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so . Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so. This is the simplistic truth of the gospel Jesus loves me period! Doesnt matter what I have done, how bad I have been Jesus loves me and there is nothing I can do to change that. What I can change is my decision to love him in return. That choice is totally yours individually. I hope you have made that decision to love him in return that is by far the best decision you will ever make. Jesus stands waiting for you to open your life to him but the ball is in your court open the door and he will come in see Revelations 3:20. Have a great week! HELENA A group of state lawmakers is still asking if having a contractor form a strategic plan to address the high rate of suicides among Montanas American Indian children is the best way to fix the problem. On Wednesday a member of the State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee questioned why a company contracted to create an American Indian youth suicide prevention plan left elders out of the process. This spring the same group of lawmakers urged the state Department of Health and Human Services to look at ways to send money to the tribes and local programs instead of hiring a company to form a plan. The state hired Kauffman & Associates Inc. to develop the plan. In a letter asking for nominations for people to serve on a coalition, Kauffman asked people to submit the names of elected leaders, health directors, or community members with experience in the area of youth suicide as well as a youth representative. The letter encouraged diverse nominations including women, veterans, and LGBT tribal members. The elders, however, were left out, said state Rep. George Kipp III, D-Heart Butte. The letter went to tribal chairmen and health facility leadership from Montanas eight tribes and five urban areas with American Indian populations. The contractor did not identify our main counselor, educator, adviser, Kipp told the committee. In this foremost issue, in order to resolve issues and plan things out, (one of the things) Native communities take into great consideration is elders. Kipp told Richard Opper, director of the state Department of Health and Human Services, this was a critical oversight. Kauffman was hired by the state with $100,000 set aside from the $250,000 written into the states main budget bill last session to address Indian youth suicides. The funding lasts until 2017. In our Native community, these are individuals that have the most weight, the most influence, the most knowledge, Kipp said. The definition of elders is not old person. Elder is a person that has previously experienced certain items. Iris Heavy Runner Pretty Paint, who is a project liaison for Kauffman, said Thursday that tribes should and are encouraged to have elders participate on the coalition. The letter, she said, just didnt use the word elders when listing examples of people to nominate. There are so many different titles and roles that everyone can play, Pretty Paint said. So many of these individuals serve multiple roles in the community. Elders are a key element of our resilience. This year Montana retook the title of the state with the highest suicide rate in the nation, Karl Rosston, the states suicide prevention coordinator, said last week. Native Americans to keep that tile for the state of Montana contribute quite a few lives, Kipp said. A report produced by a team that reviews every suicide in the state showed that the rate of suicide among American Indian children ages 11 to 17 is 26 percent. Its 7 percent for white children in the same age group. Lawmakers on Wednesday also rehashed why DPHHS brought in an outside company at all. WHY OUTSIDE COMPANY? This past spring, the interim committee sent a letter to Opper asking him to strongly consider hiring a contractor. The committee's letter said it believed money would be better spent if given directly to tribes to support programs at the local level. State Rep. Alan Doane, R-Bloomfield, revisited the issue Wednesday, asking if any Montana companies submitted bids. We have double-digit unemployment on many reservations, Doane said. Sending 40 percent of this money to Washington state to study the problem Im just curious why that money couldnt have stayed in-state and created jobs here if were going to create jobs with this money. The selection of a contractor went through the states standard process, said DPHHS spokesman Jon Ebelt. Only one other company applied, B. Kuzmic Consulting in Kalispell. Kauffman's bid was $99,235. Opper told the committee that the state has to pick a contractor based on several factors, including experience and the cost plan they submit. Kauffman has been working on youth suicide and substance abuse prevention since 2000 and has worked with Montana tribes in the past, including a year-long intensive model on suicide prevention on the Blackfeet reservation, where Pretty Paint grew up and is an enrolled tribal member. A plan is critical to any success, Pretty Paint said. Without a strategic plan, without an inventory, we continue to be fragmented. We do good work when we have plans. Pretty Paint said nominations for committee members are starting to come in from the tribes. By late October or November, Kauffman will hold a two-day training. The company is required to submit the stragetic plan to DPHHS by February 2017. State Rep. Edward Greef, R-Florence, questioned the need for a contractor at all. Opper said the tribes were more comfortable working with a contractor instead of DPHHS. STATE'S EFFORTS Kipp said the states efforts to combat suicide can often fall flat on the reservation. He used a billboard on his reservation that advertises the number for the states suicide hotline as an example I looked at that and thought, 'In my community, theres all sorts of dead spots out there,' he said. Families often cant afford cellphones for their children. Thats a major thing you have to take into consideration. Kipp also questioned state agencies previous efforts on the reservations. For three or four decades now agencies are involved in our issues, and theyre not having any effect, he said. A midair collision of two small planes over a remote area of western Alaska Wednesday morning claimed the lives of five people -- including a professional wildlife artist based near Whitehall. Authorities on Thursday released the names of those who died, which included area man Zach Babat, 44, who worked as an artist and was flying one of the planes that crashed. According to his Facebook, Babat drew inspiration from his outdoor experiences and from guiding trips in Montana and Alaska. Most recently he had exhibited and sold works at Anaconda's Art in the Park and earlier this year was in the CM Russell Museum Art Auction in Great Falls. Authorities said one plane carried pilot Harry Wrase, 48, of Wasilla, Alaska, and his passengers, Steven Paul Andrew, 32, of Kenai and Aaron Jay Minock, 21, of Russian Mission, Alaska. Babats passenger was Jeff Thomas Burruss, 40, of Haines, Alaska. Troopers say Wrase was flying a Ravn Alaska Cessna 208 Caravan from Russian Mission to the nearby village of Marshall. Babat was piloting a Renfro's Alaskan Adventures Piper Super Cub and heading for a hunting camp. State troopers said the crash occurred northwest of the village of Russian Mission, 375 miles west of Anchorage. The crash scene covers a large area that is accessible only by helicopter, said Clint Johnson, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska division. Troopers said responders at the scene confirmed there were no survivors on either of the planes. The collision occurred just before 11 a.m., guard officials said. Johnson said an initial report was about a possible plane crash involving a Piper PA-18 in the area of Russian Mission followed shortly after that with another report of another separate plane that was overdue. "And then subsequently, shortly after that, is when we started putting two and two together as far as a possible midair," he said. Babat, originally from New York, painted exclusively in water media. He also worked as a hunting guide and was a bush pilot in Alaska for a time, according to a 2010 Montana Standard article. Babats last post on his Facebook page showed a recent watercolor painting titled The Secret Spot. Painted this one before I left for AK, enjoy, he wrote. WASHINGTON -- The Russians have just given us an August glimpse of a potential October surprise. We learned earlier this summer that cyber-hackers widely believed to be tied to the Kremlin have broken into the email of the Democratic National Committee and others. The Washington Post's Ellen Nakashima reported Monday night that Russian hackers have also been targeting state voter-registration systems. And, in an apparent effort to boost Donald Trump's presidential candidacy, they're leaking what they believe to be the most damaging documents at strategic points in the campaign. Last week, we learned something else: The Russians aren't just hackers -- they're also hacks. Turns out that before leaking their stolen information, they are in some cases doctoring the documents, making edits that add false information and then passing the documents off as the originals. Foreign Policy's Elias Groll reported last week that the hackers goofed: They posted both the original versions of at least three documents and their edited versions. These documents, stolen from George Soros' Open Society Foundations, were altered by the hackers to create the false impression that Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was funded by Soros. A pro-Russian hacking group, CyberBerkut, had inserted Navalny's name, bogus dollar amounts and fabricated wording. This raises an intriguing possibility: Are Vladimir Putin's operatives planning to dump edited DNC documents on the eve of the presidential election? Perhaps they'll show that the Clinton Foundation has been funding the Islamic State, or they'll have Hillary Clinton admitting that she didn't care about those Americans who died in Benghazi after all. Maybe they'll show that she really did lose most of her brain function in that fall several years ago and is now relying on Anthony Weiner to make all of her decisions. Russian "dezinformatsiya" campaigns such as this go back to the Cold War; the Soviet portrayal of AIDS as a CIA plot was a classic case. But this type of cyberwar -- email hacking and, now, the altering and release of the stolen documents -- is a novel escalation. It's tempting to wonder how differently the Cold War might have gone had there been cyber-hackers back then. We'll never know, of course, because the Soviet Union crumbled before Al Gore invented the internet. But it's clear that Russia's disinformation wars are as active as ever. On Sunday, Neil MacFarquhar wrote in The New York Times about Russian attempts to undermine a Swedish military partnership with NATO. The campaign is spreading false information that there's a secret nuclear weapons stockpile in Sweden and alleging that NATO soldiers could rape Swedish women with impunity. This Russian use of "weaponized information" helped cause confusion in Ukraine in 2014, when conspiracy theories spread by the Russians about the downing of a Malaysian Airlines jet helped Russians justify their invasion of Crimea. So does this point to a Putin-sponsored October surprise? Putin has meddled in domestic politics in France, the Netherlands, Britain and elsewhere, helping extreme political parties to destabilize those countries. He appears to be doing much the same now in the United States, where, in addition to the DNC and state voter system hacks, there have also been reports this summer about Russia hiring internet trolls to pose on Twitter and elsewhere in social media as pro-Trump Americans. Trump and Putin have expressed their mutual admiration, and even after the departure of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, Trump and several top advisers have close ties to Moscow. The hyper-competitive American media environment is vulnerable to the sort of technique the Russian hackers used in the Soros case -- stealing documents, altering them, then releasing them as the original. If Putin's hackers were to release such a doctored document smearing Clinton in, say, late October, it's likely that competition would lead outlets to report on the hacked documents before they had a chance to see whether and how they were altered. We don't know what, if anything, Putin's hackers have planned for this fall. But the doctored Soros documents could be a clue. Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. (c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group It was around Christmas. It was cold, with lots of snow on the ground, and a Hmong family moved in across the street. They moved here from a refugee camp in Thailand - never seen snow and never felt the cold of a Montana winter. I got to help them shovel sidewalks, learn English, shop for food and cope with living in America. But I also got to learn about their culture, witness a Laotian New Year celebration, see a wedding, learn a few Laotian phrases, and become friends with some very incredible people. The Hmong refugees changed Missoula. We became more diverse, more colorful and we got to hear a different language as we walked down the street. Our kids got to experience a new culture. We got new foods, new celebrations, and beautiful embroidery work. These people from Laos brought new life to Missoula, made us more cosmopolitan and brought a vibrance not seen before. We became more understanding, more patient and more inclusive. The refugees from Laos made Missoula a better town. Now Missoula has the honor to welcome refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We will learn about a new culture, we will learn about life in Sub-Saharan Africa, experience new foods, hear a different language and become more patient, understanding and compassionate. We will become more diverse, more accepting of other people and more colorful. These women, men and children from the Congo will change us and make Missoula a better town. And I am very very proud to live here. -- Loren Pinski, Missoula The county and Montana Tech have agreed to set up a task force to foster coordination and cooperation on a variety of fronts, including a proposed land swap. Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Matt Vincent sent a letter to commissioners Thursday about the new Campus-Community Ad-Hoc Task Force and said he and Tech Chancellor Don Blackketter would brief the council on it next week. The proposed land deal would match ownership with current land uses within or adjacent to campus and would be one of the new committees first agenda items. The required agreements to be prepared and approved through standard procedures would include a lease of certain parcels along the BA&P Walking Trail, the vacations of street and alley Rights-of-Way and fee title land exchanges, Vincent said in the letter. Vincent mentioned the idea of a campus-community committee during his State of the City address in early June but said details had to be worked out. Vincent and Blackketter have worked to forge closer ties between Tech and the community, saying their future successes are tied together in many ways. Among other things, they have discussed ideas on how to make West Park Street a more vibrant connection between Uptown and campus. The two also traveled together to China in 2015 to promote higher education, business, and real estate opportunities here. They plan a presentation on the new committee when the council meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the third floor of the courthouse. They will also discuss the proposed land swap. We would get some land up on the north end of campus to tie into our open space with the Big Butte, Vincent told The Montana Standard. They would get some (land) to help them better manage their parking on and around campus and just kind of clean up the boundary of their campus. We own one of the (parking) lots they charge decals for, and there are some smart kids that go to Montana Tech, he said with a smile. We own a couple of other lots that are entirely surrounded by places that they own, and the students will park on the Butte-Silver Bow parcel and then tell the campus they cant get any tickets because theyre not parked on campus property. MUSCATINE, Iowa The Muscatine Community YMCA will be adding a new program in September to their parenting support services. Dads Group focuses on the 24/7 Dad curriculum, an adaptive curriculum designed to equip fathers with the self-awareness, compassion, and sense of responsibility that every good parent needs. The sessions focus on building the man first and the father second, and will include developing skills in caring for children as well as building relationships with the mother of their children to parent as a team. 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 [] South Africa is facing a skills-shortage in the information and communications technologies industry (ICT) at a time when people should be finding digital solutions to their economic problems. Professor Barry Dwolatzky, director and CEO of the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) shared this sentiment with Fin24 after the launch of the official Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Braamfontein, Johannesburg on Thursday. We South Africans have to find ways to not be consumers of other peoples digital solutions. We have got to step up and become the people who solve our problems and we are hoping that this hub is the place where this will start, Dwolatzky told Fin24. He added that the ICT sector was going through rapid changes with the industry cutting through almost all sectors of the economy. It used to be spoken of as an ICT industry, now every industry has ICT its like every building has plumbing in it and you cant talk about a plumbing industry because it is everywhere, Dwolatzky said. We see the coming together of hardware, software and content. We have things like big data, we have things like the internet of things and we still dont quite know what this innovation is going to mean, He added. Dwolatzky said that given the advancements made in the industry, there was a scope for people to be innovative but that the world was now competing to solve problems. As we move into this very competitive environment our big challenge is skills, we need a lot more skills and we have to become competitive in a very competitive world, he said. I think we have got opportunities but we have challenges we have to solve which we have to solve on our own, Dwolatzky said On Thursday, the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, which is seen as the brainchild of Dwolatzky, was officially opened during a media event and tour of its facilities. Included in the tour was Africas second IBM Research Centre which was launched last week, Telkoms Future Makers lab which is to be housed in a re-purposed nightclub, and other ICT facilities. Fin24 More on ICT skills Top 8 scarce IT skills in South Africa South African companies look overseas for ICT skills ZAR X, South Africas newest stock exchange, has been granted a licence to operate a stock exchange by the Financial Services Board. This brings to an end the era in South Africa where the sector was monopolised and dominated by a single player for company listings and share trading, said ZAR X. ZAR X CEO Etienne Nel said the approval signifies a new era in tech-friendly and user-focussed share trading. ZAR X offers investors T+0 settlements, and will initially offer a primary board for conventional company listings, an investment entities board that will cater for structured products and exchange traded funds, a restricted market for BEE shares, and Agri shares and other restricted securities. ZAR X will commence operations on 5 September. We are pleased to announce that Senwes and Senwesbel will be the first companies to list and will commence trading on 3 October. Other companies that have committed to listing on ZAR X are now able to commence with their listings process. More on ZAR X South Africa gets a new stock exchange ZAR X ZAR X South Africas new stock exchange If you do not question the core of your business model, someone else will, says Uber Sub-Saharan Africa managing director, Alon Lits. Lits was speaking at the FNB Franchise Summit held at Johannesburgs Montecasino on Thursday. He explained that Ubers success is attributed to its ability to question the status quo of doing business. We need to disrupt ourselves, if we dont someone else will, said Lits. He further shared some of the latest disruptions the on-demand riding service has planned for the near future. Among these being the Uber Pool service. Using technology the pooling service will connect riders in separate locations to share one vehicle, if their destinations are on the same route, explained Lits. Instead of having two riders, and two separate vehicles, it will be two riders in one vehicle. Lits explained that for the rider, the cost will be lower. Lower prices drive demand higher. For the driver, they spend less time going to a pick up location, without a paying rider in the vehicle. They can pick someone up, and on the way to the drop off, they can pick up another customer, said Lits. This translates into higher revenue for the driver at a lower cost, said Lits. For cities, pooling could help reduce congestion on roads and reduce carbon emissions, which is a positive impact on the environment, he said. But in South Africa, there are no plans to roll out the Uber Pool service just yet, he added Lits also commented on the Uber Eats service, which is disrupting the restaurant model. It will offer food delivery in 35 minutes or less. There is no formal timeline for when this will be launched. But it will happen soon in Johannesburg, he said. Restaurants which have partnered with Uber see the cost benefits of the collaboration, he added. There is more revenue through Uber than through the bricks and mortar part of business, said Lits. Incorporating the service could also help reduce costs of maintaining the store front while restaurants can increase marginal revenue at little cost, said Lits. On the topic of driverless cars, Uber recently announced that users in Pittsburgh, the US will be able to hail driverless cars. The technology is there for it. It will take five to 10 years before it is commercialised, said Lits. Some of the benefits of this service is road safety, he added. Uber also recently acquired Otto, its self-driving truck division. Driverless cars are a couple of years away, we wont be catching drivers offguard, Lits said in response to a question whether it would threaten its partnership with drivers. ATMs did not make bank branches obsolete, he said. In the same way, driverless cars will supplement the infrastructure of driver partnerships, he explained. So far, Ubers selling point has been its unique customer experience. It follows a disruptive model in which supply creates demand, although that may sound backwards. Lits explained that when users open the app, and can see the available drivers, then it indicates reliability of the service which drives continued consumer demand. The more the supply, the more reliable the product becomes. The more people use Uber, the more they will continue to use Uber. Disruption is embedded in the companys DNA, so naturally, innovation will be an integral part of its future strategies. Fin24 More on Uber Google to take on Uber Fake Uber taxi nightmare in Johannesburg CALISTOGA An innovative shuttle service to transport workers from Santa Rosa to jobs in Calistoga has been discontinued after failing to attract riders. Supporters pulled the plug in early August after the shuttle managed to attract only three riders during its two-month existence. Its suspended, said Chris Canning, executive director of the chamber, who held out hope that it could be resurrected. Canning, who is also Calistogas mayor, worked with Calistoga businesses and employees to develop the Employee Shuttle Program, which kicked off on June 13. The bus was intended to ferry employees from stops in Santa Rosa to Calistoga for work. Even after the shuttle was offered to employees for free, ridership never took off. Initially, shuttle rides were $7.50 each trip to both employees and employers, but no more than three employees took advantage of the service. There needs to be more employee participation and employer support before it resumes, Canning said. The experiment was funded by the Calistoga Chamber of Commerce, but Canning declined to say exactly what it cost. The concept was borrowed from Silicon Valley where tech companies provide employee shuttles. The shuttle ended just as St. Helenas Chamber of Commerce was considering whether its businesses could benefit by participating. Like Calistoga, St. Helena is plagued by high housing costs, making it difficult for middle-level managers and line-level employees to find a place to live near where they work, said Pam Simpson, executive director. St. Helena is very interested in seeing how the Calistoga shuttle program goes, Simpson said. We have invited St. Helena businesses to meet with the Calistoga Chamber to see if (Calistogas) shuttle could be rerouted for St. Helenas use. Simpson said she is also speaking with the Napa Valley Transportation Authority to expand VINE buses. St. Helena has a lot of employees who ride the VINE from their Napa homes to work, but unless the employers business is located near bus stops on Main Street, employees have no way of getting to jobs at places such as St. Helena Hospital. Getting people out of their cars and on to a bus will help alleviate traffic that clogs up Main Street daily. But getting people to give up their cars is asking for a mindset change, too, she said. People are afraid of being stuck at work without means of transportation in case of an emergency, or adhering to a restrictive schedule that might be inconvenient. There are plenty of jobs in Napa where more affordable housing can be found locally and in such nearby cities as American Canyon, Vallejo and Fairfield, she said. The shuttle program was targeted at commuters and those who might not have a car at all, or were sharing a vehicle with a family member, Canning said in previous interviews. Looking into the future, Calistoga businesses are also concerned about employee retention when two new high-end resorts open up. Already anecdotal stories are told of one restaurant desperate to hire dishwashers raising its hourly wage, causing another restaurant to lose its staff to the highest bidder. The Santa Rosa job market is healthy, giving residents there no real incentive to make the commute to Calistoga or St. Helena, Canning said. The onus is on employers to give employees incentives to take a job in these Upvalley cities, Simpson said. Because of the unemployment rates in the two cities, a shuttle program is a great retention tool. We are seeing the crunch. Everybody here has jobs open. But it feels like a statewide issue, not just our valley, Simpson said. Artist, author and widow of internationally renowned wine world icon Robert Mondavi, Margrit Biever Mondavi died at her hillside Coombsville home Friday. She was 91. Margrit Mondavi had been battling stomach cancer for more than two years. Considered the first lady of the Napa Valley by friends and associates from all walks of life, the Switzerland native who reminded us often she was American by choice had served for many years as vice president of cultural affairs at the winery her late husband founded in 1966. She joined the staff of the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1967, filling the role of public relations director until she married the boss. The first female tour guide in the Napa Valley, Margrit Biever Mondavi was respected, like her second husband, for helping put the Napa Valley on the world stage. While her husband insisted Napa Valley wines belong in the company of the worlds best, Margrit, in efforts based at the Robert Mondavi Winery, focused on wine country cuisine and culture. Through culinary programs featuring the worlds great chefs, with art exhibits and programs that spotlighted the nations leading contemporary artists and an enduring summer concert series, Margrit complemented Bob Mondavis remarkable wines with great food and art. Together, they helped spread the gospel of the cultured good life. They helped endow the Napa Valley Opera House, a new enology and viticulture school at UC Davis and a performing arts center there. Their biggest local project, Copia, the ambitious American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts ultimately failed. Her marriages While a student at a Swiss teachers college for young women at the end of World War II, Margrit Kellenberger met an Army captain from the United States. Following a brief courtship that included prolific letter writing, she and Capt. Philip Biever were married in the Church of Madonna del Sasso on a wooded hillside above the city of Locarno. Reflecting on that special day just prior to the publication of Margrit Mondavis Sketchbook in 2012, she recalled she had packed a valise so she and her new husband could leave on a honeymoon shortly after the ceremony. It was on the train to Lugano that the newlyweds had a moment to take stock of the situation. I can see his face as clearly today as I did then, sitting across from him in the compartment of the train, she said during an interview at her home. We had both turned white as a sheet, both of us thinking, What have we done? Phil leaned across to me and when he got close he said: Its gonna be alright. And it was. The newlyweds settled in her husbands new duty station, North Dakota, and started a family that includes three children Philip Jr., Annie and Phoebe. Also with the publication of the 2012 book co-written with Janet Fletcher Margrit acknowledged that Robert G. Mondavi was the love of her life. Bob and I fell in love we were attracted to one another, Margrit wrote in the collection of memories from her personal diary. But I was not going to be his mistress. He was already famous, with a wife and three kids. My marriage was falling apart, and maybe Bob was part of the reason for it. He and I couldnt live together in Napa Valley without marrying no way. I was not a personality but I had a profile. It would be impossible. I could have let him go, but he didnt want me to let him go. He said, Ill take care of it, dont you worry. You had to be optimistic around Bob; he didnt have a negative bone in his body. Any obstacle was temporary as far as he was concerned. Margrits divorce was accomplished without issue, she said. Such wasnt the case with vintner Mondavi. His lawyers advised against it and his calls from San Francisco made Margrit ill at ease, and, at one point, physically ill. She wondered if shed have to start her life anew somewhere else, perhaps returning to Switzerland. Bob Mondavi wound up firing both of his lawyers and getting the divorce he wanted. Two months later, in May of 1980, Bob and Margrit were married in Palm Springs. I really did not marry Bob for his money, she wrote in the sketchbook, but its what came along. I always told him that I would go with him to the end of the world. We could grow grapes and start over again. Bob was very conscious of time, that life is not forever. When I would ask him what he wanted for his birthday, he would say, I want nothing to change. They resided in their home on Wappo Hill until his death in 2008. The tributes The philanthropic work she and her late husband accomplished will resonate for years to come. One who knew her best is daughter Annie Biever Roberts, with whom Margrit published a cookbook more than a decade ago. Commenting in the sketchbook, Annie said her mother could have been an incredible actress. She loves to be in front of people. If you watch her at the concerts at the winery, when she comes on stage, her presence is wonderful. You want to look at her. Shes always wearing something flowing and has that accent, and people are attracted to her. She was meant for something grand, and it just took her a while to find it. World-renowned chef Jacques Pepin wrote to the Register, I met Margrit in 1976. It was my first visit to Napa and I came to conduct cooking classes at High Tree farm. Margrit synchronized the wines for the classes. Charming, knowledgeable, helpful and generous, she introduced me to Napa and to the wine industry. She became a friend. Throughout the next 40 years, it would be my privilege and delight to to teach at the extraordinary Mondavi Great Chefs Cooking program that she had created. Her sense of style and superb knowledge of arts made her an asset and an icon of not only the wine world but the social life of Napa, California and America as well. I will miss her as a friend, an artist and a great humanitarian. Margrit was my friend the dearest friend a person could have for 55 years, said Thomas Bartlett, who was Mrs. Mondavis frequent escort after the death of her husband. We traveled together in California and Europe, and our conversation never lagged. She was a total Renaissance woman who lived more than most people would in two lifetimes. Her zest for life never waned. In my last conversation with her she said, Thomas, if I could have one last wish, it would be to go one more time to your home in Mexico where we could paint and draw and go out dancing, preferably to a Cuban band. This is a great loss. Napa Valley vintner Miljenko Mike Grgich, who worked for Robert Mondavi early in his career and became a lifelong friend of the Mondavis, wrote, I met Margrit when I started working at Robert Mondavi Winery in 1968. My laboratory was in the winery tower, and when I told her that it was modern, practical and scientific but certainly not interesting, she understood. She delivered a huge flowering plant, which transformed it into an inviting, living place. Years later when we were designing the label for my winery, Grgich Hills Cellar, our artist created a beautiful cluster of Chardonnay grapes. I liked it but felt something was missing. I asked my friend Margrit to help me. She immediately knew what to do. Mike, you should make the grape clusters a little longer so the grapes form a triangle, she said. We incorporated her suggestion and have used the same label throughout the years.Margrit Mondavi, the First Lady of American wine, was a living example of how wine, food and the arts are an essential part of daily life, Grgich added. Her passion for life was infectious, and her influence wide-reaching. She brought great joy to everyone she touched and inspired in others the desire to live life well and to the fullest. I was proud to call her my friend. Another longtime friend, Beth Nickel, of Far Niente Winery, said, We have just lost one of the most beloved and iconic figures that Napa Valley will ever know. Margrit was an inspiration and a joy to the legions of people she came in contact with. She made gigantic contributions in so many areas of wine, food, arts, education and community service.When my late husband, Gil, and I arrived in the valley almost 40 years ago, she and Robert were among the first to welcome us. They were always very complimentary and encouraging about all of our efforts at Far Niente and our ventures that came along after that. They set an extremely high standard of excellence for all of us to look up to and elevated all of us in the process.Margrits friendship to me will be something that Ill treasure all of my life. There has never been another one like her. Vintners Shari and Garen Staglin, owners of Staglin Family Vineyards in the Napa Valley, sent this comment to the Register: Margrit was the architect of Napas culture of glorious entertaining. She had this amazing ability to match and describe the perfect dish with the perfect wine, and she propelled Napa to the international map of fine wine and cuisine. Her grace, combined with unending energy, made her the perfect hostess or guest at any event. The never-ending passion she had for art led to a transformation of music and visual arts in the Napa Valley. Her warmth and wonderful smile made you feel great at every interaction you had with her. These memories will live with us forever and we believe for anyone who was fortunate to know her. Her favorite toast, centanni, or 100 years is a wish she leaves with us all. Clay Gregory, who also worked for the Robert Mondavi Winery and went on to become president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley commented: There is no way to overstate Margrits enormous impact on Robert Mondavi Winery and the Napa Valley itself. The programs she started at the winery were groundbreaking, from the Summer Music Festival and Winter Concert series to the Great Chefs program, to the rotating and permanent art installations (and, of course, she was a great artist in her own right). She brought an international flare and awareness that raised the cultural level of the winery to heights that would never have been reached without her. She was generous with her time and gracious with everyone she met. Her contributions to charities both in the valley and beyond are wonderful examples of the person she was. She had a brilliant mind as well as a wickedly funny sense of humor. Margrit has left an indelible and charming mark on the Napa Valley, and she will be greatly missed for decades to come. Ralph J. Hexter, acting chancellor UC Davis, called Mrs. Mondavi one of the universitys most generous and visionary supporters, an incredible champion of our campus and our students. Her commitment to fostering the arts and furthering our research in food science helped UC Davis achieve yet greater heights and greater recognition in these areas. The Mondavis $35 million gift million led to the creation of the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2002, he noted, and they also helped establish the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. Margrit Mondavi made a $2 million gift to the new university art museum scheduled to open in November and funded scholarships, he said. Rick Walker, CEO and president of Festival Napa Valley, which marked its 11th season in July with a tribute to Mrs. Mondavi, told the Register, Margrits humanity, warmth and graciousness were matched by her force of will able to move mountains and achieve what others could not. She inspired me to dream big and to act on those dreams. She was the guiding light in creating Festival Napa Valley, nurturing it to become a celebration of all that she stood for joyful living, generosity, bringing people together through food, wine and culture. She brought out the very best in everyone lucky enough to know her. There have been hundreds of victims, many from the North Bay, in a scam involving false invoices for fire safety inspections that were never conducted, according to the Napa County District Attorneys Office. The DA reported that a business in Napa County recently received a billing invoice for an Annual State Required Fire Safety Equipment Inspection, Test and Certification in the amount of $413.11 from Red Mountain Security & Fire Protection. The invoice asked that the payment be sent to 4435 N. First Street #353, Livermore, CA 94550, which is a UPS store mailbox, the DA said. The DAs Office has had similar complaints regarding false invoices for fire inspections that were never performed over the last few years. In March 2014, the office issued a similar scam warning regarding a company called RMZ Fire Safety with an address in Walnut Creek. Neither Red Mountain Security & Fire Safety nor RMZ Fire Safety appear to be legitimate fire inspection companies, the DA reported. The person suspected of being behind the fraudulent invoices is being prosecuted by the Santa Barbara County District Attorneys Office. The case has more than 800 victims, the DA said. Anyone who has received or receives an invoice from Red Mountain Security & Fire Safety, RMZ Fire Safety, or for fire safety inspection services that did not occur, should contact Santa Barbara County District Attorney Investigator Chris Clement at 805-346-7152. Danis Kreimeier approached the entrance to the childrens area inside the Napa Main Library and described the transformation that will be wrought by the branchs upcoming remodeling project. The forest starts right here, said Kreimeier, the library director, entering the childrens area at the Napa Main Library. Its like an arch. You walk on the pebble path. And children wont have to use only their imaginations for this vision to come true. Faux-tree limbs will frame the entrance to the room. A gray-and-black carpet resembling pebbles will lead to a green carpet further inside. The ceiling will resemble the sky. The goal is to revitalize a room grown a little shabby over the years, but also to do a lot more to create a fanciful forest full of books. Just creating a sense of a special place for the parents and children to use and enjoy the library together, Kremeier said. On Tuesday, the Napa County Board of Supervisors awarded the $2.7 million construction contract for various library renovations to S.W. Allen Construction Inc. of Sacramento. Work is to begin this fall and extend into next spring. Its really focused on the childrens area, which hasnt been refreshed since the early 1990s, Kreimeier said. The inspiration for the new childrens area look is a mural that has long hung on one of the walls. It depicts such books as Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer and Peter Pan amid a dense, green forest a forest full of books. Its the heart of the childrens area, Kreimeier said. Soon, that forest will appear to be leaping off the wall and spreading through the room because of the various new features. Kreimeier motioned toward a typical light fixture on the ceiling and said the new design will be flower-like. A flower light thats exciting, said an appreciative listener sitting nearby who happened to overhear Kreimeiers description. The childrens area will also grow a little bigger, with a section of wall to be extended outward. The remodel involves more than the childrens area, though many of the other changes will be behind-the-scenes. No longer will library workers have to sort by hand the 800,000 or so items that are returned to the library each year. Sorting machines will do the job, placing items in bins ready to be replaced manually on shelves. With less sorting to do, staff will have more time to provide services and programs, Kreimeier said. Other remodeling project features will be redesigned circulation areas, an additional first floor bathroom and a redesigned upstairs administration area. The library will remain open during the remodeling, which will be done in phases. At one point, the childrens area will move into the community room. Library programs will be held in such places as the magazine area. Life will be a series of musical chairs to keep a semblance of normalcy. Were going to just keep moving along, Kreimeier said. The library last saw a major remodel when it closed for a week in spring 2011. That $600,000 project involved relocating various sections on the first floor, creating new sections and installing new carpets and furniture. Now comes the latest round of Napa Main Library improvements, just in time to begin construction during this years 100th anniversary of the Napa County Library System. Money is to come from the library capital improvements fund and not from the county general fund. More than 450 winemakers and marketers flocked to the third annual Wines & Vines Packaging Conference at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville on Aug. 17 to learn how they can differentiate their products from the thousands of other wines on the market. They heard experts talk about trends in wine bottles and other packages, as well as labels, capsules and enclosures, and they also got to see diverse examples among the many suppliers who attended. They judged the packages, tasted wines from many variations and heard about some of the nuances in using different materials. Although most of the conference was about conventional glass bottles, its clear that alternative closures and even formats probably attracted the most attention. In particular, cans of wine, which have appeared sporadically for years, seem to finally be taking off. Although still a tiny part of the market, even mainstream supermarkets, Whole Foods and Trader Joes are now selling cans of wine, mostly single servings promoted for outdoor concerts and sports. Gallos Barefoot cans are particularly popular. Likewise, small packages including ones that imitate conventional wine glasses, are also becoming more popular, but both this format and cans are primarily filled with ordinary wine. Better wine in three-liter boxes (with plastic bladders inside) has become ubiquitous, as have wine in Tetrapak cartons and small plastic bottles, but pouches are also appearing. Some of the most interesting products were eye-catching aluminum bottles and even one made from solid wood, an expensive format thats lined with an inert resin to protect the wine. A judging panel for the Wines & Vines Packaging Design Awards evaluated and rated more than 121 entries from wineries and suppliers. The 50 top submissions were displayed at the conference. Attendees voted on their favorites. The package chosen as most outstanding was the wooden bottle, and the most innovative package was the One87 single-serve 187-ml wine packaging. Enclosure also got a lot of attention. Nomacorc showed the first zero-carbon footprint closure made from sugar cane waste that almost perfectly mimics a natural cork, for example, while screw caps and improved cork closures were also widely displayed. Packages make a difference Improving packaging can have a big impact on a winerys success, as described by Melissa Phillips Stroud, the vice president of sales and marketing, and Mike Stroh, director of marketing at Michael David Winery. Michael David Winery created a huge hit with 7 Deadly Zins, a zinfandel originally made from seven vineyards in Lodi. The wine helped put Michael David Winery and its home Lodi on the national wine map. Introduced in 2002 with 700 cases of the 2000 vintage, 7 Deadly Zins was named one of the Top 10 Hottest Brands in 2004 by Wine Business Monthly, and grew to more than 250,000 cases annually in its first 10 years. But it hit a plateau before a relaunch and package redesign that projected it to 16 percent growth in 2015 sales. They ended up with a custom bottle mold that was slightly taller with broader shoulders and had Michael David Winery embossed at the heel of the bottle for additional branding. They kept the primary elements of the label including the 7/Z lockup with the muted sins, halo and burnt parchment edge. It was named an Impact Hot Brand in 2016, and 7 Deadly Zins is now Americas No. 1 zinfandel by dollar sales, Stroh said. The winery also created a reserve program from Californias top zinfandel regions. Each wine is named after a sin; Greed is from Napa Valley. After releasing the 7 Deadly Zins, the winery had great success expanding its lineup of eclectic wines, adding new brands and price points to its portfolio. The winerys brands were developing a loyal consumer fan base, but few knew all of these great wines were being produced by one winery, Stroud said. In early 2009, the family decided to build the Michael David Winery brand to create a stronger winery image and help tie its growing portfolio together. The next year, the winery introduced its new logo featuring two crossed corkscrews with the letters MDW. The design was a play on the crossed axes that adorn fire trucks across the country. To engrain the winerys history, its founding year, 1984, was included in the new logotype. This logo was introduced into Michael Davids lineup of wines with national advertising and point-of-sale promotion to emphasize the wines producer. The winerys first national advertising introduced the Michael David logo and both ads tied the quirky-branded family of wines to Michael David winery. With the Michael David branding in place, the winery turned to its struggling Chardonnay program, then labeled 7 Heavenly Chards. The winery had tried a number of package upgrades. It found that being different doesnt always worklike a flint claret bottle instead of a green Burgundy bottle. With its consumers favoring traditionally styled packaging, Chardonnay was the perfect variety to introduce the Michael David brand in 2013. Chardonnay continues to grow each vintage, and the family has added sauvignon blanc and a rare cinsault made from a 130-year old vineyard. The Michael David label is also used for a handful of tasting room and wine club wines offering its best customers something exclusive. The winery has 6,000 members of its wine club. The winery tried a full wrap label 9.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches tall for its Freakshow Cabernet, but it caused so many problems they had to adopt a more conventional two-piece design. Other Michael David wines include Earthquake, which includes three varieties, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah, created in 2002. Petite Petit is a blend of petite sirah and petit verdot. It grew 45 percent in 2015 and is the No. 1 petite sirah in America costing more than $10. Michael David should produce nearly 800,000 cases in 2016 and expects to pass 1 million cases in 2017. The retailers perspective One of the most popular sessions at the conference featured two outspoken wine retailers discussing what worked for them and what didnt. The session was moderated by Curtis Mann, the wine, beer and spirits buyer for Raleys family of 118 supermarkets. The session featured Gary Fisch, owner of Garys Wine and Marketplace with four stores in New Jersey for an Eastern perspective, and Debbie Zachareas, the co-owner and partner of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in San Francisco and Oxbow Wine and Cheese Merchant in Napa. Fisch noted that everyone in the wine business is talking about appealing to the millennial drinker, but Fisch said that many brands aimed at them are off base. The millennial drinker is looking for authenticity. They have varied tastes and dont hesitate to try something new, but celebrity wines and weird names aimed at them dont work, he said. Fisch added that boxed wines sales are growing dramatically, and even there, the sustainable message applies. The Bota box packaging looks organic and handcrafted. Labels are an especially important consideration for women, who buy most wine in supermarkets, with traditional, classic and sophisticated labels most appealing and half of millennial women 21-24 say they favor organic or sustainably produced wines. Fisch says customers want authentic field to table wines but marketers are offering him tower to table products invented far from a vineyards. He also decried celebrity brands that have nothing to do with the source and spoofed trends like wine aged in Bourbon barrels. Bourbon is hot, so why not age wine in it? Zachareas noted that a lot of people buy cans of wine to take to concerts or the ballpark or carry on the ferry. They sell Underwood wines offering pinot noir, pinot gris, rose and sparkling wines. Zachareas commented that the sight and touch of a bottle is useful in sales. Having a beautiful label is important. She prefers traditional white labels. She hates heavy bottles. DRC and Latour use classic bottles and it doesnt keep people from buying them, she said, but she admits that some people think a wine in a heavy bottle must be better so are willing to spend more for it. Another annoyance to her is bottles wrapped in paper. They may be fine for wine clubs, but wrapping doesnt withstand a retail environment. Label paper that isnt durable is another problem for retailers. She said that black labels can be difficult to read even if they look elegant, particularly if the lettering is also fairly dark. Other speakers at the conference discussed doing market research on packaging and labels including focus groups aimed at consumers but Mann reminded attendees, You have to sell to the wholesaler and retailer before the consumer, but we find that wineries rarely talk to us. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the recent German White Paper on Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr including the German governments commitment to participate even more in shaping international security in an address to Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentarians in the Bundestag on Friday (2 September 2016). He outlined how NATO is responding to challenges from the east and the south of the Alliance, stressing the importance of closer cooperation between NATO and the European Union. Earlier on Friday, the Secretary General discussed NATOs response to current security challenges with Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen. They agreed on the importance of NATOs efforts to help cut the lines of human trafficking in the Aegean Sea, and reviewed the Alliances capacity-building work with southern partners focusing on Iraq, where NATO will soon begin military training. They further welcomed that NATO AWACS surveillance planes will soon provide information to the Global Coalition to counter ISIL. Mr Stoltenberg thanked Minister von der Leyen for Germanys many contributions to the Alliance, in particular for leading one of four battalions that NATO will soon rotate through the Baltic States and Poland. The Secretary General also held talks with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier which focused on arms control initiatives and the Alliances relationship with Russia. The two leaders reaffirmed the Alliances dual-track approach of pursuing defence and dialogue, and Mr Stoltenberg welcomed Minister Steinmeiers recent proposal to engage Russia in renewed talks on modernising the conventional arms control regime in Europe. (As delivered) Frank-Walter, thank you for once again hosting me here in Berlin. I have visited Berlin several times as Secretary General and every time I appreciated the meetings with you. We are close friends, we have been working together for many years and I also appreciate very much your strong commitment to the efforts of the NATO Alliance, to pursue the dual-track of both strong deterrence, defence and dialogue at the same time. And I absolutely agree with you that the Warsaw Summit was a very strong expression of the unity in the Alliance, supporting this dual-track approach, with deterrence and defence. And Germany, which is at the heart of Europe and at the heart of the NATO Alliance is a key Ally and appreciate so much our close cooperation. You are making significant contributions to different NATO operations. From Afghanistan to Kosovo to the Aegean Sea. You are playing a role in enhancing the defence of our Allies in the East, Germany being a lead nation for one of the battalions we are going to deploy in the eastern part of the Alliance. And I, in particular, appreciate your strong personal commitment to the work and the efforts to find a peacefully negotiated solution to the conflict in Ukraine. This is important for Ukraine but it is of course also important for the whole of Europe and for our common security. And at a time when the world has become more dangerous, Germany is stepping up to help maintain peaceful order in Europa and that is something I appreciate very much. We've just discussed our relations with Russia. And Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and its continued support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine have shaken the peaceful order in Europe. At the same time, we cannot simply shut the door on Russia. Russia is our biggest neighbour and will be integral to future European security. NATO will continue to balance strong defence with meaningful dialogue. This is in our own interest. Talking to Russia allows us to clearly communicate our positions. And avoid the potential for accidents and misunderstandings. I am grateful to Minister Steinmeier for supporting this dual-track approach of pursuing strong defence and dialogue together. Frank-Walter, I welcome your recent proposal to engage Russia in renewed talks on conventional arms control in Europe. It is a timely initiative and it provides valuable ideas for Allies to consider. We need to update the rulebook of European security. We need more military transparency to prevent incidents and accidents spiraling out of control. Allies are also working to update the OSCE's Vienna Document on military transparency. As current chair of the OSCE, Germany is driving that process and you personally, you are playing a lead role in enhancing the agenda of transparency and risk reduction in Europe. NATO can play an important role in reducing risk and promoting increased transparency. So Frank Walter, I look forward to continue our work, to continue to work with you to address all these important issues. Q: Kristof TRANSLATOR: Kristof Santo (sic) from DPA. Mr. Stoltenberg, Mr. Steinmeier last week was, in suggesting new arms control talks and on the fringence of the OCE their conference yesterday in (inaudible) has been criticism that was raised that it would be proposed too early because Russia is not yet adhering to the existing treaties. So what do you think of the proposal and of the criticism voiced by the United States? Mr. Steinmeier a question to you. Spiegel is reporting today that the federal government wants to distance itself from the resolution on Armenia by the Bundestag. Is this truly the case and what are the political and legal implications, how is the binding character of this resolution? JENS STOLTENBERG (NATO Secretary General): I welcome the initiatives and the proposals of Minister Steinmeier. I welcome it because we need to avoid a new arms race. We need to avoid a new Cold War and therefore we need to also look into how we can make progress on the arms control agenda. Of course there are many obstacles, there are many problems, there are many unsolved issues that the initiative from Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is about starting a process where we can look into different proposals and he put forward some proposals in his article, on his op-ed and then it is for NATO allies to consider and to discuss how we can move on and how we can relate to the different proposals. There is no contradiction between both focusing on how we can implement and make sure that existing agreements are respected and at the same time looking into how we can modernize and improve those agreements. For instance we have the Vienna document on transparency and risk reduction and we have to look into both how we can make sure that the existing agreements are respected and at the same time how we can modernize that document so it take into account new facts and new realities. For instance we have much more use of snap exercises and that is a loophole in the existing Vienna document, so we should consider how we can do something with those loopholes. For instance introducing snap inspections, snap observations or snap exercises. So there is no contradiction between urging the respect of existing agreements and at the same time looking into how we can modernize and update them. FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER (German Minister of Foreign Affairs): Foreign language. TRANSLATOR: When it comes to the relations with Turkey I have to of course explain that at the moment there are many fields of friction, not only since the attempted coup took place and the aftermath of this that is currently taking place in Turkey there was some friction before as well and some new fields have opened up. It is of course the task of foreign policy to reduce the fields of friction wherever they exist and to try and find possibilities of maintaining relations with Turkey and this with perspective for the future. In our most recent talks we had the impression that this is also something Turkey is interested in. The field we are currently discussing with Turkey are manifold, we are also discussing the arrestations that took place in the past amongst soldiers, teachers, researchers and we discussed that we expect the legal proceedings to be carried out on the basis of the rule of law. I am very grateful that the President of the Council of Europe has very much dedicated some time to this and the President of the European Parliament also did this yesterday. So we are discussing with Turkey the respect of the agreement on refugees as well as many other issues and amongst them the resolution of the German Bundestag and its binding character. So the German Bundestag has voiced an opinion on this itself many times. Firstly, the Deutch (sic), the German Bundestag has the right and the freedom to express itself on political issues but the Bundestag also states itself that not every resolution has a binding, legally binding character. Q: Foreign language. TRANSLATOR: Andre (inaudible) from Reuters. I have a question to both especially to Mr. Steinmeier. From Eastern Europe there is the demand for a European Army especially after Hungary and the Czech Republic were not very open to this proposal that you also made and do you think that because of the Brexit Referendum there is now a genuine opportunity for us in the E.U. to have joint armed forces and what would be the first steps? Secretary General, do you think that this is a contradiction to the objectives of NATO? FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER: Foreign language. TRANSLATOR: If I may briefly comment on this. You pointed this out already for the S.P.D. this is not an entirely new idea. In the past we have made this part and parcel of our own declarations. Yes, as a matter of fact there is new momentum that has added to the debate not only from Eastern Europe and not always under the headline of European Army but if you read the paper of the Italian Foreign Minister from the second last week on the renewal of Europe we can find many things in that paper that Ive also wrote down together with our French colleague Jean-Marc Ayrault when it comes to the renewal of the European Union in the field of migration and displacement as well as security and there is also a special focus in this paper of (inaudible) on an enhanced European cooperation on defense matters. Yes, therefore we have clearly seen an increase and growing interest amongst the member States of the European Union, not always in a European Army but yes an enhanced European cooperation. JENS STOLTENBERG: And the European Union are faced with the same security challenges and we share territory and we also share member States. More than 90 percent of the population in the European Union live in a NATO country, so I believe that to strengthen the defense capabilities and capacities of European allies is good for the European Union, its good for NATO at the same time. And Im strongly pushing for strengthening cooperation between European allies. I welcome also the strengthening cooperation between NATO and the European Union. We agreed on that in Warsaw where President Tusk and President Juncker and I signed the joint declaration underlining and outlining how we can enhance the cooperation between NATO and the European Union. And I also welcome closer cooperation inside the European Union among the different E.U. members on defense and security issues. The thing we have to avoid is duplication so we have to complement each other and for me it is important that we cooperate more closely but that we avoid duplication of the efforts of the European Union and NATO. And Im certain that we will be able to find ways to do that in a way that benefits both Europe, NATO, European Union and NATO at the same time. MODERATOR: That will be all. President discusses latest foreign political developments around Artsakh Azerbaijan officials considering opening embassy in Israel Armenia PM, EU Special Representative for South Caucasus discuss regional security and peace Nikol Pashinyan, Garo Paylan exchange views on Armenia-Turkey normalization process Quake hits Armenia-Turkey border zone Armenia ruling party adopting new vision regarding Karabakh conflict settlement Russia MOD: Ukraine carried out terrorist attack on Black Sea Fleet ships, civilian ships in Sevastopol Premier: CSTO should plan force operation, restore Armenias territorial integrity Armenia PM: All countries consider Karabakh to be part of Azerbaijan Armenias Pashinyan: CSTO does not exist Kremlin responds to question on extending mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Armenia premier: We need to know, ultimately, what Russian peacekeepers are doing in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia PM: Im ready to sign document, accept that Russian peacekeepers term in Karabakh be extended 10-20 years Armenias Pashinyan: We are ready to delegate border guard service operation to Russian border guards Finland, Sweden promise to join NATO together European Parliament calls on Armenia to consider diversifying its security partnerships Visiting Armenia MPs brief Canada lawmaker on recent Azerbaijan military aggression Armenia PM at ruling party congress: We declared repairing states foundation our primary task Karabakh President: Russia leaders statement inspires certain hopes Armenia ruling party congress kicks off Man breaks into US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home, demands to speak with her, beats husband with hammer EU-Armenia Joint Committee on Research and Innovation first meeting to be held in November Provincial governor of Armenias Gegharkunik: EU monitoring mission already started US accuses Russia of disinformation regarding Washington intentions towards Armenia, Azerbaijan Mexico fully legalizes gay marriage Newspaper: Azerbaijan not inclined to sign anything with Armenia in Russias Sochi Armenia ruling party convening closed convention Italian prime minister demands that she be addressed as prime minister in masculine form Pentagon to send Ukraine new aid package worth $275 million Europe will ban sale of one type of car European Commission head announces new aid and investments for Serbia Biden calls Putin's rhetoric on nuclear weapons 'dangerous' Lukashenko on Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict: What are you fighting for in these mountains, where not even goats walk? Swedish authorities offer to create united northern army Lukashenko: Conflict issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be resolved now - with Ilham Aliyev Lukashenko about situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border: Where are we racing horses, where are we rushing to? Pashinyan: Armenia-Diaspora relations undergo profound substantive changes Lukashenko to Pashinyan: Sit down with Aliyev and make a decision, if you don't make it today, it will be worse Bulgarian interim government urges to speed up transition to euro zone President of Karabakh: It is necessary to unite all national potential and efforts IMF: China's sharp and uncharacteristic economic slowdown will stall growth in Asia by the end of 2023 Iran: Riots in country were planned by the intelligence services of the USA, England, Israel and the KSA Steinmeier: Ukraine war caused 'epochal break' in Germany's relations with Russia Gas prices in Europe remain high in coming years Ararat Mirzoyan and Toivo Klaar stress importance of hosting EU civilian mission in Armenia Armenia's ambassador-at-large: Daily false propaganda can't cover up Azerbaijani war crimes Taiwan MFA outraged by Putin's speech on his status and Pelosi's visit Armenia gives no response to peace treaty proposals, Bayramov says Netanyahu expects return to power after 5th Israeli election in 4 years Armenian gravestone found in Trabzon, Turkey neighborhood Pashinyan: CSTO Secretary General's report mainly reflects existing realities Azerbaijan talks possible deliveries of its gas to international Turkish hub CSTO leaders to meet in late November: Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border will be discussed Dollar, euro continue falling in Armenia Pelosi's house attacked, her husband injured Russias Putin to have private talks with Armenias Pashinyan, Azerbaijans Aliyev Mher Grigoryan: CIS needs a new scientific and technical agreement Pentagon strategy doesn't rule out use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear threats French National Assembly plans to pass resolution proposing certain sanctions against Azerbaijan Mher Grigoryan: There are no other corridors in the trilateral statement other than Lachin's Konstantin Zatulin: Russia should have made maximum efforts so that there would be no war in Karabakh The Hill: The American people deserve to know how the war in Ukraine will end Sochi to host trilateral talks of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders on October 31 Poland receives first Turkish drones Hungarian government may extend price limits on fuel and some basic foodstuffs Armenias Simonyan attends meeting of heads of EEU countries parliaments Polish general appointed as head of EU mission to train Ukrainian troops Russia MP: Karabakh status decision is in fact its Armenians safety guarantee Zatulin: West seeks to push Russia out of negotiation process at any cost Legislature head proposes to organize, under CIS auspices, return of Armenians detained in Azerbaijan Iran prevents bomb explosion in Shiraz crowded street Iraqi parliament expresses vote of confidence in new cabinet France lawmakers visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Putin: Moscow is doing everything possible to normalize relations between Yerevan and Baku Annual shopping festival kicks off in Dubai on December 15 Lazarevsky Club: Minute of silence held in memory of fallen Russian and Armenian soldiers Bayramov and US Assistant Secretary of State discuss Yerevan-Baku relations Expansion of cooperation with Interpol is important, Armenia PM says Armenia defense minister briefs Austria envoy on situation due to recent Azerbaijan military aggression (PHOTOS) Australia can't rule out energy price caps Armenia parliament speaker: Use, threat of force undermine processes aimed at establishing peace Garo Paylan is in Yerevan Barack Obama tries to help Democrats win midterm elections Azerbaijan president, Russia first deputy PM discuss North-South transport corridor project PM Pashinyan receives France-Armenia friendship group delegation from French parliament Taiwan urges China to start talking Armen Grigoryan and Toivo Klaar discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiation process Matviyenko: Russia will continue mediation for signing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty Politico: Scholz and Macron threaten U.S. trade retaliation CIS premiers sign several agreements at Kazakhstan meeting Konstantin Zatulin: Nagorno-Karabakh peoples right to self-determination must be respected Armenia legislature head: Policy of threats, coercion is unacceptable to us U.S. must strengthen its defense against growing threats from both China, Russia Karabakh ex-President: Necessary to rule out mistakes, miscalculations which will have irreversible consequences EU reaches agreement to ban new cars with internal combustion engine by 2035 Benny Gantz: Future of Israel and Turkey is promising EU Special Representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia Lazarevsky Club meeting underway in Yerevan, Moscow Yellen sees no sign of recession in U.S. economy in near future Cannes palm trees promenade named after Charles Aznavour Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) President Bako Sahakyan on Friday issued a congratulatory address in connection with the NKR Independence Day anniversary. Dear compatriots, Today we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic. On behalf of the republics authorities and myself personally, I express my cordial congratulations to all our people in connection with this significant state holiday. September 2 of 1991 has become a turning point in the life of the Artsakh people and changed the course of its history. Raising its decisive voice in favor of free and independent Artsakh our nation embarked on the state-building process, started to build a democratic state in correspondence with the international norms and principles. Our chosen path was hard and difficult. Azerbaijan responded to the Artsakh peoples fair and legal claims with violence, massacres and unleashed a bloody war. We were forced to take up arms and by all means defend the freedom and security of our newly independent state, our peoples peace and tranquility, our historical land and our rights. During the days of ordeal as well as at all times Mother Armenia and the Diaspora were beside Artsakh. Due to the practical support and active participation of the world-spread Armenians we managed to overcome all the trials and difficulties with flying colors, gained victory in the war imposed on us, and started to develop and strengthen our precious and cherished Artsakh, our Motherland. Kind and honest people from various corners of the world, who value humanity and defense of democratic principles above everything else, have been beside us, too. The Artsakh people are deeply grateful to all the friends, and appreciate their contribution to the formation and development of our independent statehood. Dear compatriots, On this festive day we remember with special gratitude all our martyrs, brave sons of the Armenian people, those, who on the cost of their lives paved the path to our Motherlands bright future. We shall always keep the memory of our devotees. The best way to do it is the consistent development and strengthening of the free and independent Artsakh. I once again congratulate all of you on this memorable holiday and wish great health, successes and all the best to you, peace and welfare to our people, the NKR Presidents address congratulatory reads. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Thursday delivered a statement at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Informal Ministerial Meeting in Potsdam, Germany. I would like to thank Minister Steinmeier for this important initiative to exchange views in preparation for the OSCE Ministerial Council in coming December, to deploy efforts to make Hamburg meeting joint success. Indeed, success is not merely measured by the number of adopted decisions, but the quality of our dialogue. It is evident that any challenge in the OSCE area needs to be dealt through dialogue. We can debate endlessly the essence and scope of the OSCE principles and commitments, which should shape this dialogue. However, if we do not agree on one basic principle then apparently all our efforts will be in vain. The non-use of force or threat of use force constitutes that very principle. Unconditional adherence to non-use of force is essential for any security related endeavor in the OSCE area. The April preplanned large-scale military offensive of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh, accompanied by atrocities and gross violations of the international humanitarian law was not merely another escalation of this conflict. It was a challenge to common security and stability of the OSCE area. It seriously threw back the process of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution. Such attempts of using force as an instrument of pressure on the negotiating process, if not adequately addressed, may pave the way for serious destabilization with unpredictable consequences for entire region. To restore the trust in the process of the conflict resolution, measures should be taken to prevent use of force and create conditions conducive for the advancement of the peace process. This was the main aim of the two Summits on Nagorno-Karabakh held in Vienna in May and in St. Petersburg in June. First of all, it is a necessity to implement what was particularly emphasized and agreed upon in the framework of these Summits - the full adherence to the 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements, which do not have time limitations, the creation of mechanism for investigation of ceasefire violations, the expansion of the capacity of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. Conflicts in the OSCE area are not identical when it comes to principles upon which they should be resolved. Each and every conflict has its own features and should be approached based on its specificities. There is one common principle that should be pushed in all conflict situations and that is non-use of force. Either our way or the war approach is a dead-end. This type of language was used in the OSCE by Azerbaijani diplomats who, ignoring the approaches expressed in five statements of the presidents of the Co-Chair countries on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, are trying to present their own perceptions or interpretations as the only peaceful way of the settlement. When even diplomats talk in such a language then the problem goes far beyond a mere lack of a good will. The rights of people residing in the conflict areas need to be put in the heart of both crisis management and conflict resolution. The recognition and the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh is essential in any substantive progress within this conflict settlement. Dear Colleagues, Effective arms control regime and its full implementation are crucial in ensuring practical application of the principle of non-use of force or threat of force. We read with great interest the August 26 article of the Chairman-in-office containing a proposal to re-launch the arms control. Armenia has always been supporter of improved cooperative security arrangements aimed at enhanced transparency and predictability in the OSCE area based on the principles of restraint and risk reduction. It is in this vein that Armenia is going to engage in the discussions regarding the future of arms control in Europe. The uncontrolled and skyrocketing accumulation of offensive weaponry should be prevented. We appreciate efforts aimed at updating the Vienna Document. But, we need also to employ more efforts to ensure the implementation of the current Vienna Document and OSCE commitments related to the arms control. We saw repetitive violations of essential provisions of the Document including those related to notification of military exercises and verification. Dear Colleagues, We have consistently highlighted protection of rights of people living in the conflict areas, enhancing OSCE capacities first and foremost in the conflict related field missions, strengthening confidence building measures in all three dimensions. Full implementation of commitments related to conflict cycle particularly the Vilnius decision should come first in this regard. In conclusion I would like to stress that Armenia will continue its support to the German Chairmanship in preparation of the Hamburg Ministerial Council, the Armenian FM stated, in particular. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun Party on Friday issued a statement on the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the Artsakh republic. September 2 marks the 25th anniversary of the proclamation establishing the Nagorno (Mountainous) Karabakh Republic. These have been years of struggle, battles, heroism, creativity and achievements. These achievements would not have been possible without the unity and collective support of the Armenian nation. Today, we stand together to bolster past successes and take on the new challenges set before us. At this crucial time, the most important of these are ensuring the favorable resolution of the Artsakh issue and the security of the Republic. Now is the opportune time to reaffirm, once again, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyuns position in this regard: 1.- Any accord on Artsakh must recognize its right to reunification with Armenia, or, at the very least, Artsakhs independence. 2.- The borders of Artsakh should be set based on the principle of historical rights and real geographical and territorial security guarantees for both Artsakh and Armenia. 3. The negotiation process should be led by the will of the people of Artsakh as expressed by the nationwide 1991Independence referendum and the 2006 NKR Constitution referendum. 4.- Hence, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun: - Continues to pursue the international recognition of NKR. The negotiation process cannot impede the recognition of NKRs independence; - Supports demands for NKRs inclusion as a full-fledged party to the negotiations; - Pursues the signing of a strategic alliance agreement between the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, as a guarantee to NKRs security and independence; - Considers unacceptable any resolution that does not primarily address the recognition of NKRs independent status and the restoration of its territorial integrity; - Opposes any phased option that ignores the above requirements, as well as any unilateral concessions made with the expectation of future solutions. Mutual concessions are possible only if they are commensurate, concurrent and within a package solution framework. - Defends the necessity for the Republic of Armenia to enact recognition of NKR should the negotiation process fail or upon military aggression by Azerbaijan. - Pursues the international condemnation of Azerbaijans campaign to violate or nullify the 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire regime; - Is convinced that the guarantors of the security of the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are first and foremost the armed forces of RoA and the NKR defense army. At the same time, it pursues effective international monitoring and control measures to maintain the ceasefire along the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan; - Considers it imperative to harness the potential of all Armenians towards keeping the Artsakh conflict in the realm of a struggle for national liberation and self-determination. Also considers the design and implementation of pan-Armenian projects aimed at Artsakhs population growth and socio-economic development to be of utmost importance, the ARF statement reads, in particular. Fairfield Students Engineer Clean Water in Bolivia This past August, Dean Bruce Berdanier, PhD, and assistant dean for the School of Engineering, Marcia Arambulo Rodriguez, traveled to Bolivia with a group of five Fairfield students to build a water filtration system. Through the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Fairfield chapter, established in 2015, the group planned extensively throughout the year and has had several ventures, this summer and in years past, to complete the mission of clean water for the area. Sometimes the students get sick because its so high up," said Dr. Berdanier about their home base in Bolivia and partner school, Universidad Academica Campesina, Carmen Pampa (UAC-CP), which is about 90 kilometers northeast of La Paz at nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. Its a mountainous, lush and jungle-like region. But, theres an area where there are about 20 small villages that are served by UAC-CP, which has approximately 700 students. Half the people in town still dont have indoor plumbing so stomach distress from pathogens in their water plagued the area. They were also starting to experience water pollution from agricultural run-off. So it rains a lot and you wake up in the morning sitting in a cloud because of the valley and the mountains. They are fortunate to have a lot of water, but its just not clean water, Dr. Berdanier said. Through Dr. Berdanier, whose international service work expertise spans more than 25 years, Fairfield Universitys ventures to Bolivia with EWB have covered a few years and took the project from assessment trips to determine the needs and complexities of the area and water system, to the hands-on building of a filtration system thats fed by one of the areas two waterfalls. The filtration system that was erected during the August trip channels the water through layers of sand, which eliminates the dirt and parasites and then transfers it to a chlorinator to kill actively growing pathogens. I have never seen a team comprised of people, who came from different worlds and spoke different languages, accomplish so much while working together, said Kacper Laska, a junior in the School of Engineering who was part of both the planning process and the work trip. The Fairfield group stayed in dormitories at UAC-CP and worked with local students, South Dakota State University students and other volunteers to bring the project to life. Hugh Smeltekop, executive director of the Carmen Pampa Fund and project collaborator, said, The students from Fairfield University were excellent critical thinkers, flexible, hard-working and creative, all necessary traits for this kind of work. And the team involves the students at the UAC-CP and the community to ensure that everyone is informed of the need for clean water, and how we can work together to make that happen. Dr. Berdanier explained that the project, which has received funding from several local partners including Aquarion Water Company and the Fairfield Rotary Club, is a globalized experience for the students that helps them see engineering as the service profession that it is. What we do here thats our mission youre going into engineering to solve the big problems in the world, Berdanier said. We build our curriculum around society's biggest challenges. Everything that we build or design its about fulfilling a need or challenge. See photos and videos from the EWB Bolivia trip Students Travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar for Service Learning This past July, Fairfield University students, with the Center for Faith and Public Life, traveled to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Machui, Zanzibar for the service learning course "African Politics." Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, associate professor of politics, led students Riley Barrett '17, Adrienne Sgarlato '17, Zavon Billups '18, Sarah Greenwood '17, Meaghan Hamilton '17 and Joe Harding '18 on the two-week service learning trip. While in Tanzania and Zanzibar, students participated in service with Loyola High School in Dar es Salaam, where Fairfield University has established a community partnership over the past six years. Students carried out specific research projects ranging from examining gender inequality in education and the role of NGOs in post-colonial contexts, to hip hop as a force shaping youth culture in East Africa. In Dar es Salaam, students participated in two short courses taught by Tanzanian faculty on "African Culture and Theatre" and "Tanzanian Politics." Additionally, students helped to prepare the groundwork for establishing faculty learning communities between Loyola and Fairfield as part of a grant recently awarded by the Benina Foundation to the Center for Faith and Public Lifes Office of Service Learning. "I truly feel privileged to have been offered the opportunity to immerse myself in the Tanzanian culture. The people are remarkably friendly and welcoming. The joy with which they live their daily lives is a beautiful thing that I have never encountered before. Because they made me feel at home, I felt much more comfortable trying to learn their language (Kiswahili) and customs. This trip was not about us Americans helping the Tanzanian people develop or progress in any way shape or form, but about cultural immersion and exchange at its most authentic and pure level," stated Joe Harding '18. Their trip also included exciting adventures to the island of Zanzibar, where they visited Stone Town and Machui, to Bagamoyo and to northern Tanzania where they went on safari to Serengeti to see elephants, lions and giraffes! Photo: Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka at the Day of Service in Tanzania. Malia Hoffmann joins CSUF as an assistant professor of elementary and bilingual education. Education technology expert Malia Hoffmann integrates technology in the classroom to engage students in learning and to keep them motivated. The new assistant professor of elementary and bilingual education earned her Ed.D. in learning technologies from Pepperdine University. She also holds a masters degree in educational technology from Marian University and a bachelors degree in education with a teaching credential from St. Norbert College both institutions are located in Wisconsin. Before arriving at CSUF this fall, the former middle school teacher was an assistant professor and coordinator of the masters of educational technology program at Concordia University in Irvine. She also is a captain in the Air Force Reserve, serving as a logistics readiness officer. What inspired you to go into your field and what was the defining moment? Even as a child, I wanted to be a teacher. I played school with my siblings and loved it. My little sister struggled through school and I saw what an impact the teachers had on her. Her struggles inspired me to be a middle school teacher at first, and then later move into higher education. What are your research interests? I am in the field of educational technology, where I specialize in such areas as online learning and course design, mobile devices, multimedia, flipped classrooms and smart software. My current projects focus on the impact of mobile devices on learning and the level of the feeling of connectedness in online programs. How do you engage students in your classes and/or your research? I constantly reference the research I am doing and connect it to the coursework. I ask my students to participate in surveys and data that I am gathering. What changes do you envision in your field five years from now? My field changes every year, so even in five years it will change drastically. Im predicting well see more virtual and augmented realities being used in classes. Why is teaching with technology important in todays schools? Todays learners are constantly connected through devices. So in schools, using technology is natural to them. Technologies are like an extension of their bodies; without the devices they feel incomplete. Its powerful to embrace these devices and harness them to advance their learning. 'Vice premier for education Kim Yong-Jin was executed,' South Korea's unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said. 'Kim Yong-Jin was denounced for his bad sitting posture when he was sitting below the rostrum,' he added, referring to North Korea's parliament. Kim Jong-un was in the government meeting and was infuriated after Kim Yong-Jin sat in his chair 'with a bad attitude'. Another South Korean official said the education official's poor posture was spotted at a meeting on June 29, when Kim Jong-un was named chairman of a new national defence department. 'The trouble for Kim began after he was seen sitting with bad attitude during a meeting of the People's Supreme Assembly,' the official told South Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily. 'He was later accused of being anti-revolutionary following a probe and a firing squad execution was carried out in July,' he added. Kim Yong-chol, another North Korean official, was sent an 'ideological re-education' farm for a month in June and July because of his 'overbearing attitude'. Meanwhile Choe Hwi, vice director of North Korea's propaganda and agitation department, has been sent to a similar camp. The North Korean regime is especially paranoid in recent weeks after a senior official at the London embassy defected to South Korea along with his wife and children. North Korea rarely announces purges or executions, although state media confirmed the execution of Kim's uncle and the man widely considered the second most powerful man in the country, Jang Song Thaek, in 2012 for factionalism and crimes damaging to the economy. A former defence minister, Hyun Yong Chol, is also believed to have been executed last year for treason, according to the South's spy agency. 19:41 On the eve of the visit of an all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday has invited separatist leaders for talks. The country's political leadership must, without any further delay, reach out to and engage all sections of the society, including leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, in a productive dialogue process to resolve the issue and make peace a reality in Jammu and Kashmir, she had said while visiting the family of a person killed in firing by security forces. Seventy people have been killed and thousands injured in violence in Kashmir Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8. "Visited the family of late Mashooq Ahmed, firing victim of Kund, Kulgam and offered heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family... The loss of human lives is a colossal tragedy and every one should strive for peace in J&K," she posted on Facebook. The chief minister said it is perhaps for the first time that the Kashmir issue has been, during the past two months, discussed in so many forums and at so many levels including Parliament and at all-party meetings where judicious views were put across by all shades of the country's political opinion on how to end the stalemate. After a meeting held by the government to brief the MPs who are part of the 30-member delegation, leaders from Congress and CPI-M said all stakeholders, including Hurriyat should be approached during the two-day visit of the delegation to Jammu and Kashmir beginning on Sunday. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] BENGALURU: Its a challenge everyday for millions of people globally to find a place to stay. Forget proper place, people live on streets, on platforms, on diarrhea-infected streets. But this may not be the only challenge they face every day! A struggle to have something to eat is what drives them crazy. Apparently, lack of food isn't really a problem reports The Times Of India. The food striving people can be easily fed by a large quantity of food, which is wasted every day. Good news! A smartphone application has been developed by Komal Ahmad, a California-based woman which would connect this extra food to the needy. Records show that since this applications inception, 600,000 homeless people in the US have been fed. Ahmad was a student at the University of California and thats where this idea first sprang up in her mind. I was approached by a homeless man who asked me some money so he can feed himself. I invited him over lunch and in the course of conversation with him, I got to know that he was a soldier who had recently returned from Iraq, recalled Ahmad in an interview on The Independent website. An initiative was started by Ahmad after this incident in her college which would urge students to donate extra food to local homeless shelters. Ahmad has come a long way since then in helping the needy as now she is the CEO of a non-profit service called Copia. The organization was previously known as Feeding Forward. Simple to use; with Copias app extra food can be donated to shelters that are near their area. Companies are can inform our drivers about the pickup location of the extra food. The leftover or the extra food is then collected by the drivers and is delivered to the needy, elaborated Ahmad. Komal Ahmad has been getting numerous calls from many enthusiasts ever since her story was featured on CNET website. She has been approached by them to expand her initiative to other countries like Nairobi, Hong Kong and even Bengaluru. READ ALSO: New Multi-Element Antenna To Improve Communication New Digital Antennas To Power Next-Gen Smartphones Researcher to discuss childhood obesity by Andrea Hahn CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Ah, peer pressure. So often parents and authorities lament its effects on young people. What if peer pressure could be a tool for positive behavior -- like, for example, healthy eating? Jebaraj Asirvatham, assistant professor of agribusiness economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is researching the role of peer influence on childhood obesity. He is venturing into new territory with his multi-faceted approach: studying the effects of peer pressure on young school-age children, and taking into account such factors as the commercial food environment near the childrens schools as well as observable differences in race, gender and neighborhood. Asirvatham will discuss his soon-to-be-published research as the first speaker in the Vandeveer Chair Speaker Series for the fall 2016 semester. Hell discuss, Do peers affect childhood obesity? at 3 p.m. on Sept. 9 in Faner Hall, Room 4135. The Department of Economics hosts the Vandeveer Chair Speaker Series, a free series of lectures on various topics pertaining to economics. The series organizers seek to include several topics of interest to a general audience, including the lecture Asirvatham will present. Here is the schedule of other speakers and topics. All events are at 3 p.m. in Faner Hall, Room 4135, except for the Vandeveer Chair Public Lecture, for which the time and place are separately noted. Sept. 16, SIU economics faculty, discussion of current research Sept. 23, Limor Golan from Washington University at St. Louis, What Accounts for the Racial Gap in Time Allocation and Intergenerational Transmission of Human Capital? Sept. 29, 5 p.m. in the John C. Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library, Tod Sandler from the University of Texas at Dallas, What Has Economic Analysis Taught About Terrorism? Oct. 14, Jamin Speer from the University of Memphis, Are Changes of Major Major Changes? The Roles of Grades, Gender and Preferences in College Major Switching. Oct. 21, Scott Gilbert, SIU, Profit and Industrial Organization: A Financial Perspective. Oct. 28, Chao Gu from the University of Missouri at Columbia, The Effects of Monetary Policy (and Other) Announcements. 20th century wars among museums exhibits by Andrea Hahn CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Theres something about a multipurpose museum that makes a person expect to take a step back in time. This fall at Southern Illinois University Carbondales University Museum, visitors even have a timeline to follow, one that goes down a specific path -- war. Artists React to War and The 20th Century Wars and Their Impact on Southern Illinois are two of several exhibits this fall at the museum. Museum Director Dona Bachman said the timeline shows what was happening in wars and the world and what was happening at SIU and in Southern Illinois. War changed everything in the 20th century, Bachman said. The wars got Americans out of the United States to places like France and Italy, England and the South Pacific, at a time when only the wealthy traveled abroad. It changed us forever from a small town nation to one that was more international. And SIU was very much part of it all. The timeline that informally guides the exhibit brings visitors through a cultural treasure trove of fashion, art, iconic imagery and soldiers souvenirs and uniforms. The top half of the timeline highlights major moments in the wars; the bottom half notes what was happening at SIU. In 1969, for example, arson claimed the Old Main building at SIU, and just a few weeks later, riots and tear gas greeted the opening of the Center for Vietnamese Studies. Next to that note is a photo of Southern Illinois photographer Gene Moehring camped out in a hammock in Vietnam, and his dress uniform stands at attention nearby. After World War II, SIU went from a little teachers college to a major research university, Bachman said. The GI Bill brought people to college who otherwise might not have been able to attend, and we were overwhelmed with students. We had them housed in tents and Quonset huts. It was an exciting time. The century ends, though, with ambiguity about our involvement in foreign wars. When you look at in this way, war is a characteristic quality of the 20th century. Down one hallway of the exhibit, dark paintings full of turmoil and loss face off against brightly colored, optimistic propaganda prints. Another wing features a print of Picassos famous Guernica, his anti-war statement. We havent done a comprehensive exhibit like this in a long time, Bachman said. Its a lot of work. But it allowed us to exhibit items we dont always show, and to put them in a different context. Bachman and Eric Jones, museum registrar, curated the exhibits with consultation from SIU history professor Jonathan Wiesen. Other exhibits currently on display at the museum include SIU alumnus Allen Uzikee Nelsons African-inspired metal sculptures, a collection of Navajo woven textiles, historical photography, multi-media work from SIU-affiliated artists Renee and George Mavigliano, and floral portrait art by Vicki Rawlins. A reception for the current fall exhibits is Sept. 16, 4-7 p.m. in the University Museum. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, 1-4 p.m. The museum is closed during university breaks. There is no admission fee but donations are always welcome. Pact creates career path for aviation students by Pete Rosenbery CARBONDALE, Ill. -- An agreement with a St. Louis-based regional airline will provide a career path for Southern Illinois University Carbondale aviation students interested in becoming professional pilots. The university will sign an agreement to participate in Trans States Airlines Aviators Program. The agreement will offer a career path for students after they graduate from SIU Carbondale, Jose Ruiz, professor, aviation management and flight, said. Given the fact that more than 600,000 aviators are going to be required over the next 20 years, this type of airline partnership will allow our students to be mentored by pilots who are already engaged in the industry. Having their tuition subsidized does nothing but enhance our programs ability to assist our aviation flight students realize their career aspirations, Ruiz said. Media Advisory Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to attend the signing event at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Southern Illinois Airports east ramp area. In the event of rain, the signing by SIU Carbondale Associate Provost for Academic Administration David DiLalla and Capt. Keith Stamper, director of flight operations, Trans States Airlines, will be in the Transportation Education Centers north entrance lobby. Airline personnel will provide tours of the EMB-145, a 50-seat regional jet, after the ceremony and meet with interested students in the afternoon. For more information, contact Jose Ruiz, professor, aviation management and flight, at 618/453-8898. The partnership agreement signing is set for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Southern Illinois Airport, in front of Trans States Airlines EMB-145, a 50-seat regional jet. Airline personnel will meet with interested students Wednesday afternoon. Under the program, students must have at least their Federal Aviation Administration private pilot license, and agree to obtain their certified flight instructor license and work as a flight instructor at SIU Carbondale to complete the required flight hours to meet Trans States Airlines hiring requirements. In addition, students will have a flight operations mentor at the airline, and will be required to participate in Aviator Program events at the airlines St. Louis headquarters. Benefits to students include eligibility for up to $10,000 in tuition reimbursement after they successfully complete the airlines New Hire Training Program. The university will also receive curriculum assistance from the airline in training and supporting reference materials to assist in creating airline-specific program materials. Ruiz said it could be one or two years after a student graduates and is working as a certified flight instructor at SIU Carbondale that they reach the 1,000-flight hour requirement to advance to Trans States Airlines. These agreements are becoming more prevalent in aviation, Ruiz said. We recognize how important it is to offer our students these career opportunities and hopefully this will be the first of several partnerships with regional carriers. Trans States Airlines started the program in June. The airline operates a fleet on behalf of United Airlines and American Airlines. Trans States anticipates providing service to more than 4.6 million passengers in 2016, with approximately 237 daily flights providing service to more than 70 cities in North America. In addition to St. Louis, the airline has crew residences in Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Raleigh-Durham. We are very happy to sign the Aviators agreement with SIU, Keith Stamper, Trans States Airlines director of flight operations, said. We feel this school provides great aviation education opportunities for future aviation professionals, and look forward to working closely with the school in their efforts. Andy Wang, dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, noted that Trans States Airlines is a fast-growing regional airline. This agreement adds another airline partner to our industry partnership database, building a professional pilot career pipeline for our students, he said. The university is committed to training students to be knowledgeable, safe, and sought-after pilots in the aviation industry, Wang said. The TSA Aviators Program is just another example showing that many top airlines are so confident in SIU aviation education that they provide conditional job offers to our students even before their graduation, he said. "A group of Taliban rebels stormed Burka district but police resisted, forcing the militants to flee," Xinhua news agency quoted the police as saying. Sporadic fighting is still going on, the police said, adding that the militants may launch more attacks on Friday night. --IANS sm/ksk/bg ( 76 Words) 2016-09-02-15:41:57 (IANS) India's leading online fashion destination Jabong has announced introduction of 6 months of maternity leave for its women employees. The initiative comes as a part of the etailer's endeavor to enable a conducive working environment for young expectant mothers at Jabong and also reinforce its brand promise to represent the needs of its women customers. The move comes ahead of the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha in the upcoming winter session. The Bill will impact an estimated 1.8 million women working in India's organized sector, and is expected to encourage many more to join the corporate sector. "Women represent 30 percent of Jabong's workforce and 60 percent of our revenue. We believe that making our culture more inclusive is an economic imperative for the success of our organization and the country. Known for its 'Be You' philosophy, Jabong has always aspired to be an opinion leader, and our leadership team decided that we should proactively adopt a longer maternity leave for our women colleagues, and address a genuine concern for them," said CHRO Jabong, Deepa Chadha. A recent study undertaken by Jody Heymann, founding director of the World Policy Analysis Center, suggests that women who don't receive paid maternity leave, are more likely to drop out of the workforce, therefore losing income for themselves and their families. The number of women drops sharply in the corporate hierarchy from 25 percent at entry level positions to 16 percent at middle management and only four percent at senior management level. Inability to provide an enabling work environment for young mothers is undoubtedly one of the major root causes. Countries can either work with half of their workforce or compete with their full workforce, which requires paid maternity leave. "I fully agree with UN Women representative Rebecca Reichmann Tavares that having a more generous maternity leave and flexible timing arrangement will not just be an economic investment but also a measure to ensure social justice. McKinsey estimates India's women to constitute only 24 percent of the paid labor force compared to the global average of 40 percent. The corporate world must find innovative means to encourage women to join the workforce and contribute to the nation's progress," added Deepa Chadha. Jabong already runs several women-friendly programs such as 'SHE', which offers an in-house creche, flexi-timings, work from home and so on. In line with its philosophy of 'Be You', Jabong provides its women employees the freedom to be what they want to be, and to speak their mind. (ANI) Public transport came to a standstill in Telangana with employees of state-owned Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) joining the strike. The TSRTC buses in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana were confined to depots, causing severe inconvenience to commuters, who were stranded at bus stations. Auto-rickshaw drivers too joined the strike at a few places in the two Telugu states. Banking services were also affected as employees participated in the strike in support of their demands. In Hyderabad, people had a tough time in reaching their offices and work places. Private transport operators made a fast buck by overcharging. Coal production in state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited in Telangana came to a halt as employees joined the strike. The mines are spread over the four districts of Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar and Warangal. The company might suffer a loss of Rs 10 crore as 40,000 tonnes of coal production is affected by the stir. In Andhra Pradesh, the shutdown call evoked a mixed response. A section of employees of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went on strike while others reported for duty wearing black badges. The APSRTC buses were plying as usual in some districts while services in other districts were affected partially. Production at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was hit as a section of employees stayed away from work. Auto-rickshaws also remained off the roads in Visakhapatnam. Activists of trade unions affiliated to the Left parties took out protest rallies in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. --IANS ms/in/bg ( 294 Words) 2016-09-02-14:39:57 (IANS) New Delhi [India], Sep 2 (ANI-NewsVoir): A fastest growing Image Management and Communications Agency Media Mantra today introduced 'Start- up Mantra'; an exclusive business vertical dedicated to accelerate start-up visibility. This new inventive addition in the family will empower Media Mantra to extend support and expertise to young entrepreneurs like never before, shaping the overall landscape. Establishing and building a brand in an ultra competitive environment, amidst multiple challenges and uncertainties can sound daunting. In a scenario like this, each entrepreneur needs a strategic and intelligent ally by-their-side to enrich and enhance visibility, locally and globally. Media Mantra is one such powerful agency that acts as a resourceful partner-in-business to contribute in achieving the targeted goal, positioning you at the 'helm of affairs' in a speedy fashion. "We are proud to introduce our latest vertical, Start-up Mantra," said Director Media Mantra, Udit Pathak. "Funding is the main ingredient that can help a start-up to smoothly take off the ground however today, it is drying-out swiftly. In such a set-up, entrepreneurs look for effective and speedy results in business to limit the burn rate. We completely understand this crucial need in business and alongside, offer exclusively crafted, result - oriented solutions to heighten your brand visibility in the market arena," added Pathak. "While this helps you to lock investor's interest in your brand to ensure smooth cash flow, it also safeguards long - term survival," he added. "We have successfully handled PR campaigns for various enterprises ranging from small - size to mid- size to corporate giants. At present, our esteemed proficiency in accelerating start-up visibility, has well positioned us as a must-go-place for start-ups," he added. Building a brand is a continuous effort. It needs care, nurturing and hand-holding at regular intervals which may take a while. Therefore, Media Mantra proposes a six months activation campaign, specifically designed for entrepreneurs who aim to achieve early growth and success, to be ahead in a competitive race. Media Mantra is zealously focused on creating a real-time measurable impact on client businesses through breakthrough ideas and diligent efforts. The organization is strengthened by a cohesive network across the country and prolific relationships with prominent media platforms. Today, Media Mantra entails a prodigious clientele list, a passionate and experienced team and a brilliant company trajectory. (ANI-NewsVoir) After making her debut at the Oscars this year where she presented one of the awards, Priyanka Chopra will now give away one of the trophies at the 68th Emmy Awards. And Priyanka hopes to have a fun evening, and is already on a quest to find the "perfect dress". The Television Academy announced the first group of presenters for this year's awards and apart from the "Quantico" star, the list includes another Indian-American actor, Aziz Ansari. Excited about the news, the actress tweeted: "This should be such a fun evening... And the search for the perfect dress begins. #Emmys" After making waves internationally with her musical talent, the actress took the small screen route to Hollywood. She made her international TV debut as an FBI agent in "Quantico" last year. Other names that are set to present the trophy are Anthony Anderson, a nominee for comedy "Black-ish", Larry David, James Corden, and Taraji P. Henson, reports variety.com. Kristen Bell and Michael Weatherly will also join the parade. "Modern Family" star Julie Bowen and Randall Park of "Fresh Off the Boat" are on board, along with Liev Schreiber, a nominee for "Ray Donovan" -- Season Four of which is aired in India on AXN india Don Mischer is executive producer of the 68th annual Emmy Awards, which will be happen in Microsoft Theater here, on September 18. The red carpet and ceremony will air in India simultaneously via Star English network's channels. With Priyanka's career in the West going in the right direction, the news of her giving an Emmy adds another feather in her cap. The former beauty queen will also be seen as a guest judge for season 15 of American TV series "Project Runway", hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum. Priyanka will join the series as one of the few guest judges on the show. The show focuses on budding designers who are given an opportunity to create a collection for New York Fashion Week. She will also make her Hollywood debt in a negative role in "Baywatch" -- the big screen version of the globally popular TV series featuring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. --IANS sug/nv/vt ( 369 Words) 2016-09-02-11:47:56 (IANS) The actress, known for posing for racy snaps, recently launched a new pledge where she wants men to stop watching porns, reports E! Online. The 49-year-old model warned about pornography's corrosive effects on a man's soul and on his ability to function as husband and, by extension, as father. In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, titled 'Take the Pledge: No More Indulging Porn', the actor along with celebrity rabbi Shmuley Boteach urged readers to "understand that porn is for losers-a boring, wasteful and dead-end outlet for people too lazy to reap the ample rewards of health sexuality." Citing an example, the pair wrote, "And if anyone still doubted the devastation that porn addiction wreaks on those closest to the addict, behold the now-shattered marriage of Mr. Weiner and Huma Abedin, a breakup that she initiated, reportedly, in shock at the disgraced ex-congressman's inclusion of their four-year-old son in one lewd photo that he sent to a near-stranger." The former 'Playboy' model used this specific scenario to show the effects the naughty behavior can have on a family saying, "this is a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness." Anderson and Boteach explained that men who regularly access porn are "less satisfactory intimate lives with their wives or girlfriends as a result of the consumption," and added that the future generation are going to be so saturated with sexualized images that they will become "crack babies of porn." (ANI) Actor Sushant Singh Rajput does not appear to be in tune with the clause under the Consumer Protection Bill 2015, which suggests that celebrities' role in endorsing products cannot be ignored and they should also understand product claims before signing up for endorsements. "Actors are always the soft target. We actors, take up a brand endorsement on its face value. If a product claims that there is fluoride in it, we cannot test it. There is a government agency to look after the content of the product, who give a go ahead to it. So, the agency and the product manufacturers should be held responsible, instead of the actors," said Sushant, who is presently endorsing a watch brand, Tissot. Emphasizing on the protection of consumer interest, the government has been working towards putting some legal and professional liability on the brand endorsers. The new Bill that awaits the Parliament's assent seeks to empower the consumers to protect their rights against unfair trade practices. It intends to close the gaps with regard to protection of consumer rights including the time taken in settling disputes, an ability to reach to the manufactures for product liability and curb misleading advertisements. The Consumer Protection Bill 2015 that seeks to amend the archaic Consumer Protection Act is expected to be passed in the next session of Parliament. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation tour to Vietnam and China starting today. During the first leg of his four-day visit, the Prime Minister will first reach Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday night, where he will meet President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and hold wide-ranging talks with the top leadership to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and oil exploration. Briefing the media yesterday, Secretary (East), External Affairs Ministry, Preeti Saran said, "Vietnam is India's important strategic partner and the visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties, including defence, security and trade. On September 3, the Prime Minister will leave for Hangzhou, China, from Vietnam in the evening to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. "During the visit, India will take up issues like cross-border mobility of professionals, terror financing, tax evasion and reduction in remittance transaction cost among others," said Secretary (West) Sujata Mehta. She said Prime Minister Modi will be the lead speaker at the session on inclusive and inter connected development. On the sidelines of the Summit, the Prime Minister will have bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It would be the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Jinping after their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent, where the Prime Minister had urged China to make a "fair and objective" assessment of India's application on merit for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). On August 12, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi possibly to firm up the agenda for the talks between President Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. According to a report in China's state-owned Global Times, Foreign Minister Yi may also use his visit to New Delhi to acquire a perspective and an assessment of Prime Minister Modi's visits to Vietnam and Laos. According to report, Beijing is viewing Prime Minister Modi's visit to Vietnam rather closely, given that Hanoi is also a party in the SCS dispute and has also staked a maritime and rich energy resource claim to use of its waters. The Prime Minister will also attend a BRICS leaders' meet. He will return to India on September 5. On September 7, Prime Minister Modi will leave for Laos PDR on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN and East Asia summits. At the ASEAN-India Summit, the Prime Minister and ASEAN leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction in the areas of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. (ANI) Another case depicting the deteriorating law and order in Uttar Pradesh has come to light where a man was allegedly beaten to death after he tried to save his daughter's modesty from the eve-teasers in Amroha district. Reportedly the victim, a student of Class XI, had complained to her father on numerous occasions of being harassed by some roadside youth from the same locality to which her father had complained about at the miscreant's house. The culprits fit into flew of rage at this behest on Wednesday night and attacked the victim's father at their residence, thereby beating the man to death. Uday Shankar Singh, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amroha, said that they have set an enquiry into the matter. (ANI) Asserting that India attaches high priority to its relations with Vietnam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the partnership between both sides will benefit Asia and the rest of the world. Greeting the people of Vietnam on their National Day, Prime Minister Modi on his official Facebook page said, "Vietnam is a friendly nation with whom we cherish our relationship." "Today evening, I will reach Hanoi in Vietnam, marking the start of a very important visit that will further cement the close bond between India and Vietnam. My government attaches a high priority to our bilateral relations with Vietnam. The India-Vietnam partnership will benefit Asia and the rest of the world," he added. The Prime Minister said that he would hold extensive discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc during the visit and would review the complete spectrum of the bilateral relationship. "I will also meet the President of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong; and the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan," he said. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," he added. Prime Minister Modi further said that he will also have the opportunity to pay homage to Ho Chi Minh, one of 20th century's tallest leaders. "I will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda," he said. Prime Minister Modi will embark on a two-nation tour to Vietnam and China starting today. During the first leg of his four-day visit, Prime Minister Modi will first reach Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday night, where he will meet President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and hold wide-ranging talks with the top leadership to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and oil exploration. Briefing the media yesterday, Secretary (East), External Affairs Ministry, Preeti Saran, said, "Vietnam is India's important strategic partner and the visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties, including defence, security and trade. On September 3, the Prime Minister will leave for Hangzhou, China, from Vietnam to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. (ANI) Local bodies in Kerala will join hands in the fight against tobacco use, furthering tobacco control measures taken up by the districts. This development comes on the heels of the inclusion of tobacco control as a regular agenda item in the monthly District Development Council meetings chaired by the District Collectors. Representatives of 200 selected Panchayats from all 14 districts of Kerala agreed to intensify tobacco control measures at an orientation session after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the project 'Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Kerala' here. Mr Rajeev Sadanandan, Kerala Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare called upon Panchayats in Kerala to place emphasis on preventing tobacco use initiation by youngsters. There should be no laxity in enforcing legislations that prohibit sale of tobacco products to children, he said while speaking in a technical session titled 'Role of Panchayats in prevention and control of NCDs in Kerala'. Health experts also endorsed the same view when Dr V Ramankutty, Professor, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies of Sree Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) urged Panchayats to play a key role in law enforcement, awareness generation, and rehabilitation to rein in tobacco use in Kerala. Any existing lapses in implementation of Indian tobacco control law COTPA, 2003 can be set right with the involvement and participation of local bodies, he said. Panchayats can also work for strict implementation of legal provisions preventing the use of pan parag, sambhu and the like by children; strong implementation of COTPA around educational institutions besides display of statutory warning messages in educational institutions and other public places, Dr Ramankutty said in his session on 'Tobacco Control and Alcohol Control at Panchayat level'. Occasions such as World No Tobacco Day, World Health Day can be used to spread awareness through mass runs or street plays. Enlisting the support of well-known sportspersons or artists can also help to spread the message. Panchayats can also take initiative in setting up tobacco de-addiction centres to help those who want to quit tobacco use, Dr Ramankutty added. UNI CR CS 1200 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-915333.Xml An agreement to this effect was signed between M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) today for a project supported by the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF). ''The three-year project will conduct research on salt tolerant rice varieties identified from wild species using biotechnology approaches in India and in Australia'', a MSSRF statement said. Dr Holger Meinke, Director, School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, Hobart, who was the signatory on behalf of UTAS said, "partnership is the heart of what we need to achieve. We need to produce as much food in the next 50 years as we did in the entire 10,000 year history of agriculture.'' ''This is the reason why we need these kinds of projects'', he added. MSSRF Executive Director Dr V Selvam recalled the Foundation's pioneering work in mangroves and saline tolerant plants. "The integrated mangrove fishing farming system developed by MSSRF has been recognized as a 'Blue Solution' by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We need new approaches for food security," he added. MORE UNI GV CS 1228 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-915388.Xml The High Court decision followed a petition filed by the Chief Minister yesterday urging the Court to quash the ACB court order that had directed the authorities of investigating agency to probe the complaint lodged against him by a YSR Congress Party MLA. The High Court also directed the ACB to file a counter for a detailed investigation in the case. The Principal Special Judge for ACB cases had ordered the ACB of Telangana to thoroughly investigate the fresh complaint filed by the YSR Congress MLA A.Ramakrishna Reddy. Mr.Naidu in his petition had contended that the complaint had been filed against him by an MLA from the opposition party in the state due to political vengeance.UNI SMS CS 1225 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-915391.Xml "Stepping up co-operation on the seas. Agreement on Maritime Transport b/w India and Egypt," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit to India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. This is the first presidential visit to Egypt from India since the visit of then President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. --IANS ab/vm ( 99 Words) 2016-09-02-13:17:57 (IANS) Third Special Court Magistrate M Krishna Rao had on April 20 convicted Mallya and others in connection with two cheque bounce cases involving Rs 50 lakh each under relevant sections of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The order on the quantum of punishment was adjourned for the seventh time today as report on warrants issued against A Raghunathan, a senior official of the company (Kingfisher), was still awaited. The issue relates to cheques issued by Kingfisher Airlines Limited to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, towards charges for using the facilities at the airport for Kingfisher Airlines flights. The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against Kingfisher Airlines, its Chairman Mallya and A Raghunathan, on the ground of dishonouring the two cheques.UNI KNR CS 1347 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-915488.Xml The apex court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) asking the court to look into the inhumane conditions of widows turned out of their homes and living in Vrindavan. "Matter of deep concern how destitute women and widows are treated," the top court said. It questioned as to how can girls under eighteen be married and discarded by families if they turn widows. The Supreme Court also asked National Commission for Women and Uttar Pradesh Government to file a complete report into the matter. The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing of the matter on November 11. The apex court in May issued notices to the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh Government on the PIL filed the NGO highlighting the plight of the widows who beg at temples in Vrindavan. (ANI) The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday told the Supreme Court that "personal laws cannot be re-written in the name of social reforms." Submitting its response in connection with the ongoing matter on the 'triple talaq' issue, the AIMPLB said, "Personal laws cannot be challenged as violative of Part III of the Constitution." "When serious discords develop in a marriage and husband wants to get rid of wife, legal compulsions and time consuming judicial process....in extreme cases husband may resort to illegal criminal ways of getting rid of her by murdering her. In such situations Triple Talaq is a better recourse," AIMPLB told the apex court. "Marriage is a contract in which both parties are not physically equal. Male is stronger and female is a weaker sex. Securing separation through court takes a long time deters prospects of remarriage," it added. The AIMPLB further said that polygamy as a social practice is not for gratifying men's lust, but it is a social need. "Muslim women have right to divorce under Khula practice. Issues of Muslim Personal Law are raised in the Supreme Court are for Parliament for decide. The Uniform Civil code is a directive principle and not enforceable. The personal laws are protected by Article 25, 26 and 29 of the Constitution as they are acts done in pursuance of a religion," it added. The apex court had last week issued notice to the Central Government on the plea of a Muslim woman challenging the Constitutional validity of 'triple talaq' to end a marriage. The petitioner Ishrat Jahan has sought a declaration from the apex court, saying that Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, was unconstitutional as it violated fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (equality), 15 (non-discrimination), 21 (life) and 25 (religion) of the Constitution. In her petition, Jahan has asked whether an arbitrary and unilateral divorce through triple talaq can deprive the wife of her rights in her matrimonial home as also her right to have the custody of her children. A batch of petitions is being heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and notices have already been issued to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and others. However, this is not the first such type of petition that has been presented before the Supreme Court as Uttarakhand-based Shayara Banu and the Rashtrawadi Muslim Mahila Sangh through its president Farah Faiz have raised similar queries. On July 29, the apex court had favoured a wider debate on the petitions challenging the validity of triple talaq. All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) president Shaista Ambar has demanded abolishing of the triple talaq system. Talaq-e-bidat is a Muslim man divorcing his wife by pronouncing the word "talaq" more than once in a single tuhr (the period between two menstruations) or in a tuhr after coitus or pronouncing an irrevocable instantaneous divorce at one go (unilateral triple-talaq). The Centre has set up a high-level committee to review the status of women in India and according to reports has recommended a ban on the practice of oral, unilateral and triple talaq (divorce) and polygamy. (ANI) Union Chemicals & Fertilisers and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar today said promotion and regulation should go hand in hand for medical devices sector to provide affordable health care to the poor. Speaking at the 9th Medical Technology Conference here, the Minister said regulation was required in the medical devices sector to check profit and money making, so as to facilitate providing adequate medical facilities to the poor. He said cardiac stents had already been included in the National List of Essential Medicines and will soon come under the DPCO. Mr Kumar said National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority will hold consultation with stakeholders before taking further action. The Minister said the Government was taking several steps to promote the medical devices sector in the country. The inverted duty structure has been set right. Mr Kumar said GST will further bring down the taxation in the sector by almost 12 per cent. He said the first Medical Technology Park has already been set up in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 1200 crore. Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana and Maharashtra have also shown interest in setting up such parks and Government of India is ready to support these efforts. He said setting up of these parks can bring down the manufacturing cost by another 30 per cent and make Indian Medical technology sector globally competitive , due to pooling of common facilities. Mr Kumar called upon the medical devices manufacturers to undertake research and innovation, and not confine themselves to reverse engineering or re-engineering. He stressed on customised medical devices for Indian conditions and requirements. He said industry should strive to be a source for not only Indian requirements but also cater to rest of Asia and Africa. He said the industry's demand of legislation for medical technology is a good idea but it requires brainstorming. Mr Kumar said a task force will be set up to discuss various issues with different industry associations. The Minister said that he has been advocating the setting up of a separate Ministry for Pharmaceutical and Medical devices as it is a sunrise industry and growing very fast. He emphasised on 3As Authenticity (Quality), Availability and Affordability. The Minister said he was willing to take up the issues of refurbished medical equipment and extended warranty with Environment Ministry and Finance Ministry. Indian Medical Technology Sector is pegged at about 5.5 billion US dollars contributing to about 7 to 8 per cent of the healthcare spent in India. It is placed 20th in the global ranking and fourth in Asia.UNI NY PR RJ 1520 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-915664.Xml The Puducherry government would hold a departmental enquiry against a senior official of the Department of Drug Control for receiving complaints of 'wrong doings', Chief Minister V Narayansamy informed the Assembly today. Relying to a special mention moved by AIADMK Member Vayyapuri Manikandan during zero hour, Mr.Narayansamy said the government had already received complaints against the official and hence, action would be initiated after a departmental enquiry. Whoever it may be, the government will not tolerate any wrong doings, the Chief Minister added. He also said that the concerned minister had already stated that the enquiry would be completed in one month's time. Speaker V Vaithilingam,intervened and said that till then the government should ensure that the official was not allowed to continue in the same post which was agreed by the Chief Minister. Moving his special mention, Mr.Manikandan pointed out that since, March 31, 2011, the food and drug administration was renamed as Department of Drug Control and the top most post of Assistant Commissioner was renamed as Drug controller. However, in June last when no government was there, a Joint Secretary of the and a Superintendent of the health department had appointed one Balasubramanian in the post of Assistant Commissioner post which was already cancelled by a government order. Mr Manikandan further said that there were several complaints against him and the CBI which investigated a case recommended that Balasubramanian should not be granted any promotion. In this backdrop, the government should bring out the motive behind Balasubramanian being promoted and the details of those who were benefitted by this.The total number of persons who were promoted should also be identified, he demanded. He also charged that with the support of the previous government, Balasubramanian had decided which drugs should be sold in Puducherry and unable to bear his torture more than 150 pharmaceautical companies had shifted from Puducherry. Following this, Congress members urged the Chief Minister to order for an enquiry since, it was being stated by Manikandan who was a ruling N R Congress member in the previous election.UNI PAB CS 1417 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-915522.Xml Puducherry Lt.Governor Kiran Bedi today urged the public to extend their cooperation on Shramdaan to realize the vision of "Prosperous Puducherry". According to a statement from the Rajnivas, the Shramdaan at Bahour, which is to be taken up tomorrow, will be distinct, as apart from cleaning of drains and canals will witness education of students by visit to archaeological sites guided by tourists, NGOs participation for making contribution to protect water bodies and for sustainable development, visit of Officials of Officers Archeological Survey of India to maintain the protected sites. The Shramdaan will be led by Lt. Governor. Ministers, MLA of the Constituency Mr. Dhanavel. NGOs, School and College students, NCC, NSS, Government Officials and other volunteers will also participate. UNI PAB CS 1409 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-915523.Xml The apex court doubted on the source of money and said it is difficult to digest that so much amount has been refunded in such a short span of time. Defending it, Sahara India lawyers Kapil Sibal said that the company had received Rs. 310 crores as advance for deal of Grosvenor house hotel. Supreme Court refuses to pass any order on the application to deposit additional money. The top court told Sahara, "We will close the entire Pandora's Box if you show us the source of refund money." Sahara has returned a total of Rs 18,000 crores to its investors. Next hearing in this case is scheduled to be held on September 16 in which the company has to disclose the amount before the court. Sahara India chief Subrata Roy was arrested in February 2014 in the money fraud case for failure to comply with 2012 order directing him to return investors' Rs 17,600 crores with 15 percent interest. Roy has been directly charged in the case pertaining to non-refund of nearly Rs 20,000 crores to investors. (ANI) The President will also address teachers of various schools of the Delhi Government on the occasion. Around 80 students of classes XI and XII of Dr Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya will attend the class of the President. The entire event will be telecast live on DD (News) and DD Bharati Channels of Doordarshan from 1030 hrs onwards. It will also be webcast live on the President's website at webcast.gov.in/president/ and live-streamed on the YouTube channel of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President will further receive the first copy of a booklet 'Umang 2015,' which will be released by Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia. This is the second year in succession that the President will assume the role of a teacher. Last year also, he had interacted with the students and teachers on the occasion of Teachers day.UNI AR PR RJ 1558 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-915720.Xml Singing a different tune other than his party Chief Arvind Kejriwal, journalist-turned Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Ashutosh today come out in the defence of sacked Minister Sandeep Kumar, whose objectionable CD got leaked, wondering why he was being punished. ''Ashutosh's views on sex scandal are diametrically opposite to the Delhi CM,'' said Kumar. In a blog titled 'The Sex Was Consensual, Private Act. Why AAP Punished Its Man,' Ashutosh held that video clearly establishes that both individuals knew each other and consented to sex and it doesn't amount to any crime. "Is it editorially justified that this becomes a headline in newspapers and TV channels?'' he questioned. The AAP spokesperson said the woman seen in the video was not coerced and has not even complained either to the police or to the court and asked why the video was made public and what wrong Sandeep has done. "He (Sandeep) has not blackmailed the woman. He is not seeking any sexual favor for any obligation. He has not pressurised her to get in the act. It's not rape. Then why should this sex video be discussed at all?'' he further penned in the blog. To drive home his point, Ashutosh then said Indian history was full of examples of leaders, who have had affairs beyond social boundaries in their life. " Pt Jawaharlal Nehru's reported affairs with many female colleagues were juicy gossip but it didn't spoil his political career. His relationship with Edwina Mountbatten is widely discussed. The entire world knew about it. Their affections continued till Pt Nehru's last breath. Was it a sin?'' he said. The AAP spokesperson then claimed that Mahatma Gandhi also had a relationship with Sarla Chaudhary, who was distantly related to Rabindra Nath Tagore, and that Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia had a lifelong partner and lived with her without marriage. " Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not married in true RSS tradition but he said in Parliament that he is a bachelor not celibate. He openly lived with his college friend and society did not object even once,''he said. "As a novice, I can only say that it is easy to trash AAP, but difficult to point fingers at these gentlemen because they were very powerful people. AAP can be attacked and insulted because we are small and toddlers in politics,'' he said. Sandeep had dubbed the entire row as conspiracy against him, saying he was being targeted because he was a Dalit. UNI RG PR RJ 1700 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-915833.Xml Delhi Police has arrested three members of an interstate drug trafficking gang and recovered 75.38 kg of quality ganja from them. According to police, the accused were identified as Babuji Sahu (43), resident of Odisha, Jitender Yadav (22), belonging to Delhi, Narender Kumar (27), hailing from UP. Police said around 75.380 kg of fine quality ganja was recovered from them. Sahu is serving as Army personnel and currently posted in Amritsar, Punjab. Jitender is son of an ex-Sub Inspector of Delhi Police.The police team received information that huge quantity of ganja was being smuggled in Delhi from Odisha and Bihar and was being sold in various parts of the national capital. ''Acting on the information that huge quantity of ganja would be delivered in Sector-14, Dwarka, a trap was laid by the police and the accused were arrested near Bus Stand, Dwarka,'' Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Yadav said. From the search of an iron box, bedding and trolley bag found from the possession of the accused, 75.380 kg of ganja in 30 packets was recovered. Police registered a case under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code and arrested the accused. UNI SM RJ 1755 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0271-915805.Xml Transgender community leaders from across the country met here today to participate in a day-long conference and highlight the issues being faced by them, especially rights and health. Several dignitaries including BJP MP Dr Kirit Solanki, senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, celebrities, lawyers and activists from various organisation participated in the conference. BJP Lok Sabha MP from Ahmedabad Dr Kirit Solanki, who is also a doctor by profession said the Narendra Modi-led government had a political will to do something for the transgender.''The Transgender Bill that has been passed under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only shows that the present Government has political will to change the situation,'' he said. "I agree there are challenges in the present Bill, and I request you all to give us your inputs so that we can work on them. We assure that your rights will be protected through this Bill and justice shall not be denied," Mr Solanki said."It is unfortunate that even after 70 years of independence, transgender rights are still being denied and discrimination against them continues".Congress leader Oscar Fernandes said the Transgender Bill was with the Standing Committee and since their demands were genuine, he assured the community that the MPs were in their support.India HIV/AIDS Alliance's Chief Executive James Robertson said that this was a platform for the transgender community to engage with Government and other stakeholders to increase understanding and build political will required to act. By increasing awareness of how the current Bill might improve lives, this meeting would help consolidate support and motivate the government to act to secure inclusion and equality for the estimated one million transgenders in the country. Several transgender activists also spoke and welcomed the Bill by the government for their welfare.UN representatives and officials from the National AIDS Control Organization were also part of the day's events. Leaders of India's transgender movement, including Laxmi Narayan Tripathi among many others, brought their experience and insights to the deliberations. Celebrities such as Sushant Divgikar and actor-director Yuvraj displayed their solidarity with the cause.UNI RBE PR RJ 1715 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-915847.Xml After a seven-month wait for justice, Gadoli's family on Thursday finally claimed his body, which had been lying in Mumbai's JJ Hospital morgue since his death. The body was flown to Delhi and later brought to village Gadoli, near Gurgaon, in an ambulance and cremated. Gadoli's 72-year-old ailing mother, sister Sudesh Kataria and brother Kuldeep Singh said they will continue to fight for justice as Gurgaon police had murdered Gadoli on the behest of rival gangster Binder Gujjar, who is in Gurgaon jail. The slain gangster's mother had been asking about Sandeep for a long time. Since his death, the family had lied to her and she only knew that her son was injured and unconscious. A team of eight Gurgaon policemen headed by Sub-Inspector Pradhuman Yadav had reportedly barged into a ground floor room of Mumbai's Airport Metro Hotel in Andheri on February 7, where Gadoli had checked in. He was there with another accused and his alleged girlfriend, Divya Pahuja. During investigation, Mumbai Special Investigation Team (SIT) found that Gadoli was not armed when the accused policemen killed him in the hotel room. Pahuja's role in the case was of passing information to her mother Sonia Pahuja about Gadoli's whereabouts. Sonia in her turn informed another wanted-accused in the case, Manoj Gujjar -- Gadoli's rival Binder Gujjar's brother. Manoj then informed the Gurgaon police team who allegedly shot dead the gangster in the hotel room. The SIT had informed the Supreme Court in May of having altered the original sections, and having invoked the charges of murder, destruction of evidence, punishment for false evidence, giving false information to public servant, conspiracy along with relevant sections of the Arms Act against the five Gurgaon policemen and three others involved. Mumbai police had arrested a few policemen involved in the staged gun battle, including Sub-Inspector Pradhuman Yadav, who led the police team. Divya and her mother Sonia Pahuja were also arrested. --IANS pradeep/in/dg ( 366 Words) 2016-09-02-18:17:57 (IANS) IndiGo, India's fastest growing airline has announced the addition of Port Blair as its 41st overall and 36th domestic destination in its schedule. The new schedule sees introduction of new daily non-stop flights to Port Blair from Kolkata and Chennai operational on September 28 and 30, respectively.Port Blair will also be connected to Delhi (via Kolkata) and Hyderabad (via Chennai) also. Celebrating its tenth year in Indian skies, the airline will also launch additional frequencies with daily non-stop flight between Delhi & Kolkata, Delhi & Chennai and Hyderabad & Varanasi sectors. These new flights will further consolidate IndiGo's position as the fastest growing airline in India, with 112 Airbus A320 aircraft - 6E will operates 846 daily flights, connecting 41 destinations from 30 September 2016. Speaking on the launch of new flights and the addition of the new destination, Aditya Ghosh, President, IndiGo said, "We are extremely pleased about adding Port Blair as our 41st destination. It is going to be an important part of our destination network, catering to the needs of both business as well as leisure travellers, looking to embrace the deep blue waters. In addition, IndiGo will connect holy city of Varanasi with Hyderabad with daily non-stop service. Clearly, these are exciting times for the aviation industry and for us, as we are now in the 11th year of operation."On the international sector, IndiGo in August launched first daily non-stop flight between Chandigarh - Dubai and second daily non-stop on Kochi - Dubai sector. On the domestic front, IndiGo also recently introduced additional frequencies in Agartala - Kolkata sector, 1st non-stop flight on the Kolkata-Visakhapatnam-Kolkata sector and 5th daily non-stop flight between Kolkata and Hyderabad.UNI ADP PR RJ 2001 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0429-916295.Xml The government received a double whammy today.A day-long nationwide strike called by ten Central trade unions was joined by thousands of nurses to press for their demand of salary hike. Delhi government invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and the strike by 20,000 nurses in the national Capital was declared illegal. While the trade unions sponsored Bharat Bandh paralysed life in Bihar, Kerala and Karnataka, it evoked little response in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Trade unions claimed that the bandh was a total success and a slap on the face of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre. Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Tapan Kumar said the government tried its level best to make the strike a failure by misleading the workers but it could not succeed. He claimed that 18 crore workers participated in the strike. More UNI TEAM SHK RP1933 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0430-916305.Xml ''Pakistani troops today violated the ceasefire by resorting unprovoked to small arms firing along the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector,'' an official spokesman here said. He said the firing was still going on "intermittently", adding, ''Pakistani soldiers initiated indiscriminate firing at around 1145 hrs on Indian Army posts along the Line of Control (LC) in Akhnoor sector." The Indian Army responded appropriately in a controlled and measured manner, he said, adding the "intermittent firing is presently on". ''Pakistan Army opened firing from their Gakhari and Ban Chiran posts on Indian Posts with small weapons and mortars,'' they said, adding that there has been no loss of life or injury to anyone on the Indian side of the border. Meanwhile, border residents from village Seri Khurd of Ranbir Singh Pura tehsil lambasted the state government for not providing satisfactory compensation to them as they lost two their family members due to last year's cross border firing. On August 28, 2015, a mortar shell fired from across the border hit the joint house of one Bhola Ram, Subash Chander in village Sei Khurd R S Pura, jammu. Two of the members died while others got injured. They said the state government has paid a paltry amount of Rs one lakh only for each deceased and Rs 5,000 for treatment to each injured of the family. Meanwhile Viklang Chhatra Trust--a voluntary organisation for the welfare of destitute elderly handicappedhave requested to the Chief Minister J&K that as per the recent decision under 'Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims of Terrorist, Communal, Left Wing Extremist (LWE), Cross Border Firing and Mine or Improvised Explosive Devices blasts on Indian Territory' from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh as reiterated by Union Minister State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh in Jammu. The trust demanded compensation as per the recent norms.UNI VBH cj AE 2058 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-916492.Xml Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had a night long meeting with the workers almost all through the intervening night of Thursday and Friday morning to shun out differences within the party cadre in his own Amethi parliamentary constituency. The Party MP from Amethi had advised workers particularly those involved in groupism "to mend their ways" so that a united Congress can win the coming Assembly elections due next year. "Those dabbling in groupism should mend their ways and stay united to give a crushing defeat to other parties in the elections," the Congress Vice-President said at a meeting with party leaders that went on till early this today. Mr Gandhi discussed threadbare the issues before the party and asked party workers to fan out in the interiors to make people aware of Congress' policies and programmes. He also discussed ways to counter the strategy of Opposition Parties. Winding up his three-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Mr Gandhi participated in the district vigilance committee meeting today before leaving for New Delhi. The Congress vice-president is scheduled to embark on a yatra from Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh on September 6 to highlight problems being faced by the farmers. The yatra `Deoria Se Dilli Kisan Yatra' will conclude in Delhi after a month. The yatra from Deoria is chosen as the district was native of famous Deoraha Baba, from whom the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sought blessings both before 1977 and later in 1980 and won polls by huge margins. Mr Gandhi, who is now ambitious to ensure a come back, would also seek blessings before kicking off his campaign for next Assembly elections. On September 6, Mr Gandhi will hold a `Khat Sabha' (charpoy meeting) with farmers and villagers first in Deoria and later in Kushninagar before winding up his first day tour in Gorakhpur. In these khat meeting around 70 to 80 farmers would sit on the charpoy and Mr Gandhi would interact with them personally by going to their place.UNI MB CJ AE 2120 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-916513.Xml He is the first Chief Postmaster General to newly formed Telangana Postal Circle. Earlier he worked as Chief Postmaster General of Uttar Pradesh Circle, Lucknow before joining as Chief Postmaster General, Telangana Circle, an official release said here. He is an officer of Indian Postal Service of 1987 batch, who have 28 years of service in the Postal department, has served in the various capacities in Army Postal Servicesthroughout India, Director Postal Services Vijayawada Region, Lecturer cum Course Director at Asian Pacific Postal College Bangkok Thailand, Postmaster General Mumbai Region and General Manager (Operations & Technology) Directorate of Postal Life Insurance, New Delhi. UNI KNR CJ AE 2204 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-916544.Xml Jain also again threatened the victim girl that he will spoil her life by uploading the photos if she not withdraw the earlier case lodged against him another case was registered. During the course of investigation, the accused was arrested at his working place and he was being sent for judicial remand. One mobile phone used by the accused seized, the release added.UNI KNR CJ AE 2206 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-916559.Xml Professor Poonam Dhawan, Dean Academic Affairs, University of Jammu, was the chief guest for the seminar, while B.A. Zargar, Department of Mathematics, University of Kashmir was the guest of honour. Perminder Cheema, former principal, Government Degree College, Ramban, chaired a session of the seminar. Cheema is now settled in Australia and is involved with academics in the country also. She gave an international perspective to the students at the college where she has earlier studied and then taught. Cheema said this seminar will give a "can do" perspective and confidence to the students and participants. She stressed upon the need for the students to gain an insight into the career prospects available to them in the field of science not only in the national but also the international forum. The programme began with lighting of a lamp and invocation of blessings of Goddess Saraswati followed by a welcome address to the guests, women scientists, scholars, researchers and academicians by Kiran Bakshi, the college principal. The chief guest, in her address, emphasized upon the need for encouraging women towards a higher representation in the field of science through proper motivation and guidance. She also released a directory of young women scientists and an abstract book of the participants. Exhibition of models made by school and college students on the basic concepts of science were available in the venue and elicited a great interest. Plenary sessions, guest lectures, oral and poster presentations are planned over the three days of the seminar. A large number of students, scholars from in and around the state are participating in the event. (ANI) Hurricane Hermine, set to cause flooding and damage when it hits Florida overnight, will make it harder for the state to fight Zika, a mosquito-borne virus shown to cause birth defects, experts in infectious diseases and mosquitoes said today.Forecasters are warning of potentially life-threatening storm surges and as much as 20 inches of rain. Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in most of Florida's 67 counties ahead of the first hurricane to strike the state in more than a decade.Once Hermine passes, the remaining water "will provide all kinds of breeding sites for the mosquitoes," that can spread Zika said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.The hurricane is also likely to disrupt mosquito abatement activities as state authorities prioritize other emergency efforts. Today, Florida officials said they had trapped the first mosquitoes shown to have the Zika virus after weeks of searching. Schaffner said the finding showed there is a substantial amount of Zika in circulation."People around their homes will be worried about themselves and their families and neighbors rather than looking for mosquito breeding sites," Schaffner said. "Emergency responders will be focused on things other than mosquito abatement."Florida is the first state in the continental United States to confirm local Zika transmission, with 47 cases of infection so far, raising concerns among pregnant women and threatening the state's multibillion-dollar tourism industry.First detected in Brazil last year, Zika can cause the rare birth defect microcephaly, marked by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, when pregnant women are infected. Brazil, has confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly since last fall.Earlier this week, Scott urged residents and business owners to remain vigilant against Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes once the storm had passed. Scott and other state officials have stressed the need to dump standing water and take other steps to eliminate breeding areas.High winds from the hurricane will also make aerial spraying with pesticides impossible, disrupting a key effort by the state to keep mosquito populations under control, said Joseph Conlon, a retired U.S. Navy entomologist who serves as technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association."If it's raining or if the winds are above five to 10 miles per hour, aerial spraying is out," said Conlon, who lives in Jacksonville, Florida.Conlon said initially, high rains will likely wash out a lot of mosquitoes, but if flood waters leave behind debris, that could provide breeding sites for the mosquitoes that carry Zika."It will make for more mosquitoes, there's no doubt about that," he said.Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can lay their eggs in small pools of standing water no bigger than the size of a bottle cap. The eggs cling to the edges of containers and can survive long droughts.Florida officials have been working to drain water in containers on residents' property and scrub away rings of eggs, but fresh rains from a large storm could refill them, and any remaining eggs could hatch."If you can't get rid of the water source, scrub the insides of containers to get rid of the eggs," Conlon said.Conlon said the storm will also likely hatch hoards of flood water mosquitoes that present a nuisance, but do not carry disease.REUTERS RSD 0121 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-915079.Xml A Peruvian court today sentenced former army officers and soldiers to jail for killing dozens of peasants in an Andean village 31 years ago during the height of a conflict between the government and Shining Path rebels.In so-called Accomarca massacre in August 1985, 71 villagers died, including 23 children.Soldiers stormed the town near Ayacucho in search of subversive material but found no ammunition, explosives or Shining Path propaganda, according to Peru's truth commission.Troops led by officer Telmo Hurtado then separated men from a group of women and children, before ordering them shot and set on fire. Hurtado has admitted to the massacre but says he was following higher orders.The Court sentenced Hurtado to 23 years in jail. He was arrested in the United States on immigration violations in 2007 and extradited to Peru to face charges related to the massacre in 2011.Four other officials were sentenced to 24 or 25 years and several soldiers will face 10 years in jail. Only Hurtado is currently in custody.Peru's truth commission estimated some 69,000 people died or went missing in two decades of conflict with the Shining Path. The commission blamed the rebel group for most killings and state authorities for about a third.Remnant bands of rebels still operate in remote regions, with close ties to drug trafficking.REUTERS RSD 0137 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-915083.Xml China has set a September 19 trial date for a US businesswoman it has held since March 2015 for suspected spying, and is suppressing evidence that weakens its case, the woman's husband in Texas said in a statement today.Vietnam-born Sandy Phan-Gillis, from Houston, a US citizen of Chinese ancestry, was arrested by Chinese authorities in March last year when she visited China as part of a trade delegation from Houston.She has been held since then. This week, Beijing officials said she has been formally charged with spying.This brought new attention to her case just ahead of a visit to China by US President Barack Obama, who will arrive on Saturday for a G20 summit in the city of Hangzhou. Obama is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday."The charges are absolutely false," her husband Jeff Gillis said, adding he wants Obama to ask for her release when he meets Xi.Gillis said a key contention of the charges was that his wife went on a spy mission to China in 1996. Her US passport from that time shows she made no trip to the country, he said.The Chinese Consulate in Houston is refusing to legally acknowledge that it contains no entry or exit visas from China, preventing it from being used as evidence at trial, he added.Officials from the Chinese Embassy in the United States and the Chinese Consulate in Houston were not immediately available for comment."Based on our understanding, Phan-Gillis, because of her suspected crimes of espionage, has been charged according to law by the relevant Chinese department," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters at a regular briefing earlier this week.State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing in Washington on Thursday that US officials have repeatedly pressed Chinese authorities to provide further details of the case and give US consular officers full and unrestricted access to her as required by international conventions."We (remain) deeply concerned about Ms. Phan-Gillis' welfare. We continue to monitor her case closely," Kirby said.REUTERS RSD 0237 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-915094.Xml The United States and its negotiating partners agreed "in secret" to allow Iran to evade some restrictions in last year's landmark nuclear agreement in order to meet the deadline for it to start getting relief from economic sanctions, according to a think tank report published today.The report, which was released by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, is based on information provided by several officials of governments involved in the negotiations. The group's president David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector and co-author of the report, declined to identify the officials, and Reuters could not independently verify the report's assertions."The exemptions or loopholes are happening in secret, and it appears that they favor Iran," Albright said.The report ignited a chorus of Republican criticism, including from the campaign of presidential nominee Donald Trump. His campaign sought to link the findings to Trump's Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state when secret talks were held with Iran but had left office before formal negotiations began."The deeply flawed nuclear deal Hillary Clinton secretly spearheaded with Iran looks worse and worse by the day," said a statement issued by retired Army General Michael Flynn, a top Trump adviser. "It's now clear President Obama gave away the store to secure a weak agreement that is full of loopholes."The Clinton campaign did not immediately comment on the report.The White House said it took "significant exception" to some of the report's findings, saying that the easing of sanctions was always dependent upon Iran's adherence to the agreement."The implementation date was driven by the ability of the (International Atomic Energy Agency) to verify that Iran had completed the steps that they promised to take," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a briefing today."That is what precipitated implementation day. Since then Iran has been in compliance with the agreement," Earnest said.Among the exemptions outlined in the think tank's report were two that allowed Iran to exceed the deal's limits on how much low-enriched uranium (LEU) it can keep in its nuclear facilities, the report said. LEU can be purified into highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium.The exemptions, the report said, were approved by the joint commission the deal created to oversee implementation of the accord. The commission is comprised of the United States and its negotiating partners -- called the P5+1 -- and Iran.One senior "knowledgeable" official was cited by the report as saying that if the joint commission had not acted to create these exemptions, some of Iran's nuclear facilities would not have been in compliance with the deal by Jan. 16, the deadline for the beginning of the lifting of sanctions.The US administration has said that the world powers that negotiated the accord -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- made no secret arrangements.A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the joint commission and its role were "not secret." The official did not address the report's assertions of exemptions.State Department spokesman John Kirby said that Iran was not granted "exceptions" to limits on low-enriched uranium or heavy water "that would allow them to have a usable amount of material in excess of what they're supposed to have towards the production of fissile material."He repeatedly declined to directly address the report's findings on the exemptions, saying the joint commission's work is "confidential."Diplomats at the United Nations for the other P5+1 countries did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the report. Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment.Albright said the exceptions risked setting precedents that Iran could use to seek additional waivers.Albright served as an inspector with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team that investigated former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons program.While Albright has neither endorsed nor denounced the overall agreement, he has expressed concern over what he considers potential flaws in the nuclear deal, including the expiration of key limitations on Iran's nuclear work in 10-15 years.EXEMPTIONS ON URANIUM, "HOT CELLS"The administration of President Barack Obama informed Congress of the exemptions on January 16, said the report. Albright said the exemptions, which have not been made public, were detailed in confidential documents sent to Capitol Hill that day -- after the exemptions had already been granted.The White House official said the administration had briefed Congress "frequently and comprehensively" on the joint commission's work.Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a leading critic of the Iran deal and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Reuters in an email: "I was not aware nor did I receive any briefing (on the exemptions)."As part of the concessions that allowed Iran to exceed uranium limits, the joint commission agreed to exempt unknown quantities of 3.5 per cent LEU contained in liquid, solid and sludge wastes stored at Iranian nuclear facilities, according to the report. The agreement restricts Iran to stockpiling only 300 kg of 3.5 per cent LEU.The commission approved a second exemption for an unknown quantity of near 20 per cent LEU in "lab contaminant" that was determined to be unrecoverable, the report said. The nuclear agreement requires Iran to fabricate all such LEU into research reactor fuel.If the total amount of excess LEU Iran possesses is unknown, it is impossible to know how much weapons-grade uranium it could yield, experts said.The draft report said the joint commission also agreed to allow Iran to keep operating 19 radiation containment chambers larger than the accord set. These so-called "hot cells" are used for handling radioactive material but can be "misused for secret, mostly small-scale plutonium separation efforts," said the report. Plutonium is another nuclear weapons fuel.The deal allowed Iran to meet a 130-tonne limit on heavy water produced at its Arak facility by selling its excess stock on the open market. But with no buyer available, the joint commission helped Tehran meet the sanctions relief deadline by allowing it to send 50 tonnes of the material -- which can be used in nuclear weapons production -- to Oman, where it was stored under Iranian control, the report said.The shipment to Oman of the heavy water that can be used in nuclear weapons production has already been reported. Albright's report made the new assertion that the joint committee had approved this concession. REUTERS RSD 0350 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-915106.Xml China has set a September 19 trial date for a US businesswoman accused of spying, charges her husband in Texas said were false, and the US State Department said it was concerned about her welfare.Sandy Phan-Gillis, who was born in Vietnam and has Chinese ancestry, was arrested on suspicion of spying by Chinese authorities in March 2015 while visiting the country as part of a trade delegation from Houston.In a statement yesterday, her husband Jeff Gillis accused Chinese authorities of suppressing evidence that would weaken the case against her. "The charges are absolutely false," he said, adding that he wants US President Barack Obama to ask for her release when he attends a summit with China's leader this week.The announcement of a trial date renewed attention on her case just ahead of a visit to China by Obama, who is due to arrive tomorrow for a G20 summit in the city of Hangzhou. Obama is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow.Gillis said a main contention of the charge against his wife was that she had gone on a spy mission to China in 1996.He said her US passport showed she had not traveled to China at that time and accused the Chinese Consulate in Houston of refusing to acknowledge that there were no entry or exit visas from China in that passport. This, he said, prevented her passport from being used as evidence at her trial.The Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Chinese Consulate in Houston did not respond to requests for comment.Beijing officials said this week that Phan-Gillis, now a US citizen, had been formally charged with spying."We continue to monitor her case closely," State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing in Washington, adding that officers from the US consulate Beijing had visited her on a monthly basis since she was detained."We have repeatedly pressed Chinese authorities to provide further details of the case and to give our consular officers full and unrestricted access to her as required by the Vienna convention. We urge the government of China to review and consider seriously the ... views expressed by the UN working group on arbitrary detention, including its recommendation to release Ms. Phan-Gillis."At a regular briefing this week in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, "Based on our understanding, Phan-Gillis, because of her suspected crimes of espionage, has been charged according to law by the relevant Chinese department."REUTERS RSD 0405 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-915111.Xml Stressing on good relations with the neighbouring nations, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar hinting at Pakistan today said the toughest problem in India's foreign policy is its immediate neighbourhood. Responding to a poser at the Indian Ocean Conference 2016, Jaishankar said, "The toughest problem in our foreign policy is our immediate neighbourhood. When we say neighbourhood first, it's not an expression of optimism, it is an expression of priority and we know that there is tough work to be done in the neighbourhood." He also stated the India's bilateral relations with Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka have improved significantly in the recent past. "India is a country big enough to work its neighbourhood and work beyond. If we don't sensibly harmonise with our neighbourhood, we will not have the credibility to work beyond," he said. "Any Indian government in the conceivable future will keep pushing the neighbourhood first and certainly address issues like connectivity because if you cannot travel from country to country, probably we all travel across the world but look at the state of South Asia, it is the most difficult part of the world to get around in and there's a reason for it. I think it is incumbent on the countries of South Asia to ask themselves is this the face we want to show?" he added. The Foreign Secretary also heaped praise on the Association for South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), saying it has played a unique role in creating a collective platform. "ASEAN may come under stress, it may talk out its way out of it but the fact is it is still the best game in town. ASEAN has been actually a nucleus around which there is a much larger Asian coagulation. That I think is a value of ASEAN which should be recognised. Today, not just ASEAN, I think non-ASEAN states also have a high stake in the unity and coherence of ASEAN and in ASEAN continuing in as a body to provide the kind of leadership that it has provided in Asia," he said. (ANI) The duo met yesterday as Lord Fowler assumed his office and the meeting with Rabbani was his first official engagement. During the meeting, Rabbani emphasized the importance of Parliamentary diplomacy in building and strengthening relationship between the two countries. He also underlined the importance of exchange of Parliamentary delegations and extended the invitation to Lord Fowler to visit Pakistan in near future, which was accepted by the latter. The Pakistan High Commission in London in a statement said that Rabbani also drew the attention of ongoing protests in Kashmir valley. He is said to have presented some documents and video recording to Lord Speaker on the Kashmir situation, reports the Nation. Pointing out that the British soil should not be allowed to be used to incite violence in Pakistan, Rabbani detailed the role of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and its supreme Altaf Hussain, who is now a British citizen. (ANI) Flashing victory signs and firing in the air, the young rebels who took this Syrian town from Islamic State a week ago may be jubilant, but their ability to hold territory will hinge on Turkey's appetite for keeping its forces inside Syria.Sweeping in to Jarablus may have been the easy part. Backed by Turkish tanks, jets and special forces, Arab and Turkmen fighters under the loose banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) drove out Islamic State in a matter of hours last Wednesday.It could prove more difficult for the rebels, who number only around 1,500 fighters, to push west and secure the 90 km (56-mile) stretch of Islamic State-held border territory that Ankara has touted as a potential buffer zone.They face not only the challenge of displacing the ultra-hardline Islamist group but of preventing Kurdish militia fighters, backed by the United States but viewed as a hostile force by Turkey, from filling the void."Daesh and the Kurds are the same. Both of them brought these people to hunger," said Fikret Ismail, a rebel fighter in his late 20s, using an Arabic name for Islamic State."We will fight for our land with our last blood," he said, as he patrolled a street near the Jarablus town centre, brandishing a rifle and surrounded by a group of small children.Turkey has revealed little about the strategy behind its first major incursion into Syria, beyond saying it wants to drive Islamic State and Kurdish fighters away from the border."Operation Euphrates Shield" has drawn criticism from NATO ally Washington, which has called on Turkey to avoid confrontation with Kurdish-aligned forces and stay focused instead on the joint battle against Islamic State.The United States sees the Syrian Kurdish YPG as its strongest ally against the Sunni radicals. Turkey views them as a terrorist group and is worried that their advance in northern Syria will embolden a Kurdish insurgency at home. It has said no one can tell it which terrorist group it should fight.Yesterday, the Turkish military said it had taken three more villages around 20 km (12 miles) west of Jarablus and hit 15 militant targets with howitzers and four more in air strikes. It gave no details on the targets, but the villages were in an area still held by Islamic State.The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, confirmed the takeover of 3 villages near the border.COHERENT FORCEJarablus had been under Islamic State rule for three years and its black and white murals can still be seen on the walls. The town is slowly coming back to life. Women walk the streets, their faces uncovered. One man told Reuters one of his first acts when the group fled was to trim his beard.A week after it helped drive out the jihadists, there is no sign of the Turkish military in Jarablus itself. Instead, the town was filled with the scruffy young rebels Ankara is backing, some driving their Toyota trucks, machine guns mounted in the back, at high speed through the streets.Turkey's aim is to turn the fractured Free Syrian Army into a coherent force as a counterweight to the Kurdish YPG, said Metin Gurcan, a former major in the Turkish military and an analyst for the Al Monitor journal. Which group gained control of al-Bab, a town to the south, would be critical, he said.Al-Bab, held by Islamic State, lies on the southern edge of what Ankara sees as its potential buffer zone. Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, one of the ultra-hardline Islamist group's most prominent leaders, is thought to have been killed in a US air strike there this week."You have two forces who are very eager, highly motivated, to capture al-Bab. At the end of the day, this serves the strategic interests of the US, which is prioritising the fight against ISIS," Gurcan said.Turkish-backed forces have also been advancing towards Manbij, a city around 30 km (20 miles) south of Jarablus that was captured last month from Islamic State by a US-backed coalition that includes the YPG.Ankara, which accuses the YPG of "ethnic cleansing" in northern Syria, has demanded that Kurdish fighters return to the east of the Euphrates river. Manbij, like Jarablus, is west of the river. Turkey has long said that a Kurdish presence west of the Euphrates is a "red line" it cannot abide.Mohammed, a 16-year-old rebel in Jarablus who had been fighting with the FSA for just a month, told Reuters he was from Manbij and had no desire to fight the Kurds."Everything is destroyed in Manbij now," he said, blaming the ruin on Islamic State.BUFFER ZONETurkey has repeatedly lobbied for the creation of a "buffer zone" just inside Syria to help secure its border and create a protected area for displaced civilians. But the idea has failed to resonate with NATO allies, who see such a move as requiring a prolonged intervention and whose focus is on Islamic State.Turkey has taken in nearly 3 million Syrian refugees since the start of its neighbour's five-year war, and is under pressure from Europe to stem the flow of migrants trying to travel onwards illegally from its shores.Ankara has been providing aid to tens of thousands of displaced civilians just inside Syria, effectively a step towards creating a de facto safe zone."In order to create a 'buffer zone,' Turkey would have to keep a significant force on the Syrian side of the border," said James Stavridis, former NATO supreme commander and dean at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.Such a strategy appeared immediately unlikely, he said, but added it could not be ruled out in the longer term."Turkey will have a set of unpalatable choices ahead of it having entered into serious military operations in Syria."Colonel Ahmad Osman, head of the Sultan Murad forces, one of the main Turkish-backed rebel groups, told Reuters last week that the priority was now to advance some 70 km westward to the town of Marea, long a frontline with Islamic State.The next phase of their operation could take weeks or months, he said, and could require an increase in the number of rebel fighters from their current level of 1,200-1,500.While they did not wish to fight Kurdish forces, they would do so if necessary, Osman said.For Turkey, which has long called for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, containing advances by the Kurdish militia appears to have eclipsed all other concerns."The fundamental Turkish red line is not Assad," Stavridis, the former NATO commander, said. "It is against the formation of a Kurdish state." REUTERS SDR RK1207 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-915325.Xml Slamming Pakistan for accelerating the process of obtaining Interpol's red warrants against exiled Baloch separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, spokesperson of Baloch Republic Party (BRP) Sher Mohammad Bugti said that Islamabad should first introspect and realize that it is the factory of terrorism, adding that India should highlight this issue. "The seeking of Red Corner Notice against Brahamdagh Bugti by Pakistan is not a big thing because it has to first think of itself that are they as clean as they represent? They have factory of terrorism, actors of terrorism in their country," Mohammad Bugti told ANI. Stating that Islamabad should introspect because it is itself a sign of terror in the world, he said that India should highlight how a man raising voice for his rights is treated. "The international community should see that Pakistan has sought red corner notice against someone raising voice for his rights. India should see this issue and highlight it," he added. Pressing that Pakistan has been attacking Baloch people with bombs and airstrikes, he reminded that in the past too Pakistan had taken similar step. "Earlier too, they have filed First Information Report (FIR) and issued red warrants against Brahamdagh Bugti. The international community and people, who are friends of humanity, should think that Pakistan is destructive for the world. Pakistan is such country who wants to destroy world peace," he said. The Balochistan Police Department had earlier contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh to complete the 'Red Notice' application requirements for Interpol, reported the Express Tribune. After the required paperwork is complete, the Pakistan Government would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Corner Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to the country. Issue of Interpol notices are followed after international requests are made for cooperation or alerts allowing the police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. Meanwhile, Munir Mengal, President Baloch Voice Foundation, said that such step only shows that Pakistan is insecure about the entire issue. "With the resistance and uprising from the people in Balochistan you can only imagine the situation that now Chief Secretary of Balochistan Saifullah Chatha has also sought his transfer from the region," he added. Mengal added that such step also shows that there is fear among the Pakistan establishment and authorities that the people of Baloch have decided that it does not want to stay with Pakistan. Reports suggest that according to the identification details submitted by the Balochistan Police, the 33-year-old chief of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) is known in his close circles as "Sahib". He came to prominence recently after appreciating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the human rights violations in Balochistan which has clearly been denounced by Islamabad. Brahamdagh is the grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed during a controversial military operation in Kohlu in 2006. During the operation, he fled to Afghanistan and subsequently moved to Switzerland after Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. So far, five separate cases under Sections 120, 121, 123 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code have been registered against Baloch separatist leaders, including Brahamdagh, Harbiyar Marri and Banyuk Karima Baloch, for hailing the Indian Prime Minister statements. (ANI) Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov today said that Russia has no official news about the "health" of Uzbek President Islam Karimov."So far no news. We do not consider it possible to be guided by sources. In this case, we believe that only official information coming from Tashkent can be considered the original source," Peskov told reporters.Earlier in the day, Uzbekistan's cabinet said Karimov was in a critical condition after having suffered a stroke.Karimov was hospitalised last Saturday after suffering a stroke. Media reports about Karimov's death were previously dismissed by a source in the Uzbek Presidential Office.Yesterday, Peskov dismissed reports that Karimov had arrived in Moscow for treatment, following a stroke."I can confirm that Islam Karimov did not arrive in Moscow for therapy," Peskov said. UNI XC PR RJ 1611 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0105-915781.Xml The South African cabinet has asked President Jacob Zuma to launch a judicial inquiry into why the country's top banks cut ties with a company owned by the wealthy Gupta family, who have been accused of holding undue political sway over Zuma.The prominent business family is accused by the opposition of being behind Zuma's abrupt sacking of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December, a move that rattled investor confidence and triggered calls for the president's resignation.The Guptas have denied using their friendship with Zuma to influence his decisions, including cabinet appointments, or advance their business interests. The president has acknowledged the Guptas are his friends but denies anything improper.The cabinet said in a statement released late yesterday that the judicial inquiry should consider taking legal action against the banks for closing the accounts of the Guptas' company, Oakbay Investments.An inter-ministerial team set up by the cabinet in April to look into the reason for the account closures said it received evidence showing the banks were influenced by "innuendo and potentially reckless media statements."The cabinet also urged Zuma to set up a state bank, saying the sector was controlled by a few financial institutions.It was not immediately clear when the inquiry would be launched. Bongani Ngqulunga, spokesman at the presidency, said he could not immediately comment.Oakbay, whose businesses stretch from media to mining, announced on Saturday that it planned to dispose of its South African businesses this year. The firm said in April that it would struggle to run its operations after the banks terminated its accounts with them.Although the Guptas' relationship with Zuma has been a source of controversy for years, it burst into the open in March when senior figures went public to say the family had exerted undue sway, including offering cabinet positions.The Guptas have denied the allegations and say they are pawns in a plot to oust Zuma. South Africa's anti-corruption watchdog is investigating whether Zuma allowed the family to make government appointments.REUTERS JW PR1557 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-915760.Xml Two bombs killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens outside a court complex in northwest Pakistan today, a rescue official said, hours after militants killed two people in a Christian neighbourhood in the same region.Both attacks were claimed by Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a breakaway Pakistani Taliban faction believed to be behind some of the past year's deadliest attacks, including last month's bombing of lawyers in the city of Quetta that killed 74 people.The bodies of policemen, lawyers and other civilians were recovered, said Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province."First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," Habib told Reuters.The twin attacks in the northwest came one day after Pakistan's army touted the successes of its fight against myriad armed jihadist groups, though a spokesman acknowledged there was still a long way to go.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said today's latest bombing would "not shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism"."These receding elements are showing frustration by attacking our soft targets. They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," Sharif said in a statement.Jamaat-ur-Ahrar's spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, vowed to stage more attacks in a statement sent to Reuters."We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts. We will target them more," he said.More than 20 people were killed in an attack in December on a government office in Mardan, which was also claimed by Jamaat-ur-Ahrar.ATTACK ON CHRISTIAN AREAEarlier in the day, four gunmen wearing suicide-bomb vests attacked a Christian neighbourhood in the Khyber tribal region, killing at least one security guard and a civilian resident, military officials said.Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, which has targeted Christians in the past, claimed responsibility within hours of the attack.The Islamist group, which briefly declared allegiance to Middle East-based Islamic State in 2014 but recently said it was no longer affiliated with them, also staged the Easter Day attack on Christians in a park in Lahore that killed 72 people including at least 29 children.The attackers exchanged fire with security forces and were killed, the military said.The area is near Warsak Dam, 20 km northwest of Peshawar.The official said the attackers might have been attempting to enter an adjacent security installation by exploiting weaker security arrangements in the residential area.Christians, who number around 2 million in a nation of 190 million people, have been the target of a series of attacks in recent years.SECURITY IMPROVING - BUT SLOWLYJust a day before Friday's attacks, the chief army spokesman briefed the media on the progress of the military's two-year-old offensive against jihadists in the rugged areas bordering Afghanistan.Lt. General Asim Bajwa released figures showing that terrorist attacks had fallen from a total of 128 in 2013, with 46 of those suicide attacks, to 74 last year, including 17 suicide attacks.He also said authorities had arrested more than 300 people attempting to set up an Islamic State operation in Pakistan. He added that the armed forces had killed 3,500 militants since 2014."There used to be multiple attacks in a day across the country. And we came into (attacks every few) days. And we came into months (between major attacks)," Bajwa said.However, he acknowledged Pakistan still faced a tough fight."I have said our objective is zero tolerance for any terrorist incidents," he said. "We want to get there."Militants operating in Pakistan - including the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban groups, al Qaeda and the Haqqani network - seek to establish strict Islamic rule.Some target the government in Afghanistan and remaining U.S. troops supporting it there, while others are bent on overthrowing Pakistan's civilian government. Still others target Pakistan's regional rival India to the east.The US and others have accused Pakistan of selectively cracking down on militants that attack its own government, while sparing groups that attack in Afghanistan. Pakistan has denied that charge.REUTERS JW PR1607 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-915783.Xml Turkey's prime minister offered condolences today over the death of Uzbek President Islam Karimov.There has been no official comment from Uzbekistan on Karimov but diplomatic sources have told Reuters he has died."Uzbek President Islam Karimov has passed away. May God's mercy be upon him, as the Turkish Republic we are sharing the pain and sorrow of Uzbek people," Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, speaking in a televised meeting with his cabinet.REUTERS JW PR1627 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-915827.Xml "An eastern journey for strengthening bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. PM departs for Vietnam and China for G20," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. This is the first prime ministerial bilateral visit from India to Vietnam in 15 years after the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001. On Saturday, Modi will meet with the top Vietnamese leadership, including General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Later in the day, he will depart for Hangzhou in China where he will attend this year's G-20 summit on September 4-5. --IANS ab/vt ( 134 Words) 2016-09-02-17:01:58 (IANS) Turkish security forces used tear gas to disperse a small group of protesters demonstrating against the building of a wall along the Syrian border today, security sources said."There's a protest on the Turkish side of the border against Turkey erecting a concrete wall along the Syrian border. There were a handful of protesters and the police and gendarmerie dispersed them with tear gas," one source said, adding that it was on a stretch of the border near the Syrian town of Kobani.REUTERS JW PR1711 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-915904.Xml Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Friday night, to hold talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc for closer ties in key areas of defence, security, trade and oil exploration. "Reached Hanoi. This is a special visit & will go a long way in deepening the strong bond between India & Vietnam," tweeted Prime Minister Modi after reaching Vietnam. On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi after bilateral talks with Phuc, will also meet President Tran Dai Quang. Before leaving for the visit, in a series of posts from his Facebook account the Prime Minister said: "Greetings to the people of Vietnam on their National Day. Vietnam is a friendly nation with whom we cherish our relationship. Today evening, I will reach Hanoi in Vietnam, marking the start of a very important visit that will further cement the close bond between India and Vietnam. My Government attaches a high priority to our bilateral relations with Vietnam. The India-Vietnam partnership will benefit Asia and the rest of the world. During the visit, I will hold extensive discussions with Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc. We will review complete spectrum of our bilateral relationship. I will also meet the President of Vietnam, Mr. Tran Dai Quang, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong; and the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit. In Vietnam, I will have the opportunity to pay homage to Ho Chi Minh, one of 20th century's tallest leaders. I will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda." Prime Minister Modi will leave for Hangzhou, China, from Vietnam in the evening on Saturday to attend the G-20 Summit on September 4 and 5. "During the G-20 Summit, I will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges. We will discuss putting the global economy on the track of sustainable steady growth and responding to emerging and entrenched social, security and economic challenges. India will engage constructively on all the issues before us and work towards finding solutions and taking forward the agenda for a robust, inclusive and sustainable international economic order that uplifts the socio-economic conditions of people across the world, especially those who need it most in developing countries. I look forward to a productive and outcome oriented Summit," he posted. On the sidelines of the Summit, the Prime Minister will also have bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It would be the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Jinping after their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent, where the former had urged China to make a "fair and objective" assessment of India's application on merit for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). On August 12, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi possibly to firm up the agenda for the talks between President Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. According to a report in China's state-owned Global Times, Foreign Minister Yi may also use his visit to New Delhi to acquire a perspective and an assessment of Prime Minister Modi's visits to Vietnam and Laos. According to reports, Beijing is viewing Prime Minister Modi's visit to Vietnam rather closely, given that Hanoi is also a party in the South China Sea dispute and has also staked a maritime and rich energy resource claim to use of its waters. The Prime Minister will also attend a BRICS leaders' meet and will return to India on September 5. On September 7, Prime Minister Modi will leave for Laos PDR on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN and East Asia summits. At the ASEAN-India Summit, the Prime Minister and ASEAN leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction in the areas of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. (ANI) Identified as Syed Vaqar Ashraf, he had previously pleaded guilty for trying to procure gyroscopes and illegally shipped them to Pakistan so they could be used by the Pakistani military, said the US Justice Department on Thursday. However, the claim that the equipment was meant for Pakistan military could not be confirmed. According to the US Justice Department, Ashraf had purchased the equipment in the name of a shell company and sent the shipment to Belgium. He was apprehended by the Belgium Federal Police at the request of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents on August 26, 2014. Ashraf was in Belgium to inspect and forward the gyroscopes to Pakistan. The HSI had been conducting an undercover investigation of Ashraf's activities and the case was further investigated by Belgium Federal Police. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and US Attorney John S. Leonardo of the District of Arizona announced the sentence. (ANI) At least seven foreign-owned flower farms in Ethiopia's Amhara region have been burnt to the ground or partially damaged in political violence afflicting the country over the past two months, producers said todayAnti-government protests over disputed provincial boundaries and allegations of human rights violations have spread in the north-central province, the second region to be riven by turmoil this year alongside Oromiya province in central Ethiopia.In June, Human Rights Watch said security forces killed at least 400 people in Oromiya protesting at government plans to incorporate some parts of the region within the city limits of the capital Addis Ababa."Around seven flower farms have been affected - some burnt to the ground, others partially vandalised during attacks that took place Monday to Wednesday," the Ethiopian Horticultural Producers and Exporters Association said in a statement emailed to Reuters. No injuries have been reported from the attacks.The list of firms included Esmeralda Farms BV of the Netherlands, Italian owned-Alfano Fiori, Indian firm Fontana Flowers PLC, and others operated and owned by investors from Israel, Belgium and the Middle East, it added.All plots are close to Bahir Dar, the Amhara regional capital. "Details are still being gathered. The scope of damage requires further investigation," the statement said.Tensions have been rumbling for two decades over the status of Wolkayt district, a stretch of land that protesters from Amhara say was illegally incorporated into the neighbouring Tigray region to the north.Though demonstrators have behaved mainly peacefully, there have been incidents where government officials and civilians perceived to be associated with the government have been attacked by protesters.A spokeswoman for Flora Holland, the world's largest flower auction based in the Dutch city of Aalsmeer, said that growers were assessing the damage from the attacks."The scope of the damage differs greatly from business to business," Elizabeth Palandeng said, but she did not believe it would lead to a long-term problem with deliveries.Hardest hit appeared to be a Dutch company, Esmeralda, which said in a statement that 10 million euros worth of investments "went up in smoke" in an attack on its farm on Sept. 29.The African flower industry has grown quickly in recent years, with Kenya and Ethiopia together providing about 65 percent of the Dutch auction's total.Any sign of unrest is closely watched in Ethiopia, an important Horn of Africa ally of the West against Islamist militants in neighbouring Somalia, and an economic power seen as a centre of relative stability in a combustible region.Earlier this week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said his administration would carry out "deep-rooted" reforms and pledged to address grievances, though he warned of measures if protests escalated into violenceREUTERS CJ PM2142 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-916547.Xml RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian Senate voted on Wednesday to strip Dilma Rousseff of the presidency by 61 votes in favor to 20 votes against. This means Rousseff is immediately and permanently removed from her role and Michel Temer, who assumed the interim presidency after Rousseff was suspended in May, will become president until the end of this term in 2018. Rousseff was found guilty of seeking to hide public budget deficits through fiscal irregularities, such as delaying loan payments to public banks and ordering additional loans without congressional approval. In a separate vote, however, Rousseff escaped being suspended from public office for eight years. A two-thirds majority was needed to suspend her, but she escaped with 42 votes in favor, 36 against, and three abstentions. Michel Temer, the interim president of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), was officially sworn in as president at the Senate on Wednesday afternoon. He will serve in the role until the end of the current term in 2018. He has recorded an address, which will be broadcast live on television across Brazil on Wednesday evening. Immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, Temer will fly to China, where he will participate in a G-20 Summit, to be held in Hangzhou on Sept. 4-5. Shortly after the vote, reactions quickly began pouring in. Brazil's Central Union of Workers (CUT), a stalwart Rousseff ally behind many of the protests in her favor, was indignant. In a statement, it said Dilma had faced "a coup" and predicted that unions and workers' associations would unite against any attempt to "strip them of their rights." "This is not a simple change of mandate but the usurpation of Brazil's destiny by a wing of the political class, the judiciary and the press that desire power at any cost," said CUT president, Vagner Freitas. The government of Ecuador released a statement, in which it condemned "the political events in Brazil...which have deposed from her position the constitutional President Dilma Rousseff." Quito rejected "the flagrant subversion of the democratic order in Brazil, which can be considered an underhanded coup d'etat." On Tuesday, Bolivia's President Evo Morales wrote on Twitter that he would recall his country's ambassador to Brazil, if Rousseff was impeached. BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Mauricio Macri headed a high-level delegation and departed for China on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit to be held on Sept. 4-5 in the city of Hangzhou, according to an official statement released Thursday. The team, which also includes Argentina's Minister of Economy and Finance Alfonso Prat-Gay, Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra and Deputy Minister of Public Finance Pedro Lacoste, intends to show that Argentina is open for business from foreign investors. On Sept. 5, Macri will give his first speech to the summit. The same day, both finance officials will attend the 3rd plenary session on promoting international and trade and investment, during which Macri will make his second address. The statement added that Argentina "is taking a new step in its goal to tighten bonds with the world, integrate diplomatic relations and international finance, and establish a common agenda in order to resolve the main problems facing the world." Another statement by the Foreign Ministry issued on Thursday added that Argentina is paying "great importance" to the Summit, as part "of its strategy of international insertion." Among the topics Argentina will discuss at the summit are "sustainable development, the strength of trade and investment, the problem of climate change and innovation in science and technology, among others." In line with these goals, Macri will table a series of questions relevant to Argentina, "including the role of agriculture as critical sector to reach development targets, strengthen the global trading system, with the WTO (World Trade Organization) at its core, promote advances in the Doha Round of talks, and affirm the importance of development as a vehicle for inclusive, sustained and equitable growth," said the statement. This file photo taken on April 6, 2016 shows Space X's Falcon 9 rocket lifting off with an unmanned Dragon cargo craft from the launch platform in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on September 1, 2016, on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida during a test, destroying it and its payload, the private space firm said. "Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries," SpaceX said in a statement. ( AFP photo/ BRUCE WEAVER) WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket exploded Thursday on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, dealing a blow to the California-based company's ambitious space exploration project, and even America's commercial space industry. The explosion, which occurred at 9:07 a.m. EDT (1307 GMT) as SpaceX prepared to perform a rocket static fire ahead of a planned satellite launch this weekend, destroyed the Falcon 9 rocket and the payload it was carrying. But no injuries were reported because the launch pad has been cleared before the routine test. "Loss of Falcon vehicle today during propellant fill operation," SpaceX founder Elon Musk said via Twitter. "Originated around upper stage oxygen tank. Cause still unknown. More soon." The U.S. Air Force's 45th Space Wing, which is responsible for public safety during launches from Cape Canaveral, said in a statement that initial reports indicated no causalities and no threat to public safety. Meanwhile, roadblocks were set up in and around Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as a safety measure, the 45th Space Wing added. Pictures circulating on social media showed that heavy plumes of smoke rose into the sky from the SpaceX launch complex. Local media said building shaking can be felt miles away. "I am being told the explosion shook the entire facility," Robin Seemangal, a reporter with the Observer newspaper who was one of the first to report the blast, tweeted, adding that his source at the facility initially thought his office had been hit by lightning. The Falcon 9 rocket was originally meant to launch the 195-million-U.S.-dollar AMOS-6 communications satellite for Israel's Spacecom on Saturday. In October 2015, Facebook and satellite operator Eutelsat announced they have bought some of the satellite's broadband capacity to provide internet coverage to Sub-Saharan Africa. "I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who was currently in Kenya, said in a statement. "We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided." Eutelsat said the explosion's impact on revenues is estimated at around 5 million euros (5.6 million U.S. dollars) in fiscal year 2016-17, 15 million euros (16.8 million dollars) in 2017-18 and 25 to 30 million euros (28 to 33.6 million dollars) in 2018-19. SpaceX, founded in 2002 by billionaire Musk, has been the face of American commercial space industry. It has been hired by the U.S. space agency NASA to resupply the International Space Station using its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo ship. The company suffered a major setback in June 2015, when its Falcon 9 rocket exploded midair just minutes after liftoff during its seventh space station resupply mission. The exact impact of Thursday's accident on SpaceX was not clear now, but it's almost certain some of the company's scheduled commercial launches will have to be delayed. Currently, NASA said it's evaluating the situation at Cape Canaveral but noted it's too early to know whether the incident will affect the schedule for upcoming NASA-related SpaceX launches to the orbiting laboratory. "If there are SpaceX mission delays, other cargo spacecraft will be able to meet the station's cargo needs," NASA said. "Supplies and research investigations (on space station) are at good levels." The space agency also said initial assessments indicate its asteroid-bound spacecraft OSIRIS-Rex and the rocket, about 1.1 miles (1.8 kilometers) from SpaceX's pad, remain healthy and secure. Therefore, the launch of the United States' first mission to sample an asteroid will go on unchanged on Sept. 8, it added. "Lessons learned from today's anomaly will help improve future operations and continue the expansion of access to space," commented Eric Stallmer, President of the American Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "We have full confidence that SpaceX will carefully investigate and remedy the anomaly, and safely return to launching as soon as possible." U.S. senator Bill Nelson said the SpaceX explosion is a reminder that spaceflight is a "risky business." "As we continue to push the frontiers of space, there will be both triumphs and setbacks," Nelson said in a statement. "But at the end of the day, I'm confident that our commercial space industry will be very successful." WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign raised record 143 million dollars in August, her campaign team announced on Thursday. Out of the total, around 62 million dollars went to the Clinton campaign, and roughly 81 million dollars was raised for the Democratic Party and state parties across the country through joint fundraising accounts, the Clinton campaign said in a news release. "Thanks to the 2.3 million people who have contributed to our campaign, we are heading into the final two months of the race with the resources we need to organize and mobilize millions of voters across the country," said Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook. "Donald Trump's divisive rhetoric continues to drive voters away from him and the Republican Party and has created new opportunities for Democrats up and down the ticket," he added. The Clinton campaign began September with more than 68 million dollars on hand, while the Democratic Party's two other joint committees took in a combined 84 million dollars, according to a TheHill news daily report. "These resources will help us to register and turnout millions of voters to elect progressive candidates across the country." said Mook. National polls have tightened since the end of two major parties' national convention in late July, but Clinton maintains leads in almost all battleground states. However, unpopularity rate remains high for Clinton, thanks to her exclusive use of a private email server as secretary of state and the allegations that donors to the Clinton Foundation enjoyed an easy access to Clinton during the same period. The former secretary of state was viewed negatively by 59 percent of voters and her Republican rival Trump by 64 percent, according to the NBC News and the Survey Monkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll issued on Aug. 16. U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a running campaign at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix of Arizona Aug. 31, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Chaoqun) WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday pledged to begin building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and deporting undocumented immigrants on the first day of his presidency, if elected. "On day one, we will begin working on an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern border wall," Trump told a crowd at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona. The hardline speech effectively defied any expectation that the New York real estate developer would soften his tone as the election heats up. "We will use the best technology, including above and below ground sensors ... towers, aerial surveillance and manpower to supplement the wall. Find and dislocate tunnels and criminal cartels, and Mexico will work with us," he continued. "And Mexico will pay for the wall ... 100 percent. They don't know it yet, but they're going to pay for the wall," Trump said, just hours after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced his country would not pay. U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a running campaign at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix of Arizona Aug. 31, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Chaoqun) Trump earlier in the day paid his first foreign visit as Republican presidential nominee to Mexico at the invitation of Pena Nieto. "At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall," Pena Nieto tweeted after their one-hour meeting. At the Phoenix rally, Trump also promised that his administration would have zero tolerance toward criminal undocumented immigrants, vowing to create a deportation task force within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement division so as to identify and quickly deport them. "Day one, my first hour in office, those people are gone," Trump claimed, attacking the current U.S. immigration system for being "worse than anybody ever realized." He blasted President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic rival, for policies such as supporting so-called sanctuary cities, a catch-and-release program on the border and visa overstays. Trump also accused Clinton of breaking the federal budget by pledging amnesty and granting welfare to undocumented immigrants in her first 100 days of presidency if elected. "Excellent speech by Donald Trump tonight. Deport criminal aliens, end catch-and-release, enforce immigration laws and America first," former Ku Klux Klan (KKK) leader David Duke tweeted. Raul Benitez Manaut, a professor at a Mexican university, slammed Trump's visit to Mexico. "I'm not even going to think about wasting neurons to rationalize Trump's visit," he told the online news site Animal Politico earlier Wednesday. The New York billionaire started his campaign last year with attacks on illegal Mexican immigrants, claiming most of them are "rapists" or other kinds of criminals and proposing to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. "I love the Mexican people, but Mexico is not our friend," Trump tweeted last year. U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a running campaign at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix of Arizona Aug. 31, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Chaoqun) WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has been trailing in the polls recently, faces an uphill struggle to catch up in the 2016 presidential race. Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton were neck-in-neck just before the Democratic National Convention in later July, but since then Clinton has surged forward, and is now 4.4 points ahead, according to Wednesday's Real Clear Politics poll average. Still, some individual polls show the race tightening, as Trump has become a more disciplined candidate over the past week, avoiding his trademark offensive statements that work well with his Republican supporters but turn off moderates. The usually brash billionaire has recently toned down his rhetoric, made serious policy speeches, and argued point-by-point why he believed a Clinton presidency would be a disaster for the United States. "Trump has done a better job staying on message over the last week. He has focused on fundraising controversies at the Clinton Foundation and argued that this raises doubts about Hillary Clinton," said Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution. This suggests Trump has some potential to tighten the race if he can keep attention focused on Clinton rather than himself, West told Xinhua. Moreover, some establishment Republicans, previously opposed to the unconventional and irreverent Trump, may be starting to come around and support him, as they' d rather have a Republican in the White House - any Republican - than Clinton. Dan Mahaffee, an analyst with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua that the tightening of some polls between Trump and Clinton "reflects a natural point where some wayward Republicans decide to choose Trump because they are reflexively opposed to Clinton and the Democrats-no matter their qualms about Trump's candidacy." However, Mahaffee added, Clinton appears to be still holding strong in important swing states like Virginia, and is giving Republicans pause about traditionally Republican states such as Arizona and Georgia. Mahaffee said that Trump faces a tough challenge in catching up with Clinton, as the Democrats enjoy a natural advantage among urban voters, young people and minorities. "Combine that with significant concerns about Trump among moderates and educated voters, and even with further Clinton scandals, (Clinton) will be able to rely, to a certain extent, on that almost built-in lead in the polls," Mahaffee said. At the same time, Clinton has shown herself to be a resilient candidate, who is able to weather the storm of controversy after controversy. The Democratic candidate has been embroiled in multiple scandals in recent months, including allegations that her private charity foundation, the Clinton Foundation, gave high-rolling donors special access to her while she was secretary of state. Clinton's email scandal is also ongoing, in which she used a private email account and private server to conduct business during her time in that office. Critics said she jeopardized U.S. national security by not using a government-issued and secure email account. The website WikiLeaks has also released information showing an allegedly cozy relationship between a nationally known CNN correspondent and the Democratic National Committee, in the form of an email regarding handing the reporter questions to ask on air. This is a big no-no in American journalism, as reporters are expected to come up with their own questions in order to avoid becoming a public relations tool for government. Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, told Xinhua that Clinton could well hold on to her lead despite these scandals. "The data shows pretty clearly that Clinton is in a good position and Trump is struggling. Obviously change is possible but now it is not a tight race," he said. HELSINKI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Due to the shrinking world market of off-shore services, Finnish state-owned icebreaker operator Arctia is commencing talks with the staff on layoffs, the company said on Thursday. The layoff talks will concern the whole staff of 270. The duration of the layoff has been given as three months. One major setback in the global market was the decision by Shell to stop its oil drilling probes off Alaska last year. Fennica, a multipurpose ship from Arctia fleet, got negative publicity in July 2015 when it grounded in Alaska when assisting in oil drilling probes. U.S. investigation later showed the cause was the usage of inaccurate nautical charts dating back to 1935 and no fault was committed by the Finnish ship operator. The Arctia fleet includes four multipurpose ships -- three traditional icebreakers and one oil spill control icebreaker. Besides keeping shipping routes clear of ice in the Baltic Sea during the winter, Arctia ships have been assisting in Arctic oil drilling operations. Originally owned by a government agency, the Finnish icebreakers have been involved in international service business particularly in oil searching probes. The company Arctia was established in 2010, and it is now the only high seas ice breaker operator in Finland. This summer, the world's first LNG-powered icebreaker Polaris joined Arctia fleet. by Alessandra Cardone VENICE, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Italian-Chinese movie cooperation was a prominent issue here on Thursday, as the 73rd Venice Film Festival entered its second day. "The explosive growth of the Chinese movie industry, and the high quality of their theatres, prove that we cannot address the future of cinema without putting China at the center of the picture," ANICA secretary general Stefano Balassone stressed at the forum. Current status and future chances of filmmaking collaboration between the two countries were widely addressed at special event "Focus on China" promoted by Italy's National Association of Cinematographic Audiovisual Multimedia Industries (ANICA). High-level professionals and top officials from both sides took part in the forum, which ANICA organized with the support of Xinhuanet, the Italian Culture Ministry, and ICE-Italian Trade Agency (ITA) among others. Several producers and film industry professionals alternated in debates at the long-day forum, exploring the best ways to strengthen the Chinese-Italian relation and improve co-production in both quality and quantity. "The Italian cinema has great potential in China," president of China Film Co-Production Corporation Miao Xiaotian told the audience. "Yet, the Chinese market is huge, and many foreign movies enter it every year. The best way (for Italian companies and filmmakers) to face such high competition is to increase co-productions," he explained. China would also benefit much from working more intensely with foreign partners, according to Miao and other Chinese experts. With an average production of some 600 movies per year, the country's film industry would need the contribution of countries with a long cinema tradition, such as Italy, to increase the quality of its works. "Chinese movie production companies need to increase cooperation with foreign partners, and to bring more technologies, professional figures, and know-how from all over the world to China," Miao said. Italy was also eager to expand the interaction with Chinese filmmakers and production companies, officials at the forum stressed. Tangible proof of such a will was the recent setting up of a permanent ANICA audiovisual office in Beijing, with the support of ICE-Italian Trade Agency. "The new Beijing office aims at helping Italian producers and filmmakers enter the Chinese market, but also at guiding and assisting the Chinese counterparts who are interested in producing or filming in Italy," Roberto Stabile, head of ANICA International Department and responsible for ITA Audiovisual, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the forum. Soon after such initiative took place in early July, Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini paid a visit to China. He returned with a clear perception of "large opportunities of growth for Chinese and Italian cinema industries through co-production," as he said during the forum. "China is facing a huge growth in the number of movie theatres and young audience, the exact opposite situation compared to Italy," the minister told Xinhua. "As such, they want to increase and diversify the cultural offer, and their industry is paying a keen attention to Italy and Italian co-productions in both cinema and TV fictions," Franceschini added. "Co-production also provides the chance to bring more Italian cinema to China, but according to the interests and needs of their audience." UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting on Syria on Sept. 21 to discuss what more needs to be done to achieve a political resolution of the Syrian conflict, Ambassador Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen of New Zealand told reporters here on Thursday. New Zealand has assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for September. According to the council's president for this month, Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key will chair the high-level discussion which is considered necessary to ensure the peace process in Syria gets back on track. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly annual high-level debate, starting from Sept. 20. Invitations have been issued to leaders of the Security Council member states, said Van Bohemen. In September, council members are also expected to hold two straw polls to gauge the viability of candidates that have been nominated for the position of the next Secretary-General, he noted. A high-level meeting to discuss how to build up aviation security to combat terrorism has been scheduled to take place, he added. Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the world at large. It also bears the responsibility to work on the mandate of UN peacekeeping operations. The Council is composed of five permanent members -- China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Federation -- and 10 non-permanent members that are elected in groups of five, with a tenure of two years on the council. The presidency of the council rotates among its 15 member states based on the English-language alphabetical order of the countries' names on a monthly basis. WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Residents in U.S. State Florida's coastal areas were warned on Thursday to brace themselves for Hurricane Hermine, the first hurricane to hit the state since 2005. Calling Hermine "life-threatening," Florida Governor Rick Scott warned of the danger of potentially strong storm surge, high wind and large-scale power outages and urged people in the hurricane's path to hoard at least three days of supplies and to retreat to inland shelters if necessary. "The most important thing we all must put in our minds is that this is life-threatening," said Scott at a press conference in the state capital city of Tallahassee. So far, a state of emergency had been declared for 51 of Florida's 67 counties. According to an advisory released by the U.S. National Hurricane Center, hurrican conditions were expected to reach Florida's Gulf Coast late Thursday. Projected rainfall could reach 20 inches (51cm) in parts of Florida, according to weather forecasts. In this Sept. 13, 2005 file photo, the flags of member nations fly outside the General Assembly building at the United Nations headquarters in New York.(AP Photo) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council will have a new round of straw poll next Friday on the 10 current candidates vying to be next UN secretary-general to succeed Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1, the president of the council, Ambassador Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen of New Zealand, announced here Thursday. Another round of the secret council poll will be held on Sept. 26, Bohemen said while briefing reporters here on the 15-nation council's work program for September, when New Zealand, one of the 10 non-permanent council members, holds the rotating council presidency. However, New Zealand will hand over its responsibilities to conduct straw polls behind closed doors to Russia during its council presidency this month simply because Helen Clark, a national from the Pacific island country, is in the race for the post of the world's top diplomat, he said. After closed consultations here Thursday afternoon, all council members also agreed to hold another round of straw poll in the first week of October, the council president said. In the October straw poll, the five permanent council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and the 10 non-permanent council members will use different colors, a system to differentiate permanent council members from non-permanent council members. The 10 non-permanent seats are currently held by Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The council's first straw poll was held on July 21. The council members cast ballots which marked by three columns --"encouraged," "discouraged," and "no opinion expressed" for each candidate. The number of candidates has been reduced by only two since the first straw poll. Vesna Pusic of Croatia withdrew her nomination on Aug. 4, the day before the second straw poll, while Igor Luksic of Montenegro pulled out of the race on Aug. 23, diplomatic sources said. In the previous three rounds of informal, secret straw poll, former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres of Portugal maintained his lead, said the sources. The straw poll this year is actually a secret paper balloting process, but results quickly leaked out from various diplomatic sources. These straw polls continue until there is a majority candidate without a single veto from a permanent council member. That name is then officially transferred to the UN General Assembly, whose membership historically chooses the candidate. This year, the 193-member General Assembly took a more active role in the selection process, aiming to make it more transparent and inclusive. For the first time in history, the candidates were asked to submit their resumes and to take part in informal briefings with the General Assembly. It is the duty of the 15-member council to forward its recommendation for the next secretary-general to the General Assembly to vote on. There are hopes in some quarters for a first-ever woman secretary-general as well as in others quarters for a UN chief from an Eastern Europe country. It is hoped a candidate can be chosen by November. SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Breakthrough Prize Foundation announced on Thursday the launch of its second annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge and called for students from countries across the globe to create original videos that illustrate a concept or theory in the life sciences, physics or mathematics. As Breakthrough Junior Challenge is designed to inspire creative thinking about fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics or mathematics, submissions of the videos, up to five minutes in length, by students ages 13 to 18 will be judged on their ability to communicate complex scientific ideas in the most engaging, illuminating, and imaginative ways. "The Breakthrough Junior Challenge encourages the next generation of scientists and leaders to help us all see scientific principles in new, fresh ways," said Breakthrough Prize co-founder Dr. Priscilla Chan, who is the wife of another co-founder, Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg. "We hope students from around the world will take part in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and I'm looking forward to seeing their incredible work". "As we learned last year, these students' unique perspectives and innovative thinking can teach us all about the importance of complex scientific principles in our daily lives," Chan noted. Last year' s winning submission, out of more than 2,000 qualified applications from a total of 86 countries, was from 18-year-old Ryan Chester, of North Royalton High School, Ohio, in the United States. Ryan's video, titled "Some Cool Ways to Understand the Special Theory of Relativity and What It Means About Time," explored Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity and was noted by judges for its wit, clarity and creativity. The video had global appeal, and received close to four million online views. "Winning the Breakthrough Junior Challenge changed my life," said Chester, who will enroll at Harvard University in September. "My advice to current participants would be to definitely do your research. Make sure you understand the topic better than you need to. And add any kind of humor." While one winner will be recognized and awarded a 250,000 U.S. dollars scholarship, the science teacher who inspired the winning student will win 50,000 dollars, and the winner' s school will also receive a science lab valued at 100,000 dollars. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 10, 2016, and students have to register online at www.breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org to participate. This year's Breakthrough Junior Challenge winner will be recognized at the Breakthrough Prize awards ceremony in Silicon Valley, northern California. Breakthrough Junior Challenge is funded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner, through the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, which was founded in 2012 honor outstanding achievements in life sciences, physics and mathematics. This photo taken Sunday, April 24, 2016, in Talkeetna, Alaska, shows Denali partially obscured by clouds. The U.S. Army helped set up base camp on North America's tallest mountain. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen) SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Alaska State Troopers has confirmed that there were no survivors on either of the two small planes that collided mid-air over western Alaska on Wednesday. Reports reaching here on Thursday quoted troopers as citing responders at the scene northwest of the village of Russian Mission, 375 miles, or 603 kilometers, west of Anchorage, that all five people on board the two planes were killed. KTVA, an affiliate of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), reported that the victims have been identified, including three on a Cessna 208 Caravan operated by Hageland Aviation Services and two in a Piper PA-18 Super Cub operated by Renfro's Alaska Adventures. The collision occurred just before 11 a.m. Wednesday about 60 miles, or 97 kilometers, north of Bethel, Alaska National Guard officials said. Clint Johnson, the Alaska division head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said the crash scene, essentially of two sites, covers a large area that is accessible only by helicopter and two NTSB investigators flew on Wednesday afternoon on a trooper helicopter from Anchorage, the largest city in the state, to the location. Midair crashes are usually technical and complex, Johnson told Alaska Dispatch News. CANBERRA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been left "humiliated" after his government's slim majority was exposed by the Labor opposition overnight, in a stuff up which almost resulted in an opposition-led endorsement of a banking royal commission. The coalition is in damage control on Friday after it became the first majority government to lose three procedural votes in five decades, when government MPs, including frontbenchers Michael Keenan, Peter Dutton and Christian Porter, left the House early before the Labor opposition voted against adjourning Parliament at 4:30 p.m.. Labor then won three votes to continue debate before coalition House Speaker Tony Smith was forced to exercise his casting vote in order to avoid an embarrassing situation in which the Labor opposition could have forced a critical vote on the motion. Turnbull, whose government has been against the establishment of a banking royal commission - which would serve to increase accountability and restore public confidence in the sector, took to talkback radio on Friday to publicly reprimand MPs who left early. "I've read the riot act to them, their colleagues will all read the riot act to them, they'll get the riot act read to them more often than just about anyone could imagine," Turnbull told Macquarie radio on Friday. "They're experienced parliamentarians, they knew they should not have left and they left early because they thought they'd get away with it (but) they've been caught out, they've been embarrassed, they've been humiliated, they've been excoriated and it won't happen again." Keenan, the nation's Justice Minister, said he had apologized personally to the Prime Minister, and blamed a tight work schedule for the "unacceptable" stuff up. "I've spoken to the Prime Minister. He's made his view clear to me that he thinks that is unacceptable and I accept that completely," Keenan told ABC radio. "It's a decision that I shouldn't have taken and obviously I'm sorry that I did. It was a work related matter." Liberal frontbencher and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne tried to play down the result, which ultimately did not result in a passed bill, but came under fire from Nine Network journalists as well as Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese. When asked if the government has a stable, working majority, Pyne said: "There's no doubt that what happened late yesterday afternoon was a stuff up. Everyone learnt a valuable lesson." But Albanese stepped up the pressure of the government; he told Nine - and Pyne - that the coalition government "can't run the country" even with a majority government. "There are times when you should be quiet, Christopher, and I'll give you a bit of advice: be very quiet today," Albanese said on Friday. "If you can't run the parliament, you can't run the country. We were in control during three years of minority government each and every day of the parliament. "This (coalition) mob with a majority government couldn't get through three days. It was a farce yesterday, and it shows as an example of just how out of touch this government is. Attorney-General George Brandis said the "indiscipline" shown by his colleagues was unacceptable, but was thankful the vote wasn't lost on a bill or policy issue. "It shouldn't have happened, there's no doubt about that," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "It was a political stunt that Bill Shorten decided to pull and he got away with it because there was indiscipline on the part of a small number of my colleagues. That shouldn't have happened." Labor managed to win three votes to suspend the adjournment of Parliament and further debate on the banking royal commission before the government was able to scramble enough members to tie the vote. The coalition won the fourth vote 73-72 to adjourn Parliament for the evening. by Xinhua writer Zheng Qihang WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- China is playing a significant role in global economic growth and sustainable development, a U.S. entrepreneur told Xinhua in a recent interview. Mary Andringa, president and CEO of Vermeer Corporation, a leading heavy equipment maker, noted that it's very important "to have active participation from China in multilateral forums to help guide and shape good policies and principles that create sustainable growth and jobs." Andringa will soon make her first visit to China's eastern city of Hangzhou for the B20 (the Business 20) summit, a forum for business leaders from the G20 prior to the gathering of top G20 leaders. The global economy is underperforming right now and many of the policies designed to spur growth are difficult to enact, she noted. To solve those challenges, Andringa said, "G20 leaders will have to find ways to articulate a vision, a way forward, and to connect with their citizens in such a way that they are given the latitude to enact policies which are economically beneficial in the medium to long term." As Andringa sees it, the theme of this year's G20 summit, "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," touches on key subjects needed to enhance global growth. She hopes the upcoming G20 summit, slated for Sept. 4-5, can push forward structural reforms among G20 members as fiscal and monetary policies are reaching their limits. "In the short term, many countries will be limited in what they are able to do from a monetary and fiscal policy standpoint but structural reforms such as the B20 have recommended certainly offer tangible ways to set economies on a better trajectory," said Andringa, who is co-chair of the SME (small and medium sized enterprises and entrepreneurs) Taskforce for this year's B20 summit. She also hopes the G20 will reach an agreement to act on regulatory simplifications, build a more open and transparent business environment, remove hurdles for cross-border trade, facilitate better public-private cooperation in infrastructure investment, establish guidelines for the development of E-commerce, and find innovative ways to close skill gaps and connect people to opportunities. Andringa first visited China in the early 1990s when Vermeer began exporting horizontal directional drills to the country. The equipment is used in the construction of underground infrastructure. Over the past 25 years, China's rapid development has greatly impressed her and made her optimistic about the country's future. "We are optimistic about the future prospects for the China manufacturing sector and the overall economy," said Andringa, who once served as the first female chair of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest industrial trade association in the United States. "With a large population and now the world's second largest economy, China will continue to play an important part in contributing to the world economy," she said. CARACAS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will file an international complaint against Henry Ramos Allup, the opposition leader and president of the National Assembly, for inciting violence. Addressing a massive gathering of sympathizers in Caracas, MaduroI said he would do this before national and international tribunals for Allup's "fascist and hateful expressions, which incite violence." The president added that he has ordered the establishment of a commission "to study all the threats, all the expressions of racism, hate, intolerance and violence" made by the leader of the Democratic Unity Roundtable. On Wednesday, the president asked the Supreme Court to strip the deputies in Congress of their immunity. He also called for a relevant decree, accusing the lawmakers making use of the immunity to "conspire and destabilize." In response, Allup issued a statement saying that "the president is anxious and very nervous. He has seen that it is not the political parties but the citizens that are seeking a recall referendum (against him)." NAY PYI TAW, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- All participants in Myanmar's 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference expressed their aspirations for peace in the country at the second day session which ended Thursday evening. According to conference convening committee member Dr. Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong, all participants agreed to establish a union based on democracy and federal system as envisioned in the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) for peace building. U Hla Maung Shwe, another member of the conference convening committee, told Xinhua that the conference has been going smoother than expected. Thursday's session was held with group-wise discussions, with parties and organizations presenting their policies and stances. U Sai Kyaw Nyunt, representative of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) also told Xinhua that the government representative submitted a point calling for establishing federal democracy. An advisory member of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), U Win Htein, said some presentations on Thursday are practical, while some are not, referring to the demand by three ethnic groups for self-administered state. Group-wise discussions for the third day session of the conference will continue later on Friday. At the first day session, the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) and the Preparatory Committee for the Panglong Peace Conference submitted their reports on the framework for political dialogue to the conference. Participants agreed to continue reviewing the framework for political dialogue and start the dialogue at national level right after the conference. The 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference of Myanmar, which aims to unite all ethnic nationalities and build a democratic federal union through dialogue, kicked off in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday. The four-day historical conference gathered about 1,600 representatives from the government, the parliament, the military, political parties, ethnic armed and non-armed organizations and civil society organizations. SYDNEY, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Australian film industry is starting to slip because of "very dramatic cuts" in government funding to Screen Australia, said London Film Festival Director Clare Stewart. Stewart has expressed her concern about the state of Australian cinema after revealing the full program for next month's London film festival at its launch in Leicester Square on Thursday. The Australian Associated Press reported on Friday that while there were terrific Australian films in the London line-up such as Lion, starring Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel, this year the number of films being made in Australia was down, which was a concern for Stewart who was formerly the Sydney Film Festival director from 2006 to 2011. "I think that the very dramatic cuts to Screen Australia have had a noticeable impact," said Stewart. "My concern about the state of the Australian film industry is very much about the need for the government to be properly investing in the supporting of development and production of films," she said. Stewart said there was certainly plenty of film talent in Australia. "I get excited about how rich the Australian creative pool is," she said, citing Lion, one of the three key presentations in the London festival. "That is a sign of just how internationally significant Australian film-making can be." Stewart said she thought Lion would get a lot of attention in the lead-up to this year's award season. The film, directed by Garth Davis, revolves around Saroo Brierley (Patel), who at the age of five gets on the wrong train in India and ends up far from home. He is adopted by an Australian couple (played by Kidman and David Wenham) and 25 years later finds his birth parents using Google Earth. Another Australian film at the festival is the crime thriller Goldstone, written and directed by Ivan Sen and starring Aaron Pedersen, Alex Russell, Jacki Weaver, David Wenham and David Gulpilil. It centres on indigenous detective Jay Swan who is sent to the mining town of Goldstone to find a missing Asian tourist. Also, screening is Eva Orner's Chasing Asylum, a documentary confronting Australia's hardline policy on detaining asylum seekers in offshore processing centres. Director Abe Forsythe's comedy Down Under, about the 2005 Sydney Cronulla race riots, will also get a run. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday expressed its "deep concern" over the violence in Gabon following the Aug. 27 presidential election, calling for calm. "The members of the Security Council called upon all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other political actors to remain calm, refrain from violence or other provocations and resolve any electoral disputes through established constitutional and legal mechanisms," Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen, New Zealand's ambassador to UN, who holds the rotating council presidency this month. The council president made the remarks after a closed meeting of the 15-nation UN body, at which the council heard a briefing by the UN special representative for Central Africa Abdoulaye Bathily on the situation in Gabon. The council members "stressed the importance of a transparent and impartial process, in compliance with the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance," the president said. Meanwhile, the council members "expressed their full support for" Bathily and "his efforts to calm the situation and peacefully resolve the contentious issues emanating from the electoral process," he said. On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all concerned political leaders in Gabon to maintain peace and security in the Central African country after the announcement of the provisional results of the presidential election. Violence and broke out in Gabon on Wednesday after the national elections commission declared the incumbent President Ali Bongo won the election. Bongo claimed 49.8 percent of the votes versus challenger Jean Ping's 48.2 percent, reports said. JAKARTA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian authorities are making serious response to the spread of Zika virus in Singapore by issuing travel advisory for pregnant women planning to travel to the neighboring country. Thermal scanners were installed in seaports and airports to take the temperature of people entering the nation from Singapore. Each passenger traveling to Indonesia from Singapore would be given health alert card in airport gates. "The official order has been issued for all health offices in seaports and airports used as the gates for foreigners to enter the nation to intensify their surveillance and monitoring efforts," Mohammad Subuh, director general for Disease Prevention and Control section at Indonesian Health Ministry, said on Thursday. The travel advisory was issued on Wednesday following development of Zika virus infection in Singapore, where the total number of Zika infections is over 150. Zika virus was identified of responsible to stimulate microcephaly abnormality for the born babies. Subuh advised people to remain alert on the presence of Zika virus, particularly for pregnant women. Efforts to minimize the sprawling of mosquitos should be intensified as one of the prevention measures, he said. SHANGHAI, Sept.2 (Xinhua) -- A sculpture of a Chinese diplomat who saved the lives of many Jews during World War II was unveiled at Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum on Thursday. Ho Feng-Shan, then Chinese Consul-General in Vienna, issued "hundreds, perhaps even thousands" of Chinese visas to Jews, against the instructions of his superior, according to the Yad Vashem, the Israeli center for the Holocaust, which posthumously awarded him the title "Righteous Among the Nations." Although a visa was not required for entrance to Shanghai at the time, the document was a prerequisite for Jews wishing to leave Nazi Germany. Though many countries refused Jews, Shanghai accepted tens of thousands that were fleeing the Holocaust. A sculpture of Jakob Rosenfeld, a Jew who served in the army of the Communist Party of China in the 1940s, was also unveiled. The sculptures were part of a series of activities to mark September 3, the day China designates as Victory Day in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China hopes the upcoming meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama can yield bountiful results, a Chinese official said Friday. Zhu Guangyao, China's vice finance minister, said at a press conference that the country looks forward to fruits both in bilateral cooperation and in policy coordination on multilateral occasions, including the upcoming G20 summit scheduled on Sept. 4-5 in Hangzhou. During a meeting with Obama earlier this year, Xi stressed the importance for China and the United States to be firmly committed to the right direction of building a new model of major-country relations, and follow the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. Xi also attaches great significance to Sino-U.S. economic ties, and the two economies are now closely interrelated, Zhu said. Both countries have realized that their economic prosperity relies heavily on each other's development, "and thus both countries treasure the hard-earned close economic relations," Zhu said. In 2015, the bilateral trade between the two countries reached 558.4 billion U.S. dollars, slightly up by 0.6 percent from a year earlier, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. QUITO, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least one person died and 13 others were injured when a grenade exploded at a school in the Ecuadorian coastal province of Guayas on Thursday, local media reported. The device was held by a school student in the canton of General Villamil Playas, said the country's Interior Minister Jose Serrano in his social network account. Serrano said the blast killed a young person, adding that "the grenade was held by a classmate." The wounded have been sent to local hospitals for immediate treatment. An investigation is underway by local police officers to find out how the student had that bomb. This is the first case of its kind recorded in the South American country, which has aroused the concern of the local authorities. ISLAMABAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and 18 others injured in a blast in Pakistan's northwestern district of Mardan on Friday, local Urdu TV channel Geo reported. File photo taken on Aug. 25, 2016 shows Myanmar soldiers clean the pieces of bricks from a damaged pagoda after the eartquake at Bagan in Mandalay region, Myanmar. (Xinhua Photo) NAY PYI TAW, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and the Ruili Municipality of China's Yunnan province on Thursday donated 100 million kyats (about 82,000 U.S. dollars) to Myanmar for renovation of quick-damaged pagodas in the country's Bagan. Myanmar's Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko thanked China for the donation, saying that as a traditionally good neighbor, China provided assistance to Myanmar when Myanmar is hit by natural disaster. Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang said China would continue to provide assistance to Myanmar, adding that a Chinese experts team will be sent to Myanmar to help renovate the damaged pagodas in Bagan. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the central Myanmar on Aug. 24, damaging nearly 400 pagodas and temples in Bagan-Nyaung Oo region. Bagan region was also hit by a strong earthquake in 1975 damaging over 1,000 pagodas and temples out of 2,217, the minister said. SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Friday made her first mention of a conditional deployment of the U.S. missile shield, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), in South Korean soil, before leaving for Russia to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum. "The essence of the problem in this matter is the North's nuclear and missile threats. If these threats are eliminated, the need to deploy the THAAD system would naturally disappear,"Park said in a written interview with Russia's Rossiya Segodnya which was posted on a Cheong Wa Dae website. It marked the first time the South Korean leader mentioned the conditional THAAD deployment, showing signs of a slight change in her hard-line position ahead of her trips to Russia and China that have strongly opposed the U.S. missile defense system. Park is set to visit Vladivostok for two days to attend the second Eastern Economic Forum and hold a bilateral summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The forum was launched last year to speed up development of the Russian Far East. She will move to China to attend Group of 20 (G20) summit scheduled to be held in Hangzhou from Sunday to Monday. Park, however, reiterated that the THAAD deployment is a measure of self-defense to protect from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s"ever-escalating" nuclear and missile threats. She said there is no reason, nor practical benefit, for the THAAD system to target any third country, contrasting with repeated expressions of strong objections and worries from China and Russia. Chinese and Russian objections to THAAD in South Korea came as the U.S. missile shield's X-band radar can peer deep into Chinese and Russian territories, breaking strategic balance in the region and damaging security interests of the two countries. Related: THAAD deployment undermines China-U.S., China-ROK strategic mutual trust: spokesman BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the Republic of Korea (ROK) destabilizes the regional strategic balance, and undermines China's strategic interests as well as the strategic mutual trust between China-U.S. and China-ROK. Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made these remarks at a regular news briefing. Full story Anti-THAAD rallies in S. Korea spread on expected site move SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Rallies against the deployment of a U.S. missile shield in South Korea spread as people living in the originally designated site officially called for deliberation on another place to install the shield. TEHRAN, Sep. 2 (Xinhua) -- The first British Airways (BA) passenger plane landed at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport on Friday morning after it suspended flights in October 2012, official IRNA news agency reported. The Boeing 777, which departed from London's Heathrow Airport at 9:10 pm local time (2010 GMT), arrived in Tehran at 6:15 am local time (0145 GMT). BA will operate six return flights per week between London and Tehran. BA, which ran a three-flight-a-week service to Tehran up to four years ago and first flew into the Iranian capital in 1946, becomes the second European airline to resume flights into the country, after Air France brought an eight-year break to an end in April. The resumption of BA flights Thursday follows the lifting of some sanctions against Iran in January after the International Atomic Energy Agency said the Iranian government had met its obligations as part of a nuclear deal with six world powers. ISLAMABAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and nine others injured in a suicide blast in a district court in Pakistan's northwestern city of Mardan on Friday, officials said. District Police Officer Faisal Shehzad said that the incident took place when a suicide bomber hurled a hand grenade to police guards at the entrance gate and rushed to the courthouse, but a police guard chased him and opened fire at him before he could entered the court room. Firing at the suicide bomber caused the explosion of his jacket that killed 10 people, including two policemen and two lawyers. Earlier reports said the suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate when guards asked him for body search. Local Urdu TV channels said that at least 10 people were killed and over 40 others injured in the attack, but officials did not confirm the figure. According to rescue officer Haris Habib, at least six of the injured were in critical condition who were being treated in the intensive care unit of the Mardan Medical Complex hospital of the city. Emergency has been declared in all the hospitals of the district. Police and security forces have launched a search operation in the surrounding areas. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (R front) walks with his Canadian counterpart Stephane Dion (L front) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sept. 2, 2016. Canada opened a diplomatic office in Cambodia on Friday seven years after it closed its embassy here, said visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion. (Xinhua/Sovannara) PHNOM PENH, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Canada opened a diplomatic office in Cambodia on Friday seven years after it closed its embassy here, said visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion. Stephane made the remarks while paying a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Peace Palace, according to Eang Sophalleth, a personal assistant to Hun Sen. "His Excellency Stephane told the prime minister that Canada has paid high attention to enhancing its partnership with Cambodia," Sophalleth told reporters after the meeting. Stephane said his visit to Cambodia was also to open the Canada's diplomatic office in Phnom Penh after Canada closed its embassy in 2009, according to the assistant. Meanwhile, the Canadian foreign minister pledged to encourage Canadian investors to Cambodia, particularly in the fields of insurance, information technology, water management and environment. For his part, Hun Sen asked Canada to help Cambodia mitigate the impacts of climate change, saying that this year the Southeast Asian country had been badly hit by drought and had seen more storms and lightning strikes than previous years. He also urged Canada to consider assisting the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) headquartered in Phnom Penh. Later in the day, Stephane held talks with his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn and the two ministers agreed to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits, according to Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry. "His Excellency Prak Sokhonn had welcomed the official opening of the Canada's diplomatic office in Phnom Penh," the spokesman told reporters. He added that both sides also discussed ways to promote trade, investment and tourism ties. Trade volume between the two countries reached over 800 million U.S. dollars in 2015, and the number of Canadian tourists visiting Cambodia was nearly 57,000 last year, up 8.7 percent year-on-year. According to the spokesman, Canada also expressed its desire to sign an agreement on investment promotion and protection with Cambodia. SYDNEY, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Australian wines are set to get a big boost in China with Alibaba launching an online wine store, local media reported on Friday. The flagship online store featuring Australian wine has been launched on Alibaba's business-to-consumer platform Tmall.com. At present, Alibaba's online retail sites cater to 434 million Chinese consumers, and the group generates half of China's online wine sales. The new store on Tmall, supported by Wine Australia and operated by Chinese online retailer Vinehoo.com, will initially stock 10 brands from eight Australian wine regions, followed by another 20 brands in coming months. The first brands to be featured include Brokenwood, Coriole, John Duval, Pikes and Voyager Estate. Wine Australia does not select the brands. Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark told the Australian Associated Press that Alibaba was a significant player in Chinese e-commerce with great reach. "The muscle they can bring, potentially, to further increasing Australian wine sales is vitally important," Clark said. China's food and wine culture are still evolving, he said, and more Chinese consumers are looking online for premium products. "Our support of Tmall's flagship Australian wine store helps us capitalize on this growing interest in Australian wine and gives us the opportunity to further reinforce the message with consumers that wines of Australian provenance are of the highest quality," Clark said. Alibaba's managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Maggie Zhou, said Australian wines are considered world-class, and come at different price points, so the opportunity to sell to China's growing middle class was significantly high. China is now Australia's second most valuable export market after the United States. Total Australian wine exports to China in 2015/16 rose 50 percent to 419 million Australian dollars (315.29 million U.S. dollars). Exports of wine priced at 10 Australian dollars (7.54 U.S. dollars) or more per liter grew 71 percent to 169 million Australian dollars (127.47 million U.S. dollars). ISLAMABAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people including four lawyers were killed and 27 others injured in a suicide attack on a district court in Pakistan's northwestern city of Mardan on Friday, officials said. According to Deputy Inspector General of Police Ejaz Khan, the incident took place when a suicide bomber hurled a hand grenade to police guards at the entrance gate of the court and rushed to the courthouse, but a police guard chased him and opened fire at him before he could enter the court room. Firing at the suicide bomber caused the explosion of his jacket that killed 12 people, including four lawyers and two policemen, and left 27 others injured, said Khan. Earlier reports said the suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate when guards asked him for body search. According to rescue officer Haris Habib, at least eight of the injured were in critical condition who were being treated in the intensive care unit of the Mardan Medical Complex hospital of the city. Soon after the attack, security forces, police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and injured to the hospitals. An official of the Bomb Disposal Squad said that around 5-6 kg of explosives along with ball bearings was used in the jacket of the suicide bomber. Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with families of those victims in the blast. "The terrorists are being shattered by the security forces, due to which they are retaliating. We will not spare them, they will be wiped out from every corner of the country," said Sharif. Earlier in the morning, Pakistani security forces killed four terrorists who attacked a residential complex of Warsak Dam near the country's northwestern city of Peshawar. According to a Pakistan army spokesman, a group of four terrorists armed with suicide jackets and armed and ammunition entered the colony, after hitting a security guard. "Security Forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed," the spokesman said. CHANGSHA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The world's longest and highest glass bridge in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, will be temporarily closed from Friday, following a huge influx of tourists during its initial opening. According to the management committee of the bridge, "an internal system upgrade" would be undertaken during the suspension of business. The bridge has set 10 world records spanning its design and construction. It formally opened on Aug. 20. The bridge had limited the number of visitors to 8,000 daily, but more than 10,000 people swarmed to the scenic site every day. The online community was quick to question the bridge's safety after the decision to close it to visitors. However, the management committee said the closure was due to software and hardware problems due to the mass flow of visitors. Any changes made as a result of the upgrade will have to pass an official appraisal before the bridge can be reopened, the committee said. The 430-meter long, 6-meter wide bridge, paved with 99 panes of three-layer transparent glasses, hangs between two steep cliffs 300 meters above the ground. The bridge is set amid the spectacular, jaw-dropping Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, where the unique pillar-like mountain formation, listed on UNESCO's world heritage list, influenced the scenery in the Hollywood blockbuster movie "Avatar." A ticket to visit the bridge costs 138 yuan (21 U.S. dollars). No belongings are allowed except for wallets or mobile phones with cover. Visitors are not allowed to wear high heeled shoes, and must cross the bridge without the aid of the railings. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday "condemned in the strongest terms the serious terrorist bomb attack" against the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Aug. 30, which caused injuries of the embassy staff. "The members of the Security Council expressed their deep sympathy to the injured and their families and to the government of China and the government of Kyrgyzstan," the 15-nation UN body said in a press statement issued here Thursday night. "They wished a speedy recovery to those injured in this heinous terrorist attack." The council members noted the ongoing efforts of the Kyrgyz government to fully investigate this terrorist attack and "underlined the need to bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors to justice," the statement said. The council members also urged all nations, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with relevant governments and authorities in this regard, the statement said. The Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan was attacked Tuesday morning by a suicide car bomber, in which the lone assailant was killed and five others were injured, besides serious material damage. The attack occurred one day before Kyrgyzstan celebrated the 25th anniversary of independence from the former Soviet Union. The Chinese Foreign Ministry immediately expressed shock at the attack. It strongly condemned the car bombing, and required Kyrgyzstan to "take immediate and necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese people and institutions," according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. "The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed," the statement said. The council members "reaffirmed the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and all obligations under international law, including international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts," the statement said. "The members of the Security Council also stressed the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, and the obligations on host governments, including under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity, and to prevent any attack on diplomatic premises, agents and consular officers," said the statement. The explosion also caused damage to the embassy door and wall, as well as buildings next to the Chinese embassy. The embassy compound and the area in the vicinity are currently under police blockade due to security concerns, with bomb disposal experts working on the scene. A senior Kyrgyz security officer told Xinhua in Bishkek that according to preliminary information, it was quite likely that the explosives planted inside the car caused the explosion. The assailant was blown into bits and local police are trying to identify the assailant using DNA extracted from remains of the suicide bomber. Enditem BAGHDAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least ten people were wounded on Friday in an explosion of a rocket cache in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua. The blast occurred in the morning after a fire broke out at a cache of rockets and mortar rounds in al-Obeidi neighborhood, a stronghold of Shiite militant groups in eastern Baghdad, the source said on condition of anonymity. The fire also sent dozens of rockets and other ordnance randomly to nearby neighborhoods, wounding at least ten people and causing damages to many houses, shops and cars, the source said. These weapons are used by Shiite militias in the battles against the extremist Islamic State (IS) militant group, the source added. Iraq has witnessed intense violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014. Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 691 Iraqis and wounded 1,016 others in August across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said on Thursday. 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. MANILA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The World health Organization has called for a massive public education campaign to stop mosquito-borne Zika virus from spreading, a WHO spokesman said on Friday. Eloi Yao, WHO regional public information officer, told Xinhua in an interview that there is no vaccine yet to prevent Zika, adding that the best way to prevent diseases spread by mosquitos is to protect the people from mosquito bites. Yao stressed the need to inform the people on potential risks and appropriate measures to reduce the possibility of exposure to the virus through mosquito bites and sexual transmission. "The reason why it is spreading so quickly is because the vector is a mosquito that can be found anywhere," Yao said, adding the best way to prevent the spread is to destroy the places where mosquitos can breed and to make sure that people -- particularly pregnant women -- have information on the potential harmful consequences of the disease. Based on the existing evidence from the current Zika virus outbreak, Yao said it is known that this virus can spread internationally and establish new transmission chains in areas where the vector is present. Yao said WHO expects that "the spread of (the virus )will continue." "The WHO is asking the people and the governments of its member-states to be very vigilant now and put in place some surveillance system to detect cases and to continue vector control," he said. "It is also vital that the population are informed about the Zika so that they can be aware of how you get it and what to do and then the difference between Zika and other similar diseases like dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya. So information will be key for the population." Yao said that the WHO has been concerned over the rate the Zika virus is spreading since day one. In fact, he said that the WHO's emergency committee on Zika virus has already met three times in Geneva to assess the steps that can be done to prevent the spread of the virus. "There is an assessment that is on all the time," he said, adding that WHO is working with all its partners, including scientists and academic institutions to study the virus and try to see what type of solution can be found so that the instances of the disease can be reduced. Yao said the Southeast Asia is especially a concern mainly because of population density and climate, adding that Singapore has been largely effective in controlling the spread of mosquitos. The Aedes mosquito that carries the virus breed in fresh water and even a small amount is enough to breed the mosquito. Mosquitos thrive in Southeast Asian countries where there is usually a prolonged rainy season, according to experts, due to urban density and flows of migrant labor from across the region. Yao said Zika virus is a climate sensitive disease and its vector dynamics are strongly influenced by environmental factors, population dynamics and climate. Singapore, for instance, is a case in point, he said, adding that many workers from neighbouring countries go there to look for employment. The WHO said 72 countries and territories have reported evident of Zika virus transmission since 2007. The data showed that Zika cases started to increase in 2012 and further ballooned in 2015. Starting in November 2015, the data showed that more and more cases have been reported until August this year. Singapore and British Virgin Islands were the latest countries and territories that reported Zika virus infection, according to the WHO situation report. "Overall, the global risk assessment has not changed," the report said. "The geographic expansion of Zika virus, after having slowed in April through June, has increased somewhat in July and August. This is likely due to increased activity of the mosquito vector in the Northern Hemisphere during the warmer summer months." While some countries such as those in South America are reporting downward trends in Zika transmissions, the report said that other areas including those recently affected like Saint Barthelemy in the Caribbean and those affected earlier like Puerto Rico are experiencing upward trends. "As most countries do not report absolute number of Zika cases, it is not possible to make generalizations about the global trend of the Zika outbreak," the report said. Since February this year, the WHO said 11 countries have reported evidence of person-to-person transmission of Zika virus. TIKRIT, Iraq, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Friday repelled an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's northern central province of Salahudin, leaving at least nine security members killed and some 24 others wounded, a provincial security source said. Dozens of IS militants attacked in the early morning a military base housing army and paramilitary Hashd Shaabi unit in Mettiebeja area in the eastern part of Salahudin province, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The troops fought heavy clashes against the attackers and managed to repel their attack, the source said. The battles left nine security members killed and 24 others wounded, he said without giving further details about the casualties among the extremist militants. Iraq has witnessed intense violence since the IS took control of parts of its 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, 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. BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) is investigating a recent merger between the country's top two ride-hailing businesses, Didi and Uber's China branch, over monopoly concerns. The two companies closed the deal on Aug.2, but they did not report the merger to the MOC as required by the Anti-Monopoly Law and other regulations, spokesperson Shen Danyang told a news briefing on Friday. The MOC has pressed Didi twice about the merger details, and ordered the firm to present the related documents to the ministry. "The MOC will continue the investigation in accordance with laws and regulations and secure a fair competition," said Shen. ANKARA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has sacked more than 8,000 security personnel over suspected links to Gulen's movement that is blamed for a July coup attempt, according to a Turkish statutory decree issued on Friday. The dismissed security personnel include 7,669 police officers, 323 gendarmerie members, 24 central governors and two coast guard command personnel, Anadolu Agency reported. Gulen, who heads the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) according to the Turkish government, has been residing in U.S. since 1999. The Turkish government has repeatedly said the July 15 coup attempt was organized by followers of Gulen. Under the decree, released as part of measures against Gulen's movement during a state of emergency, as many as 519 personnel from the Presidency of Religious Affairs have also been dismissed. In addition, the certificates of those who graduated from the Gulenist universities in foreign countries have been abolished. The decree also enabled judges and prosecutors who voluntarily retired from their positions in the past to return to work. The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen's supporters in the wake of the failed coup attempt. At least 81,000 people have been suspended or dismissed from state organizations over suspected links to Gulen's movement, referred by Ankara as FETO. South African President Jacob Zuma arrives in Hangzhou to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) CAPE TOWN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's participation in the G20 summit is to provide a strategic foresight in establishing an economic and international policy platform, President Jacob Zuma has said. South Africa wants the summit to drive and negotiate the best possible outcomes for South Africa, Africa and the developing world, Zuma said in a statement before leaving for China to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou. An important part of South Africa's G20 strategy is the outreach to Africa, Zuma added. As the only permanent African member of the G20, South Africa has used its participation to raise issues of concern to Africa with other G20 members. In addition, development is an important priority for South Africa in the G20, said the president. In this regard, South Africa serves as a Co-chair of the G20 Development Working Group. The summit is to be held in Hangzhou from Sept. 4 to 5 under the theme: "Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy." Under the umbrella of this overarching theme, China, as the current President of the G20, identified specific priority areas that are aimed at addressing current global economic challenges and are intended to give a focus to the work of the G20 during 2016. The G20 leaders are expected to discuss these specific priority areas during the Summit, namely: breaking a New Path for Growth, More Effective and Efficient Global Economic and Financial Governance, Robust International Trade and Investment and, Inclusive and Interconnected Development. South Africa is a member of the G20, which consists of 19 countries plus the European Union (EU). G20 members have been meeting regularly since 1999 to discuss global economic policy coordination. The G20 is conceptualized to stabilize and strengthen the global economy, by bringing together the major advanced and emerging market economies. Also on Thursday, the Presidency said South Africa's priorities in the G20 for 2016 include strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, decent employment, efficient and responsive economic infrastructure, increased investment in infrastructure, reducing illicit financial flows through coordination of international tax, coordination of international financial regulatory developments and international coordination on development, which includes domestic resource mobilization (DRM) and ensuring synergy with UN processes on the post-2015 development agenda and financing for development. Whilst in Hangzhou, Zuma will have a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as well as meet leaders of the BRICS nations, who annually meet on the margins of the G20 summit, presidential spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said. It is also expected that a trilateral meeting between South Africa, Chad (Chair of the African Union) and Senegal (Chair of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, or NEPAD) will take place on the sidelines of the summit. Zuma is also expected to interact with representatives of the Business 20 (B20), according to the spokesperson. Following the conclusion of the G20 summit, Zuma will travel to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, where he will attend the "2nd Investing in Africa Forum" on September 7, Ngqulunga said. Zuma will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan to the G20 summit and will be joined by Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies and the Deputy Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga for the 2nd Investing in Africa Forum after the G20 summit. BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China welcomed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to visit China as early as possible, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday. It is reported that Duterte said recently that bilateral talks between his country and China may start "within the year." The friendly ties between China and the Philippines are in accordance with the fundamental interests of the countries and the expectations of their people, spokesperson Hua Chunying told a press conference. China values its ties with the Philippines, Hua said, noting that high-level visits are important to improve bilateral ties, enhance understanding and trust. When responding the report that Duterte and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will meet on the sidelines of the upcoming East Asia Summit, Hua said China has an open attitude. A huge Thangka is exhibited at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) LHASA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Celebrations for the traditional Shoton Festival have begun in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Lamas and believers pray before the huge Tangka at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) The Shoton Festival, also known as the Yogurt Banquet Festival, is a week-long extravaganza that has been held since the 11th century. It was originally a religious occasion when locals would offer yogurt to monks who had finished meditation retreats. Lamas and believers pray before the huge Tangka at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) This year's event will feature Tibetan opera performances, hiking, Buddha exhibitions, paintings and photos, according to Wu Yasong, Lhasa's deputy mayor. Lamas and believers gather before the huge Tangka at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) Tsamjo, an 87-year-old Lhasa resident, attended the Buddha exhibition at the Drepung Monastery early Thursday morning. "I got up at 3 a.m. to participate in the event," Tsamjo said. Lamas carry the huge Tangka out of a hall for exhibition at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) Lamas and believers carry the huge Tangka to the exhibition platform at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) Believers help carry the huge Tangka for exhibition at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) At 7:30 a.m., more than 100 monks and buddhists took a giant thangka painting out of the monastery and put it on a platform for both visitors and believers. Lamas prepare the huge Tangka for exhibition at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) "I come to worship the Buddha painting at the Drepung Monastery every year," said Ngawang, a Lhasa resident. "For us believers, the Shoton Festival means a lot." A Lama takes photo of the crowd before the huge Tangka for exhibition at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jigme Doje) Last year, more than 200,000 Buddhists and people of other faiths came to Lhasa for the festival. COLOMBO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Sri Lanka to release civilian land held by the military. Ban Ki-moon, who is on the final leg of his visit to Sri Lanka, urged Sri Lanka to speed up the return of land so that the remaining communities of displaced people can return home. In parallel, he said, the size of the military force in the North and East could be reduced, helping to build trust and reduce tensions. He made the remarks at an event in Sri Lanka on sustaining peace and achieving sustainable development goals. The UN chief said that following the end of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009, much has been done but yet more remains. "This is my first visit to Sri Lanka since 2009, when I saw great suffering and hardship. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and in need of humanitarian aid after the terrible conflict that tore the country apart. I called for fast reconciliation and action to build peace, in the knowledge that conflict can recur in fragile post-war societies," he said. Ban said that the government that took office last year, led by President Maithripala Sirisena, set out an ambitious reform program and has made significant progress in implementing it. "I congratulate the government and people of Sri Lanka on passing the 19th Constitutional Amendment and the recent Right to Information Act. I commend your efforts to move forward on a comprehensive transitional justice agenda, and on a constitutional reform process," he said. Ban said that more can and should be done to address the legacy of the past and acknowledge the voices of the victims. He said Sri Lanka is still in the early stages of regaining its rightful position in the region and the international community. NEW DELHI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the upcoming G20 summit to be held in China would provide him an opportunity to interact with world leaders on pressing international issues. "During the G20 Summit, I will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges," Modi said. "We will discuss putting the global economy on the track of sustainable steady growth and responding to emerging and entrenched social, security and economic challenges." The summit will begin in China's eastern Hangzhou city on Sunday. "Will be in Hangzhou, China for G20 Summit, where I will interact with world leaders on key global issues," Modi wrote on his Twitter account. The Indian prime minister said he looked forward to a result-orientated summit in China. "India will engage constructively on all the issues before us and work towards finding solutions and taking forward the agenda for a robust, inclusive and sustainable international economic order that uplifts the socio-economic conditions of people across the world, especially those who need it most in developing countries," he said. "I look forward to a productive and outcome oriented summit." G20 is the group of the world's 20 largest economies - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU). The first G20 leaders' summit was held in Washington in 2008. The 10th summit was held in Antalya, Turkey, in November 2015. BAGHDAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and 14 others injured on Friday in an explosion of a rocket cache in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua. "Our latest report said three people were killed and 14 others wounded by the major blast and the subsequent blasts of the rockets and mortar rounds which struck the surrounding neighborhoods," the source said on condition of anonymity. The blast occurred in the morning after a fire broke out at a cache of rockets and mortar rounds in al-Obeidi neighborhood, a stronghold of Shiite militant groups in eastern Baghdad, the source said. The fire also sent dozens of rockets and other ordnance randomly to nearby neighborhoods and industrial districts, causing damage to many houses, shops and civilian cars, the source said. These weapons are used by Shiite militias in the battles against the extremist Islamic State (IS) militant group, the source added. Iraq has witnessed worsening violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014. Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 691 Iraqis and wounded 1,016 others in August across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said on Thursday. 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. CAPE TOWN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is open for business and South Africans are encouraged to embrace private public partnership that aims to achieve the country's economic vision, the cabinet has said. The cabinet issued a statement on Thursday night after a lengthy cabinet meeting in Cape Town in response to a decision by Futuregrowth Asset Management to withhold additional funding to a number of South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs). "South Africa remains an attractive investment destination through its highly developed first-world economic infrastructure and a robust emerging market economy," the statement said. Futuregrowth, Africa's biggest private fixed-income money manager with about 170 billion rand (about 12 billion U.S. dollars) of assets, announced its decision on Wednesday to freeze lending to the country's parastatals due to in-fighting between South Africa's Treasury and state-owned enterprises. The decision came just weeks after the cabinet decided to place President Jacob Zuma in charge of overseeing all SOEs. The decision has raised concern over the economic prospects of the country hit by sluggish economic growth, unstable financial market and the weakening rand. Despite the challenges, the government remains committed to delivering quality infrastructure and related services in line with its commitment to ensuring a better life for all, the cabinet said. South Africa's attractiveness as an investment destination was confirmed with President Zuma signing bilateral agreements with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, with the purpose of further strengthening friendly cooperation between African states and China at the Johannesburg FOCAC Summit late last year, the statement said. "The government's partnership with the private sector remains resilient and this partnership has yielded positive results," said Donald Liphoko, Acting Director-General of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). He said the government is confident that its sound economic and fiscal policies and the inherent strength of the economy bear testimony to the results already achieved. "We are positive that public entities have in place governance structures, mechanisms and processes to weather any storm," Liphoko said, adding that SOEs are geared for economic growth and have a fundamental role to play in achieving the state's developmental objectives. Yury Trutnev, Russia n deputy prime minister and presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, addresses the opening ceremony of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Wu Gang) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The second Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) opened Friday in the Russian city Vladivostok, with the attendance of 2,500 guests and investors from 28 countries. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Yury Trutnev welcomed everybody at the opening ceremony of the EEF and named its main goal as "attracting investment to the Russian Far East region and creating new economic projects." Top managers from 200 Russian and 57 foreign companies from 28 countries joined the EEF to explore more opportunities for economic cooperation. The Ministry for Development of the Russian Far East expected 200 agreements, worth about 1.7 trillion rubles (2.6 billion U.S. dollars), to be signed at the forum. Minister for Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Galushka noted that Russian state policy remained the same for foreign investors. "It's our job to provide simplified administrative procedures and assistance with the projects. The Russian Far East region can offer the best conditions for investors who want to work here," he stressed. Russian President Vladimir Putin invited his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the forum and is expected to meet them on the sidelines of the EEF. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, who is here to attend the G20 summit, in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday met his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, with the two leaders agreeing to deepen cooperation in trade, finance, infrastructure and other areas. Widodo is here to attend the G20 summit on Sept. 4-5. Xi said at the meeting that the two countries have broad common interests, and the bilateral relations are on a good path. The two countries should always be good neighbors, partners and friends, promoting political mutual trust and expanding cooperation, in a bid to further develop the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi told Widodo. Xi called for strengthened high-level coordination, connecting China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative with Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis vision. Xi spoke about the implementation of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway project, and expanding cooperation in fields including infrastructure construction, industrial capacity, trade, investment, finance, e-commerce and others. The Chinese president also called for strengthened exchanges in education, science and technology, health, radio and television sectors as well as young people between the two sides. China will continue to firmly support a united ASEAN and the building of an ASEAN community, and is willing to strengthen consultation and coordination with Indonesia in UN, APEC, G20 and other multilateral institutions, thus jointly safeguarding developing countries' interests. Widodo said Indonesia supports China in hosting a successful G20 summit. The two countries are important partners to each other, and their comprehensive strategic partnership can make contributions to the world peace and security. Indonesia supports discussing the connection of China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative with Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis vision, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in trade, investment, finance, infrastructure and other areas, Widodo added. SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Controversy resurfaced here over the deployment of a U.S. missile shield, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), in South Korean as ruling party lawmakers boycotted all parliamentary procedures in protest against the National Assembly speaker's remarks on THAAD. Parliament Speaker Chung Sey-kyun said in his opening speech at the Assembly's first regular session on Thursday that it would be hard to agree with the government's attitude to the THAAD deployment from the perspective of dealing with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear program. The former lawmaker of the main opposition Minjoo Party accused the government of failing to communicating with the public over the U.S. missile defense system that resulted in split and confusion among people. Chung urged the government to stop a "chicken game" between the two Koreas, calling for talks with the DPRK that can start with smallest possible issues. Saenuri Party lawmakers walked out of the chamber, demanding the speaker's apology and resignation. The ruling party has boycotted all parliamentary procedures until Friday, including the passage of a supplementary budget plan for the second half, strongly advocated by President Park Geun-hye to reinvigorate the faltering economy. Members of the ruling party occupied the speaker's office for a rally against Chung's comments. The governing party lost its majority in parliament in the April 13 elections amid mounting dissatisfactions with income equality and slowing economy. Chung Jin-suk, the governing party's floor leader, reportedly claimed the speaker violated his duty of political neutrality, but Chung Sey-kyun said his remarks were made to reveal public opinion on a current issue without any political intention. Park Jie-won, interim chairman and floor leader of the People's Party, said the speaker's remarks were "excellent" as it reflected public concerns about THAAD, depicting what the country's No. 2 said as the greatest opening speech in parliament. Meanwhile, President Park Geun-hye on Friday made her first mention of a conditional deployment of the U.S. missile shield on South Korean soil, before leaving for Russia to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum. "The essence of the problem in this matter is the North's nuclear and missile threats. If these threats are eliminated, the need to deploy the THAAD system would naturally disappear," Park said in a written interview with Russia's Rossiya Segodnya posted on a Cheong Wa Dae website. It marked the first time the South Korean leader mentioned the conditional THAAD deployment, showing signs of a slight change in her hard-line position ahead of her trips to Russia and China that have strongly opposed the U.S. missile defense system. Park is set to visit Vladivostok for two days to attend the second Eastern Economic Forum and hold a bilateral summit with her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The forum was launched last year to speed up development of the Russian Far East. She will travle to China to attend a Group of Twenty (G20) summit scheduled to be held in Hangzhou on Sunday and Monday. Park, however, reiterated that the THAAD deployment is a measure of self-defense to protect from the DPRK's "ever-escalating" nuclear and missile threats. She said there is no reason, nor practical benefit, for the THAAD system to target any third country, contrasting with repeated expressions of strong objections and worries from China and Russia. Chinese and Russian objections to THAAD in South Korea came as the U.S. missile shield's X-band radar can peer deep into Chinese and Russian territories, breaking strategic balance in the region and damaging security interests of the two countries. Related: THAAD deployment undermines China-U.S., China-ROK strategic mutual trust: spokesman BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the Republic of Korea (ROK) destabilizes the regional strategic balance, and undermines China's strategic interests as well as the strategic mutual trust between China-U.S. and China-ROK. Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made these remarks at a regular news briefing. Full story Anti-THAAD rallies in S. Korea spread on expected site move SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Rallies against the deployment of a U.S. missile shield in South Korea spread as people living in the originally designated site officially called for deliberation on another place to install the shield. The seal is seen on a gate of a girls dormitory which was sealed by Turkish authorities over alleged links to the followers of U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accused of staging a coup attempt in July, in Ankara, Turkey, August 16, 2016.(REUTERS Photo) ANKARA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has sacked more than 8,000 security personnel over suspected links to Gulen's movement that is blamed for a July coup attempt, according to a Turkish statutory decree issued on Friday. The dismissed security personnel include 7,669 police officers, 323 gendarmerie members, 24 central governors and two coast guard command personnel, Anadolu Agency reported. Gulen, who heads the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) according to the Turkish government, has been residing in U.S. since 1999. The Turkish government has repeatedly said the July 15 coup attempt was organized by followers of Gulen. Under the decree, released as part of measures against Gulen's movement during a state of emergency, as many as 519 personnel from the Presidency of Religious Affairs have also been dismissed. In addition, the certificates of those who graduated from the Gulenist universities in foreign countries have been abolished. The decree also enabled judges and prosecutors who voluntarily retired from their positions in the past to return to work. The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen's supporters in the wake of the failed coup attempt. At least 81,000 people have been suspended or dismissed from state organizations over suspected links to Gulen's movement, referred by Ankara as FETO. VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said here Thursday that Russia would like to find a solution with Japan on the long-standing territorial disputes, but will not trade in territories. "We don't trade in territories, and Russia would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News here on Thursday. "We're not talking about some exchange or some sale, we are talking about finding a solution where neither of the parties would feel defeated or a loser," Putin said. Putin made the remarks before meeting on Friday with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of a business forum in Vladivostok. Before his departure for Vladivostok, Abe told reporters: "I hope to make progress on the peace treaty and territorial issues by holding candid and thorough talks with President Putin." Russia and Japan have not signed a peace treaty formalizing the end of World War II due to a territory row over four small islands in the Pacific -- the Southern Kurils called by Russia and the Northern Territories called by Japan. The decades-old territorial dispute has hindered diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Friday, calling for mutual understanding and respect on the issues related to each other's core interests and major concerns. Lee is here to attend the G20 summit on Sept. 4-5. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C) is welcomed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee upon arrival at the Indian Presidential Palace in New Delhi, capital of India, Sept. 2, 2016. India and Egypt agreed on Friday to bolster their defense and security ties to deal with the growing threats of terrorism and radicalization. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar) NEW DELHI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- India and Egypt agreed on Friday to bolster their defense and security ties to deal with the growing threats of terrorism and radicalization. "We are of one view that growing radicalization, increasing violence and spread of terror are real threats not just to our two countries, but also to nations and communities across the region," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told joint press conference with visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. "In this context, we agree to further our defense and security engagements. We have decided to expand defense trade, training, combat capacity building, and greater information exchange to combat terrorism," he said. A joint statement issued after the talks added: "The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism at all levels." Describing Egypt as a natural bridge between Asia and Africa, Modi lauded President Sisi as "a man of many achievements" and praised Cairo's role in the UN Security Council as well as its partnership for the upcoming G20 summit in China. "India appreciates the good work that Egypt has been doing during its current term in the United Nations Security Council. Our decision to consult more closely on regional and global issues both at the UN and outside will benefit our common interests," he said. On his part, President Sisi said his government will work toward a robust security cooperation with India and lay out a roadmap for intensification of bilateral trade and investment cooperation. President Sisi arrived here Thursday on a three-day state visit at invitation of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. HOUSTON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- World retail chain giant Walmart on Thursday announced to relocate around 7,000 back-office jobs to other positions in the coming months to deal with increasing competition from traditional and online competitors. The job relocation will come from its invoice and accounting departments in all its 4,600 U.S. stores, and most of the affected employees will find new customer-facing jobs, Walmart said, adding that the new jobs will include positions like working in the online pickup department or as pharmacy technicians. Walmart spokeswoman Deisha Barnett said that the company is anticipating that associates move into new roles rather than leave the company. As for the wage levels for the relocated employees, Barnett said it would depend on what new positions the employees obtain. Walmart has been hit hard by competition from online shopping sites, particularly Amazon, and the retailer has announced store closures and job cuts several times over the past year. In June this year, Walmart already cut some back office jobs at 500 stores in what Barnett called a "pilot program" to test out the transition process. To make its stores more efficient, Walmart is spending billions of dollars to boost its e-commerce sales while reducing inventory and raising wages. Founded in 1962, Walmart employs about 2.2 million workers worldwide and has 11,539 stores and clubs in 28 countries and regions. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 2(Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to travel to Brunei on Sunday as part of his introductory visit since being elected last June. Philippines Ambassador Meynardo LB Montealegre told local media that Duterte is expected to touch down in Brunei in the afternoon and will end his visit the next day. He will be accompanied by his official delegation, senior government officials and officials from other Philippine government agencies. "He will also meet with His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to discuss general bilateral relations and to convey his sincere appreciation to Brunei Darussalam for taking care of the 23,000-strong overseas Filipinos currently residing in the country," said Montealegre. As part of his visit, Duterte is also scheduled to have a meeting with the Filipino community. "Given that this is the first official foreign trip of the president, his visit to Brunei will give him the opportunity of personally meeting the members of the Filipino Community and sharing with them some development in the Philippines," said the ambassador. Brunei is going to be "the first foreign country visited by the newly-elected president," he added. Duterte will then depart to Laos to attend the ASEAN summits and related summits on Sept. 6-8 before heading to Jakarta. by Larry Neild LONDON, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- A set of official postage stamps was issued Friday to mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, one of the greatest disasters to hit Britain's capital city. The set of six stamps have been designed in a comic-book style as a way of telling the story of the fire which started on Sept. 2, 1666 and raged across a large area of central London. When the fire was finally extinguished on Sept. 5 it had destroyed more than 13,000 houses and burned down 87 churches in London and many iconic buildings. Over four days the fire destroyed what was the medieval walled City of London, home to 80,000 men, women and children. Over 70,000 of them were made homeless by the fire. Although the death toll is said to have been very low, even today nobody knows the exact number of people who died in the fire. Estimates are that 10 people died. The fire was stopped from spreading to other parts of London, including the area where the King lived, thanks mainly to two factors -- strong east winds died down, and soldiers based at the Tower of London used gunpowder to create effective firebreaks to halt the fire from spreading. Philip Parker, a spokesman for Royal Mail, said: "The Great Fire of London is one of the most infamous events in the history of London. Despite the terrible devastation caused by the Great Fire, it provided the opportunity for the regeneration of large swathes of the city and shaped the London we know today. "It was the catalyst of the building of iconic landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral and dozens of parish churches. "It is fitting that we mark the anniversary of the fire with an innovative set of stamps that re-imagine the events." The fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane, a spot now marked by a commemorative monument that is on London's tourism trail. Baker Thomas Farriner and his daughter saved their lives by climbing through a window, but their maid perished in the fire, the first victim of the Great Fire of London. As the fire spread rapidly hundreds of people grabbed what possessions they could carry and ran to the River Thames to escape the flames and the heat. One of the biggest casualties of the fire was St Paul's Cathedral, completely destroyed by the flames. Within days of the fire being put out Sir Christopher Wren outlined plans to King Charles II to start the rebuilding of London, including the current St Paul's Cathedral which is now a dominant feature of the capital's skyline. Wren also designed the Great Fire monument in Pudding Lane. The stamps were designed for Royal Mail by comic book artist John Higgins. Royal Mail said it is the first time they have used a graphic-novel style of design for official postage stamps. One of the few remnants of the fire is a melted piece of pottery discovered by archaeologists many years later in Pudding Lane. Tests showed it had reached a temperature of 1,250 degrees Celsius. The pot is now exhibited in the Museum of London. An exhibition, "Fire! Fire!" is currently taking place at the museum to take visitors on a theatrical journey through the events of 1666. JAKARTA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua)-- Indonesia's state-run mineral mining firm PT Aneka-Tambang (Antam) posted a profit of 11.03 billion rupiah (about 833,200 U.S. dollars) in the first half this year after it posted losses in the same period last year. Antam President Director Tedy Badrujaman said that the firm's profit in the first six months this year was mainly contributed by the surge in its sales that stood at 4.16 trillion rupiah (about 314.2 million U.S. dollars) in which gold commodity contributed 68 percent to the sales. "With the swelling commodity prices at present, we are optimistic that we can provide good profitability and returns for our stakeholders by the end of the year," Tedy was quoted as saying in the statement released by the publicly-listed firm on Friday. Tedy said that the firm posted 396 billion rupiah (about 29.9 million U.S. dollars) of losses in the first half last year. According to Tedy, the second best contributor to the firm's first half sales was ferronickel which booked a sale of 950 billion rupiah (about 71.6 million U.S. dollars), or 23 percent from the total sales figure. Tedy added that during the first half period this year, Antam sold 5,392 kilograms of gold and 8,092 tons of nickel in the form of ferronickel. YANGON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Trade value between Myanmar and China picked up in the first five months of 2016-2017 fiscal year, reaching 2.296 billion U.S. dollars, the Myanmar Ministry of Commerce said on Friday. The four border gates, which link China, are Muse in northern Shan state, Lwejel in Kachin state, Chin Shwehaw in northeastern Shan state and Kanpite Tee in Kachin state, of which Muse border gate stands the largest trade zone with maximum trade value transacting between the two neighbors. However, trade value through Muse gate alone dropped 114.083 million U.S. dollars to 1.95 billion U.S. dollars during the five-month period as there were some restrictions by China on rice trading and other items as well as traffic jam on the route to Muse which slowed down trade activities in the early months of this year. Myanmar mostly exported rice to China, while the others are agricultural products, jade and raw materials. Myanmar has 15 border trade points with China, Thailand, India and Bangladesh. The total border trade value with the four neighboring countries during the first five months of this fiscal year reached 2.816 billion U.S. dollars. The Myanmar government has planned to open more border trade points under the second short-term five-year National Comprehensive Development Plan which spans from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021. JERUSALEM, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Both Palestinian and Israeli officials hope that China will play a stronger role in resolving the Middle East issues, China's visiting special envoy on Middle East affairs said Friday in Tel Aviv. Briefing his tour in Palestine and Israel, Gong Xiaosheng said China believes peace, stability and development are in line with the national interests of the Middle East countries, as well as the interest of the rest of the world. The special envoy reiterated that peaceful dialogues are the best ways to solve regional disputes. Regarding the unstable situation in the region, Gong said all hot issues in the Middle East should be treated in a comprehensive way, implying the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should not be ignored. Furthermore, he believed the international community should pay attention to the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn region, helping push the reconstruction process as well as providing aid. Gong arrived in the region on Tuesday. After visiting Egypt, Palestine and Israel, Gong will leave for France on Saturday, pushing forward the French initiative for Palestinian-Israeli peace process. NAIROBI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday nominated and endorsed Jim Yong Kim to serve a second term as president of the World Bank Group. In a statement, Kenyatta said his action was in response to an announcement from the World Bank Group in Washington DC that the bank was inviting member countries to nominate a candidate for the position of the World Bank Group President. "In a short period of time, Kim has made a huge contribution to reduce poverty and has given hope to millions of people around the globe living below the poverty line," Kenyatta said in the statement. According to Kenyatta, Kim is very passionate about development and has given special attention to Africa's development needs since he became president of the World Bank Group. The Kenyan leader said under Kim's leadership, the International Development Association, an institution which finances development projects for Low Income Countries (LICs), has grown from strength to strength. Kim, the incumbent World Bank president, has expressed his intention to seek renewal of his term as a candidate for the next chief of the international body. PARIS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A retreat of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria would increase risks of terrorist attacks, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins warned on Friday. "Paradoxically, the weakening of the Islamic State in Iraq, Syria area is a factor that increases the risk of attack," Molins said. "We can see in the history of terrorism when terrorist organizations are struggling in their own zone, they seek the opportunity to attack abroad," he told Le Monde newspaper. IS weakening could trigger a return to France of a large number of French jihadists and their families which, according to Molins, was "a worrying factor." About 700 French youth have already joined Islamist fighters in Iraq and Syria, according to official data. France remains at high terror risk a month and a half after a man drove his truck into crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day in the southern city of Nice. A total of 86 people were killed in the attack. A few days later, two teenagers slaughtered a priest in a church in northern France. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for both attacks. by Ronald Ssekandi ADJUMANI, Uganda, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- When fighting started in South Sudan on July 7, Richard Odego fled to Uganda leaving behind all his assets. All he wanted to do is to save his life and family from the raging war. Without any border restrictions, Odego crossed into Uganda and is now at Nyumanzi Transit Center waiting to be resettled in a refugee camp. Like thousands of refugees in Uganda, Odego will be resettled on a piece of land which he will cultivate food instead of entirely depending on relief aid. It is this open refugee policy that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says should be used as a model of refugee management across the global. Hilary Onek, Uganda's minister for refugees and disaster preparedness, while on a visit with the UNHCR head Filippo Grandi here earlier this week at one of the camps hosting South Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda, said the policy has been remodeled. Onek said Uganda, supported by the UN and other donor agencies, has started a project dubbed Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHoPE). The five-year 350 million U.S. dollar project aims at empowering refugees to become self-reliant and reduce their dependence on humanitarian. Onek said refugees have assets, skills and capabilities that can be tapped to support themselves, and later on, transferred to their countries of origin when they return home. "We want to turn this human resource into a productive force. When they become productive and even start earning money that will reflect on our economy," he said. He said the refugees will engage in a number of livelihood strategies, both in agricultural and non- agricultural sectors, in bid for them to be self-reliant. The refugees will be clustered in one area, and the rest of the land will be opened up for mechanized farming. The refugees would then share the proceeds from the farming. As funding to humanitarian efforts dwindle, experts argue that Uganda's approach would be one of the key alternatives to adopt in refugee management and response in the longer term. Grandi said learning from Uganda, there are global discussions on how to integrate humanitarian emergency response with long-term development, for the benefit of not only refugees but also their host communities. He said the ReHoPE project is viable but needs funding. He said urged the rich countries to also give equal attention to humanitarian crises in Africa and other less developed places. He said most of the rich countries focus on high profile crises and those near their boundaries. Grandi said he will front Uganda's refugee policy at the forthcoming UN meeting on refugees and migrants scheduled later this month. At the end of last year, Uganda was the eighth-largest refugee hosting country in the world. The country hosts over 560,000 refugees and asylum seekers, according to UNHCR figures. Already in 2016, it has received an estimated 163,000 new arrivals fleeing from war and human rights violations in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and elsewhere. GENEVA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned Friday that some 500,000 migrant children have resorted to smugglers to reach their European destinations since January 2015 as a result of delays and desperation. Though the influx of migrants into Europe has slowed down this year, criminal groups have used established drugs and arms smuggling routes to bypass tightened migration policies, UNICEF explained. "Closing official borders was like locking the doors but leaving the windows open, which just pushes children, especially the unaccompanied, to take greater risks," UNICEF Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant crisis in Europe Marie-Pierre Poirier said in a statement. "States should be building up stronger protection systems for children, not building higher walls," she added. This trends also means big business for smugglers, with many migrants paying as much as 3,000 Euros for a single leg of their journey. This means that many children find themselves indebted to smugglers, putting them at great risk of exploitation, UNICEF explained. Reports have documented unaccompanied children in both France and Italy having to pay off their debts with forced labour, sexual services or being forced to commit crimes. GENEVA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- One in every 42 migrants who crossed the Central Mediterranean route separating North Africa and Italy has died this year, up from one in every 52 in 2015, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported Friday. "This makes 2016 to date the deadliest year on record in the Central Mediterranean," the agency said in a statement. "The chances of dying on the Libya to Italy route are ten times higher than when crossing from Turkey to Greece," it added. According to latest International Organisation for Migration (IOM) figures, 278,327 migrants and refugees have reached European shores by sea through the first eight months of 2016. IOM's fatality count shows that 2,731 migrants have perished on the central Mediterranean passage, compared to 386 on the Eastern Mediterranean route separating Turkey and Greece. A further 54 individuals have drowned on the Western Mediterranean and Western African routes. All these figures are substantially higher than 2015's death toll over the same period. by Xinhua Writer Qu Junya BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's attempt at the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in late August to politicize the so-called Japan-Africa summit cannot convince Africa of its sincerity in offering help. Its failure to do so at the conference held on Aug. 27-28 in Nairobi, Kenya, is also a fact that cannot be changed by sugar-coated coverage by Japanese media. This is shown in the outcome document, the Nairobi Declaration, which rejects Japan's intended texts about reforming the United Nations (UN) Security Council or freedom of navigation. It is less than Japan desired, much less than the claim in the Aug. 29 report by Japan's Kyodo news agency that an agreement on the role of international law in keeping maritime order was reached despite the tension in the East and South China Seas. Similar Japanese media reports, distorting and misleading, are trying to direct Japan-Africa relations toward a confrontation with China in order to damage the traditionally friendly ties between China and Africa, analysts said. Japan's deliberate disparagement of China-Africa cooperation during the TICAD meeting in Nairobi as reported by African media also served this end. However, this little trick, as well as its attempt at the prior high-ranking officials' meeting to shift the focus of the TICAD agenda and outcome document from the development and improvement of livelihood in Africa, was met only with disapproval by leaders of many African countries. The leaders made their stance clear: They oppose Japan's politicizing the TICAD, and Japan's imposing its will and issues elsewhere on Africa. In fact, African countries know very well what the actual purpose of Japan's investments is. Some African media have even described Japan's assistance pledges as mere publicity stunts. Japan wants to secure African support for its intended entry into the UN Security Council, a Sierra Leone news website reckons. Africa's oil is another target of Japan's after an earthquake forced the closure of the Fukushima nuclear station, it said. Only one third of the investments of 30 billion U.S. dollars by 2018 that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged at the meeting is for the development of infrastructure, Nigeria's mainstream Leadership newspaper reported. The rest from the private sector can only benefit Japanese businesses rather than the African people, it said. No wonder African countries have appealed to Japan to base its help on mutual benefits, instead of seeking only political returns or an access to Africa's rich natural resources and huge market of product processing. It is the first time that the TICAD was hosted in Africa. However, an attendance by barely over half of the countries on the continent may indicate a lack of interest on Africa's part in Japan's insincere chequebook diplomacy. Related: China condemns Japan for sowing discord between China, Africa BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that Japan wanted to sell its own intentions to African countries and had attempted to sow discord between China and Africa. Full story Commentary: Abe tries again to ram self-serving priorities into agenda of international meeting MANILA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is set to explain his government's war on illegal drugs before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other partner countries at the Laos Summit, a senior government official said Friday. Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Ma. Hellen dela Vega said part of the Philippine key priorities for the Summit would be "drug-free ASEAN." "He will explain to the international community the problem that we had, how it impacts on the social fabric of our society. And the problem could even affect us in the future," she said in a news briefing in Malacanang, the presidential palace. Duterte's attendance to the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summit and related Summits in Vientiane on September 6 to 8 will be his first since he assumed office on June 30. UN Rapporteur human rights experts were among the first to criticize Duterte for the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the country. Duterte even threatened that the Philippines would pull out from the UN. More than 2,000 drug suspects have already been killed since July 1 and most of them were allegedly perpetrated by vigilantes. Duterte has vowed to eliminate illegal drugs in the country within the first three to six months of his administration. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachit in Hangzhou, capital city of east Chinas Zhejiang Province, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on China and Laos to build an unshakable community of common destiny. Xi made the remarks as he met with Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachit ahead of the G20 Hangzhou summit. Bounnhang has been invited to attend the summit as a guest, as his country currently holds ASEAN rotating presidency. Xi said that during the 55 years since diplomatic relations were established, the two countries have cooperated in various areas, to the benefit of both peoples. During Bounnhang's China visit in May, the two countries agreed on comprehensive strategic cooperation in the new era, Xi said. China and Laos should advance their comprehensive strategic partnership and join hands in building a community of common destiny, Xi said. The two countries should work on the Belt and Road Initiative and cooperate in production capacity, infrastructure, energy, and the economy, he said. The 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties will be celebrated with exchange and cooperation in education, culture, tourism, and law enforcement security, he said. Laos' attendance in the G20 summit is of great importance, the Chinese president said. Bounnhang thanked China for the invitation and for the inclusion of "development" in the G20 summit agenda Laos will continue to support China's important role in global and regional affairs, and will strengthen bilateral communication and coordination, said Bounnhang. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday, calling for mutual understanding and respect on issues related to the two countries' core interests and major concerns. China and Singapore forged a partnership of all-round cooperation keeping with the times last year during Xi's state visit to the Southeast Asian city-state. Noting the importance of top-level design of bilateral ties, Xi proposed that high-level exchanges be maintained and communication with Singapore strengthened. China pays great attention to Singapore's interest in the Belt and Road Initiative, said Xi, adding China is ready to build the China-Singapore Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality into a highlight of bilateral ties. The Chinese president also called for the advancement of two flagship government-to-government cooperative projects, namely the Suzhou Industrial Park established in 1994 in China's eastern province of Jiangsu, and the Tianjin Eco-city inaugurated in 2008 in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin. The two countries should deepen cooperation in areas of finance, the Internet, social management, law enforcement security, counter-terrorism and anti-corruption, said Xi. Xi expects Singapore, as the coordinator for China-ASEAN relations, to push forward the healthy and stable development of China-ASEAN ties. China, Xi added, is ready to enhance communication and coordination with Singapore in regional and international mechanisms. For his part, Lee spoke highly of the smooth progress of bilateral cooperation in all areas under the guidance of a partnership of all-round cooperation keeping with the times between the two countries. Noting that the strategic connectivity project in Chongqing is taking shape, Lee said the two countries should take it as an opportunity to expand cooperation in aviation, finance and connectivity under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Singapore, as the coordinator for China-ASEAN relations, is willing to improve cooperation between China and ASEAN, said Lee. Lee is here to attend the G20 Hangzhou summit on Sept. 4-5. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China will work with Senegal to elevate bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, President Xi Jinping said when meeting with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall on Friday. Sall is in the eastern city of Hangzhou to attend the 11th summit of the Group of 20 major economies, to be held on Sept. 4-5. He is one of the leaders of some guest countries and international organizations to join the leaders of the G20 members. Sall said he was very pleased to attend the summit at Xi's invitation, which symbolizes China's great importance attached to Africa. Xi said China is willing to work with Senegal to implement the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and strengthen bilateral friendly cooperation of mutual benefit. The Chinese president stressed that the two sides shall enhance political exchanges to promote mutual trust and expand economic and trade collaboration by bridging China's development plans with those of Senegal to help the latter accelerate industrialization and boost agricultural modernization. Xi also hoped the two countries would strengthen cooperation in the field of security, including peacekeeping, keep close communication and coordination on global affairs, and work together to drive the world's political and economic order to be more just and equitable. Sall expressed appreciation for China's long-term assistance to Senegal and Africa. He spoke highly of the cooperation plans adopted at the Johannesburg Summit in early December last year and China's pragmatic measures to implement them. Senegal is willing to work closely with China to realize independent development in Africa, he said. DUBLIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Irish cabinet decided on Friday to appeal the European Commission's ruling that Ireland had supplied illegal state aid worth 13 billion euros (14.57 billion U.S. dollars) to Apple. The decision was taken after a half-hour cabinet meeting that defused the danger of a split with independent ministers. The terms of the appeal will now be drafted by the Office of the Attorney General, and the Dail Eireann, lower house of Irish parliament, will meet to debate the issue next Wednesday, according to Ireland's public broadcaster RTE. A motion will also be tabled seeking the Dail Eireann's support for the appeal and a commitment to transparency in taxation of the corporate sector, RTE reported. On Wednesday, the cabinet meeting was adjourned until Friday because several independent ministers asked for more time to study the Apple tax ruling before deciding whether to back the appeal process. On Tuesday, the European Commission ruled that Ireland granted undue tax benefits of up to 13 billion euros to Apple, saying that "selective treatment" allowed Apple to pay tax rate of 1 percent on EU profits in 2003 down to 0.005 percent in 2014. The findings are a result of the culmination of a three-year investigation by Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager into tax arrangements for Apple, dating back 25 years. In a statement, the EC said the benefit is "illegal under EU state aid rules, because it allowed Apple to pay substantially less tax than other businesses. Ireland must now recover the illegal aid." In response to Tuesday's Apple tax ruling, Irish Finance Minister Noonan said he "disagrees profoundly" with the ruling and will seek cabinet approval to appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union. At the center of the Apple controversy are two of the company's subsidiaries, Apple Operations Europe and Apple Sales International. These firms were registered in Ireland, however, they were controlled in the United States where they held their board meetings. Revenue authorities taxed the companies on the basis of their activities in Ireland, however, the EC says both companies should have been taxed by Ireland on the basis of their worldwide income. Indian workers participate in a rally as part of the nationwide labor strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, capital of India, Sept. 2, 2016. Millions of workers across Indian states Friday observed a day-long strike demanding better wages and new labor reforms. (Xinhua/Stringer) NEW DELHI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Millions of workers across Indian states Friday observed a day-long strike demanding better wages and new labor reforms. The strike affected public sector such as banks, government offices and industrial clusters and even disrupted public transport in many states of India. However, private banks functioned normally. The strike was jointly called by nine central trade unions (CTUs) to protest the government's economic reforms and what they describe federal government's "anti-labor" policies. Trade union leaders said Friday's strike saw 150 million workers across India off the work. However, their claims could not be verified. While the Indian government maintained that reforms were needed to bolster the country's economy, trade union leaders said the government has ignored demands of workers in banking, telecommunication and manufacturing industries. Reports said the strike call evoked mixed response with Kerala and major portion of Karnataka observing complete shutdown, while in others states including West Bengal, Odisha, the partial impact of strike was observed. In New Delhi and Mumbai buses were plying on roads and essential services like power and water supply remained unaffected. The Delhi government invoked the stringent Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to ensure presence of employees in its offices and quelled a demonstration by nurses demanding salaries. The protesting nurses were allegedly manhandled by the police contingents and whisked away in police buses to end their demonstrations. Around 20,000 nurses work in government hospitals in Delhi, according to reports. The trade unions demanded a fixed minimum monthly wages of 268 U.S. dollars for each worker. "The government announcement about hike in daily wages of unskilled non-agricultural workers from 3.6 U.S. dollars (INR 246) to 5.2 U.S. dollars (INR 350) is not acceptable," said Tapan Sen, leader of Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). On Tuesday in a bid to reach out to the trade unions, India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said government will release state employees' bonuses for the last two years, and increase minimum wages for unskilled laborers. The trade unions rejected government appeal on Tuesday to call off the strike, saying it has failed to address their demands. The trade unions accused government of ignoring their 12-point charter of demands and continuing with unilateral labor reforms. "Our basic demands also include containing the price rise by banning speculative trade in commodity market and stoppage of disinvestment of public sector undertakings (PSUs)," Sen said. U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a joint press conference with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (not seen in the picture) after their meeting in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on Aug. 31, 2016. (Xinhua/Str) MEXICO CITY, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- One day after U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Mexico, Mexicans on Thursday continued attacks against the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party's (PRI) decision to invite the controversial candidate. Many, including Mexico's Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu, maker of "Birdman" and "The Revenant," were angered that the candidate most hostile to Mexico had been invited. Mexican President "Enrique Pena Nieto's invitation to Donald Trump is a betrayal. It endorses and formalizes the person who has insulted us, spit on us and threatened us for more than a year before the entire world," Inarritu wrote in an editorial published by Spanish daily El Pais. Mexico City Secretary of Economic Development Salomon Chertorivski echoed that sentiment. "Donald Trump's visit seems outrageous to me. The person, perhaps, who has most offended and inundated with insults our country, is welcomed. It is painful and incongruent," Chertorivski said in an interview with MVS Radio. Mexico's leading left-leaning opposition figure Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador considered the political implications and called the meeting a mistake, saying it appeared to give the impression Mexico was meddling in U.S. elections, according to MVS. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has been forced to repeatedly defend his decision to host the controversial candidate. "Why did I meet with Donald Trump?" Pena Nieto posted to Twitter, with a link to an editorial he published in the daily El Universal, explaining his reasons. A person holds a poster during a demonstration against the visit of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on August 31, 2016.(Xinhua/Str) The president said he extended an invitation to both candidates on Friday, and Trump was the first to accept. "It is important to meet with both candidates, but it was even more important to meet with Mr. Trump, because there are things he should hear from Mexico's president, beginning with the sentiment of the Mexicans," said Pena Nieto. He went on to detail his private conversation with Trump, saying "I was very clear ... in stressing that in Mexico we were offended and pained by his statements about Mexicans." On the campaign trail, Trump has frequently used derogatory language when referring to Mexicans and other Latin Americans who migrate to the United States, calling them "killers and rapists". During his visit, Trump did not apologize or make any concessions to Mexico, as many had hoped, and just hours later repeated his assertion that he would build a massive wall along the two countries' 2,000-mile border to keep out migrants, and have Mexicans pay for it. "Mexico will pay for the wall!" Trump Tweeted Thursday morning. Argentine President Mauricio Macri (R, front) arrives in Hangzhou to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Chen Fei) BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Mauricio Macri headed a high-level delegation and departed for China on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit to be held on Sept. 4-5 in the city of Hangzhou, according to an official statement released Thursday. The team, which also includes Argentina's Minister of Economy and Finance Alfonso Prat-Gay, Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra and Deputy Minister of Public Finance Pedro Lacoste, intends to show that Argentina is open for business from foreign investors. On Sept. 5, Macri will give his first speech to the summit. The same day, both finance officials will attend the 3rd plenary session on promoting international and trade and investment, during which Macri will make his second address. The statement added that Argentina "is taking a new step in its goal to tighten bonds with the world, integrate diplomatic relations and international finance, and establish a common agenda in order to resolve the main problems facing the world." Photo taken on Aug. 31, 2016 shows a night view of Hangzhou Grand Theater in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The G20 Summit will be held in Hangzhou from Sept. 4 to 5. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Another statement by the Foreign Ministry issued on Thursday added that Argentina is paying "great importance" to the Summit, as part "of its strategy of international insertion." Among the topics Argentina will discuss at the summit are "sustainable development, the strength of trade and investment, the problem of climate change and innovation in science and technology, among others." BEIJING, Sep. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's securities watchdog is considering more support for green financing via the capital market to help the transition to greener growth, according to a senior researcher. More capital market support could help channel money into environmentally friendly sectors, said Ma Xianfeng, deputy head of the China Institute of Finance and Capital Markets, a think tank affiliated with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). A green financing mechanism will help the transition to sustainable growth, according to the People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Wednesday, who called for more products on the capital markets for companies investing in green business. The CSRC may ease IPO approval for green companies and require stricter information disclosure and investigation regarding environmental protection, according to Ma. Ma pointed out that China still has no standards and regulations for green bonds but the government can offer tax exemptions or subsidies for green bond insurance to reduce financing costs. A total of 12 issuers have declared 13 green company bonds or green-asset-backed securities with a volume of 35 billion yuan (5.25 billion U.S.dollars). The CSRC is also researching carbon futures, important to reducing carbon emissions and might build a carbon futures market once the carbon spot market is well established. China now has 19 green stocks indices featuring sustainable development, environmentally friendly sectors and green environment topics, which only account for about two percent of all indices. The government should develop more green indices and encourage domestic asset management institutions to develop investment products, green stocks and bond indices, Ma added. HANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang met with U.S. Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew on Friday in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou ahead of the 11th G20 summit. Wang said China and the United States have completed a peer review of each other's fossil fuel subsidies under the G20 framework before the summit, which he said has helped advance the reform of the two countries' economic restructuring and contribute to global efforts against climate change. Lew said the completion of the review as scheduled will encourage more G20 members to conduct the review. The United States is willing to work together with China to make the G20 summit as well as the U.S.-China leaders' meeting a success, he said. Kevin Rudd (L), Chairman of International Finance Forum (IFF) and former Prime Minister of Australia, gives an exclusive interview to Xinhuanet in Shanghai, on Sept. 1, 2016. The 13th Annual Conference of International Finance Forum (IFF) is held in Shanghai from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. (Xinhuanet/Pei Xin) SHANGHAI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's views on global economic governance are very important, Kevin Rudd, chairman of the International Finance Forum (IFF) and former prime minister of Australia, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview here on Thursday. "China plays a more active role in global governance in general, both in the United Nations, but also in the global economic institutions as well," said Rudd, who came to Shanghai to attend the 13th annual conference of the IFF scheduled from Wednesday to Friday. "I think in the history of G20 (Group of 20), my observation, as someone who has attended a number of these meetings is that China has always been a constructive voice in these meetings, because of the size of the economy now, a critical voice," he said. Under the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," this year's G20 summit is scheduled on Sunday and Monday in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. Under China's proposal, green finance is for the first time written into the agenda of the G20 summit. Rudd stressed three areas should be focused on while talking about the influence of green finance on global financial governance. For starters, the infrastructure of the emerging economies should be emphasized, he said, which is what the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the New Silk Road Fund and the Belt and Road Initiative are trying to do. Secondly, the key question is how to finance environmental sustainability: what could be obtained in finance and how financial products could be produced to further drive the environmental sector of the economy, given an 8-percent annual growth rate on trade, goods and services in the environmental sector of the economy. The third point is how to identify finance at a small level, he said, noting that finance should be delivered flexibly to new entrepreneurs and small businesses across the world through creative platforms like Alibaba, China's e-commerce giant. "So the challenge for finance is finance in infrastructure, finance for green development, and finance also for small businesses and starter businesses that are particularly run by women," he said. At the conference, Rudd released a report entitled "UN 2030: Rebuilding Order in a Fragmenting World." The report, complete with recommendations for the next UN Secretary General, was written in his capacity as chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism. "This report that I have spent the last two years on is about how do you make the United Nations more fit for purpose for the new challenges of the 21st century in peace, security and sustainable development, humanitarian support and other areas as well," he said. Enterprises representatives from China's Guangdong Province and Kenya sign agreements on investment and trade cooperation during the China (Guangdong)-Kenya Economic and Trade cooperation Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 2, 2016. The Kenyan government has intensified efforts to attract Chinese investments in key sectors of the economy like manufacturing, energy, transport, tourism and real estate, senior official said on Friday. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) NAIROBI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government has intensified efforts to attract Chinese investments in key sectors of the economy like manufacturing, energy, transport, tourism and real estate, a senior official said on Friday. Speaking during the China (Guangdong)-Kenya Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary for Labor & East African Community Affairs Phyllis Kandie said Kenya is open to Chinese investments to hasten economic and social renewal in line with Vision 2030 blue print. "As we embark on implementation of Vision 2030 to transform Kenya into a middle-income economy, investments from China will be critical to achieve this goal," Kandie said. Governor of Guangdong Province Zhu Xiaodan, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa and some 200 business executives from China and Kenya attended the meeting. The meeting culminated in signing of agreements between Guangdong and Kenyan business entities to enhance future collaboration. Kandie said Kenya was honored to host the largest delegation of Chinese investors in recent history. "China is Kenya's largest trading partner and source of foreign direct investments. We look forward to vigorous discussions with Chinese investors on opportunities in tourism, mining, ICT, real estate and manufacturing sectors," said Kandie. Kandie said joint ventures between Chinese and Kenyan firms will also be critical to develop the nascent oil and gas sector in the country. LAGOS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Friday said it has successfully destroyed a Boko Haram camp in restive northeast state of Borno in an unexpected attack on the terrorists' hideout. Spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Ayodele Famuyiwa said in a statement reaching Xinhua that intelligence report has indicated that several Boko Haram commanders who were wounded in a similar attack on Aug. 20 were believed to have been receiving treatment at the camp. Famuyiwa said the latest strike aims to neutralize the suspected leaders of the sect. He said the Air Force is yet to ascertain the casualty figure, but post-strike Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) mission shows that the degree of damage achieved was devastating as the buildings were engulfed by large fire as can be seen from the declassified video of the air operation. Nigerian forces have recently carried out patrols and surveillance by land and air in Borno State and the entire northeast region where Boko Haram has been rampant since 2009. KATHMANDU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Nepali police have arrested two Turkish nationals on the charge of possessing three stags' horns illegally in Kathmandu, officials said on Friday. The Turkish nationals were arrested with rare stags' horns at the Tribhuvan International Airport as they were about to board on a Turkish Airlines bound for Istanbul from Kathmandu, Republica Online News reported. "The illegal stags' horns were seized during a baggage screening at the airport," Deputy Inspector General of Police said. The arrested foreigners have been taken into custody for further investigation, the police said. Possessing stag's horn is considered as the illegal wildlife trade in Nepal. LONDON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Over 57 percent of the Britons say they support the junior doctors' strike as the country braces itself for the coming five-day-long labor withdrawal, according to the result of a Sky Data Snap Poll released on Friday. The poll shows that 57 percent of the respondents support medics while the others oppose the strike, the longest in the history of the British National Health Service which is one of the world's largest publicly funded health services. The strike, which is scheduled between Sept. 12 to Sept. 18, is expected to have 100,000 operations canceled and 1 million hospital appointments postponed, according to the UK health authority. The latest poll shows that the number of the supporters for the strike has decreased over the past months. In February, over 70 percent of the pollsters said they are in favor of the strike. It also shows that voters aged 55 or over are opposed to the strikes by 53 percent to 47 percent, though there is stronger support for the junior doctors' position among younger voters. The figure came one day after British Prime Minister Theresa May accused the British Medical Association, representing junior doctors, of "playing politics" and the country's Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt slammed the planned strike as "devastating" and will lead to "absolute misery" for patients. LAGOS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The call for resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari by the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the economy is preposterous, the Nigerian government said Friday. Deji Adeyanju, a PDP spokesperson, had asked the President to resign for destroying the economy. Official data released on Wednesday stated that Nigeria was in recession, with a 2.06-percent contraction seen in the second quarter Gross Domestic Product -- lowest growth rate in three decades. "It is very painful in a situation where the armed robber is now the one sympathizing with the victim," Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, said at a media forum in Abuja, the nation's capital. "I read in the dailies that the PDP said that the President must resign because of the economy," he added. "While we are not going to indulge in blame game, I think we should also be honest enough to admit that we will not have been where we are today if they had done what they ought to do," Mohammed said. The Nigerian official told reporters that Nigeria is not the only country hit by recession and crash in price of crude oil, but other countries made savings. "Saudi Arabia today has about 600 billion U.S. dollars in reserve and this is by planning and saving for the future which the past administration failed to do during surplus," he added. "This is not about blaming other administration, but we believe that one should be honest when criticizing," the minister said. Mohammed assured that the government would do everything possible to bring the country out of the economic situation. MOSCOW, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday met with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the ongoing Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia. The two leaders discussed a broad range of cooperation issues. As to their long-held dispute over four islands in the Pacific, which is deemed to be the main roadblock toward a peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo, the two sides agreed to continue consultations. During his visit to the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May, Abe presented detailed ideas on implementing an eight-point plan of cooperation with Russia, which covers various spheres. The Russian side said they had carefully reviewed those plans. Russian Foreign Minster Sergey Lavrov said at the EEF that several concrete projects on bilateral cooperation will be unveiled during Putin's visit to Japan scheduled for December. Moscow and Tokyo have held several rounds of talks on boosting bilateral cooperation and on the signing of a peace treaty, Lavrov said, adding that the results of those consultations, which Russia and Japan would continue with, will be announced during Putin's Tokyo trip. Russia and Japan have not inked a bilateral peace treaty after World War II due to a territory row over four small islands in the Pacific -- the Southern Kurils as Russia calls them or the Northern Territories as Japan calls them. The decades-old territorial dispute has hindered diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries. Earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this is a much more complex issue and requires longer and more expert-level efforts. In an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, Putin noted that a compromise on the islands was possible provided there was a "high level of trust," but he added that Russia did not "trade territories." "We are not talking about some exchange or some sale, we are talking about finding a solution where neither of the parties would feel defeated or a loser," Putin said in the interview. Lavrov said Tokyo has shown willingness to discuss issues related to the joint economic activity on those disputed islands, including "exchanges of people and humanitarian relations." The two parties started evaluating each other from the standpoint of an economic partnership, which is a positive development, because in the political field, they have a lot of differences, Dmitry Streltsov, director of Oriental Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told Xinhua. He anticipated that Putin's visit to Japan, which has been postponed several times, would take place in December as planned. "If there was a disruption in the relations between Moscow and Tokyo, it might be postponed indefinitely," he said. COPENHAGEN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Residents of Christiania here started to tear down scores of cannabis-selling stalls in the self-governing community in a bid to close down the infamous drug market. The move comes after two police officers were shot by a gunman in Christiania during a routine task on Wednesday night. The suspected gunman was later shot by police and died from his wounds early on Friday. Residents of Christiania, also known as Freetown, gathered on Thursday night for a meeting, where the decision was made to shut down the open-air cannabis market, Pusher Street. Risenga Manghezi, a spokesman for the residents in Christiania, said they strongly condemned the criminality that the cannabis market entailed. "Christiania cannot take responsibility for housing all of Denmark's cannabis trade," Manghezi said in press statement. In the meanwhile, he called upon citizens to not buy drugs in the community. "We need all of Denmark's help for that. If you support Christiania, stop buying your cannabis here," Manghezi said. Christiania was established by squatters in 1971 and a liberal attitude toward soft drugs has existed since then. Although massive actions have been taken by police to stop the trade of drugs in the community, the dealing was never really eradicated. Veronica Lee, a middle-aged resident of Christiania, said she supported the decision to remove the drug dealers' trading stalls from the community, although she was not against the trading of cannabis if it was legalized. "I hope that peace and harmony will return to our community after the stalls are removed," she said. Danish police arrested 28 people in September last year in a major operation targeting the cannabis trade in Christiania. Previously, 76 people were sentenced to a combined 187 years and three months in what has been considered as the country's largest ever cannabis case. STRASBOURG, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- In a Friday address to inaugurate the 84th European Faire of Strasbourg, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls defended his counterterrorism record in the context of a political season centered on security reinforcement. Faced with an "unprecedented threat" of terrorism, "we are waging a war, we are at war. This threat obliges us all to change strategies," declared the head of the French government in front of the economic and political establishment of the Grand Est region of France, gathered for the opening of the European Fair. "Tomorrow we could be struck again. This is not to resign ourselves, this is to speak the truth. It is necessary, therefore, to build a new culture of security," Valls said. "Even when we will have crushed Daesh, and we will crush it, the Salafi discourse and radicalization will always be there, for a generation, perhaps for several generations," he insisted. "You have measured the phenomenon in Strasbourg. This is a city which regularly organizes events on an international scale. It has been targeted by terrorist plans," he added. "We must be capable to react and rebound. This is a global policy to put into action in all sectors of society," said the prime minister, defending the police raids carried out in radicalized religious sites in France that concluded with over 30 people being questioned. No less than 15,000 people suspected of radicalization are being monitored in France, he affirmed. In welcoming the prime minister, Socialist mayor of Strasbourg Roland Ries also put the accent on "the combat to be fought against terrorism" in one of the French cities most favored by tourists, as well as being the European capital where the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights are seated. While the holding of mass gatherings has been the subject of fiery debate in France, especially after the deadly terrorist attack on July 14 in Nice (Southern France), Roland Ries pleaded for the security of events, "rather than to renounce their organization," and called for "the vigilance of everyone." In the context of terrorist threats, 54 percent of the additional security forces were deployed for the organization of the 84th European Fair of Strasbourg set to last until Sept. 12 and expects more than 200,000 visitors. Tunisia, guest country of honor for the event, was praised by the French prime minister which announced the organization of a high-level French-Tunisian council before the end of the year. The European Fair of Strasbourg is a commercial event held every September. More than 1,000 exhibitors coming from widely varied horizons, from agriculture to crafts, as well as household goods, wellness, cuisine and sports, will be present for the 84th edition. NICOSIA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Data released by Cypriot banks this week on the results of the first half of the year showed a strong comeback three years after Cypriot lenders were resolved, an economist said on Friday. "First-half of the year results are a strong indication that the banking system is springing back and is on the verge of expanding again," said Marios Mavrides, a financial analyst and parliamentary deputy. But he also noted that banks were still weighed down by the impact of a three-year economic adjustment program under a 10-billion-euro (11.2 billion U.S. dollar) bailout agreement with the Eurogroup and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The biggest problem for the banks is non-performing loans, the result of still-high unemployment standing at 11.6 percent but down from its peak of 17 percent three years ago, Mavrides said. Non-performing loans for all banks soared close to 28 billion euros or about half of the total after the bailout in March 2013. Bank of Cyprus, the eastern Mediterranean island's biggest lender, posted a net profit of 56 million euros from Jan. 1 to June 30. The bank's Irish CEO, John Patrick Hourican, said the bank's operating profitability for the second quarter actually reached 135 million euros but the net profit was brought down to just six million euros, after the bank decided on a faster risk reducing though increased provisions. It also reduced problematic loans by 16 percent through restructuring bad debts amounting to 2 billion euros and brought down Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) from the European Central Bank by 2.3 billion euros to 1.5 billion euros. The Bank of Cyprus was burdened by ELA amounting to about 10 billion euros when it was forced to recapitalize by seizing almost half of large deposits three years ago. Bank of Cyprus said its Core Tier 1 capital rose to 14.4 percent, as against 12.25 percent required by the European Banking Authority. Cooperative banks have emerged as the second largest lender of Cyprus, following the winding down of the bankrupted Cyprus Popular Bank. The 17 cooperative banks -- down from their original number of about 300 local cooperative credit societies -- are grouped under the Cooperative Central Bank. It also reported a good profit of 55.3 million euros during the first half compared to 46.7 billion euros for the corresponding period last year. Cooperative banks also reported an extensive restructuring of red loans amounting to nearly 700 million euros. But a statement said these loans were still recorded as non-performing due to the requirement of the European Banking Authority for restructured loans to be struck from the list after 12 months. The Cooperative Central Bank reported a 16.38-percent Core Tier 1 ratio. Hellenic Bank posted a first-half profit of 1.1 million euros, up from 543,000 euros of the first half of 2015. It also reported a reduction of non-performing loans by 2.0 percent in the first half and 4.0 percent on a yearly basis. The bank's Core Tier 1 capital stood at 17.15 percent, it said. GUANGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China Southern Airlines on Friday said it plans to increase its fleet size by about 43 percent to 1,000 aircraft by 2020. The country's largest air carrier by fleet size said it is expected to carry 160 million passengers annually in 2020. China Southern leased a new Airbus A321 on Friday, bringing its total number of aircraft to 700. This made it the world's fourth largest airline by fleet size after American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, according to the International Air Transport Association. The expansion in its fleet size is mainly due to the opening of more international routes, the airline said. Currently, its international flights carry 31 percent of its total passengers. LONDON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A serving member of the British armed forces has been charged with terrorism offences, the country's Metropolitan Police said on Friday. The 30-year-old soldier, Ciaran Maxwell, appeared on Friday at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Maxwell was arrested at his base in Taunton last week, and is charged with a series of offences, including obtaining items to be used in explosives, according to the Metropolitan Police. The soldier is also facing charges of possession of cannabis and articles in connection with fraud. After the court hearing, Maxwell was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday. TAIPEI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A university student in Taiwan was sentenced to 11 months in jail on Friday for killing three cats and seriously injuring another, according to a statement released by the Chiayi District Court. The man Yin confessed to having dashed adopted cats on the ground in a fit of rage, according to the court. The four cats were adopted by separately in September and October last year, but three were found dead after a period of two days to two weeks, according to the court. Another cat, adopted by Yin on Sept. 29, were found to have sustained severe injuries about two weeks later, the court added. The fate of the cats led animal shelter groups and the former carers of the cats to suspect that Yin, 21, had done this deliberately and filed a lawsuit against him . Under the island's current laws, those found to have intentionally injured an animal and caused its death may face a maximum sentence of one year in prison and fines up to 1 million new Taiwan dollars (about 32,000 U.S. dollars). MOGADISHU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has called on international community to increase resources to help security forces counter use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the Horn of Africa nation. Speaking at a seminar which ended on Thursday, AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics Nakibus Lakara said countering the ongoing threat to life and security caused by IEDs in Somalia requires increased cordon and search operations and training for AMISOM and Somali security personnel on IED countermeasures. "This is because some of the troop contributing countries have limited capabilities that are inadequate to defeat the use of IEDs," he added. The AU official appealed for technical expertise and equipment to help counter the use of IEDs which have become the weapon of choice of the militant group Al-Shabaab. Lakara noted that the militants were manufacturing bigger IEDs, some weighing more than 80 kilograms. COLOMBO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Friday called for credible process to address issues related to the war in Sri Lanka when he visited the island nation. The UN Chief who was in Sri Lanka for a two-day official visit told journalists in Colombo that Sri Lanka had made "great progress" since his last visit in 2009, but the island nation still faced a lot of challenging issues, even seven years after the war. "Sri Lankans across the country have suffered too much from decades of violence. People now need to overcome these difficulties," he said. "Reconciliation cannot be accomplished overnight. This complex process requires continuous nurturing," he added. Ban Ki Moon, who visited the former war torn north earlier in the day, said that while he saw an enormous contrast from his visit in 2009, people were still suffering. While he commended the unity government for taking steps towards truth seeking and accountability mechanisms, he stressed that the victims of the war deserved the truth, justice, security and prosperity. "Victims cannot wait for ever. They deserve to have their voices heard. They deserve credible, transparent, and solid transitional justice mechanisms," he said. "UN offers its unwavering commitment to build a peaceful Sri Lanka." The UN Chief also admitted that there was a lapse and lack of involvement by the UN during the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka and that more lives could have been saved had the UN been more actively engaged. During his two-day visit, the UN Secretary General held discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the opposition leader and parliamentarians. NAIROBI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Friday signed an agreement with three nuclear power firms from Republic of Korea (ROK) on developing nuclear energy in Kenya as parts of efforts to diversify sources of energy. The Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board (KNEB) said it signed a partnership deal with the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation (KNAIC) and the KEPCO International Graduate School (K-INGS) to up its plans to establish a nuclear power plant by the end of 2027. "The partnership deal will enable Kenya to obtain expertise from Korea by way of capacity building, specialized training and skills development, as well as technical support for its nuclear power program," KNEB said in a statement issued in Nairobi. Under the deal which was signed in ROK, Kenya will obtain firsthand knowledge of ROK's nuclear power technology. The development comes as KNEB is gearing up for feasibility studies to identify suitable locations or potential sites for Kenya's nuclear power plant as well as undertaking reactor technology assessment aimed at settling on the best option in terms of nuclear power plant model. As part of the partnership with ROK, 16 Kenyan students have been enrolled over the past three years at the K-INGS to undertake masters degree courses in nuclear power engineering. Apart from the agreement with ROK, Kenya has previously signed nuclear power cooperation pacts with Russia, China and Slovakia. Kenya plans to set up a first nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1000MW by 2027. The staff from the Philippine National Police (PNP-SOCO) investigate after an explosion at a market in Davao Province, the Philippines, Sept. 3, 2016. At least 10 people have been confirmed dead and scores others wounded in an explosion in the hometown of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night, officials said on Saturday, amid fears the toll could further rise. (Xinhua/STRINGE) MANILA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed and nearly 30 others injured in a powerful explosion which rocked a night market late Friday in Davao City, hometown of Philippine president, police and media reports said. Reports said the explosion went off past 10 p.m. local time along Roxas Avenue, a place that is converted into a night market that is also lined with eateries. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in Davao City, where he has been the mayor for more than 20 years, but he is safe. Police Senior Inspector Catherine De la Rey told GMA News confirming that at least 30 were injured but she said the number of deaths are still being verified. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (L) speaks during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on September 2, 2016. Sisi is on a three-day state visit in India. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) CAIRO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing Asian tour of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi that includes India and China represents hope for the most populous Arab country while struggling to revive its ailing economy after several years of political instability, said Egyptian economic and political experts. Sisi attended Thursday evening in New Delhi the Egyptian-Indian businessmen forum where he voiced Egypt's persistence to address all obstacles and resolve all issues that face the Indian investments in the country. The Egyptian president will later head to China's eastern city of Hangzhou to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit scheduled for Sept. 4-5 as a guest of honor at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Egypt has been heading east towards Asia over the past few years for further cooperation seen by experts as a means to create a kind of balance in the country's economic, political and strategic relations so as not to be restricted to the United States and the West in general. "Heading to Asia is a new world tendency for the region started to reach very high economic levels, as China has become the world's second largest economy after the United States," said Egyptian economic expert and researcher Mokhtar al-Sherif. Sherif added that Egypt's relations with India and China are on the rise and the country is trying to learn from their development experiences that led them to rank high as giant Asian and world economies. President Sisi met Thursday with Indian Foreign Minister Sushama Swaraj in New Delhi where he stressed the necessity for restoring strong ties between the two countries, expressing hope for Indian participation in the ongoing Egyptian national projects. "Egypt seeks to learn from India's development experience, despite the prevailing poverty in the Asian country, as India has achieved a technological and industrial leap especially in technology and electronic based industries including remote sensing devices, computers, missiles, satellites and others," Sherif told Xinhua. President Sisi has visited China twice since he came to office in mid-2014 and was invited to the G20 summit during Chinese President Xi's first state visit to Egypt in January. The two leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2014. "India and China has economic forums with Africa as a promising spot for economic future due to its abundant natural resources, and Egypt's distinguished location as a portal to Africa can make it a link between big Asian economies and the continent," the expert pointed out. The Egyptian president said his invitation to the G20 summit embodies the depth of friendship and partnership ties between Egypt and China, expressing confidence in China's successful leadership of the world event. "Egyptian-Chinese relations grow stronger day after day and extend to include various fields of cooperation at all levels, given the technological and finance capabilities of China and the promising investment and business opportunities provided by Egypt," Sisi told Xinhua in an interview Wednesday before setting off for his Asian tour. Ahmed Qandil, expert of Asian affairs and head of the Energy Studies Program at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that Egypt's participation in such a world economic event whose members represent 90 percent of the world population and 85 percent of the world trade volume is "a certificate that Egypt is on the right economic path." This year's G20 summit is held under the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," and it is expected to redraw the map of world economy that has been facing decline over the past few years through balanced, inclusive economic development-based policies that benefit big and small economies alike. "Egypt supports China's efforts to reach better representation of developing countries in the G20 summit that will be a chance for Egypt to present its large national projects and their development aspirations amid declining world economic growth rate," Qandil told Xinhua. Egypt has been struggling to survive economic recession over the past few years, which saw the ouster of two heads of state in 2011 and 2013, due to security issues that caused a growing budget deficit, declining foreign currency reserves, ailing tourism and fleeing foreign investments. The challenges led the Arab country to seek a 12 billion U.S. dollars loan recently from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to implement a tough, three-year economic reform program. "The initial approval of the IMF loan to Egypt and the country's first participation in the G20 summit show an international recognition that the Egyptian leadership in on the right path," the expert argued. Qandil believes that Egypt's weight in the region qualifies it to play a key role in regional security and stability and that its cooperation with the international community, including Asian and Western states, will be in favor of international and regional stability. Amid economic challenges, Egypt aims out of Sisi's Asian tour and participation in the G20 summit to enhance economic relations with world powerful economies and return home with a bunch of foreign investments to boost the country's economy. "This depends on the improvement of investment environment in Egypt that still suffers bureaucracy," said Ehab al-Desouki, head of the Economy Department of Cairo-based Sadat Academy. Desouki argued that establishing a business in Egypt requires a foreign investor to spend a lot of time to get official permits and a specified land for the project, "which are the main obstacles facing investors in Egypt, besides the new crisis of dollar shortage that cripples importers." "Egypt should overcome the obstacles facing investors and present its investment opportunities and economic reform program agreed with the IMF to get the best results out of the Asian tour and the G20 summit," the expert told Xinhua. For his part, economic expert Sherif said that Egypt should work hard and fast to establish technology-based cadres and raise its scientific level in order to learn from pioneering development experiences like those of China, India and some other Asian states. "Egypt is a promising investment market and its presence in giant economic blocs like this year's G20 summit requires the country to conduct thorough and accurate studies to be qualified for copying successful economic experiences," the expert told Xinhua. SANTIAGO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chile's President Michelle Bachelet has expressed concern about the 7.1 percent unemployment figure released for the rolling May-June quarter, which had surpassed market expectations. "I can't begin without saying that we don't like the unemployment figures...because good employment, like we have previously heard, is the basis for opportunities for women but also for men," said Bachelet, quoted by local media Friday. The president made the remarks Thursday during a seminar entitled "Women in the world of work: a contribution to Chile," where she insisted that a "good job is the basis for opportunities." The National Statistics Institute (INE) released the unemployment data, the highest figure since the Sept.-Nov. quarter in 2011 when the unemployment rate also reached 7.1 percent. The Chilean leader said for this reason, she will monitor "the indicator very closely" and she will also act on them. Bachelet added that the government is currently putting emphasis on public investment and working with the private sector in multiple areas "so that we can progress much stronger in a public-private partnership." The increase in unemployment comes at a time when the Chilean economy has slowed down, a product of low copper prices and the fall in international demand for this metal. BCI Estudios, from Chile's credit and investment bank BCI, ratified the unemployment rate and noticed a more pronounced deterioration in the unemployment indicators "in a scenario where the creation of job positions keeps growing at rates slightly above 1 percent annually." BCI Estudios also predicted that "the unemployment rate would continue to increase towards levels above 7.5 percent in the remainder of the year." Chile's Manufacturers' Association predicted that "the employment figures will continue to deteriorate and the consumer expectations in July show no return to dynamism, while those of the entrepreneurs will remain pessimistic for over two years." Scotiabank said "the concerning part of the figures involves the type of employment. The strong expansion in freelance employment is accentuated at (7.6 percent) as well as the low growth-rate in the number of employees (0.2 percent)." The international banking entity maintained its projected average unemployment rate of 6.6 percent for the year, which will increase to 7.4 percent in 2017. "It is expected that the last quarter of this year and the first quarter of the next will help to moderate the increases in unemployment, which are expected from the current economic deterioration," said Scotiabank. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the two terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, stressing "the need to ensure accountability and to bring to justice the perpetrators of these terrorist attacks." "The secretary-general condemns the two terrorist attacks today in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, reportedly targeting a Christian neighborhood and a district court, respectively," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman. "The secretary-general is saddened by the loss of life," the statement said, adding that he extended his heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. Ban also expressed his solidarity with the people and government of Pakistan, the statement added. At least 18 people were killed and more than 50 others injured in the two suicide attacks on Friday in the northwest province of Pakistan, reports said. Danilo Turk, former president of Slovenia, candidate for the position of the next secretary-general, addresses the press at the United Nations headquarters in New York, April 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) LJUBLJANA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Dr.Danilo Turk, Slovenia's former president and UN top job candidate, on Thursday emphasized that the upcoming G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, is crucial to spark global governance reforms and strengthen development. Turk made this remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua. The reforms of the global financial system and IMF continue to be high priorities of G20, Turk said. But they are not all, he continued, "G20 has an important responsibility in directing global development which means stimulating growth and, very importantly, increasing investment in social development, healthcare, youth employment, etc." G20 has done some initial work in these areas already, Turk said, but adding that leading economies have the potential and the responsibility to steer global development in the right direction and more can be done. Turk held that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted last year has offered a historic opportunity. "SDGs are universal and have to be pursued by developing and developed countries alike," he said. JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The 2016 China Homelife Fair, a platform for Chinese companies seeking business opportunities in Africa, ended here Friday with many Chinese companies clinching deals with African buyers. Fair manager Dereck Houston told Xinhua that many Chinese companies signed deals with African buyers to do business together. "We are happy about the show as it was successful than last year. We had over 420 companies from China as compared to 100 last year. We witnessed many selling their products at the show," said Houston. Over 3,000 buyers from South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland and Nigeria had registered online to attend the three-day show. Houston said many exhibitors and buyers gave him the feedback, expressing happiness with the fair. Over 200 attendants had made pre-arrangements for match making during the show. One of the busiest places was the wig manufactures stand, Xuchang Fuxin Hair Products. The president of the company, Li Wu, told Xinhua that during the fair they sold hair products worthy over 40,000 U.S. dollars. "We are happy about the show as many people showed much interest in our products," said Li. "We will come again next year expecting more customers." The company also sells their products to South Africa where they have a branch. Shelly Bian, General Manager of Mellkit which manufactures furniture, said they had their stock sold on the first day of the show. Bian said, "We are happy to have taken part in this show. We came here to look for new markets and we got them." Bian said they clinched a deal with a Johannesburg-based company which is keen to import their products from China. Binu Pillai from Meorient International Exhibition which co-organized the fair, said they doubled the space so as to accommodate more visitors. Pillain said companies coming to the fair underwent a strict selection process. "We trained over 150 young entrepreneurs during the fair about how to import products from China and how to do business," said Pillai. Another popular stand was the Shandong Magic Housing Project, which showcased a faster and cheaper system of manufacturing houses. The company's general manager William Xu said the system was well accepted during the show. It used some modular which is quick to finish the house depending on how many rooms are required. TASHKENT, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Islam Karimov died on Friday at the age of 78 after being hospitalized following a stroke on Aug. 27, the Uzbek government confirmed. His funeral will be held on Saturday in the historic town of Samarkand, where he was born, a government statement said, adding that a three-day period of mourning would start on the same day. Karimov, who had served as president of the newly independent republic since 1991, suffered a brain hemorrhage on Saturday. On Sunday, the Uzbek government informed on its website that the late leader was taken to hospital for the need of a full medical examination. On Monday, Karimov's daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyayeva, confirmed on her Facebook page that her father has been hospitalized and asked people to pray for his health. Earlier on Friday, the government said on its website that the situation of Karimov had worsened and he was in a critical condition. OSLO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The poorly-controlled hawala alternative remittance system in Norway has created a high risk situation wherein money laundering and terrorism financing can take place in the Nordic country, public broadcaster NRK reported on Friday. According to the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway, only 700 million kroner (84 million U.S. dollars) out of the four billion kroner (481 million U.S. dollars) that are sent out of Norway annually via the hawala system are conducted by controlled companies. Hawala is an informal system of transferring money based on personal relationships and is traditionally popular in Arab countries and the Indian subcontinent. The money is usually paid to an agent who then instructs an associate in other country or area to pay the final recipient. "I always ask control questions," said Ganeshan, who works in a shop in Oslo and whose company is an agent for a big foreign payment institution and transfers money using the hawala principle, when speaking with NRK. Ganeshan said he was also familiar with the fact that criminals could misuse the services and send illegal money out of the country. "We notice when criminals arrive. They usually come as a group, but only one of them enters the shop, while the others wait outside," he said. Although hawala is a legal money transfer service used between countries that do not have a functioning banking service, the financial supervisory authority believes that Ganeshan's suspicion is valid. In the supervisory authority's risk estimation regarding money laundering and the financing of terrorism, hawala financial services are considered to be in a high risk area, the agency's section chief Ole-Jorgen Karlsen told NRK. He said the agency was especially worried that hawala business can be a channel for transferring abroad money that comes from criminal activity, such as human trafficking, prostitution, narcotics and illegal labor, as well as financing terrorism in the world's conflict areas. There are 13 companies that have licences to run a hawala business in Norway. They send reports to the financial supervisory authority regularly, but they still make up only a small part of companies that are run by the hawala principle. There are also 590 agents working for foreign companies in Norway. They do not need the licence, but send reports to the home country of the foreign company, as well as to the currency register. According to the financial supervisory authority, there is a lack of control of hawala agents' business in Norway. This large number of agents in Norway makes it challenging for the Norwegian authorities to have an overview of the final destination of the money transfers, Karlsen said. The National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Okokrim) is also concerned about the quality of the follow-ups on these agents and would like to have more transparency, supervision and knowledge within the industry. "Neither we, nor other authorities, have the overview or the numbers, but there is no doubt that we are talking about hundreds of million of kroner every year. This business is suitable to transfer money in a fast and effective way," said Sven Arild Damslora, head of Okokrim's department of financial intelligence. LONDON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said on Friday that the Chinese government and business sector had cast the "vote of confidence" in the China-Britain relations despite uncertainties after the Brexit referendum. Liu said in a signed piece of article published by the Politics First Magazine on Friday that the vital interests that bond the two countries together and the fundamentals of their bilateral relations had remained unchanged. "We hope that the changes within British politics will not compromise the UK government's consensus and commitment to working with China for a sound China-UK relationship," he said. "We hope that, regardless of any foreign policy adjustments in the UK, advancing ties with China will always be a priority in Britain's external relations." The Chinese diplomat said that for the China-Britain ties to grow and sustain, it is important that the two countries respect each other, treat each other as equals and take into account each other's core interests and major concerns. "Looking to the future, we need to stick to this important principle, cherish what has been achieved through hard efforts, and seize today's opportunity and work for a future of lasting, stable and sound China-UK relations," he added. Regarding the coming G20 Summit, Liu said that he is convinced that the meeting will set new goals, map out a new blueprint and introduce new dynamism to the future of the China-Britain relations. The ambassador's latest comments on the renowned bimonthly magazine came one day after he published another two signed article on the Daily Telegraph and the China Daily UK Edition inaugural issue and its website. In those two pieces, Liu urged his country and Britain to enhance cooperation in an array of areas ranging from infrastructure investment to international financial framework and build stronger political mutual trust. Russian President Vladimir Putiu met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 2, 2016. (Kremlin Photo) MOSCOW, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday met with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the ongoing Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia. The two leaders discussed a broad range of cooperation issues. As to their long-held dispute over four islands in the Pacific, which is deemed to be the main roadblock toward a peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo, the two sides agreed to continue consultations. During his visit to the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May, Abe presented detailed ideas on implementing an eight-point plan of cooperation with Russia, which covers various spheres. The Russian side said they had carefully reviewed those plans. Russian Foreign Minster Sergey Lavrov said at the EEF that several concrete projects on bilateral cooperation will be unveiled duringPutin's visit to Japan scheduled for December. Moscow and Tokyo have held several rounds of talks on boosting bilateral cooperation and on the signing of a peace treaty, Lavrov said, adding that the results of those consultations, which Russia and Japan would continue with, will be announced during Putin's Tokyo trip. Russia and Japan have not inked a bilateral peace treaty after World War II due to a territory row over four small islands in the Pacific -- the Southern Kurils as Russia calls them or the Northern Territories as Japan calls them. The decades-old territorial dispute has hindered diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries. Earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this is a much more complex issue and requires longer and more expert-level efforts. In an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, Putin noted that a compromise on the islands was possible provided there was a "high level of trust," but he added that Russia did not "trade territories." "We are not talking about some exchange or some sale, we are talking about finding a solution where neither of the parties would feel defeated or a loser," Putin said in the interview. Lavrov said Tokyo has shown willingness to discuss issues related to the joint economic activity on those disputed islands, including "exchanges of people and humanitarian relations." The two parties started evaluating each other from the standpoint of an economic partnership, which is a positive development, because in the political field, they have a lot of differences, Dmitry Streltsov, director of Oriental Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told Xinhua. He anticipated that Putin's visit to Japan, which has been postponed several times, would take place in December as planned. "If there was a disruption in the relations between Moscow and Tokyo, it might be postponed indefinitely," he said. BAGHDAD, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called Friday for a two-day strike of government employees, along with a hunger strike, in protest against wide corruption and reluctant reform plan by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. In a statement issued by his office, Sadr urged Iraqi people, in particular his followers and government employees except security forces, to strike on next Sunday and Monday. Sadr said that those employees, who will go on strike, must stay in front of their government offices, and only to work on emergency cases from outside the buildings of their offices, the statement said. Sadr also called on all Iraqi people to go on hunger strike inside Sunni and Shiite mosques, churches and other houses of worship, as well as in cultural and social institutions, starting from Sept. 9, after the weekly Friday noon prayer, until the morning of Sept. 11, according to the statement. Last year Abadi launched several package of reforms after massive demonstrations in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and several other south cities to protest against slack public services, power shortage and massive corruption. Abadi's reform plan once gained popular support, but with the passing of time the reforms fell short to convince demonstrators who demanded Abadi to be more aggressive against the political parties that benefited from corruption and could reverse the reforms to their own good. Sadr's move came after months of protests by Iraqis as well as legislators from various parties demanded an end to the quota system, which was created following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to control and divide Iraq's resources among political parties. Some political blocs and politicians apparently have been resisting the reforms because there is a lack of trust among the political parties who see that such reforms, or part of them, are marginalizing their factions from the political scene which was originally built on power-sharing agreements. A series of failed reform measures by Abadi have paralyzed Iraq's government as the country struggles to fight the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which seizes parts of territories in northern and western Iraq, and faces an economic crisis sparked in part by a plunge in global oil prices. File photo taken on April 10, 2015, shows Islam Karimov is sworn in as Uzbekistan's President in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Uzbek President Islam Karimov dies at 78 after suffering stroke, announced the government on Friday. (Xinhua/Sadat) TASHKENT, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Islam Karimov died Friday at the age of 78 after being hospitalized following a stroke on Aug. 27, the Uzbek government confirmed. His funeral will be held on Saturday in the historic town of Samarkand, where he was born, a government statement said, adding that a three-day period of mourning would start on the same day. Karimov, who had served as president of the newly independent republic since 1991, suffered a brain hemorrhage on Saturday. On Sunday, the Uzbek government informed on its website that the late leader was taken to hospital for the need of a full medical examination. On Monday, Karimov's daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyayeva, confirmed on her Facebook page that her father has been hospitalized and asked people to pray for his health. Earlier on Friday, the government said on its website that the situation of Karimov had worsened and he was in a critical condition. Born on Jan. 30, 1938 in a family of a civil servant, Karimov received higher education at the Central Asian Polytechnic Institute, and finally graduated from the Tashkent Institute of National Economy with a Ph.D degree in Economic Sciences. In March, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic elected Karimov President of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. On Aug. 31, 1991, Karimov declared the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan. At the general elections on Dec. 30 the same year, he was elected president of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In March, 1995, in accordance with a national referendum, his tenure was extended to 2000. He was then re-elected the top leader of Uzbekistan in 2007 and 2015, respectively. Karimov has two daughters and five grandchildren. He was regarded the initiator and leader of historic transformations in the country. Under Karimov's leadership, Uzbekistan has kept a friendly relationship with China. During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Tashkent in June this year, the two leaders upgraded China-Uzbekistan ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and outlined plans for a wide range of cooperation. Karimov was a staunch supporter for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Beijing and Tashkent have been working together to seek synergy between their respective development strategies and fully tap into the potential of their over-all cooperation. MADRID, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday failed in his second bid to win an investiture vote in the Spanish Congress on Friday, thus opening the door for Spain to hold its third general election in 12 months. In contrast to Wednesday's vote, Rajoy only needed a simple majority in the 350 seat Congress rather than the overall majority required just 48 hours earlier. However, as on Wednesday Rajoy could only count on 170 votes in his favor, the 137 votes from the members of his right wing Popular Party (PP), plus the 32 of center-right formation, Ciudadanos and one vote from Coalition Canarias. Meanwhile every other party in Congress, including the Socialist Party (PSOE), Podemos and various Catalan and Basque nationalist parties voted against him with the opposition totaling 180 votes. In this artist's illustration obtained from NASA on May 23, NASA's Phoenix Mars Landeris seen on the surface of Mars after landing. After traveling for almost 10 months, Mars Phoenix Lander successfully landed on the Red Planet Sunday on a mission to explore signs of life, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). (Xinhua/NASA) WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. space agency NASA said Friday it has approved the launch of its Mars lander known as InSight in spring 2018 to study the Red Planet's deep interior. The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission was originally scheduled to launch in March this year, but NASA suspended launch preparations in December due to a vacuum leak in the lander's prime science instrument. The new launch period for the mission begins May 5, 2018, with a Mars landing scheduled for Nov. 26, 2018, NASA said in a statement. The instrument redesign and two-year delay add 153.8 million U.S. dollars to its current budget of 675 million dollars for the mission, said the agency. The additional cost will not delay or cancel any current missions, but it means there will be "fewer opportunities for new missions in future years, from fiscal years 2017-2020," it said. The instrument involved was the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS), a seismometer provided by France's space agency, the Center National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Designed to measure ground movements as small as the diameter of an atom, the SEIS instrument requires a perfect vacuum seal around its three main sensors to withstand harsh conditions on the Red Planet. NASA said its Jet Propulsion Laboratory will now be responsible for redesigning, developing and qualifying the instrument's evacuated container and the electrical feedthroughs that failed previously. The CNES will instead focus on developing and delivering the key sensors for SEIS, integration of the sensors into the container, and the final integration of the instrument onto the spacecraft, the agency added. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said that he "is saddened" to learn of the death of Islam Karimov, the president of Uzbekistan, and he extended his sincere condolences to the bereaved family of President Karimov, the government and the people of Uzbekistan. United Nations Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon(L) delivers a speech in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, Aug. 9, 2016.Ban Ki-moonon Monday urged the international community to share responsibility in dealing with the refugee crisis. (Xinhua/Victoria Egurza/TELAM) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said that he "is saddened" to learn of the death of Islam Karimov, the president of Uzbekistan, and he extended his sincere condolences to the bereaved family of President Karimov, the government and the people of Uzbekistan. "The secretary-general pays tribute to the late president's efforts to develop strong ties between Uzbekistan and the United Nations as well as strengthen regional and global peace and security, through the promotion and entry into force in 2009 of the Treaty to establish the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman. "The secretary-general reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue working closely with the government and the people of Uzbekistan," the statement said. Karimov died on Friday at the age of 78 after being hospitalized following a stroke on Aug. 27, the Uzbek government confirmed. His funeral will be held on Saturday in the historic town of Samarkand, where he was born, a government statement said, adding that a three-day period of mourning would start on the same day. Karimov, who had served as president of the newly independent republic since 1991, suffered a brain hemorrhage on Saturday. LIMA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Peru is scheduled to triple its fisheries exports under President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's administration, confirmed the president of the National Society of Industries' (SNI) Fisheries Committee, Alfonso Miranda, on Friday. According to Miranda, the aim for this sector is to reach an average of 3 billion U.S. dollars in exports, only in fisheries products for direct consumption in the coming years. "These figures will significantly outweigh the exports reached during last year (2015) which totalled almost 900 million U.S. dollars," Miranda said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua during the 2nd International Symposium on Fisheries and Aquaculture for Human Consumption, taking place in Lima. Miranda, who was deputy minister for fisheries, said the aim for the fisheries sector in Peru is extremely well-focused and is heading towards reaching its goals for 2021. "These goals should be reached as part of the objectives for the bicentenary," said Miranda, alluding to Peru's upcoming 200th anniversary of independence. According to the SNI leader, the goals established by the fisheries industry for the coming five years are quite feasible. "It is worth saying (that we will manage) to triple our human consumption exports because we have seen that it is possible; Chile and Ecuador, our neighbours, have surpassed these figures," said Miranda. Miranda also spoke about the contribution that the fisheries sector makes to Peru. "We hope to give direct employment to around 500,000 people by 2021, the year of the bicentenary, and most importantly stamp out anemia and malnutrition through fish-based foods," Miranda added. Regarding the Symposium, Miranda said this gathering of officials and experts is contributing to a healthy exchange of experiences. "(It has served) as a means to get to know about the latest technological trends and the practices that have been implemented in other countries in order to achieve efficiency, experience that will be very useful for us in Peru," said Miranda. Miranda admitted that the sector dreams of recovering the territory lost during the past years, since the golden age of fishing in Peru in the 1960s and 1970s, when it was considered as a continental leader in the sector. Miranda urged the unionized companies in the sector to continue carrying out sustainable work, taking into account the environment and protecting the Pacific Ocean which is the source of the fishing resources. The leader emphasized the need to establish clear regulations surrounding the oil industry activities that are carried out off Peru's northern coast, with the aim of protecting the environment. According to Miranda's assessment, the average of Peru's fisheries exports in the past years was around 1 billion U.S. dollars annually. Five Turkish police officers and two civilians were killed on August 15, in a car bombing outside the southeastern city of Diyarbakir blamed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, the government said. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) ANKARA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- 11 Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party ( PKK) militants on Friday in eastern Van and southeastern Mardin provinces, Milliyet News reported. Three soldiers were killed when a military post in Dargecit district of Mardin was attacked by PKK militants on Friday, and three village guards and a civilian were injured. Eight Turkish soldiers have been killed in the ongoing clashes between security forces and PKK militants in mountainside of eastern Van province, the governorship told local media. Meanwhile, 33 PKK militants were killed and 30 others injured after Turkish air forces carried out three air-and-ground operations on Friday Morning against PKK positions in southeastern Turkish province of Hakkari, The Turkish General Staff said in a statement. Over 600 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed in confrontations inside Turkey and in northern Iraq since July of 2015, and Turkish forces have killed over 7000 PKK militants, local media figured. More than 40,000 people have lost their lives in clashes with the PKK since 1984, when the group first started anti-government attacks. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. Sudan's Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh (C-R) and his South Sudan counterpart, Taban Deng Gai (C-L) review the honour guard upon his arrival at Khartoum airport on August 21, 2016, for an official two-day visit. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) KHARTOUM, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese Ministry of Tourism said Friday tourism revenues have increased during the first half of this year to reach over 472 million U.S. dollars. A report issued by the ministry showed a net increase in the country's tourism amounted to 472 million dollars, 6.9 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. The report revealed that 376,681 tourists visited the country in the first half of this year, 7.1 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2015. The Sudanese government is seeking to revitalize domestic tourism manifested in caring about infrastructure and signing a number of agreements on tourism development over the past years. The Ministry of Tourism has launched a program aimed at Sudanese families and children of different ages to acquaint them with the attractions of the country through energizing domestic tourism in a number of states. A picture taken on August 1, 2016 reportedly shows Syrian rebels gathering around the wreckage of a Russian Mi-8 military transporthelicopterafter it was shot down along the administrative border between Idlib province, northwesternSyriaand neighbouring Aleppo. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) DAMASCUS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Intense battles between extremist rebels and Syrian army continued Friday in the central province of Hama, where the rebels shot down a Syrian aircraft, killing two pilots, according to a monitor group. The intense clashes continued in the areas of Ma'an and Ma'rdes in the northern countryside of Hama, coupled with shelling and airstrikes on the rebel positions, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UK-based watchdog group said the rebels shot down a Syrian helicopter while landing, killing two officer pilots. Other activists said the rebels captured several Syrian soldiers during Hama's recent battles, beheading at least two of them, according to photos released online Friday. The Syrian army received reinforcements Thursday to confront a widescale offensive by rebels in the central province of Hama, amid confirmation that the military counter-offensive started Friday. Hama's northern countryside has once again come under the spotlight after rebels repeatedly attacked government posts there. The primary reason behind repeated rebel attacks is to keep the army busy on several fronts, which will reduce the army's pressure against rebels in other parts of Syria. Recent reports indicate that rebels in the northern province of Aleppo are folding under pressure from the army, which has reportedly closed all entryways into the rebel-held areas in the eastern part of Aleppo. A picture taken on August 1, 2016 reportedly shows Syrian rebels gathering around the wreckage of a Russian Mi-8 military transporthelicopter after it was shot down along the administrative border between Idlib province, northwestern Syria and neighbouring Aleppo. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) DAMASCUS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Intense battles between extremist rebels and Syrian army continued Friday in the central province of Hama, where the rebels shot down a Syrian aircraft, killing two pilots, according to a monitor group. The intense clashes continued in the areas of Ma'an and Ma'rdes in the northern countryside of Hama, coupled with shelling and airstrikes on the rebel positions, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UK-based watchdog group said the rebels shot down a Syrian helicopter while landing, killing two officer pilots. Other activists said the rebels captured several Syrian soldiers during Hama's recent battles, beheading at least two of them, according to photos released online Friday. The Syrian army received reinforcements Thursday to confront a widescale offensive by rebels in the central province of Hama, amid confirmation that the military counter-offensive started Friday. Hama's northern countryside has once again come under the spotlight after rebels repeatedly attacked government posts there. The primary reason behind repeated rebel attacks is to keep the army busy on several fronts, which will reduce the army's pressure against rebels in other parts of Syria. Recent reports indicate that rebels in the northern province of Aleppo are folding under pressure from the army, which has reportedly closed all entryways into the rebel-held areas in the eastern part of Aleppo. U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton gestures to spectators on the last day of the 2016 U.S. Democratic National Convention at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States , on July 28, 2016. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has formally accepted the U.S. Democratic Party' s nomination for president and pledged more economic opportunities for Americans and "steady leadership". (Xinhua/Li Muzi) WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- In what appeared to be a major departure from her previous defense on email practices while serving as the U.S. top diplomat, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton told FBI investigators in July that she did not ask permission for her private email setup, said an FBI file released on Friday. In a rare move, the FBI released a 58-page document that included a summary of its interview with Clinton on July 2 on email probe and other details of its investigation into Clinton's use of the private email setup as secretary of state. According to the interview summary, Clinton told federal investigators that she "did not explicitly request permission to use a private server or email address," contradicting her past public defense that her use of a private email account for business was allowed by the State Department. In her interview with FBI investigators, Clinton said she believed "everyone at State" knew she had a personal email address, and she did not recall receiving any emails she thought should not be on an unclassified system. "She relied on State officials to use their judgement when emailing her and could not recall anyone raising concerns with her regarding the sensitivity of the information she received at her email address," said the summary. Meanwhile, the FBI file cited a 2011 notice to all State employees "sent on Clinton's behalf" that recommended employees not conducting State business via personal email accounts "due to information security concerns." "Clinton stated she did not recall this specific notice, and she did not recall receiving any guidance from State regarding email policies," said the FBI file. After a yearlong investigation, the FBI in July recommended no criminal charges against Clinton in its email probe, and the Justice Department then closed the investigation. While the drop of any criminal charges dispelled a huge legal cloud over her presidential campaign, Clinton's trust deficit with voters only deteriorated. In his congressional hearing in July, FBI Director James Comey told U.S. lawmakers that the FBI found no basis to conclude that Clinton had lied to the agency. However, he refused to comment on whether Clinton had lied to the public. "That's a question I'm not qualified to answer. I can speak about what she said to the FBI," said Comey then. Despite his reluctance to comment on whether Clinton had lied to the public, Comey revealed during that hearing that some of the former U.S. secretary of state's email defenses were false. During her hearing last October at the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Clinton said there was nothing "marked classified on my emails, either sent or received." "That's not true," said Comey during the hastily arranged hearing at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, two days after he announced the FBI's recommendation of not bringing any criminal charges against Clinton in her email investigation. "There were a small number of portion markings on, I think, three of the documents," said Comey. However, Comey later acknowledged that all the three emails were not properly marked, which may lead to the impression that they were not classified. Moreover, when asked by Trey Gowdy, a Republican member of the committee, whether Clinton's statement that no classified material was transmitted through her private email account to others was true, Comey replied in the negative. During his announcement of the FBI recommendation of no charges against Clinton in July, Comey in a rare step detailed major findings of the investigation, including the finding of 113 emails which contained classified information at the time they were sent or received through Clinton's private email system. "Secretary Clinton said she used just one device. Was that true?" Gowdy, who also chaired a congressional panel investigating the 2012 deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, asked at one point. Again, Comey said Clinton's statement was false. In his later exchange with Gowdy, Comey also confirmed that Clinton's insistence on having turned over all work-related emails and her statement about her lawyers having read the email content individually was not true. In March 2015, Clinton acknowledged that she had exchanged about 60,000 emails from her private email account during her stint in the Obama administration, among which about half were personal and thus deleted. All emails were sent and received via a private email server based at Clinton's home. In response to requests from the State Department, the Clinton camp turned over the other half, roughly 30,000 emails in total, to the State Department in December 2014. The controversy surrounding Clinton's email practices again burst into public view in August 2015 after the inspector general for the intelligence community revealed that two of the thousands of emails held by Clinton contained top-secret information. The revelation then trigged a federal investigation into whether Clinton had mishandled sensitive information. : 9 2013 . 9 . . Metal-X earns kudos for marriage between industry and education What we see here at Metal-X is a wonderful marriage between industry at the highest professional level and education where our young people receive training in skills which make them highly em- ployable, said Gopee- Scoon, who made a familiarisation tour of the facilities at Metal- X, located at Biljah Road, Chaguanas, on Tuesday last. Gopee-Scoon said she was heartened by the skills training platform designed by Metal-X through the Afif G Najjar Welding and Fabricating Institute which empowers young men and women to earn top-level employment or start their own businesses through training with accreditation meeting highest industry standards. You must be congratulated for nurturing so many young men and women at your institute and offering them a life-changing opportunity to be highly employable and lead rewarding lives. That is an exceptional contribution to nation- building, Gopee- Scoon told Metal-X Chairman and Managing Director, Labib Najjar. The training institute was launched in 2012 through a unique partnership with YTEPP (Youth Training and Enterprise Partnership Programme) with students undergoing a comprehensive one-year training course in welding and structural fabricating under modern training facilities. Successful graduates have gained employment at top-notch companies such as energy company BP Trinidad and Tobago (bpTT), the National Gas Company (NGC), as well as the UWI and Metal-X itself. Gopee-Scoon also commended Najjar for playing a leadership role in the structural fabricating industry, with Metal-X completing high-profile projects in both the public and private sectors. Woman shot in head, boyfriend shot in leg Police said Martin was shot in the head and has been listed in critical but stable condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital. Mohammed was also shot and wounded in the leg and he too has been hospitalised. According to a police report, the incident took place at about 2 am yesterday while the couple was sitting in the porch of Martins home. They were confronted by gunmen who opened fire on them. Police are unable to say what may have led to the shooting of the couple. Police not doing their jobs, says magistrate It happened when marijuana accused Dane Kerr appeared before Magistrate Natalie Diop yesterday in the San Fernando Magistrates court. Fingerprint tracing showed that Kerr had matters pending before the court, but Kerr contorted his face in confusion, claiming he had receipts from the court showing that he had been convicted in those matters and had already paid the fines. Kerr, 37, works with the San Fernando City Corporation by day and sells nuts on afternoons whenever has the strength. While walking along Church Street in San Fernando, he was approached and spoken to by PC Tuitt. According to Tuitt, Kerr did not respond and kept his mouth suspiciously closed. Tuitt asked Kerr to open his mouth and discovered that he had stuffed marijuana in his mouth. According to fingerprint tracing presented to the court by Court Prosecutor Sgt Ian Sylvan, Kerr was arrested for possession of marijuana in 2013 and 2014, and these matters were still pending before the court. Kerr denied the claims. Though he did not have the receipts on him yesterday, he earnestly claimed that he had already paid those fines. Diop advised Kerr that if he was admitting to having paid the fines, he was also admitting to having been convicted, a fact that would not have worked in his favour when taken into consideration for his sentencing. If you are claiming you have paid your fines and it (fingerprint tracing) shows up that you have matters pending, you are proving that the police are not doing their jobs, said Diop. Kerr stood his ground insisting that he had paid his fines. Diop imposed a fine of $2,500 on him. He was ordered to pay $500 forthwith and the balance in 15 days. Me eh coming back here again, Maam, Kerr exclaimed, drawing a smile from Diop. I stop smoking from today. The fact that you will never see me inside here again would prove that to you. Kerr was only one of a number of accused persons yesterday whose fingerprint tracing showed matters pending which had already been determined before the courts. NO TALK SHOP The talks take place from 11 am at the OPM, with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley leading Governments team. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, Young and Portof- Spain South MP Marlene McDonald are the other members. A news conference will be held at the OPM at noon today, following the meeting. As he briefly recalled the history of previous meetings between the Government and Opposition on crime, Young said, We as an administration are not politicising crime whatosoever. Stating this is a position which Rowley articulated while the Peoples National Movement (PNM) was in opposition, Young said this was why the PNM cooperated with the then Peoples Partnership (PP) government in passing legislation on several issues, including bail. He added that as the Government, the PNM remains committed to do all that can be reasonably done to assist in the alleviation of crime. Observing that the Opposition is in charge of itself, Young said, We stand ready to listen. We are hoping that they come here with open arms and fairly to really try and support on behalf of the citizens of TT what is necessary to really take a fight to crime. Asked if issues relating to bail, anti-gang measures or the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) would be discussed, Young said the Government received the Oppositions agenda for the meeting and that agenda had no particulars. The Opposition did not support the SSA Amendment Bill which was passed in Parliament in May. The Opposition also did not support the Miscellaneous Provisions (Anti-Gang and Bail) Bill 2016 in the House of Representatives on July 1. That legislation was intended to extend the provisions of the Anti-Gang and Bail Acts until August 2018. Young explained that until the Opposition raises specific issues today, he did not want to be premature regarding the content of the deliberations. The Oppositions agenda includes legislative matters, administrative issues, civil society and public stakeholder relations, non-partisan parliamentary partnerships and a framework for continued cooperation. Young said the Government expects that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar will lead the Oppositions team to todays meeting. Persad-Bissessar confirmed this to Newsday following a meeting at the Opposition Leaders Office in Portof- Spain yesterday to determine the composition of her team. Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, Senator Wade Mark, Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial, Senator Gerald Hadeed and attorney Gerald Ramdeen are the members of her team. We go in good faith with the hope to make a difference in the fight against crime with a non-partisan approach from both sides of the House, Persad- Bissessar said. She noted that the Opposition has widely consulted many people about the fight against crime. Persad-Bisssessar did not identify any specific matters the Opposition will raise today. Id prefer that we speak to the Government before we disclose these particular areas, she stated. She said the Oppositions parliamentary caucus yesterday believed that apart from legislation there is a non-legislative dimension including administrative intervention and social issues which can be addressed. Persad-Bissessar said, The crime rate continues to increase, so our concern is ongoing about the escalation in crime. Todays meeting comes against the background of violent crime, specifically murders, continuing unabated in the country. Calls have come from several quarters of the society for the Government and the Opposition to put politics aside and work together to deal with crime. The most notable of these calls came from President Anthony Carmona when he spoke on Wednesday at the annual Independence Day reception held at the Police Administration Building in Portof- Spain. Carmona called on Rowley and Persad-Bissessar to bury their differences to resolve crime and criminality in the country. The President also stoutly defended the Police Service against citizens who continue to be unfairly critical of it. Persad-Bissessar wrote Rowley on August 24, requesting a meeting between the Government and the Opposition on how to deal with crime. Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister Sandra Jones replied by letter dated August 25 to Persad- Bissessar, indicating that Rowley accepted her request. Cancer drugs arrival speeded up He disclosed, Ive been working with our procurement partner Nipdec (National Insurance Property Development Company) to try to get the drugs in earlier and have been doing it over the past three weeks. Deyalsingh said Nipdec has assured him that the first major shipment of oncology drugs including other pharmaceuticals will start to arrive in the country as of September 1 which is today (yesterday), through the first week in September. He corrected a media report which said these drugs would be available at pharmacies. These drugs are for the public sector, he explained. Deyalsingh said the second batch of oncology drugs should arrive within the second to third and fourth weeks of September. Once those drugs are cleared and go to our warehouse at C40, they will be distributed as quickly as possible to all the public health centres that treat the oncology patients. Venezuelans protest outside Embassy The expatriates gathered outside the Venezuelan Embassy in Port-of-Spain with the intention of delivering a letter to Venezuelan Ambassador to TT, Coromoto Godoy Calderon. This however, could not happen as the gates to the embassy remained closed and security personnel could not explain why. Spokesperson, Yesenia Gonzales said, We are here to show our support for Toma de Caracas. The ambassador is supposed to be representing the Venezuelan people in Trinidad and Tobago and she needs to have some sort of respect for the community living here. She is representing us, our doubts and our problems. The protestors are hoping that the letter in their possession will be passed on to Maduro. Coromoto Fernandez explained to reporters yesterday, In the middle of a presidential term, the citizens are legally allowed to call for a referendum. It must happen this year. The referendum must be called before Maduro reaches the mid-point of his sixyear term on January 10, 2017. Fernandez stated that the opposition forces in Venezuela have done everything that was required of them. Now they are just waiting for the electoral body to announce a referendum date. If it happens this year, new elections will be called, she said. CDA without chairman However, last Tuesdays special meeting of the CDA Board was chaired by its deputy chairman, Guptee Lutchmedial, but who made it clear to Newsday yesterday that he is neither substantive chairman nor acting chairman. The minister will probably go to Cabinet and appoint a new chairman, he said, by way of explaining the process of leadership. Lutchmedial said the board will next meet at month-end in a statutory meeting. He said Pierres resignation has not left the board invalidated, as its quorum is five members and it now has eight or nine members. One Noel Elias joined on August 18. Lutchmedial said Tuesdays meeting was brief and consisted mainly of checking the previous meetings minutes, and was held against the backdrop of Pierres exit. Blind School will reopen Kenneth Suratt, Executive officer of the Blind Welfare Association stated, We will try our best not to deny children of their education. Kenneth Munroe Brown, chairman of the Citizens Advice Bureau, said, If the ongoing dispute does not hinder the opening, it may affect the quality of education students receive. Suratt said that the cause of the dispute is Mundys unwillingness to work together with the association. He also stated that the Ministry of Education realised this, and therefore appointed a mediator through which the two parties can communicate. The association is also seeking the removal of the principal. In a press release by the Citizens Advice Bureau, it is stated that some of the locks to the gates of the compound are being cut without the approval of the principal. Suratt however stated that the association has proprietary rights and they are in the process of removing and resetting locks in the domestic area of the school. He said this is being done because Mundy is setting up offices in that area. The domestic area is a cause of conflict as the association and Mundy have different views on its provision. Suratt said, This service is for students who live in far areas. It is provided Monday to Friday. Mundy however is against this. Brown said, the Ministry of Education needs to stand up for Mundy and the school. They need to bring both parties around the table with a mediator and allow them to list their grievances, There must be calm on both sides. He also said it is the right of the students to have a comfortable learning environment. JTUM in solidarity with Maduro In a statement to the media yesterday, JTUMs general secretary, Ozzi Warwick, said the ongoing actions by the Venezuelan opposition are really an attempt at violent regime change. We tend to think of this kind of regime change in the Middle East or Africa, but it has been happening right here in the Americas, Warrick said. It started in 2004 with the coup detat that removed the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Then, there was the removal by military force of Manuel Zelaya, President of Honduras in 2009 after being elected in 2006. Further to this, there was the impeachment and removal from office of the President of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, in 2012 after being elected in 2008. Now, we are witnessing the impeachment and coup detat of Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil. Warrick said the three democratically elected presidents in Latin American, who have been removed from office, had one thing in common - their belief in an alternative America where the people and sovereign nations of Latin America and the Caribbean can choose an alternative economic and political path. Fuad: Give tablets to pupils Education Minister Anthony Garcia, on Friday, ended the former administrations issuance of a personal laptop to every pupil (costing $253 million per year) to instead issue 100 laptops to each secondary school (costing $63 million), a move that drew the instant ire of his predecessor, Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh. However, in a statement to the media yesterday, Khan offered a fresh alternative, so as to not rob pupils of the chance to engage in new technology. This can be attained by substituting the laptops with tablets instead, which are more cost-effective and could be distributed in the form of a grant for parents wishing to purchase one for their children. However he suggested these be issued by way of a means test similar to that to be used for GATE by which the Government can control the persons who can access such a tablet grant. He said the idea of a grant helps local laptop vendors who may have been bypassed if the procurement had gone to a single vendor. Khan said Garcias issuance of 100 laptops to be kept at each secondary school for shared use by pupils actually defeats the very purpose of laptops, that is mobility, that lets youngsters use them according to their personal schedules. The issuance of tablets allows a more cordial use than shared laptops, Khan argued. Otherwise, Khan gave limited support to Health Minister, Terrence Deyalsinghs, handling of drug shortages. It is reassuring to know that after month of waiting, the patients of cancer care at our nations hospitals will finally be getting their medication from the government, despite this only being a temporary arrangement to a greater problem in the Ministry of Health, Khan said. What is noteworthy however, is the failure of the Mr. Deyalsingh in providing details regarding which drugs will be delivered in the first shipment. PM acted as Finance Minister in July The Prime Minister acted as the Finance Minister when Imbert embarked on a fundraising roadshow in the US. Rowley issued an order deeming a $6.3 billion Deutsche Bank Securities loan tax-free. The External Loans (Tax Exemption) Order 2016 was issued on July 28 and published in the Gazette last month. The Minister of Finance has power under the External Loans Act to exempt from all taxes or exchange controls the payments of principal, interest and any other debt charges in respect of any loans raised under the Act. Under an agreement between the Government, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc, and First Citizens Bank Ltd, it was resolved that the Government will issue and sell US$1 billion notes to several purchasers. Rowley issued the order which had the effect of ensuring that payments of principal, interest and other debt charges were exempt from all taxes and exchange controls. The Prime Minister has publicly described Imbert as his best man. Imbert previously also acted as Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and Minister of Energy and Energy Industries in September. The Budget is due before the end of October. Last year, the Budget was on October 5. Moonilal: Institutions being undermined He called for a redoubling of efforts in preserving equality of opportunity and in speaking out against the arbitrary use of power by the authorities. Moonilal claimed that now more than ever , there is need to be guarded in protecting our fundamental rights, social harmony, quality of life and safety from an unrestrained lawless minority. Satanist Leads Invocation at Alaska Assembly Meeting A debate over religious freedom has led to a Satanist leading an invocation at one Alaska boroughs assembly meeting. (Article by Ashley Rae Goldenberg) Following a discussion over whether to do away with invocations entirely, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly decided to open invocations up to all religions. According to Assembly President Blaine Gilman, a group of pastors used to previously lead the assemblys invocation. Under the new rules, however, anyone can choose to lead an invocation in the name of his or her religion. During Tuesdays assembly meeting, Iris Fontana led an invocation in the name of Satan on behalf of the Satanic Temple. KSRM reports Fontana said: Let us stand now, unbowed and unfettered by arcane doctrines, born of fearful minds in darkened times. Let us embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat of the tree of knowledge and dissipate our blissful and comforting delusions of old. Let us demand that individuals be judged for their concrete actions, not their fealty to arbitrary social norms and illusory categorizations. Let us reason our solutions with agnosticism in all things, holding fast only to that which is demonstrably true. Let us stand firm against any and all arbitrary authority that threatens the personal sovereignty of all or one. That which will not bend must break and that which can be destroyed by truth should never be spared its demise. It is done. Hail Satan. Alaska Dispatch News reports that while most of the assembly members simply ignored Fontanas invocation and continued their conversations, one assembly member walked out. Assemblyman Dale Bagley said, I appreciate what the Assembly Presidents doing with the prayer issue and trying to be fair, but I find it ironic that the prayer from the atheist wasnt really about doing good and making good decisions. It was a political statement. Its kind of irritating that thats what weve got here and I think that if a pastor had been here doing the same kind of political statements on something, we wouldnt have been letting them back here, but that just my two cents, he continued. Gilman said, Sometimes, as a political body, we have to listen to religious views which we dont agree with or even atheistic views which we dont agree with. You know, I hope that as this progresses, that people more address their comments to the assembly more about making prudent decisions, wise decisions, and not use this so much to make a political statement, he added. You know, the alternativeand the pastors were pretty clear here that they didnt want the alternativewhich was to ban the invocations, he noted. Alaska Dispatch News reports that in July, an atheist also spoke on behalf of his religion. Gilman said he started to receive complaints about the invocations a few months ago, so he introduced an ordinance to abolish the invocations entirely. He said he thinks the Satanist speaking was part of a political strategy to try to get the invocations banned. Personally, I found it sort of offensive, the Satanic Temple lady who was speaking there, but even if I find it personally offensive, its still important to protect the right to freedom of speech and the right for religion, he said. Read more at: Mrctv.org Submit a correction >> What George Soros has to gain from funding the overflowing, violent refugee crisis in Europe Someone doesnt much like the direction in which the U.S. government which is being run by uber-liberals and progressive socialists like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is headed. That can be one of the only reasonable explanations for a series of high-profile hacks in recent weeks that have landed most heavily on Democrats and globalist-Marxists like George Soros. Hacks of the Democratic National Committee and the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, which cyber-security researchers have blamed on a Russian-led operation, have embarrassed party members, exposed the partys corrupt effort to shut out Democratic presidential contender Sen. Bernie Sanders, and led to the resignation of the DNC chief, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Now, apparently globo-socialist billionaire Soros is in the crosshairs. As reported by by The Daily Caller, Soros has spent tens of millions of dollars bankrolling groups and organizations that have been agitating for social justice causes Black Lives Matter, pro-open immigration groups, and those who favor importing more immigrants from the Middle East, like those flooding Europe and bringing with them a whole host of problems according to 2,500 documents and emails that were recently hacked. The documents show that officials within Soros Open Society Foundation (OSF) view the migrant crisis in Europe as the new normal, and say that it should be encouraged and exploited for any new opportunities to advance a Left-wing Marxist globalist agenda. Soros, in other words, is looking to upset the entire Western order. Odd for a guy who hails from Europe. Why would he do that? Is it just because hes a socialist, or is there a much deeper reason? Zero Hedge believes it is the latter. Reflecting on the 2,500 documents that were hacked and released via the WikiLeaks site, ZH notes that they expose the internal strategy of OSF regarding how Soros plans to both influence, and then benefit from Europes refugee crisis. The documents also show the opportunistic funding and influence of media organizations, as well as revealing the provision of money to so-called pro-democracy groups including La Raza, a Left-wing Hispanic group advocating unlimited immigration, and whose name literally translates into The Race. The OSF also paid to have unfavorable coverage of Pamela Geller, who has been criticized for organizing a Draw Muhammad event in Texas. Two armed Islamic extremists attempted to disrupt the event, but were shot and killed by police. Other documents reveal Soros intention to interfere in, and influence other crises, including the conflict in the Ukraine. But in memos, staffers of the OSF openly worry that their influence on media coverage of the war there may be counterproductive. While hoping to cover events in Ukraine, the authors of one memo admit this isnt proper independent journalism and we may damage our credibility with journalists. Also, they state that journalists may produce stories that have no relevance for the narrative we seek to inform or stories that are counterproductive (enforcing narratives of fascism etc.), which would undermine the foundations efforts. Other documents and memos indicate that Soros is also funding the increasingly violent Black Lives Matter movement, some of whose adherents were responsible for violence in Milwaukee recently, in which businesses were burned and white people targeted for assaults. In all, the memos paint the picture of a super-wealthy Left-wing activist who seeks to use his fortune to buy influence and remake the world in his image. And hes got politicians, world leaders and much of the mainstream media in his back pocket. Sources for this story include: DailyCaller.com ZeroHedge.com CyberWar.news Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com Bugout.news Submit a correction >> 14th ASEAN-India Summit and 11th East Asia Summit in Vientiane, Lao PDR (September 08, 2016) New Delhi, Fri, 02 Sep 2016 NI Wire The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will attend the 14th ASEAN-India Summit and the 11th East Asia Summit to be held in Vientiane, Lao PDR on 8 September 2016, at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Lao PDR. The Summits will be attended by Heads of State/Government of the 10 ASEAN and 18 East Asia Summit Participating Countries respectively. In the margins, Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with several leaders. India's engagement with the ASEAN and wider Asia-Pacific region has acquired further momentum following the enunciation of the Act-East Policy by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit and 9th East Asia Summit in Myanmar in November 2014. At the 14th ASEAN-India Summit, Prime Minister and ASEAN Leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction under each of the three pillars of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. 2017 will mark 25 years of India's dialogue partnership with ASEAN, to celebrate which a number of commemorative activities will also be announced by Prime Minister. ASEAN is a strategic partner of India since 2012. India and ASEAN have 30 dialogue mechanisms which meet regularly, including a Summit and 7 Ministerial meetings in Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Tourism, Agriculture, Environment, Renewable Energy and Telecommunications. Minister of State for External Affairs, General (Dr.) Shri V.K. Singh (Retd.) recently attended the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting and EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane on 25-26 July 2016. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Smt. Nirmala Seetharaman, attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers + India Consultations & EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Vientiane on 6 August 2016. Trade between India and ASEAN stood at US$ 65.04 billion in 2015-16 and comprises 10.12% of Indias total trade with the world. The ASEAN-India economic integration process has got a fillip with the creation of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area in July 2015, following the entry into force of the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and Investment Agreements. Conclusion of a balanced Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will further boost our trade and investment ties with the region. The East Asia Summit is the premier leaders-led forum in the Asia-Pacific. Since its inception in 2005, it has played a significant role in the strategic, geopolitical and economic evolution of East Asia. Apart from the 10 ASEAN Member states, East Asia Summit includes India, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Russia. India, being a founding member of the East Asia Summit, is committed to strengthening the East Asia Summit and making it more effective for dealing with contemporary challenges. At the 11th East Asia Summit, Leaders will discuss matters of regional and international interest and concern including maritime security, terrorism, non-proliferation, irregular migration, etc. Three statements/declarations are expected to be adopted at the EAS, viz. the Vientiane Declaration on Promoting Infrastructure Development Cooperation in East Asia; an EAS Declaration on Strengthening Responses to Migrants in Crisis and Trafficking in Persons; and an EAS Statement on Non-Proliferation. A Joint Statement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Negotiations is expected to be adopted at a separate ceremony after the EAS. Source: PIB 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. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed his former Justice Minister Rachida Dati political advisor, after he launched last week his campaign for the center-right primaries. The appointment of Dati, the first woman of north African descent to hold a major government post, came as no surprise as Sarkozy seeks to mend ties with her and make up for his defeat in the last presidential elections. Through this appointment, Sarkozy shows awareness of the growing influence of Dati in the French political scene as well as his willingness to build on her electoral success as a mayor of the 7th Arrondissement of Paris. For Dati, being part of Sarkozys political advisors team ushers a ministerial future in case he won elections. Sarkozy might also seek to reassure voters of North African and Muslim descent regarding his right wing policies by appointing Dati, a daughter of two devout Moroccan father and Algerian mother and a sister of 12 siblings. When she entered the French cabinet as a Justice Minister, Sarkozy said that such an appointment sends a message to all the children of France that with merit and effort everything becomes possible. Datis astonishing political ascent began in 2002 when Sarkory, then Interior Minister, brought her into his team of advisers. Afterwards, Dati became one of his closest confidantes and spokeswoman for his presidential campaign. Last week Sarkozy has taken up his campaign for president where he left off when he was defeated by Francois Hollande in 2012, focusing on immigration, laicite and French identity. One of the two Moroccan citizens recently deported from France had plans to perpetrate terrorist attacks in Morocco, the Interior Ministry announced on Thursday. France deported the two Moroccans on August 26 because they constitute a threat to the countrys security. Investigation undertaken by Moroccos powerful Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) revealed that one of the men was recruited by a top commander of the Islamic State group operating in Iraq and Syria, the ministry indicated. The man, planning to join one if the IS groups camps, was tasked to perpetrate Nice style attacks in France. He reportedly identified targets; mainly sites frequented at weekends, and was to coordinate attacks using a car, weapons and setting fire in order to make many victims. The man had also planned to join a wide campaign fomented by IS militants to perpetrate terror attacks in Morocco. The campaign, according to the Interior Ministry, targeted key sectors and security forces establishments in a move to fight back Moroccan security forces campaign against IS militants in the North African country and overseas. The two deportees will be indicted and sent before court as soon as the investigation is over, the Ministry said. I am not a sheep, I have my own mind I have had enough of being told what and how to think Whilst we are still allowed the remnants of free speech, I will speak out. I also reserve the right to discuss less controversial matters should I feel the urge. 1. The comment section is for discussion. Opinions are welcome. Personal attacks, trolling, name-calling and/ or bigotry will not be tolerated. 2. Posts containing links may be moderated. This blog does not accept paid advertisements and will not entertain free ones either. 3. Kindly stay on topic. Say what you think and refrain from telling others what they think. 4. Violators will be warned, deleted, and/ or banned at sole discretion of the moderator. Anthony Weiner. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images Days after Anthony Weiner was caught up in yet another sexting scandal, the disgraced politician confirmed that the New York City Administration for Childrens Services is investigating his conduct with respect to his 4-year-old son, Jordan. Weiners most recent humiliation prompted the probe. The ex-congressman apparently sent a crotch shot to an admirer. His young son appeared in the photograph, curled up next to Weiner in bed. Someone just climbed into my bed, Weiner reportedly wrote before sending the picture, according to the lewd messages the New York Post got its hands on. Weiner told the New York Times Thursday that Childrens Services had sent a letter to his mothers house about an inquiry, but not to him. Crazy if you ask me, he said to the Times, referring to the odd mailing address. According to Weiner, the letter was not particularly detailed, and he had followed up with the agency for more information. The New York Post reported Wednesday that the child-welfare agency had initiated an investigation. An anonymous agency worker informed the tabloid that representatives had visited the Union Square apartment belonging to Weiner and his now-estranged wife, Huma Abedin. Weiner denied that account to the Post. Abedin, a top Clinton aide who separated from Weiner after his latest indiscretion, did not comment. Something led to Donald Trump as the Republican nominee liberals, maybe? Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images The leading theory of why Republicans nominated Donald Trump is that Republican voters like Donald Trump. This theory has the virtues of simplicity and truth, but the handicaps of being boring and quite rude to nearly half the electorate. And so an alternate theory has circulated that is more complex and also more flattering to Republican voters. This theory holds that Trump prevailed at least in part because liberals blew their credibility by hyperbolically denouncing previous Republican presidential candidates, thereby conditioning Republicans to ignore the warnings when Trump came along. New York Times columnist Frank Bruni gives this theory credence in a column headlined Crying Wolf, Then Confronting Trump. Bruni argues that liberals have spent years whipping up unjustified hysteria against a series of Republican nominees who deserved far better. His examples underwhelm. McCain was described, in some quarters, as a combustible hothead who couldnt be allowed anywhere near the nuclear codes. You see? Liberals said the same thing about McCain that they now say about Trump! Except, if you click on the hyperlinks, Brunis two examples turn out to be a random diarist at Daily Kos, a sort of open-mic blog, and Infowars, a far-right website that now supports Trump. Brunis examples of liberals smearing Mitt Romney do at least come from actual professional liberal commentators. But they also fall far short of the outrage he depicts. One example is Michael Tomasky denouncing Romney who delivered a stern address to the NAACP with the apparent plan of drawing boos, so he could boast about it as a race-mongering pyromaniac. The other was Toure, who accused Romney of depicting President Obama of racial stereotyping (niggerization). The latter came in response to Romney calling Obama angry and promoting anger and hate and saying he should go back to Chicago. Id say Tomaskys phrase went a bit too far, and Toures was completely defensible, because Romney was indeed using racial coding in his own denunciation of Obama, which was wild. The latter point is important, because it merely shows that shock! political campaigns have people saying uncharitable things. Indeed, roughly 100 percent of the presidential elections in American history have included rhetorical excesses from some members of each side. And yet only now has Trump emerged as the nominee. So it is hard to see how liberal rhetorical excess has an important causal role. The cry-wolf theory has an obvious allure for anti-Trump conservatives who wish to absolve their movement of any responsibility for their repellent nominee. The attraction to Bruni is more fascinating. His account of Republican nominees victimized by undue criticism abruptly stops in 2008. The Republican candidate who would come next in his historical chronology, but whom Bruni omits from his narrative, is George W. Bush. Bruni covered Bush as a campaign reporter for the Times in 2000. His legendarily soft coverage struck exactly the tone Bush preferred. It ignored policy and presented the campaign as a personality contest between a goofy but lovable regular guy and a stiff, unlikable jerk. I wrote an essay in 1999 about the pervasive anti-intellectualism that Bush exploited of which I remain proud. The cultural assumptions that enabled Bush to come within half a million votes of Gore, which celebrated personal authenticity and comfort in ones own skin and disdained policy detail and seriousness, had many sources. No single figure had more responsibility than Bruni, whom the Times gave the Bush beat, after a stint covering Washington, and then subsequently made a food critic*. A representative sample of Brunis style can be seen in his report on the first presidential debate, which began thusly: It was not enough for Vice President Al Gore to venture a crisp pronunciation of Milosevic, as in Slobodan, the Yugoslav president who refuses to be pried from power Mr. Gore had to go a step further, volunteering the name of Mr. Milosevics challenger, Vojislav Kostunica. Then he had to go a step beyond that, noting that Serbia plus Montenegro equals Yugoslavia and as Mr. Gore loped effortlessly through the Balkans, barely able to suppress his self-satisfied grin, it became ever clearer that the point of all the thickets of consonants and proper nouns was not a geopolitical lesson it was more like oratorical intimidation, an unwavering effort to upstage and unnerve an opponent whose mind and mouth have never behaved in a similarly encyclopedic fashion. Good thing we didnt end up with a self-satisfied prig who stoops to the oratorical intimidation of speaking in an informed way about world affairs as president! The 20012008 period might have been boring as hell. In a 2001 campaign memoir, Bruni half-sheepishly confessed that Bush had charmed him. (He often seemed content to get by on as little as possible, and we perhaps focused less on this than we might have in the fall of 1999.) Yet his memoir explains this as the by-product of Bushs irresistible charm and comes nowhere close to grappling with what turned out to be one of the most important and consequential failures in the history of American journalism. That Bruni now accuses other journalists of crying wolf about Republican nominees is nothing short of astonishing. Bruni is like the boy who was in charge of spotting wolves, and assured everybody that it was just a bunch of adorable little puppies, and then, after the puppies turned out to be wolves that devoured all of the livestock and several children, wrote a book saying maybe he should have been a tad more vigilant but, hey, you gotta admit, those were some cute puppies. Liberals may be accused of many sins, but enabling Trump is not one them. Liberals have spent a quarter-century warning that the Republican Party was descending into unhinged, knee-jerk, anti-intellectual reaction. What Trump reveals is not that liberal warnings about the growing ignorance and derangement of the Republican Party were taken too seriously, but that they werent taken seriously enough. Update: I initially inverted the sequence of Brunis roles at the Times. One day after securing his partys nomination for reelection, John McCain kicked off his general-election campaign by reminding voters that Hillary Clinton will probably be the next president. My opponent Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is a good person, McCain says in a new campaign video. But, if Hillary Clinton is elected president, Arizona will need a senator who will act as a check, not a rubber stamp to the White House. The senator goes on to note that Kirkpatrick wont oppose higher taxes, she wont oppose more federal spending, and she wont oppose increased debts that slow economic growth. McCain has kept his maverick suit in the closet this election cycle, declining to disavow Donald Trump, despite the GOP nominees having mocked him for being tortured in Vietnam. Kirkpatrick has taken advantage of McCains humiliating dependence on Trump supporters, painting the elderly senator as helpless and weak. McCain never mentions Trump in his new ad, though he does obliquely reference Americans broad antipathy for both of their presidential options, saying whether you are satisfied or dissatisfied with your choices for president, this election is an important one. As Hillary Clinton has focused increasing attention on wooing Republican voters, a Suffolk University survey released Thursday found that 32 percent of voters plan to split their tickets this November. McCains pitch seems to be aimed squarely at theoretical Clinton Republicans. As Talking Points Memos Lauren Fox notes, its an identical strategy to the one employed by Republican Senate candidates in 1996, when it became clear that Bob Dole was going to lose some GOP voters to a different President Clinton. That scheme worked well two decades ago, as Republicans gained two seats in the upper chamber. If history is any guide, then, this video should make Kirkpatrick a bit nervous and the Clinton campaign a bit more at ease. The worlds greatest deliberative body is in danger of becoming a pinata being batted around by the two major parties. If you are a civically engaged American who follows political news closely, you are probably aware that partisan control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance once again this November. If Democrats can regain the gavel after losing it two years ago, it could have a big impact on prospects for governing by either major-party presidential nominee. Right now the odds lean slightly in favor of a Democratic takeover, mainly because the Senate landscape is very, very favorable: 24 of the 34 seats up this year are currently held by Republicans, and 6 of them are in states carried twice by Barack Obama. Since Republicans now hold a 5446 margin in the upper chamber, a gain of four net seats by Democrats will flip the Senate if Hillary Clinton is elected president and vice-president Tim Kaine holds the tie-breaker, with five seats needed if Mike Pence has the whip hand. The dynamics of which party controls the White House, the Senate, and even the House will determine, as my colleague Jonathan Chait has explained, the fate of that great instrument of obstruction, the Senate filibuster. Virtually any change from the status quo will probably doom the disreputable minority-party veto. But if the Senate does change hands in November, the odds are high that it will change hands again in 2018, and yet again in 2020. In 2018, the landscape turns bright red, with Democrats having to defend 25 of 33 seats at stake 5 of them in states carried by Mitt Romney in 2012. The odds of a one-seat or two-seat Democratic majority surviving that landscape, particularly given the recent emergence of a significant Republican turnout advantage in midterms, and especially if there is a Democrat in the White House (midterms usually produce losses for the White House party), are very low. But then in 2020, the color of the landscape changes yet again, with two-thirds of the seats (22 of 33) at stake being held by Republicans. The likelihood of Democrats regaining the gavel then are enhanced by the relatively strong turnout dynamics the Donkey Party enjoys these days in presidential elections. So, add in the party control switch that occurred in 2014, and we have better-than-even odds that partisan control of the Senate could flip in four consecutive elections. That has not happened before. To get very technical about it, the gavel did change four times in just two years from 2001 to 2003 thanks to some very quirky developments: The gap between Senate and presidential/vice-presidential inauguration dates meant that the 50-50 Senate produced by the 2000 elections was for 18 days controlled by the Democratic Party of outgoing veep and SCOTUS victim Al Gore, before he handed over control to incoming veep and SCOTUS beneficiary Dick Cheney. Then, less than six months later, Vermont Republican Jim Jeffords switched parties, flipping the Senate back to the Democrats, who proceeded to lose it all over again in the 2002 elections. Good times, eh? It should all serve as a reminder that our constitutional system puts some very harsh constraints on the ability of popular majorities at any one time to produce a workable majority in Washington. First of all, of course, the Senate gives equal representation to California with its 39 million people and Wyoming with its 586,000. Second of all, the staggered system of Senate elections means that a popular tide in any one cycle can at most affect one-third of the seats. And third of all, the same system means exposure of any one party to popular censure in any one election is limited by the landscape for any one class, which alternates between presidential and midterm elections. None of this mattered nearly so much back in the days when the two parties were ideologically diverse and cross-partisan governing coalitions were possible. At a time of partisan polarization and gridlock, however, and particularly if the filibuster goes the way of the dinosaur, the change in the governing landscape produced by a partisan flip could be large. And we could see it happen again and again. Not so good times, eh? Indeed, the institution once known as the worlds greatest deliberative body is in danger of becoming a pinata batted around by the two major parties. It is reasonably clear that was not part of the founders design. When will the flip-flopping end? Thats impossible to say, of course, but one contributing cause is the winning streak Democrats seem to be putting together in presidential elections (if Clinton wins, that will mean Democrats have won the popular vote in six of the last seven presidential elections), which produces regular midterm reactions favoring Republicans. Its up to voters to break that pattern one way or the other. The future looks awesome. Photo: Jed Egan Latinos for Trump co-founder Marco Gutierrez knows what the future will hold if Hillary Clinton becomes president, and it is dire. And convenient. And delicious. While questioning him about Trumps proposed immigration plan, Joy Reid asked Mr. Gutierrez how exactly the country would be worse off under Hillary Clinton. After a little public speaking 101 kicking off with a quote from the Wrath of Khan: the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few Gutierrez launched into a bizarre, frankly racist polemic. He described Latino culture as a very dominant culture and imposing. And said clearly working up to his denouement its causing problems. If you dont do something about it youre gonna have taco trucks on every corner. While we have no doubt that heading a Latino pro-Trump group is disorienting, in this case Marco seems to have seriously misjudged Americas feelings vis-a-vis taco trucks, at least according to Twitter, where the response was swift. you get a taco truck you get a taco truck everybody gets a taco truckkkkkkkkkk pic.twitter.com/BFdReW1suz Oliver Willis (@owillis) September 2, 2016 The more i think about it, the more pissed I am that there isnt already a taco truck on every corner. Thanks a lot OBAMA. Ben (@BenHowe) September 2, 2016 Gutierrez has since responded to the incident and cleared everything up. And by cleared everything up we mean he tweeted a link to an L.A. Times story about the poor health and safety records of food trucks. I told you! @MSNBC @TamronMSNBC The dark side of trendy food trucks: A poor health safety record https://t.co/Xcwvsq9CFk Marco Gutierrez (@MarcoGutierrez) September 2, 2016 Lets keep Mexican food where it belongs, guys, in office buildings. This man has a great relationship with the blacks. Photo: Ralph Freso/Getty Images Donald Trump will visit an African-American church in Detroit this weekend and sit for an interview with its pastor. For some strange reason, his campaign wants to suspend its let Trump be Trump strategy for the duration of that visit. The GOP nominees campaign requested to see Bishop Wayne T. Jacksons questions in advance. Then it prepared an eight-page script, detailing how it hopes Trump will answer them, the New York Times reported Thursday night. The campaigns reluctance to let Trump shoot from the hip when discussing race in America is, of course, understandable. The Republican standard-bearer may think he has a great relationship with the blacks, but some recent polls have put his support in the community at 0 percent. So far, his main pitch to the African-American community is that they have nothing to lose in switching their partisan loyalties, since all black people have no jobs and cant walk down the street without getting shot. Judging from its prepared script, however, the moguls campaign doesnt have a problem with its candidate condescending to black voters the campaign just wants him to do so through the sterile, focus-grouped rhetoric of a conventional Republican. Asked what his administration would do to ease racial tension in America, Trump is supposed to reply: Our best hope for erasing racial tensions in America is to work toward a color-blind society. In business, we hire, retain and award based on merit. In society, however, we have divisions that can only be eliminated if we have equal opportunity and then equal access to programs and institutions that will lift all people in the country. Here, Trumps handlers posit the ideal of a color-blind society and then immediately illustrate the blindness of those who espouse that ideal. There is copious sociological research demonstrating that employers do, in fact, discriminate on the basis of race in hiring. Or, if Trumps staffers prefer anecdotal evidence of racism in the workplace, they could have just asked their candidate about his opinions on black workers. Trump goes on to suggest that equality of opportunity can best be achieved through supply-side tax cuts, immigration enforcement, and school vouchers. Later in the interview, Jackson presses Trump to say what he would do to address the unique challenges facing black Americans. Trump is instructed to reply that the best way to fight racism is to pretend that it does not exist: If we are to Make America Great Again, we must reduce, rather than highlight, issues of race in this country. I want to make race disappear as a factor in government and governance. Every individual, regardless of race or ethnicity, must have access to the full array of opportunities in America. The script ends with Trump boasting that a recent poll put him at 8 percent with African-Americans, which is the only moment in which he sounds remotely like himself, rather than like Mitt Romneys less charismatic twin. According to the Times, Trump had planned to make this scripted interview his sole appearance at the church, opting not to attend an actual service, where there would be black people who hadnt given him advance notice of what they might say to him. However, after the Times report was published, the GOP nominees campaign informed the paper that Trump will address the congregation for five to 10 minutes. He then plans to tour a series of neighborhoods in the city, with Detroit native and amateur Egyptologist Ben Carson. The notorious diplomatic agreement that enabled World War II and brought death and untold misery to millions of people is now being denied in Putins Russia. Photo: Keystone-France\Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images In another disturbing sign that Vladimir Putins regime is sliding back toward the mendacity and imperialist legacy of the Soviet past, the Russian Supreme Court has upheld the prosecution of a journalist for writing the truth about what happened in September of 1939: a Soviet invasion of Poland as enabled by the Hitler-Stalin Pact that divided Poland and other Eastern European areas between the two totalitarian powers. The prosecution was under a Russian statute that prohibits the publication of falsehoods about the Soviet Unions role in World War II. The falsehood in question not coincidentally written in Ukrainian, as it happens, and criticizing claims that Ukrainian nationalists were partially to blame for the war was this: The communists and Germany jointly invaded Poland, sparking off the Second World War. That is, communism and Nazism closely collaborated That is literally and figuratively a historical fact, undisputed even in Russia (after the fall of the Soviet Union, that is) until fairly recently. The so-called Hitler-Stalin Pact (also known as the MolotovRibbentrop Pact, named after the two foreign ministers who actually signed it) provided for a nonaggression agreement between the two former enemies supplemented by a secret protocol for the division of Poland, along with the cession of the then-independent Baltic States and portions of Rumania and Finland to the USSR. It was concluded just 9 days before the German invasion of Poland, followed 17 days later by the Soviet invasion of Poland, which began the moment a separate nonaggression pact with Germanys ally Japan secured the USSRs eastern borders. The realities of this 1939 diplomatic coup were officially acknowledged by Russia along with the release of secret Soviet archives in 1989. But Soviet-era revisionism eventually returned via statements by Putin in 2014 and 2015 defending Soviet behavior and essentially blaming Poland for its own dismemberment. In the old-new view from Moscow, Stalin was simply defending his people and even the Poles from Nazi aggression, with the Polish regime sharing Hitlers blame via its hostility to the USSR and the precedent it set by annexing a small Polish-majority area of Czechoslovakia upon that countrys collapse after Munich. Heres how Putin put it in 2014: People are still arguing about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact to the present day, Putin said. And they accuse the Soviet Union of carving up Poland. But what did Poland itself do when the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia? They grabbed a piece of Czechoslovakia! (Laughs) They did that before the end of May [1939]! (Laughs) And then they got their payback. Payback! Thats amazing coming from the inheritor of a regime that killed or deported hundreds of thousands of Poles in the late 1930s for no reasons other than an imaginary spy ring and displaced blame for Stalins own starvation of Ukrainians. Far from defending the wayward Poles from Hitler, the USSR, upon its planned invasion of the country, instigated a massacre of bourgeois elements that rivaled and closely resembled the simultaneous Nazi liquidation of the Polish intelligentsia. Until the Nazis betrayed the alliance by attacking the Soviet Union in 1941, Soviet diplomacy and agitprop was pro-Nazi, and Stalin himself consistently rejected intelligence that his friend Hitler was planning to invade. Yes, there is an argument to be made that the Western democracies enabled the Hitler-Stalin Pact by resisting earlier Soviet efforts to form an anti-Nazi alliance. Less credible is the Russian claim that the West made it all happen by refusing to force the Poles to allow Soviet troops to enter their country to defend them. But none of these rationalizations in any way undermines the essential character of Soviet behavior toward Poland and its other victims before and after the pact. If you want a good recent, credible accounting of the vast crimes of both regimes in this period, check out Timothy Snyders magisterial book Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin. There are grounds for debate over many events of the time. But not over the basic facts Russian courts are now denying. Perhaps Putins admirer Donald Trump could do him the favor of setting him straight. Italian health minister Beatrice Lorenzin. Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty images In 1970, the average fertility rate for women in the European Union was 2.4 children per woman. But in 2013 it fell to 1.5 children a number thats technically too low to maintain a stable population. As populations age in those countries, more and more people rely on government-funded social services. So its no surprise that the government in Italy, where the fertility rate is below the EUs average (1.4 children per woman), is stressed out about the issue. Unfortunately, the nations attempt to allay their concerns by announcing a national Fertility Day on September 22 is backfiring in a huge way. According to its website, the Fertility Day campaign is designed to remind Italians of the beauty of parenthood, warn them of diseases that could lead to infertility, and educate them on ways to increase their fertility. But the movements social-media campaign, spearheaded by Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin, was considered by many to be offensive. The campaign includes six images; one, which shows a woman holding an hourglass, reads, Beauty has no age. But fertility does. Another says, Fertility is a common good, and a third reads, Male fertility is much more vulnerable than you might think, with a picture of a rotting banana peel. Italian women were not moved. Blogger Giulia Blasi pointed out the blatant hypocrisy of the Italian government asking women to have children when it doesnt even provide for paid maternity leave. And according to Quartz, although gender discrimination in the workplace is technically illegal, many Italian women are asked to sign a dimissioni in bianco upon being hired, which states their contract can be terminated should they become pregnant. Whats more, Italys unemployment rate for people under 25 is 42 percent, and its overall unemployment rate (11.6 percent) is nearly double that of the United States, all of which makes having children decidedly inadvisable. Whats more, Blasi says, the government doesnt provide IVF for same-sex couples, and although LGTBQ couples can be joined in a civil union, they cant adopt. She goes on: All this is the governments business, and should be dealt with in order to make it possible for young Italians to procreate when they feel the urge, or not, according to their wishes and desires. What this campaign hides is the complete inability of the government to tackle the declining birth rate and subsequent decrease of cash flow towards the countrys already severely depleted public welfare. If women choose not to have children for personal or financial reasons, or both who is going to pay the insane amount of taxes required to keep the system working? Not the children of immigrants, who are not awarded automatic citizenship even if born and raised on Italian soil. It falls to Italian women to repopulate Italy, fulfilling their biological destiny and doing their patriotic duty. On Friday, Italys prime minister, Matteo Renzi, bashed the campaign in a radio interview.If you want to create a society that invests in its future and has children, you have to make sure the underlying conditions are there, he said. Lorenzin, meanwhile, apologized for the campaign and said it had been misunderstood. We did not intend to offend or provoke anyone, she said. If the message has not gone across as we would have liked, we will change it. Remember when Rowling was considered progressive and a social justice fave?? When was it? I feel like she was never really liked because of the "oh by the way, Dumbledore is gay" thing. Reply Thread Link Nah, a lot of people actually give her kudos for her Dumbledore ~reveal (even though she did the absolute least) and give her feminist points for whatever rant she wrote praising Hermione one time. Some fans are embarrassing. Reply Parent Thread Link Regular fans, yes, but I've been seeing critical posts (re: Dumbledore) on social justice blogs for years. Reply Parent Thread Link you forgot black hermione ("I never specified her race!!11") Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah. Like this was the same woman demanding Scotland stay in during their referendum. She gets labelled progressive for doing the bare minimum. Reply Parent Thread Link I love this woman. Reply Thread Link What is so special about her books? They are so primitive! Reply Parent Thread Link Me too! Reply Parent Thread Link Same. One of my biggest role models tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link it's so god damn embarrassing Reply Parent Thread Link She's kind of lost in a world of her own creation. Reply Parent Thread Link Actually it was others who kept bringing it up, making comparisons. She replied Reply Parent Thread Link ikr I'm a huge fan but these references are cringeworthy Reply Parent Thread Link stop Reply Thread Link she should just admit that she's tory scum already, she isn't fooling anyone Edited at 2016-09-01 03:37 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link mte. she should come out instead of doing this soft liberal shit. fuck all owen jones supporters. trash blairites Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, everyone who thinks Corbyn is a fucking terrible leader is a Blairite. Good work. Reply Parent Thread Link lol poor owen jones Reply Parent Thread Link Other people were comparing her characters to politicians, she complained about it. Corbyn supporters on twitter are the most rabid, vitriolic, awful people so I don't blame her for being defensive. Reply Thread Link what r these mythical good bits frm the right tho Edited at 2016-09-01 03:04 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link mte centrists always act superior for being able to ~see both sides~ but when one side hates people of color, immigrants, women, critical social services, etc there is no merit to being in the middle. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I really dislike Corbyn supporters. When Chi Onwurah stated that Corbyn's leadership and management of his staff potentially could have led to him being found in front of tribunal for constructive dismissal and racial discrimination in other sectors, his "supporters" accused her of playing the race card and sent her pictures of him on anti apartheid march as if that negated what she experienced. Edited at 2016-09-01 03:02 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link At least Sanders is mature enough to tell his supporters to shut up when they yell and boo Clinton. Corbyn lets his supporters run wild on his opponents and then mumbles that everyone needs to be nice. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm getting to that point, too. Like when they were demanding Sadiq Khan's resignation for backing Owen Smith. What about respecting his mandate or whatever they keep banging on about with Corbyn? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Exactly - it's clear her problem isn't with the left in general. It's with Corbynism's current incarnation as a personality cult that prioritises ideological purity over political competence or electoral success. (And results in death threats and trolling for anyone who doesn't live up to their imagined standards. And she probably sees the worst of it in her replies.) The whole reason Rowling escaped poverty to write Harry Potter in the first place was because of an elected Labour government. Anyone accusing her of being a Tory for wanting Labour to be electable again and give that chance to others is doing some serious mental gymnastics. At this rate it'll be twenty years before the left have a shot at power again. But enjoy watching the country get thoroughly fucked by the Tories from your alleged moral high ground, I guess. Edited at 2016-09-01 09:45 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link CAN SHE NOT HAVE A SINGLE GOD DAMN POLITICAL DISCUSSION WITHOUT COMPARING IT TO VOLDEMORT OR DUMBLEDORE Reply Thread Link She didnt do that, the person who she's responding to did. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh hammercy Reply Thread Link Okay I don't fucking love Corbyn but he did not run off to give speeches to angry trolls. Labour is a fucking MESS right now. I do wish Corbyn would have stopped meeting random groups and not doing his political role early on cause that fucking hurt him but this leadership scandal is just taking focus away from the mess that is the Tory party post-Cameron step down. Reply Thread Link yall why do you put up with her. Reply Thread Link because she's a fucking billionaire with a hotline to the media. because she has millions of backward arsed HP Twitter followers blowing her kisses every time she passes wind. Edited at 2016-09-01 07:24 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link i miss the days when her twitter account was empty Reply Parent Thread Link OT but why is the parent button not showing up anymore? It's really pissing me off. Reply Thread Link It shows up for me Reply Parent Thread Link expand works on my pc but not my phone Reply Parent Thread Link Trash. Equating the far left to the far right is bad enough but it's worse when people say that to sound ~edgy or informed but really what they're communicating is that they neither understand politics or history, centrism is your best bet of maintaining the status quo, it's cowardly and underhanded politics at its finest. Reply Thread Link It's actually pretty accurate. The political spectrum is much less a line than a circle where the two extremes meet at the bottom. The radical right wing is far more active and harmful tho, at least right now. Reply Parent Thread Link MTE. As a comparison it's fairly common and not unfounded imo. The far left can be as racist, protectionist and bigoted as the far right. Idg why people think left == good/better always. That's not how it works. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Says who? Also it matters who we define as the far left and right - are we going by elected representatives? Because they overwhelmingly swing to the right of the population. And is the far left the market liberals or grassroots socialists?? Because one is not like the other Reply Parent Thread Link that was the most offensive part of her entire diatribe. in no way, ABSOLUTELY no way can the "far left" (just come out and say communists) be compared to the far right. They are opposed in principles and practice. She is exhibiting one of the tell-tale signs of liberalism- the most toxic kind. It's the same shit that most users on ONTD tell themselves to justify their votes for Hillary as some kind of political statement of progressivism. already you have people on this post openly siding with her and calling socialists toxic and vitriolic. as if behavior online is the only yard stick for measuring your politics. everything has become so internet-centric. Fuck Rowling and fuck moderates. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it baffles me how people can honestly act like the far left and the far right are ~equally as bad~ when the far right actively promotes racism and supports literal fascists Reply Parent Thread Expand Link the anxiety makes sense tbh i've been struggling with anxiety since i was a little kid. and it sucks. but i'm finally taking something for it and it's been helping a lot. Reply Thread Link Is anxiety her new excuse for her lackluster performances. Reply Thread Link never said it was? Reply Parent Thread Link no but if zayn and other celebs can use it to sell records, justify cancelling shows & being dicks etc then i think someone with as many hits as britney can use it to explain why she doesnt enjoy being in the public eye Reply Parent Thread Link Lol you cannot compare Zayn to Britney at all. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Cute. People who share they suffer anxiety are lying so they use it on their favor now... Reply Parent Thread Expand Link MTE Reply Parent Thread Link I think she's just opening up for the first time in a long time. Reply Parent Thread Link ew @ this Reply Parent Thread Link do you deal with anxiety, ontd? Yep. I have GAD and I'm in therapy for it. Reply Thread Link who did lifetime cast to play britney? i'm not gonna watch the movie, just curious Reply Thread Link Natasha Bassett Reply Parent Thread Link her sister jamie lynn Reply Parent Thread Link lol i would lovee it Reply Parent Thread Link speaking of jamie lynn, are they ever going to finish that zoey 101 reunion thing? i didn't see the purpose in doing it in the first place but they never finished... Reply Parent Thread Expand Link She was slut shamed so badly early on in her career. Reply Thread Link Seriously. Looking back at it, man it was brutal. It's amazing all the stuff that flew under the radar because the Internet wasn't a thing Reply Parent Thread Link never forget that time in Mexico (I think) when a grown ass reporter asked a teen if she was still a virgin Reply Parent Thread Link Could you imagine if a reporter asked that nowadays Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I wasn't around for that back then, but didn't her team make a big deal about how she was a virgin when she first started getting radio air play? I vaguely remember something about how cute she and Justin were together, and she was still a virgin (it was like a selling feature, and I remember thinking it was really strange). Or was it just one of those Disney/Tiger Beat fabricated stories? ETA: I just saw an interview where she went around promoting "no sex before marriage," so she made her virginity a topic. So not surprised if a reporter asked her about it. She invited the question. Edited at 2016-09-02 12:58 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I remember even as a kid thinking, "What does her vagina have to do with her singing? Why can't she say, 'That's none of your business' or 'What's between my legs don't have anything to do with my job'?" Of course I was wishful at 11, 12 in thinking she could do and say what she wanted to without a PR team and public opinion not weighing in. Reply Parent Thread Link Remember that Rolling Stone cover with the stuffed furbie? #iconic Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i wouldn't say she was slut shamed, but she was totally oversexualized Reply Parent Thread Expand Link mte. the comments people about her were disgusting. Reply Parent Thread Link Yep she got shit for her singing, her outfits, her performances and always slut shaming her for all of it. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm pretty sure a lot of my friend's reason for not liking her was that she was "gross." This was during the Slave 4 u days, ofc. Reply Parent Thread Link MTE, the media in the 90s & 00s were horrible to women. Look @ how they called Chelsea Clinton a dog as a teen. MESS. Reply Parent Thread Link do you deal with anxiety, ontd? I worry that no matter how hard I try, I will end up exhausted and trapped in a job I don't like and which pays badly. I fear poverty and misery, basically. I don't feel that I'm in control of my own life. I have...issues with perfectionism and failure. fun times Reply Thread Link I have no idea how I live with anxiety, but I do Reply Parent Thread Link I'm here for the Lifetime movie. Bring back the hair person from the Brittany Murphy movie. And I feel like way more celebrities deal with anxiety than we think. Reply Thread Link omg lol NO @ the hair person from the Brittany Murphy movie. Reply Parent Thread Link bless her candidness. My anxiety, along side my ADD, mostly messes with my memory and ability to sleep before work days. It's....I'm working on it to say the least Reply Thread Link Anxiety sucks but i've learned to live with it : /. I've had 2 panic attacks in my 29 years of life and i dont know how people who have them reguarly do it tbh. Once i get used to things it's not so bad anymore. Reply Thread Link Awww. It's good that she is saying this because eve tho we knew that, she feels ok sharing it. Reply Thread Link Also, even tho she doesn't want it, if they do the lifetime movie i will watch because i always do with those messy movies lmao Reply Thread Link I've been diagnosed with GAD for a year and a half now and sometimes I still face problems with it. Buuuuut I expect some high psychophobia in this post unfortunately i'll read the interview dont delete k Reply Thread Link nha <3 Reply Parent Thread Link I actually dont have physical anxiety much anymore, i almost had a panic attack at work where i started getting hot and felt like i couldnt breathe but it stopped.i used to have crippling panic attacks almlst everyday; talk therapy helped But i do get nervous. The other day i started crying when i messed up on an online quiz for class. So i dont really consider myself anxious anymore, or even that stressed but i have my moments of being neurotic Reply Thread Link I mean it was obvious to me how miserable Britney was all the way back in 2003. Anyways, I'm on celexa and gabapentin. Still feel like I can't contain my anxiety. Any recs on medicines that worked for you all? My doc appointment is on the 9th Reply Thread Link Drs always wnana prescribe ssrs for anxiety but they have always given me terrible anxiety :/ i had my first panic attack on them Im looking to be re prescribed for somehting for depressiom but im worried of anxiety side fx Reply Parent Thread Link I've been on and off of adderall and I tried to get back on it this summer and I swear to god I had the worst meltdowns everyday. It was so bad. Thank god my dad was there and my boyfriend helped. Never again Reply Parent Thread Link def avoid the activating ssris! I recommend trying a couple things like trazodone or remeron. iirc, (sorry for being creepy lol) you have an ed as well? people tend to avoid the ssris/snris witb morr stimulant aspects for us. I had to agree for a weight range/monthly weigh-ins as an anorexic on wellbutrin. I wouldn't even be able to take it without klonopin as a counter. but I reccomend trying the more sedating ssris first. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm on the highest dose of celexa and it helps me a lot, which I'm very thankful for. I was diagnosed with GAD back in 2004. I did Zoloft for a few years before transitioning to Celexa. Hope you feel better and find the right cockail soon. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link ugh I hated gabapentin bc I had to take handfuls of it three times a day. i'm on wellbutrin which I really rec. klonopin 3x a day as well. I am cautious with benzos bc of a family history of addiction plus I used to overmedicate, but on the right dose it helps immensely with anxiety. Reply Parent Thread Link Nirvana, "Nevermind" (1991) TLC, "CrazySexyCool" (1994) The Fugees, "The Score" (1996) Brandy, "Never Say Never" (1998) Eminem, "The Marshall Mathers LP" (2000) Christina Aguilera, "Stripped" (2002) Christina Aguilera Coldplay, "A Rush of Blood to the Head" (2002) Alicia Keys, "The Diary of Alicia Keys" (2003) Amy Winehouse, "Back to Black" (2006) Beyonce, "B'Day" (2006) Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream" (2010) Drake, "Take Care" (2011) Adele, "21" (2011) Miguel, "Kaleidoscope Dream" (2012) The sophomore slump can indicate the longevity of an artist's career in the music industry. It is a test that has challenged artists throughout the years and has been the make or break. It can be hard to follow up with a successful debut, but not for these following artists. For them, their sophomore efforts were either on par with their debut, or the defining moment in their careers. Much like yesterday's "best debut album" post, it is impossible to narrow these lists down so feel free to add on to the list in the comments!Nirvana's second album "Nevermind" may be one of the most impressive examples of how an artist can infact top their debut. If you were alive in the 90's, you've seen this cover or heard a song from this album at least once in your life. Nirvana's sophomore effort was a game changer that defined a generation of music.Smells Like Teen SpiritTLC had no problems facing the sophomore slump with their second album, "CrazySexyCool." This album defined the trio and was where they landed their biggest hits, "Waterfalls" & "Creep." The album is the groups highest selling album with their third album, "FanMail," following right behind.Creep, Waterfalls, Red Light SpecialThe Fugees sophomore album, "The Score," launched three successful solo careers, produced a slew of hits and has sold over 15 million units worldwide. This album was above and beyond their debut. "The Score" is a timeless album that defined The Fugees music career.Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly, No Woman No CryBrandy gifted us the best r&b album of the late 90's with her sophomore effort, "Never Say Never." Following up a successful debut that introduced her unique voice into r&b, she one-upped herself and delivered the most successful album of her career and one of the most noteworthy r&b albums ever.Angel In Disguise, The Boy Is Mine, Almost Doesn't Count, Top of the World, Have You EverEminem's second album was the fastest selling solo album in music history and was the biggest selling single disc album in hip-hop history. "The Marshall Mathers LP" is Eminem's most successful album, no if ands or buts. Many considered Eminem a rap genius after he released this rage-induced, story-teller album.Stan, The Real Slim Shady, The Way I AmOne of the biggest sophomore reinventions goes toXtina's pop masterpiece, "Stripped." The album, which at first recieved mixed reviews for being musically all over the place, earned the pop diva a Grammy and a slew of hits. It wasn't until later on that this album was appreciated for the true magnum opus of her career that it is.Can't Hold Us Down, Walk Away, Fighter, Infatuation, Impossible, Beautiful, Get Mine Get Yours, DirrtyColdplay had a high level of hype surrounding their successful debut album, and the band did not let any fans down with their second album, "A Rush of Blood to the Head." The album was packed with hits, helping the band leap over the sophomore slump and leaving them with what is still their greatest moment yet.The Scientist, Clocks, In My HeadAlicia Key's sophomore album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," sold over 618k in it's first week, becoming Key's second consecutive number-one debut in the United States and spawned three top-ten singles. This is Alicia's magnum opus, leaving it the defining moment of her career.Diary, You Don't Know My Name, If I Aint Got YouBefore the revivalist soul brigade, Amy Winehouse released her second album "Back to Black," an album spawning unexpected hits about alcoholism and abusive relationships delivered by one of the greatest voices of our generation. As the last full length album of Winehouses tragically short life, "Back to Black" leaves room for us to imagine what could have been.Rehab, You Know I'm No Good, Me & Mr. Jones, Back to Black, Love is a Losing Game, Tears Dry on Their OwnBeyonce showed us that she was here to stay as a solo artist on her second studio album, "B'Day." The album is one of her most successful to date and was a defining moment in her career. It was successful in international music markets and yielded six singles, including three commercial hits. This was as strong of a sophomore album as they come.Deja Vu, Ring the Alarm, Irreplaceable, Beautiful Liar, Get Me BodiedLove her or hate her, there's no denying that Katy Perry delivered a solid pop record for her sophomore effort, "Teenage Dream." She delivered a consistent, cohesive album that had little to no weak tracks, if you ask her fans. It is undeniably Perry's best work to date and defined her as a pop megastar.Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night (TGIF), California Gurls, Firework, Peacock, Circle The Drain, The One That Got Away, E.T.Drake has been on an unassailable upward trajectory since 2009's So Far Gone mixtape. While his first album debuted at No. 1 on the charts, "Take Care" did the same thing, as Drake continued to prove that he was a force to be reckoned with for hip-hop. "Take Care" represents the impressive focusing of a young artist, trying new things and polishing what they already built.Marvins Room, Headlines, HYFR, Make Me Proud, The Motto, Take CareI don't know if any artist had as much success with their second album as Adele did with "21." The album topped the charts in more than 30 countries and became the world's best-selling album of the year for 2011 and 2012. In the UK, it is the best-selling album of the 21st century and fourth best-selling album of all time. In the U.S., the album held the top position for 24 weeks, longer than any other album since 1985 and the longest by a female solo artist in Billboard 200 history.Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, Set Fire to the Rain, Rumour Has ItMiguel's second album, "Kaleidoscope Dream," is one of the most impressive R&B albums of recent years. Miguel beat the sophomore slump by serving an album that drew inspiration from R&B, pop, funk, rock and soul styles, as well as elements from electronic and psychedelic music. "Kaleidoscope Dream" received rave reviews from critics, who praised its eccentric style and Miguel's singing and songwriting.Adorn, Do You... What's your favorite sophomore album, ONTD? 13 + me okay. gross plead for attention. Reply Thread Link that's all she knows how to do. i think my mom is nuts and i'm fucked up and then .....Lohan Reply Parent Thread Link EW @ terry richardson tho Also, that quote. :( Stay away from him bb. Edited at 2016-09-02 01:23 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Record scratch @ Terry Richardson Reply Thread Link Oh. I thought you said red snatch. Reply Parent Thread Link shes so messy... Reply Thread Link Those hashtags had absolutely no relation to her caption lol Reply Parent Thread Link "if that person isnt prepared to say sorry." Uhmm,even if they say sorry, fuck them. No one should forgive that bullshit. Reply Thread Link Was coming here to say just this. Reply Parent Thread Link She has the mentality of a lost little girl. Reply Parent Thread Link yup Reply Parent Thread Link mte... they're usually known for saying sorry a million times and that it'll never happen again. Reply Parent Thread Link Love yourself, girl. Reply Thread Link oh dear. Reply Thread Link Thirst trap fail lol Reply Thread Link This is extremely sad. Reply Thread Link I wish she had someone in her life that actually gave a shit about her. Reply Thread Link I know her parents are awful, but is she close to her sister and brother at all? Reply Parent Thread Link IIRC someone on ONTD used to go to high school with her younger siblings and said they all straight up hated her for the drama she brought into their lives. Reply Parent Thread Link She's had plenty of people that believed in her and tried to help her. We aren't even aware of half the people that tried to help her. She is a terrible human being, point blank. But that said, she is wholly undeserving of abuse. Reply Parent Thread Link I've got nothing. Reply Thread Link This is sad. Reply Thread Link Another L for Hope. Reply Thread Link Aren't they reporting mosquitos in Miami actually carrying the virus? The vaccine is going to trial soon right? Reply Thread Link Yes on the first thing, not sure about the second. Reply Parent Thread Link remembering all the people that asked for it to be canceled because of Zika and kept talking about it like they knew the country so much better. like we havent been dealing with this mosquito for years. it is the same one from dengue. we know. now, during the summer it will be a fucking mess. Reply Thread Link another reason i'm happy to be leaving south florida tbh Reply Thread Link No joke, I'm seriously considering moving to Las Vegas and that is a major plus in my book - I'm one of those people that goes outside and has 10 bites in 10 minutes. Between that, 90-100% humidity and seasonal allergies, I'm dreading summer nowadays D; Reply Parent Thread Link I mean I would have been afraid of Zika too but I wouldn't be an asshole about it like she was. Reply Thread Link Thank God. I'm going to be trying to get pregnant soon and of course I live in Florida and mosquitoes love me, FML. Reply Thread Link wow look at that, dirty third world country ain't as dirty as stupid gringos thought. quelle surprise. Reply Thread Link lmao americans were so afraid of zika. They need to chill Reply Thread Link yeah, I am terrified to have a deformed special needs baby. It would greatly and negatively affect my life... Wtf is this comment? Reply Parent Thread Link It's weird to me how Americans have latched onto this when the disease itself isn't that awful (compared to other mosquito-borne diseases) unless you're pregnant. Like, I know some schools have cancelled their class trips because of it. You were already sending your teen to a place where they could get dengue or chikungunya; why panic now? Reply Parent Thread Link Yes, that is why it's so weird to me. They really over reacted about zika but you are only in danger if you are pregnant. Like, don't travel there if you are already pregnant or planning to get pregnant after some weeks of traveling. Reply Parent Thread Link The Brazilians shouting ZIKA everytime she kicked the ball was hilarious. Reply Thread Link lmao mte then they just decided to shout it at every soccer game because why not. Brazil's vuvuzela Reply Parent Thread Link lol Reply Parent Thread Link It was the best, I laughed every single time they did it. Reply Parent Thread Link uhh Reply Thread Link Ok, but I don't think Brazil should hold their breath, considering they found one man who tested positive for Zika 6 months after he left SA. Reply Thread Link Drag them Eduardo!!!!! Reply Thread Link Eduardo is a fool Reply Thread Link as someone who doesn't care about sales, idk i'm so glad she finally put out an album that i love and that's really all i care about. also i need to add love me down to my faves. Reply Thread Link Not only that but an album she had a HUGE hand in. Makes it all that more special. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't know anything about how the album was made, how much of a hand did she have? That's great to hear I love most of the album a lot Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I completely agree. I just wanted a really great album from her that I'd love and she 100% delivered. I couldn't care less about sales, I'm thrilled with the music. Reply Parent Thread Link same, still bopping to godney's work Reply Parent Thread Link This is hilarious. She's like BYE. Reply Parent Thread Link brit looks gorgeous. Reply Parent Thread Link She looks so good these days, I'm happy for her. Reply Parent Thread Link God, this had me LOL! Reply Parent Thread Link Lol good for her! That thing is hard, I couldn't stay in the board to save my life Reply Parent Thread Link Lmaooo Reply Parent Thread Link LMFAO Reply Parent Thread Link pretty much B to all her biggest fans on here. the ones that hate on her for a living. bless. Reply Parent Thread Link watch the video bc it gets better lol Reply Parent Thread Link lmaoooooo Reply Parent Thread Link LOFL OMG what is this Reply Parent Thread Link lmao this killed me Reply Parent Thread Link lmao that interview was so QT Reply Parent Thread Link Selfless Queen, letting those lessers top the charts since she's already had 6 albums at number 1. When will your faves? Reply Thread Link no one? Reply Thread Link Let's blame whomever thought Make Me was a good lead single. Should have been Do You Want To Come Over?, Slumber Party, or even (Lean On-lite) Better, tbh Reply Thread Link Slumber Party is so fucking good. Reply Parent Thread Link "Make Me" was a weak lead single, especially compared to the rest of the material on the album. Reply Thread Link It really was. And it was a very weak single for a live performance. Liar would have slayed. Reply Parent Thread Link I agree, but at the same time make me has reeeaaallly grown on me. Reply Parent Thread Link It was super weak. She had legit bops on there Reply Parent Thread Link I BLAME PRETTY GIRLS Jk idc. I'm just happy with how good Glory is. I really wasnt expecting to love it so much after BJ. If people dont buy it whatever, nothing I can do about it. At least I got Slumber Party. Reply Thread Link w/o PG, we wouldn't have gotten Glory! Reply Parent Thread Link ~...but....but.....she's having fun Reply Thread Link She already made a lot of money you guys shouldn't be worried Reply Thread Link yeah idgi Reply Parent Thread Link F L O P Reply Thread Link carly debuted w/ more! truly the queen of pop Reply Parent Thread Link lol...whatever makes you happy! emoji and b sides were cute Reply Parent Thread Link rip she will be missed Reply Thread Link Umm if someone is still allowing Ciara to make albums I'm sure Brit will be fine. Plus this album is a certified bop filled album. Reply Parent Thread Link will she, though? Reply Parent Thread Link i got it on itunes but i haven't listened to it yet Reply Thread Link ask for a refund Reply Parent Thread Link lack of promo. i knew she had a new single out but not an album, and i spend all my time on ONTD and other social media. I should have seen it trending. Reply Thread Link She did plenty of promo stop. Reply Parent Thread Link I must've missed it. *kanyeshrug.gif* Reply Parent Thread Link Not really Reply Parent Thread Link There have been like five annoying ass posts about her a day on ONTD. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link WTI fell from $47 to under $43.40 through Thursday this week with help from a strong USD, growing fatigue among market participants about OPECs production ceiling talk and, of course, stubbornly poor refiner demand, weak refining margins, high levels of existing supplies and above forecast output from OPEC, Russia and the U.S. In the near term we are maintaining fair value for WTI in a $42-$50 range and would look to own call spreads for WTI Z16 or Brent F17 on further weakness in flat price. The EUR/USDs drop from a Friday high of 1.1341 to a weekly low of 1.1204 played a key role in oils recent losses. Looking ahead, we think the most critical event for the oil market in the near term is the U.S. jobs data for August which will shape attitudes on the odds of a rate hike in September. As of Thursday afternoon Fed fund futures implied a 24 percent chance of a 25 bp hike in September and bond yields have reflected higher odds of a benchmark increase with the U.S. 2yr yield moving from 0.53 percent on July 5th to 0.78 percent at the end of the day on Sept. 1st. Should jobs data prove unexpectedly strong and drive USD strength / crude oil weakness we would look to buy WTI Z16 $47/$52 call spreads paying $1.20 (current value near $1.40, expires Nov 16th) believing that tighter crude oil spreads and falling product stocks in major hubs show evidence of a market still moving towards supply/demand balance. We also expect the $40 area to invite significant speculative length into the market as evidenced by the markets reaction to Julys selloff. Exhibits A, B and C for our argument above would be drops in PADD IB gasoline, ARA Gasoil and Singapore distillates of 9 percent, 7 percent and 11 percent, respectively over the last five weeks. In our minds this is revealing that poor refining margins are causing sharp refiner input decreases and will eventually lead to tight products strengthening the entire complex. ARA gasoil and Singapore distillates are already at y/y deficits as our charts illustrate. We also think it is also important to note that prompt spreads in Brent (37-cents contango) and WTI (60-cents contango) are at or near their highest levels since early July and are behaving as if the market is tightening despite the drop in flat price. Prompt WTI spreads were particularly sensitive to the upside this week following a 1m bbl draw in Cushing and the loss of about 300k bpd of output for several days in the Gulf of Mexico due to Hermine. In conclusion, we think that global product inventories and crude oil spreads continue to reveal a tightening global oil market and would use any dip to the $40 mark for WTI as a buying opportunity with a 1-2 month horizon. Front WTI spreads tighten on Cushing draw, GoM outtages (Click to enlarge) In U.S. markets traders began last Friday with a flat rig count at 406 which broke a streak of ten straight weeks of increases. U.S. crude production fell 60k bpd to 8.49m bpd but PADD II crude imports (+5 percent y/y) continue to apply pressure to spreads. On the bullish side, Hermine shut GoM production this week to the tune of 240k bpd 360k bpd which represents about 1/6 to 1/5 of GoM output. PBF joined Delta this week in publicly discussing sharp run cuts at an east coast facility (Delaware City) due to abysmal margins. WTI 1-2 moved sharply higher this week following the aforementioned production outages due to Hermine and Cushings second 1m bbl draw in the last five weeks. The front spread traded up to -0.56 on Thursday for its highest print since July 8th. In the back of the curve things were a bit softer with WTI Z16/Z17 moving to -4.06 on Thursday for a 60-cent loss since last week. OPEC leaders up the ante on production ceiling talk but traders arent buying it Overseas, analysts and newswires have begun estimating August output data for OPEC lead by JBC Energy which believes the cartels output decreased by 125k bpd m/m to 33.2m. Reuters estimated OPECs August output at 33.5m bpd for a modest gain versus July at 33.46m bpd. JBC believes that Nigeria lead declines seeing their output fall 80k bpd m/m from 1.51m bpd to 1.43m bpd. This week was a good example of the long road ahead for Nigerias output recovery efforts as rebel group attacks on a production facility were reported just a few days after the Niger Delta Avengers stated they had reached a ceasefire deal with the government. On Tuesday Iraqs PM said the country would support measures to freeze output near current levels while also stating their need to keep growing production to fix the countrys tenous finances. JBC estimated Iraqi output at 4.3m bpd in August for a 50k bpd m/m decline. Irans deputy minister of industry estimated his countrys current output level in August at 3.8m bpd and said that country aims to increase output to at least 4m bpd by year-end. Bloombergs Tanker Tracker estimated Iranian exports at 2.16m bpd in August which represents a post-sanctions high. Saudi Oil Minister Al-Falih told news outlets that he doesnt see a need for the kingdom to grow their exports with the market already oversupplied but preliminary forecasts (via Reuters) for Saudi output in August are as high as 10.9m bpd after pumping a then-record high of 10.67m bpd in July. Saudi Arabias minister of foreign affairs told reporters on Thursday that if other producers were to agree (to production limits) it is reasonable to expect Saudi Arabia to go along with it. These comments were met with deffening silence from traders who continued to push oil lower in sharp contrast to last week when Iranian ceiling-talk forced a rapid short cover rally. As for Libya, JBC estimated their August output at 320k bpd up from 300k bpd in July. Bloomberg reported stoppage at Libyas Wafa field (35k bpd) after armed guards arrived seeking payment from the NOC. JBC also estimated Venezuelan output at 2.13m bpd down from 2.18m bpd in July. Russian oil minister Alexander Novak noted on Thursday that he sees no need for an output freeze with prices near the $50 mark. Brent spreads followed WTI this week by moving higher in the front of the curve while deferred spreads corrected lower. Brent 1-2 traded to a weekly high of -0.34 on Thursday for a 36-cent rally since July 12th while Brent Z16/Z17 sold off to -3.75. Fund short covering brings net length to near 2016-high, ETF outlflows reach $471 million over last two weeks COT data unsurprisingly revealed more mass short covering for the week ended August 23rd after crude oil peaked on the 29th. For NYMEX WTI net length nearly tripled to 244k contracts in just four weeks as gross short positions were cut in half. For ICE Brent net length grew from 260k to 386k in the same four week period as gross shorts were cut by more than 75k contracts. We continue to believe that bearish market sentiment will reveal itself through new gross shorts in the round of data ended August 30th. Refined products data for the week ended August 23rd was also bullish due to short covering as RBOB net length jumped to 15k and Heating Oil net length jumped to 22k. USO outflows have reached $470 million over the last two weeks which is the largest outflow of any two week period this year. Option markets unchanged, puts remain bid while demand for calls is minimal Option premiums were generally unchanged on a w/w basis with WTI Z16 50 deltia implied volatilityt at 37 percent, 25 delta puts at 42 percent and 25 delta calls at 35 percent. As has been the case for the last four weeks, wingy 5 delta calls continue to trade at a discount to 50 delta options which to us remains a harshly bearish signal of current market sentiment. Realized volatility for crude oil moved slightly higher this week to 36 percent and the CBOE/NYMEX WTI volatility index jumped to 38 percent for an increase of 3 percent since August 25th. Bearish DOEs feature surprise crude oil build, more weak demand numbers Overall crude oil stocks added 2.3m bbls due mostly to a 2.9m bbl build in the US Gulf On the bullish side Cushing stocks dipped 1m bbls and production fell yet again with lower 48 production -50k bpd w/w Refiner inputs fell 64k bpd w/w and utilization is lower by 2 percent y/y over the last four weeks, gasoline demand fell 148k bpd. Last years drop in refiner demand from August to October was 1.3m bpd which will weigh on market strength this fall. (Click to enlarge) Total U.S. crude stocks added 2.3m bbls w/w and are higher y/y by 16 percent at 526m bbls. PADD II stocks fell 1.4m bbls (+8 percent y/y,) PADD III stocks added 2.9m bbls (+22 percent y/y) and Cushing stocks fell by 1m bbls to 63.9m bbls. Crude oil imports jumped 275k bpd after PADD II imports increased by 424k bpd and PADD III imports fell by 236k bpd. Overall imports at 8.9m bpd are higher y/y by 11 percent. PADD II imports are higher y/y by 5 percent and PADD III imports are higher y/y by 14 percent. US crude production fell to 8.49m bpd which is 60k bpd above its YTD low. The U.S. refiner demand picture continues to look bleak due to poor margins. This weeks data included a w/w drop of 64k bpd in inputs. Overall inputs are lower y/y by 0.1 percent over the last four weeks lead by a drop of 11 percent y/y in PADD I. Crack margins moved lower this week with the WTI 321 crack dropping to $12.80, LLS 321 at $10.50 and Gasoil/Brent at $8.80. Refiner utilization at 92.8 percent is lower y/y by 2 percent. (Click to enlarge) Gasoline supply data was bullish this week, led by a 2.2m bbl draw out of PADD IB to bring the northeast surplus down to 17 percent y/y. Overall mogas stocks fell 691k bbls and are higher y/y by 8 percent. PADD II stocks added 1.5m bbls this week (+5 percent y/y) and PADD III stocks added 555k bbls (+6.7 percent y/y.) Gasoline production was roughly flat w/w at 3.3m bpd and is higher y/y by 2 percent. Domestic demand fell 148k bpd to 9.5m bpd (+0.8 percent y/y over last four weeks) and exports at 549k bpd are higher y/y by 31 percent. RBOB futures moved sharply lower this week hitting the $1.28/gl mark for the first time since August 11th. In spread markets RBOB Z16/Z17 moved lower to the -3.80 area but is still more than 4 cpg higher than its July low and remains in a technical up trend. Distillate data was considered bearish this week beginng with a 1.5m bbl overall build (+3 percent y/y) lead by a 1.6m bbl build in PADD I. PADD IB stocks added 512k bbls and are higher y/y by 6 percent. Distillate production at 4.97m bpd is higher y/y by 1 percent. Domestic demand increased 48k bpd to 3.84m bpd (+2 percent y/y) and exports at 1.05m bpd are lower y/y by 14 percent. Heating oil futures moved lower this week in line with the rest of the complex and prompt futures traded from a high of $1.50 cpg on Tuesday to $1.41 cpg by Thursday morning for a 12-day low. Spread markets weakend with HO Z16/Z17 moving from -8.5 cpg to -10.5 cpg. (Cick to enlarge) By SCS Commodities More Top Reads From Oillprice.com: Oil prices rebounded strongly on Friday on comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin. A rising U.S. rig count couldn't keep oil from rallying. (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) (click to enlarge) Friday, September 2, 2016 Oil prices had a bad week, falling on persistent concerns about a glut in crude oil and gasoline. Crude stocks climbed once again, news that sent oil prices tumbling midweek. On the other hand, U.S. oil production continues to fall, dipping by another 60,000 barrels per day last week. Also, the EIA confirmed monthly figures for June at 8.7 million barrels per day, which was just shy of a 200,000 barrel-per-day decrease from May. The rig count may be up, but the slide in U.S. oil production has not visibly come to a halt yet. Still, while supply and demand continue to adjust in fits and starts, the slowness of the process repeatedly catches the markets by surprise and frustrate oil bulls. OPEC deal looks more likely. Although crude prices performed poorly, the OPEC production freeze deal received a strong boost this week, with several comments from crucial sources in favor of a deal. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi voiced his support for the deal. Saudi Arabias foreign minister said at a conference in Tokyo that his country should support a deal if other OPEC members agree to one. And by September 2, the freeze deal had received the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said that Russia would participate if they could all agree. Taken together, OPEC and Russia produce half of the worlds oil. The barrage of comments from OPEC and Russian officials suggest that all parties are warming to the idea of a freeze. They had come close to that agreement in April in Doha, but Saudi Arabia pulled out at the last second, a move interpreted as a decision by the young Deputy Crown Princes unwillingness to do anything to aid Iran. This time around, sentiment appears to be changing, increasing the odds that OPEC and Russia agree to something on paper in Algeria later this month. BP reaches second deal with Chinas CNPC over shale gas. BP (NYSE: BP) is raising its bet on Chinas shale gas revolution, inking another exploration deal with the state-owned CNPC. China is thought to have the largest shale gas deposits in the world but has been so far unable to tap them in a significant way. BPs fellow oil majors, Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), have pulled out of previous deals to explore for shale gas in China after being frustrated with their results. Although the financial details were not disclosed, CNPC will maintain operational control, but the deal covers an additional block that sits adjacent to existing partnership. Despite having 68 percent more technically recoverable shale gas reserves than the U.S., Chinas geology is said to be much more complex and expensive to unlock. On top of that, water scarcity and a lack of infrastructure also bedevil exploration companies. But while BPs competitors have thrown in the towel, the British oil giant is doubling down. ExxonMobil playing long game on LNG. The market for LNG is oversupplied and arguably in worse shape than that for crude oil. LNG prices have crashed as a wave of new LNG export terminals have come online. Prices are expected to remain depressed through the rest of the decade and companies are cancelling projects on the drawing board. But not ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), which sees robust demand for LNG over the long-term. Exxon spent between $2.3 and $3.6 billion for InterOils natural gas assets in Papua New Guinea in July, which can be viewed as a long-term bet on LNG. Bloomberg reports that Exxon is also in talks to purchase gas assets in Mozambique. Both moves seek to capitalize on growing demand for LNG in Asia over the coming decades. Enbridge Energy Partners cancels major pipeline project. Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP) scrapped its plans for the Sandpiper pipeline, a 616-mile oil conduit that would have run from North Dakota to Wisconsin, carrying Bakken crude. The Canadian company said that because of the collapse in oil prices, the pipeline is no longer needed. It could still return to the project if and when oil prices rebound and North Dakota needs the takeaway capacity, but Enbridge does not foresee that happening within its current five-year plan. Related: The Biggest Wildcard For Oil Prices Right Now SandRidge Energy files for bankruptcy. The Oklahoma oil and gas driller SandRidge Energy filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week, another victim of low oil prices. A week earlier Linn Energy also sought bankruptcy protection. Natural gas prices fall on inventory build. Natural gas stockpiles grew by 51 billion cubic feet last week, surprising consensus estimates. Natural gas prices fell by more than 3 percent on the news. The larger-than-expected increase in storage levels suggest that either demand is weaker than expected or that gas drillers are producing more gas than expected. Russia hoping to raise $11 billion on Rosneft sale. Russia plans on selling off minority stakes in its state-owned oil company Rosneft, looking to raise $11 billion for its struggling economy. The sale will consist of a 19.5 percent stake in the company, but could be complicated by international sanctions. The Russian government will still hold 50 percent plus one share of the company, retaining control. In related news, Japan is set to announce a major energy investment in Russia, which would include a nearly $10 billion investment in Rosneft. Japan will also consider joint surveys of oil and gas fields in Eastern Siberia and Russias Far East. By Evan Kelly of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Even if its a fossil fuel, natural gas burns cleaner than coal. Even if it has been hardly feasible to transport it long distance and overseas in its natural state, a process to cool it to liquefied natural gas (LNG) was developed in the 19th century, and commercial LNG shipments began more than 50 years ago. Since the first LNG tanker shipped the first commercial LNG cargo from Algeria to the UK in 1964, natural gas has become one of the most traded commodities in the world. However, the gas trading markets around the globe are still highly regionally segmented with enormous price spreads between the U.S., Europe and Asia due to highly specific and variable factors such as pipelines, shale gas, geography, geopolitics, supply, demand, and shipping costs. Although the size of the gas trading market may be such as to call for a global benchmark price, setting a gas price the way oil has may not even be a medium-team possibility. The U.S. has its benchmark; gas prices are based on delivery at the Henry Hub in Louisiana. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, the price of natural gas for October delivery is in the range US$2.80-2.90 per million British thermal units. To put this price into perspective, the World Banks Commodity Price Data from early August put the U.S. price for July at US$2.8 per million British thermal units. Whereas Japans LNG price was US$6.0 per million British thermal units and Europes natural gas price was US$4.5 per million British thermal units. The U.S. shale gas boom has also helped keep the natural gas prices in North America way lower than in the rest of the world. And the U.S. is on track to becoming a net exporter of the commodity, with a saturated domestic market, which has been the main traditional destination of Canadian gas. Moreover, natural gas output from the Marcellus and Utica shales was averaging 22.63 billion cubic feet per day in August, up 2 percent from July and the most since Februarys all-time high of 22.78 billion cubic feet per day. Related: The Biggest Wildcard For Oil Prices Right Now In Europe and Asia, however, its a quite different story. In Europe, there are several main trading hubs. One is the UKs National Balancing Point (NBP): the wholesale gas market of one price for gas regardless of where the gas comes from. Another is the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF). Prices in the UK are quoted in sterling, prices in the Netherlands in euros. Unlike the U.S., Europe alone does not have a benchmark price. Following the UKs vote to leave the European Union, the TTF may have more chances to become the dominant gas trading player as Europe seeks to unify markets, Marco Alvera, chief executive at Italys gas infrastructure company Snam, has said in an interview with Bloomberg. In Asia, we have the Platts Japan Korea Marker (JKM), the LNG benchmark price for spot physical cargoes delivered ex-ship into Japan and South Korea. Although a global gas benchmark price is nowhere in sight, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in June in its Medium-Term Gas Market Report 2016 that between January and May 2016, the average differential between Asian LNG spot prices and U.S. prices was just US$2.5/MBtu, well below the average spread of around US$11/MBtu that had prevailed between 2011 and 2014. Gas prices in Asia will continue to be influenced by oil prices, but a period of expected oversupply and increasingly flexible LNG markets is seen to gradually reduce that gas/oil price correlation. In addition, new LNG supplies will create major shifts in the gas trade patterns worldwide, the IEA said. Time will tell how these major gas trading shifts will impact regional gas prices and if regions would be willing to move closer to more unified gas trading markets. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The latest chapter in the oil production freeze chatter saw Russia and Saudi Arabia issuing remarks about a possible deal, but while the Saudi foreign minister said that positions were moving closer, Vladimir Putin said he would be in favor of an OPEC deal with a leeway for Iran which deserves to make a complete return to the market. Iran is starting from a very low position, connected with the well-known sanctions in relation to this country, Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg. It would be unfair to leave it on this sanctioned level. Putins view on Russias latest best friend, Iran, will not be sitting well with Irans regional archrival, Saudi Arabia, which is also OPECs top oil producer, with non-OPEC Russia sitting pretty as the worlds top producer. In early August, when the rumors and speculation ahead of the informal OPEC meeting in late September were only starting to fly around, Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak said he saw no grounds for resuming talks to put a freeze on crude production, but was open to join discussions if OPEC members were to raise the issue. In yesterdays Bloomberg interview, Putin said that a deal would be right decision for world energy, and was quick to remind the world that it was the Saudis who backed out of a deal in April. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's minister of foreign affairs Adel al-Jubeir said on Friday that OPEC and non-OPEC partners were moving towards a common position. A lot of other comments, statements, hints and remarks are bound to flood the market until September 26-28. Whats clear now is that Russia is building up an increasingly friendly relationship with Iran. The cozying up between Moscow and Tehran has been explained with the overlapping political and, most importantly economic, interests of the two states. Some suggest that this overlap is temporary, judging by the history of the two countries and their certainly uneven relations, but however long it lasts, this relationship will put Russia on a firmer footing in the Middle East, to the disadvantage of other major players, namely, Saudi Arabia. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The UKs police, who are guarding the nuclear sites in the country, have said that 130 security breaches at sites have occurred in the past five years, including what has been classed as a medium-risk breach incident when the keys to the Hinkley Point gate were lost in November 2013. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary revealed to the BBC that after the keys to the Hinkley Point gate had been lost, all locks were replaced and the keys were found at the site later. The missing keys and a theft of a camera from the Sizewell site in Suffolk were the two medium-risk breaches over the past five years. The 130 security breaches also included two incidents classed as high-risk: an unloaded handgun missing during a training exercise in Surrey, and confidential information shared via a text message to an officer at Sellafield. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary went on to explain that low-risk breaches were events such as the loss of papers and electronic equipment, as well as windows left open. The police say they have taken the security issues extremely seriously. When the keys to the Hinkley Point gate were lost in 2013, it would still be another three years before the UK decided to postpone the Hinkley Point C project, taking more time to review it. Shortly after the UKs decision, news broke that the Chinese firm involved in Hinkley Points construction, CGN, was under investigation in the United States for espionage. The Chinese company and engineering advisor Szuhsiung Ho were indicted on charges of industrial espionage in the United States. The charges relate to alleged attempts to steal nuclear secrets to aid the Chinese nuclear energy program. The power plant at Hinkley Point, a joint UK-French-Chinese venture, has been at the center of an ongoing debate in the UK over the future of the countrys energy infrastructure, its relations with China, and its place in the world post-Brexit. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Japanese government could become a shareholder in Russias oil giant Rosneft, as part of a broad cooperation in the energy sector. The investment that will go into such a deal may reach US$9.7 billion. The cooperation will be discussed by Japans PM Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, to take place in Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East. It could also involve Japanese participation in oil and gas exploration projects in Siberia as well as the provision of technical assistance from Russian experts in the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that caused the 2011 disaster following an earthquake and a tsunami. If Abe decides to go ahead with the Rosneft investment, it will get Japan a 10-percent interest in the company. The stake will be bought via a state-supported firm, the Japan, Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. According to some Russian media, Abes presence at the forum will be the highlight of the event, to be taken as demonstration of Tokyos willingness to forge some closer ties with Russia in a bid to catch up with Chinas growing regional influence. Among the topics of discussion, Abe and Putin are also expected to address a long-standing dispute between Russia and Japan concerning four Kuril Islands, currently controlled by Russia. The choice of investment target as part of this closer cooperation cannot be coincidental. Although Russia has put up for sale stakes in several state-controlled businesses, Rosneft is the target of Chinese interests too. This broad cooperation would offer some substantial benefits to the Russian side and should be seen as one more indication that Moscow is now almost completely turned East. All the latest thats coming from Moscow points in that direction, from the cozying up with Beijing, to the thawing of relations with Turkey, and the increasingly closer ties with Iran. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: This year, the contemporary music ensemble Present Music celebrates its 35th anniversary in Milwaukee. But how exactly does one go about trying to define 35 years of creating undefinable music concerts and events, to sum up more than three decades of work thats spawned dozens of original music pieces spread across plentiful artists and a multitude of ideas, genres and themes? In Present Musics case, you take a last glance to the past, set your eyes to the future and call the combination of perspectives "Made for Milwaukee," the ensembles season-opening event hosted by UWMs Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. "This is ours; this is something thats really special to Milwaukee," said Present Music executive director Meaghan Heinrich. "Ive been listening to and involved in new music for a long time, and I have a lot of friends playing in Chicago and New York and places where theres a pretty serious new music scene but theres not the same kind of focus on a hometown series. Theres great stuff going on, but Present Music is really tied to Milwaukee." Thus, together, Present Music and Milwaukee have been the reason for more than 50 brand new original pieces of music coming out of the city and into existence over the past three and a half decades, thanks to commissions from the ensemble. So, to pay tribute to that legacy of music, Heinrich, artistic director Kevin Stalheim and Present Music dug through the past to find some of their favorite and most meaningful pieces made for Milwaukee. "You have to think about the balance of the music on any program, so as we looked back, we didnt want two pieces that are too similar to each other; you want to have some variety," Heinrich explained. "Each of these commissions is funded by an individual or a couple of people, so we wanted to have some variety there too. We wanted to honor some of these people who have commissioned some of these works." After taking those factors into account, listening to the works and thinking about the size of the ensemble necessary all of the pieces in "Made for Milwaukee" include five to 10 musicians Present Music concluded on four past works for this special anniversary show: 1994s "Arches" by Kamran Ince, 1993s "Four Proverbs" by Michael Torke, 2002s "Haunted America" by Jerome Kitzke and 2013s "Breaking Point" from Sean Friar. Each pick has its own particular purpose and meaning for the show, whether its a broad statement or a particular local memory. For example, in the case of the Kamran Ince piece, not only did the two work together on several major commissions over the years, but "Arches" in particular premiered in the Milwaukee Art Museum as a part of opening the new space. "He was inspired by these arches he saw in Eastern Europe, and when he saw the Milwaukee Art Museum, he had that same feeling, so it was a piece that was written for that space, so thats special to Milwaukee," Heinrich said. Some of the selected pieces have striking meaning for the present as well. In the case of Kitzkes "Haunted America," as a South Milwaukee native whos made several returns to Milwaukee and provided multiple works to Present Music, a piece from him made sense for the show. But now in the aftermath of the recent unrest in Sherman Park and the growing discussion about race in Milwaukee, Heinrich notes his piece has even more unexpected poignancy for the concert. "That piece was written as a reflection on 9/11, and the main phrase that you hear spoken in the piece is, Hey America, what haunts you?" she noted. "Were really asking our audience in Milwaukee to think about the things that maybe haunt them that theyre afraid to speak about. Especially with the events in Sherman Park, sadly this is going to be a timely question for them." In addition to turning the audiences ears to the past, however, "Made for Milwaukee" will also tune into the frequency of the future through a brand new piece Ryan Carters "On a better fitting algorithm" making its world premiere Saturday night. "We specifically asked him to think about the future," Heinrich said. "What is the future of Milwaukee? What is the future of music? What is the future of Present Music?" The resulting piece bypasses the expected electronic sounds in favor of acoustic instruments albeit creating a rhythmic drive based on algorithms and mathematical formulas. In addition to his "On a better fitting algorithm" premiere, Carter will also be demonstrating a music-based app hes created that plays algorithmically generated electronica thats synthesized in the moment and responds to how one tilts, turns or angles their device by altering the sound. "To me, part of the future is just that people are still creating music, and theyre still finding new ways to do it," Heinrich said. "Thats amazing to me, to look back over these 35 years just in the recent past and see what new ideas have come out of that and if you trace that way, way, way, way back and look at Brahms and Beethoven and Bach, and see that were still moving forward. The composers are still coming up with new ideas. Theyre not just rehashing the same old things and trying to do them in a different way. Theres always something new to be discovered." "Thats what we seek to do in all of our performances," she added. "How can we take this music and not just put it on a stage or put it on a screen, but make it mean something to people because were always going to need those points of relevance in order to enjoy live music." Demonstrations for the app, predictably called "iMonkeypants," are a part of what Heinrich calls the "pre-concert shenanigans" that begin when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The staff of the Betty Brinn Maker Space will be there, as well, with various interactive musical experiments to demonstrate, such as a collection of small magnetic pieces one can arrange to make a mini-synth and change its pitch, and a surface microphone the team has cast in concrete. All those pre-show elements from the future will be joined by tributes to the past, such as some world maps showing where Present Musics work has traveled across the globe over its 35 years. As for those "post-concert shenanigans," "Made for Milwaukee" will wrap up with local rockers Tigernite, bringing a roaring dash of Milwaukees musical present into the ensembles tribute to the past and look to the bright future for the city, for music and for Present Music. "I hope that someone whos never been to a Present Music concert might come to this concert and walk away wanting to come to the next one not because they want to come to another concert just like this, but because they want to see whats next." Interrogation Procedure 2 (Image by adilbookz) Details DMCA LEADERS' REHTORIC, CONVENTION SPEECHES AND PLATFORMS BUT PRACTICE CONTINUES; NO PROSECUTIONS OF DECISION LEADERS By Robert Weiner and Daniel Khan The nation is divided as it continues to debate torture of terror detainees. Yet as much as torture is condemned by many, even the President, there really is "a plague on both our houses", since Trump wants "worse" but Democrats have prosecuted no one who created the program or CIA officials (and their administration high ups) who condone and contract it out to foreign countries. The presidential conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia and the ongoing campaigns have reflected the conflict. At a rally in St. Clairsville, Ohio in response to a question about waterboarding, Trump said, "I don't think it's tough enough." He added later that he supported "much worse." To sound tough on terror, we heard "law and order" repeatedly at the Republican Convention in Cleveland. The Democratic National Convention's platform voted by the delegates July 26 states, "We reject Donald Trump's suggestion that our military should engage in war crimes, like" torturing prisoners." On July 28, Clinton's Democratic nomination night, Gen. John Allen addressed the delegates: "I also know our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture, and they will not be ordered to engage in murder or carry out other illegal activities." Again, it is noteworthy that he referenced our armed forces, not the CIA's or executive branch accountability. On August 31 in Cincinnati, before the American Legion, Clinton criticized Trump: " if we abandon our allies, if our Commander-in-Chief orders our military to break the laws and commit torture or murder terrorists' family members. That is why it is so critical we get this right." Yet there is no acknowledgement of the CIA's involvement. At an August 15 rally in Scranton, PA, Vice President Biden said Trump " knows it's illegal, and says he would still order it even though the military commanders said they would not obey his orders." Once again, what's missing here from Biden is any mention of who is committing or subcontracting the torture, not the army commanders, but the CIA. 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). Reprinted from Campaign For America's Future BuzzFeed is running a very important investigative series called "Secrets of a Global Super Court." It describes what they call "a parallel legal universe, open only to corporations and largely invisible to everyone else." Existing "trade" agreements like NAFTA allow corporations to sue governments for passing laws and regulations that limit their profits. They set up special "corporate courts" in which corporate attorneys decide the cases. These corporate "super courts" sit above governments and their own court systems, and countries and their citizens cannot even appeal the rulings. The 2014 post "Corporate Courts -- A Big Red Flag On "Trade" Agreements" explained the origin and rationale for these corporate courts: "Picture a poor 'banana republic' country ruled by a dictator and his cronies. A company might want to invest in a factory or railroad -- things that would help the people of that country as well as deliver a return to the company. But the company worries that the dictator might decide to just seize the factory and give it to his brother-in-law. ... Agreements to protect investors, and allowing a tribunal not based in such countries (courts where the judges are cronies of the dictator), make sense in such situations." Here's the thing: Corporate investors see themselves as legitimate "makers" and see citizens and voters and their governments -- always demanding taxes and fair pay and public safety -- to be illegitimate "takers." Corporations are all about "one-dollar-one-vote" top-down systems of governance. They consider "one-person-one-vote" democracy to be an illegitimate, non-functional system that meddles with their more-important profit interests. They consider any governmental legal or regulatory system to be "burdensome." They consider taxes as "theft" of the money they have "earned." To them, any government anywhere is just another "banana republic" from which they need special protection. "Trade" Deals Bypass Borders Investors and their corporations have set up a way to get around the borders of these meddling governments, called "trade" deals. The trade deals elevate global corporate interests above any national interest. When a country signs a "trade" deal, that country is agreeing not to do things that protect the country's own national interest -- like impose tariffs to protect key industries or national strategies, or pass laws and regulations -- when those things interfere with the larger, more important global corporate "trade" interests. Now, corporations are pushing two new "trade" agreements -- one covering Pacific-area countries and one covering Atlantic-area countries -- that expand these corporate rights and move governments out of their way. The Pacific agreement is called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Atlantic one is called the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Secrets of a Global Super Court BuzzFeed's series on these corporate courts, "Secrets of a Global Super Court," explains the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions in the "trade" deals that have come to dominate the world economy. These provisions set up "corporate courts" that place corporate profits above the interests of governments and set up a court system that sits above the court systems of the countries in the "trade" deals. Part One, "Inside The Global "Club" That Helps Executives Escape Their Crimes," describes, "A parallel legal universe, open only to corporations and largely invisible to everyone else, helps executives convicted of crimes escape punishment." "In a little-noticed 2014 dissent, US Chief Justice John Roberts warned that ISDS arbitration panels hold the alarming power to review a nation's laws and 'effectively annul the authoritative acts of its legislature, executive, and judiciary.' ISDS arbitrators, he continued, 'can meet literally anywhere in the world' and 'sit in judgment' on a nation's 'sovereign acts.' [. . .] 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). A Children's Story: Part 1: [Children's Orthopedics Ward, Al-Mouwasat Hospital, Damascus, Syria] It was about 11 in the morning on Tuesday August 2, 2016 when two sisters, ten year-old Ghina and her eight year-old younger sister Nagham were walking a short distance from their home to the town of Madaya to its "field hospital" to acquire serum for their anemic mother Sahar whose body was very deficient in calcium because of 18 months existence with very little food. For more than a year, after having fled from their own Sunni village of Zabadani due to fighting, the family has been living in surrounded Madaya, a mountain town of 40,000, now four times its pre-war population, about a 30 minutes' drive northwest of Damascus. Military forces encircled Madaya in July of 2015 as part of a broader offensive to recapture the nearby Qalmoun Mountain villages and the town of Zabadani, held by rebels since 2012. Residents of Madaya have been trapped ever since. Having made their medicine purchase, the girls started their 60 yard walk home. An eye-witness says that a sniper near al-Asali checkpoint took aim and fired at the youngsters. One explode-on-impact bullet entered Ghina's upper-left thigh, shattering her leg bone and thigh. For an instant, not knowing what had happened, Ghina's younger sister 7 year old Nagham, noticing that Ghina had dropped the small plastic medicine bag to be given to their mother at home, instinctively picked it up and began to scold her big sister for dropping it. The little heroine, by now instantly covered in her sister's blood, tried to pull badly bleeding Ghina off the road to a secure location, the roadside ditch. The sniper took aim a second time. This time, shrapnel from the bullet struck Nagham's right arm and hand. The two young girls lay on the side of the road until minutes later when passersby were able to pull them out of the line of fire and transport them to the towns nearby "field hospital". Over the past year, snipers have killed seven people in Madaya, according to both a report published on 7/13/2016 by Physicians for Human Rights, a US-based organization that has provided medical assistance to thousands in Syria since the civil war erupted in March of 2011, and a separate incident report from the Madaya Medical Commission published on 7/23/2016. The following week, snipers shot and wounded three more people, a Madaya resident reported last week by telephone to a relative of the girl's family. The sniping of civilians continues until today in Madaya as some try to escape the siege imposed on their town. So also do deaths mount from the approximately 6,000 landmines around the southern and eastern sides of the town, placed there by militia in order to further imprison residents inside. Such indiscriminate use of landmines in a populated civilian area violates international humanitarian law and, as with sniping civilians, constitutes a punishable war crime once the conflict ends and hopefully the global community insists on full accountability under the law for all who have targeted the people of Syria. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). President Obama could make a huge positive mark on human history if he appeared at dawn on a bright summer morning at Andrews Air Force Base, standing beside a table with twenty nuclear nose cones from U.S. missiles. The following words are a suggestion of what he might say: "Good morning. As we welcome the sunrise of a new dawn, I would like to announce the dawn of a truly new era. These are nuclear nosecones taken from twenty armed American missiles. It is time to begin to eliminate the nuclear arsenals that threaten all higher life on the planet, so I ask the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, to immediately send inspectors to verify, monitor, and provide constant vigilance 24/7 as we move these nukes to Western repositories. "Second, I respectfully demand that President Putin match my move by putting twenty strategic Russian nosecones before the cameras and request that the IAEA send inspectors to verify and monitor the Russian weapons. Hopefully, this will be the first step of a process in which the U.S. and Russia will reduce our nuclear stockpiles to twenty nuclear weapons, ten in each nation, within six years. "Third, China must match the superpowers with four strategic nosecones before their cameras. France will place three before the cameras, Great Britain and Israel two, and India and Pakistan one. All of these warheads in the eight nuclear nations musts be monitored by IAEA inspectors 24/7 and be broadcast on TV and internet channels worldwide until we develop well-regulated arms reduction. "My fourth point: We know North Korea has a handful of nuclear weapons and that Iran wanted nuclear weapons until their 2014 change in government. However, as soon as the eight nuclear nations place warheads before the cameras and begin reductions with parity as the guiding principle, humanity is reducing nuclear weapons. Then, no non-nuclear nation has a need for or right to nuclear weapons. North Korea will dismantle their weapons, and Iran will allow entry to IAEA inspectors to monitor their nuclear activity. I'm confident this is the right move and the non-nuclear world will applaud loudly. I say to everyone worldwide, 'Let us hear from you! The more you applaud, the more you pressure all nuclear nations to match this move by the U.S.' Thank you, and I'll now take questions." We Have Nuclear Weapons (Image by michael-day) Details DMCA Consider the reaction internationally to Obama's bold move, or, if he ponders for days as these ideas are discussed nationally, another nuclear head of state could act first and pressure the others to follow. The non-nuclear world--with everything to lose and nothing to gain from nukes--will applaud loudly, pressuring the reluctant seven to follow. By coughing up 20 each, Russia and the U.S. will be reducing only a tiny fraction of each superpower's arsenals, and the other six nuclear nations will be reducing about 1% of their arsenals. The numbers themselves only become very important once every nation has to reveal the exact nuclear weapons in its arsenal in later stages of disarmament. This unprecedented step would become the most important positive develop in the sixty-nine years of the nuclear age, for once humanity starts to reduce nuclear arsenals under the watchful eyes of IAEA inspectors, everything changes for the non-nuclear nations that aspire to come nuclear nations, such as North Korea and possibly Iran. Every nation on Earth has the right to build nuclear weapons as long as the U.S. and Russia have that right. That is just basic cannon sense and fairness. However, as soon as the U.S. and Russia put twenty on the table and are followed by the other nuclear nations, reducing nuclear stockpiles becomes the goal of all nuclear powers because nuclear weapons are dangerous, useless in any reasonable sense, and even suicidal. To use them is to invite massive retaliation. A limited nuclear war or serious nuclear terrorism is a threat to the well being of the planet, for all major rivers run into the sea. So Ends the One-Two Punch to Turn Around the Arms Race Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "Rob explores the difference between a natural, organic, bottom-up connection consciousness and our corporately imposed top-down hierarchical collective consciousness. What Rob is speaking about is the difference between an artificial and ultimately stagnate way of organizing the world and a natural, organic growth, which starts with a seed, sends downs roots and sends up shoots which blossom. By returning to a Nature-based theory of connection, the Bottom-Up revolution brings us back into alignment with Earths laws, returning humanity to its place in creation. Like a good gardener, Rob works into the soil of his thesis different voices that exemplify how this Bottom-Up revolution is expanding in politics, business, religion, personal self-awareness and story. And he places technology where it belongsas a tool to further our connection consciousness, not an end in itself. The bottom-up revolution is about democracy finally living up to its original ideals, where we the people decide what we need from our society." Cathy Pagano, author of Wisdoms Daughters: How Women Can Change the World Reprinted from Reader Supported News Vote for whomever you want this November, then roll up your sleeves and fight for a Progressive agenda. No matter who becomes president, there is more that we agree on than what divides us. Set the political parties aside for a moment. We want to end poverty, we want save the planet, we want to get money out of politics, we want universal health care, we want public colleges and universities to be free, and we want to end racism and all forms of bigotry. Those are just some of the issues we need to fight for. Let's keep the issues out front and not break up over personalities and the dreaded divider of the left, tactics. We always disagree on tactics, and it keeps us from showing a united front. The launch of "Our Revolution" has not been pretty. Are we really going to split up over whom Bernie trusts to run the organization while he returns to the Senate? Jeff Weaver is not Karl Rove. Weaver has not been known as someone who spends his time raising money from billionaires. Jeff Weaver does not have a history of representing Wall Street or the Democratic Party establishment. Weaver was arrested after building a shantytown on Boston University and he sued the university when they prevented him from hanging banners calling for divestment from South Africa. Weaver ran for political office twice as an independent before working on Bernie's campaigns and Congressional staff. I trust Bernie and Bernie trusts Jeff Weaver. I don't want to take sides. I still think we can all work together. I have watched many coalitions fall apart over tactics. We want the same thing; we just disagree on how to get there. I believe in diversity of tactics. Occupy fell apart over tactics. It always happens. Let's make it different this time. There is room for electoral politics, mass mobilizations, civil disobedience, democrats, Greens, and independents. We need social media, a ground game, a mass media campaign, a local and a national strategy. We need "Our Revolution," Brand New Congress, independent media, candidates, activists and voters. Click Here to Read Whole Article Reprinted from Dispatches From The Edge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogen (Image by allgalgaduud.com) Details DMCA As the dust begins to settle from the failed Turkish coup, there appears to be some winners and losers, although predicting things in the Middle East these days is a tricky business. What is clear is that several alignments have shifted, shifts that may have an impact on the two regional running sores: the civil wars in Syria and Yemen. The most obvious winner to emerge from the abortive military putsch is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogen and his campaign to transform Turkey from a parliamentary democracy to a powerful, centralized executive with himself in charge. The most obvious losers are Erdogan's internal opposition and the Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Post-coup Turkish unity has conspicuously excluded the Kurdish-based People's Democratic Party (HDP), even though the party condemned the July 15 coup. A recent solidarity rally in Istanbul called by Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) included the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), but the HDP -- the third-largest political organization in the country -- was not invited. The deliberate snub is part of Erdogan's campaign to disenfranchise the HDP and force new elections that could give him the votes he needs to call a referendum on the presidency. This past June, Erdogen pushed through a bill lifting immunity for 152 parliament members, making them liable for prosecution on charges of supporting terrorism. Out of the HDP's 59 deputies, 55 are now subject to the new law. If the HDP deputies are convicted of terrorism charges, they will be forced to resign and elections will be held to replace them. While Erdogan's push for a powerful executive is not overwhelmingly popular with most Turks -- polls show that only 38.4 percent support it -- the President's popularity jumped from 47 percent before the coup to 68 percent today. With the power of state behind him, and the nationalism generated by the ongoing war against the Kurds in Turkey's southeast, Erdogan can probably pick up the 14 seats he needs to get the referendum. The recent Turkish invasion of Syria is another front in Erdogan's war on the Kurds. While the surge of Turkish armor and troops across the border was billed as an attack on the Islamic State's (IS) occupation of the town of Jarablus near the Turkish border, it was in fact aimed at the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG). According to Al Monitor, the IS had been withdrawing from the town for weeks in the face of a YPG offensive, and the Turks invaded to preempt the Kurds from taking the town. The question now will be how far south the Turks go, and whether they will get in a full-scale battle with America's Kurdish allies? The Turkish military has already supported the Free Syrian Army in several clashes with the Kurds. Since the invasion included a substantial amount of heavy engineering equipment, the Turks may be planning to stay a while. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from Reader Supported News AIM founder Bill Means talks about our racist double standard Once again, the bold expression of American racism and the racist double standard of the U.S. justice system send shock waves through the Native American community. In early August, John Hinckley Jr., who came an inch or two away from assassinating President Ronald Reagan and his press secretary, James Brady, was released in an act of mercy, so that the man who managed to put a few bullets in the beloved 40th president of the United States was able to return home to his mother, now terminally ill and dying, according to public reports. "I'm very glad this happened after Mrs. Reagan passed on," said Ed Rollins, campaign manager for Reagan's re-election bid in 1984. Rollins suggested that Nancy Reagan might have been a little bit upset had she learned that the person who nearly killed her husband, and devastated -- left wounded for life -- his former press secretary, was shown mercy by the Obama Justice Department. Upset would definitely not cut it when it comes to the outrage native leaders in the U.S. have expressed about the treatment of Leonard Peltier, whose health is failing. I spoke to Bill Means about the mercy granted Hinckley and the dual standard of justice when it comes to Native Americans, like Peltier, who has now spent over 40 years in jail based on what many feel was a travesty of justice -- a trial wrought with injustice, fatal breaches of his civil rights, false testimony, and massive intimidation of witnesses brought forth by the defense. "They said Orlando was the largest massacre in the history of the United States," Means told me in a recent radio interview. "That shows you how much the Americans have forgotten about their own history, that we have had countless massacres, including Sand Creek, including Wounded Knee." Bill Means is a co-founder of the American Indian Movement, also known as AIM, and sits on the board of the American Indian Treaty Council. Dennis Bernstein spoke with Means in Rosebud, South Dakota. Dennis Bernstein: Welcome back to Flashpoints, Bill Means. Well, John Hinckley Jr. is free to go, and Leonard Peltier is still being tortured. Double standard? Bill Means: Yes! This is a clear example of the dual standard of justice when it comes to American Indians versus non-Indian people. And here we have a man, Hinckley, who was an obvious attempted assassin: they caught him in the act. And we have the contrast of Leonard Peltier, who has been in prison 40 years, 10 more years than Hinckley, and they've never convicted him of the actual shooting. He was convicted of aiding and abetting. The FBI admitted in court that they don't know who shot the FBI agents. So we have this type of evidence that continues to burn the conscience of the justice system of America where it says that all people have equal access to due process, etc. However, we see a man like Hinckley who actually shot a president -- I don't know if you could put a price on a president versus two FBI agents -- but first of all you have to realize the circumstances of Peltier not being convicted of actually shooting the agents. The evidence itself in the two cases is totally opposite, in terms of the shooter and the conviction of the shooter. We have Leonard Peltier sitting in jail for 40 years, for a crime he didn't commit, and we have Hinckley, who shot a president of the United States plus his press secretary by the name of Brady, I believe, who has been in a wheelchair since that time. Also, we have the only substantial firearms reform law, called the Brady Bill, as a result of the shootings. The after-effects even touched something that all our school shootings, or assassinations, or various types of gun violence hasn't affected, because of the tremendous lobbying power of the NRA. And here we have the Brady Bill, which stands as a living monument to Brady, the press secretary of Reagan who was shot. So you have all these extenuating circumstances which show again the racism and the double standard of justice when it applies to American Indian prisoners. DB: We also have to say a word or two about how unbelievably corrupt and questionable the government's case was. And the behavior of the FBI. Could you just remind us of a little bit of that, Bill? Because we know that Hinckley got a fair trial. Means: Well of course in Leonard Peltier's trial there was evidence presented at several appeals, in which he was ... his witnesses, in terms of the prosecution, some of whom were mentally ill and coerced into saying ... and later these people, witnesses they used against Peltier, in his case, later recanted their story. And then we have the idea that the FBI agents themselves, every time he comes up for parole, send letters into the U.S. federal parole board, which doesn't exist anymore. But they have mounted several campaigns in the past, even as far as marching visibly in front of the Supreme Court, when his case made it to the Supreme Court. So we have this active protest by FBI agents against the release of Leonard Peltier, every time even the thought comes up. But yet we have Hinckley, who's been convicted, and nobody from the FBI says anything, at least not yet. So again, when the evidence was overwhelmingly ... you know there were so many contradictions. There was one case that went to the Supreme Court that involved the weapon that was used. It turns out that this famous FBI lab, which has been used to convict many people charged with a crime by the FBI, well, their evidence was corrupt. And even they said that they were allowed to use this evidence that this was the gun that killed the agents when it turned out, in court, that it was impossible, that the firing pin evidence didn't match. And so they used, in order to sway the jury, false evidence. And there's many, many other examples, if you read up a little bit on the Leonard Peltier case, even his extradition from Canada, where they used false testimony and coerced testimony to bring him back across the border. Several federal judges, including in Canada and in the U.S., have indicated that Peltier should have at least gotten a new trial, based on the evidence not based on coerced testimony, false testimony, and manipulation of the evidence. DB: Bill, this has got to go into the extreme racism file when there's sort of like "red lives don't matter, white lives are exalted," even if they're people who tried to kill the president of the United States. I mean, the standard here, the dual standard here ... this is sort of consistent with the fact that this is the government that committed genocide against the Indian people. And this setup of Leonard Peltier is in the context that you were a part of, the first time ever in modern history that the indigenous community stood up at Wounded Knee. So this is that ongoing 40-year lesson, right? Continuing lesson, to the Native American community, the indigenous community: "We will do whatever it takes to shut your ass down." I'm really amazed at this one. Your thoughts on that part of it. Means: Well, of course, we have in the case of the Black Lives Matter, and the issue of what happened in Orlando, Florida, in the nightclub, so many people were killed. They said Orlando was the largest massacre in the history of the United States. That shows you how much the Americans have forgotten about their own history. We have had countless massacres, including Sand Creek, including Wounded Knee, including many, many others, throughout the continental United States, where masses of Indians ... We have a grave on our reservation, seven miles from my home community, at a little hamlet called Wounded Knee, in which over 300 men, women and children are still buried, in a mass grave. Same with the Cheyenne people, when they were attacked by a Methodist minister acting as a military leader -- his name was Colonel Chivington -- down in Colorado. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Samsung will issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as soon as this weekend after its investigation on explosion claims found batteries were at fault, according to South Korea's Yonhap News. Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the report today, but said it was conducting the inspection with its partners, it said. "We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers," the company said in a statement. Shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone were delayed in South Korea this week for extra quality control testing. The move came after reports that batteries in some of the jumbo smartphones exploded while they were being charged. Samsung launched the latest version of the Note series just two weeks ago. Citing an unnamed company official, Yonhap said Samsung's investigation found that faulty batteries caused the phone to catch fire. The number of the Galaxy Note 7 phones with a faulty battery accounts for "less than 0.1 per cent" of the products in the market and Samsung is discussing how to resolve the issue with Verizon and its other partners, the official told Yonhap. The battery issue is a fresh blow to Samsung's smartphone business that has been on a recovery track. Samsung reported stellar earnings that beat market expectations in the latest quarter and its stock price was at a record high before the Note 7's battery problems dented investor sentiment. Samsung's share rose 0.8 per cent early today. The stock closed 2 per cent lower in the previous session. Despite the investigation in South Korea, Samsung went ahead with its scheduled launch yesterday of the Galaxy Note 7 in China. Company officials did not reply to questions about how Samsung determined which phones are deemed safe and which require further testing. It did not say if those phones are different from the ones sold in South Korea. Yonhap News said five or six explosions were reported by consumers. It cited pictures of severely damaged phones shared in local online communities, social media and YouTube. The photos and accounts could not be immediately verified. There were no confirmed reports of any injuries. It is unusual for Samsung to confirm a delay in sales of a device, and rare for it to cite a quality issue. "Every year, there have been accidents of battery explosions but it is the first time that six or seven cases happened within such a short period after the launch of a new product," said Ha Joon-doo, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp. The Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is the latest iteration of Samsung's Note series that feature a giant screen and a stylus. The Note series smartphones are one of the most expensive lineups released by Samsung and usually inherit designs and features of the Galaxy S series that debut in the spring. Samsung also added an iris scanner to the Note 7, which lets users unlock the phone by detecting patterns in the eyes. Samsung launched the Note 7 on August 19 in some markets, including South Korea and the US. Even before the issue of battery explosions emerged, supplies were not keeping up with higher-than-expected demand for the smartphone. Internal,foreign forces in Balochistan have been exposed: Nawaz Sharif GWADAR/SIBI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said that prosperity in Balochistan was the ultimate destination, but said the course was coarse. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a 174-kilometer road connecting Sibi with Kohlu, the premier said that some anti-state elements were green-eyed over the ongoing development process in the province. The prosperity of Balochistan is our destination. The course is coarse. Though many others had also claimed of Balochistans development in the past but never thought to pave [the] way to reach this destination, he said. The premier said the goal of progress could not be achieved without infrastructure development and that was why construction of roads was his governments top priority. The previous governments, he said, either did not think of developing roads or showed blithe concern for their completion. He viewed that before investing their capital, the investors first questioned as to how they would transport their products to local or international markets, adding that in the absence of road infrastructure, they could not be convinced. He said the government was determined to develop road infrastructure across the country, particularly the areas where there was no concept of roads. We have broken the back of terrorists. The internal and foreign forces disrupting peace in Balochistan have been exposed, he said, paying tribute to the services and sacrifices of the armed forces to foil the nefarious designs of the enemy. He said the time had come when the people of Balochistan were getting their usurped rights. Earlier, the people of Sibi had to travel through DI Khan and Lora Lai to reach Kohlu, and now the distance had shrunk to 174 kilometres from 600 kilometres, he added. He said the project would not only facilitate the people of far-flung areas but also help the businessmen transport their products. Executed by the National Logistics Cell (NLC), the road is the shortest link between Balochistan and Punjab. As suggested by NLC Director General Major General Mushtaq Ahmed Faisal, the prime minister directed the Balochistan chief minister to develop schools and dispensaries or hospitals in the area. He announced the construction of a 20-kilometre road between Sibi and Talli and 80-kilometre road linking Kohlu with Rakhni. Mentioning his visit to Gwadar earlier in the day, he said he was pleased over the development going on there, and reiterated that Gwadar would be developed as the best city of the country. The development in Gwadar, he added, would have a countrywide impact and Balochistans backward and far-flung areas would be linked with main highways. Nawaz Sharif said he was personally overseeing the development projects in Balochistan to ensure their timely completion so that the people could get benefit from the mineral resources; thus, enhancing the countrys exports. He said roads were a source to enhance national unity, besides bringing the people closer to one another. He said besides taking steps to alleviate poverty, the government desired that the whole nation should get equal opportunities of development. He said that after completion of the Gwadar Port and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), investors from across the world would turn up to Pakistan and the enemies would only get disappointment. The prime minister also congratulated the NLC team for completing the project and lauded the sacrifices by the security personnel and the people of Balochistan for national development. He said the hard days were over and the future would be far better than the past. The journey of Balochistans development has started. We will not rest until we reach the destination, the prime minister added. Modi,RAW must know our boundaries are safe: Raheel Sharif GILGIT: Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif Thursday said the Pakistan Army would go to any extent for ensuring the security of the country. He said, I can say with complete faith that we are moving in the right direction. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure security of the country. The COAS was addressing the concluding session of a two-day seminar on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project here. He said, We want to assure the nation that the country and its frontiers are totally safe. Whether it is Modi or RAW or anybody else, we fully understand the tricks of the enemy. He said terrorism was a very big challenge and Pakistan was the only country which overcame it. Many other countries, including the Arab world, were badly affected by terrorism and they could not recover from it. The way our forces took up the challenge, was exemplary. Gen Raheel revealed progress was made during the Zarb-e-Azb operation. Whatever the world thinks, this is war of our survival and we will fight it as such, he said. The security of China Pakistan Economic Corridor project will be ensured at all costs, he added. He said there was no doubt that nobody was more hard-working than the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Referring to his recent visit to China, he said the Chinese leadership wanted progress on Gilgit-Baltistan similar to that in Chinas city Urumqi and other regions. I was impressed to see the progress of Urumqi in a short span of time. I have no doubt that we can make that kind of progress in our region too. The Army Chief said that a security division for the protection of CPEC project had been established in the North and the same kind of division would be set up in the South. This task, he said, was made possible through tireless efforts and commitment of the government. Our commitment towards the completion of CPEC is visible, he added. While mentioning sacrifices during the operation Zarb-e-Azb, he said the evil nexus perpetuating terrorism had to be broken. We have to take action against crimes of corruption, and facilitators and financiers of terrorism. He said 22,000 civilians and 5,000 law enforcement personnel, including police, Rangers and FC Jawans lost their lives in acts of terrorism and 48,000 received crippling injuries. The Army Chief said he was fully confident that the youth would carry forward the mission of peace and prosperity. The way youth welcomed me I want to tell them that the Pakistan Army is your army. The army is working for the well being of the nation, he said. He urged youth to never compromise on its dignity and honour as they had the potential to take this region forward. General Raheel Sharif announced the beginning of work on a technical institute which will have the capacity to train 350 students and in future up to 800 students. A modern medical city will also be established for providing health facilities to patients including cardiac patients besides the provision of medical and educational facilities, he said. The army chief also said whether it was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or its spy agency RAW, they must know that Pakistans boundaries were completely safe. We have well understood the conspiracies [being hatched against Pakistan], General Raheel said while addressing a seminar relating to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Gilgit on Thursday. In his address on Indian Independence Day, Modi had said Pakistan would have to answer for its human rights violation in Balochistan and the Pakistani side of Kashmir. We are aware of our enemies, know their tactics and to spoil their designs we will push the limits, he said. He promised that Pakistans army was second to none and a battle hardened force. Shawal is like Switzerland now: DG ISPR 02 September, 2016 Related News Imran Khan distributed loan cheques under Kamyab Jawan Programme PTI govt to face all challenges coming its way: Imran khan More on this View All Top 2021 Accessories We Know You Will Love Types of Casino Payment Methods Tips for Taking Incredible iPhone Travel Photos Are Slot Developers Important for players? Best Poker Hands ever played on a Casino Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry Woke Bingo RAWALPINDI: Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa on Thursday gave an exhaustive rundown of progress made during Operation Zarb-i-Azb. Zarb-i-Azb commenced on June 15, 2014, after an attack on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport. The operation which has gone on for over two years is now in its final phase. "In 2014, the security environment when Operation Zarb-i-Azb started was such that the country faced various instances of terrorism," the DG ISPR said. "There were 311 IED blasts, 74 attacks, and 26 suicide blasts in 2014." "The salient operational guidelines for Zarb-i-Azb were that it would be an indiscriminate operation, it would avoid collateral damage and it would be mindful of human rights," he said. "After the operation, when we cleared the valley, reaching Dattakhel and were moving towards the border, some terrorists came out from there via Afghanistan and reached the fringes of Khyber Agency." "Before we started the operation, Pakistan had informed all stakeholders political, diplomatic and military of the operation. The Afghan president, political govt, military leadership, Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan were all informed of the operation and requested that if terrorists cross the border, they would have to catch them. "They are your people, you will have to take action against them. But that didn't happen," Bajwa said. "When the terrorists went towards Khyber Agency, we relocated some forces from the North Waziristan operation [to Khyber] and conducted operations Khyber I and Khyber II." "We recovered weapons, ammunition, IEDs, explosives, communications equipment, hate literature and discovered tunnels," he said. "There was enough explosive material there to carry out five IED blasts every day for 21 years. They could have caused 134,000 casualties with the amount of material we recovered." "North Waziristan has very challenging terrain but despite that, our armed forces went there and cleared all their hideouts, caves and tunnels. But Khyber was even more challenging. It has snowy mountains and was home to hideouts from the Afghan war and had a very high density of IEDs." The Army killed 900 terrorists during the Khyber operation, Bajwa said, and dismantled the network of terrorists that was threatening areas in the immediate surroundings, such as Peshawar. "We started operations in Shawal, where all the terrorists from North Waziristan went. It was their last stronghold and they had nowhere to go after that. The operation went well and we cleared every village, every house, every school and every mosque in Shawal." "Shawal is like Switzerland now," Bajwa claimed. "The residents are slowly returning, but they want the Army to stay on and provide stability and revive the economy. Pine nuts are grown in great quantities there. Terrorists were selling them to fund themselves, but now the locals will benefit." The DG ISPR said that Daesh another name for the militant Islamic State group would not be allowed to have a presence in Pakistan. "We created a comprehensive intelligence picture and saw that Daesh was trying to come into Pakistan. They organised themselves into two groups, the Kutaiba Haris (planning wing) and Kutaiba Mubashir (militant wing) and were trying to get local criminal and terrorist groups to join them," Bajwa said. "Terrorists were frustrated at the time with all the Intelligence-based Operations (IBOs) going on and tried to change hats. The core group had 20-25 people," he said. These people were responsible for the attacks on the Faisalabad Dunya office, Lahore Din News office, Express News Sargodha office, and ARY News Islamabad office, he said. About 309 people who were part of the organisation were arrested, including Afghans and people of Middle Eastern origin. About 157 small freelance groups were also arrested, he said. Even people who did wall-chalking and graffiti for Daesh in Pakistan for Rs1,000 were also arrested, Bajwa said. The group had planned to attacks in the capital's diplomatic enclave, particularly on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on foreign embassies, consulates and their employees, Bajwa said. They had also planned to target Islamabad airport and prominent public figures. There are 18 major crossing points between Pakistan and Afghanistan along the 2,600-kilometre-long shared border, Bajwa said. "We wanted to seal those areas so that terrorists from this side of the border don't go there and vice versa," he said." "Lots of terrorists who crossed into neighbouring districts in eastern Afghanistan have built concentration camps." "After clearing Fata... We began emphasising border management and the Torkham Gate was part of that. There will be proper gates made at all crossing points in addition to immigration staff posts," the DG ISPR said. He also said hundreds of small posts will be set up where FC forces will be deployed. "Additional FC wings will be raised, but until that happens, Army troops will provide reinforcement in many areas." "Other related agencies, including Nadra, will have staff posts and crossing will only be possible using valid documents on both sides of the border," he said. "We have posts along the border and have our own forces reinforcing the Frontier Corps, but the same kind of deployment doesn't exist on the Afghan side of the border. Because of that void, there is a lot of presence and movement of terrorists there." "There will be a lot of patrolling to ensure no one can cross the border illegally. It will take time, but we are moving ahead steadily," he said. Intelligence-based operations (IBOs), special IBOs and combing operations have been carried out across the country, Bajwa said. The IBOs targeted terrorists, their facilitators, sleeper cells, financiers and abettors. Around 2,578 were carried out in Balochistan, 9,308 in Punjab, 5,878 in Sindh and 3,263 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Special IBOs commenced the night the suicide blast at Lahore's Gulshan-i-Iqbal park earlier this year, Bajwa said. So far, 477 special IBOs have been carried out, with 1,399 people apprehended. "We have increased the scope with the leads we received... We will continue going wherever we need to without any hesitation," he said. The entire nation has borne the cost of the war against terrorism, which tallied up to $106.9 billion, Bajwa said. During Operation Zarb-i-Azb, 536 soldiers were killed and 2,272 were injured, Bajwa said, whereas 3,500 terrorists were killed. About 66 per cent of locals have returned to areas badly affected by terrorism. "But it is not enough that we take them back [to their homes]. We have to help them prosper by means of reconstruction efforts, ensure that the areas are better off [than before], create opportunities for livelihood and revive the local economy so that this kind of terrorism doesn't recur." Infrastructural development projects in the region include a 705km road inside North and South Waziristan, a 75km road from Peshawar to Torkham, solar-powered water schemes and the Mirali Tehsil headquarters hospital, the DG ISPR said. In addition to the above, market complexes, mosques, schools and colleges have also been built in these areas, Bajwa said. Responding to a question about Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain's anti-Pakistan statements, Bajwa termed Hussain a foreigner residing 5,000km away from Pakistan. "It is unacceptable for every Pakistani if Altaf Hussain raises anti-Pakistan slogans. The government is already taking action on this issue. "There has been lots of action on the ground against his incitement to violence. People have been caught and action taken... Everything is before you," Bajwa said. If You Enjoy My Articles, Please Consider Supporting My Writing By Giving A Donation Of Any Amount. Thank you! The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher, General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC) Atik Mohammed says the party leadership will discipline their Greater Accra Regional Chairman for describing their flagbearer as "inactive". The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the PNC, Bala Maekanka expressed concerns over the seemingly unserious behaviour of the party's flagbearer Dr. Edward Mahama. He said that Dr. Edward Mahama is always interested in his personal affairs than the party's. I think our flagbearer is sleeping, he is totally sleeping. When you look at the terrain, absolutely nothing is happening. He is the flag bearer and the leader of the party, but seriously we in the Greater Accra Region have been quiet for almost two months because we dont even have a manifesto to campaign on and then we dont even have logistics. You claim to be the leader and flag bearer and you dont even have pick-up for yourself, he is quoted to have said. Thursday edition of the Daily Dispatch newspaper also noted that the Regional Chairman believes the flagbearer has not been competent and so failed to recognize him as flagbearer. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Atik Mohammed expressed worry over the behaviour of the Regional Chairman, stressing that the PNC does not tolerate "nonsense" from its members and executives. He promised to bring the Regional Chairman before the party's disciplinary body. According to him, he has called for an emergency executive meeting over the statements by the Regional Chairman and will see to the conclusion of the matter. You cannot as a Regional Chairman start making comments like these. We will discipline him if indeed he said it. Let no the impression be created that [oh] theres tension in the PNC. Atik Mohammed further lambasted the Daily Dispatch newspaper for publishing such a story about the PNC. He noted that the newspaper has never published anything good about the party and thus was not surprised why it would devote a whole front page to the party for such lies. It saddens me that a newspaper like this that has never found anything good to publish about the PNC would apportion a front page to us. Why would you waste your front page on an unnecessary story? he questioned. 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 A Chartered Economist and Financial Analyst has advised the opposition NPP to be careful with the litany of promises they are making without considering the fact that the country has limited resources. He said he is doubtful of the feasibility of the policy proposals considering the fact that the economy is undergoing some reforms under an IMF program. Dr John Gatsi told Accra based Republic Newspaper in an interview that a situation where politicians make promises without a cursory appraisal of the resources available for implementing these policies ends up creating problems for the country His comments come on the heels of the latest policy proposal by the NPP to build a dam in every village for irrigation purposes. The latest promises being that it will allocate one million dollars to every constituency in the country. Dr Gatsi said the NPP must very careful with the string of promises they are making to the electorates without doing a thorough analysis of the source of funding for them before going public with them. The NPP have made a number of controversial policy proposals ahead of the December elections. These include the one factory per district, one dam per village and the latest being one million dollars per constituency. The proposals have caused a considerable amount of public debate with a section of the public casting doubt about their feasibility. Dr Gatsi said he is in good company with those who belong to that school of thought. I do not think theres enough funds to take care of the proposal we are hearing being made by the political parties. We need to bear in mind we are in a deficit consolidation phase of an IMF program which is seeking to streamline the finance of the country for a takeoff in 2017. We also have been talking about huge borrowing which is a reflection of the gap between domestic revenue mobilization and the kind of infrastructure needs of the country that needed investment he said He said the NPP must be careful with the promises they are making especially when they have promised to cut taxes down drastically as a key policy proposal as well when they are voted into power. At the same time I think the political party that is proposing to give such amount of money to each constituency in the country for investment in infrastructure is the same party that has indicated that one of the keys policies is to reduce taxes drastically, in fact in some cases remove taxes on import of raw materials, some import duties which means technically there will a reduction or shrinking of revenue of the country. It is the same party that says they will build dams in every village and on the other hand they are also saying they will build factories in every district.in the country. When you look at all these things we are going to experiencing a situation where the revenue will not be there but we have created expenditure items for the country which does not match. We have created situation where we all believe that over earmarking government revenues is not the best. The revenue we have is earmarked to GETFUND, NHIS, road fund, etc. so by the time you finish distributing these statutory requirement there is little for the central government to undertake key infrastructure projects in the country. So if you match the proposal to the kind of economy we have and the revenue stream we have then there is a problem that needs to be addressed. The New Patriotic Party has chastised government for increasing taxes to the point of burdening businesses and has pledged to reduce and in some cases scrap some taxes should the NPP be voted into office on December 7. In an interview with Accra based Citifm running mate Dr Mahmoud Bawumia said Nana Addo will reduce corporate taxes for businesses, and also remove what he describes as nuisance taxes, like taxes on solar panel importation, VAT on financial services as well as importation of raw materials. He added that the NPP has a track record when it comes to reviewing taxes in order to bring some relief to the citizenry; We have done it before. Under the Kufuor administration we reduced corporate taxes from 32% to 25%. We are a government that believes in creating an enabling environment for businesses. I can assure you that the NPP government under Nana Addo will be the most business friendly and people friendly government. Off of the top of my head, I think the corporate taxes are too high and will be reduced, as well as the capital gains taxes. Financial services taxes also do not make any sense. Taxes on importation of solar panels into Ghana dont also make sense especially when we are dealing with an energy crisis. We are going to take away some of these nuisance taxes. But the rulinggoverning NDC party has shot it down arguing it will be unwise for any government to implement such a measure, because it will be inimical to the growth of the economy. Source: The Republic 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 WA farmers did a better job identifying powdery mildew [pictured] than their eastern states counterparts. Credit: iStock Farmers are on the frontline of Australia's agricultural biosecurity, but if an exotic pest set up shop in their crop, could they recognise it? More than 70% of Aussie farmers and 80% of agronomists were able to identify Australia's common crop pests and diseasesstripe rust in wheat, blackleg in canola and powdery mildew in barleyaccording to a survey by DAFWA's Dominie Wright. However, fewer than half of the 248 respondents could identify the Australian grain industry's top four biosecurity threats: Karnal bunt, Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium), barley stripe rust and Russian wheat aphid (diuraphis noxia). In 2013/14, Australia exported $10 billion of grain, but the arrival of an exotic pest could slash yields and throw up barriers to international trade. Karnal bunt, for example, is an easily transported fungal disease that blackens grain and stinks like dead fish. "It's a trade barrier," says Ms Wright. "There would be major implications if it was ever to get into Australia." Russian wheat aphid arrived in South Australia and Victoria this year; in the US, it has cut yields by up to 80%. "People aren't sure how it will affect our crops, because it's the first time we've had it in Australia," says Ms Wright. Identification by elimination Respondents could more readily identify the diseases they saw more often, Ms Wright found. Ms Dominie Wright at work identifying crop pests. Credit: DAFWA For example, WA farmers did a better job identifying powdery mildew than their eastern states counterparts. "In WA, powdery mildew has been incredibly prevalent for the last six or seven years, whereas in the eastern states they don't have it as often," says Ms Wright. The opposite was true for stripe rust, which hadn't been seen in WA for nearly a decade when Ms Wright did her survey. "WA growers and agronomists had forgotten what it looked like," she says. Ms Wright hopes that if farmers can identify common pests and diseases, they'll be more likely to raise the alarm if they spot something unusual. Shrink-wrap solutions "If there's an outbreak of something exotic, and you get it early, you can eradicate it," Ms Wright says. One example is the 2007 discovery of Khapra beetles in a WA home. The beetles were unknowingly shipped from Scotland in luggage. "The whole house was wrapped in plastic and fumigated," says Ms Wright. "It was very successful in eradicating Khapra beetle from the home." If you do spot something unusual, ring the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline (1800 084 881) or use the free MyPest Guide reporter. Explore further Research combats Russian wheat aphids in Australia This article first appeared on ScienceNetwork Western Australia a science news website based at Scitech. A focused ion beam microscope image shows 3-D graphene layers welded together in a block. The material is biocompatible and its material properties meet the standards necessary for consideration as a bone implant, according to researchers at Rice University. Credit: Ajayan Group Flakes of graphene welded together into solid materials may be suitable for bone implants, according to a study led by Rice University scientists. The Rice lab of materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan and colleagues in Texas, Brazil and India used spark plasma sintering to weld flakes of graphene oxide into porous solids that compare favorably with the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of titanium, a standard bone-replacement material. The discovery is the subject of a paper in Advanced Materials. The researchers believe their technique will give them the ability to create highly complex shapes out of graphene in minutes using graphite molds, which they believe would be easier to process than specialty metals. "We started thinking about this for bone implants because graphene is one of the most intriguing materials with many possibilities and it's generally biocompatible," said Rice postdoctoral research associate Chandra Sekhar Tiwary, co-lead author of the paper with Dibyendu Chakravarty of the International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials in Hyderabad, India. "Four things are important: its mechanical properties, density, porosity and biocompatibility." A molecular dynamics simulation shows how graphene oxide layers stack when welded by spark plasma sintering. The presence of oxygen molecules at left prevents the graphene layers from bonding, as they do without oxygen at right. Credit: Ajayan and Galvao groups Tiwary said spark plasma sintering is being used in industry to make complex parts, generally with ceramics. "The technique uses a high pulse current that welds the flakes together instantly. You only need high voltage, not high pressure or temperatures," he said. The material they made is nearly 50 percent porous, with a density half that of graphite and a quarter of titanium metal. But it has enough compressive strength40 megapascalsto qualify it for bone implants, he said. The strength of the bonds between sheets keeps it from disintegrating in water. The researchers controlled the density of the material by altering the voltage that delivers the highly localized blast of heat that makes the nanoscale welds. Though the experiments were carried out at room temperature, the researchers made graphene solids of various density by raising these sintering temperatures from 200 to 400 degrees Celsius. Samples made at local temperatures of 300 C proved best, Tiwary said. "The nice thing about two-dimensional materials is that they give you a lot of surface area to connect. With graphene, you just need to overcome a small activation barrier to make very strong welds," he said. With the help of colleagues at Hysitron in Minnesota, the researchers measured the load-bearing capacity of thin sheets of two- to five-layer bonded graphene by repeatedly stressing them with a picoindenter attached to a scanning electron microscope and found they were stable up to 70 micronewtons. Colleagues at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center successfully cultured cells on the material to show its biocompatibility. As a bonus, the researchers also discovered the sintering process has the ability to reduce graphene oxide flakes to pure bilayer graphene, which makes them stronger and more stable than graphene monolayers or graphene oxide. A pellet of three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide developed by an international team led by Rice University shows the potential to replace titanium as a material for bone implants. Credit: Rice University "This example demonstrates the possible use of unconventional materials in conventional technologies," Ajayan said. "But these transitions can only be made if materials such as 2-D graphene layers can be scalably made into 3-D solids with appropriate density and strength. "Engineering junctions and strong interfaces between nanoscale building blocks is the biggest challenge in achieving such goals, but in this case, spark plasma sintering seems to be effective in joining graphene sheets to produce strong 3-D solids," he said. Explore further Researchers use microwaves to produce high-quality graphene More information: Dibyendu Chakravarty et al. 3D Porous Graphene by Low-Temperature Plasma Welding for Bone Implants, Advanced Materials (2016). Journal information: Advanced Materials Dibyendu Chakravarty et al. 3D Porous Graphene by Low-Temperature Plasma Welding for Bone Implants,(2016). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201603146 Penn State researcher Demian Saffer (middle) has been helping to lead several international teams focused on installing new earthquake monitoring equipment in Japan. Here, Saffer stands with fellow co-chief scientists Lisa McNeill from the United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre and Sean Toczko from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. Credit: Demian Saffer / Penn State Japan's Nankai Trough is home to some of the world's biggest earthquakes, but researchers are now seeing another type of earthquake in the trough that is not well understood: slow earthquakes. Only discovered in the last few decades, slow earthquakes are evidence that earthquakes come in many forms, from normal earthquakes releasing energy over seconds or minutes to slow earthquakes unfolding over days to weeks. Penn State researcher Demian Saffer has been at the forefront of devising ways to monitor these slow earthquakes in regions far offshore and helping to lead international teams on missions to collect new data about their geologic context. Saffer, a professor of geosciences at Penn State, recently completed his third stint as a co-chief scientist on board an International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expedition to install new monitoring devices in the Nankai Trough. Located in the Ring of Fire, the trough extends for 500 miles just offshore of Japan and has been the source of magnitude 8class earthquakes every one to two centuries. "One reason the Nankai Trough has been the focus of international research is because there is a 1,300-year historical record of major earthquakes occurring there every 100 to 150 years," says Saffer. "Most of these earthquakes have been magnitude 8 or larger, and because the fault is beneath the ocean floor, the earthquakes commonly generate tsunamis that affect major population centers in coastal Japan." The trench is at a subduction fault zone, where one tectonic plate is being dragged beneath an over-riding tectonic plate. In the course of this tectonic movement, stress accumulates over many years and then is released in a matter of minutesresulting in a major earthquake every 100-150 years in the Nankai Trough. But, the team has discovered, slow earthquakes are another result of tectonic activity occurring periodically in the trough. Located south of Japan's Honshu island and part of the Ring of Fire, the Nankai Trough is home to a spectrum of earthquakes. Credit: Penn State Slow earthquakes: domino or other effect? Slow earthquakes can disperse the same amount of energy as a typical earthquake but over a longer period of time. In traditional earthquakes, stress builds up over years or decades and is relieved in a matter of seconds to minutes, and the fault might slip at rates of one meter per second or more. "Slow earthquakes might host the same amount of slip, but it occurs over days to weeks. It doesn't shake anything, but it relieves a comparable amount of stress," says Saffer. Scientists are grappling with the implications of this physical relieving of stress. Saffer (L) discusses the mission's science plan. The international team, which Saffer co-led, installed new earthquake monitoring equipment beneath Japan's sea floor. Credit: Demian Saffer "There's speculation that they could be tightening the screws on nearby fault patches, thus increasing the hazard for future earthquakes. We're not at a stage where we can say definitively how slow earthquakes affect the loading of the fault or potential earthquake slip in the future. They could create different outcomes in different contexts by relieving stress in some cases and increasing it in others," Saffer says. To know more about these processes, researchers need to know more about the frequency, magnitude and location of slow earthquakes, and that's what Saffer and the IODP team have set out to do. Collecting data from a trough beneath the sea floor has been a longstanding challenge. The shifting ocean adds unwanted noise to the data they are collecting, making it hard to pinpoint the low-frequency signal of slow earthquakes. Avoiding vibration pollution To get around the noise issue, the IODP team placed its instruments under the sea floor, which is more than 1.5 miles below the ocean's surface. The team drilled almost half a mile below the ocean floor to install a suite of instruments known as a long-term observatory, which Saffer helped conceive. It's the second observatory the team has installed in the trough since 2010, and the two observatories work in tandem to collect data on rock deformation, changes in fluid pressure and tilt, and the occurrence, magnitude and frequency of small earthquakes. Each observatory is connected to a wired network that can feed data, sampled in one-second intervals, in real time to scientists worldwide. Specialized equipment allowed the team to drill down more than 1.5 miles below the ocean's surface, where they installed their long-term monitoring equipment. Credit: Demian Saffer When installing the most recent long-term observatory, the team also retrieved a simpler temporary data collection device termed a "genius plug" that included sensors attached to a seal clamped inside the borehole (which Saffer also helped devise), and which serves as a low-tech version of the observatory. Saffer says he's been working feverishly to analyze the five years of data that the device collected. "One thing that's really exciting is that we see repeated slow earthquakes that appear to occur approximately every year or so over a couple weeks' time, but only in outermost reaches of the subduction zone, near the trench," he says. The team is also beginning to link slow earthquakes to bigger earthquakes, such as the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Kumamoto, Japan, on April 16, 2016. "The Kumamoto earthquake happened on land, on a different island from where our sensors were stationed. But we still detected slow earthquakes afterward. It's too far away to be an aftershock, but it's almost like we've detected a tectonic kick that may have triggered the slow slip," he says. Cross-section of the location where the IODP team installed new monitoring equipment. Credit: The NanTroSEIZE Scientific Team - CC BY-SA 3.0 Homing in on slow earthquakes in New Zealand Saffer now has his sights set on New Zealand, which researchers recently discovered is a hotbed of major slow earthquakes with slip equivalent to magnitude 6 or 7 events, but not large normal earthquakes. So the team applied for, and received, funding for another IODP drilling project, which is scheduled to begin in 2018. It will be the first IODP project to target slow earthquakes from the outset. "We want to find out what's going on in the fault zone that's resulting in slow earthquakes instead of damaging normal ones. Does the slow slip reduce the risk of major earthquakes? Are they adding or relieving stress to adjacent fault patches?" says Saffer, who serves as lead principal investigator on the project. As they gather more data, the team will get closer to understanding the implications of slow earthquakes and whether they are linked to larger, more damaging earthquakes. "As a scientist who studies subduction zones, the real exciting problems are occurring in the ocean where tectonic plates meet," says Saffer. "Getting into the subsurface and collecting data in the near-field of the fault zones will help us understand key processes and conditions in the Earth that facilitate slow earthquakes, why they occur where and when they do, whether they pose a risk for uplifting the sea floor and generating tsunamis, and overall what kinds of possible impact these events might have." Explore further Researchers reproduce mechanism of slow earthquakes The HI-SEAS mission gives people a chance to practise on Earth what life would be like on Mars. A crew member here from the 2015 mission. Credit: Flickr/University of Hawaii/HI-SEAS, CC BY-NC-ND Life on Earth has its challenges but what about life on Mars? Can humans ever survive on our neighbouring red planet, fourth from the sun? To help answer that, an international crew of six people spent a year living inside a solar-powered dome on the slopes of Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano. The place is starkly red-brown, dramatically rocky, barren of plant life a lot like Mars. It was the latest Earth-bound project from the HawaiI Space Exploration Analogue and Simulation (HI-SEAS), a NASA-funded trial of technologies, systems and people for its future Mars mission. The crew an astrobiologist, a doctor/journalist, a soil scientist, an engineer, a physicist and a habitat specialist emerged from the dome at the weekend, pale but triumphant from their mission during which they played out an elaborate and realistic game of planetary exploration. Life in the dome The crew spent most of their mission time working, playing and sleeping inside the 11-metre dome, all the while performing experiments, and having experiments performed on them. They could leave the dome, but only in mock-up spacesuits, and never alone. They could communicate with the world by email and blogs, but the 20-minute delay imposed to represent the radio signal time delay across interplanetary distances made real-time conversation impossible. They ate only canned or freeze-dried food, though they were able to supplement this with fermentation to make such delicacies as bread and cream cheese. They were allowed a total of eight minutes in the shower per week. Immediately on their imaginary return to Earth, and before facing the press, the the first thing they wanted was to swim in the sea. (Hawaii is, luckily, well supplied with beaches.) Other missions This has not been the only, or even the longest, Mars mission simulation. HI-SEAS itself has conducted three shorter missions before. Meanwhile in 2010, an international crew in Moscow stayed in the Mars 500 simulation for 520 days. Various chapters of the Mars Society conduct such events every year now. I did a short simulation at the Mars Desert Research Station, Utah, in 2003. It was a fantastic experience a great bunch of people with a common purpose, working hard, playing hard and learning fast. At times, it was easily possible to believe you were really on Mars. In September, Australians Jon Clarke and Annalea Beattie will join a 160-day simulation at habitats in Utah and northern Canada. The rationale is simple: to prepare for anything complicated, difficult or dangerous, you need to practise in conditions as close as possible to the real thing. It's why soldiers conduct war games, Olympic swimmers do endless laps in suitably sized pools and airline pilots spend hours rehearsing difficult landings in flight simulators. We learn by doing, and when we cannot afford to get it wrong, we approximate in realistic pretences beforehand. In these mock events, we can try out new ideas, because failure is not so consequential. In HI-SEAS mission 4, the research was focused on human factors questions, in particular: how will a team of six people, more isolated than any in history, living in close proximity and carrying out difficult technical tasks, perform over time? Lessons learnt Some red flags had been noted in earlier missions. Russian crews on the MIR space station had sometimes become withdrawn and uncommunicative, even ceasing work altogether. Ground simulations had warned of the potential for serious cultural clashes among international crews, specifically around food and interpersonal etiquette. For a space team, where the cooperation of every member is critical, such disharmony could be disastrous. Crews had also experienced a third-quarter effect, in which morale and performance dipped low at the 75% mark. The mission 4 crew, forewarned about these problems, experimented with solutions. The full results are not written up yet, but much can be seen in the crew blogs. To overcome depression and withdrawal, and cement crew solidarity, the crew danced together, learnt new skills together (notably, to speak Russian) and took turns creating semi-gourmet meals out of the limited rations. To prepare themselves for an unexpected crises, they practised getting by on reduced water rations. Later, when a water delivery failed to arrive on schedule, they were forced to draw on an old water tank that they feared had been contaminated. They used their rationing experience to calculate their minimum requirements, which in turn let them improvise an evaporative purification system that supplied enough water for the six to survive until they could be resupplied. Mark Watney, from the original novel and following movie The Martian, would have been proud. Why Mars? Still, critics complain and ask, what's the point of exploring Mars, anyway? We have pretty good pictures and science data already. Why spend huge amounts of money on such a venture? Shouldn't we wait until we've solved some of the really pressing problems that face us on Earth, the old argument goes, before sending astronauts galloping off to another planet? Considering the endless capacity of humans to create problems for themselves, what this argument really amounts to is this: we should never go. But there are very good reasons for learning how people can travel, live, work and play beyond the Earth. This is not a pipe dream, it's a socioeconomic necessity. History shows the continuous and ongoing expansion of healthy human societies into new environments. Staying put is not what humans tend to do, especially when resources and opportunities are limited. Increasingly, as the population (and our appetite for material things) grows, this puts us into conflict with others. It's already a limiting factor on much of what happens in human development, and is likely to be even more so in future. If we take a long view, the importance of being able to move out into the solar system in search of food, water, energy and mineral resources becomes clear. To suppress an expansion away from our point of origin, or unduly delay it, is to put unbearable constraints on human life in the future, and increase the risk of ever escalating territorial disputes, closed boarders, hoarding and warfare. A history of discovery In Europe, 250 years ago, there was a red, dusty, alien environment out there on the frontier. Hostile, unknown, dangerous. Six months away on a ship, if you survived at all. How could you live there? Why would you go at all? What would you do there? That was Australia. Now look at us. Can anything that those early explorers did compare in importance to us with the fact that they decided to go there and set up a colony? A Mars colony would be a truly wonderful thing. A whole new branch of humanity, with its own customs, laws, science, business, music, art, dance and literature. It would be an inspiration even to those who would never go. It would make some good headlines, for a change. It would be giving something positive to the future, instead of always robbing it. Explore further Scientists exit Hawaii dome after yearlong Mars simulation This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Architectural researcher Stefan Laxness (L) and principal investigator Eyal Weizman (R) sit in front of screens showing Syria's Saidnaya military prison, recreated in 3D, at Goldsmiths University, London on August 26, 2016 Starvation, torture and rape: the grim daily realities of prisoners inside Syria's Saidnaya military prison have been recreated in harrowing 3D detail by a London-based agency, established to highlight claims of rights abuses. Human rights campaigners Amnesty International are the latest organisation to call on Forensic Architecture's (FA) expertise, creating the first navigable model of the jail as part of a drive to raise awareness about political prisoners in Syria. Israeli activist and architect Eyal Weizman, 46, created FA in 2011, and it is now based in the leafy streets of south London, on the campus of host institution Goldsmiths, University of London. Its interdisciplinary laboratory specialises in producing analysis and evidence to be used in human rights cases brought to international courts, with architecture a key tool in helping to accurately recreate events occurring in chaotic surroundings. Before FA, no surveillance groups or journalists had been able to "access" the notorious prison, located 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Damascus, used by the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The laboratory pieced together testimonies given to Amnesty by former prisoners with satellite images found on the Google search engine and other publicly available online material. Sunlight clues "It's about unravelling the facts based on small details," explained architectural researcher Stefan Laxness. "Picking up on the spatial details inadvertently mentioned by the detainees, using that to build up what they experienced helped us also understand how the prison might be structured, and we started to notice a pattern in the trajectory each detainee has throughout the building." One detainee described how sunlight illuminated a certain part of his cell at a certain time of day, helping the team to verify his account. "When he placed the cell in space with a certain orientation, and then you run a sun simulation... lo and behold their testimony actually corroborates with the physical parameters. In some sense that validates the interviewee and his story," Laxness said. Researchers also travelled to Istanbul to interview "hearing witnesses" who were either blindfolded or not able to see directly other parts of the prison. These former detainees did not have detailed visual information of the prison, but provided valuable evidence based on aural accounts of the rhythms of life inside, the routines of torturers and even mundane occurences such as water leaks. Laxness said the former detainees were not necessarily familiar with 3D technology but "very quickly" understood how it worked and wanted to talk about their experiences and contribute to the model. Urban warfare Other studies conducted by the agency include reconstruction the August 2014 bombing of Gaza, Guatemala's Ixil genocide of 1978-1984 and the 2011 sinking in the Mediterranean of a boat carrying 63 migrants from Libya. FA is currently the only provider of such analysis, working with Human Rights Watch, international courts and the United Nations with key evidence. The work combines traditional disciplines, such as mapping, ecology and law, with new technologies like 3D, as-well as the testimonies of victims and prominent witnesses. But the changing nature of war is bringing other disciplines to the fore in untangling events. "Architecture provides a crucial look, vital to understanding contemporary conflicts," said Weizman, explaining that the migration of conflicts towards urban environments demanded a fresh approach. "The city is a dense media environment," he added. "There are a lot of journalists and more and more citizens are filming what is happening around them. "To understand and build a picture from all these sources, you need to build architectural models and place all these videos in space, to reconstruct the narrative of events," he said. Explore further No bars on prison research 2016 AFP Credit: Shutterstock What can software designers and ICT specialists learn from maggots? Quite a lot, it would appear. Through understanding how complex learning processes in simple organisms work, EU scientists hope to usher in an era of self-learning robots and predictive computing. Animalsno matter how simple or complexdisplay a remarkable capacity for learning. Even with limited brain power, an organism can choose the right thing to do in response to external stimuli, which is something that current computational learning theory cannot fully account for. Learning from maggots The EU-funded MINIMAL project, launched in 2014, has focused on the learning processes in a relatively simple animal, the fruit fly larva (maggots). Despite having fewer than 10 000 neurons, this creature is capable of learning quickly and flexibly certain cues that lead them towards good things and away from bad things. "Understanding the specific mechanisms behind this learning process could have important applications for technology, such as the development of self-learning small robotic devices," explains MINIMAL project coordinator Professor Barbara Webb from the School of Informatics at Edinburgh University in the UK. "This could mean, for example, being able to develop small, cheap robots for use in precision agriculture, which are able to learn which plants need fertiliser or irrigation. This can then be delivered only where and when needed. Our key idea is that small but active systems can, like animals, locally discriminate and remember only the effective cues needed for the ongoing task." The humble maggot was selected by Webb and her team because they were able to closely monitor and control both the animal's behaviour and brain processes in remarkable detail. They were able to track the entire process by which these animals are capable of learning new odours that lead them to good food (such as sugar) and away from bad food (such as quinine). "We discovered that some specific single brain cells are sufficient, when activated, to make the larva learn that a particular odour is good," says Webb. ' We plan to explore this further using a new method developed through the MINIMAL project, which shows the activity of specific brain cells lighting up, which we can track even when the larva moves around freely. We really did not expect this last method to work so it is perhaps one of the most satisfying elements of the project so far." Information opportunities The project team's work on the learning process of the maggot could benefit other fields as well. "Although our main aim has been to demonstrate such capabilities in real world robot systems, there may be parallels in the information environment," says Webb. For example, whilst current trends in computing often rely on big data, it is notable that in nature, animals often learn with very little data to predict associations (such as the maggot's ability to detect good food). Understanding how this works could have ramifications for the development of software and computer interfaces that anticipate a user's next action. Looking even further into the future, it might one day even be possible that the larvae themselves could become engineered computational devices, capable of performing critical signal processing tasks. "The next step is to consolidate our findings into a model of the neural learning mechanism of the larva and test this out on a robot," says Webb. "We have also developed a soft robot maggot, but it has been difficult to control its movement. Biologically-based learning could be the answer, and we firmly believe that such robots have potential for a range of applications." The MINIMAL project is due for completion at the end of December 2016. Explore further Researchers discover machines can learn by simply observing More information: Project website: Project website: blog.inf.ed.ac.uk/minimal/contact/ Glens Falls city Assessor Lauren M. Stack was sentenced last week to 3 years on probation and fined more than $1,600 after pleading guilty in two separate drunken driving cases in two courts, including one case where she was accused of possessing cocaine. Stack, 46, of Lake George, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment and reduced, non-criminal charges of driving while ability impaired in connection with two arrests in a matter of six months in 2014-2015. She was sentenced to 3 years on probation, will be required to use an ignition interlock device when driving, and paid $1,610 in fines and surcharges. The second of those arrests, for misdemeanor driving while intoxicated in Queensbury in March 2015, generated headlines at the time when the Warren County Sheriffs Office issued a press release about it. She remained on the job as assessor with no disciplinary action taken. What had not been revealed at that point was that she had also been arrested by State Police in Lake George in September 2014 on misdemeanor charges of DWI, driving while ability impaired by drugs and criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to court records. The latter charge alleged she possessed a small amount of cocaine when she was arrested, though tests later found the substance to be a prescription drug. The 2014 arrest was not disclosed until this week, when The Post-Star checked the disposition of the Queensbury case and learned that a plea deal that covered charges in both courts had been reached. Glens Falls Mayor Jack Diamond said Friday that he was aware of the 2015 arrest but not the 2014 case. He said he planned to review the cases to determine whether action by city officials is warranted. Im going to take a look at the information in the coming days. As of now she is in good standing as assessor of the city of Glens Falls, Diamond said. The Washington County District Attorneys Office handled the cases as a special prosecutor. District Attorney Tony Jordan said because the arrests occurred within a span of 6 months, his office sought a global resolution that required guilty pleas in both courts. The white powder that police alleged Stack had, which tested positive for cocaine content by State Police at the time of her arrest, was found by the State Police laboratory to be the prescription stimulant phentermine, Jordan said. It was unclear whether she had a prescription for the drug. Our goal was to make sure there was accountability and that she would participate in (substance abuse) treatment, Jordan said. That seems to be her biggest issue. The reckless endangerment charge was not initially filed by police in either case, but was added so that there would be a guilty plea to a non-driving criminal charge. The remaining charges were dismissed. Both arrests occurred after Stack was pulled over for speeding on the Northway. Jordan said a blood test in the Lake George case showed a blood alcohol content of just under 0.08 percent, while her BAC was 0.13 percent in the Queensbury case. Stack did not respond to phone or email messages left at her office Friday. Her lawyer, Peter Gerstenzang, said he had no comment on her case. Stack remained on the job after the 2015 arrest was publicized. However, the questions about the arrest came after city officials learned in 2012 that Stack had served four years in prison in Florida in the 1990s for four felony burglary convictions. Stack did not disclose the arrest when she applied for the job, and no background check was done. Stack has been assessor since 2009, and was paid $62,409 last year. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: The three-year IMF programme with $918 financial support demands that government pursues fiscal adjustments to check ballooning public spending, improve revenue generation and structural reforms to strengthen public finances. Addressing the gathering at a short ceremony to launch the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) at his residence in Accra, Mr Benjamin said the attraction of foreign direct investment in Ghana is heavily-dependent on how well government does under the IMF agreement. Indeed that progress is important for investor confidence along with other actions to tackle potential barriers to business such as the regulatory environment, licensing rules, custom procedures, land registration issues and of course the thorny issue of corruption, he said. Bilateral trade figures between Ghana and the UK has reduced over the last three years. Trade in goods and services between the two countries fell from 1.3 billion in 2013 to 1 billion in 2014 and 2015 figures, due out soon, are projected to be worse. READ MORE:Jon Benjamin British High Commissioner charges businesses to talk about challenges facing them These notwithstanding, Mr Benjamin said the future looks bright, projecting that overall figures could reach a record high by 2020. He said the launch of the UKGCC heralds a new chapter in efforts to improve trade relations between the two countries. The chamber, which currently has a membership of 20 companies, will promote, foster, and represent UK business interests in Ghana. Although Africa is the youngest continent in the world, its leaders are the oldest. The average age of African leaders is 61. These include a 92 year old, an 89 year old and numerous septuagenarians. As such it is very important for the views of young people not just to be included in the formulation of policies but for them to play an active part in the decision making process by contesting for elected office. The campaign dubbed Not too young to run has recently been endorsed by the United Nations special envoy on youth affairs. The campaign, started in Nigeria, is calling for the removal of age barriers steeped in the constitution. The campaigners want the age limit of the president reduced to 30 and the House of Representatives, down to 25 years. In Ghana, while the age limit to become a Member of Parliament is 21, the presidency is etched at 40. There is a need for that to be further reduced for many young people to have a chance at assuming the highest office of the land; after all they are going to live with the decisions that are made for the rest of their lives. Despite the numerous advantages to having younger leaders, such as policies which reflect contemporary thinking and aspirations, there are significant barriers even if age limits are lowered. Political party structures pivot on old friendships, election nomination forms are dear and societys perception of the wise age are going to need some time for significant change to happen. When 22 year old Francisca Oteng-Mensah was elected the NPPs parliamentary candidate for Kwabre East, she was described by the head of Department of Political Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr Richard Amoako Baah as too young and inexperienced for the task. Another clear example is the Brexit vote which saw many young people voting to stay in but older voters choosing to stay out. Older people will not have to live with the consequences of this vote, the same way younger voters would. The prosecutor of the case ASP Adiza Suleman narrated that the victim saw an advertisement on a local television channel in February 2015 where the fetish priest (Benjamin Doe) claimed to help businesses flourish. The victim who lives in Prestea in the Western Region called the contact mentioned during the advertisement and Doe directed him to his house at Adjen Kotoku in the Greater Accra Region. According to the Daily Graphic newspaper, the victim expressed interest in having her money doubled after listening to Doe. Doe then demanded GH8,000 to turn into GH80,000 and subsequently took another GH13,540 from the victim to buy some items to pacify the gods. READ ALSO: Man kills brother for stealing his fowl Doe failed to honour his promise and all efforts to retrieve the money proved futile. The victim reported the matter to the police and Doe was arrested on April 10, 2015," ASP Suleman said. Benjamin Doe was also fined GH3,600 or serve an additional 2 years imprison if he fails to pay the fine. The defendant, a resident of Katampe Mpape, also in Abuja, is facing a three-count charge of force, assault and inciting disturbance. The prosecutor, Zanna Dalhatu, told the court that Ikechukwu Nwafor of National Union of Road Transport Workers reported the matter at the Utako Police Station on August 29 He said that the defendant refused to buy his daily Union tickets when Nwafor was selling along Utako Market in Abuja and Nwafor and other Union officials decided to take him to the office at Jabi Park, Abuja. Dalhatu further said that the defendant, however, diverted his car to a car wash and asked the boys at the car wash, numbering about 20 to beat the complainant and inflict injuries on him. He said the offences contravened sections 262, 265 and 114of the Penal Code. However, Nwafor pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge and the presiding officer, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, admitted him to bail in the sum of N10,000 with one surety in like sum. At a press briefing in Hohoe, the Divisional Crime Officer ASP Godwin Enim-Ansah narrated that the 35-year-old posed as High Court judge who had been transferred from Tamale to Hohoe. According to ASP Enim-Ansah, Edward Gyau Wellington told the teacher he was in dire need of accommodation since the bungalow meant for him was occupied by another person. READ ALSO: Fetish priest jailed for failing to double money Wellington gained more sympathy from Paulina Dogbe after he claimed to be a member of the Anglican Church. This is because Paulina Dogbes husband is the head of the Anglican Church in Hohoe. The 35-year-old suspect subsequently promised to get a job for Paulina Dogbes 28-year-old daughter. Wellington demanded an amount of GH19, 500 to help him facilitate the process quickly. READ ALSO: Man kills brother for stealing his fowl After receiving the money, Wellington relocated to Ashaiman in the Greater Accra region. He was arrested on August 26 after the family reported the case to the Hohoe Police. ASP Enim-Ansah said the Ashaiman Police assisted in arresting Wellington from his hideout. However, management of the bank maintain that the lay-offs had to happen due to increasing cost of operations and the need to rationalize expenditure as well as human resources.READ MORE:Car Loans in Ghana Car loans hit 34.2% in Ghana- Bank of Ghana ReportsWe are looking at streamlining things to position us as the leading bank in Ghana, a senior official says. In a conversation with one of the affected staff, who agreed to speak under conditions of anonymity, he said the bank had duly compensated staff who are being laid-off, and due procedure was followed in undertaking the exercise. Though we believe that the bank is in a strong financial position, other departments which have to do with electronic payments have not lived up to expectations, hence the lay-offs. Authorities of the bank have not confirmed the information though. Fidelity bank, apart from emerging Bank of the Year in the Ghana Banking Awards 2015, were adjudged the Best in Corporate Social Responsibility and Best Trade Deal. Concerned fans threw darts at Afolayan for making Nollywood the subject of discussion with the Facebook founder. Zuckerberg, who arrived Lagos on Tuesday for his first visit to Nigeria, had disclosed that he will be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the startup ecosystem in Nigeria. Ill be excited to learn as much as I can and Im looking forward to meeting more people here. Some Nigerians on the social media have blasted renowned movie director, Kunle Afolayan for bothering the founder of Facebook, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, with Nollywood issues upon his arrival in Nigeria. Concerned fans threw darts at Afolayan for making Nollywood the subject of discussion with the Facebook founder. Zuckerberg, who arrived Lagos on Tuesday for his first visit to Nigeria, had disclosed that he will be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the startup ecosystem in Nigeria. Ill be excited to learn as much as I can and Im looking forward to meeting more people here. His time-out with Zuckerberg, has, however, generated reactions from Nigerians on the social media. Some users have blasted him, advising him to stop disgracing himself and the country and should resort to complaining to his president, Buhari instead. See reactions below. @ Hysmady: Wetin concern akara with burgerZuckerberg meeting is supposed to be with it techies,bloggers,web developers,app developers and its counterpartsBeen seeing the opposite like musicians,comedians,video directors,photographers. @hungryboy: Na Mark Zuckerberg be Nigerian President? Mr Afoloyan if you don Carry money go play bet9ja finish dey find pesin were go loan you money, Go Bank abeg. @chubbyswit: See this one what has nollywood got to do with ICT? which mark represents. go to aso rock and complain to buhari. @ekim004: d main issue na our alaba nd aba boyz. @jaymejate: Alaba market wahala. Afolayan, if Facebook be like YouTube and you put your videos there, Alaba boys go still thief am there. Those guys de work with evil spirits. @Charix: Mark came to study enterpreneurs(of which Afolayan is one) and tech startups. Afolayan knows very well Mark can fund his business as the government has failed in seeing it as a potential investment opportunity. If I recall correctly Kunle has made it known once he reached out to Mark for investment in form of capital. His coming only gave a second chance to ask physically. I swear, some nairalanders are less intelligent than a door knob unfortunately these are the most vocal posters. Mark giving Kunle money to produce a movie makes him a foreign investor. He can gift the money but being the business man he is, would rather invest it into a nollywood project. @sukkot: Like this white nigga cares about nollywood. when will this son of oduduwa receive sense na? @9jatatafo: Very soon some housewives go hold meeting with Mark. Even APC and PDP. @Sommyblaze: Bia Mark no give am any kobo there, NONSENSE!!! yu no get ya President number in? @driand: angry Nigerians and stupidity be like that.. Who has that pic of Zuma? What marks business with Nollywood, or is he the the president of the Federal Republic? The government is set to lease ECG to a private company for 25 years as part of the second compact of the Millennium Challenge Account signed by the Government in August 2014. The concession has come under intense opposition from ECG workers and the Trades Union Congress. In a circular issued on Thursday after a meeting, PUWU said: All staff across ECGs operational areas are to report to work but no official duties will be carried out today 2 September 2016 and Monday 5 September 2016. The circular, however, directed staff to pay attention to critical areas like hospital theaters as well as security installations should a fault occur. Hundreds of the stranded prospective hajj pilgrims had earlier complained that they had no knowledge of when they will travel. It is pointless for the government to facilitate the smooth departure of flights in Tamale to aid our brethren in the north, while hundreds of passengers remain stranded in Accra under very terrible human conditions and are about to be denied our right to make the dream Holy journey, a press statement co-signed by the spokesperson and convener for the stranded pilgrims, Mohammed R. Abdul-Rahman and Shehu Alwala Abdi, has said. The statement added that If the government is truly committed to ensuring a smooth passage to Hajj for all Muslims, then it should as a matter of urgency come to the aid of those of us who are stranded at the Hajj Village. Commenting on the matter, the spokesperson for the Hajj Board, Alhaji Alhassan Sunyini, explained that many of the prospective pilgrims have been left stranded due to challenges with the system being used to process their visas. We have yes experienced some delay in the acquisition of the last batch of pilgrims as a result of some system challenges and network challenges because the visas are issued online. Mind you 11 were selected to fly, those 11 have since left but because of the over-subscription, we have made arrangements to get an extra flight which is scheduled to live on Sunday and that was to take care of the delay as a result of the system challenges and network with the last batch of pilgrims that we were working with, the Hajj Board spokesperson told Radio Ghana. Lyeo Woon-Ki, the Ambassador, had arrived at a workshop to solicit the inputs of stakeholders for a Master Plan project for Accra, in which the Korean government had provided a $1.5 million funding with technical expertise. Mr. A. Selby and Mr. Lawrence Kumi, Chief Director and Director in charge of Research and Statistics respectively, of the Ministry of Transport, later offered an apology for their lateness. Expressing his anger, Mr. Woon-Ki said Ghanaians should learn to respect time because it is a valuable and precious resource. Hyeokjo Kweon, General Manager of Hanmac Engineering, the consultancy firm that is providing technical expertise for the Master Plan, also expressed his frustration. This is your time. Your government is wasting available time just like this. In Korea, if we schedule a programme to start at 9a.m, it starts at the same time, he stated. The Master Plan project seeks to address the traffic congestion in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area by 2035. FETISH PRIEST JAILED THREE MONTHS FOR TRYING TO MULTIPLY MONEY A traditional priest was yesterday sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour by the Accra Circuit Court for swindling a trader to the tune of GH8,000 after failing to turn the money into GH80,000 as promised. AKUFO-ADDO SHAKES TAMALE Thousands of residents of Tamale, the Northern Region capital, inundated the streets on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 to welcome the presidential candidate of the NPP and his running mate to the metropolis. MINORITY SHOT DOWN: They cry foul but NDC hails Speaker's action Fetish priest jailed three months RELIGIOUS CATASTROPHE IMMINENT AS FOLLOWERS BELIEVE JUST ANYTHING THEIR LEADERS SAY They command a large following and are revered and worshiped b their members. To many, men of God are an embodiment of God himself on the pulpit, hence their instructions are deemed sacred and carried out by their members without questions. He made this known at Agona Swedru in the Central Region at the launch of the party. He said It is the empty vessel that makes the most noise. The NPP has accused the NDC of not achieving anything in government. President Mahama has released the Green Book, our achievements as a government can be seen in that Green Book. While members of the NPP were insulting us, we were working. From now onwards, if they say one, well say two. The NDCs achievements in government are more than those of the NPP. The vice president who used the occasion to attend the annual convention of the Musama Disco Christo Church at Gomoa Mozano in the Central Region said, "I am committed to peace. I do not believe in confrontation politics or politics of insults. That is why I need to correct the confusion in a statement I made in Agona Swedru last Friday. I was stating my strong belief that this Government has a superior record of accomplishment and delivery. Therefore if the opposition mentions one achievement of theirs, we will mention twice (or three times) their number to point our achievements, particularly as captured in the Green Book." According to the Gonja Chief, who was enskinned in August this year, when I look into the crystal ball, I can see victory for the NPP. I want to assure you that I am still a friend, and you can always depend on me. As I said, if God wants to do something, He begins from one. He has done it for me, and He will do it for you. Advising the NPP flagbearer not to depart from his issues-based campaign, he urged Nana Akufo-Addo to continue to tell the people of Ghana what you will do for them. The people of Ghana are ready to hear from you, and I hope the next time we meet like this, you will be His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addo. The Kpembe Wura made this known on Thursday, September 1, 2016, when Nana Akufo-Addo, together with national and regional party stalwarts, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Kpembe, in the Salaga South constituency of the Northern Region. Kpembe Wura Babanye Ndefosu II was certain that the Lord, God, is listening to what we are telling Him today. There isnt so much talk. God has done it. I have seen it (an NPP victory) in my dreams. Shaking hands with you this evening, I have seen something you havent seen. He, thus, urged the people of Kpembe, as well as the Ghanaian electorate, to turn out in their numbers on Election Day and vote massively, stressing that I predict nothing less than 53% victory for you. In concluding, the Kpembe Wura asked Nana Akufo-Addo to look into the possibility of carving out another region from the Northern Region, to enable the equitable distribution of the natural resources of the region, as well as the rapid development of the livelihoods of the citizenry. On his part, the NPP flagbearer thanked Kpembe Wura Babanye Ndefosu II for the warm reception afforded him, as well as his prediction of victory for him in this years election. President Mahama in the video thanked his over one million followers on Facebook saying we are one million already on Facebook; our community, like a seed of hope, has been growing constantly over the years and has turned into a robust tree, he said in a video on his official page. On Tuesday (August 30) President John Mahama shared pictures that put a more playful twist on his election campaign. The photos have since attracted various social media users, with the overall effect being positive. The picture gained Mahama, who is hoping for another term in office, 2,225,806 eyeballs. As a nation which has suffered a Presidential death, we need to ensure that while we trust Presidents when they claim to be in good health, we verify that in fact they are in good health. This must apply to Presidential candidates as well. For the avoidance of doubt, I do not wish to imply that one needs to be in perfect health to be President. I believe that each President should have an annual exam done jointly by his physician and another designated by the chief physician of 37 Military hospital. After this, the two shall issue a statement affirming that the President is in good health or otherwise. This same procedure can be modified for Presidential candidates. Within a month of filing their nomination papers, they must have an exam by a Ghanaian physician who shall affirm that the candidate is of sound physical, mental and social health and fit for the rigours of the Presidency. Neither of these should involve making the medical records public, the NPP stalwart wrote on his Facebook wall. His comments come on the back of a publication in Mondays edition of Africa Watch magazine claiming that the flagbearer of the NPP, Akufo-Addo, had been diagnosed with cancer, acute kidney injury among other ailments since 2013. Mr. Afoko who celebrated his birthday on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 said Five years from now, I see myself as having decided that it is time to take a break, a permanent break but not dying. Taking a break from almost all activities because my children are of age and I just hope and pray they will follow in my steps so that it can reduce my burden. The businessman and politician further called on Ghanaians to avoid violence ahead of the December 7 polls. I want Ghanaians to be at peace with them and keep on trusting the Lord. If we are united, together we should be able to move the frontiers of the nation forward, we have one country and we should all be happy working for this dear nation, even if you are not working for money, we should work to make sure that our children and childrens children will have a better future," he said on Kumasi-based Ultimate FM. Spokesperson for Afoko argued that the decision to appeal the ruling was to protect the constitution and future of the party. Mr Afoko has been in court challenging a suspension handed down to him by the NPPs Disciplinary Committee for alleged misconduct. The suspended Chair had earlier described his suspension as unconstitutional and a breach of natural justice. But the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court on Monday, August 15, 2016, dismissed a suit filed by Paul Afoko in the case in which he is challenging his suspension as national chairman of the New Patriotic Party. According to the judgment of the presiding judge, Justice Anthony Yeboah, the suspension of Mr. Afoko was just, lawful and fair. He further added that the procedure used for the suspension was right and was not breached in any way by the NPP. Afoko had subsequently said that even though he respected the decision handed down by the court, he disagreed with it. On his official page he said, We are one million already on Facebook; our community, like a seed of hope, has been growing constantly over the years and has turned into a robust tree." Thanks to you all my dear friends. Weve just achieved a major milestone. We are one million already on Facebook The ultimate objective of politics is human interaction for progress and development and Facebook offers us the opportunity to exchange views, ideas and emotions in a direct manner, Mahama said. Because of this exchange, you know me better, and I feel, I know and understand you better too. Youve made me a better leader and in a sense a better person. I hope that in turn I have made you proud of our mother Ghana I am and forever will be one of you. Responding to a question on Facebook's plan for media, news and publishing platforms in Nigeria who are going through the transformation from news print to digital, Zuckerberg said, "After being here for a short period of time I do believe that theres no way Nigeria will not end up shaping what is being built around the world. Once people appreciate that, I think the whole world is going to be better of." More to the question, Zuckerberg said he believes that Facebook needs to connect everyone by making sure that there is good content representing all cultures and languages. He said for the Internet to be useful, there has to be good content that people understand and want to interact with - before expressing his delight at being able to check out Nollywood during this Lagos trip. Zuckerberg said he understands that Nollywood is a national treasure adding that the ability to produce video content that is moving and emotional transcends boundaries. He said this ability will help tell stories of the amazing innovation, engineering and culture present in Nigeria to the world. They said the first phase of the airport, which is part of a push to attract more tourists and boost Rwanda as a conference destination, would cost $418 million and is expected to start in June next year and be completed by December 2018. Rwanda's plans for the new Bugesera International Airport date back to 2011 when it first announced it was seeking bids from the private sector to design, build, finance, maintain and operate the airport through a 25-year concession. "The first phase is for 1.7 million passengers (per year) capacity and it gets all infrastructure associated for $418 million," Mota-Engil Africa Chief Executive Officer Manuel Antonio Mota told reporters late on Thursday after signing an agreement with government officials. When it first sought bids, the government said the first phase would involve building passenger and cargo terminals and a 4.2 km runway to handle large commercial airplanes, while the second phase would be for a second runway and more terminals. Mota-Engil said the second phase costing $400 million was expected to raise the airport's handling capacity to 4.5 million passengers per year. Neither Mota-Engil nor the government said when the second phase would start. The existing international airport in the capital Kigali has an annual capacity of 1.6 million, according to the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, though it has little scope for expansion. "Bugesera International Airport is coming in at the time when it is badly needed because we all know that the current airport capacity is not matching the growth of our traffic in terms of aircrafts, in terms of passengers," James Musoni, Rwanda's minister for infrastructure, said. We love and treasure every moment spent and the panel of judges: Lola Egboh, FCMB; Kemi Akinwotu, Flexx by FCMB; Seun Ayeni, Imperial Leather and Canoe; Nana Utomi, Imperial Leather and Canoe and Caterina and Francesca from Kinabuti nominate the hard working 6 finalists who will fly to Lagos via Dana Air and start the boot camp on Friday. The competition judges also nominate the Face of Luxury and Style for Imperial Leather and Canoe in UNICAL and the performing artists that will perform at the Grand Finale at the Federal Palace Hotel and Casino on the 11th September. To be continued... Don't miss day 10 and the beginning of the boot camp in Lagos with the most amazing mentors. Continue following the dare2dream journey on www.pulse.ng/d2d and tell as many people as you can to do the same. Photo credit: Marcello Pastonesi 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! 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 event is arguably the largest conference of venue and event centre owners in Africa, and it is themed Venue Management: Adopting The Contemporary Business Approach The maiden edition set to hold on Tuesday, 27 September aimed at putting the spotlight on major challenges experienced by stakeholders in the hospitality industry and enable them acquire up to date information and trending business approaches necessary to bridge the various identified knowledge gaps in event venue management. Participants at the event will also be able to harness latest media and technology solution and services, and will be provided an excellent platform to collaborate with other key players in the sector in order to create lasting business relationships. The overall aim of the summit is to help venue owners maximize opportunities for business and see potentials for growth and sustainability in the industry. The summit will focus on key areas which include but not limited to Effective Customer Service Delivery, Event Safety & Crowd Control, Insurance and Financial Services. The event will be open to all event centre owners and managers, professionals in the hospitality industry and will host celebrated entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry. Speakers at the summit include, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Hoteloga.com, Marek Zmyslowski; Author and Operations Director of MP Hotels, Mr Bruce Prins; CEO, Amber Weddings and Event Centre, Omolara Adelusi; and Yewande Zaccheus, founder, pioneer events company in Lagos; Eventful Limited. Event highlights include a panel session with invited speakers and an opportunity to network with professionals in the industry. The event is endorsed by the Lagos State Government through The Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism Register here: http://goo.gl/xJbztA Chief Edet, popularly called Jolly Boy, a former Secretary of the Mbiabong Village Council, Mbiabong Itam in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, was found by a friend dangling from a rope tied to the roof of his house, an action that has sent the community into shock and disbelief. It was gathered that the deceased waited until his wife and two sons went out before taking his life, leaving the suicide note behind. A family source who spoke on the calamity that has befallen them, said that Chief Edet blamed the Federal Government for inflicting unbearable pains and hardship on Nigerians in the note, and as such, had to take his life. A close friend of the late Chief, Ette Okon Effiong, narrated that Edet had been complaining bitterly about the situation in the country prior to his committing suicide. He was a very sociable man and always shared his thoughts on issues. I do not know why he should consider suicide as the last option to escape from these hard times. Edet took his life blaming his action on the prevailing hardship. He used to deal on Ogogoro (local gin), cigarettes and other stimulants, but he could not continue with the business because of the economic meltdown." A pastor in the community corroborated Effiong's position in the suicide of Chief Edet: He used to complain that his petty business was no longer fetching him and his family basic needs such as food, clothing, and fees for the childrens education. ALSO READ: 2 months old baby dumped in refuse site rescued by NSCDC in Rivers The shocking incident took place in Narok, Kenya on Thursday, September 1, after which the mother of the child reportedly fled the scene. The police are currently on the lookout for the mother of the child. Some slaughterhouse workers who spoke to the media at the scene revealed that a woman believed to be in her teens, was seen carrying something wrapped as she headed for a nearby toilet. The suspect is reported to have come out of the pit toilet empty handed. Upon further investigation, they heard the cries of a baby coming from the latrine. After several failed attempts to rescue the baby found wrapped in a plastic bag, they decided to inform the police, with whom they worked hand in hand to save the child. ALSO READ: Baby rescued from sewage in Minna The baby reportedly had a piece of clothing tied around its neck and a bleeding head, which corroborated the speculations that the mother had attempted to take its life. Now, from nowhere, the father who abandoned him comes calling and is begging for forgiveness. Should he forgive the man and free himself of hatred and anger? Read his story here: "My name is Kennedy, a 38-year-old man working and living in Lagos. I have a problem that I hope your readers can help with some useful pieces of advice before I do something stupid. I am very bitter at the moment as my so-called family is doing everything possible to arm-twist me into forgiving my father, a man who abandoned me when I was an infant and did not care a hoot about me or whether I lived or not. The man who calls himself my father left me and my mother when I was just a few months old and had never cared about us until now that God has blessed me. He wants to reap where he did not sow. I remember how my mother suffered to raise me up all alone with no father figure. I realized he did not marry my mother legally, only getting her pregnant and abandoning us when we needed him most. While growing up, I know what my mother went through to see that I survived. As I write this, tears still sting my eyes when I remembered how my mother starved herself, did odd jobs, even stole to feed me. She went through so much pain just to see me live. Back then, I suffered all forms of humiliations as people called me all sorts of names and disgraced me every time. Even my mother's relations called me a bastard and I was denied even the slightest assistant. I remember how my mother sold her clothes to pay my school fees. Or is it the way she was beaten up by her own brother just because I plucked oranges from my grandfather's compound? I lived a life of pains and denial, hatred and bitterness. It was so much that I developed a strong anger against the man who called himself my father. But God was with us all the way as he lifted me up through my stepfather after my mother got married when I was about 14. The man, God bless him, saw that I went to school and never discriminated against me and his own children. With God by my side, I graduated with a First Class degree and after my youth service, I had six job offers, two with federal government parastatals and the other with top companies in Nigeria. I had to choose one with an oil servicing company with very good pay and other mouth-watering perks. Fast forward to six months ago: that was when the man who claimed to be my father decided to creep back into my life and has succeeded in stirring up the hatred I have harbored in my heart for him. He first sent two of his brothers, my supposed uncles, to start a peace mission. They just appeared in my house and told me they were from my so-called father and said he was very sick and wanted me to help with money for his treatment. I practically threw them out of my house, telling them the only father I knew was my late step-dad. Since then, they have been on my neck and the man himself has been calling me, telling me to forgive him and accept him back. Even my mother has been begging me. The first time she did, I showed her another side of me she never knew existed. But she has not stopped and has even vowed never to come to my house again if I refused to forgive my father. My wife too has taken up their fight, making life difficult for me. She has insisted that the family must go and visit her father-in-law. My children have been on my neck that they want to meet their real grandpa. I am very confused at the moment as I find it difficult to forgive that man. Kennedy." Two readers, Naomi Dachung and Akindana Gloria Omotinuolawa, also preached forgiveness: Naomi Dachung: "Kennedy, I know it is not easy but I want you to take heart and forgive him. Blood is thicker than water; pray to God to take control and intervene in this situation. If you are a Christian, the bible told us to forgive one another as the Lord forgives us. You have shown your bitterness and I know that he has realize his big mistake. I feel the pain with you but we have to obey the word of God. The vengeance is for the Lord and he taught us not to retaliate bad for bad but bad for good. I pray the Lord will change your heart." Akindana Gloria Omotinuolawa: "Kennedy, I share your pain because I went through the same thing. Mine was from pregnancy though and I stand here today to tell you that the best revenge is forgiveness. It hurts that no one else understands the pain you go through but I tell you, find a place to forgive him. Forgiving him will and can never help him, it will only help you because it will free you from prison without bars. I forgave my father and even send him stuff but I tell you, he is not at peace with himself because each gift to him is a regret and you can't imagine how that feels for him. Dear brother, I would also like to tell you to find God's forgiveness; then and only then will you be able to forgive him. May the peace of God speak to your heart." The teaser for the day was: How Nigeria voted: Yes, I will forgive him if he genuinely begs for forgiveness - 43% No, nothing will ever make me forgive him - 16% Since he did not want me, I will also not want him - 6% I will forgive but I will not accept him - 36% Aero Contractors announced that its operations will be suspended from Thursday, September 1, 2016. This move has however angered the airlines staff, who decided to go protest their employers decision. According to Punch, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika met the protesting workers at Aero Contractors headquarters in Lagos state on Friday, September 2, 2016. Sirika said The primary purpose of government is to help to promote, nurse, sustain, develop, keep businesses so that they can continue to provide services and employ our people. So it is not the government of APC that will kill jobs and close down shops. Our intent is to promote jobs and promote businesses in Nigeria so that businesses will be growing. Pleading with the protesting workers to disperse, the minister said We will look into your demands, and come out with solutions that are mutually beneficial to the staff, management and the government. Some hours after the suspension of Aero Contractors operations, another airline, The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Muhtar Usman, has however dismissed insinuations that the airlines closed shop due to the current economic situation in the country. ALSO READ:NCAA says Domestic carriers are not closing down Twenty four hours later, FirstNation, another carrier, announced it was going to be leaving its planes in the hangar. Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Muhtar Usman, put the closures down to the dwindling number of planes in the fleet of the carriers. Another aircraft is due for mandatory maintenance as is allowable by NCAA, Usman said. In these circumstances, these airlines clearly cannot continue to undertake schedule operations, hence the inevitable recourse to self-regulatory suspension. According to TheCable, Usman explained that "it is against the Nigerian civil aviation regulations for airline operators to carry out schedule commercial operation with only one aircraft, the reason both Aero Contractors and First Nation had to suspend operations. "He said NCAA would never compromise safety and security of airlines operations in the airspace, adding that every facet of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS) and Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) must be adhered to with due diligence." Usman insisted that the domestic carriers had not wound down operations. He said they were merely suspending their operations temporarily to enable them undertake certain operational overhaul and strengthen their overall operational outlay." Pulse has however spoken to a number of aviation experts and industry players who painted a rather different and gloomy picture of the entire scenario. The economic recession Nigeria is facing is also taking its toll on the aviation sector. Operators have been barely able to stay afloat because of forex shortage, depreciating value of the Naira and scarcity of aviation fuel, said an Aero Contractors personnel who spoke to us anonymously. Another staff of Aero also contradicted the story put forward by the NCAA. It isnt true that we announced an indefinite suspension because we had to maintain aircraft. We have 3 aircraft at Aero and there are all in good working condition. "Management asked us to go home because it was no longer able to meet its obligations to employees. Members of staff were being owed backlog in salaries and management was engaged in an industrial dispute with the labour unions. We were asked to vacate our duty posts because the economic outlook wasnt looking positive. Aero is suffering like every other company in the country. Another top level management personnel at FirstNation airline appeared to strike a similar tone. Well, if the government agency responsible said its because we have only one aircraft at the moment and cant maintain the other, doesnt that tell you that theres no money for maintenance? "We are broke like everyone else, said the source who asked not to be named because he had not been authorized to comment on the story." The management of Aero airline said in the statement by Tumba, that it was winding down operations because of the economy. The impact of the external environment has been very harsh on our operational performance, hence management decision to suspend scheduled services operations indefinitely effective September 1, 2016, pending when the external opportunities and a robust sustainable and viable plan is in place for Aero Contractors to recommence its scheduled services, the statement had read. The implication of the suspension of scheduled services operations extends to all staffs directly and indirectly involved in providing services as they are effectively to proceed on indefinite leave of absence during the period of non-services. Some major international players in the Nigerian economy are also walking away, as the recession continues to choke the life off businesses. South Africas Sun International a hotel and gaming concern, announced last week that it was leaving Nigeria. The company cited weak economic growth and clashes with regulators as reasons for its decision. Sun International was joining food and clothing retailers Tiger Brand, Woolworths and Truworths, who left Nigeria on account of a dwindling bottom-line. Most of the businesses are heading to neigbouring Ghana to set up shops, as the Nigerian economic environment continues to prove unfavorable for big business and start-ups alike, Pulse has found out. Pulse put a call across to Usman, for a reaction to the claims of the airlines, but his mobile wasnt answered nor were the calls returned. Airlines in Nigeria, which is in its first recession for more than 20 years because of the effects of a slump in oil revenues, have experienced fuel shortages in the last few months because the supply of dollars needed to pay for refined oil products has dried up. The fuel shortages have caused an increase in cancellations and delays to flights across Africa's most populous nation. In a statement on its website, airline Aero Contractors carried a statement in which it said all of its scheduled flights were "temporarily suspended" from September 1. Four years ago, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), a state-backed "bad bank" established in 2009, took on more than 132 billion naira ($663 million) of debts from 12 Nigerian airlines which included Aero. Another airline, First Nation, also said that it had suspended its flights. "The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has dismissed sundry claims that some airlines are winding down their operations," said Muhtar Usman, its director general. "On the contrary, these airlines are merely suspending their operations temporarily to enable them to undertake certain operational overhaul and strengthen their overall operational outlay," he added. He said Aero Contractors only had "one serviceable aircraft", which contravened the aviation authority's rules which state that the minimal acceptable number is three planes and meant a suspension was needed until other aircraft arrived. Usman said First Nation was undergoing an engine replacement programme for one of its aircraft and another of its planes was due for mandatory maintenance. Akinwunmi said this at the 17th Bishop Mike Okonkwo annual lecture titled: The State of the Nigerian nation, Redefining our values held at the Muson Centre, Lagos. Gov. Ambode represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said Nigerians; irrespective of religious, tribal and political affiliations, should join hands to build a strong, united and virile country. He said, ``Great cities and civilizations were never built in a single day. ``All nations derive their identities from entrenched values which are transmitted from generation to generation by families which give the strength and historical direction towards greatness for individuals and countries, generally. Bishop Mike Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), said the masses were expecting a lot from those in authorities. And until we restored our value systems, government would not be able to do much. Okonkwo blamed all acts of terrorism, insurgency and other vices currently rocking the country on dysfunctional family value systems. He called on parents to rise up to their responsibilities by instilling moral values into their children which, he said, would bring the needed change for Nigerians. ``Our values have been eroded in the country, every system is virtually breaking down and it has to do with values as individuals and as Nigerians. `` I think we get it wrong when we started celebrating money much more than character, the moment money was being celebrated rather than character and performance, we lost it. ``Parents should know that they have a responsibility to what is happening in view of the economy situation. ``Some of the parents have left the training of their children to television and caregivers because they go to work, if we must have a change there must be a prize to it. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released a disturbing report saying over 4.8 million Nigerians lost their job under the President Buhari administration. The NBS disclosed that 2.6 million Nigerians became unemployed within the first and second quarter of 2016. In a reaction, Fani-Kayode tweeted: "According to the Nig. Bureau of Statistics 4.8 million Nigerians have lost their jobs since Buhari became President. Still love Mai Chanji? "Our country is now officially in recession. That is what Muhammadu Buhari and his cheerleaders have done to us. May God forgive them. "Nig. is now officially in a recession. Sadly most of Muhammadu Buhari's little cheerleaders on the social media don't even know what the word means. "Those that say that "recession is just a word" are daft and insensitive. Those that say it with a low class cockney accent are an affliction. See tweets below. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians to be patient with his administration following the current economic challenges in the country. President Buhari also assured Nigerians that the current hardship will soon give way to development. Abari made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja. According to him, any part of Nigeria that is degraded, and any inch of the countrys soil that is spoilt as a result of unwholesome activities of the militants is a lost to Nigerians. ``My message is for all of them that are exhibiting this kind of behaviour to have a rethink that all of us might not be happy with the way things are going. ``We may be angry; but the best way to go is not to go about destroying national assets. ``The culture of destroying national assets simply because we are angry or because things did not go our way, must be jettisoned; it must be stopped and allow for dialogue. ``Dialogue is the best way out; bringing out all the issues on the table and laying them out so that we find a meaningful way of addressing them, Abari said. On the de-radicalisation of Boko Haram members, the NOA boss said it was something that should be taken hook line and sinker from all perspective. ``What we will be aiming at is the rebuilding of not only the infrastructure, but the psychic, and the psychology of the human person. ``This can be done through the inculcation of changing the narrative that makes the miscreants to hold society to ransom as what we are seeing today, he said. On the exchange of visits by traditional rulers from one part of the country to another, he said it was an ongoing tradition that would enhance integration and national unity. The prayer which was held at the state Government House in Ilorin was also attended by different denominations of Islamic and Christian religions leaders. The governor's wife also called on them to embark on special prayer session on during the Ember months for divine protection against series of mishaps and evil tendencies in the country. Leading the Muslim women in the special prayer, Alhaja Zainab Muhammadu, called on the people in the state to pray to Allah for quick solution to the current economic hardships in Nigeria. She expressed optimism that the country would overcome the present economic challenges, if its citizens embark on persistence prayers and righteousness. She also advised Nigerians, particularly, kwarans, to desist from corruption. "Corruption is the bane of under development and unless we turn away from it, humanity will continue to suffer the consequences," she said. Muhammadu said that no man passes through life without trial, stressing that God has promised that "surely with every difficulty comes ease." Also in her sermon, Pastor Sarah Awojobi, of the Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), said that prayer remained the key to the success of any nation. She advised Nigerians to develop the habit of praying for their homes, society, state and the nation at large and to always assist the less privileged in the society. The Cleric enjoined Christians to emulate the deeds of Jesus Christ, reminding them that, that was blessing in giving charity. Akanbi, the ministers Special Adviser on Media, said in the statement issued on Thursday, that Adeosuns attention had been drawn to a fake Twitter handle in her name saying that recession is just a word. ``For the avoidance of doubt, the minister does not own a twitter account. ``The twitter handle currently trending and any other twitter handle presently in existence, is not, and cannot be that of the minister. A twitter account has not yet been set up for her. ``It is obviously fake and does not represent the views and opinions of the minister, Akanbisaid. He also said that Adeosun did not make such a statement. According to Akanbi, the minister addressed the media immediately after Wednesdays Federal Executive Council meeting and did not make such a statement. He said that the minister had consistently demonstrated empathy for the plight of Nigerians hard hit by dwindling oil prices and the impact on the economy. ``This administration is known for integrity and has never hidden the true situation of things from Nigerians, rather it has looked for ways to alleviate the hardships through social intervention programmes. ``We, therefore, enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard these spurious allegations against the minister of Finance. Mohammed also said the All Progressives Congress (APC) knew more than five years ago that Nigeria was heading for a recession. The minister added that the Buhari administration will never keep Nigerians in the dark. He said One thing we cannot take away from this government is that it is open, honest and will not keep Nigerians in the dark. About a month ago, the Minister of Finance actually told all of us that we are already technically in recession. Recession is not an event, it is a process. We knew more than five years ago that the country is heading towards recession because the structure of our economy is faulty. Faulty in the sense that for many years we have relied in one product, crude oil. Mohammed also blamed the current economic situation on the activities of militants in the Niger Delta region, and the drop in crude-oil prices. Adding that Nigerias economy is driven by consumption and not production, he said the government is working on making the cost of doing business in the country more competitive. According to him, Crude oil that used to sell for about 100 dollars per barrel, today we are hovering between 40 and 45 dollars per barrel. The 2016 budget projected 2.2 million barrels per day at 38 dollars. But because of the activities of the militants in the Niger Delta region, we are down to 1.2 to 1.4 million per barrels a day. We have lost about one third of production capacity. Combine all these together we are heading for recession especially when there is no reserve to cushion the effects. undefinedthe Peoples Democratic Party(PDPs) call for President Buhari to resign. NAN reports that the smugglers now wrapped bags of rice as a corpse and smuggled them in an ambulance. Confirming the recent trend, Selechang Taupyen, the Spokesperson, Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Command on Thursday said it had seized 11 bags of imported rice wrapped as a corpse. Taupyen said that the smugglers used an ambulance for their operation to deceive unsuspecting officials. He also confirmed that one Moses Degbogbahun had been arrested over the incident. ``The smuggler concealed the smuggled bags of rice in a Volvo ambulance with Reg. No. DV 74 EKY and he was arrested along Aradagun toll gate area of Badagry. ``The mobile patrol team led by Chief Superintendent of Customs M. Ozah, noted the frequent movement of the ambulance and this aroused curiosity of the team and the vehicle was stopped for proper examination. ``During the examination, 11 bags of imported rice were discovered and they were carefully arranged and wrapped as a corpse. ``The suspect is still undergoing investigation for possible prosecution, NAN quotes him as saying. Adding that Nigerians would have to go through a re-orientation, such that we dont learn to perfect the act of consuming what we dont produce, particularly those things that we can actually produce The Governor said this on a Channels Television programme- Sunrise Daily, while speaking on the steps to get out of recession. Oshiomhole, who has constantly blamed Goodluck Jonathans administration for Nigerias dwindling fortunes, said our current economic problem is self-inflicted. According to him the only way to tackle recession will be to put policies that will encourage production in place. Oshiomhole also added that change cannot come in a short while, citing a backlog of problems that existed before President Buharis administration as the reason. He said There has to be a time lapse between when you formulate policies on the basis of what you found on ground, and when the benefits of those policies begin to manifest, If it takes 60 years to get to this terrible state we are in, why would anybody think that under 15 months of a new government, we will fix it? The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Edo state, undefinedof using 65% of the states capital vote to develop his village. The Nigeria Police is one of the very best that we have anywhere in the world and I say so because I have worked with law enforcement agents for many years, Osinbajo said according to The Nation. I have served in the United Nations special operations in the justice sector like the UN Mission in Somalia for about a year and I saw Police Forces from everywhere across the world. The Nigeria Police was there too and everybody admitted that they were possibly the most effective on ground there in Somalia. They were effective because they were better trained, better educated than every other Police Force that was there, besides, they were well equipped by the UN," he added. ALSO READ: Osinbajo says 110 million Nigerians are poor The clips are released to get fans ready for the home video release of "Captain America: Civil Waron Friday, September 2, 2016. ALSO: WATCH CNN CELEBRATE 35TH ANNIVERSARY WITH BLOOPER REEL The sneak peek features team Captain America explain why they had the best team, and the fight scene between Captain America and Winter Soldier. "Civil War" is a story about a fight between two superheroes on different sides of the battle-lines, with the need to prove that the other is wrong. ALSO WATCH: undefined In the salon, a customer is 'tortured' or blessed (depending on whose side you are on) with hours of Zee World. For three consecutive weeks, the most read articles on Pulse.ng/movies have been articles related to Zee World. ALSO READ: undefined So I ask, what's the Zee World craze in Nigeria? Nollywood filmmaker, Uduak Isong, once described Telemundo as a challenge in Nollywood. "We have major challenges, theres piracy, theres poor distribution, and theres Telemundo," she said. I would replace Telemundo with Zee World, or probably just add Zee World to the list of challenges in Nollywood as it effortlessly affects consumption of local content in Nigeria. Prior to creation of Zee World in 2015, a week wouldn't go by without a broadcast of a Bollywood TV series on a Nigerian TV station. In February 2015, the station was launched on DSTV, creating a specific channel for Bollywood TV series and movies. There's Telemundo, there is Africa Magic, and then there is Zee World. But, what is the appeal? Why do Nigerians prefer a Zee World content to local content? I carried out a survey to understand the popularity of 'Zee World' in Nigeria, and the data collected are summarized below. 60% do not watch Zee World. 90% know someone who watches Zee World. 40% of Zee World viewers are addicted to the channel and can watch it all day, especially on weekends. ALSO READ: undefined 40% of the 60% who do not watch the channel, also do not watch Nollywood content. 70% think Telemundo is more popular than Zee World and Africa Magic in Nigeria. One of the participants said she follows the channel because "there is less repetition of shows and also there's no fetish act." A die-hard fan of the channel said: "they have handsome actors, interesting storylines that would keep you glued to your screen." "The Zee World shows are full of songs, love drama, and suspense that aren't always resolved in the way a Nollywood show would go about it," a 26-year-old fan said. A group of people who do not watch the show blame their disinterest on 'poor quality stories,' 'unrelatable characters,' 'too emotional and annoying.' Zee World keeps and grows its fan base with series like "The Vow," "Sacred Hearts," "Krishi," "Silver Linning" among others. Imagine having five shows you are addicted to, airing back to back every day of a week. There is no way they are sacrificing that for any Nollywood show. Does Zee-World stifle local content? A die-hard fan said "It encourages variety. It's just something different, and there is nothing wrong with that." Another said "Of course, it does. Imagine if we had all Zee World fans addicted and appreciating local content with the same commitment." Before Zee World and Telemundo, Nigeria had soaps like "Checkmate," Cockcrow at Dawn, Mirror in the Sun and Behind the Clouds, which enjoyed huge followings across the country. Many Nigerians looked forward to watching those shows. Years later, a decline in quality content truncated that era, birthing Nigerians with no interest in local content. Then came Zee World and Telemundo, a channel dedicated to providing them with the drama they considered worth enjoying. ALSO READ:undefined In 2007, I remember being a die-hard fan of "El Cuerpo Deseo"(Second Chance) "Catalina and Sebastian," "When You are Mine" which aired on AIT. Following the launch of Telemundo, I followed shows like "My Heart Beats for Lola," and "Forbidden Passion" religiously. I also was once a fan of the Nigerian series "Tinsel" and Kenyan series "Kona." I was attached to various characters for different reasons. They brought out certain emotions - hate, love, anger among others. Series like "Hush," "The Governor" are currently working towards winning back fans from the days of "Cock Crow at Dawn," "Jacob's Cross," and early days of "Tinsel." It's 2016, and Nollywood is creating local contents worth following religiously, but then Zee World and Telemundo won't just let them have their complete shine. ALSO READ:undefined Before the launch of Zee World and Telemundo on DSTV, various Bollywood and Mexican telenovelas had average following, which kicked off an invasion into the Nigerian TV market, and is currently massive and stupendous. Despite my survey, I am still a confused movie lover who is yet to understand the 'Zee World' craze in Nigeria. What better way to ease off the stress of the week than watch a good movie. With that in mind, check out our list of movies currently showing in cinemas across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Starring: Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick Synopsis: Two hard-partying brothers place an online ad to find the perfect dates for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves out-hustled by an uncontrollable duo. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 4:15pm, 8:30pm Friday - Thursday: 5:30PM Friday - Thursday: 8:40PM Starring: Angelique Kidjo, Jimmy Jean Louis, Wale Ojo, Fatym Layache, Nico Ranagio, Kemi Lala Akindoju, veteran actress Hilda Dokunbo . Synopsis: Set mainly on a beautiful beach resort on the outskirts of Lagos in Nigeria .The CEO is a mystery-thriller surrounding five top executives from across Africa who are dispatched on a 1-week leadership retreat by a multinational telecommunication firm, to determine which one to appoint as the firms new CEO. Things go awry when one by-one the executives are eliminated in sudden death circumstances, and the finger falls on the last two remaining executive as prime suspects. As the threat of a possible death sentence for multiple homicide looms over them. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 12:40PM, 7:00PM Friday - Thursday: 12:55pm Friday - Thursday: 1:00PM, 3:00PM, 7:00PM Starring: OC Ukeje, Adesua Etomi, Ireti Doyle Synopsis: "The Arbitration" tells the story of Gbenga (O.C Ukeje) and his employee Dara (Adesua Etomi) who had an affair. After the affair ended and Dara left the company, she sued Gbenga and accused him of rape. An arbitration panel was constituted to find out the truth. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 2:10PM, 6:30PM 4. Starring: Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Bingbing Fan Synopsis: A detective from Hong Kong teams up with an American gambler to battle against a notorious Chinese criminal. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 10:20am, 1:00pm, 2:05pm, 6:15pm Daily:2:10 PM, 7:05 PM, 9:25 PM Friday - Thursday: 5:05PM, 9:00PM Friday - Thursday: 1:05PM, 5:05PM, 7:10PM, 9:15PM Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton Synopsis: 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. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 10:45am Friday - Thursday: 12:20PM, 2:40PM, 5:00PM Friday - Thursday: 11:00AM Daily: 12:00 PM, 4:30 PM 6. Starring: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones Synopsis: Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 1:35pm, 2:55pm, 4:50pm, 6:45pm, 8:40pm Friday - Thursday: 5:50PM, 7:40PM, 9:30PM Friday - Thursday: 11:30AM, 1:30PM, 3:30PM, 5:30PM, 7:30PM, 9:30PM Fri & Sat: 12:30 PM, 2:40 PM, 4:50 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:10 PM, 11:20 PM Sun - Thu: 12:30 PM, 2:40 PM, 4:50 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:10 PM (--VIP SHOWS--) Daily: 8:00 PM Fri & Sat: 10:00 PM 7. Starring: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones Synopsis: Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 3:30pm, 5:20pm, 7:10pm Friday - Thursday: 12:25PM, 7:25PM Friday - Thursday: 3:10PM, 5:00PM, 9:05PM Fri & Sat: 2:30 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 11:00 PM Sun - Thu: 2:30 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM (--VIP SHOWS--) Daily: 1:40 PM Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Robert Cardone, Neil deGrasse Tyson Synopsis: Manny, Diego, and Sid join up with Buck to fend off a meteor strike that would destroy the world. Showing: Fri-Thur: 10:15am Friday - Thursday: 1:15PM Friday - Thursday: 10:40 AM, 12:40 PM Starring: Nse Ikpe-Etim, Anthony Monjaro, Seun Akindele Synopsis: Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 4:55pm, 8:55pm Friday - Thursday: 10:50AM, 3:50PM, 7:20PM Friday - Thursday: 12:30PM, 4:10PM, 7:40PM Starring: Miles Teller, Bradley Cooper, Ana de Armas Synopsis: Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 9:00PM Friday - Thursday: 1:50PM Fri - Tue: 2:40 PM, 9:25 PM Wed & Thu: 9:25 PM Friday - Thursday: 2:30pm, 8:45pm Starring: Blake Lively, Oscar Jaenada, Brett Cullen Synopsis: A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills. Showing: Fri-Thur: 11:20am, 3:10pm, 4:50pm, 6:35pm, 8:20pm Fri & Sat: 4:45 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:55 PM, 10:55 PM Sun - Thu: 4:45 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:55 PM (--VIP SHOWS--) Daily: 6:00 PM Friday - Thursday: 3:20PM, 7:15PM Friday - Thursday: 1:10PM, 3:10PM, 5:10PM, 7:15PM, 9:10PM Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon Synopsis: 30 years after Ghostbusters took the world by storm, the beloved franchise makes its long-awaited return. Director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actors working today. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 11:30am Starring:Alexander Skarsgard, Rory J. Saper, Christian Stevens Synopsis: 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. Showing: Fri-Thur: 10:15am Friday - Thursday: 6:40PM, 8:50PM Starring:Alexander Skarsgard, Rory J. Saper, Christian Stevens Synopsis: 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. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 3:00PM 16. Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell Synopsis: A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat. Showing: Wed & Thu:12:10 PM, 2:40 PM Starring:Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, Jared Leto Synopsis: A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency. Showing: Fri - Thu: 4:30 PM Fri-Thur: 2:30pm Friday - Thursday: 1:00PM, 3:30PM, 6:00PM, 8:30PM Friday - Thursday: 9:05PM Starring:Melissa Joan Hart, Jesse Metcalfe, David A.R. White Synopsis: When a high school teacher is asked a question in class about Jesus, her response lands her in deep trouble. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 5:05PM Starring:Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell Synopsis: When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence Showing: Daily: 12:25 PM, 2:35 PM, 6:45 PM (--VIP SHOWS--) Daily: 3:50 PM Fri-Thur: 12:30pm, 4:40pm, 6:40pm Friday - Thursday: 2:45PM, 9:10PM Friday - Thursday: 2:10PM, 5:45PM, 9:20PM Starring:Angela Dixon, Nigel Whitmey, Lisa Eichhorn Synopsis: A single mother on vacation, takes the law into her own hands to take back her abducted child. Showing: Friday - Sunday: 12:55PM, 1:25PM Monday - Thursday: 1:25PM Starring: Kenneth Okonkwo, Bovi Ugboma, Lilian Esoro, Ebela Okaro, Alex Ekubo, Brycee Bassey, Anthony Monjaro. Synopsis: A young woman's innocent online romance soon turn sour when her boyfriend decides to use the unsuspecting wealthy man as a cash cow. If he was duped of money, that's 419 but when you dupe him of Love, it is 41Love. Showing: Friday - Thursday: 11:10AM Friday - Thursday: 12:00PM, 4:20PM Fri-Thur: 12:00pm The ruling partys comments were contained in a statement released by National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni. The statement reads in part: For the umpteenth time, the PDP lacks the moral basis and credibility to comment or condemn the government on the economy after the mess it left behind. Instead, the PDP must apologise to Nigerians. The warning signs were glaring to the immediate-past administration but it chose the path of economic sabotage by looking the other way and squandering the countrys commonwealth, a reckless decision that has brought the country to its knees. Nigerians will recall that even the immediate-past finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, confessed that the zero political will to save under the immediate-past administration is responsible for the challenges facing the country. Happily, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has embarked on well- thought economic agenda, policy actions, appropriate fiscal, governance, and socio-political reforms to revamp the economy and tackle the nations current challenges in the short to long term. Under the new flexible foreign exchange policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in June 2016, we now have a single market-determined exchange rate which enables suppliers of foreign currencies to bring in their money and take the same out at market-determined rates. The new foreign exchange policy being implemented will ensure our economy recovers in the medium to long term. As contained in the assented 2016 National Budget, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is aggressively formulating and implementing policies aimed at diversifying Nigerias economy from oil to other sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing. The administration is also proactively tackling increased attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta region which has led to disruptions in crude production. The Presidents shuttle diplomacy has yielded positive effects on the countrys economic policies. As a result, several agreements concluded during the visits are positively impacting on key sectors of the Nigerian economy including power, solid minerals, agriculture, housing and rail transportation. The fight against corruption remains a top priority for the President Buhari APC-led administration. In spite of desperate attempts by some partisans to discredit anti-corruption efforts in some quarters, the war against corruption is being won and has been well-received and supported. The generality of Nigerians agree that the days of impunity are over. Through the full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the President Muhammadu Buhari APC-led administration, revenue leakages have been greatly plugged. The minister stated this on Friday in Abuja at a forum with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). "I read in the dailies that the PDP said that the President must resign because of the economy. "While we are not going to indulge in blame game, I think we should also be honest enough to admit that we will not have been where we are today if they had done what they ought to do. "For the party to ask the President to resign is just a big joke.'' The minister said that though the government was not interested in blame game, it was important to set the records straight. He noted that "agree that Nigeria is not the only country hit by the recession and crash in price of crude, but other countries made savings. "Saudi Arabia today has about 600 billion dollars in reserve and this is by planning and saving for the future which the past administration failed to do during surplus. "This is not about blaming other administration, but we believe that one should be honest when criticising.'' Mohammed then assured that the Federal Government would do everything possible to bring the country out of the economic situation. The PDP new Media Director, Deji Adeyanju, had in a statement in Abuja, asked the President to resign "for destroying the economy. The PDP also said that Buhari doesnt have what it takes to rescue the country from recession. The opposition partys comments were made via a statement released by new media spokesman, Deji Adeyanju. The statement reads: Yesterday, the minister of finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun stated that the Muhammadu Buhari administration will focus on two policies to remove Nigeria from recession fiscal discipline and diversification. Firstly, we believe a recession is not reversed by diversification. A recession is reversed by implementing a stimulus package designed to cut taxes, reduce the cost of doing business and boost spending on infrastructure & other critical sectors of the economy. Available data shows that the Buhari administration has spent a meagre 19 percent of the allocation for CAPEX in budget 2016. This sort of spending will not make any sort of impact on the economy. Assuming, but not conceding that Mrs Adeosun is right, the challenge is the past 15 months show that despite the glib talk the Buhari administration is doing neither. For instance, despite claims of weeding out ghost workers from the payroll and reducing the civil service wage bill, Nigerias wage bill increased from N1.65tr in 2014 to N1.83tr and N1.71tr in 2015 and 2016 respectively. These figures represent a combined total increase of N240bn from the wage bill in 2014. Two days ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released its economic report for Q2 2016 which showed that the FG incurred a N1.09tr deficit for the quarter. This deficit was 96 percent higher than the N555.49b allowed. Total expenditure for this period stood at N1.76 trillion, surpassing the provisional quarterly budget estimate by 12.8 percent, representing a 58.1 percent increase of the Q1 expenditure. On diversification, GDP figures released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday show that the Buhari administration is doing significant harm to non-oil sectors of the economy. Non-oil GDP contracted by -0.38 percent in Q2 2016 from -0.18 percent in Q1 2016 and 3.46 percent in Q2 2015. Furthermore, CBN figures show that non-oil export fell by 43.2 percent to $576.97m in Q2 2016. As the data shows, even sectors that experienced growth in Q2 have slowed considerably compared to Q1 2016 & Q2 2015. As these figures show, the Buhari administration is just paying lip service to the issue of diversification and it is in fact worsening the non-oil sectors of the economy. ALSO READ: Buhari begs Nigerians to be patient This is in reaction to the statement made by the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, saying the government will implement strict fiscal discipline and diversification so as to fight the recession. Speaking on behalf of the party, the Director on New Media, Deji Adeyanju, in a statement obtained from Daily Post, said Yesterday, the minister of finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun stated that the Muhammadu Buhari administration will focus on two policies to remove Nigeria from recession, which are fiscal discipline and diversification. Firstly, we believe a recession is not reversed by diversification. A recession is reversed by implementing a stimulus package designed to cut taxes, reduce the cost of doing business and boost spending on infrastructure & other critical sectors of the economy. Available data shows that the Buhari administration has spent a meagre 19 percent of the allocation for CAPEX in budget 2016. This sort of spending will not make any sort of impact on the economy. Assuming, but not conceding that Mrs Adeosun is right, the challenge is the past 15 months show that despite the glib talk the Buhari administration is doing neither. For instance, despite claims of weeding out ghost workers from the payroll and reducing the civil service wage bill, Nigerias wage bill increased from N1.65tr in 2014 to N1.83tr and N1.71tr in 2015 and 2016 respectively. These figures represent a combined total increase of N240bn from the wage bill in 2014. Two days ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released its economic report for Q2 2016 which showed that the FG incurred a N1.09tr deficit for the quarter. This deficit was 96 percent higher than the N555.49b allowed. Total expenditure for this period stood at N1.76 trillion, surpassing the provisional quarterly budget estimate by 12.8 percent, representing a 58.1 percent increase of the Q1 expenditure. On diversification, GDP figures released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday show that the Buhari administration is doing significant harm to non-oil sectors of the economy, he said. Non oil GDP contracted by -0.38 percentin Q2 2016 from -0.18 percent in Q1 2016 and 3.46 percent in Q2 2015. Furthermore, CBN figures show that non-oil export fell by 43.2 percent to $576.97m in Q2 2016. As the data shows, even sectors that experienced growth in Q2 have slowed considerably compared to Q1 2016 & Q2 2015. As these figures show, the Buhari administration is just paying lip service to the issue of diversification and it is in fact worsening the non-oil sectors of the economy. These figures also show that Mrs Adeosuns comments about fiscal discipline are diversification are empty rhetoric. We reiterate our position that this government is out of depth and is incapable of reversing the economic recession into which they have plunged our nation. President Buhari recently asked Nigerians to be patient with his administration following the current economic challenges in the country. The power play may also explain why the Nigerian economy has continued to falter under Buharis watch. Buharis uncle and close confidante, Mamman Daura, still wields huge influence over the president. ALSO READ: Buhari says he owes his victory to Tinubu Sources at the villa have also told Pulse that the Daura mafia has all but alienated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the bigger scheme of things at the presidency. The Daura mafia practically runs the presidency. The mafia has also successfully alienated former Lagos governor and leader in the decision making process at the presidency. And since Osinbajo is Tinubus man, hes also been handed the cold shoulder by the mafia, offered one villa source who craved anonymity for this story. Osinbajo should be handling the economy. But he only leads the administrations economic team on paper. The major economic decisions of the Buhari administration are taken by the mafia and that explains why the economy is in such shambles, offered another Villa source. A few top level officials in Nigerias governing party, the APC, also complained about the work rate of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal. Lawal wouldnt take files home and doesnt attend to official matters after 5pm. For someone who practically handles a bulk of the administrative work within the presidency, Lawals laissez faire attitude to work is worrying. But as long as he belongs to the Daura mafia in the presidency, hell remain untouchable, said one official with a tinge of resignation. Party officials have also expressed disappointment that the Buhari presidency appears to have ditched the APC blueprint for running the state in favor of the Daura template. Theres also a sense within the Buhari presidency that the Commander-In-Chief should cease making comments on the economy. Osinbajo should be entrusted with being the face of the administrations economy, villa sources suggest. But so far, hes only been handed a bit-part role in the management of the economy. Investors really believe Buhari maintains a stranglehold on the economy. The president hasnt won the hearts of many investors because of his comments on the economy in the past. It will help the Nigerian economy if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, is also fired from his role and a new CBN boss hired to replace him. The market is reacting negatively to Emefiele and his uncertain disposition. Foreign investors really think hes too pliable and takes decisions at the whim and caprice of the president, one economic analyst suggested. ALSO READ: No bad blood between Buhari and Tinubu Feelers from the presidency are that Emefiele is too much of a yes man--one wholl do everything, including appease the president against the markets, in order to retain his job. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that since the House reconvened after its break, the Speaker and her deputy, Mr Harsford Oseke, have been conspicuously absent, with the Majority Leader, Mr Victor Okoye, to presiding as Speaker Pro Tempore. Enwezor described the insinuation as false, baseless, unfounded and mischievous. He said that the House Rule 16 and section 19(2) of the constitution was clear on such matter. ``The House was empowered to elect a member to act as Speaker or deputy in a situation like this, to ensure that the House continued with its legislative functions. "There should not be a vacuum because of the absence of any principal officer of the House. That is exactly what we have done and l make bold to tell you that there is no gang up against the Speaker to impeach her. ``If she is to be impeached, she wont be absent to facilitate her impeachment, he said. Also reacting on the issue, the majority leader, Mr Victor Okoye, said that the Speaker had been absent from plenary on health grounds. The Arafah is part of the activity of the annual Hajj pilgrimage which involves standing at the Mount Arafah to pray and seek the mercy of Allah, this signifies the end of the hajj exercise. ALSO READ: 10 misconceptions Nigerians have about Muslims It also ushers in the annual Muslim feast of the Eid al-Adha 2016, which falls on Monday, September 12th. Eid al-Adha, which translates as the "festival of the sacrifice" in Arabic, marks the day that prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was instructed, by Allah, to sacrifice an animal, rather than his son. For Muslims, this is Islam's holiest festival, therefore, it is celebrated everywhere, making it an official holiday, all over the world. According to a statement released by MTN, the company says its ambassadorship package "supports Nigerian artistes by providing alternative platforms through which they can receive lucrative value for their intellectual property." The company also announced its latest list of brand ambassadors and they include: Praiz, Iyanya, Chidinma, Falz, Tekno, Skales, Saka, Nedu, AdamuZango, and Osuofia. ALSO READ: Telecom company to sell $729 million stake to black investorsAccording to MTN executive Amina Oyagbola, MTN remains proud to be associated with the growth and development of the careers of all our ambassadors, past and present." We specially thank all our former ambassadors for their immense contributions to building our brand and also making us the network of choice in Nigeria. We will definitely continue to maintain the strong and mutually beneficial relationship with them through the monetisation of their content on all our digital platforms MTN Music+, CRBT and VAS, she added. Sadly, this 28-year-old Italian will learn this the hardest way imaginable. The deceased live-streamed what turned out to be his death on Facebook, after telling his fans, "Today you fly with me" moments before leaping to his death in the Swiss Alps in Kandersteg, Switzerland. The video clip shows Schmieder talking to his fans before his phone is kept in his pocket to record to jump. For about six minutes, fans can hear the wind in the clip before a scream is heard followed by a sickening thud, after which everything goes quiet. Officers confirmed Schmieder's death but are yet to confirm what may have caused it. BASE jumping is coined from the four places one can launch from with a parachute or a wingsuit, an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth (cliffs). ALSO READ: Watch CCTV clip showing a ghost getting into taxi It also released a summary of its overall investigation. FBI representatives declined to confirm the report to Reuters. In addition to the notes, CNN said the FBI will give the news outlets the roughly 30-page report it sent to the U.S. Department of Justice last month when it recommended against pursuing criminal charges against Clinton, who is vying for the White House in the Nov. 8 U.S. election. The Clinton campaign, which had expressed concern about selective leaks from the notes, welcomed the release. Several media outlets, including Reuters, have made FOIA requests for a summary of the interview. Such requests are often returned with sensitive information redacted. Conditions deteriorated as Hermine, a Category 1 hurricane packing winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), made landfall with several areas in Florida already reporting 5 inches (12 cm) of rain as more than 70,000 households in Tallahassee and thousands more along the coast were without power. "It is a mess...we have high water in numerous places," Virgil Sandlin, the police chief in Cedar Key, Florida, told the Weather Channel. "I was here in 1985 for Hurricane Elena and I don't recall anything this bad." Hurricane Hermine came with a dangerous storm surge that was expected to cause 9 feet (3 m) of flooding in some areas, as rising waters move inland from the coast, the National Hurricane Center warned in an advisory. Hermine, located about 5 miles (10 Km) ease-southeast of St. Marks, Florida shortly after midnight on Friday, also poses a Labor Day weekend threat to states along the northern Atlantic Coast that are home to tens of millions of people. "Hurricane Hermine is strengthening fast and it will impact the majority of our state," Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a late-evening bulletin. The National Weather Service issued several tornado warnings for communities throughout northern Florida on Friday as the National Hurricane Center extended a tropical storm watch to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Hermine became the fourth hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic storm season. By 11 p.m. EDT, maximum winds were listed at 80 mph (130 kph), with hurricane-force winds extending up to 45 miles (75 km) from the storm's center. Hermine could dump as much as 20 inches (51 cm) of rain in some parts of the state. Ocean storm surge could swell as high as 12 feet (3.6 meters). After battering coastal Florida, Hermine is expected to weaken and move across the northern part of the state into Georgia, then southern U.S. coastal regions on the Atlantic. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina on Thursday declared emergencies in affected regions. In South Carolina, the low-lying coastal city of Charleston was handing out sandbags. Scott declared a state of emergency in 51 of Florida's 67 counties, and at least 20 counties closed schools. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in parts of five counties in northwestern Florida, with voluntary evacuations in at least three more counties. Twenty emergency shelters were opened across the state for those displaced by the storm. "This is life-threatening," Scott told reporters on Thursday. In coastal Franklin County, people were being evacuated from barrier islands and low-lying shore areas. "Those on higher ground are stocking up and hunkering down," Pamela Brownlee, the county's emergency management director, said. Towns, cities and counties were hastily preparing shelters for people and pets and placing utility repair crews on standby. The storm was expected to affect many areas inland of the Gulf Coast. In Leon County, home to the state capital of Tallahassee, more than 30,000 sandbags were distributed. At Maximo Marina in St. Petersburg, Florida, dock master Joe Burgess watched anxiously as waters rose 6 inches (15 cm) over the dock at high tide on Thursday, before slowly receding. "If we get hit with a real storm head on, all the provisions you can make aren't going to matter out here," he said, preparing to use a chainsaw to cut beams on covered slips if rising water took boats dangerously close to the roof. "It'd be pretty catastrophic." Opposition challenger Jean Ping accused the elections commission of inflating Bongo's score to hand him a slim victory and extend his family's nearly half-century rule in the oil-producing Central African country for another seven years. Ping called on Bongo to step down. Violent protests raged in at least nine neighbourhoods of the capital Libreville, two witnesses and a police source said on Thursday, a day after demonstrators set fire to the parliament building following the results announcement. "We want everyone to see, to tour the city, to witness the level of devastation, destruction, violence organised by certain politicians who do not want to recognise their defeat," Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya said. He told a news conference that several television stations, supermarkets, shops, and private homes had been looted in Libreville and the city hall was targeted by arsonists. Violence erupted in several other cities and provinces as well, he said. Moubelet Boubeya said protesters had used grenades and police had seized AK-47 assault rifles, an accusation an opposition spokesman rejected. Gabon's sovereign dollar bonds fell across the curve with the 2024 and 2025 issue hitting a seven-week low on the back of the violence. Ping told Reuters in an interview that two people were killed and others wounded when the presidential guard assaulted his party headquarters overnight. He called for international assistance to protect the population against what he described as "a rogue state". "The only solution is that Bongo recognises defeat, because he was beaten," Ping later told France's BFM TV. He said that contesting the results through Gabon's constitutional court, the official channel for complaints, was pointless. "The constitutional court, like Gabon's electoral commission, is a tool of the governing authority. They do what they are told to do," he said. Bongo's office accused the Ping camp of planning "coordinated attacks on symbols of the state", adding that security forces had in response encircled Ping's headquarters and clashed with his supporters, resulting in one death. WHO WON? WHO LOST? "The elections gave their verdict. I know who won and who lost," Bongo, first elected in 2009 upon the death of his father Omar Bongo, Gabon's president for 42 years, told reporters on Thursday. "Who lost? A small group whose only aim is to take power for themselves." The United Nations called for restraint. Former colonial ruler France, the United States and the European Union urged the authorities to release polling station results for greater transparency. Bongo's spokesman rejected the request. "Transparency exists," Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze told BFM TV. "Those who want a bureau by bureau count will only be able to do this by going through the constitutional court." On Thursday, a witness reported hearing gunfire and blasts in the Nkembo neighbourhood, near Libreville's city centre, while another saw protesters pillage shops, turn over rubbish bins to block streets and smash cars in the Avea neighbourhood. A heavy police and army presence was visible on the streets throughout the city. "This is just a consequence of the current situation. This is because of the victory of Bongo against Jean Ping," said witness Alex Mbadinga, 32. Libreville residents said the internet was cut on Thursday. Social media networks including Twitter and Facebook stopped functioning overnight. Earlier in the week, customs officials seized satellite telephones they said had been imported illegally. PATRONAGE SYSTEM French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said there was no room for violence within the political process. "I'm calling, therefore, all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid additional victims." The office of French President Francois Hollande also called for calm, which "means a process to ensure transparency in the election results". Bongo won 49.80 percent of votes in Saturday's election against 48.23 percent for Ping, according to results read by Moubelet Boubeya on Wednesday. The announcement had been delayed by one day. Bongo benefited from a patronage system lubricated by oil money ahead of the vote. But economic headwinds caused by falling oil prices and crude production have led to budget cuts in one of Africa's statistically wealthiest nations, providing fuel for opposition charges that many ordinary Gabonese citizens have not enjoyed the fruits of oil wealth and suffered under his rule. The government says it plans to diversify the economy through investments in manganese mining and cash crops like palm oil and rubber. Ping, a political insider who has served as foreign minister and African Union Commission chairman, was a close ally of the late president and fathered two children with his daughter. The United Democratic Party said it had chosen Adama Barrow, a 51-year-old businessman, to lead its campaign to end Jammeh's 22-year rule of the small West African state. Nearly 50 protesters were jailed in April and May during rallies calling for electoral reform, including former UDP leader Ousainou Darboe and other senior figures. Darboe and 18 others were sentenced in July to three years in prison. Two of the party's members have died in custody, prompting calls for an investigation from the United Nations and the United States. The government has denied allegations that one of the victims died from torture. The protesters were demonstrating against Turkey building a wall on the Syrian border near the Kurdish Syrian town of Kobani, the security sources said. An official from the Kobani town council, Anwar Musallim, told Reuters that Turkish forces used live ammunition as well as tear gas. Musallim cited a local health official saying that one 17-year-old had been killed and 83 people wounded. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that one child had been killed and more than 30 people injured. When asked about the reports, Turkish military sources said: "A group approached the border and attacked construction machinery, workers and soldiers on the border with stones. Tear gas and water cannon were used against them. There has been no incident of opening fire." Footage from Kurdish news agency ANHA showed young men, some of them in bandanas, throwing stones from the Syrian side of the border as Turkish security forces sprayed them with water cannon in an attempt to push them back. Kobani is about 35 km (22 miles) east of the Syrian border town of Jarablus, which Turkey-backed rebels seized last week from Islamic State in an incursion which has also seen clashes with Syrian Kurdish militia fighters. President Robert Mugabe's opponents have become emboldened by rising public anger over an economic meltdown, cash shortages and high unemployment. Violence erupted last Friday when police fired teargas at opposition leaders and hundreds of demonstrators. The government notice said the police decided to impose a 14-day ban on all forms of protests in the capital after an assessment by the police commander for Harare, district Chief Superintendent Newbert Saunyama. People who organise or participate in demonstrations during the period could be fined and jailed for up to a year. Saunyama declined to comment further, while national police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said she had no details. Douglas Mwonzora, legal secretary for the National Electoral Reforms Agenda which was planning a march on Friday to present demands to the electoral commission, said the protest had been postponed to September 17. "The notice is definitely unconstitutional but there is not enough time to challenge it and get a judgment before the demonstration tomorrow, so we decided to postpone it," Mwonzora said. Reinforcing the impression that a change of leadership is imminent, the president of the country's neighbour Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, planned to travel to Uzbekistan on Saturday, a Kazakh government source told Reuters. The two countries have long vied for regional leadership of the former Soviet states in Central Asia, and both men have held power since independence. The Uzbek government - which has denied widespread speculation that Karimov, 78, may already have died - said in a statement on Friday that his health had sharply worsened. The veteran leader has been in hospital since suffering a stroke last Saturday. Nazarbayev's office could not be reached for comment on Friday and a government spokesman declined to comment on his travel plans. Karimov has ruled Uzbekistan, a major cotton exporter also rich in gold and natural gas, in an authoritarian style since 1989, first as a Communist leader, and then as president from 1991. He has no obvious successor and analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided by a small group of senior officials and family members. If, however, they fail to reach compromise, open confrontation could destabilise the nation of 32 million that has become a target for Islamist militants. A roundup of Capitol and state government news items for Thursday: CONSUMER FRAUD LAWSUIT: Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against three Orange County, Calif., businesses and their owners, alleging that they placed calls and sent invoices designed to trick Iowa libraries and businesses into paying exorbitant prices for photocopier toner they never ordered. The lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges that Central Supply Solutions, of Orange, Calif., and owner Brittany Hertsch; Elite Supplies of Irvine, Calif., and owner Krystle Lester; and Central Supply Center of Orange, Calif., and owner Sandra Steinmetz; operate what are commonly called toner pirate schemes. He said so-called toner pirates deceptively solicit commercial entities, including by misrepresenting that they are an entitys regular toner supplier. According to the lawsuit, libraries, care facilities, professional offices, and other small businesses across Iowa have complained to the Consumer Protection Division after being targeted by the three operations. In addition to a request for a permanent injunction, Miller said the consumer fraud lawsuit seeks refunds to Iowa victims, and civil penalties high enough to deter toner pirates from returning to the Iowa marketplace. WET JULY AND AUGUST: July and August were the two wettest months of 2016, contributing to improved hydrologic condition in Iowa, according to state officials Wednesday. The National Drought Monitor a report is prepared by the technical staff at the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Weather Service and states departments of natural resources, homeland security and emergency management, and agriculture and land stewardship has removed areas of moderate drought from Iowa, and less than 6 percent of the state is shown as abnormally dry continuing the improvement that been occurring over the last several weeks. The northeast and northwest corners of the state experienced very different conditions over the past two weeks. Decorah received nearly a foot of rain, while counties in the northwest corner of the state received less than half the normal rainfall for this period. Most of Iowa recorded above normal precipitation over the two weeks ending Tuesday. Rain totals reached 8.46 inches five miles southeast of Decorah during an Aug. 23 event. Rain totals for the two-week period varied from 0.28 inches at Akron to 11.51 inches southeast of Decorah. The statewide average precipitation was 2.65 inches, while normal for the period is 1.85 inches. Streamflow conditions remain above normal for most of the state. Streams in the northeast, east and southeast portions of the state have moved into above normal or even high conditions. A review of Iowas water resource trends can be found at the www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate Web address. HIGHER GAS PRICES: Pump prices for gasoline sold in Iowa continue to increase, according to a weekly analysis issued by the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.27 per gallon across Iowa on Tuesday based on an AAA survey. That was two cents higher than one week ago but 24 cents a gallon lower than one year ago. The national average on Tuesday was $2.22 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline a price that was three cents higher than last week. Retail diesel fuel prices in Iowa also were up two cents a gallon with a statewide average of $2.38 a penny higher than the national average. One year ago diesel prices averaged $2.44 per gallon in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel average is a penny higher than the national average of $2.37. This weeks report also indicated that natural gas prices in Iowa rose by 21 cents to $2.92/MMbtu. STEM APPOINTMENTS: Gov. Terry Branstad named two regent university officials Wednesday to serve on the Governors STEM Advisory Council effective immediately. The governor named J. Bruce Harreld, president of the University of Iowa, and Jim Wohlpart, interim president of the University of Northern Iowa, among the individuals to begin serving effective Sept. 1. Also named to unpaid positions on the council that are not subject to Iowa Senate confirmation were David Van Horn, Winterset; Mary Meisterling, Cedar Rapids; Kasey McCurdy, Ankeny; Kacia Cain, Indianola; Jonathan Wickert, Ames; Patrick Barry Butler, Iowa City; Robert Denson, Ankeny; Jordan Lampe, Des Moines; Mary Beth Hochstedler, Iowa City; Mary Putnam, Pella; Sue Mattison, Des Moines; Valerie Newhouse, Emmetsburg; and John Carver, Cresco. SECTOR PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL: Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise announced a new state council Wednesday that will provide strategic direction and expand sector partnership policy in Iowa. The group will meet for the first time on Friday, he said. Wise said sector partnerships are comprised of representatives from businesses within a given industry sector (such as information technology, health care, advanced manufacturing, and transportation), along with other key support partners, who work together to identify regional labor market challenges. The partnerships focus on closing industry-specific skill gaps in their communities by reducing barriers to employment, creating career pathways to high-quality jobs, and aligning education to workforce needs, he said. The council will provide the strategic direction for this work across the state identifying and addressing system-level policy and technical needs. For more information on sector partnerships in Iowa, visit https://www.educateiowa.gov/adult-career-and-community-college/sector-partnerships. Young outdoor enthusiasts will have a chance to sharpen their skills and learn about new activities next weekend in Clinton County. Children, ages 11-17, who participate in the Eighth Annual Clinton County Youth Outdoors Skills Day on the Izaak Walton League grounds will cycle through the eight following 45-minute stations: Canoeing and kayaking Turkey hunting Rifles Shotguns Air rifles Muzzleloaders Archery Skeet shooting The stations are staffed by various conservation organizations in the area, including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Clinton County Conservation, Whitetails Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and Lyons Middle School Archery Club. Jeff Beckwith, member of the Whitetails Unlimited Clinton County Chapter, which organizes the event, said the day provides families an opportunity to expose their children to new experiences in a safe environment. Its a great way for the children to be introduced to so many different outdoor activities that most of the kids and even the parents have never done before, Beckwith said. The day begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. and breaks with a lunch thats included in the $10 cost of the clinic. Every participant also will receive a T-shirt. The outing will end about 3:30 p.m. Parents must accompany their children, and organizers encourage younger siblings to attend as well. Visit Beckwith Commercial Roofing, 2000 Manufacturing Drive, Clinton, or call 563-242-6939 to register early. The event is limited to 70 children. The Izaak Walton League in Clinton County is located northwest of Clinton at 4167 Highway 136. MUSCATINE, Iowa A Muscatine man was sentenced Wednesday for drug and weapon related charges. Marcus Fry, 28, pleaded guilty, and has been sentenced for one count of felon in possession of a firearm, a class D felony; trafficking in stolen weapons, second offense; and possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, second offense, according to a blog update by Muscatine County Attorney Alan Ostergren. Fry was sentenced to a total period of up to 17 years in prison, and a fine of $625, with suspended fines of $1,000 and $750, according to online court records. He was also initially charged with one count of unlawful possession of a prescription drug, which was dismissed, according to court documents. He has been transported to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center to begin his sentence. The investigation was conducted by the Muscatine County Sheriff's Office, Muscatine Police Department, and Muscatine County Drug Task Force, according to Ostergren. A Rock Island man has been identified by the Iowa State Patrol as a worker killed Thursday after he was struck by a vehicle near Blue Grass. Willie Nathaniel Holley, 62, of Rock Island, was pronounced dead at Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport, according to a crash report posted on the state patrol website. He was employed by Valley Construction, Rock Island. The driver of the vehicle, Sebon Cordell Reese, 18, of Davenport, and his 1-year-old sister also were taken to the hospital, according to the report. Their conditions were not available Friday. Trooper Dan Loussaert, public information officer for the state patrol, said charges are pending against Reese. He declined to say what charges he faces. Around 10:10 a.m. Thursday, the Scott Emergency Communications Center received a report of a reckless driver traveling at a high rate of speed on northbound/eastbound U.S. 61, according to a Scott County Sheriffs Office news release. Deputy Gina Lieferman was in the area and saw the vehicle, a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis, driving east at a high rate of speed. She tried to turn around and pull over the vehicle, according to the news release. The vehicle then entered the construction zone just east of Blue Grass and tried to turn off U.S. 61 at Coonhunters Road and struck Holley before coming to a stop off the pavement. Further investigation revealed that prior to the crash, Reese came upon vehicles also traveling east and attempted to pass them on the left in the median and lost control of the vehicle. Blue Grass Fire Department and Medic ambulance were immediately requested at the scene of the crash. Reese was detained without incident. The accident remains under investigation. The crew from Valley Construction recently began the process of putting in a turn lane onto Coonhunters Road. Valley Construction president Greg Hass said Friday that Holleys death was devastating to our employees and the employees that witnessed it. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, he said. Hass said he thinks Holley had worked for the company off and on for 10 years. He described him as a super great, friendly gentleman who was well-liked by his co-workers. Hass said the company is setting up a memorial fund and has offered to cover funeral expenses for Holleys family. Grief counselors also are available for employees who need it, he said. At the time of the crash, Reese was on probation in three separate cases in Scott County. According to court documents: On May 2, 2015, police responded to Vander Veer Botanical Park in the 2600 block of Harrison Street, Davenport, for a report of criminal mischief. Reese was seen throwing rocks and debris at random vehicles and motorcycles that were driving on Harrison Street. Several vehicles were damaged. He also was in a group that threw a large piece of cement, which struck a southbound motorcyclist on his helmet. On Aug. 16, 2015, police came into contact with a 2015 Audi in the 900 block of West 14th Street, Davenport. Police had received a report that the car was stolen. The driver, later identified as Reese, refused to pull the vehicle over and eluded several marked squad cars. He reached speeds of 65 to 70 mph in a 30-mph zone, traveled off the roadway and disregarded several stop signs. He crossed over into Illinois and continued to elude police until the car was no longer drivable. The vehicle had been stolen in Bettendorf two days earlier. Reese removed the license plates and replaced them with drive away plates from a local car dealership. He also attempted to remove two identifying stickers from the rear window of the car. On Nov. 3, 2015, Reese was operating a Chevrolet Suburban SUV at Caseys General Store, 3700 W. Locust St., Davenport. The car had been stolen from Rock Island. Reese was seen on store surveillance video getting out of the car and going inside the store. He took chips and a slice of pizza from the display and ran out without paying, according to court documents. In March, he was given a suspended 15-year prison sentence and placed on three years of probation after pleading guilty to second-degree criminal mischief, first-degree theft, eluding and second-degree theft. Scott County prosecutors on Friday filed a motion to revoke his probation. Rock Island County online court records show that Reese was placed on 24 months of probation in June after pleading guilty to a felony retail theft charge. A technological innovation is poised to enter Davenport and the Quad-Cities through a new partnership between the Eastern Iowa Community Colleges and a California firm, EON Reality. The partnership means cutting-edge virtual and augmented reality programs for savvy students as well as new job opportunities in the high-tech sector. The market for knowledge transfers in this field is growing rapidly on a global scale, expected to reach $150 billion by 2020 and disrupt the mobile phone and personal computer markets. A $2 million local investment allows the college district to buy new software and equipment, hire teachers and and bring in experts. Students will learn in the next several months to build a specific skill set for the EON company's software and applications. EON is a 17-year-old virtual reality firm, founded by petroleum engineers who figured out a way to safely train workers on oil rigs in the middle of the ocean. The company has grown to be global in reach, and the new educational training center in Davenport will be one of only four in the United States. The new venture will be called the EON Innovation Academy. Students will sign up this month for the 11-month program, said Ellen Kabat Lensch, the college's vice chancellor for workforce and economic development. Lensch helped to start the new partnership and program aided by Jim Noord, the district's information technology coordinator. Noord was employed by EON nearly two decades ago, and he is a proponent of the virtual reality and augmented reality technology. Lensch since has learned that EON needs to develop more student programmers and content providers though the series of academies and schools. District Chancellor Don Doucette was headed to California last spring for a meeting and decided to stop by the EON headquarters in Irvine with two members of the district's board of trustees. "The three of them were just dumbfounded by the capabilities and opportunities EON presented," Lensch said. A short while later, two representatives of EON visited to Davenport. That meeting included several people, Lensch said, including local business leaders, mayors, Chamber of Commerce representatives and others who could discuss the Quad-Cities and its economy. "We spoke of our community college building plans but also of opportunities in our area," Lensch said. The EON representatives liked the region, and the contractual process began. EON agreed to provide the educators and experts to teach the specific programs. It is hoped that a mix of students will apply for the classes, Lensch said, including some "superstars" out of high school and others with two-year and four-year degrees. They might come from graphic arts, design or IT areas and be a mix of individuals who can work as a team. "I will be interested to see who will be attracted to this," Lensch said. The community college district has representatives from parts of the Quad-Cities to advise on its programming, she said. The concept of virtual reality and augmented reality training was explained to both the IT and advanced manufacturing advisers. "They all said, do this," Lensch said. "This is really a smart way to do things and is the wave of the future." The Davenport site will join others in the U.S. in Dallas, New York City and Toledo, Ohio. "We're looking forward to a fruitful partnership with Eastern Iowa Community College District to address the needs of the regional market," Mats Johansson, EON's chief executive and president, said. "We are also excited about the ability to jointly develop unique knowledge transfer applications that utilize the college's subject matter expertise and industry connections." Former East Moline Police Chief Reggie Freeman has thrown his hat into the East Moline mayoral race. Freeman will formally announce his candidacy at noon Saturday at the East Moline American Legion Post 227, 829 16th Ave. Freeman served for 32 years on the East Moline Police Department, including four years as chief. He retired from the police department in 2004. Currently, he serves as regional director of Illinois Secretary of State Driver Services, a position he has held for 12 years. In a news release Thursday, Freeman credited current Mayor John Thodos and the city council with the growth the city has seen since Thodos, who is in his third term, took office. I want to take that growth to the next level, Freeman said. More than that, my love and passion for the city of East Moline is beyond description. There never has been a time when I hesitated to say I am proud I am from East Moline. Thodos said Thursday that he has not decided if he is going to seek a fourth term. SPRINGFIELD An administrative law judge has recommended that the Illinois Labor Relations Board send Gov. Bruce Rauners administration and a union representing 38,000 state workers back to the bargaining table to continue negotiating over wages and health care benefits. The Rauner administration asked the labor board in January to declare that contract talks with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 have reached an impasse, which could clear the way for the administration to impose its terms on the union. That, in turn, could precipitate a first-ever strike of state workers. In a 250-page recommendation issued Friday, Administrative Law Judge Sarah Kerley found that the state and AFSMCE have reached an impasse on many issues, including wages and health care, but she recommends against allowing the state to impose its final contract proposal in full. If the State were able to implement its entire last, best, and final offer, the implications and impact would be so enormous that, when applied to this case, it would be destructive of the collective bargaining process, Kerley wrote. Although wages and health care benefits are among the issues on which Kerley thinks the sides are at an impasse, she recommended that negotiations continue on those subjects because the state hasnt provided the union with sufficient information about its proposals. On wages, the state has sought a pay freeze and the implementation of a merit pay system, while the union has sought across-the-board raises for its members. On health care, the state has pushed for union members to take on a greater share of their insurance costs, but the union thinks those proposals would shift too much of the burden onto its members. Negotiations had been ongoing for nearly a year when the Rauner administration moved to have an impasse declared. The union has said for the past several months that it is willing to continue negotiations. The administration has accused the union of making unreasonable demands at a time of unprecedented fiscal challenges for the state, but AFSCME counters that Rauner has an ideological bias against the collective bargaining rights of public workers. While negotiations have been acrimonious, Kerley said both sides generally have bargained in good faith. Despite their many differences in philosophy and approach, I find that record before me, taken as a whole, reflects that each side sincerely hoped to reach agreement, though they had vastly different views of what that agreement should look like and had varying levels of optimism about whether they would actually be successful, she wrote. Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the administration appreciates that Kerley concluded that we have been bargaining in good faith for a fair deal on behalf of taxpayers. We are reviewing her opinion to evaluate the next steps as the rest of the agreed-to process continues, Kelly said in a prepared statement. Meanwhile, the union said it was largely vindicated by Kerleys recommendation. We are pleased that todays recommendation underlines what AFSCME has been saying all along, AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said in a written statement. The union said it, too, is reviewing the recommendation, noting that it doesnt think the two sides are at an impasse on some of the issues cited by Kerley. We hope the labor boards final ruling will affirm the hearing officers recommended order to resume negotiations, Lynch said. But there is no need to wait Governor Rauner should direct his representatives back to the bargaining table now, to work with AFSCME and develop a compromise agreement that is fair to all. The state and the union now have time to respond to the recommendation and to each others responses. The labor board could make a final determination at its November meeting. U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack has announced $2 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve housing stability for very low-income military veteran families. The funding through the Veteran Affair's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program will go to three organizations serving counties in Iowas 2nd Congressional District, which Loebsack represents. "I strongly believe that we must care for our veterans with the same dignity and honor with which they served our country," Loebsack said. "We have an obligation to protect and provide for those who are most vulnerable, especially those who have served to protect our country. I am pleased these three organizations will receive this funding to continue their important services. No veteran should be deprived of a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home." The grants can be used to offer veterans and their family members outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits and assistance in getting other public benefits. Community-based groups can offer temporary financial assistance on behalf of veterans for rent payments, utility payments, security deposits and moving costs. Loebsack announced the following organizations will receive funding: Humility of Mary Shelter Inc.: $279,963 serving Clinton, Muscatine and Scott counties in Iowa and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties in Illinois. Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Inc.: $1,226,646 serving Cedar, Johnson, Washington, Benton, Iowa, Jones, Linn, Washington, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Delaware and Dubuque counties. Primary Health Care Inc.: $522,208 serving Jasper, Dallas, Marshall, Polk, Story and Warren counties. MORNING SUN, Iowa A Morning Sun man will face a sexual abuse charge after being arrested this week. Jason Magill, 38, has been charged with one count of third-degree sexual abuse, a class C felony, for allegedly assaulting a minor. The alleged incident occurred July 6, 2015, in Morning Sun, and the victim was a 13-year-old female, according to the Louisa County Sheriff's Office. Magill has entered a not guilty plea, and his preliminary hearing has been set for 9 a.m., Sept. 20, according to online court records. Emily Wenger of the Muscatine Journal MUSCATINE, Iowa The Muscatine City Council voted to override Mayor Diana Brodersons veto of an ordinance that will change appointment and removal authority at the Thursday night meeting. The ordinance will change the appointment and removal powers of boards and commissions to the city council, and the appointment and removal of police and fire chiefs to the city administrator, subject to the approval of the council. The council overrode the veto with a six to one vote, with Council Member Bob Bynum voting nay. A two-thirds majority of council was required to override the veto. Mayor Diana Broderson read the veto into the record, and said the ordinance reduces the balance of powers in Muscatines government. And it is my duty to protect the office for future mayors, she said. Bynum said he has felt that if something is not broken, it does not need to be fixed. I dont see that these ordinances are broken, he said. After the meeting, Broderson said she wanted to encourage those who may have been disappointed with the outcome. Lets everybody just try to work together and try to stay involved," she said. A four-person subcommittee to select members of boards and commissions, the Nominating Committee, was also approved, with all ayes. The subcommittee will include two city council representatives, which the council will elect, the mayor, and the city administrator or appropriate staff. I sincerely hope that these changes being made now will result in candidates for commissions and boards that will be vetted thoroughly...and that appointments can be made in timely fashion, said council member Allen Harvey. An agreement with HDR, Inc. was also approved to do study on the feasibility of an Intermodal Container Port. Because of an Iowa Department of Transportations Linking Iowas Freight Transportation Systems (LIFTS) grant for up to $80,000, and a match of up to $20,000 from Kent Corporation, the project will not be any cost to the city, according to a memo from Community Development Director Dave Gobin. Gobin said the project will take three months. Bolton & Menk will move forward with designs for phase one of the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project, without Carver Corner or the intersection at Mulberry Avenue and Second Street. Several council members voiced concerns, a local business owner said he was concerned about access to his building, and Jodi Hansen, the Muscatine Blue Zones Project Community Lead, said Blue Zones is a proponent of the roundabouts. Muscatine Blue Zones Project supports all future built environment projects that increase safety, add connectivity, and increase walkability," she said. Engineers from Bolton & Menk, the company currently working to design the corridor, were seeking direction from the council on the Carver Corner and Second and Mulberry Streets intersections. Council gave consensus on opening up discussions with the Environmental Agency to approve a four-leg roundabout at the Mulberry Avenue and Second Street intersection, and will consider the possibility of a roundabout at Carver Corner. The council also approved back-in angle parking along Mississippi Drive. Jim Harbaugh, project lead for the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project, asked the city council for a decision. In other business: The city council approved the purchase of an animated 18 foot LED holiday tree. An area resident donated funds for the purchase of the tree to be displayed during the holiday season and in conjunction with the Holiday Stroll. The tree will be purchased from Temple Display Ltd. for $16,370.25. The council approved a request from the Muscatine Police Department to purchase three Panasonic ToughPad Tablets. A public hearing on an ordinance amending the citys Floodplain Management Regulations, due to the update of FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps for the area protected by the Island Levee, will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15. A request to declare city property as surplus and authorizing its disposal was also approved. The surplus property will be sold online in a public surplus auction. Our country is facing a serious retirement crisis. Recent data show that the median retirement savings for all working families is a mere $3,000, and for families nearing retirement age, that number increases only slightly to $12,000. This lack of savings makes it all too likely that working families will retire into poverty. An inadequate system of retirement options, especially for lower-income workers is a significant cause of the problem. With over 68 million workers across the country lacking access to an employer-based retirement savings plan, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final rule on Aug. 25, enabling states to move forward with state-run plans aimed at those very workers. In Illinois, more than half of all private-sector workers cannot save for retirement at their workplace. This inability to easily save is one of the key drivers of the retirement crisis, as research shows access to a workplace-based plan increases the likelihood that someone will save, and save more. In 2015, Illinois established the Secure Choice Savings Program, creating a state-based retirement savings program for private-sector workers. It will enable workers to save their own money into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) easily and safely through a payroll deduction, while limiting the role and obligation of businesses. Employers will enroll their employees and set up the payroll deduction, but they will not contribute to the accounts, and have no managerial obligations or administrative duties. The departments final rule is crucial to the ultimate success of Secure Choice and other state-run programs. It makes clear that state-administered, payroll deduction retirement plans with automatic enrollment do not place a fiduciary burden on employers, and creates a safe harbor for these programs from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) as long as certain criteria are met. Opponents of these programs have often argued that they would subject employers to significant administrative duties or burdensome financial obligations because of ERISA. We are pleased that those arguments can no longer be used to curb state action and progress. With the new rule in place, states can continue to move forward with implementation, ultimately providing millions of private-sector workers with an easy, safe, and affordable retirement savings vehicle at work. Meanwhile, employers can feel confident that they are assisting their employees in achieving retirement security without worrying about any fiduciary responsibilities. We are grateful to the Department of Labor for its recognition that the status quo was not adequately addressing the retirement needs of all workers, and for its swift and deliberate action to support state efforts to create retirement programs and address our countrys fast-growing retirement crisis. The final rule provides the necessary safeguards and guidelines for states to move forward while also allowing flexibility for each state to create a program that best suits the unique needs of its workers and families. This final rule is a victory for workers and families in Illinois, and across the country, and an affirmation of the belief that everyone deserves the right to retire with dignity and financial security. Illinois's so-called "Safe Roads" constitutional amendment stands a good shot at surviving the voters on Nov. 8. In a general sense, it probably should. But the move to limit the uses for highway funding is bound to make budgeting even more difficult in the Land of Lincoln. It's lawmakers who for years annually stripped hundreds-of-millions from the roads fund in order to pay for the state's general fund. The infrastructure account -- funded by the gas tax and registration fees -- is an easily robbed vault for lawmakers unwilling to make tough decisions about pensions, education or welfare. Safe Roads amendment proponents, including the Illinois and Quad-Cities chambers of commerce, say the amendment's passage in November would remove the crutch that has cost the road fund $6.8 billion over the past decade. It will force tough decisions from lawmakers that make sport out of robbing Peter to pay Paul, they say. The claims are debatable at best. Safe Roads, unlike the now dead redistricting overhaul, actually came out of the General Assembly. In fact, it breezed through both houses with nearly unanimous support. Independent Maps' death in the Illinois Supreme Court put the self-serving nature of the state's ruling class on display. Lawmakers would have killed it had the proposed amendment represented any semblance of meaningful reform. They're the same legislators who've spent decades bilking the road fund, after all. It's the economic argument pitched by pro-business and labor groups that swayed us. Illinois' roads and bridges -- due to the regular budgetary chicanery -- are in a state of decay. Out-of-date or inefficient infrastructure can sap hundreds of millions from an economy the size of Illinois'. Quad-City Chamber of Commerce officials rightly highlight the disparity between Iowa's relatively intact highway and rail networks and Illinois' slowly rotting infrastructure. For example, construction at The Q in Moline is under way. Local governments and private business have held up their part of the deal. But, thanks to Springfield's inability to grapple with fiscal realities, the long-promised cash for rail service still hasn't been released. The Q could very well open without a train to feed it, and it's directly due to the General Assembly's incessant raid on the the road fund. Yes, buyers assume the gas tax is going to roads, bridges and other transportation-related pursuits. The same goes for Illinoisans paying to register their vehicles. More often than not, they're simply feeding the general fund beast. The state pension continues to be the foundation issue in Illinois, consuming an eye-popping 20 percent of the general fund. The constitutionally required flat income tax assures continued revenue shortfalls until lawmakers have the guts to demand more from the donor class. The power of public unions all but guarantees continued glut. The Safe Roads Amendment would do nothing to alleviate the fundamental problems that are sinking Illinois. On the contrary, it would actually limit flexibility, potentially exacerbating the real problems. But things are that bad in Illinois. Perhaps handcuffing the General Assembly is the only way forward. Perhaps robbing the feckless governing class of options can force the necessary top-to-bottom overhaul in a state with the nation's worst credit rating. Perhaps this hope is little but a pipe dream. Either way, Illinois lawmakers haven't upheld their end of the bargain. They've taken cash intended for roads and bridges and used to to prop up themselves and the failing government they oversee. On Nov. 8, vote "yes" on the Safe Roads Amendment if you're at all concerned about getting what you paid for. Exelon is a key employer within our region, and the energy it produces is vital to Illinois and our bi-state region. Exelon announced it will retire the Cordova plant in 2018 if the Illinois Legislature and governor are unable to pass legislation to level the playing field this year. We commend the Quad-Cities delegation of elected officials for their support of Senate Bill 1585, the Next Generation Energy Bill, and urge other elected officials throughout the state to do the same. Exelon employs over 900 people at a median annual salary exceeding $80,000. These are jobs that fuel our local and regional economies. Exelon pays $7.7 million annually to Rock Island County. Its loss would be a significant blow at a time when we are already seeing county officials make hard choices to make ends meet. Of the $7.7 million that Exelon pays to the county, $4.4 million goes to the school district. Nuclear energy is crucial to Illinois economic future. Most economists and politicians agree that a federal low-carbon standard is inevitable. That means Illinois will need to reduce its carbon footprint and rely more on clean energy, such as nuclear. Currently, 48 percent of Illinois produced and consumed energy is nuclear, second after coal. All other clean sources contribute a total of approximately five percent of Illinois energy, meaning it will be impossible to meet any low-carbon standards without nuclear energy. We, the Moline Centre Main Street Commission, urge our elected officials to take action, and pass Senate Bill 1585. Amy Trimble Moline Editors note: Trimble is chairperson of the Moline Centre Main Street Commission SPRINGFIELD People on the front lines of Illinois heroin and opioid crisis say the lack of available and affordable substance abuse treatment programs is one of the biggest obstacles they face in battling addiction and overdose deaths. Officials in public health, health care, law enforcement and education and members of community organizations from across the state gathered in Springfield on Thursday for a workshop titled, Opioid Crisis Next Door: Strategies for Building Local Coalitions. But Dr. Nirav D. Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, which helped organize the event, said the name could be a bit misleading. Its arguable not next door anymore, Shah said in his opening remarks. Its arguably at our front door and knocking very, very loudly. Illinois experiences 1,800 deaths per year from drug overdoses, about half from heroin, Shah said, noting that overdose deaths in the state in 2014 outstripped all gun-related deaths homicides, suicides and accidental shootings combined. The number of opioid overdose deaths nearly tripled from 2008 to 2014, he said. One way the Department of Public Health is trying to stem the tide of overdose deaths is by fostering the creation of coalitions of health officials, law enforcement agencies, schools, community groups and others to combat the problem at the local level, particularly in rural communities. Shah said a multifaceted approach is the only way the state will be able to reverse the current trend. We wont be able to treat our way out of the crisis or incarcerate our way out of this crisis or even educate our way out, he said. But together, we do have the ability to end this epidemic. Among those in attendance Thursday were members of the Christian County Prevention Coalition, which formed more than a decade ago and was revitalized in 2010. Dennis Metsker, who offers Christian ministry to drug users and runs the local Families Anonymous program, is a member of the coalitions executive committee. He said the community is lacking detox, treatment and sober-living programs for those who are trying to get clean. Thats our next step, said Lori Younker, a parent advocate and another coalition executive committee member. We know weve got the tools to do the prevention side, so now lets find a strong referral mechanism to get these individuals the treatment that they need in a quick manner. Pana Police Chief Daniel Bland, another coalition member, said that right now area churches and faith-based organizations are doing their best to fill that need. Our recovery center in our area is the churches, Bland said. Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said the community has long had a prescription drug abuse problem, but some users are now shifting to heroin, which is often cheaper and more easily accessible. Kettelkamp said hes urged lawmakers to make more funding available for treatment facilities. The lack of treatment programs isnt limited to Christian County. Angela Stoltzenburg, manager of the Healthy Communities Partnership in Logan County, said her organization has experienced similar problems since increasing its focus on heroin and opioid addiction about a year and a half ago. That is a problem absolutely everywhere, Stoltzenburg said. The tricky thing about trying to connect people with resources is that when they have that moment where theyre ready to get help, if you dont have resources available to them immediately, thats where you lose the opportunity to help that person. Some help might be on the way. The Illinois Department of Human Services announced Thursday that it is receiving $8 million in federal grants to help combat heroin and opioid abuse. A three-year, $3 million grant will help the state expand outpatient methadone treatment programs, and a five-year, $5 million grant is targeted at preventing overdose deaths in six counties around Chicago and St. Louis by providing anti-overdose drugs to emergency responders, among other measures. The state also is asking the federal government for permission to expand Medicaid coverage to include certain treatment programs that arent currently covered. ANAMOSA, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley firmly rebutted reports he might hold confirmation hearings on President Barack Obamas Supreme Court nominee before the end of the year. My position has not changed. The new president should make the appointment, Grassley said in Anamosa where he completed what has come to be known as the Full Grassley. He has visited all 99 counties every year since being elected to the Senate in 1980. The Jones County meeting was his 99th this year. The first question he fielded Thursday was about comments he made in Sioux City earlier this week indicating he would hold confirmation hearings on Merrick Garland if a large number of senators encouraged him to consider the nomination during the lame-duck session following the Nov. 8 election. Somebody asked me to speculate I probably should not speculate, Grassley told Kathy Ulrich, a Linn County Democrat who was among about 90 people at the town-hall meeting. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley wrote to colleagues 10 days after Justice Antonin Scalia died Feb. 13 to say that he would honor a longtime understanding among senators that Supreme Court vacancies in the final year of a presidents term would not be filled until voters could give senators some direction through the ballot box. I am saying that the letter I sent on Feb. 23 saying people should have a voice and the new president should make the selection has always been my position, Grassley said. Anything said beyond that was said because people asked me to speculate. Well, maybe people in office shouldnt be speculating. He wouldnt speculate on whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might change his position on delaying confirmation hearings until there is a new president. Ulrich wasnt the only one with an opinion on the Supreme Court vacancy. Charles Summers of Jones County thanked Grassley for sticking to your guns on the judges. A president on his way out shouldnt be able to nominate a judge on his way in, he said. Janae Stracke of Concerned Women for America, who was sporting an I stand with Grassley sticker, thanked him whole-heartedly (because) we dont need a Supreme Court full of judicial activists as we have been seeing. We need to make sure Justice Scalias position is filled with a strict constitutionalist, she said. As a millennial, Stracke said she understands the next justice will affect her and her children for years to come. Many people who disagree with him think his decision to delay confirmation hearings is about the next four years, Grassley said. But in the case of the Supreme Court, its about the direction of the Supreme Court for the next 40 years. During the hour-long meeting, Grassley fielded questions and comments about members of Congress holding themselves to a different standard from whats expected of other citizens, Pentagon spending, legalizing cannabidiol oil, Zika funding, Veterans Affairs, climate change, bipartisanship in Congress and federal policies limiting the practice of Christianity. ANAMOSA, Iowa Facing criticism for a lack of accessibility, Sen. Chuck Grassley said visits to factories, high schools and civic clubs allow him to meet with more Iowans and a more diverse group of Iowans than simply having town hall meetings. Grassley completed this years edition of the 99-county tour he has been making every year for 36 years as a U.S. senator in Anamosa Thursday. If they are saying every meeting should be like the meeting we had here that you call an open town meeting, then Id be talking to roughly the same people all the time in every county year-after-year, Grassley said. I have a responsibility to get as broad a section of the population as I can, so when people dont come to me, I go to them. The Iowa Republican has come under fire this summer from Democratic challenger Patty Judge and others opposing his re-election to a seventh term who say he does not hold truly public events in some of the states most populous counties. Unlike Chuck Grassley, Patty Judge will hold open forums with Iowans from all backgrounds, Judge campaign spokesman Sam Roecker said. During her first year in the U.S. Senate, she will hold a public town hall in Sioux County, the county with the largest percentage of registered Republican voters in the state. According to Progress Iowa, which calls Grassleys travels the Fake Grassley, he hasnt had a public meeting in Polk, Linn, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Dallas, Jasper, Buena Vista or Fayette counties in the past six years. According to Census.gov, they comprise just more than 45 percent of Iowas total population. When (Grassley) talks about being open and accessible to the public and his constituents, hes really being disingenuous, Matt Sinovic of Progress Iowa said at a Des Moines news conference. I think what hes doing is avoiding places where he could encounter strong opposition. Johnson County was the only one of those counties Grassley did not carry on his way to re-election in 2010. In Anamosa, Tammy Wawro of Cedar Rapids, the president of Iowa State Education Association, and state Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Dubuque, said the people in their communities should have the same opportunity to meet face-to-face with Grassley as Jones County residents. Our members should not have to drive to another county, quite frankly, on a Thursday morning to be able to talk with Sen. Grassley, Wawro said. Grassley was in Dubuque Wednesday, but it was a visit to a private business, Finkenauer said. Thats great, she said. All elected officials typically do that, but we also hold public forums. Its been at least six years since Grassley has done a public meeting there, Finkenauer said. My constituents deserve to be heard by their federal representatives, she said. According to Grassleys schedulers, during the Senates summer recess, he has had three question-and-answer sessions in Dubuque and five in Cedar Rapids. In addition, Grassley has had tele-town hall meetings that included those counties, and hes on radio public affairs programs every month in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids. Grassley found it interesting the criticism was coming from people who never criticized Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin because he didnt go to all 99 counties every year and do what Ive done for 36 years in a row. Harkin served 30 years in the Senate before retiring in 2015. Im the first one in the history of Iowa to do it, he said. The difference, Finkenauer said, is the way (Grassley) touts it. He acts as though he gives this 99-county tour, the Full Grassley, and acts as though he is as accessible, she said. Thats the problem. Hes not. When you call it the Full Grassley and you say thats what youre doing, then do it, Wawro said. Following their news conference outside the Jones County Courthouse, neither Wawro nor Finkebauer attended Grassley's town hall meeting. As he faces re-election, Grassley is aware this could be his last Full Grassley. Ive given consideration that campaigns and elections and the people rule, and the people are going to make a choice, he said. I have to live by that choice. Im going to run a campaign so I can win. (Erin Murphy contributed to this report.) NATION Conference will address opioid epidemic Law enforcement, health professionals and addiction specialists from around the country will convene in Minnesota next week to talk about ways to address the growing number of deaths from heroin, prescription painkillers and other opioids. The two-day conference, beginning Wednesday, will also address the emerging problem of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that's blamed for a surge of deaths in some parts of the country including the April 21 overdose death of Prince at his suburban Minneapolis home. "We are in the midst of an opioid crisis in this country," said Rusty Payne, a national spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "We've got to figure out how to deal with it." Authorities said a multi-pronged approach is necessary to keep more people from becoming addicted. Kent Bailey, the head of the DEA office in Minnesota, said as part of that approach, authorities need to go after those peddling opioids, health professionals need to change prescribing practices to keep people from getting hooked, and more must be done with rehabilitation so addicts can get help. 20 kids, 18 dogs removed from home Authorities have removed 20 children and 18 dogs from a Southern California home that they say was uninhabitable. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies also arrested five women at the home Thursday on suspicion of child cruelty. Two of the women also were suspected of being under the influence of a controlled substance. A sheriff's statement says the Victorville home had no working electricity or gas, and there wasn't enough food for the people living there. The statement also says that the dogs had no access to water and the carpet, walls and furniture were in disrepair. Authorities also say black mold was throughout the home. The children ranged in age from 2 months to 17 years old. WORLD President of Uzbekistan dies at 78 Islam Karimov, who crushed all opposition in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan as its only president in a quarter-century of independence from the Soviet Union, has died of a stroke at age 78, the Uzbek government announced Friday. Karimov will be buried Saturday in the ancient city of Samarkand, his birthplace, the government said in a statement. His younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, said in a social media post Monday that he had been hospitalized in the capital of Tashkent after a brain hemorrhage Aug. 27. On Friday, she posted again, saying: "He is gone." Putin: Russia didnt hack Democrats President Vladimir Putin says Russia wasn't involved in the hacking of emails of the U.S. Democratic Party, but thinks the release of the information was a benefit. Some American officials have claimed that Russian military intelligence was behind the hacking, which provoked a political scandal in the U.S. by revealing apparent prejudice in the Democratic National Committee against Hillary Clinton's challenger for the presidential nomination, Bernie Sanders. "At the state level, we certainly weren't involved in this," Putin said in an interview with the Bloomberg news service, according to a transcript released Friday by the Kremlin. 15 die in attacks in Iraq A series of attacks across Baghdad, including an explosion at a weapons warehouse that set off munitions and sent a huge plume of smoke over the Iraqi capital, killed 15 people and wounded over 50 on Friday, according to Iraqi officials. The attacks underscore the poor security situation in the Iraqi capital, which has been subject to several recent large-scale attacks, including a July shopping center bombing that killed nearly 300 people. At least three rockets landed in eastern Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 15, police officials said. The rockets that hit eastern Baghdad appear to have been set of by a blast at a weapons storage facility, according to a police official. An Associated Press reporter at the scene said members of the powerful Shiite militia group Asaib Ahl al-Haq were present at the scene of the attack. Police officials say it is unclear which powerful Shiite militia the weapons store belonged to. The weapons' cache blast set off munitions stored there, sending a huge plume of smoke over the city skyline. G'Day! G'Day! Randy Andy's Weak in Review Sydney, NSW, Australia SAY What! G'day, G'day, check my BLOG and be intrigued by new music, theatre reviews, movie reviews and random junk (maybe my junk)..... View my complete profile Rapid City government offices and local schools will be closed on Monday, Sept. 5, for Labor Day. The City Council meeting, which is usually held on Mondays, will be moved to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the City/School Administration Center. Monday's trash collection in Rapid City is scheduled for Tuesday, with Tuesday to Friday collections remaining the same as normal during Labor Day week. The Landfill, Rapid Transit, Rapid City Library facilities and Roosevelt Ice Arena will be closed on Labor Day. Labor Day is the final day of summer operations at Parkview Pool and the Swim Center's outdoor 50-meter pool. Parkview will be open from noon to 6 p.m. The Swim Center's outdoor pool will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Rapid City Regional Airport will be open Monday, but administrative offices will be closed. The Rapid City Police and Fire departments will be operating, with administrative offices closed. Deadwood city offices and schools will be closed, with trash pickup shifted to a day later. Trash pickup will also be one day later in Spearfish, while city and school offices will be closed. Sturgis city offices and schools will be closed, while trash normally collected Monday will be picked up Tuesday. Hot Springs city offices and schools will be closed. Trash pickup will not be affected. ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam | The B-1B Lancer officially replaced the B-52 Stratofortress in support of U.S. Pacific Commands Continuous Bomber Presence mission Aug. 15, during a Transfer of Authority ceremony. Lt. Col. Jeremy Holmes, 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, relinquished authority to Lt. Col. Seth Spanier, 34th EBS commander from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The 34th stands ready to provide a tangible assurance to allies and partners in the region and a clear deterrent to potential adversaries, Spanier said. Above all else, we will provide the capability to rapidly transition to major combat operations on a massive scale, if ordered. The B-1 units bring a unique perspective and years of repeated combat and operational experience from the U.S. Central Command Theater to the Pacific. They will provide a significant rapid global strike capability that enables our readiness and commitment to deterrence, offers assurance to our allies, and strengthens regional security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. B-1s were last here in April 2006 and have returned to support USPACOM in conducting routine, strategic deterrence and regional training missions. Incorporating the B-1 into Pacific operations exercises USPACOMs ability to integrate a unique capability with regional allies and partners in a different part of the world. The unique thing about our opportunities here as part of the continuous bomber presence is we really have the opportunity to train across all of the mission sets that the B-1 is capable of, Spanier said. So we will routinely, on a day-in and day-out basis, get to train with the land, air and naval forces of both the U.S. and our allies and partners in the region. It's really an unmatched training opportunity for our squadron." The deployment brings more than 300 Airmen who are trained and ready to ensure the performance of the B-1. The B-1Bs superior handling, substantial payload, excellent radar targeting system, long loiter time and survivability make it a very capable combatant commander platform. B-52s have served non-stop rotations since 2006, which have been shared between the bomber squadrons from Minot AFB, North Dakota, and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. During this rotation, the 69th EBS worked in concert with F-16 fighter aircraft from the 112th Fighter Squadron from Toledo Air Guard Base, Ohio, where they developed tactics, techniques and procedures for defensive Guam concepts of operation. The squadron also participated in various exercises such as exercise Pitch-Black and Rim of Pacific in Hawaii and Australia. Between the major exercises, the team conducted freedom of navigation operations over the South and East China seas where they flew numerous missions with coalition partners from the Republic of Korea and Japanese Self Defense Air Force. Overall, the team flew 80 pacific power projection sorties, accumulating nearly 1700 flying hours. Additionally, the 69th EBS conducted a first-ever live fire integration with the U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer, USS Spruance (DDG 111), which involved employing multiple munitions on the Farallon de Medinilla weapons range near Guam. Today we mark the end of an era of B-52s continuously operating here and patrolling the skies over the pacific area of responsibility, said Col Samuel White, 36th Operations Group commander. We also mark the beginning of a new era by bringing back the B-1 crews after they spent nearly a decade supporting combat operations and gaining necessary experience needed to perform and participate in this CBP mission. Air Force Global Strike Command continues to routinely deploy bombers to Guam, which provides opportunities to strengthen regional alliances and long-standing military-to-military partnerships. The case name alone is intriguing: State of South Dakota vs. 3,408 dollars in American currency. The civil case, which had a hearing Thursday at the Pennington County Courthouse, will determine if the state government can keep money recovered from a man who was killed earlier this year by law enforcement. Abraham Fryer, a 35-year-old Sturgis resident, died after being shot by a Pennington County sheriffs deputy following a traffic stop on Feb. 26 in Rapid Valley. Methamphetamine, marijuana and cash were found in Fryers Ford Expedition, according to the Attorney Generals Office, which ruled the shooting was justified. It said Fryer had been wanted on a federal probation violation at the time. In a March court filing, the Attorney Generals Office said the $3,408 is connected to the illegal drug trade. The money should be condemned and forfeited to the State of South Dakota to be disposed of as provided by law, it said. Fryers family, who was informed of the government action, appeared in court Thursday morning to ask that the cash be turned over to them. I thought I could get his money so I could pay for his final expenses, said Lois Roth, who described herself in court as Fryers legal guardian. She was accompanied by Jessica Daniels, Fryers older sister. Fryers children rather than Roth are his next of kin and can potentially claim the money despite his having given up parental rights, said assistant attorney general Jeffery Tronvold. He asked Judge Heidi Linngren to dismiss Roth from the case. I dont know what hes saying, Roth said when the judge asked for her response. Linngren gave the women more time to study the case and explore their options. She scheduled another hearing later this month. Roth said after the hearing she has many questions about the circumstances surrounding her sons death and will be seeking expert advice. The $3,408 was initially kept at the evidence facility of the Meade County Sheriffs Office after it was seized from Fryer, according to a court document submitted by Tronvold. It is not clear if the money is still at the facility. The Attorney Generals Office did not immediately respond to the Journals questions about the case. As Jennifer Baloun watched her 13-year-old daughter help organize a book drive for the childrens home, she knew she was witnessing the development of leadership skills and initiative. Its been fun to see her develop in her confidence, said Baloun, whose daughter, Megan, has been a member of the Girl Scouts since she was 5. They were among the many families who celebrated the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons on Thursday at the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons Southwest District office, 1202 East St Francis Street in Rapid City. The celebration included refreshments, a walking tour through the history of Girl Scouts, the Golden Eaglet movie, parent information and interactive badge stations for every girl. A ribbon-cutting will be held at 8 a.m. today at the same location that is open to the public and free. Staci Miller, the southwest district director, said there is much to celebrate. Weve had Girl Scouts in the Black Hills for 100 years, she said. My hope is that well continue pursuing and honoring diversity, developing leadership skills and making the world a better place. Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons is a non-profit organization serving more than 13,000 members in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. The local organization is under the umbrella of the worldwide organization, which boasts a membership of nearly two million girls. The worldwide organization began more than a century ago when founder Juliette Gordon Daisy Low organized a troop in Savannah, Ga. The organization has continued to grow and thrive, Miller said, because of its core mission. Our mission has never wavered, she said. Its building girls of confidence and character and developing them in to the next leaders. Miller volunteered when her daughters, now adults, were Girl Scouts. She joined the staff this year. Were so unique in the leadership skills we develop, she said. The organization relies heavily on its volunteers, many of whom are now adults after having been involved during their childhood. They are members for life, Miller said. Its key for any organization. The volunteers make time for the youth and these girls. Baloun said her daughter has been able to work on projects at her own pace, and the organization has accommodated her busy schedule. There is a lot of competition for their time, Baloun said. When her daughter started with Girls Scouts, it was about spending time with friends, Baloun said. Then it was the camping trips, she said. What continues to hold her attention as she enters her teenage years are the community-service projects and working with younger girls. Megan will begin to lead badge workshops this year. Shell be engaging the younger girls, Baloun said. So shes going to continue to develop her leadership skills and confidence. Last year, Megan joined a fellow Girl Scout in a project that involved collecting more than 1,200 donated books for the childrens home. The pair had to meet with school principals, haul the books, review them to make sure they were appropriate and get them to the final location. It was a proud moment for Baloun. Shes really fallen in love with the opportunity to give back, she said. Baloun said she will continue to be a supporter of the organization. Im a big fan of Girl Scouts, she said. They teach the girls to be of good character and teach confidence and life skills. Girl Scouts is a great place to learn those qualities. For more information on the Girl Scout program, visit gsdakotahorizons.org or call 1-800-666-2141. Trent Engerbretson was sitting in his truck in a Central High School parking lot after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, waiting to pick up his son, a sophomore. The afternoon drive was the easy part, he said. The morning drive, on the other hand, was tricky. A major construction project foiled easy access to Central this week, as many students started the school year. Coming here to pick him up after school is fine, he said. Mornings are tough, because I live on the south side of town. Though Engerbretson doesnt think hell have to change his route just yet, hes keeping the option open. Construction on the Interstate-190/Silver Street Interchange Project promises to keep traffic relatively congested until work finishes in about a year. The school district, meanwhile, is asking parents and students to leave earlier for their morning commute to avoid getting stuck in traffic and arriving late for class. We ask that parents and students consider the major construction on Eighth Street also, to arrive at Central HS earlier than normal to avoid the 7:45 (a.m.) traffic jam, RCAS spokesperson Katy Urban said in a written statement. We open the school daily at 7:00 a.m., so there is a safe place to be out of the weather every morning. The cafeteria serves breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. also, and students are encouraged to use that time to study or complete homework. Central has lost access to two entry and exit points at its west parking lot, and construction is funneling traffic to a new curved entrance off North Street. District officials are limiting all traffic for deliveries, students, parents and teachers to this access point. In late September as construction progresses, the northbound off-ramp from Interstate-190 will also be closed, which is expected to put additional strain on Eighth Street and Fifth Street traffic coming to Central High School. According to the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the estimated $34.2 million project is needed to replace the existing bridge that was built in 1958. The department says the project also will provide safer and better access for vehicle traffic and better pedestrian access to downtown and the bike path that runs along Rapid Creek. The project is expected to be mostly done by the end of July 2017, with a final completion date of Oct. 27, 2017. The state is expected to spend $32.5 million on the project, while the city will likely contribute about $1.7 million. On Thursday, the DOT issued a news release that said the temporary gravel access road between Philadelphia and Silver streets will remain closed for one week longer than planned. That's so workers can finish installing underground utilities like sanitary sewer, water and storm sewer. According to the department, the extension is due to "unforeseen utilities conflicts." The temporary access road is anticipated to be reopened late in the afternoon of Sept. 9. A single lane will be maintained for emergency services access. In the meantime, school officials are urging parents to make a plan to avoid the most congested times. It will be very helpful to have a pick up plan for students after school to avoid the exodus of folks already in the parking lot trying to leave, Urban said in her statement. Students are welcome to seek after-school help/tutoring from teachers as well. The lot is usually clear by 3:35 p.m. after the 3:20 p.m. dismissal time. Teachers are here until at least 3:45 p.m. daily. Read a story last week, perhaps its true, about a young fella pulled over by a law enforcement officer late at night. Fella rolls down his window and the officer quickly surmises the driver is three sheets to the wind. Please step out of the car, sir, he politely orders. I think not, officer, replies the inebriated driver. You better come around and get in. Im too drunk to get out. Guaranteed that exchange hit the precinct bulletin board within an hour or two. Ranks up there with Take me drunk, Im home in the aint quite sober utterances hall of fame. Reading the Journals sad account of a similarly blotto young fella who, in the wee hours last Saturday, ran his car smack solid into an RCPD cruiser investigating an earlier shooting in the area, I stifled a chuckle. Though the young man was Otis level drunk and likely meandering in a marijuana haze besides thankfully, no one was seriously injured. Whatd the young man do immediately after colliding? Why throw her in reverse to back on out of there, of course. Wouldnt you? Fortunately, RCPD officers drug the young man out of his car before further damage could be done. Sure, its an easy bust but how you gonna write up the paperwork on your unit? I imagined myself in the officers shoes: Its 5:30 a.m., late into the shift; suddenly, all the boys in blue look in the same direction; yonder approaches a dark two-door careening to the left and right. With mounting agita, they realize: Hes not gonna stop! My only question is: Did he wave goodbye before putting it in reverse? I kid, of course, but its like my old Dad used to say: Sometimes, were where it hurts too much to laugh and were too old to cry. The Journal also reported recently on a high-speed chase that began in downtown Deadwood and ended up one smashed police car avoiding a deer and finding a tree later with the fella (s) getting away. Off into wild and wonderful Wyoming, it seems. Apparently, the old adage: No matter how fast your car is, you cant outrun a police radio has limits. Still, the genius playing a dangerous game of Vanishing Point with law enforcement did make a mistake: He conveniently left his drivers license in the hands of the Deadwood officer before deciding to make a run for it. Thats just top-grade professional criminal, that there. Thus reviving another old adage: You cant fix stupid. Word is the driver, a non-retired burglar and MENSA candidate, is at least a one-time loser. Ill just go out on a limb and make a prediction that the big house will soon be hosting a welcome back party for him. He fought the law and the law won. Not to worry, lots of criminal masterminds still out there at large, as it were. Lets pray our officers, as they nab them, stay out of harms way. Case against alleged leader of notorious Russian gang to be heard by jury Context Alleged Russian organized crime boss arrested in Thailand MOSCOW, September 2 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) The Moscow Regional Court will review a criminal case against Alexander Matusov, alleged leader or the Shchyolkovo organized crime gang, with participation of a jury trial, RAPSI learned from the courts press-service on Friday. Jury selection is set for September 8. Matusov, aka Basmach, was arrested in Thailand at the request of Interpols National Central Bureau for Russia in June of 2014. Matusov was arrested in Thailands eastern seaside town of Sattahip in Chon Buri Province. The Shchyolkovo gang was active from 1995 to 2009 and was notorious for contract killings, extortion and kidnappings in the Moscow and St. Petersburg areas. The gang members are suspected of having killed at least 60 people. In 2009, police found the bodies of 15 of the gangs victims in forests near Moscow. Matusov is charged with series of murders and attempted murders of businessmen. According to investigators, in November of 1996 gangsters, including Basmach, attacked four businessmen, killing three of them. One of the victims survived, but was severely wounded. Matusov was put on the wanted list in 2009, when police brought three murder charges against members of his crime group. Ruling on forfeiture of Sakhalin ex-governors assets upheld MOSCOW, September 2 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) The Sakhalin Regional Court has upheld a lower court's ruling to on forfeiture of assets owned by Sakhalins former governor Alexander Khoroshavin and his family members at a cost of 1.1 billion rubles ($17 million), RAPSI learnt in the court on Friday. In May, a court in Yuzno-Sakhalinsk granted a motion by prosecutors for confiscation of property belonging to Khoroshavin, his wife and son. In particular, expensive apartments, fancy cars, money, jewelry were taken to the state based upon the facts of corruption established by investigation. The family appealed the ruling. Interestingly, last September, Irina Khoroshavina filed for divorce and division of property. Investigators announced in March 2015 that Khoroshavin and several other officials were arrested for allegedly taking a $5.6 million bribe to secure a contract to build a power unit for the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk thermal plant. In April 2015, Khoroshavin was charged in another criminal case with taking a bribe of at least 15 million rubles ($230,000) for providing credits on advantageous terms to one of the local businessmen. He pleaded not guilty. In January, the third criminal case was opened against Khoroshavin. According to investigators, he took 27 million rubles ($414,000) in bribes from candidates for the positions in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Duma in 2014. President Vladimir Putin dismissed Khoroshavin from his post due to loss of trust in March 2015. BUTTE- A wildfire in the rugged mountains east of Elk Park expanded to 344 acres Wednesday afternoon nearly five times the 69 acres reported on Tuesday. Thirty-seven people are fighting the blaze, which up until Tuesday was being monitored daily by the Forest Service, but didnt have manpower at the scene. The Forest Service news release said moderate fire activity over the past few days, along with more accurate mapping aided by a reconnaissance flight, determined that acreage had increased to 344. A hotshot crew, two engines and one helicopter making water drops are assigned to the fire, which is believed to have started during an intense lightning storm that blew through the Butte area on Aug. 7. The blaze wasnt detected until Aug. 13, when a passer-by on Interstate 15 reported it. As of Wednesday night, containment was at zero, according to the press release. The fire, about 11 miles northeast of Butte, is burning in heavy standing and down dead timber. The Forest Service reported earlier this week that the area is steep and rocky. The hot shot crew that arrived Wednesday worked with engine crews to assess and create defensible space around private structures to the south and north of the fire. A Type I helicopter is dropping water along the southeastern portion of the fire. Firefighters will work to stop the fires spread to the south and west, and to protect private property and structures. Firefighters also will remove hazard trees and heavy fuels and install hose lays and pumps as part of structure protection and preparation. No closures are planned at this time. Due to fire traffic and narrow roads, fire officials are requesting only residents travel on the Nez Perce Road. Warm, dry weather is expected to continue over the next couple of days. By Monday, Labor Day, however, a cold front will bring showers and cooler temperatures, including a near high of 55. What could be more American and patriotic than the Statue of Liberty, symbol of freedom not only for Americans but for the tens of thousands who first cast eyes upon her when immigrating to America? But, did you know that Lady Liberty was initially destined to reside in Egypt? In 1867, sculptor Fredric Bartholdi was commissioned to create a statue to be called the Statue of Progress at Port Said near the entrance of the Suez Canal. In the form of a colossal female fellah, or Arab peasant, the huge statue was to hold aloft a torch with the theme Egypt carrying the Light to Asia. Bartholdi worked on the Suez project, off and on, over the next two years in various clay models and drawings. In 1869, while attending the grand opening ceremonies of the Suez Canal, he took the opportunity to speak with the Egyptian leader Khedewi Ismail Pasha. At that time the Egyptian leaders response was most encouraging, even going so far as to suggest that rather than having the light held in the hand, it should be carried atop the head native style. The next year, Bartholdi traveled to America and the Suez colossal sculpture project was soon dropped by the Egyptians as being too costly. After his failure in Egypt, the artist shifted his attention to America, which was experiencing an economic boom after the Civil War. Bartholdi hoped that no other country in the world would be as excited about this bigger-than-life colossal than America. He would soon re-purpose his colossus as Liberty Enlightening the World. However, for this to happen, he needed to raise money and lots of it. To help with fundraising, he put parts of the statue on display and charged admission. The head was exhibited in Paris in 1878 and the arm and torch displayed in Philadelphia in 1876. As it turned out, Americans had to raise more money than the French to bring the statue to New York. Newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer (of the famed Pulitzer Prize) got behind the effort by offering to publish the name of every person who donated even as little as one dollar to the effort. Bartholdi saw his statue as a way to remind Americans of how much the French had helped during the Revolutionary War. After all, were it not for the French, who supplied weapons and engaged its own warships, the Revolution could easily have collapsed in defeat. On July 4, 1884, Bartholdi and the people of France officially presented the completed Statue of Liberty to the United States minister to France in Paris. It was then disassembled, packed in 214 wooden crates and shipped to the United States. It wasnt until 1886 that the completed statue was officially unveiled in its current New York location. No one knows whom Bartholdi used as a model for Lady Liberty. However, based on her strong-boned face, and somewhat dour expression, there are those who believe she was modeled after Bartholdis mentally disturbed brother, who eventually ended up in an insane asylum. Bartholdi was known to have used the faces of people he knew. Perhaps by sculpting a troubled face, he was expressing his view that liberty would not come easy. Liberty Island is one of New Yorks most popular sites, attracting more than 3 million visitors a year to Americas most enduring symbol of liberty and freedom. North Point Jones Day Cleveland The North Point office complex in downtown Cleveland, home to the Jones Day law firm, has been purchased by Hertz Investment Group as part of a bigger portfolio deal. (Mort Tucker Photography, Inc.) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hertz Investment Group paid $95 million for the North Point office complex in downtown Cleveland, property records show. That figure popped up in documents filed Thursday, four days after California-based Hertz announced that it had bought a cluster of Midwest office properties in the company's largest acquisition to date. The combined deals, in Cleveland, Milwaukee and Indianapolis, carried a price tag of $416.9 million. North Point is a two-building complex at Lakeside Avenue and East Ninth Street. The 873,335-square-foot property is 78 percent leased to tenants including the Jones Day law firm, according to a Monday news release from Hertz. Despite downtown Cleveland's revitalization, North Point sold for less than it did the last time around. Property records show that an affiliate of Equity Commonwealth, a publicly traded real estate investment trust based in Chicago, paid $114.1 million for the complex in early 2008. After a shareholder revolt, Equity has been shedding smaller office properties and real estate in secondary markets under the chairmanship of billionaire and contrarian investor Sam Zell. In its most recent annual report, Equity valued North Point at $125.1 million and placed the property's net book value - the cost minus accumulated depreciation - at $100.9 million. The Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office, for its part, estimates that the two-building complex is worth $91.7 million. Hertz now owns three downtown Cleveland assets. The company bought Fifth Third Center on Superior Avenue and Skylight Office Tower at Tower City last year. Such purchases are helping to establish expectations for mainstream pricing in the local office market, which has been murky since the recession due to many deals involving empty, financially distressed or foreclosed buildings. Guwahati: A citizens' meet on Thursday unanimously demanded disbanding of the Rhino Horns Verification Committee, recently formed by the Government of Assam, as in its opinion, the committee is out to legalize all irregularities by those involved in killing and poaching of rhinos and selling their horns. The meeting held at Guwahati Press Club and jointly organized by Nature's Beckon and the Journalists' Forum, Assam (JFA) demanded of the authorities to make public the total number of horns from the rhinos naturally dead and those recovered after being killed by the poachers. But this number too must be arrived at after putting each and every horn to forensic tests. Presided over by JFA chief Rupam Baruah, and attended by leading intellectuals, journalists and nature-lovers, the meeting strongly advocated a CBI inquiry into all the murky incidents of killing and poaching of the animal and trading of its horns. The CBI probe should also include the dubious role being played by the Rhino Horns Verification Committee, the citizens said. Voicing his concern, renowned litterateur and journalist, Homen Borgohain said the Rhino Horns Verification Committee appears to be in a mission to bestow legal sanction on the irregularities so far indulged in by the captains of illegal rhino trade. This committee has no moral right to exist, he added. Mrinal Saikia, the BJP MLA from Khumtai, said that numerous incidents of killing and poaching of rhinos had taken place during Mohan Chandra Malakar's tenure as the principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife and this clearly creates a conflict of interests when he took over as chairman of the verification committee. Soumyadeep Dutta, director, Nature's Beckon, in his speech, asked how come the Department of Forest, Assam boasted of selling rhino horns till 1979 as the Indian Wildlife Protection Act had already been enacted in 1972, which banned sale and purchase of animals and their meat. Dutta pointed out, the department openly declared its complicity in an illegal act. Anuradha Sharma Pujari, Editor, Sadin, said that the verification committee has lost all its credibility in its short span of existence. Asom Bani Editor, Dilip Chandan sought the immediate intervention of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the issue. Ranen Kumar Goswami, senior journalist, also a JFA member, criticized a section of journalists for their audacity in behaving as self-styled spokespersons of the media. 'These journalists, involved neck-deep in the committee, have done all they could to suppress transparency instead of promoting it,' Goswami said. 'By killing transparency and preventing what happened behind the iron curtain from being disseminated, these journalists appear to have surrendered their professional ethics to the willful wrong-doers in illegal forest trade,aA Goswami said. JFA secretary Nava Thakuria said that the recent recovery of five fake rhino horns has proved beyond doubt the unholy alliance between corrupt officials and perpetrators of criminal acts. Others, who spoke on the occasion, included senior journalists Apurba Ballabh Goswami, Pulin Kalita and Chandan Duara, wildlife activists Mubina Akhtar, Jainal Abedin, Indrajit Dutta, Nitul Nath and Padum Barthakur, science writer Jagadindra Raichoudhury and rhino researcher Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya. *(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)* Guwahati, September 1 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday reiterated that the development of the state on a war footing is the Govermentas utmost priority and building the Digital Highway to this affect is of paramount importance. Speaking at the Northeast Information and Communication Technology (NICT) conference 2016 at a city hotel, the Assam CM said that every village of the state will be digitally connected in the next five years and called on all IT players of the country to be part of this revolution. Sonowal said that every rural household will be digitally connected so that people can get their needs fulfilled without having to travel to bigger cities and towns. He said that the best way to connect with the youths is through digital medium and this government is going to fulfil their hopes and aspirations through sincere and dedicated work. Better IT infrastructure will be put in place in partnership with private players to make Digital Assam a reality and better internet bandwidth will be facilitated so that internet connectivity in the state does not suffer from any lag. Minister of Education Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was also present at the conference, spoke about Digital Clubs to be set up in every village of the state from where people can directly avail the government services. The Digital Clubs will facilitate services like air and rail ticket booking, digital books reading apart from essential government services making the dream of e- Governance a reality. The e- Gram project will be henceforth handled by IT Department of the state for a seamless connectivity within the various departments,aA Dr Sarma said. Minister of Information Technology Keshab Mahanta, Additional Chief Secretary V.S. Bhaskar, Managing Director, AMTRON M.K. Yadav among others were also present at the conference. *(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)* Guwahati, September 1 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday asked the forest officers to identify challenges posing dangers on wild lives, the sources of such challenges and develop a mechanism to counter them for the protection and conservation of forests and wild ives. Interacting with the lady forest officers in the conference room of his office in Assam Secretariat on Thursday, Sonowal said that the fact that forest land is shrinking is a cause of concern as most of the problems are precipitating from the shrinkage of forest lan. 'Encroachment is one of the reasons leading to shrinking of forest land,' Sonowal said. In this context he called upon the forest officers to put 'protection of forest landa' into their agenda of priorities and asked the lady forest officers to take a proactive role for the assessment of forest properties and formulating a working plan for the same. Terming that a good relation between forest officials and the people living in fringe areas is vital for the protection of wild lives, Sonowal asked the Forest Officers to build a synergy with the local people who can serve as a deterrent against wild life related crimes. He also asked the officers to work innovatively to create employment avenues for the local youths and stated that with this intention the Government has decided to keep the Kaziranga National Park open for eight months for tourists on experimental basis. Sonowal also emphasised on winning the hearts of the people living along the fringe areas so as to create a shield against wild life crimes including poaching. The lady forest officers who were led by Minister of Environment and Forests Pramila Rani Bharhma, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the first lady Indian Forest Service Officer from Assam Ranjana Gupta, Indian Forest Service Officer Alka Bharghava vowed to work resolutely for the promotion of wild lives in Assam. Principal Secretary, Forests Sanjeeva Kumar, Commissioner and Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Lohia were also present at the meeting. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) KATHMANDU, Sept 2: The International Relations and Labour Committee under the Legislature- Parliament has directed the government to further strengthen diplomatic relations with neighboring countriesIndia and China, on the basis of constitution of Nepal, principles of the Charter of the United Nations and Panchasheel. Today's meeting of the Committee directed this after taking information about the reasons behind sending Deputy Prime Ministers Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Bahadur Mahara to India and China respectively soon after the formation of Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government and about what the letters sent by the government to both countries through the DPMs, content. On the occasion, the DPMs said that they handed over the invitation to the respective countries sent by Presidnet Bidya Devi Bhandari to Indian President Pranab Mukharjee and Chinese President Xi Jinping for their state visit. They said, "We as special envoys of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal went India and China taking two letters. One is sent by Presidnet Bhandari to Indian and Chinese Presidents for state visit to Nepal and another was about the content of their selection as special envoys of Prime Minister Dahal. No other issues were mentioned there." Insisting on the falseness of the claims made by the main opposition and brought to fore by the media over the subjects connected with Nepal's internal affairs being included in the letter they said, "Our visit has contributed in strengthening the historic relations Nepal has with both the countries and continuing it in the future." On the occasion, DPM Nidhi said that his visit to India has further consolidated and broadened the ties between the two countries while bringing certainty over the Indian President's visit to Nepal and Nepal's President and Prime Minister's visit to India. Likewise, another DPM Mahara elaborated on his visit to China stating that matters of mutual interest and concern including constitution's implementation, efforts underway for bringing the disgruntled side on board and expanding the constitution's acceptability and current government's priority of concluding the peace process were discussed with top Chinese officials. Foreign Minister, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, underscored the trend in practice world over of sending special envoys to neighbouring countries for consolidating the ties and in regards the government's priority when there was no appointment of foreign minister and during such a time when the country's ambassadorial positions in the two countries remained vacant. Saying that positive responses were pouring in from international level on the visit, they asked that no one should cast a doubt on the letter sent by PM Dahal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi through DPM Nidhi. Earlier, lawmakers had demanded clarification of why and what a crisis prompted to send them (the DPMs) to India and China as special envoy of PM Dahal. They also said this has weakened the foreign policy of Nepal and demanded that the information about the exchange of letters with the neighbors during the DPMs' visit should be made available to the committee. However, some lawmakers termed the DPMs' visits matured, right and positive. RSS KHAJURA (Banke), Sept 2: A man was found dead in mysterious condition in Hotel Poplife in Kohalpur of Banke. Bikash Rai of around 30 years of age of Kohalpur-11 was found dead in his hotel room. He had reportedly checked-in on Wednesday at the hotel with his friends Prashant Shakya of Nepalgunj, Pawan Shrestha of Kohalpur and Iswar Thapa of Birendranagar, police said. Prashant and Iswar have been taken into police custody for necessary investigation. Security strengthened in Nepalgunj Hundreds of police personnel have been mobilized in different areas of Nepalgunj since early this morning. The security measure has been consolidated after a bust of late King Birendra was remove at midnight. The statue had been installed yesterday afternoon by monarchists, leading to a tense situation throughout the day. The Setu BK chowk, Dhamboji chowk, Puspa Lal chowk and BP chowk are currently under police cordon in order to avert any possible skirmishes between sides installing and removing the statue of the late King. RSS Nepalgunj, Nepal: The Nepalgunj sub-metropolitan cit has remained tense after the pro-monarch cadres clashed with police after the latter removed the monument of late King Birendra Shah from Dhamboji Chowk. After brief clash on Friday, heavy securities have been mobilized in and around the Dhamboji Chowk. The tense situation was erupted from Thursday morning after a group of pro royalist youth had reinstated the monument of late King Birendra, which was pulled down during the Janaandolan 2006. The student wing affiliated to the CPN Maoist had removed the monument of late King during the protest. Police removed the monument on Thursday night after local leaders from the different political parties had exerted pressure to the local administration to remove the reestablished statue of late King Birendra. Following the incident, pro-royal youth including the cadres of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party- Nepal (RPPN) have been staging protest in the area. The statue of late King Birendra was reestablished matching to the ten years of its in 2006. Welcome to the PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE. We are a multi-racial, multi-issue "rainbow coalition" dedicated to social justice, peace and building progressive power. Our key priorities include economic justice; equal rights and equal opportunities for all regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation; international solidarity; humanitarian service; eradicating poverty at home and abroad; environmental protection and sustainable development; and electing progressives to public office and then holding them accountable. Via DAWN - Aug 17, 2016 Nationalism and patriotism in Pakistan are contested subjects. What makes us Pakistanis and what is it that makes us love our land and nation? The answers to these questions vary widely depending on who is being asked. A large part of our national identity stems from our sense of history and culture that are deeply rooted in the land and in the legacy of the regionas ancient civilisations. Religion has also played a big part in making us what we are today. But the picture general history textbooks paint for us does not portray the various facets of our identity. Instead it offers quite a convoluted description of who we are. The distortion of historical facts has in turn played a quintessential role in manipulating our sense of self. Whatas ironic is that the boldest fallacies in these books are about the events that are still in our living memory. Herald invited writers and commentators, well versed in history, to share their answers to what they believe is the most blatant lie taught through Pakistan history textbooks. The fundamental divide between Hindus and Muslims The most blatant lie in Pakistan Studies textbooks is the idea that Pakistan was formed solely because of a fundamental conflict between Hindus and Muslims. This idea bases itself on the notion of a civilisational divide between monolithic Hindu and Muslim identities, which simply did not exist. The stress on religion ignored other factors that could cut across both identities. For instance, a Muslim from most of South India had far more in common, because of his regionally specific culture and language, with Hindus in this area than the Muslims in the north of the Subcontinent. Similarly, the division of the historical narrative into a aHindua and aMuslima period, aside from the ironic fact that this was actually instituted by the British, glosses over the reality that Islamic empires also fought each other for power. After all, Babar had to defeat Ibrahim Lodhi, and thus, the Delhi Sultanate, for the Mughal period to begin. Therefore, power and empire building often trumped this religious identity, that textbooks claim, can be traced linearly right to the formation of Pakistan. These textbooks tend to have snapshot descriptions of the contempt with which the two religious communities treated one another. This is specifically highlighted in descriptions of the Congress ministries formed after the elections of 1937. Other factors that contributed historically to these shows of religious acontempta in South Asian history are often ignored. Indeed, Richard Eatonas classic study of temple desecrations shows that in almost all cases where Hindu temples were ransacked, it was for political or economic reasons. In most cases, it was because the Muslim ruler was punishing an insubordinate Hindu official. Otherwise, the Mughals protected such temples. Jumping ahead, this sort of inter-communal cooperation aimed at maintaining political control could also be seen in the Unionist Party, which was in power in Punjab all the way up until 1946. As Pakistan was formed barely a year later, the notion that its formation was based on a long-standing and fundamental conflict between Hindus and Muslims is deeply problematic. a Anushay Malik holds a PhD in history from University of London and is currently an assistant professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences SEE FULL TEXT HERE: http://www.dawn.com/news/1125484 Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Warning: Possible spoilers for the upcoming Adam Wingard film 'Blair Witch' First released in 1999, the now-iconic found-footage film from filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, 'The Blair Witch Project' is one if not the most profitable franchise in cinema. The thriller, produced on a modest budget of just sixty thousand dollars, found a large audienceship with the smart utility of the internet as its core marketing platform. The film's marketing team built a website (www.BlairWitch.com) which posed incremental details about the legend, which made the impression of the film being true-life accounts of the student documentarians center in the film even stronger. And people believed that the events that unfold in the film did happen. It didn't, of course; it was simply a chemistry of storytelling and marketing. Save for a surprise announcement from a few weeks back at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, the marketing campaign for the new film, titled 'Blair Witch', which Adam Wingard ("You're Next") directs, has been pretty straightforward. And you would think that, with just a few days left before the film reaches theaters, all entry points for marketing and promotion have been exhausted. This, of course, is not the case. Indiewire shares a suspicious-looking Kickstarter campaign for a "feature-length documentary that examines the tragedy of ambiguous loss," titled 'The Absence Of Closure', which may or may not be part of 'Blair Witch's' marketing campaign. The page has some details on the filmmaking crew prior their trip to the Black Hills Forests. On the Kickstarter's last update, dated August 11, it is revealed that---spoiler!---most of the crew have gone missing post-Black Hills, and that, after two years, authorities have "given up" on their search. It isn't like this would have us rethink the new film's authenticity, but it is a very welcome homage to one of the most clever and cunning film marketing efforts in history. 'Blair Witch' is set to hit theaters on September 16, 2016. Take a look at the trailer below. 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). Fifteen passengers of a spear-fishing boat, as well as the vessel's captain and a dog, were rescued near the Golden Gate Bridge Thursday night after the craft began flooding following a crash into the rocky shoreline. ABC 7 reports that the boat, called the "New Seeker," left Emeryville at 6 a.m. Thursday "for a day of salmon fishing at Point Reyes." As they returned., the 50-foot vessel hit the rocks near Kirby Cove on the Marin County side of the bridge, the Chron reports. According to Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Lieutenant Luciana Ganley, boats from the Coast Guard and Marin County as well as a helicopter from the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office responded following a distress call from the boat at 4:40 p.m., as the vessel ran aground and began to fill with water. "It started coming into the shore and got kind of beached and it looked like it took on some water and the next thing we know, there is the Coast Guard and firemen," a witness told ABC 7. The Chron reports that the boat contained 15 passengers, a captain, and a dog described by ABC 7 as "a yellow Labrador retriever." All were rescued without injury, Ganley says, and were "driven to Fort Baker for questioning and for an assessment" following the incident. Speaking with the Chron, a spokesperson with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area says that the vessel will be salvaged from the shoreline where it landed, and no fuel of any kind was spilled into the water during the wreck. #Passengers from sinking fishing boat making their way up Kirby Cove Rd #marinHeadlands pic.twitter.com/A2sWZUgGI7 Lisa Amin Gulezian (@LisaAminABC7) September 2, 2016 Rev your engine, roll the windows down and join our open-road odyssey this issue as we talk to Andrea Arnold about her latest film American Honey. Here Arnold leaves behind the British landscapes of Wasp, Red Road, Fish Tank and Wuthering Heights and takes a road trip into the poverty-stricken hinterlands of the US. The films American honey is Star, a tenacious 18-year-old loner who wants more from life than playing makeshift mother to two siblings and so joins a ragtag door-to-door sales crew who party and drive their way across the Midwest. In our cover feature Simran Hans explores Arnolds ongoing exploration of class and female sexuality and talks to the director about discovering her lead and first-time actor Sasha Lane, shooting personal, intimate films in Academy ratio and why all her films have sex scenes. Cruising alongside, Kim Morgan takes a ride through film history and finds that any assumptions that the road movie is a male genre is a dead end; the road has been a place for cinematic escape, discovery and crisis for many women on screen. What kind of dames thumb rides? asks Tom Neal in Edgar G. Ulmers Detour. It turns out all kinds, from Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night (1934) to Quentin Tarantinos feminist rebels in Death Proof (2007). Elsewhere, we celebrate the extraordinary career of Kirk Douglas; discuss Little Men with Ira Sachs; explore Victor Erices tantalising incomplete 1983 film El sur; talk to John Carpenter about his love of Hammer and Howard Hawks; and interrogate a recent quartet of limp Hollywood war satires. Plus all the regular reviews of latest releases and more Features After a trio of distinctly British features, Andrea Arnolds American Honey takes a road trip into the poverty-stricken hinterlands of the US Midwest, following the hard-partying adventures of a young woman who joins a crew of door-to-door magazine subscription sellers. By Simran Hans. + Drive, She Said: The road movie is generally associated with men, but the cinema is also full of women who take to the road, whether in pursuit of escape, adventure, crime or just that high-speed thrill ride. By Kim Morgan. As Kirk Douglas approaches his 100th birthday, we celebrate his extraordinary career, which saw him swiftly ascend the ranks of Hollywood aristocracy following his 1946 debut, with a host of classic roles playing ruthless villains, morally ambiguous mavericks and self-interested sharks. By Philip Kemp. Watch our video tribute Kirk Douglas: Hollywood champ The burgeoning friendship between a pair of 13-year-old boys is threatened when a bitter feud develops between their parents, in Ira Sachss beautifully observed Little Men, set against the background of gentrification and spiralling rents in a middle-class Brooklyn neighbourhood. By Graham Fuller. Despite having had its funding pulled and its production halted 48 days into an 81-day shoot, Victor Erices tantalising, incomplete 1983 film El sur is still regarded by many as a masterpiece, telling the tale of a young girls relationship with her secretive, emotionally distant father. By Mar Diestro-Dopido. Watch our video essay Haunted memory: the cinema of Victor Erice John Carpenter, the one-time powerhouse of genre cinema from Dark Star and Halloween to The Fog and Escape from New York, talks about growing up in the Jim Crow American south, his love of Hammer and Howard Hawks and his favourite scene from any of his films. By Geoffrey Macnab. In a far cry from the bleak, satirical brilliance of the best Hollywood war films, a recent quartet of limp studio titles shamelessly exploits the instability and conflict in the Middle East to provide little more than an exotic backdrop for the stories of white Americans hoping to find themselves. By Violet Lucca. Preview: BFI London Film Festival: With a focus on black talent and an S&S Gala presenting the film of 2016, this autumns festival is set to be one of the most exciting in years. By Nick James. Browse the full programme This website is intended for U.S. visitors only. DAKOTA CITY | When he started working on the processing line in what was then known as the Iowa Beef Processors plant in 1970, Mike Shumansky figured it would be a temporary job. "My plan was to work here until I was drafted, then move on after that," he said. Shumansky was drafted, all right. And after serving two years in the Army, he returned to the Dakota City beef plant. He never left. "It's been quite a journey," said Shumansky, a processing line supervisor now in his 47th year at the plant, where more beef is processed than anywhere else in the world. He could just as well have been talking about his employer, which over the years changed its name from Iowa Beef Packers to Iowa Beef Processors before shortening it to IBP inc.. In 2003, the name changed to Tyson Fresh Meats after Tyson Foods' purchase of IBP two years earlier. No matter the name on the side of the building, the sprawling Dakota City facility has been a community mainstay for 50 years now, an anniversary that employees and invited guests will celebrate Friday with a huge picnic. Plant operations began in February 1966, the same year Iowa Beef Packers moved its headquarters to Dakota City from Denison, Iowa, where the company was founded in 1961. A Dakota City plant that once covered 18 acres now has 41 acres under the roof and employs 4,500 people. "The business has really morphed," said Steve Stouffer, president of Dakota Dunes-based Tyson Fresh Meats. "There are so many things as a technological perspective to a labor perspective to a food safety perspective that have changed." Those who remember the plant's early days likely would have a hard time recognizing it now. Major renovations, including two projects in the last decade totaling more than $170 million, have turned the plant into a sprawling complex. In the course of the expansion, original processing areas were rebuilt, the slaughter floor replaced and beef coolers, rendering facilities, box-handling operations and other plant systems were upgraded. Those upgrades have facilitated the production of vacuum-packed, boxed beef for sale to wholesalers, retailers, hotels, restaurants and institutions. Bone, fat, trimmings and hides are recovered there and used in the making of various foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and clothing. PLANT CHANGED AREA, INDUSTRY When the plant opened, few could have expected the effect it would eventually have on Dakota City, neighboring South Sioux City and the entire Sioux City metro area. "We would not have thought that it would grow to this scale," said Lance Hedquist, the South Sioux City manager since 1980. "Obviously it changed the makeup of Dakota City, South Sioux City and Siouxland." The plant has attracted thousands of new residents to the area and has led to the creation and growth of local trucking, cold storage and pallet manufacturing companies, to give just a few examples. And its boxed beef concept, in which meat was cut into smaller portions for shipment in boxes, replacing the traditional shipments of carcasses to major cities, revolutionized the meatpacking industry by cutting shipping costs and making the product easier to store and handle. Through all those developments and expansions were people like Shumansky and Roger Jensen, a packaging supervisor who has worked at the plant since 1976. "People wouldn't recognize the job now from 50 years ago," Jensen said. Much of the work inside the plant has always been strenuous manual labor. Advances in automation have taken some of the physical strain from workers. Tyson continues to explore ergonomic improvements to production lines to make workers' jobs easier and safer, said Stouffer, who was hired by IBP in 1982 as a beef carcass merchandiser who monitored USDA meat grading in the plant. Stouffer credits the company's increased attention to worker health and safety as one of the reasons for relatively calm labor relations for much of the past 30 years. Workers struck five times between 1969 and 1986, and some walkouts turned violent, even necessitating the call for the National Guard to provide crowd control during a 1982 strike. In more recent decades, all union contracts have been ratified without work stoppages. "There's a lot more understanding on our reliance on our team members," Stouffer said. "Because of that desire, I think you saw that butting of heads start to decline." Dan Risner, president of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 222, said both labor and management have made strides in their willingness to sit down and negotiate. Working inside a packing plant will always be physically challenging, he said, but recent plant modifications have led to improved conditions. "There's still work to be done on (ergonomics) at the plant, but I do think we're headed in the right direction," Risner said. IBP NAME SURVIVES It's been 15 years since Tyson bought IBP, but that iconic name retains a presence. Beef still leaves the plant in boxes with the green IBP logo stamped on them. Longtime employees and area residents still refer to the plant as IBP. "I catch myself saying that now and again," Jensen said. Despite all the changes during the past 50 years, one thing hasn't: the reliance on farmers and ranchers across the region. Stouffer said Tyson spent $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2015 to buy cattle to supply the plant. Most of those cattle come from independent farmers and ranchers from within a 150-mile radius. "We rely just as much on independent farmers as we do on our customers," Stouffer said. Customers' preferences will continue to shape the plant's future, Stouffer said. Consumers want leaner beef in portions that can be prepared quickly and easily. As a result, the plant is trimming off more fat from the beef cuts and breaking them down into smaller portions. "We're going to be driven more by how do we satisfy that need, that niche," Stouffer said. Shumansky said he's never doubted that IBP, now Tyson, would continue to operate. "It's always been a dependable place to work," he said. "I always thought they'd be here. They kept improving. People were always going to be eating meat." SIOUX CITY | For those who might have lost heart in happy endings, there is a beacon of hope in the story of John and Bernice Mazur. Fairy tales don't happen every day, but they do happen - the Mazurs are in their 70th year of living happily ever after. "I wish it'd last longer," said Bernice. "I'd like to start all over again, right with the 'I do.' Its been great. I feel sorry for anybody who doesnt have a happy marriage." Both Mazurs are residents of Holy Spirit Retirement Home, where they shared a romantic lunch on their anniversary date Friday. John lives in assisted living, in a separate wing from his bride. "She's actually in independent living," said Pam Bolender, primary nurse manager for Hospice. "She lives right here on campus, so she walks back and forth to visit John every single day." The Mazurs met when Bernice was 21 and John was 26. John's uncle was Bernice's godfather, and they met at a gathering at his uncle's home. They wed six months later on Sept. 2, 1946. Two sons, three grandchildren, and one great grandchild later, John and Bernice were seated across from each other at Holy Spirit, sharing a meal donated by Red Lobster over a bouquet of roses. Bernice and John love seafood, and Bernice is a pro at cracking crab. "Nobody knows how many days we have left, so we just want to make the most of every day," Bolender said. "And this was just a perfect example of trying to make this day special for them, and have a celebration of love." John worked for many years as a purchasing agent for an electrical company. He became a part owner, a position he held until his retirement in 1984. The company was eventually sold, and he was then free to travel the world with his wife. "All these years we traveled, we thought wed look for a spot to retire," said Bernice. "But we just kept moving along, enjoying everyplace we went." "We've been to Africa," As Bernice trailed off, John interjected: "Egypt!" Bernice smiled before continuing her list, "Greece, Alaska, upper South America and lower, the only place we didnt get to was" Every time Bernice draws a blank, John is there to complete her sentence. This time he says, "Machu Picchu, in Peru." "We kind of ran out of steam," explained Bernice. "John just decided, we're staying home. One day we were coming back from Greece, about 22 hours. It was long, we were so tired, and John said 'Thats it,' and I agreed with him." The Mazurs spent the following decade at home - in between travels across the country. But they kept their mutual agreement not to leave America anymore. "Its been fun. Its been nice," said Bernice. "I dont know, it just happened, to tell you the truth. I really thought it was no time at all, and then they were telling me it was 70 years. We just did our own thing -- we just got along fine." Screenings Free blood pressure screenings, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays at Countryside Senior Living, front lobby. No appointment necessary. Programs/Self-Help Groups Al-Anon Information Center, call 255-6724. Al-Anon and Alateen, meetings locally. For times, dates and locations of area meetings, call 255-6724. Alcoholics Anonymous, beginners information, call 252-1333. Arc of Woodbury County, serving the mentally challenged, 5:15 p.m. meeting, second Monday of the month at Mid-Step Services, 4303 Stone Ave. For families and interested persons. Child Care Resource and Referral, provides resources, education and advocacy for children, parents, and child care providers. Assists in child care needs. For more information, call 712-277-1180. Co-Dependence Anonymous, 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at First Lutheran Church, Fireside Room. Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA), 10 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St. Compassionate Friends, 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday of each month (third Thursday in November and second Sunday December) in Mercy Medical Center's Leiter Room. For families who have lost children. Contact Nancy Webb 712-212-4032 or Don Mulder 712-541-5512. Children of Divorce, to help children cope with the challenges of parental separation or divorce. Call 712-279-2373 for more information. Clinics Siouxland District Health immunization clinics, call for appointment, 712-279-6119 or 1-800-587-3005. Information Family and Addictive Illness series, for more information, call 234-2300. Iowa Fathers, 6 to 8 p.m. fourth Tuesday of each month at Hope Lutheran Church, Education Building, 218 W. 18th St., South Sioux City, Neb. Support group to help single, divorcing and divorced parents residing in the state of Iowa. Mercy Pathways Outpatient Program, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, on the third floor, Mercy's Central Medical Building, 801 Fifth St., Suite 360. Provides hope, help, opportunity to connect through group therapy for individuals experiencing personal, relationship, psychiatric issues. For more information, call 712-279-5991. Narcotics Anonymous, meetings daily, various times, dates and locations. For more information, call 712-279-0733. Overeaters Anonymous, 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Wesley United Methodist Church, 3700 Indian Hills Drive; 6 p.m. Tuesdays at St. John's Lutheran Church, 402 Lane Ave., Storm Lake; 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Church of the Nazarene, 226 N. Main St., Viborg, S.D.; 5:30 p.m. Thursdays at Newman Center, 320 E. Cherry St., Vermillion, S.D.; 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.; 9 a.m. at Newman Center, 320 E. Cherry St., Vermillion, S.D. A 12-step recovery program for people who have problems with food and weight. No fees. St. Lukes Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on fifth floor of St. Luke's, located at 2720 Stone Park Blvd. Offers several levels of outpatient care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and group therapy. This program provides support and integrated treatment to individuals experiencing personal or relationship issues as a result of their mental illness. For more information and admission criteria, call 712-279-3906. Sobriety By Faith, 8:30 a.m. Saturdays at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For more information, call James Mothershead at 712-577-9715. The Link-Recovery and Freedom, at PMA Building, 6000 Gordon Drive; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday workshop, and Christian 12-step meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. For all ages. Call Dee at 389-7432. Women in Recovery, meets monthly at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For details, call 712-255-4623. Tarahouse Meditation Center, 8 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 6:30 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, all at 3112 Rebecca St. Three easy 10-minute sessions in small group; beginners welcome. For more information, call 490-6410. Blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the lobby at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Free to public. Support Groups Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Hawkeye Club basement, 420 Jones St. For more information, call 277-5935. Celebrate Recovery, Bible-based 12-step recovery group. Thursdays at 6:30 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive. Daycare provided. 712-490-3343. PFLAG of Siouxland, (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 7 p.m., fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. St. Mark ELCA Church, 5200 Glenn Ave., in the upstairs meeting area. 712-258-3116. Singles widowed and divorced, all ages, 4 p.m., Sundays. McDonald's at Sixth Street and Lewis Boulevard. 712-252-2675. HIV/AIDS Support Group, meets weekly. For more information, call Darla or Teri at Siouxland Community Health Center, 712-252-2477 or 888-371-1965. La Leche League of Siouxland, breastfeeding support group meets every third Thursday at 11 a.m. at Morningside Lutheran Church. Children are welcome. For more information, call Mary at 712-546-7280 or Jacquie at 712-255-2998. Living Each Day Cancer Support Group, 7-8 p.m. second Thursday of the month, Floyd Valley Hospital, Conference Center Room 2, Le Mars, Iowa. Open to all cancer patients, cancer survivors and family members. No charge. Pre-register by calling 712-546-3441 or 800-642-6074, ext. 441. Mom and Baby Support Group, 10-11 a.m. last Monday of the month at the Orange City (Iowa) Hospital, lower level. For new moms and babies. 712-737-5260. Tri-State Sober Project, 12-step meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Friendship Community Church, 305 Sergeant Square Drive, Sergeant Bluff. 6-7 p.m., Thursdays, Transitional Services of Iowa, 1221 Pierce St., Sioux City. Doug's Donors Support Group, information for organ donors and recipients, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 5:15-6:30 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays of the month at Mercy Cafeteria Woodbury Room. 712-277-1050. Divorce Care, noon Sundays starting Jan. 10; GriefShare, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays starting Jan. 12; Single & Parenting, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays starting Jan. 14; all at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814. NAMI Siouxland, (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Support Group meets 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of the month at Friendship House, 1101 Court St. For individuals and family members dealing with mental illness. 712-255-4209. New Life Life Support Group, 3:30 p.m. every Saturday at 2929 W. Fourth St. Spiritual 12-step program. For more information, call Donald at 712-574-1744 or James at 712-255-7624. Post Polio Support Group, 11 a.m. first Thursday of the month at Perkins Restaurant by Menards. 712-490-8213. Relationship Support Group, 7 p.m. Fridays at Marketplace Mall. For more information, call 239-3129. Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Individual and Support Groups. For more information, call CSADV in Sioux City at 712-258-7233; Plymouth County at 712-546-6764; Monona County at 712-423-3443. Advocacy and support available 24 hours a day at 1-800-982-7233. All services free of charge and confidential. Sickle Cell Disease Support Group, 11 a.m. third Saturday of each month at St. Luke's Hospital, meeting room 1. For patients, their family and any concerned member. Call La'Keshia Rainey at 712-203-2019 for more information. Sioux City Association of the Deaf, 7 p.m. third Saturday of the month at Morningside Church of Christ, 5015 Garretson Ave. Regular meeting, September-May; no meeting, June, July, August and December. Siouxland Autism Support Group, second Thursday of the month at Northwest Area Education Agency, 1520 Morningside Ave. For more information, call Julie Case at 712-490-8939. Siouxland Epilepsy Support Group, 5 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at Prestwick Apartment Clubhouse, 4230 Hickory Lane. For anyone diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy and family or friends. For more information, call Steve at 274-6927. Siouxland IC support group, meets quarterly in Sioux City. For patients struggling with interstital cystitis. For more information, call Jacque Dundas 316-641-9766. Siouxland Informational Group for the Blind, 2-5 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Northern Hills Retirement Community, 4002 Teton Trace. For more information, call 712-266-8926 or 258-8151. Grief support group, 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 5 for 13 weeks (may join at any time), Crescent Park United Methodist Church, 2826 Myrtle St., Sioux City. Scott, 712-899-6315. Siouxland Ostomy Association, 2 p.m. first Sunday of each month (except September, which will be second Sunday; and no meetings June, July, August), in Room 300 at Mercy Medical Center, 801 Fifth St. For more information, call Dick Lindblom at 251-2453. Siouxland Parkinson Disease Support Group, 1 p.m. fourth Monday of the month at Siouxland Center for Active Generations, 313 Cook St. For more information, call Sally Reinert at 402-987-3516. Sojourners, support group for families of persons with life-threatening illness, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, Room 416. For more information, call Marjorie Jarvill at 402-241-8637. South Sioux City Weight Support Group, 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at St. Paul United Methodist Church, South Sioux City. For more information, call 494-1401 or 494-2133. Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland, 520 Nebraska St., Suite 101: Women's Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month; LGBT Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Friday of the month; Adult ADHD, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; Advocacy Group, 1:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month. For more information, call 712-255-1065. Take Off Pounds Sensibly, group meetings various times, days and locations in Siouxland. For information on the chapter in your area, call 1-800-932-TOPS. Voice Disorder Support Group, meets as needed at Mercy Medical Center, Buena Vista Room. 712-279-2686. Women's Peer Support Group, in Wayne and South Sioux City, Neb., for those who have experienced domestic abuse. For more information, call the Wayne office at 402-375-4633 or 1-800-440-4633; in South Sioux City, call 402-494-7592. Help and support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services free and confidential. Woodbury County D.M.D.A., noon-2 p.m. first Saturday of the month at Country Friendship Acres, 4501 West St.; 7-8 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at 515 Court St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at 441 W. Third St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at 409 W. Third St. in the Community Room. Support group for people with disabilities and mental disorders. Natural Mamas in Siouxland, 1 p.m., third Tuesday of each month in the Garretson room of the Morningside Public Library. All ages of children are welcome to come with moms. For sharing natural living tips, recipes, natural remedies and health, homemaking, mothering, etc. For more information, call 402-913-0038 or visit their Facebook page. A Step Beyond support group, 3:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, except for August, November and December when it meets at 5:30 p.m. (no meeting in January) at the Christy-Smith Resource Center, 1819 Morningside Ave. For more information, call 712-276-7319. Divorce care, 5 p.m., Sundays. Fireside room, Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 South Martha St. Gamblers Anonymous meetings, 4 p.m. Thursdays at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 315 Hamilton Blvd.; 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Morningside Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave.; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, St. John Lutheran Church. 712-277-2901. Art therapy support group, 5:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. Registration required, call 252-9387. After Breast Cancer Support Group, 5:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call Brenda, 252-9370. After Prostate Cancer Support Group, 5:15 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call 252-9426. Alzheimer's Association, Big Sioux Chapter Support Group, 2 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; 4 p.m. third Tuesday of the month (under age 65) at 201 Pierce St., Suite 110 (Famous Dave's building); and 6 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the Barnes and Noble Cafe. For more information, call Emily Lord at 712-279-5802. Christy-Smith Funeral Homes of Sioux City, extensive grief library at the Morningside location. Open to the public during weekday hours. For more information, call 276-7319. Chronic Pain/Chronic Illness Support Group, 7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month in the lower level of the Orange City Hospital. For more information, call 712-737-5260. Connections Area Agency on Aging, and Mercy Medical Centers Older Adult Services Welcome to Medicare, 1:30-4 p.m., the first Friday of every month at Connections Area Agency on Aging, 2301 Pierce St. To pre-register, or for more information, contact Connections Area Agency on Aging at 712-279-6900. SIOUX CITY -- Orthodox Christians will celebrate the 100th year of the church with a centennial celebration Friday through Monday, sponsored by St. Thomas Orthodox Church. More than 100 years ago, early Orthodox Christian immigrants from Syria, Lebanon and the Middle East began to arrive in Sioux City. They met and prayed in private homes until the first St. Thomas Orthodox Church was established at Eighth and Iowa streets. The cornerstone for the current church, at 11th and Jones streets, was laid in 1949. Special guest at the centennial celebration will be His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, head of the Antiochian Christian Archdiocese of North America. He will be the main celebrant along with the Rev. Lucas Rice and visiting clergy. A reunion of current and former members of St. Thomas also will be held. Matins and Hierarchical Divine Liturgies are planned Saturday and Sunday mornings, with Vespers services in the afternoons. Special hymns will be sung for the liturgies by the St. Thomas choir along with the choir from St. Mary Orthodox Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Evening Vespers will take place from 6:30-7 p.m. Friday followed by a welcoming reception in the church hall, where memorabilia will be on display. The church, and all services, are open to the public. For more information on the celebration, visit stthomassiouxcity.org. Pediatricians around the country are asked almost daily about delaying routine childhood vaccines or refusing them entirely, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Washington expert. Nearly 90 percent of pediatricians encountered parents who opted out of vaccinations entirely in 2013, up from about 75 percent in 2006. And almost one in five parents asked to delay some or all of the potentially lifesaving shots. I was a little bit surprised at the percentage of the general population that were delaying vaccines, said Dr. Jon Almquist, a longtime Seattle-area pediatrician and clinical professor emeritus at UW. He is co-author of a study published in the journal Pediatrics that examined results from two surveys given to more than 600 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2006 and again seven years later. It also found a rise in the top reason doctors say parents reject immunizations: They just dont think theyre necessary. Thats worrisome, said Almquist, 76, who is nearly retired but still fills in for area colleagues. Ive been here long enough that Ive seen the diseases, he said. Weve seen the lines when people were dying of flu or polio and when parents had to worry about meningitis. Public health officials recommend vaccinations at specific intervals for most kids to prevent diseases that were once the scourge of childhood, including measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis and chickenpox. People who dont follow the scientifically validated schedules for immunizations have been a growing source of worry for experts. Modern parents often have not been exposed to illness or possible complications caused by vaccine-preventable diseases, which might account for rising refusal rates, Almquist said. The study didnt include input from parents themselves, just the doctors perceptions, Almquist noted. Still, what researchers found confirmed the experience of pediatricians across the United States, said Dr. Catherine Hough-Telford, 32, who was affiliated with the University of Alabama at Birmingham for the study but now has a private practice in Tampa, Florida. Definitely, pediatricians are seeing vaccine refusals and delays every day, she said. I talk about it in practice on a daily basis. The data reflects that. Its pretty much ubiquitous. Reports of vaccine refusals were highest in the West, with 94 percent of doctors saying they had parents opt out in 2013, up from 85 percent in 2006. Interestingly, the reasons parents refused vaccines shifted slightly during the study period. In 2013, about 64 percent opted out because of concerns about the disproved link between vaccines and autism, down from 74 percent in 2006. Nearly 67 percent of parents in 2013 refused shots because of worries about safety, also down from nearly 74 percent. At the same time, those who refused shots because they thought they were unnecessary jumped from about 63 percent in 2006 to 73 percent in 2013. The reasons for vaccine refusals do change over time, Hough-Telford said. I think we hit on that. In response, growing numbers of pediatricians reacted to vaccine refusals by dismissing such patients from their practices. In 2006, about 6 percent of pediatricians said they always dismissed patients for refusing vaccines. By 2013, that figure had jumped to nearly 12 percent, almost double. That runs counter to official AAP guidelines, reiterated in a new policy statement released Monday, that advises doctors to continue to engage with what are known as vaccine-hesitant parents in an effort to modify their views on the shots. I think this study reaffirms the fact that we should try our best to understand where the parent is coming from, said Almquist. I dont think we have an answer. In fact, doctors have little choice but to accommodate the growing numbers of parents with questions about vaccine delays and refusals, said Michael Belkin, a Bainbridge Island vaccine critic who said his infant daughter died in 1998 after a reaction to a recommended childhood vaccine. The primary reason parents refuse vaccines is their children have suffered adverse reactions, the same adverse reactions listed in textbooks, vaccine package inserts and the federal vaccine court compensation table, he said in an email. Vaccine-insistent pediatricians do not have a monopoly on medical care. Parents can and do fire doctors who dont admit the medical facts about vaccine reactions. Almquist, Hough-Telford and other public health officials say the science is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective and adverse reactions, while possible, are rare. But they acknowledge that getting that message across to growing numbers of parents with questions is a challenge. Obviously, this is an issue that nearly every pediatrician now has to face, Hough-Telford said. I think theres a lot of information about vaccine hesitancy, but theres no real consensus on what do to other than continue to talk to families. SIOUX CITY | Tiny white specks that don't fall from the scalp like pieces of lint or dandruff could be head lice. These microscopic parasites that cause itching on the scalp are making a resurgence in the United States. And a new strain of the pesky bug is now resistant to over-the-counter treatments, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology in March. The study, which analyzed 1,925 lice collected in 48 states, found that lice in 42 states including, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, are resistant to permethrin, a chemical found in lice-killing shampoos. "It probably doesn't have quite the effect it used to, although it still does work," said Rob Rehal, pharmacist and co-owner of Greenville Pharmacy in Sioux City. Rehal said Lindane, another type of shampoo to treat a head lice infestation, may be prescribed by a doctor if over-the-counter treatments don't work. He said an oral tablet called Ivermectin is very rarely used as a last resort. With school back in session in Siouxland, Rehal said he expects to see a rise in the sale of lice-killing products. "I'm sure we'll probably see an increase in the coming weeks," he said. Occasionally, Sioux City pediatrician Tina Smith will encounter a young patient with head lice in an exam room at Prairie Pediatrics. Most cases of head lice can be treated at home with over-the-counter products and home remedies, she said. But she said parents often call her office for advice. Lice spread via head-to-head contact and through the sharing of combs, hats, earphones and beds. Live lice are hard to spot in the hair as they move quickly. The eggs or nits lay on the hair shaft are very identifiable, Smith said. "When it's in the public eye, like it is right now, people catch it pretty fast because everyone's thinking about (lice)," she said. An outbreak of lice doesn't mean an individual has poor hygiene. In fact, lice thrive in clean hair. Dylan Greene, a physician at Siouxland Community Health Center, said head lice aren't tied to an individual's socioeconomic status. He said an infestation can happen to anyone, but is most common among elementary school children. "Lice is not something that is gonna jump around and spread around like crazy. It's something that needs actual contact -- and they're very slow moving," he said. "It's generally people either bed-sharing or sharing some article of clothing with somebody who has it." The American Academy of Pediatrics says a healthy child shouldn't be restricted from attending school because of head lice or their eggs. Schools are encouraged to allow students to finish the school day, be treated and return to school. The Sioux City Community School District allows students identified with live lice to stay in school for the remainder of the school day, but recommends that treatment be started before students return to school. When head lice are found or reported, school personnel screen children in that particular classroom. If lice are found on another student, a note is sent to notify the parents of all students in the class, according to school board policy. "Lice in and of itself is a nuisance, but it's not something that spreads disease like we generally think like mosquitoes with Zika," Greene said. "When kids get (lice) there's a stigma that they need to go home so the parents need to take off work, so there's this huge financial burden to the family." If over-the-counter products such as NIX or RID don't work the first time, Smith advises against repeating treatment as redness and burning can develop; and it's likely the lice are resistant to the product. "We don't want you to repeat an over-the-counter medication, so if somebody has used an over-the-counter remedy and it did not work, we'd like them to call our office for further instruction or an appointment," she said. Smith said there are remedies that haven't been studied but are widely known to be effective against lice. Cetaphil moisturizing lotion and mayonnaise both suffocate lice, but Smith said a second round will have to be applied nine days after the first to catch any lice that may have hatched from eggs. Tea tree oil is another remedy that she said people believe can kill lice, but it hasn't been extensively researched, either. "I use the mayonnaise treatment which is super cheap and highly effective," Smith said. Anything a child wore when lice were present, as well as bed sheets and blankets, should be washed in hot water. Items that can't be washed should be placed in a plastic bag for up to two weeks, according to Smith. She said vacuuming floors and furniture is the most effective way of preventing lice from surviving in the house. OMAHA | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be spraying vegetation on Missouri River sandbars in September so that endangered birds can nest there. The corps will be spraying 1,500 acres on sandbars between Ponca, Nebraska, and Pickstown, South Dakota. Applicators using helicopters and all-terrain vehicles will begin spraying after Labor Day. Sprayers will use glyphosate and imazapyr, both approved for aquatic use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Spraying will take place only when there is little or no wind and no rainfall in the immediate forecast. The work is done to keep sandbars free of vegetation so that the endangered interior least tern and threatened piping plover can use the sandbars for nesting. SIOUX CITY | So far, so good, say officials about traffic around the new Perry Creek Elementary building at 36th Street and Hamilton Boulevard. The new school, which opened last week, required some adjustments in traffic control to handle the expected influx of traffic. An additional exit from the grounds onto heavily traveled Hamilton required a median to force a right turn only onto Hamilton to steer traffic away from the school. Sioux City School District Superintendent Paul Gausman said the first couple of days of school, motorists obeyed the turning signs. The first few days of school, he said, about 80 cars used the added driveway. Our play all along was if were building the extra driveway, we want to put a median on Hamilton to discourage people driving up it and try to get people not to turn left, he said. City engineer Glenn Ellis said the median had been constructed for a year and a half, but has increased in use since the school opened. He said through the first week of school, he has not heard of any complaints. The median was built to facilitate traffic that wanted to head south, he said. That was to prevent them turning left and heading north. Its supposed to force them south. Sioux City Police Sgt. Todd Sassman said traffic was backed up on Hamilton the first day, but has leveled out since then. He said the department has not received any complaints about the traffic. Another measure to ease the influx of traffic was to add an extended turning lane on Country Club Boulevard into school grounds. Gausman said this was meant to control the amount of cars spewing onto Country Club Boulevard. Gausman said the extended turning lane and long driveway were not only necessary for the new school, but for the neighborhood, as well. We want to be a good neighbor and we work hard to meet with neighbors, he said. We want to have as little complications to the neighborhood as possible. Traffic congestion isnt the only concern when opening a new building, Gausman said. Safety of the students is paramount. He said its a joint effort between the schools, the city and law enforcement to make sure students from point A to point B safely. On the grounds, Gausman said traffic is flowing fairly smoothly. He said the goal is to have all people dropping off or picking up a student out in 15 minutes. The second day of school, he said, all cars were cleared 12 minutes after the last bell rang at 3:35 p.m. It takes a little bit to train the users how to use the campus, he said, adding that things will get smoother as the year goes on. ELK POINT, S.D. | A labor union is seeking an investigation of Union County State's Attorney Jerry Miller in the wake of the termination of two law enforcement officers. Teamsters Local 120 is questioning Miller's motives and has asked the Union County Commissioners to conduct the investigation to determine if Miller "is serving in the best interests of the community or using the power of his office to execute personal vendettas," Teamsters business agent James Heeren said in a news release Friday. "The state's attorney is not normally involved in disciplinary matters within a department," Heeren said. "We have sworn affidavits that paint a picture that he was very involved in ending the careers of two law enforcement officers who have served our community proudly." Heeren said the union has filed unfair labor practice charges with the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Commissioner Doyle Karpen said the county commission has no authority to investigate Miller. "The only thing we control is his budget," Karpen said. "That's an elected office, so if there's an investigation, it will have to be done by someone with a higher pay grade than ours. We don't have any tools to do that." Miller could not be reached for comment Friday. According to the Teamsters news release, the charges stem from the termination of an unidentified North Sioux City police officer in June and Union County corrections officer Brittany Bennar in July. Both actions allege that the terminations were in retaliation for the officers' speaking out internally about working conditions and safety. In a phone interview, Heeren said the official reason given for the firings were insubordination in the police officer's case and work deficiencies in Bennar's case. In a written response to the unfair labor practice petition filed, Miller denied that the county's decision to file Bennar was in retaliation for her filing any claims against the county or for union involvement. The fired police officer's file is not public at this time, a Department of Labor and Regulation official said, because it contains personnel salary information. There have been no hearings scheduled in either case. North Sioux City Police Chief Richard Headid, who's also a county commissioner, declined to comment on the officer's termination and the request for an investigation into Miller. STORM LAKE, Iowa | A missing adult who was believed to be armed was located Thursday afternoon. As a precaution during the search, the Storm Lake Community School District kept students inside its buildings Thursday. The Storm Lake Police Department said the man, 33-year-old Matthew Wilson, had been taken into custody Thursday afternoon. Storm Lake Public Safety Director Mark Prosser said authorities had been searching for Wilson to check on his welfare since early Thursday morning. Prosser said Wilson was believed to be armed and has potential mental health needs. Storm Lake Schools Superintendent Carl Turner said after receiving notification from the Storm Lake Police Department of the search, the school kept students from all buildings inside during recess and monitored who came in and out of the buildings until the all-clear was received. SIOUX CITY | The trial for a man charged with shooting a Sioux City police officer has been continued until later this month. District Judge Steven Andreasen on Thursday rescheduled Isaiah Mothershed's trial for Sept. 27. Woodbury County Attorney Patrick Jennings requested that the trial be moved from Sept. 13 because some witnesses were unavailable to testify at the earlier date. Mothershed's attorney, Matthew Metzgar, did not object. Mothershed, 19, of Sioux City, is charged in Woodbury County District Court with two counts of attempted murder and four counts of first-degree robbery. He is accused of pulling a concealed gun from a couch while handcuffed and shooting Officer Ryan Moritz in the leg while waiting to be transported to jail after his Feb. 7 arrest for a string of robberies that took place from Jan. 29-Feb. 6. The second count of attempted murder stems from accusations that Mothershed fired a shot at a homeowner who was chasing him after interrupting one of the break-ins. Four co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to their roles in some or all of the robberies and have agreed to testify against Mothershed. SIOUX CITY | Sioux City police are searching for two men believed to be involved in a Thursday robbery at a laundromat. Officers responded to a call at 9:08 p.m. at L&K Laundry, 1906 Court St. Victims reported that one of two men involved displayed a handgun. After a brief altercation, the two men fled on foot. According to a Sioux City Police press release, victims described the suspects as black with their faces covered. One of the suspects appeared to be in his late teens and the other in his early 20s. The investigation is ongoing, and no other information is being released at this time, police said. Anyone with information about the case can call the police department at 279-6440 or CrimeStoppers at 258-TIPS. SOUTH SIOUX CITY | The South Sioux City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to apply for state funds for a proposed hydroelectric turbine along the Missouri River. City Administrator Lance Hedquist said the city, in conjunction with the Green Star Energy Group LLC, will apply for a $200,000 Nebraska Environmental Trust grant. The total cost for the turbine project is estimated at $290,000. Hedquist said the turbine would save the city $450 a day by producing energy from the river's current. The turbine would "be just like a boat dock" and would be placed on the north end of the riverfront either "underneath the bridge, but maybe in Scenic Park." Hedquist said the turbine would not be cumbersome to the public, and "the nice thing about it is that it will not hurt the fish," he said. The turbine would be the city's largest project with Green Star, a Bowling Green, Kentucky-based renewable energy company that plans to move its headquarters to South Sioux City. In late August, city officials gave final approval to sell a 7-acre tract that will become the future site of a $3.75 million renewable fuels plant built by Green Star. According to city documents, the proposed 3-megawatt plant would bring 15 jobs to the community. When up and running, the plant, which would run on wood waste, would provide roughly 8 percent of the electricity for the city's municipal utility. Earlier this year, Green Star unveiled a smaller power plant, or gasifier, in Scenic Park. The gasifier, fed with wood waste and dead trees from the riverfront park, break down the molecular structure of the wood to create clean electricity with no emissions. The system will be used to power the city-run campground and nearby water treatment plant, helping save the city about $40,000 a year in energy costs. To lower rates for residential and business customers and add more renewable sources of power, the South Sioux City municipal utility has spent the last few years moving to diversify its mix of wholesale power. In January 2015, the city council voted to reduce by 30 percent the power it gets from its longtime partner, Nebraska Public Power District, starting Jan. 1, 2018. The city's contract with the state's largest utility, is scheduled to expire in 2021. The Journal's Ian Richardson contributed to this story. DAKOTA CITY | Hundreds of Tyson Foods workers broke out in song Friday as they enjoyed a special picnic outside the company's beef plant in Dakota City. Tyson President Tom Hayes led the employees and other invited guests in the singing of "Happy Birthday," in honor of the Dakota City complex turning 50 this year. "Congratulations!" Hayes proclaimed after the impromptu rendition ended, to the cheer of the workers, who worn special green T-shirts to commemorate the milestone. Taking a break from their shifts, the workers dined on burgers, hot dogs, salad, chips, soda and ice cream novelties, listened to music and tried their hand at a bean bag toss game. They sat at picnic tables and listened to Hayes and other top Tyson executives praise the role they and their plant have played in the giant meat company's success over the years. "It's the best, biggest, and most important beef plant in the entire world," Steve Stouffer, president of Dakota Dunes-based Tyson Fresh Meats, told the crowd. The plant produces enough beef in a single week to feed the entire population of Omaha for an entire year, Hayes said, and quickly added the number of hides the factory harvests provide leather seating for 7,000 automobiles. The complex has gone through numerous changes since the then-Iowa Beef Packers opened it in 1966. The footprint has grown from 18 to 41 acres, and the workforce has mushroomed to more than 4,500, easily the most among employers in metro Sioux City. In the last decade, Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson, which has operated the Dakota City plant since 2001, has invested $237 million in new additions, equipment and technology, said Donnie King, president of Tyson's North American operations. "It is completely different today than in 1966," King said. "We've done a lot of great things, but we're not done yet. I'm excited about the future of this plant." During the celebration Friday, Tyson officials announced the company had donated a truckload of protein to the Siouxland Food Bank, as well as $50,000 for the non-profit's backpack program to benefit area students. 1966 -- Iowa Beef Producers opens beef slaughter plant in Dakota City, Nebraska. 1967 -- Boxed beef, a new industry concept of vacumm packing beef in smaller producers, rather than shipping whole carcasses, introduced at plant. 1969 -- Dakota City plant workers go on strike, the first of five walkouts over the next 16 years. 1970 -- To reflect its diversified operations, company name changed to Iowa Beef Processors, Inc. Name later shortened to IBP inc. after expansion into pork 1981 -- Occidental Petroleum acquires IBP for $795 million in stock; Occidental sells majority share in company 10 years later 2001 -- IBP acquired by Tyson Foods in 2001 for $3.2 billion in cash and stock 2004 -- Tyson announces $80 million expansion of Dakota City plant that includes replacement of processing rooms date to the 1960s 2012 -- Tyson announces $90 million project that includes modernizing the Dakota City slaughter floor, portions of which date to the original plant. 2016 -- Dakota City complex turns 50 years ago; metro area's largest employer with more than 4,500 employees in plant and office. CHICAGO -- After flipping and flopping on the topic of immigration, perhaps Donald Trump has learned this lesson: His fans are not thirsting for a more humane, welcoming Republican candidate. Trump's supporters like him when he is at his most bigoted and most xenophobic. They adore his finger-pointing rants. And they love him specifically because he called Mexicans "rapists" and "murderers" -- normalizing open hostility toward all immigrants, legal or not. They sure don't want Trump backing off of his signature issue and striking a softer tone when it comes to illegal immigration. Since the beginning, Trump has been peddling a border wall, a "deportation force" to remove unlawfully present immigrants from the country and a push to strip their U.S.-born children of citizenship. Trump's strongest supporters have lapped it up. No surprise then that there was an immediate backlash from his disciples when Trump made a distinction between illegal immigrants who are violent criminals and those who are not "the bad ones." These, Trump told Fox News, will have to pay back taxes in order to stay in the U.S. "There's no amnesty," he said, "but we will work with them." What, really, is the point here? What possible upside is Team Trump imagining by this so-called "pivot"? Maybe there are a few Republicans who, previously turned off by his hard-line stances on illegal immigration, might now be willing to stand by the party's nominee. But compared with the outcry of those who are horrified by Trump's change in tone, it hardly seems worth it. Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate turned conservative reality-TV star, told The Wall Street Journal: "If Mr. Trump were to go down a path of wishy-washy positions taken on things that the core foundation of his support has so appreciated, and that is respecting our Constitution and respecting law and order in America, then yeah, there would be massive disappointment. ... Parts of that message we heard in the last week are clearly not consistent with the stringent position and message that supporters have received all along." Ann Coulter, the conservative critic and author of a new book "In Trump We Trust," was as infuriated as anyone trying to sell a book about a particular politician's stance on immigration -- after he pulls a 180. "I am trying to encourage Donald Trump to dump whomever the moron is who told him Americans are staying up at night worried about how people who broke our laws entering, broke our laws staying here, broke our laws taking jobs, how comfortable they are," Coulter told ABC News. "We have to take care of Americans first. And that's what [Trump] should be saying, not going back and saying one thing in his speech and then using the crazy Gang of Eight [the senators who supported an immigration bill in 2013] nonsense when he's talking to [Fox News host Sean] Hannity." It has been implied -- by both Trump and others -- that this putative change of heart is at least in part due to highly publicized meetings with his "Hispanic Advisory Council," which was called "game-changing" by Helen Aguirre Ferre, the Republican National Committee's director of Hispanic communications. After this meeting, Trump told a crowd in Tampa, Florida, "I am going to fight to give every Hispanic citizen in this country a better future." But it is simply inconceivable that this superficial change in tone could succeed in winning over Latinos -- both newly arrived immigrants and those who were born in this country and have been here for at least half a century -- who have felt the sting of this election season's normalization of bigotry and nativism. Trump has sold his most fervent supporters a bill of goods that includes a very specific pledge to "make America great again" by doing all he can to get rid of "Mexicans," which he seems to think all Latinos are, and Muslims. Those of us who actually are Mexican or Muslim -- or merely look like we are -- have heard this promise loud and clear. Trump has dragged us through the mud for over a year before this sudden "pivot" toward not sounding like his presidency's first 100 days would be devoted to rounding us up and making us disappear. We aren't going to forget his slurs against us. Trump can "soften" his tone, but the great majority of Hispanics and other minorities whom he has vilified aren't going to buy it -- and neither are those who love Trump when he's spreading hatred. Who would want to be a police officer in this day and age of hate? They are targeted by certain politicians and news media organizations before all the facts are in. They get abused by protesters. To be a police officer is very hazardous. Let's give the the respect they deserve and thank them for their service. For a long while it seemed like the wires had been disconnected from the hot button labeled flag burning. Now its heated up again in Nebraska, with the Nebraska American Legion voicing disappointment with Sen. Ben Sasses opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment to make flag-burning protests a crime. Flag burning was a major issue in the Vietnam War era, when burning the American flag was a popular way to protest the war. The U.S. Supreme Court threw cold water on the issue when it ruled in 1989 that burning the flag was constitutionally protected free speech. Its an issue that divides conservatives, symbolized by the fact that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, an icon to many on the right, joined the majority in ruling that flag burning is protected speech. Sasse was eloquent in explaining his position. "Let's be blunt about two things: first, desecrating the flag is wrong, immoral and disrespectful of everyone who protects this country, and second, part of being free means that we don't outlaw everything that's wrong," he said. "But even when burned, the flag endures. The flag endures because it is a symbol of a deeper sacrifice made by generations of Americans from Bunker Hill to Fallujah. "These heroes have fought for our freedom to associate, freedom to worship as we see fit and, yes, freedom to say and to do things that are stupid and offensive. No one should make the mistake of thinking that all military veterans are of one mind on the issue. As a story in the Lincoln Journal Star noted, former Nebraska governor and U.S. senator Bob Kerrey opposed a constitutional amendment to make flag desecration a crime. Former Sen. Chuck Hagel supported it. Both are Vietnam War veterans. The renewed controversy summoned to mind a powerful story told by Ivan Warner, who was held captive by the Viet Cong. In a Washington Post op-ed, Warner wrote: I remember one interrogation where I was shown a photograph of some Americans protesting the war by burning a flag. "There," the officer said. "People in your country protest against your cause. That proves you are wrong." "No," I said. "That proves that I am right. In my country we are not afraid of freedom, even if it means that people disagree with us." The officer was on his feet in an instant, his face purple with rage. He smashed his fist onto the table and screamed at me to shut up. While he was ranting I was astonished to see pain, compounded by fear, in his eyes. I have never forgotten that look, nor have I forgotten the satisfaction I felt at using his tool, the picture of the burning flag, against him. The proposed constitutional amendment has never made it out of Congress. For the sake of freedom, its better that it never does. Sasse deserves respect for his principled stand on the issue. Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star There are substantial reasons for small business owners to start a 401(k) retirement plan for themselves and their employees. Its a way to thank employees for their efforts, reduce turnover and send a signal that the company is financially stable. Unfortunately, myth, misperception and general lack of knowledge regarding 401(k) plans cause many small businesses to avoid moving in that direction. To dispel the most common myths and bring the truth to light, Small Business Trends recently spoke with Stuart Robertson, president of Capital One Advisors, LLC, via telephone. Robertson specializes in helping small businesses set up 401(k) retirement plans. Heres what he had to say: Dispelling the Myths: 10 401k Facts Myth 1: A 401(k) is too expensive to set up and manage. A decade or more ago it was commonplace for 401(k)s to be costly for a small business owner, Robertson said. Truth: Thats no longer the case, Robertson added. A company with 10 employees, for example, can set up a plan for a few hundred dollars in upfront costs and maintain it for no more than $80 per month in administrative expenses. Also, the advent of digital technology along with investment advisors who focus strictly on the small business marketplace has made getting into 401(k)s less expensive. Robertson said that the switch to ETF index fund investing has also made pricing very affordable. The personal tax benefit for the business owner is likely greater than the cost of the plan for his company, he said. Myth 2: A 401(k) is complicated and confusing. It is a regulation, and the thought is any legislation has to be complex, Robertson said. Truth: Employers only have to make simple plan design decisions, he said. The use of digital technology along with advice from small business investment experts have also streamlined the process. Where there used to be tons of paperwork sent back and forth, now you can set up a plan over lunch, Robertson said. It only takes 20 to 30 minutes to understand which plan is right for your business and get it set up. Myth 3: I have to take on fiduciary responsibilities and risks when I set up a 401(k). In the past, financial advisors would put the liability for selecting the right plan on the business owner, Robertson said. Typically, when an employer started a 401(k) benefit for his company, the provider would take him through the steps and ask about plan design. He might say, You need to get down to a prudent list of investments across a range of asset categories. Here are 300 funds to choose from; figure out 15-20 that fit. The fiduciary responsibility is all on you.' Truth: Plan providers now share the risks and make the process simple. Providers understand that small business owners dont have the time or desire to take on risks, Robertson said. An investment committee of expert CFAs determines the investment roster and monitors funds, replacing them with better ones in the asset class. They do the heavy lifting, so the business owner doesnt have to think about it. Myth 4: I have to be an investing expert to set up a plan for my company. This myth builds off the last one, Robertson said. Lots of people arent investing experts and dont know where to start. Truth: If you choose an ERISA 3(38) provider, you dont have to be an expert, he said. There are pre-configured models that investors can choose from, which take some of the decision-making responsibilities out of the business owners hands. We take the pressure off of determining the investment offering, Robertson said. The participant can choose from the investment roster, picking the one that best fits his goals. Myth 5: My company is too small to warrant setting up a plan. There is a myth that says 401(k)s are only for larger companies, Robertson said. See Also: Why Small Business Owners Should be Watching Puerto Rico Truth: No company is too small to invest in a 401(k). It doesnt matter whether or not the person is self-employed or how many employees the company has. It can be any size. All thats needed is the desire to set up a plan. Any owner-only business can qualify for an individual 401(k) often referred to as a solo 401(k), Robertson said. The advantage to a solo plan is that the employer is also the employee. That means you can set aside $18,000 tax-deferred. If you are over 50, you can do a catch up of another $6,000. You can also do profit sharing if you make enough money up to $53,000 between employer and employee and $59,000 if youre over 50. Myth 6: I cant afford a match. The myth says that 401(k)s require an employer contribution. Truth: Matching is not needed when offering a 401(k) plan, Robertson explained. Not matching can reduce the amount employees earn, however. Employee matches are tax deductible but if the business is not in a place to so do, its not required, Robertson said. There are many mutually-beneficial reasons for owners to offer a match or profit sharing to their employees, however, and both can reap great rewards. Myth 7: Managing a 401(k) is too time-consuming. The myth is that a 401(k) is another big thing for me to handle, Robertson said. Owners feel they will be faced with lots of paperwork and fear making the additional time commitment. Truth: You can set up a plan online and receive support from small business investment experts who can help educate you and your employees, he said. You dont have to manage an investment lineup, Robertson added. It takes a few minutes of your time per month each payroll and a little time at year-end. Its not very burdensome at all. Myth 8: 401(k)s are only for companies with a CFO or HR department. Business owners feel that they need to have specialists on board who can manage retirement plans. Truth: While those can help, most providers have expert financial advisors and resources (e.g., videos, web conferences) to educate employees and field questions about investing, Robertson explained. As such, business does not need specialists to have a great plan thats easy to manage. Hopefully, this myth is going away now that companies understand how easy it can be to keep employees in the know and saving for retirement, Robertson said. Myth 9: My employees dont care if I offer retirement benefits or not. We actually get that when we talk to businesses, Robertson said. Truth: Surveys indicate that 75 percent of people view 401(k) as an important vehicle for saving for retirement, and 83 percent feel they should be required no matter the business size. Myth 10: No small businesses offer retirement benefits, so why should I? Its true that only 13 percent of small businesses with under 100 employees offer a retirement plan, Robertson said. That means that one-third to one-half of all employees have no access to such plans because they work for a small business. Truth: The business owner will want to retire at some point or be forced to do so. A 401(k) can help when that time comes. Also, replacing an employee can cost 150 percent more than his salary considering the time it takes to hire a new employee, the loss of productivity and loss of customers. Not having a retirement plan in place can be very damaging to the company, Robertson said. Sometimes people leave for benefits. To help small business owners solve the retirement plan problem, Robertson and his team created a new product, Spark 401k, which makes the same kind of benefits available to small companies that big businesses enjoy. These include the ability to build a retirement nest egg with tax-deferred dollars, reduce business taxes and recruit and incentivize employees. Any data or information you produce in the digital space is considered a record. This includes social media data, emails, local and cloud-based files and much more. Believe it or not, even the most mundane information can be used against you if it falls into the wrong hands. Your address, full name and other personal identifiers can be used to steal your identity and gain access to your accounts. Your location after checking in somewhere on social media can be used to keep track of your whereabouts. Your regular posts, emails and correspondence with colleagues, friends and family can be used to discern habits and patterns and these are just a few examples. Just imagine what could happen if you lose your phone. Or consider the damage that could be done by someone who steals your laptop or business machine. Its not just personal data, either. The same can be true of your business or client data. It can all be used against you if someone unscrupulous gains access, which is why you need to secure it before its too late. All of it. Were going to take a look at some ways you can lock down your data, both personal or otherwise. Tips to Protect Data Make Security a Priority Security should not be an after thought. It should be a priority. If youre building some kind of data system or working with a data center, security should be integrated into the core of your platform. Data center network security, especially, is at the forefront of everyones mind these days. If your company uses an internal network and stores data via a local system you absolutely need to bolster security. This means staying up-to-date on all the latest security trends and procedures and restricting access to your network. Dont look at security as something you should focus on after a breach by then its much too late. Password Protect Your Phone Even if your phone offers anti-theft protection, it may not be as secure as you think. Thats why you need to lock it down with a password. Locking your phone can be annoying at times when you need quick access, but its much more secure. If you forget your phone somewhere and a stranger tries to gain access, it wont happen without the code. This protects all data stored on the device, including personal information. Just take a moment to consider everything you have stored on your phone and everything you do with it. Someone could collect an endless stream of information about you if they had access to your mobile device. You also want to ensure the timeout period is as short as possible. Its a good idea to keep it between three to five minutes. That way if you do leave your phone somewhere, it gets locked down fairly quickly. Additionally, while were discussing passwords, remember to use a password on any and all computers you access. Hopefully, you already do this, but its worth mentioning. Make it company policy, as well. You want all of your employees and colleagues to use passwords, too. Its just as easy for someone to gain access to another device and collect data about you. They can glean information from conversations, emails and much more. Restrict the Data Stored on Your Mobile Device and Remote Computers Depending on what type of browser you use Chrome especially it is designed to save login and password info for easy access later. This can be a problem if you misplace your phone or if someone gains access to a remote computer where this info is stored. Be sure to screen what data you are leaving behind and clear out this info, especially on devices that are used by multiple people. For instance, always delete banking and shopping info from your mobile device when youre done. Remove sensitive pictures and information and store them elsewhere. Clear browser history and auto-fill info where applicable. Sadly, its an involved process, and you need to stay on top of it. However, if you want to protect your personal and corporate data, its necessary. Restrict What You Do on Unsecured Networks About 52 percent of BYOD users regularly tap into an open or unsecured network, and more than half of all open WiFi networks are potentially compromised. This is true of any device, but its especially true with your mobile ones. Monitor what networks your device is connecting to, and when you have access to an unsecured network, dont transmit any sensitive data. Dont shop, access banking sites, send work-related emails or anything of that nature while connected to an open network. On an unsecured network, it is possible for someone to gain access to your device and log everything you do. It is even possible for hackers to modify a network source so it collects any and all data traveling through it. See Also: Google Data Studio Now Free to All Small Businesses Simply put, try to stay away from unsecured networks as much as possible, and if you do have to connect to one, restrict the data thats being sent. Security Starts and Ends With You It sounds corny, but its true. Even the most advanced security procedure in the world is useless if you dont follow the basic guidelines. A password or passcode, for example, is much more vulnerable if you use the same password across multiple accounts or if you use easily identifiable information. All it takes is a breach of one account for someone to gain access to a majority of your information because you used a single password across the board. This happens often, too, because most people also use the same email to sign up for different services. Obviously, once you have an email and password, you can tap in. The same is true of personally identifiable information. If you use your birthday as a passcode, its not secure. In most cases a persons birthday is public record. You may also have it visible on a social network or something similar. So be sure to stay informed and follow the security guidelines presented to you. If IT tells you not to do something because its unsafe, then you shouldnt do it. Republished by permission. Original here. One of the most important LGBT books published in the 1980s was Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning (St. Martins Press, 1987); and one of the most important LGBT writers of our time was its editor, Mark Thompson. Thompson, at the time cultural editor of the Advocate, collected some of his own articles and interviews from that paper with essays by other queer authors, philosophers and spiritual leaders. Published during the first years of the AIDS epidemic, Gay Spirit sought to define and explain the gay spirit, what Thompson called the psychic and creative energies generated by people we now call gay. Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning also established Thompson as a major LGBT writer, editor and photographer, a career that ended when Thompson died on August 12. Thompsons death followed that of his husband, the famous Episcopal priest and activist Malcolm Boyd (Gay Spirit) by only 18 months. Mark Thompson, who was 63 when he died, grew up in California and was a founding member of the Gay Students Coalition at San Francisco State University. According to Thompsons 2009 memoir, Advocate Days & Other Stories, Thompson first found a copy of the Advocate in 1968, when Thompson was 14 and the newspaper was but a year old. Thompson began to write for the Advocate in 1975 and continued to do so for two decades, ending his career there in 1994 when he edited Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement (St. Martins Press). The Advocate was fortunate to have Mark Thompsons innate and studied spiritualism at the magazine while it was transitioning from community chronicler to national news platform, Jeff Yarbrough, the papers former editor in chief, told advocate.com. Thompson gave voice to a part of gay life and culture that no one else could. In January 2000 the Lambda Book Report named Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning one of 100 Lesbian and Gay Books That Changed Our Lives, in a list compiled by someone named Jesse Monteagudo. Not one to sit on his laurels, Thompson followed Gay Spirit with an equally important anthology about kinky sex and the people who practice it: Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics, and Practice (Alyson, 1991). In 1994 Thompson published Gay Soul: Finding the Heart of Gay Spirit and Nature (Harper), for which he interviewed and photographed sixteen gay writers, healers, teachers and visionaries (including Malcolm Boyd). In 1997 Thompson finished his Gay Spirit/Gay Soul Trilogy with the autobiographical Gay Body: A Journey Through Shadow to Self (St. Martins Press). Thompsons last anthology was 2011s The Fire In Moonlight: Stories from the Radical Faeries (White Crane Books/Lethe Press) where, as in Leatherfolk, he studied and honored a gay subculture that exists outside the norm. Though Thompson happily married Boyd when it became legal in California (2013), he opposed LGBT assimilation and conformity: Going for the promised land of full equality under the law is all fine and well, Thompson said in an interview that appears in MarkThompsonGaySpirit.com. But what is going to happen when the last sodomy law is toppled and homophobia no longer tolerated? Will we then be free? Free to be what? I believe there is something intrinsically queer about being gay, no matter how much we try to normalize it, Thompson continued. It is that queerness - and what is at the root of it - that presents the big mystery question in our lives. Its not something we can just check off a list and say, OK were all safely out of the closet and now we are done with it. We simply cant stop being curious about the myths and mysteries of same-sex attraction and love. A long-time AIDS survivor, Thompson worked as a clinical psychologist with LGBT youth and people living with HIV and AIDS. In 2007, the Lambda Literary Foundation gave Thompson one of its Pioneer Awards and in 2009 the City of West Hollywood honored Thompson and Boyd with the Rainbow Key Award for their outstanding contributions to the gay and lesbian community. Though Thompson will no doubt get some posthumous kudos, his biggest monument is the series of books that he wrote or edited, books that continue to give us food for thought about the meaning of being gay. Mitch Ceasar has returned the Broward Democratic Party, party officials confirmed Thursday. Ceasar, a longtime Democratic Party boss, finished second in the partys primary election for Clerk of the Courts, collecting 34,966 votes (30 percent.) Brenda Forman won the election with 50,866 votes (44 percent) with public defender Elizabeth McHugh finishing in third place with 30,334 votes (26 percent). Forman is the wife of current Broward Clerk of the Courts Howard C. Forman. RELATED: CEASAR NAMED TO SFGN STRAIGHT ALLY LIST Im looking forward to a new chapter of my career, Ceasar told SFGN on Wednesday evening as he attended a reception for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson in Plantation. A practicing attorney in Broward County for more than 36 years, Ceasars return to the Democratic Partys apparatus was welcomed. We have regained a passionate voice for democratic ideals, and I look forward to working with Mitch in the coming months, said Broward Democratic Party interim chair Cynthia Busch, in a news release. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English philosopher of science, author of Novum Organum; called the high priest of modern science for elucidating principles of the scientific method. Originator of the phrase knowledge is power. Was also a noted lawyer and a member of Parliament. S. Josephine Baker (1873-1945) Physician who organized the first child hygiene department under government control in New York City. Her tenure led to the lowest infant death rate in any American or European city during the 1910s. She was instrumental in identifying Typhoid Mary. Baker was a consultant to many child care organizations, and the president of several child health professional societies. Neil Devine (1939-1994) American Astrophysicist, major contributor to modern theory of star formation and prediction of meteoroid and space debris environments. During his 25 years at Caltechs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Devine made many fundamental scientific contributions, including defining the radiation belts around Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, and the dust environment around Halley and other cometary targets. During his tenure at JPL, he often served as a mentor and inspiration to many younger space physicists who benefited from both his scientific incisiveness and quick wit. Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) Prussian naturalist, explorer of Central and South America, author of a 23-volume work on his travels, and of the seminal Cosmos, which laid the foundations for modern physical geography and meteorology. Humboldt was a leading European figure of his day, considered second only to Napoleon in influence. A major Pacific current, numerous cities, counties, and other landmarks bear his name. Sonja Kovalevsky (1850-1891) Russian mathematician, developed Kovalevskys theorem, editor of Acta Mathematica. Showing aptitude in mathematics at an early age, Kovalevsky is an example of a brilliant woman who encountered barriers solely because of her gender. Women were not allowed to study in Russian universities, and her father considered it improper for her to study abroad. Kovalevsky went to Germany to study with Karl Weierstrass. For her 1888 work On the Problem of the Rotation of a Solid Body about a Fixed Point, she was awarded the famous Prix Bordin of the French Academy of Sciences. Louise Pearce (1885-1959) Pathologist at the Rockefeller Institute who helped develop a treatment for African sleeping sickness. She, along with fellow pathologist Wade Hampton Brown, and two chemists, developed tryparsamide. The Rockefeller Institute sent Pearce to the Belgium Congo in 1920 trusting her vigorous personality to carry out an assignment none too easy for a woman physician and not without its dangers. For her service, Pearce received the order of the Crown of Belgium, and in 1953, the Royal Order of the Lion. Pearce also studied syphilis, for which tryparsamide was standard treatment until penicillin replaced it. With Brown, she discovered and developed the Brown-Pearce tumor, systematically studied syphilis in rabbits, explored how a virus might spread cancer, and researched immune reactions to rabbit pox. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian artist, scientist, and engineer, researcher of human anatomy, mathematics, and the potential for human flight He conceived of helicopters, tanks, machine guns, submarines, and solar power. Clyde Wahrhaftig (1919-1994) American Geologist and Environmentalist, author of Streetcar to Subduction (a geological tour of San Francisco via bus and streetcar), and recipient of the Geological Society of Americas Kirk Bryan Award for Geomorphology. Wahrhaftig was a versatile geologist who made notable contributions to understanding the coal deposits, geology and glaciers of Alaska and the landforms, surficial deposits and bedrock geology of the Sierra Nevada and the California Coast Ranges. Reprinted courtesy of National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc. Find the full list here. Jupiters North Pole NASA NASAs Juno spacecraft has sent back the first-ever images of Jupiters north pole, taken during the spacecrafts first flyby of the planet with its instruments switched on. The images show storm systems and weather activity unlike anything previously seen on any of our solar systems gas-giant planets. Juno successfully executed the first of 36 orbital flybys on Aug. 27 when the spacecraft came about 2,500 miles (4,200 kilometers) above Jupiters swirling clouds. The download of six megabytes of data collected during the six-hour transit, from above Jupiters north pole to below its south pole, took one-and-a-half days. While analysis of this first data collection is ongoing, some unique discoveries have already made themselves visible. First glimpse of Jupiters north pole, and it looks like nothing we have seen or imagined before, said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Its bluer in color up there than other parts of the planet, and there are a lot of storms. There is no sign of the latitudinal bands or zone and belts that we are used to this image is hardly recognizable as Jupiter. Were seeing signs that the clouds have shadows, possibly indicating that the clouds are at a higher altitude than other features. One of the most notable findings of these first-ever pictures of Jupiters north and south poles is something that the JunoCam imager did not see. Saturn has a hexagon at the north pole, said Bolton. There is nothing on Jupiter that anywhere near resembles that. The largest planet in our solar system is truly unique. We have 36 more flybys to study just how unique it really is. Along with JunoCam snapping pictures during the flyby, all eight of Junos science instruments were energized and collecting data. The Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM), supplied by the Italian Space Agency, acquired some remarkable images of Jupiter at its north and south polar regions in infrared wavelengths. JIRAM is getting under Jupiters skin, giving us our first infrared close-ups of the planet, said Alberto Adriani, JIRAM co-investigator from Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome. These first infrared views of Jupiters north and south poles are revealing warm and hot spots that have never been seen before. And while we knew that the first-ever infrared views of Jupiters south pole could reveal the planets southern aurora, we were amazed to see it for the first time. No other instruments, both from Earth or space, have been able to see the southern aurora. Now, with JIRAM, we see that it appears to be very bright and well-structured. The high level of detail in the images will tell us more about the auroras morphology and dynamics. Among the more unique data sets collected by Juno during its first scientific sweep by Jupiter was that acquired by the missions Radio/Plasma Wave Experiment (Waves), which recorded ghostly-sounding transmissions emanating from above the planet. These radio emissions from Jupiter have been known about since the 1950s but had never been analyzed from such a close vantage point. Jupiter is talking to us in a way only gas-giant worlds can, said Bill Kurth, co-investigator for the Waves instrument from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. Waves detected the signature emissions of the energetic particles that generate the massive auroras which encircle Jupiters north pole. These emissions are the strongest in the solar system. Now we are going to try to figure out where the electrons come from that are generating them. The Juno spacecraft launched on Aug. 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida and arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. JPL manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASAs New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for NASAs Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. Larger image Thu, 27.10.22 - 11:04 The temperatures will fall in the Murcia Region but the weekend still promises to be warm and sunny Autumn has ye... If youre going to Las Vegas, youre going for glitz, youre going for glamour, youre going to indulge in a lifestyle far outside of your normal one. Youre going for smoky casinos and 30-minute Ferris wheels. Youre going for celebrity chefs and the potential of hitting it big. What you were not going for, until only recently, was coffee. For coffee lovers whove relegated themselves to a vacation amongst the deep-fried Twinkies and 100-story-tall Celine Dion posters, the options have been historically slimdoomed to the losing odds of a ceramic mug of casino coffee. Yet, if you are a specialty coffee-minded individual who also enjoys a Vegas vacation, you are now aligned with lady luck, because, though ever slowly, a Las Vegas specialty coffee scene has started to emerge. To fully see the Las Vegas coffee sights, those scant few burning brightly in the darkness, youll need a car, at least a few hours, and of course, youll need a guide, this guide. Sprudge spent a whirlwind four days in Las Vegas digging through the desert sands to discover the next (first?) wave of Las Vegas specialty coffee, and now we share our good fortune with you. Sambalatte Torrefazione If you have managed to book yourself a room at Treasure Island but dont want to order a Pumpkin Spice Latte over the sneeze guard at the downstairs Starbucks, Las Vegas superficial ode to all things razzle-dazzle, The Strip, now has a viable option: Luis Oliveiras fourth entry into his Las Vegas mini-chainSambalatte Torrefazione. The massive space on the ground floor of the Monte Carlo has been self-described by Oliveira as a theater of coffee, and with its towering signage, 100-foot television screens blasting solid latte art pours, and the voyeuristic street level view into its roaster, it oftentimes exceeds the bill. Dont let the Las Vegas smoke and mirrors turn you off though, under the tutelage of local coffee connoisseur Mason Salisbury, the staff is knocking out some solid drinks to a volume of customers most coffee shops cant even imagine. So when mashing the screen on your slot machine starts to wear you down, Sambalatte Torrefazione is your go-to spot on The Strip. Sunrise Coffee Joshua Walter, the owner of Sunrise Coffee, didnt open the homey cafetucked away in the shell of a former Its A Grind across the street from Sunset Park and a block away from Wayne Newtons expansive domicileto introduce specialty coffee to Las Vegas. He just wanted to introduce his hometown to an idea that was sorely lacking: a spot where people could come and talk and enjoy a decent cup of coffee outside of the scorching heat. This is not your minimalist, highfalutin, Bay Area specialty joint. This is, as Walters planned it to be, a cozy spot for folks to gather and nibble on a selection of vegan sandwiches and burritos while sipping on high-quality coffee thats skillfully and thoughtfully roasted at Walters other spot, Mothership Coffee. Though Sunrise, with its 20-ounce lattes, might not sate the experiential palates of the truly coffee snobby, its a place designed to help foster community, but also to offer an opportunity to nascent coffee drinkers to take their first steps into a broader, more delicious world of coffee. Makers & Finders Coffee Downtown Las Vegas is, if youre seeking a respite from clumps of chain-smoking tourists and the smell of stale beer, your very best bet. This is, if everything works out, the future of cool Las Vegas. Specialty cocktail bars, art installations, one of the best bookstores in the country (The Writers Block), and, of course, some of the best coffee in town. Valeria Varela and Josh Molina, the 20-something co-owners of Makers & Finders Coffee, have created a spot that not only hews to the chic tenants of specialty coffee, but also offers a bustling community space with a delicious, relaxed Latin-centric food program. This is a place you can spend your entire day at, wolfing down a couple empanadas or an eggs benedict while sipping on a pour-over or a lavender latte (one of Makers & Finders beloved specialty drinks). And though operating a specialty coffee shop in Las Vegas can be trying, as Valera says, Its about finding a balance to appeal to as many people as possible without changing your concept. Because, you can be the ripest peach in the world, but it doesnt matter if someone doesnt like peaches. Mothership Coffee Just down the street from Sunrise Coffee is Joshua Walters gorgeous sister shop, Mothership Coffee. Like so many other hidden gems in the Las Vegas treasure chest, Mothership is ensconced in a dusty strip mall next to a grocery store. If you didnt know it was there, youd drive right past it. And youd have missed one of Las Vegas brightest, up-and-coming cafes. With Sunrise Coffee pumping out drinks just a few blocks away, Mothership is Walters foray into true specialty coffee. He roasts for Mothership and Sunrise and a handful of wholesale accounts in the back while offering up a solid selection of single-cup and espresso-based drinks in the front. And though Mothership is clearly aimed at the coffee aficionado, Walter and his staff know that the Las Vegas community is still getting used to specialty coffee. You wont find attitude or judgment at Mothership, youll find some of Las Vegas best coffee, a gorgeous space, and friendly, smiling staff who want to help build the foundations of a new coffee scene. Also, youll find a spread of pastries and handcrafted local chocolates thatll make your belt tight and your mouth water. Do not miss out. PublicUs You wouldnt expect one of the USs most formidable coffee minds to set up his new coffee shop in Las Vegas. But that is exactly what Cole McBride, a fixture within competitive coffee, did when he with the help of his partners opened PublicUs in 2015. And what a place it is. Situated on the edge of the once vaunted Downtown Project, PublicUs is the type of cafe you visit a city, even Las Vegas, to experience. Its the fundamentals of a coffee shop elevated to their very best: everything from coffee prep to food to furniture to the handles on the doors to the bathroom, thought out to the nth degree. Everything is either made in-house, or exhaustively researched and sourced from the highest quality providers. It isnt that PublicUs is flawless or without character, its that McBride has dedicated himself to creating a coffee shop that adheres to his extremely high standards for food and beverage, but also, customer service. With microroasted batches from Velton Ross in Everett, Washington, a selection of quirky, almost-cocktail like specialty drinks, a kitchen table spread of truly excellent food, and a staff that goes out of their way to provide the very best version of what their customers want, this place is not only the best coffee shop in Las Vegas, but handily, one of the best in the country. Noah Sanders (@sandersnoah) is a Sprudge.com staff writer based in San Francisco, and a contributor to SF Weekly, Side One Track One, and The Bold Italic. Read more Noah Sanders on Sprudge. "Such moves are theoretically possible but they would remain unlikely even if Trump is elected. He may face a filibuster in Congress if he tries to introduce legislation to impose such additional taxes. Or he may simply find enforcing such schemes would prove to be unworkable," Horne said. Institute for Policy Studies Associate Fellow Manuel Perez-Rocha told Sputnik that any effort to impose new taxes on Mexicans working in the United States or on those crossing the border would inflict additional burdens. "Trump has vilified Mexicans and he continues to promise that he will build a wall between our countries," Perez-Rocha said. "Trump's solutions will only make the current problems worse." Perez-Rocha said the original 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) pushed through by then US-President Bill Clinton, the husband of current Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, had proven disastrous for the Mexican people. "Ordinary Mexicans have been the biggest losers of this trade deal. It devastated the Mexican countryside, bankrupted thousands of small businesses and destroyed entire national industries," Perez-Rocha noted. The immigration issue was closely linked to the free migration of labor imposed under NAFTA, Perez-Rocha added. Trump in a speech on Wednesday said that there must be "zero tolerance for criminal aliens" and promised to triple the number of deportation officers and border patrol agents by 5,000, as well as to block funding for sanctuary cities. The oldest evidence thus far of life on Earth was found in the Isua Belt in Greenland, in a small area uncovered by melting snow. As a result of the climate change, uncharted rocks are being exposed, which has turned Greenland into a place of many interesting discoveries. The recently found fossils date back 3.7 billion years and are confirmed to be at least 220 million years older than any previously found. Additionally, they are expected to provide tangible evidence of ancient living organisms, as well as offer clues about similar life on other planets, such as Mars. The Greenland rocks could possibly help astrobiologists as they prepare for the first ever samples to be returned from Mars, Abigail Allwood, an astrobiologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California told Nature. "His [Karimov's] departure from life is a great loss for the people of Uzbekistan, as well as the Commonwealth of Independent States and the countries-partners of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Islam Karimov was a prominent statesman, a true leader of the country. The most important milestones in the history of modern Uzbek state are associated with his name", the statement by Putin said. Karimov was hospitalized early on Saturday after suffering a stroke. On Sunday, the Uzbek Cabinet said in a statement that Karimov's treatment would "take some time." Karimov's daughter Lola confirmed later on her Facebook page that her father had suffered a brain hemorrhage and was in intensive care in stable condition. Earlier on Friday, the Uzbek government said that the president's condition had deteriorated further after another stroke. His daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva wrote in her Instagram account that "he has left us." , , , . . Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva (@lola_tillyaeva) 2 2016 9:58 PDT The first President of the former Soviet republic was born on January 30, 1938, to the family of a public servant in Uzbekistan's second-largest city, Samarkand. After leaving school in 1955, he graduated from the Central Asian Polytechnic Institute (currently Tashkent State Technical University) and also the Tashkent Institute of National Economy (currently Tashkent State Economic University). Tokyo hopes to profit 2.5 trillion yen from selling the shares, but TEPCO stock would have to trade at about 1,050 yen for that to happen, and shares are currently valued at around 360 yen. After evacuation and some rearranging, Tokyo has been gradually lifting no-go zones restrictions in Fukushima since 2013. 53-year-old Toshiko Yokota, who was able to return to clean up her home in Naraha in 2015 said, "My friends are all in different places because of the nuclear accident, and the town doesn't even look the same, but this is still my hometown and it really feels good to be back. I still feel uneasy about some things, like radiation levels and the lack of a medical facility," she said. "In order to come back, I have to keep up my hope and stay healthy." According to Jiji Press, the public cost of decontamination and cleanup of the nuclear accident exceeded 4.2 trillion yen by the end of the 2015 fiscal year. Factoring in costs for reactor decommissioning, compensation payments to people and organizations affected by the accident and radioactive decontamination, the government spent about 33,000 yen per capita. Curfew was re-imposed in Kashmir after fresh violence erupted between security personnel and protestors. Over 100 people have been injured in clashes with security personnel in last 24 hours. There is a conflicting view about an incident where four boys jumped into the Jhelum river after security personnel allegedly chased them in Parimpora. The dead body of Danish Sultan Haroo, aged 12, was retrieved from the river. Police personnel denied allegations that forces chased a group of boys while local legislator Mubarak Gul told local media that forces actually chased the group of boys in Parimpora locality. Srinagar (J&K): Curfew re-imposed in parts of Kashmir Valley; Shutdown and restrictions continue for 56th day. pic.twitter.com/GG3GvCyVLW ANI (@ANI_news) 2 2016 . Even the Member of Parliament building was attacked by protesters on Thursday. Violent protesters forced MP Nazir Ahmads security personnel to abandon their guard posts immediately. TASHKENT (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, the Uzbek government confirmed that Karimov was in critical condition after being hospitalized on Saturday after suffering a stroke. Media reports emerged claiming that Karimov had died. "The government doesn't comment on media reports about the situation related to the illness of the president of Uzbekistan," the representative said. Earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has no official news on the health of Karimov, adding that the Russian side does not consider it possible to be guided by media reports in this case. ANKARA (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, Uzbekistan's cabinet said that Islam Karimov is in critical condition after having suffered a stroke. "Uzbek President Islam Karimov has passed away. May God's mercy be upon him, as the Turkish Republic we are sharing the pain and sorrow of Uzbek people," Yildirim said. Karimov was hospitalized early on Saturday after suffering a stroke. The reports of Karimov's death were previously dismissed by a source in the Uzbek Presidential Office. At the meeting with Putin, a Chinese business representative highligtened that ice cream is not allowed to be supplied to the country in large volumes. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (WEF). You surprised me with the ban on ice cream exports, like its a national heritage or our cultural value. This is the first time I hear about it, Putin announced. From now on, I will bring ice cream to every meeting with Xi Jinping as a special gift. The Second Eastern Economic Forum was held at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University on September 2-3. Delegations from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Vietnam, Australia, the United States, Singapore and other countries were in attendance. More than 180 million Indian workers crippled basic services and industrial output after the government declined to pay attention demands. These included a statutory minimum wage of 270 dollars per month, universal social security and a ban on foreign investment in public sector institutions like banks, defense and railways. Coal mines, ports, steel and textile factories, electricity plants, and telecom buildings were closed, along with health services across the country as millions of nurses and doctors joined the strike. States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala were heavily affected by the transport strikes, causing delayed train routes. Amarjeet Kaur, secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress, told Sputnik, more than 180 million workers joined one of the biggest strikes in recent years. Millions workers had not joined work in manufacturing hubs like Manesar in Haryana and Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Some IT sectors employee who had been demanding to form union also supported this strike. There are unprecedented large-scale exercises, accompanied by aggressive rhetoric, which the President of South Korea calls a natural response to threats by Kim Jong-un to launch a nuclear strike on Seoul. However, there are reports suggesting that South Korea is interested in placing a second THAAD complex on its territory. The country also mulls equipping Korean navy destroyer Sejong the Great (DDG-991) with SM-3 interceptor missiles. There are also reports suggesting interest in buying Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft. Looking at this arms race in the region Aleksander Ermakov told Sputnik that these steps suggest that South Korea is not interested in de-escalating the situation. If the South wanted dialogue, it would not go to acquiring THAAD, Ermakov said. However, the President of South Korea in her interview with Sputnik said that the placement of THAAD is a self-defense measure and that there is no reason to direct THAAD against any third country. Yet, the experts put her statement into question. Senior researcher of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies (RISS) Vladimir Svedentsov said, If such a system is established in South Korea, it will be directed primarily against China and Russia because its range will be extended to the Chinese territory and of course, towards the Russian Far East. There is discernible American interest in this situation. The goal of the Republic of Korea is unification of Korea. However, the belligerent rhetoric will not help them bring this blessed hour any closer. Here it is necessary to act consistently and to resolve all issues through negotiations or through economic cooperation, Svedentsov added. Chinas most formidable stealth fighter J-20 has been spotted near the border with India. Images of the J-20 positioned at the Daochenge Yading airport in the high altitude Tibetan Autonomous Perfecture which lies to the east of Indias north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh first surfaced on social media. J-20 spotted by weibo user at Daocheng Yading Airport,the world's highest civilian airport for plateau test-fly. pic.twitter.com/UZuYZIqMsD dafeng cao (@xinfengcao) 2 2016 . On the deployment of the BrahMos missile, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson said, We hope the Indian side can do more for peace and stability in the border region, rather than the contrary. MOSCOW (Sputnik) At least 50 people were injured in the explosion at the Roxas Street market, the cause of the blast is so far unknown, the Sky News reported. President Duterte is the former mayor of Davao and was elected president in May. His anti-drug policy, leading to the killing of 900 alleged drug traffickers, has been repeatedly criticized by the UN as a human rights violation. Kim Yong-jin, 63, was executed in July after dictator Kim Jong-un became infuriated by his posture and perceived bad attitude on June 29, a South Korean official said An interrogation prior to the mans death lead officials to declare that he was an "anti-revolutionary agitator. "Vice premier for education Kim Yong-Jin was executed," unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee told South Koreas JoongAng Daily. Kim Yong-Jin was denounced for his bad sitting posture when he was sitting below the rostrum, he added. Images from commercial satellites indicate that these upgrades, taking place at the Munchon naval base, have been underway at least since 2014. Munchon is located in the city of Wonsan and is the largest naval base on the east coast of the DPRK. Joseph Bermudez, who wrote the analysis for the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, told Stars and Stripes, "It appears that North Korea, at this point in time, is concentrating all of its naval sniper brigades on the east coastSince Kim Jong Un has come to power, we see an upgrading across the board in North Korean military capabilities." "We understand that local authorities continue to investigate the cause of the explosion in the night market, and the United States stands ready to provide assistance to the investigation," Price stated. Philippine presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said initial reports of an explosion in a night market in Davao City, a southern commercial coastal town, indicated that ten people were killed and 53 injured, the Manilla Bulletin reported earlier in the day. The adoption of a mechanism for handling unplanned encounters and emergency situations in the region was approved in August by Beijing and ASEAN. Several members of the 10-country organization are involved in the disputes. The parties agreed on the implementation of communication protocols and created a hotline for top officials in the event of possible naval confrontations in the South China Seas contested waters. The protocols will be signed at the three-day ASEAN summit in Laos next week, according to Philippines Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Helen de la Vega. "All enumerated subsidiaries of Gazprombank Group have been under US sectoral sanctions de facto due to the fact that Gazprombank has an over-50-percent share in them. Thus, today's announcement of the US Treasury changes nothing about the actual situation either for Gazprombank, or for the mentioned entities," the press service told RIA Novosti. RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) The representative said that his company will hold talks with Russias Gazprom energy giant on the Sakhalin projects on Friday. "[We want to invest] over $1 billion for sure, it is a large project," Meguro Hiroshi stressed, adding that Mitsui has been expressing interest in the Sakhalin-3 project for several years. "Such issues are prepared for thoroughly and ahead of time," Novak told journalists on Friday when asked about oil output freeze, adding that at the upcoming informal OPEC meeting "we will be able to discuss the current situation, its only the first stage." Earlier on Friday, Novak said that he plans to take part in the informal OPEC meeting. RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) Russian energy giant Gazprom said Friday it had held talks with South Korea's Kogas on increasing Russian liquefied natural gas supplies to South Korea. "During the talks, partnership matters in the energy field were considered. There were talks of Russian LNG deliveries from the Sakhalin-2 project. In particular, the sides discussed prospects of increasing gas supplies to Korea after the commissioning of the LNG plant's third production line," Gazprom said in a statement. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to Chekunov, the airport of Khabarovsk is undergoing an overhaul repairing airfield facilities and raising funds for construction of new terminals. "The Japanese investors are showing interest, in particular the operator of Haneda Airport in Tokyo," Chekunkov told Russian Kommersant newspaper. The Russian official added that investors bade more than 140 million rubles ($2.15 million) for the project in the day exchange bonds were issued through Voskhod investment system launched to raise funds to for the projects in Russia's Far East. RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) Russia will continue negotiations on the entry to Chinese export markets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. "We have already talked about this with our Chinese partners and I talked about this during the recent visit to Beijing. Partners are aware of this. Moreover, they are positive about this. We pointed out which countries have access to the domestic Chinese pork market. They all understand that. I hope that the decision will be found. We will continue these negotiations," Putin said at a meeting with potential Far East investors. The investors drew president's attention to the necessity to open export markets, especially Chinese market, and asked Putin to put this issue on the agenda. HANGZHOU (China), (Sputnik) China notes a significant improvement in the Russian economy and expects it to "return to the positive zone" next year, Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said Friday. "We are watching Russias economy very closely and we note that a good macroeconomic policy is being carried out by the Bank of Russia and the Russian Finance Ministry We note significant improvement, however Russias economy has not yet returned to the positive zone. It is possible that it will happen next year," the deputy minister told foreign reporters, speaking ahead of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit. RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) Russia is ready to develop sea port infrastructure with Japan to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the country, if needed, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. "As for port capacities of the Far East, you know that 70 percent of the total LNG output produced on Sakhalin is exported to the Japanese market. We are aware of Japan's needs, we understand the problems related to nuclear power, we are ready for cooperation, including developments projects, if required, to promote sea ports facilities, because LNG transportation has its specific aspects and requires additional investment," Putin said, as he met with investors at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). The EEF kicked off earlier in the day on Russky Island, near the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. The forum, which is due to run through Saturday, is expected to attract some 2,500 participants, from countries including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Australia, the United States and Singapore. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia does not consider the western rhetoric of imposing sanctions reasonable, but the negative consequences of these restrictions should not be overestimated, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. "We reiterate that Russia does not consider the sanctions rhetoric reasonable. We, of course, come across the negative consequences of the sanctions, but these consequences should not be overestimated," Peskov told reporters. The construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant was initially agreed by the Soviet Union and India in 1988, however, the project later became stuck in limbo. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India and Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom launched the much-delayed joint project in 2012. The first unit was connected to the grid in 2013 and reached full capacity in July 2014. It is currently Indias most powerful reactor. In December 2014, Moscow and New Delhi signed a strategic document on the serial construction of nuclear power plants in India. The document stipulates the construction of up to 25 units with Russia's participation. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The two-day 2016 summit of the worlds 20 biggest economies kicks off in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sunday. "We will sign a memorandum of understanding that we are creating a joint Russian-Turkish fund [at the summit]. The amount will be more than $1 billion," Dmitriev told Russias Rossiya-24 broadcaster. On Thursday, the CEO forecast that the joint funds first projects would be financed next year. MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov The Netherlands is confident that the country's relations with Brazil will continue to develop in a positive way following the impeachment of the countrys former President Dilma Rousseff, a spokesman for the Dutch foreign trade minister told Sputnik. "We have a long standing business relationships in a wide range of different sectors like agriculture, logistics, water, energy, aviation, just to name a few. We have full confidence that with the new government this relationship will continue to blossom," Herman van Gelderen said. According to the website of the Dutch government, the Netherlands is Brazils fourth-largest export market. The Latin American country mostly supplies the Netherlands with raw materials, such as minerals, ores, meat, soya. According to Johanna Cervenka, economic commentator at Swedish national broadcaster SVT, Ikea is likely to become the next target. "Considering Margrethe Vestager's 'militancy,' there is some risk that Ikea pops in the European Commission's focus earlier rather than later," Cervenka wrote in her analysis. After Ikea was featured in the LuxLeaks financial scandal, the Swedish company received the dubious title of "world champion of tax optimization" by the French newspaper Le Monde. According to confidential information about Luxembourg's tax rulings set up by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Luxemburg had given international corporations, including Ikea, extremely favorable tax treaties. In a report from the Green Group in the European Parliament, published in February this year, Ikea was found to make use of loopholes in the law to pay itself royalties to reduce its overall taxation bill. This meant that the company may have underpaid about 1 billion in taxes during the years 2009-2014. According to the report, Ikea collaborated with Luxembourg, Lichtenstein and Belgium to achieve reduced taxation. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The pipeline, dubbed Gas Interconnector PolandLithuania (GIPL), is expected to be constructed by 2019, as part of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan aimed at fostering greater energy independence between the states involved. "The Gas Interconnector PolandLithuania project will be instrumental in integrating the Baltics gas systems into the internal EU gas market. It is important for strengthening the transmission network between Baltic States, which strive to establish a fully functioning gas market in the region," Motuzas said. Lithuania seeks to diversify its external suppliers and decrease its dependence on Russia for gas. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to the statement, the agreement was signed on Thursday in the course of the 4th plenary session of the Permanent Russian-Iranian Commission on Trade-and-Economic Cooperations working group on financial and banking cooperation in Iran. The Russian delegation was headed by Bank of Russia Deputy Governor Dmitry Skobelkin, while the receiving party was headed by Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Gholamali Kamyab. "During the meeting, agreements were signed between the commercial banks on the financing of mutual supplies of products using in the [respective] national currencies," the statement said. VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and PTT Public Company Limited President and CEO Tevin Vongvanich signed a cooperation agreement on Friday on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) , the Russian company said in a statement. "The document sets the ground for multilateral cooperation development between the companies in the areas of upstream, crude and oil product trading, refining, petrochemical projects, and LNG [liquefied natural gas] supplies," the statement reads. According to the press release, the parties confirm their intention to sign a long-term contract to supply crude oil and other feedstocks to the Thai company in the near future. CERNOBBIO (Sputnik) Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters earlier in the day he could meet Sefcovic late September to early October. There certainly will be dialogue, its date is a technical matter. But also it would make sense to meet when there are positive decisions. We are after all awaiting decisions including on Opal. The European Commission is generally ready as far as we know, but we would like more precise information from the European commissioner, Dvorkovich said on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti economic forum. The deputy prime minister told reporters the meeting could take place as reported on September 11-12 if Brussels confirms its willingness to grant Gazprom access to Opal before September 10. VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) The Nord Stream-2 project aims to deliver up to 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany annually via the Baltic Sea. Gazprom has a shareholder agreement to extend the existing Nord Stream with the European energy firms. "It [Nord Stream 2 partners meeting] has already been held at the end of August," Miller told reporters, noting that members had reached a working-level agreement at their meeting in Zug, Switzerland. ENGIE, Gazprom, OMV, Shell, Uniper (E.ONs offshoot) and Wintershall withdrew the Nord Stream-2 joint venture request in August, a month after Polands Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) objected to its establishment. The two countries are getting closer to lifting restrictions imposed on Japanese investors with regards to investing in Russia, as well getting the state-owned Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to take part in joint projects, the minister added. Russian-Japanese trade and economic cooperation are currently limited due to Japan joining anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and their allies after Crimea voted to rejoin Russia. The sides have also made progress in preparing to activate a joint fund between JBIC and the Russian Direct Investment Fund, according to Ulyukayev. The EEF kicked off earlier in the day on Russky Island, near the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. The forum, which is due to run through Saturday, is expected to attract some 2,500 participants, from countries including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Australia, the United States and Singapore. VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) According to Fallico, Russia's Far East possesses great resource potential, which is very important for European investors. "Banca Intesa, as a European bank, is very interested in financing the agricultural sector of Russia's Far East. You know that a big Russia-China fund was established and many Italian and European companies participated in this process. And we are studying the finance options. Besides the agricultural sector we are interested in energy, transport and infrastructure spheres. It is the future," Fallico, who is also the president of the Conoscere Eurasia Association, said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). The EEF kicked off earlier in the day on Russky Island off Russia's eastern city of Vladivostok. The forum, which is due to run through Saturday, is expected to attract some 2,500 participants, from countries including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Australia, the United States and Singapore. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Thursday, the US Treasury added a number of Gazprom energy company entities and subsidiaries of Gazprombank, as well as of Bank of Moscow and several other financial companies, to the US sectoral sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian issue. "In my opinion, the foreign companies and foreign investors suffer from the sanctions more, because the Russian market is a great market. If these companies are not able to work with our [companies], this niche of the market will be occupied by other companies, something we have been noticing for the last two years. That is, of course, those who introduce these sanctions, those, of course, damage their own companies," Novak told Rossiya 24 in an interview. He added that the last two years were marked by constant complaints from foreign companies, which were forced to limit their operations in Russia. VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) The former ambassador, who also founded the Russia Singapore Business Forum (RSBF) in 2006 and is currently the director of the Singapore-based Foundation for the Arts and Social Enterprises, is currently attending the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) near the Far Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. "The Russian Far East is so close to Asia Pacific, Moscow is so close to Europe, so it is the natural advantage for the Russian Far East to cooperate more with Asia Pacific countries. To Make Russian Far East more attractive is to [show] the rest of the world what Russia representsRegarding attractiveness of the Russian Far East in particular, it is worth to start from the basic level infrastructure. The government should make some initiatives in this area," Tay said. Russia should also boost its ties with the outside world by attracting more tourists, he added. NEW YORK (Sputnik), Oxana Klokovskaya Trudeau expressed hope that Chinese investments in Canada would increase, saying they would help boost the economy. "In meetings with government and business leaders including women entrepreneurs we explored ways of connecting even more Canadian businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to the increasingly important Chinese market," Trudeau stated. Additionally, he welcomed $1.2 billion in commercial agreements between Ottawa and Beijing that he said would generate jobs for middle-class Canadians. "If the current price in maintained, which is now $48 [per barrel] for Brent and $45 [per barrel] for Urals, then we will have $42 per barrel by the end of the year," Ulyukayev told the Russian RBC TV channel. The $42 average price is expected due to the low probability of further reductions in oil prices, the minister added. Sakhalin Region and Hokkaido Prefecture are both underpopulated, something that the national governments in Russia and Japan would like to change. Enterprising companies from both countries could be enticed to move some of their personnel and facilities to their countrys portion of NISEC in order to get a head start on accessing their counterparts marketplace via the socio-economic arrangement in place between them. Russias new program that gives away free land to any of its nationals who settle in the Far East and live in their designated plot for at least five years could be creatively utilized by Japanese recruiters. The companies that they represent could offer to build affordable housing for their future Russian workers in exchange for them signing long-term employment contracts for competitive wage rates. This would serve the advantage of both sides since the Japanese wouldnt go through as much capital expenditure as they otherwise would have in buying land for their local workers living facilities, while the Russians would be able to own their new Japanese-built homes after living there for five years. The positive PR that the Japanese investors would receive for such an initiative would be priceless and could generate a lot of goodwill that might later serve as a springboard for launching their operations further afield in the rest of the Far East and perhaps the entirety of the Russian Federation one day. Gateway Access Russian entrepreneurs would be attracted to NISEC since theyd rightly envision that Hokkaido Prefecture is their privileged gateway to accessing the rest of the Japanese Home Islands. On the flip side, their Japanese counterparts would feel similarly as regards Sakhalin Region and the rest of the Far East and the Russian Federation as a whole. Both subnational administrative units would thus function as gateways for the other in penetrating their larger targeted marketplaces (or resource reserves, as the Japanese likely see the Far East as being), with the NISEC territories being the magnet for concentrated investment that would later spill over into the rest of the region. Geostrategy Russia wants to diversify its Far Eastern investments and bring on as many partners as possible, which could stimulate friendly economic competition between all players and ultimately work out to the regions benefit by increasing the efficiency of each project and lowering its costs. If some of the energy from the heated Chinese-Japanese military rivalry in the East China Sea could be redirected towards a much more peaceful form in developing the Far East, then both sides would assuredly win and might even symbolically undertake joint ventures with the other as a first step in toning down their tensions. Even if this wishful scenario doesnt transpire, then Japan could prove to be a valuable partner in modernizing the insular region of the Far East and turning it into a logistics and transshipment node for the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic Ocean. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum for the promotion of cooperation, coordination and interaction among the governments of the Arctic countries. The forum comprises eight Arctic nations, namely Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States, while 12 more states have observer status. "We will continue to organize complex international research expeditions to study environmental issues, ice condition, the level of the groundwater and marine ecosystems contamination," Patrushev said on Thursday. He also noted that Russia encouraged a regular scientific data exchange on the state of environment in the Arctic. A YouGov poll revealed that some 57 percent of the 1,668 adults participating in the poll in "the most tolerant" country in Europe support "a law that bans people from wearing the burqa in the UK." Thirty-six percent of respondents strongly support the law while 10 percent were strongly opposed. Among demographic groups, only 18-24 year-olds were against the ban. There is no significant difference in opinions between regions: 51 percent of Londoners and 63 percent of northerners approved the initiative. Additionally, 46 percent of British citizens support a ban on wearing the burkini, a type of full-body swimwear, compared to 30 percent opposed and 18 percent neither for nor against. Finland's Immigration Service (Migri) has given siblings and even spouses various asylum decisions, despite similar situations, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported. According to Migri, the reason for such favoritism is that internal displacement is easier for men than women. The head of Migri's asylum unit, Esko Repo, admitted that gender can affect decisions, but refrained from commenting on individual cases. According to him, a woman heading back to Baghdad without a network of friends and relatives would be more at risk than a man who previously had family in the area. "In certain conditions, a single woman, maybe a single parent's position is different from that of a young, healthy, able-bodied man," Repo told Yle. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez has described the countrys budget deficit of 5 percent of the GDP and the state debt now approaching 100 percent as a graphic example of the Popular Partys disastrous budget and tax policy. Vasily Koltashev, Director of the Center of Economic Studies in Moscow, warned that the main parties unwillingness to resolve the current economic crisis could enflame nationalistic sentiment and set off a new wave of protests. The economic situation remains lackluster with unemployment exceeding 25 percent and no light still seen at the end of the tunnel. The only possible option left for Spain is to leave the EU, but the problem with Spanish politicians is that they stand for European unity which, in turn, perpetuates the crisis the country is going through, Koltashev noted. He added that Spaxit could help the government improve the social and economic situation in the country, free up its customs policy, better protect against economic competition (primarily German), roll back social spending cuts and allow it to print more money to stabilize the economy. There are many mechanisms to change the situation for the better, but EU membership only perpetuates the current crisis, which in turn, will strengthen the hand of the nationalists and bring about a new, more dangerous, wave of public discontent, Koltashev emphasized. BERLIN (Sputnik) The dialogue between NATO and Moscow is essential as it helps to prevent misunderstanding while Russia is important for the European security, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday. "We cannot simply shut the door on Russia. Russia is our biggest neighbor, and will be important for the future European security Talking to Russia allows us to clearly communicate our positions and avoid the potential for accidents and misunderstanding," Stoltenberg said at the joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. NATO-Russia relations deteriorated sharply in 2014, following the beginning of an internal conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea's reunification with Russia. Since then, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move. The police have increased their patrols in the area following the attack and implemented a dispersal order to reduce anti-social behavior. Meanwhile, shopkeepers and customers in The Stow told London reporters they had complained to the police hundreds of times about gangs of up to 20 teenagers smashing windows, starting fires and intimidating people in the area where Mr. Jozwik was murdered. Superintendent Andy Mariner at Essex Police has confirmed that a dispersal order will be extended until Monday, 5 September which means anyone refusing to leave the area can be arrested, fined and jailed for three months. As part of our work in #Harlow following the murder of Arkadiusz Jozwik a dispersal order will be extended. https://t.co/K93j8IDG02 Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) September 1, 2016 Detectives are treating the murder of Arkadiusz Jozwik as a hate crime, "but at this stage there are several other strands we need to look at and we cannot eliminate those other lines of enquiry from the investigation. We are continuing to keep an open mind about the motive," says Superintendent Andy Mariner. Five 15-year-old boys and a 16-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of murder but released on bail. Amb Arkady Rzegocki and @halfon4harlowMP pay respects to #Polish national murdered in Harlow https://t.co/fBpUrcl6pu pic.twitter.com/J8obZmjdax Polish Embassy UK (@PolishEmbassyUK) August 31, 2016 'Two Faces of Britain' Hate crimes increased by almost 50 percent in England, Wales and Northern Ireland the week after the June 23 referendum on Britain's membership of the EU. Arkady Rzegocki, Poland's ambassador to Britain, told reporters that the decision to leave the EU had contributed to an increase in xenophobic and racist abuse. Rzegocki said Mr. Jozwik's death was "a big tragedy." "The truth is, unfortunately, is that before the Brexit referendum there was less xenophobia and racism. Now we are seeing an increase in such incidents." However, Mr. Rzegocki was keen to stipulate that many Harlow residents and British people had offered their support following the killing. "There are two faces of Britain," says Mr. Rzegocki. #Harlow this Saturday Join procession to honour Arkadiusz Jozwik, The Stow, 4pm. People & flags of all nations are welcome @Heart4Harlow Chelmsford Diocese (@chelmsdio) September 1, 2016 Poland's ambassador to Britain will also attend the "march of silence" that is being organized by the Polish community in Harlow on Saturday 3 September. Slovakia holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, so it falls to the country's Prime Minister Robert Fico to set the agenda for the upcoming EU summit on September 16. In a sign that Fico is leading the EU in a new direction, he has decided not to hold the summit in Brussels, but in his capital, Bratislava. Bratislava best place 2 start important process of reflection, @eucopresident. Full doorstep https://t.co/iaWBNd6iyw pic.twitter.com/6lHtgZYfcj EU2016SK (@eu2016sk) September 2, 2016 The significance of the location is crucial, as Slovakia is one of the Visegrad Group, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland all of whom are calling for a major rethink on the whole EU project. In a joint communique in July, the leaders of the four countries said: "It's time for the Union to be more pragmatic, focused on the essentials and reforms. At the same time the EU must act with due consideration and solve the problems of citizens while respecting the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality as well as the role of the national parliaments." PARIS (Sputnik) He added that the inevitable return of French jihadists to their homeland is another factor. "However, paradoxically, the weakening of Daesh in the region of Iraq and Syria is a factor which increases the terrorist threat [in France]. The history of terrorism has taught us well that when terrorist groups have problems on the ground they seek to carry out attacks in other territories," Molins told Le Monde newspaper in an interview, answering a question on how the terrorism threat has changed since January 2015. It has been reported earlier that some 700 French citizens or residents are currently taking part in hostilities in Syria and Iraq. MOSCOW (Sputnik) A new ceasefire regime came into force in Ukraines troubled southeast on Thursday. The ceasefire agreement was reached between Ukraines conflicting sides during a Contact Group meeting in August. "Something very positive happened last Friday. The sides agreed to renew their commitment to adhere to a ceasefire at the start of the new school year. Now we have already noted a drop of violence but it is still too early to say if the sides are truly committed to adherence. There is no question in my mind that if they truly are committed, they can do it," Hug said at a briefing. The Trilateral Contact Group, which includes representatives from Kiev, Donbas, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), hold regular meetings in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, aimed at facilitating a diplomatic resolution to the armed conflict in Ukraines southeast. Inside the book, Voynich found a letter written by Czech scientist Jan Marek Marci, also known as Johannes Marcus Marci, who served as a doctor at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor. According to the letter written in 1666, the book belonged to the Emperor Rudolf II (1552-1612). The Emperor paid 600 ducats for the manuscript, which was around two kilograms of gold. Now it is believed that two to eight scribes worked on this manuscript for several years. According to separately conducted radiocarbon analysis and examination of the manuscript ink, the strange book was made in the period between 1404 and 1438. Attempts to Crack the Code Many researchers have unsuccessfully tried to decipher its language for centuries. For example, the first cryptologist of the US National Security Agency William Friedman made an attempt to solve the task in the last days of World War II. As a result, he concluded that the Voynich manuscript contains no anagrams, and its language is artificial it was invented specifically for the book. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Thursday, an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) states was held in Potsdam, Germany. The meeting focused on current security challenges and practical steps to overcome them. "The Bulgarian foreign minister stressed [at the OSCE meeting] that the crisis in Ukraine and around it puts into question the fundamental principles on which European and Euro-Atlantic security is based A sustainable political solution to the crisis must be based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and Ukrainian independence," the ministry said in a statement. According to the statement, the OSCE ministers also discussed the settlement of issues in Georgia, Transnistria and the Nagorno-Karabakh region, as well as the EU migration crisis, anti-terrorism measures and energy security. Incidentally, the Swedish Commission on Defense and Security Cooperation stated in its freshly released report, that the West's ability to deter Russia from conflicts in the Baltic Sea is likely to increase if Sweden joins NATO, Swedish national broadcaster SVT reported. Given that, it may seem peculiar that the report dismisses the chance of a Russian attack on Sweden as "practically impossible." Another "unlikely" scenario is that Sweden becomes embroiled in a military conflict following a Russian attack on NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In the report, Russia is estimated to have the military capability to within a couple of days extend its military control over the Baltic states. Russia could then, or even at an earlier stage, proceed to place air defense systems in Swedish territory, including the island of Gotland, to stop NATO flights over the Baltic Sea. The report also pointed out "significant shortcomings" in Swedish defense, despite fighter jets and submarines. Sweden is therefore dependent on outside help, whereas American reinforcements with heavy ground forces are expected to arrive no sooner than in three weeks. According to the report, a Swedish NATO membership, which may be achieved within "12-15 months," is nevertheless "no shortcut" to solving Sweden's defense shortcomings. Another problem which could arise should the country join NATO would be how to meet the bloc's requirement of defense spending equivalent to 2 percent of the GDP, which at present is only met by five out of the bloc's 28 member states. MOSCOW (Sputnik) In late August, Russian journalist and founder of the Novy Region press agency Alexander Shchetinin was found dead in his apartment in the Ukrainian capital, having been shot. Officially, his death was caused by suicide. "The situation involving journalists' safety in Ukraine causes serious concern. We expect real efforts to be made by relevant human rights organizations, including the OSCE," Dolgov wrote on his Twitter page, calling for a thorough investigation of Shchetinin's death. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, the German magazine Spiegel speculated that Seibert would make a press statement in which he would attempt to distance the government from the Bundestag resolution, in order to resolve the issue of access for German officials to the Incirlic Airbase in Turkey to visit the country's soldiers stationed there. "There can be no talk about that [attempt to distance]. It is not the business of the federal government to interfere in the affairs of another constitutional body," Seibert told journalists, as quoted by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. He, however, added that the Bundestag resolution was not legally binding. The survey was carried out on August 29-31 among 1,039 adults, according to the pollster. On June 23, a 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. Following the vote, Sturgeon said that Scotland would consider holding a public vote on independence again in light of the outcome of the Brexit referendum. MOSCOW (Sputnik) At around 9 a.m. local time [07:00 GMT] police broke up an unauthorized sit-in protest on Wilhelmstrasse, a central thoroughfare, using tear gas, the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper reported. Several protesters were detained for attempting to gain entry to the Federal Ministry of Labor, according the media. The protest was organized by the left-wing Blockupy movement which came to prominence in March 2015 for staging anti-austerity protests in Frankfurt. Vote Leavers are leading the #Brexit negotiations. Let's hold them to account for their broken promises #LeaveWatch pic.twitter.com/T1UZbOSC7u Vote Leave Watch (@VoteLeaveWatch) September 2, 2016 Lenaerts said that the UK had never really been a great fan of the EU project, having opted out of some of the major pillars of the union. "I have an enormous amount of sympathy and admiration for the UK and for Anglo-Saxon culture in general. It is a country with an enormous tradition when it comes to global trade, as well as maritime and military affairs. Furthermore, the influence of its unique common law system would diminish significantly at EU level. Only Ireland, Malta and Cyprus would still provide this kind of legal and judicial input to the Union. "I am not stressing this out of disappointment or political activism. It is merely an objective fact. Grab the Handbook of EU law. Inside you will find dozens of pages with regards to the special status of the UK concerning the euro, the Schengen Area, or the Area of freedom, security and justice. The UK has never participated in any of these projects," he said. Legal Challenges The comments from such a senior EU lawyer, suggesting Brexit may not even happen, echo those of lawyers in the UK who have cast doubt on even the legality of the referendum outcome. A part of 40 years plus labyrinth that #Brexit Troika will have to unravel. Doesn't look quick via @BenChu pic.twitter.com/aXdocjCJcw Bonnie Greer (@Bonn1eGreer) September 2, 2016 More than a thousand British lawyers wrote to then Prime Minister David Cameron pointing out that the result was merely advisory and not binding on parliament. They wrote: "The European Referendum Act does not make it legally binding. We believe that in order to trigger Article 50, there must first be primary legislation. It is of the utmost importance that the legislative process is informed by an objective understanding as to the benefits, costs and risks of triggering Article 50 [of the Treaty of Lisbon, beginning the exit process]." Meanwhile, lawyers Mishcon de Reya have launched a legal challenge to the referendum, saying the prime minister cannot invoke Article 50 without the consent of parliament, which does not have to abide by the result of the referendum (although going against the outcome will be political dynamite). Kasra Nouroozi, a partner at Mishcon de Reya said: "The result of the Referendum is not in doubt, but we need a process that follows UK law to enact it. The outcome of the Referendum itself is not legally binding and for the current or future Prime Minister to invoke Article 50 without the approval of Parliament is unlawful." BRATISLAVA (Sputnik) The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) special monitoring missions deputy chief noted a drop in violence in Donbass since the ceasefire came into force on Thursday, September 1. "This ceasefire is on the occasion of the beginning of the school year. It is seemingly observed, which is good. I hope that this will be a sign for the resumption of negotiations so that the Minsk agreements are adhered to in practice," Ayrault told reporters in the Slovak capital. The French diplomat, speaking ahead of the informal EU foreign ministerial session, noted Paris and Berlins responsibility in settling the Ukrainian crisis. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to the BBC, the Citizens UK campaign group, which is organizing the event, handed a list of the 387 children in Calais who are eligible to come to the United Kingdom under the Dubs Amendment, to the Home Office. Lord Dubs, the man who put forward the amendment to the Immigration Act enabling the relocation of refugee children, on Friday accused the government of stalling on its commitments. "I am deeply saddened that despite repeated calls from me and others, the government still seems to be dragging its feet on the commitments it made when the amendment in my name was accepted, he told the BBC Radio 4. "The agreement on the table is, under these conditions, unacceptable. We need a clear halt in order to resume from a new basis," Valls said. He implied that the current negotiations were more favorable to the US than to the EU. In contrast, Merkel told public broadcaster NDR: "It is in our interest not to fall behind other world regions such as the Asian region which has concluded such an agreement with the United States. "I believe that such an agreement would mean job opportunities for us and we urgently need jobs in Europe," Merkel said. But despite Blair possibly having his finger on the pulse of national UK sentiment right now, it isn't the first time he has chosen to make a public statement that gets met with a tirade of funny public responses, or even mentions in a growing list of "No Shit Sherlock" quips. Here are some classic ones to perk up your first Friday afternoon of September 2016: "This party will, ultimately, be judged on its ability to deliver on its promise" A risky statement to make by any political party because when you eventually reach the moment of not having delivered on any of your significant promises, this quote will surely come right back to bite you where the sun doesn't shine. "All we ask now is that the UN means what it said, and does what it meant." This one will leave you wondering who could have written this soundbite. Whoever it was, they were probably fired not too long after it was said. "Just after the election, an old colleague of mine said: 'Come on Tony, now we've won again can't we drop all this New Labour and do what we believe in?'. "I said: 'It's worse than you think. I really do believe in it'." A bit like the new brand of leftie hope and potential that MP Jeremy Corbyn is attempting to bring to the UK's Labour party. 'New Labour' was a re-branding exercise that got the working public of UK a little bit excited. That didn't last too long though. BERLIN (Sputnik) Ahead of the demonstrations, the left-wing groups vowed to block the two ministries and disrupt their work over perceived policies of social division and in protest over the strengthening of right-wing forces in society. The protest comes just days after the German Labour and Social Affairs Minister Andrea Nahles announced the latest Hartz IV labor welfare reforms. The Hartz IV unemployment handout is set to rise in 2017, but the new rates have been criticized as too low and arbitrary. Non-asylum seeker migrants will also be excluded for receiving the benefits. "Most of today's events have finished. A total of 1,200 police officers were present. Regarding the number of activists, this was difficult to count due to the numerous rallies and demonstrations which were attended by different groups. However, there were around 200 people at 7:30 am [06:30 GMT] in two places, on the Potsdamer Platz and at the Gendarmenmarkt. In addition, another rally was held at lunchtime outside the Labor Ministry, there were about 450 people," an official Berlin Police representative told RIA Novosti. According to the Macedonian Nova TV, the lawmakers approved the members of the interim Cabinet, in particular, appointing SDSM's Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski, and Labor Minister Frosina Remenski. The government will be headed by VMRO-DPMNE's Emil Dimitriev. The broadcaster said that the election campaign was due to start on November 21, and is due to stop on December 10. "What happened to Dilma isnt just an insult to democracy, isnt just a coup d'etat, its a permanent wound in our pride and our confidence in justice," Fraga declared. "It shows that Brazil will always struggle as a young democracy and never mature. We have a history of coup d'etats, we have only four presidents that have carried out the full term in the past 80 years." He called Rousseffs impeachment "A victory of the elites, a victory of the aristocrats, a victory of the large landowners, this is a victory of the reactionary and oppressive forces." Fraga stated that the so-called soft coup is "against the people, against the poor, against the working class.This is nothing short of an absolute disaster." Escobar, while unhappy with the impeachment, is not surprised, considering the episode to be "a chronicle of an impeachment foretold." Rousseff took office in 2011, and after being reelected by a narrow margin in 2014 she was dragged down by an economic recession and high-profile corruption scandal at the state-run oil company Petrobras. Although Rousseff herself was not accused of benefiting from corruption, dozens of politicians from her leftist Workers Party as well as other parties in her governing coalition are still under investigation in the Petrobras case. Temer, who led the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) for 15 years and was Rousseffs running mate during her successful presidential campaign in 2010 and again in 2014, was mostly relegated to rallying support in Congress and ensuring his partys support for Rousseff's agenda in return for control of certain ministries. However, as Rousseffs popularity plummeted, Temer became her political opponent and led his PMDB party out of the coalition with some Brazilian lawmakers, claiming Rousseff was unable to control the unwieldy coalition she had formed. Rousseff case has exposed some of the weaknesses in Brazils political system, which presents a hybrid between parliamentary and presidential systems, in which the president is elected as in a presidential system, but still largely depends on coalition partners as in a parliamentary system. This system, which obliges the head of state to make deals with numerous political parties, encourages horse-trading and corruption, but, according to experts, is unlikely to be changed under the new president. "There is little change on the horizon in [the] coalitional presidentialism, and I dont expect a government led by the PMDB to undertake significant political reforms, since the PMDB is the exemplar of a party that has benefited enormously from the current system," Matthew Taylor suggested. "The PMDB is part of the problem," Dirk Kruijt agreed. The Dutch expert also added that only a very mild and accommodating government would be able to start the reform process. "The present President does not seem to be inclined to do so," he assumed. Economic problems ahead According to Syrian news agency SANA, the Syrian military have conducted a number of operations in such provinces as Hama, Aleppo and Sweida, as well as Daraa, inflicting damage to various terrorist groups operating in those areas. The largest number of raids occurred in the Hama province, where government forces have been carrying out attacks throughout the week. On Thursday, Syrian jets destroyed a tank and several vehicles belonging to the Ajnad al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa factions, killing 30 in the north of the province. Bajwa's statement is a rare acknowledgement of the presence of Daesh in the country, as earlier it was claimed that there was no extremist footprint in Pakistan. "At the start of Zarb-e-Azb Operation, Pakistan was plagued with terrorism and militancy, but Army successfully eliminated terrorism from their epicenters," Bajwa said. It was reported that 309 militants, including members from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, were seized by Pakistani security forces. Attacks on embassies, on Pakistani officials and on an airport in Islamabad by Daesh operatives have been foiled, according to the military spokesman. The Pakistan army has eliminated some 3,500 extremists since 2014 as a result of military operations in the North Waziristan and Khyber tribal regions, he said. The only acceptable solution, to the enduring conflict, he stated, would be a separation agreement from the Palestinians. This is not the first instance of a former top-level Israeli official slamming Israel for its policies toward Palestine. On Tuesday, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said that Israel would be plunged into a civil war if racism and bigotry continues to divide the country. "The internal threat must worry us more than the external threat," Jerusalem Post cited him as saying. If a society crosses a certain line in its division and hatred, it is a real possibility to see a phenomenon like a civil war." Earlier in July, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Israel for turning occupied territories into an open-air prison. He called on the world community to take a stand against Israels fascist policies and never-ending provocations and said that the end of the occupation would mean the end of world terrorism. ANKARA (Sputnik) On Sunday, media reported, citing an anonymous US defense official, that all Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) members, outlawed in Turkey, had moved east of the river. "No, they [YPG] have not retreated [from areas bordering Turkey]. We base this on our own data. We do not believe the US claims that the terrorists have moved to the east of Euphrates," Erdogan said at a press conference at the Ankara airport ahead of his departure to China to take part in the Group of Twenty (G20) summit. Russia-US Anti-Terror Dialogue Based on Telling Syrian Rebels, Extremists Apart The Russia-US dialogue on countering terrorism is based on the issue of distinguishing between rebel forces and extremists in Syria, Rogachev said. "Our cooperation with the US in the field of counterterrorism in relation to the situation in Syria is now tied to the situation in northern Syria and is primarily associated with a specific terrorist organization, which we are used to calling al-Nusra Front and the problem of distinguishing it from the opposition," the diplomat told RIA Novosti. According to Rogachev, Russias US partners have long promised to separate the so-called moderate opposition groups from terrorists. "And have not come to this yet," he said. Russia to Resume, Strengthen Counter-Terrorism Dialogue With Turkey Russia will resume and strengthen its counter-terrorism dialogue with Turkey, the diplomat said. "The political decisions have been made and we, of course, should, and we definitely will relaunch and then develop and strengthen counter-terrorism dialogue that we had with Turkey some time ago," Rogachev told RIA Novosti. "Obviously, we have certain expectations and hopes related to the soon relaunch of this dialogue, we hope that the Turkish side feels the same," he added. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Political settlement of conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen requires the countries' unity and territorial integrity, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi said Friday. "We have witnessed the significant human suffering caused by the ongoing conflicts and crises in countries such as Syria, Libya and Yemen. Egypt believes that it is crucial for any political settlement to preserve the countries unity, territorial integrity, national institutions and resources," Sisi told The Hindu newspaper in an interview. Experts agree that the Kurds, whom Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters view as an adversary, are the primary reason behind the campaign, formally known as Euphrates Shield. The name itself appears to highlight Ankara's true motives. Turkish authorities have long said that Euphrates River was a red line that the Kurds could not cross. Should Kurdish militias choose to cross the river and advance further west, Ankara would send troops across the border, they warned. This is exactly what happened. In early August, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up largely of the Kurds, liberated Manbij, a city located to the west of the Euphrates. They also said that they planned to move further west to liberate the town of al-Bab. On August 24, Turkey launched its military offensive. ALEPPO (Sputnik) The Syrian army backed by local militia launched a counteroffensive in north of the Hama province and retook one village, a source in the militia told RIA Novosti. "The army and our units stopped the terrorists' offensive in northern Hama. We are advancing now. We freed the village of Maardes and moving to Tayyibat al Imam," the source said. The source added that the militants were attacking the city of Muhradah to slow the Syrian army's advance. In an interview with Sputnik, Iranian political analyst Pirmohammad Mollazehi underscored the all-importance of closer security exchanges between Iran and Afghanistan. A stable Afghanistan holds the key to stability and peace in this whole region. The country is being threatened by the Taliban, which is trying to put entire regions under their control, and by Daesh which, faced with a potential defeat in Syria and Iraq, could set its sights on Afghanistan, thus posing a serious threat also to Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Pirmohammad Mollazehi said. He also said that the Daesh terrorists main goal is to establish an Islamic Caliphate that would spread from Russias North Caucasus all the way to India. Fully aware of this, Tehran and Kabul must work closer together to restore peace and security in the war-torn Afghanistan. It is exactly with this understanding in mind that between 2011 and 2015 Iran donated $500 million to the Afghan government and is going to line up an additional $400 million before the end of this year. The trade turnover between the two countries keeps growing and, according to Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Ali Tayebnia, is expected to reach $6 billion from $2.5 billion now. Iran wants to build an oil refinery in Afghanistan with a daily capacity to 400,000 barrels of crude and is also ready to share its vast experience of fighting drug trafficking. However, despite their traditionally close historical and cultural ties with Afghanistan, the Iranians certainly have other, less altruistic interests in the neighboring country. First and foremost, Tehran wants a complete US military pullout from Afghanistan and an equal distribution of power between representatives of the countrys Pashtu and other ethnic groups. Tehrans other priority is to ensure the security of Afghan Shiites and prevention of any further escalation of tensions between the local Shiites and Sunnis. Fighting Daesh terrorists and cracking down on drug traffickers is also a major priority. All this means that closer across-the-board cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan, especially in fighting Daesh, will help enhance security and stability in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The United States agrees with Russia that terrorist organizations make up part of the Syrian opposition, but does not know how to separate its moderate elements from the radicals, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. "One of the fundamental difficulties [in Russian-US negotiations] lies in the fact that we insist and our American partners do not deny it that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from radical groups and terrorist organizations," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg published on the Kremlin website. He noted that jihadists start "absorbing the so-called healthy part of the opposition." "Among other things, it is no longer part of internal strife. These are newly arrived fighters who receive arms and ammunition from abroad." MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russian President Vladimir Putin called for patience to let natural changes occur in Syrian society instead of demanding the Arab republics leader Bashar Assad to step down. "Is it not better to be patient and facilitate the change in social structure itself? And, with patience and while facilitating structural societal changes, to wait for natural changes to occur inside?" Putin said in an interview Bloomberg published on the Kremlin website Friday. He forewarned that structural changes in Syrian politics will not come "any day now." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The total of nine strikes in Iraq hit Daesh targets near nine cities, including Qayyarah, Ramadi and Hit, destroying tactical units, Daesh buildings, as well as a communications antenna and vehicles, among other targets. "On Sept. 1, coalition military forces conducted 14 strikes against ISIL [Daesh] terrorists in Syria and Iraq," the release stated on Friday. "Near Sinjar, one strike destroyed an ISIL security headquarters building." In Syria, five strikes destroyed tactical units, fighting positions and weapons cache near the cities Raqqa and Mara, according to the Task Force. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to the source, latest developments in the Middle East peace process will be on the agenda of the talks. "Bogdanov will meet with Presidential Secretary-General Tayyib Abdul-Rahim due to absence of [Palestinian President Mahmoud] Abbas" the source said, confirming that Bogdanov's visit to Ramallah would take place on September 6 after his trip to Tel Aviv. On August 24, Turkish forces, backed by US-led coalition aircraft, began a military operation dubbed Euphrates Shield to clear Jarablus and the surrounding area of Daesh presence. On Thursday, the General Staff said that over 260 targets have been hit by airstrikes since the start of the operation without specifying whether some of these were Kurdish forces, which are also targeted by the operation, instead of Daesh. When the operation started Turkish troops and tanks received aerial support from an international coalition led by the United States. Washington supported Ankaras combat actions against the Kurds despite the fact that Kurdish forces have long been a US ally in the fight against Daesh in Syria. "Of course, the US is not happy with the conflict between Turkey and Kurds. Washington is facing a dilemma because the US is glad that Turkey is fighting Daesh," Idiz said. He added that currently Turkey is also supported by Russia and Iran. Moscow and Tehran has long insisted on the need to preserve Syrias territorial integrity. "If Ankara has changed its stance towards [Syrian President Bashar] Assad then it means that Iran and Russia are close to a compromise with Turkey on the Kurdish problem," the expert suggested. Idiz also commented on the dangers Ankara could face during the operation. "Of course, there is a risk factor. Some say that Turkey may be dragged in a quagmire. Its true because such operations always have risks. At the same time, the West is unlikely to interfere because Turkey is fighting Daesh in Syria," the expert said. Arif Keskin, a specialist in Middle East issues, noted that the outcome of the Jarablus operation will depend on alliances Turkey will form. "Ankara couldnt have started a military operation in Syria independently. Syria may not become a quagmire if Ankara manages to form alliances with the US, Russia, Iran and the Syrian government. The operation is not sending a signal to Damascus and is not aimed at overthrowing Assad," Keskin told BirGun. However, if the goals of the offensive are incorrect the operation could fail, he warned. "If Turkey abandons some of its regional ambitions, sets pragmatic goals and forms a well-organized alliance Syria will not turn into a quagmire. The operation could even be successful. Turkey should consider the regional balance of power which is maintained by the US, Russia and Iran," Keskin said. Keskin continued: "What is happening now could change the Turkish policy in the region. Ankara is now turning away from Washington and reaching to Moscow and Tehran. The Jarablus operation could strengthen Turkish ties with Russia and Iran." He said that China's and Saudi Arabias military-technical ties could have some serious ability to influence global geopolitics. The analyst said that this could be a matter of concern for the US. It does not welcome the strengthening of relations of Saudi Arabia with its geopolitical opponents. China is beginning to increasingly penetrate the territory of American influence. Saudi Arabia is one of them. Another example is Djibouti, where Chinese military are establishing themselves near the US military base, Baranets said. He further said that Chinas decision to make a base in Djibouti was unexpected for many. According to the analyst China is beginning to loudly declare its interests. This is a rather serious moment in Chinese geopolitics, which cannot be ignored. Chinese Professor at the Diplomatic Academy Su Hao said that the partnership between China and Saudi Arabia could reap many mutually benefits. Cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia in the military sphere includes anti-terrorism cooperation. Saudi Arabia is at the front line of the fight against terrorism in the Middle East and has extensive experience in this field. The exchange of intelligence, national defense and security in order to fight terrorism is the most important area of cooperation between the two states, Su Hao said. The analyst further said that Saudi Arabia has very close ties with the US, especially in the military and security spheres. With China there is commercial contact and economic cooperation but the military sphere and security is relatively fragile. According to the analyst, relations of Saudi Arabia with other countries also requires diversification. Currently, against the background of falling world oil prices, which affects the economy of Saudi Arabia, the kingdom hopes to achieve a number of economic benefits through the development of military and counter-terrorism cooperation with China. The next goal is the central building of the artillery college which is currently being shelled with artillery and mortars. Thus, the Syrian Army and its allies are regaining ground after jihadists launched a counteroffensive against government forces in June. The distance of 200 meters to the Air Force College was a hard task for the Syrian Army but finally they managed to turn the tide in the battle for the Western corridor. Currently, Syrian forces are drawing reserves to the area. During the offensive, the NPU troops which are a Christian armed group, received air support from the international coalition whose forces attacked the terrorist positions. This air support was the first given in history of combat operations in Iraq. At the same time, the NPU repelled an attack by militants in Telskuf village, where the terrorists organized car bomb assaults with the aim of breaking through the NPUs defense. Nevertheless, the Assyrian troops managed to kill 150 terrorists and keep the village under their control. Since the spread of Daesh in Iraq, Assyrian troops have not received any military support from any of the anti-terrorist coalitions. The initiative to liberate the north of Iraq was started by the Kurdish Peshmerga troops. Due to lack of international support, the Assyrian troops were forced to act alone to protect their villages and districts from Daesh militants. A few months earlier, the NPU commander expressed hope to receive coalition support. The western assistance will give equality to all the ethnic groups here, Col. Jawat Habib Abboush, the deputy commander of the group was reported as saying, according to news portal AINA.org. This is our country, we had a civilization here for a thousand years and we are still citizens of this country, he added. We cannot be marginalized. When Daesh spread across northern and western Iraq in the summer of 2014, Assyrian Christians were brutally targeted and thousands of members of the community were displaced from their homes, fleeing to Kurdish-controlled areas. In exclusive interview with Sputnik, Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party in Turkey, commented on Russias policy towards the Kurdish problem in Syria. "Russia should intensify its ties with the Kurdish people. Cooperation with Kurds should be based on a strategic basis, not under the influence of a political environment. Such an approach would contribute to the peaceful settlement in the Middle East," Demirtas said. According to the politician, Russia and other major international players could play an important role in the Syrian settlement, including the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in Syria. The war in Iraq has shaken the fragile balance in the Middle East and also has been a great harm to the United States, the journalist wrote. Thus, when Obama developed a military strategy for Syria, he primarily was guided by the principle: "anything, just not another Iraq." According to Grimm, the US military retreat in the Middle East, the underestimation of the enemy and controversial alliances provoked the emergence of a "black hole" in the region which enabled the creation of such brutal organization as Daesh. At the same time, internet data will be subject to stronger censorship than before. The project is designed to filter information and block data considered immoral and inappropriate for Iranian youth. Nevertheless, Abshenass is confident that the new project will have a lot of positive effects for national security. According to him, it will help to enhance the country's cybersecurity, ensure uninterrupted work of major state institutions and prevent possible attacks on the country's vital infrastructure. The expert claimed that the Internet system which Iran has used previously is "under control of Iran's enemies, such as the United States." "If the US and its allies impose sanctions on the use of the Internet against Iran, the vital activities of the country's infrastructure will be cut off. Even the internal network data exchange between domestic banks will be impossible for the citizens of the country, not to mention the cyber security of strategic nuclear facilities," Abshenass stated. According to official data, the project cost the country 6.3 million dollars over the last three years. Iran is currently launching the first stage of the project, which already guarantees the country their desired security. "Even if today communication with the outside world will be cut off due to the sanctions, the operation of the Iranian internal systems won't stop," Abshenass concluded. . If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules . You will be able to participate again through:. If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article. The THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage. "There is no reason, nor practical benefit, for the THAAD system to target any third country, and the Korean Government does not have any such intentions or plans," Park said, answering a question on whether the systems could damage Moscow-Seoul relations. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Work on the contract will be performed at El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed by September 30, 2017 for the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, the Defense Department added. The Aerospace Corporation [of] El Segundo, California, has been awarded an $844.2 million modification contract for systems engineering and integration support for the national space community, the release said on Thursday. The Aerospace Corporation operates a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) in El Segundo. It provides technical guidance on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers, according to its articles of incorporation. "PKL Services [of] Poway, California, has been awarded a $495 million contract for Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 S&SA type aircraft maintenance upgrade training," the Defense Department said on Thursday. The announcement noted that the contract is 100 percent foreign military sales to Riyadh. The Swedish Air Force is about to proudly replace 96 Gripen C/D aircraft currently in use with 60 Gripen E, the latter being a larger model with a number of improvements in the form of new radars and electronic warfare systems. Whereas the new Gripen E offers considerable technological advances, it also presents significant problems. The advanced technology is no match for the training aircraft currently in use in the Swedish Air Force. The current Swedish training aircraft SK 60 has roots in the 1960s, and the gap between this trusted old-timer and the modern generation of fighter jets is far too big. As the warplanes become increasingly more sophisticated, the demands on school aircraft are increasing; the pilots must learn how to handle various weapons, radars and communication systems. "The gap between SK 60 and Griffin E is too great. We won't be effective if we continue practicing with SK 60. The sooner we can ditch it, the better," Colonel Magnus Liljegren told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. An American military analyst, known as The Saker, explained how this system works. The SVP-24 compares the position of the aircraft and the target and measures the environmental parameters, including humidity, windspeed, angle of attack, etc. It can receive additional data from AWAC aircraft, ground stations and other planes. The system then "computes an 'envelope' (speed, altitude, course) inside which the dumb bombs are automatically released exactly at the precise moment when their unguided flight will bring them right over the target (with a 3-5m accuracy)," the analyst added. "In practical terms this means that every 30+ year old Russian 'dumb' bomb can now be delivered by a 30+ year old Russian aircraft with the same precision as a brand new guided bomb delivered by a top of the line modern bomber," the expert noted. On Wednesday, a representative of the local militia said terrorists were trying to seize four villages located between the Idlib and Hama provinces. Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition groups, as well as terrorist formations, such as the Daesh, prohibited in many countries, including Russia and the United States. According to Van Bohemen, the meeting will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly ministerial meeting. New Zealands envoy said he believes it is necessary to use the opportunity to hold a meeting on Syria while world leaders are in New York. In August, De Mistura said he was planning to make concrete proposals on Syria before the UN General Assembly kicks off in New York on September 13. Russias Churkin to Preside Over Upcoming UN Secretary-General Election Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin will preside over the next round of votes for the UN Secretary-General, President of the Security Council for September van Bohemen also stated. BRUSSELS (Sputnik) The European Parliament has already begun looking over the agreement, while the European Council is set to start the process in early September, the source added. "The European Commission wants the agreement to be deemed temporarily in force without waiting for the ratification process to be completed by EU member states' parliaments. In the case of a similar agreement with South Korea, this took four years," the source said. CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between Canada and the European Union. In 2013, Ottawa and Brussels reached an agreement on key elements of the deal. European critics of CETA claim it would undermine standards and regulations on environmental protection, health and safety and workers' rights. The agreement has been likened to the US-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). "The European Union has capped them all, even NATO, where dialogue is constructed in a more democratic way," Lavrov said, explaining that "the current processes are due to the fact that the principles of solidarity and mutual responsibility are enshrined in bureaucracy, which is starting not only to perform the functions delegated to member-states, but also draws on the blanket which is still covering these member states, not letting them freeze and allowing them to feel comfortable." Lavrov also stressed that Russia cannot regard as lawful, from the perspective of the national interests of each individual state, the interests that NATO is defending under the influence of the United States. The two leaders are set to discuss bilateral cooperation in various fields, as well as international and regional issues. A number of documents are set to be signed following the talks. "Currently, Russia is working together with the Republic of Korea in responding to the North's provocations. Since the resolution of North Korea's nuclear and missile issues would provide significant thrust for the mutual development of our two countries and the Far East, I look forward to continuing bilateral cooperation in bringing about such changes with a long-term vision," Park said. We will continue to work in close partnership with the Brazilian government to advance our common interests and responsibilities, Babcock said on Thursday. On Wednesday, Michel Temer, Brazils former vice president, was sworn into office as the countrys new leader after the Senate voted to impeach Rousseff. Upon taking office, Temer emphasized the importance of showing the world that Brazil is politically stable and legitimately governed. The Russian leader arrived in the Far East on August 31 and will take part in the EEF that is taking place on September 2-3 on the campus of Russias Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island. According to the Kremlin, Putin will meet with prospective investors on Friday and will discuss further ways of developing business in the region. RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) The minister recalled that in 2013, when Russian-EU trade was at its highest, the trade volume stood at $436 billion, with direct investment volume reaching $350 billion. "We are currently in a state of awaiting a signal from Brussels regarding formal consultations, formal talks in any format convenient for the European Union," Likhachev said on Friday, explaining that "without a clear political signal, with no conceptual reversal in the relations between Moscow and Brussels there will certainly be no return to the same figures on the volume of trade." Likhachev stressed that Brussels has not signaled its readiness to start talks on sanctions in the past two and a half years. RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) On September 26-28, representatives of 73 member states of the International Energy Forum (IEF) are set to meet in the Algerian capital to discuss oil-related issues. OPEC members are expected to hold informal consultations on the sidelines of the IEF summit. "We have preliminary agreed to meet. Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. I think there will be a large number of bilateral meetings there," Novak told journalists on Friday. "We call on Turkish authorities to immediately release Lindsey Snell and allow her to resume her work as a journalist," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said, as quoted in a statement published on the Committees website on Thursday. Ognianova urged the Turkish authorities to end its harassment of journalists crossing over from Syria. According to the CPJ, such incidents have been regular in recent years. On Thursday, the US Treasury added a number of Gazprom energy company entities and subsidiaries of Gazprombank, as well as of Bank of Moscow and several other financial companies, to the US sectoral sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian issue. "Sanctions are adopted quickly in the United States, but their cancelling is rather difficult. I think it will be substantial work." RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he planned to discuss with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the Japan-proposed cooperation plan with Russia. "You know that the Japanese side unexpectedly for me offered a quite detailed eight-point cooperation development plan with energy industry as one of the priorities, during the meeting in Sochi. We will talk about that," Putin said at a meeting with investors at the Eastern Economic Forum's (EEF), adding that he was about to see Abe later in the day. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Relations between Russia and the United Kingdom will improve if the latter carries out a more independent foreign policy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "If [the UK] carries out a more independent foreign policy, then, possibly, this could happen," Putin told Bloomberg. The UK's relations with Russia depend not on its presence or absence from the EU, but on its special relationship with the US," the president said. VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) Abe presented a bilateral economic plan during his Sochi visit. The plan covers such areas as oil and gas development and the modernization of ports and airports in the Far East. "We have restarted work on the foreign ministers' level. We are carefully examining your proposals, which you brought forward during the Sochi visit," Putin told Abe during the meeting on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). He added that he held a meeting with the representatives of the Japanese business working in Russia, including Far East. VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) Putin's visit to Japan will take place in December, according to Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov. "As a neighbor, Japan is ready to make every effort for the development of Japanese-Russian cooperation in the region," Abe said at the meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). "Since our last meeting [in Sochi] we are carrying out preparations for Vladimir Putin's visit to Japan," he said. BERLIN (Sputnik) The German magazine Spiegel revealed that the spokesman is likely to stress that the resolution has no binding effect on the government and is nothing more than a declaration without any legal power. In June, Ankara restricted the access of a delegation of German lawmakers to the airbase, where the Bundeswehr forces involved in the US-led coalition campaign against Daesh terrorist group are deployed, after the German parliament adopted a resolution calling the early 20th century Armenian massacre a genocide. Despite the ban, in July, Germany decided to send a delegation to the base between September 15 and 17. On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said German officials would be able to visit the base provided the German government "takes steps" to distance itself from the Bundestag resolution. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russian President Vladimir Putins talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are unlikely to advance the dispute over the Kuril Islands, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. "It is hardly worth expecting that the territorial issue may make progress as a result of todays meetings. This is a much more complex issue that requires longer and more expert-level efforts," Peskov told reporters. Japan and Russia have never signed a permanent peace treaty after World War II due to a disagreement over four islands, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan the Northern Territories. The disputed islands, located in the Sea of Okhotsk, were claimed by Soviet forces at the end of the war. BERLIN (Sputnik) He added that it is necessary to restart the dialogue on specific subjects, including negotiations on arms control. "I am happy that thanks to your help as well, the NATO-Russia Council is working again, at the ambassadorial level so far," Steinmeier told reporters at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Talks on Syria are "very difficult" but "gradually heading in the right direction," according to the president. "I don't rule out that well be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community," Putin told Bloomberg in an interview. Moscow is also working with Ankara on aligning interests, he said. MADRID (Sputnik) On Friday, Rajoy will now face a second round of voting having failed to clear the 176-vote mark in the first round earlier in the week. A simple majority of "yes" votes will serve to approve his candidacy in this round. "We are convinced that the vote of this evening will fail again," Joan Tarda of the Republican Left of Catalonia (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) party said. Most recently, Ankara launched a ground operation in northern Syria, saying that it is aimed at resolving the crisis. Critics point out that Turkey's military adventure will in fact make things more complicated. Interestingly, the campaign, dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield, was launched on the same day that US Vice President Joe Biden visited Ankara. "We see mixed signals coming out of Washington. Vice President Biden was recently in Turkey and he was quite emphatic that the Syrian Kurds could not move any further to the West from where they were. We see that the Turks now have sent military forces into Syria. They say they are to counter [Daesh] but in reality they are primarily attacking the Syrian Kurds as they are also doing with the Turkish Kurds," he said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish officials said that the offensive was meant to remove Daesh from the border area and particularly the Syrian town of Jarablus, but they also noted that the campaign was meant to prevent the Syrian Kurds from taking more areas, particularly to the west of the Euphrates, under control. Turkey is concerned that the Syrian Kurds will link border areas that they control into a single zone, essentially creating an autonomous entity between the two countries. Madsen further commented on the state of relations between the US and Turkey that have been overshadowed by an unsuccessful attempt on July 15 to depose Erdogan and the West's reserved reaction to the failed military coup. "Biden of course is doing everything possible to keep these relations intact," Madsen said. Ankara has been particularly discontent with the US for not extraditing reclusive cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in a self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. Erdogan and his supporters have said that Gulen was behind the coup. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Moscow sees Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans clear interest in fully restoring ties with Russia since apologizing for the downing of a Russian jet last fall, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. "We proceed from the fact that Turkey has apologized for the incident, for the death of our people. It has done it right, without any reservations, and we appreciate it. President Erdogan has done it and we see a clear interest in the Turkish president for a full-length restoration of relations with Russia," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg. Putin noted the countries' shared interests, including the Black Sea and the Middle East, and said he expected the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project to be implemented in the future. MOSCOW (Sputnik) In early August, the Russian Defense Ministry announced it is ready for military consultations with all neighboring countries to avoid incidents at sea and in the air. It proposed joint incident prevention work on the basis of bilateral agreements, and consultations with the defense ministries of the Baltic states, including Lithuania, to address mutual concerns related to military activities in border areas. "We have received Russias proposals and will consider them carefully in close consultations with our allies, before taking the next steps," Motuzas said. The Slovakian capital will host the meeting of the leaders of the EU member states, except UK Prime Minister Theresa May, on September 16. The participants are set to discuss the future of the bloc in light of the United Kingdoms decision to withdraw from it, following the June 23 referendum on the issue. London was the most influential opponent to centralization of the European Union. After Brexit, many political analysts and experts suggested that Germany would work with Italy and France to reset the idea of a common Europe. "For the German leader, the Bratislava summit marks the start of what promises to be the arduous task of restoring confidence in an EU plagued by weak leadership and competing national agendas. While even her critics say she is the only leader with the stature to tackle the blocs catalog of ills, they also complain that Germanys political and economic dominance is at the root of many of the EUs problems," the article in Politico read. BERLIN (Sputnik) Turkey called off its ambassador from Germany after the German parliament in June adopted a resolution recognizing the 1915-1916 massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide. "We are welcoming the fact that Turkey is planning to send a new ambassador to Berlin soon, and we are welcoming the revival of the political relations between Germany and Turkey by means of mutual visits," Schaefer told reporters. Ankara has repeatedly denied accusations of committing mass murder of Armenians, claiming that the victims of the tragedy were both Turks and Armenians. In fact, President Vladimir Putin has told Bloomberg that "very difficult" talks, involving both countries, could soon transform into a deal on Syria. "I don't rule out that we'll be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community," he said Pakhomov described the chances that this will indeed take place as "higher than one could suppose" when looking at the overall state of US-Russian relations. "This cooperation, if it materializes, will be very limited and goal-oriented, but it can still deal a couple of decisive blows to [Daesh] and other terrorist organizations," he added. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The ministry earlier confirmed that Daesh second-in-command Abu Mohammed Adnani was among about 40 terrorists killed in an airstrike by Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers in the Syrian province of Aleppo. However, some anonymous Pentagon sources ridiculed the report in an interview with Reuters, calling it "a joke." "It is not surprising that Pentagon does not have any concrete information about the Russian strike on August 30 as the US officials have been claiming almost every day for about a year that they rule out any coordination of military operations in Syria with Russia," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. During his discussions with the Vietnamese President and Prime Minister, Modi is likely to discuss the issue of the South China Sea. The Indian stance is that China should follow the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and has continuously advocated that there should be freedom of navigation in international waters. Defense and security are other important topics on the agenda between the two countries. India will soon provide four patrol boats to Vietnam for surveillance in the South China Sea. Apart from that Vietnam has also shown keen interest in acquiring BrahMos missile and India is likely to supply these missiles soon. Prime Minister Narendra Modis Vietnam visit will definitely bring China on the toes as the Chinese government is wary of any discussion related to the South China Sea issue. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to the Hurriyet Daily news, Ibrahim Unye, the head of the party, has announced that they will begin in the near future to form organizations hoping to participate in the next elections. "In the near future, we will have a camp, complete our training and announce our projects. We will reach the furthest point of our country. We will knock on every door and wont leave a hand that wasnt shaken and a heart that wasnt entered," the party leader said, as quoted by the news outlet. Nersisyan is also convinced that even a short-term military engagement will not pay off in the long run. "The task aimed at preventing the YPG from taking the border regions under control will ultimately fail," he said, adding that Turkey's operation will most likely boost the PKK's recruitment and rearmament efforts. In addition, Turkey's military adventure in northern Syria does not help to solve the years-long conflict that has claimed more than 280,000, displaced millions and sparked a major refugee crisis in Europe. "The conflict is becoming increasingly protracted. Not a single party to the war is capable of conducting successful large-scale operations. This is all due to the endless stream of fighters, weapons and money from dozens of stakeholders pursuing their own interests in Syria," he noted. Unless those embroiled in the Syrian crisis understand this, the Syrian war could go on "forever," he added. Indeed, the establishment of an independent Kurdish entity along the Syrian-Turkish border may encourage the Turkish Kurds to intensify their struggle for sovereignty. At the same time, Ankara needs a "small and victorious war" to calm tensions simmering between the Turkish military and the government after the failed coup attempt. Sergey Balmasov, expert of the Middle East Institute at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), echoes Perier. "[Turkey's] military operation in Syria is playing into Erdogan's hands not only because it could solve the Kurdish issue, but because of the complicated political situation in Turkey: the military are interfering in politics and in this situation the best choice is to send them to war. Interestingly enough, the Turkish invasion of Syria was timed to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Marj Dabiq [between the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate] which took place near the city of Aleppo in 1516," Balmasov told Svobodnaya Pressa. Balmasov shares Perier's stance on Washington achieving its own specific objectives by endorsing Erdogan's campaign. "Americans are still seeking to weaken the Assad regime as much as possible," the Russian expert underscored, stressing that this is Washington's major goal so far. According to Balmasov, all the "pseudo-coalitions" the US have formed in the region are temporary ones. He added that the Turks should stop deluding themselves regarding Washington's genuine intentions: Ankara's role in the US-Turkish alliance is to pull the US' chestnuts out of the fire. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Paul noted that US policy on Syria has become an "abysmal failure," and blamed squarely the Obama administration for it. "So far in this war we have funneled weapons to terrorists, armed multiple sides and generally acted as if we dont have a clue what to do in the region and weve done it all unconstitutionally," Paul stated in an op-ed for the Fox News. "The Obama administration drew red lines that made no sense," Paul claimed. "It armed opposition it did not know well or understand." Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi met for more than two hours in New Delhis Hyderabad House. Both the leaders agreed to strengthen defense and security engagements, which includes defense, trade, training of military personnel and capacity building. India and Egypt have also agreed to share intelligence inputs to combat terrorism and cooperation in the field of cyber security. Both the countries have also agreed to fight drug trafficking, transnational crime and money laundering. India and Egypt have also agreed to promote trade and investment and build peace and security in the region. Both the countries also signed an memorandum of understanding on maritime shipping. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Uzbek authorities announced in a televised statement earlier on Friday that Karimov, 78, died in a hospital after suffering a stroke last week. Both Putin and Medvedev highly praised Karimov's role in maintaining strategic partnership between Russia and Uzbekistan, as well as in strengthening security and stability in Central Asia. "His [Karimov's] departure from life is a great loss for the people of Uzbekistan, as well as the Commonwealth of Independent States and the countries-partners of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Islam Karimov was a prominent statesman, a true leader of the country. The most important milestones in the history of modern Uzbek state are associated with his name", the statement by Putin said. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Trump said after the meeting with Pena-Nieto on Wednesday that Mexico would pay for a wall that the Republican nominee wants to build along the border to block illegal immigrants from coming to the United States. "Trump's meeting with the president of Mexico and subsequent speech in Phoenix have done more to ensure his election than anything else he has said or done so far," Salvia said. Salvia observed that at the meeting, Trump displayed an impressive public demeanor to counter claims by the campaign of his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton that he lacked the bearing and demeanor to represent his country. Following that, we move over to Myanmar and take a look at the peace talks that just began and which ambitiously aim to end the countrys almost 70-year-long history of rural insurgencies. Next we talk about how reports are coming out of the EU saying that TTIP has stalled and how the US is entirely to blame for the collapse of the trade negotiations. Afterwards, we raise some thought-provoking points to ponder about why theres much more than publicly meets the eye to Turkeys ultra-controversial military operation in northern Syria. And as our capstone story of the week, we reveal why the Logistics Support Agreement between the US and India spells big trouble for China and the unity of BRICS. Clinton addressed the Legions National Convention in Cincinnati on Wednesday, threatening China, Russia and Iran in a chest-thumping and highly militaristic speech. Is she the second coming of George W. Bush? Also on Wednesday, in a surreal scene, Donald Trump spoke alongside Mexicos President Enrique Nieto in Mexico City. But his softer tone there quickly vanished when he gave his major immigration speech saying that Mexico would 100 percent pay for a wall and promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition and Gloria La Riva, 2016 Presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The integrity of U.S. elections has been making headlines recently as the Clinton camp throws accusations about Russian hacking and the Trump campaign speaks vaguely about voting in key states being rigged and cheating going on. But is it actually companies such as Google that have the biggest chance of swaying the results of the upcoming election? Joining Becker to decipher the truth behind the manipulation of elections is Dr. Robert Epstein, author and senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology. Also, Americans hopes of an alternative to ISP conglomerates took a blow this month, after a federal appeals court ruled against an FCC municipal broadband initiative, and then commission said it wouldnt appeal. Chris Mitchell, the Director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self Reliance explains to discuss the issue. And, its Friday, which means someone is going in the Garbage Can. Those vying for the dishonorable tossing include the Bloomberg Editorial Board, NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, and the Federal Elections Commission. Todays main stories: Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered yesterday in the first of a series of opposition demonstrations in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, against Nicolas Maduro's embattled Presidency. We speak to Jorge Martin from the Hands off Venezuela campaign. One year ago today the image of a young Syrian boy washed up on a beach caused public outcry one year on, and Oxfam has released a report highlighting the increase in deaths on refugee and migrant routes, now equating to almost 1 death every 8 minutes. We talk to Shaheen Chaughtai, deputy head of humanitarian policy at Oxfam. A bullet like this will hit targets 8-10 kilometers away. Just what this complex really looks like or how the smart bullet is going to think is a big secret though. Avatar joins the army ranks A new robot-avatar, designed to have functions comparable to those of a human being, was revealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Central Institute for Scientific Research in January 2015. The human-like robot made five shots with its gun and drove a quad around the training area. Special sensors, attached to the robots limbs, allow an operator to drive the robot remotely. The machine is expected to be able to effectively work on its own in the conditions of human infrastructure, travel on a variety of terrains, drive a vehicle and provide emergency medical aid. Rail gun fires into space An electromagnetic railgun was tested in the US earlier this year firing bullets at Mach 6 six times the speed of sound. Not to be outdone, Russian engineers are now at work developing this countrys very own such weapon of the future. In a series of laboratory tests the Russian prototype has fired its projectile at a whopping 6.25 kilometers per second. A weapon capable of firing at a speed like this renders useless all existing means of ship, plane or tank protection. Moreover, a projectile made from several kilos of tungsten is comparable to a small-yield nuclear artillery shell as it generates almost as much energy without leaving behind a deadly trail of radiation. During the latest such test the projectile reached the speed of over 11 kilometers a second, which means that the Russian railgun can send payloads right into space! Talk to me, Ratnik! The development of the third generation Ratnik infantry combat system is already under way in Russia. As an upgraded version of the Ratnik-2 "soldier of the future " outfit more than 80,000 Russian servicemen were equipped with last year, Ratnik-3 will integrate various biomechanical tools, including exoskeletons. What makes ratnik-3 so special is that it will enable the soldier to control his onboard systems by voice this radically increasing his chances of survival in combat. Denis Bolotsky The campus of the Far Eastern Federal University the main venue of the event, also hosted the 2012 APEC summit, so its a familiar place for many guests and foreign journalists. And yet, some things are quite surprising. Like the Russian Ka-52 Alligator scout and attack helicopter that was flown to the embankment a few days ago. Visitors can walk up to the machine to talk to pilots and engineers, and take a photo in front of the cockpit. Ka-52s are being assembled locally. This gunship was actually flown to #EEF2016 venue straight from Artemyev plant. pic.twitter.com/jRinzgGyr0 Denis Bolotsky (@BolotskySputnik) 2 2016 . Ilya Rudakov, chief of staff at Primoryes own Progress plant a part of Russian Helicopters group which builds the Ka-52s, said [This] helicopter can be used in wide range of missions: destruction of tanks, armored and unarmored combat vehicles, enemy troops, helicopters and low-flying aircraft on the frontline. ASTRAKHAN (Sputnik) This year, the Agriculture Ministry expects the grain harvest in Russia at the level of at least 110 million tonnes, or 113-116 million tonnes under good weather conditions. Earlier this week, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev anticipated that by 2030, the grain harvest in Russia may annually rise to 130 million tonnes. "Currently, their is harvesting all across the country, in some regions, it is already over. In general, this year we have very good harvest prospects We can count on a very decent results, maybe this will be the highest results over the past decade, and maybe even in history, because in a number of regions, there are harvest amounts in terms of crop, grain," Medvedev told village workers. In recent years, the sphere of agriculture has been actively and successfully developing in Russia, proving cost-effective as it ensures food security of Russia, and also allows relatively high volumes of agricultural export. Signed deals and deal announcement Japanese trading company Mitsui & Co, which already has a share in the Sakhalin-2 oil-and-gas project, announced on Friday its readiness to invest over $1 billion in the Sakhalin-3 project. "[We want to invest] over $1 billion for sure, it is a large project," Mitsui Moscow General Director and Chief Regional Representative of Mitsui in CIS countries Meguro Hiroshi stressed, adding that Mitsui has been expressing interest in the Sakhalin-3 project for several years. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and China's Inventis Investment Holdings signed a deal establishing a joint fund worth $500 million. The deal, signed by the entities' CEOs Kirill Dmitriev and Kwek Ping Yong on the sidelines of the Forum, stipulates that the joint fund will invest in agriculture, transport, retail and tourism projects. Energy agreements Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Friday it held talks with South Korea's Kogas on increasing Russian liquefied natural gas supplies to South Korea. "During the talks, partnership matters in the energy field were considered. There were talks of Russian LNG deliveries from the Sakhalin-2 project. In particular, the sides discussed prospects of increasing gas supplies to Korea after the commissioning of the LNG plant's third production line," Gazprom said in a statement. UK oil and gas giant British Petroleum (BP) Executive Director Robert Dudley, speaking at the EEF, highlighted the importance of the Russian Far East and the Asia Pacific region for international energy companies. "I think the key reasons why this Far East region is significant and important to our company and other international companies is that we see the Asia Pacific and the whole of Asia; we also think about India when we look on the map of the region," Dudley said on Friday at the "Energy Cooperation within the Asia-Pacific Region: Building Bridges" session of the EEF. He stressed that long-term planning is crucial in the assessment of the importance of certain regions for the energy business. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to Vdovin, the Russian Far East's fisheries sector provides good opportunities for investors, but it requires fleet re-equipment. "Foreigners currently invest only in huge projects in the energy sphere and infrastructure development. There is a great potential for work there. Of course, legislative taxes-related initiatives are necessary to make investors' life easier. The Far East Development Fund is currently doing a good job and I think it will bring good results soon," Vdovin said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok. The EEF kicked off earlier in the day on Russky Island near Vladivostok. The forum, which will run through Saturday, is expected to attract some 2,500 participants, from countries including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Australia, the United States and Singapore. The false claims have caused RSPCA staff so much trouble that they are now claiming they are completely fed up. "This does waste our time. There are some reports that we can dismiss without looking at them but some are not that simple," RSPCA chief inspector Mike Butcher said in a recent interview. "We have ruled out several bizarre alternatives from people collecting cat whiskers to aliens, it has got a bit out of hand with who they think it is." "There are also people that say [the killer] likes skulls of cats and cat's tails to put on the wall." "There are people dropping a neighbor in it who they don't like or trying to get back at an ex and when we follow it up, it turns out it was just a domestic situation. More than 100 cats have been found decapitated and disembowelled near their owners' homes in Croydon and nearby West Norwood since last year. PETA Offers 5,000 Reward to Help Catch 'Cat Ripper of Croydon' | PETA UK https://t.co/62DwDDaxSd @petauk Alison french (@apfrench63) 28 August 2016 Animal rights group PETA is offering US$7,200 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the "twisted individual" known as the "Cat Ripper of Croydon." According to Trump's defamation suit, the Daily Mail, along with a US-based blog Tarpley, spread a false narrative which could greatly harm the possible future First Lady's reputation, and influence the outcome of the election. "These defendants made several statements about Mrs. Trump that are 100% false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," Trump's lawyer said in a statement. TV footage showing him standing right next to Pena Nieto, a real head of state automatically makes Trump look presidential. This is a big deal for a man now ridiculed by his US political opponents as a buffoon, Schirach suggested. Schirach acknowledged that Trumps account of the talks differed from what Pena Nieto told Mexican media. Pena Nieto indicated that of course the Mexicans would not consider paying for the border wall that Trump promised he will build, he noted. With the Mexican President, his host, standing right next to him, Trump said nothing about his guarantee that the wall will be built and Mexico will pay for it. However, Trumps gains from the meeting far outweigh its perceived shortcomings, Schirach maintained. Trump still wins this one. He held a summit with the Mexican president, the elected political leader of one of America's main trading partners. Purely by virtue of being there, sharing the podium with a president of a major country, Trump now can sell himself as presidential, Schirach said. Many parents are worried that their kids will not be aware of their surroundings because they are staring into a smartphone or playing games, including the infamous Pokemon GO. Although whole incident could have been a prank, Columbus police said that they would not take any chances, as a weapon was displayed. "We don't expect it during the early morning hours when people are going to work or school, so is there a concern there," said Sgt. Rich Weiner with the Columbus police. "We will have units in the area patrolling to make sure that this does not occur again." The school district's security personnel and police stated that they intend to monitor the area where the clown was seen. The incident comes just days after it was reported that people dressed as clowns attempted to lure children into the woods in South Carolina. #SpaceZoom slide show featuring giant clouds. In space the horizon provides endless options for photography.https://t.co/z1ZnOTp7wA Jeff Williams (@Astro_Jeff) August 27, 2016 In the list of endurance records of US astronauts in space, Williams is said to be ranking at 17th, earning him the achievement of being one of few most experienced US astronauts and cosmonauts in the world. #SpaceZoom slide show featuring the Volga Delta. From space there is so much beauty that any area might provide awe.https://t.co/DqnKxgw2q2 Jeff Williams (@Astro_Jeff) August 29, 2016 So if or when humanity relocates to another planet away from Earth in the future, Williams could quite likely get that first call to be on board the first flight. And when it comes to the possibility of alien life 'out there' if there was, they may have spotted Williams hanging around their turf during over this last year. The overall world record for most number of hours clocked in outer space is said to be officially held by Russian cosmonaut Gennady Ivanovich Padalka, who managed to log a staggering 879 days in orbit over the course of five missions. Who needs moments of solitude on Earth when you can quite literally get 'lost in space'? Any future hopefuls looking to challenge any of the above space records, get your applications in now. On Thursday, the US Department of the Treasury added a number of Russian companies and individuals to the list that includes subsidiaries of Russian gas giant Gazprom. The DoT also banned US citizens and companies from doing business with Mostotrest Company, which is currently building a 19 km road-and-rail bridge across the Kerch Strait to Crimea. The action demonstrates Treasurys steadfast commitment to maintain sanctions until Russia fully implements its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including a comprehensive cease fire, the Treasury Department said in a statement. Donald Trump has actually lost quite a lot of votes because of what he has been saying. Even though there were many people cheering him in Arizona, just a few members of Americas Latino community are actually going to vote for Trump in November. Hector Perla said that on a national level, a recent Gallup poll showed that about two thirds of Americans opposed the deportation of Mexicans and even among white Americans support for building a wall on the US-Mexican border was only 41 percent, not to mention the countrys growing Latino population. This is particularly important in such battleground states as Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Ohio and Nevada with their large Latino communities. In this sense, Trump is digging his own grave, Hector Perla insisted. On Wednesday, Trump flew to Mexico City and held an hour of talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, where they discussed a range of issues including commerce and border security. Mexicans reacted with dismay and outrage to Trumps visit. The general sentiment was clear: Trump wasnt welcome in Mexico and shouldnt have been invited to come. Trump is not the only presidential candidate to travel abroad during an election in recent years. In 2008, then-US Senator Barack Obama delivered a speech in Berlin amid the presidential race, and Mitt Romney toured Europe in 2012. According to the media outlet, a Clinton aide denied any wrong-doing, saying Bill Clinton "wears several hats among them being former president of the United States and the founder of the Clinton Foundation. His staffing reflects those roles There is no legal prohibition that would preclude the former presidents staff from receiving compensation from other sources or doing personal work for the former presidents. We are unaware of any legal prohibition that would preclude these activities. Finally, GSA officials failed to determine whether the IT equipment purchased under the act was intended for Clinton's personal office or the Foundation. The Clinton Foundation was established by Bill Clinton in 2001 after the end of his presidency as a nonprofit organization to raise funds to provide grants and carry out charitable projects. The funds raised by the Foundation are estimated at $2 billion. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Thousands of people are expected to gather in Washington, DC to commemorate the victims of the tragedy on September 11 and take part in the commemorative run and the unity walk. In New York, a memorial ceremony will be held at the World Trade Center Site. "Our [UK] ministers are not attending any events hosted by the US commemorating the 15th anniversary of 9/11," the source said. On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda suicide bombers hijacked four passenger planes in the United States, crashing two into New York's World Trade Center towers, another into the Pentagon and the fourth was sent in the direction of Washington D.C., presumably to attack the White House or the Capitol. Some 3,000 people lost their lives in the terrorist attack. That wasnt Trumps only scandal for Friday, however. The New York Times reported Trump will be interviewed by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the black pastor of the Great Faith Ministries International church on Saturday, and that the talks will be closed to the press and public. The interview will be aired a week later, on Bishop Jacksons religious cable channel the Impact Network. Instead of Trump taking questions off the cuff, everything that the pastor will be asking will have been submitted in advance, and the campaign and Republican National Committee prepared an eight page draft script with responses that they have advised the candidate to give. It is not uncommon for a candidate to request interview questions in advance; aides to Hillary Clinton do it from time to time. But it is unusual for a campaign to go so far as to prepare a script for a candidates own responses, and highlights the sensitivity of Mr. Trumps first appearance at a black church, the Times reported. A leaked script reveals that, if asked about his vision for black Americans, Trump is advised to stay positive and use lines such as If we are to make America great again, we must reduce, rather than highlight, issues of race in this country, and, I want to make race disappear as a factor in government and governance. Hermine was downgraded on early Friday morning as winds decreased to around 50 mph. Parts of Florida were drenched with five inches of rain and 70,000 homes lost power in Tallahassee and along the coast. A Florida man sleeping in a tent in Marion County was killed when a tree fell on him. No other fatalities have yet been reported, but several others were injured as trees fell on houses. The storm downed powerlines and many trees, including one near the governors mansion, as well as large pools of standing water on flooded roads. Sobel disagreed. "Public auctions provide the only opportunity in the lease sale process in which the public can engage with officials from the BLM directly," she explained. Federal law gives the BLM responsibility for oil and gas leasing on about 564 million acres owned by the US government. Since November 2015, the agency has postponed eight land auctions amid plans by environmental groups to protest. Environmentalists fear that Thursdays auction will be the last public sale. In January, the Obama administration announced a moratorium on leases to coal companies. Environmentalists argue that the United States will not be able to meet its commitments under the recent Paris climate accord without also ending leasing for oil and gas production. While the officers have not obtained any photos or solid descriptions, the common thread among all reports is that they do not attempt to verbally communicate. "They only stand in an area to be seen and watch the reaction of individuals," Miller explained. The children who initially reported seeing the clowns told police that they stay in a house located near a pond at the end of a man-made trail in the woods," according to the police report. When police searched the home in question, they found "no signs of suspicious activity or characters dressed in clown attire." One woman, walking home in the evening last week, saw a clown with a blinking nose waving at her while standing under a street light by a dumpster. Another resident claimed that she saw clowns run away after her son told her that he saw clowns with green laser pointers. Other local children have claimed that a clown offered them money to follow them into the woods. The spooky reports led police to issue a warning to residents of the Fleetwood Manor apartments, where the first sightings allegedly occurred. To The Residents of Fleetwood Manor. There has been several conversations and a lot of complaints to the office regarding a clown or a person dressed in clown clothing taking children or trying to lure children in the woods, the letter began, warning parents to not let children roam alone at night, and to provide supervision at all times. "If there are sightings, take a photo, note person and vehicle descriptions, pay attention to direction of travel, and immediately call 911," police spokesman Gilberto Franco said. RUSSKY ISLAND (Vladivostok) (Sputnik) Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Eastern Economic Forum near Vladivostok earlier in the day, where the Japanese prime minister expressed his concerns with Pyongyang's nuclear tests, Kawamura said. "At their meeting, Abe explained that North Korea's ballistic missile launches in August represent an even greater threat to the security of the region and differ from previous launches. Abe said that the UN Security Council should respond strongly to the deteriorating situation," Kawamura added. Asked about restarting six-party talks, the spokesman said: "They must also show that they are ready to participate in this dialogue." BRATISLAVA (Sputnik) On Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande and German Economic Affairs Minister Sigmar Gabriel suggested in separate statements that it would be impossible to conclude the TTIP agreement before the end of the year. "No, we do not know anything about that," Ayrault told reporters answering the question whether Paris intendeds to halt TTIP talks. "We also said that we were not against trade agreements, we have a very good example of the treaty which Canada which has brought good results. But it is unacceptable, when the conditions are not fulfilled and when [the agreement] is not balanced and only Europe takes efforts," Ayrault said. Reports from Alberta indicate that Northlands Park could still host live horse racing past its original drop-dead date of the end of 2016. Back in February, Northlands announced a proposal that would see the raceway redeveloped into a multi-purpose public park that would have the ability to host tens of thousands of people for large-scale festivals and outdoor concerts. "What we do know, in co-ordination with horse racing, is (that) 2016 will be our (Northlands) last year in the horse racing business, said Northlands' CEO Tim Reid. In light of this need for a premier facility in the Edmonton region, Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) called for applicants interested in owning and operating a racetrack in the Edmonton area. That process, which commenced in April, has been narrowed down to four parties. HRA originally anticipated a mid-September date for completion of the evaluation and recommendations. However, no firm timeline has been established for this process. At a public hearing on Wednesday, Edmonton city councillors proposed a motion that would allow Northlands Park to continue operation until that new racetrack can be completed. According to HRA's Chair Rick LeLacheur, that new facility wouldn't be ready for at least two more years. We heard today from so many communities today that worried about what the effect would be if the site were to go dormant, said Coun. Tony Caterina. He put forth a multi-stipulation motion, one of which was for the City to pen a letter to Horse Racing Alberta stating they the support the track continuing operation for two more years. Mayor Don Iveson stated he's open to the idea of horse racing continuing at Northlands. "I'm quite open to the idea on an interim basis of operating the track for one or two more years while the permanent facility, that's maybe more appropriately located in the region, and more appropriately scaled [is built]," said Iveson post-session. "From what I understand, which is very limited about the horse racing business, this is probably a larger grandstand than what the business can sustain today. It's an aging grandstand, that presents some cost challenges in the medium to long term. And that the barns may also be more elaborate or larger than what the new facility would have. "So the longer term future in a new purpose-built facility, that doesn't have the same aging infrastructure -- or potentially over-sized infrastructure -- if they can make that work and transfer those jobs and that economic activity in the region, that's not a bad thing. We can support that on an interim basis." The motion will be discussed and voted on this coming Tuesday. The Meadowlands will host live racing over the weekends of September 9-10 and 16-17. Horsemen are advised that double draws will be held each of the next few Tuesdays for those race cards. The Kindergarten Series will provide an opportunity for trainers to glean some racing lessons for their "late-bloomers" in preparation for the ample stakes remaining on the 2016 schedule as well as offering a certain opportunity to race against two-year-olds as Sires Stakes come to a close in New York and Pennsylvania. Also, valuable points toward the $150,000 November 5 finals are at stake in these legs. For the overnighters, Race Secretary Pete Koch has composed a condition sheet with something for everybody. The popular "G-Note" short series races will be offered for pacing mares and horses in the NW $3,500 L/5 class and claimers that have raced for a price of $10,000 or less since July 1. All of them offer a chance to return the second week for a purse of $17,500. The fifth and last leg of the Miss Versatility series for trotting mares is set to go on Friday, September 9 with the $120,000e final raced in Delaware Ohio on Little Brown Jug Day, September 22. The box for September 9 & 10 closes at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 6. Enter online or by phone at 201-842-5130. (with files from The Meadowlands) Er is iets heel griezeligs aan de gang in Nederland. Dat wij geleidelijk aan in een totalitaire 'democratie' wegzinken wordt steeds ... Welcome to my Vampire blog Here you will find views and reviews of vampire genre media, from literature, the web, TV and the movies. Please note that, by the very nature of the subject matter, my blogs are designed for the mature reader Also note: on the occasion of a Guest Blog the views of the guest are their own and not necessarily the view of Taliesin_ttlg or Taliesin meets the Vampires. Features about crowd-sourcing projects are for awareness purposes and not an endorsement of the product, support is given at the reader's own risk. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases when you follow a link to Amazon from this blog. Theme Tune copyright C. Esquivel, Vid P. Wakefield. A. Boylan asserts his moral right to be recognised as author of all articles bar guest blogs. Fourth-graders and their families can claim their free Every Kid in a Park pass which allows free entry into all federal parks, forests and recreation areas for a full year. Fourth-graders can print a paper voucher for free entry into all federal lands by visiting the Every Kid in a Park website at www.everykidinapark.gov. Students and their families also can redeem their paper voucher for a plastic pass at any Forest Service office. The voucher and passes are valid for the entire school year, Sept. 1, 2016, to Aug. 31, 2017. The Forest Service is partnering with schools and educators across Oregon and Washington to plan Every Kid in a Park events in local communities and distribute passes at back-to-school events this fall, according to a press release. Teachers or adults who engage fourth-graders through a youth-serving organization can print paper passes, and find activities and lesson plans, at www.everykidinapark.gov/get-your-pass/educator. More than 80 percent of American families live in urban areas and many lack easy access to safe outdoor spaces, states the press release. By targeting fourth-graders, the program works to ensure every child in the U.S. has the opportunity to visit and enjoy their public lands by the time he or she is 11 years old. For details, visit www.everykidinapark.gov. The Pacific Northwest Region consists of 16 National Forests, 59 District Offices, a National Scenic Area and a National Grassland comprising 24.7 million acres in Oregon and Washington and employing approximately 3,550 people. To learn more about the U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, and to find passes and permits, visit www.fs.usda.gov/r6. A piece of equipment that provides important salmon research information to the Abernathy Creek Fish Technology Center west of Longview has been vandalized, according to the Cowlitz County Sheriffs office. The sheriffs office received a vandalism report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the cables from the centers passive integrated responder (PIT) tag antennas were cut and missing. Biologists determined that the cables were cut sometime between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 14. The antennas and transcievers collect data from passing fish by communicating with a fishs corresponding PIT tag. The tags act as a sort of barcode for the fish, allowing scientists to learn when each fish leaves the stream and when it returns, among other things. Theres no way to read the barcodes of thousands of fish without the antennas. While the parts are relatively easy to replace, labor to reinstall the cable and connectors would cost an estimated $1,000. At this point the agency doesnt know how it can afford the repairs. The data from the antennas is used year round, but is especially important during the migration of coho salmon in the fall and for monitoring juvenile fish migrating out of Abernathy Creek in the spring. This in turn helps researchers figure out how to make hatchery fish have a less negative impact on native populations. U.S. Fish & Wildlife shares its PIT tag data with other state agencies in Washington and Oregon, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, and the Bonneville Power Administration. The data is also used as part of Washington states Intensively Monitored Watersheds program, which examines the complex relationships between salmon and their habitat conditions. Similar antennas are found all over the coast, as well as near dams and in several smaller streams in the Columbia River Basin. There arent many other ways of collecting data of the same quality that the PIT receivers was able to collect, according to Abernathy scientist Christian Smith. There are indirect methods [of collecting data], we can look at DNA and estimate how much migration is going on, Smith said. With that you dont know when a fish migrated or at what life stage. These antennas are sort of the best way we have of tracking fish. Bernie Altman appears out of danger. The 92-year-old retired school teacher and mental health advocate in Cowlitz County was transferred out of ICU, and his condition significantly improved at the Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver on Thursday. Altmans condition improved from serious to satisfactory Thursday, according to the hospital, meaning he is conscious and his vital signs are stable. The Altman family wishes to express their deepest thanks to the many people who have offered their prayers and support for his recovery, the family wrote in a statement through National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwest Washington. Bernie and his wife, Marcia, dedicated a significant portion of their lives to helping others through their work as advocates and educators. The family plans to set up an account that would help defray the significant costs of Altmans medical bills, according to workers from Columbia Wellness and NAMI Southwest Washington. Altman suffered life-threatening injuries last week after he was found stabbed and severely beaten in his Kelso home. He suffered a fractured skull and was transferred to the hospital for a subdural hematoma, which is a collection of blood underneath the skull thats caused by a burst brain vessel. His son David Altman, 52, was arrested and booked into the Cowlitz County Jail without bail. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, third-degree assault and resisting arrest. Bernie and Marcia Altman co-founded the Cowlitz Alliance on Mental Illness, which later became the National Alliance on Mental Illness Cowlitz. The Cowlitz and Clark branches merged to create the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwest Washington in 2013. Community House on Broadway and the county are renegotiating a contract that would provide the organization with $15,000 after Community House representatives disputed the countys request for audited statements. The proposed contract between the Longview homeless shelter and the county required that the organization provide audited financial statements from 2015. Community House representatives refused to sign the contract due to the audit request. At the commissioners meeting Tuesday, shelter board member Hal Mahnke said an audit would cost the organization $25,000 $10,000 more than the money it would get from the county. Mahnke also said the audit requirement implied by its very request that there is something wrong with the bookkeeping. The books are open to anyone who questions the bookkeeping, Mahnke said. The demand to spend $25,000 to gain $15,000 is not a sound business strategy. The result could be that Community House on Broadway may have to close its doors within the next month. County auditor Kris Swanson said the audit request was a misunderstanding. A Community House board member had told county officials the organization already had had done an audit and could easily comply. At the commissioners meeting Tuesday, Swanson said there were no personal vendettas against Community House. I think everyone in leadership in this county wants to do whatever they can to ensure that Community House ... doors do not close, Swanson said. We have to be good stewards of the money, thats our job. ... There isnt a single person I know of in this county who doesnt want to help Community House. The new contract for $15,000 will exclude the audit request, Swanson said, and should be presented to Community House soon. Commissioner Mike Karnofski said the first $7,500 will be distributed when the contract is signed. Community House has been struggling financially and has been at odds with the county over its approach to homelessness. It had requested $83,000 from the county earlier this summer hoping to get funding from the mental health sales tax. Commissioners said the county had already allocated most of that money. Nippon Paper Industries officials visited Longview from Japan on Thursday to celebrate the first day of the companys ownership of the liquid packaging mill, which now will be known as Nippon Dynawave Packaging. Weyerhaeuser Co. transferred ownership of the mill at midnight Wednesday to Japan-based Nippon, roughly three months after announcing the $285 million sale. Local and state dignitaries gathered with about 200 employees to celebrate the transfer of the mill, according to a press release. The event was closed to the press. Around you, you see more than 85 years of dedicated local labor and world-class engineering, manufacturing and new product development, John Carpenter, President of Nippon Dynawave Packaging, said in a speech reported by Nippon. Today we build on that foundation by launching our new company, with a new identity and a renewed commitment to safely and responsibly providing world-class products to a growing list of domestic and international customers, Carpenter said. Politicians who attended included Washington legislators state Sen. Dean Takko, state Rep. Brian Blake, as well as representatives from the offices of Congresswomen Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. Nippon and Weyerhaeuser have had a longstanding relationship through their continuing joint ownership of NORPAC. It is my strong belief that we owe our new start today as Nippon Dynawave Packaging to having developed a deep relationship of trust and mutual respect through our history of collaboration with Weyerhaeuser, said Shuhei Marukawa, Executive Vice President of Nippon Paper Industries, in a speech. And it is our honor to bring the Liquid Packaging Board business into our fold, and to expand on our relationship to a successful teamwork in the Group. At Nippon Paper Group, our motto is shaping the future with trees and it is our mission to contribute better living and cultural progress to the communities we reside in, wherever we are, Marukawa said. We take pride in our community focus, and we recognize our global citizenship in our commitment to use the resources of our planet in a way that is sustainable and responsible. A sakura a flowering cherry tree was planted to commemorate the event. The Longview mill produces 280,000 tons of liquid packaging board product annually. Weyerhaeuser will continue to own half of NORPAC, which makes newsprint and book paper. It will also continue to operate the its sawmill and log export dock. There are about 525 employees at the mill. WASHINGTON The Russians have just given us an August glimpse of a potential October surprise. We learned earlier this summer that cyber-hackers widely believed to be tied to the Kremlin have broken into the email of the Democratic National Committee and others. The Washington Posts Ellen Nakashima reported Monday night that Russian hackers have also been targeting state voter-registration systems. And, in an apparent effort to boost Donald Trumps presidential candidacy, theyre leaking what they believe to be the most damaging documents at strategic points in the campaign. Last week, we learned something else: The Russians arent just hackers theyre also hacks. Turns out that before leaking their stolen information, they are in some cases doctoring the documents, making edits that add false information and then passing the documents off as the originals. Foreign Policys Elias Groll reported last week that the hackers goofed: They posted both the original versions of at least three documents and their edited versions. These documents, stolen from George Soros Open Society Foundations, were altered by the hackers to create the false impression that Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was funded by Soros. A pro-Russian hacking group, CyberBerkut, had inserted Navalnys name, bogus dollar amounts and fabricated wording. This raises an intriguing possibility: Are Vladimir Putins operatives planning to dump edited DNC documents on the eve of the presidential election? Perhaps theyll show that the Clinton Foundation has been funding the Islamic State, or theyll have Hillary Clinton admitting that she didnt care about those Americans who died in Benghazi after all. Maybe theyll show that she really did lose most of her brain function in that fall several years ago and is now relying on Anthony Weiner to make all of her decisions. Russian dezinformatsiya campaigns such as this go back to the Cold War; the Soviet portrayal of AIDS as a CIA plot was a classic case. But this type of cyberwar email hacking and, now, the altering and release of the stolen documents is a novel escalation. Its tempting to wonder how differently the Cold War might have gone had there been cyber-hackers back then. Well never know, of course, because the Soviet Union crumbled before Al Gore invented the internet. But its clear that Russias disinformation wars are as active as ever. On Sunday, Neil MacFarquhar wrote in The New York Times about Russian attempts to undermine a Swedish military partnership with NATO. The campaign is spreading false information that theres a secret nuclear weapons stockpile in Sweden and alleging that NATO soldiers could rape Swedish women with impunity. This Russian use of weaponized information helped cause confusion in Ukraine in 2014, when conspiracy theories spread by the Russians about the downing of a Malaysian Airlines jet helped Russians justify their invasion of Crimea. So does this point to a Putin-sponsored October surprise? Putin has meddled in domestic politics in France, the Netherlands, Britain and elsewhere, helping extreme political parties to destabilize those countries. He appears to be doing much the same now in the United States, where, in addition to the DNC and state voter system hacks, there have also been reports this summer about Russia hiring internet trolls to pose on Twitter and elsewhere in social media as pro-Trump Americans. Trump and Putin have expressed their mutual admiration, and even after the departure of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, Trump and several top advisers have close ties to Moscow. The hyper-competitive American media environment is vulnerable to the sort of technique the Russian hackers used in the Soros case stealing documents, altering them, then releasing them as the original. If Putins hackers were to release such a doctored document smearing Clinton in, say, late October, its likely that competition would lead outlets to report on the hacked documents before they had a chance to see whether and how they were altered. We dont know what, if anything, Putins hackers have planned for this fall. But the doctored Soros documents could be a clue. iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Hours after Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida, Gov. Rick Scott urged the public on Friday to steer clear of debris and standing water to help stop the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Hermine, which downgraded to a tropical storm after hitting land early Friday, brought strong winds, heavy rains and flooding to a wide swath of Floridas Gulf Coast. Any area left with standing water creates a prime habitat for mosquitoes to lay their eggs -- raising the risk of spreading the Zika outbreak, which has hit small pockets of Miami-Dade County in the southern part of the state. It is incredibly important that everyone do their part to combat the Zika virus by dumping standing water, Scott said during a news conference Friday morning. Remember to wear long sleeves and bug repellent when outdoors. The Zika virus was first detected in a small area of northern Miami in July. A second outbreak location was found in Miami Beach in August. At least 47 people have been infected in the outbreak via mosquitoes. On Thursday, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said mosquitoes carrying the deadly virus were discovered in the Miami area, marking the first time that Zika has been found in mosquitoes in the continental United States. Miami-Dade County's mosquito control team has been spraying for the insects as well as treating mosquito breeding grounds with the hope of stopping the outbreak. But the ongoing tropical system has raised fears that Floridas efforts to fight the virus will be affected. At Friday's news conference, the Florida governor also warned residents to avoid unnecessary travel, as trees, power lines, road signs and traffic lights have come down across the Sunshine State. One man, who appeared to be homeless, was killed after being hit by a tree in Marion County, authorities said. Officials are still determining whether the death was storm-related. "The number one thing is to stay safe," Scott said. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. A study made by FAPESP and composed by a team of medical researchers at the Sao Jose do Rio Preto Medical School (FAMERP) in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, published a new report which states that Zika infection has many similarities with the symptoms of Dengue, and official statistics might have assumed Zika Epidemic as Dengue in some cases. A few instances of Zika also are found which are reported as dengue, the report also claimed. Zika epidemic a newly discovered virus is reported to be more harmful than scientists think it to be. In Brazil, some cases of Zika epidemic are fund to be mistaken as cases of Dengue, as it delivers pretty similar symptoms to Dengue. A group of researchers from the Sao Jose does Rio Preto Medical School (FAMERP) in Brazil has carried out a molecular blood tests camp which involved 800 people who were suffered from dengue between January and August 2016. And in this test, around 10% of the total blood samples are found to have Zika Epidemic virus, which is said to be more severe than of Dengue. In the medical research camp, the blood sample of 80 patients was collected and sent for serological tests and based on their clinical symptoms, only 400 of them are found to have Dengue virus in their blood. Apart from these 400, 100 people are reported to contain Zika virus and another germ that grounds the fever of Chikungunya. However, the rest 300 samples are found to have no virus from all these three categories and the scientists are suspected them to have the virus of other flues. Mauricio Lacerda Nogueira, the group leader of this study, said that these Results suggest the dissection typically made between side effects associating conjunctivitis with Zika and joint agony with chikungunya, for instance is just for classroom use. In practice, the side effects cant be isolated that way. hidden Austria welcomed the European Commission's decision to order Apply to pay 13 billion euros ($14.49 billion) in back taxes, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said on Thursday, echoing comments by the French Finance Minister. The United States has accused the European Union of grabbing revenue intended for U.S. coffers with the decision, comments that could cause friction at an international summit in China next week. "We are of the opinion that anything that restricts the opportunities for multinational big companies to drastically avoid tax is positive and a step in the right direction," Kern's spokesman said. "Restricting tax deals between states and companies is the next logical step," he said. Austrian Finance Minister Hans Joerg Schelling echoed Kern's comments, saying a case like the Irish one is not possible in Austria because Austria has no deals between the state and companies that would give them any tax advantages. "In the past years, we have done everything to prevent aggressive tax avoidance," Schelling said in an emailed statement. "That's why we welcome any efforts of the commission to strengthen fair competition in the tax sector." This comes right after Tim Cook claimed that the ruling was politically motivated. Reuters hidden Ireland's fragile coalition government will try on Friday to overcome cabinet divisions on whether to join Apple in appealing against a multi-billion-euro back tax demand that the European Commission has slapped on the iPhone maker. Finance Minister Michael Noonan has insisted Dublin would fight any adverse ruling ever since the European Union began investigating the U.S. tech giant's Irish tax affairs in 2014. But at an earlier cabinet meeting on Wednesday he failed to persuade a group of independent lawmakers, whose support is vital for the minority government, to agree to fight the ruling that Apple (AAPL.O) must pay up to 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in tax to Dublin. The government has said a decision whether to challenge European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager's ruling - in which she said Apple's low tax arrangements in Ireland constitute illegal state aid - would be made at Friday's cabinet meeting, which is scheduled to start at 1000 GMT (0600 ET). However, the Independent Alliance, a group of five lawmakers, has said it wants its senior coalition partners to commit to reviewing how tax is collected from Ireland's large cluster of multinational companies before it considers a challenge. Dublin has just over two months to lodge an appeal. Any failure of the Alliance to come on board would cast doubt on the government's survival prospects. Another independent minister, unaligned to Alliance, also asked to delay a decision when Noonan sought approval on Wednesday. Some Irish voters are astounded that the government might turn down a tax windfall equivalent to what it spent last year funding the struggling health service, and the left-wing Sinn Fein party has led attacks from the opposition. But others worry a failure to appeal could put in jeopardy the one in 10 jobs provided by multinationals, who are attracted to Ireland by the country's low corporate tax regime. Apple has already said it will appeal the ruling, and its chief executive Tim Cook warned on Thursday that if the Dublin government did not join it, this would send the wrong message to business in a country whose economic model depends in part on companies like his. "The Apple ruling has brought some reputational damage to Ireland. There is no doubt about that. To restore this reputation, the Irish government has little choice but to appeal," said Dermot O'Leary, chief economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers. IANS Kunal Khullar A bunch of rumours have been suggesting that Google will ditch the "Nexus" branding this year and replace it with "Pixel." While we know that HTC is making new devices for Google, it's now possible that they'll be dubbed the Pixel and Pixel XL, based on the screen size. Last year, the company launched the Pixel C. A unique, convertible, Android-based tablet. It was the first Pixel branded device that ran on Android. Prior to this, Google only had the Chromebook Pixel, which, of course, ran on Chrome OS. This year the Pixel branding could see an expansion to the smartphone range. According to sources, the reason for this move could be a marketing one. The Pixel and Pixel XL are to be advertised as the first phones built by Google. The confusing part is that the phones are actually going to be made by HTC, but will probably be sold without HTC branding. So what happens to the Nexus lineup then? So far, the Nexus lineup has offered great devices and, above all else, timely updates and that's what we love it for. My assumption is that Google could keep the Nexus brand alive by allowing different manufacturers to make their own Nexus smartphones. This would also help in reducing Android fragmentation. The Pixel naming strategy could also be a way to keep Googles own branding on top while manufacturers take the lower seat. Google should announce its new devices, including two smartphones and wearables this month. Stay tuned for more. tech2 News Staff According to the IDCs Asia Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker for the first quarter of 2016, released this month, Lenovo has emerged as the second largest smartphone brand by value in India, with its market share jumping to 9.1 per cent. This value is ahead of Apple, Micromax and Oppo. Lenovo and Motorla combined have demonstrated a consistent quarter on quarter growth of 14.2 per cent. Lenovo owns Motorola. The Lenovo Group showed a growth of 24.5 per cent over last year, and captured 7.7 per cent of the market share by units sold. The market grew by only 3.7 per cent during that period. In terms of online sales, Lenovo maintained its lead as the number 1 player with a 19.18 per cent market share. Offline sales grew five times compared to Lenovo's performance in the previous quarter. Mr. Sudhin Mathur, Director-Smartphones, Lenovo India, said This is a huge milestone achieved by us, which has motivated and encouraged us further to go against all odds by creating meaningful and innovative, technologically-advanced products that enhance the consumer mobile experience. In India, Lenovo has launched the Lenovo Vibe K5 Note, The Lenovo Zuk Z1, The Moto G4 Plus, and the Motorola Moto G Turbo Edition among other models. tech2 News Staff Reports of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phablets exploding had recently hit the news. The actual source of the trouble is unknown Samsung took their time responding. Finally, after at least 35 reports of exploding phones poured in, Samsung has today issued an official statement announcing that it will replace every single Note 7 handset out there with a new one. Korean news agency Yonhap News, has reported that Samsung held a conference in South Korea with regards to the same. The agency states that Samsung investigated the issue and has concluded that it was due to faulty battery cells. Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung's handset business division, confirmed to reporters at the conference that only 24 out of 1 million units have been found to have faulty batteries. "As of Sept. 1, a total of 35 claims were registered with Samsung's service centers at home and abroad. Only 24 units on a scale of 1 million were affected by the battery problem," he said. "By putting our top priority on customer safety, we've decided to halt sales (of Galaxy Note 7) and offer new replacement handsets to all customers," Samsung has issued an official statement on the same issue as well that clarifies any doubts for customers who have already received their handsets. "Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7. For customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible." Out here in India, Samsung today had just begun rolling out its Galaxy Note 7 handsets to physical stores and online channels as the handset had hit pre-order on 22 August with a positive response. Those who pre-ordered the devices are, however, receiving the following message from Samsung, "Thank you for pre-booking Galaxy Note7. We regret to inform that delivery of your Galaxy Note 7 is being delayed. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. You can be assured that we are working hard to deliver your Galaxy Note7 to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding." tech2 News Staff Elon Musk owned aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company SpaceX, has faced a major loss. The companys Falcon 9 rocket exploded while completing a routine test-fire at 9:07 am ET. The testing was being done in preparation for a launch which was scheduled for this Saturday. While there were no injuries involved, the AMOS-6 satellite which was onboard, got destroyed along with the rocket. This satellite was set to be launched to geostationary orbit and provide internet to various parts of Africa as part of Facebooks Internet.org initiative. The total cost of the satellite was nearly $200 million. In October 2015, Facebook and satellite fleet operator Eutelsat had agreed to pay $95 million over about five years to lease the Ka-band spot-beam broadband capacity (36 regional spotbeams with a throughput of about 18 Gbit/s) on AMOS-6 to provide service for Facebooks Internet.org and a new Eutelsat subsidiary focusing on African businesses. An in-depth analysis concludes that the rocket and payload both were destroyed, which means a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment. There was also a significant damage to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. So who will be responsible to pay for the damages? Well when there are large and expensive payloads involved in a rocket launch, they are usually insured. According to CNBC, there are only about 50 insured launches each year paying about $750 million in premiums to a handful of companies. Now thats a lot of money. However, this launch accident was unique as the explosion occurred right before the engine ignition. The insurance was only valid once the engine kicked in. Thankfully, most of the damages could be covered by another insurance known as marine cargo insurance. hidden By Asheeta Regidi WhatsApps new Privacy Policy came as a sharp contradiction to every promise of privacy and security made by it in the past. The new Policy is now being challenged in the Delhi High Court, possibly the first such case in India. The petition, filed by Karmanya Singh Sareen and Shreya Sethi, questions this contradiction in the previous policy and the new one, and also the manner in which consent is being obtained. So what can the Delhi High Court find wrong with the new Policy? Procedurally speaking the change is legal The changes to the policy are procedurally legal. Abroad, the procedure to modify a privacy policy consists of two steps first, inform the customers that the policy is being changed, and second, obtain their consent to this change. The Indian law on privacy policies, the Information Technology Personal Data Rules, 2011 doesnt specify a procedure for this, but it is clear that a customers specific consent is required for any modification. WhatsApp has followed the two steps, and so, the change to the policy is legal. Issues with the change, however, arise once you dig a little deeper. False advertisement / misrepresentation claims are possible The main problem people have is that WhatsApp has gone back on all its promises of privacy and security made in the past. Whatsapps blogpost states that the only thing changing is that WhatsApp will now share user phone numbers with Facebook, for the limited purpose of providing targeted ads, and giving better friend suggestions. The other change is that WhatsApp will allow businesses to communicate directly with their customers through WhatsApp. While the blogpost projects a very narrow usage of user data, the new Privacy Policy takes permission to share every piece of data collected by WhatsApp, with anyone. The data now being collected by WhatsApp is extensive, ranging from your phone number, your contact list, your profile picture, your status messages, your e-mail, location information, your device data, webpages shared using WhatsApp, etc. Previously, all WhatsApp collected was your phone number, your contact list, and your device information. Considering WhatsApps tall claims about its stand on privacy, this is a major change. It is surprising how little is actually revealed in the blogpost meant to inform people of the change. There is a good chance that this contradiction can be taken to be misrepresentation. Legally, a privacy policy is a contract between WhatsApp and its users, and if the Court considers this to be a misrepresentation as to its privacy practices, that will make the contract, i.e., the privacy policy, illegal. Also, the difference between the blogpost and the actual Policy can be considered to be false advertisement. This was in fact one of the major allegations against the policy of Uber, which advertised itself to be the safest ride, when in reality it did not take basic measures like conducting driver background checks. In fact, its terms and conditions at the time refused all responsibility for passenger safety. This resulted in a 28 million dollar settlement in California, and forced Uber to adopt more responsibility for the passengers safety. WhatsApps privacy promises seem to have taken the exact same turn. Ambiguous terms of the policy question end-to-end encryption Another issue with the Privacy Policy is the absolute ambiguity in the drafting of the policy. An essential part of a Privacy Policy under the IT Personal Data Rules is that the policy must have clear statements of the companies privacy policies. For example, suppose WhatsApps new Privacy Policy had said exactly what was written in the blogpost. The blogpost specifies which information can be shared (phone numbers only), and with whom it can be shared (with Facebook only) and for what purpose it can be used (marketing, etc.). This would be a clear statement. None of these promises, or rather limitations, are found in the actual privacy policy. This is in addition to several misleading statements in the policy itself which question WhatsApps promise of encryption: i. One controversial statement in the policy is that: your WhatsApp messages will not be shared onto Facebook for others to see. Meaning that while your WhatsApp messages will not be shared onto Facebook, the messages can be shared with Facebook. The statement goes on to say In fact, Facebook will not use your WhatsApp messages for any purpose other than to assist us in operating and providing our Services Clearly, Facebook can use your WhatsApp messages to assist in operating and providing services. ii. The policy says it does not retain user messages in the ordinary course of providing services. Does this mean that in situations out of the ordinary, WhatsApp can collect user messages? iii. The policy also states that popular media files being shared, like videos and pictures, are retained. This implies that the WhatsApp messages being sent are being subjected to some kind of monitoring or filtering, without which such videos or pictures being sent cannot be identified. Does this mean the promise of end-to-end-encryption does not, in reality, guarantee user privacy like WhatsApp claims? The Indian case against WhatsApps new policy isnt the only one. A similar petition has also been filed before the Federal Trade Commission of the US. This petition points out that most users will blindly agree to the privacy policy on the strength of the assertions made by WhatsApp on its blog, and on the belief that WhatsApp is a staunch guardian of their privacy. Hopefully, between this petition and the one now before the Delhi High Court, WhatsApp and Facebook will be forced to adopt a different stance towards its users privacy. The author is a lawyer with a specialisation in cyber laws and has co-authored books on the subject. Mir Quasem not to seek presidential clemency: Jail super Online Desk: Death-row convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali has decided not to seek presidential mercy, said Kasimpur Jail super Proshanto Kumar Banik. Mir Quasem informed his decision to the prison authorities around 3.30pm, the jail super said. On Thursday, he sought further time to decide whether he will seek mercy, upon being asked by the Kashimpur jail authorities. Earlier, his six family members met him at the jail on Wednesday. While talking to reporters, Quasem's wife Khandaker Ayesha Khatun said her husband wants to wait until the last minute to decide whether he will seek clemency, and before that he wants to see his son Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem who has remained missing for the past couple of days. He will decide about the mercy plea after talking to his son, she added. Earlier in the day, Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin said Mir Quasem Ali will get reasonable time for seeking presidential clemency. The copy of the Supreme Court verdict rejecting the review plea of Mir Quasem reached Kashimpur Jail from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj around 12:45am on Wednesday. Jail super Proshanto Kumar Banik of the jail read out the SC verdict to Mir Quasem. The top court on Tuesday upheld the death penalty for Quasem for the crimes he committed against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. On March 8, the Appellate Division upheld the death penalty for Mir Quasem Ali for his war crimes. The International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Mir Quasem, the Al-Badr chief in the port city of Chittagong in 1971, to death on November 02, 2014. On November 30, 2014, he filed an appeal with the Supreme Court challenging the death penalty. -- Gazipur, Sept 2 (UNB) Eid-ul-Azha on Sep 13 as Zil-Hajj moon not sighted on Friday Online Desk: Muslims in Bangladesh will celebrate the Eid-ul-Azha on Sep 13 as the moon for the Arabic month of Zil-Hajj was not sighted on Friday. Bazlul Haque Haroon, the chief of the parliamentary standing committee on religious affairs ministry, announced the date after a meeting of the National Moon-Sighting Committee at the Islamic Foundation in the evening. Religious Affairs Secretary Md Abdul Jalil was also present there. Obama highlights climate progress at home before journey overseas President Obama is racing to cement his legacy on climate change before his presidency ends. Reuters, Honolulu :Preserving natural places will help the world adapt to warming temperatures, US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday as he began a 10-day trip to stress the urgency of curbing climate change and attend a G20 meeting in China."No nation, not even one as powerful as the United States, is immune from a changing climate," Obama said after landing in Hawaii, the Pacific island state where he grew up.Obama, who is racing to cement his legacy on climate change before his presidency ends on January 20, will make a rare visit to Midway Atoll on Thursday, deep inside the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument where he expanded protections last week.The tour leads up to a meeting in China on Saturday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is hosting the G20 group of leading economies.Obama and Xi worked together in Paris last year to secure a global deal to cut carbon emissions and are expected to take the next steps soon to help bring that agreement into force. Native Hawaiian student Narrissa Spies said she hoped Obama's trip to Midway would inspire him. Spies, 34, went there in 2010 on a "life-changing" marine studies visit."I saw what my ancestors must have seen on the main Hawaiian Islands 200 years ago," said Spies, a PhD candidate now studying coral resistant to stresses like warming water. Earlier on Wednesday, Obama stopped in to a summit about the health of Lake Tahoe, the deep alpine lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains on the Nevada-California border whose average surface temperature reached an all-time recorded high last year."The challenges of conservation and combating climate change are connected, they're linked," said Obama, who was interrupted by protesters yelling: "Keep it in the ground," a campaign to limit fossil fuel production. Green groups have urged Obama not to rest on his laurels. The U.S. Supreme Court put his plan to slash carbon emissions from power plants on hold earlier this year. "We're hoping that he will actually withdraw the Arctic from his five-year plan on offshore drilling, like he did with the Atlantic, because it's an even worse place to drill," said marine biologist Jackie Savitz of the Oceana conservation group. 3 Shibir cadres get 21- yr RI each Chittagong Bureau : A special tribunal of Chittagong in a verdict on Wednesday awarded three top Shibir carders to 21 years rigorous imprisonment each for keeping deadly arms and ammunitions. The special tribunal-7, Joint District Judge Bilkis Akter, delivered the judgment convicting Mohammad Sarwar alias Babla, Nurunnobi alias Maxon and Manik alias Gittu Manik, court sources said. Among the convicts Manik remains fugitive. The prosecution story is in brief that Chittagong Metropolitan police arrested them with five fire arms including an AK-47 rifle, 30 bullets from Hamidpur area under Baizeed thana in the city on July 6 in 2011. An accused person involved in a bailable offence shall be enlarged on bail Appellate Division : (Criminal) Surendra Kumat Sinha CJ Syed Mahmud Hossain J Hasan Foez Siddique J Mirza Hussain Haider J Mohammad Bazlur Rahman J Order March 14th, 2016 Mia Nuruddin (Apu) ............. Petitioner vs State and another........................Respondents Code of Criminal Procedure (V of 1898) Section 498 Penal Code (XLV of 1860) Sections 161 and 165A In respect of bailable offence, the Court cannot exercise any discretionary power not to enlarge an accused person on bail because the Code does not give the Court any discretionary power not to enlarge an accused person in respect of bailable offence on bail. The language of the law itself is so clear that in case an accused person who is alleged to have been involved in a bailable offence shall be enlarged on bail. This is a statutory right and the Court cannot curtail such right. True; the allegation is serious but it does not confer a Court the power to refuse the prayer for bail since the statute has given power upon the Court to exercise in favour of the accused person. Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Senior Advocate instructed by Zahirul Islam. Advocate-on-Record-For the Petitioner. Khurshid Alam Khan, Advocate instructed by Madhumalati Chy Barua Advocate-on-Record-For the Respondent. Mahmuda Begum, Advocate-on-Record-For the Respondent No.2. Order Surendra Kumar Sinha CJ : This petition is from a judgment of the High Court Division by which it has discharged the Rule and refused to enlarge the petitioner Mia Nuruddin (Apu) on bail pending trial. 2. Mr Khondaker Mahbub Hossain, learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner has taken us to the charge framing order of the petitioner. He submits that the offence being bailable section, the High Court Division has committed fundamental error in refusing on charge on bail. We have perused the order of charge and noticed that the petitioner has been charged with for offences punishable under sections 161/165(A) of the Penal Code which are bailable offences. In respect of bailable offence, the Court cannot exercise any discretionary power not to enlarge an accused person on bail because the Code of Criminal Procedure does not give the Court any discretionary power not to enlarge an accused person in respect of bailable offence on bail. The language of the law itself is so clear that in case an accused person who is alleged to have been involved in a bailable offence shall be enlarged on bail. This is a statutory right and the Court cannot curtail such right. 3. Mr Khurshid Alam Khan, submits that the allegation against the petitioner is serious one and therefor, the High Court Division is justified in rejecting the prayer for bail. True, the allegation is serious but it does not confer a Court the power to refuse the' prayer for bail since the statute has given power upon the Court to exercise in favour of the accused person. The judgment of the High Court Division is set-aside. The petitioner Mia Nur Uddin (Apu) son of late Chan Miah Mridha, of village-Kotalpur, PS-Goshairhat, District Shariatpur, At present: Hawa Bhaban, Gulshan-2 be enlarged on bail to the satisfaction of the Special Judge, Court No.3, Dhaka pending trial of the case. This petition is accordingly disposed of with the above observations and direction. Musallies-Hindu devotees clash in Sylhet: 10 injured Drum beating during Juma prayers alleged Sylhet Correspondent :A clash between Musallies and devotees of a Hindu Iskcon temple at Kazal Shah in Sylhet city left at least ten pedestrians including ex Sylhet City Corporation councilor Zebunnahar injured after Jumma prayers.The other injured are-- Syed, 24, Babul Ahmed, 37, Saju Akhter, 28, Arif, 22, Sumon, 17 and temple attendant Rajendra Choudhury, 27.According to local and police, the Hindu devotees were seen dancing with the beat of drums [dhak] circling the idol inside the International Society for Krishna Consciousness(Iskcon) temple during the Jumma prayers. After offering the Juma prayers when the musallies went to the spot and asked the Iskcon temple authority why they were beating the drums during the prayers, a Hindu devotee pelted stone targeting them. Being hit, the musallies became furious and also started pelting stones on the temple injuring ten pedestrian including an Iskcon temple staff. Police rushed to the spot and fire 15 teargas shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.Meanwhile, additional policemen were deployed to monitor the overall situation of the place. 13 killed in Pak court suicide bomb blast Dawn.com, Peshawar :At least 13 people were killed and 41 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the entrance of Mardan's district and sessions court on Friday, police said.The Jamaatul Ahrar (JA) claimed responsibility for the attack. The suicide blast comes just hours after gunmen attacked Peshawar's Christian Colony, an attack also claimed by JA.District Police Officer (DPO) Mardan Faisal Shahzad said the attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding his suicide vest. The bomb contained 8 kilograms of explosive material, the DPO said, adding that security arrangements at the site of the attack helped mitigate the damage. The DPO said four lawyers and three policemen were among the dead. He lauded the bravery of the policemen who tried to stop the suicide bomber from making his way inside the courthouse."Police fired at the attacker, then the second explosion took place," the DIG said. "The attacker was deterred by the firing. His plan was to get inside," he said. An emergency has been imposed at hospitals in the area.People from the legal community have been targeted several times in the last few months.Last month, 73 people, most of them lawyers, were killed after a suicide bomber struck the emergency ward of Quetta's Civil Hospital. The lawyers had gathered to mourn the death of Balochistan Bar Association (BBA) president Bilal Anwar Kasi in a gun attack earlier in the day. The Quetta attack was claimed by Jamaatul Ahrar and the militant Islamic State group, but Balochistan Chief Minster Sanaullah Zehri hinted at the involvement of Indian spy agency RAW. The attacks in Peshawar and Mardan come a day after Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa gave an exhaustive rundown of progress made against militants in the country's northwestern region in Operation Zarb-i-Azb which was launched in June 2014.He highlighted that Pakistan had suffered a cumulative loss of $106.98 billion in the war on terror between 2001 and 2015. "We are not doing it for anyone but ourselves," he stressed.He said 3,500 terrorists had been eliminated during the course of Operation Zarb-i-Azb, while 2,272 soldiers were and 537 personnel had embraced martyrdom, including 18 officers, 35 junior commissioned officers and 484 soldiers. Remain alert about zika virus: Nasim BSS, Dhaka : Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim yesterday urged the people to be alert without being panicked about zika virus. "The government has taken preparations for the prevention of zika virus. There is nothing to worry about this disease," he said talking to journalists while visiting Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to see zika virus scanning machine installed at the VIP lounge of the airport. Referring to the outbreak of zika virus in Singapore, the minister said many Bangladeshi workers and tourists are there. He urged all to take care so no pregnant mother goes to Singapore at the moment. He said the government has made all arrangements for health check-up in the airport and all passengers should avail of these facilities. Mohammad Nasim said, zika is a mosquito-borne virus and the media should aware the people about this disease. Replying to a question from journalists, he said 10 Bangladeshis have been detected as zika virus patients in Singapore and authorities here are maintaining contacts constantly with Singapore in this regard. Bangladesh envoy in Singapore has informed that the zika infected Bangladeshis are now doing well, he added. Health Department Director General Abul Kalam Azad, Director (disease control) Prof. AKM Shamsuzzaman, IEDCR Director Prof. Mirzadi Sebrina Flora and other officials concerned were present on the occasion. Health Ministry sources said zika is a mosquito-borne virus and a person afflicted with this virus usually get cured automatically in two to seven days. Mir Quasem won't seek clemency Staff Reporter :The death-row convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali will not seek presidential clemency. Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Uddin confirmed the report on Friday. Proshanto Kumar Banik, Kashimpur Jail Superintendent said, "Mir Quasem told us that he would not seek the presidential clemency." He said that Mir Quasem had informed the jail super about his decision when the official approached him to know his decision. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on Friday said, there is no legal bar to execute the verdict as the death row convict Mir Quasem Ali will not seek presidential clemency. "The government can take preparation to execute the death penalty," he said. Now, no legal procedure is left out before executing the death penalty which the International Crimes Tribunal awarded him for the crimes committed against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. Earlier, the family members of Mir Quasem Ali told media after meeting with him at Kashimpur that Mir Quasem Ali would take decision about seeking clemency after return of his missing son. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected his review petition and upheld the death penalty on August 30. The jail authority have completed all procedures to execute the verdict at the Kahsimpur Prison in Gazipur. The jail authority has already taken some steps to hang him after the high command gives signals. They have prepared the hanging alter, rope and the man who assists the hanging procedures. Jallad Shahjahan, Raju and Paltu Jallad have been readied. They also attended the hanging procedure of Motiur Rahman Nizami, Abdul Kader Mollah, Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid, and Salahuddin Kader Chowdhury. Holding posts will be regretful: Law experts Staff Reporter : Eminent jurist and Constitution expert Dr Kamal Hossain said there is no specific reference in the Constitution about the violation of oath by the lawmakers during holding their office. He said, the people will decide whether they will hold the post or their continuation in post may put on their own image. Other law experts denied to comment in this regard. They said there are many other major issues to talk about. The Supreme Court on Thursday released the full text of the verdict that fined Ministers Qamrul Islam and AKM Mozammel Huq Tk 50,000 each for their controversial comments about Chief Justice SK Sinha in connection with the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali. According to majority of the judges, the two Ministers violated their oath. Qamrul and Mozammel had demanded resignation of the Chief Justice for his reported remarks that 'the prosecution is doing politics with the trial of condemned war criminal Mir Quasem Ali'. They made the demands at a roundtable discussion organised by Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in the city on March 5. Meanwhile, another Law expert Shahdeen Malik said, the Ministers have been convicted by the Supreme Court and it will be a regretful matter if they hold their posts. It will be very respectable for them if they leave their post to keep their image up. Barrister Amir-Ul Islam denied to comment in this regard so did Attorney General Mahbubey Alam. Abdul Baset Majumder, a senior lawyer and Vice-President of Bangladesh Bar Council said, the verdict reads that they have violated their oath but it did not mention that they have violated the Constitution. Advocate M K Rahman told the reporters that the court convicted the Ministers for their derogatory comment against the Chief Justice and the procedures of the judgment. The court convicted them for contempt of court not for violating the Constitution. "The verdict did not mention whether they can hold their Ministerial Posts or not. So, it will be better to put the matter before their consideration whether they hold their posts or not," he said. Shahdeen Malik in his reaction said, anybody convicted by the court but holding the government post especially lawmakers, is considered to have lost his post. According to this provisions the lawmakers have ultimately lost their posts. But if they denied to leave their posts, it will be their own choice. "There is no provision for anybody to hold the Constitutional posts after breaking the oath," he mentioned. "There is no provision in the Constitution about the punishment if anybody violated the rules of the Constitution. But it is ethical that one who holds an important Constitutional posts and violated the oath should leave the post," he also said. Bomb supplier of Gulshan attack identified Massive hunt to nab Neo-JMB men Marzan, Zia, Sohel Sagar Biswas : Security agencies have launched a massive manhunt to nab Sohel Mahfuz, a former leader of banned Islamist militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB] and now working for Neo-JMB, for allegedly supplying explosives for July 1 terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in the city's Gulshan area. "Sohel Mahfuz was the 'bomb maker' and supplier of IED [improvised explosive device which is also known as locally made grenades] to the terrorists for Gulshan attack. Police are conducting drives to catch him," Monirul Islam, Chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit [CTTCU], said on Friday. According to information given by the investigators, Sohel, also known as Hatkata Sohel, joined Neo JMB only two years back. In the student life, he was a member of Islami Chhatra Shibir. He joined JMB being inspired by its founder Shaikh Abdur Rahman. At one stage, he became a member of Majlish-e Shura of JMB [old]. In 2010, he announced himself as Ameer of JMB [old] when the then Ameer Maulana Saidur Rahman was arrested. He was locked in a tussle with Maulana Saidur Rahman when he refused to quit the post of Ameer even staying in jail. Later, Sohel fled to Bardwan in West Bengal and tried to form a new group of JMB, but it did not click. It is, however, not yet known which post he holds in Neo-JMB. "He [Sohel Mahfuz] played a vital role in purchasing arms-ammunition, grenade making and supply. Police recently published his photos and urged people to provide his whereabouts," the CTTCU Chief said. Sohel Mahfuz, a resident of Kushtia, is highly trained in making explosives. His left hand was severed following an accidental explosion while making bombs. But he can operate firearms with one hand. He is a close relative of absconding Marzan, sources said. Earlier, Bangladesh-born Canadian national Tamim Chowdhury, chief coordinator and Tawshif Hossain, communication coordinator of Gulshan attack were killed during a raid at Narayanganj. But the security agencies still could not nab Nurul Islam Marzan, a student of Chittagong University, who was "operational commander" of the terror attack in the diplomatic zone, though more than two months have gone in the meantime. Intelligence sources said Marzan is now under surveillance network of security forces and he may be caught any moment. "At first Marzan had informed Tamim about Holey Artisan Bakery at road-79 of Gulshan. Marzan himself conducted rekey for several times and informed Tamim that about 30/35 foreigners usually go to the Spanish cafe regularly. Later, Tamim Chowdhury took final decision for attack based on the information provided by Marzan," a source close to the investigators told The New Nation yesterday. The source said the investigators have achieved the above information after grilling the terrorists those were arrested during block raids in the last two months. "So far as we know, after Tamim Chowdhury, the most important leader of Neo JMB is Marzan. Tamim was very much depended on Marzan. We will get more information about the Neo JMB], if Marzan is arrested. At the same time, activities of the terrorist organization will also come under control," Monirul Islam said. Apart from Marzan, the law enforcement and intelligence agencies are now looking for another prime suspect -Major [retd] Syed Mohammad Ziaul Huq, alias Major Zia. He is son of Syed Mohammad Zillul Haque of Moulvibazar. He was the mastermind of a military coup attempt in 2012. He could not be traced after leaving his last address at Polash, Mirpur Cantonment in Dhaka. Police said Zia is also the mastermind of country's all militant attacks, including Gulshan. A bounty of Tk. 20 lakh has also been declared on his head. To nab him, the law enforcement agencies circulated his seven pictures in different dresses. Some officials suspected that Zia and Marzan are hiding in the country, while several others assumed that he has crossed the border. As per information available, three other militants, including Zonayed Khan, Khaled and Manik were involved in the "attack planning". Of them, Zonayed Khan was killed in the city's Kalyanpur. Besides, an operator of Neo-JMB namely Rajib alias Rajib Gandhi was "informed earlier" about the attack and he sent two persons to Tamim Chowdhury with special assignment. The name of another Neo-JMB man Ripon has been surfaced recently who is believed to be involved in the attack. "We've got solid information about 10 militants, who were involved in planning, financing, arms-explosive supplying behind the Gulshan attack. Out of ten, we've primarily identified six terrorists, including operational commander Marzan. We're conducting drives to nab them. We're also trying to know whereabouts of others, who are absconding," Monirul Islam, also additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said. Meanwhile, the crime busting elite force Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] arrested a total of 26 militants from different parts of the country after the Gulshan cafe attack. "Of the arrestees, there are members of JMB, Neo-JMB, Ansarullah Bangla Team and Hizb-ut Tahrir. The members of security forces have been working to ensure safety for Eid-ul-Azha keeping Holey Artisan cafe attack incident in mind," Director General of RAB Benazir Ahmed said yesterday. Militants hideout at Rupnagar raided Wanted militant killed: 2 OC's injured Staff Reporter : At least one killed and several others, including three policemen were injured during a gunfight between law enforcers and armed terrorists in a suspected militants den in the capital's Shialbari of Rupnagar area at Friday night, police sources said. The deceased Jahangir Alam alias Murad was identified as a most wanted militant who managed to flee during Narayanganj raid earlier this week. The injured policemen were including Shahid Alam, Officer-in-Charge, and Shahin Fakir, Officer-in-Charge (investigation) of Rupnagar Police satiation. They have been taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. Deputy Commissioner of DMP (Media) Masudur Rahman confirmed the news saying the killed militant was the chief of Military wing of the neo-JMB. Sources said, acting on a tipped off, members of law enforcement agencies started the raid at 9:50pm in the suspected militant den at a residential building located at Road 33, of Rupnagar residential area. Sensing presence of the law enforcers, the militants opened fire at the police, prompting them to retaliate that triggered a gunfight. Jahangir Alam received bullet wounds during the gunfight and died in the spot. Rupnagar Police, RAB and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of DMP took part on the raid. Masudur Rahman said raid was going on at the place till the filling of the report at 10:30pm. Unauthorised rickshaws flood Dhaka City\'s Dhanmondi Road No 1 experiencing huge traffic gridlock with most of unlicensed rickshaws stuck up for hours. This photo was taken on Friday. Reza Mahmud : Unauthorised rickshaws flood Dhaka city, while most of the rickshaw pullers have no knowledge about the traffic laws and have no driving licenses. Consequently gridlock and accidents occur off and on, taking away work hours of people. But the two city corporations ignore all this burning issues. "We frequently work to stop plying of the unauthorised rickshaws in the streets. It is the continuous process to keep the streets gridlock-free," said Khan Mohmmad Billal, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka South City Corporations. He said, there are around 80 thousand rickshaws out of eight lakh having licenses issued by City Corporations. When contacted, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, the Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (traffic) told The New Nation that the law enforcers were helping city corporations to identify and withdraw illegal rickshaws from the streets. The traffic police hardly let unauthorised vehicles to escape traffic laws, he added. Sources said, there are more than 8,00,000 rickshaws in the capital city. Most of them hold fake licenses as the City Corporation stopped issuing rickshaw licenses from the year 1985. Experts said, every year around 30 thousand new rickshaws arrive in the city. But the new rickshaw pullers have neither permits nor driving licenses. Most of them have no knowledge about the fare chart of different routes. Even they do not know the streets and names of the areas. If the passenger does not know the way of his destination, then the unknown rickshaw pullers will cause huge suffering for the passengers and gridlock in the city. They said, hundreds of unemployed men are coming to Dhaka from different districts to earn money. Most of them choose rickshaw pulling. Recent flood sent many people to Dhaka as they lost homes and crops in the rivers and have no work to do. Some rickshaw drivers are coming to Dhaka to earn extra money ahead of Eid ul Azha. Experts also said. the rickshaw pullers have own families to bear. The roadside mechanics and food vendors also depend on the rickshaw pullers. The city dwellers said, rickshaws have become a part of urban life in Bangladesh. No one could deny the necessity of rickshaw in the capital city. The transports experts also said, the city corporations should give permits to certain numbers of rickshaws. Then the revenue incomes of city corporations would be increased. On the other hand the rickshaw pullers will also become well trained and reliable which would decrease the gridlocks and accidents in the city. Most of the rickshaws have been seen in Dhaka South City Corporation areas like Gulistan, Motijheel, Malibagh, Rajarbagh, Shantinagar, Mouchak, Lalbagh, Chawk Bazar, Chankharpool, Mitford Road, Sayedabad, Bashabo, Jatrabari and Khilgaon. In DNCC area lots of rickshaws have been seen in New Market, Science Lab intersection, Dhanmondi, Nilkhet, Hatirpool, Kalabagan, Khilkhet, Badda, Rampura, Mohakhali and Gulshan areas. Specially Dhanmondi road 1, was seen full of rickshaws. The other vehicles get no space because of the rickshaw made gridlock. Inhumanity at Willes Little Flower School is unforgivable: Deserves punishment Editorial Desk :The suspected killer of schoolgirl Suraiya Akhter Risha was caught at Domar in Nilphamari by local traders on Wednesday and was handed over to a team of RAB and police. His arrest has created a sense of relief among us. Though we know it very well that Risha is lost from us for ever. We can hope that the suspected killer will get due punishment by law for his cruel misdeed. But what about inhumanly negligent behaviour of Willes Little Flower School management?According to media report the ill-fated victim who was an eight-grader of Willes Little Flower School and College was stabbed in the abdomen by a stalker in front of her educational institution at Kakrail in the capital on August 24. She died from her wounds at Dhaka Medical College Hospital four days later. The perpetrator, a tailoring shop worker, used to stalk and disturb Suraiya and stabbed her on that day while she was crossing the foot overbridge to go home.The school management was aware of Risha's case. But, as reported they felt no obligation to help the child fighting for her life. Helpless and inexperienced fellow students rushed her from hospital to hospital for medical care. After the incident Risha's schoolmates took her inside the campus not knowing how to help. No teacher or nobody from management thought it necessary to accompany the injured girl for arranging medical treatment. This kind of inhumanity in a highly expensive children educational institution must not be condoned. We admire the children's desperate efforts to help their classmate victim who could not be saved.We are tolerating inhumanity in many spheres our life but it is too much to see our innocent child student die for lack of attention by the school teachers or the management authority. When teachers cannot show human considerations what human beings they want to create through education of our children. We do not want education by teachers who have no respect for human values. They are simply careless money earners not worthy to be teachers.Previously, a student of this school committed suicide by jumping from the roof because of unsympathetic behaviour of the teachers. Her family was disrupted as her mother died and father married for second time.We are surprised that guardians also did not go into action against the inhumanity of the school authority. The children are sent to school to be in the care of the school. Every school must have a students welfare office for providing urgent medical facility.It has become very ordinary and routine thing to blame police for delay in arresting the culprit. Is it really of much importance whether a murderer is immediately arrested or not. The important thing should be the question why the life could not be saved and for whose negligence. In the case of Risha our belief is -- her life could have been saved if timely treatment was possible. She was bleeding when she was taken from one hospital to another.The guardians of the students must take up the matter seriously to know how the school is run and is it safe to send children where no human atmosphere exists. Our education system has already earned the reputation of neglecting human values and a sense of responsibility. But let nobody dare to ignore the safety of our children at schools. The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. Looking for the vulture assist with Neolithic burials 2 years ago If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs. The Louisiana Family Forum supported a bill (HB 349) in the last legislative session that would prohibit a state agency from inquiring about an applicant for employments criminal history until after an interview or a conditional offer of employment is made. This kind of bill is popularly known as banning the box. While banning the box is demonstrably important for poor families who desperately need their providers to find jobs, I was surprised to find that the LFF was supporting this bill. That reaction arose from the LFFs history of supporting bills with only the slightest relationship to families or, in some cases, an arguably detrimental impact on families. As the most powerful non-business lobby in Louisiana, LFF has demonstrated a remarkable ability to sway, persuade, cajole, threaten and encourage legislators to support its agenda. Its agenda, in turn, typically focuses on tightening regulation on abortion providers, challenging the rights of the LGBT community, channeling public money to private schools, asserting the primacy of Christianity over all other religions and demonizing opponents as Satan-inspired. Led by Gene Mills, a former youth pastor with close ties to Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and former Gov. Bobby Jindal, the LFF has succeeded in Louisiana for three reasons: it has pushed aside other challengers and established itself as the loudest and most persistent voice of faith and family in Louisiana; it has built firm ties with conservative evangelical churches all across Louisiana; and it has immersed itself in legislative politics. The success that LFF has had in legislative politics depends on the close relationships formed by leader Mills with legislators, the large number of deeply religious and conservative legislators elected in Louisiana and the success of events like this years Legislative Awards Gala, which will take place Sept. 15 at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge. At the gala, the forum will be celebrating those legislators who supported or voted with the LFF 100 percent of the time, 90 percent of the time and so on. The vast majority of these legislators are Republicans, although a few Democrats like Sen. John Milkovich of Shreveport top the LFFs list regularly. The bills on which support is measured were selected by the LFF from the more than 1,000 introduced during the typical legislative session. In the 2016 session, the LFF supported bills strengthening work requirements for food stamp recipients, bolstered concealed carry rights, allowed pastors to decline participation in same-sex marriage, prohibited sanctuary cities and opposed a survey to learn about student sexual practices. Two bills on the LFFs list concerned abortion the first extending the period for informed consent and the second strengthening the no public funds stance of the state for organizations that perform abortions. Although the LFF-flagged bills cover many subjects, it is in the area of abortion legislation where the LFF has had its largest successes. In the 2016 session, no fewer than six bills on abortion-related topics were passed. These bills joined the large group of previously passed bills regulating abortion, which indicates why Louisiana was ranked by the pro-choice organization NARAL as the state most opposed to abortion. The 2016 votes on HB386 (89 yes, 5 no) and HB606 (84 yes, 8 no) illustrate the near-unanimous position of the Legislature on this issue. No one doubts that Louisiana needs organizations advocating for the family, but as long as the Supreme Court has the last word on abortion, gun rights and free speech, there is little Louisiana politicians can do in these areas. Hence, the LFFs unrelenting focus on these and other untouchable issues is unproductive and misplaced. And more important, the LFFs current focus ignores the many urgent, significant and real challenges facing Louisiana families and children. A June 2016 report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which compared economic and health data, educational quality and community strength, ranked Louisiana as the 48th most kid-friendly state. This report came on the heels of a Politico report that ranked Louisiana last among all 50 states based on educational achievement, obesity and poverty rates, and crime. In August 2016, a WalletHub report ranked Louisianas educational system as the very worst in the U.S. A 2007 study that had ranked Louisiana a dismal 49th overall in child welfare issues was conducted before the retrenchment of the Jindal years, during which the states child welfare agencys budget was cut from $297 million to $240 million (2014-15). In fact, as recently reported in The Advocate, the Department of Children and Family Services is in crisis, facing an unprecedented turnover of its employees a quarter of all caseworkers left in 2015 and drastically higher caseloads for those who remain. While even a brief list of the pressing issues with enormous implication for family health and child welfare in Louisiana would be daunting, a short list should include the inadequate minimum wage, the need to enhance the Earned Income Tax Credit, the lack of state-supported child care for working mothers, the absence of a sensible family-leave policy, the need for low-income housing and increased funding for K-12 schools rather than cuts. But most of these are issues on which the Louisiana Family Forum is silent or, in some cases, actually opposes common sense reforms. The LFFs support for banning the box was a move in the right direction for families. Now it is time for the LFF to get really serious about families and children or change its name to something more appropriate to its activity. Pearson Cross is an associate professor in the Political Science Department at UL Lafayette. He holds a Ph.D. from Brandeis University (1997), and his principal areas of teaching are state and local politics, and Southern politics. Cross interviews local politicians and newsmakers on his radio show, Bayou to the Beltway, which airs on KRVS 88.7 FM at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Contact him at [email protected]. SaveSave Photos by Robin May Burgers and ribs at 2 Pauls Radically Urban Barbeque [Editor's Note: This article had been corrected to reflect that a side of ribs at 2 Paul's is actually $2.99, not $1 as originally reported, even though the author was charged $1 on his recent visit and the restaurant's website says the side order is $1.] Look, I was incredulous myself when I learned that you can get a side of rib for $2.99 at 2 Pauls Radically Urban Barbeque. I shoved my phone into the cashiers smile and demanded clarification. Can I or can I not get a burger with a side of brisket or rib? Does the brisket or the rib come on the burger? Tell me. Inquiring minds await. I had already been to 2 Pauls to try the burger at the suggestion of IND Photo Editor Robin May, who suffers my adventur-ism in terms of both cuisine and geography with nary a gripe. Robins suggestion was on the money: cooked to temp (in my case medium) the top-grade patty was meaty and moist, greasing up a resilient but pliably soft sourdough bun with a tasty mess of condiments. A basket of barbecue sauces sweet, spicy and mild serves as an upgraded lot of dippers for 2 Pauls seasoned fries. Cut slightly thicker than julienne but thinner than steak fries, these gems mirror the burgers umami and buns starchy fluff. Its rare that I make a second trip to a restaurant for the purposes of this column, though I often return after publication, but further research into 2 Pauls menu revealed a terrible journalistic oversight meats are available as sides. Stop the presses. Initially, I understood the menu tidbit to suggest that one could, in a stroke of heart-stopping genius, top a charbroiled burger with either brisket or a rib or, as a thinking man would suggest, both. My hunger was no less voracious when I discovered the ribs and brisket were meant as accompaniment. As Ive explained to my doctor, it is my journalistic responsibility to suss out such details, regardless of what havoc it wreaks on my cardiovascular health. I alternated bites in an unholy trinity of saturated fats burger, fry, rib, burger, fry, rib. My heart swelled, my hangover dried up, and I regretted nothing more than not ordering a second rib. That would have cost but one more dollar and shaved one minute off a shortened but sweetened life. Pro Tip - Yes, the ribs and brisket come on the side of the burger. That doesnt mean you cant put it on the burger yourself. Maybe not such a good idea for the rib. But hey, its a free country until January 2017. 2 Pauls Radically Urban Barbeque is located at 2668 Johnston St. in Lafayette. The Jerk Store Called Jerk chicken and festival bread at Bombo Jerk I visited Jamaica once, the part of the tiny island nation carved out of Montego Bay as an American vision of paradise all-inclusive (except for the natives) international buffets with plenty of American cheese, swim-up bars, beach reggae and a wide spectrum of bland to blazing hot jerk chicken. Thus my impression of authentic Jamaican living is poorly focused and doubly inaccurate. Perhaps that works to the advantage of Bombo Jerk, but I could never say for sure. As noted in previous iterations of this column, I dont anguish the accuracy of a dish so much as its flavor and my enjoyment of it. And in any case, reading about the dumpster-fire political violence of gangland Kingston in the 1970s, particularly surrounding the attempted assassination of Bob Marley, Im not sure that any white guy really knows what real Jamaica or real jerk chicken is, even if he grew up listening to Desmond Dekker and audiobooks about Garveyism. Sorry, folks. Ive given you enough to Google. Lets talk food truck Jamaican food. For what its worth, the folks that own the truck are, in fact, from Jamaica. So if that matters to you, so be it. But what matters to me is fried bread and Kool Runnin sauce. Lets not divert into the classic American film starring Doug E. Doug and John Candy, but rather discuss the obvious virtue of a fried cornbread dunked at your leisure into a plastic ramekin of spicy herbed mayo called kool runnin sauce a Bombo Jerk invention, I believe and crumbled like doughy rain into the nooks and crannies of a bed of rice and red kidney beans. Yes, the chicken is legit both succulent and fragrant with a colonial spice blend that is the true gift of Victorian imperialism: Indian cinnamon, Caribbean sugar and scotch bonnet pepper but the delicate, crispy corn fritter called Festival bread is a marvel whatever its origin. Pro Tip - Bombo is a patois exclamation that has no specific meaning. Its sort of like bloody in English slang or yuge in Trumps nativist dialect. Just dont say bombocloth around any Jamaican kids and you should be good. You can find the Bombo Jerk food truck at a variety of parking spots and lots around Acadiana. Check out Bombo Jerks Facebook page for daily locations. Save 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. 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During this time, organizers will also recognize the Carbondale Farmer's Market, which was recently recognized as the third Best in the Midwest in the recent AAA Midwest Traveler Magazine, according to a news release from the Jackson County Health Department. This farmer's market was created in 1975 and has grown to expand its offerings and now accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at its new EBT station. There will also be family-friendly activities, healthy food recipes, bicycle resource information, physical activity guidelines and door prizes offered to participants. One of the healthy options to be introduced will be the Market Movers, a pilot program that will attempt to help residents and others track their usage of the path to receive small incentives. CARBONDALE A new bar on The Strip in Carbondale could soon make an appearance. The same owners as Sidetracks Bar and Grill have acquired a B2 liquor license to operate Traxx, which will be in the old Gatsbys building across from Fat Patties. The liquor license was approved Tuesday by the Carbondale Local Liquor Commission, and according to Liquor Advisory Board minutes, the business will occupy the upper of the two basement levels and the Printing Plant will relocate above it. The minutes say the business will be similar to Sidetracks. The opening of Traxx doesnt mean Sidetracks is closing right away. The minutes reflect that the owners will operate both bars until May 2017. In December, Carbondale City Manager Gary Williams said Sidetracks Owner Jon Alexander agreed to vacate the current Sidetracks building in May 2017, more than two years earlier than the lease agreement ends. The city would then assume ownership of the property, and would complete a parking project that would add about 40 parking spots downtown. The property Sidetracks is located on is owned by Canadian National Railway. The bar has a lease agreement with the railroad through September 2019, but Williams has previously said the railroad assured the city it would not renew that lease. Plans for Traxx include a couple of pool tables, one bar, a spacious dance floor, a stage and video gaming. The plans turned into the liquor commission also show space for table and chairs and a few booths. Also on Tuesday, Kaya Korean and Japanese Restaurant at 817 S. Illinois Ave. received an A1 Liquor license. Emily Rambo, resident manager, said customers have expressed interest in alcohol at the establishment since prior ownership had a license. The minutes from the advisory board meeting reflect that she hoped alcohol sales would boost sales and servers are already undergoing alcohol service training. The A1 liquor license means at least 51 percent of the restaurants gross retail sales must come from nonalcoholic beverages and food. EDWARDSVILLE Authorities arrested an 18-year-old Metro East man who they allege had communicated with an unspecified terrorist group about a plan to an attack on at least one area location. Keaun L. Cook, of Godfrey, was arrested Wednesday on preliminary charges of providing material support for terrorism and making a terrorist threat. He was being held at the Madison County jail on $150,000 bond and didn't have a lawyer as of Friday morning. At a news conference Thursday, Madison County's state's attorney, Tom Gibbons, described Cook as a dangerous man who had deliberate plan to cause a "mass casualty event" at one or more locations in the county. He declined to specify which terrorist group Cook had allegedly been in contact with, but said they weren't local. He also wouldn't give the locations of any planned attacks, but said police departments and individuals at those locations were notified after authorities first learned of the threat. County Sheriff John Lakin said authorities learned of the threat Aug. 24 when deputies did a welfare check at the home of Cook's grandmother, who has looked after him since his mother died unexpectedly of an illness in 2011. Gibbons said someone then reported the verbal threats. Although investigators found no dangerous materials or firearms in the home, Lakin said he thinks there was a "strong possibility he could have carried it out alone." "I'm very proud to stand here today and say that we stopped an event that could have caused a very, very, very serious situation," Lakin said. Cook's grandmother, Debra Thomas, hand-delivered two letters to The (Alton) Telegraph (http://bit.ly/2c7oq93 ) on Thursday. In them, she wrote that her grandson struggles with paranoid schizophrenia and that he had spent more than 300 days in isolated confinement at a county detention center, during which his condition went untreated. She wrote that after he got out and returned home, she couldn't force him to take his medication because he is 18 and an adult. She said she called the police, "not because that I felt a threat but because I knew that was the only way that I could get Keaun treatment." "When he's on his medicine he is the sweetest person you know, when off like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Thomas wrote, noting that she never would have involved the police if she thought it would have landed her grandson in jail. Thomas didn't immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. Gibbons' office said further details about the alleged plot wouldn't be released yet because the investigation is ongoing. He said his office planned to file a motion later Friday asking for Cook to be held without bond. Cook has no previous felony convictions in Madison County. He did have one 2011 misdemeanor conviction for damage to property for using a rock to scratch a pickup truck. Cook has no charges in St. Clair County or in nearby Missouri. Isa Terli/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(LONDON) -- One year after an image of his drowned son's body focused world attention on the plight of people desperate to reach Europe, the father is urging the world to do more to help refugees. Three-year-old Alan Kurdis mother, Rihan, and brother, Galib, also drowned when their boat sank in the Mediterranean, but the father, Abdullah Kurdi, survived and now lives in Iraq. I think about my children every day, he said in an interview with the BBC. Today, I felt like they came to me and hugged me. The photo of 3-year-old Alans small body on a Turkish beach became a symbol of the refugee crisis. In the famous photo, Alan appears to be sleeping. He is wearing a red shirt, blue shorts and Velcro shoes for the long journey across the Mediterranean. The father is using the anniversary of his family's deaths to call for world leaders to take action to help refugees, saying that the situation has gotten worse in the year since. "At first the world was anxious to help the refugees. But this did not even last a month. In fact the situation got worse. The war has escalated and more people are leaving," he told the BBC. "I hope that all the leaders of the world can try and do good and stop the wars, so that the people can go back to normal life." The photo of Alan Kurdi's body on the beach retains its power a year later, Joel Millman, spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration, told ABC News. "You can see the back of his little shoes ... Thats what makes it so stunning. We know that other photos can't create that reaction. But we still feel how come one child moves everybody and the other ones dont," Millman said. "There's no end." Since the deaths of Alan and brother Galib, hundreds of other children have lost their lives in the same sea. From September 2015 to August 2016, at least 409 children are confirmed to have died trying to cross the Mediterranean, according to the international migration group. The actual number is thought to likely be much higher as most bodies are never recovered. Millman said some children of refugees have been born on boats crossing the Mediterranean. Last month, two Syrian girls, aged 8 months and 5 years, were among five whose bodies were recovered in the Mediterranean after a small wooden boat capsized off the coast of Libya, according to the Migrant Offshore Station, a charity that provides search and rescue for people at sea. Off the same coast, twins who were only five days old and born prematurely were among thousands of refugees or migrants rescued Monday. Jacob Goldberg, who works on a Doctors Without Borders rescue ship, wrote in The Independent that every day he saves children, some as young as 8, who are making the same journey as Alan. Goldberg said his memory of one boy will stay with him -- a boy who didn't know why he had left his home in Somalia and had nothing but his dirty clothes with him. "This boy was 13 years old and alone," Goldberg wrote in the Independent. "We rescued him from a particularly overcrowded rubber boat, and he was terrified. I spotted him standing alone -- he told me that hed lost both his parents in Libya and managed to find his way onto a rubber boat by following some older boys hed met in the detention center." Last year, more than 1 million refugees, many fleeing the war in Syria, arrived in Europe, an unprecedented number. In 2015 and in the first half of 2016, over 6,600 refugees or migrants drowned or went missing in the Mediterranean after their boats capsized while trying to reach Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration. Many of the bodies have not been identified, and families at home might never find out what happened to their loved ones, according to a recent report by the migration group's Global Migration Data Analysis Center in Berlin, the University of York and the City University London. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Local emergency officials spent Thursday preparing for Hurricane Hermine's arrival in The T&D Region today. "We are anticipating some downed trees tomorrow with some substantial rainfall totals tomorrow into Saturday morning," Orangeburg County Emergency Services Director Billy Staley said. "The public is asked to be cautious when they travel tomorrow because it will be dangerous out, he said. A flash flood watch is in effect for The T&D Region from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. A high wind watch is in effect from 8 a.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday. A flash flood watch means flooding could occur, especially in low-lying or poor drainage areas. In addition to Hermine, a stalled frontal boundary could also contribute to rainfall. The high wind watch means sustained winds could be near 40 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 50 mph. Staley said the county's Emergency Services department was busy Thursday communicating with local schools and other response agencies. Crews were also out checking drainage conditions and doing prep work with chainsaws in anticipation of the storm, he said. Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities spokesman Randy Etters said, "Our estimates still show the greatest threat to be rainfall. Our risk is related to saturation of the ground and potential falling trees." "Our vegetation management staff works hard to mitigate this risk, but it is still a possibility," he said. "If the threat of wind speeds exceeding 40 mph become a real possibility, we will initiate our emergency action plan's initial threat level and will escalate if needed." The National Weather Service is forecasting the region could get more than 4 inches of rain on Friday. Showers and thunderstorms are also possible Friday night, along with breezy conditions with gusts as high as 44 mph. The chance of rain Friday night is 90 percent with new rainfall amounts between 1 inch and 2 inches possible. Total rainfall from Hermine could reach between 4 inches and 6 inches, according to the NWS. NWS Meteorologist Chris Rohrbach said the storm's track has shifted somewhat eastward but it is hard to tell where the heaviest rain will fall. "It might not be associated with the center of the storm," Rohrbach said. He said with the storm's center shifting eastward, the threat of tornadoes has diminished. But the storm could shift westward once again through the next 12 to 24 hours. Staley said the storm would have to drastically change its direction in order for The T&D Region to not experience the storm. "Our operations are running off the forecast and not the actual hurricane track itself," Staley said. "The wind and the rainfall ... those forecasts are pretty good." Staley said there is a slight threat of tornados. The biggest danger is flooding, though by no means should it be like the October 2015 flood, he said. Staley said the county does have a contingency plan to open a shelter if needed, but a decision will not be made until Friday morning. The good news is that the storm is forecast to pick up forward speed as it continues further north, so it should stay around for a short amount of time. "The storm should be northeast of the area by Saturday morning," Rohrbach said. He said individuals should prepare for the storm ahead of time. "Make sure anything not secure outside is secured," Rohrbach said. Rohrbach said high winds could knock trees down on roads and power lines. "If you don't have to travel tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow night, I would not take the chance," he said. "We do anticipate travel concerns and possible flash flooding as well." Calhoun County Clemson Extension Agent Charles Davis said if the storm continues as forecast, he does not expect a large negative impact on row crops. "Naturally we prefer not to have that much rain but we are just beginning the peanut harvest," Davis said. "I don't think it might be a big issue considering as dry as we are right now. We don't have any rain coming behind it and we will have sunshine for about a week." Davis said his biggest concern is the corn that hasnt been harvested and the impact of 30 mph and 40 mph winds. "But the vast majority is out," he said. "Cotton will be OK as we have a little cotton opening up now." Bamberg County Emergency Services Director Brittany Barnwell said the office was operating on an Operating Condition 5 level, the lowest level of readiness. "We have our barricades and everything together if we have to cut off any roads," Barnwell said. "We will put our motor graders out in the county. We are keeping our eyes out and are prepared." Due to the potential for windy conditions and heavy rain along the South Carolina coast, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division increased its operating condition to Level 4, which means an increased level of alertness. The long Labor Day weekend is forecast to be mostly sunny, cooler and drier as a cold front moves through the region. Orangeburg motorists will see slightly lower gasoline prices this year for the extended Labor Day holiday travel period. The average price for regular, self-serve gasoline at 19 Orangeburg-area stations was $1.94 a gallon, according The T&Ds survey of area stations Wednesday morning. Thats four cents lower than this same time last year. The least expensive gasoline sold for $1.859 at The Station on Charleston Highway Gas prices this year are the lowest seen in the Orangeburg area for the long Labor Day weekend since 2005. Two years ago, local prices were averaging $3.16 a gallon and three years ago they were averaging $3.609 a gallon. For the 2016 Fourth of July holiday, gasoline prices in The T&D Region were averaging $2 a gallon. For Memorial Day, gasoline prices in the area were averaging about $2.05 a gallon. South Carolina's average gas price is sitting at $1.96, the lowest in the country, according to AAA Carolinas. Nationally, gasoline prices are averaging $2.19 a gallon, according to GasBuddy, an online site which allows motorists to report gasoline prices. The lower gasoline prices are prompting more motorists to hit the road. AAA Carolinas estimates more than 460,000 South Carolinians will travel 50 miles or more from home this Labor Day weekend a slight increase from last year. Of those travelers, the majority will drive to their destinations. Heavy rains moved into The T&D Region Friday as Tropical Storm Hermine impacted the area. A tornado watch was issued for Orangeburg and Bamberg counties until 4 p.m. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties remain under a flash flood watch until 6 a.m. Saturday and a high wind warning until 2 a.m. Saturday. The region is under a flash flood warning until 6 p.m. The Orangeburg Municipal Airport recorded wind gusts at 29 mph shortly before 10 a.m. Friday. An outer band of the storm blew into Orangeburg around 10:45 a.m. Friday, bringing heavy rains and windy conditions. Several roads in the City of Orangeburg were closed for a time Friday, including Stonewall Jackson Boulevard near Walmart, Boulevard Street between Amelia and Russell Street, U.S. 301 near Biddie Banquet, U.S. 301 in front of the old KFC, Old Riley Street and Riverbank Drive. "The rain bands come through and they overwhelm the drains," Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Chief Mike Adams said. "The roads will flood and as the rain eases up, the drains are able to catch up. The flooding is relatively minor. We have not had any major problems at this point." Adams said the department has received one call for a downed power lines on Brookside Road off of Riverbank Drive. There were also reports of traffic lights being out along U.S. Highway 301 in Orangeburg at about 4:30 p.m. Flooded roads in Bamberg County included Second Street, Goose Bay Road, Longleaf Road, Carlisle Street, North Street and Main Highway. The county is considering closing the roads. The South Carolina Department of Transportation warned motorists to stay off the roads due to flooded areas. The SCDOT was not reporting any road closures. A tree was reported down on North Road just past the Wolfton Fire Department as well as on S.C. Highway 4 and Hamer Lane. Trees were also reported in the roadway on Interstate 26 at the 157 westbound mile marker and at U.S. 21 five miles south of Branchville. There were no reports of injury locally from Hermine as of Friday morning. The Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities reported about eight power outages late Friday morning, though power was quickly restored. South Carolina Electric and Gas reported about nine outages in Orangeburg and seven outages in Calhoun County. The T&D Region was forecast to see winds increasing to 29 mph to 34 mph in the afternoon with gusts as high as 47. Rainfall totals were forecast between 3 inches to 4 inches. Tonight winds will decrease to 15 mph to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. Rainfall totals will be between 1 inch and 2 inches. Emergency officials have encouraged motorists to stay off the roads unless they need to travel. If ever there was a time for leadership in the Democratic Party on abortion, it is now. Every day, I talk to Americans still looking for a presidential candidate. They find themselves unable to vote for either major candidate in good conscience. A change in their positions on abortion could make a difference. Perhaps that's why Hillary Clinton made reference to an "unborn person" on "Meet the Press" during this campaign cycle -- an awareness that there are people she and her party completely alienate because of radicalism on abortion. But she didn't actually give an inch on her position. Despite President Bill Clinton vetoing a ban on partial-birth abortions twice, the "safe, legal and rare" language of his White House years was encouraging. It acknowledged that the prevalence of sonograms makes it harder to deny that there's something that looks a lot like human life going on in a mother's womb, way before delivery. And yet, even with that language, one only had to listen to pro-choice activists over the last decade to know that there was not a lot of tolerance for what many Americans might consider reasonable restrictions on abortion. Putting the Hyde Amendment on the chopping block has long been on the wish lists of advocates for legal and expanded abortion. With Republican speakers of the House of late, that wasn't happening. But with Catholic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine giving cover for the position, this past week Planned Parenthood tweeted: "The Hyde Amendment isn't just bad policy -- it's unpopular. Americans want abortion coverage for all!" with the hashtag #BeBoldEndHyde. The Hyde Amendment is about government funding for abortion. Being "bold," in this case, would be hubris. And it's bad politics -- if you're honest about it. Instead, Planned Parenthood buttresses its anti-Hyde campaign with a poll from Hart Research Associates that asks respondents to agree or disagree with the statement, "However we feel about abortion, politicians should not be allowed to deny a woman's health coverage because she is poor." Health coverage? What Hyde actually does is keep taxpayer dollars from funding abortion. When you ask about that issue, as Marist did in July in polling commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, you learn that two-thirds of Americans agree Hyde is good policy. Americans are a generous people who could never be completely comfortable with abortion. Many tolerate it because they want to know that a woman in a tough situation has a way out. Of course, "ways out" could include adoption. The fact of the matter is that, as lazy as it is to say "pro-lifers only care about life in the womb," much of the country only knows the pro-life movement for what it is against. The faces and names and addresses of organizations who will walk with women and families and give them the help they need need to become the same household names Planned Parenthood is. Imagine for a moment: What if Hillary Clinton committed to codifying the Hyde Amendment and making it a formal law, so it would cease being a matter of endless, miserable debate? And what if she said that Planned Parenthood should no longer receive federal funding? She'd show some leadership of the kind we've long needed. At the same time, Clinton, who has been celebrated and endorsed by Planned Parenthood, could ask some celebrities and other friends of means to step up and support the organization. In that case, it would be free of government entanglement. Hillary Clinton isn't going to change her position on abortion tomorrow. And while many would still have serious reasons to vote against her, she could offer an olive branch, and a real one. Be honest, disentangle the government, and let the cultural debate be had without endless political shouting matches. It would be a start -- a baby step toward a healthier politics. Rocky Suhayda, chairman of the American Nazi Party, wrote recently to his followers: "Donald Trump's campaign statements, if nothing else, have SHOWN that 'our views' are NOT so 'unpopular' as the Political Correctness crowd have told everyone they are!" Suhayda is not the only white nationalist thrilled with Trump's campaign. The video blogger Paul Ray Ramsey tweeted, "The GOP is becoming the de facto white party. Nothing wrong with that." David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader now running for the Senate in Louisiana, was asked on NPR if "Trump voters are your voters?" His reply: "Well, of course they are. Because I represent the ideas of preserving this country and the heritage of this country, and I think Trump represents that as well." We are not calling Trump a racist; most of his supporters aren't racists, either. And the candidate, albeit reluctantly, disavows the support of white nationalists. But words matter. Candidates have to take responsibility for the impact of what they say. And there's no doubt that Trump's anti-foreigner tirades deliberately appeal to the darkest instincts in the American soul. Republican leaders were already appalled at Trump's rhetoric. Paul Ryan, the speaker of the house, called his attacks on a federal judge of Mexican ancestry "the textbook definition" of racism. But their despair only deepened when Trump appointed Stephen Bannon, head of Breitbart News, to head his faltering campaign. Ben Shapiro, who worked at Breitbart for four years, wrote in The Washington Post that Bannon had turned the website "into a cesspool of the alt-right," a political movement he describes as "shot through with racism and anti-Semitism." Peter Wehner, a veteran Republican strategist, said of the "alt-right" championed by Bannon: "Movements like this, with toxic and nasty stuff, have existed in one form or another, but they've been kept on the outer fringes of American political life. Now it's command and control at headquarters." Trump is a very American figure. The "toxic and nasty stuff" he spouts is painfully familiar. As Steve wrote in his book, "From Every End of This Earth," "throughout American history, immigrants have been demonized for despoiling or diluting the country's ethnic heritage." And that nativism tends to flourish in times of economic dislocation and anxiety -- like now. In 1753, Ben Franklin called the Germans flocking to Pennsylvania "generally the most stupid sort of their own nation," and warned: "They will soon outnumber us, (and we) will not, in my opinion, be able to preserve our language, and even our government will become precarious." Franklin's xenophobia was echoed in the anti-Catholic platform of the Know-Nothing Party that won 25 percent of the presidential vote in 1856. In 1882, Congress passed a law barring immigrants from China -- a law that was not repealed until 1943. In 1891, 11 Italians were lynched in New Orleans. During World War II, more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans were shamefully interned on the West Coast as "threats" to national security. In the early 1950s, Sen. Joe McCarthy conducted an anti-Communist witch hunt laced with anti-Semitic overtones. In 1968, George Wallace ran for president on an openly segregationist platform and won five states and almost 10 million votes. So when Trump calls Mexican immigrants "rapists," when he advocates a wall across the Southern border and vows to bar Muslims from the country, he is joining a long and sordid line of American politicians who have stirred the same embers of fear and hatred than Franklin inflamed 263 years ago. Wehner is right to warn that Trump is taking these despicable appeals and moving them from the fringe of American political life to the center. McCarthy and Wallace, after all, never came close to a major party nomination, let alone the White House. History, however, offers some reassurance. The haters might win for a time, but in the end, they always lose. The groups they once reviled -- the Germans and the Irish, the Italians and the Jews, the Chinese and the Japanese, the descendants of African-born slaves -- are now full and vital members of the American community. That's true for Hispanics and Muslims, as well. No matter how loudly the white nationalists now cheer for Trump. Bahamas minister of tourism Obie Wilchcombe said the increasing number of warnings on the Zika virus coming from the Caribbean region could create a negative perception of Caribbean countries, if the number of people infected with the virus continues to rise . Wilchcombe said, although there is currently no evidence to suggest that visitor arrivals in The Bahamas have been affected in response to the presence of the Zika virus, there is still a need to adopt the "simple theory that prevention is better than cure. The tourism minister said the Zika virus could have a "devastating impact on the economies of Caribbean countries. Since the first case of Zika was reported on August 10, The Bahamas has received three international travel warnings. Last week, three additional Zika cases were confirmed, and health officials say there were 83 suspected cases found throughout The Bahamas, eight of whom are pregnant women. Canadas Public Health Agency added The Bahamas to its list of travel health notices for the Zika virus, recommending that Canadians practise special health precautions while travelling in affected countries. In addition, Taiwans Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a level two alert for the country, warning pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant about the risks involved in travel to The Bahamas. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued a level two alert last week to those travelling to The Bahamas, advising that they "practise enhanced precautions, as two of the reported cases are believed to have been transmitted locally. Wilchcombe told Guardian Business that there needs to be a regional government discussion about the impact of Zika on Caribbean states. "I believe that the regional dialogue on Zika, chikungunya and dengue should be lifted to the highest levels and intensify ahead of what could have a devastating impact on the regions economy. "The reality is that the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that carries this family of viruses still abounds, and so we remain vulnerable, he said. Wilchcombe asserted that tourism is the Caribbeans "principal earner of hard currency. "I salute the work of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and regional health officials. They have done an outstanding job. The health officials of The Bahamas, headed by our ministry, have kept the nation informed and have dealt with all matters with the highest levels of professional competence. "Whilst I trust work has started, there exists a sense of urgency for a regional plan aimed at eliminating or substantially reducing the population of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. "It must be created and agreed, and each country must commit financially to its introduction and sustainability. "We must send a message to the world, that the Caribbean is leading in finding a resolution to a potential problem that has entered our paradise, said Wilchcombe. (Caribbean News Online) On two days within the last week, fifteen motorists were disqualified from holding or obtaining a drivers licence for one year, after pleading guilty to separate charges of driving without insurance. All the vehicles involved were private, nine of the defendants appeared at the Kingstown Magistrates Court before Magistrate Bertie Pompey on Wednesday, August 31, while the others appeared at the same Court on Wednesday, August 24, the day when traffic matters are heard. Officers of the Traffic Department of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) made the arrests in various parts of the country, as they continued their nationwide crackdown on motorists driving uninsured and unlicensed vehicles. One man, Marcos Ashton of Cane Hall, pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle while being disqualified from holding or obtaining a drivers licence for one year. He also pleaded guilty to using an unlicenced vehicle, and fraudulently using a registration plate. He was remanded until Monday, and the matter was transferred at the Serious Offences Court for sentencing. Magistrate Pompey made it clear "Insurance is very serious, and I am going to take it very seriously. He told one offender that if he gets into an accident while driving an uninsured vehicle, and somebody gets injured, that person may not receive compensation. He told another, , "If you hit a vehicle, you cant compensate unless you are rich. Pompey pointed out, "This is something that all citizens should be concerned with, whether you are using the road as a pedestrian or as a motorist. Section 3(1) of the Motor Vehicle Insurance Third Party Risk Act Chapter 309 of 2009 states that "No person shall use or cause or permit any other to use a motor vehicle on a public road unless there is in force in relation to the person using the vehicle, a policy of insurance in respect of third party risk. Section 3(2) states that, "A person who contravenes this section is guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months or both. In addition thereto unless the Court for special reason thinks fit to order otherwise or without limiting or affecting the power of the Court to order a longer period of disqualification, shall be disqualified from holding or obtaining a drivers licence for a period of 12 months from the date of conviction. Station Sergeant Junior Nero of the Traffic Department told THE VINCENTIAN on Wednesday, that the crackdown which is ongoing has been very successful so far. The countrys economy continues to improve, based on the numbers provided as compared to the corresponding period in 2015. But Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is still being cautious, saying that although the fiscal out turn for the country for the first seven months of the year has shown much improvement, based on the small size of the economy combined with continuing economic challenges, difficulties remain. "Having said that, the fiscal numbers will indicate to the population, that we are seeking in the most difficult circumstances to manage the central government finances in a sensible manner, he said during a press briefing on Tuesday. Total Revenue and Grants, according to the prime minister, for the period ending July 31, 2016 was EC$336.24 million, up from EC$315 million for the corresponding period in 2015. Current revenue amounted to EC$327.7 million in 2016, it was EC$300 million in 2015. On the spending, Gonsalves said that there was a lot to spent, but his government was being enterprising, yet prudent. Total expenditure for the first seven months in 2016 amounted to EC$332.8 million, down from EC$336 million in 2015; and the current expenditure increased from EC$298.6 million in 2015 to EC$305.9 million in 2016. Capital expenditure went down this year from EC$38 million in 2015 to EC#27 million in 2016, and the overall balance, which registered a deficit in 2015 of EC$26.1 million, there was a small surplus amounting to EC$3.36 million. He explained that the current expenditure for the first seven months of the year was allocated to compensation for government employees amounting to EC$153.2 million, compared to EC$150.4 million in 2015. And while the government was ensuring that the finances of the central government were being managed properly, he appealed to some government employees, saying that the amount of money spent on employee compensation was already high. "And then we have significant increases in transfers for social assistance benefit, Gonsalves said before appealing to civil servants to lift their productivity. "I dont want to have a lecture on that, I just want to flag it, the prime minister said. He continued, saying that the government spent a lot of money on wages and salaries, and there were some challenges; but he urged workers to see how they can be more productive. (DD) The Energy Unit of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines launched its website on September 2, 2016. The site was fully funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) Promoting Access to Clean Energy Services in SVG (PACES), a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) executed project. All are welcome to log on to www.energyunit.gov.vc for viewing. The website is designed to heavily inform the general public on the various areas of sustainable energy (renewable energy and energy efficiency). It is extremely interactive, and the Unit believes that it will indeed provide individuals with the necessary materials on the progress of RE in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. For further information on the work done at the Energy Unit and by the PACES Project, kindly contact telephone (1784) 451-2338 or email: [email protected] Facebook: www.facebook.com/energyunitsvg Left:FLOW Country Manager Wayne Hull Right:Nollene Sutherland was in charge of the FLOW Internet Summer School on the Windward side of the island. Inset:Participants in the 2016 FLOW Summer Internet school programme, along with FLOW representatives in the back row. Close to 350 persons who participated in the FLOW Internet Summer School programme, received certificates at this years closing ceremony at the Methodist Church Hall on Tuesday 30th. The programme saw the largest number of participants in its 10-year history, with branches on the leeward side and windward sides of the island. The summer school on the leeward end took place at the Fitz Hughes Learning Center and ran for two weeks. It saw 22 youths and 10 senior citizens participating, under the guidance of Latham Adams. On the windward side, participants gathered at the North Union Learning Resource Center, where Nollene Sutherland conducted a one-week session. At the closing, Sutherland said the kids were very happy with the programme. She expressed thanks to Flow for expanding the activity in to the rural areas. The main place of gathering however was at the FLOW compound in Arnos Vale, where most of the participants attended. Country Manager at FLOW Wayne Hull described the summer programme as historic, given that it was the biggest programme ever, because of the branches on the windward and leeward side of the island. He said the students can impart their knowledge to the other youths, even at school. Hull told the participants that FLOW will look at additional ways to make the programme not only educational but entertaining as well. Some of the graduates also expressed their happiness with the programme and even gave an idea of what this years programme entailed. (KH) Playwright and former Newsday columnist Freddie Kissoon, 86, has died. Kissoon was found dead at his home in Diamond Vale, Trinidad, Sunday morning. Kissoon was the founder and director of The Strolling Players. He was also an actor, director and drama teacher. As an actor, Kissoon has made more than 200 stage appearances, acting in Caribbean plays Ping Pong, Sea at Dauphin, Drums and Colours, Man Better Man (which was staged in London), and Croydon and Glasgow (for the Commonwealth Arts Festival in 1965). As a director, Kissoon has directed more than 100 plays. As a drama teacher, he conducted classes for American students at the Ecumenical Centre and the Peace Corps in 1968 at the University of the West Indies in St Augustine. He was in charge of acting classes for the Vacation School in the Arts at UWI in 1966, 67 and 71. He also taught creative drama at six Teachers Training Colleges, three youth camps and several community centres. He has taught classes in such places as Nelson Island, Lopinot, Mayaro, YTC Golden Grove, Blanchisseuse and Tobago. He also conducted sessions in Grenada, St Vincent, St Kitts and Curacao. (Newsday) In light of the acknowledgment by the United Nations that they were responsible for the cholera outbreak in Haiti, a Caribbean Prime Minister is calling on his citizens to demand that the United Nations pay adequate compensation to the Haitians. Dr. Gonsalves reiterated his position last Tuesday. He admitted that the United Nations was not obligated to make any compensation. He suggests, however, that Caribbean leaders can "create a moment for a just United Nations response. The situation in which a number of Haitians died as result of the incident, has been described as an "outrage by the Vincentian leader. He cited that it was not about law, but one of "international morality. Over 770,000 persons were affected from the disaster which unfolded from 2010. Poor sanitation at a UN Camp for Peace Keepers allowed cholera contaminated sewage to enter a tributary of Haitis largest river, Artibonite. A federal district judge dismissed the class action lawsuit, ruling that international treaties immunized the UN from lawsuits. The lawsuits were brought by the Boston based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti and a sister group in Haiti on behalf of 5,000 victims. The issue of the denial of citizenship to persons born of Haitian extract on Dominican Republic turf, raised questions on human rights. New York Consul General Selmon Walters has been replaced by head of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), Howie Prince. St. Vincent and the Grenadines beleaguered New York Consul General Selmon Walters has been given his last hurrah, as he spearheaded the inaugural "Vineyard Vincy Fest, at Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts, on Saturday. Walters, who has been recalled by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves after five years at the New York Consulate General, has been replaced by Howie Prince, head of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sir Louis Straker. Sir Louis told THE VINCENTIAN that Walters, a former minister in the Gonsalves administration, was among three diplomats who are being recalled. The others are Ambassadors to Cuba and Venezuela Dexter Rose and Andreas Wickham, respectively. Walters, who has been under enormous fire for his alleged mismanagement of the New York Consulate General, was expected to demit office on Wednesday, Straker said. The "Vineyard Vincy Fest on Saturday was a daylong cultural celebration between "two unique but connected cultures, according to the Vineyard Gazette. Marthas Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony. Visual arts, performing arts and food from both islands were on display at the festival on Saturday, the Vineyard Gazette said. Walters told the paper that the festival sought to dispel the notion that Marthas Vineyard was only for the rich and famous. "Part of the fest is so people know they can come to the Vineyard, he said about the initiative, which was held at the Featherstone Center for the Arts. Walters worked closely with Marthas Vineyard Dukes County manager Martina Thornton to "put together the celebration of the differences and similarities in Vineyard and Saint Vincent culture, the Vineyard Gazette said. It said the Marthas Vineyard-St. Vincent and the Grenadines "Sister Island Partnership was signed in September 2014, "though the relationship between the islands dates back to the 19th century. The partnership was first brought to the table by West Tisbury, Marthas Vineyard resident Anita Botti, a former US Peace Corps Volunteer in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said the Vineyard Gazette, adding that the partnership has facilitated, among other things, a book swap with the West Tisbury library. On Sept. 27, 2014, Dukes County Manager Martina Thornton and former St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador to the United States La Celia Prince signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Dukes County and St. Vincent and the Grenadines about mutual cooperation as "Sister Islands, Dukes County said. There was also a symbolic handling over of the firefighting equipment collected from towns on Marthas Vineyard to help firefighters in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said Dukes County in a statement. "We are looking to start making connections between people from Marthas Vineyard and St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and exchanging knowledge and best practices in the following areas of mutual concern, it said, identifying among them, fire prevention; security; citizen safety; readiness; management and training; emergency response; education; library operation and management; economic development and tourism; agriculture and fisheries; and arts, crafts and culture. Last week Saturday, the Organizing Committee of the Brooklyn, New York-based Vincy Day USA gave Walters his penultimate hurrah with a send-off plaque. Rosalind Goodluck, the treasurer of the Organizing Committee of Vincy Day USA, presented the award to Walters, who has chaired the Committee since its inception five years ago, before hundreds of nationals at the annual unity picnic at Heckscher State Park in Long Island, New York. But despite the praises showered on the Consul General by Goodluck, Walters has been under heavy fire in recent years. However, he has, unequivocally, left his indentation on Vincy Day USA. "I am confident that this great event may outlive all of us, said Walters in the foreword in the Vincy Day USA booklet, distributed to nationals as they entered the park. "Committee members may come and go, but the event must remain. Eustace defended his partys statement to sever ties with Taiwan, saying that it was time that this countrys foreign relations are re-examined. There is nothing ungrateful about the New Democratic Partys (NDP) proposed decision to discontinue this countrys relations with The Republic of China on Taiwan and recognize mainland China. "We have to learn to look at these things dispassionately, Arnhim Eustace, Opposition Leader, said on Monday on the New Times radio programme. He said that he had heard a number of comments being made by various people. "I have my view, and you have your view, and that is what democracy is about we can agree to disagree, and this gives us the opportunity to discuss a very serious component of our foreign affairs, Eustace explained. He went on to say that there were currently well over 200 countries worldwide that enjoyed diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China, or mainland China. "So what if we join the 200 plus countries around the world, we ungrateful? That is foolish talk, the opposition leader said. The NDP made a public statement last week Tuesday of its intention to sever relations with Taiwan, once the party forms government. And according to Eustace, the party has concluded that it is in the best interest to have relations with mainland China. "I hear all sorts of questions why now, and the point is that we have done an analysis and we believe that our medium to long term future lies in that direction. It does not mean that we think that Taiwan cannot do anything, or that we have not taken into consideration what would happen to Taiwan; this is what we will do as a party when we assume office; so ask me why now is a non-question, the opposition leader said. This country benefitted a lot from relations with Taiwan, and they have as well. But there were other potential benefits for the people of this country in having relations with mainland China. Eustace said that China was now a member of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB): "So when we get a CDB loan, part of the resources come from China and we are beneficiaries of that. There were also concerns about the impact of the world oil prices on countries like Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, Eustace said. All these are factors to be considered, he said, before making a decision. "We didnt guess, we thought about the matter for some time, and when we examined the situation, we came to the conclusion that that is the best approach that we can take, Eustace said. (DD) Following a long list of distinguished business leaders in St. Vincent and the Grenadines over the past forty-five years, Ambassador Joel G. Toney is the new president of the Rotary Club of St. Vincent for a one year term 2016 to 2017. At a Rotary Club meeting and press briefing at the Grenadine House in Kingstown on Thursday, August 25, 2016, Ambassador Toney outlined plans for the new Rotary year, and introduced his new executives. The new executive includes Joel Toney President, Kirk Da Silva VP, Earl Tash Secretary, Reuben John Treasurer, Laela Constance president-elect, and Directors Francios Trousour, Viktor Hunt, Joe Sheridan, Don Providence, St Clair Thomas, and Bob Haydock, Sergeant-at-Arms. The Assistant District Governor for the three Rotary Clubs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Rotary Club of St. Vincent, Rotary Club South and Rotary Club of Bequia is Brian Glasgow. The Rotary Club of St. Vincent is a chartered member of Rotary International, an international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build good will in the world. Five years ago, Joel Toney, a businessman, returned to St. Vincent and the Grenadines with his wife, Dr. Joyce Toney, to live, after spending over forty years in the United States. During his time abroad, Joel worked in Corporate America as a business executive with organizations including Xerox Corporation and Equitable Life Insurance Company. Mr. Toney served in the United States Army in Germany where he attained the rank of Specialist E5 and received an honourable discharge. In 1980, Mr. Toney was asked by the cabinet of government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to establish the Permanent Mission of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations. He was later asked to set up the Consulate of SVG in New York, and the SVG Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, DC. He served simultaneously as SVGs first Ambassador to the United Nations, Consul General in New York, and Interim Representative to the OAS. All three portfolios were conducted from the UN office in New York City with a small staff. Mr. Toney has participated in many international conferences, including those of the United Nations and OAS. He was Vice-Chairman of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines delegation to the sessions of the General Assembly, as well as the Third United Nations Conference of the Law of the Sea. Ambassador Toney was chairman of the Latin American and Caribbean Group of the UN during the Falkland Islands/Malvinas War, and testified before the Security Council. Persons seeking the assistance of police, have long complained that in many instances, they are told that they are without vehicle and cannot respond to certain cases . But Saint Lucias Commissioner of Police Severin Moncherry has made it clear that every station is assigned vehicles, and in cases where they are without, they can call other units for assistance, especially in Castries. "It is unfair for police officers to tell members of the public that there are no patrol vehicles, because you have other units, and I am aware that at the Central Police Station there are vehicles. Further to that, I am aware that at other units, there are vehicles within the Castries area where if there isnt a vehicle at Central, they can call for assistance, he said. The commissioners statement was in response to a complaint made by a member of the public, who called into Police Insight aired on MBC Television on Monday evening. Moncherry was a guest on that programme. "What I want members of the public to do is to record the time you are calling and the date. Also, try to get the name of the officer you are speaking to. In some instances, they may not want to give their names, but record the time and date and report it to a senior police officer or one of the assistant police commissioners, Moncherry advised. The top cop said he will not accept at anytime, that police officers are telling members of the public that there is no vehicle. "We are one police force with many departments, and if one unit does not have vehicle, then they need to call for assistance from some other station. Another caller to the weekly police programme also raised concerns about certain police stations getting into the habit of closing its doors to members of the public at a certain time. But Moncherry again stated his disappointment with such a move, explaining to the caller that no police station should be closed in Saint Lucia, and instructions have been sent out that police stations should never be closed. "So if you go to any station and you realize that any station is closed, you need to report it to myself or the officer-in -charge or one of the members of the executive. Stations in this modern day and age should not be closed at any point in time, the police chief asserted. Responding to another caller who had concerns about how a police officer responded to a burglary, Moncherry said police officers are always encouraged to act professionally, and said it is not encouraging when a police officer does not provide the services that citizens need. "If there is a burglary, as a police officer, you need to play your role and do what you have to do. It is not for you to decide whether it is a big deal or not. If the person believes what was stolen was not important to them, I dont think they will come to the police. So every time someone walks into the police station, they need to walk out feeling satisfied with whatever treatment or service they have received from the police officer. He continued, "We are there to serve the public. They are our customers. We are paid to serve them. When someone comes to the station, its not because they just want to come to the station. They are coming to the station because they believe they need help, and they believe that is where they can get help. The police commissioner said that in itself will help to rebuild public confidence in the police. (St Lucian News Online) H.E Baushuan Ger, Ambassador to the Republic of China on Taiwan, has pledged his countrys continued support, in light of the recent announcement by the opposition that it intends to relinquish diplomatic relations with that country when it forms government. H.E Ger made the comment on Monday during a handover ceremony of some computers to the Straker Resource Centre in Layou. According to the Ambassador, he had received numerous telephone calls and visits from individuals who had expressed their solidarity and continued support. Taiwan and St Vincent and the Grenadines celebrates 35 years of diplomatic relations this year, and with it has aided this country in a number of areas including agriculture, IT and education. However, Leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace, in a public statement last week Tuesday, announced that the New Democratic Party (NDP) intends to end the almost four-decade relationship, saying that it intended to align itself with the Peoples Republic of China, or mainland China. Eustace cited a number of reasons for the decision, including Britains departure from the European Union, the impact on certain oil producers due to the current world oil prices, and the upcoming presidential and congressional elections in the United States. (DD) Ambassador H.E Bashuan Ger hands over one of the laptops to Sir Louis Straker, while Rosmond Layne-Lorraine of the Division of Adult and Continuing Education Unit looks on. The Straker Resource Centre in Layou is now equipped with 12 computers, compliments the generosity of the Government and People of the Republic of China (Taiwan) . The 12 units comprise 10 desk top computers and two laptops at a cost of EC$27,000, and are expected to be used in the teaching of basic courses in information and technology. H.E Bashuan Ger, Ambassador to the Republic of China on Taiwan, spoke of the contribution of his government to the development of this countrys information/technology. According to the Ambassador, one of the millennium development goals set by the United Nations (UN) is to increase access to information and strive to provide universal access to the internet. Sir Louis Straker, Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, spoke of the contribution of Taiwan to the development of IT, saying that the nation was also responsible for providing learning resource centres across the country. He explained that the facility was previously equipped with 19 units, but as the result of some mismanagement, the computers got damaged over time. A request was subsequently made to replace the damaged machines. Sir Louis said that he then put in a request to the local Taiwan embassy, and it was agreed upon to provide some computers in order to continue the work by the Division of Adult and Continuing Education Unit. (DD) 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. This site focuses on Republican politicians and conservatives that rip off their constituency. We have the Tea Party, fundamentalist churches, the corruption of ALEC and other special interests groups. But the site also supports progressive Democrats and the local Democratic Socialist of America. We must have ideas on how to replace regressive and corrupt politicians with something better. For comments steveotto2001@yahoo.com or ottozero2001@yahoo.com. By Azernews By Nigar Abbasova Russias energy giant Gazprom is currently considering the prospects of power generation within the framework of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project, which is planned to bring Russian gas via the Black Sea into Turkey and southern Europe. Gazprom head Alexey Miller made the remark while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Ria Novosti reported. This is the analysis in terms of consumption pattern, Miller said, highlighting the issue of possible projects in the sphere of power industry. He also said that development of a road map on the project is expected to be completed by October 2016, while signing of intergovernmental agreement may take place within several months after its creation. He mentioned that Gazprom expects to get the necessary permission from Ankara for the implementation of the Turkish Stream gas project in the nearest future. "Gazprom will get a confirmation that all the permissions issued earlier for the South Stream in Turkey will be effective for the Turkish Stream," Miller said. Head of Gazproms Directorate of International Gas Infrastructure Projects, Dmitry Khandoga earlier said that the company has recently intensified work on preparations to implement the Turkish Stream project. Turkish Stream was halted in late 2015 due to sharp deterioration of relations between Moscow and Ankara, when Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber with two pilots on board. Implementation of the project became topical following mending of ties between the two countries. The Turkish Stream project was announced by President Putin in December 2014 during a visit to Turkey. By Azertac An Azerbaijani delegation headed by deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis Valeh Alasgarov has attended a meeting of Speakers of Parliament of 12 Central and Eastern European countries in the Polish capital of Warsaw. Revival of the European Union, regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe and contribution of national parliaments to developing multilateral relations among regional countries topped the agenda of the gathering. Alasgarov addressed the meeting to highlight the independence history of Azerbaijan, the country`s development, and its promotion of multiculturalism and tolerance. He hailed Azerbaijan`s relations with European counties, emphasizing the country`s role in ensuring the European energy security. He said Azerbaijan had carried out a number of investment, infrastructure, energy and tourism projects in Georgia, Turkey, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Serbia and other countries. Official Baku is ready for cooperation with any country that recognizes Azerbaijans territorial integrity and considers it as a legally equal partner. Alasgarov also drew the audience`s attention to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said Armenia`s occupation of part of Azerbaijan`s territory was the greatest obstacle and threat to the development of Azerbaijan and the region as a whole. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs in the aftermath of the ethnic cleansing conducted by Armenia, he added. During the visit Alasgarov also met with Ryszard Terlecki, deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm, and thanked him for inviting the Azerbaijani delegation to the meeting. The two discussed the development of bilateral cooperation and inter-parliamentary relations, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, as well as regional developments. By Azernews By Amina Nazarli The "Mountain Jews" synagogue in Baku hosted a meeting with the Jewish Community of America on September 1. Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, MPs, heads of religious communities, representatives of civil society and diplomats accredited in the country attended the event. At the meeting, the American Jewish Community presented a Sacred Torah to Azerbaijani Mountain Jews community. The Torah was donated by the Movsumovs family, who live in the U.S. . Speaking at the ceremony, representatives of the Jewish community thanked the Movsumovs family for the gift. In turn, Gurbanli highlighted the participation of representatives of all religious confessions in the ceremony. I do not believe such a tradition exists somewhere else in the world. Azerbaijan, as a secular state, respects all religions. Tolerance is lifestyle of the Azerbaijani people. Jews are the most ancient inhabitants of Azerbaijan, the chairman said. Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan Daniel Stav, for his part, stressed the importance of this day for the Jewish people. He believes that Azerbaijan, as a multicultural country, sets an example to the world. Modern Azerbaijan is a perfect worldwide example in terms of religious tolerance, multiculturalism and religious safety. Being a Muslim majority country, Azerbaijan is a home to a big Jewish community, who is as many other religious centers, including Catholics, Protestants and members of the Russian Orthodox Church, live in safety here. The countrys north region of Guba is home to Azerbaijan's largest community of Mountain Jews, who live in Krasnaya Sloboda (Red Town). US-based ASTM International, an international standards organisation, has announced that it will hold its board meeting and dozens of events in the UAE, from October 16 to 20. ASTM International is an organisation that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. Ralph Paroli, board chairman who directs research and development in measurement science and standards at the National Research Council of Canada, said: Gulf leaders in business and government increasingly demand ASTM International standards to help them drive growth in industries such as petroleum, construction, and more. "Our board is excited to be hosting our meeting and related events in such a dynamic region, he added. Paroli will lead the board meeting on two days in Dubai, said a statement from ASTM International. On one of the days, board members will hold about 25 events and meetings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This events will include: Meetings with companies and trade associations from many fields (oil and gas, steel, concrete, corrosion, building facades, piping, 3D printing, nuclear energy, and more). Roundtables with representatives from leading laboratories. Meetings with government leaders, including the UAE's standards body (ESMA). Discussing metrology topics with the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, Standardisation Organisation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GSO), and ESMA. Speaking engagements with students and others at top universities. A workshop with amusement park industry leaders, and more. Additionally, ASTM International and the International Code Council will co-host a Sustainable Construction workshop in Dubai, supported in part by the US International Trade Administration, added a statement. Board member Nabil Molla is helping organise the events. As secretary general of the GSO, he helps coordinate standards and conformity assessment activities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, and Bahrain. He said: ASTM International is building on its already strong commitment to serve as a partner to the Gulf. I welcome organising this event in the UAE as a member of the GSO and I wish to have a very productive and positive discussion. I look forward to this opportunity to showcase how high-quality standards support businesses and people throughout our region, he added. This year, ASTM International and GSO are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their memorandum of understanding (MoU). ASTM International also has memoranda of understanding with the standards bodies in every Gulf nation. Hundreds of experts from the region serve on ASTM International's technical committees, and ASTM standards have been cited more than 4,000 times in the region's regulations and codes. "I believe that this meeting can identify further areas for cooperation and mutual information exchange under the MoU," he Molla. In recent years, ASTM International and GSO have held many joint workshops and virtual events, while also providing many experts, exchanging of information, and sponsoring events such as ARABLAB, the Dubai Fire Safety Forum, and other major conferences that relate to standardisation. Since 2000, ASTM International Board meetings have been held in Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the US, it said. TradeArabia News Service PKL Services has been awarded a $495 million US Defense Department contract for F-15 aircraft maintenance upgrade training for Saudi Arabia's air force, the Pentagon said on Thursday. - Reuters Japan will propose a broad cooperation in the energy sector with Russia that could include a nearly $10 billion investment in Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. The report comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a two-day business conference beginning Friday in Vladivostok. The two are expected to discuss closer cooperation in such areas as energy and technology, with Japan hoping to strengthen economic ties and create a breakthrough in a decades-long territorial dispute. The Nikkei said the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is considering investing as much as 1 trillion yen ($9.7 billion) to buy 10 percent of Rosneft through the government-backed Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp, or Jogmec. In addition, Japan will consider joint surveys for oil and gas projects in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. It will also seek technical cooperation in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, the site of the 2011 nuclear disaster, the paper said. METI was not immediately available for comment. METI Minister Hiroshige Seko, the newly appointed minister for economic cooperation with Russia, is accompanying Abe on the trip to Vladivostok. - Reuters Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the kingdom was ready to meet rising energy demand from China, state news agency SPA reported on Friday. "The Kingdom is ready to fulfill the rising energy demand in China in the coming decades," the SPA quoted Al-Falih as stating. Al-Falih made his comments during meetings with leading Chinese energy industry officials, the SPA said. The minister was on an official visit to China earlier this week when several energy agreements were signed. Saudi Aramco also signed a strategic partnership agreement with China's CNPC during the visit with a view to cooperating on investments in refining, marketing and project developments, the SPA said. The agreement would include Aramco's ownership of shares in the refining business and retail sales of CNPC, it said. Reuters Former child soldier turned electrician, George Bull buys electrical wires from shop to connect power in a home in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, Liberia, on August 31. The 34 year old former child soldier joined the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) in 1998, after he was abducted as a 16-year-old by fighters. As part of the Disarmament and Demobilization package for ex-combatants, he enrolled at a Junior high school to continue his education in Monrovia. George learned electricity from a church member, and has now become a professional electrician, providing services to residents in his community. According to reports, the Liberian civil war claimed the lives of more than 250,000 Liberians and further displaced a million into refugee camps in neighboring countries in the West African sub region. EPA/Ahmed Jallanzo ANCHORAGE, Alaska With Alaskas fiscal crisis drying up funding for a number of state projects, officials hope a crowdfunding campaign will raise $50,000 toward shoring up a crumbling riverbank creeping toward century-old buildings at a state park. Alaska is among a growing list of governments and civic organizations across the country going that route as traditional revenue sources shrink. The riverbank project marks the states debut in the increasingly popular practice of financing ventures through small payouts from large numbers of people. In recent years, funding sites such as Citizinvestor and Spacehive have provided cash-generating platforms for those public entities, tweaking the formula of private pioneers such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe. On our (state) website, we have a place where you can donate, but its the first time weve actually gone to crowdfunding, Alaskas northern area park superintendent Brooks Ludwig said. This is new territory for us. Alaskans blame the shortage of capital improvement funds on oil prices that plunged two years ago and have stayed low ever since. But some projects cant wait for the industry to rebound. About 250 feet of the Tanana River needs to be stabilized at Big Delta State Historical Park, where the problem is threatening a roadhouse and an old telegraph station once used as part of a military communications system built in the early 1900s. The park, 90 miles southeast of Fairbanks, is located near a historic stopping point for travelers, traders and the military. The gem of Alaskas pioneer past remains a draw for tourists. The improvement plan for Big Delta is relying on the Fund Your Park site run by the National Recreation and Park Association for its members, including Alaska. This is just another fundraising tool, said Michele White, who manages the Fund Your Park site. Since it was launched nearly two years ago, the service has been used for 50 projects across the country. Eleven of those projects including the Alaska park launched 30-day campaigns last week. Some campaigns have fared far better than others. Among the most successful involved the Texas city of Grand Prairie near Dallas. The goal was to raise $25,000 for all-inclusive swings that can accommodate disabled people at a park currently under development. The city ended up raising nearly $33,000 through the park crowdfunding site a total that project manager Steve Plumer credited to a massive marketing campaign. It was awesome, he said of the experience. I think its a great opportunity. Users of the funding site are encouraged to keep their goals realistic. To that end, Ludwig said, Alaska parks officials decided to seek just a fraction of the money needed for the riverbank work expected to cost $319,000. Along with the $50,000 sought through crowdfunding, park officials have $100,000 in hand and want to raise the remaining $169,000 by soliciting donations from businesses, foundations and other government agencies. The Fairbanks-based Helen E. Snedden Foundation is contributing $15,000 through the crowdfunding campaign. Erosion of the rivers banks has long been a concern, but this summer the bank has been gobbled up at a faster pace, prompting volunteers in July to move artifacts from the old cabin built in 1907 that was originally used as a telegraph office, according to Maureen Gardner, a longtime parks manager who recently retired. The water was getting so close, she said. The bank was taken away so quickly. The cabin has since been moved about 50 more feet back from the river with the hope of returning it to the original site after the bank is stabilized, Ludwig said. Just for historys sake, he said. Drivers in Casper are spending less timing waiting at traffic lights, a recent report shows. Improvements to the timing of traffic lights have significantly improved driving times around the city, according to a July report conducted by KLJ Engineering. Driver delays were reduced 22 percent during morning rush hour and 9 percent during the evening commute, the report stated. It has helped tremendously and decreased traffic delays and stops, said Casper traffic supervisor Monica DeLeon. DeLeon presented the report at a Casper City Council work session in late August. The report concluded delays could be further cut by as much as 38 percent in the morning and 32 percent in the evening but that various barriers, including an inability to coordinate signal timing with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, limited the improvements. Because WYDOT controls Wyoming Boulevard intersections, the city could only time the signals on either side of that street, which has limited the cross-town travel improvements, DeLeon said. They didnt want to screw up their coordination, she said. It would be great if we could do a universal coordination but I dont know what the chances of that are. The report also suggested removing 24 of Caspers 54 traffic signal systems, but DeLeon said it was likely that only a few would actually be converted to stop signs. One signal along Casper Mountain Road near the Casper College campus has already been removed, and DeLeon said officials had also considered removing signals at intersections where Ninth Street crosses Center and Wolcott streets.But despite many other signals being identified as unnecessary through the traffic study, DeLeon said politics stood in the way of efficiency. In one case, the city asked a real estate developer to install a signal as part of a housing complex, removing that now would likely irk the builder. Likewise, neighbors often protest the removal of signals near their homes despite the reports finding that the signal may impede cross-town travel.Well take it a couple at a time per year, DeLeon said. Politics has a big, big play in all of it.The city had not conducted a traffic timing study in 20 years, despite best practices calling for an analysis every three years. DeLeon said she hoped to begin commissioning the studies on a regular basis. However, she acknowledged that with the economic downturn, city funds may not be available for such work.The KLJ study cost around $100,000. The Mills Town Council on Friday selected an interim mayor after former mayor Marrolyce Wilson resigned amid allegations she tried to interfere with an investigation into possible embezzlement by the towns treasurer. Councilman Seth Coleman will serve as interim mayor until the 2018 election. The towns interim treasurer, Dawn Kopp, confirmed Tuesday that Wilson submitted a resignation letter. Kopp did not explain why Wilson had offered her resignation and declined to provide a copy of the letter to the Star-Tribune because Wilson had not yet left office. Wyomings Division of Criminal Investigation accused Wilson of being uncooperative during interviews with state agents, allegedly covering her ears with her hands during an interview and discouraging town employees from cooperating with the investigation. Wilson subsequently released a statement saying she cooperated fully and will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation into the alleged embezzlement. Treasurer Lisa Whetstone is charged with embezzling more than $64,000 of city funds that she was supposed to deposit into a government bank account. In June, she pleaded not guilty to felony theft and failing to account for public property. Whetstone faces up to 15 years in prison. She is free on bond pending trial but was placed on administrative leave by Wilson. Prosecutors allege Whetstone spent embezzled funds on credit card payments and personal expenses. Coleman, who was elected to the council in 2014, had been the councils president. He has been working on possible checks and balances to prevent a similar incident from happening again, Coleman said Friday when reached by phone. I feel its an opportunity to make things better and clear up some of these problems and set processes in place so this cant happen again, he said. The council will continue to discuss such checks and balances at its public work sessions, Coleman said. Wilson was first elected in 2012 after four town officials, including the mayor, resigned. Wilson was reelected in 2014. During her tenure, she oversaw new development and reasserted the towns growth boundaries. She also generated controversy after passing over the chosen successor of the towns retiring police chief in favor of a less experienced officer. Gov. Matt Mead already faces a bevy of challenges: declining revenues, budget cuts and a sluggish energy sector. He can now add uncertainty in the Wyoming Legislature, where many top lawmakers are departing. Knowing who will serve in the leadership next year is a challenge, Mead told the Star-Tribune in an interview Tuesday. Five Republicans in leadership positions will leave at the end of the year thanks to retirements and election defeats. That has left a void in the ranks of the majority party at a time when Mead and his agency chiefs are crafting budgets in anticipation of smaller tax receipts. Mead said he relies on frequent communication with leaders. Now, hes in a position of not knowing whom to speak with. Rosie, Tim, Kermit, Phil while we agreed and disagreed on different issues, their experience in the legislative process was always very valuable to me, he said. Its more of a course that you would lose one member of leadership, maybe two, but to lose four out of the box, I think, is going to certainly provide some challenges and a learning curve for the new folks who step up in leadership. I know theres people who can do it. In the Wyoming House, Speaker Kermit Brown of Laramie is retiring. Rep. Rosie Berger of Big Horn, who is the second-highest ranking Republican and had planned to run for speaker, lost her primary election. The third-ranking Republican, Rep. Tim Stubson of Casper, vacated his seat to run for the U.S. House. He lost in the primary to Liz Cheney. In the upper chamber of the Legislature, Senate President Phil Nicholas of Laramie is retiring. So is Sen. Tony Ross, R-Cheyenne. Ross is former Senate president and current chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Mead said he usually has an idea of who a couple of the leaders will be. I can begin the process like right now of reaching out to them and say, Heres kind of what Im thinking about the budget; heres what Im thinking about this issue, he said. Thats not the case this time, especially in the House. Mead said he speaks to the Senate president and House speaker from three times a day to four times a month, depending on what issues arise. He frequently visits with all of leadership before or after Capitol Building Restoration Oversight Group meetings. Many members of leadership are in the group. Those who are not, such as House Whip Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle, travel to Cheyenne to meet with the governor and leadership on those days, Mead said. Since budgeting is such a large part of what happens in Cheyenne, Mead meets with leadership as well as the chairmen of the Joint Appropriations Committee about once every 30 or 45 days, he said. Discussions between leadership and the governor increase in frequency after an October revenue projection report by the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, composed of members of the legislative and executive branches. As we head into this session and get closer and closer, the amount of conversations and the length of conversations get more and more, Mead said. So Its really nice to have that as we head into the October CREG, to be in touch with leadership after October CREG comes out. We immediately have a leadership meeting to see where we all are, to see how were going to address the challenges the state faces. The 2017 legislative session begins Jan. 10. CHEYENNE Money has been flowing in and out of the coffers of Laramie County legislative candidates during the primary election cycle. State-level candidates were required to file their primary campaign finance reports by Aug. 26. This round of reports includes information on candidate expenditures from Jan. 1 through Aug. 15. It also includes any contributions made to campaigns from Aug. 3 to Aug. 15. Contributions listed in this story are in addition to what candidates already reported in their pre-primary reports. The pre-primary reports, which were due in early August, covered contributions from Jan. 1 to Aug. 2, but didnt include expenditures. The next state-level campaign finance reports are due Nov. 1. The general election is Nov. 8. The data in this story comes from the primary reports, which are available online at www.wycampaignfinance.gov. Senate District 4 State Rep. Ken Esquibel, D-Cheyenne, reported having $8,787 left in his campaign account after spending $13,028 so far this year. He also had an individual contribution and a donation from the Federated Firefighters of Wyoming PAC. Esquibels Republican opponent in the general election, Tara Nethercott, had $988 after spending $26,282 so far this year more than any other Senate candidate in Wyoming. She reported an in-kind donation and three individual contributions, including $20,000 from herself. David Pope, who came in second in the Republican primary, had $2,394 left after spending $20,647 this year. He reported a new loan from himself. Finally, Bill Weaver, who took third in the Republican primary, had $312 remaining and spent $3,117 this year. He also reported a contribution from himself. Senate District 4 takes up much of north-central Cheyenne and the northwest quarter of Laramie County. It includes Cheyenne Regional Airport, Henderson Elementary School, the Four Mile Road corridor, Clawson Elementary School and the Quebec-01 missile site. Senate District 6 Republican Anthony Bouchard raised the most and spent the most in the Senate District 6 race, in which he won the primary. Bouchard had $314 after spending $14,313 this year. He reported two new individual contributions, both from out of the district. Bouchard may have an opponent in the general election if a petition for independent candidate Kym Zwonitzer is determined to have enough valid signatures. Rep. Dave Zwonitzer, who came in second in the Republican primary, had $812 after spending $9,588. He had one individual contribution and money from Lawyers Active in Wyoming PAC, Pacific Power/Rocky Mountain Power PAC, Tesoro PAC, BNSF Rail PAC and Allstate Insurance Co. PAC. Also in the Republican primary, Lindi Kirkbride had negative $1,144 after spending $12,928 for the year. She reported seven new individual contributions, a pass-the-hat event and money from Lawyers Active in Wyoming PAC, Federated Firefighters of Wyoming PAC and the Cheyenne PAC. Senate District 6 covers the eastern part of Laramie County, plus a thin section of Goshen County along the Nebraska border and a section of northeast Cheyenne. It includes Albin, Pine Bluffs and Burns, as well as Anderson, Buffalo Ridge and Dildine elementary schools and the King Soopers plaza in Cheyenne. Senate District 8 Republican Affie Ellis still leads Democrat Floyd Esquibel in both money raised and amount spent. Ellis had $32,386 remaining after spending $11,002 this year. She had four new individual contributions and three in-kind contributions. Esquibel, the incumbent, had $2,272 after spending $1,128 this year. He had two new individual contributions and money from the Federated Firefighters of Wyoming PAC and the Wyoming Education Association. Senate District 8 takes up part of downtown and the southwest side of Cheyenne, as well as the southwest corner of Laramie County south of Interstate 80 and west of U.S. Highway 85. It includes the state Capitol, the Cheyenne Depot, much of the Union Pacific rail yard, South High School, Swan Ranch Business Park and Belvoir Ranch. A sudden spike in the discovery of credit card skimmers hidden in gas pumps has state officials warning Arizona consumers how to avoid becoming victims. Department of Agriculture inspectors found 11 of the hidden devices all of last year. Last month alone they detected 31, department director Mark Killian said Thursday. Part of the increase may be due to more investigations of gas pumps, said Killian, whose agency absorbed the old Department of Weights and Measures. But he said thieves are becoming more creative in ways to quietly part customers from their money. And his department has just 12 inspectors to check about 12,000 gas pumps statewide meaning consumers cannot rely solely on the state to find and remove the devices, Killian said, but actively need to protect themselves. The problem is not isolated. Inspectors have found scanners on 59 pumps this year in places ranging from the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas to rural Kingman, Yuma and Eloy. Some places have more problems than others: A gas station at West Ina Road and Interstate 10 on Tucsons northwest side turned up eight of the devices this year. State officials did not provide the name or brand of the station. To the naked eye, the skimmers are undetectable. Killian said those who know what theyre doing can open a gas pump in seven seconds. Then it takes just a few more to piggy-back the scanner onto the pumps regular card reader and close all the access doors. He said some devices can store up to 5,000 card numbers and PINs while waiting for the thieves to return. Others are more high tech, using Bluetooth wireless technology that instantly transmits the stolen information to someone parked nearby. Given the invisibility of the devices to consumers, Ephram Cordova, an inspector in the Division of Weights and Measures, said theres no sure-fire way for consumers to protect themselves, which is why state inspections are crucial. But there are things customers can do. The first line of defense is security tape over keyholes and other places where the machine can be opened up, Cordova said. A torn tape or a tape that shows signs of tampering often with the word void popping up is a sure sign to go elsewhere or pay cash. Delia Garcia, spokeswoman for Walmart and Sams Club, where a state demonstration occurred Thursday in Glendale, said thats why all of her companys pumps have such protection. But Arizona law does not require the use of such tape by retailers. The public is unsuspecting and really doesnt have any good way to know whether the machine has been tampered with, Cordova said. Cordova said given staffing constraints, he and his colleagues concentrate their efforts on older-style gas pumps that are less tamper-resistant. When Im driving, I look at suspect pumps, ones that are easily opened, ones that are easy to put a skimmer in, he said. Killian said customers who come across gas pumps without security protections can ask an attendant when the last time someone opened them up to check for skimmers. And if they say, Well, we havent checked in awhile, then I wouldnt get my gas there, he said. Killian acknowledged that customers may be in a hurry and distracted, especially this Labor Day weekend. The last thing you think about is somebody could be putting a device inside (a gas pump) to steal your credit card information, he said. But he said, if nothing else, customers unsure of whether a pump has been tampered with should never use a debit card, which takes the money directly out of a checking or savings account. Killian said its best to use cash or a credit card with a very low limit. Then, on the tail end: Check credit card statements and inform the issuer if there are unauthorized charges, said Michelle Wilson, an assistant director of the Department of Agriculture. Aside from getting fraudulent charges removed, she said the credit card companies work closely with her agency to look for patterns and backtrack to the gas stations where the information was skimmed in the first place. A Tucson businessman has pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion stemming from federal charges that he paid more than $400,000 in personal expenses with money from his business. Larry Lester Larson, 73, former owner of State Industrial Supply Corp., was indicted on three counts of tax evasion in March 2014. He has agreed to pay the government restitution of $183,382, and sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 16, the Internal Revenue Service said. Tax evasion is a felony that carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, plus penalties of up to $250,000 plus court costs for individuals. Larsons attorney said the charges were the result of improper bookkeeping and all taxes owed will be paid as part of the restitution agreement. Mr. Larson is a well-respected businessman who made some mistakes, coupled with a very sloppy bookkeeping staff, for which as owner of the company he takes responsibility, attorney Michael Piccarreta said, adding that his client is eligible for probation. Larson has since sold the company to his son and is looking forward to retirement, Piccareta said. According to court records, Larson was the CEO and sole owner of State Industrial Supply Corp., a distributor of fasteners and machine parts. The IRS said that during the tax years 2006 through 2009, Larson paid personal expenses totaling $413,832 out of his corporations business account and later falsely deducted them as business expenses. The IRS alleged that Larson falsely deducted personal expenses including elective and dental surgery, garage-floor coating for his home, the purchase of jewelry and an all-terrain vehicle, remodeling expenses for his sons home, pool service and home utilities, part of a family members wedding expenses, a personal loan that was paid back and falsely expensed as bad debt, and airfare for a Hawaiian vacation. Piccarreta said because Larson operated State Industrial Supply as an S corporation, it was perfectly legal to pass personal expenses through the company so long as they were properly accounted for on tax returns, but that didnt happen. The IRS investigator on the case said the proper reporting of expenses and income is an important requirement of business owners. DEKALB, Ill. (AP) Jeff Foster is on a mission to inspire DeKalb County's youth one cup of coffee at a time. Common Grounds, 150 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, is gearing up for the anticipated rush of the college crowd. The shop hosted its grand opening July 13, but Foster said he believes Northern Illinois University's student body could help further the message of creativity and acceptance he is working to establish. "I want to see the creative kids touched and find mentors for them," Foster said. "I'm thinking we'll develop that after school starts, maybe with some students who are ready to graduate. They can come and plug in and talk to seventh- through 10th-graders, for instance, and encourage them." Common Grounds also serves as one of the area's only book sellers. Customers are free to browse or buy the new and used books, ranging in price from $1 to $15. Anyone who buys a book will receive $1 off any drink purchase or $1 off three drinks if they bring a friend to the shop. "The collection of books is really eclectic. Most people will come in here and see something they've read and they want to read it again or recommend it to someone else. That's the goal," Foster said. "I'm always surprised what people want to read. And then they make recommendations and so now I'm on the search. I'm trying to find more books." Foster moved in 2012 from Des Plaines to DeKalb with the intention of setting a creative and progressive atmosphere for the area's younger crowd. "I said well, two things that I see stopping progress from happening are one - businesses close and that's an obvious thing," Foster said. "But if we can open a business, I want to be a place where people feel like they can browse, and they can read books again, and get off their devices for a bit, and actually discuss things." DeKalb First Church helps fund Common Grounds, but Foster said he doesn't want the shop to have a large religious presence. The business' main goal is to create an environment where ideas are born, he said. "We have a purpose," Foster said. "The theme is a place where anyone can get inspired. Part of what we want to do is let people dream a little bit." Common Grounds uses fair trade coffee beans and works with a number of local and worldwide organizations. The shop returns 10 percent of all coffee sales to Camino Island Roasters and donates a portion of its earnings to the anti-human trafficking campaign, Set Free Movement. "People just aren't aware of how children are abandoned around the world, and a little purchase of coffee can slow that process and help them take care of their families," Foster said. Locally, Common Grounds has partnered with Love in the Name of Christ. Foster also has plans to start a "Big Picture Buddy" mentor program to encourage young artists to guide and spend time with DeKalb County's creative youth, he said. "The big picture is that we should all be working toward good," Foster said. "No matter what religious perspective you come from. Are we all working toward the greater good?" ___ Source: The (DeKalb) Daily Chronicle, http://bit.ly/2blCGKP ___ Information from: The Daily Chronicle, http://www.daily-chronicle.com This is an AP-Illinois Exchange story offered by The (DeKalb) Daily Chronicle. World of Beer, the 3,000-square-foot pantheon to craft beer anchoring the east end of Congress Street downtown, is set to close. No date has been announced, but the closing is imminent, said Terry Haley, World of Beers corporate vice president of marketing. Two other World of Beer locations in Arizona all operated by the same franchisees also will close, Haley said. All have been open since late 2013; the Tucson store opened days before Halloween of that year. An official with the Arizona franchise group who would not give his name said the owners are in talks with another beer-centric concept operator to take over the store at 350 E. Congress St. and their stores in Tempe and Gilbert. He said they anticipate that the closing will coincide with the opening of the new brand. He would not release any details, saying negotiations are ongoing. He also would not discuss his groups contract with World of Beer because he and his partners are in legal talks with the Florida-based company. Haley, speaking from the companys headquarters in Tampa, Florida, said the Arizona closures are due in large part to the evolution of the 9-year-old companys mission. The World of Beer concept has evolved significantly. Over the last couple of years weve added in full kitchens with an elevated menu of tavern fare, he said. Those particular sites with the square footage couldnt make the adjustments that we felt were in the best interest of the longterm future of the brand. The Arizona closures follow eight other World of Beer closings in the past year, several of them coming this summer, including three in Florida. Three stores closed in the month of July alone, including one in New Orleans and another in Albany, New York. Haley said the closings were unrelated and a couple were for the same reasons that the Arizona stores are shuttering the operators could not convert the stores into the more restaurant-oriented concept. World of Beer has 75 locations around the country and one in Shanghai that opened this summer. Six new locations are set to open this month in the U.S., Haley said. A "Wanted" poster of Senate candidate Ann Kirkpatrick sent out by Arizona Republican Party has angered a number of Arizona Democrats. It isn't the fiery rhetoric that has angered them, but the computer generated bullet holes that has Democrats, including former Rep. Gabby Giffords, demanding an apology. Giffords was one of 13 people wounded in an assassination attempt in 2011 that left six people dead. The Kirkpatrick Senate campaign denounced the Western style "Wanted" poster - which the state party delivered to Kirkpatrick's campaign office in Tempe - calling it "tasteless and ignorant." The Arizona Republican Partys actions show the desperate and disgusting campaign John McCain and his allies have chosen to run, said Kirkpatrick for Senate Campaign Manager Max Croes. There is absolutely no place for this disturbing imagery in Arizona politics. Arizona Democratic Party Chair Alexis Tameron called it a desperate attempt to protect Republican Senator John McCain, who is running for another term. I'm dumbstruck by the inexcusable lack of judgment," said Tameron. Today's political stunt by the Arizona Republican Party illustrates not only a lack of judgment, but a complete disregard of the tragedy that traumatized so many Arizonans on January 8, 2011." A joint statement from Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, asked the state party to apologize. In a state and country that know the toll of gun violence too well, there is no room for invoking the use of firearms in our politics," they said in prepared statement. "We urge Arizonans of every political stripe to join us in asking the Arizona Republican Party to refrain from using this irresponsible imagery and to apologize." Matthew Specht with the Arizona Republican Party said the complaints are just thinly-veiled attempts to avoid discussing Kirkpatrick's unwillingness to talk to voters. "No one who received the press release containing the 'wanted' poster linked it to violence until the Kirkpatrick campaign tried to use it as a way to distract the media from Ann Kirkpatrick's absence from the campaign trail." In a post on the Arizona Republican Party website, Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham noted Kirkpatrick isn't holding public events and isn't in her campaign office. Afraid that Arizonans wont want her in the U.S. Senate if they learn more about her record and positions, Ann Kirkpatrick has been hiding out, said Graham. "Please approach with caution, as Kirkpatrick has been known to flee voters when asked tough questions." Kirkpatrick has been in southern Arizona as recently as last Saturday, touring La Estrella Bakery and chatting with locals in Oro Valley. Graham's statement ended on the same Old West theme. Mabu, the adult African elephant at the Reid Park Zoo who fathered Nandi, is being returned to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, local zoo officials said Friday. The transfer will occur sometime this fall and zoo officials said people who want to see Mabu before he is sent to San Diego should plan a visit soon. His specific departure date will not be announced by the zoo. Mabu came to Reid Park to help establish a herd of five elephants for the zoo's Tanzania habitat, which opened in 2012. He successfully bred with one of the zoo's adult females, Semba, and Nandi was born two years later. Mabu will return to his former herd in San Diego with the hope that he will successfully breed there, zoo officials said. "While we will be said to see him go, close working relationships between zoos can allow for male elephants to move among herds for breeding and social opportunities," said Sue Tygielski, the zoo's elephant manager. The zoo currently has six elephants: Mabu, Semba, Lungile, Punga, Sundzu and Nandi. PHOENIX It may literally be a death-defying act. But the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Thursday that people convicted of murder have the right to represent themselves in the part of the trial where a jury is deciding whether they live or die. The justices rejected the pleas of Aaron Gunches, now represented by a public defender, that they should overturn the decision by a jury to sentence him to death because he acted as his own lawyer in the penalty phase of the trial. Justice John Pelander, writing for the unanimous court, said while the decision was ill advised there is a long-standing constitutional right of defendants who are competent to represent themselves. Stephen Whelihan, a deputy county public advocate, did not dispute that right exists for an actual trial. But he argued this is different. In capital cases there are actually two phases, with the first to determine guilt or innocence. In the second phase, the jury decides if there are certain aggravating factors that would make a death sentence more appropriate than life behind bars. These include things like committing a crime for financial gain or that the victim was a police officer. In this case, jurors found two factors: a prior conviction of a serious offense and that the murder was committed in an especially cruel and heinous manner. Jurors also are supposed to consider whether there are mitigating factors to spare someones life, like lack of a prior criminal record and things in the persons history that might explain his or her conduct such as prior abuse or mental or physical illness. Gunches, representing himself, presented none of that to the jury. Now, on appeal for the 2002 shooting death of Ted Price in the desert near Mesa, Gunches attorneys said that constitutional right of self-representation should be limited to the guilt-or-innocence part of the trial. The independent societal interest in the fair administration of justice has been found to outweigh even the right of the accused to counsel of his choice enshrined in the Sixth Amendment, Whelihan argued. The high court disagreed. More than 240,000 people voted against Sen. John McCain in the Republican primary that ended Tuesday. Normally, youd expect those Republican voters would swallow their disappointment, move on to the general election and vote for him. This time? Maybe, maybe not. Some of those who gave Dr. Kelli Ward her 197,000 votes cannot imagine themselves voting for McCain, who is 80 and running for his sixth term. Another 46,000 or so voters went for Alex Meluskey and Clair Van Steenwyk. And frankly, in some factions of the Arizona GOP, the feelings for McCain verge on hatred. Remember when the state party censured him in 2014 for being too liberal? Just listen to the phrasing of Wards own concession statement: After refusing to debate while running a slash and burn campaign devoid of actual ideas, I hope the senator can rest comfortably with his conscience as he continues to lecture others about civility. The Republican Party cannot win as a national party if we keep nominating unprincipled career politicians whose only objective is perpetual re-election. When asked by the Arizona Republic if shed support McCain, Ward said, Well see, adding: Im not quite there yet. Karen Schutte, a strong Ward supporter in Tucson, said she hadnt decided what to do. I think people are going to look hard at Ann Kirkpatrick, she said. Is she really a moderate? Where does she stand on the issues we care about? Thats not a unanimous opinion: Former state Sen. Al Melvin, a strong Ward supporter, told me Thursday, I cant see any Republican worth their name voting for the Democrat. Or as Republican strategist Jaime Molera put it to me: I dont see the majority of those folks saying in order to spite McCain Ill vote for Kirkpatrick. Typically, Republicans line up, some of them unhappily, with McCain, said Fred Solop a professor in the department of politics and international affairs at Northern Arizona University. Kirkpatrick will not have an easy time beating McCain. His campaign had about $5 million on hand as of early August, compared to the Kirkpatrick campaigns $2.3 million. The polls have been wildly variable, ranging in recent days from a 13-point lead for McCain to in a poll that came out Thursday, a 43-43 tie. If this years general-election turnout equals the 74 percent of the 2012 turnout, there will be about 2.5 million votes cast in Arizona. Those 240,000 who went against McCain in the primary are almost a tenth of the expected total. If its close, they could be the difference, for him or against. Back to bullets Who in the Arizona GOP thought this was a good idea? The party delivered to Democrat Kirkpatricks campaign office Thursday a Wanted poster with her picture on it, calling her an absentee and saying she was last seen running from constituents who want to hold her accountable. Kind of gimmicky, but fine so far. The problem: The poster has five or six bullet holes designed into it. Yes, bullet holes. One of them is just below the picture of Kirkpatrick, about where her chest would be if the photo extended that far. That is shocking and beyond the pale, especially in a state where a sitting congresswoman was shot just a few years ago. Our politics are angry and at times violent enough without the political parties encouraging it. Young Dems fall Southern Arizona Democrats had three hard-fought primaries for state House: In LD 2, LD 9 and LD 10 there were three candidates for two Dem nominations. You know who lost in each case? The youngest candidate. In LD 10, Courtney Frogge, 34, was the odd woman out in her race against incumbent Stefanie Mach, 36, and newcomer Kristen Engle, 54. In LD 9, incumbency did not protect Matt Kopec, 27, from his elders. Kopec, who was appointed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to replace Victoria Steele, lost to incumbent Randy Friese, 52, and challenger Pamela Powers Hannley, 65. In LD 2, UA law student Aaron Baumann, 25, lost to Sunnyside School Board member Daniel Hernandez, 26, and incumbent Rosanna Gabaldon, 56. Coincidence? Could be, but my guess is that primary voters tend to be older and value experience. OWho-lleran vs. Babeu When it comes to the race for Congress in District 1, the challenge for Democrat Tom OHalleran is pretty clear: Tell the districts voters who he is. Thanks to the Republican candidates high media profile, the voters know who Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is, for better or worse. The district is huge, of course: It goes from Sedona, where OHalleran lives, through Flagstaff, the Navajo Nation, the White Mountains all the way down to Pinal County, where Babeu lives, Marana and Oro Valley. Like I said, huge. OHalleran is known up in Northern Arizona, which he represented in the Legislature. But the southern part of the district is where most of the voters are, and its where hes unknown. Well have a very aggressive outreach program starting now, he said. Hed better. Of course, the campaign in this evenly divided district will be mostly fought between the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The Democrats will help OHalleran by hitting Babeu with his baggage. What will they use? Well, from talking to OHalleran and seeing the DCCCs first ad, it appears they will steer away from Babeus personal life, which drove him out of his last congressional campaign. However, theyll criticize him for being the administrator at a Massachusetts private school where child abuse occurred. To me that disqualifies him from being a member of Congress, OHalleran said. Babeus campaign has said he wasnt in charge of the discipline at the school that the state classified as abuse. Trump attendees split Initially the speech by Donald Trump in Phoenix on Wednesday night was billed as an immigration policy speech, then a unity rally, then an illegal-immigration speech again. Whatever the case, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, the Tucson Republican, was never going to attend. She told my colleague Joe Ferguson and me Wednesday morning, My schedule is booked. McSally has never endorsed Trump and is not going to, it seems. She said shell keep her vote secret. Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, both Republicans, also stayed away from the rally. Gov. Doug Ducey, on the other hand, took the opportunity to give Trump his first full-throated endorsement. Tonight is about unity and coming together in the march to victory, he said, adding later: We need to elect a Trump-Pence ticket this November! Several speakers later, Trump came on and gave a shockingly dark and divisive speech about illegal immigration. No, it definitely was not a unity rally not even among Arizona Republicans. Two Arizona congressmen are leading a bipartisan effort and asking President Obama to help secure federal funding and resources to help build Tucsons Jan. 8 memorial. U.S. Reps. Raul Grijalva and David Schweikert led 31 members of Congress in sending a letter Thursday to the president asking him to work with federal agencies to help identify and secure federal resources to assist the Tucson community in creating a permanent memorial. Tucsons January 8th Memorial Foundation has raised about $1.2 million that is being used for the design development of the structure titled The Embrace an interactive metal sculpture with water flowing behind it, through it and over it. The piece expresses a rift, but also bridges the community that experienced the incomprehensible violence of Jan. 8, according to the designers, the Los Angeles-based CSAO, or Chee Salette Architecture Office. The foundation has begun a $4 million campaign to complete the fundraising for the memorial, said Crystal Kasnoff, foundation executive director. We are hopeful to begin construction early next year, Kasnoff said. The construction of the memorial is part of a public and private partnership between the foundation, Pima County and the city of Tucson. The memorial will be placed in downtown El Presidio Park to commemorate the six people killed and 13 wounded in the Jan. 8, 2011, mass shooting at a shopping center on the northwest side. Among the survivors were then U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head. Since the shooting, Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, a Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut, have worked on reforming gun legislation. Grijalva said among federal resources for the memorial may be offers of grants and preservation efforts. The memorial is an important and necessary part of the Tucson communitys healing process, said Grijalva. Schweikert said the memorial is important to Arizona and it pays tribute to the commitment that community always comes first. We are overwhelmed at the support we have seen from our members of Congress, said Kasnoff. The memorial represents our community and our freedom of democracy. When two new members are seated on the South Tucson City Council early next year, they will have a difficult choice before them raise taxes or a make a massive cut in the fiscal year budget. The budget crisis is the result of a proposed increase in South Tucsons rental tax that only existed on paper for a few weeks. There was never a formal vote, as the members of the City Council were unwilling to refer the matter to voters after being confronted by an angry group of residents last month. The proposed 4 percent increase in the renter tax is vital, South Tucson City Manager Veronica Moreno says, to keep the lights on at City Hall. Rita Rogers, a failed write-in candidate for the council in last weeks vote, was at the center of a group fighting the increase. Rogers has ties to the owner of the former Spanish Trail Motel, Dennis Luttrell. Luttrell currently rents out the old hotel rooms in the Spanish Trail as apartments. Rogers who calls Luttrell a friend says she has no financial ties to the property. Rogers sat next to Luttrell and was part of the group of South Tucson landlords and renters coaxed into attending a recent council meeting in which several of them shouted questions and opinions throughout Morenos presentation about Proposition 442. Rogers ran as a write-in candidate to defend the interests of struggling South Tucson residents. Rogers says residents cannot afford another tax increase. About two years ago, the city changed the structure for its occupational fee. It went from charging landlords a $20 fee per property to a quarterly $25 per-unit tax. The proposed increase in the citys sales tax for rental properties is a double tax, Rogers said. She argues that bringing in new businesses can more than make-up for the lost revenue from the proposed tax increase. She told the Star in May that Luttrell is not actively trying to unload the broken-down motel or existing rental apartments on his property. He did, however, try to sell the property a few years ago, she said. Luttrell did not return phone calls seeking comment. Its unclear if South Tucson can afford to wait for new businesses to open in the square-mile city. Facing dwindling sales tax revenue, Moreno tied the fee proposal directly to the citys Police Department. Without new revenue, she said, the council could be forced to defund the department and contract services with the Pima County Sheriffs Department. Over a chorus of boos and murmuring, Moreno told the council the current level of service would fall dramatically. An entry-level police officer costs South Tucson about $76,000 per year, city records indicate. The departments annual budget is slightly more than $1.7 million. Last year, the South Tucson Police Department responded to 9,582 calls for service. Another option, Moreno said, would be to defund two smaller city departments. Projections from the city suggest that had the rental increase been backed by voters, it would have generated roughly $431,000 in new revenue annually. Outgoing Mayor Miguel Rojas said he still believes the tax increase is needed as the city tries to right itself financially. He noted that the fee hasnt changed in 20 years. A landlord himself, Rojas said he continues to support the proposal. Referring the issue to the November ballot, he said, puts the decision in the hands of South Tucson residents. The city also has a projected budget deficit of more than $1 million in the next four years unless the city can increase revenues, officials say. Some of the debt owed to Pima County is for unpaid bills related to the jail as well as the Pima Animal Care Center. The city has already agreed to sell the Sam Lena Library, which is adjacent to City Hall. CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) A New Mexico man shown on a YouTube video getting slammed on asphalt by a Clovis officer during a traffic stop has filed a lawsuit. The Clovis News Journal reports (http://goo.gl/DDz2ly) lawyers for Jorge Corona filed the lawsuit last month in Clovis District Court in connection with the August 2014 traffic stop. According to the video, Officer Brent Aguilar is seen throwing a handcuffed Corona to the ground after Corona told the officer he didn't even ask for his name. Prosecutors declined to pursue charges against Aguilar. Corona is seeking an unspecified amount of damages including medical bills, attorney fees and lost earnings. Clovis City Manager Larry Fry declined to comment on the lawsuit. ___ Information from: Clovis News Journal, http://www.cnjonline.com GO! kids series Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs has been sold to the UK, to screen on kids channel, POP. The Aussie made series from SLR Productions is based on picture books by Author / Illustrator duo Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto. It has also been sold to Chinas JY Animation Inc, Vietnam Content JSC, MediaCorp in Singapore, Portugals Radiotelevisa o Portuguesa (RTP), SVT Sveriges Television AB in Sweden, and CSC Media Group for Africa. Executive Producer and CEO of SLR Productions, Suzanne Ryan said, I am excited for the UK premiere of Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs on POP. The popular kids channel is the perfect home for this piro-dino comedic adventure series as it brings to life the fantastic award winning picture books by Giles Andreae and Russel Ayto. Having launched in Australia on Nines GO! the series will soon premiere in other popular territories confirming the global appeal of pirates, dinosaurs and good old fashioned fun. Packed with pirate talk and swashbuckling fun each episode follows four kids: Flinn, Pearl, Tom and Violet as they set sail on a pirate ship to keep despicable, prehistoric, pirate dinosaur baddies Captain T Rex, Stig the stegosaurus, Dippy the diplodocus, Tricky the triceratops and Terry the pterodactyl from cowardly wrong-doings across the Seven-and-a-half Seas. These four seafarers boldly go where no young ones have gone before in silly pirate adventures full of magic, singing, curses and superstitions but only very silly ones. The series has previously won the Gold Pixie Award at the 7th Annual Pixie Awards and Best TV Pilot and the Arlecchino Award at the Cartoons On The Bay Pulcinella Awards, International Television and Cross Media Animation Festival held in Italy. The SLR Productions team behind the series included Executive Producer Suzanne Ryan, Producer Yasmin Jones, Creative Director Jo Boag and Script Producer Melanie Alexander with Paul Cummins as Executive Producer and Cathy Ni Fhlaithearta as producer on behalf of Telegael. The series was directed by Greg Ingram at SLR Productions. Help India! Shimla : Banks and commercial establishments were closed across Himachal Pradesh on Friday after trade unions of central government employees joined the nationwide strike to protest violation of labour laws and privatisation. Most of the private hotels and hydropower projects, banks and government insurance companies, as well as the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) were badly hit as their employees went on a day-long strike. Support TwoCircles State-run Himachal Road Transport Corporation, however, did not participate in the shutdown. State electricity board employees joined the protest but they were not observing strike, a government official said. Also, there was no impact on air, rail and road traffic in the state. State president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Jagat Ram told IANS: There is a complete shutdown in private hotels, hydropower projects and central departments like the Central Board of Excise and Customs. CITU is affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist. No violence was reported across the state, a senior police officer said. Help India! By Shafeeq Hudawi, Twocircles.net As a student from the Mavilan Tribe in Kerala, Binesh Balan knew that studying, and achieving his dreams, was never going to be easy. Given that his father toiled hard as a coolie, Balan knew that even if he faced hurdles in life, he could not give up on his dreams. Support TwoCircles But growing up, Balan, a resident of Kasargod, realised that studies were just a small part of his struggle: challenging casteism, and the discrimination he faced for being an Adivasi, would be far bigger fight. But now, as he gets ready to join the prestigious London School of Economics in 2017, the 24-year-old has become a role model for his community, and the marginalised communities of South India. It is of course, not a surprise that Bineshs role model is Babasaheb Ambedkar. I have been inspired by Babasaheb, who studied in foreign universities. Like most Dalits and Adivasis, Ambedkar is my hero too, he says.He is one of the 20 students from the country selected to LSE through National Overseas Scholarship Of Government of india. Growing up in Kasargod, Balan, who claims to be the first Adivasi student from South India to join LSE, knew that he wanted to pursue computer studies. Unfortunately, poverty impeded his passion to join BSc in Network Engineering in a private institution in Bangalore after his higher secondary education. So, in 2009 he decided to instead pursue graduation in Development Economics, following which he joined MBA in the Institute of Management in Kerala University campus in Thiruvananthapuram in 2012. During his college days, he was humiliated by casteist slurs, and says he was not the only one. The college staff would say, you get huge amount of money (scholarships). What are you doing with it?, he says. This showed that every student who availed scholarship was looked down upon by upper caste people, he adds. However, Balan never lost sight of his goal: during his days in the institute, he was engaged in research and one of his papers about a traditional healing method to treat drug addiction was published in Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Interest in research attracted him towards human subjects, and he decided that Anthropology was his calling. Towards this end, he started looking at various universities abroad for further studies, but even he did not expect the kind of discrimination that was to follow. I decided that University of Sussex would be the place I wanted to study, and I was selected for the Anthropology course too, says Balan, But I needed a lot of money which was impossible without help from the state government and that is where I realised the true extent of discrimination that Adivasi students in Kerala had to face if they wanted to pursue academics, he adds. I needed Rs 36 lakh towards travelling expenses and admission proceedings including security bank deposit. I was left with no option but to approach the government. I approached the Government Principal Secretary seeking assistance. It could be easily repaid as I was offered a scholarship from the university, says Balan. However, despite the amount sanctioned, his file remained caught in red tapism for almost a year. Whenever he approached the secretariat querying status of the application, was subjected to mental torture from officials. I was confronted with harsh questions like How can an Adivasi student like you repay the amount? Binesh adds. Officials also told him that they couldnt allow more than Rs 5 lakh to an Adivasi student. If this wasnt discrimination, what is? asks Balan. When I pointed out that a student belonging to ST category was given Rs. 20 lakh for higher studies, they humiliated me saying he was influential and you are powerless, Binesh points out. Later, he came to know that he was son of a government official. And finally, they closed his file after six months citing the government was unable to allow me such a huge amount. So, his life-long dream had turned into dust due to bureaucratic apathy. Unbearable torturing, harassment, racial abuse and endless sufferings, Balan contemplated suicide, but thankfully dropped the idea. If I fail, my community fails and if I stand my community stands and lives. I was stern that I would continue to fight, he says. He managed to approach the then CPI MLA A Sunil Kumar. The ministers came to Balans rescue and gave strict orders to reopen the file. But the officials continued to harass him, asking him to submit offer letter from the university along with other documents within two days. See how this bureaucracy is interested in denying the opportunity to a poor student, he points out. I felt like they were asking me to go and buy some fish from a market. But, the officials had no voice in front of the ministers stand, he adds. And although he had to drop the idea of joining University of Sussex, luck smiled on him and he was selected at LSE for MSC in Social Anthropology. Now, Balan wants to ensure that he uses this opportunity to stand up for the voiceless. Politicians, and public too, to some extent, often boast about the better standards that Kerala for Dalits and Adivasis. But its still lagging far behind the developed societies while it comes to eliminating social discrimination, he says, but points happily that even the new Minister for Tribal Welfare, A K Balan, has assured him of all assistance. Related: TCN Positive page Help India! By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net Srinagar: Two months after banning mobile internet in Kashmir, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir is once again in limelight for all the wrong reasons. Support TwoCircles The government has asked local cable TV operators in the Valley to stop broadcasting five news channels in Kashmir as the government alleges them of transmitting various programmes which has created law and order problem in the Valley in general and Srinagar in particular. The government had earlier tried to gag media in the state, banning telecast of local cable and seizing printed copies of various local newspapers. Gulistan TV, Munsiff TV, KBC, Insaaf TV and JKChannel are the news channels on whom a ban has been sought by the govt. These cable operators transmit programmes which promote hatred, ill-will, disharmony and a feeling of enmity against the sovereignty of State, reads the order issued by District Magistrate Srinagar. DM Srinagar issued notices through SSP Srinagar to SEN Digital Network, JK Media Network Service and Take One Media asking them to block the news channels. Some of the channels transmitted by the cable operators viz: KBC, Gulistan TV, Munsiff TV, JK Channel and Insaaf TV have started to telecast programmes which have potential of causing mental and physical harm to particular functionaries of Government. Besides, these programmes have caused feeling of prejudice to the maintenance of harmony and public peace, reads the order. Whereas, Cable Television Network (Regulation Act, 1995) provides a mechanism to regulate the operation of television network and in order to prevent the breach of peace and to stop incitement and instigation of the public to cause mental and physical threat to particular functionaries of the Government. The latest move of the state government has ensued backlash by the operators of the banned channels, who claim that all satellite channels dont come under the purview of Cable Television Networks Regulation Act 1995. Cable Television Networks act of 1995 was meant to regulate the haphazard mushrooming of cable television networks. Due to the lack of licensing mechanism for cable operators; this resulted in large number of cable operators, broadcasting programmes without any regulation. The Act aimed at regulating content and operation of cable networks. This was due to the availability of signals from foreign television networks via satellite communication. Aristolochia species used in the practice of traditional herbal medicine contain aristolochic acid (AA), an established human carcinogen contributing to urothelial carcinomas of the upper urinary tract. AA binds covalently to genomic DNA, forming aristolactam (AL)-DNA adducts. We here investigated whether AA is also an etiologic factor in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We conducted a population-based case-control study to investigate the linkage between Aristolochia prescription history, cumulative AA consumption, and ccRCC incidence in Taiwan (5,709 cases and 22,836 matched controls). The presence and level of mutagenic dA-AL-I adducts were determined in the kidney DNA of 51 Taiwanese ccRCC patients. The whole exome sequences of ccRCC tumors from ten Taiwanese ccRCC pateints with prior exposure to AA were determined. Cumulative ingestion of more than 250 milligrams of AA increased risk of ccRCC (OR 1.25) and we detected dA-AL-I adducts in 76% of Taiwanese ccRCC patients. Further, the distinctive AA-mutational signature was evident in six of ten sequenced ccRCC exomes from Taiwanese patients. This study strongly suggests that AA contributes to the etiology of certain renal cell carcinomas. The present study offers compelling evidence implicating AA in a significant fraction of the RCC arising in Taiwan and illustrates the power of integrating epidemiological, molecular and genetic data in the investigation of cancer etiology. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology. 2016 Aug 23 [Epub ahead of print] Margaret L Hoang, Chung-Hsin Chen, Pau-Chung Chen, Nicholas J Roberts, Kathleen G Dickman, Byeong Hwa Yun, Robert J Turesky, Yeong-Shiau Pu, Bert Vogelstein, Nickolas Papadopoulos, Arthur P Grollman, Kenneth W Kinzler, Thomas Rosenquist Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center., Department of Urology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine., Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University., 1Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center., Departments of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University., Masonic Cancer Center and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota., Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University . PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27555084 The latest Prison Break news doing the rounds is that Wentworth Miller, who plays Michael Scofield in Prison Break, is no longer worried about an infamous, fat-shaming meme, released by The LAD Bible back in March this year. The meme compared an image of Wentworth in his role as Michael, complete with tattoos, as compared with a photo of the actor, looking very overweight, and reportedly taken in 2010. The meme, which was deleted soon after being posted, bore the caption, When you break out of prison and find out about McDonalds monopoly. As reported by Gamenguide, Wentworth headed to his Facebook page to comment on the fat-shaming meme, saying that he had just found himself the subject of an Internet meme, but that this wasnt the first time. However, he did say the latest one stood out from the rest. With season 4 ofPrison Break ending in 2009, Miller was semi-retired from acting and was keeping a low profile. The LAD Bible has apologised to Wentworth Miller over fat shaming meme https://t.co/uInXcbxtMi pic.twitter.com/8qqSoBzouJ TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) March 29, 2016 Miller admitted that, first and foremost, he was suicidal at the time, which is something he has since written about, but at the time, he suffered in silence. Wentworth added that he was at the lowest point of his adult life in 2010 and was looking everywhere to find relief or comfort. While he said it could have been anything alcohol, drugs or sex he turned to food and eating became something that he could finally look forward to. Wentworth Miller is back in full form for Prison Break season 5 According to CSN, while The LAD Bible removed the meme and apologized to the actor for it, Miller, 44, has finally put it all in his past, and he said at the San Diego Comic Con how happy and proud he is to be part of the upcoming Prison Break season 5 cast. He even hinted that it might go further than just a fifth season. Miller received a Golden Globe Award nomination for best actor for his role in Prison Break season 4, which ended with a two-part finale back in May 2009. He came back to the public eye in 2013, as a screenwriter for the thriller film Stoker and in 2015, Wentworth was back on the small screen in the role of Captain Cold in The Flash. Prison Break returns in Spring 2017 Season 5 of the popular show Prison Break is slated by Fox to begin at some time in the Spring of 2017 and in the meanwhile fans can enjoy the trailer, included below. Special gift from Canada's Trudeau to Premier Li Updated: 2016-09-01 19:07 By HU YONGQI(chinadaily.com.cn) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presents a memorial medal of Norman Bethune to Premier Li Keqiang on Aug 30, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] A memorial medal, made 43 years ago honoring the work of an inspirational doctor, was presented to Premier Li Keqiang by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when they met in the Forbidden City on Tuesday. "I am honored to present Premier Li Keqiang a memorial medal of Norman Bethune, which was made in 1973 during my father's visit to China," Trudeau said on WeChat. The Canadian physician Bethune was well-known and widely respected in China. He has been seen as symbolizing friendship between the two countries for treating wounded Chinese soldiers and sick villagers against Japanese invaders during World War II. Trudeau is on an eight-day visit to China, including three and a half days in Beijing. He will also go to Shanghai and Hong Kong and will attend the G20 summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. In 1973, his father Pierre Trudeau was the first Canadian prime minister to visit Beijing, three years after the establishment of diplomatic ties. He also visited the Forbidden City. Pierre Trudeau made 50 medals of Norman Bethune and presented two of them to Chairman Mao Zedong and former Premier Zhou Enlai. Trudeau also posted pictures of his trip to Beijing, including meeting with entrepreneurs and the moment when he presented the medal. Beijing calls for family leave to show filial piety Updated: 2016-09-01 15:29 By Ma Chi(chinadaily.com.cn) An elderly woman walks in a residential community in Beijing. [Photo/IC] A new plan calls for employers in Beijing to give staff more time off to show filial piety to their elderly relatives as the government aims to build a senior-friendly city. This is the first time that the capital has proposed such leave, reported Beijing News on Wednesday. According to a plan passed by Beijing policymakers recently on improving seniors' lives in the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), employers of the city are encouraged to grant staff vacation to visit their elderly family members on their birthdays or on Chongyang Festival, a festival for senior citizens, or when their senior relatives are in need of rehabilitative service or terminal care. The plan did not specify how to calculate the salary during the leave or how the leave be used. The idea of family leave to see a spouse or parents living in other places has been put forward in China for decades, but due to various reasons, it is seldom used. According to a regulation issued by the State Council in 1981, employees of government departments or public institutions are entitled to a 24-day family leave every four years if they do not live in the same place with their spouse or parents. A survey conducted by the Beijing News shows that among 20 respondents working at government departments or public institutions, only five have taken family leave, with eight having never heard of the policy. The report said that income is a major reason why few take advantage of the family leave. According to the 1981 regulation, an employee who takes the family leave can still receive their basic wage, but their performance pay will be affected. According to statistics published by the National Health and Family Planning Commission in 2015, half the senior population in China, or more than 100 million people, are empty nesters, that is, people aged 60 or older whose children have left home. As the country is facing increasing difficulty in caring for its aging population, it becomes an urgent task to carry out the family leave policy, Feng Xiliang with the School of Labor Economics in Capital University of Economics and Business told Beijing News. Previously, the country had written "visiting parents" in its law books. At the end of 2012, China's national legislature amended its law on elderly to require that adult children should visit their aging parents "often", or risk being sued by their parents. G20 chair and globalization's future Updated: 2016-09-02 07:25 By Gregory Chin and Hugo Dobson(China Daily) China's role in the G20 has greatly evolved since the global financial crisis broke out in 2008. After watching other economies take the G20 chair for five years, China made its bid in 2014 and was chosen to host the G20 Leaders Summit in 2016. But has the G20 chair come to China too late for the globalization agenda? Back in autumn 2008, when the global financial system was in freefall, China stepped in to play an important role, together, with the other leading economies at the then new G20 Leaders Summit in Washington in November 2008, and at the next summit in London in April 2009. But despite China's efforts to stabilize the world economy, the traditional powers did not offer to share the global responsibilities with it. China coordinated with other leading economies to send the right signals to the global financial markets. But as soon as a sense of order was restored in 2009, the world's leading powers reverted to their previous positions. The G7 countries attempted to restore their global influence at the apex of the global system, although China abjured from taking the G20 leadership at that time. Instead China directed its diplomacy to creating a new grouping, BRIC (Brazil, Russia, Indian and China) which became BRICS when South Africa joined it in 2011. China also turned its diplomatic attention to shoring up some regional cooperation mechanisms within Asia, as part of the ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) grouping. It was not until the G20 Summit in Seoul in November 2010 that the dominant pattern of G7/8 nations hosting the G20 process was put on hold. Throughout this period, China watched as other countries rushed to host the G20 Summit. Until recently, Chinese officials saw the G20 as little more than an ad hoc, informal, though useful, platform for global economic crisis management. The G20, in the meantime, struggled to show its added-value after the initial summits. China as the G20 Summit host this year seeks to create new sources of growth for the global economy, ward off growing protectionism in key economies, and upgrade the G20 itself as a platform for global governance. China to buy $1.8 billion of US soybeans Updated: 2016-09-02 12:13 By Paul Welitzkin in New York(China Daily USA) Customers in China have agreed to buy nearly $1.8 billion worth of soybeans from the US, totaling 146 million bushels. The US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) made the announcement this week, and said the commitment was made at the organization's Global Trade Exchange in Indianapolis. "China has a preference for US soybeans because of its consistency and quality," said Xiaoping Zhang, China country director for the council in an interview Thursday. "China first started importing soybeans from the US in 1995 with 140,000 metric tons. By 2015 US soybean exports to China totaled about 30 million metric tons." Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota are among the top soybean producing US states. China was a net exporter of soybeans until it began importing large volumes of soybeans and products in the mid-1990s, said Fred Gale, an agricultural economist at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). "Now soybeans sold to China are the largest US agricultural export as their value rose from about $400,000 annually during 1996-97 to as high as $14.5 billion in 2014. Last year the value fell to $10.5 billion due to declining prices and China's shift toward exports from Brazil," Gale said. Other countries that supply soybeans and soy products to China include Argentina and Canada, said Zhang. Soybeans originated in Southeast Asia and were first domesticated by Chinese farmers around 1100 BC. "China produces about 12 million metric tons of soybeans," noted Zhang. China's soybean production has been stagnant or declining at about 12 million metric tons, Gale said. "Chinese farmers prefer to grow more profitable crops like corn and rice," he added. China's domestic soybeans are used mainly for two purposes, according to Gale. "Non-GMO (genetically modified organism) soybean oil and food products like tofu and soybean milk. Imported soybeans supply most of China's cooking oil and the protein in animal feed. Most of China's imported soybeans are genetically modified while China does not allow GMO soybeans to be produced domestically," he said. Last year, US soybean farmers exported a record 62.88 million metric tons of soy and soy products, valued at $27.7 billion, a record high, according to the USSEC. Economists are predicting even more for 2016. paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com Silicon Valley and Shanghai get direct air link thanks to Air China Updated: 2016-09-02 12:13 By Lia Zhu in San Francisco(China Daily USA) A new direct flight between San Jose, California, and Shanghai launched on Thursday, linking Silicon Valley and the most populous city and financial hub in China. The new service will be operated by Air China three times a week, using an Airbus A330-200 with a two-cabin, 237-seat configuration, including 30 fully flat bed seats in business class and 207 economy seats. The new route marks the first ever nonstop service between the two cities and the carrier's first destination in North America from Shanghai. Kim Becker (second from left, back row), director of aviation at Mineta San Jose International Airport; Luo Linquan (third from left), Chinese consul general in San Francisco; Sam Liccardo (fourth from left), mayor of San Jose; and Cao Jianxiong (fifth from left), vice-chairman of Air China; celebrate the launch of the airline's new direct service between San Jose and Shanghai on Thursday at San Jose airport. Lia Zhu / China Daily The flights will depart Shanghai at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and arrive in San Jose at 10:40 am the same day. The return flights will depart San Jose at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and arrive at Shanghai at 4:40 pm the same day. Flying times will be 12.5 hours on average. "As Air China's first nonstop international service that connects North America and Shanghai, it is our hope that this new San Jose-Shanghai flight will facilitate bilateral trade, and economic and cultural relations between two of the world's most vibrant and dynamic cities," said Cao Jianxiong, vice-chairman of Air China. The demand is strong from business communities in Silicon Valley to connect with Shanghai, according to Kim Becker, director of aviation at Mineta San Jose International Airport (SCJ). Shanghai ranked in the top five most requested international business destinations by Silicon Valley travelers in a corporate survey conducted by SJC's community partners, she said. The airport anticipates 140,000 passengers annually, including more than 200,000 Silicon Valley residents with Chinese roots and big companies with more than 150 locations in Shanghai, such as Google, Apple, Intel and Cisco, said Becker. The new service is expected to bring an estimated $65 million annually in economic investment to the San Jose area, she added. Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose, said Air China and the city began working to bring about the service five years ago and he was glad they "finally tied the knot". More than 13,000 people are flying across the Pacific each day and there are more than 50 nonstop flights between China and the US. "San Jose is the heart of Silicon Valley, the world innovation center and the largest city in the Bay Area," said Luo Linquan, Chinese consul general in San Francisco. "The city is attracting more and more Chinese investment. Shanghai, China's key economic and financial center, is also an important science and technology hub." "The new nonstop flight service between the two cities will be a more convenient and efficient air bridge, which will connect the two sides more closely, especially in technology and innovation cooperation," he said. San Jose is Air China's 10th gateway in the Americas along with Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Newark, Washington Dulles, Houston, Honolulu, Vancouver and Montreal. liazhu@chinadailyusa.com Xi: Laos' attendance at G20 is of great significance Updated: 2016-09-02 20:44 By Zhang Yunbi in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province(chinadaily.com.cn) President Xi Jinping said Laos' participation in the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou with its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is of great significance. Xi made the remarks when meeting with visiting Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith on Wednesday in Hangzhou of Eastern China's Zhejiang province. "We are ready to work with parties including Laos to push for positive outcomes yielded at the summit," Xi said. Both countries should boost high-level exchanges and deepen strategic communication, and they should jointly promote the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Strengthened cooperation is expected in fields such as infrastructure, energy development and economic cooperation parks, Xi said. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-Laos diplomatic relations, and Xi said the two sides are expected to reinforce cooperation regarding fields such as education, culture, tourism and law enforcement. The Laotian President said he appreciates China's inviting Laos to attend the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, and he speaks highly of China's making development an important topic on the summit agenda as well as China's efforts in steering the summit to achieve positive outcomes. Currently, the Laos-China comprehensive strategic partnership is developing rapidly, the high-level mutual visits are frequent, cooperation in various fields are moving forward and bringing tangible benefits to people of both countries, he said. Laos will continue supporting China's playing an important role in international and regional affairs and is ready to embark on close communication and coordination with China, he added. Goings On( San Francisco) Updated: 2016-09-02 12:40 (China Daily USA) Competition rules - Santa Clara, Ca Wang Junming (fifth from left), tech and science consul at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, attends a news conference with organizers of the UCAHP North American Startup Contest to announce that the annual competition officially started on Aug 29. In its 7th year, the contest has received more than 2,500 applications from the US and Canada. Chang Jun / China Daily Getting ready - Newark, Ca He Konghua (front, fifth from left), chairwoman of Silicon Valley People's Republic of China Celebration Committee,and others discuss details the coming celebrations of the 67th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China on Aug 26 in Newark, California. Lia Zhu / China Daily Block party - Oakland, Ca The 29th annual Oakland Chinatown Street Fest, presented by the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce,attracts hundreds of people from the Bay Area on Sunday in Oakland. Zhizhi Cen / China Daily Coastal festival - San Francisco Luo Linquan, the Chinese consul general in San Francisco, kicks off the third Across the Pacific Chinese Art Festival on Aug 25 in San Francisco. The month-long festival features 12 cultural events throughout the west coast showcasing Chinese arts. Congjiang Wang / For China Daily Goings On(Houston) Updated: 2016-09-02 12:40 (China Daily USA) Taking stock - Houston Li Shaolin, president of the Houston Chapter of the China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC)-USA, reviews the organization's achievements over the past year and the outlook for the future at its annual conference on Aug 25 in Houston. Executives from more than 40 Chinese corporations in the southern states attended, along with Consul General Li Qiangmin and the national president of CGCC Xu Chen.Li promised to provide more services to members in the coming year, adding that the organization now consisted of 59 corporate members. May Zhou / China Daily Gathering - Houston Executives of more than 40 Chinese companies and VIP guests gather for a group photo at the annual conference of the Houston chapter of the China General Chamber of Commerce. May Zhou / China Daily Back on dry land - Houston Boat crews, organized by the Houston Chinese Alliance and Asian Network of Gun Owners, gather for a celebration after participating in a race in Houston on Aug 27. Provided To China Daily Shakedown cruise - Houston, Tx One of the two boat teams competes in the boat race. Both teams will participate in the upcoming Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta in Oct. Provided To China Daily 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. HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue on behalf of the Government asked for tighter supervision of equitising State utility companies and firms wholly owned by State economic groups, under a dispatch issued on Tuesday. Such State-owned enterprises (SOEs), whose equitisation plans have not been approved by the authorities, must have their corporate evaluation results audited by the State Audit Office of Viet Nam. For companies with more than VN5 trillion (US$222.2 million) in equity, the audit must be implemented in accordance with Decree No 59/2011/N-CP dated July 18, 2011 on changing SOEs into joint stock firms, and Decree No 189/2013/N-CP dated November 20, 2013 supplementing the former. For other firms that are not differentiated in sizes of equity, the audit is to conform to the Law on State Audit. Hue also asked the Ministry of Finance to suggest pilot cases where foreign auditing companies were hired to evaluate domestic enterprises, with evaluation results used for share offers in the international market, by September 15. The audit is needed to boost transparency and prevent corruption and misspending in the equitisation of SOEs, he said. News website ndh.vn reported citing Government schemes that 514 SOEs were to be ready for equitisation during 2011-15. As many as 478 firms, or 93 per cent of the SOEs, already had equitisation plans as of the end of last year. According to the website, embarrassment still occurred in the evaluation of some major firms, and telecommunications operator MobiFone was one of them. MobiFone was listed among the companies to be equitised over 10 years ago, but only last April did the Ministry of Information and Communications submit a plan to evaluate the company to the Government. The Government has not yet decided on an official plan to equitise MobiFone, while Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reportedly asked for an inspection of MobiFone buying 95 per cent of MobiTV, formerly known as Audio Visual Global JSC. Earlier this month, the State audit office reportedly suggested that financial investments should be reviewed at Ben Thanh Group, a HCM City-based firm dealing in tourism, trading, real estate and industrial production, before this company was equitised. The office also recommended the finance ministry to direct the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) to revalue lands and assets of the Southern Waterborne Transport Corporation. This was needed to avoid losses of State capital while the SCIC was divesting from the transport company. During a Government meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also asked ministries, the SCIC and relevant agencies to act against corruption in the SOE equitisation process. Divestments Phuc was chairing a discussion on State divestments from Sai Gon Beer Alcohol Beverage JSC and Ha Noi Beer Alcohol Beverage JSC, as well as capital withdrawal of SCIC from 10 other giants. Among the 10 were Bao Minh Insurance Corporation, FPT Telecom, Viet Nam Infrastructure Investment & Development JSC, Ha Giang Mineral Mechanics JSC, and Viet Nam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk). The remaining five were Viet Nam National Reinsurance Corporation, Tien Phong Plastic JSC, Binh Minh Plastic JSC, Sa Giang Import Export Corporation and technology group FPT. The divestments must be performed in a transparent manner following market rules, Phuc said. The sale of State stakes in these SOEs is good news to the market. The SCIC and the Ministry of Industry and Trade need to soon inform people with detailed information and roadmaps, Nguyen Hoang Hai, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Association of Financial Investors told Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper. Industry insiders said the Government could gain up to VN150 trillion, or $7 billion, if State stakes were withdrawn from all these firms. The estimation was based on share prices of the firms in the market, and the prices that some partners have offered to buy into some of them. Tran Hoang Ngan, a member of the National Assemblys Economic Committee, told Tuoi tre One thing needed for speeding up State divestments from businesses is to handle privileged groups. The divestments must be public and monitored by the market. A source from SCIC reportedly said that the company was scrutinising capital withdrawal schemes, because too rapid a withdrawal might cause share prices to slump. The company planned to divest from Sa Giang and FPT Group this year, the source said. Phuc said measures to preserve national trade names such as Sai Gon Beer, Ha Noi Beer and Vinamilk were needed, as State stakes would be offered to both domestic and foreign investors in a competitive manner. VNS The Department of Industry and Trade in southern Binh Thuan Province has been asked to investigate whether Chinese entrepreneurs were manipulating the dragon fruit market in the province. Photo thanhnien.vn HA NOI The Department of Industry and Trade in southern Binh Thuan Province has been asked to investigate whether Chinese entrepreneurs were manipulating the dragon fruit market in the province. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has said that reports in a few local newspapers about some dragon fruit farms in Binh Thuan suffering from plunging prices because growers had been forced by traders to sell at lower prices were not completely true. It had also been reported that the lowest quality of dragon fruit was purchased by traders for prices between VN200 and VN300 per kg at the farms. According to the Binh Thuans departments of Finance and Taxation, the price for the best quality dragon fruit ranged between VN15,000 (US$0.67) and VN18,000 per kg and the price for good fruit ranged between VN6,000 and VN8,000 per kg. Meanwhile, the lowest quality fruit fetched between VN1,000 and VN3,000 per kg. The ministry said dragon fruit growers had been reporting a booming crop in the last few months with productivity between 200,000 tonnes and 300,000 tonnes. However, they also discovered dragon fruits with fungal and bacterial diseases. Many diseases were caused by bad farm management. Therefore, both Vietnamese and Chinese traders only wanted to buy good quality products with prices between VN8,000 and VN10,000 per kg, while poor quality and diseased products were sold at prices ranging from VN1,000 to VN2,000 per kg at farms. To solve this problem, the ministry has asked the provincial Department of Industry and Trade to enhance the control of dragon fruit trading activities in the province. In addition, the department was asked to conduct business connectivity programmes and expand the market for fruit consumption. The ministry will also organise a conference to connect Binh Thuan farms with traders in the country and importers from China. The ministry will provide information about trading and price of this fruit via mass media to help growers sell their products. Meanwhile, local authorities fined some Chinese nationals for illegally purchasing locally-grown dragon fruit to ship back to their homeland. Previously, police in Binh Thuan identified 28 Chinese nationals who had entered Viet Nam on tourist visas to trade in dragon fruit. The local Peoples Committee has issued fines worth VN235 million (nearly $11,000) for trading in Viet Nam without permission and confiscated 12 tonnes of dragon fruit. Police officials also reduced the stay in Viet Nam of those being fined for first time and proposed to the Ministry of Public Securitys Viet Nam Immigration Department that repeated offenders be banned in Viet Nam for a certain period of time. Many major wholesalers who trade in dragon fruit are located in the districts of Ham Thuan Nam and Ham Thuan Bac. They are owned and operated by Vietnamese residents, but backed by Chinese nationals behind the scenes. Binh Thuan is home to Viet Nams biggest dragon fruit plantation spread over 22,000 hectares. VNS NHA TRANG Hong Kong budget airline HK Express is set to launch direct flights to Nha Trang in November. Known for its majestic skyscrapers, Cantonese cuisine and sunny islands, Hong Kong has long been a favourite holiday destination for Vietnamese travellers. HK Express is fortunate to have easy access to some of the regions hottest destinations, Andrew Cowen, director and CEO of the carrier, said. Were always listening to our guests and adding new routes to suit their dream vacations, and we predict that Hong Kongs action-packed atmosphere will be a crowd-pleaser. Fares for the new twice-weekly service - on Wednesdays and Sundays - starts from HK$98 (US$12.5). VNS HCM CITY ZeroStation of HCM City this week launched a new project called In/VISIBLE (AIS) Station that brings together 45 Asian artists and curators in the region. The artists works will be displayed in Viet Nam, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. Seminars, forums and talks about contemporary art will also be featured. AIS is co-sponsored by the Chiang Mai Art Conversation in Thailand and the Japan Foundation Asia Centre, established in 2014 to carry out mutual exchange programmes in Asia. The project will take place at studios and galleries in the region, such as New Zero Space in Myanmar, 3331 Arts Chiyoda in Japan and Post-Museum in Singapore. Nguyen Nhu Huy, visual artist, poet, songwriter and independent curator of ZeroStation, said the name In/VISIBLE means visibility that takes place through action. We want to support young artists, particularly Vietnamese, and introduce them to the world, said Huy, who is AISs chief curator for the 2016-17 term. ZeroStation helps to connect the vision, thinking and knowledge of participating artists with local audiences through a more interactive approach, he added. Born in 1971, Huy is among Viet Nams most popular contemporary artists. He collected as well as wrote essays in the book Tieu Luan Ve Nghe Thuat Viet Nam Hien ai va uong ai (Essays on Modern and Contemporary Vietnamese Art), which focuses on art during the 1945-1990 period. The book was published in English and Vietnamese by the Singapore Art Museum in 2010. In 2012, he wrote Video Art in Viet Nam - A Brief Report, which was included in the writing collection Video. It is stored at the Pompidou Museum in France and the Singapore Art Museum. He has exhibited at home and abroad, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, France, Sweden and the US, and was invited to talk at the Alternative Route: Art and Cultural Exchange in Asia, an international seminar on art in Yokohama, Japan, in 2013. ZeroStation is working with photographer Phan Quang, performance artist Luu Thi Hoai Trang, visual mapping artist Le Thanh Tung, video artist Nguyen uc Tu and filmmaker Truong Minh Quy. VNS HA NOI A South Korean traditional cultural festival will take place at the Viet Nam Art Culture Centre on September 3. The event will offer festival goers a wide range of activities, such as an opportunity to wear the Korean traditional dress Hanbok , culinary events, folklore games and photo exhibitions. There will be a booth where visitors can get their photographs clicked in the Hanbok dress. People will also get a chance to see and taste various Korean dishes, which will be served at Korean restaurants in Ha Noi. Korean craft will be demonstrated at the event and visitors will be invited to join in making the craft products. The most skilful participants will be presented with a gift. During the event, photo exhibitions will be held introducing traditional and contemporary Korean culture, such as the folk song Arirang, K-pop, K-drama and K-food. Some 13 traditional artists from Chuncheon City will perform at the festival. A one-hour repertoire, including a traditional and an Arirang fusion performance, will be the highlight of the event. I hope the festival will be an interesting destination for locals to visit during the national holidays, Lee Dae-joong, director of the centre in Ha Noi, said. VNS LOS ANGELES Action movie star Jackie Chan is due to receive an honorary Oscar, the Academy said Thursday, to recognise a glittering career that has seen him become a cultural icon. The 62-year-old martial artist, known for his comic timing and acrobatic fighting style, has appeared in more than 150 movies since becoming a child actor in his native Hong Kong in the 1960s. Film editor Anne Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman will also be awarded Oscar statuettes at the Academys 8th Annual Governors Awards in November. "The honorary award was created for artists like Jackie Chan, Anne Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman true pioneers and legends in their crafts," said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs. Chans Hollywood breakthrough came with Rumble in the Bronx in 1996, and he has gone on to be become a global star through the Rush Hour movies, Shanghai Noon, The Karate Kid and the Kung Fu Panda series of animated films. Coates, who is 90 and lives in England, won an Oscar for her work on David Leans Lawrence of Arabia and in more than 60 years as a film editor has collaborated with some of the industrys most acclaimed directors. Stalmaster, 88, a one-time stage and screen actor from Omaha, Nebraska, began working in casting in the mid-1950s and has signed up talent for more than 200 films, including The Graduate, Deliverance and Tootsie. Wiseman, 86, has made a film almost every year since 1967, starting with the Titicut Follies, which went behind the scenes at Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane. The Governors Awards were created as a separate event in 2009 to allow more space for the honorees to accept their statuettes and to declutter the main shows packed schedule. Previous winners of honorary Oscars include Lauren Bacall, Francis Ford Coppola, Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie and Spike Lee. AFP HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc today attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kim Quy cultural, tourism and amusement park in Vinh Ngoc Commune, Ha Nois suburban district of ong Anh. The US$209 million park features both the traditional culture of Ha Noi and the modern design of Universal Studios and Disneyland. Addressing the event, the Prime Minister said the project is expected to become a highlight of the citys tourism and an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists in the future, contributing to making tourism a spearhead sector of the city. He expressed the hope that the first phase of the project would be completed as per schedule in 18 months, ensuring international standards in quality. He also asked investors to support locals who had to move out to provide space for the project. The project is part of Ha Nois plan to build 25 new parks, 3 to 5 of which meet international and regional standards, and plant one million trees until 2030. Covering more than 100 hectares, the project has an initial investment of VN4.6 trillion (US$209 million) by Sun Group. Designed by ITEC Group from the United States, the Kim Quy (Golden Turtle) Park is inspired by the story of the Co Loa spiral-shaped citadel (located in ong Anh District of Ha Noi now) which was built by King An Duong Vuong in the third century BC with the help of the legendary Golden Turtle God. Most of the park will be covered by trees and lakes, making space for visitors to enjoy nature. Together with modern games and applying world cutting edge of technology, the park also comprises an art enclave and a Kim Quy cultural village to host large-scale art shows. VNS HA NOI Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins an official two-day visit to Viet Nam today at the invitation of Viet Nams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. His visit is the first official visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Viet Nam in 15 years. The visit will help further strengthen and expand our traditionally close and friendly ties marked by deep trust and mutual understanding, Parvathaneni Harish, Indian Ambassador to Viet Nam, said in a press conference prior to the visit. During his stay, Modi will hold talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and visit Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran ai Quang, and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. The Indian Prime Minister will also visit Quan Su Pagoda in Ha Noi at the invitation of the Viet Nams Buddhist Sangha. Buddism, which came to Viet Nam from India about 2,000 years ago, has played an important role in links between the two countries, the Indian Ambassador said. Viet Nams Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh also said Modis visit holds significant importance to bilateral ties. Thanh said Viet Nam and India have shared a long-standing relationship from trade and religious exchanges and benefited from the personal relationship between late President Ho Chi Minh and Indian PM Jawaharlan Nehru. The two nations have supported each other during their respective struggles for national liberation as well as socio-economic development, he said. He said that the strategic partnership has seen robust development in the past decade, with political trust reinforced by regular visits of senior leaders, including the visits to India by former President Truong Tan Sang in 2011, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2013 and former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2014, and the visit to Viet Nam by Indian President Pranab Mukharjee in 2014. Bilateral co-operation mechanisms, including the Viet Nam India Joint Commission, the political consultation and strategic dialogue between the two foreign ministries, and defence dialogues, have proved efficient in boosting ties between the two countries, he said. Thanh expressed his belief in the bright prospects for the Viet Nam-India strategic partnership, based on a strong foundation as well as similarities in strategic interests, political trust and high economic potential. VNS HA NOI French President Francois Hollande is to pay a State visit to Viet Nam September 5-7 at the invitation of President Tran ai Quang, according to the Foreign Ministrys statement released yesterday. During President Hollandes visit, the two countries will review their co-operation and seek further political ties and delegation exchanges. They will also look to improve the efficiency of bilateral co-operation and accelerate joint economic projects, especially in infrastructure, climate change adaptation, science-technology, health and agriculture. Both nations will sign a number of new co-operation agreements in politics, economy, science-technology, agriculture and judicial affairs, as well as discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern. Viet Nam and France have spared no efforts to enhance ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in April 1973, two years before the end of the American war in Viet Nam. France has been one of Viet Nams most important partners in Europe over the past 40 years and was one of the first foreign countries to help Viet Nam heal from the pain of war and normalise relations with the world. Currently, about 300,000 Vietnamese people are living and studying in France. VNS New Delhi The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of his visit to Vietnam. The following is the full text of the interview. Prime Minister, could you please tell us about the significance of the visit to Vietnam? India and Vietnam share traditionally close relations that have their roots in our freedom struggle led by our founding fathers, Mahatma Gandhi and Ho Chi Minh. India not only stood by Vietnam during its freedom struggle but also during its phase of national reunification. The late 1970s and 80s were a difficult period for Vietnam, and India was one of the few countries that stood by Vietnam in its time of need. My visit to Vietnam is a reinforcement of our friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation. The visit is intended to further boost our bilateral and multilateral engagement and cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, commerce, culture, human resource development, science and technology, space research, defense and security. The thrust of our multifaceted relationship is to work towards stability, maintenance of peace, economic growth and prosperity in our countries, Asia and beyond. The countries have been traditional friends for long time, and also strategic partners in foreign policy. What issues will be discussed during the visit to Vietnam to strengthen our relations, Prime Minister? We would be covering a wide variety of topics across the entire range of our bilateral and multilateral interactions. Trade is certainly one important aspect. Our trade currently stands at USD 7.83 billion, and we are committed to meet the target of US$15 billion by 2020. We would be deliberating on the thrust areas and new sectors for enhancing trade and the impetus required for enhanced investments. We are also keen on increasing our investments in Vietnam. Indian investments in Vietnam are currently at about $1.1 billion, and would be significantly enhanced upon implementation of large infrastructure projects such as Tata Powers Long Phu II 1,320 MW thermal power project with an estimated cost of $2.2 billion. We would similarly like to invite Vietnam to look at India as an attractive investment destination. We would especially like to invite Vietnamese entrepreneurs to invest in North East India which is a focus area for our Act East Policy. We are determined to encourage connectivity between North East India and ASEAN and I have announced a $1 billion Line of Credit for India-ASEAN physical and digital connectivity. Prime Minister Phuc and I would also be discussing regional cooperation and stability and our multilateral cooperation. Prime Minister, India is implementing the Act East policy, so where is the position of Vietnam in this strategy? Our Act East Policy aims to forge partnerships with our eastern neighbours to encompass security, strategic, political, counter-terrorism, and defence collaboration in addition to economic ties. It was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbors of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy engagement. Vietnam is an integral member of ASEAN and is a very important pillar in our Act East Policy. Vietnam is the ASEAN Coordinator for India for 2015-18 and both countries are committed to strengthening our partnership within the India-ASEAN and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation frameworks. Towards the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and India and 10 years of strategic partnership relations between Vietnam and India in 2017, would you give a message to Vietnam, Prime Minister? The year 2017 marks a very important milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries and we would be organising various events throughout the year to commemorate the events. The Strategic Partnership established in 2007 has been instrumental in cementing our security and defence relations and is today comprehensive in its reach, depth and engagement. However, our relationship is not limited to the 45 years of our modern existence but spans two millennia of contacts between our civilisations. The advent of Buddhism from India to Vietnam and the remnants of the Hindu Cham civilization stand testimony to this. Both India and Vietnam have a young and dynamic demography with majority of the population below the age of 35 years. It is therefore important to secure our future, and the focus of our relations is rightly set towards fulfilling the aspirations of our youth. The two countries share many similarities in history, traditional culture and religion though their friendship and mutual understanding have been tested through the ups and downs of history. I would like to reiterate late Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dongs words that the India - Vietnam relationship is as pure as a cloudless sky. We have a duty to our countries and peoples to add to this rich inheritance.-VNA HCM City Malaysia-based cruise liner Dream Cruises is set to operate a new vessel capable of carrying 3,500 passengers to Viet Nam from November, according to the HCM City-based travel firm Viet Excursions. The cruise liner is offering two-, five-, and seven-day tours of Viet Nam. It will make more than 10 trips to ports in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the central cities of a Nang and Nha Trang, and the northern city of Ha Long between November and March next year. Besides Viet Nam, it will also bring passengers from Malaysia and Singapore to China. Phan Xuan Anh, chairman of Viet Excursions, said Dream Cruises is a new cruise liner whose passengers are mainly Chinese-speaking high income earners. The new ship is almost finished and will be launched in October. Viet Excursions regularly serves tourists coming aboard American and European cruise lines. Anh said the number of tourists has risen by 10 per cent this year. VNS VLADIVOSTOK, Russia Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russias far east today as the countries step up efforts to boost trade ties and resolve a lingering territorial dispute. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties. Abes visit to Russia -- his second this year -- comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip to the country since 2005. Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscows trade ties with Tokyo but doubt that they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute. Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make headway on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive and still looks some way off. Both sides have confirmed that Fridays talks -- taking place on the sidelines of an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok -- will touch upon the disputed islands. Japans top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said that only "frank talks" could pave the way to a peace treaty. But neither side has signalled it is ready to compromise. "The two parties are likely to show that they are in favour of a peace treaty but will try not to publically express their disagreements about the Kuril islands," Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said. "Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognise them." Foreign minister Lavrov said earlier this year that Russia wants to "move forward" its ties with Japan but is not prepared to budge on the "result of World War II". Boosting trade Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that boosting trade will be "at the heart" of Putins talks with Abe. Bilateral trade between the countries last year fell by 31 percent to $21.3 billion, in part due to the punishing economic measures by Japan. Ushakov stressed that in spite of the sanctions imposed by Tokyo, the Russian market remains "of great interest" to the Japanese business community. Abe is travelling with a large delegation that will discuss a wide-range of economic issues with senior Russian officials, including foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, energy minister Alexander Novak, and industry and trade minister Denis Manturov. Business leaders Igor Sechin, the CEO of oil giant Rosneft, and Oleg Deripaska, who heads aluminium producer Rusal, are also set to take part in talks with the Japanese delegation, Ushakov said. During his visit to Russias Black Sea city of Sochi in May, Abe proposed an eight-point economic cooperation plan with Russia that focused on energy, agriculture and industrial production. AFP PESHAWAR, Pakistan Four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in Pakistan were killed early yesterday during a gunfight with security forces outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, the army said. Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the army said. "Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50am (00:50 GMT)," the Pakistan army said in a statement. "Security forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed," it said, adding that two paramilitary soldiers, a policeman and two security guards were wounded in the gunfight. The "situation is under control", the statement said, adding that troops were now carrying out a house to house search of the area. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population. The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups, and in 2011 gunned down Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was federal minister for minority affairs. A Taliban suicide bomber targeted Christians in a park in the eastern city of Lahore at Easter this year, killing more than 70 people, including many children. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistans deadliest-ever terror attack. The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. AFP VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview aired today that Moscow and Washington could soon reach a cooperation deal on Syria. "In my opinion were gradually heading in the right direction and I dont exclude that well be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Russian and American officials are holding negotiations in Geneva aimed at reestablishing a ceasefire in Syria and cooperating militarily against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups in the country. "The talks are very difficult," Putin said. "One of the key problems is that we insist, and our American partners do not object to this, that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organisations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra." Russia and US are on opposing sides of the Syria conflict with Moscow flying a bombing campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Washington demanding he go. Any military cooperation between the two sides in Syria could prove a game-changer but many in the US -- which is leading a separate coalition against IS -- are sceptical that Moscow can be trusted. - AFP Uzbekistans President Islam Karimov died Friday, the government announced, ending over a quarter of a century of his rule in the Central Asian nation, with no clear successor in place. "Dear compatriots, it is with huge grief in our hearts that we announce to you the death of our dear president," a state TV presenter said, reading an official statement. Authorities said Karimov, 78, was pronounced dead at 8:55 pm local time (1555 GMT) after he suffered a stroke over the weekend and fell into a coma, following days of speculation that authorities were delaying the announcement of his death. The presidents funeral will be held in his home city of Samarkand, central Uzbekistan, on Saturday morning according to his wishes as the country begins three days of mourning, the statement said. Karimovs body was to be flown to Samarkand airport, which on Saturday will be closed to all flights except those with special permission. From there, the funeral cortege is to set off at 6 am local time, with people able to pay their last respects from 9 am on a city square close to the cemetery where he will be buried, Russian news agencies reported, citing local officials. Loyalist Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev is heading the organisation committee for the funeral, suggesting that he could be in line to take over long-term from Karimov. Under Uzbek law, senate head Nigmatulla Yuldashev should now become acting president until early elections are held. Karimovs youngest daughter Lola wrote on Facebook "he has left us... I am struggling for words, I cant believe it myself". Uzbek state television switched to footage of folk musicians playing traditional instruments against a black background after announcing his death. Karimov was one of a handful of Soviet leaders who continued to be in power after their homelands gained independence from Moscow in 1991. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Karimovs death "a great loss for the people of Uzbekistan" in a telegram to interim leader Yuldashev, while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is set to jet in for the funeral. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon confirmed he will attend while Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov was reported to also be planning to go. Ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Kazakhstan all said they were sending delegations headed by their prime ministers. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who appointed Karimov to head the former Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan in 1989, told Interfax news agency that Karimov was "a competent man with a strong character". Kazakhstans leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled for as long as Karimov said: "I grieve for the loss of a friend whom I worked with side-by-side for 30 years."-AFP MARDAN, Pakistan - At least 13 people were kille and more than 50 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a court in the Pakistani city of Mardan today, police said, the latest assault targeting Pakistans legal community. The bomber shot his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade and detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowds, senior police official Ejaz Khan told reporters. Rescuers were picking their way through scattered human remains and blood-stained office equipment and files to collect survivors, witnesses said. Amir Hussain, president of the Mardan Bar Association, said he was in a room nearby when the bomb detonated. "There was dust everywhere, and people were crying loud with pain," he said. His suit drenched in blood, he added: "I started picking up the wounded and putting them in cars to take them to hospital. I did not know if the people I was rescuing were dead or alive." Lawyers were being targeted because they are "an important part of democracy, and these terrorists are opposed to democracy," he said. "Our morale is not dented. It is still high," he added. Mardan Rescue spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi said 12 people had been killed and 54 injured in the blast. Police official Faisal Shehzad, said the dead included police and lawyers. Officials said the bomber had up to eight kilogrammes of explosives packed into his vest. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan. Christians targeted Fridays blast came as security forces fended off four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60km to the west of Mardan. Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the army said. All four attackers were killed along with a guard at the entrance to the colony, the statement said, adding that the situation is "under control". Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attempt. The group has also said it was behind the attack on lawyers in Quetta, which killed 73 people on August 8, as well as the Lahore Easter bombing which killed 75 people in Pakistans deadliest attack this year. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population, while the legal community are also frequently the subjects of targeted killings and attacks. The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups and soft targets such as courts and schools. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistans deadliest-ever terror attack. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned yesterdays attacks, adding that militants were on the back foot and were "showing (their) frustration by attacking soft targets". "They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," he added. - AFP Virginia Tech will conduct a full-scale test of its VT Alerts system Tuesday, Sept. 13, on the Blacksburg campus as well as university facilities located in six regions across Virginia. The test will occur between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. VT Alerts is the universitys emergency notification system, and it is used to communicate critical information with the Virginia Tech community in the event of emergency on campus. VT Alerts are issued when there is a need for community members to take immediate protective action, university closures, or during system-wide tests in the fall and spring semesters. When a VT Alert is sent out, the information is communicated with the community via electronic message boards (Blacksburg only), emails to vt.edu addresses, and social media updates. Individuals may also subscribe to receive the information via a VT Phone Alert or VT Desktop Alert by visiting the VT Alerts website. Those with a Virginia Tech PID are eligible to subscribe to VT Phone Alerts, which can be sent to a cell (by voice or text message), home, and/or office phone, or a non-Virginia Tech email address. Subscribers are able to choose up to three preferred contact methods for VT Phone Alerts. However, individuals should make sure to provide only their current and direct contact information. Users without a Virginia Tech PID are eligible to subscribe to VT Desktop Alerts or VT Twitter Alerts. VT Desktop Alerts are available to users who have downloaded an application to their personal computer. VT Twitter Alerts are sent through SMS text message and do not require a Twitter account to subscribe. All community members should expect to receive duplicate messages. This redundancy is intentional to ensure important information reaches as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. Students and employees are strongly encouraged to log in to the VT Phone Alerts website to update notification preferences and verify contact information prior to the Sept. 13 test. Jaan Holt, the Patrick and Nancy Lathrop Professor of Architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and former director of the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Timothy D. Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university. A member of the university community since 1972, Holt has served as a faculty member in the architecture program, the Department of Architecture, and the School of Architecture+ Design in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. He served as chair of the architecture program from 1976 through 1982. Since his appointment as director of the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center in 1984, his leadership helped establish Virginia Techs presence in the National Capital Region for the past 35 years. As director, Holt created the only architecture consortium program in the United States. He has managed several high-profile design competitions, including the Center for Innovative Technology, the Memorial for Women in Military Service for America in Arlington, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. In addition, Holt created the logistical plan for the inaugural Solar Decathlon in 2002 for the U.S. Department of Energy and now, seven Solar Decathlons later, there is still clear evidence of the planning strategies set out in the inaugural plan. He has taught more than 3,500 undergraduates and graduate students in his career, and is regarded as educator who cares deeply about his students as individuals. Holt received the College of Architecture and Urban Studies Career Achievement Award in 2007 and the colleges Lifetime Contribution Award in 2016. Holt received his bachelor's degree in architecture from Virginia Tech and his master's degree in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Kecia Williams Smith has been appointed assistant professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at Virginia Techs Pamplin College of Business. She is one of five new full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members at Pamplin this fall. Their addition reflects the colleges commitment to hiring such faculty to further strengthen its teaching, research, and business outreach, particularly in the areas of business analytics, innovation through entrepreneurship, and sustainable global prosperity. Smith received a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 2016 and a bachelors degree from North Carolina A&T State University. Her research interests include audit regulation, audit quality, audit market structure, and auditor judgment and decision-making. Smiths dissertation examines the readability and tone of the newly required expanded audit report in the United Kingdom. Her works in progress include a study on the determinants and audit quality consequences of small audit firm mergers and an experiment on auditors ability to correct for client preferences when auditing estimates. Her honors and awards include the 2015 AAA/Deloitte Foundation/J. Michael Cook Doctoral Consortium Fellow, 2014 Center for Audit Quality Research Grant, 2013-2015 AICPA Fellowship for Minority Doctoral Students, 2012-2016 KPMG Fellowship, and the 2012 Beta Alpha Psi Business Information Professional of the Year (Industry and Government) Award. Prior to her academic career, Smith worked as a senior manager at Deloitte and as an associate director at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. She is a certified public accountant licensed in North Carolina and Georgia. Roanoke will host the Virginia-Nordic Precision Neuroscience Conference from Oct. 5-7 at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. The conference will bring together neuroscientists, clinicians, and national health science leaders from the National Institutes of Health, and thought leaders from the pharmaceutical industry in the United States and Nordic nations, including Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Participants will share the latest research in precision neuroscience, an area of biomedical research and clinical practice with significant potential for improving human brain health as well as preventing, diagnosing, and treating brain disorders. Michael J. Friedlander, Virginia Techs vice president for health sciences and technology and executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, and Tor Haugstad, the Neuroscience Clinical Chair and Professor at Norways Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, co-chair the conference international planning committee. The committee also includes Stephen LaConte, an associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at Virginia Techs College of Engineering, and the University of Oslos Leif Gjerstad, Emeritus Professor of Neurology, and Jon Storm Mathisen, a professor at the University of Oslo Center for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience. The conference will explore the future and challenges of the promise of personalized medicine to brain health and brain disorders, Friedlander said. This first-of-its-kind international meeting will provide a unique opportunity to share insights, current cutting-edge research breakthroughs, and patient needs to address the single largest and most impactful group of health challenges that we face as a species nervous system disorders. In addition, the program will foster collaborations between the commonwealths major health research universities and with colleagues from multiple international institutions. More than 35 speakers will participate in the conference, including 2014 Chemistry Nobel Prize laureate, Eric Betzig, and Karel Svoboda, the 2015 Grete Lundbeck European Brain Prize recipient. Jon Storm-Mathisen, of the faculty of medicine at the University of Oslo, will discuss efforts to design therapeutic pathways for patients over a wide range of traumatic and degenerative neurological disorders. The director of the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke at NIH, Walter Korashetz, and the director of intramural research programs at the National Institute of Mental Health at NIH, Susan Amara, will discuss national strategies for advancing the development of precision guided treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Excellence in neuroscience research is becoming one of the premiere health science focus areas across Virginia and has strong historic roots as a premiere medical and scientific enterprise in the Nordic countries. In fact, the commonwealths governor, Terry McAuliffe, has declared Virginia as the brain state, Friedlander said. Recent research progress allows for unprecedented interventions, such as reversing unhealthy decision-making by the brain, modulating the activity of cellular networks in the living brain to alleviate major neurological and psychiatric symptoms, using a patients unique genetic profile to select a customized treatment for brain injury, and measuring the release of major chemical neurotransmitters in the living human brain during behavior. Members of the neuroscience research and clinical communities are welcome to attend the conference presentations and panels. Speakers will share research findings and clinicians will address ways in which research is improving patient outcomes by bridging work from the laboratory to bedside applications. To facilitate physician participation, Carilion Clinics Continuing Medical Education Program has designated the conference with a maximum of 14.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Registration is free and open to faculty, postdoctoral students, graduate and undergraduate students, and physicians for one, two, or all three days of the conference. Poster submissions consistent with the precision neuroscience conference theme are welcome. To register, submit a poster proposal, or find out more information, please visit to the conference website at www.vnpn.org. Ltd has become the latest Indian IT services company to set up a joint venture with a local company in Saudi Arabia to tap local customers in the Islamic Kingdom, which is using technology to transform itself from being a oil dependent company. is investing $ 321,671 or Rs 2.12 crore for a 70 per cent stake in the JV with Saudi Prerogative Company (SPC) to tap local IT service business, the company said in a BSE filing. The deal is subject to approval from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority. lags behind local rivals such as Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services in engaging with the Saudi Kingdom, which is investing in infrastructure and education to adapt to the knowledge economy. TCS has a strong local business in its all women back office centre in Saudi Arabia jointly with Saudi Aramco and GE, where it employs over 1,000 women doing back office work for the petroleum company. The Kingdom is transforming itself from a largely oil driven economy to a site for technological disruption, and research and development. Wipro has a presence in Saudi Arabia since 2002, serving customers such as Saudi Aramco and Saudi Telecom with software consultancy and building applications. In May, Wipro's local subsidiary, Saudi Aramco and Princess Nourah University (PNU) set up Saudi's first all women business and technology park. The project is expected to create nearly 21,000 jobs for Saudi women over a period of ten years. The (SCI), the country's largest shipping company, is in talks with its 40-year-old Iranian joint venture partner Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines to work out a business model that can open new geographies for trade for the former. 03:10 Obama hits the campaign trail to help Democrats before the US midterm elections Former US president Barack Obama is on the midterms campaign trail in an attempt to give Democrats a boost in critical areas. 01:32 The Russian economy is swirling in the toilet right now Republican strategist John Jordan says the Russian economy is swirling in the toilet at the moment. 00:29 Australia abstains from vote at the UN on a treaty banning nuclear weapons Australia has abstained from a vote at the United Nations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons. 00:42 Inflation and interest rate rises pressure household budgets Australians are being warned to tighten their household budgets in the lead-up to Christmas as the country faces rising inflation and interest... WATERLOO Michelle Westphal has been spreading a little sweetness in City Hall for years. But the secret is out after the longtime Waterloo city employee and mayors secretary won a large pile of ribbons and awards for her jams and jellies at last months Iowa State Fair. Perfection: 100 out of 100, read one judges scorecard on Westphals grand champion strawberry-red raspberry jelly. Westphal tallied 47 ribbons overall out of 69 entries in the fairs canning competition, mostly in jams and jellies. She scored a few big ribbons too, winning first and third place overall and reserved sweepstakes honors in jellies and first place and sweepstakes awards for jams. Theyre delicious, absolutely delicious, said Councilman Pat Morrissey, one of a few city officials whove managed to secure a jar of Wesphals creations. She is so humble about it, but shes a great jam and jelly maker. Mayor Quentin Hart said the jars Westphal brings to the office is one of the better perks of his job. It is probably the best jelly and jam Ive ever had. Its light on the bread; its flavorful, Hart said. Her jam creation is equally as capable as her secretarial skills. Westphal, who has worked 29 years for the city and took over as the mayors secretary when Buck Clark assumed the office in 2010, took up making jam and jelly several years ago as way to use the wild berries growing at her home. My husband opened the freezer one year and four one-gallon bags of black raspberries fell out, she said. He said What are you going to do with all these berries? Thats what started it. Westphal used cookbooks and online resources to learn her craft, scoured stores and farmers markets for fresh fruits and turned her kitchen into something that looks like a junior high science lab. While she keeps some jelly-making tips under wraps, Westphal said the real secret is finding the best fruit you can find, the freshest. This year marked her fourth and most successful trip to the state fair. My first year was a total failure, she said. I only entered one, the wild black raspberry jelly, because we have a ton of them on our property. Apparently you need to read the instructions for entering because I didnt attach the recipe card to my entry and they couldnt judge it. I got mad and pouted for a couple of years, then I thought Id try it again. This year, Westphal tried to enter a jam and jelly in every state fair category but couldnt find elderberries or red currants. She took blue ribbons for apricot, black raspberry, cherry, gooseberry, pineapple, spiced blueberry, spiced tomato, strawberry and sugar-free strawberry jams. Blue-ribbon jellies were blackberry, cherry, strawberry-red raspberry, grape-plum, basil, sour cherry and strawberry-rhubarb. Westphal said her personal favorite is the wild black raspberry jelly. When the jelly doesnt come out and its like syrup you can put it on ice cream, she said. Westphal hasnt turned her hobby into a business. Instead of selling it, she gives jars of jams and jellies as gifts and shares it with friends and co-workers. Theres a reason the City Hall lobby sometimes smells like toast. If someone is dying to give it a try, Westphal is donating four baskets of her wares for the Sept. 11 silent auction at the Queen of Peace Catholic Church fall festival. BLUE GRASS -- A man attempting to flee Scott County Sheriffs deputies with a child in his car struck and killed a construction worker Thursday morning outside of Blue Grass. Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard said the person who was killed worked for Valley Construction in Rock Island, Ill. The Scott Emergency Communications Center received a call at 10:10 a.m. of a reckless driver speeding on U.S. 61. Conard said a Scott County Sheriffs deputy was in the area and saw the vehicle traveling east on U.S. 61, still at a high rate of speed. The deputy attempted to turn around and pursue the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle entered a construction zone on U.S. 61, east of Blue Grass. He attempted to turn off U.S. 61 onto Coon Hunters Road, entering the construction work area, where he struck the worker before coming to a rest off the pavement, Conard said. Conard also said that at one point during the incident, the deputy drew her gun, but he declined to offer more details. Blue Grass Fire Department and Medic Ambulance were immediately requested. The driver of the suspect vehicle was detained without incident and also suffered injuries related to the crash, Conard said. Police learned that a child was in the suspect vehicle at the time of the accident, according to updated information released Thursday afternoon by the sheriffs office. The construction worker, suspect driver and child were all transported to the hospital. The sheriff's office was notified the construction worker was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Injuries of the driver and child were unknown. Police did not identify the driver or the age of the child. Valley Construction declined to make a statement. Blue Grass Police Department, Buffalo Police Department, Walcott Police Department, Davenport Police Department, Scott County Conservation, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Department of Transportation also assisted at the scene. The Iowa State Patrol is conducting the accident investigation. The incident remains under investigation. WATERLOO A third person has been arrested in connection with an August 2015 home burglary where a resident was beaten with a tire iron. Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies arrested Larenzo Valdez Wilder, 23, for first-degree burglary on Wednesday. Authorities had filed the charges against Wilder in February, but he was in federal custody on firearms charges at the time. According to police, a group of people kicked in the door to 702 N. Barclay St. around 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 2, 2015. One of the intruders held a tire iron to make it appear to be a shotgun. During the incident, a woman was hit in the head with a tire iron, and a male resident was injured when he fought with the attackers. Both were taken to the hospital Maurice Lonnell Carter and Alexander Clark Austin were arrested earlier in connection with the burglary. Their cases remain awaiting trial. EVANSDALE A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly passing prop money at an Evansdale business. Benjamin Ray Shadow, 29, of 1520 Forest Ave., was arrested Wednesday for forgery. Police allege Shadow used fake $100 bills to buy gift cards at Caseys General Store on Lafayette Road in Evansdale. The $100 bills were later found to be marked for motion picture use only. Shadow was arrested earlier in the week for allegedly using similar bills when asking for change at a Waterloo motel. The $100 bills are available for sale on the internet as prop money for movies. WATERLOO A Cedar Rapids man has filed a lawsuit against Black Hawk County and four sheriffs deputies alleging excessive force during a 2014 arrest. The suit alleges deputies used a Taser on Jason John Hall, 39, causing a serious fall. The use of force caused serious and permanent damage, according to the suit. Attorneys Jeffrey Tronvold and Matt Reilly of Cedar Rapids filed the suit in Black Hawk County District Court in June naming the county and deputies Justin Stafford, David Hinz, Stephen Haas and Nicholas Smith as defendants. On Wednesday, attorney John McCoy, who is representing the defendants, petitioned to have the case moved to federal court in Cedar Rapids because it involves civil rights claims. The suit alleges Halls rights were violated by the use of force and seeks damages to cover medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering. Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson declined to comment on the lawsuit. I look very much forward to defending this one, Thompson said. He said the Sheriffs Office initiated an internal affairs review of the incident and found no inappropriate conduct. He said all four deputies are still on the job. Attorneys for the county said the deputies were exercising their legal authority in arresting Hall and were acting in self-defense when Hall resisted. The criminal charges stemming from Halls arrest were ultimately dismissed when a judge ruled he suffered from a mental disorder that prevented him from appreciating the charge or assisting in his defense if the matter went to trial. The suit involves a July 3, 2014, burglary alarm deputies received at the Black Hawk County Landfill, 1509 E. Washburn Road. When deputies arrived, they found a stolen Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck had been pushed into a locked gate to create an opening. Hall was found inside a maintenance building next to tools that had been stacked up. The lawsuit alleges deputies used a Taser on Hall such that he fell several feet in an incapacitated state onto a concrete floor. According to a criminal complaint filed by Hass, Hall resisted attempts to be taken into custody and leapt through a window, causing serious injury to himself. Authorities said Hall, followed by deputies, ran up to a break room that overlooked the shop floor, used a pry tool to break out a window. He then jumped through the window toward a deputy on the shop floor below while still holding the prying tool and was Tasered in mid-air. Hall was taken to the intensive care unit at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for treatment. It was unclear how long he remained in the hospital, but he was arrested in September 2014. Court records show he had neurological surgery in Iowa City in October 2014. By November 2014, his defense attorney, John Standafer, asked the court for a competency evaluation. Hall complained of the lights, inability to read and a complete memory loss for events surrounding the nature of the three charges, Standafer wrote in his request. Hall was completely distracted by his physical and mental conditions requesting and insisting and demanding repeatedly that there be resolution of his multiple health issues before proceeding with any aspect of this case. After two evaluations, doctors said Hall was mentally incompetent and not likely to be restored to competency, and the criminal case was dropped. LA PORTE CITY The man appointed earlier this year to fill a vacancy on the Union Community Schools Board of Education will be the only name on the ballot for the position in the Nov. 8 general election. Darrell DeWinter was the sole person to file nomination papers with the school district by Wednesdays deadline. He was appointed June 22 to replace James Bronner, who resigned from the board upon moving out of the district. His four-year term was due to be up in September 2017, but Iowa law required that any appointment to fill a school board vacancy occurring before July 1, 2016, last only until the next pending election general elections included. DeWinter, of 121 Anton Drive, is running for a Director District 1 seat. However, voters from the entire Union district can cast ballots in the election. WATERLOO The United Auto Workers Local 838 became one of a dozen labor unions or trade councils supporting Democratic 1st District candidate Monica Vernon in her bid for Congress. Monica Vernon and UAW members held a short ceremony Wednesday morning at the local union hall to make the endorsement official. Our choice isnt about politics; its about supporting the candidate who supports hard-working families, said UAW Local 838 President Tom Ralston. Monica Vernon is the only candidate who will protect what weve earned and fight for middle-class families. He said the union members trust Vernon to bring good-paying jobs to Northeast Iowa and help hard-working Iowa families get back on their feet. Ralstons comments about growing the economy were echoed by Vernon in her remarks. When we support our workers, we strengthen our economy, and thats a huge thing that I believe in from the bottom of my heart, Vernon said. Vernon, a former Cedar Rapids City Councilwoman, said she was proud to have the endorsement of the UAW. She is facing incumbent first-term U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, R-1st District, in the general election. Vernon focused on ensuring workers have access to education and training opportunities; incentivizing companies to invest in the local workforce and manufacturing; and closing loopholes that currently incentivize businesses to do their work outside the country. She said the financial system has gone a bit amok and needs to get back to growing jobs and communities locally. Iowans are builders. Theyre makers. Were innovators. We make things of value. Everybody standing with me today knows how to do that, and weve got to get back to that. Thats what really makes our economy move, Vernon said. Weve got to invest in workers and communities right here in Northeast Iowa. Vernon also said as a member of Congress she would strengthen and protect Social Security and Medicare. She also stressed the need for fair wages and equal pay for equal work. We have a great opportunity here to pull together to get all kinds of people to the table to solve problems and get things done. Thats what Ive spent my entire career doing, and its what Id like to go to Congress and do for Northeast Iowa, Vernon said. OSAGE Due to wet weather conditions, an engineer said new scrubbers at the Osage Industrial Pretreatment facility will be offline for two to three weeks, causing a delay in efforts to address odor concerns. Tom Madden of Short Elliott Hendrickson told the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors custom parts had to be ordered for the air-scrubbing equipment. He said water from rain and humidity was being taken in through the mechanical intake, which was damaging the scrubbers. To prevent further damage the equipment was turned off until the new mist separator arrives. Madden said lead time was between two to three weeks, and it would take about one day to attach the water-removal equipment. He said this type of plant does not exist anywhere else on the planet, and we understand the complications. The plant, operated by Valent BioSciences Corp., is a unique facility in its structure and function and provided no background information on possible troubleshooting methods for problems. The plant treats high-strength industrial wastewater to a lower strength wastewater and sends it to the Osage wastewater treatment facility for final treatment. Osage residents near the facility have complained for about a year theyve been unable to open windows or spend time outside due to odors from the facility. Progress on eliminating the odors was made this summer, but the unanticipated water problem has halted efforts. Its important we do it right away, Madden said. If you thought two to three weeks was bad, if the larger equipment went bad wed be waiting four months. CEDAR FALLS -- The University of Northern Iowa will host the seventh annual Iowa Statewide Military and Veterans Conference from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 26 in Maucker Union on UNIs campus. The goal of this years conference will be to educate campuses and the Iowa community about the military culture and the diversity that service members bring to a college campus. This also includes bringing awareness to military and veteran students of campus and community resources and how to be successful after college. The event consists of a series of breakout sessions, in addition to a resource and career fair. Jenni Stevenson will serve as the keynote speaker. Stevenson is a motivational speaker and the co-owner of Hicks Place, an outdoor adventure center. To register, go to http://register.myonlinecamp.com/camp.cfm?sport=24&id=80279 by Sept. 24; $35 is the standard registration fee. Registration is free for UNI employees, students and active duty military members. It will be held from 7 to 10 a.m. at the YWCA in downtown Waterloo. Free refreshments, health screenings and health and wellness information will be available; area agencies and health care providers will also be on hand to answer your health and wellness questions. The wellness fair is free and open to the public. So far, Donald Trumps outreach to African-Americans has consisted of stereotyping them as impoverished, attending failed schools and unemployed, and then asking what the hell they have to lose by supporting him. If this sounds like a typically biased media summary of Trumps views, here he is: You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs ... . What the hell do you have to lose? Most people, it turns out, dont like being referred to as part of an undifferentiated mass of failure and despair, particularly when the assertion is wildly inaccurate (most African-Americans dont live in poverty). And this message is particularly difficult to swallow from a white guy who initially could not bring himself to repudiate David Duke, who has retweeted bogus and racist crime statistics and whose campaign chairman ran a web site that legitimizes white nationalism. In his (very partial) defense, Trump often seems unaware he is spouting offensive drivel. In speaking to the blacks, Trump is Archie Bunker on an outreach tour (the youngsters should look it up). But this is part of the problem for the GOP. Archie Bunker didnt realize he was acting like Archie Bunker. In many ways, Trumps campaign seems like a rerun of politics in the late 1960s and early 1970s. On foreign policy, the Republican nominee sometimes sounds like George McGoverns Come Home America. In appealing to racial division and blue-collar resentment, Trump echoes George Wallaces Stand Up for America. In placing law and order at the center of his campaign, Trump is channeling Richard Nixon, who played to a silent majoritys fear of social disorder. But political nostalgia can have major policy implications. For example, when Nixon employed lock em up rhetoric, only about 100 people were incarcerated per 100,000 of the population (a level that had not substantially changed since the 1920s). Now that figure is more than 700 lower than at the peak, but still the highest rate in the world. Trump is addressing the crime issue near the end of a massive, unprecedented experiment in routine incarceration. And he seems to have no idea what he is doing, or undoing. Trump is correct people in poor and minority communities suffer first and most when crime is rampant and violent recidivists go free. Poor people depend on public order; wealthier people can purchase order with gates, guards and moving trucks. But an understandable response to high crime rates has had a series of unintended consequences. Some neighborhoods feel like they are under military occupation. Mass incarceration removes large numbers of men and women from communities, then returns large numbers to communities with even worse problems and prospects a constant churn of downward mobility. Children are hurt in countless ways when their parents are imprisoned. Young people are too easily sucked into a criminal justice system that too often recruits them into criminal careers. The elements of our criminal justice system that are most destructive and criminogenic have become the focus of a remarkable reform movement in recent years. Steven Teles and David Dagan tell the story in their recent book, Prison Break: Why Conservatives Turned Against Mass Incarceration. Unexpectedly, they argue the almost complete consolidation of Republican power in certain states has reduced the political motivation for attacking Democrats as soft on crime. Deep red states such as Texas and Georgia have taken the lead in juvenile justice reform that offers alternatives to incarceration without making the streets less safe. Libertarians such as the Koch brothers are predictably skeptical of denying liberty, as a matter of course, to more than 2 million people at any given time. But they have been joined by religious conservatives who are prone to believe in the possibility of human redemption and influenced by the prison reform work of the late Chuck Colson. House Speaker Paul Ryan would probably fall into both categories. I think we need to let more people earn a second chance in life, he has argued. Instead of locking people up, why dont we unlock their potential? With his misguided, simplistic and offensive rhetoric, Trump has been blowing up bridges across ideological divides for more than a year now, which may take many Republican presidential campaigns to rebuild. But this is one area if he and his advisers are smart and willing to reverse course he might abandon a slogan from 1968 for a policy more suited to our time. WATERLOO A teenager and a house were struck by bullets in separate shootings in Waterloo on Wednesday night. No arrests have been made, and it isnt clear if the incidents are related. Waterloo police were called to the area of Newell and Manson streets about 9 p.m. Wednesday. They found 18-year-old David Quinndale Wright Jr. on the porch of 319 Newell St. with a gunshot wound to the leg. Officers also located spent shell casings in the area. Paramedics with Waterloo Fire Rescue took Wright to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital. Police said his injuries arent life threatening. Wright had been in a car that was shot in July and in a car that was shot at in April. Then, at 9:55 p.m. Wednesday, residents on West Mullan Avenue called 911 after hearing shots. A home at 903 W. Mullan Ave. was hit but a number of bullets, but no injuries were reported in that incident. Police found several spent shell casings at the scene. Liquor store hit by two robbers WATERLOO A Waterloo liquor store was robbed a gunpoint Wednesday night. Two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and white scarves over their faces entered New Star Liquor, 1309 Lafayette St., at about 9:40 p.m. One of the suspects was armed with a firearm, according to Waterloo police. They had one worker get on the floor and directed the other employee to hand over cash, police said. No serious injuries were reported, and the suspects fled on foot with money and liquor before police arrived. Third man arrested in home burglary WATERLOO A third person has been arrested in connection with an August 2015 home burglary where a resident was beaten with a tire iron. Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies arrested Larenzo Valdez Wilder, 23, of 636 Ankeny St., for first-degree burglary Wednesday. Authorities had filed the charges against Wilder in February, but he was in federal custody on firearms charges at the time. According to police, a group of people kicked in the door to 702 N. Barclay St. around 3:30 a.m. Aug. 2, 2015. One of the intruders held a tire iron to make it appear to be a shotgun. During the incident, a woman was hit in the head with a tire iron, and a male resident was injured when he fought with the attackers. Both were taken to the hospital Maurice Lonnell Carter and Alexander Clark Austin were arrested earlier in connection with the burglary. Their cases remain awaiting trial. New charges for movie money EVANSDALE A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly passing prop money at an Evansdale business. Benjamin Ray Shadow, 29, of 1520 Forest Ave., was arrested Wednesday for forgery. Police allege Shadow used fake $100 bills to buy gift cards at Caseys General Store on Lafayette Road in Evansdale. The $100 bills were later found to be marked for motion picture use only. Shadow was arrested earlier in the week for allegedly using similar bills when asking for change at a Waterloo motel. The $100 bills are available for sale on the internet as prop money for movies. Q: Can the grease left from frying bacon be saved to use at a later time? A: Yes. It used to be a very common practice, and still is for some people. Food safety sites recommend storing the grease in a glass or ceramic jar or in a stainless steel container and keeping it in the fridge it will usually keep for several months. Q: Did Adolf Hitler have children? If so, where are they now? A: Hitler had no acknowledged children. A French man, Jean-Marie Loret, claimed he was Hitlers illegitimate son, product of an affair the German ruler had with a French teenager in 1917. There was no absolute proof of that, although the two men had the same blood type, and military documents do show cash payments to his mother during the German occupation of France. Loret died in 1985. Q: Where do they get the hanging plants that are on the poles in downtown Waterloo? A: Country Lane Furniture & Greenhouse of Hazleton provided the flowers this year based on proposals sought by Main Street Waterloo. Q: How can I write to former Sen. Tom Harkin? A: You can send mail to him at the Harkin Institute for Public Policy, 2429 University Ave., Des Moines 50311. Q: Does the state of Iowa recognize a common-law marriage as a marriage? A: Under the Iowa Code, there are three requirements for a common-law marriage to be recognized: The couple must express the desire to be married to one another; they must have lived together continuously; and they must make public declaration they are married. Q: How can I contact Leon Mosley? A: Mosley said you can call him at 269-1857 and he also has a Facebook page. Q: I live in a mobile home park in Cedar Falls and my neighbor lives in a Section 8 trailer. He has two sheds full of tools and is constantly working with these tools, even into the night using those big construction lights. Should we report him to the police or Section 8 authorities? A: Cedar Falls Public Safety Director Jeff Olson replies: The Section 8 Unit can inspect the rental if it is in the Section 8 program. The code enforcement unit can also inspect the property for code violations. If you have problems with late night construction or noise you may call dispatch at 291-2515. You may call City Hall at 273-8600 to report a Section 8 or code enforcement violation. Q: Who is responsible for cleaning up the parking lots up in Cedar Falls behind the OP, Becks and Social House? A: Cedar Falls Public Safety Director Jeff Olson replies: This is a city owned parking lot. Maintenance and cleaning of the lot is the responsibility of the city. We did check the lot and cleaned up some debris. Please report any future concerns to Public Works at 273-8629. Questions are taken on a special Courier phone line at 234-3566. Questions are answered by Courier staff and staff at the Waterloo Public Library. 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The Women On Guard Blog discusses current crimes and tips on preventing crime. It also includes detailed information about self defense weapons, how to use them for home protection and in the streets. Ideal products for women's self defense. In partnership with Radian and Denver Homeless Outloud, the Laundry Truck (TLT) designers are planning to set up a mobile laundry for for individuals experiencing homelessness/extreme poverty in Denver, Colorado. The Laundry Truck will serve as a contact point with individuals experiencing extreme poverty and homelessness. The truck will be staffed with two workers responsible for the general operation of the machines, as well as to provide educational materials to affected populations. The plan includes gathering and disseminating important information and handouts regarding additional services throughout Metro Denver, especially for those who are averse to receiving services from traditional brick and mortar service providers. Many cities throughout the nation are pursuing mobile hygiene units as critical components of their continuum of care. The outreach station will serve as a rapid response conduit alerting homeless people of inclement weather or other urgent matters, as well as being able to receive important information from the target population. TLT will also document key aspects of this project in order to create a user friendly how-to document. The plan, function schema and showing homeless statistics in Colorado. Image courtesy of Bayaud Enterprises The organizers' objective in this project is three-fold - To alleviate the cost, health, and safety issues associated with the lack of laundry services available for people experiencing extreme poverty and/or homelessness. - To provide job training for this population. The Laundry Truck will also provide opportunities for small business development through generation of earned income. - To educate and do outreach using the Laundry Truck as a point of contact to build trust with individuals who experience severe persistence mental illness and homelessness. The plan is now looking for fund on Kickstarter to support this social impact and civic design program quickly-and the detailed facility program is explained in the campaign. A few of them is here; the design of the truck maximizes functionality in relation to the service needs of the target population. The truck will include six stacked washer and dryer units running the length of the truck, a utility sink, operator and outreach desk, a folding table and a water heater. In its first year, the truck will service the target community three days per week, eight hours a day. The Laundry Trucks projected load cycle for the first year is 8,250 loads of laundry. Top image courtesy of Kickstarter > via bayaudenterprises.org Sep 2, 2016 | By Benedict Theres only one thing more satisfying than being part of a 3D printing project, and thats teaching others how to get involved with the additive manufacturing game. A few weeks ago, Netherlands-based 3D printer manufacturer Ultimaker launched its ambitious 3D printing Pioneer Program through which school teachers and university staff can share useful tips and resources for bringing 3D printing into the classroom, but Thingiverse, MakerBots huge 3D printable file hub, has a fair amount of educational content of its own. MakerBot Learning, the educational division of the 3D printing company, has sifted through the database to identify the best STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) 3D printing lesson plans submitted by Thingiverse users. The various lessons, from which we have selected 15, include step-by-step instructions, photos, 3D design files, activity sheets, and more. Some of the lessons are targeted at high school students, while others are more suitable for younger learners. 3D printing lesson #1: GO-GO AirBoat Thingiverse user Macakcats GO-GO AirBoat lesson plan combines mathematics, physics, and electronics. When assembling the 3D printable AirBoat, students will discover how payloads affect a ships buoyancy, speed, and stability. They can do this by loading the 3D printed vessel up with one-cent coins until it is at max capacity, whereupon a depth sensor will alert the young crew that the boat is ready to set sail. As well as giving students hands-on experience of 3D printing, the project also helps kids learn about resistors, capacitors, diodes, LED's, DC motors, bipolar junction transistors (BJT's), Darlington pair transistors, phototransistors as triggers, circuit board layout, and soldering. 3D printing lesson #2: Bicycle Bubble Machine This fun project from Thingiverse user heinzdrei shows keen makers how to turn their everyday, run-of-the-mill bicycle into a majestic vessel that wouldn't look out of place in The Little Mermaid. The wind-driven bicycle bubble machine attaches to a standard bike luggage rack, and requires only 3D printed components, wood, screws, and a handful of other parts. The creator of the 3D printing project warns that it can get messy, but isn't that part of the fun? 3D printing lesson #3: Educational Brake Caliper Submitted by Thingiverse user Chriswh86, this fun project teaches high school or middle school students how to 3D print and assemble a racing-style brake caliper with quick-release brake pads and dual pistons. The project comes with 3D printable STL files, as well as additional documentation and a quiz. Additionally, the printed caliper fits on a shelf or desk as a display item. Since the start of my obsession with 3D printing and computer aided design, Motorsports has been on my mind, Chris explained. The Educational Brake Caliper is my first Motorsports-related design to be released to the public. 3D printing lesson #4: Density and Buoyancy Investigations Thingiverse user mshcotts 3D printing lesson shows students how objects of different shapes and densities float according to Archimedes Principle. The users lesson plan actually divides into two labs, one to help students investigate volume and the relationship between cubic centimeters and millilitres, and the other to help them investigate density and buoyancy. By 3D printing small cubes with different infill settings, teachers can let students see two seemingly identical objects display different levels of buoyancya cube with a 5% infill will float, while a cube with 100% infill will sink. 3D printing lesson #5: Sphero Clipper Boat One of the featured winners from the MakerBot STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Makeathon in San Francisco, ttds Sphero Clipper Boat lesson plan shows K12 students how to use the Sphero SPRK, Tickle programming, and 3D printing technology to create a boat. This boat can be made to complete several challenges, such as timed races, search and rescue missions, and more. Teachers can choose particular plugins for their activity of choice, depending on the needs of the curriculum. 3D printing lesson #6: Sodium Potassium Biological Electrogenic Pump Designed to teach high school students about sodium and potassium ion paths across a cell membrane, Thingiverse user stevegongs 3D printing lesson covers biology, physiology, and physics. The creator of the kit suggests that teachers could employ a flipped classroom methodology, with students required to assemble the platform and explain the process of generating a membrane potential to their instructor. 3D printing lesson #7: Wind Energy Stored in Gravity This fun 3D printing project submitted by Thingiverse user hyperplanemike can be used to teach kids about renewable energy. Energy is generated using a vertical wind turbine on the left hand side of the geared model. A movable battery section in the middle can be adjusted left or right to charge or expend the gravity battery. On the right side, there is a fan that can be used to reproduce a summer breeze after it is caught and stored in the battery. 3D printing lesson #8: Wind Car Thingiverse user TheDukeAnumber1 encourages students to harvest wind energy to propel an unusual 3D printed car with this clever project. The printable model, which is an example of engineering connections and energy transfer, is aimed at students in 6th grade or higher. A moderate level of dexterity and model-building skill is probably required. One possible assignment could include requiring students to estimate how many times the wind cups will rotate when the car travels a specified distance, the maker suggests. This can be calculated after measuring the wheel and gear diameters. 3D printing lesson #9: Beast Belly Fraction Game Submitted by Thingiverse user prof_Ruggles, the Beast Belly Fraction Game helps younger students understand the mathematics of fractions, teaching them to form whole numbers by adding the 3D printed fraction tokens together. Each kind of fraction token has a different thickness according to its value, so that a token is double the thickness of a token etc. Students can then fill the belly of a 3D printed monster with different combinations of these tokens. 3D printing lesson #10: Speedy Architect Project One of MakerBot Learnings own 3D printing lessons, of which there are many, the Speedy Architect Project encourages students to make simple structures while meeting critical design requirements and keeping under set time and material limits. MakerBot Learning recommends the building project for students anywhere from 6th grade to 12th grade. 3D printing lesson #11: Ultimate Parametric Box The Ultimate Parametric Box, a project submitted by electronics hobbyist Heartman, encourages students to get to grips with OpenScad and Thingiverse Customizer by creating 3D printed parametric boxes which can be used to house DIY electronics assemblies, control panels, or enclosures for an Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc. This advanced project requires OpenScad, internet access, and a 3D printer. 3D printing lesson #12: Sand Spirograph This sand spirograph activity from Thingiverse user burton15 can be used to teach students how to make a spirograph, a toy that produces mathematical roulette curves. The 3D printable toy was modeled using Blender and is based on a particular design that the maker had as a child. I tried to keep the list of printed parts minimal by creating a two-gear system instead of a more complex scissor extension arm, burton15 explains. A unique feature of my design is the guide wheel that supports the tracing gear to keep it level and from falling into the sand while still allowing the gear to rotate. 3D printing lesson #13: Rainbow Apparatus A fascinating and colourful project created by Thingiverse user marciot, the Rainbow Apparatus consists of a lamp and projection disc, and the majority of the device can be 3D printed. Three 20 mm high-power LEDs are used to light up the kaleidoscopic structure. The project is complex in parts, and some soldering is required, so teachers looking to implement the project in the classroom should use their own judgment regarding what age and skill level is suitable. 3D printing lesson #14: Solar Hive This random parametric beehive LED lamp workshop, created by Thingiverse user 3ddruckqueck, is fully customizable and can be made to run off solar power. The lamp can either be powered by 4 - 12 V like a "normal" LED lamp or as a solar powered outdoor night lamp that recharges during the day and glows in random patterns during the night during a specified time frame. All the body parts are 3D printed and the electronics should cost less than $25 in total. The idea was to create a lamp dedicated to the beauty of randomness, so the shape and the glowing pattern are randomized, the creator explained. 3D printing lesson #15: Parametric Music Box Thingiverse user wizard23 submitted this fun Parametric Music Box project, which ended up being a Thingiverse Customizer Challenge contest winner in the Artistic category. The design is fully 3D printable, and while the notes dont ring out quite as true as they might on a metal music box, its still mightily impressive that the maker has been able to make regular plastic 3D printing filament into a singing box of wonders. Students with some programming and/or musical experience can create 3D printed music boxes that play different tunes. With so much educational content to download through Thingiverse and other platforms like the Ultimaker Pioneer Program, the popularity of such websites shows that educators are keen to introduce 3D printing to their studentsand help out their teaching peers while doing so. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Sep 2, 2016 | By Alec We here at 3ders.org especially love reporting on 3D printing stories that really change lives human and animal. And we are very happy to see that the animal kingdom is also increasingly benefitting from 3D printed prostheses and medical tools. In many of cases, 3D printed solutions even make it possible for those animals to live a relatively normal life. Just look at the story of Grecia the Toucan, who wouldve probably had to put down if it wasnt for a 3D printed prosthetic beak. And there are plenty of similar examples, such as this bald eagle that can fly again thanks to 3D printed surgical guides and even Bagpipes the penguin that can walk again thanks to a 3D printed prosthetic foot. Of course several organized initiatives are bringing such 3D printing innovations to handicapped people all over the world as well, and especially E-Nable can be commended for their excellent work. In an attempt to bring that same level of organization and presence to the animal kingdom, a group of passionate volunteers have now launched the CAP project, or the Computer Aided Pets Project. While most projects for animals are one-off events, they are seeking to organize their efforts in various chapters around the world and share their customizable 3D printed creations as widely as possible. Think of us as being similar to E-Nable, only for pets instead, says CAPs Jim Song. This is still a work-in-progress organization, and CAP is currently working hard to set up partnerships with various charities and organizations. They are also setting up chapters of dedicated volunteers from all corners of the world that want to use their 3D printing prowess to help animals. We pair pets in need of a prosthetic with one of our volunteers usually based on geographical location. Our goal is to help any pet we can with affordable prosthetics as well as to demonstrate the capabilities that 3D printing has in the medical industry, they say. We strive to help pets who have lost limbs live as normal of a life as possible. Our goal is to help pets all over the world and to show the capabilities of 3D printing in the medical industry. So far, they have already set up three chapters: in Rancho Cucamonga, California, in Tokyo, Japan and one in Beijing, China. If contacted by animal lovers and pet owners, they strive to bring volunteers and recipients together, who will work hard to find a solution which often entails building multiple devices over a longer period, as the animals in question cant speak their mind. Whats more, CAP is already sharing a handful of 3D printable solutions for animals on their website. The FiGo, by designer Rickee, is a customizable and largely 3D printed wheelchair for pets missing their rear legs, originally developed for a French Bulldog named Anne Murray. Various leg prosthesis, such as Fricis_Pirtniekss Stork Prosthesis and tubaro1s Eagle Foot are also available already. Even pets that have lost one of their front paws can be helped by CAP with the Forelimb Prosthesis. This amazing design was created by josemivaz. It is designed to be a lightweight, one piece, comfortable, and affordable aid for pets who have unfortunately lost part of their legs. This piece must be printed in nylon so it will be flexible and have resistance, the CAP team explains. Two front leg wheelchair designs, by designers Brex480 and Diacov, are also available for pets of various sizes. These are fantastic starts already, but so much more work can be done and the launch of the CAP website is expected to result in a huge demand for more 3D printing solutions. CAP is therefore looking for volunteers with 3D printing or CAD experience to help animals in need. You can volunteer through their website, or even set up a local chapter yourself. If you have a 3D printer, that would be even better. Typically, a volunteer will either be printing in ABS or PLA. For some devices however, an exotic filament such as Nylon or NinjaFlex is required. If your printer is unable to print those filament types please let us know, they say. If you do not have a printer you can also volunteer by translating, assembling kits, or raising awareness. And of course they are also always looking for ways to help animals everywhere. If you have a pet or know of an animal which is in need of an assistive device please fill out the form and we will get back to you ASAP! they say. Now this is one of those initiatives that can change the world. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Sep 2, 2016 | By Nick PhoneLabs has launched an IndieGoGo campaign to fund the development of a 3D printed system that can turn a smartphone into a mobile Physics lab. The goal of the project is to get children more engaged with STEM subjects in a new and dynamic way. Modern mobile phones are packed with sensors and computing capability, so much so that they have rendered a good deal of modern technology redundant. At the same time, as children become way more engaged with their mobile phones, interest in the STEM subjects has dropped. Many simply see Science, Technology, Engineering and Math as boring, at least in the traditional way they are taught, but that neednt be the case. The way we teach science and math is not working, said Professor Robert Fitzgerald, of the University of Canberra. We make it too abstract and we need to make it more active and hands-on. PhoneLabs has a unique solution to this problem. It wants to turn the smartphone into a Physics lab that will draw the students back in and make full use of their phones onboard technology to create a lesson that they will enjoy. The Adelaide-based start-up is the brainchild of Sivam Krish, who worked with a government-funded program to tackle the well-publicised problems with STEM subjects. As part of the research program, Krish found that the experiments used to teach the children basic scientific concepts had barely changed over the last 100 years. He decided it was time to shake up the old routine and come up with a whole new approach. The concept is quite simple. With the help of an app, the smartphone can illustrate complex theories like acceleration on a skateboard and measure vibrations through a solid object. He points out that the average smartphone has more sensors than a school laboratory, so we should use them. It can be used to measure and illustrate sound, distance and frequency. These arent just simple measures of units, either. The PhoneLabs app can accurately measure angles, the area and diameter of a circle and also the distance between a set of points in a complex shape. The app is not only free, its also open source and you can download it here. The app is more or less universal, and can work on any smartphone device, but theres a piece missing in the puzzle. 3D printed kits will increase the capability and accuracy of the phone and turn an iPhone, Galaxy or Xperia into a mobile science laboratory. The 3D printed kit includes a spring balance, ruler, wheels and a variety of brackets that hold the phone in place. Its a modular kit that can be used in different ways for different experiments and on the IndieGoGo campaign, at least, they are priced from $20 for the most basic kit through to $225 for a complete kit that includes a webcam. You can even donate a kit to an underprivileged school that has no actual science lab with a $20 contribution. This simple concept means that science can come to life and students can start to apply it to their daily lives in a fun and engaging way. Acceleration is a dry and tedious subject when its on a blackboard. When its a competition among friends on bikes, then they see it in a whole new light. The company has worked tirelessly on the versatile, simple to use, and durable kit. In fact, PhoneLabs is currently on the 221st iteration of the kit and there are sure to be more. PhoneLabs has sent kits out to schools and universities for testing. So far, the early feedback has been encouraging, as Google even featured the app in Android Experiments. It is still a work in progress, however, as the team plans to incorporate principles of sound, light and magnetism into their program. By the time they are finished, this simple 3D printed kit could turn your smartphone into the ultimate science teacher. PhoneLabs is also working on its own unique syllabus that could help teachers inspire students around the world as part of the experience. The early signs are good and PhoneLabs looks like it will smash its $3500 goal. So if you want to get one of the early kits, or you just want to know more, check out the IndieGoGo campaign. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Anja wrote at 9/6/2016 8:24:27 AM:@Perry_Lane: Thanks, corrected.Perry_Lane wrote at 9/5/2016 4:56:47 PM:PLZ correct > http://www.phonelabs/webapps phoneLabs link in story is not right should be http://www.phonelabs.net/webapps/ Sep 2, 2016 | By Alec Have you ever dreamed about multi-colored prints? We certainly have, and we are doubtlessly not alone. The problem is that virtually all 3D printers that work with differently colored 3D printer filaments suffer from the dreaded ooze (a leakage of filament from the extruders, causing colors to drip on places where you never wanted them) and from excess filament blending. This tends to result in very sloppy, unprofessional 3D prints. Probably the best solution is a wipe tower created next to your print, where excess filament is deposited to prevent color blending or oozing. Dutch 3D printing specialists from Printr have now institutionalized this solution by embedding even more efficient Donut Wipe Towers into their Katana cloud slicer, which is part of Printrs Formide. While some slicers offer solid wipe tower options, these donut-shaped alternatives will enable faster and more efficient 3D printing. Most importantly, the dual-color prints will be perfectly clean. Printr is a young Dutch startup from Amsterdam (founded back in 2014). And they are on a mission to streamline the entirety of 3D printing, to make the whole experience more effective and open than ever. Key in their approach is Formide, a cloud-based 3D printing platform that enables users to easily prepare, queue, print, control and monitor multiple projects on multiple printers. This fantastic setup was enabled by a seed funding round that raised $820K in the fall of 2015, and is also assisted by plug-and-play USB dongle The Element. This Donut Wipe Tower concept perfectly underlines what Printr is all about, as it is both efficient and effective. For starters, its shape ensures that it takes far less time and material to 3D print. As the extruder skips the middle part of the wipe tower and only prints the outline of the donut, it does not use as much filament compared to a regular wipe tower and thus, saves printing time, the Printr team explains. Whats more, they have enlarged the base of the wipe tower to make it far more stable than other tower designs out there which occasionally fall over. Printr has ensured that users are free to optimize their time and material usage even further by setting a specific infill percentage for this wipe tower. Should they be 3D printing with filaments that are not necessarily very compatible (such as PLA and PVA), they can also choose to create two separate wipe towers simultaneously. But Printr has also been thinking about the entire concept of dual-color 3D printing, and have come up with a solution to stop filament from leaking out of the extruder before the set temperature is reached. Finding inspiration in BCNs Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) trays, they have reprogrammed the dual extrusion process to ensure that extruders only heat up while positioned over the hollow part of the Donut wipe tower. The wipe tower thus doubles as leaking tray, ensuring that the entire 3D printing process remains as clean as possible. This Printr innovation thus makes the entire process of dual-color extrusion both cleaner and more efficient. It only makes Formides cloud-based slicer Katana even more appealing for dual 3D printing applications. Katana has already been programmed to detect issues that are specific to dual extrusion setups, such as detecting which parts are 3D printed in dual colors and which are not. If only a the bottom portion of a print needs to be dual-colored, Katana is already capable of automatically detecting this and will stop the Donut wipe tower action once the dual-colored portion is complete. This also works vice-versa, because if the bottom 90 percent of a 3D print contains just a single color, Katana will automatically manufacture a single-color wipe tower to accommodate the dual-colored top 10 percent. This way no unnecessary extruder switching, and thus heating, is done, its developers say. Printr has just made dual 3D printing a whole lot more appealing. Posted in 3D Design Maybe you also like: Sep 2, 2016 | By Andre Affordable FDM based 3D printing on a large scale has been promised, and to a degree, delivered on at varying levels of success over the last few years. I remember very clearly when Bre Petits formally of Makerbot Industries talked about the potential of 3D printing big things when he introduced the first generation Replicator 3D printer. At the time, the just under 9 print volume on its longest axis was a big deal but it wasnt long before startups like re:3d came up with the their massive Gigabot 3D printers. From that point on Makerbot, Ultimaker, Raise 3D and all manner of Delta based 3D printers have strived for size above all else. In continuing with that tradition, Italian 3D printer manufacturer Dynamo3D have recently released their hyper fast D3D One Pro (900 mm/sec travel speed and 400mm/sec print speed) that can print parts up to 16 tall and half that in the x/y axis. On top of that, their 3D printer is wifi ready, has a heated bed, smart pause-resume print capabilities and a very responsive intuitive touch screen. But Is their effort into big scale desktop 3D printing really to be considered a next generation device? The answer, according to a very detailed (as always) video review by Thomas Sanladerer, is kind of-sort of. Right off the bat, he notices similarities between the ever popular Ultimaker brand of 3D printers and even goes so far as calling it an Ultimaker clone due to the same kinematics for the x-y and z axis as the Ultimaker original. And while the rods, spindle drive and hot end are deemed to be standard fare thats not to say there arent quality features found within the D3D One Pro. Highlights include a very responsive and well thought out touch screen, a Bond Tech extruder, and clever levelling techniques (albeit in a manual manner). Also, the wifi enabled system has everything you might expect from a 3D print driver (although not as comprehensive as the popular Octoprint browser based systems). Unfortunately, according to the above video review, the negatives might make the otherwise affordable 2,500 Euro price point not worth serious consideration. A loud stepper motor noise, closed source software and just decent 3D print quality (even at a slower setting) leave a lot to be desired. Apparently the promised high speed 3D print capabilities made possible by the custom board are certainly possible on geometrically simple designs, but over swings, ripples, visible artifacts and infill poking through single wall prints means you'll get your print out quickly, it just might not look as great as you expect it to. In the end, the reviewer thinks the 3D printer is just okay. It delivers on its promise of high speed and large 3D prints but not in any breakthrough capacity. The inconsistent heated bed and back-end software issues (discussed in the review) suggest a noble effort but not one that will revolutionize 3D printing in any way. Of course, this is just one review and its difficult to determine everything from it. The tricky part is with a closed source system like this is that even if some of the drawbacks are software related, there will never be a community able to pick away to fine tune the work that needs to be done. All said, if you are in the market for a high-speed, large format 3D printer at an affordable price, you cant be faulted for giving the Dynamo 3D OnePro a chance. Posted in 3D Printer Maybe you also like: Rajkumar wrote at 9/8/2016 5:18:00 AM:Dual Nozzle arrangement is possible? Calling all romantics! San Francisco is about to become the destination for connoisseurs of the prolific art work of William Blake. Yes, that William Blake. When it opens its doors in the art hub that is 49 Geary Street this October, The William Blake Gallery will be the world's first and only space dedicated to the famed English artist who, though he may be best known for his Romantic poems including Night and The Tyger, was also a stunningly prolific artist and printmaker whose etchings, engravings, and paintings illustrated his own poetic volumes as well as such other master works of literature as Dante's Divine Comedy. The new Union Square gallery will exhibit more than 1,000 pieces of Blake's work, including fine engravings and watercolors,as well as reproductions of his writings. It's kind of strange and amazing, right? The new Blake Gallery is the result of a singular lifelong obsession. As it turns out, Englishman John Windle, owner of John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller, is quite the collector. "I didn't look for him, he came to me," Windle muses from his shop (also located in the building at 49 Geary). "In 1960, I met the daughter of a translator of Blake, and she suggested I start reading his poems. I fell in love. Then, when I was living in London, I worked in a bookshop that used to sell reproductions of Blake; I started to collect his works." Dante's Inferno. When it comes to literati, Windle is as authentic as they comea bookseller for 50 years who trained at London's highly regarded Bernard Quaritch Ltd and then John Howell-Books in SF. In 1975, he opened his first antiquarian book shop on Post Street with Ron Randall, himself a collector antique books and owner of Randall House Rare Books. But when Randall moved to San Barbara, Windle chose to relocate to Venice, California to focus on his writing. He subsequently published two bibliographies, traveled around the Eastern world, and studied Tibetan Buddhism, all before returning to SF in 1989 where he founded his eponymous book business. Today, Windle is the downtown go-to for rare books and manuscripts from the Middle Ages through the 20th century, illustrated materials, and, of course, William Blake works. "What I like about Blake is that everyone can buy one of his original pieces," Windle says, pointing to prints that start at just $50 and ranging to original artworks for $15,000 and master paintings for $300,000 or more. "I like to say that Blake is the only famous artist whose work can be collected by the young, the intellectuals, artists, techies, and millionaires." "The death of the strong wicked man," an illustration by William Blake for "The Grave," a poem of Robert Blair. The Blake Gallery will showcase some of his notable works, including unique color images from his illustrated poetry collection Songs of Innocence, published in 1789; illustrations created for Dante's Divine Comedy in the 1820s; and an original pencil study Chaucer's Canterbury Pilgrims. "He was one of the greatest contributors to the Western world of literature and art. His mystic visions led him to design his own philosophy or theology, even though he wasn't a religious manhe didn't like churches at all. His spiritual connection was so strong that it gave him the strength to keep producing and, even when people didn't believe in him, he was never discouraged and he kept doing his art," Windle says. Head of Blake by Leonard Baskin. Certainly Blake has always been an inspiration for many artists, and even a few musicians that you might not expect. Windle recalls: "One day I was sitting here and a lady came in. By the way she was dressed, I thought she was homeless. She started looking at Blake's books and printings, and I thought that she couldn't afford them. Then I discovered she was Patti Smith." Smith, as any fan will know, is rather a Blake devoteein 2011, at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Connecticut, sang Blake's famous poem, "The Tyger" (currently being used as the soundtrack for an Infiniti car commercial, interpreted by Games of Thrones star Kit Harrington). The gallery will also highlight the works of Blake contemporaries as well as emerging artists inspired by the master. "I would love to promote young and talented local artists and give them the space to exhibit their work." // John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller, 49 Geary St. (Union Square), johnwindle.com Watch Patti Smith sing "The Tyger," live at Wadsworth Atheneum in 2011: Laws crafted by those elected should do most good for most people AnastasiaDate turns the spotlight on Moldova this September to let members know more about this fascinating country. AnastasiaDate the dating powerhouse with a global presence, is promoting the enchanting country of Moldova this September. By focusing on Moldova, the online dating service aims to provide an insight for members into this wonderful country. The website has taken the initiative to turn the spotlight on Moldova and give details to members on the countrys culture traditions, and people. Moldova remains a largely undiscovered country off the tourist trail. Located between Ukraine and Romania this charming country has many fascinating things to offer to those who visit. The country has many historic sites that can leave visitors spellbound while the wild countryside of Moldova is full of interesting scenery that make a real impression. Moldova is a relatively small country with a population of over three million spread over an area of around 34000 square kilometers. However it has pride of place in Europe as it boasts a rich and fascinating Latin culture that dates back to the 2nd century, the time when the Romans dominated this land. People who visit the offbeat and interesting country will find something unique and remarkable. Moldova is just the kind of place they can have a trip to remember. Apart from the wonderful historic sites it also offers visitors an insight into the fine art of wine-making. This is one of the specialties of the country. Moldova has a large number of wineries that are well established and producing high quality wine. Those looking for some exciting times can head to the countrys capital Chisinau. Chisinau has a great nightlife and offers wonderful sightseeing and fun for those who love to let their hair down. Stefan cel Mare Park, Milestii Mici, and the Cathedral Nasterea Domnului are all places that will leave a deep impression on the visitor. The Codrii National Park is a place that just cannot be missed. Tiraspol and Soroca are also interesting places and should feature in any itinerary of visitors to this wonderful country. AnastasiaDate members can get more information from Moldovan singles through the websites advanced dating tools and features such as Live Chat and CamShare. They can use these features to find their ideal Moldovan matches too. For more information, visit www.anastasiadate.com About AnastasiaDate: AnastasiaDate is the leading international dating service that facilitates exciting and romantic companionship between men and women all over the world. Founded in 1993, AnastasiaDate now has over 20 million international users and attracts more than 80 million visitors annually. Additionally, over 1.5 million conversations are exchanged onsite daily. AnastasiaDate is committed to member safety, customer satisfaction and the ongoing pursuit of innovation. Part of the Social Discovery Ventures network, AnastasiaDate is headquartered in New York with additional representation in every country it touches, providing a high level of customer service to a worldwide clientele. All members are able to communicate across a variety of top-notch multimedia platforms, including video chat and a mobile app for Android devices available in Google Play. Media Contact Company Name: AnastasiaDate Contact Person: Anastasia Date PR Email: pr@anastasiadate.com Phone: +1 (212) 609-0533 Country: United States Website: http://www.AnastasiaDate.com Reversible temperature sensitive coating dominated the global demand and accounted for over 65% of total volume in 2015 The global temperature sensitive coating market value is expected to reach USD 362.8 million by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing applications scope in traffic road marking and the automotive industry is expected to drive product demand over the forecast period. Temperature sensitive coating has been widely used in thermometer labels including fridge, nursery, forehead and aquarium thermometers. For further inquiries aboutTemperature Sensitive Coating Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, click on this link http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/temperature-sensitive-coating-market Rising product demand in the household sector, particularly in economies such as Brazil, India, China and Vietnam owing to growing consumer disposable income, is expected to drive the market growth over the next eight years. Reversible temperature sensitive coating dominated the global demand and accounted for over 65% of total volume in 2015. This trend is anticipated to continue over the forecast period on account of rising demand from the various application such as textiles, room & refrigeration thermometers, food quality indicators, promotional items, forehead thermometers, temperature sensitive plastics & mugs, and toys. Browse All Reports of This Category @ http://www.radiantinsights.com/catalog/chemicals Further key findings from the report suggest: The global temperature sensitive coating market demand exceeded 1,200 tons in 2015 and is expected to reach 2,276.5 tons by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2016 to 2024 Household/decorative was the leading application segment and accounted for 35.2% of total market volume in 2015. This high penetration can be attributed to the rising demand for industrial and pharmaceutical applications particularly in emerging economies of India, China, and Brazil. Industrial applications are expected to witness the highest growth of 7.0% from 2016 to 2024.Rising product demand in various industrial applications such as annealing, metalworking, riveting, and welding for quality purposes is anticipated to increase market penetration in this segment. Europe was the leading temperature sensitive coating consumer and accounted for 37.9% total global demand in 2015.Favorable government regulations mandating the use of temperature sensitive labels in the pharmaceutical sector has contributed towards regional dominance. Major companies operating in the global temperature sensitive coating industry include CAPCO, LCR Hallcrest, LA-CO Industries, TIP Temperature Products, B&H Colour Change, SFXC, Good Life Innovations, Ltd. and Lakfbriek Korthals BV. The industry is highly competitive on the basis of product prices. Read more related reports by Radiant Insights: Parenteral Nutrition Market http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/parenteral-nutrition-market According to the statistics provided by the World Bank Group, India had the highest natality rate followed by China in 2012. Moreover, a consistent increase in the rate of natality was observed in the European countries such as the U.K. and France. Therefore, Asia Pacific and Europe are expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast. Anti-Fog Additives Market http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/anti-fog-additives-market The global anti-fog additives market is expected to reach USD 2.21 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing demand for functional and packaged foods, primarily in China, India, Brazil and Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, is likely to augment market expansion. New applications for these additives in architectural structures such as greenhouses and skylights will create immense industry potential in the near future. About Radiant Insights 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. In addition to over extensive database of reports, experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions. For more information, Visit: http://www.radiantinsights.com Media Contact Company Name: Radiant Insights, Inc. Contact Person: Michelle Thoras, Corporate Sales Specialist USA Email: sales@radiantinsights.com Phone: (415) 349-0054, Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Address:28 2nd Street, Suite 3036 City: San Francisco State: California Country: United States Website: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/temperature-sensitive-coating-market Director Resignation Sydney, Sep 2, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Pacific Environment Limited ( ASX:PEH ) ("The Company") wishes to advise that Mr Murray d'Almeida has resigned as a Director effective from today. Mr d'Almeida has been a director and Chairman of the Company since May 2012. He leaves the group to pursue other interests in which the Board wishes him well and thanks him for his service. Mr David Johnstone will take on the role as Chairman of the Company. Mr Johnstone has been a director of PEH since February 2014. Mr Johnstone is an experienced Chairman and is a non-executive director and Chairman of a number of disruptive technology and financial services companies nationally and internationally. Mr Johnstone has strong corporate governance principals and has been a CEO of several international sales and distribution companies so he brings an ideal mix of experience to his role as Chairman. Co-founder and Managing Director, Mr Robin Ormerod said: "We thank Murray for his contributions to the Company, beginning at a critical time when his leadership and experience was instrumental in setting the right course after initial challenging years. As Chairman he provided valued strategic input and we wish Murray the very best in his future endeavours. We are very pleased to have a small, hard-working and passionate board that is intent on delivering shareholder value by achieving the strategic objectives we have set for ourselves." About EnviroSuite Limited EnviroSuite Limited (ASX:EVS) (FRA:57P) is an environmental management technology company that has developed a leading Software-as-Service platform which translates data into action in real-time. Using proprietary algorithms built on more than 30 years of environmental consulting experience, Envirosuite's platform provides a range of environmental monitoring, management and investigative capabilities. Envirosuite's platform is used worldwide by a range of clients in the mining, oil refining, transportation and water management industries and by governments looking to regulate industry in accordance with community well-being. To learn more, please visit: https://www.envirosuite.com JCT Healthcare Update Perth, Sep 2, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Xped Limited ( ASX:XPE ) ("Xped") wishes to provide an update on its subsidiary company JCT Healthcare Pty Ltd ("JCT" or "the Company"): HIGHLIGHTS - JCT working to finalise IoT project deliverables for purpose built housing at Lightsview Estate - Potential to rollout IoT technology solution to 3,500 disability SA clients post successful Lightsview trial - Discussions held with renewal SA to incorporate JCT technology solution into 100 planned dwellings over next 18 months - Tenders and proposals underway for nursecall and messaging systems worth up to $1.2m DISABILITY SA As announced on 8th July, JCT began working on a smart hub technology project for delivery to Disability SA. Further to this, JCT has recently formed a committee with representatives from Disability SA Management, Flinders University and Renewal SA to meet regularly to discuss progress. To assist the delivery, JCT has appointed a project manager to oversee the development of the project and liaise with the various committee members. The JCT team and associated committee members are working to finalise the requirements for the project trial at Lightsview which is a newly developed residential housing estate in the Adelaide CBD. This initial project encompasses providing a suitable technology solution to 13 buildings being a mix of purpose built units and community houses for Disability SA residents. Following a successful project delivery an opportunity may arise to roll out the newly developed technology solution to 3,500 clients of Disability SA over the next few years. JCT is also in discussions with Renewal SA regarding their plans to build 100 houses over the next 18 months and looking to incorporate a viable technology solution in their rollout plans. The Company notes the National Disability Insurance Scheme ("NDIS") starts in 2017 with an annual budget of $22 Billion. JCT is well positioned to be a leader in the NDIS technology rollout given its ability to provide innovative technologies in home automation and support worker solutions. TENDERS AND PROPOSALS UNDERWAY JCT has recently made submissions on new tenders and proposals with its premium IP Nursecall technology. Whilst negotiations are still underway with a number of clients the probability of receiving $1.2m of orders in the next six months is high. NURSECALL SUPPLIER AGREEMENTS Eddie Jackson and his team recently returned from a trip to China for the purpose of finalising supplier and manufacturing agreements for the NurseCall range of products. These agreements are now in final form and ready for sign off between parties and will assist JCT business going forward. CHANNEL PARTNERS AND RESELLERS JCT has been working to finalise agreements for the appointment of various Channel Partners and Resellers around Australia and New Zealand. These agreements once in place will assist the future growth of JCT through annual spend targets and uptake of JCT's products and solutions. The appointments of approved partners and resellers are expected to take place in September with the company's channel partner and reseller's Australian network being in full operation by December 2016. About XPED Ltd XPED Ltd (ASX:XPE) is an Australian Internet of Things (IoT) technology business. Xped has developed revolutionary and patent-protected technology that allows any consumer, regardless of their technical capability, to connect, monitor and control devices and appliances found in our everyday environment. Xped provides technology solutions for Smart Home, Smart Building, and Healthcare. At Xped, were Making Technology Easy Again(TM) ACAs library of educational tools help members improve their business practices. ACA also holds the most popular industry conferences and offers credentialing for collectors, attorneys, and more. ACAs Training Zone subscription gives agencies access to almost all of our education for one low cost. My colleague, Dan Morris, CPA, recently asked Barry Melancon, president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, what kept him up at night. He replied, My biggest worry is the relevancy of our core products. In that case, The End of Accounting, by Professor Baruch Lev and Feng Gu, should contribute many sleepless nights to the entire accounting profession. MORE RULES, LESS INNOVATION A lot of rules have been added since the Venetian monk Luca Pacioli published the first accounting textbook in 1494, introducing double-entry bookkeeping. It was a creation for future accountants that was as big as the invention of zero for mathematicians. Unfortunately, one could also make the argument that it was the last revolutionary idea to come from the accounting profession. The balance sheet dates from 1868; the income statement from before World War II. GAAP fits an industrial enterprise, not an intellectual one. Despite the fact that, according to the World Bank, 80 percent of the developed worlds wealth resides in human capital, you will look in vain to find it in the traditional GAAP financial statements. PART 1: RELEVANCE LOST Enter Levs and Gus book, The End of Accounting. Its divided into four parts: 1. Relevance Lost. 2. Why Is Relevance Lost? 3. So, Whats to Be Done? 4. Implementation. Like a Consumer Reports evaluation, they provide an unsatisfactory report: Based on a comprehensive, large-sample empirical analysis, spanning the past half century, we document a fast and continuous deterioration in the usefulness and relevance of financial information to investors decisions. The pace of this usefulness deterioration has accelerated in the past two decades. Our analysis indicates that todays financial reports provide a trifling 5-6 percent of the information relevant to, and used by, investors. One illustration they use in the book is to compare United States Steel Corp.s 1902 and 2012 financial statements. The former is 40 pages; the latter is 174 pages. Yet they focus on the same information. Uniformity has lead to less experimentation and innovation as the world moved from an industrial/service economy to a knowledge economy. In another indictment that what the accounting profession is peddling is the Edsel of our day, pro forma (non-GAAP) earnings disclosures have doubled from 2003 to 2013, and now are over 40 percent. As The Economist stated: The real Enron scandal is that so much of what Enron did conformed with GAAP. How much of stock prices is attributable to earnings and book values? It was roughly 80 to 90 percent in the 1950s and 1960s; the authors say its 50 percent today. PART 2: WHY IS IT LOST? The authors document three major reasons for why financial reports have lost relevance: 1. The inexplicable treatment of intangible assets the dominant creators of corporate value. Intellectual capital such as brand development, human capital, R&D, etc. are all expensed by current accounting standards. 2. Accounting isnt about facts anymore but more and more about managers subjective judgments, estimates and projections. 3. Unrecorded business events increasingly affect corporate value (competitor moves, regulatory changes, alliances, etc.). Just one example: The prevalence of mark-to-market rules is a clear case of asking GAAP to do something it is constitutionally incapable of doing projecting value into the future, because accounting is not a theory, its an identity equation. GAAP can only record value once a transaction has taken place. This is why the goodwill of a business is booked after it has been sold. It is why our late colleague, Paul OByrne, FCA, used to say that goodwill is the name accountants give to their ignorance. Warren Buffett remarked, This is not marked-to-market, rather marked-to-myth. As the authors point out, Enron was marking-to-market 30-year gas contracts in which they were the main market-maker. Much of this is due to the Financial Accounting Standard Boards obsession with the balance-sheet approach, adopted in the 1980s, with the prime objective to value assets and liabilities at fair (current) values. These adjustments spill over into the income statement, making it less relevant. If the balance sheet is flawed, so is the income statement. PART 3: SO, WHATS TO BE DONE? There have been initiatives to supplement the traditional financial statement report, such as with key performance indicators, the value reporting revolution, intellectual capital reports, the Enhanced Business Reporting Model, integrated reporting and so forth. They havent amounted to much, and they are not grounded in solid economic theory. Lev and Gu propose adding The Strategic Resources & Consequences Report to the financial statements. As they explain: The focus of this ... Report is on the strategic, value-enhancing resources (assets) of modern enterprises, like patents, brands, technology, natural resources, operating licenses, customers, business platforms available for add-ons, and unique enterprise relationships, rather than on the commoditized plant, machines, or inventory, which are prominently displayed on corporate balance sheets. Our proposed disclosure to investors is primarily based on non-accounting information, focusing on the enterprises strategy ... and its execution, and highlighting fundamental indicators more relevant and forward-looking inputs to investment decisions than the traditional accounting information, we grade the ubiquitous corporate financial report information as largely unfit for twenty-first-century investment and lending decisions, identify the major causes for this accounting fade, and provide a remedy for investors. Its an innovative and empirical approach, as the authors studied investor calls, earnings disclosures, etc., to learn what educated investors were asking to help them peer into the future potential of companies. This is an enlightened way to develop key predictive indicators that is, theories that can be used to peer into the future, rather than merely looking backward with data that compose most key performance indicators. PART FOUR: IMPLEMENTATION The authors are not fans of more regulation. In fact, they advocate lessening the disclosure rules. They believe their proposals could be voluntarily adopted, perhaps with a nudge by industry trade associations and the SEC. The authors also advocate eliminating quarterly reporting, since frequency and reporting quality are substitutes, making it semi-annual, as in the U.K. and Australia, among other countries. They would still require quarterly reporting of sales, cost of goods sold, and gross margin. Finally, they propose three reforms to GAAP: 1. Treat intangibles as assets (at cost) and improve disclosures (such as separating research from development). 2. Reverse the proliferation of accounting estimates such as marking-to-market, leaving fair market value to investors since accountants have no expertise in valuation. Compare the top five to seven key managerial estimates and projections to actual. 3. Mitigate accounting complexity regulatory complexity now exceeds business complexity. Its futile to have a rule for every scenario. We need more principles and professional judgment, and fewer rules. A DETERIORATING PARADIGM The accounting model is suffering from what philosophers call a deteriorating paradigm the theory gets more and more complex to account for its lack of explanatory power. I am very curious to see the professions response to this book going forward. My guess is, for the most part, it will be ignored, which would be tragic, and a missed opportunity. The No. 1 issue facing the accounting profession is loss of relevance. Does anyone doubt that using financial statements to run or invest in a modern-day intellectual capital organization is the equivalent of timing your cookies with your smoke alarm? Its time for the profession to step up its game, and stop being historians with bad memories. One of the canons of a profession is a spirit of service to put societys interests above our own. How can we claim to be doing that when the return on investment is so low and I would argue negative on our core products? The deadweight loss to the economy from financial statement reporting, auditing, regulatory compliance, etc., is appalling. Its a disservice to those we purport to serve investors, and the public at large. Its past time to bring some innovative disruption to auditing, such as having the stock markets select and pay the auditors of listed companies, once and for all tackling the sham that is auditor independence. How can you be independent when youre paid by the very company you are auditing? I only wish the authors had dealt with this issue. The End of Accounting is the most important book that has been written on the irrelevance of accounting in recent times. The profession had better pay attention to its diagnosis and its prescriptions, or it deserves all of the irrelevance and loss of value it will surely suffer. Ron Baker is the founder of the VeraSage Institute. The American Institute of CPAs is appealing a court decision that upheld the Internal Revenue Services voluntary program for tax preparer education and testing. The IRS introduced the Annual Filing Season Program in 2014 after the federal courts invalidated a mandatory program it had instituted requiring all tax preparers to be tested and undergo continuing education. The AICPA filed suit to challenge the voluntary program, but the lawsuit was dismissed later that year by the same federal judge, James Boasberg, who had invalidated the IRSs earlier Registered Tax Return Preparer program in 2013 in the case of Loving v. IRS. He said the AICPA lacked standing to challenge the newer program (see Judge Dismisses AICPA Lawsuit against the IRS). Earlier this month, Boasberg again ruled against the AICPA. On the surface it seems difficult to square the AIPCAs interest in dismantling the IRSs program with Congresss goal of safeguarding consumers, he wrote. The AICPA has now appealed to a higher court. We filed a notice of appeal with the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on Wednesday, said AICPA spokesman Jay Hyde in an email. We look forward to having our appeal heard. The AICPA has argued that the program represents an "end-run" around Loving v. IRS, and that the IRS does not have the authority to proceed with the program. By doubling the number of categories of tax return preparers to eight, the program would confuse consumers and do nothing to address the problem of unethical or fraudulent tax return preparers, the Institute contended. The AICPA also argued that the IRS had circumvented the normal process of issuing a notice and soliciting comments and feedback before proceeding with the program. Jessica A. Magaldi, assistant professor of legal studies and taxation in the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in New York, has written about the case in a recent paper and doubts the appeal will be more successful. I cant imagine the prospects are very good, she told Accounting Today. Theyve tried now three times with this first case, and then the appeal gave them a narrow window to go back on. She and her co-author on the paper, John Spencer Treu, an assistant professor of accounting in the College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University, believe the AICPA will have a difficult time proving injury to CPAs from the Annual Filing Season Program. We felt like there was no real sense their members had an injury and that they had the standing to bring a suit, she said. The court pointed out it still has not ruled on the actual merits of the Annual Filing Season Program. However, a separate class-action lawsuit in New Mexico by a group of taxpayers claiming their returns might receive extra scrutiny from the IRS if they are filed by unenrolled preparers may provide that opportunity. Thats going to be very interesting as well, said Magaldi. Like his colleague, Treu is also skeptical about the AICPAs prospects for succeeding in its lawsuit. I dont have a real positive outlook on the case from the AICPAs perspective, he said. I think they have a hard time arguing that theres really any harm from this voluntary program. At the end of the day its a difficult position for them to succeed on. The heart of their argument is that this one new designation is competing with their own, but the adoption of the designation has been pretty modest. He pointed out that only about 10 percent of unenrolled preparers are in the Annual Filing Season Program. We find states that regulate preparers actually have more CPAs than states that dont, so it seems like the AICPA is arguing against their own interest, said Treu. Their perception is we need to squelch competition, but I think they may be preventing something that may be of benefit to them in a way. He and Magaldi found that when the RTRP regulation for requiring tax preparer education and testing was in place for one year, more people sought to become enrolled agents that year than had ever previously applied to become EAs. States such as California and Oregon, which have regulated tax preparers for many years, have more CPAs than attorneys, after controlling for other factors. We actually think the AICPA is misguided in arguing against their own interests in filing these suits, said Treu. A roundup of our favorite tax fraud cases. Charleston, S.C.: A federal court has permanently barred preparers Latasha Failey and her sister Latoya Windham from preparing federal returns for others. According to a civil complaint, Failey and Windham prepared federal income returns in North Charleston from 2009 to 2012, continually and repeatedly preparing returns that claimed false deductions or credits to understate clients tax liabilities. The defendants falsely claimed education credits, child and dependent care credits, itemized deductions and dependency exemptions, according to the complaint. In 2013, Failey and Windham each pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false income tax return and were sentenced to prison and probation, respectively, the complaint states. The courts order also requires the sisters to give the federal government a list of all of their prep clients since Jan. 1, 2013. Birmingham, Ala.: Preparer Donald E. Steele, 41, has been convicted for assisting in the preparation of false returns and tampering with a witness the IRS contacted to question about returns Steele prepared. He was convicted on five counts of assisting in the preparation of a false federal income tax return in 2010 or 2011, and on one count of witness tampering in 2011. At the time, Steele operated Max Tax, a tax prep business owned by his wife. According to evidence, Steele made false claims and fabricated deductions on federal returns for three different taxpayers. Multiple taxpayer witnesses testified that they were not given a copy of their prepared return. When investigators later presented them their returns, they saw fraudulent claims that included false filing statuses, false dependents, false itemized expenses including medical and dental deductions and charitable contributions, false business expenses and deductions, and false disability claims and education expenses and credits. The jury found Steele guilty of tampering with a witness for whom he had prepared a fraudulent 2010 return. The woman testified that she tried unsuccessfully many times to get a copy of her return from Steele, but once the investigation began, he showed up at her workplace and handed her a $200 check, which she considered a bribe not to talk to the IRS. The maximum sentence for aiding in the preparation of a false federal income tax return is three years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the maximum for witness tampering is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Placerville, Calif.: Preparer Teresa Marty, 56, of Pollock Pines, Calif., and owner of Advanced Financial Services, and two of her employees have pleaded guilty to charges related to filing more than 250 false claims for refunds. Marty pleaded guilty to conspiring to file false claims for refund and conspiring to defraud the IRS. On August 24, Pamela Harris, Martys office manager, and Rebecca Bandera-Marty, a California certified preparer, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to file false claims. The three were indicted in June 2013 along with co-defendants Charles and Victoria Tingler. The Tinglers, who were clients, pleaded guilty to filing false claims in the spring of 2015 and will be sentenced in November. Marty, Harris and Bandera-Marty admitted that they conspired to file false individual income tax returns claiming more than $60 million in false federal refunds. Marty and Harris recruited clients by falsely representing that the clients could legally receive sizable refunds by filing returns with 1099-OIDs. AFS prepared false 1099-OIDs that reported an amount equal to the clients debts as income and the same amount as income tax withheld, resulting in significant undeserved refunds. The scheme included clients from 26 states and caused the IRS to pay out more than 40 refunds, totaling more than $9 million. Marty also admitted that she and the Tinglers, with the help of Harris, filed multimillion dollar liens against government officials, including three IRS employees who were involved in the collection of taxes the defendants owed the IRS as a result of participating in the scheme. Marty filed $84 million in liens against the then-acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California and a former Department of Justice Tax Division attorney involved in filing the suit to permanently enjoin Marty and AFS from preparing returns. The liens filed with the California Secretary of State unlawfully disclosed personal ID information of the government employees. Harris and Marty also engaged a commercial collection agency to collect one of the three false liens that Charles Tingler filed against an IRS revenue officer for $500,000. Clients of AFS have been prosecuted in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Oregon and Washington for filing the false claims prepared by Marty and AFS. Martys sentencing is scheduled for January 4; she faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a term of supervised release and monetary penalties. Bandera-Marty is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16 and Harris on January 4. They each face a maximum of 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release and monetary penalties. Glenfiddich partners with NDTV Good Times for a short series: The MAVERICKS. Hosted by the elegant & eloquent Rahul Khanna, this three-part series will begin on 3rd September 2016 at 10.00pm on NDTV Good Times, with subsequent episodes being aired on 10th and 17th September. The series brings to life the story of the maverick whisky makers of the Dufftown, from the Scottish Highlands. Whisky-making is the essence of Dufftown, and the worlds most award-winning single malt Scotch whisky comes from this little vibrant area. A maverick in himself Rahul Khanna takes us through the story of legends who have introduced single malt whisky to the world. Set in quaint and picturesque Dufftown, the series begins from the Valley of the Deer, on the banks of the River Fiddich, where the founder William Grant nurtured a dream to make the best dram in the valley. This is where Glenfiddich got its name from. Rahul takes the viewers through the journey of the William Grant and Gordon family into making Glenfiddich as the finest whisky the world has ever known. This traces the innovation and the pioneering outlook which this successful family run business embodies along with its contemporary global orientation that salutes the true maverick spirit the world over. The show was unveiled over an exclusive gathering at The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi. Rahul Khanna, Bollywood actor said that The humble origin of Glenfiddich is certainly awe inspiring for me since nobody would have ever thought that a small and quaint setting such as Dufftown would become an important part of the global whisky map. Additionally, this experience has left me richer not only in knowledge and appreciation for Glenfiddich, but also in spirit as it was a privilege to be a part of this exciting series. Whisky fans will certainly love to watch this carefully written story of the Mavericks of Dufftown Shweta Jain, Head of Marketing at William Grant & Sons said, Glenfiddich has always been at the forefront of innovation; recognized as both the worlds most awarded single malt and the brand that challenged the norm by taking single malt beyond Scotlands borders to create the category as it is known today. With this extraordinary series The Mavericks on NDTV Good Times, Glenfiddich brings to fore the amazing story of evolution of Malts and the various fascinating details that go into making the most valued spirit in the world & very much so in India Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu has stressed on the need for self-regulation and reasonable restrictions in the context of rapid expansion of different forms of media in the country and the attendant competition in reporting on various events to maintain public order and ensure integrity and sovereignty of the country. He spoke at length on various aspects of functioning of the media after inaugurating a two-day Regional Editors Conference at Chennai yesterday. Naidu said that there was a need to ensure balance between freedom of expression and the genuine need for reasonable restrictions to ensure that that there was no divisive communication given the social, cultural and economic diversity in the country. Self-regulation by media could be useful in this regard, he said. The growing compulsion of instant communication should not lead media away from truthful reporting, the Minister stressed. The Minister urged the media to effectively play out its role as a partner in the progress of the nation by empowering the citizens with required information that would give them a voice. He noted that success of developmental programmes of central and state governments depended on mass mobilisation of people in which the media had an important role to play. Hence, the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed communication as a critical component in the Governance of the Nation, Naidu said. Noting that media in the country has been by and large progressive, Naidu reminded the media of its first responsibility being towards the nation and the society. He noted that despite the emergence of new forms of media, print media has been reporting steady growth, which is being driven by the growth of regional media. Naidu noted that regional media is uniquely placed in connecting the governments and the people given their focus on regional and local issues and their proximity to the people. The Minister expressed concern over politicisation of public discourse on issues that have a bearing on social cohesion and national unity and integrity. He said, Human rights are meant for human being and not for terrorists. One should not identify those imprisoned by their caste or religion. Illegal detention is not correct. One can seek fast track adjudication but not on the basis of caste or religion. Media should guard itself while reporting on such demands and events. The two-day Regional Editors conference, organised by the Press Information Bureau, is aimed at sharing with the senior journalists of the southern States and Union Territories, the perspectives of and performance under new initiatives of the Government of India in sectors pertaining to Urban Development, Information Technology, Coastal security, Commerce and Industry and Shipping and Highways Development. About 100 media persons are attending the conference. Mastercard in partnership with HDFC Bank has launched a Priceless Surprises campaign,#CelebrateHERoes. The cardholders from HDFC Bank can nominate their special hero who has been contributing towards the cause of women empowerment and they will stand a chance to win exciting prizes. Flipkart is the marquee retail partner of this campaign. This is for the first time, Mastercard is inviting cardholders to give back to society through its collaboration with other partners. Women empowerment remains at the heart of Mastercard and with the launch of this campaign, we will further raise awareness and support the unsung heroes who are working towards this cause. said Porush Singh, Country Corporate Officer and Division President, South Asia, Mastercard. Mastercard is excited to have partnered with HDFC Bank and Flipkart in celebrating this wonderful cause and rewarding our cardholders with Priceless Surprises. At HDFC Bank, we believe that by empowering women we can make a difference in the lives of an entire household and help create sustainable communities. This philosophy is embedded in a number of our businesses and projects that we undertake as a socially responsible corporate citizen. Through this campaign, which is closely aligned with our philosophy, we hope we can encourage even more people to be a part of this endeavor, said Parag Rao, Country Head - Card Payment Products and Merchant Acquiring Services, HDFC Bank. Also speaking on the campaign, Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Head- Category Design, Flipkart said, Flipkart has always believed in transforming commerce and adding value to customers in India through innovative modes of engagement. This initiative by Mastercard is a unique way to instill the thought women empowerment and we are happy to partner with them and inspire millions of individuals who shop on Flipkart. As part of this initiative, Mastercard cardholders from HDFC Bank can submit nominations on impactful stories relating to a person or their hero making a meaningful difference to the lives of women in India. The participant who sends in the best nomination will stand a chance to win a grand prize of a free trip for two people to the United States of America and the nominee will get a grant of INR 10 Lakhs. Seven more finalists will receive Flipkart vouchers of INR 50,000 each. The gratification, for the seven nominees, will also expand to felicitate and recognize these leading heroes in everyday life through a reward of INR 8 Lakhs each to contribute to a cause of their choice. The campaign kicks off with the launch of a video showcasing Anil Kapoor urging people to come forward and make that difference towards encouraging and supporting women in their own little ways. The video has been planned and created by McCann Erickson and produced by Sniper. Anil Kapoor, Actor & Producer said, I am excited to be part of this campaign. I happy to celebrate the real heroes, who are making a difference in womens lives for a better and empowered society. This is my chance to be part of something Priceless. Nominations can be sent on CelebrateHeroes@hdfcbank.com or on Mastercard Facebook page - with #CelebrateHERoes. The best nominations would be adjudged by a distinct panel of jury selected by Mastercard and HDFC Bank. Dubai, UAE 31st August: With the launch around the corner, Bollywood Parks Dubai, the worlds first Bollywood inspired theme park and part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, the largest integrated theme park destination in the region, set to open on October 31 2016, brings yet another first with its biggest cinematic association. The park has partnered with Shahrukh Khan to shoot the high speed chase scenes for its immersive 3D ride Don: The Chase which will premiere at the opening of Bollywood Parks Dubai. While shooting for the ride, Shahrukh Khan said, "The park is a mix of rides, excitement and adventure, while staying true to the ethos of Bollywood. Films are a reflection of reality where we strongly believe in our hopes, and the same will be translated to the park where you will have fun! At Bollywood Parks Dubai, we will emulate this larger than life spirit, as we want to leave our guests and families spellbound at the end of each ride. With the fans and families of Dubai waiting for the opening of the first Bollywood inspired theme park, the fine detailing of the elements recreated from the actual movie witnessed during the chase, will cast the feel of being a part of the movie. Getting back into his character from the movie, the star was seen reciting his famous dialogues, especially for the thrill seekers who cant wait to experience this ride. Commenting on the ride, he said, This time the chase is in Dubai, on the very famous Sheikh Zayed Road and also other famous landmarks of Dubai. As the famous dialogue of the movie goes Don ko pakadana mushkil hi nahin, namumkin hai that means its not only difficult to catch Don, but impossible as well. Directed by Reema Kagti, one of Bollywoods finest directors, this ride was completed with the support of over 100 members from the production team. Under the guidance of the Don movie producer, Ritesh Sidhwani and the lead actor Shahrukh himself, the team ensured that every aspect of the ride should exude the essence of the original movie, so that the fun begins right at the start as visitors enter the ride pre-show area and immediately become a part of the story. He further added, A movie star is made by the team, who works behind him or her. You feel completely redundant and useless, if you dont have a good team supporting you. The star of the show carries a lot of his own notion on the set and if it is channeled in the wrong direction, then the whole set or the making goes wrong. But if it is nice, then it permeates to everyone and the hard work required does not seem like hard work at all. Located within the Mumbai Chowk zone at Bollywood Parks Dubai, visitors will enjoy the Don The Chase ride, a 3D motion immersive tunnel, which will have visitors chasing their favourite diabolical mastermind across the city of Dubai, hoping that they will be the first to catch him. Paying tribute to Bollywoods hometown, the Mumbai Chowk zone will also provide unique offerings such as a recreation of the famous Victoria Station, built alongside a classic Mumbai suburban railway train offering typical Indian curries while showcasing performances on its roof - the Mumbai Express stage - will bring to life the colours and sounds of this vibrant city. Be the first to watch the airing of the videos on the below given link: Don video link Ultimate theme park enthusiasts can purchase the Bollywood Parks Dubai Annual Pass which includes limitless access to the Worlds first Bollywood themed park at AED 755. With over 16 rides and attractions plus 20 daily live shows, spread across 1.7 million sqft, the Annual Pass will provide visitors with unlimited access to B_Spellbound, while unlocking a host of exclusive benefits and rewards. Annual passes for Bollywood Parks Dubai are currently on sale at www.bollywoodparksdubai.com and www.dubaiparksandresorts.com. Scheduled to open on 31st October this year, Bollywood Parks Dubai is part of Dubai Parks and Resorts which will also feature MOTIONGATE Dubai a unique theme park showcasing some of Hollywoods most beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios and Lionsgate as well as the regions first LEGOLAND Park and a LEGOLAND Water Park. The entire destination will be connected by Riverland Dubai a retail and dining destination at the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts, and guests can stay at the Lapita Hotel, a Polynesian themed family hotel part of the Marriott Autograph Collection. Mr Vinaya Varma, 47, today took over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kolkata-based mjunction services limited, a joint venture of Tata Steel and SAIL, and Indias leading B2B e-commerce company. Mr Varma has served the company for the last 15 years since its inception in 2001, and his last held position in the company was that of its Vice-President. mjunction ended FY16 with a 33% growth in its topline and 43% growth in bottomline. Mr Varma has led all major ventures of the company which includes metaljunction, coaljunction and buyjunction. He is a strong believer in the power of e-commerce and is committed to building efficient and transparent supply chains. Under his leadership, mjunction is all set to see a new phase of growth and development. On his first day at office, Mr Varma said: I look forward to build on the good work that has been done at mjunction for the last 15 years. mjunction is a customer-centric organisation, and I shall ensure that all platforms, applications and services of mjunction continue to provide superior experience and business benefits to all its users. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Mr Varma was with Tata Steel before joining mjunction, where he was involved in several functional areas encompassing Production, Planning, Sales and Marketing. Monarch Aircraft Engineering Limited (MAEL), the engineering division of Monarch, have signed an agreement to support Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 operation at Gatwick. The long term agreement will see the Airbus A350 added to Monarch Aircraft Engineerings EASA Part 145 approval, allowing Monarch engineers to carry out line maintenance support on the new aircraft type. Cathay Pacific will operate the Airbus A350 into Gatwick four times a week, from 2nd September 2016 and will be the first operator of this aircraft type into the location. Neil Kirby, Sales Manager at Monarch Aircraft Engineering, said: We are delighted to have been selected by Cathay Pacific to support their new A350 operation into Gatwick. This new contract reinforces Monarch Aircraft Engineerings commitment to investing in new technology aircraft fleets as we grow line maintenance operations across our network. MBDA signed a contract in Doha yesterday for the supply of a coastal defence system for the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (QENF). Above: Executive Group Director Strategy of MBDA Pasquale di Bartolomeo and Qatari naval commander Major General Mohammed Nasser Al Mohannadi signing the Coastal Defence System contract in Doha, on 1st September. This innovative coastal missile system will deploy two different munitions, Marte ER (the Extended Range version of the Marte missile) and Exocet MM40 Block 3 , and it will be able to work in autonomous mode with its own radar, or alternatively by data-linking to a higher level within a wider coastal surveillance network. The supply of these coastal missile systems will allow the QENF to prevent hostile ships from reaching and threatening their territorial waters. With this further contract signed by MBDA, the partnership between the three countries Qatar, Italy and France is confirmed and reinforced in a strategic environment such as defence. Antoine Bouvier, CEO of MBDA, commented: I am delighted that Qatar has confirmed the trust placed in MBDA for its defence requirements, just a few months after signing the MoU during DIMDEX exhibition. MBDA is now one of the countrys leading defence suppliers and will continue to show its long-standing commitment and support for the Qatari Armed Forces. Todays contract follows the one signed with the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces last June to supply the new naval vessels recently procured from Fincantieri with MBDA missiles. Pasquale Di Bartolomeo, Executive Group Director Strategy of MBDA, said: I am pleased to be in Doha this morning to sign this contract on behalf of MBDA. This is a new significant success for the Company. In particular this contract will deeply involve the engineering and manufacturing activities of the Italian sites. It is important to underline that this program represents a confirmation of the Marte ER capabilities: MBDA is able to reaffirm its supremacy in the anti-ship missile sector, providing different and scalable solutions for its customers worldwide. Commsoft's MRO IT system, OASES, has been chosen by Pionair, the Australian air charter and air freight specialists, to support the three BAe 146-200 regional airliners it will be using for its new airline freight operations. Pionair will be Commsoft's second active customer in Australia and this new contract represents the eighth deal won for OASES in 2016. A best-of-breed system, OASES offers a highly impressive level of technical sophistication whilst being intuitively user-friendly. To allow for scalability, the system is structured in a modular format and for its new operations, Pionair has selected the Core, Airworthiness, Planning and Materials modules. Warranty and Line Maintenance modules may be added at a later stage. The system will be hosted on Commsofts OASES Private Cloud service. Nick Godwin, Commsoft Managing Director, commented: This contract win is excellent news for us and confirms yet again for the eighth time this year the technological, operational and commercial benefits that OASES can deliver. It also confirms that the OASES community is a truly global one and were looking forward to working with Pionair to ensure a speedy and successful implementation. Pionair, with over 20 years experience, is one of Australias leading air charter operators specialising in F.I.F.O., Air Cargo (dangerous and non-dangerous goods), Ad Hoc Air Charter and ACMI services. The companys Head Office is in Sydney but it also has a full time presence in Cairns, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast and Port Moresby. Pionairs new airline operations with OASES, which will be headquartered in Bankstown, NSW, are scheduled to start in September. WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a panel discussion organized by the U.S. Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US), former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain and State Department Spokesman Adam Ereli, Vice President Al Gore's Communication Director and senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council Larry Haas, and NCRI-US Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh, discussed the Iranian regime's destructive role in the five-year-old Syrian Conflict. A new book, How Iran Fuels Syria War, was also made public. The event, held at the NCRI's Washington Office, was moderated by the Council's Foreign Affairs Committee member Ali Safavi, who said "the startling picture, showing the heartbreaking silence of the five-year-old Syrian child, Omran Daqneesh, covered in dust from head to toe after being pulled from the rubble following an airstrike, mirrors the stunning silence of the West regarding the Syrian tragedy." In his remarks, Amb. Ereli said that the release of the book, How Iran Fuels Syria War, was important "not only because what it tells us about what's going on in Syria, but because what it tells us more broadly about how the Iranian regime operates; it's a taxonomy of influence." Commenting on the extent of Tehran's regional interference, he added that by spending a lot of money, Iran is "not just controlling territory on the ground, but it's buying loyalty. And the people who they're supporting and their children and their children's children are going to be Iranian advocates for many generations to come." He added, "Syria is just the latest example to create client states." Offering a broad perspective on policy vis-a-vis the Tehran regime, Mr. Haas said, "Iranian involvement in Syria reflects its continued expansionist and hegemonic ambitions that start in the region and go beyond. If anything, the regime has grown more aggressive in the aftermath of this nuclear deal, not less." He added, "This shows the fallacy of two basic U.S. positions of recent years. The first, the hope that a nuclear agreement with Iran would moderate that regime. And that is a hope that drove U.S. policy toward Iran right from the start, going back to the reluctance to comment on the fraudulent election in 2009, reluctance to get behind the opposition Second, Syria shows the fallacy of the U.S. belief that a reduced U.S. role in the region and beyond would lead to a safer world." In his remarks, Jafarzadeh pointed to the critical role the regime in Tehran has been playing to keep Bashar al-Assad in power, disclosing that the Syrian dictator had been intent on leaving the country after suffering setbacks in September 2015, but was dissuaded at the last minute by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as Assad arrived at the Glass Building located in Damascus Airport to depart the country. NCRI Deputy Director revealed that Tehran had divided Syria into five military zones, and has established 18 military command centers across the country by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) Qods Force. Iran's military presence has increased to 70,000 IRGC, regular army forces, Iraqi, Afghan and Pakistani mercenaries as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah, Jafarzadeh emphasized, adding, "The fall of Assad would pave the way for the fall of the clerics ruling Iran; this explains Tehran's huge financial and human resources spending in Syria." He stressed that the international community must "end the Iranian regime's occupation of Syria, exclude Tehran from international talks on Syria, not partner with the regime to fight ISIS, provide political and financial backing to Syria's moderate opposition and establish a no-fly zone to protect the civilians." CONTACT: Ali Safavi, 1-202-747-7847 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/panel-highlights-iranian-regimes-extensive-involvement-in-syria-war-300322188.html SOURCE National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) Spanish aircrews train with US at Red Flag 16-4 Since its inception in 1975, Red Flag has served as the pinnacle of air-to-air combat training for the Air Force and its allies. For the Spanish Air Force, Red Flag 16-4 has been the perfect avenue to receive the best training for their aircrews and support personnel, as well as an avenue for overcoming unique challenges that arent always experienced in European exercises. With most of our experience coming from European exercises, we have mostly a European outlook, said Spanish Air Force Capt. Dario Perez, an EF-18M pilot. Working with the United States Air Force aircraft and its allies serves as a great chance to train in a non-European venue, and broaden our views. In order to expand their views, communication between allies can be a challenge for Spanish Air Forces, but at Red Flag this has not turned out to be a roadblock. As we are standardized with NATO everyone speaks the same language while we train, said Spanish Air Force Capt. Esteve Ferran, a pilot. With the NATO documents we use, everyone is on the same page and on the same sheet of music at all times. Like last time we were here in 2008 the exercise proved to be difficult at first, but once we got rolling it was excellent. Once settled in, Red Flag 16-4 offered unique trials for Spanish Air Force pilots and crews to overcome. While the Red Flag exercise here is similar to the exercises that we encounter in Europe, the surface-to-air threats that are part of Red Flag are top notch and always serve as a challenge, Perez said. While the surface-to-air threats that pilots face here at Red Flag 16-4 serve as a valuable aspect of training, they arent the only facet of Red Flag valuable for aircrews. Tactically speaking, the surface-to-air threats are top notch, Ferran said. Also, the ability to use live ordnance in training is something that we dont always get access to when we participate in European exercises. With all of these benefits of Red Flags training there are also multiple challenges that aircrews have had to face. One of the most difficult things about this exercise has been the act of deploying all of our assets here, Ferran said. It has been difficult, and staging out of Nellis was the first challenge we faced. Then, the night operations of Red Flag have also been a challenge. There is a nine-hour difference between the time zones and so when we finish operations we then have briefings at 3 a.m. It gets tiring and becomes a challenge and is something that we dont see in European exercises. While these challenges, coupled with the tests of the monsoon weather that Las Vegas has brought to Red Flag 16-4, have presented Spanish air force with obstacles, they havent stopped pilots and aircrews from overcoming them. Taking these obstacles in stride, the Spanish Air Force has used one of the premier air-to-air exercises that the Air Force offers to gain excellent training experience for aircrews. US, Philippine airmen talks aim to enhance interoperability The ability of multinational militaries to work, train and fight alongside each other is vital within the dynamic security environment of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the Philippine Air Force vice commander told U.S. military members during a recent conference here. The U.S. military is a comforting and reassuring presence, Maj. Gen. Conrado Parra Jr. said at the fifth annual U.S.-Philippines Airman-to-Airman (A2A) talks held Aug. 29-31. The A2A talks are designed to not only foster military-to-military relationships with allied forces, but also to pave the way for future collaboration. Parra led a delegation of eight Filipino airmen who met with Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon, the Pacific Air Forces vice commander, and 24 PACAF Airmen, Marine Corps Forces Pacific and Hawaii Army National Guard personnel to discuss the way ahead for military cooperation between their two air forces. The goals of the three-day conference were synchronizing planning between the U.S. Air Force and Philippine Air Force, shaping engagement priorities, strengthening the bilateral relationship with the PAF, and focusing on a three- to five-year outlook for PACAF-PAF activities. These talks help to determine activities that will help bridge the gap between the two air forces, Parra said. We are here to discuss our primary concerns regarding recent security developments in the East Asia Sea, and our hope is that this will be a fruitful engagement for us. In recent years, military cooperation between both countries has expanded to include the Philippines hosting U.S. Pacific Command and PACAF exercises like Balikatan and Pacific Angel, and supporting the Pacific Air Chief Conference, the Pacific Rim Airpower Symposium and the Pacific Airlift Rally. Additionally, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his Filipino counterpart, Voltaire Gazmin, announced in April that the Philippines will host U.S. military missions to increase U.S.-Philippines security cooperation. One of those missions included PACOM directing PACAF to stand up an air contingent at Clark Air Base, Philippines, in April to set the foundation for joint air patrols that complement ongoing joint maritime patrols between the two countries. The purpose of the air contingent is to provide credible combat forces capable of a variety of missions including force projection, air and maritime domain awareness, personnel recovery, combating piracy and assuring access to the air and maritime domains in accordance with international law. The contingent also provides opportunities to expand cooperation and interoperability with Philippine counterparts and reassure partners and allies of the United States steadfast commitments in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. To date, the Philippines have hosted two iterations of air contingents, including A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and HH-60G Pave Hawks in April, and Navy EF-18 Growlers in June. Both nations recently signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which, like the air contingent, demonstrates U.S. commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific by establishing a mutually beneficial agreement that provides rapid humanitarian assistance and helps build capacity for the Philippines armed forces. Many of these key engagements have been successful and talks such as these further enable PACAF and PAF leaders to streamline the tactics, techniques and procedures that are shared between the two countries, strengthening the U.S.-Philippine bilateral relationship. Our two air forces have accomplished a lot of great training, Dillon said. Our goal during these talks is to continue the momentum by strengthening and thickening the relationship between the two air forces by building on the successes of the past with a solid roadmap for the future. General gives KC-46A progress report at symposium The first active-duty KC-46A Pegasus is slated to arrive at Tinker Air Force Base for routine maintenance three years from now, but preparations for the new aerial refueling tanker are in full swing across the Air Force, the programs executive officer said. Brig. Gen. Duke Richardson, the Air Force program executive officer for tankers, delivered a comprehensive progress report Aug. 23 at the 11th annual Tinker and the Primes Requirements Symposium in Midwest City. The KC-46 program hit major milestones in July. After hundreds of hours of flight testing, the tanker was cleared for production Aug. 12. Six days later, the Air Force ordered initial production of 19 planes in a $2.8 billion contract with Boeing. Similar buys are scheduled annually through the 2020s, he said. We are off to the races, Richardson said. Officials broke ground in July on the 158-acre KC-46A Tanker Sustainment Campus at Tinker AFB. A total of 14 hangar docks are planned for the repair, maintenance and overhaul of 179 planes the Defense Department currently plans to buy. The depot operation is expected to create more than 1,300 jobs. The first mission-ready Pegasus is scheduled for delivery next fall, Richardson said, but Tinker AFBs Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex wont receive its first plane for routine maintenance until 2019. Pegasus aircraft will be on a staggered maintenance schedule, with aircraft systems worked on every two years in an eight-year cycle. A KC-46s first scheduled maintenance stop, for example, should last 14-16 days. Its not like a KC-135 (tanker) coming in here for 160 flow days, but its also not coming back every five years, he added. Its coming back every two years. Deliveries of KC-46 support equipment have already begun at Altus AFB and McConnell AFB, Kansas, Richardson informed. McConnell AFB will be the first base to fly the Pegasus aircraft in 2017, flown by both active-duty and Air Force Reserve aircrews. Crews will be trained at Altus AFB. If you go to those two bases now, youll see hangars full of support equipment, Richardson said. By and large, the whole system is getting ready to start operating this weapon system. The 448th Supply Chain Management Wing at Tinker AFB will eventually handle the platforms supply chain, he said. Other KC-46 maintenance and sustainment operations will be based at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Utah, and Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, Georgia. The joint Boeing-Air Force team is operating five KC-46s in the flight test program. Flight testing is about one-third complete, Richardson said. We are professional and reliable provider since we offer customers the most powerful and beautiful themes. Besides, we always catch the latest technology and adapt to follow worlds new trends to deliver the best themes to the market. At least one civilian and four suicide bombers were killed on Friday after terrorists attacked Peshawars Christian Colony, Pakistani security sources said. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa confirmed all four suicide bombers were killed and a clearance operation is underway, DawnNews online reported. Firing reportedly began around 6 a.m., when the terrorists attacked the colony, the sources told DawnNews. The gunmen were wearing suicide jackets. Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets, and two others were killed by security forces, the sources added. The colony lies near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Peshawar has suffered numerous terrorist attacks but it was not immediately clear who was behind Fridays assault. The city suffered its worst terror attack in December 2014 when Taliban gunmen massacred more than 150 people, most of them children, at an army-run school. The last deadly attack in the city came in March this year when a bomb ripped through a bus carrying government employees, killing 15, DawnNews added. Former Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse indulged in a massive show of strength on the occasion of his 64th birthday. Despite resigning from the cabinet Khadse proved that he enjoys the confidence of party workers and residents of Jalgaon in his home constituency. Khadse has a strong foothold over north Maharashtra and it was a tough decision for Fadnavis government to ask him to step down from various posts after reports about him receiving calls from Dawood Ibrahims phone had surfaced. Maharashtra BJP President Raosaheb Danve and Agricultural Minister Pandurang Phundkar had attended Khadses birthday ceremony. In a function held at Muktainagar, Jalgaon Khadse said, I may or may not hold any post in the government but people still remain loyal with me. Party workers have stood by me in this hour of crisis and I am thankful to them. The allegations made against me are baseless and I am innocent. I had tendered my resignation as I didnt want to damage the image of my party. Khadse performed a pooja at Sant Muktai temple on the occasion of his birthday. Later party activists cut a cake and took a procession in the city. Both Danve and Phundkar were confident that soon Khadse will be cleared of all charges. The law will take its own course and I have full faith in the judiciary. The opposition parties have deliberately made false allegations against me to tarnish my political career. Those people who are making allegations against me must provide evidence in support of their claim. I have worked hard for 40 years to build my career and I had become the partys face from north Maharashtra. I have never seen such kind of a media trial in my life. I could have easily won election by contesting as an independent candidate but I wanted to support my party. I am ready to fight a battle against everybody except my party and I will remain loyal towards it, he added. He also blamed the media for publishing news without checking facts. The entire media and opposition parties had trained their guns against me which is unjustified. There was immense pressure on me to step down from cabinet, added Khadse. Khadse was involved in controversies with a questionable land deal in Pune and an alleged demand for bribe by his close aide Gajanan Patil for a land allotment case in Kalyan. Moreover, his mobile phone number allegedly appeared in the call records of most wanted gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Welcome the Lord Ganesha-the remover of obstacles, the God of Knowledge and the most revered and loved God of not only the city of Mumbai or Maharashtra but the whole universe! The metro city of Mumbai gears up every year, months before, to welcome and celebrate the biggest festival, perhaps, of India. Preparations like installing pandals, decorations and installations of idols and many other arrangements begin days before the day of the grand festival. Every year we have been seeing and witnessing to what extent this Ganesh Chaturthi festival is being celebrated in almost every nook and corner and suburb of this city. Having experienced the festivity of this great and important festival for decades, I just would like to mention about some Dos and Donts in simple terms as today the situation has changed drastically as compared to it were some years ago. Today due to security threats, police and the security force have to be always on their toes 247. The environment and other aspects needs to be taken care of. Besides, we are in the midst of facing water shortage and perhaps a drought too. Hence I would suggest that the celebrations should be low key, to be restricted to religious fervour and traditions and not on lavish display of wealth. It should be pure devotional in all respects. Its very important to restrict the noise levels. Ban film songs blaring through massive sized speakers and psychedelic effects. Especially in the areas where we have hospitals, thick population of civilians, schools and so on. Maintenance of cleanliness must be disciplined at all levels. There should be no pile-up of garbage and other items near the pandals and which would cause inconvenience to the pedestrians and the traffic. Public roads and streets should never be dominated over, by installing huge pandals, electronic and electrical gadgets and so on. The less said about this the better. Protection of environment is extremely important. Trees either must not be cut, destroyed or misused. Display of banners and plastic items must be banned. Wastage of water, eatables and at all other levels must be avoided. After the immersions, organisers should ensure to clean the areas and mainly many sea-shores and immersion sites. Every mandal should exhibit a short film for creating awareness in the society: like girls education, prevent child labour, save the planet and environment, obey traffic rules, say no to corruption and many such worthy causes. Such messages will certainly have positive effect on the people to go on the right path. Above all the organisers and the people should remain ever alert to prevent any untoward incidents and extend all possible cooperation to the city police personnel and security staff and officers in view of the grave situation the nation faces today. All the Mandals and the citizens too, should make generous and substantial donations to the CMs Relief / Farmers Relief fund etc. Since, this year, many Mandals have already taken steps to install big sized and heavily decorated idols etc.next year onwards the focus should be on having the eco-friendly Ganpati idols only. Let us pray to the Almighty Lord Ganesha for safe, peaceful, happy, grand and successful Ganeshotsav with all devotion and pure religious fervour. (The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.) Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview aired Friday that Moscow and Washington could reach a cooperation deal on Syria soon. In my opinion were gradually heading in the right direction and I dont exclude that well be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community, Putin said in an interview. Russian and American officials are holding negotiations in Geneva aimed at reestablishing a ceasefire in Syria and cooperating militarily against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups in the country. The talks are very difficult, Putin said. One of the key problems is that we insist, and our American partners do not object to this, that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organisations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra. Keen to solve Japan island row Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was keen to resolve a territorial dispute with Japan ahead of talks on September 2 with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, although a solution appears far off. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. We are not talking about some kind of exchange or some kind of sale, Putin said. Arrival of H225M Caracal from the French Army in flight to Kielce, Poland for MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition 2016 Airbus Helicopters to showcase H225M Caracal, Tiger HAD and H145M for the first time Presence in line with Airbus Groups Make In Poland ambition Kielce, Poland Airbus Helicopters will have a commanding presence at MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition, which takes place in Kielce, Poland from 6-9 September 2016. Highlighting its wide range of products, the company will present the H225M Caracal, which landed yesterday in Kielce following a ferry flight from France, together with the Tiger HAD and H145M on its static display. Airbus Helicopters presence at the show is in line with Airbus Groups Make in Poland ambition and will aim to emphasize its global commitment of long-term cooperation in country.The H225M Caracal, pre-selected by the Polish government in 2015, is a heavy, modern and combat-proven platform able to perform the widest range of missions from special operations to combat search and rescue, tactical transport, medical evacuation as well as a large spectrum of maritime missions. Operated by the armed forces of France, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia and Thailand, the H225M Caracal has demonstrated its reliability even in the harshest operational environments. Kuwait is the latest nation to join the community of Caracal users with an order of 30 H225M Caracal helicopters placed by the State of Kuwait last month.Alongside the H225M will be Airbus Helicopters multi-role attack helicopter, the Tiger HAD, offered to Poland in the frame of its upcoming Kruk acquisition project. The Tiger is designed to perform armed reconnaissance, air or ground escort, air-to-air combat, ground firing support, destruction and anti-tank warfare, day or night and in adverse conditions. It has proven its capabilities during operational deployments in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali.For the first time this year at MSPO, a real H145M from the German armed forces will be exhibited in Kielce. Certified in 2015, the H145M is the latest member of the Airbus Helicopters 4-ton-class twin-engine rotorcraft product range with built-in mission capability and flexibility, especially in high-and-hot operating conditions. In its military version, this economical and versatile helicopter covers the entire spectrum of military missions, from light utility to light attack.Besides Airbus strong helicopters appearance, the companys stand at MSPO will also see a variety of first class products from its defence and space division, Europes largest defence and space enterprise and the second largest space business worldwide.The A330 MRTT is the only new generation strategic tanker/transport aircraft flying and available today. The large 111 tonnes/ 245,000 lb basic fuel capacity of the successful A330-200 airliner, from which it is derived, enables the A330 MRTT to excel in air-to-air refuelling missions without the need for any additional fuel tank. The A330 MRTT is offered with a choice of proven air-to-air refuelling systems including an advanced Airbus Defence and Space Aerial Refueling Boom System, and/or a pair of under-wing hose and drogue pods, and/or a Fuselage Refueling Unit.Thanks to its true wide-body fuselage, the A330 MRTT can also be used as a pure transport aircraft able to carry up to 300 troops, or a payload of up to 45 tonnes/99,000 lb. It can also easily be converted to accommodate up to 130 stretchers for Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC).Airbus will also show a model of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the worlds most advanced new generation multi-role/swing-role combat aircraft available on the market. It represents the peak of European collaborative technology in avionics, aerodynamics, materials, manufacturing techniques and engines. With 599 aircraft on order Eurofighter Typhoon is Europes largest military collaborative programme. So far 8 nations are part of the Eurofighter family. Eurofighter Typhoon is the operationally proven Air Power for NATO, Europe, Middle East with multiple deployments such as the Baltic Air Policing duties with Spanish, German, UK and Italian Air Forces.The Orlik Multi-purpose Trainer (MPT) is Polands No 1 military training aircraft manufactured and maintained by Airbus in Poland. It perfectly fits training from basic to advanced phases. It comes along with fully integrated digital avionics and a new flight control system.Airbus is also a large contributor to the Polish space activities. As latest activity the company announced in June 2016 to construct a complex of clean rooms in Warsaw, thus boosting its Polish satellite production facility. The clean rooms will initially be used for the production of harnesses, a vital element to keep the various electronic satellite components connected. In future, they may be able to be used for the assembly of even more complex equipment for satellites and launchers or even small satellites.At MSPO the Astrobus S Earth observation satellite will be showcased. Astrobus S is the Perfect Combination of Compactness and Performance. The latest generation of Earth Observation Satellites for Very High Resolution (VHR) applications combines the advantages of a low-mass system (around 400 kg only) with the strong performance of a larger Earth observation satellite platform.Airbus Group has been a contributing partner to the Polish aerospace industry for almost two decades. With a current footprint of more than 900 direct jobs, the Group and its suppliers are involved in multiple cooperation projects with Poland, aiming to create 6.000 direct and indirect jobs in country over the next years. With a large manufacturing base in Warsaw, a dedicated engineering centre in odz and through a number of research & development partnerships with technical universities as well as small and medium enterprises in Poland, Airbus is carrying out breakthrough innovation projects in close collaboration with local actors to support development of advanced future concepts.For more details on Airbus Groups activities in Poland, check our dedicated website:www.airbusgroup.com/polandVisit Airbus at MSPO at the Airbus Group Stand in Hall F - Booth ZF-6. September 2, 2016 The US Republican Party is running an election campaign in Israel for its presidential candidate, Donald Trump. The campaign, which kicked off Aug. 15, targets the 300,000 expatriate Americans with voting rights who live in Israel. The efforts focus on cities with concentrations of people holding American citizenship: Jerusalem, Modiin, Raanana, Beit Shemesh, the Etzion Bloc settlements, Haifa and Beersheba. As part of the campaign, the Republicans have set up public information stands in the shopping centers of these cities to disseminate campaign messages. Tzvika Brot, the director of the Trump campaign in Israel, is convinced that 80% of the Americans in Israel are supporters of the Republican Party. One important reason, according to Brot, is that 65% of the American expats in Israel are religious or traditional. These groups naturally identify with the right and with conservative values, he said. Thats why we work mainly on explaining to people how to cast their vote, and less on convincing them. Most of this public is already on our side. Brot said the campaign in Israel is the largest conducted by the party in any country in the world outside of the United States, because Israel has the largest number of Americans in the world by percentage of population. Though he declines to disclose the campaign's budget, he said, We are talking about a very generous budget, the kind weve never seen before. Brot said the Israeli-American public chooses its candidate only according to the extent of the candidates affinity toward Israel. And theres no doubt that Trump is best for Israel. The campaign managers in Israel chose the slogan, Trump: The Israeli interest. The obvious question is: Why this focus on the Jewish vote? After all, many American Jews are concentrated in New York, which is generally viewed as a Democratic-oriented state. But Brot has a ready answer: In 2000, when George W. Bush ran against Al Gore, 537 votes from a specific district of Florida decided the election. This district alone counted 1,000 votes from Americans living in Israel who supported Bush. Thus, we can say that to a certain extent, the Israeli votes were what tilted the balance. Clearly, if the election results aren't close, then it wont matter. But we know that the results will be close, and the Israeli campaign may actually decide the election. The campaign's activities in Israel are diverse. We have a telemarketing headquarters, and we call people all the time, Brot said. A large part of our budget is invested in connecting with electors via the social networks. In addition, we conduct public events: We set up stands in the shopping centers and we also go from door to door. We have appointed regional supervisors who manage sub-headquarters that reach the individual voter. In addition, we have managers for different sectors: for yeshiva students, for seminary students and a special manager for soldiers. Now we are launching a Hebrew-language website. Sheldon Schorer, a lawyer and Democrats Abroad spokesman in Israel, objected to this argument. Trump good for Israel? he said in a conversation with Al-Monitor, his tone betraying annoyance. How do we know such a thing? We are talking about a businessman who has never done a thing in his life connected to foreign policy. One day he says that Israel and the Palestinians must be treated equally. After that he says that Israel should have to pay for American [security] support of Israel. Schorer contends that the Democrats, in contrast, have historically proven that they are the most committed to Israels security. Schorer also fumes at the figure bandied about by Trumps headquarters that 80% of Americans in Israel support the Republican Party. I have heard this falsehood time after time, and it surprises me that they continue with it. If they have a professional public opinion survey, let them release it to the public. But thats not what they do. When [former Republican candidate Mitt] Romney was running, they publicized a falsified survey claiming that they had a majority. After the elections, it emerged that [President Barack] Obama received 70% support here in Israel, he said. Until about a decade ago, support in Israel for the Democrats ranged from 72% to 79%, and that matched the support for Democrats among American Jewry, Schorer explained. In recent years we have seen an emigration to Israel of religious Americans who went to live in the settlements. These are usually closer to the Republicans, so it is possible that the percentages have changed a bit. But I dont believe that there has been such a great reversal here, certainly not for such an unseemly person as Trump. I am 100% sure that most of the religious Americans living in Raanana will not vote for the Republicans and that most of them will continue to support the Democrats. In a restaurant next to Jerusalems Mir Yeshiva, which is frequented by American students, Chaim Rosental, 21, from Brooklyn and Zalman Stone, 20, from Spring Valley, Maryland, offered their opinions to Al-Monitor. I support Trump because he talks about Americas problems, and he will also be better for Israel, said Rosental. Hillary Clinton will continue Obamas policy in the White House, and this really was not good policy for Israel, he emphasized. In contrast, Stone said that he intends to vote for Clinton. Maybe Clinton isnt really the best, but ultimately there are only two candidates and we have to choose. I cant see myself voting for that capricious roughneck Donald Trump, he said. We dont know a thing about Trump, and everything that he's said was just part of the campaign. Since America is so important to me, I intend to vote for Clinton. In principle, I didnt intend to vote at all, but because of the danger of Trump I will vote. September 1, 2016 News about Fatah reconciliation efforts began spreading in the past few days, as Kuwaiti newspaper al-Jarida cited Aug. 26 a prominent Egyptian source, who requested anonymity, as saying there were unremitting Egyptian efforts with Arab support to achieve reconciliation between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan and establish unity within Fatah. Internal division has been plaguing Fatah ever since its top leadership, the Central Committee, headed by Abbas, decided back in May 2011 to dismiss Dahlan who served as national security adviser to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and referred his case to the Palestinian attorney general on charges of financial corruption and being involved in murder cases. Dahlan was accused by Abbas of participating in the assassination of Hamas military leader Salah Shehadeh, who was killed by Israel in Gaza in 2002. He was also accused of being involved in the assassination of Fatah leaders back in 1993 in Gaza, namely Mohammed Abu Shaaban and Asaad al-Saftawi. In the past five years of estrangement, all Palestinian and Arab efforts to get Abbas and Dahlan to reconcile have failed. Abdul Hamid al-Massri, a member of Fatahs Revolutionary Council and a close associate of Dahlan in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are making efforts [to achieve unity within Fatah] as they believe the Palestinian reconciliation can only be achieved if reconciliation within Fatah succeeds, without Dahlan making any concessions to Abbas. As Fatah members, we are ready to do whatever it takes to keep Fatah united, even though Fatahs leadership in Ramallah is yet to make any steps toward Dahlans associates in Gaza. These steps include bringing those dismissed members back to the Fatah movement and resuming the payment of salaries that were cut off because of [those members] affiliation with Dahlan. Many Fatah parties had made promises that such positive steps would be taken. It seems the Egyptian and Arab efforts gained real momentum when the Palestinian government stated Aug. 30 that it truly valued these efforts aiming at reconciliation and unity within Fatah. A statement made by Fatahs Central Committee on Aug. 22 also called on the movements cadres to strengthen their unity, and emphasized that its institutions are open to dealing with their problems, including the grievances of those who suffered punitive measures. This is in reference to Dahlan and his associates who were also dismissed from Fatah, such as Sufyan Abu Zaydeh, Nasr Jomaa, Majed Abu Shamaleh and Rashid Abu Shabak. This recognition could be the first step toward resolving the outstanding issues after the decisions and sanctions Abbas issued against Dahlans supporters since 2011. These decisions included the discontinuation of [Dahlans supporters] salaries and their dismissal from their positions in Fatahs leadership. On Aug. 24, Samir al-Mashharawi, Dahlans right hand man, called on, from his Facebook page, dismissed Fatah members to take the necessary measures that guarantee their financial and organizational rights as authentic Fatah members and leaders. However, Rafiq Natsheh, head of the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission, confirmed Aug. 29 that the charges of corruption against Dahlan shall not be dropped, even if he reconciles with Abbas. It seems difficult to talk about efforts for internal Fatah reconciliation without discussing the Palestinian preparations for the local elections to be held Oct. 8, in light of Hamas high competitiveness and Fatahs and Israels concerns about an expected victory for Hamas. These concerns are justified by the ongoing internal division within Fatah, which prompted the Fatah movement to seek reconciliation between Abbas and Dahlan to unify the movements ranks and guarantee a win in the upcoming local elections. A Palestinian minister told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The last meeting held by Fatahs Central Committee on Aug. 30 addressed the Egyptian and Arab efforts for reconciliation between Abbas and Dahlan. The meeting even discussed possible scenarios, which included Dahlan's apologizing to Abbas for accusing him of financial corruption on several occasions. Some Fatah leaders are expected to visit Cairo in early September to discuss the terms of reconciliation, while Fatahs leadership has agreed in principle on the return of certain members close to Dahlan who were dismissed in recent years. If the efforts succeed, Dahlan will arrive in Ramallah in a few weeks, but maybe not before the election take place on Oct. 8. For its part, Hamas did not issue an official statement and did not comment on the Arab and Egyptian efforts to achieve reconciliation within Fatah. Hamas may be aware that reconciliation may strengthen Fatah and give it a lifeline to win in the upcoming local elections. Ahmed Youssef, former Undersecretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former political adviser to deputy head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, told Al-Monitor, Hamas sees in any internal Palestinian reconciliation a national goal that must be encouraged and supported. Division among Palestinians only serves Israel, and any Arab step aiming at reconciliation within Fatah pleases us. We hope that this reconciliation would be followed by steps toward strengthening our project and national goals. Egypt has always led all political action inside Palestine, whether aimed at a Fatah reconciliation, a Hamas-Fatah reconciliation or even a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. However, this time other Arab countries joined in. including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which raises questions about the objectives behind these countries joint efforts to rearrange the situation within Fatah. Adel Samara, a Palestinian academic and editor-in-chief of Kanaan Online magazine, told Al-Monitor, The Arab role aims to sabotage the Palestinian cause, and the parties [currently] seeking to achieve Fatah reconciliation namely Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE are leading an axis that is hostile to Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, knowing all three parties are close. [Hamas, Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood] enjoy the support of Turkey, especially after the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013 by the Egyptian army. Samara added, The Arab efforts toward reconciliation within Fatah may succeed this time, and could lead to Dahlan's running for the Palestinian presidential elections to replace Abbas. But if Hamas were to perceive the Fatah reconciliation from a national point of view in terms of [achieving] Palestinian unity in the face of Israel, it would take advantage [of this reconciliation]. But if Hamas sticks to its partisan point of view and seeks competition with Fatah in the local elections, this could be bad for [Hamas]. The Egyptian and Arab efforts to achieve Fatah reconciliation may coincide with Abbas quest for a safe exit from the Palestinian presidency. There have been reports that Abbas is communicating with regional countries about his leaving the political scene without being prosecuted, along with his sons, for making a fortune at the expense of the Palestinian public. Arab countries have started efforts to help rearrange the situation within Fatah, but no one can guarantee the success of such an endeavor. September 1, 2016 BAGHDAD Human Rights Watch (HRW) has praised Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr for publicly advocating a humanitarian stance toward the LGBT community, saying they should not be subjected to violence. Last month, Joe Stork, HRW's deputy Middle East director, said, His statement represents an important change in the right direction and should be followed by concrete actions to protect LGBT people from violence. In a rare, unexpected statement on July 7 about the LGBT community, the leader of the Sadrist movement declared, [You] must disassociate from them and provide them advice [but] not attack them. His comment was in response to a letter by a Sadrist supporter who complained about men acting like women and suspicious relations between people of the same gender, referring to homosexual relationships. HRW has documented serious abuses by various Iraqi groups, including Sadrists, against LGBT people, who have become a social community in the country. The human rights organization said, We hope this [new stance by Sadr] will change behavior in successors to the Mahdi Army and other ranks and spur the government to hold accountable those who commit these crimes. The issue has grabbed the attention of Iraqi and Arab media. Sadrs statement has generated controversy because it contrasts with the positions of other clerics and religious institutions, namely, other Shiite scholars in Iraq as well as in Iran. While clerics in both states preach that Islam forbids homosexuality, the difference lies in the way to address it. Sheikh Hussein al-Hashan, a Lebanese Islamic scholar, said in a paper published in the electronic magazine Bayynat, Forbidding homosexuality in Islamic law is unquestionable as stipulated in many Quranic verses. Instead of dealing with homosexual behavior as a punishable offense, however, Hashan believes it should be approached as a treatable mental and physical issue. Treating people for homosexuality is a common perspective in Islam, but one challenged by the medical community, which considers sexuality an innate characteristic, not a condition in need of being cured. In Iraq and Lebanon punishment for homosexuality is not stipulated by the law. The situation in Iran, however, is different. Iran's Sharia-based constitution holds homosexuality to be a crime punishable by death. Lesbians, however, can be punished with 100 lashes under Iranian law. Commenting on the reasons behind the differing attitudes toward punishment between Iraq and Iran although both countries follow Twelver Shiism, Najaf Hussein al-Khoshaimi, a cleric and Islamic scholar, told Al-Monitor, The judicial system in Iran is based on the velayet-e faqih [guardianship of jurists], by which Sharia is incorporated into the state. In [Iraq], however, the rules of Islam are separate from the democratic system. In short, he explained, the two approach Shiite principles on the implementation of Islamic punishments from different perspectives. In Iraqi Shiite thought, Islamic punishments cannot be meted out until the 12th imam returns to create an Islamic state. Although homosexuals in Iran face harsh conditions and punishment, the first supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, left a door open for transsexuals by issuing a fatwa in 1986 allowing sex reassignment surgeries. In fact, such procedures are subsidized by the state. Ali Murad, a political analyst, told Al-Monitor, Clerics in Iraq are the most prominent and influential players in opinion making, influencing and orienting opinions. They have the moral right to interfere in all of the state's affairs and the smallest details of the peoples social life. The political author and analyst Hamza Genahee agreed, telling Al-Monitor, Clerics have a role in Iraqi political and social life. He added, however, The religious authority in Najaf only interferes to regulate social affairs, and many of its fatwas are mere responses and answers to the peoples questions. Religiosity is widespread in Iraq, which has contributed to a social culture that requires people to essentially abide by the teachings of Islam. Thus wearing the hijab, for example, has become widespread, and other signs of religious commitment are visible everywhere. This in part stems from the efforts of Islamic preachers. Such influence is perhaps why in June the Najaf police reportedly arrested two gay men celebrating their informal marriage. The men defended themselves by pointing to an unidentified fatwa to claim that their marriage did not contradict Sharia. Mithal al-Alusi of the Civil Democratic Alliance told Al-Monitor, Muqtada al-Sadr's position is in line with the stance of most Iraqis rejecting all forms of violence, be it against homosexuals or others, calling Sadr's position a message of tolerance. Hassan Kallabi, a social researcher and health worker at the Hamza al-Gharbi Hospital, in part views the situation similarly. According to him, The majority in Iraq renounces homosexuality but does not support violence against homosexuals. September 2, 2016 TEHRAN, Iran With only eight months left of his current term, President Hassan Rouhani and his potential rivals are gearing up for Iran's May 2017 presidential election. Rouhani, who came to power in 2013 promising to resolve the nuclear issue, has fulfilled this key pledge with a comprehensive agreement with world powers. But is the nuclear deal enough to guarantee his victory in the upcoming elections? The most likely answer is "no," considering the challenges he faces in domestic politics, cultural issues and, most importantly, the economy. The cultural policies pursued by the Rouhani administration have, from the start, been close to the Reformist line of thought, prompting hope for change among Iran's cultural community. However, dissatisfaction continues to linger partly due to issues such as the numerous cancellations of music concerts. In the past two years, an estimated 50 concerts have been canceled by the police or judiciary, despite having the necessary permits. Most recently, controversial remarks by Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, the ultraconservative Friday prayer leader of the northeastern city of Mashhad, are the latest hindrance to the government's pursuit of its cultural agenda. Alamolhoda stated in mid-August that concerts cannot be held in Mashhad, given that it is where Ali al-Ridha (Reza) the eighth Shiite imam is buried, and that anyone who wants to attend a concert should go and live elsewhere. His statement was met with an outcry from a range of prominent Iranian figures. Baran Kosari, a celebrity who won the Best Actress award at the 2015 Fajr Film Festival in Tehran and played an active role in Rouhani's presidential campaign, is among those who have criticized the government and asked that it play a more effective and constructive role in the cultural arena. Kosari said, "As a person who both voted for this government and helped gather votes for it, I want to ask that it respect our demands. Simply saying that they [the government] are under pressure is not acceptable." Another key part of Rouhanis campaign agenda back in 2013 was the release of detained opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Until now, this promise has failed to materialize. The only response provided by Rouhani and his deputies on this issue has been, "We are trying. This issue requires a national consensus. The government is committed to its promises to the people." As for freedom of speech and media, though the situation has improved compared to what it was under previous President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the banning of newspapers continues, while even pro-Rouhani websites are now filtered. Iran's ailing economy is perhaps the biggest challenge that Rouhani and his administration face. What has made this challenge even more difficult is Ahmadinejad's legacy, which was marked by the Mehr low-income housing project, monthly cash subsidy payments and smart cards for purchasing monthly rations of subsidized gasoline. In an attempt to reduce the negative impact of these measures, Rouhani has tried to encourage Iranians to turn down government cash handouts. Moreover, while critical of the Mehr housing scheme, the president has also promised to complete the project. As for subsidized fuel, the Iranian parliament has voted to stop gasoline sales via these smart cards. Prominent Iranian economist Saeed Laylaz says he doesn't believe any of these three elements of Ahmadinejad's legacy are a challenge for the Rouhani administration. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Laylaz said, "Over the years, people have realized the ineffectiveness of the Mehr housing project and the problems associated with it. Also, the issue of allocating subsidies belongs to an era of abundance and not today when we are dealing with $40 per barrel oil." Laylaz thinks the chances of Ahmadinejad returning to power are zero. "The Iranian public has passed the stage of Ahmadinejad's populism and will not fall into this trap again. This is not to mention that Ahmadinejad will no longer have access to massive funds to repeat the spending habits of his previous terms." However, of note, unlike Laylaz, many readers of Iranian news sites have thanked Ahmadinejad for making them homeowners as seen by the comments they post below articles related to the Mehr housing project. Speaking about the nuclear deal, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Aug. 1, "Was it not agreed that the unjust sanctions be lifted to have [positive] effects on people's lives? Is any tangible impact seen on people's lives after six months?" Day by day, it appears that Khamenei's viewpoint is gaining more and more momentum across Iran. Rouhani's critics are continuously asking why the sanctions have not been lifted in effect. Parliamentarian Mohammad Soleimani, who served as minister of communication and information technology under Ahmadinejad, has said, "The government must explain to the people why sanctions and threats have not been removed and are becoming more intense every day." On a similar note, in an interview on Iranian state television, Mehdi Mohammadi, a member of the team of former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, said, "None of the big European banks will work with us. They have zero dealings with us. At the moment, no dollar transaction is being conducted with Iran, and this has created problems in all of our business dealings." But to what extent are these sentiments shared among the Iranian public? Laylaz, the economist, said, "Very little. The Iranian people, in the [Feb. 26] parliamentary elections, once again voted in favor of Rouhani's discourse. This shows that they are content with his management. Therefore, the opposition's criticism of the nuclear deal and its economic achievements is not serious." However, anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise, and especially among the lower classes. Phrases such as "Rouhani hasn't been able to do anything either" or "the nuclear deal has had no effect on people's livelihoods" are quite common among the Iranian public these days. As such, it remains to be seen whether Rouhani, in the last eight months of his term, will succeed in convincing the West to give Iran more incentives in regard to the nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions. If not, the West may risk the emergence of another radical maybe even Ahmadinejad returning to power in Iran. September 1, 2016 GAZIANTEP, Turkey The United States is praising the truce between forces supported by Turkey and Kurdish fighters. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Aug. 30, The United States welcomes the overnight calm between the Turkish military and other counter-[Islamic State (IS)] forces in Syria. Shirvan Darwish, the media spokesman for the Manbij military council, which is allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and is one of the parties to the truce, told Al-Monitor, The truce has been holding for three days, and no breach has been registered by either of the two sides. He added, We are committed to appeasement because we are part of the ground forces of the international coalition fighting the terrorist IS organization. In a striking development that may further complicate the Syrian crisis, Turkey supported its allies in the Syrian opposition Aug. 24 as they took control of the city of Jarablus, located on the border with Turkey. The operation involved the military council of the city of Jarablus, which is allied with the SDF, as Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions supported by Turkey clashed with the council. The FSA factions took control of lands and villages in the southern countryside of Jarablus after Turkish warplanes and artillery launched a violent attack to support factions allied with it in their military operations in Jarablus. The border city of Jarablus was the last border crossing between Syria and Turkey under IS control. After the Turkish army launched its military operation in northern Syria, Turkish officials said their goal in Syria was to expel IS and prevent Kurdish fighters from expanding their control along the border. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly warned against the advance of Kurdish fighters to the west bank of the Euphrates River, which he deemed a red line. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Turkish author and analyst Mohammad Zahid Gul said, The Turkish government perceives the Democratic Union Party [PYD], which is fighting in Jarablus, as a threat to Turkish national security even if it is a Syrian party. Its terrorist acts have affected Turkish territory and killed Turkish people, hence the Turkish military operation Euphrates Shield, which came about to prevent the PYD from entering Jarablus. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a Aug. 29 joint press conference with his Dutch counterpart Bert Koenders in Ankara, The People's Protection Units [YPG] and those fighting with them are forcing residents to flee the areas that they seize, including the Kurds, amid an operation of ethnic cleansing. Gul accused the SDF of being a political and military movement that defers to the will and leadership of the PYD, led by Salih Muslim, and noted, Terrorist organizations are controlling Jarablus and other areas while using them to launch attacks against Turkey and its people and this is something that Turkey will not allow. Turkey will not remain idle as military bases and political entities that encroach upon Syrian land are being built, a reference to the PYD and Kurdish units. However, the United States is providing support for the YPG in the fight against IS in Syria while Turkey Washingtons NATO ally believes that these units are an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, which has been fighting for autonomy in the mainly Kurdish southeastern part of Turkey for three decades now. Aldar Khalil, a leading figure in the Democratic Society Party, told Al-Monitor that the Turkish intervention in Syria is a violation of national sovereignty. He stressed that this move does not respect international resolutions, saying, The sponsors of the Syrian issue [Russia and the United States] should be stricter regarding such violations that [we] describe as occupation. He said Turkey's claim that it wants to cleanse the area of IS militants and prevent Kurds from seizing territory is a product of "Turkeys fear of the Kurdish project and our approach to the Syrian crisis. The rightful fight against terrorism and tyranny that we have been waging will be against any occupation and any party attacking us. The United States considers the clashes between the Turkish troops and military groups allied with itself unacceptable and called on all of the parties to focus on the fight against IS. Brett McGurk, the special US presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter IS, tweeted Aug. 29, We want to make clear that we find these clashes in areas where [IS] is not located unacceptable and a source of deep concern. McGurk called on all parties to lay down their weapons. The US is actively engaged to facilitate such deconfliction and unity of focus on [IS], which remains a lethal and common threat, he said in another tweet. Meanwhile, Sihanouk Dibo, the presidential adviser to the PYD, warned against the Turkish intervention in northern Syria. He told Al-Monitor, Turkey is now in a state of legal confusion given the violation of Syrian sovereignty on one hand and a state of hostility against the aspirations for freedom, democracy and coexistence that the components of north Syria and Rojava have on the other. These components include Christians, Assyrians, Arabs, Kurds, Armenians and Circassians. Dibo continued, The aim of the Turkish occupation of Syria through Jarablus is to oppose the Kurdish cause and the Kurdish people, be they in or out of the self-administration [project]. The Turkish regime is currently among the weakest in the region, and it is in a shaky position as it reels under the brunt of political, economic and social crises. Gunmen loyal to the SDF, which are backed by the United States in the fight against IS, headed Aug. 29 to the south of the Sajur River, which crosses the administrative border between Jarablus and Manbij, after Turkish forces advanced deep into Syrian territory from Jarablus, which they seized from IS. In a statement Aug. 29, the Jarablus military council announced a withdrawal of our troops to a line located to the south of the Sajur River to protect the lives of civilians, and so Turkey has no pretext to continue its strikes against villages and civilians. Col. Ahmed Osman, head of the Sultan Murad rebel group, told Reuters Aug. 28 that the Turkey-backed rebel forces were "certainly heading in the direction of Manbij" since SDF and YPG forces had fortified their positions rather than evacuate. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Redor Khalil, spokesman for the YPG, said he considers Turkey's military intervention in Syria a blatant attack on the Syrian internal affairs," adding, "It is the result of an agreement between Turkey, Iran and the Syrian government. Khalil denied that there are reinforcements headed to Manbij, saying, Turkey's claims whereby it is fighting units west of the Euphrates are unfounded, and they are just false pretenses aimed at expanding the Turkish occupation of Syrian territory. The Syrian-Turkish border was drawn by the Treaty of Sevres in 1920 and stretches along approximately 900 kilometers (560 miles). Around 700 kilometers (435 miles) of it are subject to the control of the SDF, whose mainstays are the Kurdish military units, starting from the west of the Tigris River until the east of the Euphrates. The armed opposition factions and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, control about 150 kilometers (93 miles). And all that is left for IS is 30 kilometers (18 miles) located between the city of Jarablus and town of al-Rahi after FSA factions recovered the town from IS' grip on Aug. 27. September 1, 2016 Aug. 30 is the date of the decisive victory won against the invading Greek force in 1922 that led to the foundation of the Republic of Turkey a year later. Since then, every year, Aug. 30 is a national holiday celebrated as Holiday of Victory. In effect, it is Army Day. This year, because of the trauma of the failed July 15 coup attempt, military parades in the major cities of Turkey and celebratory cocktail receptions in the country and abroad did not take place. Replacing the fanfare of previous years was a surprise: a new wave of intimidation and suppression of independent journalism. The day began with police raids on the homes of various world-renowned journalists. We learned from Platform 24 that on Aug. 30, detention warrants were issued for 35 journalists as part of the probe launched into the July 15 coup detat attempt, officially called the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETO/PDY) investigation. Nine of the 35 individuals on the most recent list were detained in raids that started at dawn. Platform 24 or The Independent Journalists Platform is a two-year-old watchdog organization of journalists. Its founding president is the veteran journalist Hasan Cemal, a former editor-in-chief of the daily Cumhuriyet and the senior columnist of Milliyet. Considered by many as the dean of journalists, he has nearly half a century of experience in the profession. Among those for whom a detention warrant was issued was one of the founders of Platform 24, Yavuz Baydar. Baydar was not at home during the raid. Police broke down the door and entered and searched the house as if trying to find the weapon used in a murder. Baydar won a European Press Prize in 2014 and has been a television host for 30 years. Among his many other credentials, the most important are that he has been the president of the world Organization of News Ombudsmen and has been closely associated with and known by the editors of major media outlets all around the world. Police raids of residences have targeted many linked to the failed coup. But to associate Baydar with the coup is impossible. As Nesrin Nas, former chairwoman of the center-right Motherland Party, tweeted, Yavuz Baydar and putschism. They can never come together. This is mental paralysis. Another notable name in a detention warrant was Ali Yurttagul. He is well-known, having served the last 15 years as a political adviser for the Greens-European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament. Yurttaguls residence in Istanbul was also raided. The police broke in and left a copy of the formal search log at the premise. Yurttagul played a tremendously important role in the resolution of the European Parliament in December 2004 that opened the way for the start of Turkeys accession talks with the European Union. Yurttagul now advises Greens/EFA co-leader Rebecca Harms on the topic of EU-Turkey relations, and the raid on his home triggered the indignation of the Greens. Harms, in an Aug. 31 press release, said, Mr. Yurttagul was a trusted and well-respected member of our staff and continues to advise me on relations with Turkey. I am deeply concerned at the way he has been treated. She also mentioned her concern about the growing number of police actions against various parts of Turkish society, including independent journalists, judges and academics. Murat Aksoy, an Alevi by origin who is an adviser to Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party, did not have the luck to not be home when the raid occurred on his residence, unlike Baydar and Yurttagul. Aksoy was detained and put behind bars. Were they Gulenists? No. Never. A Swedish-trained leaning leftist, a German Green and a Turkish Social Democrat of Alevi faith cannot possibly be Gulenists. A warrant also was issued for Eyup Can, the former editor of the daily Radikal and former digital press coordinator for the daily Hurriyet. He had been at the daily Zaman about 15 years ago. There is nothing to link him to the July 15 coup attempt, because for the past year or so he has been living in London with his wife, the internationally renowned novelist Elif Shafak, and their children. Apart from their having no ideological links to Gulen or Gulenism, each one of the journalists is known to have strong anti-putschist credentials. Therefore, the detention warrants for them have nothing to do with the coup problem but rather with suppressing the freedom of press. Many other names can be included on this list to indicate or prove that the coup probe has gone beyond the Gulenists. P24s website regularly updates the journalists who are arrested, detained or persecuted with terms such as Journalists detained under State of Emergency outside coup probe and Detentions outside the coup probe. The names in these lists keep growing. On Aug. 31, it was Necmiye Alpays turn to go to jail. A respected academic in her field, an expert on linguistics, and a peace activist whose name appeared on the highly symbolic advisory board (that never meets) of the recently banned pro-Kurdish daily Ozgur Gundem, Alpay was sent to prison under the charges of aiding a terrorist organization. The matter of suppressing freedom of press is getting very serious. Cemal was summoned to police headquarters along with eight others for being at the Ozgur Gundem offices in May to display solidarity, months before the coup and the ban on the daily. I spoke with Baydar, Yurttagul, communicated with Can and finally with Cemal. He was at home. I realized later when I read his T24 column that he had not shared his true feelings with me. He had sounded somewhat sanguine on the other end of the phone. But in his column, he had presented quite a different mood. In the previous two days he had been hearing about the detention warrants for colleagues and the arrest of Alpay, whom he had known since his youth. After shuttling back and forth between prosecutors all day responding to the charges against him, he had come home. He had morosely placed a glass of whiskey in his hand and watched a documentary about Ernest Hemingway. The following are his concluding lines: I was in a very bad mood while watching a documentary on Hemingway on television. At one point there was a sign that said, In this bar, you dont drink to get drunk, you drink not to wake up sober!' I murmured to myself, Can I find a bar like that one?' The phone rang. I was asked to go to the police to account for my stand of solidarity at the premises of Ozgur Gundem. If I go out, can I find Hemingway's bar? When I read his lines, I asked myself, Has Turkey itself, already, turned out to be Hemingway's bar? September 2, 2016 The failed coup attempt in Turkey has opened a whole new chapter in the nations history. The followers of Fethullah Gulen, seen by most political groups and ideological camps as being behind the coup, have become the national enemy within. This perspective, of course, has quite worrying consequences, for it leads to collective demonization and punishment, and the Gulen community includes many innocent people who are unaware of the groups darker side. How to uphold the rule of law in the face of hysteria over a powerful threat is a challenge that should concern everyone. Meanwhile, the Gulenist crisis triggered something else in Turkey: soul-searching and finger-pointing within the Islamic camp. There are endless debates in the media over whether the Gulenist treason was a product of the eccentric beliefs of a cult or caused by deeper problems shared by other Islamic communities in Turkey. Those who are broadly called modernists lead one side in this debate. They are scholars, most of them theology professors who have reformist views on Islam. To them, the Gulenist problem is the result of a belief in a divinely-guided savior, a culture of blind obedience to a religious master and an esoteric understating of Islam that sees mystical signs everywhere. They argue that other Islamic communities in Turkey such as Sufi orders or the Nur tradition also share these superstitious beliefs. One of the scholars who make this argument is Mustafa Cagrici, the former mufti of Istanbul, a professor of Islamic theology and columnist for the mildly pro-Justice and Development Party Karar. He recently wrote a controversial piece on the need to question Islamic communities. He argued that not just Gulenists but also many other Islamic communities in Turkey believe in notions such as the mahdi, the savior who will come at the end of times, which does not exist in the Quran. These myths, he wrote, arise from the crooked religious information produced over the centuries, and Gulenists turned this into a threat because they were able to acquire immense power. On the other side, there are more traditionalist Islamists who blame the modernists themselves for the problem. One of the most hawkish voices in this choir, columnist for the hard-core pro-Erdogan Star Yakup Kose, wrote a piece headlined Who will control faculties of theology? In this view, the problem was not the mainstream Sunni tradition, but Gulenists deviation from it. Kose saw the roots of the problem in 19th-century Muslim reformists such as Jamaladdin Afghani or Muhammad Abduh, who all claimed to renew Islam. He also pointed to Gulenists interfaith dialogue with Christians, which he saw as a proof of their heresy. The real solution for him was to cleanse Turkeys faculties of theology from all such modernists who deviate from the pure creed of Sunni Islam. To offer my two cents in this debate, I certainly agree with the modernists. The theological problems we see in the Gulen community are indeed rooted in the Sunni traditions that shun individualism and rationalism at the expense of obedience and mysticism. A powerful belief in apocalypticism that we are at the end of times and a savior is needed is also a common problem in various Islamic groups, all of which see their own leader as the awaited one. However, there are also some nuances that modernists need to see. One point is that no Islamic community other than the Gulenists had such an ambition to take over the state by covert infiltration. (I called them bureaucratic Islamists elsewhere.) In fact, the very belief system that some modernists blame for Gulenism, the Nur tradition initiated by the writings of Said Nursi (who died in 1960), includes reservations about aligning with a state power. As I have written repeatedly in pieces warning the Gulenists against their lust for power Nursi made a distinction between mace (state power) and light (religion). Those who want to serve religion should refrain from grabbing mace, he wrote, which would only scare people away from the light. Little wonder that followers of Nursi, with the exception of Gulen and his own, never engaged in bureaucratic Islamism and remained within civil society. There is another point that should be added to the debate: the nature of the Turkish state. The Turkish Republic, from its beginning in 1923, was devised as the very antithesis of limited government. It is a Leviathan that has centralized control over all bureaucracy, security forces, education (including universities), foundations and even wields huge influence over media and the economy. Since the state is so powerful, centralized and definitive, almost every social group has an eye on influencing and even capturing it. That is why the Gulenist coup attempt is only one incident in a long century of bitter political wars. That is why Turkey had seen four previous military coups, in addition to several unsuccessful attempts. That is why raising a cadre within the state has been a national ambition pursued by almost every group, such as Kemalists, nationalists, leftist, rightists, Sunnis and Alevis. One of the most levelheaded Turkey observers I know, London-based academic Ziya Meral, nicely captured this underlying malady when he defined the July coup attempt as yet another episode in Turkey's history of competition for state control. The ultimate question the country should face, he added, is How can the Turkish state be made less appealing, open to less prebendalism, less all-consuming, but serving all citizens equally, recruiting and appointing on merit not on identity, acting within rule of law and under no clique's dominance? The problem at hand, in other words, is about not only Islam, but also Turkishness not just religion, but also a political system and culture. Turks need to discuss all of them seriously and constructively. Sadly, though, there is little room for such a dialogue in Turkey now because of a political zeal that not only dominates today but is likely to linger for quite a while. September 2, 2016 The Turkish governments Official Gazette published Aug. 27 a new ruling according to which female police officers serving with the Turkish National Police are now allowed to wear headscarves as part of their uniform. The ruling came into force immediately. On Aug. 30, Turkey's Victory Day, the photographs of a policewoman at Taksim Square in Istanbul and of a female officer who was part of the team guarding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the official celebrations in Ankara appeared in the media. Though this move has not caused the usual amount of brouhaha as was the case in the past with similar amendments related to headscarves in public places it did not go unnoticed. Many critics continue to accuse the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of changing the nature of Turkeys secular state, while government supporters scorn the authoritarian secularist mentality and celebrate further relaxations of the earlier headscarf bans as more religious freedom. Polarized reactions overwhelmed social media networks, as many users posted angry messages reflecting the usual paranoia that Turkey is becoming Iran. Tweets included examples of photos from different countries showing heavily armed women with face or head coverings, or policewomen hitting womens rights activists. Supporters of the governments move responded. One user mocked the critics claiming their minds are stuck in 1980, asking why Turkey would want to be Iran. Another user, in a similarly defying fashion to the critics, posted a photo of policewomen with headscarves in Western countries, sarcastically emphasizing that these countries are more hospitable to practicing Muslim women than Turkeys secularists. Among politicians, many opposition deputies expressed their disapproval. The deputy leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Veli Agbaba, accused the AKP of passing amendments such as these to continue implementing its politics and its own secret agenda. Agbaba said that a bigger problem for the police is how not to be sent to their deaths or work 20 hours a day with five hours of sleep, while citing more problems, which, as he claims, cannot be solved with a headscarf. Similarly, another deputy from the CHP, Kazim Arslan, asked whether people of different beliefs or views, with broken hopes for justice, would from now on be able to feel safe in the hands of a police officer, prosecutor or judge wearing a headscarf. In light of the debate on the impartiality of policewomen wearing headscarves, daily Hurriyets writer Mehmet Yilmaz noted that the police can never be impartial because the nature of the job is to represent the established order. Yilmaz fears that in countries like Turkey which he calls half democratic one duty of the police is to spread fear to those the government dislikes. Most often, the response to the impartiality argument is that one can never know someones biases based only on clothes and external appearance. In contrast, Ahmet Hakan, also a columnist for daily Hurriyet, wrote in defense of the governments move: Let us focus on the way the headscarf-wearing policewoman does her job and not on the scarf on her head. But suggested meritocracy works best in societies where there are sanctions for nepotism and no tolerance for favoritism shown on any basis other than ability or talent. Unfortunately, throughout history, the opposite has been true for Turkey. The state has always been an overwhelming giant whose institutions did not protect all citizens, but primarily the interests of the ruling group. So not only are there notoriously low documented levels of mutual trust between people, Turkeys secular population and the more practicing segments of the Muslim population have always been competing to promote ones own interests and excluding the other. As result, a mentality of prohibition out of fear has been a norm in Turkish politics since the founding of the Turkish Republic. Harsh suppression of religion in public space has been one of the most traumatic manifestations of such a mindset, and the headscarf has been the most politicized and abused tool, its authoritarian ban in public places notwithstanding. That said, Erdogan and the AKP have worked hard to undo this element of secularist legacy. The governments latest regulation related to policewomen is part of the democratization package, which the AKP passed in 2013. In 2010, Turkey lifted a ban on the wearing of headscarves on university campuses; in September 2013, the AKP lifted a ban on the headscarf in the civil service. At the time, security service members, judges, prosecutors and members of the Turkish Armed Forces remained excluded from the regulation. Since 2014, female students are allowed to wear headscarves in high school. Now, different reactions to the amendment related to the headscarf reflect the enduring wounds from a delicate and troublesome headscarf history in Turkey, as well as clashing perceptions on the meaning of a secular state. In this regard, columnist and academic Nuray Mert rightly said, Until today, Islamists have based their politics on resentment, hostility and denial of modern secular politics and society because of secularist suppression of free debate. Moreover, since they [Turkeys Islamists] never needed to explain their alternative to secularism [they] still refrain from having an open debate. So while the liberation of the headscarf is probably a step forward for religious freedom, it remains to be seen where instincts of Islamists in power will take Turkey. More broadly, important answers to the million-dollar question of whether Islam and liberalism can coexist will continue to be shaped by Islamist governments in power around the world and by the legacies they set. If Islam is exceptional, like scholar Shadi Hamid argues in his latest book titled Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World, then coming to terms with Islams role in public life is something that everyone needs. However, harmonizing that with the more secular sections of society is also indispensable for societal well-being. Policewomen wearing headscarves is a new element in Turkeys long experiment with that dichotomy. It does not have to have a bad ending. September 1, 2016 The sentiment in Turkey is that, with "Operation Euphrates Shield," the country has made a thunderous return to the Middle East. But in a topography where nobody knows who is fighting who and what will tomorrow's alliances look like, there are serious traps awaiting Turkey. During the first week of the operation, Turkey's target shifted from the Islamic State (IS) to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). While IS withdrew from Jarablus without fighting and still occupies scores of other places, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and allied groups continued their advances toward areas the SDF had liberated from IS. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Aug. 29 said the operations will continue "until the YPG [People's Protection Units] is no longer a threat." The equation that has cropped up is that groups supported by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), accompanied by Turkish tanks, are clashing with groups backed by the US military. When the TSK and its allied groups reached the Sacu River, which constitutes a natural boundary for the Manbij region, Ankara arrived at a critical juncture. It is now time to decide if the combat will be directed against the Kurds and its SDF partners or IS, which abuts Turkey's borders. Turkey secured US support and Russian blessing by telling them that its goal was to push IS away from its borders. To clarify the situation on the ground a bit: While Turkey is pressing on SDF targets, IS continues to control scores of villages from Jarablus to Al Rai in the west. IS also controls the area from Turkey's borders to al-Bab in the south. If Turkey insists on clearing Manbij of Kurds, that will be a new source of tension with the United States. The first warning came from Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook, who said they were monitoring the clashes between the TSK and opposition groups and the SDF, finding them unacceptable. He said US support for the SDF, which has proven its prowess, will continue. US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter asked Turkey to focus on fighting IS and avoid hot clashes with the SDF. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the issue with his Turkish counterpart. Carter will meet with Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik in London on Sept. 6. Carter's statement that the YPG is withdrawing to the east of the Euphrates gives the impression that the Syrian Kurdish group is trying to avoid a direct confrontation with Turkey. YPG spokesman Redur Khalil declared after liberating Manbij that the the group had handed over all military positions to Manbij Military Council and withdrew. This is a clever move to avoid deepening the war. But with the YPG claiming to be standing aside, now tensions are mounting between Turkey and the SDF with its local elements such as Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens and Circassians. Even though Turkey has not given up targeting the YPG in its statement, more recent threats against Ankara have been coming from the SDF. That means Turkey is turning local groups into an enemy as well. For Turkey, which has been trying to play the Turkmen card all along, opposition from the Turkmens at Jarablus was probably the last thing that it expected. But the Seljuk Brigade made up of Turkmens went as far as accusing Turkey of being an "occupier." The Seljuk Brigade's statement denouncing Turkey's operation came as shock. It said, "To liberate Jarablus from Daesh [IS] gangs, we set up a Jarablus Military Council made of Jarablus residents. But the Turkish intelligence bargained with Daesh to hand over Jarablus to groups that are in contact with terrorist bodies. We denounce Turkey's attacks on the Military Council and demand that Turkey withdraw from Syria. We will do everything to defeat these occupation forces." As the United States supports the SDF, the question comes to this: How long can the US administration, which wants the YPG to move east of the Euphrates, stand and watch Pentagon-supported groups be attacked by CIA-supported groups motivated by Turkey? If the United States allows these groups to take over Manbij, the Pentagon's partnership with the SDF will fall apart and Kurds will rethink how much they can rely on the United States. Kurds may be upset with the US pressure on them to withdraw from Manbij, but they don't want to destroy their bridges to the United States while they are surrounded by enemies. Kurds are bound to come up with some pragmatic schemes to throw Turkey off balance. But if Turkey's operations expand toward Rojava, the YPG may have to give up its four-year-long restraint and resist. Such a scenario may be the harbinger of a conflagration that will also pull in Turkey. What if the Turkish operation halts on the edge of Manbij and turns against IS? This, too, will pose serious risks to Turkey. Looking at the mindsets of Turkey's rulers, the operation has other objectives that are not openly mentioned: To create a de facto buffer zone in the Jarablus-Azaz-Marea triangle. To mobilize Turkey's Housing Development Agency to build satellite towns in the buffer zone to house Syrian refugees. To open a corridor for anti-Assad armed groups currently stuck in Aleppo. It won't be easy for Turkey-supported armed groups to hold the de facto buffer zone. Their capabilities and capacity are limited. They can advance or hold on to a position only if there is an army like the TSK behind them. If the buffer zone is to be secured by increasing TSK's presence on the ground, that would put Turkey in the position of occupier, ushering myriad of problems it would have to cope with both on the ground and in the international arena. The Syrian government took no time in accusing Turkey of crimes against humanity and in filing a complaint with the UN Security Council. When compared with the troubles that Turkey will have to deal with on the ground, the Syrian complaint would be but a minor headache. Building a town for refugees without coordinating with the Syrian administration will only consolidate Turkey's occupier status. Moreover, settling refugees in a risky area is bound to provoke humanitarian and legal arguments. Meanwhile, a corridor to Aleppo first requires securing the Azaz-Marea line and then expelling IS from al-Bab. Extending the TSK operation 50 to 60 kilometers from the Turkish border doesn't guarantee anything. IS is not expected to abandon Dabiq and al-Bab easily (it ascribes special importance to those towns) as it did with Jarablus. Moreover, such an operation will require Turkey's partnership with major field forces such as Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham, which are shunned by the CIA. And then there is the Syrian army, which is engaged in a major war in Aleppo with the support of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. Going deeper into Syria may bring the TSK face to face with these forces. Russia is likely to make use of its deterrent powers before that point is reached. Nobody knows what contingency scenarios Ankara has in mind. The general feeling is that the government is not acting based on well-studied strategic plans but according to its sense of opportunities and gut feelings. The recent operation may have help the TSK repair its image damaged by the July 15 coup attempt. It may have opened it a way to return to Syria from where it was excluded after shooting down the Russian plane last fall. It may have enabled groups it supports against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to remain at the negotiation table and give the impression that it is fighting IS. But if Ankara goes it alone, the situation may radically change as it may then have to confront not only its US ally but also Russia and Iran, which stood by Turkey after the traumatic coup. Turkey has sent it soldiers into a war zone where no other country cares to venture. Careless and miscalculated moves by Ankara could then cause its Syrian venture to become a quagmire, dragging Turkey down. September 1, 2016 Dozens of civilians have been killed by Turkish fighter jets in the country's recent intervention in Jarablus, Syria. Turkey and a number of armed groups it is supporting have attacked the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). So the Kurdish question in Turkey has now spilled over to Syria. The Syrian crisis is now a domestic issue for both the Kurds and the Turks. Turkey entered Syria under the pretense of "the fight against the Islamic State [IS]." But there has been no clash between the Turkish army and IS. Turkish officials continue to deem the Kurds more dangerous than IS. Soon after the Jarablus operation started, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed that the targets were the Kurdish forces and the local Arab groups working with them. Last week we predicted that the situation was going to get worse before it gets better, and some had found this a pessimistic analysis. Unfortunately, we were proven right. Currently, the area south of Jarablus is controlled by a local group called the Jarablus Military Council. This group was formed by Arab and Kurdish fighters in the region as part of the SDF. IS fighters are deployed west of Jarablus. But rather than moving in that direction, the Turkish forces attacked to the south and heavy fighting broke out. After two days of tension, the sides struck a cease-fire Aug. 31 under an initiative by military officials from the United States. Washington announced the cease-fire, though Turkey strongly denied it. Currently, the Sajur River, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Jarablus, is serving as a buffer between the Jarablus Military Council and the groups affiliated with Turkey. The US-led coalition is monitoring the situation. Right now the cease-fire appears to be holding, though Ankara still hasn't acknowledged it. The Turkish army and the groups it is supporting did not engage IS militarily. In an Aug. 28 interview with pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Safak, one of the commanders of these groups, Ahmet Berri, actually stated that IS had left the town before they had arrived. In the same interview he stated that they were targeting Manbij. All of these developments reveal that Turkey will not change its policy regarding Syria and Syrian Kurdistan (a self-proclaimed autonomous region) in the short-term. Turkey thinks it will defeat the Kurds outside of its own borders. Turkeys primary strategy is to hinder a Kurdish entity by claiming that the YPG is in Jarablus and they are affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey and the United States consider a terrorist group. Yildirim said Aug. 22 that Turkey will not accept a Kurdish corridor in Syria. In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "We should not make the same mistakes we made in Iraq in Syria, referring to Turkey's inability to block a Kurdish entity from forming in Iraq. Turkey's goal is to defeat the Kurds. But its continued attacks against the Kurds will only strengthen IS, as many observers have noted. This could mean that Turkey would be directly involved in ensuring that IS remains in key places such as al-Bab and Raqqa. If one looks at the situation in the field, it is clear that Turkey and the groups it supports will want to move toward al-Bab from northern Manbij and open a corridor to Aleppo to cut off any connection between Manbij and Afrin. But to achieve this, Turkey would need to do something it hasn't done so far: fight IS. The groups supported by Turkey have no capacity to fight IS. Turkeys airstrikes and heavy artillery can only be effective to a certain extent. One shouldnt expect fighting between IS and Turkey anytime soon. Both see the Kurds as a joint enemy. This natural alliance will continue for some time. It will be interesting to follow future developments in the al-Bab region. Turkeys strategy may fall apart here. Once we know the position the United States and Russia take in accordance with the developments in this region, we'll have a clearer picture of their long-term policies for Turkey, Kurds and the Syrian issue as a whole. Despite attaching great importance to their relations with the United States and Russia, Kurdish forces have not handed over their destiny to them or any other powers. And what do the Kurds think of this situation and what kind of model are they proposing in Syria? Are the Kurds committing ethnic cleansing, as Turkey alleges, in the regions they take under their control? What are the realities on the ground? These important questions need to be examined thoroughly. As of yet, there have been made no calls from Syrian Kurdistan, which the Kurds call Rojava, for secession from Syria and the establishment of an independent state. The Kurds pursue a federative and democratic Syria with Damascus as its capital, which respects Syria's territorial integrity. The primary demand of Kurds is to be recognized as a people in Syria. Under their model, there would be equitable representation in every settlement where Kurds and Arabs live together. All languages would be officially recognized. One of the co-presidents in the largest canton of Rojava, Cizre, is an Arab, and the other is a Kurd. The SDF and Northern Syria Democratic Assembly involve representatives from all peoples. However, according to the Turkish state, Kurds want to divide Syria. Turkey's concerns over Syria's territorial integrity are not taken very seriously in the region. The problem between Turkey and the Kurds already had a regional character, and it has expanded to a larger area now. Those who want peace propose one solution: reopening talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and returning to the negotiating table. No one has heard any news from Ocalan for over a year. Delegations from the state and the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) met Ocalan at his island prison of Imrali dozens of times from 2013 to April of 2015. The solution model Ocalan proposed encompassed a resolution in both Turkey and Syria-Rojava. However, the Erdogan government has closed this door. This situation has brought the Kurds to a new political junction with Turkey. The main constituents of Kurdish politics in Turkey made a joint statement Aug. 31 in Diyarbakir, announcing that 50 people will go on a hunger strike starting Sept. 5. The hunger strike, to be launched by parliament members, mayors, artists and representatives of nongovernmental organizations, will no doubt raise tensions more. Erdogan seems to have consolidated his position in accordance with the operation in Syria. Can Turkey score an absolute military victory over the Kurds? One does not have to be a Kurd or a politician to understand this. It is enough just to know a little sociology. September 2, 2016 BAGHDAD Political parties and blocs in Iraq have launched early electoral campaigns in anticipation of the provincial elections in 2017 and parliamentary elections in 2018, focusing on the votes of young Iraqis and seeking to lower the age of candidacy for the parliamentary elections. On Aug. 17, Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq leader Ammar al-Hakim had also requested to lower the age of candidacy, which would bring into the parliament younger representatives of the political blocs. There is no doubt that this step shows that the Iraqi youth have an important say in regard to the ongoing events, since they are the most engaged in political and social issues. The youth represent the backbone of the civil movement and the protests calling for reform that started in June 2015. On July 13, 2016, youth groups held their first conference titled The youth will not tire at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. Yet, calling for lowering the candidacy age to 25 raises questions whether this sincerely aims to serve the youth reeling under an unemployment crisis, or whether it is a political maneuver to take advantage of this group in society. Writer and journalist Karim Jakhiour told Al-Monitor in Baghdad, Hakim wants to amend the electoral law by lowering the candidacy age since he feels that the Iraqi street has lost faith in the symbols of political blocs. These blocs are seeking to bring in new young faces in an attempt to deceive the Iraqis. He added, Past experiences proved that political blocs did not serve the youth, since graduates and academics are still unemployed." Expectations of early elections were among the most important factors that pushed political blocs to launch early electoral campaigns. On April 14, Iraqi parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri had called on dissolving the parliament and holding early elections. Iraqi political analyst Khaled Abdulelah reported Aug. 6 about the deep divide among political blocs, which could lead to early elections. On Aug. 20, parliament rapporteur and member of parliament Niyazi Mimar Oglu accused the political blocs of exploiting draft laws in the parliament to reap early electoral gains. Within the scope of these early electoral campaigns, political figures and blocks focused on social media; dozens of Facebook pages have been created to support parliamentarians and politicians and list their personal achievements, including, for instance, the pages set up by the supporters of members of parliament Hanan al-Fatlawi, Mishan al-Juburi and Mohammed al-Tai. Qassim Hussein Salih, the founder and head of the Iraqi Psychological Association, told Al-Monitor, Most of these pages are created by those receiving financial or moral gains, since the minister or parliamentarian they support would be from their tribe or the political party to which they are affiliated. These persons find in these pages a means to become famous or win favors. Journalist Alaa Koli told Al-Monitor that he knows numerous journalists who administer Facebook pages for a member of parliament or politician in exchange for a monthly salary. Political blocs are competing to win over the youth to their side, he said. One of the tools used in these early electoral campaigns was the slogan of combating corruption. Yet, it seems that this slogan is being exploited for electoral purposes only. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said July 23, No one has the right to raise the reform slogan while acting against reform, calling on political blocs to keep away from political bickering for the sake of the elections. The fact that these campaigns exploited people's harsh circumstances such as unemployment, corruption and poverty raised the ire of the Iraqi street. On Aug. 22, citizens expressed to media outlets their dissatisfaction with the very early electoral campaign launched by parliamentarian Hanan al-Fatlawi in preparation for the 2017 provincial elections and 2018 parliamentary elections. In the same vein, on Aug. 15, the newly appointed minister of higher education and scientific research, Abdul Razzaq al-Issa, told media outlets he would not be part of an electoral agenda that monopolizes institutions and exploits them for narrow interests. Moreover, Abdel Azim Ajman, a member of parliament for the coalition of Iraqi forces, told media outlets Aug. 21 that the quest to issue the General Amnesty Law also falls within the scope of the electoral campaigns. In early August, the Christian al-Rafidain bloc in the Iraqi parliament issued a media statement describing the issuance by the government of a decision and the subsequent cancellation of this decision as an early electoral campaign tool. State of Law Coalition parliamentarian Mohammed al-Sayhoud justified early electoral campaigns targeting youth groups. He told Al-Monitor, Political blocs are entitled to remind the people of their political and parliamentary achievements. Lowering the age of candidacy for the elections will allow the youth to contribute to the legislative decision-making process and increase the number of young members of parliament. Yet, member of parliament Shirin Reza of the Kurdish opposition Gorran (Change) bloc told Al-Monitor, Focusing on attracting young voters and lowering the age of candidacy of the parliamentary elections reveals that the political blocs have disappointed the youth, which turned into an unemployed class. She said, Amending the electoral law by lowering the candidacy age would bring in young faces to the parliament, and this worries older members of parliament." The Iraqi political parties focus on young people and promise to exploit their capacities, reduce unemployment among their ranks, and support small and medium enterprises that provide job opportunities. Yet, these promises should not be mere electoral slogans aimed to mobilize followers and supporters. Rather, they must fall within the scope of a consistent strategy to translate electoral programs into projects on the ground. This is how political blocs will boost the peoples confidence, especially the youth. The state's growing startup ecosystem was at center stage this week during the Alabama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference in Birmingham. (Courtesy of EDPA) The sixth-annual event, held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, is organized by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama to celebrate Alabama's top visionaries for innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation. The conference was also held in conjunction with the 10th-anniversary of Alabama Launchpad, another popular EDPA startup program. Honorees at this year's event included: Corporate Innovator of the Year (small company, 1-50 employees) IllumiCare Corporate Innovator of the Year (large company, 50+ employees) CFD Research Corporation (CFDRC) Outstanding Achievement in Innovative Manufacturing Horizon Shipbuilding Outstanding Public-Private Partnership for Innovation HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and iCubate Lifetime Achievement in Innovation Kroger Madison (Courtesy of Kroger) Kroger will celebrate the grand opening of its new Madison store with a few giveaways starting next week. The first 300 people in line at 7 a.m. Sept. 7 on 4579 Wall Triana Highway will receive coupons for free breakfast items, including orange juice, sausage, a dozen eggs and English muffins. The retailer also will give away $300 gift cards during drawings at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. that day. Guests must be present to win. Customers will receive 20 cents off per gallon of gas with their Kroger Plus Card at the on-site fuel station from Sept. 9-11. Construction on the 100,000-square-foot, $20.5 million property in Midtown Marketplace began in 2015 to replace the location on 300 Hughes Road, which will close permanently at 6 p.m. Sept. 6. "We are really excited about our new store and can't wait for our customers to see it," said manager Michael Gayle. "The additional space will allow us to provide our customers more variety, and additional features that we didn't have before." Kroger spokeswoman Melissa Eads said the store will employ 225 workers, many of whom will transfer from the Hughes Road location. The chain said it has created 100 new jobs by expanding to Midtown Marketplace, a 114,000-square-foot neighborhood shopping center at Wall Triana and Browns Ferry Road. The store features a bistro with to-go meals, sushi, a gourmet cheese shop, salad and hot soup bar, made-to-order deli sandwiches, meat and seafood, natural and organic foods, and a Starbucks. Customers can also expect a floral shop, pharmacy, kitchen place and extensive wine selection. The Wall Triana location will be the first Kroger in the Huntsville/Madison area to offer online ordering. The service, which is called ClickList, will be available Sept. 14 and allow shoppers to select the items they want online and arrange a pickup time at the store. The customer's order will be fulfilled by a Kroger employee and stored at the appropriate temperature until pickup when an associate will load the items into the shopper's vehicle. Kroger, which normally charges a $4.95 service fee for using ClickList, will waive the costs for each customer's first three orders as an introductory offer. Kroger isn't the first major grocery store to offer online ordering and pickup in north Alabama. Walmart, which has been testing a similar service in the Huntsville area since early 2015, recently launched a store, fuel station and drive-thru for online grocery pickup on 7520 U.S. 72 West. Last fall, Birmingham-based Shipt began offering same-day grocery delivery from Publix stores in Huntsville and Madison. The expansion created more than 100 "shopper" positions to handpick and deliver orders to customers. Kroger's Nashville division, which includes Madison County, spans 93 stores and 80 fuel centers in north Alabama, middle and east Tennessee and south Kentucky. The business said earlier this year it will invest more than $250 million and create over 2,000 jobs during the next two years in the region. Part of the investment includes a new Kroger Marketplace on the southeast corner of U.S. 72 and County Line Road in Huntsville. The store, which broke ground in July, will combine clothing, home goods, a toy department and expanded grocery offerings in one facility. GalaxyNote7_KeyVisual_1.jpg Samsung Galaxy Note7. Samsung has halted sales of its new Galaxy Note7 smartphone after receiving reports that the devices exploded or caught on fire. The company said Friday a battery cell issue is the culprit after conducting an investigation into the problem. "To date (as of Sept. 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market," Samsung said in a statement. "However, because our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7." Samsung plans to offer new replacement phones in the next few weeks to customers who own one of the devices. The Associated Press reports there have been no known injuries related to the recalled product. The water-resistant, larger-screen Galaxy Note7 was released a month ago. Samsung has sold 2.5 million of the devices, which start at $850. "We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers," Samsung said. "We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible." Here are the top stories in Alabama business for Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016: A creative firm in Avondale spent decades as a business-to-business company. But as their little neighborhood grew and grew, Image Hive is relaunching with a consumer-facing model. The neighborhood's growth is remolding even longstanding businesses in the area. -- Blue Bell's new flavor celebrates the south with the premier of Camo 'n Cream, a combination of pistachio almond, milk chocolate and cream cheese. The flavor began arriving in stores today. -- Birmingham-headquartered HealthSouth Corporation is expanding with a new partnership in South Carolina that includes operating an existing hospital and building a new one. -- Woody Anderson Ford in Huntsville held a ribbon cutting Thursday for its new service lane and on-site restaurant called Henry's Mustang Cafe. The projects add nearly 13,000 square feet to the business. -- Poor motorcycle sales have led Harley-Davidson to eliminate 200 unionized positions, most of which will affect employees in Pennsylvania. Harley has seen falls in recent years largely due to international competition. -- Walmart is cutting 7,000 back-office jobs, including accounting and invoicing workers. These jobs are typically higher paying and will be automated at a central office in early 2017. -- Follow all of Alabama's business news here anytime. windmill market.JPG Since 2009, the Windmill Market in downtown Fairhope has been a popular place to shop, eat and be entertained, while showcasing some of the most innovative ways for businesses to be environmentally friendly. (File photo) Fans of the Windmill Market in Fairhope will want to tune in to the second episode of a new Discovery Channel series, "Blue Collar Backers," that airs tonight at 9 p.m. CDT. Producers from the show contacted Mac Walcott, the owner of the market that opened in 2009 at the corner of Equality and Bancroft streets, earlier this summer to see if he'd be interested in being interviewed for the show. The market houses three restaurants and a local grocery, as well as a marketplace with handmade arts and crafts, and offers live music every weekend. It started as an experiment in sustainable living for Walcott and his wife, Gina, both architects with Walcott Adams Verneuille. A windmill powers the market, rainwater is collected in barrels for irrigation and restaurant scraps are turned into compost, among other environmentally friendly ideas. Cam Roberds and Cain Roberds, twin brothers from Gulfport, Miss., had suggested the Windmill Market as an example for tonight's episode, in which they are among the "backers" helping a business owner create a similar concept in Gulfport. On the show, four groups of investors - including the twins - help save small businesses who have been denied traditional bank loans. The Roberdses, whose net worth is $2 million, according to a trailer for the show, are the owners of C. Roberds General Contractors LLC, a commercial contrasting company they founded in 2009. Twin brothers Cam and Cain Roberds, seen giving a tour of their Chandeleur Brewing Co., are among four sets of investors in "Blue Collar Backers," a new series on the Discovery Channel. (Facebook photo) Their company built two breweries in Alabama, the brothers also built and own Chandeleur Brewing Co., which is housed in a historic building in downtown Gulfport. "Now we're combining our construction skills and our business know-how to help back small business owners and help them realize their dreams," said one of the brothers in the trailer for the show. They visited Windmill Market to film part of the episode earlier this summer, according to Walcott. "They interviewed me about the market, talked to some of our patrons and took some great shots of the outside," he said. "I'm anxious to see what it looks like." Walcott said that on another episode the brothers will visit a location in Gulf Shores. Meet Cam and Cain Roberds here: Jeannine O'Grody, an expert on Leonardo da Vinci and Italian art, once helped bring a collection of Leonardo's drawings to Birmingham, the first time they ever toured outside Italy. O'Grody, who was the chief curator and deputy director of the Birmingham Museum of Art, died on Aug. 22. She was 51. She joined the Birmingham Museum of Art in 2000 and served as the first curator of European art. She oversaw the reinstallation of the Kress Gallery of Renaissance Art. "She was such a bright light," said Gail Andrews, director of the Birmingham Museum of Art. "She did a fantastic job in building the collection. She cared so much about people. She was obviously a great scholar and cared about her work. She was a perfect curator of European art." In 2008, the museum hosted an exhibit of rare drawings by Leonardo da Vinci that made its U.S. debut in Birmingham. The exhibit featured the 18-page ''Codex on the Flight of Birds'' and 11 separate drawings. The art, from the collection of the Biblioteca Reale in Turin, Italy, also made a stop in San Francisco. "She felt that was her biggest achievement for the community," said her husband, John Chatham, a professor of pathology at UAB. "She was by far the person who made that happen." Birmingham was the organizing museum for the U.S. visit of ''Leonardo da Vinci: Drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin,'' which also stopped at the San Francisco Museum of Art. O'Grody spearheaded the effort and was a writer and editor for the exhibit's catalog. "She brought the Leonardo drawings from Turin that had never left Italy before we brought them to Birmingham," Andrews said. ''Leonardo is considered the greatest draftsman in the history of art,'' O'Grody told The Birmingham News at the time. ''He finds relationships with everything he observes in the natural world. You can see his interest in faces, the human body, horses and birds in flight.'' The exhibit included the preparatory sketch for ''Madonna of the Rocks,'' described by art historian Bernard Berenson as the ''most beautiful drawing in the world.'' Originally intended as a chapel altarpiece for San Francesco Grande in Milan, it made news in 2003 when it was displayed for two hours outside its protective case. A sketch for one of the Renaissance artist's most famous works, ''The Battle of Anghiari,'' was also part of the exhibit. The exhibit showed the wide range of subjects Leonardo explored from the 1470s to the early 1500s, "aesthetically among the most powerful groups of drawings you can find by Leonardo,'' O'Grody said. O'Grody received her PhD from Case Western Reserve University; master's degree from Syracuse University's Florence Fellowship Program; and bachelor's degree from the College of William & Mary. Before college, O'Grody had not been an art aficionado. She grew up in Orlando and attended Bishop Moore Catholic High School. Her father, Michael, had been one of the first regional Nike shoe salesmen for Florida, her mother, Alexandra, a speech therapist. Jeannine O'Grody "Growing up, she had no exposure to the arts," Chatham said. "She had to fill a slot on her schedule, so she took Art History 101. That was her first exposure to anything relating to art. After the first few slides she saw, she was hooked." At the Birmingham Museum of Art, O'Grody oversaw a great collection of art including some of the most important Christian artworks of the Renaissance, a responsibility she took seriously. "She certainly had a deep Christian faith," Chatham said. She oversaw the museum's acquisition of paintings such as "Saint Paul Shipwrecked on Malta," by French artist Laurent de La Hyre. She often explained to museum visitors the Christian history as well as the art history behind the works. "Christianity is based on the belief that God allowed his son to become flesh for the salvation of the world," she once said in an interview. "During the Renaissance, images of the Madonna and child became more human like. It's to remind people that Christ was made flesh and became one of us." O'Grody could make small talk too. "She was obviously an intellectual, but she was known for her bright smile; she was always a positive, optimistic person," Chatham said. "It didn't matter who you were. She paid attention to who you were. Jeannine was this remarkably smart person. She was down to earth and could talk to you about anything. She knew how to talk to people. It was a genuine skill for her." After the death of her sister, Gretchen Clark, O'Grody took on more responsibility as an aunt for her niece, Faith. O'Grody and Chatham married in 2008, and took Faith on many trips with them. "She'd come and spend summers with Jeannine," Andrews said. "They took Faith on trips to Yellowstone and Italy." The Diagnosis The diagnosis of a brain tumor in 2013 stunned friends and co-workers. "Jeannine had a brain tumor for three and a half years," Andrews said. "We were so saddened when it was first diagnosed. She met this disease with such dignity and grace. We watched her continue, never complaining." She continued with dedication to her work. "She had a great strength; she was very determined, very ambitious for the institutional aims of the museum," Andrews said. "She was very kind and loving." O'Grody stopped working at the museum at the end of 2014 to focus on her health and underwent a second surgery in January 2015. "One of the gifts that came out of what we went through was the support we had from the friends here in Birmingham," Chatham said. "The community support we've had has been humbling. It made a tough time that little bit easier." O'Grody was always realistic about her diagnosis, but also hopeful. "Jeannine was always able to look to the future, was remarkably optimistic," Chatham said. "During the spring, when things were not looking so positive, we'd talk about trips she wanted to do with her niece, Faith. She would also plan for her memorial service. She was able to hold both those in her mind. She had a remarkable ability to look to the future, plan for the future, while having an awareness of that." O'Grody kept an inspiration book in which she wrote down her thoughts. "I am not fighting or battling cancer, I'm just putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward," she wrote in 2015. It was not about winning or losing a battle to her, Chatham said. "She just got up every day and did whatever she could," he said. "That's how she saw it. Jeannine did not lose. The cancer did not win. Jeannine lived remarkably well. She has touched so many people in so many ways. She's going to live on in so many ways, some of which she probably didn't recognize. She lived with it, with strength and grace. She was committing her full energy. Her influence on the world went well beyond she could possibly imagine." A memorial celebration will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Avondale Villa, 4220 Woodvale Road in Birmingham. Click here for the obituary. "Why black breastfeeding week?" That was the response from many AL.com readers to a story published last week about North Alabama women who were organizing the state's only event that was held in conjunction with the nationwide Black Breastfeeding Week effort. Why not just Breastfeeding Week? readers asked. Why isn't there a White Breastfeeding Week? Do we even need a week dedicated to breastfeeding at all? It's a topic worth unpacking. At stake: In Alabama, the infant mortality rate for black babies is more than double the rate for white babies. According to the Alabama Department of Health's Center for Health Statistics, black babies die at a rate of 13.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. For whites it's 6.0 deaths. That's 279 black babies and 238 white babies who died before their first birthdays in Alabama in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available. That's enough children to fill seven school buses past capacity. So why breastfeeding? A 2010 study published in the journal Pediatrics calculated that more than 900 babies could be saved each year in the United States if American mothers exclusively breastfed for six months. Over the past few decades, breastfeeding has increasingly become the focus of public health initiatives by government agencies, medical societies and individual hospitals and medical practices. Agencies publish breastfeeding guidelines. Hospitals tout their breastfeeding-friendly designations. And while breastfeeding rates are on the rise nationwide, rates remain lower among black women, women living in poverty, women with less than a high school education and women living in the southeastern United States. They remain low in Alabama, too. Alabama ranks in the bottom five states for breastfeeding. The U.S. breastfeeding rate is 81.1 while Alabama's is 67.6, according to the CDC. The burden of history A group of women from North Alabama organized a Black Breastfeeding Week event this year, to help combat low rates of breastfeeding in the black community. "A lot of black women, we don't breastfeed like we used to," said Maryama Robinson-Bey, founder of the organization that sponsored the event, The Foundation for Maternal and Infant Vitality. Robinson-Bey lives in Huntsville and is a certified birth and postpartum doula, and a breastfeeding counselor. "There's a lot of stigma around breastfeeding. There are a lot of cultural taboos we (wanted) to tear down and educate our community." Black babies are breastfed at half the rate of white babies, even when controlling for the family's income or educational level, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Historically, black women were used as wet nurses for white babies during the days of American slavery, said Robinson-Bey. That history has given breastfeeding a loaded connotation in the black community. More recent generations have viewed formula-feeding as a status symbol and the best way to feed a baby. "My mother is 65 and they were the formula generation," said Robinson-Bey. "She talked about how it was a status symbol as a black woman. Breastfeeding was looked at as a lower-class thing because (it meant) you couldn't buy formula." Today, rates of formula-feeding are associated with lower income and less education. Employment may play a role in lower breastfeeding rates among black women, according to the Surgeon General's 2011 Call to Action Report: "African American women tend to return to work earlier after childbirth than white women, and they are more likely to work in environments that do not support breastfeeding." Safe spaces Alabama's recent Black Breastfeeding Week event was held in Priceville and featured speakers, door prizes, a documentary screenings and booths from local breastfeeding and natural parenting businesses. Demonstrations were held on topics including babywearing, cloth diapering and breastfeeding. Sabrina Azemar was one of the event's organizers. "I feel like often times there's not a platform for African-American mothers to talk about their parenting styles," she said. "Often times when I go to a natural parenting event, I'm the only black person there. Women feel comfortable asking questions with people who look like them, without feeling awkward or left out." Kimmi De Leon is a birth and postpartum doula who just moved to Decatur from California, where she said the natural parenting and breastfeeding community is more diverse. "Here, a lot of people think it's more of a hippie thing," she said. "Our community needs to be more informed about it, and that's my goal. We wanted to reach out to women and let them know there are options." De Leon used to work at a daycare center and saw few mothers breastfeeding, she said, mainly from lack of support. "They don't know what to do if baby isn't eating or latching correctly, and don't know there are people out there to help them. In some African American families, family members don't support it or don't know what to do and say, 'oh just give them formula.'" The Priceville event was the beginning of what the organizers hope will be a continuing discussion in black communities on how to improve breastfeeding rates and, by extension, health outcomes for black mothers and babies. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of infant death, as well as the risk of infection and disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Surgeon General, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and other national and international agencies. It's associated with a 36 percent reduction in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Nearly a quarter of the United States' infant mortality rate has been attributed in part to increase of SIDS in infants who were never breastfed. A recent study found that if 90 percent of American households breastfed exclusively until children were at least 6 months old, the United States would save $13 billion annually from reduced healthcare and associated costs. "It is vital to public health, wellness and safety that the community support and celebrate awareness events such as Black Breastfeeding Week," said Hannah Ellis, a Huntsville-area certified doula who is active in the area's natural birth and parenting communities. "As a white doula, I have sometimes witnessed my black clients being treated differently than my white clients," said Ellis. "(I have witnessed) microaggressions such as surprise that they would hire a doula, or breastfeed, or VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), or have a birth plan. "It's time our community set aside stereotypes based on the color of someone's skin. I want a fair community with access, information and support available to all." Robinson-Bey said she has found support among white and black mothers in the area, and hopes the recent event will serve as a springboard for future events and support groups. Black mothers might look at breastfeeding or parenting events and classes "and they might say, 'Oh I don't want to be the only black woman there,'" said Robinson-Bey. "But myself, Kimmi and Sabrina, we're three strong and will encourage our sisters to come out and get involved." A second man has now been charged in the armed robbery at a Hoover hotel earlier this year. Roy S. Ensley, 65, was arrested Thursday in Etowah, Tenn. by the U.S. Marshals Smokey Mountain Fugitive Task Force, said Hoover police spokesman Lt. Keith Czeskleba. Police already had announced the arrest of 75-year-old Donald Lewis Smith of Chattanooga. The holdup happened March 29 at The Courtyard Marriott Hotel in the 1800 block of Montgomery Highway. The victim told investigators he was robbed at gunpoint of a large amount of cash. He described his assailants as two older white males, and said they lured him to the hotel to participate in a fraudulent check scheme that involved exchanging small denominations of cash for large denominations of cash. Czeskleba said a break in the case came after detectives learned of a similar crime that took place in Perry, Georgia. Detectives from both agencies worked together and identified Smith as one of the suspects. They were able to determine Smith was at his home in Tennessee, and worked with police there to take him into custody. They later identified Ensley as the second suspect. Ensley was arrested during a traffic stop on Thursday on a first-degree robbery charge. He is being held in the McMinn County Jail awaiting extradition to the Jefferson County Jail. His bond is set at $150,000. Brandon Dean Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper (l.) chats with Brighton Mayor-elect Brandon Dean about finding solutions to gun violence. (Brandon Dean) Brighton Mayor-elect Brandon Dean blamed an abundance of illegal guns and "lack of discipline and respect" among the city's residents for gun violence in the Jefferson County city, nearly a week after a father of three was killed in a hail of gunfire in a community park. Dean, who spoke with AL.com shortly after he held a press conference addressing gun violence and announcing his transition team and the establishment of a college education trust fund for the three young children of Brighton murder victim Antonio Hinkle, won last week's heated mayoral race. "What I think has been recognized is that incidences of gun violence -- where they happened and who perpetrates them and who they affect -- has a lot to do with the socioeconomic conditions," Dean said. "What's characteristic of a city like Brighton, where there is a deprived economy ... you see this lack of discipline and respect for the people that live around them and the environment in which they live." Hinkle, an innocent bystander, was shot and killed during "Love Thy Neighbor Day," a community event held. Three suspects, including a father and son, were charged in the shooting that also injured six others, including a child. Dean said the incident escalated from a fistfight to an individual drawing their weapon and a man firing into a crowd of people, including family members of the alleged perpetrators. Dean, a 24-year-old graduate of Howard University, said his plan for Brighton, which has a high poverty rate and few economic opportunities, is to "express a deeper sympathy" for the city's disadvantaged residents. "The leadership has to begin to engage all of our people, even those people in vulnerable circumstances, even those people that have not made the most positive contributions to the community," he said. The major issue is illegal guns on the city's streets, according to Dean. "We need to have a discussion about how is it that people in our community are able to access those kinds of weapons and why," he said. Meanwhile, the mayor-elect announced the creation of a trust fund to help pay college tuition for Hinkle's three children, ages 11, 6 and 2. He said $4,000 in pledged donations have been received so far. "The intent is to finance the entirety of education experiences for all three children of the victim," he said, adding that either a member of Hinkle's family or a legal representative would oversee the trust fund. Dean also announced a seven-member transition team as he goes from campaigning to governing. The team includes co-chair Richard Dickerson, who served similar roles for ex-Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder and Washington, D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly. Brenda Dickerson, a Mobile native and Birmingham resident who was a former dean of admissions at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, is overseeing education policy and research for the transition team. One of Dean's goals is to pay every Brighton city employee a wage of at least $15 an hour along with health care and retirement benefits. The city has 25 employees, including five police officers and six volunteers firefighters. A street and sanitation team is hired on a seasonal basis but Dean said he wants to hire at least a dozen full-time workers in that capacity. The mayor-elect said he would also look at claiming federal and state funding for environmental assistance for Brighton's waterways and thoroughfares, which are plagued by flooding and potholes. UPDATE: Update: Charges against John Tracy Fisher have been dismissed. A 2017 charge of trafficking methamphetamine was dismissed on Feb. 26, 2019 after Fisher underwent drug and alcohol education classes, took part in community service and submitted to year-long random drug screening with no indication of narcotics use. A 2016 charge of first-degree receiving stolen property was taken to a Tuscaloosa County grand jury and the grand jury issued a no bill which means the panel did not find probable cause to infer that a crime had been committed. ORIGINAL STORY IS BELOW: A Tuscaloosa defense attorney arrested last month on drug trafficking charges was back in jail again today, this time charged in connection with the theft of a motorcycle. John Tracy Fisher Jr., 48, was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail at noon, said Tuscaloosa police Lt. Teena Richardson. He is charged with first-degree receiving stolen property. The investigation was carried out by the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force. Richardson said the 2000 Harley Davidson motorcycle, valued at $5,000, was reported stolen in Fayette County on April 12, 2013 and was later sold in August 2016. A Fayette County grand jury indicted the original suspect on theft charges. Then, after an investigation, task force agents received a warrant against Fisher for receiving the stolen property. His bond is set at $30,000. Fisher, along with 42-year-old Christopher Shane Rushing, was arrested in August on methamphetamine trafficking charges. Task force investigators also led that probe, and seized 369 grams of meth during the operation. Police at the time said the investigation began when agents were informed that a suspect dropped off a backpack containing items believed to be components of a methamphetamine lab. Agents observed a second man arrive at the undisclosed location and then leave carrying the backpack. Police followed the second man to an office located in the 1600 block of Greensboro Avenue, which is where Fisher's law office is located. Both were ultimately taken into custody. Court records give more detail about the first incident. A deposition and charge sheet says Rushing took that backpack to the office of a bail bondsman. The bail bondsman became suspicious about the bag and opened it. Once he saw what was inside, he called the task force commander and a plan of action was developed. The bail bondsman then called another person at Fisher's law office, and said he had a bag that he thought might contain a meth lab and that he believed he was being set up. While task force agents held surveillance around the building, Fisher showed up at the bail bondsman's office and took possession of the backpack, taking it back to his office. Eventually, Rushing and Fisher met back at Fisher's office. Rushing was seen leaving the office with the backpack and putting it in the backseat of his car. He went back inside, and then left again to a meet a woman outside of the law office. Agents then made contact with Rushing and took custody of the backpack. Inside, they found the meth oil, digital scales with residue, a bag of meth, lithium batteries, baggies and straws with meth residue. Agents then made contact with Fisher, who met them at the back door holding a pistol. Police did not say how the stolen motorcycle is connected to the drug case, if at all. Fisher is set to have a preliminary hearing for the drug case on Sept. 23 in Tuscaloosa County. Walker County District Judge Henry Allred has been assigned to preside over the case because all of the Tuscaloosa County judges recused themselves. Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker will hold a hearing this morning on former House Speaker Mike Hubbard's request for a new trial and other post-trial motions. Last month, Hubbard filed a motion asking for an acquittal, new trial or dismissal of the charges. His lawyers argued that the jury's verdict was contrary to the law and weight of the evidence and that he did not receive a fair trial. In part, they object to the state's expert testimony from former Alabama Ethics Commission Executive Director Jim Sumner. They have also called for an investigation into possible juror misconduct based on an affidavit given by a juror after the trial. The juror claims to have heard comments from other jurors that showed a bias against Hubbard as early as the first day of the trial. On June 10, the jury convicted Hubbard of 12 felony ethics violations. Hubbard was convicted of using his office for personal gain through consulting contracts and of soliciting business investments from people who had interests in state government. He was also convicted of voting for legislation with a conflict of interest, lobbying state departments for a fee and using state resources to benefit a consulting client. Walker sentenced him to four years in prison and fined him $210,000. Prosecutors oppose Hubbard's motions. They have asked Walker to order Hubbard to pay $1.1 million in restitution to the state, an amount equal to his income from the consulting contracts and the investments. Hubbard is out on bond. A 62-year-old man was killed Thursday night in a single-vehicle crash in Tuscaloosa County. Alabama State Troopers today identified the victim as Derrick Wade Barger. He lived in Coaling. The accident happened at 8 p.m. on Hagler Coaling Road, 10 miles south of Coaling. Barger was driving a 2005 Cadillac Escalade that left the roadway and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Senior Trooper Reginal King said the preliminary investigation indicates that speed and alcohol may have been factors in the crash. The investigation is ongoing. charles jordan.jpg A Jefferson County jury on Thursday convicted a Birmingham man of murder in the death of a woman found stuffed in a plastic storage tub on Southside in April 2014. Charles Jordan, 40, had admitted to police his involvement in the death of 61-year-old Patricia McCain, of Morris. Police said at the time the two were acquaintances who engaged in heavy drug usage. Jefferson County Circuit Judge Bill Cole set Jordan's sentencing date for Nov. 8. Jordan had been staying recently at Chateau Terrace Condominiums at 1540 15th Street South. He was renting a unit from his cousin, police said at the time. Investigators said McCain was killed inside that top-floor unit and kept in the storage tub for weeks before her body was discovered outside near a dumpster. An arrest warrant charging Jordan stated that he intentionally strangled McCain on March 7, 2014, according to a court document.The killing happened after the two got into an altercation, police said at the time. Jordan then hid the body in the tub inside the apartment for a while and then asked a relative to toss out the tub. But after the relative got the tub outside he discovered the body inside, police and neighbors told AL.com. Jordan was represented at trial by Tiara Young Hudson and Joseph Simonetti, attorneys with the Jefferson County Public Defender's Office. Deputy Jefferson County District Attorneys Joe Roberts and Lauren prosecuted the case. "Deputy District Attorney Lauren Breland and I are very pleased with the verdict by the jury," Roberts stated in an email to AL.com. "We recognize that it was not an easy case and the jury worked very hard and considered all the issues and reached a just verdict." "The family of Patricia McCain are satisfied justice was done," Roberts stated. "We also want to thank the Birmingham Police Department for all their hard work on the case." One of McCain's daughters, Brandie McCain, watched the trial. "Nobody wins. It's a sad situation on both sides," she said. McCain said she had made peace with Jordan's family and that her Christian beliefs have allowed her to forgive Jordan. A man was found dead under a downtown Birmingham interstate early today, and authorities said the death is being investigated as a homicide. The body of an adult Hispanic male was discovered at 1:38 a.m. in the 1900 block of Ninth Avenue North, according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office. Birmingham police and Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded to the scene and tried to revive him, but their efforts were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m. Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said the victim had been shot multiple times. It appeared he might have been a transient, and a person passing by notified the police of the incident location. The victim's name has not been released pending notification of family. He is Birmingham's 66th homicide victim this year, the 98th homicide victim in all of Jefferson County. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Birmingham police at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Updated at 9:32 to say the victim was a Hispanic male and that he had been shot. A retired Texas cattle rancher has been identified as the man found shot to death early this morning under a Birmingham interstate. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Jerald Douglas Wade. He was 64. Birmingham police received a call just after 1:30 a.m. of a person down in the 1900 block of Ninth Avenue North. Officers and Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded to the scene at 1:38 a.m. and tried to revive him, but their efforts were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m. Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said the victim had been shot multiple times. He said it appeared the victim was transient, but at least one friend said he had an apartment. His brother, John Wesley Wade, told AL.com his brother spent several years in the U.S. Army and then returned to Texas where the two worked together as ranchers in the small town of Llano. "He was just a good, honest, hardworking guy that worked on a ranch for most of his life,'' John Wade said. He said his brother left Llano a couple of years ago, traveling to Odessa and Midland, and then on to California, Illinois and Kentucky. "He had been wanting to leave Texas for a long time,'' John Wade said. "He was traveling around, moving from state to state to figure out where he wanted to take it easy for the rest of his life." Jerald Wade would write to his mother often, updating her on his whereabouts. Those letters stopped about four months ago, and his family had no idea he was in Alabama. "Then I got a call this morning about the situation,'' John Wade said. "The Llano police chief called me and we met. Then he came back here to tell my mother about it." John Wade says he doesn't know why anyone would kill his brother. "He wasn't mentally ill and he never used drugs,'' he said. "He got paid (social security) on Aug. 24, so this might be about money." He said he is puzzled about the slaying. "Normally he's not out at that time of the night,'' he said. "I don't know what drug him out there and at that time." He said his brother will receive a county burial here because the family can't afford to bring him home to Texas. "I'm just heartbroken that it happened the way it did,'' he said. "He was just a good man." Jerald Wade is the second person killed in Birmingham in recent weeks under an interstate bridge. James "Street James" Griffin, 58, was found shot to death Wednesday, Aug. 19, under a different overpass. Police have not announced any arrests in Griffin's death. Today's slaying is Birmingham's 66th homicide victim this year, the 98th homicide victim in all of Jefferson County. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Birmingham police at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Kathleen Lundy was all sunshine and smiles. Kathleen Lundy She was a woman who could change the mood of a room with her contagious laughter and colorful jokes, her cousin Rebecca Pritchett said. Lundy, 72, also had the personality to make a friend out of total stranger. Although it has been hard, Lundy's family is trying to keep alive a legacy of a woman who was fatally shot in the doorway of her home on Morland Pointe in Huntsville on Aug. 26. Lundy will be buried Friday at Maple Hill Cemetery after a mass service at St. Joseph Catholic Church at 11 a.m. But even after her funeral, Pritchett said Lundy will live on through her family's action. They will continue to bring flowers to Lundy's 102-year-old mother-in-law - a tireless tradition Lundy started many years ago. "Her light will never be extinguished," Pritchett said. "We will see her smiling face and hear her colorful mixture of southern and Boston accents every time we laugh so hard our sides hurt." Family and friends are still trying to grapple with the details of Lundy's death. Huntsville police said Warren Hardy, 27, shot the victim in an effort to steal her car during a hunt for his ex-girlfriend. Authorities said Hardy was caught in Marion County, Tennessee after a brief car chase on Aug. 28. He will be transported to Alabama to face a capital murder charge, authorities said. As more details about the shooting were released, the victim's family and friends tried to tell the world about the love Lundy left behind. Raised in Randolph, Massachusetts, Lundy was the last surviving daughter of 11 siblings. She was a mother and grandmother of two. After marrying her husband almost 50 years ago, she started travelling the United States and eventually the world. Lundy would organize a table full of souvenirs from those faraway places for her coworkers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville resident Lynn Garrison said. During their many years of working together, Garrison said she admired Lundy's unpredictable sense of humor. When Lundy met Garrison's for the first time, Lundy convinced the boy she worked for Hooters. Fast forward about 16 years to today and Garrison's son, now 27, still calls Lundy the "Hooter girl." "Her husband always said she could talk a cat off a fish wagon because she can talk anyone into anything," Garrison said. "You never knew what was exactly going to come out of her mouth." That's how Garrison been handling her grief: remembering the things her friend said and did. She remembers the craft shows and concerts they attended together. She remembers space shuttles roaring into the universe as they watched launches in Florida. "She taught me how to live life," Garrison said. Pritchett said that's Lundy message she wanted to give to the world. "Even when things were tough, she found a way to laugh about it," Pritchett said. "She taught me that God intended for us to laugh and to enjoy life -- otherwise, he wouldn't have given us Kathy." Back in January, we looked at the list of the most dangerous places in Alabama. Now, here's the other side of the coin. ValuePenguin analyzed FBI Crime Report data to determine 2016's safest places to live in Alabama. The report looked at 83 Alabama cities that had a population of at least 5,000 people. Here are the top 5 safest places in Alabama: Helena - Of the top five safest cities, Helena has the lowest amount of property crimes per 100,000 people. Helena is consistently ranked one of the best places to live in state. Satsuma - The smallest city on the list (population about 6,200), Satsuma reported only seven violent crimes in the FBI report. Vestavia Hills - The largest city in the top 5 (population 34,000), Vestavia Hills reported zero sexual assaults for the surveyed years. Southside - Located in Etowah County, Southside (population 8,564) had the fourth-lowest property crime per 100,000 residents. Rainbow City - Adjusted for population, Rainbow City - another Etowah County entry - is ranked fifth-safest for both violent and property crimes. And here are entries 6-15: Moody Pelham Roanoke Pell City Hartselle Daphne Opp Alabaster Hamilton Daleville Welcome to Friday's Wake Up Call. Let's see what's going on: Aurora massacre survivors owe theater $700,000 Survivors of the 2012 massacre at Colorado's Aurora Century owe the movie theater chain almost $700,000 as the result of a failed lawsuit. Several survivors and victims' families filed a civil suit against Cinemark alleging the company could have done more to prevent the shootings. Earlier this year, a judge ruled in Cinemark''s favor, leaving the plaintiffs with the $700,000 legal bill. The judge ordered four of the survivors who had filed the suit to pay for the claim. James Holmes killed 12 people and wounded at least 70 others in the 2012 rampage. Zika spray kills honeybees Millions of bees were killed in South Carolina over the weekend after officials sprayed an insecticide intended to kill mosquitoes and prevent the spread of the Zika virus. The pesticide Naled was sprayed through Dorchester County in South Carolina. One bee apiary alone lost 46 hives - or about 2.5 million bees. The county said it did notify residents it was spraying but will now provide five days notice. South Carolina has had four travel-related cases of Zika. Melania Trump files suit Melania Trump has filed suit against the Daily Mail and a Maryland political blogger for claims she worked as an escort when she was younger. Trump, wife of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, said the claims were "100 percent false" and damaged her personal and professional reputation. The would-be First Lady is represented by Charles Harder, the same attorney that successfully represented Hulk Hogan in his lawsuit against Gawker Media. Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle suing victim's parents Jared Fogle, former Subway spokesman turned prisoner, is suing the parents of one of his victims. The victim, a minor known only as Jane Doe, sued Fogle earlier this year for $150,000 for damages related to his crimes. In his suit, Fogle said the girl abused alcohol and drugs, wasn't supervised by her parents and that any emotional distress she experienced was from her parent's divorce. Fogle pleaded guilty last year to charges of having sex with minors and receiving and distributing child pornography. He was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison. Until tomorrow. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's State Bureau of Investigation is asking any witnesses to an Aug. 18 homicide near Tuskegee University to come forward. Investigators hosted an event on the Tuskegee University campus, adjacent to Tompkins Hall, on Thursday where witnesses could come forward or turn over any cell phone camera videos or photos. The event continues today until 1 p.m. According to SBI, Joshua Thompson was killed in a shooting in the area of Old Montgomery Road and Main Street on the night of Thursday, Aug. 18. Another person was injured and transported to East Alabama Medical Center for unspecified injuries. No suspects are in police custody. "SBI is trying to solve the case, and they are in hopes there were witnesses that night and feel there may have been," ALEA Cpl. Jesse Thornton said. "Just hoping someone will come forward and talk to them to get it solved." He said investigators did interview potential witnesses on Thursday. No updates on the case were currently available. Anyone with information on the homicide is asked to contact the SBI at 334-242-1142. ERSKINE 3.jpg Matt Erskine, Deputy Assistant Secretary at US Department of Commerce. (Christopher Harress) The Economic Development Administration (EDA) made two grants totaling nearly $5 million to the Southwest Alabama region Friday, specifically assisting manufacturing and innovation projects in Mobile and Atmore, it was announced at a Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce press conference. Matt Erskine, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, an agency that invests in distressed communities, made the announcement alongside Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson and Atmore Mayor Jim Staff. "We know these key projects will help transform this region's economy," said Erskine. The first grant, for $2.9 million, will contribute to the renovation and modernization of the old Threaded Fasteners building in Downtown Mobile, which will become a business incubator designed to help entrepreneurs and businesses in the Southwest Alabama region, said Erskine. A second grant totaling $1.9 million will help build an industrial access road to serve a new aerospace manufacturing facility located at the Rivercane Industrial Park in Atmore, which Erskine said would help alleviate recent economic decline in the city and is expected to create 116 jobs and generate $114 million in private investment. The grant comes as the U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday that the country added 151,000 jobs in August, a significant decrease from gains in the previous two months. However, the report also noted losses of around 14,000 in manufacturing. While the unemployment rate in Atmore soared during the global economic crisis of 2007 and 2008, peaking at 13.1 percent in July 2009, it has slowly recovered to 6.4 percent as of July this year, but still trails the Alabama rate of 5.8 percent and the national average of 4.9 percent. Mobile County's unemployment rate is currently 6.7 percent, according to Alabama Department of Labor Statistics. Erskine also announced in his speech that the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and Atmore City would be contributing $1.9 million and $580,000 to their projects, respectively. Mayor Staff of Atmore said that the grant was a "truly regional project," while Mobile Mayor Stimpson said that he and the Mobile community were "grateful" for the EDA's investment. Representatives from NBC, Fox News, CNN and ABC have been named moderators of the upcoming presidential debates between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. The nonprofit, non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates released the list of moderators Friday. The first presidential debate, set for Sept. 26 at New York's Hofstra University, will be moderated by NBC Nightly anchor Lester Holt. CNN's Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz, chief global affairs correspondent and co-anchor of ABC's "This Week," will moderate the second debate, set for Oct. 9 at Washington University in St. Louis. Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace will moderate the third presidential debate. It is planned for Oct. 19 at University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Elaine Quijano, anchor for CBSN and a correspondent with CBS News, will moderate the vice presidential debate, planned for Oct. 4 at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Steve Scully, senior executive producer, White House and political editor for C-SPAN Networks, will be the backup moderator for all debates. "These journalists bring extensive experience to the job of moderating, and understand the importance of using expanded time periods effectively," said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. and Michael D. McCurry, co-chairs of the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates. "The formats chosen for this year's debates are designed to build on the formats introduced in 2012, which focused big blocks of time on major domestic and foreign topics. We are grateful for their willingness to moderate, and confident that the public will learn more about the candidates and the issues as a result." The Sept. 26 and Oct. 19 debates, as well as the vice presidential one, will include topics selected by moderators and announced at least one week before the debate. Each candidate will be asked a question and then given two minutes to respond followed by an opportunity to reply to each other. The Oct. 9 debate will take the form of a town hall. Half of the questions will be posed by citizen participants and the other half will come from the moderators. The candidates will have two minutes to respond and then an additional minute from the moderator for more discussion. The town meeting participants will be uncommitted voters selected by the Gallup Organization. All debates will be run from 9-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time without commercial breaks. A man yelled a racial slur and threatened to kill people while wielding a shotgun in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Monday night, Ozark police say. Christopher Joseph Lucier, 28, of Ozark, was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat, obstructing government operations and public intoxication. He is being held in the Dale County Jail on $12,000 bond. According to the arrest report, officers were called to the Wal-Mart store at around 10:40 to the report of a possible drunk driver trying to push his vehicle in the parking lot. On the way to the scene, officers learned the suspect, later identified as Lucier, was threatening to kill people with a shotgun. Lucier is accused of threatening to "kill all the n-----s" while waving a shotgun, the report states. According to the report, Lucier refused to comply with the officers after they arrived on the scene. One officer deployed his Taser in order to take the suspect in custody. "The suspect fell backwards striking his head on the ground causing minor injury," the report stated. Lucier was then taken into custody without further incident. Officers said Lucier appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. The inmate accused of stabbing a correctional officer at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore on Thursday is charged with attempted murder, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. Cleveland Cunningham, 24, was transported to Kilby Correctional Facility in Montgomery County following the incident, ADOC records show. ADOC spokesman Bob Horton said ADOC investigators are filing the attempted murder charge with the Escambia County District Attorney's Office. The warrant and complaint aren't available for release yet. The injured officer's condition has improved from critical to serious, Horton said. His name isn't being released. The stabbing occurred at around 12:35 p.m. on Thursday in the prison's dining hall during the noon meal, ADOC said. The injured corrections officer was flown by helicopter to an unspecified hospital. Cunningham assaulted and stabbed the officer in retaliation for being denied an extra tray of food, authorities said. Cunningham is serving a 20-year sentence on a 2013 first-degree robbery conviction in Baldwin County. Holman remains on lockdown Friday, Horton said. On Tuesday, Daphne's City Council will determine the costs and logistics for a vote recount at a single precinct during the Aug. 23 municipal election. One of the council's members, John Lake, defeated in a bid for mayor, requested the recount. Lake will be prohibited from discussing the matter Tuesday when the council determines how much he'll have to pay for the recount, who will be on hand for it and how it will be conducted. Lake, in asking for a hand recount of approximately 870 ballots in the city's 2nd District, said he doesn't anticipate the costs eclipsing $1,000. He said he's prepared to pay for the recount. But Lake agreed that it's up to the council to determine the final costs. His inquiry comes as the Secretary of State's Office is following up on hundreds of complaints stemming from the municipal elections around Alabama Aug. 23. "I'm hoping the council figures a reasonable expense of two poll workers and a poll inspector, which is $200 each or $600," Lake said, adding he doesn't believe there is a reason for an attorney to attend the recount, thereby driving up the costs further. He said he believes the entire recount should be handled by hand, and not fed through a machine. "I don't want a machine count," he said. "I think 877 votes can be done by a hand count." Lake lost to Mayor Dane Haygood by 377 votes, and has since conceded the election. He has said that he wants the recount to preserve the integrity of the city's election process. Lake said his concern stems from what he says was a faulty voting machine in a district in which he believes he should have had a stronger showing. Violetta Smith, the elections coordinator in Baldwin County, said she anticipates that Election Systems and Software - the company which furnishes the voting machines - will be asked to attend the recount. She said she's unsure if she will be attending the Daphne recount. The only other recount in Baldwin County stemming from the Aug. 23 elections was in Magnolia Springs, where Councilman Bob Holk defeated retired attorney James Gaines by one vote in the mayoral race. Smith attended that recount, which occurred Friday. Smith said it's up to Daphne officials on whether the recount should be done by hand or machine. (Alabama law) says we have to do it by machine, but that is their call," Smith said. "Sometimes they request us to be there so if something happens with a machine, we can explain the process." Daphne City Clerk Rebecca Hayes said a date for the mayoral recount will also be solidified on Tuesday. She declined to speculate on its costs, and said that City Attorney Jay Ross was "working on that." Ross could not be reached for comment Friday. Lake said he's been told that a recount of all votes in the city could cost $15,000, but he's not seeking that. Also, he doesn't want machines to be involved in the recount: "Those are the things that screwed up," Lake said. Karin Wilson had one speech ready on Aug. 23 that could serve for either a victory or a loss on election night in Fairhope. "The concession and victory speech started off the same," said Wilson, recalling the post-vote rally at her family's Page & Palette bookstore in downtown, as the media cameras rolled for the late-night news. She managed to get the first two sentences out of her mouth, she said, then the crowd began roaring in jubilation. Phones were lighting up, giving the vote totals. "Karin won! Karin won!'" they shouted. Wilson said, "I was blown away. I've been told not to say that anymore, but I was." A little more than a week later, Wilson - the city's first female mayor who will be sworn in to a four-year term on Nov. 7 - is starting to transition from the euphoria of an eye-catching election win to the reality that she's about to become the mayor of one of Alabama's boom cities. The challenges will be plenty. Chief among them is growth, and how the city plans to move forward with preserving its vibrant, old-fashioned downtown while addressing the sprawl of new residential subdivisions and commercial businesses east of the city's center area. Her first job will be dealing with the city's comprehensive plan. She wants to reimagine planning with more of a focus on community feedback overseen by an urban planner. Wilson also wants to separate the mayor's duties as supervisor of utilities, something that longtime incumbent Tim Kant has shouldered since 2012. She said the mayor should receive one salary, not two. And she wants to push for more community events. "Overall, I just want people to know it's time to get excited," said the 48-year-old Wilson. "It's a new day. It's a fresh start. And it's absolutely not about me. I want to really bring it back to the community which is really what Fairhope is about." 'Community input' Wilson took a leap into mayoral politics out of concern over how the city was handling planning and development. She has been critical of last year's comprehensive planning efforts, which were led by Thompson Engineering at the behest of the City Council. She said of the process, which included the unveiling of four maps intended as possible avenues to update the city's comprehensive plan: "Think of the worst, most ineffective way of doing it and that's the way we did it." Wilson added, "We're going to figure out ways to really go out and get community input. We have to go out there and take the time to really find out what people want." Wilson said she favors scrapping the previous planning effort. When asked about the possible concerns of its costs, Wilson said it won't be as costly as the "millions of dollars" that the city spends on legal fees fighting off litigants angry about existing rules. Council President Jack Burrell said it's "premature" on whether the entire plan has to be reconsidered. But he said it's worth a discussion. "I've heard her talk about inclusiveness and getting people's attention," Burrell said. "But certainly from the town hall meetings we had, there were people vocally against the options put out there. Some people felt we needed to have more options." Kant advocated for a moratorium on new subdivision development during the campaign, and Wilson has pushed for "smart growth." The city has seen a 21 percent growth since 2010, far surpassing Baldwin County's 11 percent growth rate during that same time period. Local economist Semoon Chang believes a moratorium will backfire. A ban, he said, would raise the value of existing available properties, thus stimulating construction of high-rises. A better approach, he said, would be to regulate subdivision aesthetics. But Diana Brewer, a city councilwoman who faces an Oct. 4 runoff election against James Conyers Jr., said the moratorium is something the council could embrace. "I think a moratorium on new subdivisions and multi-family projects is a good thing so we can update our subdivision regulations and even our tree ordinance," she said. "It will require outside expertise and a planner and probably an engineer to help us update those regulations. I would like to see that done first and those are things we can manage. Added Brewer: "Karin will need to rely on the expertise on people already there." Governing style Wilson said she doesn't plan to enter city hall and begin making widespread personnel changes. She has the authority, in many respects, to do so. Wilson said she wants to "put people's minds at ease." "One of the biggest assets we need to protect are the city employees," she said. "With that, everyone has value right now. There is going to be a learning curve on my end. I'm going to heavily rely on everyone's input and knowledge to help us move forward. I don't have any plans to shake things up or anything like that." Another concern among locals is what Wilson plans to do with Fairhope's longtime volunteer fire department. She said that, again, she doesn't have plans to make significant changes. She said that comments she made during the campaign about what she would want to do with an additional $10 million by adding full-time fire personnel was merely speculation. "I said we could have paid firemen but it wasn't like I wanted to do that ... it was because (of a question) 'What would you do with $10 million?.'" Wilson said. "I'm not making an decisions when it comes to that. It will be what the community wants." There is one certainty with Wilson's administration: There won't be a dual mayor-superintendent of utilities post. Kant served in those two capacities in recent years. Wilson said his combined salary of $30,000 as mayor and $60,000 of superintendent of utilities should be separated. But she said the mayor should be paid more than $30,000 a year. "Whatever the salary is, it needs to be for mayor and not a padded figure," she said, adding that the city needs to continue with a superintendent of utilities that will serve almost autonomously from the city control. Wilson said she plans on taking an active role as a figurehead for the city by attending ribbon-cuttings and other activities. She said she'll be mayor full-time, leaving a majority of the business-related tasks at the bookstore to her husband and staff. "I'm going to be community-orientated and always out talking to people," she said. And she wants to add more community events. "Now I'm just ready to let people know to bring it on," said Wilson. "That's one of the things people love about Fairhope is that there is usually something going on, the town is very active and I think people are recognizing in the last five years, those events and festivals have been declining and we just want to bring that stuff back." Liberal or conservative? Meanwhile, Wilson said she is trying to squash street talk that Fairhope voters elected a "liberal" as mayor. Baldwin County has historically been among the more conservative counties in the state, where voters almost always elect Republicans to office. Fairhope city elections are similar to other cities in Alabama in which municipal seats are non-partisan. But questions about Wilson political allegiances surfaced campaign finance forms showed her that she spent more than $8,000 to have polling and consultant work by Chism Strategies. The Mississippi-based company's clients include, among others, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club and President Barack Obama's re-election efforts in Colorado. Wilson said a political adviser she hired opted to use Chism Strategies, something she wasn't aware was happening. "I didn't even know I hired Chism," she said. "I hired a political adviser and ... he uses Chism for polling and printing. We were not on the same page." Wilson said she is a registered Republican and considers herself a fiscal conservative who is pro-business. "You can't run a city like a business but in respect to finances, I think it's important for voters to feel confident that I'm not going to use tax dollars as a safety net," Wilson said. This story was updated at 4:18 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, to updated Karin Wilson's position on a subdivision moratorium. Wilson said she doesn't support a moratorium, but is advocating for a "smart" and "responsible" growth program. Debra Hughes remembers how her sister, Shelia Hughes, was about to begin a new chapter in her life before Sept. 1, 2000. Shelia, then 29, was due to give birth to a son. "She was saying that when she had the baby, she would stay with me for a few weeks and then find a place," Debra Hughes said. "She was going to name him Junior." The night of Sept. 1, Shelia was living with her sister in Aliceville when she was picked up by Renard Simmons, her boyfriend and father of the unborn child. Debra Hughes remembers that before her sister left she said something to her that she still remembers to this day. "Her last words to me were 'If you don't ever see me again, don't worry about me because I have lived my life to the fullest,'" Debra Hughes said. After that, Shelia was never seen again. Thursday marked 16 years to the day that she disappeared, but Debra Hughes and her family still hold out hope that they will receive answers one day. In 2008, the family had Shelia declared legally presumed dead in Pickens County Probate Court. "In my heart, I really believe she is deceased, but sometimes hope arises," Hughes said. Hughes said she always had concern about Simmons' account of the night. According to reports, Simmons told law enforcement that after picking Shelia Hughes up that evening, he dropped her off back home at 3 a.m. the next morning. However, Hughes said she was at home that night and never saw her come back. "I was at home that weekend and he did not drop her off," Hughes said. "That's what he said, but I was off that weekend, so he did not drop her off." Following Shelia's disappearance, Hughes become more vocal about what she thought happened to her, telling The Tuscaloosa News in 2008 about how she felt about how Simmons "may have had something to do with her going missing." "He's shown no sympathy since she disappeared," Hughes said in that interview. "He wanted her to have an abortion, but she refused and he was really upset." On Nov. 5, 2013, Simmons died. He was never charged, although District Attorney Chris McCool said he was a person of interest at one point. "The evidence was never clear enough to charge anyone, and until the evidence shows what happened and who did it, even if that person is deceased, it won't be closed," McCool said. Keith Cox investigated Shelia's case from the time he was a police officer at the Aliceville Police Department to his time as an investigator for the district attorney's office and said Simmons was not the main focus of the investigation, though with his death, some questions remain unanswered. "Regardless of what people think his status was, any information we need to clarify with him we can't do now," Cox said. Cox said he is not sure what happened to her. No body was ever recovered and no new information has been gathered in the case in years. "Until there is some final closure, you never really know what happened," he said. McCool, who was assistant district attorney for Pickens County at the time Shelia disappeared, said the case is cold, but not closed. McCool said Simmons was a person of interest for a time, but that there was never enough evidence to charge anyone. Nonetheless, he said the case would remain open. "Finding out what happened is justice," he said. "I'm not satisfied until we know what happened." Cox, now circuit clerk of Pickens County, said the case still weighs heavily on him. "It's probably one of the biggest disappointments in my career that I could not give this family an answer as to what had happened," Cox said. Shortly after Shelia's disappearance, law enforcement came across substantial evidence: pieces of her clothing that were found in Mississippi. Cox said that unfortunately, the discovery did not yield any further results in the case. Cox said the biggest obstacle in figuring out what happened to Shelia was the lack of evidence and, outside of Simmons' account of the night, nothing of note. "It's almost as if she just vanished into thin air, but we both know that is not the case," he said. "It just doesn't make sense." Cox said at one point, law enforcement investigated rumors that Shelia had been seen in different parts of the country. Hughes is adamant that her sister would never have just left her family. "If that was me and someone said that, that might be true, but with Shelia, there's no truth to that," Hughes said. "I knew Shelia too well." People that knew Shelia said she was very social and full of spontaneity, often planning family trips and reunions. "She was the one that kept the family together," Hughes said. "We haven't had a family barbecue since she was missing because she was the one that used to get it together." She said she still thinks about her sister every day. "I often think about what she would be doing now," Hughes said. "I think about what her child would be like and how he would come to visit." DREW TAYLOR, The Tuscaloosa News NASA logo.JPG Glenn Baeske / The Huntsville Times--- Mark McDaniel speaks to the media after being named science and NASA adviser to Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN, 4th district including Lincoln County, Tenn., and sits on the appropriations committee) at a press conference today at HudsonAlpha. By Mark McDaniel, who has practiced law in Huntsville with his firm McDaniel and McDaniel LLC for over thirty years. With a diversified practice Mark has been lead trial counsel in over one hundred jury trials in a variety of civil and criminal matters. He has represented governors, Congressmen and other national, state and local officials. President Clinton appointed Mr. McDaniel to the NASA Advisory Council in October 2000. President Bush reappointed Mr. McDaniel to the Council in November 2002 and November 2004. The NASA Advisory Council is the Nation's highest civilian advisory board for NASA and advises the NASA Administrator on all matters. McDaniel has also been called on to serve as an aerospace and science advisor to several members of Congress including former Congressmen Bud Cramer, Lincoln Davis and Science Committee Chairman Bart Gordon. It is a fact of life that major NASA programs have to be ever mindful of a very earthly but critical calendar: our presidential political calendar. Every four, or sometimes eight, years we select a new president. With that new president comes a brand new administration, changing priorities and another review of NASA's mission and a critical look at their major programs and goals. Programs such as Apollo, the Space Station and the Shuttle spanned several administrations before actually seeing a launch or service for our country. With every new administration even these historic programs faced these same challenges and hurdles. In fact, the Space Station came within a single vote in the House of Representatives of being cancelled. Major and complex programs that inspire our nation and produce new scientific discovery take several years of work and development before hardware is constructed, new rockets are fired and their potential can be fully realized. NASA's newest great program is the Space Launch System or SLS. This program will take us back to the Moon's orbit and eventually take humans to Mars. SLS is a program with the potential to inspire a new generation to look beyond our atmosphere. But before that potential can be realized SLS will need a sustained national effort by NASA spanning years and successive Administrations. As we look to November and a new President this SLS program is at a crossroads. The SLS program is on track in its development and has achieved significant milestones. In June the massive Booster that will help power the rocket was tested in Utah and a huge crowd witnessed the power that was developed right here at the Marshall Space Flight Center. This successful test puts the program on a schedule to launch an unmanned Orion capsule to orbit the Moon and return to earth in 2018 and launch a crewed mission in 2021. Of course those launches are dependent on support from a new President who will take the oath of office in January of 2017. As we stand at this important crossroads the Democrats and Republicans have each completed their conventions and Labor Day signals the traditional beginning of the Fall campaign. Both events included only brief mentions of NASA and while each featured a former astronaut addressing the delegates their speeches did not focus on the vision for Exploration. As with most Presidential campaigns the focus is on other issues - but as the campaigns continue and a winner is chosen transition teams will start to work and these issues will become very important to the new administration. As we move through this process over the next six months many in our community and NASA advocates from across the country will be working hard to influence these potential administrations and those who will staff them. The good news is that we are blessed to have respected voices with lifelong relationships on both sides of the aisle that will be making the case that we must continue to invest in space exploration and the SLS program. When I served on the NASA Advisory Council I served Bush Administration NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and served with Republican Senator Jake Garn, Democratic Senator John Glenn and Clinton Administration Navy Secretary Richard Danzig. The importance of NASAs mission is what brought us together and our goal of preserving SLS will unite us as we each work behind the scenes in the coming months. Mostly these conversations occur behind the scenes and usually with little publicity or credit to those who do make this case but make no mistake, they are critical in shaping the future of space policy and programs such as SLS. Like NASA, our community has much at stake in these discussions. The SLS and ISS programs account for 3600 jobs across our community both at the Marshall Space Flight Center and with the contractors who support these programs. So as a community we must each roll up our sleeves, call on our friends and do our part to advocate for and support a robust vision for NASA's Exploration mission and the SLS program that is critical to Marshall's future. Hurricane Verne Matt Mitchell is the creator of The Ostrich, Walker County's least trusted news source, and was the 3rd round draft pick of the Denver Nuggets. Roughly half of what he writes is untrue. Warning that the storm could dump thousands of mispronounced player names across the southeast, officials with the National Weather Service confirmed that Hurricane Verne was poised to make landfall this Saturday in College Station, Texas. "We've seen this particular system arrive for 17 straight years, yet we're never fully prepared for it. It starts off slow and relatively calm, but by the 4th quarter you could find objects flying across your living room," said NWS meteorologist Hanna Travis. "Failing to take proper precautions like muting your television could have devastating consequences for you, your loved ones, and your 50 inch tv." According to the latest tracking and forecast models, Hurricane Verne will make landfall in Texas this weekend before heading east to Florida. From there, Verne is expected to move north to Tuscaloosa where it could produce the most damage this season. "We need to make preparations now to protect the pronunciations of Andy Pappanastos in Tuscaloosa, Jabari Zuniga in Gainesville, and DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle in Athens," stated Travis, "If Hurricane Verne gets a hold of them first, there will be nothing left." To complicate matters, another disturbance known as Tropical Storm Gary is moving in the same direction as Verne. While not as powerful, Gary still has the potential to create damage with its long-winded rants on helmet-to-helmet calls and wildly inaccurate in-game predictions. "We don't expect Hurricane Verne to hit us for a few weeks, but I'm taking steps now to protect my family," explained Birmingham resident Marcus Brooks. "I already sent the kids to my parents' house until December. Verne will be at full strength by the time he reaches this house. Curse words will be flying through this living room at over 700 mph." Experts believe Hurricane Verne will begin with a light drizzle of chortle in Texas around 2:30 pm before reaching Florida next week. Once in Gainesville, Verne will flood the airwaves with 40 to 50 references to Tim Tebow. "The Verne and Gary storm systems are going to gain momentum extremely fast," explained Travis. "Which is ironic, because Tropical Storm Gary doesn't believe in momentum and will remind you of this every Saturday." [This is a work of satire. All content is the creation of Matt Mitchell, the Ostrich.] At the annual Canfield Fair in Ohio, you can gobble down a deep-fried Twinkie, ride the Scrambler or watch a pony contest. But this year, in the midst of a heated US election season, you can also help Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump build his wall. At the Republican Party booth, for a donation, anyone can buy a fake brick and place it on a board in an effort to construct a wall, a symbolic gesture meant to elicit support for Trumps most popular pledge: to erect a barrier on the border with Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out. Its a promise he repeated on Wednesday during a speech in Phoenix, Arizona just hours after meeting Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. If you love America, someones scrawled on one brick, Vote Trump. Welcome to Mahoning County, USA. Its nowhere near the Mexican border but this is a battleground within a battleground state and Trumps immigration message is resonating with a primarily white, working-class voting block still smarting from an economic downturn that started in the 1970s when steel mills began closing and thousands of jobs disappeared. The interest in Trumps message has energised people like Kathy Miller, a real estate agent and campaign volunteer. Mahohing County is Democratic Party territory. President Barack Obama won it in 2008 and 2012 during his bids for the White House. But Miller argues that things are different this election cycle. As people are getting older, theyre looking back and saying, nothing got done, says Miller, referring to years of Democratic promises of jobs and opportunities. Thats led to a messy economic and social climate, she argues. People dont really want to go work any more. Theyd rather sit home. Theyd rather get a benefit package from the government. OPINION: Can Hillary Clinton placate the divided left? Even though the unemployment rate has gone down in the county from just over 13 percent when Obama first took over in January 2009 to 5.6 percent in 2015, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, that hasnt reduced the discontent. A report in March by Ohios secretary of state showed three times as many Democrats switched their party affiliation to the Republicans than the other way round during primary voting. Many of those voters are in this county of 232,000 people. Theres a huge silent majority of people who are not voicing anything, Miller says. But when the time comes, she contends, they are going to go vote. Democrats are taking nothing for granted. Hillary Clinton was in Youngstown, the biggest city in this area, just after she secured the Democratic nomination in July. US Vice President Joe Biden, who grew up in neighbouring Pennsylvania, was back in here stumping for Clinton on Thursday at an autoworkers union hall. In classic, folksy Biden style, he countered the image of Democrats as the establishment, painting Trump as the greedy boss. This guy doesnt understand, Biden told a sparse crowd. He doesnt have any idea what its like. Trump was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he added. Now hes choking because his foots in his mouth. Nicole Zayas, 37, agrees. Shes lived in Mahoning County most of her life and works in Youngstown. Her grandfather was a Mexican immigrant who received his citizenship after joining the US military in World War II. His last wish before he died was for his granddaughter go to college, which she did. If Donald Trump were president, says Zayas, that probably would never have happened. I have choices in life that I would have never had if my family were not a hard-working immigrant family, Zayas says. Like many Democrats, she worries that Trumps plan to build a wall will win over voters in this area. But Carlton Ingram, who attended the Biden event, is confident that Ohio will not go for Trump. This has always been and always will be a working folks state. Demonstrations in Paris following the death of Adama Traore while in police custody unearth deep rooted racial tensions. Paris, France Young protesters gathered for a demonstration at Gare Du Nord in the heart of Paris. Amid a heavy police presence, they defiantly chanted Black Lives Matter and called for justice following the death of Adama Traore while in police custody. The French police are killing our brothers, Adama didnt even do anything wrong. He was killed at the hands of the ones who were supposed to protect him, said one demonstrator. The 24-year-old French-Malaian died on July 19, shortly after his arrest in Beaumont-sur-Oise, a suburb on the edge of Paris. He had been taken into custody after allegedly interfering in the arrest of his brother who was wanted in connection to an extortion case. The details of his death are murky. Traores family says that he entered the police van alive, only to be found dead at the station shortly after. French prosecutor Yves Jannier, said that Traore had fainted during the ride to the police station and although paramedics were called immediately, they were unable to revive him. Initially the police claimed that he had died of a heart failure. Later, Jannier said Traores death was caused by a serious infection which impacted several organs. But an autopsy indicated that the cause of death was asphyxiation. According to police documents, three police officers admitted to throwing their weight on him. This meant that Traore had sustained the weight of three bodies at the time of the arrest, according to the documents. There has been no confirmation from experts on whether this caused the asphyxiation and death of the young man, but the protesters in Paris are pointing the finger of blame at the police. The police killed Adama. We are facing a new case of injustice and its not the first time it has happened. We need this to stop. We need justice, Curtis, a young black man from the suburbs, told Al Jazeera at the protest in Gare Du Nord. After weeks of protests and demands for a further investigation, the Traore family travelled to their hometown of Bamako in Mali to bury Adama, beside the grave of his father. News of Traores death caused anger and despair in the suburbs. Days of rioting followed and, in July, some members of the local community clashed with police, setting cars and buildings alight. Black Lives Matter France In the weeks since Traores death the French capital has seen a series of protests with passionate chants of Black Lives Matter, a slogan first coined by protesters in the United States in response to police killings of African Americans. The hashtags #BLMFrance and #Justicepouradama went viral on twitter within the country. Yasser Louati, a civil liberties and human rights activist from Paris, says that this particular case has resonated with many people and pushed them to demand justice. Years of mistreatment, brutality and policing by what he describes as an occupying force has led to a crisis point. If people are marching today it is because resentment is very, very profound. Look at how people do not trust the initial police statement, nor the second .They just do not trust the police, Louati told Al Jazeera. READ MORE: US Black man shot by police while helping patient The protests in France come as the Black Lives Matter movement takes on an international dimension. Recent protests have been held in the UK , Canada and Germany , with minority communities all voicing similar concerns regarding the treatment of black and brown bodies. Franco Lollia is an activist from the Anti-Negrophobia Brigade, a group formed to counter anti-black racism in France. He has been leading some of the protests alongside the Traore family and says that there is some link between the Black Lives Matter campaign in the US and the recent protests in Paris, describing it as a butterfly effect. But categorising this movement as a copy of the American one would ignore the unique factors of what exactly is causing such tensions in France. Lollia explains that unlike the US, the current BLM movement is specifically linked to the countrys history of colonialism. You can only understand the relationship between minorities and their governance through the prism of colonialism; everything is fitted through this, for example racial profiling. It is an inheritance from Frances colonial past. What we see here today can be described as internal colonialism within French borders, Lollia says. Policing communities In France a person of an African or Caribbean background is six times more likely to be stopped by the police [PDF] than a white person. For a person of Arab origin, the figure stands at eight times higher. Curtis, the young protester, explained the reality of these figures for a minority living in the suburbs. The stop and search levels towards blacks and Arabs are high. As soon as they see you are from a minority they target you. Its the same for all of us in the suburbs, racial profiling and intimidation by the police. Every day we live like this. In 2012, Human Rights Watch published a report showing that police used overly broad powers to conduct what they described as unwarranted and abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men and boys. Children as young as 13 were said to be subjected to frequent and invasive stops and searches. HRW presented evidence indicating that police in France use ethnic profiling when deciding whom to stop, rather than on reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. The use of insulting language, including racial slurs, were not uncommon, and some stops involved excessive use of force by the police, the report said. The stops are not systematically recorded by the police, which means the lack of transparency makes it incredibly difficult to assess the effectiveness or lawfulness of any such incident. Repeated Al Jazeera attempts to solicit comments from police representatives regarding the situation, were unanswered by the time of publication. A rallying cry The recent riots that followed the death of Traore are not the first time the French capital has seen such unrest in the suburbs known locally as banlieues. In 2005, a state of emergency was issued after weeks of rioting following the death of two teenagers, Bouna Traore and Zyed Benna. The pair was electrocuted while hiding from the police at an electricity substation in the Parisian suburb of Clichy Sous Bois. An independent inquiry held after their deaths found that the friends were entirely innocent. Yasser Louati believes that their case is an example of the fear that some young people feel towards the police. They fled the police and died, but nobody questioned why young people would have run, even if they did nothing wrong. There is a feeling that if the police catch you they can beat you, leave you for dead and nothing will happen to them, says Louati. After a decade of legal battles by the families of Zyed and Bouna, a French court cleared two police officers of failing to help the teenagers with the judge dismissing charges of them failing to assist someone in danger. No one was held accountable, leaving behind what protesters describe as a deep wound in the psyche of people from minority backgrounds in France. But this mistrust is not the only reason that some feel such alienation from French society. Many saw the unrest that followed the deaths of Traore and Benna as a reaction to years of marginalisation felt by some of the most impoverished communities in the country. Banlieues are home to many of Frances minorities. They are a sea of high-rise buildings engulfed in inequality where the poor are housed. Currently youth unemployment in France stands at about 23 percent, but Yasser Louati says that in the banlieues the figure is much higher at over 40 percent. Protest leaders at the BLM demonstrations believe that it is this inequality which is leading to such frustration and resentment. In 2015, President Francois Hollande promised to end the inequality that exists in the suburbs, while Prime Minister Valls has described the racial divide in France as territorial, social and ethnic apartheid. But many young people attending the BLM protests who currently live in the suburbs, feel that the current government has not worked to improve the situation, and that nothing has changed over the past decade. Yassin and Mohammed, two teenagers from a suburb in the north of Paris, explained how they feel cast aside. We are left out of opportunities, and there is no second chance through education because France is just too elitist. Nothing has changed since 2005; in fact things are even worse, they said. There is a feeling among the BLM protesters in France that depending on the police to rebuild trust with minority communities is not enough to stop things from spiraling out of control again, leading to further riots and unrest in the suburbs. A greater level of transparency and accountability regarding the way in which they are governed wont come about unless the people demand it. Access to education and employment for young people in the banlieues is the only way to close the inequality gap, which fundamentally will empower minority communities, the demonstrators say. They argue that there is much that can be gained from unity, joining an international movement in what can be considered a shared experience of the treatment of minorities in Western societies can only serve to strengthen their struggle. Burial in Afghan capital of Tajik king and his aides, executed in 1929, highlights Pashtun-Tajik ethnic divide. More than 80 years after his violent death, a Tajik kings remains have been buried in Kabul. The burial on Thursday came amid tensions between his supporters and opponents that almost erupted into armed clashes, highlighting ethnic fault lines in Afghan society. King Habibullah Kalakani, whose rise briefly interrupted the Pashtun dynasty in 1929, was executed after ruling for nine months. He was laid to rest, along with close aides, after their remains were discovered in an unmarked spot below the hilltop mausoleum of the countrys ethnic Pashtun dynasty. His funeral, though, became a source of conflict between political leaders. Tajiks urged President Ashraf Ghani to give Kalakani a state burial, while Vice-President Abdulrashid Dostum insisted that the former royal could not be buried on a hilltop that he considers important to Uzbek heritage. After many delays, Ghani eventually asked Abudullah Abdullah, the countrys chief executive, to deal with the matter, fearing that his approval would upset Pashtun nationalists and a small but vocal secular community. In the officially sanctioned history of Afghanistan, Kalakani is described as an illiterate highway robber who toppled reformist monarch King Amanullah, only to be deposed by Nadir, a cousin of the ousted king. Kalakani was arrested and executed with all of his close aides, their bodies hanged in public and later dumped in a mass grave. This version of history is favoured by the Pashtun nationalists and secularists in Afghanistan. However, for the Tajiks and the religious people of Afghanistan, Kalakani was a devout Muslim who opposed the secular policies of the westernised Amanullah. He led an Islamic rebellion against Amanullah, who had unveiled his wife and ordered Afghans to wear western clothes. Tense standoff Kalakani was imprisoned when King Nadir Khan broke an amnesty deal that was written and signed on the Quran an act of betrayal according to Tajiks. After deposing Kalakani, Nadir declared himself king only to be assassinated by a student in 1933. Today, 87 years after Kalakanis death, the two contending versions of history almost tipped Kabul into ethnic violence. As the funeral procession made its way to the cemetery on the hilltop of Sharara, armed groups loyal to the secular, Uzbek leader Dostum blocked the mourners. Sharara is one of the many hills in Kabul lying in a Tajik-populated quarter of the city. But Dostum, also a former general, regards Sharara as his private property, despite there being a large public graveyard there. There are other places that he [Kalakani] could be buried, I was not consulted about this burial, Dostum said in videos posted on social media. If all the Turkic population of Afghanistan get killed, I will not allow him to be buried on this hill top. In the same video, a Pashtun man can be heard calling out to Dostum: We are prepared to bring a thousand men from Logar province to support you. The tense standoff continued for more than six hours, with Dostums men standing firm as thousands of Tajik mourners threatened to take the hilltop by force. We will not accept this, the situation has become militarised, whoever has guns bring it now, said Gul Haidar, an influential Tajik commander, in videos posted on social media. Keep calm! Saleh Registani, another influential Tajik leader and member of the parliament, told the crowd. Gunshots were fired as pallbearers carrying the remains of Kalakani and his companions approached the site, leaving at least three people wounded, the AFP news agency reported. Funeral by Islamic law In another video posted on social media, Fazul Minallah Moumtaz, a representative of the Islamic party of Afghanistan (Hizb-e-Islami of Afghanistan), stands in the middle of the crowd and urges people not to turn the event into an ethnic and political dispute. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a Pashtun religious leader opposed to the current government, heads that party. Q&A: Afghanistans Tajiks plea for federalism Moumtaz said: My dear brothers, do not let this event turn into a tribal and political dispute. [Kalakani] was a great Muslim. This event is a religious event and Islamic law urges us to have a funeral for him. We have gathered for the sake of Islam nothing more. Dostum was eventually persuaded by Tajik leaders to back off, averting a bloody ethnic confrontation. Kalakani and his companions were buried on the hilltop cemetery late in the night. Critics on social media accused Pashtun nationalists of inciting Dostum to antagonise the Tajiks on a historic day. Follow Hashmatallah Moslih on Twitter: @hashmat_m Make America Great Again spells fear of a black and brown US, where racist rhetoric will graduate into racist policy. Asha Mohammed Nour is a Somali-American community organiser in Detroit, coordinating the Take on Hate Initiative. Khaled A Beydoun is a law professor, and author of American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear. What the hell do you have to lose? Donald Trump asked African Americans while speaking in Ohio a key battleground state in August. An absurd appeal to a voting bloc maligned by the Republican campaign, in a campaign where absurdity and alarm are cornerstones. While much of the alarm has centred on Trumps strident rhetoric and policy proposals targeting Muslims and Mexicans the Muslim ban and the Mexican wall Trumpism has hardly spared African-Americans, the group he simultaneously courted and disparaged before a predominantly white audience in Akron. Our government has totally failed our African-American friends Poverty. Rejection. Horrible education. No homes, no ownership. Crime at levels that nobody has seen And I ask you this, I ask you this crime, all the problems to the African-Americans, who I employ so many, Trump rambled, mixing ill-articulated acknowledgment of government neglect and racial inequity with callous stereotyping, and the classic racism cop out, I have black friends, or in the case of Trump, I hire blacks. Trump delivered this speech while donning his signature Make America Great Again cap a campaign message that stirs his support base into a xenophobic and racist frenzy, romanticising about a United States where black and brown people were cast as inferior or undesirables. This fear of a black and brown United States is the grand narrative of the Trump campaign, symbolised by individuals of colour of every shade being ejected from one of his raucous rallies, and a zealous support base pushed to the polls by the Trumpian trilogy of racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia. Too much to lose Trumps campaign has brought the underbelly of American racism to the fore. In February 2015, the Ku Klux Klan the US most notorious racist outfit endorsed the eventual Republican nominee. For days, Trump remained casually silent about this endorsement, refusing to expressly disavow the group and its endorsement. More recently, on August 30, the KKK leader David Duke reaffirmed his endorsement of Trump, explicitly citing anti-immigration and abhorrence of Black Panther cop killers as primary bases for his support. For black Muslims, Trump's rhetoric has emboldened violence in their direction. And if elected, his policies will carry forward policing and profiling measures that intensify scrutiny and surveillance. by Dukes Black Panther cop killers was not an offhand phrase, but a malicious characterisation of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Echoing Duke, Trump characterised the movement as a group calling death to the police, and responsible for dividing America. While Trump was slow to disavow the KKK, he wasted not time vilifying the Black Lives Matter Movement. The very group committed to unveiling the systematic racism and unchecked police violence inflicted on African-Americans, which Trump thinly veiled lip service to in Ohio. OPINION: How Donald Trump could make America great again This evidence of, at best, disinterest in African-American concerns is preceded by a record of housing discrimination towards black tenants, and a pattern of discriminatory hiring practices at Trump Inc. If Trumps corporate and campaign record is any barometer, African-Americans have a great deal to lose with a Trump presidency. This includes every segment of the African-American population, particularly Muslims. When Islamophobia and anti-black racism converge African-Americans comprise the largest segment of the Muslim American population. In a watershed piece examining the intersection of anti-black racism and Islamophobia, Donna Auston observes: Yet, in spite of the fact that a full one-third of the US Muslim population is black, we rarely tend to think of issues of anti-black racism, poverty, mass incarceration, or police brutality as legitimate Muslim issues. This is because we rarely consider black Muslims. There is a long history of black Muslims in the US, which predates the inception of the country. Today there is also a sizeable African immigrant Muslim community which faces Islamophobia, anti-black racism and xenophobia. Trumps most recent comments were geared towards the Somali American community in Minneapolis and Maine. While delivering a speech in Maine, Trump suggested that the 12,000 Somali Americans living there were responsible for the recent surge in crime rates. He did not spare the 70,000 Somali Americans residing in Minneapolis when he stated, in the very same speech, that the, state has become a rich pool of potential recruiting targets for Islamist terror groups. In the same breath when he targets the black Muslim community with racial and religious epithets connecting Islamophobia and anti-black racism, branding different segments of the broader Black population as both thugs and terrorists. In line with this demonisation, Auston observes, we are profiled both on the street and at the airport as existential threats to white, Christian America. Yet we refuse to answer to any of our given epithets either thug or terrorist'. From rhetoric to reality For black Muslims, both African American and immigrant, Trumps rhetoric has emboldened violence in their direction. And if elected, his policies will carry forward policing and profiling measures that intensify scrutiny and surveillance. OPINION: US elections This is not a time for jokes Make America Great Again actually spells fear of a black and brown US, where racist rhetoric will graduate into racist policy, and concurrently, the emboldening of the racist violence we see unfolding on the streets of the US black communities. Khaled A Beydoun is an associate professor of law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and affiliated faculty at the UC-Berkeley Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project. Asha Mohammed Nour is a Somali-American community organiser in Detroit, coordinating the Take on Hate Initiative. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Various diplomatic sources confirm death of Islam Karimov, but government only speaks of critical condition. The government of Uzbekistan has not announced the death of the countrys President Islam Karimov while various diplomatic sources have claimed the long-time leader had passed away. Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili expressed his condolences over the death of Karimov, 78, in a statement on the presidential website on Friday. In Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim offered his condolences in a video address. A top Kyrgyz diplomat and an Afghan government official told the AP news agency on Friday that Uzbekistan was holding a funeral for Karimov on Saturday. A Russian news agency, TASS, reported about his death on Friday, but later withdrew the online article citing technical error. Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin had no confirmation that Karimov might be dead. READ MORE: Government says Uzbekistans Islam Karimov critically ill Karimov, 78, has not been seen in public since mid-August, but his government admitted only last weekend that he was ill. His daughter Lola said he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. After several days of silence, the government on Friday issued a statement saying: Dear compatriots, it is with a heavy heart that we inform you that the health of our president has sharply deteriorated in the past 24 hours to reach a critical state, according to the doctors. Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons, reporting from Bishkek, the capital of neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, said there was no explanation to the confusion. There is secret police everywhere in the country, people are afraid to make any remark about the presidents health, he said. Uzbek opposition blogger Nadezhda Atayeva said Uzbek authorities appeared to be cracking down on communication channels. Speaking from western France, she said an opposition contact in Uzbekistan told her Friday morning via Skype that government officials had been told to turn off their phones and internet speeds had slowed sharply. As he spoke, she said, the signal went dead. Karimovs legacy Human Rights Watch, an international rights group, said Karimov was leaving a legacy of political and religious repression. Islam Karimov leaves a legacy of a quarter century of ruthless repression, said Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. Karimov ruled through fear to erect a system synonymous with the worst human rights abuses: torture, disappearances, forced labour, and the systematic crushing of dissent. In terms of a single event in the last 27 years, hell be defined by the Andijan Massacre. READ MORE: Uncertainty in Uzbekistan after presidents stroke Karimov was born on January 30, 1938, the son of a Tajik mother and Uzbek father. He grew up in a state orphanage and later rose swiftly through the ranks of the Soviet Communist Party. He was a Soviet Politburo member and Uzbek Communist Party chief from 1989 until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. After independence, the economy remained tightly regulated by the state despite pressure from the International Monetary Fund and other bodies to introduce market reforms and liberalise the foreign exchange market. Karimov kept local media tightly muzzled and banned major foreign media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation from operating in the country. At least 12 dead and scores wounded after bomb rips through busy market in home city of Philippine president. A previous version of this story stated that a doctor, Leopoldo Vega, spoke to Al Jazeera by phone about the victims of the explosion. That was incorrect. He made the statement during a press conference. A blast has ripped through a night market packed with customers in President Rodrigo Dutertes home city of Davao in southern Philippines, killing at least 12 people and wounding 60 others. A presidential spokesman said on Friday that the blast took place at the open-air market in Davao City, 960km south of the capital, Manila. The explosion occurred close to the high-end Marco Polo hotel that is popular with tourists and business people, city spokeswoman Catherine de la Rey told AFP news agency. Regional police chief Manuel Guerlan told Reuters news agency that a ring of checkpoints had been thrown around the citys exit points. A thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the explosion by Manuel Guerlan, Regional police chief A thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the explosion, he said. We call on all the people to be vigilant at all times. Student John Rhyl L Sialmo told Al Jazeera that the explosion happened around 10:30pm local time (4:30GMT). We were inside one of the university buildings when we heard the loud explosion, Sialmo, a student at Ateneo de Davao University, said. There were so many people, because it was a night market and also because its a Friday, Sialmo said, adding that the rescuers had to use improvised bandages on the victims. One woman rushed to the university to ask for help and she said she saw bodies and body parts laying around, he said. She looked very traumatised. A doctor from the Southern Philippine Medical Center in Davao City said that all those who died had multiple shrapnel injuries. All of the wounds examined were shrapnel type on different parts of the body, D Leopoldo Vega told reporters in a news conference. All the doctors were on call and everybody was with us here in the emergency room specifically for this disaster. War on drugs The Philippine president was in Davao, but was safe and at a police station after the explosion, his son Paolo Duterte, who is vice mayor of the city, told Reuters news agency. Duterte is hugely popular in Davao, having served as its mayor for more than 22 years before his stunning national election win in May, garnered from the popularity of a promised war on drugs. READ MORE: Death toll in Dutertes war on drugs His election has prompted a spike in drug-related killings, with more than 2,000 people killed since he took office on June 30, nearly half of them in police operations. Davao is located in Mindanao, a large southern island beset by decades of armed rebellion by Muslim groups. The region is also home to Abu Sayyaf, a rebel group loosely linked to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL also known as ISIS) and notorious for making tens of millions of dollars from kidnappings. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, Davao itself is largely peaceful and Duterte has been credited with transforming it from a lawless town to a southern commercial hub for call centres and offshore business processing services. Horn of Africa nation has seen months of protests during which rights groups say security forces have killed hundreds. Protesters in Ethiopia have attacked foreign businesses, according to the owners of a flower firm, as demonstrations in which rights groups say hundreds of people have been killed continued. The Dutch company said crowds of people in the Oromia and Amhara regions torched flower farms as they targeted businesses with perceived links to the government. Flowers are one of the countrys top exports. The Esmeralda Farms statement came after weeks of escalating protests that started among the Oromo, Ethiopias biggest ethnic group, and later spread to the Amhara, the second most populous group. Both groups of protesters are demanding more political and economic rights, and say that a ruling coalition is dominated by the Tigrayan ethnic group, which makes up about 6 percent of the population. According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch group, security forces have killed at least 500 people since the unrest began in November and thousands of people have been arrested. The government has denied that violence from the security forces is systemic and pledged to launch an independent investigation, blaming opposition groups inside and outside of the country and what it called anti-peace elements for the chaos. Esmeralda Farms said its 10 million euro ($11.1m) investment went up in smoke this week in Bahir Dar city and that several other horticulture companies were also affected. READ MORE: The Ethiopia rising narrative and the Oromo protests Remco Bergkamp, assistant manager at Esmeralda Farms in the Netherlands, told Al Jazeera that the company would probably leave Ethiopia, rather than rebuild the farm. The situation is not stable enough to run a business. You just dont know where the country is headed, Bergkamp told Al Jazeera. Ethiopia has seen sustained economic growth in recent years and the government has been keen to attract foreign investors, often offering attractive incentives to firms who want to do business there. Government opponents, though, say the countrys poorest have seen little benefit from the investment. The government sent security forces to protect the farm. Eventually the group of protesters grew so large that the soldiers were forced to flee and the property was torched, Bergkamp said. One of our Ethiopian staff members was wounded in the attack. Protests in Oromia started in November last year when the government announced a plan to expand the capital a city state into the surrounding Oromia region. WATCH: Prime minister tells Al Jazeera democracy is not only an election Many Oromos saw that as a plan to remove them from fertile land. The scheme has since been dropped but the unrest spread as demonstrators called for the release of prisoners and for wider freedoms. In the Amhara region, demonstrations began over the status of a district Wolkait that was once part of Amhara but was incorporated into the neighbouring Tigrayan region more than 20 years ago. Those demonstrations have also since widened. The governing Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front last month rejected a United Nations request that it send in observers, saying it alone was responsible for the security of its citizens. The government, a close security ally of the West, is often accused of silencing dissent, even blocking internet access at times. At elections last year, it won every seat in the 547-seat parliament. The shelter of thousands of migrants and refugees is set to be definitively closed as quickly as possible. France will dismantle the remaining half of the Jungle migrant camp near Calais city as quickly as possible, the interior minister has said after visiting the site. Bernard Cazeneuve said on Friday that the process would be gradual and controlled to definitively close the camp where thousands of people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia have taken shelter, hoping to make their way to Britain. About 7,000 people live in the remaining northern half of the camp, up from 4,500 in June, according to local authorities, although humanitarian groups put the number closer to 9,000. Cazeneuve said thousands of new shelters and welcome centres would be created to accommodate migrants in the coming months. He also said that 200 more armed police would be deployed to the site to prevent near-daily attempts to stow away on lorries heading for the ferry port, bringing the total number of police in Calais to 2,100. READ MORE: Inside the Calais Jungle Natacha Bouchart, Calais mayor, said she had received assurances after meeting Cazeneuve that the camp would be dismantled in one go, although he had given no timeframe. Franck Esnee, head of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) branch working at the camp, agreed that the Jungle should be dismantled but said the proposed alternatives were insufficient. Additional permanent accommodation is needed, he said, adding: The government needs to encourage initiatives by local mayors who are proposing to take in migrants in their towns. The government should also encourage the requisitioning of public buildings to house migrants, he said. In February and March authorities already dismantled the southern half of the camp. Since last October, more than 5,500 asylum seekers have left Calais for 161 special accommodation centres set up around France. Calais residents are due to stage a protest on Monday over the effect the presence of thousands of migrants has had on their livelihoods. The fate of the camp is already featuring prominently in campaigns for next years presidential election. Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has called for Britain to take responsibility for the migrants over the Channel. The English should examine the requests of all those who want to go to England and they should do it in England, he told a rally last Saturday in the nearby coastal resort of Le Touquet. The British government has dismissed as a complete non-starter a proposal by Xavier Bertrand, the president of the region including Calais, to allow migrants to lodge British asylum claims on French soil. Al Jazeera blocked from areas where rallies are held as clashes between protesters and police see more people killed. Libreville, Gabon Tensions are simmering in Gabon after two days of violence over the disputed presidential election, with fears growing over more deaths and detentions. Since results were announced on Wednesday, confirming President Ali Bongo would continue to lead the Central African country, at least five people were killed in clashes and the parliament building was set on fire. More than 1,000 people have been arrested in the same period. AFP news agency said at least two of those killed died in clashes with police late on Thursday. READ MORE: Ali Bongo wins re-election as president President Bongo has accused the opposition of coordinating attacks. In footage captured by Al Jazeera, burned out cars and bonfires pepper the city. Protests over the election results started around the headquarters of opposition leader, Jean Ping, and quickly spread to other areas. Bongo: Democracy not destruction Amid the unrest, a large mall was looted. They started to break in by that door and entered, then they tried to start a fire, Moustafa Zalzi, the mall owner, told Al Jazeera. Pelagui Lendoni runs a shop in the complex, which was almost entirely destroyed. My sister [who owns the business] is in France, but Ive asked my other sister to come and help me with whats remaining because these people might come back, she told Al Jazeera. For his part, President Bongo has warned against the violence. Democracy is not destruction. Destroying parliament and the national television is not democracy. Democracy is difficult, but we should work on it, he said in an address earlier this week. Supporters of Ping, who lost the election by fewer than 6,000 votes, believe the vote was rigged and, along with the opposition leader, have demanded a recount. Everybody inside and outside the country knows, perfectly, I am the winner for sure. There is no doubt about it, Ping told Al Jazeera by phone, following the results. The president and his ministers say that only the constitutional court can order a recount, and a petition must be filed. Many continue to take to the streets but they are quickly dispersed. Police blocked Al Jazeera from entering certain areas where protests take place. In various parts of the city, there is a heavy military and police presence. The United Nations said it was concerned over reports that the internet had been blocked since the result came out, while the European Union and the United States have called for transparency. Follow Catherine Soi on Twitter: @c_soi Mandatory drug tests at universities seen as next step in President Dutertes battle against illegal substances. The government of the Philippines is planning to introduce mandatory drug tests for all new college students, an official for the Commission on Higher Education said. The measure is the latest step in President Rodrigo Dutertes effort to battle illegal drugs in the country. This was born out of the presidents call to make campuses drug-free, because we see the pervasive effects of drug use, Julito Vitriolo, the executive director of the Commission on Higher Education, said. Whats important is for students not to use drugs. It will be a deterrent if they want to continue their studies. Students that test positive for drug use might have to go through rehabilitation before they can continue with their studies, Vitriolo added. READ MORE: Philippines Death toll in Dutertes war on drugs Some universities in the Philippines have already introduced drug tests on their own volition. STI Education Systems Holdings Inc, which has more than 103,000 students this academic year, has performed mandatory drug testing for the past five years. It is something that we should be doing because the drug menace is real, Monico Jacob, president of STI , said, referring to compulsory tests. Duterte, who won the presidential elections last May, made the fight against illegal drugs one of the main platforms during his campaign. Since Duterte took office on June 30, police have recorded 2,400 deaths linked to illegal drugs. The authorities claim the high death toll is a result of drug dealers resisting arrest or gang feuds. Both the United Nations and the United States, one of Manilas most important allies, have expressed concern over these extrajudicial killings. Duterte, however, has vowed to keep his election promise to battle illegal drugs. Samsung says it is suspending sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after finding the batteries of some gadgets exploded while they were charging. Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsungs mobile business, said on Friday that customers who had already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones, regardless of the purchasing date. The announcement comes only two weeks after Samsung launched its latest flagship smartphone. Some buyers reported that their phones caught fire or exploded while charging, and Samsung said it had confirmed 35 such cases, caused by faulty batteries. Samsung said it has sold more than one million Note 7 smartphones since the products launch. More than 300 people evacuated amid fears of forced demographic changes around the capital. Buses carrying more than 300 Syrians left the besieged Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh on Friday, in the first stage of a deal that will enable the government to retake control of the rebel-held area. In the first stage of the deal, 303 people, including 62 gunmen who agreed to lay down their arms and accept a presidential amnesty deal, were bussed out of the area and taken to the nearby government-controlled town of Horjelah, according Syrian state news agency SANA. The Moadamiyeh agreement comes just a week after a deal was struck in neighbouring Daraya that brought about the full evacuation of the suburb, a move heavily criticised by the international community as forced displacement. Those who left Moadamiyeh on Friday were originally from Daraya, having fled heavy bombardments earlier in the year. The heroic acts of the Syrian army in Daraya led to the achievement in Moadamiyeh, Alaa Ibrahim, the governor of rural Damascus, told Syrian state TV. Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkey-Syria border, said the concept of forcing deals on local populations has been criticised by the United Nations and the international community as something that would give the government precedent to continue starving its own population into surrender. The UNs Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura voiced concern that the Daraya agreement was part of a larger strategy by the government to empty rebel enclaves and that it may soon be extended to other areas. There are indications that after Daraya we may have other Darayas, he told reporters in Geneva on Thursday. There is clearly a strategy at the moment to move from Daraya to other besieged areas in a similar pattern. Jan Egeland, the UN humanitarian chief, said the UN humanitarian task force for Syria had failed the people of Daraya. The UN has underlined that it was not consulted on the Daraya deal, and described the evacuation of the suburb as a forced displacement. Fears of demographic change In the second stage of the Moadamiyeh deal, rebels who refuse to hand over their weapons will be forced to leave the suburb, probably to rebel-controlled Idlib province. It was not clear when the second stage would be implemented or when government security forces would take over control of the suburb. The deal was reportedly reached on Tuesday in a meeting between Moadamiyehs local council, government officials and Russian military officers at the armys 4th Armoured Division headquarters in the mountains on the southern outskirts of Damascus. It wasnt a negotiation or a conversation, it was a threat, Moadamiyeh-based media activist Dani Qappani told Al Jazeera. They basicallly told us: Either surrender or we burn Moadamiyeh.' They know the situation here. Theres little to no food or medical supplies, said Qappani, adding that residents of the besieged suburb could not hold out much longer. Once they finish evacuating people of Daraya who are living here, theyll try to begin the process of surrendering arms and dismantling the revolutionary establishments inside the city. Moadamiyeh was hit with toxic sarin gas in 2013, according to the UN, and has suffered a three-year government siege, leaving its 28,000 residents with little food or medical supplies. Rebel fighters in Moadamiyeh have negotiated several local truces with the government since 2012, and the suburb has been spared much of the destruction and bombing that occured in Daraya, just a mile away. At the core of the matter is the clearing of the area, said Qappani. A large portion of people dont want to leave their homes because they dont want the regime to forcefully change the demography of the area. Abo Kanan al-Dimashqi, a member of the Moadamiyeh local council, told Al Jazeera he believes the government clearly wants to do what it did in Daraya. They want to clear the area and put a different sect here. Thats their plan a demographic change. After last weeks deal in neighbouring Daraya, government troops took control of a completely empty suburb once home to a quarter of a million people. The government is now gaining some momentum on the outskirts of the capital with this new tactic, forcing the population into leaving their areas through years of siege, said Al Jazeeras Ahelbarra. Now after Daraya, today is Moadamiyeh. There are concerns that the government is going to further replicate the resettling of the Sunni community in different parts of the capital. There are fears that Douma, a major opposition stronghold near the capital, could be the next. Government releases 33,838 prisoners to make space for tens of thousands detained over suspected links to coup attempt. Turkish authorities have released more than 30,000 prisoners, according to the countrys justice minister, after Ankara said it was releasing inmates to make space for tens of thousands detained over suspected links to a July coup attempt. Turkey has said it would release a total of 38,000 prisoners as part of its penal reforms in the wake of the coup that tried to topple President Tayyip Erdogans government. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said on a news conference on Friday that the exact number of inmates released so far was 33,838. In a series of messages posted on Twitter on Wednesday, Bozdag said the move was not an amnesty, and that convicts were not being pardoned but released on parole. The regulation refers to crimes committed before July 2016. The crimes committed after July 1, 2016, are outside its scope, Bozdag said. As a result of this regulation, approximately 38,000 people will be released from closed and open prisons at the first stage. On Thursday, the government said it expelled nearly 43,000 people from their jobs in public institutions for alleged ties to banned organisations. Lists of names and positions published by the official gazette on Thursday show the wide-scale purge Turkey has undertaken since the failed coup of July 15. The government blamed the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for the plot that killed at least 270 people, and labels the network a terror organisation. The dismissals are allowed through the state of emergency, declared following the coup attempt. The highest number of dismissals is from the Ministry of National Education with 28,163 people. Some 35,000 people have been detained for questioning and more than 17,000 of those have been formally arrested to face trial, including soldiers, police, judges and journalists. At least 14 people killed and dozens wounded after two bombs go off at a court in northwestern Pakistan. At least 14 people were killed and dozens wounded when two bomb blasts went off at a district court in northwestern Pakistan, officials said. A suicide bomber threw a hand grenade at police guards before storming into the compound and blowing himself up in the court in Mardan town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Nasir Khan Durrani, provincial police chief, told AFP news agency that the death toll had reached 14, with at least 58 people wounded, three of whom were critical. Officials said the bomber had up to eight kilogrammes of explosives packed into his vest, while the dead included lawyers and police. Amir Hussain, president of the Mardan Bar Association, said lawyers were being targeted because they are an important part of democracy, and these terrorists are opposed to democracy. Our morale is not dented. It is still high, he told AFP. Earlier, four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony were killed during a gunfight with security forces outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, the army said. Soldiers backed by army helicopters fought back the fighters who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar. Asim Bajwa, an army spokesman, said all four suicide bombers were killed in the operation carried out against the fighters on Friday and that a clearance operation was under way. Local sources, though, told Al Jazeera that at least one civilian was killed and several wounded in the attack. Two of the four suicide bombers detonated their vests and the other two were shot dead, the sources said. Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ur-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attacks. The groups spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, promised more attacks in a statement released to media. We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts. We will target them more, he said. Al Jazeeras Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said despite army claims to have limited the number of attacks, armed groups still managed to operate across the country. Just yesterday the Pakistan military gave a press conference in which they said they had been able to control the number of attacks in the country, he said. But it appears that the Tehreek-e-Taliban and their factions are still able to operate within Pakistan and carry out these attacks. Last month, the Pakistan Taliban faction and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL,also known as ISIS) both claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a hospital in Pakistans Quetta that killed at least 70 people. The attack targeted a group of mourning lawyers, who had gathered at the emergency department of the hospital to accompany the body of a murdered colleague. The Pakistan army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb under US pressure in 2014 in an effort to wipe out fighters and their bases in the North Waziristan tribal area. Karimov, who dominated the Central Asian most populous nation for more than 25 years, has died. Uzbekistans President Islam Karimov, who dominated the Central Asias most populous nation for more than 25 years, has died at the age of 78 after suffering a stroke last week. Lola Tillyaeva, one of the daughters of Karimov, announced the news on her Instagram account on Friday, posting a blank picture saying he has left us I am choosing my words, and cannot believe this. The countrys government and parliament also confirmed the death on Friday and said the funeral would take place in Karimovs hometown Samarkand on Saturday. Uzbekistans state television announced the death with the presenter saying: Dear compatriots, it is with huge grief in our hearts that we announce to you the death of our dear president. Karimovs rule The former Soviet, whose brutal crackdown on dissent was widely criticised by rights groups, has been at the helm of the strategic country bordering Afghanistan from since before it gained independence from Moscow in 1991. Karimov lacks a clear successor after being re-elected to a fifth term in 2015 with more than 90 percent of the vote. The country has never held an election judged free and fair by international monitors. Those tipped to rule after Karimovs death include Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov, Kamoliddin Rabbimov, an independent Uzbek political analyst based in France, told the AFP news agency. I think in the corridors of power they have already started fighting, Rabbimov said, while predicting the elite will be eager to ensure the transition is more or less stable. On the one hand the political elite is fighting each other and regrouping but on the other, they understand they need to keep control of the country. They have gained massive wealth under Karimov. Karimovs elder daughter Gulnara, a flamboyant figure formerly seen as a potential successor, was reportedly placed under house arrest in 2014 after she openly criticised officials and family members on Twitter. READ MORE Uzbekistan: Presidents daughter and the Panama Papers Karimova accused her mother and younger sister of sorcery, compared her father with Stalin and attacked the countrys powerful security chief for corruption and harbouring presidential ambitions. The Uzbek government has long been repeatedly criticised for human rights abuses, most notoriously in 2005 in the city of Andijan, where government forces are accused of killing hundreds of demonstrators. The United Nations describes the use of torture in Uzbekistan as systematic, and Reporters Without Borders said Karimov frequently broke his own records for repression and paranoia. Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, accused Karimovs security forces of executing two dissidents by boiling them to death. Karimov grew up in an orphanage in the ancient city of Samarkand and went on to study mechanical engineering and economics. He rose up through the Communist Party ranks to head Soviet Uzbekistan in 1989. Three-year-old Alan Kurdis body was found on a Turkish beach on September 2, 2015. Its been one year since a picture of three-year-old Alan Kurdis body shocked the world. He died while trying to cross the Mediterranean with his family to reach Europe. The images triggered calls to stop asylum seekers making the dangerous journey. But despite an EU plan to regulate the flow of refugees, the UN says more than 280,000 migrants have travelled to Europe so far this year. That figure includes almost 80,000 children, many of whom were travelling alone. So, what has changed for child refugees since the death of Alan Kurdi? Presenter: Jane Dutton Guests: Misty Buswell Regional advocacy and communications director with Save The Children. Daphne Bouteillet-Paquet Senior legal officer with the European Council for Refugees and Exiles. Jumana Abo Oxa Co-ordinator for the humanitarian organisation Humanity Crew. Gainesville Police arrested a Florida man Thursday morning after they said he masturbated in a bush. At about 1 a.m. Thursday, witnesses saw John Wesley Mosley Jr., 22, standing at the intersection of Northwest Sixth Avenue and Northwest 17th Street, according to a police report. After hearing the witnesses accounts, police believed Mosley to be the same suspect from an Aug. 23 indecent exposure case in which a man was seen masturbating at the same intersection, according to the report. Mosley was also driving a Chevy Malibu, the same make of car described by witnesses after an Aug. 26 incident that involved someone masturbating in their car at a nearby location, according to the report. Police followed Mosley closely as he drove on Northwest 13th Street and spoke to him after he parked the car on the south side of Northwest Seventh Avenue, according to the report. He denied being at the intersection and told police he had been eating pizza with friends in Midtown. But after police told Mosley witnesses saw him at the intersection, he said he may have stopped there to check his tires, according to the report. After searching Moseley, police noticed an inordinate amount of napkins on the drivers seat and on the floor, along with wet spots on his sweatpants, according to the report. Police arrested Mosley on charges of loitering or prowling. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he was released Thursday on a $5,000 bond. John Wesley Mosley Jr. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now As Gainesville schools and colleges canceled classes ahead of Hurricane Hermine, Gainesville bars prepared for those celebrating Thursday night. Bars, including 101 Cantina, The Swamp Restaurant, Salty Dog Saloon and Tall Pauls Brew House, remained open despite Alachua Countys tropical storm warning. By 5 p.m. Thursday, Tall Pauls had a full house, said Mandy Hill, an employee. We know that were gonna be busy, and people are still gonna want to come out, she said, struggling to be heard over background noise. At 101 Cantina, employees planned to serve as long as there were customers. While the weather was stormy, Jarrid Bernier, a manager, said the weather wasnt any worse than the average thunderstorm. Bernier said several of his friends planned to celebrate the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida in more than 10 years. By late afternoon, they had steady business. A sorority tab was still scheduled for the night. If people are going to come out and celebrate the hurricane, were gonna be open, he said. At Salty Dog Saloon, Cody Hill and Chris Pate, both 22, planned on staying late into the night for a hurricane party to celebrate the cancellation of UF classes. Hill, a UF senior in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, had stocked up on water and canned green beans prior, he said. He played pool with Pate as they waited out the storm. Its been a long week, Pate, a UF business senior, said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now By early 2017, two Aldi supermarkets will open in Gainesville, giving residents a new option for groceries. One store will be located on Northwest 13th Street near Northwest 39th Avenue, said Dave Rinaldo, Aldis Haines City division vice president. The other will be in Butler Plaza North. Aldi supermarkets sell food and household items like appliances, bedding and silverware. Ninety percent of the products Aldi sells belong to brands exclusive to the store, according to its website. The supermarket chain markets itself as a low-cost alternative to larger stores. Similar to stores in Europe, Aldi stores use a shopping-cart-rental system that requires customers to pay a quarter to rent a cart. They get the quarter back when they return the cart. Unlike other supermarkets, Aldi does not provide plastic bags. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags or purchase reusable bags at the store, according to its website. To fill positions at the stores, Aldi will hold job fairs Tuesday and Sept. 15, according to the press release. Job fairs will run from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Those interested in applying should be able to lift at least 45 pounds and have some retail experience, Rinaldo said. Applicants are encouraged to bring identification and an updated resume. Jorge Agz, 27, a former UF student, said he was excited about shopping at the new supermarkets. Its like a European Trader Joes, he said. But slightly more Ikea. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now A Miami-Dade animal shelter and UFs College of Veterinary Medicine are working to provide a partnership that will give students the chance to perform surgery. Starting in Spring, students can work at the Miami-Dade Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center to learn animal care and disease outbreak as part of a course at the college, said Rowan Milner, the chairman of UFs Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. Any student in the college can take the course, but itll be required for those working toward certificates in shelter medicine, Milner said. Up to four students can participate for two-week rotations at the shelter in Doral, Florida. This is an opportunity for UF students to be in what could be considered one of the countrys best animal shelters, he said, adding that the shelters intake of animals is one of the highest in the U.S. The new program is similar to an existing partnership with Alachua County Animal Services and the college, but the Miami-Dade partnership will include a surgical component, Milner said. Rose Worobec, 24, said she heard about the new program while visiting shelters over summer. Ive always had an interest in shelter animals, the second-year UF veterinary medical sciences masters student said. They deserve love as much as any other animal. Worobec, who is working toward her certificate in shelter medicine, said her classmates have talked about putting the program on their schedule. Everyone is interested, she said. There will be a lot of competition. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Lately, Latin America has seen a lot of drama the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the Mexican presidents Twitter duel with Donal Trump. But thankfully, theres some good news, too. Last week, a peace accord was finally announced between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after nearly 52 years of armed conflict. The final approval of the agreement will be left to the Colombian people, who will vote for or against the accord Oct. 2. The peace would mark a historic milestone, as the Colombian conflict is the oldest and only current armed conflict in the Western Hemisphere. The deal, which has been four years in the making, would give de facto amnesty to FARC militants (many of whom are guilty of kidnapping and murder) in exchange for the relinquishing of arms to the United Nations, as well as public hearings between FARC members, victims and prosecutors. In return, FARC would also receive legitimate political representation, including 10 seats in the Colombian congress. However, approval of the accord is far from certain. Recent polls show numbers as close as 29 percent voting no and 32 percent voting yes on the peace deal. Clearly, many are not pleased with the agreement, including some in the Colombian government. Former President Alvaro Uribe, for example, denounced it as a thick mantle of impunity for FARC militants. Others who oppose the deal fear that some of the 7,000 FARC members might reject the deal and continue to wage war either by themselves or by joining the lesser guerilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN). There has been a history of failed peace in Colombia. In 1985, FARC founded the party Union Patriotica, a party that was intended to integrate FARC and other forces into the political process. However, many members of the UP were assassinated by paramilitary groups, and the partys legal status was rescinded in 2002. So why on earth should we be confident about the current situation, you may ask? It is important to point out that at the time of the agreement that led to the creation of the UP, the Colombian government was extremely weak, and the intensity of the civil war was such that the agreement could not be properly enforced. The Colombian government today is stronger, and the FARC and other paramilitary groups are far weaker. Furthermore, there have been other examples of guerrilla movements making peace with governments elsewhere in Latin America, such as in Argentina, Uruguay and El Salvador. This is why Im confident in the prospect of peace. There is no doubt the agreement will have serious obstacles. Reintegrating FARC into society, preventing vigilante justice against former FARC members and, above all, guaranteeing the safety of the Colombian people will not be simple tasks. I feel the U.S. will need to serve an important role not only in funding education and integration programs, but also in assisting the democratic transition that may occur as a result of the peace deal. The conflict in Colombia has been long and painful. At least 220,000 have been killed and millions displaced since it began in 1964, and Colombian society is still plagued by grudges and memories of murdered loved ones. If we want to see an end to violence in Colombia, however, the Colombian people will have to move on from this bloody chapter and vote in support of the peace accord. Likewise, if citizens approve the deal and if the voting process goes smoothly the Colombian government needs to ensure it has the upper hand to restore order if FARC decides to violate the agreements. Ultimately, this comes down to whether the good people of Colombia are willing to give peace a chance. Lets hope they are. The world could really use some good news right now. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Julian Fleischman is a UF political science and telecommunication senior. His column appears on Fridays. 2005 .. LONDON - Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming on Thursday urged his country and Britain to enhance cooperation in an array of areas ranging from infrastructure investment to international financial framework and build stronger political mutual trust. In a signed article published by the Daily Telegraph, Liu said that China and Britain can enhance cooperation in a number of fields, from infrastructure investment and international financial framework, to cooperation on taxation, anti-corruption and anti-microbial resistance. "Our joint efforts in these areas will be essential in the G20's transition from an organization for crisis control to an institution of long-term governance," he said. His remarks came ahead of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. The summit will see Theresa May make her first China visit since taking office as the new British prime minister. Liu said that China and Britain have a wide range of consensus regarding the objectives of the summit and are ready to cooperate as their cooperation on G20 issues is becoming a fruitful showcase of their global comprehensive strategic partnership. "The UK, famed for its innovative and creative spirit, chairs the G20 innovation working group that is responsible for making a G20 blueprint for innovation--driven growth," he said, adding that China and Britain can work together to push the summit to adopt the document. On trade and investment, the ambassador said that China and Britain can work together to push the summit to approve the Strategy for Global Trade Growth and the guiding principles for global investment policies. These concrete efforts would strengthen multilateral trade regime and reinforce the effective coordination of investment policies between different countries, he said. Also on Thursday, a separate signed article by Liu was carried by the China Daily UK Edition inaugural issue and its website. The ambassador in the article called on both China and Britain to make continuous efforts to build stronger political mutual trust. "Mutual trust is the foundation for cooperation," he said. "Progress in China-UK bilateral ties is always powered by mutual understanding, support and friendship between our two peoples." Liu also urged the two countries to stay committed to open and results-based cooperation and stay true to a global vision. English News Chinese wisdom injected into B20 Summit: official Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 2 Septembre 2016 By Zhang Mengxu from People's Daily Since assuming the rotating chair of the B20, China has made a great deal of efforts to ensure the success of the B20 summit as well as prepare policies for G20 Summit, Yu Ping, Vice Chair and Sherpa of B20 China Host Committee told the Peoples Daily on Thursday. Fiance-driven growth, trade and investment, infrastructure, small and medium-sized enterprises development, employment and anti-corruption will be the major topics of this years B20 and G20 summits, Yu said, adding that five taskforces and a forum have been established in accordance with each topic. As an important platform endowed with the mission to report appeals and suggestions from the international business circle to the G20 members, the B20 hopes its voice can be heard and adopted by the G20 Summit, Yu stressed. The G20 Summit decisions could in turn create better opportunities for the international business community, the sherpa added. Yu introduced Chinas contributions to the summit, saying that since it assumed the rotating presidency, China has made substantial work in discussion of each taskforce and the final formulation of the B20 report on policy recommendations. He said that the report, which well represents the will of global business circles, includes 20 major policy recommendations and 76 specific measures. In order to pool more suggestions, China made frequent communications with the international business community including the former B20 representatives and the G20 official departments to collect their opinions. Sun Xiao, Policy Director of B20 2016 Host Committee, praised the active engagement of the Chinese enterprises in this years B20 summit, elaborating that altogether 156 enterprises joined the B20 taskforces, accounting for one third of the total businesses. He added that five taskforces are also chaired by Chinese entrepreneurs. With their mastery of English, those elites have showed their great communication skills and leadership. Chinese wisdom was also injected in the report, Sun said, citing the China-proposed G20 SMART innovation initiative and the Electronic World Trade Platform that gain much acknowledgment from the world. "As world's second largest economy and the largest trader, Chinas concerns can well present that of the world, he said. Sun also commented on Chinese business circles increasing voice in multilateral rule-making and negotiations, saying that the country has turned itself from an audience member to a performer, which also means that the international community has acknowledged China's leadership in the global business and trade arena. He further said that as the next host of the summit, Germany will establish related taskforces following this years summit. China will recommend appropriate enterprises to join the next B20 taskforces and keep implementing the policy outcomes of this summit. As an effort to ensure the implementation of these policies, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade will also introduce the advises of the global business circle to domestic departments and bring Chinese enterprises to international platforms. The G20 and B20 should be a long-term process rather than a temporary event, Sun concluded. Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's FAST discovers largest atomic cloud in universe China to make greater contributions to human progress China willing to work with the international community to promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) English News Paul Martin: A lot to be expected from coming G20 Hangzhou Summit Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 2 Septembre 2016 By Wu Yun from the Peoples Daily G20, originated after the 2008 financial crisis, is a key platform for international economic cooperation that marks the major progress of global economic governance. However, according to Mr. Paul Martin, the Canadian former prime minister and finance minister, the previous summits failed to meet expectations in terms of shaking off the sluggish economy. Therefore, there is a lot to be expected from this years G20 Summit given the current struggling economy. The following are responses of Mr. Martin to the questions in a recent interview with the Peoples Daily correspondent based in Canada. I'm very glad to see the G20 developing along the right track during China's presidency of the group. China has done a remarkable job in preparing for the Hangzhou summit. An important thing in the G20 is the reach-out by the host country to the other members of the G20. China has done a good job in terms of the number of the thinktanks and ministerial meetings arranged. I am quite positive that we are going to have a very successful meeting in China. G20 Hangzhou Summit is an important meeting for a number of reasons. First of all, China is one of the most important economies in the world. So when a country of this size holds a G20 summit, a lot of weight would be added to it. In addition, China has initiated a number of discussions on a number of major issues to prepare outcomes for summit and translate outcomes into actions. What's more, given the current state of the economy, many people think that the current slowdown is a new normal. Under such background, the international community expects the summit to give out remedies. China's economic exploration also expands our expectation. The country's economic transformation is a deliberate policy in terms of looking for internal growth. Given the global economic slowdown and the importance of economic growth, investment in infrastructure and education is absolutely crucial if the global economy is to do well. China has also shown considerable leadership in this field and the creation of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is one example. The G20 should also focus more on global issues influencing the economic development, such as the refugee issue, the role of Africa, marine sustainable development, corruption and climate change. In order to resolve these problems, it is very important to put emphasis on multi-lateral institutions such as IMF and WTO. It's wise for China to invite the leaders from African countries such as Egypt to the G20 Summit. The youngest population is in Africa. Its to all our benefit to give that young population the opportunity to develop and build. Given Chinas tremendous role in Africa, the country will play a major character in the continent. The original intention of the G20 is to cope with the economic challenges faced by the world. But the problem with the previous summits is that the agreements reached by each party were not always kept. I have great expectations and am very confident that China will rise to the challenge. I'm also looking forward to the cooperation between China and Canada in the framework of G20. Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's FAST discovers largest atomic cloud in universe China to make greater contributions to human progress China willing to work with the international community to promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) English News UN addresses Saudi war crimes, Alkhalifa attack Islam and natives - 2 Septembre 2016 Pressure is mounting on the US and UK to come clean with the arms sales policies to Saudi Arabia as it commits more war crimes in Yemen. A California Congressman has been trying to get officials of the Obama administration to reconsider U.S. backing for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The brutal bombing of civilian areas with U.S.-supplied planes and weapons has led Ted Lieu, a Democrat representing Los Angeles County to act when most of his colleagues have stayed silent. I taught the law of war when I was on active duty, he told The Intercept. You cant kill children, newlyweds, doctors and patients those are exempt targets under the law of war, and the coalition has been repeatedly striking civilians, he said. So it is very disturbing to me. It is even worse that the U.S. is aiding this coalition. Many in Congress have been hesitant to criticize the Saudis operational conduct in Yemen, Lieu said. On Tuesday 30th August U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called for an international investigation into all grave violations in Yemen, saying a national commission had focused mainly on Houthi violations and not pursued any of the perpetrators. On Thursday 25th August, The United Nations human rights office called for more light to be shed on the Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen and for violations including attacks on protected sites like hospitals to be punished. Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition are responsible for "the single largest part", some 60 percent, of the 3,799 civilians killed since March 2015 and it has committed other violations that may contravene international law, it said in a report. Though the coalition had shared findings from its own internal investigations, "more transparency" was needed, Mohammad Ali Alnsour, chief of the Middle East and North Africa section of the U.N. human rights office, told a briefing in Geneva. "There was targeting of civilian objects ... like markets, like wedding ceremonies, hospitals, facilities that really under international humanitarian law is protected and have a special kind of legal protection," Alnsour said. Steps have been taken to curtail the Saudi efforts to spread its poisonous ideologies of extremism and terrorism in the West. King Fahd Academy in Bonn has been closed and pressures are escalating to close down other Saudi schools and institutions in other countries. Muslim youth are radicalised by the Wahhabi-Salafi destructive ideologies of these schools. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BHRC) has documented at least 16 arbitrary arrests in the week 23rd-28th August, including two children. There were at least 46 protests in 29 towns and villages. More people were sentenced to jail terms for peaceful activities. Yesterday Alkhalifa kangaroo court imposed one year jail sentence on Sayed Ali Ahmad Jassim for congregating outside Sheikh Qassims house. This is the second person to be given this long sentence simply for showing solidarity with the highest native religious scholar in the country. Scores of religious scholars, orators and activists are behind bars awaiting similar or harsher sentences. Yesterday Alkhalifa Court handed down five year jail term to five native Bahrainis and three year jail term to six others over burning tires in Al-Markh. To cover up their crimes Alkhalifa have banned all human rights activists from leaving the country to Geneva. Among them are Ebtesam Al Sayegh, Nidal Al Salman, Enas Aounjj, Isa Al Ghayeb, Ahmad Al Saffar, Hussain Radhi and Jalila AlSalman. British police have been criticised for refusing to release details of a deal to train security officials from Bahrain which is accused of a litany of human rights abuses. Human rights campaigners have said the College of Policing (CoP), which sets standards for UK officers and offers worldwide training courses, should be compelled to explain their work in countries with poor records on civil liberties. The concerns come less than two months after MPs criticised the totally unacceptable opacity around the colleges provision of training to Saudi Arabia. Last month, members of the home affairs select committee said greater transparency was needed, and criticised the then foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, for avoiding the public scrutiny of deals with unsavoury regimes. A serious attack on most senior historic Islamic figures has polarised the situation between the general Muslim public and Alkhalifa ruling tribe. Unprecedented insults and swearing were published by a senior Alkhalifa figure on his Instagram account causing an outpour of anger among people. A senior official in the Alkhalifa torture apparatus insulted Prophet Mohammads household in a way that no one before him did. The wording of the attack on Islams holiest figures is unprecedented. These comments are worse than any anti-Shia attacks by ISIS, the Wahhabis or even Western writers. They describe descendants of the Prophet as whores and pimps and curse them in dirty language. They are not only sectarian but anti-Islam and anti-morality. The author rushed to close his Instagram account. This is at a time when anyone who tweets against the Saudi aggression on Yemen is given five years jail sentence. Bahrain Freedom Movement Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's FAST discovers largest atomic cloud in universe China to make greater contributions to human progress China willing to work with the international community to promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) There's a conversation happening right now within the housing industry about how best to manage risk inside the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It's a good one to have. But while we work to solve these complex problems, homebuyers are paying a steep price at the closing table in the form of unnecessary fees that, for some, put homeownership out of reach. How did we get here? It started in 2008, when the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the GSEs implemented loan level price adjustments, or LLPAs. Loan-level price adjustments are fees paid by the borrower either as part of upfront closing costs or over the life of the mortgage. They were intended to help the GSEs manage risk. To be clear, NAR believes that FHFA and the GSEs should continue taking responsible steps to manage their risk exposure. However, we also believe the GSEs can do so even after reducing or eliminating LLPAs. Three significant factors have led us to this conclusion: improved mortgage credit quality, stricter regulations on risk management within the industry, and the fact that guarantee fees, or "g-fees," charged to homebuyers have risen steadily since 2011 to cover Fannie and Freddie's risk exposure. We are not alone in this belief either. Earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors along with 24 other organizations sent a letter to FHFA Director Mel Watt on the need to reduce or eliminate LLPAs. We didn't find agreement from FHFA. To the contrary, the FHFA released a report on the fees charged by the GSEs finding "no compelling economic reason to change the overall level of fees." This is a politically safe position for Director Watt, but it doesn't make sense for consumers. Like NAR, Director Watt has called on Congress to address housing finance reform, finding the ongoing conservatorship unsustainable. At the same time, the GSEs have a mandate to provide broad access to mortgage credit. Unfortunately, their overly burdensome fees are standing in the way of that mission. It's important to remember that LLPAs aren't the only fees the GSEs charge to borrowers. Guarantee fees are also in place to help the GSEs manage the risk of guaranteeing loans. Those fees have risen sharply since 2009, jumping 164% from 2011 to 2014 and bringing them to nearly 60 basis points today. What's odd is that these price increases ostensibly intended to manage risk have continued even as the portfolio of loans guaranteed by the GSEs has grown stronger, exposing the GSEs to less risk. The result is that borrowers of conventional mortgages will potentially pay both LLPAs and g-fees when purchasing a home. This redundancy is unequivocally pricing qualified borrowers out of the conventional market, undermining the mission of the GSEs in the process. There's no mystery as to how we got where we are today. Former FHFA director Ed DeMarco gambled on a policy to bring back the private label securities market by directing the GSEs to raise fees. It was not to protect against borrower default risk but to boost yields and make returns more attractive to other financial institutions. This policy to encourage private market participation ignored the dislocation and distrust among Wall Street bond dealers and investors that continue to drive the lack of a private label securities market. NAR noted then that the increases would result in billions of dollars of profits for the GSEs, not a return of the private label securities market, and that's exactly what we've seen. That doesn't mean we're stuck here forever. With the new "Duty to Serve" regulation, FHFA has an opportunity to recognize and rectify the issue. To that end, both Fannie and Freddie created mortgage products in 2015 that capped fees for particular borrowers in recognition of this concern, but these programs are limited in reach and won't do the job on their own. It doesn't take an expert in risk modeling to recognize that expected losses over the last few years were widely overstated, leading to loan loss reserve releases quarter after quarter. Put simply, the GSEs were charging homeowners for far more risk than they took on, driving tremendous profit. This shouldn't surprise anyone. Rigorous underwriting standards are now in place, ensuring fully documented and high-quality mortgages at the GSEs. Steps have also been taken to enhance the reliability of mortgage insurers, generally support industry standards for loan data transparency, and drive fraud and predatory loan products out of the system. The GSEs have a duty to serve the public by facilitating the availability of affordable mortgage credit to all qualified borrowers. That means ensuring affordable mortgage opportunities, especially for first-time homebuyers and low- and moderate-income families. Excessive and unnecessary fees fly in the face of that mission. We will continue this push, along with other efforts to open the credit box for responsible home buyers. In the meantime, millions of potential homeowners are being stymied in pursuing their American Dream. Tom Salomone is the president of the National Association of Realtors. There is perhaps no better illustration for the shifting dynamic between fintech and banks than the partnership between TD Bank Group and Moven. In April, the Toronto-based bank went live with Moven's MySpend money management tool, making it available to its Canadian customers. Branded as TD Myspend, it is a companion app to the TD mobile banking app and allows users to track their spending habits and receive notifications in real time. The number of bank and fintech partnerships has been steadily on the rise for the past year or so. What was once perhaps an adversarial relationship has warmed; as banks realize there are ideas coming from outside the industry they should be paying attention to, and fintechs realize the challenge of scaling on their own and see bank partnerships as an opportunity to get their technology in the hands of a ready-made customer base quickly. "We think it has been a fantastic partnership, and we're very proud to be able to partner with a bank of TD's stature and market position," said Greg Midtbo, who is Moven's chief revenue officer and also serves as the managing director of its enterprise business. "Over 550,000 TD customers are using the app since it launched in April." Midtbo added that TD Myspend remains in the top 25 most downloaded free apps in Canada, now nearly six months after its release. In the time after the partnership was announced in December 2014 and before the official launch, Moven and TD hashed out details such as customer experience and the branding of the app, as well as the technology TD would need to invest in to enable the real-time information the Moven app delivers. Midtbo believes that real-time factor is the key to the success of the service. "I think the most compelling feature is the continual engagement with customers with the notifications," he said. "Before they even put their card away they get a notification, for example, of how much they spent dining out and how it fits into their monthly budget." Indeed, those features were among those highlighted by commenters in the iOS App Store. For instance, user Adam-gtr titled a review of TD Myspend as "literally the best app." It "helps to quickly understanding my spending and to keep me on track," the commenter wrote. TD did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story, but the company also appears to be pleased with the adoption. It has noted the growing number of users in its last two quarterly earnings conference calls. "It is an intuitive tool that has resonated with customers looking for a simpler way to manage their finances," Bharat Masrani, president and chief executive of TD Bank Group, said during a conference call to discuss with investors and analysts in late August. "In May, TD MySpend was rated the number one free app in Canada across all categories, and just four months later, we have more than half a million users." Also, in an interview with American Banker about data analytics, Theresa McLaughlin, the company's global chief marketing officer, called the app "a great example of how you can take customer data and use it for their benefit." Midtbo said Moven does anticipate expanding the partnership with TD, which could mean offering new features, or expanding the service to the bank's U.S. customers, though the latter decision is ultimately up to TD, he said. Moven's embrace of partnerships may seem like an evolution of its stance on the industry. Moven was founded in 2011 by Brett King, who has been a vocal critic of the banking industry's reliance on legacy branch structure and slowness in embracing digitization. King also hosts the Breaking Banks podcast. But Midtbo said Moven is far from being "anti-bank," it simply want to make banking more appealing for all bank customers. "Getting real-time insights is a very high-demand feature [for consumers] and a difference maker," he said. "We want to put this capability in as many people's hands as possible." Moven is in the process of building other bank partnerships; the New Zealand-based bank Westpac has incorporated Moven's money management tools into its mobile banking app, for instance. And Midtbo said Moven is looking beyond banks and in discussions with telecommunications companies and retailers in markets where those industries can offer banking services. "Our strategy is to put these innovative tools in the hands of as many consumers as possible," he said. While all of these partnerships are taking place outside the U.S., Midtbo said Moven is not averse to engaging in partnerships with American banks, even if that means white-labeling its technology to institutions that could ostensibly compete for customers with Moven's own direct-to-consumer product. "We don't mind competing with our own banking business, so to speak," he said. "We are a supporter and supplier of banks." But that doesn't mean Moven is solely shifting to a partnership route; it plans to expand its core business at the same time. "That's still a primary focus for us," Midtbo said. With the TD partnership, the company is "conservatively targeting 1 million customers on the platform this year," he said. "With that growing to multiple millions in 2017 based on two strategies, expansion of our U.S. business and partnerships with banks domestically and around the world," Midtbo added. One of Moven's early peers in digitally focused banking, Simple, also embraced the partnership route and eventually was acquired by BBVA. But Midtbo said Moven does not have an eye toward an exit strategy currently whether that be an acquisition or going public and is still simply focused on scaling its business, through partnerships and acquiring its own new customers. "There's all sorts of scenarios, but at this stage we are focused on building scale," he said. Robert Barba contributed to this article. Looking every bit like an aged matron who flew the convent coop during the aftermath of Vatican II (all Catholic readers of a certain age know exactly what I mean), Ms. Soros looks a bit peaked, though still quite fetching in her charcoal gray pantsuit. Screen shot: WashingtonTimes.com/AP Her His Xyr/Hir/Pers/Vis/Eir appearance is eerily similar to that of Dame Margaret Rutherford, although Soros is considerably the older of the two as pictured. Screen shot: fanpop.com I know that most people refer to George Soros as "Mr. Soros," but far be it from me to pigeonhole a public figure's gender identity, especially hers his xyrs/hirs/pers/vis/eirs. After all, Soros has contributed millions of dollars to undo the very scientific binary understanding of sex and gender. So one must at least consider the possibility that deep down inside, there is something unseen by the rest of us that drives the man person some set of unresolved sexual identity issues and this is no doubt why, now that Soros is well beyond eighty years old, his her xyr/hir/pers/vis/eir outward appearance is likewise becoming increasingly sexually ambiguous. "Soros" is a rare palindrome, just like 666. It also happens to be a feminine noun found in Greek New Testament manuscripts meaning "an open coffin" or "receptacle for keeping the bones of the dead." Interesting. Many would agree that this is curiously, queerly fitting and that it explains a lot. A whole lot. The only other twentieth-century man person who has had as much of an impact on our culture and politics is Saul Alinsky. While Alinsky died 44 years ago, he has proven more influential some would say more dangerous since his death. Perhaps this is his postmortem reward for having dedicated his landmark work, Rules for Radicals, to Lucifer, aka Satan. Perhaps Alinsky has been afforded the opportunity to continue to have a hand in community organizing from beyond the grave? It's not unthinkable, but who really knows for sure how these things work? This might also explain the unlikely durability of the candidacy of the unpopular Hillary Rodham Clinton, one of Alinksy's chief acolytes. And let's not forget: just as Damian Thorn had a huge multinational organization Thorn Industries behind his quest for the United States presidency, so too does Hillary Clinton have the Clinton Foundation and its Clinton Global Initiative. Sometimes truth is just as strange as fiction, and fiction can be an omen, a portent, a warning from the past of what is to come. Screen shots: Omen.wikia.com / Fresno University In a 1972, Playboy Magazine interview, Alinsky said: "[I]f there is an afterlife, and I have anything to say about it, I will unreservedly choose to go to hell[.] ... Hell would be heaven for me." That also explains a whole lot. The links run deeper than anyone knows: Saul Alinsky, Hillary Clinton's lifelong hero, interviewed for Hugh Hefner's Playboy Magazine; Hefner enjoys wearing his PJs and bathrobe in public, as does Clinton. Screen shots: NBC, Accuracy in Media, Drudge/AP Back to Soros: Soros will soon leave behind a huge, beastly mark on our world via a massive scorched earth policy inflicted on civil society. But why? It's a head-scratcher. And the obliteration of gender is just one component among many in Soros's strategy. What motivates a person to make this sort of vast anti-human quest one's life's goal? To purposefully leave a trail of societal destruction in the wake of one's life? It sure would be nice to know what has actually been driving Miss Soros all these years. * Apologies to Miss Daisy and Hoke. One postscript to correct a popular misconception that Donald Trump has promoted about Ms. Clinton: As a lonely psychoanalyst Trump supporter, I feel the need to exercise my First Amendment right to speak up. I think the majority of my psychiatrist, psychologist, and psychiatric social worker colleagues feel dislike, distain and antipathy towards Donald Trump. Many psychologists state that he is mentally ill and could damage mental health in America. I disagree with these colleagues. American voters usually are exposed to a variety of clever political demagoguery, obfuscations, deceptions, and a spectrum of lies from little white ones to whoppers. With Donald Trumps bombastic campaign style, a new glossary of terms is needed to understand his evolving policies and predict his way of leading and governing if elected. The new glossary would include words and concepts such as bombast, sarcasm (cruel at times), overt insults, crude personal verbal attack, hyperbolic impulsive statements to focus large group attention, paradoxical intention, mixed simultaneous use of an object as symbol and reality (i.e., a wall as the need for clear national boundaries and rules of behavior as compared to an actual wall). And, extemporaneous free associations about the powerful emotions beneath political issues, ambivalent political relationships and evolving policy statements. The author imagines the following inner soliloquy of Donald Trump as he decided to run for president: I observe America floundering. I see the economy sputtering after almost eight years of Obamas incompetent leadership, mushrooming regulations that hamstring job creation and ever mushrooming national debt. I see bad trade deals with China, Mexico and other countries that hurt America. I see tax policies that drive jobs and industries out of America. I see increasing unemployment especially of young black Americans. I see law and order declining especially in big urban areas like Chicago, Obamas hometown. I see migrants and illegal immigrants given government assistance as Americans go deeper into debt and poverty. Big expensive government programs favored by Democrat politicians are redundant and often failing. I see American military power, political leadership in the world decline to the extent that other nations laugh at us behind our backs as they give smarmy smiles to Obama. The Obama administration seems bound and determined to teach white America and Americans in general to be ashamed of their/our alleged hidden racism, bigotry, islamophobia, homophobia and xenophobia. He shames us and our political leaders who he paints as bad guys if they disagree with him. The constant search for micro-aggressions and political incorrectness by Obama-ites repulses me. I watched Obama and his minions insult, lie about, and distort the motives, intentions and character of sweet gentlemen like John McCain and Mitt Romney. I know I can be a strong, powerful and benevolent leader to rescue America. Obama uses his sneaky phone and pen to bring America down a peg or two and share its /our wealth around in some neo-socialist ways. I know and have participates in the rigged American political system that is floundering. I know where the crooked bodies are buried. I made billions legally through the flawed system in America. I will be a benevolent Trojan Horse to lead a hopefully bloodless revolution in America. I will use a P.T. Barnum, applied reality TV model of politics to win. I can t be bought by anyone. America will be great and safe again. I love America so much that I will make mistakes and try to honestly correct them. I will listen to as many Americans as I can. I will talk straight to them about what I see as the truth of where America must go to be great and safe again. I will re-make the Republican party into a modern this time successful Bull Moose Populist Republican Party. Here I come, a new TR! In recent days, psychologists have defied the Goldwater Rule. Most of the opinions from the American Psychological Association members have been extremely negative about Trump. They call Trumpism fascist, bullying, misogynistic, bigoted, racist, homophobic, xenophobic and Islamophobic. Some psychologist colleagues even say Trump would be destructive to the mental health of America. I suspect many psychiatrists and psychoanalysts would agree. In my opinion, these psychologist colleagues miss the paradoxes about Trump, his motives, character and extremely unorthodox campaign style. They express a shallow and superficial view of Donald Trump. Trump and Hillary Clinton have viciously attacked each other in ways similar to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson early in our countrys history. Trump is by no means an angel and has some macho traits similar to many traditional American men. It is easy to say Trump flip-flops and insults in order to hurt. I think it is refreshing that Trump is defiantly politically incorrect and says what he thinks at campaign free associative moments. He behaves unlike the usual American candidates canned talking points, tested at focus groups. Many or most will disagree with me, but I think Trump knows how to listen, is flexibly sincere about changing his mind. He is confidently unapologetic about such changes. I think he will follow the principles of his best seller, The Art of the Deal, when negotiating with Congress, foreign and community leaders. I think Trump, unlike typical spineless political leaders, knows how to hire and, most of all, fire incompetent administrators. Trump will not tolerate all the Smidgens of corruption at the IRS, the VA, and the unjust racially divisive Justice Department. He will effectively lead civil service reforms enabling incompetents to be disciplined and fired, as in the private sector. Building walls around American to form healthy strong borders is analogous to clear firm personal boundaries that give evidence of ego strength. Trump can be a strong flexible father figure who by making our streets and borders safe can help our citizens to find opportunities for individual growth and financial success. Dependency on government assistance will only be for those citizens truly unable to work and support themselves. Trump as a strong successful father figure for America will encourage black American youths to find mentors in a safe work world, not in destructive drug gang leaders. Building a strong well educated and trained military will allow young Americans to serve their country in a military deserving respect and in other ways of serving America at home and abroad. Outspoken Maine governor Paul LePage is considering resigning from his governorship. Pressure is mounting on him to step down after he left a hilarious and expletive-filled voicemail for a Democratic state lawmaker. Believing the lawmaker, state rep Drew Gattine, called him a racist, LePage let the backbencher have it: I want you to prove that Im a racist. Ive spent my life helping black people and you little son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocks*cker. How beautiful, and almost poetic. This isnt the first time LePage has deployed his colorful vocabulary. Back in January, the governor caught heat for accusing guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, and Shifty of peddling heroin in his state. He once told residents the state legislature was corrupt, and refused to sign their budget by line-item vetoing over 200 hunks of pork, nearly causing a government shutdown. He spit in the face of the race-hustlers in the NAACP by refusing to attend a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day breakfast and telling them to kiss my butt. He even called out Democrat State Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson for having a black heart and always trying to give it to the people without providing Vaseline. The latest contretemps stems from a slew of hate-facts the good governor thought fit to share with voters. At a town hall in New Berwick, LePage was asked the following by a former Maine resident: Given the rhetoric you put out there about people of color in Maine, calling them drug dealers et cetera, how can I bring a company here given the toxic environment you create? What came next was a masterful, if not daft, bit of candor. LePage loaded up and fired back with a clip full of thoughtcrime: I will tell you that 90-plus percent of those pictures in my book, and its a three-ringed binder, are black and Hispanic people from Waterbury, Conn., the Bronx and Brooklyn. After beseeching reporters to look more into the race most responsible for killing his constituents, he announced, You make me so sick, and walked out. It didnt end there. Two days later (and a day after his bawdy voicemail), LePage defended his comments while taking a hardline stance against the smack invasion of his state. At a statehouse press conference he declared, Look, the bad guy is the bad guy, I dont care what color he is... when you go to war, if you know the enemy and the enemy dresses in red and you dress in blue, then you shoot at red. When all was said and done, the liberal press seethed with rage. Horror novelist and Mainer Stephen King called LePage a bigot, a homophobe, and a racist. Democrat state lawmakers demanded the governor resign. At this point, I could say that LePages comments were ill-tempered, or that he was equally critical of white girls for hanging around black drug dealers, or that the law should not take race into account. But what would be the point? Republicans are forever trying to prove they arent racists. The Left never believes it. Its far better to stick with the truth. Brown-nosing dedicated ideologues is a Sisyphean task with no reward. And what is the truth, exactly? Are NYC droogs invading Maine and ruining its verdant ambience with baggies of black tar? The latest FBI data from 2014 shows that around 14% of drug-related arrests in Maine were of blacks. Crime has picked up nationwide since then. Still, it could be the case that LePage is exaggerating the details. But consider: statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show that blacks use drugs at a higher rate than whites. They are also arrested for drug possession and dealing more often. Now, we could debate the cause of the high arrest record until the sun burns out (and probably get nowhere in the process), but LePages logic is solid: if blacks (and Hispanics) are arrested more for drug crime, then it makes sense hes seeing more swarthy faces in his mugshot photo album. Theres nothing racist about facts. But LePage finds the need to defend himself against the linguistic bugaboo anyway. Hes so threatened by the label that hes considering voluntarily relinquishing his position. Im looking at all options, he told a Bangor radio host. If Ive lost my ability to help Maine people, maybe its time to move on. Leaving his governorship at this point isnt just a dumb move -- its a career-ender. Liberals collect scalps to provide an example to others. If you dont kowtow to their intense form of politicking, they launch brutal p.r. campaigns to shut you down. By the time you surrender, youve become persona non grata. Kaput. Finito. It would be a shame to lose the man Politico called Americas Craziest Governor. Without Gov. LePage, who will joke about blowing up the media with a F-35? Who would campaign for office by wishing he could personally tell Obama to go to hell? Who will stick it to pecksniffian political elites who deride plain, middle class Americans? In a year when Donald Trump did major damage to the GOPs slavish embrace of multiculturalism, now is not the time to say sorry. If the people of Maine despise Gov. LePages choice of words, they can vote him out at the ballot box. Resigning is a cowards way to go. It only lends credence to the Lefts ethnomasochism. Prithee, Governor LePage, dont abandon your post now. Maine needs you. Donald Trump needs you. We need you. Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you, and hopes youll keep rocking the politically-correct boat, perhaps one day sinking it once and for all. Democrats showed their true colors when they seized on an article in the U.K. Daily Mail that suggested that Melania Trump may have engaged in prostitution, not modeling, when she first traveled abroad. Leave aside for the moment that Democrats prefer the term sex worker and generally regard prostitutes as among the oppressed victims of the world they champion, who can do no wrong. Melania Trump in her early adult years traveled from her native Slovenia to seek opportunity abroad. Dont Democrats love immigrants, legal or not? So questions that were raised about her visa would seem to be harping on documentation which Dems all know is just ridiculous, not worthy of even mentioning. Melania Trump is mother of a young child. Did the harm their criticism would do to the innocent child factor? Of course not. Principles are for suckers. In any event, no doubt pursued by lawyers, the Daily Mail has issued a complete retraction of the article seized upon by Trump haters. Apologies from Democrats would be required but are unlikely, to say the least. And where does Melania Trump go to get her reputation back? My answer: The White House, starting in January. The carnage on Chicago's streets continued its record-setting pace in August with a body count of 90 the bloodiest single month in 20 years. Meanwhile, the city has already seen the number of killings surpass all of last year with four months left to go. Chicago Tribune: Through the first eight months of the year, the city recorded 472 homicides, 150 more than a year earlier and just one shy of the total for all of 2015, according to official Police Department statistics. The eight-month toll marked the most killings in Chicago since 488 people were slain through August 1997. This August alone ended with 90 homicides, the deadliest single month since July 1993 when 99 were killed. Asked during a brief telephone interview Wednesday what the department could do better to stem the violence, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson pointed to seizures of illegal guns closing in on 6,000 so far this year. Johnson, who again blamed the proliferation of guns and lenient sentencing laws for much of the mayhem, is pushing for lawmakers in Springfield to craft legislation calling for stiffer sentences for repeat gun offenders. "These men and women are working their tails off out here," Johnson said of officers. "And I'll tell you this, it's frustrating for them to arrest a guy on Friday for an illegal gun and then next Thursday they see this guy right back out on the street with another illegal gun." Even at 472 homicides for the first eight months, the Police Department's statistics do not include killings on area expressways, those that are labeled justifiable homicides and death investigations that could later be reclassified as homicides. "These men and women are working their tails off out here," Johnson said of officers. "And I'll tell you this, it's frustrating for them to arrest a guy on Friday for an illegal gun and then next Thursday they see this guy right back out on the street with another illegal gun." Even at 472 homicides for the first eight months, the Police Department's statistics do not include killings on area expressways, those that are labeled justifiable homicides and death investigations that could later be reclassified as homicides. While the chief of police is blaming the proliferation of guns, the head of the Chicago police union offers a different take: The Police Department has been under fire since November with the court-ordered release of a video showing Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times, killing him. The fallout has led to a U.S. Justice Department probe and a proposal just this week by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to replace the city's much-maligned police accountability system. For months, FOP President Dean Angelo Sr. has decried the treatment officers have been enduring on the job. He said officers are worried that if they are as aggressive as they once were, they could end up in viral internet videos, fired or sued. The Ferguson Effect in full force. But the Ferguson Effect is not the entire explanation for what is going on in Chicago. Cuts in the number of officers in recent years have simply meant fewer bodies on the streets. That trend is reversing, but it will take several years before the police force recovers. Also, Chicago, being centrally located, has become the regional headquarters for several national gangs and an important outpost for international cartels. The conflicts aren't just local turf wars they are also manifestations of rivalries among the cartels. This, any big-city American police department is ill equipped to handle. Chicago has already seen more murders this year than New York and Los Angeles combined. If there is to be a turnaround, there must be a change in the relationship between the police and the communities they serve. It will be a slow process, as trust has been destroyed with several recent high-profile police shootings. But sheer survival for residents may be the catalyst for change. Universities across America fall off the cliff into an abyss of insanity on a daily basis. Unfortunately, its not just school administrators who do so. Our educational institutions take our young people over the cliff with them. One among countless issues these institutions of (cough) higher education obsess about is gender. Or lack thereof. Or change thereof. Or renaming thereof. Or fluidity thereof. As Breitbart reports: In an effort to increase campus inclusivity, administrators at Champlain College in Vermont distributed gender pronoun pins to incoming freshmen to establish the wearers preferred gender pronouns. Danielle Berube, Champlains Director of Residential Life, claimed that the college has a portion of students whose genders dont adhere to the traditional male-female gender binary. We have a number of students who identify as transgender or on the non-binary spectrum, and about a week before orientation while we were pulling together materials, the idea just kind of came out of the air, Berube said. It just seemed like a no-brainer a very easy way to make the first day of college for a number of our students maybe a little bit easier. Champlain students were also given the option of claiming that their gender is fluid, which denotes that an individuals gender is malleable and changing. Although there is little science on this topic, some trans-advocates argue that genderfluidity is a form of gender expression rather than a static gender identity. Theater of the absurd. My name is Carol, and my pronoun is your highness. (And as a side note, its not just colleges and universities where this is happening. Its in our public schools and has become pervasive throughout our society. See here, here, here, and here.) In an acknowledgement of its past association with the slave trade, Georgetown University will offer the descendants of nearly 300 slaves who were sold to pay off the school's debts in 1838 preferences in the admissions process. CNNMoney: In 1838, the school sold 272 slaves who were working on plantations in southern Maryland to pay down its debts. Now, the school said it will give the descendants of those slaves "the same consideration we give members of the Georgetown community" when they apply. That means that the applicants will "receive an extra look" and that their relationship to the university will be considered. Georgetown President John DeGioia officially recognized the school's past Thursday afternoon in a press conference. "We must acknowledge that Georgetown participated in the institution of slavery. There were slaves here on the hilltop until emancipation in 1862." Georgetown will also have a Mass of Reconciliation where it will apologize for its history. "We cannot do our best work if we refuse to take ownership of such a critical part of our history," DeGioia said at the press conference. Last September, DeGioia created a 16-member Working Group of Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation consisting of students, staff and alumni to make recommendationson how the school can amend its historical ties to slavery. To help find and connect with the descendants, the group created The Georgetown Slavery Archive, which provides genealogical information and other materials about slavery at the university. It also has documents that show the names, ages and relationships of the 272 slaves sold in 1838. Some descendants have reached out to the school and have provided additional information, according to Adam Rothman, a history professor at Georgetown who is also a member of the working group. A group of descendants who attended the press conference, addressed DeGioia and asked the school to seek more of their input as it moves forward on how to rectify its past. DeGioia has visited with descendants in recent months, and said that the school will support reconnecting the descendants of the slaves who were split up when they were sold. "We have very good records in our archives, more than 100 boxes," he said. Maxine Crump, whose great, great grandfather was among those sold in 1838, told CNN's Brooke Baldwin that she was overcome when she heard about the news. "I was driving at the time, and I felt like my car was going but I had stopped. It just took over my whole being. It was a door that opened that I never expected would have opened in my life. The secretary of the Health and Human Services Department sought to reassure America that Obamacare is sustainable even without any action by Congress. Sylvia Burwell told reporters that the changes to the law being made by the White House will improve the viability of the state exchanges. The Hill: The question of whether Congress would need to step in to fix ObamaCare has risen in prominence since announcements by Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and other large insurers saying they will pull out of ObamaCare exchanges next year because of financial losses. But Congress remains deadlocked in political fighting over the law, raising the stakes for changes the administration is taking on its own. Stability exists even using the administrative tools that we have, Burwell said. She noted that despite all the talk of premium increases for next year, premiums came in 15 percent below Congressional Budget Office projections for the first year, 2014. She said there would be less discussion of premium hikes if premiums had simply originally come in a bit higher. She said this year is a transition year during which the market can adjust premiums upward to a more sustainable level. Republicans have been pouncing on reports of the steeper increases. Burwell acknowledged: We understand premiums going up is a difficult issue, its an important issue. But she noted that the health laws financial assistance increases for most people to shield them from the effects of premium hikes. Regarding changes made with insurers in mind, Burwell pointed to actions her department has taken to tighten up the rules for extra sign-up periods that insurers said people used to game the system. She also pointed to changes her department announced this week to a program called risk adjustment, which shifts money from insurers with healthier enrollees to those with sicker, costlier ones. Clearly, the HHS secretary is trying to put lipstick on a pig. The one big issue she can't address or do anything about is the number of older, sicker enrollees far outstripping the number of younger, healthier sign-ups. This is killing insurers, who are paying out far more in benefits than is being collected in premiums. The risk adjustment program has been a failure. But the problem of insurance companies losing hundreds of millions of dollars persists, and there just aren't enough insurance companies making money from the exchanges to fully fund the program. Nothing the administration is doing will entice insurance companies to continue to sell policies on the exchanges unless the flow of red ink can be slowed considerably. Given the profile of new enrollees, this isn't likely to happen. What if Donald J. Trump wins the presidency? How will the anti-Trump left (ATL) and the Never-Trump Republicans (NTR) respond? We know, of course, that Barbra Streisand will leave the country. But what will the reaction of the leftists at The New York Times and The Washington Post, among other media outlets? Demand United Nations review of the vote? Urge President Obama to impound all the ballot boxes in precincts where Trump had more votes than Hillary Clinton? Call for a boycott of any state that gives its Electoral College votes to Trump? In the State of New York, will Gov. Andrew Cuomo ban travel by state officials to Washington, D.C., effective January 20, 2017, unless something is done to keep Trump from becoming president? In California, will Gov. Jerry Brown offer his determination that the United States, after reviewing the events of our aggression against Mexico in 1846, has no more right to California than Russia has to Crimea, and announce the secession of California from the Union, with an invitation to Mexico's President Enrique Pena-Nieto to annex the Golden Estado? Clearly, a Trump presidency will not be easily accepted by the ATL-NTR coalition. After all, The New York Times declared, solemnly, in its lead editorial, August 21, that after Hillary Clinton is elected president, "[t]he toxic effects of Trumpism will have to be addressed." A fortiori, after the election of Trump to the presidency. It is to be expected that The New York Times will declare in a front-page editorial, January 21, 2017, "Toxic Trumpism must not be permitted to trump democracy." The editorial will have this title: "Taking Watergate as Our Guide," and advise, "First Vice President Mike Pence must go, and after Congress has given us a new vice president, it will be Trump's turn..." The battle for Brexit is not quite over; it is not quite won. And the reason is simple many people still do not understand the fundamental issues. It is not about the Single Market it is not about the economy it is not about immigration it is not about security, though all these aforementioned are concerns. The fundamental issue is about the law of the land. Do we in Great Britain make our own laws, or are we to be ruled by a foreign entity? Now, it may be true that the EU is a trading partner, but in no way does that give, or should that give, this entity the power to trump the laws of Great Britain. But that is precisely what has taken place. Let us imagine that Great Britain makes a trading agreement with New Zealand I have deliberately chosen a country at the opposite ends of the Earth. Would this trading agreement then give us the power to make laws for the New Zealanders? Of course not! The Kiwis would be up in arms at the mere suggestion. Yet by the Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed without the fine print being read, Great Britain suddenly found herself subject to EU laws that trumped and overrode British laws. Such a situation was and is intolerable. It meant we were being governed by two sets of laws. Brussels could issue a regulation or a directive, and it became law for us in England without debate and without a by-your-leave. These laws affected our farmers, our fisheries, our scientists, our woodlands, and so on and so forth. The fact that some of these regulations were fairly beneficial is neither here nor there. These regulations and directives effectively made the House of Commons a talking shop, with no power. That our ex-prime minister, David Cameron, could have recommended such an abnegation of power to the people of this country is beyond belief. So the principal issues were confused, perhaps because the politicians themselves were, and some still are, confused. So some still argue that it is best for the economy that we belong. Others argue that some scientific organizations and some farmers get grants from the EU. Some are still concerned about access to the Single Market. Another overriding concern is the huge number of European immigrants arriving in this country, at the same time that other Commonwealth immigrants are excluded or even sent home. All these issues, however, pale into insignificance when set against the power to rule ourselves, which was set at nought by the Treaty of Lisbon. Without the people and even the politicians realizing exactly what was happening, we surrendered the power to make our own laws, to govern our own seas, to subsidize whomsoever we decided, and in order to have tariff-free access to a Single Market, we agreed that our national coffers could be plundered to the tune of some 19 billion gross per annum, plus the odd million pound sterling, whensoever the EU was feeling the financial strain. So everything we voted for revolves around one thing and that is our independence and the power to rule ourselves. Once we have that back in its entirety, then the questions of agriculture, of fisheries, of scientific support, and of immigration can all be solved in the one place from which they should never have departed namely, the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. For better or for worse, Brexit means self-rule. Brexit means independence. Donald Trump looked like and acted as president of the USA during his speech on August 31, 2016 with Mexican president Nieto. Trump took the gamble to accept Nieto's invitation to meet in Mexico before his speech to set forth his ten-point plan to deal with immigration. Meanwhile, Hillary declined the invitation, maybe out of habit, expecting a contribution to the Clinton Foundation or a speaking fee for Bubba if she appeared. Trump was confident and dominated the press conference in Mexico. The optics were great. Trump spoke in clear, measured tones to state his positon to control immigration. He was respectful to Nieto and Mexicans by stressing the benefits to both countries of controlling immigration. He did not bow, grovel, or apologize for American power as Obama did during his apology tour. Trump was clear that he would build the wall. It will be a combination of a wall, fences, and electronic monitoring similar to the walls in Israel. Building the wall is the key to immigration control because it shows that we are serious to prevent further illegal immigration and just as important to prevent terrorists from crossing the southern border. Obama, George W. Bush, and co-presidents Hillary and Bill Clinton did nothing to secure the border. By failing to secure the border, they allowed more illegal aliens to cross, which then created the problem of what to do with the 11 million or more here illegally. Bush's plan failed to get conservative support because it was clear that the border would not be secured. The plan of Clinton, Bush, and Obama seemed to be to let the illegals in and then require employers to verify the legal status of all employees to weed out illegal aliens. So they put the burden on employers and fined employers who got caught hiring illegals. One with common sense would ask: why not secure the border with a wall, keep out the illegals, and not bother American employers with more regulations that increase the cost of doing business, which reduces employment of Americans? Trump, when he announced his candidacy, seized the immigration issue by announcing he would build a wall to secure the border. Securing the border is the key because once you stop the illegal flow, then you can deal with the illegals here. Trump's opponents and the mainstream media missed the importance of building the wall and directed their attacks upon "how do you deport 11 million?" Promising to build the wall created the trust and bond between Trump and his supporters. Further, deporting illegals with criminal records, ending sanctuary cities, tracking visas, and dealing with the illegals here are important points of his plan. Building a wall to secure the border is a commonsense and obvious solution that seemed to escape the Washington political class until Trump, an outsider and businessman, looked at the problem and stated the obvious solution. The Israelis have built a wall and fence, including underground barriers, which has reduced the terrorist attacks in Israel. Trump rode the issue to win the primaries, and he will win the presidency because of this. Joe Biden knows better than to be caught on video giving a blanket endorsement of the Clinton Foundation. There are, after all, a lot of emails waiting to be revealed. It is a mistake to think Biden is not shrewd simply because his manner is often just plain goofy. Behind the facade of unity and Trump disdain, Democrats understand what they have on their hands with the Clintons at the helm of their party. Yes, they will pretend that all is well, that Hillary would be a fine president, and that the smoke choking them has no fire producing it. But they also realize that there will be life after Hillary Clinton follows the path of her ambition to its ultimate destination. And they are planning for contingencies. There might just be the need for a sudden replacement on the ticket. Maybe not probable, at this point, but certainly possible. Joe is keeping bis options open. Watch the video. Transcript below. As you know by now, Samsung halted production on its new Galaxy Note 7 based on reports that a small percentage of the devices were exploding. Samsung quickly conducted their own investigation and narrowed the problem down to batteries overheating and exploding. Samsung claims that 35 incidences were reported globally and that they have sold upwards of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s. No definite plan of action is in place yet, but Samsung has stated that it will hold a massive recall of the device whether it will involve replacing the battery or giving the customer a new unit is not entirely known. The recall is affecting ten countries including the US and Canada. In a statement, Samsung Canada said, For customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. Canadian Customers may call 1-800-SAMSUNG for additional information. The Galaxy Note 7 open to rave reviews and was liked by the critics and the public. It is a shame that several problems have plagued the new device, especially at a time when Samsungs profits were up based on the strong sales of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Samsung stock has already dropped in price and with a potential 2.5 million devices to replace or check out, the costs to Samsung will be enormous. It will not only cost Samsung money now, but future buyers may be leery of purchasing the Galaxy Note 7 even after the recall Samsung was predicting unprecedented sales of its Galaxy Note 7. While it may hurt Samsung in the short term, they acted wisely in acknowledging the problem immediately, investigating the issues, and it sounds as though Samsung will replace all of the devices. If there are tight enough controls in place, Samsung may be able to identify which devices have the defective battery based on serial numbers, which would help prevent Samsung from recalling every device. However they decide to proceed, having the 800 number for Canadians to call is a great idea and will help boost consumer confidence. Advertisement The problem may have stemmed from the tremendous response from customers forcing Samsung to purchase batteries outside their normal parts channels. It is amazing how important a little battery can mean for a product. Google has recently started rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat to existing Nexus-branded smartphones, while the company still did not announce new Nexus devices. This is a rather odd move by Google as they usually roll out new versions of Android along with new Nexus devices, but that did not happen this time around. To make things even weirder, the LG V20 will be the first smartphone sporting Android 7.0 Nougat, as confirmed by both the LG and Google. This does not mean that the LG V20 will become available before upcoming Pixel devices though, well see. Some of you might look at the word Pixel and wonder why Pixel and not Nexus, well, according to a report which surfaced a couple of hours ago, Googles Nexus Marlin and Sailfish handsets will actually be called the Pixel and Pixel XL. This definitely comes as a surprise, but the story doesnt end there. The same source that shared the Pixel and Pixel XL info is now back to expand upon that rumor. According to Android Polices source, Google intends to introduce the companys Pixel devices on October 4th. Interestingly enough, it seems like these two phones wont be the only hardware or software Google will unveil on October 4th, not by a long shot. A 4K-capable Chromecast, the Google Home speaker and one of the first Daydream VR headsets are all expected to land on October 4th. The source also claims that the 4K Chromecast will be called Chromecast Plus or Chromecast Ultra, and as its name suggests, will be able to stream 4K content. The aforementioned Daydream VR device might be called Daydream View, but nothing has been confirmed just yet. We still do not know where or when exactly on October 4th will Google host this event, but chances are that it will happen in San Francisco. Judging by the amount of announcements Google plans to make on that day, this might be a rather lengthy event. As many of you know, Googles upcoming Pixel devices have been certified by the FCC already, and they will be manufactured by HTC. The two devices have also been benchmarked quite recently, and we do know that they will be powered by the Snapdragon 820, ship with 4GB of RAM and Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, of course. Their display sizes and resolution will differ, and you can expect a 12-megapixel camera to be included with the new Pixel smartphones. The first official day of IFA 2016 doesnt start until tomorrow, but just like yesterday there have been numerous IFA announcements from various brands in the mobile and technology market, including the likes of Sony, VerveLife by Motorola, Huawei, and more. Usually at these types of events, smartphones can be a big focus for those companies which are already rooted in the industry, and thats exactly the case here at this years IFA as companies like Sony have officially unveiled two new Sony Xperia X phones today, after having been rumored for the past month or so that they were coming. Both the Xperia XZ and the Xperia X Compact will be on their way to consumers in the near future. Sony was not the only company to announce new devices today, both Huawei and ZTE, two of the larger Chinese smartphone brands, have announced phones as well. Huawei have announced the all new Nova and Nova Plus devices, while also unveiling two new colors for their already available Huawei P9 smartphone. ZTE meanwhile officially announced the recently rumored Axon 7 Mini smartphone which comes complete with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space. HTC also revealed a new phone with the One A9s, and Alcatel introduced the SHINE LITE. While most of todays announcements have revolved around smartphones, other devices were in the limelight briefly as well. Fossil announced that theyre shipping the first smartwatches powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, which was confirmed by Qualcomm themselves. In addition to this, Sonys Xperia Ear, which was originally unveiled during Mobile World Congress back in February, announced today that they would begin selling the device in select markets in November. Since this is not just about smartphones and smartwatches, other technology made an appearance today as well, such as Qualcomms reference VR headset powered by their Snapdragon 820 CPU, and Alcatels wireless VR headset called the Vision. If youve happened to miss any of the IFA related news from today before the first official day kicks off tomorrow morning, you can find everything from the links down below. Smartwatches Advertisement Smartphones Tablets Accessories Advertisement Headphones Wearables Smart Home Advertisement VR Xiaomi may not have launched a new flagship last year, but the company is making up for that anomaly in 2016. The Mi 5, which is Xiaomis latest premium smartphone, was launched earlier this year as a replacement for the aging Mi 4 that was launched way back in 2014. The company is now looking to bring its Mi Note replacement to the market if all the rumors, leaks and speculations over the past several weeks are anything to go by. The Mi Note 2, as the upcoming device is expected to be called, will be the all-new flagship phablet from the company. While weve seen a few rumors and alleged leaks about it in the past as well, posts on Chinese social media now seems to indicate that the device may well be available in two distinct variants. According to the latest rounds of rumors surrounding the Mi Note 2, the upcoming Xiaomi phablet will actually come in two different models. While the standard version will be powered by the Snapdragon 820 and have just the 4GB of RAM, the premium variant will have a Snapdragon 821 under the hood along with 6GB of RAM. This version will apparently also carry 128GB of internal storage, which is just as well, seeing as Xiaomi doesnt include micro SD card slots with its premium handsets. The base model, however, will only come with 32GB storage, if the rumors are to be believed. Meanwhile, the Mi Note 2 is expected to come with a curved display and dual rear-cameras, so it will certainly be something to watch out for once Xiaomi decides to make its new handset official in the coming days. Earlier rumors have also suggested that the device will come in a number of different versions, including one that has 4GB of RAM and is powered by the Snapdragon 821, and another with 6GB of RAM with the Snapdragon 820 under the hood. So basically, we now have all four possible combinations mentioned about the upcoming phone, and were still none-the-wiser about it even though rumors point at an early September launch. So as things stand now, the phablet will most likely be available in multiple variants, but as for the exact details, well just have to take these rumors for what they are at the moment, and wait for an official confirmation from Xiaomi. It was only rumored a few weeks back that Samsung may start selling refurbished Galaxy smartphones, and now the company has gone ahead and confirmed this rumor. The company hasnt confirmed why its doing this, but there are believed to be a couple of reasons. The first is believed to be to reduce inventory due to one-year upgrade plans which see customers buy a flagship device and get next years flagships in exchange for their old on. Also, it is thought that this is part of the companys attempt to keep up its earnings momentum while also helping Samsung maximize cost efficiency while keeping profit margins above 10 percent. As of now, the company appears to only be selling refurbished flagships, due to this probably being more cost efficient due to the ability to still sell the devices at relatively high prices, though still providing a significant enough discount over new devices to make it a viable option for consumers. As part of the refurbishment program, the devices are all sold with brand new earphones and chargers in the box along with the same one-year warranty that new devices come with. If you head to Samsungs US website, there is now a complete section titled Samsung Certified Pre-Owned Phones where consumers can browse through a number of previous flagship models such as the Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5 and also the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Currently though, neither the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy Note 7 are available, most likely due to the relatively recent release of the Galaxy S7 line and recall of the Galaxy Note 7. If consumers decide to purchase one of these refurbished devices, they could stand to save as much as $265 over a new device, though they will have to pay the full cost upfront. As of now Samsung is only selling carrier-locked versions of the devices, but its likely that the company will eventually start selling unlocked ones too. Advertisement If Samsung eventually decides to launch the program outside of the United States, the company could stand to increase its presence in emerging markets such as China, where smartphone competition is high due to low-cost Chinese manufacturers, or in India, where the average price of a smartphone is extremely low. It still stands to be seen if Samsungs new program will be popular in the US, but the company is sure to be hoping that it can impress consumers with lower prices in order to keep margins high and reducing excess inventory. Back in March, Sony announced a mysterious Future Lab Program, meant to be a playground where they can share ideas, concepts, and barely-fleshed-out products with users to get feedback and figure out what changes to make and what projects to nix. When Sony announced the launch of the program, they also teased a neck-worn wearable called N. Although Sonys N concept wearable does not feature an ear-worn component, the device was shown taking commands by voice and serving up music. On Thursday, Sony announced that the first pilot of the Future Lab Program, featuring the in-development N wearable, will be landing in sunny San Francisco soon. Although the N unit is still in its earliest stages of development, Sony will begin accepting applications to be part of the Future Lab Program N on September 1st. Applicants will be given a survey about how they use technology in their daily lives, along with a few opinion questions, and basic qualifiers. Should a user pass muster, they will be invited to an event (the dates of which have not yet been announced) where they can try out N in its prototype form. From there, if they wish, they can shell out $100 for a prototype N unit, which they will be required to use on a daily basis for a variety of tasks, while adhering to the terms and conditions for the program. Participants in the program will be required to pair up N with a qualifying smartphone, have a Facebook account, and have a PC at home with USB 2.0 or better on board. During the trial period, Sony will periodically reach out to the user for comments and answers to questions about the product. Users will also be invited to special meetups in San Francisco where they will be able to chat with other users and Sony employees about the product, sharing experiences and suggestions. The rule list for participants is a bit on the strict side; you cannot sue Sony for any reason, and if a prototype is lost or stolen, another will not be provided. On top of that, participants will not get to keep the prototypes, and Sony has not announced anything along the lines of participants getting a price break or free unit upon commercial launch, if one does happen. For now, you will have to live locally to participate and must go to the meetups to share your opinion, though Sonys website for the Program states that they will accept remote feedback at a future date. Once it begins, the Future Lab Program N will run until August of 2017. TP-Link may be best known for its networking equipment like routers and switches, but unbeknownst to many, the Chinese firm also has a handful of smartphones in the market under the Neffos brand. The company has now announced a further expansion of its smartphone business with the Neffos X1 and Neffos X1 Max smartphones that were unveiled at the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany. Both phones seem to be premium mid-rangers going by the spec sheet, and according to the TP-Links press release, will be available in stores at some stage during Q4 2016. While the Neffos X1 has been priced at 199, the X1 Max will come with a 249 price-tag in Europe. Theres no word on whether the phones will be launched outside the Eurozone. According to TP-Link, both the smartphones will come with rear-facing fingerprints scanners and will be powered by the MediaTek Helio P10 chipset, which comes with a 64-bit octa-core CPU. The X1 Max will come with an option of either 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage or 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, while the cheaper X1 will be offered in 2GB RAM + 16GB storage and 3GB RAM + 32GB storage versions. Both of these smartphones will also support micro SD cards. Another feature shared by the two handsets is the Android version. As per the press release, Android 6.0 Marshmallow will come pre-installed on both the Neffos X1 and the X1 Max. Finally, coming to the imaging options, both the handsets will apparently feature the same set of cameras. The rear camera will have a 13-megapixel Sony sensor with an f/2.0 aperture along with backside illumination, 5P lens and PDAF (phase-detection auto-focus), while the front-facing selfie-cam will come with a 5-megapixel sensor. TP-Link also insists that its devices will have super-thin bezels along with chamfered edges. The screen-to-body ratio is said to be at an impressive 76%. While the X1 Max is said to have a 5.5-inch 1080p display with a 2.5D screen protected by Cornings Gorilla Glass, the X1 features a 5-inch 720p panel. Either way, now that TP-Link is taking its smartphone business more seriously, it remains to be seen if the company can make a dent in the super-competitive smartphone market at home and abroad. As of late carriers seem to be hopping on the unlimited data wagon, but Verizons version is slightly different from the rest of the competition. Instead of announcing a new plan that provides super fast LTE data, the company has opted to include a feature it calls Safety Mode in all of its plans free of charge. Safety Mode isnt anything new, though. The company originally announced the feature back in July and, for $5 extra a month, customers could have access to unlimited data at very low 2G speeds (128kbps to be precise) as soon as their LTE data ran out, therefore avoiding the carriers overage charges. As well as this, it also guaranteed customers would have internet access, albeit it extremely slow internet, in the case of an emergency, hence the name Safety Mode. Previously, customers who paid for either the XL or XXL plans received Safety Mode for free, while the rest of the networks customers had to pay for the service. On September 6th this will change, though, with all data plans now featuring Safety Mode as a standard, therefore saving you $5 a month if you currently pay for the feature and also helping you avoid charges for exceeding your data limit. If you want extra data at LTE speeds you will still need to fork out an extra $15 per extra gigabyte of data. In case you are unaware of Verizons current data plans, the carrier offers a total of five data plans ranging from the smaller S plan to the larger XXL plan. With these plans, Verizon offers the choice of 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 24GB and all plans include carryover data and the new Safety Mode, while the XL and XXL plans both include unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada, as well as data, talking and texting when in either country. Now that Verizon has introduced Safety Mode as a basic feature and therefore removed overage charges, the company can now properly compete with T-Mobile and Sprints recent pricing structure changes. Although most customers will likely want to avoid having to rely on these speeds, having them to rely on without having to pay for them, in the event that the 4G speeds have already run out, will be a welcomed addition for many. (ANSA) - Rome, September 1 - Italy's health minister said on Thursday that two promotional images for a campaign to raise awareness around fertility would be revised after they sparked a social media backlash from critics who branded them insulting and sexist. Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin told ANSA the images that would be changed included one showing a young woman holding an hourglass next to the words "Beauty has no age. Fertility does.", and another that reads "Get a move on! Do not wait for the stork". Critics from across the political spectrum have slammed the campaign as insensitive to the high unemployment and poverty levels many people in Italy are struggling with. Author Roberto Saviano criticised the campaign for failing to highlight those economic problems and the importance of finding the right partner to start a family with. Lorenzin said explanations for the images had not been added to the website publicising the "Fertility Day" initiative due on September 22. "We have 22 days to improve the quality of the campaign," she said. She has described the day as a chance to discuss issues such as safe sex and fertility treatment in Italy, which has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. (ANSA) - Vatican City, September 2 - The Vatican has distributed 100,000 tickets for Sunday's canonisation Mass for Mother Teresa in St. Peter's Square, with many more expected to crowd the surrounding streets amid severely tightened security measures. Vatican Spokesman Greg Burke didn't issue an estimate of the expected crowd, but said 600 international journalists have been accredited for the event. He said all aspects of security have been considered for the ceremony, and the main street leading to St. Peter's Square, Via della Conciliazione, will be closed. Access to St. Peter's Square will be divided into three concentric circles for security purposes, with specialised anti-terrorist police and Carabinieri squads on patrol. Rome's police headquarters said 13 heads of state are expected to attend the Mass, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and 3,000 police officers will provide security throughout Rome during the event. The area around St. Peter's Square will be a no-fly zone monitored by the Italian Air Force from 8 to 19 on Sunday. Vatican Radio will transmit live broadcasts in the six traditional languages used for Vatican events as well as Mother Teresa's native Albanian, both for the Sunday canonisation Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis, as well as a Mass on Monday, September 5, the first Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta, to be celebrated by Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. Pope Francis in December approved the requisite second miracle for the late nun and Nobel prize winner who was known as the "Saint of the Gutters". The canonisation of Mother Teresa, who was hailed for her work with impoverished and dying people living in the Calcutta slums, has been highly anticipated by supporters, and is a highlight of the church's Jubilee Holy Year of Mercy. More than 300,000 pilgrims went to Rome in 2003 for Teresa's beatification - the first step towards sainthood. The Vatican said in a short statement on December 18 that the Argentinian pontiff had approved the second miracle - the final hurdle to make her a saint - in which a Brazilian man was said to have been cured of multiple brain tumours in 2008 following the nun's intercession. The approval of this second miracle attributed to her was the final step required for Mother Teresa to be declared a saint, following her beatification in 2003 after the approval of her first miracle. The winner of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 into a Kosovar Albanian family in Skopje, in what is now the Republic of Macedonia, and died in Calcutta in 1997. She moved to India in 1929, where she lived for most of her life. In 1950 she received Vatican approval to found the Roman Catholic religious congregation Missionaries of Charity in India, with the aim of ministering to "the poorest of the poor". (ANSA) - Rieti, September 2 - Law and order officials said Friday the Army will be deployed in the so-called red zone around the epicentre of last week's deadly earthquake. The move comes on request by the mayors of the villages of Accumoli and Amatrice, which were leveled by the August 24, 6.2-magnitude quake. The troop deployment will relieve police forces so they can focus on preventing looters from breaking in to abandoned homes. The decision taken this morning by the Rieti prefecture will cover Accumoli, Amatrice, and all the Lazio hamlets falling under those two municipalities. Rome police deployed to Amatrice on August 27 detained two looting suspects, both Italian men aged about 30, who were loitering about an abandoned building. The two said they had traveled to Amatrice to help in the rescue effort, but a background check showed they both had rap sheets for theft and robbery. Aylan's father denounces continued migrant deaths 'Politicians promised never again' says Abdullah Kurdi (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 2 - A year after the body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on the beach of Bodrum in Turkey, his father Abdullah is voicing concern that migrants heading to Europe are still dying at sea. "After the death of my family, the politicians said: never again! But what's happening now? The deaths continue and no one does anything," he said, cited by local media. In addition to Aylan, Abdullah Kurdi also lost his son Galip, 5, and his wife Rehan, 35, along with two other people. In March, a Turkish court sentenced two Syrians to four years and two months for human trafficking in the shipwreck.(ANSAmed). Mideast: Palestinian media, Hamas arrests journalist in Gaza Last article by Mohammed Otham criticized hospitals in Strip (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, SEPTEMBER 2 - Hamas security forces arrested last night in his Gaza home Palestinian journalist Mohammed Otham, taking him to an unknown place, Palestinian media said in reports confirmed by local sources. According to Otham's wife, Huda, Hamas security forces stormed the house and arrested the reporter after showing him a mandate yet without explaining which charges were being pressed against him. Huda Otham also said security forces seized her husband's computer, and both her phone and her spouse's. Othman's latest article - local media reported - focused on the ''mistakes and infractions'' made in hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Right after the article, the health minister of Hamas reportedly ordered hospital personnel not to talk to journalists. (ANSAmed). ISTANBUL - The Turkish government dismissed a total of 50,589 civil servants on Friday, mainly teachers, university professors, imams and police, as part of a new purge of government workers contained in three new state of emergency decrees published in the country's Official Gazette. "The cleaning operation will continue," said Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli on Twitter. The new wave of firings for suspected ties to Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey claims is responsible for the failed July 15 coup attempt, included 28,163 Education Ministry employees, primarily elementary and middle school teachers. The government also sacked 7,669 police officers, 24 central governors, 323 gendarmes and two Coast Guard officers. The decrees specify that those who were fired are banned from future hiring at government jobs. Their names were also made public in the Official Gazette, setting off controversy over potential risks to which they might be exposed. Turkish soldiers shoot at Kurdish protesters, killing two Were demonstrating against construction of border wall (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, SEPTEMBER 2 - Turkish soldiers opened fire and launched tear gas at a group of Kurdish protesters in the Kurdish Syrian city of Kobane on Friday, killing two people including a 17-year-old boy and injuring 40, according to the Kurdish Iraqi website Rudaw. The protesters were demonstrating against Turkey's construction of a cement border wall that Kurdish sources say breaches Kurdish-controlled Syrian territory for 20 metres. The autonomous administration of Kobane had previously denounced what it called an "occupation" by Turkish forces, appealing to citizens to take up protest demonstrations. In January 2015 Kobane was taken from ISIS by US-backed Kurdish militants. (ANSAmed). China and India will enhance communication and handle border issue properly to create favorable conditions for border negotiation, foreign spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday. The two sides held their ninth meeting as part of the China-India border issue discussion and coordination on Tuesday and Wednesday in New Delhi. Ms Hua told a Beijing news conference the talks were under "friendly, candid and pragmatic" atmosphere. During the meeting, attended by diplomatic, defense and public security authorities, both sides made positive comments towards the China-India border situation in the past year, she said. The two countries will implement relevant measures to boost mutual trust for the important high-level exchanges in the near future, she said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 11th G20 summit held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province from Sunday to Monday, during which he is going to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In August, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in New Delhi that both sides agreed to firmly support each other and jointly well host the G20 Hangzhou Summit and the Goa meeting of BRICS leaders to be held in October. Calais migrant camp evacuation to continue, says Cazeneuve Says dismantling 'jungle' must take place in stages (ANSAmed) - ROME, SEPTEMBER 2 - The dismantling of the northern France migrant camp known as the Calais jungle, where thousands of migrants have camped out while making their way towards Great Britain, will be completed in stages, said French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. He said the government will "proceed with great determination" to evacuate the camp where about 6,900 migrants are currently living. "We've already dismantled the southern area, at the beginning of last March, and we've started in the northern area," he said, adding that moving forward must take place "in stages", starting with the creation of more housing in France. (ANSAmed). CAIRO - Egyptian Copts say ''Egypt is the only country worldwide where a law is necessary to build a church. Muslims, in particular Salafites, argue that ''Egypt's religion is Islam, according to the constitution, and the main source of the law is Sharia''. These two contrasting point of views have led to an intense debate after the recent approval of a law on the construction and renovation of churches. Previous regulations date back to the Ottoman empire. In a country with over 90 million inhabitants, Christians are a minority of just over 10% of the population: just over 10 million who complain they only have 2,690 churches, or one every 5,500 people, compared to 100,000 mosques. The controversy in parliament on the draft law has been overcome, at least apparently, with a compromise mostly from the Christian community that has three components, Coptic Orthodox Christians, Coptic Catholic Christians and Evangelic Christians. Meetings of the holy congregation of churches (105 members), headed by Tawadros II, were necessary with government representatives and president Sisi. Until shortly before the vote, however, fiery statements stressed that the ''law confirms the condition of second-class citizens for Christians'' and ''ratifies that the majority has the right to choose how and where the minority can exercise its rights of worship''. Even after two-thirds of the 569 members of parliament said yes, and the 11 Salafite lawmakers opposed a sharp no, the resentment of the two sides did not cease. A few Christian lawmakers believe the law is a ''farce imposed to Christians'', both because it provides for the surface of the church to be in proportion with the number of the religion's members in the area, and because the governor will have to authorize its construction, also considering potential threats to security. In addition, administrative tribunals will have to examine legal actions against their construction, which take years, rather than tribunals for urgent affairs. And this is taking place in a country in which enraged Muslims have often attacked and set on fire churches over family fights, conflicts on border property and charges of proselytism. Migrants: Erdogan, only 183 mln from EU, betrayed promises 'Money given to Unicef, no country can make it on its own' (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 2 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again attacked the EU, accusing it of having transferred only a small part of the six million euros pledged as part of a migrant deal forged in March on the management of some 3 million refugees in the country. ''The support given so far is 183 million euros. And they did not give them to us, but to Unicef. No country can make it alone in this crisis. Unfortunately, promises are not maintained'', he said. (ANSAmed) A total of 394 aircraft were built, with the final new-build aircraft delivered from the Woodford, Cheshire production line 22 years later in November 2003. Today, around 220 of these aircraft remain in service in a wide variety of roles, supported fully by BAE Systems Regional Aircraft at Prestwick, Scotland the Original Equipment Manufacturer. More than 12 million flight hours of service have been accumulated. Acknowledging the first flight anniversary, Sean McGovern, Managing Director of BAE Systems Regional Aircraft stated today: It is important to understand that this aircraft has many years of productive service yet to offer. In addition to supporting all our customers we work to help introduce the aircraft to new market applications through our extensive and specialist engineering capabilities. BAE Systems can provide a total support package, planned for at least a 15-20 year period. The aircraft still finds favour with new operators such as Pionair of Sydney, Australia, which is just starting BAe 146QT (Quiet Trader) overnight freight services on behalf of Virgin Australia which has won a 5-year U$575 million contract from TNT Express. The newly acquired BAe 146-200QTs will fly the dedicated Eastern seaboard routes with one aircraft routing from Cairns-Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne to Adelaide and the second in the reverse direction but with the addition of Townsville, slotted in between Brisbane and Cairns. Steve Ferris, Chairman and Owner of Pionair adds: Significantly, the whisperquiet BAe 146 is still the only jet airliner allowed to operate at both Sydney and Adelaide during airport curfew hours. At around 10 tonnes freight payload it is also the right size for the job. The two aircraft will fly around 2800 hours a year in total on this contract. In addition, we have acquired two BAe 146-200QC (Quick Change pax-to-freight variants). One of these aircraft has been converted to a full QT freight configuration for use as a maintenance spare for this contract and for ad hoc charter work. The other QC is likely to be leased out to another operator in Africa, he said. For freight charter work Pionair carries outsize cargo mainly for mining support work and is also looking at international markets for wet-lease services. Mr Ferris states: The unique short-field performance, rough-field capability and large freight door makes the BAe 146 very attractive for remote operations. Another new niche which the BAe 146 and Avro RJ have successfully penetrated is the demanding Airtanker (aerial firefighting) role. Three operators in North America have selected the aircraft as their preferred 3000 gallon Type 1 large airtanker. The latest operator to convert an aircraft is Air Spray of Chico, California, which is in the final stages of converting the first of five BAe 146-200s and anticipating Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval early next year ready for the 2017 fire-fighting season. The two other operators Conair/Aero Flite (RJ85) and Neptune Aviation Services (BAe 146-200) each have seven aircraft in service. Both fleets have been heavily utilised throughout North America this year and Neptune reports that one of their aircraft flew 18 sorties in one very busy day. All these airtanker operators envisage acquiring and converting additional BAe 146/Avro RJ aircraft over the next few years to meet firefighting demands and for replacement of venerable older piston and turboprop aircraft in their fleets. As Avro RJs are starting to come out of mainline European service after many years of service with top-ranking operators such as Swiss, Brussels Airlines and CityJet, so the feedstock of aircraft available to new operators remains high. Many of these aircraft have accumulated between 20,000-35,000 flight cycles (depending on aircraft age and history). BAE Systems offers an Avro RJ Life Extension Programme which commences at 40,000 flight cycles and clears the aircraft life limit up to 60,000 flight cycles, ensuring many years of operational service. It is probable that potential new airline customers for the Avro RJ will take advantage of the aircrafts low acquisition costs, proven economics, and the current low oil price to acquire these attractive aircraft for new operations in other parts of the world. In addition, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft has just announced that it is working towards the possible launch of a passenger-to-freighter conversion programme for the Avro RJ. Building on the experience gained with the BAe 146QT, the business has spent the past 12 months (3500 man-hours) assessing the feasibility of the Avro for freighter conversion and coming up with an industrialisation plan. The principal variant for conversion would be the RJ100 which can carry up to 14 tonnes of cargo, or with the addition of a modular underfloor fuel tank system, a smaller payload can be carried for an extra 1000 nm. The company is currently assessing market reaction and looking for interested parties to commit to the programme for a minimum of 10 aircraft to initiate a full industrial programme. BAE Systems will have a strategic MRO partner who will provide the freighter conversion or working party support to suit any need. The plan is to have the first conversion completed by the end of 2017. In addition BAE Systems will work with any potential Avro RJ Freighter customers to develop bespoke modifications for the aircraft to suit differing requirements, including loadmaster seat, extended range and increased/re-distributed floor loading. In addition to the RJ100, the RJ85 can also be developed as a freighter using the same kit. The RJ85 is cleared for unpaved runway operations, so making the aircraft very suitable for remote operations for low-density freight operations and life-line/humanitarian use. Relied on by governments, fractional operators and individual operators, Bombardier Business Aircraft's installed base of more than 700 Global aircraft worldwide continues to demonstrate proven reliability. The in-service fleet has performed nearly 700,000 landings and has logged nearly 2,000,000 flight hours. The 120-month inspection on the Global business jet is one of the largest maintenance events in the aircraft's lifecycle, which comes due during its tenth year of service and requires disassembly for a detailed inspection of the airframe, structure and landing gear. "This milestone demonstrates our experience, our expertise, and most importantly, our ability to offer our customers peace of mind, particularly when faced with one of the most critical inspections in the product's lifecycle," said Stan Younger, vice president, Aircraft Service Centres. "As the aircraft manufacturer, no other maintenance provider comes close to the level of expertise we have on this aircraft or this inspection." CEO of IGA Airports Construction, Yusuf Akcayoglu said: We are very pleased to see Istanbul New Airports Air Traffic Control Tower receive the highly prestigious International Architecture Award 2016. The towers design, evocative of aerodynamic shapes, has been inspired by the tulip, which is among the symbols of Turkeys history and Istanbuls rich cultural legacy. The tower will be seen by all passengers traveling between Europe and Asia via Istanbul New Airport. In new-generation airports, air traffic control towers have begun to stand out not only with their functionality but also architectural design and symbolism. Many such examples may be seen in the USA, Gulf countries, and Europe. As the company constructing the worlds largest airport, we wanted to go the extra mile. Following a contest participated in by the worlds most prominent architects, we decided to entrust the design of our tower to Pininfarina, the worlds best-known design firm, which works with Ferrari as well. This award has confirmed the correctness of our decision. I am fully confident that the Air Traffic Control Tower will continue to garner more design awards in various fields. Operated by TAV Airports, Turkey's global brand in airport operations, Milas-Bodrum Airport has started to host Moscow Domodedovo flights of Russian based Ural Airlines. TAV Milas Bodrum Chief Operations Officer Iclal Kayaoglu said: As soon as TAV Airports took over the operation of Milas-Bodrum Airport, one of the major tourism destinations in Turkey, TAV started to carry out intensive works to expand the flight network in Bodrum. TAV continues its promotion campaigns to increase particularly direct international flights to Bodrum in collaboration with local authorities and NGOs. Including Moscow Domodedovo flights of Ural Airlines to Bodrum's flight network is an outcome of these endeavors. TAV will continue contributing to the regional tourism by expanding its flight network." Safwan Kuzbari, the Novus CEO, pictured right said the UK expansion is a well-timed and ambitious step that demonstrates the companys commitment to its long-term business strategy and is part of plans to increase its presence in key strategic markets. Despite Brexit, London is, and will remain, a strategic financial centre for many aviation stakeholders. On the airline side, it is the home of a number of Novus key airline partners, whom we aim to better serve from our new London office, said Mamoun Kuzbari. The presence of several aircraft lessors in London will also be an advantage for our trading activities. In todays Wall Street Journal drama column I review a Connecticut revival of Joe Ortons What the Butler Saw. Heres an excerpt. * * * I keep two lists in the top drawer of my desk. The first one is of plays that I love but have yet to see onstage. (While the Sun Shines, anyone?) The second is of first-rate plays that Ive never seen done well. Prior to this week, the second list was topped by What the Butler Saw, Joe Ortons 1967 farce about an insane asylum, its sex-crazed staff and an equally crazy policeman who goes there in search of dirty work at the crossroads. What the Butler Saw is one of the few perfect farces to be written in modern times, but its tricky to stage, which may explain why its never been produced on Broadway and is infrequently performed anywhere else in America. Ive reviewed it in Chicago and Tampa, and while both versions were watchable, neither came up to scratch. Not so Westport Country Playhouses production, directed by John Tillinger and starring Paxton Whitehead, which gets everything right about a play thats perilously easy to get wrong. A lightly veiled homage to The Importance of Being Earnest, What the Butler Saw was the last of Ortons three full-length black comedies. No sooner did he finish editing it than he was beaten to death by his lover, a failed actor who couldnt come to terms with his gifted companions success. All three plays are farces peopled with seemingly respectable middle-class Brits who seethe with repressed desires. In What the Butler Saw, for instance, we meet Dr. Prentice (Robert Stanton), a psychiatrist who longs to invade the person of Geraldine (Sarah Manton), a prim young maiden who has come to his office looking for work. No sooner does he inveigle her into stripping (hes a doctor, you know) than his wife (Patricia Kalember) shows up and the doors (there are four) start slamming. What makes Ortons one- and-two-liners land with such explosive satirical impact is that theyre propelled by a plot so tightly wrought that What the Butler Saw cant help but go overso long as the director doesnt get in the way by inserting gratuitous business whose sole purpose is to let the audience know when to laugh. Fortunately, Mr. Tillinger, who is well known for his stagings of the farces of Alan Ayckbourn, doesnt need to be reminded that the characters in a farce dont know that theyre funny (thats the joke). Instead, he starts things off at a leisurely pace and lets the momentum build, and before you know it, youre whizzing round Ortons sharp comic curves at well past the speed of sound. * * * Read the whole thing here. The trailer for John Tillingers 2014 Los Angeles revival of What the Butler Saw, starring Paxton Whitehead: All the latest Ashbourne news. Ashbourne is an historic market town in Derbyshire. Situated on the southern edge of the Peak District, it is known as the 'Gateway to Dovedale' and the 'Gateway to the Peak District'. Ashbourne is famous for the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match, which has been played since at least 1667, although its origins may date back centuries earlier. Ashbourne became a Fairtrade town in March 2005. The popular Tissington Trail, which follows the route of the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway, starts on the edge of town. Keep up to date with the latest news from the town by signing up for our newsletter. by card. Oswald Gracias Faith, love and courage of the future saint archbishop take centre stage in what the archbishop of Mumbai said at the 2016 AsiaNews International Symposium. She based her life on love and prayer. Rome (AsiaNews) What would Mother Teresa say if she were here with us? Maybe Mother Teresa is here with us. She would smile and say: "Do not talk about me, talk about Jesus." I am only "a pencil in His hands. Now stop talking and do something. " My first impression of the Mother was her courage. For us in India, she was already a saint. On Sunday, the Church will recognise this, but for us this was already the case. Many Hindu friends told me: "Why do you go through all these procedures? She is already a saint." She was very courageous. She left home, first for London and then Calcutta. She was a brave person who wanted to give everything to her mission. It took a lot of courage when she heard the calling travelling by rail, leaving the Loreto Institute, to find her poor. Some opposed her. "You cannot go from one congregation to found another." But she did, thanks to her great love for God. Years ago, when the abortion law was being discussed, Mother Teresa wrote to the Prime Minister of the time: "You will not live forever. Sooner or later, you will have to die. If this law goes into effect, what will you say to God?" She went to America for the Prayer Breakfast, meeting with nuns in favour of abortion. She told them: "If you want peace, stop abortion. You cannot allow the killing of children and ask for peace. " At that time, Hillary Clinton and many other important people were present, but Mother never stopped when she had something to say. I thought about the courage of her personal decision, because many of us when we feel called by God we believe to be brave. But she received an important call: leave teaching for the poor. She strongly felt that she had to give it up to devote herself to the poor. She thought a lot, talked to many people, but she felt the calling. All this came in her life of prayer, because when she prayed she analysed decisions and ideas. In those moments she conversed with God. This is why she was always very strict on the issue with her sisters. They need prayer. I met her so many times as a priest. I was consecrated bishop in the week she died. But every time I met her she always gave me many ideas. She shared a story with me. It was at the start of Congregation, and sisters were asking her what to do because there was not enough food. She asked what they suggested. A small dinner, lunch, a small dinner. She replied: "No breakfast, give food to the poor and go and pray." You will not believe it, but at 11 am a lorry pulled up. A wedding had taken place, and the bride and groom wanted to give the food to the poor. When she told me the story: "Father, I have never been afraid that there would not be enough food." Because of this faith in God, she was a person of tremendous hope who could convey this hope to others. She met the last of the last, always giving them hope of joy, love, and God. Through her person, her prayer, her faith. She was able to communicate with them: she was full of Christian hope. Everyone knows that Mother Teresa was a symbol of love. She loved not only the economically poor, but also the poor in spirit. Mother had this quality; God gave her this quality . . . Once, in a hospital where she was working with non-Catholics, the doctors wanted to formalise the work of the Missionaries of Charity. Beforehand, they organised a reception. Mother went around and met the doctors but she was not comfortable. At one point she apologised, she filled a plate and left. She had seen some poor people sitting on the sidewalk. She went to them and gave them sandwiches and cake. Her attention was focused on them. People who travelled with her on the plane told me that she often put aside the tray and asked passengers to do the same. Wherever she landed she went to distribute these meals outside the airport. She could not eat without giving it to others first. And she infected others with this love. Mother had a great devotion to the Eucharist. She insisted that her sisters participate in the Mass every day. She insisted with governments: if you want my Sisters, you also have to accept a priest. Outside of her chapels a plate said: "Priest, celebrate this as if it were your first and last Mass". The Eucharist gave meaning to her efforts. She was a very simple person. If you had you met her, you would never have said: "This is the famous Mother Teresa." I remember her as a woman of simple faith, which she showed in her way to talk. She never asked for any preferential treatment, and indeed complained if anyone wanted to favour her. I remember one time she was going to meet with President Clinton. People who were helping her said: "Mother, it's cold. Do you want something to cover yourself? ". She wore a sweater with holes, and to those who mentioned this, she replied: "Maybe if Clinton sees it, he will give me a new one, for my poor." She had a strong and deep faith, did not give herself airs, although she was famous, that is true. I remember one of the last Synods I attended as a priest and she was present as a religious. When the synod ended, all TV cameras were on her, but this did not inflate her ego at all. When attending a conference, she always stood in the back. During coffee breaks, she only drank water. I remember one time when, at a conference in Rome, around 25 years ago, she too was supposed to speak. A member of the audience asked her, before she was not yet on solid financial grounds, how she could support her works of charity. An intelligent question. She stood up and said: "Sir, I've never studied economics and finance, only the Bible, and the Bible says that the Father will take care of you. If this is what the Bible says, why should I care about money?" Everyone in the audience stood up and applauded, because it was a simple and true answer. She knew how to carry her cross, even though she was misunderstood and many criticised her, and told her: "You have to teach how to fish; you have to say from where and from whom you get the money; why not control well the origin of the money. You are doing this to convert them ... ". These are things that hurt her, but it never stopped her work. She had the charisma of really feeling the charisma of God. It is true that she lived a dark night of the soul. At the end of her life, she said: "I realise that my suffering is tiny compared to the suffering of Jesus on the Cross". She took his Cross, but always with joy. I believe Mother Teresa was a Pope Francis before Pope Francis. She put into practice the teachings of the pope. She was very close to John Paul II, who reciprocated. During the homily of beatification, the holy pontiff called her the "icon of the Good Samaritan." Her life is a testimony of truth and humble service. She chose not to be the last, but the servant of the last. She bent to the suffering of the last. Her capacity was to give "until it hurts." Pope Francis quoted the Mother in an interview he granted on the flight from Greece to Rome. What difference, they asked him, will his visit make to the refugees? He said: "Ill answer with a phrase that is not mine. The same question was asked of Mother Teresa who answered: It is a drop of water in the sea! But after this drop of water the sea will not be the same! Her canonisation in the Year of Mercy is the centre of the Jubilee. She is a person we saw, knew and would like to imitate. She was Indian, born in Albania, but Indian in the heart. Indian newspapers are currently full of news about her, and Indians are preparing also buying new TVs to follow the canonisation. Doctors offer free treatment. You see so many poems written about her and her people. In India she is loved by every community, not only to by us Catholics; Hindus, Muslims, Jews all appreciate her work. The Indian government has sent an official delegation. The head of the delegation phoned me and I felt he was really happy to be here. Some time ago a politician criticised the Mother, and the media went along. They asked me to reply, and that was not hard. I agreed and, in the study in my office, there were 15 people who wanted to talk: not one criticised her. I did not have to do anything: I only listened. None was Christian. And this shows how much she was universally appreciated. She received many awards, all over the world. India appreciates her; the world appreciates her. What would Mother Teresa say if she were here today? I think she would say: "There are so many poor people. Go and help them; set alight some hope in their hearts" by Ferruccio Brambillasca* The relationship between the saint of Calcutta and the missionary institute dates back to 1973. Mother Teresa had a "deep interest" in "others, her fellow human beings." From Cambodia to Brazil, missions began or grew thanks to collaboration between the Missionaries of Charity and PIME priests. Here is the complete intervention of the Superior General of PIME at the AsiaNews Symposium. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The mission "is born and lives" through a true "experience of God in faith and prayer." The priority is to "love the poor, the marginalised and the last". The missionary vocation must be lived with "joy and serenity, said Fr Ferruccio Brambillasca, Superior General of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). He spoke about the teachings Mother Teresa left those involved in the mission. What follows is Fr Brambillascas address at the AsiaNews Symposium dedicated to Mother Teresa. Translation by AsiaNews. My dear friends, in greeting all of you who are taking part in this Symposium, I would like to recall briefly the figure of Mother Teresa in relation to my Institute, the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, PIME. First, let me share with you the great gift I received during my personal experience working in India as a teacher in the PIME seminary in Pune, having met the Sisters of Mother Teresa (our seminarians were taking part in an experience of charity with them) and Mother Teresa herself several times. I still remember the meeting with Mother Teresa as if it were yesterday. Along with another confrere, I was in Calcutta, and we decided to visit unannounced the house and the works of the Sisters of Mother Teresa. Among other things, it was a very difficult time for me because the Indian government had asked me to leave the country right away since my visa had not be renewed. I also longed to meet Mother Teresa before leaving India, and so I did! At the time, Mother Teresa was involved in a retreat with her sisters but as soon as she heard that two missionaries wanted to meet her, even briefly, she left the place of the Spiritual Exercises and came to greet us. Immediately she asked us who we were, why we were in India, if we had problems with the visa. I told her immediately that in fact our visas to stay in India had not been renewed as well as about problems with food and the Indian climate. In the end, we who wanted to know something about her and her life, realised that things had gone the other way around. It was Mother Teresa who asked about us, our life and vocation, showing her deep and heartfelt interest in others, in her fellow human beings! During my visits to the PIME missions, I met several times the Sisters of Mother Teresa. I remember in a special way the sisters who live close to our parish in Port Moresby, and those who live in the Diocese of Vanimo (both in Papua New Guinea), the nuns who work in the Diocese of Parintins (Brazil) on the Amazon River, and, finally, the sisters who, together with PIME, opened a new mission in Cambodia 25 years ago. In all these communities and in others that I have not mentioned I always met with a lot of hospitality, willingness to work for and with the poor, praying, poverty and simplicity of life. I have always admired a special aspect present in the nuns: their true and profound joy in living the mission. Even in my missionary experience in Japan, in addition to meeting and appreciating the activities of the Sisters of Mother Teresa who work in Tokyo, I must express my gratitude to the Lord because, in the parish where I lived and worked (always in the Tokyo diocese), the religious vocation of a young Japanese woman blossomed so that she eventually decided to join the community of the Sisters of Mother Teresa. I think it is important to say this because the vocation of that young woman is a concrete sign that the charm and charisma of Mother Teresa had no boundaries, even in a country like Japan, where Christians are a small minority and vocations to religious life are very few. Of course, the relationship between PIME and Mother Teresa, especially in Italy, has a long history that goes back to 1973, when, for the first time, Mother Teresa came to Italy, at the invitation of PIME missionaries, to participate in a march through the streets Milan, in what would become the first missionary vigil! Since then, PIME missionaries met with Mother Teresa and "her" sisters countless times, and still do. What does Mother Teresa teach us PIME missionaries, scattered in various parts of the world and committed to proclaiming the Gospel in different cultures? I think Mother Teresa teaches us many different things. Here are a few: - The mission is born and lives through a real experience of God in faith and prayer. Life, the witness of Mother Teresa for us missionaries above all this, without any doubt! The mission, Mother Teresa still seems to tell us, cannot have other beginnings or sources if not in the fact that one has experienced the living God and that living God calls each one to be a missionary and His witness. - The priority of loving the poor, the marginalised, the last, first and above all, in our missions, in any place we might be, from the small village in Guinea Bissau to the great metropolis of Hong Kong. I am convinced that Mother Teresa's calling is essential for us missionaries, even and especially in some missions where we work, where it might seem that the so-called "last" do not exist or that not much can be done for them. This loving concern for the poor, so strong and essential in the life of Mother Teresa, challenges us to review our mission and presence. - Finally, the joy and serenity in living our missionary vocation, even if, sometimes, the mission looks tiring and difficult. When I met with Mother Teresa and visited many communities the Missionaries of Charity, I always noticed, with great admiration, the joy and serenity present in them, a sign that the protagonist of their and our work and mission is and remains God. I think that we missionaries should also keep in mind these two realities joy and serenity as we face a mission that will change and seems to become increasingly difficult and uncertain. May the Mother accompany us so that we can realise our desire. Let me end by thanking Father Bernardo Cervellera, a PIME missionary and editor of Asia News, along with his staff, for organising this Symposium on the eve of the canonisation of Mother Teresa. I take this opportunity to thank those who have spoken and will speak during this Symposium, and I thank all of you here for your participation and your attention. Thank you. (* PIME Superior General) by Fady Noun In 1982, in the middle of fighting, the nun saved from bombardments a group of children in an orphanage. Disabled and ill, the children had been abandoned by the staff. Through faith and prayer, she obtained a ceasefire to evacuate. A Druze writer and activist, direct witness to the events, talks about it. Beirut (AsiaNews) The Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa have been in Lebanon since 1979. They now include 13 nuns divided in two "houses" in Beirut and Becharre (northern Lebanon). Their presence has sparked a number of vocations in Lebanon itself, where they are very much loved. In different Beirut parishes, the canonisation ceremony is being prepared through prayer. This is the case especially in the Maronite parish of St Thecla, in the northern suburb of Beirut, where the Beirut home is located. A novena of prayers followed by Masses is underway before Sunday, with volunteers, seminarians and priests bearing witness. As for the memory of Mother Teresas heroic visit to Lebanon during the war, in 1982, it has dimmed somewhat. However, one of the key witnesses of this extraordinary event, Amal Makarem, a member of a prominent Druze family, has forgotten nothing. We met her and asked her some questions. Here, within the limits of what a newspaper article can hold, are the events as they unfolded then. Israels siege of Beirut Take one - August 1982. As part of what Israel called "Operation Peace for Galilee", launched on 14 June, the Israeli army, under the command of Ariel Sharon, encircled West Beirut. General Sharon wanted to drive out the PLO. Aerial and ground bombardments continued. The Beirut International Airport was closed. The toll was heavy: 500 deaths according to some, mostly civilians, and as many wounded. In the besieged capital, water and food supplies were running out. Many neighbourhoods were without power. On 10 August, responding to a call relayed by Agence France Presse (AFP), Mother Teresa arrived hurriedly in Lebanon by the small port of Jounieh, located in the predominantly Christian part of the country, which had been spared the war. The call itself has a background. It was launched in desperation by Amal Makarem, horrified witness of a scene worthy of Dantes inferno: a hundred spastic and mentally retarded Muslim children had been abandoned to themselves by the staff of an orphanage located in the western part of Beirut without food, care, or hygiene. Some were dying. "All for Jesus" Take two - 13 August 1982. Transcript of a video from that time that has unfortunately been lost, except for a faded copy still in circulation. After she landed in Jounieh, Mother Teresa talked to a priest and an officer, in a place that could be a convent or an office, about what has to happen the next day. "I feel that the Church must be present at this time, Mother Teresa tells the two men sitting in front of her. Because we are not into politics. This is why we need to be present. " A saintly logic, of course. Priest: "Thats a good idea, but you must understand the circumstances Mother . . . Two weeks ago, a priest was killed. It's chaos out there. The risk is too great. " Mother Teresa: "But Father, it is not an idea. I believe it is our duty. We must go and take the children one by one. Risking our lives is in the order of things. All for Jesus. All for Jesus. You see, I've always seen things in this light. A long time ago, when I picked up the first person (from a street in Calcutta), if I had not done it that first time, I would not have picked up 42,000 after that. One at a time, I think ... " Second man - "But do you hear the bombs?" Mother Teresa - "Yes, I hear them." Second man - "It is absolutely impossible to cross (east to west) at the moment; we must obtain a cease-fire! " Mother Teresa - "Ah, but I asked Our Lady in prayer. I asked for a cease-fire for tomorrow eve of her feast day" (eve of 15 August, feast of the Assumption). Voice commenting off camera When she arrived in Lebanon, Mother Teresa had asked to see the Ambassador of the United States, Philip Habib, sent by President Ronald Reagan to end Ariel Sharons escapade, who met her. Philip Habib (1920-1992), an American diplomat of Lebanese origin, was known for his work in Vietnam. The New York Times described him as "the most outstanding professional diplomat of his generation." According to witnesses, after listening carefully to Mother Teresa, Philip Habib replied, "Mother, I am more than happy to have a woman of prayer at my side. I believe in the power of prayer; I believe that prayer is answered. I am a man of faith. But, you see, you're asking Our Lady to deal with Prime Minister Begin, and do not you think that the time limit you gave him (to order a cease-fire) is a little short? You should extend it a little? " Mother Teresa, very seriously: "Ah! Not at all Mister Habib! I'm sure we'll have a cease-fire tomorrow." Philip Habib: "If we get a cease-fire, I personally will ensure that arrangements are made for you to go to West Beirut tomorrow." The next day, 14 August 1982. Total silence envelopped the city. The catastrophe " Take three A big-hearted Woman, a writer, an activist, Amal Makarem lived in the building where the International Committee of the Red Cross had its headquarters at the end of Hamra Street, in the encircled part of the capital. In fact, the building belonged to her family. By necessity, she was involved in relief operations in this time of emergency, and coordinated the work of several NGOs working in the field: the ICRC, Doctors Without Borders, Doctors of the World, Unicef, Oxfam, etc. Let her speak: "One day, a volunteer for Oxfam, Derick Cooper, an Englishman, came to tell me, distraught, to say that in a building near the Sabra Palestinian camp, disabled or orphaned children are exposed to airstrikes, abandoned by the medical staff. We got there despite the risks. What a catastrophe. There are more than a hundred children, moaning or dazed. The facilitys kitchen is locked. In a panic, the staff had fled the bombed building. There were dead and wounded." "With this information, I ran to Jean Hoefliger (a Swiss), the ICRC delegate general in Beirut. For me, it was inconceivable to let these children one more night in this situation. His answer stopped me there and then: "We cannot do anything for your initiative. We deal only with the Lebanese government. You must be in an official capacity for us to intervene." "Desperate, I sought out the Minister of Social Affairs, Abdel Rahman Labban. I found him at the office of the Minister of Information, Marwan Hamadeh, a friend, in the Hamra area. That's where they used to follow the battle of Beirut, without any power over the course of events. Minister Labban, informed of the case, immediately gave me delegated authority. I run to Jean (Hoefliger). A day or two later, the first evacuation of children in danger was done with the help of part of the orphanage staff, who had come back. The Armenian association Andranik, in Zarif, in the western part of Beirut, an area away from the fighting, would provide shelter for the first group." "What about the others? These are the most vulnerable, spastic children without any autonomy, who must be fully supported. For them, the ICRC estimated, a stronger facility was necessary. My heart sank. I went home, quite dejected. I called the director of UNICEF. Impossible, he replied. This requires a government facility. That evening, after desperately seeking out many contacts, I sat in front of my little typewriter and wrote an appeal to the world. It was a desperate SOS, a bottle into the sea. I did not even speak about it to others. I myself could not believe it. Then I went to the AFP, I gave it to Mouna Naim, a journalist who later became my friend. The next day or two, I forget, media miracle took place. The ICRC called me. We received a call from the Vatican and it is Mother Teresa who will come to help the evacuation of the children." "I had not yet recovered from my surprise at dawn of 14 August. My doorbell rang It was 5:00 am. I opened and there was Mother Teresa and the ICRC director." The cease-fire negotiated by Philip Habib, but obtained through faith, was actually in place. An unreal calm enveloped Beirut. All the international press was at the ground floor of the ICRC building. No time to waste A coffee, a glass of water, a bit of a sandwich, Mother Teresa refused everything, said Amal Makarem. There was no time to waste. The ICRC convoy with a bus and a jeep of the Lebanese Red Cross, drove off towards the Islamic orphanage. One by one, as it has always been done with Mother Teresa, 36 spastic children, totally feeble, were carried out and placed into cars. Some put the figure at 60 children. However, according to an ICRC official, "the nursing staff had abandoned them. The hospice itself had been hit by shells, and there were deaths. The children were left without care, without food. Until the arrival of Mother Teresa, no one had really thought of taking charge." In fact, some mothers and staff had probably come to visit, not without risk to their lives. Through streets strewn with debris and piles of garbage, the children were taken to Fanar, a working class Christian suburb of Beirut, where the Missionaries of Charity had set up shop in 1979. "Everything was magical, miraculous with Mother Teresa, said Amal Makarem, who witnessed the two-stage evacuation. She was a true force of nature. It was enough that she crossed from east to west at night. By contrast, I cannot describe the children she rescued. They were mentally disabled, but what is terrible is that we also found normal children in the group who, through mimicry, behaved like feeble-minded children. Mother Teresa took them in her arms, and suddenly, they flourished, becoming somebody else, like when one gives a little water to a wilted flower. She held them in her arms and the children bloomed in a split second." The interlude of Mother Teresa was a harbinger of more to come. On 21 August, a definitive cease-fire was signed, under which, after laborious negotiations overseen by Philip Habib, the PLO left Beirut. Alas, bloody episodes would follow, like the assassination of President-elect Bashir Gemayel and the massacres of Sabra and Shatila. Shortly after the reopening of the airport, Amal Makarem, who had flown to Paris, was informed that Mother Teresa wanted to see her. When they met, Mother Teresa complained of what was done "behind her back". As things got back to normal, in the name of religious difference, the children she had sheltered were taken back. Ordinary" life got the upper hand. Here is a poem in French dedicated to Mother Teresa followed by an English translation. A Mere Teresa, pour la consoler de sa nuit Au point du jour elle se leva, Il faisait encore sombre. Elle avait dormi en habit. Il fallait voler ce moment a la folie des bombes, Un calme irreel se fit. Qui avait ordonne Que les bombardements cessent ? Elle lavait demande. Dans la foi, elle alluma Une bougie consacree. Et le calme dura, Tant que la flamme brulait. Tel etait son respect de la vie, Quelle devait les sauver : Cetait les spastiques De lorphelinat islamique. Mere Teresa, cest pour nous que ce gouffre sest ouvert. La nuit de la foi est une nuit surnaturelle. Cest Dieu meme qui savance, deguise en abime, Qui assume en ta chair, la nuit totale de lOccident. To Mother Teresa, to comfort her for her night At daybreak she rose, It was still dark. She had slept in clothes. We had to steal this moment from the madness of bombs, An unreal calm fell. Who ordered That bombing stop? She asked for it. In faith, she lit A consecrated candle. And calm lasted, The time for the flame to burn. Such was her respect for life, She had to save them: The spastic kids Of the Islamic orphanage. Mother Teresa, it is for us that this chasm has opened. The night of faith is a supernatural night. It is God himself who advances, disguised as abyss Who takes in your flesh, the total night of the West. by Faisal Edhi The message sent to the 2016 AsiaNews symposium by the son of Abdul Sattar Edhi, one of Asia's best known philanthropists, called the "Mother Teresa of Pakistan." The example of the future saint has moved the conscience of Pakistani society and prompted mercy among Muslims in the country. Special thanks to the missionaries working in Pakistan. IRome (AsiaNews) - Abdul Sattar Edhi, one of the best-known philanthropists in Pakistan, died on July 8 at age 88 in a hospital in Karachi, where he was hospitalized from time for kidney failure. His funeral was attended by many faithful of all denominations, who wanted to pay tribute to the man who was called the "Mother Teresa of Pakistan." The evening of his demise the archdiocese of Karachi organized prayer vigils in all the churches. Speaking to AsiaNews, several members of the Church of Pakistan, Caritas Karachi, along with activists, religious Christians and Muslims have expressed deep sorrow for the death of an "angel of mercy" and stressed that his example of love will survive in the future thanks to the many social works he initiated. He is the founder of the "Edhi Foundation", the charitable work that operates the largest network of ambulances around the world. Edhi was born in 1928 in a small village in Gujarat (India), but in 1947 the year of the partition of the country - had moved with his family to Pakistan where he opened the first free medical clinic. Today, in Pakistan alone, his foundation is home to 5,700 people in 17 residential institutions and coordinates 1,500 ambulances. The social network manages dozens of free hospitals, laboratories, orphanages, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers for drug addiction. All of his centers are equipped with a cot where children born from unwanted pregnancies can be left. Edhi repeated constantly: "Do not kill them, put them in the crib. We will take care of these innocent people. " The philanthropist has received numerous international awards. Even his wife Bilquis Edhi is engaged in the humanitarian field and last year received the International Mother Teresa Prize. Despite the awards, Edhi led a sober life and without pomp to the last, he wore simple clothes and lived in a small, windowless room next to the office of the foundation. Irfan Mufti, deputy director of South Asia Partnership Pakistan, reports: "Edhi has made two major contributions to our society. In an age of materialism, apathy, regression, he has served in a human way, honest and straightforward with the typical features of a social worker. He also rejected any position of power, wealth, luxury. People like him transcend every dimension of time and space and become immortal through their words and deeds. " After the death of his father, Faisal Edhi, 40, took over the reins of the Edhi Foundation (https://edhi.org/). The Foundation, as mentioned above, operates the largest network in the world of ambulances and offers free hospitality in homes for the elderly, orphanages, homes for children, rehabilitation centers for drug addicts and the mentally ill Below the message and testimony he sent to the 2016 AsiaNews International Symposium. Mother Teresa was a great social worker who dedicated her whole life to the service of humanity without distinction of cast or religion. Her canonization will immortalize her service for the poorest of the poor. Such people help in creating a good milieu which can help in ending rivalries between nations and communities. My late father Abdul Sattar Edhi used to talk about the good works of Kolkata nun. We should learn from her. Muslims should adopt the concept of missionary spirit. We have been negligent on many levels, not many people are involved in humanitarian mission, he used to say. Both Mother Teresa and my father belonged to the same period. Many newspapers labeled him as "Pakistan's Mother Teresa." Both were criticized by religious hardliners and alleged of conversions, perhaps they had no other argument. Only missionary spirit can help them in working for the welfare of others and understanding their sufferings. My father always admired Catholics nuns who run centers for disabled in Karachi, kept close relations with missionaries and used to send me to there. We still support two of these centers. Every day we send five kilograms of mutton to Dar ul Sukun, the biggest Church run center for mentally and physically disadvantaged people in Karachi archdiocese. Msgr. Joseph Coutts Archbishop of Karachi visited our center with his delegation after the death of my father. The prayer was held in the room of my father where the Church delegation lit candles and prayed for his soul. The bishop also gave me a candle from the Vatican. Many priests attended his funeral in Karachi and churches held special prayers for him next Sunday. I am glad they still remember his services and paid him respect. Also my mother, a professional nurse, was awarded the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award 2015 in India for social justice. My parents took care of the deaf and mute Indian girl Geeta who had been stranded in Pakistan for a decade. I am glad our services were accepted, she told me. We have people of all faiths in our centers but we never count how many of them are non Muslims. We respect and treat everybody equally including Ahmadis, who are persecuted in Pakistan for posing as Muslims. For 24 years, my father trained me to do what Mother Teresa did. I hope to serve the poor and God will pave the way if He wishes so. As a Muslim social worker in Pakistan, I thanks missionaries for their kindness and establish centers who work without any discrimination in our third world country. There is no other example of the ways in which they help the disabled especially handicapped children. I urge them to continue working for the betterment of humanity because people only remember these deeds. Pakistan is the sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 201 million people, thats close to one third of the population in Europe. The state has failed in providing basic facilities like public transport, quality health and education. Much work needs to be done and we need more people like Mother Teresa. (with Kamran Chaudry) by Santosh Digal Bishop of Orissa asks the intercession of the future saint to bring peace and reconciliation. On September 4, the day when the Mother will be canonised celebrations, festivities and meetings will be held in India. Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - Msgr. John Barwa, Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, Orissa State, has invited all the Christian victims of persecution carried out in 2008 in the Kandhamal district to pray to Mother Teresa, who will be canonized by Pope Francis in Rome next September 4. The bishop told AsiaNews: "I invite all the Christians of Kandhamal to ask the intercession of Mother Teresa for peace and prosperity in the district, where anti-Christian massacres took place in 2007 and 2008, the fiercest in 300 years of history in India. " Msgr. Barwa, president of the Regional Council of the Orissa Bishops (Obrc), adds: "It is a great blessing that God is going to give us a new saint in the person of Mother Teresa." According to the bishop, the Blessed of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, is a model of peace and service. "We need people like Mother, - he says - who work for peace in places affected by conflict, such as the Kandhamal region". The archbishop picked up the baton from his predecessor, the late Msgr. Raphael Cheenath, a staunch defender of the Christian victims of the pogroms committed by Hindu radicals. On August 30 last year, the day was celebrated the first "Martyrs Day" in Kandhamal, the bishop spoke with some survivors and encouraged them. Fr. Anil Kumar Kujur, regional secretary for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, says that on September 4, ecumenical programs will be held in many parts of Orissa, as well as meetings and activities to coincide with the canonization of Mother Teresa. He concludes, that three bishops - Msgr. Sarat Chandra Nayak of Berhampur diocese, Msgr. Aplinar Senapati, the Diocese of Rayagada, and Msgr. Niranjan Sualsingh, Sambalpur - two Missionaries of Charity and several other Christians will be in St Peters representing the Church of Orissa. by Shafique Khokhar This morning the northern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was the scene of two terrorist attacks. The first, on a Christian colony; the second, on a court. The quick response of the security forces prevented a more serious toll in the neighborhood inhabited by Christians. Peshawar (AsiaNews) - This morning the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, in northern Pakistan, was the scene of two terrorist attacks. The first targeted the Christian Quarter of the Christian Colony Warsak Road, about 20 kilometers from Peshawar, which resulted in the deaths of five people (the four bombers and a security guard). The second occurred a few hours after the Mardan court, where two suicide bombers blew themselves up have caused carnage: The latest toll speaks of 12 dead and over 50 wounded among lawyers, police and civilians. Speaking to AsiaNews some politicians, activists and Christian leaders expressed their condemnation of the violence against religious minorities in Pakistan, increasingly the object of persecution by Islamic radicals. The province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and in particular the city of Peshawar, in the past has already been shaken by fierce violence. In December 2014 an affiliate commando of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke into the military school, very close to the attack today, resulting in about 150 victims of which the majority children. In January 2016, another massacre, this time at the University of Charsadda, claimed the lives of 21 students. The bombing this morning was claimed by the Taliban faction Jamaat-ur-Ahrar. The four terrorists tried to storm the Christian quarter, but were blocked by the agents, one of whom died in the clash. The government has cordoned off the area and the military has been deployed for surveillance of schools, hospitals and churches. Joel Amir Bobby, former MP in the Assembly of the Punjab, expresses a "clear condemnation of the terrorist attack against the Christian colony. It really means that terrorists strike Christians, who are already living in fear and in precarious conditions. We ask that the colony be immediately placed protection and in particular the churches ". Rojar Randhawa, Caritas Pakistan coordinator, appealed to the government, in order to guarantee "protection against fanatics. The authorities must protect everyone, Christians and Muslims, the violence perpetrated by these sectarian criminals ". Ata-ur-Rehman Saman, a Christian activist and coordinator of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, believes that the swift response by security, which stopped the four bombers, "for sure will send a clear message to the forces against the state that operate in our country . The terrorists could have caused more damage if security forces had not intervened in time. " by John A. Worthley Despite three attempts, the Missionaries of Charity have never been able to enter the land of the Asian Dragon. But the visits of the future saint and her love for the Chinese people have left their mark. A "third order" of religious - tens of thousands - lives and works inspired by her charisma and a "House of Mother Teresa's love" will soon be opened in the country. The Virgin of Sheshan accompanied the mother until the day of her death. Rome (AsiaNews) - The Great Mother Teresa's unfulfilled dream was to bring her mission to China. Although on three occasions she was close to realizing this dream, it was always shattered by politics and Beijing's opposition. But the seeds flung far afield on Chinese soil by the future saint are beginning to blossom: a "third order" of religious inspired by the Missionaries of Charity live and work in the country, and soon will open a "House of Mother Teresa's love." Although it will not be run by the Missionaries of Charity, she lives by the rule and the charisma of the Blessed. This is what Fr. John A. Worthley, who lived for years in China and has had the opportunity to accompany the mother in his three trips to the Land of the Dragon tells the 2016 AsiaNews International Symposium. Until the last day of her death the founder of the Missionaries held in her pocket a small statue of the Virgin of Sheshan, which today "travels between the houses of the Missionaries of Charity as a relic to recall the mother's dream, that the Missionaries of Charity become a vessel of the Divine love for China ". Here is the full text of Fr. Worthley's address. In October of 1993 Shanghai Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian gave Mother Teresa a statue of the image of the Blessed Mother that stands atop his basilica in Sheshan. The image of Mary holding the Infant Jesus over her head had touched Mothers soul the instant she saw it because it expressed visually her mantra: to Jesus through Mary. Mother put the statue in the pocket of her sari habit and it remained close to heras a daily reminder of the China dreamuntil the day of her death. Everytime we met , whether in Hong Kong, Kolkata or New York, Mother would place the statue on the table as a prayer of intercession to Our Lady of Sheshan. Today it travels among the Houses of the Missionaries of Charity as a reminding relic of Mothers dream that the MCs be a vessel of Divine Love for China. I was given the same replica statue. Here it is. As Mother would do I now place it on the rostrum as a prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan that Mother Teresas dream for China continue to unfold through the grace of the Holy Spirit. Not merely by coincidence, a smaller, bronze statue of Our Lady of Sheshan was given by Cardinal John Tong of Hong Kong to Pope Francis immediately after his election to the papacy. It is said that the statue remains on the night stand next to the Popes bed. Mother Teresa is always at work for China! Mother Teresa long dreamed of serving the people of China and, after bringing her sisters around the world--including to Russia, the United States and Moslem countries--China became and remained her focus. Indeed, Pope St. John Paul II asked her to live her final years as a bridge of love and reconciliation to China from the universal church. Mother first entered China in 1986, accompanied by our beloved Sr. Dorothy, MC, at the invitation of Deng Pufang, who was then forming the China Disabled Persons Federation. While in Beijing she also met with Liu Bainian, chair of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association who still fondly speaks of the grace of their time together. During her brief stay I was teaching at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. Not yet a priest, I was elated when her picture appeared on the front page of the China Daily, the English language paper, on news stands throughout the city. Because the discussions were positive, and given that Deng Pufang was the first-born son of Chinas leader, Deng Xiaoping, Mother thought that her dream of an MC presence in China was about to be fulfilled. But it was not yet to be. Upon departure Deng Pufang told Mother that the time was not right. Sr. Dorothy often recounted these days during our many meetings until she went to God just last year. Mother was heart-broken, she would recall. I later learned that opposition to collaboration was so strong among factions both in Beijing and the Vatican that even the Nobel laureate and the son of the president could not prevail. Three years ago Sr. Dorothywhen she helped to consecrate the Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan in New York recalled those days as a first holy sacrifice by Mother Teresa for reconciliation between China and the universal church. A second holy sacrifice was offered in October 1993. Mother was invited to visit officials in Beijing and Bishop Jin in Shanghai. Discussions had progressed and she thought that this was the time that Deng Pufang had mentioned seven years earlier. On arrival in Shanghaiwhich Mother had decided to visit first out of respect for Bishop Jinno one was there to greet Mother Teresa. Something had happened and another heartbreak was unfolding. She had brought with her thirteen boxes of items common to all houses of the MCs, so sure was she that this was the time and place. With no one there to meet her Mother personally helped carry the boxes through customs. (I was later told by officials that protocol required Mother to enter China first through Beijing. Her entry through Shanghai was viewed by hardliners as a subtle undermining of the government.) After phone calls and petitions, Bishop Jin was permitted to welcome her the next day and invited her to the Sheshan basilica. She was elated. When the bishop asked her to participate in Mass her special wisdom emerged: Because Bishop Jin was part of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Church, Vatican rules at the time were such that Mother would be participating in an illicit Mass. So, she asked her chaplain, Fr. Bill Petrie, SS.CC. to concelebrate saying to him if you concelebrate then it is licit, right? Four months later at a meeting in Hong Kong with then Papal Representative, Msgr. (now Cardinal) Fernando Filoni, Mother recounted the event asking Msgr. if that had been okay. Msgr. Filoni leaned back in his chair as he responded: Of course Mother Teresa, of course! More than 250 seminarians were at that Mass. Mother was invited to speak to them. Her message of serving the poorest of the poor captivated them all. Today many of them are bishops throughout China. All of them whom I have met through the years continue to speak of the inspiration she gave them. One priest began a national foundation, Jinde, that now serves the disadvantaged all over China under the patronage of Mother Teresa of Kolkata. Her picture appears in its facilities. Indeed, one of its next homes for the elderly will be named the Mother Teresa House of Love. After this Mother fully expected that she would be able to open a MC house in Shanghai. But, the next day, Bishop Jin informed her that permission could not yet be granted. She was, again, heartbroken and embraced a second holy sacrifice for reconciliation between China and the universal church. She then flew to Beijing, met again with Deng Pufang, and was again told that the time was still not right. She did, ever confident in Divine Providence, leave the thirteen boxes in the Shanghai diocesan pastoral center where they remain to this day awaiting the arrival of the sisters! Mothers third and most intense holy sacrifice soon followed. Overtures had already begun in Hainan Province. Because of its status as a free economic zone Hainan had more flexibility and had just completed building a large Welfare Center for the handicapped, orphaned and elderly. Relationships with the Hainan Foreign Trade School and Hainan University resulted in discussions with the provincial Disabled Persons Federation. By January 1994 agreements had been reached for the MCs to serve at the Welfare Center. Details were developed and visas approved for four sisters. Mother Teresa was formally invited to enter Hainan on the feast of St. Joseph, March 19. She flew to Hong Kong where we met with Msgr. Filoni who gave his guidance and blessings. Just hours before Mother was to board the plane for Hainan word came from Beijing that entry was not to be allowed. The Hainan friends and officials were confounded and devastated. Mother was heartbroken. We later learned that, once again, hardliners both in Beijing and the Vatican had prevailed at the last minute. Mother had been so sure that this was the time. We gathered in Hong Kong and prayed for hours while appealing the decision. Mothers third and most difficult holy sacrifice for reconciliation was to accept the situation and depart. We promised her that we would not cease our efforts until the time eventually became right. Sr. Nirmala, who succeeded Mother as superior general, was present for all of this. She knew the depth of Mothers desire to serve China and she saw first hand the intensity of Mothers pain over the developments with Hainan. She was party to the promise that the effort would continue. So, she was ready and eager in 2005 when discussions with the bishop of Qingdao and local and national government officials resulted in an invitation to open a house in that diocese. Again, we gathered in Hong Kong and met with Bishop (later Cardinal) Zen who approved the pilgrimage and gave us his blessing. At the end of a wonderful three day visit the site for an MC house was designated and the invitation was affirmed. The timing of entry, however, would await further processing. The location designation remains as does the invitation. We continue to await the entry time confirmation! These thirty years of efforts and holy sacrifices for China and the universal church by and for Mother Teresa have resulted, through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, in a Mother Teresa China presence but in very unanticipated manifestations. In 2010 a third order of the Missionaries of Charity was founded in Hebei Province under the inspiration of Mother Teresa. Now numbering nearly ten thousand members it has spread to twelve dioceses in three provinces living the MC charism. In 2014 Li Baofu, its foundress, led a delegation of third order priests and laity on a pilgrimage to Sheshan and Kolkata where we met with Sr. Prema, Sr. Nirmala and the MC councilors. Twelve members and the foundress are here for Mothers canonization. In Hainan the Welfare Center has thrived in the spirit of Mother Teresa. The joy and love of the Missionaries of Charity, in the mystery of the Holy Spirit, is vibrantly evident there. Even pictures of Mother are displayed. While the sisters are not yet there formally, it seems that they are spiritually. In Shanghai, the thirteen boxes needed for a MC house remain ready. In Beijing an aged, handicapped Deng Pufang is still vigilant with memories of his relationship with Mother. Throughout China the Jinde Foundation responds to suffering in the spirit and under the patronage of Mother Teresa. The Qingdao invitation is intact. Hardliners on both sides are now rarer. Chinese bishops have made pilgrimages to the New York Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan to pray specifically for reconciliation through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, Ven (soon to be Bl.) Li Madou (Matteo Ricci), Ven. Xu Guanqi, Hon. Soong Qingling, and Blessed (soon Saint) Mother Teresa. Because of Mother Teresas unending dream, her continuous prayer and her holy sacrifices the day of reconciliation between China and the universal church approaches as Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, suggested earlier this week. May this day of grace arrive soon since, as Mothers vision foresaw, the church in Chinagiven current demographic trendscould well be the largest Catholic community in the world within twenty years. Christs fervent prayer for unity, that they be completely one, beckons. Mother Teresa of Kolkata, pray for us as we continueduring this jubilee year of mercyto pursue that vision of reconciliation! Islam Karimov was hospitalized for three days to cerebral hemorrhage. Traditionally, the presidents health is shrouded by the most absolute secrecy. If confirmed dead, the country should go to elections within three months. The names of the "eligible candidates" successors to the throne. Tashkent (AsiaNews) - Today we celebrate the 25th anniversary of independence in Uzbekistan, amid persistent rumors about the alleged death of President Islam Karimov, who was hospitalized for a brain hemorrhage. His speech to the nation, which for years was proud pronounced by the Head of State, yesterday was read by a television presenter. The episode raises suspicions about the death of the dictator, the country's leader since 1989, even before the state got its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Islam Karimov, 78, has been hospitalized since August 28. Any news on his condition has always been shrouded in absolute secrecy, to avoid damaging his image. But this time was his daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, to announce her father's hospitalization. On her Instagram profile, the woman wrote that Karimovs "conditions are considered stable" and invited all to "refrain from speculation." The fact that it was the same president's daughter to talk about her father's illness leads experts to believe that the situation is more serious than many people would have understood. If his death is confirmed, the Constitution provides that the head of the Senate takes up the interim functions of the President and that new elections are held within three months. Karimov has dominated Uzbek policy since 1989, when he emerged as a leader of the Communist Party. The following year he was elected president and in 1991 the country gained independence. Thanks to his iron fist he has managed to lengthen the presidential term twice (1995 and 2002) and to be re-elected in two rounds (2007 and 2015). During the last vote in March 2015, contested by international observers, he gained more than 90% of the vote. The President, like his colleagues of the former Soviet Republics, is known for the suppression of all forms of dissent: social activists, politicians and journalists who denounce the exploitation of children in the cotton fields, control over the media and other aspects of life are arrested, tortured and forced into silence. Uzbekistan is also the 166th place (out of 174) in the ranking of most corrupt countries in the world and 166th (of 180) among the ones that limit press freedom. While his daughter Lola wrote yesterday on her Facebook profile that the many messages of congratulations of the population "are helping" the President , for days the names of successors to the throne have been alternating, after the main candidate, his favorite daughter Gulnara , was buried under a corruption scandal of international telephone companies that in 2014. After the fall in misfortune of the woman, the figure of Lola emerged, Uzbekistan's ambassador to UNESCO in Paris. These days the names of three other "eligible candidate" successors to the throne are also doing the rounds: that of Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev, 58, took office in 2003, considered by many to even more repressive than Karimov; Rustam Azimov, 56, finance minister and an expert on foreign affairs; Rustam Inoyatov, 72, head of the Commission for National Security, the least probable of the three. Jared Fogle Sues Parents Of One Of His Victims For Being Bad Parents Trending News: Jared Fogle Is Suing The Parents Of One Of His Victims Why Is This Important? Because this is low. Long Story Short Convicted pedophile Jared Fogle is now suing the parents of one of the underage girls he sexually abused for being bad parents and thus being partially responsible for her abuse. Long Story Unfortunately, Jared Fogle is back in the news again. Both Joe Paterno and Jared Fogle are trending right now in case you're not queasy enough already today. Jason Watkins (@jasonkwatkins) September 1, 2016 This time, the former Subway spokesman who claimed to have lost 200 pounds thanks in part to eating Subway sandwiches, is suing the parents of one of his victims, reports TMZ. Already in prison for over 15 years for having sex with two underage girls in a New York City hotel room, Fogle is reportedly suing the parents of a young girl he allegedly watched nude videos of. In the case, Fogle is blaming the parents for fighting and being drunk in front of the girl, which led her to abuse drugs and alcohol, self-mutilation and suicidal thoughts. The court documents accuse the parents of 'outrageous and reckless' behavior, according to The Daily Mail. The lawsuit is to counter a new suit filed by the girl, which alleges that secretly recorded videos of her bathing and undressing at the house of Fogle's colleague Russell Taylor have led her to have suicidal thoughts. Taylor, who acted as the head of the Jared Foundation, is already serving a 27-year sentence for secretly filming 12 minors in the nude as they were changing or bathing at his home in Indianapolis. Taylor, who set up secret cams around his home, would send these videos over to Fogle, claims the girl, identified as "Jane Doe" due to her age at the time of the filming. Fogle initially defended that paying this victim $100,000 in compensation should have ended any further cases, but is now choosing to file a countersuit. What an insane fall from grace for this guy. Seriously, who can you trust? brock turner, joe paterno, jared fogle.... i've had enough of disgusting white guys for the week...alert me when something good happens mommie dearest (@m0mjawn) September 1, 2016 Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question Does this have a chance in court? Disrupt Your Feed Just looking at this guy makes me queasy. Drop This Fact Fogle ended up becoming a millionaire as a Subway spokesman and public speaker. Apple CEO Tim Cook isnt pulling any punches when it comes to what he thinks about his companys 13 billion (US $14.5 billion) tax bill he called it total political crap.In an interview with the Irish Independent, Cook claimed that Ireland was being picked on in an effort to establish more uniform tax rates in Europe. He also denied EU claims that Apple paid just 0.005% in taxes in Ireland in 2014, according to a Law.com report.They just picked a number from I dont know where, Cook said. We actually paid $400 million. We believe that makes us the highest taxpayer in Ireland that year.Apple has used Freshfields before when its been annoyed last time it was suing Samsung for getting too close to the iPads design. That time, however, Apple lost the suit.The European Commission has been investigating Apple since 2013, according to Law.com. This week, the commission ruled that the companies tax arrangements with Ireland constitute illegal state aid. But Cooks not the only one who thinks that ruling is wrongheaded. Irish finance minister Michael Noonan said he disagreed profoundly with the ruling, according to Law.com.Our tax system is founded on the strict application of the law without exception, Noonan said.Apple isnt the first major US corporation to come under the EUs microscope. Its ordered the Netherlands and Luxemburg to collect about $30 million each in back taxes from Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler, respectively, according to Law 360. Amazon and McDonalds are also being investigated.But the EUs investigations have drawn the ire of the US government. Last week the US accused Brussels of becoming a supranational tax authority, according to Law.com. The US government said it would consider retaliating if the EU continued hounding US companies for unpaid taxes. And the Senate finance committee has recommended that the Treasury double the tax rates on European companies if Apple is ordered to pay back taxes in Ireland, Law.com reported. 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. The air cargo markets deceleration this year had a greater impact on third-quarter cargo revenues at American Airlines than its primary rivals, Delta and United Airlines. But the best revenue quarter in company history and a $483 million profit painted a positive financial picture that could be replicated in the final quarter thanks to resilient [] Mills Oakley is launching the first start-up accelerator run by an Australian law firm to foster innovation in the legal sector. Called the Mills Oakley Innovation Accelerator, the incubator will provide up to $500,000 to support innovation in the legal service space from ideation to commercialisation. New technologies and better processes are revolutionising the way law firms work. The best firms are actively seeking out innovations to deliver even better results for clients, which is why we are excited to announce the Innovation Accelerator, said Mills Oakley chief John Nerurker. The national firm predicts more and more firms being involved with start-ups in the legal sector in the coming years. All-out support to boost innovation in the legal sector Mills Oakley plans to support start-ups that will boost innovation in the legal sector by giving the best kind of support to each vetted project and team. This means their approach to each team they incubate will be tailored and that the firm will only engage incubees as much as needed for them to thrive. There is no one size fits all approach to mentoring less experienced incubees may require more supervision, while the opposite could apply to entrepreneurs who are already accustomed to operating their own business, Nerurker told Australasian Lawyer. Our aim is to provide as much support as needed to help these businesses flourish, without strangling the creative process. To ensure they give all-out support to the teams they will be mentoring, the law firm is partnering with Collective Campus, an innovation hub, school and consultancy that has delivered services to the likes of Sportsbet, National Australia Bank, Telstra, UBER, Zomato and Webjet. Mills Oakley and Collective Campus will be giving not only support in the financial side of the developing business, but maybe more importantly support in other aspects like development. The program includes: assistance to commercialise an idea (including budget for design, development and marketing) a shared workspace for team members a weekly stipend of $500 per person and travel support mentorship from start-up experts education in innovation theory, design thinking, lean start-up, marketing and other areas access to legal and business advice from senior Mills Oakley lawyers. We think this is certainly a trend we will see more of. While it is incumbent on all lawyers to be thinking about how the concept of client service will evolve in the future, the reality is that the demands of day to day practice will usually take priority, Mills Oakley chief Nerurker told Australasian Lawyer. So, if firms are serious about innovation they really need to look at bringing in external expertise and bringing in people who can devote all of their energy to developing new service initiatives, he added. The launch of a start-up accelerator was a great fit for the firm, Nerurker noted. We have always looked to incorporate best practice into our operational models, he said. There are some well-known examples of corporates and universities running Accelerators and, after canvassing several options, our Board was impressed by the potential of this model for what we are trying to achieve in the area of legal sector innovation. The firm chose the accelerator model a scheme commonly used by large multinational companies or massive private equity firms focused on the technology industry because of offered the most potential. We chose the Accelerator model to better capture all of the trends which have the potential to transform the legal services market such as automation, artificial intelligence and off-shoring among others and have set in train a meritocratic process for selecting the best investment for our firm and our clients, said the Mills Oakley top exec. We found the conventional options such as investing directly in an existing venture or starting a spin-off operation were a little too narrow for what we wanted to achieve, which was to offer entrepreneurs a longer range and more flexible mechanism for contributing to innovation in the legal services market, he added. Submissions now open Australian start-up teams and aspiring entrepreneurs can forward submissions for the Mills Oakley Innovation Accelerator until 14 October 2016 for review by Mills Oakley and Collective Campus. Shortlisted teams will be invited to a three-day workshop where their ideas will be refined before they will be pitching a panel of legal sector and start-up experts. Successful teams will be funded on a three-month accelerator program. Anyone is welcome to participate, the law firm said, if they have concepts for new technologies or business processes that will refine the way a law firm operates or delivers its services. Perhaps youre a lawyer or a software developer, a student or experienced business professional. Age and background are of no importance. What we are focussed on are viable concepts. Steve Glaveski, CEO and co-founder of Collective Campus, said that innovation has the potential to spur a massive disruption not only in the legal field in the coming decade. Existing business model innovations and emerging technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence and blockchain promise to make the next decade one of great upheaval for many industries, not least legal services, Glaveski said. Were excited to partner with a progressive legal firm like Mills Oakley, which is showing 'new law' firm attributes by engaging with Australia's innovation and start-up ecosystem. Hi all,I'm Polish, but living in Ireland past 15 years.I always wanted to move to Australia, just been fascinated by the country itself. So decided to apply for visa and it is on the go nowWill see where it will lead me... VETASSESS recognised my Bachelor Degree as AQF BACHELOR but recognised my masters as DIPLOMA! Now, how much points to claim for EOI? 10 Or 15? Confused. Please advice. Skoda's seven-seat flagship SUV coming in 2017 to take on the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Skoda Kodiaq, revealed in Berlin, is the new flagship model of the Czech brand that's aimed at a set of buyers looking for a premium SUV. The Kodiaq gives us a new customer base we never had before, said Bernhard Maier, CEO of Skoda Auto, who expects the Kodiaq to even outsell the Superb. The Kodiaqs styling is heavily influenced by the VisionS concept car shown earlier this year, with the interior in particular featuring several striking new design touches. The new Skoda SUV is based on the Volkswagen Groups modular MQB platform and is 4,697mm long, 1,882mm wide and 1,676mm tall when fitted with roof rails. Although that is par for the class and just 40mm longer than an Octavia Skoda says the Kodiaq will outdo its rivals because it has better interior space, more technology and offers more value for money. Though it may look massive, at 4,697mm, it's only 40mm longer than an Octavia, but of course it's much more spacious. A matter of space The Kodiaq will have the option of seven seats making it Skodas first seven-seater and a massive seats-down boot capacity of up to 2,065 litres (630 litres with the middle row up, 270 litres with the third row up as well), which, according to its maker, is the largest available on the market. The Hyundai Santa Fes boot capacity in comparison is 585 litres with the third row in place. Skoda highlights the second-row seating system as an example of the detail it has gone to in order to make the Kodiaq as practical as possible. The seats split 60/40, they move lengthways by 18cm, and the backrests are individually adjustable as standard. Buyers can also spec an electrically operated tailgate that can be opened by waving a foot under the rear of the car. The middle row doesn't tumble forward, so access to the rear can be tricky. It does slide back and forth for better flexibility though. Those familiar with the Superb will find a similar amount of legroom in the middle row. The Kodiaq feels supremely comfortable and the high seating position gives a good view out. However, the third row is not so practical. Firstly, access is tricky as the middle seat doesnt tumble; you have to slide the seat forward to clamber into the back. And unless the middle-row seats are slid fully forward, there is simply no legroom in the last row which is best left for small children. However, what Skoda may have stinted on for the last two passengers, it has made up for with luggage space. With its flexible seating and load-carrying capacity, the Kodiaq promises to be just the perfect family car, especially on holidays. Kitted out The Kodiaq is likely to set a new standard as a far as features and equipment goes, making even a Hyundai Santa Fe seem bare, and thats saying something. The Kodiaq gets a 6.5-inch touchscreen as standard, with Bluetooth and SmartLink, which supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink, available as options. Optionally, buyers can opt for an 8.0-inch touchscreen, which includes a function that records the drivers voice and plays it back to the rear seats. A sat-nav function plus off-road and parking camera aids are also a part of the kit. Dashboard has some familiar Skoda bits, but the vertical air-con vents and thick slabs of trim are new and look rugged. Theres no stinting on connectivity in the Kodiaq and this SUV offers a 64GB flash memory and DVD drive, a WLAN Wi-Fi hotspot, integrated tablet holders behind the front seats and a wireless smartphone charging pad. Additionally, Skoda is offering buyers two apps: Skoda Connect that allows them to monitor the Kodiaqs movements while away from the car, including setting up alerts for speeding or the car being driven when it should be parked; and SmartLink which combines sat-nav data, music and news information, as well as details of the cars data. Its unclear how many of these features will make it to the India car, but Skoda India managing director, Sudhir Rao hinted, the equipment levels on the Kodiaq will set new standards in the Indian market In terms of safety tech, although exact specifications are yet to be set, standard safety kit levels are expected to be very high. Power talk The Kodiaq will be launched with a five-strong engine range internationally, but the Indian market will get only two engine options. The mainstay will be the all-new EA288 2.0-litre diesel which powers a host of other VW Group cars and is in the process of being localised for the Indian market. The Kodiaqs 2.0-litre motor is likely to come with the higher 190hp power output mated to an all-new 7-speed DSG gearbox designed to take on the extra power and torque. At a later stage, Skoda will introduce a 2.0-litre TSI petrol developing 180hp, with a DSG auto transmission as well. There are no plans to bring in a manual version of the Kodiaq, as the experience with the Yeti has proven that there are very few takers for this option at this price point. The Kodiaq will come to India with a 190hp 2.0-litre diesel engine, as well as a 180hp 2.0-litre petrol engine DSG-equipped cars will have the option of Driving Mode Select, which allows the driver to toggle between Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow and Individual, all of which alter the DSG, engine, power steering and air-con settings. Additionally, Adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control can be integrated with the system, which alter the shock absorber settings to be in line with the selection of Comfort, Normal or Sport mode. The Kodiaq also has an Off-Road mode, which modifies the chassis, engine and brake settings to cope with rough terrain, and also engages Hill Descent Assist on steep downward slopes. Again, it is not clear how many of these features will be offered on the Indian version of the Kodiaq. Skoda promises class-leading equipment, which could include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and wireless phone charging The Indian angle Skoda India says that the Kodiaq is likely to be introduced in September or October 2017, just around the festive season. In terms of pricing, it will be a bit higher than the Superb and is expected to launch at Rs 25 lakh for the base version going up to Rs 30 lakh for the top-spec models. It will take on the Santa Fe head on, and to some extent the Fortuner, which currently is the top dog in the Rs 25-30 lakh SUV class. Given its price point, the Kodiaq may not sell in huge numbers in India, but with its blend of design, space, functionality and features, it looks promising enough to set a new benchmark in the SUV segment. Unfortunately, the accident is as real as they get. The supercar, a Koenigsegg CCX Custom Vision which aficionados identify as chassis number #67, had recently arrived in Mexico from Texas and was heading towards Monterey at the time of the accident, as the local media reports.As reported by witnesses, the Angelholm machine was speeding heavily when the driver lost control and hit a curb, resulting in the CCX flipping multiple times. If it's worth anything, we'll remind you that many US street racers like to cross the border to Mexico for the dangerous adventures, as the real-life legal implications of speeding or racing are much less severe on that side of the border.The two men inside the vehicle miraculously survived the impacts (check out the effects of the crash on the car) and were airlifted to the hospital, but their condition remains unknown.We are pleased to see the safety cell has done its job well, remaining in one piece - the rest of the car has been torn apart, as, for instance, the CCX lost two of its wheelsThe Koenigsegg , which was listed for sale in Texas earlier this year, with a price of $1.35 million, was reportedly uninsured at the time when the crash occurred. And now the motion picture mention in the intro starts making sense. The Koenigsegg was using Mexico plates, as you can see in one of the images to your right, believed to be one of the last before the crash.While it remains to be seen what pieces of the Koenigsegg can still be saved, here's to hoping the occupants of the car managed to get over whatever injuries resulted from the accident. CVT AWD Before the U.S.-spec model goes into production in Lafayette, Indiana, Japan got a head start. For the fifth generation of the Impreza, the highlight comes in the form of the Subaru Global Platform . Not only is it more rigid than the old chassis, but the all-new vehicle structure also pays dividend in reducing body roll. Its also compatible with electrification, which means that a plug-in hybrid variant of the Impreza could become reality in the near future.Under the hood, the hatchback (called Sport in Japan) and the sedan (called G4 in Japan) with two engines. Its either a 1.6-liter or a 2.0-liter, both of them boxers and both of them gifted with direct injection. In the latters case, Subaru had improved or completely redesigned 80 percent of the oily bits. Theis also much better than the old unit, and it includes a 7-speed manual shift mode enhanced by the wheel-mounted shift paddles.Yet another high point of the new Impreza is safety. In Japan, both body styles boast with standard features not seen on previous Subaru models. The most impressive of them all is a pedestrian protection airbag that works much in the same way as the one in the Land Rover Discovery Sport Whats more, all Impreza versions on sale in Japan come with the latest version of Subaru EyeSight. The 2017 Subaru Imprezas safety credentials are pushed a little further with goodies such as a drivers seat knee airbag, rear vehicle detection, high beam assist, as well as steering responsive headlights.For the North American market, the 2017 Subaru Impreza will be sold exclusively with the 2.0-liter boxer. And yes,comes as standard. Heres hope it will also get the same standard features as the Japanese-spec model. For more information on the newest member of the Subaru lineup, check the following videos and the (badly translated) release below. Ask any British about it and I can guarantee that not even one will mention the Cromwell, the Churchill or the Matilda tanks - or any other terrestrial vehicle for that matter. Nope, they will all smile widely and say "Spitfire." The Supermarine Spitfire single-seat interceptor is the definitive British iconic vehicle, no question about it.But how about cars? Well, Aston Martin may not be just as unequivocally accepted as the quintessence of the British motoring industry, but it is at least up there with other brands. Here, coming up with a clear winner would most definitely be a lot trickier as names such as Morgan Bentley or Jaguar would come into play.Well, the association between the Spitfire name and Aston Martin may not seem like a match made in heaven then, but it definitely isn't a bad one. Besides, any remaining doubts will be quickly cleared once you get to see the actual car. The Vantage design isn't new, but just like the Spitfire's, it has aged gracefully, giving the Aston Martin the look of a classic car in the making.2016 is when we celebrate 80 years since the first flight of the Spitfire, and Aston Martin decided to mark the occasion with a very rare special edition dedicated to that superb piece of machinery. The first striking detail is the Duxford green paint job, identical to the one covering the fuselage of the WWII plane. Other details specific to the special edition include rainbow bloom tailpipe tips reminiscent of the Spitfire's exhausts or an aluminum bar inside the cabin reminding of the plane's rear strut brace.Future owners also have the option of having a Spitfire serial number painted onto the car, with further connections to be found on the headrests where a special Spitfire logo has been embroidered. All buyers will also get a Spitfire 80 Irvin jacket and a set of a flying helmet and goggles, as well as the chance to pick up their cars at the AirSpace exhibition at Imperial War Museum Duxford.By this time, you're probably saying to yourself that all this must come at a price, and you'd be absolutely right. Costing 180,000 (about $240,000), the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire is over $50,000 more expensive than the regular model, which many would argue that is overpriced to begin with. It's also extremely rare since only eight cars will be built, so there's a very strong exclusivity factor involved not to mention the all-encompassing British pride, so we doubt they'll be left on the market for too long. According to a letter sent by German authorities to the European Commission and Italys Transport Ministry, an inquiry has revealed the fact that three models from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles presented a system that shut off their exhaust treatment systems.Those models were fitted with a 2.0-liter diesel engine, which is one of the latest power plants from the Italian-American automaker.The unit in question is mounted on the Fiat 500X , Jeep Renegade and Fiat Doblos van version. As Automotive News reports, the German magazine WirtschaftsWoche has learned that tests performed by authorities have uncovered that a nitrogen oxide catalyst is switched off after a few cleaning cycles.Other accusations include throttling down the emission control device after about 22 minutes from the moment the engine is turned on . The latter situation, of turning off or significantly reducing emissions controls after a period, is a loophole that Germany car watchdog, the KBA, has repeatedly pointed out that automakers exploited it.In Europe, automakers are allowed to limit the operation of emissions control devices if it is necessary to prevent condensation that could damage the engine, especially when starting in cold conditions.The same German authority has accused FCA of cheating in emissions tests because some of the models from the automaker throttled back emissions treatment after 22 minutes of operation, which would be just two minutes more than the standard duration of regulatory tests for vehicle emissions.Representatives of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have stated that their models comply with current emissions rules and do not contain any defeat devices.Even if the accusations made by the Germans are correct, and FCAs 2.0-liter diesel reduces its exhaust gas treatment after 22 minutes of operations, the Italian-American corporation is still within regulations, as no trick is employed when the vehicle is being tested for emissions. However, it would be wise for FCA to prove that shutting off the system does protect the engine and has no other purpose. EV MPV You could put it down to the fact that not all of us are actors that feel at ease in front of a camera, but then ask yourself this: why did the public relations department decide to go ahead with the video if it didn't help the model's cause? Well, maybe because it features two of the highest-ranking members of the two organizations? Whoever took it upon himself to tell them the video wasn't good enough probably would have had to do it with his resignation already filled in.But we digress. The apparent lack of passion could just as well stem from the fact that one of them is Swiss and the other German: not exactly the two nations renowned for their hot-blooded nature. But at the end of the day, it could very well be the car's fault.As you probably know already, just like the old Opel Ampera was a rebadged Chevrolet Volt, the Ampera-e does the same thing with the Bolt. We're by no means fortune tellers, but just by looking at the Bolt and Ampera-e, you can't help but feel they stand no chance against the Tesla Model 3.Sadly, the rest of its specs, even though decent, don't do anything to even the scores. The Ampera-e is slated to have 200 miles-plus (320 km) of maximum range, 200 horsepower and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft) of maximum torque. That's enough to give it a 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) sprint time of under seven seconds and a restricted maximum speed of 150 km/h. Not bad, but will it be good enough to challenge Tesla's future mass-marketThe Model 3 is a compact-sized sedan, while the GM electric vehicle is a hatchback that could just as well pass as a mini-in Europe. But the even more important aspect that sets them apart is their philosophies: the Bolt/Ampera-e look like any other regular car both inside and out, while the Model 3 is clearly hell-bent on revolutionizing what we've come to know about cars, especially inside the cabin.We do realize we're talking about two cars that are yet to be launched, but we feel like we know enough about them to make an educated guess. Dan Ammann (GM president) and Karl-Thomes Neumann (Opel Group CEO) share a ride in the Ampera-e , but everything they can say about the EV is that it accelerates quickly. The only other clip featuring the Ampera-e focused on the exact same thing. And, let's face it, the Model 3 will probably be twice as fast in the 0-62 mph interval.The two GM cars would have to be priced significantly lower than Model 3's $35,000 if they're to stand any chance. If a fully-specced Ampera-e goes anywhere near the $35,000 mark, then it'll probably be just as doomed as the previous model that bore the same name. Speaking of which, we think it wasn't the best call from Opel to stick with the Ampera monicker, as it reminds people of one of the brand's biggest flops.Have a look at the clip below and tell us if we're being mean for no reason. Does it not seem forced? Do you feel the two actually believe what they're saying? Do you share Mr. Ammann's belief that there will be a strong demand for this car? Photo: Nissan A fully commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) hub is now operating in Denmark, a result of a collaboration between global automotive manufacturer Nissan, multinational energy company and smart grid technologies companies Enel, and California-based company Nuvve, a V2G services provider. The grids first customer, utility Frederiksberg Forsyning has installed 10 Enel V2G units and purchased 10 zero emission, 100 percent electric Nissan e-NV200 vans that will join the companys fleet, at its headquarters in Copenhagen. When the e-NV200s are not in use, they can be plugged in to the new Enel V2G units on site and can receive energy from and provide energy back to the national grid on demand, effectively turning the vans into mobile energy solutions. The total capacity made available by the 10 kW Enel V2G chargers amounts to approximately 100 kW, according to the companies. Nuvve is the provider of the platform that controls the power flow to and from the cars. The platform, initially developed by the University of Delaware and now supported and commercialized by Nuvve, ensures that the drivers mileage needs are always met and optimizes the power available to the grid, according to the companies. With Nissan electric vehicles, dual energy flow enabled by Enel V2G chargers and managed by Nuvves aggregation platform, Frederiksberg Forsyning will become an active participant in Denmarks energy management system, helping to stabilize and balance demand on the grid, according to the companies. By participating in this initial project, Danish grid operator Energinet.dk said it is keen to apply the findings from the commercial implementation of the V2G hub to adapt the national network in order to better integrate EVs and provide ancillary services to stabilize the grid. Three youth leaders of Lesothos ruling Democratic Congress (DC) and a Lesotho-based fleet management company have accused the countrys finance minister of soliciting a R4 (US$276,254) million bribe for a major government contract, according to a report by the City Press. Finance Minister Mamphono Khaketla denied the allegation, but said she could not answer questions because the case was before the courts, according to the report. The DC youths and six directors of Lebelonyane a Lesotho company and partner of South African logistics giant Super Group fled to South Africa after being questioned by police at the Maseru Central Police Station. They said they were told their lives were in danger, according to the report. Speaking from the Free State, Lebelonyane director Letsatsi Mabona said police interrogators wanted to know who had leaked a report by a government evaluation team that recommended his company for a R70 (US$4.83 million) million-a-month contract to manage the government fleet. Despite the recommendation, Lebelonyane did not win the tender. In July, the government announced that the existing contract, held by another South African company, Bidvest, had been extended for four years, according to the report. In response, DC Youth League president Thuso Litjobo called a media conference at the partys offices in Maseru, where they revealed the leaked recommendation and denounced the minister a senior member of his own party alleging that she had demanded R4 million from Lebelonyane to ensure it won the contract, according to the City Press Report. AmaBhungane, an investigative news organization in South Africa, reportedly has seen the report of the evaluation panel, which lists the three bidders Lebelonyane JV, comprising Lebelonyane and Fleet Services Lesotho, a wholly owned subsidiary of Super Group; Fleetmatics Vehicle Management Solutions Lesotho; and Seahlolo Transport Logistics, in partnership with Avis Fleet Services, according to the City Press Report It also assesses them according to exacting criteria. The bid panel report concludes: The recommendation of the evaluation team is that the government of Lesotho fleet service tender 7/2015/16 be awarded to Fleet Services Lebelonyane JV. The exact nature of the deal between the Lesotho government and Bidvest remains unclear, according to the City Press Report. Azerbaijan will not achieve a military solution to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, President Serzh Sarkisian said on Friday as he attended official ceremonies in Stepanakert to mark the 25th anniversary of the Armenian-populated territorys declaration of independence from Baku. Sarkisian joined Karabakhs political leaders as well as thousands of ordinary people in marching to Stepanakerts military cemetery where many Karabakh Armenians killed in the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan were laid to rest. He laid flowers at an adjacent war memorial. You fought and won an unequal war, he said in a statement issued on the occasion. You built a state and society which is now freer than ever before. You created an army which is now stronger than ever before. Born and raised in Karabakh, Sarkisian commanded Karabakh Armenian forces in 1992-1993 and went on to become Armenias defense minister. The war broke out shortly after Karabakh Armenian leaders declared what was then an autonomous region of Soviet Azerbaijan an independent republic. The hostilities left at least 20,000 people from both sides dead before being stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement in May 1994. The war nearly resumed on April 2 after the Azerbaijani army went on an offensive at two sections of the demarcation line around Karabakh. Russia helped to halt the fighting four days later. Sarkisian mentioned the April fighting in his statement, saying that Azerbaijani troops will again be repelled if they make further attempts to solve the issue in a military way. The four-day hostilities demonstrated that no power in the world can achieve a military solution to the dispute, he said. There is no military option, he added. There can only be a political option. Following the April escalation, international mediators scrambled to not only bolster the ceasefire regime but also revive substantive Armenian-Azerbaijani talks on a framework peace accord jointly drafted by the United States, Russia and France. The three mediators so-called Madrid Principles of a peaceful settlement call for a return to Azerbaijan of virtually all seven districts around Karabakh that were fully or partly occupied by Karabakh Armenian forces during the 1991-1994 war. In return, Karabakhs predominantly Armenian population would be able to determine the disputed territorys internationally recognized status in a future referendum. Sarkisian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hinted at progress towards such a peace deal after holding talks in Saint Petersburg, Russia hosted by their Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on June 20. Armenian media commentators and other observers have since speculated that Moscow made changes in the Madrid Principles favorable to Azerbaijan and is pressing Yerevan to accept them. Citing statements made by some Azerbaijani officials, they have claimed that Putin specifically wants the Armenian side to pull out of five of the seven districts around Karabakh without receiving any firm guarantees on the Karabakh referendum. According to Matthew Bryza, a former senior U.S. diplomat who was Washingtons chief Karabakh negotiator from 2006-2009, Putin apparently proposed Armenian withdrawal from only two Azerbaijani districts in exchange for Azerbaijan resuming normal transit and economic connections to Armenia. All other aspects of the Madrid Principles, including the remaining five occupied territories, would be subject to further negotiations, Bryza wrote in an August 18 article published by the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think-tank. Putin did not publicly confirm the alleged Russian push for Armenian territorial concessions to Baku after holding talks with Sarkisian in Moscow on August 10. He said only that Russia will continue to mediate Armenian-Azerbaijani talks together with the U.S. and France. Sarkisian, for his part, stressed that international recognition of the Karabakh Armenians right to self-determination must be at the heart of any workable peaceful deal. Its impossible to resolve this conflict by referring to the elimination of its consequences, rather than its causes, he told a joint news conference with Putin. The Armenian leader similarly reiterated earlier in August that Karabakh can never be placed back under Azerbaijani rule. By contrast, Aliyev and other Azerbaijani leaders have repeatedly rejected a settlement that would stop short of restoring Bakus control over Karabakh. Aravot criticizes Russian authorities for their refusal to allow an Armenian political analyst, Stepan Grigorian, to visit Russia, presumably because of his pro-Western views and cooperation with European governments and non-governmental organizations. Logic suggests that they should explain why he poses a danger to Russia, editorializes the paper. Or else, [the deportation] will look like an imperial arrogance and an act of demonstrative revenge with a great dose of paranoia. It wonders whether Moscow has a whole blacklist of well-known Armenians denied entry to Russia. Zhoghovurd reports on local elections that will be held in many communities across Armenia on September 18 and October 2. The paper says election-related developments are already demonstrating that the Armenian authorities continue to rely on foul play in ensuring their grip on power. In particular, it says, it emerged that Karapet Ohanian, a mayoral candidate in the town of Masis nominated by the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), has unexpectedly dropped out of the race. The BHK chairwoman, Naira Zohrabian, is quoted as saying that Ohanian did so after he and his sons were offered government posts by his main rival affiliated with the ruling Republican Party (HHK). Zhoghovurd finds it very worrisome that so many people in our opposition can be bought. Incidentally, government representatives counter opposition complaints by saying, Dont be bought, the paper goes on. This is certainly a very cynical approach. But in a sense, it is also fair. Hayots Ashkhar says that Armenia is now going through one of the most difficult and fateful periods of our history. In the next two or three years, the outlines of our regions political map are likely to be clarified, explains the paper. And the next few months will demonstrate the nature and direction of final resistance required from us for that purpose. We must be prepared for that decisive test so that our generation, which launched the Karabakh movement in 1988 and declared the Nagorno-Karabakh Republics independence on September 2, 1991, can complete its historical mission to the Armenian people. Haykakan Zhamanak accuses the government of slowly but steadily withholding information about Armenias public debt. The paper notes that the National Statistical Service (NSS) released no monthly data on the debt in its most recent macroeconomic report. (Tigran Avetisian) 2 September 2016 10:46 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Cluster bombs, which have been used since World War II to kill and maim indiscriminately, were outlawed under an international treaty that was adopted in 2008, The New York Times reported. The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitors report released in Geneva on September 1 revealed that the weapons continued to be used with near impunity in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, as well as during the armed clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, said the article. The report found strong but unconfirmed evidence that cluster munitions had been used in April during the escalation of the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia. Baku has announced that ammunition prohibited by international conventions was used by the Armenian side. Meanwhile, a military source from the zone of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict told Interfax-Azerbaijan agency that Armenia used anti-personnel cluster bombs or its Chinese analogue against the Azerbaijani armed forces. Azerbaijans Defense Ministry constantly reported that the Armenian side uses ammunition banned by international conventions. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the 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 2 September 2016 10:39 (UTC+04:00) Armenian armed forces have eight times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on September 2. Armenian armed forces, stationed in the villages of Barekamavan, Berdavan of Armenias Noyemberyan district and Vazashen of Ijevan district, opened fire at Azerbaijani positions located in the villages of Gaymagli and Kemerli and on the nameless heights of Gazakh district. Azerbaijani positions also took fire from the positions located on the nameless heights in Goranboy and Fizuli districts. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 10:28 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with the members of the Azerbaijan national teams, who will compete in the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azertac reported. The head of state made a speech at the meeting held on September 1. Following the speech, they posed for photographs. On the same day, President Aliyev, his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva and family members met with President of World Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. At the meeting they noted that the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku was excellently organized. The sides stressed the importance of the fact that the Baku Chess Olympiad brings together a record number of teams. They hailed the successful cooperation between FIDE and Azerbaijans relevant authorities. The sides noted that Azerbaijan makes a vital contribution to the international cooperation in the field of sports. The activity of First Lady, President of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation Mehriban Aliyeva in this field was praised. They said all sports, including chess are rapidly developing in Azerbaijan, and hailed the achievements of Azerbaijani chess players in various international competitions. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 16:10 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijani entrepreneurs are invited to the 5th ChinaEurasia Expo that will take place in Urumqi, China on September 20-25, Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) reported. The sections of the exhibition will include Investment & Cooperation, Textiles and Garments, Agricultural Products and Food, Grape Wines, Smart Life, Logistics & Informatization, Building Materials, Jewelry, Machinery & Equipment, Engineering Machinery & Vehicles, Agricultural Machinery & Equipment, Auto Life. China-Eurasia Expo has been hosted successfully for four sessions and achieved substantial results as a platform for Chinas summit diplomacy and economic and trade exchanges with its neighboring countries. During the previous four editions of exposition, the sponsors and organizers organized diverse and inclusive special forums and economic and trade promotion activities which covered a wide range of fields such as agriculture, finance, food security, news, technology and communications. The 5th China-Eurasia Expo whose theme is "Joint Discussion, Co-building and Sharing, the Silk Road: Opportunities and the Future" will stick closely to its orientation of being an important platform for summit diplomacy between China and Eurasia countries and for building the Silk Road Economic Belt, a significant channel for promoting cooperation between Xinjiang (Urumqi) and surrounding countries or regions. China is a huge opportunity and a priority market for Azerbaijan. More than 50 agreements were signed between the two countries so far. AZPROMO this year opened a representative office in China to support and encourage relations between the two countries businessmen, as well as expand Azerbaijani goods export to the Chinese market and attract China's leading investment funds to the Azerbaijan economy. The trade turnover with China reached $565.1 million last year, while its unit weight in the total trade turnover of Azerbaijan amounted to 2.74 percent, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee. China joined the top 10 of largest trading partners of Azerbaijan for the first time in 2015. To date, the volume of Chinese investment projects in Azerbaijan, which started realizing since 2002, has already reached $300 million. Alternative energy sources, as well as tourism and agriculture are the main areas of cooperation between China and Azerbaijan. The sides have repeatedly discussed potential for development of cooperation in such areas as cotton growing and livestock. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 16:42 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Nakhchivan Automobile Plant (NAZ), an automobile manufacturer of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is planning to start assembly of new models of Lifan vehicles. The issue was on the highest agenda during the meeting between NAZ head Musa Abdullayev and Director General of Lifan International Sun Tszetszyun. Abdullayev said that the family cars produced in Azerbaijan will soon include four-wheel drive Lifan X7 and a minivan, which is optimized for 11 people. The sides also reached an agreement on the deliveries of final products of the Nakhchivan Plant to third countries. The sides also considered the issue of a dealer network creation in the regions of the country, as well as support of Chinese banks in the sphere of sales financing. Tszetszyun, in turn, said that Azerbaijani market is very perspective, while its potential is stipulated by the growth of the countrys economy. Growth of economy in Azerbaijan is visible to the naked eye, he noted. Representatives of Lifan Company also underlined that their Azerbaijani colleagues possess strong qualifications. Delegation representing Lifan also held a meeting with the head of supervisory board of Ganja Automobile Plant, Khanlar Fatiyev. Nakhchivan Automobile Plant was put into operation on January 11, 2010. The production range of the company includes such series of vehicles as Premium, Sedan, SUV and Mini. Such models as NAZ-LIFAN 720 (sedan) and NAZ-LIFAN X60 (crossover) are enjoying the main popularity. Technical base, equipment as well as qualification of specialists are in line with international standards. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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. 2 September 2016 11:51 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, the most visited art museum in Baku, offers a unique opportunity for everyone to enjoy its rich and extensive collection! The museum announced a monthly subscription to get acquainted with its valuable and colorful exhibitions. On the first and second Saturday of each month there will be held themed lectures, while the third Saturday will be devoted to "History of one exhibit". As part of the project "History of one exhibit", guests will be shown and informed about the presented exhibit. "The Family Day" will be held on the last Saturday. The monthly subscription is available for everyone at museum's ticket office. The Carpet Museum, where unique samples of applied arts are exhibited, has been located in different places throughout its history. Under instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, the government decided to construct a separate building for the museum with the aim of expanding its capabilities and effectiveness of demonstrating carpets that represent unique pearls of Azerbaijan. The foundation laying ceremony of the building was held at the Seaside National Park on May 15, 2008. Its design is reminiscent of a rolled up carpet, The Heydar Aliyev Foundation and UNESCO contributed to the construction of the facility. The museum collection includes about 14 000 traditional carpets, embroideries, costumes, copper artworks, jewellery art, as well as contemporary works of glass, wood, and felt. The exhibits are conserved on the basis of recommendations and instructions of Louis Sguirer, a renowned specialist in fabric conservation at the Victoria and Albert Museum who was invited to Baku in 2013. Designed by acclaimed Austrian architect Franz Janz, the museum highlights all areas of the Azerbaijani carpet making school and features a wide assortment of centuries-old carpets and thread-work samples. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 13:04 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Shaki, one of the most ancient and colorful cities of Azerbaijan, will soon host the next edition of the Uch mekan International Theater Festival. The festival that will open the 144th theatre season in the country will be held on September 15-24. The festival, which covers such cities as Baku, Sheki, Mingachevir, will see participation of theatre troupes from Turkey, Russia ("the Trickster"), Georgia (The Tbilisi drama theatre), Iran ("Neqab"), Ukraine ("Beautiful flowers") as well as municipal theatres of Turkey and the UAE. Azerbaijan will be represented at the event by the State Academic Drama Theatre, State Russian Drama Theatre, State Puppet Theatre, Shaki State Drama Theatre and Ganja State Drama Theatre, Trend Life reported. Co-organized by Azerbaijan`s Culture and Tourism Ministry, Shaki City Executive Authority and the Union of Theater Figures, the festival is being realized in the framework of the state program "Azerbaijani theatre in 2009-2019 years". The fifth traditional meeting of the Council of the heads of the state theaters of the TURKSOY member countries will be held here on September 16. TURKSOY, also known as the UNESCO of the Turkic World was established in 1993 with the participation of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Turkeys Culture Ministers. Shaki, famous for its historical monuments hosted the first International Theater Festival in 2014. History and development of Azerbaijani theater requires a separate story, since namely in this county the first theater and the first opera was staged in the Muslim East. The theatrical art of Azerbaijani people is rooted in the ancient folk festivals and dances. The history of Azerbaijan theater started with spectacles "Vizier of Lankaran khan" and "Hadji Gara", based on plays Mirza Fatali Akhundov in March-April 1873. These first amateur performances staged by students of real school by initiative of Hasan-bay Zardabi and with the active participation of the Najaf-bay Vezirov and Alekber Adigezalov have become a powerful impetus for the establishment of a national theater. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 14:47 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova The Azerbaijani State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater will once again delight guests and residents of Baku with the new operas of outstanding composers. The new play will be staged within the framework of the 8th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival that will open on September 18, Trend Life reported. This time, the theatre will present Giuseppe Verdi's opera "A Masked Ball". The storyline is about the assassination in 1792 of Swedish King Gustav III, who was killed as the result of a political conspiracy against him. He was shot while attending a masked ballroom dance and died 13 days later of his wounds. The main roles will be performed by such honored national artists as Farid Aliyev, Ilaha Efendiyeva, Farida Mammadova, Inara Babayeva, Sabina Vahabzadeh, honored artist of Belarus Stanislav Trifonov, as well as soloists -Tural Agasiyev, Aliahmed Ibragimov and Talat Huseynov. Music director and conductor of the play is the winner of the international conductors competitions Eyyub Guliyev, conductor,the honored art worker Sevil Hajiyeva, accompanist Nargiz Agayeva. The play will surely attract a large audience and will be one of the most significant and bright events at the festival. The ten-day festival is co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Since 1995, September 18, the birthday of legendary composer is celebrated as National Music Day in Azerbaijan. It was decided to hold the International Music Festival devoted to creativity of Azerbaijani composer. Local and foreign musicians will perform Uzeyir Hajibeylis and other composers works at Baku Organ and Chamber Music Hall of the Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall, Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Azerbaijan Composers' Union and Baku Music Academy. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 17:14 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova The event entitled "Ganja - European Youth Capital 2016" took place in the Slovenian city of Nova Gorica, Azertac reported. The event was organized jointly by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia. Initiated by Azerbaijans diplomatic mission in Ljubljana, the event was attended by chairman of the Parliament of Slovenia Milan Brglez, mayor of Nova Gorica Matej Archon, Slovenian MPs, representatives of the diplomatic corps and journalists. The participants observed a minute of silence for Azerbaijanis who heroically died during the liberation of Slovenia from German fascism in the Second World War. Addressing the event, charge d'Affaires of Azerbaijan in Slovenia Azar Khudiyev stressed friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Slovenia. He said that after the Azerbaijani and Slovenian presidents` reciprocal visits relations between the two countries in economic, political, scientific and cultural spheres entered a new stage of development. Khudiyev pointed out that after the announcement of Ganja the European Youth Capital 2016, thousands of tourists from different countries came to visit this ancient city. He also noted that a photo reportage by Slovenian photo journalist Maya Modrinyak aroused great interest in Ganja. Slovenian officials hailed friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Slovenia. They highlighted that the announcement of Ganja the Youth capital of Europe this year was yet another testimony of Azerbaijan`s regional development. European Youth Capital project was initiated in 2009 by the European Youth Forum. The aim of the project is to develop cooperation of local and foreign youth organizations, as well as exchange of experience between the national councils of the youth organizations from the European Youth Capitals. The European Youth Capital is a title awarded to a European city for the period of one year, during which it is given the chance to showcase, through a multi-faceted program, its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development. Locating some 375 km away from Baku, Ganja is differ from its ancient architectural monuments. The northeastern foot of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains is a picturesque place which has attracted many people across the centuries. This made the history of the region profound and captivating. Ganja is significant to the politico-economic and cultural life of the country since the earliest of times. The region is famous for its nature, namely Goygol Lake and reserve. A large mountain lake surrounded by the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus was formed at a result of a devastating earthquake that destroyed the mountain Kapaz in the 12th century. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 15:43 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Prices for 2,503 more medicines, fixed by the Tariff (Price) Council, have entered into force in Azerbaijan starting September 1. To date prices for 9,850 drugs were approved, which make up 99 percent of the registered medicines in the country. These medicinal products have already been sold on the approved prices. The government began to pay a special attention to sale of medicines in its pharmacies starting last September, and Tariff Council began to adjust and approve prices for a number of medicines. Establishing single prices for medicines is aimed to improve the level of medical services provided to the population and combating price gouging. Medicinal products whose prices have been approved by the Council and entered into force, should be sold at these prices in all pharmacies across the country. To date, the Tariff (Price) Council held 10 meetings. Prices for 44 percent of drugs have been decreased more than twice, while price for 25 percent of drugs have been reduced by more than threefold. All medicines imported to Azerbaijan are examined before reaching pharmacies and hospitals. The country bans the import of medicines into the country without a license, permission, or other relevant documents. A total of 57 percent of medicines registered in Azerbaijan are produced in Europe, 26 percent in the CIS countries, including 12 percent made in Russia. The small proportion is the medicine produced in Asian countries. One can get acquainted with the list of approved drugs on the website of the Tariff Council (www.tariff.gov.az ) in Medicines tab. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 11:06 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has stated that the time has indeed come to liberate the occupied territories of the country. Enough is enough. It is exact time to reach a breakthrough on the negotiation table and start withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, Mammadyarov said on September 1 as he addressed the Informal Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE participating States in Potsdam, Germany. The minister drew the attention of the participants to the fact that security in the OSCE area is undermined by unresolved armed conflicts, continued military aggressions, growing pressure of terrorism, violent extremism, separatism, cyber-attacks, radicalization and others. Intolerance and discrimination, especially on the ground of ethnicity and religion, such as Islamophobia is also serious challenge. Most of todays international security problems have been caused by deliberate violation and misinterpretation of international law, he said. The minister voiced regret that it is sometimes thought that for achieving short-term political goals, norms and principles of international law can be disregarded. And some even actively violate them by use of force against the territorial integrity of states. I have bitterly to admit that first in the OSCE this was started by neighboring Armenia against my country. In full violation of international law and respective UN SC resolutions, Armenia through the more than two decades occupies territories of Azerbaijan and conducted notorious ethnic cleansing on these seized lands, the minister said. "Armenian Foreign Minister here talked very controversially. Everyone here recognizes and knows well about Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Who is aggressor! Who has occupied Azerbaijan's land! Who uses the force against my country! Who violated international and humanitarian law! And when there are almost 1 million refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan, the minister emphasized. The top official once again reminded that respect to the internationally recognized borders is a must for the world order and the international community. In this context, the inadmissibility of attempts of altering the internationally recognized borders of states by use of forces must be fully provided, Mammadyarov said. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the 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. Two decades of talks mediated by the OSCE MG group have failed to produce a breakthrough, and the renewed hostilities in April 2016, the worst since the ceasefire deal signed in 1994, were assessed as the result of inactivity of the international community. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 10:00 (UTC+04:00) A new print edition of the AZERNEWS online newspaper was released on September, 2 The new edition includes articles about: President: Shah Deniz 2 is of great importance not only for Azerbaijan, but whole region and Europe; Lankaran among most popular destinations in CIS; Baku, Tehran eye prospects for expanding cooperation, etc AZERNEWS is an associate member of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The online newspaper is available at www.azernews.az. 2 September 2016 14:29 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Modern tourism is closely linked to economic development and embodies increasing number of new destinations. These dynamics have already made tourism one of key drivers for social and economic progress. Experts agree that today, the business volume of tourism equals or even surpasses oil exports, food products or automobiles, becoming one of the major players in international commerce and one of the main income sources for many developing countries. Azerbaijan, a world-famous country for its rich oil and gas resources, could turn its hydrocarbons into a powerful tool for achieving progress in the country. Over the past ten years, Azerbaijan has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, the decline in the oil prices over the past two years in fact reduced the income of oil producing countries significantly. Given new economic realities, Azerbaijan accelerated its diversification policy, and took additional measures in a bid to give fresh impetus to the development of its non-oil sector, where tourism occupies one of the largest places. To take tourism to a new level in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on additional measures for developing tourism in the country. Under the decree, the state will finance certain activities related to the development of tourism in the country. In accordance with the order, which targets the tourism development in Azerbaijan and expanding opportunities in the field of modern information and communication technologies, the Presidential Reserve Fund will render a financial support to the Culture and Tourism Ministry for this end. The Ministry will receive 800,000 manats ($480,000) from the Fund, while 400,000 manats ($240,000) will be directed to creation of Tourism Registry, and 400,000 manats to holding of annual Shopping Festival in Baku. The Taxes Ministry, the State Customs Committee, the Culture and Tourism Ministry were tasked to jointly prepare proposals on provision of benefits, including tax benefits in retail sales during shopping festivals. In order to attract tourists to Azerbaijan, the ministries of Economy, Finance and Culture and Tourism, the Civil Aviation Administration and Azerbaijan Railways CJSC have been instructed to take measures to organize new advantageous international routes. Meanwhile, the Culture and Tourism Ministry will prepare a general development plan for Khizi-Khachmaz, Guba and Gusar tourism and recreational areas. The Economy Ministry and the State Committee on Property Issues should prepare proposals for developing beach tourism with more effective use of Azerbaijans Caspian Sea coast. In addition, in order to perform the tasks arising from the Main directions of the strategic roadmap of the national economy and the main sectors of the economy, Council for Tourism of Azerbaijan will be established in the country. The main goal of the Council is to form modern tourism industry in the country that meets high economic, social and environmental requirements and further increase its share in the economy of the country, and carrying out coordinated policy in this sphere. In order to promote the tourist potential of the country, present the national tourism products on the world tourism market, organize its sale, increase tourist flow to Azerbaijan, the Cabinet should prepare and submit proposals for the appointment of tourism representatives in diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan in priority countries. The country will also speed up the passage of foreigners and stateless persons through the border checkpoints with Russia, Turkey, Iran and Georgia. Jointly with the Foreign Ministry, State Customs Committee and the State Border Service, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism should work out relevant proposals on improving the law and present them to Azerbaijans president within three months. The relevant agencies should ensure the creation of the information website and tourism registry containing information about the tourism facilities, products and industrial entities, as well as statistical data and results of the monitoring of tourism reserves, tourism activities and industry. Azerbaijan becomes more and more popular among foreigners as unforgettable tourism destination for the several past years. The number of tourists to the Land of Fire has increased by 30 times this May compared to last year, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry. In January to June of 2016 a total of 972,000 tourists came to the country, with a large proportion falling to citizens from Russia, Iran, Turkey and Arab countries. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 13:42 (UTC+04:00) An Azerbaijani delegation headed by deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis Valeh Alasgarov has attended a meeting of Speakers of Parliament of 12 Central and Eastern European countries in the Polish capital of Warsaw, Azertac reported. Revival of the European Union, regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe and contribution of national parliaments to developing multilateral relations among regional countries topped the agenda of the gathering. Alasgarov addressed the meeting to highlight the independence history of Azerbaijan, the country`s development, and its promotion of multiculturalism and tolerance. He hailed Azerbaijan`s relations with European counties, emphasizing the country`s role in ensuring the European energy security. He said Azerbaijan had carried out a number of investment, infrastructure, energy and tourism projects in Georgia, Turkey, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Serbia and other countries. Official Baku is ready for cooperation with any country that recognizes Azerbaijans territorial integrity and considers it as a legally equal partner. Alasgarov also drew the audience`s attention to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said Armenia`s occupation of part of Azerbaijan`s territory was the greatest obstacle and threat to the development of Azerbaijan and the region as a whole. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs in the aftermath of the ethnic cleansing conducted by Armenia, he added. During the visit Alasgarov also met with Ryszard Terlecki, deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm, and thanked him for inviting the Azerbaijani delegation to the meeting. The two discussed the development of bilateral cooperation and inter-parliamentary relations, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, as well as regional developments. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 10:11 (UTC+04:00) The Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan has hosted an official reception to celebrate the Victory and Armed Forces Day, Azertac reported. Participants in the event included embassy staffers, Turkish military attache in Azerbaijan, entrepreneurs, state and government officials, members of the Azerbaijani parliament, ambassadors of foreign countries to Azerbaijan, and media representatives. Addressing the event, Undersecretary of the Turkish Embassy Meral Barlas highlighted the history of the Victory Day. She said the Turkish armed forces gained historic victory under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1922. Barlas read out a congratulatory message of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Victory Day is a national holiday in Turkey, always celebrated on 30 August. Victory Day commemorates the victory in the Battle of Dumlupnar which was the decisive battle in the Turkish War of Independence in 1922. It also honors the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The battle of Dumlupnar took place in Kutahya province in western Turkey. Although foreign forces didn't leave Turkish soil until the autumn of 1922, 30 August is accepted as the date of the Turkish armys victory. The Turkish Republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, in the new capital of Ankara. Ataturk was elected as the first President. Victory Day was first celebrated on 30 August 1923, becoming a national holiday in 1935. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A training session to educate and improve the ethnic languages of judges was held at Minzu University of China on Friday, with joint efforts of China's top court and the State Ethnic Affairs Commission. The university is also a base to cultivate judges who can speak ethnic languages, according to a statement provided by the Supreme People's Court. Liu Hui, deputy director of the commission, said during the opening ceremony that protecting ethnic languages is a good way to improve legal services in ethnic areas across the country, and hopes the base will be a platform to educate ethnic judicial talents. "We will further cooperate with the top national court in solving disputes or legal problems in the ethnic regions, and studying and making some practical ethnic language references for judges," Liu added. Xu Jiaxin, director of the political department of the top court, suggested that it make full use of people in ethnic colleges and pay close attention to cultivating their legal knowledge, "as it is a must to ensure access to justice in ethnic regions." Since 2014, the top court has provided training courses which allowed over 200 judges to learn Uyghur and Tibetan languages, the statement added. Jiang Qibo, chief judge of Case Filing Department with the top court, said last year that an ethnic online platform for making lawsuits is in the works and will be launch by the end of this year. Right now, the top court's website, where verdicts are posted, has provided ethnic language services for litigants. Contact the writer at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn 2 September 2016 15:13 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova The upcoming referendum on amendments and additions to the Constitution of Azerbaijan is a logical continuation of the ongoing reforms in the area of state building, lawyer of the Civil Society agitation group, MP Bakhtiyar Aliyev said. The referendum is a logical continuation of the ongoing economic, political and legal reforms, said the MP, adding that the current level of Azerbaijans development makes it necessary to make changes and additions to the Constitution. Aliyev noted that within this framework, new regulations regarding the broader protection of human rights will be approved, as well as favorable conditions for the deepening of democracy will be created. The MP emphasized that the main issue is that the statehood and protection of the rights of citizens will be strengthened. Thus, the changes in the Constitution will ensure the countrys transition to a new level of democratic processes. Previously, political scientist Fikret Sadikhov also told that needs of recent years and the ongoing changes in the geopolitical situation, as well as the increasing role of Azerbaijan in the region require various transformations in the country, so introduction of certain amendments to the Constitution is a natural phenomenon. September 26, 2016 was set as the date for referendum on proposed changes to the constitution of Azerbaijan. In a bill recently sent to the Constitutional Court, President Ilham Aliyev proposed amendments to 29 Articles of Azerbaijans current constitution. The changes envisage extension of the presidential term from five to seven years, establishment of the first vice-president and vice-president positions in the country as well as abolishment of minimum age limit for presidential candidates, dissolution of parliament by the president. Final results of the Referendum will be announced till October 21. The last time changes to the Constitution were made seven years ago, following Constitutional referendum held in 2009. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 17:58 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Colombia is interested in expanding cooperation and implementing joint projects with Azerbaijan in various spheres like agriculture, energy, tourism, culture and others. Head of the European Directorate at the Colombian Foreign Ministry Juan Guillermo Castro Benetti made this remark during the meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalfov in Baku. He expressed his countrys interest in enhancing cooperation with Azerbaijan in a variety of areas. The two sides further exchanged views on the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Colombia and cooperation prospects. They noted the importance of developing a mechanism of political consultations and intensifying high level reciprocal visits between the two states. They also underlined the significance of cooperation within international organizations. Khalafov pointed out great potential for developing cooperation between the two countries in energy, trade, agricultural, information technologies, humanitarian and cultural spheres. The deputy minister also provided an insight into Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan. He stressed that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict caused a serious threat to the region and impeded regional development. He praised Colombias support of Azerbaijans fair position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, 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. Colombia became the second Latin American country after Mexico, whose parliament recognized the Khojaly tragedy as genocide. In April 2012, the Colombian Senate has passed a decision on Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories and recognized the crimes committed by Armenians in Khojaly in 1992 during the Karabakh war as genocide. The decision was taken unanimously after 102 votes required for its adoption were successfully collected. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 11:36 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Russias energy giant Gazprom is currently considering the prospects of power generation within the framework of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project, which is planned to bring Russian gas via the Black Sea into Turkey and southern Europe. Gazprom head Alexey Miller made the remark while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Ria Novosti reported. This is the analysis in terms of consumption pattern, Miller said, highlighting the issue of possible projects in the sphere of power industry. He also said that development of a road map on the project is expected to be completed by October 2016, while signing of intergovernmental agreement may take place within several months after its creation. He mentioned that Gazprom expects to get the necessary permission from Ankara for the implementation of the Turkish Stream gas project in the nearest future. "Gazprom will get a confirmation that all the permissions issued earlier for the South Stream in Turkey will be effective for the Turkish Stream," Miller said. Head of Gazproms Directorate of International Gas Infrastructure Projects, Dmitry Khandoga earlier said that the company has recently intensified work on preparations to implement the Turkish Stream project. Turkish Stream was halted in late 2015 due to sharp deterioration of relations between Moscow and Ankara, when Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber with two pilots on board. Implementation of the project became topical following mending of ties between the two countries. The Turkish Stream project was announced by President Putin in December 2014 during a visit to Turkey. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 14:45 (UTC+04:00) By Trend The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) will bring tens of billions of net profit to Azerbaijan in 2018-2019, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev told Trend in an interview on September 2. Shah Deniz 2 is one of our most promising projects. The development of the huge Shah Deniz field, which has around 1.2 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 2.2 billion barrels of condensate reserves, will make it possible to increase the natural gas export and will give a momentum to gas and oil processing, Abdullayev said. Currently, SOCAR is on the verge of a new period in the oil and gas industry with such projects as Shah Deniz, Southern Gas Corridor, SOCAR Polymer, STAR refinery, and other large projects, according to Abdullayev. SOCAR is now investing its revenues in important industry projects. Once completed, these projects will bring billions of additional revenues to Azerbaijan, he said. The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey. At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Other sources can also join this project at a later stage. As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and TAP. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 18:06 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Turkish Stream gas pipeline project will be eventually implemented, Bloomberg quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying on September 2. Putin further mentioned that Turkey and Russia have many projects in energy sphere, and Turkish Stream is one of them. I think, we will eventually implement it. At least, its first part, related to expanding of transport capabilities and increasing supplies to the Turkish domestic market, but also with the possibility to transport to European partners, if they wish to, and if the European Commission will support it, he said. Construction of one or two branches is not expected to allow Russia to fully abandon gas supplies via Ukraine, but at least it will give the opportunity to supply gas to Turkey directly, rather than via Ukraine. Turkish Stream, which is expected to bring Russian gas via the Black Sea into Turkey and southern Europe, became topical following mending of Russia-Turkey ties. The issue was also on agenda during the meeting of Russian and Turkish Presidents in St. Petersburg on August 9, which became the first meeting after the Su-24 bomber incident, which deteriorated ties between the two countries. Turkish President Erdogan said earlier that some 50 percent of the construction of the Turkish Stream project falls to a share of Turkey, while another 50 percent accounts for Russia, stressing that there is no problem in the realization of the project. One of the obstacles that a project faced before deterioration of ties was failure of the sides to reach joint position over gas price. The Turkish Stream project was announced by President Putin in December 2014 during a visit to Turkey. The sides reached an agreement on the discounting of 10.25 percent, provided that the project will be realized. However, the terms didnt satisfy Turkey, and Botas appealed to arbitral court. Meanwhile, judicial proceedings on the suit of Botas against Gazprom on gas prices will start in the second half of 2017, Gazprom reported. Main issue of legal proceedings is revision of gas prices, namely, discounting. Initially, the Russian Gazprom company planned that the Turkish Stream pipeline would consist of four branches with capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters per year each and 63 billion cubic meters of gas per year in general. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 11:22 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova Turkey will not change its anti-terrorism legislation, a condition put forth by the European Union for a visa-free travel to Europe. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced about this at a joint press conference with the Head of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz on September 1, TRT World reported. Schulz was in Ankara to mull the progress towards the abolition of visa regime for Turkish citizens and the accession of the country to the EU. We once again reiterated that we cannot make an adjustment to the anti-terror laws due to the circumstances that we face today," he said. Yldrm stated that the anti-terror law is a matter of Turkeys security as the country is fighting against DAESH, PKK and FETO terrorist groups. "Flexibility in anti-terror laws is out of the question. The EU should understand that Turkeys fight against terror affects EU security as well," Yldrm said. Schulz, in turn, noted that Turkey and the EU have different anti-terrorism practices, and said there has been no progress towards the visa liberation deal due to these differences. The Heads of State and the EU Member States' governments agreed with Turkey upon a joint plan to combat the migration crisis in mid-March. The program is focusing on the return of illegal immigrants arriving from Greece to the territory of Turkey and accepting legal Syrian refugees in Turkey by the EU based principle of "one for one" Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that if the European Union doesnt cancel visa regime with Turkey in mid-October, Ankara wont be able to receive illegal migrants from the EU, adding that the EU still has not paid $3 billion allocated for maintenance of refugees. Currently, there are more than two million Syrian refugees in the territory of Turkey. Approximately 300,000 of them live in the camps and the rest are scattered over the Turkish provinces. Only Istanbul is host to 40,000 refugees from Syria. Turkey has along waited for its EU membership, while each application to accede to the European Union was frustrating for the government. Turkey, holding a status of an associate member at the Economic Community -- the predecessor of the EU since 1963 -- made an official application for entry on April 14, 1987. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 12:01 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Kazakhstan and China signed four documents on cooperation within the negotiation of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the city of Hangzhou, Kazakh presidents press-service reported. The parties signed a Protocol on Amending the Agreement between the governments of two countries on the establishment of the Committee for bilateral co-operation from May, 17 2004 and a cooperation plan for adjunction of Kazakhstans development program "Nurly Zhol" and Chinese "Economic belt of the Silk Road" program. Moreover Kazakh Agriculture Ministry and Chinese Directorate of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine signed a protocol on quarantine and health requirements for equine animals exported from Kazakhstan to China and a protocol on requirements for soybeans exported from Kazakhstan to China. Within the meeting, the heads of two countries discussed a wide range of bilateral issues, including the prospects of strengthening cooperation in trade, economic, investment, transit and transport, fuel and energy, as well as cultural and humanitarian spheres. In addition, the two leaders exchanged views on a number of the most pressing issues of regional and international agenda. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 14:00 (UTC+04:00) The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced that it will organize the 1st UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism in the Kakheti wine region of Georgia on 7-9 September in collaboration with the Georgian National Tourism Administration, Azertac reported. Georgias unique wine-making traditions date back 8,000 years and are considered by UNESCO as intangible heritage, making the country an ideal host for the Global Conference on Wine Tourism. The countrys recent success in attracting a growing number of tourists, and its development of tourism products, branding and marketing, combine to present an excellent platform for sharing best practices, experience and knowledge, said Dimitry Kumsishvili, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. Wine tourism is a growing segment with immense opportunities to diversify demand. In the case of Georgia, the segments potential is well known and we are very pleased to be holding the first UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism in the country, added Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General. Gastronomy and wine have become key components of a culture and lifestyle experience of any destination, and a growing travel motivation. To foster the development of this segment, in September 2015 UNWTO launched the UNWTO Gastronomy Network. The Conference will have a unique and dynamic format with three sessions to be held in different wineries across the Georgian region of Kakheti. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 14:11 (UTC+04:00) By Trend A Boeing 777 of British Airways has landed in Tehran after four years of hiatus in the airways flights to the Islamic Republic. Flight 153 left London Sept. 1 at 21:00 and landed in Tehrans Imam Khomeini Airport at 6:15 the following morning, IRNA news agency reported on September 2. British Airways made its first flight to Iran in 1946. The flights were stopped in 2012 under international sanctions on Iran. About four months ago the company announced that it had decided to resume the flights as the sanctions had been lifted. British Airways says it will fly six times a week from London to Tehran. Iran Air will also conduct three flights from Tehran to London every week. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 17:19 (UTC+04:00) By Trend After the recent resignation of Turkeys Interior Minister Efkan Ala, head of the countrys National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan is also expected to step down from his position, the Milligazete reported on September 2. Fidans resignation is being discussed in Ankaras political circles, according to the newspaper. Hakan Fidan was appointed head of the National Intelligence Organization in May 2010. It was earlier reported that a number of reforms will be held in this structure. It was planned that the National Intelligence Organization will have two divisions: foreign and domestic intelligence. Additionally, Turkey's National Intelligence Organization is planned to be subordinate to the countrys president. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 September 2016 17:53 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova Russia and Turkey intend to sign a memorandum on the establishment of a joint investment fund worth more than $1 billion on the sidelines of G-20 summit to be held in Hangzhou, China on September 4-5. Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev announced about this while talking to Russia 24 TV channel on September 2. "We will hold important talks with Turkey at the G20 forum, he said. Earlier, Dmitriev said that the process of the joint investments of the Russian-Turkish fund may start in 2017. Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci previously said that Turkey and Russia may create an investment fund for financing of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) project. Moreover, he noted that other joint projects can also be financed through this fund. Turkey's Sovereign Wealth Fund will act as a partner in the joint investment fund establishment with the participation of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz According to research conducted by Almondy, 72% of people would like to see more lactose-free options on menus when eating out. Allergy UK has estimated that one in five people in the UK have a lactose intolerance, and suggested that operators that cater to people who are unable to consume dairy products could boost their profits. Gluten-free bakery Almondy reported that over a third of people have bought a lactose-free product, and a growing number of people have opted for free-from products for lifestyle reasons. However, the company said there has never been a better time for operators to look at how they can make menus lactose-free friendly. Almondy managing director Andrew Ely said: Weve only scratched the surface when it comes to lactose-free; commercially it offers a huge untapped opportunity for operators, not only in catering for the 20% of people who have the intolerance, but appealing to the growing number of consumers buying free-from. Its clear from the research that the demand for lactose-free is there, seven out of 10 people want more options and operators seen to react will stand to profit. Earlier this month, Almondy raised a total of just over 7,500 for the Katie Piper Foundation charity, which specialises in helping survivors of burns and scars. British Baker is delighted to announce that Vince Bamford will be joining the magazine as the new editor, effective 10 October. Bamford, who is currently editor of William Reeds online publication BakeryandSnacks.com has more than 25 years experience as a journalist and editor, many of them in the B2B food and drink publishing sector. These have included roles on The Grocer magazine as buying and supplying editor and, prior to that, FMCG editor. He said: Bakery is a subject I have a deep interest in and I am relishing the opportunity to produce a title that will keep the industry informed in a timely and interesting manner. British Baker publisher Sonia Young said: We are delighted to welcome Vince as editor. He has a wealth of experience in print, digital and event delivery and positive and strong relationships already with many of the bakery companies active in the UK sector. There are exciting times ahead for British Baker. We have, in Vince, an editor who will be a passionate advocate for UK bakery and one who will also take a view on how global developments will impact. We look forward to him taking the helm. Bamford will also be attending this years Baking Industry Awards on Wednesday 7 September, where he will have the opportunity to meet with delegates from across the UKs baking industry. Answers Africa is one of a kind platform created for Africans both locally and in the diaspora and those seeking for more in-depth information about Africa. We have always focused on creating the highest quality informational contents right from the beginning. We share the most relevant information on the latest and trending news, events, people, and places in Africa. We produce contents across various categories including Politics, People, Love and Romance, Nature, Entertainment, Technology and pretty much everything else that Africans may find relevant. 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When it comes to discussing issues surrounding terrorism, American Counterterrorism and National Security Expert, Phil Mudd, occupies a globally significant position. He has voiced his interest in the fight against terrorism and insecurity on many popular media platforms, both print and broadcast, such as CNN, BBC, CBS, MSNBC, al-Jazeera, ABC, NBC, Fox, The New York Times, ... Jim Hoffer: Biography, Wife Mika Brzezinski, Children and Net Worth Jim Hoffer is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works as an investigative reporter for Eyewitness News, New York City. In his over two decades of investigative journalism, Hoffer has been at the front lines of several crucial stories from the 9/11 attack to the crash of American Flight 587 to the 2003 Blackout. On top of ... The Ups and Downs of Erin Mcpikes Journalism Career and Other Facts About Her Personal Life Erin McPike is a journalist working for the Independent Journal Review (IJR) as a White House Correspondent but she gained widespread recognition for her coverage of general news. Whether its breaking news or some mainstream story, McPike has a reputation of baring the facts. As a journalist, her work as a White House Correspondent for Independent ... Bert Kreischer Is Married To LeeAnn Kreischer With 2 Kids Meet His Family Those familiar with Bert Kreischer mainly have the image of a large-bellied party man whose college life inspired the National Lampoon film, Van Wilder. It is an image that one would not naturally associate with a wholesome family. The standup comedian still maintains his wild party animal image on stage. But, back at home, he is ... How Brendan Greene Became a Game Designer to Look Out For and Facts About His Failed Marriage The name Brendan Greene may not easily ring a bell in the larger society but for gaming enthusiasts, he is considered a god and this is because of his invention of the video game, Player Unknowns Battlegrounds, also called PUBG. Based on the popular last-man-standing/battle royale concept, Greenes creation has taken the gaming world by ... WFAAs Sonia Azad Bio Does The Reporter Have A Husband Or Boyfriend? Emmy Award-winning journalist and Health & Wellness reporter Sonia Azad is on the news segment News 8 Daybreak for the television station WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, a channel which she joined in October of 2015. Besides her time on the news, Azad is also a marathon runner and a certified yoga instructor. She has covered major news ... This Is Everything You Should Know About Caroline Heldman, Her Career Portfolio and Other Facts Love it or hate it, there is no escaping the fact that feminism has come to stay in our world. The movement has continued to garner momentum over the years and this is due to the sustained push by several women, and even men, including the likes of Caroline Heldman. A Professor of Politics at ... Understanding The Enigma That Is Gavin McInnes, The Controversies He Has Stirred and All About His Wife Gavin McInnes is a polemical English-born writer and TV personality, who is best known for his racist and fascist ideologies, as well as his co-ownership of Vice Media and Vice Magazine. He is also an actor a Don Valley West MP Rob Oliphant continues his public meetings into September and October focussed on electoral reform. In a release this week he recalls that the Liberal government in Ottawa promised a new voting system. The prospect of such a thing in whatever form has the potential to both terrify and delight partisans. The commonest reforms discussed by those who think about the matter are proportional representation and so-called ranked ballots. Proportional representation is intended to somehow give parties that dont actually win in the conventional fashion a limited place in the Legislature. PIZZA PARLIAMENT? It is seen in Italy where it has given rise to the derisive term pizza parliament a place sliced up into assorted parties. It is also seen in Israel where proportionality seems to be the sole determinant of how seats are distributed. Critics say it tends to make the big tent parties less inclusive and encourage single issue splinters. It may well militate against conventional majority governments such as we have at present in Liberal Canada. Ranked ballots are intended to ensure that the winner in a riding indeed has a majority of the popular vote. That system has been most notoriously in the news this year after City Council voted to introduce it for the next election and then stunningly reversed itself saying ranked ballots would be too complicated. CHURCHILL Democracy needs to be taken seriously but proponents of this form of government have said some amusing things about it. The quote below is famous. Less so but just as provocative is Winston Churchills observation that the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. Nothing personal anyone. Mr. Oliphants meetings are September 18, October 12 and October 13. (416) 467-7275 YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message on the occasion of Nagorno Karabakh Independence Day, press service of the Presidential administration informed Armenpress. The Presidents message reads: Dear Compatriots, I congratulate you on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. September 2, 1991 opened a glorious page in the modern history of the Armenian nation. A quarter of a century ago, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh made their irrevocable choice. That critical step was conscientious and deliberate. That choice, that will and determination brought back from the brink of a deadly precipice to life and freedom the most endangered part of the Armenian nation the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh. You fought and won in the unequal war. You built a state and society which are free as never before. You created an army which is strong and combat ready as never before. You raised from the ashes a piece of land which never before was so cultivated and beautiful. You proved to yourselves, to the entire Armenian nation, and the world that the free Nagorno Karabakh is not only viable but also possesses a huge potential for development. There is no doubt that the potential has not been fully utilized yet. There is no doubt that there is still much to be done in NKR and in Armenia. And there is no doubt that we will fulfill our task. We will do it through the efforts of the entire Armenian nation. We will do it despite all difficulties and challenges. Last Aprils military actions once again or rather once more proved that if the enemy tries to solve the problem through military means, he will be thrown back with losses. It proved that no force in the world is capable of solving the Nagorno Karabakh issue through military means. There is no such force because you live, because you are true to the choice you made 25 years ago. There is no military solution; solution is political. Today, on this memorable day, I tell you once again: just as yesterday and today, tomorrow too you will decide your own destiny. We have no doubts about NKRs bright future. Long live the free and independent Nagorno Karabakh! Long live the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh! YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Independence Day of Nagorno Karabakh, press service of the NKR Presidential administration informed Armenpress. The NKR Presidents message reads: Dear compatriots, Today we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. On behalf of the republic's authorities and myself personally I express my cordial congratulations to all our people in connection with this significant state holiday. September 2 of 1991 has become a turning point in the life of the NKR people and changed the course of its history. Raising its decisive voice in favor of free and independent Nagorno Karabakh our nation embarked on the state-building process, started to build a democratic state in correspondence with the international norms and principles. Our chosen path was hard and difficult. Azerbaijan responded to the NKR people's fair and legal claims with violence, massacres and unleashed a bloody war. We were forced to take up arms and by all means defend the freedom and security of our newly independent state, our people's peace and tranquility, our historical land and our rights. During the days of ordeal as well as at all times Mother Armenia and the Diaspora were beside Nagorno Karabakh. Due to the practical support and active participation of the world-spread Armenians we managed to overcome all the trials and difficulties with flying colors, gained victory in the war imposed on us and started to develop and strengthen our precious and cherished Nagorno Karabakh, our Motherland. Kind and honest people from various corners of the world, who value humanity and defense of democratic principles above everything else, have been beside us too. The NKR people are deeply grateful to all the friends and appreciate their contribution to the formation and development of our independent statehood. Dear compatriots, On this festive day we remember with special gratitude all our martyrs, brave sons of the Armenian people, those, who on the cost of their lives paved the path to our Motherland's bright future. We ought to always keep the memory of our devotees. The best way to do it is the consistent development and strengthening of the free and independent NKR. I once again congratulate all of you on this memorable holiday and wish robust health, successes and all the best to you, peace and welfare to our people. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Cultural Association of Barcelona sent a congratulatory message over the NKRs Independence Day, reports Armenpress. The message reads: On behalf of the Armenian Cultural Association of Barcelona we congratulate the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) its people with its independence day. It's been already 25 years since the NKR population has chosen the path of independence, as a natural and inalienable right of nations to self-determination relying its future on a vision of free, sovereign and democratic ideals. For Nagorno Karabakhs independence struggle, Armenian people entered into a struggle, completing a new, difficult milestone for the sake of their own homes and lives. Moreover, they accomplished victory with dignity and with respect to international human rights. We have defended the future of our children and our homeland with the blood and sacrifice of question of life or death for the liberation of NKR Armenians, proved to be right in so many ways , not letting the a new Nakhitchevan Tragedy repeat. Nagorno Karabakh is the greatest achievement of our modern history with its democratic political system, its public institutions and its developing economy and army. Freedom has no other ways and alternatives, Congratulations to you, our free and independent Nagorno Karabakh! This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate During a graduate course in 1999 at the University of North Carolina, Jeff Forret was required to read two books about slavery, resistance or abolition - two books that were nominated and later won the first Frederick Douglass Book Prize. Now 17 years later, Forret, a history professor at Lamar University, is one of three finalists for the same award, which recognizes the best book on slavery, resistance or abolition published in the previous year. "If you're a historian of slavery, you know about this award," Forret said. Forret's book, "Slave Against Slave: Plantation Violence in the Old South and New Directions in Slavery Studies," provides a new look into violence among slaves during the pre-Civil War era. Forret, who is also a social historian, specializes in African-American slavery. After digging through court records, church records, slave narratives and travelers' accounts, Forret was able to find substantial evidence of slave-on-slave violence. "Generally you get as deep of a glimpse into slave quarters as possible being so far away in time from the actual events." Forret said that he came across 141 murder cases involving slave-on-slave violence and was able to dive into the culture and lifestyle of slaves in the time period. In the court records he unearthed, Forret analyzed the personal and work-related disputes between slaves on trial. Forret, who spends his summers and vacation time conducting research, said that he did most of his work in Richmond, Virginia, but in the course of six years also spent time in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana. To fund his research, Forret received research grants from the Institute of Southern Studies and support from Lamar University. Once his research was complete, he spent more than a year writing the approximately 500-page book, which was published in November 2015. Forret said that the other finalists' research involves slavery in Cuba and slavery in the Indian Ocean area, "I would be surprised if I won," Forret said, The award is given by Yale University's Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, which will announce the winner of the $25,000 prize this fall. His book was submitted for consideration by his publisher, LSU press, and Forret was notified in July that he was a finalist. "To be nominated is a great honor, to be a finalist is amazing," Forret said. His next book, "William's Gang: A Slave Trader, His Cargo and Justice in the Old South," involves the legal history of domestic slave trade, as told from the view of a slave trader. He also is working on a book involving the enslavement of Africans by Europeans in Africa. SFlores@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/_saraeflores A new state law requires Texas public schools to install surveillance cameras in special education classrooms if parents, staff members or administrators request them out of concern for student safety. School districts have to pay for the cameras, which must record video and audio from all areas of the classrooms except for bathrooms and changing areas. The recordings must be kept for six months. The law restricts who is able to view the recordings to parents and employees involved in complaints and specified government or district officials and staff members who are investigating allegations of misconduct or unsafe practices. Stephen Edwards, Hamshire-Fannett ISD's Assistant Superintendent of Business & Operations, said that the district "will find the money somewhere," though it was not included in the budget. He said his district has had two requests so far and will be installing four cameras in three classrooms on two campuses, he said. The cost for those is $2,500, plus installation. He estimated servers to store the footage could run another $9,000 to $10,000, though the district hasn't decided on that yet. The law is intended to address student safety, so it is not a special education regulation and districts cannot use funds designated for special education for the cameras. The legislation followed lobbying by Breggett Rideau, whose son, Terrence, was physically abused by a special education teacher in Keller ISD. Rideau sued the district and began advocating for cameras in classrooms statewide, which she believes would have protected Terrence, who is unable to speak. The surveillance is intended to ensure student safety by increasing surveillance of teachers and can be accessed if parents file a complaint against a school employee or as part of an investigation of suspected abuse. Cathy Shelander, whose daughter Annabel is in special education classes in Beaumont, said she thinks the cameras will be beneficial for students and parents. "If you have cameras in the classroom, people will be more accountable," she said, especially in classrooms with large numbers of students. According to Cindy Fussell, Director of Special Education for Region 5, most districts are still working on creating policies and finding funding for the cameras, because "there's not a whole lot of specifics that were outlined, the districts are charged with developing their own guidelines." There currently are no options for students to opt out if someone requests a camera in a classroom and other parents object, nor are there exceptions for teachers or staff who object. "I've heard and read articles where teacher groups are not happy about the surveillance," Edwards said, though that has not been the case in Hamshire-Fannett. In the past, if someone requested additional surveillance, video would be taken on a case-by-case basis or parents would be allowed in the classroom, he said. So far, the teachers whose classrooms will get cameras haven't been formally notified, but "I have talked to them and they would prefer that there be a camera than for parents to come in and observe, which is more disruptive," he said. Beaumont ISD allocated $160,000 in this year's budget for buying and installing cameras, which must capture both video and audio. According to Executive Director of Special Education Fred Shafer, the district has not yet installed any. That funding is enough to ensure the district can afford enough cameras for all eligible classrooms if asked. The department, which has been the target of a number of lawsuits and leadership changes in recent years, is now fully in line with state regulations, according to Shafer. "This is the first time in many years that the district has been 100 percent in compliance," he said. The district has hired behavioral, autism and transitional specialists to strengthen the department, Shafer said, and like all special education departments statewide, they continue to submit data including student performance and evaluation information to the Texas Education Agency. Other districts are still developing policies for the camera implementation, Fussell said. "Most of our districts are consulting with their attorneys on how to implement the information regarding this," she said, while others plan to discuss the regulation at their upcoming board meetings. That's the case in Vidor and Port Arthur, where the Boards of Trustees have not yet met to address the policy. The Texas Association of School Boards has also developed guidelines for school districts to adopt, including forms for installation requests and incident reports and explanations of what should be included in local policies. CORRECTION: BISD budgeted $160,000 for cameras, not $210,000. The article has been updated to reflect the corrected amount. LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to find a solution to the Kuril Islands issue. He made this statement in an interview to Bloomberg agency published on Thursday, reports TASS. According to the agency, Putin believes that resolving the conflict over the four islands should be part of "setting the stage for the development of inter-governmental relations for the long term." "Were not talking about some exchange or some sale, we are talking about finding a solution where neither of the parties would feel defeated or a loser," Bloomberg quotes Putin. According to the agency, Putin said that "we dont trade in territories," and Russia "would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends." If it "can reach a similarly high level of trust" with Japan as it now enjoys with China "then we can find some sort of compromise," he said. Russia and Japan have no peace treaty signed after World War II. Settlement of the problem inherited by Russias diplomacy from the Soviet Union is hampered by the years-long dispute over the four islands of Russias Southern Kurils - Shikotan, Khabomai, Iturup and Kunashir, which Japan calls its Northern Territories. After World War II, in September 1945, Japan signed the capitulation, and in February 1946, the Kuril Islands were declared territories of the Soviet Union. In 1956, a joint declaration was signed ending the state of war between the USSR and Japan, but no peace treaty was signed. With its Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, CMS is promising to improve the healthcare system. Providers will be reimbursed by meeting or exceeding quality outcomes, which aims to bolster the care patients receive. Ophthalmologist Kristin S. Held, MD, does not see MACRA as promising, but rather views the payment model as a way to control pricing. In the fall issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Held argues, "scoring and grading physicians through financial incentives and penalties in order to drive behavior would, in other contexts, be called bribery and extortion." CMS intends to motivate physicians to provide quality care, but many small practices may not have the resources for success. A Medscape Medical News Survey found almost 33 percent of physicians in small practices predict MACRA will result in small practices merging into larger groups. Additionally, 59 percent of physicians in practices with less than 25 clinicians expect to receive a performance penalty as high as 4 percent under MACRA. MACRA may also compromise patient privacy, Dr. Held argues. For instance, the new system mandates physicians cooperate with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and not block government access. Dr. Held says this access applies to patients' individually identifiable health information, and patients need not give consent for the ONC to gain access, thereby putting an end to patient privacy. Dr. Held says, "Ultimately, private physicians cannot ethically comply with MACRA. If this rule goes forward as promulgated, many more physicians will opt out of Medicare and commercial insurance to pursue successful practice models, providing an alternative for patients, also." More articles on coding & billing: Kentucky to have one insurance provider in 54 counties next year: 5 thoughts Obama administration proposes rule to change risk-corridor program after payers' exits threaten ACA marketplace: 4 thoughts Was Aetna the catalyst behind the ACA exchange departures? The CDC reported the government is nearly out of funds to fight off the Zika virus, according to The New York Times. Here are 10 things to know: 1. If Congress does not allot more funding soon, the government will not be able to fight another outbreak. 2. Of the $222 million allotted, the CDC had spent $194 million as of Aug. 26. 3. With three new Zika cases reported in Florida, the CDC is again urging Congress to approve new funding. 4. So far, the CDC sent $35 million to Florida, which the state has mainly used to kill mosquitoes. 5. The Senate has planned a vote on a $1.1 billion Zika bill when they return from the summer recess on Sept. 6. 6. Democrats don't view the legislation favorably, however, because it doesn't approve funding for contraception through Planned Parenthood as a way to fight the virus' spread. 7. Public health experts noted the Gulf Coast, where most of the Zika mosquitoes exist, is only halfway through its peak mosquito season. They are concerned the virus could quickly strike Houston and New Orleans. 8. So far, 16 infants have been born with microcephaly in the United States. The CDC is currently monitoring 1,200 pregnant women in the United States who have confirmed Zika infections. 9. The Zika funding fight has been ongoing since February, when President Obama asked for $1.9 billion to fight the virus. Republicans blocked the bill, and offered their $1.1 billion alternative. 10. The Obama administration recently took $81 million from biomedical research as well as antipoverty programs to boost the diminishing Zika funding. Donald Trump's gastroenterologist Harold Bornstein, MD, recently released a four-paragraph letter, stating, "If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency," according to CNN. Here are five insights: 1. In an interview with CNN, Dr. Bornstein said he doesn't have any regrets regarding his letter on Mr. Trump's health. Dr. Bornstein's letter stated Mr. Trump's lab results were "astonishingly excellent." 2. Dr. Bornstein told CNN that he had patients to see when he was writing the letter and therefore was pressed for time. CNN asked the physician if he regretted playing a part in the presidential election, to which Dr. Bornstein responded, "No. My patients, I take care of them the right way." 3. Dr. Bornstein has been the source of controversy following the letter's release. He signed the letter as a member of the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City's gastroenterology section. While affiliated with the hospital, he is not listed as staff. 4. Although he signed the letter as a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology in December, he has not been a fellow with the professional society since 1995. 5. Since 1980, Dr. Bornstein has been Mr. Trump's personal physician. His father, Jacob Bornstein, MD, has also treated the presidential candidate. More articles on gastroenterology and endoscopy: Patient-targeted CRC websites vary in accuracy, readability: 5 study insights Cost dissuades patients from CRC screening: 5 notes Florida Hospital Center for Interventional Endoscopy adopts Cellvizio System: 4 notes Coastal Healthcare Alliance, the parent company of Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockport, Maine, and Waldo County Healthcare in Belfast, Maine, named Mark Fourre, MD, CEO, according to a report by The Free Press. Pen Bay Healthcare and Waldo County Healthcare signed a partnership in 2015, creating a parent company with a unified board of trustees, according to a Pen Bay Pilot report. Pen Bay Healthcare includes Pen Bay Medical Center, Pen Bay Physicians and Associates and other associated entities. Waldo County Healthcare includes Waldo County General Hospital, five rural health centers and other medical offices. Dr. Fourre currently served as CMO of LincolnHealth, with campuses in Boothbay Harbor and Damariscotta, Maine. He will replace Mark Biscone as CEO of Coastal Healthcare Alliance, who is retiring. Dr. Fourre is a trained emergency medicine physician and completed his residency training at the University of California San Francisco. Coastal Healthcare Alliance and LincolnHealth are a part of Portland-based MaineHealth. From a Florida pain clinic settling billing fraud allegations to a home healthcare owner sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a Medicare fraud scheme, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 1. Coastal Spine and Pain will pay $7.4M to settle billing fraud allegations Jacksonville, Fla.-based Coastal Spine and Pain agreed to pay the federal government $7.4 million to resolve allegations Coastal violated the False Claims Act by billing government payers for medically unnecessary drug screenings. 2. Arkansas attorneys fight fee and damages caps in medical malpractice claims The Arkansas Bar Association is suing to stop a November ballot proposal in the state that would impose new limits on attorneys' fees and pain and suffering damages in medical injury suits. 3. Florida home healthcare owner gets 20 years for $57M fraud scheme The owner and manager of three Miami-area home health agencies was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a $57 million Medicare fraud scheme. 4. AstraZeneca to pay $5.5M for bribery violations AstraZeneca will pay $5.52 million to settle a foreign bribery investigation levied against the London-based drugmaker. 5. University of Minnesota sues Gilead for patent infringement The University of Minnesota is suing Gilead Sciences, alleging the Foster City, Calif.-based pharmaceutical company's hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni infringe on a university patent. 6. Calif. Supreme Court lets hundreds of out-of-state residents sue Bristol-Myers Squibb The California Supreme Court ruled that hundreds of people from 35 states who claim they were harmed by the Plavix blood thinner have the right to sue Bristol-Myers Squibb in the state court system. 7. Illinois sues Insys Therapeutics over drug marketing tactics: 7 things to know Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit against Chandler, Ariz.-based Insys Therapeutics claiming the drug company used deceptive marketing practices to sell its popular pain medication. 8. Senior Healthcare Associates to pay $930k to settle false claims allegations Hermitage, Pa.-based Senior Healthcare Associates agreed to pay $930,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations. 9. NYC high-rise sues Hospital for Special Surgery A high-rise condominium complex on the Upper East Side is suing one of its neighboring buildings belonging to New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery. 10. Employee accuses Oregon hospital of wage theft, discrimination and retaliation A former employee of Oregon State Hospital is accusing the Salem-based psychiatric hospital, its superintendent, the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Human Services of wage theft, retaliation and discrimination. 11. Teen accused of impersonating physician arrested on new charges of theft, fraud A Florida teenager accused of posing as a physician and stealing from an elderly patient is facing new charges of grand theft and fraud. 12. Judge denies request to stay Cabell Huntington, St. Mary's Medical Center merger A Kanawha County Circuit Court judge denied Steel of West Virginia's request to halt Cabell Huntington (W.Va) Hospital's acquisition of Huntington-based St. Mary's Medical Center until after the appeals process. More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits: 12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements 31 recently unsealed false claims cases: 5 takeaways Ex-hospital CFO claims he was fired for blowing the whistle on chairman of the board The Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Hospital lawyers on withholding information about discounts the hospital provides to insured patients, according to The Journal Gazette. Former patient Thomas Frost sued the hospital after receiving a bill totaling $625,000 for a month-long stay after being injured in a truck-motorcycle accident in October 2013. At the time of the accident, Mr. Frost did not have medical insurance. In March, an appeals court ruled a Mr. Frost has the right to challenge the reasonableness of ParkviewHospital's pricing by presenting evidence of lower rates paid by insured patients for the same services. Under Indiana law known as the Indiana Hospital Lien Act, if exact prices for services are not known by either the consumer or the service provider up front, the service provider must offer a "reasonable" price. Mr. Frost argued prices listed on hospitals' chargemasters are not intended to be paid and do not reflect the value of the service performed. Rather, it is a point for negotiation between the hospital and insurance company. The court has yet to issue a ruling on the matter. Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear is accusing a dialysis company of deceptive marketing for a product used in state clinics. The attorney general in a consumer protection lawsuit claims Fresenius Medical Care Holdings promoted its kidney dialysis product, GranuFlo, as safe despite clinical trials finding it harmful to patients. Mr. Beshear's lawsuit seeks to restore millions of dollars spent by Kentucky's Medicaid program for dialysis treatments using GranuFlo, or for the medical costs to treat health consequences allegedly related to the use of GranuFlo. The attorney general accuses the company of Medicaid fraud for using the product in its dialysis machines around patients and employees. Fresenius spokesman Kent Jarrell responded to the lawsuit, saying: "All the company's actions involving these products were appropriate, responsible and consistent with the company's commitment to patient safety," according to an Associated Press report published by the Richmond Register. Fresenius, with North American headquarters in Waltham, Mass., is the largest provider of kidney dialysis and renal care products, treatment and services in the United States, Mr. Beshear said. He said the company has more than 50 dialysis clinics in Kentucky. More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits: 12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements 31 recently unsealed false claims cases: 5 takeaways Ex-hospital CFO claims he was fired for blowing the whistle on chairman of the board Colorado's rapid development of orthopedic centers can be attributed in part to the Baby Boomers, BizWest reports. According to Pew Research, 10,000 boomers turn 65-years-old everyday. Here are five key thoughts. 1. As young and old generations flock to Colorado for its active lifestyle, orthopedic centers are opening and expanding to meet the population's needs. 2. President of Front Range Orthopedics and Spine Center Timothy Pater said that most of the state's active population is going to "at some point require our services." The center is constructing a 32,000 square-foot facility in South Longmont, Colo. It's expected to open in 2017. The center already has three locations, and is expecting to see continued demand from patients. 3. CEO of Orthopedic & Spine Center of the Rockies Mike Bergerson said when he started working there in 2006, the center had 12 physicians on staff. That number has grown to 29. Hip scopes have become one of the 13 special procedures performed at the clinic. The center's Loveland medical building is adding a two-story, 60,000 square foot addition to its current property, adding a surgery center and 20-bed overnight facility, which is what the group has in Fort Collins, Colo. The center opened another clinic this year as well. 4. BoulderCentre for Orthopedics expanded its market share through a merger with Mapleton Hill Orthopedics. It now operates in a 22,000 square-foot space and features 13 physicians, seven physician assistants, six physical therapists and one occupational therapist on staff. CEO Cathy Higgins said the center is considering expanding in sometime over the next decade. 5. Another center Boulder Bone and Joint added an orthopedic urgent-care service. It is staffed by a physician assistant and has an orthopedic surgeon on call. Clinic manager Jeff Buck said if the service is successful, the group plans to offer the service at two more locations. More news related to practice management: Orthopedic surgery center selects Zotec for patient billing: 4 takeaways Nixon, Reagan & more Speculation surrounding presidential candidates' health is old news Twin Cities Orthopedics to add 50k-sq.-ft. clinic in Woodbury, MN: 5 things to know Jeanne Riether does resilience activities with children who are getting treated for leukemia at a Tianjin hospital in 2015. [Photo provided to China Daily] For Jeanne Riether, volunteer work has been a focus of her life no matter what part of the world she's found herself in over the past few decades. "When you actually realize you are finding a way to make a difference to someone's life, you want to do that for the rest of your life," says the 60-year-old humanitarian worker from the United States. China will mark its first National Charity Day on Sept 5, in a sign of the growing significance of charitable efforts, including volunteer work. Growing up in Connecticut, Riether was drawn to Asia since she was young. She lived and did humanitarian work in several Asian countries, such as Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, before coming to China. Her first visit to China was in the mid-1980s. She was working in Kathmandu for a travel magazine and was invited to visit the Tibet autonomous region, Chengdu and Kunming by China's tourist authorities. "Then, I just always wanted to come back to live in China someday. It's just one of those things you don't forget. And about 10 years later, I really did," she says, laughing. Riether has lived in several Chinese cities, such as Chongqing and Harbin, mainly doing voluntary work and teaching at school. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Karabakh is a place which needs to be spoken and filmed, French-Armenian filmmaker Arnaud Khayadjanian said in an interview with Armenpress. My first time in Karabakh happened on July 15 2016. I was invited by Ministry of Culture to screen my documentary "STONY PATHS" at Aznavour Cultural Center. First, I was so interested by the road between Yerevan and Stepanakert. Somptuous landscapes, no man's land, borders beyond the mountains, etc. In Stepanakert, I was very impressed by the contrast between the joy of life and the omnipresence of war. I could feel the thirst of life, the brave of people who suffered. The strongest memory I have... Just before the beginning of my screening, a group of young militaries has made its appearance. They were about 18 years old. I was very touched and surprised. I didn't have the opportunity to talk with them after the screening. I'm so curious about their feelings concerning my movie, he said. Arnaud Khayadjanian said he is planning to make a movie about Nagorno Karabakh. He made such a statement earlier when he was in Armenia, and expressed concern why there are not many movies telling the story of Karabakh. My goal is to spend 1 month on Karabakh to make some researches and to write a screenplay. For now I would like to focus on the youth. As in my documentary Stony Paths, I'm very interested by the consequences of war and painful on the new generation, he stated. Here are eight key stories on minimally invasive spine surgery trends and news. 44 MIS spine devices to know | 2016 Don't overlook these 44 minimally invasive spine devices. MIS spine's promising future Key insights from SMISS President Dr. Greg Anderson Although still debated, minimally invasive spine surgery is gaining popularity with the flow of new research espousing its benefits. Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery President Greg Anderson, MD, of Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute, discusses the future of MIS spine. Dr. Frank Phillips on the state of minimally invasive spine surgery Minimally invasive techniques are more refined than they were even five years ago and device companies along with surgeons continue to innovate in the space. Frank Phillips, MD, director of the division of spine surgery at Rush University Medical Center and co-founder of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Rush, discusses, devices, payment and outpatient ASCs. Minimally invasive vs. open spinal fusion TLIF & PLIF A study published in Spine compares the effectiveness and economic evaluations of open and minimally invasive posterior or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. The complication rates and fusion rates were equivalent between the open and minimally invasive fusions. "Increasing economic data suggest both direct and indirect cost-savings in favor of MIS fusion," concluded the study authors. Trusting a robot Dr. Juan Torres-Reveron on performing 1st US ROSA Spine surgery Someone always has to do it first, so neurosurgeon Juan Torres-Reveron, MD, PhD, of Premier Health's Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, volunteered to take that leap of faith into the realm of robotic-guided spine surgery. In April 2016, Dr. Torres-Reveron performed the nation's first spine surgery using Montpellier, France-based Medtech's ROSA Spine. Global spine biologics market to reach $1.7B by 2020; MIS driving growth The global spine biologics market is expected to hit $1.74 billion by 2020, according to a Technavio report. The growing popularity of minimally invasive spine surgery is increasing demand for spine biologics. Taking minimally invasive spine surgery international: What to expect in the future There is tremendous change in minimally invasive spine surgery internationally. Surgeons around the world are learning less invasive techniques to treat spinal disorders and injuries, and surgeon instructors are learning things from their counterparts overseas. Neel Anand, MD, clinical professor of surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, shares his thoughts about what the future holds in this realm. The role of the surgical microscope in modern MIS spine Mastering microsurgical techniques proves essential for spine surgeons performing minimally invasive spinal surgery. Four spine surgeons provide insight into their acquaintances with the surgical microscope. The European Commission has rejected Apple's claim that an EU order to the company to pay 13bn back-taxes to Ireland was political, noting the calculations were based on facts and Apple's own data. Apple chief executive Tim Cook told the Irish Independent that the EU's order was motivated in part by anti-US bias. But European Commission's Competition chief Margrethe Vestager hit back immediately, saying she will not accept the accusation. "No, I will not. This is a decision based on the facts of the case," she said. Read more Read More She said the calculations of the back-tax owed by Apple to Ireland were based on data provided by the company itself and facts presented during hearings on Apple tax issues in the United States. Ms Vestager said she would meet US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in Washington in September to further discuss the case. Independent.ie Caterpillar is shutting its base outside Belfast and cutting 250 jobs in another devastating blow to Northern Ireland's ailing manufacturing sector. The US firm is restructuring its business here as part of global cutbacks across the business. The company is closing its base at Monkstown in Newtownabbey. Hundreds of staff at the business's three plants were told of the development by management at 2pm yesterday. Following the shattering news, swathes of workers left the factories in shock. It is understood the company will have a period of consultation to determine the spread of the losses over the next two years. The former FG Wilson business has its base at Larne, as well as operations in Monkstown and Springvale in west Belfast. Some staff at the Monkstown facility - a sub-manufacturer of generators - will be offered work elsewhere at Caterpillar's Northern Ireland operations. The firm said the "restructuring is part of the company's ongoing plans to reduce cost in response to current economic and business conditions". According to staff, as part of the restructure, some work will move from Larne to Springvale while fabrication will move to Larne, from Monkstown. Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken accused Stormont of "complacency", but Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said he would "continue to work to minimise the impact on all those affected". "Caterpillar is clearly experiencing a significant and sustained downturn in their business globally which has seen their revenues decline by 21% in the last five years," he added. "Between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2016, Invest NI provided more than 270m of assistance to manufacturing firms here, and I am determined to continue to support our manufacturing sector." Esmond Birnie, PwC chief economist, said the decision was "not a Brexit story" and was "much more about a turndown in global oil". He also indicated that, based on figures showing that the sector overall is growing, he does not believe there is a manufacturing crisis. "Northern Ireland manufacturing has not been able to reach and maintain the productivity and competitiveness levels achieved by the rest of the UK," Mr Hamilton said. Junior Minister Alastair Ross, a DUP MLA for East Antrim, said the company had "dramatically reduced" its workforce across the globe because of a slowdown in big markets including China and South America. "Clearly, this is another difficult day for the Caterpillar workforce, particularly those in the Monkstown plant, with significant job losses of up to 250 employees," he added. Invest NI boss Alastair Hamilton said the agency had been in "regular contact" with the firm since September 2015, when it announced up to 10,000 job losses across the globe. "The scale of market decline has meant that we have not been able to alter the company's plans to consolidate its Northern Ireland operation from four to three sites, with Monkstown to close," he explained. A spokesman for the Government said: "This is clearly a very worrying time for Caterpillar's workers. The Northern Ireland Secretary has already had discussions with the Executive on how we can work together to help prevent future losses and bring new employment opportunities to Northern Ireland." Davy Thompson of trade union Unite said politicians had "stood idly by and did nothing to minimise the threat this posed to Caterpillar's Northern Ireland workforce". The Creightons Eurospar on the Upper Lisburn Road in Belfast Henderson Group, the owner of the Spar franchise in Northern Ireland, has said the falling cost of crude oil has cost it 23.5m, disrupting 15 years of sales growth. The Mallusk-based company, which is split into wholesale, retail, foodservice and property divisions, blamed the fall in oil prices for its first drop in turnover in 15 years. Revenues in 2015 were 659.1m, down 0.7% on 2014, according to results revealed by the company but not yet filed at Companies House. The company's pre-tax profits were 21.9m, up 3.9%. The firm, which is led by brothers Geoffrey and Martin Agnew, said the latest fall in turnover was "entirely due to the deflationary impact of fuel pricing" as oil prices fell from the highs of 2014. During 2015, oil prices reached their lowest levels in 11 years due to over-supply and tension in the Middle East. But despite the impact of oil prices on Henderson Group's bottom line, company director Paddy Doody said it remained confident "despite challenges such as Brexit and the uncertainty that creates". "We expect continued growth in 2016 and will invest accordingly," he added. Without the fall in oil prices, the company would have earned another 23.5m in sales, it said, as litres of fuel sold on its forecourts had increased by 6.7%. But in a statement, the company said it was "pleased with the satisfactory performance of all parts of the business particularly in the light of a very challenging, competitive and economic landscape". The company, which won Overall Business of the Year in the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards 2016, owns the Spar, Europsar and Vivo brands in Northern Ireland. Its retail arm runs 79 company-owned Spar/Eurospar supermarkets, and supplies to another 343 independently owned outlets. And in its wholesale business, the new Enjoy Local brand enjoyed 23m in sales. Its catering arm, Henderson Foodservice, also grew across Ireland. Chief financial officer Ron Whitten added: "Maintaining such a strong set of results against a difficult economic backdrop of deflationary pressures, ever increasing competition from the discounter channel and other competitor groups to produce an underlying growth in turnover of 4.8% is an excellent outcome, particularly when contrasted with the performance of the multiple sector during the period under review. "This has enabled capital investment totalling 34m during the year in new store acquisition, refurbishment of existing retail sites and associated expansion." Asos chief executive Nick Beighton said the fashion firm was pleased to put the trademark litigation behind it Online fashion firm ASOS has forked out 20.2 million to settle a trademark dispute with two firms in Germany and Switzerland. The settlement, with high-performance cycle wear manufacturer Assos of Switzerland and German menswear retailer Anson's Herrenhaus, follows several court cases and trademark registry actions around the world. ASOS said the payout will secure a "comprehensive co-existence for all parties", with the payment reported as an exceptional item at year end. Boss Nick Beighton said: "We are pleased to have put this litigation behind us. Entering into this settlement at this juncture is the right commercial decision for our business." In July, ASOS shrugged off Brexit fears as it upped its full-year sales outlook after cheering "strong" trading. Bobby Dorfman (Jesse Eisenberg) works for his jeweller father Marty (Ken Stott) in New York City,but he yearns for a life of excitement and adventure to rival his brother Ben (Corey Stoll), who is a gangster. So Bobby bids farewell to his mother Rose (Jeannie Berlin) and heads to the west coast to seek employment with his uncle Phil (Steve Carell), a high-ranking talent agent. In order to help his nephew ease into the ebb and flow of Los Angeles, Phil asks his beautiful secretary Veronica aka Vonnie (Kristen Stewart) to look after Bobby. Her kindness kindles an attraction for Bobby, but Vonnie politely rebuffs his advances because she already has a boyfriend. As the relationship deepens, Bobby learns the truth about Vonnie's partner and issues an ultimatum that could send him scurrying back to New York City. Cafe Society is an exuberant, if familiar meditation on affairs of the soon-to-be-broken heart. Three stars The BBC blamed human error for the story There were fears the BBC news website had been hacked after a story was posted in Bengali script. The article, about a police raid on militants in Dhaka, shot to the top of the list of most read on the site on Friday. It was also tweeted by BBC Breaking, which has around 24 million followers. A spokesman for the BBC said it had been sent by mistake by a World Service reporter and was taken down minutes later. "It was just an error, somebody tweeted from the wrong account," he added. "It was literally a human error and it has been corrected." The BBC later tweeted: "Apologies to those who received an alert from @BBCBreaking. We haven't been hacked." The wait is almost over as the release date of the hotly anticipated series 3 of The Fall has been confirmed. The Fall fans have had a long wait since the excruciating cliff-hanger of series two which ended as Jamie Dornan lay shot in the arms of detective Stella Gibson. Anticipation has been building ahead of the hit BBC show's third and apparently final series which is filmed in Belfast. The show stars Holywood's Jamie Dornan as serial killer Paul Spector and X-Files FBI agent Gillian Anderson as tough-talking detective Stella Gibson. Read more: Read More In the final moments of series two the last words heard were Gibson desperately shouting "we're losing him" while Spector appeared to lose consciousness. Anderson plays detective Stella Gibson, seconded to Belfast from the Metropolitan Police, to sniff out serial killer Spector (Dornan) who stalks the city streets for his female prey. Now, along with a brand new dramatic trailer, it has been announced the programme will be on UK screens on Thursday September 29 at 9pm. Speaking previously Dornan said: "You can expect the unexpected. There's quite remarkable turns in the third season that I really genuinely think people won't see coming that are hugely exciting." Robert Rinder is looking for 'meanness' in his Strictly dance partner (BBC/PA Wire) TV judge Robert Rinder wants his Strictly Come Dancing partner to have "patience and authentic meanness". The 38-year-old criminal barrister and the 14 other celebrity contestants participating in the BBC One show will be paired with their professional partners in Saturday night's launch show. Rinder added: "I want her to be splendid and super honest and super mean. Also I want her to be profoundly competitive with the other contestants, so I don't have to be." BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty revealed she is looking for a partner who will "kick her butt". She said she was after someone who is " just going to kick my butt basically, I will try my very, very best and I will work hard but I need someone who is going to go, 'just get on with it - there's no can't, just do it'." According to bookmakers William Hill, pop star Will Young and gymnast Claudia Fragapane are this year's frontrunners so far. They revealed that the pair are the joint favourites to win, with odds of 7/2, ahead of the series launch this weekend. However, former shadow chancellor Ed Balls and Birds Of A Feather star Lesley Joseph are the outsiders. William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly said: "Ed Balls and Lesley Joseph are almost friendless with just 10 people backing either one of them, and the biggest bets have been 10 on Balls and 2 on Joseph." The former Labour minister admitted he would need a professional partner who was "patient, creative and a bit of a DIY paint and decorator", because "I think there's going to be quite a few cracks to paint over". Joseph's partner prerequisites include someone who is patient and will have a lot of fun. She said: " I would rather do something slightly simpler and do it really well than do something so complicated it looks like I'm not brilliant at all. I want somebody who will help me look good." Irish TV presenter and model Laura Whitmore said it is important that she has a connection with her partner. "Everyone who does this says how much fun it is, so it would be great to work with someone I get a connection with," she said. "I've talked to friends who've done the show like Alesha Dixon and Caroline Flack, and she says you both get that connection with someone else and it's not even like a romantic connection, it's just like a best friend. "Basically you trust them with everything. If you make a mistake, it's them who gets you through it and you kind of just hope you get someone you have that connection with, who is kind of like a best friend, in a way." :: Strictly Come Dancing begins on BBC One on Saturday at 6.50pm. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Government allocated 1.2 billion AMD to the Ministry of Transport and Communication for implementing Vardenis-Martakert highway construction works, reports Armenpress. Minister Gagik Beglaryan said the money will be given to Hayastan All Armenian Fund by donation. The funds were received from the Governments reserve fund. Vardenis-Martakert highway reconstruction is carried out by five road construction companies in 12 districts. The highway construction works are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Jonny McNee, here with a model Spitfire, has had a long interest in wartime aviation and was used as a consultant for BBCs Dig WW2 show in 2010 Thousands of high-flying aviation enthusiasts can thank a six-year-old girl's love of chocolate buttons for enabling them to see the remarkable remains of an iconic World War Two Spitfire fighter plane recovered from a remote bog in Donegal after it crashed there nearly 75 years ago. For if Grace McNee hadn't cajoled her dad Jonny into buying her a packet of her favourite sweets in a filling station near the village of Gleneely, the mountains of Glenshinny might never have given up the secret of what had lain undiscovered in the peat since 1941. And the Air Waves festival in Portrush tomorrow and Sunday would not have been able to put the remnants of the Spitfire, including machine gun, fuselage parts, cockpit controls and tyres, on display. "It will give people the chance to get close and touch bits of a Spitfire - a plane whose very name still resonates with so many folk," says Jonny, an aviation historian whose interest in planes took flight as a youngster building Airfix models. "I was always glueing myself to the kitchen table, but my fascination with real planes grew as I went to remembrance services with my clergyman father and met RAF veterans." Hearing about their wartime experiences intrigued the youthful Jonny and his love of aviation has taken off to such an extent that he now has a library of more than 1,200 books on planes, especially those from World War Two. And the 48-year-old is still constantly rummaging in second-hand book shops for hundreds of other volumes that have so far eluded him. Indeed, his knowledge is so extensive that he was a natural choice for the producers of the BBC's Dig WW2 archaeology series to appoint him as a consultant in 2010. Jonny, who lives in Claudy, says: "They told me they wanted to show Northern Ireland's pivotal role in the war and to find out what had been left behind in terms of military and aviation archaeology. "They were directed to me in the hope that I could find them a good site to excavate." Jonny says upwards of 350 British, American, Canadian and German planes crashed in the north-west of Ireland during the war. "The weather, the terrain and the inexperience of pilots caused a lot of accidents," he adds. "The hilltops were strewn with wreckage and they became a graveyard to many young airmen. The first attempt to find a plane by the TV team was centred at the City of Derry airport - the former RAF base at Eglinton - where it was known that a Spitfire from 152 Squadron had crashed, though claims that it had been sabotaged by nationalists from Donegal were dismissed out of hand. The hunt for the plane was abandoned, however, because records about where it had come down proved to be inaccurate and because virtually everything that remained had been salvaged by scrap merchants. It was then that Jonny made his fateful journey to Donegal with the chocolate-loving Grace in tow. "I knew that a Spitfire - P8074 - had crashed somewhere over the Inishowen peninsula on November 30, 1941, en route to a sortie over the Atlantic," he says. "I also knew the pilot, Roland 'Bud' Wolfe, bailed out a short time earlier." Any hopes that Jonny had of finding the aircraft were shattered as he arrived in Gleneely, which was at the tome being battered by rain and high winds. "I looked up at the cloud-covered mountain and I said to Grace that we were wasting our expensive diesel. "She said that chocolate buttons might help us find the plane and I stopped at a filling station to buy her a packet. "After telling the lady behind the counter why we were there, she told us that a chap called Kieran Faulkner might be able to help us. "And just at that Kieran appeared at the door and he said that Martin Kearney was actually the man to talk to about the Spitfire, although he hadn't seen him in ages. "Spookily, however, the woman in the shop let out a scream and said that Martin was filling up his car outside, and he told us his father had been at the crash site and he offered to take me and Grace to it." Even more bizarrely, the next customer was the son of the landowner into whose field the Spitfire's pilot had parachuted. The upshot of the chance encounters - which took no longer than five minutes to unfold - was that the Spitfire was eventually found in a spot which had been unwittingly identified after a TV technician tripped towards the end of a day's search for the plane. Jonny, who is a senior council planning officer, recalls: "We had been working on solid peat all day with no joy, but the ground where the engineer fell rippled and we reckoned its soft texture was significant. "We parted the heather and found that we were standing in a 15-foot oval shaped crater that sat about a foot-and-a-half down from the surrounding peat. "We used some detection equipment and carried out 3D scans and we established there were parts of an aircraft down there." After mechanical diggers dug down 30 foot they hit the jackpot and one by one the Spitfire's Browning machine guns were pulled up to the surface. Other wreckage was compacted into huge cubes and the various bits and pieces had to be picked apart. However, quite astonishingly, Wolfe's leather flying helmet was also recovered along with sensitive papers. They and sections of the fuselage with squadron markings or paint on them, were sent away for specialist care, while Jonny preserved the rest of the plane and its engine, a Rolls Royce Merlin, in his own garage. The Rolls Royce engine and the pilot's helmet were put on show at the Tower Museum in Londonderry, and the hope is that everything that was retrieved from the Spitfire will eventually form part of a permanent exhibition at a maritime museum envisaged for the city's Ebrington Square. But of all the gems that were unearthed in the townland of Moneydarragh, the condition of the Spitfire's machine guns were a particular surprise. Jonny, who has published a book, The Story of the Donegal Spitfire, says: "One Irish Army officer told me they looked as if they'd been buried only the week before. "Some people put that down to the peat, but after the Spitfire crashed at 400 miles an hour it punched its and way through the peat into glacial clay. "This took the oxygen out of the equation, and there was no bacterial activity because the plane was cocooned in a ball of aviation fuel." Experts who examined the machine guns said that one of the weapons could still be fired, and the presenter of the Dig WW2 programme, Dan Snow, went to a range in Athlone to prove the claim was no idle boast. Jonny was given the honour of firing the Browning for the final time. The same machine guns had been shot in anger seven months before the Donegal accident when they downed a Luftwaffe Junkers JU88 off the coast of Norfolk. But the saga of the Glenshinny Spitfire was to take more twists and turns long after it surfaced from the bog, and research showed that there had actually been a diplomatic incident after its crash in 1941. The UK and America were furious that colourful US pilot Wolfe (left), from the US 133 (Eagle) Squadron, was arrested in Donegal after he parachuted out of the Spitfire realising that he could not nurse his overheating engine back into Eglinton. Irish officials interned the Nebraskan-born Wolfe at a camp at the Curragh in Kildare to keep him out of the war and uphold their country's neutrality, even though they had given permission for the British to operate in two secret corridors over the Republic. Wolfe wrote letters to Eamon de Valera, but the Irish President rejected his pleas to free him. The pilot later escaped, but he was returned to the Curragh by authorities in Northern Ireland who did not want to alienate the neutral Republic. After his eventual release, Wolfe flew with the Americans during the rest of the war and later came out of retirement to see action in Korea and Vietnam, but he never talked to his family about what he saw or did in any of the three conflicts. Wolfe died in 1994, and 70 years to the day after the Spitfire crash his two daughters, Betty and Barbara, and 14 members of his extended family were brought to Ireland to see some of the artefacts from the aircraft, including their relative's flying helmet. There were a series of emotional services of reflection, and among those present was Galen Weston, the son of millionaire Canadian businessman Garfield Weston, who had sponsored the doomed Spitfire - the first of a fleet of aircraft with his name on them. Weston, who was a Conservative MP in Macclesfield, had given the British Air Ministry 100,000 to buy new aircraft after heavy losses were sustained in the Battle of Britain. His philanthropy led to the establishment of the Spitfire Fighter Fund appeal, and readers of the Belfast Telegraph responded like no other region in the UK, donating over 88,000, which was enough to buy 17 planes. They were all given Ulster names including City of Derry and Londonderry. The feelings of affection for the Spitfires still run just as deep today, says Jonny. "Everyone loves the Spitfires," he adds. "Yes, the Hurricanes shot down more planes during the Battle of Britain, but the Spitfires were the thoroughbreds who went after the fighters, while the Hurricanes were seen as the carthorses that pursued the bombers." Jonny is looking forward to watching the reactions of people when they see the Spitfire artefacts at the Air Waves extravaganza which is expected to attract upwards of 200,000 enthusiasts to Portrush, where the Red Arrows will be among the stars of the show along with American and Soviet fighter jets. Jonny's daughter Grace, who is now 12, will also be at Portrush with her 14-year-old brother, Dylan, and they will be selling memorabilia on behalf of the RAF Benevolent Fund. Meanwhile Grace's chocolate buttons will never be forgotten - for Jonny has framed the empty packet as a keepsake of their amazing voyage of discovery in the peat bogs of Donegal. An autistic student, whose schoolboy bomb hoaxes and murder threats caused mayhem and distress across America, at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars, wept in his mothers arms on Friday after being freed on two years probation. Belfast Crown Court Judge Sandra Crawford told a now 19-year-old Ben Megarry that his crimes would normally require deterrent and lengthy custodial sentences, but there were a number of mitigating factors in his case, including his age at the time, 15 and the connection between his offending and his undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome. Judge Crawford, who also order Megarry to completed 70 hours community services, said given these mitigation factors, including a number expert reports, she was prepared to accept this recommendations of the pre-sentence report which found there was a low likelihood of his re-offending and that he did not present a danger of serious harm to the public. In all Megarry from Harmin Park in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty to a total of 23 charges in which he made a spate of hoax calls between March and September 2012 to numerous "schools, businesses, public gathering places and airports within the continental United States". In April the court heard that among his targets as a teenage schoolboy, was Columbine High School - the scene of a "tragic and infamous gun massacre". Prosecutor Peter Magill revealed that Megarry phoned Columbine on the thirteenth anniversary of the April 1999 shooting, telling the school principal he was not only "going to finish" what the two killers had started, but "he would not be so lucky ... and that he was going to die". A rodent infestation has forced a west Belfast Primary school to shut its doors right at the start of a new term. Stock image A rodent infestation has forced a west Belfast Primary school to shut its doors right at the start of a new term. Around 450 of St Teresa's Primary School pupils were told to stay home after rat droppings were found in the school grounds. It's believed the discovery was made on Wednesday, just one day before students were due to arrive for the new school year. School principal Terry Rodgers said he hoped the school would now re-open on Monday. "I can confirm that we have had to close St Teresa's for an additional two days at the start of the new school term due to confirmation we received that the school had a rodent issue," he said. "I understand that this is very inconvenient for our pupils, however I can assure parents that the school is dealing with the problem as swiftly as possible. Once we have carried out a deep clean of the school we hope to be open as normal next week. I will be in touch with parents to keep them up to date." Despite the disruption to the start of term, one parent, Lisa-Marie, who has a son at the school, said she was "just glad it being dealt with". Another parent, Paula Armstrong, commented on Facebook: "It's a disgrace that they only found the problem a day before the school opened. The teachers have been in the school a few days." But Karen Downey Donnelly took a different view, saying: "I think most parents would rather be inconvenienced and know that their children are being educated in a clean and pest free environment. Well done to the school for acting appropriately and putting the health and safety of their pupils first." Louise Easton added: "Happy to see that the appropriate action was taken. Great school with a great principal and staff." The school's rodent problem is the latest in a string of rat sightings in public buildings around Belfast. In March guests leaving an evening function in Belfast City Hall were shocked to spot a number of rats. Elected officials were also startled to be disturbed by the unwelcome sight as they left a council meeting. In April, diners in Shaftesbury Square's KFC fled after spotting a large rat on the floor. And in 2015, a Caffe Nero beside Belfast City Hall was also closed for weeks after video footage showed rats scurrying around the premises late at night. Woman was walking her dog on Devenish Island in Fermanagh when she was attacked by cattle A woman injured after a rampaging cow attacked her and killed her dog at a lakeland beauty spot is recovering in hospital. She suffered serious back injuries in the freak incident on Devenish Island in Fermanagh. The identity of the woman remains unknown, but she was airlifted to hospital from the Lough Erne island after the incident earlier this week. A spokeswoman for the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast described her condition on Friday evening as "stable". It is believed she is a tourist who had moored a private hire cruiser at the scenic ecclesiastical heritage site. She was said to be exploring the island with her son and their dog when the cow attacked on Sunday. The family pet later died as a result of injuries. One local man said: "It's possible that the woman's dog spooked the cow. "And if it had a calf, it might have been acting protectively if it believed the pet dog was a threat." An RNLI spokesman said: "Enniskillen RNLI and Rescue Water Craft attended the helicopter evacuation of an injured lady on Devenish Island. "The volunteer crew, who were training at the time, were tasked by Belfast Coastguard and proceeded to the island. "One of the crew stayed with the lady who had suffered back injuries while paramedics were transferred by the boat from the mainland. "The Irish Coast Guard helicopter (Rescue 118) was tasked from Sligo and they airlifted the lady to the nearby South West Acute Hospital." Last night ,none of the local representatives contacted by the Belfast Telegraph were aware of the identity of the injured woman, but all expressed their horror at the attack and offered their sympathies to the victim. Erne DUP councillor Raymond Farrell said: "This seems to have been a lady who had moored her cruiser at Devenish to tour the island with her dog, and then this tragic incident occurred." Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Tom Elliot of the Ulster Unionist Party described the attack as "dreadful" and said his thoughts were with the injured lady. SDLP councillor Patricia Rodgers said she had read about the attack in her local paper. "I hope that the poor lady makes a good recovery," she added. Enniskillen UUP representative Keith Elliot, who lives close to Devenish, said: "I heard the rescue helicopter flying over my house on its way to airlift the victim to hospital after the incident happened." But he heard nothing about the identity of he victim, leading him to think that she was not from the Fermanagh area. "If she was a local person, it would have been the talk of the town," the councillor said. The PSNI should take action against women who call a free helpline to be launched across Ireland for people who have used abortion pills bought online, pro-life activists have said. File image The PSNI should take action against women who call a free helpline to be launched across Ireland for people who have used abortion pills bought online, pro-life activists have said. But supporters have argued that the service offers a safety net to women let down by politicians here. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) is launching the helpline to provide advice to women who take tablets ordered from two websites. The group said strict laws on both sides of the border meant some women would not seek out help because they feared being treated as a criminal. Chief executive Ann Furedi added: "While we wait for politicians to do the right thing, BPAS will provide telephone aftercare to women who have bought pills online from these two women's organisations and who want to speak to someone in confidence about what they are experiencing." In Northern Ireland, administering drugs to induce a miscarriage carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. In April, a 21-year-old woman from Belfast received a suspended sentence after buying drugs on the internet to induce a miscarriage. In June, pro-choice activists illegally flew abortion medication into Northern Ireland at Warrenpoint using a drone. Bernie Smyth, director of the anti-abortion group Precious Life, said police should act if a woman from Northern Ireland called the helpline. "Women and unborn children must be protected from the likes of the BPAS, Marie Stopes International and pro-abortion activists who sell illegal abortion drugs online and instruct women via hotlines to buy and use these deadly abortion drugs," she added. "That is why we expect the PSNI to intervene if a woman from Northern Ireland were to contact the BPAS helpline after having an abortion." But Emma Campbell, chair of Alliance for Choice, defended the service. "The provision of this line offers another safety net where the Assembly still refuses to acknowledge the health needs of pregnant people," she said. "In light of the recent prosecution, it is a beacon of light for many who will have questions and nowhere else to turn." Breedagh Hughes, director of the Royal College of Midwives here, said she supported the helpline, but could not endorse buying abortion pills online. "Anything that helps women that find themselves in a very distressing situation can only be helpful," she told the BBC. She said she also feared women could die from using medication purchased online. "It's a backstreet abortion using another method - it's not coat hangers anymore, it's pills bought online," she added. The PSNI warned people against taking drugs not prescribed to them, cautioning that the side effects could be "potentially very harmful". Jamie Dornan caused a stir in the North Coast as he popped out for dinner while taking a break from a press tour for his latest film, Anthropoid. The Holywood actor has been on a whirlwind media tour alongside Irish actor Cillian Murphy. The Irish premiere for the film took place in Dublin on Wednesday night. Read more: Always good to see Jamie popping in . He must've broken the selfie record #JamieDornan #localtalent #portmagic pic.twitter.com/wCfckbmOAU Ramore Restaurants (@RamorePortrush) September 2, 2016 Another great photo from Portrush last night, this time with Marjorie Mcilfatrick! Lucky Lady! :-)#JamieDornan pic.twitter.com/JjkCV7LzOz Jamie Dornan NI (@JamieDornanNI) September 2, 2016 #JamieDornan in Portrush, Co Antrim, (North Coast of Norn Iron), last night! Thks 2 IG Kadey440 Nice place to relax! pic.twitter.com/GDTWLyiY1E Jamie Dornan NI (@JamieDornanNI) September 2, 2016 Read More The film centres on the plot to kill SS beast Reinhard Heydrich, one of the architects of the Holocaust. Two soldiers (played by Dornan and Murphy) from the Czech Army in exile were trained by the British and parachuted into their homeland on a mission - codenamed Anthropoid - to assassinate Heydrich. Taking some time out of the busy press tour the heartthrob dined at the Ramore Restaurants. Jamie happily stood and took pictures with fans who quickly spotted the actor in their midst and took the opportunity to meet him and get their coveted selfie. Ramore Restaurants later tweeted that he must have "broken the selfie record" during his visit. Marjorie McIlfatrick from Portrush was among the lucky fans who got to meet the star. She told the Belfast Telegraph: "We were told Jamie was in The Mermaid and just happened to notice him in the carpark from up above so my friend and I ran out. We shouted 'Jamie can we have a picture with you' "He was very polite and said yes. I couldn't actually believe it was him in the flesh. So I said 'Jamie, hope you don't mind if I give you a tight squeeze just to make sure you're real'. "It was a fantastic end to what was a brilliant night." Dornan and Murphy will appear tonight (Friday) on RTE's The Late Late Show with Ryan Tubridy. Speaking about how fame has impacted his life Dornan said his family life is very normal - despite his legion of fans. In the pre-recorded interview he said: The fame aspect that comes with being a working actor does not intrigue me in the slightest. I think something like being Irish helps, and my friends. Theres just no allowance for it. In your life, no matter what happens or how much notoriety you gain through your work, the fundamentals of your life dont change. I hope not. "Your wife, your kids, your family and your friends, all that stuff, the stuff that makes you, doesnt change. On nights like this when you go to a premiere and it all seems crazy, its all very heightened but every day is totally normal. Its just a job, you go to work and do your job and then thats it." YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Uzbek President Islam Karimov has died after suffering a stroke at the age of 78, three diplomatic sources told Reuters on September 2, leaving no obvious successor to take over Central Asia's most populous nation. Reuters reports the Uzbek government did not immediately confirm the reports. Earlier on Friday it said in a statement that the health of Karimov, who has been in hospital since last Saturday, had sharply deteriorated. "Yes, he has died," one of the diplomatic sources said when asked about Karimov's condition. Long criticized by the West and human rights groups for his authoritarian style of leadership, Karimov had ruled Uzbekistan since 1989, first as the boss of the local Communist Party and then as president of the newly independent republic from 1991. Karimov did not designate a successor and analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided behind closed doors by a small group of senior officials and family members. If they fail to agree on a compromise, however, open confrontation could destabilize the nation of 32 million that has become a target for Islamist militants. Uzbekistan is a major cotton exporter which is also rich in gold and natural gas. A hint at who is going to succeed Karimov may come with the government's announcement of his death - which one of the sources said was expected later on Friday - and whoever it names to head of the commission in charge of organizing the funeral. Olivia Marshall, who has autism and is finding it difficult to get a school place near her home A Co Down couple are struggling to find a primary school for their autistic daughter after they were forced to wait eight months for an assessment of her condition. Brian Marshall and his wife Christine said the only suitable school where four-year-old Olivia had been accepted would mean a two-hour round trip from their home in Millisle. However, the family lives just a few miles from Killard House School in Donaghadee, which caters for autistic children. Olivia was diagnosed with autism two years ago, as well as global development delay and hypermobility syndrome, which affects the joints and means she has difficulty walking. The Education Authority insisted on carrying out its own educational assessment of the little girl's issues, causing a delay and meaning Olivia missed out on her parents' preferred school. Last December, the family moved back from Australia, where Olivia's parents had spent thousands of pounds to ensure their daughter's condition would be officially recognised by any country. "We lived in Australia for two years and while we were there we got Olivia globally diagnosed with autism - that means worldwide recognised - so if we took her to any country they would accept that diagnosis," dad Brian explained. "We got a lot done before we came home, so we could get her into school without any issues. We came home in December thinking we would travel back early and try and get everything organised so we could get her into school for this September. "But when we got home, we were told that regardless of her previous assessments, we would have to have a Northern Ireland-based assessment too." The parents were told that applications for Killard House School started in May, with places usually filled within weeks. Brian and Christine visited the school in February, and after deciding it was suitable for Olivia put her name forward for a spot. However, they were then told that Olivia would have to undergo a formal assessment process by the Education Authority. "They said it has to be their own assessment," Brian said. "We explained that all the assessments had been done by the book. We spent more than 3,000 in Australia so she wouldn't have to go through all of it again. The process took eight months and came out with the exact same outcome, but because of that delay Olivia missed out on her place. "She may have to travel an hour each way every day to Dundonald instead of five minutes around the corner. A child with special needs will be left upset by all that travel," she said. "She will be sitting on her own on the bus and we don't know how Olivia will react to this. We find it completely unacceptable that the school around the corner is not available." The Belfast Telegraph contacted the Education Authority, but no response was provided. Police recruitment has been suspended until at least December to allow for a probe into cheating at the PSNI training college. Chief Constable George Hamilton told the Policing Board yesterday that three planned intakes of student officers have been frozen until the completion of an independent review of the examination process and the culture within the policing college at Garnerville. The review was ordered after the Belfast Telegraph revealed in June that 54 student officers had been caught cheating in their police examinations and ordered to restart training. Test questions were shared among students ahead of assessment. Planned intakes of new student officers this month, as well as October and November have been put on hold. A provisional date in December has been set aside for the next intake. Mr Hamilton told the Policing Board he acknowledged that there was a practice within the Police College earlier this year "that gave us some cause for concern". He said that some students "went a step too far" when they attempted to memorise exam questions so they could share them with colleagues who had to resit the tests. "Some would say that was good team work. That to me doesn't hold any water," Mr Hamilton added. Student officers caught up in the cheating scandal were ordered back to week one of training and issued with written warnings under the student officer misconduct procedures. Some members of the Policing Board had criticised the sanctions for being "too lenient". Mr Hamilton told board members at yesterday's public meeting that the recruits involved had "expressed regret." He said a five-week review was being carried out by the head of police training in Scotland and that the report would be presented to the board by the end of the month. "The review is to look at the validity of the exam process, content of the course and the culture within the college. We have taken the decision not to bring further student officers into the college until we get the outcome of the review." The Chief Constable insisted that he had "every confidence in the quality of people we are recruiting, assessing and graduating." "That's not blind wishful thinking, but what I've seen," he said. The cheating scandal was uncovered following a complaint from a whistleblower just hours before a squad of student officers were due to graduate from the training college. The PSNI training which the students were caught cheating in is accredited by the Ulster University, which means student officers are both students of the Police College and the UU. Although the university is very strict on cheating, disciplinary action in this case was left up to the PSNI. Michelle and Barry Rocks at Belfast Coroner's Court where an inquest for their still born daughter Cara is being held. It was "completely inappropriate" to refuse a caesarean section request from a mother whose baby was later stillborn, a coroner's court has heard. Dr Tara Fairley said if a woman with a previous history of a c-section asks for the procedure during another pregnancy, she should be facilitated. The experienced medic was giving evidence during the fourth day of an inquest into the death of baby Cara Rocks in 2013. Appearing via videolink, she told Belfast Coroner's Court: "If any patient who has had a previous caesarean section said they wanted an elected c-section I would have acceded to that request and planned the elective c-section for around 39 weeks' gestation." Baby Cara was stillborn at the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, Co Londonderry on June 26 2013. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust, which runs the hospital, has already apologised for her death and accepted a series of failings. Dr Fairley, a consultant obstetrician and clinical director with NHS Grampian, was tasked to independently review the care provided to the infant's mother, Michelle Rocks. Representing the Rocks family, barrister Fiona Doherty QC said Mrs Rocks had a very clear view about the mode of delivery. The lawyer said: "She was quite clear that the best thing for her, in this her third pregnancy, was to have a c-section. "She communicated that at 32 weeks and 36 weeks but was told she was more than capable of delivering the baby herself and the request was refused." When asked for her view on the scenario, Dr Fairley answered: "I would consider that to be completely inappropriate." Mrs Rocks was well overdue when she was admitted for induction of labour on June 25 2013. Baby Cara was stillborn the following day at 4.33pm. According to Dr Fairley, medics failed to spot "obvious" signs of foetal distress following that induction and did not act accordingly by proceeding for an emergency c-section. "Unless birth was imminent vaginally you would deliver the baby by c-section," she added. The court has previously heard how heart rate traces were incorrectly recorded as suspicious and not pathological, meaning critical. Meanwhile, Dr Fairley was also asked to provide opinion on an earlier hospital consultation when Mrs Rocks presented with her baby lying in the wrong position at 38 weeks' pregnant. "It would not be appropriate to discharge someone at 38 weeks' gestation with a transverse lie because the chances of a chord prolapse are fairly substantial," she said. The high profile inquest is the first in Northern Ireland to focus solely on the examination of a stillbirth. Coroner Joe McCrisken has described the case as "historic" and said the region now had legal powers which were the envy of other jurisdictions. On Thursday it emerged that despite being considered high risk, Mrs Rocks never saw the consultant to whom she was assigned. Manchester-based obstetrics expert, Dr Leroy Edozien was also highly critical of the care provided. He highlighted a number of missed opportunities and said Mrs Rocks should have been seen by a consultant at a much earlier stage. "It was clearly a high risk situation and a transverse lie at 38 weeks is always a risk but add that to the risk of uterine scar rupture it is even more of a high risk situation," said Dr Edozien. "The advice she was given was inappropriate and on the balance of probabilities had she been seen by a consultant the management would have been different." When difficulties in tracing Cara's heart rate developed following the induction of labour, Mrs Rocks should have been assessed by a more senior doctor, Dr Edozien concluded. "I think it was not right, given the risk of the situation for the assessment and decision making to be in the hands of an ST1 doctor. If there were strong reasons why a registrar could not go and assess her (Mrs Rocks), if they were busy on the labour ward, that's fair enough. "But, the midwives recognised that (risk) and they knew the level of seniority of who to bleep," he said. Meanwhile, the court heard that a successful normal delivery is achieved by between 67% and 75% of women who have had a previous c-section. The coroner stressed that natural births for many women who had previously had a caesarean section were safe. The risk of uterine rupture exists for between two and seven in every 1,000 for women who go into spontaneous labour, but, when a prostaglandin is used to induce labour that risk increases to around two in every 100 women. Throughout the hearing, Mrs Rocks and her husband Barry were supported in court by their parents and other relatives. The coroner is expected to delivery his findings on Monday. PSNI officers searching properties on Old Glenarm Road in Larne, Co Antrim, as Ciaran Maxwell is charged with terror offences. A serving member of the armed forces has been charged with Northern Ireland-related terror offences. Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell, 30, of Exminster, Devon, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, Scotland Yard said. He is accused of "creating and maintaining hides" in England and Northern Ireland to store explosives. It is alleged that between January 1 2011 and August 24 2016, Maxwell manufactured explosive substances and c onstructed explosive devices. He is accused of carrying out research resulting in the creation of a library of documents likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism - specifically information regarding "the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices and tactics used by terrorist organisations". Maxwell is charged with getting an image of an adapted Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) pass card and items of PSNI uniform. The Metropolitan Police said he is charged with "creating and maintaining hides in England and Northern Ireland to store explosive substances, explosive devices, components for explosive devices, ammunition, weapons, tools and resources used during the construction of explosive devices and assorted other items linked to the preparation of an act of terrorism". A separate charge says that on August 24 2016 Maxwell had a quantity of cannabis in his possession with intent to supply. He has also been charged with fraud and is accused of having images of bank cards and associated CVC numbers for use in connection with fraud between November 1 2015 and August 24 2016. Maxwell was arrested on August 24 by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's counter terrorism command, supported by Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall Police. The Met said property searches in Exminster are now complete, while searches at New Powderham Plantation in Devon will continue into next week and localised road closures will remain in place. PSNI searches in Larne, Co Antrim, are ongoing. Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell has been charged with terror related offences and is set to appear at a London court today. Maxwell from Larne, was arrested in a pre-planned anti-terror swoop last week in Somerset. The 30-year-old of of Exminster, Devon has been charged with three offences. Charge one relates to the collating of "a library of documents" likely to be of use to a person preparing for or committing an act of terrorism; purchasing or otherwise obtaining articles for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism. Specifically chemicals and components to be use in the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices; an image of an adapted PSNI pass card; items of PSNI uniform. It also relates to the manufacture of explosive substances and the construction of explosive devices as well as creating and maintaining hides to store bomb components in England and Northern Ireland. Charges two and three relate to drugs and fraud offences. He is expected to appear in court later on Friday. PSNI searches in Larne are continuing, as too are searches in England and are expected to continue into next week. All the police forces involved with the investigation thanked those who have been inconvenienced by the searches for their patience. Maxwell's arrest involved searches at a house and wooded area in south Devon, as well as in his home town in Co Antrim. Earlier this year, two separate hauls of weapons were discovered in Carnfunnock and Capanagh forest near Larne within three months of each other. An armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines were among the cache recovered at Capanagh in May. Several pipe bombs, magazines and ammunition for an assault rifle as well as bomb component parts and command wires were also concealed in barrels in purpose-built holes in woodland. In March, bomb-making items were found at nearby Carnfunnock Country Park. On Tuesday, Officers returned to the park near Larne to carry out further searches. The Irish government has agreed to appeal the EU Commissions ruling that Apple owes Ireland 13bn in back-taxes. After a short meeting on Friday, members of the Independent Alliance and Independent TD Katherine Zappone gave their approval for the appeal. It followed 48 hours of uncertainty that involved a series of crisis meetings involving the Attorney General and other independent experts. Independent.ie reports that Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan brought a memo to Fridays Cabinet meeting on tax justice. Crucially Independent Alliance junior minister John Halligan who said his personal view would be that Apple should pay the money, said he does not want the Government to collapse over the issue. He is now expected to also back the appeal. The Cabinet has agreed to: A review of our corporation tax code by an independent expert Transpose EU Directives by the end of the year to ensure exchange of information on taxation and greater co-operation between countries Take a lead on Tax Justice by hosting a high level meeting before the end of the year to include international speakers, Industry, campaigners and governments Greater openness on tax rulings with time limits of 5 years and greater oversight for the Public Accounts Committee Despite the agreement, Ms Zappone said this afternoon that the arrangement between Apple and the Revenue Commissioners was "unethical" and said the European Commission "acted in the public interest by bringing this issue into the public, media and political spotlight". "At the outset let me clear there are aspects of the European Commission decision I agree with as it corresponds with my well established views on the area of fair and just taxation which have been articulated many times and are a matter of public record," she said. In respect of the appeal, Ms Zappone said she has agreed to back after significant consideration. She said it would be an opportunity for tax justice for those who have "been denied money as a result of Irelands past actions". "Countries who feel robbed or cheated can use this appeal to make their case. "The appeal is an open forum which will bring legal certainty as to whether the European Commission acted within its mandate," she said. Ms Zappone added that the 13bn figure is not accurate in her view and there would be "no such windfall for Ireland". "In fact the best way to secure any monies for Ireland is through the appeal as to do otherwise will only end in other prolonged court actions and delay," she said. Earlier, Irelands European Commissioner Phil Hogan has strongly backed Brussels in its 13bn tax ruling against Apple. The former Fine Gael Cabinet minister and key ally of Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed he supported the finding of illegal state aid being granted to Apple. The development came as a furious behind-the-scenes row broke out between the Department of Finance and the Taoiseachs office over who is to blame for the Governments ham-fisted response to the crisis. In his first public comment on the issue, Mr Hogan said all 28 Commission members supported the decision. Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mr Hogan said it was a collegiate decision made by the Commission. It was approved by all 28 Commissioners. It will be appealed by the company involved, and perhaps by the Irish Government, if that is what they decide. Given these pending EU court proceedings I can make no further comment at this time, he said. Mr Hogans appointment to the biggest job in the Taoiseachs gift was seen as a reward for taking unpopular decisions around water charges. Today, Finance Minister Michael Noonan will present a memo to Cabinet aimed at addressing Independent ministers concerns around appealing the decision and supporting a drive for tax fairness and transparency. On Thursday Apple chief executive Tim Cook told the Irish Independent that the EU's order was motivated in part by anti-US bias. But European Commission's Competition chief Margrethe Vestager hit back immediately, saying she will not accept the accusation. "No, I will not. This is a decision based on the facts of the case," she said. She said the calculations of the back-tax owed by Apple to Ireland were based on data provided by the company itself and facts presented during hearings on Apple tax issues in the United States. Ms Vestager said she would meet US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in Washington in September to further discuss the case. Independent.ie A child actor killed alongside his aunt by a suspected stolen car being chased by police was "a natural talent", his agent said. Makayah McDermott (10) and Rosie Cooper (34) were walking along a street when the vehicle ploughed into them in Penge, south-east London, on Wednesday afternoon. Two 13-year-olds and an eight-year-old girl, all related to the pair, have since left hospital. Two of the girls, named as Niyah and Yahla, Makayah's older sisters, were trapped underneath the car but crawled out when bystanders lifted it off them. Makayah's agent, Sam Brown, said she signed him in June and described his family as "a very, very talented bunch". She added: "He was a bright character, outgoing, and just picked up scripts and could just go with it. (He was) a natural talent. It's a hard industry, but I believed in him." The driver of the car, a 23-year-old man, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and theft of a motor vehicle. He was yesterday being questioned by police. Lisa Pitman, a taekwondo teacher who knew Makayah, said: "We are in shock and gutted, he was an incredible child. We have been teaching him since the age of four. (The family) will be devastated, just as we are." Ms Cooper's neighbour said she often saw the young mother with her nieces and nephews. Jackie Francis, from Beckenham, added: "It's just horrible. They were a close family." Passers-by have left flowers at the scene of the fatal accident in tribute to the victims. Environmentally damaging microbeads used in bathroom products look set to be banned from the end of next year. Ministers will bow to growing pressure to prevent the tiny pieces of plastic doing harm to marine life by announcing plans for new measures on Saturday, Government sources told the Press Association. A consultation process on how a ban would work is set to be put in train which is hoped will lead to the use of microbeads being halted by the end of 2017. The microbeads are commonly found in items like toothpaste, exfoliating body scrubs, and a range of household products, and have provoked fears the material is building up in oceans across the world, potentially damaging wildlife and entering the food chain. A number of cosmetic companies have made voluntary commitments to phase out the use of microbeads by 2020, but MPs demanded last month that the Government must step in to protect the environment as soon as is practicable due to the threats they pose. The cross-party Environmental Audit Committee warned the Government needed to take strong action by banning the use of such plastics in products by the end of 2017 because of the increasing damage being caused by them. The committee's report said the cosmetics industry is failing to adequately label products which contain microbeads as it urged ministers to ensure greater transparency for consumers. The report suggested microplastic pollution could be more damaging to the environment than larger pieces of plastic because its size makes it more likely to be eaten by wildlife and then potentially enter the food chain, for example a plate of six oysters can contain up to 50 particles of plastic. The report stated there is "little evidence on potential human health impacts of microplastic pollution", but further research is "clearly required". Commenting on the expected Government move, Greenpeace UK senior oceans campaigner Louise Edge said: "It's a credit to Theresa May's Government that they've listened to concerns from the public, scientists and MPs, and taken a first step towards banning microbeads. "Marine life doesn't distinguish between plastic from a face wash and plastic from a washing detergent, so the ban should be extended to microplastics in any product that could be flushed down the drain. If Theresa May wants to show real leadership on this issue, that's the kind of ban she should back." YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. September 2 marks the third anniversary of the death of former President of the Writers Union of Armenia Levon Ananyan. Levon Ananyan was born on October 13, 1946 in Koghb village of Tavush province. In 1964 he graduated the secondary school in Tavush. Levon Ananyan is a graduate of the Yerevan State University, Department of Philology. He has worked in a number of state journals. For approximately 25 years he has worked for the "Garoun" monthly. In 1989, he became a member of the Writers Union of Armenia, and from 1990 2001 he was chief editor for Garoun. In 2001, he was elected the President of the Writers' Union of Armenia. He lectured at the Yerevan State University Department of Journalism. He was the president of the Noyemberyan NGO since 2002. He was also a member of the Journalists' Union. He has authored many articles on social and political issues, which have been published in the state press. He has also translated and published Russian and English books to the Armenian language; he founded "Apollo" Publishers. On May 26, 2008 he was awarded with an Honorary title of the Honorary Worker of Culture of the Republic of Armenia. The biography according to Wikipedia free encyclopedia. Brock Turner was convicted of assaulting a young woman after they drank heavily at a fraternity party in January last year (AP) Brock Turner, whose six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman sparked a national outcry in the US, has been released from jail after serving half his term. Turner's case exploded into the spotlight when a poignant statement from the victim swept through social media and critics condemned his sentence as too lenient. The 21-year-old walked out the main entrance of Santa Clara County Jail without commenting to the media and climbed into a white SUV. He plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. He must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation. The outcry prompted California policymakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and led to an effort to remove the judge in the case from the bench. Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a rubbish bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party at Stanford University in January last year. He plans to appeal. In the June sentencing, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the "extraordinary circumstances" of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He followed the probation department's recommendation for a "moderate" jail sentence. Following a backlash, Judge Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. California jail inmates with good behaviour typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turner's probation. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Mr Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turner's neighbours informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff's office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Officers also will check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities. Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather. "He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor," Mr Fischer said. Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said Turner was given a large packet of hate mail on his release. She said he was held in "protective custody" during his incarceration, but her department did not receive any credible threats. "There was a lot of hate," she added. Independent.ie Islam Karimov, who crushed all opposition in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan as its only president in a quarter-century of independence from the Soviet Union, has died of a stroke at the age of 78, the Uzbek government announced on Friday. Mr Karimov will be buried on Saturday in the ancient city of Samarkand, his birthplace, the government said in a statement. His younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, said in a social media post Monday that he had been taken to hospital in intensive care after a brain haemorrhage on August 27. On Friday, she posted again, saying: "He is gone." Little other information was available. Media freedom and human rights have been harshly repressed ever since he became leader in 1989 while it was still a republic of the Soviet Union. One of the world's most authoritarian rulers, Mr Karimov cultivated no apparent successor, and his death raised concerns that the strategically located country could face prolonged infighting among clans over its leadership, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. "The death of Islam Karimov may open a pretty dangerous period of unpredictability and uncertainty in Uzbekistan," Alexei Pushkov, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told the Tass news agency. Given the lack of access to the strategic country, it's hard to judge how powerful the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan might be. Over the years, the group has been affiliated with the Taliban, al Qaida and the Islamic State group, and it has sent fighters abroad. Under the Uzbek constitution, if the president dies his duties pass temporarily to the head of the senate until an election can be held within three months. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Karimov's demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence. Mr Karimov was known as a tyrant with an explosive temper and a penchant for cruelty. His troops machine-gunned hundreds of unarmed demonstrators to death during a 2005 uprising, he jailed thousands of political opponents, and his henchmen reportedly boiled some dissidents to death. He came under widespread international criticism from human rights groups, but because of Uzbekistan's location as a vital supply route for the war in neighbouring Afghanistan, the West sometimes turned a blind eye to his worst abuses. Uzbekistan, a country of 30 million people famous for its apricot orchards, cotton fields and ancient stone cities along the Silk Road, had been one of the Muslim world's paragons of art and learning. But Mr Karimov cracked down on any form of Islam that was not patently subservient to him. His leadership style was epitomized by propaganda posters often displayed in Uzbekistan that depicted him alongside Tamerlane, a 14th-century emperor who had conquered a vast region of West, South and Central Asia. He was known to shout and swear at officials during meetings and it was widely rumoured that in bursts of anger he would beat officials and throw ashtrays at them. Under Mr Karimov, the economy remained centralized, with a handful of officials controlling the most lucrative industries and trade. A 1996 ban on the free convertibility of the national currency, the som, blocked trade and foreign investment, while unemployment soared and poverty was widespread. Endemic corruption stymied development, despite considerable resources of natural gas and gold, along with its cotton exports. Millions of Uzbeks have flooded into Russia and neighboring Kazakhstan to support their families with remittances that amount to a sizeable part of the country's GDP. Mr Karimov was suspicious of the West and infuriated by its criticism of his human rights record, but he also dreaded Islamic militancy, fearing it could grow into a strong opposition. He unleashed a harsh campaign against Muslims starting in 1997 and intensifying in 1999 after eight car bombs exploded near key government buildings in Tashkent. The explosions killed 16 people and wounded more than 100. "I am ready to rip off the heads of 200 people, to sacrifice their lives, for the sake of peace and tranquillity in the country," Mr Karimov said afterwards. "If a child of mine chose such a path, I myself would rip off his head." In the next few years, thousands of Muslims who practised their faith outside government-controlled mosques were rounded up and jailed for alleged links to banned Islamic groups. In 2004, a series of bombings and attacks on police killed more than 50 people and sparked a new wave of arrests and convictions. Following 9/11, the West overlooked Mr Karimov's harsh policies and cut a deal with him in 2001 to use Uzbekistan's Karshi-Khanabad air base for combat missions in Afghanistan. During a May 2005 uprising in the eastern city of Andijan, Uzbek troops fired on demonstrators, killing more than 700 people, according to witnesses and human rights groups. It was the world's worst massacre of protesters since the 1989 bloodbath in China's Tiananmen Square. Angered by US criticism of the crackdown, Mr Karimov evicted US forces from the base. He later quietly softened his position, allowing Uzbekistan to be part of the Northern Distribution Network supply route for Afghanistan, whose utility declined when Russia dropped out of the network in 2015. The United States in turn agreed to start the sale of non-lethal military goods to his regime. Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov was born on January 30, 1938, and studied economics and engineering in what was then a Soviet republic, rising through the Communist Party bureaucracy. In 1989, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made Mr Karimov Uzbekistan's Communist Party chief in the wake of a huge corruption scandal that involved top Uzbek officials. At the time, Mr Karimov was seen as a hard-working and uncorrupt Communist. On March 24, 1990, the local parliament elected him president of the Uzbek Socialist Republic, and in December 1991, just days after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, Mr Karimov won the presidency in a popular vote. Shaken by a series of ethnic and religious riots in the turbulent years surrounding the Soviet collapse, Mr Karimov was obsessed with stability and security. He said Uzbekistan would follow its own path of reform and would build democracy and a market economy without the turmoil and crises of most other former Soviet nations. After his 1991 election, the fledgling democratic opposition was banned and forced into exile. The media were muzzled by censorship. Law enforcement and security services grew increasingly powerful and abusive, and the use of torture in prisons was labelled "systematic" by international observers. Mr Karimov's death would "mark the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not the pattern of grave human rights abuses, said Denis Krivosheev, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International. "His successor is likely to come from Karimov's closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated." Mr Karimov was a distant leader. His annual New Year's address to the nation was always read by a TV anchor. His wife rarely appeared in public, and his vacations were never announced. But the public was constantly reminded of his leadership by banners with quotes from his speeches posted on buildings and billboards. All of his election victories were landslides, but none were recognized as free or fair by international observers. His only challenger in 2000, Abdulkhafiz Dzhalolov, said he himself voted for Mr Karimov. His nephew, opposition journalist Jamshid Karimov, was forcibly committed to a psychiatric institution after a series of articles criticising his uncle and other officials. Mr Karimov's oldest daughter, Gulnara, generated media buzz over her immense wealth, fashion shows and music videos done under the stage name GooGoosha. Sometimes touted as a potential successor, she was both admired and despised at home. In 2014, she used her Twitter account to accuse Uzbekistan's security services of orchestrating a campaign of harassment against her and deceiving her father. Her tweets then stopped, prompting speculation that she and her 15-year-old daughter were under house arrest in Tashkent. Uzbekistan celebrated its Independence Day on Thursday, which is perhaps why the government had delayed any news about Mr Karimov. Photos carried Friday by the respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru showed what appeared to be undertakers in Samarkand working on a plot in the cemetery where Mr Karimov's family is buried. The Samarkand airport said it would be closed to all flights except specially approved aircraft Saturday, according to US Federal Aviation Administration's website. Uzbek opposition blogger Nadezhda Atayeva said Friday that Uzbek authorities appeared to be cracking down on communication channels. Speaking from western France, she said an opposition contact told her via Skype that government officials had been told to turn off their phones and Internet speeds had slowed. As he spoke, she said, the signal went dead. AP Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff says she will be a strong voice in opposition (AP) Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff is slamming the process that led to her being ousted this week and promising to provide a strong opposition voice to the new government. In comments to foreign media, she said she would move back to her home town of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. Ms Rousseff said she has not developed plans beyond that, but will not shy away from public life. The Senate voted to remove her for breaking fiscal responsibility laws in her management of the federal budget. Ms Rousseff also had sharp words for Michel Temer, who was her vice president before taking over in the wake of her removal. She said that if he does not govern on the platform the two ran on, people will see his government as illegitimate. Ms Rousseff has 30 days to vacate the presidential palace. Brazil's first female president denies wrongdoing, and has frequently pointed out that previous presidents have used similar accounting measures. She said: "I don't have political plans for office, but I do have political plans. I'm going to oppose this government." Ms Rousseff has accused Mr Temer of being the ringleader behind her exit and said she would be quick to raise her voice if his government tries to crack down on protesters. Since her removal, a handful of small anti-Temer demonstrations have been broken up by police. Ms Rousseff has appealed against her removal from office to the country's highest court. It is unclear when the court will rule, but several appeals during the months-long impeachment process were rejected. Almost 34,000 inmates have been released from prisons in Turkey in a suspected move to free up space for thousands of people detained over a failed coup. The move appeared to be part of measures announced last month to allow the release of inmates unrelated to the attempt to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Those who had served half their sentence were eligible, with crimes such as murder and rape excluded from the scheme. Analysts suspect the mass release is a move to make room in Turkeys overcrowded jails to allow the imprisonment of more alleged coup plotters. Bekir Bozdag, the justice minister, said 33,838 prisoners convicted before 1 July who had demonstrated good behaviour were released on Thursday evening. The United Nations and EU have raised concern over a series of purges and crackdowns following the attempt on 15 July, which sparked the detention of more than 40,000 people. Those arrested include civil servants and academics accused of supporting the Gulen movement, which authorities blame for the coup, and thousands of public sector workers have been suspended or sacked. More than 130 media outlets have been shut down, with dozens of journalists detained, while prisoners have reported torture and abuse. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned last month that the purges may violate international law. While we understand the sense of crisis in Turkey, we are concerned that the governments steps to limit a broad range of human rights guarantees go beyond what can be justified in light of the current situation, experts said in a joint statement. Turkey is going through a critical period. Derogation measures must not be used in a way that will push the country deeper into crisis. The amnesty came amid continuing disputes between the Turkish government and EU over a deal struck earlier this year to reduce refugee crossings over the Aegean Sea. Mr Erdogan said his administration had only received a small fraction of the 6 billion (5 billion) pledged in support of 3 million refugees Turkey currently hosts. What happened? The support given until now is 183 million," he said on Friday. And they did not give it to us, they gave it to Unicef. No country can stand alone in this crisis. Unfortunately the promises on this issue are not kept. Some Turkish politicians have threatened to pull out of the deal over the funding and delays to visa-free travel within the EU, sparking concerns the route used by hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers to reach Greek islands last year could reopen. Independent North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un waves from a balcony of the Grand People's Study House following a mass parade marking the end of the 7th Workers Party Congress in Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang on May 10, 2016. North Korea kicked off a massive parade in the centre of Pyongyang on May 10 to celebrate a just-concluded ruling party congress that was seen as a formal coronation for supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. / AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesED JONES/AFP/Getty Images US student David Sneddon, who was first reported missing in 2004, was actually kidnapped and forced to teach English in North Korea, according to authorities. Sneddon, disappeared while hiking in the Yunnan Province in China. The student, who is fluent in Korean, was just 24 at the time. Police initially said that Sneddon had died in a hiking accident, but no body was ever found. David's parents were always suspicious. We knew in our heart that he was alive, so we had to keep fighting, his mother, Kathleen Sneddon told the New York Post. According to Choi Sung-yong, the head of South Korea's Abductee's Family Union, Sneddon has been found living in North Korea where he is being forced to work as a school teacher. According to reports, he lives in Pyongyang and is married with two children. David's parents believe he was kidnapped because of a previous visit to South Korea, where his language skills became known. It remains unclear why Sneddon never contacted his parents or US officials. Independent.ie YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Economy of Armenia examines the sectors which had a decline in economic growth. The Ministry aims to clarify what are the reasons that more than 4% economic activity decline has been recorded in July, 2016 compared to the same period of 2015, Minister Artsvik Minasyan said, reports Armenpress. Holidays are one of the reasons. The companies said they have sent their employees on vacation, they had a production reserve, they did not increase the production volume, but they have increased the export volumes. The second reason relates to the closure of the Upper Lars checkpoint, he said. Referring to the possibility of economic growth, the Minister said they will publish their prediction in near future. Minasyan said fundamental changes are of key importance for him in order for Armenia to have much more sustainable long-term double-digit economic growth. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the parliamentary leader of her conservative party that she is not distancing herself from a Bundestag resolution on the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces that has strained ties with Turkey, according to sources briefed on the matter, Reuters reported. Volker Kauder, the head of the Christian Democrats in parliament, told a meeting of party members that he had spoken with Merkel and she emphasized her position, said the sources, who attended the meeting. Kauder said Merkel also noted that she had voted to support the resolution during a party meeting before the vote, although she was not present when the vote took place in June. The German Spiegel earlier reported the German Federal Government is going to officially announce that it distances itself from the Bundestag resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Bangladeshi activists who fought in the war of independence in 1971 celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Dhaka after Mir Quasem Ali lost his final appeal against his death sentence, Aug. 30, 2016. Death row prisoner and senior opposition figure Mir Quasem Ali could be executed at any time for alleged war crimes committed 45 years ago, after refusing to ask for presidential clemency, Bangladesh officials said Friday. He has informed the jail authorities today that he will not seek presidential mercy. Now, the government can hang him at any time, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told BenarNews. Quasem, a 63-year-old Bangladeshi tycoon and top financier of the faith-based Jamaat-e-Isami (JeI) party, is set to become the sixth senior opposition figure executed for crimes allegedly committed during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, out of which Bangladesh was born. Four of the five executed to date were senior figures of JeI. They were all tried and convicted by a special tribunal known as the International Criminal Court (ICT) six years ago, which the ruling Awami League-led government set up six years ago. The last execution of a convicted war criminal took place on May 10, when JeI party chairman Motiur Rahman Nizami was hanged at Dhaka Central Jail. On Tuesday, Quasem lost his last legal battle to avoid the gallows, when the Supreme Court rejected his appeal of a death sentence handed to him by the ICT in 2014. All preparations are ready Quasem was convicted of alleged war crimes including killing, committing torture and running a prisoner camp in Chittagong during the war in 1971, when he fought on the side of pro-Pakistani forces. At the time, Quasems party, JeI Pakistan, opposed Bangladeshs independence from Pakistan. He was then was the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha, JeIs student front, which evolved into Al-Badr, a notorious pro-Pakistani force that allegedly committed mass killings and rape. All preparations are ready. We will execute him as soon as the authorities order [it], Prashanta Kumar Banik, the superintendent of the Kashimpur jail, where Quasem has been confined near Dhaka, told reporters on Friday afternoon. Quasem had been given 72 hours to decide whether he would ask the president to spare his life, Banik said. The Bangladesh constitution gives the president the authority to pardon any convicted prisoners or reduce their punishments. To receive clemency, convicted persons must confess their crimes and show regret, Alam said. Other JeI leaders who were executed for similar crimes did not apply for mercy. In accordance with the jail rules, family members are allowed to bid farewell hours before the scheduled execution. On Wednesday, family members visited Quasem. Leaving the jail, his wife, Khandaker Ayesha Khatun, told reporters that that meeting was not the last. Since then, they have not visited Quasem. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern. neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke. Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan says there is no need to comment on the Azerbaijani MFAs statements, Armenpress reported. Referring to Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarovs statements who said the negotiations are on the right path, Shavarsh Kocharyan said: Is it not obvious for you that for 20 years there is no need to comment on their statements. They say what is beneficial for them. There is no need to comment, rather it is necessary to move forward you own path, he said. Kocharyan said the St. Petersburg meeting between the Presidents was the continuation of the Vienna meeting during which it was stated that the negotiation process cannot move forward as long as there are provocations, fires at the line of contact. We do not see any result towards that path, but the result will be when the respective mechanisms will be really installed, the capabilities of the monitoring group will be expanded and the provocations will end, he said. For Immediate Release, September 1, 2016 Contact: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728, bsallinger@audubonporland.org Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (503) 544-8512, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org Michael Harris, Friends of Animals, michaelharris@friendsofanimals.org Patricia Jones, Animal Legal Defense Fund, (707) 795-2533, media@aldf.org Judge: U.S. Army Corps Illegally Authorized Cormorant Killing on Columbia River Killing is Nevertheless Allowed to Continue PORTLAND, Ore. A federal district court ruled late Wednesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acted unlawfully by failing to consider alternatives to killing double-crested cormorants on the Columbia River. The birds are the latest scapegoat offered by federal agencies in an effort to divert attention from the on-going harm to Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead from the federal hydropower system. The courts ruling, however, allows continued slaughter of up to 10,000 cormorants and destruction of more than 26,000 nests. Photo courtesy Mark Dumont/Flickr. This photo is available for media use. The ruling comes just months after the same federal judge found in another case that the federal government had once again failed to operate federal dams in a way that does not jeopardize listed salmon. This marked the fifth time in two decades that the courts have rejected the governments plan for addressing the impact of dams on salmon. Unfortunately, on Wednesday Judge Michael H. Simon found that even though the federal government broke the law and even though the benefits of killing cormorants for salmon are uncertain, the killing can continue because it might provide some benefit to salmon. The judges decision is deeply disappointing, said Bob Sallinger, conservation director for the Audubon Society of Portland. The federal government has repeatedly broken the law, failed to address the primary causes of salmon declines on the Columbia River, and overstated the benefits of killing cormorants. Yet the Corps is allowed to continue killing thousands of protected birds. It is time for the government to stop this slaughter and recognize that its cormorant killing program rests on a foundation of broken laws. The continued killing of the birds and destruction of their nests may send cormorant populations below sustainable levels. In spring of 2016, 16,000 double-crested cormorants abandoned their nests on East Sand Island after the government began shooting birds and oiling their nests. Under the terms of their permits, the Army Corps was required to temporarily cease the killing, but it has indicated the killing might resume if enough birds return. We were hoping for an end to the needless slaughter of cormorants, said Tanya Sanerib, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. But this ruling is an important first step in getting our federal agencies to look at alternatives and the science behind them, and address the real threat to salmon: the dams. The Army Corps insistence on resuming the slaughter of cormorants, despite the unprecedented colony failure that occurred last spring and the courts finding that the federal agencies violated the law, is inexcusable, said Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells. The government has flouted environmental statutes designed to ensure informed decision-making, and in the process jeopardizes the western population of double-crested cormorants. Just because the federal court said that the government agencies can continue killing cormorants despite breaking the law, does not mean that they should continue, said Michael Harris, legal director for Friends of Animals. We hope that the federal agencies will stop and focus on developing real solutions rather than continuing to needlessly kill wild birds that likely have little impact on runs of listed salmon and steelhead. The groups that brought this lawsuit are reviewing the ruling and considering their options. They intend to continue to vigorously oppose further bird killing at the East Sand Island Colony. The conservation and animal welfare organizations that brought the case are represented by Earthrise Law Center. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The State Service for Food Safety of the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia has banned the imports of pigs, their genetic materials, pork, and other nutrition containing pork from Ukraine into Armenia. As Armenpress was informed from the State Service for Food Safety, this decision by the head of the institution aims preventing the dissemination of African swine fever recorded in Ukraine into Armenia. The evidence of the existence of the African swine fever in Ukraine is posted in the official website of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). For Immediate Release, September 1, 2016 Contact: Miyoko Sakashita, (510) 844-7108, miyoko@biologicaldiversity.org $10,000 Added to Reward in Case of Shooting Deaths of California Sea Otters OAKLAND, Calif. The Center for Biological Diversity today added $10,000 to the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for shooting and killing several California sea otters. The bodies of three male sea otters were found between Aug. 12 and Aug. 19 near Santa Cruz. All three had been shot. The body of a fourth was found Aug. 20 and had a suspected gunshot wound. Authorities are also offering a $10,000 reward in the case. Shooting California sea otters is a despicable act of cruelty and ignorance, said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center. These shootings arent just a crime against these otters but against nature and, indeed, all of those who value Californias stunning beauty and wildlife. Although sea otters were once hunted to the brink of extinction along the West Coast for their pelts, today they are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as California state law. The crime is punishable by a heavy fine and jail time. Someone, somewhere has likely bragged about this horrible crime and its imperative that leads be reported to the authorities so this investigation can move ahead, Sakashita said. Once that happens, were calling on prosecutors to pursue this case to the fullest extent of the law. Anyone with information about these or any sea otter shootings should contact the CalTIP line at (888) 334-2258 (callers may remain anonymous) or the Fish and Wildlife Service at (650) 876-9078. Anyone who finds a dead sea otter in Santa Cruz County should leave it in place, take a photo if possible, and report it immediately to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at (831) 212-7010. Californias sea otters have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For Immediate Release, September 1, 2016 Contact: Andrea Santarsiere, (303) 854-7748, asantarsiere@biologicaldiversity.org Investigation Sought Over Approval to Kill 4 Wolves Near Grand Teton National Park CHEYENNE, Wyo. The Center for Biological Diversity and Western Watersheds Project called for an investigation and the release of more public information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services authorization to kill four members of the Pinnacle Peak wolf pack in Wyoming. The Service recently authorized the U.S. Department of Agricultures Wildlife Services to remove the wolves due to alleged conflicts with livestock on private land just south of Grand Teton National Park and four miles north of Jackson. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service failed to provide the public with crucial information to determine the propriety of this authorization, including what, if any, nonlethal techniques were employed to avoid wolf-cattle conflicts at these ranching operations. One of the wolves has already been killed, according to news reports. Killing wolves and other wildlife that leave national parks like Grand Teton has come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact such killings have on the mission of parks to maintain ecological integrity and provide opportunities to the public to view wildlife like wolves. The public has a right to know more when these animals are approved for killing by the government, said Andrea Santarsiere, a senior attorney at the Center. There should be a heightened sense of responsibility to exhaust nonlethal techniques on lands so close to a national park, but the Service isnt providing the public with any information to determine if nonlethal methods were used at all. Recent research has shown that if wolves spend most of their time inside national parks but are killed once they leave park lands, opportunities to view these wolves in the park are likely to decrease, which in turn may impact visitation and associated economic benefits to local communities, including the gateway town of Jackson. Some scientists have also found that removing wolves from the landscape can actually increase the potential for future conflicts because younger wolves are forced to provide for the remaining pack without having developed the hunting skills and knowledge necessary to do so. We are concerned that the Fish and Wildlife Service isnt taking relevant science into account before ordering these removals, said Santarsiere. The science shows that hazing and nonlethal techniques are more effective at preventing livestock conflicts in the long run. Wolves in Wyoming are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, but when wolves were reintroduced to northwestern Wyoming in the mid-1990s, the Service gave itself the authority to permit the lethal removal of wolves that pose a threat to livestock or property. Under this authority, the Service annually authorizes the killing of wolves by federal and state employees, as well as ranchers who apply for a permit to kill wolves on their property, and it is under these provisions that the Service has authorized removal of wolves from the Pinnacle Peak pack. The Center has asked the Service to investigate the killing of wolves in the Pinnacle Peak pack, and to provide the public with information about which ranching operations were involved, the location of those operations, whether wolves may be killed on public lands, and what nonlethal techniques were used prior to authorizing lethal removal of these wolves. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia NAIROBI, Kenya - Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has announced the launch of a bold, new 'Access to Medicines (AtM) strategy', aimed at increasing access to its innovative and potentially life-saving medicines for patients with some of the highest unmet medical needs. Mobile screening program for hypertension and diabetes in select local counties in Kenya For decades, the company has provided product, funding and access in many parts of the world, based on regional needs. The new AtM strategy builds on that by focusing on geographies and therapy areas with the highest unmet need. This comprehensive approach is focused on countries with less developed and evolving healthcare systems in areas such as Latin America, South East Asia and Africa, where sustainable approaches to tackle barriers that limit access to medicines are needed to make a meaningful impact on patient lives. Of the 38 million people who die from non-communicable diseases each year, three quarters or 28 million of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Access to innovative medicines and quality healthcare is vital to the health of people across the world, said Christophe Weber, president and CEO, Takeda. In line with Takedas values, our Access to Medicines strategy will expand on our existing commitments to enhance global health, so that our innovative and potentially life-saving medicines can be more accessible and affordable to patients in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement coincided with the Sixth Tokyo International Conference of Africas Development (TICAD-VI), and the companys formal opening of offices in Nairobi, Kenya, from where Takeda aims to forge sustainable AtM partnerships across Sub-Saharan Africa adopting a not-for-profit approach. Takedas new AtM strategy will focus on increasing access to some of its most innovative medicines in the areas of oncology and specialty gastroenterology, as well as its vaccine candidates for communicable diseases such as Dengue and Chikungunya. As part of the Companys not-for-profit approach in Sub-Saharan Africa, Takeda is also working to improve patient access to some of its diabetes and hypertension medicines. The initiative aims to address multiple access barriers common across regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa - including development of AtM-targeted life-cycle management for its existing medicines, accelerated registration of its innovative medicines, increased participation of local centres in clinical trials, establishment of early access programs where applicable, and introduction of innovative approaches to address affordability for those patients whose ability to pay the full cost of treatment is limited. Takeda is committed to help advance patient health via collaborative, affordability-based approaches that bring together key stakeholders to ensure our latest, innovative medicines reach the patients that need them. We have rolled-out comprehensive patient assistance programs in a number of Emerging Markets. Our aspiration is that eligible patients who are prescribed Takedas potentially life-saving medicines will be able to get access to them commented Takedas Giles Platford, president, emerging markets business unit. In countries such as Kenya, Takedas approach goes beyond medicines. The company is working with several partners to enhance local cancer management capacity, increase access to treatment, and address access barriers for other chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. We aim to establish Nairobi, Kenya as a regional centre of excellence for Sub-Saharan Africa in the area of oncology/haematology, added Isabel Torres, Takedas global head, access to medicines. To further that goal, and make a sustainable contribution, Takeda will work alongside governments, NGOs, healthcare professionals, patient associations and local community in multiple Public-Private Partnerships. The opening of our Nairobi office is a significant step forward in helping forge those collaborations and in enabling patients in the region gain better access to medicines. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities are an important cornerstone of Takedas AtM strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two key programs include the Takeda Initiative, a 10-year program started in 2010 to partner with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers in Africa; and HERhealth, which works to address the pressing social need for womens health awareness and services. Takeda has supported the initiative since 2015 in partnership with Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and aims to expand the program reach to women in Ethiopia and Kenya. BENIN CITY, Nigeria - Accelerating growth in emerging markets across the globe, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced the signing of Four Points Benin City, Nigeria. Image by 123RF Owned by Eagle Hospitality and Leisure Limited, the sleek new Four Points hotel is built for the modern traveller with an emphasis on approachable design and stylish comfort. Conveniently located in the heart of Benin City the capital city of Edo State, one of the 36 states in Nigeria the hotel is situated within a five-minute drive to the airport and no more than 10 minutes from the government and business district. Four Points by Sheraton Benin City will further consolidate our strong Nigeria portfolio, opening up yet another emerging destination for international travel, said Michael Wale, president, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. With five hotels operating and another four in the pipeline, including Four Points Benin City, Nigeria is already one of our strongest markets in the region, and the signing of this hotel reinforces the growing demand for affordable lifestyle brands in rapidly developing markets. Four Points Benin City offers 176 spacious guest rooms and suites along with food and beverage options, including an all-day dining restaurant, a pool bar and the brands signature Best Brews program featuring local beers at the lobby bar and lounge. Other hotel facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre, an outdoor pool, 400 square meters of flexible meeting spaces and a fully equipped business centre. The hotel will provide all of the brands defining elements including the signature Four Points bed, complimentary bottled water in all rooms and suites, fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Responding to the demand for affordable yet innovative lodging options is core to our development strategy, said Neil George, senior vice president acquisitions and development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Africa & Middle East. Four Points has the largest number of rooms in Starwoods global pipeline and its compelling blend of comfort, style and affordability make the brand increasingly attractive for owners and developers. With over 200 hotels in nearly 40 countries around the world, Four Points continues to penetrate new markets, globally. The brand is on track to expand its portfolio of rooms by more than 50% in the next five years. The pharmaceutical sector is vital to the South African economy and to its science base, and it will continue to be a key component in the enormous health challenges that will dominate its R&D agenda for the foreseeable future. This was highlighted by pioneering work being undertaken in areas such microbicides to prevent HIV/Aids, as well as drug and vaccine development for malaria and tuberculosis, said minister of science and technology, Naledi Pandor. Minimise the innovation gap The department has developed a plan called the Farmer to Pharma grand challenge, which involves taking the necessary initiatives and building the infrastructure to improve the drug-development value chain. Pandor said: The objective is to minimise the innovation gap and to create opportunities for the commercialisation of products and services that will reduce the burden of diseases affecting the majority of our people. Importantly, we have the primary purpose of stimulating product-oriented innovation. We have a number of platforms (centres of competence and centres of excellence) aimed at stimulating and coordinating research activity particularly in the areas of HIV/Aids, malaria and TB. Part of global community The minister noted that South Africas scientists were part of a global community that seeks opportunities for new treatments to address unmet medical needs. I think particularly of gene therapy, cell therapies and tissue engineering. Such work will prove useful if we can develop strategic mechanisms aimed at turning fundamental research findings into innovative treatments that are not only available but also accessible to patients who need these medicines. Indeed, all of us have a critical role to play in guaranteeing the leadership and cooperation required to ensure that advances in science and medicine will alleviate suffering and meet the critical medical needs of the millions of people on the continent, said Pandor. She stated that foreign investment was encouraged and the government worked hand-in-glove with international agencies. We are also striving to create a positive environment that will encourage innovative companies to invest in South Africa for pioneering research - and to go on to develop and manufacture their innovations in South Africa. Health innovation projects To strengthen our existing health innovation projects and to learn from the experiences of others, we have forged a number of mutually beneficial international partnerships. One such partnership is the Grand Challenges South Africa partnership, aimed at reducing the burden of pre-term birth and addressing the causes of deaths in women during pregnancy and childbirth. Another is the strategic health innovation partnerships (SHIP), which facilitates collaborative research dedicated to addressing the burden of HIV, Aids, tuberculosis, malaria and non-communicable diseases, and helps to secure international research and financial partnerships to drive R&D efforts. In 2014, the SHIP and the programme for appropriate technology in health, or PATH, launched a partnership called the Global Health Innovation Accelerator. This partnership aims to fast-track the most promising technologies to address the health needs of low-resource communities. It will connect the funding, scientific and technical expertise of global partners with local scientists and innovators to accelerate product development, said Pandor. These partnerships reflect a changing world. Our problems are also our neighbours problems. HIV-AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are on the rise in regions previously considered to be safe from their disease burden, while non-communicable including lifestyle diseases now have a devastating impact in the developing world, said the Minister. The minister was speaking at the inaugural IPASA (Innovative Pharmaceutical Association South Africa) Innovative Medicines Summit. The Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) is taking a group of 15 local designers to exhibit their products at the Maison et Objet show, taking place in Paris from 2-6 September 2106. The CCDI has collaborated with Source, an agency that promotes South African design in the international marketplace and the participation of the South African producers at Maison et Objet has been made possible by the support of the dti. Maison et Objet is a leading international lifestyle show for professionals working in the art of living, and it brings together a diverse and extensive range of product offerings from around the world including decor, design, furniture, accessories, textiles, fragrances and tableware. CCDI market support programme manager, Fran Stewart says, Source has a well-established network of buyers as well as excellent distribution systems. We felt this partnership had the potential to open up significant opportunities for our members to gain good traction in the international market. Our developmental agenda is complementary to the more commercial push of Source, with CCDI supporting the gearing up of businesses to be able to trade in the international arena. Exhibitors Among the South African exhibitors in Paris are: Master Wires Bead Craft (based in the Watershed on the V&A Waterfront) specialises in providing high quality bead and wire products and African curios to both the local and international market Sunshine Crafts (Sam Sithole) (based at the Watershed, V&A Waterfront) specialises in making trophy heads and animal sculptures made from recycled car parts and scrap metal Imiso Gallery (located in Woodstock, Cape Town) is known for their handmade ceramic pieces and tableware. Their distinctly African designs with a futuristic edge draw inspiration from a mix of urban culture, local traditions and nature ONEOFEACH (based in Buitenkant Street and at the Watershed) designs contemporary and functional handbags using leather and wax-print fabrics which are sourced from different regions of Africa to create a contemporary high-end fashion product Madoda Fani - Fani Ceramics (Johannesburg) designs decorative clay pots and vessels Art in the Forest (based in Constantia and at the Watershed) showcases the best of Southern African contemporary ceramics, including their studio line Forestware. Art in the Forest is a social enterprise, with one of its key missions being mentorship of young and emerging artists Potters Workshop (Muizenburg) is a creative team of twenty three people, each one coming from varied backgrounds to produce functional unique works of African-designed ceramics Taking the leap from selling locally to engaging in the export market is a big one. The CCDI supports small businesses to understand the complexities of dealing with International markets, be it assistance to understand logistics and risks in order to price products correctly or what paperwork needs to be completed and where to apply for funding, concludes Stewart. As the craft and design sector development agency, the CCDI plays a pivotal role in enterprise development by providing a diverse range of services to support the growth of sustainable creative businesses and contribute to socio-economic development in South Africa. These include a wide range of business support training workshops and mentorships, creativity workshops and an assisted DIY facility helping craft producers, designers and other small businesses to develop new, and refine existing product. The CCDI Market Support programme assists emerging businesses by facilitating market opportunities such as local and international consumer and trade events, craft markets, pop-up stores at conferences and shows, as well as inward and outward-bound trade missions. Growthpoint Properties (GRT) on Thursday, 1 September, reported a 19.8% rise in distributable income to R5.1bn in the year to June, from a year-earlier period. The distribution was boosted by the inclusion of Acucap and Sycom in the review period, as well as the strong performance by the V&A Waterfront. Retail operations at the V&A Waterfront realised 22% growth in sales, with a weaker rand boosting tourist spending and as the company enhanced tenant mix. The weaker rand also lifted the contribution from its operating subsidiary in Australia, where the average value of the rand was R10.45 against the Australian dollar, from R9.92 previously. Vacancies dropped across the retail and office sectors, while the industrial sector had an increase in vacancies as a result of a few large facilities becoming vacant, it said. Net profit slipped to R5.96bn from R7.90bn while total dividend per share was up 6% to 183.8c from a year-earlier period. Growthpoint expects dividend growth for 2017 financial year to be similar to that achieved in 2016 financial year. The stock was off 1.85% to R24.96 in early trade on the JSE. Source: BDpro Subject to approval from the South African Reserve Bank, in terms of Exchange Control Regulations, Famous Brands has acquired 100% of UK-based Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) for 120m (approximately R2.1bn). Pioneer of the premium burger revolution in the UK, the brand was launched in 2001 by three New Zealanders, together with the creative culinary support of eminent New Zealand chef and acclaimed father of fusion, Peter Gordon. In 2010, the Yellowwoods Group acquired the business. The acquisition marked a pivotal turning point in the companys history, setting the brand on its current growth trajectory. GBK now comprises 75 company-owned restaurants across the UK and is widely renowned as the market leader in the premium burger category. The GBK acquisition is rated according to the JSE Listings Requirements as a Category 2 transaction. The purchase consideration will be funded by way of cash accumulated by Famous Brands in its business operations and, to the extent required, short-term funding. Kevin Hedderwick, Famous Brands group strategic advisor responsible for M&A activity says, Enhancing the rationale for this acquisition is the benefit we have derived from the substantial devaluation of the rand since we commenced negotiations with GBK earlier this year. As far back as 2007 when we acquired the Wimpy business in the UK, the group is on record as saying that we would use our foray into the UK as a beachhead to expand our presence in the market as and when suitable opportunities presented themselves. Our investment in the Wimpy UK business has given us invaluable learnings in terms of an understanding of and insight into the local market. Up into new league More recently we have stated our intent to pursue opportunities which will enhance our existing income stream with hard currency earned outside of Africa; the GBK acquisition achieves that goal, and simultaneously upweights Famous Brands into a substantially higher league. In terms of scale and scope, this is the biggest deal the group has ever concluded and one which will transform the future of the business. It will be as much of a game-changer for the group as our acquisition of Wimpy SA was in 2003. GBK is a best in class business and brand, with growing consumer equity, supported by a phenomenal leadership team. In the process of identifying a suitable acquisition target, we scrutinised a wide range of prospective assets over recent years, but none of the other potential targets met our investment criteria, or were aligned with our South African business model. GBK ticks all the boxes; so much so, that we can transfer many of the brands best practices back to South Africa. The GBK team has built an outstanding infrastructure and its processes are world-class. In terms of the contractual agreement, GBKs team will continue to manage the business. No changes to personnel are planned and the intention is for the transition in ownership to be effected seamlessly, with no disruption to operations. We are delighted to inherit an exceptional, highly experienced senior management unit, supported by an energetic, engaged team. Compelling acquisition rationale The brand features a differentiated, flexible fast casual business model, providing access to its products across a range of channels: eat-in and take away service, online delivery and GBK-branded food products in retail outlets. This model creates flexibility across meal times, across a variety of occasions, and a wide range of customers across life stages, social groups and ages, continues Hedderwick. The GBK business is a unique asset of substantial scale, positioned in the wider, unexploited bespoke burger market segment. Both the fast casual and premium burger market segments are growing. Another significant advantage is the well invested estate, proven across multiple locations, types and site sizes, including shopping centres, high streets, city centres and residential areas. This flexible model format enables the brand to reach the broadest audience possible. Furthermore, 93% of the restaurant portfolio has either been refurbished or opened in the last five years. Through continued transformation, the business has delivered sustained industry-leading like-for-like growth. It has an impressive historical financial track record (five consecutive years of same-store sales growth, at a level well ahead of market norm) and delivered in the context of an economic downturn. The low interest environment in the UK is supportive of continued consumer spend, while the impact of fears of Brexit on this sector appear negligible - endorsed by a recent survey which confirms that despite the generally subdued economy, household spend in the Eating Out category is up 4% year on year in June 2016.* Rejuvenating burger market GBK enjoys a unique positioning in the category, being recognised as the catalyst for rejuvenation of the burger in the UK market and setting the standards for freshness, innovation taste and quality. Its market leadership is underpinned by key brand beliefs including: unrivalled farm-to-fork provenance and quality; menu differentiation; and creativity and innovation centred on pioneering and perfecting handcrafted burger comfort. GBK has substantial store growth potential in the UK with a secure, current pipeline of sites in place, supported by the brands excellent track record of successful new store openings. The business has also recently concluded an agreement to re-acquire the franchise rights to own and manage the five GBK restaurants in Ireland, which provides an immediate platform for growth and a significant overseas footprint. Furthermore, there is opportunity to export the brand to South Africa, which would afford Famous Brands representation in the premium burger fast casual dining category where we do not currently compete. In this context, we are confident that the existing business model has the potential to double GBKs restaurant footprint within the next five years, says Hedderwick. Part of the team Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, says, Were delighted to move onto the next phase of growth, with Famous Brands. Since we started dealing directly with the team, there has been real chemistry and a sense of shared understanding and vision. GBK has grown rapidly, and has had continuous like-for-like sales growth, but at its heart, it is much more than that. It is based on fantastic restaurant teams and critically, a continuous journey towards excellence in our food. We like to call it real burger obsession. Our aims remain the same: to continue opening 10-15 restaurants a year in the UK, continually elevate our food and look at other growth opportunities. We feel honoured to be the next chapter of the Famous Brands story and we are delighted to be part of the team. Hedderwick closes, Personally, concluding this transaction is the pinnacle of a sixteen year executive career, during which I have overseen the value of Famous Brands increase from a market capitalisation of R185m to one close to R15bn. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to play the role I have and I look forward to being instrumental in the integration of this brand into the groups business. I am confident that the addition of GBK to our portfolio positions the group optimally to attain its audacious future growth targets. *Source: Financial Times Business Monitor International, Greene King leisure spend tracker report, July 2016 The latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SAcsi) for Restaurants indicates that South Africans are highly satisfied with local restaurant brands, with Ocean Basket topping the list. Ocean Baskets customers are the most satisfied customers with a score of 78.6 in the rankings, followed by Wimpy on 77.8. Both of these restaurants rated on par with the industry average of 77.6 out of 100. Spur and Mugg & Bean received below average scores of on 77.0 and 75.7 respectively. Consulta, the independent research company that compiled the index, surveyed just fewer than 1500 randomly selected customers of Mugg & Bean, Ocean Basket, Spur, Wimpy and other local restaurant brands. The research is conducted independently, without sponsorship from any of the brands, offering impartial insights into the full-service, sit down franchise restaurant industry in South Africa. Comparing customer satisfaction for restaurants internationally, the recently published results of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) for Restaurants show overall satisfaction of American consumers to be 81. This is 3.4 higher than the South African average (77.6). South African restaurant goers have really high expectations from the franchise restaurants they visit. Excellent value for money, top quality food, quick service and a great overall experience are usually on the menu of demands, says Prof Adre Schreuder, CEO of Consulta. If a restaurant can provide all of these, it will score well on the SAcsi. The 2016 SAcsi for Restaurants benchmarks and blends a Customer Expectations Index, a Service Quality Index, a Product Quality Index, a Perceived Value Index and a Perceived Quality Index to achieve an overall result out of 100. The SAcsi provides a weighted average of the various aspects of a customers experience with a brand, the degree to which the product or service has met, fallen short of or exceeded their expectations, and how well it compares to the respondents ideal of what they anticipate their experience to be. Customer expectations Ocean Basket customers have the highest customer expectation, a measure of the customers anticipation of the quality of a companys products or services, with an overall expectation of 80.4 out of 100, slightly exceeding the industry average of 80.0. Spur, Mugg & Bean and Wimpy expectations were in the same range (from 80.3 to 79.7). The rise of social media and greater access to online news and information has made customers more aware of food and service trends globally, leading to a rise in customer expectations. Restaurants have ever-higher standards to live up to, as consumers have become far more knowledgeable about food through shows such as MasterChef, popular cooking and food blogs, social media and South Africas own personality chefs and their globally recognised restaurants, says Prof Schreuder. Ocean Basket has tapped into these popular trends, offering new menu items such as tapas-style food, more grilled options and salad and vegetable sides, while its new Mediterranean sushi menu offers broad family appeal. Ocean Baskets consistency over the last three years has yielded great results for the brand in 2016. Perceived quality of service In terms of measuring customers expectations of service quality, Ocean Basket again led the pack with a score of 82.8 followed by Spur with 82.3, Wimpy with 81.9, and Mugg & Bean with 79.8. The industry average in this category was 80.0. Customers inevitably compare the service and product that they experience with what they have come to expect from previous experiences at a restaurant, along with what the brand has promised in its communications. It is worth noting that while there is a range of scores across all four brands, they are all still relatively close to the industry standard of 80.0, demonstrating that their service quality is on par with what South Africans expect. Perceived quality of products The product quality index measures a customers satisfaction of their recent experience at a restaurant and is measured in terms of both customization and reliability. Compared to the industry average score of 82.5, Ocean Basket and Wimpy both scored 82.7, followed closely by Spur. Mugg & Bean lagged its competitors and the industry average in this criterion. Perceived value Perceived value directly influences a customers satisfaction and whether he or she will return to a particular brand in the future. Ocean Basket is perceived to offer the greatest value and leads with a score of 79.4, compared to the industry average of 77.6. Wimpy scored on par with the industry average, while both Mugg & Bean and Spur fell short of the industry average. It is important to note that although perceived value is of great importance for an initial purchase decision, the impact typically diminishes for repeat purchases. Future likelihood to recommend When asked whether customers were likely to recommend a particular brand to their family and friends, the popular metric used in this criterion is the Net Promoter Score. The Net Promoter Score for Ocean Basket was 36.7%, which led its closest competitor (Spur) in this aspect by more than 5%. Interesting insights The index further reveals several overarching trends, including that South African restaurant goers are increasingly choosing outlets that offer meals made from locally sourced ingredients and that they want to know the nutritional data about the food they order. Customers are increasingly expecting menu options that meet the demands of their personalised Banting, vegan or other specialised eating regimes. Grazing a selection of smaller portions is also an increasingly popular choice that gives patrons the opportunity to enjoy more than one dish per visit, concludes Prof Schreuder. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The press service of the Government of Uzbekistan has announced that it has not issued any statement about the death of the President Islam Karmov, while a number of media representatives had reported about it. At this moment there has been no information spread by any Information resources about the death of the President of Uzbekistan, Armenpress reports a government representative said. Joe Swart and Jonathan Kelsey formed Joekels Tea Packers in 1994, believing there was a gap in the market for an affordably priced, quality tea and so the Phendula brand (which means "to turn around or change" in Zulu) was born. The planning began in earnest in Swarts garage, until they were able to secure their first official work space in Pinetown, where they and five support staff started production of the first Phendula Tips tea bags. They initially used a cement mixer, purchased from a friend, to blend the tea, using an all-African selection of tealeaves to create a strong, rich flavour (which over time became the trademark of the Phendula brand). Friends and family were all roped in to promote and purchase the first packs of Phendula Tips, in order to start stimulating demand for the brand in the trade. Success did not come overnight, but Swart and Kelsey pushed forward, with the firm belief that if we have a good product, then people have to buy it. Today, Joekels Tea Packers is the third largest tea manufacturer in South Africa, recipient of multiple prestigious awards and a producer of a wide range of tea brands that have become household names in South Africa including Laager Rooibos, Laager Tea4Kidz, and Tetley. It is a testament to our quality that we are still selling our first product Phendula Tips, despite all the changes and growth that has happened over the last 21 years, says Swart. The team still believes that Phendula Tips has huge growth potential, as it holds true to the initial brand vision of giving South Africans a premium tea at an economy price. Says Kelsey, When we started Phendula, we were both ready for a change and we believed South Africans were ready for a change too. A key takeaway from this year's FNB Franchising Leadership Summit is that unless franchise business owners start thinking out of the box and embrace the disruptive forces of innovation, creativity and technology, they risk losing market share and ultimately their existence. Themed Disrupting the future of franchising, the summit focused on how the concept of disruption is changing the business landscape, not only in South Africa, but also across the globe. While disruption aims to break traditional stereotypes in the business world, it also presents opportunities in tough economic times when consumers struggle to make ends meet and are constantly looking for value for money. Morne Cronje Morne Cronje, head of franchising at FNB says, As a thought leader and advocate of innovation in South African business, we successfully hosted the Franchise Leadership Summit. Franchise owners were challenged to find niches within their own industries and further enlightened on how embracing disruption could possibly be the key to unlocking the growth and sustainability of their businesses. Key insights shared by Alon Lits, md of Uber and Carlo Gonzaga, CEO of Taste Holdings, amongst other thought leaders, on how their individual brands had been able to succeed in the South African franchise market, clearly demonstrated that Disruption is no longer just a buzz word, but can be quite instrumental in helping franchise businesses to grow. Lits shed light on how Uber had actively come into the South African market and leveraged technology and innovation to disrupt a well-established and competitive meter taxi franchise industry. The business has now taken a further step, and is planning to launch a new service known as Uber Eats, where a variety of food offerings from different restaurants would be offered to consumers through its app. Gonzaga demonstrated a brilliant example of how innovation and strategy can best work together, as he unpacked how the group had overcome a number of challenges to launch two international franchise brands in the country, Dominos and Starbucks, within two years. Taste Holdings successfully entered into a partnership with Starbucks to open stores across South Africa, placing significant pressure on the local coffee market to innovate and review their offerings. The winners are customers, who are getting great value for their money. A key takeout from the summit was the importance of technology as a driver of innovation and disruption, through its ability to influence how consumers view and interact with brands. Disruptive innovations are increasingly being driven through technology eg online banking, social media, apps, online ordering, and cloud computing. The future certainly looks bright for franchise business owners that openly embrace the disruptive forces of innovation and technology, in order to keep up with competitors and constantly remain relevant to customers, concludes Cronje. Regulatory changes are one of many challenges facing the tax industry and the professionals in the field. Any credible practitioner has to be aware of what is happening in the industry and needs to understand the trends and challenges which could impact on the way they work. For example, some of the amendments of the draft Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill will have a direct impact on the tax practitioners, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who need to be in a position to respond effectively through professional development. SMEs Currently, the proposed amendments to the Bill are particularly relevant to the tax practitioner, especially for those who work within the SME sector. The proposed inclusion of personal liabilities companies into the small business corporation section of the Act will have a marked impact on the industry. The Companies Act 71 of 2008 replaced the incorporated companies (Inc) with personal liability companies and Section 1 of the Companies Act defined a private company as a profit company that is not a public, personal liability or state-owned company. The exclusion of the personal liability company in the definition of a private company resulted in its exclusion from the income list of entities included in the definition of small business corporation tax, explains Faith Ngwenya, technical executive at South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA). This has negatively impacted the many small businesses registered as personal liability entities from benefitting from the SME favourable provisions of the small business corporations. SAIPA is working with the government and proposing that personal liabilities companies be included on the SBC list and further motivating for the national treasury to consider backdating the proposed change to the inception of the Act. Tax Indaba This and other topics will come under the spotlight at the Tax Indaba, running from 5-9 September at the Vodaworld Conference Centre in Midrand. The tax policy panel discussion, led by Michael Katz and Judge Dennis Davis, will focus on balancing government enforcement against taxpayer rights, the challenges facing small service companies and the changes to the tax ombud. The keynote address will be done by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner, Tom Moyane. Furthermore, the issues around the Bill will be discussed alongside other challenges, which affect the practitioners day-to-day dealings with clients. Attendees can gain insight into tax dispute resolution, how to approach a SARS payroll audit and estate planning for savings and small business. The drought in South Africa has seen the production wheat and yellow maize down by 28% from nine million tonnes to 7.1 million tonnes, according to Oxfam. Importing two million tonnes is now a necessity and Transnet Port Terminal's (TPT) East London terminal has stepped up to the plate with their recent grain elevator rail connectivity refurbishment to meet South Africa's urgent need for imported grain. The recent refurbishment at the East London terminal of the rail line connecting to the grain elevator and hinterland has already proven to make a significant difference in reducing logistics costs. This innovation is also predicted to offset and alleviate some of the road congestion that has recently raised concerns by residents about traffic congestion resulting from an increasing amount of trucks transporting grain to the East London port. The grain elevator has experienced an increase in volumes handled with the rail revitalisation, allowing the train to load 60 wagons a day. Our most recent success story includes three loads of 40 wagon trains of maize being loaded for Zimbabwe market, the last time this operation was conducted was in 2008, stated East London Terminal manager, Wandisa Vazi. Siya Mhlaluka, general manager, Eastern Cape Transnet Port Terminals added that East London boasts the largest grain silo on the South African coastline with design capacity of four million metric tonnes per annum and an operational performance averaging 170 tonnes per hour. The terminal has the ability to manage higher volumes and will be advantageous in the coming large import of maize. The facility is also strategically positioned to support the agricultural strategy of the region and the country. Through the investments made by Transnet in equipment, infrastructure and training of our people at our various terminals we are geared to accommodate inevitable future demand. The South African government views the countrys ports and terminals as key engines for economic growth and the Eastern Cape is ready to support this strategy. So far, SA has only imported 155,581 tonnes of white maize and has 845,000 tonnes to go to reach its predicted need. We are confident that with our highly experienced workforce and continuous improvements in safety measures in place, the terminal is ready to handle the demand for maize. Through constant engagement with key stakeholders, the terminal is committed to ensuring that the port and its rail connectivity are aligned to this demand, concluded Vazi. Captains of industry have a crucial role to play on the African continent's construction projects, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe says. Addressing the annual congress of Master Builders SA Conference in Durban on Thursday, 1 September, Minister Radebe said while construction opportunities are plenty on the continent, challenges persist. What is clear from the data is that South Africa and Africa remains firmly on the construction investment and infrastructure activity radar. But in the landscape of large-scale infrastructure development, there are challenges. Construction projects face deeply individual complexities and one should not be traversing this space without the necessary know-how, resources and expertise. This is why the captains of industry here at this congress have such a crucial intersect and role to play, said Minister Radebe. Over the past few years, government has championed the Presidential Infrastructure Championing Initiative (PICI), which includes the North-South Road, Rail and Related Infrastructure Corridor. South Africa has registered progress in its 11 PICI projects. It has also submitted an updated North-South Corridor report of progress on 34 infrastructure projects that are mostly in the SADC region. We are aware, for example, that there are more than 110 infrastructure projects currently on the go on the North-South Corridor alone at various stages of development, implementation and project management. A study on infrastructure in Africa noted that Africa has become a megaproject hotspot, with 301 transport, energy, water and mining projects denoting investment of $375bn. We also have a book of 87 infrastructure projects and a list of 24 New Development Bank projects, said Minister Radebe. In addition, the African Development Bank disbursed over $1bn in 2015 on infrastructure alone. Minister Radebe said across the continent, investment in infrastructure continues to be exciting with the building of roads, railways, ports bridges and energy continuing steadily. Private sector financiers have ploughed billions of US dollars into Africa-based infrastructure projects - close to $9bn. Minister Radebe acknowledged that since the start of 2016, the construction industry has felt two impacts, one being the liquidity limitations as the global economy continued to contract and the second being the commodity crunch. What we also know, based on our relatively new experience, is that this infrastructure landscape is a litmus test for national and regional leadership. It is the new circle of influence in which heavyweight political and economic support needs to come together. Purchasing an investment property and renting it out can be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both the landlord and tenant, provided the owner of the property adheres to a few key principles from the start when selecting a suitable tenant. Due to South African legislation, selecting the right tenant can be a rather complex process. However, there are several methods that landlords can use to ensure that they are protected from the risk of delinquent tenants and choose the best possible tenant to occupy their property. The initial step that landlords should take before they advertise the rental property is determining the conditions of the rental agreement. Landlords should be specific about what they want with regards to the conditions within the agreement, dealing with issues such as pets and whether or not the tenant is a smoker. It is essential for the landlords to stipulate in their advertisement that each tenant will be vetted before any rental agreement is entered into. This will have a significant impact on the number of potential tenants who decide to view the property, narrowing the selection down to only those who meet the landlords criteria. Detailed applications Landlords can narrow down the selection further by requesting that each potential tenant fills out a detailed application form when applying. The application form should request the tenants personal information such as their employment details and contactable references. Tenants can also be asked to provide supporting documents which would include a copy of their identity document and a salary slip to verify employment and affordability. Once the landlord has received an application form with the attached supporting documents, they will be able to proceed with a credit check and criminal record check. During this stage of the vetting process the references provided by the tenant should be contacted and verified. Once the vetting process has been complete and a suitable tenant has been selected, it is imperative that a comprehensive and legally sound lease agreement is drawn up, which stipulates all necessary conditions in detail. The terms of the agreement must be agreed upon and signed by both parties. To avoid any confusion or uncertainty regarding each partys obligations, the lease agreement should be as detailed as possible. The agreement should include a pre-occupation inspection report to be concluded with the tenant present, along with details regarding aspects such as the deposit, rental amount, maintenance and upkeep. Time frames should be allocated to the required clauses as well as penalties, should any condition be breached. Property remains landlords responsibility Even though a lease agreement has been signed, the property still remains the landlords responsibility. If at any stage of the tenancy, a utility bill is not paid; the landlord will ultimately be required to settle the outstanding balance. Ideally landlords should be aware of what is happening with their property and ensure that all accounts are paid and up-to-date. Certain measures can be taken to minimise the risk posed by a defaulting tenant, such as prepaid electricity and water meters, for example. If this is not an option, a deposit for these accounts can be agreed upon beforehand. While landlords need to be respectful of the tenants rights and their privacy, it is advisable that home inspections are conducted on a regular basis. The inspections must be at the tenants convenience, ensuring that any issues or breaches in the contract are dealt with as soon as possible. If problems are left, they will cost a lot more to rectify further down the line. For example, if a late or non-payment is not addressed immediately, within a short space of time the tenant could be a few months behind and incurring further utility costs. Aside from the escalating costs, legal action may need to be taken in order to get the tenant removed from the property, which will also be a costly and time-consuming exercise. Rental agent A professional rental agent is a good option for landlords who dont have the time to manage their rental portfolio. For a percentage of the rental income, an experienced, reputable rental management agent will have the expertise and resources to ensure that the property is managed in the correct manner. A professional management agent will assist the landlord with tenant selection, reference and credit checks along with the day-to-day management of the property. They will also be up-to-date with the latest legal and regulatory developments to protect landlords and tenants. Rental agents will have procedures and systems in place to professionally avoid any potential problems and deal with any disputes that may arise. If necessary, they will also have access to the legal resources and experience to deal with any situation efficiently. If a property rental is handled in the correct way from the start, with ongoing professional management, many unnecessary and unpleasant situations can be avoided. Taking the right measures from day one can be the difference between a landlord in trouble and one whose buy-to-let portfolio is producing a regular income and growing in capital value. Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries 10 reasons why you need to visit the Thornybush Game Reserve Located adjacent to the Kruger National Park, the private Thornybush Game Reserve is situated in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Since the Thornybush Game Reserve is private, experienced game rangers are afforded much more freedom than in a national park. Travellers can be treated to off-road game drives, as well as evening game drives. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is in Africa to learn and share his dream of a connected world. Zuckerberg, who co-founded the social networking site in 2004, is in Nigeria for a few days to meet developers. He wants to try to understand how Facebook can better support technological development and entrepreneurship in Africa. Pictured from left: Eric Thimba and Porgie Gachui, co-founders of Mookh; Wandia Gichuru, CEO, and Makena Mutwiri, head of Marketing of Vivo Active Wear; Mark Zuckerberg, Ime Archibong, Emeka Afigbo of Facebook; Edna Kwinga, HR officer, and Marie Amuti, UX designer of Twiga Foods. At a Q&A session with Zuckerberg in Lagos yesterday developers got to quiz him on everything from his business savvy to thoughts on the local delicacies. Sharing his vision, Zuckerberg said that as the technological ecosystem continues to develop it would get more affordable and less physical. "In future we'll have augmented reality products where, for instance, you'll be wearing glasses and not just seeing the world but adding things to it. A television will be a $1 app and no one will need the physical thing. Things won't need to be physical and that will unlock a lot of creativity, that's the future I hope we'll reach," he said. Zuckerberg believed this was achievable within 10-15 years and that African countries like Nigeria had the perfect "entrepreneurial energy" to make this happen. Last year Facebook opened its first headquarters in Africa in Johannesburg. At the time Facebook said it would focus on growing markets such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. Yesterday, Zuckerberg reiterated this commitment and said access to the internet and connectivity was paramount. He said his company had a three-pronged approach to this: first build infrastructure, then make it affordable by developing apps that are not data-heavy and finally to ensure people understand the value of access to the internet. He said: "When people talk entrepreneurship what's important is drive, because that's what gets the job done. When you're trying to build something it's about who wants it most." Source: The Times SEOUL - Samsung will halt sales of its latest flagship smartphone and recall millions of units, it said Friday, after faulty batteries caused some handsets to explode in a massive blow to the South Korean electronics giant's reputation. Users began posting photos and videos on social media late last month showing the charred Galaxy Note 7 with part of its 5.7-inch touchscreen burnt and melted, saying it suddenly caught fire. Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker, said it would recall 2.5 million units shipped globally to countries including the US and South Korea, and offer new devices to existing users. It is the first large-scale recall of one of Samsung's top of the range phones. "We have received several reports of battery explosions on the Note 7 that was officially launched on 19 August... and it has been confirmed that it was a battery cell problem," Koh Dong-Jin, the head of Samsung's mobile business, told reporters. "We are deeply sorry for causing concern... and causing inconvenience among our users." He said the faulty rate amounted to 24 handsets per each million sold and that it would take about two weeks to prepare replacements. The company has also been forced to delay the handset's planned release this month in several European countries including France. The news comes as Samsung's archrival Apple is due to unveil its iPhone 7 on Wednesday. The mobile division accounts for the lion's share of Samsung's business, but has been increasingly squeezed by competition both from Apple's iPhone and by lower-end devices from Chinese rivals such as Huawei. The latest recall is expected to hurt its bid to outsell the iPhone 7, said Lee Jang-Gyoon, researcher at the economic think tank Hyundai Research Institute. "Samsung released the Note 7 early to secure a leading position in the market in advance, but now the impact of the move will be blunted," he said. Samsung currently uses batteries made by a number of different companies, including its sister firm Samsung SDI. Koh refused to name the supplier of the faulty battery but said sales in China, where it uses a different supplier, will be unaffected. Sales in China started on Thursday. Samsung - South Korea's largest firm by value - posted a better-than-expected gain in net profit for the second quarter, boosted by solid sales of its high-end Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones and aggressive cost-cutting. On Friday, shares were up 0.6% after falling for two days in a row and after investors shaved $7 billion off the market value of the company on Thursday amid concerns about how the explosions would impact the firm's reputation. One analyst who asked not to be named said the incident could take a "significant toll" on the firm's third-quarter earnings. But Jeff Kim, analyst at Hyundai Securities, said the impact of the latest recall would likely be limited. "Technical errors on modules and other parts at smartphones often happened before, usually within a month after its launch," he said in a report on Thursday. He added that such problems can be fixed relatively quickly, and that Samsung would be able to resume sales of the Galaxy Note 7 soon. Source: AFP Update from Samsung South Africa: "To date (as of 1 September) there has been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7. For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks." YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Member of US Congress Adam Schiff has sent a congratulatory message on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the independence of Artsakh Republic (NKR), Armenpress reports, citing the official Facebook page of the congressman. Today marks the 25th anniversary of independence for Nagorno Karabakh, a cause for celebration as well as remembrance of the lives lost so that Artsakh could be free. Despite facing many challenges in its quarter century of indepedence, Nagorno Karabakh is a democracy with a growing economy. In April of this year, Azerbaijan launched its most violent offensive across the Line of Contact in years, causing the deaths of hundreds of civilians and military personnel. The United States must stand against this dangerous and destabilizing aggression, by holding Azerbaijan accountable, investigating potential war crimes, and demanding a peaceful resolution. Acceptance among transport regulators of internet ride-sharing app Uber is growing, says the company's Sub-Saharan Africa managing director Alon Lits. Lits was speaking at the FNB Franchise Summit held at Johannesburg's Montecasino on Thursday September 1. He attributed the success of the "e-hailing" service to its disruptive model. Alon Lits "Disruption happens with challenges. There has been push-back from taxies," said Lits. This was evident not only in South Africa but in Latin America, London and Paris too, he said. "But we see commitment from governments around the world to make changes because they see the benefits that Uber brings." Currently a bill is being tabled in Parliament to introduce an e-hailing by-law to the National Land and Transport Act. "We are not clear on when it will be passed," said Lits. Earlier this year, Fin24 reported that over 300 Uber cars were impounded between January and June 2016 because drivers did not have metered taxi permits. But Lits highlighted that it's not about treating meter taxi services and Uber as separate entities. "It's not about Uber or taxi. It's about Uber and taxi." He explained that meter taxi drivers can use the Uber platform as an additional revenue stream. Worldwide, Uber operates in over 500 cities, 70 countries and has over one million drivers. Uber was first launched in Johannesburg, three years ago, followed by Cape Town and Durban. In South Africa, there have essentially been 121 trips to the moon and back on the platform, he said. "It is a reflection of the exponential growth potential in South Africa," he said. Globally, the service hit its one-billionth trip booked in December 2015 and its two-billionth trip in June 2016. Source: Fin24 Read this report on News24Wire.com. FRANKFURT: The German government has accused Fiat-Chrysler of building emissions-cheating technology into some vehicles, in a letter to the European Commission seen by AFP on Thursday. Fabio Alcini via 123RF "From our point of view, evidence has been provided of the use of an illegal defeat device" in some diesel-powered Fiat-Chrysler vehicles, the letter from the German transport ministry reads. Germany launched an investigation into emissions cheating earlier this year after Volkswagen's September 2015 admission that it had added so-called "defeat devices" into 11 million vehicles, designed to make them appear less polluting under regulatory tests. German government sources have now told AFP that the affected Fiat-Chrysler vehicles include two Fiat 500x models, a Jeep Renegade and a Fiat Doblo. Excessive NOx emissions "Step-by-step reduction of the exhaust treatment and a related step-by-step increase in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions" was found in testing by both German and Italian authorities, the letter continues. Affected vehicles deactivated their storage catalytic converters and exhaust recuperation systems after six test cycles or a 22-minute delay - two minutes longer than the standard length of an emissions test - resulting in NOx emissions "9 to 15 times higher than the legal limit", it said. But Italian authorities saw the shutting-off of exhaust treatment as a permissible exception designed to protect the engine - sparking a disagreement with the Germans. The transport ministry said it wrote to the Commission after the Italians refused to demand that Fiat-Chrysler recall and modify the affected vehicles so that they would conform to European emissions standards. "We ask the European Commission to carry out a consultation with the Italian authorities to bring about a solution," the message concludes. Testing rules In the wake of the VW scandal, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt in June said that a swathe of other carmakers' vehicles had showed irregularities in testing, ranging from France's Renault to Fiat to Japan's Nissan. He called on his counterparts from other EU nations to toughen emissions testing rules and require carmakers to explain why they included the technology in their engines. Fiat denies any wrongdoing. A spokesperson on Thursday refused to comment on the latest development in the saga, saying the carmaker had "nothing to add" to a press release on the matter issued in February. In that statement, Fiat said it complied with emissions regulations and that its vehicles were not equipped with devices that could detect when they were being tested. Under EU law, each manufacturer earns approval from its national regulator, allowing it to sell vehicles Europe-wide. But critics say the system means that regulators can go easy on their own country's automakers. Berlin has been under pressure from a German parliamentary inquiry set up in July, which is looking into whether the federal government could have turned a blind eye to excessive emissions. The European Commission has so far downplayed the need for new rules. Source: AFP Mitigating the impacts of climate change and illegal fishing on oceans and coastal communities are increasingly important with fisheries and aquaculture emerging as transformational forces for African economies. This was FAO director-general Jose Graziano da Silva's key message to leaders at the African Ministerial Conference on Ocean Economies and Climate Change in Mauritius. ValeriaRodrigues via pixabay "Healthy and productive oceans are critical for combatting rural poverty, ensuring food security, improving nutrition and achieving Zero Hunger," he said. "Stakeholders from fishing, shipping, energy generation and tourism, to list a few, require responsive and innovative solutions to turn climate change impacts into opportunities," according to Graziano da Silva. Climate change is an oceans issue, too African nations are increasingly realising the critical need to diversify beyond land-based activities and build their country's often rich relationships with the sea, the FAO leader said. But that relationship is becoming less and less predictable due to environmental changes. "Coastal communities are already being affected by a combination of ocean warming, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, salt-water intrusions, ocean acidification and subsequent changes to the resources they depend on for food and livelihoods," Graziano da Silva noted. And yet, attention to climate change impacts on the ocean has lagged behind concerns for impacts on land and atmosphere. This will have to change in order to unlock the full potential of blue growth in broader marine and maritime economies, and prevent others from losing their existing livelihoods, Graziano da Silva said. He underscored the disproportionate impacts on Small Island Developing States, saying that "For SIDS countries, this has become a fight for survival." In these countries, coastal communities are not only more dependent on natural resources but also less able to adapt to change - particularly those in Africa." Port state measures essential to unlocking blue potential Climate change is not the only challenge to coastal nations seeking to unleash their true blue potential. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing puts additional stress on oceans and marine resources, siphoning off billions worldwide in government revenue in the process. For this reason, FAO has been urging governments to sign on to the international Port State Measures Agreement that recently entered into force and will play a key role in combatting illegal fishing and improving fisheries management. Currently, however, only 13 out of 34 SIDS countries are party to the agreement, of which only nine countries are in Africa, Graziano da Silva stressed as he urged governments to consider taking immediate action to implement the treaty. At the next Our Oceans Conference, September 15-16 in Washington DC, I would like to present publicly the list of countries that have ratified the PSMA, he said. The blue economy Global fish production has grown steadily in the last five decades, even outpacing world population growth. Between the 1960s and 2012, the average per capita fish consumption almost doubled, rising from just under 10 kg to more than 19 kg. But the blue economy runs on more than just fish. In all, global ocean economic activity is estimated at $3-5 trillion. Ninety percent of global trade moves by marine transport and over 30 percent of global oil and gas is extracted offshore. What's more, expanding knowledge of marine biodiversity has provided breakthroughs in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food production, and aquaculture. Graziano da Silva highlighted the role of ocean health in the UN's new Sustainable Development Goals, along with the success of last year's COP21 Climate Conference in Paris, where marine health featured prominently for the first time. Looking ahead at the upcoming COP22 in Morocco, the FAO leader said the organization will highlight how oceans can help grow economies and manage climate change at the same time. "The goal of the international community should be not only building a sustainable green economy but also a blue one," he concluded. Dan Mindel, cinematographer on Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Thelma and Louise, Mission Impossible III and The Amazing Spiderman 2, returned to South Africa for the kykNET Silwerskermfees which recently took place in Cape Town. Dan Mindel with Nondumiso Buthelezi He was invited to the festival, as part of a new M-Net initiative in association with kykNET to facilitate conversations between South African filmmakers and international experts. This event was also held in Johannesburg and facilitated by Marc Baleiza. Part of the initiative included a competition that young filmmakers from South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance (AFDA), Big Fish and Umuzi Academy were invited to enter, by submitting a short fictional film or mini documentary. The prize included R30,000, a mini master class with kykNETs content team, as well as the opportunity to display their work at the 2017 kykNET Silwerskermfees. Over 75 film entries were received and reviewed by kykNET. Mindel and a team from the South African Society of Cinematographers (SASC) then selected the winner. South Africa will always hold a special place in my heart. To return, and be able to step into conversation with South African filmmakers has been a privilege, says Johannesburg-born Mindel. Nondumiso Buthelezi, the director of a short film titled Oswenka, was announced as the winner of the competition. The film looks at a tradition started by Zulu migrant workers in the 1950s where on Saturday nights they would compete for the title of best-dressed man. Oswenka hit a nerve its interesting, genuine and raw. I was most impressed by its contrasting colour palette and its texture, said Mindel. A film titled Isango by Darren Parker, Luke Gordon and Karien van Biljon was placed second and Sea Skeletons by Tamsyn Reynolds was placed third in the competition. According to Yolisa Phahle, CEO of M-Net, Based on the entries received it is clear that this is a progressive and socially responsible industry. It is increasingly diversified, it creates employment, and importantly, the work documents our past, the present and paints a picture of our imagined future. Following the announcement that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will deliver 100,000 chickens to some of the most poverty-stricken areas of Africa, co-founder Bill Gates sat down for an interview with Eleni Giokos for 'CNN Marketplace Africa'. Bill Gates on CNN Founded in 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aims to reduce poverty, enhance healthcare, expand education and provide access to technology across the world. In the last 15 years, the foundation has invested more than $9 billion in Africa alone. On CNN Marketplace Africa, Gates is asked whether the initiative to deliver chickens will also impact the future monetary value of these locations in the future. Gates explains to Giokos: Yes, the culture work we do is to improve livelihood and improve nutrition. The chickens are a good example. If a woman gets some chickens then it's the eggs Some of those are being eaten in the household for the kid's nutrition, some of them are sold in the market. So that you have better finances for school fees and things and amazingly the amount of work once you have the right chickens can be quite modest. Turning towards Gates other work, Giokos asks about his work with power supplies, and questions how this impacts the foundations work in Africa. Gates explains to Giokos: Africa has two big problems. One is that most Africans don't have reliable electricity. In fact the population has increased twice enough that there is more people with less electricity today than 20 years ago Gates also discusses the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations aim to eradicate polio: Once we have the last case they wait three years to certify us it becomes the second disease ever to get completely eradicated. Certainly within my lifetime We are understanding more, each of our successes helps us be smarter about the next one. Cutting child death in half again - it went down in 1990 to 2015 from 12 million a year to six million. We are going to cut it in half again over the next 15 years. So the goals like that are what excite me. Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries SUBSCRIBE Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at Abe's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, January 28, 2016.[Photo/Agencies] Diplomacy is not simple math. By ignoring this fact, Japan again failed to trade checks for political payout from African countries at the recent Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development summit in Nairobi. Japanese diplomats had burnt the midnight oil to lobby African countries to put issues beyond Africa's development in the Nairobi Declaration, which was issued on Aug 28. What Japan expected were remarks on United Nations reform and the South China Sea issue to counter China. But the fact is, less than half of the African countries participated in the summit and the talks on drafting the declaration stuttered as some delegates were unhappy with Tokyo's plan to make the declaration political. With natural resentment against any move reflecting colonial era politics, the African countries opposed Japan's attempt to impose its will upon them and bring Asian issues to Africa. As a result, Kenya didn't issue a joint statement with Japan after a bilateral meeting between their leaders on the sidelines of the summit, although Japan's Kyodo News Agency claimed on Aug 29 that such a joint statement was released. And as the declaration shows, Japan had to agree with the African countries' views. Moreover, the contents related to maritime issues in the declaration are confined to the field of maritime security cooperation among African countries. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did announce that Japan would invest $30 billion of public and private funds in Africa in the next three years. But Tokyo should realize checks cannot buy respect, particularly on a continent that values genuine friendship. Africa should not let itself be used by Japan to politically challenge China, nor should international forums such as the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou and the upcoming East Asia Cooperation Leaders Meetings in Laos. Hostility, if not ended, will continue to eat into Japan's diplomatic resources without yielding any political returns. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. President Bako Sahakyan held meetings with the delegations of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic on September 2 that arrived in Artsakh within the frameworks of festive events devoted to the 25th anniversary of the NKR independence proclamation. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of Artsakh presidents Office, issues related to bilateral ties were on the discussion agenda. The President welcomed the visit of representatives from the fraternal countries to Artsakh considering important deepening and developing relations with them on a continuous basis. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh (NKR) Bako Sahakyan received a group of Republic of Armenia's National Assembly deputies on September 2 who have arrived in Artsakh within the frameworks of the festive events devoted to the 25th anniversary of the NKR proclamation. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of Artsakh Presidents Office, issues related to the parliamentarian ties between the two Armenian states were discussed during the meeting. Czech Deputy PM has cast doubt on Nazi oppression of Roma citizens 2. 9. 2016 cas cteni 2 minuty During his visit to the North Bohemian town of Varnsdorf, Andrej Babis, the Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Secretary, an influential oligarch in the Czech Republic, expressed the opinion that the Nazi concentration camp for Roma citizens at Lety "was not a concentration camp". Babis said: "There used to be a time when all the Roma people actually worked. When the idiots in newspapers say that the camp at Lety was a concentration camp, that is a lie. It was a work camp. If you did not work, you were sent there straight away." The Prague Respect weekly asked Babis about the source for his assertion. Babis said, "This morning I visited the Kovarska housing estate in Varnsdorf where the local citizens told me how they are being terrorised by their Roma fellow citizens. They are being threatened by them and they are afraid to live there. Their properties have lost their value. I was surprised that there are so many people there and that they do not work. So I mentioned that when I visited the Ravak firm in the town of Pribram, Mr. Vareka, the founder of that business, told me that he remembers the times when all the Roma people worked. He also mentioned Lety which in his view was not a concentration camp, but it was only a work camp, so I repeated his words. In Varnsdorf, we primarily talked about how [the Roma people] abuse the social welfare system. Citizens told me that in Slovakia, social benefits are given only to people with up to three children and no more. They told me that in their view [in the Czech Republic] some families get tens of thousands of child benefit in the Czech Republic and they do not need to work. So we talked about how social welfare benefits are being misused." These statements are remarkable because the Czech ministry for social welfare has repeatedly explained on its web pages that the urban myth about Roma families receiving large amounts of money in social benefits, so that they do not need to work, is incorrect. Czech social democratic Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has sharply criticised Andrej Babis for his statements about the Roma: "I would like to recommend to Mr. Babis to go to the Lety concentration camp and to acquaint himself with historical facts, how the Nazis killed the Roma by various methods. Then he should feel ashamed, he should apologise and stop saying such nonsense." The concentration camp in Lety was transformed into an exclusively Romany camp on the orders of the head of the Gestapo Heinrich Himmler in 1942. Shortly before that, the Nazis had adopted a plan for the extermination of all Jews and Roma. More than 500 Roma people died in the Lety concentration camp. Source in Czech HERE 0 STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 2, ARTSAKHPRESS: His full speech is presented below: I would like to thank Minister Steinmeier for this important initiative to exchange views in preparation for the OSCE Ministerial Council in coming December, to deploy efforts to make Hamburg meeting joint success. Indeed, success is not merely measured by the number of adopted decisions, but the quality of our dialogue. It is evident that any challenge in the OSCE area needs to be dealt through dialogue. We can debate endlessly the essence and scope of the OSCE principles and commitments, which should shape this dialogue. However, if we do not agree on one basic principle then apparently all our efforts will be in vain. The non-use of force or threat of use force constitutes that very principle. Unconditional adherence to non-use of force is essential for any security related endeavor in the OSCE area. The April preplanned large-scale military offensive of Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh, accompanied by atrocities and gross violations of the international humanitarian law was not merely another escalation of this conflict. It was a challenge to common security and stability of the OSCE area. It seriously threw back the process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution. Such attempts of using force as an instrument of pressure on the negotiating process, if not adequately addressed, may pave the way for serious destabilization with unpredictable consequences for entire region. To restore the trust in the process of the conflict resolution, measures should be taken to prevent use of force and create conditions conducive for the advancement of the peace process. This was the main aim of the two Summits on Nagorno Karabakh held in Vienna in May and in St. Petersburg in June. First of all, it is a necessity to implement what was particularly emphasized and agreed upon in the framework of these Summits - the full adherence to the 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements, which do not have time limitations, the creation of mechanism for investigation of ceasefire violations, the expansion of the capacity of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. Conflicts in the OSCE area are not identical when it comes to principles upon which they should be resolved. Each and every conflict has its own features and should be approached based on its specificities. There is one common principle that should be pushed in all conflict situations and that is non-use of force. Either our way or the war approach is a dead-end. This type of language was used in the OSCE by Azerbaijani diplomats who, ignoring the approaches expressed in five statements of the presidents of the Co-Chair countries on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution, are trying to present their own perceptions or interpretations as the only peaceful way of the settlement. When even diplomats talk in such a language then the problem goes far beyond a mere lack of a good will. The rights of people residing in the conflict areas need to be put in the heart of both crisis management and conflict resolution. The recognition and the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno Karabakh is essential in any substantive progress within this conflict settlement. Dear Colleagues, Effective arms control regime and its full implementation are crucial in ensuring practical application of the principle of non-use of force or threat of force. We read with great interest the August 26 article of the Chairman-in-office containing a proposal to re-launch the arms control. Armenia has always been supporter of improved cooperative security arrangements aimed at enhanced transparency and predictability in the OSCE area based on the principles of restraint and risk reduction. It is in this vein that Armenia is going to engage in the discussions regarding the future of arms control in Europe. The uncontrolled and skyrocketing accumulation of offensive weaponry should be prevented. We appreciate efforts aimed at updating the Vienna Document. But, we need also to employ more efforts to ensure the implementation of the current Vienna Document and OSCE commitments related to the arms control. We saw repetitive violations of essential provisions of the Document including those related to notification of military exercises and verification. Dear Colleagues, We have consistently highlighted protection of rights of people living in the conflict areas, enhancing OSCE capacities first and foremost in the conflict related field missions, strengthening confidence building measures in all three dimensions. Full implementation of commitments related to conflict cycle particularly the Vilnius decision should come first in this regard. In conclusion I would like to stress that Armenia will continue its support to the German Chairmanship in preparation of the Hamburg Ministerial Council. Thank you." Col Saw Sann Aung, from the splinter group, said: If they wont retreat, we will have to respond through military action with our forces. The announcement issued on 31 August, several days after fighting started with the DKBA, happened on the first day of the Union Peace Conference-21st Century Panglong in Naypyidaw. The DKBA wanted to attend the five-day conference that ends on Sunday and sent letters in June and July to the government requesting an invitation, but these went unanswered. Saw Sann Aung said that efforts to be included in the peace process have been ignored by the government and previous Thein Sein administration. The latest fighting from 29 to 30 August happened after rumours circulated that the splinter group abducted five elephant handlers for ransom money. Burma Army Infantry Battalion 230 and 231 and BGF Battalion 1016 reportedly attacked the DKBA, positioned west of Kaung Hmu village in Kawkareik Township. At some point in the ordeal, DKBA Maj Nar Ma Kyar was rumoured to have been killed by one of the prisoners. Col Saw Sann Aung has denied both the kidnapping and death of the major, but agreed that the group demanded money. Led by Brig Gen Saw Kyaw Thet, the splinter group formed on 16 January after breaking away from the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army. Last year, its mother group was involved in extensive fighting with the Burma Army over the collection of toll fees on the new Asia Highway. Reporting by Sa Isue for KIC News Translated by Thida Linn Edited by BNI staff Since the above preamble was written over 60 years ago, ethnic armed conflict has yet to be resolved. However, the peace process is under implementation, the people of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, expect lasting peace and a consolidated democracy. The mission is possible for our nation and people. The question of constitutional power for the ethnic state and people should be addressed in both a legal and constitutional context. Armed ethnic leaders have shown two strategies for winning peace and political legitimacy over the past sixty years but the last strategic resort is on display. The military offensive strategy has proven less desirable to gain victory and failed in political legitimacy in modern liberation movements across Southeast Asia. The remaining political mobilization strategy is high stakes. The ethnic armed leaders have been touring the motherland, at the heart of the political capital in Yangon, Mandalay and other ethnic states over the past five years. The process of winning peace will never be complete unless the public model is attached to the discourse. The ethnic armed leaders have two fronts for a new political legitimacy within the new context of Myanmars constitutional parliament. The issues of a national defense force and the constitutional power for the ethnic states. This article is on the explored issues of constitutional power of the ethnic states. This is at the heart of the matter of the peace process and for future policy framework for the ethnic armed leaders next roundtable conference. The ethnic armed leaders have been working, writing and advocating for constitutional power over the past 15 years after the first ceasefire agreements were signed by most of the ethnic armed groups. It is pointless for the armed ethnic leaders to push a federal model institution unless the current NLDs Government and the Military Force of Myanmar (Tatmadaw) support, in principle, that constitutional power for the ethnic states be debated in the Union Parliament in the next 1-2 years sitting. The constitutional power of the ethnic states must be set as the first agenda in the next series of peace conferences by the armed ethnic leaders. However, the NLDs government should be given time and space for further legal and constitutional frameworks for the parliamentary debate. A process of creating constitutional power for the ethnic states should be supported by the legal and international constitutional experts but the local Myanmars context must be adhered to, morally and culturally. The ethnic armed leaders and politicians called for a formation of the ethnic Burmans State, or Burmese ethnic states, in the recent conference held in Kachin territory. Regardless of rhetoric held by the ethnic leaders, a formation of a new state (for either Burmas race, or other races) shall be explored from the perspective of the nations social, political and security contexts. It is a proposal that could delay a healthy or mature debate on the constitutional powers of ethnic states if the peace process is not sustained long term. The armed ethnic leaders, politicians and activists have the vital role in the peace process but the balancing act should be maintained in order to restore faith and trust between the Burmese race and ethnic races, at least in seeking political powers. The principle of federalism is not a written in the stone in modern political literature, either in the eastern or western world. However, it is a process of sharing ideas and resources between legal, social and political institutions within a set of rules. The ethnic armed leaders have options in many aspects to win legitimacy within Myanmar. Not least is that election for a local seat by local people to local government is on the cards. Therefore, the armed ethnic leaders must propose for a federal model to be open for further debate instead of standing by the red line. In February 2017, the preamble of independence will mark the 70th anniversary in Myanmar. An aspiration of justice social, economic and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship, vocation, association and action; equality of status, of opportunity and before the law should be articulated by action. The last step for the armed ethnic leaders to pave the way towards political power, constitutional power of the state and its legitimacy needs to be acted in a balanced way, for the public expects lasting peace, security and harmony for the next generation. Armed ethnic leaders firmly acknowledged to the worlds leaders their painful war experiences in the quest for peace, stability and regional security. The rights to rule must be agreed upon but constitutional power for the ethnic states should be debated locally, nationally and internationally by the diverse people of Myanmars land. The armed ethnic leaders and soldiers must be acknowledged that they sacrificed their entire lives to the nation and people of diverse races. Constitutional rights must be guaranteed in the peace process and beyond. The next stage is to call a separate election for the State Parliament and Government. This is the next agenda for the peace agreement. The constitutional writing process should be inclusive for the next 2-3 years in the making. It is the last option that the armed ethnic leaders have called for. Constitutional power to the ethnic states for lasting peace but the process must be a balancing-act for fruitful outcomes for the people. This is the last step of the 60-year war for peace. Its legitimacy shall be in written in the history books as the making of modern Myanmar. Constitutional power for the ethnic states will be the last battle to be won by the armed ethnic leaders through a pen, not a fire-arm. A pen is cheaper than a gun, at least by the price, let alone the cost of human lives. Two Puerto Rico control board members came under fire from local politicians and analysts, who said they should have been disqualified because of past connections to the government that created the island's $70 billion debt crisis. Most of the criticism was leveled at Carlos Garcia, former president of the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico, who was among the seven people appointed Wednesday by President Obama. The board, established under the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act, is to oversee and, if necessary, overrule Puerto Rico's local government. It will have the right, under certain circumstances, to petition a court for restructuring of Puerto Rico's public debt. "Any person that has been involved in the government in the last 10 years, for effectiveness of the process, should be out of the process," Gustavo Velez, chairman of Inteligencia Econ-mica, an economic consulting firm based in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. "We want people who were not indirectly or directly involved in this fiscal crisis." Garcia should resign, Velez said. As president of the GDB, Garcia oversaw the commonwealth's sales of bonds, in the administration of Gov. Luis Fortuno. During this administration's tenure from 2009 to 2013, Puerto Rico and its public corporations borrowed about $35.5 billion, mainly in bonds, according to Janney Fixed Income Strategy. Garcia helped bankrupt Puerto Rico and thus shouldn't be on the board, said Emilio Pantojas, professor at University of Puerto Rico. "I was very, very surprised to see" the names of Garcia and Jose Carrion III on the control board, Pantojas said. Carrion was a lower-level official in the Fortuno administration. Pantojas said he also may have a conflict of interest as the brother-in-law of Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi. Pierluisi is a member of the New Progressive Party, and any connection between the control board and Puerto Rico's two main parties is a problem, Pantojas said. "It is hard to see having the people who made the problem making the solution," said a Popular Democratic Party staff person in the Puerto Rico Senate. Fortuno was a member of the primary opposition party, the New Progressive Party. Appointing Garcia and Carrion was a political action, she said, and Fortuno was behind their appointment. Fortuno was a Republican as well as NPP member. Garcia was nominated by one of the U.S. Congress' Republican leaders under the procedure for appointing the board set up under PROMESA. By sitting on the board Garcia would be inappropriately affecting his own legacy, Velez said. Another appointee to the control board, Jose Ram-n Gonzalez, also led the GDB, Velez noted, though he last served in 1989. According to the El Vocero news website, Puerto Rico Senate President Eduardo Bhatia Gautier and PDP candidate for resident commissioner Hector Ferrer have called for Obama and the U.S. Congress to remove Garcia from the board. El Vocero reported the Melba Acosta Febo, who resigned at the end of July as GDB president, also voiced concerns about Garcia. According to the PROMESA law, Obama can remove board members for "cause." There is no mention of Congressional approval for removals. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., objected to the board on similar grounds to what Puerto Ricans are using concerning Garcia. On Thursday he tweeted, "Disappointing to hear that Puerto Rico's fiscal control board will include some of the architects of the crisis." Garcia couldn't be reached and the Obama administration didn't respond to request for comment. Jeffrey Zients, director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy said in a blog the members had been carefully vetted, as required by PROMESA. "These seven individuals bring a broad range of skills and expertise needed to tackle Puerto Rico's complex challenges and put the future of the Americans citizens in Puerto Rico first," he wrote. "A majority of the board members are Puerto Rican, reflecting the President's commitment to ensure that Puerto Ricans are well represented." 572 | October 26, 2022 17:43 10 residential buildings built in Ivanyan with the funds of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund will soon be put into operation 554 | October 26, 2022 16:27 Pediatric neurologists from Yerevan conduct free exainations in Stepanakert 517 | October 26, 2022 17:41 Pope Francis receives Armenian FM 505 | October 24, 2022 15:04 Video shows destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Azeri-occupied Artsakh territories 443 | October 27, 2022 10:00 Artsakh parliamentary forces convene emergency session and rally on October 30 422 | October 25, 2022 17:52 The construction of the new section of the Stepanakert-Martakert highway being completed 415 | October 28, 2022 17:40 Putin to have private talks with Pashinyan and Aliyev 397 | October 27, 2022 09:10 71 servicemen discharged from hospitals after Azeri attack in September The next phase of the $50 million project to revitalize the New York State Fairgrounds will include improvements to the Iroquois Indian Village. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that the state will fund the $750,000 project at the village, which is located in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds. Much of the work will focus on the Turtle Mound, which hosts cultural dances three times a day in the Indian Village during the fair's 12-day run. The Turtle Mound will be rebuilt and more closely resemble a turtle once the work is complete, according to the governor's office. The venue will have an improved stage, a covering overhead and a backstage building for the performers and storage space. The project also will include new commercial stoves and a walk-in cooler for the Soup House, the Indian Village's restaurant and main source of revenue. The building's roofs will be renovated and the natural gas, sewer and water infrastructure will be improved. The work will begin after the 2016 fair. It's expected to be complete prior to next year's fair. "Indian Village is a celebration of our native New Yorkers and one of the true landmarks of the Great New York State Fair," Cuomo said. "The sweeping changes made to the fairgrounds have already greatly enhanced the experience of fairgoers, and this additional investment not only builds on that progress, but helps ensure Indian Village remains a thriving component of the fair for decades to come." Cuomo's announcement came on the same day the fair marked Six Nations Day. The special fair day honors the Six Nations of the Iroquois Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora. Norman Jimerson, president of the Six Nations Agricultural Society, said the organization is "grateful" for the investment and the upcoming renovations to the Indian Village. "Indian Village is a great tradition at the New York State Fair with fairgoers coming from across the state to see our performances," Jimerson said. "It's important that the people of New York state understand where we come from, and this project will ensure we have the opportunity to continue to share our culture, deeply rooted in agriculture, with the fair's 1 million visitors. "We look forward to having a dedication ceremony next year to celebrate the revitalization of Indian Village." Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy At the end of the company results presentation last week, FNB Botswana Chief Executive, Steven Lefentse Bogatsu radiated confidence. It was surprising to some who attended the results presentation at Masa Hotel, as the bank has just posted a decline in profit after tax of 15 percent. Its not something to smile about, but itd seem not for Bogatsu. The next time we issue a cautionary statement, it will be about positive financial results, said an upbeat Bogatsu. What is making this former Chief Financial Officer of the same bank bullish while the rest of the market is bearish?The banking industry has transformed in the past few years, especially from the regulation side. Bank of Botswana wants to ensure commercial banks sweat for their profits. The fragile economic climate is also not helping the situation for banks which are known for super profits. At First Place, the FNBBs headquarters, it will seem good times are here to roll. According to FNBB top man, the past two years have seen the company re-organising its balance sheet, cutting costs where necessary and improving liquidity to remain afloat in the highly competitive banking industry. Bogatsu himself was brought back from Swaziland where he was CEO of FNB to steer the ship at the local operation, which is among the big four in the country. He inherited a bank which was posting declining profits. Liquidity squeeze, which nearly brought the whole industry which is half the size of the countrys economy to its knees, was one of the reasons which contributed to the massive fall in profits. Two months after being appointed to the current post in April 2015, Bogatsu saw FNBB posting 18 percent drop in profit after taxation to close June 2015 at P591 million. However, after just over a year at the helm, he is confident that they have turned the corner and shareholders must expect more in the coming full year profits. Behind the scenes, the bank which is a unit of FNB South Africa has been working hard behind the scenes to prepare the ground for good times which are set to roll. The bank is customer centric, which is key for any service business. We want to focus more on the customer. We also need to redefine our market segmentation, said the confident Bogatsu. A modern day bank customer, who is techno-savvy, does not need to spend time in the banking halls. This explains why FNBB has launched a number of online and mobile banking services to address this type of customer. It pays to offer this type of service, as customers are charged a fee to access such. This non-interest fee is what the bank needs to augment revenue from interest income, whose margins are influenced by Bank of Botswana monetary stance. In the coming months, there will be a lot of collaborations between the bank and other service providers. Currently, several service providers have partnered with the bank to have their customers (of service providers) pay through the bank. This is also non-interest income that FNBB continues to chase with unsigned service providers. In the last couple of months, FNBB, which has a market capitalisation of P7, 8billion, launched a number of products in an attempt to grow revenue from all angles. Products such as Paypal, e-wallet bulk send, Moemedi Insurance and 105 percent property finance have flooded the market. Bogatsu is thrilled that the 105 percent mortgage service has been warmly received by the existing and new customers.Cross selling of the banks products has also taken centre stage. Moemedi Insurance is one product that is being cross-sold to the banks customers and the industry has warmed up to it. These products have been well received. We will be reaping rewards in the coming months, Bogatsu who was accompanied by his right hand man, Chief Financial Officer, Makgau Dibakwane, said. The above products are likely to pick the lenders non-interest revenue. This is even more critical for FNBB bottom line especially that rates have gone down and pressure has piled on banks to look for profits away from interest products. Last month, the central bank slashed key lending rate by 50 basis points to 5, 5 percent. At 5, 5 percent, the rate is at a two-decades low. The bank has also focused its attention on revenue diversification. For example, the FNB Connect has grown by 95 percent, online banking, 15 percent and mobile banking at 16 percent. In the year under review, the BSE listed bank saw its advances jumping by 12 percent, outpacing market growth of 8 percent. We focused on growth in advances where we have the risk appetite, chipped in the purse holder, Dibakwane said. Advances to customers closed the period at a whopping P14, 3 billion. All in all, the bank balance sheet closed at P21 billion, a figure which is about half of the countrys 2016/17 budget. However, the bank which is celebrating 25 years of existence in Botswana this year also experienced challenges on impairments. Some of its customers, especially those employed in the mining sector were hard hit, as others lost employment. The mining sector has slashed jobs on the backdrop of reduced demand for its produce, especially from the worlds second biggest economy, China. Meanwhile, the bank has reported that operating expenses also increased considerably. Dibakwane said, as they invest in infrastructure and human capital, operational costs are bound to go up. The bank is busy revamping some of its branches. The Gaborone industrial branch has been opened after it underwent renovation to give it a state of the art feel. Kanye branch has been relocated to a much more prime plot at an extra cost. However, as the bank exits troubled waters, the industry it is operating within is still facing an uncertain future. Most banks depend on credit for their profit. However, as of June 2016, year on year credit extension averaged 8 percent, reflecting a drop when compared to 13,5 percent the year before. The reason given by Bogatsu for the fall is that businesses are finding limited opportunities that they can access credit to invest in. The domestic economy is expected to expand by 4, 2 percent this year on the backdrop of steady recovery in the diamond sector, the economys biggest export revenue earner. The FNBB boss is hopeful that the much-publicised Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) will jumpstart the economy. ESP is a government initiative that is aimed at investing in short to medium term projects that can create the much-needed jobs and diversify the economy. Okavango Diamond Company has launched youth-focussed programme that equips them with skills and knowledge that will enable them to take advantage of opportunities in the local diamond industry. Speaking at the launch recently, ODCs Deputy Managing Director Marcus Ter Haar said they have selected ten local entrepreneurs who will be the first to benefit from the programme, which is the first of its kind in Botswana. Botswana currently suffers from a pronounced lack of entrepreneurship skills as well as broader diamond industry knowledge. Entrepreneurship has been identified as part of a number of solutions to address unemployment in Botswana. There is demonstrated interest from Batswana to explore opportunities in the diamond industry, explained Ter Haar. He went onto to add that, through its networks, ODC had an opportunity to expose Batswana to elements of the diamond sector an industry which has previously been perceived as inaccessible. Kutlo Thathana, the company's stakeholder relations executive, further explained that after several ideas were investigated, finally ODC Youth Entrepreneur Programme (YEP) was conceptualised as the initiative. Thathana said, the programme which targets entrepreneurs aged 18-35 years will be exposed to the diamond value chain, provided with entrepreneurial development training and equipped with the skills to complete a business plan which can be used to establish their businesses. ODC YEP is in two parts: 7 months training by University of Stellenbosch Business School which will be delivered through a combination of assignments, class lectures, correspondence and online sessions. The second part is a 1 week Diamond Foundation Seminars by World Diamond Manufacturers Botswana (WDM Botswana) which will be delivered through industry presentations and tours. It is anticipated that 10 young Batswana will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to take advantage of opportunities in the local diamond industry or further afield. Botswana Stock Exchange and the Central Securities Depository Botswana have suspended Stockbrokers Botswana firm from trading for an indefinite period of time. BSE Chief Executive, Thapelo Tsheole broke the news to the media after calling an impromptu meeting on Wednesday at the regulator head office, Exchange House. Stockbrokers is the company which prides as having been involved in every main board equity listing on the BSE since inception in 1989. The BSE boss said the regulator has the powers to suspend any stockbrokers found contravening regulations which can range from compliance, operational and governance. We suspend pending further action in assistance with the Non Bank Financial Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) who are our regulator, shared Tsheole. Upon completion of investigations, regulators can decide what further action can be taken for the said company. Botswana Guardian understands that, if the violation is serious, such companys licence can be revoked. On a normal basis, brokers always have several breaches but they may not be those that can lead to suspensions. As for SBB, it is an issue that we have been closely looking at then yesterday (Tuesday) we took a decision to suspend them, he revealed. However, at the time of the briefing the Stock Exchange was unable to share on the details that led to this suspension until the investigations are complete. Stock Brokers is one of Botswanas four broking firms, namely; Motswedi Securities, Imara and African Alliance. Contacted for comment, Stockbrokers Botswana (SBB)s Managing Director, Tito Tibone said it is pertinent to note that SBB approached the BSE to suspend its trading operations. SBB has no Finance Manager for the past six months. The candidate we have recruited is awaiting vetting by the Regulator. Meanwhile a backlog has built up in the processing of the company's accounts. Our consultant Accountants have been engaged to bring the accounts up to date. This has however taken longer than originally expected, reads Tibones response. Botswana Guardian has established that, for this reason, accordingly SBB has approached the BSE to suspend trading activities until the situation is normalized. Tibone has rest assured his clients that, the company business is otherwise robust and sound as it should get over the hurdle within a short time. The shares of the clients, Tsheole said are in the BSE capture system and can continue to trade at anytime and clients are at liberty to engage whichever broker is available from the other three. He said, those who have placed orders and are not yet executed will be refunded so that they place them elsewhere. More than 30 years into the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the medical fraternity is still on an elusive quest to find a cure.You have to understand that achieving a cure is one of the greatest scientific challenges ever undertaken, said Dr Robert Redfield, Professor of Medicine and Division Head, Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at University of Maryland School of Medicine. Redfield is the principal investigator in a five-year programme between Botswana government and IHV known as Botswana-University of Maryland School of Medicine Health Initiative (BUMMHI) to combat HIV/AIDS. Discussing Current Global Innovations to find an HIV cure during the 6th Botswana International AIDS Conference held in Gaborone recently, Dr Redfield noted progress on AIDS as one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of biomedical research but said finding a cure, or cures, will take time, and a continued investment in research. Of the estimated 78 million people globally who have been infected with HIV, only one has been cured.Timothy Ray Brown, better known as the Berlin patient, was diagnosed with HIV in 1995 and then with leukemia in 2006. He was treated with a bone marrow transplant from a person with something called a CCR5 receptor mutation, a rare genetic anomaly that makes people naturally resistant to HIV, and it super-charged his immune system. Brown then stopped taking his AIDS medication and, a decade later, there is still no sign of the virus in his body. Dr Redfield noted that four main approaches to a classic cure, some more promising than others, have been tried, but so far without success. Attaining a sustained viral remission, which would allow anti-HIV medications to be stopped for long periods of time without fear of viral rebound, is likely more feasible, he said. For such an approach to work, you need to start with a small reservoir and a competent immune system. In other words, he explained further, patients need to be treated as soon as possible after infection, a development that is now recognised in new World Health Organisation (WHO) treatment guidelines that Botswana adopted in June. This would reduce the growth of the reservoir and the overall damage to the immune system, he said. Therapeutic vaccines are another, more practical approach. There has been some promising research with vaccines that sharply reduce the level of virus in some patients (about 20 per cent), but the levels creep back up. The next best hope is gene editing, using tools like CRISPR to remove HIV from a persons DNA. This has been done successfully in animals but, again, Dr Redfield said doing it in humans on a large scale seems impractical. If the virus cant be eliminated, then it needs to be suppressed. That is done with drugs, antiretroviral cocktails that stop or slow down the AIDS virus from replicating. An estimate 269100 HIV-positive Batswana are on ARVs, representing coverage of 87.2 percent. According to Senior Consultant Virologist at Botswana Harvard Partnership Dr Madisa Mine, 62 percent of them have viral suppression. While these are evidently effective, the drugs have to be taken for life, and they have side effects like hiking the risk of heart disease. The talk-shop, as the SADC Summit has come to be known, is once again on. This time around, technocrats, bureaucrats, diplomats and their political masters have gathered in the Kingdom of Swaziland. But really, who would want to miss the Summit hosted by Swaziland, especially when it coincides with the annual Umhlanga (reed dance). I guess not many of the male species would want to miss the summit. As thus, the heads of state braved the scorching heat of just over 30 degrees Celsius to witness as the maidens swayed and swerved in the cultural spectacle. So far, the few that I have spoken to have been quick to point out how kind and Swaziland has been to them. But the fervour of Umhlanga should neither distract us from assessing political ambiguities in Swaziland nor derail us from discussing political issues that bedevil the region. As for me, the political challenges facing the SADC region would be best captured by none other moment than when President Khama hands over the Chairpersonship of SADC to King Mswati III. That for me sums up everything about SADC. The organisation has either been relegated to comedy or metamorphosed into tragedy. I guess Mswatis assumption of Chairpersonship would also go down history as the most traumatising experience for those few and inaudible dissenting voices calling for democratic dispensation in that absolute monarchy. Nevertheless, the trend and precedence have been set. Remember it moved from President Mugabe to President Khama, and now King Mswati is the new Chair. Can you spot the difference? Having said that the SADC region at large is faced with serious political challenges. As things stand, Lesothos security and political crisis is far from over. It has been dragging forever with Lesotho playing hide-and-seek with SADC. The whole mediation and conflict resolution endeavour have degenerated to Tom-and-Jerry games. SADC is merely running after the delay tactics of Lesotho. Hence finding a comprehensive and sustainable antidote to Lesothos political crisis will remain but a fleeting illusion. I am of the view that there is no way SADC can successfully pursue Security Sector Reform (SSR) in Lesotho while the main protagonist is still calling the shots in Lesotho Defence Force. SADC should have simply made the removal of Lt. Gen. Tlali Kamoli a pre-condition on both security and political reforms. On the other hand, Lesotho has made it crystal clear to the out-going Chair, President Khama that Kamolis departure is purely an internal issue not for negotiation. In other words, Kamoli will leave the army as and when he pleases. In turn, SADC responded to this steadfastness of Lesotho by taking taxpayers money and forming another committee, the Lesotho Oversight Committee. This would be the fourth political instrument thrown into the Lesotho situation since it started in 2014, but the results remain the same. Other parts of the region are also proving to be very politically volatile. There have been violent protests in the streets of Zimbabwes capital Harare, with angry mobs of young Zimbabweans shouting Enough! Surely, peoples desperation runs very deep, anger and anguish have reached uncontrollable levels and that can be very dangerous for both government and protestors. Uncivil reaction from both sides can easily trigger a major civil unrest which has spillover effects especially on Botswana. On the other hand, Zambia is not anyhow different. The recent election in Zambia characterised by violence, intimidation and bias coverage of the ruling Patriotic Front by government media is threatening to plunge the country into a political and constitutional crisis. The United Party for National Development has since filed a petition with court challenging the validity of the results hence suspending executive powers of president-elect pending verdict. Mozambique, Madagascar and DRC are also not in any better political situation, they are basically on life-support. If SADC member states are not committed to adhering to democratic principles and values, the region is surely headed for a political turmoil. [email protected] Many fairgoers will be looking to get an early start on their Labor Day weekend when they attend the New York State Fair on Friday. There's a lot happening at the fair today, as you'll see below. There are a couple of special days and some promotions to help get more people through the gates. Fair officials expect one exhibit will receive a lot of attention this weekend. Nickelodeon's "Paw Patrol" will be at the fairgrounds beginning Friday. There was already a lot of interest in the exhibit on Thursday when crews were setting it up. Here is what you should know about today at the New York State Fair: Weather forecast: Sunny, with a high near 76. North wind 7 to 10 mph. Promotion: For one of the fair's theme days, Six Nations Day, Native Americans will receive free admission. ID isn't required, but attendees are asked to enter only through Gate 4. The other theme day, Students Day, celebrates grade school students. Anyone 18 years old and under will receive free admission. ID showing date of birth may be requested. Theme day: Six Nations Day will celebrate Native Americans in New York. Chevy Court concerts: At 2 p.m., A Tribe Called Red will perform a free concert. Culture Club will take the stage at 8 p.m. Parade: The special day parade will feature Six Nations Day participants. Here is a sampling of other events that will be held today at the New York State Fair: At 10:40 a.m., caring for a horse will be discussed at the World of Horses exhibit inside the Horse Barns. At 11 a.m., Wegmans Demonstration Kitchen will host the chefs of Wegmans Food Markets. At noon, the New York State Tap Water Tasting Contest will begin. The contest will run until 4 p.m. The Iroquois Indian Band will perform at 1 p.m. at the Iroquois Indian Village. At 2 p.m., a rabbit hopping event will be held inside the Poultry Building. The Youth Talent Showcase will be held at 3 p.m. in the Dairy Products Building. At 4 p.m., theater organist Jason Comet will perform at Empire Theater. At 5 p.m., Gavin Ribble and Brian Alexander will perform at Daniella's Steakhouse. Check out Dos XX - Colleen Kattau at 6 p.m. at the Pan-African Village. At 7:30 p.m., Syracuse University bands will perform at the Regional Artist Variety Stage. At 8:15 p.m., Only the Chosen will perform at the 95X Stage. At 9:30 p.m., Just Joe on Piano will play at the Suds Factory Courtside Grille. As Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Commander Lieutenant General Gaolathe Galebotswe bid the army farewell yesterday (Thursday) some retired BDF officers have dismissed governments claims that they have been paid their leave days amounting to thousands of Pula. This comes after Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Eric Molale on behalf of Minister of Defence Justice and Security Shaw Kgathi recent remarks that retired and serving members of the BDF have been paid their forfeited leave days. The retired officers are said to be owed a lot of money running into thousands of Pula depending on how many days one had from the time they joined the army to the time one left. The forfeited days are said to have not been included when the officers were paid their retirement packages. Minister Molale told Parliament during the winter session that the percentage base charged was the equivalence applicable to all public officers monthly income taxes. The exercise targeted in-service members because retirees and those who were terminated were paid all outstanding leave days. The exercise to repay forfeited leave days had no link to the sale of Botswana Telecommunications Corporation shares, but it was rather a correction of an omission and payment to those entitled, the minister told Parliament. This week some of the retirees told Botswana Guardian that the minister has misled the nation about this issue. The officers revealed that they came to learn about this after they saw an article in the Botswana Daily News of the 15th August 2016. It is surprising to hear the minister misleading Parliament that we have been paid. All we know is that only those who are in service have been paid not us. In April this year we were requested by the BDF to avail all our details including bank details so that when they are done with payment for in service officers then they would process our payments, said a former army general who has served for over 20 years. He further stated, As we speak we are still waiting for response from them.Another retiree stated that there is no way the minister could say they have paid them when the system to pay for forfeited days came into effect this year. He indicated that they feel neglected because they are no longer in the service. The former Warrant Officer 1 revealed that there are some former senior officers who had fought to ensure that they are paid. It is only that some of us do not know who to approach. There are many of us around the country who are still awaiting our funds. The money varies- like for me it dates back to when I joined the army in 1990. So you will have to calculate from that day until the 31st of December 2015, which was the cut-off date when the system for payment of forfeited days was introduced. BDF Director of Protocol and Public Affairs Lieutenant Colonel Fikani Machola said conditions of service and remuneration for members of the BDF including those retired are purely internal and administrative. Machola stated that review of conditions of service just like productivity only has a beginning but no end. Therefore, the process of reviewing conditions of service for members of the BDF are still on-going and will be in the interest of the incoming commander, he revealed in an interview. A summit of SADC leaders in Mbabane, Swaziland endorsed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitois candidacy for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Wednesday. Moitoi confirmed through a text message that the endorsement has gone through and that what remained was for her to unfold her campaign strategy. The endorsement brings to an end rife speculation that former Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete was positioning himself for the position. As the official candidate of southern Africa, this means that were anyone from the region to show interest, that person would be on their own. The regional leaders endorsement follows a recommendation by SADC Ministerial Committee Organ (SMCO) at their meeting in Maputo early August. Venson-Moitoi must now up her game to prepare for the real battle slated for January when elections are held. There are real fears she may face a new candidate from the ECOWAS region, which boasts numerical strength. Venson-Moitois campaign team will now be expected to provide the SADC Secretariat with her campaign strategy so that the entire region can own it During the July elections in Kigali, Rwanda, Venson- Moitoi managed to pass all election hurdles to the last stage after former Uganda vice president, Specioza Wandira Kazibwe and Equatorial Guineas Foreign Minister Agapito Mba Mokuy were eliminated one after the other. However, she too was unable to obtain the required two-thirds majority to usher her into Us lofty office.SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Tax confirmed that the heads of state and government, for the entire region will rally behind her campaign. She said that Moitoi has assured the leaders that she will hand over her campaign strategy to the Secretariat so that it could be shared among all member states. But for now I cannot comment on how we are going to enrol the campaign until after I have received and studied the strategy, said Tax. South African Public prosecutor, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, this week said there was need for strong independent public institutions in democratic countries. Addressing members of the press and Law Society of Botswana (LSB) in Gaborone today (Friday), Madonsela said there was need for strong institutions like the Auditor General and Public protector that close the gaps or holes left by government. Madonsela is in the country as a guest of the LSB.She is famous for investigating the Nkandla case, in which South African president, Jacob Zuma, was investigated for using public funds to up grade security at his homestead in Kwazulu, Natal. Madonsela said public institutions that are usually recognized by the constitution have a role in picking spots that have been missed by government. She added that such institutions include parliament, Auditor General and the public prosecutor. However, Madonsela said such institutions should not be seen bullying government. Parliament is also part of the institution that play different but complimentary roles, she said. The famous public protector who is known to remain cool headed and laid back in the midst of controversial or adversarial situations confirmed that she was a card-carrying members of the ANC until 2007. However, Madonsela said for someone to take up a role like that of the Public protector they should not be active in politics. Having been a card carrying member or colleague of those governing, I have always believed in good governance. Moreover, Madonsela said when ANC came into power, the party believed they had high moral standards to govern people properly. We said we were better that them (previous SA government) but not because of skin colour. In addition, Madonsela said coming into office she had to ensure that she made decision that showed she is independence as stakeholders were watching to see whether she was impartial. My relationship with the ANC is marvellous. Most people that are excited to see me are ANC supporters. Quizzed on her relationship with Zuma, Madonsela said her last conversation with the president was three days before the Nkandla judgment that ended up in her favour. Madonsela said her private conversations with politician usually include how better different situations or scenario could have been handled. We discuss what could have happened, whether we agree on it or whether it could be left like that or fixed. For his part, the chairman of the LSB, Lawrence Lecha, said they would host a dinner later on the day where Madonsela was be expected to talk about strong independence institution. We want her to indulge us and come up with solutions to assist us in our country, he said. One of Africas most celebrated musical icons, Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits will visit Gaborone in October as part of his annual pilgrimage for the Mascom Live Sessions festival. The show will be held at Botswana Craft on October 7 and will feature Botswanas most trending folk group Sereetsi and the Natives. Tickets to the show are P250. This will be a special performance for Mtukudzi, who turns 64 on September 22. There is never a dull moment on stage when the musician is on stage and he is anticipated to give his legion of fans an unforgettable musical feast. The Zimbabwean born musician, businessman, philanthropist, human rights activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Southern Africa, has six albums under his belt including Tuku music (1999), Bvuma Tolerance (2001), Paivepo (2000), Tsimba Itsoka (2007), Vhunze Moto (2002) and Rudaviro (2012). The Mascom Live sessions have been running since 2011 and feature an array of musical talents from across the world. Artists that have serenaded Botswana in the past include the likes of Ringo Madlingozi, Amatle Brown, Afro Jazz Trio (Kearoma Rantao, Shanti Lo and Nnunu), Micasa, Zahara, Hugh Masekela, Freshly Ground, Salif Keita and Andy Narell. The event is staged in order to provide a platform for local artists to perform alongside their international counterparts. A group of Vietnam War veterans will soon gather in Skaneateles and receive the kind of parade they didn't receive when they came home from the war. As part of the annual reunion of the 35th Land Clearing Team and the 538th Land Clearning Company, about 35 Vietnam veterans including Skaneateles' Jerry Vile will take part in the community's Labor Day parade Sunday, Sept. 4 riding in vintage military vehicles from Jack Gregory's extensive collection. For the past 10 years, Vile who will host the reunion over the long weekend after previously hosting it in 2005 has operated the 10-ton truck from Gregory's collection that is much like the one he drove in Vietnam. This year, several of his comrades from his company will join him. And aside from participating in the parade, the veterans will spend most of their time hanging out and catching up with one another, said Pat Briggs, who is helping organize the reunion. "We have nothing planned because we have been asked to just let everybody socialize," she said in a phone interview. "When I put it out that we were having this, I did ask, 'Do you guys want a schedule? Do you want events?' And 90 percent of them said, 'No, we just want to sit and talk and share.' So, that's what they're going to be doing." During other reunions, which have taken place around the country since 2001 in Benton, Kentucky, the group has organized events such as touring in 2004 the Rome Plow plant in Rome, Georgia that built and supplied the bulldozers the two used in Vietnam and dedicating a plaque to the 538th in a veterans ceremony in Fremont, Wisconsin in 2012. The group also visited veterans museums in LePorte City, Iowa in 2009 and in Burleson, Texas in 2013. But, this time around, the veterans plan to just sit and talk, which Briggs said is a good thing for the comrades who shared the experiences not only of war overseas but of conflict at home. "Because of these reunions, there has been so much healing with these guys and with the friendships," she said. "They talk to each other all year long now. ... It's emotional. It's wonderful for me to see the changes not only with the men but with their relationships with their families because they have somebody now to talk to. They didn't talk before because nobody would understand." The comrades, though, will take a break from sharing stories to get the welcome home they never got when they returned from Vietnam decades ago. "It's been a healing experience," Briggs said. "This one this year is going to be even more so because they are going to have a float in a parade dedicated to them. ... It's just been a really great experience." Briggs said the group started in 2000 when her late husband, Roger, came home one day and asked her if she could help him locate any of his buddies from Vietnam. She got on the computer and found some of them through an internet search, and a year later, they hosted the first reunion. The year after that, Roger Briggs died, but Pat Briggs continued to be a part of the group and attend its reunions, which she said are open to anyone from the group who wants to host it. For the past 15 years, she said, somebody from the group has stepped up and offered to take it on. "It's just whoever is ready, willing and able. They take on the next one," Briggs said. "It's an awesome thing that got started. ... It is absolutely the most awesome experience, it really is." Briggs said she and Vile are excited to organize and host the next reunion in fact, she described herself as "just bursting" in anticipation of the event. "It's amazing. It's awesome. It's fantastic," she said. "Jerry is totally excited to see all the buddies again. Each year, we end up finding more and more, and new ones come. It's just an absolutely ... I haven't got the words. It's incredible. It's an incredible experience." According to information Briggs sent in an email, the 35th was one of three land clearing teams formed at Fort Lewis, Washington in the spring of 1967. The 35th landed at Phu Cat Airbase, just north of Qui Nhon, in early July 1967. Attached to the 35th Combat Engineer Battalion for a couple of months, the unit drew equipment, trained and did odd jobs such as bunker clearing in the An Lao Valley. That October, the unit moved to Dragon Mountain Base attached to the 20th Combat Engineer Battalion, clearing the area for the special forces camp at Ben Het and participating in battles at Dak To. In December 1968, three land clearing companies were activated, and the 35th became the 538th and remained activated until December 1971. The 538th was attached to the 299th Engineer Battalion, which has roots in Auburn. Briggs said she wants the whole world to know "how wonderful these guys are" and called it "an absolute honor" for her to remain involved in the group and for them to continue honor her husband by getting back together every year. "It's kind of just like having an entire family come and visit," she said. "This year, it's going to be for four days, so I'm really excited. I really am. ... I just get filled up and choked up and tears run. It's just awesome. It really is." JAIPUR (PTI): Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh on Thursday visited the South-Western Army Command in Jaipur to review the operational, training and administrative aspects of the unit. Singh, accompanied by his wife Namita Suhag, President of Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), was received by Lt Gen Sarath Chand. "The General was briefed on the operational as well as training and administrative aspects by the Army commander Lt Gen Sarath Chand. The Army Chief took stock of operational preparedness of the Command and appreciated the measures undertaken to maintain optimal operational readiness and training of the formations under it," defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Ojha said. "He gave an overview of the prevailing external and internal security environment and expressed his satisfaction at the efforts under taken by the Command to face the evolving security challenges. He stressed upon ensuring continued operational preparedness," he said. The Army chief also called on Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and discussed avenues for closer civil-military co-operation. Later, he and the Chief Minister inaugurated the War Museum at Amar Jawan Jyoti in Jaipur. Namita Suhag, President Central AWWA, interacted with the families of 'Sapta Shakti' Command. Brazil's former President Dilma Rousseff, who was removed by the Brazilian Senate from office on Wednesday, speaks at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, August 31, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] BRASILIA - Brazil's Dilma Rousseff appealed the decision of her impeachment from the presidency to the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday, a day after being stripped of office. Rousseff's defense team submitted a "writ of security" against the Senate vote that found her guilty on Wednesday of being "criminally responsible" for fiscal wrongdoing. A "writ of security" is a Brazilian legal tool to protect individuals from legal decisions that may violate their rights. The head of her legal team, former Justice Minister and Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo, had previously announced that they would resort to the measure, citing "irregularities in the process" of impeachment. Rousseff was impeached by an overwhelming majority of 61 to 20 votes, for allegedly inflating fiscal accounts and downplaying a growing budget deficit to improve her chances of being elected to a second term. Rousseff, of the left-leaning Workers' Party, has denied the charges, saying the trial was politically motivated by the right-wing opposition. Her vice-president, Michel Temer, of the conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, was sworn in to serve the remainder of her term through 2018. In a variety of recent interviews, including one in this paper, Congressman Katko has declined to say if he supports Donald Trump. Instead he has said he would wait and hope for a change in Trump's tone. Some see that as better than an outright endorsement of Trump's rhetoric but it fits a pattern of failing to lead on important issues that affect central New York. Congressman Katko has offered his help and words of support to various constituents, but when things get tough, he is absent or blames others. Recent examples include: 1. Taking thousands in donations from Verizon as their employees picketed against plans to outsource CNY jobs to the Philippines, 2. Holding a fundraiser with Oswego Mayor Barlow instead of securing a needed grant (SAFER) to save the city from having to cut of its department (16 positions), 3. and when confronted with his failure to secure federal funding for water infrastructure upgrades by Syracuse Mayor Miner, he instead lashed out at her as a failed leader. Auburn and many other municipal water rates will rise next year to deal with bursting pipes and a lack of Congressional attention to infrastructure. Katko indeed wishes that Donald Trump would change his tone, as do I. But that doesn't excuse Trump's actions: making racist remarks, mocking the disabled, attacking the heritage of Gold Star parents, outsourcing jobs overseas with his clothing line, defrauding students, and not disclosing his tax returns. Political candidates who fail to denounce Trump outright reveal their indifference toward these very important issues. Katkos vision of a kinder, gentler Trump is a hope that Trump would be more like Katko himself. Someone who will tell voters whatever they want to hear, but when it is time to actually do something, shirk responsibility and blame others. True leaders in the Republican Party, like Richard Hanna, have already said they would not vote for Trump. Congressman Katko continues to stick his finger in the wind and look for a way out. The time to lead and show political courage for John Katko is now. A change in tone is nice, but actions speak louder. Ian Phillips Owasco Phillips is chairman of the Cayuga County Democratic Committee PUNE (PTI): Lt General P M Hariz, a decorated officer who also participated in UN assignments, on Thursday took charge as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the city-headquartered Southern Command. Hariz succeeded Lt General Bipin Rawat, who has proceeded to Delhi to assume duties of VCOAS (Vice Chief of Army Staff). On assuming charge of the largest geographical formation of the Indian Army, the General laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to the martyrs. He was thereafter was given a guard of honour. Prior to the current appointment, Hariz, who was commissioned in June 1978, was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army Training Command at Shimla. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Hariz was commissioned into 12 Mechanised Infantry Battalion. He later commanded 19 Mechanised Infantry Battalion, a defence release said. The officer has a vast experience of serving on prestigious staff and command appointments. He has the unique distinction of holding various UN appointments, which include a tenure as Military Observer, Chief Personnel Officer and Regional Commander in Angola, it said. He is a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A delegation of Mexican dignitaries stopped in Neepawa yesterday as local business owners and politicians try to strengthen ties with Canadas third-largest trading partner. Sponsored by HyLife Foods and the Mexican-American company Mercator, the business meetings included selected industry tours with an emphasis on agribusiness. Mexico has been an important customer of ours ever since we bought the plant in 2008, HyLifes Grant Lazaruk said. Charles Tweed/The Brandon Sun A Mexican delegation met with Manitoba and Neepawa dignitaries, as well as, representatives from HyLife Foods. From left to right: Alberto Velasco with the World Trade Centre in Winnipeg, Mexican delegates Fransisco Guerrero, Roberto Magana, Marcelo Garcia, and Luisa Martinez, Manitoba Minister of Indigenous and Municipal Relations Eileen Clarke, Neepawa Mayor Adrian de Groot, Salvatierra Mayor Jose Velazquez, Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa MP Robert Sopuck, Mexican delegation members Estela Garcia and Araceli Herrera, and Trevor Lizotte and Grant Lazaruk of HyLife. HyLife produces approximately 1.7 million hogs annually in Canada and the United States. Those products are sold to countries around the world, including Mexico, China, Japan and Russia. The Mexican market is important to HyLife, according to Lazaruk, because their culture values a portion of the hog that isnt desired by other markets. Last year, HyLife partnered with Mercator to purchase a plant in Mexico that does value-added processing for the Mexican market. Were looking to expand that relationship, Lazaruk said. Among the most desirable products into Mexico is the ham in the hogs hindquarters, the skin and the fat. Chicharron is one of the products the plant specializes in, according to Lazaruk. Chicharron is a popular dish made from by frying the hogs skin and belly. Its great for us to have a market that values that meat protein, Lazaruk said. Speaking through a translator, Salvatierra Mayor Jose Velazquez said this mission offers an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships between his region and Manitoba. We have huge growth potential, Velazquez said. This is a win-win. And we have the intention of being a twin city with Neepawa. Salvatierra is a city in the State of Guanajuato in central Mexico. According to a handout from the meeting, the city is part of The Golden Triangle in Mexico, consisting of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. The area represents 80 per cent of the Mexican market, 70 per cent of the countrys international trade and 70 per cent of its automotive industry. Sixty per cent of the population lives within a 400-kilometre radius of The Golden Triangle. We are building relationships with Neepawa, Manitoba and Canada, as well, Velazquez said. Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Conservative MP Robert Sopuck said the meetings represent a significant event for the riding he represents. This mission brings it to a level where communities should sit up and take notice of how important international trade is for us and what the potential to expand trade could be, Sopuck said. After the U.S. and China, they are our largest export market, and Ive read that theyre slated to become the eighth-largest economy in the world in about 15 to 20 years. That growth potential is something Canadian businesses should take note of, according to Sopuck, while diversifying our trading partners also mitigates risk. A Mexican market for us and a Canadian market for them reduces our reliance on that elephant known as the United States, Sopuck said. ctweed@brandonsun.com Twitter: @CharlesTweed Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The case of a woman accused of being drunk when she drove her car into a city restaurant may be detoured from court and set on a new route for the provinces Review Board. Long-term substance abuse has led to a cognitive impairment that has called the accuseds ability to take part in court proceedings into question, potentially scuttling a plea deal and leaving the court stuck in a tough spot. A road bump has arisen. There is some question as to whether or not she has instructions to proceed in that fashion, defence lawyer Patrick Sullivan told a judge in Brandon provincial court on Thursday. File In this August 2015 photo, Brandon Police Service and Brandon Fire and Emergency Services members and a tow truck driver look over a car resting inside the dining room of Ken's Restaurant & Chinese Food in the 700 block of 18th Street after the driver lost control and drove through the front window of the restaurant and into the side wall. On Aug. 26, 2015, around 2 p.m., a 65-year-old woman drove a car through the front window of Kens Restaurant and Chinese Food and into the 18th Street restaurant. No one was in the restaurant at the time, and there were no injuries. Police placed the blood-alcohol level of the driver, later identified as Nancy Lyn Robertson, at double the legal limit. Robertson was charged with that drunk driving offence, which remains before the courts with no plea entered. Initially, Robertson was to seek a curative discharge on the charge in general, an alternative to jail for certain accused charged with impaired driving. The idea behind such a discharge is that the public is better served if an alcoholic is rehabilitated rather than jailed. To take part, and potentially receive a discharge, an accused must demonstrate that they have an addiction, take counselling, achieve a period of sobriety and show that theyve made a genuine effort at recovery. However, in this case Sullivan told court that Robertson started counselling but was then admitted to the citys geriatric psychiatric ward, where she remains. Whether she can understand court proceedings and take part in counselling as part of a curative discharge is questionable. Three letters from two Brandon doctors were provided to the court. One of those physicians, a doctor at the Centre for Geriatric Psychiatry, has determined that Robertson has a cognitive disorder as a result of alcohol abuse. She cant manage her affairs, and it appears while shes aware she was in a crash she wouldnt comprehend the charge against her, nor be able to take part in court in a meaningful way. The second doctor wrote that it is extremely likely Robertsons cognitive impairment from long-term substance abuse played a role in the crash. Sullivan added that, given Robertsons condition and inability to take counselling, there was a plan for her to plead guilty to the charge and in exchange the Crown wouldnt seek jail. Even that hit a snag, Sullivan said, as its not clear if his client can provide legal instructions to proceed in that way. The Crown will rely on an assessment of Robertsons mental capacity in deciding whether to proceed with the matter, Sullivan said, but the case is further complicated as its not clear if the specialized assessment can be done in Brandon. Sullivan said Robertson and her family are concerned that a trip to Winnipeg for an assessment would traumatize her given her condition. She does not want an assessment if that means she has to go to Winnipeg, Sullivan said. Crown attorney Brett Rach said that, depending on the outcome of the assessment, he may consent to the matter being passed to the provinces Review Board. For that to happen, however, a proper assessment needs to be done by a qualified doctor, such as a forensic psychologist. However, Rach, who said he appreciates Robertsons concern about travel to Winnipeg, suggested a proper assessment by one of the Brandon doctors who provided the letters may be acceptable but he needs more information than he has been given to date. Judge Donovan Dvorak adjourned the matter to give Sullivan a chance to confirm whether that doctor is prepared to provide an opinion as part of a required court order. ihitchen@brandonsun.com Twitter: @IanHitchen Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Its been a long time since I had a beer from Poland. In fact, the last Polish beer I ever had was Black Boss Porter, a rich, roasty, heavy porter that was not only affordable but made Guinness look like swill. Unfortunately MLCC stopped carrying the porter two or three years back. I tend to stay away from beers from eastern Europe because the selection we get here in Manitoba is minimal and generally are only imports that are made at breweries owned by AB InBev, SABMiller or MolsonCoors rarely the craft beers that truly show off a region. Today Im checking out Tyskie Gronie lager made by Tyskie Browary in Poland but in reality, its a SABMiller import. Submitted Tyskie Gronie lager. The appearance of Tyskie is clear straw yellow with a moderate amount of carbonation, and a light amount of snow white head that leaves behind a light amount of residue as the beer is being sampled. To me, the aroma of Tyskie is what most eastern European lagers seem to be for me malt heavy, sweet and skunky. The second I opened up the bottle, a huge whiff of skunky beer poured out, intoxicating the room. As I poured the beer in the glass, the aroma went away for the most part, just to leave behind the smells of not-so-fresh hay, overly sweet malt and a hint of grassy hops. The flavour is too sweet for my liking a bit too much sugar but its mostly in the malt. I get flavours of soaked straw, a flavour that tastes like what paint smells like and a metallic aftertaste. Somewhat bitter but not in the usual hoppy bitter sort of way, its more of that soaked straw taste leaking out. Its fairly watered down so its easy for me to drink even if Im shaking my head as Im writing this up. There are so many better beers out there, especially Polish beers! At least Tyskie isnt as annoyingly skunky as Heineken or Stella Artois are, because to me, the taste of skunk in beer shouldnt even exist unless some hipster brewer is trying to make that a thing. As you can tell, Im not a fan of Tyskie but with the beer being a whopping $2.88 per 500 ml bottle, its not exactly breaking the bank. In fact, its pretty cheap for an import, so I cant be too harsh here. Its pretty easy to drink but the flavours of paint and soaked straw arent exactly pleasant, and the malt sweetness is leaving a sugary film on my tongue yuck! You can find Tyskie at Liquor Marts in Brandon, Killarney, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Russell and Virden, as well as the Keystone Motor Inn beer vendor. Beaus is back in town! After a quick sellout of Beaus organic Lug Tread Lager, the beer is back in stock at the Corral Centre and 10th and Victoria Liquor Marts. Its also now available at the Liquor Marts in Minnedosa and Virden. Beaus is also bringing their Tom Green Beer and Oktoberfest Mix Pack to Manitoba in the coming weeks. The Tom Green Beer is a milk stout with notes of espresso, burnt caramel and a creamy chocolate milky finish. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/09/2016 (2248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. They say variety is the spice of life. (Whoever they are. And they are quoted quite a lot!) Regardless, when I thought recently about that statement, I agreed wholeheartedly. Its fun to try new things, to experience the unusual, to step outside ones comfort zone, to boldly go where you and perhaps your palate have never gone before. And then, the usual Diane reality check. File Ruffino Modus Toscana. While I agree in principle that variety is the spice of life, my practice is pretty much precisely the opposite. When I find something I like, I stick to it. Like glue. Super glue. Cement, even. And that disappoints me. I like to think of myself as a fun-loving, adventuresome type whos up for anything out of the ordinary MY ordinary wholl embrace change and challenge and whatever life hands my way. But nothing could be further from the truth. While I delude myself that I like new things, deep down I know Im a sucker for going with the safe, solid and secure. If I find a dish I like at a certain restaurant, Im likely to have it every time I revisit that particular restaurant. And I do that again. And again. And again. The same goes for wine. I find something I like and I have it over and over I sometimes order it by the case. Ill almost never buy another bottle just on spec. But if I happen to try something at a party or a sampling or tasting event, if I like it, Ill compare it with whatever is my current standby, and only make a switch if the new-to-me beverage wins. Then Ill drink only that new one until something comes along that becomes my go-to wine of choice. This is just a really long way of saying Ive tried a bunch of fabulous wines and spirits lately and theres no common theme. But I felt you should know about them. Im not likely to purchase all the products I identify in the following paragraphs. If I was independently wealthy, I sure as heck would, but Im not, thus I cant, so I wont. But since taste buds are unique to each individual, these are tempting treats worth trying if youre looking for something new and/or if youre much more adventurous than I am. First off, St-Germain Elderflower liqueur from France. I love the delicacy of elderflower and its certainly captured in this luscious liqueur. Best with a splash of soda and ice, obviously its floral, but it also boasts hints of pear, peach and grapefruit. But mostly its just elderflower light, perfumed, and delightful. ($46.49) Everythings coming up flavoured these days, and the award-winning Crown Royal is no exception. I tried the Crown Royal Vanilla Whisky last weekend and was surprised by how much I liked it. Great to sip on its own, chilled, or over ice, the smoothness of this, which has a very present but not overbearing vanilla flavour, would make it a delicious addition to a library of spirits. The vanilla Crown would also make a great after-dinner sipper. ($28.99) This next one is out of stock in Manitoba until November or December, but is still more than worth mentioning. Mr Spain Fresha is a soft and fruity, triple-distilled premium strawberry gin. Its mellow but has a sweet (but not overly so) strawberry taste. Seven different botanicals were combined to create a well-balanced smooth flavour. Its delicious! ($47.75) From the Okanagan, and one of three Conviction wines, The Financier Pinot Grigio has flavours of pineapple, citrus and apple, and is quite robust for a pinot grigio, which is why I liked it. ($15.49) Marisco The Kings Legacy from New Zealand is made from 100 per cent Chardonnay grapes, and is definitely a different sort of Chard it takes like a New Zealand wine, with its citrus overtones and more acidity than most California chards, even though its a bit creamy and oaky. A pleasant change of taste from the usual. ($16.49) The Pfeiffer Chardonnay Marsanne from Australia has just a hint of sweetness, but is soft and creamy with aromas of peach, melon and citrus. Very pleasant. ($19.11) While a lot of folks still arent rose fans, the Conundrum California Rose might be the one that could change their minds. A light pink-coral-copper-coloured concoction, this wine is slightly sweet with lavender and floral notes blended with strawberries. Drink it well chilled. ($25.99) For the red wine fans, the Epica Red Wine from Chile is made from 90 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, five per cent Carmenere and five per cent Syrah. Bold, balanced and fairly sweet, the Epica showcases savoury cherry and cocoa flavours. ($13.99) And last but certainly not least, the amazing Ruffino Modus Toscana from Italy. Bone dry with tobacco, spice, cherry and plum aromas, this luscious wine is rife with smooth tannins and a finish of vanilla and red berries. Yes, its pricey, but its a beautiful wine that one or at least I could just sniff for ages without even taking a sip. The Ruffino Modus Toscana is a sure-fire winner for those who love Old World elegance. ($37.99) WASHINGTON -- Arizonans have been relatively stingy with their presidential donations this year, contributing $8.4 million as of August, well off the 2012 pace when residents forked over $21.9 million by the end of the presidential campaign. Despite the gap, experts said there is still time for the numbers to rebound with just 10 weeks until Election Day. But they said the drop also reflects a national trend, with donors seemingly reluctant to fund presidential nominees with low appeal. Both major-party candidates have high negatives associated with them, said Fred Solop, a political science professor at Northern Arizona University. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton reported receiving $2.2 million in contributions from Arizona in her July 31 filing with the Federal Election Commission. Republican nominee Donald Trump, who only recently started fundraising in earnest, reported getting $1.2 million from the state in the same period. Most of the presidential donations from the state went to candidates in the primary, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, who reported raising $1.6 million, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, whose $959,616 topped the crowded field of 16 Republican hopefuls. In contrast, 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had raised more than $13 million from Arizona by the end of his unsuccessful campaign. But Rodolfo Espino, an Arizona State University political science professor, said Romney and Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, enjoyed ties to Arizona the the current nominees dont have. Those ties helped the earlier candidates with their fundraising in the state. To Arizona in particular, you would have the native son effect, Espino said. McCain has decades of history as an elected official from Arizona while Romney had strong support from the states Mormon community. Compared to that, Espino asked, How can we connect with Donald Trump? Solop also said there has been a significant difference between candidate fundraising styles in this election and prior years. We are also engaged in a Senate campaign with McCain, and he has shown no support for Trump, Solop said. But the money does not seem to be flowing down to smaller races at least not yet. The National Institute on Money in State Politics reported on its website, FollowTheMoney.org, that Arizona had contributed $36.4 million to all political campaigns except the presidential race so far this year, compared to $42.5 million at this time in the 2012 election cycle. By the end of the 2012 elections, Arizonans had contributed $66.2 million to those down-ticket races, the site said. But with 10 weeks left to Election Day, and months left in the reporting cycle, theres still time for campaign donations to catch up to previous years, experts said. The money isnt vanishing, said Josh Stewart, a spokesman for the Sunlight Foundation. You never know what is going to happen. Espino said that even though we are in new territory with this election, he wouldnt be surprised to see a spike in spending in fourth-quarter FEC reports. I dont have a crystal ball, he said. But I anticipate a lot of last-minute donors. Eir has announced a 24m increase in operating profits to 505m in the year to June thats up 5% on the previous year. Group revenues at the countrys largest telecommunications company were 4% higher at 1.3bn, in the former Eircoms first year of annualised growth since 2008. Dublin City Council has set up a fund to help the family of Trevor O'Neill, the council worker shot dead while on holiday in Majorca last month. Mr O'Neill's colleagues have set up the fund to assist his partner Suzanne and their three young children in the months and years ahead. Forty-one-year-old Trevor worked as a drainage inspector with Dublin City Council. He was shot dead in front of his family on August 17 on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca - an innocent victim of a gangland feud. As the couple were not married, Suzanne (pictured below at his funeral) is not automatically entitled to benefit from his pension. The Council is reviewing this rule. To assist his family financially in the years ahead, his work colleagues have set up the Trevor O'Neill Memorial Fund with trustees including Dublin Lord Mayor Brendan Carr, colleagues from Dublin City Council and the IMPACT Trade Union. Donations to the fund can be made by cash or cheque to Dubco Credit Union at 2, Little Green Street, Dublin 7, by debit or credit card over the phone on 01 8870400, or by electronic banking to the Dubco Credit Union Account {IBAN Number: IE69DUCU99101010608669 (BIC Code: DUCUIE21) } Council staff say any donations will be gratefully accepted. A teenage girl has gone missing from her home in Co. Dublin. Gardai are asking for help in finding 14-year-old Ann Marie Joyce who has been missing from her home in Balbriggan since Monday, August 29. The French lawyer for Ian Bailey says he expects his client to be sentenced to 30 years for the voluntary homicide of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier. Ian Bailey has always denied any involvement in the film producer's death in Cork in 1996. He is now expected to be tried in France in absentia for her killing, meaning he will not be present for the hearing. In an interview with the Irish Times, Bailey's French lawyer Dominique Tricaud says he expects him to be convicted. Mr Tricaud said: "Things will take place which do not concern my client. Mr Bailey will not be extradited. The French magistrates will condemn him to 30 years in prison in absentia." The newspaper's Paris Correspondent Lara Marlowe said: "Everyone is pretty sure that Bailey will not attend his own trial in France because ot the Supreme Court ruling in 2012. "It is extremely unlikely that he will be extradited. "If you dont attend your own trial in France, you usually receive the maximum sentence, so that is the rationale of the lawyer." A serving member of the British armed forces has been charged with Northern Ireland-related terror offences. Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell, 30, of Exminster, Devon in England, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, Scotland Yard said. He is accused of "creating and maintaining hides" in England and Northern Ireland to store explosives. It is alleged that between January 1 2011 and August 24 2016, Maxwell manufactured explosive substances and constructed explosive devices. He is accused of carrying out research resulting in the creation of a library of documents likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism - specifically information regarding "the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices and tactics used by terrorist organisations". Maxwell is charged with getting an image of an adapted PSNI pass card and items of PSNI uniform. The Metropolitan Police said he is charged with "creating and maintaining hides in England and Northern Ireland to store explosive substances, explosive devices, components for explosive devices, ammunition, weapons, tools and resources used during the construction of explosive devices and assorted other items linked to the preparation of an act of terrorism". Sinn Fein is renewing its call for water charges to be scrapped. The party says the people of Ireland voted the to abolish the charges and not suspend them. The anti-water charges group, Right 2 water, says it is gaining momentum again and will continue to seek the complete abolition of water charges. TD Louise O'Reilly says the suspension agreement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael was not subject to proper debate. She said: "Suspension is not people voted for, they voted for abolition and abolition is very, very clear. "Unfortunately, because of the current arrangement and because it was more-or-less a deal done behind closed doors, it was done in advance of the Programme for Government being released, it's an arrangement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. "It wasn't subject to proper debate in the Dail, it wasn't subkect to even debate or scrutiny by people out on the street." A further three days of talks will take place between Irish Rail and union representatives at the Work Place Relations Commission next week. It follows a meeting between all sides earlier today. Eleven people have been killed in two separate militant attacks in north-western Pakistan. Gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a Christian colony near the town of Peshawar on Friday, killing one civilian, and a suicide bomb attack on a district court in the town of Mardan killed 10 people and wounded 41 others. Militants stormed the Christian neighbourhood early on Friday morning, triggering a shoot-out in which four attackers were killed and one Christian died, police and the military said. Three security officials and two civilian guards were wounded in the attack. Army spokesman Asim Saleem Bajwa said the attack was quickly repulsed and that security forces were searching for any accomplices. Local police official Shaukat Khan said four suicide bombers entered the Christian colony. One of them went into a church, but no one was there at the time. He said the attackers killed one Christian in the neighbourhood. It was not clear if any of the suicide bombers had detonated their explosives. The quick response from the local civilian guards and security forces prevented more deaths, Khan said. Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway Taliban faction, claimed responsibility for the attack. In the town of Mardan, some 25 miles from Peshawar, a suicide bomber threw a grenade at the district court before detonating his explosives, according to government spokesman Mushtaq Ghani. He said that lawyers, policemen and passers-by were among the 10 people killed in the attack. Some of the wounded were critically injured, Ghani said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the second attack. Pakistan has been struck by a number of large-scale militant attacks in recent months, including a March suicide bombing targeting Christians celebrating Easter in a park in the city of Lahore that killed around 70 people. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the bombing and warned of further attacks. Christians are a tiny minority in the majority Muslim nation. While some Christians live in Muslim areas, many choose to live together in Christian-only neighbourhoods. On Friday, Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif issued statements condemning both attacks, saying "these cowardly attacks cannot shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism". It is usually only once in a generation that the voters of Flagstaff have the opportunity to boldly express a compelling vision for the future of the community through a vote of the people. We have that opportunity now. On the November 8th ballot is a question put on the ballot by the citizens of Flagstaff, Proposition 413, which will protect as natural open space 253 acres of city owned land on McMillan Mesa and 47 acres of city owned land adjacent to Buffalo and McPherson Parks. Together, these parcels will create A Greater Buffalo Park and add land to our beloved Buffalo Park. A walk through these lands reveals expansive grassy meadows and stunning views of the San Francisco Peaks. It is the open heart of our city, joining East and West Flagstaff. And, the best part is that no tax dollars will be required for the public to enjoy these landswe already own them! Because Proposition 413 is a citizen initiative, it ensures that four members of the City Council cannot sell this land in the future without a vote of the people first, the highest form of protection available. As private development spreads across portions of McMillian Mesa, Flagstaff citizens and visitors will cherish and enjoy these remaining public lands more than ever. Please join the Committee for a Greater Buffalo Park and vote YES on Proposition 413. ROBERT BREUNIG Flagstaff A 12-year-old girl has been raped in a park in England. Police were called to Crowcroft Park in Levenshulme, Manchester, at around 11.20pm on Thursday night after reports of concern for a girl. On arrival, officers discovered that the youngster had been raped, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said. The park, in south Manchester, has been sealed off. Two police tents have been erected over a grassed area in one corner, as forensic teams search the area. Anyone with any information about the incident should call police on 101 quoting incident number 2260 of September 1. LONDON: OPEC is likely to maintain its view world oil demand will rise for another decade, longer than many other... ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are said to have agreed to activate the agreement on financing and providing... LONDON: Rishi Sunak will on Wednesday face off against opposition lawmakers for the first time as British prime... Mathews applied a second time. This time his request was accepted, but only for three months. "During those reapplication times we would be deluged with letters, phone calls, automated voice messages, and text messages from the bank," he says. "Receiving threats from your bank to foreclose on your mortgage and sell your family home while you are dying is just devastating." Around 10 months after Emmaline's diagnosis, Mathew was told he would no longer be given any financial help. The bank forced him to pay back all outstanding arrears and return to paying full regular monthly repayments. In the final months of Emmaline's life Mathews had to find work to help pay the bills. In 2015, Emmaline's cancer symptoms escalated quickly. She died on the first day of winter, June 1. "The thing that saddens me the most is that the threat of losing our house weighed heavily on my wife in her time of crisis." Mathews says. "It was an unnecessary but heavy burden that she carried with her to the end of her life." CBA's general manager of retail, Andrew Whitechurch, didn't comment directly on the Mathews case when contacted by BusinessDay. But he said he was always seeking to improve policies around how the bank communicates with customers. "When customers face financial difficulties, our overriding priority is to work closely with them on a case-by-case basis to improve their financial position," he says. "We will try and do everything we possibly can to help customers during challenging times, as this is in everyone's best interests." Stories like the Mathews' have become all too common in recent years, fuelling public outrage against the banks. Earlier this year CBA and its practices were put under the microscope when a powerful joint parliamentary committee, chaired by Liberal senator David Fawcett, examined its handling of loan impairments. At its BankWest subsidiary, which it bought in 2007, the committee noted a"culture of placing profit and return to shareholders ahead of the interests of borrowers". There's also been a scandal in CBA's life insurance arm where legitimate claims were delayed and denied. CBA is not alone in facing the spotlight. There's been a string of financial planning scandals at other banks including NAB and Macquarie, and allegations of bank bill swap rate rigging at the major banks. All this has fuelled calls for a banking royal commission, which as many as 65 per cent of Australians support, according to recent polls from Fairfax/Ipsos and Essential. This week the Labor Opposition used the opening session of parliament and its fractious closing session - to reaffirm its commitment to a royal commission, accusing the Turnbull government of being smug and uncaring in the face of mounting scandals. On Thursday night, with members of the Coalition having left the House of Representatives before it adjourned, a quick-footed Labor used parliamentary tactics to try to ram through a vote on a royal commission - a motion that already passed the Senate during the week. The Opposition was one vote away from successfully passing a final motion for a royal commission into banks. "We have seen a string of scandals and rip-offs and rorts, and all we get are smirks and protection conduct from the front bench of the Turnbull government," Opposition leader Bill Shorten told parliament. "There have been thousands denied life insurance payments, elderly Australians robbed of their retirement savings, small investors ripped off by predatory lending and business loans forged and manipulated." The Turnbull Government's response this week to win over some of its backbenchers was to announce another inquiry. This inquiry, headed by Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, will have the power to forensically analyse "questionable banking practices" and conduct hearings. But there are some caveats. It will only look at small-business lending and it won't be open to everyone. Only those cases that came to light in the parliamentary joint committee inquiry into the impairment of loans will be reviewed. The tribunal is no good for cases like the Mathews family. Because their case was not part of a parliamentary joint committee their treatment at the hands of BankWest is outside its scope. The Carnell tribunal will run for 12 weeks, with its interim findings to feed into the Ramsay Review, an examination - chaired by Melbourne University's Professor Ian Ramsay - of the various external dispute resolution bodies dealing with customer complaints against financial services operators. These are just two of the measures unveiled by the Coalition government in recent months. It has already boosted the funding of the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, while promising to beef up its powers and the penalties. It announced that representatives of the major banks would have to appear before parliament on an annual basis. Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer, who announced the new inquiry on Wednesday, has argued that a royal commission would only go over old ground, delay reforms already in the pipeline and undermine the standing of Australia's banks thereby putting at risk the nation's AAA credit rating. "The Government is taking action now, not years from now, to ensure consumers can access quality advice, the regulator is strengthened to detect and prosecute wrongdoing, and consumers can get their complaints heard in a timely manner and access appropriate compensation," she says. The new small business loan inquiry announced during the week managed to calm those stirring on the issue on the Government's backbench. Among them is Liberal MP Warren Entsch who in April called for a full royal commission "into the profit-driven and immoral activities of the Big Banks". He now says his position on the issue was widely misinterpreted, and that he was never threatening to undermine the government. "I never threatened to cross the floor, I raised the prospect of a royal commission before Bill Shorten did. When he put up a resolution, there were no terms of reference, it was a political stunt, this was about getting one up on the prime minister," he says. He believes last week's inquiry was "a start to a good outcome" but stresses he would eventually like to see a beefed up complaints-handling body to give victims more clout when taking on the big banks. It isn't the first time banks have been in the firing line for a royal commission. In 2013 Fairfax Media revealed a scandal inside CBA's financial planning division, where financial planners including star planner Don Nguyen were caught ploughing millions of dollars of their clients money into high-risk, high-fee-paying CBA products, which resulted in financial devastation for thousands of people. There were allegations of systemic wrongdoing in the division, including forgery, fraud and a cover up by management. The Senate inquiry, chaired by now retired senator Mark Bishop, didn't believe ASIC was capable of investigating the bank's advice arm. It was shown to be "a timid, hesitant regulator, too ready and willing to accept uncritically the assurances of a large institution that there were no grounds for ASIC's concerns or intervention". CBA apologised and opened up a compensation scheme for bank customers. But even today, Bob Nissen, a victim of financial misconduct, is still waiting to have his file finalised. Financial misconduct victim Bob Nissen. Credit:abaxter@fairfaxmedia.com.au In 2006, Nissen invested his money with disgraced financial planner Rollo Sherriff, who was then operating under CBA's Financial Wisdom umbrella. Nissen, a carer for his schizophrenic daughter Karen, had his life savings destroyed when Sherriff put him into high-risk CBA investments that were geared up to the hilt. Nissen was advised to remortgage his house and take out CBA loans to fund the investments. His daughter was also a victim of Sherriff's advice. The investments turned sour in 2009, forcing Nissen, who was 67 at the time, to find work as a mine worker on seven day shifts at Cloncurry, near Mount Isa. Sherriff was eventually exposed by Fairfax Media in 2014. He was never banned by ASIC, despite ploughing around $750,000 of his clients' money into his own private venture and costing the Commonwealth Bank around $7 million in initial compensation. Nissen received compensation and signed a settlement deed in November, 2012. At the time he said it wasn't enough but didn't have the finances to challenge it. After Sherriff was exposed, CBA re-opened its compensation program. Nissen, who had to quit his mining job and go on the pension, lodged another claim under the CBA's Open Advice Review Program for about $160,000. He believes his daughter is owed $40,000. He is still waiting and says the bank still hasn't finalised his request. Leif Gamertsfelder, manager of the bank's advice review program, says Nissen's claim was "well progressed" He says the CBA has worked hard to resolve customers' concerns. He said the program's "processes are thorough and fair and the subject of detailed independent reporting, which is openly available for anyone to see". Nissen turns 70 next year. He says he's waited so long, he's only pursuing the matter so he can pass the money on to his daughter after his death. "It's for down the track for when I pass on, and then I can give it to my daughter," he says. "[I've] got this prostate problem, my kidneys are down by 40 per cent, both of them failing. Things aren't that good for me". Bishop, the former Labor senator who was part of the landmark inquiry into ASIC's performance that called for a royal commission, says such an inquiry is more necessary than ever. "The original inquiry called for a holistic approach to the issues," he says. "It is that holistic approach that is being frustrated by the government, which is offering a piecemeal, uncoordinated approach." He says a royal commission with a wide terms of reference would be able to look at structural deficiencies in the banking and financial services industry while providing "transparency and disclosure" to aggrieved clients and consumers alike. A royal commission would also address widely-recognised shortfalls in protections for corporate whistleblowers. The banking industry's lobby group, the Australian Bankers Association, has promised to improve the treatment of whistleblowers, part of a suite of measures announced in April after bankers met with Turnbull in response to public outcry over industry misconduct. The banks said they would work with regulators to "ensure the highest standards of whistleblower protections by ensuring there is a robust and trusted framework for escalating concerns". But Bishop and others believe stronger external protections for whistleblowers are needed. The most devastating scandals that have hit the financial services sector were exposed by internal whistleblowers. An investigation by Fairfax Media into IOOF exposed allegations of serious misconduct, insider trading, front running, cheating by senior staff and the misrepresentation of performance numbers for its funds. The IOOF whistleblower, who was sacked after blowing the whistle and subjected to a vicious smear campaign, said the way ASIC handled the investigation should be a call to arms for a royal commission. He sent the regulator 59,000 documents and offered to help. ASIC interviewed him for 35 minutes, which shocked him. He said after 12 months ASIC produced a one-page press release that summed up its investigations and recommendations. The press release identified a number of serious concerns in IOOF's research division including compliance arrangements, breach reporting, management of conflicts of interest, staff trading policy, disclosure, whistleblower management and protection and cyber security. Despite these findings, outlined in the press release, IOOF wasn't subjected to fines, sanctions, a banning order, enforceable undertaking or licence conditions amended. "What was the point of the investigation when they are not accountable and there is no transparency," he says. Jeff Morris, a CBA whistleblower, who called out wrongdoing in CBA's financial advice division, particularly star planner Don Nguyen, says the case for a royal commission into the banks has been made many times over. "Various parliamentary inquiries have gone as far as they can with their limited resources in probing the many bank scandals in the financial planning, insurance and lending areas," he said. "Their findings point to a virtually complete failure of corporate regulation by ASIC and a bank culture where ethics has been subsumed by greed." Romesh Wijeyeratn worked for ASIC and the Commonwealth Bank. He's also given evidence at the parliamentary joint committee which led to the announcement of this week's inquiry. He described O'Dwyer's inquiry as "window dressing" to avoid addressing the deeper systemic issues in the financial sector. "Up until today I was giving Malcolm [Turnbull] the benefit of the doubt," he says. "I thought maybe he was genuinely looking for a way to fix the banks." Rainer Mathews is still grieving for the loss of his wife. In March this year he wrote to the industry-funded Financial Ombudsman Service - one of the bodies under review by the Ramsay-led panel - complaining about BankWest's behaviour. "I wanted the bank to look at the way that it had treated us, offer an apology and review its policies and procedures into the way it deals with hardship assistance for families facing, a terminal illness," he says. It's Friday afternoon and your long week is almost over. Staring at the clock as it slowly ticks towards the weekend, your daydreaming is interrupted by an email alert. You open it, but it's nothing interesting: a nondescript email from a rookie colleague who accidentally copied in everyone in the company. The reply all function can make one very angry. Credit:iStock A few minutes later, someone hits the dreaded "reply all" and says: "Hi, I think you included me by mistake." Another person replies: "Me too." "There are very little if any figures in the public domain," she said. She added later: "It's quite a good illustration of the fact that more transparency would be a good thing," including country-by-country reporting for income, taxes paid and other information. The commission found that Ireland provided Apple with selective tax treatment that let the iPhone maker skirt the nation's 12.5 per cent tax rate and gave it an unfair advantage over other companies for several years - a violation of the EU's state-aid rules. Irish units The EU says the 0.005 per cent effective tax rate applies to the profits of Apple Sales International, an Irish unit regulators say is "responsible for buying Apple products from equipment manufacturers around the world and selling these products in Europe" as well as in the Middle East, Africa and India. The commission also cited another unit, Apple Operations Europe, which it said was responsible for manufacturing certain lines of computers for the Apple group. In questioning the commission's finding, Apple has said it "paid $US400 million ($529 million) in taxes in Ireland in 2014 - considerably more than the commission's figure suggests". But that amount differs from one the company reported to regulators, according to people familiar with the EU's investigations. Apple confirmed that the $US400 million was corporate income tax paid to Ireland, but a company spokesman declined to answer whether any portion of that figure was paid by subsidiaries other than Apple Sales International. The commission sent its full decision in the case to Ireland on Wednesday. A non-confidential version of that decision will be published, but it's not expected for at least several months. The timing of its publication will depend on how quickly EU regulators and Irish officials can agree on what sensitive items need to be removed from the full decision, Vestager said Thursday. Senate report "If it was up to me, the non-confidential version would have been published yesterday because that is another way of enabling everyone to see how we decided and on what basis we made this decision," she said. Vestager cited one public source of information that EU regulators used: an investigation by a US Senate panel that examined offshore tax avoidance by Apple, Microsoft Corp and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. In a May 2013 hearing, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed that an Apple subsidiary in Ireland paid just $US10 million in taxes in 2011 on $US22 billion in earnings, for an effective tax rate of about 0.05 per cent. (That's akin to paying $500 in tax on $1 million of income.) The sub-committee's report said its calculations were based on non-public information that Apple had supplied in response to specific questions. 'Awful' decision One irony in the case is that US policy makers took no action in response to that 2013 disclosure and others like it; President Barack Obama's administration and members of the Republican-controlled Congress have been unable to agree on a plan. This week, however, both agreed that the EU's back-taxes claim against Apple was inappropriate. House Speaker Paul Ryan called the EU decision "awful" and said it "should be a spur to action" in the US. "What's inappropriate is for, in the name of state aid, Europe to be rewriting tax law retroactively, reaching into a tax base that properly should be a US tax base, because it's US income," US Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew said during an interview on Wednesday with National Public Radio. Apple has said it follows tax laws and has paid all taxes due in Ireland; there's little reason to doubt that, said Douglas Shackelford, the dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University North Carolina. 'Guesstimating' profit "Apple has followed the letter of the law," said Shackelford, an international tax scholar. "The EC is saying, 'Yeah, but you violated the spirit of the law, and so we're guesstimating what those profits were and how they should have been taxed." It's clear that Apple practices effective tax avoidance. Like other multinationals, the company makes efforts to avoid the US corporate income tax, which has a top statutory rate of 35 per cent - the highest in the industrial world. Details that the company has released in public filings show that Apple's foreign profits are taxed at a rate significantly below even Ireland's 12.5 per cent. In 2014, it reported a foreign effective rate of 6.4 per cent. Bob McIntyre, the director of Citizens for Tax Justice, a left-leaning research group and think tank, said that number indicates that the company has booked a large portion of its profits in tax havens. "If you believe Apple's annual reports, that most of its profit is earned in foreign countries, it would be impossible for them to get their rate that low unless almost all of the money is booked in tax havens," McIntyre said. 'Head offices' EU regulators say the company achieved its tax savings in Ireland by means of official rulings that allowed two subsidiaries there, including Apple Sales International, to allocate their profit to a "head offices" that "existed only on paper and could not have generated such profits". "These profits allocated to the 'head offices' were not subject to tax in any country under specific provisions of the Irish tax law, which are no longer in force," according to the commission's news release. It also notes that Apple changed its structure in Ireland in 2015. Apple's Maestri objected to the commission's conclusion that most of one Irish unit's profits were "taxed nowhere". "These profits are taxed in the United States," he said on Tuesday. However, under an unusual provision in the US tax code, most such foreign profit for Apple would be taxed only when Apple decides it should be - by bringing the offshore earnings to America. As of last month, Apple had $US232 billion in cash, with about $US214 billion of that being held overseas. Repatriation planned The company expects to repatriate billions of dollars to the US next year, chief executive officer Tim Cook said in an interview with Irish broadcaster RTE, which aired on Thursday. He also continued his criticism of the commission's finding, calling it "maddening and disappointing". Overall, US multinationals have accumulated more than $US2 trillion in offshore earnings that haven't been repatriated, and US policy makers are trying to reach agreement on a plan for taxing that income at a reduced rate to encourage companies to bring it home. Treasury officials have expressed concern that the EU's actions against Apple and other companies might reduce potential tax receipts in the US from such a move. That's one reason the appeals of the commission's finding will be closely watched. But without public details on where Apple's profits were booked or where its taxes were paid, there's only so much an interested observer can learn for now, said Kimberly Clausing, an economics professor at Reed College who studies international taxation. South Australian suffragette Mary Lee. "I have a mother, and I have a wife and a sister and daughters," he said. "I wish to continue in the position of their supporter and their protector." 'Trust the Women' banner carried by Australian suffragists in 1908. He ended with the classic slam-dunk of the conservative male: an assertion of duty. "It is a man's duty to be here, and it is woman's duty to attend to the family," he told his fellow parliamentarians. Can you imagine the enormous, eye-rolling, teeth-gritting, plate-smashing fury the suffragettes must have had to suppress in the 20-odd years they campaigned for the vote? Imagine listening to blowhards like Knox for two decades, as they frantically tried to stop the progress of history with their bombast and false logic. Imagine having to wait patiently and keep yourself nice while you listened to dinosaurs in waistcoats fight a rearguard action against granting you basic rights. Imagine the exhausted sigh you would have had to bite down, again and again, as they gibbered on, literally at the 11th hour, before those rights were granted to you anyway, because in the end your grit was stronger than their conservatism. Those women should be on banknotes and in town squares in statue form. They should have national holidays named for them. We benefit from their tenacity but we can only imagine their struggle. Well, most of us can only imagine it. There is probably one group of contemporary Australians who can relate to it, to the frustration and fury these women must have felt, the indignation they had to swallow, as people much more stupid and far less worthy than them smoked cigars in parlours and hemmed and hawed about why it was nothing personal, they just couldn't support their cause. Duty, the natural way of things, you people are not constitutionally made for it, all that sort of thing, old chap. Gay people can probably relate to it. The gay people of Australia, and their friends and family, feel similar frustration right now as they watch the contemporary crop of crusty old men debate their right to love each other in a legally binding contract. Their right to be allowed to join society's most important institution, the one that conservatives are forever telling us is so great. The institution which, at its best, bestows endless love and security on its members, and which gay people are now locked out of. Canberra is often criticised for being out of touch with everyday Australians. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of delivering marriage equality, which poll after poll has shown Australians are in favour of, and want waved through Parliament without the expense, tedium and possible civic harm of a plebiscite. This week saw the Greens pledging to block the government's proposed plebiscite on same-sex marriage. The Labor opposition looks set to do the same. They want to steal the march on the government by introducing their own same-sex marriage bill into the lower house in a fortnight's time. There seems little point to that manoeuvre except to embarrass the government MPs who support same-sex marriage but feel bound to support the plebiscite policy they took to the election. It certainly won't bring same-sex marriage any closer. The plebiscite itself is possibly pointless, as there is no indication same-sex-marriage-opposed MPs will consider themselves bound by the result. The $160 million allocated to fund it would be far better spent on something else, or banked. During the 1897-98 Constitutional Conventions, the suffragettes tried and failed to get universal suffrage written into the constitution for the federation. They kept at it until their 1902 victory in the freshly formed Commonwealth parliament. Why are pangolins prized? Pangolins are commercially poached because their scales can be used in traditional medicine, as fashion accessories and eaten as a high-end cuisine. "The threat is significant and escalating," said Flocken, who also is a member of the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group. It's impossible to know how many pangolins exist, environmentalists have said, but "due to the high demand for consumption, they are disappearing", Flocken said. Pangolins have most likely vanished in China and are fast disappearing from Vietnam, Thailand and other parts of south-east Asia, wildlife experts say. In Africa, illegal trafficking is rapidly depleting their population. The demand for pangolin in Asia has grown with the rise of the middle class and increasing affluence in countries such as China, experts say. "Anything that is really rare and exotic is desirable. It's a symbol of wealth," said Crawford Allan, senior director of the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC at World Wildlife Fund. "Anything seen to be delicacy is now in vogue." Who are the culprits? The poachers range from independent trappers to crime syndicates, and their level of destruction is staggering, wildlife experts say. In the past three months, 11,000 pangolins have been trafficked, according to data collected by the IUCN. For example, in June, authorities in Hong Kong confiscated 4.4 tonnes of pangolin scales hidden in cargo from Cameroon labelled "sliced plastics". The haul was estimated to have involved between 1100 and 6600 African pangolins, and was valued at $US1.25 million on the black market, IUCN director general Inger Andersen said. It was one of the largest seizures of pangolin scales, Andersen said in a statement in June. In July, Hong Kong officials seized more than 10 tonnes of pangolin scales in shipping containers coming from Nigeria and Ghana. And in August, Indonesian authorities confiscated more than 650 pangolin bodies hidden in freezers at a home on the island of Java, according to media reports. Lisa Hywood, founder of the Tikki Hywood Trust, a Zimbabwe-based conservation non-profit organisation that rescues, rehabilitates and releases pangolins, said her group had rescued 97 pangolins in the past three years. Five years ago, the rescue rate was maybe one a year, she said. Last year, 84 pangolin poachers were arrested in Zimbabwe; of those, 47 were convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison, Hywood said. Though not a significant consumer of pangolin products, the US is not immune from illicit trafficking of the animal. Statistics confirmed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service show that 30,000 products made from pangolins were seized coming into the US in the past decade. An agency spokesperson said the products were predominantly "manufactured medicinal items that are labelled to contain pangolin as an ingredient" but the import of such products is illegal without a permit. "If this level of industrial-scale illegal extraction and trafficking does not abate, pangolins could pretty soon be on the brink of extinction," said Allan, the wildlife trafficking and trade expert. What's being done to protect pangolins? Pangolins are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which includes "species not necessarily threatened with extinction", but that may become so without trade restrictions. Many states in Africa and Asia have laws prohibiting the capture and trade of pangolins, but the laws are not always enforced. On Wednesday, a coalition of conservation groups passed a motion calling for all eight pangolin species to receive the most stringent international protection available, a move that would essentially ban all international commercial trade and ramp up enforcement. The motion also appeals for more support and understanding of the pangolin. A decision is expected later this month in Johannesburg, South Africa. Conservation groups also have submitted a technical science and trade petition to Fish and Wildlife requesting that all species of pangolins be listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. So far, only one species, the Temminck's ground pangolin of Africa, is on that list. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has also launched the Mentor-Progress on Pangolins fellowship program. Based in Yaounde, Cameroon, it is training a team of early-career Central African and Asian conservation practitioners to champion the conservation of pangolins in Central Africa. "You can pour as much money as you want into enforcement, but so long as the demand is still there and the consumer market is there and the price is so high, the criminal networks will always find a way to poach animals and get these stolen gems of nature to the black market," said Allan. Pangolin in San Diego Zoo Pangolins do not typically fare well in captivity, conservationists said. The San Diego Zoo is the only accredited zoo facility in the United States with a pangolin exhibit, according to zoo officials. As Rick Schwartz, an ambassador for San Diego Zoo Global recalls, a crime in 2007 involving an illegal shipment of pangolins led to the zoo being entrusted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to care for eight pangolins. "Some of them were in such bad shape that many passed way within the first few days," Schwartz said. "We were able to keep one male and one female alive." The female died about five years ago. That left the zoo with just the male, a white-bellied tree pangolin they named Baba. Zoo officials do not know his age, but he weighs about 2.5 kilograms. They created a special habitat for him, mimicking the warm and humid environment of the African equatorial rainforest, where his species is found. Nutritionists make a specially researched high-fibre blend of ground-up insectivore pellets and liquid for Baba, who officials say has been a popular attraction at the zoo. "We have people who travel to the zoo just to see it," Schwartz said. "Most people don't even think they're real." There were umbrellas and gumboots galore and even a possible flood warning, but Canberra's rainfall only just reached the minimum forecast for Friday. It had been predicted a third of spring's average rainfall could bucket down in Canberra on Friday. Pedestrians with umbrellas at the ANU avoiding the rain on Friday, when The Bureau of Meteorology estimated between 40 and 60 millimetres would fall in Canberra. Credit:Rohan Thomson The Bureau of Meteorology forecast a near 100 per cent chance of rain and estimated between 40 and 60 millimetres could fall on Friday. The rain was expected to start falling from late morning and was tipped to continue overnight. On Thursday night, Malcolm Turnbull's Coalition became the first majority government in more than 50 years to lose a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives. In sometimes chaotic scenes, senior ministers scrambled to call MPs back to Parliament House to ensure Labor's motion calling for a banking royal commission could be defeated. Labor won three procedural votes before the government could secure the numbers it needed to adjourn for the day. Mr Turnbull blamed ministers Peter Dutton, Michael Keenan and Christian Porter for the "stuff-up", saying MPs shouldn't leave before Parliament is adjourned without permission from the government's leadership team. Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email sunnews@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes Labor factional powerbroker Sam Dastyari is facing ongoing scrutiny over his close connections to Chinese-Australian interests, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull questioning whether donations led to the NSW senator contradicting his party's policy in a "cash for comment" arrangement. Concerns have also broadened to the issue of political donations and the increasing role of China-linked money in Australia as leaders on both sides discuss reforming the system with restrictions or increased transparency. The Prime Minister said Senator Dastyari's "extraordinary" behaviour was "completely different" to regular political donations in that he held a personal debt to to the government after exceeding travel entitlements. "And what did he do? Did he put his hand in his pocket like anyone else would do and pay the bill? No. But he used his influence as a senator to get that $1600 from a Chinese donor," Mr Turnbull told 3AW. The federal government's independent auditor has slammed the roll-out of the Coalition's mobile black spot program, finding it was beset by "weaknesses" and provided poor value for money. Coalition MPs in regional areas used the $220 million program, launched with much fanfare, as a key selling point during this year's election campaign. The program, run by the Department of Communications, was designed to improve mobile phone coverage and competition in regional Australia. The Coalition's black spot program has come under scrutiny. Credit:Rob Homer Eighty per cent of the grants went to Coalition electorates with seven per cent awarded to Labor electorates. In its most critical finding, the ANAO found one in five of the mobile phone towers funded in the first round of the program provided little to no new coverage for consumers. Paris Aristotle isn't the first respected voice to call on the Turnbull Government to end the misery or those in limbo on Manus Island and Nauru, or face the prospect of awful consequences. Nor is he the first to express that call in blunt language that highlights the risk of an escalation in suicide and self-harm attempts. Just last week, Liberal MP Russell Broadbent cut to the chase when he said: "It's one thing to have people die at sea; it's another to have them die in your arms and be responsible for that." The reason Aristotle's contribution should be a tipping point in this debate is threefold: his voice has been respected by both sides of politics for two decades; he is not a person prone to overstatement; and his conclusion accords with that of other independent experts. It was a hashtag that broke hearts and illuminated classrooms. When #iwishmyteacherknew stormed the internet last year, spurring a wave of teachers to experiment with asking their pupils what they wished they knew, the result was as emotive as it was eye-opening. I Wish My Teacher Knew, by Kyle Schwartz Credit:I Wish My Teacher Knew, by Kyle Schwartz There was Brittney in the sixth grade, who wrote: "I wish my teacher knew my dad died this year, I feel more alone/disconnected from my peers than ever before." Jillian Skinner has been wounded by the quick succession of scandals. Credit:Edwina Pickles Some 2000 babies are stillborn nationally every year. The most recent available data shows more than 27,000 babies were born in NSW hospitals in 2014. "In the main, they are very happy events and things go very well," Skinner said. "I can't ever guarantee, nobody can, that there are not human error mistakes made, but we will do everything in our endeavours to make sure that things are done properly." The deceased woman tagged with a living patient's name But the distressing stillborn error was not the only morgue mix-up exposed in the estimates hearing. Opposition health spokesman Walt Secord revealed the daughter of an 89-year-old deceased woman found her mother had been tagged with another patient's identification tags as she lay in a body bag on a Royal North Shore hospital ward. After an internal investigation the hospital reported that the daughter had discovered the error after she asked nurses to open her mother's body bag so she could take one last photo. But the daughter, Sarah*, told Fairfax Media she was "utterly appalled" by the hospital's version of events. "The only fact they got right was that my mother was dead," Sarah says. She says she did not ask nurses to open her mother's body bag so that she could take a photograph, but had noticed the tags on the bag bore the name and details of a stranger. "I thought, 'how do I know this is my mother inside this bag? Or if the tags on her body are correct?' ... That's when I asked them to check," Sarah says "The nurses reluctantly opened the bag and yet again there was another tag on my mum's stomach that was also wrong. "I just feel so insulted. The report makes me out to be a horrible person; asking them to open the body bag so I could snap a photo. It's very insensitive and uncaring to suggest that's what happened." Sarah was later told the patient whose tags were on her deceased mother was in fact alive. "The nurses had obviously completely ignored protocol. My mother's name was still written in large letters on the wall above her head." The hospital's report noted the nurses had apologised immediately for the error. "They never said a word to me," Sarah says. "I'm just amazed. It appears that they've fabricated this entire report." A spokesman for the Northern Sydney Local Health District said: "We regret the identification incident occurred; and we regret the distress caused by the way the complaint was handled ... We will offer the daughter the opportunity to meet with senior staff of the hospital to further discuss her concerns." The morgue's unnamed: My patients can't tell me who they are Dr Grant McBride is used to working with the dead. The forensic pathologist who ran Wollongong Hospital's mortuary between 2001 to 2014 has dealt with the remnants of truly tragic and horrific deaths. But what made him sick to his stomach was the ongoing procession of mislabelled bodies that descended from the hospital wards above. "We'd get two to three bodies unlabelled every year without fail. Some were totally unlabelled," McBride says. Identification tags might have stuck to the body bags, but the bodies themselves had no identification attached, in direct contravention of national standards. "Down in the morgue our patients can't tell us who they are. We rely on our labelling system," McBride says. "Inappropriately tagged bodies were much more frequent: at one stage I had about three every week. "I'd open the bags to find labels stuck to foreheads, or on nipples ... It was just totally inappropriate. I found it quite disrespectful. It really made me sick. "Correct identification has to be the highest priority to hospitals. We need to be eternally vigilant and pay meticulous attention to detail. But this was not happening and I suspect it is not unique to Wollongong Hospital." A spokesman from Wollongong Hospital said labelling of the deceased in the mortuary is carefully managed and verified at both the admission and release stages and cross checked by funeral directors. "Deceased are admitted with identifying wristbands that have been verified and attached by either hospital staff, police or contractors and remain on the body throughout the process," the spokesman said. The 'Swiss Cheese' dilemma If you find yourself a patient in one of the state's public hospitals you are overwhelmingly likely to receive appropriate medical care; even after death. No comparable country spends less per person and has better premature mortality outcomes than NSW, a Bureau of Health Information analysis found. And reports of incidents in NSW hospitals that attract the highest severity classification number just 0.08 per 1000 acute hospital days, according to NSW Health figures. "I am proud of the fact that there has never been greater reporting of serious patient incidents or a more rigorous focus on improving patient safety outcomes," Health Minister Skinner says. But Skinner has been wounded by the quick succession of scandals. Near and actual misses short of catastrophic are endemic to hospitals around the world, with one in 10 hospital patients harmed to some extent by errors or omissions, a rate that has remained stable for 50 years. In Australia, the Productivity Commission identified 107 serious medical errors in the national health system in 2012, from instruments being left inside patients and operations being carried out on the wrong patient or body part, to medication errors resulting in death. Many of the high-profile incidents of recent weeks could fall into the "Swiss cheese model" of organisational accidents a concept pioneered by American psychologist James Reason that compares hazards to holes lining up in slices of cheese: The nitrous oxide mix-up that lead to the death of one baby and serious injury to another at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, systemic failures to pick up an oncologist's flat dosing of chemotherapy at St Vincent's Hospital, another flat dosing doctor at St George Sutherland Hospital, over prescribing of antibiotics, and the mislabelling of deceased patients at RNS. Each was avoidable, but inherent weaknesses in the system and human error aligned, with in some cases devastating results. And in each case NSW Health did what the public expected of it: apologised, investigated and apparently put in place new procedures to ensure it did not happen again. But Macquarie University health systems analyst Jeffrey Braithwaite warns against relying on the "find and fix" model of identifying where things went wrong and then introducing regulations to prevent them from recurring. Healthcare delivery was so complex that serious errors rarely happened in the same way twice and this approach often imposed more red tape on overworked clinicians without improving safety, Professor Braithwaite wrote in the International Journal for Quality Health Care last year. "Rather than counting incidents, hoping to drive out errors and focusing on the negative, we should strive to ensure that things go well," he writes. But Braithwaite said the recent events were not indicative of a broken system. "This just seems like a cluster of events but it isn't much more than the detection of a series of events," he said. "Call it a run of bad luck." The best way to prevent errors would be to promote teamwork. "Send a constant message that people (including ministers) won't be punished for clusters of events that are only seen in hindsight or when people go looking for them, even though some people - including journalists - think they are on to something." A Bankstown doctor who did not wish to be named said errors usually occurred when the hospital became unexpectedly busy, and the system was not robust enough to cope with them. "There should be enough slack in the system to deal with the next emergency," the doctor says. "All these single errors are the tip of the iceberg for a system that's trying to do better and has systems in place to do better but is just coming up against lack of innovation, lack of staffing, lack of money and no value placed on trying to change things." Since the Coalition government was elected in 2011 the number of nurses and midwives in NSW has grown by 13 per cent to 45,796 in June 2016. Doctor ranks have swelled to 11,137, up 25 per cent over the same period, and all local health districts have had budget increases allocated by population growth in a recurrent 2016/2017 health budget of $20.6 billion. But the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association is among the most vocal critics that argue the health system is still under-resourced. General secretary Brett Holmes says the increasing demands on the health system had created a culture of "that's all we have make do". Already nurses are being forced to cover the jobs of support staff, such as cleaners when they were on leave in some districts, adding to their daily duties, he says. The union had also received many reports of nurses who had tried to make notifications of "near misses", only to have the severity of the incident downgraded by their senior manager. Complaints to the Health Care Complaints Commission are at a high (4426 between July 2014 and March 2016). The commission predicts complaints to climb to 5900 by the year's end. "It is a damning reflection on the Baird government's handling of health and hospitals in NSW," Labor Health spokesman Walt Secord says. "Health professionals are working flat-out, but they are under enormous pressure to deal with an increasing number of patients with scarcer resources," he says. Loading "Are there enough staff to do the job and if not, what corners do you cut to get the job done?" Holmes asks. The sunlight glints on the cherry-red strands of Beth Barnard's hair as she laughs. The colour is new. Her clothes are new. Even the laugh feels new. Beth Barnard: "This is for all the other disabled people who can't communicate easily or talk." Credit:Jason South Before, when she wanted to dye her hair, go to movies, or get a massage, Beth was told she couldn't afford it, that she didn't have money, she says. But actually, she did. Fleeing suspects who ram occupied police cars or police on foot should be charged with attempted murder, says Police Association Secretary Ron Iddles. The calls come after police shot dead one suspect and may have wounded another in two separate ramming incidents in 24 hours. A policeman shot dead the driver of a stolen car who allegedly used the vehicle to pin the sergeant against a Tullamarine factory wall early Friday. The injured sergeant told colleagues from hospital the driver could have veered in a different direction but "definitely lined me up." Two 80-year-olds, affectionately dubbed Perth's super grannies, abseiled 51 storeys down Central Park Tower in Perth on Friday for a good cause. Helen and Gloria both took the plunge to raise money for Ronald McDonald House. They fearlessly abseiled 220 metres from the roof of Perth's tallest building on St George's Terrace, the equivalent of walking climbing 1,103 steps. Helen and Gloria have both been volunteering at the House for 25 years but, this was the first time either of them have attempted abseiling. A group of fundraisers dressed up as superhero characters are attempting to ride motorised scooters from Bridgetown to Perth for Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Superdad Simon Kane from Bridgetown is the mastermind behind the 10-day 600km trip, aimed at raising awareness to honour children who are fighting cancer and to raise funds for further research to help cure the illness. Simon and his wife Kim have been dealing with childhood cancer since their son Declan was diagnosed in 2013 with high risk stage five neuroblastoma, when he was just 3 years old. Declan has endured intense treatment with repeated rounds of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy in Perth and Sydney to help battle the cancer. Washington: A Romanian hacker nicknamed "Guccifer" who helped expose the existence of private email server Hillary Clinton used when she was US secretary of state has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. Marcel Lazar, 44, who used the alias online, had pleaded guilty in May to charges including unauthorised access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft after being extradited from Romania. Marcel Lazar, who used the alias Guccifer online, was jailed for hacking into Hillary Clinton's private email server. Credit:Screengrab/NBC Lazar is believed to have hacked into email accounts of about 100 victims between 2012 and 2014. They included celebrities, business executives and political figures such as Sidney Blumenthal, an adviser with whom Clinton corresponded using her personal email account; confidantes of former president George W. Bush; and former secretary of state Colin Powell. Tampa: Hurricane Hermine tore a path of destruction across Florida on Friday, knocking out power for 253,000 homes, flooding low-lying areas and raising concerns about the spread of the Zika virus from pools of standing water left behind. The first hurricane to make landfall in Florida in more than a decade, Hermine came ashore early on Friday near St Marks, Florida, 30 kilometres south of the capital of Tallahassee, packing winds of 130kph and churning up a devastating storm surge in coastal areas. Debris and boats scattered across the road after Hurricane Hermine passed through Steinhatchee in Florida on Friday. Credit:Matt Stamey Hermine, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, was set to snarl US Labor Day holiday travel as it moves north east after battering Florida's $US89 billion tourism industry. The storm centre was on the border between Georgia and South Carolina at 2pm local time, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Police arrested four of five ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who prosecutors say are members of a volunteer Williamsburg neighborhood patrol and attacked a gay man in the neighborhood early one morning in December. The district attorneys office is charging the men with gang assault and unlawful imprisonment for the beating that was accompanied by a barrage of anti-gay slurs, according to the New York Post, and left fashion student Taj Pattersons right eye socket fractured and his retina torn, according to prosecutors. The charges carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and the boroughs top legal eagle said the stiff sentences should send a message to maniacs to contain their rage. We simply cannot allow anyone walking on the streets of Brooklyn to be knocked to the ground, stomped, and brutally beaten, said Thompson. Our streets must be free of such violence and everyone must adhere to the rule of law, including these defendants. The incident began when Patterson, a Fort Greene resident, had left a party and was walking on Flushing Avenue at 5 am, according to the indictment. The quarrelsome quintet chased Patterson down, detained him, and accused him of damaging cars in the area, prosecutors said. There was nothing to the allegation, but the group surrounded Patterson and was joined by 10 more people, Thompsons office alleges. When Patterson tried to flee, the men held him down and kicked and punched the living daylights out of him, the indictment states, while yelling homophobic curses at him, the Post said. The alleged mob attack only let up when the driver of a B57 bus pulled over and started to snap pictures, according to the Post, which reported that the NYPDs Hate Crimes was eyeing the attack. Thompson did not charge the five suspects with hate crimes. The Williamsburg Safety Patrol, a volunteer neighborhood-watch group of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish type referred to as Shomrim, denied that the five accused are members, but the wording of its statement left open the possibility that some are. Reports that all five of the defendants indicted today are members of our organization are not true, and the acts alleged in these indictments are contrary to our mission and our membership, said organization spokesman Joseph Pollack. The Williamsburg Shomrim Safety Patrol condemns all acts of vigilantism in any form and treats all members of the greater community with the dignity and respect they all deserve. One neighborhood activist and member of the insular Satmar sect was quick to defend the Williamsburg Shomrim in general, though he emphasized he knew nothing about who was being charged. The Shomrim have been doing a marvelous job for 30 or 40 years, said Simon Weiser, a member of Community Board 1. They would never get involved in this kind of practice. An ultra-Orthodox rabbi issued a statement condemning the beating, though it did not mention the defendants purported Shomrim ties. The bedrock of the Williamsburg community is tolerance for one and another, said Rabbi David Niederman, president of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn. Any act of violence by any individual, against anyone, for whatever reason, is condemned in the strongest possible terms. Cops are still after a fifth suspect in the scary smackdown. Patterson could not be reached for comment. Reach reporter Danielle Furfaro at dfurfaro@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2511. Follow her at twitter.com/DanielleFurfaro. The city of Beatrice held open houses about downtown revitalization projects on Wednesday in which community members and downtown business owners came to voice their opinions and provide input as to how to best improve the downtown area. Recently, Beatrice was awarded a grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to help improve and revitalize downtown. The next step is to develop a plan and then apply to implement the plan, which we are hoping to do by spring of 2017, City Attorney Gregory Butcher said in a recent interview. We just would like to know what people want us to do with that grant money." Community planning and research firm Hanna:Keelan Associates, P.C., conducted the open house and will be developing a plan for the revitalization effort. Wednesdays conference gave the firm the chance to meet face to face with the community it is researching. To begin, Community Regional Planner Lonnie Dickson described the two phases of the project. The first will be to decide what to prioritize the streamline of funding for. The second will be to execute the identified projects in the community. Dickson estimates that the credits will provide around $450,000 for the revitalization, including $350,000 of state funds, which the city will have to match at least 25 percent of. One of the main discussions of the meeting reviewed the survey results that were distributed online and to downtown business owners earlier this summer. The survey asked the public various questions about what they would like to see downtown with many responding that they think downtown Beatrice could use aesthetic improvements. 273 people responded to the survey with 216 from Beatrice, 36 from rural Gage County and 21 from other communities. 75 percent responded that they either disagree or strongly disagree that downtown Beatrice is attractive and in good condition. Nearly 80 responded that a facade improvement program can improve the appearance of downtown, which was something that Dickson agreed that the public seemed very interested in. In August, it was announced that much of downtown Beatrice is now a nationally recognized historic district and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With that will come economic developmental resources that include state and federal historic tax credits, which in combination with the grant money could really help business owners and the city improve downtown. As phase one of the revitalization moves forward, the city will continue to look for input from the community and business owners to help revitalize downtown in the most beneficial way. Samsung has halted sales of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in India and recalled thousands of devices sold globally after a few cases of battery explosion while charging were reported. The recall comes at a critical time for Samsung as Apple prepares to unveil its latest iPhone on September 7. Healthcare major Enterprise Ltd (AHEL) is expecting the six-member committee it formed to look into restructuring existing businesses to come out with its decisions in a year's time. The company on Thursday said its Board of Directors has deliberated the possibility of various options to restructure the businesses by re-aligning the business lines as per verticals. President Xi Jinping said Laos' participation in the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou with its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is of great significance. Xi made the remarks when meeting with visiting Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith on Wednesday in Hangzhou of Eastern China's Zhejiang province. "We are ready to work with parties including Laos to push for positive outcomes yielded at the summit," Xi said. Both countries should boost high-level exchanges and deepen strategic communication, and they should jointly promote the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Strengthened cooperation is expected in fields such as infrastructure, energy development and economic cooperation parks, Xi said. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-Laos diplomatic relations, and Xi said the two sides are expected to reinforce cooperation regarding fields such as education, culture, tourism and law enforcement. The Laotian President said he appreciates China's inviting Laos to attend the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, and he speaks highly of China's making development an important topic on the summit agenda as well as China's efforts in steering the summit to achieve positive outcomes. Currently, the Laos-China comprehensive strategic partnership is developing rapidly, the high-level mutual visits are frequent, cooperation in various fields are moving forward and bringing tangible benefits to people of both countries, he said. Laos will continue supporting China's playing an important role in international and regional affairs and is ready to embark on close communication and coordination with China, he added. Its been a little over a year now since we were struck by lightning and needed to replace the entire electronic systems in our dispatch center. When these systems were replaced, it provided us the opportunity to upgrade many of those pieces of equipment. We upgraded to a new emergency notification system which is also connected to the Federal Emergency Management Agencies system. This will allow us to make notifications to the public for anything from snow emergencies to evacuation instructions during a chemical spill. We will need folks who want their notifications via a cell phone to register that number in our system. To do this, we will have a community event in September which will make this easier and I will have more information on that soon. The newest upgrade we have is to the 911 phone system. All of the dispatch centers in Southeast Nebraska joined together to upgrade our 911 phone service and we recently completed our install. Now when you call 911 from anywhere in Southeast Nebraska your call goes to a server in Lincoln, Nebraska. The server then directs the call to the appropriate dispatcher center. A backup server makes sure that a call is not lost should the first server stop working. One of the biggest benefits of this system is that it will allow for our 911 calls to be easily directed to a backup location in the event of a disaster. The new system will also work well for the regional Southeast Nebraska 911 Center, which serves all of Gage County, as more agencies chose to join the system. This will further promote efficiency and help save taxpayer dollars over the long haul. The system is being paid for in most cases by fees collected on your land line and cell phone accounts. These fees have a direct benefit back to taxpayer, since we can all agree that when we call 911 during an emergency we want help now. This system will help to ensure that happens. Like I have said many times, we can cut corners on a lot of projects in an effort to save money, but when it comes to delivering 911 service, failure is not an option. 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. Ltd (CIL) has constituted the 10th joint bipartite committee for the coal industry (JBCCI) to revise pay of over three lakh non-executive employees across its subsidiaries. is organising an event specifically for women entrepreneurs to help them get more business from other women business owners, corporate buyers and the government itself, as it explores new opportunities for boosting business in the state. Chinese multinational technology company is in talks with the governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to set up a manufacturing facility in the region. While sources in Tamil Nadu government have said that the company is talks to take over Motorola's manufacturing unit in Chennai, with an investment of around Rs 250 crore, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said has evinced interest in setting up a mobile phone manufacturing facility with an investment of around Rs 2,000 crore in the Union Territory. With a data price war begun by Mukesh Ambani with the announcement of fourth-generation technology (4G) services by Reliance Jio, India chief executive Sunil Sood said pricing would not be a differentiator. Sood announced Vodafones 4G foray into Gujarat with its launch in this city on the 1,800 MHz band, to be followed by 206 other cities by year-end. Pricing is the easiest thing to change. It is not a barrier to entry. Pricing is not a differentiator for anybody (in 4G). We will continue to remain competitive and provide superior customer service, he said. While Reliance Jio is offering 10 GB 4G data and 20 GB free Wi-Fi usage for Rs 999, India says it offers 20GB 4G data at Rs 998 for packs greater than 1 GB. Apart from the competitive pricing, the operator is also offering free to Vodafone voice calls for a limited period in Gujarat. Vodafone customers will also be able to avail a three-month access to free TV, movies and videos on Vodafone Play, as part of the 4G subscription. Gujarat is the eighth telecom circle after Kerala, Karnataka, Kolkata, Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Haryana and UP East where Vodafone India has launched 4G services. By year-end, says Sood, theyd launch Vodafone SuperNet 4G services across 1,000 towns. Including West Bengal, the nine circles together contribute to just below 70 per cent of Vodafone Indias data revenue. Vodafone India spent around Rs 8,000 crore nationally last year and will invest a similar amount this year for network expansion and upgradation, continuing on its 4G foray, said Sood. He put the companys total investment so far at Rs 115,500 crore. Multiplex chain PVR has denied media reports that the promoters are looking to sell their stake to Chinese cinema exhibition giant Wanda. The company refused to comment further, calling it a speculation. Tata Motors may have to make fresh provisions on account of Singur, in the wake of the recent Supreme Court (SC) verdict on the land acquisition process for its Nano project in 2006. In the latest twist to the TataDoCoMo joint venture (JV) tale, Tata Sons on Friday filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court, objecting to the enforcement of the June 24, $1.17 billion London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) award in favour of NTT DoCoMo. on Friday said it has rolled out its 4G service in Surat and will expand services across Gujarat over the next few months. When Jill Sand came back from a Global Studies trip to Guatemala last June with students and staff, she knew there would be a special bond with her fellow travelers. You look around and youre like, This is pretty amazing and you know you can never duplicate this in the United States, Sand said. They learn things that will last them a lifetime. Sand, chair of the Respiratory Care program at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, along with three fellow instructors and 21 students spent eight days in the Central American country. The students represented a variety of SCC programs, including Surgical Technology, Respiratory Care, nursing (Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing), Radiologic Technology, Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting and Physical Therapist Assistant. Students were able to treat local residents who dont easily have access to health care and other modern resources. At times, people stood in line for hours, but rarely complained. Sand says this is great experience for health science students. Not only are they gaining important skills, but also fulfilling a need in the community. They treated all ages, did basic health assessments and rotated positions, Sand said. They were never stuck doing the same thing every day. Every spring and summer, SCCs Global Education program takes various international trips. They provide opportunities for students to experience traveling abroad, while at the same time earning college credits and developing awareness of other cultures. Students, faculty and staff are eligible for the trips, as long as they take the global education curriculum aimed at studying the particular country in which they will travel. DeWitt native Dawn Starkey is a student in the Associate Degree Nursing program. She had never been out of the country before and wanted to see another part of the world. When she heard about the Global Studies program at SCC, she knew it was something she had to do. It felt really good, Starkey said about the trip and helping others. The people were so incredibly grateful and thankful. I felt a little upset that I couldnt do more. Starkey said every student and instructor rotated into groups where they would perform various assessments, including checking vital signs, blood sugars, blood pressure and providing general health care education. It was neat to see a nursing student teach a radiology student how to do a blood sugar test, said Sharon Rehn, chair of SCCs Surgical Technology program. They were smiling and happy and appreciated all the information we gave them, Starkey said. The students and faculty spent time in Guatemala City, San Jose Pinula, the Monte Redondo Community, and Antigua. They would typically see around 250 to 300 patients a day with long lines, but people were happy to get the medical care and assistance they needed. Sand said many of these people dont get any health care services at all, and simple education was the most valuable thing they could teach them. People were so gracious and so hungry to hear about how they could help themselves, Sand said. The most valuable thing we can teach them is education. In addition to providing much-needed health care services, the group also donated more than 1,000 pounds of supplies from SCC employees and students before the trip. Items included shampoo, soap, deodorant, and educational materials. While people waited in line for their turns, students kept the children occupied by playing kickball, blowing bubbles, showing them sidewalk chalk, and painting their faces. We got a lot of hugs, kisses and thank-yous, Starkey said. Even with the language barrier, we were able to communicate with them. Love is universal; it was precious. I was getting so much from this trip, Rehn said. Toward the end is when you realize you have a strong relationship with all these people. Its just enough time to fall in love with everyone on the trip. This was the second Global Studies trip for Sand, but she has been on numerous other mission trips. She says every trip is unique and has a special meaning. She loves when students see that, too. Theres a moment during every trip where I think things are working well, things are special, Sand said. Ive already decided I would like to do it again, Starkey said. Its the opportunity of a lifetime. In 2017, there are trips scheduled to Brazil, Italy, Cuba, Haiti, and Guatemala. The deadline to sign up for the trip to Italy is October 1. For more information, click on the Global Education Opportunities link on the SCC website, southeast.edu. The demerged undertaking, together with the existing EPC team of RIL, will create a focused EPC undertaking to cater to the needs of the group Microbrewery startup Yardhouse Brewery Private Limited, which had set up its first microbrewery Prost Pub in Bengaluru in 2012, has announced the soft launch of its second pub in Hyderabad on Friday. This 340-seater Prost Pub was set up in a 11,000 square feet space at an investment of over Rs 10 crore, according to Yardhouse director Teja Chekuri, The company's immediate plans include a second pub in Bengaluru and one in Delhi, he said. Banking services in the country were paralysed on Friday as a strike call by various bank employees' associations received encouraging response, the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) claimed Friday. The Bharat bandh called by central trade unions has lukewarm response in Chennai and several parts of Tamil Nadu. "The response to the strike call has been encouraging. Banking services were mostly paralised. Basic banking services were affected across the country," said C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA in a statement today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described Egypt as a natural bridge between Asia and Africa following bilateral talks between him and visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. "In our conversation, President Sisi and I have agreed to build on multiple pillars of our cooperation," Modi said in a joint media statement with Sisi following delegation-level talks here. "Egypt is a natural bridge between Asia and Africa," he said. "As ancient and proud civilisations with rich cultural heritage, we decided to facilitate more people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges," he said. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on him in the evening, and during the meeting Sisi described ties between Egypt and India as old and "very resilient". Sisi will be hosted for a banquet by President Mukherjee on Friday evening. This is the first presidential visit from Egypt to India since the visit of then President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. With the High Court lambasting civic bodies over the issue of waterlogging, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said it should summon Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung, as the post has been upheld as the administrative head by it in a recent verdict. "When HC has said that LG is govt, then HC shud summon LG for waterlogging. This is strange. How can High Court not be concerned who is govt? HC says LG is govt and then asks CM to do the job?" the CM tweeted. On the government's submission that its senior officials were not cooperating since the August 4 judgement, the court flatly said on Thursday, "We are not concerned about who is government and who is not." It also warned senior government officials of contempt of court action in case work was not undertaken according to the established norms in this regard. Pulling up the local bodies for passing the buck on each other, the court attributed the severe waterlogging to clogging of drains by plastics and other non-biodegradable materials. United States Secretary of State met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in New Delhi to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including Syria, Libya and Middle East peace. US State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said Secretary Kerry during the meeting on Thursday stressed that Egypt remains a strategic partner of the United States and that the two countries can cooperate to support the Government of Accord in Libya and counter violent extremism in the region. During the meeting, Kerry also welcomed the Egyptian Government's efforts to undertake critical economic reforms supported by the International Monetary Fund. On Syria, Kerry updated President al-Sisi on Washington's efforts to bring durable, nationwide cessation of hostilities, open full access for humanitarian assistance to all areas in need and restart a Syrian-led process in Geneva on a political transition. The two also discussed ongoing efforts towards achieving a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Kerry also highlighted the importance of protecting human rights and fostering democratic values and institutions. West Bengal Chief Minister on Friday left for Italy on a week-long visit to Rome and Germany to attend Mother Teresa's canonisation ceremony and meet potential investors. A 12-member official delegation and a group of industrialists are accompanying her. She left Kolkata on an Emirates flight in the morning. "At the invitation of Missionaries of Charity, I am leaving for the holy Vatican City to participate in the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa. Mother was the mother of humanity. Her love for the ailing, the needy and the entire humanity was unbounded," she said on Twitter. "Bengal is more proud as Mother lived and worked here and showered us with her abundant love and care. It is indeed a moment of great pride and honour. Bless us Mother, so that we can continue to serve the people," Mamata said. The Chief Minister will stay in Italy till September 5 where Rome's first woman mayor Virginia Raggi will host a special reception during her visit to Vatican City. From Rome, she will fly to Munich where she will hold meetings with businessmen in the manufacturing sector. Mamata is scheduled to return to Kolkata on September 10. Hundreds of thousands are expected to gather in Rome on Sunday for a canonisation service led by Pope Francis, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, in front of St Peter's Basilica On the eve of her canonisation as a Roman Catholic saint, and 19 years after her death, the order founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta is going strong - even without her charismatic leadership. Despite that, the pace at which roads are being made, railways is expanding. Theres a six-fold increase in electronic goods manufacturing These things show we havent taken shortcuts. And my motto is like what you see on railway platforms shortcuts will cut you short. We dont want to take any shortcuts and the results are showing, he said. On unaccounted money, or black money, the PM advised people to declare it before, under the Income Declaration Scheme, before the deadline of September 30, or they might face stern action. Modi said his government has enacted a law that has curbed export of black money. For black money at home, the PM said: If you made a mistake, knowingly or unknowingly, come to the mainstream now, sleep peacefully at night. I have given a way If I take stern steps after September 30, no one can blame me. He said nobody has the right to loot the money that belongs to the poor of this country. The scheme, which opened on June 1, allows people to declare unaccounted money by paying tax and penalty on it. Modi said the economic situation in May 2014 was much worse than it seemed on the surface. He said he was confronted with a choice whether to be politically expedient and put the poor state of the economy in the public domain or keep the interest of the nation uppermost. He said his government had even mulled tabling in Parliament a white paper on the economic condition before the presentation of the first Budget. But that would have dragged the economy even lower, markets would have been badly hit, increased hopelessness, affected the market and the worlds view of India would have become worse. It would have got very difficult to pull the economy out of such morass, he said. Modi said this was the reason why his government didnt make public the jugglery that was done in previous Budgets (during the UPA rule) and the condition of bank NPAs. The PM said he opted to be silent in national interest even at the cost of political damage. It hurt us, we were criticised. It was made to look like this was my fault. All these issues from the past impacted private investment, Modi said. The PM said the positive fallout of this has been that he is now able to address these issues. Modi said in the years to come it will be a matter of surprise when unbiased people sit down to analyse the choices his government has made on the economic front. On the goods and services tax (GST) regime, he said it will reduce the tax burden on the common man. Terming it the biggest taxation reform since Indias Independence, Modi said greater transparency and simplification of rules would increase compliance and generate more revenue for development. On Thursday, the GST constitutional amendment Bill crossed a key landmark with Odisha becoming the 16th state Assembly to ratify the Bill. This met the requirement of more than half of 31 state Assemblies approving the Bill for it to go for presidential assent. Very few people in the country pay taxes. Some people pay taxes because they are patriotic and they want to do something for the country. Some pay taxes because they dont want to break the law. Some pay to avoid trouble. But most dont pay because the process is complicated. They think they might get stuck in the process and wont be able to come out. GST will simplify tax payments so much that anyone who wants to contribute to the country will come forward, he said. Secondly, today if you go and eat in a hotel, the bill that you get comes with this cess, that cess... People send messages on WhatsApp detailing the bill amount and the cess paid. All this will end, the PM added. On reforms, Modi said, First of all, in our country, only what is talked about is seen as reform. If it isnt talked about, it isnt seen as reform. It shows our ignorance. Actually I am of the view reform to transform. I say in my government Reform, Perform & Transform. And since I am sitting for an interview, I would say Reform, Perform, Transform & Inform. The PM spoke on a wide range of issues from Lutyens culture, relations with judiciary, atrocities on Dalits, Kashmir situation and the forthcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh. The PM said his government has improved ease of doing business by removing hindrances. He said there the economy is more vibrant now and prospects of growth are brighter now after a good monsoon. He said his government has used technology to curb low-level corruption. The PM said his government has not indulged in any political vendetta and rejected the assessment that it has targeted any particular dynasty, a reference to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her family. On the issue of Dalits, the PM said he is being blamed for the incidents as part of a conspiracy by his rivals when law and order is a state subject. He, however, advised all, including BJP leaders, to be more responsible in their public statements about any particular group or community. The PM suggested the slowness in private investments could also be because of his tightening of screws on bank NPAs (non-performing assets). Incidentally, the interview was telecast on the last day in office of Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan. Modi said he had held a meeting with bankers and told them that there would be no phone calls to them from New Delhi (on issuing loans to industrialists). On Wednesday, wrapping up his three-day visit to the US, Defence Minister flew from Washington to Philadelphia to visit Boeings rotorcraft facility, where Indias Chinook helicopters will be built, starting next year. Business Standard visited the Philadelphia unit ahead of that visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi here on Friday. Modi, who is set to leave for Vietnam, received Sisi at the Hyderabad House where they held a discussion. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. He met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday. Sisi, who is being accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, officials and business leaders, will also sign a number of agreements. An Australian court on Thursday confirmed its preliminary decision made earlier this week asking The Australian newspaper to provide all leaked data of India's Scorpene submarine to French shipbuilder DCNS and to stop publishing any more details. The paper, which has already withdrawn information published on its website after the first decision on Monday, will provide DCNS with all the documents in its possession and is prohibited from publishing any additional documents. "The Supreme Court of the State of New South Wales (Australia) confirmed today the preliminary decision it had rendered on Monday, August 29, against The Australian," DCNS said in a statement. Underlining that confidentiality of information and communication is a matter of utmost importance, DCNS said it welcomes this decision of the court. In parallel to this action, DCNS filed a complaint against unknown persons for breach of trust, receiving the proceeds of an offence and aiding and abetting before the Paris Public Prosecutor, it added. Over 22,000 pages of top secret data on the capabilities of six highly-advanced submarines being built for the Indian Navy in Mumbai, in collaboration with the French company, have been leaked. Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vietnam is a bilateral one, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has said that very strong outcomes can be expected from the visit. Prime Minister Modi will embark on a two nation tour to Vietnam and China on Friday. "Prime Minister's visit to Vietnam is a bilateral visit. It is a long standing invitation. We will see what come outs of that tomorrow, but you can expect very strong outcomes. Then after that he is going to G20," Jaishankar told ANI. In the first leg of his four day visit, Prime Minister Modi will reach Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday. Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry, Preeti Saran had on Thursday in a media briefing said that during the visit, Prime Minister Modi will meet President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. She added that Vietnam is India's important strategic partner and the visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties including defence, security and trade. From Vietnam, Prime Minister Modi will leave for China on Saturday evening to attend the G-20 Summit in Hangzhou. Secretary (West) in the MEA, Sujata Mehta said, during the visit, India will take up issues like cross-border mobility of professionals, terror financing, tax evasion and reduction in remittance transaction cost among others. Meanwhile, talking about the ongoing Indian Ocean Conference 2016, Jaishankar said that such event raises consciousness about the Indian Ocean among the member countries. "It brings different players with different interests together to the same platform to the next change. At the end of the day Indian Ocean will only work if there is a consultation and cooperation among the state and to do that first you should meet, first we should exchange ideas. That's what this is about," he added. The conference will focus on the defence, economic, cultural and environmental matters of the region. Banking operations came to standstill in Telangana as over 15,000 employees of various banks participated in the general strike called by trade unions to protest government's "anti-labour policies". All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEAP) Joint Secretary B S Rambabu said demonstrations will be held in all the district headquarters along with other trade unions. "Though branches will be open, there is no business taking place in PSU banks. Clearing will also be impacted. However, there will not be any problem with regard to ATMs' functioning," Rambabu told PTI. Most of the buses run by Telangana State Road Transport Organisation are kept off the roads, a senior official said. As many as two lakh state government employees (gazetted, non-gazetted and class 4 employees) are supporting the strike, Telangana Gazetted officers Association General Secretary A Satyanarayana said. "We will not directly participate in the strike, but wear black badges and attend duties," Satyanarayana said. According to him, Revenue department officials are not participating in the strike as they are busy in reorganisation of districts. Most of the industrial parks witnessed thin attendance on Friday. Ten central trade unions have called for a one-day nationwide strike on Friday, protesting the "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. The nation-wide strike called by central trade unions on Friday did not have much impact on normal life in Tamil Nadu as transport services and other businesses began the day's functioning normally. Bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions are functioning normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing is not participating in the strike called by ten central unions protesting "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. The striking union members staged demonstrations at various places raising slogans in support of their demands. A Madurai report said the strike did not affect normalcy in most parts of southern districts of the state. However, inter-state buses to Kerala were stopped at the border towns of Nagercoil and Theni. Central government government offices wore a deserted look with the employees joining the strike while section of state government employees, especially in the revenue department, are also participating in the strike, the report said. Shops in most places were open and autorickshaws were seen plying as usual. Police have been deployed for providing security to PSUs and government offices to prevent any untoward incident. Officials said essential services were maintained and buses were operated by members of 'Anna Thozhirsanga Peravai', the AIADMK backed trade union. Private buses were off the road in Tiruvarur district. More than 50,000 police personnel have been deployed in southern districts, police said adding so far no untoward incident had been reported.The nation-wide strike called by central trade unions on Friday did not have much impact on normal life in Tamil Nadu as transport services and other businesses began the day's functioning normally. Bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions are functioning normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing is not participating in the strike called by ten central unions protesting "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. The striking union members staged demonstrations at various places raising slogans in support of their demands. A Madurai report said the strike did not affect normalcy in most parts of southern districts of the state. However, inter-state buses to Kerala were stopped at the border towns of Nagercoil and Theni. Central government government offices wore a deserted look with the employees joining the strike while section of state government employees, especially in the revenue department, are also participating in the strike, the report said. Shops in most places were open and autorickshaws were seen plying as usual. Police have been deployed for providing security to PSUs and government offices to prevent any untoward incident. Officials said essential services were maintained and buses were operated by members of 'Anna Thozhirsanga Peravai', the AIADMK backed trade union. Private buses were off the road in Tiruvarur district. More than 50,000 police personnel have been deployed in southern districts, police said adding so far no untoward incident had been reported. From questions on legality to the most preposterous jokes, tweeple had a field day panning Narendra Modi and Reliance Jio after the country woke up to jacket advertisements in dailies of the prime minister dressed in a blue jacket with the slogan Jio: Digital Life. Tourism Ministers of countries met at the world-famous temple city Khajuraho for a two-day long conference that began on Friday. Although the ' Convention on Tourism' was scheduled to be inaugurated by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma, he could not make it to the event, which is a precursor to the Summit to be held in Goa on October 15-16. Speaking on the occasion, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Surendra Patwa said tourism would get a major boost with the participation of BRICS nations in this two-day long meet. "With the participation of all BRICS nations in the meet, tourism will get a major boost in the country," an official release quoted Patwa as saying. He said through this event, the state will get experience in boosting tourism. "It is a matter of pride for India that BRICS nations 'Tourism Ministers' conference is being held in Khajuraho...In future as well, Madhya Pradesh will get an opportunity to host such events," he added. Earlier, Union Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi said the purpose of the meet was to enhance tourism with the use of latest technology and information among the BRICS nations. The tourism representatives of South Africa and China also expressed their views on the occasion. On India's 'Atulya Bharat' campaign, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar made presentations. Representatives of BRICS countries and Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) delegation also made a presentation. CPI(M) on Friday defended the ongoing day-long nationwide strike called by 10 central trade unions (CTUs) over various issues including government's "anti-labour" reforms, saying the protest is for "each one of us" and that workers' rights are "no charity". "Today's #AllIndiaStrike is for workers (organised and unorganised), farmers, unemployed and for each one of us. "#AllIndiaStrike #Today #Workers #Dignity #Livelihood #RightsNotCharity," party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a series of tweets. The Marxist leader also reiterated one of the 12 key demands put forth by the CTUs that the minimum wage for workers from both organised and unorganised sectors must be at least Rs 18,000 per month (approximately Rs 692 per day). In one of his posts, the Rajya Sabha member also sought to know why there is a ceiling on bonus, provident fund and gratuity when there are "no limits on profits" of employers. All major unions, except RSS-associated Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, have joined the strike call, protesting against "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Thursday said there would be no strike in the state and had warned of strict action against those who disrupt public life. According to media reports, the government has increased the minimum wage for unskilled non-agricultural workers in central public sector units to Rs 350 per day from Rs 246, which the CTUs said was "completely inadequate". The Commerce Minister on Friday said that growth in exports will not increase substantially, but it will be slow and steady. The growth drivers would be new markets, as traditional markets have started slowing down. In light of continued developments, primarily since 2008, there exists in these United States a Legal System which operates on a proved Two Tiered approach to justice rendered, which primarily benefits Democratic Elites and Woke Ideological Virtue Signalers, representing their co-dependent wards, to the expressed exclusion of normal hardworking American citizens: What is your suggestion in remedying this widespread injustice and, if not corrected, its existential outcome for our Constitutional Republic? Complete overhaul of the Department of Justice and their enforcers - the FBI - to reflect a far more honest justice system to keep patriots remaining calm. Disband the FBI, and request that congress investigate all unethical and non patriotic practices to partially right the wrongs of a distrusted and politically weaponized "Department of Justice." The Centre will shortly be announcing a national rubber policy, on the lines of those announced earlier for the petroleum, textile, information technology and other sectors, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told journalists here. Area under kharif pules rose 33 per cent to 14.2 million hectares as on Friday year-on-year on the back of good monsoon which may lead to fall in prices of lentils, already visible in some of them. The Ministry of is planning to introduce two major Bills during the upcoming winter session of Parliament. One is related to Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) Amendment and the other, to the new Merchant Act. Speaking at the Regional Editors Conference, organised by Press Information Bureau, Rajive Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of said that the Ministry is planning to upgrade the provisions as far policy concerned. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has extended the last date for receiving comments on its consultation paper on interconnect usage charges (IUC), from September 5 to September 26. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh today addressed the farmers on World Coconut Day and National Award presentation ceremony in Bhubaneswar. On the occasion the Minister said that, India is a leading country in coconut production and productivity in the world. Our annual coconut production is 2044 crore coconut from 19.8 lakh hectare area and the productivity per hectare is 10345 coconut. The contribution of coconut in country's GDP is about Rs. 20,000 crore. In 2015-16, from our country, coconut products of Rs. 1450 crore value have been exported. He also said that over one crore people in our country are dependent on coconut crop for their livelihood. . . Shri Singh informed that to operationalize the Horticulture Mission in Odisha state, an amount of Rs. 54.45 crore for the year 2015-16 and in 2016-17 so far, Rs. 26.83 crore have been released. In this year, the state is to obtain a sum of Rs. 49.91 crore from the centre. The state could not spent Rs. 4.15 crore in the last year. The Minister expressed hope that this year the entire amount received from the center would be spent by the states Horticulture Mission. He also said that nearly a quarter of the missions budget should be on the post-harvest infrastructure management, especially to build the cold supply chain and to link farmers producers directly to market should be spent. . . In the last 2 years, National Horticulture Board has provided assistance of Rs. 6.50 crore to develop horticulture in the Odisha state, which includes important plans like greenhouse, polly house, cold storage. Several cashew promotion units have been established in Odisha's Koraput and Gunjm district. At the same time, assistance for the development quality plant to create modern nursery seedlings has been provided. . . National Horticulture Board has recently organized a pan-India Horticulture Association (Harti Sangam), in Bargarh district of Odisha state participated by farmers from different states with their quality products, who had received assistance from National Horticulture Board and lakhs of farmers have visited the Harti confluence area and expressed their interest in agricultural technology and in various government schemes. . . Coconut is a major crop of Orissa state and here coconut is cultivated in 50679 hectares and coconut production is 32.4 crore. In the state 6404 coconut per hectare is being produced. Five districts of Odisha; Puri, Ganjam. Kttk, Nyagd and Khurda produce more than 60 percent of the total coconut production in the state. . . Agriculture Minister said the Coconut Development Board has a huge contribution towards the achievement made in the coconut industry in the country. By coconut value (value addition) only, the coconut farmers can be taken towards prosperity. For it, the Technology Mission on coconut under the Board has established 402 coconut processing units have been in India and in these processing units, 242 crores coconut per year are processed. . . The Minister also stressed that the new initiative launched by the Coconut Development Board, has given him a chance to know in detail. So far, 9720 coconut committees, 700 coconut producer federations and 61 coconut producer companies have been formed across the country. I hope that through these farmer groups, boards plan would be operationalized and in processing, marketing and export of coconut products, farmers would hold their share. . . The skill development program for coconut sector Friends of Coconut Tree and Neera Technician Training Program have been the commendable effort of the board. Under the scheme, training to 5,200 unemployed youths to climb coconut trees and plant protection work and 2805 Neera technicians has been provided. . . Speaking about the efforts of the central government, Agriculture Minister said there is good for coconut farmers, the minimum support price from Rs. 5550 to Rs. 5950 for milling copra and from Rs. 5830 to Rs. 6240 for edible copra. Government has also increased the import duty of crude palm oil from 7.5% to 12.5% and from 15% to 20% for RBD palm oil and it will increase demand for palm oil in the domestic market and the demand for coconut oil will increase. . . Moreover, the central government's new foreign trade policy for 2015-20 is to promote the export of coconut products, exports value (FOB) of up to 5% as incentives are given. The export of coconut products is likely to rise in the future, because price is being extremely competitive. From the beginning of this financial year, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka has been exporting coconut oil, whereas in previous years coconut oil was being imported from these countries. Desiccated coconut export to US and Europe in large quantities is also being done from India for the first time. . . The awards divided into 8 groups received by 14 individuals and organizations. Shri Singh congratulated to all the award winners. The Minister said that the awards will speed up progress and development of coconut sector and coconut farmers will get inspiration and increase income from farming. . . Agriculture Minister also said that he hope that the Board through its efforts to meet the expectations of farmers and stakeholders will leave no stone unturned. Our country will become a world leader not only in the production and productivity of coconut, but also in export and processing of coconut and in the health sector, may countless qualities of coconut emerge. . . The Chief Minister of Nagaland Shri T.R. Zeliang called on the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh here today and discussed the DoNER Ministrys NLCPR (Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resource) projects in the State and also his scheduled visit to Malaysia beginning tomorrow. . . Dr Jitendra Singh informed Shri Zeliang that the DoNER Ministry is trying to take up all the priority projects submitted by the State Government and pending projects will be taken up soon. He said there are some technical issues relating to some projects which are also sought to be cleared soon. . . In order to overcome the constraint of funds and expedite the construction of roads, Dr Jitendra Singh said some of the rural roads are being handed over to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) to be taken up under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The DoNER Ministry will, however, continue to do the follow up for expeditious completion of these road projects, he added. . . Dr Jitendra Singh said that he had discussed with Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda about the planned medical college to be set up in Nagaland for which the Health Minister was very positive in his response. He suggested the Chief Minister to direct his Resident Commissioner based in New Delhi to follow up the issues related to Nagaland State with the different Union Ministries for their speedy implementation. . . Shri Zeliang informed Dr Jitendra Singh that he will be leaving for Malaysia tomorrow to attend an international meet, accompanied by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu. Shri Zeliang said he looks forward to engage the delegates from other countries to promote the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modis Act East" policy. . . A Malaysian Cabinet minister has admitted that Prime Minister Najib Razak was the mysterious unnamed official who the US Justice Department said took part in rampant looting of state funds. The admission confirmed widespread suspicions that Najib was "Malaysian Official 1" mentioned in a Justice Department lawsuit filed in July. The lawsuit part of US moves to seize more than $1 billion in allegedly ill-gotten assets repeatedly fingered the official as someone conspiring to divert vast sums from state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib, who launched a crackdown last year to contain the spiralling scandal, has so far not commented on the identity of the unnamed official. But in an interview with the BBC that aired late yesterday, Minister of Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Abdul Rahman Dahlan admitted it was Najib. "It's obvious that the so-called 'Malaysian Official 1' referred to by the US Justice Department is our prime minister," he said in a subsequent clarifying statement. Rahman Dahlan, who also is communications director for Najib's ruling coalition, did not address whether Najib committed the wrongdoing. But he insisted Najib was not a target of the US lawsuit. His comments, however, will add fuel to persistent calls for Najib to step down and face justice. Tens of thousands of people paralysed the capital Kuala Lumpur in August 2015 with two days of protest over the scandal. Last weekend, several hundred protesters demonstrated, demanding that "Malaysian Official 1" be identified and arrested. Najib, however, has shut down Malaysian investigations, clamped down on media reporting of the affair, and purged critics from his ruling party. 1MDB was launched by Najib in 2009 and closely overseen by him. Allegations of a vast scheme of embezzlement and money-laundering involving billions of dollars of 1MDB money began to emerge two years ago. In its scathing lawsuit, the US Justice Department detailed how "Malaysian Official 1", family members, and close associates diverted billions from the now-stricken fund. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. The Justice Department has moved to seize assets, including real estate in Beverly Hills, New York and London, artworks by Monet and Van Gogh, and a Bombardier jet that it alleges were purchased with money stolen from 1MDB. China is hosting world leaders at its first Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, an ancient capital that's also a global high-tech hub and bastion of entrepreneurship. Famed for centuries for its mild climate, abundant wealth and scenic landscape that includes West Lake, which is featured on the back of 1 yuan bills, the city of 8.7 million just south of Shanghai is a natural pick. But more importantly for the leaders of a country on the verge of becoming the world's largest economy, it showcases the transformation to high-value growth driven by innovative private companies like Alibaba ... Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have mobilised a million demonstrators in the biggest rally in decades, demanding a referendum on removing him from power. Police deployed in their hundreds yesterday to keep apart anti-government protesters angry at food and medicine shortages from Maduro's supporters who vowed to defend his "socialist revolution." The rallies raised fears of violence in the oil-rich South American state, where anti-government protests in 2014 led to clashes with police that left 43 people dead. The leader of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable, Jesus Torrealba, told AFP it was the "biggest rally in recent decades" with "between 950,000 and 1.1 million people" taking part. Demonstrators dressed in white marched in the east of the capital, yelling " is hungry" and "This government is going to fall." "We either come out to march or we will die of hunger. We are no longer afraid of the government," said one demonstrator, Ana Gonzalez, 53. The rallies come at a highly volatile time for Venezuela, where a plunge in prices for oil exports has caused shortages, violent crime and outbreaks of looting. "This is a historic march. Today begins a definitive stage in this struggle," Torrealba said. Thousands of Maduro supporters in red t-shirts and caps meanwhile rallied in the central Plaza Bolivar yelling to their leader: "The people are with you." Maduro estimated his supporters' turnout at up to 30,000. "Today we have defeated a coup d'etat," he told the crowd. "They have failed once again. The victory is ours." The opposition blames Maduro for the economic crisis and wants a referendum on removing him from power. He has branded the effort a right-wing "coup." "We are here at the call of our president, to defend the revolution," said 37-year-old housewife Carolina Aponte at the pro-government rally. The authorities arrested three opposition leaders in the days ahead of the march. Senior opposition figure Henrique Capriles said on Thursday that two mayors had also been arrested. No major clashes were reported during Thursday's marches, which finished in the mid-afternoon, though riot cops faced off with small groups of protesters. Evidence is growing that Russia is behind a significant increase in the use of cluster bombs in Syria, campaigners have said. A coalition of NGOs led by Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in an annual study on Thursday that more than 400 people were killed or maimed by the banned munitions in the world last year. They linked the increased use of cluster bombs in to Russian forces who are carrying out air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. "Since Russia began its joint operation with Syrian forces at the end last September, we have seen an increase in the number of cluster munition attacks on opposition-held areas," Mary Wareham, HRW's arms advocacy director and editor of the report, told a press conference. "And at the moment we see evidence of cluster munition attacks every week, if not almost every day, which is highly disturbing," Wareham added. Russia has repeatedly denied using cluster bombs, which spray bomblets indiscriminately. HRW admitted it was difficult to determine whether it was specifically Russian or Syrian forces which had used the bombs. "Nonetheless, this is a joint military operation, so collectively together they are responsible for the actions of their coalition," Wareham said. A total of 248 people were killed or injured by the munitions in last year, almost all civilians, the Cluster Munition Monitor report said. Elon Musk has a lot riding on his plan to merge Tesla Motors Inc with SolarCity Corp - including a big chunk of his $8.3 billion fortune. He may be better off just giving up on the debt-ridden solar-panel installer and focusing on turning Tesla into a profitable enterprise. But Musk has a long history of throwing his money after his grand visions, like weaning the world off fossil fuels and colonising Mars, sometimes running very low on cash and coming close, by his own admission, to personal bankruptcy. "He's got guts, I'll give him that," said Ross Gerber, chief ... By 2020, Beijing says automakers must meet tough new green standards to cut epic pollution in China's cities. As domestic firms bet heavily on electric cars to meet that goal, foreign peers are set to stay in a different, petrol-driven gear. In the latest sign of caution from global automakers in China, Germany's Audi last week unveiled a new factory for high-efficiency transmissions in Tianjin, to be used in petrol-powered cars. While Chinese firms go electric in the world's biggest auto market, Audi is intent on petrol engines that can run farther, cleaner, in tandem with hybrid technology. As China's electrified vehicle production booms, some industry officials warn in private that the ambitious electric goals of domestic firms could prove too costly, too risky, too far from what consumers actually want and not a good fit with their operations elsewhere. Still, doled out $4.5 billion last year alone in green car subsidies. "In 2020, most cars we will sell will be combustion engines, so to fulfil (fuel consumption targets) you have to improve the consumption of each and every car of the Audi model range," Audi chief Joachim Wedler said at the opening of the new plant. Wedler didn't comment on Chinese peers' electric car plans. Automakers globally have struggled to agree on what a greener future will hold for the industry. In China, Beijing and state-linked automakers have thrown their weight behind electric vehicles despite the fact that the electricity they need may be generated from burning coal. Under Beijing's 2020 requirements, on average cars must consume less than 5 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres nearly 30 percent below current standard levels. Beijing has rolled out a raft of incentives to push domestic automakers foreign brands generally aren't eligible to build more electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, spurring a quadrupling in sales of these so-called "new energy vehicles" (NEVs) in 2015. Even with that surge, just 1.4 per cent of cars sold in the first seven months of 2016 were NEVs, as concerns linger over driving range and home charging. HYBRID COMPROMISE A power train manager at a major foreign automaker's joint venture said domestic companies' smaller scale made them nimbler. Many are also state-linked, therefore obliged to support government policy, the manager said, declining to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. For example, Geely <0175.HK> controlled by Li Shufu, a member of the government's political consultative body wants 90 percent of all sales to be NEVs by 2020. Meanwhile, state-backed GAC Motor plans to be able to produce up to 400,000 green energy cars annually by the end of this year. Foreign automakers, who must form joint ventures with local partners to produce cars in China, have to consider a different dynamic how manufacturing strategies on the mainland correlate with their traditional businesses and customers elsewhere. The power train manager said his company, like Audi, is focusing on a more gradual strategy, developing more efficient engines as well as plug-in petrol-electric hybrids: an interim solution that will please a government intent on cutting harmful emissions. Of course, foreign automakers aren't avoiding NEVs entirely. General Motors' China venture last year pledged to spend $4 billion on electrification, developing 10 new energy models by 2020. In Tianjin, Audi China chief Wedler said the German firm and partner China FAW Group plan to launch their first locally produced plug-in hybrid vehicle this year, with a new imported car based on the same principle on the way next year. But Wedler acknowledged that as China's massive auto market evolves, automakers alone won't determine future directions. "The whole picture is driven by legislation," Wedler said. Indonesias procurement agency has reached an initial agreement to import an extra 70,000 tonnes of buffalo meat from India this year, as it seeks to balance the effects of food import controls aimed at improving self sufficiency.In principle they both agree. Well discuss the details today, Bulog procurement director Wahyu said on Friday, referring to discussions with the trade and agriculture ministers. Wahyu, who like many Indonesians goes by one name only, said the deal would bring Indonesias total buffalo meat imports to 80,000 tonnes in 2016. The buffalo meat imports are intended to help stabilise meat prices that have climbed as a result of beef and cattle import restrictions. Buffalo meat imports provide a meat alternative to the community thats cheaper, healthy and halal, Bulog CEO Djarot Kusumayakti told reporters. According to trade ministry data, beef currently costs around 115,000 rupiah ($8.68) per kg. Bulog is selling buffalo meat for 65,000 per kg at a consumer level. President Joko Widodo said earlier this year he wants fresh beef to cost around 80,000 rupiah per kg. Indonesia, which has the worlds biggest Muslim population, imports virtually all of its cattle from Australia a trade that was worth nearly $600 million in the last financial year. Indonesia is pushing importers to start breeding their own cattle as part of efforts to reduce its dependence on imports. Last year, Indonesia had to cull millions of chickens to ease supply swings and issued more import permits for cattle to cool beef prices. Bulog will also import 260,000 tonnes of raw sugar this year, most of it from Brazil, Bulog CEO Djarot Kusumayakti told reporters. In June, Southeast Asias largest economy said it would control wheat imports that had jumped after corn imports were capped this year. BEEFING UP IMPORTS Indonesia to import 70,000 tonnes of buffalo meat from India this year Meat imports are intended to help stabilise meat prices that have climbed as a result of beef and cattle import restrictions According to trade ministry data, beef currently costs around 115,000 rupiah ($8.68) per kg President Joko Widodo said earlier this year fresh beef should ideally cost around 80,000 rupiah per kg ($1 = 13,251 rupiah) Ireland's cabinet agreed on Friday to join Apple in appealing against a multi-billion-euro back tax demand that the European Commission has slapped on the iPhone maker, despite misgivings among independents who back the fragile coalition. The Commission's ruling this week said that the US tech giant must pay up to 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) to Dublin has angered Washington, which accuses the EU of trying to grab tax revenue that should go to the US government. With transatlantic tensions rising, the White House said President Barack Obama would raise the issue of tax avoidance by some multinational corporations at a summit of the G20 leading economies in China this weekend. Paradoxically, Ireland is determined not to receive the tax windfall, which would be equivalent to what it spent last year on funding its struggling health service. Finance Minister Michael Noonan has insisted Dublin would fight any adverse ruling ever since the European Union began investigating Apple's Irish tax affairs in 2014, arguing that it had to protect a tax regime that has attracted large numbers of multinational employers. On Wednesday, he failed to persuade a group of independent lawmakers, whose support is vital for the minority government, to agree to fight the ruling by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager that Apple's low tax arrangements in Ireland constitute illegal state aid. However, he won them over at a second attempt when the cabinet met on Friday. Apple, keen to defend its own interests, has already said it will lodge an appeal. For Fine Gael, the main Irish coalition party, a broader principle is at stake. It wants to take on Brussels to safeguard Ireland's decades-old low corporate tax policy that has drawn in multinationals such as Apple, creating one in 10 jobs in what was once an impoverished country. A FAIR RATE OF TAX The Independent Alliance, a group of five lawmakers, fell in line after the coalition agreed to conduct a review of what tax multinationals pay and what should they pay. Transport Minister Shane Ross, an Alliance member, defended Apple up to a point. "I think they were acting legally. What they were doing was making use of extraordinary loopholes that existed there," he told reporters. "Multinationals provide absolutely vital jobs to the economy ... (but) multinationals should pay a fair rate of tax in Ireland." A failure of the Alliance to come on board would have cast doubt on the government's survival prospects. Dublin has just over two months to lodge an appeal. A government spokesman said the issue would go to parliament on Wednesday next week. The main opposition party, Fianna Fail, also favours challenging Brussels, so the government should easily win the Dail's backing to fight what is by far the largest anti-competition measure imposed on a company by the EU. Some Irish voters are astounded that the government might turn down the money, and the left-wing Sinn Fein party has led attacks from the opposition. Apple was found to be holding over $181 billion in accumulated profits offshore, more than any US company, in a study published last year by two left-leaning nonprofit groups, a policy critics say is designed to avoid paying US taxes. But Apple chief executive Tim Cook has said part of the company's 2014 tax bill would be paid next year when the company repatriates offshore profits to the United States. OBAMA TO TAKE THE LEAD The US government is keen to ensure that it, and not Ireland, gets the revenue. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said leaders of the G20 developed and emerging economies would tackle the wider issue when they meet in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sept. 4-5. "The president will ... lead the discussion at the G20 about combating tax avoidance strategies that are implemented by some multinational corporations," Earnest said. "We need to find a way to make the global system of taxation more fair - more fair to countries around the world, particularly countries like the United States." A number of G20 governments are worried about how multinationals move profits around so they end up getting taxed in a country that has very low corporate rates. Last year the Organisation for Economic Co Operation and Development unveiled new measures to tackle corporate tax avoidance. A number of countries have moved to implement some of them measures, but the United States has not. It needs to change its own tax rules which, for example, allow companies to build up tax-free profits offshore. However, Congress has struggled for years to agree such reforms. ALL THATS BREWING Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's far east on Friday as the countries step up efforts to boost trade ties and resolve a lingering territorial dispute. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties. Abe's visit to Russia his second this year comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip to the country since 2005. Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscow's trade ties with stalwart US ally Tokyo but doubt that they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute. Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make headway on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive and still looks some way off. Both sides have confirmed that Friday's talks taking place on the sidelines of an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok will touch upon the disputed islands. Japan's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told AFP that only "frank talks" could pave the way to a peace treaty. But neither side has signalled it is ready to compromise. "The two parties are likely to show that they are in favour of a peace treaty but will try not to publicly express their disagreements about the Kuril islands," Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said. "Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognise them." Foreign minister Lavrov said earlier this year that Russia wants to "move forward" its ties with Japan but is not prepared to budge on the "result of World War II". Russia has angered Japan recently by building new modern compounds for its troops stationed on two of the disputed islands. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo last year when he visited the islands, which are home to some 19,000 Russians. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that boosting trade will be "at the heart" of Putin's talks with Abe after Japan joined the US and EU to slap sanctions on Russia over its meddling in Ukraine. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday dismissed claims that a Syrian Kurdish militia had retreated east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria following Turkish strikes against the group. "Right now, people say they have gone to the east but we say no, they haven't crossed," he said during a speech at Ankara's Esenboga airport, referring to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara sees as a terror organisation linked to separatist rebels in southeast . Erdogan said he did not believe what others, including the United States, said about the YPG crossing the river, adding that would be aware if the militia had moved. Erdogan's remarks appeared to be in reference to comments made by a US defence official to AFP Monday that Kurdish forces had "all" moved east of the Euphrates. The president also said he would prevent the YPG from creating a Syrian Kurdish region on Turkey's southern border. "No one can expect us to permit a terror corridor to be created. We will not allow it," referring to a desire by Syrian Kurdish groups to unite the three "cantons" already in place in northern Syria. His comments come more than a week after launched an unprecedented military operation to clear the border area of Islamic State (IS) jihadists and halt the westward advance of the YPG. Yesterday, Ankara said it had cleared dozens of villages of "terrorists" after taking the town of Jarabulus without much resistance on the first day of the offencive on August 24. During the operation, dubbed "Euphrates Shield", Turkey has also carried out strikes against the YPG. It regards the YPG as a sister organisation to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency that has left over 40,000 dead since 1984. The PKK is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the US, but the YPG is allied with the latter against IS. Washington has given training and equipment to the group while it retakes areas from the extremists. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview aired on Friday that Moscow and Washington could soon reach a cooperation deal on . "In my opinion we're gradually heading in the right direction and I don't exclude that we'll be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the community," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Russian and American officials are holding negotiations in Geneva aimed at reestablishing a ceasefire in and cooperating militarily against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups in the country. "The talks are very difficult," Putin said. "One of the key problems is that we insist, and our American partners do not object to this, that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organisations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra." Russia and US are on opposing sides of the conflict with Moscow flying a bombing campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Washington demanding he go. Any military cooperation between the two sides in Syria could prove a game-changer but many in the US which is leading a separate coalition against IS are sceptical that Moscow can be trusted. The UN Security Council is deeply concerned by the violence in following President Ali Bongo's narrow election victory and is calling for calm, the council president has said. The council yesterday discussed the crisis at France's request and heard a report during a closed-door meeting from UN envoy for central Africa Abdoulaye Bathily, who is working to defuse tensions. Council members "called upon all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other actors to remain calm, refrain from violence or other provocations and to resolve any eventual disputes through established constitutional and legal mechanisms," said New Zealand's Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, who holds the council presidency this month. The council expressed its "deep concern" and stressed the "importance of a transparent and impartial process" for the elections, he added. Three people were killed and around 1,000 arrested during rioting overnight after Bongo was declared the winner of the election by a razor-thin margin over rival Jean Ping. The European Union and France have called for a transparent verification of the election results. French Ambassador Francois Delattre earlier said the council should "reiterate the critical importance of a procedure guaranteeing the transparency of the results of the election." During the meeting, Bathily told the council that he was "hopeful" that tensions could be eased in Gabon, which has been ruled by the Bongo family for almost 50 years. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the immediate release of political detainees, and said the United Nations supports calls for a verification of the election results. "The Gabonese people deserve a credible electoral process," he said. Ban said he was "deeply concerned and saddened" by the violence, "in particular the arson attacks and disproportionate response of security agencies that has led to unfortunate loss of life and property." The UN chief called on the government to immediately restore communications, especially the internet, SMS and independent radio and television. Bongo won victory with 49.8 per cent of the vote, while Ping picked up 48.23 per cent, resulting in a gap of fewer than 6,000 votes, according to provisional results. Ahead of his visit to China to attend the G-20 Summit, US President Barack Obama has been urged by top lawmakers to press Beijing to limit its overcapacity in the steel sector that is "badly affecting" American industry. "China's legacy of broken promises and continued strategy of undercutting American workers must be met with a multi-pronged strategy to ensure the future prosperity of our domestic steel sector," the lawmakers said in a letter to Obama. "This must include proactive, aggressive enforcement of America's trade remedy laws, seeking consensus to holding Beijing to its word that it will take swift steps to reduce excess overcapacity," the letter said. The letter, written by Congressional Steel Caucus Chairman Tim Murphy and Vice-Chairman Peter J Visclosky, urged Obama to address the "illegal trading practices of China and the growing global steel overcapacity crisis" at the upcoming the G-20 Summit in China as well as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Forum in Paris. Murphy and Visclosky alleged that China's trade practices have resulted in mill closures, idling, and left thousands of Americans without a job. It highlighted the need to address issues related to currency manipulation, illegal government subsidies, state-owned enterprises, China's non-market status, and cyber warfare. "Since the start of 2015, the United States' steel industry has lost more than 14,500 direct jobs and approximately 91,000 indirect jobs as a result of this import crisis. This is unacceptable," the letter said. "The United States has the most talented workforce in the world, but we cannot compete against China when they refuse to trade on a level playing field with American producers. We request that you and your administration specifically address the issues below with President Xi Jinping and other leaders at the G-20 Summit and OECD Forum early this month," the lawmakers urged. Alleging that China manipulates its currency to gain unfair advantages over its trading partners, including the US, they said this practice makes its exports to the US cheaper and vice versa contributing significantly to America's trade imbalances with China. "In 2015, the United States trade deficit was a record $366 billion according to the United States Trade Representative. The US has lost an upwards of five million jobs as a result of currency manipulation by China and other foreign competitors and we cannot afford to lose any more without putting our manufacturing industry at greater risk," they wrote. Shares of automobiles companies including ancillaries and tyre firms are on a roll with the Nifty index and S&P BSE index hitting their respective new highs on the bourses amid robust sales in August. Shares of companies were trading higher for the third straight trading sessions after the Cabinet on Wednesday approved an array of measures to help quickly resolve disputes, pump in liquidity and deal with stressed assets. Benchmark share indices firmed up in the latter half of the trading session to end higher with auto shares gaining the most on the back of encouraging sales growth in August. However, further upsides remained capped after expectations of a robust US jobs data, due for release later today, would raise the prospects of a rate hike by the US Federal Reserve. About 2,40,000 Afghan refugees will be repatriated every month after Eid-ul Azha, said Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Dr Imran Zaib on Friday. "December 31 had been fixed as a deadline for the return of more than 1.5 million Afghan refugees, who have legal stay in the country," the Express Tribune quoted Zaib as saying. Providing details of the Afghan refugees, who have already moved back to Afghanistan by the end of the last month, Zaib said that about 1,24,000 refugees who were residing illegally in different parts of Pakistan for many years have already left the country. "More than 90,000 registered refugees were repatriated during July and August. Out of those 90,000 refugees, around 70,000 were residing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) while the rest were settled in Punjab and Sindh," he said. He said that according to the official estimates, around 8,000 Afghans will leave Pakistan every day after the Eid-ul Azha, adding at present 3,000 to 3,500 such refugees are returning on a daily basis. He, however, agreed that it would not be possible to repatriate more than 2.5 million registered and non-registered Afghans by the final deadline for their total repatriation, which is at the end of this year. He said that a high-level conference of officials will again review the whole situation in mid-November to decide the next course of action. "I think that a fresh deadline will have to be fixed by the government for the return of remaining Afghan refugees," he said. Commenting on reports that thousands of refugees, who own properties in Pakistan were facing numerous problems to sell out their houses and business centres as most of them were built unlawfully, Zaib said the government will help them in disposal of their properties. The Commissioner, however, said that the refugees were not legally allowed to purchase land or buildings in Pakistan. He added that it would not be possible for the Afghan refugees to return to Pakistan once they have left for their own country. "After the newly introduced border management system no one will be allowed to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan without legal documents," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asserting that Pakistan understands conspiracies hatched against it, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif has said that be it Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or its spy agency RAW, they must know that Islamabad's boundaries were completely safe. Sharif made the remarks while addressing a seminar relating to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Gilgit on Thursday. "We have well understood the conspiracies [being hatched against Pakistan].. We are aware of our enemies, know their tactics and to spoil their designs we would go beyond even the last limit," the Express Tribune quoted General Raheel as saying. He pressed that Pakistan's army was second to none and a battle hardened force. Stating that Operation Zarb-e-Azb was heading in the right direction, he said the evil nexus of corruption and terrorism would be broken at all costs and at every level. The Army Chief reassured that the CPEC will be materialized and Gilgit, which is the gateway to the $46 billion umbrella project, would be developed at par with the neighbouring Chinese cities. He also announced to set up a second Special Security Division, to be called South SSD that will provide security from Rawalpindi to Gwadar. He added that the first North SSD will ensure CPEC security from Khunjrab to Rawalpindi besides assisting the stakeholders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Karnataka Government on Friday filed its reply in the Supreme Court to the Tamil Nadu Government's plea for an urgent judicial direction to Bengaluru to release 50.052 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of Cauvery water from its reservoirs to feed the agricultural lands of the neighbouring state. The Karnataka Government said it is in deficit of 80 tmcft water and hence cannot give water to Tamil Nadu. During the hearing, Justice Dipak Mishra observed, "Live and Let Live principle should be kept in mind. Both states should live in harmony." The hearing in the case has been adjourned till Monday. The apex court will look into the features of Cauvery Tribunal Award and decide on Tamil Nadu's plea seeking release of 50.052 tmcft water. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud had fixed the date of hearing on a mention made by senior counsel Shekar Naphade for urgent listing of the application in which the state also sought an interim direction to Karnataka to release 25 tmcft of water forthwith to enable the farmers in the state to raise the Samba crop. Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed that the Tamil Nadu Government in their application filed before the Supreme Court had made a prayer that the court should direct his government to release 50.052 tmcft of water as per the normal year. He said Karnataka is facing a severe distressed year and added that both states should share the Cauvery water as per the distress pro-rata basis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Friday cornered the BJP-led NDA regime over the nationwide protest called by the central trade unions (CTUs) against the Centre's alleged anti-labour policies and said this is the tragedy of India today that the workers are forced to come to the streets. Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan expressed his sorrow over the present state of affairs in the country courtesy the rising prices. "When prices are at the roof, workers will go on strike, farmers will commit suicide, this is the tragedy of India today," Vadakkan told ANI "We are sad that workers are forced to come to the streets, farmers are committing suicide, this is the price we have to pay for the present government," he added. The central trade unions have called for a strike across the country today to express their disagreement with the Central Government's unilateral labour reforms and anti-worker policies. The workers from various sectors such as coal, oil, transport, banking and telecom are supporting the strike. They have termed the government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage as inadequate. The RSS-associated Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has decided not to participate in the strike. "We gave the notice to the government, but when the government took the step forward then we decided to withdraw from the strike. The effect of strike is not visible as the entire rail system is working. They have tried a lot to mislead the people but that phase is over, now no one from Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh will be part of this strike," BMS organising secretary Pawan Kumar told ANI. Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya had earlier said that the government wants a harmonious working relation with the trade unions. He said the Centre is focusing on improving their working conditions, health, wage, job security and social security. Stating that the government has already revised the wages of non-agricultural workers by 42 percent, Dattatreya said hike in the minimum wage for agricultural workers would be announced soon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Government of Gujarat (India) is organizing a Vibrant Gujarat road show in St. Petersburg and Moscow on September 5th and September 7th respectively as part of its delegation visit to Russia. The road show is aimed to strengthen economic and social ties between the two countries and to promote Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017. With the theme of "Gujarat - Connecting India to World", the road show will feature various activities involving leading Russian companies, industry associations and government officials, strengthening the cause of development and promoting cooperation between Russia and the State of Gujarat. Led by S Aparna, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Gujarat, delegation to Russia includes top officials from companies like Amul, Reliance Industries, Suzlon, Shell Hazira Pvt. Ltd. and KHS Machinery Pvt. Ltd. In collaboration with the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Russian Direct Investment Fund, the delegation will highlight some of the investor friendly policies, the perfect economic ecosystem and single window clearance procedures that Gujarat offers, making it one of the most sought after investment destination globally. Gujarat was also ranked number one in "Ease of Doing Business" in 2015 amongst all states of India in a joint study by the Government of India and the World Bank. Leader of the delegation, S Aparna, IAS, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister of Gujarat said, "Our delegation's objective is to strengthen relationship between Russia and India where Gujarat will play an important role by offering avenues across various sectors with its proactive governance and strong manufacturing base. With some mega projects planned in the state of Gujarat, Russia's expertise in areas like Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology, Engineering, Agro and Food Processing to name a few can play a significant role." Relations with Russia are a key pillar of India's foreign policy and Russia has been a longstanding time-tested partner of India. Since the signing of "Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership" in October 2000 (during the visit of Vladimir Putin to India), India-Russia ties have acquired a qualitatively new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas of the bilateral relationship including political, security, trade and economy, defense, science and technology and culture. Some of the major Russian companies present in India currently are Sistema, Rosoboron export, Sberbank of Russia, VTB Bank, Gazprom and Sibur Chemicals. Meanwhile some major Indian companies in Russia are Tata chemicals ltd, Essar energy, Bharti Airtel, Reliance industries ltd, Cadila, Thermax, WIPRO, Jain irrigation and CIPLA. Gujarat has also launched a scheme for assistance to Research and Development activities to set up new institutions and laboratories. The Government of Gujarat is offering an attractive package of financial support and incentives for agro industrial projects to reputed companies with proven technical capability and track record to successfully conceive and implement agro industrial projects. The State Government will offer interest subsidy for first five years, from commencement of operations to Agro Industrial Units. Gujarat Government has also announced a policy for mega and innovative projects from the automotive sector, which are required to fulfill the condition of investing in fixed assets exceeding Rs. 1,000 crore and providing jobs to 2,000 people. The eligible projects get benefits of sales tax incentives for 10 years. All these factors will assist and benefit investors in strengthening their prepositions and investments in India via Gujarat. The state of Gujarat is looking forward to host a Russian delegation of Government officials and businessmen at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2017. The flagship event, Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will enter its 8th edition being organized from 10-13 January 2017 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. It is being inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. The Summit will bring together Heads of States and Governments, Ministers, leaders from the corporate world, senior policy makers, heads of international institutions and academia from around the world to further the cause of development and promote cooperation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhawan here today in the presence of his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Egyptian President will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi today with an aim to step up engagement in areas of security, counter-terrorism and trade. Both sides are set to sign a number of MoUs after the talks. Pranab Mukherjee will host a banquet this evening in honour of his visiting Egyptian counterpart. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met the visiting President yesterday during which she reportedly highlighted the trade ties between both nations. She also outlined some economic reforms and flagship initiatives launched by India which offers enormous potential for further diversification of trade and investment ties with Egypt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on paid tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat here this morning. He was accompanied by Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. The Egyptian President was earlier accorded with a ceremonial welcome at the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the presence of his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Egyptian President will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi today with an aim to step up engagement in areas of security, counter-terrorism and trade. Both sides are set to sign a number of MoUs after the talks. Pranab Mukherjee will host a banquet this evening in honour of his visiting Egyptian counterpart. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met the visiting President yesterday during which she reportedly highlighted the trade ties between both nations. She also outlined some economic reforms and flagship initiatives launched by India which offers enormous potential for further diversification of trade and investment ties with Egypt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Slamming Pakistan for accelerating the process of obtaining Interpol's red warrants against exiled Baloch separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, spokesperson of Baloch Republic Party (BRP) Sher Mohammad Bugti said that Islamabad should first introspect and realize that it is the factory of terrorism, adding that India should highlight this issue. "The seeking of Red Corner Notice against Brahamdagh Bugti by Pakistan is not a big thing because it has to first think of itself that are they as clean as they represent? They have factory of terrorism, actors of terrorism in their country," Mohammad Bugti told ANI. Stating that Islamabad should introspect because it is itself a sign of terror in the world, he said that India should highlight how a man raising voice for his rights is treated. "The international community should see that Pakistan has sought red corner notice against someone raising voice for his rights. India should see this issue and highlight it," he added. Pressing that Pakistan has been attacking Baloch people with bombs and airstrikes, he reminded that in the past too Pakistan had taken similar step. "Earlier too, they have filed First Information Report (FIR) and issued red warrants against Brahamdagh Bugti. The international community and people, who are friends of humanity, should think that Pakistan is destructive for the . Pakistan is such country who wants to destroy peace," he said. The Balochistan Police Department had earlier contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh to complete the 'Red Notice' application requirements for Interpol, reported the Express Tribune. After the required paperwork is complete, the Pakistan Government would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Corner Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to the country. Issue of Interpol notices are followed after international requests are made for cooperation or alerts allowing the police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. Meanwhile, Munir Mengal, President Baloch Voice Foundation, said that such step only shows that Pakistan is insecure about the entire issue. "With the resistance and uprising from the people in Balochistan you can only imagine the situation that now Chief Secretary of Balochistan Saifullah Chatha has also sought his transfer from the region," he added. Mengal added that such step also shows that there is fear among the Pakistan establishment and authorities that the people of Baloch have decided that it does not want to stay with Pakistan. Reports suggest that according to the identification details submitted by the Balochistan Police, the 33-year-old chief of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) is known in his close circles as "Sahib". He came to prominence recently after appreciating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the human rights violations in Balochistan which has clearly been denounced by Islamabad. Brahamdagh is the grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed during a controversial military operation in Kohlu in 2006. During the operation, he fled to Afghanistan and subsequently moved to Switzerland after Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. So far, five separate cases under Sections 120, 121, 123 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code have been registered against Baloch separatist leaders, including Brahamdagh, Harbiyar Marri and Banyuk Karima Baloch, for hailing the Indian Prime Minister statements. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asserting that trade between New Delhi and Hanoi has grown 400 percent in the last six years, Indian envoy to Vietnam P. Harish on Friday said the two leaderships have set a target of 15 billion dollars by 2020. "Our bilateral trade between our two countries is around eight billion dollars; it has grown 400 percent in the last six to seven years. The two leaderships have set a target 15 billion dollars by the year 2020. Both countries are committed to achieve this target," Harish told ANI in an exclusive conversation. The envoy said India's investment in Vietnam is over one billion dollars. "We have some major infrastructure projects under implementation, especially TATA powers 1320 mega watts power plant in Southern Vietnam over of two billion dollars. And I think the successful completion of that project would be of major boost for Indian business industry to look at Vietnam, likewise in our 'Make in India' programme," said Harish. "We have also seen a great interest in Vietnam business who are looking at the Indian market and seeking to establish their operations in India. So, I think our trade is robust and we look forward to the growth of trade between our two countries," he added. Highlighting that India and Vietnam would be celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership next year, Harish said the relationship between the two countries has strengthened in many fields in the last few years. "Next year we are celebrating the 45 anniversary of our diplomatic relations, 10 years of strategic partnership between our two countries. In the last few years, our relationship has strengthened in many fields. Our strategic partnership today is comprehensive, it includes defence and security ties a very strong economic engagement and a strong cultural component people to people relations," said Harish. "New relationships in science and technology, agriculture, health and education, human resource development, so it is very good, very historic and very broad based relationship. This visit will give opportunity for the new leadership of Vietnam that was elected after the National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam earlier this year to get to know our Prime Minister better," he added. The envoy further said this is the first bilateral visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Vietnam in 15 years. "This visit is an important visit. We have been preparing for this and we look forward to a very successful outcome of the visit tomorrow," Harish said. "The last visit was of Prime Minister Vajpayee ji in 2001," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today said that the partnership between both sides will benefit Asia and the rest of the . Prime Minister Modi will first reach Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday night, where he will meet President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and hold wide-ranging talks with the top leadership to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and oil exploration. Briefing the media in New Delhi yesterday, Secretary (East), External Affairs Ministry, Preeti Saran, said: "Vietnam is India's important strategic partner and the visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties, including defence, security and trade. On September 3, the Prime Minister will leave for Hangzhou, China, from Vietnam to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's leading online fashion destination Jabong has announced introduction of 6 months of maternity leave for its women employees. The initiative comes as a part of the etailer's endeavor to enable a conducive working environment for young expectant mothers at Jabong and also reinforce its brand promise to represent the needs of its women customers. The move comes ahead of the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha in the upcoming winter session. The Bill will impact an estimated 1.8 million women working in India's organized sector, and is expected to encourage many more to join the corporate sector. "Women represent 30 percent of Jabong's workforce and 60 percent of our revenue. We believe that making our culture more inclusive is an economic imperative for the success of our organization and the country. Known for its 'Be You' philosophy, Jabong has always aspired to be an opinion leader, and our leadership team decided that we should proactively adopt a longer maternity leave for our women colleagues, and address a genuine concern for them," said CHRO Jabong, Deepa Chadha. A recent study undertaken by Jody Heymann, founding director of the World Policy Analysis Center, suggests that women who don't receive paid maternity leave, are more likely to drop out of the workforce, therefore losing income for themselves and their families. The number of women drops sharply in the corporate hierarchy from 25 percent at entry level positions to 16 percent at middle management and only four percent at senior management level. Inability to provide an enabling work environment for young mothers is undoubtedly one of the major root causes. Countries can either work with half of their workforce or compete with their full workforce, which requires paid maternity leave. "I fully agree with UN Women representative Rebecca Reichmann Tavares that having a more generous maternity leave and flexible timing arrangement will not just be an economic investment but also a measure to ensure social justice. McKinsey estimates India's women to constitute only 24 percent of the paid labor force compared to the global average of 40 percent. The corporate world must find innovative means to encourage women to join the workforce and contribute to the nation's progress," added Deepa Chadha. Jabong already runs several women-friendly programs such as 'SHE', which offers an in-house creche, flexi-timings, work from home and so on. In line with its philosophy of 'Be You', Jabong provides its women employees the freedom to be what they want to be, and to speak their mind. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking a U-turn to Ajay Devgn's accusation of taking Rs. 25 lakh from Karan Johar to praise the teaser of his upcoming directorial venture 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' and badmouth 'Shivaay,' controversy king Kamaal R. Khan today stated that producer Kumar Mangat has asked him to do the exact opposite, adding they are afraid of his negative review. "Kumar ji has told me to promote his film. He has called me many a times for speaking positive about the flick. He rather told me to be a bit negative about Karan Johar's movie, but that was just like a friend," he told the media here during a press conference. "If a star like Ajay Devgn says if Kamaal Khan gives bad review about my movie then it will turn a flop, this means you don't have confidence in your product. It is a matter of pride for me that stars like Ajay Devgn too are afraid of the fact that if KRK gives bad review then that might affect the movie," he added. Refuting reports about taking money from Karan, KRK said, "I have never said that I don't take money to promote films. I of course take money for film promotions. But you can see I have never reviewed those movies, which I have promoted. So in that case, if I even agree to the fact that I have taken money from Karan Johar to promote his movie then what's harm in that?" On a related note, KRK even cleared the air on the Twitter-war he had with KJo and Anurag Kashyap before the release of 'Bombay Velvet'. Khan, who had then accused the Dharma Productions head honcho of offering him money, today said it was just to irritate him. "When Bombay Velvet was about to release, I brought up a message which said that Karan Johar offered me Rs. 25 lakh, which he actually did not. The truth is, it was just to irritate him," he told media. All these started when the 'Singham' actor yesterday took to Twitter to release an audio-clip where KRK was heard saying KJo has offered him Rs. 25 lakh to speak ill about 'Shivaay' as both flicks are releasing on October 28. "Hear what self proclaimed no. 1 critic and trade analyst Kamaal R Khan has to say," he captioned the clip. This clip came after KRK tweeted about 'Shivaay', saying it will have a similar fate as 'Himmatwala 2.' Explaining his tweet, KRK said, "I just wanted to send this message to Kumar Mangat ji that if you spread negativity against your movie then it will anyways turn into a flop just like Anurag Kashyap did with Bombay Velvet. That is when I said this movie will turn into Himmatwala 2." KRK earlier tweeted denying the accusations, saying, "Let me clear it. Karan Johar has never paid me or asked me to bash #Shivaay n you can hear it in the tape. I said 25 Lakhs to avoid Kumar." "Kumar+Ajay offered me money to bash #AeDilHaiMushkil as he is offering in the tape also but I refused. I told them that I will do it free," read his next tweet. Releasing an official statement on the same, Ajay said, "I have been a part of the Indian film industry for the past 25 years and have been associated with over 100 films. My father was a professional action director and I have an emotional connection with this industry. It therefore pains me to see that people like Kamaal R Khan are holding the film industry to ransom by spreading negativity about films to extort money from producers." "It is very sad that people from our own industry are supporting such elements and spoiling the ethos of the film industry. I would strongly demand that this be thoroughly investigated by competent authorities to clarify if Karan Johar was indeed involved in this," the statement read Ajay's wife and actress Kajol, one of KJo's best-friend, took to Twitter to react to the ugly spat saying, "Shocked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The beautiful dazzling textiles presented by Monaco Tourism from ace designer Sanjay Garg for his label 'Raw Mango' was the perfect end to the Sustainable Fashion and Indian Textiles Day at Lakme Fashion Week Winter / Festive 2016. Known for his superbly woven Varanasi Silks and Chanderis, Sanjay showcased his latest look in textiles for the festive season. A riot of colors appeared on the ramp for the saris and ensembles, which glittered with motifs and weaves that thrilled the fashion lovers in the audience. The collection called 'Monkey Business' was a fascinating array of garments and saris with amazing motifs woven into the gorgeous fabrics. To keep the theme intact, the show started with the 'madari' rattling his 'dumroo' as the all-drums percussion band beat up a wild rhythm for the models as they sashayed through the audience in quick succession. In the unique circular P6 of High Street Phoenix, the high profile audience witnessed a glamorous haute Indian textile expo. When it comes to the beauty of Indian traditional weaves turned into saris and everlasting ensembles, the show presented by Monaco Tourism that featured Sanjay Garg's label Raw Mango added a fun element with motifs that created fashionable 'Monkey Business' for trend setters. The monkey motif literally stole the show as the images appeared on the saris and garments. This association of Monaco Tourism with Raw Mango blended in perfectly well, as both brands reflect a perfect amalgamation of traditional glory with a modern touch. Monaco offers an enchanting blend of history, culture, arts and fashion. Prestigious labels inhaute couture, perfumes and jewellery are located here. In the heart of the city-state is the famous Cercle d'Or which houses luxury brands stores while the alleys of the old town are home to street merchants who display typical souvenirs. Some of the key shopping centres are the galleries of the Metropole shopping centre, the Allees Lumieres, or the Fontvielle Shopping Centre. The show which was attended by the well-known faces of the fashion industry including Indian television host Mini Mathur and famous theatre and film artist Tisca Chopra. The show was designed so as to reflect the latest collection of Sanjay Garg not only as a fashion statement garment, but also inhibited art and style for which Monaco is famous. "We are delighted to partner with Monaco Tourism for our Lakme Fashion Week Winter / Festive 2016 garment presentation. Monaco, as a destination has a long history celebrating design and heritage, which is close to our hearts as well. As sponsors of LFW, they are promoting cross cultural dialogues and supporting India's design community - a wonderful initiative," said Designer Sanjay Garg. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's chief political advisor Chandra Prakash Khanal has said the government would begin the Constitution amendment process once Dahal returns from visits to India and the United States. Prime Minister Dahal is leaving for a visit to India in mid-September and then to the US to attend the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, reports the Himalayan Times. "We wanted to begin the Constitution amendment process before the Prime Minister leaves for India. But, that could not happen," said Khanal. He said that the amendment process was delayed as presently parties and stakeholders were holding discussions over the issue. Khanal reiterated that the amendment was a must to address concerns of Madhesi parties. He also said that he hopes the main opposition party, CPN-UML , would extend its support in the amendment. On his part, UML leader Kiran Gurung, however, said the current time was not appropriate to amend the Constitution adding that the party would make its official view over the issue once the government made a clear proposal for the same. Madhesis have been protesting for a long time for amendment in the seven-province model proposed in the new Constitution that divides their ancestral land and politically marginalizes them . The Madhesi parties had extended support to a new alliance of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and the Nepali Congress (NC) only because they had promised to address their concerns by amending the Constitution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Pakistan Government has accelerated the process in order to obtain Interpol's red warrants against Baloch separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, who currently resides in Switzerland. To complete the 'Red Notice' application requirements for Interpol, the Balochistan Police Department has contacted the Interior Ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh, reports the Express Tribune. After the required paperwork is complete, the Pakistan Government would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to the country. Issue of Interpol notices are followed after international requests are made for cooperation or alerts allowing the police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. Reports suggest that according to the identification details submitted by the Balochistan Police, the 33-year-old chief of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) is known in his close circles as "Sahib". He came to prominence recently after appreciating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the human rights violations in Balochistan which has clearly been denounced by Islamabad. Brahamdagh is the grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed during a controversial military operation in Kohlu in 2006. During the operation, he fled to Afghanistan and subsequently moved to Switzerland after Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. He had reportedly sought political asylum in Switzerland in 2011 but his request was turned down in January 2016, citing Islamabad's decision of declaring him a "terrorist" wanted for multiple attacks. So far, five separate cases under Sections 120, 121, 123 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code have been registered against Baloch separatist leaders, including Brahamdagh, Harbiyar Marri and Banyuk Karima Baloch, for hailing the Indian Prime Minister statements. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has written letters to the Speakers of 196 Parliaments to highlight the ongoing protests in Kashmir valley and garner diplomatic and political support for what Islamabad calls the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people. Speaking to the President of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Masood Khan, the Speaker said that the Kashmir issue is the priority of Pakistan's Parliament and there is a unanimous consensus across the political parties in the Parliament, reports the Nation. He said that Islamabad would continue to extend its unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris for their unalienable right of self determination, as enshrined in the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions. Appreciating Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's decision to send its Parliamentarians as envoys to garner diplomatic support for Kashmir cause, Sadiq remarked that Parliamentary diplomacy will awaken the conscience of the international community to take notice of the Kashmir issue. He also that the National Assembly of Pakistan has called an International Conference on the Kashmir issue from 13-14th October, 2016, in Islamabad to generate international support for the freedom of Kashmiri people. The Speaker also remarked that he pulled back Pakistan from hosting 61st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference as its chosen President when India agitated for extending invitation to Assembly of Kashmir. He asserted that Pakistan's principled stance on Kashmir was more important than hosting Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. Meanwhile, India has while commenting on the letter written by Sharif to the United Nations said that these letters won't change the reality that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. "Pakistan can write as many letters as they want to the UN. It won't change the ground situation that Jammu And Kashmiris an integral part of India. Also the ground reality is that part of Jammu and Kashmir is under illegal occupation of Pakistan," MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation tour to Vietnam and China starting today. During the first leg of his four-day visit, the Prime Minister will first reach Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday night, where he will meet President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and hold wide-ranging talks with the top leadership to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and oil exploration. Briefing the media yesterday, Secretary (East), External Affairs Ministry, Preeti Saran said, "Vietnam is India's important strategic partner and the visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties, including defence, security and trade. On September 3, the Prime Minister will leave for Hangzhou, China, from Vietnam in the evening to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. "During the visit, India will take up issues like cross-border mobility of professionals, terror financing, tax evasion and reduction in remittance transaction cost among others," said Secretary (West) Sujata Mehta. She said Prime Minister Modi will be the lead speaker at the session on inclusive and inter connected development. On the sidelines of the Summit, the Prime Minister will have bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It would be the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Jinping after their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent, where the Prime Minister had urged China to make a "fair and objective" assessment of India's application on merit for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). On August 12, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi possibly to firm up the agenda for the talks between President Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. According to a report in China's state-owned Global Times, Foreign Minister Yi may also use his visit to New Delhi to acquire a perspective and an assessment of Prime Minister Modi's visits to Vietnam and Laos. According to report, Beijing is viewing Prime Minister Modi's visit to Vietnam rather closely, given that Hanoi is also a party in the SCS dispute and has also staked a maritime and rich energy resource claim to use of its waters. The Prime Minister will also attend a BRICS leaders' meet. He will return to India on September 5. On September 7, Prime Minister Modi will leave for Laos PDR on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN and East Asia summits. At the ASEAN-India Summit, the Prime Minister and ASEAN leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction in the areas of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday has asked Sahara India to specify the source of money- Rs 18,000 crores- which it claims to have refunded to investors. The apex court doubted on the source of money and said it is difficult to digest that so much amount has been refunded in such a short span of time. Defending it, Sahara India lawyers Kapil Sibal said that the company had received Rs. 310 crores as advance for deal of Grosvenor house hotel. Supreme Court refuses to pass any order on the application to deposit additional money. The top court told Sahara, "We will close the entire Pandora's Box if you show us the source of refund money." Sahara has returned a total of Rs 18,000 crores to its investors. Next hearing in this case is scheduled to be held on September 16 in which the company has to disclose the amount before the court. Sahara India chief Subrata Roy was arrested in February 2014 in the money fraud case for failure to comply with 2012 order directing him to return investors' Rs 17,600 crores with 15 percent interest. Roy has been directly charged in the case pertaining to non-refund of nearly Rs 20,000 crores to investors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Good Morning Everyone:Hurricane Hermine is now Tropical Storm Hermine and I have attached the latest update from NWS for our area and we are in a Tropical Storm Warning and Flash Flood Watch area. I am going to attempt to interpret a couple of the slides in the presentation for you.Wind gust up to 55 mph and sustained winds near 35mph and 40 mph between the hours of 8:00pm today until around 2:00am Saturday morning. Winds will remain after 2:00am but they will taper off below tropical storm force as the morning progresses.Storm Surge is interesting the highest statistical probability of reaching the three foot storm surge area is the immediate Washington area and Belhaven. However that said we should expect two feet everywhere else on both rivers as a likely event. NWS does not project wave action, however, after hearing one TV station this morning talking about two to four foot waves on the Pamlico Sound and the Pamlico River I did talk to NWS about this issue. It is possible that areas like Pamlico Beach, Indian Island and Belhaven could experience three foot waves arriving with the highest of the winds. The areas of the river further west could see waves of one to two feet depending partially on the width of the River at your location. Remember wave action is on top of the Storm Surge and only impacts docks and on average about 100 feet inland depending on ground elevation and the storm surge.We still are expecting heavy downpours and street flooding and low area flooding. After conversations with NCDOT there ae insufficient High Water signs to cover all the possible high water areas in Beaufort County. Therefore, Fire units may need to be prepared to set some cones out in some of the less traveled areas should flooding occur. We will attempt to coordinate those specific sites with NCDOT should the need arise.Please stay weather aware and remember the "Five P's" today as the leading edge of rainfall from TS Hermine has arrived in our area. "Turn Around Don't Drown"John Pack, Beaufort County Emergency Services1420 Highland DriveWashington, NC 27889Office Fax The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Centre on Aircel Cellular's plea against the Madras High Court's decision upholding payment of One Time Spectrum Charges (OTSC) of Rs. 3,273 crores to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The apex court has asked the Centre not to take coercive action against Aircel for merger of Chennai and Tamil Nadu circles. The hearing in the matter will next take on September 19. The top court had on August 30 agreed to Aircel's request for an early hearing of the case. A Division Bench of the Madras High Court had earlier last month dismissed the petition of Aircel Cellular, upholding the rights of the DoT to claim share on adjusted gross revenue (AGR), including the non-telecom activities income. The High Court also held that the levy of OTSC is justified and enforceable. The petitioners - Aircel, Aircel Cellular and Dishnet Wireless - had also challenged the DoT's decision to put conditions for merger of licence of Aircel and Aircel Cellular. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court will on Friday hear the Tamil Nadu government's plea for an urgent judicial direction to the Karnataka government to release 50.052 tmcft of Cauvery water from its reservoirs to feed the agricultural lands of Tamil Nadu. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A M Kanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud fixed the date of hearing on a mention made by senior counsel Shekar Naphade for urgent listing of the application in which the state also sought an interim direction to Karnataka to release 25 tmcft of water forthwith to enable the farmers in the state to raise the Samba crop. Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed that the Tamil Nadu Government in their application filed before the Supreme Court had made a prayer that the court should direct the Government of Karnataka to release 50 tmcf (thousand million cubic feet) of water according to the normal year. He said Karnataka is facing a severe distressed year and both states should share the Cauvery waters according to the distress pro rata basis. The livelihood of more than 40 lakh population would be affected if the agricultural operations are not commenced immediately. Any delay in commencement of the operation would result in the samba crop being affected by the vagaries of North East Monsoon. In what may irk the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena on Friday extended its support to Subhash Velingkar, who was sacked as the RSS Goa unit chief for running a campaign against the saffron party after the state government continued grant in aid to 127 church-run English medium schools. Announcing his party's support to Velingkar, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut launched a frontal attack on Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and alleged that the latter, who launched the movement with the sacked RSS Goa unit chief, forgot the cause after coming to power in the state. "Manohar Parrikar, the current Defence Minister, launched this movement with Subhash Velingkar when he was the Leader of Opposition in Goa. But after becoming the Chief Minister and coming to power, he has forgotten his promises and is granting permission to the missionary schools," he told ANI. Raut said that Velingkar's fight is for interest and added that his party would always support his cause. "The cause for which Velingkar is fighting is for Goa's and interest. Homeland will be there only if the mother tongue remains. We don't know what is happening internally between the BJP and RSS but the Shiv Sena will always support the cause for which Velingkar is fighting," he added. The RSS had earlier this week sacked Valingkar a day after the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) of which he is a part announced the floating of a political party. Velingkar had persistently been challenging the BJP government in the state as part of the campaign for making regional languages like Konkani and Marathi the medium of instruction in schools. In the last few months, Velingkar was extremely critical of the state government's education policies, which he said favoured the English language and not regional languages Konkani and Marathi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India is the only country where there are different policies for different segments of the retail and e-commerce. Logically, there should be one policy, said Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, while interacting with CEOs at the Valedictory Session of the sixth edition of Massmerize 2016, FICCI's annual flagship Retail, FMCG and E-Commerce Convention. He said that in today's globalized world, it has become essential for India to become a part of the global supply chain. For this, India has opened up its economy and liberalized the FDI regime. Now India features as the number one nation in attracting FDI, which has given the country access to latest technology, global best practices and global innovations. Kant said that the government was encouraging domestic entrepreneurs but with the foreign players coming in there would be healthy competition. The domestic market would be challenged by the foreign businesses, which would enable indigenous companies to scale up, enhance quality of products and services and penetrate global markets. Kant said that technology would play a key role for retail sector. With a growing penetration of the internet, which reaches to rural areas of the country, the retailers would be able to deepen their market. He added that the retailers should also look at widening their base of suppliers and promote and market made in India goods and products. On GST, Kant said that with the passage of GST Bill in the Parliament, the challenge would be to bring on board every state of the country. To make GST highly effective, there was a need for states to think progressively and work in tandem with the Centre. He added that the way forward for GST should be keeping the tax rates low and eliminating exemptions. Kant said that India's GDP needs to grow at nine to ten percent for decades to meet the rising aspirations of burgeoning consuming class. This, he said, can be achieved only when at least 12 states will grow at a rate of 12 to 13 percent, by actively embracing technology and improving its standard of products. The centre has therefore started 'ease of doing business' ranking of the states on various indices. He added that the intention is to change the mindset and allow states to compete with each other and improve and investment environment in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least two civilians and four suspected terrorists are said to have been killed in an exchange of fire between unidentified gunmen and security forces in Peshawar's Christian Colony this morning. Director General ISPR Asim Bajwa in a tweet confirmed that four suicide bombers have been killed. "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded, all four suicide bombers killed. Search in progress," he said. Superintendent of Police, Cantonment said all were killed by the Quick Reaction Force (QRF). "There were a total of four bombers, one of them made a separate entry, three took refuge in a under construction building in the colony, they initially faced resistance from the paramilitary forces but were all killed by the Quick Reaction Force (QRF)," the Express Tribune quoted him as saying. "We have enhanced security of Christian establishments, schools, hospitals, colonies and churches. Police has sensitised the administration regarding security alert. Schools security has also been beefed up," he added. A senior security official said the attack took place at around 6:00 a.m. local time. The colony is situated in the jurisdiction of the Mathra Police Station, outside the military cantonment and lies near the Pakistan -Afghanistan border and the Warsak Dam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Friday said that action is being taken against the three suspended Home Ministry officials for renewing the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of Zakir Naik's NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). Rijiju said that the defaulters were from the foreigners division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. "We have taken action against some officers in the foreigners division of the Ministry of Home Affairs because they did not follow the rules and the instruction of the government," said Rijiju. "We are very clear that any organisation, which is involved in some illegal activities or case is pending we don't renew their licenses. So, there was some lapse found and action is being taken," he added. Three junior Home Ministry officials were removed on Thursday after it was found that Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation's FCRA licence was renewed recently despite several ongoing probes against him. According to sources, the license for Naik's NGO was renewed on August 19 even as the government initiated the inquiry against him and his organisation. An FCRA license allows an NGO to receive foreign donations. After the Holey Artisan Cafe in Dhaka was stormed by gunmen in July, Bangladesh had complained to India about Zakir Naik and the IRF. Dhaka had alleged that the IRF and Naik's speeches may have motivated the youth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have stagnated at USD 25 billion since start of the Free Trade Agreement with the 10-nation bloc from January, 2010 while imports rose by over 33 per cent to USD 40 billion, raising a big question mark over the utility of the trade-opening pact with the common market of south east Asia, according to an ASSOCHAM Paper. Though the global slowdown also seems to have played a role in no growth in exports to the ASEAN, the same did not hold good for imports from the bloc. For the period between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the share of India's total exports to the South East Asian region also dropped to 9.6 per cent from 10.3 per cent when the FTA came into force. The impact on increased imports may be even more pronounced on conclusion of the current financial year since tariff is to be eliminated on as many more items as 800 under 1252 tariff lines. Tariff would have already been eliminated on 3,200 products under the Normal Track 1, the paper highlighted. The India-ASEAN overall FTA comprises two parts - goods and services. The agreement on goods was front-loaded, while services pact was back-loaded. The arrangement did not really help India. Given that Indian tariff levels are generally higher than tariffs of ASEAN , India has relatively less to gain from this trade in goods agreement, the chamber President Mr Sunil Kanoria said, pressing for effective access to market of services in ASEAN for India , an area of advantage to India. In goods, India's average rate in agriculture is more than 34 per cent against 13 per cent in ASEAN. Likewise, India's average MFN tariffs for manufacturing goods are more than 10 per cent compared to 7.5 per cent for the opposite side. The ASEAN-India Investment and Services Agreement came into force on July 1, 2015. Though a preferential deal on services trade with the region should bring significant gains to India, the services sector is protected through strict domestic regulations and various restrictive requirements. Reaching a consensus on liberalizing domestic regulations for services licensing equivalence agreements are more time consuming and complex compared to tariff reduction modalities. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HCC rose 13.59% to Rs 37.20 at 9:55 IST on BSE, with the stock extending gains registered during the previous trading session triggered by fresh initiatives by the government to revive the construction sector. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 31.94 points, or 0.11%, to 28,455.42. On BSE, so far 63.72 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volume of 13.38 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 37.90 so far during the day, which is also a 52-week high for the counter. The stock hit a low of Rs 34.05 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 16.60 on 12 February 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 1 September 2016, rising 51.62% compared with 2.62% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 76.08% as against Sensex's 5.89% rise. The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 77.92 crore. Face value per share is Re 1. Shares of HCC rose 19.09% to settle at Rs 32.75 yesterday, 1 September 2016, after the company announced after market hours on Wednesday, 31 August 2016, that the Union Cabinet's latest decision requiring the government agencies to pay 75% of arbitral awards will result in HCC's debt being reduced by half. The stock has risen 35.27% in two trading sessions from its close of Rs 27.50 on Wednesday, 31 August 2016. HCC has arbitration awards for over Rs 3200 crore and with the latest cabinet decision, the company will get 75% of this amount immediately. HCCL also has claims worth around Rs 5,000 crore are in arbitration process. The cabinet decision will further help HCC to secure these awards within a duration of 12 months. HCC's chairman and managing director said that the company will immediately be able to reduce its debt by almost half. The debt burden will reduce further within the next 12 to 24 months. With this, HCC will be able to participate in country's infrastructure development in a much bigger way. HCC currently has standalone debt of Rs 4900 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 31 August 2016 approved a series of initiatives to revive the construction sector. As per the new initiatives, CCEA allowed contractors to move to the new speedier arbitration process, approved release of 75% of the amount in dispute against margin free bank guarantee and provided for a conciliation board comprising of independent subject experts in order to ensure speedy disposal of pending or new cases. Net profit of HCC rose 17.5% to Rs 10.88 crore on 1.7% rise in net sales to Rs 899.32 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015. HCC is into infrastructure development in transportation, power and water segments. HCC is developing a planned hill city named Lavasa near Pune in Maharashtra. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beyond 30 September 2016 NRC announced that the Company got approval from Registrar of Companies, Mumbai, vide their letter dated 01 September 2016, extension of 3 months for holding its Annual General Meeting beyond 30 September 2016. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Heavy rains may cause flooding, power outages Contact: McCrory Communications McCrory Communications govpress@nc.gov Raleigh, N.C. Governor Pat McCrory was at the Emergency Operations Center this morning to provide updates on Tropical Storm Hermine preparations. The governor urged residents and visitors to prepare for possible flooding, power outages and damage as the storm approaches North Carolina. Gusty winds and heavy rain are expected to begin this afternoon and continue through Saturday morning.said Governor McCrory.Hermine is expected to bring up to 6 to 8 inches of rain to some parts of North Carolina. The storm surge is expected to be 1-2 feet. A flash flood watch or flood watch is now in effect for much of central and eastern North Carolina, and the high rainfall totals could lead to localized flooding, particularly in flood-prone and urban areas as well as along creeks and small streams.The latest forecast calls for periods of heavy rainfall, especially starting late Friday afternoon through early Saturday. The heaviest rain is expected along and east of the US-1 Corridor.The greatest impacts are expected to be felt in the eastern part of the state where there may be flooding in low-lying areas and gusty winds, which could lead to downed trees and power outages. Wind gusts of 30-40 mph are likely this afternoon, especially along the I-95 Corridor. There also could be some coastal flooding, with minor ocean overwash and erosion along the beaches. The river flood threats will continue well over the weekend as excess water collects around the state's river basins.Governor McCrory has issued a State of Emergency Declaration for 33 eastern counties to facilitate the movement of any resources that may be needed to respond to and recover from the storm. He also issued an executive order that waives certain truck restrictions on weight and hours of service in order to facilitate quicker storm response. Mandatory evacuation of visitors from Ocracoke Island went into effect last night and more than 2,000 visitors have left the island already.Public Safety Secretary Frank L. Perry said North Carolina National Guard soldiers, Highway Patrol troopers and Department of Transportation crews have been mobilized across the state and are ready to respond where needed.cautioned Secretary Perry.The N.C. Department of Transportation has made necessary storm preparations including checking all equipment and staging it as needed. Maintenance crews are monitoring the storm and are on standby to respond to debris and flooded roadways. In addition, the department's Ferry Division has assisted with the evacuation of non-residents from Ocracoke Island in Hyde County.For the latest information on the oncoming weather, stay tuned to local media and listen for updates from the National Weather Service. Follow on social media using #HermineNC . Information is also available at www.ReadyNC.org and on the free ReadyNC mobile app which can be downloaded for free. At least 10 people were killed and 41 others injured on Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the entrance of a district and sessions court in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Jamaatul Ahrar (JA) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack in Mardan district, security sources told DawnNews. The suicide blast comes just hours after gunmen attacked Peshawar's Christian Colony, which was also claimed by JA. One civilian and four suicide attackers were killed in the attack. Police said the attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding his suicide vest. Lawyers are usually targetted in terror atatcks in Pakistan. In August, 73 people, most of them lawyers, were killed after a suicide bomber struck the emergency ward of Quetta's Civil Hospital. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 18 lakh state government employees in Uttar Pradesh joined the nationwide strike by major trade unions protesting against the central government's anti-labour and economic policies. The 24-hour strike was supported by the state's 250 employees union protesting the disparities in the pay commission recommendations and non-redressal of their old, pending demands. All central trade unions, industrial federations and labour groups have extended their support to the strike. There will be no work in most departments of the state, an employees union leader told IANS. One civilian and two suspected terrorists were killed on Friday when unidentified gunmen attacked Peshawar's Christian Colony, Pakistani security sources said. An ongoing firing between the gunmen and security personnel reportedly began around 6 a.m., when five to six terrorists attacked the colony, the sources told DawnNews. The gunmen were reportedly wearing suicide jackets, the sources said. The sound of explosions was heard in the area, eyewitnesses claimed, and a helicopter was spotted conducting aerial surveillance. Additional contingents of security forces, including police, Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army commandos have been deployed to the area and an operation is ongoing, DawnNews reported. The colony lies near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least one civilian and two suspected terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire in Pakistan's Peshawar city on Friday morning, security sources said. The exchange of fire between an unknown number of gunmen and law enforcement personnel reportedly began around 6 a.m. near the Christian Colony which lies close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Dawn online reported citing the sources as saying. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-fimmaker Ajay Devgn, has demanded an investigation against filmmaker Karan Johar, who allegedly paid Kamaal R Khan Rs 25 lakhs to tweet positive about his next film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" and giving negative reviews of his film "Shivaay" Kamaal R Khan, better known as KRK, has been bad mouthing about Ajay's "Shivaay" on Twitter which is clashing with Karan's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil". Ajay asked his business associate Kumar Mangat to call KRK to find out the reason behind this. In this shocking conversation KRK confessed saying he has to speak positive things about "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" as he has allegedly received Rs. 25 lakhs from the filmmaker. The conversation between Kumar Mangat and KRK has been recorded and has been sent out to media.Ajay, who is extremely upset with this whole episode sent out an official statement where he is also demanding an investigation to expose the truth. The statement reads: "I have been a part of the Indian film industry for the past 25 years and have been associated with over 100 films. My father was a professional action director and I have an emotional connection with this industry. It therefore pains me to see that people like Kamaal R Khan are holding the film industry to ransom by spreading negativity about films to extort money from producers." "It is very sad that people from our own industry are supporting such elements and spoiling the ethos of the film industry. I would strongly demand that this be thoroughly investigated by competent authorities to clarify if Karan Johar was indeed involved in this," his statement further reads. While "Shivaay" centres around the adventures of a Lord Shiva devotee, "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" is said to be an intense story about unrequited love. --IANS uma/nv/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amarinder Singh on Friday condemned the attack on journalists at a public rally of Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday. He demanded that Mann must be booked for rioting and assault, and referred for medical check up to know his mental fitness for public appearances. "These are the signs of utter frustration on part of the AAP leaders like Mann, who seem to have lost their mind over the developments that have taken place in their party," Amarinder Singh said in a statement. He suggested that the Sangrur MP should be referred for medical examination before being pronounced fit to go to and address public functions. Taking a dig at the AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for sacking his minister Sandeep Kumar, Amrinder said he was sacked for diverting attention from the Punjab crisis. "Kejriwal deliberately sacked Dalit minister Sandeep Kumar now as he wanted to divert the public attention from the ongoing crisis in Punjab," he said. --IANS vg/lok/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US tech giant Apple is set to unveil new Beats by Dre products at the company's much-anticipated iPhone 7 launch event on September 7. The mega event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco will unveil the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus smartphones along with the next-generation Apple Watch, appleinsider.com reported on Friday. The company has reportedly sent out invites to select media to cover the launch of iPhone 7. Apple acquired the headphone manufacturer Beats for $3 billion in 2014. It is still unclear what kinds of Beats products will be unveiled, but the brand is known for a variety of headphones and portable Bluetooth speakers. "Apple is also expected to unveil new, entirely wireless Bluetooth earbuds dubbed "AirPods" at the upcoming event. Whether the product will be sold with Apple or Beats branding remains to be seen, " appleinsider.com reported on Friday. People can pre-order the luxury smartphone from September 9 while sales may begin from September 16. The new iPhone 7 may have a dual rear camera, a pressure-sensitive home button, Bluetooth-supported headphones, dual speakers at the bottom and Type-C interface, signalling the end of the 3.5 mm headphone jack in the iPhone family. To date, Apple has kept Beats products largely separate from its own. Devices like the iPhone still ship with Apple-branded EarPods, while Beats headphones are sold separately, the report added. --IANS anuj/na/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newspaper 'The Australian' has been restricted from publishing any more of leaked documents related to India's Scorpene submarine project by the Supreme Court of New South Wales. A statement by the French shipbuilder DCNS on its website said on Thursday that the court has "confirmed" its preliminary decision taken on Monday, which was supposed to expire at 5 p.m. on Thursday. The Australian had already withdrawn the documents from its website after Monday's order. The newspaper was also asked to handover the leaked data of India's Scorpene submarine to DCNS. "The Supreme Court of the State of New South Wales (Australia) confirmed today the preliminary decision it had rendered on Monday, August 29, 2016 against "The Australian". The Australian newspaper, which has already withdrawn, after this first decision, the documents published on its website will provide DCNS with all the documents in its possession and is prohibited from publishing any additional document,' the statement said. "Confidentiality of information and communication is a matter of upmost importance and DCNS welcomes this decision of the court," DCNS said. "In parallel to this action, DCNS filed a complaint against unknown persons for breach of trust, receiving the proceeds of an offence and aiding and abetting before the Paris Public Prosecutor." The journalist who broke the story, Cameron Stewart, in response to an email from IANS on Tuesday had said the newspaper will handover the documents that are on The Australian's website. "We will handover those few documents which we have placed on the web in redacted form," Stewart told IANS. DCNS, which is at the centre of a global submarine data leak scandal, wanted to prevent The Australian from releasing any more confidential data contained in the leaked 22,400 secret documents because it may cause harm to its customer -- the Indian Navy. --IANS ao/in/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 60-year-old Bangladeshi woman was stabbed to death about a block and a half away from her home in Queens, New York, in a suspected hate crime, media reports said on Thursday. Nazma Khanam, a retired teacher from Bangladesh, was wearing a headscarf at the time of the killing, reported The Independent. The murder comes more than two weeks after a Bangladesh-origin imam of a Queens mosque and his assistant were killed when a lone gunman attacked them from close range, five miles from where Khanam was killed. Khanam was stabbed in the chest as she was walking home with her husband from the store they owned in Queens on Wednesday. "I had to break the news to my uncle that my aunt expired. He's screaming and crying, 'My wife just came to this country to just get killed! We had a better life in Bangladesh!'," her transit cop nephew Humayun Kabir, 35, said Thursday, New York Daily News reported. Another nephew, Mohamamd Rahman said the perpetrator didn't take anything off her and they "feel this is a hate crime". The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) on Thursday called on police to investigate a possible bias motive in the stabbing, reports ABC7-Eyewitness News. "Because of the recent killings of Muslims in Queens, and because of the growing number of anti-Muslim incidents nationwide resulting from the increasing Islamophobia in American society, we urge the NYPD to investigate a possible bias motive for this murder," said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher in a statement. Members of the Queens mosque had denounced the August 14 killing of the imam as a hate crime. --IANS vgu/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first British Airways (BA) passenger plane landed at Tehran on Friday morning after the airline suspended flights to Iran in October 2012. The Boeing 777, which departed from London's Heathrow airport at 9.10 p.m, arrived in Imam Khomeini airport at 6.15 a.m, Xinhua news agency reported. BA will operate six return flights per week between London and Tehran. BA, which first flew into the Iranian capital in 1946, becomes the second European airline to resume flights into the country, after Air France brought an eight-year break to an end in April. The resumption of BA flights on Thursday follows the lifting of some sanctions against Iran in January after the International Atomic Energy Agency said the Iranian government had met its obligations as part of a nuclear deal with six world powers. --IANS sm/ksk/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A "Vibrant, Healthy Economy," that is the vision statement at Big Sky Economic Development and also this years theme for the 2016 Annual Meeting and Third Annual Big Sky Business Healthcare Summit. Each year as we prepare for the Big Sky Economic Development annual meeting we look back and reflect on what has happened in our community. This year that list was quite long. Our community had the good fortune of being showered with accolades including No.1 Best Town by Outside Magazine, best rookie league ballpark in the United States, and a top 10 ranking for places to retire from Kiplinger. As we are riding this wave of recognition, we must also look at our future and the challenges and opportunities steady economic growth brings. First and foremost, a growing community needs a growing talented workforce. Talented workforce, especially millennials, are looking for a community that has it all; great schools, thriving downtown, restaurants, competitive pay, world-class health care, outdoor opportunities, affordable housing, top ranked public safety and much more. Billings is starting to check all of those boxes, but there is still work to do. We invite you to join us for our Annual Meeting and Third Annual Business Healthcare Summit Oct. 12 and 13, where we will discuss the three key components identified for a Vibrant, Healthy Economy; Placemaking, Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Investment. During these two dynamic days you can expect: A flyover video highlighting many of the current and potential projects in Yellowstone County; a vision of what our community can look like in five to 10 years A team of experts here from Chicago to share with us about an innovative idea to incorporate a business/health care incubator. During the two days this team will provide our keynote addresses and offer a town hall discussion. They will also meet with our local college and university students interested in entrepreneurship and business. To hear from our own community of contractors about the economic impact that new development brings to Billings A highlight of several of the upcoming projects in healthcare including the new clinic at RiverStone Health, the MSU Billings and Rocky Mountain College Science Buildings as well as new amenities at our two hospitals, Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare A forum with community leaders and emerging leaders discussing what is needed next in our city with an interactive, real time opportunity to brainstorm ideas and share immediately with the group Put Oct. 12 and 13 on your calendars to be part of this exciting conversation. Registration will open on Sept. 1 at www.bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org. Ekta Kapoor's upcoming show "Chandra-Nandni" will not be shot in cramped TV sets, but at real locations. The show will beam on Star Plus. The actors will be shooting in areas of Patna where Magadh and Pataliputra used to exist. "Ekta Kapoor is bringing her most prestigious project till date. And when she is so closely involved in every aspect of the show's creative aspect, you can expect nothing better than the best," said a source close to the show developers. The source added: "The Mauryan era was prevalent in Pataliputra which is modern day Patna. So, she plans on taking the cast and shooting there to stay true to the authenticity on the show." Rajat Tokas has been roped in to play the role of Chandragupta Maurya - who was the founder of the Maurya Empire, and Shweta Basu Prasad will be seen as Nandni. -*- Bosco-Caeser, Remo get together for TV show Bosco-Caesar and Remo D'souza shared the stage together for dance reality show "Dance + Season 2". Bosco Martis and Caesar Gonsalves also lauded D'souza for giving dancers a platform. In a joint statement, Bosco-Caesar said: "The show is like a one-stop destination for India's next dancing sensation. The show has raised its bar by bringing dance styles like ghetto, lyrical hip-hop on stage. We both were planning to visit the sets soon to meet these superlative raw talent who are future of dance in our nation. Once there, we were glued to the chairs and wanted more and more of the performances." The Star Plus show features Shakti Mohan, Dharmesh Yelande and Punit Pathak as mentors. --IANS sug/nn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China welcomed Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to visit the country as early as possible, officials said on Friday. Duterte said recently that bilateral talks between the Philippines and China may start "within the year", Xinhua news agency reported. The friendly ties between China and the Philippines are in accordance with the fundamental interests of the countries and the expectations of their people, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. China values its ties with the Philippines, Hua said, adding that the high-level visits are important to improve bilateral ties, enhance understanding and trust. Responding to a report on Duterte and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming East Asia Summit, Hua said China had an open attitude. In July, an arbitral tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ruled against China's maritime claims in the South China Sea. China does not acknowledge the tribunal nor abide by its ruling, insisting that any resolution should be through bilateral negotiations with other claimants. --IANS sm/py/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As his colleagues battle violence in the Valley, a junior level police officer has found time to marry a girl born in Muzaffarabad -- the capital of Pakistan-administered . Owais Geelani, a sub-inspector, married Faiza Geelani early this week amid raging tension in the valley. Family sources said the groom's father Shabir Geelani, a retired police officer, had travelled to Muzaffarabad in 2014 to meet members of his divided family across the Line of Control (LoC) -- the de facto border that divides Jammu and between India and Pakistan. There is a regular bus service called the "Karvan-e-Aman" (Caravan of Peace) from Srinagar to Muzaffarbad between the divided parts of Kashmir. To rekindle family bond, the elder Geelani performed the 'nikkah' ceremony of his son in Muzaffarabad after obtaining his son's consent as is mandatory under the Islamic code if the ritual is performed in absence of either the groom or the bride. The police officer's family belongs to the Karnah border town in north Kashmir Kupwara district and many members of the extended family had crossed over to Muzaffarabad in 1947. Since traditional feasting and celebrations during marriages in the valley stand suspended because of the nearly two months of unrest, a small function was held in a local hotel on Tuesday where close relatives of the groom were invited to meet the couple and bless them. The marriage of the young police officer is not the first such incident where a Kashmiri has taken a spouse from Pakistan-administered Kashmir or from other parts of Pakistan. This marriage has caught significant attention because police are presently battling stone-pelting mobs and are in the thick of law and order management in the valley. Senior separatist leader and chairman of pro-freedom Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Yasin Malik is married to Mashaal Malik, a Pakistan national. The couple have a daughter named Razia Sultana. Cabinet minister Sajad Lone, a former separatist leader, is also married to Asma Khan, daughter of the late Amanullah Khan who hailed from Gilgit -- also in Pakistani Kashmir and administrative capital of Gilgit-Baltistan region. The couple have twin sons who are studying in Delhi. --IANS sq/sar/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brazil's ousted President Dilma Rousseff appealed against the decision of her impeachment from the presidency to the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday, a day after being stripped of office. Rousseff's defence team submitted a "writ of security" against the Senate vote that found her guilty on Wednesday of being "criminally responsible" for fiscal wrongdoing, Xinhua news agency reported. A "writ of security" is a Brazilian legal tool to protect individuals from legal decisions that may violate their rights. The head of her legal team, former Justice Minister and Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo, had previously announced that they would resort to the measure, citing "irregularities in the process" of impeachment. Rousseff was impeached by an overwhelming majority of 61 to 20 votes, for allegedly inflating fiscal accounts and downplaying a growing budget deficit to improve her chances of being elected to a second term. Rousseff, of the left-leaning Workers' Party, has denied the charges, saying the trial was politically motivated by the right-wing opposition. Her vice president, Michel Temer, of the conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, was sworn in to serve the remainder of her term through 2018. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday unanimously urged the central government not to accept recommendations for conducting an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a dam across Siruvani river in Kerala. Passing a resolution moved by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the assembly, the state also urged the central government not to allow any projects by Kerala and Karnataka till the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee come into force and judicial references are finally settled. The resolution was moved and passed following the recommendations made by the Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The committee at its meeting on August 11 and 12, recommended grant of Standard Terms of Reference for conducting EIA to Kerala so it could build a dam across Siruvani river at Attappady. Earlier, moving the resolution, Jayalalithaa said Siruvani river is a sub-tributary of the Cauvery river which is an inter-state river. She said the Cauvery Tribunal has taken the water available to Kerala from Siruvani river and has arrived at the sharing of waters between various states. The Tamil Nadu government has written to the Centre and the Kerala government, objecting to the proposed project. Jayalalitha said the central government has not informed Tamil Nadu about the proposal or that it would be considered at the Expert Appraisal Committee meeting. --IANS vj/in/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Philippines government on Friday said President Rodrigo Duterte will not meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, as he has "no time". "The Asean summit is just a matter of few days of important meetings which President Duterte is expected to attend and he has a very busy schedule," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Charles Jose told EFE news. The remarks came after the UN admitted on Thursday night that Duterte had refused to meet Ban next week in Laos, where the summit will take place. Jose defended the decision, saying that Duterte has interviews scheduled with nine leaders in bilateral meetings during the summit, including Asean members and "key allies". "(Duterte) can not accept all (requests) and no one should say anything negative about those that have not been accepted," said Jose. The discord deepens the deterioration of relations between the two institutions after the UN criticised the Philippines president's violent crackdown on drugs, resulting in the death of 2,500 people in two months, according to the latest official figures. Responding to the criticism in August, Duterte threatened to pull the Philippines out of the UN after describing the institution as "useless" and its criticism of the controversial anti-drug campaign as "stupid". Duterte won the presidential elections on May 9 with the promise of ending the country's drug problem in the first six months of his tenure, and since then he has on various occasions urged the police and citizens to execute drug dealers and users. Nearly 2,500 deaths have been recorded in the campaign against drugs between July 1 and August 31, including 929 in police operations and 1,507 extrajudicial executions. --IANS ksk/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The second Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) opened on Friday in the Russian city of Vladivostok, with 2,500 guests and investors from 28 countries attending. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Yury Trutnev welcomed everybody at the opening ceremony of the EEF and named its main goal as "attracting investment to the Russian Far East region and creating new economic projects", Xinhua news agency reported. Top managers from 200 Russian and 57 foreign companies from 28 countries joined the EEF to explore more opportunities for economic cooperation. The Ministry for Development of the Russian Far East expected 200 agreements, worth about 1.7 trillion rubles (about $2.5 billion), to be signed at the forum. "It's our job to provide simplified administrative procedures and assistance with the projects. The Russian Far East region can offer the best conditions for investors who want to work here," the ministry said. Russian President Vladimir Putin invited his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the forum and is expected to meet them on the sidelines of the EEF. --IANS sm/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Residents in Florida's coastal areas were issued warnings to brace themselves for hurricane Hermine, the first to hit the US state since 2005. Calling Hermine "life-threatening", Florida Governor Rick Scott on Thursday warned of the danger of potentially strong storm surge, high wind and large-scale power outages and urged people in the hurricane's path to hoard at least three days of supplies and to retreat to inland shelters if necessary, Xinhua news agency reported. "The most important thing we all must put in our minds is that this is life-threatening," said Scott at a press conference in Tallahassee. So far, a state of emergency had been declared for 51 of Florida's 67 counties. According to an advisory released by the US National Hurricane Centre, Hermine was expected to reach Florida's Gulf Coast early Friday. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following bilateral talks with visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi here on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India and Egypt would cooperate in the fight against terrorism through greater information and operational exchanges. "President and I are of one view that growing radicalisation, increasing violence and spread of terror pose a real threat not just to our two countries, but also to nations and communities across regions," Modi said in a joint pres statement with Sisi following delegation-level talks between the two sides. "In this context, we agreed to further our defence and security engagement which would aim at: expanding defence trade, training and capacity building; greater information and operational exchanges to combat terrorism; cooperation on emerging challenges of cyber security; and working together to fight drug trafficking, transnational crimes and money-laundering," he stated. Describing Egypt as a "natural bridge" between Asia and Africa, Modi said: "Your people are a voice of moderate Islam. And, your nation a factor for regional peace and stability in Africa and the Arab world." The Prime Minister said that he and President Sisi have agreed on an action oriented agenda to drive the two countries' engagements. "An agenda that responds to our socio-economic priorities, promotes trade and investment ties; secures our societies, helps build peace and harmony in our region; and advances our engagement on regional and international issues," he said. Modi said that he and Sisi have agreed to build India-Egypt ties on multiple pillars of cooperation. "We recognised that strong trade and investment linkages are essential for economic prosperity of our societies," he said. "We, therefore, agreed that increased flow of goods, services, and capital between our two economieshas to be among our key priorities." Modi said that the agreement on cooperation in maritime transport that was signed on Friday following the delegation-level talks would be an important facilitator. "I would also urge our private sector to take the lead in building new business and commercial partnerships between the two countries," he said. "To diversify the portfolio of economic engagement, we will also deepen our cooperation in agriculture, skill development, small and medium industry and health sectors." Describing India and Egypt as "two ancient and proud civilizations with rich cultural heritage", Modi said he and Sisi also decided to facilitate greater people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges. On the global level, he said India appreciated the "good work" Egypt has been doing during its current term on the UN Security Council. "Our decision to consult more closely on regional and global issues, both at the UN and outside, will benefit our common interests," the Prime Minister said. "We agreed that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed to reflect the realities of today," he said. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. This is the first bilateral presidential visit from Egypt to India since the visit of then President Mohamed Morsi. Sisi visited New Delhi in October last year to attend the India Africa Forum Summit. --IANS ab/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of his departure on Friday to Vietnam on a bilateral visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the southeast Asian nation as "friendly", India's relationship with which will benefit Asia and the whole world. "Greetings to the people of Vietnam on their National Day. Vietnam is a friendly nation with whom we cherish our relationship," Modi said in a series of Facebook posts. Stating that he would be reaching Hanoi on Friday evening, the Prime Minister said his government attached a high priority to bilateral relations with Vietnam. This will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to Vietnam in 15 years since the visit of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001. "The India-Vietnam partnership will benefit Asia and the rest of the world," Modi stated. "During the visit, I will hold extensive discussions with Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc. We will review complete spectrum of our bilateral relationship." Modi said that he would also meet Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, and National Assembly of Vietnam's Chairperson Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens," he said. "Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit." During the visit, Modi will pay homage to Ho Chi Minh, whom he described as "one of 20th century's tallest leaders". From Vietnam, the Prime Minister will proceed to Hangzhou in China on Saturday evening to attend this year's G-20 Summit to be held on September 4-5. "During the G-20 Summit, I will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges," he said. "We will discuss putting the global economy on the track of sustainable, steady growth and responding to emerging and entrenched social, security and economic challenges." Modi said that India would "engage constructively on all the issues before us and work towards finding solutions and taking forward the agenda for a robust, inclusive and sustainable international economic order that uplifts the socio-economic conditions of people across the world, especially those who need it most in developing countries". --IANS ab/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egypt enters into gas deal with Cyprus to bolster local supply Egypt has entered into a partnership with Cyprus for transportation of gas from the exclusive economic zone, EEZ, in Cyprus to LNG terminals in Egypt as Egypt looks to bolster domestic demand in its power stations. "Governments of Cyprus and Egypt decided to speedily proceed with discussions on an Intergovernmental Agreement for the pipeline from Cyprus to Egypt, which will be intended to facilitate the realisation of the project within the maritime areas of jurisdiction of the two countries. Cooperation in the oil and gas sector between the two countries will further deepen the excellent relations between Cyprus and Egypt to the mutual benefit of the peoples of Cyprus and Egypt, and will also further unlock and promote the potential of the Eastern Mediterranean as a whole," read a joint statement. The agreement sends clear messages about the direction of Cyprus energy planning, which is at a very difficult period owing to developments in the area. Based on these plans, it is expected that Cypriot gas could be exported during the period 2020-2022. But as Cyprus energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said, this will require entering into firm, commercial, gas sales agreements first. This does not appear to be any more likely or imminent. Lakkotrypis said the agreement creates a secure investment framework for the transport of natural gas to Egypt. He added: Essentially today we signed an agreement that provides that the two countries will respect the provisions of any trade agreements to be made in the near future We hope that this agreement will assist and accelerate trade agreements creating a secure investment framework for the sale of natural gas from Cyprus to Egypt." Egypts minister for petroleum Tareq El Molla echoed this by stating We are very excited. We look forward to the next steps that will be part of the trade agreements to be developed soon. He also expressed the desire of Egypt to become an energy hub in the eastern Mediterranean region. It is a political agreement between the two states facilitating the export of gas from Cyprus to Egypt. It was stressed that the development confirms that the process of exploitation of Cyprus gas is now moving forward. Following discovery of Aphrodite, Cyprus and Egypt entered into negotiations in August 2014 for the joint exploitation of natural gas deposits and an agreement was signed in September that year. This was followed by a tripartite Egypt-Cyprus-Greece meeting in Nicosia in November 2014 after which Sherif Ismail, Egypts then oil minister, said Cairo would speed up talks to pipe Cypriot gas for domestic needs and possible re-export. In February 2015 Egypt and Cyprus signed another MoU to study over a six-month period technical solutions for the transport of gas through a marine pipeline from the Cypriot Aphrodite field to Egypt. The Egyptian petroleum minister hailed this as the start of cooperation between the two countries in importing gas, but clarified that there is no agreement over the price of the imported gas, and that this will be negotiated after the sixth-month period. The six months have come and gone and no result has been forthcoming. More agreements followed in August and October 2015 and in November BG now owned by the Anglo-Dutch major Shell joined the block 12 consortium opening the way for transporting gas to its LNG plant at Idku for export to Europe. However, despite the political will and company support none of these accords progressed to any commercial deals as the economics do not add up, in todays low gas-price environment. www.petroleum.gov.eg Mountain goats and hikers are meeting in dangerously close proximity at Heart Lake in the Bitterroot Mountains. The goats near the popular backpacking destination south of Superior, Montana, have given up the safety of the state-line cliffs, lured by human-related salts and foods around the mountain lake. The attraction away from the cliffs has left the mountain goats more vulnerable to predators such as wolves and mountain lions. Campers also are at risk. A backpacker's dog was injured by a mountain goat in August, according to Liz Bradley, Missoula wildlife biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Bradley heard about the incident as she made the 3-mile hike to the lake after posting warning signs at the Heart Lake trailhead and up at road at the Idaho-Montana Stateline Trail on Hoodoo Pass. "I ran into several groups of hikers that had talked to another hiker who was carrying his small dog back down the trail to take to the vet because of an unfortunate encounter with a nanny who was likely defending her kid," she said. "Sounds like the nanny charged and gored the dog." Bradley was responding to a report by Colville backpacker Jim Groth, who encountered the mountain goats in the last week of July. Groth and a friend arrived in midafternoon and found a campsite on the southwest end of the lake. "Around 4 p.m., we encountered four goats nearby, and soon two ran through our campsite and nine or 10 were along the shore of the lake to the south," he said. For the next couple of days, "the goats were almost constantly present nearby, from one to several at any one time," he added. "They moved a lot, traveling along the hiking trail and into the five or six sites there. "Only one other site to the south was occupied, and they had more constant goat presence than we did." The goats were not wary of the hikers, he said. "It was difficult keeping a decent distance from them when they invaded the camp area. We could keep them back with motion and noise or by charging them with loud steps and shouts. On the third day, the two backpackers hiked up the drainage to Pearl Lake where they found two campers who said they'd been "besieged" by 14 mountain goats. "We stopped near the lake farther up at a campsite with a fire ring to fish, and we experienced the same kind of invasion of five animals," he said. "The goats were eating the lush vegetation in the area around Heart Lake. But they were also clearly interested in the campsites. "This area has heavy use, and there is a lot of human waste around the campsites. I think this was most important in bringing them into the immediate areas of campers. I saw two animals rooting around in the dirt." The goat education signs provided by FWP recommends urinating away from trails and campsites and stay at least 150 feet from mountain goats. "I realize that it is a bit different to have goats coming into your camp, and therefore difficult to give them space when they're invading yours," Bradley said. "But I still thought it was an appropriate message to send. "It is certainly concerning to hear about these reports of increased habituation in the Heart Lake area," she said, noting that the agency had received no recent reports until she heard from Groth. "This is a small and fairly isolated population of native goats and we want to do all we can to encourage their persistence in that area and to keep hikers and campers safe." She said FWP will be monitoring the situation. "We want people and goats to stay safe," she said. "Hopefully the signage will help bring some more awareness to hikers and give them some things to think about to help decrease conflict." Aggressive mountain goats that have lost any fear of humans have been an issue in several areas in recent years, including Olympic National Park. The trail to Scotchman Peak, a popular hiking destination overlooking Clark Fork, Idaho, was closed by the Forest Service last year after a hiker was injured by a goat. The Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness have posted educational signs. They've also enlisted volunteer mountain goat ambassadors to try to inform hikers about the dangers to them as well as the goats if they continue to offer the animals food and let them lick their sweaty skin. The goal is to convince hikers to keep away from the goats and scare them away if they come close, said ambassador Mary Franzel. "I'd rather see a goat get hit with a rock than see it get shot because it's become dangerous," she said. Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Transsion Holdings, which entered the Indian market with its itel Mobile brand, has been ranked sixth in the overall feature phone segment in the first quarter of operations in India. According to the market research firm Cyber Media Research (CMR), itel garnered close to two per cent market share in the feature phones' category and has sold over 1.4 million handsets operating in 11 states. The company has announced 15 products till now with eight feature phones and seven smartphones. In July, itel said it has sold more than one million handsets its launch in May. The company has also started its second phase retail roll-out in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. Currently, itel has more than 500 distributors and close to 30,000 retailers and it aims to increase the number of distributors to 1,000 and retailers to 80,000 by the end of this year. --IANS sku/na/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After Delhi High Court (HC) summoned Arvind Kejriwal for waterlogging situation, the Chief Minister on Friday said it should summon the Lieutenant Governor instead. "When HC has said that the LG is government, then it should summon the LG for waterlogging," Kejriwal said in a tweet. The court on Thursday warned the Delhi government officials with contempt of court action if it did not work to control waterlogging here. As the state government counsel argued that the senior officials were not in their control at all, citing the power sharing between Lt Governor and the Delhi government, the court said it was not concerned about it. "This is strange. How can the high court not be concerned who is the government? It says the LG is the government and then asks the Chief Minister to do the job?" Kejriwal said. The court on August 31 also pulled up the Public Works Department (PWD) and civic agencies on the waterlogging situation in the city, saying there was "no justification for clogged drains". The national capital on Wednesday came to a standstill due to waterlogging after three hours of heavy rains. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was visiting the national capital, while beginning his lecture at IIT-Delhi, where he reached late due to the situation, with a light-hearted comment said: "I don't know if you came in boats or amphibious vehicle of some kind." --IANS am-kd/py/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malayalam film actor Sreejith Ravi, who was arrested on Friday on the complaint of a group of school girls that he exposed himself before them, has secured conditional bail. A court in Palakkad gave him conditional bail and asked him to surrender his passport. He was asked to furnish two sureties and Rs one lakh as well. He has also been asked to present himself once a week before the investigation officer. The actor was first taken into custody on Thursday following complaints from school girls of "misbehaviour" by Sreejith, an official from the Ottapalam police station told IANS. "It was after verifying the complaint against him by school girls that the actor was arrested," said the official. The incident that occurred last month has been denied by the actor. Sreejith, an engineer by profession, is the son of popular actor T.G. Ravi who has been in the industry for more than four decades. Sreejith began his film career in 2005 and has acted in more than 50 films, including "Nallu Penunngel", directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Some of his other popular films include "Chanthupottu" and "Mission 90 Days", which is based on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. --IANS sg/nn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Mark Ruffalo has defended actor Matt Bomers casting as a transgender sex worker in the feature film "Anything," following criticism by the transgender community. The former says that its "wrenching to see" the community "in this pain". Ruffalo is an executive producer on the recently wrapped project, in which Bomer portrays a transgender woman. Bomer and Ruffalo played lovers in HBO's 2014 drama "The Normal Heart", reports variety.com. "To the Trans community. I hear you. It's wrenching to see you in this pain. I am glad we are having this conversation. It's time," Ruffalo wrote on his Twitter account on Wednesday. "In all honesty I suggested Matt for the role after the profound experience I had with him while making 'The Normal Heart,'" he added. The producers announced on Monday that Bomer and John Carroll Lynch are starring in "Anything," with Timothy McNeil making his feature directorial debut. Ruffalo noted two days later that the movie had already wrapped in response to a suggestion that Bomer's role be recast. "Anthing," and more movies such as Eddie Redmayne's "The Danish Girl," faced a backlash from the community due to the fact that a cisgender actor is playing a transgender character. The movie also stars Maura Tierney, Micah Hauptman, Margot Bingham and Melora Hardin. Ruffalo and Great Point Media's Robert Halmi and Jim Reeve are executive producing. The film is based on McNeil's play of the same name. Lynch plays a man who is suicidal over the death of his wife and moves from Mississippi to Los Angeles, where he can be under the watchful eye of his protective sister, played by Tierney. "Anything" is being produced by Hauptman, Louise Runge and Ofrit Peres. Bomer, Tony Lipp and Scott Wexler also executive produce. --IANS ks/nv/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decried attempts to politicise atrocities against Dalits, cautioned BJP leaders against reckless statements and said he had not nurtured thoughts of carrying out a vendetta against his political opponents. In an interview with CNN-News 18, Modi also said he wanted to bring a White Paper on the condition of the country's economy after assuming power in 2014 but refrained from it in the national interest. He made a strong pitch for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, assemblies and local bodies and hoped a favourable decision would be taken by various stakeholders in consultation with the Election Commission as it would boost the country's development. Modi took digs at the previous Congress-led UPA government, saying that his two-and-half-year old government had ended "mood of despondency" and "condition of paralysis". Talking on a wide range of issues in the 75 minute interview including the Kashmir situation and black money, Modi was more vocal about the Dalit issue and condemned some recent attacks on the community that have shocked the nation after self-styled cow vigilantes beat up four youth for skinning a dead cow in Gujarat's Una. "As far as some incidents are concerned they need to be condemned. There is no place for (such incidents) in a civilised society," Modi said. Noting that "law and order is a state subject", he ridiculed attempts to turn this "social problem deeply rooted" in Indian society into a political issue and said he was not to be blamed for any anti-Dalit violence. "Some (people) are selectively picking issues and blaming Modi. over social imbalances is a disservice to society, to all those who have faced injustice for generations," he said, adding some people had a problem with the fact that he is a "devotee" of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar. "I'm devoted to the welfare of all Dalits, the oppressed, underprivileged and deprived. Those who have fed this country with the poison of caste divide have destroyed the country." The caste factor is considered critical for the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh that has a sizeable Dalit population and where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not been in power since 2002. Elections are due next year also in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur. Modi said the BJP will fight these polls on the issues of development, and its focus will be jobs, peace, unity and social justice. "Our focus will be the welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice." The Prime Minister also rejected any notions that he was following the of vendetta. Asked if he will not be sparing any "dynasty", Modi said he has never tried to get any file opened to settle political scores. "I do not think from a political perspective... I have been a Chief Minister for 14 years. I never opened a file for political reasons. We have not advised opening any file from a political point of view. This interpretation that we are not sparing any dynasty is wrong," he said, in an reference to Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's questionable land deals in Haryana. Terming the proposed Goods and Service tax as the biggest tax reform since Independence, Modi also said he has warned those with black money to declare it before the given deadline of September 30, as stern action might be taken after that. On some controversial remarks of his own party leaders, he said: "I want to tell the politicians also... I will ask my party leaders also that reckless statements, saying anything about anyone or any person's community... Media will come to you, they need their TRP but you are answerable to the nation." In another veiled attack on Congress, Modi said that the "crowd in Lutyen's Delhi" had not duly acknowledged contributions of leaders like Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai and Charan Singh. On restive Kashmir, Modi said people of the Valley need both "vikas (development) and vishwas (faith)" and the government would continue to work in that direction. He expressed confidence that the situation will return to normal soon. On his legacy, he said he was not worried about how history would judge him because he loves living in the present and was just one among India's 1.25 billion people. --IANS ps/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decried attempts to politicise atrocities against Dalits and said he was dedicated to the welfare of the deprived in India and that caste-based discrimination was a social problem that needed to be defeated. In a previously recorded interview to CNN News18 aired on Friday, Modi spoke on wide ranging issues, including the economy, politics, and tax evasion. He was more vocal about the Dalit issue and condemned some recent attacks on the Dalit community that have shocked the nation after self-styled cow vigilantes beat up four youths for skinning a dead cow in Gujarat's Una. "As far as some incidents are concerned they need to be condemned. There is no place for (such incidents) in a civilised society," Modi said, but put the onus on the state governments to curb such violence because "law and order is a state subject". He ridiculed attempts to turn this "social problem deeply rooted" in Indian society into a political issue and said he was not to be blamed for any anti-Dalit violence. "Some (people) are selectively picking issues and blaming Modi. over social imbalances is a disservice to society, to all those who have faced injustice for generations." He said some people had a problem with the fact that "Modi is a devotee" of Dalit icon B. R. Ambedkar. He recalled how he celebrated Ambedkar's 125th anniversary and how the UN celebrated and 102 countries around the globe observed the day. "I'm devoted to the welfare of all Dalits, the oppressed, underprivileged and deprived. Those who have fed this country with the poison of caste divide have destroyed the country." The caste issue is going to be critical for the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh that has a sizeable Dalit population and where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not been in power since 2002. Elections are due next year also in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur. Modi said the BJP will fight these polls on the issues of development, and its focus will be jobs, peace, unity and social justice. "As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only. Our focus will be the welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice. The Prime Minister also rejected any notions that he was following the of vendetta. Asked if he will not be sparing any "dynasty" when targeting black money, Modi said he has never tried to get any file opened to settle political scores. "I do not think from a political perspective... I have been a Chief Minister for 14 years. I never opened a file for political reasons. We have not advised opening any file from a political point of view. "This interpretation that we are not sparing any dynasty is wrong," he said, in an oblique reference to Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's questionable land deals in Haryana. On the economic front, Modi said when he assumed the office in 2014 he wanted to bring a White Paper on the condition of the country's economy but refrained from it in the national interest. "Many people ask me what has been the biggest mistake we made in two years. When I think about it now, I feel, before presenting the first budget I should have tabled a White Paper on the economic condition of the country... We had this thought," he said. " said you must reveal the situation, but national interest said if the situation was revealed, the economy will suffer, and face a setback. So despite facing political damage, I stayed quiet." He said that the economy has seen off the worst now. --IANS sar/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he was not worried about how history would judge him because he loves living in the present and was just one among India's 1.25 billion people. "Why the person who loves to live in his present should worry about history? One must not make that mistake in ones's life," Modi said in an interview with CNN News18. Without naming any of his predecessors, Modi took a dig at leaders who "unfortunately... always tried hard to make their own image. "What if we had dedicated to build the image of our country rather than our own," he said. It was an oblique reference to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who after facing a barrage of criticism towards the end of his second tenure of the Congress-led government, had said history would be "kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties". Modi said he cared more about the image of India and its people. "Image of this country is the unending legacy of 1.25 billion people. Modi is just one of those 1.25 billion Indians, nothing more. Modi's identity must get lost among those 1.25 billion people. There will be no greater joy if Modi is lost in the pages of history," the Prime Minister said. --IANS sar/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The dwarf planet Ceres hosts an unexpectedly young cryovolcano, analysis of images from NASA's Dawn mission has revealed. Instead of molten rock, salty-mud volcanoes, or "cryovolcanoes", release frigid, salty water sometimes mixed with mud. The cryovolcanic formation on Ceres is named Ahuna Mons. "Ahuna Mons is evidence of an unusual type of volcanism, involving salty water and mud, at work on Ceres," said study lead author Ottaviano Ruesch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Universities Space Research Association in Washington, DC. "Geologic activity was discussed and debated among scientists: now we finally have observations testifying to its occurrence," Ruesch noted. Although the volcano is not active now, the team was surprised that it appears geologically recent. Young volcanism on an isolated dwarf planet is a surprise, as usually only planets, or satellites orbiting around them, have volcanism. Also, volcanic eruptions require bodies to be rocky, like Earth or Mars, or icy, like Saturn's moon Enceladus. Ceres is made of salts, muddy rocks and water ice: exotic and unexpected ingredients for volcanism. Ahuna Mons on Ceres indicates such physical and chemical limitations to volcanism are only apparent. As a consequence, volcanism might be more widespread than previously thought. "The Ahuna Mons cryovolcano allows us to see inside Ceres," Ruesch said. "The same process might happen on other dwarf planets like Pluto," Ruesch noted. The team used images and 3-D terrain maps from the Dawn mission to analyse the shape of Ahuna Mons. They compared features and models of known mountain-building processes on Earth and Mars to the features found on Ahuna Mons. According to the research, published in the journal Science, it is the combination of features that makes the case for a volcanic dome. For example, the summit of Ahuna Mons has cracks like those seen in volcanic domes when they expand. Also, the slopes have lines that resemble those formed by rockfalls, and the steep flanks surrounding the dome could be formed by piles of debris. The mountain's appearance also indicates it is young on a geological timescale. Surface features on planets with little or no atmosphere like Ceres get eroded by asteroid and meteoroid impacts, and take on a soft, rounded appearance. "We're confident that Ahuna Mons formed within the last billion years, and possibly within a few hundred million years," Ruesch said. This is relatively new geologically, given that our solar system is about 4.5 billion years old. "Ahuna Mons is telling us that Ceres still had enough heat to produce a relatively recent cryovolcano," Ruesch said. "There is nothing quite like Ahuna Mons in the solar system," said co-author on the paper Lucy McFadden of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. "It's the first cryovolcano we've seen that was produced by a brine and clay mix," McFadden noted. --IANS gb/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday cleared way for the Kerala government's Vizhinjam International Seaport project being undertaken by Gujarat-based Adani Group. The NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar refused to quash the environment clearance for the port, as demanded by the petitioners in 2014. With both strategic and commercial importance, the under-construction Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport is estimated over Rs 7,000 crore. "They (NGT) have not stopped the project development and formed a committee which will give directions on the construction," Raj Panjwani, advocate of the applicant, told IANS. The verdict does not go against the Kerala government nor is it detrimental to the port, State Ports Secretary James Varghese told the media here. Varghese said: "The verdict has asked for an expert committee to be formed. We already have such a committee and hence only a few more members as asked by the court will be included and a new one will be formed." The port is about 16 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram and just 10 nautical miles from the International Shipping Lane. It's an ambitious project of the Kerala government and the Adani group commenced the construction on December 5 last year. The port is scheduled to be completed on December 4, 2019. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan heads the port's board of directors and Ports Minister Kadanapally Ramachandran is the Vice-Chairman. --IANS kd-sg/py/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The nationwide day-long strike on Friday by Left-affiliated trade unions against the BJP-led central government's "anti-labour" policies affected normal life in several states, including West Bengal, Karnataka and Communist-ruled Kerala and Tripura, but saw minimal effect in the national capital and Mumbai. In Delhi and Mumbai, it was almost business as usual as public transport plied normally and offices largely remained open. Suburban trains in Mumbai also ran as normal with auto-rickshaws, taxis and city buses also operating unaffected. Train and flight services were unaffected in West Bengal as vehicles plied on the streets. But fewer people ventured out and buses largely ran empty. Attendance was near normal in the West Bengal government departments, with a large number of employees choosing to spend the night in office on Thursday, fearing dislocation of traffic. Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) state president Shyamal Chakraborty, however, claimed the strike was "completely successful". "They (the government) have forcibly run some buses, but 90 per cent seats are vacant." In Kerala, it was almost a complete shutdown with public transport services across the state not operating. Government offices, schools and colleges were closed. The trade union workers led by former CPI-M legislator V. Sivankutty blocked the garage of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to stop employees from entering the complex. The ISRO has never allowed such strikes to affect its work as their vehicles move in convoys under the cover of paramilitary security forces. But on Friday, not a single vehicle operated. Life was also crippled in Left-governed Tripura where shops, business establishments, markets, banks and financial institutions, government offices and educational institutions were closed and vehicles were off the roads. The central and state trade unions called for the strike demanding better wages and protesting against rising prices and growing unemployment. They have also flagged the issues of disinvestment in the public sector and FDI in Railways, Defence and Insurance sectors. Essential services like ambulance, the supply of drinking water and milk and private vehicles carrying commodities and vegetables have been exempted from the strike. All leading unions, barring the BJP's trade union wing Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have joined the strike. In Karnataka, shops, markets, banks and factories were shut, and buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws kept off the roads and crippled the normal life. Schools and colleges in seven of the 30 districts declared holiday. The strike, however, did not affect IT firms and biotech firms in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubblali. Such companies had hired in advance vehicles to ferry their employees. Normal life was also hit in Bihar where the strike evoked a near-total response as shops and business establishments were shut, and train and road services were disrupted by activists of various trade unions In the BJP-ruled Haryana, public transport remained off the roads leaving tens of thousands of passengers in a lurch. Private buses as well as auto-rickshaws also joined the strike. Most of the 18 lakh government employees in Uttar Pradesh didn't attend their offices as the strike was supported by the state's 250 employee unions. Banks and commercial establishments were closed across Himachal Pradesh. --IANS sar/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A longtime Billings drug dealer with six state felony drug convictions will spend the rest of his life in federal prison after law enforcement seized more than a pound of methamphetamine and two guns from his motel room. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters on Thursday sentenced William Maurice Smith, 48, to life with no release, which was the mandatory term because of Smiths criminal record. A jury convicted Smith in a three-day trial in April of conspiracy to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Smith was indicted in February 2015 and accused of drug trafficking from the fall of 2014 until Jan. 30, 2015. A drug investigation led to law enforcement officers serving a search warrant on a room Smith used at the Country Inn and Suites and finding a pound of meth, the prosecution said in court records. Officers also found an eight-ball, or 3.8 grams, of meth, two handguns and two digital scales in the room and seized about 45 grams of meth from Smiths waistband. All of the meth was nearly pure. A search of a vehicle driven by Smith turned up another firearm and $6,840. Watters imposed the life terms on the drug counts and sentenced Smith to a minimum mandatory consecutive five years on the firearms count. He also is forfeiting three firearms and $6,840 cash seized in the case. Watters noted that Smiths designation as a career offender because of his prior drug convictions resulted in the mandatory term under laws enacted by Congress. While Smith had a difficult childhood and lived on the streets, he adopted the street lifestyle and spent most of his life dealing drugs in the Billings community, the judge said. Smith has six felony drug convictions, five in Yellowstone County and one in Big Horn County, dating from about 1988 until 2011. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek called Smith a dangerous career criminal who has spent his life distributing drugs in the community. A life sentence was warranted and deserved by Mr. Smith, she said. Smiths attorney, Larry Jent of Bozeman, referred to the mandatory sentence and said, I have nothing further. Smith asked the judge to continue the hearing, maintained his innocence, wanted another trial and complained about his attorney. Jent, he said, never once listened to my side of story and wasnt willing to investigate his side. I feel like I was unfairly tried, Smith said. Theres been a gross injustice here, Smith said. Watters denied Smiths request to end Jents representation and to continue the hearing. Smith has had five other lawyers before Jent, and his trial was reset seven times. Watters told Smith he has the right to appeal his conviction and sentence and to raise challenges regarding his legal counsel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that politicians should not make "reckless statements" as they are answerable to the nation. "I want to tell the politicians also...I will ask my party leaders also that reckless statements, saying anything about anyone or any person's community...Media will come to you, they need their TRP but you are answerable to the nation...and that is why, all those living in public life, whether political or social workers...even if we are representing a particular community...for the benefit of the country's unity, society's unity... for the sake of bonhomie.. we must be extra vigilant," Modi said an interview to CNN News18. Modi spoke on a wide ranging issues, including the economy, politics, and tax evasion in a previously recorded interview. --IANS sk/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Speculation about Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar being eased out by the end of 2016 gained currency on Friday with sources in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry indicating that Sunil Arora, a former I&B Secretary, may be appointed to the post. The Prasar Bharati CEO is considered a key post in the I&B Ministry as the individual is responsible for running state-owned Doordarshan and public broadcaster All India Radio (AIR). A section of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders was not happy with the manner Doordarshan and AIR discharged its responsibilities, especially the handling of current affairs programmes. "Arora is an experienced hand and he can easily fit into the Prasar Bharati CEO post," a source said. Arora was recently appointed as an advisor in Prasar Bharati. There have been reports lately about a purported move by the government to appoint a new CEO to replace Sircar, who had retired as Union Culture Secretary and was appointed to the key post during erstwhile Congress-led UPA government in 2012. Sources said that Sircar, whose tenure ends in February 2017, has apprised the I&B Ministry officials of his desire to relinquish the post before the end of 2016. Sircar reportedly also had differences with the I&B Ministry when the Modi government launched DD Kisan, a channel dedicated to farm affairs. --IANS nd/lok/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 200 ultrasound, CT scan, MRI centres, alongwith over 50 X-ray clinics in the city are closed as members of the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association began their indefinite strike on Thursday to demand modifications in the Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT). The national president-elect of the association, Dr. Bhupendra Ahuja said the provisions under the act are draconian and arbitrary. For minor paper-work lapses, these centres are sealed and doctors booked. This situation has to change. The patients, meanwhile, were put to a lot of difficulty looking for ways out. "In particular, road accident victims who urgently need CT scan reports are in trouble due to the strike which could continue for long," said an employee of a diagnostic centre at Hari Parbat. The strike is total with more than 12,000 doctors across India joining it, the association activists said. Other organisations like the Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians and the Indian Medical Association were also extending support to radiologists. --IANS bk/ask/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor was on Friday felicitated at the opening ceremony of the 1st BRICS Film Festival here by Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathod and Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh for his and the Kapoor family's contribution to the field of cinema. The festival, which is part of the special events planned in the run-up to the 8th BRICS Summit to be held in India, kickstarted here at Siri Fort Auditorium Complex with the screening of National Award-winning filmmaker Jayaraj's multilingual film "Veeram". "I may be politically little incorrect, but I am an actor not a politician. I want to thank BRICS for giving me this opportunity to be here. In all humility, I would like to introduce myself as a member of a film family," Rishi, son of legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor and Krishna Kapoor, said on stage. "The Indian film industry has been existing for over 100 years in which the Kapoors have contributed 88 years. This is the magic of cinema. Cinema is everything to me. It gives us opportunity to see another land, another people and their culture. Cinema is the ambassador which cuts across various barriers and builds bridges and most importantly, it entertains," he added. Also present on the opening ceremony were Directorate of Film Festivals Senthil Rajan and film delegates from other BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. The opening ceremony witnessed performances by Beleza Pura from Brazil, Theatre Leningrad Centre Dreams of Russia, MBZ Music Production from South Africa and a culture showcase on Indian behalf by renowned classical dancer Sonal Mansingh. The festival -- which is an initiative announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last BRICS summit that was held in Russia -- has a competition section in which 20 films will be screened. The jury of the festival will include one member from each country. These include journalist, producer and curator of film shows Francis Vogner do Reis from Brazil, Academic Secretary of the National Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Russia Kirill Razlogov, professor Hou Keming from Beijing Film Academy, China, member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Xoliswa Sithole from South Africa, and Indian writer, director and actor T.S. Nagabharana. "Films know no boundaries. Tears know no language. Stories are always universal. The BRICS countaries in total cover 43 per cent of the world population, 37 percentage of the GDP of the entire world and 17 per cent of the world trade," Rathod said at the event. "Films are one of the best ways of taking our culture across the border," he added. The films that will be competing from India include magnum opus "Baahubali: The Beginning", Bengali film "Cinemawala", Kannada film "Thithi" and Bollywood film "Bajirao Mastani". "Films are a reflection of people of any country. Films tell a lot about the culture of the nation it belongs to. Bollywood films have had a wide reach across the world. Also, many have learnt Hindi by watching Indian films," Singh said. The closing ceremony of the festival will focus on the journey of Indian cinema and a cultural performance from China, the host for the next edition of the film festival. The first edition of the BRICS film festival will end on September 6 with the screening of Jackie Chan's "Skiptrace". --IANS sas/nn/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia will resume and strengthen its counter-terrorism dialogue with Turkey, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. "The political decisions have been made and we will relaunch and and strengthen the counter-terrorism dialogue that we had with Turkey some time ago," Sputnik news agency quoted Ilya Rogachev, the head of the Department for New Challenges and Threats, as saying. "Obviously, we have certain expectations and hopes related to the relaunch of this dialogue and hoping that the Turkish side feels the same way," he added. --IANS sm/ksk/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, who has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA), one of America's topmost talent agencies, has denied reports that she will soon star in a Hollywood project. Sonam took to Twitter on Friday to clarify that she has not signed any movie. "Just to make it clear I haven't signed any movie... Nor have they been offered to me," Sonam tweeted. Sonam, who is the daughter of veteran actor Anil Kapoor and Sunita Kapoor, announced on Instagram on Thursday that she has signed a contract with UTA. "Super duper chuffed to sign on with United Talent Agency. I know this is going to be an epic partnership," she wrote alongside a screen-shot of an article by Hollywood website deadline.com. Sonam has appeared in films like "Saawariya", "Aisha", "Raanjhanaa", "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" and "Neerja". She was also seen in British rock band Coldplay's music video for the song "Hymn for the weekend". --IANS sas/nv/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Friday made her first mention of a conditional deployment of the US missile shield, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), before leaving for Russia to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum. "The essence of the problem in this matter is the North's nuclear and missile threats. If these threats are eliminated, the need to deploy the THAAD system would naturally disappear," Xinhua news agency quoted Park as saying. It is the first time that South Korean leader mentioned the conditional THAAD deployment, showing signs of a slight change in her hard-line position ahead of her trips to Russia and China that have strongly opposed the US missile defence system in their neighbourhood. Park is set to visit Vladivostok for two days to attend the second Eastern Economic Forum and hold a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The forum was launched last year to speed up development of the Russian far east. She will move to China to attend Group of 20 (G20) summit scheduled to be held in Hangzhou on September 4-5. Park, however, reiterated that the THAAD deployment is a measure of self-defence to protect from North Korea's "ever-escalating" nuclear and missile threats. Chinese and Russian objections to THAAD in South Korea came as the US missile shield's X-band radar can break strategic balance in the region and damage security interests of the two countries. --IANS sm/ksk/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 24-hour shutdown called by central trade unions to press their 12-point charter of demands, affected the normal life in Odisha on Friday. Under the banners of 10 major trade unions, both the government and private sector workers joined the strike demanding a minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000, end to privatisation of public sector undertakings, and immediate action to control the price rise, among other things. The public transport system came to a standstill as the protesters resorted to blockade of roads and railway tracks in several areas. Many Express, passenger and freight trains were stranded at various stations due to the strike. Shops, other business establishments and some educational institutions also remained closed due to the shutdown, the state police authorities said. The state administration also was crippled as employees did not turn up at offices in support of the strike. The protesters resorted to picketing at government offices. In twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the members of the trade unions blocked roads and burnt tyres to hinder traffic. "We are protesting the central government's indifference towards our demands and effecting anti-worker changes in labour laws," said Bishnu Mohanty, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) National Vice President. --IANS cd/py/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cyber-security solutions provider TAC Security on Friday received the "Startup of the Year" award in the IT/ITES category at the apex industry body Assocham's "Startup Summit and Tech Awards" event here. "We are a homegrown company providing actual end-to-end security solutions. This award corroborates our strength as a startup having a whole array of offerings in terms of network, application and web security solutions," Trishneet Arora, CEO of TAC Security, said in a statement. The event was organised in association with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Punjab and Haryana governments. According to Dalip Sharma, Director of Assocham, the summit aims at developing the entire startup eco-system in north India, from informing startups about their capital requirements, incubation, marketing and financial support to scale up their businesses. --IANS sku/na/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Private donors from Thailand gave $27,000 for the School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions at Nalanda University, a varsity official said on Friday. "On August 27, 2016, the Thai Ambassador to India Chalit Manityakul handed over a cheque of $27,000 contributed by private donors to Nalanda University Chancellor George Yeo for establishing a "Thailand Fund for Nalanda University," a statement issued by the varsity said. According to the statement this fund already had $5,000 contributed earlier by a private company. With this new donation the total amount would be $32,000. The government of Thailand had contributed $100,000 to Nalanda University in 2012. The $27,000 private contribution was announced in Rajgir, right after the first Convocation Ceremony of the university, an official here said. Part of this fund will be allocated to three scholarships earmarked for the Thai citizens pursuing Masters programme at the School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions. The remaining fund will be managed by a supervisory committee for the Thailand Fund for the benefit of the School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Chancellor Yeo said: "We really value Thailand's support to Nalanda University and thank them for creating this fund." Chalit Manityakul congratulated Nalanda University on the commencement of the School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions this year. He said Thailand as a Buddhist country was ready to support the School in all areas. Manityakul stressed: "Especially in the fields of academic development and cooperation, student and faculty exchange programmes as well as disseminating information on the School's education programmes to attract more Thai students." Vice Chancellor Gopa Sabharwal, who had initiated the talks with former Ambassador of Thailand to India, Pisan Manawapat for creating this fund said she was happy. Sabharwal said: "We are also happy that the proposal for creating a fund has finally been approved and thank the private sector of Thailand for making this contribution to the University." Thailand is one of the 17 countries that have signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Nalanda University granting it an international status. The Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is also a member of Nalanda University's International Advisory Panel. The university is coming up in Rajgir, 12 km from where the ancient Nalanda University stood till the 12th century, when it was razed by an invading Turkish army. It started its first academic session in September 2014 in a makeshift campus. The fully-residential university is set to be completed by 2020. It will eventually have seven schools for postgraduate and doctoral students, offering courses in science, philosophy and spirituality and social sciences. Rajgir attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. It is the second most visited tourist place in the Buddhist circuit in Bihar after Bodh Gaya (the birthplace of Buddhism). Rajgir (then Rajagriha) was the first capital of the Magadha kingdom and one of the favourite places of the Buddha. --IANS ik/in/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Attorneys on Thursday argued the merits of a petition to recall the Meagher County attorney, who has been the subject of scrutiny on how she has handled criminal cases. Kimberly Deschene, the county attorney, wants a judge to prevent a recall petition being sought by Katherine Walter, a White Sulphur Springs resident. Testimony continued more than four hours in front of District Court Judge Blair Jones in Columbus. The hearing was held outside Meagher County to avoid potential conflicts. Jones made no immediate decision on the petition. A recall petition filed by Walter in June included sweeping misconduct allegations. After collecting some signatures on that petition, she rescinded it and filed a new one in August with more specific claims. The allegations focus on an assault case that Deschene prosecuted. Walters husband, Michael, was assaulted by Joe Davis in August 2015. Davis was charged with felony aggravated assault, but the charge was later amended to misdemeanor assault and a plea agreement was reached on July 5. Davis is awaiting sentencing and has agreed to pay restitution to Michael Walter, according to testimony on Thursday. The Walters wanted to pursue a felony charge, but Deschene testified Thursday she didnt believe the evidence supported a felony assault. I didnt think that it was a case that could be won, Deschene said. And I talked to (Michael Walter) about that. Deschene said she sought an opinion from Brant Light, prosecution services bureau chief for the Montana Attorney Generals Office. Light concurred with Deschene. Walter said Deschene failed to review medical records that would have supported a felony charge records that Walter said proved the seriousness of her husband's injuries in the assault. Walters attorney presented a letter written by a Bozeman doctor, whom Michael Walter said was his primary physician. Michael Walter indicated that it pointed to a substantial injury as the result of a concussion in the assault. The Walters said Deschene failed to consult that doctor to get a full medical picture and that they assumed she had done so. My understanding was that she obtained an opinion letter from all the doctors I was seeing, Michael Walter said. That letter was written in June 2016 after a plea agreement was reached in the assault case. Deschene testified that she felt she had the full record after receiving letters from two other doctors Michael Walters ophthalmologist and dentist regarding facial injuries. Both doctors indicated that there was no lasting damage, she said. Additionally, Deschenes attorney submitted a March 2016 email from Michael Walter, in which he said that there were no long-lasting injuries, according to testimony. Nels Swandal, a former Park County Attorney and District Court Judge, testified on Thursday for Deschene. In 2013 he worked as an assistant county attorney to Deschene in an advisory role. Deschene had also sought advice from Swandal on the Davis assault case. Swandal said he supported Deschenes actions in the case. There was much debate in the courtroom about the county attorneys role. The Walters testified that Deschene didnt communicate with them enough and failed to keep them updated. Terry Schaplow, Deschenes attorney, hammered on the Walters opinions as laypersons and not attorneys. He said they failed to have an expert prove that Deschenes duties extended further than what she did in the Davis case. He pointed to case law that sets a high bar for a successful recall of an elected official. Simply being disgruntled or dissatisfied with a public officials actions dont rise to the level of a recall petition, Schaplow said. Conflict of interest allegations have surrounded Deschene, though they intensified in the wake of Walters initial petition. A part-time county attorney, Deschene also owns Bar 47, a food and drink establishment in White Sulphur Springs. Meagher County Sheriff Jon Lopp in July expressed concern about Deschenes level of prosecution, particularly with DUIs. The number of DUIs filed in Meagher County Justice Court falls well behind that of neighboring Judith Basin County, which has a similar population. Walters attorney, Alex Rate, said that if they are allowed to proceed, the next step would be to file the new recall petition with the Meagher County Clerk. The effects of the nationwide strike on Friday by 10 central trade unions (CTUs) against the Union government's "anti-labour" policies were felt across Madhya Pradesh. As a part of the strike, meetings and rallies were organised in various areas. The factories of Bhopal-based Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) were also affected. Talking to IANS, Deepak Gupta State Secretary of the Congress party-affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) said that of the 14,000 workers in the BHEL factories, most are on strike. Similarly, other areas of the state such as Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, and Jabalpur, among others, have also been adversely affected by the strike, sources said. --IANS hindi-vgu/rn/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The proposed mega transhipment port planned at Enayam in Tamil Nadu will be built on reclaimed land requiring no major land acquisition except for road connectivity, a top official of Union Ministry of Shipping said here on Friday. Responding to a query at the Regional Editors Conference, Ministry of Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar said: "We will reclaim land for the Enayam port. The government of India has decided to reclaim land and do the port." Kumar said there will be no major land acquisition for the port except for the road connectivity. On the need for Enayam port, he said the transhipment cargo which is currently around 2.5 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEUs) is expected to go up to 10 million TEUs in the future. Kumar said there is unanimity on the need for the transhipment port as 25 per cent of the container cargo are transhipped to other ports which is a loss for the trade, ports and exporters here. The size of the ships is becoming larger with a capacity to carry 18,000 to 20,000 containers needing deeper drafts. According to him the government has taken up six new port projects, including the transhipment port at Enayam and dredging of major ports so that bigger ships can be berthed. He also said the government is taking measures to double the overall capacity of both public and private ports to 3,000 million tons per annum by 2025. Kumar said the central government will revamp the Major Ports Authority Act, Merchant Shipping Act and also review the model concessionaire agreement for projects under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model. The new Major Ports Authority Act that would completely revamp the major ports in the country and the second one will be a new Merchant Shipping Act. Kumar said the government will review the model concessionaire agreement for port projects implemented in PPP model. According to him, all the ports will be given radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to track containers and also container scanners. He said the government hopes to see major activity by the three new companies formed recently-Indian Port Rail Company, Indian Ports Global and Sagarmala Development Company. He said the Indian Ports Global has taken up the Chabahar port development project in Iran. Kumar also said the search for a suitable candidate to be the Chairman of the Cochin Port is on while there will be a Chairman for the Chennai Port soon. Queried about the status of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project he said an expert committee has said the alternate route is not economically or ecologically viable and the matter is before the court. --IANS vj/in/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Mexico, attacks continued on Thursday against the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party's (PRI) decision to invite the controversial business mogul. Many, including Mexico's Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu, maker of "Birdman" and "The Revenant", were angered that the candidate most hostile to Mexico had been invited, Xinhua news agency reported. Mexican President "Enrique Pena Nieto's invitation to Donald Trump is a betrayal. It endorses and formalises the person who has insulted us, spit on us and threatened us for more than a year before the entire world," Inarritu wrote in an editorial published by Spanish daily El Pais. Mexico City Secretary of Economic Development Salomon Chertorivski echoed that sentiment. "Donald Trump's visit seems outrageous to me. The person, perhaps, who has most offended and inundated with insults our country, is welcomed. It is painful and incongruent," Chertorivski said. Mexico's leading left-leaning opposition figure Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador considered the political implications and called the meeting a mistake, saying it appeared to give the impression Mexico was meddling in US elections. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has been forced to repeatedly defend his decision to host the controversial candidate. "Why did I meet with Donald Trump?" Pena Nieto posted to Twitter, with a link to an editorial he published in the daily El Universal, explaining his reasons. The president said he extended an invitation to last week to both Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Trump, and the Manhattan billionaire was the first to accept. "It is important to meet with both candidates, but it was even more important to meet with Trump, because there are things he should hear from Mexico's president, beginning with the sentiment of the Mexicans," said Pena Nieto. He went on to detail his private conversation with Trump, saying "I was very clear ... in stressing that in Mexico we were offended and pained by his statements about Mexicans." On the campaign trail, Trump has frequently used derogatory language when referring to Mexicans and other Latin Americans who migrate to the United States, calling them "killers and rapists". During his visit, Trump did not apologise or make any concessions to Mexico, as many had hoped, and just hours later repeated his assertion that he would build a massive wall along the two countries' 2,000-mile border to keep out migrants, and have Mexicans pay for it. "Mexico will pay for the wall!" Trump tweeted on Thursday. "I repeat what I told him in person: Trump, Mexico would never pay for a wall," Pena Nieto responded on Twitter. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Film: "Yeh Toh Two Much Ho Gayaa", Director: Anwer Khan, Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Arbaaz Khan, Pooja Gupta, Bruna Abdulla, Zarina Wahab, Vijay Patkar; Rating: *1/2 Uff! The title dispels the film and sadly, sticks to what it means. With a promising premise and actors cast in dual roles, the film could have been a blockbuster entertainer. But alas, the cookie crumbles with each passing frame. The narration begins at a party in Bangkok, where Mann (Jimmy Shergill) is partying with his girlfriend Tina (Bruna Abdulla). When Tina is interrupted by a selfie-obsessed Ricky, Mann thrashes him so badly that he is hospitalised. Ricky happens to be, the spoilt and pampered, younger brother of the dreaded under-world don, Mak (Arbaaz Khan). So when Mak shows up at the hospital, Ricky makes him promise to take revenge. Fearing for his life and after being coaxed by Tina and his close friends, Mann decides to come back to India. Meanwhile in India, Mohan (Jimmy Shergill), Mann's identical twin leads a life of a simpleton with his mother and girlfriend Meena (Pooja Gupta). Acknowledging that his mother is depressed because there is no news from Mann, Mohan sets out for Bangkok in search of his brother. The two switch places. What follows are a series of mildly amusing comedy of errors. For a change, Jimmy Shergill in the dual role of Mann and Mohan delivers a sincere performance. He plays Mann with a confident and urban demeanour. Dressed in Indian outfits and sporting a slow on the uptake approach, he essays the part of Mohan. His pairing with Bruna seems forced and with Pooja, their chemistry lacks the spark. Arbaaz Khan fails to impress as Mak. He is intimidating in the least. Vijay Pathak in a comic double role as Tun and Pintu, reminds you of Deven Verma in Gulzar's 1982 released Angoor. But unfortunately, his character is so poorly written that he just remains a poor caricature in the half-baked roles. Zarina Wahab as Mann and Mohan's mother, is a pathetic laugh. She is flat and unimpressive. By not adding any nuances to her character, she seems to be sleepwalking through her role. Similarly, Murli Sharma as Meena's foster brother Chaudhuri, saunters through his part. Written and directed by Anwer Khan, the story has the feel of the 1980s, where identical twin brothers bail each other out from sticky situations. The story is interesting but the plot is hackneyed and borrowed from similar films, making it a melange of mediocrity. And the direction from the word go seems amateurish, so much so that you canat take any of it seriously. Also, the denouement seems like a hurriedly gummed up act. The background score is loud and excessive, but suits the overall design of the film. Overall, "Yeh Toh Two Much Ho Gayaa", feels dated and makes for tedious viewing. --IANS Troy/nv/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Which young woman of 21 would want to trade her life of comfort, restaurants and friends, a life wherein everything is provided for, and settle for one replete with struggle even for the basic amenities of life, no friends and even some hostility? That would be Reema Nanavaty, now 51, and SEWA's (Self-Employed Women's Association) director for rural and economic development. I am meeting the Padma Shri award winner for lunch at Side Wok in Gurgaon, a New Delhi suburb. She has just finished a meeting in the area and has a short window before her next meeting at Delhi's Gol Dak Khana. Both of us are vegetarian and we decide to share a helping of crispy vegetable salt and pepper and a Cantonese mixed vegetable with fried rice. The food arrives promptly and is above average. Yogi Adityanath is not the official voice of the Bharatiya Janata Party. But the rumbustious Gorakhpur member of Parliament does reflect the suspicions of others in the saffron brigade and outside when he says, "Mother Teresa was part of a conspiracy to convert Hindus to Christianity""and blames her for the Northeast's secessionist movements. I remember Father Picachy - His Eminence Lawrence, Cardinal Picachy to the world - lamenting that despite her Indian citizenship, the government refused to let her visit Arunachal Pradesh where churches were being burned. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday alleged that the Nitish Kumar government has failed to effectively implement prohibition in as indicated by the rich haul of alcohol during seizure operations. "The government has totally failed in effectively implementing prohibition," he said in a statement in Patna. "Though according to official statistics, around 14,000 people have been arrested so far for violation of the new Excise law, the way foreign brand beer and country spirit have been seized during the last five months of prohibition, it proves that illegal trade in alcohol is rampant," Sushil Modi said. Officials of the state Excise department had Thursday briefed that 11,679 litre of Indian made foreign liquor and 92,291.47 litre of country liquor were seized from April to August this year. A total of 23,651.50 litre of liquor, smuggled from other states, was seized in the last five months with the maximum amount coming from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, they said. Huge quantity of liquor illegally traded from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Haryana, Nepal, Arunachal Pradesh and elsewhere were also seized. Sushil Modi, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council, questioned the enthusiasm among ruling coalition members over Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) latest report of 2015 which has placed at 22nd position. "The government might be patting its back, but in heinous crime like murder, is at second position and first in cases of riots," he said quoting the NCRB report. The BJP leader alleged that notwithstanding the prohibition, though crime had declined a bit in April, criminal incidents started rising from May and June. In comparison to April, cases of rape shot up by 55 per cent while other heinous crimes like murder rose by 14 per cent and riots by 59 per cent, Sushil Modi alleged. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the BJP will fight the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and other states on the issues of development, and its focus will be jobs, peace, unity and social justice. In an interview to CNN-News 18 news channel, Modi hoped that voters in Uttar Pradesh will vote on the issues of development and elect a full majority government. "There will be elections in five states in coming days and Uttar Pradesh is one of them. As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only. Our focus will be welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice," Modi said. "Our focus will be to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood in our country. We will take steps in these regard and move forward," he added. The Prime Minister said there was "no atmosphere of vote-bank politics" in the last Lok Sabha elections and there was "an atmosphere of development politics". He said an entire section of society has made a shift towards of development. "After 30 years, a section of our society unitedly voted for a majority government. An entire section of our society has made a shift. It is possible that the people of UP will do a similar thing for betterment of UP, they will vote keeping development in mind," Modi said. Elections are expected to be held early next year to assemblies of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, besides in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister has said that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, once rolled out, will reduce the tax burden on the common man. Terming it the biggest taxation and financial reform since Indias independence, Modi said greater transparency in taxation and simplification of rules would increase compliance and revenue. At least 10 people died and dozens were injured when an explosion rocked a market area in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's southern home city of Davao tonight, police said. The explosion occurred close to one of Davao's top hotels that is popular with tourists and business people, city spokeswoman Catherine dela Rey told AFP. "There was an explosion but as to what caused it, it is still under investigation," dela Rey said. "Ten people died on the spot, at least 30 injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and Denise Juneau debate Thursday at 7 p.m. in Billings. Zinke, a Republican, is a first-term congressman. Juneau, a Democrat, has been Montana's superintendent of public instruction for the past eight years. They met Monday night in Frazer for the first of four scheduled debates. Two more are set for Great Falls on Oct. 5 and Oct. 8. Follow along here for live updates. Having trouble viewing? Try this. Ten persons, including six pilgrims, were killed while nine others injured in two separate mishaps in Chamba and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh today, police said. Six Manimahesh pilgrims were killed and four others injured, including one critically, when their vehicle fell into a 200-feet gorge near Jot on the Holi-Palampur road in Chamba district, about 400 Km from here, they said. The accident occurred when the driver, while giving a way to an HRTC bus, lost control and rammed it against the hill and later it rolled down into the gorge, killing five persons on the spot. Another pilgrim succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital. The four injured have been admitted to nearby civil hospitals and their condition was stated to be critical, police said. The pilgrims, residents of Nagrota Surian of Kangra district, were returning from Manimahesh pilgrimage. The deceased have been identified as Pankaj Balaoria, Jaswan, Abhinesh, Samsher, Anil Kumar, Sonu, while the injured include Chhinda, Ashish Khabla, Ankush Guleria and Ajay Kumar. Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Sudesh Mokhta said an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 each has been provided to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 5,000 each for the injured persons. In another incident, four persons were buried alive and five others injured when a huge mound of earth fell on their vehicle following a massive landslide at Manihar village in Garsa valley of Kullu district. The bodies of the three victims have been extricated from the debris while rescue operations were on to retrieve the body of the fourth victim, Sub Divisional Magistrate Rohit Rathor said. They have been identified as Laxman (38)and Nanda from Jharkhand, Khem Raj (50) from Nepal and Sugrin Gupta (29) from Bihar, reported to be employees of Parbati hydel power project. There were nine persons travelling in the vehicle when it was hit by the landslide. Two occupants of the vehicle escaped with minor injuries; three others received serious injuries and the two critically injured Bhupender Negi from Uttarakhand and Khem Singh of Sunder Nagar in Mandi were referred to PGI, Chandigarh. Rs 15,000 has been given to each of them as interim relief, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, Hans Raj Chauhan said. Prakash and Pramod from Uttarakhand and Dharmendra form Bihar were admitted to a regional hospital in Kullu, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two persons have been arrested for stealing LCD screens from Punjabi Bagh area, police said today. Pradeep and Ganesh Dass were arrested on August 30 in connection with two cases of theft of LCDs, said DCP (West) Pushpendra Kumar. The accused were caught at a police picket in Paschim Puri area of West Delhi carrying two stolen LCDs, the officer said. Three more LCDs were recovered from them following interrogation, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 300 Syrians living in a rebel held town near Damascus were evacuated today under a deal with the government, state media reported. The agreement between the regime and the rebels had already seen thousands of civilians and opposition fighters leave the town of Daraya, southwest of the capital, after a four-year government siege. Civilians evacuated today from nearby Moadimayet al-Sham had been living there for around three years after fleeing fighting in Daraya. Moadimayet al-Sham is also under government siege, but after a truce deal signed in late 2013 has been spared the heavy fighting that has ravaged other rebel-held areas around the capital. Negotiations are underway to secure a deal under which rebel fighters in the town will also leave, though civilians will reportedly remain, parties to the talks told AFP. The evacuees walked to the edge of Moadimayet al-Sham, where eight buses were waiting to take them to reception centres elsewhere in Damascus province, an AFP photographer reported. Soldiers searched their suitcases as they left, and checked their names against a list. State media said 303 residents of Daraya were leaving Moadimayet al-Sham and would be taken to Hrajeleh, a regime-held district, for processing. State television said they consisted of 162 children, 79 women and 62 men. "I've been taking refuge here for three years and I hope that life in the reception centre will be better than here," said Roueida, a mother of seven, as she left. The evacuation follows the implementation of the deal in Daraya itself, which saw the town emptied of rebels and civilians and retaken by government forces. Opposition fighters said they were forced to accept the deal, under which rebels and their families were given safe passage to the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, because the blockade and constant bombardment by the army had made the humanitarian situation untenable. The opposition has criticised such deals and UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura also voiced concern that the Daraya agreement was part of a wider strategy by the regime to empty rebel enclaves that would soon be extended to other areas. He said there were "indications that after Daraya we may have other Darayas." "There is clearly a strategy at the moment to move from Daraya" to other besieged areas "in a similar pattern", he told reporters in Geneva yesterday. Negotiations are underway between the government and rebels, as well as the local council in Moadimayet al-Sham, for the evacuation of fighters in the town, sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven more people died today taking the death toll in the devastating Bihar floods to 179 even as water level of the swollen Ganga started receding in many parts of the state. The seven fresh deaths have been reported from Vaishali, Samastipur and Khagaria districts. Meanwhile, humidity levels shot up in the national capital today oscillating between 95 and 69 per cent after two consecutive days of heavy rains even as the mercury settled at normal level. "The maximum temperature was recorded at 33.9 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year while the minimum was recorded at 25.5 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal," a MeT official said. Vaishali district alone accounted for the highest number of deaths at five, followed by Samastipur and Khagaria with one each, a statement by the Bihar Disaster Management Department said. The overall death toll in floods in Bihar has risen to 179, the statement said. The flood has been caused mainly by swollen Ganga apart from other rain-fed rivers such as Sone, Punpun, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra, Kosi and has affected 41.40 lakh people in 2,173 villages under 613 panchayats of 77 blocks of 12 districts in the state, it said. A total of 6.56 lakh people have been evacuated so far from the 12 flood-affected districts of Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar, the statement said. In the wake of heavy rainfall in the basin of Barak river and its tributaries in Assam, the Central Water Commission today said the river is expected to flow in "moderate to high flood situation" in the state and neighbouring Meghalaya and Manipur over the next few days. In its advisory, the CWC also cautioned the administration of Assam's Cachar, Hailakhandi and Karimgunj districts, affected by the rising level in rivers following rains, to take precautionary measures. Light to moderate showers occurred at a few places in Uttar Pradesh while heavy rain lashed few regions. Heavy to moderate rains occurred at some places in Himachal Pradesh, causing a marginal drop in minimum temperatures. The maximum temperature stayed close to normal levels in Punjab and Haryana, even as rains lashed few places in the two neighbouring states. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight militants belonging to Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terror groups have been arrested and weapons seized during multiple raids across Punjab province, security officials said on Friday. Punjab police's counter-terrorism department (CTD) said most of the terrorists were from Tehreek-i-Taliban . CTD said the team seized weapons, explosives, CDs containing hate speeches and glorification of "jihad". "A joint team of the CTD and other security agencies picked up six suspects from Chak 58-JB on Narawala Road Faisalabad (some 150kms from Lahore)," a CTD official said. The terrorists have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, the official said. In another raid in the province's Jauharabad city, the CTD arrested another terrorist affiliated to the TTP. Following intelligence reports that some terrorists were planning to attack sensitive installations in Jauharabad, a CTD team conducted a raid near the city's railway station on Thursday and arrested Ejaz Husain of TTP's Aminullah Amin group. In another operation, a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) was arrested from Rajanpur, some 400 km from here. A CTD police team after receiving information about presence of a suspected terrorist conducted the raid and arrested Bilal Makwal. A case has been registered against the suspects under different sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Pakistani military has launched a combing operation in the country after the Quetta blast last month in which more than 70 people, mostly lawyers, were killed. Delhi government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that they have filed six different petitions challenging the Delhi High Court order and withdrew its civil suit on declaring the capital as a full State. A bench of justices A K Sikri and B Y Chandrachur, while allowing the (AAP) government to withdraw the civil suit, gave the liberty to raise the issues raised in it in the Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) it has filed. The apex court had last month asked the AAP government whether it would file an appeal against the High Court order holding Delhi as a Union Territory with Lt Governor as its administrative head and, if yes, by when. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the Delhi government, on Friday said according to the observation made by the bench in the last hearing of the case, they wished to withdraw the civil suit as six different SLPs challenging the Delhi High Court order have been filed. She said the issues raised in the civil suit were very much similar to the issues in the SLPs. "In light of the filing of the SLPs, permission to withdraw the civil suit should be granted," Jaising said. She further said that liberty should be granted to them to raise the issues as and when fresh cause of action arises. To this, the bench said, "You can always do if any fresh cause of action arises, you can raise the issue as and when required." The bench further said it is not on the maintainability of the SLPs and clarified that it has not gone into the issues. It then gave permission to withdraw the civil suit. The bench on August 29 had taken note of the earlier statement of Jaising that the appeal against the high court order would be filed shortly, and had asked the other counsel of Delhi government as to when it would be filed. It had said the Delhi government needed to file the SLP and the present suit would become infructuous. When the AAP government's suit came up for hearing earlier, the court had said that instead of pursuing the suit, the city government should file an appeal challenging the Delhi High Court's decision. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, both representing the Centre, had vehemently opposed the plea of the Delhi government saying that they cannot pursue parallel recourse for the same relief. Earlier, the high court had held that Delhi will continue to remain a Union territory under the Constitution with the LG as its administrative head. The special constitutional provision Article 239AA dealing with Delhi does not dilute the effect of Article 239 which relates to Union territory and hence, concurrence of the LG in administrative issues was mandatory, the HC had said. It did not accept the AAP government's contention that the LG was bound to act only on the aid and advice of the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers with regard to making of laws by the Legislative Assembly under the Article 239AA and termed it as without substance. "On a reading of Article 239 and Article 239AA of the Constitution together with the provisions of the Government of Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and Transaction of Business of the Government of NCT of Delhi Rules, 1993, it becomes manifest that Delhi continues to be a Union Territory even after the Constitution (69th Amendment) Act, 1991 inserting Article 239AA making special provisions with respect to Delhi," the HC had said in its 194-page verdict. The HC, which had rejected almost all the contentions of the Delhi government, however, agreed with its submission that the LG will have to act on its aid and advice in appointment of special public prosecutors. Raising concerns over anomalies in salary structure, Air India's pilots association ICPA has issued a veiled threat of striking work unless their problems are addressed immediately. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) has also said the airline has not corrected the anomalies despite the Civil Aviation Ministry asking the airline to sort out the issues in January this year. "Our patience has run thin. We will wait till September 7 for the anomalies in pay and allowances to be corrected and international layover allowance to be paid up to date, failing which we will be forced to take action as deemed fit to safeguard the interests of our members," ICPA said. ICPA represents around 750 pilots who operate narrow body aircraft and are from erstwhile Indian Airlines. In a stern letter to Air India's Director (Finance) on Thursday, the association said it has been very patient only because of the commitments made earlier but are yet to be implemented. "In spite of several assurances given by you in the past eight months to correct the anomalies in pay and allowances, you have failed to do the same even in the month of August," the letter said. Addressing Air India, the association observed that "you seem to have developed a lackadaisical attitude, especially towards the pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines". The Ministry approved the pay and allowances for pilots of Air India on January 1 and "it is strange to note that even after eight months of the approval, you are unable to correct the anomalies". ICPA said international layover allowance is yet to be paid for July and August. Layover allowance refers to the grant given to crew members, including pilots, for overnight stays outside their home city as part of duty schedule. "We do not approve the mode of payment of international layover allowance two months post operating the flight which is in violation of Income Tax Act as this allowance is supposed to be paid before the flight for expenditure at foreign stations," the letter said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An all-party delegation, led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, will visit Jammu and Kashmir on September 4-5 as violent protests continued in the Valley following the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani in July. "Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead an all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir on September 4-5, 2016," an official statement issued here today said. It said during the visit, there will be interaction with the Governor and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The visiting delegation will hold meeting with representatives of all political parties and other delegations in Srinagar, it said. "About 30-member all-party delegation includes leaders of over 20 political parties. A preparatory meeting for this delegation has been convened on Saturday," it said. The Kashmir Valley has seen possibly the longest spell of protests for over 50 days in which 70 people have lost their lives so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terming the upcoming visit of the 'All Party Delegation' to Jammu and Kashmir as "half-hearted" measure, the business fraternity in the Valley today said it would talk with the delegation if they talk to the Hurriyat. "The Kashmir Inc unanimously resolved not to meet the Union Home Minister-led All Party Delegation scheduled to visit Valley on September 4. Such half-hearted measures won't solve any purpose as this dialogue seems to be conducted without seizing the hostilities and pressure tactics," several trade bodies of Kashmir said in a joint statement issued here. "Kashmir Inc being apolitical would talk to the All Party Delegation if they talk to the Hurriyat," it said. The statement was issued after a joint meeting of over a dozen heads of various trade, transport and tourism bodies, including Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kashmir Economic Alliance, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir, All Kashmir Fruit growers association, Tourism Alliance, Houseboat Association and All Kashmir Transport Welfare Association. "The meeting unanimously resolved that meeting the visiting delegations will be nothing beyond a foolish exercise aimed at a photo session, which will only end up adding salts to the wounds' of Kashmir's worst-ever humanitarian crises," the statement said. The business community said it has become a "ritual" for the Centre to send a team to Kashmir whereas every such time "human rights abuse scaled new heights". "Let the mockery of symbolic Kashmir visits over our tragedy end, and seriousness begin for an effort for sustainable solution to Kashmir dispute. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha recently sought a permanent solution, which can't come through cosmetic patchwork where all party comes in with rigidity. Tangible measures need to be taken...As per the agenda-of-alliance (reached between PDP-BJP coalition partners ahead of forming the government in the state)," it said. The business community said they were not drawing any "pleasure" out of the uprising or seeing the business having come to a grinding halt since July 8. "We are the worst suffers, losing everything from lives to livelihood but the problem is that the New Delhi viz-a-viz its remote controlled Jammu and Kashmir government is unwilling to feel the pain of Kashmir," the statement said. It said the the all party delegations visited Kashmir at least thrice in the past but nothing transpired on the ground. "Apart from 1990s, the delegations also visited Kashmir in 2008 and 2010 uprising. But what transpired was nothing beyond sight-seeing of bloodshed," it said. The statement said the visit of the present delegation in the absence of "proper groundwork" and New Delhi's "unwillingness to talk to Hurriyat which happens to be bonafide representatives of the people of Kashmir", has festered the crisis. "The government is preparing a log-book which is as if to be shown to the world community on steps taken on Kashmir issue whereas in reality nothing beyond symbolic efforts has been done. It is supposed to be third visit of the Union Home Minister, but again with half-hearted attitude and unwillingness to realise the complexity of the issue," the statement said. A special court has convicted the then additional private secretary of former minister for Urban Affairs and Employment Sheila Kaul for his role in a scam relating to allotment of government shops here between 1991 and 1994. The court held former government officer Rajan S Lala guilty in the 20-year-old case for offences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC and criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal held that there was a "clear cut conspiracy" between Lala and Kaul, her then additional private secretary D D Arora and assistant private secretary S L Yadav. Kaul, Arora and Yadav have died and proceedings against them have been abated. The court has fixed the matter for September 5 for order on quantum of punishment. The court said the four public servants abused their official position in alloting the shops which led to pecuniary advantage in favour of other accused persons in "blatant violation" of all norms. It said the allotment and reallotment of shops to several accused "was most arbitrary, unfair and in utter violation of Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution, as no criteria or reasonable classification was made for allotting the shops to a particular person or a class of persons, rather the same were made in blatant violation of all established norms of allotment(s) by following favouritism and nepotism." Apart from the four government officials, nine private persons were made accused, who had obtained pecuniary benefits in an alleged criminal conspiracy. Out of the nine accused, two died during trial, one was declared proclaimed offender, two were discharged and four acquitted by the court. The court rejected the contention of lone convict Lala's counsel that after Kaul's death, his client cannot be convicted independently for the conspiracy. "It would be trite that even after the death of accused 1 (Kaul), accused 2 (Lala) can be tried and convicted for the charge of conspiracy, as the evidence clearly suggests they both were actually and actively involved in the offence of conspiracy," the judge said. CBI had said Kaul and another accused Tara Chaudhary, who was declared proclaimed offender, had entered into conspiracy during October 1991 to November 1994 to dishonestly or fraudulently obtain undue pecuniary advantage in allotment of shops on economic licence fee basis in contravention of rules. The agency had claimed that Kaul abused her official position as a minister who was the custodian of government shops. She sanctioned allotment of seven shops in 1991-92 without calling for any application from general public in the Lodhi Road market in South Delhi. CBI alleged that this had caused undue pecuniary advantage to the accused, who dishonestly allowed transfer of shops to other persons. During the trial, all the accused had claimed that they were innocent and falsely implicated in the case. The court, in its 227-page judgement, said there was a huge pecuniary loss to the state exchequer and led to huge pecuniary advantage to private persons without any public interest. "Such act of illegal allotments without looking after the interest of the State, which Kaul was obliged to look after being the Urban Development Minister, as the repository of the power of people was bound to protect which people had given to her by electing her," it said. It said allotment of shops made by these public servants to various accused, who were either related to them or known to Kaul, was "totally arbitrary, unfair, unreasonable and in violation of Article 14 of Constitution." "There is no reasonable classification or exercise of discretion in a fair manner, rather it is a case of gross favouritism and nepotism," the court said. Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today condemned the "attack" on journalists at an AAP patry rally in Bassi Pathana, which he alleged was "instigated" by AAP MP Bhagwant Mann. Singh demanded that Mann be booked for rioting and assault and also referred for medical check up "to check his mental fitness for public appearances, lest he provokes and instigates more people to violence". "These are the signs of utter frustration on part of the AAP leaders like Mann, who seem to have lost their mind over the developments that have taken in their party", he said. "Such behaviour must not be let go unchecked and unexamined lest it leads to serious law and order problem," he said, adding, Mann not only needs medical and mental treatment, but legal action as well. At a party's rally yesterday in Fatehgarh Sahib, Mann not only allegedly misbehaved with media persons after arriving four hours behind schedule, but also asked party volunteers not to read newspapers. Speaking on the sacking of Dalit minister Sandeep Kumar by AAP, Singh called the move "deliberate", claiming it was a way "to divert the public attention from the ongoing crisis in Punjab". "Kejriwal had known about the existence of the CD long before he appointed Kumar as a minister. At that time Kejriwal overlooked it and appointed him as a minister and now he used the same CD against him to divert public attention from the Punjab crisis," he claimed. Singh questioned the "moral authority" of Jasbir Singh Bir and Jarnail Singh to probe the allegations against former AAP convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur. "Bir was among the 21 party leaders who sought sacking of Chhotepur. How can a complainant sit on the judgement over someone against whom he has complained?" he asked. Singh lashed out at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for "lying" about his role in approving the construction of SYL in Punjab in 1978, saying he was a "congenital liar". "It is very much part of history and record that he signed the file. Badal is a congenital liar and he was trying to hide his faults with his lies," he said. "Even his party's general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra admitted it publicly that Badal had signed the file and it was an 'innocent mistake' committed by him (Badal)", he said, adding, "neither Badal nor his party denied it and nor could they deny it since they cannot undo the history and wipe out the records". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP chief Amit Shah today held a meeting with various state party leaders and ministers of Gujarat government to discuss and finalise various programmes to be held in the run-up to the Assembly polls next year. Shah held discussions with several top BJP leaders and ministers, including Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, newly-inducted state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala and several other leaders at party headquarters in Gandhinagar. "Our president discussed several issues pertaining to strengthening the party ahead of the 2017 polls. He had detailed talks about the programmes which the party would organise to reach out to people," BJP's state media convener Harshad Patel said. "He also took feedback about people's response to the Saurashtra-Narmada Avataran Irrigation Yojana (Sauni Yojana) scheme inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi recently at Jamnagar," he added. Shah is scheduled to visit Gujarat on September 8 again to attend a programme in Surat. "On that day, four Patel leaders of BJP will be felicitated by Patel community for their contribution to the society and the community," he said. These Patel leaders include Vaghani, Rupala, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and newly-inducted Union Minister from the state Mansukh Mandaviya. The upcoming event holds significance for the ruling BJP and the state government led by the party ahead of the state polls, as they have been facing wrath of Patels, a crucial vote bank in Gujarat, due to the ongoing quota agitation. Surat had witnessed large-scale violence during the agitation last year. The event is expected to send a strong message that the Patel community is no longer angry with BJP and ready to support it in the coming polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Accusing the Modi government of bringing anti-labour policies like 'hire and fire', Congress said that this had prompted all major trade unions, barring BMS to give a call for a nationwide strike today. The party's senior spokesman Ajay Maken told reporters here that the government is taking one step after another which is anti-labour and anti-poor in the guise of ushring in labour reforms. Extending support to the nationwide strike and the charter of demands of the major trade unions, he said that in a move to help crony capitalists, the government is swiftly changing laws on contract workers to facilitate 'hire and fire' policy without paying any compensation. He said while the unions had demanded a minimum wage of Rs 18,000, the government has agreed to give just Rs 9,100. The party lamented that the time limit for apprenticeship has been made unlimited from one year. "This means that a youth can be made to work for less pay for years together." He alleged that the government is "hurting" the labour movement by increasing the membership requirement for recognising a trade union from 15 per cent to 30 per cent. Normal life in various parts of the country was partly affected today by the strike with banking, transport and coal mining being among the most impacted, while hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three members of a drug trafficking gang, including a serving armyman and a son of a former Delhi Police officer, have been arrested and over 75 kg of Marijuana seized from them in sector-14 Dwarka in south west Delhi, police said today. Accused Babuji Sahu, Jitender Yadav and Narender Kumar were arrested by a Crime Branch team near a bus stand in sector 14 of Dwarka on August 30, Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), said. Jitender is son of an ex-sub inspector of Delhi Police, the officer said. Sahu had joined army as a sepoy in 1992 and was promoted to the rank of HMT Gun Fitter and is presently posted in Amritsar "He hails from Odisha and used to smuggle ganja from there, by hiding it in his luggage while travelling to Delhi by train. After delivery of the ganja, he used to travel back to his place by flight," the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reiterating that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was like an "empty vessel which makes loud noise", Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dared "Kejriwal & Co." to list even a single pro-people initiative taken by their government in Delhi. AAP is a party of "hollow slogans and false promises", he said, adding nothing good for the state and its people can be expected from them. Addressing a gathering at Sangat Darshan programme in Lambi assembly segment, the chief minister claimed, on record the AAP government in Delhi "had not fulfilled even a single promise" it made to the people during polls. Badal said the Delhi government headed by Arvind Kejriwal has done "nothing for weaker and underprivileged sections" of society. But the SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab has taken several pro-poor initiatives like Atta-Dal, pension, shagun, Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Beema Yojana, Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme and others to safeguard interests of the poor. Coming down heavily on AAP MP Bhagwant Mann for equating beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal Scheme with beggars, he said this reflected the parochial mindset of the AAP leadership. It is every state government's bounden duty to take care of the underprivileged sections of society, he said, adding the SAD-BJP government was working towards welfare of masses. The AAP leadership, however, lacked such sympathetic approach towards people and were vying for political power to enjoy its fruits rather than serving the people, he alleged. Citing the example of Delhi Minister Sandeep Kumar, who was removed by AAP recently following a CD controversy, he said the incident has "exposed the real face" of AAP, which claims to be a party with high morals. Badal demanded a criminal case against the sacked AAP minister and strict punishment for his misconduct. Assailing the Congress for its "anti-Punjab" stance, the chief minister said, the people fo Punjab would never forgive this party for "hatching a conspiracy" to rob the state of its water by planning and executing construction of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Badal said every Congressman from Punjab owes responsibility for meting out this grave injustice. "It is unfortunate that when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had came to lay the foundation for SYL, Captain Amarinder Singh had enthusiastically welcomed it," he added. Badal said even AAP was following the Congress' footprints by adopting an anti-Punjab stance. He said an affidavit by the AAP led Delhi government in Supreme Court on the SYL issue had termed Punjab's stand as unconstitutional and anti-national. To another query, Badal said villages within a 10-km radius of the Indo-Pak border were evacuated following an advisory of Government Of India to prevent any loss of life. He said the Punjab government had made "elaborate" arrangements at the relief camps for those who had to be moved there from their villages. Earlier, addressing the gatherings at Ghonewala, Kot Razaada, Daoke, Bharopal, Chak Alla Bakhsh and a few other villages, the chief minister said his government was well aware of the hardships faced by the farmers of the border region in cultivating their crop. He said, keeping in view the escalating tension at the border, his government was "duty-bound" to lift each and every single grain of the farmers. Badal said he had already directed the Food and Civil Supplies department to make special arrangements to ensure quick procurement and lifting of grains from the region. The chief minister said he, along with the top brass of his government, was regularly monitoring the arrangements at the relief camps. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed hope that there will be increased momentum in Sri Lanka's reform agenda of reconciliation, transitional justice and peacebuilding processes during his meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena here. The UN Chief met with Sirisena yesterday and pledged his continued support to Sri Lanka's "broad and impressive reform agenda, including to the reconciliation, transitional justice and peacebuilding processes," according to a readout of the meeting issued by Ban's spokesperson. Ban expressed hope for "increased momentum in these important areas." He also endorsed the comprehensive Peacebuilding Priority Plan. "The Secretary-General was encouraged by the President's leadership and commitment to stay the course and fulfil the aspirations of the Sri Lankan people in bringing lasting peace and prosperity for all," the statement read. Before arriving in Lanka, Ban had visited Myanmar. He will travel to China for the G20 Summit, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic for the annual ASEAN-UN Summit. Addressing a youth event in Galle yesterday, the UN chief said Sri Lanka's young population is its "biggest asset" and the future success of the nation depended on them. He noted that most of the youth was born and lived its early lives during conflict, terror and displacement, suffering deprivations and injustice. "Involvement in peacebuilding, reconciliation and post-conflict transformation provide an opportunity to emerge from this trauma to play a part in creating a better future," he said. He said that young people around the world are often depicted as "potential terrorists and easy prey for recruitment by violent extremists". "But this distorted picture ignores the reality that the vast majority of young people want to be part of the solution to violent extremism. Here and around the world, young people long for peace and security, and are among the most ardent proponents of human rights," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bangladesh's fundamentalist Jamaat-e- Islami-linked leader and media tycoon Mir Quasem Ali on death row today refused to seek presidential clemency over war crimes, paving the way for his execution any time now. "He (Ali) told us he will not seek presidential clemency as we approached him to know his decision this afternoon," Prashanta Kumar Banik, superintendent of the high-security Kashimpur Central Jail, where Ali is lodged in a special cell, told reporters. The presidential mercy was the last resort for 63-year- old Ali, who is the infamous pro-Pakistan Al-Badr militia's third most important figure, to save his neck after the Supreme Court rejected his final review petition on Tuesday. "Now there remains no bar in executing him anytime... The government can make preparation for his execution," attorney general Mahbubey Alam told PTI. Alam earlier said that unlike the ordinary cases, the condemned war criminals were not entitled to a certain period before being hanged after the apex court verdict as they were tried under a special law. Ali was conveyed the verdict on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court upheld an earlier ruling that had handed down a death sentence, following which he had sought time to decide over seeking the clemency. Nine of his family members, including his wife Khandakar Ayesha Khatun, met him in jail that day. Quasem, widely considered as the top financier of Jamaat, said he would not decide what to do next until his son, allegedly picked up by unidentified men 22 days ago, returns home, Ayesha told reporters. Prosecutors have said that Ali made a USD 25 million deal with US lobby firm Cassidy and Associates for engaging with the governments of the US and Bangladesh to protect "his interest". The evidence suggested that in March, 2014, another deal worth of USD 50,000 was struck with the same lobby firm on Ali's behalf for "condemning" the actions of the International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh. Several political analysts and lawyers said the business tycoon and Jamaat stalwart has exhausted all efforts to influence his trial on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. As a young leader of Jamaat's the then student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS) in 1971, Ali generated panic in public mind and earned curse of innocent people by his ruthless and brutal activities to mime the liberation aspirants. Five war crimes convicts have been executed so far since Bangladesh initiated the trial process in 2010 for the 1971 war criminals in 2010. Two of them had sought the presidential clemency which was rejected. The last execution was that of Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami over war crimes on May 10 this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An award-winning Bangladeshi journalist who edits a specialist education website has been arrested for allegedly defaming a powerful former official, police said today. Police detained Siddiqur Rahman Khan for publishing what it described as multiple "fictitious, false and shameful" on the DainikShiksha.Com portal, Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP. Khan is the latest in a string of journalists to have been detained by Bangladeshi authorities under the provisions of a controversial law which critics say gives the government a free rein to crack down on dissent. "Officers from the cyber crime unit arrested Khan on Thursday after Professor Fahima Khatun filed the case under section 57 of the information communication technology act," said Rahman. Local newspapers said Khatun, a former head of a government department that regulates tens of thousands of schools and intermediate colleges, is married to a ruling party lawmaker and is a sister of a cabinet minister. She said in her complaint that an article on the website had "defamed and tarnished" her image and that of the state. The wording of the controversial law, which has been criticised by a UN expert on human rights, authorises judges to jail anyone who deliberately publishes material deemed to hurt religious beliefs, offend the state or damage law and order for up to 14 years. Several high-profile pro-opposition journalists and social media users, who allegedly defamed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members, have also been arrested in the past under the provisions of the law. The arrests came amid widening fears for freedom of speech in the Muslim-majority nation, which has seen a spate of Islamist extremist killings in recent months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a suspected case of hate crime, a 60-year-old Muslim woman wearing a headscarf was brutally stabbed to death by unknown persons here, nearly two weeks after a Bangladeshi-origin imam of a mosque and his associate were killed. Nazma Khanam, a former schoolteacher, was on her way home along with her husband Shamsul Alam Khan, 75, after closing their shop and picking up some groceries when she was attacked. They were just blocks away from their home when the attacker struck about 9:15 PM on Wednesday, New York Daily reported. Her asthma-stricken husband found her on a Queens sidewalk in Jamaica Hills with a 4-inch knife lodged in her chest, the sources said. Khana, married for 45 years to Khan, have three children. They moved to the US from Bangladesh with her husband and youngest son in 2009. They all became citizens in June. "Somebody killed me," a mortally-wounded Khanam told her husband as he cradled her in his arms, her blood spilling out onto his hands, relatives said. She was wearing traditional Muslim attire -- headscarf -- when the assailants struck. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died. "He (Khan) is screaming and crying, 'My wife just came to this country to just get killed! We had a better life in Bangladesh!," the victim's nephew Humayun Kabir, who is a policeman, said yesterday. The attack prompted Khanam's relatives to denounce the slaying as a hate crime. "They did not take her phone, pocketbook, bag, nothing. We feel this is a hate crime... We want justice," the victim's another nephew Mohammad Rahman said. Investigators, however, believe Khanam may have been the target of a robbery attempt -- even though she was found with all of her possessions, police sources said. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is monitoring the probe. The attack was not captured on camera but a man was recorded sprinting away moments later. Relatives will escort her body to Bangladesh for burial. Kabir's uncle said "We want proper justice for this". Some in the Muslim community drew parallels to the murder of a Queens imam and his friend in Ozone Park. A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his assistant were shot dead from point blank range by a lone gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across America over rising Islamophobic rhetoric. Police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home after midday prayers at Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque when they were approached from behind by a male with medium complexion who was dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Buoyed by the Supreme Court judgement on the Singur issue, the West Bengal government wants to include the subject in the school syllabus. "We want to include Singur movement in school syllabus. We have already discussed the issue at length," School Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said here today at the state secretariat 'Nabanna'. "A proposal in this regard is being sent to the 'Syllabus Committee' for inclusion of Singur movement in the school syllabus," he said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier described as 'landmark victory' the apex court judgement on the Singur land acquisition by the erstwhile Left Front government for the Nano car plant. An elated Banerjee had said that the "The Supreme Court judgement on Singur is a landmark victory. We have waited 10 years for this judgement. I can die peacefully, I am so happy (with the verdict.)" Banerjee steered political opposition against the land acquisition process forcing the Tatas to abandon the project in 2008. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We have two men running for governor. We have one state plane that has become a campaign issue. And so far, we have no good solutions to what should be a really straightforward issue. Montana is the Big Sky state and as such, it's probably fitting that the governor has a state-owned plane at its disposal. After all, traveling from the northwest corner to the southeast tip would take more than a full day of windshield time. Probably not the best use of the state's chief executive, no matter what party he or she belongs to. Every two years, either during election time or while the Legislature is in session, the governor's plane becomes an object of political revenge. In a state where most people are used to driving hours just to get to the next spot on the map, a private plane is luxury everyone would like, but few can afford. So, it's not surprising that once again the governor's plane has become a campaign issue with incumbent Gov. Steve Bullock's travel being scrutinized. It started several months ago when reporting by The Billings Gazette's Tom Lutey showed that Bullock had been using the plane to travel to events of questionable value. During many of those stops, though, he also managed to squeeze in a few fund-raising events. In fairness to Bullock, fund-raising trips for governors are nothing new, but neither is the controversy which surrounds it. Residents are right to question whether they're underwriting the campaigning costs of the governor. Many of the trips Bullock went on seemed contrived or PR stunts more than state legitimate business, which made the entire situation feel like he was gaming the system. To his credit, Bullock agreed that his campaign would reimburse the state for the fund-raising portion of the trips. Yet, when follow-up reporting was done, the reimbursement for these trips was anemic and represented a token of the expense of using the expensive state plane. You would have thought Bullock would have been chagrined enough to lay off the practice, even if it meant a few more miles on Montana's roads and highways. You would have thought that he would have at least acted differently during the campaign season. But more recent reporting shows another raft of questionable trips, including one in which he tried convincing Montanans that seeing Sir Paul McCartney was the state's business and that McCartney had requested a special audience with Bullock. Being caught again using the state plane either demonstrates arrogance or a tone-deafness about the issue. What's even more is that Bullock recently used the state plane to hop over to Deer Lodge, less than a 60-mile trip from Helena. We'd venture to guess it took longer to get the plane ready than it did to make the quick journey. We understand that the governor's time as the state's chief executive is valuable, but is it so precious that such a small time savings and large expense of a plane makes it pencil out? What's equally curious is that Bullock seems oblivious that he's even running for re-election. He seems to think voters who are used to driving long distances will somehow excuse plane rides to the next county. A Montana governor should be more savvy than that. Bullock's use of state resources lacks discretion and is ham-handed. But equally perplexing is his opponent, Greg Gianforte, who vowed if he were governor that he'd sell the state plane and turn over the proceeds to fund technology scholarships. First, we don't think selling the plane is the right answer. We've often chided Bullock and other state leaders for ignoring the needs of central and eastern Montana. Taking away a state plane isn't going to make it any easier for them to get there. Gianforte says that private air service is the answer to travel. And while we agree that small, private flying services could fill the gap if a state plane didn't exist, we're not certain that would result in large cost savings and could put the state at the mercy of a few private carriers. Gianforte is also correct: If he were governor, he could sell the plane, valued at approximately $600,000. His idea of using the money for technology scholarships, while indeed admirable, seems like a bit of gimmickry. Six hundred thousand dollars isn't going to go far, especially if the scholarships are set up as an endowment. Gianforte has set up a false dichotomy, an either-or situation that simply doesn't exist. The state can afford to fund scholarships and maintain a plane. The question is one of priorities and rules. What should the State of Montana fund, and what are the rules that govern a governor's plane usage? It's easy for a multi-millionaire who owns his own plane to suggest selling the state's plane. It's like suggesting your neighbor sell his car while you keep yours. What's really missing from this equation is common sense. Let's figure out a way to fund technology scholarships. Let's keep a state resource we already have, but set some rules on when and how it can be used. And, quit using the plane as a perk. Amid opposition from the DMK, a bill paving the way for indirect election of chairpersons of urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu, on the lines of Mayoral elections, was today passed by the Assembly. The AIADMK-dominated House passed the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities (Amendment) Act, 2016,moved by Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani on August 29. Under the present system, chairpersons in urban local bodies like municipalities are elected directly by the people. The government had made the proposal, contending that in some cases, the chairpersons did not get the cooperation of the councillors and vice-versa, leading to "impediments in the proceedings of councils and to arrive at a consensus in passing resolutions to provide civic services to the public as both the chairmen and the councillors are elected directly". "As such, in order to have a uniform election procedure in all the urban local bodies in the state, the government has decided to elect the chairmen of municipalities and town panchayats indirectly by the councillors or the members from among themselves as the case may be," the bill said. The DMK members, who were involved in a noisy protest against Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's remarks against Leader of Opposition MK Stalin earlier in the day, paused briefly to discuss the bill with its member SR Raja debating on it. Raja argued that the present system of the people directly electing their municipal chairman should continue. Congress Legislature Party leader KR Ramaswamy, who raised apprehensions of horse-trading, also opposed the bill. Velumani insisted that such a system was already in vogue in the other states, including Gujarat, and ruled out the possibility of "foul play". While the DMK insisted on a 'division' (voting), Speaker P Dhanapal ruled it out and went for a voice vote. "Division is not required," he said, adding that the ruling party had the adequate strength to pass the bill. The Treasury benches, which outnumber the opposition comprising the DMK, the Congress and the IUML, passed the bill with a loud 'yes' in Tamil when the Speaker went for the voice vote. In June, the Assembly had passed a bill paving the way for indirect election of Mayors, replacing the system of the people electing their corporation heads. The House also passed some other bills, including the Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts (Amendment) Act, 2016, to give representation to its affiliated colleges in the Syndicate and Academic Council of the university. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Government bonds (G-Secs) continued to remain lower on heavy selling pressure from banks and corporates and the overnight call money rates also turned lower due to lack of demand from borrowing banks amidst comfortable liquidity situation in the banking system. The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2026 dropped to Rs 103.16 from Rs 103.17 previously, while its yield held stable to 7.12 per cent. The 7.61 per cent government security maturing in 2030 declined to Rs 104.4475 from Rs 104.56, while its yield inched up to 7.09 per cent from 7.08 per cent. The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2029 fell to Rs 103.58 from Rs 103.66, while its yield edged up to 7.15 per cent to 7.14 per cent. The 7.88 percent government security maturing in 2030, the 7.68 per cent government security maturing in 2025 and the 6.97 per cent government security maturing in 2026 were also quoted lower at Rs 106.21, Rs 103.21 and Rs 100.0350, respectively. The overnight call money rates finished lower at 6.20 per cent from Thursday's level 6.40 per cent. It resumed steady at 6.40 per cent and moved in a range of 6.40 per cent and 6.20 per cent. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), purchased securities worth Rs 47.40 billion in 14-bids at the 4-days repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.50 per cent as on today, while its sold securities worth Rs 82.37 billion from 36-bids at the overnight reverse repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.00 per cent as on September 01. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A French satirical weekly's cartoon depicting victims of last week's earthquake in Italy under layers of lasagna has angered some in the country. The Italian agency ANSA quoted the mayor of Amatrice, the hardest-hit town where more than 230 bodies were found after the Aug 24 quake, as calling the cartoon "tasteless and embarrassing." Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said today while he welcomes irony, it shouldn't come at the expense of the dead. He added that he is sure the cartoon doesn't reflect the true feelings of the French people. The quake in the central Apennines Mountain region claimed nearly 300 lives, injured hundreds of people and left thousands of residents homeless when several towns and hamlets were devastated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Hyderabad High Court (HC) on Friday put an interim stay on an Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) court order directing the anti-graft agency to probe allegations against the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister with regard to cash-for- vote case. Justice Raja Ilango also directed the ACB to file its counter and posted the matter after eight weeks. Naidu had on Thursday filed a petition in the HC requesting it to quash the private complaint filed against him by the YSRCP MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy in the cash-for-vote case. Ramakrishna Reddy, in his petition, alleged that Chandrababu was also a conspirator in the case and committed the offence of offering bribe to a nominated MLA of Telangana. On August 29, the ACB court had asked the ACB to probe the allegations made in the complaint against with regard to the cash-for-vote case involving Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) Telangana MLA A Revanth Reddy, and submit a report on its investigation in the case on September 29. Naidu also urged the court to quash the order passed by the ACB court. When contacted, P Sudhakar Reddy, the counsel for the YSR Congress MLA, said that the court has not stayed the overall investigation by the ACB into the case. In May 2015, nominated MLA in Telangana Assembly Elvis Stephenson had lodged a complaint alleging that he was offered Rs 5 crore by Revanth Reddy to vote for TDP nominee in the election to the Telangana Legislative Council on June1. On May 31, ACB arrested Revanth Reddy, Bishop Sebastian Harry and Rudra Udaya Simha when they were allegedly handing over an advance sum of Rs 50 lakh to Stephenson. TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah was arrested in the case later. All of them were subsequently granted bail. A charge sheet filed by the ACB on July 27 last year had mentioned TDP chief Naidu's name, but not as an accused. An audio tape of Naidu's purported conversation with Stephenson over phone on May 30, a day before the ACB arrested Revanth, found its way to the media. Competition Commission has dismissed allegations that ANI Technologies, which runs taxi and auto services under Ola brand, abused its dominant position in the national capital with predatory pricing ways. ANI Technologies operates services under brand names Ola and Taxi For Sure. It was alleged that the company was driving out existing players as the fare charged by it was 'abysmally low' and was claimed to be less than one-third of the government prescribed rates. To assess the complaint and whether there has been violation of competition norms, the regulator considered 'provision of radio taxi services in Delhi and provision of auto rickshaw services in Delhi' as the relevant market. After finding that the company is not a dominant player in the relevant market, Competition Commission of India (CCI) dismissed the allegations. Referring to earlier instances of similar complaints against taxi hailing apps Ola and Uber, the regulator said the present case does not bring out any new or additional fact which would warrant a different decision. Noting that there are various other players, CCI said the market is competitive and none of the players can be said to be dominant in the market for radio taxi services in the national capital at present. Citing the market share available on the website of Government of NCT of Delhi, the watchdog observed that ANI Technologies' share is very low with respect to market for auto-rickshaws in Delhi. "It seems implausible that with such a low market share, the opposite party (ANI Technologies) would be in a dominant position in the market for auto rickshaws in Delhi. "In the absence of the opposite party holding a dominant position in the relevant market for auto rickshaws in Delhi, the question of abuse by it does not arise," CCI said in an order dated August 31. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After Kerala expressed apprehension that making biometrics compulsory for Saudi Arabian tourists would hit the state's tourism industry, Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma today said his ministry is taking up the issue with Home Affairs and External Affairs Ministries. He also assured Kerala Tourism Minister A C Moideen, who had come here to meet Sharma, that Centre will work with state government to "address the hurdles" that come in the way of tourism. "I understand the importance of Kerala as a tourist destination of choice of people which is now increasing day by day. But there were certain issues which are pending...One of the issue was relaxation on the condition of biometric by the international guests who come over here. We are taking up this issue with the Home and External Affairs Ministries... including custom department," Sharma said. In July, Moideen had said that he had written to the Centre to exempt Saudi Arabia from compulsory biometric visas and urged the government to include it in the list of countries availing e-visas facility. He had said that around 5 lakh Saudi holidayers visit the state every year and the Centre's recent decision making biometric data compulsory for them would adversely impact the state's tourism prospects. He had said that the Centre had made biometric data compulsory at a time when the state is eyeing more tourists from Saudi Arabia. There were chances that the Saudi tourists may opt for other countries, including neighbouring Sri Lanka, in view of the complexities in applying for biometric visas, he had said. Many tourists from Saudi Arabia have reportedly cancelled their tours to Kerala, following the new biometric verification norms introduced by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh for obtaining visas. As per the new norms, a Saudi national visiting India needs to go to the embassy in Riyadh and submit himself to biometric and fingerprint scanning to get the visa. Meanwhile, Sharma said Sabarimala and Guruvayur temples in Kerala have been included under the Centre's Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme and Rs 100 crore has been sanctioned for upgrading of Sabarimala. "We have included Sabarimala and Guruvayur in PRASAD scheme... Kerala's issues need to be addressed in a big way because the state has a big tourism potential and we as ministry will join hand with state government to ensure that whatever hurdles come in the way will be addressed," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is leading Donald Trump by seven percentage points, a latest poll has said, while another survey projected her trailing the Republican candidate by a wafer-thin one point margin. A Suffolk University/USA Today poll of voters likely to cast ballots in the November presidential election, put Clinton 7 points above Trump nationwide. Clinton (48 percent) led Trump (41 percent), with nine per cent of respondents undecided in the two-way ballot test, a media release said. In a four-way scenario that includes Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein, Clinton maintained a seven-point advantage 42 percent to Trump's 35 per cent. Johnson was at 9 per cent while Stein was at 4 per cent, with 10 per cent respondents undecided. "Clinton is fuelled by strong support from the East and West Coast regions and by women across the nation," said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Centre in Boston. "But her commanding lead among minority voters gives her a solid advantage no matter how you slice it." The former secretary of state led Trump 54 per cent to 38 per cent among women, 92 per cent to four per cent among African-American voters and 65 per cent to 24 per cent among Hispanic voters. She was ahead in the Northeast by 58 per cent to 34 per cent and in the West 52 per cent to 37 per cent, the polls said. However, in the right-leaning Rasmussen polls, Clinton for the first time is seen trailing Trump, albeit by just one percentage point. Trump has 40 per cent support to Clinton's 39 per cent, Rasmussen said. According to RealClearPolitics.Com, which keeps tracks of all major national polls, Clinton is leading Trump by 4.9 percentage points in the average of all major polls. The 2016 will be held on November 8. Trump and Clinton are the two major candidates. Clinton (68) is aiming to break the highest glass ceiling in the US by becoming the first woman to be elected as its president. Seventy-year-old Trump is a real estate billionaire from New York and a realty television star who joined only about a year ago. A 17-year-old Class XII student was allegedly hacked to death on the premises of his college in Talegaon near here this morning, district police said. Two youths allegedly attacked Chetan Pinjan who had gone to the college on his motorbike. He later succumbed to injuries in a hospital. A station duty officer at Talegaon police station said they are yet to ascertain the motive behind the attack and said two attackers, who are minor, have been detained in this connection. "The incident took place at around 11.30 am on the campus of Indrayani College, when two minors, who are apparently not students of the same college, attacked Pinjan with sharp weapons and fled away," the officer said. He said Pinjan was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. "We are investigating the exact reason behind the attack. However, it seems that they had some previous enmity with the deceased," he said. A case of murder has been registered and investigation into the case is on, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fair trade regulator CCI has rejected complaints against two real estate developers -- Imperial Housing Ventures and ANS Developers. The allegations were dismissed after finding that the companies were not dominant in their respective relevant markets and that they did not violate competition norms. In the case related to Imperial Housing Ventures, Competition Commission of India (CCI) considered 'provision of services for development and sale of residential apartments/ flats in Noida and Greater Noida,' as the relevant market. Among others, it was alleged that Imperial Housing Ventures and other realty developers were luring customers with false offers by similar terms and condition in the buyer's agreements. Rejecting the complaint, the watchdog said there are other major real estate players in the relevant market and Imperial does not possess market power to act independently of competitive forces and is therefore not dominant. With regard to anti-competitive practices, CCI said "no cogent material evidences have been provided to substantiate the allegations". In a separate order, similar complaint made against ANS Developers was rejected by the watchdog. It was alleged that the company abused its dominant position by imposing unfair terms in the allocation of a plot of land to the informant for developing a hospital in Lucknow. 'Provision of services for development and sale of plots of land for providing medical facilities in Lucknow District of Uttar Pradesh,' was considered as relevant market by CCI. "The presence of a number of players in the relevant market indicates that the buyers have options to choose plots for developing hospital from other developers," it said. Both orders were issued on August 31. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the backdrop of an inquiry against Robert Vadra, Congress today targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that since he has taken office his detractors have become victims of political vendetta. "Take the case of Shankersinh Vaghela or Virbhadra Singh. The Himachal Pradesh chief minister was raided when he was marrying off his daughter. "You cannot say that vindictive attitude is not there since he has become the Prime Minister," the party's senior spokesman Ajay Maken told reporters here. The Congress leader also claimed that as many as seven IPS officers from Gujarat have been brought to CBI since Modi became the Prime Minister. Maken's response came when asked about the Prime Minister rejecting allegations of vendetta and insisted that there are no instructions from his government for conducting probe against any political party or dynasty. Modi told CNN- 18, "I have been the chief minister of a state (Gujarat) for 14 years. The history is witness to it that I have never opened any file because of political reasons. "There has been no such allegation against me. It has been over two-and-a-half years here (in government at the Centre). There is no instruction from the government to open any file," he said. He was responding to questions that the government was allegedly targeting political dynasties, an apparent reference to the Sonia Gandhi family. Without referring to any case, Modi said the law will take its own course. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON -- Don't expect a second War on Poverty, regardless of who wins the election. Picking up where Lyndon Johnson left off in the 1960s would seem a logical response to the campaign's relentless criticism of economic inequality. But appearances are deceiving. Most proposals to reduce inequality -- conspicuously from Hillary Clinton -- are aimed at the middle class. Spillovers for the very poor would be mostly incidental. These proposals include: raising Social Security payments; increasing subsidies for early childhood care; reducing -- or eliminating -- college tuition at state colleges and universities; boosting the minimum wage. For his part, Donald Trump has pledged not to trim Social Security benefits and to cut taxes across the board. That automatically favors the rich and middle class because they pay most of the taxes. There are two powerful reasons for slighting the poor. First, the poor are not where the votes are. Almost half of non-voters (46 percent) have family incomes less than $30,000 a year, according to the Pew Research Center. Many of them are beneath the official government poverty line. (In 2014, the poverty line for a family of four was $24,230. The poverty rate -- the share of Americans below the poverty line -- was 14.8 percent in 2014, up from a recent low of 11.3 percent in 2000.) The second reason is less recognized: There's no consensus in public opinion for launching a second War on Poverty. But neither is there a consensus for shrinking existing anti-poverty programs. Indeed, the only real consensus rests on a contradiction. Americans support continuing today's anti-poverty programs, even though they doubt these programs will succeed. The latest evidence of this comes from a fascinating public opinion survey by The Los Angeles Times and the American Enterprise Institute, a right-of-center think tank. They repeated a poll of attitudes toward poverty that they first conducted in 1985. What they found was astonishing continuity. The 1985 survey asked whether the poor are lazy or hardworking. The nationwide response was 50 percent hardworking, 25 percent lazy and 25 percent don't know or failed to answer. The responses to a similar question this year reflected the same pattern: 65 percent hardworking, 21 percent lazy and 13 percent don't know or failed to answer. In both years, the survey asked who has "the greatest responsibility for helping the poor." Despite the passage of time, the responses were virtually identical. Government was cited by 34 percent of respondents in 1985 and 35 percent today, followed by "the poor themselves" (21 percent and 18 percent) and churches (17 percent and 13 percent). The remainder was spread between families, charities and non-responses. But here's the contradiction: Government isn't judged up to the job. Both surveys asked whether government knew enough to eliminate poverty even if it could "spend whatever is necessary." In 1985, 70 percent said "no." In 2016, the negative response was 73 percent. What emerges is an ambiguous consensus. Government can and should help, but it can do only so much. The poor themselves -- along with their families, churches and charities -- must play the starring role. None of this constitutes a powerful mandate for a vast new anti-poverty program. We know more now than we did in the 1960s. We are no longer so optimistic and confident of success. To many Americans, eliminating poverty has become a mission impossible. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has admitted that the erstwhile Left Front government in West Bengal had made a "mistake" in the land acquisition process in Singur for the proposed Tata Motors project. "Though the government had taken over the land with the good intention of bringing in a big industry which would have provided employment and revenue to the state, the method adopted was not correct," CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy told PTI. "They (the Left government) should have convinced the peasants. Those who did not want (to give land), should have been given alternative lands and more compensation (should have been paid) and all that. Unfortunately, the government there made a mistake," he said. Reddy was responding to queries on the Supreme Court verdict which, on Wednesday, quashed the entire land acquisition process carried out by the erstwhile Left Front government in West Bengal. He said since the intention of the then West Bengal government to bring in the industry was good, there was no need now to offer an apology to the affected farmers. "We should certainly take lessons. This type of a mistake should not be committed. When a private entity is to start an industry, the government can subsidise and if necessary, it should be asked to provide more money," he said. The CPI leader said the Singur episode had created a "negative impression" of the Left Front's attitude towards farmers and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee took "full advantage" of it politically. "Instead of asking for the land to be given back to the farmers, she should have asked for better things such as land-for-land, more compensation, employment for those displaced and compensation for agricultural labourers. But instead, she went for a political fight," Reddy said. "She was successful in creating a negative impression about the Left but on the whole, Bengal lost (a big industry). I believe that even in the coming period, there will be a negative impact (on industrial investment)," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Crude oil futures rose marginally by 0.17 per cent to Rs 2,969 per barrel today as speculators raised their bets amid a firm trend overseas. In futures trading at the Multi Commodity Exchange, crude oil for delivery in far-month October was trading higher by Rs 5, or 0.17 per cent at Rs 2,969 per barrel in 323 lots. On similar lines, crude for delivery in September edged up by Rs 3, or 0.10 per cent at Rs 2,912 per barrel in a business turnover of 4,013 lots. Analysts said rise in crude oil futures was largely in tandem with a firming trend in Asia where it edged up on bargain-buying and a weaker dollar after another slump fuelled by a surge in US stockpiles and worries about an upcoming meeting to tackel a global supply glut. Meanwhile, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude prices for delivery in October was up 27 cents, or 0.63 per cent, at USD 43.43 a barrel and Brent crude for November rose 32 cents, or 0.70 per cent, to USD 45.77 a barrel. Both main contracts slumped more than three per cent Thursday after Russia suggested it may not be necessary to limit production, denting hopes for its gathering with OPEC in Algeria this month. The losses meant crude had lost a tenth of its value from its August highs, making it ripe for traders looking for bargains. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German carmaker Daimler said today it would pilot a project to allow sensor-studded, networked cars to share information about available parking spots to save drivers time. "The daily hunt for a parking space often takes up as much time again as the actual journey," the Mercedes-Benz maker said in a statement, causing "stress and annoyance". Daimler will work with Bosch -- the world's largest auto- parts maker -- on the scheme dubbed "community-based parking" in its home city of Stuttgart, capital of southwestern Baden-Wuerttemberg state. During the project, set to begin "imminently", participating cars will use built-in ultrasound sensors to scan the roadside while travelling at speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour. Information about free parking spaces will then be sent via a "secure connection" to Bosch's cloud computing service to be processed. One technical challenge will be identifying which gaps in the roadside are genuine parking spaces and which are exits from parking garages. But with enough cars travelling down the same street, spaces that are repeatedly registered as empty can be identified as likely exits, Daimler explained. The first iteration of the technology will simply provide drivers information about the probability of finding a parking space on a particular street. With a larger base of users in the future, it will be possible to display available parking spaces in real time on a dashboard map or in the carmaker's smartphone app, Daimler said. Connected cars and their associated services are becoming one of the biggest areas of research and development for manufacturers and component suppliers, fitting into the wider "Internet of Things". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Condemning violence against dalits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked politicians, including his own partymen, to shun irresponsible statements as said the community's "self-appointed champions" were giving political colour to the social problem to create tensions. He said he was committed to the welfare of dalits and other oppressed sections of the society but some people cannot digest that "Modi is pro-dalit". He condemned the incidents of violence against dalits, saying it does not suit any civilised society. "I want to tell politicians, including the leaders of my own party, that there should be no irresponsible statements against any person or community. The country's unity, social unity and equality should not be affected. We should be extra cautious," Modi told CNN- 18 in an interview. Noting that there are many dalits who are BJP MPs and MLAs in the country, he said, "Ever since I celebrated 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar...Many people felt that Modi is Ambedkar's follower. They started having problems. "Those who consider themselves as "thekedar" (self- appointed champions) of some special section and want to create tension in the society, they could not digest this that Modi is pro-dalit..." Insisting that "I am committed to the welfare of dalits, victims, oppressed, deprived, tribals and women", the Prime Minister said, "Those facing trouble because of this are creating problems and levelling baseless charges against me. Without naming anybody, Modi said, "Those who have poisoned this country in the name of casteism, they should stop giving political colour to a social problem." The Prime Minister said there should never be any violence against dalits and added that the country has full faith that "our agenda is development only". "There is no confusion among people of the country. But those who never wanted that such a government is formed, those who never wanted that previous government should go, their problems are going on. The issue of development is our agenda and it will remain our agenda. It is not a political agenda. It is my conviction. "If country wants to get rid of poverty, then there needs to be development. We need to empower poor people of the country," Modi said. Private sector DCB Bank on Friday announced the launch of a mobile based payment solution, mVisa, for easier retail payment. "mVisa, a mobile-based payment solution will make payments at retail outlets much easier. Customers can pay now through their smart phones by scanning the unique Quick Response (QR) code at the retail outlet," DCB Bank said in a release. mVisa is a card less mobile payment solution that offers customers the convenience of doing digital payments at retail outlets, it added. ****** TiE Delhi-NCR hosts India Education Entrepreneurship Day * To boost education technology solutions for students by startups and educators, TiE Delhi-NCR today hosted the India Education Entrepreneurship Day here. TiE Delhi-NCR is the Delhi chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship. "The need of the hour is to better equip our teachers with the technology savvy students, who are more aware about the world than the teacher in the classroom," Deputy Chief Minister & Education Minister, Manish Sisodia said. 54% young Indians prefer to work with startup over large firms * Young Indian population prefer working with startups over a large corporation when offered a similar job by both, according to a poll by Inshorts and research firm Ipsos. Out of the 51,629 users who responded to the question, more than 54 per cent voted startup, 36 per cent voted large corporation and a little more than 10 per cent voted can't say. To a question on whether their career prospects improved in the last two years under the current government, out of the 51,576 users who responded to the question, 45 per cent voted yes, 38 per cent voted no and 17 per cent voted they cannot comment on the topic. CAIA, ISB partner on alternative investment in education The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, the global leader in alternative investment education and the Indian School of Business (ISB) have announced an academic partnership to promote alternative investment education in India. "India is one of the fast growing countries in the world, and its alternative investment community is filled with potential," Jo Murphy, Managing Director - Asia Pacific, CAIA said. Alternative investments include private equity, hedge funds, managed-futures,real estate, commodities and derivatives contracts. "Though currently a nascent asset class in India, Alternative Investment will scale up and this partnership will help our students to understand the ideas and benefits of alternative investments like never before," Professor Rajendra Srivastava, Dean, ISB, said. The Supreme Court today sought response from the Centre on a plea of Chhattisgarh government challenging the jurisdiction of Delhi High Court to grant stay on the execution of a man held guilty for the murder of five persons, including two children, in 2004. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit also stayed the proceedings in the case pending before the Delhi High Court and posted the matter for further hearing on October 5. The state government has challenged the Delhi High Court order saying it had no jurisdiction to stay the execution as the offence had taken place in Chhattisgarh and even the apex court had upheld the death sentence of convict Sonu Sardar. It has said that just because there was a delay in deciding on his mercy petition, it cannot be a ground for the matter to fall in the jurisdiction of Delhi High Court. The state government has sought transfer of the matter from the Delhi High Court to Chhattisgarh High Court. The Delhi High Court has on March 2, 2015, stayed the execution of Sardar convicted for the murder of five persons, including two children, in Chhattisgarh in 2004. The convict's "black warrant" (death warrant) was scheduled to be signed on March 4, 2015. Sardar in his plea before the Delhi High Court had contended that there was delay of two years and two months by the President in deciding on his mercy plea. Sonu Sardar, along with his brother and accomplices, had killed five persons of a family, including a woman and two children, during a dacoity bid in Chhattisgarh's Cher village in November 2004. The trial court had slapped death penalty on him and the Chhattisgarh High Court had upheld it. The Supreme Court in February 2012 had concurred with the findings of two courts and affirmed the punishment. In February 2015, the apex court also rejected his review plea. Sardar, in his petition, has also sought commuting of his death sentence to life imprisonment on account of delay in deciding his mercy plea as well as for allegedly keeping him in "solitary confinement illegally". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Congress today questioned the AAP's stand on the Sandeep Kumar CD issue, a day after party spokesperson Ashutosh said the legislator's "consensual act" was not wrong and his sacking from the cabinet was aimed at "perception management". Congress leader Mukesh Sharma also demanded an apology from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over Ashutoh's remarks, in a blog, that leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi had "lived with their desires beyond social boundaries". "How could he appear to draw parallel of Sandeep Kumar with luminaries like Gandhi and Nehru? And if the party is now defending Kumar, then why was he removed from the minister's post? The whole episode has proved AAP's anti-women mentality," Sharma said. In his blog on NDTV, Ashutosh also said that the row over Kumar's "objectionable" video exposes the "hypocrisy of the society and hollowness of the media" and wondered why the seemingly obvious "consensual act" should create ripples in the media and politics. Attempts to contact Ashutosh did not yield any result, as he neither took the calls nor replied to the smses. His remarks are in stark contrast to Kejriwal's stand that Kumar's "wrong act" amounted to "betrayal" of AAP's core values. The CM also called the sacked minister a "rotten fish". Kejriwal has also said that a decision will soon be taken on sacking of Kumar from the party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "One hand of the government does not know what the other hand is doing," Delhi High Court today said, rapping Delhi government's panel on unauthorised religious structures for not functioning properly leading to delay in completion of various infrastructural projects. Justice Manmohan warned the committee, set up to look into unauthorised religious structures built on government lands, that he might order disbanding of the panel as it has not decided even half of the matters pending before it. "One hand of the government does not know what the other hand is doing. I am surprised what you (committee) people are doing. The feeling is that you make an unauthorised structure and then further make a religious structure so that no one will touch it," the judge remarked. Observing that there was no coordination among government agencies, the judge said, "I am candidly saying that nothing is happening in the religious committee. Its members are bureaucrats and they do not even bother to meet and when they meet, they defer the matter on one pretext or the other." The court's observation came in a matter pertaining to infrastructural projects, one of which was pending since 1976, as there were several religious structures which were to be demolished for completion of the work. "One project is stalled since 1976 because the committee has not done anything. We are sitting here and trying to complete the project through judicial orders. I am saying very politely, please set your house in order. A word should not go around that build a religious structure and nobody will touch you," the judge said. "Infrastructure project is held up due to this. Government officers do not want to do their work. I will be constrained to say that the religious committee is not doing anything and it should be disbanded," the judge said. "The religious committee of the government is not doing anything. I might express serious displeasure in my order and I might say this committee should be disbanded. You (members of the committee) are bureaucrats and you are doing nothing," the judge said, adding, "I do not understand what is going on in the committee. The court said it has been dealing with such matters since long and has noticed that the religious committee was not functioning properly. "The main problem is that there is no coordination between the government agencies. The main grievance is that nothing is being done by the committee. You are not doing 50 per cent of your work and you have not decided even half of the matters which are pending before the committee," it said. The court also said it had categorically stated about functioning of the committee in its earlier orders but despite that nothing was done. "You cannot take this matter so lightly. These are issues relating to infrastructure projects which are required for Delhi," the court observed. A senior official of Delhi government's Home department, who was present in the court, told the judge that they would deal with these issues within two weeks. The court directed the government to file a report in this regard within two weeks. Delhi Police Crime Branch has constituted a special team to probe the "objectionable" CD controversy which led to sacking of AAP minister Sandeep Kumar. A delegation of Delhi BJP leaders yesterday met Delhi police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma and lodged a complaint against the sacked AAP minister, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, accusing them of "misusing their public authority against women". After their complaint, the probe was handed over to Crime Branch and it has been learnt that a team has been formed to investigate the matter. Taj Hassan, special commissioner of police (crime) said, "A team lead by DCP (Crime) Bhishma Singh will probe into all aspects of the case. We will take action as per law." The CD will be sent for forensic tests to verify its authenticity. The team has begun probing the source of the CD and how it was circulated, said a senior police official. The team will be investigating whether the women in the CD were victims or they were a party to the episode. Kumar might also be called for questioning, police said. Kumar, social welfare minister in AAP government, was sacked by Kejriwal on August 31 after a CD purportedly showing him in a compromising position with women was made public. The decision to sack the minister was taken at a high- level meeting attended by top AAP leaders. Kumar, however, alleged he was being targeted under a "conspiracy" as he was a Dalit and demanded a probe into the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Enforcement Directorate today attached assets worth Rs 150 crore of a Chennai-based criminal, wanted in several cases of extortion and murder, in connection with a money laundering probe against him. The agency said it has attached the assets of Sridhar Dhanpal and his family members under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Dhanpal and his associates had as many as 26 police FIRs registered against them even as the CBI had issued an Interpol arrest warrant and it is suspected he is currently in Dubai, ED said. "Dhanpal has been evading the judicial proceedings in India for past three years and it is learnt that he flew from India in 2013 and is now in Dubai. "Based on the information from Tamil Nadu Police, the Enforcement Directorate initiated money laundering investigations in this regard and found that the said person had committed the offence of money laundering and using the proceeds of crime, had acquired 124 immovable properties in his name and name of his wife, daughter and brother," the agency said in a statement. It said Dhanpal also had cases of extortion, murder and attempt to murder, illegal possession of arms registered against him. An attachment order under PMLA is aimed to deprive the accused from taking benefits of his or her ill-gotten wealth and it can be challenged before the Adjudicating Authority of the said Act within 180 days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Ashland man died on Thursday after a three-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 212 near Lame Deer. Kenneth Kania, 69, was a passanger in a Ford Fusion and died at the scene, said Frank Arb, a Rosebud County deputy coroner. Kania was wearing a seatbelt, Arb said. The crash happened at 1:17 p.m. about one mile west of Lame Deer, the Montana Highway Patrol said. A Honda Civic driven by a 38-year-old Lame Deer woman was westbound when she crossed the centerline line into the path of the Ford Fusion, which was driven by a 64-year-old man from Ashland. The Ford attempted to swerve out of the way, but the right front of the vehicles collided, the patrol said. A third vehicle, a Honda motorcycle pulling a trailer and driven by a 61-year-old man from Country Club Hills, Ill., was following behind the Honda Civic and went into a ditch to avoid the crash. The drivers of both vehicles were injured and taken to St. Vincent Healthcare. Alcohol is suspected but not confirmed in the crash. The FBI is investigating. Brock Turner, the former Stanford University student whose light sentence for a campus sexual assault ignited a national furor, was released from jail today after serving three months of a six-month sentence. TV cameras caught the 21-year-old former swimmer as he left the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, and quickly drove away in a car without commenting. Turner was convicted in March of three counts of sexual assault after being caught raping an intoxicated and unconscious 22-year-old woman behind a dumpster at a fraternity house. He was released early from jail for good behaviour while incarcerated. Judge Aaron Persky set off a storm of outrage in June when he sentenced Turner to only six months in prison, followed by three years probation, setting aside prosecutors' call for a six-year prison term. Persky, who had also been a student at Stanford, now faces a recall campaign and has removed himself from hearing criminal cases. The case threw a spotlight on the problem of rape and sexual assault on US college campuses, amid criticism that handling of these cases is often lax and has given rise to a climate of impunity. Turner's victim, identified as "Emily Doe," made a powerful statement at his sentencing that drew international attention. "You don't know me, but you've been inside me, and that's why we're here today," she told her attacker in the statement read in court. "You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today." A letter to the court by Turner's father, stating that the blond, blue-eyed athlete did not deserve to be jailed for "20 minutes of action," further stoked the debate. The woman was rescued from her attacker by two international students from Sweden. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh University and his daughter have been convicted by a special CBI court here for forging educational certificates to grab the position of engineer in Delhi Pollution Control Commission. Professor Ramesh Chandra, former VC of the university in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and his daughter Seema have been convicted for criminal conspiracy in fraudulently obtaining the post of Environmental Engineer in DPCC during 1997-99, CBI spokesperson said today. The Tis Hazari court sentenced both the accused to two years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000, the official said. The case was registered on May 3, 2000 against Chandra and others in which it was alleged that the accused had abused his official position as Professor in Polymer Technology in Directorate of Training and Technical Education to get her daughter appointed to the post of Assistant Environmental Engineer in DPCC by using forged photocopy of mark sheet of Bangalore University, indicating her as having passed BE (Bachelor of Electronics Engineering) wherein she had failed in her final examination. She said after a thorough investigation, CBI filed a charge sheet which led to the conviction of both. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Export of coconut products is expected to increase in the coming years on account of better prices, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. The country, which is the world's largest producer of coconut products, had exported such items worth Rs 1,450 crore in 2015-16, while the output was worth Rs 2,044 crore, he said. The government has given thrust to export of coconut products in the foreign trade policy for 2015-20 and is giving incentives up to 5 per cent of the export value on FOB (freight on Board), he added. "The export of coconut products is likely to rise in the future because price is being extremely competitive," Singh said while addressing farmers on the World's Coconut Day in Bhubaneswar. India, which was an importer of coconut oil till last year, has turned an exporter of the commodity to Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka from this financial year. Dry coconut is also being exported to the US and Europe in large quantities for the first time, he said in a statement. "Our country will become a world leader not only in the production and productivity of coconut, but also in export and processing of coconut," Singh said after giving away national awards to 14 farmers for their outstanding initiatives taken in coconut farming. To boost coconut farming, Singh said that the central government has hiked the minimum support price of milling copra to Rs 5,950 per quintal for this year from Rs 5,550, while edible copra rate has been increased to Rs 6,240 per quintal from Rs 5,830. Highlighting the new initiatives of Coconut Board, the Minister said that the Board has set up 9,720 coconut committees, 700 coconut producer federations and 61 coconut producer companies in the country. "I hope the Board will operationalise its new initiatives to promote production, processing, marketing and export of coconut products through coconut producer companies," he said. Odisha is a major coconut grower with 32.4 crore production in 50,679 hectares. The Centre has released 26.83 crore so far in the 2016-17 fiscal to the state government under the horticulture mission. The state could not spend Rs 4.15 crore in the last year, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reaching out to North Indians ahead of the BMC polls next year, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said people from that region and other parts of the country, who reside in the state have not only imbibed Maharashtra's culture, but have also enriched it. "Whenever a north Indian asks me where his place was in the state, I reply to him with a song - 'Najar ke samne, jigar ke pass koi rahta hai wo tum'...," Fadnavis said to a round of applause. The Chief Minister, who started off his speech in Bhojpuri, said, "Maharashtra shares a very old and lasting bond with the Uttar Pradesh and this is the reason Maharashtra has always given due respect to all the North Indians, as it has given to the people belonging to rest of the country." Fadnavi was speaking at 'Baati-Chokha', a public dinner programme with traditional north Indian menu, organised by BJP at suburban Goregaon. "Uttar Pradesh is the land of Lord Ram and Krishna. Wherever Lord Ram visited in the Maharashtra during his exile, it became places of worship and we all have maintained our immense respect and faith to those places," he said. Not only this, centuries ago at the time of Shivaji Maharaj's coronation, a brahmin from Uttar Pradesh was called in and he completed all the rituals, he added. "People coming in from all the states, including UP, have not only adopted Maharashtra's culture, but also enriched it," he said. Taking potshots at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Fadnavis said, "Those who made tall promises about transforming Uttar Pradesh into 'Uttam Pradesh' have miserably failed to do so. But now it would be done only under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji." The BJP's event is being seen as an aggressive way to woo 'Uttar Bhartiyas' as they form 28 per cent vote share in Mumbai. The outreach has another objective with forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, due next year. BMC has been ruled by Shiv Sena, which plays its agenda of 'sons-of-soil' vs 'outsiders', with the BJP as a junior partner for over two decades. Baati-Chokha is a traditional north Indian dish. While 'baati' consists of wheat and sattu (powdered roasted blackgrams) formed into balls with spices, and then dipped in ghee (clarified butter) 'chokha' is a dip prepared by mashing boiled potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant together with some spices. City BJP chief Ashish Shelar, senior leader of Mumbai BJP and general secretary Amarjeet Mishra, Vice president of Mumbai BJP Sanjay Upadhyay along with other leaders were present. Mumbai BJP general secretary Amarjeet Mishra, who often organises such events for North Indians, said, "The work that chief minister of Uttar Pradesh didn't and couldn't do here in Mumbai (to connect with the North Indians), is being done by Devendraji. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finland said today it would sharply cut the number of places available to house asylum seekers by the end of next year as the influx dwindles. Pekka Nuutinen, Finland's incoming top immigration official, told public broadcaster Yle that the capacity of the centres would fall from this year's peak of 30,000 to 10,000 by the end of 2017. Funding was a key factor behind the decision together with security and the location of the centres, Nuutinen said. Some 32,500 people sought asylum in Finland in 2015 and the figure is expected to be just 10,000 this year and in 2017. This year, Iraqi accounts for the largest share, at 22 per cent, followed by Afghans (15 per cent) and Syrians (nine per cent). Like other Nordic countries, Finland, led by a centre-right government, has recently tried to discourage asylum seekers by tightening rules and reducing social benefits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least five Karbi Peoples' Liberation Tiger (KPLT) leaders, cadre and linkmen were apprehended during a joint operation conducted by security forces in Borlangso and Taralangso areas of Karbi Anglong district, a senior police official said today. Cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from their possession. The KPLT operatives--Jamson Kro alias Kronihang, Sohan Bey, Ranjit Tisso alias Archim, Ben Killing and Mohon Teron were nabbed from the hideouts in the operations conducted during the last two days by district police and Army personnel of 8 Jat and 1/5 Gorkha regiment, district Superintendent of Police Debojit Deuri told PTI. The arms recovered include one AK-56 Rifle with 15 live rounds and one magazine, one .32 pistol with one magazine and two live rounds, two live Chinese grenades and two country made guns. A case has been filed in this regard at Deithor police station, Deuri added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tropical Storm Hermine strengthened into a hurricane and steamed toward Florida's Gulf Coast, where people put up shutters, nailed plywood across store windows and braced for the first direct hit on the state from a hurricane in over a decade. The National Hurricane Centre said the storm's winds reached about 75 mph in the afternoon, just above the 74 mph hurricane threshold. Hermine was expected to blow ashore late Thursday or early today along the state's Big Bend the mostly rural and lightly populated corner where the Florida peninsula meets the Panhandle then drop back down to a tropical storm and push into Georgia, the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding. Florida Gov Rick Scott warned of the danger of strong storm surge, high winds, downed trees and power outages, and urged people to move to inland shelters if necessary and make sure they have enough food, water and medicine. "This is a life-threatening situation," Scott said. "It's going to be a lot of risk. Right now, I want everybody to be safe." Scott added that 6,000 National Guardsmen in Florida are ready to mobilise after the storm passes. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared states of emergency. As of 5 p.m. (local time), Hermine was in the Gulf of Mexico, centred about 85 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida, and was moving northeast at about 14 mph. Forecasters said it would strengthen slightly before blowing ashore but would still be only a Category 1 hurricane, meaning a wind speed of between 74 and 95 mph. Projected rainfall ranged up to 10 inches in parts of northern Florida and southern Georgia, with 4 to 10 inches possible along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas by Sunday. Lesser amounts were forecast farther up the Atlantic Coast, because the storm was expected to veer out to sea. Residents on some islands and other low-lying, flood-prone areas in Florida were urged to clear out. Flooding was expected across a wide swath of the Big Bend, which has a marshy coastline and is made up of mostly rural communities and small towns, where fishing, hunting and camping are mainstays of life. Four hardcore NDFB(S) militants have been apprehended from a remote area near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border during an operation by security forces, the police said today. The four militants were apprehended during a joint operation by the police and Army, launched on Wednesday last, at Paharpur area under Chariduar police station, DIG Northern Range M S Haque said. The militants have been identified as Thunkara Basumatary, Lengra Basumatary, Marchal Daimari and B Swr who was wanted by the NIA in connection with the killing of adivasi villagers in December 2014. Security forces recovered two grenades, one G-3 rifle, one 9 mm pistol along with live ammunition, several mobile sets and documents from the militant. The militants were produced before the magistrate at the Tezpur Court here today. Haque said operations were continuing in the Assam-Arunachal border areas with a strict vigil being maintained to momitor the movement of militants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) France and Germany today said they were doing everything possible to revive Ukraine peace talks with Kiev and Moscow, even if Russian President Vladimir Putin was reluctant. France and Germany have pushed the "Normandy format" to try to end the Ukraine crisis which has plunged ties with Moscow to Cold War lows, but Putin accuses Kiev of acting in bad faith. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that "even if we can sense some reticence on the Russian side on the Normandy format ... We are determined to make the (Minsk) peace accords work. We are doing everything on our part to restart a fruitful dialogue." German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said earlier that Berlin and Paris were "not satisfied" with how the Minsk peace accords, agreed in late 2014 and reaffirmed in early 2015, were being implemented. However, a fresh ceasefire which has held since yesterday offered "a little glimmer of hope," Steinmeier said as he arrived for talks with his European Union peers in Bratislava. The lull "will hopefully create the breathing space to talk constructively about the bigger things, where we are in dispute," he said. Fighting has picked up recently, stoking concerns that the Minsk accords could fail completely, leading to a wider conflict in the Soviet-era satellite which now sees its future with the West. Putin last month accused Kiev of plotting to invade Crimea - the Black Sea peninsula Russia annexed in March 2014 - and having no interest in a peaceful settlement. Putin is expected to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and his French counterpart Francois Hollande to discuss Ukraine on the sidelines of the G20 summit this weekend in China. The conflict has claimed some 9,600 lives since early 2014, with more than two million people displaced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BOZEMAN A Bozeman man who told police he was driving more than 100 mph before crashing his car is charged with negligent homicide in the death of a 17-year-old passenger. Jacob Teleferro Burroughs, 18, made an initial appearance Friday in Justice Court, where Justice of the Peace Rick West set his bail at $50,000. Burroughs did not enter a plea. Bozeman police say the speeding car struck a guardrail near the Interstate 90 interchange with East Main Street at about 10 p.m. Thursday. The car overturned, killing Joseph Carnefix and injuring Burroughs and a juvenile girl. Investigators determined the car was traveling just over 100 mph twice the posted speed limit. Defense attorney Nick Miller asked for bail to be set at $20,000, but prosecutors noted Burroughs was recently charged with breaking into a medical marijuana dispensary. France will dismantle the sprawling "Jungle" migrant camp in the northern port of Calais "as rapidly as possible", the interior minister said today after visiting the site. Authorities must work "methodically and with perseverance .. To definitively close the camp," Bernard Cazeneuve told security forces at the barracks of the French gendarmes at Calais. The minister said the dismantling would be "gradual and controlled" but that its closure should be achieved "as rapidly as possible". Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart had earlier said that Cazeneuve assured her that the complex would be dismantled in a single operation. France has made repeated efforts to shut down the camp of tents and temporary shelters, which authorities say is currently home to nearly 7,000 migrants following a surge of new arrivals in recent months. Charities helping the migrants in the camp say the real figure is as high as 10,000. The migrants gather in Calais hoping to smuggle themselves aboard lorries crossing the Channel to Britain either through the Channel Tunnel or on ferries. Earlier this year, authorities cleared shelters in parts of the site in a bid to persuade migrants to move into more permanent accommodation or camps elsewhere on the northern coast. Bouchart, who has often clashed with the government over the "Jungle", claims the camp could soon contain as many as 15,000 migrants if authorities took several months to dismantle it. Calais residents are due to stage a protest on Monday over the effect the presence of thousands of migrants has had on their livelihoods. "I am in Calais today fully aware of the serious difficulties you face each day," Cazeneuve said today. Crowding at the camp is causing fresh tensions. Two migrants were seriously hurt on Tuesday in what appears to have been a fight between Sudanese and Afghan residents. The Jungle's population also includes large numbers of Somalis, Kurds and Syrians. Cazeneuve has announced that 200 more armed police would be deployed to the site to prevent near-daily attempts to stow away on lorries heading for the ferry port, bringing the total number of police in Calais to 2,100. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Germany's government reiterated today that a parliamentary resolution recognising Turkey's World War I-era massacre of Armenians as "genocide" was non-binding but denied it was distancing itself from the vote to appease Ankara. Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was clear that the June vote, which infuriated Turkey, had no legally binding character but was "a political statement". But she rejected claims, made by site Spiegel Online, that by publicly reiterating this point, her government was caving in to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The federal government is not distancing itself from this resolution. I want to explicitly deny that," said Merkel, echoing earlier comments by her spokesman Steffen Seibert. Merkel also told RTL television that in talks with Turkey "we have pointed out that resolutions are not legally binding, they are political statements". A Spiegel reporter fired back at the government, tweeting that it was "doing exactly what it says in the report which (it) is denying: explicitly pointing out that the resolution is non-binding". A veteran lawmaker of the far-left Die Linke party, Gregor Gysi, also accused the government of having "de facto distanced" itself from the resolution "under pressure from Erdogan". Already tense relations between Berlin and Ankara took a nose-dive after the Armenia vote three months ago. Erdogan angrily charged that the 11 German lawmakers with Turkish roots who backed it should undergo "blood tests" to see "what kind of Turks they are". Turkey has since then denied German lawmakers the right to visit their national troops on the Incirlik NATO air base, used by Western allies to fight jihadists in Syria. There are also fears the growing discord could endanger an EU-Ankara agreement under which Turkey has moved to halt the mass flow of refugees and migrants into Europe. Merkel said that she hoped lawmakers could soon visit Incirlik, and also vowed that the EU would stick to its side of the refugee bargain, including easing visa rules for Turks, as long as Ankara fulfilled all conditions. But she warned that "time is running out" to reach an agreement in October as originally planned. German-Turkish ties have been under strain for some time, with Berlin also speaking out against Turkey's tough line against critical journalists and its Kurdish minority, and the mass arrests that followed July's failed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A college girl received serious head injuries after being pushed out of a moving train by a miscreant attempting to snatch her purse in Uttar Pradesh, police said today. The incident occurred near Abhaypura railway station on the Lucknow-Lalkuan section yesterday when the girl was going to college with her sister, they said. "She was roughed up by the miscreant who tried to snatch her purse and when he failed in his bid, he pushed her out and got down near the outer signal. The girl has received serious head injuries," a police spokesperson said. "The girl, a student of BA first year, was rushed to hospital in a serious condition and later referred to Delhi for treatment," a GRP official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Forward party has filed a complaint with ACB accusing BJP workers and state electricity department officials of being involved in a scam during distribution of LED bulbs under the 'Jyotirmay scheme'. However, state power minister has refuted the charges. There is no record maintained of the number of LED bulbs distributed as the department officials claim they are out of stock while lakhs of consumers are yet to collect their share of bulbs, Forward spokesman Durgadas Kamat said in the complaint filed yesterday. The government had earlier modified the Centre's Jyotirmay scheme by providing three bulbs free of cost to consumers. "The money for the Jyotirmay scheme, through which LED bulbs were being distributed, was spent out of the public exchequer. It is a scheme of the government and not of BJP party. "However, the same has been portrayed as if it has been a scheme of the BJP. We do not know how the bulbs were handed over to BJP workers and leaders, who in turn distributed them to consumers," Kamat said. "There is no record of how many bulbs were handed over to BJP politicians and how many of these politicians handed over double or triple quota to a single BJP worker (pack of three bulbs)," the complaint stated. "I will not be surprised to find that excessive quantities of bulbs have been ordered by the government (on paper) and payments made in full, whereas only few bulbs have been actually received thereby earning huge undue profits for the (bulb) company and sharing of the same with concerned patron politicians," it said. The Goa Forward party has urged the ACB to conduct a thorough investigation in the matter and make the electricity department officials accountable for depriving the people of their rightful benefits. "This cannot happen without the connivance of those involved in the distribution of the bulbs and officials of the electricity department. This clearly shows that bulbs have been misappropriated by BJP workers and the electricity officials. There is a clear violation of rules of business by the electricity department officials," Kamat said. However, Power Minister Milind Naik, when contacted, ruled out any scam in the distribution of LED bulbs. "This is a government-run scheme. The consumers were distributed LED bulbs to cut down on electricity consumption of the state," he said. The RSS in Goa is divided over the move by its sacked leader Subhash Velingkar and his supporters to float a parallel outfit as the Sangh's "Goa prant" and function independently of the parent body. "I am still with RSS with Nagpur headquarters. You cannot have a separate RSS prant like this. I am not with the group which has done so," Datta Bhikaji Naik, a senior RSS leader in Goa, told PTI today. Even as a large number of RSS workers and supporters, including some office bearers, have pledged support to Velingkar, who was removed as the state chief recently, a sizable number of swayamsevaks are averse to part ways with the Sangh. Naik said, in his individual capacity, he has been supporting the demands of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) which was floated by Velingkar to campaign for primacy of regional languages as medium of instruction as part of which he has taken on the BJP government in the state. "I don't know what BBSM will do in future," Naik said, referring to its announcement to float a political party ahead of the Goa Assembly polls in March 2017. Velingkar was "relieved" from his charge as Goa Vibhag Sangh Chalak by RSS after he along with BBSM leaders announced the intention to form a political outfit to fight BJP in the forthcoming polls. Another senior leader Ratnakar Lele also sought to distance himself from the move. "I am not with them," he said, adding that 80 per cent of the swayamsevaks would not go with the new prant. Lele said the decision to have a separate prant by Velingkar-led group was unfortunate. Velingkar was sacked as the chief of RSS in Goa after he crossed swords with the BJP government over the medium of instruction issue with members of his outfit even showing black flags to party chief Amit Shah recently. Velingkar, who claimed that hundreds of RSS workers and supporters have rallied behind him, yesterday asserted that the Sangh unit in the coastal state will function independently of the parent body, at least till the Assembly polls. He said RSS in Goa will detach itself from the main unit (parent body headquartered in Nagpur) till the state Assembly elections and after that they will request to get associated with the Sangh. However, RSS had debunked Velingkar's claims that the local unit will function independently, saying none of its units can dissociate from the outfit and new office bearers for the state will be announced soon. Velingkar, the convener of BBSM which is fighting for withdrawal of grants to English medium schools and for the cause of promoting regional languages as Medium of Instruction (MOI), has been at loggerheads with the saffron party as well as Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar. (REOPENS BOM7) Meanwhile, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar declined to comment on Velingkar's charge that Union ministers Manohar Parrikar and Nitin Gadkari were behind the action against him. "You can ask Parrikar and Gadkari about it. They are in Delhi. How can Laxmikant Parsekar who is in Goa comment on it? How can I comment on their behalf?" Parsekar asked during a press meet here when questioned about Velingkar's statement. "Since last two days, I have been repeatedly saying, I would not like to comment on it (RSS action). It is their internal matter," he said. On his views as a RSS swayamsevak about the formation of new Goa prant by Velingkar and his supporters, Parsekar said, "There cannot be a new prant in Goa." "In RSS, everything is decided by the central leadership," the chief minister added. In the wake of 'tussle' over repatriation order of Delhi Assembly Secretary Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara by Lt Governor, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel has directed all officer of his Secretariat to "ignore" orders issued by anyone other than him relating to Suryadevara. Earlier this week, Services Department of Delhi Government had issued an order to repatriate the Assembly Secretary to his parent organization - Prasar Bharti - on the directives of Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. However, Goel in his letter to LG refused to relieve the officer, saying that he has directed Suryadevara to continue to discharge his duties as Assembly Secretary as his decision was solely aimed at "upholding the Constitution". In an order issued by Goel's Secretary, Speaker's office said, "Speaker held that the order dated August 29 issued by the Services Department of GNCT of Delhi is invalid as it amounts to encroaching into powers of the legislature for which he (Goel) is the sole custodian and such as the order need not to be taken cognisance of." "All the officers and staff of this Secretariat of the Legislative Assembly are hereby directed by Speaker to ignore orders issued/to be issued by anyone other than Speaker regarding the position of Secretary as Speaker is of the considered view that it is Constitutionally his sole prerogative." After LG repatriated order of Suryadevara, Goel had said, ""As he is holding Constitutional post, LG cannot repatriate the Assembly Secretary without his concurrence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Use of polythene bags in Gopalpur-on Sea, a tourist resort town in Odisha's Ganjam district, has been banned. While the district administration had directed the notified area council (NAC) to enforce the restriction on the environmentally-hazardous material, the civic body recently made a resolution to this effect to ban polythene which came into force yesterday, officials said. Gopalpur will be taken as a pilot project in the district to ban the use of polythene bags. "We will take similar steps in other towns and tourist places of the district depending on the the success of Gopalpur," said Ganjam district Collector, P C Chaudhary. Earlier, the district administration had imposed ban on use of polythene in Tara Tarini Temple, a famous Shakti shrine and a tourist spot, while Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) banned the use of water pouches in 2009. But in the absence of strict enforcement, the ban has little effect as the use of the water pouches is rampant in the city. Higher education minister Pradeep Panigrahi, who represents Gopalpur assembly constituency in the assembly, hailed the decision of the district administration. The civic authorities in Gopalpur used loud speakers to educate people about the decision. "Besides, we will soon distribute leaflets in the city while hotels and tea-stall owners are told not to use polythene," said KK Sahu, executive officer, Gopalpur NAC. He said the civic body will create awareness about the decision to ban use of polythene below 50-micron thickness for a fortnight till September 15. "We will impose fine after September 15," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government is reaching out to private players for financing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project of Swachh Bharat Mission, a top government official today said. State-run firms or PSUs are looking to contribute to the Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) from their CSR funds, Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer said. "We have been in touch with private firms, many have shown interest to donate to the Swachh Bharat Kosh," he said. Established in November 2014 under the Finance Ministry, SBK seeks to attract CSR funds and contributions from individuals and philanthropists in response to Modi's I-Day speech that year in which he had given a call for achieving the goal of Clean India by 2019. Total fund mobilised under the SBK as on January 31 stood at Rs 369.74 crore. Iyer also enumerated contributions made by ministries of mines, corporate affairs and public enterprises towards the Swachh Bharat Pakhwada held earlier. In last year's budget, the government had proposed a 2 per cent Swachh Bharat cess on Service Tax and allowed 100 per cent deduction on investment in SBK. Meanwhile, the government is also exploring the option where entities can adopt villages and maker them open defecation free. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The strategic Chitkul-Dumti road in tribal Kinnaur district along China border, which has 20 posts of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), would be upgraded, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today. The ITBP have their front posts at Dumti towards the China border and the road to be upgraded at a cost of Rs 44.24 crore would be greatly helpfulto the armed forces, especially the army and ITBP, he said. Performing the Bhumi Pujan for upgradation work of the road, he said 20 km of the road, passing through Rani-Kanda, is complete. Addressing a public meeting at Chitkul, Singh said the state shares 220 km of border with China and around 140 km of that length was along Kinnaur district, while 80 km of border falls in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district. Expressing concern over the delay of work on Rakchham- Chitkul road, the Chief Minister called for re-tendering of the work. He said the work on Dumti road be given to such a contractor who could finish it in time, adding that others who delay work for years, should be blacklisted. He said the government was more concerned about strengthening border roads so that the armed forces could have access to better communication facilities at the times of exigency. Similarly, the work on 20 km road from Thangi to Kunnu-Charang was also in progress and so far 14 km of it have been completed, while the remaining would be done by December-end, he said, adding that Rs 28 crore have been spent on it. Singh said the border road from Kota to Dogri was being constructed at a cost ofRs 12.50 crore and it would benefit the army and ITBP. He said another road has already been constructed till Shipki-La bordering China and the state government has again taken up laying of Bilaspur-Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Leh rail line as the road was of great strategic importance from the defence point of view. The Chief Minister also directed Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) officers to replace the old wooden poles and transmission lines to solve low voltage problem and give uninterrupted power to consumers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Services at several hospitals in the national capital were severely affected as government nurses went on a country-wide indefinite strike today, at a time when Delhi and many other cities are grappling with rising cases of dengue and chikungunya. The massive protest has been called by the All India Government Nurses Federation and the Delhi Nurses Federation seeking redressal of issues related to pay and allowances. About 20,000 nurses from government hospitals in Delhi, including those run by the Centre, the city government or civic bodies have joined the agitation, severely affecting the functioning of hospitals and delivery of services. Meanwhile, the Delhi government today invoked the stringent ESMA declaring as illegal the nurses' stir. "The LG has approved the government's proposal to invoke ESMA against the agitating nurses," a top official said. The Essential Services Maintenance Act allows the government to declare a strike illegal in public interest. The strike has hit patients the hardest, as most of the routine operations were cancelled, OPD timings were curtailed and emergency services were also affected. "No routine surgeries have taken place and elective surgeries have been postponed at our hospital. We are managing with interns and contractual nurses as not a single regular nurse is on work. We have been badly affected," said Dr Vikram Bhaskar of Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital. The child hospital which runs under the central government's Lady Hardinge Medical College gets about 1,000 OPD patients and one could see visible fall in the services for shortage of staff, he said. Situation was similar at RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital and Delhi government hospitals like Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital with many surgeries being rescheduled and OPD timings affected. Municipal hospitals like Hindu Rao and Kasturba Hospital too bore the brunt of the strike. The nation-wide agitation has come at a time when Delhi and several other cities across the country are battling rising cases of dengue and chikungunya. At least 487 cases of dengue have so far been reported in the national capital this season, with 368 of them being recorded last month. Eight deaths due to it have also been reported. At least 432 people have been diagnosed with chikungunya in Delhi so far. "As we had announced, we are attending to emergency and critical cases only. But from Sunday, that too will stop if our demands are not met. Besides Delhi, nurses in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Puducherry and south India, among other places joined the protest," All India Government Nurses Federation spokesperson Liladhar Ramchandani told PTI. About 60 nurses for RML Hospital were detained this morning for obstructing work, police said. Till July 28, 9,990 suspected chikungunya cases have been recorded in the country, with Karnataka reporting 7,591 cases. Also, over 15,000 cases of dengue have been reported across the country this year. Several major hospitals in Delhi, swamped by patients suffering from vector-borne diseases, had till late yesterday tried to reach a common ground with their respective nurses associations, but in vain. Authorities at AIIMS said barring a couple of nurses, all regular nursing employees are working. Ramchandani, who is also the General Secretary of Delhi Nurses Federation, however claimed, "AIIMS is to have its union election soon, after which its members would also join our strike. Railway hospital nurses too have shown solidarity." Delhi government runs nearly 40 hospitals out of which LNJP Hospital is the biggest. Other major hospitals under it include GTB Hospital, DDU Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital and Chacha Nehru Child Hospital. The nurses federation claimed that services were affected at all these hospitals. Among the centrally-run hospitals, Safdarjung Hospital which employs 1,100 nurses, including 160 on contract, too suffered on account of the stir. Many of its doctors, and technicians are already down with mosquito-borne fever and the strike has further hit its services. The hospital has reported three dengue deaths in July, and 263 dengue cases and nearly 250 chikungunya case till August 29. "We tried to convince them (nurses) but they are adamant about their demands. The ministry has assured them but they are not yielding. So many people are suffering from dengue and chikungunya this season, and we also had asked them to defer the strike but in vain," Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital's Medical Superintendent Dr A K Gadpayle said. RML Hospital employs about 840 nurses of whom 236 are on contract. We have 300 resident doctors, so we are trying to manage, he said, adding, "we are getting 15-30 dengue cases and 30 to 35 chikungunya cases daily." Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, Dr A K Rai said, "Their demands about hike in pay scale are not genuine. Also, when people are dying of dengue, and chikungunya cases are going through the roof, you go on strike." "We nurses have deferred the strike twice and recently for a month after proposing it on August 2. But, if the ministry of health betrays us, we have no other option," Ramchandani said, adding, "If needed, we will also court arrest in large number, or take to streets." It is understood that both the federation as well as the Centre are seeking to talk over the issue. BISMARCK North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers working near the Dakota Access Pipeline protests are not wearing name tags, due to concerns about officers being threatened online. "Early on when the protests were starting, there were numerous incidents of social media posts identifying officers by their name and posting of specific threats towards those officers on social media," Lt. Tom Iverson said. Iverson said officers also were advised to monitor their social media accounts to make sure they were not providing identifying information for "someone that would want to do harm to you or your family." Troopers were notified by email on Aug. 13 and the change took place the following Monday, he said. They are still wearing badges with their numbers, which would allow anyone to report an officer who acted badly. The Madras High Court has ordered Tamil Nadu government to pay a compensation of Rs 28.37 lakh to the next of kin of a woman who died in 2012 after being in coma for 411 days due to administration of nitrous oxide instead of oxygen at a state-run hospital. The state is "vicariously liable to compensate the petitioner-- who is the victim's huband -- and his two children, aged 19 and 18, since she died after enduring immense pain for months together due to sheer carelessness and negligence of doctors" and other staff, Justice K K Sasidaran said in his order yesterday. The judge was pronouncing the judgment on a plea filed in 2013 by the victim's husband seeking compensation from the state after her death at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kanyakumari. Giving liberty to the state government to recover the compensation amount from the doctors and hospital staff concerned, the judge said the victim had undergone immense pain and suffering for months together before her death on May 4, 2012. Allowing the plea, the judge said "The state has undertaken the solemn duty of providing health care to its citizens. It is a welfare activity undertaken by government taking inspiration from the right guaranteed to the citizens under Article 21 of the Constitution. The patients are subjecting themselves to the doctors believing that they would do everything to save their lives." "The doctors have taken oath to render medical assistance to the best of their ability. The society expects them to act with utmost responsibility and commitment and in a highly professional manner while treating patients," the judge said. Pointing out that the woman, a tailor, was 34 years old at the time of her death and earning not less than Rs.12,000 a month, the judge quantified her loss of income to be Rs.21.21 lakh by applying the multiplier method used to quantify loss in motor accident cases. He added another Rs four lakh towards non-pecuniary damages since the family was denied of her care, attention and companionship. The judge also ordered reimbursement of the medical expenses incurred on her treatment and loss of personal income of the petitioner since he had to take care of his wife during the course of treatment along with interest at the rate of nine per cent from 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to file its response to a plea by Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) alleging that certain agreements were not considered by the government while granting flying licence to . A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog also asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Foreign Investment Promotion Board to file their replies to the FIA's application. FIA in its plea has said that while applying for the licence had allegedly not disclosed its brand equity agreement according to which the effective control of the airline would remain with the foreign party. For grant of flying licence the rules stipulated that effective control should be with the Indian player, FIA has said in his plea. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday urged the court to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against those officials who had allegedly not disclosed some documents and made false statements on affidavit. However, as his plea has not been listed yet, the court said it will call for his application before the next date of hearing on November 11. Earlier, Swamy had moved court for immediate suspension of flying licence granted to airline AirAsia India. FIA's application was filed in the main petitions filed by it and Swamy challenging grant of flying licence to AirAsia India, which has denied all the allegations against it. Malaysia's largest budget carrier, AirAsia, had set up the joint venture with the Tata Group and Telestra Tradeplace to launch the regional airline in India. In his PIL, Swamy has challenged the clearance granted to the airline on the ground that according to the policy, foreign investment is only permitted for an existing airline but AirAsia India was not an existing carrier. The Madras High Court today decided to subject to judicial strutiny the appointment order of Kalyani Mathivanan as the Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights. A Narayanan, Director of Change India, an NGO, challenged the appointment, contending that the mandatory pre-appointment rules had not been followed in her case. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan in it order said, "The appointment prima facie appears to be in breach of the affidavit furnished to this court. "The records be, thus, produced in respect of the recruitment process for us to scrutinise. We will examine as to whether suo motu quo warranto petition should be issued questioning the appointment in breach of the sworn affidavit of the state government," it said. Kalyani was appointed Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University on April 9, 2012, but it was set aside by Madurai Bench of the high court on June 26, 2014 on the ground that she had served only as an associate professor and not as a professor as required under UGC regulations. However, the Supreme Court upheld her appointment on March 11, 2015. Her academic tenure, however, was marked by allegations of inappropriate appointments, instigated assaults on her critics and general campus unrest. Kalyani's present appointment pertains to an earlier PIL by Narayanan seeking mandatory registration of child care homes and to close down illegal homes not maintaining minimum facilities. During the hearing, the court said the chairperson's post was lying vacant for several months, prompting the government to commit that it would fill the vacancy expeditiously. The court was informed that a government order had been issued appointing Kalyani as Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Narayanan contended that the government had onJune 20 told the court that it would follow procedures prescribed as per sections 17(2)(a) and 18 of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, and it would invite applications for the post. He said that Kalyani's appointment had been made in complete breach of the affidavit filed before the high court, as no applications were invited for the post. The Advocate General also submitted that no advertisement was issued. "In our view, there can be no doubt that a transparent process has to be followed," the judges said, adding they would initiate quo warranto proceedings on their own if the allegations are proved and adjourned the case toSeptember 23for further hearing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Democrat raised an impressive $143 million for her presidential bid and the Democratic Party in August, the best fundraising month for her campaign so far, her team has announced. Of the total amount raised last month, $62 million was received for Clinton's White House run. About $81 million was raised for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and state parties through the Hillary Victory Fund and the Hillary Action Fund. Consequently, her campaign team 'Hillary for America' (HFA), along with the DNC and state parties, began September with a combined $152 million in the bank, a media release said. More than 2.3 million people have donated to her campaign and the average donation made to HFA in August was about $50, the campaign said in a statement. "Thanks to the 2.3 million people who have contributed to our campaign, we are heading into the final two months of the race with the resources we need to organise and mobilise millions of voters across the country," said Hillary for America campaign manager Robby Mook. The rival Trump campaign has not issued its latest monthly fundraising figures. Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Rajasthan Assembly today as Opposition members stormed the well of the House demanding a CBI probe into the death of cows at the state-run Hingonia shelter, prompting Speaker Kailash Meghwal to order their eviction. As soon as the House assembled at 11 AM,Congress members raised the issue, demanding a debate and a CBI probe into the death of cows due to alleged negligence of the caretakers. The protesting MLAs carried placards and shouted slogans against the government. Deputy leader of Opposition Ramesh Meena and Independent MLA Hanuman Beniwal rushed towards the the Speaker's dais. An annoyed Meghwal called the protesting MLAs "goons" and directed the marshals to evict them from the House. The MLAs also shoved and pushed the marshals as they dragged them out of the House. After they were evicted, the Speaker adjourned the House for an hour. When the House reassembled, Leader of Opposition Rameshwar Dudi alleged that the Speaker is "acting at the behest of the Governor". Subsequently, the Opposition members started protesting in the well of the House. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore said the Opposition members should follow the rules for raising their issues. Deputy chief whip of the government in the Assembly Madan Rathore said in 2000, over 5,000 cows died under the Congress rule. "They just want to be in . That is why they are behaving like this," he said. When the protesting members did not return to their seats, the Speaker adjourned the House for an hour again. Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot was present in the House while Chief Minister Vasundara Raje gave a miss to it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Citing the death of a traffic constable after being assaulted by an erring bike rider, the Bombay High Court today asked the Maharashtra government and BMC to hire private security guards to protect the doctors at public hospitals, if needed. "It is very sad that a traffic policeman on duty is assaulted by law breakers and he dies...Whether the victim is a policeman or a doctor, he or she is in public service round the clock, and hence security must be provided to them," said a bench headed by Justice V M Kanade. HC is hearing a PIL filed by Afak Mandaviya saying doctors in government hospitals often become target of the wrath of disgruntled patients or their relatives. Constable Vilas Shinde (50) succumbed to injuries at a city hospital yesterday after he was hit on head with a wooden plank last week by a juvenile bike rider when asked for vehicle documents. Doctors too are in public service and are vulnerable to attacks from patients or their relatives, said the bench. The court gave three weeks to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the state government to frame a comprehensive action plan to provide adequate security to doctors at the public hospitals. Last month, the government had said that it was going to deploy from September, 56 security personnels (police and home guards) at the government-run hospitals in the city. But the court today remarked that the present security in hospitals is not enough, and private security guards should be hired, if needed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman has paid a musical tribute to his mother-in-law, Fay Duncan at her funeral in Melbourne. The 47-year-old actor performed on his 1998 track "Quiet Please There's A Lady On Stage" for Duncan in front of the mourning congregation, reported FemaleFirst. Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee were joined by celebrity friends, including actor Eric Bana and Tottie Goldsmith, and family members. Duncan passed away at the age of 81 following her battle with a long-lasting illness, on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rob Kardashian says he did not attend his sister Kim's wedding with Kanye West because he was not comfortable with his weight at that time. The 29-year-old reality TV personality revealed his insecurities which drove his decision not to attend the 2014 ceremony, reported People magazine. "I was doing my suit fittings in Paris right before the wedding and I just wasn't comfortable. I'm 6 feet and 1 inches and at my most I probably weighed 300 lbs (136 kgs). "I'm upset I missed my sister's wedding, but it was a personal decision," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre would soon bring in a national policy on rubber, as imports of the product have become an "irritant" to the domestic market, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here today. "Though the policy (on rubber) is ready, it has been getting delayed. We will announce it soon," Sitharaman said during the Regional Editors' Conference here. She further said several rubber manufacturers look for imported rubber as it is "cheaper" than the ones produced domestically. "We have taken steps to control imported rubber, which has become a huge irritant," she said, adding that import of rubber becomes a critical component as domestic production "falls short" of demand. Pointing out that the government has taken up various steps for cultivation of rubber, Sitharaman said, "we are funding non-traditional areas to grow rubber." "Tripura has done very well. Even some parts of Odisha, north Andhra Pradesh are also interested to do. We need more rubber to be cultivated in this country," she pointed out. Earlier, on the production of spices in India, she said, the Centre has set a target of USD 3,000 million through exports of spices, by 2017. "Production of spices in the country comes to around 60 lakh tonnes, of which 14 per cent are exported to more than 150 destinations around the world. We have aimed to achieve export of spices, to USD 3,000 million, by 2017," she said. Sitharaman noted that the Spices Board had set up crop specific parks in states like Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh to boost cultivation of those crops that grow in specific location. In order to promote spices that are state specific, she said, "Chilli has a big presence in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. So, we have to make sure we have a Centre in Karnataka for chilli production." "Similarly, we will have a centre in Madhya Pradesh that will take care of coriander seeds ," she added. On Coffee production, Sitharaman said, "Karnataka ranks top in production of coffee at 54.2 per cent followed by Kerala at 19 per cent and Tamil Nadu at eight per cent." "These are traditional coffee growing areas. I am glad to say that newer areas are coming up in Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand. We are looking at expanding coffee markets too," she said. To a query on tea production, she said, the central government was looking at converting many tea growing areas in Assam and Sikkim into organic tea growing areas. "Why organic tea?.. Because, it sells good in overseas market, where growers can brand it and bring it in local flavours," she added. Responding to a question on poor quality arecanut being imported from Nepal and Sri Lanka, she said, she would look into the matter. Ethiopia] Fintech launches technology to address ATM transaction errors As Ethiopian banks look to minimize errors associated with automatic teller machine transactions, Fintech, a Pan African information technology solutions and service provider has launched a technology that will come in handy for the banking sector. According to the head of sales at the Kenya-based firm Polycup Osero, the service will save Ethiopian banks time and resources in resolving ATM errors, and boost customer satisfaction. "Currently a bank in Ethiopia uses 30-50 people to reconcile ATM-related error reports. But with the Fintech solution, not more than 10 people will be needed to trace and resolve the error," said Mr Osero. The bank is already providing a cheque truncation system to eight banks in Ethiopia, namely Awash, Dashen, Zemen, United, Anbessa, Abay, Enat and Debub Global banks. The system allows banks to capture the image of the cheque and send it to the central bank for verification. Many developed countries use such systems to avoid cheque-related fraud and the circulation of fake cheques. In Africa, countries like Kenya have been using the system for the past five years while others like Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana and Ethiopia have been implementing it in recent years. Currently, there are a total of 16 banks in Ethiopia including Commercial Bsank of Ethiopia, the biggest state bank, with around 50 per cent market share. However, reports show that despite the growth of e-banking worldwide, Ethiopian banks continue to conduct most of their banking transactions using traditional methods. The lack of a legal and regulatory framework for e-banking services has discouraged banks from introducing these innovative payment instruments. Those that have introduced such services have put themselves at legal risk, according to a January 2016 paper titled, Challenges and Prospects of e-Banking in Ethiopia, presented to Addis Ababa University College of Business and Economics. www.fintech-group.com Life is about the journey, not just the destination especially when youre traveling through Montana. As much as there is to see and do at Glacier National Park, the area surrounding it also has some pretty amazing attractions. The next time you visit Montanas crown jewel, consider extending your trip long enough to explore a couple of these spots. The Museum of the Plains Indian and Blackfeet Heritage Center in Browning These two buildings are right next to each other, so you can see them both on your way to Glacier. The Museum of the Plain Indian has a permanent exhibit showcasing the rich diversity of several of the Plains tribes, while the Blackfeet Heritage Center features work from hundreds of Native American artists. Browning is only about 29 miles from the park, so you can enjoy a history lesson in the morning and be at Lake McDonald by l! ate afternoon. The Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse Located just nine miles from the west entrance of Glacier National Park, The Huckleberry Patch is a mecca for anyone who enjoys our unofficial state fruit. Not only will you be able to buy all the jams, candy, pancake mix and other huckleberry treats youll ever need, but you can have some freshly baked pie or an ice cream cone while youre there. The Hungry Horse Reservoir As spacious as it is, Glacier can get crowded. Get away from it all at the Hungry Horse Reservoir, which is a short drive from Hungry Horse and offers fishing, swimming, hiking and camping. The Polebridge Mercantile Just a few miles from the border of the park lies the town of Polebridge, where the Polebridge Mercantile set up shop in 1914. Its still a local favorite, and the tourists love to stop by and pick up pre-park necessities and treats from the bakery. The Crown of the Continent Discovery Center Stretch your legs, have a coffee or a cocktail, buy some Montana-made memorabilia and get information on Glacier activities at the discovery center, which is located less than two miles from the west entrance to the park. Seeking deeper economic ties and maritime security among countries in the Indian Ocean region, India on Friday said it is committed to building up Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in line with its own expanding bilateral ties with the members of the grouping. "We will be supportive in the expansion and further invigoration of its activities, from renewable energy and the blue economy to maritime safety and security, water science and greater institutional and think-tank networking," Foreign Secretary said in a keynote address to the inaugural Indian Ocean Conference. "Given the history and traditions of the Indian Ocean, it is but appropriate that any serious effort at promoting its coherence would address issues of its unity and identity," he said. "We must take full advantage of the ties of kinship and family that span the Indian Ocean and are an important part of its history," he said. But more active initiatives are also needed, said the Foreign Secretary, drawing attention to Project Mausam, which promotes archaeological and historical research on cultural, commercial and religious interactions. "If this is an example of a contemporary initiative to revive the ocean's identity, let me emphasise that there are many other supporting endeavours that contribute to the same objective," he said. He also called for direction to create the connectivity that promotes a sharper Indian Ocean personality to emerge. Jaishankar illustrated on India's commitment to the region. "We are similarly looking at more aggressively developing some of our 1200 islands. Road and rail development projects are improving internal logistical efficiency. Of particular significance is the steady unfolding of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. "We expect this to be followed by an eastern corridor and a southern one covering Bengaluru to Chennai. If you juxtapose these infrastructure initiatives with the 'Make in India' programme, the implications for the Indian Ocean are quite evident," he told some over 300 delegates from 21 member states at the conference. "None probably would be opposed but few actually have the necessary enthusiasm or appetite," he said. At a diplomatic level, promoting greater interaction among the groupings formed by littoral states would itself make an important contribution to the Indian Ocean, he said. But more important, it is necessary to bridge physically the boundaries between them, he said. "A good example is the India-Myanmar border where the SAARC meets ASEAN. While land connectivity is obviously critical, we must also recognise that the under-development of maritime infrastructure is itself largely responsible for the profile of the Indian Ocean," he said. India and Egypt on Friday decided to significantly step up their defence and security cooperation to effectively deal with twin challenges of terrorism and radicalisation as Prime Minister and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks covering the entire expanse of ties. With both India and Egypt engaged in fighting terrorism, the two leaders identified the menace as one of the "gravest threats" and decided to have greater information and operational exchanges to combat it, besides ramping up defence cooperation. "We are of one view that growing radicalisation, violence and spread of terror are a real threat across regions," Modi said after talks with the President of the strategically located country which is a crucial link between northeast Africa and the Middle East. The two countries also decided to expand trade and commercial ties holding that there are huge opportunities to exploit untapped economic opportunities in the two countries. An MoU on maritime shipping was also signed. The Prime Minister said the two countries agreed on an "action oriented agenda" to drive the engagements in a range of sectors apart from deciding to expand defence trade, training and capacity building. Sisi, who arrived here yesterday on a three-day visit, said his government will work towards a robust security cooperation with India besides laying out a roadmap for intensification of bilateral trade and investment cooperation. "The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They considered terrorism to be one of the gravest threats to international peace and security. They reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism at all levels. "They also reaffirmed their resolve to work together at UN on concluding the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT)," a joint statement issued after the talks said. The Prime Minister, in his statement to media said, 1.25 billion people of India are happy that the Egyptian President is here and that both of them have agreed to build on multiple pillars of cooperation between the two sides. Calling the talks very productive, Sisi said a large number of issues ranging from tackling terror, expanding trade ties to dealing with challenge of climate change were deliberated upon, adding that there was "major conversion" of views on them. The two leaders welcomed the recent exchanges on security cooperation and counter-terrorism at the level of Security Advisers and the conclusion of a MoU for cooperation between the two Security Councils. In his comments, Modi hailed Sisi as a "man of many achievements" and said Egypt, a natural bridge connecting Asia with Africa, has always "championed" causes of developing countries. Referring to defence ties, the two leaders expressed their satisfaction that defence cooperation is taking place through regular exchanges and welcomed deepening and expansion of defence relations through high level visits, training, exercises, transit facilities, and hardware cooperation. In the meeting, Sisi appreciated Modi's gesture of supplying 20,000 MT of rice to Egypt at "friendship price" last month. The two leaders agreed to maintain the spirit of friendship and extend cooperation in other food items as well. On climate change, the two leaders highlighted the importance of a global approach based on the principles and provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement. Referring to trade, the joint statement said the two leaders welcomed the expansion of Indian investment in Egypt, which is currently about USD 3 billion, and agreed to encourage companies and corporations from their respective countries. "Modi welcomed Egyptian investments in India under the 'Make in India' initiative, in the manufacturing and services sectors. President Al-Sisi invited Indian participation in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, particularly in sectors such as petro-chemicals, energy and agriculture," it said. Sisi and Modi "affirmed" the need for a comprehensive and permanent solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the UN resolutions, in implementation of the two-state principle on the establishment of an "independent and sovereign" Palestine State with East Jerusalem as its capital. "They also sought a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian refugees' cause in accordance with resolution 194 of the UN General Assembly and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a way that preserves security, stability and peace of all the countries in the region. "Both the leaders urged the two parties to start negotiations," the statement said, adding they also emphasized the need for cessation of hostilities in Syria and expressed concern over humanitarian crisis in the country. They called for a comprehensive and peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict through a Syrian-led political process and expressed strong support for the people and the Government of Iraq in their efforts to overcome the existing crisis to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity. Given the current global scenario, India is the most secure destination for overseas investors to pour in funds, Union Minister Anant Geete said today. He recalled that overseas investors signed agreements worth a whopping Rs 3 lakh crore with the Government and domestic private firms during the Make in India Week in February, in Mumbai. "A few months ago the Make in India and Make in Maharashtra week were celebrated. During that period foreign investors signed MoUs worth Rs 3 lakh crore with the Government as well as the private sector," the Heavy Industries Minister said at a conference here. The Minister observed that given the current global scenario, India is the most secure destination for overseas investors to pour in funds. Addressing the 4th Fraunhofer Innovation and Technology Platform here, the Minister invited the German organisation to establish its 68th institute in India, promising to allot land for the same in whichever state it desires. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the largest organisation for applied research in Europe. At present, it maintains 67 institutes and research units in Germany. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over a hundred expatriate Indians gathered at a luxury hotel here to get a glimpse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrived in Vietnam on his first visit to the communist nation. Chants of Modi, Modi reverberated in the lobby as the Prime Minister walked into the hotel late this evening after arriving in the Vietnamese capital. Drummers welcomed the Prime Minister, who arrived here on a two-day trip, as the walkway was lined up with Vietnamese girls wearing traditional attire with flowers. Modi, dressed in a pale orange kurta and churidar, went around meeting and greeting the people gathered there as some hurriedly bent to touch his feet. The Prime Minister has a hectic schedule tomorrow which includes meetings with the top leadership here and paying homage at the Ho Chi Minh's mausauleum. Modi will leave for China to attend the G20 summit later in the evening tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 62-year-old Indian-origin man wanted in India on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering his friend and business partner in Punjab last year has been tracked to his home in Britain. Baldev Singh Deol, who was seen at his home in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region of England, cannot be arrested because extradition papers are yet to be processed by the Indian authorities, UK police said yesterday. Deol is wanted by Punjab Police in connection with the murder of 54-year-old Ranjit Singh Power, an Indian-origin hotelier from Wolverhampton who went missing on a visit to India in May 2015. While his body is yet to be recovered, his disappearance is being treated as murder. "This is an Indian police investigation. As yet, West Midlands police haven't received any formal request for extradition proceedings from the Indian authorities. We remain ready to assist with any inquiries should a request be made," a West Midlands spokesperson said. Indian taxi driver Sukhdev Singh remains in custody after police said he had confessed to the killing but police in India want to arrest Deol to question him on his role in allegedly instigating the killing. "Of course, I'm in the UK. Don't worry about it darling, I'm here," Deol told The Times newspaper over phone. He has an Interpol arrest warrant against him on charges of "kidnapping, murder and disappearance of evidence of offence committed" but an extradition notice submitted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India is reportedly yet to be processed. Indian police believe Power's murder may have been rooted in his business dealings in India and the UK. Last October, Power's daughter said a body returned to the UK by Punjab police was not her father's. The corpse, found in an Indian river, was initially thought to be that of Power but DNA and dental analysis ruled out a match at an inquest in the UK in February this year. The UK Foreign Office said it is providing support to the Power family. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today claimed increase in investments in the state before the Assembly elections indicates that Samajwadi party was all set to form the government in the state. "Traders are the first to know which party is coming to power...Vidhan Sabha elections are just a few months ago, but investments are coming to the state in a big way and this shows their (traders') confidence that SP government is coming back to power," he said while addressing a programme to felicitate the officials involved in ambitious "Agra-Lucknow expressway project. "No government has returned to power in the state in the past over three decades but this time the situation is different...The situation here is like that of 2012 when SP had formed full majority government," he claimed. Praising the officials for contributing in realising the expressway in "record 22 months time", Akhilesh said this has proved that basic government schemes can also be completed within the stipulated time through team work. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also honoured shooter Jitu Rai, who participated in Rio Olympics, with a cheque of Rs 10 lakh and a memento, and hoped that he will "bring medals for the country in future competitions". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Outgoing Governor Raghuram Rajan on friday said foreign investors tend to see through the noisy politics in India around emotive issues like beef ban, love jihad and ghar wapsi. With private investment not picking up and jobs not being created, he advocated step-by-step liberalisation of the economy for boosting growth. We are a very noisy economy, noisy polity. There is always debate about something or other reflected in noisy television programme. But if you look at sensex, it is doing very well. If you look at bond yield, it is very low. I think take away has to be that markets seems to be ignoring noise, he said, in an interview to Karan Thapar on India Today TV. I think political sort of difficulties have had happened through out Indias history. There is always some issues being discussed. I think investors tend to see through this...foreign (investors) also, he said. Rajan said he was not saying nothing would perturb them but his sense was that that they have come to accept that emerging markets including India will have noisy politics. Interestingly, industrial countries themselves have a very noisy politics at this point, he said without naming any country. Asked about the recent annual report stating that Indian economy was performing below its potential, he said private investment was not coming in. Corporations are not building new factories and they are not putting up new machines. They are not increasing jobs at the way one would wish them to. He hoped with a good monsoon demand will pick up in sectors like automobile and cement. Once we have a good monsoon and a feel good factor prevailing in the economy, people start buying more, then there is virtuous circle, demand energises private investment that build on what public investment that is already growing. He said it serves well to do step by step and steady liberalisation of the economy without upsetting too many people, upsetting too many constraints in the economy. The Governor, who steps down from office on Sunday, said he felt labour and land reform have to be done. But again we need system. Do we move immediately to a system where there is no security of employment. Dont you need redressal mechanism. What is the appeal system. We need to have social security system to support the workers. As we process we need to see entire system is built out and that means of course incrementalism...If you too fast on one dimension, you outrun other dimension which are also needed at the same time. The US and its allies allegedly granted "secret" exemptions to Iran in last year's landmark agreement that sought to curb the Islamic country's nuclear programme, according to a controversial new report by a Washington-based think tank. Iran was allowed to sidestep certain conditions by the joint commission, the deal's implementing body, as some of its nuclear facilities would not have been in compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by January 16, 2016 the implementation day, the report claimed quoting a senior official. "We have learned that some nuclear stocks and facilities were not in accordance with JCPOA limits on implementation day, but in anticipation, the joint commission had earlier and secretly exempted them from the JCPOA limits," David Albright of the Institute for Science and Security said in the report released yesterday. According to the report, the exemptions involved relaxing the requirement that Iran must limit its stockpile of low enriched uranium (LEU) to under 300 kg, some of the near 20 per cent LEU, the heavy water cap, and the number of large hot cells allowed to remain in the country. The report said the US and its negotiating partners Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany approved the exemptions. Albright alleged that the joint commission created a Technical Working Group to consider further exemptions to Iran's stock of 3.5 per cent LEU. This cap is set at 300 kg of LEU hexafluoride but Iran apparently has or could exceed the cap if no further exemptions are granted by the joint commission, the think tank said. "The decisions of the joint commission have not been announced publicly. The Obama administration informed Congress of key joint commission decisions on implementation day but in a confidential manner," it said. US officials, however, immediately dismissed the report, insisting Iran was in full compliance with the nuclear agreement. "Iran is in compliance with the agreement. That is a fact that is verified by independent experts who, because of the agreement, now have the kind of access that is required to verify it," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "Iran's nuclear commitments under the JCPOA have not changed. There's been no moving of the goal post, as it were. The joint commission has always been intended to address implementation issues when they arise," State Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference. "The work of the joint commission, as stipulated in the agreement itself, is to be confidential. I also would assert that the joint commission has not and will not loosen any of the commitments and has not provided any exceptions that would allow Iran to retain or process material in excess of its JCPOA limits that it could use in a breakout scenario," he said. Kirby asserted that there has been no loosening of the commitments that Iran is responsible for under the JCPOA. "And it has not provided any exceptions that would allow Iran to retain or process material in excess of its JCPOA limits that it could use in a breakout scenario," the spokesperson said. The Trump Campaign was quick to make a political issue out of it, alleging that the new report raises fresh questions about Hillary Clinton's foreign policy judgement. "The deeply flawed nuclear deal Hillary Clinton secretly spearheaded with Iran looks worse and worse by the day," Lt Gen (rtd) Mike Flynn, from the Trump Campaign said. "It's now clear President Obama gave away the store to secure a weak agreement that is full of loopholes, never ultimately blocks Iran from nuclear weapons, emboldens our enemies and funds terrorism," added Flynn. "Hillary Clinton's continued support of this dangerous deal, which undermines the long-term security interests of the United States and Israel, shows just how bad her judgement really is," Flynn alleged. Lambasted for brutally crushing dissent, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov kept a stranglehold on power for over 25 years - even at the expense of his own daughter. The veteran leader, 78, who died on today several days after suffering a stroke, played Russia, China and the West off against one other to avoid total isolation as he steered his strategic state out of the collapse of the Soviet Union. He was to be buried tomorrow in the ancient city of Samarkand, his hometown, state television said. "Islam Karimov has been the state for over quarter of a century, ruling with an iron fist," Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, told AFP. "The last 25 years have been known largely for repression - that's his legacy." Karimov's authoritarian rule came under fire over accusations of heinous rights abuses, most prominently over bloodshed in the city of Andijan in 2005, but the most serious threats to his reign came from far closer to home. In a court drama with echoes of Shakespeare, the former Soviet apparatchik - at the helm since 1989 - had his eldest daughter put under house arrest in 2014 during a family feud in which she compared him to brutal Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The spectacular fall from grace of Gulnara Karimova - a pop-singing, corruption-tainted socialite once seen as a possible heir to her father's throne - appeared to show just how far Karimov was willing to go to keep his iron grip on power. Karimov, long the subject of rumours about his ill health, has now left no obvious successor in a country that has never held an election judged free and fair by international monitors. He won Uzbekistan's first elections after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and last March cruised to his fifth five-year term with over 90 per cent of the vote. "Without a strong government there will be chaos in society," Karimov warned ahead of the poll. Born on January 30, 1938, Karimov was raised in an orphanage in Samarkand. He studied engineering and rose up the Communist Party ladder to become head of Soviet Uzbekistan in 1989. Like the authoritarian leader of neighbouring Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Karimov led his country through the transition from the former USSR without any major challenge to his rule. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Air Force pilots held a joint military exercise with fighter pilots from Pakistan and the UAE last month in the US, even though the countries do not share diplomatic ties with Israel. The website of the Nellis Air Force base in Nevada said air force pilots from the US, Israel, Pakistan, the UAE and Spain participated in the 'Red Flag' advanced combat training exercise, considered to be the biggest and best war simulation exercises in the world. The head of the Israel Air Force's training department, Colonel Amit, while talking to military correspondents refused to discuss the identity of the nations that participated in Red Flag but confirmed that it was done jointly with other countries, Ha'aretz reported. "We train together with anyone who attends the exercise. We have no say in the matter," he said. "In a group it is impossible to hide your level. If you did not carry out the mission given to you, everyone sees it," said the defence official to emphasise the importance of the thorough preparedness. Earlier in response to a question on Israel's participation in the prestigious exercise alongside Pakistan, a Israel Defence Forces spokesperson had said that "the IDF trains regularly to maintain operational competency and be prepared for any potential challenge". "The Israeli Air Force was invited to participate in the high quality exercise 'Red Flag', and has accepted favourably", she had said. Eight Israeli F-16I ('Sufa' or Storm) fighter jets took part in the exercise this year, along with Israeli refuelling planes, all of which returned here yesterday. All the squadrons participating in the exercise are said to be assigned to 'red' and 'blue' forces. The exercise involves intercepting other aircraft, attacking targets, rescuing pilots and engaging in aerial activity under the ostensible threat of ground-to-air missiles. Col. Amit said the exercise, which ended on August 26, lasted for two weeks and included daily flights, in daylight as well as at night. Some 50 warplanes from the five countries participated in the exercise, alongwith helicopters, aerial defence units, and intelligence and special forces units. Israel and Pakistan do not have diplomatic relations but the two countries have in the past tried to come close with a meeting between their foreign ministers in 2005 fuelling speculations of some major diplomatic breakthrough. However, relations between the two countries have been rather strained since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai when Pakistan-backed terrorists also attacked the Jewish Chabad house in the city, killing six people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SAN FRANCISCO A federal government ban on the sale of guns to medical marijuana card holders does not violate the Second Amendment, a federal appeals court said Wednesday. The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals applies to the nine Western states that fall under the court's jurisdiction, including Montana, California, Washington and Oregon. It came in a lawsuit filed by S. Rowan Wilson, a Nevada woman who said she tried to buy a firearm for self-defense in 2011 after obtaining a medical marijuana card. The gun store refused, citing the federal rule banning the sale of firearms to illegal drug users. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has told gun sellers they can assume a person with a medical marijuana card uses the drug. The 9th Circuit in its 3-0 decision said Congress reasonably concluded that marijuana and other drug use "raises the risk of irrational or unpredictable behavior with which gun use should not be associated." The court also concluded that it's reasonable for federal regulators to assume a medical marijuana card holder was more likely to use the drug. Wilson's attorney, Chaz Rainey, said there needs to be more consistency in the application of the Second Amendment. He planned to appeal. "We live in a world where having a medical marijuana card is enough to say you don't get a gun, but if you're on the no fly list your constitutional right is still protected," he said. The 9th Circuit also rejected other constitutional challenges to the ban that were raised by Wilson, including her argument that her gun rights were being stripped without due process. Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the idea that marijuana users were more prone to violence is a fallacy. "Responsible adults who use cannabis in a manner that is compliant with the laws of their states ought to receive the same legal rights and protections as other citizens," he said. Online fashion platform Jabong today said it will now offer six months of maternity leave to its employees from the earlier practice of three months leave. The move, which comes ahead of the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill 2016 expected to be tabled in Lok Sabha in the upcoming Winter Session, is part of Jabong's endeavour to enable a conducive working environment for young expectant mothers, Jabong said in a statement. "Women represent 30 per cent of Jabong's workforce and (impact) 60 per cent of our revenue. We believe that making our culture more inclusive is an economic imperative for the success of our organisation and the country," Jabong CHRO Deepa Chadha said. The leadership team decided that Jabong should proactively adopt a longer maternity leave for women colleagues and address a genuine concern for them, she added. While the legal requirement on maternity leave is three months, firms like Hindustan Unilever, Accenture, Microsoft and Flipkart have proactively enhanced it to benefit their women employees. The Bill, which was passed by Rajya Sabha last month, will impact an estimated 1.8 million women working in India's organised sector. A study undertaken by Jody Heymann, founding director of the World Policy Analysis Center, suggests that women who don't receive paid maternity leave are more likely to drop out of the workforce, therefore losing income for themselves and their families. The number of women drops sharply in the corporate hierarchy -- from 25 per cent at entry level positions to 16 per cent at middle management and 4 per cent at senior management level. McKinsey estimates India's women to constitute only 24 per cent of the paid labour force compared to the global average of 40 per cent and the corporate world must find innovative means to encourage women to join the workforce and contribute to the nation's progress, Chadha said. Jabong, which was acquired by Myntra in July, already offers in-house creche, flexi-timings and work from home among other programmes. Myntra's parent, Flipkart also offers maternity leave of 24 weeks and another four months of flexi-working hours with full pay, and, if needed, one-year career break without pay as part of its employee benefits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director General of Jharkhand Nutrition Mission, Mridula Sinha today formally launched week-long awareness campaign here today. The nutrition awareness campaign will be launched across the state as the state government was committed to alter the prevailing malnutrition data of the state, since it was not impressive, Sinha, who was accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum district Amit Kumar, told newsmen. Admitting that Jharkhand lagged behind on national ranking on malnutrition, Sinha said the prevailing data was not authentic but the ongoing awareness campaign will certainly help to collate scientifically accurate data at micro-level and develop a proper system. She said 12 districts including Chatra, West Singhbhum, Dumka, Garwah, Giridih were badly affected and the nutrition mission was working on curative measures after identifying the affected children scientifically. Altogether 257 severely malnutritious children were scientifically identified in East Singhbhum district and they will be treated till they fully recovered in the 12-week period, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jon Polito, the prolific and raspy-voiced character actor whose more than 200 credits ranged from "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Modern Family" to the Coen Brother films "Barton Fink" and "The Big Lebowski," has died. Polito died yesterday at City of Hope Hospital in Duarte California, according to his manager, Maryellen Mulcahy. Polito was 65 and was being treated for multiple myeloma, Mulcahy told The Associated Press on today. He is survived by his partner, Darryl Armbruster. A native of Philadelphia and graduate of Villanova University, the short, mustachioed Polito had loved movies and television since childhood and was inspired by the over-the-top acting he first spotted in old horror films and melodramas. With no pretentions to being a leading man, he became one of the busiest TV and movie actors of the past three decades, averaging several projects a year since the mid-1980s. He worked in crime stories ("Homicide: Life on the Street," "The Gangster Chronicles"), drama ("Flags of Our Fathers"), comedies ("The Freshman," "Modern Family") and in the Coens' genre-defying projects. He also was a award-winning stage actor, winning an Obie in 1980 for his performances with two different theater companies. Mulcahy said he continued to act right up to the end of his life. Even if you didn't know his name, you probably saw his face, whether as the "private snoop" confronting Jeff Bridges in "The Big Lebowski" or as the agitated landlord with the strands of hair across his forehead in the "Reverse Peephole" episode of "Seinfeld." He was dressed as a woman on "The Chris Isaak Show" and turned up once on "Late Night With David Letterman," posing as CBS promotions man Phil Carmichael and explaining why Letterman's recent heart problems were good for business. "People think you're going to die, Dave: Boom! Double your viewership." On the ground-breaking NBC drama "Homicide: Life on the Street," Polito played fussy, beleaguered Baltimore Police Detective Steve Crosetti. Partnered with Meldrick Lewis (played by Clark Johnson), Crosetti was on the force only for the first two seasons of the series' seven-season run in the 1990s. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Justice J Chelameswar, one of the five senior most judges of the Supreme Court, did not take part in Collegium's meeting on Friday to discuss various issues including the Memorandum of Procedure(MoP). Justice Chelameswar, who had written a dissenting verdict with regard to non-transparency in the collegium system of appointment, has also reportedly shot off a letter to Chief Justice T S Thakur expressing his inability to take part in the meeting of the Collegium, which consists of five senior most judges including the Chief Justice of India, a highly- placed source said. It has come to light that except Justice Chelameswar, all other judges, including Justice Thakur, had assembled for the meeting on Thursday which ultimately got postponed. The apex court judiciary and the government have been at loggerheads on the finalisation of the MoP which will deal with the procedures to be followed in the appointment of judges in High Courts and the Supreme Court. Recently the Supreme Court, while hearing a PIL, had sent out a stern message to the government over non-execution of the collegium's decision to transfer and appoint Chief Justices and judges in High Courts. It had warned the Centre that the court would not tolerate "logjam in judges' appointment" and would intervene to "fasten accountability" as the justice delivery system is "collapsing". In his dissenting judgement, which had quashed the NJAC Act and the 99th constitutional amendment, had said that the collegium system of judges' appointment was "opaque and inaccessible" to the people at large and it needed "transparency". He had said the assumption that "primacy of the judiciary" in the appointment of judges was a basic feature of the Constitution "is empirically flawed." The Supreme Court judge had said that in the last 20 years, after the advent of collegium system, a number of recommendations made by the collegia of High Courts were rejected by the collegium of the Supreme Court. Director Karan Johar will attend the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which is going to open on September 8. This will be Johar's second TIFF outing. He first went to the prestigious festival in 2006 and also screened there his romantic-drama "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna". The 44-year-old filmmaker shared the on Twitter and thanked the artistic director of the festival, Cameron Bailey, for inviting him. "Cameron... Thank you for inviting me... #TIFF16... See you on the 10th...," he wrote. The producer also retweeted the post of Bailey in which the Canadian film critic wrote, "@karanjohar in conversation at #TIFF16, Saturday Sept 10." The filmmaker will reportedly be a part of the 'In Conversation With' segment at the festival. He is likely to join Hollywood stars like Mark Wahlberg, French actor Isabelle Huppert, Brazilian actor Sonia Braga, and Palestinian filmmaker and actor Hiam Abbass, among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by his Cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain, today left for Rome to attend the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa. Kejriwal, who worked with Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata for a short period in 1992, has often fondly recalled his association with Teresa. Working with the organisation, founded by the noted missionary, was his first brush with public service, he has said. AAP leader Kumar Vishwas also accompanied Kejriwal. Vishwas clarified that he will be bearing his own expenses. The Chief Minister will return to the national capital on September 5. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have also separately left for Rome with their delegations. In March, Pope Francis had announced that Mother Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity, will be elevated to sainthood after the Church recognised two miracles attributed to her after her death in 1997. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Swaraj Abhiyan today accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of giving sanction to opening of 399 liquor outlets in the national capital after he failed to respond to its letter seeking clarification on the issue. Swaraj Abhiyan, floated by expelled AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, will organise a public hearing in Burari on September 4 against a liquor vend which, it claimed, was opened against the wishes of people. "Swaraj Abhiyan has been carrying out Jan Sunwai (public hearing) in different parts of Delhi to support the residents in raising their voices against the hypocritical act of the government which in no way is in line with their promise of 'Nasha Mukt Delhi' (addiction-free Delhi) or the promise of making the national capital safe for women," it said in a statement. It also threatened to launch a people's movement -- "Sharab Nahi, Swaraj Chahiye" (We want Swaraj, not alcohol) -- if no action is taken by September 11 by the authorities responsible for it. "72 hours have elapsed without any answer from the Delhi Chief Minister, which firmly establishes the fact that 399 new liquor licences have been granted by this government. "It is a sad state of affairs that the people of Delhi have been grossly misled by the Chief Minister and AAP government. By maintaining silence over this issue, Arvind Kejriwal has sanctioned his inconspicuous involvement in the entire series of events," Swaraj Abhiyan said. Last week, Yadav had claimed that the Kejriwal government had issued licence to 399 liquor vends/outlets after assuming office. In his letter to Kejriwal on August 30, Yadav had "challenged" him to prove that the figure of 399 was incorrect. Yadav, who will lead the public hearing in Burari, also offered to withdraw from public life if his claim that the Delhi government issued 399 liquor licences was found to be untrue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will visit the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital on Saturday to study its people-friendly Out Patient Department (OPD) system and explore possibilities of replicating it in the state. Vijayan, who will be in New Delhi as part of government's Onam celebrations at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, would get a first hand information on the functioning of the OPD and interact with doctors, official sources told PTI in Thiruvananthapuram. Information technology services provider Tata Consultancy Services had conceptualised and provided the infrastructure support to implement the patient-friendly OPD at AIIMS last year. The innovative OPD was envisaged to provide better facilities and reduce the long waiting time for the patients, besides eliminating overcrowding. The Onam celebrations, showcasing the state's rich cultural heritage, will witness the participation of President Pranab Mukherjee, Union ministers and MPs along with a number of dignitaries. The harvest festival, Onam is celebrated to honour King Mahabali who according to legend ruled once upon a time. It will be celebrated on September 14 this year. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has given approval to the major recommendations of the Pay Anomalies Commission (PAC) which would benefit over 60,000 employees to the tune of Rs 76 crore annually. The government has accepted the recommendations of incremental benefit on grant of Assured Career Progression (ACP) grade pay to the posts whose pay scale/grade pay has been further upgraded subsequent to January 1, 2006 by individual orders or by common orders, Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu said announcing this here today. It would benefit about 55,000 employees, he said. The other major recommendations accepted included removal of disparity in the entry pay of a fresh recruit and a promoted on the same post. This would benefit over 5,000 employees, Abhimanyu said. The disparity has also been removed which arose due to implications of an order regarding up-gradation of the functional grade pay of certain posts of various departments, benefiting over 200 employees, he said. He also made it clear that these employees would also be eligible to get the benefits of Seventh Pay Commission. Capt Abhimanyu said it has also decided to grant casual leave of 10 days and medical leave of 10 days in a calendar year to all the employees engaged under Part-II of the outsourcing policy by the government, boards, corporations and public sector undertakings of the state government. Describing the present BJP government as "pro-employees", as it has taken a number of decisions for their "welfare", Capt Abhimanyu said contrary to it, the previous Congress government had never paid any heed to the employees' demands and constituted the PAC just before the Assembly polls to garner votes. It was only the BJP government in the state which fast tracked the functioning of the Commission in the larger interest of the employees. The PAC constituted under the chairmanship of retired IAS officer G Madhvan had submitted its report to the state government on March 10, 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj's upcoming historical drama "Veeram", which stars Kunal Kapoor in the lead role, today raised the curtains on the first edition of BRICS Film Festival here. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who was the guest of honour. "The BRICS summit is about to happen in India in a few weeks so, it's obvious to have this festival now. 43 per cent of the world population, about 37 per cent of world's GDP is all between these five nations. I wouldn't be surprised if the world is looking at what these countries are upto," Rathore said while addressing the audience. "Films know no boundaries and stories are universal. I think films are the best way to take our cultures across borders," he added. "Veeram" is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, "Macbeth", and is the fifth installment in Jayaraj's "Navarasa" series. The film's team was felicitated at the festival. Kunal said he felt honoured that a special movie like "Veeram" got to open the fest. "This is a very special movie. Our blood, sweat and hardwork have gone into its making. I am happy that it is opening the festival and cannot wait for the audience's response," he said on stage. The film is yet to hit the theatres. The ceremony saw performances from the artists of all the five countries. While a Brazilian band first mesmerised the audience, it was followed by an upbeat dancing-act by a Russian theatre group. Eminent Indian dancer Sonal Mansingh presented her troupe performing various yoga asans in the form of dance, while artists from South Africa and China also gave engaging performances. The five-day festival will screen films from Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa besides India. The closing movie will be Chinese superstar Jackie Chan- starrer "Skiptrace". China will host the next edition of the festival. The festival will also have a competitive section. Each member country will nominate four films showcasing creative talent from selected themes and thus a total of 20 films will be screened. National Award-winning films "Baahubali-- The Beginning", "Bajirao Mastani", "Cinemawala" and "Thithi" are the Indian films in the competitive section. From Brazil, the films competing are-- "History of Eternity", "Road 47", "Between Valleys" and "They will come back", while Russian movies in the section include "14+", "About Love" and "The battle of Sevastopol". "Go Away Mr Tumour", "Xuan Zang", "The Songs of Phoenix" and "Book of Love 2" are the Chinese movies in competition, and South African films in the category are-- "Free State", "The story of Mahalanga", "Mrs Right Guy" and "Tess". Cinema delegates from the participating nations were also felicitated that included Bengali filmmaker Kaushik Ganguly and actor Parambrata Chatterjee. Films will be judged by an eminent jury comprising a noted filmmaker of each member country. The jury, including Kannada filmmaker T S Nagabharana, will give their recommendation for an award, which will include a BRICS Gold Medal and certificate of excellence under several categories such as best film, best director, and best actor male and female. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK All major Yellowstone National Park tourist attractions, entrances and roads are open for the long Labor Day weekend despite four wildfires, but visitors will be prohibited from making campfires and will see smoky haze in some parts of the park, a fire official said Friday. Bone dry conditions prompted the ban of charcoal and wood fires, disappointing some people who have called ahead of visiting while planning their trips, said Yellowstone fire spokesman Bill Swartley. "I'm sure they value this for the aesthetics, for warmth at night, but no open flame of that nature is allowed in the park certainly this Labor Day weekend and until fuel weather conditions change," Swartley said. Swartley said the dry conditions are expected to last through Saturday. Cooler, wet weather is expected Sunday and could prompt park officials to re-evaluate the campfire ban. Four wildfires are burning in the park and the largest has burned about 60 square miles in the park's western end, north of the West Entrance road. Firefighters are trying to prevent that fire from spreading beyond the park's western boundary into areas where rural private subdivisions are located. The Slough Creek Campground on the north side of the park is the only Yellowstone facility closed by the fires. It is the park's smallest developed campground, with 23 sites. All of the larger campgrounds remain open. The main tourist attract, Old Faithful, is not affected by any of the fires. UN chief Ban Ki-moon today said the Sri Lankan government needs to do much more to redress the "wrongs of the past" and to restore the "legitimacy and accountability" of key institutions such as the judiciary and security services after decades of bloodshed with the LTTE. The UN secretary-general, however, welcomed the efforts made by the government of President Maithripala Sirisena, who had come to power on a pledge of reconciliation and reform after defeating Sinhala-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015. Ban welcomed the symbolic steps taken by the government to build bridges among communities, including the decision to sing the national anthem in Sinhala and Tamil on Independence Day in February this year for the first time since the 1950s. "These steps have built confidence and trust, and strengthened transparency and accountability," Ban said. But there was "still much work to be done in order to redress the wrongs of the past and to restore the legitimacy and accountability of key institutions, particularly the judiciary and the security services," the UN chief said. "More can and should be done to address the legacy of the past and acknowledge the voices of the victims," he said while delivering a lecture on 'Sustaining Peace and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals' here. He said this was "critical for reconciliation, and for ensuring respect for human rights of all Sri Lankans, without regard for ethnicity, religion and political affiliation." The UN chief urged actions to speed up the return of land held by the military and the Sri Lankan government so that the remaining communities of displaced people can return home. The UN chief suggested that the size of the military force in the North and the East could be reduced to help build trust and reduce tension at the same time. "To recover from the cataclysms of the past, Sri Lankans will need all four elements of post-conflict resolution: truth-telling, accountability, reparations and institutional reform. There is no fast route to achieving this. It will take many years of political courage and determination," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Governor Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao was today sworn-in as the Acting Governor of Tamil Nadu at a ceremony held in Raj Bhavan here. Chief Justice of Madras High Court S K Kaul administered the oath of office to Rao. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa attended the swearing-in ceremony. Family members of Rao including his wife Ch Vinoda were also present. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, state cabinet ministers, BJP state chief Tamizhisai Sounderrajan and senior party leader La Ganesan were among those who attended the swearing-in ceremony. Earlier in the day, Rao was received at the airport by Jayalalithaa and others upon his arrival. He has been given the additional charge of Tamil Nadu as the tenure of K Rosaiah as the Governor ended on August 30. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Malayalam actor, Sreejit Ravi, who was arrested for alleged indecent behaviour on a complaint from school girls, was today granted conditional bail by a court here. Additional District court judge K P Indira granted bail to the actor on condition that he deposits Rs one lakh and two solvent surieties for the like amount, surrender his passport and appear before investigating officer every week. The actor was arrested under IPC Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of women) and under the POSCO (Protection of Children from Sexual offences) Act from a film shooting location at Ottapalam here yesterday. The action followed after the girls complained to their Principal that the actor had taken their photo in his mobile and allegedly made indecent gestures while they were on their way to school, police said. The girls had noted the number of the car and it was found to be that of Ravi, who, however, has denied the allegations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After an HIV positive pregnant woman was allegedly denied admission by the district hospital at Badaun in Uttar Pradesh and she gave birth to a stillborn, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi today stepped in to ensure that she gets adequate treatment. The woman and her husband were forced to travel nearly 50 km from Badaun to Bareilly for the delivery after they were turned back by the district hospital. When the woman delivered the child, it was dead. Reports claim that doctors said if the woman received timely treatment the child could have been saved. "Heart wrenching to read this. Painful to comprehend what the couple must be going through at the moment. Badaun CMO Dr Sunil Kumar was contacted by ministry officials to understand why the woman was denied admission," the Union Minister for Women and Child Development tweeted. "The Badaun CMO informed us that an inquiry report was being prepared on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Addl Director Health. Since the woman is at present being treated in Bareilly, the CMO concerned, Dr Vijay Yadav, was also contacted. "Have instructed the Bareilly CMO to ensure that the woman receives adequate medical attention & to apprise us about her health status," she said in a series of tweets. The woman's husband alleged that the hospital staff at Badaun had asked him to arrange for blood and protective gloves worth Rs 2,000. However, as the woman's health deteriorated they asked him to shift her to Bareilly. Additional Director of Health, Dr Subodh Sharma has directed the CMO of Badaun to carry out an inquiry into the incident. Yesterday too, the Union Minister had intervened to help a pregnant woman forced to go from pillar to post by a hospital in Ferozabad. On August 28, a 12-year-old boy died on his father's shoulder after doctors allegedly asked them to go from one department to another at a hospital in Kanpur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The incidents of Maoist violence have come down by 54 per cent in the country, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said adding it was his government's desire to bring an end to Naxalism, militancy and terrorism. "There is no place for violence in a developed society and it is my desire to see that instances of Naxalism, militancy and terrorism are brought to an end in this country," he said while addressing police officials here. He was speaking at the regional training centre of the 'Greyhounds', the special anti-Naxal operations force of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh located on the outskirts of the city. Singh said the Maoists morale at present is at its lowest and the incidents of Naxal violence have come down by 54 per cent in the various Left Wing Extremism hit states of the country. The Home Minister lauded the courage and valour of the security forces personnel including the 'Greyhounds' as he added that the onus to keep India safe and independent rests on the shoulders of these men and women. "I am sure you will be successful in your actions and you have done your job well to guard the country as you are filled with the spirit of national pride," he said. Singh was on a day-long visit to the Telangana capital during which he also visited the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, the alma mater of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The "Jungle" camp in the northern French town of Calais, home to thousands of migrants hoping to reach Britain, will be dismantled in stages, the country's interior minister has vowed. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told a regional paper on Thursday that he would press ahead with the closure "with the greatest determination", gradually dismantling the site while also creating accommodation for thousands elsewhere in France "to unblock Calais". French authorities have made repeated efforts to shut down the infamous "Jungle" camp, which authorities say is currently home to nearly 7,000 migrants a sharp increase in recent months. Some aid groups have put the figure as high as 10,000. The population of the camp includes large numbers of Afghans, Somalis, Sudanese and Kurds, among other asylum seekers. Earlier this year local authorities cleared shelters in parts of the site in a bid to persuade migrants to move into other accommodation or neighbouring camps on the northern coast. The migrants gather in Calais hoping to smuggle themselves aboard lorries that cross the Channel to Britain either through the Eurotunnel or on board ferries. Cazeneuve was speaking to the Nord Littoral daily the day before visiting the camp. Since last October over 5,000 asylum seekers have left the northern French town for 161 special centres set up around France. Intensifying the efforts to get those in Calais to leave voluntarily, another 8,000 places elsewhere will be created this year, most of them for people registering as asylum-seekers, with thousands more places to follow in 2017, said Cazeneuve. Currently a record 1,900 police are operating in Calais, and Cazeneuve said another 200 would be added to their ranks "to reinforce the battle" against migrants smuggling themselves onto lorries bound for Britain. The minister said President Francois Hollande would visit Calais in late September. A plea alleging that benefits accruing to minorities were being taken away by Muslims who were in a majority in Jammu and Kashmir, has been filed in the Supreme Court which today asked the Centre, the state government and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) to respond to it. A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A M Khanwilkar took note of the fact that neither the state, nor the Centre or the NCM have filed their replies and asked them to do it in six weeks. The court was hearing a PIL by Jammu-based advocate Ankur Sharma who alleged that rights of religious and linguistic 'minorities' in the state were being "siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily" due to extension of benefits to "unqualified sections" of the population. It has been settled that the identification of minority communities has to be decided as per the population data of the state in question, Sharma said. The apex court, which had earlier issued notices to Ministry of Minority Affairs of Jammu & Kashmir government, National Minority Commission and others, however, had refused to restrain authorities from disbursing benefits to any community in the state. The PIL has also sought the setting up of State Minority Commission for identification of minorities. "The population of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir according to the 2011 Census is 68.31 per cent. Communities which are eligible to be notified as minorities, were not awarded their due share of scholarship owing to their non-identification as minorities, thereby jeopardising their constitutionally guaranteed rights enshrined under Part III of the Constitution of India. "This clearly reflects the unfairness and discrimination of the State towards the communities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which are eligible to be notified as minorities," the petition alleged. The plea also sought directions to consider extension of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992 to Jammu and Kashmir and make amendments so that benefits available to minorities of other states could also be given to the minorities of J&K. "Appoint a committee of experts functioning under the direct supervision of this court to submit a comprehensive report identifying communities of the State of Jammu and Kashmir which qualify as religious and linguistic minorities," the PIL said. "Constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a High Court Judge (retired) working under direct supervision of this Court for investigating the illegal and arbitrary disbursement of minority benefits under the Prime Minister's 15 point Programme to the communities," it added. Federation of Mizoram Government Employees and Workers (FMGE and W) today submitted a memorandum to the Centre for granting adequate financial assistance for implementation of the recommendations of the seventh central pay commission. The FMGE and W leaders submitted the memorandum to Governor Lt. General Nirbhay Sharma at the Raj Bhavan in Aizawl asking the latter to forward the memorandum to the centre. They explained that the state government employees asked the Centre to provide additional financial assistance to the Mizoram government so that the state government would be in a position to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. The FMGE and W leaders said that they received invitation to join the stir by different government employee bodies making several demands, but did not join the agitation after deliberations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flew into the Vietnamese capital on his maiden visit to hold wide-ranging talks with the country's top leadership on ways to bolster strategic bilateral ties in key areas like defence, security, counterterrorism and trade. "Hello to Hanoi! PM @narendramodi makes a late night arrival in Vietnam to begin the first leg of his 2 nation tour," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The visit, that marks the first by an Indian premier to the country in 15 years, takes place on his way to Hangzhou, China to attend the G20 Summit beginning Sunday. Modi will hold extensive talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and call on President Tran Dai Quang tomorrow. He is also scheduled to meet Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Defence, security, science and technology, trade and culture are some of the issues on the plate for the talks. The premier will also pay homage to revered leader Ho Chi Minh, whom he described in his Facebook post as one of 20th century's tallest leaders. He will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda. Ho Chi Minh, who is often called "the Vietnamese George Washington" by Communist Vietnamese, has a city named after him. After his death, Ho's followers embalmed his body and put it in a tomb, the mausoleum, where he is still worshipped today. "Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc and I would also be discussing regional cooperation and stability and our multilateral cooperation," Modi told Voice of Vietnam Radio network earlier. The thrust of our multifaceted relationship is to work towards stability, maintenance of peace, economic growth and prosperity in our countries, Asia and beyond, he added. Modi emphasised that India's Act East Policy aimed to forge partnerships with its eastern neighbours to encompass security, strategic, political, counter-terrorism, and defence collaboration in addition to economic ties. "It was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbors of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy engagement," he told the radio, adding that Vietnam was an integral member of ASEAN and is a "very important pillar in our Act East Policy". India's ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. Vietnam is the ASEAN Coordinator for India for 2015-18 and the two countries have expressed their strong commitment in strengthening partnership within the India-ASEAN and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation frameworks. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people to people ties will also be my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," the premier said on his Facebook page today. His visit comes after the July final award by the Hague tribunal on the South China Sea issue. India's position has always been that all parties adhere and respect the tribunal, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Officials in response to a question on Vietnam's request to India to supply Brahmos missiles yesterday said that both sides are engaged in "robust" conversation on stepping up cooperation in various areas including defence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Sunday on the first day of the G20 summit here and are likely to discuss bilateral differences over issues including the proposed USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through PoK. The Modi-Xi meeting assumes significance as India-China relations have followed a southward trajectory over contentious issues like the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist groups in the UN, China stalling India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that criss-crosses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Delhi this month, India and China formed a mechanism led by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister to address their differences. The meeting between Modi and Xi - their second in less than three months - is expected to take place in the morning of September 4, officials here said. Modi and Xi had last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 23 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The two leaders are to meet again in little over a month for more elaborate discussions during the BRICS summit to be hosted by India in Goa on October 15-16. Chinese officials say the two meetings between Modi and Xi could set a new direction to the bilateral relations. Modi will reach China tomorrow evening from Vietnam to take part in the two-day G20 summit. The Indian contingent will be putting up at Sheraton resort - about 30 kilometres outside the city - where Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too would stay. Modi is likely to hold bilaterals with several G20 leaders during his 48-hour stay here. Xi too is scheduled to have a number of one-to-one meetings including with US President Barack Obama. Top disarmament officials from India and China were also expected to meet to discuss issues of China "blocking" the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Beijing's opposition to New Delhi's bid to joining the 48-member NSG. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HELENA U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke has wrongly stated in two debates this week that 80 percent of terrorist attacks in a central African conflict are carried out by children, as he advocates for halting refugee resettlements until new background check procedures are developed. Refugee resettlements have emerged as a major issue in Montana's election campaigns this year, after Missoula County's decision to host 100 refugees annually led to protests across the state. A recent study released last month by UNICEF put the rate of suicide attacks carried out by a child in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger at about 25 percent, a UNICEF spokesman said. Zinke's statements about potential child terrorists from Africa come as Missoula prepares to resettle about two dozen refugees who escaped war in Congo by the end of September. Last month, a Congolese family of six arrived the same week Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte began mailing anti-refugee resettlement fliers that featured an armed man whose face was covered by a kaffiyeh. Zinke said in debates Monday and Thursday against Democratic challenger Denise Juneau that refugee women and children can be terrorist threats. To illustrate his point, Zinke said in Monday's debate in Frazer that four out of five terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram are conducted by children. On Thursday in Billings, he repeated that claim, except he did not specify that the attacks involving children were limited to Boko Haram. "As far as our refugees go, I'm a humanitarian. I understand it. But I've also seen it," Zinke said. "And you should realize that women and children can be a threat if they are under the influence of evil. Just like at San Bernardino, just like in Boko Haram. "Four out of five attacks are conducted by children. They're under the influence and oftentimes drugged," he concluded to applause. Zinke's campaign cited as its source a news article about a UNICEF report released in April. The report, titled "Beyond Chibok: Over 1.3 million children uprooted by Boko Haram violence," contains different numbers from what Zinke cited. The report says that children account for nearly one out of every five suicide bombers in the conflict in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. UNICEF spokesman Thierry Delvigne-Jean said Thursday the April report looked at attacks in those four countries from January 2014 through February 2016. A more recent study released last month by UNICEF put the rate of suicide attacks carried out by a child in those countries as about 25 percent, or one in four, he said. "It's important to say that these children are victims not terrorists," Delvigne-Jean said. "Government reports indicate that these children are, in several cases, unaware of the explosives they are carrying." Campaign spokeswoman Heather Swift said Friday that Zinke misspoke. He meant to say that of the children who conduct attacks, four-fifths are drugged or otherwise under the influence, Swift said. "If he was slightly off on the percentage, then he misspoke, but he's not wrong on the issue," she said in an email. "Boko Harem (sic) drugs children and uses them as terrorists." Neither UNICEF report contains data that support Zinke's claims of the number of child suicide bombers who are drugged by Boko Haram. Carroll College political science professor Jeremy Johnson said the refugee issue in Montana is part of the national debate on immigration sparked by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Zinke, an ardent Trump supporter, is trying to play to fears that terrorists may slip in with refugees, Johnson said. "Both candidates need to turn out to the polls the highest numbers of voters who will support them," Johnson said. "I think he's trying to appeal to the same voters in Montana that Trump appeals to." Monica Besra, whose healing was Mother Teresa's first miracle, will spend September 4 - the day when the late nun will be canonised in Vatican City - praying at her home in a Bengal village. Speaking to PTI over phone Monica (50), a poor tribal farmer's wife from Harirampur in South Dinajpur district, said she will pray for the people of the country, of the world, her district, her village and finally her family in that order at her home on the day. Her husband Selku Murmu said he would do the same. Harirampur is about 400 kms from Kolkata, where Mother Teresa lived and worked to help the sick, poor and dying and set up her Missionaries of Charity. Monica, who was cured of a large stomach tumour miraculously, says it was due to the divine power of Mother Teresa whom she worships. "I was taken to Rome in 2003 and narrated the incident in which Mother Teresa's divine power healed me. I would have loved to attend Mother Teresa's canonisation," she said adding she has no regrets that she had not received any invitation. She had met Pope John Paul II and his cardinals in 2003 and had narrated her experience to them, which later on became Mother Teresa's first miracle. This led to the nun's beatification later that year. The second miracle was the 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man suffering from multiple brain tumours. Monica's story is well-chronicled. She had been suffering from a tumour in her abdomen about 20 years ago and was in pain but the long medication process and visits to many doctors did not help. Her husband took her to doctors at a nearby government hospital but the treatment was so expensive that the family had to mortgage their land. Her sister took her to the Missionaries of Charity centre near the village. "I was so ill I couldn't eat anything. The sisters there even took me to a doctor in Siliguri, but he said I might not regain consciousness if operated upon," remembers the mother of five. On September 4, 1998, a day before Mother Teresa's first death anniversary, the Sisters helped to take her to the church to pray. "There was a photograph of Mother Teresa there. When I entered the Church a blinding light from Mother's photo enveloped me. I didn't know what was happening and returned to my bed at the centre as I was too ill," said Monica. She recalled that in the night one of the Sisters brought a medallion of the Mother and tied it on her abdomen after saying a prayer. "I prayed to Mother for a long time. I used to have trouble sleeping because of the pain, but that night I fell asleep. At about 1 am I woke up and saw that my stomach was flat and the tumour was gone. There was no pain. "I was so surprised that I woke up the woman in the next bed and told her what had happened. In the morning I told the Sisters". She was taken to the doctor after that and he confirmed that the tumour was cured. "I immediately felt that it was Mother who had cured me," she said. A Muslim family of 12, including seven hijab-clad women, have claimed that they were called "terrorists" and stared at as if they were "aliens" during their holiday at an English seaside town. The group of 12 visited Skegness, Lincolnshire, last week but one said they were treated like "aliens" after they were allegedly stared at and called "terrorists" by passers-by, The Independent reported. The incident came to light when one of the women woman wrote to 'Tell MAMA', a website measuring anti-Muslim attacks that was set up with Government funding and whose data has been used in the past by Prime Minister Theresa May. "Me and my family went for a family trip for the first time to Skegness with a local community centre. Together there were 12 people, of which 7 of us wore hijabs," the woman was quoted as saying by Lincolnshire Echo. "Once we reached the main area where there were shops, we noticed a lot of people just staring at us as if we were some form of aliens. It didn't really bother us until we walked past the pub and a man shouted 'terrorists'," she said. "My sister and I just looked at each other and didn't bother looking back at the man and we were shocked at what he had said. As we went to the beach again, a lot of people continuously stared at us. We just smiled back, but it made us think how ignorant these people are," she added. The woman said they then went to buy some seaside 'rock' and the lady at the shop said to them "don't you get hot in them", referring to their hijabs. "My sister replied 'no' and they were not that thick and showed her the material of her hijab. The only friendliness the family experienced in the town came from a local Muslim woman, who greeted the family. "This was our first family trip with our kids to Skegness and I don't think I would like to go again seeing the behaviour of the people there. It really made us sad and made us miss the area we are from and also made us reflect on how different people are in England. It opened my eyes to the nasty comments Muslims get," the woman said. A Tell MAMA spokesman was quoted as saying, "We were concerned to hear about the experiences of this visible Muslim family, from the abuse of being called terrorists, to the looks and the abuse that they suffered just to have a day out at the beach." "The family will not be returning back to Skegness and such incidents will no doubt impact on wider perceptions within Muslim communities around areas," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nalini Chidambaram, wife of former Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidamabram, today skipped her scheduled date before Enforcement Directorate sleuths in Kolkata in connection with a money laundering probe in the Saradha chit fund scam case. Officials said Nalini did not appear today and is understood to have suggested to the ED sleuths that she should rather be questioned at her residence, as allowed for women under CrPC provisions. It was not immediately known as to what the ED would do now and whether it would issue fresh summons or take a legal opinion before initiating fresh action. The ED had asked her to appear before the Investigating Officer of the case in Kolkata sometime back where her statement was expected to be recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). She was also asked to carry documents related to her personal finances and those related to her engagement with the Saradha group. The matter pertains to the legal fee paid to Nalini, a Supreme Court lawyer, by the Saradha group, official sources said. The amount in question is Rs 1.26 crore, they said, noting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wants to understand the exact flow of funds to her from Saradha company accounts and the contract made therein. She had earlier been examined by CBI in this regard while ED had probed her role by going through documents provided to it by other accused. The sources said she has now been summoned in the "light of the new evidence". Saradha chairman Sudipta Sen, at present in jail, had mentioned about hiring Nalini as a lawyer at the request of Manoranjana Sinh, estranged wife of Congress leader Matang Sinh. Nalini represented Manoranjana and hence was asked to offer her professional advice in her negotiations with Sen in connection with plans by the group to acquire a TV channel in the northeast. The lawyer is believed to have advised her client against the Rs 42-crore investment by the group to acquire the TV channel. ED had filed a charge sheet in this case in a special PMLA court in Kolkata earlier this year and it is working towards a supplementary charge sheet. The agency, till now, has issued four orders for attaching properties worth about Rs 600 crore in this case.It registered a case under PMLA in 2013 taking cognisance of police FIRs of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. ED has pegged the amount of the scam at Rs 2,500 crore and has conducted an investigation involving lakhs of multi-layered transactions. It has claimed that "more than 90 per cent of such companies existed only on paper and only 17 companies out of the 224 companies actually had carried out some business". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vinaya Varma has been appointed as new CEO of mjunction services, a joint venture between Tata Steel and SAIL, following retirement of Viresh Oberoi. Varma was holding the position as vice-president of the leading B2B commerce company, mjunction said in statement today. "I look forward to build on the good work that has been done for the last 15 years", Varma, who was previously with Tata Steel, was quoted as saying in the statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Announcing Maharashtra government's new housing policy today, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said it was not for the "builders' lobby but for the common man". Regarding Mumbai, where affordable housing is an acute problem, the policy emphasises the role of redevelopment and cluster development (redevelopment of entire locality instead of individual buildings), redevelopment of Dharavi slum, transit camps, old MHADA buildings, among others. Fadnavis rolled out the policy at a rally in suburban Ghatkopar along with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. "If redevelopment takes place through cluster development approach, then better facilities can be created for the common man," Fadnavis said. Because of the "intransigent" policies of Congress-NCP government, no redevelopment could take place in Mumbai in the last few years, he claimed. "More than one crore population lives on 37 per cent of land mass in Mumbai while no construction is possible on 63 per cent of the land," he said, adding "the new policy is not meant for the builders' lobby but for the common man". The government will trace illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who are living in Mumbai, the chief minister added. Uddhav Thackeray said that had the previous Sena-led government (in late 1990s) continued, the common man would have got houses at affordable price. "Congress-NCP led government could not solve the issue," he said. "Sena will not allow builders to indulge in changing names of localities (as has been done in some central Mumbai areas)...Development of any area should be done in consultation with the municipal corporation," he said. Thackeray also demanded that government should take a written undertaking from builders that they will "not make their own laws" while developing any land. Breaking away from the tradition of announcing major policies in the legislature or at press conferences, the government today announced the much-awaited housing policy at a rally in Ghatkopar East, which is the constituency of Minister for Housing, Prakash Mehta. Shiv Sena, for the first time, appeared to have put its pro-Marathi stand aside and put up hoardings in Gujarati (the area has a sizable Gujarati population) which claimed that it had fulfilled its election promises. The Chief Minister said that redevelopment will take place where the people (residents of original buildings) live. Referring to the redevelopment of slums on airport lands, Fadnavis said rehabilitation of some 50,000 people would be done "in situ" (on site), and the written permission of the central government has been obtained for the same. Cluster development policy will be made applicable to Mumbai suburbs too, while redevelopment policy for Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, will be announced soon, he said. Redevelopment of 104 Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) layouts in Mumbai, which came up in 1950-60, will be done with FSI of 4. Elsewhere, for any reason if the FSI exceeds 3, then the builder will have to give housing stock to MHADA for the additional FSI. For a plot of land exceeding 2,000 sq mts, FSI of 4 shall be allotted to MHADA for creating housing stock. Under the cluster development, original inhabitants of buildings will get houses with more FSI. The National green Tribunal today gave its go-ahead to the construction of the multi-crore Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), being developed by Kerala government in collaboration with Adani Group, saying it was crucial for economic development of the country. The green panel, which refused to quash the environment clearance granted to the seaport, constituted an expert committee of seven members to look into compliance of conditions of environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance granted by the Environment Ministry. It also gave a free hand to the committee to impose additional conditions in addition those in the environmental and CRZ clearances in the interest of the protecting environment and ecology. The bench noted that Vizhinjam port was of vital importance as till date there was no single deep water container port and its establishment would result in transfer of large container vessels to the Indian Coast. "Presently, large container cargo vessels dock at Dubai, Singapore, Colombo etc which are transhipment hubs for goods meant for India. This would result in transhipment of trade including of the goods meant for Bangladesh, Burma etc. This will also boost the development of Indian coastal shipping which is much cheaper than any other mode of transport.... "Building of such port is crucial for the economic development for the State as well as the country, lack of port infrastructure is seriously hampering India's international trade, competitiveness and India's economic growth. "National security is also served in emergency because of proximity to international shipping routes. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard can make use of it. Cruise terminal of large cruise vessel at Vizhinjam will also boost tourism," a bench comprising NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice R S Rathore said. The seaport project, being developed in Public Private Partnership model, involves construction of quays, terminal area and port building and is expected to be completed in three phases. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones Ltd (APSEZ), India's biggest private port operator, had won the contract for the project. VISL is a special purpose government company fully owned by the state government that has to act as an implementing agency for the development of the greenfield seaport at Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram. The green panel also directed the expert committee to implement all recommendations of the fisheries management plan, specially relating to creation of additional fish landing centres, upgradation of existing fishing harbour, skill development and other welfare measures required for fishermen and their families. The expert committee should submit a quarterly report on the monitoring carried out by it to the NGT, the order said. It rejected the contention of petitioners Wilfred J, V Marydasan and other local residents that the site in question was one of the areas of "outstanding natural beauty" according to CRZ Notification, 1991 and held that subsequent 2011 CRZ Notification does not include this clause. "The plea of protecting 'areas of outstanding natural beauty' is a general concept applicable to all States, while the subject matter of the present application is limited to the granting or otherwise of environmental clearance and CRZ to Vizhinjam Port. Thus the contention is entirely unfounded," it said. The NGT, in its 133-page verdict, said it has no reason to believe that public hearing was not conducted fairly and in a transparent manner as suggestions received were incorporated by the Expert Appraisal Committee. It directed establishment of mechanism for setting up a cell within Coastal Zone Management Act of Kerala for regular monitoring of the shoreline changes in the project area at the cost of the project proponent. With regard to generation of sewage in the harbour complex, it said the entire sewage should be processed within the complex without discharging any untreated waste into the sea or on land. The bench ordered setting up of adequate number of air quality monitoring stations by the project proponent within the site in consultation with the Kerala Pollution Control Board. The project proponent was also directed to ensure that air pollution, during construction and operation phase, from construction works, transportation of construction debris and material and due to vehicular emission, remains within the ambient air quality standards at all the times. "In case this Tribunal finds any default on the part of the project proponent in relation to compliance of EC or CRZ or directions contained in this Judgment or in relation to instructions given by the Expert Committee, the Tribunal shall be constrained to pass penal and coercive orders, including imposition of environmental compensation," the bench said. The National Green Tribunal today refused to quash the environment clearance granted to the Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd, being developed by Adani Group in Thiruvananthapuram. A bench comprising NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice R S Rathore, however, constituted an expert committee of seven members to look into compliance of conditions of environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance. The green panel, while disposing of the pleas seeking withdrawal of environment clearance given to the venture, also directed the project proponent Adani Group to maintain fisheries harbour on the port for welfare of local fishermen. The tribunal's order came on pleas by Thiruvananthapuram- based environmental activists, Wilfred J and V Marydasan, seeking its direction that coastal areas throughout the country, including Vizhinjam coast, be preserved and no activity be undertaken which would damage such areas. The matter was being heard since February this year by a five-member panel after the Supreme Court paved the way for resumption of hearing. However, in the meantime, one of the expert members retired. The green panel had on August 29 reserved its judgement after the Ministry of Environment and Forests and other parties, including Adani, agreed that remaining four members could pronounce the judgment and they had no objection. The harbour project got environmental and CRZ clearance on January 3, 2014. The activists claimed that the project was being established in the area which was once protected under a 1991 notification. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aam Aadmi Party government on Friday told the Delhi High Court that cabs running on Uber and platforms cannot get immunity for violating the law merely because a special panel was working on formulating a uniform policy to regulate such companies. Uber on the other hand contended before Justice Manmohan that several of their cabs were challaned or confiscated merely because they did not have caliberated meters and alleged that the action was being taken by the government at the behest of some of its competitors to end our business. The court, however, did not issue any interim direction on Uber's application seeking quashing of the challans of its cabs and restraining the government from taking any coercive steps against it. The court instead issued notice to the government and sought its response by September 6 on Uber's plea. It also told Delhi government lawyers that since everyone is cooperating and a panel was working on devising a policy, the transport department should be asked to wait till the committee comes out with its report. "If you (government) have waited so long, wait for some more time till the committee comes with a solution in its report," the court said. It, however, added that if there was any violation of the undertaking given by the app-based cab aggregators on surge-pricing, then action has to be taken. Thereafter, senior standing counsel for Delhi government Rahul Mehra and additional standing counsel Naushad Ahmed told the court the message would be conveyed to the department. The lawyers, however, said the companies cannot enjoy blanket immunity from action. An Association of Radio Taxis and Delhi government also contended that instead of Uber coming to court, the owners of the challaned or confiscated vehicles ought to have gone to the transport authority against the action taken. The court on August 11 had set August 22 as the deadline after which taxi aggregators as well as cab operators cannot charge passengers more than the government-fixed rates. It had also directed a special committee set up by the Centre to examine all issues related to existing permits given to taxis and cab aggregators. it would also include one senior official each from the Ministry of Information Technology, Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Traffic Police apart from obtaining advise of a transport expert from NITI Aayog. Left parties today questioned the "sincerity" of the NDA government in addressing concerns of the working class, saying it made no move to start consultations with central trade unions even after the call for the nationwide strike was given. They claimed the strike was a "tremendous" success having the involvement of over 18 crore workers. "The #AllIndiaStrike called by all central trade unions (except Sangh Parivar's BMS) involved more than 18 crore workers across the country. "It was a tremendous success, as it brought into focus agenda of vast majority of our people subjected to relentless imposition of severe economic burdens," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a Facebook post. Yechury said though the strike was called by industrial workers, "entire gamut" of working class including shop owners, farmers and unorganised workers participated in the protest for variety of reasons. Thanking the protesters for coming out in support of the issues of livelihood and dignity of working people and poor of the country, the Marxist leader said, "Even now, after the call of the strike was given, there was no move from the government to start consultations with the trade unions. That much for the sincerity of the BJP government about issues of the working class." He though hoped that the support garnered by the strike will awaken the Central government to the gravity of situation. The CPI observed the protests as the "most successful" general strike and claimed there was a "bandh-like" situation in many states as employees attached to banks, insurance companies, telecommunication players, coal, steel and mining sectors went on strike, besides state transporters. The party also urged the government to start discussions with the CTUs and solve their "justified" demands as early as possible. Normal life in various parts of the country was partly affected by the strike with banking, transport and coal mining being among the most impacted, while hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra. However, life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Striking a conciliatory note after the belligerent stand over the past few days, RSS' former Goa unit chief Subhash Velingkar today said there was no rift in the organisation and the differences would be sorted out soon. Velingkar had taken on the BJP government in Goa over its support for English-medium schools and was ousted from his post as Goa unit chief of RSS on August 31. "If there is any rift it won't sustain for long, it (Sangh) is not like BJP. This is a temporary phase. There is no rift between swayamsevaks, the differences are due to the system and that can be corrected. There is no divide in our hearts," Velingkar told PTI, after addressing a meeting of his supporters in the Goa RSS here late in the evening. He was reacting to the statements of senior local RSS leaders Ratnakar Lele, Datta Bhikaji Naik and others who called his decision to form a 'Goa Prant' of RSS, separate from the Konkan Prant, as "unfortunate". "We don't want to increase the rift in the RSS, in few days you will see Sangh together. This is a temporary phase. Without affecting the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) agitation, we will bridge the gap," Velingkar said. The former RSS Goa chief said he and his supporters were not angry with RSS. "Some people committed mistakes, it has to be corrected, that can be done," he said. He had communicated his stand on the entire issue to the core leadership in Nagpur, he said. Responding to a question on RSS senior leadership refusing to recognise 'Goa Prant' formed by him, Velingkar said, "Whatever has been done, we accept it, provided BBSM is not affected. We will work with the same strength." He refused to comment further on crisis in Goa RSS stating "it is Sangh's internal matter, and the Sangh knows how to tackle it. "We only want that nothing should affect BBSM. Let there be 10 or 15 internal) committees, but we will see to it that public cause is not affected," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CHEYENNE The Wyoming Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal from a man who contends it was unconstitutional for the state to seize $470,000 in cash from him without charging him with a crime. Chief Justice E. James Burke on Tuesday dismissed an appeal from Robert Miller of Des Plaines, Illinois. Authorities say a state trooper seized the cash after pulling Miller over in 2013 for speeding on Interstate 80. The state never charged him with a crime and waited about a year to bring a civil court action to forfeit the money. A state district judge early this year denied Miller's request to dismiss the forfeiture case on constitutional grounds. Burke ruled that Miller couldn't appeal the judge's ruling because the forfeiture case is still pending in district court. Nobel Peace Prize winner Wided Bouchamaoui urged people everywhere today not to "muddle up" terrorism with Islam. The Tunisian businesswoman, who co-founded the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet which won the 2015 peace prize, said Muslims who practice their faith calmly and respectfully are "victims of a semantic problem" when "terrorists" are described as "Islamic terrorists." "I think we should call a spade a spade," Bouchamaoui told the UN General Assembly's high-level forum on The Culture of Peace. "A terrorist is a killer, a murderer, a criminal and I would even say an imposter who is manipulating Islam." The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was cited by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for making a "decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia" after the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. Bouchamaoui said Tunisia is still considered "the exception" to the Arab Spring because it has been able to avoid conflict and to promote dialogue and compromise. It has also been able to promote democracy and is taking steps to counter "terrorism," she said. But after deadly attacks in Tunisia and elsewhere carried out by extremists, she said "it is absolutely crucial to review and reconsider the solutions the international community can provide to the complex issue of terrorism in order to stem as best as possible the evil." Beyond the victims who are often civilians, Bouchamaoui said "terrorism seeks to strike public opinion, to intimidate it by instilling a climate of fear and terror and they have achieved this in some places." The Nobel laureate said she and others intend to join forces to fight extremism, which knows no borders. "It must be considered as a priority of the UN agenda on the culture of peace and non-violence," Bouchamaoui said. Stressing the importance of international action, she said, "I would like to urge each and every one of you not to muddle up terrorism (with) Islam." By referring to terrorists as Islamic, Bouchamaoui said, confusion is created in people's minds between the Muslim faith "and a team of Jihadists who are prepared to blow themselves up by killing innocent people." She said threats to peace and security "linked to terrorism" are one challenge Tunisia is facing. Increased insecurity in Tunisia is mainly the result of "disastrous management" of the conflict in neighboring Libya, Bouchamaoui said. "We are very much paying a very high price for the instability in Libya. It affects our country every day, and our neighboring country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Barack Obama went off the beaten track -- way off -- to a newly expanded marine reserve on an atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, part of an effort to polish his environmental legacy. Obama flew three hours west of his native Honolulu to Midway Atoll, on the far northwestern tip of the Hawaiian island chain. The atoll is situated at the heart of Papahanaumokuakea, a vast Pacific marine reserve given protected status by then- president George W Bush in 2006. Obama recently quadrupled its size to make it the world's largest marine reserve, home to 7,000 marine species, including many endangered birds as well as the Hawaiian monk seal and black coral, which can live for 4,500 years. "This is going to be a precious resource for generations to come," Obama told reporters on Midway's Turtle Beach. All the atoll's 40 inhabitants -- mostly US Fish and Wildlife Service staff -- greeted him. Until recently, the area was perhaps best known to military history buffs. Seventy-four years ago, the Battle of Midway was a decisive naval fight in World War II that turned the tide of the war against Japan. Obama praised the "courage and perseverance" of the vastly outnumbered American soldiers who repelled Japanese forces. "This is hallowed ground," he said. Now, he added, protecting the vast ecosystem "allows us to study and research and understand our oceans better than we ever have before." The president was later set to go snorkeling with friends away from journalists, the White House said. Since taking office in 2009, he has designated more protected areas than any of his predecessors using the Antiquities Act, signed in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt, who established the first national monuments. For the outgoing president, the visit is part of an eight- year effort to put the environment and tackling climate change higher on the political agenda. Scientists would be able to undertake "critically important" study of climate change in the marine reserve, he said. Although Bush created Papahanaumokuakea, he also earned international scorn by rejecting the global climate deal reached at Kyoto. Obama, in contrast, has led the charge to secure the recently struck Paris climate agreement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said farmers in Singur will get back their land within the time-frame set by Supreme Court, officials today began survey of the land acquired by the erstwhile Left Front government for the Tata Motors's Nano project. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress's local unit celebrated 'Singur Divas' elsewhere in the agrarian belt of Hooghly district raising slogans in support of Chief Minister and Singur land movement "spearhead" Mamata Banerjee. The team which included District Magistrate, Hooghly, Sanjay Bansal, Superintendent of Police Praveen Tripathy, ADM (LR) Purnendu Maji, BDO Singur Suman Chakraborty and BLRO Prabal Bagol first began surveying the deserted Nano compound area. As the labourers began cutting bushes and jungles with tractors and harvester equipment, the team started measuring the land which will continue for 3-4 days, a senior member of the team told reporters. After land survey, field survey would start and on completion of that process, the land owners would receive their respective lands, the official said. The land survey will take about two weeks, the official said, adding another team from Directorate of Land Record and Survey would reach Singur with modern equipment latest by Monday. Meanwhile, TMC men were busy observing 'Singur Divas' in different parts of the place, known for its multicrop fertile land, led by leaders of then 'Kristi Jami Raksha Committee', formed in 2006 to protest erstwhile Left Front government's land acquisition policies, to celebrate the apex court judgement. TMC block president Becharam Manna, one of the key functionaries of the then committee, said, "Message of our land movement has now reached to different corners of the country. Singur has shown the way." "We would soon call a convention with unwilling landowners, who fought from our camp. We would get their feedback. If the unwilling land owners demand industries, we would inform the leadership," he said. Banerjee yesterday said in Kolkata, "Instructions have been issued to start the land survey from Friday. Everyone will get back their land. Our intention is to honour the court verdict within the time limit." The government has also taken the onus to make the land, parts of which are now concrete for a Tata Motors factory which was supposed to come up on it, cultivable, she had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protests in the aftermath of a road accident, in which a labourer was killed, took an ugly turn here today when a group of transporters allegedly opened fire on the agitators, leading to the death of another person. Police said a labourer was run over by a truck, the driver of which subsequently took shelter at a steel mill in order to escape the ire of the protesters who came after him, forced their way into the mill and allegedly indulged in stone-pelting, causing damage to its property. In the meantime, the owner of the truck arrived at the spot with his supporters and a heated exchange ensued between the two groups, police said. The transporters allegedly opened fire on the protesters, leading to the death of one person, they added. Ludhiana DCP Dhruman Nimble said one person was arrested and four others were rounded up for investigations. The person killed in the firing was identified as Vishwanath, he added. However, the labourer who was crushed by the truck was yet to be identified. Four empty cartridges were recovered from the spot, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Students from across the country have applied for SV.CO's six-month Silicon Valley programme as the world's first digital incubator for college-goers has received an overwhelming response for its inaugural entrepreneurship course that commences from January next. Overall, applications of 1,946 teams from 1,443 engineering colleges across 228 Universities in 26 states including Jammu and Kashmir, have been received for the first phase of selection process, which was completed on August 31. "We have waived the application fee for the Kashmiri students to enable them to participate as they were unable to pay online. OTPs through SMS cannot be received in Kashmir due to intermittent ban on mobile services," said Chairman of the Startup Village, which has now transitioned to its digital iteration as SV.CO. Students will now go through the coding and video task selection process where the best teams will be selected for the Silicon Valley Programme. Kerala accounts for the largest number of applications for the programme with 511, followed by Tamil Nadu (216), Andhra Pradesh (179), Telangana (131), Maharashtra (122), Karnataka (103) and Gujarat (86). Students who could not join the current phase of admission for which applications closed on August 31, can now apply online at www.Sv.Co for the phase 2 admissions, till September 30. Facebook, a partner of the programme, will provide access to the students to its developer teams in Menlo Park, California. The US-based social networking site is offering guidance and mentorship to students aspiring to become entrepreneurs through SV.CO, which has been ranked as India's top startup incubator. Leading e-commerce platform Paytm has also announced its support to SV.CO by offering 30 full scholarships to students of Startup Village. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani authorities have decided to speed up the process to bring back Baloch separatist leader and Nawaz Akbar Khan Bugti's grandson Brahamdagh Bugti, who is currently living in self-exile in Switzerland. Brahamdagh's grandfather Akbar Bugti was killed in an army operation in in 2006, which angered several young Balochs who took up arms. Police Department has contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh in order to complete the Red Notice application requirements for Interpol, The Express Tribune reported. After the completion of the required paperwork, Pakistan would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to Pakistan. Interpol notices are requests of cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. In the case of Red Notices, the suspects are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Interpol assists the national police in identifying and locating these wanted people for lawful action. According to preliminary identification details submitted by the police, the 33-year-old chief of the banned Baloch Republican Party is known in his close circles as 'Sahib'. Brahamdagh had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on Balochistan. According to Balochistan police, Brahamdagh has two wives named Laila Bibi and Shuli Bibim and four children. He hails from the Raheja Bugti tribe and is operating the Baloch Republican Army network from Switzerland. He fled to Afghanistan during the crackdown on Baloch rebels and moved to Switzerland when Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. In Switzerland, he sought political asylum in 2011 but the Swiss government turned down his request in January 2016, citing Islamabad's decision of declaring him a "terrorist" wanted for multiple attacks. Lawmakers in Pakistan's Punjab Assembly have condemned Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's recent statement that "going to Pakistan is like going to hell" and asked the government to summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest over it. Speaking on the point of order in the Assembly, treasury member Ramesh Singh Arora said that Parrikar's statement was "regrettable". "India has not only committed atrocities against Kashmiris for demanding their right to franchise but is also accusing Islamabad of fomenting violence in Kashmir," he said. "The propaganda against Pakistan must be checked," he said. Arora and other members of the Assembly demanded that the Foreign Office summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest against Parrikar's statement. Another treasury member Sheikh Allauddin suggested that Punjab Assembly should invite Indian novelist and rights activist Arundhati Roy for briefing the assembly members on the issue. He asked the Speaker to consider his proposal seriously. Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar appreciated the suggestion and drew attention of the House towards its legal and diplomatic aspects. "The Foreign Office may be approached in this respect and the next step should be taken in the light of its advice on invitation to Roy to visit Pakistan especially the Punjab Assembly," Sarwar said. A number of other members both from treasury and opposition also criticised India for the violence in Kashmir and supported the Kashmiris' right to self-determination during the yesterday's session. Parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad told the House that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formed a committee of parliamentarians to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums. Earlier, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Committee members had also condemned Parrikar's statement and demanded that he should apologise for hurting the sentiments of Pakistanis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Pakistani national has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for trying to smuggle sensitive military technology to the Pakistan army, the US Department of Justice has said. A US Court in Arizona passed the sentence on 71-year-old Syed Vaqar Ashraf of Lahore yesterday, after he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to export defence controlled items without a license. Federal prosecutors alleged Ashraf attempted to procure gyroscopes and illegally ship them to Pakistan so they could be used by the Pakistani military. Ashraf then traveled to Belgium to inspect the products and arrange for their final transport to Pakistan. He was arrested on August 26, 2014 by the Belgium Federal Police at the request of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, who had been conducting an undercover investigation of his activities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Palestinian journalist has been detained by the Hamas-led security services in the Gaza Strip, his wife said on today. "Internal security and police stormed the house yesterday and arrested my journalist husband Mohammed Othman for unknown reasons," Huda Baroud told AFP. "They searched his bedroom and confiscated Mohammed's laptop and phone, as well as my phone and his notebook." "I think he was arrested because of his investigative work with the (London-based) AlAraby TV and the al-Monitor site." Othman, 29, had been working on an investigation into the black market for construction materials in Gaza and had faced threats in recent months, his wife said. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate expressed concern, saying Othman's arrest came "against the background of his professional work and journalistic investigations carried out in the Gaza Strip". It also said that he had been threatened. Officials in the Islamist Hamas-led government in Gaza declined to comment. A report on Tuesday by Human Rights Watch accused Palestinian security forces in both Gaza and the West Bank of arresting and abusing journalists. "Both Palestinian governments, operating independently, have apparently arrived at similar methods of harassment, intimidation and physical abuse of anyone who dares criticise them," Sari Bashi, the organisation's Israel and Palestine director, said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Step Up All In" helmer Trish Sie will now head the upcoming comedy "Pitch Perfect 3" after Elizabeth Banks left the director's chair. Producers Paul Brooks, Max Handelman and Banks, who launched an immediate hunt for a replacement, finalised Sie after the franchise's first installment helmer, Jason Moore, also declined the project due to unavailability, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Grammy award-winning Sie has only directed one film so far in her career which was 2014's "Step Up All In," the fifth installment of the dance-themed franchise. "Pitch Perfect 3" which was earlier expected to release on July 21, 2017 will now hit the theatres on December 22 next year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dates to remember Sept. 8: Morton county SCD meeting, NRCS office, Mandan, 9:30 a.m. Sept. 15: Morton County Fairboard meeting, Morton County Fairgrounds, New Salem, 7:30 p.m. South Dakota and Montana have released new winter wheat varieties for the fall of 2016. Both are available for distribution to the county seed increase program this fall. These varieties will be released through the Morton County Crop Improvement Association. This will be foundation seed and would be available for sale to producers in the fall of 2017 as registered seed. If anyone is interested in either of these varieties, call the Morton County Extension Office at 667-3340 by Tuesday, Sept. 6. South Dakota variety Oahe (SD10257-2) was developed from the cross Ransom/SD96240-3-1. It has an excellent yield potential and above-average test weights. Oahe is an inch taller than Overland but heading is similar to Overland, which is two days later than Expedition. It would be a good replacement for Overland with better yield and straw strength. In the Northern Regional Performance Nursery, Oahe ranked first based on average yield over all locations in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In the South Dakota Crop Performance Testing statewide trials in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 it ranked eighth, fourth, second and 15th based on average yield over all locations. It is moderately resistant to leaf and stripe rust and wheat streak mosaic virus. It was also moderately resistant to moderately susceptible to Fusarium head blight (scab) and moderately susceptible to stem rust. Oahe has average protein content and has very good milling quality, but lower than average overall baking quality. Montana variety Loma (MTS1224) is an awned, white-glumed, semi-solid stemmed, semi-dwarf hard red winter wheat. Loma has medium-late maturity, 164 days heading from Jan. 1, slightly later than currently deployed Montana cultivars. Loma is semi-dwarf (Rht allele unknown) and short (29.8 inches, n=42), most similar to CDC Falcon and SY Wolf and Bearpaw. Winter hardiness of Loma needs further evaluation but appears to be superior to that of Judee and Rampart. Loma is resistant to prevalent races of stem rust, including UG99, and stripe rust, but susceptible to leaf rust. Preliminary evaluation indicates Loma may be resistant to Cepholosporium stripe. Bangladeshi police today killed a militant during a raid on a hideout of terrorists here even as two police officers were injured in an ensuing gunfight, according to a media report. "A militant was killed; the clampdown is underway at the militant den," private Ekatuuur TV reported. Police was not immediately available for comments but the report suggested that two police officers, including the in charge of the nearby police station, were wounded in the gunfight with the terrorist. The policemen were admitted to the sate-run Dhaka medical College Hospital for treatment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asking police officers to be "judicious" in their actions, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said they should work to end the "crisis of credibility" afflicting the force. Talking to young Indian Police Service (IPS) officers during his visit to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy here, he asked them to act with "empathy". "I tell my politician friends also that there is a crisis of credibility in politics. There is a mismatch between words and deeds. "Likewise, the police also works in public domain and this crisis is seen there too. This has to end. We have to take this as a challenge and end the crisis of credibility in public service life," he said at the academy here. Singh, on a day-long visit to the Telangana capital, said while police has to take some stern actions, they should always be judicious. He urged the probationer IPS officers and those present from other services like the army to prepare themselves for the future challenges like cyber crime. "I was recently told by a NCRB report that incidents of cyber crime had increased 2,400 per cent over the last decade. We have to be prepared to meet this challenge," he said. He asked the trainee officers to show "empathy" with not only the public that they come across during their course of work but also with their subordinates. "Public service like yours should be done with a large heart. What we require is an attitude that is large hearted," he said adding they should remember that they are "public servants." "I believe and hope that you will keep intact the high values of professional excellence, integrity and honesty when you go out and work in the field," he said. He said the role of police is changing fast and it has to keep itself updated. Singh also noted that India is a country of diversities and all religions and people are respected here. "We have 72 sects of Islam in our country which no Islamic country in the world has. We have the maximum Parsis here and we have the oldest church in this country," he said. He also spoke about spirituality and said the "magnitude of happiness is directly proportional to the circumference of the heart". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kolhapur police in Maharashtra today took the custody of Sanatan Sanstha member Virendra Tawde, earlier arrested by CBI in Narendra Dabholkar murder case. Kolhapur police obtained his custody in connection with the murder of CPI leader and rationalist Govind Pansare. CBI had arrested Tawde from Panvel in June, alleging that he was involved in the Dabholkar murder "conspiracy". A police officer said here Tawde had worked as an organiser for the conservative Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha in Kolhapur for some time, and therefore he came under the scanner of state police SIT probing the Pansare murder case. The special CBI court in Pune had earlier allowed Kolhapur police to take his custody whenever needed. Tawde is lodged in Yerawada jail near Pune. Kolhapur police has already arrested Sameer Gaikwad, another member of Sanatan Sanstha, in the Pansare murder case. While Dabholkar, a noted anti-superstition activist, was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare, known for his rationalist views, was shot dead in Kolhapur on February 20, 2015. His wife too was injured in the attack. (Reopens BES 38) Reacting to the development, Megha Pansare, the late CPI leader's daughter-in-law who had earlier sought a CBI probe in this case too, said, "On June 20, court had given them permission to take Tawde's custody, however it took SIT over two months to take the custody. It shows how serious they are about the investigation. Puducherry Government will celebrate Teachers' Day on September 9 instead of September 5 which happens to be a holiday on account of Vinayaka Chaturthi, Education and Agriculture Minister R Kamalakannan told the Puducherry assembly today. During zero hour, he said as many as 21 teachers would be presented awards at a function on that day. He said necessary circulars would be sent to the schools in this regard. He was replying to a question by ruling Congress member R K R Anandaraman who wanted to know the date on which the Teachers' day celebrations would be held in Puducherry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of an Italian bishop who welcomed into his diocese priests accused of, and in some cases convicted of, sexual abuse, homicide and other crimes. The Vatican didn't say why Bishop Mario Olivieri resigned two years before the regular retirement age of 75. Usually, the Vatican announces early retirements by saying they were due to a "grave" reason that made the bishop unfit for office. In Olivieri's case, the Vatican didn't even provide that information yesterday. Italian newspapers have identified a handful of priests accused or convicted of crimes who were accepted by the tradition-minded Olivieri into his Albenga-Imperia dioceses. In a letter on the diocesan website today, Olivieri said he was pained to leave because he loved the dioceses "and above all its priests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today tried to make headway on a lingering territorial dispute as they sought to boost trade, but failed to make a breakthrough. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the leaders had discussed the disputed islands at talks that had focused on boosting trade ties but remained vague on the prospects of solving the conflict. "We are now sensing the readiness of our Japanese partners to discuss issues tied to joint business activities on the islands," Lavrov said, adding that the countries were also mulling humanitarian cooperation. Abe's visit to Russia - his second this year - comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip there since 2005. Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg ahead of the talks that Moscow was seeking a "solution where neither party will feel... Defeated or a loser." "We are not talking about some kind of exchange or some kind of sale," he said. Putin said signing a peace treaty with Japan was a "key issue" and that Moscow "would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends." Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make progress on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive. The two sides, meeting on the sidelines of an economic forum in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, had expressed the hope of easing some of the tensions surrounding the contested islands. "I'm resolved to make progress on the peace treaty and territorial issues by holding candid and thorough talks with President Putin," Abe told reporters before he set off for Vladivostok. Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscow's trade ties with stalwart US ally Tokyo, but doubt they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute. "Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognise them," Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview published today urged compromise to find agreement on an oil production freeze to combat a global supply glut. "We consider that it is the right decision for world markets, that's the first thing," Putin told Bloomberg . The globe's major oil producers have been unable to strike a deal on freezing output due mainly to a dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran over Tehran's desire to boost levels after the lifting of sanctions. "I think that in fact from the point of view of economic expediency and logic it would be correct to find some sort of compromise, I am sure that everyone understands this," Putin said. Oil markets rallied last month on hopes that producing countries will limit supply when they meet later this month in Algeria. But so far nations such as Iran and Iraq show no signs of a willingness to freeze output, raising the prospect of another failure. Russian energy minister Alexander Novak told Russian agency Interfax on Friday that Moscow has not yet been officially invited to the Algiers gathering but said it was "likely" that the meeting would discuss the "current situation". Oil plunged from over USD 100 per barrel in mid-2014 after OPEC nations, which usually cut production to support prices, instead boosted output in an effort to drive out new shale producers in the US. After falling below USD 30 per barrel at the start of the year, oil prices are now over USD 40 per barrel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was keen to resolve a territorial dispute with Japan ahead of talks today with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, although a solution appears far off. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. "We are not talking about some kind of exchange or some kind of sale," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg . "We are talking about finding a solution where neither party will feel ... Defeated or a loser." The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties. Putin said that signing a peace treaty with Japan was a "key issue" and that Moscow "would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends." Abe's visit to Russia -- his second this year -- comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip to the country since 2005. Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make headway on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive. Both sides have confirmed that the disputed islands will be addressed in Friday's talks, taking place on the sidelines of an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. "I'm resolved to make progress on the peace treaty and territorial issues by holding candid and thorough talks with President Putin," Abe told reporters before he set off for Vladivostok. Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscow's trade ties with stalwart US ally Tokyo, but doubt that they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute. "The two parties are likely to show that they are in favour of a peace treaty but will try not to publically express their disagreements about the Kuril islands," Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said. "Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognise them." Foreign minister Lavrov said earlier this year that Russia wants to "move forward" its ties with Japan but is not prepared to budge on the "result of World War II". Russia has angered Japan recently by building new modern compounds for its troops stationed on two of the disputed islands. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo last year when he visited the islands, which are home to some 19,000 Russians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Radiologists across the country today deferred their indefinite strike by a few months, after the government assured them their issues related to a legislation on sex determination would be addressed. The Indian Radiological & Imaging Association had yesterday said it would go on a nationwide indefinite strike from today, after it failed to reach a resolution with the government. "We held further talks with the government. We also communicated to our branch presidents the assurances given by the Health Ministry and, barring a few of them, all agreed to defer the strike by at least two-three months and work out a common ground during this time," IRIA President O P Bansal said. The IRIA had yesterday held a protest at Jantar Mantar to press for their demand of amending the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, claiming that even clerical mistakes committed during their job like writing wrong names of patients are "equated" with sex-determination. The apex body of radiologists had on August 31 given the first call for an indefinite strike from September 1. Later it held talks with the Health Ministry the same day. Yesterday, when the final outcome of the meeting came, they had deemed it "unsatisfactory" and decided to go on the nationwide strike. "Our strike was only for private hospitals and diagnostic centres, as we considered that several patients are suffering from dengue and other diseases, so government hospitals should not be burdened. In government hospitals, radiologists just wore black bands as a mark of protest," Bansal said. "But after most of our branches decided to defer the strike, so we are doing it, but we have not called it off," he said. The IRIA chief, however said, "radiologist today performed CT-MRI scans and dealt with emergency cases of only indoor patients." The apex body of radiologists has alleged that certain provisions of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act are "draconian" and these need to be amended. "Even minor clerical mistakes committed during our job are equated to sex-determination. And several radiologists have faced harassment and been victimised," he claimed. Set up in 1930s as Indian Radiological Association, the IRIA has currently about 14,000 members and 27 chapters across the country. Meanwhile, nurses in government hospitals across the country went on an indefinite strike from tomorrow, at a time when Delhi and several other cities are grappling with rising cases of dengue and chikungunya. (REOPENS DEL 85) Earlier at a press conference here, a section of activists alleged that the demand of radiologists to amend the PC-PNDT Act amounted to "dilution" of the legislation that seeks to prevent sex determination. "We are saying the Act should be properly implemented and not diluted. This strike call by the IRIA is only a step in that direction. We also appeal to good doctors to come forward and raise voice against bad doctors who indulge in sex- determination," said Jagmati Sangwan of All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA). Rights activist Sabu Mathew George, quoting a government figure, said, "Till March, there are over 2,200 ongoing police or court cases in connection with sex-determination by radiologists." "There are 53,609 registered bodies across the country authorised to conducting ultrasounds, with Maharashtra accounting for maximum 7,219 and Delhi 1,571," he said. As per the figures, nearly 1,600 machines have been seized and 350 convictions done while 100 medical licences have been cancelled or suspended, he said. "Today's strike will legitimise these genocidal crimes and encourage the new generation to flout laws like PNDT," he claimed. Sehjo Singh of Action Aid India said, "In the west it is a matter of choice, as sex determination is legal, but in India it is a matter of violence." She said after tireless campaigns in the 1980, finally, in 1988 Maharashtra enacted the first law against foetal sex determination and Indian Parliament in 1994 (excepting Jammu & Kashmir) and Jammu and Kashmir in 2002. IRIA President Bansal said, "Our demand does not amount to dilution of the law." "We are even saying that the punishment should be increased to 20 years, in case a radiologist is found guilty, but why for clerical errors innocent people should be punished," he said. "Family members are also involved in sex-determination, they should also be convicted. Also, as per clerical errors, sometime patients furnish incomplete or incorrect information, but even for that thing, radiologists are harassed under the Act," he claimed. Also, out of the over 50,000 registered bodies authorised to conduct ultrasounds, most of them are done by "sonologists and not trained and certified radiologists". "The government must try and put a check on these mushrooming private sonology centres where ultrasounds are being done," he said. "Patient records in radiological scans are kept for two years generally and in matter of a court case, till the case has been resolved," he said. Rahul Gandhi will hold 'Khaat Sabhas' to have one-to-one interaction with farmers during his month-long 'Deoria to Dilli' yatra beginning September 6. "During the yatra, Rahul Gandhi will hold 'Khaat Sabhas' (meetings on charpoy) with farmers at Deoria and Kushinagar, to have one-to-one dialogue with them," Congress spokesman R P N Singh told reporters here. The party has made preparations to make success the 2,500-km long yatra, during which a team of national spokespersons will be camping in Lucknow to apprise the media about the developments. Besides, a team of party spokespersons team would be meeting the media at least twice every week. "Apart from this, a panel of party leaders have been formed who will participate in the television debates. They would be authorised to officially put forth the Congress' views," senior party leader and national spokesperson Meem Afzal said. Poll strategist Prashant Kishore, who had earlier worked for Modi and understood to have coined the famous 'chai pe charcha' during the lok sabha campaign, has been engaged by Congress and is working to restore party's lost ground in Uttar Pradesh ahead of 2017 Assembly polls. Rahul's month-long yatra will cover 39 districts and 55 parliamentary constituencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota is offering Student of Integrity Scholarships for Minnesota and North Dakota high school students entering their senior year. This year, $13,000 in scholarship funds will be awarded. These scholarships, which are presented jointly with BBB Torch Awards for Ethics honoring upstanding businesses, recognize and promote ethics and integrity among young people. They are awarded to students who have demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of ethics in their personal choices and actions. There are five scholarships available this year one for $4,500, three for $2,500 and one for $1,000. Scholarship recipients will be honored at BBBs annual Torch Awards Ceremony on Oct. 27. To apply for the scholarships, students are asked to select one or two of the 20 principles found in the document UncommonSense. Applicants will then either write an essay or create a video that provides specific examples of ways they were challenged by a difficult situation and how they overcame that situation through the application of character and personal ethics. Essays must be at least 1,000 words and videos must be at least 30 seconds long, but no longer than three minutes. In addition, applications must include the scholarship entry form, one letter of recommendation, a copy of the students transcript, as well as a list of extracurricular activities and post-secondary plans. Entries will be reviewed by an independent panel of judges, with a focus given on the quality of the essay or video. All entries must be received by 4:30 p.m. Sept. 22. For more information on the scholarships, go to thefirstbbb.org/scholarship. Parents or students with questions can contact Mackenzie Kelley at 651-695-2482 or mackenzie.kelley@thefirstbbb.org. Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today said his government was ready for exploring out-of-court settlement of the Mahadeyi river water dispute through talks with the neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra. Mahadeyi Water Disputes Tribunal suggested yesterday that governments of the three states can find an out-of-court amicable solution "in the spirit of brotherhood in a federal system". Goa has opposed Karnataka and Maharashtra's plans to divert the Mahadeyi water by constructing dams. "I am not averse...As long as the state's interest is not compromised," Parsekar said here, speaking to reporters. He learnt about the tribunal's suggestion from the media, he added. "I am ready to hold discussions with the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Let them state what they want. I have no problem with an amicable settlement," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hours after the Supreme Court asked it to disclose the source of its money, the Sahara Group today said the money collected through optionally fully- convertible debentures (OFCD) were invested in various assets and the group companies made the money available when the need arose for making repayments to the investors. The group's statement, which came after the apex court asked the company to disclose the source of money to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore that was arranged, said, "it is relevant to mention that Sahara operates from around 5000 branches across the country and all the payments were made through those branches only. "It is this pan-India network of Sahara's branches, which made the company to refund money." The group, through its lawyer, further said that all the documents pertaining to these repayments have been handed over to SEBI in original, along with the original bond certificates surrendered by the investors. It said that all the documents pertaining to the payments made to the investors have already been placed before the apex court. "Since the majority of the investors of Sahara do not have the bank accounts and they had made the investments in cash, therefore they were refunded and paid in cash only," the statement said. It justified the payment made in cash, saying that SEBI and other statutory authorities permit cash transactions up to the tune of Rs 50,000, and the average investment in the OFCD was around Rs 8,000. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top officials of the Bihar government and Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) today held a meeting to fasttrack execution of Phulpur to Haldia natural gas pipeline. Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh reviewed the status of the Bihar phase of the Phulpur-Haldia gas pipeline, dubbed as "Urja Ganga of Eastern India". The Bihar government has constituted an apex committee under Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to ensure execution of this project of national importance. Union minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan had on May 25 launched the first phase of project work for Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline here. The Review meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries of Industries, Water Resources, Revenue and Land Reform, Road Construction, Rural Development, Forest and Environment, Urban Development, and Chairman, Bihar State Pollution Control Board, and Managing Director, Bihar State Industrial Region Development Authority. From GAIL (India) Limited, Ashutosh Karnatak, Director (Projects) and S M Singh, General Manager (Construction), were present along with other senior officials, a GAIL statement said here. The Chief Secretary advised the concerned departments to resolve pending issues and ensure availability of balance permission within two weeks. It was decided to form a 'Samadhan Committee' headed by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) in all districts to promptly resolve issues arising during project executions, the statement said. The anticipated investment of the project in Bihar is approximately Rs 2500 crore. Major beneficiaries will be IOCL, Barauni, HFCL, Barauni, City Gas Distribution in Patna, Gaya and Barauni. The pipeline is passing through nine districts of Bihar namely Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Patna, Shiekhpura, Lakhisarai and Begusarai. GAIL has already placed orders for purchase of 315 km of Line Pipes for Auraiya - Phulpur Pipeline. It had also placed orders earlier for Line Pipes of Phulpur - Dobhi (Gaya) Section of the Project and awarded Laying Work Contracts for the Dobhi - Patna-Barauni sections, the statement said. Laying Works in Dobhi - Patna-Barauni section have already commenced in September 2015. The 341 km Phulpur-Dobhi section is expected to start from October 2016 and the project upto Patna is targeted to be completed by December 2018. Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who has been entertaining the audience from more than four decades now, was today honoured at the first edition of BRICS Film Festival. The 63-year-old actor was felicitated at the inagural ceremony of the festival by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh, here. Rishi, who debuted in Bollywood as a child actor in his father Raj Kapoor's film "Mera Naam Joker", went on to give several memorable films like "Bobby", "Kabhie Kabhie", "Amar Akbar Anthony", "Karz", "Damini", "Chandni", "Agneepath" and the more recent "Kapoor & Sons". The actor said he felt special that he belonged to family, which "has contributed 88 years to an industry which has been existing for last 103 years and its fourth generation is still contributing." "Cinema is everything... Ek meri maa thi, ek cine-ma hai!. Cinema gives us an opportunity to see another land, culture and people... It is the ambassador who builds bridges, cuts across various borders and most importantly entertains," Rishi spoke in praise of films. The five-day long BRICS film festival will screen movies from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Sharing an anecdote about his father's craze in Russia, Rishi said once the actor-filmmaker traveled to Morroco without the visa but he was still welcomed by the authorities due to his popularity. "When he (Raj) was standing outside the airport, waiting for his taxi to come, slowly people started recognising him... After he sat in the taxi, he realised it wasn't moving but was in the air because people had lifted the car! Such was people's love for him, such is the magic of cinema. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor paid tribute to yesteryear actress Sadhana on her 75th birthday. Kapoor, 63, took to Twitter to thank the actress for being a trend setter and a great performer. "Remembering Sadhana ji today on her Birthday! Thank you for all the films and your style!," he wrote captioning a black and white picture of the "Mera Saaya" star. Sadhana, who is credited for introducing the fringe hairstyle in Indian film industry, died last year on December 25, after a brief illness. Some of her memorable films include "Love in Simla", "Hum Dono", "Ek Musafir Ek Hasina", "Asli-Naqli", "Mere Mehboob," "Woh Kaun Thi" and "Waqt". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days before its commercial launch, Reliance Jio today said it has fulfilled all licence conditions for commencement of services and incumbent players should meet their obligations to provide adequate interconnection and mobile number portability facility. Reliance Jio said it has intimated the Telecom Department, Trai and security agencies regarding the commencement of its wireless telecommunication services in all 22 service areas from September 5, 2016. "The company has also filed the tariff plans for wireless services with Trai. With these steps, the company has fulfilled all the requirements of Unified Licence for commencement of services," an RJio release said. "Currently, Jio test users are facing huge interconnect and MNP issues. Incumbent operators have maintained that once Jio intimates DOT and TRAI of its commencement of services in accordance with the licence conditions, they would provide adequate inter-connection facility to Jio as per Jio's requirements and Mobile Number Portability (MNP) facility," the statement added. RJio further said it expects and hopes that following the commencement of its services, the incumbent operators would fulfil their obligations to provide adequate interconnection and MNP facility. The company - which yesterday shook the market with its aggressive offerings including free voice calls and cheap data plans - has also threatened to report the operator-wise call failure numbers on its website 'www.Jio.Com', on a regular basis "in the spirit of putting the customer-first and complete transparency". "Jio looks forward to cooperation and working together with the industry to achieve the vision of Digital India. We appreciate the announcements made by the incumbent operators welcoming us to the industry and assuring that they will fulfill all their regulatory obligations," it said. Reliance Jio, the telecom venture of Reliance Industries said, it expect the incumbent operators to fulfil their regulatory obligations in "letter and spirit". Countering cellular operators association's charges that the company was bundling its voice with data, Reliance Jio said that the "data used for the voice calls will also neither be charged nor deducted from the data balance of the subscriber." Yesterday Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had said that RJio customers had suffered 5 crore call failures last week due to interconnectivity issues with existing networks. When contacted, COAI Director General, Rajan S Mathews said that that "incumbent operators will review the statement and respond accordingly". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two bike-borne robbers looted Rs 21 lakh from a collection agent after stabbing him with a glass bottle in Desh Bandhu Gupta(DBG) Road area in central Delhi, police said today. Dharmendra Kumar (43) sustained serious injuries in chest and leg and was admitted to Lady Hardinge hospital, police said. Dharmendra who works with a trader in Karol Bagh as a collection agent was returning to his office after collecting an amount of Rs 21 lakh from Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazar areas last night when he was looted, said a senior police officer. Around 10 pm when he reached near Sai Baba temple in Desh Bandhu Gupta Road area, two bike-borne robbers intercepted him and picked up a fight with him accusing him of hitting their bike, and tried to snatch the bag containing Rs 21 lakh, said the officer. After he resisted, the robbers picked up a broken bottle lying nearby and attacked him on his chest and leg and finally managed to snatch the bag by pulling out a pistol. Following the incident, Dharmendra contacted his employer who called the police. The cops reached the spot and admitted him in Lady Hardinge hospital. "A case has been registered and investigation has been taken up covering all the aspects," said Parmaditya, DCP (Central). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Africa's murder rate increased by 4.9 per cent in the last year, official statistics showed today, with the police minister admitting the country was struggling with "a prevalent culture of violence". A total of 18,673 people were killed in the 12 months to March - 51 people every day - up from 17,805 in the previous year. Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said the sharp increase was largely down to domestic violence and alcohol abuse. "What it says about us South Africans is that we are violent, we have a prevalent culture of violence," he told journalists. "It's not about what the government can do, it's about what we can (all) do. It's a huge societal issue that we have to deal with." Officials said most murders occurred indoors, in urban areas and involved people known to each other. The latest figures reveal that South Africa's murder rate has risen by nearly 20 per cent in four years. The high crime rate is seen as hampering the country's social cohesion, economic growth and international reputation - especially as a tourist destination. Carjacking, which is one of the most prevalent crimes in South Africa, increased by 14.3 per cent last year, while house robberies were up 2.7 per cent. Sexual offences were down 3.2 per cent, though many experts say that incidents are underreported. The governing African National Congress (ANC) expressed its alarm at the number of murders and carjackings, saying they "make our people... Live in fear". "While police are central to the alleviation of acts of criminality in society, such crimes point to social ills and thus require interventions beyond the police," the party said in a statement. Sparsely populated Northern Cape was the only province that recorded a decrease in murders, while Eastern Cape province, recorded the sharpest increase - posting a jump of 9.9 per cent. South African police have increasingly come under fire for failing to bring down crime levels, although officials insist that the numbers are lower compared to before the end of apartheid in 1994. Poverty and record levels of unemployment are often seen as key drivers of crime in South Africa, where economic growth is expected to flatline this year. The government recently announced that crime statistics would now be released quarterly, instead of once a year, saying it would help improve policing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After revolting against RSS leadership, the organisation's Goa chief Subhash Velingkar today kept up his attack on the BJP even as several Sangh activists resented his move. With the RSS taking a tough stand against the rebels, Velingkar's supporters also toned down their protest, saying they have not rebelled against the Sangh but had only resigned from their posts, casting doubts if the parallel unit floated by him will be able to muster strength to take on the saffron force. "It is not a rebellion. We will continue saluting the saffron flag. We will work under Sarsanghchalak. But we will be Goa prant," Raju Sukerkar, former North Goa head of Goa Unit of the sangh told PTI today. Sukerkar was among the leaders who had resigned from their posts after the RSS axed Velignkar as state unit chief, after his Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), announced its intention to form a political outfit. Sukerkar, a close aide of Velingkar and a BBSM campaigner, said the formal proposal seeking to form the Goa prant has been sent to the sangh headquarters in Nagpur. "The detailed proposal has been drafted reasoning why the decision to detach from Konkan and form Goa prant by Velingkar," he said. Sukerkar said they had not resigned from the sangh but only from the posts which they were holding. Even as a large number of RSS workers and supporters, including some office bearers, have pledged support to Velingkar, many of the swayamsevaks appear to be averse to part ways with the Sangh. "I am still with RSS with Nagpur as headquarters. You cannot have a separate RSS prant like this. I am not with the group which has done so," Datta Bhikaji Naik, a senior RSS leader in Goa, told PTI today. Naik said, in his individual capacity, he has backed Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), floated by Velingkar to campaign for primacy of regional languages as medium of instruction and as part of which he has taken on the BJP government in the state but was against splitting the RSS. Ratnakar Lele, another senior functionary, said 80 per cent of the swayamsevaks would not go with the new prant. Velingkar was sacked as the chief of RSS in Goa after he crossed swords with the BJP government over the medium of instruction issue with members of his outfit even showing black flags to party chief Amit Shah recently. Velingkar, who claimed the support of hundreds of RSS workers, yesterday asserted that the Sangh unit in the coastal state will function independently of the parent body, at least till the Assembly polls. However, RSS was quick to debunk Velingkar's claims, saying none of its units can dissociate from the outfit and new office bearers for the state will be announced soon. Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, with whom Velingkar has been at loggerheads over the government's continued support to English medium schools, declined to comment on the development in the saffron camp ahead of Assembly polls early next year. "For the last two days, I have been repeatedly saying I would not like to comment on it (RSS action). It is their internal matter," Parsekar said. He, however, said that "there cannot be a new prant in Goa". "In RSS, everything is decided by the central leadership," he added. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena defended Velingkar, saying that he has done no crime by demanding the promotion of regional languages, which was one of the election promises of the BJP. State Forest Minister and RSS swayamsewak Rajendra Arlekar said the developments pertaining to RSS, including sacking of Velingkar, could be the fallout of "misunderstanding", even as he termed them as a "transitional phase". Former Maharashtra minister Suresh Jain, arrested in connection with the 2006 Gharkul Housing Scheme scam, was today granted bail by the Supreme Court. A bench of Justices S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan granted bail to Jain, a minister for housing during the Shiv Sena-BJP rule in the 1990s, after considering that he had served more than four and half years in jail. Maharashtra government counsel Nishant Katneshwar opposed the bail application of Jain. The bench, however, granted the relief to him after considering that all material witnesses in the case have been examined. Jain was arrested in March 2012 for allegedly favouring a builder and indulging in irregularities to the tune of Rs 29 crore. He had allegedly favoured a firm that was given a contract for constructing tenements under the Gharkul housing scheme in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. Former municipal commissioner of Jalgaon Pravin Gedam had registered a complaint in this connection in 2006. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Theres a new computer at the Morton Mandan Public Library geared for children ages 6 to 12 called the AWE Computer. The device is a digital learning tool for pre-K and elementary-age children. According to AWE Computer's company website, www.awelearning.com, the device offers children a literacy-focused digital learning solutions for early learners through the public library system throughout the U.S. and Canada. Sarah Warneke, assistant director of the Morton Mandan Public Library, said, Its full of learning- and educational-based games. The model, which arrived in early July, is called the AfterSchool Edge, equipped with about 70 games. The computer doesnt have access to the Internet so its a worry-free device where children can learn and play while sharpening their math, science and history skills. Warneke said parents appreciate that their children can enjoy the computer while they are working on a regular computer close by. Children 6 to 12 and older are still permitted to use the regular library computers. We just wanted this as a safe environment for kids to play games on where they cant get onto the Internet, said Warneke. Funds for the computer were raised by donations from members of the community and local organizations, said Warneke. On May 3, a fundraiser and silent auction was held at Harvest Brazilian Grill in Mandan to contribute to the purchase of the device. The Morton Mandan Public library hours are 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Any questions about the AWE computer at the library, call 701-667-5365. To learn more about AWE computers visit www.awelearning.com. The Supreme Court today sought response from Maharashtra government on a bunch of petitions challenging the Bombay High Court order upholding the ban on beef imposed by state government through an enactment. A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and D Y Chandrachud issued notices to the Devendra Fadnavis government and others on the petitions including that of All India Jamiatul Quresh of Maharashtra and Delhi alleging that politics was being played on the issue of slaughtering cows. The apex court tagged the petitions with similar matter on issue and posted the matter for hearing after six weeks. The petitioners had said the petitioner organisations respected cows and calves but the members of Qureshi community be allowed to slaughter bulls and bullocks which have crossed the age of 16 years as they are of no use to farmers. The Bombay High Court had upheld the beef ban imposed by the state government after enactment of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act banning the slaughter of bulls and bullocks, besides cows. The high court, however, had said that mere possession of the meat cannot invite criminal action while striking down the relevant sections of the Act. Earlier, Supreme Court had issued notice to Maharashtra government on a separate plea challenging the High Court verdict which held that mere possession of beef of animals slaughtered outside the state cannot invite criminal action. The plea was filed by 'Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh' which had told the apex court that they were challenging part of the May 6 verdict of the High Court which had said provisions of the Maharashtra Act was an infringement on the right to privacy of citizens and unconstitutional. The high court order had come on a bunch of petitions challenging the provision of the law which had said that mere possession of beef in any place in the state is a crime. As per the Act, slaughter attracts a five-year jail term and Rs 10,000 fine and possession of meat of bull or bullock leads to one-year jail and Rs 2,000 fine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sacked Goa RSS unit chief Subhash Velingkar has received support from the Shiv Sena, which said he has done no crime by demanding that regional languages be promoted in Goa schools. Sena said the BJP government came to power in Goa on the back of its election promise of promoting regional languages, but reneged from it now. "If he (Velingkar) asked the government to not give grants to English medium schools and promote Konkani and Marathi, what crime has he done? When (Defence minister) Manohar Parrikar was Leader of Opposition, he had demanded the same thing from then Congress government," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' today. "Parrikar, with help from Velingkar had also initiated a movement to press for their demands which resulted in them getting the reigns of power. But they (the BJP) went back on their words and supported English medium schools. They have broken their promise," it said. Sena said the recent events in Goa were a classic example of "attempting to bury the movement" to promote one's local language and claimed that the state government there was "plagued by corruption, adultery and anarchy." "If on one side sympathy is being shown for Baluchistan, how correct is it to cut the feathers of a bird that is toiling hard to promote local language in one's homeland. This is an attempt to murder Goa's culture," the BJP ally said. Attacking the Goa government on the issue of rising number of casinos and gambling, Sena said it will need to answer people in the upcoming election if it has no connivance with the drug mafia that is selling drugs freely in the state. "The BJP had said if it came to power, it would put an end to casinos and gambling dens. But their number has only increased. The government allows all this to happen but Velingkar was termed a criminal. Not only the Goa CM, but even his remote controller in Delhi needs to answer what crime did he do or what was his fault," it said. RSS on Wednesday removed Velingkar as its Goa chief as he had crossed swords with ruling BJP government demanding the promotion of local languages in schools. Velingkar subsequently decided to float a parallel unit and said he and his supporters would function independently of the parent body till the 2017 Assembly polls. (REOPENS BES 17) Meanwhile, in Panaji, the local Shiv Sena unit said the decision to sack Velignkar will turn out to be "suicidal" for Sangh and the BJP. "The decision to relieve Velingkar from the post of Goa Vibhag Sang chalak will be suicidal for both RSS and the BJP. Parties like Shiv Sena are firmly behind Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) and Velingkar as he is fighting for mother tongue," Sena's Goa Chief Sudip Tamankar told reporters. He said the Sena would support the cause of mother tongue and Hindutva in the state. "The decision amounts to killing our mother tongue. He has been a crusader of education in mother tongue and Hindutva. Both the issues are very important," Tamankar said. Tamankar also recalled that it was Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who as former Goa CM, took to streets making the demand of promoting mother tongue in elementary education in the state. The Communist Party of India (CPI) today said the erstwhile Left Front government in West Bengal made a "mistake" in the land acquisition process in Singur for the proposed Tata Motors project, which helped Mamata Banerjee politically. Singur episode created a "negative impression" of the Left Front's attitude towards farmers and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, now West Bengal Chief Minister, took "full advantage" of it politically, CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy told PTI. He was responding to queries on the Supreme Court verdict which, on Wednesday, quashed the entire land acquisition process carried out by the erstwhile Left Front government in West Bengal. "She (Mamata Banerjee) was successful in creating a negative impression about the Left but on the whole, Bengal lost (a big industry). I believe that even in the coming period, there will be a negative impact (on industrial investment)," he said. "Though the government had taken over the land with the good intention of bringing in a big industry which would have provided employment and revenue to the state, but the method adopted was not correct," he said. "They (the Left government) should have convinced the peasants. Those who did not want (to give land), should have been given alternative lands and more compensation (should have been paid) and all that. Unfortunately, the government there made a mistake," he said. Reddy, however, said there was no need now to offer an apology to the affected farmers since the intention of the then government to bring in the industry was good. "We should certainly take lessons. This type of a mistake should not be committed. When a private entity is to start an industry, the government can subsidise and if necessary, it should be asked to provide more money," he said. Reddy said though Mamata Banerjee was successful in creating a negative impression about the Left by seizing on the issue, on the whole Bengal lost (a big industry). "I believe that even in the coming period, there will be a negative impact (on industrial investment)," he said. "Instead of asking for the land to be given back to the farmers, she should have asked for better things such as land-for-land, more compensation, employment for those displaced and compensation for agricultural labourers. But instead, she went for a political fight," Reddy added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP today charged Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, both of which have been ruling Uttar Pradesh alternatively for more than a decade, with "breaking records of corruption" and said it will order investigation into their financial wrongdoings if it comes to power in the state. "Both the ruling SP and BSP have been breaking records of corruption. Be it the current Akhilesh Yadav government or the one headed by his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, in 2004-2007, SP in power has been synonymous with rampant corruption. Same has been the case with Mayawati's BSP," BJP state unit president Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters here. He claimed that BJP is emerging as a ray of hope in the state as people are fed up with the two parties which have been in power alternatively for more than a decade. "We are confident of victory in the assembly polls. On being voted to power we will get all the financial wrongdoings by leaders of these two powers thoroughly investigated and all those found guilty will be brought to justice," Maurya said. The BJP state unit chief also launched a scathing attack on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi who is all set to launch a 'Maha Yatra' (mega march) next week at Deoria in eastern UP from where he would move towards Delhi, traversing through nearly 40 districts of the state and holding small rallies and roadshows along the way. "Gandhi is perhaps not aware that Maha Yatra is the name given to a person's funeral procession. Unwittingly, though, he appears to have done the right thing. "Congress is on its death bed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of Congress-Mukt Bharat will become a reality sooner than we had imagined," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A young police officer from Kashmir has tied the knot with a girl from PoK as cross-LoC bonds blossomed at a time when the state Police grappled with pro-Pakistan protests in the Valley. Owais Geelani, a sub-inspector with Jammu and Kashmir Police, married Faiza Geelani, a resident of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK), at a function here where only the groom's close relatives and friends were in attendance due to the ongoing unrest. The marriage was solemnised in a hotel here at a time when the cops have borne the brunt of protesters' ire in the Valley that has been rocked by nearly two-month-long unrest. The two families are related to each other but were separated during the Partition. The 'Nikkah' was performed in Muzaffarabad in 2014 when Shabir Geelani, father of the groom, had travelled to PoK to visit his divided family on the 'Karavan-e-Aman' (the Peace Caravan) bus service between and Muzaffarabad. "The wedding ceremony had to be cancelled several times due to the prevailing situation during which the cross-LoC bus service was suspended for many days. Finally, when the bus service resumed, the bride and her close family members arrived here on Monday for the function," Geelani senior, who himself retired from Police department as SSP in 2014, told PTI here today. Owais' marriage with Faiza, a post-graduate in education, planning and management from University of Modern Languages, Islamabad was solemnised on Tuesday. The wedding comes at a time when the local cops, who are battling the protesters across the Valley, have been threatened by militants to stay away from their duties. Houses of some cops have been ransacked by mobs since the current unrest began in Kashmir on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces. The groom's father, who hails from Karnah town near the Line of Control(LoC), said it was his longing to visit members of his divided family -- due to the 1947 war between India and Pakistan -- in Muzaffarabad that led to the marriage of his son to the girl from PoK. "In 1947, our family got divided and only my father was left on this side while rest of his family were left on the other side. Most of our lands and estate are in Muzaffarabad ... In fact, Karnah was part of Muzaffarabad till 1947. "I had heard a lot of things from my father about my grandfather and other relatives in Muzaffarabad ... When my grandfather died, my father could not attend his funeral as there was no cross-LoC movement allowed. So it was my desire to pay my respects at the grave of my grandfather," Geelani said. During the visit to PoK, Geelani felt the need for bringing close the divided family and proposed the match between Owais and Faiza. "I called Owais on phone and he give his nod and we performed the Nikkah," he said. Geelani expressed the hope that marriages like his son's case would help bring the divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir closer. "The people living along the LoC have been worst sufferers of the conflict and acrimony between India and Pakistan. I think opening of all traditional routes along the LoC would increase people-to-people contact, leading to better understanding between the people on two sides of the LoC. "Once that happens, may be one day, the governments of two sides will also understand each other better and find a way out of the decades-old uncertainty," he added. Work in banks, industries and the insurance sector was affected in Goa today due to the nationwide strike called by central trade unions to press for their 12-point demands. Thousands of workers in the coastal state marched in protest against the "anti-labour" policies of the central government, supporting the nationwide strike call given by 10 trade unions. Goa Convention of Workers (GCW), an umbrella organisation of trade unions, today held a protest march in the city starting from Kranti circle culminating at Azad Maidan. "More than 3,000 people participated in the march," GCW Convener Suhas Naik told PTI. "We had not asked other sectors to participate in the strike. It is not all Goa bandh. There is a difference between strike and bandh," Naik said, responding to a question on response to their agitation. "The strike was successful. The attendance in the government offices was thin," he added. The unions are demanding to stop the process of amending the existing labour laws, withdraw Road Transport Safety Bill, stop disinvestment of public sector undertakingsand FDI in Defence, Railways, Retail trade, Insurance,Banks, Insurance and otherfinancial sectors. They are also demanding revision in minimum wages for all schedules of employment with linkage to dearness allowance and minimumwage not less than Rs 18,000 per month with effect from January 1, 2016. The unions are also demanding to abolish Contract Labour System inall perennial and permanentjobs,operations in governmentandprivate establishments. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP today claimed that workers have rejected the strike called by various trade unions and said it was "politically motivated" even as it credited the government for its "pro-workers" and liberal measures taken for their welfare and development. "I am glad that workmen have rejected the strike call because of the pro-workers approach of the government and the liberal measures it has taken for their benefit. "I congratulate the workmen of India for the positive attitude they demonstrated today," BJP leader and Union Minister for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal said. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu termed the strike as "totally illogical" saying the trade unions have not appreciated the "pro-worker" initiatives of the government. "Today's strike by some trade union is totally illogical. The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi inherited a derailed economy and making sincere efforts to consolidate it. Some trade unions instead of being constructive or resorting to obstructive ways. "Instead of appreciating this, unions have preferred to go on strike. It is time for unions to revisit their thinking and approaches in the context of challenges before the nation," Naidu said in Chennai. BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said the strike has been a "flop" and a "total failure" as no pro-worker initiative was taken by the previous Congress-led government. "The strike call given by various trade unions was politically motivated by the Congress, who have nothing else but criticise the government on every issue. The workers are happy with Modi government's efforts for welfare of workers. The anti-worker Congress has not done anything for workers," he said. Goyal said he collected feedback from across the country and the strike call made "little impact". He claimed the workers have appreciated the steps, including a 42 per cent hike in the minimum wages, taken by the government in their interests. Normal life in several parts of the country was affected today by the one-day nationwide strike by trade unions with public transport, banking and mining being among the most-hit, while protesting workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The central trade unions claimed the strike was successful as around 18 crore workers came on streets to support the agitation, despite only partial impact in some states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life was paralysed in Left-ruled Tripura today in response to the one-day nationwide strike call by 10 central trade unions against the government's anti-labour policy. The state capital wore a deserted look with public transport vehicles staying off the roads, official sources said. Government offices, banks, schools and colleges remained closed while business establishments kept their shutters down, the sources said. Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) activists were picketing before government establishments. They also stopped people from entering offices. Though train services have been totally disrupted, the state government provided police escort to people who were going to the airport. "The central government should look into the demands of trade unions and federations. We are having 12 point demands related to workers," CITU state General Secretary and CPI(M) MP Sankar Prashad Datta said. "All trade unions, except Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, took part in this strike and in Tripura people have spontaneously cooperated, that is why there is a total shutdown," he added. Large number of policemen were deployed in the city. There were no report of any incident. Superintendent of Police (operation) Uttam Bhowmik said, "The strike is peaceful and there has been no report of any untoward incident from any part of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The one-day nationwide strike called by ten central trade unions today evoked a mixed response in Karnataka. While the state-run transport buses remained off the roads causing inconvenience to office-goers and those travelling to distant places, shops, establishments, markets and hotels functioned normally. Though some auto and cab unions had announced their support for the bandh, their movement was by and large normal in Bengaluru. Metro services are also functioning normally. Keeping safety of students in mind, authorities in various districts have declared holiday for school and college goers. Police have made elaborate security arrangements in the state to avoid any untoward incident. In Bengaluru police personnel have been deployed across the city. Thirty-six platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police, 21 of City Armed Reserve and 270 Police patrol vehicles are deployed across Bengaluru, officials said. Demonstrations are being held by trade unions across the state. At a march held in the city, protesters with banners marched from Town hall to Freedom Park here shouting slogans against government policies. The unions have called the protest against the central government's "indifference" to their demands for better wages and facilities and "anti-worker" changes in labour laws. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life in various parts of the country was partly affected today by the one-day nationwide strike by trade unions with banking, transport and coal mining being among the most impacted, while hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra. However, life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. Banking services have been affected throughout the country as public sector banks' employees largely remained off-duty. Private banks, however, continued their operations normally. Clearing operations at Reserve Bank were hit with trade union leaders claiming that cheques totalling Rs 19,000 crore were held up as the staff did not report on duty. "Clearing services have been impacted. Financial instrument worth Rs 19,000 crore has been held up," claimed AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam. All India Coal Workers Federation General Secretary (CITU) D D Ramanadan said, "Dispatch, production and transport of coal have come to a standstill with operations in CIL subsidiaries BCCL, CCL, ECL and CMPDI badly hit. Around 300 workers have been arrested in Rajmahal and Chitra mines areas." "There have been instances of arrests in West Bengal and Haryana. We came to know that 12 people have been arrested in Manesar while seven were detained in West Bengal. The strike this time has greater impact than last year's agitation on September 2," All India Trade Union Congress Secretary D L Sachdev told PTI. He said, "Buses of Punjab Roadways and Haryana Roadways were almost off the road. More than half the buses of Uttar Pradesh Road Transport were also off the road. But DTC's buses were plying while Delhi Metro was also functional." The strike is almost complete in Left-ruled Kerala where it got the support of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who courted controversy after supporting the strike on Facebook with BJP hitting out against him. Public transport vehicles in Kerala stayed off the roads and shops and business establishments downed shutters. Auto rickshaws, taxis, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses were not plying across the state with the workers of various unions taking part in the strike, reports received here from districts said. Major roads wore a deserted look in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as agitators laid siege to an ISRO bus bay here. In Telangana, banking operations came to a standstill with over 15,000 employees belonging to various banks participating in the general strike. AIBEA joint secretary B S Rambabu said demonstrations will be held in all the district headquarters along with other trade unions. "Most of the buses run by Telangana State Road Transport Organisation are kept off the roads," a senior Telangana State Road Transport Corporation official said. As many as two lakh state government employees (gazetted, non-gazetted and class 4) are supporting the strike, Telangana Gazetted officers Association general secretary A Satyanarayana said. Work was also affected in PSUs like Vizag Steel Plant, Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Ltd, Hindustan Shipyard, NTPC's Simhadri Power Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust and private industrial units in Visakhapatnam as many of the workers joined the strike. Services including banking and public transport were hit in Haryana, Punjab and UT of Chandigarh with employees of various government departments joining the day-long nationwide strike. Public transport services were hit in Punjab and Haryana with roadways employees participating in the strike, causing inconvenience to passengers. Punjab Roadways employees said they will remain on strike from 10 am to 2 pm. Buses were seen parked inside the main Bus stand opposite National highway-I. Around 2,000 nurses stayed away from work following All India Government Nurses Federation's call to join the strike. Normal life was disrupted in most parts of Odisha too. Train services were affected following 'rail roko' by agitators who squatted on the tracks at several places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaleswar, Keonjhargarh and Rayagada, police said. Vehicular movement virtually came to a grinding halt with buses, trucks, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles keeping off the roads as agitators held road blockades at many places including highways and burnt tyres and put hurdles, police added. In Bihar, normal life was affected with autorickshaw and other public vehicles staying off the roads while banks remained closed. Banks in major cities like Patna, Munger, Bhagalpur, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Chhapra, Arrah, Biharsharif, Katihar, Begusarai, Samastipur and Gopalganj remained closed. Bank employees organised rallies in various parts of the state, B Prasad, president of Bank Employees' Federation, Bihar, said in a statement. NABARD, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks, also remained closed, he said. The strike failed to evoke much response in West Bengal. Modest attendance was recorded at various government offices. Government and private buses as well as other private vehicles were seen plying on the road, officials said. Train services of Eastern Railway in Sealdah and Howrah sections, besides Metro Rail services were also normal. However, the rush of passengers was lesser compared to other days. In Karnataka, the strike evoked mixed response. While, state-run buses remained off the roads, office-goers and those traveling to distant places had a harrowing time. Shops, establishments, markets and hotels functioned normally. Though some auto and cab unions had announced their support for the bandh, these vehicles by and large moved normally in Bengaluru. Metro services were also functioning normally. In Tamil Nadu, normal life was largely unaffected. Bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions too functioned normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing did not participate in the strike. Central government offices wore a deserted look with the employees joining the strike as a section of the state government employees, especially in the revenue department, participated in the strike. Private buses stayed off the roads in Tiruvarur district. The strike evoked a mixed response in Puducherry. Private buses, autos and other passenger vehicles were off the roads while state-run buses were operated as usual. Shops and establishments downed their shutters. Cinema halls suspended shows for the day. It was business as usual for public transport in Mumbai, even as the strike evoked a mixed response in rural Maharashtra. Suburban trains, auto rickshaws, taxis and city buses continued to operate normally, without affecting the daily schedule of lakhs of commuters in Mumbai and suburbs. Since Discovery Childcare Center opened in March 2015, Burleigh County Social Services has received 20 complaints against the facility, ranging from lack of supervision to inadequate food for children. The east Bismarck child care center closed Wednesday evening, according to the North Dakota Department of Human Services. The department notified the center on June 27 that it was revoking its license after receiving complaints and conducting visits. Though the center appealed that action, it has closed permanently, according to Rebecca Eberhardt, an early childhood services administrator for the Department of Human Services. Left on the door of the center on Thursday was a note signed by owner Danny Zimmerman, saying the facility was closing effective immediately due to new state regulations and clients not keeping up with their outstanding balances. Zimmerman also owns Kids Imagination day care Zone in Mandan, which remains in operation. The Discovery Childcare Center had several rule violations that were consistently coming up as concerns, Eberhardt said. Burleigh County Social Services received numerous complaints against the center, including not enough food being served, toileting practices for children, derogatory remarks being made to children and lack of supervision. After the Department of Human Services issued the revocation notice in late June, county child care licensors continued to monitor the facility and more concerns surfaced. So, on July 29, an amended revocation notice was sent to the facility. The following day, a letter was sent to parents of the children registered at the day care center informing them its license was being revoked. During a July visit to the center, social service workers found one staff member present in one room with 19 children. Near a sink in the center, within reach of children, were a Windex bottle and two prescription medications, for which Zimmerman was not able to produce signed medication permission forms. During that visit, social services indicated "children were running around the center unsupervised. On the playground, one of the older children got in the baby stroller and was rolling down a hill when the wheels hit a broom lying on the ground. The child fell out of the stroller and hit his nose on the sidewalk causing a bloody nose. The staff did not see the accident." Social services also observed a child outside who "wet his pants and was not changed." There were also staff members on-site who were younger than 18. Under the state's administrative code, minors are required to have written parental consent for employment. In addition, several staff members had not undergone fingerprinting and background checks. Julie Ramos Lagos has been taking her 5-month-old son to Discovery day care Center since June and said she didn't have any concerns with the place until last week, when she started noticing it was getting quieter with fewer staff members. Ramos Lagos said her husband dropped their son off at the day care yesterday and later called her, worried that the staff member in the infant room didn't seem to be paying attention to the children. She and her husband decided to have their son picked up from the day care because they weren't comfortable. "It was a concern, of course," said Ramos Lagos, who is also the assistant marketing manager of the Bismarck Tribune. She said her son will stay with her mother until October, when a spot will become available at an in-home day care in town. "We're OK, but it's hard to say how many families at that center just showed up to that sign today," she said. Zimmerman did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comment on the center's closure. The Mandan center County licensors also have received numerous complaints about Zimmerman's other facility, Kids Imagination day care Zone in Mandan, some of which were not substantiated. Complaints include poor ratio of staff to children, facility cleanliness, lack of food and milk, medication within reach of children, failure to report an injury and lack of supervision. According to the Department of Human Services, the revocation notice does not apply to the Mandan day care center. Bismarck resident Natalie Pierce took her son to the day care in Mandan for a brief period last year; but after hearing rumors that the place might close, she began looking for another place to care for him. While Pierce was looking for another day care, her son -- who was 2 years old at the time -- hurt his shoulder at the Mandan facility. "No one could tell me how it happened, she said. There was never a manager there. They say there is, but there was never a manager there." Pierce said her son told her he hurt his shoulder after an older child was pushing him on a swing and he fell off. He couldnt lift his arm to put his shirt on or crawl into his car seat, she said. She took him to get an X-ray, but found nothing was broken. She also became concerned about understaffing and a lack of staff training at the day care in Mandan. Her son got stomach flu three times in the few months that he was there. Since going to a different day care, he hasn't had the stomach flu once, she said. I think it had something to do with just not a clean eating environment," she said. Pierce said "by a miracle" she was able to find another day care for her son, and now he stays at home with his father. But she surmises it may be tougher for other parents. Its really difficult, because there is not enough child care in Bismarck-Mandan -- or anywhere, for that matter," she said. Impact of the trade unions' strike on general public life was "minimal", Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said today. The 10 central trade unions today observed a one-day nationwide strike protesting against "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. Dattatreya said the impact of the strike was high in Kerala and Tripura, while it was partial in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Jharkhand. "After reviewing the strike situation, the overall impact of the strike on general public life is minimal. I opine that it reflects pro-labour and pro-Narendra Modi government (sentiment)," Dattatreya told PTI. The minister said the people of the country have relied upon Modi government for its "continuous efforts" on employment generation and social security, especially for the unorganised sector which constitutes 93 per cent of workforce. "The government is leaving no stone unturned to bring labour reforms," he added. Due to the strike, the percentage of absent personnel in banking sector stood at 50 per cent, followed by 45 per cent in coal sector and 30 per cent in transport, telecom, oil and gas sectors, the minister said. Earlier, the central trade unions claimed that the strike was successful as around 18 crore workers came on the streets to support the agitation, despite only partial impact in some states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. While the BJP has asserted that workers rejected the strike call, the Congress has accused the Modi government of bringing anti-labour policies like 'hire and fire' which prompted all major trade unions to call for a strike. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Banking operations across Gujarat were badly hit today as more than 30,000 employees of various public sector banks participated in the general strike called by trade unions to protest "anti-labour policies" of the Central government. However, strike had no effect on any other sector in the state as all other central government department functioned normally. The Maha-Gujarat Bank Employees Association (MBEA) termed today's strike as a "total success", as clearing worth Rs 1,500 crore across the state was held up due to the strike. However, private sector banks continued their operations normally. "The strike was a total success, as most PSU banks in Gujarat remained closed today. More than 30,000 employees and officers of these banks stayed away from work, as a result, clearing worth Rs 1,500 crore held up across the state," said General Secretary of MBEA Janak Rawal in a statement here. Ten central trade unions have called for a one-day nationwide strike today, protesting the "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. The call was supported by various employee unions of public sector banks across India. Apart from banking, the strike did not leave any major impact on people's lives in the state, as various other services, such as insurance, post, road transport and Railways continued their operations without any major hurdle. Meanwhile, city police have detained at least 150 persons, associated with various trade unions, for trying to hold a protest rally on Ashram Road during morning. The rally was been organized under the aegis of Trade Union Centre of India(TUCI) and Gujarat Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU). Before the rally was to commence from Paldi area, police detained 151 agitators. Those who were detained by Ellisbridge police include president of TUCI Amrish Patel. "Police detained 151 persons from Maharana Pratap Complex near VS Hospital this morning. They have been kept at the police headquarters in Shahibaug. They will be released this evening," said, Police Station Officer of Ellisbridge. According to Patel, police detained them without any provocation. "We were arrested before we started our rally. We condemn such dictatorial attitude of the police, which tried to muzzle our voice of dissent. The strike call was successful across Gujarat," claimed Patel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life in several parts of the country was affected on Friday by the one-day nationwide by trade unions with public transport, banking and mining being among the most-hit, while protesting workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The central trade unions said the was successful as around 18 crore workers came on streets to support the agitation, despite only partial impact in some states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Associated Chambers of Commerce of India pegged the cost to the economy at Rs 16,000-18,000 crore from the one-day stir, call for which was given by ten central unions to protest against what they called the government's indifference to workers demands for better wages and facilities and the anti-worker changes in labour laws. The government said sectors such as railways, civil aviation and major ports remained unaffected, while banking and insurance, coal, telecom and defence production were partially affected and transport and steel saw only marginal impact. While the agitation paralysed day to day work in states like Kerala, Odisha, Tripura, Assam and Telangana, the impact was quite visible in Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, claimed Trade Union Coordination Committee (TUCC) General Secretary S P Tiwari. He said, "The impact was partial in states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan but the life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. However the is successful as around 18 crore workers came on streets to support the agitation." Central of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Tapan Kumar Sen said, "The repose to the strike was massive and unprecedented. Workers actively participated in the strike despite the use of state repression including the use of police force in some states like West Bengal, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Assam etc." CITU said in a statement that Trinamool government in West Bengal used the brutal force of its police as well as its goons to physically attack the workers on strike. There were clashes in several districts as workers resisted the use of force. It further said, "Section 144 was imposed in several industrial areas as in Gurgaon, Faridabad in Haryana, Nodia etc. 12 workers of Maruti Suzuki and 22 transport union leaders were arrested in Gurgaon. Police went to workers' residential areas in Gurgaon to coerce contract workers who were on strike, to join work." It added, "The West Bengal transport minister directed the MD of Water Transport to suspend the striking employees. TMC goons attacked processions of striking workers, youth, women and even journalists in Burdwan and many other places." Protests were held in various districts of Rajasthan with labourers in many industries joining the general strike called by 10 trade unions today. Labourers from organised as well as unorganised sector were on strike today and held demonstration in districts like Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur, Tonk, Udaipur among others. The labourers working in cement, textile industries, small scale industries, FCI godowns remained on strike. Labourers on contract in Rawatbhata atomic power plant were also on strike, a release from CITU said. "Groups of labourers also took out protest march, held demonstration across the state against the government policies," the release said. As many as 10 trade unions had called the one-day strike today to press for their 12-point charter of demands and protest against labour policies of the Narendra Modi government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ore, Mine and Quarries (OMQ) Division of Tata Steel bagged the 'Best Overall Excellence in CSR award' in the category of National Awards for Excellence in CSR and Sustainability. The Tata Steel OMQ division also got the "Best Green Organisation of the Year" by the Noamundi Iron Mine in the category of National Awards for Excellence in Green & Waste in the World CSR Day organised by the "National CSR Leadership Congress & Awards". The awards were conferred on Tata Steel representatives on Thursday at Bengaluru, Tata Steel press release today said. The award is a testimony to the initiatives taken by Noamundi in particular and OMQ division on social and environmental fronts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old software engineer, who had gone missing three days back after returning from Kenya, was today found dead in a deserted area of Bowenpally, police said. According to police, Goutham Reddy's body was found with burn injuries in the bushes. Police had earlier launched a search operation after he went missing from his house. "A local spotted the body in the bushes at the deserted location and informed police. After the verification procedure and showing the body to the family members, the identity of the victim was established," Bowenpally Police Station Inspector K Kiran said, adding that Goutham had worked in Nairobi for seven years. "A case under CrPC section 174 (suspicious death) was registered and the body has been sent for postmortem," he added. Further investigation is on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Almost a third of dogs checked at random across the UK were found to be carrying a tick, researchers said today after carrying out the largest survey of ticks in dogs. Researchers also found that the risk of an animal picking up a tick is as great in urban areas as in rural ones. Ticks can carry a range of diseases including Lyme disease, and also a parasite discovered in the UK for the first time earlier this year that is potentially fatal to dogs, the BBC reported. Lyme disease has the potential to cause serious health problems, such as meningitis and heart failure. In the most serious cases, it can be fatal. Almost 15,000 dogs from across the UK were examined in the study, which was carried out by Bristol University last year, the report said. Just under a third (31 per cent) of these dogs checked at random during a visit to the vet were found to be carrying a tick. The researchers found that the arachnids are present right across the UK, with the highest risk areas being Scotland, East Anglia and the South West. There can be just as many in urban areas as in rural areas. Launched in April 2015, the project asked participating vets to examine dogs in their practice for each week and complete a questionnaire relating to the clinical history of each dog. The species, life-cycle stage, sex and location of origin and whether it was carrying any pathogens were recorded. Prof Richard Wall, who led the Big Tick Project team at the University of Bristol, said: "The work that we have carried out shows that ticks are extremely widely dispersed. The records that we have got appear to show that we have had an increase in tick numbers right across the country. "What we are primarily concerned about is the diseases that ticks carry. In the UK, we have relatively low rates of the prevalence of these pathogens at the moment and, in contrast, in continental Europe they have much higher rates of disease. As there seems to be a rise in tick numbers, we need to be concerned and be aware of the potential for increasing problems." Prof Wall said pet owners should be aware of the risk in woodland or areas of long grass, but urban areas were also affected. Ticks don't jump or fly, they climb on to clothes if a person brushes against something that the tick is holding on to. Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of a tick infected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The tick acts as a vector. In the same way that a mosquito transmits malaria when it sucks blood from a person, the tick does the same to an animal or a person. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkey removed nearly 8,000 security personnel from duty, according to state media, as the purge continued of those suspected of links to the July 15 failed coup. A total of 7,669 police were removed along with 323 personnel in the gendarmerie, which looks after domestic security, late yesterday. Turkey accuses US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet (service) movement of ordering and conducting the failed putsch which left 240 dead excluding 24 coup-plotters. Ankara also accuses him of running a "parallel state" and his followers of infiltrating state institutions. Gulen strongly denies all accusations. Turkey embarked on an all-out purge of state bodies in the wake of the coup to rid the country of what Erdogan calls the "virus" of Gulen's influence. The latest purge was not just limited to the security forces. Nearly 520 people were also removed from the religious affairs directorate, according to the official gazette. Yesterday, 543 prosecutors and judges had been dismissed as part of the investigation into those linked to the movement, bringing the total of those removed from the judiciary to 3,390, NTV channel reported. The gazette also decreed that any judge or prosecutor who voluntarily retired could apply to return within the next two months. Another 820 military personnel -- not including generals or admirals -- were dismissed, the defence ministry said earlier yesterday, quoted in Turkish media, with 648 of those under arrest. A total of 4,451 military personnel have been dismissed since July including 151 generals and admirals. Since the attempt, tens of thousands within the judiciary, military, education system and police force have been removed, detained or arrested after being accused of having links to the movement or the coup itself. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said last month 40,000 people had been detained with more than 20,000 remanded in custody. Nearly 80,000 civil servants have been suspended, he said, while around 5,000 have been dismissed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After mending fences with Russia and Israel, Turkey wants to normalise relations with Syria, the prime minister said today, confirming a policy shift after years of supporting rebels opposed to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. "We have normalised our relations with Russia and Israel," Binali Yildirim said in a televised speech. "Now, God willing, Turkey has taken a serious initiative to normalise relations with Egypt and Syria." Relations between Turkey and Egypt sharply deteriorated after the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Syria, Turkey had persistently insisted Assad's departure was key to any resolution of the country's five-year war and backed rebels trying to oust him. But last month Yildirim signalled a shift, saying that Assad was "one of the actors" in Syria and could stay on temporarily during a transitional period. Last week, Turkey launched an operation against Islamic State jihadists and a Kurdish militia in northern Syria. Ankara said Damascus was forewarned of the operation, via Russia. Since taking office in May, the Turkish premier has sought to resume Ankara's longstanding policy of having "zero problems" with its neighbours. In June, Turkey mended ties with Russia which were sorely tested by the shooting down by Turkey of a Russian warplane along the Syrian border. Turkey this summer also normalised ties with Israel after a six-year rift caused by a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza- bound Turkish aid flotilla. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Indian-American teens are among five students selected for the prestigious National Students Poets Program, the White House has announced. US First Lady Michelle Obama would welcome the budding poets, including Indian-Americans Maya Eashwaran and Gopal Raman, at the White House on September 8, an official announcement said. Eashwaran (17) is from Alpharetta in Georgia and Raman is from Dallas in Texas. The other three are Stella Binion from Chicago, Joey Reisberg from Towson in Maryland and Maya Salameh from San Diego in California. Since its inception in 2011, the National Student Poets Program has showcased the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success for audiences across the country. Each year, the five National Student Poets are chosen from a pool of outstanding writers, grades 9-11, who have received a national Scholastic Art and Writing Award for poetry. A first generation Indian-American, Eashwaran writes about foreigners, often incorporating personal experiences dealing with assimilation in the modern age. For Raman, a senior at St Mark's School of Texas, poetry distills images and emotions into a form that brings people together. He cites poets like Billy Collins, Wallace Stevens, and Walt Whitman as his inspirations. This is the first time that Indian Americans have made it to the prestigious program. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kirsten Kelsch is organizing a demonstration next week on the final day allotted to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to issue an injunction to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline as requested by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The event will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at the state Capitol. Kelsch, who organized a similar protest near the Capitol last month, said she's hosting it in conjunction with the Oceti Sakowin Youth Relay Runners, who trekked all the way from North Dakota to Washington, D.C., in July, and, on Friday, a group of five to 10 runners will make their way from the protest site south of Mandan to the Capitol. Kelsch, a Bismarck resident, has been involved in activism since she was young. She started the protest last month in Bismarck after hearing of the youth runners who brought a petition to the White House opposing the pipeline, bringing with them a message of unity and peace. Kelsch said she and the runners group hope to bring that message back to the Capitol next week. "We felt that that message was kind of getting lost in a lot of what's going on," she said. "We wanted to bring that back to the kids." The demonstration last month was held along the street in front of the Capitol, but, after securing a permit, the event Friday will be held on the Capitol Mall. John Boyle, director of the state Capitol facilities management division, said Kelsch has the permit and his office has worked with her to designate a protesting area on the southern half of the mall. Last month, the event brought in more than 200 people and ended with protesters and law enforcement dancing and chanting in the street. Next week, Kelsch said she's expecting around the same number of demonstrators and law enforcement officers to be there, though her Facebook event page has generated considerable interest, including 1,000 people who are interested, and nearly 300 people said they're going. The ultimate message is Water is life,' she said. This isnt a race thing, it just happens to be that the Standing Rock community is the one speaking the loudest, but this is a humanity thing; it's an ecological issue. Kelsch is a mother of three, and her husband is Lakota Sioux and from Standing Rock, who grew up with his family in Fort Yates. She was once a member of Amnesty International and similar organizations and has protested with a group of people at a similar event at the Capitol years ago. Eventually, she stopped activism to focus on raising her children. But I just couldnt sit back and let this one go, said Kelsch, explaining she's grown frustrated by the remarks she's seen about those protesting the pipeline and hopes this event will shift the focus a bit. "A lot of these people who are against us, they're poking and prodding at people and children and saying very hurtful things," said Kelsch, noting some negative comments have been made about her being uneducated or not having a life. Im a busy mom, and I just want people to know the rumors of violence and people just uprooting their families and dropping jobs and not having a life to come and do this is not necessarily the case." Kelsch invites people to attend the demonstration next week and bring drums, signs and loud voices. A few people with the Oceti Sakowin Relay Runners will give speeches, and Kelsch and a few others may speak on behalf of the group. Kelsch said she has reached out to Gov. Jack Dalrymples office and is hoping someone from his office will be there. The protest coincides with the United Tribes Technical College's Summit and Powwow next week. On Friday, the powwow's grand entry is at 1 p.m. and will go until 3:30 p.m. We have been made aware something will happen (at the Capitol), said UTTC spokesman Dennis Neuman. The second grand entry will resume at 6:30 p.m., leaving about a four-hour window for people attending the powwow to attend the event, he said. Regardless of Judge Boasberg's ruling, the demonstration will go on, Kelsch said. If the judge rules in favor of the oil company, it will be a very sad thing, she said. But I don't think (protesters) are just going to to stop. For more information on the demonstration, visit the Stand Together Against The Pipeline/The Oceti Sakowin Relay Runners Facebook page at www.facebook.com/events/1089862907735345/. The UN Security Council has condemned "the serious terrorist bomb attack" at China's embassy in Kyrgyzstan and called for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers to be brought to justice. A statement approved by the 15 members late yesterday urged all countries to cooperate with Kyrgyz authorities in the investigation. A suspected suicide bomber crashed a car through the entrance of the embassy in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek on Tuesday, detonating a bomb that killed the attacker and wounded three embassy employees. Kyrgyz authorities have offered no guidance on the attacker or a possible motive. The Security Council stressed that "any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed". Council members also stressed "the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises". Within a week of the death of a boy on his father's shoulder due to alleged negligence of doctors at a hospital in Kanpur, an HIV positive woman gave birth to a stillborn in Bareilly after she was reportedly denied treatment at the district women's hospital here. The refusal by the hospital on Sunday forced the 25-year-old woman to undertake a 50-km journey to Bareilly. Precious time was lost and it was too late as my wife delivered a stillborn at the Bareilly district hospital, her husband alleged. The couple, both suffering from physical disabilities, got married a year-and-a-half ago. They had earlier settled in Delhi in search of greener pastures but soon were forced to return to Badaun as the woman started falling ill frequently. "Doctors in Delhi informed us that my wife was HIV positive. We could not afford medical expenses in the national capital and returned to Badaun," her husband rued. "She was rushed to the hospital here on Sunday after contracting severe labour pain. I requested them (at Badaun hospital) repeatedly to treat my wife, but they demanded Rs 2,000 to buy gloves for their protection and also asked me to arrange for blood," he alleged. "We were there the whole day and when her condition deteriorated at night, the hospital staff asked us to take her to Bareilly district hospital," the husband claimed. "We have lost our child and want the government to take strict action against the hospital staff in Badaun. I do not want other couples like us to suffer the same agony in future," he said. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident by District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Tripathi. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Badaun, Dr Sunil Kumar Wadhwa said the matter is being probed by a committee and the guilty would not be spared. On August 28, Ashu (12), who was suffering from fever, was brought to the emergency ward of Hallet hospital of JSVM Medical College in Kanpur. His father alleged that doctors asked him to go from one department to another which he did carrying his son on his shoulders and the boy died in the process, a charge which the hospital authorities have refuted. Following the boy's death, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had suspended the Chief Medical Superintendent of the Medical College. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov died today, the government announced, ending over a quarter of a century of his iron-fisted rule in the Central Asian nation with no clear successor lined up. "Dear compatriots, it is with huge grief in our hearts that we announce to you the death of our dear president," a state TV presenter said, reading an official statement. Authorities said Karimov, 78, was pronounced dead at 8.55 PM (local time) following days of speculation that authorities were delaying announcing his passing after he reportedly suffered a stroke over the weekend. The strongman's funeral will be held in his home city of Samarkand tomorrow as the country begins three days of mourning, the statement said, with Uzbekistan now facing the greatest moment of uncertainty of its post-Soviet history. Loyalist Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev is heading the organisation committee for the funeral, suggesting that he could be in line to take over long-term from Karimov. Officially senate head Nigmatulla Yuldashev should now become acting president until early elections are held. Karimov's youngest daughter Lola wrote on Facebook that "he has left us...I am struggling for words, I can't believe it myself". Long lambasted by rights groups as one of the region's most brutal despots who ruthlessly stamped out opposition, Karimov was one of a handful of Soviet strongmen that clung to power after their homelands gained independence from Moscow in 1991. Karimov portrayed himself as guarantor of stability and bulwark against radical Islam on the borders of Afghanistan, crushing fundamentalist groups at home. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Karimov's death "a great loss for the people of Uzbekistan" in a telegram to interim leader Yuldashev, while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is set to jet in for the funeral. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who appointed Karimov to head the former Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan in 1989, told Interfax agency that Karimov was "a competent man with a strong character". Born on January 30, 1938, Karimov was raised in an orphanage in the ancient city of Samarkand, before studying mechanical engineering and economics and rising up Communist Party ranks. Rights groups - which have long accused Karimov's regime of the most heinous abuses including torture and forced labour in the lucrative cotton industry - said his time in power had been a catastrophe for Uzbekistan. (Reopens FGN 42) "Islam Karimov leaves a legacy of a quarter century of ruthless repression," Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said. "Karimov ruled through fear to erect a system synonymous with the worst human rights abuses: torture, disappearances, forced labour, and the systematic crushing of dissent." Most seriously, the authorities have been accused of killing hundreds of protesters in the eastern city of Andijan in 2005. In the wake of international criticism over the alleged massacre, which Karimov's regime rebuffed, Tashkent shut down a US military base used to supply operations in neighbouring Afghanistan since 2001. But the wily veteran played Russia, China and the West against each other to keep Uzbekistan from total isolation and it continues to receive limited US aid. Despite economic growth figures of some eight percent, critics say that Uzbekistan's economy is in a dire situation with a corrupt elite in control of most of its industry. Uzbekistan appeared to be preparing for a state funeral after saying today that the country's president is critically ill. Islam Karimov has run an authoritarian government in the Central Asian nation since 1989, and cultivated no apparent successor. Karimov, 78, hasn't been seen in public since mid-August, but his government admitted only last weekend that he was ill. His daughter Lola said he had suffered a brain hemorrhage, and a swarm of unofficial reports have placed him close to death or even dead. "Dear compatriots, it is with a heavy heart that we inform you that the health of our President has sharply deteriorated in the past 24 hours to reach a critical state, according to the doctors," the government's statement read. The uncertainty over Karimov's health has raised concerns that Uzbekistan could face prolonged infighting among clans over leadership claims, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. Given the lack of access to the country it's hard to judge how powerful the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan might be, but the group has over the years been affiliated with the Taliban, al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and has sent fighters abroad. Uzbekistan celebrated its Independence Day yesterday, and it was widely assumed that the government would not break any until after the festivities. Today, indications mounted that the country was preparing for a funeral. Photographs posted today by the respected Central Asian website Fergana.Ru showed what appeared to be undertakers in Karimov's hometown of Samarkand working on a cemetery plot in the graveyard where Karimov's family is buried. The Samarkand airport issued a notice saying it would be closed to all flights except specially approved aircraft tomorrow, according to the website of the US Federal Aviation Administration. A top diplomat in neighboring Kyrgyzstan told The Associated Press that the Kyrgyz prime minister had been invited to Karimov's funeral and would attend, leaving today or tomorrow. The official spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. In Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim offered his condolences to the Uzbek people for Karimov's death, though it was not clear how he got the . Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had no confirmation that Karimov might be dead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vigilance sleuths today arrested a clerk of Land Acquisition office on graft charge from Nawada district, a Vigilance department release said. A Vigilance Investigation Bureau caught one Shambhu Kumar, a clerk with Land Acquisition office, Nawada, red handed while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 for making payment to the complainant for the land acquired. One Ram Balak Prasad, a resident of Kharaudh village under Sirdalla police station of Nawada district, had lodged a complaint with the Vigilance department that the clerk Shambhu Kumar was demanding a bribe of Rs 45,000 from him for making payment for acquisition of land. The allegations were found to be correct during the verification carried out by the Bureau. During the verification, the accused clerk got ready to get the work done for Rs 30,000, the release said. A flying squad team was constituted under Deputy Superintendent of Police Maharaj Kanishk Kumar who conducted a raid and caught Shambhu Kumar, the clerk with Land Acquisition Office, while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from Land Acquisition Office, Nawada. The accused would be produced before a Special Vigilance Court (I) at Patna after interrogation, the release said. Altogether 78 persons have been arrested in 71 trap cases laid by the Bureau so far in 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here on Friday posted to September 20 the two cheque bounce cases filed against businessman by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. Third Special Court Magistrate M Krishna Rao had on April 20 convicted Mallya and others in connection with two cheque bounce cases involving Rs 50 lakh each, under relevant sections of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The order on quantum of punishment was adjourned for the seventh time as warrant issued against A Raghunathan, a senior official of the company (Kingfisher), was still pending. The matter relates to cheques issued by Kingfisher Airlines Ltd to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, towards charges for using the facilities at the airport for Kingfisher Airlines flights. The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against Kingfisher Airlines, its chairman Mallya and A Raghunathan on the ground of dishonouring the two cheques. The police in its report filed earlier before the court had said that the warrants were not executed against the company and . The counsel of GHIAL on Friday submitted before the court that the fresh addresses of the company and are not available. The counsel further informed the court that Raghunathan had appeared before different courts here and had got warrants recalled. "A Raghunathan did not appear before this court and steps will be taken for execution of NBW against him," the counsel submitted, and sought short date to take steps and filing of fresh addresses of the company and Vijay Mallya for execution of the warrants. The court then posted the matter to September 20. The court had earlier said that before imposing the quantum of punishment, it would hear the plea of the convicts (Vijay Mallya and others, who have so far not appeared/ attended the court), and then pass its order with regard to sentencing them or imposing fine or both. According to the GMR counsel, a total of 17 cases have been filed against Kingfisher Airlines in different courts over outstanding amount of Rs 22.5 crore, which it owes to GMR. The cases are in different stages of trial. Mallya, who owes Rs 9,000 crore in loans to banks, is reportedly in London. Vodafone India, the second largest mobile operator by subscriber base, today launched its 4G services in Surat with an array of data packs starting from Rs 8 for 30 MB, and said its 4G services will be rolled out across Gujarat in the next few months. Launching its 4G operations in Gujarat, Vodafone announced an array of data packs starting from as low as Rs 8 for 30 MB, free upgrade to 4G for customers along with high-speed 4G SIM, and double data - 20 GB at Rs 998. The launch comes a day after Reliance Jio, yesterday, shook the telecom sector with its disruptive offering of free voice calls for life, and data tariffs priced as low at one-tenth of the prevailing market rates. RJio's tariffs will be effective starting January 1, 2017, after its free data and voice offering comes to an end on December 31, 2016. RJio's launch is widely expected to trigger a price war amongst incumbent operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea, with market watchers expecting existing players to come out with sweeteners to woo and retain subscribers on their networks. "Customers buying greater than 1GB packs will get twice the data allowance and unlimited local Vodafone to Vodafone calls," a Vodafone release said adding they can also enjoy 3-month access to free TV, movies and videos on Vodafone Play as part of 4G subscription. The company is touting its superior network (4G LTE network on 1800Mhz with extensive fibre backhaul), high speed downloads/uploads giving fast mobile internet experience, and experience of music, videos, chats, mobile gaming and two-way video calling with speedy response time. The company is also promising immediate 4G SIM exchange at multiple touch points with even door-step delivery of postpaid 4G SIMs. The launch in Gujarat follows the commencement of its 4G services in Kerala, Karnataka, Kolkata, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Haryana and UP East. Sunil Sood, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone India said, "4G has the potential to revolutionise the mobile experience through powerful innovation that impacts how we work and live." Vodafone 4G services will soon also be available in West Bengal and in 1,000 towns across the country by end of the year. The nine circles of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana, Gujarat, UP (E) and West Bengal, together contribute to just under 70 per cent of Vodafone India's data revenues, the statement added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Keeping in mind that a large number of tourists from the country and abroad visit the city to see places associated with Mother Teresa, West Bengal Tourism Department is planning to promote them on its website. "Several tourists both from other states and foreign lands visit the city and the state to see places which are related to Mother Teresa. And after Sunday's canonisation programme, their footfall will go up. We are planning to make arrangements for them so that they have a great experience here," Tourism Minister Gautam Deb told PTI today. These places closely related to Teresa's life and her works would be put on the state tourism website to help tourists have an idea about them and they can pre-plan their itinerary, the minister said. "This is our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's idea. She is keen for the beautification of the places with which Mother Teresa was closely related. Our website will incorporate these places (related to Mother Teresa)," Deb said. Banerjee had recently held a meeting with officials from Tourism Department where Deb was also present. Places in the city closely associated with Mother Teresa include Mother House, where the Catholic nun first lived in Kolkata, one convent on the Elliot Road and the church in Darjeeling she attended in the 1950s, he said. The state also has plans to create a tourism circuit over 40 places of interest in the city and the state connected with Mother Teresa, Deb said. About the beautification process, the tourism minister said consultation with architects were taken and the process would soon initiate. "Our officials along with architects have visited all those places and are planning on the beautification process of these places. Hopefully the entire process will be over by next March," Deb said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Congress MLA today announced to contest against Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election to "expose" the "corrupt" BJP government in the state. Congress legislator from Rajkot East Indranil Rajyaguru said he would fight against Rupani in the latter's constituency of Rajkot-II. "I have decided to contest the 2017 Assembly polls against Vijay Rupani and expose the corrupt practices of the BJP government," he told a press conference where the BJP's former RMC (Rajkot Municipal Corporation) standing committee chairman Rajbha Zala officially joined the Congress. No political party, including the Congress, has finalised the names of candidates for the polls due next year. Rajyaguru said Zala, who had resigned from the BJP around a year back, had a strong network in the Rajkot-II constituency which he would use against Rupani. "I was feeling uncomfortable in the BJP as they wasted money on false achievements and promoted corruption. "After spending many years in the party, I know how it works during the polls and in the next Assembly election, I will try to use that experience and work for the Congress," Zala said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India will soon sign treaties with Russia and South Africa for film production, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore today said. He said this at the inaugural ceremony of BRICS Film Festival here. "This festival is the time when filmmakers and technicians (from different nations) can interact with each other and develop collaborations and friendships. This is the time when they can think about producing movies together. We have already signed co-production treaties with China and Brazil and now soon we will have treaties with Russia and South Africa," he said. Rathore further said such a festival also widens market for Indian films in Brazil, Russia, South Africa and China. "Last year itself, 1,000 Indian films did a business of more than USD 2 billion. Now a 43 per cent of the world population (BRICS nations) could be the market for Indian films and even for movies from other four nations. Imagine what sort of potential ere is for the cultures of these five nations to reach out to the world. This is the reason we are celebrating this festival," he said. BRICS was opened by Kunal Kapoor-starrer "Veeram" and Chinese superstar Jackie Chan's "Skiptrace" will bring cutains down on the festival on September 6. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COLUMNS. [Column] Mia Pieterse: Further fintech innovation requires regulation Traditional banks have monopolised the banking industry for a long time not just in South Africa, but globally ...read full column here [Column] Lee Wearne: C-suites should drive data strategies to avoid disconnect with business strategy The data strategy must start at the executive level to ensure it aligns with the business outcomes ...read full column here [Column] Susan Sitemere: With cyber fraud on the rise in Zimbabwe, customer security remains essential As online financial transactions are becoming increasingly popular, many Zimbabweans are adopting the use of mobile wallets and online banking services across the country....read full column here Sanford Health in Bismarck notified employees Friday that the hospital is interested in merging with Mid Dakota Clinic in Bismarck. Jon Berg, Sanford Health spokesman, said a letter was sent to staff to inform employees of the recent discussions. Mid Dakota Clinic serves patients in the Bismarck-Mandan area and is a founding member of the PrimeCare health group, along with CHI St. Alexius Health. "Our discussions have been very positive and, as a result, are moving to the next step," read the letter, signed by CEO and President Kelby Krabbenhoft, Chief Operating Officer Nate White and Craig Lambrecht, executive vice president. Jane Schlinger, Mid Dakota's marketing and communications manager, declined to comment further on the potential merger, confirming the matter has been part of recent discussions. "There's really nothing more that I can talk about right now," Schlinger said. Mid Dakota has more than 400 employees and over 90 providers. Bismarck's other local hospital, CHI St. Alexius Health, said it will continue to offer and maintain its services as well as work with Mid Dakota if it chooses to join Sanford Health. "CHI St. Alexius Health has had a long standing collaborative relationship with Mid Dakota Clinic, and has respect for the quality of care they have provided over the years at the medical center," said Chris Jones, CHI St. Alexius Health division senior vice president of strategy and business development, in a statement. "We look forward to maintaining a collaborative relationship with the providers of Mid Dakota Clinic that meets the needs and desires of the patients and community we collectively serve." Women who have joined Islamic State fighters in Syria are facing closer scrutiny when they return to France as the potential danger they represent was underestimated, the country's top prosecutor said today. Francois Molins told the daily Le Monde that "hundreds" of women would return from Syria in the next few months. French authorities had probably been wrong "at first to say that they were just following their husbands and that they were restricting themselves to domestic chores in Syria", he said. "Now they are systematically arrested when they return and taken into custody." He said 59 women have been charged in France of whom 18 were serving prison sentences. The prosecutor also noted a rise in the number of radicalised girls in France "with very worrying profiles". "They are sometimes behind terrorist plots which, on an intellectual level, are quite far along," he told the paper. Twenty-three boys and 12 girls under the age of 18 are currently facing charges in France for terror-related offences. Molins said he was worried about the potential radicalisation of young teens who had been taken by their parents to Syria or Iraq and might have appeared in IS execution videos or undergone military training. "They are going to be real time bombs," Molins said. He estimated that around 20 minors were currently fighting alongside IS militants in Syria or Iraq. Around 700 French citizens are currently in conflict zones in Syria and Iraq, Molins said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the November 2015 attacks on Paris that killed 130 people and the group said one of its followers drove the truck in the attack on the Nice waterfront in July in which 86 people died. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asserting that workers today rejected the strike call given by various trade unions, BJP today credited the government's "pro-workers" and liberal measures for their welfare and development. "I am glad that workmen have rejected the strike call because of the pro-workers approach of the government and the liberal measures it has taken for their benefit. "I congratulate the workmen of India for the positive attitude they demonstrated today," BJP leader and Union Minister for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal said. The Union minister said he collected feedback from across the country and the strike call made "little impact". He claimed the workers have appreciated the steps, including a 42 per cent hike in the minimum wages, taken by the government in their interests. Normal life in several parts of the country was affected today by the one-day nationwide strike by trade unions with public transport, banking and mining being among the most-hit, while protesting workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The central trade unions claimed the strike was successful as around 18 crore workers came on streets to support the agitation, despite only partial impact in some states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Industry body Assocham pegged the cost to the economy at Rs 16,000-18,000 crore from the one-day stir, call for which was given by 10 central unions to protest against what they called the government's "indifference" to workers demands for better wages and facilities and the "anti-worker" changes in labour laws. While the agitation paralysed day to day work in states like Kerala, Odisha, Tripura, Assam and Telangana, the impact was quite visible in Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga today claimed that he had contacted NSCN (I-M) supremo Shangwang Shangyung Khaplang through messengers and the 76-year-old Naga militant leader agreed to meet him. Addressing party workers at the MNF office here, he claimed that both the Centre and the Myanmar government had "urged" him to contact Khaplang so that peace negotiations could be initiated with the NSCN faction camping in Myanmar. "Though the Indian and Myanmar governments asked me to talk to Khaplang, I did not approach him directly without knowing if he was willing to meet me," the former Mizoram chief minister said, adding that the Naga underground leader told the messenger that he was willing to arrange such a meeting. A recent media report had claimed that neither the PMO nor the Ministry of Home Affairs had asked the former MNF underground leader to contact Khaplang and it was used by other political parties, including the ruling Congress in Mizoram, to slam Zoramthanga. The Congress, quoting the report, had alleged that Zoramthanga himself was lobbying for his appointment as an interlocutor in the ongoing peace talks with the insurgent groups in Assam. To this, Zoramthanga today retorted that "a security officer in the PMO" would not be knowing of the peace mission as only he and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval were involved in it. He said none among the MHA, NIA, IB and RAW or the Foreign Minister would know of the peace mission. Zoramthanga claimed that he and Doval recently attended the ceremony of signing of the ceasefire agreement between the Myanmar government and the ethnic-based insurgent outfits at Naypidaw. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Commercial Feature is a Business Standard Digital Marketing Initiative. The Editorial/Content team at Business Standard has not contributed to writing or editing these articles. For further information, please write to assist@bsmail.in The nation-wide strike called by central trade unions today hit normal life in Left- ruled Kerala with public transport vehicles staying off the roads and shops and business establishments downing shutters. Autorickshaws, taxies, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses are not plying on roads across the state with the workers of various unions taking part in the strike. Major roads wore a deserted look in the state capital where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as the strike supporters laid a siege of an ISRO bus bay here. ALSO READ: LIVE updates of Bharat Bandh Train passengers had a tough time as they had to walk to their homes after alighting at the railway station here. However, police helped patients coming to the Regional Cancer centre here by arranging transport. All major unions, barring RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike, terming as "completely inadequate" the Central government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage. This is the first major strike in Kerala after the CPI(M) led LDF government came to power in May this year. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has courted controversy after expressing support to the strike on Facebook with BJP hitting out against him. VSSC officials said employees of Indian Space Research Organisation's units here were stranded at the bus bay at Pattom here. Three convoys of buses, which were to carry employees from different localities, could not leave as strike supporters laid siege of the bus bay of ISRO units at Pattom here. About 6,000 odd employees of the VSSC in Thumba, ISRO Inertial Systems unit, a R&D unit of ISRO at Vattiyoorkavu, Liquid Propulsion systems centre (LPSC) and Indian Institute of Space Science Engineering college at Valliamala have been held up, sources said. The union leaders led by former CPI(M) MLA, V Sivankutty staged a dharna in front of the bus bay this morning preventing employees from getting into the buses. "Not a single bus has left the Pattom station since 7 AM this morning. We are not sure when the convoys will ply," a VSSC official said. In the past 15-20 years, we were never affected due to strikes as employees used to get transport arrangements, the official said. Some vehicles of Technopark employees were also blocked. In the Apollo Tyres Perambra unit, BMS workers came for work for the 6 am shift and striking workers tried to prevent them. However, police intervened and allowed them to enter the unit. Employees of the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) were also prevented at Kochi, police said. The central trade unions have launched a nation-wide strike today to protest against the 'anti-labour' policies of the government. The unions have opposed the government's proposal to increase minimum wage for unskilled workers by up to 20 per cent to Rs 12,000 per month for Tier-I cities, saying it should consider an additional increase. All major unions, excluding RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike call, terming the government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage as "completely inadequate". Around 18 crore workers are participating in the strike. 3:49 pm : Live coverage of Bharat Bandh comes to an end. : Live coverage of Bharat Bandh comes to an end. 3:47 pm: Hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. 3:15 pm: While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra. However, life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra. However, life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. 3:10 pm: Banking services have been affected throughout the country as public sector banks' employees largely remained off-duty. Private banks, however, continued their operations normally. Banking services have been affected throughout the country as public sector banks' employees largely remained off-duty. Private banks, however, continued their operations normally. 3:00 pm: At some places, employees claimed the district administration "forcefully" asked roadways employees to ply buses. At some places, employees claimed the district administration "forcefully" asked roadways employees to ply buses. 2:58 pm: Employees of departments like roadways, electricity, health, corporations held demonstrations at various places in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Employees of departments like roadways, electricity, health, corporations held demonstrations at various places in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. 2:54 pm: Services including banking and public transport were hit in Haryana, Punjab and union territory of Chandigarh with employees of various government departments joining the strike. Services including banking and public transport were hit in Haryana, Punjab and union territory of Chandigarh with employees of various government departments joining the strike. 2:51 pm: In Uttar Pradesh, over 18 lakh state government employees have joined the strike in order to protest against disparities in the pay commission recommendations. In Uttar Pradesh, over 18 lakh state government employees have joined the strike in order to protest against disparities in the pay commission recommendations. 2:41 pm: No impact of strike seen in Delhi and Mumbai where public transport remains unaffected. Power and water supply services normal. No impact of strike seen in Delhi and Mumbai where public transport remains unaffected. Power and water supply services normal. 2:17 pm: No effect on attendance in government departments in Puducherry. No effect on attendance in government departments in Puducherry. 2:15 pm: In Puducherry, private buses, autos and other passenger vehicles were off the roads while state-run buses were operated as usual. Shops and establishments downed their shutters. Cinema houses suspended the shows for the day. In Puducherry, private buses, autos and other passenger vehicles were off the roads while state-run buses were operated as usual. Shops and establishments downed their shutters. Cinema houses suspended the shows for the day. 2:10 pm : A report from Hisar and Kaithal in Haryana said public transport remained paralysed, forcing passengers to use private vehicles to reach their destinations. : A report from Hisar and Kaithal in Haryana said public transport remained paralysed, forcing passengers to use private vehicles to reach their destinations. 2:05 pm: Over two dozen passenger and express trains were delayed at different railway stations as the rail roko continued for some time in Odisha, they said adding goods trains were also stranded at several places. Over two dozen passenger and express trains were delayed at different railway stations as the rail roko continued for some time in Odisha, they said adding goods trains were also stranded at several places. 2:00 pm: Train services were affected as trade union activists staged rail roko by holding sit-in on tracks at many places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaleswar, Keonjhargarh and Rayagada, police said. Train services were affected as trade union activists staged rail roko by holding sit-in on tracks at many places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaleswar, Keonjhargarh and Rayagada, police said. 1:54 pm: Train services were affected as trade union activists staged rail roko by holding sit-in on tracks at many places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaleswar, Keonjhargarh and Rayagada, police said. Train services were affected as trade union activists staged rail roko by holding sit-in on tracks at many places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaleswar, Keonjhargarh and Rayagada, police said. 1:32pm: Normal life in Odisha hit with protesters coming on roads and railway tracks affecting the traffic movement all over the state. Normal life in Odisha hit with protesters coming on roads and railway tracks affecting the traffic movement all over the state. 1:31 pm: Delhi govt imposes ESMA on agitating nurses in hospitals run by it. Delhi govt imposes ESMA on agitating nurses in hospitals run by it. 1:15 pm: CITU-led Left trade unions claimed that the strike is going on peacefully and accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) of trying to incite violence at some places. CITU-led Left trade unions claimed that the strike is going on peacefully and accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) of trying to incite violence at some places. 1:11 pm: Train services at Sealdah and Howrah sections, and Metro Rail services were also as usual. However, the rush of passengers was less. Train services at Sealdah and Howrah sections, and Metro Rail services were also as usual. However, the rush of passengers was less. 12:48 pm: The strike called by central trade unions did not have much impact in West Bengal till late morning hours as transport services functioned normally. The strike called by central trade unions did not have much impact in West Bengal till late morning hours as transport services functioned normally. 12:36 pm: Educational institutions are functioning normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing is not participating in the strike. Educational institutions are functioning normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing is not participating in the strike. 12:34 pm: In Tamil Nadu, bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open In Tamil Nadu, bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open 12:33 pm: Most of the buses run by Telangana State Road Transport Organisation are kept off the roads, a senior official said. Most of the buses run by Telangana State Road Transport Organisation are kept off the roads, a senior official said. 12:32 pm: Banking operations came to standstill in Telangana as over 15,000 employees of various banks participated in the general strike. Banking operations came to standstill in Telangana as over 15,000 employees of various banks participated in the general strike. 12:30 pm: Most of the industrial parks in Telangana witnessed thin attendance today. Most of the industrial parks in Telangana witnessed thin attendance today. 12:28 pm: In Mumbai, suburban trains, autorickshaws, taxis and city buses continued to operate normally, without affecting the daily schedule of lakhs of commuters in Mumbai and suburbs. In Mumbai, suburban trains, autorickshaws, taxis and city buses continued to operate normally, without affecting the daily schedule of lakhs of commuters in Mumbai and suburbs. 12:26 pm: Government institutions including offices, schools and colleges are closed in Kerala. Government institutions including offices, schools and colleges are closed in Kerala. 12:22 pm: Train passengers had a tough time as they had to walk to their homes after alighting at the railway station in Thiruvananthapuram. Train passengers had a tough time as they had to walk to their homes after alighting at the railway station in Thiruvananthapuram. 12:20 pm: Major roads wore a deserted look in the Thiruvananthapuram where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as the strike supporters laid a siege of an ISRO bus bay. Major roads wore a deserted look in the Thiruvananthapuram where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as the strike supporters laid a siege of an ISRO bus bay. 12:17 pm: Normal life hit in Left-ruled Kerala with public transport vehicles staying off the roads and shops and business establishments downing shutters. Normal life hit in Left-ruled Kerala with public transport vehicles staying off the roads and shops and business establishments downing shutters. 12:03 pm: Private banks and ATMs are functional. Private banks and ATMs are functional. 12:01 pm: Trains are running smoothly since Railways have opted out of the bharat bandh. Trains are running smoothly since Railways have opted out of the bharat bandh. 11:46 am: "The strike is on. We are getting good response. More information will pour in after sometime. Around 90 per cent workers at BHEL's plant in Tiruchirapalli have not reported at work in the morning shift," Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Tapan Kumar Sen said. "The strike is on. We are getting good response. More information will pour in after sometime. Around 90 per cent workers at BHEL's plant in Tiruchirapalli have not reported at work in the morning shift," Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Tapan Kumar Sen said. 11:43 am :Medical shops are open as they are exempted from strike call. :Medical shops are open as they are exempted from strike call. 11:41 am:Many schools and colleges have declared a holiday. North 24 Parganas (WB): CPM and TMC workers clash in Madhyamgram What is the government doing Indian Railways and other central government employees will not be a part of the strike as the government has already constituted a committee to look into their demand of raising monthly minimum wage from Rs 18,000 to about Rs 26,000 under the 7th Pay Commission. The government has already raised the minimum wage from Rs 246 to Rs 350 per day for non-agricultural workers. Normal life in various parts of the country was partly affected today by the one-day nationwide strike by trade unions with banking, transport and coal mining being among the most impacted, while hundreds of workers were detained in Haryana, Jharkhand and West Bengal. While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra. However, life remained normal in metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi. Banking services have been affected throughout the country as public sector banks employees largely remained off-duty. Private banks, however, continued their operations normally. Clearing operations at Reserve Bank were hit with trade union leaders claiming that cheques totalling Rs 19,000 crore were held up as the staff did not report on duty. "Clearing services have been impacted. Financial instrument worth Rs 19,000 crore has been held up," claimed AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam. All India Coal Workers Federation General Secretary (CITU) D D Ramanadan said, "Dispatch, production and transport of coal have come to a standstill with operations in CIL subsidiaries BCCL, CCL, ECL and CMPDI badly hit. Around 300 workers have been arrested in Rajmahal and Chitra mines areas." "There have been instances of arrests in West Bengal and Haryana. We came to know that 12 people have been arrested in Manesar while seven were detained in West Bengal. The strike this time has greater impact than last years agitation on September 2," All India Trade Union Congress Secretary D L Sachdev told PTI. He said, "Buses of Punjab Roadways and Haryana Roadways were almost off the road. More than half the buses of Uttar Pradesh Road Transport were also off the road. But DTCs buses were plying while Delhi Metro was also functional." The strike is almost complete in Left-ruled Kerala where it got the support of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who courted controversy after supporting the strike on Facebook with BJP hitting out against him. Bismarck and Mandan schools continue to show growth. Enrollments in both districts increased this fall, reflecting a rising population. Thats good, it indicates the Bismarck-Mandan community continues to thrive. With the growth comes challenges, and the Bismarck School District will be facing some tough choices. Bismarck Public Schools had 348 more students on the first day of classes compared to last year. Mandan reported 124 more students in grades K-12, a 3.49 percent increase. Light of Christ Catholic Schools also saw enrollment climb by more than 7 percent this year, with 1,349 students in the system. Light of Christ is in the process of raising funds for a new high school in north Bismarck. This is remarkable growth across the board. It comes four years after Bismarck and Mandan voters approved funding for new schools. Bismarck passed a $86.5 million bond issue that resulted in two new elementary schools and a new high school. The funding also addressed disparities in older schools. Mandan voters approved $12.5 million for an elementary school. The new schools are in place and some of them are feeling squeezed for space as are older schools in the districts. The Bismarck middle schools are especially crowded and doing everything they can to find space. Lunch schedules have been adjusted, teachers share space and move around with carts. In Bismarck, a 75-member task force has been considering options for dealing for space. The task force has been favoring adding on to middle schools instead of constructing new schools. The Bismarck School Board will have to decide whether to hold a vote on a bond issue. If voters approve a bond issue its estimated to take 18 months to add to the middle schools. The number crunch isnt expected to end, with enrollment expected to increase in 2017. The school district may bring back a demographer to see how earlier enrollment projections hold up. Obviously, some important decisions are coming this school year. In 2012 voters overwhelming approved Bismarcks bond issue, but the climate for a bond issue may not be as favorable now. The state, county and local entities are tightening budgets to deal with a revenue shortfall. People may feel reluctant to approve a bond issue. Thats why its important for the school district to explore all options. Are there buildings in the district, such as Hughes, that the schools could make better use of? While having equity in schools is an understandable goal, can schools get by with sharing some facilities? The district closed Saxvik last spring, was that a wise decision? Can a demographer help us understand how long the enrollment growth spurt will continue? When the school board has the answers to these questions and more, they can present a plan to the district. Bismarck residents have been supportive of the schools in the past, but they will want to see a solid proposal before signing off on it. Its going to be an interesting and difficult time for the Bismarck School Board. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India will engage constructively on all pressing international priorities and challenges with world leaders as he is looks forward to "a productive and outcome oriented" G20 Summit in China's Hangzhou that begins from Sunday. The Prime Minister, who will travel to Vietnam this evening before heading for China tomorrow, said his government attaches a high priority to bilateral relations with Vietnam and the partnership between the two countries will benefit Asia and the rest of the world. "Today evening, I will reach Hanoi in Vietnam, marking the start of a very important visit that will further cement the close bond between India and Vietnam," Modi said. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," he said in a facebook post. Modi said he will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges during the G20 Summit. Reliance Jio customers will get free voice calling (including STD) and roaming services, bundled with data access for Rs 19 onwards, making the offering one of the "lowest" globally. The company has introduced 10 tariff plans from one-day plan at Rs 19 for occasional users going all the way up to Rs 4,999 a month for heavy data users. The pricing, which analysts are terming as a "knockout punch" are estimated to be as low as one-tenth of the prevailing data rates depending on the customer's data usage. These tariff plans would come into effect after December 31, 2016. Till then, all customers would get free access to unlimited voice calls (local and STD), SMSes and data. Jio users would also not face any blackout days like Diwali and New Year, when operators tend to charge double. According to Bernstein Research, both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have launched similar plans offering unlimited voice calling. "However, Bharti's unlimited voice plan is currently positioned at a higher price point and offer comparably less data... Vodafone also offers few unlimited voice calling plans but SMS is usually capped, the data cap is smaller and there are no free apps available," it said. The report said Bharti Airtel's unlimited voice plans are available from Rs 949 to Rs 2,999 and it expects that the company would "revise the tariffs over the coming weeks". While analysts believe Reliance Jio's entry will bring in a new round of price war, rival Bharti Airtel welcomed Jio's entry in the Indian market. "As a responsible operator, we will fulfill all our regulatory obligations as we have always done," it added. Vodafone spokesperson said the company has always offered value to customers backed by nationwide presence and a strong network and will continue to do so for hundreds of millions customers across the country. Reliance Jio is ushering in "data-giri" to cash in on the booming demand for data services boom in the country. Even though 70 per cent of the Indian telecom industry's revenues are still derived from voice services, data revenues are growing at a strong pace for all operators. Data demand is being driven by factors like high consumption of videos, online transactions, games and use of popular instant messengers like WhatsApp and Hike. Reliance is also offering a Jio apps bouquet worth Rs 15,000, will be available complimentary for all active Jio customers up to December 31, 2017. Under the Rs 19 prepaid plan, users will get 100 MB data and 100 SMSes for a day, apart from unlimited free voice calling. The 149 plan, available for both prepaid and postpaid users, will offer 300MB data and 100 SMSes with a validity of about a month. . Under the Rs 4,999 plan, users will get 75GB of 4G data as well as unlimited 4G access at night for a period of 28 days or one month for prepaid and postpaid users, respectively. Other plans would be available for Rs 129 (prepaid only), Rs 299 (prepaid only), Rs 499, Rs 999, Rs 1,499, Rs 2,499, and Rs 3,999. Under these plans (except Rs 149 plan), subscribers will also have wifi access (with varied amounts of usage) from JioNet Hotspots. Speaking at the Reliance Industries' 42th Annual General Meeting, Chairman Mukesh Ambani said data must be "affordable" and that Reliance Jio's effective rates will be Rs 50 per GB. "If you use more data, it will go down to Rs 25 per GB," he added. Compared globally, Reliance Jio's tariffs are among the lowest. According to Ambani's presentation, data rates per GB are around USD 30 in Japan, USD 18 in Korea, USD 15 in China, USD 7.5 in Spain and USD 6 in South Africa. In India, it is currently at about USD 3.5 which Jio now proposes to bring down further to less than USD 1 (about Rs 67). Ambani, India's richest man, however stopped short of calling January 1 as the commercial launch of Jio that will offer only fourth-generation or 4G services in the world's second-largest smartphone market. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he will appeal the European Commission's ruling that his company received an unlawful 13 billion euro subsidy when Ireland gave it preferential tax deals and that he was confident the decision would be reversed. But over a dozen lawyers, including three advising companies on appeals, told Reuters it was impossible to predict how EU courts would rule in an area that has not been tested before. State aid cases have up until now centered on targeted tax laws that countries introduce with an obvious aim of attracting investment and jobs by reduced tax bills. In the Apple case, and several others, the Commission has been investigating whether member countries' tax authorities were secretly giving tax breaks by being too generous in their application of accepted tax principles. The Commission believes some member states allowed companies to shift profits into untaxed subsidiaries by approving inappropriate transfer prices -- the prices subsidiaries of multinational companies charge each other for intra-group transactions. Most experts said the EU judges dealing with any Apple appeal to overturn the ruling would be focused on whether the European Commission has strayed too far into dictating national tax policy by rejecting Ireland's view of transfer pricing. "What Apple and Ireland have done sounds really outrageous but the last word has not been spoken as to whether the Commission can use transfer pricing rules to identify what a subsidy is," said Herwig Hofmann, Professor of law at the University of Luxembourg. "There's a good argument to be made that if you want to do that, actually you have to harmonize tax laws and you don't have the power to do that." EU law says only governments can approve a harmonization of tax systems. The Commission has also been investigating tax transfer pricing at Fiat, McDonald's, Starbucks and Amazon.com Inc. The companies and the countries which gave the rulings all deny special treatment was given and have launched, or are considering, legal appeals. Some lawyers say that Apple's arrangement was legal in Ireland and theoretically available to any company and so the California-based company could not have received a advantage that was selective - key factors in most state aid cases. "There's nothing that I have seen in any of the cases that have been taken by the European Commission that suggests there is selective application of the rules," Tim Wach, Global Managing Director at international tax advisors Taxand. However, other lawyers note that Apple's unusual tax structure - involving companies which are tax resident nowhere - means its tax rulings are unlikely to have many close comparators. And the rulings lead to a less than 1% tax rate -- something most other companies don't enjoy. "If I had to bet my dollar on something here, I think Apple could have a hard time overturning the selectivity argument," said Georg Berrisch, a partner at Baker Botts in Brussels. Last year, the European Commission published a list of six tax rulings and 59 "measures similar in nature or effect" since 1991, which it had challenged on the basis of state aid rules. It was successful in almost all cases. Officials say these show its current actions are in line with previous precedents. Many experts in the field disagree and last week the U.S. Treasury issued a detailed paper which assessed earlier cases and said "in none of the 65 cases involving State aid nor in any other cases examined by the U.S. Treasury Department, did the Commission challenge how a Member State tax authority applied its own transfer pricing rules in granting a specific ruling." Europe's highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), will hear any appeal by Apple. The court usually backs the Commission, but lawyers say it sometimes disagrees in state aid cases where it usually comes up against countries. The Irish government is still considering whether to launch its own separate appeal. Some lawyers say ECJ judges are influenced by political considerations and that if the Commission's rulings prompt a major spat with the United States and member states don't support the Commission, the court may hesitate to enforce a tax demand of up to 13 billion euros plus interest. So far, France and Germany have voiced support for the Apple ruling. The UK, which has voted to leave the bloc, filed a submission in support of the Commission's case against Fiat, according to lawyers involved in the case. The UK declined comment. A spokeswoman for the court said political considerations do not come into its decisions. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager agreed. "I don't think the courts will hear any kind of political opinions or feelings or what's in your stomach or whatever. They want the facts of the case," she said. The ECJ could decide the Commission is allowed to challenge transfer pricing but knock back the Commission's methodology for calculating Apple's bill. That would leave the door open to a smaller tax demand being levied. "The amount isn't set in stone at all, I think this figurehead of 13 billion, that is yet to be analyzed in detail," Hofmann said. If the court backs the Commission, the executive would theoretically be free to challenge hundreds of other complex tax arrangements used, mainly by U.S. companies, to minimize taxes on European sales. A Reuters investigation in 2013 showed that at least 74% of the 50 biggest U.S. technology companies, including Google and Facebook, use practices similar to Apple's to reduce their tax bills. Ireland is now supposed to calculate exactly how much Apple owes, which is typically paid ahead of an appeal, using the Commission's methodology. However, a quirk of the Apple ruling may delay this. The Commission said other EU countries could claim some of the 13 billion euros by re-assessing the income of Apple subsidiaries on their territories. Apple's appeal will first be to the EU's General Court, which will take two to three years to rule, lawyers say. A likely appeal to the ECJ could take another two years. In meantime, lawyers will be watching more advanced cases. Denis Waelbroeck, of law firm Ashurst in Brussels, who is advising Luxembourg on its appeal in the FIAT case, said the General Court could give a ruling on that next March. "Whatever outcome we get will influence Apple," he said. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie About us LOGAN Troopers arrested a Logan man who was reportedly driving recklessly through Logan Canyon Thursday afternoon, before crashing his truck near the Guinavah Malibu Campground. Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cade Brenchley said 24-year-old Anthony K. Wytsalucy was driving northeast on US-89 when he lost control on a curve near milepost 468 and drove off the road. The truck hit several trees before coming to a rest around 50-feet from the roadway. Witnesses told troopers that Wytsalucy was driving erratically, passing multiple vehicles and speeding before the accident occurred. He reportedly told one of the paramedics treating him that he was driving around 85 mph before the crash. Brenchley said troopers also detected a strong odor of alcohol and suspect Wytsalucy may have been intoxicated. An investigation is being conducted and charges are pending. There were no one else in the truck and no other vehicles involved. He was transported by ambulance to Logan Regional Hospital with minor injuries. Troopers later arrested and booked him into the Cache County Jail. Wytsalucy is from New Mexico but is living in Logan, attending Utah State University.

will@cvradio.com One year on, how did Europe handle the refugee crisis? Published on September 2, 2016 Story by euro topics Translation by: euro topics en de pl fr es it Last year, as the tragic photos of three-year-old Alan Kurdi made headlines around the world, Angela Merkel allowed refugees stuck in Budapest's Keleti train station to travel on to Germany. Leaders across Europe opened their borders. But 12 months later, the issue remains deeply divisive. Breaking the law for a supposedly good cause - ABC, Spain The Chancellor hoped to do some good with her decision, but ABC feels the opposite has happened: "A year ago Angela Merkel concluded that the dramatic situation in which thousands of refugees in Hungary found themselves was so extraordinary and extreme that it called for her, the most powerful leader on the continent, to suspend the EU laws that applied in the 28 member states unilaterally and without prior consultation... No one doubts that she was acting on good intentions - her generosity in wanting to offer asylum to all those who needed it or her compassion and will to prevent the tragedies shown on television all over the world. But it is indisputable that on that day Merkel violated the principle of law in Europe. And this triggered a perverse chain reaction that has transformed the demographics of German villages, neighbourhoods and cities and changed the lives of millions of Germans." (02/09/2016) A pioneer of humanistic policy - Lietuvos zinios, Lithuania Lietuvos zinios believes Merkel has achieved a lot in the past year: "The daughter of a priest is pursuing a humanistic policy and this has elicited praise from the pope and the states of the Middle East, particularly those like Jordan that are burdened by a huge influx of refugees. She has also been praised by Obama and even communist China although neither the Americans nor the Chinese approve of the deal between Germany and Turkey. But precisely this deal has led to the number of refugees arriving in Germany shrinking from 200,000 last November to 16,300 in June." (02/09/2016) France's lax stance on refugees - Le Figaro, France The refugee crisis isn't over by a long shot but, Le Figaro rails that France has turned its back on the issue altogether: "The migratory tsunami affects the entire European Union. And it's clear that solutions that are far more drastic than the measures for the Schengen Area must be found here. Nevertheless, France can't shirk its own responsibilities. It is less tight-fisted than many of its partners when it comes to granting protection to asylum seekers. And welfare aid for illegal immigrants is also more accessible here. Finally, expulsion procedures are more likely to get lost in judicial labyrinths in France than elsewhere. Yes, Angela Merkel's generosity is untenable, but Francois Hollande's laxity can no longer be tolerated either." (02/09/2016) Others had to do the dirty work - Le Soir, Belgium Le Soir believes that a pan-European initiative would have been better than Merkel's disastrous unilateral stance: "You can't win a war with good intentions: that's the flip side of this historic declaration. This huge moral act has ended in a political and operative fiasco. Today we see that if the flood of refugees has slowed, it's above all because other leaders have done the dirty work. The chancellor, by contrast, reached a dishonourable deal with Turkey to save the situation - and her position. History will show that there was another way to deal with the situation: through the European institutions and a joint reaffirmation of moral principles in conjunction with a pragmatic plan of action." (02/09/2016) The genie must go back in the bottle - Pravo, Czech Republic One year after coining her slogan "We can do it", Merkel has acknowledged that she made certain mistakes in dealing with the refugee crisis. Pravo is not convinced by her admission: "The chancellor's self-criticism came as no surprise. Her real goal was to spread the responsibility for the chaotic state of affairs across the entire EU and divert attention from her own mistakes. For example her strategically weak appraisal of what could happen after hundreds of thousands of refugees were invited to Germany and Europe without first putting a coordinated plan in place. After one year, it's too late. No doubt the crisis will result in an enormous, long-term burden on the German welfare state. The Germans no longer believe that they can do it... Today we can only try to get this genie in the form of an uncontrolled multitudes of refugees back in the bottle. But that's not to say that it will work." (02/09/2016) --- 30 Countries, 300 Media Outlets, 1 Press Review. The euro|topics press review presents the issues affecting Europe and reflects the continent's diverse opinions, ideas and moods. Story by euro topics Translated from Fluchtlinge: Europas Laisser-faire Behind the Numbers: 6,500 rescued refugees Published on September 2, 2016 Story by Phil W. Bayles en pl fr es it de Refugees have been fleeing conflicts across the world and heading to Europe in greater and greater numbers in the past year. Too often the journey is treacherous and ends tragically. But sometimes theres a somewhat happier resolution... Last year, in the middle of the worst migrant crisis in a generation, the body of a three-year-old boy washed up on the shores of the Turkish coastal town of Bodrum. His name was Alan Kurdi, and the pictures of his lifeless body shocked Europe. Leaders promised to open their borders to more refugees, and many media outlets softened their tone following many months of dehumanising coverage. Of course, Alan was only one victim of this crisis. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), last year 3,371 people died trying to escape countries like Iraq, Syria and Eritrea. And the numbers are only getting higher - between January and August of this year, 264,513 people arrived in Europe by sea. 3,165 did not survive the journey. On Monday, over a period of 30 hours, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Spanish organisation Proactiva Open Arms saved around 6,500 refugees in the Mediterranean who had tried to sail from the coast of Libya in rubber dinghies and wooden fishing boats. Among those rescued were 82 women, and 13 children under the age of five - two of whom were five-day-old twins who were born prematurely during the journey to Europe. They were evacuated for further medical attention along with their mother. We have no idea what will happen to these refugees next; we don't know where they will go once they reach the mainland, or even if they will eventually make it to their final destination. Nor does this change the fact that many more people will put themselves through the same hazardous journey in the future. But 6,500 people have survived, and now have a chance to try and make a better life. That can only be a good thing. --- This article is part of our Behind the Numbers series, illustrating newsworthy stats with artistic design and a brief analysis. Story by Phil W. Bayles In the seven years since the Paddle for Parkinson's launched, it has grown into a favorite tradition that not only encourages fitness but changes lives. The event returns to Padre Island Saturday. It began with a local family affected by Parkinson's. "When my brother was diagnosed, there really were no resources or support groups," said Mona Singleterry, an organizer of the event. "We thought, 'We aren't the only ones going through this.'" Combining that need with the Padre Island canals, which offer picturesque flat water paddling conditions, has contributed to raising more than $111,000 to date. The funds help hold local Parkinson's support groups, donate to national organizations seeking a cure, and support specific needs of locals affected by Parkinson's disease, such as funding for medication, and for travel to attend educational symposia about living with the disease. More than anything, the paddle has become a unifying force for patients and loved ones. "There's still not a lot of awareness of the disease, and it's pretty brutal," said Kelly Norton, captain of a first-time team that will paddle in honor of her brother, who has Parkinson's. The network of individuals and loved ones sharing similar experiences has helped cope with a tough diagnosis, said those involved. "We've found that a lot of people have more or less come out of the closet," Singleterry said. "Even when we started the event, we didn't say it was my brother that had Parkinson's. We would say a family member was affected." After Chili Clark's husband, Sandy, was diagnosed with Parkinson's eight years ago, he learned of the support group. "I really didn't want to go at first, but I found it was great for me also," Chili Clark said. At monthly meetings, patients and loved ones would eat lunch, get to know one another, and share experiences with medications and treatments. They also supported the paddle in ways that they were able. For the Clarks, this included driving a support boat, and later, helping serve meals at the finish. Sandy Clark died of complications of Parkinson's in 2015, but even when bedridden, he insisted on wearing his Paddle for Parkinson's T-shirts. "We'd slit them down the back to get them on, and he'd wear them all the time," Chili Clark said. Such community support has been key to the event's continued success, Singleterry said. Local volunteers and businesses have donated equipment, goods and services, such as tents, safety boats, and the live music and barbecue meals that await paddlers at the finish. "Really, none of this could happen without each and every one of these people," Singleterry said. "Everybody just gathers up because it's a need, and it's close to their hearts." Alissa Mejia's column focuses on running and fitness. Contact her at freestylesail@gmail.com. IF YOU GO What: Paddle for Parkinson's When: 9 a.m. Saturday Where: Billish Park Cost: Event day registration for paddle & meal: $60. Meal ticket only: $10 UPCOMING EVENTS Bill Dodge Memorial Bay Run 15K, 5K, & 2-mile dog walk: 7 a.m. Sept. 10, Bill Dodge Command Center, 1002 E. Port Ave. Walk to End Alzheimer's: 9 a.m. Sept. 10, Heritage Park. 10th Annual Back to School 5K run & 2-mile walk: 8 a.m. Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Details and registration available via www.corpusroadrunners.com. SHARE The Salvation Army Center of Hope secured a $500,000-gift this week. By Kirsten Crow of the Caller-Times A planned transitional housing shelter for families and veterans is seeing a big boost in private investment. On Thursday, the local chapter of The Salvation Army accepted a $500,000 grant to help construct the agency's proposed Center of Hope, a $5 million development with services intended to provide a bridge between homelessness and permanent living situations. "It really is about the families and the children and the veterans that need a place," said Maj. Terry Ray, who heads the local Salvation Army. "They need someone to stand alongside them for a time, for a period, to get them through the crisis they're experiencing so they can get on their own and stand on their own and learn the skills that are available." The affordable housing program grant, from Frost Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, is privately funded. The application was one 28 that were approved from a pool of more than 100 submitted for the program, bank officials said. Center of Hope which will be bounded by Hancock Avenue and Buford, 15th and 16th streets is expected to bear resemblance to apartments. It would be unique in the Corpus Christi area as the only shelter that can house nuclear families together, Salvation Army representatives have said. Traditional shelters often have strict rules about separating men and women, and there can be complications in housing minors meaning there are cases when families can't stay in the same shelter. The Center of Hope proposal increases the number of the Salvation Army's transitional housing beds from 120 in the existing facility to 220 planned for Center of Hope, according to a news release. The plans expand family space from 22 rooms to 30, representatives have said. Transitional housing typically means longer-term stays in a shelter, with resources and case management provided to residents. The idea is to prepare families to be successful once they graduate from the program into independent living. Ray noted Thursday that social services staff have substantial difficulty finding affordable housing when it's time for residents to move into their own accommodations. It's intended that Center of Hope will be "a home away from home," Ray said, adding that families can stay for as long as two years. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this year made nationwide cuts to transitional housing programs, shifting the funding away to other initiatives, including rapid rehousing. That program involves homeless shelters relocating families into their own housing within 90 days. On Thursday, Ray said the shelter is looking into using rapid-rehousing funding for a family's first 90 days, then using either internal funds or private donations to cover costs if families need to stay longer. The capital campaign for the Center of Hope stands at $3.2 million in pledges, with about $1.5 million in cash, said Kimberly Prowse, community relations and development director. The agency needs $2 million in cash to move forward with the groundbreaking, she said. It's anticipated construction will get underway in November, with an opening in December 2017, according to a news release. Once Center of Hope opens, the Salvation Army's existing facilities on Josephine Street are expected to close. Twitter: @CallerCrow In this photo made on Friday, Sept. 11, 2009, Terry Ketchum, left, the principal safety engineer at the Bayer Corp. U.S. headquarters, receives an injection against influenza by a company physicians assistant on their campus in the Pittsburgh suburb of Robinson, Pa. The initial doses of the new swine flu vaccine will only be given to young people, pregnant women and other high-risk groups. Businesses will have to wait until those folks have been immunized to get swine flu vaccine for their workforce. Unless they jump through lots of hoops that vary from state by state to get it, creating confusion for companies, like Bayer, with offices all over the country. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times Christus Spohn wants residents to stay flu-free in 2016, so the staff is providing free services to do it. Christus Spohn will donate more than 20,000 flu shots to residents in need, according to a news release. The donations will be provided at six free public flu clinics offered by Christus Spohn family health centers. The shots will be available beginning Friday until Sept. 30. All of the clinics are open throughout the week and some are open throughout the weekend. The vaccines are available for adults and children older than six months. clinic schedules Family Medicine Academic Center, 2601 Hospital Blvd., Suite 112 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday 8 a.m.-noon Thursday 4 West Walk In Clinic Spohn-Memorial, 2606 Hospital Blvd. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday Family Health Center-Westside, 4617 Greenwood Drive 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday Family Health Center-Robstown, 1038 Texas Yes Blvd. 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday Family Health Center-Northside, 14202 South Padre Island Drive 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday Family Health Center Padre Island, 1406 Martin Luther King Drive 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday Twitter: @Caller_Fares SHARE By Beatriz Alvarado of the Caller-Times Student councils throughout the Corpus Christi ISD are gathering items to assist those affected by flooding in Louisiana, a district news release states. Council members from several high schools are hosting a donation drive Saturday to help victims from the East Baton Rouge Parish School District, where more than 15,000 families were affected, the release states. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial High School, 3750 Cimarron Blvd. Gently used clothing, school supplies, money cards, hygiene items and toiletries, infant and pet supplies are welcome, the release states. Children-size burgundy polo shirts and khakis as well as adult sized navy polos and khakis were requested to help victims adhere to school uniform policies. The students ask that the clothes must be free of stains, tears, excessive wear and animal smells or damage, the release states. For more information contact Veterans Memorial High School student council adviser Velia Zamora at velia.zamora@ccisd.us. Twitter: @CallerBetty SHARE By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times A clerical issue may be partially to blame for Nueces County losing thousands of dollars in grant money, misdemeanor court judges said. State district and county court-at-law judges learned this week the county lost about $140,000 in government grants and are at risk of losing thousands more because the courts haven't cleared the percentage of cases required by the governor's office for receiving grants. On Friday, judges, prosecutors and court staff held a meeting to figure out how to clear more than 400 cases by Oct. 1. That's the extension deadline the Governor's Criminal Justice Division granted the county. The biggest backlog is in four of the county courts-at-law. But about 80 percent of the cases that need to be resolved from 2012-2014 already should be cleared because they are called "failure to appears." That means the defendants didn't report to court when they were supposed to, County Court-at-Law No. 2 Judge Lisa Gonzales said. Those types of cases don't count against them, county officials said. Clerks will designate those cases as failure to appear to remove them from the list of cases that need to be resolved. Calls to the Governor's Criminal Justice Division seeking comment Friday weren't immediately returned. What's clear, judges and court staff said, is that everyone will have to take an all-hands-on-deck approach the rest of the month. Even court interpreter Javier Carrizales whose job is to interpret English and Spanish testimony in court will help coordinate with prosecutors' witnesses. The eight state district court judges agreed to put their dockets on hold so county courts-at-law judges can send them misdemeanor cases to handle. That would mean the judges would get about 40 additional cases each week until Oct. 1. "We will take the cases. We will supply our prosecutors," 117th District Judge Sandra Watts said. "We will handle those businesses." State District Judge Missy Medary who also presides over the fifth administrative region offered to assign a visiting judge using regional funds to help with the backlog. The county would pay for special prosecutors to be in the visiting judge's court, Commissioner Mike Pusley said. But District Attorney Mark Skurka said he didn't think the law allows for special prosecutors in this circumstance. The judges decided to wait on hiring prosecutors and a visiting judge until they see how quickly they can move cases by sending county courts-at-law cases to the state district judges. Twitter: @CallerKMT CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Portland native David Pinter is working on "Indigo Ignited," a new Japanese anime show that is set to premiere January 2017. SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times David Pinter, a Gregory-Portland High School alumnus, is teaming up with a Japanese studio to work on a new anime show. Pinter, the 27-year-old CEO and founder of NIJIAN Productions, met artist Samuel Dalton in 2014. Together, they produced "Indigo Ignited," a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy. The 5-minute pilot, an adaptation of the comic book with the same name, is done in the style of traditional Japanese animation. Pinter, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, announced that he reached an agreement with Bang Bang Animation in a news release Thursday. The Japanese animation studio houses staff who have worked on popular animes such as Pokemon and Naruto. "The success we've had so far with the show has been incredible," Pinter stated in the news release. "We've combined the most talented people in the industry to create a show that we are all incredibly proud of." The pilot is set to debut January of 2017. For more information, visit www.indigoignited.com. Twitter: @Caller_Fares When is hurricane season? Here's what you need to know in South Texas SHARE Richard Ramirez Simple trap I watched Donald's immigration speech and his visit to Mexico. I can't believe he fell into such a simple trap. Donald stated that who is paying for his dream wall was not brought up during the meeting with the Mexican president. Later the Mexican President tweeted that he told Donald no way Mexico is paying for any wall. What's Donald going to do,accuse the president of Mexico of lying? In his speech in Arizona, Donald says he will deport 2 million undocumented aliens on day one. Really,does he think he can use any department of the government before he takes the oath of office? How is he going to identify undocumented people? Will he have the government issue everyone who can stay a ID card? A card that will have to be presented to the Gestapo-type police standing at every street corner? Please, people, think about all the things he wants to do on day one. Donald has no idea how government works. The House of Representatives controls the purse strings. Remember when you vote for Donald you're voting for a person who has a sixth-grade education in politics. | BY Ricki Green | The Royals has created a bold campaign for Deakin celebrating the universitys progressive and courageous mindset. Deakin University will this Sunday launch its first brand campaign in more than three years, created by The Royals, in a bold response to increased competition and clutter within the university sector. The integrated campaign, Think Young, introduces vibrant use of colour to the monochromatic and cluttered University advertising landscape. Drawing inspiration from the Light and Space movement of the 1960s that prefigured todays merger of art and technology, the campaign uses geometric shapes to represent the problems of the future and encourages people to use new thinking to create a better tomorrow. With executions across television, digital video, high-impact outdoor, social media, native and content channels, Think Young features forward-thinking academics, students and alumni to demonstrate Deakins commitment to open-mindedness and new ways of thinking. Among those featured are Alex Smith, a Deakin Business & Law student; Barun Chatterjee, a Photography and International Relations major turned international filmmaker; and Professor Ying (Ian) Chen, whose team has manufactured a super-absorbent material called boron nitride nanosheet, described as one of the most exciting advancements in oil spill clean-up technology in decades. Says Trisca Scott-Branagan, executive director of marketing, Deakin University: Deakin is a young, vibrant and cutting-edge university with great ambitions, and its our people that are the embodiment of our culture and the essence of who we are as a brand. Think Young represents our challenger mindset and aligns our marketing and reputational goals for the future with those of our extraordinary students, staff and Deakin alumni. Says Nick Cummins, ECD, The Royals: We wanted to create a campaign that was a distinct contrast from the rest of the University category. With Think Young, the execution had to feel as fresh and modern as the idea itself. The ability to hero members of the Deakin community who Think Young on a daily basis gives the campaign an authenticity thats impossible to fabricate. Deakin University is ranked in the top 2% of the worlds universities (Academic Ranking of World Universities, Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings) and is the #1 University in Victoria under 50 years old, according to the prestigious Times Higher Education top 150 under 50. Deakins also been awarded the #1 ranking for student satisfaction in Victoria for six years in a row (2010-2015 Australian Graduate Survey). Client: Deakin University Executive Director Marketing: Trisca Scott-Branagan Head of Brand: Jessica McCartney / Helen Stevens Campaign Manager: Jayde Walker Brand Manager: Sandy Muir Strategic Campaign Coordinator: Amy Devereaux Agency: The Royals Executive Creative Director: Nick Cummins Account Director: Paige Kilburn Account Manager: Navin Arunasalam Senior Art Director: Tim Holmes Senior Copywriter: Gareth Sweet Senior Art Director: Alberto Talegon Art Director: Joel Utter Copywriter: Gus Hedstrom Design Director: Gavin Wright Agency Producer: Chelsea Nieper Communications Director: Andrew Reeves Production Company: The Producers Director: Andrew Goldsmith Producer: Noelle Jones Post Production: Pixel Music Composition: Dan Luscombe | BY Ricki Green | This September, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is launching its new Spring Lamb campaign positioning lamb as the meat that doesnt discriminate. The campaign has been created by The Monkeys. Building on the long established We Love Our Lamb platform, the integrated activity taps into the central role lamb plays in celebrating the face of modern Australia and bringing everyone together, no matter their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or ability. This message will be spread to all Australians via content, a traditional 30 second TVC, an innovative media approach, social amplification, OOH, a bespoke partnership and PR. The content cuts to the chase and addresses the fact that we are a welcoming and inclusive society that loves lamb, by featuring a cast of Aussies from all walks of life, coming together over a lamb barbecue. Says Andrew Howie, group marketing manager at MLA: What it means to be Australian is constantly evolving. Sadly, the true face of Australia isnt being reflected on our screens and in the media, so lamb decided to do something about it. Aussies from all walks of life love their lamb, no matter our ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. We all celebrate over lamb so this spring were getting everyone in the room. Shot in one take by director Paul Middleditch, there are appearances from indigenous Australians including Olympian Cathy Freeman, National Rugby League player Greg Inglis and model Samantha Harris. Other Aussies present include Greek-transgender comedian Jordan Raskopoulos, established television presenter Luke Jacobz, rising Bengali-Australian actor Arka Das and a long list of Australian extras, who prove lamb is the ultimate cross- cultural protein. Staying true to inclusivity, the campaign will use in-language social media posts to tailor its communications to languages other than English for the first time. The 90-second content will be shared across Facebook and YouTube, and the lamb message will also be spread across WeChat and Weibo to further engage Australias Chinese community. MLA harnessed UMs proprietary tool DIMPLE to gain a genuine insight into the social fabric of our cultural neighbourhoods and key ethnic groups, and used this data to inform a multi-language News Limited Community Press partnership and high-impact OOH digital display activity. Focusing on areas with diverse backgrounds, it will spread unique messages linking lamb to diversity around sexuality, culture and language with Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese translations. The OOH will also speak to the sight impaired community with specific braille placements in key metro sites. Taking the message to the table is a partnership with start-up platform Feed Up. A month of Lamb Get Togethers on this pop-up dining community will literally bring Aussies together over lamb. Chef and lamb lover George Calombaris and a series of influencers will host their events and spread the message across their channels, as they encourage people to get involved. PR will spread the message of lamb unifying all Australians across earned media, showing how different cultures embrace, share and consume the meat across the country. Research and bespoke tours will display lambs cross-cultural role here. Below the line materials will inspire shoppers pre-store, via catalogue and magazine placements. In store, driving accentuated appetite appeal during the campaign, there will be recipes and visually engaging POS pieces at shelf and on-pack. Exclusive POS suites have also been developed for butchers and grocery stores to cater to their shoppers. Lamb lovers can view the content on the We Love Our Lamb Facebook and YouTube page. MLA Group Marketing Manager: Andrew Howie MLA Brand Manager Lamb: Matthew Dwyer Advertising Agency: The Monkeys Media Agency: UM PR Agency: One Green Bean The Monkeys Executive Creative Director/Co-Founder: Scott Nowell Creative Director: Grant Rutherford Senior Art Director: Barbara Humphries Copywriter: Tim Pashen Planning Director: Michael Hogg Managing Director: Matt Michael Content Director: Katie Wong-Hee Content Manager: Victoria Zourkas Head of Production: Thea Carone Senior Producer: Abby Hunt/Caroline David Head of Print Production: Tom Harrison UM Group Director: Tom Rankin Client Director: Ed Passerotti Group Strategy Director: Chris Colter Partnerships Manager: Jacqui Ollevou One Green Bean Senior Account Director: Jessica Silver Account Director: Katie Raleigh Account Manager: Lauren Caverley Senior Account Executive: Taylor York Account Executive: Duncan Fredericks Production company: Plaza Director: Paul Middleditch Executive producer: Peter Masterton DOP: Daniel Ardilley Post production: The Editors Editor: Peter Whitmore Colourist: Christine Trodd Sound: Song Zu Senior Composer: Haydn Walker Sound Designer: Simon Kane Producer: Jess Bonney 31st Second Rachael Egan Executive Creative Director Libby Waring Senior Account Director Annina Helenelund Senior Account Manager Hannah Le Cornu Graphic Designer Music | BY Ricki Green | MediaCom and Cloudy Bay in partnership with Parlour Gigs have welcomed young Aussies into the mysterious and luxurious world of Secret Sessions; exclusive, premium and intimate live music events featuring Australias best up and coming musicians playing in Australias most beautiful natural settings. Iconic New Zealand wine brand Cloudy Bay, is the first brand to partner with Parlour Gigs, an emerging and innovative online platform that brings music to Aussie homes by connecting people directly with local musicians. Challenged with reinvigorating Cloudy Bay to reposition the brand with younger generations, MediaComs content division, MediaCom Beyond Advertising created stunning live music sessions in some of Australias most gorgeous natural settings. The first Cloudy Bay Secret Session headlined by Fractures was held inside the magical and mesmerising Great Hall of Montsalvat located on the outskirts of Melbourne. A dreamy and alluring film captures the audience enjoying Cloudy Bay wine while completely captivated by an artist deeply involved in their craft. Cloudy Bay wanted to build awareness and relevance amongst younger Aussies by connecting with them through the passion points in their life, nature, food, travel & music. Says Michelle Lush, brand manager Australia,Cloudy Bay: Cloudy Bay partnered with Parlour Gigs to create unique events where consumers could enjoy Cloudy Bay wines while listening to up and coming musicians in beautiful natural settings. To grow brand awareness and expand reach beyond the events, the essence of Cloudy Bay Secret Sessions was captured on film so it could be shared via social media. Says Nina Nguyen, head of MediaCom Beyond Advertising, Sydney: MediaCom and MBA provided Cloudy Bay with a strategy to take their brand in a new direction by using social media in a way they had never done before. By doing so, it allowed Cloudy Bay to partner with new media differently in order to increase the brands relevance amongst younger consumers. | BY Ricki Green | CB Exclusive Pfizer has today released a second phase of its Some things are harder on your own social campaign for a prescription-only quit smoking brand via WiTH Collective and Passion Pictures. Says Russell Hind, senior brand manager, Pfizer: The simple message of asking your doctor for help to quit smoking instead of going it alone has helped the brand achieve real simplicity in a heavily regulated category. Phase one saw unsuspecting actors fail in Impossible Auditions. Now, in partnership with Passion Pictures, WiTH Collective have given the second campaign a new twist, with Friendless Fairytales famous stories retold where the main protagonist goes their journey solo. As if it were an analogy for something else. Aimed at smokers, their friends and family, the social campaign offers up the simple message that youre 4x more likely to quit smoking with the help of a healthcare professional. And includes a retargeted film starring an animated doctor highlighting the benefits of getting help from someone like himself. Says Russell Hind: Many smokers go through numerous quit attempts when they try to quit cold turkey. Our insight is that quitting smoking is actually a two-person job, and a doctor is key. The challenge in this instance is to capture their attention and deliver this message WiTH Collective have tackled this head on with this campaign. Says Justin Hind, CEO, WiTH Collective: Russell is an exceptional client with one of the toughest briefs. Its incredibly difficult to persuade smokers to quit. Its even more difficult to do so in a way that meets with the regulations in this category. Furthermore, traditional media is not delivering. So were looking to social media and thumb-stopping ways of delivering our message and encouraging non-smokers to share with the smokers they know. Strategically, this means the notion of Some things are harder on your own has to be entertaining and shareable. Were very pleased with the latest iteration of this campaign, and well continue to monitor, learn and enhance. McBess and Simon, known for their irreverent style and used by Nike and RayBans, illustrated the films in their first animation for the Australian market. Says Simon Fowler, associate creative director, WiTH Collective: The team here have done a killer job of working with Pfizer and Passion Pictures to create socially optimized films, incredibly unique for their category its been a truly collaborative process and Passion Pictures have been an absolute inspiration to work with. Having used this method to quit smoking myself, Im excited to see this get results. The campaign goes live today via Facebook, Youtube, Outbrain, and owned media. Client: Pfizer Senior Brand Manager: Russell Hind Brand Manager: Isabel Chan Agency: WiTH Collective CEO: Justin Hind Chief Creative Officer: Steve Coll Associate Creative Director: Simon Fowler Copywriter: Mia Fukuyama Art Director: Phillip Robbie Account Manager: Phil Campbell CRM Planner: Kevin Trinh Business Director: Josh Sandford Agency Producer: Kirsten Caly Production Company: Passion Pictures Executive Producer: Katie Mackin Producer: Johanna Hanley Directors: McBess and Simon Sound: Rumble Studios | BY Lynchy | This September, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is launching its new Spring Lamb campaign in Australia that positions lamb as the meat that doesnt discriminate. The campaign has been created by The Monkeys, Sydney. Building on the long established We Love Our Lamb platform, the integrated activity taps into the central role lamb plays in celebrating the face of modern Australia and bringing everyone together, no matter their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or ability. The content cuts to the chase and addresses the fact that Australians are a welcoming and inclusive society that loves lamb, by featuring a cast of Aussies from all walks of life, coming together over a lamb barbecue. Says Andrew Howie, group marketing manager at MLA: What it means to be Australian is constantly evolving. Sadly, the true face of Australia isnt being reflected on our screens and in the media, so lamb decided to do something about it. Aussies from all walks of life love their lamb, no matter our ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. We all celebrate over lamb so this spring were getting everyone in the room. Shot in one take by director Paul Middleditch, there are appearances from indigenous Australians including Olympian Cathy Freeman, National Rugby League player Greg Inglis and model Samantha Harris. Other Aussies present include Greek-transgender comedian Jordan Raskopoulos, established television presenter Luke Jacobz, rising Bengali-Australian actor Arka Das and a long list of Australian extras, who prove lamb is the ultimate cross- cultural protein. Staying true to inclusivity, the campaign will use in-language social media posts to tailor its communications to languages other than English for the first time. The 90-second content will be shared across Facebook and YouTube, and the lamb message will also be spread across WeChat and Weibo to further engage Australias Chinese community. MLA harnessed UMs proprietary tool DIMPLE to gain a genuine insight into the social fabric of our cultural neighbourhoods and key ethnic groups, and used this data to inform a multi-language News Limited Community Press partnership and high-impact OOH digital display activity. Focusing on areas with diverse backgrounds, it will spread unique messages linking lamb to diversity around sexuality, culture and language with Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese translations. The OOH will also speak to the sight impaired community with specific braille placements in key metro sites. Taking the message to the table is a partnership with start-up platform Feed Up. A month of Lamb Get Togethers on this pop-up dining community will literally bring Aussies together over lamb. Chef and lamb lover George Calombaris and a series of influencers will host their events and spread the message across their channels, as they encourage people to get involved. PR will spread the message of lamb unifying all Australians across earned media, showing how different cultures embrace, share and consume the meat across the country. Research and bespoke tours will display lambs cross-cultural role here. Below the line materials will inspire shoppers pre-store, via catalogue and magazine placements. In store, driving accentuated appetite appeal during the campaign, there will be recipes and visually engaging POS pieces at shelf and on-pack. Exclusive POS suites have also been developed for butchers and grocery stores to cater to their shoppers. Lamb lovers can view the content on the We Love Our Lamb Facebook and YouTube page. The Monkeys Sydney is one of Australias top creative agencies, having won Campaign Brief Australias Agency of the Year title this year. Their work on the MLA account has been very high over the past 18 months. Here are 3 of their latest campaigns. MLA Group Marketing Manager: Andrew Howie MLA Brand Manager Lamb: Matthew Dwyer Advertising Agency: The Monkeys Sydney Media Agency: UM PR Agency: One Green Bean The Monkeys Executive Creative Director/Co-Founder: Scott Nowell Creative Director: Grant Rutherford Senior Art Director: Barbara Humphries Copywriter: Tim Pashen Planning Director: Michael Hogg Managing Director: Matt Michael Content Director: Katie Wong-Hee Content Manager: Victoria Zourkas Head of Production: Thea Carone Senior Producer: Abby Hunt/Caroline David Head of Print Production: Tom Harrison UM Group Director: Tom Rankin Client Director: Ed Passerotti Group Strategy Director: Chris Colter Partnerships Manager: Jacqui Ollevou One Green Bean Senior Account Director: Jessica Silver Account Director: Katie Raleigh Account Manager: Lauren Caverley Senior Account Executive: Taylor York Account Executive: Duncan Fredericks Production company: Plaza Director: Paul Middleditch Executive producer: Peter Masterton DOP: Daniel Ardilley Post production: The Editors Editor: Peter Whitmore Colourist: Christine Trodd Sound: Song Zu Senior Composer: Haydn Walker Sound Designer: Simon Kane Producer: Jess Bonney 31st Second Rachael Egan Executive Creative Director Libby Waring Senior Account Director Annina Helenelund Senior Account Manager Hannah Le Cornu Graphic Designer Music 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. Friday, September 2, 2016 at 8:39AM Samsung has finally opted to recall all the Galaxy Note 7 units sold in Canada and nine other countries due to reports of potentially dangerous exploding batteries that could harm users. Various reports and in the US and Korea say the $1060.00 flagship device can explode while charging. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung spokespersons revealed. Samsung has reportedly sold 2.5 million Note 7 devices worldwide which will all need to be sent back. Samsung said it had been difficult to work out which phones were affected among the 2.5 million Note 7s sold. The company plans to swap exisiting units with new ones cleared for use. Good to see Samsung doing the the right thing before any customers get hurt. "There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process, so it was very difficult to figure out,'' the president of Samsung's mobile business Koh Dong-jin told reporters. The Galaxy Note 7 is considered the company's true flagship in terms of design and features and received generally good reviews. The phone has been launched in 10 countries, Samsung indicates that different companies supplying the batteries. Source: Samsung, BBC.com FARGO -- After enduring the blasts of bombs landing within 100 yards of his home in northeastern Syria, after fleeing across the border into Iraq, after spending three years in a refugee camp, Jamal Tmrs family has finally found some peace and stability. Tmr, his wife and seven children, ages 1 to 12, touched down in Fargo on Aug. 19. They had flown more than 15 hours from Iraq with stops in Amman, Jordan and Chicago. The flight over the ocean, that was just kind of endless, Tmr said, speaking Kurdish through a translator. The kids, they were just not patient at all. With energy to burn, the children were running along the aisles of the plane. They were very excited for this trip, he said. It was a life-changing flight for 31-year-old Tmr and his family members, who have become North Dakotas first Syrian refugees. The family is among the 10,000 Syrians that President Barack Obama pledged to admit to the U.S. this year. In November, after terrorists struck Paris, Obamas pledge received pushback from many politicians, including North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple who was concerned that the United States process of vetting refugees wasnt sufficient to screen out possible terrorists. At the time, Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, the nonprofit group contracted by the federal government to resettle refugees here, said bringing Syrians to the state would not make sense because theres no existing Syrian community and the refugees would not be reunited with family. However, Tmrs family is ethnically Kurdish, and they have Kurdish relatives from Iraq who live in Moorhead. Given this fact, LSS says Fargo is a good fit for the family. This is a family reunification case, said LSS CEO Jessica Thomasson. We have a strong Kurdish community in Fargo-Moorhead. We have since the early 90s. The decision of where to place refugees is made by the U.S. State Department, not LSS. And while Thomasson doesnt know for sure, she said she would not be surprised if LSS were asked to resettle more Syrian refugees in North Dakota. But I dont know that we expect it to become a large part of our work, she said. In a statement, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said his office learned about the familys arrival Wednesday, but he did not come out against their placement in Fargo. We expect and have been assured that all refugees are receiving a thorough background check and health screening prior to settlement, he said. Out of control Tmr said the violence reached his familys home in Dayrik, Syria, in 2013. There was a lot of bombs that were coming every day, he said. It was something out of control. Before the war, Tmr worked in construction, and life was easy for his family. But once the bombing started, he could not see a future for his children in Syria. He considered joining the crowds of other Syrians who left for Europe on foot. But he knew making such a trek with his kids would be difficult, so he decided to seek refugee status through the United Nations in Iraq. Tmrs decision brought him to Fargo; and now his family, too large for one apartment, is living in a pair of two-bedroom units. Accustomed to the desert, he said he enjoys the green space of the citys lawns and parks. He said hes pleased to be here, though he can see in the eyes of his wife that the experience is trying for her. But he said their relatives have helped ease the transition. Theres a lot of family visits, he said. They relieve us. Kurds, a people without a nation, are spread between mainly four countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey. In the fighting against Islamic State militants, Kurdish forces have been an American ally. Tmr, whose family is Muslim, said he would love to see a world without the Islamic State. Hopefully, they will vanish very soon, he said. Asked about the debate over allowing Syrian refugees into the U.S., Tmr said its sad that some people are making the generalization that all Syrians are violent. As Kurds, he said, thats something not even in our mind to hurt somebody, to kill them. In a statement, U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp showed support for the familys placement in Fargo, noting their ties to a relative in Moorhead who came to the U.S. after aiding U.S. military and government officials in Iraq. Heitkamp said its a priority for her to identify holes in the refugee vetting process, and she favors enhanced screening for those entering the country. The rest of North Dakotas congressional delegation also stressed the need for a strong vetting process. We believe that all refugees need to be fully vetted and have voted for the (American Security Against Foreign Enemies) Act, which would strengthen the vetting process, Sen. John Hoeven said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer was a co-sponsor of the SAFE Act, which has passed the House but not the Senate. In a phone interview, he said hes opposed to Syrian refugees being allowed into the country unless they can meet the standards laid out in the bill. Cramer said one of the challenges of screening refugees from a war-torn country like Syria is that government data on people is often unavailable. In the absence of such data, he said, one way to vet refugees is through relatives, which appears to be what happened in the case of Tmrs family. BUFFALO -- Residents who oppose the Rolling Green Family Farms are heading to court to block the planned $15 million factory farm that could house up to 9,000 hogs and piglets. Liane Stout, a member of Concerned Citizens of Buffalo, about 40 miles west of Fargo, said they intend to file a lawsuit in Burleigh County District Court in Bismarck today seeking to block the hog farm. The suit seeks to overturn a water quality permit issued by state health officials. The North Dakota Department of Health is really ignoring the people theyre supposed to be protecting, she said. Were standing up. Were going to keep the fight up against this hog facility. Its flawed in many ways. Opponents submitted more than 2,500 pages of comments outlining their concerns, including those involving health, the environment and diminishment of property values. We didnt really believe the system is working, Stout said. They have put economic interests ahead of the health of our community. Derrick Braaten, a Bismarck lawyer who represents Concerned Citizens of Buffalo, said the lawsuit might initially seek a stay, but his clients ultimately hope to overturn the permit for the hog farm. There are concerns with water quality, with the actual design of the facility, he said. The citizens group will argue that state health officials process for reviewing and approving the permit was flawed. We dont think it was due process, Braaten said. The residents have discovered a large number of email exchanges between state officials and those involved in Rolling Green Family Farms, which is spearheaded by Pipestone Holdings, a large veterinary and livestock consulting firm in Pipestone, Minn. Opponents had no opportunity to review or respond to the issues involved in the emails before the permit was granted, Braaten said. Karl Rockeman, director of the division of water quality for the North Dakota Department of Health, defended the states actions in granting the permit Aug. 4. The department feels that the permit was issued in compliance with applicable law, he said, adding that the state will review and respond in court to the allegations when the lawsuit is filed. If built, Rolling Hills Family Farm will be the first large swine farm in the area. The farm, organized as a limited liability partnership, has between 14 to 16 farmer-owners, most residents of Minnesota or Iowa, Pipestone representatives said. The factory hog farm was proposed near Buffalo after a similar proposal near Milbank, S.D., was rejected by county officials because of well-water concerns. A federal judge will issue what could be a precedent-setting decision after hearing arguments Thursday on whether a Texas company needed consent from Native American tribes to drill two pipelines through tribally owned minerals under North Dakotas largest body of water. After nearly five hours of testimony and legal arguments in U.S. District Court in Bismarck, Judge Daniel Hovland took the matter under advisement, allowing drilling under Lake Sakakawea to continue until he issues his ruling while also lamenting the lack of legal opinions offered by attorneys and previous case law on the issue. It sounds like Im going to be left to interpret this with no guidance from anybody, Hovland said. Paradigm Energy Partners LLC has already completed a $125 million oil pipeline under the lake and is boring the hole for a companion $16.6 million natural gas pipeline over the objections of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. The tribes issued a cease and desist order Aug. 8 ordering Paradigm to stop all construction immediately under the lake. They said the company hadnt provided assurance that the oil pipeline, which stretches nearly 9,000 feet at least 100 feet below the lakebed on the Fort Berthold Reservation, posed no threat to their water resources. Paradigm responded by suing MHA Chairman Mark Fox and Tribal Police Chief Nelson Hart on Aug. 19, arguing they had no authority to halt construction. Four days later, Hovland granted a temporary restraining order preventing the tribe from stopping construction, allowing boring for the gas pipeline to resume. Thursdays daylong hearing on Paradigms request for an injunction against the tribe ended without a firm timeline for Hovlands ruling, but the judge noted that the restraining order expires on Monday or Tuesday, and he can extend it for 14 days for good cause. Certainly, in my view, good cause exists because Ive got a multitude of issues to sort through, he said. Attorneys for both sides argued about whether Paradigm needed the tribes consent to install the two pipelines, which will be owned by Sacagawea Pipeline Co., a joint venture between Paradigm, Phillips 66 and Greywolf Midstream LLC. Greywolf, which holds a 12 percent interest in the oil pipeline, is a subsidiary of MHA-owned Missouri River Resources, giving the tribe a stake in the project. Paradigm CEO Troy Andrews testified that Fox had been outspoken that the tribe should get more value out of the oil pipeline. But Andrews said he didnt recall Fox or other tribal officials raising the issue of consent until a tribal council meeting June 9, less than a week after boring started on the oil pipeline. I definitely thought they were very supportive and on board with the project, for sure, he said. Fox countered that he informed Paradigm about the consent requirement as early as August 2014 during a Missouri River Resources board meeting, and also brought it up numerous times in casual and formal conversations. That was always understood, Fox said. Tribal officials said Paradigm offered up to $2 million during a June 9 council meeting to resolve the right-of-way and other issues related to the pipelines. And I believe they said they had a check there, Tribal Attorney Caleb Dog Eagle recalled. Andrews said that while the company never believed it needed the tribes legal consent, I wanted to get a deal done. When Paradigm came back a week later with the same request, tribal officials said they felt the company hadnt fulfilled the councils request that it reach out to the tribes more than 15,000 members to gauge support for the pipelines. Attorneys for Paradigm argued that the company already had the authority to drill under the lake through its easement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The key here is that these are valid authorizations, attorney Andrew Emrich said. But lawyers for the tribes said the Fort Berthold Reservation Mineral Restoration Act of 1984 restored the mineral rights under the lake to the tribe, and Paradigm has no right to invade them without consent. They tried to get our consent, they didnt get it, and they bored anyway, said attorney John Fredericks III. So as far as were concerned, theyre trespassers. Paradigm Chief Operating Officer Criss Doss said the work stoppage in August cost the company $750,000, and it stands to lose $12.6 million -- and potentially go under -- if its unable to finish the gas pipeline by its Nov. 1 deadline to remove equipment from a landowners property on the east side of the lake. We cant afford any delays at all, he said. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration continues to investigate claims made by workers that the pipeline was not properly inspected before it was installed under Lake Sakakawea. Doss said 109 welds were recoated because they werent done right the first time. There were not defects in the coating when it was stuck under the lake, he said. Attending the hearing in support of the MHA Nation was Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II, whose tribe is awaiting a judges decision by Sept. 9 on its request for an injunction to halt construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline across the Missouri River just north of the Standing Rock reservation. [Your Business Name] Contact Info Phone: Fax: Email: Web: CAPITOLHILLCUBANS.COM Business Overview Geographic Area Line of Business Brands We Carry Products and Services Discounts Offered Additional Information Business Hours Timezone We Accept Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Uganda issues oil licenses to Tullow Oil and Total to speed production The government of Uganda has granted Tullow and Total five and three oil production licenses respectively as it seeks to speed the exploration and production of crude oil. This now brings to nine the total number of permits the government has issued to foreign investors after Chinese National Offshore Oil Company, CNOOC, got its license in 2013. According to Ugandas Energy Minister Irene Muloni, the licences cover Exploration Area One (EA1), operated by Total, and Exploration Area Two (EA2), operated by Tullow, told reporters. Speaking to reporters, Muloni said the offer of licences ended a period of protracted negotiations and it was that it was now time for serious work to start. Commercial oil reserves were discovered in Uganda a decade ago, but production has been repeatedly delayed amid wrangling over taxation and field development strategy. Muloni now says commercial oil production is expected to begin in 2020. She added that when production from all the nine licensed areas starts, output would be between 200,000-230,000 barrels per day said. Exploration efforts for more hydrocarbons have also been enhanced with the signing of production sharing agreements (PSAs) with three Nigerian and one Australian earlier this month. The licences offered are valid for 25 years and can be renewed for an additional five years. Tullow and Total are required to make final investment decisions 18 months after receiving the licences. Uganda wants to build a $2.5 billion refinery to process its crude so it can earn more from its oil resources, which it discovered in 2006. Efforts to secure a private developer and operator of the facility are underway. The domestic refinery, aimed at processing 60,000 barrels per day, will reserve the right of priority access to the Ugandan crude and the remainder will be exported via a crude pipeline to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga. Tullow and Total are expected to invest a combined $8 billion in infrastructure required to support oil production, including drilling 500 wells and erecting central processing facilities and feeder pipelines. The companies are expected to invest a combined $8 billion in infrastructure that is oil related. The investments will among others include drilling of about 500 wells, construction of central processing facilities and feeder pipeline. Uganda has 6.5 billion barrels worth of reserves in its fields located near its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to estimates by government geologists. www.tullowoil.com www.total.ug On Sunday Pope Francis will declare Blessed Teresa of Kolkata Mother Teresa a saint at a canonization service to be held in front of St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. Here are five facts you should know about the nun who became renowned for serving the poor: 1. Mother Teresa was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in what is now part of modern Macedonia. At the age of 18 she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto, a group of nuns in Ireland. It was there she took the name Sister Mary Teresa after Saint Therese of Lisieux. A year later, in 1929, Mother Teresa moved to India and taught at a Catholic school for girls. In 1946 Mother Teresa received what she would later describe as a call within a call. She said Jesus spoke to her and told her to abandon teaching to work in the slums of Calcutta aiding the citys poorest and sickest people. In 1950 she received Vatican approval for Missionaries of Charity, a group of religious sisters who took vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and to give wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor. By the late 1970s, the Missionaries of the Charity had offshoots in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the United States. 2. Mother Teresa and her religious order gained international attention in 1967 when the famed journalist Malcolm Muggeridge interviewed her for a BBC TV program. Because of the popularity of the interview, Muggeridge traveled to Calcutta a year later to make a documentary, Something Beautiful for God, about Theresas House of the Dying (Muggeridge would also write a book by the same name in 1971). 3. During her life Mother Teresa received more than 120 prestigious awards and honors. In 1971, Paul VI conferred the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize on Mother Teresa, and in 1979 she won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee writes in their motivation: In making the award the Norwegian Nobel Committee has expressed its recognition of Mother Teresas work in bringing help to suffering humanity. This year the world has turned its attention to the plight of children and refugees, and these are precisely the categories for whom Mother Teresa has for many years worked so selflessly. She also received the highest U.S. civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 1985. 4. Mother Teresa was frequently denounced by secularists because of her opposition to contraception and abortion. But she was also widely criticized for her allowing her charity to provide inadequate care for the poor and for potential mismanagement of charitable funds. Although she leveraged her fame to raise tens of millions of dollars for her charity, the orphanages and care centers run by her religious order were often substandard. After visiting Mother Teresas Home for the Dying in 1994, Robin Fox wrote about the experience in the British medical journal, The Lancet. Fox reported that doctors only occasionally visited the patients (the care was mostly provided by untrained volunteers) and that pain relief provided for the dying was inadequate, leading them to suffer unnecessarily. In 2008, another observer reported, I was shocked to see the negligence. Needles were washed in cold water and reused and expired medicines were given to the inmates. There were people who had chance to live if given proper care. 5. For Mother Teresa to be recognized as a saint within the Catholic Church, she had to undergo the lengthy process of beatification and canonization. The process usually cannot be started until 5 years after the person has died, but Mother Teresa received a waiver from Pope John Paul II. Before beatification (which recognizes the persons ability to intercede to God on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name) a person must have a verified miracle attributed to them after their death. After beatification the Church looks for a second miracle before proceeding to canonization. If one is found and they meet the other criteria, the pope can conduct a special mass at which the person is recognized a saint. The first miracle attributed to Mother Teresa involved the healing of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, whose abdominal tumor was so severe that her doctors abandoned hope of saving her. After a Miraculous Medal that had been touched to the body of Mother Teresa was placed on Besras stomach, the tumor reportedly disappeared. The second miracle involved a Brazilian man who reportedly was healed of a bacterial infection in the brain after he and his family prayed to Mother Teresa for her help. Farmers Insurance has launched an innovative new policy that offers licensed food truck owners the opportunity to purchase a single policy that combines commercial automobile coverage for their truck with a restaurant business owner policy. At Farmers, we understand that consumer preferences and the needs of business owners are constantly evolving, and we are continuously looking for new ways to meet these changing demands for our customers, said Jake Rothfuss, head of business insurance for commercial auto at Farmers Insurance. The increased popularity of food trucks is an example of the impact of shifting consumer preferences, and its important for Farmers to be able to provide our business owner customers with the insurance they want to continue to be successful in this constantly changing economy. With this new policy, Farmers said it aims to solve the growing need for a single food truck policy that combines the elements of a restaurant, business owner and commercial auto policy into one. Farmers new policy is now available to food truck entrepreneurs and restaurateurs in 16 states, including Virginia, Utah, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Texas and New Mexico. Over the course of 2016, Farmers said it plans to introduce similar food truck package policies in a total of 28 states. Source: Farmers Insurance The German Transport Ministry has sent a letter to the European Commission accusing FCA of using a device that switches off exhaust treatment systems in diesel engines. According to Autonews, the original report came from German magazine WirtschaftsWoche, where it was revealed that additionally, tests found a special nitrogen oxide catalyst which is being switched off after a few cleaning cycles. The magazine cited the letter which said Germany does not share the Italian car type approval authoritys opinion that the device to switch off exhaust treatment system is used to protect the engine. Affected vehicles include the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade, which share the same platform, as well as the Fiat Doblo van with the engine in question being Fiats latest 2.0-liter diesel. Of course, this isnt the first time FCA have been in trouble in Germany. Back in May, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt criticized FCA for being uncooperative after not showing up to a meeting regarding emissions irregularities of diesel engines. As of right now, neither FCA, the German Transport Ministry or the Italian Transport Ministry have been available for comments. PHOTO GALLERY A mysterious white powder has been sent for testing at an industrial lab after being found in two separate locations at the General Motors plant in Orion Township, Michigan. In an email to The Oakland Press, GM spokeswoman Dayna Hart revealed that the white powder was found outside of Gate 6 at Orion Assembly on Monday, August 29. The following day, a bottle containing a similar white substance was found inside the plant. The email continued saying We have followed the appropriate safety and industrial hygiene procedures to clean the area and have removed the bottle safely. A sample of the substance has been sent to a laboratory for identification and results are expected later this week. All findings and actions have been shared with our employees. Employees at the plant told the press that there were drug-sniffing dogs in the factory as well as people in Haz-Met suits. As we speak, the Orion plant is being retooled to support production of the brand new all-electric Chevrolet Bolt, deliveries of which are set to commence later this year. PHOTO GALLERY Weve all heard talk that the lucky few members of Ferraris XX Programme cant actually take their cars home with them, the Italian marque instead forcing them to keep them at the factory. Not true. Google executive Benjamin Sloss, who, along with his wife, owns a Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione and a Ferrari FXXK, recently debunked the myth on Instagram saying that XX owners can keep their cars anywhere they like. He also said that owners can enter their vehicles into track days which havent been organized by Ferrari. On the back of the news, Road & Track got in contact with Ferrari who confirmed via email that XX owners are free to have their cars at home. The majority of the cars are stored in Maranello in the Corse Clienti department, but customers are free to have them at home. It is mandatory, however, to have a full review of the car by the Ferrari crew team before the car hits the track in any event or private testing session. Anytime the car is taken to the track, for an official Ferrari event or personal test session, there is always a mechanic and technician. Hell do the full check up when the car arrives at that said track. Thats one myth busted, then. Lets see, what else is out there PHOTO GALLERY If youre looking for a minivan at a Honda dealership in North America, your choices will come down to the Odyssey or the nope, thats it. Just the Odyssey. Not that theres anything wrong with it, mind you, but back home, Honda offers several more. Like the Step WGN, for example. With a higher roof and more space than the Stream or even the JDM Odyssey, the Step WGN is currently in its fifth generation. Now Honda has come out with a new Modulo X version. Following similar treatments applied to the N-Box and N-One, the Step WGN Modulo X takes a sportier approach to the minivan than what wed usually see on the other side of the Pacific. Details have still yet to be disclosed in full, but the sport wagon is slated to feature a more aggressive-looking aero kit, an enhanced interior, a fresh set of wheels, and possibly an upgraded suspension as well. The current Step WGN is powered by a 1.5-liter turbo four rated at 148 horsepower, which is likely to carry over unchanged as is the innovative Waku Waku (exciting) tailgate that can open upwards or split to the side. Expect the full introduction to follow late in October. PHOTOS Subaru of America Inc. has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a safety recall that will be conducted on certain units of the 2017 Outback. According to the letter sent by the Japanese manufacturer to the feds, the Outback vehicles manufactured from June 20 to June 23, 2016, may have improperly tightened attaching bolts for the right stabilizer clamp, wheel hubs and front brake calipers, which could loosen or detach. The issue, which could make the SUVs unstable by reducing their braking capability and inevitably increasing the risk of a crash, was discovered by a worker at the brands Indiana factory, who noticed abnormal brake noise during a routine inspection. Investigating the matter helped Subaru trace the entire situation back to one associate on the assembly line, who did not properly torque the right front brake caliper. In the meantime, the automaker has installed a new tool that will torque each bolt to the specific settings automatically, but it was already too late for the small batch of Subaru Outbacks, which will have to be taken back to the dealers, who will inspect the bolts for proper torque and replace any loose ones, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, but owners of the above mentioned model who havent heard from Subaru yet can contact their Customer Service at 1-800-782-2783 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. PHOTO GALLERY If you thought that car detailing is just a fancier car wash, you are only partially right and you probably wont get it. Most of us would love to have their car fresh as the day it came out of the factory, and the way to do this is not by using a bucket of warm water and dish soap. The whole process of detailing your car is time-consuming to say the least, and demands things like removing the wheels off the car but the end result will more than make up for it. Harry Metcalfe, Evo magazines founder and known car aficionado, probably owns one of the most well-documented examples of the mighty Lamborghini Countach, proving on more than one occasions that he is not treating his cars like stationary objects of lust. Instead, he uses them for big road trips across Europe and for his daily commutes. I dont know about you, but if you can think a cooler way of going to the office than with a red Lamborghini Countach QV, feel free to leave it in the comments section. So this Italian classic V12 supercar has been put to good use and Harry brought Richard Tipper, one of UKs best detailers, to show us how to properly detail this gorgeous Lambo and bring it back to near-new condition. VIDEO Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer A prolific offender well-known to the Penticton RCMP will spend 23 more days behind bars. Darcy Emil Lenko, 52, who pleaded guilty to federal and provincial charges he was facing, was handed the sentence, with credit for time served, along with a $400 victim surcharge fine in court on Thursday. According to the circumstances in the federal case, on Dec. 11, 2015, police officers in the vicinity of a known drug house on Calgary Avenue, observed Lenko in the driver's seat of a vehicle at the location. At the time he was seen trying to conceal a small bag. He was also known to be a prohibited driver. Lenko was subsequently arrested for drug possession and driving while prohibited. A search of his person also found a pill bottle with heroin, a cigarette package containing methamphetamine, two cellphones and cash and a credit card belonging to someone else. The circumstances for the provincial case include driving while prohibited on July 26, 2015, in Summerland and on April 12, 2016, in Penticton. According to federal Crown, Lenko has a lengthy record and is completely entrenched in the criminal lifestyle and a risk to society. Defence lawyer James Pennington said his client has been a heroin user for a long time, and that he has tried to stop using before but has been unsuccessful. When given an opportunity to address the court, Lenko said he has been a drug addict for a long time and wished he wasn't. After hearing from lawyers and the accused, Judge Gregory Koturbash said he took into account the aggravating factors. Firstly, he said Lenko's criminal record was horrendous, a record that clearly demonstrates he is a career criminal. The drugs found in his possession, heroin and methamphetamine are also insidious to say the least because of the harm they cause to the community and the accused, the judge said. The factors in his favour were he entered guilty pleas and was co-operative with police at the time of his arrests. In addition to the jail time, Lenko was given 12 months probation for the federal case. He is furthermore prohibited from driving for the next three years. Photo: Insights West Bryan Adams can still bring in a crowd. At 56, the Kingston, Ont., born, but B.C.-raised rocker is still going strong with music fans of all ages, according to a new poll. The poll, conducted by Insights West, asked British Columbians what musical artists they most like or dislike. Bryan Adams topped the poll. Eighty-two per cent said they liked him, while only 10 per cent said they disliked Adams. That produced a "momentum score" of + 72 (subtracting dislikes from likes). Adams transcended age groups, pulling in 71 per cent likes in the 18 to 34 range and 86 per cent with the 55 and over crowd. Sarah McLachlan (+65), the Barenaked Ladies (+62), Michael Buble (+62) and Shania Twain (+61), rounded out the top five. At the other end of the scale, only one Canadian artist recorded a negative momentum score Justin Bieber. About one third of British Columbians (34 per cent) say they like the Biebs, but more than half (58 per cent) say they dislike him, earning the artist a momentum score of -24. At least a quarter of British Columbians say they dislike Celine Dion (28 per cent), Nickelback (27 per cent) and Avril Lavigne (25 per cent). Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Residents who worked hard to prevent the only high school in Osoyoos from closing are planning a rally on the first day of school, next week. The celebration will take place at Osoyoos Secondary School as students arrive on Tuesday, Sept. 6. "A lot of people put a lot of time and effort into demonstrations and meetings," said Jamie Elder with Unity Osoyoos. "So now we are having this event as a celebration of the school being saved." The school had been considered for closure by the School District 53 board, due to declining enrolment and reduced provincial funding. But after months of board meetings and actions by concerned community members, the school was saved from closure thanks to last-minute funding from the Rural Education Enhancement Fund. Tuesday's rally, organized by Unity Osoyoos and the Osoyoos Independent School Society, will include welcoming the students back to school, as well as a big OPEN sign, made of wood, going up. The sign is modelled after the letters in the Hollywood sign in Southern California. Donuts will also be provided to students and businesses who supported the effort to keep the school open have been invited to take part. "Basically the encouragement to get this organized was if things didn't take the turn that they did that Tuesday would have been an incredibly depressing day for the town of Osoyoos," said Elder. "So the opposite of that is taking place, so there will be a lot of joy and celebration." The rally, in a corner of the school parking lot, will start at 8 a.m. and last until 8:25 a.m. Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer December is looking to be a busy month for regional board members. The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has released its schedule for the rest of the year, which includes several meetings in December over the next year's budget. Board meetings, held in the RDOS building on Martin Street, are open to the public. The first budget meeting will be held on Nov. 17, and will be followed by budget meetings on Dec. 1 and 2, and a potential special budget meeting on Dec. 8 if required. That's alongside the board's regular meetings, which happen twice per month. RDOS meeting schedules and agendas can be found on its website. Photo: RCMP Surrey RCMP are hoping to catch a bad guy who has so far been skating around the law. Police are investigating a pair of robberies over the past month in which suspect made his getaway on rollerblades. RCMP responded to a report of a robbery at a gas station in the 15700 block of Fraser Highway on Aug. 21 at about 8:55 p.m.. The suspect threatened the female attendant with a large knife before robbing the store and fleeing the scene northbound on 157th Street on rollerblades, said Cpl. Scotty Schumann. The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, 25-30 years old, about 5-foot-8, with a medium build. He was wearing a black hoodie with white markings, blue jeans, beige ball cap, sunglasses and rollerblades. Police believe the rollerblade bandit may have committed another robbery the day earlier in the same area. Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a robbery on Aug. 20 at about 4:50 p.m. at a bakery in the 15500 block of Fraser Highway. The male suspect threatened staff with a knife before robbing the bakery. The suspect had a similar physical description and was wearing a white T-shirt with green on it, grey shorts, sunglasses and rollerblades. Our investigators are following up on a number of investigative leads. However, we are hoping the photo of the suspect on rollerblades will assist with identification, said Schumann. If anyone has information about this suspect or his whereabouts please contact us with those details. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-TIPS or go to solvecrime.ca. A project that will see three Vernon families be able to buy into the pricey housing market was officially marked with a sod-turning Thursday. Work on the Habitat for Humanity triplex at 2404 35th Ave. is expected to start within days, said Glory Westwell, the group's local chairwoman. We use mainly volunteers and trades people who donate their time and equipment so we cannot sort of say 'you have to be here on a certain day', it's when they have time to be here so it takes a little bit longer than normal, but we work hard to get it up and running as soon as we can, said Westwell, who expects the project to be completed in the next nine months. Habitat offers a no-down-payment, non-interest bearing mortgage at fair market value to families who could not afford to get on the property ladder any other way. Families pay about one-third of their income toward the mortgage. It's so exciting, said Natalie Scowen, who's family will be the first to move in when the work is done. I think it's like we have to create affordable house one unit at a time, said Juliette Cunningham, Vernon city councillor, who was on hand for the sod-turning. Here we have three units and they're good size units that will support families. It's going to take a whole cross section of the community to help us create affordable housing in Vernon so I'm just really please to see all of the volunteers who have invested a lot of time to get this project where it is today. Cunningham said she is very concerned about the lack of affordable housing in the Greater Vernon area. I think the only way we can address the affordability issue is the more inventory we have the chances are better that prices will come down, and rental costs. Right now we have such a shortage that landlords can charge pretty well anything they want. We have the incidences of the rental costs going up and we haven't see much of an increase in people's wages. Photo: The Canadian Press Analysts are bracing for a steep decline in real estate transactions for the month of August when the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver releases its latest home sales data on Friday. The numbers will be the first look at the immediate impact of a 15-per-cent tax on foreign buyers in Metro Vancouver's real estate market, one month after it came into effect on Aug. 2. But experts also say sales could rebound over time, pointing to the region's strong cultural ties with China as well as the robust local job market. Realtor Steve Saretsky says MLS data showed a 50-per-cent drop in Metro Vancouver detached home sales during the first two weeks of August compared to the same period last year. RBC senior economist Robert Hogue said a number of data sources have confirmed a sharp drop-off for the first half of August but it will take months to see whether the initial shock will be sustained. He says the market had already begun to cool after an all-time high in February for a number of reasons, including that the lack of affordability was negatively impacting demand. Photo: RCMP The Williams Lake RCMP is seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing couple. Mihai Vornicu, 44, and his wife Marie Olarte, 58, were reported missing on Aug. 8. RCMP say the initial investigation determined that Vornicus 2005 Volvo C50 station wagon bearing B.C. plate CH0 96V was found parked on Mackenzie Avenue North in Williams Lake on July 26. The vehicle was towed at that time and there have been no attempts to retrieve the vehicle from the impound lot since that date. Cpl. Dan Moskaluk says the investigation determined that the couple were in the Mission/Maple Ridge area in the weeks before they disappeared, and that they have property in the Williams Lake area as well as links to Vancouver Island. We are asking that any member of the public who may have seen the couple or their vehicle between July 22 and the present to contact the General Investigation Section of the Williams Lake RCMP at 250-392-8702, or for those wishing to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477, says Moskaluk. He says Olarte has health conditions that may require medical monitoring, which gives rise to further concerns for her well being since their disappearance. Olarte is described as; Four foot ten inches tall 99 pounds Brown eyes Black hair Vornicu is described as; Five foot seven inches tall 230 pounds Green eyes Brown hair RCMP investigators are seeking information on their current whereabouts, as well as any information regarding their travel itinerary and timeline of activity prior to, and on the date that the vehicle was found parked in Williams Lake. Photo: Getty Images Warning: Content of this story is disturbing. A man has been convicted of five counts of sexual assault after posing as a modelling agent to trick B.C. woman into a vulnerable position. According to a Supreme Court judgment released this week, Justice Paul Pearlman explained that Novid Stefano Dadmand posed as an Australian modelling agent through social media and avenues like the online dating site Plenty of Fish. The Crown alleged that Dadmand appropriated images of an Australian male model, and created the fictitious persona of Brad who was said to be an erotic model. While Dadmand's lawyers argued there was consent in all the cases, the Crown contends that, in circumstances where the complainants were deceived as to the identity of the person with whom they engaged in various sexual activities, there was no consent. Crown also argued that, in some instances, the accused had sexual relations with complainants while they were unconscious or in circumstances where, if they had initially consented, they had withdrawn that consent. Dadmand was charged with six counts of sexual assault after luring women between the ages of 19 and 28 between March 15, 2012 and March 15, 2014 in Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver. He was originally charged with 11 counts related to sexual assault, break and enter, theft and fraud. He videotaped his crimes. When the accused allowed (her) to leave the bed, she appeared to be highly distressed, was whimpering, and on my hearing of the video, said, "Please, no more, please, writes Pearlman. In another, Dadmand looks at the camera before having intercourse with an unconscious woman. And in a third incident Pearlman wrote that another woman appears to be unconscious. Pearlman notes, at one point the accused says "Do you enjoy me f*****g you while you are sleeping?". Pearlman noted that he was satisfied beyond any reasonable doubt that the accused had sexual intercourse with five of the six complainants without their consent. Dadmand will be sentenced at a later date. Photo: The Canadian Press An Alberta woman says she has been sore and sleep deprived since she spent hours clinging to the sides of an abandoned well near Edmonton earlier this week. Trieva McBeth plunged more than two metres into the grass-covered hole while she was walking her dog near Redwater, Alta., on Monday. Days later, her voice remains hoarse from screaming for help. The exertion of hoisting herself out of the well has made her body into "one big charley horse," her muscles hurting so badly that she can barely lift anything. And she hasn't been able to sleep. "I close my eyes and I see the cement wall in front of my face again or I see the little patch of sky that I was able to see from down there." McBeth said she could see her four-year-old bull terrier Loki looking into the well and hear him whining. "I could tell he was concerned. But I had to actually get mad at him and yell at him to go away because I was worried that he was going to get too close to the edge and fall in there with me." There was murky knee-deep water at the bottom and McBeth said she couldn't bear the idea of Loki drowning in it. The 37-year-old alternated between yelling for help and trying to climb out of the well, all while storm clouds were forming overhead. "If I wasn't doing one of those two things, that's when I started thinking about everyone and not making it out of there and that's the only time I came close to losing my cool," she said. "So I just tried to either be climbing or screaming." Her phone was in her car. She had her car fob in her pocket, but efforts to set off the alarm were unsuccessful. McBeth eventually fashioned a foothold out of a nylon rope that was attached to a chunk of cement and, after a few attempts, managed to get herself out. She dropped Loki at home and went straight to the hospital, where she got a tetanus shot, antibiotics and a foot X-ray. Her foot isn't broken, but it's swollen and she's been having to get around on crutches. Her elbows and knees are covered in scrapes and bruises. The land where the well is belongs to Fort Hills Energy LP, a partnership led by energy giant Suncor Energy. The companies at one time planned to build an oilsands upgrader on the rural site, which had been used for farming before that. Photo: Flickr/Canadian Forces The lawyer for Canadian veterans involved in a legal battle with the federal government says the Department of Veterans Affairs is playing politics with his clients. Don Sorochan said Thursday that Minister Kent Hehr is not standing by his party's promise in the last election to re-establish lifelong pensions for veterans. Hehr, who was in Calgary Thursday, said his government is moving forward as quickly as it can to do that. The legal action was launched in B.C. Supreme Court in 2012 by six severely disabled veterans over changes made to their compensation six years earlier. The federal government replaced lifelong pensions with lump-sum payments, upsetting veterans, who argued they deserved disability payments on par with workers' compensation. Efforts by the federal government to have the case thrown out were dismissed, which led to an appeal. The lawsuit was put on hold in 2015 while the parties agreed to wait and see whether new legislation and a federal election would allow for an out-of-court resolution. The deadline for a decision passed in June, and the Liberal government filed documents in court in July saying the government does not owe an "extraordinary obligation'' to modern-day veterans. The Trudeau government's position in court was initially held by the former Conservative government before the Tories changed their stance in December 2014 after a public backlash. Justice Harvey Groberman of British Columbia Appeal Court said the court will consider whether to take into account contradictions between the government's current legal position and the stand the Liberals took during the election. A decision is expected this fall. Photo: The Canadian Press Ontario's Progressive Conservatives won a provincial byelection Thursday in northeast Toronto, but it may have come at a cost. City councillor Raymond Cho won the Scarborough-Rouge River riding, defeating the Liberals in a seat they have held since it was created in 1999. It's the third byelection in a row the Tories have won since Patrick Brown became leader last year and a breakthrough for the party in Toronto, where they hold no other seats. Brown said the victories herald a PC majority in the next provincial election. "There is not any riding in the province of Ontario that Kathleen Wynne's Liberal party can take for granted," he said. But the byelection race was dominated in the last week by a Tory flip-flop on sex education. A letter distributed under Brown's name promised that a PC government would "scrap" updates to the sex-ed curriculum. It would have been a popular promise, Brown acknowledged, saying there was deep opposition to the curriculum in that riding. But Brown disavowed the letter days later, saying he didn't know about it and actually won't scrap the curriculum despite what he calls a lack of parental consultation. The Liberals seized on the chance to brand Brown a flip-flopper. But they also say questions remain about where the letter originated, whether it really was with the local campaign as Brown has implied. Doug Ford, the campaign co-manager, said he did not write the letter. Brown downplayed its significance, saying it "barely" got distributed. He still refused to say who wrote it, but said after the byelection he will "make sure that we have a better organization going forward." "The lesson for me is to continue to focus on the fundamentals: on hydro, on jobs, on healthcare, to focus on the core issues that Ontarians care about," he said. "I have no interest in wading into social issues." The Liberals have also questioned why Brown only retracted the sex-ed opposition in English media, when the letter was distributed in other languages spoken widely in the riding. They suggested the reversal message did not reach as many voters as the original one. Ford estimated only five or 10 per cent of people in the riding pay attention to the mainstream news. Scarborough-Rouge River was a long-held Liberal riding, but Premier Kathleen Wynne's popularity has been sinking, mid-way through her mandate. Her plan to privatize Hydro One has not been received well and voters are upset about rising hydro bills. Wynne released a statement saying the byelection result gives her "cause for reflection." "We heard at the door that hydro rates are increasingly challenging for people," she wrote. "I understand, as do my ministers, that the government needs to focus on helping people with their everyday expenses." Photo: newswire.ca More casinos in the Lower Mainland could bring a spike in crime and gambling addiction, medical health officers say. More than 100 troubling incidents were reported to B.C.'s gambling watchdog between November and May. Among them, a gun-toting man outside the Elements Casino in Surrey, and a couple with a knife and machete lurking outside Cascades Casino in Langley. The health officers warn of more social harm if new casinos are approved in Delta or North Vancouver. The potential concern is where crime is a spinoff of gambling addiction, Dr. Arlene King told CTV. In instances of severe problem gambling, there can be issues of debt, social issues, family dysfunction and suicide. Incidents were up across the board in 2015, according to data obtained through a freedom of information request by CTV. Loan sharking increased by 29 per cent, and suspicious transactions rose 33 per cent. Theft and fraud also climbed. The majority of incidents involved threats and assaults against staff. In a letter to Delta council, King and colleague Dr. Victoria Lee urged the city to consider negative impacts. Faced with a potential health hazard, which will be disproportionately borne by our most vulnerable citizens, we believe that councils should be guided by the best available information in making this decision," they wrote. with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: Nicholas Johansen UPDATED: 2:41 p.m. The evacuation order for two homes west of Lytton has been rescinded by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, leaving several homes on evacuation alert. Just south of town, on the Lytton First Nation reserve, nine homes remain evacuated, and 17 are on evacuation alert. The Lytton First Nation is currently looking at possibly rescinding their evacuation orders as well, but they are waiting for an official fire report from the BC Wildfire Service. Photo: TNRD ORIGINAL: 8:59 a.m. Fire crews continue to make progress battling the South Spencer Road wildfire in Lytton, pushing containment to 40 per cent Friday morning. The blaze was sparked near the CN works yard, two kilometres south of Lytton, early Wednesday morning. It quickly grew, fanned by strong winds throughout the day. The fire is estimated at 500 hectares in size. Twenty firefighters battled the blaze Thursday night, and 91 firefighters, along with five pieces of heavy machinery and five helicopters, will be back at it this morning. They're going to continue their direct attack, and they'll be constructing fuel-free areas and guards, said Max Birkner, fire information officer. In addition, Birkner says crews will be working to mop up areas. It's gotten to a point where they've got a really good handle on things and they're establishing more control over the fire, Birkner said. The heavy winds that stoked the fire Wednesday and Thursday have appeared to lighten for the time being, and Birkner said the winds actually worked in their favour late Thursday, pushing the fire back on itself. Additionally, Birkner says they might see some rain over the fire today, which would assist with fire fighting efforts. Seventeen homes in the Lytton First Nation, south of town, and two other homes west of town remain evacuated, while 24 others remain on alert. One outbuilding has been lost to the blaze so far. The cause of the fire continues to be investigated, but it's believed to be human-caused. Richard Brown, warden for the Lytton Forest Service, believed the fire was caused by sparks coming from the wheels of a train. Photo: Skylar noe-vack A crash in Penticton Friday morning slowed commuting traffic at Duncan Avenue and Manitoba Street. The crash involved a Ford Taurus station wagon and an older Ford F-250 at about 7:15 a.m. Two ambulances and a fire truck attended the scene, and those involved reportedly suffered minor injuries. Photo: Dave Ogilvie A 15-year-old cyclist was sent to hospital after he was hit by a vehicle Thursday afternoon. It happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. at Anders Road and Thacker Drive in West Kelowna. Police believe the teen may have blown through a stop sign while turning left in front of a Dodge Ram pickup truck. Neighbours in the area say it's common for cyclists to speed through the area, ignoring the stop sign. Police also determined that the cyclist's bicycle may have been modified with an added small engine. The driver of the pickup remained at the scene, provided assistance to the cyclist and co-operated with police. The cyclist was taken to KGH with non-life threatening injuries. The investigation continues. Any witnesses are asked to contact the West Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880. Photo: Google Maps The driver of a fully-loaded logging truck was killed Friday morning after the truck rolled down a steep embankment on the Elk River Forest Service Road near Fernie. The truck was 30 kilometres up the logging road when the crash happened at 6:20 a.m. Emergency crews are at the scene of the crash, attempting to remove the driver's body from the vehicle. Ongoing efforts to extricate the driver are currently hampered due to the danger that the terrain at the accident scene poses, said Sgt. Annie Linteau of the RCMP in a press release. Police believe the conditions of the logging road may have been a contributing factor in the crash. If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,... PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- A George County transgender male was sentenced to 12 years in prison, day for day, after pleading guilty to six counts of sexual battery of a child and one count of molestation. The victim, also a transgender male, was 13 at the time of the abuse. Krishna Nicole Maroney plead guilty to the charges July 25. "Our laws that protect children from sexual abuse exist for a reason," said Jackson County Assistant District Attorney Cherie Wade. "This defendant knew the victim's age and understood that having a sexual relationship with him was wrong, but continued to physically and sexually abuse the victim. "While I recognize that the victim will continue to suffer from the trauma of this abusive relationship, I hope that this twelve year, day for day, sentence gives the victim and his family some semblance of justice." Maroney, 25, was sentenced to 20 years for the six counts of sexual batter, with 12 to serve in prison and the remainder on post-release supervision. In addition, Judge Dale Harkey ordered Maroney to pay a $1,000 fine on each count, $1,000 to the Victim's Compensation Fund, court costs, and to register as a sex offender upon release. On the one count of molestation, Harkey imposed a 15-year sentence with 12 to serve, day for day, a $1,000 fine and court costs. The sentences will run concurrent. John Finn sea trials.jpg Ingalls-built destroyer John Finn (DDG 113) successfully completed her first round of sea trials. (Ingalls Shipbuilding photo) PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- The guided missile destroyer John Finn (DDG 113), built at Ingalls Shipbuilding, successfully completed her first found of sea trials, the company announced Friday. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer underwent three days of trials in the Gulf of Mexico, during which the ship's main propulsion system was tested, along with other key systems. "The DDG 51 program has been the backbone of our shipyard for nearly three decades," said Ingalls president Brian Cuccias. "Getting DDG 113 underway is a significant milestone in this program, and we are looking forward to continuing our legacy of building these quality, complex ships for our U.S. Navy customer." The first phase of trials, knows as the "alpha trial," is the first of three scheduled for the John Finn, which is Ingalls' 29th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The Navy is requiring the three trials in the wake of the restart of the DDG 51 program. The Finn is the first built by Ingalls since it delivered USS William P. Lawrence in 2011. "The outstanding performance of DDG 113 during its initial sea trials--the first Arleigh Burke-class sea trials in nearly six years--is a testament to the outstanding workmanship of our Ingalls shipbuilders in building the ship to the highest quality standards for our sailors and for our nation," Cuccias said. "There's nothing like taking an Aegis destroyer to sea, and our test and trials, craftsmen and Supervisor of Shipbuilding team really managed this alpha trial well," said George S. Jones, Ingalls' vice president of operations. "We could really feel the quality of this ship while sailing through the Gulf. "These ships are warfighters, and this extra set of trials will ensure the ship will get a lot of at-sea time in preparation for her delivery later this year." Other destroyers currently under construction at Ingalls include the Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), and Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121). Construction on the Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) is slated to start in the spring of 2017. The John Finn is named in honor of the U.S. Navy's first Congressional Medal of Honor winner during World War II. During the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Finn -- despite being shot in the foot and shoulder and suffering multiple shrapnel wounds -- remained at his post and unleashed machine gun fire on Japanese aircraft for over two hours. Finn retired as a lieutenant after 30 years in the Navy. He died in 2010 at age 100. "We will immediately get back to work on DDG 113 and get her ready for bravo trials later this year," said George Nungesser, Ingalls' DDG program manager. "Our shipbuilders know and understand how important these ships are to our country's defense, and it is something we take seriously. Our sailors deserve that focus." GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Federal officials charge a Mississippi physician offered to illegally trade prescriptions for escort services and later sold prescriptions for money to the escort and an undercover agent. Dr. Michael Loebenberg of Ocean Springs was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled drugs in federal court Thursday in Gulfport. He was released on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to return for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Lt. Mary Flinchum swore out the criminal charge alleging an escort told investigators in January that Loebenberg had offered to write a prescription in exchange for escort services. Agents then set up three separate meetings in January, April and June where they said Loebenberg wrote illegal prescriptions for hydrocodone and other drugs for a total of $440. Loebenberg is listed on the website of the Digestive Health Center in Ocean Springs as one of the staff physicians. pat-toomey-katie-mcginty.jpg Pat Toomey, left, and Katie McGinty (PennLive.com file photos) Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers. Republican Pat Toomey is paying the price for his opposition to hiking the minimum wage, while Democrat Katie McGinty is getting a boost for her support for the issue. In a new Public Policy poll out Friday, Pennsylvania voters say, 54-38 percent, that they'd be less likely to support the Pennsylvania senator because of his opposition to a hike and because of his votes against hiking the federal minimum, which now stands at $7.25 an hour. Conversely, state voters say, 61-33 percent, that they'd be more likely to support McGinty, a former Wolf administration aide, because of her advocacy on the issue. The Chester County Democrat has tried to position herself this campaign season as an advocate for middle- and lower-income workers. McGinty had an overall 46-40 percent lead, with 14 percent undecided, in the Democratic-leaning poll. It's the third such poll released this week on the critical race, which could determine control of the Senate this fall. Horse race aside, the poll offers some interesting insight on the voters' attitudes toward a wage hike in a campaign season in which pocketbook issues have taken a central role. (For those of you keeping score at home - the poll was paid for by NELP-Action, a group that agitates on behalf of minimum wage issues.) Overall, nearly three-quarters of respondents (74 percent) said they'd support hiking the wage, which has remained unchanged since 2009. And nearly two-thirds of voters said they'd support a proposal to increase the wage to $10 an hour and then tweak it until it reaches $15 an hour. In what could be seen as a potential down-ballot omen, a clear majority of respondents (55 percent) said they'd be less likely to support Congressional Republicans who have stood in the way of a wage hike, compared to the 1 in 5 (21 percent) who said they'd be more likely. The touchtone poll included more Democratic respondents (47-37 percent) than Republicans. But of those who responded, more than half (55 percent) identified as "moderate" or "somewhat conservative," compared to 31 percent who said they were "very" or "somewhat" liberal. Just 15 percent of respondents said they were "very conservative." The survey of 1,194 likely voters was conducted from Aug. 26 to Aug. 27. The rest of the day's news starts now. The Tribune-Review asked some legal experts what kind of sentence they think ex-Attorney General Kathleen Kane should get for her perjury conviction. State officials are scrutinizing the license of western Pa. youth home in the wake of an employee overdose, The Post-Gazette reports. Philly Mayor Jim Kenney has denounced a city cop with a "Nazi-style" tattoo, The Inquirer reports. A Philly pastor weighs in to PhillyMag on Donald Trump's church visit on Friday. Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram on the Day: BillyPenn runs down everything that's known about the city cop with that "Nazi-style" tattoo. A new study has found wage stagnation and decline across Pennsylvania, Keystone Crossroads reports. The end of urban enterprise zones in New Jersey will devastate the state's economy, one Garden State lawmaker tells NewsWorks/WHYY-FM. The Morning Call explains why Donald Trump appeals to working-class voters. The Wolf administration has granted raises to management and other non-union employees, our Capitol colleague Charlie Thompson reports. PennLive's Candy Woodall polls the presidential poll now that the 'official' Labor Day start of campaign season is finally upon us. Democratic Veep candidate Tim Kaine will join actual Veep Joe Biden at a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh, PoliticsPA reports. Hillary Clinton's advisers are telling her to prep for a landslide win, Politico reports. Democrats won't accept a six-month stopgap to keep the federal government running, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid tells Roll Call as Congress gets ready to come back to work. Heavy Rotation. Here's one from Biffy Clyro to get your Friday morning rolling. It's "Howl." Play this one loud. Friday's Gratuitous Soccer Link. The Guardian's Paul MacInnes looks at how Premier League and Championship clubs raised the stakes during this summer's transfer window. And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit. 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!) The Nevada Board of Education has given the green light to a plan to reorganize the Clark County school districtthe countrys fifth-largest school systemand give more autonomy to school principals, according to local media reports. Thursdays unanimous vote came less than a month after an advisory committee approved the preliminary plan that will reshape the districts future. Critics of the Clark County school system initially wanted to break up the district, which educates about 320,000 students, into smaller school precincts. They argued that the districts mammoth bureaucracy had made the district unresponsive to students needs and had failed at its core mission: improving student achievement. The new plan for Clark County schoolscrafted by Canadian educator Michael Strembitsky and refined through a series of public hearingscalls for principals to handle about 80 percent of their school funds, hire and fire staff, and create a school plan with a committee of teachers, parents, and community members . Principals will have the option of purchasing services from the districts central office. The central office, or central services, meanwhile, will only be a fraction of what it is today, with a smaller staff. Associate superintendents will be responsible for 25 schools, and they will report to the districts superintendent. The new plan is similar to an empowerment school model the district tried at a small number of schools in the mid-2000s. The proposal to break up Clark County district originally had very strong backing from Republican legislators and from suburban communities. Strembitskys proposal, though praised by many as the best opportunity in years to change how Clark County district does business, has been criticized for a lack of details, concerns about equity, and questions about whether it would deepen inequalities between poor and wealthy schools, according to the Associated Press. The Nevada ACLU warned the state school board against voting on the plan on Thursday. The organization argued, in part, that the new regulations and the notice of the planned vote had only been posted on the agencys website on Aug. 22meaning that the public had fewer than 30 days to review the revised regulations and comment on them. The Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Attorney General Greg Ott gave the board the go-ahead to vote. The final vote on the plan is expected Sept. 9, when it goes before the Legislative Commission, a group of a dozen legislators who meet when the full legislature is not in session and can take action on its behalf. The new system is expected to be up and running by the start of the 2017-18 school year a year earlier than envisioned in the state law that authorized the reorganization. Students Matter , the California-based nonprofit that was behind Vergara v. California , suffered a setback last week in its quest to overhaul teacher tenure and other job protections, when the California supreme court upheld a lower courts ruling rejecting key contentions of the suit . But as I mentioned in an article on the Vergara aftermath last week, the group has other irons on the fire. In fact, a superior court judge is now reviewing a separate, less publicized Students Matter-backed case that claims districts in California are breaking the law when they refuse to use test scores in teacher evaluations. The lawsuit, Doe v. Antioch , targets 13 school districts that it claims are violating the Stull Act , a decades-old state law that, in the plaintiffs view, requires districts to judge a teachers job performance at least in part on standardized student-test scores. The districts cited, including Antioch Unified, Chino Valley Unified, and Inglewood Unified, serve about 250,000 students.The case was filed on behalf of four parents and two students, each from a different district in the state. As a companion to Vergara, the suit aims to bring into play another contentious area of teacher-accountability policyteacher evaluations. According to the National Council on Teacher Quality , a D.C.-based advocacy group that tracks teacher policies, 39 states and the District of Columbia now require evidence of student learning, in the form of test scores, as part of teacher evaluations. California and 10 other states do not. (The way NCTQ sees it, regardless of differing interpretations of the Stull Act, California does not require that test scores be the preponderant criterion of its teacher evaluations. ) In the Contra Costa Superior Court on July 29, the Students Matter-backed lawyers presented their evidence that the districts are violating the Stull Act. They pointed to passages in the districts collective bargaining agreements that bar the use of test scores in teacher evaluations. The teacher contract for San Ramon Valley Unified School District, for example, states, The evaluation and assessment of employee competency shall not include the results from any tests. The other district contracts contained similar language. The Students Matter lawyers argue that the contracts language is a blatant refusal to follow the state law. The 13 school district respondents in this case have devised teacher evaluation systems that intentionally disregard valuable student achievement data that are accessible to them, reads the lawsuit , choosing instead to remain ignorant as to the quality of the teachers in their schools. Lawyers for the districts argued that school districts are not in violation of the Stull Act because theres no language in the law that explicitly mandates the use of standardized tests in teacher evaluations. It is, therefore, within the limits of the law for local districts and unions to determine how and which data to use to evaluate teachers. Districts, according to the lawyers, have created their own assessments that they use in evaluations. Even if districts wanted to use standardized test scores, they couldnt, argued Mark Bresee, who represents six of the districts. He says districts have a statutory mandate that requires them to complete teacher evaluations within 30 days of the end of the school year, but that scores arrive in the summer. To that argument, plaintiff lawyer Marcellus McCrae countered: You get them when you get them and when you get them, use them. Even if they are from prior years. Theres nothing that stops you from doing that. The plaintiff lawyers also cited in their argument statistics showing that each year 98 percent of the states teachers receive a satisfactory rating, while only 44 percent of students read on grade level, and only 33 percent can do grade-level math. The districts countered that only certain teachers have students who take standardized tests. How will physical education and music teachers be evaluated based on standardized test scores? They also raised the question of how evaluators could reliably determine which teachers are most responsible for the test-score changes. If you have a student who excels on an English exam in the 11th grade, that could be because of a teacher of an elective who focused so extensively on writing that you cant say that was because of the students English teacher..., said Bresee. In 2011, the advocacy group EdVoice brought a similar case (Doe v. Deasy ) against the Los Angeles Unified School District, and won. Judge James Chalfant left it up to the district and the union to work out how much or how little student test scores would count in teacher evaluations. An agreement made between the Los Angeles school board and the local teachers union this past June does not specify how the test-score requirement will be met. Doe v. Antioch presiding Judge Barry P. Goode said he would not consider the Deasy ruling as precedent, but as evidence of what can be done and cant be done. At the end of the July 29 hearing, Judge Goode did not provide a timeframe for a ruling. A Students Matter spokesperson estimated the judge will decide the case in the next couple months. School administrators in Maryland are being forced to rework their schedules for next school year following a new mandate that classes not begin before Labor Day. Gov. Larry Hogan filed an executive order this week requiring that schools not start before Labor Day. His order also specifies that the school year cant go beyond June 15. The new mandate wil go into effect in the 2017-18 school year. The Republican governor framed his decision in terms of providing families with more vacation time and giving the state an economic boost. This isnt just a family issue. Its an economic and public safety issue, he said Wednesday while standing on the Ocean City boardwalk, a popular vacation spot on the states Eastern Shore. Hogan also cited poll results showing widespread support for the idea and mentioned the plight of students in classrooms without air conditioning. August is the second hottest month of the year here in Maryland, he said. A later start date will even prevent Baltimore County, which has unfortunately failed to air condition its schools, from losing so many days of school due to heat-related closures. A poll conducted last year by researchers at Goucher College found that 72 percent of Maryland residents favored a statewide mandate to begin school after Labor Day. Still, the governors move was unusual in that, nationally, most decisions about when school should start are made at the district level, and the trend across the country in recent years has been to start school earlier rather than later to maximize learning time. According to data from a 2014 Education Commission of the States report , 36 states and the District of Columbia leave it up to districts or regions to decide when school should start. Only Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia dictate that school may not start before Labor Day. Virginia allows waivers to the law for some districts, and Minnesota also makes exceptions in some cases. Some school leaders in Maryland have expressed concern about how theyll fit everything in under the new guidelines. State law requires 180 days of instruction. Hogans executive order does allow districts to apply for waivers from the post-Labor Day start date, but districts would have to show compelling justification for the exemption, which would be granted by the state department of education. Until recently, the readiness gap between high-and low-income children entering kindergarten has been vast. But it is narrower today than it was in the late 1990s, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (The Good News About Educational Inequality , " The New York Times, Aug. 28). Whether the positive trend will continue as children move into upper grades is hard to say, but I believe it is unlikely. Whatever benefits accrue to disadvantaged children through enrollment in pre-K programs tend to fade over the years. Nine years later, the achievement gap, on average, widens by somewhere from one-half to two-thirds (Education Gap Between Rich and Poor Is Growing Wider , The New York Times, Sept. 22, 2015). Thats because children from affluent and well-educated parents continue to receive experiences that reinforce what they learn in school. Even the best teachers are no match for factors outside the classroom. I realize that better parenting practices can help compensate for the uneven playing field, but I dont think they can compete with the inherent advantages that children from wealthier parents enjoy (Finally, a disturbing trend in education shows signs of reversal , Los Angeles Times, Aug. 31). There will always be outliers whom the media will play up. But exceptions do not disprove the rule. The disappointing record of Head Start that was acknowledged by the Department of Health and Human Services in a 346-page final report released on Christmas Eve 2012 was probably due to the uneven quality of the program. Nevertheless, its extremely difficult to scale up successful pilot programs. Thats because of their low external validity. What works in one locale doesnt necessarily work in another. We should keep trying, but its important to retain realistic expectations. "One of these days you're going to assume a broken ass Mister Holmes!" When a particular person has been a part of so many amazing films and you've known them for so long, it's difficult to remember how or even where they got their start. When a personality as rich and entertaining as Gene Wilder's passes on, it's a good time to take a step back and reflect on their career. While most will remember Wilder as an eccentric distributor of candy goods or as a mad scientist who has difficulty pronouncing his last name correctly while bringing a monster to life, people often forget that he took a stab at writing and directing. While his efforts behind the camera may not have been big box office earners, they were comedic delights just the same. While helping Mel Brooks put the finishing touches to his hilarious farce 'Young Frankenstein,' Wilder took the opportunity offered to him to write and direct his first feature film. The result was the bizarrely hysterical 1975 film 'The Adventures of Sherlock Homes' Smarter Brother.' The plot may not make a lot of sense, but it is a true madcap delight if you give yourself to its sense of whimsy. When one has a successful older sibling, it's often very difficult to live life in their shadow - especially if you believe you're the smarter one. Such is the constant annoyance of Sigerson Holmes (Gene Wilder). When his older brother Sherlock (Douglas Wilmer) and his partner Dr. Watson (Thorley Walters) must leave London for a case, another case they can't take on must be headed up by dear younger Sigerson. With a strange Scotland Yard Sgt Orville Stanley Sacker (Marty Feldman) requesting Sigerson's assistance finding out who stole some important documents, Sigerson is all too ready to prove he's the smarter and more astute detective in the Holmes family. When the mysterious performer Jenny Hill (Madeline Kahn) arrives on the scene, the case takes on a new dimension that involves the strange opera maestro Eduardo Gambetti (Dom DeLuise) and leads to Sherlock's long-time nemesis Moriarty (Leo McKern). Now all Sigerson has to do is prove he's the apt detective he claims to be in order to out-Sherlock his older brother and gain the fame he's long deserved! 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Younger Brother' is one of those off the wall nonsensical comedies that feels right at home in the arena of early Richard Lester films like 'The Bed Sitting Room' and Monty Python movies. The plot involving Madeline Kahn's Jenny Hill or how her stealing an important document relates to Moriarty of even Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson for that matter is just simple window dressing. As Wilder states in his commentary, he would only write and direct this movie if Madeline Kahn and Marty Feldman starred in it. If either of them said no, this project never would have gotten off the ground. To that point, 'Younger Brother' is entirely devoted to showcasing the talents of its impressive cast. If one is going into this particular 'Holmes' yarn expecting a thoroughly thought out and expertly crafted mystery suspense thriller that hinges on a single minute detail you'll sorely be disappointed. You're there to laugh at the antics and that's all. 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Younger Brother' is a showcase film, pure and simple as that. While it's an impressive undertaking of Gene Wilder standing as the lead star, writer, song writer, and ultimately director, this little Victorian-era screwball comedy is not an ego film in the slightest bit. All you have to do is watch just a little bit of the movie to see that all Gene was trying to do was have some fun with his friends Marty Feldman and Madeline Kahn and give them a chance to strut their stuff and show their impressive range. The fact that this film has anything even closely resembling a plot is incidental. You're meant to be watching Marty play a crazy and eccentric detective who may or may not have a multiple personality disorder. You're sitting looking at your screen understanding that this film is dedicated to showing off Madeline Kahn's comedic chops, it doesn't really matter her character doesn't make much sense because you're too busy laughing at her. And, of course, you're also meant to take a step back and enjoy Wilder play a scorned ego-maniac who tries to outdo all of his older brother Sherlock's deductive methods. The film may be a bit inconsistent in some places, it never really makes a lot of sense in the traditional definition of plot structure and development, but that's okay, you're likely to be too busy laughing to worry about it. Along with 'Haunted Honeymoon,' 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes's Smarter Brother' arrives on Blu-ray in the shadow of Gene Wilder's death. It's always a bittersweet endeavor to take a look at someone's career output after they've passed away, but in the case of Gene Wilder, it's a rewarding one. So often people remember Wilder for his Willy Wonka or for the films he made with Mel Brooks or for his films with Richard Pryor. While those are certainly some great highlights, it's good to take a step back and appreciate everything he managed to do with his career. While writing and directing weren't what Gene was known for, his few stabs at directing were still very funny endeavors. I don't hold the same level of childhood nostalgia towards 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Younger Brother' as I do for 'Haunted Honeymoon,' but over the years this film has slowly grown to become a favorite. Perhaps, it wouldn't be my first choice when choosing a Gene Wilder film to enjoy, it is a bit of an acquired taste, but when the need for some madcap hilarity arises, 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Older Brother' provides a pretty good fix and never fails to entertain. The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Younger Brother' arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber and their Studio Classics label. Pressed on a Region A BD25 disc, the disc comes housed in a standard Blu-ray case. The disc opens directly to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options. Arakanese and other ethnic representatives in attendance expressed low confidence that the conference currently taking place in Naypyidaw will in itself lead to a federalist system for Burma. U Oo Hla, Pyithu Hluttaw MP from Mrauk U Township for the Arakan National Party (ANP), told Narinjara News that the current process is just one stage of a long journey that lies ahead. Amyotha Hluttaw MP Daw Htu May from Ann Township, said that peace will only happen after ethnic people are granted autonomy. Arakan State Chief Minister U Nyi Pyu said: In order to establish a genuine federal union, a common understanding that is accepted by everyone is important. If the common understanding is successful, stability and development would be more effective in Arakan State. U Tun Zaw, joint secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council and general secretary of the Arakan National Council, agreed that the conference alone wont satisfy the needs of the ethnic people. This can only be achieved with unity among the national forces, including the Arakan National Council, Arakan Liberation Party and Arakan Army. The latter group, as well as the Taang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, have been excluded from participating in peace talks altogether, unless they agree in writing a willingness to surrender. Reporting by Shwe Ya Aung for Narinjara News Translated by Thida Linn Edited by BNI staff Jointly prepared by the Karen National Union (KNU), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), and the Karen Peace Council (KNU/KNLA PC), the motion pointed out that the resettlement program needs to afford refugees the right to make their own decisions about when they will return and provide security and rehabilitation for when they do. This includes ensuring adequate physical and emotional support and sustainable livelihood for all returnees. The motion said: There must not be any discrimination in the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees and programs that aimed towards sustainability must be set down in line with international standard and respect for human rights. Programs based on making own-decisions must be set down. On the opening day of conference, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said: Many, of all ages, have had to flee their homes to avoid conflict, and it is long since their hopes have dimmed. They hardly dare to hope any longer. We must not forget their plight. Nan Khin Aye Oo, secretary of the Kayin People's Party, said the government needs to take charge of the resettlement process as ethnic political parties and civil society organisations have limited capacity for actually carrying this out. Daw Thin Thin Aung, steering committee member of The Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process, said: Can (the government) give back the properties owned by the refugees in the past? This includes farmlands, plantations, and other properties. Those that can be returned to their farms should be repatriated first, she said. Reporting by Saw Thein Myint for KIC News Translated by Thida Linn Edited by BNI staff Westlake Chemical Corporation announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Axiall Corporation for $33.00 per share in an all-cash transaction, representing an enterprise value of approximately $3.8 billion, including debt and certain other Axiall liabilities. The combined company will be the third-largest chlor-alkali producer and the second-largest polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer in North America, with expected combined pro forma revenues of $7.4 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $1.4 billion for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2016. Westlake expects the transaction to be accretive to its earnings in the first year following close and expects annualized cost synergies of approximately $100 million. Albert Chao, Westlakes President and Chief Executive Officer, said, We are pleased to complete this important strategic acquisition and to welcome Axiall and its talented team into the Westlake family of companies. This transaction aligns two remarkable companies, creates a company with greater financial and operational flexibility and accelerates our growth strategy. We believe that we will be better able to serve our customers with a more diversified portfolio that should create significant value and growth opportunities for Westlake stockholders. However, organizers of the event, which has been dubbed the 21st Century Panglong Conference, say the dispute came from a complete misunderstanding about meeting protocol. The UWSA, Burmas biggest armed ethnic organization, did not sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement with the Thein Sein administration in October last year, but were invited to attend the conference in Naypyidaw as observers. According to Dr. Lian Sakhong of the Chin National Front, the Wa representatives arrived late and did not stay at the guest rooms prepared by the organizers, but rather arranged accommodation by themselves. He said that because they were so late, they were given observer cards, but they clearly misunderstood the issue, and took umbrage. Then they simply walked out. He said that the conference organizers will apologize to the Wa delegates and try to resolve the matter. Government peace negotiator Khin Zaw Oo told reporters that the Wa representatives misunderstood and thought they were being downgraded. The thing is, we had already distributed all the entry cards to the other delegates from ethnic armed organizations, he explained. The 21st Century Panglong Conference is being hosted by Burmas de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has gathered more than 700 representatives from the government, the military, political parties, ethnic armed organizations and civil society groups for negotiations aimed at establishing a framework for future peace talks. The conference is scheduled to continue until Sunday. By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) Few things put a damper on a post-long weekend glow quite like paying toll road fees. A new app, FastToll, wants to help. The app, officially launched by Las Vegas-based Pragmistic this week after testing for a year, helps drivers track which open-road tolls in Illinois they've missed and pay fares later. The app uses location tracking to determine which tolls drivers pass through, then charges 99 cents or 10 percent of a total toll payment for users to pay through the iPhone or Android app. FastToll then pays on your behalf through the Illinois Tollway's official payment portal. FastToll will also remind drivers to pay tolls within seven days to avoid violation fees from the tollway. Advertisement Currently, drivers who pass through an open-road toll must go to the Illinois Tollway website and report which toll roads they used before paying. Pragmistic owner Radoslaw Mista said it can be tricky to keep track of tolls, especially if youre unfamiliar with the area. The Illinois Tollway is expecting you to keep track, he said. How are you, as a single driver, supposed to do that? Mista admitted users can opt to use FastToll to track their tolls, then pay directly through the Illinois Tollway site, but said he hopes users will pay through his app. The app is only available in Illinois for now, but Mista hopes to expand the apps offerings to other areas, which could be helpful for long-distance drivers traversing different toll systems. He recalled trips where hed drive from Wisconsin to Florida. Wed have to drive through all these different states with all the different toll road systems, and payment was different on each of those roads, he said. Having one solution on your phone would be very very, very beneficial to the drivers. In 2014, the Illinois Tollway was testing an app that would act as a guest pass for drivers without an I-Pass to pay tolls by phone as their vehicles passed a toll plaza. Spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis said the Tollway is preparing to launch a new website that will allow users to manage unpaid tolls and I-PASS accounts via mobile phones and tablets. "FastToll's app is not provided by, nor supported by, the Illinois Tollway," she wrote in an email to Blue Sky. "We cannot guarantee that it works, but we have heard from a handful of drivers that they have had satisfactory experiences with it." Advertisement mgraham@tribpub.com Twitter @megancgraham The Manufacturing Careers Internship Program is one of several efforts aimed at reducing unemployment among young people, training them for careers in the manufacturing industry. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Margo Strotter, who runs a busy sandwich shop in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, makes it a point to hire people with "blemishes." But young people? She sighs and shakes her head. Advertisement They often lack "the fundamental stuff" arriving on time, ironing their shirts, communicating well, taking direction she said. She doesn't have time to train workers in the basics, and worries she's not alone. "We are going to wind up with a whole group of people in their 40s and 50s who can't function," said Strotter, owner of Ain't She Sweet Cafe. Advertisement As Chicago tackles what some have termed a crisis of youth joblessness, it must reckon with the consequences of a failure to invest in its low-income neighborhoods and the people who live there. There aren't enough jobs, and the young people vying for them are frequently woefully unprepared because of gaps in their schooling and upbringing. The system has pushed them to the back of the hiring line. Employment type by race, ethnicity For 20- to 24-year-olds in Chicago Manufacturing White 60% Black Hispanic 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 Retail trade 60% 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 Professional Services 60% 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 NOTE: Black and white categories do not include Hispanic or Latino respondents SOURCE: Analysis of Census and American Community Survery data by University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute TRIBUNE Employment type by race, ethnicity For 20- to 24-year-olds in Chicago Manufacturing White 60% Black Hispanic 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 Retail trade 60% 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 Professional Services 60% 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 NOTE: Black and white categories do not include Hispanic or Latino respondents SOURCE: Analysis of Census and American Community Survery data by University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute TRIBUNE Employment type by race, ethnicity For 20- to 24-year-olds in Chicago Manufacturing White 60% Black Hispanic 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 Retail trade 60% 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 Professional Services 60% 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 NOTE: Black and white categories do not include Hispanic or Latino respondents SOURCE: Analysis of Census and American Community Survery data by University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute TRIBUNE The problem is not new, but it has taken on renewed urgency as violence surges in some of the city's neighborhoods, often claiming people as victims and perpetrators in their teen and young adult years. From the start of the year through most of July, 15- to 24-year-olds accounted for 55 percent of the city's shooting victims and 59 percent of arrests related to shootings, according to police statistics. "The two trends are tragically intertwined, where youth unemployment contributes to the incidence of violence, and violence in our communities contributes to many barriers to employment, both because of the violence itself and because of the criminal justice system's response to that violence," said Matt Bruce, executive director of the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance. Arrests even without convictions can leave a paper trail that turns off employers, and a recent report found that less than 1 percent of juvenile arrest records in Cook County get expunged. Some data suggest youth unemployment could be worsening, even in neighborhoods like Bronzeville that are seeing new life and new jobs. Between 2009 and 2014, when much of the country was recovering from the Great Recession, the employment rate among 20- to 24-year-olds fell by double digits in Bronzeville and several other neighborhoods mostly on the city's South and West sides, according to data analyzed for the Tribune by the University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute. The employment rate, which is the share of the population that is working (not counting those who are imprisoned or institutionalized), is often considered a better measure of the labor market than the unemployment rate, which only counts jobless people who are looking for work and not those who have given up. Chicago employment by race, ethnicity 16- to-19-year-olds White 80% Black Hispanic 60 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 20- to 24-year-olds 80% 60 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 NOTE: Black and white categories do not include Hispanic or Latino respondents SOURCE: Analysis of Census and American Community Survery data by University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute TRIBUNE Chicago employment by race, ethnicity 16- to 19-year-olds White 80% Black Hispanic 60 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 20- to 24-year-olds 80% 60 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 NOTE: Black and white categories do not include Hispanic or Latino respondents SOURCE: Analysis of Census and American Community Survery data by University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute TRIBUNE Chicago employment by race, ethnicity 16- to 19-year-olds White 80% Black Hispanic 60 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 20- to 24-year-olds 80% 60 40 20 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 NOTE: Black and white categories do not include Hispanic or Latino respondents SOURCE: Analysis of Census and American Community Survery data by University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute TRIBUNE The city as a whole saw its young adult employment rate rise slightly to 58.2 percent during that five-year period. Advertisement But, with some exceptions, the disparities between neighborhoods grew more pronounced. For example, in Englewood, often the poster child for inner-city challenges, the employment rate among 20- to 24-year-olds fell to 28 percent, from 39 percent, over those five years. In Lincoln Park, often the poster child of tony North Side life, it grew to 77 percent from 70 percent. (The overall U.S. employment rate for the over-16 population in July was nearly 60 percent.) Evelyn Diaz, president of the Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization, said the patterns are an unsurprising result of years of diminishing resources for the poor, the unemployed, the homeless, the mentally ill and ex-offenders who spill back into Chicago's neighborhoods after serving their time and then have a hard time finding work. Nearly 45,000 20- to 24-year-olds were both out of school and out of work in Chicago in 2014, a group termed "disconnected" or "opportunity" youth, according to Great Cities. The number grows to nearly 150,000 if you count disconnected 16- to 24-year-olds in the whole Chicago metro area. Though myriad well-meaning programs chip away at the problem, what's missing, some workforce experts say, is a large-scale system that connects young people, training programs, employers and transportation that gets everyone where they need to be. "Where we see the void is the intermediary role, the connector that connects all those things," said Victor Dickson, CEO of the Safer Foundation, which helps put ex-offenders back to work. Advertisement Part of the problem stems from neglect of low-income neighborhoods that have struggled since manufacturing jobs left town nearly half a century ago. When there are few jobs nearby, and you can't afford to live in or get to the parts of town where business is thriving, it perpetuates a cycle of limited opportunity, said Stephanie Bechteler, research and evaluation director at the Chicago Urban League. Change in youth employment, 2009-14 Percentage-point difference for ages 20-24 ABOUT THIS DATA The employment rate is the share of the noninstitutional population that is working. Data may be unreliable in areas with very small populations. Community areas with large college student populations could show low youth employment rates because those students are in school. The 2014 data was the most recent available for youth at the local level and does not reflect more recent developments. X Population declines as people move away from blighted neighborhoods also tend to leave the poorest and hardest to employ behind, weakening the informal neighborly networks that help young people land their first jobs. But even in neighborhoods reinvigorated by new economic investment, the fallout from human disinvestment can cast a shadow on progress. Take historic Pullman on the Far South Side, once a steel industry hub. The neighborhood has added nearly 1,000 new jobs in the past three years, thanks to the new Method soap factory, a new Wal-Mart Supercenter and retail strip and an incoming Whole Foods Market distribution center expected to open by the end of 2017, said David Doig, president of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, the nonprofit developer behind the projects. Another retail center under development, which will include Chipotle and Potbelly restaurants, should add another 30 to 40 jobs, he said. Advertisement Sixty percent of the jobs have gone to people living within nearby ZIP codes, including many to young people, Doig said. He expects updated youth employment numbers to look much better than the 20 percent drop recorded in the Great Cities report. To bring jobs into the communities, "we've got to work better at changing perceptions," Doig said, which includes getting employers to see the area's assets, such as its proximity to major railroads. But creating jobs is not enough. Some 3,000 people showed up on the first day Wal-Mart opened a recruitment office to hire workers for the new Pullman store, but a lot of those people, particularly young people, didn't have the verbal or math skills to be competitive, Doig said. "Our education system hasn't done a real good job in training people in those basic proficiencies," he said. Others, Doig said, didn't pass drug tests, or had felony convictions that kept them from applying and getting hired (at the time Illinois had not yet adopted a ban-the-box law banning the question from applications). Andre Kellum, executive director of 741 Collaborative Partnership, a consortium of workforce development partners that help get people into the new jobs coming to the mid-South Side area, said young people in low-income communities face a battery of barriers that make landing a job "like trying to go across Lake Michigan." Advertisement Some he encounters lack basic communication skills and work ethic the result of a confluence of factors including shoddy education, absent parents, emotional trauma from growing up around violence, and a dearth of role models of working people except the drug dealers on the corners, he said. For others, just traveling to a job is a land mine in a city where fractured gangs rule a block at a time, he said. Demonte Bailey, 20, said he stopped showing up at a manufacturing internship he enjoyed because he had to take two buses and walk in the dark to get there from his "rough" neighborhood in Chatham, and his mother was worried sick. "Getting back and forth was a job," said Bailey, who now works as a security guard at a downtown building and is attending culinary school. Bailey is the older brother of Demario Bailey, who in 2014 was fatally shot during a robbery while walking with his twin brother, Demacio, under a viaduct near their high school. Adding to the challenges, inexperienced teens and young adults compete with older people who still struggle to find work since they lost their jobs in the recession, Kellum said. With big employers using computerized assessment tools to screen for certain personalities and work histories, young people who don't know to put the right keywords in never get a glance, he said. Adrienne Agnew, 24, said she didn't understand why her job applications were unanswered until she enrolled in a workforce development program at New Moms, a nonprofit that serves young mothers at risk of homelessness. Advertisement "Now I see why I didn't get hired," said Agnew, who lives in Harvey and has a 3-year-old daughter, a 1-year-old son and a new baby boy. "I didn't pronounce some words right, I didn't spell right, I definitely didn't know how to do a resume." Agnew noticed a New Moms poster on the bulletin board at her health clinic, which stood out from the other youth programs she had encountered because the 12-week job training program included a paid internship that would help cover the diapers and formula that make up most of her expenses. New Moms, which serves young mothers 18 to 24, operates a social enterprise called Bright Endeavors that makes soy candles that are sold in many Whole Foods and boutique stores. It also has a fast-growing votive candle rental business popular among event venues that don't want to throw the glass containers away. Bright Endeavors this year will employ 70 young moms as interns who get paid $10 an hour to pour and package the candles, said New Moms President and CEO Laura Zumdahl. With a recent infusion of federal social innovation funding, it expects to expand to 120 interns annually in five years. Agnew, who had to travel two to three hours each way by bus and train to get to Bright Endeavors in Austin, said that at first she went to the candle-making program for the pay, "but then it felt good." During the classroom training, she learned to correct her posture, stop playing with her hair, make eye contact, make digital slideshow presentations, improve her vocabulary and dress properly for professional settings. It gave her confidence. "In school they don't teach you that," Agnew said. "They definitely won't give you a mock interview. They don't care like New Moms do." Advertisement Agnew, who is close to completing her GED, estimates she submitted more than 30 job applications this year, mostly to retailers, before finally landing a job in August as a cashier at Soldier Field. She was ecstatic, as it would help her move out of her mother's house, though she still faces a daily struggle of finding child care as she juggles her schedule with that of family members and her boyfriend, who works long hours through a temp agency. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 Adonis Clayborn, who was part of the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program, is photographed May 3, 2016, at Skolnik Industries in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Yet making youths better job candidates also isn't the sole answer. An even greater need, some workforce experts say, is to improve the caliber of the jobs. Low-wage jobs have grown fast since the recession while mid-wage jobs declined, as employers who downsized learned to make do without those positions. As more jobs become part-time and temporary, they also offer little stability and little motivation to stay on. "We can't train ourselves out of that problem," said Bruce, of the Workforce Funders Alliance. Some high-profile initiatives have emerged recently to try to combat youth unemployment at a larger scale. Advertisement Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, funded by Laurene Powell Jobs' philanthropic Emerson Collective, is assembling a Chicago team to help get disconnected youth into jobs employers need filled. Young men walk after school under a Metra viaduct at 113th Street in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood in 2014. As violence has surged in some of the city's neighborhoods, the issue of youth joblessness has taken on renewed urgency. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Former Fenger High School principal Liz Dozier is heading up a new philanthropic venture called Chicago Beyond to invest in innovative and expandable programs already doing good work. Starbucks, with its 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, and JP Morgan Chase, with its $75 million New Skills For Youth, also are calling attention to the issue. Funders are starting to support nonprofits to address youth employment, and some adult programs will need to be modified with first-time job seekers in mind, said Marie Trzupek Lynch, president and CEO of Skills for Chicagoland's Future, a private-public partnership. Of the 1,000 job seekers Skills placed into jobs last year, 300 were youths, and the organization is trying to grow that to 400 this year, Lynch said. What's important to remember, Lynch said, is that while some youths lack the basics, others are job-ready and just need help getting their resumes to the top of the pile. Adrienne Agnew stops May 27, 2016, outside a public aid office on the South Side of Chicago with her partner Anthony Alexander and children, Haley Morales and Anthony Alexander Jr. Agnew worked a paid internship at Bright Endeavors, a social enterprise that makes soy candles and offers job training. She gave birth to her third child in June and landed a job in August as a cashier at Soldier Field. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) The Cara Program, a nonprofit that helps people with employment barriers like homelessness and criminal backgrounds get back to work, is trying to do a better job of reaching young people, who are less likely to seek its services, said Chief Program Officer Robert White. Advertisement To engage younger people, Cara is starting to recruit through libraries and schools and is piloting a series of workshops at its Bronzeville campus so people can get services without joining the formal four-week program. Jesse Teverbaugh, director of student and alumni affairs at Cara, said reaching young people is far more difficult than the middle-aged, who typically have endured a lot of suffering and are ready to make changes. "They're still running around with their youth and thinking they're all that and a bag of chips," Teverbaugh said. "It's really hard for them to grasp that if you don't get this now, you will become a professional programgoer, going from program to program." Marquez Jefferson, 27, wishes he had found Cara earlier in his life, or at least a mentor who could have set him on a straighter path. He and his two siblings were raised by his grandmother, but even though she did the best she could, his block in the Austin neighborhood, a known drug spot, sucked him in. Jefferson, who said he has four felony convictions for drug possession, said he was 17 the first time he got locked up. His grandmother died during one of his stints in prison, and his brother was killed during another for trying to sell marijuana on a block that sat within a different gang's territory. Advertisement That slowed him down. A doctor at a health clinic where he got regular checkups upon his last release from prison told him that, if he was ready, she knew of a good program. "I said, 'I'm tired,'" Jefferson said. "I was tired of always having to turn and look for the police. I don't want to live like this." He also was a new father to his first son and didn't want him following in his footsteps. Jefferson would go to Cara in a suit and tie the program requires it, and has a room full of donated professional attire for people to choose from. When he'd walk by his friends still hanging out on the corner, he said, some cheered him on. Since starting the program in March, Jefferson said he feels part of a community that "really cares," and he doesn't want to let them down. After working at Cara's transitional Cleanslate program, picking up litter, Jefferson in June landed a job as a warehouse associate at the Rebuilding Exchange, which sells reclaimed building materials. aelejalderuiz@tribpub.com Twitter @alexiaer The Manufacturing Careers Internship Program is one of several efforts aimed at reducing unemployment among young people, training them for careers in the manufacturing industry. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) The morning of his final internship evaluation, Adonis Clayborn woke up in his girlfriend's car. Unable to afford a motel room, he had reclined the driver's seat, covered himself in sweaters he kept in the trunk and slept the night in the silver Nissan Sentra with the Hello Kitty license plate frame. Still, the soft-spoken 22-year-old showed up to work on time, wearing a pink tie given to him by a colleague. Clayborn was nearing the end of his eight-week internship at Skolnik Industries, a manufacturer near Midway Airport that makes steel drums, and would soon learn if he would be offered a job. Advertisement As Clayborn sat in a conference room that May afternoon, his long springy hair piled into a high ponytail, the internship organizers asked how he enjoyed working there. "I love it," Clayborn said firmly. "They actually want you to succeed." Advertisement For a long time, Clayborn fit a statistic that has raised alarms as violence soars in the city, mostly in the poor and highly segregated black neighborhoods that make up much of Chicago's South and West sides: Nearly half of the city's 20- to 24-year-old black men are neither working nor in school, according to 2014 data analyzed by the Great Cities Institute. Adonis Clayborn, who was part of the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program, is photographed May 3, 2016, at Skolnik Industries in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Programs that link "disconnected" youth to employers are putting young men like Clayborn on career paths they might not have considered, at companies that might otherwise not have considered them. The road isn't always smooth. But despite some heartache, employers like Skolnik say it's one worth taking. "Adonis has really opened a lot of eyes around here," said Dean Ricker, vice president of sales at Skolnik. Taking a chance on a program Ricker wasn't sure what to expect when he got a cold call last year asking if Skolnik would host an intern from the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program. The initiative puts 18- to 24-year-olds through a four-week boot camp to develop professional skills, and then an eight-week paid internship at a local manufacturer. The interns' $9 hourly wage is paid by the program. Launched in Arlington Heights in 2011 and expanded to the city two years ago, the program has gotten the attention of workforce officials. Advertisement "These are the young folks that we see on the streets," said Ray Bentley, chief community officer at the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, which pledged nearly $700,000 in federal workforce funds to the internship program this year and hopes to expand it to other communities. "We believe that this program has teeth." Ricker agreed to have the interns tour the facility, and was so impressed by the group of sharply dressed young people that the company signed up to host an intern as well. When Clayborn showed up his first day, without a lick of manufacturing experience, Ricker decided to rotate him through different departments, set the bar high and see where his talents lie. A new opportunity Clayborn said he didn't have much interest in academics while attending Kenwood Academy High School. He spent much of his time smoking marijuana with friends. He began dealing drugs in Chicago and Wisconsin. He pleaded guilty in 2011 in Wisconsin to a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. Craig Freedman, president of Freedman Seating, gives a tour to young adults from the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program, during their March 2, 2016, visit to the Freedman Seating facility in Chicago's West Humboldt Park neighborhood. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) He and his mother clashed, Clayborn said, and he often ran away from home or got kicked out. Advertisement He dropped out of school. Eventually he found himself sleeping on the streets with a friend. Clayborn got a landscaping job through a homeless shelter where he was staying, but he was frustrated with his $8.25 hourly wage. When a mentor at ASN Preparatory Institute, the alternative school he began attending, told him about the internship, he signed up. Clayborn said he was tired of letting his mother down, and "tired of fast money going away fast." Motivation from a friend Clayborn doubts he would have made it through the program's boot camp without his friend Phillip Brown, another student at ASN Prep who signed up for it. They motivated each other, and let go of friends from their drug-doing days. Advertisement Brown, 20, was placed in an internship at MetraFlex, a manufacturer in the West Town neighborhood that makes commercial HVAC products. Exhausted after long days cutting and wrapping pipes, "I don't have time for the crime life," Brown said one afternoon after work, his plastic safety goggles still perched on his head. With two small sons, aged 3 and 1, Brown also is trying to be someone they can look up to. Brown was 11 when his mom died, leaving behind eight children. His dad skipped town two years later. The kids split up among relatives and Brown went to live with his older sister, who was 27 at the time and living on her own in public housing in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Phillip Brown works May 13, 2016, at MetraFlex, a Chicago company that makes commercial HVAC products. Brown started at MetraFlex through the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program and was hired on as a general laborer. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Fighting got him kicked out of Lincoln Park High School. Brown joined an alternative school to get his GED, but he didn't take it seriously, "didn't have faith in myself." He worked for a while doing bike deliveries for a sandwich shop, then got a job at Jewel stocking fruits and vegetables. Three weeks in, Brown got into a fight on the street and was stabbed in his torso. Advertisement "It made me want to do better and stop taking life for granted," said Brown, who was hospitalized for two weeks and has a scar that runs from his sternum to his belly button. It made me want to do better and stop taking life for granted. Phillip Brown He went back to ASN Prep and passed three of the four GED tests in two weeks. Long good with his hands, he eagerly signed up for the manufacturing internship. A different journey Not everyone who finds themselves unmoored from work or school got there via a checkered past. Antonio Sylvertooth, 25, played by the rules, thanks in no small part to his grandmother. Sylvertooth, who still lives in the tidy Chatham neighborhood house where his grandparents raised him, was about 12 years old when he walked into the dining room and saw a packed suitcase. He asked his grandmother where she was going. She said he was the one going, to a boarding school in the south suburbs. Advertisement Antonio Sylvertooth, 25, works April 27, 2016, as an intern on the IT support desk at the Chicago-based investment management firm Morningstar. Sylvertooth's internship ended in July without a job offer, but he now has a career focus and wants to get a bachelor's degree in computer science. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Sylvertooth, whose mother was too ill to care for him and whose father was in and out of jail, recalls that he was a "rude, angry kid." That changed once he started attending Glenwood Academy, where he stopped fighting, learned he liked school and developed a passion for art. After high school he enrolled in the American Academy of Art downtown, hoping to get his bachelors of fine arts in illustration. But his plans got derailed. Three years and four student loans into college, tuition increased. Sylvertooth feared going further into debt. He also felt bad that his grandmother had been left to take care of his two little sisters. So he left school and returned home to help her. For a year, he felt lost, and was nervous about finding a career to support his family. He was able to land a job scooping ice cream. As he cast about, a friend told him about Year Up, a program that puts 18- to 24-year-olds who are neither working nor in school through a six-month boot camp and then a six-month internship with one of the nonprofit's corporate partners. Year Up students earn a stipend $150 a week during the boot camp and $200 during the internship. Advertisement Sylvertooth interned at Morningstar, where he and another Year Up intern manned the IT support desk and checked the audiovisual equipment in conference rooms. He juggled the internship with heavy responsibilities. He gets paid to work as a home health aide to his ailing grandfather, spending 20 hours a week helping him bathe, eat and get around. And Sylvertooth recently was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. When his internship ended in July, Sylvertooth didn't have a job offer. But he "loved the experience" and now has a career focus. Inspired by his Year Up mentor, Sylvertooth said he wants to be a "white hat," or ethical hacker, helping protect computer systems from attacks. He hopes to get his bachelor's degree in computer science and apply for jobs in the tech field, keeping art as a hobby. Sylvertooth calls his grandmother his hero for holding the family together despite a difficult life of her own. Standing in the same dining room where she had left his suitcase, Felicia Sylvertooth, 59, broke down describing her pride in her grandson and her hope that he can find financial stability. "When I was his age, I had three babies," she said. "He's living a life I never had." Advertisement Change in youth employment, 2009-14 Percentage-point difference for ages 20-24 ABOUT THIS DATA The employment rate is the share of the noninstitutional population that is working. Data may be unreliable in areas with very small populations. Community areas with large college student populations could show low youth employment rates because those students are in school. The 2014 data was the most recent available for youth at the local level and does not reflect more recent developments. X 'Mr. Wonderful' Moments before Clayborn sat down for his final evaluation at Skolnik, Ricker met with the internship coordinators to discuss his progress. Rand Haas, the program manager, and Harriette Coleman, program manager at the Alternative Schools Network, wanted to know how Clayborn was measuring up on the "seven As," core workplace skills such as attendance and appearance. "Does he accept any job you give him?" Haas asked Ricker. "Does he show appreciation?" "All the time," Ricker said. Advertisement Ricker explained that Clayborn has come to be known as "Mr. Wonderful," because that's how he tells colleagues he is doing "wonderful" whenever they ask. When Clayborn slowly revealed he didn't have stable housing and sometimes slept in a car, it was a wake-up call for many. "I think we tend to pigeon-hole who a homeless person is; it's the person under the viaduct," Ricker said. "And you meet a talented kid like this and you see what it's doing to his life." He paused to collect himself. "And it's upsetting." Ricker, to his own surprise, became passionate about housing issues. He compiled a long list of shelters that he would call in hopes of finding Clayborn a place to stay each night, and wrote letters to landlords vouching for Clayborn's employment. Meanwhile, other surprises were in store. During a turn with the engineering team, Clayborn was tasked with drawing out a floor plan of the plant's equipment. Advertisement When he returned with perfectly straight lines, the dimensions just right, the team realized they had found a rare talent. "The kid was a natural," Ricker said. "He was pretty much out of the gate doing what our engineers would do." Ricker kept Clayborn in engineering, where he watched videos to learn computer-assisted design until Skolnik bought him the software program and two new computers. 'No one has a heart like that' Clayborn left work after his final evaluation not knowing if he would be hired. As he drove the Sentra to pick up his girlfriend, Cyerra Salter, from her job as a medical assistant at a hospital, he described the program as "amazing." "I'm just from a place where people don't care about you, so when I see people treating me like they want me to succeed, I actually show them something," he said. Advertisement He added that Ricker occasionally gave him envelopes of cash to help cover food and motel rooms. "Who does that?" Clayborn said, vowing to pay him back. "No one has a heart like that." When Salter came to the car, wearing pink scrubs and pink Crocs, the couple embarked on their nightly routine. After picking up Salter's 5-year-old daughter, Anaiah, from day care, Salter searched on her iPhone for cheap motel rooms. The trio drove an hour to Bridgeview, ending up at a Motel 6 where they could get two beds for $61. They picked up dinner at McDonald's. Once in the room, Clayborn checked for bedbugs, having been bitten at another motel. Adonis Clayborn, his girlfriend Cyerra Salter and her 5-year-old daughter Anaiah Daniels settle into their room at a motel in Bridgeview on May 3, 2016. Clayborn, who was in the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program, did not have permanent housing at the time and had to find a place to sleep at night. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Salter, 22, who had been dating Clayborn on and off since high school, said she could stay at her mother's house, but doesn't want to abandon him "now that he's trying to do good." A week later came the good news: Skolnik planned to hire Clayborn as an apprentice to do engineering sales and safety work. He would be paid $11 an hour, and once he got his GED he would get health and 401(k) benefits. Advertisement "I can really see myself being an engineer," Clayborn said excitedly. The same week, more good news: He, Salter and Anaiah were approved for a one-bedroom apartment in the South Shore neighborhood, a unit with freshly painted walls and big windows. The same colleague who gave Clayborn the ties offered some furnishings. Ricker gave him a 23rd birthday gift to help cover the first month's rent. Elsewhere in the city, his friend Phillip Brown was getting good news as well. As Brown sat down for his final evaluation at MetraFlex, company president Jim Richter offered him a job as a general laborer. Brown's eyebrows shot up and he clapped. "I'm going to expect a hell of a lot more out of you," plant manager Jim Wollesen said before giving him a big hug. Phillip Brown, left, celebrates May 17, 2016, with Rand Haas, manager of the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program after Brown was recognized along with other graduates of the internship program. Three of the 12 graduating interns, including Brown, were hired on by their host companies. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Brown, Wollesen said, was "like a son I always wish I'd had." Advertisement Richter, who has hosted three interns but hired only Brown, said the program serves as a risk-free period to try out potential new hires. Brown now makes $13 an hour plus health and retirement benefits. "Give me two years, I'll be a welder," Brown said. Welders can earn upward of $70,000 a year. Graduation day The following week, the manufacturing careers program held a ceremony for the 12 graduating interns. Three were hired on by their host companies. Eighty percent of participants complete the internship, and 70 percent of those who graduate are employed or attending post-secondary education within nine months. Advertisement Brown's older brother, Jeri Brown, was in the audience, shooting video on his phone as Brown gave a speech. He wiped away a tear. "This is a big thing," Jeri Brown, 26, said. "You don't see things like this where we come from." Adonis Clayborn works May 3, 2016, at Skolnik Industries in Chicago. Clayborn, who once sold marijuana and cocaine, has been working to turn his life around and participated in the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program, eventually landing a job as an apprentice to do engineering sales and safety work. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Jeri Brown, who lives in the Englewood neighborhood, had worried his little brother might follow in his footsteps. He said he was in jail at 17 on a drug delivery charge when his mother died, and served a prison sentence at 20 for a gun charge. He said he always instructed Phillip to do good, but he remembers Phillip telling him one day: "You've got to show me. You've got to do the right thing." That was a turning point for Jeri, who now works as a bakery supervisor, hoping to demonstrate a different way to make money. A stumble Advertisement By August, Brown had earned his GED and was still doing well at MetraFlex. But Clayborn stumbled. His attendance grew spotty. He had not yet finished his GED. At one point, Ricker didn't hear from him for two weeks. Ricker finally got an email from Clayborn a week ago explaining he had split up with his girlfriend and was living with his mom. Clayborn said in a text to a reporter that without use of his ex-girlfriend's car, it's been tough getting to work. Phillip Brown, who is in the Manufacturing Careers Internship Program, works May 13, 2016, at MetraFlex, a company in Chicago's West Town neighborhood that makes commercial HVAC products. Brown, 20, completed his internship and landed a job at the company. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Skolnik is leaving the door open for Clayborn, who now has to walk through it. Advertisement "We can provide a great opportunity," Ricker said, "but it has to be met on the other side." aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com Twitter @alexiaer Ah, Labor Day: the unofficial end of summer and official day of mattress sales. On Monday, people across the Southland will flock to Chicagoland beaches, parks and backyard barbecues, but will any of them be thinking about labor? Advertisement Unions think so, scholars don't, but one thing is certain: union influence has steadily declined in the U.S. With that may have come the holiday's metamorphosis from worker celebration to an end-of-summer blowout. Union workers in New York City celebrated the first labor day on a Tuesday in September 1882, throwing a parade in Manhattan. The idea caught on and a few years later, workers in other industrial cities like Chicago were celebrating, too. Wages were low and conditions in many factories were deplorable. Union organizers were even targeted for their beliefs. Advertisement In Chicago, eight labor leaders were convicted for a bombing during a protest rally in Haymarket Square, despite a lack of evidence against them. Four were hanged in 1887, one committed suicide on the eve of his execution and three had their death sentences commuted to life in prison in response to mounting questions of their innocence. But unions kept fighting. By the 1950s, a third of non-agricultural workers were part of a union, according to Melyvn Dubofsky, a noted labor historian and professor emeritus at State University of New York at Binghamton. "Unions still had the ability to muster large Labor Day parades and Labor Day remained important," he said. "Unions obtained for their members, paid holidays. Aside from the Labor Day parade, the weekend became a holiday parade of sorts for union members." But by 1973, membership began to sag. Last year, only 11.1 percent of workers were unionized, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 1983, the first year comparable union membership data was available, membership was at 20.1 percent. "For most people, the original purpose has been lost," Dubofsky said. "It's basically the final, end-of-summer long weekend ... Even in New York, where they had the first Labor Day parade, there is no celebration on Labor Day." In the south suburbs, celebrations this holiday weekend related to the actual meaning of the holiday are few and far between. A Homewood official said the village is more focused on the Fourth of July and the upcoming fall fest. Joe Lamargo, village manager of Orland Park, said three concerts are scheduled on the holiday at Centennial Park West, but no labor-themed celebrations. If you ask a union member, Labor Day still honors the American worker. For Don Finn, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 134, Labor Day is not only his favorite holiday, the celebration starts on Aug. 31, the Wednesday before Labor Day when the Chicago Federation of Labor an umbrella organization that represents more than 300 Chicago unions stages an annual luncheon. His union and others were scheduled to join the 10th Ward for Labor Day Fest Saturday, and participate in many picnics hosted by brothers and sisters in the vast "union family." "It's still for the working men and women of this country who have built the country, continue to build the country and will build the country in the future," he said. " I think the average American enjoys and understands the day." Advertisement Even if people don't realize it, union workers are probably part of festivities, said Erikka Knuti, spokesperson for the United Food and Commercial Workers. "People who are out there grilling your burger were probably packed by a UFCW member," she said. "If you're having a beer, it was probably made by a UFCW member ... Labor day is not about a day off of work, it's about honoring what workers mean to this country. However, when people celebrate it, we hope people recognize what makes the things around you hum: It's workers." On Labor Day, UFCW local chapters parade, host picnics and place editorials in their local newspapers to remind people why they have the day off. "We're as relevant as we've ever been," she said. "I think it's a matter of honoring the dream that in this country, hard work can build a better life and the strength of one individual worker is strengthened by standing with other workers." mmccall@tribpub.com @MatthewMcCall_ Glenn Baker, photographed at UI Hospital this summer, said he would sometimes pretend to be sick so he could stay off the streets. (Kristen Norman / Chicago Tribune) They're often homeless, maybe with serious mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as chronic diseases like diabetes or congestive heart failure. Some of them account for more than 100 emergency room visits a year. Advertisement These so-called "super-utilizers" sometimes referred to as frequent fliers are, not surprisingly, often at risk for early death. And they can put a strain on hospitals' emergency departments. The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago is testing a possible solution to the problem: housing. Advertisement The Near West Side hospital has set aside $250,000 for a pilot program to put some of its chronically homeless emergency department users in subsidized housing and to provide them with case managers to help handle a range of needs. Called Better Health Through Housing (BHH), the program launched late last year. It's based on the nationally recognized Housing First initiative that aims to get homeless people a permanent roof over their heads as soon as possible. "Housing First is really a simple concept," said UI Hospital CEO Avijit Ghosh. "The home is the base from which people maintain their health. Without a home base where you can get a good night's sleep, stay out of the weather, keep your food and prepare your meals, how are you supposed to stay healthy? By providing housing we directly impact the patient's health." UI Hospital recently reached its cap of 25 patients in the pilot program. Apartments for BHH program participants are arranged through Chicago's Center for Housing and Health and its partner agencies. These partner agencies also employ caseworkers to assist patients with a variety of needs, from furnishing their new apartments and paying their bills to arranging medical appointments and putting them in touch with substance-abuse programs, when necessary. "The Center for Housing and Health has worked out an arrangement where the chronically homeless are placed temporarily in bridge units (in a North Side single-room-occupancy building) until a scattered-site apartment is located," said the hospital's director of preventive emergency medicine, Stephen B. Brown, who helped start the BHH program. "There is a pool of 125 one-bedroom apartments scattered throughout the city, so that we give patients choice where they'd like to live." One of those patients, Glenn Baker, moved into an apartment in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood June 1. That same month, the 44-year-old man started working as a street cleaner. "This is such a blessing," Baker said about having his own address after more than two years of living on the streets. Glenn Baker, left, stands outside UI Hospital with Stephen B. Brown, who helped start the Better Health Through Housing program at the Near West Side medical facility. (Kristen Norman / Chicago Tribune) Baker said he used to lug his "big old comforter" to a park bench or bus stop, trying to stay warm during cold winter nights. Sometimes he'd pretend to be sick, with the hopes of landing a hospital bed. Advertisement "At least I'd have a place to sleep and get three meals a day," he said. Baker, who has severe asthma and high blood pressure, became a familiar face at UI Hospital. He still visits the emergency department mostly for asthma-related complications but much less frequently than he did in the past, hospital officials said. The term "super-utilizer" found a big platform in 2011 when author and surgeon Atul Gawande wrote a piece for The New Yorker on decreasing health care costs by focusing on the most frequent hospital patients. Gawande's article looked at the success of Jeffrey Brenner, a family physician in Camden, N.J., who had highlighted super-utilizer "hot spots," in a similar way that law enforcement highlights crime hot spots. Brenner is the executive director of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, which has provided housing vouchers and "key wraparound support services" to the super-utilizer population. The definition of a super-utilizer "is very variable," said Susan Mende, a senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropic group devoted exclusively to health. In Mende's view, the term "describes individuals whose complex physical, behavioral and social needs are not well met through the current fragmented health care system. As a result, these individuals often bounce from emergency department to emergency department, from inpatient admission to readmission or institutionalization all costly, chaotic and ineffective ways to provide care and improve patient outcomes. Many of these visits might have been prevented by relatively inexpensive early interventions and primary care." One super-utilizer a homeless woman in Trenton, N.J., who managed to amass 450 hospital visits within one year reduced her visits to 12 a year after housing was secured for her, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Advertisement Being a super-utilizer isn't a requirement for UI Hospital's program, although most participants have logged above-average user rates in the emergency department. Eligible patients must be chronically homeless, and the severity of their medical needs is taken into consideration too. Based on preliminary data, UI Hospital officials estimate that health care costs have been reduced by 42 percent for the first 15 patients who received housing. "The pilot program has been quite successful," Ghosh said, "and several other hospitals and organizations in the Chicago area have reached out to us to learn more." Added Brown: "Our goal is to continue to advocate for this approach, and collaborate and educate with other ... organizations in order to scale it so that it has broad impact in reducing homelessness in the Chicagoland region." Ray Cavanaugh is a freelance writer. RELATED STORIES: Advertisement Chicago-area gyms, swim clubs see bump in membership post-Olympics 15 best running cities Young homeless get help from those who've walked in their shoes Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks about stronger sentencing for gun crimes during an interview with Tribune columnist John Kass on Sept. 1, 2016. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Eddie Johnson is police superintendent in a Chicago on fire, with 90 dead in August alone. He's a decent man forced to turn to politicians for help. Johnson wants tougher sentencing laws that target felons arrested with guns. And on Thursday he urged lawmakers to call a special session of the state legislature and take action before more lives are lost in the gang wars. Advertisement "If we need to go to Springfield, I'm on the first thing smoking going down there, because the longer we wait, the more people we'll see being shot and killed on our streets," Johnson told me during a recording of my podcast, The Chicago Way, on WGN Plus. "Until repeat gun offenders recognize we're serious about holding them accountable, we're going to continue to see this gun violence," Johnson said. "There's a sense of urgency with me. And the sooner we can get this done, the better. I don't know what we're waiting for." Advertisement I know what Chicago's waiting for. The people in the neighborhoods savaged by the gang wars are waiting on the legislative Black Caucus, a group of lawmakers who represent many of those neighborhoods, to get to work and do something. Yet even as the bodies pile up, the Black Caucus doesn't seem to feel any urgency. And their constituents should know this. A few years ago, the caucus killed mandatory minimum sentencing legislation that could have kept gun violators in prison for many years, rather than let them walk to shoot again. That's the bill that should have been passed. But it gave the judges little, if any, wiggle room, and went nowhere. Johnson said the bill he's now pushing is being worked on by two Democrats, state Sen. Kwame Raoul of Chicago and state Rep. Michael J. Zalewski of Riverside. In theory, it would give judges new guidelines for sentencing felons convicted of unlawful use of weapons charges. Repeat offenders would get at least seven years. But if a judge deviates downward from the guidelines, that judge would have to explain their decision in writing. That's the kind of thing that judges hate. Why? Because then they'd wear the jacket if that defendant made headlines by killing someone. Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks with Tribune columnist John Kass during a podcast recording Thursday in Chicago. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) Unfortunately, the Black Caucus takes its time. Members will have a meeting in a week or two. They'll talk, then they might meet some more. Advertisement Sen. Raoul thinks I'm being a bit unfair. He says he's working on Johnson's agenda, trying to get the Black Caucus on the same page on a bill. "People treat the Black Caucus as if it's one collective vote, instead of 30 individuals, each with their own set of gray matter," Raoul said, "each with their own concerns. It's not just one person pushing one button." Is it fair to the people in those bloody neighborhoods to have to wait? "Ideally, no," said Raoul. "If I could flip the switch and do everything I want to legislatively, I would. But in matters of sentencing guidelines and the law, you have to scrutinize things carefully." Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner could call for a special session, but those in his office say not even preliminary language on a sentencing bill has been sent for his consideration. And Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan could call one up, but he won't unless the Black Caucus is lined up. So Superintendent Johnson waits for a bill that hasn't been written. And the Black Caucus waits and more gangbangers with guns walk the streets of Chicago. Advertisement Politicians can wait, but the gunmen don't. They pull the triggers and people scream in the night and leave bloody spots on the sidewalks. When the ambulance drives away, the neighbors quietly step outside. Some bring candles. Others bring those teddy bears and shiny balloons. They make those shrines for the dead that many see on the TV news. And the reporter says the name of the victim, but in a few minutes, most of Chicago has forgotten. Because every day it seems, or every night, there are new dead, and new shrines. Shrines for dead children, for moms shot while they're pushing strollers, for the gangbangers, for the girls upset with a tweet so somebody had to die. The 90 people killed this August make this the bloodiest month in more than 20 years, and the city will pass last year's total homicides any minute. The 472 homicides so far this year, at the time I'm writing this, is just one short of the total for all of last year. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 A member of the Chicago Police Department works the scene of a fatal shooting near the intersection of South Komensky Avenue and West Marquette Road on Aug. 31, 2016, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Meanwhile, Johnson's department is demoralized. The police feel under siege, particularly since City Hall botched the Laquan McDonald video. And the police union doesn't want its members working overtime on Labor Day. The gangs openly mock the cops and act as if they run the streets. And Johnson has to wait for the politicians in Springfield to meet and talk and then meet some more. Advertisement "Any amount of gun violence in the city is unacceptable and we can do something about it," Johnson said. "That's why I'm spearheading this along with Raoul and Zalewski, to get this passed, because I'll need the people of Chicago to help me with that. "But I've gotta be honest. If you are a leader in Chicago, in Illinois if you think watching these people get shot and killed is OK, then you shouldn't be a leader, because it's not OK." There's a new episode of The Chicago Way, with John Kass and Jeff Carlin, and guests Tribune editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. Listen here: chicagotribune.com/kasspodcast. jskass@chicagotribune.com In a Maryland Circuit Court today, Melania Trump filed a complaint against the publisher of the Daily Mail tabloid over the August 19 article "Naked photoshoots, and troubling questions about visas that won't go away: The VERY racy past of Donald Trump's Slovenian wife." Politico first broke news on August 22 that Melania was considering taking legal action over the implication she was a sex worker who scammed her way into the country. Why is everyone nitpicking the legality of her immigration process, decades ago? Her husband's entire presidential platform is ostensibly about wiping out illegal immigration and deporting 11 million immigrants who are not as sexy or white as Melania Trump. And who's representing the wife of the Republican nominee for U.S. President, in her Mail Media lawsuit? None other than Charles Harder, the same attorney who represented Hulk Hogan in the case against Gawker. That case was backed by pro-Trump VC Peter Thiel, who recently backed a new litigation financing startup. Hogan won that case, which involved Gawker publishing his sex tape. Hogan's landmark victory bankrupted Gawker Media with a $140 million verdict, and Univision later bought pretty much everything except the cursed Gawker.com. The New York Times has a most interesting profile up today about the man who ran the escort service I mean modeling agency for which Melania worked. Paolo Zampolli and his modeling agency helped secure her immigration visa. The Financial Times has an interesting profile of Charles Harder as this week's most interesting person: "Hollywood's favourite lawyer." Melania is also suing blogger Webster Tarpley, who operates the blog tarpley.net. Mr. Tarpley is based in Maryland, and has already issued an apology and a retraction for the item he published about Melania. They're suing him anyway. Nude "model" photographs of Melania Trump from the January 1996 issue of Max Magazine have also been making the rounds, shot by Ale de Basseville during what the publications suggest were her days as an escort. From The Hollywood Reporter: The Daily Mail covered Trump's journey to New York in the mid-1990s and raised questions about her past based on "highly-charged, lesbian-themed, nude photographs," the exact timing of when she traveled to the U.S. on a visa, and her time working for a modeling agency. The article relied on the work of a Slovenian journalist who had co-authored an authorized biography of Ms. Trump as well as a report in a Slovenian magazine to make the claim that her modeling agency was run by a New York entrepreneur, who also ran an escort agency for wealthy clients. The article stated, "What Melania's [composite card] looked like only the people involved know, but it is no coincidence she got a rich husband." According to Trump's lawsuit, "The statements of fact in the Daily Mail Article are false. Plaintiff did legitimate and legal modeling work for legitimate business entities and did not work for any 'gentleman's club' or 'escort' agencies. Plaintiff was not a sex worker, escort or prostitute in any way, shape or form, nor did she ever have a composite or presentation card for the sex business. Plaintiff did not come to the United States until 1996. Thus, Plaintiff did not, and could not have participated in a photo shoot in the United States or met her current husband in the United States prior to that time." Melania Trump has filed a libel lawsuit in state court against the publisher of the Daily Mail. Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) September 1, 2016 She contends that an article published by the Daily Mail last month contained "false and defamatory statements." Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) September 1, 2016 The suit was also filed against Webster G. Tartly, who publishes a blog in Maryland. Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) September 1, 2016 In a statement, her lawyer said: "These defendants made several statements about Mrs. Trump that are 100% false" Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) September 1, 2016 "and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation." Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) September 1, 2016 @johnjcook nope, just Daily Mail publisher. But she also sued Webster Tarpley, who operates the blog https://t.co/VY1OYI3rTi Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) September 1, 2016 The blogger that Melania Trump is suing in addition to Daily Mail has already published an apology and retraction https://t.co/2xiTUyU9ms Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) September 1, 2016 .@MELANIATRUMP suing @MailOnline for $150M. Her lawyers say the news site published a "100% false" story that claimed she "was an escort." Tom Llamas (@TomLlamasABC) September 1, 2016 John Manning still shakes his head over a Lake County Sheriff's Department deputy rescuing his dog Bella from a burning car last month on Interstate 80/94. PETA took notice and is sending a framed certificate and a box of vegan cookies to the sheriff's office, according to a press release. Advertisement Manning was heading east on the Borman Expressway about 9:30 p.m. near Cline Avenue in Hammond when smoke spurted out from the front of his blue 2000 Volkswagen Jetta, and the car spontaneously shut off, he said. "All of a sudden, flames came out of the hood," Manning, 31, of Crown Point, said. "I swerved over to stop the car." Advertisement He yelled for help. Deputy Chief Dan Murchek was one of the officers patrolling the area, filling in as the Indiana State Police handled the state fair in Indianapolis. Murchek got the call about the fire, and he was at the scene in about three or four minutes, he said. "As I was getting close, I could see the smoke and the flames from the car," said Murchek, who first made sure Manning was OK, and then learned that Bella, a 7-year-old labrador-pit bull mix, might still be in the car. "I was a former K-9 officer," he said. "I love animals. I didn't want to see this dog burn to death." Bella was on the floor in the back seat. Since he didn't have his tool to break the window, he crawled in through the open front driver's door. "I tried to reach over and grab the dog," Murchek said. "The dog snarled and growled at me. I understand. The dog was scared to death and didn't know what was going on." The car was getting "toasty." "I don't have maybe but one more shot at getting this dog because the car was blazing away," Murchek said. "I decided one more time it was now or never." He grabbed Bella and lifted her from the car, figuring a bite would be a "small price to pay," he said. Advertisement Manning said, "I couldn't believe he just went in there and did it. It was just natural." Murchek modestly said he was in the right place at the right time. "This is truly what police officers and public safety officials across the country do every day," he said. The car is history, with no cause yet for the fire, and Manning won't soon forget what happened. "He's my hero," Manning said. "He saved my dog's life." rejacobs@post-trib.com Advertisement Twitter @ruthyjacobs U.S. Sen Joe Donnelly pledged to ensure that residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago find new homes quickly and safely. "I wanted the residents to know that we're going to be on the ground with you, that we're going to listen and we want you to know you're not forgotten," Donnelly said during a visit to East Chicago Friday. Advertisement Donnelly, D-Ind., met with Mayor Anthony Copeland and School Superintendent Paige McNulty and toured parts of the West Calumet complex and former U.S.S. Lead site during his visit. The city has almost 300 families and more than 1,000 residents who have to relocate and start over again, Donnelly said. There's a lot involved to relocating, Donnelly said, and the residents must find a place on their own, fill out an application and have the money available for the move. Advertisement "This is all through no fault of theirs," Donnelly said. The city first learned of the extent of the lead contamination at the site in May, according to a timeline of events provided by East Chicago officials, and decided in June to relocate residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex. Given the levels of contamination at the site, the city and East Chicago Housing Authority decided to demolish the complex once the residents are relocated. HUD began releasing relocation vouchers in August and residents can start using them on Sept. 1. James Cunningham, deputy regional administrator for HUD, told the Post-Tribune the federal agency is working closely with the local housing authority to provide funding and technical assistance for the relocation. The tenants who have to relocate won't have to pay for most of the moving costs, Cunningham said, and things like security deposits, application fees and packing materials will be covered by HUD. Donnelly said his job is to see that residents get all the information they need from HUD and the EPA. "They need to be fully engaged and fully transparent and open," Donnelly said. Advertisement Donnelly's visit coincided with the EPA relocating its resident services to the Carrie Gosch School and the opening of a blood lead testing clinic. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and State Department of Health agreed to provide the city with $200,000 to assist with its relocation and public health efforts. The state and city partnered to offer residents free blood lead testing starting Sept. 2. Jeni O'Malley, director of the office of public affairs at IDSH, said the clinic will offer blood testing, any follow up tests and analysis at no cost to the residents. The clinics will run from 1-5 p.m. every Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. "We hope as many people as possible will come," O'Malley said, and the clinic will continue for as long as the need exists. Donnelly said his office is coordinating with officials from HUD and the EPA to see that the relocation and clean up process is as seamless as possible. "We won't be satisfied until everybody who's looking for a place to stay, and their family, have a place to stay," Donnelly said. Advertisement Donnelly said he spoke Tuesday with HUD Secretary Julian Castro to ensure that the federal housing agency provides relocation services for residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex in the safest and least taxing way possible. The call followed a letter Donnelly and U.S. Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-Merrillville, sent to the EPA and HUD, urging the agencies to devote appropriate resources to working the city to find a solution for the relocation of residents and the West Calumet Housing Complex and the cleanup of the former U.S.S. Lead site. Donnelly said since the crisis began, he and his staff have been in regular contact with the city's staff and federal officials to discuss the situation. "I wanted the residents to know that we're going to be on the ground with you, that we're going to listen and we want you to know you're not forgotten," Donnelly said. clyons@post-trib.com Twitter: @craigalyons Researchers have swarmed the East Chicago Public Library since the news broke about the lead contamination around the former U.S.S. Lead site. (Craig Lyons / Post-Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Visitors to the East Chicago Public Library's special collections used to search for old obituaries, yearbooks and news clippings. Not anymore. That all changed when a spotlight shined on the lead-contaminated properties around the former U.S.S. Lead facility in East Chicago, including the West Calumet Housing Complex, and attracted a new group of visitors. Advertisement "It's just like boom, this is the place to go," said Marla Spann, administrator of technical services at the East Chicago Public Library. Ever since the news about lead contamination around the housing complex broke, Spann said she's had reporters and residents looking for information in the East Chicago Room, where many pieces of the city's history are housed. Advertisement Spann remembered her first visitor came July 29 and asked for information about the complex and the Carrie Gosch Elementary School, which was closed last month because of lead fears. The woman said that she was told the library had the information she needed, Spann said. "That's when we started digging," Spann said. The library's new researchers came after East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland sent a letter to residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex advising them to move out because of the high levels of lead and other contaminants in the soil. The city first learned of the extent of the lead contamination at the site in May, according to a timeline of events provided by East Chicago officials, and decided in June to relocate residents of the housing complex. After her first visitor, Spann said a resident came in with information she found online from the Environmental Protection Agency. "That's when our influx of people started," Spann said. Given the number of people asking for information about West Calumet, the lead companies and Carrie Gosch, Spann said she's devoted the majority of her time to research in the East Chicago Room. "It's just real interesting what people will come in here and ask for," she said, and what people are looking for depends on their particular interest in the situation. Advertisement The East Chicago Room at the library is a repository for historic relics for the city and area. "This room is a wealth of history," Spann said, and has files on politicians, athletes, everyday citizens and news clippings. The collection has information on almost every person that's been a part of East Chicago, Spann said, and some politicians even donated some of their papers, including Judge Lorenzo Arredondo. Some families have turned over obituaries or information about their genealogy. An East Chicago photography company, which did most of the city's high schools' senior pictures, donated all of its negatives and some prints, Spann said. Despite the amount of information housed in the collection, Spann said she and the staff can't find every piece of material on a subject. Advertisement "We only have limited information on what they're looking for," she said, because most of the collection came from donations. Many people asked for information on the Carrie Gosch Elementary School, Spann said, and the library has old photographs, a program from the opening ceremony and other pieces of information. When it comes to the lead companies at the EPA Superfund site, Spann said there's limited information. She said old city directories give addresses and names of the companies but there's little else. In one folder from the archives, Spann said she dug out a crumpled photo of the Anaconda Lead Factory. "That was like the only picture we could find," she said. The lack of information on the opening of the West Calumet Housing Complex surprised the staff. Advertisement Charles Moore, interim director of the East Chicago Public Library, said he began going through news archives in search of information on West Calumet but hasn't seen anything yet. "Over 400 units and nothing in print," Moore said. Since the complex opened in 1972, Moore said he thought there would be something about it in the papers. He said he's working on a day-by-day search but it's taking a lot of time. "We haven't given up yet," Moore said. Given the uptick in requests, the library staff came up with an idea: to create a new special collection. As people continue looking for information, Spann said she and Moore started putting together a file on West Calumet and the former lead companies. Advertisement "We're hoping to be able to build that information," Spann said. "It's going to be a historic part of East Chicago." clyons@post-trib.com Twitter: @craigalyons People walk away from a crime scene in the 3600 block of West Fifth Avenue on Aug. 28, 2016, in the East Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago. A 30-year-old man was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) After ending August with the most homicides for any month in more than 20 years, Chicago is on the verge of surpassing last year's toll with four months to go in 2016. Through the first eight months of the year, the city recorded 472 homicides, 150 more than a year earlier and just one shy of the total for all of 2015, according to official Police Department statistics. The eight-month toll marked the most killings in Chicago since 488 people were slain through August 1997. Advertisement This August alone ended with 90 homicides, the deadliest single month since July 1993 when 99 were killed. Asked during a brief telephone interview Wednesday what the department could do better to stem the violence, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson pointed to seizures of illegal guns closing in on 6,000 so far this year. Johnson, who again blamed the proliferation of guns and lenient sentencing laws for much of the mayhem, is pushing for lawmakers in Springfield to craft legislation calling for stiffer sentences for repeat gun offenders. Advertisement "These men and women are working their tails off out here," Johnson said of officers. "And I'll tell you this, it's frustrating for them to arrest a guy on Friday for an illegal gun and then next Thursday they see this guy right back out on the street with another illegal gun." Even at 472 homicides for the first eight months, the Police Department's statistics do not include killings on area expressways, those that are labeled justifiable homicides and death investigations that could later be reclassified as homicides. A bloody August ended on a particularly sour note Wednesday with 16 people getting shot, four of them fatally. The shootings happened primarily on the South and West sides, areas of the city most beset by gun violence and poverty. In the final fatality of August, a 21-year-old man was shot multiple times a little after 9:15 p.m. while sitting in a vehicle in the 4000 block of South Lake Park Avenue in the South Side's Oakland neighborhood. He was pronounced dead at the scene. For the first eight months of the year, homicides jumped to 472, up almost 47 percent from 322 a year earlier. Shooting incidents rose by similar numbers, to 2,346 for the first eight months, up a little more than 47 percent from 1,594 a year earlier. Chicago is on the cusp of exceeding homicides for all of 2015 as the Labor Day weekend approaches, the symbolic end of summer, which is traditionally the peak of the violence. As the department gears up for what could be a violent Labor Day weekend, the union that represents the department's 10,000 rank-and-file officers has called on officers who are scheduled to be off not to work overtime shifts. Advertisement In recent years, the Police Department has spent tens of millions of dollars annually on overtime costs. The FOP instead favors the Police Department hiring more full-time officers. Family and friends of Elijah Sims, including Edith Harris, center front, hold up candles and phones as they remember the 16 year-old boy at Scoville Park in Oak Park on Aug. 31, 2016. Sims, an Oak Park-River Forest High School student, was shot and killed in Chicago's Austin neighborhood Monday. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) As many as a few hundred officers each day work overtime on the department's "violence reduction initiative," assigned to designated crime "hot spots," primarily on the South and West sides. Additional officers are assigned to Navy Pier, McCormick Place, public housing, CTA train stations and parks. In his interview Wednesday, Johnson told the Tribune he was confident staffing levels for the Labor Day weekend would be adequate. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > If the department falls short on the number of officers needed to work overtime this weekend, Johnson said, he'd cancel days off for some officers, a common move by officials over holiday weekends during the summer. As of Wednesday afternoon, Johnson didn't know how many officers were scheduled to work overtime shifts during Labor Day weekend. "We'll have adequate resources out there over this holiday weekend to ensure everyone has . . . an enjoyable holiday," he said. "So I'm not concerned about the resources we have out there. We'll be OK." Advertisement Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks about stronger sentencing for gun crimes during an interview with Tribune columnist John Kass on Sept. 1, 2016. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) The Police Department has been under fire since November with the court-ordered release of a video showing Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times, killing him. The fallout has led to a U.S. Justice Department probe and a proposal just this week by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to replace the city's much-maligned police accountability system. For months, FOP President Dean Angelo Sr. has decried the treatment officers have been enduring on the job. He said officers are worried that if they are as aggressive as they once were, they could end up in viral internet videos, fired or sued. jgorner@chicagotribune.com Twitter @JeremyGorner The new police oversight agency Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed to replace the Independent Police Review Authority criticized as chronically ineffective would differ from the current agency in significant ways. Investigators at the proposed Civilian Office of Police Accountability would, for example, be called on to consider officers' complaint histories in investigating new allegations. COPA also would have the task of investigating alleged infringements on certain constitutional rights, which now go to the Chicago Police Department's internal investigators. Advertisement The ordinance introduced Tuesday that would establish COPA also proposes restrictions on the mediation process often used to determine discipline for Chicago police. That process has often led to light punishment for officers, even those faced with serious allegations, a Tribune investigation has found. City Hall, however, has yet to address two significant questions about COPA: Who will work there and how much money will the agency get? Advertisement The city has yet to determine who will staff the agency, officials said. Meanwhile, aldermen have voiced concern that the proposal does not set a budget for a new agency that would oversee a Police Department with about 12,000 officers and examine thousands of cases per year. The answers to those questions will help determine COPA's ability to improve on IPRA, an agency that has struggled with its workload and sometimes overlooked evidence of police misconduct as it cleared officers of wrongdoing. "The question is whether it's set up to be functional. ... In the past, it was set up to fail," said Jon Loevy, a Chicago civil rights attorney. Improving police discipline is a key plank of Emanuel's plan to reform policing in Chicago, a vow he made as he sought to navigate the political crisis touched off by the release late last year of video of white officer Jason Van Dyke shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. The video sparked protests grounded in dissatisfaction with police among many black Chicagoans, a distrust intensified by the city's frequent failure to discipline police. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether the city's police have systematically trampled citizens' rights, and Emanuel has responded by announcing changes aimed at staying a step ahead of federal authorities who could seek to enforce reforms. Acting on the recommendation of the policing task force he appointed, Emanuel vowed to replace IPRA with a more effective agency. A Tribune investigation recently detailed IPRA's history of conducting superficial investigations, ignoring evidence of wrongdoing and often seeking light discipline in the small fraction of allegations the agency ruled credible. Beyond installing a new oversight agency, the ordinance also mandates the hiring of a deputy inspector general who would oversee police and COPA. The new official would have authority to make policy recommendations and review specific disciplinary investigations. Advertisement COPA, meanwhile, would have broader authority and a mandate to break with some IPRA practices. The ordinance calls on COPA to investigate allegations that police have violated constitutional protections against improper search or seizure or denial of access to an attorney, accusations that have generally been handled by the Police Department's internal affairs investigators. The plan also would restrict mediation, a process akin to plea bargaining that IPRA has used to resolve hundreds of cases. The Tribune reported in June that the widespread use of mediation had led to light punishments, even in cases involving serious allegations, while complainants were excluded from the process. The ordinance would bar COPA from using mediation in allegations of excessive force or domestic violence and mandate that complainants be invited to participate in the process. IPRA has been criticized for failing to consider officers' complaint histories when conducting investigations, and the ordinance calls on COPA to do so. COPA also would have new authority to ask the Police Department that officers be reassigned, retrained or counseled. IPRA's leaders have complained that investigators were blocked from access to certain police records, and the ordinance calls for COPA to have full access to all police or city records. Federal authorities have not revealed what reforms they might seek, but the proposal was influenced by the recommendations of the mayor's police task force, which studied the practices of cities that also have come under federal investigation, said Katie Hill, an Emanuel policy adviser. Advertisement The city is right to seek reforms before federal authorities finish their investigation, said Jonathan Smith, former head of the section of the Justice Department that investigates local police agencies. "The DOJ strongly encourages (cities) to move forward," he said. Some of COPA's work would not differ significantly from IPRA's. COPA, like IPRA, would investigate shootings and some Taser uses, and it would have similar subpoena powers. IPRA has sometimes struggled to close cases within years, let alone within the six-month timeline laid out by the ordinance. COPA wouldn't face stricter time limits, though it would have to give more updates to complainants and city officials if cases are delayed. It remains uncertain whether any or all of IPRA's staff might be rolled into the new agency. IPRA replaced an ineffective oversight agency, the Office of Professional Standards, in 2007. Many of that agency's investigators jumped to IPRA, fueling criticism that it was just a rebranded version of its broken predecessor. Advertisement Finding people fit for the job of investigating police misconduct is one part of the "enormous" challenge laid out in the ordinance, said Christine Cole, a Boston-based expert on policing who is on the monitoring team for Cleveland's federal reform agreement. She lauded parts of the ordinance but said the city and residents should keep reasonable expectations for how long it will take the new agency's leader to fully enact the proposal. "My first impression was 'holy cow, this person has a lot to do quickly,'" she said. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The challenge will be handled in the short term by Sharon Fairley, the former federal prosecutor Emanuel installed as IPRA's chief administrator late last year. Fairley has acknowledged IPRA's shortcomings and started on reforms designed to strengthen investigations and stiffen recommended punishments. Under Fairley, who declined a request for an interview, the agency has started publicly sharing more records and videos of police incidents, and she has reopened previously closed cases. In the past three months, IPRA has ruled more shootings by police unjustified than it had in the prior nine years. As Fairley prepares to take over a new agency, Emanuel is facing pushback from aldermen who say the ordinance leaves him with too much control of the budget, among other things. Though Smith generally praised the proposal, he said the ordinance should more clearly assert the agency's political independence from City Hall and the Police Department. Advertisement "You want them to be able to conduct investigations independently and not have them feel those pressures," he said. dhinkel@chicagotribune.com Twitter @dhinkel A man shot to death in the Oakland neighborhood Wednesday evening has been identified, authorities said. DeLon Sims, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting at 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Advertisement The shooting took place just after 9:15 p.m. Wednesday in the 4000 block of South Lake Park Avenue, according to police. Sims was sitting in a vehicle when someone shot him multiple times, police said. Sims, who lived in the 5400 block of West Kamerling Avenue in the North Austin neighborhood, died from multiple gunshot wounds, the medical examiner's office determined after an autopsy. An image of a man wanted in an aggravated assault of a Postal working in the Hyde Park neighborhood. (Chicago Police photo) Authorities have released a photo of a man wanted in an attempted robbery and assault of a postal employee in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The attack occurred between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday at 5480 S. Harper Ave.,according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Advertisement The attacker ran west on Rochdale Place toward Blackstone Avenue. He was described as black, 35 to 40 years old and about 6 feet tall. He weighs between 275 to 300 pounds and has a beard, officials said. Anyone with information can contact U.S. postal inspectors at 312-983-7909 or 877-876-2455. A DuPage County man has agreed to a $450,000 settlement with state prison officials to end his claim that staff unjustly punished him five years ago after he reported his cellmate had repeatedly raped him, lawyers announced Friday. James Fontano was days away from turning 21 in August 2011 when he said his cellmate beat and raped him over two nights at Logan Correctional Center in downstate Lincoln, Ill. Fontano was serving an eight-month sentence at the time after he failed to comply with terms of his probation for a cocaine-related conviction. Advertisement But instead of a proper investigation, prison staff accused Fontano of lying and disciplined him, his lawsuit said. Staff at the prison allegedly threatened him with more prison time if he didn't withdraw his complaint and also placed him in segregation, the suit said. His attack later was corroborated through DNA evidence. His lawyers at the MacArthur Justice Center and Uptown People's Law Center said the settlement is believed to be among the largest in a prison retaliation claim. The case should serve as a textbook example of what not to do in the correctional system when an inmate reports being victimized, said Locke Bowman, one of Fontano's attorneys. Advertisement "Instead of concern, James was met with derision and disbelief," said Bowman, executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center. "The investigation was designed to cover up the rape, not to hold the perpetrator accountable. We need to ask: Just how prevalent is rape within Illinois' prisons?" Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > He said the two Illinois Department of Corrections employees named in the lawsuit were never disciplined for their role in the rape investigation that prompted the 2012 federal lawsuit. The cellmate, an older man serving a lengthy sentence for armed robbery, never faced criminal charges related to the sexual assault. In a statement Friday, an IDOC spokeswoman said both men named in the lawsuit are former employees. She said the state's prisons under the new director's leadership have been audited and deemed compliant with national Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. "The department takes all sexual abuse allegations seriously," said Nicole Wilson, an IDOC spokeswoman. "The department has created and implemented new policies, conducted specialized PREA training sessions for all medical, mental health and investigative units, and has identified a PREA coordinator at each facility to ensure that all standards and guidelines are followed." Fontano went to prison for a 2009 arrest in Elmhurst in which he had a small amount of cocaine, court records showed. He received probation, but a DuPage County judge in 2011 resentenced him to serve up to a year in prison after Fontano tested positive for further drug use and failed to comply with other terms of his probation. Fontano, 26, also was convicted of drug possession for a 2013 arrest. He is on parole. cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com Twitter @christygutowsk1 Maribel Martinez says she was waiting at John F. Kennedy airport for her five-year-old son Andy to return from a family vacation in the Dominican Republic. He was flying as an unaccompanied minor, and Ms. Martinez had paid a $100 fee to put her child under the care of JetBlue's staff. But the boy presented to Ms. Martinez was the wrong boy, even though he was holding Andy's passport. "I thought he was kidnapped," Martinez told the New York Daily News. "I thought I would never see him again." And, as you might guess, a similar scene unfolded in Boston when Andy Martinez stepped off the plane and met a family he'd never seen before. JetBlue issued statement: Two unaccompanied children of the same age traveling separately from Santiago, Dominican Republic, one to New York JFK and one to Boston each boarded a flight to the incorrect destination. Upon learning of the error, our teams in JFK and Boston immediately took steps to assist the children in reaching their correct destinations. While the children were always under the care and supervision of JetBlue crew members, we realize this situation was distressing for their families. This would be a great Disney movie. Starring Dean Jones and Michelle Lee, with Haley Mills as Andy/Other, and Buddy Hackett as "The Escort." Theresa Matthews, center, at the courthouse in Markham on Thursday where Willie Randolph was charged in the 1991 slaying of her daughter, Cateresa. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Theresa Matthews wiped away tears Thursday as a Cook County prosecutor read details in a Markham courtroom about the state in which her daughter's body was found more than two decades ago on a trail in Dixmoor. The prosecution then outlined jailhouse conversations in which Willie Randolph told other inmates about how a group of "young dummies" originally convicted of raping and killing 14-year-old Cateresa Matthews had been released and about how he had shot a young girl in the mouth after she begged for her life. Advertisement Randolph, a convicted sex offender, now stands charged with the murder of Cateresa in November 1991, and on Thursday Cook County Judge Tommy Brewer denied him bail. According to the Cook County state's attorney's office, more charges are expected against the 58-year-old man. "It's been hard, but I have to fight for my daughter, and I am going to fight," Theresa Matthews said shortly after Thursday's hearing. Advertisement But her daughter won't be able to rest in peace until justice is served, she said. A group of men, known as the Dixmoor Five, was exonerated after DNA testing pointed to Randolph five years ago. At that time, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said DNA evidence alone wasn't enough to bring charges. But the case was revived after former Dixmoor police Chief Ron Burge asked Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart in 2014 to step in, which led to Randolph being charged. "Because of the difficulty of following cases where other people have been charged, convicted and spent time in prison, you have to work very diligently to put together a really strong case, which we have," Dart said after the hearing. The investigation of Cateresa's killing highlighted many of the deep flaws in Cook County's criminal justice system, in particular the reluctance of prosecutors to abandon cases built on confessions even when they've been undermined by DNA evidence. According to prosecutors, Cateresa was waiting at a bus stop after leaving her grandmother's when Randolph abducted and sexually assaulted her near Interstate 57 in Dixmoor, then shot her in the mouth with a .25-caliber handgun. In April and June, detectives interviewed inmates at the Danville Correctional Center who told them Randolph said an issue from his past had caught up to him in 2011 and that "he was worried," according to prosecutors. Randolph has been serving time in state prison for violating terms of a supervised release on a drug conviction. Randolph told one inmate, identified as Individual B, he had sex with a female who was found dead on a trail and authorities had told him his DNA had been found in her, prosecutors said. Advertisement Randolph told Individual B that he was not too worried because an Indiana man had confessed and others already had been released from state prison in connection with the case, prosecutors said. However, Randolph was concerned about another woman who could expose him if she told police what he had done to her, according to prosecutors. That woman was identified by prosecutors as a former girlfriend of Randolph's who had been raped by him on at least two occasions, according to prosecutors. Randolph said his former girlfriend had come forward to help the "young dummies" get out of prison, and that he was going to kill her when he got out, according to prosecutors. According to prosecutors, Individual B also said Randolph described having sexual relations with the girlfriend on the same trail where Cateresa's body was found. On April 27, Randolph, Individual B and another person, identified as Individual C, had a conversation during which Randolph said he killed a woman with a handgun. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Randolph described walking up the trail with his arm around her, and threatened her if she didn't go with him, according to prosecutors. He then told the victim to open her mouth, put a gun in her mouth and shot her. Advertisement He later told Individual C that the victim was a young girl he knew from the neighborhood and that the victim was begging him not to shoot her, prosecutors said. Randolph was being held recently at Stateville Correctional Center on a drug conviction, state records show. He was scheduled to be paroled in March, but officials kept him behind bars because an approved housing site could not be found, a requirement before a registered sex offender can be released. But he was set to be released in less than three weeks, authorities said. Randolph has about a dozen convictions dating to the 1970s. He is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 22. Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter. Gov. Pat Quinn and then-IDOT Secretary Ann Schneider at an April news conference. She's out at the agency amid patronage questions. (Chris Walker) The head of the Illinois Department of Transportation has resigned following questions about political hiring at the agency, a move that could save Gov. Pat Quinn further political embarrassment as he seeks a second term this fall. Out at IDOT is Ann Schneider, who Quinn appointed transportation secretary in 2011. The department came under fire in April after attorney Michael Shakman, who has long crusaded against patronage, asked a federal judge to investigate the agency's hiring. Shakman argued positions were being "filled with employees based on political considerations rather than qualifications." Advertisement Shakman's allegations focus on an investigation conducted last year by the Better Government Association, a watchdog group that more recently found Schneider's stepdaughter was hired by IDOT in 2006 as a part-time clerical worker but was later promoted to a full time post. At the time, Schneider served as IDOT's director of finance and administration. On Monday, Quinn spokesman Grant Klinzman declined to answer questions about Schneider's resignation, pointing to a news release in which the governor thanked her for her "years of hard work and dedication." Advertisement Schneider could not be reached for comment Monday. Quinn named Erica Borggren acting secretary of the transportation agency. Borggren has led the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2011. The BGA contends Quinn continued a scheme started by impeached ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich that improperly classified nonpolitical positions as one that could be filled by political appointees. Shakman alleges that many of these hires later were promoted or transferred to unionized positions in order to make it more difficult to fire them. The attorney argues that the questionable hiring stopped in late 2011 or early 2012 when the state's Office of Executive Inspector General began an investigation. Quinn has said he learned of accusations of political hiring at IDOT last summer and "immediately ordered" the agency to conduct an audit, saying he has "zero tolerance for anything on hiring that isn't exactly according to the rules." Despite his political outsider persona, Quinn is no stranger to patronage. After serving as an organizer for Democrat Dan Walker's successful 1972 campaign for governor, Quinn joined Walker's staff, where his duties included dishing out patronage as a liaison to state lawmakers. Later, Quinn left the Illinois Industrial Commission after lawmakers launched an investigation into whether Walker had been hiding the payroll costs of governor's office workers on state boards and commissions to make it look like the governor's payroll had dropped. mcgarcia@tribune.com rlong@tribune.com SAN FRANCISCO Brock Turner, the former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman on campus, was handed a package by guards as he exited a California jail on Friday after serving half of his six-month sentence: A big packet of hate mail. Turner's early release for good behavior was the latest turn in a case that sparked a widespread outcry by many who believed he was given preferential treatment and too light of a sentence for the January 2015 assault. For hours after his pre-dawn release from the Santa Clara County jail, about 200 people demonstrated outside, calling for the judge in the case to resign. Advertisement Wearing a wrinkled dress shirt, Turner walked with his head down and didn't say a word as he made his way through a gauntlet of television camera lights and into a waiting SUV. The 21-year-old intends to live with his parents near Dayton, Ohio, where he is required to register for life as a sex offender. There, about a dozen protesters stood outside the Turner's home in Sugarcreek Township, as police watched. One man's hand-lettered sign said "Let only pain & misery fall upon those who rape their fellow person." Advertisement Brock Turner leaves the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose, Calif., on Sept. 2, 2016. (Dan Honda / AP) Turner was convicted of assaulting the woman near a trash bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party. The woman had passed out and Turner was on top of her when confronted by two graduate students passing by on bicycles. They chased and tackled him when he tried to flee, holding him on the ground until police arrived. A jury in March found Turner guilty of three felony sexual assault counts. Judge Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky sentenced him to six months in jail, citing the "extraordinary circumstances" of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations in departing from the minimum sentence of two years in prison. Prosecutors had argued for six years. Turner's case exploded on social media and ignited a debate about campus rape and the criminal justice system after the victim's 7,200-word letter to Turner that she read in the courtroom during sentencing was published online. "I want to show people that one night of drinking can ruin two lives," she wrote. "You and me. You are the cause, I am the effect." Following Turner's release from jail, Sheriff Laurie Smith said she believed his sentence was too light. "He should be in prison right now, but he's not in our custody," she told reporters. Smith said jail guards gave Turner a big package of hate mail sent to him over the last three months and that Turner lived in protective custody in jail after receiving threats. She also urged Gov. Jerry Brown to sign a bill passed by California Assembly that would require harsher punishment for the same crime Turner committed. Brown hasn't said whether he will sign it. "The law has to be that if you rape someone who is unconscious and intoxicated you go to state prison," she said. "And that bill is on the governor's desk right now, and we're urging the governor to sign it." Advertisement A well-funded campaign also is underway to recall Persky. The judge voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. But supporters of the recall campaign said that is not enough. "We need judges who understand sexual assault and violence against women," Stanford law professor Michele Dauber, a friend of Turner's victim and the chair of the recall campaign, said Friday while demonstrating outside the jail. "Judge Persky does not." Persky didn't respond to requests for comment Friday and hasn't responded to numerous requests since Turner's sentencing. He has launched a campaign website soliciting campaign donations to help retain his seat. California jail inmates with good behavior typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turner's probation. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio, 15 miles east of Dayton. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Advertisement Fischer said his department will notify Turner's neighbors informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff's office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Deputies also will check on Turner without warning to ensure he has not moved without permission from authorities. Associated Press In this file photo taken on Friday, July 10, 2015, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov gestures while speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit in Ufa, Russia. The Interfax news agency Friday Sept. 2, 2016 cites an Uzbek government statement saying President Islam Karimov is dead. (Ivan Sekretarev / AP) MOSCOW Islam Karimov, who crushed all opposition in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan as its only president in a quarter-century of independence from the Soviet Union, has died of a stroke at age 78, the Uzbek government announced Friday. Karimov will be buried Saturday in the ancient city of Samarkand, his birthplace, the government said in a statement. Advertisement His younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, said in a social media post Monday that he had been hospitalized in the capital of Tashkent after a brain hemorrhage Aug. 27. On Friday, she posted again, saying: "He is gone." Little other information was available. Media freedom and human rights have been harshly repressed ever since he became leader in 1989 while it was still a republic of the Soviet Union. Advertisement One of the world's most authoritarian rulers, Karimov cultivated no apparent successor, and his death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim country could face prolonged infighting among clans over its leadership, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. "The death of Islam Karimov may open a pretty dangerous period of unpredictability and uncertainty in Uzbekistan," Alexei Pushkov, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told the Tass news agency. In this file photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2002, Uzbek President Islam Karimov, left, welcomes chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers prior to their meeting in presidential residence Ok Saroy outside of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Interfax news agency Friday Sept. 2, 2016 cites an Uzbek government statement saying President Islam Karimov is dead. (Anvar Alyasov / AP) Given the lack of access to the strategic country, it's hard to judge how powerful the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan might be. Over the years, the group has been affiliated with the Taliban, al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and it has sent fighters abroad. Under the Uzbek constitution, if the president dies his duties pass temporarily to the head of the senate until an election can be held within three months. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Karimov's demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence. Karimov was known as a tyrant with an explosive temper and a penchant for cruelty. His troops machine-gunned hundreds of unarmed demonstrators to death during a 2005 uprising, he jailed thousands of political opponents, and his henchmen reportedly boiled some dissidents to death. He came under widespread international criticism from human rights groups, but because of Uzbekistan's location as a vital supply route for the war in neighboring Afghanistan, the West sometimes turned a blind eye to his worst abuses. Noting Karimov's death, President Barack Obama said in a statement the U.S. "reaffirms its support for the people of Uzbekistan." "This week, I congratulated President Karimov and the people of Uzbekistan on their country's 25 years of independence," Obama said in the statement. "As Uzbekistan begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to partnership with Uzbekistan, to its sovereignty, security, and to a future based on the rights of all its citizens. Advertisement Uzbekistan, a country of 30 million people famous for its apricot orchards, cotton fields and ancient stone cities along the Silk Road, had been one of the Muslim world's paragons of art and learning. But Karimov cracked down on any form of Islam that wasn't patently subservient to him. His leadership style was epitomized by propaganda posters often displayed in Uzbekistan that depicted him alongside Tamerlane, a 14th-century emperor who had conquered a vast region of West, South and Central Asia. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 133 William Christopher, who was known as Father Mulcahy on "MASH" from 1972 to 1983, died Dec. 31, 2016. He was 84. Read more. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times) He was known to shout and swear at officials during meetings and it was widely rumored that in bursts of anger he would beat officials and throw ashtrays at them. Under Karimov, the economy remained centralized, with a handful of officials controlling the most lucrative industries and trade. A 1996 ban on the free convertibility of the national currency, the som, blocked trade and foreign investment, while unemployment soared and poverty was widespread. Endemic corruption stymied development, despite considerable resources of natural gas and gold, along with its cotton exports. Millions of Uzbeks have flooded into Russia and neighboring Kazakhstan to support their families with remittances that amount to a sizable part of the country's GDP. Karimov was suspicious of the West and infuriated by its criticism of his human rights record, but he also dreaded Islamic militancy, fearing it could grow into a strong opposition. Advertisement He unleashed a harsh campaign against Muslims starting in 1997 and intensifying in 1999 after eight car bombs exploded near key government buildings in Tashkent. The explosions killed 16 people and wounded more than 100. "I am ready to rip off the heads of 200 people, to sacrifice their lives, for the sake of peace and tranquility in the country," Karimov said afterward. "If a child of mine chose such a path, I myself would rip off his head." In the next few years, thousands of Muslims who practiced their faith outside government-controlled mosques were rounded up and jailed for alleged links to banned Islamic groups. In 2004, a series of bombings and attacks on police killed more than 50 people and sparked a new wave of arrests and convictions. Following 9/11, the West overlooked Karimov's harsh policies and cut a deal with him in 2001 to use Uzbekistan's Karshi-Khanabad air base for combat missions in Afghanistan. During a May 2005 uprising in the eastern city of Andijan, Uzbek troops fired on demonstrators, killing more than 700 people, according to witnesses and human rights groups. It was the world's worst massacre of protesters since the 1989 bloodbath in China's Tiananmen Square. Advertisement Angered by U.S. criticism of the crackdown, Karimov evicted U.S. forces from the base. He later quietly softened his position, allowing Uzbekistan to be part of the Northern Distribution Network supply route for Afghanistan, whose utility declined when Russia dropped out of the network in 2015. The United States in turn agreed to start the sale of non-lethal military goods to his regime. Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov was born on Jan. 30, 1938, and studied economics and engineering in what was then a Soviet republic, rising through the Communist Party bureaucracy. In 1989, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made Karimov Uzbekistan's Communist Party chief in the wake of a huge corruption scandal that involved top Uzbek officials. At the time, Karimov was seen as a hard-working and uncorrupt Communist. On March 24, 1990, the local parliament elected him president of the Uzbek Socialist Republic, and in December 1991, just days after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, Karimov won the presidency in a popular vote. Shaken by a series of ethnic and religious riots in the turbulent years surrounding the Soviet collapse, Karimov was obsessed with stability and security. He said Uzbekistan would follow its own path of reform and would build democracy and a market economy without the turmoil and crises of most other former Soviet nations. Advertisement After his 1991 election, the fledgling democratic opposition was banned and forced into exile. The media were muzzled by censorship. Law enforcement and security services grew increasingly powerful and abusive, and the use of torture in prisons was labeled "systematic" by international observers. Karimov's death would "mark the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not the pattern of grave human rights abuses, said Denis Krivosheev, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International. "His successor is likely to come from Karimov's closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated." Karimov was a distant leader. His annual New Year's address to the nation was always read by a TV anchor. His wife rarely appeared in public, and his vacations were never announced. But the public was constantly reminded of his leadership by banners with quotes from his speeches posted on buildings and billboards. All of his election victories were landslides, but none were recognized as free or fair by international observers. His only challenger in 2000, Abdulkhafiz Dzhalolov, said he himself voted for Karimov. His nephew, opposition journalist Jamshid Karimov, was forcibly committed to a psychiatric institution after a series of articles criticizing his uncle and other officials. Advertisement Karimov's oldest daughter, Gulnara, generated media buzz over her immense wealth, fashion shows and music videos done under the stage name GooGoosha. Sometimes touted as a potential successor, she was both admired and despised at home. In 2014, she used her Twitter account to accuse Uzbekistan's security services of orchestrating a campaign of harassment against her and deceiving her father. Her tweets then stopped, prompting speculation that she and her 15-year-old daughter were under house arrest in Tashkent. Word of Karimov's death began spreading even before the Uzbek government announced it Friday night, with officials in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan saying leaders from those countries would attend his funeral and the Turkish prime minister offering condolences. Uzbekistan celebrated its Independence Day on Thursday, which is perhaps why the government had delayed any news about Karimov. Photos carried Friday by the respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru showed what appeared to be undertakers in Samarkand working on a plot in the cemetery where Karimov's family is buried. The Samarkand airport said it would be closed to all flights except specially approved aircraft Saturday, according to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's website. Uzbek opposition blogger Nadezhda Atayeva said Friday that Uzbek authorities appeared to be cracking down on communication channels. Speaking from western France, she said an opposition contact told her via Skype that government officials had been told to turn off their phones and Internet speeds had slowed. As he spoke, she said, the signal went dead. Advertisement Associated Press A new trove of Hillary Clinton-related emails was released Thursday by a conservative research organization and the group said they revealed requests for State Department action from Clinton foundation employees and a key donor in 2009, seeming to add fuel to the notion that the Clintons' provided favors to friends and supporters. "Bill Clinton/Doug Band Sought State Department Favors for Foundation Supporters," said a headline in Thursday's press release from Judicial Watch. In fact, many of the emails touted by Judicial Watch concern a once-secret mission to North Korea by former president Bill Clinton that led to the release of two American journalists who had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for spying. That the highlighted emails centered around a moment widely considered a Clinton success, provided the Clinton campaign an opening to chide a longtime antagonist whose ongoing litigation against the State Department has produced a series of embarrassing revelations. "Judicial Watch is now attacking State Department officials and the 42nd President of the United States for rescuing two American journalists from North Korea," said campaign spokesman Josh Schwerin, calling the release "a new low even for this right-wing organization that has been going after the Clintons since the 1990s." The featured item in Thursday's Judicial Watch release includes a request from longtime Clinton aide Doug Band for coveted diplomatic passports, which provide easy transit for State Department and other top-level government employees. The request, which was never fulfilled, was part of planning a mission that is generally considered a triumph for American diplomacy and the post-White House career of Bill Clinton. "Need get me/ justy and jd dip passports," Band wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's longtime aide, Huma Abedin, in a July 27, 2009, email. "Okay. Will figure it out," Abedin wrote back moments later. At the time, Clinton, Band, and two younger aides to the former president - Justin Cooper and Jon Davidson - along with several other advisers and friends were planning the secret trip to Pyongyang in consultation with President Barack Obama's administration's national security experts. The private Clinton visit was designed to convince aging Korean leader Kim Jong Il to release the two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. The pair had been arrested near the Chinese border five months earlier while filming a documentary about the trafficking of North Korean women to China. The two were working for a television network then owned in part by former vice president Al Gore, who was not on the Clinton trip but consulted on rescue efforts. After arriving in Pyongyang on Aug. 4, Clinton attended a banquet with Kim and talked with him privately for several hours. North Korean state media distributed images of the two men, showing a smiling Kim and a grim looking Clinton. After their meeting the North Korean leader pardoned the two reporters who tearfully joined Clinton and his entourage for a trip to Los Angeles where the journalists were reunited with their families. Since North Korea did not have diplomatic recognition from the United States the effort to rescue the reporters occurred through private channels with the Clinton foundation leading the way. The flights back and forth to North Korea had been arranged by Band using private planes, one a corporate jet used by the CEO of Dow Chemical Co., and another, the private jet of longtime Democratic donor and philanthropist, Steven Bing. After the journalists were safely on American soil, the Obama administration acknowledged that it had been aware of the privately arranged trip. Advertisement There was a bit of criticism after the trip. Former U. N. Ambassador John Bolton, who said that the involvement of a former president in such a rescue mission could appear to reward "dangerous and unacceptable behavior." He also wondered whether it would set a new standard for the release of detained Americans. The head of Judicial Watch continued his criticism of the Clintons in an interview Thursday, even after being told of the reason for the Clinton trip. "If that's true, it's further indication that the State Department was outsourcing the foreign policy of the United States to the Clinton Foundation," said Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch."It suggests that the Foundation and its donors were part of the bench the State Department went to on sensitive issues abroad," he said. "We're trying to figure out where the foundation ended and the state department began. ... That's why Mrs. Clinton promised to keep the foundation out of government business and vice versa," he said. The Clinton party included high-powered individuals with a wide range of experience. Among them: David Straub, a former head of the Korea Desk at the State Department then teaching at Stanford University; and John Podesta, who had served as Obama's chief of transition after the 2008 election and gone on to the lead the Center for American Progress. Also on the trip: Band's brother, Roger, as well as Justin Cooper, a Clinton aide. Advertisement Among the emails released on Thursday is one suggesting that Bill Clinton wanted his wife to meet with Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris at a State Department dinner in 2009. "Wjc wants to be sure hrc sees Andrew Liveris, ceo of dow tomorrow night," Abedin wrote to State Department scheduler Lona Valmoro. The emails show that Clinton's staff arranged for a brief meeting on the sidelines of an official dinner that Liveris was set to attend. Dow Chemical has been a major donor to the Clinton foundation and on its face the email exchange might suggest special access. However, Liveris had provided one of the airplanes that was used to ferry Bill Clinton to the North Korean negotiations and a Dow Chemical spokeswoman said the meeting concerned the North Korea expedition. Spencer S. Hsu contributed to this report. There's a dirty little secret in the Illinois criminal justice system that no one seems to want to talk about. Not the governor and not our legislators. Most citizens have no idea that the most menacing felony offenders who are shooting up the streets of Chicago killing innocent men, women and children are spending fewer and fewer days behind bars for their violent and repeat felony gun offenses. There is an unexplained revolving door that is spitting these convicted criminals out of prison after they have served only a fraction of their court-imposed sentences for violent gun offenses. Advertisement When a violent street gang member is arrested on the streets of Chicago with a loaded gun, he or she typically serves just 12 months ... Anita Alvarez Take the tragic, senseless, and likely preventable murder of Nykea Aldridge last month. This 32-year-old mother of four was shot in the head and arm as she walked her newborn baby in a stroller in broad daylight. The two brothers whom my office charged with her murder are poster children for what is wrong with the way Illinois punishes gun offenders. They have been arrested a combined 24 times on charges that include possession of a stolen motor vehicle, aggravated battery and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Advertisement Consider: Both offenders were on parole when they committed this most recent atrocity, during which they both fired handguns. One of them has now committed felonies while on parole three separate times. One was paroled last month from a six-year prison sentence imposed three years ago the other paroled in March from an eight-year prison sentence imposed three years ago. The two combined have spent a grand total of just 11 years in prison, despite having been sentenced to a combined total of 26 years in prison for five separate felony convictions since 2009. You don't need to be a math major to understand that something is horribly wrong with this picture. Just over one year ago the Chicago Tribune published an editorial calling on Illinois lawmakers to toughen gun penalties for these types of repeat felony offenders: the individuals most responsible for the gun violence and carnage on our streets. Predictably, that call to action fell on deaf ears in Springfield, with many Chicago legislators whose communities are most victimized by gun violence failing to take any meaningful action. For several years I have called on the General Assembly to ensure that these career gun offenders are held accountable for the communities that they victimize. And year after year, I have watched in outrage as these offenders continue to brashly carry firearms on our streets, indifferent to the futile sanctions that await them under our sentencing laws. Under our current statutes, a felon who is convicted of carrying a firearm in public serves less than half of the sentence imposed by a judge or jury about 15 months. When a violent street gang member is arrested on the streets of Chicago with a loaded gun, he or she typically serves just 12 months, also a fraction of the sentence imposed. To be very frank, these criminals know and understand our system. Gang members themselves tell our prosecutors that Illinois gun laws are "a joke." Advertisement Studies show that 63 percent of these gun offenders will reoffend within 12 months of release, and they are four times as likely to commit a homicide. This is a blood-soaked statistic demonstrated very clearly in the vicious murder of Nykea Aldridge and so many other innocents. As the talking heads wring their hands over the epidemic of gun violence that is shattering our city's image around the world, there is a real, workable solution staring our General Assembly in the face. It is high time for lawmakers to answer the call and create a more substantial deterrent for offenders who are at the greatest risk to commit gun violence. Please join me in urging your elected representatives to support this common sense gun legislation. Anita Alvarez is the Cook County state's attorney. Has Chicago lost its moxie? Having returned home recently after seven years in Washington, D.C., I'm not seeing much of the tough-minded optimism much less the swagger of the Chicago I know and love. Our public discourse used to resonate with the bravado, creativity and feistiness of prominent Chicagoans like Mike Royko, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gwendolyn Brooks and Mike Ditka. We could still identify with Carl Sandburg's Chicago, a "city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities" and our civic ethos included "bragging and laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth " We were a hopeful, confident, can-do city, even in bad economic times. Advertisement This is the city that survived the Great Fire, Al Capone, riots and corruption, only to come back stronger and build higher. But in today's chronically despairing news coverage, social media and casual conversation with old friends, there is a persistent preoccupation with murders, school problems and desolate neighborhoods, with little mention of any positive civic developments. While hundreds of murders a year are unacceptable, our schools face challenges, and we need to generate more and better job options for our young and unemployed, our civic conversation should not exaggerate our problems and ignore our progress. The fact is, Chicago is doing much better than you hear about, and those accomplishments should fuel our desire and our confidence to attack the problems that still exist in our communities. Advertisement We should be distraught at the recent uptick in violent crime. The 473 homicides last year and similar number already this year, prominently covered daily, have taken a terrible toll, especially in some neighborhoods on the South and West sides. But my contemporaries seem to have forgotten that when we were growing up here, playing kick the can in the streets, there were 970 murders (1974) in the city, and when we were raising our kids here there were 943 (1992). From 1994 to the early 2000s, the number of murders was cut almost in half to under 500, where it has stood, almost without exception, for a dozen years. The rate of homicide per 100,000 people today is worse in many smaller cities, including Baltimore, Detroit, Memphis, Tenn., St. Louis and Washington, not to mention the much higher murder rates in popular foreign tourist destinations such as Acapulco, Mexico; Cape Town, South Africa; and the Bahamas. So while there is too much violent crime in 21st-century Chicago, smart strategies brought it down during the recent past, and the situation is statistically much better than it has been for much of our lifetimes. Our schools, meanwhile, don't receive their fair share of funding from the state, and their budget woes are well-documented, but you could be forgiven for having missed coverage of the progress being made in the classroom. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Chicago's fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math test score improvements are among the best in the country. ACT scores have improved over the past five years, reaching a new high. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding ISAT composite standards steadily rose from 23.4 percent in 2001 to 52.5 percent in 2014. Truancy used to be a significant problem in Chicago, but last year the schools reached a record attendance rate, with suspensions and expulsions down in favor of better practices that keep kids in the classroom to address their needs. We are routinely reminded that economic recovery in many neighborhoods is lagging, yet Chicago's downtown has surged as businesses, residents and workers flock to a uniquely diverse and energized economic core. Motorola Mobility, ConAgra, Google, Archer Daniels Midland, United Continental Holdings, McDonald's and smaller tech companies have recently moved in with jobs booming in the professional services, hospitality and health care sectors. Tourism continues to grow, with a record number of domestic visitors flocking here in 2015. More new residents voted with their feet and pocketbooks by moving into downtown Chicago between 2000 and 2010 than in any other American city. For three years in a row, Site Selection magazine has named Chicago the nation's Top Metro for new and expanding companies, and Seattle-based PitchBook determined that Chicago-based start-ups are the most successful in the country. Downtown employment has hit a record high. The Chicago Riverwalk, lakefront investments, Pullman National Monument, Red Line modernization and O'Hare Terminal 5 projects are underway, and the new Obama Presidential Library will create synergies with the updated Museum of Science and Industry in drawing visitors to the South Side. Our city faces real challenges, particularly in some of our South and West side neighborhoods. But even there, major grocery chains are moving into former food deserts and housing is springing up in formerly vacant areas. There are thousands of unsung heroes in our civic organizations, not-for-profits, companies and communities making progress every day tackling the problems we face. Let's honor their work and the memory of all who came before them in our families and communities, by committing ourselves to boldly, constructively, continuously improving America's greatest city. Advertisement Robert S. Rivkin served in the Obama administration as the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation. He practices law in Chicago at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. There has never been a U.S. presidential campaign like this one. Never one so bizarre, insult-packed and fact-free. But what if all of American history was like this election? (Cue the harp music ) It was time for a revolution. Advertisement The colonists, inspired by tea party politics, called King George a lightweight, a disaster, a low-energy loser and a clown. They tried to recruit "Second Amendment people," which was confusing at the time because the Bill of Rights hadn't been written yet. Men with guns showed up anyway. The Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia to draft the Declaration of Independence, featuring the famous line: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that we don't need to show you our stinkin' tax returns, disclose the speeches we give to Wall Street bankers or explain our positions on the issues." Advertisement The British finally surrendered, which meant that all Americans were free and equal, except for women and minorities. The Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia in 1776 to draft the Declaration of Independence. (Associated Press) Decades later came the Mexican War, also known as the War Against Drug-and-Crime-Bringing Rapists Except for Some, We Assume, Who Are Good People. America took possession of the state of Texas and has been stuck with it ever since. Two Illinois politicians scheduled a series of debates on the slavery question, but Lincoln and Douglas just kept shouting the word "bigot!" at each other, so everyone went home. Then the South tried to secede, and a civil war ensued. This painting depicts one of the famous debates in 1858 between Republican Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln, standing, and incumbent Democratic Sen. Stephen Douglas. (Associated Press) The president freed the slaves, telling them: "What the hell do you have to lose?" Then he wrote a stirring Gettysburg Address, but he kept it in his private files at home, and some of the text was deleted. Instead, the president gave a separate speech starting, "Four score and seven years ago or something like that, I'm not really sure, and at this point, what difference does it make?" The speech was further undercut by his final words: "Please clap." A few years later, the Indian wars broke out and the president accused Gen. George Armstrong Custer of being a "founder of the Sioux nation." When people asked if he was kidding, he insisted he wasn't. But finally he mocked his critics, saying, "Don't they get sarcasm?" (The Indians didn't get sarcasm either; they massacred Custer and his troops.) Advertisement The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor. But a sign on Lady Liberty warned that no immigrants would be allowed into the country "until we figure out what's going on." We still haven't figured it out, but eventually we started letting people in anyway. The Statue of LIberty is given a military and naval salute at its inauguration Oct. 28, 1886, in New York Harbor. (Library of Congress) World War I erupted in Europe. The U.S. considered helping the allied forces but decided against it because some NATO members were not paying their fair share. This confused a lot of people because NATO hadn't been founded yet. The U.S. finally entered the war, and the president proudly announced that the Germans had been schlonged. Fascism rose in post-war Europe, and the president tweeted a Benito Mussolini quote, which was weird because there was no Twitter. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, the president's aides wrote a speech about "a date which will live in infamy." But instead the president started talking about his "big hands," and how "I guarantee you there's no problem." Advertisement President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech, which he delivered after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. (Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential) The U.S. eventually got around to declaring war, but the president ruined morale by ridiculing Gold Star families and declaring that he knew way more than his generals. America eventually overcame all of that, and the Germans were re-schlonged. Television became popular, allowing politicians to cite things they'd seen on video even though no one could ever find the videos they were talking about. The Vietnam War tore apart America. And when the prisoners of war came home, the president said, "I like people that weren't captured." As the Cold War neared an end, someone suggested that the president go to the Berlin Wall and declare, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." But instead, the president built an even bigger wall a huge wall and declared, "Mr. Gorbachev, please make a donation to our foundation or hire our friends as consultants." President Ronald Reagan speaks June 12, 1987, in West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin Wall. Because of the amplification system being used, Reagan's words could also be heard on the eastern (communist) side of the wall. (AFP/Getty Images) The Middle East grew increasingly unstable with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The U.S. president drew a line in the sand, then erased it and redrew it somewhere else. And then somewhere else again. No one knows where it is today. Advertisement In 2000, the presidential election was so close that it was settled by the Supreme Court a month later. Aides advised the loser to graciously accept the result, but he insisted on calling the election "rigged" for years afterward. He even claimed he had invented the word "rigged." And then came the 2016 election, which required no fictionalization. With this year's outlandish and corrosive rhetoric, the memory of an honorable American history is fading fast. It's been wiped, like with a cloth or something. Sad! mjacob@chicagotribune.com About 170 years ago, during Japan's Edo period, a 34-foot scroll called Fart Battle (He-gassen) was created by unknown artisan(s). The work lives on in glorious hi-res digitized collection at Waseda University. Nothing is safe in this fart battle, not even cats. Some fart battle participants use fans defensively against their opponents. The scrolls were likely political cartoons of the day, railing against threats to Japan's isolationist policies due to gunboat diplomacy like the Perry Expedition. You can't spell "fine art" without "fart." (via Spoon & Tamago) In this summer of raw identity politics, it is ironically appropriate that everyone's favorite fake black woman, Rachel Dolezal, is back in the news. Dolezal, you surely recall, was the local NAACP president in Spokane, Wash., who was exposed last year by a local television station and by her estranged parents as a white woman who was only passing for black. Advertisement Or as she might put it, she has been identifying as black since around 2006 in much the same way that Caitlyn Jenner identifies as a woman, despite having the same male body that she had when she was Olympic medalist Bruce Jenner. Dolezal was back in the news with the announcement that she would be headlining a Labor Day weekend rally in Dallas called the Naturally Isis Braid-On, Economic Liberty March and Rally. Advertisement No, Naturally Isis has nothing to do with Islamic State. The event is organized by celebrity natural hair stylist and activist Isis Brantley, and, yes, hair activism is a thing. Brantley crusaded since the mid-1990s which included an arrest and various legal battles to win passage last year of a state law to exempt Texas hair braiders from the expensive requirement to obtain a cosmetology license. Some other states have adopted similar legislation. In the natural hair movement, the follicle is political. But Brantley's hero status took a beating when she posted the news on her Facebook pages that one of her special guests would be Dolezal. How, the critics asked Brantley, could a champion of an African cultural art form honor a white woman who is nationally accused of appropriating black culture? "Don't think of her as someone who has contributed to the years of work we have done to protect this cultural art form," Pamela Ferrell, co-founder of the American Hairbraiders and Natural Haircare Association, told The Daily Beast. "I see it as an opportunity for a white woman to steal this African cultural art form, become an expert and then get opportunities that we have been denied. I've seen it happen over and over again." Yes, in an ideal world, we African-Americans might well be flattered to be imitated so often by people from other races and cultures, particularly in music and other performing arts. Cultural appropriation is an inseparable part of this nation's creative and innovative dynamism. But too often, as Ferrell says, it has not been done with respect or proper royalties and recognition. People who feel that they have been robbed historically will cling all the more fiercely to whatever they have left including the art of hair braiding. But in an interview with writer Linda Jones for the Beast, Dolezal insisted she was "not coming as a curiosity or for any controversy." She resigned from the NAACP after her outing and lost her job as an adjunct college instructor. Since then, Dolezal, who once taught a course in the politics of black hair, has made her living as a hair braider. Advertisement Still, people have good reason to question her years of leading people to believe she was black. There also was that troubling episode in which she was suspected of sending a package of racial threats to her own mailbox at the NAACP. Only some postal workers, who have since been cleared, and Dolezal had keys to the box. Hmmm But as we have learned repeatedly in the summer of Donald Trump, much can be forgiven and forgotten in the glare of celebrity, and Dolezal's misadventures made her a genuine headliner. She's almost finished with a memoir, she told the Beast. That means we probably will be seeing more of her, although there's no word yet as to whether she will take what seems to be the last refuge of celebrities these days, running for president. What intrigues me is how Dolezal's rise to prominence marks a milestone of sorts in America's racial history. There have been rare cases of whites passing for black in this country. But there have been far more examples of black people who went the other way, sometimes leaving their families and communities forever, in order to reinvent themselves into a world of white privilege. That's why conservatives love Dolezal even as they ridicule her. She seems to confirm their argument that there's not much privilege left in being white. Indeed, she may show racial inequality to be less severe than it used to be. But I still don't see many other white folks rushing to follow her lead. It wouldn't be natural. Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage. Advertisement cpage@chicagotribune.com Twitter @cptime So the kinder and gentler Donald Trump, the one who was going to start acting more presidential, lasted exactly an hour. On his return from visiting Mexico, The Donald delivered a speech that painted an image of a hate-filled, dystopian American landscape so terrifying that one was hoping to ... well ... be deported to Mexico. A sprawling, high-pressure air mass centered north of the Great Lakes in the eastern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario continues to dominate our weather. Its progression east is slowed by nearly stationary high pressure ridging aloft. Chicago is situated in the southern portion of this stable high pressure with a steady east-to-northeast wind over southern Lake Michigan steering cool air into our area. Hurricane Hermine is projected to make landfall Friday, moving northeast through the Florida Panhandle into Georgia. The storm surge of up to 9 feet along with torrential rains to the east and south of the storm path dumping 10 to 15 inches of rain threatens Floridians with widespread inland and coastal flooding. Tornado watches Thursday that covered central and northern Florida into Georgia will move north, assuming the storm follows the projected track up the Carolina coast, even though the trajectory over land will slow the winds back to tropical storm strength. Advertisement Well to the north, high pressure will nudge east with winds shifting south, allowing a gradual increase in warmth, moisture and humidity by early next week. Brandon Kooi, standing, an Aurora University criminology professor, moderates a discussion between Aurora area high school students and police, school and city officials. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News) More than 100 students and administrators from eight Aurora-area high schools left a forum with police and city officials Thursday night with a mission. The students vowed to go back to their schools and talk to fellow students about how they can build better relationships between themselves, administrators, teachers and the police, and how they can use understanding and respect when dealing with people of different races, ethnicities, backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations. Advertisement Put together at the urging of West Aurora School District Superintendent Jeff Craig, the forum at North Island Center in downtown Aurora turned into a frank discussion between students and police. Craig had said he thought the discussion about what's happening in the country could head off something similar happening in Aurora. "I didn't want it tied to a specific event," he said. Advertisement Craig and other administrators praised the students for surprising them with their honest comments, and Craig pronounced the forum as successful at least as far as it went. "I was humbled by your very genuine comments tonight, not being afraid to give your opinions and your viewpoint," Craig told the students. "It's just a start. This isn't a one-and-done. It's hopefully a yearlong process, celebrating our differences." The forum brought together students from eight high schools that are all or partly made up of Aurora students: East Aurora and West Aurora; Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley, from Indian Prairie School District 204; Oswego East and Oswego, from Community Unit School District 308; and the Illinois Math and Science Academy on Aurora's West Side. They listened as Brandon Kooi, associate professor of criminal justice at Aurora University, moderated a discussion that looked directly at the issues of violence against police, violence by police against residents, racial and ethnic discrimination, and even the affect of comments nationally by presidential candidates on prejudice and violence. Kooi asked the students to consider movements like Back Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, in conjunction with the concept that all lives matter. He asked students why they thought minorities are singled out for prejudice and if it is possible to show support for Donald Trump for president without appearing prejudiced. "I urge you to understand the perspectives of both sides. I don't necessarily think you have to choose sides," he said. Aurora police Chief Kristen Ziman told students it was OK if they cannot agree with another viewpoint, if "at least you can get to understand" the other side. "Don't look for ideas that confirm your way of thinking, look for things that disrupt your viewpoint," she said. Advertisement The students seemed to have no problem doing that. One female student said Black Lives Matter has been miscast as advocating violence against police because people "can't stand to see black people uniting." "Black Lives Matter was seen as too revolutionary, when they were talking about change that clearly has to be made," she said. Another young woman said she is sick of her support for America being questioned because she is from a family that immigrated to the U.S. to become citizens. "I don't understand why I have to keep defending my nationalism and my love of this country," she said. After meeting in small groups, the students came back and said they would take back to their schools the need to stress better understanding of other cultures and backgrounds and the need to reach out to students of different races and ethnicities. Advertisement "We're all intertwined," one male student said. "We're all learning together." Police and administrators in attendance stressed to students that both sides need to be accountable and show respect. "What a police officer wants, and what all of us want, is respect," said Darrell Echols, principal at Metea Valley. Or, as one male student urged, if you are pulled over by a policeman, just do what he asks. "It's easier, and everyone can go home afterward," he said. slord@tribpub.com An Uber driver has been charged with using a passenger's credit cards after she left them in the back seat of his vehicle in Geneva. Farzad Khamissi, 37, of the 400 block of Dancer Lane in Oswego, faces four counts of felony unlawful use of a credit card. Advertisement On June 5, a passenger reported that she had used the Uber ride-share service early the day before in Geneva and thought she left her cellphone and credit cards in the back seat of the vehicle, Oswego police said in a statement. Khamissi is accused of using the credit cards at several Oswego businesses, charging a total of more than $500, according to police. Oswego detectives issued a warrant for Khamissi's arrest July 28, setting his bond at $10,000, according to police. He turned himself in Aug. 9 and was later released on bond until his court date, they said in a statement. Paramount Theatre's production of "West Side Story" earned seven Jeff Award nominations, including best musical and best director for Jim Corti. ( Liz Lauren / Handout) When 5 p.m. rolled around Tuesday, Paramount Theatre President and CEO Tim Rater was well aware the nominations for last season's Joseph Jefferson Awards were about to be announced. But his attention was focused not so much on the past as the future next Wednesday, to be exact. Advertisement Rater was across the street at Copley Theatre, immersed in the designer run for season-opener "Mamma Mia" when the text came through the Paramount had picked up 14 Jeff nominations the most of any Chicago theater for the second year in a row. "Bummer," Rater texted back to Vice President of Marketing Jim Jarvis, who had stepped out of the rehearsal a few minutes earlier to watch the video announcement over the internet. Advertisement Rater's one-word response was not meant to be facetious: He really was disappointed this year's count didn't at least equal the 16 nominations the Paramount received last year when it was first eligible for Jeff Awards. "All four (productions) should have been up for best musical," he stated matter of factly. "We want a sweep." That level of perfectionism is what this community has come to expect, not only from Rater but from Artistic Director Jim Corti, who himself picked up a best-director nomination for "West Side Story," which earned an impressive seven nominations, including Best Musical, along with "Oklahoma." The accolades and honors are flowing freely now. Both men appreciate them, they really do. There are few national platforms that recognize Chicago theater, Corti pointed out. And we all know that "everyone pays attention to awards." Still, when I caught up with the dynamic duo the morning after the announcement, it was obvious they wanted to talk more about "Mamma Mia" the ABBA-based hit musical that will kick off what is expected to be another blockbuster season. What makes this production even more special is that it marks the first time the Paramount has been given the first rights to an off-Broadway show in this area. That's even more impressive considering the Aurora theater is only in its sixth season of producing these top-notch musicals. As the men pointed out, those first-rights usually go to venues that have been around 30 or 40 years. "But they know what we do here is the highest caliber of work in the country," noted Rater. "They know we will make their show look good and play well." It's not just the critical praise or the awards catching the attention of booking agents, either. It's also the subscriber rate Rater expects to climb to 35,000 after "Mamma Mia." And he anticipates that, in the next five years, those numbers will only go up, giving the Paramount the largest theater subscriber base in the nation. Advertisement So you can see why, as much as those nominations are appreciated, they are not so much focused on the past but the future and the hard work it will take to keep those accolades and awards, and audiences, growing. The Chicago debut of "Mamma Mia" a record eight-week run from Sept. 7 through Oct. 30 will be the Paramount's "biggest show ever," Rater promised. Corti is equally pumped. Although he was not familiar beforehand, the "songs are now in my head and won't go away," he said. "I've fallen in love with the show" and its "idyllic, fun message." "We're working hard," he added, "at doing the best we can." And these days, whether reading the headlines about Jeff Awards or attending the shows, we expect nothing less. "I love the excitement it stirs among the audience," Corti said. "They know their team is winning." Advertisement Dcrosby@tribpub.com Eva Guajardo is part of a group of residents who are not happy with the conditions of their condominium complex in Buffalo Grove. (Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press) For the first time in months, condominium owners at Fireside Terrace in Buffalo Grove will lead their homeowners association board, casting doubt on the future of a property manager new board members say cannot be trusted. At least 26 calls to the Buffalo Grove Police Department have generated from Fireside Terrace since January 2015, as some owners have squabbled with former neighbors and condo leaders. Tensions started to settle after a Cook County judge earlier this summer ordered the owners to assemble Aug. 27 and elect a new board. Advertisement Until that vote, the Fireside Terrace association board had been empty since all five members had either stepped down or moved out. The five new members who won Aug. 27 were the only candidates for the board seats. "I'm so relieved," said Evangelina Guajardo, one of the five newly elected officials. "Everything fell into place. As we were casting our proxies, it was like a party, almost. It was like, 'Finally, finally.'" Advertisement Guajardo, Pawel Gasior, Kenneth Swiatek, Aleksey Karnyevich and Hannah Worcel now have authority to create an operating budget and decide what to do with their current property manager, including the possibility of severing contract ties with Care Property Management Inc., Guajardo said. She and the four other board members have all said that they do not trust Care Property owner Joan Ness, who helps manage 23 area condominium and homeowners associations, with many located around Bartlett and Streamwood, according to its website. Ness has declined requests for comment since 2015. "My preference is to cut them right now," Guajardo said, even though Fireside Terrace's contract with Care Property ends Jan. 31. Fireside Terrace, a collection of 143 condominiums in the 600 and 700 blocks of Grove Drive in Buffalo Grove, has been the focus of a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court. The breach-of-fiduciary-duty suit alleges that, through a course of years, several different defendants have misused the unit owners' money. Newly elected board members have alleged that Care Property has hid an operating budget, bills and past financial records. They've also alleged Ness disrupted previous attempts to call an all-owners meetings in the past. The members have said the association has gone for months on an outdated budget because no board ever approved a spending plan for 2016. As conflicts escalated, the property seemingly deteriorated. Advertisement Visitors can find cracks in foundations and hallway walls, and incomplete ceiling paneling that have left wires and ducts exposed. In the months leading up to the Aug. 27 vote, Buffalo Grove police have recorded the discord between new board members and other unit owners. Since 2015, law enforcement officials have arrested Worcel, a member of the new board, issued orders of protection, fielded a pile of disorderly conduct and theft complaints. In April, police organized a meeting with all owners in an effort to quell the rancor. After the recent board vote, Altman said she felt a hope for the future that she hadn't felt in years. "I can't tell you how excited I am," she said. "We're desperately trying to get a hold of our complex. ... The only thing I have out of life is my condominium." rwachter@pioneerlocal.com Advertisement Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer A Cook County judge on Thursday denied bail for a 20-year-old Minnesota man accused of shooting one man to death and wounding another during a drug deal in Robbins, according to Cook County sheriff's police. TreDaniel Williams is charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the Aug. 8 shooting, according to the sheriff's office. He appeared at a bond hearing at the Markham courthouse. Advertisement The victims, Sean Michael McDonald, 29, of Berwyn, and a 27-year-old Chicago man, were shot about 1 a.m. Aug. 8 in the 13500 block of South St. Louis Avenue, according to authorities. McDonald was pronounced dead at an area hospital, according to sheriff's police. The Chicago man suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. Advertisement Investigators determined that Williams fled to Minnesota, where he is from, after the shooting, according to sheriff's police. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Williams on Aug. 10, and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force took him into custody Aug. 12 in Minneapolis, according to sheriff's police. Williams was being held at the Hennepin County Jail when he waived extradition and was taken Wednesday to Cook County. Williams returns to Markham court Sept. 21. Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter. Several hundred elected officials and Citgo representatives Thursday touted the company's longevity, economic impact in the area, safety and charitable contributions as benefits to the Lemont area in celebrating the oil refinery's 90th anniversary there. Among the other guests were Venezuelan officials. Citgo's parent company is the state oil company of Venezuela. Advertisement A few speakers mentioned the company's successes over lunch. "Calvin Coolidge was president when this refinery opened and the average house had cost $6,000," Citgo spokesman Pete Colarelli said. Advertisement He said the refinery processed about 25,000 barrels of oil a day when it opened in 1925, but now processes 167,000 barrels a day since its expansion in 1970. Jim Cristman, the refinery's vice president and general manager, said the company provides a $300 million a year in economic impact to the area through salaries, taxes, and goods and services sold. He said the refinery employs 1,050 people and provides gasoline to 250 service stations in Illinois. Will County Executive Larry Walsh, D-Elwood, praised the company's support of teaching science, technology, engineering and math to local middle and high school students. Citgo's Infinite Green project provides the after-school workshops. "This cause is particularly close to my heart," Walsh said. "We are proud to have this leader in the oil industry right here in Will County." State Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Joliet, praised the union workers at the refinery, while State Sen. Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, praised the company's longevity in the state despite its "difficult times." "We don't always make it easy for employers in this state, but we're trying to do better," she said. Cristman said taxes are always a concern, but the company hasn't had any major issues with government in recent years because of good communication with officials. Advertisement Radogno also said she hasn't received one complaint in 14 years about the refinery, even though it's a representative of the fossil fuels industry. The refinery has had at least a couple mishaps in recent years, such as a foul odor emanating from it temporarily into the south suburbs last year. That incident was blamed on an equipment malfunction. In 2013 a fire at the refinery caused it to temporarily shut down causing gas prices in the area to spike. No one was injured in the fire. But Cristman said the company is committed to safety and preserving the environment as evident by its nearly $1 billion in equipment in recent years, such as sulfur scrubbers. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > He said he expects the refinery to continue strong for decades to come, even with the advent of hybrid electric cars and renewable energy, because oil is used for more than just transportation fuel. Other oil-based products include ink, paint thinner, nail polish remover, asphalt and plastics. Ron Humphrey, 57, of Lockport, has worked at the refinery for 16 years and he said the income earned allowed him to fix up his 1968 Camaro with his son. Advertisement "By working there it enabled me to do a lot of the hobbies I wanted to do," he said. Humphrey said his son followed in his footsteps and began working at the refinery in 2007. He said he has no problem going to work every day at the refinery with all its potential hazards because everyone works safely, looks out for each other and "does what's necessary to keep the oil in the pipe." Frank Vaisvilas is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Some farm fields in the far south and southwest suburbs are under water after heavy rains during August. (Erin Gallagher / Daily Southtown) Larry Christiansen's soybeans are suffering from "wet feet." Christiansen, who farms in the far south and southwest suburbs, sees that his beans are turning yellow prematurely, a symptom of too much rain over too short of a period, making the plants more susceptible to mold and fungus. Advertisement "It's hurting the crop, no doubt about it," Christiansen said of the rain. Generally, rain in August is a good omen for soybeans, but, as with any crop, too much and it becomes a problem. Advertisement Local agricultural experts said heavy rains that have left many fields flooded could cause some crop damage but that it is still too soon to tell how widespread that damage might be. With farmers not expected to begin harvesting until later this month, a period of drier weather would be a welcome change. If wet weather persists, "It is going to be a problem for some farmers to get equipment through their fields," Bill Johnson, an agriculture professor at Joliet Junior College," said. "If it doesn't rain a tremendous amount more, we will be OK." To the north of where Christiansen farms, Mike Kestle, in New Lenox, showed soybean pods with four beans in them, more than the typical two or three beans per pod. He said he expects record yields this year. While overall rainfall in the Chicago area during August was slightly above normal, some areas got double the typical amount of rain they would see during the month, according to the National Weather Service. Rainfall totals between 5 and 8 inches for the month were widespread across the far south and southwest region, according to the weather service. Corn standing in flooded fields can suffer from stalk rot, with the plants at risk of simply toppling over if a storm rolls through, said Johnson, who teaches courses such as agricultural economics and farm management. The stretch of warm and humid weather during much of the month can also worsen conditions for various types of diseases that can damage or kill beans, he said. Just a small percentage of corn, and none of the soybean crop, was deemed ready for harvest this week in the most recent government survey, Johnson said, so it might not be until late this month before farmers begin cultivating, giving fields more time to dry. Weeds are a greater concern for Jeff Haas in Homer Glen. He said the excessive rains are "generating a lot of weed seed for next year." Advertisement "These guys are getting tough to control," said Haas, who grows soybeans and corn. For hay farmers, like Janet McCabe in unincorporated Palos Township, the rain has delayed the second cutting. A typical hay season has three cuttings, and so far the McCabes have cut only once. The process requires three days of sunny, dry weather in order to cut, dry out and then bale. If the humidity is too high, hay will mold. McCabe said the crop has not gotten to the point where the quality has been affected. "Compared to last year, it was very, very delayed, and we only got two cuttings," she said. All the farmers said they will not know to what extent rain has hurt their crops until the harvest is done and yields are measured. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Mark Schneidewind, manager of the Will County Farm Bureau, said the bureau has gotten some reports of crop damage due to standing water in fields, but it's unclear at this point what the extent of damage might be. Advertisement He said it will "take a good seven to 10 days" of dry conditions in order for farmers to get equipment into their fields, but that no harvesting is likely to start until the middle of this month at the earliest. Statewide, reports suggest a record year for soybeans and possibly matching the best crop ever for corn, Johnson said. The most recent crop progress report showed that just 7 percent of corn statewide was at maturity, compared with a five-year average of 16 percent at this point in the growing season, he said. That same report showed no beans were yet ready for harvest. Johnson said it might not be until the end of the month that sufficient corn will be ready for harvest. Also, farmers, whether they sell the corn or store it, will need to dry it, and the excess moisture could mean leaving it in the field a bit longer to dry rather than incurring the extra cost of drying the crop after it's harvested, he said. mnolan@tribpub.com Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown Children paint pumpkins at The Children's Museum annual Fall Fun Fest. (The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn) The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn will promote literacy on Sept. 25 at its ninth annual Fall Fun Fest. The fest will be 10 a.m.3 p.m. outdoors on the museum's grounds at 5100 Museum Drive. Advertisement It will host activities at past fest events, such as trackless train rides, pumpkins, face painting, bingo and an inflatable jumper. But Emily Barack, the museum's marketing and development coordinator, said the fest also will promote education and reading. Advertisement "This the first time we are going to be using literacy as a theme and this is the first time that we are going to be doing the 'Stop, Drop and Read with Me' program," Barack said. The museum is asking that families bring a book to the fest to read to each other at noon. Barack said the idea of the activity is to also support STEM, a U.S. Department of Education program to encourage students to choose careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "We just find that there's been a huge emphasis on STEM today, and sometimes people lose sight of literacy as that key component of STEM, so we really just want to bring back the focus of reading and celebrate the importance of it, especially among children," Barack said. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > The museum also will collect book donations during the fest for Cradles to Crayons, a local nonprofit organization that provides low-income or homeless children with "the essential items they need to thrive," according to the website. In a partnership with the Oak Lawn Public Library, a "Free Little Library" located outdoors at the museum will be unveiled on fest day. That structure will hold free books for a community "give a book, get a book" exchange during museum hours, Barack said. Food trucks and a variety of vendors also will be at the event, including The Illinois Tollway, which will offer free identification cards for kids. Admission to The Children's Museum on fest day is half price, $4 instead of $8. Advertisement Free parking will be available in the Patriot Station Metra parking tower. For more information, visit www.cmoaklawn.org or call 708-423-6709. Ginger Brashinger is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Will County hopes a proposed bikeways plan would make more connections, such as this asphalt path along LaPorte Road in Mokena, which connects the Hickory Creek Preserves to Mokena's Main Park. (Susan DeMar Lafferty / Daily Southtown) Will County is seeking public comments on a proposed county-wide bikeway plan designed to provide alternative transportation and connect communities. In presenting a draft of the plan to the board of commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Will County recently, Andrew Hawkins, district director of planning and development, said Will is the only county in northeastern Illinois with a comprehensive transportation plan that does not provide for bicycles and pedestrians. That has meant "many missed opportunities" to make critical connections between communities, over streams, bridges and existing trails.. Advertisement The bikeway plan was developed to become part of the Will Connects 2040 transportation plan, which is expected to be adopted by the county board in November. "There are multiple pedestrian plans out there. However, from one community to the next, they may not overlap. There is no connectivity. Some have been formally adopted, others are just lines on paper," Hawkins said. "This plan will show (communities) where bike trails could go." Advertisement During a series of open houses in the spring of 2015, when the county presented its 2040 plan, the public offered thoughts on trails indicating "where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do," Hawkins said. Based on those ideas, a steering committee of municipalities, park districts and bicycle clubs developed the bikeway plan with the forest preserve district. It can be viewed on the forest preserve website: www.reconnectwithnature.org and comments will be taken until Sept. 30. If adopted by the county, Hawkins said he plans to present it to all municipalities in hopes they will incorporate trails as they plan for new roads and developments. "There were a lot of missed opportunities because people were not thinking about it. Now, they will think about it," said Ralph Schultz, chief operating officer for the forest preserve district. Some bike trails have been, or will be, added as part of major road improvements . Wide asphalt paths were added along US 30 when it was widened in Mokena and Frankfort, and a similar path will be part of the current widening of 159th Street in Homer Glen. Land for a separate trail has been provided for the still-developing Veterans Memorial Trail along I-355. According to the plan, if bikeways are going to be part of a transportation system, they have to provide safe and easy access to jobs, schools, commercial areas and transit stations. The committee cited 14 key corridors that could establish a regional and countywide arterial grid of bikeways, for both transportation and recreational purposes. Five were selected for further study. These included: -- Spring Creek in Homer Glen to Jackson Creek in Frankfort, with connections to Metra stations and forest preserves Advertisement -- Tinley Park to Plum Creek Greenway, including connections to Governors State University and Old Plank Road Trail -- Aurora to Orland Park, with connections to Lewis University and Renwick and Prairie Bluff Preserve. -- Weber Road, a 10-mile corridor connecting Bolingbrook to Joliet, and the DuPage River Trail to the Rock Run Greenway Trail, Joliet Junction Trail and the I&M Canal Trail -- Route 66, connecting Braidwood, Wilmington, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and Route 66 destinations Other corridors highlighted in the plan were: -- Plum Creek to the Pennsy Greenway Trail in Indiana Advertisement -- Wauponsee Glacial Trail to Plum Creek Greenway, connecting Manhattan to Crete -- Veterans Memorial Trail to Jackson Creek, following the I-355 corridor and continuing south to Manhattan Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > -- Rock Run in Joliet to Harlem Avenue -- The Vincennes Trail, creating a new connection between Crete and Beecher -- Plainfield to the Veterans Memorial Trail, connecting to jobs between Plainfield and Bolingbrook -- The Wilmingon-Peotone Road/Route 66 corridor, which would follow the proposed route of the Illiana toll road. Advertisement -- Black Road in Joliet It is estimated that the recommended bikeways could cost between $800,000 and $1 million per mile for paths and sidepaths, and between $100,000 and $400,000 per mile for bike lane sections in existing roads. Not included in these estimates are costs to acquire right-of-way.Hawkins noted that there is no funding for these trails, but if incorporated with new developments,the cost would be "pennies on a dollar." slafferty@tribpub.com Will County Board members questioned the legality of a new law that prohibits newly elected, part-time county officials from receiving pension benefits through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, with board member Tom Weigel, R-New Lenox, calling it "discriminatory and unconstitutional." Weigel, who is seeking his fourth term in the November election, said the new law unfairly singles out county board members and should also include municipal and township elected officials. During Thursday's executive committee meeting, he requested an opinion from the Will County state's attorney's office on whether Senate Bill 2701 is unconstitutional and, if so, "We should take this to court." Advertisement "It is what it is," said board Speaker Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort Township, noting that municipal and township officials were initially included in the proposed legislation, but were taken out. "I suppose you could say we were singled out. I don't know why they were taken out. There seems to be some inconsistencies," Moustis said. "I don't see us challenging it." Advertisement He said they can also opt out of the IMRF, but before making any decisions, he also requested a legal opinion before the next committee meeting on Sept. 8, and said he would invite an IMRF representative to that meeting to answer questions. He wants the county board to make a decision before Dec. 1, when new board members would begin their terms. The bill also immediately requires current board members to submit monthly reports documenting their hours worked, to ensure they are meeting IMRF requirements, something Weigel called "a burden." In Will County, they must work 600 hours per year to qualify for IMRF benefits. County board administrator Bruce Freifeld said they cannot include the time they spend working as forest preserve commissioners since that is a separate taxing body. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Mary Tatroe, assistant state's attorney, told the committee she did not believe the new law was unconstitutional, but said elements of it are "questionable." It does not affect county employees. Advertisement The bill was sponsored in the House by state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, who said in a press release, "We need to protect local taxpayers from having their money siphoned off by elected officials who are gaming the system. "With the difficult financial challenges facing our local governments, it is time for local officials to tighten their belts rather than continuing to raise property taxes for their own benefit," he said. According to the press release, Senate Bill 2701 was a collaboration between Franks, state Sen. Pamela Althoff, R-McHenry, and the IMRF, after Franks called for an investigation in March to determine if McHenry County Board members were in violation of IMRF policy by not working or documenting their required 1,000 hours per year. Franks is giving up his House seat to run for McHenry County Board chairman in November. slafferty@tribpub.com While much of the focus has been on the presidential election, voters will also make decisions on a few local issues in November, such as proposals to raise the sales tax, help the disabled, build a new school and abolish township government. Crete voters face two questions on the Nov. 8 ballot, one for the village and a second for the park district. Advertisement The village seeks a .5 percent increase in sales tax to generate money for road work, Mayor Mike Einhorn said. Sales tax in the village is now 7 percent, of which the village receives 1 percent, he said. The half-penny on a dollar, or a nickel for every $10 spent, would give the village $400,000 to $450,000 more annually, according to the mayor. Advertisement "We do not have sufficient funds to have a repair or replacement program," he said, adding that the village maintains 110 lane miles of roads. "There are tons of road projects. We're falling behind." The village now has about $600,000 in its road fund and receives $200,000 in motor fuel taxes, an amount that has been dwindling as vehicles become more efficient and drivers buy less gas, Einhorn said. Road salt costs $70,000 per year, and salaries and benefits for road crews take up $350,000 to $400,000, which doesn't leave much for road repairs, he said. The added funds might also allow the village to issue bonds to finance major road projects, he said. The Crete Park District will ask voters to levy 4 cents more for special needs patrons, which will add $13 to the tax bill of a $100,000 home, Director Patricia Polzin said. If it passes, the current tax rate of 33 cents would increase to 37 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. Polzin said it will bring in $54,000 in annual revenues and allow the park district to join the South Suburban Special Recreation Association, which provides programs and services to the disabled, as well as veterans and senior citizens. Crete residents who now want to use those services must pay non-resident rates, she said. The park district would also keep some of the new money to upgrade its playgrounds and facilities to be handicapped accessible. By law, park districts are allowed to levy up to 4 cents for special recreation needs without a referendum, but Polzin said park board members want to hear from the people. Advertisement "This could benefit so many people," she said. The SSSRA has 11 member park districts and offers a large spectrum of programs for participants from early childhood to seniors, including recreational and health-related classes, addressing such issues as memory loss and physical therapy, she said. Voters in Homer Township Fire District will decide whether its Fire Board of Trustees should be elected rather than appointed. Members of the Homer Township Professional Firefighters Local 4223 placed a referendum on the November ballot, saying an elected board would provide greater transparency. The current three-person board is appointed by the Homer Township Board of Trustees for three-year terms. If the measure is successful, three Fire Board members would be elected in the spring 2017 election, initially with staggered terms of two, four and six years. The White Oak Library District, which operates facilities in Lockport, Crest Hill and Romeoville, is making a second attempt to increase its tax rate, following a failed referendum request in the spring primary, when it sought more funds to allow it to expand its services and hours. Advertisement Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Other referendums in the area include: Laraway School District 70C, where school officials claim their current Laraway School at 275 W. Laraway Road, Joliet, has become a safety hazard due to the increased truck traffic in the area and plans for a proposed high-speed rail adjacent to the school. It is seeking voter approval to finance the $25 million construction of a new school on a 26-acre site owned by the district on Rowell Avenue. According to the district's website, the board approved the project, but residents collected signatures on a petition, forcing the issue to a vote on the November ballot. The district plans to use revenue from its Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax, which provides $1.8 million annually, to pay back the debt. The City of Naperville has two nonbinding referendums on its ballot, which it believes could start a movement toward abolishing township government. Voters will be asked if the city and Naperville Township Road District should share roadway services to reduce the real estate tax burden, and second, if townships should be eliminated in the city limits if it can be proven that it will save money. The Plainfield Park District is seeking voter approval to issue $10.5 million in bonds. In Joliet, there is a proposition to require all city council members be elected by district. The proposal would expand the number of the districts and eliminate members being elected at-large. Advertisement slafferty@tribpub.com Trump's candidacy makes it feel like the inmates have taken over the asylum, writes Ted Slowik. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) I'm disappointed with pro-business Republicans who are reluctant to renounce Donald Trump. After watching how the Democratic supermajority in Springfield has wrecked Illinois, I now worry a similar fate awaits the entire nation. Many polls are indicating a Democratic landslide in November's presidential contest, with the GOP likely to lose control of the Senate. Before long, Republicans may be the House minority as well. Advertisement I think a strong Republican party is needed to restore balance to the system. Instead, I see a weakened, divided party of Lincoln whose face has become that of an angry white man. It's a shame, too. Democrat Hillary Clinton is such a flawed candidate. The 2016 presidential election presented an ideal opportunity for Republicans to regain the White House with a strong, appealing contender. Advertisement Instead, Trump's candidacy makes it feel like the inmates have taken over the asylum. As an independent moderate, I find many aspects of the Republican platform appealing. I consider Republicans the party of the small-business owners, entrepreneurs and lovers of free enterprise pursuing the American dream. I understand the frustrations business owners feel about taxes and regulations. I see their points about government policies driving up costs and making it harder for them to stay in business. Consider, during this Labor Day weekend, the new federal rules about overtime that take effect Dec. 1. In May, President Barack Obama announced the Department of Labor's final rule updating overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The changes extend overtime pay protections to more than 4 million salaried workers. "This long-awaited update will result in a meaningful boost to many workers' wallets," the department said in a news release. The change means white-collar managers and other employees are eligible for overtime pay (1.5 times the hourly rate after 40 hours per week) if they earn up to $47,476 per year. The change doubles the previous overtime pay threshold of $23,660 a year. The rule was last changed in 2004. Small-business owners will find a way to cope, as they always do. They might seize the opportunity to take a fresh look at job descriptions and reclassify some positions to keep them exempt from overtime regulations. Owners who simply don't have the money to afford big raises for employees have two choices: find a way to make it work, or go out of business. Advertisement I believe many small businesses barely turn a profit. I wonder how much policy makers appreciate how increased wages, benefits and other costs impact their bottom lines. A minimum wage increase, for example, means wage and cost increases across the board. If low-level employees earn more, everyone else on up the line has to get a raise, too. In theory, higher costs of doing business ultimately result in higher prices. Companies have to raise prices charged to consumers for goods or jack up rates charged for services to remain profitable, though it threatens their competitiveness. Through the years, the Republican Party has come to be identified as business-friendly while Democrats are perceived as union-friendly. There's some basis for fact in these perceptions. But like a lot of other things upended by this election cycle, Trump's candidacy shakes the very notion of the GOP as the party of business. The nation's most visible pro-business group, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has been at odds with Trump on issues like trade and immigration. The group criticizes Clinton's positions, too. Statements issued by the chamber include such titles as, "Trump and Clinton Are Both Wrong About Trade," "Why Trump's U.S.-Mexico Wall Wouldn't Solve America's Immigration Problems" and "Trump and Clinton Seem To Be Struggling on Immigration. We Can Help." The folks at the chamber seem caught in the quagmire over Trump, along with a lot of other Republicans and independents. Some enthusiastically embrace Trump's free-thinking rhetoric. Others just as passionately denounce him for encouraging bigotry. Advertisement Many Republicans Gov. Bruce Rauner, for example neither endorse nor denounce the Republican presidential candidate. They refuse to commit either way. They make lukewarm statements about party unity, which they know are difficult to defend, since evidence of divisiveness within the GOP is everywhere. The problem with Trump the bankruptcy-prone TV celebrity is that he's bad for business. He owes his political strength to making outrageous statements that pander to an outraged fraction of the population. Support Trump, and you're painted with the same brush as his most despicable supporters. "But I'm not racist," I hear moderate and conservative Republicans say. That may be, but you're now associated with those who want to ban Muslims, build a wall and deport 11 million residents. If your business involves serving customers, you need to be inclusive. There may soon be taco trucks on every corner, and most people are fine with that. Think of the political spectrum as a straight line. You have your free-college-for-all types feeling the Bern on the far left. On the other end, you've got the alt-right purists who want to build the wall and ban Muslims. The extremes make up a certain percentage of each end of the spectrum. Pick a number. Ten percent? Fifteen? Gradually the left morphs into what has traditionally been considered liberal (now progressive), while conservatives fill the right. No one knows exact percentages, because political identities seem to continuously evolve. Advertisement For the sake of argument, let's assign 20 percent each to the labels of hard-core liberals and conservatives. That would leave roughly 25 to 30 percent of the country in the middle including independent moderates, undecided voters and nonparticipants who will sit out this mess, thank you. The dilemma for traditional GOP-supporting, pro-business types is guilt by association. Republicans tolerated far-right extremists because their numbers helped create a coalition that gained majorities in the House and Senate. Now, those in the middle are fleeing the GOP, despite the gaping flaws of the Democratic alternative. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > I wish moderates would retake control of the GOP and kick extremists to the curb. Republicans can't grow the party by appealing to the right. The line ends at David Duke and Bubba the white supremacist. The only way to ensure the party's growth is to appeal to the middle. That means becoming more moderate and inclusive, not less so. I think the GOP needs to show a willingness to compromise, not a refusal. Republicans ignored this advice after the 2012 election, and now with Trump as the nominee the party is on a path where its long-term outlook for growth is dismal. The country becomes more diverse every day. There will soon be more non-whites than whites in America, even in GOP strongholds such as Texas. Trying to "make American great again" is like an adult wishing he could relive his childhood. You can't turn back the clock to a time when women, minorities, homosexuals and others were denied equal rights. You can't recreate the "good ol' days." You can only move forward. The GOP strategies of maintaining political power by controlling redistricting maps and suppressing voter registration seem increasingly desperate, like Southern Louisiana trying to stop land from being swallowed by the sea. Advertisement I hope Republicans regroup after this election. I want the party to be strong, and balance restored to the two-party system. I wish more moderate Republicans would renounce racist alt-right rhetoric and jettison the baggage that is holding the party back from growing its numbers from the ranks of those in the middle of the political spectrum. tslowik@tribpub.com Twitter @tedslowik Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web Country Club Hills native Dorene Hinton, center, poses with Elizabeth Cavanagh, a St. Louis anesthesiologist and president of the SIU School of Medicine Alumni Society Board of Governors, and Erik Constance, associate dean for student affairs, during the schools 2016 White Coat Ceremony for new medical students. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown) A Country Club Hills native who recently began her medical school studies says her parents helped her achieve success by always pushing her to do her best from a young age. Dorene Hinton, 24, is a 2010 graduate of Hillcrest High School in Bremen High School District 228. She told me she hopes to become an anesthesiologist in four years when she completes her studies and training. Advertisement "I wanted to become a doctor because of my family and seeing different health issues they've had," she said. "From there I was able to shadow people who work in emergency services and gain a better understanding of patient interaction." In addition to her studies, Hinton participated in marching band at Hillcrest and ran with the track team. She was a member of a 4x4 relay team that took second in state her senior year. Advertisement "I did a lot in high school," she said. Her mother, Doris, said she always made herself available to give her children assistance and suggestions with their studies. "I think early learning is important," she told me. "I attribute (Dorene's success) to taking her through the basics, checking her studies and making sure everything is OK. Each step was beneficial to her. If there was a problem with comprehension then we'd do more reading." Doris recently retired after teaching English at Morgan Park High School on Chicago's South Side for many years. She and her husband, Ray a salesman have two older sons: Ray Jr., a physician in Georgia, and Gerren, an engineer in Chicago. She said she thinks her own background in education wasn't as important a factor in their children's academic success as parental support. "I don't think me being a teacher has as much to do with it. It was me as a parent taking the concern and time. I worked at it continuously," she said. After graduating from Hillcrest, Dorene studied chemistry at Butler University in Indianapolis and earned a bachelor's degree in 2014. She spent the past two years participating in SIU's Medical/Dental Education Preparatory Program, which helps prepare economically or academically disadvantaged students for medical school through emphasis on study skills, testing abilities and competency in advanced science classes. Ninety-five percent of MEDPREP participants are African-American or Hispanic, SIU says. Since its launch in 1972 the program has helped more than 1,000 students prepare for careers in medicine. Advertisement Dorene is statistically exceptional in her pursuit of a career as an anesthesiologist. "Although blacks and African-Americans comprise 13 percent of the nation, they account for only 4 percent of the physician workforce," the Association of American Medical Colleges says. She'll spend one year studying in Carbondale, then the next three years in Springfield. Dorene and 76 other members of the SIU School of Medicine's class of 2020 recently participated in a traditional "White Coat Ceremony," which welcomes new students into the profession. The school's Alumni Society provides the white coats, and the ceremony includes reciting the Hippocratic Oath. Dorene is one of eight members in the class who are minorities, SIU says. Three are from Illinois, while the other five are from California, New Jersey and other states. SIU says it is one of the top schools in the nation at recruiting minorities to careers in the medical profession. "We continue to attract a diversity of students, which helps us address the health care needs of the population," Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Wesley McNeese said in a news release. "Statistically, students from underrepresented groups are more likely to practice among underserved populations and to choose the general practice of medicine over specialization." SIU outperforms 93 percent of about 160 medical schools in the United States and Canada it terms of its percentage of graduates who are black, The State Journal-Register said in a recent report. McNeese told the newspaper black students tend to carry more student-loan debt, come from less-wealthy families and are more likely to drop out of medical school than their peers. Advertisement Dorene's work ethic and accomplishments impressed me, especially knowing that the Illinois State Board of Education has determined that 89 percent of Hillcrest students are not ready for college. Just 11 percent of Hillcrest students score at least 21 on the ACT test, according to Illinois Report Card findings. I asked the medical student what advice she would share with current Hillcrest students about achieving academic and career success. "I'd suggest they take advantage of each opportunity available to them," she said. "Take higher-level courses if they can. It will help them." Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Dorene would have been 16 nearly an adult when Barack Obama was first elected president. I recall visiting James Weldon Johnson Elementary School in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood shortly after Obama took office. I recall the impact of watching African-American youngsters recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, displayed next to a portrait of the president. I remember thinking how all the other presidential portraits that have been part of this ritual for generations depicted white males. I recall a palpable sense of excitement and ambition among the young African-American children I observed, a feeling that anything was possible. Children are inspired by role models in positions of authority and leadership teachers, police officers, doctors. I remember thinking Obama's presidency would inspire a generation of African-American children to achieve great things as adults. Advertisement Doris Hinton says when her children were growing up in Country Club Hills she made sure they "stayed on top" on their academics and extracurricular activities. "I was always telling them, 'You have to do your best, always,'" she said. "C's are not acceptable. B's are not really acceptable." tslowik@tribpub.com Twitter @tedslowik Bill Sohn, chief of the South Elgin and Countryside Fire Protection District, untangles a line for firefighter Eric Traux at a recent Fish with the Fire Chief event. (Janelle Walker / The Courier-News) With its two village ponds stocked with fish and its frontage on the Fox River, fishing is a popular activity in South Elgin. Bill Sohn, South Elgin and Countryside Fire Protection chief, loves to fish with his grandson. Now, he's turning that passion in a community event. Advertisement From 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of October, village youth are invited to Fish with the Fire Chief at Blackhawk Park. The fire district reached out to the South Elgin Parks and Recreation Department and suggested the program, said Shane Hamilton, parks and recreation superintendent. Advertisement "It was the fire department's idea. They asked us to consider it and put it on the (recreation) brochure for the fall. It is a community outreach for them," Hamilton said. The idea "came from Steve's head," said Sohn, referring to Steve Wascher, assistant fire chief. Sohn and Wascher plan to take turns fishing with interested children. "Everyone knows I like to fish," Sohn said. "It is a way for us to interact with kids." He started fishing as a child, going to Northern Minnesota with his grandparents to a cabin. They would stay on the waters of Lake Ida all day. Now, he trolls other lakes with family, including his grandchildren and adult children. But now that he's fishing with the kids, "I haven't caught a fish in years," Sohn said jokingly. "My wife and daughter want to know when I got so soft." When his own kids were younger, they'd sit in the back of the boat while he cast his lines. "Now my grandson sits in my spot," he said and he reeled in a 38-inch muskie in Minnesota. They started at 4 a.m., were on the water by 5 a.m. and caught fish all day. Sohn said he follows catch-and-release, which is what South Elgin requires at its ponds. Advertisement Almost all of the ponds have some sort of fish in them some left by residents who caught them elsewhere. The village stocks ponds in East Avenue and Blackhawk parks. Over the years they have put in bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill and perch. They also put in some type of minnow as food fish, Hamilton said. Sohn has caught bluegill, catfish and a Northern Pike from Blackhawk's pond. East Avenue Park, at 325 East Avenue, is an old quarry. Counts are down at that park, likely from residents keeping their catch and overfishing the pond. It will be restocked this fall, Hamilton said. For Fish with the Fire Chief at Blackhawk, the village provides bait, but anglers must bring their own poles. The state doesn't require a fishing license for those under 16. Parents are welcome, too, but are asked to let the kids fish alone. There is a $1 fee for residents, and a $2 fee for nonresidents. Not many children have participated since the program started on Aug. 18, but it likely will be offered again in the spring, though not in the winter, Hamilton said. South Elgin discourages ice fishing on the ponds as the ice can be iffy. The village sponsors a "Fish n' Freeze," event at Blackhawk in February, but it was called off last year because it was too warm outside. More information on Fish with a Fire Chief can be found in the South Elgin Parks and Recreation fall brochure. Advertisement Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. Carpentersville is making it easier to shop local with the recently launched Shop C'Ville initiative, an interactive portal aimed at connecting businesses and residents. The purpose of Shop C'Ville is to implement the village's economic development mission to support and promote all local businesses. Advertisement Economic Development Director Patrick Burke said that to date, nearly 20 Carpentersville businesses have claimed their sites. And the feedback from those businesses "has been positive." Advertisement "Shannon's Pet Sitting is a good example of what a business can do with the site. Based on her suggestion, we expanded the photo section," Burke said. Trustee Paul Humpfer, who also serves as chair for the village's Business Development Commission, said in a news release that one of the village's priorities has been to increase outreach to the business community and the residents. "Shop C'Ville is a free, interactive way for businesses and residents to discover all that Carpentersville has to offer," he said. Users can access the interactive portal by clicking on the Shop C'Ville button located on the village's website at www.cville.org. Businesses have the ability to create a presence through unique pages that they are able to design and update on a regular basis with information on new merchandise or services, current coupon offerings, available job openings and upcoming events. Melissa Hernandez, president of the Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release that businesses are constantly looking for ways to connect with their customers and establish their identity within the community. "Shop C'Ville also will provide an online platform for customers who want to support their community and shop locally," she said. Those looking for a particular type of business will be able to search the interactive directory by type of service, business name or location. The mobile app further assists the search by allowing users to find the closest businesses by utilizing the location services featured on their mobile device. "Through this initiative, Carpentersville hopes to highlight the strength of its business community by making local offerings more accessible and vibrant," Burke said. Advertisement He added that shopping local simultaneously creates jobs, funds more village services through the sales tax, allows the village to invest in neighborhood improvements, and promotes community development. Erin Sauder is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. Elgin's first pop-up restaurant is bringing an island vibe to downtown over Labor Day weekend. Aurora chef Greg Boissiere, of Island Boy Food catering, is set to cook up jerk chicken, curry shrimp, potatoes, and red beans and rice at the pop-up restaurant. Advertisement Boissiere's Island Boy Food pop-up starts at 2 p.m. Sunday and will stay open until 1 a.m. Monday, at 13 Douglas Ave., in a space belonging to LocalVore, owned by Elgin businessman Kevin Echevarria and his family. LocalVore is a pop-up venue for anything from art classes and art shows to restaurants and test kitchens, Echevarria said. Island Boy Food is the first to use the space as a one-day restaurant, he said. Advertisement The anchors at LocalVore are a research and food development firm, Muise Innovation, that works out of the space during the week and Brushed Chicago, which is expanding to host more painting parties, Echevarria said. Both companies have just signed longer leases, he said. Echevarria is excited about the concept behind LocalVore and thinks it has a good future. "I think the future of building business relies on micro businesses and leases. People are, more and more, seeing that micro leasing options allow them to test and prove out their ideas before throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars away," he said. "If you build it small and scale it up, you have a better business long-term." Boissiere is a young entrepreneur, a perfect fit for LocalVore, Echevarria said. The two anchor businesses are run by 20-somethings who see value in micro business, he said. Echevarria connected with Boissiere through mutual friends. The pop-up is a "way for him to get his name out there, promote his catering and see what a restaurant would be like," Echevarria said, adding he is excited about the event. Boissiere was born in Trinidad and moved to the U.S. at age 13. His family ended up living in Aurora, where he has lived on and off for 20 years. He spent some time working in a Miami restaurant honing his skills as a chef. He grew up in the kitchen, learning from his mother and grandmother, he said. "I was always around someone cooking. I was always in the kitchen doing something to prepare the food," Boissiere said. "It was a passion that just grew in me that I didn't realize until later in life." A union carpenter, Boissiere last worked at the new Carpentersville Wal-Mart, getting it ready to open in late June. He was working with some Wal-Mart employees from other states who were tired of eating out, so he offered to make them some of his Caribbean dishes. Advertisement He ended up cooking for the group for two weeks, he said. A friend told him about the pop-up opportunity and suggested they hold an event. The friend had to back out, but Boissiere decided to move ahead with the idea. "I stuck with it, because this is where my passion lies," Boissiere said. He planned the menu with favorites like jerk chicken. There will also be live performers and a DJ. Anotchi Fiyah is an Aurora-based reggae performer who is featured at Sunday's event. Music will also be provided by DJ Memski and reggae band Dablyon, which has performed at Aurora's Two Brothers Roundhouse and at Harry Carey's in Lombard. "It should be an awesome event," Boissiere said. "I am hoping the turnout is good." The bands have a group of followers and he has some followers so he is hoping to feed a crowd. "Regardless of how it turns out, it is a good stepping stone," Boissiere said, who views the pop-up restaurant as a learning experience. "It is a milestone because I've never done an event like this on my own." Advertisement The chef is ready to deal with any issues that come up and is looking forward to the experience of running his own restaurant, even for just a day. "I like a fast paced environment," he said. "I like to be problem-solving, that's why I like the kitchen. You have to be moving and multitasking." LocalVore has made it easier for Boissiere to try out his idea, he said. Echevarria hopes others will see the benefit and try out their ideas in Elgin. He has had clients show up at Dream Kitchen, his other business, and be blown away by what they see in the downtown, he said. "We are investing in downtown," he said. "We have a lot of offer, and I think people are starting to see that value." Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. The Most Rev. Thomas G. Doran, Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford, has died, Rockford Diocese Bishop David Malloy announced Thursday. He was 80. "As we thank God for the life, priesthood and service of Bishop Doran, I ask for prayers for the repose of his soul," Malloy said during a press conference live-streamed on the diocese website. "Eternal rest grant unto him." Advertisement Doran had been in declining health for some time, but he got worse over the last couple of months, said Malloy, who spent several hours with Doran on Wednesday. The late bishop studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained in 1961, according to his biography on the diocese webpage. He spent several years in the Diocese then went back to Rome from 1975 to 1978 to complete a doctorate in Canon Law, it stated. Advertisement "As a parish priest ministering to souls, as a high school teacher forming the minds and consciences of young people and as an assistant to Bishop Loras T. Lane, Bishop Doran combined his formidable intellectual gifts with his faith and love for the church," Malloy said Thursday. Doran later became an expert on canon law and served in different administrative positions in the diocese until his consecration as Bishop of Rockford in 1994, Malloy said. The late Pope John Paul II named Doran as bishop member of the Congregation for the Clergy in 2001. Malloy said the late bishop ordained many of the priests and deacons in the diocese. Elgin St. Joseph Catholic Church Rev. Jesus Dominguez was one of the priests Doran ordained. Dominquez came from Mexico and was ordained 14 years ago. The late bishop took him under his wing, Dominquez said. "He is the one who sent me to my first assignment, St. Nicholas Church in Aurora," Dominguez said. Doran transferred Dominguez to St. Joseph's six years ago. "I was very grateful, because this is the largest Hispanic parish in the Diocese of Rockford. I was very thankful he entrusted me with this parish." Doran was a Rockford native whose family had deep roots in the city, Malloy said. "As a son of Rockford, Bishop Doran loved his home diocese," Malloy said. "From the Mississippi to McHenry County, Bishop Doran knew and loved the parishes and the faithful. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the Catholic faith in northern Illinois by supporting Catholic education, outreach to the poor, the protection of young people and the holiness of the clergy." "It is something that colored his services as a priest and bishop," Malloy said. "It was something that was a deep part of who he was." Advertisement Doran was very traditional, Dominguez said. "He had a very traditional way, an old-style way," Dominguez said. "I always admired him. I think his way of living his episcopal power in a traditional way gave me the strength to be an example and be faithful to the church and all the teaching and doctrines of the church." Malloy extended his sympathy and prayers to Doran's family and friends. Doran is survived by a sister, Susanne, from Chicago, some cousins and extended family who live in the area. Funeral arrangements are being completed by Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Crematory, Rockford. Services for Doran will be held at the Cathedral of St. Peter, 1243 N. Church St., Rockford, according to a news release. A public viewing of Doran's body will be Sept. 8 beginning with evening prayer at 4 p.m. with viewing to continue until 8 p.m. Public viewing will also be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 9. A funeral Mass will be celebrated by Malloy and priests of the Rockford Diocese at 11 a.m. Sept. 9. Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. Trenton Norwood, left, has been charged with armed robbery and unlawful use of a weapon, according to police. Keith D. Richardson has been charged with armed robbery. (Evanston Police Department / Handout) Two Evanston men and a Chicago teenager have been charged in connection with the armed robbery of a woman at an Evanston ATM Tuesday night in which police recovered a loaded handgun and a stolen vehicle, officials said Friday. Trenton Norwood, 19, of the 1200 block of Sherman Avenue in Evanston, was charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. Keith D. Richardson, 20, of the 700 block of Dobson Street in Evanston, was charged with one count of armed robbery, police said Friday. They said a third person, 17 and from Chicago, was charged as a juvenile with attempted armed robbery. Advertisement Shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday, Evanston police received a 911 call of a possible robbery in progress near the ATM at the Bank of America in the 1300 block of Chicago Avenue, authorities said. They said arriving officers saw Richardson and the Chicago teen near an idling vehicle in the bank's parking lot and saw a woman in the ATM vestibule along with a Norwood, who had a towel covering his face. When Richardson and the teen saw the patrol car, they fled on foot southbound on Sherman Avenue, police said. Advertisement The woman and Norwood left the ATM vestibule and at that time one of the officers reportedly saw Norwood with his hands in his waistband, officials said. They said that when the officer told Norwood to remove his hands from his waistband he refused. Officers were able to take Norwood into custody and at that time they found a loaded .410 caliber Taurus revolver if his waistband, officials said. The woman, an Evanston resident, told police she was approached by the three men, who displayed a handgun and demanded she withdraw $200 from the ATM, which is about three blocks from the Evanston Police Department in the 1400 block of Elmwood Avenue. Police said the woman was not injured. A loaded .410 caliber Taurus revolver was recovered by police Tuesday, Aug. 30, following a botched armed robbery attempt in Evanston, according to Evanston police. (Evanston Police Department / Handout) Officers searching for the subjects that fled the parking lot on foot arrested Richardson inside the Dempster Street CTA station, and the 17-year-old Chicago teen was arrested on the roof of a building in the 1300 block of Sherman Avenue following a search by the Evanston police canine dog, officials said. The vehicle that was idling in the bank parking lot was reported stolen out of Chicago, police said. Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Aysha Shedbalkar, a math teacher at West Leyden, worked as a volunteer at a Syrian refugee camp in Greece during the summer. Here, she poses with a baby Sulaiman, who she called "My Border Baby" because he was born in Idomeni refugee camp on the border of Greece and Macedonia while his family waited for the border to open. (Aysha Shedbalkar / HANDOUT) West Leyden High School math teacher Aysha Shedbalkar said she had been aware of the plight of those affected by war in Syria, but it took one famous image to move her to action. "I mean I knew what was happening," she said. "I don't think I had the urge to do anything until I saw that picture." Advertisement That was the photo of Aylan Kurdi, a toddler who drowned with his mother and brother in efforts to flee Syria in September 2015. The Syrian Center for Policy Research estimates that more than 470,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war that began five years ago. "It's sad that it took a picture of a dead boy on a beach to make it real to me," she said. "But I think it was then that I started to really pay attention to what was happening." Advertisement Shedbalkar said she has done a lot of volunteer work in the past. She said she traveled to help in Tanzania, Ethiopia and India, and mainly worked with orphans and widows. Although she said she has spent several of her summers as a volunteer in other countries, none compared to the level of desperation she encountered when she arrived at Syrian refugee camps in Thessaloniki, Greece, at the end of May. "I think the biggest thing that stood out to me is the conditions that the refugees are living in is just horrible," she said. Shedbalkar volunteered at two refugee camps over the nine weeks she spent in Greece. She spent seven weeks volunteering with a volunteer organization called Team Humanity at Oreokastro. "They're living in a warehouse," she said. "They're living in close quarters. They have no privacy, they have to use porta-potties, which are used by 1,600 other people, and they get cleaned once a day." She said she spent most of her time in Oreokastro. "I would be there from like 10 or 11 a.m. and stay until like 2 o'clock in the morning," she said. "And a lot of what I did on my off time was listen to the families and talk to them and listen to their stories." She said that the refugees have no resources and are really bored. "They don't have anything to do," she said. Shedbalkar explained that one of the biggest problems is baby food, which is either scarce or expired and some women cannot breast-feed. Advertisement "So they were having to do everything using baby formula, like the only food that their baby was drinking was baby formula," she said. "And for them, that's a big concern if they don't know when they are going to get it." She added that education also is a major concern, adding some young adults had to leave college three or four years ago, and some small children had never been to school. "It is like a whole generation of kids and young adults that are growing up with no education," she said. For two weeks, Shedbalkar volunteered with the Salam Cultural Museum at another refugee camp, Frakapour, which she says held between 450 to 500 refugees. Shedbalkar said that without computers and resources, "phones are their lifeline." A refugee, Rezan Alhasan Alebrahim, 24, said via email that the camp "makes me feel despair." He answered questions via his phone. Alebrahim said he was born in Kobani and lived in Manbej until the city was taken over by "Daesh," or ISIS. He mentioned that he is doing what he can to be positive and productive with his time. Advertisement "I do some activities to I feel that I am an existing, like learn how to play guitar, and I give English lessons to my friends," he said. Shedbalkar said when she talked to refugees, she often heard them say, in Syria, you die a quick death, but out here you die a slow death. "Because they're just slowly wasting away waiting to see what happens," she said. "I want the world to know we live in bad conditions and live in tents like living in the graves. ... Life is hard here bad food, many diseases. No one [is] happy here," Alebrahim said. Alebrahim said he remembered Shedbalkar. He said she treated people equally and helped everyone, as well as having a compassionate heart. "If everyone was like Aysha, [the] world would be OK," he said. Shedbalkar returned from Greece on Aug. 5 to prepare for the 2016-17 school year teaching AP calculus and algebra at West Leyden. She has been teaching for more than 10 years. Advertisement Principal Tatiana Bonuma said she felt it was compelling, especially for students, that Shedbalkar took time out of her summer to help others. "I think that it's a powerful message. It's a powerful story," she said. "I think especially our students aren't always aware, or have a good understanding of, 'what does it mean to be a refugee?' I think we need a better awareness of what that means and what that experience is like." Bonuma said that she encourages students to have a good understanding of human rights. "The global awareness, the service commitment is something that we hold as important," she said. "Being aware of what's out there and how we can help our community and other communities." As far as getting help to refugees, Shedbalkar said knowing is a start. "One of the biggest things is getting the word out, because most people are just numb to what is happening," she said. "There's no connection to it because it is not happening here." Advertisement She mentioned organizations such as Exodus World Services, Islamic Oasis Center and Syrian Community Network that are located in the Chicago area and can provide avenues to help Syrian refugees. "I think that if everyone did just a little, whatever they can, that they could make a difference," Shedbalkar said. Taryn Galbreath is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. A project to install new pipes to remove stormwater from the village of La Grange at 50th Street has been stalled by a lawsuit. (Annemarie Mannion / Pioneer Press) A lawsuit that has cast doubt on the future of a multimillion dollar flood control project proposed in La Grange is going to mediation. La Grange Village President Thomas Livingston said the case between Material Service Corporation and the village is scheduled for mediation on Sept. 8. Advertisement "We are scheduled for mediation with the quarry on Sept. 8 and are committed to exploring options that allows us reduce the impact of stormwater particularly in 100-year storms for La Grange homes. We will work for a resolution at that time," he wrote in an email. Paul Carroll, an attorney representing Material Service Corporation, did not immediately return a phone call for comment. Advertisement Material Service Corporation filed the lawsuit July 9 seeking to block the village's 50th Street Storm Sewer project and the Brainard Avenue emergency flood barrier. The company owns a quarry, known as the Federal Quarry, which is just east of the village and which, under the village's plans, would accept stormwater during extremely heavy rain storms via an enlarged pipe on 50th street. The village's flood protection plans include a 54-inch storm sewer beneath 50th Street and a lateral sewer along 9th Avenue to alleviate flooding in low-lying areas, where water was seen chest-high on Spring Avenue at 50th and 51st streets during flooding in 2014. Plans also call for building a flood wall along Brainard Avenue which would curb overland flooding that comes from the southwest through the La Grange Country Club during unusually heavy rains in a short period of time. Material Service Corporation alleges in its lawsuit that the "village of La Grange brazenly intends to proceed with its plan to unilaterally and without right expand the location, output, and/or size of a 53-inch diameter storm sewer that has, since at least 1992, deposited water into Material Service Corporation's quarry in McCook." It also alleges that the village's modifications would quadruple the amount of water sent on to the quarry floor. It also states that "this all comes when MSC is expanding its operations to mine aggregate underneath the quarry." Village attorney Mark Burkland said the quarry has been used for detention of stormwater since 1992, but that is not the village's fault. The village had previously used a pipe that diverted stormwater to an area known as the McCook ditch. That ended because "the quarry decided to expand and dig and they cut and removed a big section of the pipe," Burkland said. Since that time, he said the village and the quarry owner have had an agreement that stormwater from the pipe could go into the quarry.. Advertisement Prior to the lawsuit being filed, Livingston said the village tried to reach an agreement with Material Service Corporation on use of the quarry to accept stormwater during very substantial rains known as 100-year floods. "We had been in discussions with the quarry. They had been advancing. But in May they took a surprising turn," he said. Burkland said company was seeking a $7 million payment which was far more than the village could afford. "They said that knowing the village doesn't have $7 million," he asserted. "The only reason they have to take the water is because they cut the pipe," he added. Burkland said the village has not yet started to build the project, but has done a tremendous amount of other work to prepare for it including engineering work, getting insurance and hiring subcontractors. Advertisement Given the uncertainty, the village put the project on hold until the legal challenge is resolved. amannion@tribpub.com Twitter triblocalam Joseph Slavik and his granddaughter, Maribeth O'Malley, enjoy a welcome home party following the flight to Washington D.C. (Barb Leschke / HANDOUT) Joseph Slavik took flying lessons as a young man, but he didn't soar on a jet plane or visit the nation's capital until just last week. That's when the 103-year-old World War II veteran from La Grange Park flew to Washington D.C. "I got a big surprise because I was on an airliner and I'd never been on one before," said Slavik, who traveled with 43 other veterans on an Honor Flight sponsored by the Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois. "It did a lot of bouncing in the air." Advertisement The veterans spent three days in the capital and visited 13 monuments, including the World War II Memorial. At home a few days after the Aug. 25 trip, Slavik called the trip "interesting" and "satisfactory." Advertisement His granddaughter Maribeth O'Malley said it was much more for him. "He was beside himself," she said. "He got emotional." Slavik was born in Chicago in 1912, fifth in a family of 14 children. His father died when he was 12 and Slavik dropped out of school and went to work as a special delivery boy for the U.S. Postal Service, according to his family. As a young man, Slavik earned a pilot's license flying small prop planes. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1944 and, though he had hoped that he would serve in some capacity on a plane, he was assigned to the infantry. He served under Gen. George Patton and was among the allied forces that invaded Normandy. He was involved in the Battle of the Bulge and served in Italy, Germany, France and Belgium. Even today, decades after the war ended, Slavik can still recall some of the harrowing details of his service. He remembers being directed during the Battle of the Bulge to take cover inside the middle building in a row of three. He spent the night listening to shells bursting and buildings crumbling around him. "I started praying the Rosary before the shooting started," he said. "The buildings on each side got hit. The building I was praying the Rosary in didn't get hit. It was a miracle." He remembers that his feet would get sores because of the amount of walking that he did, and that he often felt ill from eating spoiled food that he found. One day he fell off a truck and injured his spine, which required surgery. During his recovery the doctor who cared for him asked if he'd like to join him and become a medic. "No more rifle," Slavik said. "I was into first aid. That was satisfactory for me. It was better than carrying a rifle." Advertisement The worst part of being a medic was giving fellow soldiers their last cigarette and comforting them as they died. Slavik's war came to end on April 28, 1946 when he returned to Chicago and was reunited with his wife, Irene. They raised three daughters. Slavik worked as a bus driver for the CTA for 27 years and worked until he was 94 in security at the Arlington Park Race Track. Randy Granath, president of the Veterans Network Committee, which organized the trip, said they were happy to be able to offer the trip to Slavik. "We were proud to have him," Granath said. "To my knowledge he's the oldest veteran from Illinois who's gone on the trip." Granath said the thee-day trip is enough time for the veterans, including those from the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War, to enjoy themselves. "We take our time," he said. "We don't rush the vets. The first day we travel and do one or two memorials, have a nice dinner and socialize. We have fun and the vets get younger on the trip. Each day seems like a party." Advertisement The trip included more trips to memorials and more dinners and ended with a welcome home party at the Stades Farm in McHenry, where Slavik's granddaughter, Maribeth O'Malley, said Slavik was the life of the party. "He was a complete rock star," she said. "He didn't want to leave." O'Malley cares for her grandfather, who lives with her in La Grange Park. She said it's an honor. "I can't tell you how blessed I am to be with him every day," she said. "The best part is that my children get to see that this is what we do. We take care of each other." Knowing how lucky he was to survive the war, and to be looking forward to his 104th birthday, Slavik, who has 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, said his faith has helped him throughout his life. "I will say this much about my life," he said. "I did a lot of praying and it did a lot of good." Advertisement amannion@tribpub.com Twitter triblocalam Jatnael R. Malagon-Guadarrama was charged with criminal sexual assault of a teenage relative, police said Friday. (Lake Zurich Police Department ) A 34-year-old Lake Zurich man was charged with criminal sexual assault of a teenage relative, police said Friday. Jatnael R. Malagon-Guadarrama, of the first block of Northcrest Road, was arrested Aug. 22 in connection with a series of incidents involving a relative, Lake Zurich police said. Advertisement Lake Zurich Police Chief Steve Husak said Malagon-Guadarrama allegedly committed the abuse against a relative between the ages of 13 and 17. Police are unable to provide additional details of the incidents, he said. "I don't know exactly when the incidents took place," Husak said. "The victim is a family member, a younger family member. I'm not sure of their relationship." Advertisement The incidents were reported to Lake Zurich police, he said. Lake County prosecutors and counselors interviewed the alleged victim at the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center before charges were filed, Husak said. "The charges stem from repeated conduct," he said. Malagon-Guadarrama had no previous criminal record, Husak said. On Aug. 24, Lake County Circuit Court Judge Christen Bishop granted $300,000 bond to Malagon-Guadarrama with the conditions that he have no contact with the alleged victim or with anyone under 18 years old, and that he not possess any dangerous weapons, said Cynthia Trujillo Vargas, spokeswoman for the Lake County state's attorney. As of Friday afternoon, Malagon-Guadarrama had not posted bond and remained in Lake County Jail, said Chris Covelli, spokesman for the county sheriff's office. Malagon-Guadarrama is scheduled to appear in Lake County Circuit Court again on Sept. 14, Covelli said. Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Lincolnwood Mayor Jerry Turry recently announced he would run for re-election with a slate of candidates called the Lincolnwood Alliance Party. (Handout) Seven months before Lincolnwood voters can cast their ballots, political alliances already have started forming in the village for the upcoming municipal election in April. Mayor Jerry Turry recently announced his plans to seek re-election in 2017 as part of the "Lincolnwood Alliance Party," a slate of candidates that includes two incumbent village board Trustees. The group is looking for another candidate interested in running for a trustee spot. Advertisement A former village clerk, Georgia Talaganis, one of the mayoral candidates who lost to Turry during the 2013 election, said she is considering another mayoral run. She didn't specify when she would make her decision official. "I feel good, I'm healthy and I'm ready to run one more time because I'm committed to this town," Turry said of his decision. Advertisement If elected, Turry would take on his fourth term as mayor, making him the second-longest serving mayor in Lincolnwood behind Henry Proesel, who was the first mayor of Lincolnwood and served 46 years in the position. Turry was first elected mayor in 2005, when he also ran with a slate of candidates backed by some of the same residents who again are supporting his run in 2017, he said. This time, trustees Ronald Cope and Craig Klatzco, both elected to their first terms in 2013, will join Turry on the Lincolnwood Alliance Party, Turry said. Cope and Klatzco did not return requests for comments about their re-election plans. They both ran independently during the 2013 election. Talaganis, a former president of the nonprofit Friends of the Lincolnwood Public Library and former library board member, said numerous residents are urging her to run again for mayor. "Never say never," she said. "I have many positive supporters who are pushing me to run." Municipal candidates interested in running during the April election can start circulating petitions in September and must file for the local election by early December, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. According to an August statement announcing the formation of the Lincolnwood Alliance Party, the group's platform advocates for low taxes, stimulating commercial and economic development, and responsiveness to residents' needs. The slate of candidates also is seeking another candidate to run for trustee. Aside from Cope and Klatzco, only trustee Larry Elster's seat will be open next year on the village board, which includes six members total. Advertisement Elster didn't respond to requests for comment about the upcoming local election. When Elster ran for his seat in 2013, he was the only candidate for trustee who successfully secured a board spot among the five-person slate called the Independent Party. The slate also included Talaganis. Another slate called the Future Vision Party was led by former mayor Peter Moy, who also lost to Turry for mayor in 2013. As for the new Lincolnwood Alliance Party in 2017, Turry wasn't specific on what the group is looking for in another trustee candidate. An interested person has to bring fresh ideas to the village board, he said. "I don't think there's anything missing from this board, but we're willing to find good people willing to devote their energies to making the town better," he said. "If you're not working toward getting better, then you're getting stagnant, so I embrace change and new ideas." Turry cited economic development as the town's top priority, specifically the future of the former Purple Hotel Property. Advertisement The site went into foreclosure earlier this year after Skokie-based developer North Capital Group was unable to secure financing for a loan needed to build a massive retail center and hotel, which had been planned since 2012 for the property at Lincoln and Touhy avenues. The question now is whether a developer will come in and take the property off the hands of North Capital Group, which is engaged in a commercial foreclosure lawsuit with Ontario-based lender Romspen Investment Corp. "We have developers anxious to get in and build, but you can't get anywhere until the foreclosure suit is peeled away and so it sits," Turry said. "A lot of residents think we had something to do with the (failure of the development) but we actually made it easy for North Capital Group to proceed." Another reason to stick around for a fourth term as mayor, Turry said, is to witness long-planned public projects come to fruition, such as the new bikeway system and a pedestrian bridge scheduled to open over Touhy Avenue within the next two years. Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. More witnesses said Thursday they saw or experienced violence from a Naperville man who died violently himself in 2014. The testimony was presented as part of the defense case in the first-degree murder trial of Grant V. Muren, who is accused of killing of Charles V. Clark in his Naperville home. The bench trial is being heard by DuPage County Judge Brian Telander. Advertisement Prosecutors say Muren, 24, struck Clark in the head with a wooden tray table and then strangled him during an unprovoked attack on Jan. 20, 2014. The homicide took place just hours after Muren had become Clark's roommate. Muren's attorneys say Muren killed Clark in self-defense after Clark plied Muren with brandy and then sexually assaulted him. Advertisement Muren's attorney Paul DeLuca said Thursday witnesses included a relative of Clark's who testified that Clark punched him and put him in a chokehold to the point he lost consciousness in 2006. Another witness said he saw Clark commit domestic violence against his mother, DeLuca said. A third man testified that Clark spat on him during a 2012 dispute in a Sam's Club parking lot. Clark was charged in all three incidents, according to DuPage County court records. Those witnesses followed a former Chicago area cab driver, who testified Wednesday that Clark tried to strangle him with a belt during a 1991 taxi ride. Also Thursday, the court continued to review video from the interviews police conducted with Muren following his arrest on Jan. 23, 2014. Naperville police detective Richard Arsenault testified that Muren's version of what happened at the townhouse changed as Arsenault and his partner pressed him on details from the crime scene that did not match Muren's initial account. Arsenault said Muren initially "adamantly" denied that there had been any sexual contact between himself and Clark, but then later said things had gotten "a little touchy feely" between them. Muren told police at first the fatal fight between took place entirely in Clark's bedroom, but then altered his story after detectives pointed out evidence of a struggle, including blood, in an adjacent loft area, Arsenault said. Prosecutors contend that Muren's varying accounts and his actions after the alleged murder, including an attempt to cause an explosion by turning on the stove's gas and putting paper in a toaster to make it catch fire, undercut his self-defense claim. Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter. Naperville police are warning residents to beware of callers who demand money or a payment over the phone. (megaflopp / Getty Images/iStockphoto) Naperville police are warning residents to beware of callers who demand money or a payment over the phone. The police department has been receiving complaints from residents who say they've had calls from scammers threatening arrest and/or legal action if the resident does not immediately provide some sort of information or payment to the caller. Advertisement "These callers can sound very convincing and are sometimes quite persistent and even threatening," Cmdr. Jason Arres said in a news release. "We don't want any of our residents being scared into releasing personal or banking information over the phone." Anyone receiving such calls should never make payment or provide the caller with any personal or banking information, Arres said. Advertisement Instead, they can report the call to police either through the online reporting system or by calling the department's nonemergency number, 630-420-6666. Scammers use a variety of tactics, such as claiming they are with the IRS, law enforcement or a collection agency and saying they need a payment in order to prevent incarceration. IRS officials never phone people who owe tax money, Arres said. Taxpayers are notified in writing of any due tax, and valid arrest warrants are served in person by a U.S. marshal or other law enforcement officer. Police urge residents to be aware of to whom they owe money and should never give out account numbers over the phone. Another con is convincing people their computer is infected with malware and they need to pay the "technician" over the phone or allow the tech to access a computer to troubleshoot and fix these issues. Police say that residents concerned about malware issues should have their computer examined by a trusted, local business. In the grandparent scam, a senior receives a call from a young person who says, "Hi Grandma, it's me." Police say the problem is that the senior often responds with the name of a grandchild, unwittingly giving the scammer identity information. Inevitably the caller asks to wire money to solve some unexpected financial problem and urges the grandparent not to notify mom and dad because they would be mad. Police urge grandparents to resist the temptation to act quickly and contact other family members to verify the information given in the call. Advertisement A list of current scams Naperville police to educate residents is available online at www.naperville.il.us/fraudscam. The Rainbow Circle - Western Suburbs was launched in July and gets together at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month in the gathering room of Kiekhofer Hall on the North Central College in Naperville. (Handout / Rainbow Circle) A fledgling group is meeting in Naperville to explore issues related to the LGBT community. Rainbow Circle started in Arlington Heights several years ago as a safe community in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other people could explore the intersections of faith and sexuality. It grew to include people from throughout the Chicago area. Advertisement Lucas Grobe, pastor of Hope United Church of Christ in Naperville, was approached by members of the Arlington Heights group to help start something similar in the Naperville area. Many people from the Naperville and Aurora area were driving to the northern suburbs to participate, he said, so it made sense to bring that same outreach closer to home. Advertisement Co-organized by Grobe and Naperville resident Eva-Genevieve Scarborough, Rainbow Circle Western Suburbs was launched in July and gets together at 10 a.m. the second Saturday of the month in the gathering room of Kiekhofer Hall on the North Central College campus at 329 E. School St. in Naperville. The next meeting is Sept. 10. Grobe said get-togethers are a chance for participants to express themselves freely. "As much progress as we've made, many people still experience ostracization at work, school or in their family," he said. That goes away in the group, he said. "For two hours a month, they get to shed their cloaked life. That's what Rainbow Circle can offer," Grobe said. Discussions, he said, will focus on whatever participants want. Until he gets ideas from the group, Grobe said he plans to explore faith, though the group tries not to be affiliated with any religious group. Any young people who have drifted away from the church they grew up in because they do not feel comfortable or no longer are welcome can participate, he said. Growing up in Wheaton and a member of a Methodist church, Grobe said he was fortunate to have a close-knit and supportive family in such a conservative community. Advertisement Although he knew he was called to ministry in high school, Grobe understood its teachings conflicted with homosexuality, he said. "I thought I wanted to be a Methodist minister, then I realized that was not possible," he said. The personal transformation and social justice aspects of the United Church of Christ led him to that branch of Christianity. Grobe sees Rainbow Circle as a means to help LGBT people on their journey back into a spiritual community. "I understand; I've been through that journey," Grobe said. "In community, we go on a journey together." subaker@tribpub.com Advertisement Twitter @SBakerSun1 The owner of a Norridge home owes nearly $500,000 in fines for property maintenance violations he has been issued since 2006, according to Cook County court documents. The village of Norridge sued the homeowner, Kenneth J. Shivers, on claims that he has failed to maintain property at 4420 N. Ozanam Ave. that he inherited from his deceased parents, according to the lawsuit. Advertisement In the case, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County's chancery division in October 2015, the village is asking a judge to issue a foreclosure of judgment lien against Shivers, who lives on the 5800 block of North Leland Avenue in Chicago. Shivers and an attorney from Johnson and Colmar, the village's law firm, were in court for a settlement hearing Aug. 31, where Cook County Judge Kathleen M. Pantle continued the proceedings to Oct. 6, according to court documents. Mark Chester, an attorney for the village, said the house was heavily damaged in a fire, and it hasn't been occupied in years. Advertisement "The house has been in his family, but he doesn't live there. And we won't let anyone live there because of the condition of the property," Chester said. "There was a fire there several years ago, and it hasn't been cleaned up since." Shivers, who did not return a message seeking comment, has been issued numerous property maintenance violations between 2006 and 2015, according to court documents that show the fines have accrued to $495,125. The village submitted the judgment orders that have been issued to Shivers during the past decade to support its case for a foreclosure of judgment lien, according to the court documents. "The pending action is to foreclose on the property by taking it away from Shivers and having it go to the village," Chester said. "I can't speak to the village's intent for the property." Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Lifestyle / Travel and Tourism by Agencies A pan-African survey of African savannah elephants has revealed declines of a staggering 30 percent - 144,000 elephants -between 2007 and 2014 in the areas covered by the survey.The Paul G. Allen's Great Elephant Census (GEC) is the first continent-wide aerial survey of African elephants using standardized methodology. Principle investigator, Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders, said that together with more than 90 scientists, six NGOs, and dozens of conservationists and volunteers on-the-ground they surveyed 18 African countries of savanna elephant range and counted over 93 percent of their populations across a million miles of territory in 81 airplanes, and ultimately recorded an estimated population of just 352,271 for the entire continent.Among the worst declines were Angola (22% decline), Mozambique (53% decline) and Tanzania (60% decline). These figures, says Chase "were much greater than previously known and expected, and mainly due to staggeringly high levels of poaching."Extremely low numbers of elephants were also found in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Cameroon and southwest Zambia. Chase believes that the "populations there face local extinction."Chase and his team were not only counting live elephants but dead ones too. In the countries with declining live elephants there were correspondingly high carcass ratios. A carcass ratio is the percentage of dead elephants observed during the count. For example, a carcass ratio of 10 percent indicates the survey team recorded one dead elephant for every 9 live elephants that were counted.On average, a carcass ratio of more than 8% indicates poaching at a level high enough to cause a declining population. The highest carcass ratios occurred in: Cameroon (83%); Mozambique (32%); Angola (30%); Tanzania (26%).The carcass ratio continent-wide was 11.9%, meaning that elephants in general are declining across the continentThere are other notable statistics. Regional areas in both Zimbabwe and Zambia, especially along the Zambezi valley, are showing that poachers are decimating elephant numbers. Zimbabwe's overall population was down by 6% with a carcass ratio of 8 %, which is bad enough, but within the Sebungwe region, on the Zambezi River and Lake Kariba north of Hwange National Park, populations were down a whopping 74% while Zambia experienced a startling 85% carcass ratio in Sioma Ngwezi Park on the border with Namibia and Angola.In contrast, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, parts of Malawi, and the W-Arli-Pendjari conservation complex of protected areas that span Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso were found to have stable or slightly increasing elephant populations. The W-Arli-Pendjari area is the only largesavannah elephant population left in West Africa.Namibia also showed increasing numbers of elephants especially in the Zambezi-Caprivi area, but this is possibly because the territory runs the length of the unfenced border with Botswana, the country with the largest single population of elephants, which stands at about 130,000 strong. The bulk of Botswana's elephants are in the north close to Namibia. And since elephants are not confined by national boundaries there is a constant movement of large herds between the two countries.However, there are worrying signs for both Namibia and Botswana.While Namibia was not officially surveyed by the GEC, aerial surveys that took off in northern Botswana to survey southern Angola and Zambia had to fly flew over the Zambezi-Caprivi strip of Namibia. Chase, who has independently been surveying the area for the past decade and a half says, "Ironically, Namibia's increase of elephants in the area coincides with the highest mortality/carcass ratios over a 15 year period." He also mentions that helicopter pilots inspecting a power-line along the Zambezi-Caprivi strip recently estimated nearly 200 carcasses from the Kavango River to Katima Mulilo, a distance of just 60 kilometres. This indicates that poachers who are causing carnage just across the border in Angola and Zambia have been operating on the Namibian side of the Zambezi River with increasing intensity.Botswana, even though it is the bastion of African savanna elephants and home to one-third of the entire continent's population, is not immune to high levels of poaching. The total elephant population of the country has decreased by 15% in just the last five years.Namibia and Botswana along with Zimbabwe and South Africa have their elephants listed under Appendix II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), meaning that under certain conditions they may export ivory. In fact, Zimbabwe and Namibia have called for a lifting of those restrictions at the next CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP 17), which begins on the 24th of this month in Johannesburg, South Africa. Both nations cite good management policies of their elephants.However, the latest figures for Zimbabwe suggest the exact opposite. The country easily meets the CITES criteria an annual decline rate of just under 1% - for an Appendix I listing, or a full ban on any commercial international ivory trading. Namibia's high carcass ratio warrants the same treatment.Out of the four Appendix II countries only South Africa, with it's fenced in populations of elephants, appears to have escaped the scourge although in the last two years the Kruger National park has seen a dramatic spike from zero poaching-related elephant deaths per year to over 20 for both 2015 and 2016. If the runaway poaching of rhinos is anything to go by, South Africa might soon be overrun a flood of ivory poachers."These GEC figures are a shocking wake up call for those about to debate the future of ivory trade," says Sally Case, CEO of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation a non-bureaucratic organization that supports a range of innovative, vital and far-reaching conservation projects throughout Africa, "They show a loss of elephants at a spine-chilling level; there can no longer be any justification for debating a future trade in ivory which is driving losses on this scale."In contrast to Namibia and Zimbabwe's proposals, a group of 29 African countries from West, Central and East Africa united under the African Elephant Coalition (AEC), which covers 70% of the elephant range, earlier this year tabled a suite of five proposals to be presented at CoP 17. These are designed to provide for a comprehensive and full protection for Africa's elephants and include a proposal listing all elephants across the continent under Appendix I."The call by the AEC for an Appendix I uplisting, which unti l has received stiff opposition from the southern African states, many European countries and some NGO's such as the World Wildlife Fund, seems to have been vindicated by the latest GEC results", says Vera Weber President and CEO of Fondation Franz Weber, a partner organization to the AEC. "An uplisting, which is aimed at sending a clear message to consumers that buying ivory is illegal, will at least be one step toward arresting the population free-fall of one of the world's most iconic of species," she says. News / International by ITV A COUPLE who fled Zimbabwe to escape the Mugabe regime have had their visa extended after a six-month battle with authorities.Yvonne and Clive Karusseit live in Melbourne in Derbyshire, but were told they could not stay because they had not proved they could speak English, despite it being their first language.The couple failed to submit a language test as part of their application to stay in the UK permanently, but by the time they'd had their request to stay rejected their visa had expired, meaning they were unable to re-submit their application for permanent citizenship.After six months of what the couple describe as 'hell' they've been granted a visa to stay for two and a half years. During this time they will be able to re-apply for permission to stay in the UK permanently.They said they would not have got through the last six months without the support of their local community.They have been granted leave to remain under exceptional circumstances for the next 30 months. Yvonne cares for her elderly mother, and Clive has a full time job, which has been kept open for him by his employer.Their lawyer will help them submit their next application for residency to avoid any mistakes being made. By Alexander Chipman Koty Traditionally overshadowed by metropolises such as Shanghai and Beijing in Chinas international events, Zhejiang Provinces capital city of Hangzhou is finding itself in the global spotlight as it prepares to host the upcoming G20 Summit. Hangzhou has made considerable press recently for the Chinese governments intense efforts to beautify the city and ease congestion for its international guests, including by shutting down polluting factories, shipping away migrant workers, giving citizens vouchers to encourage them to vacation, and spending over US$1 billion on a new convention center. Despite these vast efforts, Hangzhous allure is not simply cosmetic. While Chinas growth is slowing as its immense manufacturing sector struggles, Hangzhou continues to grow steadily on the back of its burgeoning high-tech industry, making it a model city for Chinas broader economic transition. The emergence of high-tech With 6.9 percent GDP growth in 2015, China experienced its slowest growth in a quarter century, and many of its wealthy eastern coastal cities experienced lower growth in 2015 than the preceding year. For example, Shanghais growth slowed from 7 percent to 6.9 percent, Suzhous from 8 percent to 7.5 percent, and Nanjings from 10.1 percent to 9.3 percent. In contrast, Hangzhous GDP growth swelled from 8.2 percent in 2014 to 10.2 percent in 2015 to reach RMB 1.01 trillion in spite of the fact that the citys secondary industry growth tumbled from 8.1 percent to 5.6 percent. Hangzhous impressive growth is thanks in large part to its burgeoning high-tech and services sector, as the citys tertiary industry exploded from 8.5 percent growth in 2014 to 14.6 percent the following year. The information industry amounted to 23 percent of Hangzhous total GDP in 2015 and drove 45 percent of its growth. The emergence of Hangzhous tech industry owes much to being the birthplace of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and its founder, Jack Ma. Alibaba, which owns e-commerce websites Taobao and Tmall, among other companies, made history for its US$25 billion IPO in 2014 the largest ever. Not only does Alibaba attract significant business in its own right, but it also has ancillary effects that contribute to Hangzhous economy. Alibabas presence undoubtedly helped Hangzhou earn the title Capital of E-commerce in China by the China E-commerce Association in 2008. In April 2016, Hangzhou became one of Chinas 10 cross-border e-commerce pilot cities, giving it preferential powers and tax policies for administering foreign goods. From 2004 to 2014, former Alibaba employees helped create about 130 internet companies, including the social media and fashion shopping platform Mogujie and ridesharing company Didi Dache. Didi Dache later merged with Hangzhou-based Kuaidi Dache, which later became Didi Chuxing and defeated American competitor Uber for dominance in the Chinese market. The presence of such major firms allow for the transfer of skills and knowledge to facilitate startups and entrepreneurship. RELATED: Business Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates Government promotions The success of Hangzhous tech sector is not merely a byproduct of Alibabas enormous growth, but also a result of government efforts to promote the industry. The government provides tax breaks for high tech firms, with additional incentives for internet startups, including housing subsidies for entrepreneurs and events to promote private and foreign investment to support startups. The Hangzhou High-tech Enterprises Incubator is one of these initiatives, part of Chinas wider Torch Program that supports entrepreneurship and innovation. Successful Chinese tech companies that received foreign capital in their early stages include Baidu, Suntech Power Holdings, and Focus Media Holding. Hangzhou also has several industrial parks and development zones, including the Hangzhou High-tech Industry Development Zone, which houses over two-thirds of the cities tech companies. Notable investors in this zone include Alibaba, Microsoft, IBM, Nokia, Panasonic, and Mitsubishi. Another key development zone is the Yuhang Future Science and Technology City, created to attract foreign talent. The local government is proud of its support of entrepreneurs and private businesses, as well as its openness to foreign investment. According to Liang Liming, Zhejiangs vice governor, the output value of the provinces private enterprises has Chinas highest for over a decade running, and is home to 123 of Chinas 500 best private companies. By the end of 2014, there were over 12,400 foreign-funded companies with a combined capital of US$137 billion registered in Hangzhou, while 34 Fortune 500 companies had at least one investment project in the city. Within the next five years, the Zhejiang provincial government aims to have 1,000 high-tech enterprises and 10,000 tech SMEs based in Hangzhou, collectively employing 300,000 workers. Other key industries While Hangzhou is quickly becoming known for tech and e-commerce, it is home to several other prominent industries as well, including equipment manufacturing and biotechnology. Though Hangzhous manufacturing growth declined in 2015, its equipment manufacturing industry performed strongly, posting RMB 108.61 billion in value-added output, a year-on-year increase of 13.5 percent. Hangzhou is also a large producer of bio-pharmaceuticals and bio-chemicals, and is home to Hangzhou East China Pharmaceutical Group, the largest antibiotics producer in Zhejiang. Foreign investment in encouraged in this sector, as part of an effort to acquire foreign technology and expertise to improve the industrys research and development capabilities and move up the value chain. Pfizer is one overseas company that has recently responded to this need, as it plans to invest US$350 million in a biotech center in Hangzhou, the companys first in Asia. In return for its investment, Pfizer hopes to navigate the complex regulatory and clearance process surrounding pharmaceuticals in China with greater ease, thereby giving it an advantage in accessing the countrys vast and lucrative market. Some segments of Hangzhous economy may face difficulties in the future, however, as a result of rising property and labor costs. The city has a large food and beverage manufacturing industry, led by Hangzhou Wahaha Group Chinas largest beverage producer which produces goods such as milk, soft drinks, juices, and canned foods. As operation costs continue to rise, this sector may eventually leave the city for lower cost locations such as Indonesia. Similarly, although Hangzhou is known as Chinas capital of silk and womens garments, this industry is also under threat due to its labor-intensive and low value-added nature. Going forward With the much publicized G20 conference, Hangzhou is beginning to enter the international consciousness as one of Chinas leading innovation and tech hubs. The ancient former capital, known primarily for its serene West Lake and deep cultural history, is benefiting from Chinas increasing focus on innovation, research and development, and high tech. The central governments Made in China 2025 campaign aims for China to make significant strides in value-added manufacturing by 2025 to replace the countrys reputation as a producer of low quality goods. By 2035, China aims to compete with developed industrial economies, and seeks to be a leader by 2049 the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China. Like many Chinese cities, Hangzhou may experience some difficulties as the economy shifts from an investment and manufacturing driven economy to one centered around consumption and services, and faces domestic competition from other tech hubs in cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen. However, with its leading tech sector, strong government support, and strategic location, Hangzhou is well-positioned to benefit from the governments long term plans for the countrys economy, making it the ideal showcase for Chinas economic ambitions. About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. China Investment Roadmap: the e-Commerce Industry In this edition of China Briefing magazine, we present a roadmap for investing in Chinas e-commerce industry. We provide a consumer analysis of the Chinese market, take a look at the main industry players, and examine the various investment models that are available to foreign companies. Finally, we discuss one of the most crucial due diligence issues that underpins e-commerce in China: ensuring brand protection. Adapting Your China WFOE to Service Chinas Consumers In this issue of China Briefing Magazine, we look at the challenges posed to manufacturers amidst Chinas rising labor costs and stricter environmental regulations. Manufacturing WFOEs in China should adapt by expanding their business scope to include distribution and determine suitable supply chain solutions. In this regard, we will take a look at the opportunities in Chinas domestic consumer market and forecast the sectors that are set to boom in the coming years. Selling, Sourcing and E-Commerce in China 2016 (First Edition) This guide, produced in collaboration with the experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, provides a comprehensive analysis of all these aspects of commerce in China. It discusses how foreign companies can best go about sourcing products from China; how foreign retailers can set up operations on the ground to sell directly to the countrys massive consumer class; and finally details how foreign enterprises can access Chinas lucrative yet ostensibly complex e-commerce market. News / National by youtube In the midst of rumours surrounding President Robert Mugabe's health, a Walter Magaya prophet announces in a televised statement that the Head of State's life is ebbing. He says that this is God's punishment of President Robert Mugabe for causing Magaya's arrest for rape."Touch not my anointed," the prophet says.FULL VIDEO BELOW: Researchers in Argentina have discovered the fossil remains of a pterosaur, a flying reptile that lived some 170 million years ago. The discovery, in southern Argentina's Chubut province, "is important because it sheds light on one of the least known stages in the evolution of pterosaurs," researcher Diego Pol told the state Telam news agency. The fossil also "shows how much still remains to be discovered about the Jurassic in the southern hemisphere," said Pol, a researcher at the National Council of Technical and Scientific Research. The pterosaur fossil is the oldest found to date, and was featured on Tuesday in the international biological and medical sciences journal PeerJ. "Here we report on a new Jurassic pterosaur from Argentina ... remains of which include a superbly preserved, uncrushed braincase that sheds light on the origins of the highly derived neuroanatomy of pterodactyloids and their close relatives," the journal said. A team of Argentine and German researchers made the discovery in the country's frigid Patagonian region, which is near the South Pole. "The cranium was so well preserved that we have been able to reconstruct the cerebral cavity and understand the changes made to the pterosaur (brain) in adapting to its particular mode of locomotion, flight," said Pol. Researchers named the find Allkaruen Koi, which in the language of the area's original indigenous inhabitants, the tehuelche, means "ancient brain of the lagoon," since the fossil was among the sediments at the bottom of what was a giant lagoon when South America began to break off from the African continent. Pterosaurs are "close relatives" of dinosaurs and could have up to 13-meter-long wingspans, according to pterosaur.net, a website created and maintained by pterosaur researchers. Yi Gang, vice-governor of People's Bank of China, answers questions at a press conference on Sept. 2, 2016, prior to the G20 Leaders Summit to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. [Photo/China Daily] China and other key economies are ready to strengthen "policy-level coordination" toward balanced and sustainable growth in global business, a senior central bank official said on Thursday. G20 members agree with one another that they must "use all policy tools to support growth", said Yi Gang, vice-governor of People's Bank of China, in the run-up to the G20 Leaders Summit on Sunday and Monday in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. By all policy tools, he was referring to monetary and fiscal policy and, in the long run, measures to boost structural reform of the international financial system, Yi said. "This marks a milestone in the G20's recent history of macroeconomic policy coordination," he said. At the same time, China stands with other G20 members in their opposition to competitive devaluation of currencies, and the country is committed to the yuan's market-based exchange rate, he said. Competitive devaluation offers "no hope" for solving the problems facing the world economy today, Yi stressed. The level of the yuan's exchange rate has remained by and large stable against other major currencies more so than most reserve currencies said Yi, adding that the yuan is also more stable compared with the currencies of many emerging market economies. China is also willing to communicate and coordinate more closely with other major economies regarding the yuan's exchange rate, he said. However, with a wide policy tool kit from which to choose, each country has a flexible space to adopt policies according to their own circumstances, Yi noted. He said China's perspective is that macro policies can be effective in boosting sluggish demand in the short term, but tools for boosting supply-side reform would be more helpful in achieving long-term economic growth. Commenting on China's pledge to not engage in competitive devaluation, Lian Ping, chief economist with Bank of Communications, said it reflects China's willingness to play the role of a responsible large economy. "China is playing a leading role in helping the world avoid a war of currency depreciation," he said. Although a weaker currency could be somewhat helpful for a nation's export business, its benefit to the overall economy would only be marginal, Lian said. "China has more important goals to achieve. Considering those more important goals, not seeking a government-engineered depreciation of the yuan is a fully rational thing for China to do. It will bring about lasting benefits for the country and the world," Lian said. Chinese manufacturing enterprises' spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to grow by an annual average rate of 14.7 percent and hit US$127.5 billion by 2020, a report showed Thursday. "During the process, software and services will lead the way for fast growth with a combined market share of over 60 percent," according to the report by research firm International Data Corp. (IDC). IoT is a strategic emerging industry in China, and was included in the 13th Five-year Development Plan. "Made in China 2025" is a 10-year action plan that aims to build China into a manufacturing powerhouse. Promoting smart manufacturing -- raising the level of networked, collaborative manufacturing and expediting the manufacturing industry's transformation into services -- is the way forward for the industry, said the IDC report. "Many Chinese manufacturers have started to implement an IoT strategy to improve production, efficiency and evolve their business models," said Wang Yue, senior research manager at IDC China. With the promotion of smart manufacturing, the fast integration of information technology and operational technology (OT), and the prevalence of the "digital twin" concept, there is plenty of room for development in the manufacturing industry, according to Wang. In the next two years, three major trends will lead IoT development in China's manufacturing industry -- IoT platform competition will intensify, manufacturing IoT applications will accelerate innovation, while edge computing will become the next area to be expanded, IDC forecast. IoT will see tangible objects connected to the Internet, allowing them to interact with other devices. The recovery in Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's mobile business suffered a blow yesterday as reports of exploding batteries forced the firm to delay shipments of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, and knocked US$7 billion off its market value. Investors drove the stock to two-week lows after the global smartphone leader told Reuters late on Wednesday the shipments had been delayed for quality control testing, and that shipments to South Korea's top three mobile carriers had been halted. Faults with the new premium flagship device could deal a major blow to the South Korean giant, which was counting on the Galaxy Note 7 to maintain its strong mobile earnings momentum against Apple Inc's new iPhones expected to be unveiled next week. "This is some major buzz-kill for Samsung, especially given all of the hard-earned excitement that products like the Note 7 have been garnering lately," IDC analyst Bryan Ma said. "The pending Apple launch puts all the more pressure for them to contain this quickly. The timing of this couldn't have been worse." Samsung did not comment on what problem it was trying to address or whether other markets were affected besides South Korea. Sister company Samsung SDI Co Ltd said that while it was a supplier of Galaxy Note 7 batteries, it had received no information to suggest the batteries were faulty. Several people posted images and videos of charred Galaxy Note 7s online and said their phones had caught on fire. "Be careful out there, everyone rocking the new Note 7, might catch fire y'all," one user said in a YouTube clip showing a burnt Note phone. It was not immediately possible to confirm the veracity of the clip. Samsung's shares, which hit a record high of 1.694 million won (US$1,500) last week, fell 2 percent, and Samsung SDI tumbled 6.1 percent, versus a 0.1 percent fall for the broader market. Several South Korean media reports, without citing direct sources, said Samsung will soon announce a plan to recall affected Note 7 phones and replace their batteries as opposed to giving the users a new device. A Samsung spokesman declined to comment on the reports. Last year, production problems for the curved displays for the Galaxy S6 edge model resulted in disappointing sales, and Samsung risks a repeat this year if it cannot address the Galaxy Note 7 problems quickly. Its mobile profit is on track to post annual growth for the first time in three years, thanks to robust sales of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge devices that it launched in March to critical acclaim. The Galaxy Note 7 received similar praise, raising expectations for strong sales in the second half. Samsung said in August demand for the new handset, priced at 988,900 won (US$882) in South Korea, was far exceeding supply, pushing the firm to delay the launch in some markets. HDC Asset Management Fund manager Park Jung-hoon said it now appeared inevitable that Samsung's smartphone average selling price and profits would miss lofty second-half expectations. "Apple is supposed to show off the iPhone 7 next week and this issue has emerged, so the current state of things do not look good," he said. Though a components pick-up will buttress overall profits, Park said mobile operating profit might decline by up to 200 billion won for July-to-September period. You are here: Home The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has simplified registration procedures to boost entrepreneurship and encourage people to start their own businesses, local authorities said. The move echoes a national call to streamline registration processes, by combining business license, organization code, tax registration, social insurance and statistical registration, into one single paper. "This move will lower the threshold for new businesses and improve the wider commercial environment," said Li Gang, chief of the region's industry and commerce administration . On Friday, 13 such licenses were issued. Wang Wenbing, a local auto-maker, said it took him ten days to acquire the registration paper, a process that would have taken him two months before. China has slashing red tape to help the country's entrepreneurs since last October. In the first half of 2016, an average 40,000 market entities and 14,000 enterprises were registered daily in China, thanks to the simplified procedures, according to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. Quarantine dogs were first employed in the Nanjing airport in 2002, after their implementation in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. After training for four months, Daxiong started work in 2009. He was good at sniffing out plant products, and his biggest discovery was 17 boxes of fruit totaling 179 kilograms. Quarantine dog Daxiong has retired after working for eight years in the Department of Inspection and Quarantine at Nanjing's airport. He has been adopted by Ms. Zhi, a resident of Yancheng city in East China's Jiangsu province.[Photo/www.yangtse.com] At nine years old, Daxiong is the equivalent in dog years to a 60-year-old man, but he is nevertheless as excitable as ever when it comes to food. Daxiong is so sensitive to forbidden goods, especially meat products and fruit, that his trainer rewards his good behavior with snacks. Quarantine dogs usually work three to four hours a day, taking a rest every half an hour. This keeps them alert and accurate. From 2014, the department began to seek an adopter for Daxiong in preparation for his retirement. His trainer, Yan Han, explained that the adopting family had to love dogs and have some experience raising them. Additionally, Yan hoped that the whole family would get on well with the dog. By this metric, Ms. Zhi became Daxiong's adopter. To prove that Daxiong is living a happy, healthy life with his new family, Ms. Zhi provides periodic photos and videos to the dog's former handlers. It seems that China's innovative straddling bus project just won't give up easily, although previous questions and controversies have impeded its launch. A citizen walks past a Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) which is on road test in Qinhuangdao, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 2, 2016. China's home-made transit elevated bus, TEB-1, conducted a road test running Tuesday. [Photo: Xinhua] The project, instead of being demolished as rumored, has been continuing in low profile mode over the past month, and its cooperation with the local government of north China's Hebei Province- seems not have been influenced by those negative reports. Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) Technology Co. Ltd, the company that signed the cooperation agreement with the local government to solely manage investment and the construction of the project, said that it wouldn't dismantle the test track. What's more, a 120-kilometer operation line in the city of Qinghuangdao has already been included in the plan. In addition to the previous projects in Qinghuangdao and Zhoukou, the company also signed a new agreement with Zhangjiakou, another city in north China's Hebei Province. Song Youzhou, the inventor of the straddling bus, said the project won't be scrapped for the moment. But even if it doesn't turn out to be a "keeper", a museum may be built to remind the world of the ambitious prototype. Photos of a supposedly successful test run of the straddling bus went viral earlier in August, as both the feasibility and purpose of the transportation project were being widely questioned. The Global Times had cited a private source as saying the sample bus was hardly more than a raw model and there was no cutting edge technology applied. Chinese online news outlet Sohu.com proposed that the project could just be a money-raising gimmick for the benefit of the local government. Some reports suggested the project was approved by local government as a tourism project instead of a transportation project. Experts also suggested that there was a real danger that the bus could tip over because of its weight, and high center of gravity. They also noted that with the space underneath only two meters high, many vehicles would actually be unable to fit underneath it. Beijing Normal University has promised to investigate the reported sexual harassment incidents on its campus following the online circulation of its student's research papers into the matter. According to the report, five cases of sexual harassment were reported in just one week - from August 18 to 25. On its official Sina Weibo account, the university said that it is still verifying the sexual harassment issues reported in the paper. Regarding the teacher named as perpetrator in the report, the university had initiated investigations and if justified, the teacher will be disciplined to the full extent of the university's policies. To ensure a safe campus environment, the university has upgraded the alarm devices at some of the locations on campus during summer vacation. Students can request the university's security monitoring center for help by simply pressing a button on the device. The university also promised to deploy more alarm devices and security guards in the future. You are here: Home China ranked first in the number of tourists that visited Frantz Josef Land Archipelago and Novaya Zemlya Archipelago in the Arctic region in 2016, Russian Arctic National Park said on Thursday. Nine round trips to these archipelagoes were organized during the 2016 tourist season, the park said, adding that 269 out of the 954 tourists were Chinese citizens. Different animals -- whales, beluga whales, narwhals and polar bears -- were seen during practically every voyage, according to the park. Russian Arctic National Park witnessed the largest number of tourists in 2015 -- 1,255 people. It plans to organize 10 round trips to the Arctic archipelagoes in 2017. Lei Xiubin, 8, got up early Thursday eager for the first day of the new school year. After a quick breakfast, the cheerful little girl headed of down the road in her new dress. Located in picturesque Yongtai County, east China's Fujian Province, Hexi Primary School is quite special and Xiubin is the star pupil. In fact, she is the only pupil. She receives 100 percent of the attention of Cheng Guiying, the only teacher. With the reform of rural education and urbanization, village schools have lost many students to central primary schools in towns and cities. Xiubin's parents moved away to find better jobs, so she was left in the village in the care of her grandparents and the local authorities decided to keep the village school open, just for her. Teacher Cheng arrived at the school early to get things ready. Tiny as the school may be, Cheng and Xiubin go meticulously through the ritual of raising the national flag every morning, before beginning their first lesson. Today, "Autumn is coming," leaves are falling from the trees, and the wild geese are flying south. Cheng has been working at the school for 20 years. She teaches 10 subjects, including PE, and music. Students must leave the village school after grade 2 to attend the central primary school in town, because Cheng cannot to give English or computer lessons. When she first arrived in Hexi, there were dozens of students, and year by year, the number has dwindled until only Xiubin remains. "I have to play the role of her classmate as well as teacher, reciting poems, singing songs and playing games with her to make her feel less lonely," said Cheng. More than just teacher and classmate, Cheng is a kind of "parent by proxy," preparing lunch for the little girl and making sure she takes a nap afterwards. The lonely school, however, is not alone. Of 78 rural primary schools in Yongtai County, seven have one student and one teacher each. Dongsheng Primary School, 12 kilometers away from the county seat, enrolled one student in the new school year. The school boasts a 3-storey building, which speaks of its glorious past, but now only one classroom is used for teaching, plus another for the village kindergarten. The disadvantages of these tiny schools are obvious: the teachers' careers are at a dead end; the pupils' personal and social development are impeded. As a result, while some salute the county for respecting every child's right to education, others argue that it is a waste of resources as standards in rural schools lag far behind their counterparts in towns and cities. But local people are reluctant to see their village schools shut down. She Xuedong, whose child will go to the primary school next year, would like to send her kid to the village school for as long as it exists. Faced with a dilemma, the local government eventually chose to stand by the disadvantaged few. "We do not like 'only-child' schools either, but they are the last resort and the only option for some students," said Zhang Yuanming, deputy director of the county education bureau. "Most are from poor families and cannot afford to rent a house in town," Zhang added. According to Zhang, eliminating "only-child" schools and helping rural students get a better education can be expensive. The county is considering support for poor families, such as providing them with land to build houses in town so that they can live closer to central primary schools. "The school should remain if there is a need. Students are paramount and we promise that no child will be left behind," said Zhang. News / Regional by Ndou Paul Bulawayo photographer Crispen Ndlovu who was arrested Wednesday for taking pictures of riot police beating activist Alfred Dzirutwe has been released from police custody after signing and cautioned statement.Ndlovu was yesterday admitted to hospital after suffering from extreme headaches after being hit on the head by the police."Crispen Ndlovu an accredited journalist from the Daily news has been admitted in a private hospital and is under police guard."He is suffering from extreme headaches after being hit on the head by the police. He is being charged with being a criminal nuisance for doing his job of taking pictures. He is being represented by Kucaca Phulu of Abammeli".Ndlovu was arrested and beaten by riot police on Wednesday for taking pictures of activist Alfred Dzirutwe being attacked by police. He was also accused of taking pictures of water cannons at Large City Hall car park. You are here: Home Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Friday, calling for mutual understanding and respect on the issues related to each other's core interests and major concerns. Lee is here to attend the G20 summit on Sept. 4-5. Flash Russia is ready to cooperate with the West only on an equal basis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday. "We are not interested in turning away from anybody. We are ready for the resumption of normal, full-fledged relations with the European Union and with the United States," Lavrov told students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. However, he noted, Western countries will have to do a lot to restore the confidence of Russia and predictability in European affairs. Moscow will work with any U.S. leader who will win the support and trust of the people at the upcoming elections, but it should be on the basis of mutually agreed principles, equality, mutual interest and mutual respect, he added. Relations between Russia and the West grew tense when Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and involvement in the Ukraine crisis in 2014. In late June, Russia extended its embargo on food imports from the European Union (EU) and some other countries until the end of 2017, while the EU in early July announced it would extend its economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy until Jan. 31, 2017. Flash The Pakistani military said on Thursday that over 300 militants of Islamic State or the Daesh have been arrested, including a local leader. Army spokesman Lt. General Asim Saleem Bajwa told a news conference that the IS leader for Pakistan Hafiz Omar and 309 of its members, including 25 foreigners of Afghan, Syrian and Iraqi nationalities have been detained across the country. "There is no organized presence of Daesh in Pakistan and six members of the Pakistani Taliban were the first to switch loyalties to Daesh in January 2015 in Afghanistan and the group now operates on the Afghan side of the border," Bajwa said. Afghan and the U.S. officials confirmed last month that Hafiz Saeed Khan, IS chief for the so-called Khorasan province that includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, parts of Iran and Central Asia, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Nangarhar province. Khan earlier headed the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Orakzai tribal region of Pakistan. The IS leadership in the Middle East had accepted the allegiance of Khan and his supporters. IS claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in a rally in Kabul in July that had killed nearly 80 and injured over 300. "The presence of the Daesh in Pakistan is a challenge for Pakistan," the spokesman said. He disputed claims by IS about a dealy attack on lawyers in the Pakistani city of Quetta last month, which had killed about 70 people and injured dozens others. He said IS was born, centered and funded in the Middle East but it spread its "tentacles to the entire world." "Daesh was trying to enter Pakistan," the spokesman said, adding that the group would pay 1,000 rupees (9 U.S. dollars) to hired individuals for wall chalking in big Pakistani cities to show that the group has some presence in Pakistan." "The people linked to Daesh had plans to target important personalities belonging to different walks of life and state symbols," Bajwa said. Giving update on achievements of operation codenamed "Zarb-e-Azb" in the tribal region of North Waziristan, he said 3,500 terrorists have so far been killed and 992 hideouts destroyed. Some 900 terrorists have been killed in another operation in Khyber tribal region, while 537 personnel of armed forces lost lives and 2,272 others injured. Flash Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that stopping the outflow of population from Russia's Far East region is now one of the country's top priorities. "This is one of the key challenges in the country today -- namely, stopping the depopulation of regions of the Far East, including the Primorsky Territory," Putin said when meeting students in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok. The president believed that creating an effective system of training young professionals could attract people to the region. Putin made these remarks ahead of the 2016 Eastern Economic Forum slated for Sept. 2-3 in Vladivostok. The forum is expected to attract some 2,500 participants, including those from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Australia, the United States and Singapore. The Far Eastern Federal District is among the least populated federal regions in Russia, with a population of some 3.29 million. Vladivostok is the second largest city in Russia's Far East, with a population of 592,034, according to a census in 2010. Flash The Syrian army received reinforcements Thursday to confront a widescale offensive by rebels in the central province of Hama, a military source told Xinhua. The source pointed out that clashes are currently underway in the village of Ma'ardes, only 5 km from Hama, amid reports that the rebels have actually taken control of it. Meanwhile, Syria's state news agency SANA said that the Syrian airforce carried out several airstrikes against rebel posts in Hama. It added that the airstrikes targeted the cities of Mork and Tibet al-Imamand, leading to the deaths of 10 rebels. This development comes only a day after the Syrian army killed over 50 rebels and wounded 70 others, as part of the ongoing military campaign to repel rebels out of Hama. Hama's northern countryside has once again come under the spotlight after rebels repeatedly attacked government posts there. The primary reason behind repeated rebel attacks is to keep the army busy on several fronts, which will reduce the army's pressure against rebels in other parts of Syria. Recent reports indicate that rebels in the northern province of Aleppo are folding under pressure from the army, which has reportedly closed all entryways into the rebel-held areas in the eastern part of Aleppo. Flash South Sudan on Thursday decried lack of witnesses in the ongoing investigation into allegations of gang rape and the killing of humanitarian workers. The government-appointed investigating team told journalists in Juba that their work is being hampered by low turn-up of witnesses. The committee, headed by South Sudan's Deputy Justice Minister Martinson Oturomoi, said they managed to reach some victims in Juba but most foreigners who were involved could not be traced. Otutomoi said despite the setbacks, investigators are working with diplomatic missions and aid agencies to gather information about the rampage, adding that the priority has been put to protect the identity of victims and witnesses. South Sudanese troops were accused of gang raping and assault on aid workers in a residential compound popular with foreign aid workers on July 11. The incident left local journalists killed and ransacking of the Terrain Hotel in the capital Juba. Sudan president Salva Kiir decreed a six-member committee on Aug. 16 to investigate the allegations and report to the government within 21 days. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Aug. 16 also launched an independent investigation into accusations that peacekeepers in South Sudan under the UN mission (UNMISS) failed to respond to the attack. Flash One day after U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Mexico, Mexicans on Thursday continued attacks against the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party's (PRI) decision to invite the controversial candidate. Many, including Mexico's Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu, maker of "Birdman" and "The Revenant," were angered that the candidate most hostile to Mexico had been invited. Mexican President "Enrique Pena Nieto's invitation to Donald Trump is a betrayal. It endorses and formalizes the person who has insulted us, spit on us and threatened us for more than a year before the entire world," Inarritu wrote in an editorial published by Spanish daily El Pais. Mexico City Secretary of Economic Development Salomon Chertorivski echoed that sentiment. "Donald Trump's visit seems outrageous to me. The person, perhaps, who has most offended and inundated with insults our country, is welcomed. It is painful and incongruent," Chertorivski said in an interview with MVS Radio. Mexico's leading left-leaning opposition figure Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador considered the political implications and called the meeting a mistake, saying it appeared to give the impression Mexico was meddling in U.S. elections, according to MVS. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has been forced to repeatedly defend his decision to host the controversial candidate. "Why did I meet with Donald Trump?" Pena Nieto posted to Twitter, with a link to an editorial he published in the daily El Universal, explaining his reasons. The president said he extended an invitation to both candidates on Friday, and Trump was the first to accept. "It is important to meet with both candidates, but it was even more important to meet with Mr. Trump, because there are things he should hear from Mexico's president, beginning with the sentiment of the Mexicans," said Pena Nieto. He went on to detail his private conversation with Trump, saying "I was very clear ... in stressing that in Mexico we were offended and pained by his statements about Mexicans." On the campaign trail, Trump has frequently used derogatory language when referring to Mexicans and other Latin Americans who migrate to the United States, calling them "killers and rapists". During his visit, Trump did not apologize or make any concessions to Mexico, as many had hoped, and just hours later repeated his assertion that he would build a massive wall along the two countries' 2,000-mile border to keep out migrants, and have Mexicans pay for it. "Mexico will pay for the wall!" Trump Tweeted Thursday morning. "I repeat what I told him in person: Mr. Trump, Mexico would never pay for a wall," Pena Nieto responded on twitter. You are here: Home Flash The Turkish army is building a 3.6-meter-high concrete wall along the border with Syria to maintain security, Anadolu news agency reported Thursday. Turkish Armed Forces units are erecting the modular walls along the Turkish-Syrian borderline between Suruc, Sanliurfa and Karkamis, Gaziantep. A four-km leg of the concrete wall will be built on the west of the Mursitpinar border crossing in Suruc and a one-km section, east of Mursitpinar. The report said the wall will help enhance border security with barbed wire and watchtowers against the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), citing the district governor of Suruc in the southeastern Sanliurfa province. Meanwhile, Turkey's army continued to dispatch troops on the border with Syria in its ongoing support for the military operation on Thursday. Eight tanks and two armored personnel carriers, already stationed at a military base near the town of Qarqamish, Gaziantep, were dispatched to Turkyurdu, a town near the border. Turkey shares a 900-kilometer border with Syria, which has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Turkish army launched a cross-border Euphrates Shield operation on Aug. 24, along with the U.S.-led coalition in Syria's northern border town of Jarablus to clear the IS. Flash Founders of the first British school to teach all its lessons in both Chinese and English have vowed to prepare their pupils for a post-Brexit world where China is expected to play a big role. Kensington Wade, a private school in west London, is expected to open next year. One of the founders of the dual language school was quoted on Thursday by the local media as saying that they hope pupils at their prep school will flourish in a post-Brexit world where China has "a strong influence on business, politics and international affairs." Hugo de Burgh, one of the co-founders and China expert at the University of Westminster, told Evening Standard that he hoped a majority of the students at the school, which will accommodate up to 200 pupils aged from three to 13, would be British. He said that British children had much to learn from Chinese teaching methods that promote concentration, focus and clarity of thought. The latest development came one year after BBC questioned whether the Chinese-style education, which stresses unquestioning obedience and hardwork, would work on British kids in its Chinese schooling documentary. But the founders said that their school aims to marry the best of the two countries' educational cultures to help London youngsters pick up the Chinese language from an early age. You are here: Home Flash More than 540 judges and prosecutors were dismissed from their posts over suspected links to Gulen's movement, Turkish top judicial board announced Thursday. The general assembly of Turkish Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) decided to dismiss 543 suspended judges and prosecutors, Anadolu Agency reported. On August 24, HSYK had dismissed a total of 2,847 judges and prosecutors under a statutory decree during Turkey's current three-month state of emergency after the July 15 coup attempt. Meanwhile, a total of 475 members of Turkey's biggest business association have resigned since the start of the investigation into the coup attempt, Turkish Customs and Trade Minister Bulent Tufenkci said Thursday. Tufenkci said that the members leaving the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey amounted to some five percent of the total number of association members. The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen's supporters in the aftermath of the coup attempt. At least 81,000 people have been suspended or dismissed from state organizations over suspected links to Gulen's movement, referred by Ankara as Fethullah Terrorist Organization. News / Regional by Staff Reporter A small group of five Gwanda activists this morning defied the police ban on all political activities to deliver a National Electoral Reform Agenda petition to ZEC offices in the town.The group led by Gwanda activist Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo and MDC-T Member of Parliament Nomathemba Ndlovu went past a riot police barricade guarding the ZEC offices to present the petition to the Provincial Electoral Officer.According to sources who presented the matter to Bulawayo24 news the group which was meant to lead the demonstration in Gwanda was frustrated by the last minute cancellation of the demonstration and took the risk to drive to the ZEC offices and deliver the petition in full view of state security agents and anti riot police.Amongst the group was disabled activist Kukhanya Mkandla who last week brewed a major storm by carrying out a one man demonstration marching through the town carrying a placard demanding Mugabe to go. Flash The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting on Syria on Sept. 21 to discuss what more needs to be done to achieve a political resolution of the Syrian conflict, Ambassador Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen of New Zealand told reporters on Thursday. New Zealand has assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for September. According to the council's president for this month, Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key will chair the high-level discussion which is considered necessary to ensure the peace process in Syria gets back on track. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly annual high-level debate, starting from Sept. 20. Invitations have been issued to leaders of the Security Council member states, said Van Bohemen. In September, council members are also expected to hold two straw polls to gauge the viability of candidates that have been nominated for the position of the next Secretary-General, he noted. A high-level meeting to discuss how to build up aviation security to combat terrorism has been scheduled to take place, he added. Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the world at large. It also bears the responsibility to work on the mandate of UN peacekeeping operations. The Council is composed of five permanent members -- China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Federation -- and 10 non-permanent members that are elected in groups of five, with a tenure of two years on the council. The presidency of the council rotates among its 15 member states based on the English-language alphabetical order of the countries' names on a monthly basis. Opinion / Columnist The people in Zimbabwe have learned that violence begets violence and it never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem; it merely creates new and more complicated ones. Thumbs up to Zimbabweans for snubbing and resisting the second mass stay away. The people have come to their senses that indigenous business people need to be on the job in order for them to be successful.It is a reality to say that violence is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all; that is the victims and the perpetrators. Violence is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding, thus it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. We should take a leaf from the MDC-T's violent strategies and glean that violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love.Recent riots in Harare organised by the MDC-T and the #Tajamuka group has shown that violence destroys and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than in dialogue. According to Martin Luther King, violence ends up defeating itself; it creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. We should take seriously these words of wisdom from those people who were fascinated by ideas which were able to be operationalised.It is a fact that whenever the so-called stay away or shutdown is called for they will always be accompanied by violence. When Morgan Tsvangirai used to call for a stay away in the past, white employers used to lock workers out; thus giving the stay away a semblance of success. Now people are doing their own businesses; hence if one pays heed to strangers calling for a stay away one will only have himself or herself to blame when the family starves.It is prudent to keep away from stay aways and acts of violence. At the end of the day one will go back home needing to eat and feed the family. In fact it is not fair, like what happened recently, to burn the wares of small business people and vendors who are trying to eke a living.The calls for stay aways are coming from dubious people who are seeking political relevance through using innocent people. However the majority are realizing that they are being taken for a ride by few individuals who are benefiting. In the long run these stay aways will become a thing of the past as the perpetrators will be languishing in prisons.Progressive Zimbabweans should keep away from violence and continue with their business of the day so that they can achieve the objectives of the country's economic blue- print Zim Asset.----------Stewart Murewa WASHINGTON - China is playing a significant role in global economic growth and sustainable development, a US entrepreneur told Xinhua in a recent interview. Mary Andringa, president and CEO of Vermeer Corporation, a leading heavy equipment maker, noted that it's very important "to have active participation from China in multilateral forums to help guide and shape good policies and principles that create sustainable growth and jobs." Andringa will soon make her first visit to China's eastern city of Hangzhou for the B20 (the Business 20) summit, a forum for business leaders from the G20 prior to the gathering of top G20 leaders. The global economy is underperforming right now and many of the policies designed to spur growth are difficult to enact, she noted. To solve those challenges, Andringa said, "G20 leaders will have to find ways to articulate a vision, a way forward, and to connect with their citizens in such a way that they are given the latitude to enact policies which are economically beneficial in the medium to long term." As Andringa sees it, the theme of this year's G20 summit, "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," touches on key subjects needed to enhance global growth. She hopes the upcoming G20 summit, slated for Sept 4-5, can push forward structural reforms among G20 members as fiscal and monetary policies are reaching their limits. "In the short term, many countries will be limited in what they are able to do from a monetary and fiscal policy standpoint but structural reforms such as the B20 have recommended certainly offer tangible ways to set economies on a better trajectory," said Andringa, who is co-chair of the SME (small and medium sized enterprises and entrepreneurs) Taskforce for this year's B20 summit. She also hopes the G20 will reach an agreement to act on regulatory simplifications, build a more open and transparent business environment, remove hurdles for cross-border trade, facilitate better public-private cooperation in infrastructure investment, establish guidelines for the development of E-commerce, and find innovative ways to close skill gaps and connect people to opportunities. Andringa first visited China in the early 1990s when Vermeer began exporting horizontal directional drills to the country. The equipment is used in the construction of underground infrastructure. Over the past 25 years, China's rapid development has greatly impressed her and made her optimistic about the country's future. "We are optimistic about the future prospects for the China manufacturing sector and the overall economy," said Andringa, who once served as the first female chair of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest industrial trade association in the United States. "With a large population and now the world's second largest economy, China will continue to play an important part in contributing to the world economy," she said. Some voice concerns that market-oriented reforms are needed European businessmen are considering buying stakes in more Chinese private companies and are calling for the necessary market-oriented reforms. Some European companies are showing interest in buying full control of or taking a stake in privately-owned companies, for example, in the auto-parts and service station business, Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said on Thursday. The European Chamber, however, is concerned that the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) appears to carve out a larger role for government in guiding China's economy, which might restrict European business from investing in China. Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the concern was unnecessary. "The market plays a decisive role in Chinese economic growth. The 13th Five-Year Plan emphasizes the country's sharable and coordinated development, which aims to ensure each party's benefit," Zhou said. "The fact that we value the guidance from government, especially during the reforming period, does not mean market forces would be lessened." To further promote bilateral trade between China and the EU, according to Zhou, the two sides should make efforts to finalize the bilateral investment treaty, remove information barriers, and seek more partnerships at local levels. In mid-July, government officials from both sides agreed to accelerate the progress of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, trying to confirm core issues and main provisions by the end of this year, on the 30th Session of China-EU Trade & Economic Joint Committee, reported Economic Information Daily. Bilateral trade between China and the EU was $564.85 billion last year, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. Outbound direct investment by State-owned enterprises and privately owned companies from China to the EU exceeded $23 billion last year, a record, according to data from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Jing Shuiyu contributed to this story. China's official Purchasing Managers Index for manufacturing returned to expansionary territory in August, hitting its highest point since November 2014, indicating solid economic recovery. The PMI in August registered at 50.4, compared with 49.9 in July and 49.7 a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. The index is a leading gauge of manufacturing activity. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector while below 50 means contraction. Zhao Qinghe, senior statistician at the NBS, said that the data indicates recovery in production and demand as well as a further optimized economic structure. Among the PMI five sub-indexes, the production, new orders and employment subindexes all rose from the previous month. The production subindex reached a high this year of 52.6, compared with 52.1 in July. The new order subindex rose to 51.3 in August from 50.4 in July. But Zhao also noted that China's manufacturing sector still faces pressure from the downturn in exports, as the subindex of new export orders was 49.7 in August, up from 49.0 in July. According to Zhang Yiping, economist of China Merchants Securities, the recovery in demand is the main factor contributing to the rebound. "The demand may mostly be a result of consumption upgrades," Zhang said. The PMI of the high-tech manufacturing industry was 52.6 and the PMI of the consumer goods manufacturing industry was 51.2 in August. The official PMI "shows that the growth momentum of the Chinese economy is improving, which will turn weak market confidence around," said Zhou Hao, a senior economist at Commerzbank. Premier Li Keqiang says that investments should be driven by market demand Comprehensive guidelines will be issued by the State Council, China's Cabinet, to ensure the healthier and more sustainable development of venture capital. The new guidelines were approved on Thursday at the State Council's executive meeting. Premier Li Keqiang, who presided over the meeting, highlighted the importance of venture capital development. "Encouraging venture capital development means a lot for the country's efforts in maintaining sustainable growth and creating jobs," Li said. "Meanwhile, China's economy still faces considerable downward pressure, yet we notice that regions that perform well in the new economy have much less pressure in ensuring employment than areas that did poorly in developing the new economy." Over the past decade, venture capital in China has recorded annual average growth of up to 20 percent. The new guidelines emphasize that the development of venture capital should prioritize the new economy. Investors should apply a more professional approach based on their own features, use credit wisely and be aware of their social responsibilities. The guidelines echo the "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" program unveiled by the premier in 2014. The government has been reinvigorating the economy by encouraging more people to start their own businesses and unleash their innovative potential. Figures from the National Development and Reform Commission show that 2.62 million enterprises were registered in the first half of 2016, up 28.6 percent from last year. By the end of 2015, venture capital had created about 2.17 million jobs. "Developing venture capital will contribute to our country's innovation-driven development strategy and boost private investment," Li said. "We need to encourage private investors and protect their lawful rights and enthusiasm." Li said the development of venture capital should be guided by market demand, and a wider range of international practices should be implemented. According to the guidelines, the country will encourage more diversified venture capital companies, including angel investors. Financing channels for venture capital investors will be expanded, and tax policies for the sector will be better developed. "Venture capital can finance small business startups that have promising markets. Promoting the form can boost economic vitality and help create more opportunities for employment," said Huang Qunhui, director of the Institute of Industrial Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The State Council also announced that China will expedite efforts to make Beijing a national scientific and technological innovation hub, so it can be a leading example of the country's innovation drive. The focus will be to "develop fundamental research frontiers" and "cultivate global competitiveness" in sectors including smart manufacturing, biological medicine, clean energy and environmental protection. A worker operates a bridge crane in a workshop at the Bin Qasim Power Station II plant, operated by K-Electric Ltd, in the Bin Qasim Town area of Karachi, Pakistan. [Photo/Agencies] Karachi electrical distributor draws interest from international investors Shanghai Electric Power Co Ltd, a Shanghai-listed power supplier, said it intends to acquire a majority stake in K-Electric Ltd, a Pakistan power utility, from a Dubai-based investor, according to its filing to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Tuesday. K-Electric Director Finance and Company Secretary Muhammad Rizwan Dalia said in a notification to the Pakistan Stock Exchange that the company has received a copy of the public announcement of Shanghai Electric Power's intention to acquire up to 66.4 percent voting shares. Currently, 66.4 percent of the firm's voting shares are held by Dubai-based The Abraaj Group, and these had a market value of around $1.6 billion based on K-Electric's share price on Tuesday when the filing was made. K-Electric supplies power to Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and economic hub with a population of 20 million. K-Electric has some 2.2 million consumers and 11,000 employees. The Abraaj Group disclosed on Monday that it was evaluating the possibility of divestingdirectly or indirectlyits shareholding in K-Electric, according to a Bloomberg report. The deal, if successfully completed, will be the largest acquisition so far in Pakistan by any Chinese enterprise, and it would also become the largest foreign investment in Pakistan so far this year. Shanghai Electric Power and Shanghai-based Golden Concord Holding Ltd, which runs a clean energy business, expressed an interest after Abraaj Group said earlier this month that it planned to sell its 66 percent stake in K-Electric. French utility Engie SA and at least one investment fund are also in the final round for bidding, according to a report by Pakistan's news website thenews.com.pk. Shares of Shanghai Electric Power Co Ltd have been suspended from trading since Aug 24. Shanghai Electric Power Co Ltd has been investing in overseas markets for years, including in Japan, Turkey and Malta. If Shanghai Electric Power's bid is successful and the deal is completed, the Shanghai power supplier will be engaged in Pakistan's overall power supply chain. Lufthansa shareholders wait for the start of an annual share-holders meeting in Hamburg, Germany. [Photo/Agencies] Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Air China Ltd plan to finalize a joint venture this month, sealing a deal to share revenue and coordinate routes after more than two years of negotiations, people familiar with the matter said. Lufthansa Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr plans to travel to Beijing to attend a signing ceremony scheduled for Sept 20, said the people, who asked not to be identified prior to an announcement. The joint venture is the closest two carriers can get under legal restrictions limiting foreign control of airlines. Talks to set up the first venture between a European and a Chinese airline have been complex as the two sides wrangled over financial and organizational structure. After starting discussions in 2014 on expanding commercial ties, the carriers failed to seal an accord in 2015 as planned. Lufthansa declined to comment on the timing of an agreement. Air China also declined to comment. Securing links to China gives Lufthansa an edge over European rivals. The deal also completes a network of revenue-sharing agreements with major markets around the globe as the German carrier seeks to fend off threats from the likes of Emirates and Qatar Airways. Lufthansa last year struck a similar deal with Singapore Airlines Ltd, adding to its network of partners that include United Airlines, Air Canada and Japan's ANA Holdings Inc. The agreement will mean close to half of Lufthansa's capacity on long-haul routes will be covered by commercial joint ventures, more than any other European network carrier, according to an estimate by CAPA Centre for Aviation in London. It also deepens ties between Lufthansa and Air China. In 1989, the two carriers jointly established maintenance company Ameco Beijing, which employs more than 11,000 people. Bloomberg SYDNEY - Australian wines are set to get a big boost in China with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd launching an online wine store, local media reported on Friday. The flagship online store featuring Australian wine has been launched on Alibaba's business-to-consumer platform Tmall.com. At present, Alibaba's online retail sites cater to 434 million Chinese consumers, and the group generates half of China's online wine sales. The new store on Tmall, supported by Wine Australia and operated by Chinese online retailer Vinehoo.com, will initially stock 10 brands from eight Australian wine regions, followed by another 20 brands in coming months. The first brands to be featured include Brokenwood, Coriole, John Duval, Pikes and Voyager Estate. Wine Australia does not select the brands. Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark told the Australian Associated Press that Alibaba was a significant player in Chinese e-commerce with great reach. "The muscle they can bring, potentially, to further increasing Australian wine sales is vitally important," Clark said. China's food and wine culture are still evolving, he said, and more Chinese consumers are looking online for premium products. "Our support of Tmall's flagship Australian wine store helps us capitalize on this growing interest in Australian wine and gives us the opportunity to further reinforce the message with consumers that wines of Australian provenance are of the highest quality," Clark said. Alibaba's managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Maggie Zhou, said Australian wines are considered world-class, and come at different price points, so the opportunity to sell to China's growing middle class was significantly high. China is now Australia's second most valuable export market after the United States. Total Australian wine exports to China in 2015/16 rose 50 percent to AU$419 million ($315.29 million). Exports of wine priced at AU$10 ($7.54) or more per liter grew 71 percent to AU$169 million ($127.47 million). Opinion / Columnist QN How far did economic prosperity during the time of Amos affect vulnerable groups and Examining the view that prophets have brought social confusion in your society ? (25) (article number 110)DAILY DIVINITY QUESTION| SEPTEMBER 2016COMMENT OVERVIEW The above question might be new to some of us, but it is the question which is there. Amos was a prophet who prophesied in 8th Century, Professor Roy submitted that it was during the prosperous days of Israel. This has been supported by scholar J Mayes, who submitted that the archeologist found shops with two windows, as one was for buying and the other for selling. Constable stated that in Samaria and Shechem there was lot of activity. Various groups especially the vulnerable ones were affected. The vulnerable groups include- the poor Amos 4:1- the prophets Amos 2:12- the Nazarites Amos 2:12- the youths- the righteous Amos 2:6-8.The above fundamental points will be fully exhausted on the ongoing essay Amos prophesied during the prosperous days, as the writer indicated earlier. During this period injustice was prevailing everywhere. Scholar Keil identified four crimes by the Israelites, one of them unjust treatment of the innocent in judgment. This might have occurred perhaps after there was lucrative trade between the rich and poor, this is recorded in Amos 2:6. This has been supported by Constable who noted that the rich after found guilty would pervert the legal system to exploit the poor because of their social status. It is beyond no doubt that the poor suffered both psychological and physical because of the actions of the elite and this affected the righteous, hence indicating that the righteous were affected by the prosperous days.- Amos 4:1 could be added as well. During the prosperous days, since injustice was prevailing Yahweh might have sent number of prophets to correct injustice which was prevailing, as a results Israelites responded by silencing prophets. The major reason why they responded by persecuting or silencing prophets, perhaps prophets were delivering the unfavorable messages. This is recorded in Amos 2:12 ".But you made the .. and commanded the prophets, saying, 'You shall not prophesy.'. Therefore, this leads one to conclude that prophets were affected by the prosperous days, hence, showing that they were affected by the prosperous days as the vulnerable group. It has been submitted that during the prosperous days Israelites believed that the god who was responsible for economic success it was asherah and baal the gods of fertility. Temple prostitution took place as a way of appeasing the god of fertility. The most people who partook in the act it was the youths perhaps between the age of 16-35.They suffered psychological and physically. Psychological as they were taught to be corrupt and physically in the sense that they lost dignity. Men shared same maiden, this is recorded in Amos 2:7. Dr Constable noted that fathers and sons were having sexual intercourse with same maiden perhaps in temple, hence temple prostitution as servant girls who will be taken as concubines. Basing on the above discussion one will be left with no choice but to suggest that the prosperous days affected the youths as the writer indicated above.HOWEVER PARTAs much as it can be said that economic prosperity contributed much to the affection of vulnerable groups in Israel during the days of Amos, one will be short cited to ignore the view that the abuse of political and religious powers also contributed towards the affection of vulnerable groups. For instance, Amaziah the priest had religious powers in Israel, as a result he expelled Amos in prophesying Israel. This affected Amos in the sense that he was humiliated, thus he suffered psychological because of the act of Amaziah, this is recorded in Amos 7:13 "You seer flee away". Therefore, this indicates that the abuse of powers by leaders it affected the vulnerable groups as the writer fully highlighted.ZIMBABWEAN CONTEXT Zimbabwean prophets have brought social confusion to a certain degree. In most of the churches [which the author can not mention ]they have brought social disorder or confusion. Some of the prophets they create enmity as they expose the wizards in public, , sometimes prophets who will be assuming , neighbors they tend to hate each other. In some cases members end up fighting. This was even published by local newspapers in 2013 by Bulawayo24.com, that villagers ended up fighting during the meeting, investigations indicated that local prophets were responsible for fueling enmity as they condemned of the villager of witching others. As such, this indicates that prophets have contributed to social confusion.N.B SOME OF THE PROPHETS, BOMB OTHERS IN THE MOUNTAINS.HOWEVER PART As much prophets are responsible for social disorder in the society, it will be loss of memory if one ignore the other contributing people towards social disorder.- You known the examplesQUESTION DEMANDSCheck the demands of the questionCONTACTS+263777896159 [WhatsApp]Zimsec A level Divinity Questions and Answers with Witness Dingani.[Facebook pages ]"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."Walt Disney"It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop."Confucius H-Change Group, a Beijing-based property developer, aims to see its sales reach 50 billion yuan ($7.37 billion) by 2020, a five-fold growth within four years, its top management said on Thursday. The group, whose business portfolio includes real estate development, investment and finance, wants to see its property sales reach 10 billion yuan by the end of this year, according to Hu Bo, H-Change Group's vice president. "We will actively look for opportunities to purchase land parcels in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and key second-tier cities,"said Hu. Established in 2007, H-Change Group has more than 20 projects across the country's 10 cities. The company snapped up 15 land parcels in the first half year, mainly in key secondary cities such as Suzhou and Hangzhou. China's new home price in major cities rose 2.17 percent to 12,270 yuan per square meter in August, China Index Academy showed, marking the 16th growth in a row. The growth rate is up 0.54 percentage points compared with July. For key cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the prices will continue to increase slightly in the second half year, buoyed by strong demand, said Guo Yi, marketing director of real estate consultancy company Yahao. A volunteer responds to a US reporter's questions in the media center at the G20 Summit venue on Thursday. The center opened on Sept 1, 2016. [Photo/China Daily] Foreign journalists are hoping that China can draw the world's attention to economic growth and developing countries during the G20 Summit as they prepared for the coverage of the event on Thursday. Carla Stea, a journalist at the Centre for Research on Globalization, an independent research and media organization in Montreal, Canada, said she hopes most that China can persuade other countries to adopt win-win cooperation as opposed to the zero sum game. "I hope China will be effective in convincing other countries to invest more money in human development and less money in military and nuclear weapons," said Stea on the opening day of the media center. "The more the developed world invests in underdeveloped countries, the more interest the underdeveloped countries have to pay on the debt, as well as interest on the interest. This has to stop, and we need to restructure the foreign debt for these underdeveloped countries." Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said the Hangzhou G20 Summit will focus more on developing countries than previous summits did. The development of African countries in particular will be an important issue. Walter Michael, a CCTV journalist, said China's emphasis on the developing world is a welcoming move. "It is great that China has invited a lot of developing countries to the summit. Inclusivity is a big theme of this summit. The developing countries deserve a spot at the table. It's good for world leaders to hear what they have to say," he said. Joao Netto, a reporter for Brazil's NBR Television, said sustainable development is his key concern as the world leaders get together and come up with strategies to spur the sluggish economy. "The main points of my reporting will include sustainable development and global economic recovery because Brazil is in an economic crisis," said Netto. Nearly 5,000 journalists from some 70 countries have registered for the Hangzhou summit. A 15,000-square-meter media center has been built to help them. The center is equipped with Chinese and English phones that provide real-time simultaneous interpretation service of 14 languages spoken at the event. There are 500 personal computers at service in the hall and 1,500 seats for journalists in the center. More than 40 agencies from China and abroad have moved in the office rooms. Wang Xi'ning, head of the G20 Summit's press center, said 24-hour nonstop service will start on Saturday to better serve reporters. "First-tier technology and equipment at the center has been prepared to help reporters immediately spread text, pictures, audio and video. ... China has always been proactive in providing information of various types to journalists from around the world," Wang said. Michael Clauss German Ambassador to China. [Photo/China Daily] Germany welcomes China's G20 economic agenda and called for more innovation, less protectionism and more structural reforms, German ambassador to China Michael Clauss told China Daily ahead of the summit. "We strongly welcome that China has put the question of how to reanimate the world's economy at the top of the agenda. We hope that the summit will help us move forward with respect to three issues in particular: more innovation, less protectionism and more structural reforms," said the ambassador. "We believe that for bringing us back on a path toward sustainable growth, the world needs to move further on these three issues. We are glad China will raise them in Hangzhou and we expect that the summit will generate much needed momentum." Leaders of G20 members and important international organizations will gather in eastern China's Hangzhou to look for solutions against a backdrop of enervated global growth. There are high expectations on world leaders to move away from debt-reducing austerity policies toward more fiscal expansion. "Growth propped up by unsustainable debt can no longer be the answer. Many economies around the world are held back by deep-rooted structural problems. If these were addressed by constructive reforms, the world's economy would quickly become more resilient and dynamic," said the ambassador. "We strongly believe that structural reforms are keys to reviving the world's economy and we welcome that China has put this issue on the summit agenda." Clauss also called for removing protectionism. According to a report on G20 trade measures from World Trade Organization, the application of new trade-restrictive measures by G20 economies increased in the period between mid-October of last year and mid-May of 2016, when compared to the previous reporting period. It has already reached the highest monthly average registered since the WTO began its monitoring exercise in 2009. "Germany is convinced that protectionism constitutes a major hindrance and threat to the world economy. We hope that the G20 will send out powerful signals in favor of free trade and open markets," he said. Beside economics and finance issues, Germany will call for a swift implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change and will advocate for discussing the danger resistance to antibiotics poses to global health. "We would also like to see flight and migration addressed. The current refugee crisis is a global phenomenon, and Germany has been particularly affected. Given that the G20 members represent 80 percent of the world economy, there could be no better platform to discuss these issues," said the ambassador. Germany will take over the G20 presidency next year. Clauss said many issues such as sustainable growth and the challenge of refugees will continue to be discussed in Hamburg in July 2017. Dolana Msimang South African Ambassador to China. [Photo/China Daily] South Africa expects China to play a bigger role in enhancing the voice and representation rights of African countries in international organizations, to promote a more just and fair global order, South African Ambassador to China, Dolana Msimang said. It is also expected that global leaders attending the summit will discuss and agree on a new path to reinvigorate global economic growth, and measures to make global economic and financial governance more efficient, she said. The summit's theme is "building an innovative, reinitialized, interconnected and inclusive world economy". "China came up with a brilliant theme that addresses the all-round challenges of today," Msimang said, noting that inclusiveness is especially important. The number of developing nations invited to this year's G20 summit is larger than for any previous meetings. Developed and developing countries will sit down as equal partners and explore how to realize long-term and steady world economic growth, which showcases that the summit is much more representative and inclusive, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said earlier. The ambassador believes that China has a lot to share with her country and other developing nations because "it has the experience of moving from a poor country to the world's second-largest economy". While some are pessimistic on the Chinese economy as it slows down, Msimang thinks it remains robust and is one of the (main) engines of global growth. "Some of the slowdown is deliberate and it is part of the development of the Chinese economy," she said, adding that South Africa benefits from China's transfer of industries to the African continent. But her country will also take care of the environment since it has learnt from the lessons of China, she added. South Africa is a latecomer of the BRICS group of nations, but Msimang thinks BRICS is still an important platform for emerging economies despite the economic slowdown in some of its member states. "It is a highly important format to align approaches towards key international problems within its framework," she said, also noting that the inter-BRICS trade has increased tremendously. Moreover, the BRICS New Development Bank is also an alternative to other institutions. South Africa has asked the NDB for $250 million of funding to connect new power plants to the national grid, according to the ambassador. During the Johannesburg Summit for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last year, President Xi Jinping put forward 10 major plans to boost cooperation with Africa in the next three years in areas such as industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure and finance. Xi also pledged that China would provide a $60 billion investment package. According to Msimang, the plans are highly compatible with Africa's efforts to remove the three bottlenecks hindering its development: the lack of infrastructure, inadequate professional and skilled personnel, and lack of financial inputs. "I think that unlike some other powers China does not seek to use development aid to influence the domestic politics of African countries or dictate policies," she said. "Instead, it truly hopes to help Africa achieve better development while avoiding meddling with the internal affairs of African countries through conditional aid." Potential homebuyers examine a property project model in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/VCG] Real estate has remained one of the pillar industries supporting China's economy this year, but the ever-in-creasing divergence between the housing markets in various cities has become a noticeable trend. Due to favorable real estate-related policies and positive changes in people's expectations of the market, China's real estate market has heated up rapidly since the beginning of the year. And despite the sluggish investment in the real economy, especially in the private sector, investment in real estate maintained high growth. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the year-on-year growth rate of real estate investment reached a high record of 7.2 percent from January to April, while the year-on-year growth rate for 2015 was only 1 percent. Even with the gradual slowing in recent months due to the introduction of real estate policies for that purpose, real estate investment maintained a 5.3 per-cent year-on-year growth from January to July. Housing sales also warmed up in the past few months. House sales recorded double-digit growth year-on-year in the first seven months of 2016, while the growth rate was only 6.5 percent in 2015. From January to July, the overall national housing sales turnover increased 39.8 percent year-on-year, while the figure was 14.4 percent in 2015. The government's bid to reduce the real estate inventory therefore made some progress. By the end of July, there was 713.82 million square meters of housing for sale nationwide, down by 4.71 million sq m since the end of 2015. As the pressures from the economic downturn and the implementation of regulatory policies in various cities are further felt, the real estate industry is expected to experience moderate but stable growth over the next half year. "We expect housing sales will remain a comparatively high growth rate. House prices will basically remain stable and real estate investment will maintain stable growth in the second half of this year," said Xu Kunlin, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, in a news briefing on deepening investment and financing reform on July 25. However, the housing market trends in first-and fourth-tier cities diverge remarkably. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences forecast in an interim report issued in July that polarization of China's real estate market will further intensify with housing prices in first-and second-tier cities with good economic, transportation and environment conditions continuing to rise, while the housing prices in the majority of third-and fourth-tier cities will increase only slightly and they will face great challenges in reducing inventory. "The real estate industry has stepped into a stage of differentiation, adjustment and optimization," said Sheng Laiyun, spokesman of the National Bureau of Statistics at the media briefing in July. "Local government's policies should be in accordance with the actual situation of the local housing market." Despite being a startup, a Hangzhou-based digital marketing solutions provider is looking to help more traditional exporters build up their e-commerce empires. Xorder (China) Technology, which is headquartered in the same city as e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, helps Chinese exporters set up their own websites in multiple languages, enabling them to directly communicate with their clients and streamline transactions. "It is important for Chinese exporters to have their own sites to showcase their products, build up brand awareness and gather information and data on potential customers," said Han Jie, chief executive officer of Xorder, which was launched in January 2015. Many of China's traditional exporters set up virtual stores on e-commerce platforms, such as Alibaba and DHgate, because they offer exposure to a huge number of sellers and buyers. However, with a crowded platform comes cut-throat price competition. "After all, those clients who are attracted by your price will leave you because of a lower price," said Han, a veteran entrepreneur who began set-ting up his own business in 2000. While being on an established e-commerce platform is an easy way to attract new customers, a separate website helps exporters retain existing customers, especially when there is a focus on quality rather than price to win overseas market share, said Han. Xorder now has about 100 clientsall exporters with annual sales between $1 mil-lion and $50 million. Han said the company, which has 25 employees, has already broken even and is expected to turn a profit later this year. "With the improving infra-structure in cross-border e-commerce, such as the increasingly high penetration rate of digital payments, the market for business-to-business cross-border e-commerce will soon take off," he said. According to a report released in early August by Hangzhou-based China E-commerce Research Center, about 84 percent of online export volume was made via the business-to-business model. Zhang Zhouping, senior analyst with the center, said such exports will continue to comprise the majority of China's cross-border commerce. "With the challenging situation faced by traditional exports in China, the Chinese government has taken a lot of measures to smooth the process of e-commerce enabled exports and encourage exports moving from offline to online," he said. China's traditional exports declined 1.8 percent year-on-year to 14.14 trillion yuan ($ 2.12 trillion) last year, but the exports made via e-commerce channels jumped 26 percent to 4.5 trillion yuan in the same period, according to government figures. Sherpa Meeting crafts blueprint, including plan to provide help for poorest nations Members of the G20 should steadily complete their "very last mile" and settle on final arrangements for the summit, as preparations have entered their final stage, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Thursday. Li Baodong, vice-foreign minister and the Chinese coordinator for G20 affairs, made the remark at the opening ceremony of the fourth G20 Sherpa Meeting in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, three days ahead of the Leaders Summit, which begins on Sunday. China hopes that all G20 members will continue to cooperate to ensure a successful summit, which aims to inject new vigor into the world economy, he said. Liu Yingkui, a researcher at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that because of the sluggish global economy, the G20 Summit has important meanings as a key platform for global economic governance. About 30 agreements are expected to be reached at the summit, making it one of the most fruitful meetings of its kind, he said, adding that the international community has high expectations for China as the summit host. The Sherpa Meeting, which focuses on preparatory work for the G20 Summit, is responsible for coordinating results politically. At the meeting, the coordinators also negotiated on a G20 statement to be released after the two-day summit. Basic agreements have been reached on a G20 blueprint for innovation-driven growth, an action plan to carry out the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and an initiative to support industrialization in Africa and the least-developed countries, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry after the meeting. The Sherpas agreed that under China's presidency, the G20 has seen stable, smooth and innovative progress in 2016, with a series of ground-breaking accomplishments. Zhu Jiejin, a professor of international relations at Fudan University, said the consensus on innovation had been hard-won, given the market volatility in the first quarter of 2016. "It is not easy for China to stay focused on a long-term agenda when some are calling for short-term stimulus packages," he said. More than 2 million Hangzhou residents have made plans to travel during the seven-day holiday they've been given for the G20 Summit in the city, according to a report by Ctrip, one of China's leading online travel service providers. All non-essential government personnel were encouraged to take time off during the summit to reduce pressure on public transportation and avoid inconvenience brought by the summit. The vacation started on Thursday and runs until next Wednesday. Ctrip said that after the summer vacation, many cities have seen fewer travelers; however, the case in Hangzhou is the opposite. The city has more than 7 million residents. Many provinces have introduced preferential policies to attract them. For example, Guizhou province announced that all scenic spots will waive entrance fees for Hangzhou residents. So far, the number of travelers departing from Hangzhou has surpassed that of last year's National Day Holiday, which is one of the busiest periods for China's tourism industry. Ctrip said the trips Hangzhou residents make during the summit could reach five times as many as those during the same period last year. In 2014, public sector employees in Beijing got a six-day break during the APEC meeting, and residents of the capital took the opportunity to travel. Shen Wei, 33, who lives near West Lake, said he is taking his son to Disneyland in Shanghai. "I am happy to see Disneyland is less crowded and the ticket is cheaper now," Shen said. "During the APEC meeting, we were jealous of Beijing residents. Now I think they are all jealous of us." Fan Xuguang, Ctrip's publicity officer, said 67 percent of Hangzhou travelers chose to stay in China, and most of them visited neighboring tourism destinations, such as Shanghai, Jiangsu province and other cities in Zhejiang. The break is expected to further boost tourism to overseas destinations. Thailand is No 1 on the list. One out of four outbound tourists from Hangzhou went to Thailand. South Korea, Japan, Singapore also saw many visitors. Andrey Denisov, Russian ambassador to China. [Photo/China Daily] The coordinating cooperation under the framework of G20 is always the key element of the Sino-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, and Russia looks forward to fruitful results from the upcoming G20 summit in Hangzhou, the Russian ambassador said. Andrey Denisov, the Russian ambassador to China, said the world's economy has not fully recovered back on the track of sustainable development after the 2008 crisis, and the G20 has a very clear aim, which is to understand that challenges and threats to the global economy have increased, and to establish an efficient mechanism to face them. He said Russia is going to provide support with constructive cooperation to make sure the summit will achieve success. "I believe this G20 summit in Hangzhou will find new opportunities to boost the growth of the global economy and innovation," the ambassador said. He noted that G20 has brought together those influential participants from the developed countries, developing countries and emerging market. "Through the right orgnization and coordination, and with a coherent agenda, I believe that the group can play a substantial contribution to stablize the world economic situation and create conditions for sustainable growth," he said. The ambassador recalled the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in June, during which both sides signed more than 30 deals on cooperation in various fields. He added those agreements have entered the phase of implementation. As President Xi Jinping and Putin will meet again on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Denisov said the frequent interaction between the two leaders have offered a strong push to the further development of the bilateral ties. Denisov said the schedule of the leaders of two countries for the rest of the year is full and there are meetings between the leaders at some international events, as well as the 21st regular meeting of Chinese and Russian heads of government, as well as some visits of high-level officials to both countries. "Considering the rapid development of the Sino-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, leaders from China and Russia share common topics and concerns, and it benefits both countries for them to exchange opinions regularly," he said. Sergey Karataev, deputy director of the economy research center at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, said the upcoming G20 summit will provide solutions to some global concerns as the world's economy faces a slowdown. "I appreciate China's Belt and Road Initiative, to encourage G20 cooperation with BRICS, and to establish the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank," Karataev said. "The G20 in China will focus on economic issues instead of political issues, and the results of the summit will be a gift to the world by building a community of shared destiny." Besides meeting with Chinese leaders, Kremlin officials said Putinwill also meet his counterparts from the United States, Turky, Japan, Republic of Korea, France and the United Kingdom on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in China. Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to China. [Photo/China Daily] Huge potential remains to be tapped from the G20 as it provides a unique opportunity for leaders to reach consensus on future direction, and China's efforts to make it more effective are deeply appreciated, Canada's top envoy in China said. "The G20, in my view, is maybe now the most important multilateral organization because it brings together the 20 most important and largest economies and I don't think we have yet made full use of what it can achieve," Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to China, said. Saint-Jacques believes the leaders will discuss how to work together to better promote the advantages of globalization because the economic recovery is still fragile and more work needs to be done to stimulate growth. "But you can see around the world a lot of resentment about the usefulness of trade agreements," he said, adding that Canada, as a country that depends greatly on international trade, fully understands the need to remove trade barriers and "it has resulted in good growth". The theme of the upcoming G20 summit is "building an innovative, revitalized, interconnected and inclusive world economy". "We like the theme of innovation very much because it coincides with some of our domestic priorities," Saint-Jacques said, noting that the new government under Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come up with an innovation agenda, which aims to make Canada a global innovation leader. Hangzhou, the host city of the summit, is home to many of China's e-commerce enterprises, including e-commerce giant Alibaba. "I think the G20 in Hangzhou gives a very good opportunity for the prime minister and our business companies to better tap into the potential that exists in Hangzhou and Zhejiang province," he said. According to the ambassador, Trudeau plans to have a meeting in Hangzhou with Jack Ma, the founder and chairman of Alibaba. "We are working on an event to better promote Canadian products on various platforms of Alibaba," he said. Saint-Jacques first came to China more than 32 years ago, but he went to Hangzhou for the first time only two years ago. "Now I better understand why President Xi Jinping chose Hangzhou to hold the summit and why Hangzhou was called one of the top tourist destinations in China," he said. The people-to-people exchanges between China and Canada have seen rapid growth since Canada got Approved Destination Status in 2010. China has become Canada's third-largest source of visitors, with more than 88,000 Chinese travelers visiting Canada in the first quarter of the year, and Canada was the first country that issued 10-year multi-entry visas for Chinese travelers. "We want to look at how we can expand tourism on both directions," Saint-Jacques said, adding that about 600,000 Canadians visited China last year. To facilitate tourism, there will be more air links and flights between the two countries, and Canada hopes to get more visa application centers in China, the ambassador said. Opinion / Columnist The article below was extracted from Norton Rose Fulbright and relates to South Africa, but one wonders if it is the same in Zimbabwe.In the recent case of SATAWU v Garvas, the Constitutional Court upheld legislation imposing liability for damages caused during gatherings on the organisers of the gatherings.It has always been difficult for a specific employer to hold trade unions liable for damage which its own employees caused during a strike. However, in the Garvas case, it was general members of the public that instituted claims against the union for damage that occurred during protest action.SATAWU organised a gathering at which thousands of people were present, to register employment-related concerns within the security industry. The gathering was the culmination of strike action during which 50 people were killed, several people were injured, and 39 people were arrested. Property belonging to private individuals, and to the City of Cape Town, was damaged, amounting to an estimated loss of R1.5 million.As a result, shop and vehicle owners, who alleged that their property had been damaged during the organised gathering, instituted action for damages against SATAWU in terms of the Regulation of Gatherings Act.Section 11(1) of the Act provides that any riot damage caused by a gathering shall be claimed from the organisers of the gathering or on whose behalf or under whose auspices the gathering was held together with the participants in the demonstration.Section 11(2) of the Act provides a possible defence to such a damages claim. If the organisers (in this case a trade union) prove that it did not permit the act (or oversight) which caused the damage, the act did not fall within the scope of objectives of the gathering, it was not reasonably foreseeable and the organisers took all reasonable steps within its power to prevent the act, it may escape liability.SATAWU argued that the last two requirements of the defence were contradictory ie that it imposed an obligation on an organisation to take all reasonable steps to prevent an act when the act was not reasonably foreseeable in the first place.The court chose to interpret the last two requirements of the defence to mean that if the union takes steps to prevent the problems which they can foresee at the time when it plans the gathering, the taking of the preventative steps would render the act that then subsequently causes the riot damage not reasonably foreseeable.SATAWU further alleged that section 11(2) was unconstitutional, as it unjustifiably limited the right to freedom of assembly provided for in the Constitution, by providing a too narrow defence.The court conceded that the section may cause the costs of organising a protest action to increase and prevent poorly resourced organisations from organising protest action. It therefore limited the constitutional right to picket, present petitions, demonstrate and assemble peacefully and unharmed.The Constitutional Court however had to determine whether the limitation was justified. It held as follows:The exercise of the right to freedom of assembly may not be limited without good reason;The purpose sought to be achieved by the limitation should be sufficiently important to warrant the limitation;The purpose of the limitation, namely the protection of members of society who might not have the resources to identify the individuals who had caused the damage, was very important;The organisers of gatherings are expected to exercise their rights with due regard to the rights of others. This means that they should be conscious of the foreseeable harm that the gathering may have on others; and the limitation does not entirely remove the right to freedom of assembly, but merely imposes strict conditions on it, with the view to preventing damage to property or injury to people.The court concluded that the provision succeeded in striking a balance between the right to assemble and the safety of people and property. The limitation on the right to freedom of assembly was thus found to be reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom. Shakhrat Nuryshev, Kazakhstan's ambassador to China. [Photo/China Daily] The G20 Summit is a huge event for the global economy and financial system, and the president of Kazakhstan will raise proposals and discuss international concerns with other leaders, the country's ambassador to China said. This is not the first G20 Summit for Kazakhstan as a guest country as it was invited to the G20 Summit in St Petersburg by the host nation Russia in September 2013. Shakhrat Nuryshev, the Kazakhstan's ambassador to China, said President Nursultan Nazarbaye will join discussions about the global economy, and look for solutions to problems caused by the economic crisis with other world leaders. Being the first country to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan, China established diplomatic relations with the former Soviet republic on Jan 3, 1992. "China has always played a special role in Kazakh diplomatic policies, and both countries agree to further enhance high-level political talks and strengthen economic cooperation," Nuryshev said. Nuryshev told China Daily that President Xi Jinping and Nazarbaye will hold talks in Hangzhou, and sign several agreements about environmental protection, railway construction and agriculture. Moreover, a new deal about cooperation concerning the Belt and Road Initiative and the Nurly Zho policy, a key development plan in Kazakhstan, will be of major benefit to both countries. The policy, which was launched by Nazarbaye in November 2014, is a perfect match to China's Belt and Road initiatives, according to Nuryshev. He said both strategies will focus on realizing the potential of transportation capacity, and just like the Belt and Road, Nurly Zho also targets support for the development of trade and investment. Kazakhstan has already started its largest transportation innovation project, with total investment expected to reach $40 billion in 2020. Some completed projects, such as the "Western Europe-Western China" International Roadway Corridor, are seen as an integral part of the modern Silk Road. Nuryshev noted that Belt and Road Initiative, together with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Eurasian Economic Union, can be more connected, and provide a clear direction to multinational cooperation. Yang Cheng, deputy director of the Center for Russian Studies at the East China Normal University in Shanghai, said Kazakhstan pays a great deal of attention to its midand long-term projects. "And the Nurly Zho policy is a project that, on one hand aims at satisfying the strategic need of the development of Kazakhstan, and on the other hand hopes to boost industry innovation with the help of the Silk Road Economic Belt." China and Kazakhstan have maintained close cooperation in the past few years, and the regional powerhouse has always been a strong supporter of the Belt and Road Initiative. Indeed, Xi first raised the proposal of the Silk Road Economic Belt during a speech in Nazarbayev University in September 2013 in Astana, Kazakhstan. A man introduces DJI's Phantom4 drone in Shenzhen, Guangdong provicne. [Photo/Xinhua] Despite facing headwinds and witnessing its slowest growth in decades, the Chinese economy is still on the right track and moving towards sustainable growth in the long run, according to experts. China was ranked the 25th most innovative economy, according to the Global Innovation Index report co-re-leased by the World Intellectual Property Organization, Cornell University and INSEAD in August. China's research and development expenditure as a percentage of GDP ranks second in the world after that of the United States, the report shows. Zhao Gang, a researcher with the Strategic Research Institute under the Ministry of Science and technology, said that, among the BRICS economies, China has the highest commitment to innovation. Margit Molnar a senior economist with the organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, said that China's economic trans-formation is on the right track, as it has been aided by strong productivity convergence between manufacturing and the service industry. "While the misallocation of capital over the past decades is manifest in excess capacity in a number of manufacturing sectors, the channeling of investment towards high-tech and new industries is apparent," she said, referring to industries such as aviation, spacecraft equipment, and electronic and communication equipment manufacturing. Molnar said that efforts being made in the past couple of years in the public sector to reduce the costs of starting a business would spur entrepreneurship and allow more ideas to materialize, ultimately leading to more innovation. Echoing her statement, Hu An'gang, an economist with Tsinghua University, said that after giving up the old investment driven model that might boost growth in the short run, the government's strong commitment to a sustainable innovation-driven economy is playing a key role in supporting long-term growth. Innovation has been put high on agenda, where it has been recognized in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), which sets the target for China to become an innovative economy by 2020. In the meantime, Molnar suggested that the government should make efforts to strengthen the commercialization of research. More efforts need to be made to help guide more private investment into innovative industries, as most achievements stem from the research of companies and only a small percentage from collaborative projects, let alone projects with overseas collaborators. Zhao said that the marketization of innovations in emerging high-tech industries can provide the motivation for innovation to drive growth in the long run. President of the New York Stock Exchange Tom Farley (far left) stands beside Jack Ma, Alibaba's executive chairman, as the bell is rung to start Singles Day, a major online shopping festival, at Beijing's National Aquatic Center on Oct 11. [Photo/China Daily] Hangzhou is ideal place for leaders looking to the future When leaders of the world's 20 leading large economies gather for their annual summit this weekend, they will be in a city many people outside China will not have heard of, but which is one of the most prosperous, go-ahead cities in the country. And of those outside China who know of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, many may have heard of it in connection with one of the country's most go-ahead companies, Alibaba Group. Hangzhou, with a population of 9 million, lacks the surrounding farmland that could provide it with food but is endowed with mountains, lakes and rivers that have helped it trade on its reputation as a tourist attraction. Local people have always been painfully aware that if they could not grow it they were probably going to have to trade it, so the ground has been fertile for the business ideas of entrepreneurs such as Alibaba's founder, Jack Ma. It was in Hangzhou 17 years ago that Ma planted the seeds for the world's largest online retail empire, even as the broad avenues of Beijing hosted a large amount of China's mighty State-owned enterprises and as the sky-scrapers of Shanghai hosted a plethora of big-name multi-national companies. Ma, a former English teacher, founded Alibaba in a modest apartment in Hangzhou, starting out with 500,000 yuan (about $75,000 today) put together by 18 friends. But those simple and humble beginnings seem to have taught Alibaba an invaluable lesson in sticking to the nuts and bolts of business, and it has become a dominant force in China's e-commerce industry. In the fiscal year ended March it served more than 400 million shoppers and sold more than 3 trillion yuan worth of goods. Ma, 51, the executive chairman, said recently that he chose Hangzhou as the headquarters of the company not because he was born and bred there, but because it appreciates entrepreneur-ship by people who start with nothing and build an enterprise. Yao Jianrong, a professor at Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, defined the economic development model in Zhejiang as "grassroots economy". "Zhejiang doesn't have big State-owned enterprises. Its growth seldom depends on big foreign investment." Rather than using big investment to spur growth in a top-down way, the small businesses set up by individuals drive the economic development in the region via the bottom-up model, Yao said. That business environment seems to suit Alibaba to a tee. After starting as a business-to-business online platform to bridge the information gap between Chinese suppliers and international buyers, it gave itself a mission from day one to "make it easy for small and medium enterprises to do business anywhere". Being based in Hangzhou helps Alibaba get closer to its customers, said Jin Jianhang, one of the company's 18 founders. Jin, now the president of Alibaba Group, said Hangzhou may have seemed like a strange choice for an entrepreneur in the internet industry in the late 1990s because of the lack of solid internet infrastructure. "The place is full of entrepreneurship, and people here are very open to new things," said Jin, born and bred in Hangzhou. Jin used to be a reporter but decided to join Ma's e-commerce adventure after being impressed in an inter-view by his vision. Entrepreneurship is "a spirit of never resigning oneself to fate", Jin said. Many people in Zhejiang have the "same gene", said Zhang Xuguang, a professor at Zhejiang University. That is why the eastern province has such a booming private sector and a large number of self-made billionaires, he said. Apart from Alibaba's Ma, many self-made billionaires have built business empires in Zhejiang. They include the beverages magnate Zong Qinghou of the soft drinks maker Wahaha and Lu Guan-qiu, founder of the automotive parts maker Wanxiang Group. Although Zhejiang's population accounts for just four percent of the national population, 15 percent of the entrepreneurs ranked on the Hurun China rich list are from the province, Rupert Hoogewerf, the chairman of the board and principle researcher of Hurun report, said last year. "Zhejiang entrepreneurs never fear difficulties, and they are absolutely deter-mined to build something from nothing despite the odds," Zhang said. Zhejiang entrepreneurs' determination to fight for their businesses combined with government support creates a thriving private economy in the province, said Li Yanyi, deputy-director of Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Com-mission, in an earlier interview. The private sector contributes about 60 percent of Zhejiang's tax income and 70 percent of its GDP, and private companies create 90 per-cent of jobs in the province, the commission said. Dai Li, who founded West-lake Maker Space, an incubator to promote the growth of startups, said it is relatively simple for entrepreneurs to set up meetings with high-level government officials in Zhejiang. "Rather than short-term returns, the government here cares more about companies' potential and the value they can bring society." No rent is charged for his company, which is located in a government-fund entrepreneur park in Binjiang district of Hangzhou, where Alibaba's headquarters is also located. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde is interviewed by Reuters at IMF headquarters in Washington, August 31, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Slower but more stable growth in China can be beneficial for the world economy in the long run, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a blog on Thursday. "A stable Chinese economy growing at sustainable rates is ultimately good for the world economy," said Christine Lagarde, managing director of IMF. Lagarde made the comment ahead of the two-day G20 Summit to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from Sunday to Monday, during which global powers would discuss issues including low growth, high inequality, and slow progress on structural reforms. Lagarde holds positive view of Chinese economy in terms of efforts to economic transition, noting that rebalancing of the Chinese economy from investment to consumption, and from external demand to domestic demand. In the meantime, more efforts are needed to address short-term spillovers and financial volatility, according to Lagarde. The issue has been highlighted in IMF's surveillance note posted on the same day, where it said that many trading partners will have to adapt to structurally lower demand and its impact on commodity prices. But China is able to help through bolstering financial-sector resilience and enhance policy communications with other nations, the note suggested. Lagarde called for forceful policy actions to avoid the global economy from falling into the low-growth rate gap. That is in line with what China's central bank vice governor, Yi Gang, said at a news conference on Thursday, where China would work closely with other G20 members to use all policy tools, including monetary and fiscal policies and measures for implementing structural reform to boost growth, while strengthening policy coordination. HANGZHOU - China has worked closely with other G20 members in the fields of macroeconomic policy coordination, innovative growth and more effective global economic and financial governance, a Chinese central bank official said Thursday. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) mainly participated in issues of strong, sustainable and balanced growth framework, international financial architecture, financial sector reforms, financial inclusion and green finance, PBOC Vice Governor Yi Gang said at a press conference. G20 members agreed on an approach of "using all policy tools -- monetary, fiscal and structural -- individually and collectively" to support growth, according to Yi. "This marks a milestone in the G20's recent history of macroeconomic policy coordination," Yi said. China also led the efforts to build a more stable and more resilient international financial architecture, with the release of a report in this regard by the International Financial Architecture Working Group, which was resumed under China's G20 presidency, the vice governor said. The report made several recommendations to improve the international financial architecture, including examining the broader use of Special Drawing Rights, strengthening the Global Financial Safety Net, improving debt restructuring processes and advancing the IMF quota and governance reform, Yi said. "Global financial markets have seen bouts of turbulence since last year, but global financial system has remained sound and resilient," he said, adding that it reflected the effects of financial sector reforms since the global financial crisis. This year, G20 members reached a consensus that financial reforms will focus on building an open and resilient financial system, summarizing elements of effective macro-prudential policies, developing robust financial market infrastructures and promoting financial inclusion. The G20 also discussed green finance for the first time this year and established a G20 Green Finance Study Group, which released a report to identify challenges faced by green finance and provide voluntary options for countries to consider, Yi added. On Wednesday, the PBOC and some other Chinese ministries unveiled a guideline for establishing a green financing mechanism to facilitate the economy's transition to sustainable growth. Under the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," this year's G20 summit is scheduled on Sept 4-5 in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. HANGZHOU - With the Hangzhou summit of Group of 20 drawing near, the world is expecting that new ideas from the summit will help improve economic governance and address some key issues. New ideas Xi will deliver Chinese President Xi Jinping will preside over more than 10 events during the summit and deliver some speeches, including a keynote one at the Business20 summit, outlining China's ideas on the world economy and global economic governance. Chen Fengying, a research fellow with the China Institute for Contemporary International Relations, said the summit will enable China to approach world issues with Chinese concepts, wisdom and ideas. "We need to explain the real situation and trend of the Chinese economy in a bid to boost world confidence," Chen said. With the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," the summit is expected to boost the world economy and improve global economic governance. Key topics for discussion G20 leaders, eight state guests of honor and leaders of seven international organizations will attend the summit. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said that discussions will focus on many issues, including strengthened policy coordination, building new paths for growth, effective economic and financial governance, strong world trade and investment, as well as inclusive and interconnected development. The G20 summit is not only a key multilateral meeting but also important for bilateral diplomacy. On the sidelines of the summit, President Xi will meet leaders from several countries, and leaders of other countries will hold bilateral talks. Developing countries Laos, Chad, Senegal, Thailand, Kazakhstan and Egypt are developing countries without G20 membership, but their joining will enable the G20 Hangzhou summit to become one attended by the most number of developing countries in G20 history. Ruan Zongze, executive deputy president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the G20 is set to address development issues. While developing countries are less represented in some international institutions, the Group of 20, which acts as a major forum for global economic governance, should allow developing countries to have a bigger say. The Hangzhou summit is expected to initiate several proposals to support underdeveloped countries, including those in Africa. B20 Summit More than 800 business leaders around the world will join the Business20 summit on Saturday and Sunday. Multinationals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and heads of states will join the summit. The B20 summit has six major topics: financing growth, trade and investment, infrastructure, small and medium-sized enterprises, employment and anti-corruption. B20 policy recommendations will be submitted to the G20 summit. With more than half of the business representatives coming from China, Chinese entrepreneurs will be deeply involved in making international rules, Ruan said. Anti-corruption network With China's efforts, anti-corruption will become a major topic at the summit. Li Chengyan, head of the Center for Anti-Corruption Studies at Peking University, said one of the expected achievements of the summit will be the creation of a three-in-one anti-corruption system: all members' unified agreement on the legal identification of corruption; the building of a coordinated mechanism to pursue fugitives and stolen assets; and the coordinated actions of members in law implementation. The summit will also implement the UN Convention Against Corruption, according to Li. Firsts of G20 summits The G20 Hangzhou summit will have many firsts. For the first time, the summit makes building a new path for growth a major topic, focusing on global growth in the medium to long term; it will create the first multilateral investment framework; and it will make green finance the first time on the G20 agenda. "The summit will become a new starting point for global economic governance," said Chen. Experts believe the Hangzhou summit is transforming the G20 from a crisis response mechanism to a long-term governance system. This year's G20 Summit will be held in Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on September 4 to 5. With the theme of "Building an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy", the event has gained a growing amount of attention from the international community. Here is a selection of quotes from international media. "An hour from Shanghai by bullet train, this city of nine millionpronounced hahng-joe and referred to by government officials as "paradise on earth"is a hub of tourism and tech. " Why China picked Hangzhou to host G20 --Wall Street Journal, on August 31 "the G20 summit, to be held on September 4 and 5, will be the first in China in the eight-year history of such meetings and a hugely important diplomatic occasion for President Xi Jinping." China prepares to host the G20 --The Economist, on August 29 "The coming summit of the world's 20 leading economies (G20), hosted by China for the first time, provides China with a unique opportunity to assume global economic leadership amid the lingering crisis." China's moment in the global economy the opportunity in G20 summit --The Jerusalem Post, on August 30 "While the global economy will dominate at this weekend's summit of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging-market nations, politics and security issues form the backdrop to the gathering of world leaders in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou." Political issues weigh on upcoming G-20 summit in China --Associated Press, on August 31 "China, the G20 president this year, is holding high the banner of free trade as global economic growth stagnates and protectionist sentiment becomes more popular" China's long journey to center stage at G20 summit --South China Morning Post, on August 28 "The Hangzhou meeting will be the first G20 China has hosted, and only the second held in Asia since 2008." "Hangzhou wasn't just chosen to host the G20 because of its natural beauty - it's also symbolic as a marker of China's transition from a low-cost manufacturer to high-tech economy." --CNN, on August 31 "The conference, in this striking lakeside city south of Shanghai, will be the most significant gathering of world leaders in China's history." --New York Times, on August 30 Citizens receive acupuncture treatments at a clinic in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, September 1, 2016. The 11th G20 summit will be held in Hangzhou from September 4 to 5. [Photo/Xinhua] BUENOS AIRES - Argentine President Mauricio Macri headed a high-level delegation and departed for China on Thursday to attend the G20 Summit to be held on Sept 4-5 in the city of Hangzhou, according to an official statement released Thursday. The team, which also includes Argentina's Minister of Economy and Finance Alfonso Prat-Gay, Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra and Deputy Minister of Public Finance Pedro Lacoste, intends to show that Argentina is open for business from foreign investors. On Sept 5, Macri will give his first speech to the summit. The same day, both finance officials will attend the 3rd plenary session on promoting international and trade and investment, during which Macri will make his second address. The statement added that Argentina "is taking a new step in its goal to tighten bonds with the world, integrate diplomatic relations and international finance, and establish a common agenda in order to resolve the main problems facing the world." Another statement by the Foreign Ministry issued on Thursday added that Argentina is paying "great importance" to the Summit, as part "of its strategy of international insertion." Among the topics Argentina will discuss at the summit are "sustainable development, the strength of trade and investment, the problem of climate change and innovation in science and technology, among others." In line with these goals, Macri will table a series of questions relevant to Argentina, "including the role of agriculture as critical sector to reach development targets, strengthen the global trading system, with the WTO (World Trade Organization) at its core, promote advances in the Doha Round of talks, and affirm the importance of development as a vehicle for inclusive, sustained and equitable growth," said the statement. CAIRO - The ongoing Asian tour of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi that includes India and China represents hope for the most populous Arab country while struggling to revive its ailing economy after several years of political instability, said Egyptian economic and political experts. Sisi attended Thursday evening in New Delhi the Egyptian-Indian businessmen forum where he voiced Egypt's persistence to address all obstacles and resolve all issues that face the Indian investments in the country. The Egyptian president will later head to China's eastern city of Hangzhou to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit scheduled for Sept. 4-5 as a guest of honor at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Heading east Egypt has been heading east towards Asia over the past few years for further cooperation seen by experts as a means to create a kind of balance in the country's economic, political and strategic relations so as not to be restricted to the United States and the West in general. "Heading to Asia is a new world tendency for the region started to reach very high economic levels, as China has become the world's second largest economy after the United States," said Egyptian economic expert and researcher Mokhtar al-Sherif. Sherif added that Egypt's relations with India and China are on the rise and the country is trying to learn from their development experiences that led them to rank high as giant Asian and world economies. President Sisi met Thursday with Indian Foreign Minister Sushama Swaraj in New Delhi where he stressed the necessity for restoring strong ties between the two countries, expressing hope for Indian participation in the ongoing Egyptian national projects. "Egypt seeks to learn from India's development experience, despite the prevailing poverty in the Asian country, as India has achieved a technological and industrial leap especially in technology and electronic based industries including remote sensing devices, computers, missiles, satellites and others," Sherif told Xinhua. President Sisi has visited China twice since he came to office in mid-2014 and was invited to the G20 summit during Chinese President Xi's first state visit to Egypt in January. The two leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2014. "India and China has economic forums with Africa as a promising spot for economic future due to its abundant natural resources, and Egypt's distinguished location as a portal to Africa can make it a link between big Asian economies and the continent," the expert pointed out. G20 chances The Egyptian president said his invitation to the G20 summit embodies the depth of friendship and partnership ties between Egypt and China, expressing confidence in China's successful leadership of the world event. "Egyptian-Chinese relations grow stronger day after day and extend to include various fields of cooperation at all levels, given the technological and finance capabilities of China and the promising investment and business opportunities provided by Egypt," Sisi told Xinhua in an interview Wednesday before setting off for his Asian tour. Ahmed Qandil, expert of Asian affairs and head of the Energy Studies Program at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that Egypt's participation in such a world economic event whose members represent 90 percent of the world population and 85 percent of the world trade volume is "a certificate that Egypt is on the right economic path." This year's G20 summit is held under the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," and it is expected to redraw the map of world economy that has been facing decline over the past few years through balanced, inclusive economic development-based policies that benefit big and small economies alike. "Egypt supports China's efforts to reach better representation of developing countries in the G20 summit that will be a chance for Egypt to present its large national projects and their development aspirations amid declining world economic growth rate," Qandil told Xinhua. Egypt has been struggling to survive economic recession over the past few years, which saw the ouster of two heads of state in 2011 and 2013, due to security issues that caused a growing budget deficit, declining foreign currency reserves, ailing tourism and fleeing foreign investments. The challenges led the Arab country to seek a $12 billion loan recently from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to implement a tough, three-year economic reform program. "The initial approval of the IMF loan to Egypt and the country's first participation in the G20 summit show an international recognition that the Egyptian leadership in on the right path," the expert argued. Qandil believes that Egypt's weight in the region qualifies it to play a key role in regional security and stability and that its cooperation with the international community, including Asian and Western states, will be in favor of international and regional stability. Hope, challenges Amid economic challenges, Egypt aims out of Sisi's Asian tour and participation in the G20 summit to enhance economic relations with world powerful economies and return home with a bunch of foreign investments to boost the country's economy. "This depends on the improvement of investment environment in Egypt that still suffers bureaucracy," said Ehab al-Desouki, head of the Economy Department of Cairo-based Sadat Academy. Desouki argued that establishing a business in Egypt requires a foreign investor to spend a lot of time to get official permits and a specified land for the project, "which are the main obstacles facing investors in Egypt, besides the new crisis of dollar shortage that cripples importers." "Egypt should overcome the obstacles facing investors and present its investment opportunities and economic reform program agreed with the IMF to get the best results out of the Asian tour and the G20 summit," the expert told Xinhua. For his part, economic expert Sherif said that Egypt should work hard and fast to establish technology-based cadres and raise its scientific level in order to learn from pioneering development experiences like those of China, India and some other Asian states. "Egypt is a promising investment market and its presence in giant economic blocs like this year's G20 summit requires the country to conduct thorough and accurate studies to be qualified for copying successful economic experiences," the expert told Xinhua. China has shown unparalleled leadership by inviting more developing countries to the G20 Summit scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Macky Sall, president of Senegal and chair of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, an African Union development program, said China's move showed its strong commitment to promote sustainable development by including new partners. Sall believes that increasing Africa's participation comes at an opportune time amid global concerns about sluggish world growth. Africa and other developing nations cannot be put on the sidelines if global growth is to be put back on course, the African president said, adding that China candidly understands this and knows that the continent has to participate proactively in the global agenda. "We can defend our position and highlight challenges such as emerging laws that encourage illicit financial outflows, which is crippling our development ambitions. This is the best platform to bring the African voice. Africa is asking for partnership and China has been in the forefront championing a win-win approach," the president said. According to a United Nations report, the continent loses $50 billion every year in tax evasion and fraud. Zhang Ming, China's vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, said the host country has taken into consideration the needs of other emerging nations and considers them equal partners in addressing world economic recovery. "If African countries continue to be left behind, then global growth faces a bleak future. This is the obligation and duty China has taken upon itself," he said. Akiwumi Adesina, president of African Development Bank, said the forum is an important platform where the presence of more African countries would see the continent's development agenda discussed. "I know there has been a big focus by G20 in addressing Africa's infrastructure deficit. I expect and hope that the forum will engage on how they will accelerate investments to address the yawning gap," said the president. Hangzhou has been preparing for the G20 Summit for some time, and citizens of all ages have come out to celebrate in the lead-up to the big event, some in unconventional and spontaneous ways. From Aug 20-31, boulevards along the famed West Lake were cordoned off to regular traffic, with access limited to pedestrians. Without traffic to worry about, people took the opportunity to come out in droves to enjoy the view and take snapshots. Streets, empty of cars, became venues for spontaneous partying. People took snapshots of themselves straddling the roads yellow line. They not only crossed it, but reclined on it or danced on it, even creating multi-person geometric formations around it. Social media carrying such photos quickly whipped a random act into a typical "Hangzhou wind", a fad that somehow engulfed the city with jubilation. "I wouldn't be able to say I had visited the lake if I did not have a few such photos in my cellphone," said Sun Yirong, an English language professor at a local university. Sun went to Beishan Road twice on recent mornings and after spending two years learning how to dance, she put her fancy footwork to good use in an unusual setting. To share the fun, she brought some of her classmates from the dance studio. "I think it was a moment to remember and savor because Hangzhou people are known for their traffic civility," she explained. "It's a bit surreal to have the streets suddenly so quiet and empty and then people coming out and showing their wild side by posing on the yellow line. They help to create a special vista of beauty in the heat of summer." Sun went on to add that G20 has given her city a chance to beautify the streetscapes with lighting and greenery, bringing out the innate flavor of the city's culture. "It has turned Hangzhou into a bona fide paradise on earth," she said. Hangzhou police have cautioned that those frolicking on the street should still abide by traffic rules because a few special vehicles and some bus routes are still allowed within that perimeter. But just like the ubiquitous security personnel who go out of their way to be polite, the police warning was phrased as a gentle reminder rather than a stern reprimand. Hangzhou has always been compared to a beautiful and gentle-mannered lady, but given the opportunity she can flash a free-spirited streak. VIENTIANE - The upcoming G20 summit is a platform for China to play a steering role in seeking global cooperation, addressing international financial and economic issues, and supporting less-developed countries, Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit said on Thursday. In an interview with the Chinese media, Bounnhang, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, said China's G20 presidency reflects the positive view of the Chinese party and government in international cooperation, adding that Laos appreciates China's leading role. The upcoming Group of Twenty (G20) summit to be held in China's Hangzhou will discuss international economic and financial measures, which will directly affect the economic development of many countries, including Laos, he told Chinese reporters. Laos hopes that the initiatives and plans to be discussed and adopted at the upcoming summit, including the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and industrialization development plans for Africa and less-developed countries, will be well implemented for the benefits of developing and less-developed countries. Bounnhang said he was pleased and honored to be invited to attend the G20 summit in China. "G20 summit is a mechanism to consult and put forward measures to address regional and international economic issues, as well as promote economic development of developing countries," he said. "The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) attaches great importance to boosting close cooperation and common development among G20 members, including China," he said. Laos is currently holding the rotating ASEAN chairmanship this year. "Laos believes that with the efforts of the Chinese government and people as well as cooperation of participants, the G20 summit will achieve the expected results," he told the Chinese reporters. Talking about the Laos-China relations, Bounhang said 2016 is an important year for the two countries as the two sides are organizing a series of activities to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties. "Bilateral relations between Laos and China have been growing stronger while cooperation in various fields has been continuously deepened," he said. "Strengthening Laos-China relations is in line with the building of community of common destiny between the two parties and governments. This is also an important part of peace, stability and development in the world," Bounhang said. HANGZHOU - The 2016 Group of 20 (G20) summit will be held in China's eastern city of Hangzhou on September 4-5. The city, best known for its scenic West Lake, is one of the most international cities in the country. It has been visited by many world celebrities and witnessed some of the most important historic moments. Following are some facts about Hangzhou: -- Former US President Richard Nixon called Hangzhou the birthplace of the Shanghai Communique, the historic document that paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States. Accompanied by late Premier Zhou Enlai, Nixon visited Hangzhou on February 26-27, 1972. The two sides discussed the final details of the Shanghai Communique. On Feb. 28, the document was issued in Shanghai. Ten years later when Nixon visited Hangzhou again, he said Hangzhou was where the Shanghai Communique was born. -- In "The Travels of Marco Polo," the Italian traveler called Hangzhou a "paradise on Earth." Polo said Hangzhou, with its exquisitely constructed homes resplendent with detailed decorations, was the grandest and most magnificent city in the world. Stores and large markets were abundant, and copious silk products were available as was the sartorial trend of the time, Marco Polo wrote. -- Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore arrived in Hangzhou in April 1924. He visited the Lingyin Temple, which had been founded by an Indian monk, and went boating in the West Lake. During the trip, Tagore remarked that some Indian cultural elements had been exported to China, and he hoped there would be more exchanges between the two countries. -- British philosopher Bertrand Russell stayed in Hangzhou for two days in October 1920. In his autobiography, he waxed lyrical about the beauty of the West Lake. China even surpassed Italy, he wrote in the book. -- Hangzhou, which was a hub for the production and trade of silk, tea and ceramics, was an important trading post along the ancient Maritime Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road dates back to 2,000 years ago, when ancient merchants sailed from China's eastern coast, passing Southeast Asia, India's southernmost and East Africa, all the way to the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, strengthening economic ties and cultural exchanges. China is working to revive the ancient Maritime Silk Road and Hangzhou will have an important role to play. HANGZHOU - Brexit is among the uncertainties weighing on global economic growth, and its impact is yet to be fully released, China's Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said Friday. The global financial market has experienced major swings in the wake of the outcome of Britain's referendum to leave the European Union (EU) but has managed to recover soon, Zhu said at a press conference in the run-up to the G20 summit in eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. That quick recovery, according to Zhu, underscores the growing resilience of the world's financial market and the continued progress the G20 has made in global macroeconomic policy coordination and financial market regulation and governance. "But the recovery does not mean the Brexit's impact is over and it will continue to be felt in the mid and long term," Zhu warned. Zhu expected the formal process for Britain to leave the EU in accordance with the Lisbon Treaty to be carried out in a steady manner and hoped Britain and the EU remain partners in the future. A communique released after the meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in July said members of the G20 are well positioned to proactively address the potential economic and financial consequences stemming from the Brexit vote. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, Sept 2, 2016. [Photo by Wu Zhiyi/China Daily] China and Kazakhstan should make joint efforts to push forward the landing of more competitive projects with high added value, President Xi Jinping said on Friday. He made the remarks while meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev during the sidelines of the G20 summit to be held on Sunday in Hangzhou. The two presidents witnessed the signing of a number of cooperative documents covering areas such as agriculture, inspection and quarantine, and economic policies. Mentioning that the next year would mark the 25th anniversary of China-Kazakhstan diplomatic ties, Xi said that the two countries should deepen energy and resources cooperation, broaden people-to-people exchanges and strengthen cooperation in the security area. The Chinese president called on the implementation of major cooperative projects, widened finance channels and boosts to trade volume. Calling Nazarbayev an "old friend", Xi spoke highly of the constructive role that Kazakhstan has played in the preparatory works of this G20 summit. Nazarbayev expressed gratitude toward China's invitation to attend the G20 summit as a guest country. He said that the two countries have traditional friendship and high political mutual trust. Kazakhstan would like to enhance cooperation with China in areas including trade, agriculture, energy, petroleum processing, environment protection and security, Nazarbayev said. He added that Kazakhstan is willing to connect the country's "Bright Road" new economic policies with China's Belt and Road Initiative. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China and Kazakhstan have reached 51 agreements on promoting the industrial production capacity, with the total investment amounting to $26.5 billion. The 12 projects already launched or to be launched, including the construction of light rails and subway expansion, take up $4 billion. Over the past three years, China-Kazakhstan cooperation projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative have yielded early fruits, setting an example to other countries along the Belt and Road. The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by President Xi in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes. anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn China's Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao speaks at a press conference on G20 and global growth as well as global economic governance in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, September 2, 2016. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily] President Xi Jinping called to ensure the smooth construction and operation of a high-speed railway project linking Indonesian capital Jakarta and nearby Bandung on Friday. Xi made the remarks while meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during the sidelines of the G20 summit to be held on Sunday in Hangzhou. Xi told his Indonesian counterpart that the two countries should cooperate to lead more projects and enhance cooperation in areas including infrastructure, production capacity, trade, investment, finance and e-commerce. In January, the 150-km Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway began construction. The project is almost entirely Chinese, including technical standards, survey and design, construction, equipment manufacture and personnel training. The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway will cut travel time between the two cities by around two thirds. It is the first full-package overseas deal for China's high-speed trains, which should be running between the two cities within three years. China and Indonesia should be good neighbors, good partners and good friends, Xi said, adding that the two sides should continue to boost mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation. The Indonesian president said that as important partners for each other, the Indonesia-China comprehensive strategic partnership could contribute to world peace and security. Indonesia hopes to explore more ways for Chinas 21st century maritime silk road to connect with Indonesias global maritime nexus, and to deepen cooperation with China in areas including trade, investment, finance and infrastructure. anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn SHANGHAI - Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the world is expecting the success of upcoming Group of 20 (G20) Hangzhou summit, which will be significant for the recovery of global economy. G20 is a core part of world governance and is needed to boost global economic growth, Rudd said as he released a report of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism in Shanghai on Thursday. He chairs the institution. The global economy has not recovered, he said, adding that he hoped the summit will result in new policy matters to lift global economy from slow growth into sustainable and strong growth. He stressed China's irreplaceable role in finding solutions to global growth problems during the summit. The summit is scheduled to be held on September 4-5 in China's eastern city of Hangzhou. In his report, Rudd called for the United Nations to respond to the challenges of the international community. HANGZHOU - Pan Hongjiang, a traffic police officer in east China resort city of Hangzhou, has become an online celebrity for a video clip showing him giving travel tips in English. A few days ago, Pan recorded a video after he found the city's scenic West Lake area had become very crowded and foreign visitors might need some help. He uploaded it to the official microblog of the local police bureau. It instantly became a hit. Since then, he has attracted a following for his handsome looks and fluent English. The 2016 Group of 20 (G20) summit will be held in Hangzhou on September 4-5. Visitors are swarming to the city and more police are patrolling the streets in preparation for the summit. Police are known for being cold and staid, but a group of young and energetic officers in Hangzhou has shown another side of the police force on social media. Pan is a member of the English service team of the local police department. He has been polishing his English skills to better serve tourists from across the world. "Hangzhou is going international, and so are we," he said. Sina Weibo microblogger Li Xiaowen said on the social network that she saw a tourist drop his mobile phone into the city's West Lake. A policeman nearby immediately took off his shoes, got a ladder and went down into the lake to look for the phone. At a checkpoint near West Lake, policeman Xu Jiong is dressed in a cartoon panda costume. He is so well loved that he gets his picture taken with more than 1,000 people per day. Some officers are treated like pop stars. Pictures of Shi Mengpeng, who has been called the "most handsome police officer in Hangzhou" on Chinese social media, have gotten more than 1 million hits on Sina Weibo. Of course, appearance alone is not enough to explain the policemen's popularity. "They serve the people. That's why they are handsome," said a comment on Sina Weibo. "They have worked very hard. I really admire them," said another. Security officer Shi Cuilong has been working until three or four o'clock some mornings as the summit draws near. He often misses meals. Shi arrived in Hangzhou two months ago from the southern province of Hainan to help prepare for the summit. He has experience working at other international events. "I am ready to learn more in Hangzhou this time. Many world leaders participate in the summit, which means high requirements for police work," he said. Aurora Massacre Survivors Must Pay $700,000 To Cinemark After Losing Suit Trending News: Aurora Massacre Survivors Ordered To Pay $700K To Theater Chain Why Is This Important? Because haven't they gone through enough? Long Story Short A group of survivors from the Aurora massacre in 2012 will have to pay the Cinemark movie theater chain $700,000 each after losing their case. Long Story Some of the survivors are now paralyzed, some have brain damage and others lost their children after the senseless mass shooting by James Holmes on July 20, 2012 and now they'll have to shell out $700,000 to the movie theater chain where the massacre took place. The case, four years in the making, was filed against Cinemark for its lack of security at the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The survivors say the lack of security allowed for Holmes to storm the premises, killing 12 people and leaving more than 70 others injured. But the court ruled in May that the theater chain the third-largest in America wasn't at fault. If the case had gone the other way, every movie theater in the country would have to install better security against similar attacks. The judge in the case warned the plaintiffs that if they didn't take a settlement of $150,000 split 41 ways previously offered to them, that they could be ordered to pay the hefty legal fees accumulated over the four-year trial. Either seek justice and go into debt, or take that pitiful offering of money and the improved public safety, said John Weaver, a survivor who took part in the lawsuit, to The Los Angeles Times. Weaver was going to take the settlement, but one of the survivors who'd been paralyzed and lost a child in the massacre turned it down. Weaver told the L.A. Times that this means things aren't going to change and movie theaters aren't going to be better protected against future shootings. Theaters arent any safer, Weaver said. Its almost like everything was for naught. As for the shooter, he was sent to prison last August for life plus 3,200 years without the possibility of parole. He wasn't given the death penalty as some pushed for. Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question Should Cinemark have absorbed the fees in solidarity? Disrupt Your Feed This feels like a big slap in the face to the survivors. Haven't they gone through enough? Drop This Fact Since Aurora, there have been nine mass shootings, all with equal or more fatalities. Qu Hongbing, Chief China Economistat HSBC The G20 Leaders Summit is a good opportunity for global policy makers to advocate a medium-term financial and business agenda such as reforming global monetary system, promoting green finance and infrastructure investment and more progress on China-US bilateral trade, said Qu Hongbing, Chief China Economistat HSBC. Qu said his expectations for the summit to focus on a mid term agenda is due to many short term worries in the financial systems, compared to this February during the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Shanghai, when short term financial concerns dominated discussions, including that of fear over renminbi depreciation, growth risks and competitive devaluation by major currencies. In comparison, he said economic activity has stabilized in China, supported by fiscal expansion, and fears over a 'hard-landing' have subsided. Meanwhile, the near term market impact of Brexit appears limited, particularly given the prospect of further easing in the UK. "With less near-term worries on the radar, we think China's policy makers will seek to advocate a more medium term agenda for the global economy, one that features reforms to the global monetary system, greater use of green finance, and a more prominent role for infrastructure investment. Chinese policy makers may also try to push for more progress on the bilateral trade deal with the US, given that President Obama's term is drawing to an end," Qu said. On reforming global monetary system, one big change is the inclusion of renminbi in the International Monetary Fund's new Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket in October, so G20 can be an opportunity for China to push for broader usage of the SDR in the global monetary system, advocate reforms of the IMF and ways to better monitor global capital flows, Qu said. "Over the past few years China has increasingly become more involved in the global financial regulatory structure and signaled strong interest in shaping future policies. China will also start to disclose SDR-denominated foreign exchange reserves data in the near future," Qu said. Developing financial tools to promote environmentally-friendly investment is a key initiative from China this year, as China is the first country to use its G20 leadership to bring green finance onto the summit agenda. G20 must also refer to the channeling of financial funding into environmentally friendly projects. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 120billion yuan worth of green bonds have been issued in China, accounting for 45 percent of green bonds issued globally within this period. Qu said G20 will be an opportunity for China to advocate more policy support to overcome some of the issues that could hinder the development of green finance such as measurement of externality, duration mismatch and lack of proper disclosure and risk assessment. Additionally, funding infrastructure development can be a key topic on the G20 agenda, as China can use its G20 leadership to further the role of initiatives such as the Belt and Road, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development Bank and the New Silk Road Fund in global infrastructure projects. Initially proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road initiative seeks to strengthen trade and investment links between Asia and Europe. China is also playing a leadership role in recently established financial institutions like Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development Bank and the New Silk Road Fund to channel funds into infrastructure projects along the Belt and Road map. To contact the reporter: cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 23rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, Nov 19, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua ] Under the theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy," this year's G20 Summit is scheduled on Sept 4-5 in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. Let's take a look at six things you should know about the summit. No 1 President Xi's G20 schedule President Xi Jinping will attend a series of meeting prior to, during and after the G20 Summit. Xi will deliver a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the B20 business forum on Sept 3 and preside over and chair more than 10 events during the G20 Summit, including the welcoming and opening ceremonies, five key section meetings and the closing ceremony. The president will also hold bilateral talks with leaders of various countries, attend and address an informal meeting with other leaders of the BRICS countries. Huang Lei stops to enjoy the beautiful scenery on her way to Tibet. [Photo/jxnews.com.cn] Huang Lei, 31, is a hearing impaired woman living in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province. She recently completed a 24-day riding trip from Chengdu to Tibet, together with four male companions who are also hearing impaired. The total distance of the trip was 2,400 kilometers. Huang is a dance teacher at a special education school in Ganzhou. She could even not ride a bicycle until 2014. Huang and her team did two months of intense training before their Tibet trip. Their original goal was to spend one month riding from Chengdu to the Everest Base Camp. However, due to weather and physical limitations, they ultimately chose Lhasa as their final destination. "We encountered landslides many times on the way. The roads had been cut off," said Huang. To save time, they carried their bicycles on their backs and walked over the mountains. The whole team arrived at Lhasa on Aug. 8. "Even though I cannot hear, I have seen the most beautiful scenery," Huang said upon arrival. Everyone on the team cried with joy, and Huang cried the loudest. "I feel I have conquered myself," she said. Scary experience: The journey up the terrifying cliff face takes around two hours and the students are accompanied by three adults A steel ladder has been erected in the village of Atule'er in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi Autonomous Region. The goal of the ladder's construction is to make movement around the "cliff village" more convenient for its residents, Beijing News reported on Sept 1. Atule'er, home to 72 families, is known as a "cliff village" because the village sits on the slope of a mountain with an elevation of 1,400 meters. The only route to the outside world consists of 17 vine ladders. Villagers usually visit the market at the foot of the mountain once a week. The 15 students in the village go home just twice a month, as it takes them two hours to make the journey. Parents take turns escorting the children there and back. "In order to make it safer for residents to leave the village, we built a steel ladder beside the original vine ladders," said A Wu Mu Niu, party secretary of Zhiermo Township. Two of the vine ladders have also been reinforced, and reinforcement will be completed on the remaining ladders within a month. Police in Huilai county, South China's Guangdong province, have set up a special task force to investigate the case of a would-be freshman who committed suicide after she was defrauded of more than 10,000 yuan ($1,500) in a telephone scam. However, a local police officer said on Friday that no details of the case could be revealed at the moment. Cai Shuyan, 19, left home on Aug 28 after posting a message in a QQ chat room, telling her family that she was too ashamed to see her mother again after she was defrauded of a large sum of money which is almost equal to the annual income of her mother, a farmer in a poor remote village in the county's Qishi township. Cai's body was found by police along the county's coastline on Aug 29. Cai's mother, who was informed by police to attend a local mortuary to identify the body on Aug 31, confirmed it was her daughter. Cai did not take her identy card or any cash when she left home. Cai's mother said the money that had been swindled was supposed to pay for her daughter's tuition fees. Cai had received an admission offer from Guangdong Teachers College of Foreign Language and Arts after she passed the China is developing a next-generation strategic bomber, the People's Liberation Army Air Force's top commander officially confirmed on Thursday. General Ma Xiaotian said the new aircraft would enhance the PLA Air Force's long-range strike capability, with even greater strides to come. "We are now developing a next generation, long-range strike bomber that you will see sometime in the future," he told reporters in Changchun, Jilin province, at a PLA Air Force open day. Despite not disclosing further details, Ma's confirmation puts an end to years of speculation on whether China would develop a new aircraft to replace its half century-old H-6 bomber series. Over the past several years, researchers from the PLA have shared their thoughts about what capabilities a new Chinese bomber could have, but none was able to confirm whether such a project exists. According to a June 2015 report by Kanwa Defense Review, a Canada-based publication focusing on defense technology, officers attending a meeting held by the PLA Air Force last year urged the military to start the development of a next-generation long-range strategic bomber. Currently, the PLA Air Force only has an unknown number of H-6 bombers, which were developed based on the Soviet-era Tu-16 Badger that was designed in the 1950s and retired by Russia in the early 1990s. US Strategic Air Command has the Boeing B-52, Rockwell B-1 and the Northrop Grumman B-2 Stealth Bomber, while Russia's Long Range Aviation Command has the Tupolev Tu-160, Tu-95 and T-22M. Long Decheng poses for a photo with China Daily reporter Tyler Terrance O'Neil in Shibadong, Hunan province, Aug 31, 2016. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn] Fancy a free Kindle? Take this Long March quiz. Within a few moments of stepping into Shibadong's village lodge, a spry elderly woman in an intricately embroidered dress and turban-like hat makes a beeline for me, grabs my hand, and begins babbling in a language I've never heard before. Her name is Long Decheng, and she clearly has some things she wants to tell me. After organizing a translation chain involving fellow China Daily reporter Liu Jing and a local fluent in both Mandarin and Miao dialect, we begin conversing. Long starts, her statement is translated from Miao, to Mandarin, to English. "Where are you from?" "I'm from America." English, Mandarin, Miao. Long replies. Miao, Mandarin, English. "You are so tall and handsome." Looks like Long is quite the flirt. "Aside from looking beautiful, what do you do in the village?" I ask. Another round of translation. "I'm the village greeter, and I'm looking better now than I was a few years ago," she says before ushering us to a picture on the wall. In it she walks hand and hand with President Xi Jinping during his visit to Shibadong in 2013. She says it was not a good time for the community thenthe general income was low, many of the buildings were in disrepair, and her son, like so many other men in the village, was unmarried. Fancy a free Kindle? Take this Long March quiz. For many Chinese people, the story of the Golden fishing hook is one of the most vivid and touching memories of the Long March. Based on a true story during this Chinese Communist Party's historic undertaking, the article has been taught to countless students in the country's primary schools. In the story, a squad leader was asked to look after three ill younger soldiers who were behind the main marching troops. Due to lack of food, the squad leader made a fishing hook with a needle and caught fishes to make soup. To help them recover, he saved the fish for the young soldiers and secretly ate grassroots and left-over fish bones. At the end, the squad leader died from hunger during his way to fishing and the fishing hook was carefully kept by the young soldiers and sent to a memorial after the revolution succeeded. This is the favorite story of He Shan, a sixth grade student from Sangzhi county, Hunan province. Compared with most of her counterparts in China, the 11-year-old girl has a deeper understanding of the story. Her school is one of the 228 Red Army primary schools in China. Located in the Hongjiaguan village, it is dedicated to Marshal He Long, who used to attend a private school at the same location and started the Long March of the Second Front Army of the Red Army from the county. The Red Army Primary School Project, initiated in 2007 by Li Ruihuan, former chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and relatives of the old generation of revolutionists. The Red Army school in Sangzhi county, Hunan province. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn] Providing funds for the schools, the aim of the project is to pay tribute to the old revolutionary base areas, improve the backward education conditions in these areas and pass on the spirit of the Red Army. "As a Red Army School, we are trying various ways to teach the children the Long March spirit," said Zhu Zeyi, the school headmaster. Zhu introduced that his school is just meters away from the former residence of He Long and a nursing home which accommodates many Red Army veterans. Many of He Long's relatives still lives in the village. Therefore, students from the school have more opportunities to learn about the Long March. For example, the school often brings the students to visit the tombs of martyrs during the tomb-sweeping festival and to help out in the nursing home. The school is the second of its kind in Sangzhi county. It now has 770 students and 59 teachers. About 70 percent of the students here are stay-at-home children, who were left in the village while both of their parents working in big cities. However, many of them are encouraged by the Long March and have a strong will to study. "I love school because I like reading and writing," said Gu Mengchen, a new first grade student on her first day in school. In a recent composition contest, He Shan wrote an article titled "one good deed a day". "Those who sacrifice themselves for others are really great," she said. Students clean in the Red Army school in Sangzhi county, Hunan province. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn] Fancy a free Kindle? Take this Long March quiz. Low-cost airliner's regular commercial service opens a new stage in bilateral relations After 55 years of interruption, Cuba and the United States on Wednesday re-established regular commercial direct flights, marking a concrete step in thawing ties between the former Cold War foes. The JetBlue Airways plane took off on Wednesday morning from Fort Lauderdale, Florida with 150 passengers on board and arrived at Abel Santamaria International Airport in the central city of Santa Clara shortly before 11 am local time. Green-tea cakes have a sesa-me edge and a taro filling. [Photo by Mike Peters/China Daily] Gaoyin Jie is reputed to be Hangzhou's most popular restaurant street. The long and brightly lit stretch of restaurants beckons to visitors like a gaudy line of casinos, offering local favorite dishes like Dongpo pork, named for a Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet, and a dozen dishes featuring tender bamboo shoots. Jiaohuaji, chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and baked in clay, is another must-tryit's popularly known as "beggar's chicken", though the taste borders on princely. Lao Hangzhou Feingwei is one of many eateries on the street serving the traditional dishes of the area, with main dishes starting at around 25 yuan. Surprisingly, it's a challenge to find, even for Chinese, because most of the restaurants along the strip have very similar namesour taxi driver dropped us at the corner with a shrug and a wave of his hand, but since we had the specific address we found No 141 easily. It's a bustling joint, with the friendly ambience of a Western diner. Expect lots of chatter and family-style service, with reasonably quick table turnsnot exactly eat and run, that's so un-Chinese, but even locals don't linger like they might at a more upscale restaurant. Ordering is no problem for non-Chinese visitors, thanks to the picture menu and a brilliantly lit sign inside featuring the most popular dishes. Steamed shrimps with tea leaves glowed invitingly, but since we'd had that the night before, we started our meal with a classic, the diced chicken and eggplant pot. Flavorful and fragrant, there was plenty to share. We also enjoyed the dongpo pork, slow-cooked and rich with gelatinous fat but not greasy. It's served in individual-sized chunks instead of a big platter, which makes it easy to enjoy more dishes. A guidebook tempted us to try a dish we hadn't seen elsewhere, Hangzhou-style lamb chops. They are salty and fatty, a little too much so for some, but rich with flavor. A local beer like Cheerday is ideal for washing them downor a jug of the house-made rice wine. To finish the meal, we couldn't resist the green-tea cakes, which look like cactus leaves with a toasted sesame-seed edging. It was a tasty use of the area's famous Longjing tea, and the flavor was nicely balanced with a filling of mild taro paste. Like many Hangzhou restaurants, Lao Hangzhou Fengwei closes at 9 pm. If you go Lao Hangzhou Fengwei 141 Gaoyin Jie (parallel to Qinghefang Old Street), Hangzhou. Related: Top 10 tea brands of Hangzhou Peace Hotel in Shanghai has prepared a selection of mooncake gift boxes with an art deco touch. [Photo provided to China Daily] As the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival approachesthis year celebrated on Sept 15mooncakes are turning up all over China, from very traditional teashops to Starbucks counters. The holiday is one of China's four most important festivals, and in the weeks before the date arrives, top hotels get into the spirit with lavish treats in lovely packaging. Traditionally, the cookie-sized round pastry has a rich thick filling usually made from red-bean or lotus-seed paste and covered by a thin crust. It may also contain yolks from salted duck eggs, integrating a beautiful savory tinge into the sugary taste. Fillings and crusts have become more diverse over time, especially in the hands of skilled pastry chefs. The moon in Chinese culture represents nostalgia and homesickness, and the top crust of each moon-shaped pastry is generally imprinted with the Chinese characters for longevity or harmonyand often the name of the bakery and the filling. This year, the fancy gift boxes that have long driven the mooncake trade are particularly striking and rich with tradition. For example, the Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, built in 1929 and a magnet for Hollywood celebrities in the 1930s, has prepared a selection of mooncake gift boxes with designs inspired by the beauty and elegance of the hotel's famous art deco style. The simplest box of four pieces (red-bean paste, creamy custard, plain cheese, green-bean paste) is 198 yuan ($29.64), while more lavish selections of five or six pieces, including mooncakes with egg yolk, run up to 338 yuan for a box. Beijing's Nuo Hotel, meanwhile, has created Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) inspired mooncake gift packs based on the design of porcelain vases in the hotel lobby, with the essence of landscape painting using Zhang Dai's poetic passages to depict the peaceful harmony of man and nature. The box of six is 158 yuan, and includes mooncakes ranging from cheese mango to charcoal burning fragrant Pu'er tea and white lotus with egg yolk. A box of eight cakes of different flavors is 228 yuan. Peace Hotel in Shanghai has prepared a selection of mooncake gift boxes with an art deco touch. [Photo provided to China Daily] Related: Small diner a hotspot for fare Indian writer Amitav Ghosh is known for his Ibis trilogy. [Photo provided to China Daily] Amitav Ghosh spent a part of August in China's south and east familiar to some of the characters of his Ibis trilogy. But unlike the greedy opium traders of his novels, he was there for a different purposegiving talks at bookshops, meeting local writers over tea, signing copies of his books and taking photos with fans at a fair. The Indian author has paid previous visits to China mostly to study the 19th-century opium wars that forced the country to open its ports to Western powers and cede Hong Kong to Britain, a period many historians call China's age of humiliation. Ghosh's first book of the famous trilogy, Sea of Poppies, made the Booker shortlist in 2008. It is also his first work to be translated into Chinese. Ending with Flood of Fire, the trilogy follows the voyage of the schooner Ibis from British India toward the Chinese province of Canton in present-day Guangdong. In an Antique Land, which is his nonfictional account of Egypt, and River of Smoke (second in the trilogy) are available in Chinese as well. A Chinese version of Flood of Fire is likely out soon. His next nonfiction, expected to be released by July 2017, will explore cultural relations between India and China in the 19th century. In an interview to China Daily in Beijing, Ghosh describes such relations as "dense but occluded". "I'm not going to give away all my surprises but (there are) lots of little things ... if you follow, say, the journey of tea and the myths that are associated with tea, it is such a complex set of relations," Ghosh, 60, says when asked what the book would seek to bring out. Tea cultivation in colonial India was intended as an economic weapon by the British to supplant China's tea industry, he says. And, opium's role was far sinister. The British economy in the 18th and 19th centuries was so reliant on tea that they "had to find something" to export to China, which is when poppy cultivation in India was expanded, he says. The British East India Company processed opium in factories employing Indian labor, in a trade that continued for decades, fueling the addiction of multitudes in China and financing London. "Tobacco was the vector on which opium spread in China," Ghosh told a gathering of expats and Chinese at the Bookworm store in Beijing earlier this week. The Chinese authorities started to ban opium abuse in the 1760s. Answering audience questions on American involvement in the China trade, he said that the American economy benefitted from opium money at the time. Ghosh showed artwork of opium-making units in eastern India; the ferrying of the substance from India to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), then through the Malacca Strait to Singapore, and to the Pearl River before hitting the streets of Canton. The British fleet for the first opium war with China over 1839-42 was assembled in Singapore. He spoke of a Canton enclave where foreign traders, even Indians, lived. It was burned down in the second opium war in 1856. The trust issue between China and India today stems from colonial politics, Ghosh tells China Daily. In the northern Himalayan region and central Asia, Britain was playing the "great game" in the 19th centuryintrigues designed to thwart Russia and China, he says. "But it's also colonial legacy in a bigger sense, which is that both India and China were nation states coming into being in the aftermath of decolonization." Suggesting that diplomats need to find the way forward in relations, he said, "Both India and China have interests at stake, both India and China are big countries which will often tread on each other's toes, this is normal when you have two big neighbors." The first opium war led to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The emergence of modern China and contemporary Asia can be traced back to the war in the same way that the emergence of modern West is usually traced back to the French Revolution, he says. Ghosh, who lives in New York and Goa, studied in New Delhi, Oxford and Alexandria. He has taught at Harvard University. In a career spanning three decades, Ghosh, among India's finest authors, has published eight novels and a bunch of nonfiction writings. Related: New releases Franz Josef Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia.[Photo/IC] China ranked first in the number of tourists that visited Frantz Josef Land Archipelago and Novaya Zemlya Archipelago in the Arctic region in 2016, Russian Arctic National Park said on Thursday. Nine round trips to these archipelagoes were organized during the 2016 tourist season, the park said, adding that 269 out of the 954 tourists were Chinese citizens. Different animals -- whales, beluga whales, narwhals and polar bears -- were seen during practically every voyage, according to the park. Russian Arctic National Park witnessed the largest number of tourists in 2015 -- 1,255 people. It plans to organize 10 round trips to the Arctic archipelagoes in 2017. According to a Sputnik.Polls survey, the majority of people in Italy (64 percent), France (63 percent) and Germany (54 percent) are displeased with their primary and secondary education systems. Only 28 percent of people in France, 31 percent in Italy, and 41 percent in Germany are pleased with the education system in their countries. Those who could not answer the question amounted to nine per cent in France and five per cent in Italy and Germany. The poll was conducted by Ifop for Sputnik News Agency and Radio. In Italy, the share of those who are dissatisfied with the system of primary and secondary education is large, both among people aged 18 to 34 (62 percent versus 33 percent) and over 35 65 percent versus 30 per cent. In both age groups, five per cent did not express their opinion on the issue. In France, the difference between the two age groups was also substantial. In the first group, the share of people who were unhappy with the education system was 53 per cent while 37 per cent of respondents said they were pleased with it. Ten per cent of those surveyed did not know how to answer the question. Among the over 35s, the rate of displeasure was even higher 66 per cent versus 25 per cent. Nine per cent did not have an answer to this question. In Germany, there is a fairly large difference in the responses from women and men. Some 57 per cent of women are displeased with the system of primary and secondary education, 38 percent are pleased with it, and five percent did not have an opinion about it. The corresponding figures for men were 50 percent, 45 percent, and five percent. Half of respondents (50 percent) younger than 35 are happy with the education system while 47 per cent are displeased with it; and a mere three percent could not answer the question. Respondents over 35 years old were more critical of the system of education 56 per cent versus 38 percent and six per cent had no answer. About 51 percent of people in western Germany were dissatisfied with the system of primary and secondary education, 44 percent were pleased with it, and five percent had no answer. In eastern Germany the figures were 61 percent and 33 per cent, respectively, and six per cent did not express their opinion on this issue. The share of respondents displeased with the system of education was the largest in Berlin 74 per cent and 24 per cent with two per cent not providing an opinion. The poll was conducted by Ifop, France's oldest opinion and market research company, from June 28 to July 4 2016. In total, 3,006 respondents older than 18 took part in the poll: a thousand in Germany, 1,004 in France and 1,002 in Italy. The sample was representative in terms of gender, age, and location. The margin of error is 3.1per cent by country, with a 95 per cent confidence interval. About the Sputnik.Polls Project The international public opinion project was created in January 2015, in partnership with leading research companies such as Populus, IFOP, and forsa. The project organizes regular surveys in the United States and Europe on the most sensitive social and political issues. The Republic of Korea's Defense Minister Han Min-koo (L) shakes hands with soldiers during a visit to the ROK-US Combined Forces Command in Seoul, South Korea, August 29, 2016. The soldiers currently participate in the annual ROK-US joint military drill, dubbed 'Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG),' that started on August 22 for a 12-day run. [Photo/IC] PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday again denounced the Republic of Korea-US joint military drills, which will be wrapped up later in the day. The "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" military exercises are "a direct product of the hideous hostile policy" by the United States toward the DPRK, the Panmunjom Mission of the DPRK military said in a white paper carried by the official news agency KCNA. The United States no longer intends to hide that it's sending nuclear weaponry to the Korean Peninsula, and that proves "their moves for aggression against the DPRK have entered the phase of implementation after going beyond a limit line", the white paper said. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills are aimed at launching a preemptive nuclear attack on the DPRK, and that is the dangerous nature of the joint military exercises, it said. The white paper also slammed the ROK's government for stoking fear among the public and fanning hostility toward the DPRK in order to justify the drills. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian military drills started on Aug 22 and will end later in the day. The ROK and the United States conduct various joint military drills every year, including "Key Resolve", "Foal Eagle" and "Ulchi Freedom Guardian". Seoul and Washington claim these joint war games are defensive in nature, but Pyongyang says they are designed as preparations for an invasion against the DPRK. SEOUL - Controversy resurfaced here over the deployment of a US missile shield, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), in the Republic of Korea (ROK) as ruling party lawmakers boycotted all parliamentary procedures in protest against the National Assembly speaker's remarks on THAAD. Parliament Speaker Chung Sey-kyun said in his opening speech at the Assembly's first regular session on Thursday that it would be hard to agree with the government's attitude to the THAAD deployment from the perspective of dealing with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear program. The former lawmaker of the main opposition Minjoo Party accused the government of failing to communicating with the public over the US missile defense system that resulted in split and confusion among people. Chung urged the government to stop a "chicken game" between the two Koreas, calling for talks with the DPRK that can start with smallest possible issues. Saenuri Party lawmakers walked out of the chamber, demanding the speaker's apology and resignation. The ruling party has boycotted all parliamentary procedures until Friday, including the passage of a supplementary budget plan for the second half, strongly advocated by President Park Geun-hye to reinvigorate the faltering economy. Members of the ruling party occupied the speaker's office for a rally against Chung's comments. The governing party lost its majority in parliament in the April 13 elections amid mounting dissatisfactions with income equality and slowing economy. Chung Jin-suk, the governing party's floor leader, reportedly claimed the speaker violated his duty of political neutrality, but Chung Sey-kyun said his remarks were made to reveal public opinion on a current issue without any political intention. Park Jie-won, interim chairman and floor leader of the People's Party, said the speaker's remarks were "excellent" as it reflected public concerns about THAAD, depicting what the country's No. 2 said as the greatest opening speech in parliament. Meanwhile, President Park Geun-hye on Friday made her first mention of a conditional deployment of the US missile shield on South Korean soil, before leaving for Russia to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum. "The essence of the problem in this matter is the North's nuclear and missile threats. If these threats are eliminated, the need to deploy the THAAD system would naturally disappear," Park said in a written interview with Russia's Rossiya Segodnya posted on a Cheong Wa Dae website. It marked the first time the ROK leader mentioned the conditional THAAD deployment, showing signs of a slight change in her hard-line position ahead of her trips to Russia and China that have strongly opposed the US missile defense system. Park is set to visit Vladivostok for two days to attend the second Eastern Economic Forum and hold a bilateral summit with her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The forum was launched last year to speed up development of the Russian Far East. She will travel to China to attend a Group of Twenty (G20) summit scheduled to be held in Hangzhou on Sunday and Monday. Park, however, reiterated that the THAAD deployment is a measure of self-defense to protect from the DPRK's "ever-escalating" nuclear and missile threats. She said there is no reason, nor practical benefit, for the THAAD system to target any third country, contrasting with repeated expressions of strong objections and worries from China and Russia. Chinese and Russian objections to THAAD in the ROK came as the US missile shield's X-band radar can peer deep into Chinese and Russian territories, breaking strategic balance in the region and damaging security interests of the two countries. (Photo : CAS) Chinese Haiyi underwater gliders built by the Shenyang Institute of Automation. Advertisement China has continued developing deep-diving "underwater gliders" despite a decades-old U.S. ban on exports of these vehicles to China out of concern China will put the torpedo-shaped gliders to military use. Chinese media recently revealed a Chinese underwater glider named Haiyi-7000 that plunged 5,751 meters into the Mariana Trench, the world's deepest ocean trench, had aroused the interest of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), China's armed forces. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement That depth was about 250 meters shy of the world record for underwater gliding of 6,000 meters set in 2009 by a Seaglider developed by researchers at the University of Washington. Another UW Seaglider also holds the world's endurance record, operating for nine months and five days in the Pacific Ocean. An underwater glider is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that uses small changes in its buoyancy to convert vertical motion to horizontal, thereby propelling itself forward with very low power consumption. Underwater gliders, which are motorless and have wings, trace an up-and-down sawtooth motion through the water. This method of propulsion allows gliders to travel farther than AUVs powered by electric motor-driven propellers. The United States is the world leader in this technology while the U.S. Navy is one of its biggest backers. A huge advantage of military underwater gliders is they can cruise noiselessly and autonomously beneath the surface without human intervention for days, months or even an entire year. All the while, the gliders keeps collecting military data or monitoring activity over a vast ocean area. An underwater glider armed with an explosive warhead can also be programmed to attack underwater targets such as enemy submarines. But, like wolves, armed gliders can be unleashed in packs of up to 100 vehicles to deny enemy submarines access to specific areas. The Haiyi-7000 is one of a number developed by a team from the Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences led by Prof. Yu Jiancheng. It was launched from Tansuo-1, the academy's new 94 meter research ship, which is part of the government's rapidly expanding scientific research fleet. A video of how underwater gliders work can be viewed here. Advertisement Tagsunderwater gliders, china, United States, Haiyi-7000, Mariana Trench, Seaglider, University of Washington, U.S. Navy, Tansuo-1 (Photo : Getty images) Cananda's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would conclude his eight-day visit to China by attending the G20 leaders' summit this weekend. Advertisement Canada plans to open seven new visa application centers in China to enable Chinese tourists to acquire visas easily when they wish to travel to Canada. The move was confirmed by the Canadian Ambassador to China, Guy-Saint Jacques. Jacques noted that at the moment, visa offices were only present in areas where the country has diplomatic representatives. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement He noted that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Canada has increased to more than 24 percent, and a direct Air China flight route was added in September 2015. This has increased the Chinese tourist visiting Canada by almost 200 percent this year. "This is an important element that Prime Minister Trudeau is promoting in his visit to China," said Jacques, while speaking at the Great Wall of China, where he was joined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family. During his visit in China, Trudeau has met with the National People's Congress chairperson Zhang Dejiang at the Great Hall of the People. "I do believe that your current visit to China will have an important influence on further deepening the strategic partnership between our two countries," Zhang told Trudeau through an interpreter. He added that although Trudeau had visited China before, this time, he would leave with a "deep" and "new" impression. Zhang also acknowledged the fact that it was his first visit as the Canadian Prime Minister. "This is an opportunity to continue building on the strong friendship between Canada and China and talk about how we move forwards in ways that benefit both of our people," replied Trudeau. Trudeau would conclude his eight-day visit to China by attending the G20 leaders' summit this weekend. Advertisement TagsG20 summit, china, Justin Trudeau, Air China, Canada (Photo : Getty images) Philippine protesters rally against China's territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. Advertisement If the ongoing tension between China and Philippine over the West Philippine Sea does not end soon, then Manila is at risk of losing $6 billion in exports, according to the Philippines' Trade and Industry Secretary, Ramon Lopez. Lopez made the remarks on Friday during the appropriations committee hearing over the Department of Trade and Industry's proposed P4.776B ($254m) 2017 budget. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement He was answering a question raised by Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano on whether the tension would affect the two country's trade relationship with China. According to the Trade and Industry Secretary, the value of exports to China stands at a minimum of P119.89B ($6.39b) while imports from China stands at P202.65B ($10.8b). He added that the major exports were electronics, ore, and concentrates while imports included semiconductors, parts of electrical apparatus and accessories. Lopez argued that cutting ties with China would damage the Philippines' economy by destroying its export value. "As reported earlier, the export at $6 to $8B, the implication is the employment impact on exports supplying the Chinese market. It's a huge size of exports that we cannot immediately replace if we lose our opportunity to export to China," he said. The Philippines won a case against China at the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and was given sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday, 12 July 2016. A statement released said that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources in the disputed territory. China and the Philippines are set to hold bilateral talks on the dispute despite Beijing's refusal to accept the court's ruling. Advertisement Tagschina, Philippines, Trade and Industry (Photo : Public Security Department of Shaanxi Province) Debris, probably from the Long March rocket carrying Gaofen-10, litters the ground in Shaanxi. Advertisement China refuses to officially admit the loss of the Gaofen-10 dual-use civilian and spy satellite that smashed to pieces onto the soil of Shaanxi Province after the Long March 4C carrier rocket taking it into orbit blew-up in flight. The loss of Gaofen-10, officially called an Earth observation satellite, was China's first orbital launch failure this year and the first failure since 2013. The satellite was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on Aug. 31. The word Gaofen means "High Resolution." Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Chinese media reports claim the problem occurred in the rocket's third and final stage. The mechanical glitch reduced the booster's speed, causing it to plunge towards the Earth. Most of the booster and the satellite burned up as they re-entered the atmosphere,. China's official news media has so far kept silent about the failure. State-run CCTV, however, broadcast the rocket's launch but didn't issue any follow-up reports, which China watchers say is an indirect confirmation the mission was a failure. The loss of the satellite was revealed to the world by aihangtian.com, a website run by Chinese professional astronautic experts and space enthusiasts. Confirmation of the loss of Gaofen-10 was made by the police department in Shaanxi Province. The Public Security Department of Shaanxi Province published on its Weibo social media account a series of photos showing large pieces of what appears to be the Long March 4C booster. Police took the photos as part of a mission searching for the remains of Gaofen-10. They later removed all the photos and the stories about the search mission from Weibo. Officially, the destroyed Gaofen-10 carried China's newest generation optical sensors developed indigenously. It was to have operated in a Sun-synchronous orbit and would have crossed the equator 12 times a day. Gaofen-class satellites are forming a constellation that will give China a global network of earth observation satellites with high-definition, all-weather, 24-hour intelligence gathering capabilities for military and civilian users by 2020. The network is designed to be able to monitor any spot on earth. Gaofen is a series of civilian Earth observation satellites developed and launched for a state-sponsored program called "China High-definition Earth Observation System" or CHEOS. CHEOS is a near-real time, all-weather, global surveillance network consisting of satellite, stratosphere airships and aerial observation platforms. Space experts in the West, however, have long claimed China's "earth observation satellites" and "remote sensing satellites" are primarily military spy satellites in civilian guise. China's space program is controlled by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The last successful launch of a Gaofen-class satellite took place last Aug. 10. A Long March 4C rocket from Taiyuan successfully orbited Gaofen-3 carrying China's most powerful space-based radar. The Synthetic Aperture Radar or SAR can penetrate clouds and even the ground to monitor areas of interest at up to one meter resolution. Gaofen-3's antennas measure 18 meters, longer than any other Chinese satellite. The orbiting of Gaofen-3 was described as a "small but important step" in China's march to become a space power, said Prof. Wu Shunjun, a radar technology expert at the National Lab of Radar Signal Processing in Xidian University, Xian Advertisement TagsGaofen-10, Earth observation satellite, china, Long March 4C, Shaanxi province, Gaofen-class satellites, Gaofen-3 (Photo : Getty Images ) Chinese state media has criticized United States and Japan for allegedly attempting to isolate China in Asia. Advertisement Chinese state media has criticized the United States and Japan for "cornering" China in Asia. The state-run Global Times newspaper, in a recent editorial, accused the U.S. and Japan of trying to isolate China by forging closer ties with Russia, India, and other Asian countries. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The newspaper said that Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe would soon attend the Eastern Economic Forum in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok to prioritize economic cooperation with Russia despite a territorial dispute between two countries. "This can be seen as a significant change in Japan's policy toward Russia," the editorial said. "Japan's moves can easily be viewed as imposing geopolitical pressure on China through improving ties with Russia." The recent signing of an India-US military logistics agreement signaled that New Delhi is increasingly leaning towards the US, according to the Global Times. India's Defense Minister Mahohar Parrikar and U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Monday signed a Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) after a decade of discussion. "China seems to be positioned in the center of the geopolitical manoeuvres by the US and Japan," the editorial added. "But Beijing should not let its attention be led by the two. Geopolitics in the 21st century is not like the traditional game where every piece aims to encircle the others. China is hosting the G20 Summit on September 4 and 5 in Hangzhou. This is the first time the Communist nation is hosting a G20 Summit. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to meet Chinese Preisdent Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the two-day summit. Advertisement Tagschina, US, Japan, India, Russia (Photo : Getty Images ) Vietnam is set to gget four new patrol boats from India. Advertisement Vietnam would receive four new patrol boats from India as the country boosts its military capabilities to counter China's growing influence in the disputed South China Sea. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will arrive in Hanoi on Friday for a visit to the south-east Asian nation, is likely to sign an agreement to provide four high-speed patrol boats to the Vietnamese Coast Guard. Indian media also claim that Narendra Modi may discuss the proposed sale of Brahmos cruise missile to Vietnam in the future. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "We expect conclusion of many agreements and MOUs in important economic, social and strategic sectors including in the fields of science and technology, information technology, defense and security, health, and especially cooperation in traditional medicine systems in our two countries," India's Ambassador to Vietnam Parvathaneni Harish said in an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper. China and Vietman have been engaged in a territorial dispute over the islands in the South China Sea islands. Vietnam has allegedly deployed mobile rocket launchers aimed at China's territory in the contested waters. In July, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against China in favor of Philippines in a long-standing territorial dispute over the South China Sea. The U.N.-backed international tribunal rejected Beijing's claims over the contested waters region saying that the country has no legal authority to claim the territory. China is laying claim to almost 80 percent of the region. Beijing has opposed the ruling, describing it as "null and void." Advertisement TagsSouth China Sea, South China Sea Dispute, India, china, Vietnam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Photo : Getty Images) A logo sits illuminated outside the Microsoft pavilion on the opening day of the World Mobile Congress at the Fira Gran Via Complex. Advertisement Tech giant Microsoft has announced that its Microsoft Online division, formerly known as MSN China, has reached an agreement with Xichuang Technology for a buyout. The deal would make Microsoft Online one of the subsidiaries of Xichuang Technology. Moreover, Microsoft Online General Manager Liu Zhenyu would also become the new chief executive officer of Xichuang Technology. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Microsoft confirmed the news via its official blog. The company added that it is forming close ties with Xichuang Technology to implement a new operating model that would help the company's Internet search advertising business. This is to make sure, that despite the buyout, Microsoft's core businesses and partnerships would remain intact. According to China Tech News, the Microsoft and Xichuang Technologies deal took effect on Aug. 10. Along with this new announcement, Microsoft also said that China would be one of the company's biggest market. To capitalize on China's booming tech industry, Microsoft is making a long-term investment in the country. Microsoft's China operation is the company's largest research and development facility outside of the United States. By establishing its roots in the country, and forming alliances with local tech firms, the company can create more personalized computing products, build smart cloud platforms that address the needs of local companies, and reestablish core strategies to move forward into the market. Microsoft officially renamed MSN China to Microsoft Online in October 2014. Along with the rebranding, Microsoft also shifted its strategy to focus online products and business in the Chinese market, along with providing advertising solutions that are based on local demands. Advertisement TagsMicrosoft, MSN China, Microsoft Online, Xichuang Technology, china (Photo : Getty Images.) Yum Brands is expected to spin off its Chinese business on October 31. Advertisement Yum Brands, owner of popular food chain restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, said on Friday that it would sell a minority stake in its China business to Chinese investment firm Primavera Capital and an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, Ant Financials. Reuters reported that the deal would offer both Primavera Capital and Ant Financials a combined stake of between 4.3 percent to 5.9 percent in Yum China for $460 million. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Primavera will put in $410 million, while Ant Financial will pitch in $50 million in the deal. Both investors would be issued warrants to buy an additional 4 percent stake in Yum China in two installments at valuations of $12 billion and $15 billion respectively, the company said on Friday. The deal also includes a clause that bars Primavera and Ant from raising their stake in Yum China beyond 19.9 percent. Primavera and Ant Financial would purchase shares at an eight percent discount on the average Yum stock price between 31 days and 60 days after they are distributed to Yum Brands' shareholders. The deal comes as Yum Brands prepares to spin-off its China business later this year. The company announced its plan to spin off its China business in October last year in a bid to steam off its growing loss. Although Yum Brands is still the largest fast-food chain in China, over the years it has lost major ground to McDonald's Corp and other local rivals. The series of food scandals in recent years coupled with sluggish business has taken a heavy toll on its business. Although recent quarterly results showed improvement in performance, results were far from convincing enough. Yum Brands is expected to spin off its Chinese business on October 31. Advertisement TagsYum! Brands, Yum Brands China, Yum China, KFC and Pizza Hut Atheists fear hotel Bible might cause spontaneous conversion Guest Columnist | 02 September, 2016 by Todd Starnes / Fox News PHOENIX (Christian Examiner) The Good Book has been banished from rooms at a hotel operated by Arizona State University. The religious cleansing of the Thunderbird Executive Inn took place after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained. It was a story first reported by Billy Hallowell of Deseret News. Click here to join Todd's American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives! "Providing Bibles to Inn guests sends the message that ASU endorses the religious texts," attorney Madeline Ziegler wrote to the university. The FFRF is a group of perpetually offended atheists and agnostic whack-a-doodles from Wisconsin. They are very unpleasant and very litigious people. "State-run colleges have a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion," Ziegler wrote. "When a government entity like ASU distributes such material to visitors, it has unconstitutionally entangled itself with a religious message, in this case a Christian message." READ THE FULL STORY AT TODDSTARNES.COM! Hobby Lobby CEO: Prepare to lose religious freedom if Trump not elected 01 September, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , | OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Christian Examiner) The Christian founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby stores the company that successfully challenged the Obamacare mandate to provide abortion-inducing birth control pills in its employee health plan has claimed religious liberty in America is near extinction and can only be saved if Donald Trump is elected president. Writing in USA Today, David Green recounted his family's case against the federal government's Affordable Health Care Act. In it, the company relied on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993), which reaffirmed the First Amendment's prohibition on government interference in religious practices, such as a Christian, family-owned business's right to refuse the provision of abortifacients to its employees. Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will, and deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed. "Fortunately, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby in 2014, but it's frightening to think that we and all Americans were just one judge away from losing our religious freedom," Green wrote. "Make no mistake, the vacancy left by Justice Scalia and the subsequent appointment to fill his seat makes this presidential election one of the most significant in modern times." Green pointed to Hillary Clinton's comments at the Women in the World Summit in 2015 as evidence that allowing her to appoint the next justices (perhaps as many as four) would foist more liberal rulings on the American people. In the address, Clinton said women's reproductive rights have advanced, but not far enough. "Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will, and deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed," she said. Green wrote that he fears what Clinton actually means is that the religious beliefs of Americans will not be taken into consideration when laws are enforced, forcing people to "violate their conscience under her president a philosophy that would be carried out by anyone she nominates for the Supreme Court." According to CEO, the First Amendment was crafted to offer protections against precisely that type of tyranny. Clinton, he said, has "made no secret" of her belief that government interests on topics such as abortion and same-sex marriage are more important than religious belief. Not so with Trump, he wrote. "In contrast, Donald Trump has been steadfast in expressing his commitment to uphold the Constitution, and his list of possible Supreme Court nominees inspires confidence that there is hope in my future and in my grandchildren's future for a country that will value those most fundamental rights," Green wrote. "For Americans who value freedom of religion, we must elect a president who will support a Supreme Court that upholds not only this freedom, but all that have emanated from it. That president is Donald Trump." The Clinton campaign has not responded to Green's editorial. Green hasn't always supported Trump. In March, just after Trump won most of the Super Tuesday contests, Green said the New York billionaire "scares me to death." Green had previously endorsed fellow evangelical and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. He also said Trump's story of success in business was similar to his own, but said "that doesn't make either of us qualified to be president." An Anglican diocese in Ghana has launched a campaign to fight child trafficking in the nation. According to Christian Today, the campaign is slated to take place over five years with a goal of building a new community shelter for children rescued from the human trafficking industry. The shelter would provide a place for children to live and pursue and education. The United States embassy is also taking part in the project to keep children from sex trafficking and forced labor. A $5 million agreement was signed in support of Ghanas efforts to combat child trafficking. Bishop of the Accra Diocese Rt. Rev. Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto said that the campaign brings new awareness to the major human trafficking problem in the country. The churchs hope is to influence "national and international policies, laws, and programs that protect children and also push for law enforcement, Torto said. He continued that the "main underlying factor for child trafficking in Ghana. According to the Trafficking in Persons report, "Ghanaian boys and girls are subjected to forced labor within the country in fishing, domestic service, street hawking, begging, portering, artisanal gold mining, quarrying, herding, and agriculture. Ghanaian girls, and to a lesser extent boys, are subjected to prostitution within Ghana." Publication date: September 2, 2016 Suicide bombers attacked a Christian village and court complex hours apart on Friday (Sept. 2). According to Reuters, Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a terrorist group that broke away from the Taliban, attacked a Christian neighborhood in the Khyber tribal region, killing a security guard and a civilian. Hours later, suicide bombers attacked a court complex in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 12 people. Dozens more were injured. The deadly attacks came only one day after the Pakistani army celebrated success in the fight against jihadist groups. Chief army spokesman Lt. General Asim Bajwa said, "There used to be multiple attacks in a day across the country. And we came into (attacks every few) days. And we came into months (between major attacks). The spokesman also noted that while this was an accomplishment, there was still work to be done in the fight against jihad. After the attack, Jamaat-ur-Ahrar sent a message to Reuters, claiming that more attacks would come. "We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts. We will target them more," terrorist group spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar previously vowed allegiance to ISIS, though the group later said it was no longer affiliated with them. Publication date: September 2, 2016 Five Chinese Christian detainees in Zhejiang province were released on August 28 after four months in prison. Members of Yazhong Church in Wenzhou, Ji Qingcao, Ji Qingcou, Ou Jinsi, Mei Xueshun, and He Lijing were arrested in April on charges of "obstructing government administration" & "disturbing public order" after protesting a planned demolition of another church called Guankou Church in September 2015. According to human rights organization, China Aid, local sources say that the releases came in time for the G20 summit to take place in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province during which world leaders will gather on Sunday to discuss issues surrounding the global economy. Religious persecution has heightened since President Xi Jinping assumed office in 2013 with over 1,500 churches that have had their crosses removed. A pregnant woman in Singapore was tested positive for Zika virus. She is among the 115 confirmed cases of the virus detected in the city-state. The woman and her baby are being closely monitored by the by doctors, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) said. "Her doctor is following up closely with her to monitor the health and the development of her baby. She will be referred to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist for counseling and advice," the statement by health ministry said. She lives in Aljunied area in Singapore, where 22 other new cases of Zika were detected. "Over time, we expect Zika cases to emerge from more areas. We must work and plan on the basis that there is Zika transmission in other parts of Singapore," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong. National Environment Agency (NEA) has launched mosquito control operations in various parts of the city. "As Zika is transmitted through mosquitoes, vector control remains the mainstay to prevent transmission of the Zika virus," the agency said in a press release. The health ministry has recommended pregnant women who have recently developed any signs of fever, rash, or red eyes, to get themselves tested for the virus. "To prevent Zika from becoming entrenched in our local population, MOH will also undertake strict control measures. All confirmed cases will be admitted to a public hospital until they recover and test negative for the virus," the statement continued. Singapore is a major travel hub in Asia with an average of 8 million tourist arrivals per year. The neighboring countries of Malaysia and Indonesia are screening people arriving from Singapore for signs of the virus. The Zika virus outbreak was first reported from Brazil in early 2015, from which the virus spread to other parts of the Americas. The disease has only mild symptoms, but the virus is associated with causing microcephaly in unborn children, though not all pregnant women infected with Zika virus gave birth to babies with microcephaly. Brazil has reported 1,835 cases of microcephaly since the outbreak of the epidemic, according to World Health Organization. Joan Teoh, 42, a Singapore resident told The Straits Times: "It's not unexpected - mosquitoes fly around. I don't think I'll use insect repellent because the symptoms sound mild, not as bad as dengue, unless you are a pregnant woman. I am more worried about dengue, it affects everyone ... Hopefully everyone will do their part, like ensuring there is no stagnant water." About a million protesters flooded the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Thursday to demand the constitutional right to recall referendum. The peaceful protesters waved flags and wore white while marching. Police were deployed in the city to maintain law and order during the protest. "There is no food. There is no paper. There is no medicine. We are dying," a protester Maria Alvarez told CNN. "Please, help Venezuela. This has to end. Maduro, you have to understand that your time is up." The protesters resorted to violence by vandalizing and burning cars, throwing Molotov cocktails, and blocking roads in some parts of the city. President Nicolas Maduro urged the Venezuelan people to fight for peace in Caracas, and to raise their voice against the opposition's plans to provoke violence. "The people didn't stay at home, they went out to the streets and will always do this. This is a conscious people and will be mobilized forever," Maduro said at the rally. A few protesters wore masks and threw rocks at the police. The police then used tear gas to bring them under control and detained some of the rioters. Maduro said that those who incite violence in the city will be prosecuted. In view of the recent events, he said that he will withdraw immunity protections from politicians, so that the suspected coup-plotters in parliament could be prosecuted by courts. Maduro told the rally of supporters, who also took to the streets, that the opposition wants to carry out a coup to overthrow his government in a similar coup attempt as in 2002 which sought to oust his late predecessor Hugo Chavez. "We are here at the call of our President, to defend the revolution," Carolina Aponte, a 37-year-old housewife at the pro-government rally, was quoted as saying by AFP. The referendum had moved a step closer in July when the National Electoral Council (CNE) verified 1 percent of the signatures on recall petition required in the process. Some 20 percent of the signatures of registered voters (3.9 million signatures) are needed to for the recall voting to be confirmed. The MUD (Mesa de la Unidad/Democratic Unity Roundtable), which holds power in Venezuelan parliament, asked the CNE to make available 14,500 centers and 40,000 computers for people to sign the petition. Egypt's parliament has passed a new law to regulate churches, which has invoked mixed reactions from Christians in the country. Ministers in the Egyptian cabinet said that the law was passed after consultation with the major churches, and that their "full consensus" was sought. "I think MPs decided to approve this law only after leaders of Egyptian churches signed off on it," said parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al, adding, "We could not approve a law that is rejected by the three churches - the Coptic, Catholic and Anglican." An initial version of the bill was objected to by the churches and led the Egypt's Orthodox Church to release a statement saying that "the church was surprised with unacceptable amendments and impractical additions; and it declares that they will impose a danger on Egyptian national unity." Afterwards, the Coptic Bishops met with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail to reach an agreement, and released another statement announcing a compromise. "Following amendments introduced recently and an answer provided to [our] questions and inquires ... the Holy Synod announces, in good faith, that it has reached a compromise formula [on the law] with government representatives," the church said. "It is vital that the final law that gets passed should be acceptable to all parties and fully consistent with Article 235 of the constitution," Dwight Bashir, co-director of policy and research at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, told the Catholic News Agency (CNA). The final 13-article law was not appreciated by Salafist Nour Party, a fundamentalism-leaning party, and some of the Coptic MPs as well. The Christian critics are still apprehensive of the institutionalization of the non-formal constraints in the building of new churches. Building a new church is cumbersome in Egypt where the bureaucratic hurdles make it extremely difficult to get permits for the new churches. At the same time, the security agencies scan the church-building requests in view of fundamentalist threats. The most criticized part of the new law is Article 2, which states that the size of the church must be tied with the Christian population in the area. However, some Coptic MPs said that the law was a step in right direction, though the failings of the measure might be taken care of in the future. The new law now does not require the Christian churches to seek presidential approval for renovations to the building. Coptic Solidarity, a rights group in Egypt, reported that there are only 2,600 churches in Egypt, translating into one church for every 5,500 Christians. Meanwhile, the country has "one mosque for every 620 Muslim citizens," according to the group. Coptic Solidarity said that an average of two churches per year have been authorized to be built in Egypt for the last six decades, which, according to the organization, leads to "the creation of a tragic cycle of violence wherein Christians are forced to pray, marry and bury their dead in ad hoc constructions, triggering countless acts of mob violence, often backed by official indifference, complacency or state intervention charging Copts on the spurious basis of using unauthorized places of worship, all ultimately feeding into a climate of increasing fanaticism targeting Copts." In this biweekly feature, we seek to encourage the local church by remembering the times when things were much, much worse. Defenestration seems like an oddly specific word, one with no real reason for existing. How often, we might wonder, does the ejection of someone or something through a window come up, and why would you need a word to talk about it? If youre from Prague, though, you know the answer is more often than youd expect. Prague, in fact, has actually seen not just one, but multiple defenestrations, to the point that historians actually talk with gravitas about the First Defenestration of Prague (1419) and the Second Defenestration of Prague (1618). And even that doesnt include at least two other famous-but-as-yet-officially-unnumbered Prague defenestrations, which occurred in 1483 and 1948, respectively. Its almost like no one in Prague knows about window screens or something. The Second Defenestration, which were chiefly concerned with here, was the only one with obvious religious rootsspecifically, a complex web of religion, politics, and the hard-to-answer question of who was persecuting whom. The short version is that some of the Protestant subjects of the Holy Roman Empire threw a handful of Catholic regents out a third-story window, because thats kind of how Catholics and Protestants got along at the time. The more complicated version goes something like this: *deep breath* Following the Protestant Reformation, which was famously tipped off in Wittenberg in 1517, the Holy Roman Empire was thrown into turmoil and carved up into warring factions of Protestants and Catholics. To avoid a complete breakup of the empire, the various groups ... 1 home US Catholics protest Democratic VP candidate Tim Kaine's pro-abortion stance Pro-life Catholics gathered outside the church attended by Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine last Sunday to peacefully protest his position on abortion. Many of the demonstrators were holding signs condemning Kaine. "You can't be Catholic and pro-abortion," said one of the signs. Another sign read, "Canon 915 says NO HOLY COMMUNION for Tim Kaine!" Sen. Kaine has been attending the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia for 30 years. He reportedly got a standing ovation from the parish when he was nominated as Hillary Clinton's running mate. Kaine previously said that he is pro-life but he also declared himself to be a "strong supporter of Roe v. Wade." Kaine even opposed partial-birth abortion when he was serving as the governor of Virginia. But when he became a senator, there seemed to be a shift. Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America reportedly gave him a 100 percent rating for his voting record in the senate. As a senator, Kaine was one of the sponsors of the Women's Health Protection Act, a bill that bans states from imposing restrictions on abortion. He opposed a measure to require an abortionist to notify parents before performing the procedure on minors. He also voted in favor of government funding for abortion providers. "He is not America's dad at all," protest organizer Frances Bouton told WTVR 6. "If people just scratched the surface, he's really, all I can say, is evil," Bouton added. In an email to LifeSiteNews, pro-life activist Maggie Egger criticized St. Elizabeth's parish priest for failing to remind Kaine about the sanctity of life. "Sen. Kaine has failed in his duty as a Catholic public servant to defend the preborn and Fr. Arsenault has failed in his duty as pastor to admonish Sen. Kaine and to instruct the rest of his congregation on the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding the sanctity of human life," Egger said. Bouton said that the demonstrators waited for latecomers to arrive before they set up outside the church. She mentioned that many of the churchgoers read the signs when they came out but no one spoke to the protestors. home World China releases five Christian prisoners ahead of G20 summit Five Christians detained for four months were suddenly released by Chinese authorities on Aug. 28. Locals believe that the release is related to the upcoming G20 summit which will take place in Hangzhou, China on Sept. 4. Ji Qingcao, Ji Qingcou, Ou Jinsi, Mei Xueshun and He Lijing, were arrested in April for obstructing government administration and disturbing public order. They were among the protestors who opposed the demolition of the Guankou Church in September 2015. According to China Aid, many others were detained for various reasons prior to the arrest in April. "I feel like the government is trying to pacify the people before the summit meeting. Since the summit meeting will be held here [on September 4]," a Christian in Wenzhou told China Aid. "The government begins to worry that they have detained the Christians for too long. The local government was concerned about petitions organized by the family members, thinking higher officials would pressure them," the Christian added. A pastor from another church is still being held by the authorities for "gathering a crowd to disturb social order." Wen Xiaowu, leader of a church in Rui'an, was arrested with his wife and son on April 15 after his meeting with diplomatic officers in the U.S. Embassy in Shanghai. This is the first time for China to host the G20 summit. U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders are expected to attend. CNN reported that factories in Hangzhou had been closed as part of the preparations for G20. A migrant worker said that his gas tank for cooking was taken by officials because it failed to meet safety standards. Tighter security measures are also in place at the city's popular attractions. home World Churches in England advised to hire bouncers to guard against terrorists To prevent potential terrorist attacks, churches in England have been advised to hire bouncers to guard their doorsteps while church services are taking place. An adviser to England's Home Office drafted a 12-page guide after the recent murder of a French priest in Normandy. The guide said the purpose of guards is to delay terrorists until the police arrive. The document also recommended guards to stay at the entrance before, during and after the service. Nick Tolson, director of National Churchwatch, told Telegraph, "When the French church attack happened, there was a recognition that the risk has increased. The risk is still very low, however, we need to think about what we need to do." Tolson added that smaller churches are more likely to be targeted by terrorists. "It won't be Westminister Abbey or St Paul's, it will be a little church in Bolton or Birmingham. It's the small churches, just like the one in France. You can walk into any church on a Sunday morning and it probably won't be a gun, it will be a knife," he said. The guide also recommended that churchgoers should be taught what to do if they see suspicious-looking characters. Churches were advised to install CCTV cameras, personal attack alarms and bolts on the church doors. A vicar interviewed by Mirror Online said that members of the clergy were advised by Church officials to remove their dog collars in public to avoid attracting the attention of potential attackers. However, Tolson said there is no evidence that wearing collars will increase the risk of an attack. In the event of an attack, Tolson advised churchgoers to run away from the immediate area. "We know now that if you hide for hours, they just walk around and shoot you," added Tolson. The Home Office announced that a 2.4 million (around $2.6 million) fund will be available for the safety of churches. Mosques and temples are also free to bid for grants from the fund. home Faith Cultural shifts in America may be a good sign for Christians, says Russell Moore Recent cultural shifts in America could be a sign that God is rescuing the Church from captivity, said Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). During the preacher's keynote speech at ERLC'S national conference last Friday, Moore suggested that Christians may be misinterpreting the cultural changes happening to the nation. Moore said that these changes in American life should not be seen as a warning that God has abandoned the Church. "We have many Christians who are fearful and panicky because their illusion of a Mayberry-like, Christian America is falling apart," he said. "Brothers and sisters, the shaking of American culture is no sign that God has given up on His church. The shaking of American culture well could be a sign that God is rescuing His church from a captivity we didn't even know that we were in," Moore added. He called on Christians to "conserve a Gospel authority and a Gospel community." He also cautioned that other worldviews may take over if Christians do not preach the God's word consistently. Moore also noted that Christians are becoming too obsessed with politics and this leads to cynicism and disillusionment. He believes Christians should "dethrone politics as a religion and as a source of identity" but he urged them to remain engaged in their duties to their community. Moore is known to be a strong critic of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Last May, Trump tweeted that Moore was a "nasty guy with no heart." This was after Moore appeared on CBS and called out conservatives who would vote for Trump despite his character. Moore's criticism of Trump received mixed reactions from the southern Baptists. He acknowledged that some conservative evangelicals will vote for Trump because the Supreme Court is at stake. But Moore also believes that there will be many evangelicals who simply would not vote or opt for a third-party candidate. home World Egypt parliament approves law on church construction despite objections from Christians The law regarding the construction and renovation of churches in Egypt has been approved by Parliament. Critics fear that the new law will further restrict Christian activity in the state. The law requires Christians to file an application to the provincial government before the construction of a church. It states that the size of the church should be proportional to the number of practicing Christians in the area. The law also says that "the preservation of security and public order" must be considered before an application is approved. Nader Shukry, a Christian activist, said authorities may use threats of mob violence as an excuse to prevent the construction of churches. "What if Salafis protest against the construction of a church, would this prompt the governor to turn down the request, for fear of national security?" he said to AP. Activists also criticized the section that limits the size of churches according to the number of Christians in the community because there are no official statistics regarding the Christian population. Ishaq Ibrahim, a top researcher in the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said that the law "empowers the majority to decide whether the minority has the right to hold their religious practices." Father Sergius, a top official in the Coptic Church, viewed the new law favorably. "The church and the government reached a reconciliatory agreement. Thank God we have this law now," he said. Churches that were built without permits in the past will be recognized if it meets construction regulations and if rites were performed in the past five years. The draft of the bill was approved by the Coptics, Catholics and Evangelical Christians in early August but the Coptic Orthodox later objected to the amendments made by the government. It accepted the bill after the denomination's leader, Pope Tawadros II, met with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and with other top Coptic Orthodox officials. The law was approved by two-thirds of the House's 596 lawmakers. 36 Christian members objected at first but initially voted for the law. home Faith Former Muslim releases new book highlighting errors of Islamic claims Nabeel Qureshi, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity, released a new book that highlighted how the beliefs of Islam and the Quran conflict with historical truths. "There is no good reason to think that the Quran was inspired," Qureshi, the author of "No God But One: Allah or Jesus?," told the Christian Post. "There are scientific errors, there are grammatical mistakes, etcetera. On what basis can a Muslim proclaim the Shahada? There is none," he added. Qureshi grew up as an Ahmadi Muslim. His original faith was challenged after discussing religion at length with his Christian friend, David Wood. Qureshi converted to Christianity after years of friendly debates about the historical claims of both religions. "This friend, instead of just playing dead, like most Christians did, he actually tried to defend Christianity and show me the issues with Islam. It is real easy to do once you try, but no one else had," he said. Quereshi studied Christianity for over three years then spent another year studying Islam. During this time, he said he found out that the Quran and the claims about Muhammad do not align with historical truths. Qureshi was disowned by his family and abandoned by his friends when they learned of his conversion. He even asked God to kill him because of the difficulties he experienced after becoming a Christian. Eventually, he overcame these obstacles and he is currently rebuilding his relationship with some family members. The convert has spoken at more than 100 universities across the U.S., Europe and Asia and has engaged Muslims in public debates numerous times. He holds a degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in New Testament studies at Oxford University. "No God But One: Allah or Jesus?" is the follow-up to Qureshi's New York Times bestseller "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus." It won the Christian Book Award for "Best New Author" and "Best Nonfiction." home US Hurricane Hermine 2016 projected path map, latest update: Hurricane hammers Florida, barrels north along Atlantic Coast Wind and rain from Hurricane Hermine toppled trees and power lines along Florida's northern Gulf Coast, inundating coastal areas with storm surges before it weakened to a tropical storm over land and plowed toward the Atlantic Coast on Friday. Hermine made landfall early on Friday near St. Marks, Florida, 20 miles south of the capital of Tallahassee, dumping heavy rains and packing winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), leaving tens of thousands of households without power along Florida's Gulf Coast. No injuries were immediately reported. It was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma more than a decade ago. A weakening Hermine moved across southern Georgia, blowing winds of 60 miles per hour (95 km) at 8 a.m. EDT, according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical storm was expected to reach the coastal Carolinas later Friday, then move offshore from North Carolina on Saturday. Forecasters said it could restrengthen over the sea. In Cedar Key, an island community in northwest Florida, waters rose more than 9.5 feet (2.9 meters), among the highest surges ever seen, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tallahassee. "It is a mess," Virgil Sandlin, the Cedar Key police chief told the Weather Channel television network. "We have high water in numerous places." Some 170,000 people were without power in the affected region on Friday morning, WCTV television in Tallahassee reported. More than half of Tallahassee had lost power, the NWS said. By Friday morning, the storm barreled across southeastern Georgia, where thousands were without power. On its current path, the storm could dump as much as 15 inches (38 cm) of rain on coastal Georgia, which was under a tropical storm watch, and the Carolinas. Forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods and flash floods. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared emergencies in affected regions. A tropical storm watch extended north to New Jersey with Hermine expected to be felt over the U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend by tens of millions of Americans living along the Atlantic Coast. Yet as it made its way north, the storm whipped up heavy rain across Florida's Gulf Coast on Friday morning. Communities as far south as Tampa shut roads due to flooding. Schools in 35 of the state's 67 counties were closed, Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Twitter. In advance of the storm, he had declared a state of emergency in 51 counties. As the sun rose on Friday morning on Hudson Beach, just north of Tampa, cars sat askew in the middle of flooded out roads. Palm fronds, tree branches and garbage cans were scattered about. Overnight, Pasco County crews rescued 18 people and brought them to shelters after their homes were flooded in Hudson Beach and nearby Green Key. Richard Jewett, 68, was rescued from his home in nearby New Port Richey, around 1:30 a.m. EDT on Friday as emergency workers carried out a mandatory evacuation. "The canal started creeping up toward the house and even though it wasn't high tide it looked like it was coming inside," he said. home US 'No hope for Democratic and Republican parties,' says Franklin Graham on Decision America Prayer tour Leading evangelist Franklin Graham condemned the two major political parties as he rallied thousands at Boston Common this week to pray for the approaching U.S. presidential elections. Graham made his latest stop in the state of Boston for his 50-state Decision America Prayer tour which he previously likened to Nehemiah, the prophet who called on God to restore Jerusalem. According to the Associated Press (AP), the event organizers estimated the attendees at around 3,400. "I have no hope in the Democratic Party all right, zero hope," AP quoted Graham as saying while quickly adding before that before he gave Republicans in the crowd the chance to "high-five each other, I have no hope for the Republican Party." The CEO and president of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association maintained that he's not endorsing any candidate. "Both parties, Democrat and Republican, have turned their backs on God and embraced secularism," the 64-year-old evangelical leader told the crowd. Many of the attendees resonated with Graham. "This for me is spiritual, not political," said Robbie McNerney, a Massachusetts-resident who claimed he did not choose between Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump. "Neither of the political candidates can solve our problems," McNerney added. "I think whoever is our next president will need the grace of God." The son of famed evangelist Billy Graham did not change his tune as he continued to denounce the state of decline the nation is in. Shortly after Hillary Clinton secured the Democratic Party's nomination June 7, Graham congratulated Clinton and, at the same time, urged Americans to pray for the nation which he said is in "serious trouble." "We need a president who can lead this nation back to being one nation under God so that we can truly say 'In God we trust!'" said Graham. The president of Samaritan's Purse also led Christians to pray for "God's divine intervention and healing" through a Facebook Live event before the Democratic and Republican parties opened their national conventions last month. home Tech Pope Francis receives Facebook drone from CEO Mark Zuckerberg Pope Francis met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the Vatican on Monday and received a Facebook drone as they talked about using technology to further connect the world. The co-founder of the social networking giant and his wife, Priscilla Chan, chatted with the Argentine pontiff at the Vatican guest house residence in Santa Marta Zuckerberg gifted the pontiff with a solar-powered drone called Aquila, which Facebook plans to use to provide internet access in developing countries, and a book that the couple made, which documented stories of how people used the internet in "amazing ways." Zuckerberg updated his followers with photos of their visit to Italy where they attended a friend's wedding, Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek. "We also discussed the importance of connecting people, especially in parts of the world without internet access," wrote Zuckerberg, with an estimated net worth of $53.7 billion as of this month. The 32-year-old Internet entrepreneur found a commonality between him and the 79-year-old Roman Catholic leader. "We told him how much we admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and how he's found new ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world," continued Zuckerberg. "You can feel the Pope's warmth and kindness, and how deeply he cares about helping people." The couple announced late last year their bid to donate 99 percent of their Facebook shares throughout the remainder of their lives through the "Chan Zuckerberg Initiative" as their "moral responsibility" in helping make the world a better place "for all children in the next generation" following the birth of their first child, Maxina. The Vatican also released a communiquA that the two leading world catalysts talked about ways on using communication technologies "to alleviate poverty, encourage a culture of encounter, and to communicate a message of hope, especially to the most disadvantaged." Earlier this year, the pope received the audiences of three other heads of leading tech companies including Eric Schmidt of Google, Tim Cook of Apple, and Kevin Systrom of Instagram. Though he admitted to not owning a mobile phone or using a computer, according to the Catholic News Agency, Pope Francis created his Twitter account in 2012 and his Instagram account March 19. home US US presidential polls 2016 latest update: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton tied, according to new Reuters/IPSOS polls The latest results in an online poll conducted by Reuters/IPSOS show Trump and Clinton tied at 39 percent on the national level. 21 percent declined to pick either of the two leading candidates. The polling data from Reuters showed Trump trailing behind Clinton on Aug. 22. Trump got 32.8 percent while Clinton had 44.8 percent. By Aug. 26, Clinton was only leading by two points at 39.9 to 37.7. A poll conducted by Monmouth University showed Clinton leading Trump by 7 points at 49 to 42. In the daily tracking poll by the L.A. Times, they were tied at 44 percent as of Aug. 29. In the tracking poll conducted by NBC News, Clinton is narrowly leading by 6 points, 48 to 42. Clinton led by 8 points last week, according to NBC. The poll was conducted from Aug. 22 to 28. In a four-way match-up that included Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, Clinton is ahead with 41 percent. Trump got 37 percent, Johnson got 11 percent while Stein got 5 percent. Among registered Independents, Clinton is leading by 8 points, 40 to 32. The poll showed that Independents are the most likely to switch to a different candidate. 70 percent of Independents who are supporting Clinton supported someone else in the past six months while 64 percent of Independents who are supporting Trump admitted supporting someone else within the same time frame. On the state level, a poll conducted by Emerson College showed that Trump and Clinton are tied in Ohio at 42 percent. Libertarian candidate Johnson got 10 percent while Green Party candidate Stein got 2 percent. In Pennsylvania, Clinton is ahead at 46 percent while Trump got 43 percent. In Michigan, Clinton is leading by 4 points at 45 percent. Trump has 40 percent. The poll in Ohio was conducted between Aug. 25 to 27. The polls in Michigan and Pennsylvania were conducted between Aug. 25 to 28. Clinton and Trump are tied at 46 percent in a South Carolina poll conducted by Reuters/IPSOS. The poll was conducted through a massive online survey and multiple simulations based on different models. The candidates will face each other in the a presidential debate on Monday, Sept. 26. It will be held at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. home World Virgin Mary statue seen weeping in Honduras church Churchgoers at the Campus Santiago Apostle in Danli, Honduras reportedly saw tears dripping from the eyes of a statue of the Virgin Mary. A priest from a nearby parish, Juan Angel Lopez, did not know what is causing the phenomenon but believed it to be genuine. The strange occurrence was first noticed over the weekend. Video footage showed someone wiping the eyes and face of the statue. A man speaking in Spanish was heard in the background. "I'm not saying it's true, I'm saying it's possible," Lopez said. "In this case, I suspect that there is no falsehood because I know people who run the Campus Santiago Apostle. I know the seriousness of people who have recorded the video and do not think they would fake it," he added. Several cases of strange phenomenon involving religious statues have been reported in the past few months. Last week, a church in Bolivia reported that a statue of the Virgin Mary was crying tears of blood. A priest later reported that the hands of the figure was bleeding. A blood sample was taken to a hospital for analysis. Last June, a video showing a statue of Jesus opening its eyes went viral on the internet. The footage was taken in the Chapel of Saltillo in Mexico. However, church authorities from the Diocese of Saltillo refused to watch it, according to Mirror. A Youtube video released under the account AustralianPhenomena created a frame by frame analysis of the video and suggested that it may have been altered. Last May, a family from Fresno reported that the Virgin Mary statue at their home was weeping. The crew from ABC recounted that the tears were oily and smelled like roses. The caretaker of the statue said that many priests had already come to see the weeping statue and called it a miracle. Army chaplain speaks of doing God's work during Ebola crisis When a distraught mother wept for her child in Ebola-striken Sierra Leone, Scots Army chaplain Rev Chris Kellock did the natural human thing: he put his arm around her to comfort her. Then he remembered that, although they were in a "clean" area of a British Army hospital, he was not wearing his protective suit. Kellock, 44, has spoken out for the first time about his tour of duty in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis. He was given just 24 hours' notice before being sent to the West African country for 101 days to support military, medical and other staff as well as relatives of of the sick at the hospital in Kerrytown, 31 miles from the capital Freetown. Kellock said he was tested to his limits by the experience but described the opportunity for service as a "privilege". He said: "I'm glad I went and I would do it again. If you read through the history of military chaplains, that is where the essence and heart of what we do is crystallised - supporting spiritually, morally and pastorally the men and women who are at the sharp edge." Kellock, Church of Scotland chaplain to the First Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers since July 2014, was deployed to the African nation in September, 2014. He was responsible for the care of the pastoral and spiritual needs of around 100 staff. Despite the risks he never really seriously worried about catching Ebola due to the rigorous procedures. He said: "Ebola is a violent disease, which at that point, was not stopped by any medical intervention. "In September 2014 there was a real fear that the numbers infected was going to disappear through the roof. "A family of someone in the unit came in and the mother, who was in the clean area, was distraught. "So I did what was natural and I put my arm around her and walked with her. "I was not wearing a protective suit and it was only afterwards that I thought 'crikey I just put my arm round somebody who has a relative with Ebola'." Patients would spend between 10-12-days in the unit. The quicker they were admitted for treatment, the better their chance of survival. Dealing with death on a regular basis was a challenge. Kellock said: "It was quite something when we got the call in the middle of the night when someone had died and we wanted to afford them as much dignity as possible. "I stayed in a camp about 15 minutes away by bus so a team of three or four of us would go up and prepare the body. "One of the keys things the Sierra Leone government did was bury the bodies within 24 hours to stop the spread of the disease. "The reason it spread so quickly is because people would die and the family would invite all their friends round to the funeral. "People from the village would come and they would kiss the body. "Ebola is spread through body fluid and even after you clean up, the virus can live outside the body for a certain period of time. "The virus is at its most potent at the point of death. "At the height of the crisis for every death, four people were walking away from a funeral infected. "That was the situation we walked into and we had no idea whether we would end up having queues of people as soon as we opened our doors." Bodies were kept in isolation and properly disposed of by the Red Cross. He is sharing his experiences of Sierra Leone at Morningside Parish Church in Edinburgh, which is hosting a series of lectures about chaplaincy throughout September, on Sunday. Brazilian evangelical politicians 'prayed for President's removal' As Brazilian politics seeks to find a way through its current crisis, a group of evangelical leaders say their prayers were part of removing the former President. Dilma Rousseff was this week removed from power by the Senate and she has been replaced by Michel Temer. She was initially removed from office in May over accusations of moving funds between different government accounts. Now, Telesur reports that a number of evangelical leaders have been praying for her removal. Marco Feliciano, a member of the congress and a church leader said the so-called evangelical bloc has been key to removing Rousseff. Brazil remains a majority Roman Catholic country, but in recent decades evangelical and Pentecostal churches have been gaining traction. Eduardo Cunha, who was one of the main instigators of the move against Rousseff, used to own an evangelical radio station, while other prominent politicians such as the conservative Senator Magno Malta are also evangelical church leaders. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil has described the President's removal as a "coup". Francisco de Assis da Silva, said, "The Senators condemned the President for a crime but didn't forbid her from running for another public position. This just makes clear that what happened was a coup. There was no real crime - just a matter of taking her out of power," he said. The Archbishop is one of Christian Aid's main partners in the country. Spokesperson Sarah Roare said, "Already, the space for civil society in Brazil is systematically being shrunk, with the persecution of social movements and the poorest people... Under the new President Temer's leadership, Brazil's economic and political paralysis will only deepen." Rousseff has already said she plans to appeal her removal saying, "They have convicted an innocent person and carried out a parliamentary coup." She was Brazil's first female president. She was first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2014. Allegations of corruption are common in Brazilian politics, with some of the Senators who voted to remove Rousseff facing accusations of wrongdoing themselves. Can Christians have sex if they aren't married? Yes, says a US pastor A pastor in Illinois has been making waves with a book that says it's OK for Christians to have sex before marriage. Rev Bromleigh McCleneghan, a married mother of three and associate pastor for ministry with families at Union Church of Hinsdale, says single Christians can have sex as long as it's "mutually pleasurable and affirming". In her book Good Christian Sex: Why Chastity Isn't the Only Option And Other Things the Bible Says About Sex, she says being chaste is more about self-control and moderation than it is about abstinence. In an article for the Washington Post, she says: "I'd argue that we can be chaste faithful in unmarried sexual relationships if we exercise restraint: if we refrain from having sex that isn't mutually pleasurable and affirming, that doesn't respect the autonomy and sacred worth of ourselves and our partners." And, she says: "There are those who feel that they are called to seasons of celibacy, or even years of celibacy, and if answering that call is life-giving and purposeful, then they should take it up as a spiritual discipline. But no call can be forced on an unwilling person, especially not if they find themselves single only by virtue of circumstance." Needless to say, her views have been roundly condemned by conservatives. Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship told the Christian Post McCleneghan was "misrepresenting God" and her teaching could push people away from him. Asked on her Facebook page whether there had been aggressive reactions to the book, McCleneghan replied, "Why yes, there have been." One commenter, Amy Quoshena, wrote: "You are leading many to hell with your book. You should be ashamed of yourself. It is written that sexual immorality is a sin and those who do burn in the lake of fire. Repent!!" Full disclosure: I haven't read the book yet, so this isn't a review. However, the lines of her thinking are clear enough from what she's said and written. She's not advocating a sexual free-for-all, but she's critical of the idea that the only place for sexual expression is within marriage. Our bodies have needs, and meeting those needs with another person, even one to whom we aren't married, can be a deeply fulfilling experience. She points out the Bible's inconsistencies about sex and that some sex within marriage is coercive and abusive. Denying our bodies "the things they need for health and joy" is a bad thing, and "Denying the facts of our humanity seems like a theologically problematic move." Where will this lead? One interviewer, Jonathan Merritt for RNS, asked her about polygamy and whether it could ever be "holy". Too patriarchal, she said. "Polyamory, though, as a sexual and romantic relationship between three or more consenting people? I don't know. I think it would be really hard insofar as intimacy is hard enough in a dyad, and mutuality would be well near impossible given the even more complicated power dynamics and the reality of sin. I think there's something really lovely about long-term monogamy that would be hard to capture with additional partners. But, just because something is outside my experience doesn't mean it's necessarily wrong." The reason McCleneghan has attracted so much attention much of it negative, but much of it very positive from people who feel she speaks for them is that she's a pastor who has publically broken a Christian consensus about sex in a thoughtful and informed way. That doesn't, of course, mean that she's right, but it means Christians are talking about something really important in a more honest way than perhaps they were. But is she right? At one level, it's fair enough to critique the idea that for Christians, a legal marriage ceremony is the sole criterion for deciding whether two people can have sex or not. At different times and in different places marriage has looked very different. And it's true, as well, to say that anyone who goes to the Bible for a "biblical" view of marriage has to explain away quite a few practices that don't look anything like what they might imagine. Nevertheless, the settled position of the Church has been that monogamy is God's best design for human beings and that any other arrangement falls short of His perfect will. As Christians are called to the highest form of discipleship, that's what we should aim for. And here, in a nutshell, are my reservations about her arguments. 1. It's all too convenient Yes, most of us have physical desires. And the idea that if we are single we need not, in fact, restrain them, and can indulge them to our hearts' content as long as we aren't hurting anyone and it's all consensual, is terribly, terribly attractive. We should be deeply suspicious of any interpretation of Scripture or tradition that lets us do exactly what we want. 2. Our bodies are not our masters The fact that we have physical cravings doesn't mean we have to satisfy them. Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 6:13, when he quotes the proverb "Food for the stomach, and the stomach for food" in other words, sexual pleasure is as free of moral content as eating a meal. But God will destroy them both, he says, and: "The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." Food and sex are different. 3. You can't separate minds and bodies At least, many people can't. It's wrong to generalise, and Christians are on shaky ground when they claim there are always spiritual consequences to sexual relations outside marriage. What to one person is a profoundly significant act is to another no more important than brushing their teeth. But what seems clear from the language of Scripture is that there's a deep connection between physical and spiritual union that is best expressed through life-long, committed monogamy. A book that gets Christians talking about sex is probably a good thing, as far as it goes. And the Church in today's Western world, where sex before marriage is normal, has got to have something more to say to young people in particular than just, "Thou shalt not." One thing it might say is, "This is the Church's teaching, but if you choose not to follow it you don't put yourself beyond the grace of God or outside the Church's fellowship." But should the Church revise its teaching? No. Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods Change your life by making a decision for Christ, says Franklin Graham One decision can "change your life forever" according to a new film from Billy Graham being made available free as a new Christian evangelistic tool. The 30-minute Decisions video features a Gospel message from Franklin Graham, president and chief executive of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. It reports the stories of just a few of the people who turned to Christ during the 2016 Decision America Tour. "I've been talking to people about the importance of decisions. I see thousands of people faced with a choice and I want [them] to know the truth," says Franklin Graham. "Any time you have a crowd of people, I can guarantee there will be somebody in that crowd that doesn't know Jesus Christ. So, every time I'm at the microphone I'm going to give the Gospel." On the tour, Graham is holding prayer rallies in each state capital encouraging Christians to vote, to live out their faith in every part of their lives and to pray for the nation. He is visiting all 50 US states to present nationwide the hope found through a relationship with Jesus Christ. The new film will be shown on local and Christian networks beginning in the second week of October. "We are very happy to offer this resource to the church which will powerfully present the Gospel of Jesus Christ," said Steve Rhoads, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association vice-president, who is responsible for the My Hope campaign. "The church in the United States has a unique opportunity at this moment to proclaim Jesus, who offers hope and redemption to a lost world. We pray that the good news will be preached and that God will bring a revival to His people." Since 2002, My Hope has been implemented in 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. More than 305,000 churches and 4 million individuals have taken part and more than 10 million salvation and rededication decisions for Jesus Christ have been recorded. Another new film, The Worth of a Soul, will be released later this year in the UK. In a syndicated column in the Kansas City Star, Billy Graham wrote this week: "Many people wilfully refuse to think about eternity or what will happen to them when they die. One reason is because they simply want to live for the moment, enjoying its pleasures or wrapped up in their daily cares. They also may sense that their lives will have to change if they begin thinking seriously about God and eternity, and they don't want this to happen." Children and women at risk from Calais 'Jungle' demolition, warns charity Women, children and wounded refugees will be "seriously at risk" if the Calais "Jungle" is demolished, a leading aid charity at the refugee camp has warned. The charity Care4Calais has spoken out as French lorry drivers, farmers and ferry port agents plan a road blockade for next Monday. The lorry drivers are calling for the camp to be permanently erased. Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart plans to join the blockade to show "solidarity" with the lorry drivers and local residents who she says live in fear of violence from organised gangs and migrants in the camp. Care4Calais said that demolition is "not the solution". Earlier this year, in February, a large part of the camp was demolished and yet it is now larger than before. There are as many as 100 new arrivals every day with an estimaged 9,000 people living there. Nearly one in ten of these are children, more than half unaccompanied. Clare Moseley, founder of Care4Calais, said: "This is clear evidence that demolitions do not act as a deterrent. The refugees come because they have no choice - they are fleeing war and persecution. Destroying their homes achieves nothing more than making living conditions so much more inhumane." She warned that demolition will disperse many of the migrants and refugees across northern France into temporary camps with no water or sanitation and further jeopardise those most in need of protection such as women and children. Nearly 130 children from the camp have simply disappeared since the February demolition. Mosely said: "We need to take collective responsibility to protect and support these vulnerable people." Local French politician Xavier Bertrand has suggested that migrants in the camp who are seeking asylum in the UK should be allowed to do so at a "hotspot" in France, and immediately deported out of France if their claim is denied. Care4Calais said it supports anything which would remove the need for refugees to enter the UK illegally. Christian Colleges dominate list of 'absolute worst' for LGBT students More than 100 Christian colleges have been named on a "shame list" of the "absolute worst" for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. The Campus Pride list includes Liberty University, whose president Jerry Falwell Jr has controversially endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Institutions such as Kentucky Mountain Bible College, which believes the Bible is the true, inerrant word of God, are criticised in particular for applying for an exemption to Title XI of US education law which states that no federally-funded education institution can discriminate against anyone on the basis of sex. It is under Title XI that the President Barack Obama administration has told schools they must allow transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. The list is published for the first time this week and is expected to be updated annually. Other institutions cited include Bob Jones University, East Texas Baptist University, Gordon College, Wheaton College, Union University and Lancaster Bible College, which was exempted from Title IX as long ago as 1992. Lancaster has recently requested an extension to this exemption. Louisiana College also already is expected from Title XI. Life Pacific College is on the list because it donated $18,000 in opposition to a California bill designed to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination at their Christian college or university, and also released a statement opposing the bill. Trinity Law School, Santa Clarita and William Jessup University are also listed for opposing the same bill. Wheaton College told Chicago Tribune in a statement that the school "strives to treat all people with respect. As part of joining the campus community, students, faculty, and staff affirm our Community Covenant. This voluntary social compact expresses the commitments and values consistent with the community's shared Christian faith, which includes biblical teaching on sexual morality." Sexual immorality in the covenant includes homosexual behaviour. The statement continues: "The College is committed to a Christian sexual ethic that upholds chastity among the unmarried and the sanctity of marriage between a man and woman. Some perceive our commitment to this Christian sexual ethic as unfriendly toward the LGBTQ community. Our aim is to stand respectfully and graciously for God's truth revealed in the Scriptures, and to be a caring, encouraging and biblically faithful community." Campus Pride's "Best of the Best" colleges for LGBT students includes Princeton, Penn State University and Williams College in Massachusetts. Christian photographer asking for fellow faithful's help to fund hotel that will help those in need We think of hotels as places where we go to relax and sleep while on vacation. Christian photographer Jeremy Cowart, however, has an idea for a hotel that goes beyond that: a place that will serve as a testament to God's love for mankind. Cowart has seen the world in his quest for perfect pictures. He has photographed a wide variety of people: from pop star Britney Spears in 2009 to survivors of the powerful earthquake that rocked Haiti in 2010. Throughout these journeys, Cowart who was named by The Huffington Post as "The Most Influential Photographer in the Web" has stayed in countless hotels. From this, he came out with the idea of developing a hotel that goes beyond being a lodging for a night a hotel with a purpose, literally. Driven by this idea, the photographer recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to build a place in Nashville, which he called "Purpose Hotel," mainly to help those in need. "The world knows Christians by our judgment, not by our love, for the most part, and I want to change that. I want to build a hotel where we're working with and inviting people into the hotel of all belief systems and all skin colors and all backgrounds," Cowart said, as quoted by Religion News. He envisions every aspect of Purpose Hotel to be a means to help others. For instance, he wants blankets to be used in the rooms to be sewn by survivors of human trafficking. He wants to tap companies that help marginalised groups for the hotel's pieces of furniture. He even wants the hotel's fountain to help the cause of a nonprofit organisation that seeks to provide access to safe water. Aside from sleeping rooms, Cowart also wants the Purpose Hotel to have coworking spaces, where cause-oriented groups can meet. To further turn his vision into reality, the photographer is also talking to major nonprofit organisations like Giving Keys, Compassion International, Food for the Hungry, International Justice Mission and Thistle Farms. His pitch: these groups can help build the hotel, which will help their causes, too. "Even though it's not a Christian hotel, it certainly has a lot of core Christian values. It's all about outreach and loving our neighbor and feeding the poor," Cowart said. "I wish a lot of churches out there would follow the hotel model." Christianity Explored, or #tryalpha? Time to make the Ultimate Choice You stand at a crossroads in your life. All your questions and searching have led to this moment. The decision you make will shape your future for eternity. So what choice will you make? Alpha, or Christianity Explored? If that introduction made no sense to you, then you might not be part of the evangelical Christian subculture. But the door is always open (for now), so come on in. In the last decade or so, Christian groups like Alpha and Christianity Explored have changed the way Christians do outreach. Street preaching, Bibles in hotel rooms, and large evangelical rallies have largely made way for something more intimate, friendly, and laid back. In both Alpha and Christianity Explored, the focus is put on asking questions and trying to make sense of life; having meals and conversations which facilitate those questions while introducing people to Jesus. As September ushers us into a new season of life at school, university or work, perhaps you would like to consider running or attending one of these courses. But which should you pick? As fun as it would be, this article will not feature a Harry Hill inspired "FIGHT!" where we decide which course reigns as king. Both courses have the same ultimate aim, just with different approaches, so lets see how they compare. Alpha was pioneered by Nicky Gumbel in 1990, as a short course at his church Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London. Today over 29 million people have tried the course across 169 countries, in all mainline protestant denominations, and in Catholic and Orthodox churches too. This owes much to the flexibility of the course, its essentials being simply "food, a talk, and a good conversation." The course runs over about 11 weeks, each week containing a different talk on basic questions like 'Is there more to life than this?', 'who is Jesus?', and 'how does God guide us?'. Talks like 'why and how do I pray' and often a weekend which focuses on the Holy Spirit highlight Alpha's experiential edge. As Harrietwho has run and taught Alpha courses with HTBtells me: "The whole course is one that gives one the opportunity to truly encounter God." If Alpha has a mascot, it is almost certainly Bear Grylls, the death-defying adventurer who greets you in their latest promotional material. There he intentionally avoids any theological baggage, simply speaking about "light to a dark path", concluding with: "simple faith that empowers my life...to me thats been my greatest adventure." Alpha's global exposure means those outside of the church are more likely to have heard of it. Steve, who has run both Alpha and Christianity Explored on his local estate, agreed that Alpha's name recognition can be a helpful draw. Indeed, you may well find it an easier pitch to a friend if you can say "well Bear Grylls likes it, so come along!" Its ubiquity also is a reminder that it's a relatively tried and tested product, and its flexibility should encourage you that as a leader you don't need to have all the answers, just be willing to have a conversation. For a post-Christian western culture, Alpha looks to cultivate a good space for deconstructing people's fears and grievances with formal 'religion', and invites people instead to experience the power of God. For others though, Christianity Explored (CE) will be their choice course. CE, founded by Rico Tice, also emphasises a space for people to bring their questions about God and life, with a more specific focus on Jesus. Rico introduces CE on his website: "The offer Jesus made...makes sense of life in a way nothing and no one can." CE runs through the 16 chapters of Mark's Gospel, with videos accompanying, and focuses on three questions: 'Who is Jesus?', 'Why did Jesus come?', and 'What does it mean for us?' Sally, who uses CE at her church, appreciates the fact that "it is rooted in the Bible, always pointing back to Mark's gospel so that people are really clearly seeing who Jesus is according to God's word...[and the study guides] don't take it for granted that people will be familiar with Bible words/stories so there are some helpful explanations there too." Chris in Nashville has run one of CE's video resources, 'SOUL' on various occasions, and found that "it is just as good for unbelievers as it is for the more mature Christian students. It talks about everything with "fresh eyes", so as to allow Christians and non-Christians to gain a lot from it... for many of my students, it was the first time that Gospel actually "clicked" in their mind." Stu, who works with International students in Scotland, rates the 'Universal Edition' of CE, which is aimed at international students or those of a lower literacy level. "We enjoyed running it and felt it gave people a very good foundation...for that audience, its clarity is excellent," he said. By contrast Stu says the open question format of Alpha can make it tough for those without any western Christian background to get their heads around: "[For them] its really hard to piece it all together." CE is more conservative, theologically speaking. Its approach is somewhat starker: emphasising the dangers of Hell, and the need for sinners to respond to God's forgiveness. Furthermore, Alpha devotes a weekend away to the Holy Spirit; comparatively one source felt that CE "doesn't really talk about the Holy Spirit at all...it feels lacking." Avoiding debates about the role of Holy Spirit for now, it's worth being aware of these different approaches. Depending on where you come from, or where your audience is at, one approach may be preferable to the other. Steve ran both courses on his London Estate, where he found CE followed Alpha well as a 'follow up', providing a "different angle": some more in-depth discipleship and Bible study that's still geared toward the unchurched. He also found the more experience-focused Alphafor example singing and learning to pray togetherto be a profound experience. "People want to be prayed for at difficult times," he said. Such an approach can show people what church looks like without the cultural stigma of attending a Sunday service: "Sharing troubles and sharing life together. That is Church...it feels normal'. As fun as binary-toting articles about choosing 'x' or 'y' can be, we have of course covered only two of the biggest approaches that exist for Christians who want to share their faith. Others certainly exist, but all structures and resources asidenothing can come close to the simple power of present, compassionate friendship. When Jesus met with people, he joined them for meals, and listened to people's questions. He didn't always have clear answers for people, but he did offer himself. In a world full of distractions, let's be present. And in a culture where everbody's trying to sell something, let's not do the same. Do a Christianity Explored course, or #tryalpha, but don't forget to offer yourself. Four suicide bombers killed after they target Christians in Pakistan Four suicide bombers were killed after they attempted to attack a Christian colony near Peshawar in Pakistan in the early hours of this morning. Pakistan commando forces backed up by military helicopters opened fire on the terrorists, all wearing suicide bomb vests. They were all killed, two by their own suicide vests and the other two by the guards. One resident of the Christian colony also died. General Asim Bajwa, head of the Pakistan Army's media arm, said a clearance operation is under way. He tweeted: "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Sec forces Promptly responded, all 4 suicide bombers killed. Search in progress." Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar.Sec forces Promptly responded,all 4 suicide bombers killed.Search in progress. Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 2, 2016 The Pakistan Army said in a statement: "Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50am. "Security forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed." Two soldiers, a policeman and two security guards were wounded. House-to-house searches are currently being conducted. Mian Ifthikhar Hussain, a senior member of the Awami National Party, tweeted: Strongly condemn the ruthless attacks in Peshawar & Mardan. The perpetrators must be taken to task. Mian Iftikhar Husain (@mianiftikharhus) September 2, 2016 Award-winning Newsweek Pakistan journalist Benazir Shar said there are about 25 Christian residences in the colony, which is near Warsak Dam. She reported that the aim of the gunmen, who had suicide bombs strapped to their bodies, had appeared to be to take hostages. 25 Christian residences in the colony. Appears militants wanted to take a maximum number hostage: Police #Peshawarhttps://t.co/xphGiqY2Cx Benazir Shah (@Benazir_Shah) September 2, 2016 A senior security official told Pakistan Today: "The military commandos have moved in. We are not sure of the exact number of attackers at the moment but there seem to be more than two." He confirmed that one resident of the colony was also killed. Christians are repeatedly targeted by Islamists in Pakistan. At Easter this year, more than 70 people including children were murdered when a Taliban suicide bomber attacked Christians in eastern Lahore. Christians are also often accused of blasphemy and imprisoned or worse. Pakistan is currently at number six on the Open Doors world watch persecution list. Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley elected Green Party co-leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, an outspoken Christian, are the new leaders of the Green Party. The pair stood on a joint ticket under the banner of "the power of working together" and won the race to replace Natalie Bennett with 86 per cent of the vote. The announcement at the Green Party conference in Birmingham on Friday sparks a new era for the Green Party as they look to exploit Labour weakness and forge a "progressive alliance" with other parties. The victory means Bartley and Lucas are the first party political leaders to share the job. Bartley said it demonstrated the importance of how to "strike a healthy balance between work and family and other commitments". He joked the Green Party "stand here more united with two leaders than other parties are with one". In a joint leadership speech after the announcement, Bartley referenced "radical change" bought about by the first Christian Quakers and promised "a radical redistribution of both wealth and power". He said: "Modern capitialism has delivered excesses that are not just divisive but morally unacceptable. Only a great realignment can narrow the gap that is harrowing Britain." Bartley, the party's work and pensions spokesman, is the co-director of the Christian think tank Ekklesia and former columnist for the Guardian on issues of Christianity and politics. Lucas is a former party leader and party's sole MP - for Brighton Pavilion. The two leaders called for alliances with other left-wing parties to defeat the Tories. Although this has been ruled out by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Lucas has said his office are privately open to the idea. Bartley and Lucas used their speech to back calls for a second referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union. Lucas described the vote to leave as a "heartbreak" and said it felt like a "death of something that while flawed was still infinitely precious". She said "the people should continue should continue to have our say" and that once the details of Brexit have been laid out a second referendum should be called. With the Labour party in the midst of a bitter leadership campaign, Bartley and Lucas said the country was "crying out for a real opposition and the Green Party must be it". They also made electoral reform a key part of their message as Bartley said the UK had a "completely dsyfunctional electoral system". They called for a proportional representation system, an issue last put to the British people in 2011. It was rejected by 67.9 per cent of voters at that vote but Bartley said the vote to leave the EU was a "howl of rage against exclusion" and came from people "ignored by successive governments in successive generations". He said the UK's first past the post voting system was partially to blame because "outside of a few marginal seats your vote does not count". He added: "Old tribal loyalties are dying. Voters can no longer be taken for granted. The era of two party politics is over. "It is the voting system that is stuck in the past. So change politics and we change people's lives forever." The party won 1.1 million votes at the 2015 general election, a 2.8 per cent increase on their vote share in 2010. Amelia Womack was elected deputy leader and said she was "truly honoured and thrilled" by the appointment. Iran beats and arrests more Christians as authorities crack down on family parties, weddings There's no let up in the campaign to persecute Christians in Iran with at least five more Christian converts arrested last week for their newfound faith in Christ. The five were arrested after plainclothes police officers stormed a house where a family and their guests were celebrating a party. The officers initially rounded up 15 people. When they tried to resist, the police brutally beat them before hauling off five of them, according to Mohabat News. The Iranian Christian news agency reported that the raid on the house was part of the government crackdown on family parties and weddings where Islamic regulations are not strictly followed. Those arrested in these gatherings could be charged with refusing to follow Islamic law. The five men arrested during the party were taken to an unknown location and charged with evangelism, a crime that could mean death or life imprisonment. They have yet to appear before a court of law. The five were arrested despite the existence of a law that specifically forbids the police from making arrests and searches without a court order. In its 2016 report, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom said Christians and other religious minorities in Iran continue to experience severe human rights abuses, according to FrontPage Mag. The report found that religious freedom conditions "continued to deteriorate" over the past year with Christians and other minorities facing the most persecution in the form of harassment, arrests, and imprisonment. The report noted that under President Hassan Rouhani's administration, the number of religious-based arrests has increased despite Iran's continuous denial that it is violating people's human and religious freedom rights. The report states: "The government of Iran continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused." The report notes that as many as 550 Christians have been arrested and detained since 2015, and at least 90 Christians remain in prison or detention as of February due to their religious beliefs and activities. Human rights activists inside Iran have reported a significant rise in the number of physical assaults and beatings of Christians in prison. Some of these activists believe the assaults, which have been directed against converts who are leaders of underground house churches, are meant to intimidate others who may wish to convert to Christianity. Italy: Evangelicals unite to offer support after earthquake Following the tragic earthquake which claimed 294 lives in Central Italy last week, a coalition of evangelicals have united at a summit to offer support and relief. Representatives of 40 national and global evangelical organisations have gathered "in a spirit of Christian fellowship and passion to act together"; the meeting was convened on the 29th August by the Italian Evangelical Alliance (AEI), the Federation of Pentecostal Churches in Italy (FCP) and Coevema, an evangelical relief agency. The meeting, in Borbona, near Amatrice, discussed evangelical witness in the affected area and proposed solutions of how to help those in need, saying, "The participants agreed that it is not useful to act in randomly or in disjointed order, with the consequent marginalization of the interventions." The assembly affirmed that, "It is rather convenient to coordinate the efforts in order to bring together into a single stream the various initiatives, to be more incisive in the aid and bringing the comforting Word of God and show the Way of salvation". Their planned actions include "psychological support, training, support and outreach aimed at the children, as well as at the elderly people, in camps, schools and in the mid-term accommodation." There is also a long term plan to "gradually engage in development and reconstruction." Lucio Toppi, a survivor of the earthquake, gave a moving testimony, after which Pastor Agostino Masdea expressed gratitude on behalf of the FCP, thanking the assembly for their united support. Matthew Swenson of the Samaritans offered their full financial support. The meeting closed with a joint statement: 'The Borbona commitment', which reads: We, servants of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, called by our Heavenly Father to perform various Christian services within the evangelical ministries and organizations that we represent, gathered together, today, at Borbona, Italy, in the area that has been terribly hit by the earthquake of August 24, 2016, being led by the Holy Spirit to commit ourselves in favor of the population of these valleys. As Italian God's people we repent in front of the throne of the Most High as we realize we have not put significant efforts toward the expansion of His Kingdom in various areas of our Country, including this land that connects the Lazio and Marche regions. We are aware that sometimes we have not been as effective as we should have, due to the fact that we operated on our own, isolated from our brethren. Nevertheless, today, being touched in our deepest inner heart by the need of help, rebirth and salvation of this land, in conformity with the biblical principles expressed in the Lausanne Covenant of 1974, we wish to commit ourselves, according to our own callings and possibilities, to contribute to the realization of the projects and actions that Coevema Onlus will put together and coordinate in this area for the population, to the glory of Christ. As well as the lives lost, it is estimated that over 400 have been injured and at least 2,500 people have lost their homes. Last week the Federation of the Evangelical Churches in Italy launched a fundraising appeal to support those suffering. The assembly hopes to sustain a profound, lasting impact: "When the media attention will decrease, and the emotional wave will fade, only a commitment before God will be able to produce perseverance in the action for the glory of God," it said. Law is on your side over evangelism, Christians told "Sensationalist" reports cause Christians to think they are not free to proselytise, according to a new resource that urges the public sharing of faith. Speak Up was launched by the Evangelical Alliance (EA) and the Lawyers Christians Fellowship (LCF) on Friday and aims to persuade Christians they have the law on their side when it comes to sharing their faith in public. The guide on what the law says and how to share your faith in public and at work suggests Christians have "very considerable" freedom to preach the gospel in the UK. The pamphlet admits there are "qualifications" on speaking about faith but insists: "You have a lot more freedom than you may think." David Landrum, director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said there was a "chill factor" among Christians and a perception they "couldn't or shouldn't share their faith in public life". He told Christian Today this came from court cases "being reported or presented in a sensationalist fashion". Mark Jones, chair of the Lawyers Christian Fellowship and co-author of the resource, said he hoped it would "remove the fear that people have of sharing their faith". He said this fear is "justified in one sense because there are scary headlines out there". But he added it "may not be justified in reality because beyond the headlines when you read the full judgments in cases that have ruled against Christians you will often find there is some aspect of their conduct that was not appropriate. Perhaps they abused a position of authority or there was inappropriate physical contact." He went on to say that, with some notable exceptions, most press releases from campaigning organisations bringing court cases "have an underlying motive" and "very rarely convey all the facts a lawyer would want to know". Christian Concern, a charity that fights religious freedom cases on behalf of Christians, said it welcomed the booklet and called it a "useful resource". Spokesman Tim Dieppe said that although there are extensive legal freedoms "the difficulty is that the law is often not applied correctly". He told Christian Today: "We have street preacher cases where they have been arrested first and asked questions later. It is only then we have managed to prove they haven't done wrong and then they are released. "So yes the law does protect Christians sharing the gospel but it does not protect you from overly zealous police officers nor from being accused of saying something you didn't." The resource said evangelism is "not a problem" for society but a sign of "health and freedom" that should be "celebrated, not denigrated". Landrum told Christian Today: "Evangelism is the bedrock for religious freedom which in turn is the bedrock for all kinds of other freedoms like the freedom of conscience and freedom of speech. "It's often presented as a problem and actually it is a sign of a really healthy society." He warned that if Christians didn't use their freedom to preach they may lose it. Pete Greig, founder of 24-7 Prayer International, said there was no "need to be ashamed of the gospel in the UK today". He said there was "a great deal of scaremongering and misinformation about our right as Christians in the UK to share our faith in Jesus". He added the booklet "helps bring clarity where there may be confusion. It's time to stand up to the bullies, not to shut up but rather to 'Speak Up' for Jesus without fear of legal reprisal." Refugee and migrant deaths up by one fifth says Oxfam Refugee and migrant deaths have increased by more than fifth since the tragic drowning of three-year-old Alan Kurdi in the Mediterranean, according to latest figures. At least 5700 people have died on refugee and migrant routes around the world in the last 12 months, despite the international outcry that followed the discovery of little Alan's body washed up on a beach after his Syrian family tried to cross to Europe from Turkey. In the year before he died, 4664 deaths were recorded, says the charity Oxfam which is running a refugee crisis appeal. This adds up to one refugee or migrant death almost every 80 minutes. Independent research by the Visual Social Media Lab at the University of Sheffield found that the death of Alan focused world interest on the issue, with four times as many tweets on the subject in the year since his death. The #refugeeswelcome hashtag began trending worldwide and has been used 2.35 million times in 12 months. The recent images of Omran Daqneesh, also aged three, pictured covered in blood and dust in an ambulance in Aleppo after being pulled from the rubble of his apartment block, have had a similar effect. Oxfam said this shows the strength of public feeling about the violence that is forcing many refugees to flee. Oxfam added: "Two major summits on the global refugee and migration crisis take place in New York later this month. The preliminary negotiations have been very disappointing, with many countries unwilling to do more to help, but the summits still offer the opportunity for governments to make firm commitments to improve the situation." Oxfam is calling on the UK government to commit to welcoming more refugees. Chief executive Mark Goldring said: "The images of Alan Kurdi's body washed up on a Turkish beach were heartbreaking and the public was rightly shocked and saddened by them. And yet in the year since, the situation has not improved for refugees and migrants who are risking everything in search of safety and a better life for their families. In fact, the routes they take have become deadlier still. "To stop these needless deaths, we need a coordinated, global response to this crisis. The UK government has an opportunity to show it is part of the solution at the summits in New York later this month." Francesco D'Orazio, of audience intelligence firm Pulsar, a founding member of the Visual Social Media Lab, said: "Our analysis shows a huge increase in awareness about the refugee crisis following Alan Kurdi's death. More people are discussing the issues on social media and searching for information and news on Google." Figures show that most deaths are by drowning in the Mediterranean but many have also died crossing the Sahara desert, drowning on boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea and while travelling on the top of trains in Mexico. According to the International Organisation for Migration's Missing Migrants Project, 4664 people died on refugee and migrant routes around the world between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015 and 5700 people died on refugee and migrant routes between 1 September 2015 and 26 August 2016. A march to highlight the refugee crisis will take place on 17 September. Rethinking Hell: What happens to non-Christians when they die? If you die without becoming a Christian you are condemned to an eternity of conscious torment. That's the traditional Christian view, expressed vividly by some of the great evangelists and pastor of previous ages including Jonathan Edwards and CH Spurgeon. But it's one that is being increasingly criticised by modern evangelicals who are uncomfortable with the ethics of this position and unconvinced by the scriptural arguments for it. How could a God of love possibly make a world in which the majority of his human creatures would burn in hell forever, simply because they happened to have been born in in a country that was Muslim, or Hindu, or atheist? And is the scriptural underpinning for this belief really as secure as evangelicals, in particular, tend to think? Critics of the doctrine point to support from evangelicals such as John Stott, who wrote: "We need to survey the biblical material afresh. I do plead for frank dialogue among evangelicals on the basis of Scripture. I also believe that the ultimate annihilation of the wicked should at least be accepted as a legitimate, biblically founded alternative to their eternal conscious torment." What started as a debate among scholars is becoming a movement with a website, RethinkingHell.com. It says there are other ways of conceiving what happens to people after they die, notably Conditional Immortality the view that those who die without Christ simply die, whereas those who die as Christians are assured of eternal life. Its third international Rethinking Hell Conference is to be held in London on October 7-8 at the Highgate International Church. Speakers include Roger Forster, author, theologian and founder of the Ichthus Fellowship, New Testament scholar Rev Dr David Instone-Brewer, and Rethinking Hell contributor Chris Date. It is entitled Conditional Immortality: Past, Present, Future. Instone-Brewer told Christian Today it was important to return to a careful study of the scriptures when thinking about contested issues. "It is always a good thing for evangelicals to examine the Bible for the basis of their faith," he said. "Unfortunately none of us are immune from being influenced by our culture, so we can be fooled into finding what we want to find in the Bible. Past generations have been just as prone to this, and this doctrine is a case in point. In the past people wanted to find eternal conscious punishment, and today they do not, so this is an issue that needs careful examination." His own paper, he said, would examine the scriptural basis for the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. He said the scriptural basis of "conscious" torment is "a misunderstanding of an ambiguous Latin word that translates an equally ambiguous Greek word" in the apocryphal book of Judith. He added that the scriptural basis of "eternal" with regard to human punishment is Matthew 25:46, where the word for "punishment" is used elsewhere in Jewish Greek literature to mean either torture or execution. "In one case it is used to describe suffering followed by death, which fits perfectly with its use in the Gospels where Jesus taught about both punishment in hell and destruction in hell," he said. Instone-Brewer added: "I was very impressed by the quality of papers at last year's conference at Fuller in Pasadena. Although I didn't agree with the conclusions of most of them, because they presented a wide variety of views, they were well reasoned and presented without any rancour against opponents. It was a model of how a confessional Christian conference should work. "The papers this year will be based mostly on the Bible rather than theological systems. It will be a unique opportunity for those who base their faith on the text to examine this doctrine with rigour." Tickets for Friday evening and Saturday cost 20. Admission to the Friday only session is free but must be booked. Scottish Catholic priest under fire for preaching in favour of independence A Catholic priest in Glasgow has been criticised by parishioners and had formal complaints lodged against him to the city's Archbishop for preaching in favour of Scottish independence. Canon Peter McBride, who took over at St Peter's and St Simon's Catholic churches in Partick in Glasgow's West End last year, has repeatedly issued homilies from the pulpit in favour of breaking up the UK, the Scotsman reported. Canon McBride reportedly announced that he had voted Yes in the September 2014 Scottish independence referendum immediately upon arrival at his new parish, before putting up a biography of himself in the church declaring himself to be a "yes man". Now, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia has been contacted by angry members of the parish. The Scotsman quoted one parishioner as saying: "The second week he was there he put a biography at the back of the church bulletin saying, 'I am a Yes man, I will always be a Yes man' in relation to independence. The pulpit is not the place to talk about politics and make these statements." A month before the referendum, Canon McBride said on the Christians for Independence Facebook page: "Westminster has proven it is irreformable. With government from Edinburgh, social reform and a more equitable distribution of resources and wealth is a distinct possibility. Vote with HOPE, not in FEAR." Facebook user Brian Fitzpatrick wrote: "Whatever, his personal views it is wholly inappropriate for this to be posted by or on behalf of Canon McBride while garbed in priestly vestments. Catholics will be voting YES or NO and, hopefully, doing so in good conscience. Canon McBride might better have decided to adopt a measure of discretion - Scotland's laity, beyond a call to the duty to vote, need no prompts one way or the other from clerics. Whatever his views, he should NOT be promoting them when wearing a chasuble." However, some users were supportive of the priest. Peter Laird said: "I'm a Baptist. God Bless a Free Scotland. Jason Kelly wrote: "Father McBride God bless. The greatest Christian act Scotland can make on the 18th is voting yes to rid our beautiful country of the Devil's nuclear submarines. Catholics for freedom." One parishioner, who has now moved to another church, said: "He's a one-man band, he wants to make the decisions. People have left the parish and gone elsewhere because of him." Officially, the Catholic Church in Scotland remained neutral during the referendum. But there were widespread reports of Catholics, who had traditionally been Labour voters, flocking to the independence cause. Although Scotland rejected independence overall with a 55.3 per cent for staying in the Union, Glasgow voted 53.49 per cent in favour of leaving the UK. US missionary's work ended by Russia's anti-evangelism law The American missionary who fell foul of Russia's draconian anti-evangelism law is bringing his ministry there to a close. Donald and Ruth Ossewaarde work in the central Russian town of Oryol and Donald was one of the first to be fined under the new law, which severely restricts evangelistic activity. He is appealing against his conviction, which saw him fined 40,000 roubles (around $700). Ruth has already returned to the US and now Ossewaarde has told Baptist Press that he now intends to leave the country as well. "I really think that the political situation in Russia has reached a point where they are going to, one way or the other, they're going to get rid of me," he said. "So I really decided to end my operations here. It's sad because there are people here that really enjoy what we do. It's a big part of their life." Ossewaarde is an independent missionary who had to raise his own support for his work. He has been conducting street evangelism and holding Bible studies and prayer meetings in his home. He told Baptist Press: "I'm very sad. This is a dream that I've been living for 22 years since the first time I visited in 1994." He added: "This has been my life, what I've lived for. I guess we expected from the beginning that this wasn't going to last. I guess we were surprised that it lasted as long as it did. But now it just seems like the window and the door of opportunity is finally closing." As well as Ossewaarde, in Moscow, Ghanaian citizen Ebenezer Tuah, who heads the Christ Embassy church, was arrested and fined 50,000 rubles after police raided a sanatorium where he was performing baptisms. And Sergei Zhuravlyov of the Ukranian Reformed Orthodox Church of Christ was arrested while preaching in St Petersburg and accused of "violating a provision of Russian anti-terrorist legislation that bans illegal missionary activity". Virgin Mary statue 'weeps' in Honduras: Priest says it's not fake; worshippers baffled There have been previous reports of statues or images of the Virgin Mary shedding tears, but the latest one in Honduras is different. Here, a priest, identified as Fr. Juan Angel Lopez, affirmed that he was "certain" the weeping statue of the earthly mother of Jesus Christ in the Honduran town of Danli "has not been faked," the Mirror reports. However, Fr. Lopez said he, too, just like the others, had no idea what was causing the unusual occurrence. Baffled worshippers first noticed the tears on the eyes and cheeks of the Virgin Mary statue at the Catholic University of Honduras at the weekend. A video footage shows tears welling up in the statue's eyes before they fall down on the statue's cheeks. Fr. Lopez, the pastor of the Iglesia Santo Domingo Savio church in nearby Tegucigalpa, is seen talking to the camera before wiping away the tears with a tissue paper. "I'm not saying it's true; I'm saying it's possible," he told the Honduran news website La Prensa. "In this case, I suspect that there is no falsehood because I know people who run the Campus Santiago Apostle. I know the seriousness of people who have recorded the video and do not think they would fake it," he said. The Christian Post has reported at least three other similar phenomena in the recent past. Last May, a woman in Fresno, California, reportedly revealed that a statue of Mary in her home had been "crying" since her cousin was murdered 18 months ago. In January this year, a Catholic family in British Colombia, Canada also reported an alleged miracle when their Virgin Mary statue also started crying. The news report attracted 300 worshipers to the apartment to pray. In October 2015, a church in Malaysia said its Virgin Mary statue was not only crying but also growing taller and smiling. A video of the statue at The Church of St. Thomas More in Subang Jaya showed churchgoers reacting to what they saw. "Her eyes were moving very slowly, all of us were there and we saw it," one witness said. "When we started singing 'Ave Maria,' she started smiling and her lips were moving," the witness added. DALLAS _ Much of corporate America may cringe over some of Donald Trump's policy positions, in particular his stance on trade. But the billionaire's rhetoric bears a striking resemblance to arguments that have been made by a critical segment of the American business community _ U.S. airlines and their unions. The three largest American carriers contend that three rivals in the Middle East, subsidized by the governments of United Arab Emirates and Qatar, don't compete fairly on international routes. Emirates, Qatar Airways Ltd. and Etihad Airways PJSC threaten the U.S. airline industry and some 300,000 jobs, according to the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, a lobby group funded by American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., and United Continental Holdings Inc. Seven unions that represent pilots and flight attendants are also on board. The Big Three U.S. airlines say that the Middle East trio have received more than $50 billion in subsides "and other unfair benefits" from their governments, violating the Open Skies agreements the U.S. has signed with Qatar and the UAE. Trump has made trade a central issue in his campaign, and a former Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, shared similar views on some trade deals, a position credited with prompting Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton to drop her support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. Regardless of who wins in November, the clamor over trade _ and the TPP in particular _ means the issue is likely to be front and center come 2017. But the warnings from the big airlines about foreign encroachment and unfair advantage clearly sound like the views of one candidate in particular. Asked about the airline industry effort in Washington, Delta Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said the Big Three are hopeful their fight will resonate under a new president. "In a future administration, candidly, this argument sells even stronger," Bastian said in a May interview at his Atlanta office. "With the rhetoric that's going on about trade and the U.S. having been taken advantage of, I think there is a much bigger ear there than ever before. And we're not going to stop." "It's clear that both campaigns, both Sanders' campaign and the Trump campaign, has sparked a dialogue, a national dialogue that wasn't happening a couple years ago," he said. Trump has regularly criticized U.S. trade policy under President Barack Obama, portraying current deals as enormously advantageous to trading partners such as China and Mexico _ at American expense. "I like fair and smart trade because every trade deal we make stinks," Trump has said. He vowed to scrap the TPP, which includes the U.S. and 11 Pacific Rim nations, and force a renegotiation with Canada and Mexico of the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement, "to get a better deal by a lot _ not just a little, by a lot" for U.S. workers. Absent a renegotiation, Trump pledged to withdraw the U.S. from that pact. And for the U.S. airlines, it's not just about the Middle East. As a candidate, Sanders also waded into another specific industry issue. It involved a dispute between Norwegian Air and U.S. carriers. The suburban Oslo-based low-cost airline wants to use subsidiaries based in the UK and Ireland to expand its trans-Atlantic service. American airlines and their unions have opposed the Norwegian carrier's applications with U.S. regulators, which have languished since late 2013. Sanders listed the Norwegian Air dispute as a specific issue on the platforms section of his web site, entitled "Preventing a Global Race to the Bottom in the Airline Industry." The rhetoric from both major candidates suggests that Trump is more of a "true believer" on trade deals, and might seek to reverse globalization across a range of industries, but Clinton may help U.S. carriers "at the margins," said Seth Kaplan, a managing partner at trade journal Airline Weekly and co-author of Glory Lost and Found, a recent book that details Delta's dramatic turnaround. "It's fair to think that their grievances might get more of an airing under the next administration," Kaplan said. Not all U.S. airlines oppose the Middle East trio's expansion. That fight has split the U.S. industry, with carriers including FedEx Corp., JetBlue Airways Corp., and Alaska Air Group Inc. pitted against the three large passenger carriers. Delta said Wednesday it had contested a General Services Administration award to JetBlue of a government contract for flights between New York and Milan, a route JetBlue sells under a codeshare with Emirates. Delta contends travel awards to Emirates violate the Fly America Act, which requires U.S. government-funded travel to be on a U.S. airline. The actual awards are to JetBlue, though it doesn't fly its own aircraft to Europe or the Middle East. "The GSA awards contracts that deliver the best value to the U.S. taxpayer and JetBlue is honored to have this traffic with our codeshare partner," the airline said in a statement. In January, United ended its service from Washington to Dubai following a similar GSA award it lost to JetBlue-Emirates. This summer, U.S. State Department officials met with representatives of the UAE and Qatar in Washington, and further meetings are scheduled this fall, said Jill Zuckman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. airline group. "Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump say they care about American jobs and are concerned about foreign government subsidies undermining U.S. businesses," Zuckman said. "We have thousands of good-paying, middle class American aviation jobs at risk due to more than $50 billion in subsidies propping up the government-owned Middle East carriers." Popbar, a New York-based gelato-pop chain, is coming to Houston. Three city residents have signed a 10-unit franchising agreement with the company. Store locations will be announced later, but the first is set to open early next year, according to a news release. Popbar, which opened in New York City in 2010, sells small-batch, handcrafted gelato, sorbet and frozen yogurt on a stick. It has expanded to include nine locations in the U.S. and 14 abroad. RELATED: Parisian couple brings Amorino Gelato to River Oaks District "We absolutely knew we needed Popbar in our hometown, and figured why not be the ones to bring it?" Vanitha Pothuri, one of the new franchise owners, said in the release. Earlier this month, Amorino, a Paris-based franchise offering traditional gelato, opened a shop on Westheimer Road in the River Oaks district. Velvet Taco, a Dallas-based chain with a location in Houston, has received a "substantial" investment from a large private equity firm. The investment came from L Catterton Partners, a Connecticut-based firm that has invested in well-known brands including CorePower Yoga and Noodles & Co., according to a news release. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Velvet Taco, founded in Dallas in 2011, is a so-called "fast-casual" restaurant that offers a diverse menu of tacos and sides. The fried paneer and falafel tacos are among its most unusual. "We see a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on Velvet Taco's innovative, food-forward approach to fast-casual dining and expand its presence in new and existing markets," Jon Owsley, managing partner of L Catterton's Growth Fund, said in the release. Velvet Taco's locations include Houston, Dallas, Forth Worth, Chicago and, this year, Austin. A Houston man is charged with murder in the shooting death last month of his older brother, Houston police said Thursday. On Aug. 5, Jeffery Michael Stegall, 35, fatally shot his brother, James M. Stegall, 37, at a home in 8600 block of Valley Meadow. Pedestrians got a rude awakening this week when they crossed the sidewalk at the intersection of San Jacinto and Holman in Midtown. Vandals struck the crosswalk signs, hitting it with black spray paint and making the sign look like it's giving pedestrians the finger. When New York Fashion Week kicks off Thursday, Houstonian Katie Moore likely will rule the runway. Moore, 19, became the most talked-about model when she opened the Alexander Wang Fall/Winter 2016 collection show for NYFW in February. She had sheared her long blonde hair, and strutted down the runway with a blunt red-orange bob - at the designer's request. Wang called her his muse for the collection. One hundred years after their creation, it's hard to find people who don't love our national parks. They make up the very best of America's -- and Washington's -- natural landscape. But some people truly cannot handle the experience. They don't know that it takes time to reach many of them. They don't look up the weather forecast or the park conditions. They resent the many other people who had the exact same idea they did to visit the park. Or they think an active volcano or temperate rainforest is just so #basic. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced Friday that he is sending a conservator to the Houston school district to oversee Kashmere High School, after it has failed to meet the state's academic standards for seven straight years. The rare move represents an attempt to accelerate progress at the north Houston campus, which holds the dishonorable distinction of being the longest-running, low-performing public school in Texas, despite numerous reform efforts by the Houston Independent School District. The district repeatedly has brought in new principals and teachers to Kashmere and spent extra money for tutors and a longer school day. Yet student enrollment has lagged, turnover has been high and progress has been limited. The conservator, Doris Delaney, is a Kashmere High graduate and longtime educator who previously worked in the Aldine school district with Kashmere's current principal, Nancy Blackwell, a seasoned administrator now in her second year at the campus. REPORT: The 25 best high schools in Texas for 2016 In a letter to HISD on Friday, Morath said that Delaney is charged with overseeing instructional delivery at Kashmere during the current school year. He also directed her to evaluate the school's needs as well as the district's allocation of resources to the campus. The district must pay the conservator's $85 hourly fee, plus any travel expenses. Morath said that appointing the conservator "is necessary to address the long history of poor academic performance, the ongoing failures of Houston ISD to address the previously identified academic failures ... and the substantial and imminent harm presented by the academic failures to the welfare of the students and the public interest." Newly hired HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza, on the job less than a month, did not push back against the education commissioner's decision. TEXAS SCHOOLS: The best school district in Texas is also ridiculously wealthy "The students of Kashmere High School deserve a high-quality education," Carranza said in a statement. "We look forward to partnering with the Texas Education Agency and doing whatever it takes to make Kashmere the great school the community deserves." Last school year, test scores at the high school remained low overall, with only 47 percent of students passing state exams, according to Texas Education Agency data. Still, Kashmere barely missed the state's accountability standards in 2016, based on the preliminary rating issued by the state education agency in August. The school fell short by a single point in the category that looks at the test scores of low-income students and others that performed poorly the prior year. In two other categories, Kashmere met the standard by a single point. LOOK BACK: US News & World Report ranks best high schools for 2015 With about 585 students, Kashmere was the district's smallest comprehensive high school last year. About 72 percent of its students were black, 27 percent were Hispanic, and most were from low-income families. About one-fifth of the students qualified for special-education services. Houston school board member Rhonda Skillern-Jones, whose district includes Kashmere, said she supported the state's decision and is optimistic the school is on the right track. She praised the new principal for bringing a positive culture to the campus and applauded recent parternships with local groups to address students' social and emotional needs. "Overcoming the effects of poverty is always going be a difficult battle, but I think putting in the appropriate resources and targeting exactly where the problems are is key," Skillern-Jones said. "I don't think the district is blameless in having created some of this problem, so it's our responsibly to help fix it." Kashmere has long struggled, earning the state's low-performing rating every year since 2002, except for 2007 and 2008 when it improved under the threat of closure. The school has had four different principals and one interim in eight years. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office destroyed more than 20,000 pieces of evidence, forcing the District Attorney's office to dismiss nearly 150 pending criminal cases and potentially endangering more than 1,000 others, District Attorney Devon Anderson said Friday. "It will make me sick if we have to dismiss a violent case because of this. It will make me ill if we have to do that," a frustrated Anderson said in a midday news conference. "That's why we are asking the prosecutors to try to resurrect these cases as best they can." The revelations brought new light to a Precinct 4 evidence room scandal which developed after deputy constables destroyed the evidence from pending cases while trying to clean out the property room. In August, the DA's office said that it had dismissed at least 90 cases related to the evidence purge and was joining defense attorneys in seeking a new trial for a defendant who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in several Precinct 4 drug cases. "This is just a critical part of law enforcement, maintaining the evidence," Anderson said, explaining that she asked Constable Mark Herman to hire an independent auditor to examine his evidence room to try to ascertain the total number of affected cases after the department kept supplying the DA's office with different lists over of cases with destroyed evidence. The DA's Public Integrity Division has also been investigating to issue since February, she said, adding that criminal charges could be filed after its conclusion. Identifying the scope of the problem has been hampered because Precinct 4 has not been able to supply a complete list of pending cases in which the associated evidence had been destroyed, she said. "Over and over again, the Public Integrity Division asked Precinct Four for a complete list, but it was clear the lists were conflicting and incomplete," an exasperated Anderson said, calling Precinct 4's numbers "ever-changing." Anderson said her prosecutors had not been aware of problems with their cases until several weeks ago. Herman said the evidence was destroyed in January as the constable's office tried to clean out its evidence room. In interviews, he said he first learned about the mass destruction of evidence in late March or early April, launched an internal affairs investigation, and fired the officer responsible. Herman said his staff also contacted District Attorney Devon Anderson's office about the problems. Burt Springer, attorney for the fired deputy constable - identified as Corp. Christopher T. Hess - told the Chronicle his client was being railroaded. "He was told to clean out the evidence room, because there was massive amounts of what I would call old and useless evidence there," Springer said, explaining that several other deputies had been involved and that Hess had been following orders from a superior who has since retired. "It needed to be cleaned out." "There was someone who had to pay the price on this mistake and my client was chosen," he said. Hess, 54, has spent his entire career at the constable's office, state records show. A local high school physics teacher is in federal custody on charges he had lurid conversations with a Chicago teenager via text and social media before traveling to Illinois to have sex with the boy, authorities said Friday. It's unclear where the man teaches. U.S. Attorney Ken Magidson only said in a news release that Drew Dillon Watson, 30, teaches at a local public charter school with about 1,000 students that goes from sixth to 12th grade. He is charged with coercion and enticement across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and with travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Watson, of Houston, was taken into custody Thursday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office is under criminal investigation after a former deputy there destroyed evidence affecting hundreds of criminal case files while cleaning out the department's over-filled property room, county officials confirmed. Harris County First Assistant Attorney Robert Soard said the department's loss of evidence is the subject of a criminal probe in an interview Thursday but would not say whether local, state or federal agencies are involved. Constable Mark Herman said he first learned about the mass destruction of evidence in late March or early April. He said his internal affairs division conducted an investigation into a deputy constable's actions and fired one officer. Herman said he immediately contacted District Attorney Devon Anderson's office about the problems. "I fired my guy as soon as we finished our internal affairs investigation for some gross policy violations," he said. "Was there a gross violation of the law? I'm going to let Devon or whoever is doing the investigation figure that out." RELATED: Harris County DA dismisses 90 drug cases Herman would not say whom he contacted in the Harris County district attorney's office five months ago or which of his officers was fired. Herman said his office is cooperating in the ongoing criminal probe. Members of the Houston Criminal Lawyers Association have questioned why it has taken the DA's office four months to begin alerting criminal defendants that evidence in their cases had been lost or destroyed. Though most of the cases involve drug cases, other types of cases also were affected. Anderson and her subordinates announced via email on Aug. 25 that they would be dismissing more than 90 felony and misdemeanor cases. They also will be reviewing all Precinct 4 cases filed before April 15 and examining all previously disposed cases dating back to 2007. Jeff McShan, a spokesman for the DA's office, said more than 90 cases are likely to be dismissed; the office planned to provide further updates Friday. The Harris County Sheriff's Office has been dismissed from a lawsuit brought by a rape victim who was jailed by prosecutors after she suffered a psychological breakdown on the witness stand, according to court documents. In an amended lawsuit filed on Thursday, all claims against Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman and his office were dismissed. "What has become clear since we filed the initial complaint is that we can address the same legal issues through our lawsuit against Harris County," said Sean Buckley, lead attorney on the civil case. "We now believe that it would be duplicitous to sue both Hickman and Harris County." The lawsuit, first filed in July, accused members of the Harris County District Attorney's Office and the sheriff's office as well as the county itself of violating the woman's constitutional rights, and "re-victimizing" her. RELATED: Group calls for independent investigation into rape victim's case The 25-year-old woman, identified in court documents as "Jane Doe," agreed to testify in the December trial against her assailant, Keith Edward Hendricks. However, the victim, who has long-suffered from mental illnesses, had a psychological breakdown while testifying about her 2013 attack, according to the lawsuit. She was subsequently taken to a hospital for mental health treatment and then jailed for 27 days following her release at the request of prosecutors who wanted to secure her testimony for the January trial. During her confinement in jail, the rape victim, who was housed in the facility's general population, was attacked by another inmate, had an altercation with a jailer and was not regularly given her medications, according to her lawsuit. On Jan. 11, the woman returned to court and testified against Hendricks. He was convicted and received two life sentences. While the facts of the lawsuit remain the same, Buckley said it has been amended to also include violations of his client's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities. DA'S RESPONSE: Anderson says office didn't break laws "We believe that Harris County and the other defendants in this lawsuit actually treated Jane Doe worse, not better, because she has a mental health disability," Buckley said. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson has previously defended her prosecutors' actions in the case, stating that while the DA's office does not jail victims, this was "an extraordinary set of circumstances." In a video statement released in July, Anderson said Hendricks, 55, could have gone free had the woman not taken the stand in the trial and the woman's life again would have been at risk. Since the filing of the lawsuit, organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness have written letters to the DA's office asking for an independent investigation into the incident. Anderson's office said they met with the group and is working with them to help prevent similar incidents. Last month, Buckley has also wrote a letter to the DA's Office, stating that he believes prosecutors illegally obtained a court order, called an attachment order, to confine his client. He requested that Anderson appoint a "special prosecutor" to investigate the matter. Attachment orders, sometimes referred to as "body attachments," or "witness attachments," are court directives that allow authorities to take a witness into custody and bring them to court to testify, if they have not responded to a subpoena. They can be used by prosecutors or defense lawyers and are generally employed to secure the testimony of an uncooperative witnesses. Anderson stated during a press conference that her office did not break any laws. She stated there was no reason to believe that either the prosecutor or judge in the case believed what they were doing was unauthorized by the law. State Sen. Joan Huffman joined with Anderson and Hickman last month to push for legislation that would require that witnesses in criminal cases being would be appointed attorneys if they were being detained prior to court testimony. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two brothers accused of selling synthetic marijuana and other illegal drugs out of their chain of Houston area smoke shops can keep the stores open, and even operate 24 hours a day, a judge ruled Thursday. State and county attorneys argued during a day-long hearing in a Harris County civil court that the stores were a nuisance and should be restricted with a temporary injunction. After listening to hours of testimony from a Houston police officer and an investigator with the Texas Attorney General's Office about how the alleged criminal empire operated, state District Judge Robert Schaffer put several limits on the three businesses that operate as smoke shops and adult bookstores. Those restrictions include the prohibition of selling so-called synthetic marijuana and other drugs and the posting of signs that the drugs, sometimes called Spice or K-2, are not sold. Each shop must also hire two uniformed police officers to watch the business during the hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Minh A. Dang, 42, and Tuan A. Dang, 46, who are both free on $500,000 bail attended the hearing and did not comment on the ruling. Both are charged in felony court with engaging in organized criminal activity. RELATED: Kush crackdown leads to arrest of two store owners Troy McKinney, lawyer for the brothers said they will reopen their shuttered storefronts and continue selling lawful wares, like videos and adult novelties, while they fight their criminal case in the courts. "I think the ruling's fair," he said. "It allows them to re-open and continue with their lawful business." McKinney and other lawyers for the brothers have argued that the law criminalizing the synthetic drugs is so broad that merchants like the Dangs have no idea whether the packets are legal. Celena Vinson, a lawyer for the Harris County Attorney's Office, had argued that the stores be closed at night, but agreed the final ruling was fair. "We're pleased," she said. "The judge ordered that they cannot conduct the same activity and have the same business model, which was selling drugs." Earlier this month, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson, County Attorney Vince Ryan announced the arrest of the brothers along with some clerks, and the seizure of 30 pounds of illegal narcotics. During that press conference, officials said the smoke shops reportedly supplied some of the drugs responsible for the June overdoses in an area of Hermann Park known as Kush Corner. A recent Chronicle investigation found growing use of the synthetic drug - and at least five deaths - in the Houston area, typically in local parks requiring daily help from first responders. The drugs, sometimes called synthetic marijuana, are a mixture of leaves doused with chemicals that users smoke. Small foil packets sell for $25 to $50. Until the passage of recent state legislation, possession and sale of the drug had been difficult to prosecute. Whether that law is too broad is likely to be part of the defense strategy, McKinney said. During the hearing, Tuan Dang, who goes by "Josh" was called to stand to testify about the business, but declined to answer questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment right to refuse to incriminate himself. On advice from his attorney, Dang said only that he was relying on his rights under the U.S. Constitution to decline to answer. As attorneys with the state asked a litany of questions, the attorneys agreed that he could shorten his answer to "I plead the Fifth." Attorneys on both sides stipulated that his brother would give the same answers to the same questions, so he was not called to the witness stand. One man died and another was injured in a traffic crash Friday morning on the Westpark Tollway in southwest Houston, according to the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office. The wreck happened about 6 a.m. on the westbound Westpark Tollway near Beltway 8, Assistant Chief Terry Allbritton said. Houston police are searching for a suspect accused of killing a man in late March. Mario Lyndell Criss, 33, is charged with aggravated robbery-serious bodily injury for his alleged role in the death of Warren Bryan Hart, 43. According to detectives with the HPD Homicide Division, patrol officers were flagged down around 2:50 a.m. on March 30 after Hart was found lying in the street in the 2200 block of Fannin. Houston Fire Department paramedics transported Hart to Ben Taub General Hospital. He suffered severe head injuries and later died. Investigators identified Criss as a suspect. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to call the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. SHERMAN -- Calling the federal securities law "murky" and the civil case against Attorney General Ken Paxton like trying "fit a square peg in a round hole," a federal judge appeared torn Friday about whether to dismiss the charges. Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, said he normally rejects motions to dismiss, but a lack of case law regarding Paxton's responsibility to disclose that he would make a commission from convincing friends and business associates to invest in a north Texas tech company troubles the court, he said. "It's not fair to force someone to summary judgement or trial because the law is murky," Mazzant said in the midst of two hours of oral argument over whether to dismiss the civil suit against Paxton. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which leveled the complaint against the attorney general, argues Paxton had a duty to disclose to investors he would make a commission by convincing them to invest in Servergy Inc. Paxton's attorneys contend he had no obligation to volunteer he was making a commission and contend his silence does not constitute securities fraud. The comments from the judge hint at the complexity of the case against Paxton, who is charged with misleading investors and failing to register with the state. He is refusing to negotiate a settlement, although two other parties in the complaint already have settled and a final third party is open to settling. Paxton is facing identical criminal charges in state district court. He was indicted last year on two counts of felony securities fraud and one count of failing to register with the state, a third degree felony. Those charges are on appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. "I appreciate the opportunity today to begin to present my side of the case," Paxton told reporters outside the courthouse. "I certainly appreciate the judge taking the time that he took. Obviously, he was well prepared and I appreciate his efforts to examine the case." The judge said he expects to rule in the next 30 days. -- Its post-Phoenix Trump till November: Today must feel like the worst hangover for Latino Republicans who had tried in the last few weeks to warm up to their partys nominee, Donald Trump. When he became the nominee, I thought it was important to give him a second chance, because of who the alternative is, Aguilar told CNN this morning. I thought we could work with him and the campaign to move him to the center. And then we heard yesterday I was totally disappointed. Not surprised, but disappointed and slightly misled, by Houston Chronicles Bobby Cervantes. -- From the Chronicles Lomi Kriel and Kevin Diaz: The Trump campaign pushed back against the defections, releasing a statement by Kentucky State Sen. Ralph Alvarado, another member of the advisory council. Alvarado called the speech "his most substantial speech to date on how to best handle the illegal immigration crisis impacting our country. -- Audit: some state execs not making enough, by the Chronicles Mike Ward. Even though the salaries of most of Texas' top state-agency executives have increased by more than 13 percent in the past three years, some still should have their six-figure salaries increased, a new state audit released Thursday concludes. The report by the State Auditor's Office of 73 executive officers' salaries and salary ranges at state agencies "determined that the market competitiveness of salaries for those executive officers had improved since fiscal year 2014. -- ICYMI: My culture is a very dominant culture, Marco Gutierrez, Founder of Latinos for Trump, warned. And its imposing, and its causing problems. If you dont do something about it, youre gonna have taco trucks every corner. >> Republicans in Hispanic House districts fear Trump blowback, APs Will Weissert -- ALERT: Hermine hits Florida coast as 1st hurricane in a decade, per the APs Josh Replogle and Brendan Farrington. Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain, high winds and thousands of power outages. Injuries were reported in Tallahassee as trees fell onto homes. The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Hermine later weakened to a tropical storm as it moved farther inland. Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain carried the danger of flooding along the storm's path over land, including the state capital Tallahassee, which hadn't been hit by a hurricane since Kate in 1985. As of 8 a.m. EDT Friday, Hermine was weakening as it moved into southern Georgia, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the Hurricane Center said. It was centered about 35 miles northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, and was moving north-northeast near 14 mph. -- TxDOT windfall remains unclear, by the Austin American-Statesmans Ben Wear. The Texas Department of Transportation has more road money than it knows what to do with, at least at this point. The Texas Transportation Commission, TxDOTs governing board, recently approved a $70.2 billion spending plan for the next decade, about twice as large as the similar 10-year plan it passed in August 2015. And that 1,200-page plan included a very long list of specific projects expected to be done with that money, including 58 pages for the 11-county Austin district. >> Tomlinson: income inequality is slowing the global economy, Houston Chronicle CAPITOL DAYBOOK No meetings SPEED READ Discipline, charges rare in police shootings, The Texas Tribune Inspired by SWSW, White House to host South By South Lawn event, Austin American-Statesman Racing Commission turns to lawmakers to fund budget shortfall, Quorum Report ($) Cuba reports remarkable success in containing Zika virus, AP Ex-Subway pitchman in suit: Victim's parents to blame, AP Judge sued part of Harris County federal court bail challenge, Houston Chronicle Dallas pastor helped McCain, but Trump was not going to listen, Star-Telegram Dallas chief who oversaw response to sniper attack to retire, Austin American-Statesman Hospitals like Parkland could save 10 percent of unpaid care if Texas expands Medicaid, study finds, Dallas News Baker Hughes cuts employee pay 5 percent through furloughs, Houston Chronicle Uresti corrects financial report, San Antonio Express-News Katrina Pierson's rough start in North Texas prepared her for tough job, Dallas News After sex toy protest, Frisco man films video depicting fake shooting death of UT student, Dallas Morning News RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE -- WASHINGTON (AP) The State Department agreed Thursday to turn over all the detailed planning schedules from Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state to The Associated Press by mid-October. It was an abrupt reversal from U.S. government lawyers' warning last week that hundreds of pages would not be released until after the presidential election. -- Black vote concentrated, but key in Trump-Clinton matchup, by the APs Bill Barrow. Six battleground states Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia have black population shares ranging from about 12 percent to about 22 percent. Obama won each of those states twice, with the exception of North Carolina, which he split. Georgia, a GOP-leaning state that could be competitive, is more than 30 percent African-American. Ohio is a wild card: Obama drove up African-Americans' share of the electorate there from 11 percent in 2008 to 15 percent in 2012, with the increase accounting for more than his eventual margin of victory over Romney. -- Steve Bannons tough love, by Politicos Hadas Gold. In interviews, a dozen former Bannon employees and associates agreed with those scathing assessments of the man Trump has turned to oversee his campaign, painting a picture of a boss who repeatedly used inappropriate language in front of his employees and in many cases directed expletive-laced tirades at them. At Breitbart, the former employees said, he would regularly order subordinates to write stories that supported his allies and tore down adversaries, such as conservative radio host Glenn Beck, and admonished them when their posts didnt toe his line. But though Bannon would berate his employees using language more suited to his past in the Navy, former and current staffers also described examples of his immense generosity, often in the form of monetary help for staffers in need. The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. New York is taking aggressive action to restore the peoples faith in government and increase accountability and transparency in the electoral process, Governor Andrew Cuomo said last month as he signed the latest in a long line of anemic ethics bills produced by Albany. The New York State legislature is one of the least accountable, most opaque lawmaking bodies in America. It could be the most corrupt, too, but thats a distinction without a major difference, given that the former Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate majority leader Dean Skelos are both on their way to federal prison after being convicted last year on an astonishing variety of official-misconduct charges. Meanwhile, the Cuomo administration itself remains the subject of wide-ranging investigations by U.S. attorney Preet Bhararawho won the 2015 convictions against Silver and Skelos, and who also has New York City mayor Bill de Blasio under intense scrutiny. All in all, it fairly can be said that the business of New York is monkey business. If Cuomo was even half as artful in reforming Albanys rules as he is in skirting them, Albany wouldve been cleaned up long ago. The 58-year-old governor has been navigating the capital citys legal shoals since he came to town with his father, former governor Mario Cuomo, at the age of 25. That is, Andrew not only knows where the bodies are buried, hes planted a few (metaphorically speaking, of course.) Cuomo, who once said [t]he power of money in the Capitol is unbelievable shortly before stepping into a fundraiser, is one of Albanys most accomplished money magnets: theres more than $19 million in his campaign accountsand the dough is rolling in at the rate of $660,000 a month, more than two years before the next gubernatorial election. (Several big-ticket donors to Cuomos earlier campaigns are now the subject of Bhararas attentions, and appear to be sitting this cycle out, which could tamp down the total take. Time will tell.) Quite apart from traditional fundraising, the governor also is a masterful mixer of policy, politics, self-promotion, and large sums of special-interest casha fact brilliantly illustrated in a filing posted this month on an oversight website by Service Employees International Union Local 1199. (With 150,000 members, the labor behemoth has long been the most politically potent union in New York.) The filing, with the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, reveals that Cuomos ultra-high-profile vehicle for promoting the recent increase in New Yorks minimum wagethe Mario Cuomo Campaign for Economic Justicewas almost totally funded by Local 1199 or other SEIU affiliates. They kicked in more than 90 percent of the $1.7 million spent to push for a $15 minimum wage. The effort was successful in passing what is arguably the largest tax-increase-by-another-name in New York history, and in handing Cuomo a formidable campaign plank should he seek a third term in 2018. None of this appears to be illegal; even so, it certainly underscores the power of money in the Capitol and does nothing to restore the peoples faith in government. It also dramatically shows Cuomos talent for talking reform while practicing politics. Indeed, so hand-in-glove was the relationship between Local 1199 and the governor that the union-funded campaign is featured on Cuomos official state website to this day. Bharara has zeroed in on Local 1199s relationship with the de Blasio administration, subpoenaing records relating to the unions contributions to the mayors now-defunct Campaign for One New York, a political-action entity that structurally had a lot in common with Cuomos minimum-wage vehicle. Whether the prosecutor is preparing to move on the governor is anybodys guess. But who can deny thatpolitically speakingAndrew Cuomo has been keeping some gamy company of late? Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images One of the most revealing contradictions of left-wing ideology is the determination of liberals to bring as many Third World immigrants of color as possible into the U.S., where, if those same liberals are to be believed, they will face bigotry of appalling proportions. The ACLU, for example, claims that every institution of American government and private enterprise is pervaded by systemic bias against blacks and Hispanics. Cops lethally profile them; prosecutors and judges pack them off to prison because of the color of their skin; and universities, employers, and banks try to exclude them. (Such, also, is the position of the Obama administration.) Yet that same ACLU sues to knock down any legislated impediment to bringing as many aliens of color as possible into the country and sues to prevent any aliens already here illegally from being deported. (Such efforts also dovetail with the Obama administrations own policies.) But why this open-borders push? Had those hapless immigrants stayed in their countries of origin, they would not have had to face the discrimination and oppression that, according to the liberal intelligentsia, characterize the U.S. and other Western nations. This year alone has seen several Herculean efforts to impose the West as the mother lode of all discrimination template on outbreaks of violent hatred by Muslims. European feminists rushed to dismiss the New Years Eve sexual assaults by Muslim men as simply an outgrowth of Western patriarchy. The Islamic terror attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was somehow the product of American homophobia, exacerbated by opposition to transgender bathroom use. An Interpreter column in the New York Times twisted itself into knots trying to claim that Donald Trumps criticism of honor killings was an attempt to shore up white-male dominance and to demonize the non-white-male Otherjust like lynchings in the Jim Crow South. But every so often a story slips through the liberal-media filter and escapes being slotted into the bigoted Westerners v. harmonious Rainbow Coalition countries narrative. Such was a recent story in the Los Angeles Times about two sisters from Tanzania with the Albino skin condition. Tanzanians view Albinos with fear, loathing, and cupidity. Because Albinos body parts are believed to carry magical powers, their limbs are highly marketableonce obtained, of course, through mutilation or murder. Attending school for the two sisters, Bibiana and Tindi Mashamba, was a nightmare; not only did other children throw rocks and spit on them and teachers beat them, but the threat of murder was ever-present. So, like many Third World girls, they simply stayed home. But even such a retreat from the public realm couldnt protect them. The day after their fathers funeral (he died of AIDS), Bibianas leg and two fingers were hacked off in the hope of a lucrative sale. Good Samaritans brought the girls to the Orthopedic Institute for Children in Los Angeles so as to provide Bibiana with a new prosthetic leg. And then students from USCs law school started an asylum appeal for them. Did those law students seek to get them asylum in Nigeria, say, or Haiti, so that they wouldnt be oppressed by white privilege? No, oddly, they targeted their asylum petition at the U.S. government, the place where victims of the brutality, superstition, and hatred that characterize so many Third World countries flee to (along with equally reviled Western Europe). The petition was successful, and now Bibiana and Tindi are students in Ojai, California, where they are eager to catch up on their lost schooling and go on to college. There are no reports as of yet of the girls being stoned in Ojai. The girls adopted mother in Tanzania, a member of parliament who is also Albino, supported their asylum petition because Tanzania was not a safe space, she said. The MP herself does not risk going outside alone. One can only hope that when Bibiana and Tindi encounter American college students who complain about needing safe spaces on American campuses, the girls will enlighten them about what a real unsafe space looks like. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images In his immigration speech Wednesday night, Donald Trump threatened to cut off aid to cities that offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants. New York, like a number of other American cities, makes a strict point of not asking people about their immigration status when they interact with police, librarians, social-service providers, or other city officials. This system, it is said, promotes public safety by encouraging illegal aliens to report crimes, and enhances the economic life of the city. Estimates vary as to how many New Yorkers are here in violation of federal immigration law, but the number is at least 500,000 and could be as high as 800,000. The citys political establishment argues continually that these immigrants are an unalloyed benefit to New York. But leaving aside the sentimental rhetoric about hard work and family values, actual facts about the costs and benefits of illegal immigration are hard to come bysince no one is allowed to inquire about immigration status. In an era of Compstat 2.0 and Big Data, statistics on the crime rate among illegal aliens are nonexistent, for example. New Yorks sanctuary policy makes it difficult to break out the costs of harboring hundreds of thousands of unauthorized residents. Instead of data, we get wildly implausible statements. For instance, on a radio call-in show, Mayor de Blasio gave a stirring denunciation of Trumps immigration speech and made a vigorous defense of the citys undocumented population. But he did it without facts. Illegal immigrants are integral to all of our communities, the mayor said, claiming that 4.3 million jobs in New York City (i.e., all private and public employment) are directly connected to [its] vibrant immigrant population. De Blasio praised a caller who employs illegal aliens at his supermarket, in knowing violation of federal employment law, saying, youre giving them a job and I thank you for that. In a similar vein, city council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito commissioned her finance division to weigh the economic impact on New York City if unlawful residents departed. Citing the liberal Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the analysis concludes that illegal immigrants pay $793 million in state and city taxes. However, the source data reveal that approximately 90 percent of that sum consists of sales and excise taxes, along with a backed-out estimate of the portion of rent that represents property tax. Tax revenue is tax revenue, and hundreds of millions of dollars of sales tax is nothing to sneer at. But the implication of the city councils analysis is that this money is somehow a gift to the city, as though the half-million-plus illegal aliens in New York dont use the streets, schools, jails, subways, libraries, sanitation, fire department, and parks that those taxes pay for. And folding all tax revenue together disguises the fact that reported income by illegal aliens is quite lowbecause theyre largely working either off the books or with a stolen Social Security number. Local politicians get angry every September, when public schools are unexpectedly operating at 150 percent capacity. They demand to know why the School Construction Authority didnt plan ahead for population surges that are impossible to predict based on current demographic data. Roomy Victorian mansions in Dyker Heights or Douglaston are suddenly discovered to house 30 people in illegally subdivided units, with substandard electrical connections, dozens of trash bags on garbage day, and no means of egress in case of fire. Leaders then fulminate about gentrification and luxury developments in Manhattan. One effective metric for understanding the costs of illegal immigration is health care. Because Medicaid is funded partially by the federal government, it is limited to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. But the citys Health + Hospitals Corporation, which runs New Yorks massive public health infrastructure, takes it as its mission to provide care to anyone who needs it, without regard for immigration status. This policy is a major reason why HHC is on constant verge of financial collapse. During the last fiscal year, HHC needed an emergency allocation of $337 million from the city just to keep its doors open, and the prognosis for the future is even worse. At an April press conference, Dr. Ram Raju, president of HHC, said that caring for illegals consumes about one-third of his $7.6 billion annual budget. Rounding down, that means that $2.5 billionof which the city is picking up an increasingly large chunk every year, as state and federal aid dries upgoes toward providing health care to illegal aliens in New York. In a city budget of $82.2 billion, that $2.5 billion represents a significant piece of the pie. Mayor de Blasio says that New Yorkers are happy to shoulder the cost of caring for their unlawfully resident neighbors, and maybe they are. But until were allowed to determine the real numbers and make a meaningful accounting of the costs and benefits, all we have to go on are sentiment and hollow rhetoric. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images Achizitie de Servicii Tehnice de creare a plantatiilor forestiere de protectie din cadrul primariei Andrusul de Jos si a primariei Vadul lui Isac, r. Cahul Maggie Loughran was hiking along a canyon in Yellowstone National Park with her family last week when she got a message that a potential story was breaking back at the University of Chicago, where she is editor in chief of the student newspaper. The tip: The universitys dean of students had sent a letter to incoming freshmen declaring the University of Chicago does not support so-called trigger warnings about potentially disturbing material and does not condone the creation of safe spaces where students can protect themselves from ideas different from their own. The University of Chicago was on summer break (and will be until the end of September), and the small volunteer staff at its student newspaper, the Chicago Maroon, are scattered around the country on vacation or working at internships. Loughran, an English major from New York, had a quick discussion with the other editors at the paper about what to do. Our first instinct was to verify it, she says. They found a fellow student on the business side of the paper with a brother who is an incoming freshmanor first-year student, as the University of Chicago calls new students. They got a copy of the letter and shared it on Facebook and Twitter. A few hours later, Pete Grieve, a deputy news editor at the paper who is interning in the investigative unit at the Public Defender Service in Washington, DC, this summer, wrote a longer story about the letter for the Maroon website. That story, subsequently shared by the Daily Mail and other news outlets, was one of the biggest ever for the Maroon. The paper had so much traffic on the story (more than 200,000 pageviews) that its website crashed on August 25 after the story broke, and it stayed down for 24 hours. Its first Twitter post about the letter was retweeted more than 4,400 times. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project We are a student newspaper at a pretty big institution, Loughran says. We often report on pretty pressing issues about professors, and freedom of speech has been a big issue always on our campus. Thats a trademark on our university. But this was the biggest story weve ever had. The pageviews blew us away. The Maroon reportingand subsequent follow-upsshow exactly why student journalism still plays such a significant role on college campuses even as many struggle with the same economic realities of the rest of the news business. The deans letter was first reported on a right-wing blog called Intellectual Takeout. But the Maroons story took off in part because it came from an apolitical source. It also included student voices with differing viewpoints and recent examples of invited speakers who had been shouted down or kicked off campus. This is the most explicit example of the university saying we dont support safe spaces The idea of trigger warnings and safe spaces is hotly contested in academia as colleges and universities across the country grapple with how to promote free speech while also being sensitive to the needs of students who might become distressed by certain images or discussions. It also is a political issue, pitting conservative critics who decry what they see as a stifling atmosphere of political correctness in higher education against progressives who want to protect marginalized groups of students from being further marginalized. Both of the citys major daily newspaper came out in support of the letter from Dean of Students Jay Ellison. The Chicago Tribune said that in many schools a peculiar strain of narrow-mindedness has infected the landscape, leading students to believe their way of thinking shouldnt be challenged. The Chicago Sun-Times noted that it was heartening to read a vigorous defense of free speech and intellectual inquiryeven when it makes people deeply uncomfortable. Grieve, the student editor who took the lead on reporting on the issue for the Maroon, says that while the University of Chicago has dealt with controversies over invited speakers during his time there, there hasnt been as much attention paid to trigger warnings or safe spaces. (Last spring an invited speaker, Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez, who later lost her reelection bid because of her handling of a case involving a white police officer who shot a black teenager, was forced to leave after being confronted by protesters in the audience.) This is the most explicit example of the university saying we dont support safe spaces, says Grieve, a second-year political science major. Matthew Foldi, president of the universitys College Republicans, was also one of the first to break the story about the letter to students, writing about it for his blog the same day as the Maroon. Foldi had tried unsuccessfully earlier in the year to get the Student Government Association at the university to reaffirm the schools commitment to free expression. This is an important issue for me because I know firsthand how difficult it can be to hold unpopular viewpoints on campus, Foldi says. Countless people have told me that they would love to come to College Republican meetings but cant because they are afraid of what people would think about them. Some of the most interesting speakers that I have heard on campus have been those with which I disagree with on a variety of issues. The Daily Northwestern staff at Northwestern University, also on break, responded quickly to media buzz over the letter at the University of Chicago, noting Northwestern President Morton Schapiros previous support of safe spaces on its campus. Schapiro also co-authored an op-ed for the LA Times last week that argued the protests on college campuses are the result of diversity, and not in a bad way, as students who had been mostly segregated before coming to college share the same academic space for the first time. Its one of the foremost issues on our campuses, says Julia Jacobs, editor in chief of the Daily Northwestern. This issue seemed immediately relevant to our students. In both cases, student newspapers that dont publish in the summer posted news articles on social media and their websites, making them relevant and, in some ways, making the story, already on Snopes, relevant as well. I think that the Maroon has the advantage of knowing the students involved with this issue better than any other outlet, says Foldi, who made the rounds of Chicago media (including public radio station WBEZ and the CBS affiliate) to talk about his support of the letter. Weve seen how important local news reporters are in terms of covering issues that the national media misseslook at the Oregon-based outlets that led to Governor Kitzhaber resigning. In many cases, the Maroon has had better coverage of this issue than national outlets. In a recent story on this letter, The New York Times did not even interview a single student in support of it. Loughran, the Maroon editor in chief, says the student newspaper coverage of the letter gave the story legitimacy. Its been a very exciting week, she says. This happened, and its my 20th birthday. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jackie Spinner is CJRs correspondent for Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She is an associate journalism professor at Columbia College Chicago and a former staff writer for The Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter @jackiespinner. A divided Ohio Supreme Court says the states good Samaritan law applies to individuals trying to provide non-medical help in emergencies. The court ruled 4-3 Tuesday in favor of a man sued after his unsuccessful efforts to free another man whose leg was pinned between a truck and a loading dock in Fairfield. Dennis Carter lost his leg after Larry Reese, the man trying to help him, inadvertently caused the truck to roll back and crush Carters leg. Attorneys for Reese said he shouldnt be held liable for the accident because Ohios good Samaritan law protects people trying to help in such circumstances. Justice Terrence ODonnell, writing for the majority, says the law applies to anyone providing emergency care or treatment, not just health care professionals. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Genex Services Acquires IME Provider OMAC Genex Services, a medical cost containment and disability management service provider, announced the acquisition of Objective Medical Assessments Corp. (OMAC), a provider of independent medical examinations (IME) and peer review services for the workers compensation and disability markets. Financial terms were not disclosed. The OMAC management team and staff will remain in place and continue to operate under its brand. Steffen Nelson, OMAC president, will join the Genex management team and continue his oversight of OMAC along with broadened responsibilities in the Genex IME business unit. Based in Seattle, OMAC was originally founded by former Washington State Medicaid Director Richard Nelson. He was subsequently joined by his son, Steffen, in operating and expanding the business Foghorn Capital served as the exclusive strategic and financial advisor to OMAC on the transaction. EFI Global, Vale Training Partner to Provide Roof Certification Program EFI Global, a forensic engineering, fire investigation, environmental and laboratory testing service provider, and Vale Training, an independent division of Cunningham Lindsey specializing in training for adjusters and appraisers, announced the launch of the EVS Specialist Program with a specialty in roofing certification, known as the EVS/R Certification. With the new certification offering, property damage appraisers can expedite roofing claims using qualitative evaluation and investigative techniques gained from the EVS/R course on residential and commercial roofing systems. The certification requires industry related experience and/or education, and completion of a four day classroom course with detailed instruction on steep and low slope roofs, including construction, coverings, storm damage assessment, property estimating, product identification and repair methods. Classroom instruction is complemented with hands-on experience with simulated hail mockups to illustrate the impact dynamics on different roofing systems. An individuals certification is audited and tracked by Vale Training, while EFI Global Professional Engineers (PEs) and Registered Roof Consultants (RRCs) provide the technical content and course instruction. Once obtained, the certification comes with a unique certification mark to be used by the certified professional, and is renewed every three years to ensure understanding of modern techniques, building codes and industry trends. Vale Training Launches UAS Certification Program Vale Training has launched a UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) certification program at its Arlington, Texas, campus. Vale is currently offering four-day training classes. Students who successfully complete the class will obtain the Vale UAS Operator Certification. Students do not have to hold a remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating to attend class. They can fly under the supervision of Vale instructors. It is recommended that students who attend have at least 4-5 hours of flight time on a UAS flight simulator or have flown UAS for 4-5 hours. The first classes are scheduled to be held beginning September 12, 2016. Interested persons should register online at valetrainingsolutions.com or call Vale Training Solutions at 1-800-233-7095. Property Drone Consortium Announce Public Private Partnership on Use of UAS for Emergency Response The Property Drone Consortium (PDC), a collaboration that consists of insurance carriers, roofing industry leaders and supporting enterprises and Marion County, Kansas, Emergency Management are pleased to announce a public-private partnership. The Property Drone Consortium will provide Marion County with an appropriate UAS, sensor and resources. The county will deploy the system in the event of catastrophic events to support its emergency management and response efforts. As college campuses across the country welcome students back to school, federal and state officials vow to improve fire safety. The statistics are troubling. The University of Colorado, Boulder reported that in 2014 there were 242 campus housing fires resulting in $3,034,000 in property damage. In a United States Fire Administration (USFA) report on Campus Fire Fatalities between 2000-2015, 85 fatal fires were documented in dorms, fraternities, sororities and off campus housing which resulted in 118 deaths. In 58 percent of fatal campus fires, smoke alarms were missing or disconnected. Fire sprinklers were missing in all 85 fires, according to the agencys analysis. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that between 2009-2013, fire departments responded to almost 4000 campus housing structure fires per year. The USFA found that most fatal campus fires 70 percent occurred during the weekend and alcohol was a factor in 76 of the fires. The leading cause of fatal campus housing fires was smoking, followed by intentional acts and electrical and cooking issues. Since 2005, all college-related fire deaths have occurred in off-campus housing, according to the agencys statistics. Just this week, New York Governor Cuomo announced a new college campus fire safety initiative offering fire inspections, educational programs and fire safety education training days. New York has one of the most robust campus fire inspection programs in the country and our work to educate students about fire danger has received national recognition and helped prevent avoidable tragedies, said Governor Cuomo. I applaud the work that the Office of Fire Prevention and Control and local fire officials have done to keep our students and campuses safe, and encourage colleges and universities across the state to continue to take advantage of this life saving resource. According to the statement released by Governor Cuomo, in the last year, the states Office of Fire Prevention and Control has conducted 23,689 inspections at public and private colleges and universities across the state. The fire safety education days include use of the Office of Fire Prevention and Control fire safety house for smoke evacuation simulation and fire sprinkler demonstrations, as well as presentations on fire safety from college presidents, elected officials, fire chiefs, agency officials and burn victims. Following a fatal fire at a freshman residence hall on the Seton Hall University campus in New Jersey in 2000, New York strengthened its campus fire inspection and education programs. While some states opted to retrofit campus residences with fire sprinklers to improve safety, New York passed legislation that instituted the most vigorous fire inspection program in the country and made the Office of Fire Prevention and Control responsible for inspecting all private and public colleges and universities outside of the City of New York. Federal officials offer several resources for both on-campus and off campus housing. A new campaign by the USFA aids parents by making sure they review off-campus housing to make certain it is fire safe before signing a lease. Colleges also offer various safety tips for students through specialized policies and procedures, as well as formal departments created to prevent injury and deaths associated with campus housing fires. Princeton University inspects dorm rooms at random to make sure students comply with university rules. Boston College has minimum mandatory sanctions in place for violation of its fire safety rules. According to Georgias Oxford College of Emory University, campus fire hazards include: Airbag maker Takata Corp.s troubles worsened Monday as the company confirmed that a truck carrying its inflators and a volatile chemical exploded last week in a Texas border town, killing a woman and injuring four others. The truck, operated by a subcontractor, crashed, caught fire and exploded Aug. 22 in the small town of Quemado, about 140 miles from San Antonio, leveling the womans house. The company says it sent people to the site and is helping authorities investigate the crash. Takata has a warehouse in nearby Eagle Pass, Texas, and it has an airbag inflator factory across the border in Monclova, Mexico. The News Gram of Eagle Pass identified the victim as Lucila Robles. Takata says it has strict procedures covering transportation of its products that meet all government regulations. The explosion left debris up to two miles from where the truck crashed, The News Gram reported. Takata sent employees to the Quemado Public Library last week to advise residents to report any suspicious material on their property so it could be disposed of properly, the newspaper said. Authorities searched the area with metal detectors in an effort to find any inflator canisters. Sheriff Tom Schmerber told the paper that to his knowledge, the county clean-up has finished. Robles charred vehicle was one of the only items remaining at the scene of her home. It was later taken away. Takata uses ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion that fills airbags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate when exposed to prolonged heat and humidity and burn too fast. That can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into drivers and passengers. At least 11 people, and probably 14, have died worldwide due to Takata inflator explosions. The deaths have occurred in the United States and Malaysia, where three remain under investigation. The Takata factory in Monclova made the faulty inflators that were blamed in several of the deaths. The deaths and more than 100 injuries sparked a massive global recall of more than 100 million inflators, including 69 million in the U.S. in what has become the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. Earlier this month Takata stuck to its forecast of a $129 million profit for the fiscal year through March. It reported a quarterly profit of $19.8 million from April through June. But analysts note that recall costs that are now being shouldered by automakers eventually will be billed to the Tokyo-based Takata, which has had two straight years of losses over the recalls. Takata also faces multiple class-action lawsuits over its defective airbag inflators. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A Montana legislative committee is trying to find a way to prevent air ambulance patients from being stuck with huge bills without violating a federal law that exempts air carriers from state regulation. Members of the Economic Affairs Interim Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to support legislation that would leave patients out of the bill negotiations between their insurance program and out-of-network air ambulance providers. Some Montana residents had received so-called balance bills for tens of thousands of dollars from out-of-network providers after their insurance payment was made. The interim committee created an Air Ambulance Working Group to gather information and propose legislation. Jesse Laslovich, chief counsel in the state Auditors Office, told lawmakers Tuesday that the working group was unable to reach consensus. But he said he did come to the following conclusions: The out-of-network air ambulance providers are submitting bills that are too high and insurers can raise their reimbursement rates. The key with all of this is trying to find that balance, trying to find that sweet spot between the air ambulance provider and the insurer and we havent gotten there. What we are saying with this proposed legislation is find the damned sweet spot,' Laslovich said, expressing his frustration. Dont put this on consumers and their families. Over the past few months, representatives of insurance companies and benefits managers argued that some air ambulance companies would not negotiate a contract with them and were sending exorbitant bills, some for more than $100,000. Private air ambulance companies countered that insurers wouldnt negotiate a fair market rate and government reimbursement rates were even lower. The proposed bill, supported on an 8-0 committee vote, sets up a framework to settle the reimbursement issue while holding the patient harmless. The draft bill initially would require the patients insurance company to pay at least what it would pay an in-network provider for the same service. If the air ambulance company does not believe that is adequate, the two sides can negotiate a payment, agree to binding arbitration to determine a fair price, or they can take the issue to court. The patient would only be held responsible for their deductible and co-pay. Five other states have attempted legislation that was challenged by air ambulance companies and overturned by courts that ruled the efforts violated the Airline Deregulation Act. On Tuesday, it was insurance companies and benefit managers arguing the legislation would violate federal law regarding price regulation. Laslovich argued it did not because both sides would have to agree to binding arbitration for it to be put into play. Jennifer Hensley, a lobbyist for PacificSource Health Plans, said the proposed bill effectively rewards companies that have refused to negotiate in-network contracts and are a disincentive to future network contracts, which are needed to keep health care costs manageable. Bill Lombardi, speaking on behalf of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, said the issue should be addressed by Congress. Ron Walter with REACH Air Medical Services said he supports the legislation. From our position, you have the solution that we think will work in the state to take the patient out of the middle, he said. Bill Bryant, a health care consultant who represented a coalition of non-hospital air ambulance companies, acknowledged rates for air ambulance transfers are high and I wouldnt want to pay for one. But he said the rates are consistent with what is being charged, and paid for, elsewhere in the country. The interim committee also voted to send another letter to the states congressional delegation urging them to promote changes to the Airline Deregulation Act and address shortfalls in Medicare reimbursement rates for air ambulance services. Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana has introduced an amendment to an appropriations bill that calls for a Government Accountability Office to determine what factors are leading to growing air ambulance costs. The bill has passed the Appropriations Committee, and it is awaiting a vote in the Senate. Tester also is working on a piece of stand-alone legislation to address high air ambulance costs, spokesman Dave Kuntz said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Powell and Welch Willie Powell, left, and Mario Welch, were charged with aggravated murder. Police said they killed Davida Burns and set her on fire in November 2013. Powell pleaded guilty to complicity, while Welch was found not guilty on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cuyahoga County judge acquitted a man of murder Friday in a 2013 case of a Cleveland woman beaten to death and left in a house that was set on fire. Common Pleas Judge Matthew McMonagle found Mario Welch, 43, not guilty in the death of Davida Burns after the week-long bench trial. Burns was found beaten to death in the basement of a house that burned down at 3970 East 121st Street. Welch was arrested in January 2015 after DNA testing matched him to a drop of dried blood found inside the house in the same puddle as a drop of Burns' blood. The state did not produce any direct witnesses, however, and the state's witness list consisted largely of people who knew Burns before she died. Burns spent the night before her disappearance at her best friend Olympia Fisher-Reeves' home. Fisher-Reeves asked Burns to leave when she learned her husband was returning home. The last time Fisher-Reeves saw her friend, she was waiting at the bus stop. "She said she was tired, she begged me to stay," Fisher-Reeves testified through sobs and tears. Fisher-Reeves, who was a witness for the prosecution, testified that Burns' ex-boyfriend once told her that Burns deserved to die. He was not charged with a crime in the case. Burns' body was found days later, on Nov. 15, 2013, in the basement of a vacant house set ablaze. The state arrested Welch along with 41-year-old Willie Powell over a year later. Powell pleaded guilty in November 2015 to complicity to murder and remains in county jail on $1 million bond. He did not testify at Welch's trial. Welch was sentenced Friday afternoon to 18 months in prison on a separate burglary charge, although he has already spent more than that in county jail and will be released Friday. This article has been updated to include the result of from Welch's sentencing hearing Friday. If you'd like to comment on this article, please visit our crime and courts comment section. Oktoberfest Snap.jpg Cleveland's annual Oktoberfest celebration weekend begins on Friday night. (Photo by Lynn Ischay, PD) BEREA, Ohio -- For the long weekend, Oktoberfest will be taking over the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds with beer, dancing and music to celebrate the nearing end of the summer season. The celebration has been kept up in Cleveland for over 50 years, though it's been celebrated for centuries in Germany. At 7 p.m., a keg will be tapped by a celebrity, which begins the official drinking festivities of the event. Along with that, traditional dancing, weiner-dog races and marionette shows will all be taking place this weekend. Tickets in to the event cost $12 per day. Reporter Anne Nickoloff will be there to cover Friday's event on cleveland.com's Snapchat account. Here's how you can follow along: Add cleveland.com on Snapchat. Our username is clevelanddotcom. Read more about the event here: david-quolke-eric-gordon-cleveland-schools.jpg David Quolke, president of the Cleveland Teachers Union, and Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland School District, shown here from 2012, reached a tentative deal on a new teacher contract this week. (Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer) CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland school district and teachers resolved several disputes between them in the tentative contract reached this week, but discussions about money will continue. Neither the Cleveland Teachers Union or the district will share exact details of the deal reached at 5 a.m. Tuesday until teachers see a full copy next week. That agreement, which teachers and the school board must still approve, avoided a strike that would have begun today. But CTU President David Quolke and district CEO Eric Gordon have discussed a few of the big issues in broad terms. "Both parties should be proud of what we accomplished," Gordon said, saying negotiations were sometimes antagonistic and other times cooperative. "It brought two sides together," said union President David Quolke. "We struggled at times, but the process of collective bargaining really showed its value." The sides agreed to a three-year deal that makes changes to teacher evaluations and pay for teacher aides. Salaries, though, will be re-opened next year after Cleveland residents vote in November whether to renew a giant 2012 tax for the schools. "The reality is, a levy is on the ballot for November," Quolke said. "So we will be revisiting some of those economic and health care issues in February." The tax gives the schools about $65 million a year, or nearly 10 percent of its $700 million operating budget. Click here for a look at what it means to the district and costs you. New negotiations over pay will also occur with all of the district's other employee unions. They all signed one-year deals and will need new contracts, while the teachers will only re-open the pay part of their three-year deal next year. The across-the-board pay increase for teachers for this school year will likely be about two percent. That's what the district gave all of the other employee unions for this year, and that's what the district offered teachers earlier this year. The district had refused to commit to pay changes for any union beyond this school year until it knows how much money it will have. Teachers are also eligible to earn additional raises by moving up rungs in the district's unique "differentiated compensation" system. Most districts nationwide let teachers move up a pay scale based on degrees they earn and years of experience, but Cleveland in 2012 became the first district in Ohio to award raises based on performance and teacher evaluations. The district was also supposed to let teachers move up the scale based on other factors, but the district and the union could not agree on those, which created tension between the sides. The new deal will make some adjustments to this system, both Gordon and Quolke said. But neither would share details. Gordon said the solution is "really innovative." Shari Obenski, the union's lead negotiator, said the sides "took a stab" at it. "With a differentiated compensation system, Cleveland is ahead of the curve of just about everybody else." Obrenski said. Instead of engaging in "finger-pointing" over failures to fix it over the last four years, the two sides took ownership of it in negotiations. "We put our collective thoughts together and came up with a change that both sides believe is for the better," she said. geauga park district outdoor sign.jpg Members of Protect Geauga Parks submitted questions about the parks to the Geauga Park District, but the district's executive director informed them he won't give them answers or meet with them. (cleveland.com file) CLEVELAND, Ohio - Critics of the Geauga Park District who have been banned from commenting at public meetings can't get answers to questions they submit in writing either. Members of Protect Geauga Parks submitted two pages of questions to Park District Executive Director John Oros in mid August. Oros replied in an email that he would neither respond to the questions or meet with the advocates. The rejection comes on the heels of a decision in July that eliminated the public comment period at the park district public board meetings. "We're very frustrated," said Ed Buckles, who hand-delivered the questions to Oros. "This isn't a secret society. This is taxpayer money being spent on taxpayer projects and taxpayers ought to be able to ask questions about it." You can read the questions below. Mobile users click here. Neither Oros nor park board President Jackie Dottore returned calls from cleveland.com seeking comment. Geauga County Probate Judge Timothy Grendell, who appoints the park commissioners, could not be reached for comment. Here's a look at the dispute. What prompted the meeting changes? Commissioners for the Geauga Park District changed their bylaws in July, streamlining the rules for how the board's meeting agenda is drawn up and eliminating a provision that public comment be part of that agenda. Advocates for Protect Geauga Parks cried foul, saying it was a move to muzzle them because they had questioned decisions made by the park board. They could find no other park district in Ohio that does not allow public comment at meetings. Grendell said after that decision that the public should still be able to present its views to the board either in writing or conversation with board members or park staff. But while state law required the board to conduct its business in public, it does not require that the board allow a public comment period at its meetings, Grendell said. He suggested then that that people had abused the comment period to press opinions and criticize the board rather than comment on business before the board. Prior to the June meeting where the board first considered the bylaws change, members of Protect Geauga Parks had commented at every meeting of the board this year. Why are the park advocates critical of the board? Members of Protect Geauga Parks acknowledge they don't see eye-to-eye with members of the board. But while they have criticized the board and its decisions, it has been in the spirit of supporting the parks, Barbara Partington, a trustee for Protect Geauga Parks, has said. The group has objected to decisions it believes damage the natural beauty and resources, such as allowing snowmobiling on trails. It has complained that Grendell exerts too much influence over his appointees toward changing the park district's focus. Grendell has expressed the view that the parks should not be limited to preservation, but their use should be expanded to recreational activities, including ball diamonds, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. One of the questions the group submitted in August asked "to whom does the board owe its loyalty? It's own agenda? The parks? The future and its children? The citizens of Geauga County? Judge Grendell?" What was the park district's response to written questions? Buckles delivered his letter containing 18 questions on Aug. 16. Two days later he received an email reply from Oros. "Thank you for your letter dated August 16, 2016," Oros wrote. " I respectfully decline answers and/or meetings regarding your letter. The District will be happy to assist you with public records requests if you so choose. Thank you and Have a Good Weekend." What happens next? Public bodies by law are required to fulfill requests for existing public records. Protect Geauga Parks has begun preparing public records requests, Partington said. But Partington suspects some of the group's questions won't be covered in existing documents. For example, one question asks if there has been a change of philosophy on collecting sap for maple sugaring. The discussion for that kind of a decision may not appear in a public document, Partington said. In the meantime, Protect Geauga Parks will circulate a petition through Labor Day weekend at The Great Geauga County Fair in Burton. The petition, which the group plans to submit to state legislators, calls for an amendment to Ohio's public meeting laws to require that public bodies allow a reasonable amount of time at each meeting for public comment. This isn't the first time the group has petitioned legislators. In 2015 it circulated a petition asking legislators to remove Grendell from office, claiming he had "substantially harmed" the park district. Follow me on Facebook. It's that time again! Jim Cramer rang the lightning round bell, which means he gave his take on caller favorite stocks at rapid speed: FirstEnergy Corp : "Lower quality. Too low quality for me. It's American Electric Power, my charitable trust owns that, or alternatively I will bless Dominion and maybe Con Ed. But not FirstEnergy." JetBlue : "Don't buy, don't buy. Nope, nope, nope, nope and nope. I think that Delta is better and my favorite is LUV, Southwest Air, but that group is very tough to own." MeetMe : "You did the right thing by taking out your investment and playing with the house's money. And I'm glad that you are in this business of picking stocks, but I do not know MeetMe. That is a stock I do not know. We will do homework, and I will come back." Altria : "I am of two minds on Altria. I don't recommend tobacco stocks, but if someone insists on getting some yield and wants to be in them, that is fine. And Altria is the best-of-breed, sadly, because I don't like the breed." Ellie Mae : "We had the CEO on ... That is a fantastic story. Thinking about buying that for the charitable trust. They are very good. I think everybody had to be impressed when he was on." Encana Corp : "I have to admit, Encana is making a comeback. So is Chesapeake, but you know what, I'm a high quality guy. I want to upgrade and go with Occidental. Why? Because they had no problem paying that dividend." Magna International : "It's good. It's in the auto parts business, and I'm not crazy about anything related to auto. I'm not saying peak auto. I am just saying listen, I just don't think that business generates a lot of good growth. I need growth when I buy a stock J.C. Penney : "I would buy it right here under $10. I think it is terrific. I think that Ellison [CEO] is doing a great job. This is a terrific price to buy J.C. Penney." A total of 479 deals worth $200 billion have been announced so far this year, already eclipsing 2015's annual value of $199.6 billion, the financial data firm announced on Thursday. Outbound mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by Asian companies are set to reach the highest annual deal value on record with less than four months to go before the end of the year, according to Mergermarket. The performance marks the second consecutive year that deal volumes have reached a record. Chinese dealmaking has been the driving force behind overall activity, with 173 deals worth $128.7 billion announced so far. That accounts for 64.3 percent of Asia's deal value. The data include recent purchases, such as Zhongwang International's $2.3 billion acquisition of U.S. aluminum manufacturer Aleris that was unveiled Monday. "China's unstoppable outbound M&A spree is driven by the country's effort to seek high-yielding assets overseas and hedge against slowing domestic growth," explained Yiqing Wang, Mergermarket's China editor. "The weakening renminbi also pushes Chinese deep pocket acquirers to speed up splashing billions of dollars overseas before their currency further depreciate," But amid increasingly tight scrutiny from regulatory authorities in both China and abroad, it remains to be seen whether this year's record pace can continue. Earlier this month, Australia rejected bids from Chinese and Hong Kong companies for a 99-year lease on state owned electricity provider Ausgrid, citing "national security concerns". Meanwhile in January, Washington blocked a $3.3 billion sale of Philips ' lighting business, Lumileds, to a consortium led by China's GO Scale Capital. U.S. President Barack Obama (L) listens as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (R) speaks during a joint press conference at the prime minister's residence in Putrajaya, near Kuala Lumpur on April 27, 2014. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images A sweeping U.S. investigation into assets allegedly looted from a state fund in Malaysia has raised the heat on Prime Minister Najib Razik, but it wasn't entirely clear that would dent the two countries' ties. Malaysia's status as a moderate Muslim-majority nation in Southeast Asia has helped the country develop a solid relationship with the U.S., offering a bulwark against extremism. Indeed, last year, during a visit to Malaysia, U.S. President Barak Obama called the country's voice "critical" on counter-terrorism efforts. But the long-running scandal over billions of dollars missing from the Malaysia state fund 1MDB came to roost in the U.S. In July, the U.S. Department of Justice moved to seize more than $1 billion of assets tied to an international conspiracy to launder funds funnelled away from 1MDB, including funds related to the film "The Wolf of Wall Street." That complaint said officials at 1MDB, their relatives and other associates diverted more than $3.5 billion from the state fund and laundered it through complex transactions and shell companies with bank accounts in Singapore, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the U.S. The producer of "The Wolf of Wall Street," Red Granite Pictures, was co-founded by Riza Aziz, the stepson of Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak. Riza was named as a "relevant individual" in the complaint, but Najib wasn't named. However, media have reported, citing unnamed sources, that the complaint's 32 references to "Malaysian Official 1," who allegedly received hundreds of millions from 1MDB, were to Najib. On Thursday, Abdul Rahman Dahlan, a senior government minister in Najib's cabinet, said that Malaysian official 1 was Najib, confirming statements he made in a BBC interview published earlier Thursday. Rahman's statement noted that Malaysian official 1 was only referred to in the civil suit, not named as a subject. Najib has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, as have Riza and Red Granite Pictures. In addition to the allegations of money laundering, there's another development that may complicate the Malaysia-U.S. relationship: Once the assets are seized, U.S. officials don't appear likely to return them to Malaysia, analysts said. In any kleptocracy case, it would do no good to give assets back to people who stole them in the first place, noted Eric Berg, a former Department of Justice attorney, who previously worked with the kleptocracy initiative on money laundering. The U.S. government was more likely to look at other options, such as deploying the funds to non-profits active in the assets' home country or find some way to invest the funds on the country's behalf, Berg, who is currently a litigation attorney at Foley & Lardner, told CNBC recently. But he noted that "certainly implicates foreign policy." That's an idea echoed by Oh Ei Sun, who was political secretary to Malaysia's Prime Minister's Office from 2009-11; Najib took office as prime minister in 2009. Oh told CNBC that if the U.S. investigation continued it would have some adverse influence on bilateral relations. "At least from the Malaysian side, this concept of separation of powers between for example the executive as well as, for example, the more independent portions of the Department of Justice, I don't think that is well understood in a Malaysian context," he said on Wednesday. But Oh added that he didn't expect a particularly large impact on bilateral relations. "You may hear government-inspired media making some noises, but this is not serious because Malaysia is not in an economically powerful position to really openly criticize the U.S.," said Oh, who is currently a senior fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "You will hear the Malaysian media obligatorily condemning it, but that's about it," he said. "You wouldn't see Malaysian citizens going on the streets and doing major protests." But James Chin, the director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, said the main impact on the relationship would likely come once U.S. law enforcement officially named "Malaysian official 1," citing the likelihood that official would be forced to resign. Iris Apfel's life is colorful, but the 95-year-old fashion diva says it's hard work that keeps her going. "I just I love what I do. I work very hard. I think hard work is my medicine, my salvation," Apfel says at the launch of her partnership with the Macy's brand INC International Concepts, called "Iris Meets INC," in New York City earlier this week. The line features bold colors, prints and oversized jewelry, signature trademarks of Apfel's style. "I advise everybody to love what they do and work hard at it," she says. Early in her career, Apfel and her late husband Carl owned and operated a textile business, Old World Weavers, which took her all over the world in search of intriguing, artisanal fabrics. She also worked on interior and restoration design projects for nine U.S. presidents at the White House. Since she and her husband retired from their textile business, Apfel has remained active in launching partnerships with brands, like the one with Macy's, and being featured in advertisements. For example, Apfel is the cover girl for a new ad campaign of the Australian fashion brand, Blue Illusion. She also has starred in a documentary about her life produced by Albert Maysles, called "Iris," and an exhibit about her style at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute called "Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Barrel Apfel Collection." Apfel has built a personal brand with a cult-like following and impressive retail power, and she worked hard to build her empire. Saint Louis Fund 2015 Honoree Iris Apfel accepts her award during the Saint Louis Fashion Fund Gala 2015 on November 4, 2015 in St Louis, Missouri. Getty Images "There's always a way," says Apfel. "There is always a way for anything. Period. If you want something badly enough and you work hard at it, you achieve it. I absolutely guarantee it." If there's anything the near centenarian won't stand for, it's a sense of entitlement. Billionaire investor William Ackman's portfolios climbed nearly 6 percent in August, boosted by strong gains at drug company Valeant Pharmaceuticals where changes that the hedge fund manager has helped push for appear to be instilling new confidence. Pershing Square Holdings, one of the hedge fund's portfolios, climbed 5.8 percent last month, shrinking its loss for the year to 14.3 percent, an investor in the fund said. In March the fund had been down 25.6 percent. Valeant gained roughly 39 percent in the last month. A year ago, Valeant's stock began cratering amid questions about the company's business and accounting practices and its stock price is still down 87 percent in the last 52 weeks. In the last few weeks, it began recovering as the company's new chief executive officer eased worries about a possible default and the company hired a new chief legal officer and chief financial officer. Similarly bets on quick service restaurant company Restaurant Brands and snack food maker Mondelez proved helpful. Other hedge funds also told their clients that they scored gains in August. Jana Partners, an activist fund like Ackman's Pershing Square, was up 1 percent in August, shrinking its year to date loss to 3 percent, an investor in the fund said. Citadel's Wellington fund gained 2.4 percent in August and is now up 0.5 percent for the year, a person familiar with the figures said. Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, has a message for his Group of Twenty (G-20) counterparts: Ditch protectionism, and work towards global growth. Speaking to CNBC in an exclusive interview before leaving to the G-20 meeting in Hangzhou, China, the 61-year old said the expansion of open markets, the encouragement of innovation and better living standards were at the top of his agenda. The two-day summit begins on Sunday and will attract at least forty world leaders under the theme of "building an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive world economy." Amid an environment of sluggish global exports and pessimism surrounding completion of the world's largest trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Turnbull said countries must uphold their G-20 commitments. "The answer is not protectionism or fear. The answer is confidence and commitment to the goals that were set out at the G-20 in Brisbane [two years ago]. The answer lies in more free trade." He pointed to Australia's economic diversification as proof of how beneficial open markets are. "One of the elements enabling us to make a successful economic transition [away from resources] is in large part due to big trade deals we've done with China and South Korea that have opened up those market to Australian exports and services, which has picked up the slack from mining." China, however, may not take too kindly to Turnbull's remarks. Last month, Beijing labelled Australia 'protectionist' after Canberra rejected bids from Chinese and Hong Kong companies for a 99-year lease on state owned electricity provider Ausgrid, citing national security concerns. Is it ever right for corporate leaders to publically swear? That's the question being asked this week after one European airline chief executive dropped the f-bomb in an interview while describing the European Union (EU) ruling against the world's biggest tech company. Never knowingly understated, Michael O'Leary, the boss of budget Irish airline Ryanair , made headlines for saying that the Irish government should tell the EU to "f--k off" after it ruled that the country had to claw back $14.5 billion in back taxes from Apple. Professor Yehuda Baruch from Southampton Business School at the University of Southampton, co-author of a 2007 study that found swearing in the workplace is not always a bad thing, told CNBC on Friday that the line between what kind of language was appropriate for a CEO was not clear cut. "When a CEO swears, this suggests something about the organizational culture of his or her firm. It legitimizes the use of profanity, and might be a precedence for other employees. Yet, using swear words adds power to certain messages, grab attention, and for some population may make you 'cool' if this is what the CEO is looking for," he noted. F-bombs and B------t It's not known whether O'Leary wanted to grab attention to his message by using the f-word, but he is certainly not one to mince his words. Over the years, he's made offensive comments about rivals (he said of the British Airways/Iberia merger that it reminded him "of two drunks leaning on each other"), colleagues ("We all employ some lazy ----- who need a kick up the backside") and customers ( "They're not always right and they need to be told so") alike in the past. Of course, he's not the only executive known for his use of colorful language and there are a number of CEOs known for their choice language and often having to backtrack because of it. O'Leary himself has apologized for previous comments about customers, promising them a more "fluffy" airline probably much to the relief of his public relations department. Earlier this year, the chief executive of T-Mobile , John Legere, apologized over comments he made in video response to widespread criticism of the company's "Binge On" streaming service. In one video he called criticism of the service "b-----t" and the critics themselves "jerks." In another video on Twitter, the CEO (who is infamous for his straight-talking) asked one organization, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, that questioned the video streaming service, "Who the fdo you think you are?" The former CEO of Yahoo, Carol Bartz, made waves when she became chief executive in 2009 by telling staff that she would "drop-kick" anyone that leaked company secrets "to fking Mars." Having presided over three troubled years of stagnating growth at the company, Bartz was removed from the position in 2011. In 2013, the board of U.S. multinational Scotts Miracle-Gro reprimanded its CEO and Chairman Jim Hagedorn for using inappropriate language during an analyst and investor day. His offending comments included saying that the company was making "st pots of money" or complaining about the "bulls--- in Washington." Hagedorn was apologetic after being pulled up by the board, saying that while he had "a tendency to use colorful language, I recognize my comments in this case were inappropriate and I apologize." Michael O'Leary, chief executive officer of Ryanair Holdings Plc Matthew Lloyd | Bloomberg | Getty Images Swearing in an official capacity could have an effect within the workplace too, according to Julie Logan, a professor emeritus of entrepreneurship at City University's Cass Business School and expert on leadership education. She told CNBC on Friday that it was inappropriate. "I do think it is inappropriate because as a leader you lead by example and maybe you don't want staff who represent you swearing in the media or at clients. I think it may also set the wrong tone in the work place," she said, although she added that "(Ryanair's) Michael O'Leary can get away with it. It just gives the company more publicity." Generation gap Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Lululemon The yogawear maker reported adjusted quarterly profit of 38 cents per share, 1 cent a share above estimates. Revenue was in line, but investors are focusing on weaker than expected guidance, putting extreme pressure on Lululemon shares. Yum Brands Yum sold a $460 million stake in its China unit to a consortium consisting of a China investment firm and a unit of online retail giant Alibaba . The unit is in the process of being spun off from Yum, with plans for the newly separate company to trade on the New York Stock Exchange as of November 1. AbbVie Raymond James began coverage on the drugmaker with an "outperform" rating, citing valuation and an under-appreciation of the revenue potential of AbbVie's Humira drug. Broadcom Broadcom earned an adjusted $2.89 per share for its latest quarter, 12 cents a share above estimates. Revenue was slightly above forecasts. The chipmaker also predicted current-quarter revenue slightly above consensus. Smith & Wesson The company came in 9 cents a share above consensus, with adjusted quarterly profit of 62 cents per share. The gunmaker's revenue was also above estimates. The company also gave strong guidance for both the current quarter and full year. Ambarella Ambarella posted adjusted quarterly profit of 54 cents per share, 16 cents a share above estimates. The maker of image processing chips also saw revenue beat consensus. The shares remain under pressure, however, due to a series of quarterly losses by major customer GoPro . Gap Gap reported a 3 percent drop in August same-store sales, a larger decline than the 1.9 percent Thomson Reuters consensus estimate. The biggest drop came at the apparel retailer's Banana Republic unit, which saw same-store sales fall by 10 percent. United Parcel Service UPS announced a 4.9 percent average rate increase for its freight service, effective Sept. 19, and a similar increase for the company's other services which will go into effect on Dec. 26. McDonald's The restaurant chain's plan to sell outlets in China and Hong Kong now has some more interested bidders, with The Wall Street Journal reporting private-equity firms Carlyle and TPG have joined separate consortiums to bid for those stores in a deal that could be worth up to $3 billion. Alphabet The company's Google unit has suspended plans to build a modular smartphone with interchangeable components, according to a Reuters report. Harley-Davidson Harley will cut about 200 jobs as the motorcycle maker adjusts its production schedule to account for a lower shipment forecast for 2016. Marriott China regulators, who have now extended their examination of Marriott's deal to buy Starwood for a third time due to the complexity of the deal. The two companies have maintained that the transaction poses no anticompetitive issues in China. Viacom Viacom's board has received various options for the sale of its Paramount Pictures unit from outgoing chairman Philippe Dauman, according to a Wall Street Journal report, although any deal for Paramount appears unlikely to happen any time soon. Dean Foods Dean Foods named chief operating officer Ralph Scozzafava as its new chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1. He'll replace Gregg Tanner at the helm of the milk producer, with Tanner remaining as an adviser through May. Hewlett Packard Enterprise The company is looking for a buyer for its software unit, according to The Wall Street Journal, in a deal that could be worth as much as $10 billion. watch now Recent attempts to hack voter registration systems, including a successful attack in Illinois this week, point to a glaring cybersecurity deficiency across the nation: State-readiness to defend against potential cyberattacks is inadequate, according to experts, and voter registration systems are among the most susceptible entry points for hackers to gain access to sensitive information of Americans and possibly even manipulate elections. "Both campaign and state voter registration databases are weak targets and the low-hanging fruit," said Francesca Spidalieri, senior fellow for cyber leadership at the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy. "A lot of the systems used to store health-care records, pension information and voter registrations are old, intermittently used and handled by staff with little to no training in cybersecurity," she said. "To be blunt, a kid could have done this. That's how bad it is," said internet security expert Joseph Steinberg. These findings are particularly alarming in light of reports that Russian hackers were behind two recent attempts to breach voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona. "They all hold valuable information, whether internal party policies that can shape the elections or the personal information of the electorate. The value of targeting those databases is not only to steal information (voters' names, birthdays, SSNs, etc.) but also to conduct an information operation and manipulate election results directly or indirectly by affecting turnout, disrupting election sites and ultimately sow doubt in the legitimacy of the election itself," Spidalieri said. Chris Keane | Reuters "If it was a foreign government, could someone be adding or removing people from the database in order to impact elections?" Steinberg said. "Could someone be assembling lists of contacts in order to contact them with election-related propaganda? Could someone want to mess up the database the day of the election or right before in order to cause election issues?" He added, "We don't need to know who or why to know that we have a serious problem." States are advocating for bigger IT budgets, but they are slow to implement ... and the voting systems have so far been a lower priority. It's a pretty grim picture all over the United States. Francesca Spidalieri senior fellow for cyber leadership, Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy The recent attacks should be seen as inevitable rather than surprising. A Pell Center report on state cybersecurity programs published before the recent election hacks concluded that "no state is cyber ready." There are more than 2,000 different jurisdictions around the United States, and all have different types of voting machines and limited resources to update them. Hired staff or those who volunteer on Election Day have limited to no training in cybersecurity, said Spidalieri. "States are advocating for bigger IT budgets, but they are slow to implement some of their new programs, and the voting systems have so far been a lower priority." she said. "It's a pretty grim picture all over the United States," she added. In August, Department of Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnson warned state election officials about potential cyberattacks that could interfere with the elections and said he would consider designating certain electoral systems as "critical infrastructure." Mission critical Millions of your co-workers are getting a raise, some bigger than others. If you're not one of them, there may be an explanation for why you're getting left behind. In the years just after the financial collapse of 2008 and the mass layoffs of the Great Recession, most people felt lucky to have an income even if it wasn't growing. Employers quickly recognized that their workers were more concerned about job security than holding on to any hopes for fatter paychecks. So wage growth shrank. The Italian banking sector is stuck in a vicious, ever-decreasing circle with the economy. Banks can't lend to fuel the economy, the economy gets worse, and the chance of banks getting anything back from their bad debts shrinks even further. Italian banks have been thrust into the spotlight this year over concerns about their solvency. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS), the Italian bank which is the world's oldest, had secured a dramatic 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) rescue package in July, after months of concerns about its portfolio of bad loans sent its share price plunging. Bini Smaghi, a member of the European Central Bank's governing board during the height of global financial crisis of June 2005-November 2011, told CNBC at the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy: "We need a European banking system." Reform of Europe's banks should be boosted by a pan-European banking system and more cross-border mergers within the European Union, Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, chairman of Societe Generale, told CNBC. BMPS still has to raise the capital to ensure its rescue, which may be even more difficult after the investigation by Italian prosecutors into its chief executive Fabrizio Viola and former chairman Alessandro Profumo for alleged market manipulation emerged last month. Gianmaria Gros-Pietro, chairman of Intesa Sanpaolo, one of Italy's biggest lenders, told CNBC: "Each bank now has to be very rigorous on itself." He added of the rescue: "We have not protected weaker banks, we have protected people." Another complicating factor is the high proportion of ordinary people who have invested in Italian banks, which makes a bailout under EU terms, where investors lose out first, more complicated. Bini Smaghi said Italy is unlikely to request a European Stability Mechanism program to help banks. "You get this public money when there is no other money available. That is not the case in Italy," he said. "The most important issue is to look not only at solvency, but at profitability. Can these banks attract private capital in the future?" he added. He also added his voice to those of other European banking leaders calling on the Basel supervisory board, which is meeting twice this month, to clarify what will happen about global capital rules as it moves into the next post-credit crisis phase of reforms. Google has given up on its dreams of building its own modular smartphone. The hardware maker has halted investment in Project Ara, as the effort was known. Ara, begun under advanced research head Regina Dugan, aimed to allow people to customize their own smartphone, upgrading pieces over time. Why should a user have to throw away their whole phone when they could just upgrade the battery or camera? But Google struggled to come out with a product that could perform up to expectations and come in at a reasonable cost. It shelved a market test in Puerto Rico that was scheduled for last year. It went back to the drawing board, combining more of the core phone features into a single module, leaving expansion for things like an extra battery, speaker or camera. More from Recode: Elon Musk just blew up Mark Zuckerberg's satellite Samsung is recalling all Galaxy Note 7 phablets globally after identifying battery flaw Ride-sharing's impact on car sales has been dramatically overstated As recently as its I/O developer conference in May, Google was promising developers would have working hardware this year and that early adopters would be able to try Ara next year. Hardware chief Rick Osterloh, however, decided that the effort was unlikely to succeed. He is choosing to focus on the company's many other hardware bets, including Chromebooks, Android devices and Google Home. A growing independence movement in Hong Kong is worrying Beijing ahead of the special administrative region's parliamentary election this weekend. The first such election after the 79-day protests in 2014, the polls are closely watched by the international and business communities as China tightens the screws on the former British colony. Up for grabs will be 70 legislative council seats in the city of 7 million. The 2014 Umbrella Movement was triggered by proposed changes to Hong Kong's electoral system that were seen to be a breach of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, as China planned to screen all nominees in the first direct elections for Hong Kong's leader. The government eventually cleared protesters' tent city, without offering any concessions. In the current election, Beijing's hand was again seen when Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission ruled in July that all candidates must sign a pledge stating that the territory is an "inalienable" part of China. The commission rejected applications from six candidates who were seen to be pro-independence. Just two days before the polls open, China was still trying to pressure the Hong Kong government to disqualify another six candidates for the same reason, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. Crude prices rose on Friday after losses of more than 3 percent a day earlier, with investors treading cautiously ahead of key U.S. employment data that will help gauge the health of the world's largest economy and oil consumer. Brent crude had climbed 27 cents to $45.72 a barrel by 0426 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 24 cents at $43.40 a barrel, buoyed by a weaker dollar. Though rising in this session, Brent and WTI are on track for their biggest weekly losses since mid-January, hit by oil inventory builds and weak U.S. manufacturing data. On Friday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that he was optimistic about producers moving to a common position on oil production. "We are beginning to have a meeting of the minds but it is a work in progress and we'll see what happens in the meeting in Algeria. And I'm hopefully optimistic," he told reporters. Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries are due to meet informally in Algeria on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum on Sept. 26-28, and are expected to seek to revive a global output freeze deal. watch now For its new original documentary "Ground Zero Rising: Freedom vs. Fear," CNBC interviewed a wide array of experts involved in the safety and security planning of the World Trade Center and received exclusive access to the site's operations command center to learn how it keeps tenants and tourists safe. Rising to a symbolic height of 1,776 feet, One World Trade Center is an emblem of American resilience. With a cost of $3.9 billion, the tower is also a symbol of Western capitalism. Much of its price tag, however, is attributable to security enhancements that arguably make it one of the safest buildings in the world. Yet, even though One World Trade was specifically designed to withstand a 9/11-type attack or 1993-style bombing, the iconic building likely remains a target. Safe to the core Shortly after the building opened, Chris Rock joked in his "Saturday Night Live" monologue, "They should change the name from the Freedom Tower to the Never Going in There Tower 'cause I'm never going in there." But architect David Childs built safety into the core of One World Trade literally. The tower's signature feature is its unique concrete core, which extends from a 185-foot-tall fortress-like pedestal all the way to the top of the building. Author and historian Judith Dupre, who followed the rebuilding for years, considers the use of the concrete core to be a technological leap forward. "Because of various union issues in New York City, concrete cores weren't used very much,"she said. "But after 9/11, it was so important to have the most secure building possible that they sat down with the heads of the unions and said, 'Guys, we have to do this differently. We have to do it better.'" When it comes to One World Trade, better is an understatement the concrete itself is the most dense and impact-resistant ever used in a building. "The concrete core is 14,000 psi. Strongest concrete ever used anywhere, in a skyscraper," Dupre said. As the exclusive leasing agent for One World Trade, Tara Stacom's job is to convince prospective tenants that the tower is impenetrable, but escapable. "All the new buildings today are building based upon what we've done here at One World Trade Center," said Stacom. "So cores are strengthened. They're concrete. Life safety is within those cores. Stairs now are made extra wide. We have something unusual, which is a direct fire-responder stair. So they have their own stair to get up and down in the case of need. They have their own separate elevator as well that can operate." To prevent a logjam of people trying to get out in case of emergency, One World Trade's staircases are 20 percent wider than required by code. Safety and security considerations contributed to the high cost not only of One World Trade, but of other nearby buildings. For example, the estimated cost to reconstruct the nearly 200-year-old St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed on 9/11, is $40 million. "This construction zone is extremely expensive, because of the high security, because of the high tolerances," said Jerry Dimitriou, executive director of administration for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. "We're sitting on top of a bombproof pad, because of the specifications that the Port Authority has put forth. The design has to be maintained so that it can withstand certain blast criteria. So, all of those things add up to a more expensive build for the church." But 15 years after the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history, these expensive architectural feats of defiance may be a defense against the wrong threat. A new kind of terror History is but one element of what informs the security plan here at the World Trade Center site. George Anderson director of security for the World Trade Center Former FBI Special Agent Don Borelli suggests the greatest danger is posed by potential "lone wolf" attackers. He also believes there have been "lots" of credible threats made on One World Trade. "Chances are, based on everything that we've seen, it's likely that somebody will take another shot at this building and the surrounding area," he said. However, Borelli thinks the chances of a 9/11-type attack a large-scale event such as coordinating the hijacking of multiple planes are small. "A more likely scenario is somebody that has walked in here with some kind of an automatic weapon and start shooting at people that are just here to enjoy the site in this plaza. Something like a San Bernardino-type of event," he said. George Anderson, director of security for the World Trade Center, recognizes the need to be constantly aware of the changing threat environment. "History is but one element of what informs the security plan here at the World Trade Center site," said Anderson, referring to the bombing by a vehicle-born improvised explosive device 23 years ago. "We know that was the history here in 1993, but we have a different threat profile here in 2016. We just need to look at the papers and at the news media to see what's going on around the world." "We have the lone wolf situation here in this country you don't need to have been trained directly by ISIS to come here and perpetrate certain types of attacks. So our security program here has to take into account all of those threats, all of those risks, and develop solutions," Anderson said. Security centers Police patrol the grounds of One World Trade Eduardo Munoz Alvarez | Getty Images On the plaza, a display of force is visible: Officers from the NYPD counterterrorism bureau, New York state troopers and Port Authority police are armed with heavy weapons to serve as a visible deterrent to potential active shooters. The most important security features, however, are hidden. CNBC gained exclusive access to the WTC Operations Command Center, where Anderson and his team monitor every inch of the 16-acre site. According to Anderson, federal, state, and local homeland security partners were instrumental in developing the security program. "We are able to use the cameras both reactively to look at incidents that may be happening and also proactively to search for any concerns that we might have," Anderson said. After the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida in June, an NBC News poll found that half of Americans strongly support extensive surveillance and security checks in public places to prevent terrorist attacks. Another 32 percent somewhat supported such measures to improve domestic security. The site's vehicle security center, equipped to detect explosives and radioactive material, was designed to prevent another bombing like the 1993 attack under 2 World Trade that killed six people and injured more than 1,000. Drivers are not allowed to park next to the towers or museum, and all deliveries are made using roads hidden underground. "We screen every single vehicle that comes onto the site from delivery vehicles to tour buses to privately operated vehicles," said Anderson. "We have no public parking that's available here at the World Trade Center site all the vehicles that come here are known to us [and] we know who the drivers are going to be." "It truly is unique because I'm not familiar with any other screening center for a commercial real estate complex that is like the vehicle screening center here at the World Trade Center complex." Even with extensive security measures in place, Borelli emphasized the need to stop perpetrators in the planning stage. "Security is not just gates and guards and cameras and all that," he said. "Security's intelligence. Security is knowing who might be driving down that street long before they get there. Who are the people that are looking at this as a potential target? And trying to dismantle those groups or disrupt those potential plots." A trade-off Matteo Renzi should not resign if he loses the referendum on which he has staked his premiership but if he does it will not be a disaster, his predecessor as Italy's prime minister told CNBC on Friday. Italians will vote in October on constitutional reforms championed by Renzi, which include plans to strip the Italian Senate of much of its power. Mario Monti, the economist who led an Italian technocrat government between 2011 and 2013, said Renzi could win the vote and that promising to resign if he did not was misguided. "I think that was ill-advised on his part and you will notice he is now pouring a lot of water into that wine, which for a Tuscan is not so natural, probably," Monti told CNBC at the Ambrosetti Forum on economics in Italy. Ousted Fox News CEO Roger Ailes' degrading treatment of women and his peers extends from before his time at the conservative network, according to a new report from New York Magazine. The article, "The Revenge of Roger's Angels," says Ailes' sexual harassment of women was already happening when he worked at "The Mike Douglas Show" five decades ago. The magazine said it interviewed 18 women "who shared accounts of Ailes's offering them job opportunities if they would agree to perform sexual favors for him and for his friends." The women were not identified. Ailes started on the talk show as a property assistant in 1962, eventually becoming executive producer in 1967 when it was nationally syndicated. In select cases, he said he would release tapes of the activities if the alleged victims told anybody, according to the magazine. Ailes' behavior continued throughout his political consulting career, where he worked on presidential campaigns for Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush, as well as Rudy Giuliani's 1989 mayoral campaign, according to the magazine. The article also claims that Ailes was abusive toward employees during his tenure at NBC when he was president of CNBC, saying anti-Semetic slurs and threatening employees. Fox parent company 21st Century Fox declined comment on the article. Fox News and Ailes did not respond to CNBC requests for comment. New York Magazine also claimed that Ailes monitored Fox News like a "surveillance state," installing CCTV systems that allowed him to watch people and instructing the IT department to monitor employee email. It got a hold of phone records of journalists, which may or may not have been legal, according to the report. When Ailes saw things he didn't like, he instructed his staff to leak negative press stories about the perpetrator and increase the level of monitoring, the magazine said, citing sources. Ailes, who was the founding CEO of Fox News, resigned in July amid allegations that he sexually harassed former anchor Grechen Carlson. In a lawsuit against Ailes, Carlson alleged that she was fired on June 23 from the network because she refused to sleep with Ailes. She detailed degrading comments that Ailes made toward her, including calling her a "man hater" and asking her to turn around so he could view her "posterior." Ailes has denied the claims. 21st Century Fox started an investigation into the case. According to another report by New York Magazine, current Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly also alleged harassment during a probe by law firm Paul, Weiss, Kelly, which was commissioned by the parent company. Other former Fox News employees have told CNBC that they witnessed Ailes sexually harassing other employees during their tenure at the company. Read New York Magazine's full story here. Russia is ready to strike a deal to help boost global oil prices, the country's deputy prime minister told CNBC. "We are ready to sign to have a deal," Arkady Dvorkovich told CNBC in Italy at the Ambrosetti Forum on economics. Major oil-producing countries will meet in Algiers this month to discuss market conditions. OPEC member countries, plus Russia, are expected to hold discussion on the sidelines about the possibility of an output freeze to boost prices. Hopes of a deal have fallen through in the past, in particular because Saudi Arabia OPEC's de facto leader remains wedded to keeping output high to hold market share. However, Dvorkovich suggested that with oil prices still low, Saudi Arabia may yet change its mind. Samsung versus LG is one of the fiercest rivalries in the tech industry, and when it comes to TVs, the two are betting on different technologies for the future with one goal - to make your viewing experience more real. At the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Samsung took to the stage on Thursday to announced its new the 88-inch KS9800 quantum dot TV. Samsung is pursuing quantum dot technology which it promises will revolutionize TVs and is the "new kid on the block" in terms of innovation. But LG isn't convinced. The South Korean electronics giant which competes with Samsung in everything from home appliances to smartphones, says that organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology is the future. Samsung however has shunned OLED. At IFA, both companies took the chance to take digs at each others' technology. At a press conference on Thursday, Michael Zoeller, European head of visual display at Samsung, cited a test by HDTVtest that showed Samsung's TVs trumped LG's for brightness and better contrast when watching high dynamic range (HDR) content. Images shot in HDR essentially make the contrast between light and dark colors even more prominent so the white highlights are even brighter. The purpose is to make the image on screen look more realistic. Samsung Electronics launched a special exhibition at IFA 2016 with a design by a team of rising German artists. The installation, entitled The Origin of Quantum Dot, showcases Samsungs SUHD TVs with Quantum dot display. Samsung LG hit back however. "You can't just cherry pick certain aspects of a test and tell consumers. If you're only going to look at brightness, quantum dot with LCD is going to be brighter than OLED. It's a matter of physics," an LG spokesperson told CNBC. "What we are saying is consumers generally want more than just brightness, they want contrast, color, gamut, there are so many ways to measure a TV's performance. If you look at the overall story of OLED vs other TVs, all TV experts will say OLED is better tech." Quantum dot vs. OLED So what are these two technologies? Liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs work by a backlight shining through some color filters to produce an image on the screen. But this process can lead to a lot of light being lost, imperfect colors and not enough contrasting colors. Samsung's solution is to put a sheet of quantum dots - particles - in between this process. These particles light up to more perfect colors when a certain shade of light is shone on them. This can allow the TV to produce brighter colors. OLED technology on the other hand is just a single sheet of material that glows certain colors when electricity is pumped through it. The advantage is that individual pixels on a screen can be shut off allowing for absolute blacks. LG showcases its organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology at IFA 2016. CNBC's Arjun Kharpal This is important because both companies are betting on the two technologies but are both using these to support HDR images. HDR will allow whiter whites and darker blacks to create a more realistic and 3-D looking image. Samsung announced that it is working alongside Netflix and Amazon to produce HDR content and both have promised to bring more titles with this quality standard in the near future. LG also told CNBC it is working with all the major streaming services. HDR has a number of standards employed by different broadcasters and content producers. Ahead of IFA, LG announced that its OLED TVs now support three HDR standards - HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG, which means viewers can theoretically watch more content in this quality, something that LG said sets it apart from Samsung. "We are still the only TV out there compliant with all the formats. If you want all three, the only way is LG," the company's spokesperson told CNBC. Who will win? CNBC's Arjun Kharpal OLED gives you dark blacks, while quantum dot can give you bright whites. The challenge is trying to find a compromise for both technologies that will allow them to provide great looking HDR content, analysts said. In the end, the choice is going to be down to which TV consumers want to put in their home, according to Paul Gray, principal analyst at IHS, who focuses on the TV market. But Gray said that LG is the only player focusing on OLED which could lead to slower innovation. "Long term OLED will struggle with the innovation rate and cost compared to LCD as it's one company innovating against an industry. The LCD industry has scale," Gray told CNBC in an interview at IFA. "OLED is an immature tech with one company innovating on their own, they are doing a good job, but being on your own doing that is tough." Saudi Arabia could still agree to a deal to freeze crude production as long as all other oil-producing nations do the same, the country's Prince Turki Al-Faisal told CNBC on Friday. Major oil-producing countries will meet in Algiers this month to discuss market conditions. Members of the oil-producing cartel OPEC, plus Russia, are expected to hold discussion on the sidelines about the possibility of an output freeze to boost prices. Several deals have fallen through in the past, in particular because Saudi Arabia OPEC's de facto leader remains wedded to keeping output high to hold market share. However, Saudi Arabia is not alone in scuppering deals, including in February, when Iran refused to join forces with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela in freezing output. "What Saudi Arabia is seeking is a holistic approach to the issue of oil production and prices, not just within OPEC," Al-Faisal told CNBC on Friday from the Ambrosetti Forum on economics in Italy. "All oil producers should have a role in whatever decision is taken everybody should play their part," the prince, who was previous head of the Saudi intelligence service and ambassador to the U.S., later added. Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has called for another push towards leaving the United Kingdom after she called on Scotland to control its own future. Scots voted in September 2014 to remain a part of the United Kingdom by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent. However a recent vote by the UK to leave the European Union has brought Scottish independence back on to the table as more than 62 percent of Scots voted in vain to stay a part of Europe. Speaking Thursday, Sturgeon, who is Scotland's First Minister, said she was announcing a "political listening exercise" to see if independence was what Scots now wanted. "The UK that existed before June 23 [Brexit vote] has fundamentally changed. "I know that we are right to keep our third option on the table and that is to consider again in these very difficult circumstances if Scotland should be an independent country," she said in a press conference. Senator Amy Klobuchar echoed on Friday Hillary Clinton's call for a more methodical approach to monitor pharmaceutical companies from increasing drug prices after Mylan grew prices for its auto-injector EpiPen. The Democratic presidential nominee on Friday released a new plan to fight rising drug prices with a consumer response team. Clinton has been critical of Mylan, even last week sending out a tweet that said in part: "There's no justification for these price hikes." Tweet 1 The U.S. senator from Minnesota said in order for this to happen, you would need economists and experts on the team. "But what you'd be looking at ... sure there's production and innovation changes sometimes that cause price increases, so you look at that, the value to the patients, the value to the customer," Klobuchar told CNBC's "Power Lunch." "But we can't have this situation continue where we are just responding years later realizing these prices have gone up," she said. Klobuchar on Friday released a statement saying the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services found that Mylan had misclassified the EpiPen as a generic drug, resulting in overpayment for the drug by states and the federal government through the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. Earlier this week, the senator sent a letter to CMS asking why the device was classified as a generic drug under the program. Shares of Mylan dropped after the report. Mylan previously had taken steps to decrease the price of its lifesaving device. After Mylan was scrutinized from Clinton and consumers, the company announced plans to increase access to its leading product by making expansions to its already existing cost-cutting programs. And on Monday, the company said it would launch the first generic version of the medication at half the price. watch now One of the world's biggest container shipping lines just saw its financing jump ship, with ports across the globe blocking or seizing its vessels. The downfall of the South Korean shipper, Hanjin Shipping , has already sent shockwaves across businesses globally. What has happened? Banks stopped providing financial support to Hanjin Shipping, which has been bleeding red ink. For the first quarter, Hanjin Shipping reported a net loss of 261.1 billion South Korean won ($233.6 million) on sales of 1.59 trillion won, citing freight rates' drop to record lows. That spurred the shipping line to file for court receivership this week, a process that'll mean the judicial system will decide whether Hanjin will remain a going concern. By Friday, Hanjin said 44 out of its 98 container ships have been denied access to ports around the world and one ship was seized, Reuters reported. Hanjin hasn't been alone in struggling in the current market, analysts said. "This is a reflection of the current turmoil in the shipping markets where oversupply of ships is simply killing the market," Pradeep Rajan, senior managing editor for Asia Pacific shipping and freight at S&P Global Platts, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday. "It's simply too many ships and freight rates at historical lows." Nomura, in a research note on Wednesday, noted that South Korean shipping companies took a particular hit as they set their charter rates on leased vessels in 2010 at high levels, prior to a drop in shipping rates. So does this mean my kid wont get his Elmo for Christmas? Hanjin is a significant player. Industry data provider Alphaliner placed Hanjin Shipping at the seventh largest globally, with a 2.9 percent market share; that compared with the largest, APM-Maersk, with around 622 ships and a 15.4 percent market share. On its website, Maersk Line said that around 90 percent of global trade was transported by ship. Hanjin's receivership has hit as the retailers were awaiting their shipments of Christmas goodies. "The goods stuck on Hanjin ships are largely for the shelves on the run up to Christmas," noted Greg Knowler, the Asia editor for maritime and trade at IHS Markit, in an email to CNBC. That's not lost on retailers preparing for their busiest time of year. Sandy Kennedy, president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Federal Maritime Commission on Thursday that "the prospect of harm is significant and apparent," with the potential for a "ripple effect" throughout global supply chains. She added that ports were refusing to release cargo without assurances payment would be made. Kennedy noted that Hanjin represented nearly 8 percent of transpacific trade volume for the U.S. market. One of the ripple effects could be higher prices for holiday shoppers. Freight rates for routes out of South Korea have surged as much as 50 percent, according to media reports. That could affect shipments from some of South Korea's largest exporters. Daniel Yoo, a strategist at Kiwoom Securities, told CNBC that Hanjin handled more than 50 percent of Samsung Electronics' device shipments from South Korea to the Americas and 23 percent of LG Electronics ' appliances. LG Electronics, one of the world's largest TV-makers, was looking for contingency shipping arrangements for its electronics, Reuters reported. Whats the impact on the broader industry? Even if Hanjin were to be entirely wound up, it's not clear that it would affect the industry much. "Ironically, the collapse of Hanjin will do nothing to address the excess capacity in the industry," IHS Markit's Knowler said, noting that the ships it operates will be sold or taken over with other charters. "Hanjin exiting the market will not reduce the overall amount of ships," he said. "It doesn't ease the fundamental problem of too many ships and too little cargo to put on them." Knowler didn't expect Hanjin to herald a wave of shipping failures, but he noted that it could speed up efforts to consolidate the industry into fewer players. But Kiwoom Securities' Yoo was slightly more optimistic, taking Hanjin's likely demise as a sign that shipping rates may have hit bottom. He expected that U.S. demand will begin to pick up, while China's demand would stabilize and the European Union's malaise would bottom, likely leading to improvement in global trade. Will Hanjins bankruptcy hurt South Korea? Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images This start-up says its bracelet can save your life. "Every year over 400,000 people die from medical errors. Doctors need accurate information about your health condition. The first responders need to know who you are," said CJ Wilson, founder of MyHealth.Us. Wilson started the company with the goal of providing instant, convenient access to your medical records by storing all that data in one secure place on accessories like bracelets, stickers, wallet cards, even shoe tags and key chains. The MyHealth.Us accessories are tagged with a machine-readable barcode known as a Quick Response Code, or QR Code. Embedded in that QR Code: your medical records, which doctors can retrieve with a QR code scanner. Angel investor Nat Burgess, who oversees tech mergers and acquisitions at Corum Group, told CNBC similar business models have failed in this space, and he wondered how MyHealth.Us would be able to survive Wilson said he believes MyHealth.Us' affordable prices will attract customers and grow the business. Items cost $20 each on the company's website, which includes two years of service, followed by a $10 annual fee to maintain the services. But there are free apps on the market that let users store and share personal health records including Healthspek and onpatient PHR, which is also available on the Apple Watch. While customers can buy MyHealth.Us' data storing accessories direct from the company, Wilson said the start-up's main strategy is to target employers, insurers and chronic-care groups. Wilson said these clients generate the majority of the start-up's revenue, which he declined to disclose. The company also recommends local medical providers to its users. If a user chooses that provider, the start-up gets a referral fee. Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) walks away after announcing the suspension of his campaign during his election night watch party at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Union Station on May 3, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ted Cruz has a reasonable beef with Verisign. The U.S. Senator from Texas, in his effort to win the Republican presidential primary, had to resort to using the address tedcruz.org, because tedcruz.com had been co-opted by someone else. Anyone visiting the .com address finds a picture of Hillary Clinton followed by the text, "Next President of the United States of America!!!" Verisign runs the dot-com domain, which has 127.5 million registered addresses, according to the Reston, Virginiabased company's latest earnings report. Verisign's control over dot-com is based on a contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit organization that oversees the web's naming system. Last month, Cruz, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis) wrote a letter to the Department of Justice opposing ICANN's proposed contract extension with Verisign to 2024. The current agreement ends in 2018, but Verisign and ICANN are working to extend it now, rather than waiting two years. Friday was a good day for Verisign and a bad one for Cruz. Verisign shares rose 5.6 percent to $79.02, after Cowen & Co.'s Gregg Moskowitz wrote in a report that the U.S. government is unlikely to intervene in a matter that hurts Verisign. Cowen's report was based on its interpretation of the DOJ's response to Cruz on Wednesday. "While the language used was noncommittal, we believe it may indicate a material adverse outcome for VRSN is not very likely to occur," wrote Moskowitz, who has a "market perform" rating on the stock and an $80 price target. watch now One company is making the traditionally staid world of warehouse management exciting, with a little help from technology. Manually counting inventory is a chore, says Robert Yap, the executive chairman of YCH Group. It makes for dull work, and if items are counted wrongly, everything has to be counted from the top all over again. "If you use the manual system, it could effectively take you two days to count inventory. With drones, it's just one, two hours," Yap tells CNBC's Managing Asia. Among the high-tech logistics solutions the company has adopted are automated storage and retrieval systems, drone inventory management and radio-frequency identification (RFID). All of these are put to use in Supply Chain City, the YCH Group's $163 million automated flagship warehouse -- the largest of its kind in Asia. Drone inventory management and radio-frequency identification (RFID) are some of the technologies the YCH Group uses. Dorin Lim The YCH Group has a history of switching things up. The company had originally been in the passenger transportation sector when Yap first joined the family business. "I changed [our focus] to cargo transportation and from [that], we moved up the value chain to include warehousing, international freight forwarding and integrated logistics," Yap explains, "As we were migrating the value chain, I sort of fell in love with [the business]." Despite his current enthusiasm, Yap had initially been resistant towards joining the family business after university. "I said, if you retire and I run it my way, I might consider it," Yap says on the exchange with his father, "And he said, you got a deal. I took over and kept my word ever since." In the thirty-nine years he's been with the company, Yap has expanded the YCH Group's regional presence. It is now in more than a hundred cities throughout Asia Pacific. Yap also says that he is not worried about the slowdown in the Chinese economy, citing growth from other emerging economies, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, as a reason to be optimistic about the logistics industry. Even though the YCH Group might not be the biggest player in the Asian logistics scene, it is one of the most technologically advanced. Yap believes that investing heavily in technology will enable the company to differentiate itself from its competitors. "We are not adverse to investment [and] we are not afraid to invest for the long haul," he says. This has led to the development of the company's standalone IT arm, Y3 Technologies. Yap refers to this as his "secret weapon". Also operating in the supply chain logistics space, Y3 provides a range of next generation solutions, including cloud computing, e-commerce and customer relationship management products. Unlike the YCH Group, which deals in large scale solutions, Y3 operates on a shared services concept so that even small businesses can utilize its services on a pay-per-use basis. watch now "This smells like the elements of a nuclear-level trap confirmation bias. There's just no way this kind of self-assuredness at any point in a presidential election is warranted. Bigger much bigger deficits in the national polls have been overcome before in presidential elections." Nowhere was this confirmation bias more evident than it was earlier this week as the Clinton team and much of the leading news pundits began pre-emptively dissecting Trump's visit to Mexico City and his subsequent speech on immigration policy in Phoenix. Their "conventional wisdom" was that the trip would fall flat and the immigration speech would simply feature more of the same rhetoric Trump opponents already pre-judge as racist bombast. Some slightly less brainwashed observers did grudgingly admit the Trump photo op with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto made Trump look more presidential. But they quickly joined the rest of the self-assured anti-Trump chorus when they bashed his immigration speech as a failure and insisted whatever good the optics of Trump's meeting with President Pena Nieto earned. That was despite the fact that the speech really honed Trump's immigration message into a clear move against illegal immigrants with violent criminal records. And it's been breathtaking to see the contortions his opponents have subjected themselves to in order to convince themselves that trying to protect Americans from violent crime is somehow a bad message. And of course, the recent Trump improvement in the polls isn't enough to shake them out of their religious-level reverie. Even poll guru Nate Silver has noticed the polls are tightening and the trend is favoring Trump, at least over the past few weeks. And more importantly, Silver has been correct in pointing out that if Trump does eventually overtake Clinton in the national popular vote it's very unlikely he will not do the same in the state-by-state electoral college battle. Clinton's lead over Trump has narrowed to just over 4 points, according to the latest Real Clear Politics average of recent polls. In fact, two national polls (USC Dornsife/LA Times and Rasmussen Reports) actually shows Trump ahead. But Team Clinton and most of the experts don't seem to think this means anything. Exhibit A: Clinton continues to lay low as if there's no way Trump could do anything she could ever need to counterattack with a major campaign appearance or event. And, the majority of the news media headlines and analysis about Trump focus on how he's an impossibly inept candidate with no support among mainstream Americans. This smells like the elements of a nuclear-level trap confirmation bias. There's just no way this kind of self-assuredness at any point in a presidential election is warranted. Bigger much bigger deficits in the national polls have been overcome before in presidential elections. And with at least two national polls showing Trump actually now ahead, this would seem like a good time for everyone to reassess. Interrupting your schedule to only to attend Tim Cook-hosted fundraisers and sending out well-produced but still nasty Tweets about Trump aren't the way to respond if your lead is narrowing. But hey, Clinton and probably everyone around her think she's got the election in the bag and they don't seem to care about much else. Outside of the Clinton team, there's a more important audience that needs to get a better handle on the truth. That would be the American people, many of whom have only been told and are thus convinced that Clinton cannot lose. That mirrors the situation we saw earlier this summer in Britain, where the public was told daily by everyone from the political pundits to the gambling odds makers that the Brexit side would never win. Well, Brexit did win and the surprise outcome fueled a mostly unwarranted hysterical market reaction and national period of whining we could hear clear across the Atlantic. The reaction to a Trump win in November would make the Brexit response look like a hiccup. Much of that surely loud and possibly violent response would be fueled by the surprise of it all. Anti-Trump Americans will feel a sense of betrayal by a news media and an overall establishment that didn't properly warn them of the outcome. It's time they started letting the public know there's a 50/50 chance this thing won't turn out their way. Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. Donald Trump would be a "nightmare" as U.S. president, making relations with other countries "extraordinarily difficult" and placing the U.S. economy in jeopardy, Joseph Stiglitz told CNBC, adding that the Republican candidate had "no deep understanding of economics other than knowing how to go bankrupt." "We can only hope he won't bankrupt the country," Stiglitz, a Nobel-prizewinning economist, told CNBC. Trump, a billionaire businessman, has filed for at least four bankruptcies, with NBC News putting the figure at six. He will contest Democrat candidate, Hillary Clinton, in the November U.S. presidential election. Trump has previously said he would renegotiate the U.S. national debt as president, although he has since backtracked on this. "That is something that it is almost unimaginable that any leader would say That is not the way capital markets will work," Stiglitz told CNBC. He said a Trump presidency would pose serious problems for U.S. foreign relations, highlighting the Republican's promise to build a wall across the border with Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out. "I think it will be extraordinarily difficult for our relations with other countries, for our economic relations with other countries, for our foreign policy relationships. You know, (talking about) building that wall between Mexico and the United States has built a wall between the United States and Latin America. It has done more damage already than one could imagine," Stiglitz told CNBC. U.S. President Barack Obama Leigh Vogel | FilmMagic | Getty Images BERLIN It has been a bad week for one of President Barack Obama's signature trade goals. And for once, it's not widespread resistance to the Trans-Pacific Partnership that is giving the White House headaches. This time, the political pressures are centered on the proposed agreement to loosen regulatory burdens between the European Union and the United States. German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said repeatedly over the last week that talks over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have failed because U.S. negotiators refused to compromise. French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl, meanwhile, said on Tuesday that the current round of talks should be ended. Those comments come despite Brussels' and Washington's official commitment to seal the deal before Obama leaves office in January. "If the Americans don't move towards the Europeans, then Europe can't agree to a 'TTIP light.' And with this, the project at least how it was all planned for this year has failed," Gabriel said in a Tuesday news conference, according to Reuters. Although the proposed free trade deal is still under negotiation, it aims to be roughly analogous to the Asia-focused TPP. The latter deal has surfaced again and again in the U.S. presidential election with supporters of both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump railing against the proposed pact. But TTIP is relatively little-known to Americans. In Europe, however, the TTIP is the topic of a lot of discussion, and it has elicited opposition from millions of people: About 3.5 million Europeans have signed onto a citizens' initiative calling on the European Union and its member states to cease trade negotiations with the U.S. and on a similar deal with Canada. And while Gabriel blamed the stalled deal on American recalcitrance, popular resistance to TTIP has been based on wide-ranging objections to the proposed agreement. The website for the anti-TTIP initiative lists nine separate arguments against the deal, but an overarching concern is that large multinational corporations will benefit from a deal while regular citizens suffer. The 'ISDS,' and why people don't like it One of the first concerns brought up by both experts and regular citizens is the establishment of a so-called investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) procedure in the deal. That system would allow large companies to sue countries in arbitration if they feel that any laws or practices are unfair given international standards. The U.S. Trade Representative argues that the ISDS signals to investors a strong rule of law, and that it allows for conflict resolution before the state-to-state level. But anti-TTIP activists warn that ISDS could be used to subvert democracy, canceling the will of the people if a new law such as one regulating environmental or health concerns is found to unduly hurt a company's profits. "It's a big threat to our legal system," said Ernst-Christoph Stolper, a spokesperson for STOP TTIP and a former state secretary for economic affairs in Rhineland-Palatinate. He added that companies not people would be given more power to write the rules of the world economy in such a legal framework. "This is a principal problem for representative democracy," adds Maritta Strasser, a lead trade campaigner for the nongovernmental organization Campact which helped form the STOP TTIP alliance. And those companies that could subvert democracy, Strasser said, are more likely to come from the U.S. than Europe. "Maybe America could be a bully, maybe Europe could be a bully. But the U.S. is more likely they have a bigger market, bigger corporations," she said, while acknowledging the irony that her own country, Germany, has been accused of bullying Greece within the euro zone. Health and the environment A frequently repeated rule is that the EU is much stricter about consumer protection and environmental concerns than the U.S. relying on a so-called precautionary principle where products are not allowed into the market until proven safe. By contrast, the U.S. has laxer standards for market entry, but then levies harsher penalties on companies found to be harming people or the environment. Many Europeans especially here in Berlin are quick to criticize the American approach as risking citizens' health for marginal profit gains, but experts frequently point to the success of American regulators in discovering and cracking down on cheating firms like Volkswagen . Not everyone agrees, however, with the oft-repeated European truisms about the U.S. regulatory environment. "These are just myths that have been blown out of proportion, but have been used very effectively by anti-trade forces," said Heather Conley, the director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The irony is that it was U.S. regulators that found out about European companies that were not following standards." Stolper, for his part, suggested both regulatory systems are reasonably effective, but they'd be dumbed down if combined by the TTIP. Plus, he added, the double-checking nature of two unconnected systems was what allowed the discovery of VW's emissions test cheating in the first place. But many still maintain their desire to keep American goods out of their markets. "I don't want your food from the U.S. that genetic stuff," said Christina, a 27-year-old speech therapist from Berlin who declined to give her surname. "So for me, it's maybe better if we don't trade. But not for you in the U.S." Negative perceptions about U.S. products are so widely held, in fact, that American goods might not be able to succeed even if they are eventually allowed to enter European markets in the wake of a signed TTIP. "This is emotional, it's very strong," Conley said. "Would [a U.S. good] really have much market penetration because of the emotions surrounding it?" 'There will be losers' For decades, one of the few areas of agreement between mainstream economists has been the benefits of trade. Countries near-universally benefit, the argument goes, when they agree to mutually open up their borders for the exchange of goods and services. (Click here for more of the arguments for and against trade) To refute this long-held orthodoxy, the rationales for moderated trade necessarily delve into the realm of economic and political theory. In short, anti-TTIP activists allow that a country's GDP might see net gains from each and every free trade deal, but they argue that the losses suffered by working-class citizens (think about the former manufacturers of the American Rust Belt) are less socially desirable than the outsized increases to corporate executives' paychecks. "What's for sure [with trade deals] is there will be losers, as there have been losers from NAFTA and other trade deals," Strasser said of workers and small businesses who suffer because of competition abroad. "Even if, overall, the benefits would be better than the losses how do we compensate them?" Most countries, including the U.S., have programs attempting to support and retrain those who suffer the ill-effects of trade. Still, critics argue these are not enough. But it also keeps the market focus firmly on data, after jobs data missed forecasts and the U.S. ISM manufacturing survey showed a shocking contraction in activity. The ISM services data is released Tuesday and is seen as the key data for a week that also includes Wednesday's Fed Beige Book release and JOLTS, jobs turnover data, and Friday's wholesale trade. August's jobs report Friday was a disappointment with 151,000 nonfarm payrolls, 30,000 fewer than expected, and many traders took it as a sign the Fed won't be hiking rates this month. That was an immediate positive for stocks, which ended the week slightly higher. With not much on the calendar, market focus in the week ahead will move to things like the price of oil, a few economic reports and whatever the winds blow in from overseas. Over the long Labor Day weekend, China releases services PMI data, and Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda speaks Monday. Central banks will be a big theme in September, with the European Central Bank meeting Thursday. The Bank of Japan and the Fed both meet on Sept. 20 and 21. But for the U.S., the coming week could be a relatively quiet one with just two Fed speakers San Francisco Fed President John Williams on Tuesday evening and Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren Friday morning. "We've kind of run out of wait-and-see moments," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities, referring to the market anticipation around the late August Jackson Hole Fed symposium and Friday's August employment reports. "Look out for a rethink with much higher market participation. On the jobs number, what does it actually mean when we have the players back on the field," he said. Just the arrival of September signals a higher level of activity in the markets now that the late summer doldrums are over, and analysts have said that could bring more volatility. Wall Street is closed Monday, but it could literally be buffeted by hurricane force winds as Hermine makes its way up the East Coast, and it was expected to send high waves to East Coast beaches. But volatility in the markets may be slow in making a comeback once September trading gets underway. On Friday, the CBOE's VIX traded below 12. The Volatility Index was last this low on Aug. 23. Bank of America Merrill Lynch equities strategists have been expecting a pullback. Their forecast is for the market to end the year much lower at 2,000 on the . The S&P 500 closed at 2,179 Friday, a half percent gain for the week. "To me, with such weak data and all the macro risks, I think the onus is more on the bulls to tell us why the market can go higher. I can't think of many arguments for the market to go higher here," said Daniel Suzuki, BofAML equity strategist. Suzuki said he's watching a few things that will help clarify the outlook. "We're going to point to three things. It's the Fed speeches. It's the signals from the economic data. Are things getting better or worse, and it's the presidential debates," said Suzuki. "We're definitely on the cautious side." Tony Roth, CIO of Wilmington Trust, said markets could be quiet in the coming week, but the presidential election could start to become a factor. "The biggest negative is probably the election. I think if the polls picked up and Trump closes any kind of gap against Clinton, that causes more uncertainty," he said. Roth said that uncertainty would also keep the Fed sidelined, because Republican Donald Trump's policies are less certain than those of Democrat Hillary Clinton. Economists still mostly believe the Fed will not hike rates until December at the earliest. Goldman Sachs, however, said there was a 55 percent chance the Fed could still hike in September because job growth was strong enough. Others disagree, including BofA. "I think if you couple the weak jobs report with the weak ISM number, it's definitely enough to give you pause," said Suzuki. Traders are also watching the price of oil, which sank during the past week, dragging on stocks, before rallying hard on Friday. West Texas Intermediate futures closed at $44.44 per barrel, after rising nearly 3 percent Friday. Markets will also be watching G-20 with leaders meeting over the weekend, and President Obama meets with leaders at an Asian summit later in the week. The president is expected to push the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is opposed by both Trump and Clinton. "I think if the TPP would get some momentum, that would be positive for the market. If it happened, it would have to happen after the election," Roth said. But I must admit, I don't like that, as you can still write: C# DerivedClass dc = new DerivedClass(); dc.SomeProperty = 23 . 0 ; And it will appear to work - there is no compile or runtime error here which is potentially confusing: C# public class DerivedClass2 : BaseClass { public override double SomeProperty { get ; set ; } } Allows: C# BaseClass bc = new DerivedClass(); bc.SomeProperty = 23 . 0 ; bc = new DerivedClass2(); bc.SomeProperty = 23 . 0 ; Which doesn't do the same thing in both cases. You could throw an exception in the "unwanted" setter: C# public class DerivedClass : BaseClass { public override double SomeProperty { get { return 1d; } set { throw new ApplicationException( " Cannot set SomeProperty of DerivedClass - it is read only" ); } } } But that just moves the problem to runtime and I don't like that either. It might be better to make the Setter protected : C# public abstract class BaseClass { public abstract double SomeProperty { get ; protected set ; } } Because at least then you are restricting the confusion to classes that are directly involved, instead of letting the rest of the world get confused as well. Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you dont want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it. Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008 "If you learn something new every day, you can teach something new every day." --- Martha Stewart My wife learns something new from me everyday. She thinks it's important to learn from her mistakes. Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... Hello, I have problem with insert timestamp to PDF. On line Array.Copy(pk, 0, outc, 0, pk.Length); is error because outc.Length = 4096, but pk.Length = 7541. Metod DejCasoveRazitko work correctly. P.S. Sorry, my English is bad C# private const String ID_TIME_STAMP_TOKEN = " 1.2.840.113549.1.9.16.2.14" ; public void PodepisPdfCer( string SouborPDF, string OtiskCertifikatu) { var store = new System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Store(System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.StoreName.My, System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.StoreLocation.CurrentUser); store.Open(System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.OpenFlags.ReadOnly); string thumbprint = OtiskCertifikatu.Replace( " " , " " ).ToUpperInvariant(); if (thumbprint[0] == 8206 ) { thumbprint = thumbprint.Substring( 1 ); } var certs = store.Certificates.Find(System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509FindType.FindByThumbprint, thumbprint, true ); store.Close(); if (certs.Count == 0 ) { MessageBox.Show( " Nelze najit urceny certifikat v Current user certificate store!" , " Sign PDF" , MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning); return ; } byte[] pdfData = File.ReadAllBytes(SouborPDF); using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream()) { var reader = new PdfReader(pdfData); var stp = PdfStamper.CreateSignature(reader, stream, ' \0' ); var sap = stp.SignatureAppearance; stp.SetEncryption( null , Guid.NewGuid().ToByteArray(), PdfWriter.ALLOW_PRINTING | PdfWriter.ALLOW_COPY | PdfWriter.ALLOW_SCREENREADERS, PdfWriter.ENCRYPTION_AES_256); var cp = new Org.BouncyCastle.X509.X509CertificateParser(); var certChain = new Org.BouncyCastle.X509.X509Certificate[] { cp.ReadCertificate(certs[0].RawData) }; sap.SetCrypto( null , certChain, null , PdfSignatureAppearance.WINCER_SIGNED); BaseFont helvetica = BaseFont.CreateFont(BaseFont.HELVETICA, BaseFont.CP1250, BaseFont.EMBEDDED); iTextSharp.text.Font font = new iTextSharp.text.Font(helvetica, 12 , iTextSharp.text.Font.NORMAL); sap.Layer2Font = font; var dic = new PdfSignature(PdfName.ADOBE_PPKMS, PdfName.ADBE_PKCS7_SHA1); dic.Date = new PdfDate(sap.SignDate); dic.Name = certs[0].Subject; if (sap.Reason != null ) { dic.Reason = sap.Reason; } if (sap.Location != null ) { dic.Location = sap.Location; } sap.CryptoDictionary = dic; int csize = 4096 ; var reservedSpace = new Dictionary(); reservedSpace[PdfName.CONTENTS] = csize * 2 + 2 ; sap.PreClose(reservedSpace); System.Security.Cryptography.HashAlgorithm sha = new System.Security.Cryptography.SHA256CryptoServiceProvider(); var sapStream = sap.GetRangeStream(); int read = 0 ; byte[] buff = new byte[8192]; while ((read = sapStream.Read(buff, 0 , 8192 )) > 0 ) { sha.TransformBlock(buff, 0 , read, buff, 0 ); } sha.TransformFinalBlock(buff, 0 , 0 ); System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs.ContentInfo contentInfo = new System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs.ContentInfo(sha.Hash); System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs.SignedCms signedCms = new System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs.SignedCms(contentInfo, false ); System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs.CmsSigner cmsSigner = new System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs.CmsSigner(certs[0]); cmsSigner.IncludeOption = System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509IncludeOption.ExcludeRoot; if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(textBox_ServerCasovehoRazitka.Text.Trim())) { try { System.Security.Cryptography.AsnEncodedData timeData = new System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs.Pkcs9AttributeObject(ID_TIME_STAMP_TOKEN, DejCasoveRazitko(stream.GetBuffer(), textBox_ServerCasovehoRazitka.Text) ); cmsSigner.UnsignedAttributes.Add(timeData); } catch (Exception e) { MessageBox.Show( " Chyba TSA! " + e.Message); } } signedCms.ComputeSignature(cmsSigner, false ); byte[] pk = signedCms.Encode(); byte[] outc = new byte[csize]; Array.Copy(pk, 0 , outc, 0 , pk.Length); PdfDictionary certificateDictionary = new PdfDictionary(); sap.Close(certificateDictionary); stp.Close(); reader.Close(); byte[] signedData = stream.GetBuffer(); File.WriteAllBytes(SouborPDF, signedData); } } static protected byte[] DejCasoveRazitko(byte[] PDF, string ServerTSA) { System.Security.Cryptography.SHA256Managed hashString = new System.Security.Cryptography.SHA256Managed(); string hex = " " ; var hashValue = hashString.ComputeHash(PDF); foreach ( byte x in hashValue) { hex += String .Format( " {0:x2}" , x); } NotservisTSA.GetTimeStampRequest Request = new NotservisTSA.GetTimeStampRequest( new NotservisTSA.GetTimeStampRequestBody(hex, 0 )); NotservisTSA.Print2PDF_WebServiceSoap Soap = new NotservisTSA.Print2PDF_WebServiceSoapClient(); ((NotservisTSA.Print2PDF_WebServiceSoapClient)Soap).Endpoint.Address = new System.ServiceModel.EndpointAddress( new Uri(ServerTSA + " /Default.asmx" )); PodepsaniPDF.NotservisTSA.GetTimeStampResponse Response = Soap.GetTimeStamp(Request); byte[] responseBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(Response.Body.GetTimeStampResult); if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(Response.Body.Error)) MessageBox.Show(Response.Body.Error, " Chyba" , MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error); string base64String = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(responseBytes, 0 , responseBytes.Length); return Convert.FromBase64String(base64String); } Hi Team, Could someone suggest ideal way to submit 100s of rows from UI to db ? i think better approach would be to Prepare XML and send it to DB. Any other ideas are welcome. Thanks, Giri In the case of SQLite, you'd be better of doing 100 inserts wrapped in a transaction. If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell Hello all. I have a background worker that executes a query against an SQL Server database. The user clicks a button and the query runs, then the results of the query go into a datagrid. The users are requesting a Cancel button for the query because the queries can take a very long time to run. So when the user clicks the Run Query button, a small form with a Cancel Button opens. If the user clicks the button, DialogueResult.Cancel is returned and I execute CancelAsync(). Meanwhile, in my DoWork thread, I am preparing to run the query. When I run the query, I execute adapter3.Fill(GlobalData.g_queryData); So, there is no loop. Most of the forums I have seen tell you to check Backgroundworker.CancellationPending. The problem is that I am not running in a loop. So, can someone suggest maybe another approach to canceling a query that is currently running? Thanks, David C# using (SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection(GlobalStr.sqlConnStringMetadata)) { try { connection.Open(); SqlTransaction Transaction = connection.BeginTransaction(IsolationLevel.ReadUncommitted); using (SqlCommand testQuery = new SqlCommand(GlobalStr.previewQueryString, connection)) { testQuery.CommandTimeout = m_QueryTimeout; testQuery.Transaction = Transaction; using (SqlDataAdapter adapter3 = new SqlDataAdapter(testQuery)) { adapter3.Fill(GlobalData.g_queryData); DataSetViewer dsv = new DataSetViewer(); dsv.SetSource(GlobalData.g_queryData); string strClassification = string .Format( " {0} {1}" , GlobalStr.g_classification, GlobalStr.g_releaseability); dsv.setClassification(strClassification); Cursor.Current = Cursors.Default; dsv.ShowDialog(); } } connection.Close(); } catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show( " The query test failed: " + ex.Message); return ; } } C# public sealed class ExtendedBackgroundWorker : BackgroundWorker { private Thread thread; public void Stop() { thread?.Abort(); thread = null ; } protected override void OnDoWork(DoWorkEventArgs eventArgs) { thread = Thread.CurrentThread; try { base .OnDoWork(eventArgs); } catch (ThreadAbortException threadAbort) { Debug.WriteLine( " ExtendedBackgroundWorker has been aborted" ); Thread.ResetAbort(); eventArgs.Cancel = true ; } } } With this, you're going to Abort the Thread. Now, an Abort is normally a bad method to call (there are various resources you can look up about why it's not recommended), but we're going to handle it in a controlled manner. When the thread is aborted, a ThreadAbortException is raised so, in our OnDoWork handler, we want to Cancel the DoWorkEventArgs and reset the Abort so that it doesn't destabilise our system. Now, you have a background worker that can be killed from the calling code. By the way, I call the method Stop rather than Abort because while this code is carefully written to prevent Abort issues, I don't want people to get into the habit of calling Abort wherever they see thread codes. By hiding the implementation, I'm hiding the idea that Abort should be called. This space for rent I got it working by partly using your suggestion to abort the thread. This works because the only types of queries that will be run here are SELECT queries. So no records are actually being modified. So, no need to worry about rolling back transactions. I am no longer using a background worker. I am just creating my own thread. I want to show my code below. Class Level Code: C# CloseCancelForm(); Cancel Form C# public partial class FormCancelQuery : Form { DialogResult result = DialogResult.OK; public FormCancelQuery() { InitializeComponent(); } private void btnCancel_Click( object sender, EventArgs e) { result = DialogResult.Cancel; this .Close(); } } Main UI Form C# private void qbTestQueryBtn_Click( object sender, EventArgs e) { frmCancel = new FormCancelQuery(); RunQueryThread = new Thread( new ThreadStart(RunQuery)); RunQueryThread.Start(); DialogResult dr = frmCancel.ShowDialog( this ); if (dr == DialogResult.Cancel) { frmCancel.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK; RunQueryThread.Abort(); } } private void RunQuery() { if (ValidQuery()) { string queryTestString = GlobalStr.previewQueryString; string fillFlag = " 'mandafillflag'" ; if (queryTestString.ToLower().Contains(fillFlag)) { MessageBox.Show( " This query requires completing the fields. Click OK to begin procedure." ); QueryFiller qf = new QueryFiller(); queryTestString = qf.FillQuery(queryTestString.ToLower(), fillFlag); } GlobalStr.previewQueryString = queryTestString; selectTB.Invoke( new MethodInvoker( delegate { selectTB.Text = GlobalStr.previewQueryString; })); whereTB.Invoke( new MethodInvoker( delegate { whereTB.Clear(); })); fromTB.Invoke( new MethodInvoker( delegate { fromTB.Clear(); })); orderTB.Invoke( new MethodInvoker( delegate { orderTB.Clear(); })); try { examineQueryInputString(GlobalStr.previewQueryString, " " , GlobalBool.g_CmplxWhereClauseChecked); } catch (System.Exception ex) { CloseCancelForm(); MessageBox.Show(ex.Message); return ; } try { GlobalData.g_queryData.Rows.Clear(); GlobalData.g_queryData.Columns.Clear(); } catch (Exception ex) { GlobalData.g_queryData = new DataTable(); } Cursor.Current = Cursors.WaitCursor; using (SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection(GlobalStr.sqlConnStringMetadata)) { try { connection.Open(); SqlTransaction Transaction = connection.BeginTransaction(IsolationLevel.ReadUncommitted); using (SqlCommand testQuery = new SqlCommand(GlobalStr.previewQueryString, connection)) { testQuery.CommandTimeout = m_QueryTimeout; testQuery.Transaction = Transaction; using (SqlDataAdapter adapter3 = new SqlDataAdapter(testQuery)) { adapter3.Fill(GlobalData.g_queryData); DataSetViewer dsv = new DataSetViewer(); dsv.SetSource(GlobalData.g_queryData); string strClassification = string .Format( " {0} {1}" , GlobalStr.g_classification, GlobalStr.g_releaseability); dsv.setClassification(strClassification); Cursor.Current = Cursors.Default; CloseCancelForm(); dsv.ShowDialog(); } } connection.Close(); } catch (Exception ex) { if (ex.Message != " Thread was being aborted." ) { CloseCancelForm(); MessageBox.Show( " The query test failed: " + ex.Message); } return ; } } } else { CloseCancelForm(); MessageBox.Show( " SQL test failed." ); } } private void CloseCancelForm() { try { if (frmCancel.InvokeRequired) { frmCancel.Invoke( new MethodInvoker( delegate { frmCancel.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK; })); frmCancel.Invoke( new MethodInvoker( delegate { frmCancel.Close(); })); } else { frmCancel.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK; frmCancel.Close(); } } catch (Exception ex) { string message = ex.Message; return ; } } Hopefully this will help someone. David This space for rent Perhaps one should first look at "tuning" the query. The "query" is being confused with the "what it is that is submitting the query" (existentially speaking). The "query" is the "database server engine"; not some thread that submitted the query. Is the query returning a scalar or a "set"? If a set, is it required to be viewed and paged? Reported on? Is virtualization an option for "paged" results. Can the execution plan be estimated and presented before kicking off the query? What is the nature of query? Would a data reader suffice? Can intermediate results be used to confirm kicking of further queries instead of resorting to a single "large" (poorly optimized) query (e.g. when "drilling" down). etc.... These are user created queries, so there is no tuning the query. Yes, I guess you are correct. The query is being run by the database server engine, so I guess there is no canceling the query. All I can really do is force my program to stop waiting for the query results. I guess since the query is running in a transaction, I could try rolling back the transaction. The query returns a set. The query is created by the user through a query designer that we wrote in C#. It only allows the user to execute SELECT queries against tables or Views in the database. It returns a dataset with the results displayed in a datagrid. The results can then be exported to a CSV or XLSX file. Thanks or your input. I would give users "unlimited" query abilities; but with some "reasonableness" applied. With an ERP system, it makes little sense to run queries on "all". Based on the context (User; Department; Title; etc.), users may be required to provide a "year", "month", "department code", etc. via a query interface. For "historical" data analysis, we would build data warehouses ("facts"; dimensions; "star" relationships) that were "optimized" for ad-hoc queries. One simply does not unleash users on "unstructured" data without some planning (and expect performance). Thanks, David David I meant that a person who works in "Accounts Receivable" (AR) typically only deals with "AR" data that is current for the month, and a few previous; and NOT to xx years of data for every department in the company. That's why one has "performance problems": users (or anybody) running "dumb" queries. And if you need to "cancel it", it cannot have been that important. If it WAS important, one typically creates a "canned query"; with a few "optional parameters". Anything else is chaos; and you get blamed for the performance issues. In our environment, our SQL Server is on a non-Internet connected machine. And the data is Analysis data. More and more data is added on a regular basis. We have many millions of rows of data in several databases. Our data analysts run queries. Sometimes they create a query incorrectly (or inefficient) . We have had cases where a user will start a query before they go home for the day, and then when they come in the next morning, it is still running. Some of our queries consist of many views joined together and some of them use scalar functions and table valued functions which get used repeatedly. This can of course slow the query down significantly. Anyway, previously the only way to cancel a query was to End Task on the program, now the user can just click the cancel button. It works very well. Thanks, David Different experiences. With ERP systems, I configured the query screens based on the "questions" users wanted to ask; that always involved some combination of: Company; Department; Cost Centre; Client #; Invoice #; Work order $; Year; Month; Day; etc. Some required fields; some optional; default values off the accounting cycle. Write once (all variations of the same but limited to "codes" in their HR profile). Every new table / "entity" is automatically secured based on "need to know". No "bad" queries in the "operational" world; for the "informational" needs (different ASAP), there is the data warehouse. Two worlds. I want to make a tool for loging form of facebook. In the past i was make facebook windows form application in xmpp client connection, that was working but now facebook setting change and i can not design a login form with xmpp. I want to design a windows form application with user name and password text box for facebook, please help me. How can i login to facebook server with windows form application "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli HI,, IN A FORM USER INFORMATION AND PICTUREBOX....PICTURE TAKEN FROM CAMERA...AND IN PICTURE BOX DATE TIME AND OTHER TEXT IS ON PICTURE... ON PRINTING I WANT DATE TIME AND OTHER TEXT ON PICTUREBOX IS TO BE PRINT.... BUT ON SAVING THE PICTURE ONLY PICTURE IS TO BE SAVED NOT DATE TIME AND TEXT IS TO BE DISPLAYED IN SAVED PICTURE. Don't shout (that is typing in all caps) Don't post in multiple forums, select the most appropriate and post ONCE. Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH The face of the note will continue to show the prevailing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The government of Gibraltar will soon issue a polymer 100 bank note to commemorate, a year after the fact, the 100th birthday of Sir Joshua Hassan. The government of Gibraltar said on Aug. 24 that it will soon issue a polymer 100 bank note to commemorate, a year after the fact, the 100th birthday of Sir Joshua Hassan. Hassan was Gibraltars mayor and first and third chief minister, as well as a proponent of civil rights and self-government for the British territory. The note is equivalent to $132 in U.S. funds and will be the first Gibraltarian note of any denomination made out of polymer. The notes will be manufactured by De La Rue on its Safeguard substrate and will be dated 21 AUGUST 2015. The face will continue to show the prevailing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, but the back will change from the standard 100 notes design of the Kings Bastion to show instead a bust of Hassan. Connect with Coin World: The issue will have a large clear window with a hologram that can be seen from both the face and back of the note and that will be highly reflective, showing images of Queen Elizabeth II and the letter G for Gibraltar. The first note, with serial number C000001, was presented to members of Hassans family. The release of the 100 denomination completes Gibraltars new series of bank notes that was inaugurated in 2011. The other are the 5, 10, 20, and 50 denominations. Jazz is thriving in Knoxville, and some of the vibes are filtering down to Chattanooga. Vance Thompson brought the full contingent of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra to the Barking Legs Theater on Dodds Avenue on Thursday night. Bruce Kaplan feared that the 16-member orchestra would dwarf the crowd at the small concert venue. Instead, the seats were filled and chairs were brought out to ring the 16 talented performers. Thompson, trumpeter who founded the orchestra in 1999, told of an ongoing collaboration with Barking Legs that will include some upcoming shows with individual orchestra members. He urged Chattanoogans to drive up the road to take in some of the orchestra's upcoming performances at its home venue. Among the featured performers was keyboardist Kevin Brown, son of jazzman Donald Brown. He is among those who will be back at Barking Legs soon. Another Kevin Brown handles the drums for the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. The group, all nattily dressed in matching suit and tie, played two sets with different members improvising on solo parts. Vocalist Kelle Jolly even came along for a song each set, including the familiar "Tennessee Waltz" as her second number. The mission of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra "is to promote jazz music through performance and education." The group is governed by an independent board of directors comprised of local leaders "who are passionate about jazz." The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Melody Shekari, democratic nominee for Congress in the Tennessee Third District, will address East Tennessee democrats at the annual East Tennessee Labor Day Picnic on Labor Day. The picnic will be held at the Roane County Park at 3515 Roane State Hwy. (Hwy 70). The picnic will take place between noon and 3:30 p.m. and feature leaders and activists from across the state. It is expected that Shekari will speak between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m."Ms. Shekari grew up in Chattanooga and has crossed the district speaking with voters who have made it clear they want a congressperson who is not beholden to lobbyists and works for them and not Washington elites," officials said. Missouri football vs. South Carolina: live updates and scores Follow along with the game action here, as Missouri travels to the other Columbia to play South Carolina. Julius Russell (left) and Louis Wakefield By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal The office of the Shelby County District Attorney General on Friday announced the indictment of two men in the fatal shooting and robbery of a businessman in February. Julius Russell, 33, and Louis Wakefield III, 41, are charged with felony murder in the killing of 36-year-old Willie Abston at Bundles of Hair in the 5000 block of Millbranch. Abston died after he was shot multiple times Feb. 10 at the business in the 5000 block of Millbranch in the area of East Holmes. Robbers stole multiple hair bundles and two customers were held at gunpoint. Russell and Wakefield are also charged with aggravated robbery, kidnapping and assault. According to a court affidavit, a witness identified Russell from a photo line up as the person who robbed and killed Abston, and Russells girlfriend said Russell told her he robbed a guy of some hair. Russell gave a statement that he was at the crime scene and that it was a robbery that went bad, according to an affidavit. Russell stated the robbery was planned, and he was expecting proceeds from it. Wakefield gave a statement that he participated in the robbery and that he drove himself and Russell to and from the scene, according an affidavit. Russell was previously charged in a June 2015 incident in which a woman reported she was riding in a car with Russell and his girlfriend. The woman said he began assaulting his girlfriend and the woman told him to stop. He then pointed a black handgun at her and said he would kill her, according to an affidavit. She said when she got out of the vehicle, he again said he would kill her, fired two shots in the air and left. He was also charged in July 2015 with unlawfully entering a mans residence with a black 9mm pistol. According to an affidavit, he pointed it at three people, including a man in a wheelchair, and threatened to kill everyone in the room. According to court records, Wakefield was previously charged with aggravated robbery in 2007 and 2003, theft in 2000, and drug charges in 1998, 1995 and 1994 The Chattanooga Startup Awards committee announces that in conjunction with Startup Week Chattanooga (Oct. 2-7) nominations are now open through Thursday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. for this years Startup Awards. Three years ago we launched this annual award ceremony to recognize the efforts of local entrepreneurs and businesses striving to keep Chattanooga positioned as an innovation leader, said Julia Bursch, Startup Awards committee chair. And now, as Chattanoogas startup community continues to grow, it has become more evident that well get to throw this celebration for years to come. The 2016 Chattanooga Startup Awards will be held at The Granfalloon event venue, 400 East Main St. on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Preceding the awards, Chambliss Startup Group will host a social reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. Attendance to both events is free of charge and open to the public.Award categories include: Business to Business; Business to Customer; Education; Bootstrapper; Startup Advocate of the Year; and Startup of the Year.To learn more about award categories, the ceremony, or to make a nomination, visit: www.ChaStartupAwards.com September 2, 2016 - Homicide Det. Nino Frias addresses the media concerning the investigation the body that was found in 4100 block of Meadow Creek on Saturday August 27, 2016. The victim has been positively identified as Charderious Fennell, 15. (Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal) By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal A Memphis police detective told reporters Friday he has no leads and no suspects in the case of a 15-year-old boy found shot to death Saturday in a vacant house in Hickory Hill, and he asked the public for tips. This kid is 15 years old and that could have been my child, said Detective Fausto Nino Frias at a news conference at 201 Poplar. That could have been your child. We need the communitys help to solve homicide number 150. Charderious Fennell was found in the 4100 block of Meadow Creek by people looking to rent the house, Frias said. Hed been shot more than once. The teenager had moved from South Memphis and been living in the neighborhood about three or four months, Frias said. He attended Airways Middle School and didnt have any known associates in the area, Frias said. Asked if the teen was in a gang, he said thats part of the investigation. Frias asked people with tips in the case to call 528-CASH or the homicide office at 636-3300. The detectives news conference was unusual in Memphis, a city in which the police department rarely makes investigators available for comment on active cases. . The teenager is one of a total of at least 22 people under 18 who have died of homicide so far this year in Memphis, according to The Commercial Appeals Homicide Tracker. The youngest were fetuses. The homicide figure doesnt include the four small children who died in July in an apartment complex just outside the city limits, allegedly at the hands of their mother. SHARE FILE In an Aug. 12, 2013 file photo Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is seen during a news conference in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) FILE In this June 17, 2012, file photo, the Rev. Al Sharpton, center, walks with demonstrators during a silent march to end New York's "stop-and-frisk" program. On Aug. 12, 2013, a federal judge sitting in New York said the department made thousands of racially discriminatory street stops and appointed a monitor to direct changes. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Related Coverage MPD director says he's not exploring 'stop-and-frisk' By Yolanda Jones of The Commercial Appeal As Memphis police brass explore several crime-fighting tools, including the stop-and-frisk tactic, they may get some input on the matter from a man who used the controversial practice at one of the country's largest police departments. Former New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly was hired in July as a consultant by the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission, Bill Gibbons, president of the organization confirmed Friday. Gibbons said Kelly and his consulting firm, K2 Intelligence, have been meeting with the Memphis Police Department and the Crime Commission over the last two months. "We are in the process right now of developing a new Operation Safe Community plan, and it is going to be a plan that really focuses on the violent crime challenge in particular," Gibbons said. "As Mayor (Jim) Strickland has pointed out consistently, violent crime is our No. 1 challenge. "I think New York City is probably the No. 1 success story in the nation in terms of combating crime. A lot of that happened during the time period that he (Kelly) was Commissioner of the New York Police Department, and I think he can really bring us some insight into approaches that can be taken." Kelly, a 50-year veteran with NYPD, was the longest-serving commissioner of the New York Police Department until he retired from the job in 2013. During his time as top cop in New York, Kelly used data-driven policing and the broken windows concept in which officers targeted small crimes to help neighborhoods recover. It was during Kelly's tenure as head of the New York Police Department that the number of stop-and-frisk encounters soared over the last decade. Stop and frisk refers to the practice when a police officer stops, and possibly searches, an individual on the street allegedly based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York. Critics and residents complained that the practice unfairly targeted black and Hispanic residents. When asked about using stop and frisk during a podcast interview earlier this week with The Commercial Appeal, Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings said he has met with New York Police. "I have talked to New York on a number of occasions," Rallings said. "So we're going to look at all of it. I think that New York also learned that there was a lot of scrutiny for stop and frisk, so we want to avoid the scrutiny." Gibbons said he was not in the meetings Kelly had with Memphis police about strategies to curb violent crimes. Gibbons also said he isn't authorized to discuss Kelly's salary and did not know how long Kelly's contract with the Crime Commission would last. "In terms of what is called stop and frisk, I can't really comment too much on that because I have no idea what he is going to recommend in terms of police strategies here. I don't know that at this point," Gibbons said. In 2013, a federal judge ruled that New York's police department's stop-and-frisk tactics violated the constitutional rights of minorities in New York and ordered a federal monitor to oversee the practice. The ruling prompted The Wall Street Journal editorial, "NYPD: Guilty of Saving 7,383 Lives," in which Kelly a said, "You can't police without stop-and-frisk. "As a city, we have to face the reality that New York's minority communities experience a disproportionate share of violent crime. To ignore that fact, as our critics would have us do, would be a form of discrimination in itself," Kelly wrote. According to a 2014 Wall Street Journal story, Kelly called the stop-and-frisk lawsuit that led to the ruling "an abomination." The New York Police Department had argued that the stop-and-frisk strategies helped to curb crime. Yet when the stops were scaled back by New York police the stops dropped from a high of 685,700 in 2011 to 22,900 stops in 2015 crime did not rise when the stops decreased, according to an Aug. 8 editorial in the New York Daily News. In fact, the crime rate dropped in the city, the newspaper said. New York is not the only police department to come under fire for stop-and-frisk. In 2010, the city of Philadelphia was sued over its stop-and-frisk policy. The lawsuit was settled in 2011 and forced the city to implement an electronic database to collect more detailed stop and frisk data. And in Chicago, the number of stop-and-frisk stops dropped by 80 percent this year after a new policy forced officers to document their stops with a two-page "investigatory stop report." Steve Mulroy, a constitutional law professor and associate dean at the University of Memphis' Cecil C. Humphreys Law School, said he is not sure if the stop-and-frisk method would be the best thing for Memphis. "I am not trying to say that I would substitute my judgment for law enforcement professionals who are in Memphis, but my initial inclination is that it seems like it is a step in the wrong direction," Mulroy said. "It is a move which may further alienate the community particularly at a time when we have Black Lives Matter and affiliated protests. We have so many legitimate concerns about racial profiling and shooting of unarmed black people. This would further alienate the minority community in Memphis." He added, "I am kind of disappointed that they are thinking about that. I would really like to think that they would be moving in the opposite direction away from that kind of stuff and more toward a community policing approach." Rallings said working with the community is also part of MPD's crime-fighting plan. "We have a large number of nonprofits. We have a very robust faith- based community that we need to partner with us also," Rallings said in the podcast. "We all have a vested interest in changing the state of a lot of Memphians to help them move to become more productive citizens and change a lot of these neighborhoods to reduce the amount of violence, attack the blight and address the issues that stem from poverty." SHARE By The Commercial Appeal Monday is Labor Day, and most government offices will be closed. Garbage collections may also be affected. Arlington: The library is closed. Garbage pickup delayed one day. Bartlett: City offices closed, garbage pickup delayed one day. Collierville: Collierville's Town Hall and library will be closed. Garbage and recyclables will be picked up the day after the regular collection day. Tuesday's commercial pick up will be delayed a day and Friday's commercial pick up will remain the same. There will be no appliance pick up on Friday. The next available appliance pick up will be Sept. 16. Germantown: City Hall and the library are closed for Labor Day. Trash pickup is delayed one day all week. Lakeland: City Hall and senior center closed. Garbage pickup delayed one day. Memphis: All libraries and non-essential city offices are closed. Garbage usually collected Monday by city crews will instead be picked up Tuesday, and garbage collected by a city contractor will be picked up a day late all week. Millington: City offices closed. Shelby County: All county offices will be closed. DeSoto County: All city and county offices are closed Monday, and garbage collection will run one day behind in all cities. In unincorporated areas, garbage collection will be a day behind and regularly scheduled routes will run Tuesday-Friday for curbside rubbish and debris collection. The county rubbish facility at 5255 Sandidge Road in Olive Branch will be closed Monday but operate regular hours the rest of the week. SHARE The Commercial Appeal files Before the "bigs," Marvin Eugene Throneberry played at Southside High School. Born on Sept. 2, 1933, in Collierville, Throneberry made his major league debut on Sept. 25, 1955, after signing with the New York Yankees as a free agent in 1952. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1959. In 1961, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles and in 1962 to the New York Mets. In his seven seasons, he compiled a .237 batting average and a .990 fielding average. "Marvelous Marv" played his final game on May 5. He died on June 23, 1994, in Fisherville, Tennessee. Sept. 2 25 years ago: 1991 It may be the last day of summer for city students who return to school Tuesday, but the summer heat will continue. That means the district could close schools early because of the heat, as it has in years past. Eighty-three of 150 city schools lack air-conditioning or are only partly air-conditioned, though many of those schools will be given air-conditioning units during the school year. 50 years ago: 1966 Clarence Doerr, who helped distribute the Sabin oral polio vaccine for Memphis' SOS program in 1963, has been named to the state Board of Pharmacy by Gov. Frank Clement. Mr. Doerr, partner in Bobbitt-Doerr Pharmacy at 3163 Poplar, replaces Harold Wambrod of Rosewood Pharmacy on the board. The appointment is for five years. Traditionally, board members are not reappointed. 75 years ago: 1941 Records fell on every hand in City Court yesterday as Judge Bateman's judicial gavel pounded a monotonous refrain of fines and forfeits against 290 defendants arrested Saturday and Sunday in the "all out" drive to keep Memphis safe during the Labor Day weekend. 100 years ago: 1916 A.L. Parker, president of the Tri-State Fair Association, invited the magistrates out to the Fairgrounds to look over the new Shelby County building, just completed. The group later lunched at the Gayoso. 125 years ago: 1891 NASHVILLE It is generally conceded that the Legislature will so amend the criminal laws as to reduce the number of convicts not less than 50 per cent. This will be done by providing for the retention by the counties of all felons of the minor grades. Few people want their new smartphone exploding. Which is why some people were disappointed when the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 did just that. While only a small portion of the new flagship phones have caught fire, it was enough for the South Korean company to recall them all. So what caused the pyrotechnics? In IT Blogwatch, we keep water on hand. Catching fire? Really? Jethro Mullen and K.J. Kwon have the background: Samsung is recalling its new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone worldwide after reports of the device catching fire while charging...The Note 7 was unveiled just a month ago. ... Samsung...found a problem with the battery...and was halting sales. It will replace all 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s...regardless of when they were purchased. ... Samsung...said it had been alerted to 35 cases worldwide. It...so far found 24 devices with problems. These are not the only problems with Samsung's new flagship phone's battery, evidently. Martyn Williams reports other issues: The Note 7...is the latest from Samsung to include a fast charging feature, which attempts to replenish...50 percent of the battery in about 30 minutes. That...can put the battery under...stress. ... A review unit...tested by IDG News Service...experienced battery problems on three occasions...In one instance it went from around 60 percent charge to zero in a couple of minutes...on two subsequent occasions it suddenly shut down while showing around 30 percent charge. On all three occasions, the battery showed 0 percent when reconnected to a charger. So customers get a new phone. What does this mean for the company, though? Se Young Lee has some insight: Ongoing...problems could derail Samsung's mobile recovery after a string of...successes had reversed the smartphone leader's declining market share. ... The South Korean firm...pinned its hopes on the Note 7 to maintain strong sales momentum...against stiffening competition from the likes of Apple...which is expected to release its latest iPhone next week. What's an electronic's giant to do? Ijaz Ali has one suggestion: Samsung just updated promo on their website and is now offering a FREE fire extinguisher with every Note 7 ;) Rucknooga is a memorial ruck march to honor the Fallen Five from the terrorist attack last year on July 16. It will begin at 6219 Lee Hwy at the 7/16 Memorial at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. There will be a break at the National Cemetery near the gravesites of SSgt. Wyatt and Petty Officer Smith. From there the route will go through downtown and Amnicola Hwy. to end at the Riverpark near the Naval Operational Support Center. The total distance will be approximately 16 miles. There will also be a shorter distance half march, approximately seven miles. This will start at 6219 Lee Hwy. as well and end at the National Cemetery, where shuttles will be available to take participants back to their cars. Ruck packs are strongly encouraged, however, weight is optional. The march will be fully supported with multiple safety vehicles and intermittent breaks. Lunch and shuttle service will be provided at the end of the march. The cost is $35 per participant and all proceeds will benefit the 766 Fund as well as Heroes Hand up. Each participant will receive a memorial t-shirt. "We are asking participants to bring a piece of warm clothing as a donation to Heroes Hand Up to help assist homeless veterans," officials said. There will be limited supply the day of registration of shirt sizes available for those who do not pre-register. For more information or to sign up for this event, visit http://www.rucknooga.org/. Ashley Fox is an MEP for South West England, and is the leader of Britains Conservative MEPs. As MEPs returned to Brussels this week after the summer recess, the job of Conservative members was clear: to help our Government secure the best deal for Britain as we negotiate exit terms from the European Union. For me, a key message that came through loud and very clearly from the EU referendum was a desire for the Government to take control of the number of people entering our country. I do not believe the majority of Britons are opposed to immigration. Far from it: they recognise that migrants are indispensable to many sectors of the economy and enrich our culture. But uncontrolled immigration, and the pressure it can put on our schools, housing and hospitals, worries people. New restrictions on the payment of benefits that David Cameron secured in his renegotiation were far too little to persuade voters that ministers could limit the number of EU migrants arriving. Now that the dust has settled on the vote and we begin to plot our exit from the EU, this message must remain front and centre of negotiations if we are to implement the will of the British people. The problem is that, in the eyes of many, it conflicts with that other key priority retaining as many benefits of the Single Market as possible. There are voices both at home and here in Brussels that say we cannot have both, that we must decide between continued full membership of the Single Market or exerting the level of control over immigration that voters demanded. A succession of European politicians have lined up to say as much, with Sigmar Gabriel, Germanys Economy Minister and Deputy Chancellor, being the latest to join the chorus this week with a warning that the EU will be in deep trouble if it allows Britain to keep the nice things that come with membership. I do not agree. The starting point for our negotiations should be to retain full access to but not membership of the Single Market, while also taking full control of who can and cannot enter our country. If that sounds like and having your cake and eating it, then I presume it is a policy that our new Foreign Secretary will favour! The EU has a large trade surplus with the UK 23.9 billion in the first three months of 2016 and while some politicians in Germany, France and elsewhere may want to put a heavy price on leaving the union, I suspect that such posturing will ultimately be trumped by economic reality. It simply makes no sense for Europe to erect barriers to trade in goods and services with Britain, knowing their own companies would face similar restrictions. I have no doubt the negotiations will be difficult and time consuming. Flexibility will be required on both sides. But the EU is going to remain our closest trading partner and co-operation will continue in areas such as security, so it is in no-ones interest to drive a wedge between us. New ground is about to be broken and our ministers face many challenges, but as they enter talks they need to bear in mind something that MEPs quickly learn. In Brussels, every red line is also available in various shades of pink. Hopes that the flow of migrants into the EU might be starting to ease suffered a setback on Monday when 6,500 people were picked up off the coast of Italy. The previous day 1,100 migrants had been rescued by Italian coastguards. The EUs slow and confused response to this crisis has sadly encouraged more people to put their lives in the hands of ruthless traffickers. By failing to act decisively and in a co-ordinated way, the door has been left ajar to unsustainable numbers of migrants. Now, at last, the returns deal with Turkey is beginning to have an effect, and a strengthened FRONTEX frontier guard service for Schengen countries something Conservatives called for years ago is also a step forward. But Brussels remains a long way from having a co-ordinated policy that all member states feel able to sign up to. Into this vacuum the European Conservatives and Reformists group, to which Conservative MEPs belong, has prepared new policy proposals on immigration. Drafted with input from my colleague Timothy Kirkhope, the document calls for stronger border controls, steps to prevent the secondary movement of migrants, greater co-operation with third world countries, an effective returns policy and a review of how EU money is currently being spent. It also highlights the need to clearly distinguish between how refugees, legal migrants and economic migrants are dealt with. Britain has never been part of the Schengen zone and most of these provisions would not have applied to the UK even if we had chosen to remain in the EU. It is though clearly in our interests that the Schengen area has an effective border policy, not least because thousands of migrants arrive in Europe with the goal of crossing the English Channel. SUBSCRIBE Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates straight in your inbox. A taskforce comprising of community leaders and pastors are teaming up to launch a nonpartisan effort, GOVoteCHA. Through this initiative, organizers will host voter registration rallies throughout the greater Chattanooga area to educate residents about the importance of civic participation and to encourage them to register to vote. Our taskforce is dedicated to ensuring that each and every Chattanoogan 18 and older is well informed about the voting process and has the opportunity to participate in the upcoming elections both presidential and local, said Chantelle Roberson, local Chattanooga attorney. For citizens to participate, their vote must be counted, and to vote, it is imperative that they are registered. Thats where GoVoteCHA comes in. We are hosting voter registration rallies and other outreach events throughout Chattanooga over the next six weeks. The outreach events and voter registration rallies will be held on Saturdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. beginning Sept. 10 through Oct. 1 at the following locations: Sept. 10: Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church 1734 E. 3rd Street Sept. 17: Greater Tucker Baptist Church 1115 N. Moore Road Sept. 24: Olivet Baptist Church 740 E. Martin Luther King Boulevard Oct. 1: Westside Baptist Church 4001 Hughes Avenue Volunteers, including several local attorneys, will be on hand to answer any questions, to assist voters who want to register, and to update residents registrations if they have recently moved. The registration deadline to vote in this years presidential election is Oct. 11 and early voting in Hamilton County begins on Oct. 19. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.GoVoteCHA.org or email GoVoteCHA@gmail.com. Close It seems that the Zika virus outbreak is steadily making its progress in mainland USA, as Florida announced on Thursday that Miami Beach's mosquitoes tested positive to Zika Virus. The Aedes aeypti mosquitoes, who are a carrier of Zika virus are difficult to fight as it is, and experts have claimed that testing them is a tedious task in itself. However, the three samples of mosquitoes, which tested positive, were obtained from a 1.5 square mile area in Miami Beach, where prior cases of ZIka virus infection has been confirmed, reported New York Times. County officials are awaiting results on another batch of mosquitoes, though they wouldn't say where they were trapped, reported Miami Herald. Notably, without being alarmed by this development, officials and politicians on Thursday mentioned that the finding is disappointing, but not surprising. "Florida is among the best in the nation when it comes to mosquito surveillance and control, and this detection enables us to continue to effectively target our resources," mentioned Adam Putnam, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture. In a press conference on Thursday afternoon in the County Hall, Carlos Gimenez, Miami Dade Mayor mentioned that the announcement would not change the County's effort of combating Zika virus outbreak. The health inspectors would be spraying and dropping larvacide daily in the infected areas. In addition to the two local infections reported on Thursday, state health officials also confirmed seven more travel-related cases, including three in Miami-Dade, two in Broward, and one each in Osceola and Sarasota counties. Reportedly, a total of 705 Florida citizens have contracted Zika virus this year, out of which 576 cases were travel-related and 49 were due to local infections. Additionally, 80 pregnant women in Florida has also been tested positive for Zika virus, although the government officials are yet to divulge their locations. The three positive samples reported Thursday are the first among 2,470 rounds of testing in Florida since May to test positive. In all, more than 40,000 mosquitoes statewide have been tested for Zika. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare The Erlanger schedule for Sept. 11-17 includes family planning classes, weight management information, and diabetes education. Erlanger offers online childbirth education class. The online class is an easy-to-understand interactive program that includes more than 70 videos, animated illustrations, downloadable PDF files, review quizzes and information specific to Erlanger East and Erlanger Baroness birthing services. By choosing the online childbirth program, participants will have access to all the information for six months. The cost for the courses is $25. For more information on the online childbirth program and other classes and events mentioned below, call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465), seven days a week, from 8 a.m. Monday, September 12 Diabetes Education Class 1:00 4:00 p.m. Erlanger Chattanooga Lifestyle Center This class will explore ways to manage diabetes. Call 778-9400 for more information on physician referral and insurance reimbursement. Bariatric Support Group 5:30 6:30 p.m. Siskin Hospital Bariatric Support Group meetings are for individuals scheduled to have Bariatric surgery or who have already had weight loss surgery. Call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 778-2906 for more information. Baby Care & Safety 6:30 8:30 p.m. Erlanger East Campus Womens Services With times changing and discharge occurring earlier, Baby Care provides you with helpful items on caring for your baby at home. This class will help you plan and prepare for a safe home environment. Registration fee is $25. Call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 788-LINK (5465) to register. Tuesday, September 13 Monogrammed Maternity 10 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 4 p.m. Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road) Monogrammed Maternity at Erlanger East Hospital provides a personalized approach to childbirth education and is tailored to each couples' unique needs. Registration is recommended around 36-weeks gestation; and is for patient's delivering at Erlanger East. This one-on-one session with our Prenatal Educator provides couples with the opportunity to privately discuss their personalized birth plan, begin the admission process for delivery, visit with a lactation consultant if needed for breastfeeding preparation, ask questions, and receive assistance in making those all important decisions that help make the birth experience less stressful and uniquely their own. The session is available every Tuesday and Thursday. Space is limited. Registration is required. Registration fee is $40. Call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) to register. Wednesday, September 14 Bariatric Support Group 12:00 1:00 p.m. Erlanger Medical Mall (C620) Bariatric Support Group meetings are for individuals scheduled to have Bariatric surgery or who have already had weight loss surgery. Call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 778-2906 for more information. Grandparenting Your New Grandbaby 10:00-11:30 a.m. Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road) This class aims to provide helpful tips for first time grandparents including information on skin care, safe sleep, swaddling, bathing, taking temperature, burping, diapering, feeding, soothing, baby safety, umbilical cord care, circumcision care, etc. Registration is required. Registration fee is $20 per set of grandparents. Call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 78-LINK (5465) to register. Thursday, September 15 Monogrammed Maternity 10 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 4 p.m. Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road) Monogrammed Maternity at Erlanger East Hospital provides a personalized approach to childbirth education and is tailored to each couples' unique needs. Registration is recommended around 36-weeks gestation; and is for patient's delivering at Erlanger East. This one-on-one session with our Prenatal Educator provides couples with the opportunity to privately discuss their personalized birth plan, begin the admission process for delivery, visit with a lactation consultant if needed for breastfeeding preparation, ask questions, and receive assistance in making those all important decisions that help make the birth experience less stressful and uniquely their own. The session is available every Tuesday and Thursday. Space is limited. Registration is required. Registration fee is $40. Call Erlangers HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) to register. Friday, September 16 Cancer Support Group 10:00 11:30 a.m. Ronald McDonald House Have you or someone you know been touched by cancer? Erlanger Cancer Center and Pastoral Care services offers a cancer support group open to patients, family members and friends and offers education through self-care topics and support with discussions and fellowship. A cancer navigator and pastoral care representative will guide attendees through topics that include navigating through a cancer diagnosis, management of cancer treatment, emotional support and much more. For more information on the support group, call 423-778-5030. Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services annual Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign will began Thursday. As part of the awareness campaign, employees of HCEMS will wear pink shirts as part of the official HCEMS uniform during the month of October. HCEMS Captain Darlene Poole announced that the uniform change is in recognition of breast cancer awareness month and in celebration of the life of local television personality MaryEllen Locher who courageously fought the disease until her death 11 years ago bringing awareness of breast cancer to the forefront in the Chattanooga community. As medical personnel, we see pain and suffering daily, said Captain Poole. We are conscious of the needs of those with cancer and the challenges faced by their family and friends. Many of our employees have faced the fears and challenges of breast cancer and as a group, we wanted to continue to bring awareness of the disease to our community, to highlight the local efforts to help find a cure and to support breast cancer survivors and their families. The pink shirts were designed and printed by the HCEMS Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Committee to be purchased by HCEMS employees to wear as the part of the official HCEMS uniform during the month of October. A limited number of the pink HCEMS shirts will be available to the public for $10 each. Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be donated to the MaryEllen Locher Center in Chattanooga, to further assist those with breast cancer and their families. This is another way HCEMS employees set the standard of care in our community and support the victims and families of, not only traumatic emergency care, but daily medical healthcare, said Captain Poole. For more information, contact Captain Poole at 423-209-5007 or dpoole@hamiltontn.gov. Blue trees are coming to Chattanooga as part of a $60,000 public art project. Konstantin Dimopoulos will oversee the "environmental art installation that brings together environmental consciousness and social action." Officials said, "By bringing the community together to paint trees throughout our city and our neighborhoods the artists transforms the way we view trees and our outdoor spaces -raising awareness of how individually and collectively we shape the world we inhabit. Organic and ephemeral, the artwork changes through the cycles of nature and the color gradually fades away over the course of a year." The project is supported by the city of Chattanooga with private funding from the Benwood Foundation, the Lyndhurst Foundation and the Footprint Foundation. The trees will be painted Oct. 15 to Nov. 15. Public Art officials are seeking volunteers to assist the artist in the painting. Officials said $50,000 would go to the artist and the remainder is for community engagement and educational opportunities. The universe, much like a bingo hall reserved for a Pagemaster fan convention, is large and mostly empty. That means if you're going to get from one place to another in plot-relevant time, you're going to need faster-than-light travel. That's why it features so prominently in Star Wars and countless other sci-fi movies that aren't even worth mentioning now that we've gotten Star Wars out of the way. What we never see in those movies, though, is the untold billions of deaths caused by the invention of consumer-grade hyperdrive. Lucasfilm And not just from the Craigslist market of shoddy hyperdrives that would inevitably pop up. Continue Reading Below Advertisement And note we are specifically talking about space technology that amounts to "go really fast" and not the ones that use some wormhole bullshit or something. Han Solo, for instance, specifically mentions that he has to plot his course around existing stars, so that he doesn't smash into them at nearly incalculable speeds and launch Chewie through the windshield. But stars aren't his problem. What about random space debris, like satellites or asteroids? What about a huge field of asteroids hurtling from a recently destroyed planet -- like, say, the one the Falcon comes through when arriving at the thoroughly exploded Alderaan? There's no way Han could've known where any of those random space rocks would be, yet they somehow manage to drop out of light speed right in the center of them, with nary a scratch on the ship's hull. If he hadn't been so lucky, the impact of his ship versus a hunk of his planet would have been so massive that we're not sure the nearby Death Star would have survived it. Sussex News Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Watch Circus Performers Soar Inside A Logan Square Church By Gwendolyn Purdom in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 1, 2016 7:49PM Instead of a big top, the circus performers and aerial artists at Aloft Circus Arts now have a big church. The school moved from a Fulton Street loft into the 109-year-old former First Evangelical Church in Logan Square over the weekend and kicked off their first classes in the new space on Monday. Founder Shayna Swanson needed a place large enough to accommodate classes and studio areas and a ceiling high (and sturdy) enough to handle flying trapeze and other equipment. The 6,000-square-foot historic church, she says, was just the place: "I walked in and started crying," Swanson told Chicagoist Tuesday. "When I first saw it I was like, 'This is it!'" Earlier this week, our cameras captured acrobats practicing using trapezes, lyra hoops, aerial silks, ropes, trampoline walls and more. Watch, above, and read our story on Aloft's big move and check out our photos of the artists in action,here. The Chicagoist will be launching later but in the meantime please enjoy our archives. 2 People Were Discovered Dead In A Burned Van In Little Village By Stephen Gossett in News on Sep 2, 2016 4:33PM Two people were found dead inside a burned-out vehicle in Little Village early on Friday morning, according to police. The two bodies were discovered by police in the vehicle after Chicago Fire Department crews extinguished the flames at around 12:24 a.m, in the 3100 block of South Harding Avenue, Officer Nicole Trainor told Chicagoist. Police did not have any information about the age or gender of the victims who were discovered in the vehiclea red minivan, according to reports. Arson crews are investigating the incident. Police could not confirm whether or not suspects were in custody as of late Friday morning. Internet of things News Spotlight On IoT: XChange Panel Talks Up Recurring Revenue, The 'Velocity' Of Opportunities Coming Their Way Lindsey O'Donnell Share this Some in the industry may look at the Internet of Things as mere hype, but a growing number of solution providers are recognizing that recurring revenue opportunities make IoT a channel gold mine. The Channel Company CEO Robert Faletra said IoT is "the next big wave" in technology for the channel during a keynote at XChange 2016, hosted by The Channel Company and being held this week in San Antonio. "IoT is really something special, and it will increase the available market to all [solution providers] for what you can sell and how you can make money," he said in his keynote Tuesday. "Less than 10 percent of revenue that the channel is getting today is coming from IoT -- but it's growing." [Related: Intel Developer Forum: 10 Internet of Things Applications Bringing In The Money] Solution providers say the Internet of Things market is lucrative: According to a CRN survey, 49 percent of channel leaders see IoT as a meaningful opportunity, and 44 percent of solution providers say their customers have a high interest in IoT. The XChange session included a panel of solution providers whose companies have invested in IoT and are seeing success in different verticals. Luis Alvarez, president and CEO of Alvarez Technology Group, a Salinas, Calif.-based solution provider, stressed that IoT is "happening today," and it is opening a big opportunity for traditional VARs to jump in. Alvarez Technology Group is profiting from the Internet of Things by working with customers in the agriculture vertical to implement connected sensors, helping them monitor crops and water utilization. "The IoT market is lucrative in the agricultural space farmers are looking for solutions to increase yields and we bring the technology to enable that," he said. "We have conversations about the technology clients are using and integrating that into one IoT platform." On the channel front, the Internet of Things is a "big business opportunity" not just because of the implementation process, but also because of the recurring revenue, said Lawrence Van Deusen, director of network integration at Dimension Data, a Raleigh, N.C.-based systems integrator. "We've been surprised by the velocity of the opportunities coming to us now," said Van Deusen. "There is a significant amount of recurring revenue for IoT -- systems need to be monitored, data needs to be harvested, applications need to be continuously updated, new features need to be introduced. With IoT, we started by solving one problem, and it has led to bigger opportunities to go in and solve other issues." Dimension Data, like many other solution providers, focuses on verticals for IoT, such as in education for implementing IoT-connected security systems in school districts and in health care for connecting hospitals and improving the patient experience. Solution providers need to focus less on an IT discussion with clients and more on a line-of-business conversation that highlights how technology can improve business operations, said Dimension Data's Van Deusen. "As a reseller you talk about getting into the line of business, and the reality is that there's no better opportunity than today to do that," he said. "The majority of the people we talk to are not IT professionals at all. They are health-care specialists, manufacturers this market is growing exponentially." Solution providers need to focus on this line-of-business conversation which means they would be talking with CSOs as opposed to CIOs -- while they build out their IoT practice, Van Deusen said. "There's a tremendous skills gap we need to make sure we're bringing in new people with new ideas," he said. "This means making new partnerships to keep up with the rapid pace of change in IoT." Michael Lomonaco, director of marketing and communications at Open Systems Technologies, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based solution provider, said that one part of IoT the channel is still trying to figure out is whether it is "sales-led or principal-led." "The conversations are different because who you are talking to is different," he said. "Do you have thought leadership and domain experts versus traditional sales folks out in the field?" Looking forward, the Internet of Things opportunities will deepen for solution providers. Jason Waldrop, CEO of CWPS, a Chantilly, Va.-based managed service provider, said he anticipates his company will have new lines of business built around IoT. "A few years ago the channel was wondering how you would make money off IoT. Now we're seeing new market opportunities, and it feels like we'd better race toward IoT," he said. Protecting Endangered Species With IoT Dimension Data, in collaboration with Cisco Systems, is doubling down on the Internet of Things by using sensor, networks and data analytics tools to protect endangered rhinoceroses in South Africa. Many rhinos are in danger of being poached for their horns. To help prevent poaching, Dimension Data is leveraging IoT technology, allowing officials to track and monitor individuals who enter and exit the gates in the unnamed South African private game reserve where the rhinos live. Dimension Data and Cisco gathered information from game rangers, security personnel and control center teams and created a secure Reserve Area Network [with] installed Wi-Fi hotspots around key points in the reserve. The two companies also worked to incorporate drones with infrared cameras, thermal imaging, vehicle tracking sensors and seismic sensors on the network. As part of the weekly IoT Channel Chronicles series, CRN talked with Grant Sainsbury, senior vice president of strategic services at Dimension Data Americas about the unique system. Italian-Chinese movie cooperation was a prominent issue on Thursday, as the 73rd Venice Film Festival entered its second day. Guest of Venice Film Festival "Focus on China" event, actress Jing Ke, director Fan Haolun and producer Yan Kangliang (L-R) of the Chinese film "Breathing" arrive for the premiere of the movie "The Light Between Oceans" at the 73rd Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Jin Yu) "The explosive growth of the Chinese movie industry, and the high quality of their theatres, prove that we cannot address the future of cinema without putting China at the center of the picture," ANICA secretary general Stefano Balassone stressed at the forum. Current status and future chances of filmmaking collaboration between the two countries were widely addressed at special event "Focus on China" promoted by Italy's National Association of Cinematographic Audiovisual Multimedia Industries (ANICA). High-level professionals and top officials from both sides took part in the forum, which ANICA organized with the support of Xinhuanet, the Italian Culture Ministry, and ICE-Italian Trade Agency (ITA) among others. Several producers and film industry professionals alternated in debates at the long-day forum, exploring the best ways to strengthen the Chinese-Italian relation and improve co-production in both quality and quantity. "The Italian cinema has great potential in China," president of China Film Co-Production Corporation Miao Xiaotian told the audience. "Yet, the Chinese market is huge, and many foreign movies enter it every year. The best way (for Italian companies and filmmakers) to face such high competition is to increase co-productions," he explained. China would also benefit much from working more intensely with foreign partners, according to Miao and other Chinese experts. With an average production of some 600 movies per year, the country's film industry would need the contribution of countries with a long cinema tradition, such as Italy, to increase the quality of its works. "Chinese movie production companies need to increase cooperation with foreign partners, and to bring more technologies, professional figures, and know-how from all over the world to China," Miao said. Italy was also eager to expand the interaction with Chinese filmmakers and production companies, officials at the forum stressed. Tangible proof of such a will was the recent setting up of a permanent ANICA audiovisual office in Beijing, with the support of ICE-Italian Trade Agency. "The new Beijing office aims at helping Italian producers and filmmakers enter the Chinese market, but also at guiding and assisting the Chinese counterparts who are interested in producing or filming in Italy," Roberto Stabile, head of ANICA International Department and responsible for ITA Audiovisual, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the forum. Soon after such initiative took place in early July, Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini paid a visit to China. He returned with a clear perception of "large opportunities of growth for Chinese and Italian cinema industries through co-production," as he said during the forum. "China is facing a huge growth in the number of movie theatres and young audience, the exact opposite situation compared to Italy," the minister told Xinhua. "As such, they want to increase and diversify the cultural offer, and their industry is paying a keen attention to Italy and Italian co-productions in both cinema and TV fictions," Franceschini added. "Co-production also provides the chance to bring more Italian cinema to China, but according to the interests and needs of their audience." Speaking in an interview ahead of the SMM conference in Germany, Dr. Carsten Wiebers, head of maritime for KfW IPEX-Bank, underscored there was no bubble around the cruise industry. KfW IPEX-Bank provides financing for newbuild projects, and said it financed eight different cruise projects in 2015. Cruising is a consumer product, which is heavily influenced by regional diversity due to language and cultural differences, Wiebers said. To some degree you can escape one market and go to the next. Further on the demand side there are millions of customers who make their individual choices. Price is important, but the industry is maturing and cruisers are learning to differentiate quality. The potential to gain market share from land-based tourism is huge. Global cruise penetration is only 1.8 percent. Unlike other maritime markets the supply side is limited. Shipyard capacities are booked for at least the next 5 years, he added. In the bigger picture, Wiebers said that the global shipping market does face a constant over-supply caused by cheap money. I am concerned that money will remain cheap, prompting shipowners to place orders when the first green shoots start showing in charter and freight rates, he said. Politically supported shipyard capacity only adds fuel to the fire. Under these circumstances, shipping is undergoing not just a cyclical downturn, but a structural change. Wiebers is moving departments at the bank after 18 years in maritime, and Holger Apel will take over his post overseeing a 50 person staff. For the second consecutive year, the Costa Luminosa has sailed from Savona on a world cruise. This years voyage will span 98 days and touch five continents and 34 ports, said Costa in a prepared statement. The ship will return to Savona on Dec. 9. The ship departed with 1,400 guests, with another 200 expected to board in both Marseille and Malaga. Thirty different nationalities are represented among the passengers. The itinerary features a number of overnight calls, including extended time in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phuket, Cochin, Mumbai, Dubai (two days) as well as Sydney and Singapore (three days). The ship also has a world cruise scheduled for early 2017, departing from Savona on January 6 and stretching 106 days. The digital age has given birth to an abundance of news sources, some reporting quality journalism and others delivering only half truths, or worse. It's a challenge to find the best source of information in our every day lives, and it's an even greater challenge to find the most reliable technology to help security professionals do their jobs. No doubt that third-party vendors (and every vendor in the expansive supply chain) pose risks to the enterprise, and experts advise security practitioners to use some solution that helps monitor their downstream vendors. Lots of organizations rely on Google Alerts, but as more advanced AI technologies are developed, will there be newer more advanced solutions that can provide more accurate alerts? Vikram Mahidhar, senior vice president for AI solutions at Rage Frameworks, said, "Major enterprises are literally using Google Alerts to monitor their downstream vendors. Its somewhat well-known Google Alerts both A) misses large amounts of unstructured content, and B) forces companies to rely on workers to manually churn through results." In that churning process, there is a great likelihood that you are missing key signals about potential risk in your vendor chain, not to mention the resources that could otherwise be better used for more pressing assignments. "Theyre not able to capture the local town newspaper report that a mill in Wisconsin just laid off half its workforce, and they happen to be the manufacturer one of your key vendors relies on," said Mahidhar. Rage Frameworks is one of many AI solutions companies (because AI is all the rage these days). They have been working with companies around the globe using AI to monitor stock performance, evaluate contract agreements, spot revenue leakage and more. But lately, many enterprises have started to realize that with the increasing scale of their vendor network, there is no way they can monitor every digital news source across the globe. "We can use AI to see if a supplier just laid off half their workforce, or if their downstream vendor is embroiled in a costly legal battle. These are the signals that if detected early enough could help a company address a threat in their network before it takes them out with it," Mahidhar said. Sifting through hundreds of thousands of sources and processing about a million pieces of information every day would be an impossible task for even an enormous team of human beings. "We are able to analyze all of this information at two levels--context and interpretation. We ask, 'What does it mean for supplier A and supplier B?' Then we teach the machines how to read and interpret impact analysis," Mahidhar said. The machines work line item by line item and understands, then derives a conclusion based on all the facts to determine whether that set of events is negative or positive. For instance, said Mahidhar, "If there is a supplier of a software, and somewhere there is an article that mentioned a lawsuit was filed. The machine would read all that and understand the magnitude of the lawsuit. That is aggregated and transmitted into a signal." In the supplier risk market, there are lots of alerts that current technology doesn't analyze using context and interpretation, so news about law suits and litigation, product recall, natural calamities, and other things that are going on, can go missing. "The bigger thing is context and interpretation. AI solutions are performing a task that has never been performed before," said Mahidhar. If AI is able to put more scrutiny on the suppliers, the technology might be a better way for enterprises to monitor their vendor supply chain without having to rely on the use of critical resources. We can't seem to find the page you are looking for. You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Adams album art /Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Artist web site / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 One of Canadas most famous musical ambassadors, Bryan Adams, is set to perform at Mohegan Sun on Saturday, Sept. 10, rescheduled from his original July 30 concert date. Adams is touring in support of his 13th studio album,Get Up (Universal Music), which was released in the United States in October. Produced by famed ELO frontman Jeff Lynne and co-written with his long-time collaborator Jim Vallance, the album features nine new songs and four acoustic versions, Mohegan Sun points out. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Connecticut native Zachary Lamothe likes to mosey around, exploring the nooks and crannies of the state, and his latest guidebook, More Connecticut Lore details 82 spots that are sometimes literally off the beaten path. Many of the places Lamothe covers in the book, published by Schiffer Inc., are in Fairfield County and the lower Naugatuck Valley. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DERBY Howard Towne has been in and out of hospitals for his heart condition for more than 20 years. As a result, the 64-year-old Ansonia resident has had his blood drawn seemingly countless times. Its often an unpleasant experience. On one of his trips to an area hospital, staff stuck him with needles so many times, I was perforated. Everything was black and blue. When he was rushed to Griffin Hospitals intensive care unit recently for another incident, Towne thought he knew what to expect. But he was surprised. The hospital is one of a handful in the country and the only one in Connecticut using the PIVO system, designed by San Francisco-based company Velano Vascular. The system allows nurses and doctors to draw blood from a patient by accessing his or her existing intravenous medication line, instead of repeatedly sticking the patient with a needle. Griffin began using the system in its ICU almost two years ago as part of a pilot program with Velano. Griffin Chief Medical Officer Fred Browne said he heard about the device at a conference and was immediately taken with the idea. Blood draws have to be done constantly in the hospital, he said, particularly in intensive care. And they are, literally and figuratively, a pain. Ive never in my career in medicine met anyone who enjoyed getting stuck with a needle, said Browne, vice president of medical affairs at Griffin. Aside from the discomfort, he said, drawing blood can be difficult in some patients, including chronically ill or older patients whose veins arent as plump and easily accessible as those of younger, healthier patients. For Towne, who typically has his blood drawn around the clock during a hospital stay, the PIVO was a welcome addition. The nice thing about this is that you dont get black and blue, he said. Ive never had this before. I love it. Though PIVO is in only five hospital systems nationwide, Velano co-founder and CEO Eric Stone said and his partner, Pitou Devgon, hope to eventually have it in all hopsitals. Stone said Devgon, a doctor, came to him with the idea for PIVO several years ago, after a discussion with a patient. She said Why do you keep sticking me for blood draws? Why dont you use (the IV line)? Stone said. Devgon took it to heart, and began developing a way to use the IV as a conduit for withdrawing blood. Browne said the idea isnt unprecedented. Even before PIVO, there were ways to draw blood without multiple pokes, but preparing the body for these methods was often invasive. For instance, some patients with chronic illnesses, such as cancer, have a device called a port installed that allows them to get medication and have blood drawn. But it involves surgery. PIVO can be used in connection with nearly any IV line. Sometimes, the line isnt compatible with the device because of where the line is placed. But Griffin uses PIVO with 70 to 80 percent of its intensive care patients, said Edward Valente, clinical manager of the ICU. Right now, Griffin only uses the device in the ICU, but Browne said he hopes it will be used hospitalwide. Valente said given how much easier and more comfortable the system is than conventional blood draws, he expects it to catch on quickly. It has the potential to become the next wave of how everyone is drawing blood, he said. When China's national lawmakers passed the country's first Charity Law in March, Zhou Weihong established a charity in Shanghai. The charity has already helped over 60 impoverished children in the northwest autonomous region of Xinjiang go to school, and with the law taking effect Thursday, the charity projects that it will help more than 100 in 2017. The new law eases restrictions on the fundraising and operational activities of charity groups, promising tax benefits, and improved supervision. It is the first time that the way in which charities are registered has been written in to law, giving approved charities more freedom and credibility than ever before. The law was well received by charity groups and law experts for responding to public concerns. "The new law encouraged us and made us more determined to carry out our plans," said Zhou, president of Ailawennuan public service organization, another charity that helps impoverished children in Xinjiang access education, and urban life. China had about 670,000 registered social organizations as of the end of June, including 5,038 foundations, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Annual donations to registered charities in China soared from 10 billion yuan (1.5 billion U.S. dollars) to 100 billion yuan over the past decade. The charity sector will support the ongoing poverty alleviation campaign, which has the pressing goal of lifting all rural residents above the poverty line by 2020. As of the end of 2015, 55.75 million rural Chinese were still classed as impoverished, meaning they had a per capita net income of less than 2,800 yuan a year. Li Bian, co-founder of AIDS Prevention Education Project for Chinese Youth (APEPCY), believes the Charity Law will create more job opportunities and its impact will be similar to the passage of the Corporation Law in 1993. "Fifteen years after China rolled out its first corporation law, it has become the second largest economy in the world and, it is expected, that in another 15 years, it will have the largest number of social organizations in the world," he said. Take Beijing for example, the city has over 30,000 registered social organizations, which employ over 60,000 people. With total assets of about 19 billion yuan, the charity industry has become one of the major forces of social economic development in the capital, said Dong Minghui, deputy director of the municipal Civil Affairs Bureau. The sector still has much room for improvement compared with developed countries, Dong said, adding that more detailed supportive policies are being drafted that will support the upgrade of the industry. The implementation of the Charity Law will let social organizations play a bigger role in social governance and promote development and innovation in areas overlooked by market and government investment, said Wang Zhenyao, dean of China Philanthropy Research Institute under Beijing Normal University. He said the enforcement of the law will upgrade China's charity industry, meanwhile, more specific measures and standards are needed from relevant administrative bodies during the actual operation process. As to Zhou Weihong's charity group, helping impoverished children in Xinjiang and inviting them to Shanghai to broaden their world view is only a tiny part of poverty-relief work. "We definitely have much more to do," Zhou said. Homes become less sweet when migrant children find themselves being disturbed by different schoolings. [File photo] The memory of a sudden change when Yang Jiang returned to his hometown eight years ago still haunts the young man, who is now a 23-year-old senior student in a local university. Born in rural Sichuan Province, Yang was taken along by his parents to coastal Jiangsu Province when he was 7 years old, leaving behind four grandparents and Yang's elder sister in the late 1990s. As the economies in China's eastern coastal regions were beginning to boom about two decades ago, throngs of migrant people pressed by financial difficulties in their inland homes headed east. Yang's parents were among these hopeful migrants. For the next eight years, Yang attended private schools in Jiangsu where the pedagogic curriculums and facilities were far more advanced than those of his hometown. But as a migrant child, Yang was not allowed to sit the college entrance exams in Jiangsu, therefore, he was sent home when he was in the second year of middle-school. However, the change in surroundings caused confusion and loneliness for Yang, who did not have good relations with his classmates and resorted to internet cafes to combat his depression. "It was really hard to adapt to the new environment in the first couple of years," Yang recalled. "I didn't want to talk to my classmates and they didn't want to befriend me." Although he gradually became used to his surroundings, the senior student insisted that he may have been more successful academically had he not been forced to leave Jiangsu. Yang's experience has been repeated many times by children from Sichuan, one of the largest labor export provinces in China. A report issued by the All-China Women's Federation in 2013 showed that children leading lives across provinces compose the second largest group following those moving among villages and towns. Therefore, when the migrant workers start to return from their workplace to home, it can be assumed that a large number of children will be forced to move away from the surroundings where they have been growing up. This group of children attracted particular attention of Zhang Ye and Ye Xiang, two professors from the school of pedagogic science of Sichuan Normal University. They conducted research on seven migrant children returning home from other provinces and followed their ability to adapt to their new surroundings over half a year. Amid their exploration they found that the children had problems integrating into their new environments, especially when they were treated unfairly in schools. "In the critical moments of children's growth, they are particularly in need of certain care. Otherwise, they'll be hurt emotionally," Ye said. Due to the huge tide of returning migrant workers in 2008 and 2009, there were policies to ensure the schooling of migrant children returning homes with their parents, Zhang said. "But in practice, the local governments only roughly accomplished the mission by securing sufficient berths for those young returnees, ignoring what kind of the schools they were attending and whether there were separated classes, unfair treatment or other specific needs of the children," he added. Xiong Bingqi, deputy president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that school administrators should explore the best way to help returning children adapt. These real PA creatures could become cryptids if we don't save them Check it out: Fun things to do this weekend in Lake County entertainment Sustainable projects like the TIGUrS garden are funded by the student green fee. Jonathan Capriel Jared Moses, student president, and Natalie Moore, student vice president. The University of Memphis Student Government Association met on Thursday evening and unanimously passed its $420,000 budget for the 2016-17 school year. Student travel consists of $105,000 of this yearas budget and $12,000 was approved for a smart phone application that would allow students to call campus police. Here are the other issues discussed in this first meeting. Mr. and Mrs. U of M Jared Moses, student president, and Natalie Moore, student vice president, suggested that Mr. and Mrs. U of M be held in the fall.A They also suggested that students vote for the recipients, in addition to the panel and application traditionally utilized to decide Mr. and Mrs. U of M.A They discussed GPA and essay requirements for applicants as well as more official involvement from recipients, but nothing was finalized. Committees created Five committees for the year were approved and appointed.A Committees serve to write bills for an individual focus area before the bills are presented to the full government association. Green Fee allocation Nate Packard Sustainable projects like the TIGUrS garden are funded by the student green fee. Dan Bureau, chair of the U of M Green Fee, spoke on the initiativeas history, mission, and plans for the upcoming school year.A Most students are currently paying $20 per year in Green Fees. There is currently $320,000 allocated for sustainable student projects for 2017. This year, the program has approved funding for nine projects, including five that have received consistent funding and four new projects.A Student Travel Travel bills were approved.A The bills allot $1,607 for five students to travel to various academic conferences during the school year. Restructuring Justin Lawhead, interim dean of students, discussed merging U of Mas Financial Aid Office and Bursaras Office into a aone-stop-shop,a but nothing was finalized. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month - a national movement to raise funds and awareness for the over 15,000 children who are diagnosed with cancer every year, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization. Since the University of Memphis is heavily involved with St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, its very personal for many students. Up til Dawn, the universitys primary fundraising source on campus for St. Jude, is orchestrating several events throughout September to keep students aware and engaged in its mission to end childhood cancer. National Reunion Day is St. Judes national push to raise awareness for childhood cancer, Breanna Pollet, Up til Dawns sponsorship director, said. This will be their largest event, which will be held on Sept. 27 and 28. Well be setting up tables all across campus to educate students on Up til Dawn and recruit them to join us in fundraising for the children of St. Jude, Pollet said. Sophomore Mary Kate Watson is applying for the Up til Dawn position of Morale Captain. This role serves to keep students excited about the cause throughout the year. When we fundraise, its so easy to get caught up in the numbers and forget how our efforts impact a childs ability to get treatment. Watson said. Childhood Cancer Awareness month is so impactful for me. This month really brings everything back into focus. Applications for Morale Captain are live on Tiger Zone and due Sept. 6 by midnight. Social media also plays a large part in Up til Dawns efforts. The executive board is currently creating a marketing graphic image for members to post on their social media and is encouraging members to begin posting their personal fundraising pages this month. People really have a heart for St. Jude and its mission during an important month like this, Pollet said. Its a great opportunity to fundraise. Watson said she agreed in the importance of using social media to raise awareness and increase fundraising. If we can really pull Childhood Cancer Awareness Month into it and show people why were raising money. I think it will have an even bigger impact on our community, Watson said. The St. Jude hashtag is #stjudeUTD and members are encouraged to use it. Last year, Up til Dawn had a record breaking year, raising $275,000. This year, they are aiming for at least $250,000. Outside of Up til Dawn, some students are taking their involvement with St. Jude to a corporate level, with fall internships starting in the coming weeks. Senior Stephanie Pierce, a Up til Dawn member and former executive officer, is beginning her fourth internship with St. Jude next week. Shell be in the strategic partnerships department. St. Jude is one of those organizations you cant not love, Pierce said. With the internship being so close to the hospital, you really get to see where your fundraising efforts are going. Enterprise support supervisor Jeremy Randolph said fifteen new interns start later this month at the St. Jude University Engagement Center, located in the Billy Mac Jones building. Its our responsibility to save the next generation, Pierce said. With so much bad in the world, St. Jude is an amazing reflection of everything good. Ive been on the outside, the inside, and alongside St. Jude, and no matter what perspective I look at it, its mission is still amazing. Has my class-conscious upbringing condemned me to an early grave? I ask because my late parents brought me up to believe that its frightfully common, my dear, to dine before 8pm. Yet I read in yesterdays paper that eating after 7pm is putting millions of us in danger of heart attacks and strokes. This has something to do with blood pressure, apparently, which needs a good couple of hours to settle down after a meal if it is to dip healthily during sleep. For the avoidance of doubt, and at the risk of annoying a substantial proportion of the population, I should spell out that when my parents said eating before eight was common, they didnt mean it was a widespread practice (though it undoubtedly is and a thoroughly sensible one at that, as it turns out). Eating after 7pm is putting millions of us in danger of heart attacks and strokes, research says No, they were handing down to me and my siblings one of dozens of arcane tips on how to pass ourselves off as members of the upper-middle class. Ill come to some of the others in a moment. My point is that this week a study released by a Government watchdog bemoaned something that everyone who has experienced the British class system has long known or suspected: there exists in this country an obscure and pettily snobbish code of class indicators, which acts as a serious obstacle to social mobility. Put simply, those from less privileged backgrounds, who dont know or havent mastered these half-secret rules of behaviour and dress, stand a very much worse chance of walking into well-paid jobs than those who do. Polished Chaired by Labours Alan Milburn, the Social Mobility And Child Poverty Commission singles out the City for attack, saying: For men, the wearing of brown shoes with a business suit is generally (though not always) considered unacceptable by and for British bankers. The report quotes one job candidate from a non-privileged background, who complained that he was told he was clearly quite sharp, but youre not quite the fit for this bank. Youre not polished enough. That tie youre wearing? Its too loud. The commission concludes: Aspirant bankers can be ruled as unfit for the profession on the basis of speech, accent, dress or mannerism, even where their technical aptitude is exceptional. Of course, the long-established objection to men wearing brown shoes in the City is well known from the saying a gentleman never wears brown in town, which Ive heard attributed (though I can find no evidence for this on the internet) to that arch-snob Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India under Queen Victoria and Edward VII. A late-night meal keeps the body on 'high alert' when it should be winding down, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke But if Mr Milburns researchers had delved more deeply, they might have unearthed many other irrational rules of the upper-middle class code, instilled in me during my childhood and private education but perhaps not so widely known. Among them is the absurd prejudice against shirts with chest pockets haughtily described yesterday by the Times as making their wearers look like janitors. Then theres the daft rule about the number of buttons on the sleeve of a jacket. Having any fewer than four, I was taught, is as common as eating before 8pm (though I reckon that insisting on five, the number said to be favoured by Churchills MP grandson Sir Nicholas Soames, looks like trying too hard). Its not even as if sleeve buttons have any practical purpose unlike shirt pockets, which are handy for accommodating cigarette packets, biros or credit cards. Yet Im such a prisoner of my upbringing that I never buy a shirt with a useful pocket, or a suit with fewer than four useless buttons per sleeve. As for the number of vents in the back of a suit jacket, I confess that Ive completely forgotten the rule I learned. All I remember is my mother telling me that two vents were known indelicately as b****rs dilemma, and one as b****rs delight. Either the dilemma or the delight was naff, while the other was comme il faut but I cant for the life of me recall which was which. Id be grateful for guidance from readers, before I start applying for jobs in the City. Arcane But of course arcane dress rules are far from the only class indicators that may still stand between an able candidate and lucrative employment, more than 90 years after Lord Curzons death. Accent, vocabulary (toilet, loo or lavatory?, pardon or what?), the way we hold our knives (like a pencil or with the handle in the palm of the hand?) . . . all are instant giveaways, telling prospective employers much about our social backgrounds the moment we open our mouths or sit down to eat. How do you pronounce the word valet? If my parents were right, the toffs who employ such people rhyme it with mallet, rather than the French way, to rhyme with ballet. What about Cecil, the family name of the Marquesses of Salisbury Sessal or Sissil? Again, I was taught that Sissil was the upper-class way (though when I met a daughter of the present marquess, she threw me into paroxysms of middle-class insecurity by pronouncing it the common way). Another of my mothers tips for my progress through life, though I hesitate to mention it for fear that colleagues will shrink from shaking my hand, was that its dreadfully lower-class for men to wash their hands after having a pee. I must say I thought she had invented this rule herself, until a friend told me the story of a conversation in the gents between Bobby Robson, then manager of Ipswich Town, and the clubs chairman Johnny Cobbold, grandson of the 9th Duke of Devonshire. Millions of people are putting themselves at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke by eating after 7pm, researchers have warned Noticing that Cobbold hadnt washed after relieving himself, Robson rebuked him: Where I come from, we were taught to wash our hands after a pee. The toff chairman replied: Bobby, where I was brought up, we were taught not to p*** on our hands in the first place! Minefield Oh, what a minefield we tread when we try to negotiate the British class system. And what a scandal it is that, even in 2016, such utterly irrelevant considerations as the colour of their shoes may bar working-class whizzkids from hopping aboard the City gravy train. The question is what can be done about it? Should inner-city comprehensives offer crash courses in the secret code of the upper classes, teaching pupils the approved way to hold their knives and forks, warning them to snip off their shirt pockets and telling them to leave their hands unwashed after the gents if they want a job at Rothschild? That, surely, would be buying into a discredited game and perpetuating a system that has dragged on for far too long, blighting lives and leaving an abundant source of talent unexploited. But then Im not at all sure that coercing firms into positive discrimination, forcing them to employ more candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds, is a good idea either. Dont all such attempts at social engineering end in tears? The best hope I can see is that the petty prejudices with which I grew up will wither and die naturally in the course of time. But then I look at that photograph in yesterdays paper of those young Etonians, meeting Vladimir Putin and sprawling on the floor of the Kremlin in Bullingdon Club poses, and I wonder. Wouldnt most of us feel at least a little nervous about meeting a man as powerful as the President of Russia? Yet these mere teenagers positively breathe the self-confidence loved by employers. Indeed, the schoolboy shown shaking hands with the Russian leader looks as self-assured as a patronising 18th-century aristocrat, thanking under-butler Putin for 30 years faithful service to the family. I can see him and his privileged schoolmates breezing straight into any job they fancy. Eva Price, a character in Coronation Street, studies her hair in a mirror and remarks: Ive got more roots than Kunta Kinte. No idea who that is, by the way, just something my mum used to say. Cue deranged outbreak of faux outrage, a grovelling apology from Corries producers and a potential racism investigation by the broadcast watchdog Ofcom. If you ever doubted that the world has gone rip-roaring bonkers, here is more conclusive evidence. Scroll down for video Eva Price, played by Catherine Tyldesley, came into the salon in the episode and said 'I have more roots that Kunta Kinte' before explaining she did not know who he was Kunta Kinte was a fictitious character in a 1976 novel by the black American author Alex Haley, which was turned into a TV series the following year. He was an 18th-century African slave said to be based on one of Haleys ancestors in the Gambia. The name of the TV series was Roots. Geddit? More roots than Kunta Kinte is exactly the kind of remark a fiftysomething mother in a Northern soap opera would make along with Camp as a row of tents, and More front than Blackpool. Then theres the Cockney saying More rabbit than Sainsburys, immortalised by Chas and Dave. That comes from the original 19th-century East End rhyming slang rabbit and pork for talk. But how many young kids today complaining about some garrulous individual with too much bunny has the faintest idea where the phrase comes from? By the same token, Coronation Streets Eva Price, played by 32-year-old actress Catherine Tyldesley, is unlikely ever to have heard of Kunta Kinte or Roots. Shes just parroting something her mum said when she was growing up. More roots than Kunta Kinte isnt the worlds greatest gag, but its perfect in the context of Corrie, reflecting the way in which curious expressions are passed down through the generations and repeated, without further explanation. But after the phrase was broadcast on Monday night, all hell let loose. Well, I say all hell. What I actually mean is that a few social cripples, sexual inadequates and show-offs went on the internet howling RAY-CIST and demanding retribution. Kunta Kinte: The comment caused outrage with viewers taking to Twitter to slam the show Were told that hundreds of viewers complained. The truth is more likely that one foaming madwoman went berserk on her iPhone and a handful of other losers with nothing better to do retweeted it. You would have to be in the advanced stages of mental illness to correlate a throwaway line in a popular soap opera with approval of slavery. Anyway, a recent survey showed that two-thirds of Twitter users in the UK are aged under 34 so its unlikely they would ever have heard of Kunta Kinte, either. But that didnt stop one dopey bird, whom I cant be bothered to name, exploding: 2016 and you wonder why there is a rise in hate crime, racial inequality & xenophobia with @itvcorrie utilising oppression as flippant humor (sic). Shed be an obvious contender for this years Here We Go Looby Loo Awards, except the judges dont accept entries from the wilder reaches of cyberspace. Most of these self-righteous maniacs hide behind made-up monikers. So why does anyone pay any attention whatsoever to their lunatic ramblings? My trade isnt exempt from culpability, Im ashamed to admit. The heart sinks every time I read an article which begins Twitter erupted . . . or social media went into meltdown . . . or tries to justify flamming up a so-called scandal on the grounds that one Twitter-user tweeted . . . Thats like basing a news story on what someone said at a bus stop, over a pint or in the coffee queue. One Twitter user posted this image of EastEnders character Patrick Trueman looking shocked as a response to the episode's remark If you turned to your wife, or husband, while watching TV and happened to remark that, say, you thought the remake of Are You Being Served? was sexist, or demonised gays, or didnt address the burning issue of zero-hours contracts in the retail industry, that would be the end of it. But were you to tap out your comments on a computer or mobile phone and press send, it would very quickly become a MAJOR, MAJOR story. According to one red-top tabloid, the confected fury over Coronation Street was the most important thing which had happened in the world over the previous 24 hours. CORRIE RACE STORM OVER SLAVE JOKE it screamed from its front page. Give me strength. Another report quoted Aaron Moffat-Jackman, a trainee vicar from Manchester, who said: What it did was trivialise a horrific, traumatic time for many people, particularly at a time when things are going on in America with many people getting killed by police, by white people. I think it would be very welcome for ITV to apologise. Oh, do get a life, padre. Since when did ITV policy start being dictated by trainee vicars from Manchester? Yet after something called the Slavery Remembrance organisation weighed in with a fashionable #blacklivesmatter hashtag, insanely comparing the episode to making fun of Anne Franks diaries, Corries producers threw up their hands in unconditional surrender. They should be ashamed of themselves. Despite a fall in viewing figures, Coronation Street is still the most popular soap in Britain, with an audience fluctuating between six and seven million, most of them 50-plus. So why should the producers prostrate themselves before a few twisted juvenile malcontents on the internet especially when its unlikely many of them have actually watched the programme? Ofcom is now considering opening an official investigation after receiving a grand total of 278 complaints. Why, for heavens sake? No one with an IQ greater than a gravy boat full of Bisto could possibly conclude that a harmless expression such as More roots than Kunta Kinte was racist. Look, Im conscious that even writing about this nonsense runs the risk of dignifying it. But theres a serious point here. We cant stop social media sociopaths demanding scalps every time they decide to fill their empty lives by taking offence on behalf of others, even when no offence exists or was ever intended. But what we can do is stop taking them seriously and that means no longer writing bogus news stories about them, constantly apologising to them or setting up official inquiries into their ridiculous complaints. The way things are going, in the case of Coronation Street, it can only be a matter of time before the Old Bill get involved and mount a full-scale armed raid on the Rovers Return, dragging off poor Eva Price on suspicion of committing a hate crime. Nothing would surprise me any more. After all, theres nowt so queer as folk, as Evas mum used to say on Corrie . . . Mobility scooter driver escaped through legal loophole from 1872 The legal drama involving the mobility scooter driver could have been avoided if McDonald's had accept his transport as worthy for the drive-thru A double dose of Mind How You Go this week. In Skegness, police charged a mobility scooter user with drunk-driving when he staged a protest at a drive-in McDonalds. Officers were called after staff at the burger restaurant said they wouldnt serve 62-year-old Michael Green because he wasnt driving a car. He wouldnt budge until they gave him a quarter-pounder with cheese. Mr Green refused a breathalyser and was arrested for being drunk in charge of a carriage under the 1872 Licensing Act which was intended to apply to anyone riding a bike, a horse or a cart pulled by a cow. After realising that mobility scooters didnt exist in 1872, Crown prosecutors wisely decided the case was not in the public interest. All of this could have been avoided, of course, if Maccy Ds had simply sold him a hamburger. Elsewhere, in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, thieves targeted a police Land Rover Defender designed to tackle rural crime. It was parked outside the nick at the time. They stole the four side doors, rear doors and the bonnet. One theory is that Land Rover parts have become valuable on the black market since the Defender was discontinued earlier this year. The other theory is that theyd been inspired by watching The Italian Job, but were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off. Last of the May wine First Arthur Askey, then Hank Marvin. And still the Philip May lookalikes keep flooding in. Patsy Webber and Joanna Morris think the PMs husband looks like Joe Gladwin, who played Nora Battys long-suffering other half Wally in Last Of The Summer Wine. Bob Low says Phils the spitting image of Woody Allen. Since I havent got room to include the Fast Show character Arthur Atkinson, I think its time to close the book on Philip May clones right now. Philip May, er, sorry, it's Woody Allen, in the last of Richard Littlejohn's lookalikes of the PM's husband Toilet paper problem solved, thanks Amazon Amazon has just announced a new service called Dash, which will whisk goods to your home at the press of a button. Simply install the buzzers around the house, connect to your wifi network and toothpaste, toilet rolls, dog food, washing powder and other domestic supplies will be dispatched in an instant. No need to worry about the kids crying out Mum, theres no toilet paper ever again. Press Button B and an Amazon drone will deliver a twin-pack of Andrex through the bathroom window in no time. How ever did we manage without it? Sulking Soubry still tired and emotional over Brexit Anna Soubry may have not gotten over her crush on arch-Europhile Ken Clarke in the 1970s Tory MP Anna Soubry is still sulking about the Brexit vote and trying to claim that we didnt vote against mass immigration caused by freedom of movement rules. Anna, you will remember, became seriously tired and emotional when the result was announced and appears not to have recovered since. What a breakthrough! Just nine days after the Mail launched its Ban the Beads Now campaign, putting a rocket-booster behind the drive to outlaw plastic microbeads, the Government has now issued a firm pledge to act. The initial plan, says Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, is to ban the manufacture and sale of cosmetics and personal care products containing these tiny pieces of plastic, which wash into the seas in their indestructible trillions, causing untold harm to marine life and polluting the human food chain. So two hearty cheers for her decision though the third must wait until she follows it up with a complete ban on microplastics found elsewhere, in such products as household and industrial cleaning fluids. Just nine days after the Mail launched its Ban the Beads Now campaign, putting a rocket-booster behind the drive to outlaw plastic microbeads, the Government has now issued a firm pledge to act The initial plan, says Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, is to ban the manufacture and sale of cosmetics and personal care products containing these tiny pieces of plastic After the resounding success of our Banish the Bags campaign, which has led to an 85 per cent fall in the number of single-use plastic bags issued by supermarkets, this paper is enormously proud of its role in protecting our planet from wholly unnecessary pollutants. As they look back and wonder why it was ever thought acceptable to take such risks with the environment, our children and grandchildren will have cause to join us in thanking this papers wonderful readers who rallied to our campaign. This fraudulent strike Jeremy Hunt has made huge concessions, including bonuses for weekend working, locum shifts and specialities such as A&E as well as firmer guarantees that doctors will not have to work excessive hours In the furore over the junior doctors strikes that threaten to cripple the NHS and cause suffering and death, one fact must not be overlooked: there is no proper mandate for these stoppages, which are supported by only one in three of the doctors themselves. Indeed, the BMAs leaders are relying on a ballot conducted last November, when their members rejected a contract very different from todays. Since then, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has made huge concessions, including bonuses for weekend working, locum shifts and specialities such as A&E as well as firmer guarantees that doctors will not have to work excessive hours. True, junior doctors voted in July to reject this new contract (though 42 per cent backed it, on the recommendation of the very BMA now plotting to destroy it). But they did not vote to strike over it. Still less did they endorse plans for devastating monthly walkouts, each of five days, between now and Christmas. This paper understands medics ill-feeling towards Mr Hunt (though we do not share it). He can come across as bumptious, while his decision to impose the contract is seen by many as overbearing. But we also believe firmly that doctors were drawn to their profession by a noble vocation to heal the sick. Whatever they think of Mr Hunt, he shares that aim in wanting a 24/7 NHS that cuts the death rate among patients at weekends. In the humane words of the General Medical Council, all doctors as individuals have a duty not to harm their patients. The Mail trusts they will remember it and refuse to be coerced into striking on the basis of a fraudulent mandate. Corbyns tainted cash While his followers spread anti-semitic poison, bombarding a Jewish Labour MP with 20,000 abusive messages in just 12 hours, Jeremy Corbyn likes to present himself as a civilised man of principle. Why, then, did he accept 20,000 from a TV station controlled by the blood-drenched regime in Iran, which boasts of its ambition to wipe Israel off the map? Attempting to justify his conduct, the Labour leader says his fee for just four appearances wasnt an enormous amount, actually, while claiming his purpose was to address the issues of human rights. Wouldnt his plea be more convincing if hed refused to accept tainted cash? He organised an entire day for his partner, Shannon Stockman-Wihongi When it comes to proposals, they don't get much more extravagant than this. Michael Flanderka, 39, an accountant from the Gold Coast, treated his now-fiancee, Shannon Stockman-Wihongi, 40, to a romantic planned day, that culminated in a personalised proposal incorporating many of her favourite things and locations special to the couple. The 39-year-old planned each step of the day for his fiancee, in a choreographed proposal timetable code-named 'Project Love'. Special: Michael Flanderka, 39, Gold Coast, treated his now-fiancee, Shannon Stockman-Wihongi, 40, to a romantic planned day, that culminated in a personalised proposal (pictured) He finally popped the question with the grandest of gestures. 'It took about two weeks of full-on planning,' Mr Flanderka told Daily Mail Australia. 'I wanted to make Shannon feel special. To roll out the red carpet, you know? Which I literally did at the end of the day.' Planned proposal: The 39-year-old planned each step of the day for his fiancee (both pictured), in a choreographed proposal timetable code-named 'Project Love' The proposal project, code-named Project Love, took place over the course of a single day. I was so oblivious to everything - I had no idea what was going on until the last minute Ms Wihongi was first of all shocked to see a limo roll up at work, which took the 40-year-old woman to have a massage, get her hair and make-up professionally done, and then on to her favourite store, Sheike, where a dress was waiting for her. 'Before I got into the limo I was given six roses and the first clue card,' Ms Wihongi told Daily Mail Australia. 'I was so oblivious to everything. I had no idea what was going on until the last minute! 'Michael is often romantic, he sends me flowers every fortnight at work, so I thought it was just another gesture.' Single day: The proposal took place over a day, after Ms Wihongi (pictured) was picked up from work in a limousine Afternoon treats: After receiving a massage, professional hair and make-up and a new dress, Ms Wihongi was escorted to the Gold Coast airport where Mr Flanderka was waiting (left) THE DAY IN FULL * 10am: Shannon Stockman-Wihongi was picked up from work in a limo with six roses and a clue card. * 11am: She is treated to a massage at Pacific Fair. * 12pm: Ms Wihongi is treated to professional hair and makeup before heading to her favourite store Sheike. * 3pm: She arrives at Gold Coast airport where Mr Flanerka is waiting for her with another rose and helicopter. * 3.30pm: The pair fly over some of their favourite locations, marked by banners made by Mr Flanerka. * 4pm: Helicopter lands and Ms Wihongi is blindfolded in the limo. * 5pm: The limo arrives at Palm Beach, where Ms Wihongi hears the sounds of her children. * 5.15pm: Mr Flanerka proposes on the beach where they shared their first kiss. * 5.30pm: The newly-engaged couple enjoy a reception with family and friends at Avvia Restaurant where they had their first date. Advertisement Little did the mother of three expect what was to come. After being pampered, Ms Wihongi was whisked off to Coolangatta Airport, where a chartered helicopter and her soon-to-be-fiance was waiting for her with another red rose: 'I'm quite low key but it all blew me away,' Ms Wihongi said. 'It swept me up at every stage how much he knew me.' The helicopter wasn't just on any old route, however. Michael Flanderka had planned for it to illustrate the 'three pillars' that are most important to the couple, who first started dating just eight months ago - love, family and faith. 'I put a love banner at Broadbeach, where I took Shannon to a show at Jupiter's on our first date, then I put a faith one at Shannon's church, and finally a family banner at Tamborine Mountain, where we first blended our family and children with a picnic.' 'The helicopter flew over some of my favourite locations,' Ms Wihongi told Daily Mail Australia. Clues: Michael Flanderka had planned for the proposal to illustrate the 'three pillars' that are most important to the couple - love, family and faith Illustration: He illustrated this with banners (pictured) above some of their favourite locations, which were seen as they flew over the locations Family plan: He involved countless members of their family in the timetabled plan (pictured) Final surprise: By the time the father of two proposed to Ms Wihongi, on the beach where they shared their first kiss, she was totally overwhelmed by his efforts By the time the father of two proposed to Ms Wihongi, on the beach where they shared their first kiss, she was totally overwhelmed by his efforts. 'There was red carpet on the beach, but I was blindfolded and so could only hear the voices of our children,' she remembers. 'Michael's kids handed me the last envelope, before he talked about the great journey we had been on and dropped down on one knee.' Bachelor style: The entire proposal featured 12 red roses (pictured), and incorporated the couple's kids from their former marriage Never have regrets: According to Mr Flanderka, the reason for his dramatic proposal was that he thinks you 'should never have any regrets' After the proposal, the couple and their blended families had a photoshoot, which rounded off their perfect day. They later had a reception with family and friends at Avvia restaurant, where they had their first date. If you had spoken to me a few years ago, I would have said I would follow that traditional accountant path - date someone for 12 months, be engaged for six and then get married 'If you had spoken to me a few years ago, I would have said I would follow that traditional accountant path,' Mr Flanderka told Daily Mail Australia. 'Date someone for 12 months, be engaged for six and then get married. 'But, after my former wife died three and a half years ago within eight weeks of getting cancer, I changed my entire way of thinking. 'You should never have any regrets. You shouldn't leave things until tomorrow, and you should do everything you can to make things perfect. 'I try to take that lesson through life now.' Changing up: Mr Flanderka said that formerly he would have followed the traditional accountant path - dating someone for 12 months, being engaged for six and then marrying Live in the now: However, now he believes you should seize each day and live every day like it's your last While Mr Flanderka doesn't think he will ever make quite as grand a gesture on the couple's upcoming anniversaries, he said that he will always be romantic when he is married to Ms Wihongi: 'A little love note in the coffee jar when she gets up, you know? That sort of thing. It's the little things that count long term,' he said. Advertisement Theyre the photographers who empower women from behind the lens. Their work captures the raw emotion that comes with the very first moments of a babys life. The tears, joy and sheer relief. But birthing photography not only empowers women, but open up conversation around birth and challenges societys preconception that childbirth should be feared. On Thursday the Australian Professional Photography Awards named the countrys top photographers in the field. Here Femail speaks with the winner, Brisbane's Selena Rollason, and runner-up Victoria Berekmeri from Adelaide on what its like working as a birth photographer. The Australian Professional Photography Awards have named the country's top birthing photographers Winner Selena Rollason shared her powerful images and hopes to change society's preconception that giving birth is an awful experience BIRTHING FINALISTS Australian Professional Photography Awards Birth Photography category winners: Winner: Selena Rollason Runners-up: Victoria Berekmeri and Rana Rankin Advertisement Selena Rollason shot her first birth in 2011 following the birth of her third child who was born by elective cesarean. The mother-of-three said having photos from her own cesarean birth helped her see the positive side of the experience. It was quite an emotional and difficult experience to go through, she said. My memory at the time was really quite negative, so I could look back on those images and see the positive side of it. Ms Rollason started birth photography after she had her third child via elective cesarean Runner-up in the birthing category Victoria Berekmeri said the photos helped educate women about the variations of natural birth Ms Rollason said birth photography helped mothers process their experiences. Birth is very much something we cant control, she said. When you have photos of those experiences its helps women who had a traumatic birth process whats happened and look on it in a positive way rather than a negative way. It not only shows women how strong they are, it helps society understand that birth is beautiful and shouldnt be feared. I would love to see a reversal in that societal preconception that childbirth is an awful experience. At the end of the day, my images show its not. It not only shows women how strong they are, it helps society understand that birth is beautiful and shouldnt be feared,' Ms Rollason said Following Ms Rollason is runner-up Victoria Berekmeri, 37, from Adelaide who learned photography as a teenager. But it was not until 2010 that she took it up professionally. Today she runs Adelaide Birth Photographer, and told Daily Mail Australia birthing photography played an important role in educating people about birth. Its opening up questions to women and theyre beginning to understand there are variations of normal in birth, she said. Its helping women to make empowered decisions and ask empowering questions. Ms Berekmeri said the photographs empowered women and encouraged them to ask questions about birth Ms Rollason, who is a mother-of-three, said birth photography helped her look back positively on her elective cesarean Thats not to say everyone in on board. Ms Berekmeri said some people have found her work confronting, and in 2013 one of her photos of a woman giving birth on her hands and knees was taken down from an exhibition. I feel like the social value of sharing what this looks like has so much more potential that the short term offenses that certain people might find, she said. Birthing photos also have value for new fathers. Another runner-up was Rana Rankin who specialises in birth photography and maternity, newborn and family shoots I feel like the social value of sharing what this looks like has so much more potential that the short term offenses that certain people might find, Ms Berekmeri said about birthing photography Men can get quite emotional when they see birth photography and see themselves in birth photography, Ms Berekmeri said. Its such a mind-shifting experience for them the first time they become a dad. She said the birds eye view the photos provide of the birth can help partners value each other as a family. Ms Berekmeri said her job was life changing. Advertisement As every good photographer will tell you, each photo should tell a story. And each of these shots of newborns from the Australian Professional Photography Awards on Thursday tells a tale of mother and child, capturing newborn babies in often unique and unusual places. While some show mother and child in traditional form, with the mother's arms wrapped around her baby, others are more creative in their approach - putting the babies in baskets, beds and even mock-enchanted castles for the sake of a special shot. Mother's love: The Australian Professional Photography Awards took place on Thursday, and one of the categories was newborn babies (pictured) Winner: The winner of this category was Penrith-based photographer, Natalie Howe, who shot babies in all sorts of unusual locations (pictured) Inventive: One of Ms Howe's winning photos showed a baby in a hanging basket (left), while another showed a little baby in an enchanted castle (right) in Harry Potter costume Each of the different photographs is sure to tug at the heart-strings of any mother thinking back to her own maternal experience. The Australian Professional Photography Awards took place on Thursday, and crowned Penrith-based photographer, Natalie Howe, the winner of the Newborn Photographer of the Year category. Natalie Howe's inventive shots feature babies in hanging baskets, a dog bed, sleeping next to a mock castle in Harry Potter-style costume, and even as part of a giant game of Noughts and Crosses. While Ms Howe specialises in wedding, newborn and family portrait photography, it was clearly her unusual approach to taking a snap that attracted the judges' attention. Raw emotion: Each of the different photographs is sure to tug at the heart-strings of any mother thinking back to her own maternal experience Kelly Brown and Fiona McGuire were awarded runners-up at the competition, for their powerful and raw photos that truly encapsulate the strength of emotion every new mum will feel when she holds her newborn baby for the first time. Many of their photos follow a neutral colour palette, while some of the most touching also feature triplets instead of a single baby. One photo by Kelly Brown shows a mother cradling both her newborn baby and the baby's older sibling, in one warm embrace. The 2016 awards were peer-judged anonymously over three days by some of Australia's most recognised photographers, including Jerry Ghionis, Peter Eastway, Peter Rossi and Charmaine Heyer. The awards are the largest awards for professional print photography in Australia and are this year celebrating 40 years in existence. Second place: Fiona McGuire was one of the runners-up in the competition (pictured), and she shot this baby inside a pink blanket Autumnal: Many of the other photos followed a neutral colour palette, and often featured triplets (pictured) All category winners walked away with AUD $1,000 in cash. The competition in all categories was fierce, with as many as 580 entrants submitting a collective of almost 2,200 images to the competition. Innovation, content, creativity, technical excellence and impact were the key criteria when the images were assessed, which is clear from the effect many of these photos have when you first see them. Other categories that were judged included fashion, sport, science, travel, wedding, landscape and family. Also second: The fellow runner-up was Kelly Brown, whose raw photos captured the overwhelming feelings many have when they become a mother Acclaimed: The 2016 awards were peer-judged anonymously over three days by some of Australia's most recognised photographers, including Jerry Ghionis, Peter Eastway, Peter Rossi and Charmaine Heyer Hard to beat: The competition in all categories was fierce, with as many as 580 entrants submitting a collective of almost 2,200 images to the competition A Great British Bake Off hopeful has revealed how he was on the receiving end of a racist slur, prompted by his appearance on the show. Rav Bansal, 28, from Kent took to Twitter to express his shock, saying: 'So today I was asked 'are you the p*** on the not so British Bake Off?' Really, in 2016?' The university support worker who has already set himself apart from the other contestants my making all vegan bakes, received an outpouring of support from shocked followers. Scroll down for video Rav Bansal, 28, from Kent has revealed how he suffered a vile racist slur prompted by his appearance on the Great British Bake Off RohanSinghKalsi urged the keen baker to 'forget the ignorant fools'. 'Wear that crown loud and proud King,' he tweeted. Janebbakes said she couldn't believe the comment and said: 'There are some horrible people out there.' The comment was described as 'disgusting and totally uncalled for' by MiniMycroft. 'Some people need to stop being so cruel and educate themselves!' she said. TheLittlePK echoed her sentiments, saying: 'People are so ignorant. I'm cross on your behalf.' RealFoodFans advised it was always best to ignore 'the idiots'. Simonkaston added a touching message of support, saying: 'Awful for you but remember that the majority of us are as horrified as you. We think you're fab!' And Rav was clearly grateful for the support, as he told his followers: 'Thank you for all the kind messages, I am fine, honestly. 'It's Friday and the weekend is in touching distance, all good!! #positivevibes.' Rav has already made his mark on the contest with his vegan bakes, containing no eggs or dairy products Rav pictured in action with Sue Perkins, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood Hotdesigner pointed out that last year's winner Nadiya Hussain has also endured racist abuse, and added: 'You shouldn't have to put up with that.' Indeed the baking champion previously revealed that she has suffered so much racist abuse during her life that she has come to expect it. The 31-year-old star, one of six children born to Bangladeshi parents, makes the shocking revelation on todays Desert Island Discs. She says: Ive had things thrown at me and been pushed and jabbed. It sounds really silly because I feel that its just become a part of my life now. I expect it. I absolutely expect to be shoved or pushed or verbally abused because it happens. Its been happening for years. During the interview with host Kirsty Young, Luton-born Nadiya says she believes the best way to deal with such abuse is to refuse to react and instead instil a love of Britain in her own family. Last year's Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has revealed that she's suffered so much racist abuse in her life that she's come to expect it I dont retaliate. I just feel like there is a dignity in silence. I think if I retaliate to negativity with negativity then weve evened out. 'I dont need to even that out because if somebody is being negative I need to be the better person. 'Because I have young children, the one thing I dont want my kids to do is have a negative attitude of living in the UK. Yes, there are those negative people but they are the minority. I love being British and I love living here. 'This is my home and it always will be regardless of all the other things that define me. Advertisement A mother with postnatal depression who felt so guilty over pushing away her newborn daughter says she now photographs the toddler every day in a bid to say sorry. Sujata Setia, 35, from Kent, developed postnatal depression following the difficult birth of daughter Aayat, three, in 2013. After a 26-hour labour, the former TV news journalist and radio presenter struggled to bond with her daughter and felt 'angry and ungrateful' about being a mother. Sujata Setia, 35, a former TV news journalist and radio presenter, had a difficult 26 hour birth and pushed her daughter Aayat, now three, away when she was handed to her by a doctor The 35-year-old has now sworn to capture every moment of Aayat's life to apologise for pushing away a doctor holding the child as a newborn, and her ethereal images have gained her thousands of online fans. Many of the photos, which were mainly taken during a recent summer holiday to Devon and Somerset, feature the family's six-month-old British Bulldog Nawab Mustang Sujata, who photographs Aayat, pictured with her pet dog, every day, said: 'I hope I will create enough memories for Aayat for her to be able to forget when the doctor brought her to me newborn and I shooed him away in anger' She has now sworn to capture every moment of Aayat's life to apologise for pushing away a doctor holding the child as a newborn, and her ethereal images have gained her thousands of online fans. Sujata said: 'I feel extremely guilty about pushing Aayat away as a newborn, but the physical trauma was so extreme. No one will ever truly tell you how difficult the process of labour is. 'Now I want to capture every aspect of my daughter and her relationships as she grows - her smile, her special moments, everything I want to cherish. 'I hope I will create enough memories for Aayat for her to be able to forget when the doctor brought her to me newborn and I shooed him away in anger. 'Motherhood is something no one can prepare you for and I feel my daughter did not deserve a parent who went through depression. After a 26-hour labour, the former TV news journalist and radio presenter struggled to bond with her daughter and felt 'angry and ungrateful' about being a mother. Pictured, Ayaat with the family dog Sujata felt extremely guilty about pushing Aayat away as a newborn, but hadn't realised how extreme the physical trauma of birth would be, and how difficult labour was Vijay Lakshmi, Sujata's mother-in-law, pictured with the family dog, also takes part in the project, which sees Sujata taking pictures every day of her daughter 'I wished so many times I had never had a child and felt like I was failing her and myself - I felt like everything was falling apart. 'I didn't face difficulty bonding with Aayat at all, but I felt difficulty accepting my life had changed so much. 'From the outside motherhood looks like a perfect picture but when Aayat was born I realised the portrayal was very different to the reality. 'There was nobody around to tell me what's right and what's wrong. I was living in a constant state of fear of what I would do wrong. 'It was very challenging. Life suddenly changed too much and it was so difficult to accept those changes. 'In the process, I forgot to be grateful for what I had been blessed with. Ayaat dressed up and appearing to board a train - part of the project of daily photos her mother Sujata takes And about a month after Aayat was born, following a difficult pregnancy and distressing labour in which Sujata feared she would die and there were chances of a stillbirth, postnatal depression began to take hold Aayat with her grandmother. Sujata suffered extreme lows and highs following her daughter's birth and while she always gave her the care she needed, she struggled to cope as a new mum 'Women are told we are born to be mothers but you don't need to be a born mother, you can grow into that role over time. 'My daughter has taught me how to be selfless and has made me fall in love with motherhood - now I can't imagine life without her.' My daughter has taught me how to be selfless and has made me fall in love with motherhood - now I can't imagine life without her Indian-born Sujata moved to the UK seven years ago when she married her automotive engineer husband, who is 40, but found it difficult to adapt to life in a foreign country. And about a month after Aayat was born, following a difficult pregnancy and distressing labour in which Sujata feared she would die and there were chances of a stillbirth, postnatal depression began to take hold. She suffered extreme lows and highs and while she always gave her daughter the care she needed, she struggled to cope as a new mum. But during a trip to India to visit her mother Neelam Setia ten months after Aayat was born, Sujata decided to set up her own newborn and children's photography business - But Natural Photography. Within weeks she had her first job and the professional snapper now has thousands of online fans who admire her work - and even teaches other photographers how to get the perfect shot. She feels photography saved her during a difficult time and tries to capture images that will bring a smile to people's faces While Sujata was prescribed antidepressants, she didn't take them as she felt that the only way to help with her problems was the help herself from within Sujata's stunning images of Aayat, shared in a soul-bearing viral post, shows the tot standing in front of a herd of cows, greeting a sheep at sunset and even bidding farewell to a train conductor. Many of the photos, which were mainly taken during a recent summer holiday to Devon and Somerset, feature the family's six-month-old British Bulldog Nawab Mustang. Sujata said: 'Photography is definitely something my depression pushed me towards. 'I was having a major identity crisis, and I realised I could either do something new or let the depression get the better of me. 'My photography is all about storytelling and because of what I have gone through I try to capture moments which will bring smiles to the faces of people viewing the pictures, or give them hope. Sujata wants to show that motherhood isn't a burden but the biggest blessing, and feels the photos will help her do that She wants people to know that they are not alone, and wants her photographs to achieve that goal 'I cannot describe how grateful I am to photography for saving me from such a difficult stage in my life. It truly came to my rescue. 'I was prescribed antidepressants, but I did not take them as I believe the only way to truly deal with depression is to help yourself from within. 'Sometimes we feel depressed because our sense of identity is lost, so we need to make sure we do something to regain that lost confidence. 'Otherwise we will never be able to see clearly that motherhood isn't a burden but the biggest blessing. 'Every time I have spoken about postnatal depression online I have received criticism but there are many women having to deal with these crises on their own. 'It can be very difficult for mums to come out and say they are facing challenges or struggling to look after their child. The designer behind the Duchess of Cambridge's dress of choice for her official visit to Cornwall yesterday has said seeing the royal in one of her designs was a 'thrill'. New-York based Lela Rose says she was delighted when the 34-year-old Duchess stepped out in a $1,295 (976) pastel pink number from her Resort '16 collection. The dress was thrust firmly into the spotlight yesterday during Kate's whistlestop tour of Cornwall with her husband Prince William, and Lela believes this will have an 'enormous' impact on her brand. Scroll down for video New York-based designer Lela Rose admits that seeing the Duchess in her dress was a 'personal high' as she is a 'big fan' of the royal - and now expects sales to soar Kate, 34, opted for a Lela Rose dress during yesterday's tour of Cornwall with her husband Prince William, and the desginer believes this will have an 'enormous' impact on her brand 'The impact is enormous in terms of having a wider-and global- audience seeing our brand,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'It is also a personal high for me; I am a big fan of her.' The pastel gown, which features short sleeves, a fitted bodice with body contouring seams and a gently fluted skirt, is still on sale on the designer's website at the reduced price of $777 (586). And Lela - whose pieces have also worn by the likes of Ashley Olsen, Jessica Alba and Selma Blair - admits it made her day when she woke up to see Catherine had chosen one of her dresses for the engagement. The gown, which features short sleeves, a fitted bodice with body contouring seams and a gently fluted skirt, is still on sale on the designer's website at the reduced price of $777 (586) Kate in Cornwall yesterday. Lela admits it made her day when she woke up to see Catherine had chosen one of her dresses for the engagement 'I woke up to dozens of pictures on my Instagram feed of the Duchess in my dress,' she said. 'I can't tell you how much fun it is to wake up seeing this and it just makes your day. 'She has worn my designs before but it just never gets old. It is always a thrill!' Kate previously wore a Lela Rose ivory cocktail dress to an evening reception during her and William's tour of Australia in 2014. The pair were attending a reception hosted by the Governor General Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove at Government House in Canberra. Although the duchess usually opts for UK designers or those local to the countries she visits, Lela can understand why she went for one of her flattering frocks. Not the first time: Kate previously wore a Lela Rose ivory cocktail dress to an evening reception during her and William's tour of Australia in 2014 at Government House in Canberra She said: 'I believe that if you look good, you feel good and that is the goal for every piece that I design. 'It's somewhat simple in theory but there are many components that go into that goal. I like to use fabrics that are comfortable, luxurious, and feel great on. 'The colour palette needs to be sophisticated yet fun, and the details whimsical yet more like a surprise rather than overbearing. 'The cut of the pieces are very flattering on and work for a range of sizes with seaming that is not only interesting but really flatters the figure.' She said she is surprised by the popularity of the illustrations - as to her it is a 'fun hobby' - but she is pleased that her drawings resonate with others Mari said all the pictures are based on real life experiences and that drawing about them 'gives me a lot of joy' a dedicated online following through her often comic images The writer and illustrator from Washington, DC has From self-expression through plants to existential crises and googling tax problems - this illustrator's sketches capture some of the highs and lows of millennial life. Mari Andrew, 29, shares the often funny illustrations every day on Instagram where she has amassed a following of more than 65,000. The writer and illustrator from Washington, DC started posting her daily pictures a year ago based on thoughts and experiences from her own life. Funny: From self-expression through plants to existential crises and googling tax problems - these sketches by Mari Andrew, 29, capture some of the highs and lows of millennial life Dear diary: The writer and illustrator from Washington, DC said she uses Instagram as her 'journal' Honest: Mari shares an illustration a day to document her thoughts and experiences Resonates: She has amassed a dedicated online following through her often comic images Hobby: Mari, pictured, said all the pictures are based on real life experiences and that drawing about them 'gives me a lot of joy' The illustrations document how perceptions change with age and some of the unfortunate situations that occur through modern communication. Mari, who just finished writing her first book, said she uses her Instagram feed as her 'journal' to express her thoughts and feelings. She told Daily Mail Online: 'I don't set out at all to draw "adulthood"-themed sketches; these are all experiences I've had, that happen to resonate with other people in similar situations.' Connection: She said she is surprised by the popularity of the illustrations but is pleased that her drawings resonate with others Human issues: The images cover subjects including happiness, identity and aspirations Happy: Despite sometimes drawing on the more difficult areas of life, she said being 29 is 'not bad at all' Despite sometimes drawing on the more difficult areas of life, she said being 29 is 'not bad at all'. She added: 'I am a very optimistic and happy person and my drawings reflect my desire to laugh at myself and connect with other people. 'Being 29 is totally wonderful, and drawing about it gives me a lot of joy.' Positive outlook: Mari said she is 'a very optimistic and happy person' Embracing life: Mari said being 29 is 'wonderful' Popular: Mari has more than 65,000 followers on her Instagram account 'ByMariAndrew' She said she was surprised by the popularity of the illustrations - as to her it is a 'fun hobby' - but she is pleased that her drawings appeal to others. 'People resonate with honesty and it makes people feel good when they see their own feelings reflected in art or writing. It certainly makes me feel good. Nina Naustdal is talking cobblers. Actual cobblers, of the shoemaker kind although the other meaning is surely true, too. Shes explaining why every mum should have a trusty person who comes to the house to measure the kids for handmade shoes. If you are facing the prospect of a long queue in the Clarks Back To School department-from-hell today, then you might want to take a deep breath here, but lets hear her out. Why would a small child possibly need handmade shoes? Because its such fun for them to be involved in the design process you get with bespoke, she says. To have someone make something specifically for them is unique. My son has been wearing his latest pair all summer and no one else in London or Monaco or the South of France has anything like them. They make him feel special. Id definitely recommend it. Nina Naustdal is appearing on Too Posh to Parent - a documentary about the super-rich Ninas two daughters Leah, nine, and Alexa, six, and son Noah, five, have an extraordinary army of helpers What does a pair of bespoke handmade shoes cost, either in London or, er, Monaco? She has no idea. You can find out from my PA, she says, presumably working under the theory that if you have to fret about such things then you cant afford it. Nina is one of the mums featured on a jaw-dropping documentary called Too Posh To Parent, which focuses on how the super-rich deal with the daily challenges of child-rearing. These are parents who struggle to deal with the challenges one gets when jet-setting lifestyles, 47-bedroom homes and children collide. And my, what solutions they have found to problems most of us didnt even know existed. Step into a world of not just nannies, tutors and cleaners, but of Ninja Nannies who combine childcare with martial arts lessons and SAS experience, and super-tutors with PhD qualifications Lego tuition optional. The cost? Anything up to 1,000 an hour. Then there are the vegan-specialising chefs who also know how to meditate and ski. This is a giddying, gaudy world where money can buy you anything. And that goes from someone to potty-train your child for 2,000, to a personal portrait painter or a music teacher who will pitch up with a 7 million instrument on which little Johnny can play Twinkle Twinkle. Its a world where teams of PAs are employed to co-ordinate playdates, homework supervisors are de rigueur and parents boast about not having to get their hands dirty with the nitty-gritty of family life. One father even boasts that hes never changed a nappy in his life. When another child came along, he just hired another nanny, he says. Its a different world to the one most of us inhabit, and one that will doubtless have you wanting to chuck a (non-bespoke) shoe at the screen. Nina, who has a boutique in Chelsea and shops mainly in Harrods, estimates that her staff must set her back about 200,000 a year Nina and her family live in a 10million house in Chelsea, complete with a dog wardrobe So how does Nina, who keeps telling me my children are my world, feel about being the star of a show called Too Posh To Parent? Well it wasnt called that when I agreed to take part, she says, hesitantly. But Ive always been honest about the fact I have a busy lifestyle and need help to do everything. Its no big deal. And in the part of London where I live, pretty much everyone is the same. Not everyone does talk about it, but I dont see why there should be a shame about it. Yes, I do cherry-pick the parts of parenting I want to do, but what is wrong with that? I think most parents would, too if they could afford it. Nina Naustdal Yes, I do cherry-pick the parts of parenting I want to do, but what is wrong with that? I think most parents would, too if they could afford it. You can see why Channel 4 wanted Nina front and centre of its latest documentary. As well as being a fashion designer to the stars (well, Sinitta and Nancy DellOlio), Nina, who lives in a 10 million Chelsea townhouse, has a hedge fund manager husband, three children and seven dogs. To say the family is well-heeled is putting it mildly. Even the dogs all chihuahuas, naturally, called things like Snow White and Cinderella wear couture. One has a Roberto Cavalli T-shirt; another a Gucci fur jacket. Norway-born Nina is filmed rummaging in the dog wardrobe, where all outfits are displayed on hangers, to find something suitable for the pooches to wear for their walkies. As well as the three children, Nina has seven chihuahuas called things like Snow White and Cinderella The children have their shoes made by hand because 'its such fun for them to be involved in the design process you get with bespoke' Once the dogs are dressed, she walks them. Bringing up the rear, however, is the family nanny or one of them with poo bags at the ready. Nina doesnt do poo. Its easier if you have someone else to do it, she explains. Its one thing to have this sort of hands-off approach to your dogs, but to your kids? Ninas two daughters Leah, nine, and Alexa, six and son Noah, five, have an extraordinary army of helpers, all employed at huge expense. Nina, who has a boutique in Chelsea and shops mainly in Harrods, estimates that her staff must set her back about 200,000 a year. Yet shes adamant that this is money well spent. She tells me this from Monaco, where she has been spending the summer. I see more of my staff than I do of my husband, she says. He is based in Monaco, so he only flits back and forward to London. The staff here help me keep the house running. I couldnt do it without them. So there is a housekeeper, a cleaner and a cook. I never really had to learn to cook so I suppose Id have to take a course if I ever had to, she admits. There is a housekeeper, a cleaner and a cook, a nanny for each the children, a chauffeur There is also a tutor who comes to the house to supervise homework and get them ready for exams Nor could the children exist without their hired help, it seems. As well as their own nannies, these three share their mothers PA, employed to co-ordinate all the playdates and make sure they get to all their activities and after-school clubs. They are at different schools and they are so busy that it can get hectic. It means that when Im working or travelling, I can be sure they are in the right place at the right time. Obviously the kids and their nannies travel in style. They have a chauffeur, Mo, an ex-professional boxer, who will take them to see friends and provides a male influence when their dad is away so much, says Nina. There is also a tutor who comes to the house to supervise homework and get them ready for exams. Yes, sometimes I can do it, but I think it gives a different dimension if there is a tutor, says Nina. There is so much competition at school that you want to give them the edge. Everyone has tutors now, even though schools dont really like it. There is even a personal shopper on the books. Every season the children get to pick their own clothes. Its fun. They love all that. Nina's son also sees a 'Lego therapist' every week after it was recommended by the school Nina launched her fashion business in 2011 and her clothing range includes a childrens collection where a trench coat for your six-year-old will set you back 1,400 Perhaps the oddest member of staff is the Lego therapist whose services Nina pays for every week for her son. So what is a Lego therapist? Where do you find them? Why would you need one? What do they cost? Nina is peculiarly vague for someone who insists she is completely in charge of her childrens lives. Oh the school actually recommended him, she says. There has been research to say that playing with Lego is helpful in improving a childs concentration. Were finding it very useful. I think we will continue. Of course, with a hedge fund manager husband, Nina was never going to have a Lidl lifestyle, and her own career choice has hurtled her further into the high-end world. She launched her fashion business in 2011 and her clothing range includes a childrens collection where a trench coat for your six-year-old will set you back 1,400. Who spends 1,400 on a kids coat? People who appreciate good design, good quality, detailing, that feeling that something is just for you. Do her own children appreciate their chauffeur-driven, Harrods-visiting life? I make sure they do. I know I probably give them more than most my daughters already have diamond jewellery, for instance but I make sure they are grateful. And they know they are lucky. I have taken them to Africa to show them other children do not have what they have. Nina admits her daughters already have diamond jewellery - but says she has taught them how lucky they are by taking them to Africa to see how other children live Perhaps the shocking thing is that the Channel 4 programme is full of Ninas, obscenely rich parents who are utterly convinced they are giving their children the best of everything. One Russian couple, Igor and Natasha, are featured along with their 13-year-old daughter Katya. Poor Katya seems to be remarkably glum for someone who lives in a 45 million house. The reason? Determined to turn her into a virtuoso violinist, her parents have hired the services of renowned violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky, who encourages her to learn on a 7 million instrument. We want her to work hard so she doesnt turn into a lazy brat, says Natasha. Alas, the expression on her daughters face suggests she wants to hurl the 7 million violin to the ground and stamp on it repeatedly. And does she play like an angel yet? Er, no. This family has adopted the no expense spared mantra, to the point that they bought her a house to ensure she stayed with them for as long as they needed her. This programme abounds with parents who have infinitely more money than sense. There is the mother who is struggling to find a nanny who can ski and cook vegan food. She says she needs someone who is extremely practical yet also very spiritual. Is she asking too much, she worries, while being filmed standing on her head in a yoga pose? Of course she is. The nanny employed on a trial seems to pass the ski test, but fails on the organic-everything one, taking the kids off to get them fresh apple juice and coming back with Fanta. Never has a mother freaked so entertainingly. They dont even know the WORD Fanta, she rages, oblivious to the fact it was her children who told the nanny they were allowed fizzy drinks. There are winners in this programme although not necessarily the children. There are representatives from nanny agencies, all advising young women that to secure the plum jobs, they should be trilingual (Russians and Arabs demand many languages, apparently), plain-looking (no woman will ever employ an attractive nanny) and ideally have some sort of karate qualifications. The show also focuses on Irene Major, a former model, who lives in a 47-bedroom mansion in Kent and is married to an oil executive. Irene has five children Irene says she is a better wife because she outsources so many of her parenting duties There are security firms who boast that their staff wouldnt look out of place on the school run. One private tutor, Mark Maclaine, reveals he charges up to 1,000 an hour and has a three-year waiting list. Still, his job is no walk in the park. The mother of one eight-year-old deposited into Marks care reveals that she would quite like him to win a Nobel Prize. No pressure then. There is money in everything child-related even the messy bits. Amanda Jenner has set up an entire business hiring herself out as a potty trainer to the rich and famous. She even runs a Potty Academy. Its motto? Together wee can do it. For the full service she charges 2,000. Is she having a laugh? Not in the slightest. She has a two-year waiting list and has become quite rich on the profits of toddler poo. One client is Irene Major, a former model, who lives in a 47-bedroom mansion in Kent and is married to an oil executive. Irene has five children and a lifestyle that still allows her to attend cocktail parties on a whim. She has no qualms about the shows title. Yes, Id say I am too posh to parent, she concedes. She says she is a better wife because she outsources so many of her parenting duties. Im free to go to cocktail parties because I dont have to worry about the school run. Outsourcing potty training, though? Well its a skill they will probably have for life. I see more of my staff than I do of my husband, says Nina. Her husband lives in Monaco Nina posted this picture of herself posing for the next family portrait - painting that is Perhaps there should be a follow-up called Too Poor To Parent, though. Irene is blessed to have a Filipino nanny, Connie, who is devoted to her children. She isnt here for the money, says Irene. Actually, she is. Less heartwarming is the story of Connies own children, back home. They are at university now, but since they were born she has worked in the UK, caring for other peoples children to fund their education. She sees them only once every two years, and admits she is little more than a stranger to them. What a preposterous punchline. Nearly half of Americans polled say they are wary of traveling to places in the U.S. where people have been infected with the Zika virus by mosquitoes, such as parts of Florida. A poll released on Americans' health care attitudes by the Kaiser Family Foundation found 48 percent would be uncomfortable traveling to Zika infection areas within the U.S., and up to 61 percent felt uneasy about traveling to Puerto Rico or non-U.S. Zika zones. Most Zika cases contacted directly through mosquito bites in Florida are in the Miami area, not the tourist mecca of Orlando which is home to the Walt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld theme parks. 2.5 BILLION AT RISK OF ZIKA More than two-and-a-half billion people are at risk of developing the Zika virus, scientists have warned. It comes as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of Zika remains an international health emergency and noted the virus is continuing to infect new countries. Malaysia has also confirmed its first case of the virus after authorities in Singapore confirmed they have detected more than 150 people with the virus. New analysis of travel, climate and mosquito patterns in parts of Asia and Africa found people in these regions were particularly at risk. Advertisement Most Zika cases contacted directly through mosquito bites in Florida are in the Miami area, not the tourist mecca of Orlando which is home to the Walt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld theme parks. 'There are no non-travel related cases in Orange County or central Florida,' Gov. Rick Scott said earlier this week at an appearance in the Orlando area. But Miami is a major tourism draw, with more than 15.5 million people making overnight visits to the city and its nearby beaches last year. And overall, Florida set a new record for tourism with more than 105 million people from out of state and other countries visiting the state in 2015. As of Wednesday, the state Department of Health has reported 47 non-travel related Zika cases in Florida. The arts district of Wynwood north of downtown Miami and a section of Miami Beach have been singled out as mosquito transmission areas. The Kaiser poll also found that a third of those interviewed believe Congress should make it a top priority to pass legislation increasing money to combat the virus. President Barack Obama proposed $1.9 billion in emergency funding for Zika in February, but Congress has been unable to agree on a final bill. Poll respondents identifying as Democrats were more likely than Republicans or independents to view Zika funding as a top priority for Congress, according to the poll. Scott, a Republican, has repeatedly called on Congress to send the president a Zika funding bill, calling the issue one of urgent international importance. 'We still need the federal government to show up,' Scott told reporters recently in Miami. 'It's not just a Florida issue.' The poll of 1,211 adults conducted Aug. 18-24 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. A patient has won a 17,500 payout after claiming botched dental work caused his face to swell like a balloon - leaving him in excruciating pain. Richard Ogden, of Warton, Lancashire, underwent dental work by Dr Johnston Jordan of Windmill Dental Surgery in 2013 - which he claims triggered a chronic infection afterwards. The 57-year-old's face began to swell up and his gums oozed pus, leaving him in excruciating pain. Moreover, surgery to correct the problem left him with a fractured tooth. After being referred to hospital, treated with antibiotics, and finally having his smile rebuilt - he took legal action against Dr Jordan and agreed to an out of court settlement. Richard Ogden, 57 (left), has won a 17,500 payout as he claims botched dental work triggered a chronic infection which caused his face to swell up like a balloon (right) Mr Ogden's ordeal started when the dentist told him he could replace a failing bridge in his jaw without needing implants. His teeth were X-rayed and work carried out but Mr Ogden says he was never told he had an infection and no action was taken to treat it before work started. Before long, Mr Ogden, a contract cleaner, suffered mouth pain and pus started seeping from below his tooth. He returned to see Dr Jordan, whose practice was taken over by Oasis Dental Care, who found he had a chronic infection, decay and the bridge he fitted had not worked properly. Further root end surgery to save his teeth also resulted in one fracturing. When he tried to see the dentist again, he discovered Dr Jordan was off sick. The dentist, who was based at the surgery, in Lytham, Lancashire, has not admitted liability but he settled out of court after intervention from the Dental Law Partnership. Mr Ogden said: 'At first the pain wasn't that bad but my teeth were oozing pus which made my breath smell really horrible. 'I could just taste rotting in my mouth.' Mr Ogden said: 'At first the pain wasn't that bad but my teeth were oozing pus which made my breath smell really horrible. I could just taste rotting in my mouth.' Last Christmas was ruined by excruciating pain and his face swelling up, Mr Ogden said. He was prescribed antibiotics at hospital and referred to a specialist. In January, had his bridge removed and now wears dentures - but said he has been left with a fear of dentists. The Dental Law Partnership has confirmed a settlement of 17,500 was agreed between Mr Ogden and Dr Jordan. A spokesperson for Oasis Dental Care said: 'The majority of this treatment was undertaken before Oasis Dental Care acquired the practice, and Dr Jordan left shortly after this time. 'As a matter of course the Oasis Clinical Team undertakes stringent quality reviews of each practice we acquire, which contributes towards our 100 per cent compliance record with the Care Quality Commission. More than two-and-a-half billion people are at risk of developing the Zika virus, scientists have warned. It comes as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of Zika remains an international health emergency and noted the virus is continuing to infect new countries. Malaysia has also confirmed its first case of the virus after authorities in Singapore confirmed they have detected more than 150 people with the virus. New analysis of travel, climate and mosquito patterns in parts of Asia and Africa found people in these regions were particularly at risk. A worker fogs around a condo in Kuala Lumpur to control adult mosquitoes Malaysia confirms first case of Zika virus The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of Zika remains an international health emergency after Malaysia reported its first case of the virus The UN health agency convened its expert committee this week to assess the latest status of the epidemic. Today, Dr David Heymann, the committee's chair, said considerable gaps remain in understanding Zika and the complications it causes. As such, WHO concluded the outbreak remains a global emergency. It follows research which found Zika could cause temporary paralysis in sufferers. Until earlier this week, scientists had tentatively suggested that there may be a link between the virus and Guillain-Barre syndrome, when the body attacks itself after an infection. But new data reveals the most definitive link between the conditions. The report, published as a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, found that countries experiencing an increase in Zika diagnosis have seen an identical spike in Guillain-Barre cases. 'It's pretty obvious that there is a clear relationship,' lead author Dr Marcos Espinal, director of communicable diseases at the Pan American Health Organization, said. Sunil Chauhan fumigates an impoverished colony to check the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in New Delhi, India, as experts warn the virus could infect 2 billion Limited access to health resources in countries with high poverty rates such as India mean there is a high risk of the virus Residents of an impoverished colony watch municipal workers fumigate their colony to check the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in New Delhi Some of the most vulnerable countries include India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to the research. Experts caution that the most recent study could overestimate the number of people at risk because they don't know whether Zika had already landed in some of these countries in the past and allowed people to develop immunity. More than two-thirds of people infected with Zika never get sick, and symptoms are mild for those who do, so surveillance systems may have missed cases. WHO also noted that Brazil has not reported any confirmed cases of Zika following the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Studies are ongoing in the country to figure out why certain regions have seen an increase in babies being born with abnormally small heads. Bollywood actor Ali Fazal is not able to hold his excitement as he prepares to shoot for the upcoming movie 'Victoria and Abdul' - a drama directed by noted English filmmaker Stephen Frears. The movie is based on the unlikely friendship between the British monarch Queen Victoria and her servant Abdul, an Indian clerk transported from Agra to England in the 19th century. The close bond that developed between the two has become legendary, and has now spawned a fully-fledged film. Bollywood actor Ali Fazal is set to play Indian clerk Abdul Karim, a favourite of Queen Victoria Ali Fazal, who has worked in acclaimed Indian movies such as 3 Idiots, Bobby Jasoos, Fukrey, and the recently-released Happy Bhag Jayegi, has been roped in to play Abdul Karim. In the middle of rehearsals, script reading, and costume-fitting as the first schedule of shooting begins in England, Ali says he is genuinely charged up to work opposite the legendary Dame Judi Dench, who will play Queen Victoria. Dame Judi Dench will play Queen Victoria in the movie, which narrates the Empress' unlikely friendship with her Indian servant, Abdul Karim Ever since he landed to London, Ali has been gathering every possible piece of information on Abdul Karim, a character he says has 'several layers'. "I am deliberately planning not to be articulate or go by the rules of method acting in order to retain the simplicity," says Ali. The movie draws its basic plot from a book by Shrabani Basu, a British writer of Indian origin, titled Victoria & Abdul: The True Story Of The Queens Closest Confident - but Ali intends to go by the vision of his director. The basic plot of the movie is drawn from the book by the author Shrabani Basu I started out by reading Shrabanis well-written, exhaustively researched book, which had elaborate description of Abdul Karim. But, I stopped after flipping through the first few pages, as I felt it would confine me as an actor." "I would rather go with the vision of the director, says Ali. Will finish Shrabanis book once done with the shooting. The screenplay by Lee Hall (of Billy Elliot fame) has perfectly nuanced characterisation of Abdul, who was a mysterious person and many aspects of his life were intriguing, says Ali. Going by the preparation for the movie, which will go on the floors in September, Ali is sure it will narrate a truthful story of a time which the Queen called a golden period. Victoria's love for both Indian curry and India was well-known. The country was referred as the 'jewel in the crown' by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. Basus books describe Abdul as a tall 24-year-old man, who visited England in 1887 for the Queens Golden Jubilee. Photographs still preserved in Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, reveal he looked more like a prince than a servant. The relationship between the young clerk and the Empress had raised eyebrows at the time, and was said to be an issue of annoyance for the Palace, the royals, ministers and commoners alike. The movie will based on the real-life friendship that developed between the widowed queen and Abdul Karim (pictured) The Indian boy, who had come to England in his early 20s, stayed long enough to grow old in a land which was totally alien to him. The pictures of his later days show him as a fully-grown, middle aged man with a paunch. Yes, I might have to put on weight to get into the character as he grows, says Ali. So, how will the movie describe the relationship between the two - was it platonic, or romantic? It was a unique relationship, and there were many theories that made [the] rounds. Till date, the relationship has been indescribable, but the movie will leave a lot for the audience to interpret. Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellnar and Beeban Kidron, the makers auditioned all over the world, searching for a suitable Indian face to fit the role of Abdul. Ali, who was in the middle of post-production and promotion of Happy Bhaag Jayegi, gave the screen-test for the role in Mumbai, when the team had almost wrapped up the auditions. Though he is neck-deep in preparations for Victoria and Abdul, he cannot remain unaffected by the fact that his recently released Happy Bhaag Jayegi, a cross-border romantic-comedy by Anand L Rai, was not released in Pakistan. The film opened to a decent response in India, the UK, and other international markets - but Ali is upset about the fact that the movie did not release in Pakistan, despite being based on a relationship between an Indian girl and a Pakistani boy. I wonder why it was pulled out at the last minute? ponders Ali. A five-day film gala is set to showcase the best movie talent from the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The event will take place at Siri Fort multiplex in Delhi on September 2, and will go on till September 6. The five-day film gala will screen four films each from the participating nations. Bollywood veteran Rishi Kapoor will be the special guest at the opening ceremony, while Minister of State for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and Minister of State of External Affairs VK Singh are expected to grace the occasion. Bahubali, directed by SS Rajmouli, is one of India's entries for the festival The festival is a brainchild of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modiji. The idea came to him during his visit to Russia. India is set to host the BRICS summit later this year, and a number of cultural events will be hosted to mark the occasion. The film festival is one such, said C. Senthil Rajan, Director, Directorate of Film Festivals. At a press meet on Thursday, Rajan introduced the cast of Veeram - the opening film of the festival. Veeram - directed by Jayaraj Nair and featuring Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor - will be the opening film at the BRICS Film Festival The film is directed by National Award-winner Jayaraj Nair and stars Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor. Veeram is Jayarajs interpretation of Macbeth, and the film - a trilingual offering in Malayalam, Hindi and English - redefines William Shakespeares immortal play using the ancient martial art of Kerala, Kalaripayattu. It was mentally and physically a challenge to shoot this film for long hours, but the outcome was rewarding, said Kapoor. Vicente Ferraz-directed Brazilian film Road 47, a drama set during World War II, will be shown during the Festival Indian films slated to be screened at the festival reveal a fair mix of mainstream glamour and art-house finesse. Bahubali: The Beginning, and Bajirao Mastani will represent Indias never-ending passion for star-studded glitz. Meanwhile, the Bengali film Cinemawaala - which won the UNESCO-Fellini Award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2015 in Goa, and the National Award-winning Kannada film Thithi, will represent aesthetically elevated filmmaking in our country. Russian film 'Battle for Sevastopol', based on a true story, will be screened at the BRICS Film Festival The closing ceremony will be presided over by the Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, M. Venkaiah Naidu. The Indian Government has pumped up surveillance programmes for Zika virus after 13 Indians tested positive for the disease in Singapore on Thursday. Several patients are undergoing treatment in Singapore, as the country is already grappling with the rising number of cases, said the Ministry of External Affairs. Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said: As per our Embassy in Singapore, 13 Indian nationals have tested positive for Zika in that country. As per Singapore's Ministry of Health, the affected Indians had shown mild symptoms and have either recovered completely or are undergoing treatment. Their recovery is being monitored closely. Total number of cases has shot up to more than 150, fueling fears of a Zika virus outbreak in Singapore. Due to patient confidentiality, the Singapore authorities are unable to share specific details of these patients without their consent. The cases seem to be localized in a defined area. The Indian Mission is in constant touch with Singapore's Ministry of Health, and will continue to follow-up to ensure that the Indian nationals receive complete medical support, he said. There has been a surge in the number of people affected by Zika virus in Singapore, particularly those working at construction sites. Other foreign nationals, including six Bangladeshis and 21 Chinese, are also among the 115 who tested positive for Zika virus in Singapore. A worker prepares to fog the common areas of a public housing estate at an area where locally transmitted Zika cases were discovered in Singapore In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared Zika a public health emergency after women affected by it had given birth to children with microcephaly, a birth defect that causes babies to be born with small heads. The health ministry in February had formulated guidelines for tackling any Zika virus. The WHO has already declared an emergency over the spread of the mosquito-borne virus, and has expressed special concerns for pregnant women. Billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani upped the ante in the price war in the telecom sector on Thursday, with free voice calls and rock-bottom data prices on the Reliance Jio network. His aim is to wean away customers from rivals in the fiercely competitive market. While making voice-calls free, Jio will effectively price one gigabyte of data at about Rs 50 for some users, which is about one-fifth of what the rivals charge. Data charges will fall even further for heavy users, Reliance India Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani told shareholders at the companys Annual General Meeting (AGM). Mukesh Ambani (right) with his wife Nita and son Akash on their arrival for the company's annual general meeting in Mumbai. The Jio move is likely to hit the existing telecom players as voice calls currently account for as much as 70 per cent of their revenues. The free voice offer may force them to slash voice charges for fear of losing customers, which will erode their earnings. Ambani said services on Jio would be available for free from September 5 till December 31, as it continues its network tests. Voice calling will be free on Jio phones for life, and after December 31 as many as 10 data plans will be offered special packages starting at Rs 19 a day for occasional users, Rs 149 a month for low data users, and Rs 4,999 a month for heavy data users. Ambani stopped short of calling January 1 the commercial launch of Jio, which will offer only fourth generation or 4G services in the world's second-largest smartphone market. "Customers should pay for only one service, either voice or data. Not both... The era of paying for voice calls is ending, he said. No Jio customer will ever have to pay for voice calls again," Ambani announced amid massive applause. He also announced that there will be no national roaming charges for the Jio users. For data, he set an aggressive rate of 5 paise per MB or Rs 50 per GB, and the more data you use, the lower the rate, he said. He also announced a 25 per cent more data package for students, 1 million Wi-Fi hot-spots across the country, best-ever international calling rates, unlimited subscription to Jio app and special solutions for enterprises. Jio's data, voice, video and full bouquet of Jio applications and content will be available for everyone - which will be absolutely free till December 31, 2016, he said. Ambani also promised to offer data speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per second. He didn't mince words as he spoke about the competition, asking them not to misuse their market power by creating unfair hurdles, when it comes to providing points of connection between their networks and Jio's networks. Telecom operators not only have legal obligations to provide points of interconnect to other operators, but also cannot limit customers' right to migrate to Jio using Mobile Number Portability, he said. Ambani said the launch will transform India from a high-priced data market to having the lowest data rates anywhere in the world. He informed that Jio Apps subscription worth Rs 15,000, will be complimentary to customers up to December 31, 2017. The company also announced 4G smartphones starting from Rs 2,999. Existing operators under the aegis of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) have been locked in a battle with Reliance Jio over providing points of interconnect. Telecom analysts said Reliance Jio has delivered a knockout punch on pricing of voice and data tariffs. COAI says Jio cannot kill the competition The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Thursday said Reliance Jio's had come up with a compelling offer which is good for consumers, but its tariffs cannot be termed a 'killer' that will do away with competition. COAI which represents Telecom companies such as Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India said competing operators are already matching the price points in most plans the new entrant announced on Thursday. COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews, who has locked horns with Reliance Jio over interconnect issues, told Mail Today that Reliance Jio's challenge will be to maintain quality of service on its network once the traffic volumes go up. Consumers will not pay low prices for low quality, he added. "The initial advantage will be for Reliance Industries, given the empty network... but over the time, we will have to see if that can be sustained," he added. Authorities in Delhi rescued on Friday about two dozen Nepalese women who were allegedly being smuggled into the Gulf countries, some for sex slavery, at a time when the Himalayan nation is battling traffickers operating in regions hit by two devastating earthquakes last year. Sources say the youngest among these women is 22 years old. According to the police, they were promised jobs and sent to Delhis Mahipalpur area by the accused identified as Shobhin and Ramu Chaudhary. Nepal is battling traffickers operating in regions hit by two devastating earthquakes. Over 9,000 people were killed and over 20,000 injured in the disasters last April and May. Two quakes last April and May killed 9,000 people, injured over 20,000 and damaged more than nine lakh houses in Nepal. The devastation left thousands of women homeless, forcing them to search for work in countries with a demand for cheap labour and turning them into easy targets for traffickers supplying a network of brothels across south and west Asia. The 23 rescued women will record their statements before a court on Saturday and have been kept at the NGO Nari Niketans shelter in the city. Delhi Police have registered an FIR under sections of human trafficking, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement, insult to the modesty of a woman and criminal conspiracy. A senior officer said they are probing the possibility of the women being sent to the Gulf countries for flesh trade. The incident came to light when Nepal embassy officials tipped off Delhi Polices crime branch after a 26 year-old victim approached them through a city-based social worker working for Nepalese nationals in India. I received a call from Nepal. A relative of a woman who was confined in Delhi had asked me to help her, said the social worker requesting anonymity. I coordinated with her and helped her escape from there. She along with another woman reached my office and then we approached the embassy. With the help of the police a raid was carried out at 5 am on Friday and the women were rescued. Nepal had banned in 2012 women under the age of 30 from working in Persian Gulf nations amid increasing concerns over abuse and exploitation. The victims were kept in a dimly lit building on Old Raja Puri Road. Those rescued are mostly earthquake survivors, said a police official. Most of them are alone or come from broken mar riages, trying to make a living. Some Nepal officials too said on the condition of anonymity that the victims were likely being pushed into the sex trade. The woman who had managed to escape told the police that she had been kept in Delhi for over a week. They told us that we would be employed. But after a while I realised that there was something wrong. We were kept in a dingy location. More than 10 of us were living in a single room. My passport was also snatched, she said. In a swift counter-attack, Baloch leader-in-exile Brahumdagh Bugti has threatened to sue Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif for crimes against humanity and genocide of people in Balochistan. We will not only take Gen Raheel Sharif to the International Court and the United Nations but also file cases against his predecessors General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and General Pervez Musharraf, Bugti told Mail Today in an exclusive interview from Geneva. Bugti, president of the Baloch Republican Party, is living in exile in Switzerland after the assassination of his grandfather and revered Baloch freedom fighter late Nawab Akbar Bugti. Baloch leader-in-exile Brahumdagh Bugti has threatened to sue Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif for crimes against humanity Rattled by Baloch leaders and freedom fighters praising Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech, Pakistan on Friday initiated the process to seek an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Brahumdag Bugti. Pakistan is alarmed by the sudden global interest in the plight of Baloch people after Modis Independence Day speech. Pakistan has ramped up operations killing innocent people in Balochistan indiscriminately, Bugti added. The Central Committee of the Baloch Republican Party is to meet in the next 15 days to chart out the next course of action. We intend to sue Gen Rahil Sharif, Gen Kayani & Gen Muharraf for genocide, torture and forced disappearance of Baloch people. We will also file cases against the current and past Director Generals of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Quetta corps commanders. We have evidence of their direct role, he said. The Baloch activists are preparing to sue the Pakistan army at the International Court of Justice at the Hague. Bugti is also seeking an asylum in India. I am actively considering seeking asylum for my people and would like to move to India myself. Being in India will be better for my people, he said requesting India to provide opportunities for the Baloch people trying to escape the Pakistan-army led genocide. Asked if Pakistan army seeking an Interpol red corner notice against him would be a setback for their struggle, Bugti said Pakistan army had tried earlier in 2011 but could not prove its case and the Swiss authorities turned down its request. Pakistan is also worried that international headlines on the issue will focus global attention on the plight of the people of Balochistan. They backed off last time and they will not make the mistake again. But we want global attention on Pakistan army atrocities using heavy artillery and aircraft to put down Baloch freedom fighters, he added. The first time popular Hindi cinema directly referred to Pakistan for its nefarious activities was perhaps in John Matthew Matthans Sarfarosh (1999) In a day and age when the application of armed forces to resolve disputes between countries becomes less probable, the concept of soft power takes on a life of its own. Amongst the tools of political influence, the role of cinema as a soft power cannot be undermined. Bollywoods ability to shape narratives in the course of diplomacy gives soft power a whole new connotation and also redefines the best propaganda is not propaganda dictum. Examples One of the best examples of this is the fashion in which Hindi cinema has endeared itself to nations as varied as Russia, Israel or Afghanistan where even a Taliban-imposed ban couldnt separate Hindi films from the local consciousness. But the true test of any soft power lies when it can change the behaviour of others to get the outcome a nation wants and although Bollywood has been seducing the world, it has never really channelised itself. With the Indian governments official acknowledgment of Balochistans struggle against the atrocities committed by Pakistan perhaps, its time for Hindi cinema to truly unleash itself. First coined by Joseph Nye in his 1990 book, Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power, soft power can be seen at play in films as recent as the Iron Man series or way back in the 1980s with films such as Top Gun (1986). While the former displayed support to the cultural, military, as well as economic power of the US in a Post-9/11 with the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man furthering the Department of Defence public relations goals, the latter was instrumental in an entire generation of young Americans enlisting in the US Air Force. But film being an exemplar for influencing minds is an idea as old as cinema itself. Gillo Pontecorvos The Battle of Algiers (1966) vividly recreated a brief period of the Algerian struggle for freedom from France in the 1950s and is considered one of the most influential films ever for its depiction of armed resistance by guerillas against the French army. The momentum that geopolitics in Hindi cinema could have enjoyed after Sarfarosh (starring Aamir Khan, left, and Naseeruddin Shah above) was barely exploited Hailed as a masterpiece, the film has been used by the Black Panthers, IRA, and other terrorist groups as a training manual. Even after five decades, it remains a master-class in understanding how the French won a tactical battle but lost a war of ideas and watching it today can show just how effective cinema as a soft power can be. Today, Pakistan as the enemy of the Indian state or its vested interest in eroding the social fabric of India through both direct and indirect means is an accepted idea in terms of cinema. Yet even after having fought three wars, popular narrative in Hindi cinema wasnt particular about calling Pakistan by name even in films where the story clearly demanded it. The only reference made to Pakistan was in historical or war films or subjects like Henna (1991) that had it as a part of the storyline. Even overtly rabble-rouser films of the 1990s such as Krantiveer (1994), the film that introduced a new facet of the angry young man template in popular Hindi films, referred to Pakistan as the padosi desh or neighbouring country. The first time when popular Hindi cinema directly referred to Pakistan for its nefarious activities was perhaps in John Matthew Matthans Sarfarosh (1999) where elements such as the ISI were called out. The film released just around the same time as Pakistans infiltration in Kargil was metamorphosing into a full-blown war and as a result, Sarfaroshs contribution in telling the average Indian viewer, and by extension the world, about the new kind of war that the Indian state was fighting against external threats remains unparalleled. Momentum But the momentum that geopolitics in Hindi cinema could have enjoyed after Sarfarosh was barely exploited. This is probably also the reason why popular Hindi films were not as effective in attaching the thought of a political identity to their aesthetics in a manner that could transcend national boundaries. Its not like Bollywood has not attempted to go beyond political cinema and explore geopolitics. In the 2000s Kabir Khans Kabul Express (2006) where Pakistani soldiers take hostage two Indian journalists, an American reporter and an Afghan guide in the present day Afghanistan-Pakistan region tried to show an Indian presence in a geopolitical conundrum. Later his New York (2009) had at its core three students of Indian origin whose lives are changed in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks. Similarly, Rensil DSilvas Kurbaan (2009) showed an Indian professor in the US, Avantika (Kareena Kapoor), finding out that her charming professor husband Khalid (Saif Ali Khan) is actually a member of an underground terror outfit that is committed to instilling fear in the US. These three films might have fallen short in their execution but there was no doubt that within the realm of popular Hindi cinema, read escapist or entertaining, they did succeed in deviating from the popular notion by placing the contemporary Indian in a global setting. Situation The situation for Bollywood to break the mold and seek a new narrative in geopolitical cinema is rife. Following PM Narendra Modis Independence Day speech, in which he referred to Balochistan, All India Radio announced the start of a regional WhatsApp-based service Following PM Narendra Modis Independence Day speech where for the first time an Indian Prime Minister openly mentioned Balochistan, All India Radio has announced the start of a WhatsApp-based service for the region. Juxtapose this with the fact that Pakistan had banned Phantom (2016) following of the plea of the Hafiz Saeed, a known global terrorist and the founder of Lashkar-e- Tayyeba. The film was based on crime author Hussain Zaidis book Mumbai Avengers where an elite Indian crack team goes into Pakistan to punish the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. If Saeed, a terrorist with $10 million bounty imposed by the US State Departments Rewards for Justice Program, could call the film filthy propaganda against Pakistan and yet be worried about Bollywoods popularity in Pakistan to sway impressionable minds there, then you know how influential Bollywood could be if it really came down to it. Disgraced Royal Bank of Scotland chief Fred Goodwin doesnt warrant a single mention in ex-Treasury minister Ed Balls new memoirs. Strange. According to financial journalist Ian Frasers 2014 book Shredded, Goodwin, 58, was an habitue of Balls Westminster office. Why wouldnt Ed consider their intriguing discussions noteworthy? Not in sight: Fred Goodwin doesnt warrant a single mention in Ed Balls new memoirs They sound more compelling than the reheated potatoes served up about his stutter or his quarrels with hapless Ed Miliband. ...................................................................................................................................... Why did Newsnight invite predatory venture capitalist John Moulton on this week to discuss Brexit? Moulton, 65, is hardly a hero of British business. His firm Better Capital was involved in the collapse of City Link, the courier placed into administration on Christmas Eve 2014 at a cost of 2,500 jobs. Viewers might also have valued crop-haired Moultons views more were they not coming from his home in tax-friendly Guernsey. ...................................................................................................................................... Panmure Gordons market commentator David Buik, 72, a beacon of sartorial propriety, is dubious of reports that graduates are failing City interviews for wearing brown shoes. I am sure that is not the case, though it should be. There are more brown shoes light-tan, would you believe! around the City than I have ever seen. He adds wearily: And most of them winkle-pickers. ...................................................................................................................................... Apropos wardrobe matters, shouldnt serpentine City spinner Roland Rudd be helping his sister Amber with her image? The Home Secretary, 53, was stilettoed by the fashion police this week for wearing a crumpled trouser suit and scruffbag brogues during an official visit to Paris. Rolands elegant fashion designer wife Sophie could contribute togs from her own range. Though her lofty prices (350 for a bespoke silk shirt) might prompt icy glares from parsimonious Theresa May. ...................................................................................................................................... Handsome city grandee Stani Yassukovich, former chairman of Merrill Lynch, was always assumed by fellow bankers to enjoy a close relationship with Margaret Thatcher. Lush exodus Cosmetics maker Lush is relocating 18 staff from Britain to Germany. Lush, which makes cosmetics by hand, said uncertainty caused by the EU referendum in June had forced it to accelerate plans to increase production at its factory in Dusseldorf. While this was always the plan, the reality of the Brexit vote has meant we have done it with a bullet, the company said. On the move: Lush employs about 1,400 workers at its factory at Poole in Dorset Lush said more staff could move in the future. Lush employs about 1,400 workers at its factory at Poole in Dorset. Insurance claim Workers at the insurance giant Prudential have begun industrial action in protest at the offshoring of skilled jobs to Mumbai. Members of the union Unite have said they will not co-operate or undertake any work related to the move of 76 roles from Reading to India. This will include refusing to answer emails or phone calls, attending meetings or training new staff. Unite regional officer Ian Methven said: Unite has repeatedly challenged the business case for this offshoring as there will not be any benefit to customers and the cost savings are also questionable. Pension uplift Canada Life has become the first investment firm to lift the suspension on its property fund. Some 14.5bn of savers cash was locked into funds after the EU referendum as managers looked to avoid a rush for the exit amid economic uncertainty. Savers are now able to take money in and out of the 450m Canlife UK Property life and pension funds, although a 7 per cent markdown on the value of its assets still stands. Gas deal BP has signed a second production-sharing contract for shale gas exploration in China. The deal, with China National Petroleum Corporation, covers an area of approximately 1,000 square kilometres (386 square miles) at Rong Chang Bei in the Sichuan Basin. The energy giant and CNPC signed their first shale gas contract on the adjoining Neijiang-Dazu block in March. Bond sale Saudi Arabia is considering a second bond sale following massive demand for its maiden issue. The nation is set to release 11.3bn of bonds next month to fund a string of social and economic reforms. An American appetite for Irish whiskey has driven sales at drinks giant Pernod Ricard, which has reported strong growth in the United States. The owner of Absolut vodka and Malibu the worlds second-biggest spirits group behind Diageo reported sales of 7.3bn for the year ending June 30, up 1 per cent on 2015. But it was a taste for Jameson, up 16 per cent, which helped lift takings. Some 5.7m nine-litre cases of Jameson left its Irish distilleries last year. Operating profit reached 1.9bn. It is part of change in drinking tastes across the globe which has seen consumers switch from light spirits, such as vodka, to dark drinks like whiskey. Pernod Ricard also said double-digit growth in India offset a disappointing performance in China down 9 per cent which has been hit by a government clampdown on corruption and extravagant spending. Chairman and chief executive Alexandre Ricard said it was a strong and encouraging year with champagne Perrier-Jouet also up 9 per cent. Chatter among traders suggested FTSE 100 engineering firm GKN could be about to be wooed by a big bid. The talk was that the global company is rumoured to be the likely target of a takeover by a Chinese company. It is thought the bid could be for as much as 450p a share well above the price it started the day at, 311p. The tittle-tattle was enough to make it the greatest riser on the FTSE as shares climbed 4.8 per cent, or 14.9p to 325.9p their highest price since July 2015. If GKN is about to be preyed on, it would fulfil speculation that the aerospace and defence industry could be the next in line for a round of merger and acquisition activity. Last month activist investor Elliot Advisors built up a 5.2 per cent stake in Meggitt, which helped push the share price up almost 12 per cent over August. Yesterday Meggitt crept up 0.8 per cent, or 3.5p to 471.8p. Or perhaps the tech sector takeovers are not yet done. Intellectual property firm IP Group gained 5.3 per cent, or 10p to close at 200p, while Imagination Technologies advanced 5.7 per cent, or 13p to 241.25p. Ascential took a tumble as it announced an accelerated book build a speedy share sale which was to close at midnight on Thursday. The sale was initially announced by Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Wednesday night. It was thought that some 70m shares in the business-to-business media and exhibitions company could come to market, representing some 17.5 per cent of those in issue. Actually 80m or 20 per cent of shares were to be sold. The shares were being offloaded on behalf of private equity firm Apax and Guardian Media Group for a price of 250p, which was a discount of 5.6 per cent to the share price at Wednesdays close. GMGs stake in the business will fall from 22.4 per cent to 14.9 per cent after it offloads around 56.9m shares. It is the largest shareholder in the business. Apax and GMG will reduce their representation on Ascentials board after the placing. Apaxs Tom Hall and David Pemsel of GMG will step down from September 5. Peel Hunt has a buy rating on Ascential with a target price of 280p. Ascential shares fell 3.8 per cent, or 10p to 255p. Self-storage firm Safestore climbed on a strong third-quarter trading update. A website relaunch has driven the number of new enquiries up 10pc. Safestore said like-for-like revenue was up 6.6 per cent to 28.6m in the quarter. Revenue growth was stronger in the UK division than in Paris, and overall storage occupancy is 74.8 per cent at 3.7m square feet. Safestore completed its acquisition of Space Maker in July for 40.9m and opened a newly redeveloped store in Wandsworth in August. Four more openings are set for the coming weeks in Birmingham, Altrincham, Chiswick and Paris. Shares were up 4.8 per cent, or 17.7p at 390p. Morses Club offers loans, which it collects from customers at their home. Shares slumped yesterday despite a confident update after Numis reduced its rating on the stock. Morses has increased its customer numbers by 2.4 per cent to 208,000, largely driven by acquisitions by building its territory. The firm issued 66m in credit in the 26 weeks to August 26, some 16pc more than the same period a year ago. Morses said it has started to focus on higher quality lending. The firm, which listed on the stock market in May this year, is set to announce its maiden dividend in its interim results, due October 7. Chief executive Paul Smith said the firm was well placed to benefit as uncertainty caused by the EU referendum outcome is likely to cause mainstream lenders to tighten their underwriting criteria further. Shares fell 2.6 per cent, or 3p to 114p. AIM-listed 600 Group plunged as it reported profit had halved to 1.2m in the year to April 2. Revenues at the engineering company, which designs machine tools and laser marking systems, were up 3 per cent to 45.3m in the period, but the net operating margin had slipped 0.4 percentage points to 5.2 per cent. The group said it continued to implement structural changes. Southern Rail owner Go-Ahead Group has apologised to passengers after the series of problems that have plagued the operator's routes this year. Go-Ahead's boss made conciliatory noises but tried to shift the blame onto the network, strikes and staff absences as the firm announced a 27 per cent rise in profits to 99.8million. The company, which also owns 65 per cent of Govia Thameslink Railway, saw revenues increase 4.5 per cent to 3.4billion. Chief executive David Brown said: 'A large part of the role of the GTR franchise is to introduce three new train fleets and modernise working practices. During this period of change, Southern services have been disrupted by restricted network capacity, strike action and increased levels of absence. Issues: Boss David Brown claimed the disruption had been caused by restricted network capacity, strike action and increased levels of absence 'We apologise to the people whose lives have been affected during this time. We continue to work closely with the DfT (Department for Transport), Network Rail and other suppliers and partners to operate the best service possible while delivering the long-term improvements.' Go-Ahead commented that Brown had 'made it clear he does not wish to be considered for an annual bonus this year and declined a salary increase' in light of the issues. But in February Brown wasnt feeling quite so apologetic. The transport boss hit back at critics after a report conducted by Which? revealed that Go Aheads Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern lines were the worst in terms of value, available seats, cleanliness and punctuality. Brown had blamed Network Rail for the disruption, claiming that the work being done to upgrade London Bridge station had negatively impacted the service. Despite the travel disruption, rail fares have increased at twice the rate of wages in the past six years, analysis revealed last month. List of problems: In February Southern trains were considered by Which? as one of the worst lines in terms of value, available seats, cleanliness and punctuality Go-Ahead claims that it is planning move forward with having new on-board train supervisors. However this has, in turn, angered unions and is set to mean more strikes. Mick Cash, Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary, said: 'While Go-Ahead have been driving Britain's biggest rail franchise into total meltdown, the cash has been sloshing through the boardroom at obscene levels. This is reward for total failure on a scale which is off the map. 'Just a fraction of these profits would be enough to keep the guards on Southern trains, keep the passengers safe and resolve the industrial dispute between RMT and the company. It is shameful that they have opted to hoard cash instead of protecting the travelling public.' Boss David Brown had blamed Network Rail in February for the disruption at London Bridge Go Ahead was set for another strike on 7 September over ticket office closures, but was called off by the RMT. However passengers will still be subjected to a miserable commute as the union will go ahead with a 48-hour stoppage on September 7 and 8 over the deadlocked guards dispute. Didn't get the GCSE or A-Level exam results you wanted recently? Spencer Bloomfield knows exactly how you feel. A few years ago, life was very different for the now successful entrepreneur. He played up at school, got into fights and left the education system without a single qualification to his name. Spencer, from Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, then spiralled into a phase of drinking and sofa-surfing, often struggling to hold down a job. Spencer (second from right) started his business after leaving school with no GCSES Two years ago, his life changed. He went into his local job centre and told them his dream of starting a business. It suggested he contact The Prince's Trust. The charity offered him business mentorship through its Enterprise Programme which helps the young and unemployed become entrepreneurs. In 2014, Spencer used a 4,000 loan to create YOLO, a healthy ready meal business. Now, aged 29, he employs 20 members of staff and delivers across the UK and Ireland. He intends to franchise his business and expand his delivery service throughout Europe and the US. Spencer says: 'School wasn't great for me I was constantly getting into trouble, lacked direction and left without a single GCSE to my name. 'Not everybody is academic. I wasn't, and lessons bored me, but that doesn't mean I wasn't capable of achieving anything. 'Qualifications are irrelevant - if you want something badly enough, you just have to think big and make it happen.' Having been there himself, here is Spencer's advice on what to do next if you're disappointed with your exam results... Don't despair: Good exam results aren't the only way to make yourself employable Stay positive - and remember that not all skills are academic Exam results and qualifications aren't the only thing employers look at when they're considering applicants for a new role. There are loads of other ways to show employers you're serious about working for them and would make a great employee even if you didn't get the results you were hoping for. Focus on your strengths and think about how they'd be useful to the companies you want to work for. You've probably got lots of skills that aren't measured by mainstream qualifications perhaps you're good with people, great at working in a team or a natural problem solver. All of these things will appeal to potential employers. Don't let your circumstances hold you back There are many reasons why you might be leaving school with few qualifications. Sometimes it's because of other issues in your life, like family problems, health issues or even homelessness. Whatever your situation, the right support is out there to help you get to where you want to be. In my case, the practical and financial support I received from The Prince's Trust helped me to realise my ambition to become my own boss. Know when to ask for help It isn't easy to know what you want to do or how to get there the best thing to do is to speak to someone. Talking to family and friends can help, but try looking for support further afield too. I had a mentor at The Prince's Trust when I was setting up my business and it really helped to have someone to talk to who had loads of experience in running a business. Spencer's story: 'Being my own boss really appealed' YOLO: Spencer at his business I wanted to be successful but didn't know how to channel my ambition. After school I coasted aimlessly between jobs, blowing way too much money on going out. My drinking was getting out of hand and I was in lots of debt when I decided I couldn't let this be my life anymore. Something had to change. When I came up with YOLO, the idea of being my own boss really appealed. I was motivated and driven to put in all the hours it needed, but I knew I needed help to get my head around the basics of setting up a business. That's where The Prince's Trust came in - they helped me to develop my business plan and make some crucial decisions that got YOLO off to a good start. Suddenly it didn't matter that I didn't have lots of qualifications I was in charge of my own success, and just two and a half years later here I am with a growing company that has a really bright future. I've got a really good work ethic - I work seven days a week. It's not about the money, it's about bringing it to life and watching it grow - that's what gets me out of bed in the morning. I want to change the way people do things for the better and making money is a nice by-product. Get some relevant work experience Getting work experience under your belt is a great way to develop your employment chances in the real world and will help you to stand out from the crowd when you're applying for jobs. Use your experience: Spencer was a chef before starting his ready meal company Make sure any work experience allows you to demonstrate some of the skills you need to get your ideal job. I was a chef before I started YOLO and had the opportunity to move around a lot and work with lots of different personalities under different pressures. This helped me to learn how deal with people and difficult situations a skill I use now in my own business. Even if you don't enjoy every aspect of what you're doing at the time, it's all good experience. You can also demonstrate skills like teamwork and problem-solving in other ways, such as through getting involved with local community work. Websites like do-it.org let you type in your postcode to search for volunteering opportunities in your area. Go the extra mile with your CV Employers can spot a 'one size fits all' CV a mile off, so make sure yours stands out by tailoring it to fit the job you're applying for. Read the job description and give relevant examples of how you meet the key criteria for the role. Remember you don't always have to rely on qualifications when giving examples for instance, if you need to demonstrate good communication skills, you could mention some work experience where your role regularly involved serving customers. Looks for other ways to make an impact too. When I was starting out I felt I had lots to offer but my CV was lacking, so I never got through to the interview stage for the roles I was applying for. It was frustrating because I wanted a chance to show them my personality. Do your research: Read up on the company and what they are looking for Prepare for interviews thoroughly When I'm hiring staff at YOLO, the most important thing for me is that applicants show their enthusiasm for the role. If you can convince your interviewer you're passionate about the role you are bound to get their attention. Read up on the company you're applying to and think about why you want to work there above anywhere else there's nothing worse when you ask a candidate what they know about the company and they have nothing to say. Employers want forward-thinking, proactive candidates to help them drive the business forward. The last step is to persuade the interviewer you're not just a good candidate - you're the best person for the job. Remind yourself of the job description before you go into the interview so the key requirements are fresh in your mind and be prepared to give some examples that demonstrate the skills they're looking for. Don't underestimate the power of networking Keep talking to family, friends and other people in your community about your job search, as you're far more likely to hear about new work experience and job opportunities if everyone knows you're looking for them. You never know when you'll meet someone who knows someone else who can help you out. I was reluctant to go to an event once because I thought it would be a waste of time or boring, but I'm really glad I did because I ended up meeting an investor there. Positive light: Make sure any public social media accounts make you look professional Clean up your social media accounts The first thing most prospective employers will do after reading your CV is Google you. Make sure your social media profiles are private and any photos you wouldn't want them to see are hidden. It is still important to be yourself and portray your personality in a positive way, just make sure no one can tag you in photos of you getting drunk in Ibiza. Also, if you have a LinkedIn profile, make sure your CV matches it so that you appear consistent. Ditch the dodgy email address Employers generally don't want to contact someone at an address like rudeboy2006@rudeboyz.com. You're far more likely to be taken seriously if your application comes from a simple, professional email address like firstname.lastname@emailprovider.com. Be persistent It's important not to get discouraged by a rejection. Remember that every application is a new opportunity and you only need one employer to offer you a job. If you don't get a role you applied for, don't let it get you down ask to be contacted if something else comes up and leave them with a good impression by thanking them for their time. Try to take the positives out it and never take anything personally. If you interviewed for the role, learn from the experience by asking your interviewers for feedback. One quick phone call or email to your interviewers is all it takes, and you might just get some tips that will help you to improve next time. And he says he does not believe that Marion 'Suge' Knight was behind the murder and that he watched the mogul shout 'Pac, Pac' at dying friend theories that he shot Tupac himself but he says those are untrue Carroll has been at the center of unconsciousness in front of his eyes and heard his last words: 'F*** you.' to prove Tupac was still alive is obviously false Now retired, he tells DailyMail.com how a picture which went viral and It was a picture which seemed to give hope to his fans that Tupac Shakur was not dead - and was living a secret life 20 years after he was shot in Las Vegas. But a 'selfie' of the rapper - which emerged as part of a video montage and has since gone viral - is being dismissed out of hand by the first police officer on the scene of the shooting, who tells DailyMail.com he knows Tupac is dead. Chris Carroll, who is now retired, witnessed the 25-year-old, bleeding heavily, slip into unconsciousness after saying his last words to the cop: 'F*** you.' Shakur was declared six days later without ever regaining consciousness and Carroll tells DailyMail.com he knew instantly that there was no hope. The shooting of the rapper, on 7 September 1996, has been surrounded by conspiracy theories ever since. Scroll down for video This picture, left, which was allegedly taken in 2015, shows someone who looks very like the rapper - pictured right back in 1995 Chris Carroll at the intersection where Tupac was shot. The retired police officer was there in Tupac's final moments and says the star really is dead, despite perennial conspiracy theories They include claims that Marion 'Suge' Knight, who was beside Shakur in the car when he was shot, had ordered the assassination - and that Carroll was involved, or even that he helped Shakur flee to a new life by using a look-a-like corpse to fake his death. The picture seemed to fuel the claim that Tupac had survived in secret. But Caroll, 51, says that is untrue, and also says he does not believe Knight ordered the hit, while warning that the most notorious of the rap murders may never be solved. 'Tupac is dead. I saw him lose consciousness and lose his life 20 years ago,' he said. 'I still find it astonishing that fans and people believe that Tupac is alive. 'This new video does nothing to change my mind. There are lookalikes all over the world and this may be another one or a hoax.' Carroll was on routine patrol on his cycle when he heard a radio alert about shots fired into a BMW from a white Cadillac a mile from where he was. The last known photo of Tupac, taken in Las Vegas on September 7 1996, the day he was shot The Las Vegas intersection between the Strip and Paradise Road, where the shooting occurred He was in fact just yards away as the BMW - driven by Knight - crashed into a divider at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard, and Harmon and Carroll were on the scene instantly. Shakur had been shot four times and Knight had sped away from the scene, followed by other cars in his entourage. 'There were about five cars in the entourage and as they began getting out of the cars I knew these were not normal citizens,' he told DailyMail.com. 'So as they got out I had my gun drawn, so I told them all to get down and stay back. They all looked edgy, and I was concerned that may be a threat or could even just run away. 'But then in the BMW through the passenger window I saw a silhouette of a guy, who was not moving. 'My immediate concern was that he could be armed and perhaps wanting to attack me or was the shooter. In the middle of this chaos was Suge, who you cannot miss, as he is this huge figure, very tall, wide and looking to come towards me. 'And to make matters even more concerning, blood was gushing out of his skull where he had been hit by a bullet. 'I told him to stay down and approached the passenger door, where Tupac was slumped, but moving slightly seemingly looking forward through the windscreen. 'I kept repeating for him to get out of the vehicle, but he didn't respond. The black car in which Tupac and record label boss Suge Knight were driving in when the attack by unknown gunmen occurred Tupac and Suge Knight. Carroll says, 'Suge kept shouting and screaming "Pac, Pac"' as the rapper lay dying Carroll was just a mile away from the scene on routine patrol on his cycle when he heard a radio alert about shots fired into a BMW 'I told the others to get down and I walked up to the door - I reached out for it with my left hand and had my gun in my right in case he would shoot. 'There was barely any movement from Tupac and I could see multiple bullet holes in the window and side door. 'The door was tough to get open, perhaps where it had been damaged by bullets, but after several attempts I got the door open. 'Tupac just flopped out onto my left arm. as I hadn't realized he was leaning against the door. 'I then cushioned him down to the floor. Tupac was grimacing in pain, looking panicked and gasping for breathe. 'His torso was shot up pretty bad with blood pouring from his chest out through his shirt onto his gold chains. The blood loss was vast and it curdled around the chains, clinging to them. 'As he was fading, Suge kept shouting and screaming "Pac, Pac", and then in the corner of my eye I could see him come closer. 'I warned him to stay back. 'Instantly I realized that the victim was Tupac, gasping for air and then gurgling, most likely from the blood filling his throat and lungs. 'At that moment my gut instinct told me that he was in serious trouble. I thought about first aid, but his situation was beyond me saving him - the multiple gun wounds, blood loss and his rolling eyes meant only trauma specialists could save him. 'Tupac was losing his fight, but he kept looking at Suge, who was growing more frantic and screaming at him. 'At this stage I felt that he was unlikely to survive, so I attempted to take a dying declaration from him. 'I asked him "Who shot you? Who did this? What happened?" repeatedly. 'Tupac didn't even acknowledge that I was talking to him, as he was staring at Suge over my shoulder. THOSE TUPAC RUMORS Perennial rumors surface that the rapper - who was shot in 1996 - is in fact still alive. The emergence of the 'selfie' supposedly showing the rapper was just the latest of many wild stories that the star lives on. Some say that Tupac grew sick of his fame, faked his own death and moved to Cuba. Other rumors swirled that police officer Carroll somehow swapped Tupac's body for a double, helping him on the way to starting a secret new life. And the fires have been stoked by Marion 'Suge' Knight, Tupac's former record label boss, who was next to the star in the vehicle when he was shot. Knight has said he never saw the musician's body and has repeatedly hinted Shakur is out there somewhere. 'You know he's somewhere smoking a Cuban cigar on the islands,' he said in 2014. Advertisement ''Then he finally moved his line of sight from Suge, glared at me, mustered the energy to take as deep as breath as possible and said, 'F*** you.' 'His eyes rolled back, and then he started gargling and choking before he looked back at Suge. 'However that burst of energy proved too much, and his body physically quit, he went limp, his eyes closed half way, stopped breathing and he lost consciousness.' Carroll says that is all the proof he needs that Tupac is dead. 'When he slipped out of consciousness in front of me, I knew he would never come back from those injuries,' he said. 'He was bleeding everywhere from multiple gun shot wounds to vital organs throughout his torso. 'As soon as the ambulance got there, he had already lost consciousness, he was intubated immediately and taken to the local trauma center. And for all practical purposes, he was really dead when he arrived there. We have one of the best Trauma team' in the States, if not the best, but they knew he was gone. 'Their team's skills was able to keep his heart beating and perform emergency surgery just to keep his heart going but he was basically gone. 'In my line of work I have seen many shooting cases like that and when I had Tupac in front of me I knew it his life was over.' However, Carroll has since spent the last 20 years being part of the conspiracy theories which surround the shooting. Most hurtfully, he was accused of being the shooter. 'When I first read that maybe I was the guy that killed him I had not even considered that may have been a possibility of that coming up,' he said. 'It's physically impossible, I was a mile away from where the actual shots took place, I was a uniformed officer, and I think if I would have shot Tupac, in a police uniform in the middle of the Las Vegas strip, with hundreds of people around including his friends, it would have been immediately clear to everybody what had happened. 'I think it's just internet talk, somebody gets the ball and starts rolling it and then other people join in and say well he's a cop, he has the gun, maybe he's the one that did it. But the evidence is just even ridiculous to consider it.' The other theory is even more outlandish, if less hurtful: that Carroll somehow replaced Shakur with a body double, helping him on his way to a new secret life. 'No-one snuck Tupac away or replaced his body with a double,' he said. 'And to think I helped hide Tupac's body is physically impossible. I'm not the guy who handles the body once it dies. 'I was the guy at the scene, he was taken to the hospital, by an ambulance where he met multiple nurses and doctors and part of the trauma team were all there as well as two officers who worked for me that were also in the ambulance. 'It would have been impossible for anybody to hide his body. It just didn't happen.' Carroll also says he believes that Knight, who has been the target of repeated accusations that he was the architect of the shooting, was in fact innocent. He said: 'I strongly believe that Suge did not order the killing of Tupac. Then and now: Carroll in his police yearbook photo, and today, right. The retired officer says Tupac was too badly wounded to be alive: 'I knew he would never come back from those injuries' 'Firstly Suge was riding in the car and it would be madness to pay somebody to kill the guy who is sitting next to you - because it puts you in great jeopardy of being killed yourself. 'Suge was shot that night and with just a hair difference of the bullet trajectory, he very well would have died. 'The other reason is that Suge was deeply concerned for Tupac when he lay outside the car dying, I could see Suge yelling at him, "Pac, Pac!" trying to get his attention, trying to see if he was okay. 'This was the heat of the moment, Suge's bleeding, Tupac's bleeding, people are screaming and he was really shaken up at seeing his friend in that state. 'You can't fake those emotions and if that guy was acting through that, he's the best actor there's ever been on the face of the planet.' Carroll does have his own theory on why many think Tupac is alive - and he points the finger at Knight. 'Suge seems to want to perpetuate the notion that Tupac is alive despite what we both saw,' he said. 'I remember being taken aback when he claimed on TV, "Tupac's not dead. If he was dead, they'd be arresting those dudes for murder. You know he's somewhere smoking a Cuban cigar on the islands." Superstar: The circumstances surrounding Tupac's death have become one of rap's most prevailing legends The artist with Snoop Dogg at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards 'I feel there is a financial reason behind his behavior. He most likely still has monetary ties to Tupac so if that helps with record sales or air plays, it is all money in his pocket. 'I would love to talk to Suge about everything. He's really the only one from that night who is still alive, who knows what happened. Carroll remains involved in law enforcement, running protection, training and safety agency in Nevada and says his experience convinces him that Shakur's murder can never be solved. 'I've got some questions that I'd love to ask him and I know right now his mind is on murder charges that he's facing in Los Angeles but maybe some day - me and him are the same age - so maybe some day when he's old and I'm old we can get together and talk.' Carroll retired from Las Vegas Metro Police and now runs Shield, a personal safety and police training company, and says his experience convinces him that the case will never be closed. 'All the key people involved are dead,' he said. 'At the time none of the witnesses spoke to police or co-operated at all despite multiple interviews. It is my understanding that most of them are dead. 'Suge will never talk to police or reveal what he did or didn't know. There were no forensics really and the white Cadillac with the the shooters in was never found.' However he said his also convinced that the rapper's death was tragically banal. 'People forget I was a cop who dealt with these gang like murders all the time on my shifts, so to me, when I reflect on this, I am sad to say that this is a case of another gang related death,' he said. Gynnya McMillen's family filed a lawsuit this week against staff members accusing them of falsifying records to cover up their failure to monitor the 16-year-old The family of a teenager who died in a Kentucky detention center said the guards used a martial arts technique on her because she refused to remove her hoodie. Medical officials said Gynnya McMillen died from an underlying heart condition. But McMillen's family filed a lawsuit this week against staff members accusing them of falsifying records to cover up their failure to monitor the 16-year-old. Reginald Windham and Victor Holt, both former employees at the Lincoln Village Detention Center, and have subsequently been charged with misconduct following her death in January. The pair will face a judge today. Some of those records made in the lawsuit claim McMillan declined breakfast and a snack, and was non-compliant, when in fact she had already been dead for hours. The lawsuit also claimed Reginald Windham, a former supervisor at Lincoln Village, heard McMillen coughing in the hours after she arrived at the center, and alleged that he watched the girl's 'last gasps and dying breaths' from outside her cell. The family alleged that no one tried to resuscitate her. A statement from Windham submitted to the court states he 'sees so many things that could have been done that could have prevented this from happening.' He was fired during the investigation into McMillen's death. A spokesman for The Department of Juvenile Justice said: 'While we remain saddened and deeply sympathetic to the family, three independent investigations have confirmed that this tragedy was the result of natural causes. A gunman killed the manager of a clothing store whom he knew before turning the gun on himself. Lewis Maisonet, 55, of Somers Point, shot 26-year-old Zumiez store manager Christopher Romero at The Walk mall in Atlantic City around noon Thursday. He then fled across the street and shot himself at a second store before an off-duty officer, Sergeant Christopher Cummings, wrestled the gun off him. Police officers block off a section of roadway adjacent to Tanger Outlets The Walk shopping center in Atlantic City following the shooting on Thursday, September 1 Authorities said Lewis Maisonet, 55, of Somers Point, was in critical condition after the shooting around noon Thursday at The Walk shopping mall in Atlantic City Romero, of Absecon, was pronounced dead in hospital. Maisonet, from Somers Point, was in a critical condition Thursday night. The mayor said the two knew each other, but their relationship wasn't immediately clear. 'This is not related to any other issue with gangs or terrorism,' Mayor Don Guardian said. 'It was a domestic.' Rick Brooks, chief executive of Zumiez, said that the company was 'tremendously saddened by the violence' and was working with local law enforcement. Shoppers at a Bass Pro Shops store told the Press of Atlantic City they were ordered to get into 'lockdown mode' and move to the back. Dawn O'Brien, 41, of Franklinville, was shopping in Bass Pro Shops with her son, Eddie Valerio, when she heard the stores were being put into 'lockdown mode'. She told the Press of Atlantic City: 'We had no idea why,' O'Brien said. 'Nobody knew, everyone was wondering what was going on.' He shot Christopher Romero, of Absecon, the manager of a Zumiez store, before fleeing across the street and shooting himself at a second store. Pictured is a Zumiez employee An off-duty officer, Sergeant Christopher Cummings, wrestled the gun off Maisonet and arrested him Valerio said shoppers were released after 10 minutes and everyone in the store was fine. The Tanger outlets are a popular shopping destination for tourists near the city's casinos and boardwalk. The shooting happened hours before the Zac Brown Band performed on the beach just blocks away and at the start of the final big holiday weekend of the summer at the financially struggling shore resort. Traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway was temporarily stopped while police investigated. Bellmawr Police Department praised Sergeant Cummings' bravery, writing on Facebook: 'After fatally shooting one male, the shooter turned the gun on himself and fired one round into his own torso. Mayor Don Guardian said the two knew each other, but their relationship wasn't immediately clear 'Our very own Sgt. Christopher Cummings was off-duty and in close proximity to him and immediately attempted to disarm the suspect. 'He managed to wrestle the firearm from the gunman before he could inflict any further harm upon himself or anyone else and the suspect was then taken into custody. Advertisement This astonishing photograph reveals the survivors of the first ever Special Air Service (SAS) operation. The image - only recently found by researchers - features some of the regiments most famous members following Operation Squatter, the SASs disastrous first raid which involved attacking enemy airfields in Libya. The idea of the mission in November 1941 was to parachute troops behind enemy lines to destroy aircraft and supplies, but they failed to destroy a single enemy plane and just 22 of the 65 SAS men made it back. In awful weather conditions of a strong gale and heavy rain, one of the aircraft carrying the SAS was shot down, killing all 15 soldiers and the crew, and their demolition material was soaked. But the men were sent back by Captain David Stirling the next month by land and managed to destroy more than 60 planes. The SAS was disbanded following the end of the war but reformed as a territorial unit in 1947. The photo was taken by Lieutenant Colonel John Richard 'Jake' Easonsmith, whose shadow can be seen. Its release follows a 13-year project to commemorate every member of the SAS killed in the Second World War, which has resulted in an 800-page roll of honour for the SAS and its forerunner, the Long Range Desert Group. A former soldier going under the name Ex-Lance-Corporal X wrote the three-volume memorial on the SAS troops, and MailOnline has profiled six of those who have been identified in Lieutenant Easonsmiths photo. Posed up: This astonishing photograph - only recently discovered by researchers - reveals the survivors of the first ever SAS operation following Operation Squatter, the disastrous raid which involved attacking enemy airfields in Libya Marked up: A former soldier going under the name Ex-Lance-Corporal X wrote the three-volume memorial on the SAS troops, and MailOnline has profiled six of those who have been identified in Lieutenant Colonel Easonsmiths photo Well armed: Members of the Special Air Service return from a three-month trip behind enemy lines in North Africa in 1942 Corporal Jeff du Vivier (survived the war; died in 2010) Corporal Jeff du Vivier was awarded a miltary medal and served until 1945, when he was sent home after being shot Jeffrey Du Vivier was a Londoner who had joined the Army after leaving his catering job in Felixstowe, Suffolk, at the outbreak of the Second World War. He became one of the first members of the special forces in the summer of 1941 but his first desert raid that November was a disaster, with 33 out of 55 men either killed or captured. However in early December, the courageous soldier joined an attack on another aerodrome and helped blow up 14 planes and disable another ten. It was soon afterwards that he took part in the raid in Ajdabiya in Libya that he described to his mother in a letter. He wrote of how 'plane after plane went up in flames' and how he watched the airfield light up 'like daylight', adding: 'I don't know what star I was born under but it sure was a lucky one.' His success marked a vital turning point, and was much celebrated by British media as it followed worrying German progress in North Africa. He was awarded a military medal and served until 1945, when he was sent home after being shot. He lived out his days working as a restaurant manager in Glasgow and was married to wife Rea for 63 years, after they met in 1940 while he was on an army training exercise. He died in 2010 aged 94, but his heroism now lives on in the words of author Mr Mortimer, who was a friend of the brave SAS man. Corporal Jeff du Vivier joined the Army after leaving his catering job in Suffolk at the outbreak of the Second World War Captain David Stirling (survived the war; died in 1990) Captain Archibald David Stirling was known as a playboy and gambler and made several enemies among staff officers Archibald David Stirling, the son of a Scottish laird, was just 25 and a junior officer of the Scots Guards and Commandos when he came up with the idea of the SAS in the spring of 1941. He was recovering in hospital from partial paralysis of his legs after an unofficial parachute jump went wrong. He scribbled in pencil his proposals for small raiding groups, independent of the traditional military, which would operate deep behind enemy lines destroying aircraft and supply links. Stirling needed to present his plans to senior officers but his unenviable reputation as a playboy and gambler - he was thrown out of Cambridge University for betting and had narrowly escaped court martial - had made him several enemies among staff officers. So he decided to break into the British Army's Middle East Headquarters in Cairo in July and see General Ritchie, Deputy Commander of British Forces in the Middle East. Impressed by the proposal, General Ritchie promoted Stirling to captain and tasked him with raising a special force of 65 officers and men. The SAS was officially raised on August 28 of that year. Stirling became known as the 'Phantom Major' among German troops after destroying nearly 400 enemy aircraft as well as scores of fuel and ammunition dumps in attacks behind German lines. He was captured by the Germans in January 1943. He escaped but was subsequently re-captured by the Italians before he was finally sent to Colditz Castle, where he remained for the rest of the war. Stirling was knighted in 1990 and died later that year, just 11 days before his 75th birthday. Stirling (pictured left in his SAS days, and right, in later life) became known as the 'Phantom Major' among German troops after destroying nearly 400 enemy aircraft as well as scores of fuel and ammunition dumps in attacks behind German lines Lieutenant Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne (survived the war; died in 1955) Lieutenant Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne was recommended for a Victoria Cross but was controversially turned down Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, was born and raised in Newtownards, County Down. When war was declared he signed up to the Royal Ulster Rifles before later enlisting in the commandos. He would go on to become a founding member of the SAS. Lt Mayne took over as leader of the SAS when Stirling was captured in 1943. In January 1944 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was appointed commanding officer of the re-formed 1st SAS Regiment. He led his men through the final campaigns of the war in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Norway. Over the course of the war he became one of the most highly decorated soldiers in the British Army and received the Distinguished Service Order with three bars. He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion d'honneur by the French Government. After the war he served a short period in the Falklands Islands with the British Antarctic Survey. He later returned to his hometown where he qualified as a solicitor and served as Secretary to the Law Society of Northern Ireland. Mayne died in 1955, aged 40 in a reported car crash. Hundreds of mourners attended his funeral. During the war he was recommended for a Victoria Cross but was controversially turned down. After his death, veterans continued to campaign to have the award given to Mayne posthumously. Lieutenant Mayne (pictured centre in Norway in 1945) led his men through the final campaigns of the war in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Norway Pct Johnny Cooper (survived the war; now living in Portugal) Pct Johnny Cooper was involved in the training of the SAS Brigade as troop commander in A Squadron ahead of D-Day Johnny Cooper, of Oadby, Leicestershire, attended Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys at the same time as Richard Attenborough. He joined the Scots Guards in 1941 aged 18, in which the founder of the SAS David Stirling was a junior officer. He then joined the No 8 Guard's Commando before volunteering to serve in Captain Stirling's Long Range Desert Group to attack the Germans and Italians. Pct Cooper trained as a navigator, guiding Captain Stirling's raiding party across the North African desert. A report in the Leicester Mercury told how he once recalled: Our prime job up to 1943 was to relive the pressure on Malta. The object of the SAS was all about gathering information, intelligence, getting behind enemy lines, finding out what the enemy was doing and relaying the information to the generals. He then returned to England and played a key role in the creation and training of the SAS Brigade as troop commander in A Squadron ahead of D-Day. Pct Cooper parachuted into occupied France where he set up a base with his unit in the Morvan region, before fighting his way through to Germany. He then went to Norway in 1945 to help with the repatriation of German troops, before heading to Malaysia with the 22 SAS after which he received the MBE. He retired to the Algarve in Portugal where he has been writing for the SAS members' magazine in recent years. Lieutenant Colonel John Richard 'Jake' Easonsmith (killed in action) Photographer: This haunting shadow shows Lieutenant Colonel John Richard 'Jake' Easonsmith behind the camera Born in Almondsbury, Bristol, in 1909, John Richard 'Jake' Easonsmith was educated at Mill Hill in North London before working for the Emu Wine Company. At 18, Easonsmith joined the 21st (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Armoured Car Company, Royal Tank Corps (TA) in Bristol. In July 1940 he was commissioned into the 4th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment and in March 1941 volunteered for the Long Range Desert Group, who worked alongside the SAS in their maiden mission. Lieutenant Colonel Easonsmith was killed in action on November 16, 1943, after he personally led a small party of men into enemy territory on the Greek island of Leros. He was just 34 years old. He was survived by wife Honor Gertrude Easonsmith, from Rudgeway, Gloucestershire, and daughter Charlotte, whom he never met. The units former Intelligence Officer, Bill Kennedy Shaw, later noted that Easonsmith had been known to the Arabs as Batl es Sahra, Hero of the desert. He described Easonsmith as brave, wise, with an uprightness that shamed lesser men and considered him the finest man to have ever served in the LRDG. Easonsmith was awarded the Military Cross and DSO. Lieutenant William 'Bill' Fraser (survived the war; died in 2008) Lieutenant Bill Fraser later became captain and led the SASs Operation Houndsworth in the Battle of Normandy in 1944 Lieutenant Bill Fraser, a Scot, later became captain and led the SASs Operation Houndsworth in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944. The operation was carried out by 'A' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service in the summer of 1944 in Dijon, France, and aimed to disrupt German communication lines. They were also trying to stop German reinforcements making it to the Normandy beaches and organise the activities of the French Resistance. The squadron are said to have managed to kill or injure 220 Germans, capture 132 prisoners of war, and identify 30 targets for Royal Air Force attacks. Lieutenant Fraser was once injured during parachute training when it was decided that the men should practice their landing technique from the back of a speeding truck, rather than from steel gantries. He ended up with a damaged shoulder, Corporal Jeff Du Vivier was left with a broken wrist and Private Jock Byrne was also injured. Lieutenant Fraser was awarded the Military Cross and bar, and the Croix de Guerre with Palm. He retired from service after the war and died in 2008. Records: A former soldier going under the name Ex-Lance-Corporal X wrote the three-volume memorial on the SAS troops A man is dead and his brother doesn't know if he will be able to walk again after a young Queensland driver smashed into them while allegedly using her phone. The actions of Bianca Hope Yule, who was 26 at the time of the June 17 accident, left 61-year-old father-of-two Harry Heyes dead and his brother Trevor in hospital for two months. 'It's ruined so many lives,' Trevor's wife Sue told the Courier-Mail. Trevor Heyes spent weeks in a Brisbane hospital and underwent seven surgeries after a woman smashed into him and his brother Yule fronted a Rockhampton court on Thursday and was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm. Police allege she was checking her mobile phone when her car swerved onto the wrong side of the carriageway on Four Mile Rd in Kabra and hit Harry's Harley-Davidson and Trevor's bike. Trevor was taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital and underwent seven surgeries, where his wife spent almost eight weeks by his side. The former gas field worker is now confined to a wheelchair in a space under his family's home as he is unable to walk up the stairs. Father-of-two Harry Heyes, 61, died after the woman swerved onto the wrong side of the road and smashed into the motorcyclist after allegedly checking her mobile phone 'I only remember the car taking my brother, then the girl patting me on the back as I lay there on the ground waiting for the ambulance,' Trevor said. 'It's a long, long road (to recovery). I was in a ball in pain in Brisbane. Nights are really bad.' Yule's lawyer Douglas Winning told reporters outside court that his client is devastated and never wants to get behind the wheel again. Yule's bail was extended and she will return to court in October for her case's committal mention. Mr Mihajlovic dresses as Batman and uses the car to cheer up sick children A Sydney council may have issued batman impersonator Zac Mihajlovic with a parking fine, but it was Today co-host Karl Stefanovic's jokes that had the Caped Crusader heading for the Batmobile. Australia's own Dark Knight took on Campbelltown City Council over a parking ticket and won after he was fined while showing off his Batmobile outside a Sydney school. But when he apeared on the Today show on Friday, the hosts could not help making fun of him. First, co-host Tim Gilbert had Stefanovic in hysterics when he asked Batman whether he'd been framed by some of his enemies like the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin or Iceman. Scroll down for video Today co-host Karl Stefanovic (left) couldn't stop laughing during the interview with batman impersonator Zac Mihajlovic (right) 'There could be a large conspiracy here. I think if I lost my licence I couldn't fight crime and that would be a smart way of tackling the batman problem,' Mr Mihajlovic good-naturedly replied. Gilbert then asked him 'how Catwoman was going' as he was 'a big fan of hers'. He then started the Batmobile for the presenters so they could hear the engine but it took him so long that Stefanovic said: 'No wonder you got a parking ticket.' But by then Mr Mihajlovic had had enough and replied to Stefanovic's quips by saying: 'I can tell he's been writing these [out] all morning.' Batman impersonator Mihajlovic took on Campbelltown Council's ranger and won after he was issued a parking fine for stopping outside a school 'It looked like not even Commissioner Gordon could have gotten me out of this one, ' Mr Mihajlovic said Mr Mihajlovic was slapped with the fine days after the offence because the council ranger decided to mail it to him instead of giving him the ticket in person. 'It looked like not even Commissioner Gordon could have gotten me out of this one, ' Mr Mihajlovic said, as Stefanovic and his co-host Lisa Wilkinson laughed in the background. The ranger took photos of the batman impersonator from a distance as he spoke to children outside a Campbelltown school, according to the Daily Telegraph. Co-host Tim Gilbert had Stefanovic in hysterics again when he asked the batman impersonator if he had been framed by some of his enemies like the Joker or the Riddler The Batman impersonator who dresses as the vigilante in his spare time to make sick kids smile was let off the hook by the magistrate after taking it to court Mr Mihajlovic said the parking inspector chose to send the fine in the mail instead of speaking to him about the problem as he showed school children the Batmobile Mr Mihajlovic who spends his spare time visiting sick children dressed as the vigilante took the fine to Campbelltown Magistrate's Court where it was promptly dismissed. Mr Mihajlovic said he didn't even leave the car when it was stopped outside the school. 'If they had come up to me and asked me to move I would have done it in a second but they just watched from the distance. I got a letter in the mail a few weeks later saying they had observed me parked in a schoolzone for 11 minutes,' Mr Mihajlovic said. Mr Mihajlovic said if the ranger had approached him he would have moved from the no standing area Campbelltown City Council defended the ranger's actions and said Batman isn't above the law 'I feel like we have become to impersonal nowadays to the extreme.' Mr Mihajlovic was shown leniency by the court after explained he built the car with his grandfather and used it to do charity work for the likes of the Make A Wish Foundation. Campbelltown City Council defended the ranger's decision to issue the ticket and said 'not even Batman is above the law'. Mr Mihajlovic plead guilty before the court before the charge was dismissed. Paranoid father Mark Tromp feared for his life and had planned to flee the country with his wife and three adult children but decided against it before he went missing. The 51-year-old and his wife Jacoba sparked a bizarre police search after their children reported them missing on Tuesday while on a family trip in NSW. Mr Tromp remains missing but his wife was found alive in hospital in the Southern Tablelands of NSW on Thursday in a strange turn of events. Their son, Mitchell, said it was 'hard to explain' the bizarre circumstances that led to the unravelling of his parents but revealed Mr Tromp thought 'people were after him'. Mitchell Tromp and his sister Ella pleaded with their father Mark to return to their family home in Victoria after he vanished on a family holiday in NSW on Tuesday Police believe Mr Tromp is hiding back in Victoria after a man, who they strongly believe is Mr Tromp, was spotted fleeing from the couple's car - some 600km away from where they were last seen. 'I've never seen anything like it. It's really hard to explain or put a word on it but they were just fearing for their lives and then they decided to flee,' Mitch said on Friday. Police have revealed the couple believed they were being followed during their family holiday and were paranoid after some time of 'pressure' had been building for several days. 'It was a build-up of different, normal everyday events, pressure and it slowly got worse as the days went by,' Mitchell said. When asked why his father may not want to be found, Mitch said: 'He thinks people are after him. He's not in a good state of mind.' Police told the Daily Telegraph the family had planned to leave the country but decided against it because passports could be tracked. 'The children honestly did not know what was going on because their parents run the business side of things but they trusted that their parent's fears were real,' an officer said. 'What we do know is their fears were not justified and there was not some stand over man intimidating them in person on Monday.' Mark Tromp, 51, (pictured with his daughter Ella Tromp) is still missing Jacoba Tromp, 53, was located in a Yass hospital in country NSW on Thursday morning after she disappeared in mysterious circumstances with her husband The married couple had left their home in Silvan, east of Melbourne, on Monday to travel to NSW. Their children Ella, Mitchell and Riana followed them last saw them near the Jenolan Caves in NSW. They reportedly stopped following them when they realised their parents were mentally distressed. Their children said life and financial pressures had built up and the parents decided to flee. The couple's car was spotted on Wednesday night hundreds of kilometres away - back across the Victorian border in Wangaratta. The parents had headed in different directions at Wangaratta, where their car was found on Wednesday night. Mrs Tromp took public transport to Yass and tried to book into a motel, but was taken to Yass Hospital by a member of the public. She was highly mentally distressed when she walked into the hospital and told police she thought the pair had been followed. Police issued a photo of the couple and an image of a car similar to the one used by the family Sergeant Mark Knight said the family was 'traumatised by something' but it wasn't clear what. He said police arrived to the Tromp family home and initially feared the worst when they found it unlocked, and car keys still in vehicles. 'On Tuesday afternoon when I was called to the actual address ... it was an unusual scene that I was faced with,' he said. 'Keys were in cars, passports were there and phones were on the bench. 'It was an unusual crime scene, one that I hadn't seen before.' They reported their parents missing to Goulburn police on Tuesday afternoon. Detectives found the car in bizarre circumstances on Wednesday night - almost 600 kilometres from the Jenolan Caves region - after a local man called police. The man told police he had noticed the car following him in Wangaratta about 10pm on Wednesday before it eventually stopped and a man jumped out of the front seat and ran off into darkness. Police with sniffer dogs searched a nearby park but found no sign of the driver. The siblings urged their father on Thursday to make contact and described their parents as 'the best people in the world'. The couple were last seen by their three adult children leaving the Jenolan Caves area in NSW 'They were just fearing for their lives,' Mitchell said. 'They were paranoid... I've never seen them like this. 'I just really want my dad to be found. He's not dangerous, he's my mate, my father. I love him.' Police found personal items such as bank cards and their mobile phones at their home but it was not clear why. Mitchell was the only family member who had his phone, but voluntarily threw it out the car window. He said the family were on a technology-free trip. When police went to their family home, the doors were wide open and keys were left in their cars. Police had first found Riana by the side of the road at Goulburn on Tuesday after she split from her sister Ella. Life has been hell for the man who filmed the chokehold death of Eric Garner. Ramsey Orta, 24, says he's been suffering from night terrors and paranoia since watching his friend die at the hands of police in New York. 'Pretty much all my dreams are messed up,' he told the Huffington Post in a new interview. 'I don't remember the last time I had a nice dream.' Scroll down for video Ramsey Orta, 24, has been struggling with night terrors and paranoia since he watched NYPD cops put father-of-six Eric Garner on an illegal chokehold, killing him Orta has been in Las Vegas with now-wife Jessica Hollie (both pictured) as he prepares to begin serving a four-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal for a drugs and weapons case Orta, who now lives in Las Vegas, says he usually dreams of the fateful incident on July 17, 2014, when he filmed the death of Garner, a father of six, which sparked national outrage over police brutality and the death of black men at the hands of cops. Except when cops begin to squeeze the chokehold he's the one who can't breathe. 'And then it just goes all black,' Orta told the Huffington Post. Orta's cell phone recording showed a white officer restraining Garner, 43, with a chokehold for illegally selling cigarettes outside a convenience store in Staten Island. Orta says he's been paranoid since the incident, especially when he is in New York. 'When I'm outside... everybody looks at me, and I'm pretty sure everybody knows who I am,' he told the Huffington Post. 'I get the stares everywhere I go, especially on the train.' Orta's video captured the asthmatic Eric Garner (right) saying 'I can't breathe' 11 times before losing consciousness during a confrontation with NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo Orta is staying in Las Vegas until October, when he will head back to New York to serve a four-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal for a drugs and weapons case. Orta has said he was 'copping out' after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a gun, the New York Daily News reported. His video, which captured the asthmatic father-of-six saying 'I can't breathe' 11 times before losing consciousness during a confrontation with Officer Daniel Pantaleo, fueled the outcry against police treatment of black men. But a grand jury refused to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges. The chokehold is banned under NYPD policy, but Pantaleo has said he was using a legal takedown maneuver called the seatbelt. Reverend Al Sharpton (center) introduces Ramsey Orta (right) during the funeral service for Eric Garner held at Bethel Baptist Church in Brooklyn on July 23, 2014 Just a couple of weeks later, Orta was arrested just a few blocks from where officers had confronted his friend Garner. His arrest came a day after the city's medical examiner ruled Garner's death a homicide caused by the officer's chokehold. Orta has previously argued that the NYPD has made him a target for filming Garner's death. 'I'm supposed to be copping out,' Orta told the Daily News at Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday. 'I'm pretty much tired of fighting.' But police said plainclothes officers from a Staten Island narcotics unit saw Orta stuff a silver-colored .25 caliber handgun into a 17-year-old female companion's waistband after they emerged from a brief stop at the Hotel Richmond. The location, on Central Avenue, is a 'known drug prone location,' according to police. Garner's mother Gwen Carr (left) hugs Ramsey Orta during the funeral service for her son The unloaded semi-automatic weapon recovered was reported stolen in Michigan in 2007, police said. And records showed Orta has been arrested dozens of times since 2009. He has been charged with everything from jumping subway turnstiles and robbery to gun possession and menacing with a gun. Patrick Lynch, the president of the city's largest police union, described the encounter between Garner and police as 'a tragedy' but said Orta's arrest in August 2014 'only underscores the dangers that brought police officers to respond to a chronic crime condition' in Staten Island's Tompkinsville community. Orta was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Police released an image of the firearm (above) Orta was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Police said a previous weapon conviction prohibited him from possessing a firearm. He has been arrested a number of times since shooting the footage of Garner's death and recently had a domestic violence case against him dismissed by prosecutors. Orta had allegedly attacked and threatened his wife Jessica in February at their apartment, the Daily News reports. It was not immediately known why the case was dropped, but Orta claims he and his wife have a good relationship. He told the newspaper that they have been living in Las Vegas, where he will spend his last few months of freedom with her. But despite agreeing to a plea deal, Orta believes he remains a target of police. He claims that someone put rat poison in his food during his stay on Rikers Island, so he plans to only eat packaged food from commissary in prison. 'I'm not going to eat the food that's being provided,' he told the Daily News. 'Hopefully I can raise enough money.' After spending two months on Rikers Island, Orta was freed last year following an arrest for allegedly selling drugs to undercover officers in February. Almost 2,000 donors raised bail money for Orta's release, amassing $47,500 though only $12,000 was needed to secure a bond for Orta's $100,000 bail. All Nippon Airways, Japan's largest airline, has said it will modify all 100 Rolls-Royce engines on its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners following three engine failures this year caused by corrosion and cracking of turbine blades. ANA, the world's largest 787 operator, said all 100 engines on its 50 787s will be fitted with new blades, a process that could take up to three years, reiterating a plan announced on Tuesday in Japan. 'By replacement we mean taking the engines off the 787s, replacing the faulty turbine blades and then putting those engines back on the aircraft,' an ANA spokesman said on Thursday in Tokyo. 'We are not replacing the 787 engines with new ones,' he clarified ANA says it will replace the engines on its fleet of Boeing 787s after a series of engine failures caused by corrosion and fatigue cracking of turbine blades The Japanese airline plans to swap out all 100 Rolls-Royce engines currently used on its 50 Dreamliners ANA has five engines that currently need repairs, 'but we will replace all the 100 engines for enhanced safety measures,' the company said, adding that it had already repaired three engines. A Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC spokesman said the engine maker would swap out existing blades for new ones on ANA's planes in the short term. Rolls has started production of a new blade design that will be ready by year end, he said. 'We are working very closely with ANA,' Rolls spokesman Richard Wray said in an email. ANA said the engine faults have already led to two cases where an aircraft was forced to return to the airport Some of the cracks are the result of corrosion caused by chemicals in the atmosphere. ANA said the problem gets worse as an aircraft completes more flights The new blades will be incorporated next year into engines going onto new 787s, Wray said, adding that other airlines are managing the issue with 'ongoing maintenance.' Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer Warren East said on Tuesday that ANA's problem was a 'manageable issue.' He added that ANA's 'intensive' use of the engines had caused the blades to wear more quickly than usual. ANA said the first engine failure happened on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo in February. A second flight in March and a third in August had similar problems. On Wednesday, ANA said four 787s remained grounded and that it had canceled 18 domestic flights due to the engine problem. The airline said it expected no further cancellations through mid-September. Beyond that its schedule had not been finalized. The airline has already been forced to cancel 18 flights because of the problem, and more could be affected later this month For now, the engines will be upgraded with brand new turbine blades. Meanwhile, ANA said it is working with Rolls-Royce to find a more permanent solution The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, one of two engines for the Boeing 787 jetliner, costs about $20 million at list price. General Electric Co makes the other 787 engine, known as the GEnx. Boeing's 787, built with lightweight carbon-fiber wings and fuselage, is a technological leap forward and burns 20 per cent less fuel than the jets it replaces. But it was three years late coming to market and regulators grounded the fleet in 2013 after its lithium batteries overheated and burned. Boeing has delivered about 445 of the planes, which seat 242 to 290 passengers and cost $225 million to $265 million at list price. Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet has also suffered a malfunction involving its General Electric GEnx-1B PIP2 engine's resistance to ice Earlier this year, the engines provided by Roll's competitor General Electric were also facing problems. A GEnx-1B PIP2, which is a General Electric brand installed on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet, suffered a malfunction involving its resistance to ice. The engine suffered 'substantial damage' in the January 29 incident when ice on the fan blades broke loose. 'The potential for common cause failure of both engines in flight is an urgent safety issue,' the FAA said in its repair order. The GEnx-1B PIP2 (a GEnx pictured, not a PIP2) broke during a flight in January due to icy conditions. The FAA is regulating the engine be repaired or replaced This isn't the GEnx engine's first failure with ice. Airlines flying 787 and 747-8 planes equipped with the GE engines were told by the FAA to avoid going near thunderstorms in high-altitude cruise flight because of the moisture. At those altitudes the water could freeze on the engine. The FAA's order only applied to planes in the U.S. but other countries tend to follow the FAA's lead. Access to Theresa May at the Conservative Party conference is being sold for nearly 3,000. The Conservative Party is touting a corporate package involving lunch with the new Prime Minister and access to ministers at a price of 2,750. For another 400, they can also have a dinner hosted by Chancellor Philip Hammond, with a guest speaker and further networking opportunities. Prime Minister Theresa May will dine with Tory donors or lobbyists who pay almost 3000 The meetings will take place at the Tory partys annual conference in Birmingham in the first week of October. It will be Mrs Mays first conference as Tory leader and PM and access to her will be prized by businesses keen to lobby for their interests in the earliest phase of her premiership. Mrs Mays price was revealed in a corporate brochure for this years party conference. It comes despite her pledge to tackle the vested interests of the wealthy elite and corporate bosses. The PM will host a question and answer session over lunch. A picture depicts business people mingling with ministers at previous events. The website advertising the event features a picture of May, along with the claim that the business day offers representatives from the business community the opportunity to engage in discussion with senior Conservative politicians. The brochure opens with a welcome from Lord Feldman, who is billed as the Tory party chairman although the peer was axed by Mrs May weeks ago when she came to power. For an extra 400, they can also have a dinner hosted by Chancellor Philip Hammond, who toured a Jaguar factory in Solihull with the Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday It also features prominent pictures of former prime minister David Cameron - suggesting it was drawn up before he stood down. In previous years, access to David Cameron and George Osborne could often be secured at around 1000 per head. This year the event organisers are charging lobbyists and executives 2,750 for the business day event which will include a question and answer session with the PM. There is also an optional business dinner which adds another 400 to the total. The package, worth 3,150, includes a two day conference pass, VIP lounge access, breakfast and lunch and reserved seating for the Chancellors speech. Tamasin Cave of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Spinwatch, told the Guardian it was very concerning and worrying that Mrs May appeared to continue with politics as normal under David Cameron. Mrs May and Mr Hammond talk with staff during a visit to the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull, where they used the visit to highlight that Britain continues to be open for economic investment following the country's decision to leave the European Union She predicted a bonanza of Brexit lobbying of Mrs Mays government, adding: People do not trust establishment politicians on this issue of lobbying. She has a big problem on her hands, which she does not seem to understand. A Conservative spokesman said: This is an important opportunity to engage directly with businesses and to highlight how, as part of our plan to create an economy that works for everyone, we will continue to back business and enterprise. The Tories are not the only party to sell access to their leading politicians. Labour also has a business forum charging nearly 900 a ticket for access to politicians and leading businesspeople. Even the Liberal Democrats, who have just eight MPs after being in the coalition government last term, are charging 240 to attend a corporate event at its conference in Brighton. During its days in government, the party managed to charge 800 for a business day. As the junior doctors' dispute escalates, the British Medical Association increasingly resembles a militant trade union straight from the worst days of the Winter of Discontent rather than a serious professional body. In pursuit of narrow financial interests, it has abandoned all pretence of serving the public or upholding medical ethics. The BMA might profess its devotion to the National Health Service, but too many of its members now seem to prefer the picket line to the hospital ward. A spirit of genuine negotiation has been replaced by a mood of selfish irresponsibility, as shown by the new resort to industrial action. The BMA increasingly resembles a militant trade union straight from the worst days of the Winter of Discontent rather than a serious professional body, writes DR ADAM DALBY This week, the BMA's ruling Council decided by 16 votes to 11 to hold a full, five-day strike each month until the end of the year. We may be 'one profession', but we do not stand united. Unless the BMA backs down, the first of these walkouts will begin on September 12, paralysing the service and causing severe damage to patients' wellbeing. Altogether it has been estimated that up to 125,000 operations will have to be cancelled and more than one million appointments postponed. At the heart of this dispute is the BMA's refusal to accept the Government's proposed new contract for junior doctors, which Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to introduce as a central plank of his reforms to achieve seven-day working across the NHS. Using often inflammatory language, junior doctors' leaders have claimed this contract will cut income by reducing weekend payments. In addition, the BMA argues that Hunt's unreasonable scheme will undermine patient safety, promote inequality for female doctors, increase stress, and pave the way for privatisation. It is quite a catalogue of alleged mismanagement and iniquity. And for a while, as a junior doctor myself, I swallowed the BMA's anti-Government propaganda. Indeed, as a medical student and newly qualified doctor, I had served as a BMA representative, so I was inclined to believe the organisation's utterances. Theresa May (pictured on a visit to the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull with Chancellor Philip Hammond today) accused junior doctors of 'playing politics' instead of 'putting patients first' today after the British Medical Association threatened the worst strikes in NHS history That is why I initially supported the strike. I was outraged by the idea trumpeted in so much BMA publicity that the Government planned to cut junior doctors' pay by 30 per cent, even though this figure failed to stand up to scrutiny and was quietly dropped by the BMA. But then this spring, rather than relying on BMA spin, I decided to read the draft contract. After going through the document, the scales fell from my eyes. Hunt's proposal was no recipe for oppression and penury. On the contrary, it offered an excellent deal, far beyond the pay and conditions enjoyed by most professionals. Basic pay would be increased by 13.5 per cent. The limit on weekly hours would be slashed from 91 to 72. There would be more study leave, guaranteed breaks, restrictions on the number of consecutive nights to be worked and, perhaps most important of all, a much more reliable, fairer system for recording hours. The plan was not, of course, perfect, but the flaws could have been dealt with in sensible negotiations. But the BMA was not interested in rational talks. Instead, its politically motivated leaders were determined to have a showdown with Hunt and the Conservative party at large to protect the status quo. Sadly, it was the big weekend-earners who dictated the BMA's stance. But never in the NHS's history has a strike been less justified. The pose of victimhood among the militants is absurd. All the wailing about Jeremy Hunt cannot disguise the reality that junior doctors are pretty well paid and most have lucrative careers ahead of them, with unrivalled job security and pension rights. The BMA approved further industrial action at a meeting this afternoon as the bitter row between leading doctors and the Government continues. Pictured: Protesters earlier this year Moreover, the sense of grievance ignores the fact that the NHS is in desperate need of reform, so it meets the needs of patients rather than the wishes of its staff. I agree with Hunt that one of the key ways to build a more responsive service is by shifting to a seven-day-a-week operation, not only so that vital resources such as CT and MRI scanners are not wasted, but also because medical problems are not limited to office hours. A seven-day-a-week service is just part of modern, 21st-century life. Huge numbers of workers have such schedules, from lorry drivers to police officers. Junior doctors should not regard themselves as so grand that they cannot follow the same routines without lavish extra payments. But then, a self-serving attitude of entitlement runs right through the BMA's approach to this question. And I fear that ultimately this will cause severe damage to the reputation of the profession I love. Indeed, earlier in the dispute, the BMA understood the public would be unsympathetic to a strike in support of a pay claim. That is why it came up with all the rhetoric about protecting 'patient safety', 'saving the NHS' and 'fighting inequality'. But now it is all too clear that such noble goals were a smokescreen. Of course, doctors do care about these things, but make no mistake, money and protecting the status quo are the central factors in the strike. In a move that makes a mockery of the Hippocratic Oath, striking junior doctors are willing to put lives at risk for the sake of financial gain. What could be more inhumane? Jeremy Hunt insisted he will still go ahead with imposing a controversial new contract on junior doctors next month As I know from my own work with elderly patients in Hull, it is clear to me that it is older people who will suffer most from the stoppage because they are the ones who are most reliant on the NHS. I will be crossing the picket line if the strike is held. I cannot lend my support to this shameful action, a throwback to the Seventies, when politically motivated unions held the country to ransom. In fact, this current leadership of the BMA seems to be increasingly driven by hardline Left-wingers who want to use the dispute as a tool to attack the Conservative Government. I have watched with dismay at how BMA meetings are now hijacked by radicals who talk of 'taking on the Tories' or 'ending austerity'. Tellingly, the most prominent of the junior doctors' representatives is an extremist called Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis, a noisy supporter of Jeremy Corbyn and mass co-ordinated industrial action. In a speech to the far Left National Shop Stewards Network, the shadowy group behind much of the recent industrial action on the railways and in schools, he declared: 'Link up the strikes. Get all the Tories out', adding. 'Now is the time to ramp things up. We need to defend Corbyn and show the Government the door.' The BMA no longer has any real credibility. Its orchestrated hostility to seven-day working is profoundly undemocratic, given that the Conservatives were elected in 2015 with a manifesto that contained this direct pledge even if it does need to be better defined. Poll Do you agree with the junior doctors strike? Yes No Do you agree with the junior doctors strike? Yes 2375 votes No 8538 votes Now share your opinion Moreover, the association has proved a useless negotiator: erratic, changeable and unable to enforce any agreement it reaches. In May, after long talks with Hunt, it came to what it claimed was 'a good deal' on the contract. Yet now, following the deal's rejection by junior doctors, the BMA is back to the barricades. It is impossible to have any meaningful, constructive talks with such an unreliable body. I have to say that the Government is far from blameless in this dispute it has not come clean about how exactly it is trying to reform services, which includes a degree of private sector involvement. Yesterday, the BMA said that it had no alternative but to support further strikes. But that is just more nonsense. If the association truly respected the NHS, it would denounce the strike and welcome the push for genuine reform. For, as I know only too well from my own experience, change is urgently needed. Given the advances in medical technology and the pressures from the rise in the elderly population because of greater life expectancy, it is obvious that the traditional NHS model created in 1948 is no longer working. Hunt should stand firm. For too long the BMA has acted as a barrier to reform. Now that it is plumbing new depths of reckless intransigence, it no longer deserves to be heeded. Medicinal marijuana will be legalised across Australia from November this year, under a formal decision reached by the Therapeutic Goods Administration this week. But the news does not mean just anyone will be able to get their hands on the leafy green bud at least not legally. The drug will be legalised for medicinal use only, and will be strictly controlled, as the federal government works to create a national regulator. Medicinal marijuana legalised from November this year, under strict control measures WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Medicinal marijuana to be legalised in Australia from November this year Patients with a valid prescription will be able to get hold of the drug, provided their supply is authorised under the Therapeutic Goods Act and relevant state and territory legislation The way to obtain a prescription will be no different to the process for other medicinal drugs like morphine The changes have been made to accommodate people suffering from chronic pain or nausea The changes to the Narcotic Drugs Act will allow marijuana to be grown and produced in Australia for medicinal purposes only Laws previously permitted the importation of raw cannabis material into Australia, but cultivation of the plant was not allowed Manufacturing of the drug will be regulated by a state or territory government agency All applicants wanting to grow the drug must meet strict licensing requirements Victoria is currently home to Australia's first horticultural cannabis trial Advertisement As reported on The Canberra Times, the final decision came after the federal parliament lent bipartisan support to change the Narcotic Drugs Act to allow marijuana to be grown and produced in Australia for medicinal purposes. The move to legalise the drug was also fuelled by clinical trials which claimed the drug could significantly change the lives of people who suffered from chronic pain. The trials reported the drug could help treat spasticity, and reduce nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Medical cannabis campaigner Lucy Haslam told Fairfax Media the move to legalise the drug was a step in the right direction. While the drug will be legal for medicinal use, it will remain illegal for recreational users Ms Haslam, has spearheaded the movement since she witnessed the dramatic relief her son Dan gained from using the drug. She said it was an essential step in the process, but accepted this was just the beginning of a long road ahead. The retired nurse said it could still be some time before the drug was fully and easily accessible to patients, and claimed they were stuck in a holding pattern while the system was set up. She said the industry was so bound up in red tape to the point where it might be too difficult and too expensive to access altogether. My fear is that the industry will become so expensive that patients wont be able to access a legal supply at an affordable price, she said. The medicinal cannabis campaigner said there was also a long way to go before the stigma surrounding medicinal marijuana was broken down. Medicinal cannabis campaigner Lucy Haslam says there is still a long way to go before the drug is easily accessible to patients Theres also a lot of work to do on educating people and doctors, some of who remain a bit uncomfortable about prescribing medicinal cannabis to patients, she said. While the legalisation could bring about big changes for medicinal cannabis users, the drug will remain illegal for recreational users. Nearly half of all 11-year-old boys have failed to meet difficult new testing standards in reading, writing and maths Half of 11-year-old boys will arrive at secondary school branded failures after not meeting tough new standards in the three Rs, figures reveal. Almost 150,000 have not made the grade in harder Key Stage Two national curriculum Sats tests in reading, writing and maths. They are falling further behind girls, particularly in writing, following the introduction of a rigorous new testing regime in Englands primary schools. Experts say they lose out to precocious girls similar to the Hermione Granger character in Harry Potter who are dominating primary classes. Tests in reading, writing and maths have been overhauled to include questions of a much higher level, some of which left children in tears when they sat the assessments in May. Fifty-seven per cent of girls reached the new expected standard across all three subjects compared to 50 per cent of boys, the Department for Education said. The gender gap was last as high in 2012 under a different assessment system which was dropped for the first time this year. In writing, 68 per cent of boys achieved the new required standard compared to 81 per cent of girls. In reading, it was 62 per cent of boys and 70 per cent of girls, while in maths, 70 per cent of both made the grade. Overall, 47 per cent of 11-year-olds are not up to scratch in the three Rs. Last year in England it was only 20 per cent of children, but the Government says results are not comparable as so much has changed in the tests. While primary school tend to have a lot of 'Hermione Granger' types, young boys are not as confident, according to Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education, PUPILS 'LEARNT WRONG GCSE CURRICULUM' A teacher has been accused of using the wrong GCSE curriculum after just one of his pupils got above a grade D. It is understood staff at St Marys Catholic High School in Wigan only realised the mistake two weeks before the 29 pupils were supposed to be sitting their technology exam. The parents of Kieron Morris, 16, were told by the unnamed teacher just one month before the exam he could get an A*. But last month, he was devastated to find he was awarded a D. Afterwards, he was given a note from the head of the technology department saying that gross malpractice by the teacher led to the poor result. Head teacher Andrew Dawson said: Allegations regarding a former member of staff are unsubstantiated. Advertisement Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said high failure rates suggest the new tests may have been pitched too high. He said: It isnt helpful to have a lot of children going on to secondary school with a sense of failure. Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said primaries often have lots of confident Hermione Granger types while boys tend to be less confident and to miss out. A Philadelphia cop with a pro-Nazi tattoo is under an internal investigation after a photograph emerged showing his controversial ink. The picture of Officer Ian Hans Lichtermann, showing a Reichsadler eagle and the word, 'Fatherland', on his left arm, surfaced on social media on Thursday. The symbol has been used in other situations, however it is most commonly associated with Nazism. Philadelphia cop Ian Hans Lichtermann, who has a pro-Nazi tattoo, is under investigation after a photograph emerged showing his controversial ink The picture of Officer Ian Hans Lichtermann showing a Reichsadler eagle and the word, 'Fatherland', on his left arm surfaced on social media on Thursday Lichtermann's tattoo also looked similar to the cover of a book written by Robert Harris titled, Fatherland: What If Hitler Had Won? On his other arm, Lichetermann has a tattoo of an M16A1 - the weapon that used to be the U.S. military's standard service rifle - over an American flag, along with the slogan 'For God and Country'. At first glance it appears to be less offensive than his other prominent ink, but it too has controversial links. The words were the motto of the American Legion, a group that was sympathetic to Fascism in Europe in the years leading up to World War II. Lichetermann has a tattoo on his other arm of an M16A1 - the weapon that used to be the U.S. military's standard service rifle - over an American flag, along with the slogan 'For God and Country'. The words were the motto of the American Legion, a group that was sympathetic to Fascism in Europe in the years leading up to World War II Lichetermann has also been pictured wearing Nazi military uniforms, with some suggesting he is a member of the neo-Nazi group, Blood and Honour The former president of the group was quoted in 1923 saying he would be willing to 'take over the government', and that country had to be protected in the same way 'as the Fascisti dealt with destructionists who menaced Italy'. Since the images surfaced, others have claimed the Philadelphia cop is a member of the neo-Nazi group, Blood and Honour. The Anti-Defamation League spoke out against the tattoos on Thursday, saying they have been associated with some neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. The ADL cautioned the tattoos on their own do not necessarily mean the officer supports such ideologies. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called the tattoo (pictured on Lichtermann's left arm) both disturbing and 'incredibly offensive' An officer with the same name as Lichtermann (left) has been employed on the force since May 2003 and earns about $72,000 Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney calls the tattoo both disturbing and 'incredibly offensive.' The officer's last name is visible on his badge, but police wouldn't confirm his full name. A statement from the Philadelphia Police Department said there is no policy on tattoos, but added it does not condone 'anything that can be interpreted as offensive, hateful or discriminatory in any form'. The Philadelphia Police Department released a statement about the images on Thursday afternoon The Reichsadler eagle is a symbol that has been used in other situations, but is most commonly associated with Nazism 'This is a very sensitive topic for both the citizens that we serve as well as the officers providing service to the public. 'We must ensure that all constitutional rights are adhered to while at the same time ensuring public safety and public trust arent negatively impacted.' According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, an officer with the same name has been employed on the force since May 2003 and earns about $72,000. Katrina Percy who stepped down as chief executive of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust this week was allowed to keep her 240,000 pay package, despite moving to an advisory role A shamed health boss who presided over a failure to investigate hundreds of unexpected deaths should be sacked or should quit, suggested Jeremy Hunt yesterday. The Health Secretary said managers who showed a lack of judgment should move on and not be allowed to resurface somewhere else in the NHS on huge pay packets. Katrina Percy who stepped down as chief executive of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust this week was allowed to keep her 240,000 pay package, despite moving to an advisory role. Mr Hunts stark criticism followed those of MPs and families of patients let down by the scandal-hit trust, who said she should be sacked. Politicians had also called for an inquiry into why the 42-year-old is being allowed to keep her huge salary for simply advising a handful of GP practices. Mr Hunt said it was terrible that the trust failed to investigate up to 1,259 unexplained deaths because they were not deemed serious enough. Asked about Miss Percys new role, he said managers had the most difficult job imaginable balancing patient needs with money but the NHS had to be much better at accountability. Adding to the growing pressure on Miss Percy, he said: We need to recognise that if someone hasnt done a good job then they need to move on and we cant brush these things under the carpet. He said there were two situations, one where a manager doing a very difficult job has made a mistake but deserves a second chance. The second was where they have shown a lack of judgment that shows they are not suitable to be a manager. But health secretary aid managers who showed a lack of judgment should move on and not be allowed to resurface somewhere else in the NHS on huge pay packets Mr Hunt added: It is very very important that if the public are going to have confidence in the NHS that in that latter case they do not resurface somewhere else in the NHS on huge pay packets. He also failed to say he had confidence in the trust, only stating: I do have confidence they are making progress. Latest figures show that other managers at Southern Health, which cares for patients with mental health needs and learning difficulties, earn more than the Prime Minister. Chief operating officer Dr Chris Gordon, 55, and medical director Dr Lesley Stevens, 52, each raked in more than the 143,000 a year Theresa May is paid. Dr Gordon, who was responsible for inquiries into patient deaths, earned 270,000 over two years and put 472,000 into his pension. A report has found there were 1,454 unexpected patient deaths in trust care over four years but only 195 were treated as serious. whether it is worth the taxpayer money The president of the peak IVF industry body has welcomed restrictions on Medicare access to IVF subsidies for women over 40. The success rate of fertility treatment has dropped to less than one per cent for women aged over 45, and 6 per cent for women aged 40 to 44, statistics released on Thursday revealed. It costs $100,000 per baby for women aged 40 to 44 and $200,000 per baby for women aged over 45, compared with about $28,000 for women aged 30, Fairfax Media reported. Fertility Society of Australia president Michael Chapman has welcomed restrictions on Medicare access to IVF subsidies for women over 40 due to low success rates 'Is that value for money?' Fertility Society of Australia president Michael Chapman said. 'That's a question the taxpayer has to answer.' For women over 45, Professor Chapman said 'you have to think seriously about whether Medicare should cover them'. Professor Chapman's comments come a decade after the Howard government's attempt to restrict medicare access to older women was defeated by the IVF industry and fertility support groups. But the statistics also revealed a 10 per cent improvement in the live birth rate over five years due to more effective freezing technology. Of the 73,598 women who started their IVF cycles in 2014, one in five (19.8 per cent) delivered a live baby. The success rate of fertility treatment has dropped to less than 1 per cent for women aged over 45, and 6 per cent for women aged 40 to 44 But just three of 74 women between 40 and 44 delivered a live baby after completing 10 cycles of IVF. In 2015, Medicare funded over $250 million for IVF services, subsidising about $5300 per stimulated cycle. The Medicare Benefits Schedule taskforce will review each item on the schedule in line with health outcomes and benefits. Paul Ciancia, 26, shot dead Gerardo Hernandez and wounded three others when he went on the rampage at LAX in 2013 A gunman who shot dead a TSA officer at Los Angeles International Airport three years ago has agreed to plead guilty to murder to avoid the death penalty. Paul Ciancia, 26, shot dead Gerardo Hernandez and wounded three others when he went on the rampage at LAX on November 1, 2013. Ciancia was hell-bent on killing as many TSA officers as possible when he walked into the airport with a concealed .223 caliber assault rifle, according to a note he left in his luggage. Prosecutors and Hernandez's wife were pushing for the death penalty but the deranged motorcycle mechanic is now set for life in prison instead. Ciancia will face a mandatory life sentence, according to the plea agreement filed on Thursday, and is likely to appear in court on Tuesday to admit murder. Father-of-two Hernandez's wife, Ana Machuca, said she has accepted the plea deal but said it would not being her husband back. 'This doesn't change anything,' she said. 'My husband's not coming back.' She said she was 'definitely on board for the death penalty but that does take forever. It doesn't bring peace, it doesn't bring closure'. 'My husband died and my children lost their father. There isn't anything anyone can do for us,' she added. Ciancia was hell-bent on killing as many TSA officers as possible when he walked into the airport with a concealed .223 caliber assault rifle, according to a note he left in his luggage. Pictured, police officers stand over a weapon and bloodied clothes inside LAX's Terminal 3 Ciancia entered LAX's Terminal 3 and drew his assault rifle from a duffel bag before repeatedly shooting Hernandez at an initial checkpoint. He returned to shoot him at point-blank range after seeing him move. Hernandez was shot 12 times. At baggage screening, Ciancia shot officers Tony Grigsby and James Speer as they ran from the checkpoint toward the gate. Grigsby was hit in the ankle and Speer was hit in the shoulder. Teacher Brian Ludmer, who had been in the screening area, was shot in the calf. Hernandez was shot 12 times and did not survive. His wife said she accepted the plea deal but added that it would not being her husband back It is not clear why Ciancia wanted to kill TSA officers but he complained of unconstitutional searches and said Americans were being treated like terrorists by airport screeners. A note found in his luggage was signed by, 'Paul Ciancia P***ed-off Patriot'. Ciancia said his mission would be accomplished if he managed to take down even one TSA agent, and that he would be thrilled if he killed more. 'If you made the conscious decision to put on a TSA costume and violate peoples' rights this morning, I made the conscious decision to try to kill you,' he wrote, according to the plea deal. 'I want to instill fear in your traitorous minds. I want it to always be in the back of your head just how easy it is to take a weapon to the beginning of your Nazi checkpoints.' His note added that he would 'preserve innocent lives' and terrified passengers said Ciancia went round asking them if they were TSA workers before letting them go. The gunman had one of his roommates drive him to LAX the morning of the shooting, saying he was going home to visit family in New Jersey. He concealed his semi-automatic rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition in two pieces of luggage he lashed together with zip ties. TSA workers console each other outside LAX after Paul Ciancia shot Mr Hernandez dead Ciancia sent goodbye text messages to his brother and sister, saying he was sorry to leave them prematurely. He told his brother his 'whole life has been leading up to this,' the plea agreement said. 'This was the purpose I was brought here. I won't fail,' he added. The unemployed motorcycle mechanic told his sister that he wanted to work, but was starving and desperate and unable to feed and shelter himself. 'Please don't let the story be skewed,' he wrote to her. 'There wasn't a terrorist attack on November 1. There was a p***ed-off patriot trying to water the tree of liberty.' Officers quickly shot and arrested Ciancia, but it took hours to search the rest of the airport and determine there were no accomplices. Advertisement Thailand has welcomed an interesting modern addition to their city skyline called the MahaNakhon, or the Pixel Tower. Bangkok's tallest building, standing at 314-metres tall, will house a luxury hotel, bars, restaurants, residential apartments and retail stores. The building celebrated its official opening on August 29 with a spectacular light show in downtown Bangkok. MahaNakhon, also known as the pixel building, has opened with a light show in downtown Bangkok on August 29 The newly completed building is Thailand's tallest building standing at 77-storeys, or 314 metres high It has box-like balconies that will create a distinct jagged look to the shape of the tower contrasting the rigid form of traditional skyscrapers Ole Scheeren, the German architect who designed the ultra modern-looking tower called it a 'a vision of a tower that is very much about process, about becoming, about developing,' in an interview with CNN before the building's completion. 'In some ways when you look at it, it almost seems incomplete or unfinished,' he said. The building will have 200 apartment spaces and box-like balconies that will create a distinct jagged look to the shape of the tower. Mr Scheeren said that the Thai client wanted a building that will stand out in his city among all the other unique buildings like the robot and the elephant building. 'Probably the way to be different is not try to be special, but to be very simple,' he added. German architect Ole Scheeren designed the ultra modern-looking MahaNakhon tower Mr Scheeren called it: 'a vision of a tower that is very much about process, about becoming, about developing' According to Mr Scheeren the Thai client wanted a building that will stand out in his city Two friends stand on a balcony overlooking the Bangkok skyline in a building opposite of the MahaNakhon just before it is lit up Mr Scheeren designed and developed a tower that would open up a visual relationship between the people who will live in it and the bustling city below. However the building's opening appears to be in breach of Thai labour regulations whereby 39 professional positions are reserved for Thai nationals, including architect and civil engineer, according to the Bangkok Post. This MahaNakhon tower will add to Bangkok's weird skyline. The elephant building, has a shopping mall, office spaces and apartments, both built by the same Thai architect Sumet Jumsai. The elephant building, has a shopping mall, office spaces and apartments, both built by the same Thai architect Sumet Jumsai. This MahaNakhon tower will add to Bangkok's weird skyline. w THE ELEPHANT BUILDING While the famous elephant building has a shopping mall inside, as well as office spaces and apartments The MahaNakhon is an addition to Bangkok's unique skyline which includes the elephant building (pictured) The elephant building is 32 floors and is home to a shopping mall, office suites and residential apartments. Designed by Thai architect Sumet Jumsai, construction of the building was complete by 1997. The elephant shape in Thai tradition represents longevity, trust and their royal family, according to MNN. THE ROBOT BUILDING The robot building is another very unique building that is part of Bangkok city, it was designed by Thai architect Sumet Jumsai who also created the elephant building The iconic robot tower serves as the headquarter's for the United Overseas Bank in Bangkok Another unique building in Bangkok is the robot tower, which have the eyes and antennas of a robot. Sumet Jumsai also designed this unique structure, taking inspiration from his son's toy robot. A German man who spread fear across Los Angeles for several nights as he torched cars and homes to avenge his mother's deportation was convicted Thursday of nearly 50 arson counts. Harry Burkhart, 29, objected to the verdict, which carries a potential prison sentence of nearly 90 years. 'There were a lot of unfair claims I wish I could do something about,' he told the judge through a German interpreter. The judge said Burkhart could take that up on appeal. Harry Burkhart, who officials said set more than 47 fires during a four-day arson spree throughout Los Angeles, was found guilty on all 49 counts he faced Harry Burkhart, 29, faces 90 years in prison for setting nearly 50 fires in an arson spree Burkhart spread fear across Los Angeles for several nights as he torched cars and homes to avenge his mother's deportation The German placed incendiary devices under cars in Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley and West Hollywood between 2011 and 2012 Officials said Burkhart, a 29-year-old undocumented German immigrant, will face a second trial to determine if he was sane during the crimes. Jurors were told to return to court next week to begin determining whether the ex-Frankfurt resident was sane at the time of the crimes. If not, he could be sent to a mental institution. Burkhart had threatened to 'roast America' after his mother, Dorothee Burkhart, was ordered extradited to Germany to face fraud charges, prosecutors said. Burkhart placed incendiary devices under cars in Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley and West Hollywood on December 30 and 31, 2011, and on January 2, 2012, authorities said. Some vehicles were in carports and in 19 cases the fires spread to homes and apartments. The sheer number of fires 'brought the fire department in this city to its knees,' Los Angeles County prosecutor Sean Carney told jurors in his opening statement. Burkhart (pictured) set fire to vehicles at carports that in 19 cases spread to homes and apartments Prosecutors say he threatened to 'roast America' after his mom, Dorothee Burkhart (pictured), was extradited to Germany to face fraud charges Some vehicles were in carports and in 19 cases the fires spread to homes and apartments The number of fires 'brought the fire department in this city to its knees,' prosecutors said Defense attorney Steve Schoenfield told jurors that the prosecution had linked his client to only six or seven fires and 'copycats' might have started others. There were no serious injuries or deaths as a result of the fires but damages were estimated to be more than $3 million. Burkhart 'wanted America to burn' and 'was going to resolve his grievance through fire and fear,' Carney said. 'He was ready to set many more.' Burkhart was arrested in 2012. Burkhart's anti-American outburst during a detention hearing for his mother in 2011 cemented his likeness in the mind of a deputy U.S. marshal, who authorities say recognized him after police began circulating a video showing the man wanted in the arson spree. Parents shocked to find children were subjected to the Koran in school Parents have been left fuming after discovering a history and geography teacher has been reading excerpts of the Koran to their children at a Catholic boy's high school. Jesse Pittard, who teaches both subjects at Christian Brothers' High School, in Lewisham in Sydney's inner-west, has come under fire from parents for reading out sections of the Koran to his year seven students at the start of the day during home room and before classes. Parents claim Jesse Pittard (above), a history and geography teacher at Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham, has been reading excerpts from the Koran to students Parents and students told Daily Mail Australia Mr Pittard began reading excerpts to students at the beginning of the semester in July and claimed he has since read 'more than half' the Koran to them. Parents are particularly angry they were not told about the Koran readings and questioned why the Muslim holy book needed to be read outside of religion classes. One mother said her son revealed during a conversation that Mr Pittard was reading the Koran to him before his geography class. 'We don't send our kids to an Islamic school to listen to the Koran and it's not a religion lesson, it's a geography lesson, so how does that relate to geography?' she said. Mr Pittard has chosen not to comment on the matter. The school's principal, Brother Paul Conn, confirmed Mr Pittard had read passages from the Koran before several year seven classes, and said he had received three emails and one phone call from concerned parents asking for him to investigate the matter. Mr Pittard has since been asked to stop reading from the Koran which according to the principal were conducted as 'an academic exercise' But he denied the readings had been going since the beginning of the school semester and had only happened 'for a couple of days' and were 'supposed to be an academic exercise'. 'Unfortunately, due to the timing of the exercise being with the normal beginning of [Catholic] lesson prayer, some confusion did exist,' he said. The mother was left shocked after her son explained his teacher constantly read excerpts from the Koran One of Mr Pittard's students said the teacher had read the English version of the Koran before every geography class Mr Conn has since spoken to concerned parents. He said further discussion of the Koran in class has stopped. 'I ... clarified to all concerned that as a Catholic school, we are one hundred percent committed to our Catholic faith, and that our strategic plan and Religious Education Program has the Catholic faith as its core,' he said. 'Being a culturally diverse school, we are open to informed and balanced discussion on all faiths, but our commitment in terms of faith education is to the Catholic Faith. 'I spoke to the teacher concerned, who is a Christian, and he now understands that all beginning of lesson prayer at CBHS Lewisham is Catholic. 'He never intended to do anything differently, but his timing did cause some confusion. No further discussion on the Koran will be happening as no further need exists.' Principal Brother Paul Conn The all-boys school caters for students from year five to 12 and prides itself 'in keeping with its rich faith-filled past' and only does Catholic prayers in their religion classes. One of Mr Pittard's students said the teacher had read the English version of the Koran before geography class. 'We don't even listen, because it's so long,' the year seven student said. 'We only do [Catholic] prayers in religion classes, but for one geography lesson we were waiting for about seven to ten minutes while he was reading the Koran.' 'He gives us a demerit if any of us tell him not to read it ... He has read more than half the Koran,' another student said. However, the principal denied any student had received demerit points for asking to not listen to the Koran. 'One of the parents who contacted me was concerned about the issuing of a demerit. It was clarified that this was definitely not for anything to do with the reading of the Koran but for a completely separate classroom behaviour issue. Malcolm Turnbull has publicly slammed coalition MPs who were caught leaving parliament early for the weekend after it caused the government to lose a number of votes to Labor. Ministers Peter Dutton, Michael Keenan and Christian Porter and seven backbenchers had already left parliament on Thursday afternoon when Labor exploited the government's slim majority. The opposition won three procedural votes and almost secured a majority for its call for a royal commission into bank misconduct because several MPs missed votes when they skipped out early. 'I've read the riot act to them. Their colleagues will all read the riot act to them. They'll get the riot act read to them more often than just about anyone could imagine,' the prime minister told Neil Mitchell on radio 3AW on Friday. Malcolm Turnbull has slammed missing-in-action coalition MPs who were caught leaving parliament early, which allowed Labor to inflict an embarrassing defeat on the government 'Two of them were cabinet ministers and one of them was a minister. They're grown ups, they're experienced parliamentarians. 'They knew that they should not have left and they left early because they thought they'd get away with it. WHO LEFT PARLIAMENT EARLY? Michael Keenan: Justice Minister was on a plane to Melbourne Peter Dutton: Defence Minister was called back from the airport. He made it back for the 4th vote Christian Porter: Minister for Social Services was back in time for 2nd vote John Alexander: NSW MP made it back from 2nd vote Luke Hartsuyker: NSW member was back for 2nd vote Craig Kelly: NSW MP came back for 5th vote Ken O'Dowd: Qld member was back for 2nd vote Jason Wood: Came back in for 2nd vote Scott Buchholz: Qld MP was back for 2nd vote Ross Vasta: Qld MP never returned Advertisement 'They've been caught out. They've been embarrassed, they've been humiliated, they've been excoriated. And it won't happen again.' The MPs were not in the house when Labor voted against parliament adjourning at its usual time of 4.30pm. Several had to be called back from the airport and turned back on their drives home as the government scrambled to control the parliament. Mr Keenan, who is the Justice Minister, was on a flight to Melbourne after receiving late-breaking advice about a significant federal police operation, but said despite it being a work-related matter it was no excuse. 'It's a decision that I shouldn't have taken and obviously I'm sorry that I did,' he told ABC radio. Mr Keenan returned to Canberra that night to speak to Mr Turnbull, who made it clear it was unacceptable. Mr Porter arrived back for the second vote, while Mr Dutton - who was at the airport - didn't return until the fourth vote. Backbenchers who missed the first few votes included: John Alexander, Luke Hartsuyker, Craig Kelly, Ken O'Dowd, Ross Vasta, Jason Wood and Scott Buchholz. Mr Keenan and Mr Vasta were the only two coalition MPs who did not return to parliament in time for the final vote. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull leaves the House of Representatives after an embarrassing loss of three votes in the lower house on Thursday night Mr Keenan, who is the Justice Minister, was on a flight to Melbourne but returned to Canberra to apologise to Malcolm Turnbull Christian Porter (left) arrived back for the second vote, while Peter Dutton (right) - who was at the airport - didn't return until the fourth vote Mr Keenan and Queensland MP Ross Vasta (pictured) were the only two coalition MPs who did not return to parliament in time for the final vote Mr Turnbull acknowledged Labor's end-of-week tactic was an 'oldie but a goodie'. 'There's no doubt it was a wake-up call. In fact in some respects it's good to have got it in the first week.' Leader of the House Christopher Pyne, the man ultimately responsible for the government's tactics, was a chastened figure on Friday. 'There is no doubt what happened... was a stuff-up,' he told the Nine Network. He revealed they were not given permission to leave early. Mr Pyne attempted to play down the seriousness of the government's embarrassment even though it was the first time in more than 50 years a majority government has lost a vote on the floor of the house. 'People out there in the community are more worried about jobs, more worried about feeding themselves and their children than they are about three adjournment votes,' he said. NSW MP John Alexander made it back to parliament for the second vote NSW MP Craig Kelly (right) came back for fifth vote, while Queensland's Ken O'Dowd (left) was back for the second Luke Hartsuyker, an MP from NSW was back in parliament after missing the first vote Jason Wood (right) and Queensland's Scott Buchholz both made it back for the second vote Labor is promising more of the same as it seeks to undermine the prime minister's claim he has a working majority in the parliament. 'There is no chance at all that the government is here for another three years. The clock is ticking for the Turnbull government,' manager of opposition business Tony Burke said. 'You have to be pretty arrogant when you're claiming you've got a working majority with a majority of one to not hang around 'till the end of the day. Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese described the events as a farce. 'If you can't run the parliament, you can't run the country,' he said. Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann said the coalition should expect Labor to pull stunts and needed to be on its guard at all times. Colleague George Brandis said Labor got away with a 'gotcha moment' stunt because of the coalition's ill discipline. Scary footage has emerged of hooded thieves kidnapping the terrified manager of a 125-year-old Western Australian hotel before robbing it and setting it alight. Police have charged Two men over the attack on the Premier Hotel in Albany in May arresting them in the Perth Metropolitan area on Thursday. A 29-year-old and 30-year-old man have been charged by police with arson and acts endangering life Two men have been arrested and charged by police for arson and acts endangering life after a Western Australian hotel was robbed and set alight in May. The manager disappears outside before emerging with two hooded assailants either side of him grabbing him by the arms and dragging him down the narrow hallway The footage shows the manager of the pub walking towards the back door of the historic pub carrying two bin bags with what appears to be rubbish. The manager disappears outside before emerging with two hooded assailants either side of him grabbing him by the arms and dragging him down the narrow hallway. The manager attempts to rid himself of the two assailants and drags his feet trying to escape their clutches. The footage shows the manager of the pub walking towards the back door of the historic pub carrying two bin bags with what appears to be rubbish Albanys historic Premier Hotel has suffered extensive damage after a blaze tore through the premises A dark grey mini-van with two male occupants was seen in the area around the time of the incident, and police would like to speak with them Western Australian police on Monday released a composite sketch of two men they were appealing for to help them with their investigation The 130-year-old Premier Hotel caught fire just after 12.40am on Friday in Albany, 418kms south-east of Perth The manager and men then both disappear off screen where they are said to have assaulted the manager and stole money from the safe before setting the hotel alight causing an estimated $2 million worth of damage. Western Australian police on Monday released a composite sketch of two men they were appealing for to help them with their investigation. A flood watch is in place for NSW rivers from the Queensland to Victoria borders as the state braces for torrential rain. Over the next two days, Sydney will see up to 40mm rainfall as a low pressure trough moves over NSW. Heavy rain is also expected to drench Victoria as the early Spring system moves off to the Tasman Sea. NSW State Emergency Services are on high alert this weekend as they brace for the wet weather. Scroll down for video A flood watch is in place for NSW rivers from the Queensland to Victoria borders as the state braces for torrential rain. Pictured are clouds gathering over Sydney Harbour Queensland has also seen its fair share of rain with Birdsville (pictured), in the state's south-west, seeing 45mm in less than an hour in the morning 'We're on a flood watch for pretty much all our western rivers from the Queensland border to the Victoria border today as that rain weve been experiencing is predicted to intensify into heavy rain periods,' NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Scott Hanckel told 9News. Overnight two bushwalkers were rescued after becoming stranded at a flooded river near Orange in the NSW Central West. NSW emergency crews and police carried out the rescue when the bushwalkers found themselves on the wrong side of the river, SES said. Flood warnings had been issued by the SES for the area with Belubula River set to peak on Thursday afternoon and heavy rain forecast in the area for Friday as well. The rain radar shows the rainfall coverage over New South Wales on Friday Overnight two bushwalkers were rescued after becoming stranded at a flooded river near Orange (pictured) in the NSW Central West Birdsville's iconic races were planned to start on Friday but have been delayed due to the rain Sydneysiders will also be hit with a slew of rain, according to Weatherzone. 'Sydney is likely to see between 20 to 40 millimetres of rainfall from this system in total over this morning through to tomorrow morning,' Meteorologist Graeme Brittain told Daily Mail Australia. In the past 24 hours leading up to 9am pm Friday, the NSW north-west has seen up to 70 millimetres of rain. Queensland has also seen its fair share of rain with Birdsville, in the state's south-west, seeing 45mm in less than an hour in the morning. The remote town's iconic races were planned to start on Friday but have been delayed due to the rain. Races on Friday were moved to Sunday and Saturday's races will go ahead as planned. 'This is the low pressure trough system over New South Wales and it's got a tropic coming in from the north and is going to bring rain over the south-east of Queensland,' Mr Brittain told Daily Mail Australia. NATIONAL SEVEN-DAY FORECAST Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Canberra Adelaide Perth Hobart Darwin Friday 14C, rain, 10-20mm 16C, possible shower, 1-5mm 25C, possible shower, 5-10mm 12C, rain, 20-40mm 18C, mostly sunny, <1mm 17C, late shower, <1mm 14C, clearing shower, <1mm 32C, possible shower, 1-5mm Saturday 20C, windy with rain, <1mm 15C, possible shower, <1mm 25C, rain clearing, <1mm 13C, rain clearing, <1mm 17C, possible shower, 1-5mm 19C, sunny, <1mm 15C, mostly sunny, <1mm 32C, possible shower, 5-10mm Sunday 20C, mostly sunny, <1mm 16C, clearing shower, <1mm 24C, mostly sunny, <1mm 16C, mostly sunny, <1mm 18C, mostly sunny, <1mm 21C, possible shower, <1mm 15C, mostly sunny, <1mm 32C, clearing shower, 1-5mm Monday 20C, mostly sunny, <1mm 18C, mostly sunny, <1mm 24C, possible shower, <1mm 18C, frost then sunny, <1mm 20C, mostly sunny, <1mm 20C, mostly sunny, <1mm 15C, clearing shower, <1mm 34C, sunny, <1mm Tuesday 22C, mostly sunny, <1mm 18C, mostly cloudy, <1mm 23C, possible shower, 1-5mm 19C, frost then sunny, <1mm 22C, sunny, <1mm 20C, possible shower, 1-5mm 17C, mostly sunny, <1mm 34C, sunny,1-5mm Wednesday 21C, possible shower, 1-5mm 21C, sunny, <1mm 24C, possible shower, 1-5mm 20C, possible shower, <1mm 24C, sunny, <1mm 19C, possible shower, 1-5mm 19C, mostly sunny, <1mm 34C, sunny, <1mm Thursday 22C, mostly sunny, <1mm 23, sunny, 5-10mm 24C, possible shower, 1-5mm 20C, possible shower, 1-5mm 26C, late shower, 1-5mm 17C, mostly sunny, <1mm 21C, mostly sunny, 1-5mm 34C, mostly sunny, <1mm Over the next two days, Sydney will see up to 40mm rainfall as a low pressure trough moves over NSW 'The main rain focus is over New South Wales as the trough tracks south-eastwards and then into tomorrow morning quite heavy rain in the east of Victoria as the system moves off to the Tasman. 'There will be strong winds in east of Victoria tomorrow night and into the morning and clearing in the afternoon.' The SES continues to stress the importance of not approaching flood waters. 'The SES has already carried out 450 flood rescues in New South Wales this year, and we haven't even reached storm season yet,' SES's Terri Langendan. She said the public need to stay clear of all flood waters, campers should avoid camping too close to creeks and rivers and people need to drive to conditions. Mr Jackson was stabbed at least 20 times in the face, neck and chest He came to the aid of murdered Mia Ayliffe-Chung at Home Hill hostel The family of the British backpacker who was repeatedly stabbed while trying to protect a female friend from a frenzied knife attack at a Queensland backpackers' hostel has decided to donate his organs. Thomas Jackson, 30, was attacked last week while aiding Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, who had been stabbed earlier in the evening at a hostel in Home Hill, south of Townsville. Mr Jackson was stabbed at least 20 times in the face, neck and chest and succumbed to his injuries on Monday six days after the attack with his father Les Jackson by his side. Scroll down for video The family (pictured) of Thomas Jackson (second from the right), 30, who died while trying to protect Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, during a frenzied knife attack at a Queensland backpackers' hostel, has decided to donate his organs Mia Ayliffe-Chung (pictured with her mother Rosie Ayliffe) was allegedly attacked by Frenchman Smail Aya, 29, last week at Shelley's backpackers in Home Hill, south of Townsville His organs have been donated to try and help save more lives, Les said on Friday. 'How wonderful that he died trying to save someone's life and maybe has ended up saving even more and I think that's a lovely way of thinking of it,' the 58-year-old told the Townsville Bulletin. 'At least something has come out of the s***ness and so long as he has a legacy, that is the main thing.' He also expressed some sympathy for the family of his son and Ms Ayliffe-Chung's alleged killer Frenchman Smail Aya, 29. 'I've got absolutely no anger at the moment, maybe that will come later,' he said. 'We can go through the grieving process and come out the other end as a family and eventually be able to move on. But (Ayad's) family have got to live with this for the rest of their lives and that's horrendous.' Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21 (pictured left) was killed during the knife attack. Mr Jackson tried to protect the young woman from Smail Ayad (right), 29, who has since been charged with her murder Mr Jackson (pictured), who was stabbed more than 20 times and succumbed to his injuries on Monday, could save more lives by having his organs donated, his father Les Jackson said Les Jackson with his son Thomas - Mr Jackson said Thomas' death left the family 'bereft' Meanwhile, Ms Ayliffe-Chung's mother Rosie Ayliffe has revealed she learned of Mr Jackson's death after arriving in Australia. 'None of us took the news well,' she wrote in The Independent, where she is writing a daily blog tracking her grief. 'It was devastating to hear that this heroic man had died trying to save Mia's life and I, for one, dissolved again into the hopeless sobbing that had plagued me for most of the flight.' She also revealed the man overseeing the investigation into her daughter's death, Townsville Regional Crime Co-ordinator Ray Rohweder broke down as he gave her an account of Mia's final moments. Ms Ayliffe said she was still struggling to decide whether to see Mia's body, with some supporters telling her she needs the closure while others have warned the image may haunt her. POLICE PRAISE FOR 'HERO' BACKPACKER TOM JACKSON Police described Mr Jackson's attempts to help Ms Ayliffe-Chung as 'completely selfless' last week. Superintendent Ray Rohweder said on Friday: 'There is no doubt he tried to render aid to Mia.' 'His subsequent actions were absolutely fantastic... 'I have no doubt that his actions on that day, as selfless, completely selfless as they were, led to the injuries that he now has.' Advertisement 'Could I live to regret not seeing her? I just don't know on this one and for once Mia, who generally has an opinion on everything, is silent.' Ms Ayliffe is preparing her only daughters funeral which will be held on Surfer's Paradise on Friday. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has also praised Mr Jackson's efforts during the knife attack and nominated him for a posthumous award on Wednesday. 'Tom Jackson's actions of putting his own life before the life of Ms Ayliffe-Chung is an extraordinary act of courage & deserves recognition,' Ms Palaszczuk wrote. 'How wonderful that he died trying to save someone's life and maybe has ended up saving even more and I think that's a lovely way of thinking of it,' Les Jackson said of his son (centre) Rosie Ayliffe has also expressed desire to meet Mr Jackson's family after he died trying to save her daughter's life Hero: Mr Jackson has been nominated for a post humous bravery award after he tried to save fellow backpacker Ms Ayliffe-Chung after she was stabbed 'That's why I have today written to the Australian Bravery Decorations Council to nominate Mr Jackson for a posthumous bravery award.' The nomination came on Wednesday, two days after Mr Jackson's life support was turned off and was announced over Twitter. Mr Jackson's father Les previously said their family had been left 'bereft' with the passing of their charity worker son but was 'proud' of his actions. 'There is dark and evil in this world perpetrated by a few, but so much more love and light emanates from so many more. That thought will sustain us,' he said. Mr Jackson stepped in after aspiring model Ms Ayliffe-Chung was allegedly dragged out of bed by Mr Ayad at the dormitory they shared while working at a remote farm. The kickboxer screamed 'Allahu Akbar', Arabic for 'God is great', while stabbing her, say witnesses, and hurt 12 police officers who used pepper spray and a taser to subdue him. Despite his jihadi-style outburst, police have ruled out links to terrorism, and say tests found he had been using cannabis. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has nominated the British backpacker for a bravery award Friend Rachel Eddie Edwards (pictured with Mr Jackson) posted online: 'I keep praying it's not real as I can't really find the words to say how devastated I am to lose one of my greatest and longest friends Bereft: Tom's sister Liv, who lives in Britain, posted this moving tribute and photograph of them together, as his heroic death was announced today In a Facebook message, Mr Jackson's younger sister Olivia, 23, urged people not to remember her brother as a victim, saying: 'To everyone back home and everyone here, there are literally not enough words to thank you for your support. All I ask is that you don't remember Tom as a victim. You remember him as a friend, cherish the memories you had together and be thankful you got to meet him.' A Youcaring fundraising page has set up to help the family. The page has raised more than 1,300 of a 5,000 target with all donations going to Mr Jackson's parents. Last week he said: 'There are many and varied reasons why we are, and always will be, immensely proud of Tom. 'His actions in response to this horrific attack only add to that sense of pride'. Proud father: Les Jackson, father of Tom (both pictured), rushed from the UK to Australia to be at his son's bedside and later spoke about the 'immense' pride he felt Heroic: Tom died trying to save his friend in a savage attack that has shocked Britain and Australia Home Hill stabbing hero Thomas Jackson, 30, died on Tuesday after almost a week fighting for life at Townsville Hospital Mr Jackson's sister, Liv, wrote on Facebook: 'Today it is with the heaviest of hearts that I have had to say goodbye to my wonderful big brother, Tom. There is nothing in this world that can prepare you for the pain and heartbreak of losing a sibling and a friend, but there is great comfort in knowing that he was mine. 'To everyone back home and to everyone here in Australia, there are literally not enough words to thank you for your support and beautifully kind words to my family at this time. All that I ask is that you don't remember Tom as a victim. You remember him as a friend, cherish the memories you had together and be thankful you got to meet him and be part of the joy that he bought to this world. 'Indescribably proud of everything you accomplished and the lives you touched. I will love you always and forever TJ, your little sister, Lou.' Mr Ayad was charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of serious animal cruelty and twelve counts of serious assault. His case was adjourned to October 28. Detectives said an attempted murder charge will be upgraded to murder following Mr Jackson's death. Friends had prayed for Mr Jackson to pull through in public vigils and social media tributes. 'STAY STRONG TOM... You'll never walk alone,' read a banner hung out the front of the hostel. Friends and well-wishers of Mr Jackson posted tributes to the murdered traveller on social media sites. Many changed their profile pictures to images of them with the 30-year-old from Cheshire. Ryan Fisher, who was friends with Mr Jackson on Facebook, wrote: 'You always wanted to be a journalist, and here you are in the headlines.' He posted on the social media site: 'You were a great friend Tom, a loyal friend, and I'm a better person for having known you. Miss Ayliffe-Chung was allegedly dragged from her bed by Ayad while she slept in the dormitory they shared on an Australian farm 'You helped everyone around you. I admired and looked up to your carefree approach to life and your constant ability to find the good in bad. 'I'm very fond of our time together, we had some truly amazing laughs and life experiences. I have memories I'll keep with me every day. 'I'll never forget you mate. You are one of the very very best. Good bye mate, and thank you for everything. You'll never walk alone.' Friend Rachel Eddie Edwards posted: 'I keep praying it's not real as I can't really find the words to say how devastated I am to lose one of my greatest and longest friends. 'The world has lost a hero. I will never ever forget how much of an incredible person you are Jacko and how you lit up my life whenever we've been together or even on our many phone calls. You can Rest In Peace now my dear friend ... I'm going to miss you terribly.' He's the Chinese high-flyer linked to the latest scandal to rock the halls of power. And now pictures have emerged of businessman Minshen Zhu with almost every leading light of the Australian political world. Happy snaps have emerged of Dr Zhu posing with four of the country's prime ministers - Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. The photographs circulated online after prominent Labor senator Sam Dastyari was criticised for having Dr Zhu's company pay his $1670.00 travel bill last October. Yes, Prime Minister? Malcolm Turnbull shows off his pearly whites in a happy snap with Chinese businessman Minshen Zhu, a major donor to both political parties Julia Gillard (left) and Kevin Rudd (right) rarely see eye-to-eye - but neither hesitated in taking a photograph with Dr Zhu, who runs the TOP Education Institute Decked out in similar blue ties, Dr Zhu is pictured here clasping the hand of former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott Mr Dastyari later admitted he should have paid the expense himself as he came under scrutiny for pledging to respect China's position on the South China Sea. A number of senior ministers have also met with Dr Zhu including Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Treasurer Scott Morrison and Industry Minister Christopher Pyne. The businessman is the owner of the TOP Education Institute private college of business and law at the Australian Technology Park in Redfern, Sydney. His company has donated more than $230,000 in total to both major political parties since 2010, Fairfax Media first reported this week. That included more than $186,000 to the Australian Labor Party since 2010-11, according to Electoral Commission donation figures confirmed by Daily Mail Australia. Dr Zhu also made personal donations. The company also donated $22,000 to the NSW Liberal Party in both 2013-14 and 2014-15, the online AEC records show. Dr Zhu's company, TOP Education Institute, posted a vast array of pictures featuring him with senior politicians on its website. He is seen here in September 2014 with then-Immigration Minister Scott Morrison at the Federal Forum dinner Attorney-General George Brandis is seen with Dr Zhu and TOP law school dean Professor Eugene Clark. Mr Brandis this week said 'many of us' had met with the Chinese donor Dr Zhu is seen here Industry Minister Christopher Pyne Senator Dastyari's critics have linked Dr Zhu with the Chinese government, pointing to his place on the board of the Confucius Institute at Sydney University. The Institute is funded by a Chinese government body, the Office of Chinese Language Council International. Experts have described the institutes - which operate in universities around the world - as a way for China to extend its 'soft power'. Dr Zhu has held meetings with top Chinese government officials, including current president Xi Jinping, The Australian reported. Speaking to the ABC's 7.30 program this week, Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi said he was concerned about the influence of Chinese money in Australian politics. 'The TOP Education Institute was the only non specialist institute authorised by the Chiense government as suitable for their students,' he told host Leigh Sales. 'The director (Dr Zhu)... has very close links to the Chinese government.' Dr Zhu is pictured next to Foreign Minister Bob Carr during a press conference Joshua Mundy,28, and Rachel Wheatley, 27, have been remanded in custody after facing Beenleigh Magistrates Court. The engaged couple from Logan have been charged with the murder of Queensland mother, Sabrina Bremer, 34, whose charred remains were found by a passerby on August 18. Wheatley, 27, and Mundy, 28, were charged with murder and interference with a corpse while another man, Jade Nielson, was charged as an accessory. Scroll down for video Wheatley and Mundy announced their engagement on Facebook earlier this year The body of Sabrina Bremer, from Logan in Queensland, was found in northern NSW The body of Bremer, from Logan in Queesland, was found on Pollards Road, in far north New South Wales, by a motorist who had stopped to extinguish what he believed was a burning log. Ms Wheatley, who has been engaged multiple times, announced her engagement to Mundy earlier this year on Facebook and were met with plenty of well wishes online. But just months later both of them are behind bars for murder. The mother-of-two was found 100 metres from her last known location after her 15-year-old daughter reported her missing to police. The Gold Coast Bulletin reported the daughter made a series of heartfelt posts. Facebook users posted well-wishes for the couple after their engagement was announced Ms Wheatley had announced a different engagement online in December 2014 'I honestly cant believe it that youre gone. I wish I could have done something to stop this from happening,' she wrote. 'You were the first person Id call in any emergency or even just to talk. We had the best mother and daughter bond. 'I love you so much mum,' the post read. 34-year-old Bremer was reported missing by her 15-year-old daughter Ms Bremer was last seen alive on August 16 and her abandoned car was discovered the day after her body was found. 'She was a mother, she was a daughter of someone, it is just horrific,' Tweed/Byron Local Area Command Detective Superintendent Wayne Starling said at the time her body was discovered. 'She had lived in Logan for sometime,' he said. The mother-of-two was found 100 metres from her last known location after her daughter reported her missing to police. Pictured CCTV footage of Ms Bremer before she disappeared The circumstances surrounding the murder and how the accused individuals came to be in contact with Bremer is still unknown. 'It is just a sad situation, we have a young 34-year-old woman who was burnt. It is not a nice scene for anyone.' A joint investigation between Queensland and NSW Police continues. An Adelaide man has successfully challenged the accuracy of hand-held speed guns used by police in South Australia - and his lawyer believes his landmark win will encourage more drivers to challenge their speeding fines. The case against Adam Butcher was thrown out by the Supreme Court in Adelaide after his charge of driving at 102 kilometres per hour in a 50km/h zone in 2012 was dismissed because the police device's daily calibration did not meet Australian standards, the ABC reports. A certificate signed by a senior officer stating that the device was tested and was accurate was the only evidence the police could produce to defend the accuracy of the speed gun. An Adelaide man has successfully challenged the accuracy of hand-held speed guns used by police in South Australian (stock image) However Mr Butcher's defence lawyer, Karen Stanley, explained that devices are subject to annual calibration testing and officers are required to examine speed guns before and after each shift. 'What we were able to do was look at the daily testing that was done on device which is really very basic testing that's recommended by the manufacturer of the device and point out to the court that that testing doesn't comply with the Australian standards testing,' Ms Stanley said. 'And it's the Australian standards testing that gives the accuracy within a margin of error.' The ruling was a landmark one for speeding cases in South Australia and it would affect other such cases in the courts there in the future. Ms Stanley said that the devices 'are not accurate', and when they are calibrated annually 'the calibration confirms it is a margin of error'. The case against Adam Butcher was dismissed because the police device's daily calibration did not meet Australian standards (stock image) 'The Supreme Court has said these devices aren't exact. So when people get charged or fined for these offences we want to be sure that people are being penalised for the offence they actually committed,' she said. 'If the device is slightly inaccurate and measures three kilometres an hour more than you were actually travelling... that flicks you into a different category, more demerits points, greater fines. 'An offence that results in an immediate loss of licence that has huge consequences, so this case has really put a spotlight on this margin of error.' A 19-year-old man feared he was about to die when five men attacked him and stomped on his head as they shouted 'welcome to Dandendong!' in the Melbourne suburb. Tyson was walking home on Scott St, Dandenong, around 7.30pm last Wednesday when five men jumped out of a parked car and began the brutal assault. 'They just smashed me to the ground,' the teen told The Age. Scroll down for video Tyson had two have surgery on his jaw twice and has lost several teeth from the incident 'I was scared I was going to get stabbed or worse. It was lucky that it stopped.' The group punched him in the face until he fell on the ground, which is when they began kicking him and stomping him while saying: 'This is Dandenong, welcome to Danendong.' The teen played dead while the group took it in turns punching and kicking him until one of them finally said they'd had enough. After the attack, Tyson stumbled to a nearby KFC, where staff called an ambulance. He spent four days in hospital undergoing surgery on his jaw and also had several teeth knocked out. The 19-year-old spoke out on Friday morning at a police press conference in a bid to find the attackers. ' It was a callous, vicious and brutal attack on a completely innocent victim,' said Detective Senior Constable Robbie Colcott from the Dandenong Crime Investigations Unit. Tyson, 19, was randomly attacked by a group of five men who shouted 'Welcome to Dandenong' Tyson did not know the group and they didn't make any attempt to rob him of his possessions. President Pena Nieto has branded Donald Trump's policies 'a real threat' to Mexico as he ramps up rhetoric against the Republican a day after the pair met for talks. While Nieto and Trump struck a conciliatory tone at a joint press conference yesterday, both have since gone on the attack. Nieto in particular has sought to toughen his stance after the meeting was dubbed a 'national humiliation' and he was branded a 'traitor' by protesters saying he should have forced Trump to apologize for his comments on Mexican immigrants. Scroll down for video Mexican President Pena Nieto has told young voters that Trump is 'a real threat' to the country after being accused of going too soft on the Republican when he visited on Wednesday Nieto was blasted by critics for failing to demand that Trump apologize for his comments on Mexican immigrants, and for not pushing back on his pledge to build a southern border wall Speaking to young people during a late-night town hall on Thursday, Nieto defended the meeting, saying it was a tough decision, but one he felt it necessary to take. He said the easier path would have been to 'cross my arms' and do nothing in response to Trump's 'affronts, insults and humiliations.' Nieto added that he believes it necessary to open a 'space for dialogue' to stress the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship. He said: 'What is a fact is that in the face of candidate Trump's postures and positions, which clearly represent a threat to the future of Mexico, it was necessary to talk. 'It was necessary to make him feel and know why Mexico does not accept his positions.' But Nieto's detractors accuse him of failing to make Mexico's anger heard over remarks in which Trump called immigrants 'rapists and murderers'. Demonstrators branded the meeting between Nieto and Trump 'a national humiliation', while the President's predecessor said the country had been used as a publicity tool Activists are also angry that Nieto did not correct Trump when he said at a joint press conference that the issue of who would pay for the wall 'had not been discussed' Demonstrators are also enraged by the fact that he did not push back on Trump's policy to build a wall along the southern US border. During a joint press conference Trump also claimed that the pair had not discussed who would pay for the wall - before later insisting that Mexico would foot the bill 'even if they don't know it yet.' Nieto has since said that the first thing he told Trump during the meeting was that Mexico would not pay for the wall. However, many have questioned why the President, who speaks good English, did not correct Trump at the time despite being stood just feet away. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, Nieto's predecessor who previously said 'there is no f***ing way' Mexico will pay for the wall, has branded Nieto a 'traitor'. He told CNN's New Day: 'I think it's nothing more than a political stunt. Trump is using Mexico, is using President Pena to boost his sinking poll numbers. 'I think that President Pena is taking an enormous political risk by hosting Trump. If he's perceived as going soft on Trump it will hurt him greatly. 'He will even be considered like a traitor.' Vicente Fox, Nieto's predecessor, branded him a 'traitor' on CNN and said he had allowed Trump to use the country for publicity Trump claimed that 'Mexico will pay for the wall, even if they don't know it yet' in a speech later the same day in Arizona Meanwhile Trump delivered a blistering immigration speech in Arizona on Wednesday night in which he vowed to make Mexico pay for the wall. Referring to the Mexican government, he said: 'They're great people, great leaders, but they're going to pay for the wall.' 'On day one, we will begin working on an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern wall,' Trump boasted. He pledged to employ technologies to harden the barrier, including 'above and below ground sensors' along with 'towers, aerial surveillance and manpower.' This, he said, would 'supplement the wall, find and dislocate tunnels and keep out criminal cartels.' Trump said that after meeting with Nieto, he trusts 'Mexico will work with us. I really believe it.' Joe Biden used the memory of his late son in response a protester who said his friend died fighting ISIS. The vice president shut down the demonstrator during a Hillary Clinton town hall event in Cleveland, Ohio, with four unexpected words: 'So did my son.' The Democrat then invited the protester, who said his friend was killed while serving for the Kurdish Forces in Syria, backstage to talk privately after his speech. He was talking about Trumps plans to lower taxes on the ultra-wealthy when the man in the back of the room started shouting. 'So did my son!' This is the moment Joe Biden used the memory of his late son to shut up an Iraq War protester who said his friend died while serving in the military 'Some of my friends, my American friends died,' the protester said. 'Why did you tell the YPG to go back across the border.' The unidentified protester was referring to the mission to liberate the Syrian city of Manbij. Biden responded: 'Because the deal was to get them into Manbij and to work they had to go back across the Euphrates so we could have special forces move in thats why.' The man continued his criticism about his friends in the military, so Biden addressed him directly and said: 'So did my son.' His son Beau served in the US military for 12 years. He died on May 30, 2015, after battling brain cancer for two years. The man identified himself as a veteran of the Kurdish armed forces and said his friend Levi Shirley was fighting ISIS when he died. Shirley, a 24-year-old Colorado native, was killed by a landmine in Syria this July. Biden lashed out at Trump during the remainder of the speech that cast the Republican presidential nominee as the enemy of working men and women. He said the Republican candidate's foot is in his mouth so often that he's choking on his silver spoon. While Trump was in southern Ohio delivering an uncharacteristically short stump speech that lasted just 22 minutes, the gaffe-prone Biden played kettle-and-pot with foot-in-mouth Trump in the rust belt town of Warren in the state's northeast. The Democrat then invited the protester, whose friend died fighting in Syria, backstage to talk privately after his speech Biden's son Beau (left) served in the US military for 12 years. He died on May 30, 2015, after battling brain cancer for two years. The pair are pictured together in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2005 Complaining about Trump's contention in a November 2015 Republican primary debate that America's 'wages are too high,' Biden said the billionaire was too rich to know what he was talking about. 'This is a guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth that he's now choking on,' he said, 'because his foot's in his mouth along with the spoon!' The vice president is himself known as a one-man gaffe factory, generating more headlines for his missteps than for his contributions to the Obama administration. On Thursday Biden was all business, however. 'American workers are three times as productive, by any study, as Asian workers are,' he claimed. The man identified himself as a veteran of the Kurdish armed forces and said his friend Levi Shirley (above) was fighting ISIS when he died. Shirley, a 24-year-old Colorado native, was killed by a landmine in Syria this July 'I'm so sick and tired I know I'm not supposed to get angry but I'm so sick and tired of hearing people like Trump and the Chamber of Commerce, the national Chamber, talking about "We get paid too much," that we don't want to give me a break! Give me a break.' Trump's debate line 10 months ago concerned America's lack of competitiveness in global manufacturing markets. 'We have to become competitive with the world,' he said then. 'Our taxes are too high, our wages are too high, everything is too high.' That, his aides hinted later, indicated that he thought Americans shouldn't take home less money from their paychecks only that government should get a smaller cut. Biden's history of embarrassing misstatements is legendary in U.S. political circles, making his criticism of Trump a feast of irony. At 2014's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, he declared his support for the 'nation' of Africa a continent. Biden also slammed Trump's plan to lower taxes on the ultra-wealthy. He said: 'This is a guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth that he's now choking on' 'There's no reason the nation of Africa cannot and should not join the ranks of the world's most prosperous nations in the near term, in the decades ahead. There is simply no reason,' he told heads of state and other dignitaries. The skinny-dipping, party guest-groping bumbler who's one heartbeat away from the presidency once chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. It was just six years ago that he noted in a diplomatic face-palm moment how Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen's mother had 'lived in Long Island for ten years or so' before her death. Advertisement An Australian adventurer has captured a photograph of the incredible moment he was photobombed by a humpback whale. Will Rosner, from Sydney, is two months into a sailing trip across the Pacific Ocean through French Polynesia and the surrounding areas. This week the 24-year-old went diving in Tonga, where he struck up a friendship with a pod of humpback whales, who were more than happy to pose for photos. Australian traveller Will Rosner captured this incredible image which shows him being photobombed by a humpback whale in Tonga However it is one image from this memorable dive that is quickly gaining traction online. It shows Mr Rosner grinning widely for the camera from under his snorkel, as a huge humpback whale breaches just metres behind him. 'I swam with about six whales over six hours, including a 15 metre mother and her calf,' Mr Rosner told Daily Mail Australia. The whale (pictured) spent half an hour playing with the divers, and splashing them before it picked up Mr Rosner with its tail During the same dive the adventurer snapped this shot of this female humpback 'The mother was super chilled out and barely moved, while the calf was really playful and checking me out the whole time. 'One whale was super super playful, like a dog. It was dancing and singing, splashing water on me. 'It looked me in the eye and picked me up on its tail,' the traveller added. The 24-year-old is pictured here with a 15 metre, 25 tonne humpback whale and her calf 'One whale was super super playful, like a dog. It was dancing and singing, splashing water on me As is well known, Britain has experienced something of a political earthquake in the last couple of months; the people voted to leave the European Union, and as a result, Prime Minister David Cameron resigned and was replaced by his conservative colleague Theresa May. Now, there is no reason to suppose that Mrs. May is in any way hostile to China or ignorant of the importance of Sino-British relationships. But she has taken the decision to delay final approval of the proposal to build a nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset, which was to have been built by a French company and financed largely by Chinese money. There has been speculation as to whether this delay signifies a newly awakened British mistrust of China; some have cited security concerns relating to a key piece of national infrastructure. However, I think it is more likely that the hesitation over Hinkley Point has arisen due to a general review of financial commitments by the incoming Prime Minister. The proposed deal was negotiated by George Osborne, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister), who was quickly relieved from his post by May's government. It is thus unsurprising that the new Prime Minister wishes to have another look at commitments made during Osborne's tenure, and it does not mean that she is casting doubt on the validity of commitments made on behalf of the Britain. But, understandably, China is concerned about the future of this very substantial deal. Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to London, wrote an article for the Financial Times newspaper saying that "China-UK relationship is at a crucial historical juncture" and that "mutual trust is the very foundation on which this [bilateral cooperation] is built". It is, of course, vital to the bilateral relationship that the position over Hinkley Point is clarified. When Alok Sharma, the newly-appointed minister in-charge of Asia in the UK Foreign Office, visited China recently, he carried a letter from May to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. (May will herself be visiting China in September for the G20 Summit, and will be hoping for bilateral meetings with Chinese leaders in which this issue can be thrashed out.) According to Chinese officials, the letter said that May "looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China on trade and business, and on global issues" and was meant to reassure the Chinese of the UK's commitment to Anglo-Chinese relations. Just a year after Xi Jinping's state visit and the announcement of a new "golden decade" for Sino-British relations, Britain certainly does not want to make a sharp U-turn and risk upsetting the entire relationship. But things have changed radically, with the vote to leave the European Union, and the emergence of a new government with an approach widely divergent from George Osborne's. As I said above, these are not likely to involve the sort of mistrust expressed in the words "security concerns." It will be a French-built, not a Chinese-built project; and, in any case, as Liu Xiaoming pointed out, the UK has "a state-of-the-art supervision regime and legal system." UK domestic criticism of the Hinkley Point deal is likely to focus much more strongly on the economic and financial aspects of the deal; it is widely believed that Mr. Osborne gave away too much when the deal was negotiated in his enthusiasm to pull it off and that Britain may be in danger of providing guarantees which she will not be able to honour without severely damaging her own economy. Energy pricing is an extremely sensitive topic in the UK, and any government seen to be responsible for causing prices to rise still higher will be in trouble. May may have caused a hitch in the smooth progress of the "golden decade" of Sino-British relations by hesitating over Hinkley Point, but it need not be a long-term hiatus in the relationship. If this particular project is likely to prove financially unsustainable in its present form, it is best that we realise it quickly and develop positive reformulations for the way forward, especially in such a promising field as nuclear cooperation. No one in Britain is interested in damaging relations with China, least of all at this highly sensitive point in the UK's diplomatic situation. I think it can be regarded as certain that May will be coming to China with constructive proposals that are sustainable and mutually beneficial to resolve this problem. Tim Collard is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/timcollard.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. At least 14 people were killed and more than 50 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a court in Pakistani hours after four bombers tried to blow themselves up in a Christian colony. The bodies of lawyers, police officers and civilians have been recovered from the wreckage at the court building in the city of Mardan in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. On the same day, gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a Christian colony near the town of Peshawar, killing one civilian, before being shot dead by soldiers. Evidence: Pakistani security officers display what is believed to be part of a suicide vest warn by a Taliban fighter after an attack on a Christian colony An injured blast victim is taken to hospital in Peshawar after a suicide bomb attack at a district court in Mardan A school boy cries following a bomb blast targeting a Christian colony in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar In Mardan, a bomber shot his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade and detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowds, senior police official Ejaz Khan told reporters. Rescuers picked their way through scattered human remains and blood-stained office equipment and files to collect survivors, witnesses said. Amir Hussain, president of the Mardan Bar Association, said he was in a room nearby when the bomb detonated. 'There was dust everywhere, and people were crying loud with pain,' he said. His suit drenched in blood, he added: 'I started picking up the wounded and putting them in cars to take them to hospital. I did not know if the people I was rescuing were dead or alive.' Lawyers, policemen and passers-by were among those killed in the attack. An injured man is taken to hospital Twin attacks have hit Pakistan today after 14 were killed in a suicide blast at a courthouse (pictured) and four Taliban bombers tried to blow themselves up in a Christian colony Lawyers were being targeted because they are 'an important part of democracy, and these terrorists are opposed to democracy,' he said. 'Our morale is not dented. It is still high,' he added. Nasir Khan Durrani, provincial police chief, told AFP the death toll had reached 14, with at least 58 people wounded, three of whom were critical. Officials said the bomber had up to 8kg of explosives packed into his vest, while the dead included lawyers and police. Earlier, four suicide bombers who tried to attack a Christian colony were killed in a gunfight with security forces. Rescuers work at the blast site in Pakistan's northwestern city of Mardan where 14 were killed The bodies of lawyers, police officers and civilians have been recovered from the wreckage at the court building in the city of Mardan in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to storm into the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar in the northwest of the country. Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway Taliban faction, claimed responsibility for the attack. 'Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50am,' the Pakistan army said in a statement. 'Security forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed,' it said, adding that two paramilitary soldiers, a policeman and two security guards were wounded in the gunfight. The 'situation is under control,' the statement said, adding that troops were now carrying out a house to house search of the area. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population. Four suicide bombers who tried to attack a Christian colony in Pakistan have been killed in a brutal gunfight with security forces. Pakistani soldiers cordon off a street leading to the colony Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to storm into the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar in the northwest of the country The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups, and in 2011 gunned down Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was federal minister for minority affairs. A Taliban suicide bomber targeted Christians in a park in the eastern city of Lahore at Easter this year, killing more than 70 people, including many children. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's deadliest-ever terror attack. Disgraced detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have each been sentenced to life for the murder of Sydney university student Jamie Gao. During the sentencing, Justice Geoffrey Bellew said any sort of suggestion about the value of Mr Gao's life being worth less because he was drug dealer did not 'lessen the gravity of [Rogerson and McNamara's] offending'. Rogerson, 75, and McNamara, 57, were found guilty of murdering Sydney university student Jamie Gao in a drug deal gone wrong in June. Justice Bellew, who described the murder as 'heinous', said the accounts given by the pair during the trial about what happened in the Sydney storage unit where Gao was killed were 'diametrically opposed'. Scroll down for video Roger Rogerson (left arriving at court today) and Glen McNamara (right) have been found guilty of murdering 20-year-old university student Jamie Gao in 2014 Justice Geoffrey Bellew handed down his sentence on Friday afternoon He believed 'neither account was truthful' and Mr Gao's murder was done in 'cold blood just as the offenders had planned'. 'The joint criminal enterprise to which each offender was a party was extensive in its planning, brutal in its execution, and callous in its aftermath,' the judge said. Justice Bellew said he was unable to determine 'beyond reasonable doubt' which of the detectives had killed Mr Gao. But he noted Rogerson had gunshot residue on his clothing. 'Whilst I am satisfied that the deceased was shot, I am unable to determine which offender was responsible,' the judge said on Friday. Justice Bellew said the pair had also 'planned well before the 20th May [2014] they would murder the deceased [Mr Gao] and dispose of his body so he was never found'. He said Rogerson and McNamara were 'overwhelmed by greed and intended their greed be satisfied' when they killed Mr Gao for 2.78kg of methamphetamines, also known as ice, that had a street value of between $9 and $19 million. Justice Bellew said there was nothing 'amateurish or unprofessional' about the planning of Mr Gao's murder but the capture of the offenders on CCTV made it 'audacious'. They were also sentenced to nine years in prison each for drug charges. In June, Rogerson and McNamara were convicted at NSW Supreme Court of killing the 20-year-old at a storage unit in Padstow, south west Sydney, two years ago. TIMELINE OF JAMIE GAO MURDER May 19 2014: Jamie Gao and Glen McNamara are seen on CCTV at the Meridian Hotel in Hurtsville May 20: Both men are seen arriving separately at storage unit in Padstow. Roger Rogerson arrived moments later. They killed Mr Gao by shooting him twice and left with his body in a surfboard bag May 21: Rogerson and McNamara dump it at sea using his boat May 24: Police seize a white station wagon at McNamara's Cronulla apartment and find three kilograms of ice May 25: McNamara is arrested on suspicion of murdering Mr Gao and possession of drugs May 26: Mr Gao's body is found floating in water wrapped in tarpaulin May 27: Rogerson is also arrested for murdering the 20-year-old Advertisement During the trial, the court heard that the pair had made a drug deal with Mr Gao who they lured to the Rent A Storage unit on May 20, 2014. They shot him dead to steal the ice he had brought with him before dumping his body at sea using McNamara's boat the next day. They will be sentenced in August. Throughout the four-month trial both men denied the killing, blaming each other for Mr Gao's death. McNamara said it was Rogerson who shot the 20-year-old twice after arranging to exchange cash for drugs with him. Rogerson, 75, said he arrived at the unit to find McNamara had killed him in self-defence. Their testimonies were undermined by CCTV footage taken on the day of the murder which showed them arriving at the storage unit after Mr Gao. McNamara entered first before Rogerson arrived at the scene. Within minutes McNamara emerged to retrieve a surfboard bag from a white station wagon parked outside. They placed the victim's body in the bag and drove away with it in the boot, later visiting McNamara's Cronulla apartment where they stashed the corpse in his boat. The following day they used the boat to dispose of his body at sea after venturing on to the water under the pretense of a fishing trip. Three days after the murder police seized the car used by McNamara at the storage unit lot from his garage and discovered three kilograms of drugs in it. He was arrested three days before the student's body was found floating in the water near Cronulla wrapped in tarpaulin. Rogerson was arrested the following day at his home in Padstow. Gao was shot twice at a storage unit in Padstow, south west Sydney, in May 2014. He had been lured there by the men for a drug deal McNamara's daughter Jessica (centre) is seen leaving the Supreme Court in Sydney after her father's conviction Throughout the trial the two men blamed each other for the student's killing. McNamara, who had met up with Mr Gao 27 times in the months before his death, said he had been researching Asian gangs in Sydney for a new book and was using the youngster as a source. The pair were seen on CCTV at a hotel the day before Mr Gao's death in one such meeting. He claimed he had only been at the storage unit on the day in question to fix a door at the request of Rogerson. When he arrived he said Rogerson shot the student and forced him to help get rid of his body, allegedly telling him: 'I'll do you. Get up and help you weak c*** or you will be on the floor next to him.' He also claimed the 75-year-old threatened his two daughters. But prosecutors said he had never taken enough notes to prove he was conducting research and that the pair were organising a drug deal. CCTV footage (above) showed McNamara retrieving a surfboard from a car outside the unit on the day of Mr Gao's death Rogerson (above in February) said he arrived at the storage unit to find McNamara had already murdered the man McNamara had 27 meetings with Mr Gao in the months before his death. They are seen above leaving the Meridian Hotel the month before his death Police discovered three kilograms of methamphetamine in a white station wagon at McNamara's apartment on May 24 The pair exchanged a number of phone calls in the months leading up to the attack. They were seen in the days after it enjoying drinks with friends. Rogerson was a celebrated officer with NSW Police in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981 he killed Warren Lanfranchi, claiming to have shot the robber in the line of duty. The man's partner, a prostitute called Sally-Anne Huckstep, later claimed he had shot him in an act of revenge for robbing a heroin dealer who was under police protection. She was later murdered. The 20-year-old apparently told friends he would be rich in the run-up to his death He was also implicated in the attempted murder of fellow police officer Michael Drury who was shot twice in 1984 to protect another drug dealer. He was acquitted of his involvement in 1989, three years after being dismissed by NSW Police. During the trial he said he arrived at the storage unit to find McNamara had already killed Mr Gao by shooting him twice. He said McNamara pleaded with him to help dispose of the body because they would otherwise be killed themselves by 'Chinese assassins'. Mr Gao's body was found near Cronulla, south Sydney, days after his death. It had been wrapped in tarpaulin with rope. A pillowcase containing three kilograms of ice found in McNamara's car is what he is thought to have promised the men in exchange for cash. Friends of the student told the court how he had boasted that he would seen be rich in the run-up to his death. The men were found guilty of murdering the student and possessing a supply amount of drugs after a four-month trial. The pair will be sentenced on August 25. After the conviction, Mr Gao's family said no amount of time spent in jail would bring their son back. 'No matter what today's findings are or the sentence that is given, it won't change the fact that Jamie remains absent from the lives of our family - the people who love him - and we miss him every single day,' they said in a statement. 'Today the legal system worked. Two very dangerous criminals have been found guilty. Detective Chief Inspector Russell Oxford commended the investigators involved for their work, describing it as a 'tremendous' effort to unravel what had happened to the student 'But while this is the verdict our family were hoping would be delivered, true justice can never really be served. Yes, Jamie was a young man who had made some mistakes - but what young person hasn't? 'No 20-year-old deserves to lose their life over a stupid mistake.' Detective Chief Inspector Russell Oxford commended the investigators involved for their work, describing it as a 'tremendous' effort to unravel what had happened to the student. 'Today's decision, the jury's verdict today, is very pleasing for us; it's a culmination of many, many months of hard work and I think from the outset I'd just like to praise all the efforts of police. 'I feel for the family, for Jamie Gao's family, I feel for him; regardless of what was said about young Jamie, he's still a human being. 'If you follow the evidence, this was a carefully planned and executed operation and poor old Jamie Gao was lured into the shed and simply executed, simple as that.' Mr Cleary said he was 'astounded' by the Foreign Minister's decision Ms Bishop donated a Hollywood dinner with her and Johnny Depp Under fire: Julie Bishop, pictured with long-term partner David Panton at the annual Midwinter Ball at Parliament House on Wednesday A domestic violence campaigner has slammed Julie Bishop after she donated a Hollywood dinner with her and her friend Johnny Depp as a prize at a charity gala. Phil Cleary lost his sister Vicki to violence in 1987 and said he was shocked to learn Ms Bishop had offered up the meal as a prize at Canberra's Midwinter Ball. 'Julie Bishop should know better,' Mr Cleary told Daily Mail Australia. 'I find it astounding'. Ms Bishop announced the meal with Depp, Ms Bishop, producer Brett Ratner and the auction winner will be hosted at chef Curtis Stone at his 'hot new' Los Angeles restaurant, Gwen. Mr Cleary said the Foreign Minister never should have thought of involving Depp because of the abuse allegations his former wife Amber Heard had leveled against him. Ms Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against the Pirates of the Caribbean star in May. She alleged he had been violent against her, including hitting Ms Heard with his mobile phone, pulling her hair, striking her and grabbing her face. Scroll down for video Amber Heard (above) is seen with a bruised face in pictures submitted to a Los Angeles court. She accused Depp of hitting her with his mobile phone and repeatedly striking her (Depp denied the allegations) The pair reached a divorce settlement this month and Ms Heard withdrew the allegations. She donated the $7 million to charities which help battered women and sick kids HOW JOHNNY DEPP AND AMBER HEARD ANNOUNCED THEIR DIVORCE SETTLEMENT Announcing the withdrawal of the abuse allegations this month, Ms Heard and Mr Depp said in a joint statement: 'Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love."' 'Neither party has lied nor made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm. 'Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future. Amber will be donating financial proceeds from the divorce to a charity.' Advertisement Ms Heard withdrew the allegations in August. Depp consistently denied the allegations. The pair reached a settlement and she donated the $7 million monies to charities which help battered women and sick kids. Mr Cleary said: ' The fact she's donated to organisations who assist women dealing with abusive and violent men indicates the seriousness of what she experienced,' he said. He said in his view Ms Heard had not 'seriously recanted' her allegations. His view was that 'In those circumstances - and given Malcolm Turnbull's explicit commitment to stopping the violence as we have failed women how can Julie Bishop offer a prize, a dinner with a man who has not been expunged of guilt?' The dinner would be held at Curtis Stone's 'hot new' Los Angeles restaurant, Gwen (pictured) Also included in Ms Bishop's was a trip to the G'Day USA festival A spokeswoman for Ms Bishop said she was unavailable to comment on Friday afternoon as she was on a plane. Her dinner was auctioned off for $41,000 - part of a record $345,000 raised for charity. The Midwinter Ball is a glamorous party held at Parliament House each year where journalists, politicians and corporate chiefs come together. It is billed as the premier social event on the political calendar and is traditionally attended by senior members of all political parties. A Midwinter Ball organiser, Paul Donohue, said he could not divulge who won dinner with Ms Bishop. Stanford rapist Brock Turner has been released from jail - and reunited with the father who dismissed his crime as '20 minutes of action'. The convicted pervert emerged from San Joses Main Jail South at 6.09am Pacific Time and shortly afterwards met his father and mother at a nearby hotel. A sole protester shouted 'loser' as he walked the 10 yards from the main door to a waiting car. Turner, who celebrated his 21st birthday in jail at the start of last month, was being met by his parents Dan and Carleen, who flew in from their home near Dayton, Ohio, to collect him. The family are now traveling back to Ohio, where Turner will serve his three-year probation term, having successfully applied to have it transferred from California to his home state. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Family affair: Brock Turner was met after he left prison by his mother Carleen and father Dan. He will live with them outside Dayton, Ohio, and be supervised by probation officers Wait till I get you home: Dan Turner had spoken up for his rapist son in a letter which fueled outrage about the sentence Downcast: Turner, who turned 21 behind bars, said nothing as he left the county jail Freedom: At 6.09am Brock Turner was released from jail in Sam Jose. A sole protester shouted 'loser' Guarded: Jail staff were in attendance as well as sheriff's deputies as Brock Turner emerged from his sentence, which was widely condemned as lenient Eyes down: Shamed rapist Brock Turner walked out dressed smartly in penny loafers, dress shirt and carrying a blazer under his arm. Walk of shame: Brock Turner on the brink of crossing the threshold of the county jail On his way: After just three months, Brock Turner walked out of San Jose's Main Jail South at 6.09am. He said nothing and showed no sign of repentance Out: Rapist Brock Turner walked free at 6.09am Pacific Time as a single protester shouted 'loser' Turner must check in with his new probation officer within 72 hours of his release or face being forced back to Santa Clara County to complete probation there. 'It's safe to say that he will be out of [California] as soon as he can,' a source at the Santa Clara County Probation Department told DailyMail.com. 'If he doesnt check in with his probation officer [in Ohio] within 72 hours, then he has to check in with us, which would mean him spending the next three years here.' The Turner case sparked outrage after the 21-year-old's 'lenient' sentence was made public. Currently, California law metes out harsher punishment in cases where the victim was conscious - although campaigners are now advocating a change in the law. Among them is Santa Clara sheriff Laurie Smith who on Friday morning told media that probation is 'not a fair sentence for anyone convicted of a sexual assault felony'. She added: 'As the Sheriff of Santa Clara County and a mother, I believe the interests of justice are best served by ensuring sexual predators are sent to prison as punishment for their crimes.' Jeffrey Rosen, the county district attorney, also echoed the call saying that if the law was changed a similar case would see a state prison rather than county jail sentence for the rapist. 'If we had our way, Brock Turner would be in state prison serving a six year sentence, not going home,' he said in a statement issued after the release. 'However, our focus today is on a bill that will require a state prison sentence, not probation, for anyone convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious person. 'With the Governors signature, the next Brock Turner will go to prison.' Armed: Protesters carrying placards are pictured outside the home Brock Turner will live with his parents Angry: Men and women gathered outside the home in Ohio, where Turner will serve his three-year probation 'We don't forgive, we don't forget, expect us': Protesters wrote on the road at the Ohio home in chalk Protest: Men and women carry placards outside the home where Turner will live with his parents Sending a message: A chalk message on the road reads 'Rapist' and an arrow points towards the home Turner will also have to visit the Greene County Sheriffs Office in Xenia within five days of his return to Ohio to be photographed, finger-printed and to sign the state's sex offender's register. Once signed, the 21-year-old will remain on the list for life and will never be allowed to live near schools or work with children. Other restrictions include asking permission to travel out of state, keeping authorities informed of his address and submitting to regular visits from law enforcement. Neighbors will also be given flyers featuring Turner's picture advising them that a convicted sex offender is living on their street. During his probation period, Turner will have to undergo drug and alcohol counseling, be subjected to random chemical testing and be banned from possessing firearms. Authorities in Ohio have said the convicted rapist will be treated 'like every other sex offender that comes through the doors,' with Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer insisting that there is no chance he will get any sort of special treatment. 'Were not treating him with kid gloves,' Fischer told the Dayton Daily News on Thursday. 'Were going to treat him like every other sex offender that comes through the doors.' Aftermath: This was Brock Turner photographed after his arrest in an image obtained by NBC's Today show Abrasions: Pictures obtained by NBC's Today show revealed how Turner had abrasions on the front and back of his right hand and dirt on his face Ready to walk: Brock Turner makes his way towards the exit from the jail, where he had spent much of the last three months. He began the sentence in another correctional facility Supervised: Brock Turner is now free but will be on probation for three years and a registered sex offender for the rest of his life Short walk to freedom: A white SUV was waiting for Turner to take him away from the jail Turner, a former champion swimmer, was convicted in June of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman during a party at the Kappa Alpha frat house on Stanford's Palo Alto campus. The victim, who has not been named, was unconscious at the time although Turner claimed in court that she had appeared 'satisfied' with their interaction. Two passing Swedish students spotted Turner on top of the victim, who had and still has a serious boyfriend, chased him and wrestled him to the ground holding him there until the cops arrived. Photographs obtained by NBC's Today show and broadcast on Friday morning show how he had abrasions on his hands and his face when he was arrested. A supporting letter from Turner's father, in which the rape was dismissed as '20 minutes of action,' later sparked outrage after being read out in court as did others portraying the pervert as a victim of campus drinking culture. In reality, Turner was no stranger to drugs and alcohol and only confessed to heavy boozing and dabbling with LSD after probation officers told him that text messages exposing his lies had been made public. Anger: Santa Clara sheriff Laurie Smith told media that probation is 'not a fair sentence for anyone convicted of a sexual assault felony'. Call: Sheriff Laurie Smith renewed her calls for tougher rape sentences wit this letter to California's governor HOW DAN TURNER EXCUSED HIS 'SHATTERED' SON'S CRIME IN LETTER TO JUDGE A letter from Dan Turner to the judge sentencing his rapist son was part of a campaign his family launched to keep the swimmer out of jail. Turner wrote: ' These verdicts have broken and shattered him and our family in so many ways. His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve. That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life. The fact that he now has to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life forever alters where he can live, visit, work, and how he will be able to interact with people and organizations. What I know as his father is that incarceration is not the appropriate punishment for Brock. He has no prior criminal history and has never been violent to anyone including his actions on the night of Jan 17th 2015. Brock can do so many positive things as a contributor to society and is totally committed to educating other college age students about the dangers of alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity. By having people like Brock educate others on college campuses is how society can begin to break the cycle of binge drinking and its unfortunate results. Probation is the best answer for Brock in this situation and allows him to give back to society in a net positive way.' Advertisement As a result, additional conditions pertaining to drugs and alcohol have been added to the terms of his probation with the convicted rapist facing another trip to court and a possible jail term if found to be drinking or taking illegal substances. Turner, who began his jail sentence on June 2, has spent most of his time inside at the 674-bed Main Jail South in San Jose, California. His first month behind bars was spent four miles away at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, which accommodates detainees in barracks and a sprawling tent city. However, due to the nature of his crimes, Turner was kept away from the general population and was eventually transferred to the more modern Main Jail. Sources at Elmwood told DailyMail.com that the transfer took place after he was put into protective custody, a status usually reserved for pedophiles and those at risk of harm from other inmates. 'They had to move him because hes a PC [protective custody], said a guard, who asked not to be named, to this website. 'The guy messed up but hes privileged, so In the end, he wasnt [at Elmwood] for very long they moved him [to Main Jail] two months ago.' Main Jail South, which opened in 1956, features tiered cells spread over several floors with each inmate held in an open-style room fronted with bars. As at Elmwood, criminals are given three meals a day cooked by other inmates and can attend classes if they wish to. However, Santa Clara County officials were at pains to point out that Turner received no special treatment apart from having his letters held for him instead of delivered. Lt. Joe Jensen, a spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff, told an ABC News affiliate that the disgraced swimmer had been deluged with hate mail during his first month behind bars. 'He got several hate mail early in his sentence,' said Jensen. 'He told us he didn't want to receive any more mail. So we kept his mail.' She also told Crime Watch Daily that during his time in jail, Turner shared his cell with another inmate - who was also part of the protected custody program. The cell, a plain gray-painted room, included a set of iron bunk beds and had bars instead of doors to enable guards to keep an eye on him. According to Smith, Turner endured 'a tough regime' in Main Jail South but added she 'did not hear of him having any problems while he was here'. However, Jensen, who told DailyMail.com that Turner had not been given the option of leaving jail via a back entrance to avoid protesters angry at his 'lenient' sentence, said the ex-student would be given the letters regardless once he returns to Ohio. According to Fischer, Turner will also receive regular visits from law enforcement and threatened to 'pop in unannounced' every few months. 'We will go down to his house where he is living to confirm he is living there,' he said. 'We will pop in unannounced from time to time to make sure hes living where he says hes living.' Turner, who will live at his parents' Bellfield home for the next three years, is now planning to appeal his sentence in the hope of having his name removed from the sex offenders register. Military charities are exaggerating the problem of post-traumatic stress disorder to raise funds, according to the head of Prince Harry's charity. The chief executive of Walking With The Wounded Ed Parker believes the issue among veterans is being exploited to bolster fundraising efforts and was getting 'out of hand'. He believes charities are doing this because the falling number of physical injuries since the end of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan means some organisations can no longer rely on such images. Scroll down for video Mr Parker (right), who co-founded Walking With The Wounded, which is supported by Prince Harry (left), said charities regard PTSD with such 'kudos' that it makes it attractive for some veterans to be diagnosed The chief executive of Walking With The Wounded Ed Parker (left) believes the issue among veterans is being exploited to bolster fundraising efforts and was getting 'out of hand' Mr Parker, who co-founded Walking With The Wounded, which is supported by Prince Harry, said charities regard PTSD with such 'kudos' that it makes it attractive for some veterans to be diagnosed. He said had met veterans who wanted to get a diagnosis of PTSD 'because it sits alongside being an amputee'. He told The Times: 'I think the PTSD label has become one that is very engaging. We have all got to raise money. We have all got to maintain a front to the public and as the conflict disappears into the past our ability to talk about the physical injuries actually declines. 'PTSD has become the headline of veteran mental health but actually it is a very small part of the problem.' Mr Parker, himself a military veteran, said far more former servicemen and women suffer from alcohol problems, and from other mental health issues such as anxiety. And he suggested the focus on PTSD meant those with other mental health problems missed out on the correct treatments. Mr Parker believes charities are doing this because the falling number of physical injuries since the end of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (file photo) means some organisations can no longer rely on such images Military charities are forced to 'slightly sensationalise' how they fund raise to make sure they can still run, he said, explaining: 'We have got to be more interesting than Combat Stress, which has got to be more interesting than Help For Heroes because we are all fishing from the same pot.' But he was worried the facts are 'beginning to be lost', saying: 'It's a problem that we (the charity sector) are making.' Advertisement Hurricane Hermine slammed into Florida leaving one person dead, 253,000 without power and caused dozens of towns in its path to evacuate as it continues to cause chaos on its way into Georgia and the Carolinas. The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1.30am EDT with winds around 80mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain carried the danger of flooding along the storm's path over land, including the state capital Tallahassee, which had not been hit by a hurricane since Kate in 1985. Florida Governor Rick Scott, who declared a state of emergency in 51 counties, said 6,000 National Guard members were ready to mobilize once the storm passed. Hermine - downgraded to a tropical storm - weakened as it moved into southern Georgia, and was 55 miles southwest of Savannah, moving northeast while packing sustained winds of 55pm as of 10am EDT on Friday. After pushing through Georgia on Friday, Hermine is expected to move into the Carolinas on Saturday and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding in New Jersey and New York City over the Labor Day weekend. Scroll down for video A large oak tree fell across the carport area of a Whataburger restaurant and another tree next to a preschool fell in the opposite direction, hitting a car parked nearby Residents in Alligator Point, Florida look at a road that collapsed during the storm surge from Hurricane Hermine on Friday Defense: Barbara Carroll surveys damage in and around her home from the storm surge caused by Hurricane Hermine which made landfall overnight in the area around Tampa Mother nature's roar: Melvin Gatlin Jr. walks to the back door of his father's house in Valdosta, Georgia People venture out onto the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier as roaring waves crash against the pilings Heavy rain and winds were moving into South and North Carolina as the storm advanced, the National Hurricane Center said. Hermine is forecast to hover near or off the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast seaboard, braced for strong winds and coastal flooding, according to The Weather Channel. Its predicted path shows it will move through parts of Savannah, Georgia on Friday and then up through Charleston, South Carolina. It will continue through Wilmington, North Carolina on Saturday, pushing further northeast, appearing to hit parts of West Virginia, before hovering over the North Atlantic. Currently, a tropical storm watch is in effect in coastal parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and the Virginia Tidewater. A tornado watch has also been issued by the Storm Prediction Center and will remain until 8am EDT for parts of northern and west central Florida, along with southern Georgia and southern South Carolina. Hurricane Hermine slammed into Florida, with the Sunshine State braced for 80mph winds, 12ft storm surges and up to 20 inches of rain overnight. Hermine has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, posing 'life-threatening' danger After pushing through Georgia, Hermine was expected to move into the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding over the Labor Day weekend (its projected path pictured above) Currently, a tropical storm watch is in effect in coastal parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and the Virginia Tidewater The storm is expected to hover near or off the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast seaboard, braced for strong winds and coastal flooding Cleanup: The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center Lucky escapes reported: An unknown number of people in Florida were taken to area hospitals with injuries that weren't thought to be life-threatening Power of the storm: Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade Mother nature's warning: The storm brought soaking rain, high winds and thousands of power outages. Injuries were reported in Tallahassee as trees fell onto homes Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain and high winds. As of 6.30am on Friday, there was an estimated 22 million people under either a tropical storm watch or tropical storm warning, according to The Weather Channel. Schools in 35 of the Florida's 67 counties were closed, meanwhile state offices were closed in 37 counties. Scott said 253,000 people were without power. Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said 100 Florida National Guard personnel were activated, with 34,000 ready to deploy from elsewhere in the United States. President Barack Obama has asked FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to keep him updated on the situation 'and to alert him if there are any significant unmet needs', White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. 'Local, state and federal officials have been working diligently to prepare for these storms and have resources on hand to respond to them as necessary,' he added. Uprooted: Emergency services responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum estimated as many as 100,000 area residents were without electricity Friday morning Florida style response: Law enforcement officers in Tampa use an airboat to survey damage around homes from high winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Hermine Lynne Garrett speaks to loved ones on the phone as she surveys damage outside of her home from the winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Hermine which made landfall overnight in the area on Friday in Tampa, Florida Law enforcement officers use an airboat to survey damage around homes from high winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Hermine Strong gusts downed power lines and trees as widespread flooding inundated communities in Florida before the hurricane weakened into a tropical storm as it reached Georgia and South Carolina, where conditions deteriorated early on Friday morning Damage: Part of a sea wall that collapsed is seen after Hurricane Hermine passed through overnight on Friday Authorities in Ocala, Florida said a homeless was found dead in a wooded area early Friday after a tree fell on him as winds from Hermine whipped across the state. The man was apparently sleeping in a tent behind Diamond Oil near Ocala when the tree fell on him, The Ocala Star-Banner reported. Capt. Chip Wildly, director of Marion County's emergency management agency, said the man's body was discovered around 7.35am by people who were reporting to work. No further details were immediately available. Scott said no other deaths or major injuries have been reported. While damage is still being assessed in the Sunshine State now that Hermine has moved out of Florida and into Georgia, Scott said about 70 per cent of the homes in Tallahassee were without power Friday morning. The number rises to 99 per cent in Wakulla County on the marshy Gulf of Mexico coastline south of Tallahassee where Hermine made landfall early Friday. He also noted there's 'a lot of tree damage in Tallahassee, and a lot of road damage.' Hurricane Hermine - Florida's first for 11 years - made landfall shortly after 1.30am as it careered past St Marks, south east of Tallahassee In Tallahassee, high winds knocked trees onto several houses injuring residents inside, according to fire-rescue spokesman Mike Bellamy. He said an unknown number were taken to area hospitals with injuries that were mpt thought to be life-threatening. Drivers also encountered fallen trees and limbs across roadways, with few traffic lights working, creating hazards for motorists who did not realize they had to stop at intersections. A large oak tree fell across the carport area of a Whataburger restaurant and another tree next to a preschool fell in the opposite direction, hitting a car parked nearby. Bellamy said his agency responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Debris and boats are scattered across the road after Hurricane Hermine passed the area on Friday in Steinhatchee, Florida Residents stand among debris as they check on damage after Hurricane Hermine passed through Cedar Key on Friday A man backs his Jeep up after trying to pass though floodwaters from Hurricane Hermine on Friday in Steinhatchee, Florida Residents stand in the middle of the street with officers as they wait to be let in to check their homes in Keaton Beach, Florida The devastation caused by Hermine is shown above in Cedar Key, Florida, leaving a street blocked from debris Tampa street under water: Wind and rain from Hurricane Hermine toppled trees and power lines along Florida's northern Gulf Coast, inundating coastal areas with storm surges before it weakened to a tropical storm over land and plowed toward the Atlantic Coast on Friday At Florida's Keaton Beach, just south of the state's Big Bend where the peninsula meets the Panhandle, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise on Friday while trying to get to their homes. Police had the road blocked because of flooding. Taylor County Commissioner Jody DeVane said several homes were damaged. New father Dustin Beach, 31, rushed to Keaton Beach on Friday from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife had given birth Thursday night to a girl. 'When my wife got up this morning she said, "Go home and check on the house. I need to know where we're going after we leave the hospital,"' Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats had made it. 'It's a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house and I hope they're still there,' she said. A woman head to check on damage in Cedar Key, Florida while walking through a road covered in debris following Hermine making landfall on Friday Surveying the damage: Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain This reporter got soaked by an unexpected wave as residents reinforced their homes with sandbags against flooding A front end loader clears debris from a street partially covered in water in Cedar Key on Friday morning In the path of the storm: Winds and rain from Hurricane Hermine approach Highway 80 that leads to Tybee Island, Georgia on Friday Recreation: Officials in the affected region on Friday warned that homes continued to be threatened by high water and implored people to avoid flooded roads While there were no other reports of injuries, emergency crews worked 'non-stop' overnight, rescuing 18 people from rising flood waters in Florida's Pascoe country, and several families in Hernando County, Scott said. Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriff's deputies used high-water vehicles during the rescue and those pulled to safety were taken to a nearby shelter. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge that spans Tampa Bay remained closed on Friday morning because of high winds. In Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, a couple suffered minor injuries during the storm when they drove into a tree that had fallen in the road, County Administrator Dustin Hinkel said early Friday. He said storm surge of eight to 10 feet damaged docks and flooded coastal roads. At least seven homes were damaged by falling trees, said Scott Nelson, the county's emergency manager. As the storm barreled across southeastern Georgia, more than 107,000 customers were reported without power across Georgia as crews worked to repair damage left by Hermine. FLORIDA GOVERNOR FEARS HERMINE COULD SPREAD ZIKA A man surveying damage around his home stands in nearly waist-length water on Friday in Tampa Florida Governor Rick Scott fears Hurricane Hermine could spread Zika - and experts have said the weather will make it harder for the state to fight the virus. Once Hermine passes, the remaining water 'will provide all kinds of breeding sites for the mosquitoes,' that can spread Zika, said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. 'We have to get rid of standing water,' Governor Scott said, according to CBS. 'That's the most important thing we can do now and after the this storm hits.' The hurricane is also likely to disrupt mosquito abatement activities as state authorities prioritize other emergency efforts. On Thursday, Florida officials said they had trapped the first mosquitoes shown to have the Zika virus - a mosquito-borne virus shown to cause birth defects - after weeks of searching. Schaffner said the finding showed there is a substantial amount of Zika in circulation. Florida is the first state in the continental United States to confirm local Zika transmission, with 47 cases of infection so far, raising concerns among pregnant women and threatening the state's multibillion-dollar tourism industry. First detected in Brazil last year, Zika can cause the rare birth defect microcephaly, marked by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, when pregnant women are infected. Brazil, has confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly since last fall. Earlier this week, Governor Scott urged residents and business owners to remain vigilant against Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes once the storm had passed. Scott and other state officials have stressed the need to dump standing water and take other steps to eliminate breeding areas. High winds from the hurricane will also make aerial spraying with pesticides impossible, disrupting a key effort by the state to keep mosquito populations under control, said Joseph Conlon, a retired U.S. Navy entomologist who serves as technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association. Florida officials have been working to drain water in containers on residents' property and scrub away rings of eggs, but fresh rains from a large storm could refill them, and any remaining eggs could hatch. Conlon said the storm will also likely hatch hoards of flood water mosquitoes that present a nuisance, but do not carry disease. Advertisement On its current path, the storm could dump as much as 15 inches of rain on coastal Georgia, which was under a tropical storm watch, and the Carolinas. Forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods and flash floods. Georgia Power reported on its online outage map shortly before noon on Friday that about 30,000 were in the Savannah area and more than 20,000 others were in the Brunswick area near the coast. The utility reported that more than 11,000 customers were without power in hard-hit Lowndes County. Nearly 86,000 of those without power were Georgia Power customers. Georgia Electric Membership Corp.'s online outage map showed about 21,700 customers of other utilities, many of them in rural areas, were without power shortly before noon. Lowndes County spokeswoman Paige Dukes said crews were dealing with fallen trees and snapped power lines, but no injuries had been reported. Winds exceeding 55mph had been recorded in the county, with four to five inches of rainfall, she said. Power: The tropical storm was expected to reach the coastal Carolinas later Friday, then move offshore from North Carolina on Saturday. Forecasters said it could strengthen over the sea Marooned: As it moved north across Florida, the storm continued to whip up heavy rain Wrecked: Homes and vehicles sit in several feet of water left behind by the storm surge caused by Hurricane Hermine Chaplain Chris Fletcher and his cousin Destiny Peters, seven, rode out the storm in a search and rescue center doubling as a shelter in Hosford, Florida Chris Hacker hugs his girlfriend Lyn Charlton after the couple arrived at an elementary school in Steinhatchee, Florida, with their dog to spend the night there as the hurricane approached This is the moment a lightning bolt hit a power station causing a huge spark as Hurricane Hermine battered Florida Another video shows terrifying winds of up to 80mph lashing a house as residents are warned to take shelter In South Carolina, the mayor of Charleston, which saw historic flooding less than a year ago, is urging residents there to 'batten down the hatches, hunker down and stay put' as Hermine moves through the state. Mayor John Tecklenburg said on Friday that the city is blessed that it is not dealing with a major hurricane but officials are taking Hermine seriously. He said as Hermine approaches, the city is expecting serious winds and rainfall that can lead to flash flooding. He said the city distributed 3,000 sandbags on Thursday. It has been almost a year since rainfall from what has been described as a 1,000-year-storm inundated South Carolina and caused widespread flooding in Charleston that prompted officials to block people from entering the downtown area. As of midmorning on Friday, a city map of street closings showed only one street had been blocked by flooding from Hermine. As Hermine made landfall in Florida, the governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared emergencies in affected regions. Emergency officials in North Carolina said they have helicopters, boats and high-clearance vehicles on standby in case of flooding or other tropical storm problems. Pat Bonish cleans up around his business after hurricane Hermine passed through Cedar Key, Florida Bobbi Pattison, left, with help from her neighbors Hugh and Harriet Oglesby, stands up a sea captain statue carved out of wood from a 1993 storm at her home Friday in Steinhatchee, Florida Debris left from the storm surge fills a street in Cedar Key after hurricane Hermine passed through the area Motorists drive by a boat that was tossed onto the road when winds from Hurricane Hermine came ashore early Friday in Dekle Beach, Florida State emergency management director Michael Sprayberry said on Friday morning that swift water rescue teams and National Guard and law enforcement officers with high-clearance vehicles are staged in the eastern part of the state. Helicopters are also ready to respond. Gov. Pat McCrory has made an emergency declaration for 33 eastern counties as Tropical Storm Hermine approaches. There could be high winds and six to eight inches of rain in some areas along the coast, North Carolina officials said. The forecast for North Carolina has improved, but officials are still concerned about whether the storm could stall over an area and cause flooding, McCrory said. Speaking on Thursday before the hurricane struck, Gov. Rick Scott said: 'The most important thing we all must put in our minds is that this is life threatening. 'We have not had a hurricane in years, people have moved here and we have visitors.' 'You can rebuild a home, you can rebuild property, you cannot rebuild a life,' he said, adding: 'We are going to see a lot of flooding.' Tallahassee resident Tom Duffy, 70, had said he was heading to the neighboring state of Alabama for the night to avoid the devastation. Directing the response: The first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma more than a decade ago, Hermine came ashore early on Friday near St. Marks, Florida, 20 miles (30 km) south of the capital of Tallahassee Knee deep: The hurricane flooded low-lying areas - raising concerns about the spread of the Zika virus due to the massive pools of standing water left behind Storm surges of up to 12ft have been predicted, with roads closed as strong winds drive water ashore 'We've dodged bullet after bullet after bullet,' he said, but added that Hermine had taken 'dead aim' at the city. In Carrabelle, on the coast just 60 miles southwest of Tallahassee, Courtney Chason was keeping an eye on the storm surge as docks and boat houses were slowly being battered as the storm approached last night. 'I've never seen it this high, it's pretty damn crazy. I've been in this area for 30 years but I've never seen it like this,' she said. 'I hope it doesn't get any higher, we need lots of prayers.' Hurricane Hermine was the fourth hurricane of 2016 in the Atlantic basin, and was the first time one had hit Florida in 11 years. The last hurricane to hit Florida was Wilma in October 2005, which killed a total of 62 in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Cuba, and Florida, including five in the Sunshine State itself. The category 5 hurricane had wind speeds of up to 183mph and caused an estimated $23billion in damage in Florida. It is ranked as the fifth costliest storm in US history. Ethan Deming, 15, left, and Jake Kennedy, 16, race their scooters into a flooded South Lagoon Street in Tampa, Florida Hannah Coles, 9, takes a break from riding her bicycle through the ankle-deep floodwater as the wind whips her face in Gulfport, Florida To date it is the most recent major hurricane to make landfall in the US. The U.S. has only recorded four less powerful hurricane strikes in the past seven years: that's the fewest in any seven-year stretch since records began in the 1800s, according to USA Today. On Thursday, Scott had said his top concern was storm surge, which has the potential to leave people trapped in their homes, according to USA Today. The forecast of rough weather prompted Scott to declare a state of emergency on Wednesday, as many school districts along the Gulf Coast canceled after-school activities and ordered students to stay home on Thursday. On Thursday, he ordered state government offices in 51 counties to close. The order included the state capital Tallahassee, home to tens of thousands of state workers. The city, which is located roughly 35 miles from the coast, has not had a direct hit by hurricane in 30 years. Joseph Keyser, 14, of Harbour Island, is soaked as waves crash against a wall along Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa Rough surf covers a dock as Hurricane Hermine approached the Florida coast in Carabelle on Thursday evening Despite warnings from the governor, some Floridians remained defiant in the face of the storm, writing 'bring it on' Ground water begins to flood some low areas as Hermine heads inland in Dekle Beach on Thursday. It has now been classed as a hurricane Winds of up to 80mph have been registered on shore as the hurricane hovers just a few miles offshore Residents were out in force on Thursday morning as they prepared for the storm and stores were running low on bottled water and flashlights. City crews were struggling to keep up with demand for sand with sandbags. Emergency management officials in Franklin County issued a mandatory evacuation notice for people living on St. George Island, Dog Island, Alligator Point and Bald Point, The Tallahassee Democrat reported. Residents in other low-lying areas prone to flooding were also being asked to evacuate. Cities such as Tallahassee and Orlando had offered sandbags to residents to protect homes and businesses from flooding. Some airlines were even reportedly waving flight change fees in the path of the storm. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, center, and Florida Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon, right, give an update on Hermine at the State Disaster Operations Center in Tallahassee on Thursday Pedro Muacaj rests on higher ground in front of a gift shop on a flooded section of Dodecanese Blvd in Tarpon Springs Therea Varela of Hudson swings on a flooded Hudson beach as tidal water breaches the sea wall before the first heavy band of storms from Hermine Police have warned some residents in the path of the storm to evacuate, while others hunkered down in their homes Anthony Weiner has confirmed he is being investigated by child services, while a new report suggests his wife Huma Abedin was already planning to leave him before the latest sexting scandal broke. The disgraced ex-congressman told the New York Times he had received a letter from welfare services in the city concerning the treatment of his four-year-old son Jordan. It was prompted after he sent a mystery brunette a photo showing off his crotch - with the youngster lying beside him in bed. Anthony Weiner has confirmed he is being investigated by child services, while a new report suggests his wife Huma Abedin was already planning to leave him before the latest sexting scandal broke The New York Post also reported on Thursday that Abedin, Hillary Clinton's top aide, was 'relieved' her marriage to Weiner was over. She released a statement on Monday just hours after the latest embarrassing controversy surfaced to say she was leaving him. A source close to the Clinton campaign told Page Six the latest string of raunchy messages 'meant she had to take immediate action and rip the Band-Aid off'. Abedin has since carried on her work with the Clinton campaign, but has remained out of the public eye. On September 6, she is set to host a star-studded bash for Hillary involving the likes of Chelsea Clinton and Demi Lovato. The all female invitation bills the party as a 'Made for History Fashion Show and Rooftop Party,' in recognition of Hillary Clinton's bid to be the first woman president. The disgraced ex-congressman told the New York Times he had received a letter from welfare services concerning the treatment of his four-year-old son Jordan Abedin released a statement on Monday, hours after the latest sexting scandal surfaced, announcing that she is leaving Weiner The New York Post published photos late on Sunday that it said Weiner had sent last year to a woman identified only as a '40-something divorcee' who lives in the West and supports Republican Donald Trump. The photos included two close-ups of Weiner's bulging underpants. In one of the pictures, Weiner is lying on a bed with his toddler son while texting the woman, according to the Post. The tabloid also ran sexually suggestive messages that it said the two exchanged. Weiner told the Post that he and the woman 'have been friends for some time.' 'She has asked me not to comment except to say that our conversations were private, often included pictures of her nieces and nephews and my son and were always appropriate,' the 51-year-old Democrat told the newspaper. The Post didn't say how it obtained the photographs and messages. Abedin is a longtime Clinton aide and confidante who is often referred to as the candidate's second daughter. The Borg family is offering a free trip to Hawaii with the sale of their $520,000 Advertisement A family is offering a free trip to Hawaii with the sale of their $520,000 rural Queensland property in a bid to attract buyers. John and Connie Borg from Bundaberg put their two hectare block at 676 Clayton Road Alloway on the market over a year ago and have added the $4000 holiday as an incentive. 'There's been a decline in property sales in Queensland. The idea was to look at ways to promote the property and hopefully find more buyers,' the couple's son Dion Borg, who is handling the sale, told Realestate.com.au. Scroll down for video John and Connie Borg from Bundaberg put their two hectare block at 676 Clayton Road Alloway on the market over a year ago and have added the $4000 holiday as an incentive A family is offering a free trip to Hawaii (stock image) with the sale of their rural Queensland property in a bid to attract buyers The couple's son Dion Borg (pictured) is handling the sale of the property and came up with idea of offering an overseas trip to Hawaii to generate buyer interest Kathy Foley from First National Real Estate Bundaberg said 'it is most certainly a buyer's market' in the area. 'Anything a seller can do to put their house at the top of the mind of a buyer is beneficial,' she told Daily Mail Australia. The median house price in Bundaberg is $280,000 but properties can sell for as low as $100,000 she said. Dion said they are trying to find the right people for the five-bedroom home. 'We've been targeting people that might want to have horses, fruit trees or a trucking business.' The family is relocating to Brisbane after spending 29 years in Bundaberg. A couple struggling to sell their $520,000 rural Queensland property (pictured) have offered a $4000 overseas trip to attract buyers Dion said they are trying to find the right people for the five-bedroom home (pictured) Kathy Foley from First National Real Estate Bundaberg said 'it is most certainly a buyer's market' in Bundaberg (pictured is the Borg's home) The Borgs were formerly a cane farming family with 56 hectares, and sold off all but two hectares which they currently reside on. Hawaii was chosen as the holiday destination because of a similar latitude to Bundaberg, meaning both locations share tropical weather. Dion purchased a voucher from myhawaii.com.au which will cover flights and accommodation for two people. Hawaii was chosen as the holiday destination because of a similar latitude to Bundaberg, meaning both locations share tropical weather (pictured is the Borg's rural property on the market for $520,000) A 27-year-old woman has been arrested in Bali for drug possession charges after a bag containing meth allegedly fell from her pocket in the airport. Myra Williams, a New Zealand woman living in Australia, looked glum as police marched her outside a National Anti Narcotics Agency conference on Friday. A New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed on Friday it was aware of the arrest of a New Zealand woman in Bali. Williams allegedly had marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine in her system from a party in Melbourne, Newshub reports. Myra Williams has been arrested on alleged drugs charges in Denpasar airport, Bali Ms Williams was born in the North Island of Taupo, New Zealand, but lives in Victoria, Australia The family is expected to speak to Radio New Zealand later on Friday. Ms Williams posted on Facebook on August 25 that she was heading to Bali. Her page says she lives in Mornington, Victoria and is from Taupo, on the north island. Ms Williams allegedly had a concoction of weed, ecstasy and meth in her system from a party Police allege a bag of meth weighing 0.34g fell out of her pocket. Indonesia has strict drug trafficking laws and earlier this year four convicted drug smugglers, including three Nigerians, were shot by a firing squad. Last year, Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed on drugs charges. It was a case of running for your life after a poor cow was filmed careering down the main street of a country town to save itself from a date with the local meatworks. The cow made its great escape from a local abattoir in Caboolture, Queensland, on August 31, and went barrelling through town's main street as it made a break for freedom, reports Storyful.com. Resident John Good was in his vehicle when he saw the runaway cow at a busy intersection, and his dashcam footage showed the animal fleeing for its life while people look on. Traffic was brought to a standstill as the terrified cow reached the intersection and then swung a hard right into another road. Good's dashcam caught the spectacle as the Hall & Oates song 'Man Eater' played on his car's radio. The animal was more worried about a 'cow eater', and soon ran away out of sight. As Good drove off he could be heard laughing heartily on the dashcam at the scene he'd just witnessed. 'Police actually had to cordon off streets, because it was charging people and destroying fences,' said Good. A cow was filmed running down the street from a local abattoir in Caboolture, Queensland The by now panic-stricken animal then tried to make it of town and get as far away as possible. Unfortunately there was no happy ending for the poor cow who couldn't outrun its fate and did not make it much further. 'Eventually the cow was put down, because two [tranquiliser] darts didn't calm it enough,' said Good. I was rushing to catch my train in Union Station in Washington last Wednesday when I tripped over an uneven piece of pavement on the platform and hurt my ankle, only slightly. Exiting New York's Penn Station a few hours later on Seventh Avenue, I saw the exact same thing happen to a woman, only she looked much worse off than me and had to lean on her husband to walk. A day later, a Chinese friend who visited the US for the first time was shocked to see the poor road conditions in Manhattan. The potholes in New York City far outnumber those in Shanghai or Beijing, she said. She could not understand why the Big Apple has done nothing or so little given that the 71st session of the UN General Assembly will be held in September, with the arrival of more than 100 world leaders. In China, it would have been a total facelift like people saw ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the 2016 G20 summit in Hangzhou. New York City, often ranked top among world cities, unfortunately also ranks sixth among the 10 US cities with the worst pothole problems. Other cities that made into the top 10 include Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Bridgeport (Connecticut), Tucson, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with LA being the worst. A report released in January by TRIP, a Washington-based national transportation research group, rated 51 percent of the roads in the New York City metro area in poor condition, 31 percent mediocre and only 5 percent and 13 percent in fair and good condition, respectively. Nationwide, potholes cost American drivers $6.4 billion each year, according to another report. The American Society of Civil Engineers says that fixing crumbling infrastructure would cost taxpayers $2.7 trillion. The same group gave a D+ to the overall US infrastructure conditions back in 2013 in a study conducted once every four years. The situation is so dire that US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have both pledged to spend more on infrastructure to cater to the public grievances. Clinton has proposed $275 billion in new infrastructure spending over the next five years while Trump vowed to more than double that figure. But no one knows if these politicians are just paying lip service to this issue. Speaking on Wednesday about the US agenda at the G20 in Hangzhou, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew stressed the need for structural reform. That, according to several experts I talked to, includes investment in infrastructure. One suggested that China and US could find ample room of cooperation in this regard such as through joint financing. The US remains guarded against Chinese investment in US infrastructure. Back in 2013, the US Chamber of Commerce released a report about the huge mutual benefits of allowing Chinese investment in US infrastructure. Thomas Petri, a Congressman from Wisconsin's 6th District from 1979 to 2015, wrote in Milwaukee-based paper Journal Sentinel on June 28 aboutChina's impressive infrastructure construction he witnessed. He lamented that despite the US being the largest recipient of Chinese investment in 2015, very few of the investments went to construction and infrastructure projects. Noting China has infrastructure projects in over 70 countries, Petri sighed at the high barriers to foreign infrastructure investment in the US, as reflected in the Los Angeles/Las Vegas high-speed rail line, a Chinese investment that fell through recently. The US always touts how open its market is. But in infrastructure, it is blocking and wasting huge win-win opportunities with China. The author is deputy editor of China Daily USA. The ex-husband of Australian mother-of-two Sara Connor believes she is innocent as he revealed how his two children had him deliver an emotional video pleading for their mum to return home from Bali, where she is facing murder charges. In an interview published by the Sydney Morning Herald, her ex-husband Anthony Connor said he was convinced she was not guilty. He also told of the heartbreak of her two sons, who recorded a video for him to give to her when he flew to Bali in support. 'They sent a little video to me to give to Sara and every time I see it, it breaks my heart you know. They are just saying, 'Mum, we love you, come home soon', Mr Connor told the publication. Scroll down for video Sara Connor's ex-husband Anthony (above) has revealed how her children made an emotional video plea for their mum to come home and told how he couldn't believe it when news came through of her arrest in Bali The ex-husband of Australian woman Sara Connor Anthony 'Twig' Taylor becomes emotional as he speaks in Denpasar, two weeks after she was arrested over the alleged murder of a Bali police officer Sara Connor's ex-husband Anthony spoke of a video recorded by her two children 'She is the mother of my children, I love Sara forever.' It comes amid revelations that Ms Connor will come face to face with her British DJ boyfriend again as police attempt to work out exactly what happened the night a Bali police officer died on a beach. Ms Connor and David Taylor will again be brought together to explain their different accounts of what took place when policeman Wayan Sudarsa was allegedly murdered on Kuta Beach two weeks ago. The couple, who are suspects in Mr Sudarsa's murder, have already spent several gruelling hours re-enacting 'scenes' from the night of the alleged murder. Police say it is necessary to have Ms Connor and Mr Taylor go through their version of events again in a 'confrontation' given the vast differences that emerged during the re-enactment. Anthony Connor, Sara's ex-husband, has broken his silence to tell how their two children Police say Australian woman Sara Connor was 'definitely involved' in the death of a Bali police officer after she and her British DJ boyfriend were forced to re-enact the alleged murder One of the main differences in their story is that Ms Connor's lawyer claims she played no part in the murder and she was trying to separate Mr Taylor and Mr Sudarsa who were fighting following an argument over her lost handbag. During the re-enactment Ms Connor was seen straddling the officer and appeared to pretend to strike him with a walkie talkie before the policeman mimed biting her on the thigh as she knelt next to him. Ms Connor denies striking the officer with a walkie talkie and her lawyer claims she was told to re-enact 'scenes' she says never happened. Denpasar police chief Hadi Purnomo said: 'Sara was definitely involved in the assault. Sara hit the victim with a walkie talkie.' Mr Taylor's lawyer Yan Erick P Sihombing said Ms Connor told his client that she had hit the police officer. Mr Taylor, 34, pretended to hit the 'victim' with a broken bottle as he re-enacted the alleged death of officer Wayan Sudarsa 'In David's testimony David said that Sara told him after they got to the hotel that she was bitten and she was punching this guy (police),' Mr Sihombing said, according to the Daily Telegraph. Another difference is related to whether the couple saw anyone else on the night of the alleged murder. Mr Sihombing said Mr Taylor didn't see anybody on the street but Ms Connor said she saw somebody in the street. Ms Connor, 45, had originally told police Mr Sudarsa was a 'bad cop' who had pinned her down in the sand with his body weight just after 4am on August 17. But she later changed her story to say she had been trying to separate Mr Sudarsa and Mr Taylor after a fight broke out between the pair. Mr Taylor's lawyer, Haposan Sihombing, has since said the couple 'did it together'. The pair have both been named as suspects and police say the purpose of the re-enactment was to determine which version of their events was true. The re-enactment was the first time Mr Taylor and Ms Connor have seen each other since their arrest almost two weeks ago. During the re-enactment Ms Connor was seen straddling the officer and appeared to pretend to strike him with a walkie talkie. Ms Connor denies this ever happened and claims she was told to act scenes that didn't occur The couple embraced at Kuta Beach on Wednesday morning as police tried to determine who is telling the truth about what happened on the night of a police officer's death A man lays on the sand at Bali's Kuta Beach, pretending to be Wayan Sudarsa - whose bloodied body was found on August 17 They have not been formally charged under Indonesian law as police have 120 days to build their case. Police say the couple admitted to clashing with victim and claim Mr Taylor hit the officer over the head with a beer bottle. Police officer Wayan Sudarsa (pictured) was found dead on Kuta Beach in Bali with 42 wounds to his body The altercation allegedly broke out after Mr Taylor confronted Mr Sudarsa over his girlfriend's missing handbag. Just before the re-enactment, Ms Connor took off the sarong covering her face so Mr Taylor could kiss her on the top of the head after they came out of two separate armoured vehicles dressed in orange prison jumpsuits. The pair went 'scene by scene' through the alleged events which came across like a play, scripted under the direction of officers yelling through a microphone. The events began with Mr Taylor approaching the cop imitating Mr Sudarsa to confront him over Ms Connor's lost purse. 'Scene ... David fell and became involved in a fight with the victim,' a police officer directed as Mr Taylor lay on his back with the man playing Mr Sudarsa staring over him. As though being brought in from behind the curtains at a play, Ms Connor entered the 'scene'. Mr Sudarsa's stand-in mimed biting her thigh - a recreation of the moment she says she tried to separate the pair and 'protect' the cop. The 'scenes' slowly built up to the moment Mr Taylor mimed hitting Mr Sudarsa in the back of his head with a broken beer bottle, while Ms Connor crouched in the sand nearby. This blow, Denpasar Police Chief Hadi Purnomo said was the 'most deadly one'. Sixty-eight 'scenes' were played out throughout Wednesday with the pair taken to Ulawatu in nearby Jimbaran after Kuta Beach. Mr Taylor and a man acting as police officer Sudarsa recreate the events that allegedly led to the officer's death 'David smashed the bottle to the back of victim's head until it shattered,' a policeman directed as Mr Taylor and a police officer pretending to be Mr Sudarsa lay on the sand As if she was standing in the wings of a play, Ms Connor was then brought into the 'scene', to re-enact how she allegedly tried to separate the pair Here they re-enacted dumping a number of Mr Sudarsa's possessions, including his mobile phone. The final 'scenes' took place at Denpasar Police Station. Ms Connor and Mr Taylor shared a quiet moment where he put his arms around her and she stroked his forearm, before they kissed and were taken back to their cells. The pair, who had been dating for just a few months before going on holiday to Bali together, wore orange overalls with the words 'prisoner of Denpasar police' on their backs and had name placards hanging around their necks. The pair have been named suspects over Mr Sudarsa's death, and could face charges of murder that is not premeditated and assault in company causing death. Police will hand over the case to prosecutors at a later date. Mr Taylor and Ms Connor have both been named suspects in the premeditated murder and assault in company of Mr Sudarsa Ketut Arsini, the policeman's wife came to the scene but did not say anything and left quickly (pictured: the accused re-enacting the scenes) Ms Connor is pictured on the book of a scooter as she re-enacts a scene in the busy tourist district near Kuta Beach on Wednesday morning Ms Connor, 45, and Mr Taylor, 34, wore orange overalls with the words 'prisoner of Denpasar police' on their backs and had name placards hanging around their necks Mr Taylor is pictured laying on top of a police officer who is acting as Wayan Sudarsa who was found dead at Kuta Beach the morning of August 17 Ms Connor and Mr Taylor are pictured linking arms in the early hours of Wednesday morning Ms Connor and Mr Taylor are pictured wearing orange jumpsuits and white name placards around their necks According to Mr Taylor and Ms Connor's lawyers, the pair are blaming the other for instigating the destruction of evidence. It comes after Ms Connor wept when she saw her ex-husband Anthony 'Twig' Connor for the first time on Monday since her arrest made headlines in Indonesia and Australia. 'They hugged. (They were) crying together, both of them,' her lawyer Robert Khuana told reporters after their brief, private meeting on Monday. '(They were) sad because they never thought this thing would happen. 'Especially now, they're thinking about their children.' Mr Purnomo said police were still awaiting the results of blood tests and psychiatric assessments of the pair. Ms Connor is pictured acting out a scene at Kuta Beach on Wednesday morning, two weeks to the day since a policeman was found dead at the beach covered in sand Ms Connor appears solemn at Kuta Beach as she and Mr Taylor re-enact the events that led to the death of Mr Sudarsa Ms Connor and Mr Taylor embrace as a police officer holds up their name tags as they continue the recreation of 'scenes' Ms Connor appears expressionless as she acts out a scene at Kuta Beach under the direction of police officers Ms Connor says Mr Sudarsa bit her on the thigh and hand when she tried to separate the pair Byron Bay mother Sara Connor and her British boyfriend David Taylor re-enacted the events that led to the death of a policeman at Bali's Kuta Beach (pictured on Wednesday morning) Sara Connor (left) and her British boyfriend David Taylor (right) are taking part in a re-enactment of what happened the night a policeman was killed on Kuta Beach in Bali Sara Connor has had an emotional reunion with her ex-husband on Sunday after he was allowed a 15 minute private visit to Denpasar Police Station (pictured) A man who murdered a drug dealer - in which Harriet Wran also played a role - has told a court he is ashamed of his actions. Michael Lee, 37, and Lloyd Edward Haines, 31, who have pleaded guilty to murdering small-time drug dealer Daniel McNulty in a Sydney housing commission unit in August 2014, appeared at a sentence hearing at the NSW Supreme Court on Friday. 'I'm ashamed of myself, I'm sorry,' Haines told the court about having stabbed the dealer to death, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Scroll down for video Lloyd Edward Haines being escorted to a prison transport vehicle at the NSW Supreme Court Harriet Wran, Michael Lee's former girlfriend and one of three co-accused of murder, is led to a waiting prison services Haines' defence submitted he should be given a lighter sentence than Lee, because he did not deliver the fatal blows to Mr McNulty. Ertunc Ozen asked the judge to consider Haines' undiagnosed brain injury caused by a fall from a roof when he was 10, his disadvantaged background and his recent commitment to shake his drug addiction. 'He has proven to be able to get off the drugs in a structured environment,' Mr Ozen said. Lee's defence submitted there was a 'complete absence of pre-planning' before his client stabbed Mr McNulty, so his offending should be placed in the low range of seriousness. In a handwritten letter to Justice Ian Harrison, Lee explains drugs 'had a hold' over him, lawyer Craig Smith said. Without drugs in his system, Lee's violence towards 48-year-old Mr McNulty would very likely not have happened, he said. Wran, the 28-year-old daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran, was Lee's girlfriend when the trio turned up at Mr McNulty's Redfern home on August 10, 2014 Wran, a former drug addict, admitted helping Lee and his friend Haines gain entry to the flat Wran, the 28-year-old daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran, was Lee's girlfriend when the trio turned up at Mr McNulty's Redfern home in search of an 'ice' hit on August 10, 2014. As Mr McNulty unlocked his front door, Lee had burst through and demanded money and drugs, and the robbery had quickly turned deadly. Wran, a former drug addict, admitted helping Lee and his friend Haines gain entry to the flat but says she didn't know Lee had a knife and didn't see Mr McNulty being stabbed. She pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact of murder, robbery in company, and harbouring, maintaining and assisting Lee and was sentenced in July to four years in jail. She is due for a parole hearing on September 15. An Indian women's minister has been sacked after a 'sex tape' showing him kissing two women was leaked to the media. Married women's and children's minister Sandeep Kumar was removed from his post by the Delhi chief minister late on Wednesday shortly after the 'objectionable' tape was sent to him and national television stations. Local news stations report Kumar filmed the video, in which he appears topless, himself. It was leaked alongside a collection of photos showing him kissing different women. 'We never try to cover up wrongdoings when evidence comes up against our ministers or party workers, unlike other parties,' chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday. The development is the latest in a string of controversies entangling the upstart party, which has faced repeated attacks from rivals since it came to power last year with a sweeping mandate. Married women's and children's minister Sandeep Kumar was reportedly pictured kissing a women in the 'objectionable' tape Kumar was a member of the Indian political party currently ruling in Delhi - Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The chief minister wrote on Twitter: 'Recd 'objectionable' CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect (sic)'. Ousted minister Sandeep Kumar was allegedly caught in pictures and video with two different women Sources say the CD contains photographs and a video of Kumar, who was also heading the government's social welfare departments, in a compromising position with two women at different times. It was sent to the chief minister's office with an anonymous complaint letter. 'AAP is a party of ideals. AAP has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption, scandals,' deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told the media. 'Ministers found taking bribes were removed immediately as soon as it was found. Action will be taken swiftly against any member irrespective of status or position.' Kumar, 35, was picked for the Cabinet by Kejriwal as the party's Dalit face. He sparked a controversy last year when he said he touched his wife's feet daily to thank her for the 'sacrifices' she had made for him. Several attempts were made to contact him, but he could not be reached for comment. Kumar was purportedly seen in his underwear kissing a woman in a green top The video was leaked to national news stations and the minister's boss Kumar allgedly filmed the 'sex tape' himself but it was leaked this week The CD, which was sent to his party's chief Arvind Kejriwal, purportedly shows Sandeep Kumar (pictured) in a compromising position with two different women The decision to sack the minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top party leaders. Sources say the party, which has often encouraged its members to carry out sting operations to expose wrongdoing, is examining the CD and trying to establish if this was an act of political vendetta or internal disgruntlement. Last month Kejriwal had asked Kumar to abort a poorly-conceived scheme to remove beggars from Delhi's roads, by moving them to a state-run home. Social activists had said the plan lacked merit because it offered no rehabilitation prospects. Mocking the chief minister's move to sack the minister, former party leader Prashant Bhushan said: 'Wah AK Saheb, you appoint degree forgers, bribe takers as ministers and then take credit for removing them when caught!' A lawyer by profession, Kumar met Kejriwal for the first time during the India Against Corruption campaign in 2012. He is known for contesting cases of the poor and socially backward people free of cost. He won by one of the biggest margins in the Delhi elections, and was rewarded with a ministerial berth for helping the party expand its base at the grassroots. A 31-year-old man has been charged with the murder of an ex-Coutts banker who was killed with a single punch. Trevor Timon, of Plumstead, is accused of viciously beating Oliver Dearlove, 30, from Eltham, south east London, who was out with friends on Sunday, August 28. Timon was charged with murder and common assault and appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court later today. Mr Dearlove was drinking at the Zerodegrees microbrewery in Blackheath, south east London, when the attack took place. Oliver suffered a fatal head injury and died in hospital. Trevor Timon (pictured), of Plumstead, is accused of viciously beating Oliver Dearlove, 30 Banker Oliver Dearlove, 30, (pictured, with girlfriend Claire) died after being punched in Blackheath, south east London, in the early hours of Sunday August 28 Oliver, who was catching up with university friends when he was killed, was a popular young man who planned to start a family with his girlfriend of four years, Claire. She said: 'We were trying to get some money together so we could buy a house together. 'We had big plans. We were planning on having a baby as well. He was the kindest, most amazing person I've ever known. I'm so lucky to have known him.' Oliver had enjoyed a successful career, having previously worked for Coutts, the Queen's bank, and was employed as a relationship manager for private bank Duncan Lawrie at the time of his death. Colleagues at Duncan Lawrie said they were shocked at his death. Doug Keighley described him as a 'very popular guy'. Detectives are now trying to piece together the events that led to Oliver's tragic death. It is believed that his friends were chatting to a group of women by a taxi rank when another man came over. The man then attacked one of Oliver's friends before fatally wounding him and causing him to collapse. Mr Dearlove, 30, who used to work for Coutts - the Queen's bank was on a night out with university friends in the leafy suburb when he was 'viciously assaulted' in the early hours The scene at Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, south east London, where Mr Dearlove was assaulted Detective Chief Inspector Lee Watling, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Our investigating is continuing and we've made huge progress in identifying key witnesses and recovering vital CCTV. 'However, if you were in the area that night and saw something that may help our investigation but haven't yet spoken to us then please call the Incident Room.' The convicted paedophile has been pelted by the faeces of other inmates He has been attacked by fellow inmates at Last year a similar appeal launched by Hughes was thrown out The Hey Dad! actor was jailed for six-years in 2014 for child sexual assaults Disgraced TV star Robert Hughes will be allowed to appeal his convictions Fallen TV star and child sex offender Robert Hughes has successfully launched an appeal of his convictions and jail term. The High Court granted leave for the appeal in Sydney on Friday, on the grounds of a dispute about tendency evidence admitted in the New South Wales and Victorian jurisdictions. The former Hey Dad! star was given a six-year sentence in 2014 relating to 10 charges of sexual and indecent acts against four young girls in the 1980s and 1990s. Scroll down for video Fallen TV star and child sex offender Robert Hughes (pictured) has successfully launched an appeal of his convictions and jail term Hughes is currently serving a six-year sentence for multiple counts of sexually assaulting children His appeal will be heard in December and comes just one year after a similar appeal launched by Hughes was thrown out. The 68-year-old is being held in Goulburn Supermax Prison where he has had to be protected from attacks by other inmates. Hughes has been given a protective wall in prison to stop fellow inmates from hurling milk cartons filled with their urine and faeces at him, a book called Australia's Toughest Prisons: Inmates revealed . An unnamed prison guard said the wire screen, dubbed the 'Hey Dad Wall' by inmates, was erected by his lawyers' orders. 'It went up because ... his lawyer kicked up a big stink and went hard at everybody. He argued for a reduced sentence because of the treatment [Hughes] received,' the officer told Phelps. Mr Hughes lawyer demanded they build the thick screen after the disgraced actor was 'covered head to toe in human waste' while being transferred between yards. After the incident Mr Hughes 'sat on top of a small grassy hill in the activities yard, and he cried.' He was reportedly targeted with human waste again on the walk back to his cell, before making a tearful call to his wife, celebrity acting agent Robyn Gardiner. The former Hey Dad star (front row, left) launched a similar appeal last year but was unsuccessful After the incident Mr Hughes 'sat on top of a small grassy hill in the activities yard, and he cried,' according to a new book 'This place is horrible. I thought it would be okay, but I can't stay here ... in Goulburn. This place is hell. You have to get me out,' he said, according to the prison guard. The book revealed he also has to wear a thick ski jacket year round to protect against fellow prisoners spitting and throwing boiling water on him. He is reportedly appealing his child abuse conviction in the High Court of Australia. Mr Hughes reportedly then made a tearful call to his wife, celebrity acting agent Robyn Gardiner, pleading she help transfer him to another prison The eldest daughter of the Tromp family was found in the back of a stranger's car the day after her family abandoned their family home for an off-grid holiday - and she didn't know her own name. Riana Tromp, 29, the eldest of the three Tromp children, was found hiding in the back seat of a man's ute on Tuesday at 11am - the day after her terrified family left Victoria. Goulburn man Keith Whittaker found the confused young woman when she kicked the back of his seat as he stopped for petrol on his way to a doctors appointment, the Goulburn Post reported. 'I turned around and saw two legs stretched across the back between my seat and the floor. She was lying on the floor,' Mr Whittaker said. 'About 20 minutes later the young woman sat up and was staring straight ahead. I asked her who she was and if she was all right? She did not know her name and had no idea where she was. Scroll down for video Riana Tromp, the eldest of the Tromp children, was found disorientated in the back of a stranger's ute after the family left on a bizarre off grid holiday Ms Tromp was found at 11am on Tuesday in Goulburn after leaving her sister and crawling into the back of the ute - she didn't know her own name 'I asked her if she needed any water or anything or was in any way injured and she said no.' Riana was the first of the three Tromp children to be found following the holiday. She didn't speak to the driver until police arrived then she offered him $50 for his trouble but he declined. Their mother walked into a Yass hospital on Thursday and their father Mark is still missing. The last confirmed sighting of Mr Tromp came as he ran into the night after dumping his daughter's car in Wangaratta. However he may have stayed in a Wangaratta motel overnight. The management of Millers Cottage Motel told Daily Mail Australia that one of their rooms had been broken into on Wednesday night. 'There was a muesli bar wrapper on the bench and the bed and toilet had been used,' the manager of the motel said. 'We have been following the case so when we saw the room had been used we thought of Mr Tromp immediately and called police. 'They took the CCTV footage, we didn't look at it before they came so can't tell you if it definitely was him.' The room was not damaged by whoever stayed in it. Another unconfirmed sighting placed the missing father back in NSW where a motorist said he saw someone who looked like Mr Tromp hitchhiking with a one-man tent. Ella and Mitchell the youngest of the Tromp siblings made it back to the family home. Riana had been with her sister Ella who allegedly stole a ute from Jenolan caves earlier, but she got out at Goulburn and crawled into the backseat of the strangers car. It is not clear why the sisters separated. The family trip started when Mark Tromp, the children's father, became paranoid and started to fear for his life. He had planned to flee the country with his wife and three adult children, despite leaving all passports at home, but decided against it before he went missing. The Tromp children reported their parents missing on Tuesdayafter they had all left fearing their parents were becoming more and more delusional. Mitchell Tromp and his sister Ella pleaded with their father Mark to return to their family home in Victoria after he vanished on a family holiday in NSW on Tuesday Their son, Mitchell, said it was 'hard to explain' the bizarre circumstances that led to the unravelling of his parents but revealed Mr Tromp thought 'people were after him'. Police believe Mr Tromp is hiding back in Victoria after a man, who they strongly believe is Mr Tromp, was spotted fleeing from the couple's car - some 600km away from where they were last seen. 'I've never seen anything like it. It's really hard to explain or put a word on it but they were just fearing for their lives and then they decided to flee,' Mitch said on Friday. Police have revealed the couple believed they were being followed during their family holiday and were paranoid after some time of 'pressure' had been building for several days. Riana Tromp is the eldest of the Tromp children who were all with their parents at the beginning of the trip 'It was a build-up of different, normal everyday events, pressure and it slowly got worse as the days went by,' Mitchell said. When asked why his father may not want to be found, Mitch said: 'He thinks people are after him. He's not in a good state of mind.' Police told the Daily Telegraph the family had planned to leave the country but decided against it because passports could be tracked. 'The children honestly did not know what was going on because their parents run the business side of things but they trusted that their parent's fears were real,' an officer said. 'What we do know is their fears were not justified and there was not some stand over man intimidating them in person on Monday.' Mark Tromp, 51, (pictured with his daughter Ella Tromp) is still missing Jacoba Tromp, 53, was located in a Yass hospital in country NSW on Thursday morning after she disappeared in mysterious circumstances with her husband The married couple had left their home in Silvan, east of Melbourne, on Monday to travel to NSW. Their children Ella, Mitchell and Riana last saw them near the Jenolan Caves in NSW. They reportedly stopped following them when they realised their parents were mentally distressed. The couple's car was spotted on Wednesday night hundreds of kilometres away - back across the Victorian border in Wangaratta. The parents had headed in different directions at Wangaratta, where their car was found on Wednesday night. Mrs Tromp took public transport to Yass and tried to book into a motel, but was taken to Yass Hospital by a member of the public. She was highly mentally distressed when she walked into the hospital and told police she thought the pair had been followed. Police issued a photo of the couple and an image of a car similar to the one used by the family Sergeant Mark Knight said the family was 'traumatised by something' but it wasn't clear what. He said police arrived to the Tromp family home and initially feared the worst when they found it unlocked, and car keys still in vehicles. 'On Tuesday afternoon when I was called to the actual address ... it was an unusual scene that I was faced with,' he said. 'Keys were in cars, passports were there and phones were on the bench. 'It was an unusual crime scene, one that I hadn't seen before.' The siblings urged their father on Thursday to make contact and described their parents as 'the best people in the world'. The couple were last seen by their three adult children leaving the Jenolan Caves area in NSW 'They were just fearing for their lives,' Mitchell said. 'They were paranoid... I've never seen them like this. 'I just really want my dad to be found. He's not dangerous, he's my mate, my father. I love him.' Police found personal items such as bank cards and their mobile phones at their home but it was not clear why. Mitchell was the only family member who had his phone, but voluntarily threw it out the car window. He said the family were on a technology-free trip. When police went to their family home, the doors were wide open and keys were left in their cars. Vladimir Putin has denied knowing anything about the hack of Democratic data but said it was a service to the public anyway. In an interview two days before a G20 meeting in China with U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders, Putin said the Russian government was not behind the leak. He added: 'Listen, does it even matter who hacked this data? The important thing is the content that was given to the public.' 'There's no need to distract the public's attention from the essence of the problem by raising some minor issues connected with the search for who did it', Bloomberg News quoted him as saying. 'But I want to tell you again, I don't know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this.' Scroll down for video The Russian President has denied knowing anything about the hack of Democratic Party data Putin denied the hack but said insisted it was a service to the public anyway In June hackers breached Democratic National Committee computers and made public embarrassing emails that showed the party leadership favoring candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of her rival Bernie Sanders. That led to the resignation of the head of the DNC, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. A computer network used by Clinton's campaign, and the party's fundraising committee for the US House of Representatives were also hacked. Clinton, who has an acrimonious relationship with Putin, has said Russian intelligence services were behind the cyber attack against her party Obama said in August he would discuss the cyber attack with Putin if Russia was responsible, but it would not 'wildly' alter relationship between the two superpowers. Relations between Russia and United States hit a post-Cold War low in 2014 over the Ukraine crisis and they have since clashed over diverging policies in Syria. Clinton, who has an acrimonious relationship with Putin, has said Russian intelligence services were behind the cyber attack against her party. Top Democratic officials have suggested Moscow is behind the cyber-attacks as part of an attempt to influence the election. Putin has denied the accusations. He said: 'To do that you need to have a finger on the pulse and get the specifics of the domestic political life of the US. 'I'm not sure that even our Foreign Ministry experts are sensitive enough.' And when one author visited he criticised the attraction for not letting him get close enough to the bears Advertisement Bosses of Yellowstone National Park actively encouraged tourists to feed the wild bears in a bid to make it popular when it first opened. It was important to ensure the now World Heritage Site was a hit when the Wyoming sprawling park became a public attraction in 1872. How there were concerns the park would become a failure may surprise tourists who visit today, but back in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was wholly reliant on footfall. There you go! A couple of lucky people who did get to ride on the garbage cart hand food over to an awaiting bear Food service: Bears and humans mixed at closed quarters in Yellowstone with this man seemingly eating his dinner as some of the park's predators take a bit of their own in 1922 Number: The number of bears at the 'feeding show's increased up to 70 as the appeal of free food pulled in diners. Picture thought to be taken in the 1920s Nice to meet you: Three begging black bear cubs line up for any remaining lunch food. Decades ago this was encouraged but today and in recent years park bosses have told tourists not to lure in bears Any for us? These roadside black bears and cubs sure have audacity as they approach this car and driver in 1962 Meeting: Calvin Coolidge and family, feeding famous Hold-Up Bear Jesse James in 1927 (left). 'Max' a bear, comes out of the tree and is fed by a visitor (right) Free loader: An American black bear approaching a vehicle on one of the main roads of Yellowstone National Park in 1967 So when the author F. Dumont Smith visited Yellowstone National Park's Lake Hotel in 1909 there were reasons to believe the site might not be a hit. Back then tourists were invited on a nightly excursion to see the black bears and grizzlies being fed. But the final straw came when he and his girlfriend were forced to stand back and only film employees dumping rubbish for the predators. He wrote: 'The cart drives right out among the bears. How they got that garbage cart privilege, I never found outmade love to the scullion, I suppose.' His girlfriend was also upset: 'She would rather have sat on [that] swill-can than with kings, emperors and potentates.' At the time bosses promoted the site with the lure of getting up and close to the bears. The more than 2,200 acre park had opened after government funding and it was to sink or swim on the judgement of public opinion. Historian Alice Wondrak Biel explained in Do (Not) Feed The Bears: The Fitful History of Wildlife and Tourists in Yellowstone how park bosses were relied on the success of 'bear show' pits and encouraged black bears who wandered the roads to stop cars in the hunt for food. When new boss conservationist Horace Albright took charge in 1919 he developed the bear shows and sold the attraction with the reasoning it had 'a duty to present wildlife as a spectacle' for parkgoers. The quality of the bear shows was improved - instead of what was basically a display consisting of rubbish being tipped next to hungry bears - tourists got a feeding platform, a safety ditch and benches. Spectacle: Hotel guests watch bears eat trash in the early 1900s - just a few years after the site first opened to the public Any dinner: Black bears were accustomed to getting handouts on the side of the road like this one in the early 1960s Stop if you dare: Park rangers encouraged bears to stop cars as part of the attraction of Yellowstone in the early years Common sight: In what is a sight for alarm now, drivers would often stop for black bears begging like this one in 1976 Gone for a ride: How this bear ended up in the driver's seat is unclear, but these playful interactions with black bears were not uncommon in Yellowstone in the 1950s and 1960s Beautiful site: A buffalo grazing in Yellowstone National Park with the back drop of snow-swept mountains One particularly useful hotel brochure promised you could 'photograph a wild bear and eat a course dinner in the same hour.' As the popularity of the shows increased - so did the number of bears. Some nights up to 70 of the animals would come for the offer of a free lunch. Advertisement Venezuelan police have fired tear gas on protesters demanding President Nicolas Maduro's resignation as security forces claim some demonstrators were dressed in military fatigues and were carrying plastic explosives. Thousands of people flooded the streets of Caracas in what has been described as the biggest show of force in years. Protesters filled dozens of city blocks in what was dubbed the 'taking of Caracas' to pressure electoral authorities to allow a recall referendum against President Maduro this year. Scroll down for video Thousands of people took to the streets of Caracas to demonstrate against president Nicolas Maduro Riot police fired tear gas towards demonstrators who wanted to recall President Maduro and schedule fresh elections However, thousands of supporter of President Maduro gathered in front of the Miraflores Presidential Palace Protesters, dressed mostly in white and carrying Venezuelan flags, chanted: 'It's going to fall, it's going to fall, the government is going to fall.' The build-up to the protest was tense. Maduro's government jailed several prominent activists, deployed security forces across the city and warned of bloodshed. There were few immediate signs of violence, though Maduro told a much smaller rally of state workers and hard-core supporters that opponents are plotting a coup such as the one that briefly toppled his late predecessor Hugo Chavez in 2002. He said authorities had arrested people possessing military fatigues and C4 explosives, and who had plans to fire upon the crowds dressed as national guard members. Maduro addressed his supporters claiming there was a plot against him without providing any evidence: 'Today we've defeated a coup attempt that sought to fill Venezuela and Caracas with violence and death. 'We're still looking for several criminals that paid to massacre the people.' President Maduro claimed some demonstrators had been arrested in military fatigues carrying C4 explosives President Maduro mocked the size of the turn out for the opposition rally claiming only 30,000 took to the streets Opposition parties want the date announced for a recall referendum to try and unseat President Maduro He mocked the turnout of approximately 30,000 people suggesting the opposition had hoped for one million demonstrators on the streets. Caracas political analyst Dimitris Pantoulas said the 'warlike' language may have actually energised opponents who otherwise might be on holiday or, at a time of economic crisis, standing in long lines for food. He said: 'The government made a big mistake by throwing fuel onto the flames.' As the rally was wrapping up, the head of the opposition Democratic Unity alliance outlined the next steps in its campaign to force Mr Maduro from office. Opposition leader Jesus Torrealba said: 'Today is the beginning of the definitive stage of our struggle,' Jesus Torrealba told supporters. He called for a nationwide demonstration of pot-banging Thursday night to protest over growing hunger. There are also plans for two more street protests, including one on September 14 to coincide with the arrival of heads of state from around the world for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement taking place on the Caribbean island of Margarita. Anti-government demonstrators carried the Venezuelan flag as they tried to force the resignation of President Maduro The German apartment building where famed war photographer Robert Capa took an iconic photo of the 'last man to die' in WWII has been saved from demolition. On 18 April 1945, Capa was observing an American soldier standing on a balcony in the city of Leipzig when the serviceman was gunned down by a German sniper. Capa, who was embedded with the US Army and dressed in unmarked Army fatigues, rushed up to the flat and captured striking images of the dead soldier in a heap on the floor. The photos appeared in Life magazine's 14 May 1945 edition. War photographer Robert Capa took this iconic photo of an American soldier shot and killed by a German sniper in the battle for Leipzig on 18 April 1945. The soldier became known as the 'last man to die' in WWII after the image appeared in Life magazine's Victory issue 'Until the very last moment of the war Allied soldiers were losing their lives in Europe. 'All during the last week, with surrender rumours everywhere and the big battles over, Americans were still dying in mopping-up operations and in street fighting,' the accompanying article read. The soldier shot dead was 21-year-old Raymond J Bowman, from Rochester, New York. He was tasked with protecting foot soldiers of the 2nd US Infantry who were advancing over a bridge when the German bullet 'pierced his forehead'. There were plans to demolish the crumbling building in which the soldier died after it fell into disrepair. The house had stood empty for many years and on New Year's Eve 2011 part of it burned down. But a local group who knew about its history campaigned to save it and a Munich investor answered their calls, The Guardian reports. A 9 million refurbishment of 'Capa Haus' has now taken place and an exhibition of Capa's photos has been installed in a ground floor cafe. The road where the building is situated has also been renamed 'Capa Strasse'. The uninhabited building where Capa took the photo of the dead American soldier in Leipzig, Germany, was partially burned down on New Year's Eve 2011 Thanks to a campaign by locals who knew the building's history, it restored with a 9 million investment and renamed Capa House. The building was overhauled after years of decay, with an exhibition now showcasing the history of the building and Capa's work The campaign group got in touch with former US serviceman who took part in the Leipzig battle, including the soldier in the apartment with Bowman when he died - Lehman Riggs. The 96-year-old now lives in Tennessee and in an interview in 2012 he described how the Germans had blocked the bridges in Leipzig 'with burned-out tanks and streetcars' to stop them getting across on the day the iconic photo was taken. 'There was a park in front of this building, and they [German troops] were dug in and we couldnt see them. 'We had orders to go up to the third floor of this apartment building and set up our guns to spray that area out there in the park to try to keep them pinned down until our troops could cross that bridge,' Riggs said. He had just been firing the gun and stepped off the balcony for Bowman to take over when his comrade was killed. US Army soldier Raymond J Bowman enlisted on June 21, 1943, in New York. He was killed on a balcony in Leipzig, Germany, on 18 April 1945. The aftermath of his death was captured by photographer Robert Capa. Bowman's body was returned from overseas in 1948 'In 30 seconds, I happened to look up and see the bullet pierce his nose. The bullet that hit him killed him, ricocheted around the room, and its a miracle that it didnt hit me. 'As soon as he got hit, somebody had to take the gun. I had to jump over him and start firing the gun,' he recalled. Riggs travelled back to the historic site to see the unveiling of a plaque on Capa house, in tribute to Bowman, on April 17 2016. Capa shot some of the most violent conflicts of the first half of the 20th century and his candid photos were unlike any seen in the world of photojournalism before. They led to him being labelled the 'greatest war photographer in the world'. But he is said to have hated the subject that he made his name shooting with his trusty 35mm camera. Photographer and journalist Robert Capa is seen here in a military style jacket and helmet as he leans on an armoured vehicle, in Portsmouth, England, on June 6, 1944 The Hungarian photographer, who died aged 40, was there when Allied troops stormed the beach at Omaha in 1944, and witnessed the brutal civil war that ripped apart Spain for much of the later 1930s. He was on hand to chronicle some of the most important moments in world history in the last century and his photos of the D Day landings in particular offer the most vivid depiction of the bloody but crucial invasion of France. Lehman Riggs, 96, was with Bowman in the apartment when he was shot dead in 1945 The former soldier returned to Leipzig this year to pay tribute to his fallen comrade Capa was born Andre Friedmann in Hungarian capital Budapest in 1913 but moved to Berlin when he was 17 enrolling in the Deutsche Hochschule Fur Politik where he studied journalism and political science while working part time in a dark room. He remained in Berlin until Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and the rise of the Nazis gained pace, moving to Paris. Along with his companion Gerda Jaro, Capa made regular trips to Spain between 1936 and 1939 to photograph the Spanish Civil War. During that time he took arguably his most famous photograph - Death of a Loyalist Soldier - which graphically depicted the death of anarchist Federico Borrell Garcia. He also travelled to China in 1938 to document resistance to the Japanese invasion there. The Picture Post described him as the 'greatest war photographer in the world' later the same year. Capa (pictured) was embedded with the US Army and dressed in unmarked Army fatigues when he captured the striking images of the dead soldier on the balcony Capa shot some of the most violent conflicts of the first half of the 20th century and his candid photos were unlike any seen in the world of photojournalism before Capa fled to America when the Second World War started and began working as a freelance photographer for LIFE, Time and several other publications. From 1941 until 1946, Capa was war correspondent for LIFE and Collier's and travelled with the U.S Army. He captured Allied victories in North Africa, the Normandy landings in 1944 and the capture of Leipzig, Nuremberg and Berlin. Following the war, he co-founded the Magnum photo agency before heading to Israel to capture the turmoil surrounding the country's declaration of independence between 1948 and 1950. Not just a war photographer, Capa also met and photographed the likes of Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemmingway and Leon Trotsky. The photographer became a casualty of war himself in 1954. Capa travelled to Hanoi to cover the French war in Indochina but was killed when he stepped on a landmine shortly after arriving. Flash Covering most of the Coral Triangle,underwater Indonesia boasts a high marine diversity.(Photo/Wonderful Indonesia) For many Chinese visitors, Indonesia is one of the most ideal destinations for a beach vacation. But the Indonesian tourism authority is trying to persuade more people to explore the country's vast blue by going deeper. Indonesian tourism officials are on a trade mission in China to promote the country's diving resources. Over the past five days, they've been to Dalian and Qingdao before finally arriving in Beijing. The schedule is tight but the efforts are worthwhile, said Chen Hong with tour agency Oriza Holiday, who's also on the mission. Chen says China's diving sector has taken off over the past five years. As far as he knows, Beijing alone has at least 25 diving clubs, with zealous divers traveling around the globe for different experiences. According to a report released at the China International Diving Festival in Hainan province last month, at least 1.5 million people in the country have tried scuba diving. Indonesia's Tourism Minister Arief Yahya says it's reasonable to brand Indonesia as an underwater paradise, given the upbeat trend of diving tourism worldwide. Hosting more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is confident it can satisfy the various needs of divers. Ten destinations are recommended to Chinese divers this time, including Bali, Lombok, Labuan, Alor, Derawan, Bunaken, Donggala, Wakatobi, Kota Ambon and Raja Ampat (The Four Kings). Underwater Indonesia covers most of the Coral Triangle, 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean waters in the Pacific. The zone is considered the global center of tropical marine diversity and the Amazon of the Sea, with 76 percent of the world's known coral species and more than 3,000 species of fish. Zhou Yu, a PADI diving instructor based in east China's Jiangsu Province, is still excited when he shares his experience exploring Raja Ampat. "We saw a lot of fish, corals and turtles that we've never seen before," he says. "The journey is so unforgettable." Zhou's first experience with scuba diving was in 2012 in the Philippines. He fell in love with the sport and became a certified instructor. As an adventurous diver, Zhou says the water in Indonesia is less touched compared with the sea in the Philippines and Malaysia. With more Chinese sharing the same spirit as Zhou's, Yahya believes the diving sector will be the new pillar for Indonesia's oceanic tourism and contribute to the domestic GDP. Indonesia has set the goal of attracting 1.8 million global visitors to its beaches and sea area in 2016. Apart from promotional activities and trade missions, the country is also relaxing its customs policies by granting visa-free passes to visitors from 169 countries and regions, including China. The golden goodbyes David Cameron (pictured) showered on his cronies in his last act as Prime Minister will cost the taxpayer more than 12million, analysis revealed today The golden goodbyes David Cameron showered on his cronies in his last act as Prime Minister will cost the taxpayer more than 12million, analysis revealed today. He handed civil gongs to 46 close allies, aides and party donors in his highly-criticised resignation honours list last month. But the biggest cost of Mr Cameron's cronyism is the 16 peers he handed out - 13 of whom are Conservatives. The peers are predicted to cost the taxpayer around 450,000 each year, according to Electoral Reform Society research, which based its calculations on the attendance and travel costs of Mr Cameron's previous appointments to the House of Lords. According to analysis of The Times newspaper, which analysed the total cost of the peers over their tenure in the Lords, the nominations will cost more than 11million. But with many of Mr Cameron's appointments significantly younger than the average peer age of 69, including his 38-year-old former top aide Gabby Bertin, the cost could be much higher as it is rare for members of the Lords to retire and the vast majority only stop serving when they die. Scroll down for video The Electoral Reform Society blasted Mr Cameron for the nominations, saying it would leave a 'sorry legacy' that will lumber the taxpayer with a bill for an even more unelected Lords. One of the most controversial appointment to the Lords was Mr Cameron's own senior advisor on honours, Laura Wyld. The staggering 11million cost for peers comes in addition to the lucrative golden goodbye pay-offs he paid to his special advisers before he was booted out of office in July. David Cameron was accused of cronyism after handing gongs to his wife's stylist Isabel Spearman (left) and George Osborne's aide Thea Rogers (right) He personally intervened to overrule civil servants on his last day in No 10 to order his aides get higher pay-offs for leaving their jobs early, which cost the taxpayer nearly 300,000 higher than the package recommended. LAURA WYLD: A FORMER PR TURNED PM ADVISOR David Cameron's decision to make the head of his honours team a peer caused astonishment in Westminster. Laura Wyld was brought into No 10 to work with the then Prime Minister in 2013 - prompting concern from Labour that a Tory Party staffer was going onto the public payroll. As well as advising Mr Cameron on honours, Ms Wyld's job was also to ensure more Conservatives got top quango jobs. At Tory Party HQ, she worked as a campaigns officer. Advertisement It sent the full cost to more than 1million. It resulted in his closest allies from his six years in No 10 receiving six months severance pay instead of the usual three months. Among those who benefited from the bump in pay-offs included his chief of staff Ed Llewellyn, Ms Bertin and Liz Sugg, his director of operations - all of whom were also nominated for peerages. The costs for his golden goodbyes doesn't stop there. The cost of purchasing the medals for the civil honours awarded to his 46 close associates in Downing Street will cost an estimated 9,305.37 alone, based on the 2011 cost of each of the insignias. The most costly is the Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, which was awarded to Mr Cameron's long-standing friend Hugo Swire. His medal will cost the taxpayer 2,877, while the Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath, handed to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, will cost 1,534.89. In an extraordinary move, Mr Cameron placed head of honours committee Laura Wyld into the Lords and gave his chief spinner Craig Oliver a knighthood Also honours were Charlotte Vere who is joined the House of Lords and Andrew Cook, a party donor who has been knighted The list was derided by all sides of the Commons after he handed OBEs to his wife's stylists Isabel Spearman and George Osborne's aide Thea Rogers, who was credited for the former Chancellor's makeover. Remain supporters were richly-awarded despite the campaign's failure, including Will Straw, executive director of the losing Britain Stronger In Europe campaign, while three donors who have given at least 1.5million between them to the Tory party received knighthoods or peerages. Tom Watson said the cost of Mr Cameron's golden goodbyes further exposed how the former Prime Minister had discredited the honours system. Police have sealed off a park after a 12-year-old girl was raped last night. Police were called to Crowcroft Park, in Levenshulme, south Manchester, shortly before 11.30pm. On arrival officers discovered the young girl, who is said to have been subjected to a serious sex attack. The area was immediately cordoned off and detectives remain at the scene this morning. Scroll down for video Police have cordoned off Crowcroft Park, pictured, in Manchester after a 12-year-old girl was raped last night Officers have been combing the scene for clues and have even gone through bins, pictured Forensic tents, pictured, have been erected while detectives carry out the investigation Eyewitnesses say two forensic tents have been placed in the park, with officers combing the area for clues. A GMP spokeswoman said: 'On arrival officers discovered that a 12-year-old girl had been raped.' 'Police are currently at the scene carrying out inquiries. 'Anyone with any information about the incident should call police on 101 quoting incident number 2260 of September 1.' Many have spoken of their shock at the attack and fears over the safety of the park Officers discovered the young girl on arrival at the park (pictured) at 11.30pm on Thursday People took to social media to talk of their shock at the attack. Janine Smith said on Facebook: 'This makes me so sad as my head can't get around the fact that it is no longer safe for any of us including adults or children to walk the streets at night without the fear of becoming attacked.' Nearly 34,000 prisoners have been freed from Turkey's jails to make space for tens of thousands of coup 'traitors'. Turkish Authorities has dismissed about 80,000 people from public posts, and many have also been detained in a round-up following the attempted coup in mid-July. President Tayyip Erdogan's government has said it would release a total of 38,000 inmates to create space for the suspects. President Tayyip Erdogan's government has said it would release a total of 38,000 inmates to create space for the suspects It formed part of its its penal reforms in the wake of the July coup that tried to topple the current administration. Yesterday, it emerged that about 8,000 security personnel and more than 2,000 academics had been suspended, adding to a purge of people suspected of having links to perpetrators of the failed coup. Since the coup attempt, in which rogue soldiers tried to topple Erdogan's government, Turkey has removed thousands from public duty and arrested many of them, accusing them of sympathising with the plotters. Of the security personnel removed in the latest purge, 323 were members of the gendarmerie and the rest police, according to the Official Gazette, in which the government publishes new laws and orders. It formed part of its its penal reforms in the wake of the July coup that tried to topple the current administration. Pro Erdogan supporters are pictured during a rally in Istanbul It said 2,346 more academics had been removed from universities. Hundreds of academics and others have already been swept from their posts, accused of links to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan says masterminded the coup. About 3,300 judiciary officials have also been dismissed, leaving a depleted workforce to manage the legal process against a growing number of detainees. Advertisement These dramatic pictures show a day in the life of volunteers saving thousands of migrants from the Mediterranean. Images show the German charity Sea-Watch rescuing refugees trying to make their way to Europe on board overburdened boats drifting off the coast of Libya. Exhausted migrants can be seen sprawled on the deck of the rescue ship - a converted trawler - after being hauled to safety while women and children shelter from the fierce sun. Other pictures show mothers breast feeding their babies having been lifted from the Mediterranean and volunteers speeding to a sinking rubber dinghy packed with migrants who did not know how to swim. Dramatic pictures show a day in the life of volunteers saving thousands of migrants from the Mediterranean. These Syrian families are among the many refugees who risked their lives taking the Central Mediterranean route Images show the German charity Sea-Watch rescuing refugees trying to make their way to Europe on board overburdened boats drifting off the coast of Libya. Volunteers are pictured speeding to a sinking rubber dinghy packed with migrants who did not know how to swim Sea-Watch is a private German initiative founded in 2014 by a group of citizens, dedicated to putting an end to the human tragedy unfolding in the Mediterranean Pictures show mothers breast feeding their babies having been plucked from the Mediterranean Sea-Watch is a private German initiative founded in 2014 by a group of citizens, dedicated to putting an end to the human tragedy unfolding in the Mediterranean. It says more than 3,000 people have been killed or are missing having set off on the perilous 'Central Mediterranean route' from Libya to Italy this year. The number of deaths at sea so far in 2016 has exceeded the figure for the same period last year. Last year, it saved the lives of 2,000 people during seven exhausting missions off the coast of Libya. says more than 3,000 people have been killed or are missing having set off on the perilous 'Central Mediterranean route' from Libya to Italy The number of deaths at sea so far in 2016 has exceeded the figure for the same period last year. Medical and paramedical staff are pictured ahead of the rescue of refugees on a sinking rubber boat Exhausted migrants can be seen sprawled on the deck of the rescue ship - a converted trawler - after being hauled to safety while women and children shelter from the fierce sun Live savers: A Syrian child smiles after being rescued from a migrant ship carrying 45 people off the coast of Libya Their work is not without danger. In August the non-profit NGO spoke out after a Libyan navy boat fired warning shots at a search and rescue vessel operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres because it thought it was involved in smuggling. MSF says the Bourbon Argos, which has long been conducting rescue missions for migrants trying to cross from Libya to Europe, was fired on and boarded by unidentified assailants on August 17. It said some of the shots hit the boat, which was patrolling about 24 nautical miles off the Libyan coast, and that armed men spent about 50 minutes aboard as the crew sheltered in a safe area. There were no migrants on the boat that day, MSF said. A Sea-Watch crew member is pictured patrolling a rescue zone 24 miles off the Libyan coast on board the charity's converted trawler Tens of thousands of migrants have been rescued while trying to make the dangerous crossing to Italy on packed boats Breather: Two exhausted rescuers pause for a plate of pasta during a rescue mission off the coast of war-torn Libya The Sea-Watch ship is a converted trawler operating off Libya. Rescuers are pictured putting up sheets to create shade Libyan navy spokesman Ayoub Qassem said the navy patrol boat had taken action after the Bourbon Argos failed to respond to calls and tried to change its route. Meanwhile, the scale of the crisis in the Mediterranean was brought into focus again yesterday when rescuers pulled 1,725 migrants to safety. Sixteen separate missions were involved in rescuing the migrants, including Italy's coast guard and navy, the European Union's anti people-smuggling mission, two humanitarian organisations and two merchant ships, the coast guard said. In distress: Rescuers speed out to meet a rubber dinghy loaded with dozens of migrants drifting off the coast of Libya After being pulled to safety, these children tucked into some food provided by the Sea-Watch volunteers Down time: A ship engineer takes a breather on the bridge of the vessel before starting another rescue operation Look-out: Two rescuers scour the horizon looking for drifting migrant boats. Thousands of refugees have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year Sea-Watch volunteers are pictured leaving Malta harbour before heading to the rescue zone off the coast of Libya This picture shows the engine room of the rescue vessel, a converted trawler. Last year volunteers saved 2,000 lives It did not say where the migrants, who were travelling in 14 rubber and two wooden boats, originally came from. Most arriving in Italy tend to be from sub-Saharan Africa. Continued lawlessness in Libya and calmer seas this week have contributed to a spike in the number of people making the risky crossing from North Africa to Europe's southern frontier. Italy has become the main focus for seaborne migration to Europe since the European Union struck a deal with Turkey in March to stem flows into Greece. Around 105,000 people arrived in Italy between the beginning of this year and August 26, according to the International Organisation for Migration. African refugees are pictured moments after being dragged out of the Med by Sea-Watch crew- They were on a crammed and sinking rubber boat The men were hauled on to a smaller rescue vessel before being taken to Sea-Watch's main ship off Libya The captain of the Sea-Watch vessel watches the horizon as he looks out for migrant boats adrift in the Mediterranean A Sea-Watch crew member hangs out the laundry on the ship's deck. So far they have rescued thousands of refugees Scots do not want a second referendum on independence and they would vote 'No' if a second vote was held, a new poll revealed today. But that did not stop Nicola Sturgeon launching a fresh drive for separation today, insisting there were 'very different circumstances' now compared to September 2014, when Scots rejected independence by 55 per cent to 45. The First Minister visited the town where 'Braveheart' William Wallace won a historic battle against the English to pledge the 'biggest ever political listening exercise' to convince Scots to back independence. Scroll down for video Scots do not want a second referendum on independence and they would vote 'No' if a second vote was held, a new poll revealed today She acknowledged the 'seismic changes' that took place over the summer with June's dramatic Brexit vote and Theresa May's new government at Westminster and said the SNP's new drive for independence will mark a 'new conversation and a new debate for these new times'. But Scottish nationalists' dream of independence was knocked by a YouGov poll that found just 46 per cent of Scots would vote for separation if a second referendum was held, with 54 per cent in favour of remaining in the UK. The small 1 per cent rise in support for Scottish independence since two years ago will disappoint Ms Sturgeon, who hoped the Brexit vote would dramatically shift public opinion after 62 per cent of Scots voted to stay in the EU. The survey, conducted for The Times, found that while 12 per cent of No voters had moved to the Yes camp, 13 per cent had switched in the opposite direction. Pollsters questioned 1,039 Scottish adults earlier this week and found the majority do not want an second independence referendum before the UK leaves the EU, while 37% are in favour and the rest undecided. The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) visited the town where 'Braveheart' William Wallace won a historic battle against the English to pledge the 'biggest ever political listening exercise' to convince Scots to back independence But speaking in Stirling this morning, Ms Sturgeon said: 'The UK that existed before June 23 has fundamentally changed. 'The debate now is whether we should go forward, protecting our place as a European nation or go backwards, under a Tory government with very different priorities. 'And while we will pursue all options to protect our interests, the debate must include an examination of independence in what are profoundly changed circumstances 'To ensure that the voice of everyone in Scotland is heard in these changed times, I am today launching Scotland's biggest ever political listening exercise - a new conversation and a new debate for these new times.' The choice of venue will not have gone unnoticed by Ms Sturgeon's political opponents. It was at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 where William Wallace - outnumbered by Edward I's English army - won his famous victory. Nicola Sturgeon chose to make her fresh drive for independence in Stirling, where William Wallace - outnumbered by Edward I's English army - won his famous victory in 1297 Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser dismissed Ms Sturgeon's call for a national conversation for a second referendum, saying the public had no interest in another vote. 'The SNP can't take no for an answer,' he said. 'They got a very clear no answer back in 2014, two million Scots said we want to remain part of the UK. 'We were told that was a once-in-a-lifetime vote and here we are less than two years later and they are at it again. Are they never going to give up? I suspect not. 'It really is time for the Scottish people to tell them in resounding fashion, go on, go away, get on with the day job. Stop flying around the capitals of Europe trying to stir up dissent.' Ms Sturgeon's fresh push for a second independence referendum comes despite figures last week revealing North Sea oil revenue plunged by 97 per cent. Tax revenue from Scotland's oil industry was virtually wiped out as it fell from 1.8billion in 2014/15 to hit rock bottom at 60million in the last 12 months. It leaves a 14.8billion black hole in Scotland's finances, making the country's deficit 9.5 per cent of Scottish GDP - compared with the overall UK deficit of just 4 per cent. And it exposes Scotland's dependence on tax revenues from the North Sea oil industry, which has been hit by the the falling price of a barrel of oil, falling at one point to more than 70 per cent compared to 2014 levels as global supply outstripped demand. The annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland report showed onshore tax receipts grew, softening the blow. The impact of the dramatic plummet in oil revenues could have been far worse for Scotland if it had split from the United Kingdom in the 2014 independence referendum, the Westminster Government said. Qantas wants a student to reimburse it for delays caused by her in-flight protest over the deportation of an asylum seeker from Australia. Melbourne university student Jasmine Pilbrow, 22, was found guilty of interference with a crew member of an aircraft at Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on Friday. The court heard Pilbrow refused to sit down during a Melbourne to Darwin flight unless a Tamil man, who was being deported to Sri Lanka, was allowed to leave the Qantas plane, on February 2, 2015. Scroll down for video Melbourne university student Jasmine Pilbrow, 22, (pictured) was found guilty of interference with a crew member of an aircraft at Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on Friday After telling cabin crew she would not sit down, Australian Federal Police agents boarded the flight and the 25-year-old Tamil detainee was removed. Pilbrow then left the plane. The airline wants her to pay more than $3,000 for losses linked to flight delays. Qantas security manager Michael Van Der Velde told the court the student's actions in 2015 had cost the airline $3,429 linked to flight delays and the jet fuel it had to use in the air to make up for lost time. Pilbrow was not charged over the incident until February this year. The asylum seeker whose deportation she tried to stop was taken back to a Melbourne detention centre and eventually deported to Sri Lanka. While contesting the charge on Friday, where she represented herself, Pilbrow said her actions that day were in the context of what she believed was a 'sudden or extraordinary emergency'. 'My actions were reasonable because the safety of another person's life was at stake,' Pilbrow said. In her defence, Pilbrow referred to a provision of the Criminal Code which states a person is not criminally responsible for an offence if it was carried out 'in response to circumstances of sudden or extraordinary emergency.' But Magistrate Meaghan Keogh did not accept the defence, and found Pilbrow guilty. Ms Keogh said 'just because a person has strong personal beliefs', it does not mean they are not criminally liable for offences. Ms Pilbrow refused to sit down during a Melbourne to Darwin flight unless a Tamil man, who was being deported to Sri Lanka, was allowed to leave the Qantas plane, on February 2, 2015. Qantas has asked she pay more than $3,000 in losses linked to flight delays The magistrate said Pilbrow should pay Qantas $3,429 for the losses it incurred, and another $371.52 in court costs. A legal technicality prevented Ms Keogh from making that order on Friday, and Pilbrow has instead been asked to make voluntary repayments to Qantas until she is sentenced in November. 'Qantas should not be out of pocket for the disruption caused,' said Ms Keogh. Outside of court, Pilbrow said she was not surprised by the guilty finding and said the court case did not address Australia's treatment of asylum seekers. 'I think the fact that I was found guilty is, in the broader sense, unfair considering Australia has been found in violation of international obligations and laws,' said the 22-year-old. Not guilty: Actor Peter Singh, 37, pictured outside court, who starred in the Alan Partridge movie, was today cleared of touching a real PC An actor who played a police officer in the hit Alan Partridge film was today cleared of touching a real PC's bottom after shouting: I love women'. The WPC said Peter Singh, 37, touched her bottom as she and a male colleague questioned him at his flat in Brentford, west London following a neighbours complaint. The actor, who appeared alongside Steve Coogan in the Alan Partridge movie Alpha Papa, denied her claims. He told a court he didnt think he touched her bottom, adding: I thought it was the lower back. I remember my fingers touching the utility belt. Today the jury unanimously accepted his account and cleared him of a single charge of sexual assault. The court heard he was allegedly intoxicated when he answered his door on the afternoon of November 5 last year. Singh, who has also appeared in Coronation Street and Doctor Who, then became aggressive, shouting: 'I love women, it was claimed. The WPC told the Old Bailey she was browsing his bookshelf when he reached out and touched her bottom with and open-cupped hand. The policewoman, who cannot be identified, said she wasnt pleased and told Singh: Dont you touch me. Who do you think you are touching my a**e? Singh, who described himself in court as a landlord, who works in the theatre and does a little bit of acting always denied sexual assault. Giving evidence, he said he had reached out to usher her out of the flat after he became agitated by the personal nature of the questions. I felt I was being harassed, he said. I just got up, went to sort of move her away, usher her away. I was aiming for her back. The moment I touched her, she just jumped out of the way. Hit movie: Singh starred as a policeman in Alpha Papa, starring Steve Coogan, and who has also appeared in Coronation Street and Doctor Who He said he was shocked when the officer accused him of touching her bottom and moments later was arrested and handcuffed. Singh, who has trodden the boards in Shakespeares Hamlet as well as acting in CBeebies Gigglebiz, told how he was having a few vodkas at lunchtime on Thursday November 5 last year because he had some time off. The landlord, who owns multiple occupancy bedsits in Ealing, said he was singing along to music playing from his laptop. His alleged victim told jurors he appeared intoxicated when he answered the door and soon became aggressive. I asked my colleague to take over speaking to Mr Singh, she said. I had my back to Mr Singh, I was looking at the books on his bookshelf. In my peripheral vision I could see my colleague and could just make out the defendant sitting on the sofa. After a few minutes he got up and charged towards me. He quickly got up, moved fast and headed in my direction. As I turned to see him coming he looked with intent on his face. She told how he said f***s sake. Why is she looking at my books? in a very aggressive tone. He made other comments about how he loved women and that he worked for them, she continued. My radio goes off and I see Mr Singh lean forward with his right arm outstretched. With an open cupped hand he touched my left buttock. The alleged victim described it as a slow-motion move which lasted for a matter of seconds before she told him: Dont you ever touch me. Who do you think you are touching my a**e? Singh said the female police officer then asked him if he was angry because she was a woman and he explained that he did not have a problem with women. But he insisted the comment was made around 20 minutes before he is said to have assaulted the policewoman. She was standing very close. I felt quite trapped in that space...I was getting quite agitated, he continued. Asked by his barrister, Toby Long, if he had a sexual interest in his alleged victim, Singh answered: Not at all. His barrister asked: Are you somebody who would find it easier to grab a womans backside? Singh replied: Absolutely not. I would never do that. The complainant told jurors he appeared intoxicated when he answered the door and soon became aggressive. In the Judge's summing up, he said: 'Mr Singh is a person of good character, without any previous convictions, findings of guilt or reprimands. This supports his credibility'. Riot police have once again been forced to fire tear gas at migrants attempting to ambush UK-bound traffic in Calais. Hundreds of refugees living in the sprawling Calais Jungle camp were pushed back on Thursday after they reportedly tried to access the motorway that leads to the port. The lengths migrants are going to in their desperate bid to get to Britain have reportedly escalated in recent weeks as The Jungle population continues to swell. There has been an escalation in the disorder with reports of gangs using trees to block roads before masked men wielding sticks threaten motorists that stop. The gangmasters then direct migrants to lorries queuing in the ensuing traffic jams in an attempt to stow away aboard vehicles destined for Britain. Tensions in the Calais Jungle continue to rise as young men attempt to storm the motorway nearby and smuggle on to cars and lorries heading for Britain Riot police were forced to fire tear gas on Thursday as migrants attempted to access the motorway in Calais Hundreds of men were reportedly trying to make their way onto the road that heads to the port The altercation comes as the mayor of Calais pledged to turn out in support of 'Operation Snail' which will see protesters cause chaos for British travellers during a blockade of the northern French port on Monday. Natacha Bouchart admitted the move would cause 'chaos' but that she wanted to 'show our solidarity' with hauliers and locals living and working amid fears of violence from organised gangs and migrants. On a visit to Ashford, Kent, Ms Bouchart insisted the action would be for a 'good cause' by sending a signal to the French government that the migrant crisis in Calais needs tackling. Despite efforts to reduce numbers, more than 7,000 migrants from countries including Sudan, Syria and Eritrea are living in the slum known as The Jungle on the outskirts of the port town. Police carried batons and shields as they were forced to confront migrants attempting to access the motorway A migrant rides a bicycle at the Jungle camp as plumes of tear gas are seen behind him Many have hopes of crossing to Britain to forge new lives but some have taken their lives into their own hands, leading to reinforced security measures around the ports. Speaking following a meeting with Kent business leaders, Ms Bouchart said the situation in Calais was 'unbearable'. Asked whether she will be taking part in Monday's blockade, she said: 'The answer is yes. We will be on the field, we will go and greet and say hello to law and order forces. 'We will also say hello to the hauliers and the haulage companies to show our solidarity with their movement and also show to the French government that this is enough. Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart will take part in a blockade on Monday and has admitted the move would cause 'chaos' The vast Jungle camp full of UK-bound migrants in Calais is set to be torn down, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced (stock image) 'This is becoming unbearable and something needs to be done. It is part of our responsibility to do something. We are also asking for a total evacuation of the northern area of the camp. 'We will be there on the field as part of our duty.' She added: 'There is chaos every day and every night. We want the French government to take its responsibilities and put an end to this particularly difficult time we are facing.' 'There might be chaos and disorder on Monday. This is for a good cause. We want things to change. 'We want to go back to business as usual and renew the serenity that we want to have with you to develop our businesses together.' Migrants in Calais are seen here forcing there way on to lorries headed to the Eurotunnel (file photo) Britain's Interior Minister Amber Rudd (centre) and her French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve (left) pose with French riot police officer Patrice Martin on Tuesday Despite the violence, Ms Bouchart insisted Calais was safe. She said: 'If you are asking me about security in Calais, we have a lot of CCTV equipment. 'I think and I say today that my city is safe. I walk around myself day and night without bodyguards, so I can guarantee that Calais is a safe town. 'But of course the situation has to be improved and the state has to take its responsibility to put an end to this crisis.' Controversy broke out last month at a proposal to allow migrants to lodge UK asylum claims on French soil - a plan dismissed by a Home Office source as a 'complete non-starter'. And there have also been suggestions from France for the border to be moved back to Dover. Ms Bouchart declined to be drawn on the issue, saying it was a matter for member states. She said: 'I cannot judge and I cannot answer this on behalf of the British government. I don't know how many migrants you are prepared to welcome into your country.' This week Britain and France pledged to work together to address the crisis in the wake of questions about the future of co-operation on border controls. It was an attempt to force shoppers to its own selection, a Coles has again been accused of bullying the little man, after deliberately steering foot traffic at a shopping centre away from a local butcher. The supermarket giant came under fire from politician Murray Cowper on Friday for what appeared to him to be an attempt to prevent customers buying meat from a local butcher which has been in the town of Pinjarra, Western Australia for 26 years. Taking to Facebook, Mr Cowper claimed Coles blocked off an entrance near Pinjarra Meat Supply in an effort to force shoppers in the direction of its own meat section. Anthony Thaw (pictured) stands next to the entrance to Coles in Pinjarra, Western Australia that has allegedly been blocked off by the supermarket to steer traffic away from his butcher (pictured right) and towards its own meat section 'Gee whiz Mr Coles. Why block the entrance into your store to channel shoppers into your meat departments 10% off sale at the expense of Andrew Thaw's Pinjarra Meat supply?' Mr Cowper wrote. 'Well I say, not shopping in your store this week! Supporting local business.' After urging his electorate to support the independent business, the member for Murray-Wellington in the Western Australia Legislative Assembly, received hundreds of likes and wide ranging support. For Pinjarra Meat Supply's owner Anthony Thaw, the loss of foot traffic is a potential disaster. 'I probably pay the dearest rent in the shopping centre and I rely on foot traffic, so its just frustrating,' Mr Thaw told Daily Mail Australia. 'Theyve also put a 10 per cent off poster for their meats on the pillar nearest my business. 'Theyre a multinational and they're famous for things like this.' But while Mr Thaw was clearly disappointed by the supposed tactic, he said it was important to keep things in perspective. Mr Thaw has been a butcher in the Pinjarra area for more than 25 years and said he relies on foot traffic, mainly that coming from Coles, for his business and his loyal customers had vowed to stick by him Coles and fellow supermarket giant Woolworths often come under for the prices at which they are able to sell their products, which are much lower than that most independent retailers can afford According to him, without the thousands of customers venturing in and out of the store daily, his business would not be what it is. 'I said to the store manager, "I know its not you, I understand youre just doing what youre told",' Mr Thaw said. 'But it's OK because Ive had a lot of people say they've been supporting me for a quarter of a century and will continue to. 'Keeping it context, if it wasnt for Coles we wouldnt have our business because we wouldnt have the foot traffic in our area of the shopping centre, so it's not really a major issue - it's important for people not to get nasty.' Murray Cowper, the member for the Murray-Wellington in the lower house of the Western Australia parliament, posted the photo of Mr Thaw to Facebook urging people to buy local Coles and fellow supermarket behemoth Woolworths often come under fire for their incredibly low prices, which simply can't be matched by independent retailers. Earlier this year there was widespread backlash at the hardship faced by dairy farmers because of the low price at which both supermarkets sold their milk. Many customers avoided buying their $2 milk and chose instead to pay for more expensive farmer-friendly brands. You are here: Home Flash File photo of the Arctic region (Photo: cnr.cn) China ranked first in the number of tourists that visited Frantz Josef Land Archipelago and Novaya Zemlya Archipelago in the Arctic region in 2016, Russian Arctic National Park said on Thursday. Nine round trips to these archipelagoes were organized during the 2016 tourist season, the park said, adding that 269 out of the 954 tourists were Chinese citizens. Different animals -- whales, beluga whales, narwhals and polar bears -- were seen during practically every voyage, according to the park. Russian Arctic National Park witnessed the largest number of tourists in 2015 -- 1,255 people. It plans to organize 10 round trips to the Arctic archipelagoes in 2017. Plane passengers have been warned to prepare for chaos over fears that an Icelandic volcano could erupt and send an ash cloud towards Britain. The Icelandic Met Office has issued an alert after finding earthquake activity within the caldera of the ice-covered Katla volcano was at four times higher than normal. Meteorologists in the country said they had noticed heightened earthquake activity at Katla since mid-June, although this appeared to be in decline - until Monday. Route: The Eyjafjallajokull volcano is seen emitting a dense plume of ash and steam in this satellite image from Nasa's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer in May 2010 The 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano saw thousands of Britons stranded abroad Then there were two magnitude 4.5 earthquakes in the caldera - the largest in Katla since 1977 - and more than 100 earthquakes recorded after that. The warning follows the April 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland which saw thousands of Britons stranded abroad by the ash cloud. The flight path of planes travelling to and from Britain and North America pass near or over Iceland, so an eruption could cause huge problems for transatlantic routes. National Air Traffic Services are monitoring the situation and will work with Civil Aviation Authority and Department for Transport officials if things worsen. But a spokesman told MailOnline today: 'There is no current impact to UK airspace.' And an Irish Aviation Authority spokesman told MailOnline: 'Seismic activity is common in Iceland. There are no eruptions at the volcano at present. The Icelandic Met Office has issued an alert after finding earthquake activity within the caldera of the ice-covered Katla volcano (file picture) was at four times higher than normal Children try to sleep at Barcelona Airport after it was shut down by the ash cloud in May 2010 'As normal, we are monitoring the situation and if an eruption were to take place, we will take appropriate action in accordance with existing protocols.' Earlier this week, an Icelandic Met Office spokesman said: Since mid-June, heightened earthquake activity has been registered in the Katla caldera. EYJAFJALLAJOKULL ERUPTS The 2010 eruption In spring 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland led to much of Europes airspace being shut down for six days. It grounded more than 100,000 flights, ruined millions of holidays and caused losses of more than 1.2billion. The situation was aggravated by strong northerly winds and unusually high volumes of fine ash that posed a danger to jet engines. The cloud affected more than ten million people at a busy time for air travel during the Easter holidays. Advertisement The elevated seismicity appeared to be in decline until August 29, when two magnitude 4.5 earthquakes occurred in the north-east part of the caldera. 'These earthquakes are significant as they are the largest in Katla since 1977. 'The ensuing swarm produced over 100 earthquakes, the largest of which was magnitude 3.3 on the same day, 29 August. Following this earthquake, relatively little seismicity has been detected in the caldera.' He added: 'Similar unrest has taken place at Katla several times since the 1950s without resulting in an explosive eruption. 'However, Katla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes and the interval since the last eruption in 1918 is unusually long in relation to recent centuries.' The Icelandic Met Office has several monitoring networks in the area and said it will be studying these 24 hours a day to issue a warning in the event of an eruption. Brittany Ann Bell, 37, was charged with cruelty to children A teacher's aide was arrested for assaulting a five-year-old autistic boy during school hours last Friday, police said. Brittany Ann Bell, 37, who worked at Summit Drive Elementary School in Greenville, South Carolina, has been charged with cruelty to children after she turned herself in on Wednesday. Bell grabbed a five-year-old autistic boy by the arm, pulled him down the steps and threw him on his back, police said. Several teachers saw the boy being assaulted last Friday afternoon during school hours, according to a police report. Police said the five-year-old had fingertip bruises on his forearm and his father reported an injury to his son's back. The principal collected accounts from witnesses when she was notified of the incident on Friday, but didn't notify the police until Monday morning, according to a statement from the Greenville County School District. 'This principal has been instructed that in the future, without exception, she must report an incident requiring a law enforcement investigation the day she is notified, and her failure to do so has been addressed,' the statement read. Bell worked as an aide at Buena Vista Elementary in Greer, South Carolina, in 2014 before she was transferred to Summit Drive in August 2015, GreenvilleOnline.com reported. District officials say Bell is no longer an employee of the school district. The father of murdered six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey has said there is 'no question' police blamed him and his wife for the killing. The Colorado beauty queen pageant star was found dead in the basement of her parents' house on December 26, 1996. Few crime stories in the past two decades have gripped America as much as the murder of the blonde six-year-old beauty queen - and the killer still remains at large. John and Patsy Ramsey with JonBenet and Burke pose for a family Christmas picture - John has said police blamed him and his wife for the killing The body of JonBenet (above in 1996), a child beauty queen, was found bludgeoned and strangled in her basement on December 26, 1996, when she was just six-years-old Public suspicion immediately focused on the girl's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and her nine-year-old brother Burke. However the family have always maintained their innocence. They tell their story of the unsolved crime in a new documentary called 'The Killing of JonBenet: The Truth Uncovered'. In a teaser for the show, John said: 'We absolutely felt we were the victims of a witch hunt led by the media. 'It's no question that the Boulder Police Department believed we were the killers.' He also vowed it would be his last interview discussing the tragedy. 'This is my final interview. I have no reason for speaking to the media again,' he said. 'I want to honor her memory by doing this interview': Burke Ramsey has given his first interview since the murder of his sister JonBenet in 1996. He was nine-years-old and asleep in the family's home in Boulder, Colorado, when she went missing Burke Ramsey was nine when his six-year-old sister was found dead in the basement of the family's Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996 Boulder Police are continuing to 'find justice for JonBenet through a methodical and comprehensive investigation.' Chief Greg Testa said: 'This is an open investigation. Our goal continues to be an arrest and successful prosecution, which is why we will not discuss or release details or evidence in this investigation.' He added: 'We have not and will not give up.' Parents John and Patsy were the primary suspects in the case for over a decade, but were finally cleared in 2008, two years after Patsy died of ovarian cancer In the crime that shocked the nation, Patsy had woken up on December 26, 1996, and found a three-page handwritten ransom note at the foot of the stairs. The note demanded a ransom of $118,000 and ordered them not to contact authorities - if they wanted their daughter returned safely. Despite the ransom note, police arrived at their home shortly after in clearly-marked vehicles. Hours after police searched the home, John found JonBenet's body in a little-used utility room in the home's basement. She had been covered by a white blanket with a nylon cord around her neck, her wrists bound above her head and her mouth covered by duct tape. Her skull was also cracked. John and Patsy would remain the primary suspects in their daughter's death for more than a decade, and it was not until 2008 that police finally cleared them of any wrongdoing. At that time, Patsy had been dead for two years after a lengthy battle with ovarian cancer. John said that after his daughter's death, he and Patsy did everything they could to clear son Burke from the allegations he killed his sister (John above in 2006 with his father at his mother's funeral) She was initially suspected by many of being the murderer after reports emerged that handwriting on the ransom note was similar to her own, but after she willingly provided a sample to police it was determined she did not write the note. Many also suspected the killer was someone in the family as they claimed there were no footprints in the snow around the house and the ransom amount was the exact amount that John had just received in his annual bonus. No one in the family was ever charged in the death, but for years tabloids and members of the public believed one or more were the culprits. Most of these stories focused on parents John and Patsy, but some went so far as to claim that JonBenet's brother Burke had been responsible for his sister's death - despite him being only nine-years-old at the time. The Boulder, Colordado home where the family lived at the time of JonBenet's murder, which was sold for $650,000 in 1998 Stories pointed to the fact Burke was in the house when JonBenet was reported missing, but his parents always stood firm on the fact that he was sleeping the entire time and did not wake up until after they called police. He was exonerated by DNA evidence in May of 1999, a little over two years after the murder. Burke, who is now 29, broke his silence to discuss the case in the new documentary, saying: 'I know people think I did it; that my parents did it. I know that we were suspects.' He said that, despite being a child, he remembered his mother coming into his room the night JonBenet disappeared, searching for her daughter. 'I remember my mom searching my room that night saying, 'Where's my baby? Where's my baby?' Burke said. He said he had decided to speak out now as he didn't want anyone to forget. Private investigator Ollie Gray, who continued to investigate the murder case even after he stopped working for the Ramseys, claimed earlier this year that the child's killer was a local 26-year-old whose family owned a junkyard on the outskirts of the city - Michael Helgoth. On February 13, 1997, Alex Hunter, who was the district attorney at the time of the murder, held a press conference where he spoke to JonBenet's unknown killer, saying: 'The list of suspect narrows. Soon there will be no one on the list but you.' Helgoth died of an apparent suicide two days later at his home. A few years after his death, however, Helgoth was cleared when it was revealed that none of his DNA was found under JonBenet's fingernails or in her underwear. In 2006 - 10 years after JonBenet's death - a 41-year-old schoolteacher named John Mark Karr confessed to killing the six-year-old. He was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, but he was never charged with the murder because his DNA did not match that found on the girl's body. In 2008, new DNA tests convinced the district attorney that no member of the Ramsey family should remain under suspicion, though in 2010, police sought to re-interview Burke as they continued to investigate JonBenet's death. The interview will air on September 12, 13 and 14. It will premier on the 15th season of Dr. Phil's daytime talk show. A married former television couple have pleaded guilty to endangering their baby after their daughter was found have cocaine in her system. Som and Krystin Lisaius's four-month-old daughter had ingested the drug through breast milk, the court heard. She was taken to Oro Valley Hospital on May 15 after she became unresponsive and her eyes 'were rolling into the back of the head' after breast feeding. Som and Krystin Lisaius's four-month-old daughter had ingested the drug through breast milk (parents pictured) The former Tucson TV presenters (pictured) face up to two years in prison for the offence which happened the morning after the couple had hosted a party The couple is pictured above moments after Krystin gave birth to their first child together The pair did not want to allow the hospital to draw the baby's blood, so they left against the hospital's recommendation, but agreed to have her transferred to another facility. Officials transported the baby girl via ambulance to Diamond Children's Hospital, and once there, the couple was still uncooperative and refused a toxicology test for the child. Eventually, a urinalysis and a toxicology screen that was conducted in the presence of hospital staff along with officials with child welfare. The tests showed that the baby girl had cocaine in her system. But the 26-year-old mother first denied using cocaine and said she didn't know how the baby was exposed to it. She then admitted to police that she snorted cocaine with her husband on May 14 while hosting friends in their Oro Valley home, according to a police report obtained by the Arizona Daily Star. Police obtained a search warrant and found 1.59 grams of cocaine and a scale inside their home on May 16. A married former television couple (Krystin pictured right) have pleaded guilty to endangering their baby after their daughter was found have cocaine in her system Krystin Lisaius (centre) and her husband Som had been charged with three felonies each, including child abuse, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia The former Tucson TV presenters face up to two years in prison for the offense which happened the morning after the couple had hosted a party. The baby has been in the care of her grandmother since the ordeal. The Arizona celebrities had been charged with three felonies each, including child abuse, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia. But if the judge accepts the plea then the other charges will be dropped. The television personalities both worked in local news - Som Lisaius, 42, was a veteran crime reporter at KOLD News 13 and Krystin, 26, for KGUN Channel 9. In 2013, she competed in the Miss Arizona USA competition, as the Miss Southern Arizona USA. According to the Tucson Weekly, Som Lisaius has been terminated from employment with KOLD-TV. Women can show their piety with the veil while they are Muslim women wear the veil to help them integrate into modern society, a new study argues (stock image) Muslim women wear the veil to help them integrate into modern society, a new study argues. The veil may help young, educated Muslim women to mix with non-Muslim friends, work outside the home and speak to strangers. This is because it provides a 'strategic response' to the temptations and threats of modern western life into which they are integrating, according to research by Oxford University professors. Sociologists Ozan Aksoy and Diego Gambetta wanted to find out why modernisation does not always cause a decrease in Islamic religious behaviour. Their study found that education, occupation, higher income, urban living, and contacts with non-Muslims has decreased veiling among averagely religious women. But among highly religious women, those same modernising forces have increased the use of the veil. The authors speculate that this is because women use the veil to as a 'strategic response' to threats to their modesty. Australian-Egyptian soccer player Assmaah Helal wears a Muslim head cover They conclude: 'We find that among highly religious women the modernizing forces - education, occupation and higher income, urban living, and contacts with non-Muslims - increase veiling. 'We conjecture that for highly religious women modernizing factors raise the risk and temptation in women's environments that imperil their reputation for modesty: veiling would then be a strategic response, a form either of to prevent the breach of religious norms or womens piety to their communities.' One of the co-authors of the report, Professor Gambetta of Oxford University, said: 'Highly religious women who have more native friends and live in areas dominated by natives use the veil to keep their pious reputation while being integrated,' reports The Guardian. 'Banning or shunning veiling would deprive them of a means that allow them more opportunity for integration rather than marking their differences.' The conclusion is that banning the veil will not help Muslim women integrate but will prevent them from doing so. He spent months campaigning to quit the EU so it was no surprise to see Boris Johnson's European counterparts leaving him no room in today's photo-shoot of foreign ministers. As the politicians lined up for their usual family photo at a summit in Bratislava, Slovakia today, they teased Britain's new Foreign Secretary by telling him to go one way and then the next - mimicking his tendency for political U-turns. But Mr Johnson finally found a place to stand - and he bagged a front-row position. Scroll down for video He spent months campaigning to quit the EU so it was no surprise to see Boris Johnson's European counterparts leaving him no room in today's photo-shoot of foreign ministers in Bratislava, Slovakia today As the politicians lined up for their usual family photo at a summit in Bratislava, Slovakia today, they teased Britain's new Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson by telling him to go one way and then the next - mimicking his tendency for political U-turns He used his trip to central Europe - including a brief visit to the Austrian capital Vienna this morning - to pledge Britain's continuing support to help the EU tackle the migrant crisis even after Brexit. The Foreign Secretary said he wanted a 'strong EU' and a 'strong UK' to work together, insisting: 'We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union'. He was speaking in Vienna after talks with his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz ahead of an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers which they were both attending later in Slovakian capital Bratislava. 'We do want a strong EU but we also want a strong UK and I think we share a vision for a strong new European partnership between the UK and the EU and ever closer relations between Britain and Austria,' he said. But Mr Johnson finally found a place to stand - and he bagged a front-row position. And Boris Johnson thanked his neighbour, Maltese Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella, for finding him a spot in the usual family photo shoot in Bratislava, Slovakia today Mr Johnson said that Austria had been affected by the migration crisis of the past few years, adding: 'One of the most important points I wanted to make is that we in the United Kingdom are very, very keen to continue to tackle that sort of issue together, whatever our relationship with the EU.' Mr Kurz said: 'Our goal must be that we keep strong relations between the UK and the EU and strong relations between the UK and Austria.' The former London mayor turned on his charm as he revealed he was the 'proud possessor' of a cow-bell presented to him by Austrian company Doppelmayr, which manufactured the Emirates Air Line cable car over the Thames. Boris Johnson (pictured in Vienna today alongside Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz) has pledged Britain will continue helping the EU tackle the migrant crisis after Brexit Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (pictured in Vienna this morning), continued his charm offensive on a tour to European capitals today and said he wanted a 'strong EU' and a 'strong UK' to work together, insisting: 'We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union' Boris Johnson (pictured in Vienna this morning) sought to reassure his continental counterparts by insisting: 'We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union' Boris Johnson (pictured left) was speaking alongside Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz (right) in Vienna ahead of an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers which they were both attending later in Slovakian capital Bratislava Managing to bridge the Brexit divide, Boris? Foreign Secretary looks a touch isolated as ministers meet in Germany It was not quite a bridge over troubled waters but Boris Johnson was hardly the guest of honour at a meeting of European foreign ministers in Germany. The British Foreign Secretary was left looking lonely for a moment as ministers gathered on the Glienicker Bridge during events for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the eastern German city of Potsdam today. But Mr Johnson later got in the swing of things, talking to colleagues and meeting with German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson looks out on his own as German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier leads his counterparts across the Glienicker Bridge during a conference of OSCE members states in Potsdam, Germany Mr Johnson insisted the UK would remain a 'dedicated European power' even after it left the EU, at an international security policy meeting in Germany. Mr Johnson added that Brexit would not cut Britain off from the continent. Mr Johnson said his attendance was 'part of the broader message that we're making to the world that, whatever our relationship is going to be with the treaties of the European Union, the United Kingdom is not leaving Europe'. 'Broadly conceived, we are a European country, we're a dedicated European power,' said Johnson, who took office in the wake of the shock June referendum in favour of Britain leaving the EU. 'We are going to remained integrally involved in the diplomacy and politics of our continent.' Calling the OSCE a 'fantastic organisation', he said the one-day informal meeting of 40 foreign ministers from its member states would focus largely on tensions in eastern Ukraine. Mr Johnson enjoyed chats with other Foreign Ministers on a boat trip to the bridge 'I think today everybody would agree that the wide, great continent of Europe is in a much, much better place, is in a much better state than it was 30 years ago but clearly there are problems,' he said. 'We'll be talking about... what we can do to make sure that the OSCE monitors are able to have the access that they need and that the territorial integrity of (Ukraine) is fully and properly respected.' OSCE monitors in eastern Ukraine have recorded regular violations of a ceasefire and a political reconciliation agreement signed in the Belarussian capital Minsk in February 2015. Spain is seeking the return of wartime gifts presented to Nazi Germany intended to prove the 'Aryan' ancestry of the two nations and supremacy of its people. Fascist dictator Francisco Franco gave the Visigoth artefacts to SS chief Heinrich Himmler, a man obsessed with proving the superiority of the Ayran race above all others on earth. They were presented to him after he visited Madrid in 1940 and included gold and bronze cups, necklaces and even human bones excavated from a Visigoth necropolis near Segovia. Heinrich Himmler, pictured here with his daughter Gudrun, visited Madrid in 1940 where he met with archaeologist Julio Martinez Santa-Olalla who handed over Visigoth artefacts which he hoped would prove that Germany and Spain shared similar Aryan heritage Himmler, right, was shown the artefacts by Julio Martinez Santa-Olalla, left, in October 1940 Spanish dictator General Franco, pictured, employed Santa-Olalla as his archaeologist Visigoths were Germanic tribesmen who conquered much of the Iberian peninsula between the 5th and 8th centuries before being ousted by the Moors. Archaeologist Julio Martinez Santa-Olalla, a Franco aide, wanted to present the items to Himmler as part of his mission to prove that the Visigoth presence in Spain proved Spaniards shared the same 'Aryan' ancestry as the Germans - and were therefore 'supermen' like them. The archaeologist accompanied Himmler on a visit to the Montserrat monastery near Barcelona on his 1940 visit. Himmler, who would oversee the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews and end up killing himself with a cyanide pill when captured by British troops in 1945, thought he would find the Holy Grail there - the chalice said to have been used by Chjrist at the Last Supper. 'They searched the region for tall blonde workers so that Himmler could see the Germanic trace,' said Francisco Gracia, professor of prehistory at the University of Barcelona. Himmler, second right, speaking to Sant-Olalla, made a field trip to El Escorial in October 1940 The trip was called off due to bad weather so the items were sent through to Berlin where they ended up in museums there and in Austria. Now Spain is poised to make formal request for the items to be displayed in Madrid's National Archaeological Museum. The identity of one of the first ever tank crewman to be killed in action has been revealed after a chance discovery. Cyril William Coles, who was born in Canford, Dorset, engaged the enemy in the first tank attack in history at The Somme on September 15, 1916. After his tank was hit he climbed out, but straight into the sights of German machine gunners. Now, a century later, his story is being told at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, after a forgotten memorial in his honour was found. Cyril Coles died in battle after being a part of the first tank attack in history at The Somme on September 15, 1916. Right, the memorial at the Skinner Street United Reformed Church in Dorset Melissa Lambert, the sister of the museum's exhibitions manager Sarah Lambert, saw a photo and plaque dedicated to Gunner Coles at Skinner Street United Reformed Church, which prompted museum staff to research his life. The caption read: 'Cyril Coles who was killed in the first tank attack near Flers September 15th 1916. Aged 23 years.' Born in 1893, he was the son of a corn miller and was working with his father at Creekmoor Mill in 1911. Gunner Coles (circled) received only five months of training before heading into battle. He formed one of the eight man crew of tank D15 Cyril (circled) is pictured here at the church in 1912. A memorial plaque was placed in his honour there several years later Melissa Lambert, the sister of the museum's exhibitions manager Sarah Lambert, saw a photo and plaque dedicated to Gunner Coles at Skinner Street United Reformed Church, which prompted museum staff to research his life He was also identified in one of the first group photographs of tank crewmen and after further research the museum identified which tank he served in at Flers and what happened to him and the crew. After being killed, his remains were interred next to the disabled tank and following the Armistice they were relocated to the Bull Road cemetery to the east of Flers. His memory was kept alive by his brother Donald Coles who, in 1925, named his only son after Cyril. But staff have been unable to trace the family further and are appealing for any descendants to get in touch. David Willey is the curator at The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset David Willey, curator at the museum, said: 'We knew that a Cyril Coles was killed on the very first day that tanks ever went into battle. 'But finding such a personal story practically on our doorstep was a complete coincidence. 'For our centenary exhibition we identified eight of the first tankmen, some of whom took part in the first ever action, and Cyril Coles is one of two who didn't survive the war. 'He was one of the very first tank crewmen to be killed and 100 years on it would be wonderful to make contact with his family. 'We're in touch with the families of several of those who took part, but would love to find the relatives of Cyril, especially as he was local. 'Like so many names on First World War memorials we all pass by without a second thought, Cyril was until recently just another anonymous casualty of a war fought long ago. The Tank Museum has the finest collection of tanks in the world.To mark the centenary the museum is taking a replica of a World War One tank - that was made for the film War Horse - to Trafalgar Square on September 15 Gunner Coles' story is now being told at The Tank Museum after the discovery 'But now we know he was one of that small group of men who were pioneers of tank warfare and was inside one on the very first day they rolled towards the German trenches. 'We know that his tank D15 was hit and disabled by artillery and that as he climbed out to escape along with his fellow gunner they were both cut down by German machine gunners. The remaining men in the crew escaped with injuries. 'One hundred years later we feel it is important to remember these brave men and we're pleased to have been able to bring Cyril Coles to people's attention with our exhibition.' To mark the centenary the museum is taking a replica of a World War One tank - that was made for the film War Horse - to Trafalgar Square on September 15. Cyril Coles undertook just five months of training before travelling to France in August 1916 where he formed one of the eight man crew of tank D15. An Italian government campaign urging young couples to 'get on with it' to boost the country's flagging birthrate has been pulled after a furious backlash on social media. The online campaign in the run-up to the country's annual fertility day on 22 September involved 12 posters encouraging childbirth. Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said Friday she had ordered changes after they were slammed as patronising, sexist and hectoring. The online campaign in the run-up to the country's annual fertility day on 22 September involved 12 posters encouraging childbirth The biggest outcry was over an image of a fraught-looking young woman touching her stomach with one hand and holding an egg-timer in the other, with the sand running away. 'Beauty has no age. But fertility does,' said the caption, widely criticised for implying women delaying pregnancy had only themselves to blame if they ended up childless. Men were not treated any more sensitively. A picture of rotting banana skin was deployed to make the point that: 'Male fertility is much more vulnerable than you might think.' That was making a similar point to a picture of a man holding a cigarette with the warning: 'Don't let your sperm go up in smoke.' Another image shows a wading bird on the edge of a nest, imploring surfers to: 'Get a move on! Don't wait for the stork.' The tweets, released to promote a Fertility Day planned for September 23, quickly went viral - the initial incredulous reaction being amplified by a swell of support for Lorenzin from pro-family groups. Criticism of the campaign focused on the numerous obstacles to having children in Italy, including high unemployment, low wages, weak maternity rights and inadequate childcare provision. The biggest outcry was over an image of a fraught-looking young woman touching her stomach with one hand and holding an egg-timer in the other, with the sand running away One of the most popular tweets was a cartoon by Virgilio Natola showing a female hand holding up a pregnancy test kit bearing the result: 'Go abroad and find yourself a job.' Others cited Italy's falling birthrate as a serious problem. 'The criticisms of #fertilityday are ridiculous,' tweeted Comitato Articolo 26, one of the groups involved in organising recent 'Family Days' in opposition to legislation on gay civil unions. 'In the country of demographic suicide, a lot, lot more should be done.' Announcing a review of the campaign, Lorenzin said: 'We did not intend to offend or provoke anyone. If the message has not gone across as we we would have liked, we will change it.' Lorenzin, a practising Catholic, was left looking isolated after Prime Minister Matteo Renzi appeared to criticise the campaign. 'As far as I know, none of my friends had their kids after seeing an advert,' he said in a radio interview on Thursday. Criticism of the campaign focused on the obstacles to having children in Italy, including high unemployment, low wages, weak maternity rights and inadequate childcare provision Italy has the lowest birthrate in the European Union and one of the lowest in the world, with only eight babies born for every 1,000 residents in 2015, according to EU figures released in July. A total of 485,000 babies were born in the country last year, a record low and less than half the level of the 1960s. Lorenzin warned earlier this year that the current 'catastrophic decline' would reduce the number of newborns to 350,000 within a decade unless action is taken to reverse the trend. The collapse of ISIS in Iraq and Syria could end up increasing the risk of terror attacks on the West, the country's anti-terror prosecutor has warned. ISIS has suffered a series of military setbacks after losing territory in Iraq in recent months while one of its most prominent leaders, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, was killed in an air strike in Syria in August. But with their forces under pressure, more French jihadis and their families could chose to return home, according to Paris prosecutor Francois Molins. The collapse of ISIS in Iraq and Syria could end up increasing the risk of terror attacks on the West, the country's anti-terror prosecutor has warned He told the newspaper Le Monde: 'We see clearly in the history of terrorism that when terrorist organisations are in difficulty on their own turf they look for an opportunity to attack abroad.' Many of those involved in deadly attacks in France since last year were French born. It comes as Molins announced harsher prison sentences for returning French jihadis. Molins, whose office is in charge of terrorism investigations, said around 700 people from France are fighting for extremist groups in Iraq and Syria and 'at one moment or another we will face the return of a large number of French fighters and their families.' He said his office will hand down more severe criminal charges, with possible sentences up to 30 years, in cases that might previously have drawn maximum sentences of 10 years. Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian, rammed a 19-tonne truck into people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 85 people and wounding more than 400 Molins said there were 26 terrorism cases in 2013, while today his office is following 324 cases. France is still on high alert following a wave of deadly attacks on its on soil. In July, a pair of ISIS knifemen stormed a church in Normandy before slitting the throat of an elderly priest. It came just weels after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian, rammed a 19-tonne truck into people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 85 people and wounding more than 400. ISIS said Bouhlel staged the attack 'in response to calls to target nations of coalition states' fighting the jihadist group. Last November, coordinated suicide attacks in Paris killed 130 people and wounded more than 350 at a concert hall, cafes and the national stadium In July, a pair of ISIS knifemen stormed a church in Normandy before slitting the throat of elderly priest Jacques Hamel A month earlier a man claiming allegiance to ISIS stabbed a police officer to death before slitting his partner's throat in front of their young son at their home in Magnanville, west of Paris. Last November, coordinated suicide attacks in Paris killed 130 people and wounded more than 350 at a concert hall, cafes and the national stadium. In January last year, Gunman Amedy Coulibaly, claiming allegiance to ISIS, killed a policewoman in a Paris suburb before attacking a Jewish supermarket the next day, where he killed four more people. He was later killed in a police assault. You are here: Home Flash Suspended Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff attends a Senate impeachment trial in Brasilia, Brazil, Aug. 29, 2016. Brazilian senate votes to strip Dilma Rousseff of presidency in impeachment trail on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua] Brazil's Dilma Rousseff appealed the decision of her impeachment from the presidency to the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday, a day after being stripped of office. Rousseff's defense team submitted a "writ of security" against the Senate vote that found her guilty on Wednesday of being "criminally responsible" for fiscal wrongdoing. A "writ of security" is a Brazilian legal tool to protect individuals from legal decisions that may violate their rights. The head of her legal team, former Justice Minister and Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo, had previously announced that they would resort to the measure, citing "irregularities in the process" of impeachment. Rousseff was impeached by an overwhelming majority of 61 to 20 votes, for allegedly inflating fiscal accounts and downplaying a growing budget deficit to improve her chances of being elected to a second term. Rousseff, of the left-leaning Workers' Party, has denied the charges, saying the trial was politically motivated by the right-wing opposition. Her vice president, Michel Temer, of the conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, was sworn in to serve the remainder of her term through 2018. Eric Trump went for the jugular in responding to Hillary Clinton for complaining that his father's Trump neckties got manufactured overseas blaming Clinton and her policies for the business decision. 'Hillary will insult us for making a tie outside of the United States because you literally cant manufacture in this country anymore because of what their policies have done for this country,' Trump bristled in an interview on Fox and Friends Friday morning. Then he went right at the Clinton Foundation not for its web of corporate and overseas sponsors, but for its charity work abroad. 'But just about every dollar that the foundation makes all goes overseas when we have massive problems in our own country an we have massive poverty and we do have obesity problems we have a lot of problems in this country, right?' Trump continued. 'But instead of fixing the inner cities, instead of fixing the the educational system instead of contributing within the borders of our own country, all that money is going overseas and I find that very, very ironic.' Donald Trump's son Eric Trump blasted Hillary Clinton for going after his father's Trump ties for being manufactured overseas, speaking on Fox and Friends Friday Eric Trump, pictured here with wife Lara, says the policies of the Clintons are to blame for the decision to manufacture Trump neckwear overseas Clinton has repeatedly gone after Trump for his ties, formerly sold at Macy's. In Denver last month, she brandished a tie at a manufacturing plant and said, 'I wish Donald Trump could meet all of you and see what you are making here and hear the stories of people who have come together to produce products and create more opportunity for more people.' She added: ''I really would like him to explain why he paid Chinese workers to make Trump ties.' IT'S A TIE: Hillary Clinton went after Trump's business strategy at an event at the Knotty Tie Company in Denver last month Eric Trump blasted the Clinton Foundation for its efforts overseas when there are still 'massive' problems in the U.S. A Clinton campaign TV ad plays clips from a David Letterman interview with Trump where the host confronts the GOP presidential candidate with labels from his ties. ' We employ people in Bangladesh. They have to work too,' Trump explains. A Politifact story from 2015 cited materials provided by the Clinton Foundation and reported that two-thirds of spending in 2012 and 2013 went to U.S. projects, not overseas efforts. The figure was surprising because the foundation publicizes its overseas work. Trump blamed NAFTA, signed by Bill Clinton, for causing job losses. 'Since he signed NAFTA weve lost one-third of all manufacturing jobs in this country. Our jobs are fleeing this country yet people are coming into the country and taking the very few jobs that we have left,' Eric Trump said. Trump went hard after the Clinton Foundation when asked about a Politico report Thursday that revealed taxpayer dollars for former presidents' staff paid a portion of the salary of a Clinton Foundation worker who helped set up the Clinton email server. 'Nothing surprises me anymore,' said Trump, who then brought up Clinton's longtime aide Huma Abedin, who has emerged as a key figure in Clinton emails being released. 'You see Huma Abedin, you see her connection obviously between the foundation the State Department, emails going forth, big donors wanting to go to dinner with the vice president. 'Its really horrible. It is pay to play on the largest level. Americans deserve a lot better,' he said. Trump also commented on members of Trump's Hispanic advisory council balking at the candidate's speech in Phoenix, with one member quitting. 'Which is actually pretty amazing, considering the speech. It was actually very consistent and has been very consistent with his plan,' Eric Trump said. An A Level student who used a cloned credit card to go on a 3,000 luxury trip to Dubai was spared jail so he can study law at university. Jamal Abdilladi, 20, splashed out on a seven-day holiday at the five star Armani Hotel including a return business class flight via Paris. He also ordered 465 worth of designer Moncler clothing from Selfridges and a mountain bike from Halfords. Jamal Abdilladi, 20, splashed out on a seven-day holiday at the five star Armani Hotel including a return business class flight via Paris Abdilladi was arrested when he returned from Dubai and attempted to pick up the clothing from a 'click and collect' point using his passport. He claimed that he was a victim of fraudsters who contacted him over Instagram but was convicted of three counts of fraud after a trial at the Old Bailey. The court heard he is due to start studying law at Royal Holloway University later this month. Mr Recorder Stephen Farrell QC told Abdilladi that he had narrowly avoided being sent to jail. Luxury: The Old Bailey heard the student went to the five star hotel, paid for using a cloned credit card The judge said: 'In your favour you are 20 years of age and you have done well in your 'A' Levels and are due to start at university. 'It beggars belief that someone who is going to be a lawyer could behave in this thoroughly dishonest fashion. 'That is clearly inconsistent with someone practising as a lawyer but you are still young. 'I have thought very long and hard as to whether you should be sent immediately to prison and I very nearly decided to do that. 'Having heard from the probation officer I have decided not to take that course.' Abdilladi was sentenced to a community order with 220 hours unpaid work. Appearing at the Old Bailey (pictured), Abdilladi was convicted of three counts of fraud and ordered to pay 1,500 prosecution costs within the next 12 months The American Express card used by Abdilladi was defrauded to a total of more than 11,000 - but only around 3,800 could be traced to the student. On 2 April 2014, Abdilladi, then 18, used the card to book the week-long holiday in Dubai with a travel agent for 3,328.73. He ordered a Moncler jumper and trousers from Selfridge and arranged to collect them under his own name. Abdilladi also used his own address to arrange for the delivery of the bike from Halfords but this purchase was stopped before it went through. The judge told him: 'You used the car to pay for an expensive holiday in Dubai to stay in a luxury hotel having travelled to and from Dubai in business class which undoubtedly cost thousands of pounds. 'These are very serious offences in my view and they are aggravated by the fact you destroyed your phone and deleted your Instagram account so you could put up the false account that you were the victim of crime when plainly you were not.' Abdilladi, from Southall in London, was convicted of three counts of fraud. A failing Muslim school has been shut down by Ofsted - but bosses argued being closed could lead to the radicalisation of students. Ayasofia Primary School, in Whitechapel, east London, will be thrown off the register of independent schools after four inspections last year uncovered a raft of educational failings. Students learned in poorly planned lessons, their work was rarely marked and security at the school was described as 'lax'. Shutting down: Ayasofia Primary School, in Whitechapel will be thrown off the register of independent schools after four inspections last year uncovered a raft of educational failings The Secretary of State for Education informed the trust governing the co-educational school, formed in 2009, that it was to be removed from the register last December. Cityside Primary Trust, which owns the school, subsequently launched an appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal, claiming the move to shut the school, which has 80 pupils aged between 4 and 11, was 'disproportionate.' The Trust argued that children attending the school were avoiding potential 'radicalisation' during 'unregistered home schooling' by ultra-religious family members. It was also submitted that the school addressed the 'fine balance of the requirements of parents seeking a very conservative and traditional Islamic education with the need to introduce a wider modern context.' Pupils, particularly girls, would face the prospect of no schooling at all were Ayasofia shut down, it was said. But Tribunal judge, Laurence Bennett, has now dismissed the appeal, leaving the school facing closure next week. Judge Bennett acknowledged that the school had 'introduced elements that might not usually be found within a conservative religious curriculum such as girls learning the Koran and visits to non-Islamic places of worship.' The trust had itself 'raised the issue of radicalisation to the opposite effect as a reason to consider deregistration disproportionate' along with 'the suggestion that home school, possibly unregistered with the local authority, is the likely alternative to pupils attendance at Ayasofia,' he said. But those arguments were ultimately rejected. Judge Bennett said: 'We are not persuaded that there is a binary consequence, that is attendance at Ayasofia, a school judged to have significant failings, or home schooling with attendant risks. 'The borough of Tower Hamlets has many schools and evidence was given of alternative independent faith schools,' he added. He said the school had been described as 'very poor' educationally and there were concerns that it 'had not addressed the inspection findings with sufficient urgency.' Although there was 'no reason to doubt the good intentions' of those behind the school, the judge observed: 'Many failings are continuing'. And he added: 'Parents' religious views cannot override fundamental requirements appropriate for the safe and effective delivery of education to their children whilst attending school'. A Pennsylvania couple and a Philadelphia-area man to whom they allegedly gave their 14-year-old daughter in exchange for money have waived their arraignments. Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus had been scheduled to appear Friday in Bucks County, but online court records show they appeared Wednesday and waived arraignment. The man to whom they allegedly gave their daughter, 51-year-old Lee Kaplan of Feasterville, did the same thing Tuesday. They've all pleaded not guilty. Daniel (left) and Savilla Stoltzfus (right) have been accused of 'gifting' their 14-year-old daughter to a friend after he helped them out financially Police say Daniel Stoltzfus, 43, told them he and his 42-year-old wife 'gave' their teen daughter to Kaplan for financial help. Kaplan is awaiting trial on sexual assault charges. Authorities contend Kaplan fathered two children with the girl (who are now ages three and six) and that nine girls found in Kaplan's home were also the Stoltzfus' children. The Stolktzfus' daughter moved in with 51-year-old Lee Kaplan (pictured) when she was 14 years old and immediately started sharing his bed All three defendants remain jailed unable to post bail. At a court hearing last month, the now 18-year-old victim said that she started sharing Kaplan's bed when she moved into his home at the age of 14. She told the court on August 2 that she still cares for and trusts Kaplan Daniel Stoltzfus faces an additional charge of conspiracy in his daughter's alleged sexual assault after prosecutors contended he made the agreement to 'gift' his daughter to his business partner to avoid financial ruin. Defense attorneys for the trio disputed the meaning of 'gave' in the case. Each questioned what investigators had been told. Detectives said Kaplan had lied several times and knew the girl's age. The couple, they said, lied about how many children had been in Kaplan's home after learning of the sexual contact. The teen testified during Tuesday's hearing, which was attended by a large number of Amish men, that her parents had not known she was pregnant until her mother assisted in the birth of the then-15-year-old's first child. Police acting on a tip raided Kaplan's home in the 400 block of Old Street Road in Feasterville on June 16 and rescued the 12 girls living with him The 18-year-old said she gave birth to both her children 'in the bedroom' she shared with Kaplan. Their second child was born when the girl turned 17. She said her parents then split residences, with Savilla Stoltzfus and some of Savilla's children moving to also live with Kaplan. Police acting on a tip raided Kaplan's home in the 400 block of Old Street Road in Feasterville on June 16 and rescued the 12 girls living with him. Some of the children, all dressed in traditonal Amish garb, were found hiding in the chicken coop and the basement. Officers described them as well-behaved but scared. Investigators later uncovered evidence the girls has been living in the basement where they found air mattresses, a model train setup and a tank of catfish. Daniel, left, and Lee, right, pictured in yellow jumpsuits after their June arrest Savilla is pictured in a red jumpsuit after her June arrest. Her daughter gave birth to two children while living with Kaplan Books and musical instruments in the basement lead detectives to believe the girls were being homeschooled. Daniel Stoltzfus' attorney said prosecutors had made a leap in suggesting the girl's father agreed to let his business partner have sexual intercourse with his daughter. But, Bucks County Assistant District Attorney Mary Kate Kohler maintained that a father does not give a child to another man especially one who is not a relative without an understanding that sexual contact could occur. Kohler argued the girl's father didn't intervene after learning his daughter was pregnant because 'that's what he expected.' Residents of Copenhagen's hippy enclave Christiania tore down the area's cannabis market after a suspected drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested following a shoot-out with police and later died from his wounds. The violence marked an escalation in clashes between police and drug dealers who illegally sell hashish in Christiania, a largely self-governing neighbourhood created when hippies occupied abandoned navy barracks in 1971. Residents of Copenhagen's hippy enclave Christiania tore down the area's cannabis market after a suspected drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander Fed up with the violence, some of Christiania's 600 residents yesterday tore down the market stalls used by drug dealers on the neighbourhood's infamous 'Pusher Street.' Images from the scene show people using saws, cordless drills and crowbars to dismantle the stalls. Others cheered as heavy machinery knocked down plywood stalls and tore down stone walls, leaving piles of rubble of what once were hashish dealers' booths. 'It is important that we do this today with the wounded police officer in our thoughts,' said community spokesman Risenga Manghezi. Images from the scene show people using saws, cordless drills and crowbars to dismantle the stalls Fed up with the violence, some of Christiania's 600 residents yesterday tore down the market stalls used by drug dealers on the neighborhood's infamous 'Pusher Street.' 'But we cannot guarantee that they won't pop up again, unfortunately.' Copenhagen's police chief Thorkild Fogde welcomed the dismantling of 'the hashish supermarket,' adding it was 'a clear attempt to help the police.' Danish politicians, who for years have called for the open hashish sale to stop, rushed to applaud the residents' action. Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen tweeted 'Great Christiania. Hold on tight.' Copenhagen's police chief Thorkild Fogde welcomed the dismantling of 'the hashish supermarket,' adding it was 'a clear attempt to help the police.' Though many Christiania residents have liberal attitudes toward drugs, they are uncomfortable with the presence of criminal gangs Though many Christiania residents have liberal attitudes toward drugs, they are uncomfortable with the presence of criminal gangs running the hashish trade in the neighborhood. 'What we, the residents, don't want is to be associated with the violence connected to the hashish sale,' Manghezi said. 'As for now we have no concrete plans as to what will happen with Pusher Street.' Authorities say the gunman, identified as Mesa Hodzic, a Danish national born in Bosnia, opened fire on two police officers as they tried to arrest him late Wednesday. The gunman also shot a bystander in the leg. People cheered as heavy machinery knocked down plywood stalls and tore down stone walls, leaving piles of rubble of what once were hashish dealers' booths One of the officers is in critical condition while the other and the bystander are stable, police said. Police later shot Hodzic as they confronted him south of Copenhagen. He was taken to Copenhagen's university hospital, where he died from his wounds early Friday, his defense lawyer Jacob Kiil said. Manghezi said Hodzic was not a Christiania resident. Since Pusher Street was created in the late 1980s, police have raided the hashish sale dozens of time and have torn down stalls several times with little luck. In 2004, residents and hashish dealers together dismantled stalls. Shortly after, stalls and booths mushroomed again. A man has pulled a dead dog from a river in Western Australia, which had a sledgehammer and a chain tied around its neck. Chad Woods was fishing near Wonnerup, east of Busselton, when he made the shocking discovery. Mr Woods posted an image of the dog to the Busselton Community Postings Facebook page, in the hope of identifying who had committed the act. Chad Woods was fishing near Wonnerup, east of Busselton, when he made the shocking discovery of a dog (pictured) who had been drowned with a sledgehammer and chain wrapped around its neck In the post Mr Woods said: 'Does anyone recognise this dog I pulled from the river at Wonnerup flood gates with a sledge hammer and choke chain around its neck!' 'Some sick ***** has thrown it off the flood gates and left the poor dog to drown! This is so sick I vomited! And the sick person should be hung! I'm reporting it to the RSPCA. Tried to tell police but it's not there (sic) department. Please help to catch this person.' The RSPCA told the Busselton Mail that they had found the dog's owner and were investigating the case. Amanda Swift, the WA chief inspector, said they were dealing with yet another case of 'horrific' animal cruelty. 'We urge anyone with information relating to this incident to please come forward,' she said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Woods for a comment. Florida Governor Rick Scott fears Hurricane Hermine could spread Zika - and experts have said the weather will make it harder for the state to fight the virus. Hermine made landfall in Florida early Friday as a Category 1 hurricane with forecasters warning as much as 20 inches of rain on Thursday. Governor Scott declared a state of emergency in most of Florida's 67 counties ahead of the first hurricane to directly strike the Sunshine State in more than a decade. Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced the coastline and expected rainfall up to 10 inches carried the danger of flooding through the storm's path, including the state capital, Tallahassee, which hadn't been hit by a hurricane since Kate in 1985. But once Hermine passes, the remaining water 'will provide all kinds of breeding sites for the mosquitoes,' that can spread Zika, said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. Scroll down for video Florida Governor Rick Scott (above, on Thursday) fears Hurricane Hermine could spread Zika 'We have to get rid of standing water,' Governor Scott said, according to CBS. 'That's the most important thing we can do now and after the this storm hits.' The hurricane is also likely to disrupt mosquito abatement activities as state authorities prioritize other emergency efforts. On Thursday, Florida officials said they had trapped the first mosquitoes shown to have the Zika virus - a mosquito-borne virus shown to cause birth defects - after weeks of searching. Schaffner said the finding showed there is a substantial amount of Zika in circulation. 'People around their homes will be worried about themselves and their families and neighbors rather than looking for mosquito breeding sites,' Schaffner said. 'Emergency responders will be focused on things other than mosquito abatement.' This satellite photo taken on Friday shows Tropical Storm Hermine. Hermine was downgraded from hurricane status after hitting Florida's Gulf coast earlier on Friday Once Hermine passes, the remaining water 'will provide all kinds of breeding sites for the mosquitoes,' that can spread Zika. Above, a woman surveys the damage outside her home in Tampa, Florida Florida is the first state in the continental United States to confirm local Zika transmission, with 47 cases of infection so far, raising concerns among pregnant women and threatening the state's multibillion-dollar tourism industry. First detected in Brazil last year, Zika can cause the rare birth defect microcephaly, marked by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, when pregnant women are infected. Brazil, has confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly since last fall. Earlier this week, Governor Scott urged residents and business owners to remain vigilant against Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes once the storm had passed. Scott and other state officials have stressed the need to dump standing water and take other steps to eliminate breeding areas. High winds from the hurricane will also make aerial spraying with pesticides impossible, disrupting a key effort by the state to keep mosquito populations under control, said Joseph Conlon, a retired U.S. Navy entomologist who serves as technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association. A street is blocked from debris washed up from the tidal surge of the hurricane in Cedar Key 'If it's raining or if the winds are above five to 10 miles per hour, aerial spraying is out,' said Conlon, who lives in Jacksonville, Florida. Conlon said initially, high rains will likely wash out a lot of mosquitoes, but if flood waters leave behind debris, that could provide breeding sites for the mosquitoes that carry Zika. 'It will make for more mosquitoes, there's no doubt about that,' he said. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can lay their eggs in small pools of standing water no bigger than the size of a bottle cap. The eggs cling to the edges of containers and can survive long droughts. Florida officials have been working to drain water in containers on residents' property and scrub away rings of eggs, but fresh rains from a large storm could refill them, and any remaining eggs could hatch. 'If you can't get rid of the water source, scrub the insides of containers to get rid of the eggs,' Conlon said. The second teenage girl charged over the Slender Man stabbing is due to follow her co-defendant in pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Anissa Weier is accused alongside Morgan Geyser of trying to kill a 12-year-old classmate to please horror character Slender Man two years ago. Geyser entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental defect or disease - known as NGI - last month. Anissa Weier (pictured left at 12) and Morgan Geyser (pictured right at 12) allegedly stabbed Payton Leutner 19 times as they tried to appease fictional internet character Slender Man Prosecutors asked the judge whether Weier could make the same plea but her attorney, Maura McMahon, said no defense had been decided. McMahon told the judge Weier wants to change her not guilty plea to the insanity plea. This is due to happened at a hearing on September 9, reports USA Today. Defendants claiming to be not guilty by reason of insanity must be examined by doctors who report whether medical evidence backs up the plea. Weier and Geyser are accused of attempting to kill classmate Payton Leutner after inviting her to a birthday sleepover in May 2014. The next day they lured Leutner into some woods at a Waukesha park, stabbed her repeatedly and then fled. Leutner suffered 19 stab wounds, including one that doctors said narrowly missed a major artery near her heart. Leutner crawled to a road where a bicyclist found her. Police captured Geyser and the other girl on Waukesha's outskirts later that day. They told investigators they had hoped killing Leutner would gain them favor with Slender Man, a demon-like character featured in online horror stories. Weier and Geyser (pictured) are accused of attempting to kill classmate Payton Leutner after inviting her to a birthday sleepover in May 2014 The next day they lured Leutner into some woods at a Waukesha park, stabbed her repeatedly and then fled. Pictured is Anissa Weier Payton Leutner suffered 19 stab wounds, including one that doctors said narrowly missed a major artery near her heart. Leutner crawled to a road where a bicyclist found her They said they were planning to walk 300 miles to the Nicolet National Forest, where they hoped to live as Slender Man's servants in his mansion. Leutner recovered from her wounds and returned to school that fall. They have been charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, which means they are automatically considered an adult under state law. A defendant pleading not guilty by reason of insanity must prove that a mental disease or defect stopped them from understanding the wrongfulness of their action, or from conforming to the law. Experts have testified already that Geyser suffers from schizophrenia and oppositional defiant disorder and maintains relationships with imaginary characters. Further work must be done to decide if she will be able to enter the NGI plea. A man charged with pouring boiling water over Daniel Morcombe's killer, paedophile Brett Cowan, told the court was 'doing it for the people'. Adam Paul Davidson has not yet entered a plea for the jail-yard assault which left the notorious paedophile in hospital with serious injuries. The 30-year-old man who allegedly poured boiling water from a mop bucket on Cowan before beating him with it is also an inmate at Brisbane's Wolston Correctional Centre. Scroll down for video Brett Cowan, Daniel Morcombe's murderer, was left in hospital after a fellow inmate allegedly poured boiling water on him Daniel was murdered by the paedophile in 2003 on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland He was charged with grievous bodily harm following the alleged attack. Davidson will face court again over the matter next month. He is the only person expected to be charged in relation to the attack despite claims more prisoners were involved. Adam Paul Davidson who has been charged for the assault told the court he 'did it for the people' (Cowan pictured) Cowan is serving a life sentence for killing Daniel (pictured) who is survived by his parents and twin brother Bill Potts from Queensland's Law Society condemned the attack. 'We as a society, no matter what we might think of him (Cowan) as a person, still have an obligation to ensure his safety,' he said. Cowan is serving a life sentence for murdering Sunshine Coast schoolboy Daniel Morcombe in 2003. Alexander Thomson, 32, who had just lost his job, allegedly attacked Thomas Hulme (pictured) after a night out A City worker is accused of killing his friend with a single punch to the head after his shoe was thrown out of a taxi window, a court heard today. Alexander Thomson, 32, who had just lost his job, allegedly attacked Thomas Hulme, 23, after a night out with former work colleagues from a recruitment firm in Farringdon, central London last Friday. At the time of the alleged incident the group of four were inside a minicab on Farringdon Street in the City of London. Mr Hulme, 23, from Tooting, south London, died on Saturday night and Thomson was charged with his manslaughter. The defendant, of Clapham, south London, was brought before Judge Wendy Joseph QC at the Old Bailey. He spoke only to confirm his name before the judge granted him conditional bail to return to court on September 26 for a plea hearing. Flash The UN Security Council will have a new round of straw poll next Friday on the 10 current candidates vying to be next UN secretary-general to succeed Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1, the president of the council, Ambassador Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen of New Zealand, announced Thursday. Another round of the secret council poll will be held on Sept. 26, Bohemen said while briefing reporters here on the 15-nation council's work program for September, when New Zealand, one of the 10 non-permanent council members, holds the rotating council presidency. However, New Zealand will hand over its responsibilities to conduct straw polls behind closed doors to Russia during its council presidency this month simply because Helen Clark, a national from the Pacific island country, is in the race for the post of the world's top diplomat, he said. After closed consultations here Thursday afternoon, all council members also agreed to hold another round of straw poll in the first week of October, the council president said. In the October straw poll, the five permanent council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and the 10 non-permanent council members will use different colors, a system to differentiate permanent council members from non-permanent council members. The 10 non-permanent seats are currently held by Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The council's first straw poll was held on July 21. The council members cast ballots which marked by three columns --"encouraged," "discouraged," and "no opinion expressed" for each candidate. The number of candidates has been reduced by only two since the first straw poll. Vesna Pusic of Croatia withdrew her nomination on Aug. 4, the day before the second straw poll, while Igor Luksic of Montenegro pulled out of the race on Aug. 23, diplomatic sources said. In the previous three rounds of informal, secret straw poll, former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres of Portugal maintained his lead, said the sources. The straw poll this year is actually a secret paper balloting process, but results quickly leaked out from various diplomatic sources. These straw polls continue until there is a majority candidate without a single veto from a permanent council member. That name is then officially transferred to the UN General Assembly, whose membership historically chooses the candidate. This year, the 193-member General Assembly took a more active role in the selection process, aiming to make it more transparent and inclusive. For the first time in history, the candidates were asked to submit their resumes and to take part in informal briefings with the General Assembly. It is the duty of the 15-member council to forward its recommendation for the next secretary-general to the General Assembly to vote on. There are hopes in some quarters for a first-ever woman secretary-general as well as in others quarters for a UN chief from an Eastern Europe country. It is hoped a candidate can be chosen by November. Donald Trump has tapped Citizens United president David Bossie, a man with two decades of research into Hillary and Bill Clinton under his belt, to serve as his deputy campaign manager. Bossie has known Trump for years, and has advised him informally. But his secret weapons may be an untapped reservoir of dirt on the Democratic nominee for president, an instant recall of opposition research and strategic instincts about how to deploy it. He once led the research team behind the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee when it dug into Bill Clinton's past as part of a wide-ranging 1990s investigation of the Whitewater land-deal scandal. OLD PALS: Donald Trump has hired David Bossie (right), president of Citizens United, as deputy campaign manager. The two are pictured onstage at the May 2015 South Carolina Freedom Summit, which Bossie co-hosted DEEP-DIVE: Bossie brings with him more than 20 years of Clinton research and a history of political strategy that Trumpworld hopes will be a difference-maker Citizens United spokesman Bryan Lanza took a job with the Trump campaign in mid-July connecting reporters with political and policy experts who support the billionaire's candidacy. Trump told the Post that Bossie, who introduced him to his first campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in early 2015 and this year to current campaign chairman Steve Bannon has been 'a friend of mine for many years.' 'Solid. Smart. Loves politics, knows how to win.' Bossie also organized a key Republican 'Freedom Summit' cattle-call in May 2015 as Trump was weighing a formal dive into the race. The South Carolina event helped establish the billionaire as more than a flavor-of-the-week novelty. Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway added that Bossie, tasked to help with strategic planning and day-to-day operations, is 'a battle-tested warrior and a brilliant strategist' and 'a nuts-and-bolts tactician as well, who's going to help us fully integrate our ground game and data operations.' NUMBER TWO: Bossie will back up pollster Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager The Citizens United organization is best known for bringing the landmark 2010 Supreme Court case that established political donations as a form of constitutionally protected free speech. The fallout from the case has empowered corporations, unions and wealthy Americans to donate unlimited amounts of money to so-called 'super PACs' that support candidates but can't legally collaborate with them. Until this week Bossie himself was running an anti-Clinton super PAC named 'Defeat Crooked Hillary.' And his Citizens United has been one of the most aggressive groups behind Freedom of Information Act cases aimed at prying Clinton-related emails and other documents from the U.S. State Department. Much of the recent news cycles focused on the potentially criminal overlap between Clinton's role as secretary of state and a steady flow of foreign cash into her family foundation has come at Bossie's urging. CONNECTIVE TISSUE: Bossie is seen as a relationship broker in the conservative movement, and introduced Trump to both current campaign CEO Steve Bannon and former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski (pictured) His place in history has its roots in a 2008 film, 'Hillary: The Movie,' which he produced as Clinton was deep in her first run for the White House. When t he Federal Election Commission labeled it a form of 'electioneering' and prohibited the nonprofit and tax-exempt Citizens United from buying TV airtime to advertise or show it in the months before the election, the group sued on First Amendment grounds. Clinton complained last year in an interview with the Associated Press that the Supreme Court ruling should be overturned. 'They took aim at me, but they ended up damaging our entire democracy,' she said then. the ruling by a federal judge in Milwaukee and has 90 days to appeal the decision or he'll be a free man The mother of Making A Murderer's Brendan Dassey has admitted that her son is scared of coming out of prison after having his conviction overturned. Dassey was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 41 years after he was convicted in 2007 of the murder and sexual assault of Teresa Halbach, in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, along with his uncle, Steven Avery. At the time, Dassey was only 16 and told police he had helped rape, stab, shoot and dismember Halbach on his uncle's orders. Dassey has an IQ score of 70, which qualifies him as intellectually disabled, and later said his confession was coerced. Scroll down for video Making a Murderer's Brendan Dassey (pictured with his mother and stepfather) was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 41 years after in 2007 for the murder and sexual assault of Teresa Halbach, in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, along with his uncle, Steven Avery Now, at 26 years old, Dassey is expected to be released after having his conviction overturned Dassey has spent all his adult life inside Columbia Correctional Institution, Wisconsin, and his mother Barb Tadych admits that it's going to be very tough on the outside and he'll miss the security of his cell. Speaking from her home on the outskirts of Mishicot, she said: 'Actually he is very excited to get out of there and he knows he doesn't belong in there. 'But I think he's scared a little bit of going into the outside world, it's changed big time. 'He's going to have to learn everything from scratch, but he's got us to help rehabilitate him, we're going to be there every step of the way. 'He's going to get counseling, I'm getting help from his attorney in having it all set up for when he's released. 'He didn't belong in there ten years ago, he doesn't belong there now. There can't be a retrial. They have nothing whatsoever. His confession was false to begin with.' The Wisconsin Attorney General is currently reviewing the ruling by a federal judge in Milwaukee and has 90 days to appeal the decision or he'll be a free man. Dassey's (pictured as a teen) mother says that though her son is 'very excited' to be released, he is also 'scared', having spent his entire adult life thus far behind bars Dassey's uncle Steven Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His case has currently been taken up by lawyer Kathleen Zellner who claims new DNA evidence will set him free Barb and her husband, Scott Tadych - Dassey's stepfather - are preparing for his homecoming and expect it to be sooner than the November 12 deadline. Stepfather Scott added: 'He's going to be let off we think, they've got nothing on him. We're just hope it's sooner rather than later.' The couple are pleading for help from supporters of the hit Netflix show Making A Murderer, as Dassey will be coming home to nothing, and they can't afford the bare necessities for him to survive on the outside, even basic things like clothes. Barb has set up a GoFundMe page to try and raise $10,000 to help her son get back on his feet, as everything he did have at home was for a teenager, not a 26-year-old man. Barb says: 'It's to help Brendan get on his feet, it's going to be very difficult for him. Clothes, stuff he needs, he's got nothing. 'All his clothes are too small, they were all stuff that were when he was a teenager. I don't really have anything. We need to start from zero. The State doesn't help with that sort of thing, once they let him loose, he's on his own.' Barb has written an introduction on the fundraising page explaining why they need the money. The Wisconsin Attorney General is currently reviewing the ruling by a federal judge in Milwaukee and has 90 days to appeal the decision or Dassey will be a free man. Dassey's mother, Barb Tadych, and her husband, Scott Tadych - Dassey's stepfather - are preparing for his homecoming in Mishcot (pictured) and expect it to be sooner than the November 12 deadline She says: '100% of the donations collected here will be dedicated to Brendan's needs when he is released from prison and to prepare for when he comes home. 'Brendan has already lost a decade of his life behind bars. His conviction has now been overturned, but he is not yet free. 'The State has 90 days to decide whether they want to send my son's case back to trial or release him. 'When Brendan is eventually released, we know that it will take time for him to adjust to his new life as a free man. 'The sad truth is that Brendan went into prison as a child and he will be coming home a man. Brendan will have many needs, ranging from clothing to transportation. 'If you are able, please consider making a donation to help Brendan's family care for his needs when he comes home. 'Thank you to everyone who supports my son. Brendan, myself, and our family, appreciate the support more than words can say. We hope to have Brendan home very soon.' What angers Barb more than anything is that Dassey's confession was allowed to stand, and she's campaigning for a change in the law. When overturning the decision last month, US Magistrate Judge William Duffin said that investigators made false promises to Brendan Dassey by assuring him 'he had nothing to worry about'. Barb and Scott Tadych (left, with Dassey and an unidentified man) are fundraising to raise $10,000 to help her son get back on his feet Dassey and Avery's family owns a salvage yard and towing company in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Most of the Avery family lives and works on the farm where the salvage yard is located in Manitowoc County Duffin says the 'repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary' under the US Constitution. Barb now wants a law passed in Wisconsin that doesn't allow minors to be questioned without an attorney present, or the very least an adult has to be present. She has created a page on Change.org in hopes of getting enough signatures for her request to be reviewed. Barb adds: 'If I could have been in that room with him, they wouldn't have been able to do that. That still makes me angry. When I questioned it at the time, they said they could do whatever they wanted. 'I don't think they should be able to question anyone under 18 without someone being in the room with them. For a 16 year old, it's not right. It's a worthy petition.' Halbach was killed in 2005 after she went to the Avery family auto salvage yard to photograph some vehicles. Dassey's uncle Steven Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide. Avery, 54, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. A 14-year-old boy on his way to school in Ohio was chased by a person wearing a clown mask with a knife, police say. The frightened student was heading to a bus stop near Sandalwood Place in Columbus when the incident happened around 6.15am on Tuesday, WCMH reported. He told authorities that the person was dressed in all black with a clown mask on. The teen said that he was able to get away safely by throwing a rock at the person. Scroll down for video A 14-year-old boy on his way to school in Columbus, Ohio was chased by a person in a clown mask with a knife on Tuesday around 6.30am, police say. Above the area where the incident happened is pictured When the boy arrived to North International School he immediately reported the incident to staff members. No one has been arrested as of Friday morning, but police are on high alert and taking the potential threat to children in the area very 'seriously.' 'We don't expect it during the early morning hours when people are going to work or school, so is there a concern there, yeah,' Sgt. Rich Weiner with Columbus Police told WCMH. 'We will have units in the area patrolling to make sure that this does not occur again.' Sgt. Rich Weiner (above) with Columbus Police said they are taking the potential threat to children in the area very 'seriously' and are patrolling the area more Parents in the neighborhood said they were concerned about the incident and their children's safety. '(I'm) very concerned because one of them plays Pokemon a lot on his phone, so I told him 'you have to be more aware now,' mother of four Tasha Jones said of her children. The latest incident involving a clown comes as police in South Carolina investigate reports of a clown trying to lure children into the woods. Defiant thrill-seekers continued to brave The Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers today despite more than 30 people being left stuck on it 24 hours earlier. Excited riders at the theme park in Staffordshire were unfazed by the incident yesterday that came 15 months after it crashed and seriously injured five people. There was an hour-long queue for the parks 18million flagship attraction at 10.30am today, although some visitors said they felt uneasy about riding it. Around they go: Defiant thrill-seekers continued to brave The Smiler at Alton Towers today Family day out: Kath Spiby, 42, a driver from Chorley, Lancashire, went on the ride while at Alton Towers today with husband Dan, 49, and their children Lucy, 13, and David, 12 Popular: There was an hour-long queue for the 18million flagship attraction at 10.30am today Nerves: Craig McMeeken, 43, an offshore chef from Newcastle, pictured with his daughters Emily, 14, and Ellie, 12, said yesterday's incident 'made me feel a bit uneasy to be honest' Kath Spiby, 42, a driver from Chorley, Lancashire, went on the ride while at Alton Towers today with husband Dan, 49, and their children Lucy, 13, and David, 12. She told MailOnline: You would think that from the amount of people queuing up today that no one has been put off going on it. It certainly didn't faze me. Mrs Spiby admitted that she hoped the staff are keeping everything secure and safe, while Lucy added: I would definitely go on it again. It was great. Billy Hooper, 38, a scaffolder from Surrey, said: It's down to a law of percentages. If it broke down yesterday, the chances are it won't break down again today. Excited riders at the Staffordshire theme park today were unfazed by the incident hours earlier Lost her glasses: Sinead McCarthy, 47, who was at Alton Towers with her partner Mark Worwood, 50, and their son Keelan Worwood, 13, had her glasses fall off on the ride today Taking a look: Some visitors said they felt uneasy about riding The Smiler at the park today Father and son: Billy Hooper, 38, a scaffolder, who was at Alton Towers with his son Lenny, 11, said people are 'probably more likely to be injured on the way here than on the ride' There's always a concern but there's a risk to anything. You're probably more likely to be injured on the way here than on the rides. But Sinead McCarthy, 47, a probation officer from Rugby, Warwickshire, said: They told me I could take my glasses on it so I did - and I ended up losing them. They feel off at the bit where people got stuck yesterday. The staff said I have to come back at the end of the day to get them back. However, not all riders disregarded yesterdays incident on The Smiler which saw 32 people left stranded in the air facing skyward for around half an hour. Craig McMeeken, 43, an offshore chef from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said: It made me feel a bit uneasy to be honest. It definitely put us on edge. Still going on it: Not all riders disregarded yesterdays incident on The Smiler which saw 32 people left stranded in the air facing skyward for around half an hour Watching: The Smiler in Staffordshire is pictured 24 hours after being temporarily stopped Reopened: The ride had previously been shut following a report of debris falling from it On the rollercoaster: People are still riding The Smiler even though last year, a full carriage ploughed into the rear of an empty car, leaving two women needing leg amputations The whole way round, my daughters were saying how there was a potential for something bad to happen. It's the first time we've been on The Smiler. His daughter Emily, 14, said: I kept saying to dad how there was so much of the track left which meant loads of chances for something to go wrong. I couldn't stop thinking about it but I enjoyed it in the end. Her sister Ellie, 12, added: It was good. I felt nervous before because of all the news about it. A spokesman for Alton Towers said yesterday that there had been a temporary stoppage of The Smiler, but none of the 32 riders suffered any injuries. After the incident around noon yesterday, the ride reopened at about 4.20pm - but then stopped running again for about ten minutes, before it was restarted. Up in the air: A spokesman for Alton Towers said yesterday that there had been a temporary stoppage of The Smiler, but none of the 32 riders suffered any injuries Stuck in the air: After the incident around noon yesterday, the ride reopened at about 4.20pm - but then stopped running again for about ten minutes, before it was restarted Shocking past: The stoppage yesterday came 15 months after a major crash on the Smiler in June 2015 (pictured) in which five people were seriously injured The stoppage yesterday came 15 months after a major crash on the Smiler in June 2015 in which five people were seriously injured. An investigation found that a computer block stopping the ride because of a stationary car on the track had been over-ridden by staff, causing the crash. As a result, the full carriage ploughed into the rear of the empty car, leaving two women needing leg amputations. Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd admitted a breach of health and safety rules over the incident. Alton Towers haven't learnt their lesson, claims student who had her leg amputated following the Smiler crash Vicky Balch, 20, was among five people seriously hurt in the Smiler crash in June 2015 A student who had her leg amputated following last years horrific Smiler crash claimed today that Alton Towers had not learnt its lesson from the 2015 incident. Vicky Balch, 20, who was among five people seriously hurt in the crash in June 2015, said she was shocked and disappointed by yesterdays stoppage. And Miss Balch, of Leyland, Lancashire, reiterated her calls for the ride to be permanently closed - but admitted she knew this was not going to happen. However, Alton Towers hit back, saying it had 'sought to learn every possible lesson from the events of June 2015'. Speaking of her reaction to yesterdays incident, Miss Balch told ITV's Good Morning Britain today: 'I was very shocked and disappointed. 'Obviously I expected them to have learnt, and they said they have learnt, from the experience they had with us. 'Obviously I don't know the full story completely. But I think I was just more disappointed than anything. I would (like The Smiler to be closed), but I'm also very realistic and know that's not going to happen. Miss Balch, from Leyland, Lancashire, reiterated her calls for the ride to be permanently closed 'I can only imagine they (the riders) knew (about the 2015 crash). It was when we had stopped, it was fear but then it was also we didn't know what was coming. So maybe they got told straight away, I'd hope, that they were going to get them off straight away. I'd hope that obviously theyd have been told that. Miss Balch and Leah Washington, 18, from Barnsley, both had to undergo leg amputations after two carriages on The Smiler smashed into each other last year. Their boyfriends Daniel Thorpe, 28, from Buxton, and Joe Pugh, 18, also from Barnsley, also suffered serious leg injuries, along with Chandaben Chauhan, 49. Miss Balch admitted on ITV's Good Morning Britain that she knew the ride would not be shut Speaking about her recovery, Miss Balch said: 'I'd like to think I'm strong - obviously i still have my bad days, but I have very few of those now. You just try and take every day as it comes. I'm doing well - they're very surprised at how well I'm walking at the moment. Im walking very strongly. I actually broke my foot because I was walking that well, and Im learning to run at the moment as well. I always was (fit and healthy) before. Claims that Alton Towers has not learnt its lesson over the 2015 incident were denied by a spokesman, who said today: 'Alton Towers Resort has sought to learn every possible lesson from the events of June 2015. Miss Balch is interviewed by Ben Shephard and Ranvir Singh on Good Morning Britain today Miss Balch is pictured arriving at a health and safety court hearing in Newcastle-under-Lyme 'A number of additional safety processes have been implemented, including changes to all our multi-car rollercoasters. 'On September 1, in-line with these comprehensive safety protocols, The Smiler at Alton Towers Resort was brought to a stop after a piece of rubber came away from one of the carriages. 'This stoppage allowed us to implement our well-rehearsed procedures and ensure the safety and wellbeing of everybody on the ride. We would like to stress that at no point yesterday were any guests at risk. Advertisement The Massive Attack star accused of being Banksy today told MailOnline: 'Rumours of my secret identity are greatly exaggerated'. Robert '3D' Del Naja, the founding member of the band, has been accused of being the guerrilla graffiti star because art keeps appearing near their gigs around the world. Speaking outside his 3million home in Bristol today, the star, 51, whose band are playing a homecoming gig in the city tomorrow, admitted he is close friends with Banksy but insisted it is not him. He said: 'It would be a good story but sadly not true. Wishful thinking I think. 'He is a mate as well, he's been to some of the gigs. It's purely a matter of logistics and coincidence, nothing more than that.' New theory: The hunt for the true identity of Banksy took a new twist today after a member of Massive Attack was the artist Is it him? Massive Attack star Robert Del Naja, pictured arriving at Banksy's Dismaland in Weston-Super-Mare last year, has been accused of being the guerrilla graffiti star - he denied it today In 2008 former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham was named as Banksy by the Mail on Sunday - and scientists analysing his work also believe it is him. But now investigative journalist Craig Williams, 31, claims the artist could be Mr Del Naja, or perhaps a team of people led by him and linked to Massive Attack who combine their concerts with graffiti. Mr Williams has plotted Banksy murals around the world and said that on at least six occasions more than a dozen appeared shortly before or after Massive Attack gigs in the same cities over the past 12 years. 3D was a graffiti artist in the 1980s and has admitted he is friends with Banksy - but the journalist's new research concludes he may be the artist himself. His band, famous for songs Tear Drop and Unfinished Sympathy, has made millions while Banksy's art sells for at least 500,000 a piece. Mr Williams said it has been the common conception was that the artist was 'plain old public school boy Robin Gunningham'. He said: 'But what if Banksy isn't the one person everyone thinks he is. What if Banksy is a group of people who have stencilling different locations both at home and abroad? Such a rich body of work done over a decade, across the globe, may allow for the suggestion. 'A rumour exists from 2010 that his work that went up around North America was his work but were not necessarily painted by him, but rather by a street team that happened to be following the Massive Attack tour. 'And on analysis of his North American work, this makes perfect sense.' Star: The Bristol street artist came to the public's attention back in 1997 with his The Mild Mild West mural in the city - the same time Massive Attack became one of the world's biggest banks. Trends: The investigator spent five months looking at Banksy's art and says that many coincide with Massive Attack gigs across the world Banksy rose to fame in the late 1990s, when his provocative stencil work started to get recognition. At a similar time Massive Attack was releasing its seminal albums Blue Lines and Mezzanine with band member Robert Del Naja credited as being the first graffiti artist in Bristol. According to Craig's investigation six Banksy murals were reported in San Francisco on May 1, 2010 after Massive Attack performed a two night stint in the city on April 25 and 27. Massive Attack played Toronto a week later before more new Banksy murals were reported there. Later on that tour Massive Attack head to Boston's Chinatown a day after a Banksy appeared there. Similar patterns are reported in 2006 when Massive Attack embarked on a US tour, which included a slot at the Hollywood Bowl, LA, a week before Banksy's Barely Legal exhibition in the city. In 2008 Banksy produced 14 stencils across New Orleans marking the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Del Naja co-wrote the soundtrack to the New Orleans-themed documentary Trouble the Water during the same time frame. US: Six Banksy murals were reported in San Francisco on May 1, 2010, including the one pictured, after Massive Attack performed a two night stint in the city on April 25 and 27 Canada: Massive Attack played Toronto a week later before more new Banksy murals, including this one, appeared Louisiana: In 2008 Banksy produced 14 stencils across New Orleans marking the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, left and right. Del Naja co-wrote the soundtrack to the New Orleans-themed documentary Trouble the Water Massachusetts: This art appeared in Boston when the band headed to the city LA: Massive Attack embarked on a US tour, which included a slot at the Hollywood Bowl, LA, a week before Banksy's Barely Legal exhibition in the city including his famous Australia: In April 2003 Banksy's work appears in Melbourne, the same city Massive Attack had played the month before Also in April 2003 Banksy's work appears in Melbourne, the same city Massive Attack had played the month before. And in 2013, when the artist's month long residency in New York kicked off on the 1st October, the dates coincided with Massive Attack's four night residency in the city between the 28th September and the 4th October at the city's Park Avenue Armoury. Del Naja also appeared in Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop speaking about the pair's friendship from his early days in the city. And the graffiti artist provides the foreword to book 3D and the Art of Massive Attack, which was released last year. The band are due to play a homecoming gig in Bristol on Saturday, and Craig Williams has predicted Banksy will make a return too. He added: 'Perhaps the assertion then that Banksy is just one person is wide of the mark, instead being a group who have, over the years, followed Massive Attack around and painted walls at their leisure,' Craig added. 'And perhaps, at the head of such a group we have Del Naja. A multi-disciplined artist in front of one the seminal groups in recent British music history, doubling up as the planet's most revered street artist. Now that would be cool'. Inspired: Del Naja says that he is close friends with Banksy - so it is entirely possible they both spent time in New Orleans together (pictured) Del Naja has previously been asked about whether he is Banksy - but claimed he was painted on the streets for only three years before his music career took off. He said between 1983 and 1986: 'I got arrested twice. That was enough' and described Banksy as a very close friend and 'iconic, mad and creative'. Banksy has also distanced himself from the musician, suggesting he Mr Del Naja is too old to be him. He said: 'When I was about 10 years old a kid called 3D was painting the streets hard; I think he'd been to New York and was the first to bring spray painting back to Bristol. Graffiti was the thing we all loved at school - we did it on the bus on the way home.' An alternative theory: Previous research pointed to Banksy being a nice middle-class boy from Bristol who scientists believe 'became the graffiti guerrilla' Insiders in the art world have previously claimed there is compelling evidence suggesting that the artist is former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham, from Bristol, who is believed to be in his early forties. In March scientists at Queen Mary University of London backed a Mail on Sunday identifying Mr Gunningham as 'the only serious suspect'. They used 'geographic profiling', a technique more often used to catch criminals or track outbreaks of disease, by plotting the locations of 192 of Banksy's presumed artworks. But there have always been doubts. Is this him? The only clue until now has been a photograph taken in Jamaica 11 years ago of a man with a bag of spray cans and a stencil by his feet, who people say is Robin Gunningham Others have claimed Banksy is older, having been inspired by French artist Blek le Rat, who began working in 1981, which could make him at least ten years older. The only clue until now has been a photograph taken in Jamaica 11 years ago of a man with a bag of spray cans and a stencil by his feet, who people say is Gunningham. Banksy has admitted he disguises himself when in public and claims it is much easier and quicker to install works himself. Appearances in public, or on film, have also been in disguise or with his face covered. Banksy says he must remain anonymous because of the often illegal nature of his art. Robin Gunningham, who is thought to be in his late 30s or early 40s, remains the man most believed to be Banksy, although only a handful of the artist's friends know his true identity. He was educated at the 9,240-a-year Bristol Cathedral School, which shocked some of the artist's fans who were fond of their hero's 'anti-establishment' stance. Banksy has become renowned for his use of stencils to spray illegal images on public walls. Some councils and businesses have begun to protect his creations and his works have been sold to celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Rumours have persisted that the artist is called Robin Banks, that he is from Bristol, and that his parents think he is a painter and decorator. Gunningham's former school friend Scott Nurse said in 2011: 'He was one of three people in my year who were extremely talented at art. I am not at all surprised if he is Banksy.' Records reveal Gunningham once lived with artist Luke Egan, who later exhibited with Banksy. Mr Egan initially denied knowing Gunningham but later admitted he had lived with him. Around 2000, when Banksy moved to London, Gunningham relocated to a flat in Hackney. A number of Banksy's most famous works have appeared nearby. At that time Gunningham lived with Jamie Eastman, who worked for the Hombre record label which has used illustrations by Banksy. Mr Gunningham's own parents have denied the artist was their son, although when his mother Pamela was shown the picture by the Mail on Sunday four years ago she initially denied she even had a son, let alone one called Robin, according to the paper. A New York man has pleaded guilty to holding an 81-year-old Marine Corps veteran hostage in a Hudson Valley motel for five years in order to steal his benefits. Perry Coniglio, 43, entered the plea Thursday to endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person. Authorities arrested Coniglio in a room adjoining David McLellan's at a motel in Highlands, New York, in July. Coniglio was accused of using brute force and intimidation to get McClellan to cooperate with him for five years. Scroll down for video Elder abuse: Perry Coniglio, 43 (left), has pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person for keeping Marine Corps veteran David McClellan (right) captive in a motel room for five years Coniglio was arrested July 19 at the US Academy Motel in Highland, New York which is next door to the Hudson Valley town's police station (left) Prosecutors say Coniglio prepared the veteran's meals, gave him clothes, cleaned him, trimmed his hair and drove him to the bank to withdraw money several times a month. But authorities say Coniglio also used McClellan's Social Security and Veteran's Affairs payments to cover his own rent. Police learned of David McClellan's prolonged captivity in July after they received a video showing Coniglio using a four-foot stick to force the veteran back into his room at the US Academy motel in Highland Falls, which is located next door to the town's police station. Investigators said they had received multiple complaints over the years saying that Coniglio, a motel handyman, had been verbally abusing McClellan. Squalor: Coniglio kept the man in a dingy motel room (above) for years in order to steal thousands of dollars from the him But they finally raided the motel on July 19 after reviewing the video that appeared to show evidence of physical abuse. Officers reportedly recovered illegal drugs and related paraphernalia from Coniglios room. Coniglio, a suspected drug addict, was able to abuse McClellan because he had advanced dementia and no known relatives or friends, according to ABC7. Exclusive video shot by the station in July showed the disheveled-looking veteran, with an unkempt bushy beard, being rescued from the motel. Police raided the motel on July 19 after reviewing a video that appeared to show Coniglio, seen here in handcuffs, forcing McClellan back into his room with a stick When authorities asked him how long he thought he had been in the motel room, he believed it had been around four days. Prosecutors say Coniglio has admitted to failing to seek medical assistance for McClellan, despite knowing it would hurt the dementia-stricken veteran's mental and physical welfare, reported The Times Herald-Record. Police swarmed in the Vincennes area of the A female police was stabbed in the throat during a shoot out with officers in Paris. Police swarmed in the Vincennes area of the capital after the 29-year-old male attacker tried to injure a woman - thought to be his nurse. During the shootout with police, he attacked a female officer and stabbed her in the neck. She has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries. Police swarmed in the Vincennes area of the capital after the 29-year-old male attacker tried to injure a woman - thought to be his nurse Locals heard gunfire before the attacker was shot and killed by police. The motive for the attack is not yet clear but it is believed the man was suffering from a mental health condition and had not been taking his medicine. Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, said his thoughts were with the injured police officer, her relatives and colleagues. A statement from the French interior ministry said: 'Police and gendarmes risk their lives to protect of others every day and deserve the respect and esteem of all our citizens.' There have been a series of stabbings in France in recent months, including the attempted murder of a Jewish man in Strasbourg in August, France is still on high alert following a wave of deadly attacks on its on soil. Locals heard gunfire before the attacker was shot and killed by police (stock image) In July, a pair of ISIS knifemen stormed a church in Normandy before slitting the throat of an elderly priest. It came just weeks after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian, rammed a 19-tonne truck into people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 85 people and wounding more than 400. Arrest believed to be linked to two arms dumps found earlier this year In the dock: Ciaran Maxwell, 30, a serving member of the British armed forces based in Devon, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court this afternoon An Ulster-born Royal Marine was today charged with bomb-making and stashing explosives and weapons in purpose built caches in England and Northern Ireland over five years. Ciaran Maxwell, 30, a serving member of the British armed forces based in Devon, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court this afternoon. He also allegedly compiled a library of terrorism documents, including instructions on how to make explosives and tactics used by terrorist organisations. Maxwell, 30, from Larne, Co Antrim, was detained by Metropolitan Police officers in southern England in a planned swoop last week. The investigation is believed to be linked to the discovery of two dissident republican-related arsenals in woodland in Northern Ireland earlier this year. Police have also been searching fields and woodland across Devon. He lives in Exminster, south Devon, with his fiance and their son. Maxwell, wearing a grey tracksuit and flanked by two plain-clothed officers in the dock, stood up to confirm his details in a Northern Irish accent. He has not yet entered any plea to the charges against him and was remanded into police custody. The case was adjourned until Monday at Westminster Magistrates Court to give the police more time to investigate. Held: The serving Royal Marine has been arrested by anti-terror police in a raid that may be linked to this dissident republican arms dump found in Larne earlier this year (pictured) The army bomb squad and police officers search a residential addresses in Larne, Co Antrim Police forensics officers remove evidence from a house in Larne last week following the raids Police outside the property in Exminster, which is being searched in relation to a serving Royal Marine in Somerset who was arrested earlier in relation to Northern Ireland terror Maxwell was detained on suspicion of preparation for acts of terrorism in the pre-planned swoop on a house in the village and at a house in Larne a week ago. He is accused of 'creating and maintaining hides' in England and Northern Ireland to store explosives. It is alleged that between January 1 2011 and August 24 2016, Maxwell manufactured explosive substances and constructed explosive devices. He is accused of carrying out research resulting in the creation of a library of documents likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism - specifically information regarding 'the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices and tactics used by terrorist organisations'. Charges: Maxwell is also accused of getting an image of an adapted Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) pass card and items of PSNI uniform Maxwell is charged with getting an image of an adapted Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) pass card and items of PSNI uniform. The Metropolitan Police said he is charged with 'creating and maintaining hides in England and Northern Ireland to store explosive substances, explosive devices, components for explosive devices, ammunition, weapons, tools and resources used during the construction of explosive devices and assorted other items linked to the preparation of an act of terrorism'. A separate charge says that on August 24 2016 Maxwell had a quantity of cannabis in his possession with intent to supply. He has also been charged with fraud and is accused of having images of bank cards and associated CVC numbers for use in connection with fraud between November 1 2015 and August 24 2016. Maxwell was arrested on August 24 by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's counter terrorism command, supported by Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall Police. Police in Northern Ireland have been carrying out searches in connection with the inquiry in Larne, County Antrim, where bombs and weapons were found buried this year. Two separate hauls of weapons were discovered in Carnfunnock and Capanagh parks near Larne, Co Antrim, within three months of each other. An armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines were among the cache recovered at Capanagh in May. Several pipe bombs, magazines and ammunition for an assault rifle as well as bomb component parts and command wires were also concealed in barrels in purpose-built holes in woodland. A police van carrying Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell left Westminster Magistrates Court Maxwell is believed to live at the address in Exminster, Devon, that was raided with his partner Kerry O'Callaghan, 29, and their son. A picture on Ms O'Callaghan's Facebook profile shows their baby proudly wearing his father's green beret The Met Police said today property searches in Exminster are now complete, while searches at New Powderham Plantation in Devon will continue into next week and localised road closures will remain in place. Maxwell is believed to live in Exminster with his partner Kerry O'Callaghan, 29, and their son. A picture on Ms O'Callaghan's Facebook profile shows their infant son proudly wearing his father's green beret. Neighbours said that Maxwell was not often at the property and didn't live there full time. They described him as 'aloof' and said he kept himself to himself. One neighbour said: 'I just heard that they got the child and the girl out and he was arrested. 'I know the girl to say hello to. The guy is very quiet and not very friendly. We sometimes tried to smile at him but he never smiled back'. Probe: Police and Army search a property in Larne, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland a week ago after the Royal Marine was held in Somerset Maxwell was detained on suspicion of preparation for acts of terrorism in a pre-planned swoop which also involved an address in Larne (pictured) Haul: In March, plastic barrels filled with bomb-making items were found buried at Carnfunnock Country Park (pictured) The threat to England, Wales and Scotland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism is currently rated as substantial, while the threat to Northern Ireland itself is ranked as severe. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We are aware of a police investigation involving the arrest of a member of the Armed Forces under the 2000 Terrorism Act and will assist this investigation fully. 'It would be inappropriate to comment further on an ongoing investigation.' A United Airlines flight from Venice to Newark was diverted to London Heathrow today - following an apparent problem with a door stuck open. Flight UA169 left Venice at 10.55am local time and was heading to the airport near New York when the decision was made to divert it to London for technical help. There were 129 passengers and a crew of 13 on board the Boeing 767-424 which landed safely at Heathrow at about 3.15pm where it was inspected by engineers. Changed destination: Flight UA169 left Venice at 10.55am local time and was heading to the airport near New York when the decision was made to divert it to London for technical help The United Airlines flight from Venice to Newark was diverted to London Heathrow (file image) The airline told MailOnline the flight was scheduled to leave London at 6pm today. Earlier, one witness tweeted shortly before 3pm: 'UA169 flew over my house but due to low cloud no issue could be seen - but it is en route to Heathrow.' A United Airlines spokesman told MailOnline at 4pm: Our team at London Heathrow is providing assistance to customers of flight UA169 (Venice-New York/Newark) today, which diverted to London Heathrow because of a mechanical issue. The aircraft landed safely at 3.13pm local time. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused. A murder suspect wanted on suspicion of killing a millionaire hotelier in India cannot be arrested by police - due to a paperwork blunder. Baldev Singh Deol, 62, of Tipton, West Midlands, is being hunted by Interpol in connection with the kidnap and murder of his friend and business partner Ranjit Singh Power, 54. Mr Power, a wealthy entrepreneur from Wolverhampton, disappeared on May 7 last year after flying from Birmingham to Amristar Airport. He was due to return to the UK a week later but his family launched an urgent appeal for information after fearing he had been killed. The father-of-two's body has never been found but the case is being treated as murder by authorities in the Punjab. Yesterday, Interpol revealed that police in India are trying to track down Deol and an arrest warrant had been issued. Baldev Singh Deol (left) has been named as a suspect by police after Ranjit Singh Power (right) went missing last year But shockingly, West Midlands Police say they are powerless to arrest him because they have not been given authority by the Home Office to do so. Police are still waiting for a request to be made via an extradition notice and for the paperwork to be processed in India while Deol is free to walk the streets. Yesterday, Mr Power's partner Angela Bir, 54, said: 'I know the Interpol notice has been served and surely it can only be a matter of time until he is arrested. 'But it is extremely frustrating to hear that there is this delay just down to a simple matter of paperwork. 'In the meantime this man is free to go about his business.' A West Midlands Police spokesman said: 'This is an Indian Police investigation. 'As yet, West Midlands Police haven't received any formal request for extradition proceedings from the Indian authorities. Ranjit's mother said that she thinks about her son every day 'We remain ready to assist with any inquiries should a request be made.' Interpol said that Doel is being hunted for kidnapping, murder and 'disappearance of evidence of offence committed'. They say he is wanted by the judicial authorities of India for 'prosecution/to serve a sentence.' Doel is a long-term friend of the Power family and neighbours said he travelled to India regularly. Police there have previously said they believed that Mr Power's disappearance may have been rooted in his business dealings in India and the UK. They also said that Sukhdev Singh, a taxi driver, has confessed to the murder but they believe that he was not working alone. Officers thought they had found the body of Mr Singh Power, in a lake three weeks after he went missing. It was flown almost 4,000 miles from India to Britain - only for tests to show it was not his corpse. Mr Singh Power, who ran Wolverhampton's Grade-II listed 4 star Ramada Park Hall Hotel, also leaves behind daughter Emma, 27, and a son Gian, 24. Speaking previously, Gurjit Kaur Power, Mr Power's mother, said: 'I think about him 24 hours a day. Mr Power ran Wolverhamptons Grade-II listed 4 star Ramada Park Hall Hotel 'Why did they do it? What enmity did they have with my son? 'Not even for one second do I forget him. 'The night passes, the day passes, my thoughts remain with him, I don't know, only God will do justice.' His brother, Amrik Singh Power, said that he was frustrated by extradition delays relieved that Indian police had issued a warrant. He added: 'It's not going to bring my brother back. 'We didn't have a funeral, we didn't have Ranjit's body. 'But at least with some answers as to why he went out there, we feel relieved that we are nearly there. Flash The international community must galvanize financial resources and political action to contain a dire humanitarian situation in Somalia and South Sudan, an international relief agency official has said. A mother feeds her baby using a syringe in a refugee camp in South Sudan, Aug. 13, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that conflicts and natural calamities have exacerbated the humanitarian crises in the two African nations. "Civilian population in Somalia is still suffering from effects of war. At present we have continuous disruption by violence in the horn of African state and this is a major concern," Maurer remarked. ICRC has been providing humanitarian assistance to Somalia in the last 25 years since the country erupted into civil strife. Maurer regretted that insecurity has undermined provision of relief food, medicine and water to civilians displaced by war in Somalia. He clarified that distribution of emergency assistance to internally displaced civilians has improved in several regions like Jubaland and Somaliland in Somalia in the last 12 months. Maurer is also optimistic that presidential elections to be held in Somalia at the end of October will usher in a new era of peace and stability. "We all hope that over time, the conflict in Somalia will be resolved and the situation gets better. We are determined to stabilize livelihoods in Somalia," said Maurer. He added that ICRC will continue to support innovative programs that strengthen the resilience of Somalia people in the face of devastation caused by civil turmoil and natural calamities. "Currently, we are supporting local farmers with inputs such as seeds and tractors. We encourage agricultural activities to feed the population," Maurer said. Speaking of South Sudan, Maurer warned that the humanitarian crisis in the world's youngest nation could worsen unless an urgent political solution is found. "South Sudan today is our second largest operation after Syria and Afghanistan," said Maurer, noting that a political solution to the South Sudan conflict is urgent to end suffering of civilians. Relief agencies in 2015 made the largest humanitarian appeal since the Second World War, totaling 25 billion U.S. dollars. Maurer stressed that strengthening resilience of communities in trouble spots is key to revitalizing social stability and economic growth. A postal worker in Queens, New York, allegedly threw out hundreds of pieces of mail. People who live on 27-year-old Timothy Valentin's route in Woodside had complained about undelivered mail, the New York Post reported, citing court documents. Valentin said that from July 22 to July 25, he was unable to deliver 86 pieces of mail, listing the reason as 'receptacle blocked,' the newspaper reported. People who live on 27-year-old Timothy Valentin's route in Woodside had complained about undelivered mail. Valentin is pictured left and right On August 18, a supervisor said that 759 pieces of mail sent to people in Woodside was pulled from the trash, according to the Post. Valentin confessed to dumping mail three or four times since he had to 'leave early on Fridays,' court documents obtained by the newspaper said. He appeared in court for delay or destruction of mail charges this week and was released on bond, the Post reported. He told the news outlet: 'I had to pick my daughter up at a certain time. It's unfortunate I did this.' Newly released dash cam footage shows the moment a Texas cop shot dead a black man as he pulled away in his car. Precinct 5 Deputy Constable R Felix pulled the man over but when he opened the door to take a closer look, Ashtian Barnes drove off. The harrowing footage shows Felix clinging on to the side of the car as Barnes tries to flee and opening fire before the vehicle comes to an abrupt halt. A Texas grand cleared Felix of the unlawful killing of Barnes, 24, but his family are outraged at the decision. Deadly traffic stop: Ashtian Barnes was pulled over on a Houston highway in April earlier this year, but took off when the officer asked him to step outside the car Dash cam video released this week as part of a grand jury decision shows how the officer was being pulled alongside the car. The car stops after Barnes was shot It remains unclear whether the shots were fired before or after the car pulled away. Barnes' family have been outspoken in seeking answers in the deadly confrontation. However on Wednesday, a Harris County grand jury reached the decision to not indict that deputy constable. In a statement, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson reached out to Barnes' family, saying in part: 'I know they are disappointed, but the grand jury's decision means they found that there was no probable cause to believe a murder or other assaultive offense was committed. It does not constitute an endorsement of the officer's actions.' Barnes' family maintain that he was driving a rental and that any toll road violation wouldn't have been his. Killed: Ashtian Barnes, 22, was fatally shot by a Harris County Precinct 5 deputy constable after an attempted traffic stop in April The dash camera footage from the officer's car was released as the decision not to bring charges against the officer were handed down. Police said that Felix only opened fire when Barnes started driving, however Barnes' family argue that he fled after being shot. 'My son had no intentions on dying that day. He killed my son. He murdered my son,' Barnes' father, Tommy Barnes, told Click 2 Houston. 'If you really look at the video closely and pay attention, he murdered my son. 'The car didn't move until he murdered my son. How would you feel if it was your son? It's like cutting open a wound that wasn't healed.' 'My son was murdered': Tommy Barnes is trying to get justice for his son, who he claims was killed for no reason The jury, comprised of 12 people, did not fine enough evidence to charge Constable R. Felix with murder or another assaultive charge. Barnes' younger sister, Aledra Barnes, agrees with her father that the footage shows the officer acted wrongly. She is heartbroken to have lost her brother. 'That was my best friend. He was very outspoken, taught me so much,' Aledra Barnes told ABC 13. 'I will never forget him.' One in three pregnant women in Australia drink during pregnancy Drinking damagea DNA of foetus so defects are passed down generations Unprotected drunken sex could lead to women giving birth to brain-damaged babies, doctors have warned. A doctor who runs a clinic for children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in Sydney's Westmead Hospital has urged women to use contraception or give up booze if they plan on giving birth. The Australian Medical Association has advised pregnant women to avoid binge drinking in its first ever statement on FASD, reports Daily Telegraph. Professor Elizabeth Elliott, who runs the clinic in Sydney's Westmead Hospital, said teenage girls must be warned about the dangers of binge drinking and unprotected sex. 'If you're a young woman and you party and there's a chance you might have sex, you should be using contraception,' she said. 'Binge-drinking is very common among young women, and is associated with unprotected sex. A lot of harm can be done before pregnancy is confirmed.' The AMA statement warned alcohol abuse can permanently harm the DNA of a foetus so defects are inherited by the mother's grandchildren. 'Alcohol crosses the placenta and the foetal liver cannot effectively metabolise it, meaning the foetus is vulnerable to any level of exposure at any stage of pregnancy,' the statement reads. They said one in three pregnant women in Australia drink during pregnancy, which poses bigger threat to unborn children than smoking. Egyptian organ traders are tempting migrants to sell their kidneys by offering them prostitutes, a report reveals. The underground brokers are targeting undocumented African migrants who arrive in Cairo desperate for cash to pay people smugglers. They offer sex workers as a 'sweetener' before or after the removing the migrants' organs. The underground brokers are targeting undocumented African migrants who arrive in Cairo (pictured) desperate for cash A report in the British Journal of Criminology explained that pimps use 'the services of sex workers as leverage when negotiating fees with both sellers and buyers.' 'A night with a sex worker was offered as an extra inducement to sell.' The report also says that hospitals turn a blind eye to illicit dealing in donated organs for transplants. Organ purchase is banned in Egypt, though the country is a common destination for transplant tourism, along with India, Pakistan and Russia, according to separate research by Erasmus MC University Hospital Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In April, images published on social media showed the badly scarred bodies of Somali migrants on an Egyptian beach, suggesting they had had organs removed. In July it was reported that African migrants were being killed for their organs in Egypt - a common transit country for migrants - if they could not afford to pay off their people smugglers. The report also says that hospitals turn a blind eye to illicit dealing in donated organs for transplants (stock image) According to the Times, people smuggler Nouredin Atta told investigators after his arrest: 'The Egyptians come equipped to remove the organ and transport it in insulated bags.' The picture of organ trading in Egypt extends beyond the criminal underworld, with mainstream hospitals conducting transplants using kidneys procured through backstreet deals, according to Sean Columb, the report's author. Columb, a law lecturer at Liverpool University in Britain, spent weeks in the Egyptian capital interviewing brokers and donors, mostly from Sudan. Nobody from Egypt's Health Ministry was immediately available to comment on his findings. While the buying of kidneys is banned in Egypt, it is not illegal to pay for a transplant procedure, Columb's report said, with some recipients paying up to 75,000 for a new organ. Little data is available on the amount donors receive in Cairo, but one of the 13 sellers Columb spoke to said he was paid 40,000 Egyptian pounds (3,300) for his kidney. Deals were usually struck in a public place, such as a cafe, in the company of a broker and representative of a registered transplant laboratory, the report said. Around one in 10 - or some 10,000 - migrants and refugees arriving in Italy from the north African coast have sailed from Egypt since the start of the year (stock image) Egypt, at a crossroads between the Middle East, north Africa and the Mediterranean, has become a major transit hub for thousands of migrants and refugees seeking to enter Europe. Around one in 10 - or some 10,000 - migrants and refugees arriving in Italy from the north African coast have sailed from Egypt since the start of the year, the International Organisation for Migration said, with the remainder traveling from Libya. Blurred lines between the illegal purchase of kidneys and legal transplant operations means organ removal is rarely reported to the authorities, Columb said. Brokers offer sex workers as a 'sweetener' before or after the removing the migrants' organs (stock image) 'Should a transplant professional (surgeon) suspect that an organ has been donated illegally there is no legal duty to report this to the relevant authorities,' the article said. Surgeons turn a blind eye to the fact that some migrants give up body parts against their will, the report said, while some brokers threaten donors with big fines if they don't go ahead with removal. 'The doctors don't want to know anything. They take the money without question,' one broker told Columb. The report cites the case of one donor who said security guards imprisoned her in an operating theatre while her kidney was removed. The operation left her with persistent abdominal pain, meaning she has little choice but to work as a prostitute, the report said. Another would-be donor decided not to go ahead with the operation despite receiving threats from brokers. 'She informed the (Egyptian and Sudanese) brokers of her decision not to go ahead with the operation, but they insisted that it was too late for her to reconsider, as the health checks and surgery had already been paid for,' the report said. A Victorian woman who had an affair with her teenage stepson, with whom she now has a child, has been convicted of two counts of incest. The 36-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, began a sexual relationship with her then-husband's child in 2012 when he was 18 and still living at the family home in Canberra. The affair lasted two years before the woman left her husband and came to Victoria to be with his son. A 36-year-old Victorian woman who had an affair with her teenage stepson and later had a child with him, has been convicted of two counts of incest (stock image) After formally divorcing her stepson's father, she became pregnant and gave birth to the younger man's baby. The pair are still together. Police charged the woman with two counts of incest and on Friday she was sentenced by Victorian County Court Judge David Parsons who said he was sentencing on matters of law, not morals. 'I am not here to effect a family reunion,' Judge Parson warned, saying there had been some strong emotions expressed in victim impact statements tendered after the woman pleaded guilty. Judge Parsons allowed the woman to step out of the dock and sit next to her new partner for the hearing. He sentenced her to serve a community corrections order for one year and said it was not necessary to add her to the sex offenders registry. The woman appeared in the Victorian County Court (pictured) on Friday and was sentenced to a community corrections order for one year A psychological report tendered to the court said the stepson is a mature, independent young man with no indication of mental illness. '(He) has made an informed and independent decision to continue in a relationship with his father's former wife,' the report said. Matthew Medlin damaged a police car, licked a man's face and then tried to bite an officer A career criminal who was recently spared a two-year sentence after spending the last 15 years in and out of jail has yet another mugshot to add to his growing collection. Meth addict Matthew Joseph Medlin was arrested after he damaged a police car, licked a man's face and then tried to bite an officer in Portland, Oregon, following reports he was assaulting a woman. The 32-year-old's downward spiral has been documented through a series of mugshots which show his once-handsome face transformed with bizarre tattoos and open wounds over the years. Police responded to reports that a man was assaulting a woman around Southeast 9th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard on Tuesday. When they arrived Medlin jumped on the police car, climbed a tree and ran into a restaurant, where he was eventually arrested. On Tuesday, police responded to reports that a man was assaulting a woman around Southeast 9th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard (pictured) in Portland Medlin jumped on a police car and damaged three other vehicles, police said. Pictured left, a cracked windshield, right, a dented roof Police said he also attacked a man, licked his face, and damaged three other vehicles. Medlin was sedated and taken to the hospital for a drug test before he was booked into Multnomah County Jail. He faces charges of burglary, criminal mischief, attempted assault of a public safety officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct and harassment. In January 2016, Medlin was embroiled in a four-hour standoff with the police, during which he jumped into an open-topped, dumpster-style car and refused to come out. Officers surrounded the car, but Medlin who later told police he'd been on meth and had been awake for 26 hours seized rocks and pieces of metal for weapons. The 32-year-old has spent the last 15 years in and out of prison and his more than a dozen mugshots show his descent into addiction. Pictured left to right: in June 2002 at the age of 18, in October 2002 at the age of 19, October 2006 at age 23 Left: December 2006 at age 23; Center: February 2007 at age 23; Right: June 2007 at age 23 Medlin was eventually tased and shot with non-lethal rounds after he attempts to talk him down, only led to the 32-year-old injecting himself with more meth. While he could have faced a sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison, a Multnomah County judge decided in July to spare Medlin even more jail time in hopes that he would beat his addiction once and for all. Medlin's defense attorneys and prosecutors hashed out the deal together, recommending the homeless man spend 60 days in jail and remain on probation for the next three years. Medlin was then slated to enter a relatively new probation program for 120 days, which would involve getting both drug and mental-health treatment. Left: January 2013 at age 29; Center: February 2013 at age 29; Right: March 2013 at age 29 Left: April 2013 at age 29; Center: July 1, 2013 at age 29 Right: July 20, 2013 at age 29 Left: April 2014 at age 30; Center: December 2015 at age 32 Right: January 2016 at age 32 District Attorney Jon Martz said it's possible that Medlin might have schizophrenia and that previous drug treatment programs weren't helpful because Medlin was homeless. Medlin's record stretches back to his 18th birthday in 2002. More than 150 British tourists have been struck down by a food poisoning bug in Mexico. The illness has been spreading since June from at least 24 hotels in the Riviera Maya coast area of Mexico near Cancun. Guests thought to have eaten contaminated food suffered from stomach cramps and diarrhoea. The illness has been spreading since June from at least 24 hotels in the Riviera Maya coast area of Mexico near Cancun (stock image) Public Health England say it is likely the bug spread from tainted food supplied to hotels. So far 119 out of 157 British tourists with the bug have been confirmed as having visited the affected region in Mexico, reports the Daily Record. Victims have been diagnosed with Cyclospora and the Foreign Office is now warning tourists to beware when visiting the region. Meanwhile, Simpson Millar solicitors are handling claims for over 300 holidaymakers who caught the bug. Nick Harris Head of Holiday Claims said: 'This outbreak is very concerning. People are coming to us every hour complaining of sickness. 'Many have been ill for over a week and have only just been properly diagnosed with the bug. They have been suffering severe diarrhoea and stomach cramps. 'I now fear these recent warning notices may be too little too late. The bug has already spread out of control in the resort. Guests who suffered from stomach cramps and diarrhoea are thought to have eaten contaminated food (stock image) 'Tour operators need to do more to ensure the safety of their customers when holidaying abroad.' Many of the victims are from Scotland and spokesman for Public Health Scotland said: 'There are currently 157 laboratory confirmed cases in Scotland, of which 119 are known to have travelled to Mexico. 'Travellers have stayed at a number of different hotels and resorts in Mexico but predominantly on the Riviera Maya coast.' A spokesperson for Thomson, which runs hotels in the region, added: 'Public Health England has advised us of a number of sickness cases associated to an issue called Cyclospora in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico. 'There is not a particular hotel, hotel chain or tour operator implicated and the source of the issue is still being investigated. A jihadi recruiter who once threatened the creators of South Park with murder has abandoned his radical views - and now works at a top university. Jesse Morton served nearly three years in prison for encouraging violence against the creators of the TV series for depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit. But now the 37-year-old has been employed by George Washington University to research counter-radicalization in the first appointment of a former Islamist by a US college. Jesse Morton (pictured in 2010) served nearly three years in prison for encouraging violence against the creators of the TV series for depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit And now, in 2016, Morton has been employed by George Washington University to research counter-radicalization in the first such appointment for a US university His dramatic conversion came while he was serving a prison sentence for conspiring to commit murder, the New York Times reported in an in-depth profile. The 11 years he was originally sentenced to reduced to three after he 'reconnected' with western culture through the prison library and became an informant for the F.B.I. He was influenced by writings of the Enlightenment, in particular the English philosopher John Locke, who argued for religious toleration. He now hopes to atone for a career that saw him become one of the most prominent hate preachers in the West. As co-founder and chief propagandist of Revolution Muslim, a New York City-based group active in the 2000, he used the internet to spread Al Qaeda's poisonous ideology. One follower to his YouTube channel was Coleen LaRose, or 'Jihad Jane', who planned to murder Swedish artist Lars Vilks after he drew a cartoon of Muhammad. Several of his former associates have joined Islamic State. 'I may never be able to repair the damage that I have done, but I think I can at least try,' he told The NY Times. As a child, Morton sung in the choir at his grandmother's Baptist church in Pennsylvania, but was abused at home. He ran off at 16 and made his money by selling drugs outside rock concerts, leading to several encounters with the police. As co-founder and chief propagandist of Revolution Muslim, a New York City-based group active in the 2000, he used the internet to spread Al Qaeda's hateful ideology When he was in jail in Virginia, he met an Islamic extremist from Morocco who told him prophecies about the destruction of the United States. In a programme recently broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Morton said: 'He really set me out on the trajectory for seeing the world in this black and white way.' The meeting 'completely' transformed his life Now with the name Younus Abdullah Muhammed, he encouraged Muslims to engage in violence against accused enemies of Islam. Soon after leaving prison he joined the Islamic Thinkers Society. This was an offshoot of Al-Muhajiroun, founded by British hate preacher Anjem Choudary. Just like Choudary, he was careful to stay just on the right side of the law, telling the BBC in 2011 that he neither 'condemned nor condoned terrorism'. This set him on the path to founding Revolution Muslim in 2008. Always controversial: South Park character Eric Cartman is seen in one episode with former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden But the next great change in his life came after he was arrested in Morocco in 2011, and hauled in front of a court in Alexandria, Virginia a year later. He pleaded guilty to making threatening communications, using the Internet to put others in fear and conspiring to commit murder. He had worked on website postings with Zachary Chesser of Virginia, who pleaded guilty a year earlier to sending threatening communications to the South Park creators alongside other charges. Morton had his first contact with the F.B.I when an agent approached him in the prison library. He agreed to become an informant and was released a year later. When explaining his miraculous conversion from prolific jihadi recruiter to university academic, he paid tribute to a particular female F.B.I agent. He said that her ability to treat him as a human being helped him reconnect with society. By the time this article was published George Washington University had not responded to requests for comment from MailOnline. A British beautician who was killed in an honour killing in Pakistan was raped before her death, investigators say. Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, suffered a 7.5 inch gash to her neck in her ancestral Punjab village, but her family insisted she died of a heart attack in July. Her first husband from an arranged marriage, cousin Mohammed Shakil, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He allegedly admitted he strangled her with a scarf, police sources in Pakistan said earlier this month. Ms Shahid's father Mohammad Shahid is also being held as an accessory to murder. Suspect: Samia is pictured at her first wedding to cousin Mohammed Shakeel - who has now allegedly confessed to her murder Shocking: Samia Shahid's dead body (left) shows a 7.5 inch red mark on her neck, and police say she was murdered while visiting her family in Pakistan Both men appeared in court in Pakistan on August 14 and have been remanded until September 5. Now the Pakistani chief investigator has told the BBC Ms Shahid was raped before her death. Police are seeking to have her mother and sister returned to Pakistan for questioning. Ms Shahid was allegedly hunted by her family since 2014 after she ran away from the cousin she had been forced to marry. Heartbreak: Samia with her second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, who were forced into hiding because of threats in 2014 Her second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam believes she was killed because of her marriage to him in an 'honour killing'. He says she was lured to Pakistan by false claims her father was ill and murdered in her bed. Her family said she died of a heart attack or a severe asthma attack and had her buried. Abu Bakar Khuda Bux, the investigator heading the team, said today the woman's father, Mohammad Shahid, and her former husband, Mohammad Shakeel, were prime suspects in the case. The two were formally arrested last month after police questioned them for several days, Bux said. 'All the evidence we have is leading to their involvement in the murder,' he said. 'We are collecting more evidence before we sent the case to court.' According to two police officers, the ex-husband has confessed to the killing and has described to his interrogators how he used his ex-wife's scarf to strangle her. The officers, who are involved in the probe, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details with the media before the case goes to court. Bux declined to comment on the purported confessions, saying the investigation is not yet finished. Arrested: Ms Shahid's father Mohammed, whom Samia had been visiting in Pakistan, has been arrested by detectives investigating the 28-year-old beauty therapist's death Grief: Syed Mukhtar Kazam, pictured, said he wanted to release the shocking photograph to prove that she had been strangled and was the victim of an honour killing. He married Samia in Leeds in 2014 Her husband released a shocking picture showing a 7.5 inch red mark around Samia's neck, which her husband said proves she was strangled. The beautician, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, also has saliva and blood oozing from her mouth and nostrils. Mr Kazam, 30, told MailOnline: 'I am releasing this picture of my wife's dead body because I want the world to know that she didn't die of natural causes. She was murdered. 'The police told the media and everybody here that the body did not have any visible marks on it. 'Well, this proves that it did. What sort of heart attack leaves a bruise like that? It is obviously murder. Her family killed her because they weren't happy that she had married me.' Police said the latest forensic report had confirmed Shahid did not die of natural causes. Initially police had said there was no sign of foul play and allowed her to be buried in a Punjabi graveyard. The post mortem report said Ms Shahid suffered 'marks of violence' in the form of a 'reddish brown bruise' around her throat and was found dead with 'froth coming from her mouth'. Samia was forced into hiding with second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam - who insists she was murdered by her family because they disapproved of their union. Islamic scholar Syed Sibtain Kazmi says he recorded threats from Samia's family as he refused to say where they were - and then gave them to the police. Marriage: Samia's second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam claims she was killed by her family because they refused to accept their marriage. He said he was made to feel like an outsider Grave: Samia's relatives reportedly said she died from a heart or asthma attack and buried her in the village (pictured). But her local MP wants her body exhumed if necessary He first met the murder victim when she came to the Anjuman-e-Haideria Shia mosque in Bradford for advice about to how to divorce Mohammed Shakeel. He told the BBC: 'She told me under oath that her first marriage was a forced marriage, which happened without her free will as she was pressurised into the marriage by her family'. Mr Kazmi said that when relatives found out he would help dissolve her first marriage and help with a second they said they would harm him, he claims. He was allegedly told by one relative: 'Our daughter is missing from home and you know where she is. The issue will be resolved but you will have to pay a high price for your role'. Anthony Berden (pictured), 19, of Tampa, Florida, was arrested after he dressed up as a dinosaur while wearing a face mask and holding an Airsoft rifle at park A man was arrested in Florida after dressing up like a dinosaur while holding an Airsoft gun in an attempt to start a flash mob, according to police. Officers were called to Riverfront Park in Tampa, Florida, after reports of an armed man came in to police. Anthony Berden, 19, of Tampa, Florida, scared the locals after he arrived at the park dressed in a 'gamer dinosaur-type' outfit. Berden wore a tactical police-type vest and covered his face with a black ski mask, according to WESH. Officers said Berden also had several magazines for his two Airsoft rifle. When police arrived Berden told them he was participating in a flash mob - but had arrived two hours early. A Brevard County cosplay group known as the 'Agents of Mirth' had an event planned on Sunday but cancelled it at the request of the Cocoa Police Department. Berden said he was participating in a flash mob, but had turned up two hours early to the park where it was being held The group noted on its website that Berden's costume choice was alarming for families that attended the park. The site added that it is illegal to brandish a weapon, real or fake, while hiding one's identity. Berden is being held in the Brevard County jail without bond. He has been charged with felony for covering his face while holding the Airsoft rifle and a misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Flash The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday again denounced South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, which will be wrapped up later in the day. The "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" military exercises are "a direct product of the hideous hostile policy" by the United States toward the DPRK, the Panmunjom Mission of the DPRK military said in a white paper carried by the official news agency KCNA. The United States no longer intends to hide that it's sending nuclear weaponry to the Korean Peninsula, and that proves "their moves for aggression against the DPRK have entered the phase of implementation after going beyond a limit line," the white paper said. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills are aimed at launching a preemptive nuclear attack on the DPRK, and that is the dangerous nature of the joint military exercises, it said. The white paper also slammed the South Korean government for stoking fear among the public and fanning hostility toward the DPRK in order to justify the drills. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian military drills started on Aug. 22 and will end later in the day. South Korea and the United States conduct various joint military drills every year, including "Key Resolve," "Foal Eagle" and "Ulchi Freedom Guardian." Seoul and Washington claim these joint war games are defensive in nature, but Pyongyang says they are designed as preparations for an invasion against the DPRK. His school in Essex has paid tribute to a 'sensitive and considerate' student Tributes have been paid to a 'sensitive and considerate' British schoolboy who drowned when he was swept out to sea in France trying to save his brothers. Quinlan Pringle, 13, was caught up in currents while swimming off Boulogne on the country's north coast. The teenager, a student at Philip Morant School near Colchester Essex, rushed into the water to help his younger brothers, aged nine and 11 - but he was swept away and a huge search operation was launched. His clothed body was discovered a week later. Quinlan Pringle drowned after disappearing while swimming at a beach in the northern French town of Boulogne (pictured) The teenager is thought to have been dragged out to sea by a strong undercurrent as he swam with his two brothers The teenager was a student at Philip Morant School near Colchester Essex. Staff described him as 'sensitive and considerate' This morning, school principal Catherine Hutley said: 'Quinlan was an aspirational and hard working young man with a cheeky, endearing side to him which we all loved. 'He will be sorely missed by the school community and our thoughts are with his family. 'We are working closely with Essex County Council to ensure students, their families and our staff have all the support they need at this devastating time.' A major search operation was carried out until nightfall - but rescuers said at the time that the survival time at sea was no more than three hours Quinlans form tutor Scott Edmonds described the youngster as 'quiet, sensitive and considerate' boy with a playful sense of humour. He added: 'He was, and will continue to be, loved within the form and we will miss him hugely while trying to treasure many wonderful memories at this sad time.' In August it was reported that seven divers supported by at least two boats carried out searches after his disappearance. Quinlan's two other brothers managed to swim to safety and raise the alarm The parents of the missing boy and the two others were treated in hospital for shock The boy's parents were said to be in a 'state of shock' in the Boulogne area at the time, and 'had not yet been spoken to,' a spokesman said. The boys' brothers managed to make it back to shore and alerted rescue services who immediately launched a search. A helicopter, coastguard boats, divers and police officers initially scoured the sea and the coastline until night fell and resumed their hunt the next day. to hold and will Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are to put pressure on Vladimir Putin to ensure the ceasefire in Ukraine becomes permanent. Ukraine's defence minister said yesterday that a new ceasefire has been holding in eastern parts of the country. The war has claimed the lives of more than 9,500 people since it broke in April 2014 when pro-Russian rebels took over large areas in eastern Ukraine. German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said the latest ceasefire deal had sharply reduced military activities (Merkel and Hollande meeting earlier today) Germany and France are 'extremely concerned' about the situation in eastern Ukraine Another ceasefire, which was agreed in February 2015, failed to stop both sides from engaging each other on a daily basis. Merkel and Hollande have met today to discuss the war and how they can pressure Putin to keep the peace. Their meeting in Evian, France comes just days before they will speak to the Russian President. Germany and France are 'extremely concerned' about the situation in eastern Ukraine and said in a statement that they strongly endorsed the ceasefire deal, brokered by Ukraine, Russia and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said the latest ceasefire deal had sharply reduced military activities. Steinmeier, who holds the rotating OSCE chair, said the reduction was a hopeful sign after months of increasing fighting. Merkel, Hollande and Putin agreed earlier to meet to discuss the situation in Ukraine He said the so-called Normandy format, a group that includes France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, was also continuing to work on implementing the much violated previous truce agreed in Minsk, and its requirement for free local elections. Steinmeier said: 'We're not ready to sign an agreement yet, but there is no other alternative than to try and bridge the remaining differences among the parties. 'We have to work with all our might to move forward on the Minsk agreement, even if we only inch forward bit by bit.' Merkel and Hollande said the ceasefire accord should lead to a lasting stop to the fighting. Advertisement Fighter jets took to the sky in a dazzling show of colour in Austria on Friday. The 'Airpower 16' airshow kicked off in the town of Zeltweg with the squad of Frecce Tricolori from the Italian Airforce lighting up the grey sky. More than 150,000 people turned out to watch the first day of the air show, which featured twelve parachutists leaping out of planes and wowing the crowds. Plane spotters were also witness to all of the jets ever to serve with the Austrian Armed Forces flying overhead in a 'historic jet formation' display. The squad of Frecce Tricolori from the Italian Airforce performs during the Airshow 'Airpower 16' on September 2 in Zeltweg More than 150,000 people watched on in awe as the colourful squad lit up a grey sky with a smoke rainbow Red, white and green smoke in the colour of the Italian flag was pumped out from the Italian jets' engines as the airshow kicked off on Friday The seven aircrafts included the De Havilland D.H. 115 Vampire, the twin-engine Fouga CM.170 Magister, the Saab 29 Tunnan, the Saab 35 Draken, the Saab 105OE, the Northrop F-5E Tiger II and the the Eurofighter Typhoon, which has been safeguarding Austrian air space since 2007. In a time of heightened security across Europe, due to terrorism threats, there were more than 200 security checkpoints at the show. And local media reported significantly more military police in the field and entrance areas compared to previous years. 'Even army personnel were inspected and sampled, their rucksacks had to be opened and checked,' the Salzburg Nachrichten reports. Airpower 16 got under way at 9am with the first joint display involving the slowest and the fastest forms of flight - an Armed Forces Eurofighter, an Alpha Jet belonging to the Flying Bulls and a hot-air balloon The squad of Frecce Tricolori from the Italian Airforce drew a heart in the sky from smoke The Historic Jet Formation show included all of the jets ever to serve with the Austrian Armed Forces (pictured) Special forces of the Austrian Army (Bundesheer) perform their skills with a helicopter during the airshow An Airbus A400M performs during the Airshow 'Airpower 16' on September 2, 2016, in Zeltweg An Eurofighter Typhoon (left) flies next to a Lockheed C-130 Herkules of the Austrian Airforce A pilot of a Eurofighter Typhoon plane of the Austrian Airforce performs during the first day of the airshow A Eurofighter Typhoon pilot of the Austrian Airforce waves as he greets spectators on Friday A Eurofighter Typhoon of the Austrian Airforce is seen taking off in front of military aficionados A Los Angeles man was assaulted this week in a vicious road rage encounter for reportedly honking at another driver. The incident occurred about 5:15 pm Tuesday near the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Noble Avenue in Panorama City, KTLA reported. According to a witness who captured part of what happened on her cellphone, the driver of a Honda honked at a man in an SUV who had apparently cut him off. The man in the SUV then slammed on his breaks and the Honda rear-ended him. 'Road rage has gotten crazy': This is the moment the driver of the SUV (blue shirt) comes over and punches the driver of the Honda (black shirt) in the face after the collision Video taken by a witness shows the moment the aggressor hits the man during the assault The two then pulled over to assess the damage to their cars. The driver of the SUV apparently then started hitting the man in the Honda. The female witness said the aggressor had already hit the other man numerous times before she started filming. The footage shows the SUV driver walking back to his car, when the driver of the Honda seems to reach in and honk his horn. The man then turns around and comes back, hitting the honker in the face with a left-handed punch. The incident occurred about 5:15 pm Tuesday near the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Noble Avenue in Panorama City The woman recording said she did not expect that to happen. 'Road rage has gotten crazy,' she told KTLA. A flabbergasted security officer holds his hands on his head in shock He was entering a checkpoint near Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border Man jumps on and travels through an x-ray baggage scanner Bizarre CCTV footage has emerged of a confused man going through a baggage scanner near the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border. The clueless fellow, wearing a turban and a Pathani kurta, casually strolls through the security check. He is then stopped by a security officer ordering him to go back and put his bag on the scanner. A traveller is stopped by a security officer and ordered to go put his bag through the scanner Yet for reasons unknown he climbs onto the conveyor belt too with his luggage. He passes through the mechanism and come out the other side. The flabbergasted officer holds his hands on his head in shock. Amazingly enough, this is not the first time such a scene has been reported. Back in March a passenger was finally spotted by officials at the Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi travelling along the luggage belt to board a flight, according to India Times. Um? For reasons unknown the man climbs onto the conveyor belt too with his luggage The flabbergasted officer holds his hands on his head in shock at a checkpoint near the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border Named as Rajkumar Yadav, he managed to travel over 150m and passed through the x-ray machine before airport staff stopped him. Airport authorities termed the bizarre episode a 'stray incident'. The Torkham border has been the site of a series of deadly clashes between the two countries, so security would be expected to be on high alert. Pakistan only recently reopened the border this summer after shootouts claimed the lives of at least 24 people, according to Al Jazeera. An upsetting video has been released showing a dog chained to the roof of a lorry as the vehicle drives down a motorway. An astonished driver filmed the scene while travelling behind the vehicle near the town of Taldykorgan in Kazakhstan. Footage of the incident has already clocked up 114,000 views. Social media users were outraged at the animal cruelty in the video. They noted that the dog was chained to the truck and balanced precariously on a stack of household junk. And if it slipped, the dog could end up being choked behind the truck or pulled under its wheels. One social media user said: 'The dog's chain is tied to the truck. So if he falls, it would not be able to free itself and might go under the truck wheels.' An upsetting video has been released showing a dog chained to the roof of a lorry as the vehicle drives down a motorway An astonished driver filmed the scene while travelling behind the vehicle near the town of Taldykorgan in Kazakhstan Another animal lover said: 'How come there was no room for the dog inside the cabin? It will choke itself if it falls.' Last month a Kentucky man was arrested after dragging his dog behind his truck for 20 miles while he was high on pills and meth. Calvin Dennis, of Grayson County, faced charges of animal torture, a DUI and drug offences over the horrific crime. By the time police caught up with the driver, the dog was dead and the bones had ground down to such a point that the bone marrow was visible, WBKO reports. 'One of the most gruesome things I had ever seen in my life,' said Edmonson County Deputy Jordan Jones at the time. Footage of the incident has already clocked up 114,000 views on social media control said she would be OK in a few days A Texas woman found two cleaning tablets in her Starbucks coffee when she poured the drink out after it gave her a stomach ache. Kelly Burns said she noticed something was wrong when she had finished about half her drink and it had given her a terrible stomach ache. When her tongue started to go numb she swished her drink in its cup and heard a rattling sound. After pouring the coffee through her fingers into the sink, she found two white cleaning tablets had been sitting at the bottom of her drink. Kelly Burns is recovering after she found two cleaning tablets (pictured) in her Starbucks coffee Burns (pictured) said she noticed something was wrong when she had finished about half her drink and it had given her a terrible stomach ache and made her tongue numb Burns and her mother Karen Molnoskey returned to the Starbucks - where they make trips at least twice a week - to speak with the manager. 'She was very apologetic. She told me that they use the tablets first thing in the morning before they open and then they clean the machines again after the morning rush,' Molnoskey said. The manager was unable to specify if the chemicals in the drink would do any long-term harm the Burns's health. Molnoskey took photos of the container the cleaning tablets come in and sent it to Burns who was already headed to the emergency room. 'My stomach is a mess, and my tongue is numb, I am thinking the worse-case scenario. It would have been nice to have some reassurance about the chemical in my drink,' Burns told FOX 7. Burns' mother Karen Molnoskey (pictured) went back to the Starbucks and sent her daughter, who was heading to the ER, a picture of the cleaning tablet's container Doctors in the ER contacted poison control, who assured Burns she would be back to normal in a matter of days. 'Nothing ... that's not meant for human consumption should go into one of these cups ever, it doesn't make any sense to me,' Burns said. This is not the first time Starbucks has been accused of serving chemical cleaners in its drinks. It has been sued twice in other cities over the same allegations. Starbucks has released a statement saying: 'We take very seriously our obligation to provide the highest quality of products and the best in store experience for all our customers. Burns was told she would be OK but Starbucks reached out and offered to pay her medical bills. Burns is deciding if she wants to take legal action 'We have reached out to the customer and are working to gather more details on what took place and her experience.' Starbucks has contacted Burns, paid for her drinks and offered to pay for her medical bills, although Burns said her insurance will likely cover it. She is deciding if she wants to take legal action. 'I just want to make sure they use it as a learning experience and make sure it doesn't happen again. Surveillance footage has been released showing a man wanted on sexual assault charges stalking around a California Kmart store moments before approaching his child victim. The chilling CCTV videos show the man enter the Kmart in the 3000 block of Iowa Avenue in Riverside at 8.30 pm on Thursday. Police say that after walking around the store for some time, the man went up to a nine-year-old girl who was alone in an aisle. Do you know this man? Police in Riverside, California, released footage of a male suspect wanted in the sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl at a Kmart this week Police say that after walking around the store for some time, the suspect approached a nine-year-old girl who was alone in an aisle and put his hand up her skirt Officer Ryan Railsback told KTLA that the man put his hand under the girl's skirt. The victim then ran over to her mother, who was nearby, and told her what happened. The mother then alerted Kmart staff, who called 911. However the suspect, as seen on the security cameras, ran straight out of the store after the attack and into the parking lot. It is unclear whether he got into a car or fled on foot. Caught on CCTV: The man is seen stalking the store before he found his victim Fled on foot: The surveillance shows the suspect running out of the store into the parking lot 'He didn't take her into a bathroom or changing room. He just did it out there,' Railsback told KTLA. The suspect is described as a Hispanic man of unknown age. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gray shorts. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Aurelio Mendez at 951-353-7119 or, for anonymous call, We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who painted a bleak portrait of African American life in troubled inner cities in recent speeches, on Thursday night said his African American friends are 'living the good life.' 'First of all, I have so many African American friends that are doing great. They are making good money. They are living the good life,' Trump said on the 'O'Reilly Factor.' 'They've got the American dream going,' he added, in an interview with guest host Eric Bolling. The upbeat language was a contrast from the rhetoric Trump has used to describe inner city 'war zones' has he bleated with Democratic-leaning black voters, 'What do you have to lose?' Scroll down for video Republican Donald Trump travels to Detroit Saturday, where he will discuss a mostly black congregation and tour an area with former rival Dr. Ben Carson Trump told a mostly white Ohio crowd last month: 'What do you have to lose? I will straighten it out. I'll bring jobs back. We'll bring spirit back. We'll get rid of the crime. You'll be able to walk down the street without getting shot. Right now, you walk down the street, you get shot.' Trump described struggles 'beyond belief' in the interview. 'You've got tremendous numbers of African Americans that have really had a hard time, I mean beyond belief. I read the numbers where you have so many in poverty and the crime is horrible and the education is terrible and they live terribly and I say what do you have to lose? What do you have to lose?' 'Give it to me. I'm going to fix it. The Democrats and the Hillary Clintons of the world have done a terrible job. She's been there 35 years, she's done a terrible job,' Trump said. Trump travels to Detroit Saturday, where he'll be interviewed by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson and give brief remarks before his congregation, Great Faith Ministries International, with remarks set to be broadcast on the Impact Network. Trump is to be interviewed by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, who defended letting Trump's campaign see the questions in advance Trump has spoken of inner cities as 'war zones' in recent weeks BUCKLE UP: Trump mocked Carson's tale of being saved by his belt buckle from a stabbing, but Carson is now a close advisor In a sign of how team Trump would prefer to script the event, a dozen advanced questions by Jackson got leaked to the New York Times. The first question in the script is: 'Are you a Christian and do you believe the Bible is an inspired word of God?' The proposed response, apparently staff-scripted, is: 'As I went through my life, things got busy with business, but my family kept me grounded to the truth and the word of God. I treasure my relationship with my family, and through them, I have a strong faith enriched by an ever-wonderful God.' By contrast Trump caused a stir in Iowa when moderator Frank Luntz asked if he ever sought God's forgiveness. 'I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so,' Trump said. 'I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't.' Then he added: 'When I drink my little wine -- which is about the only wine I drink -- and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness, and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed,' he said. 'I think in terms of 'let's go on and let's make it right.'' Bishop Jackson told the Times the advance screening of questions was okay because, 'We want this to be as peaceful as possible. Thats what I promised would happen. I promised that: You are coming into a place to be interviewed and we dont want anybody to be hurt or anybody to be misused, so thats it.' Other answers in the transcript that don't have the ring of Trump's bold pronouncements. If we are to make America great again, we must reduce, rather than highlight, issues of race in this country' the answer says. I want to make race disappear as a factor in government and governance. Police guarding nuclear sites across Britain have reported 130 security breaches over the past five years including a missing gun and lost keys to a power station. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary reported that the keys to Hinkley Point power station near Bridgwater, Somerset, were misplaced. Meanwhile, confidential information was also shared and two of the 130 breaches were classed as 'high risk', reports the BBC. Other incidents included windows being left open and the loss of electronic equipment and papers. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary said the keys to Hinkley Point power station (pictured) were lost The force added it took these kind of incidents 'extremely seriously' and the breaches came to light after the BBC obtained information after a freedom of information request. Mike Griffiths, Chief Constable and Chief Executive of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, said the force 'encourages' staff to report any breaches. He added that the force, based in Culham, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is 'committed' to keeping the issues to a minimum. Mr Griffiths told the BBC: 'We encourage our staff to self-report any potential security issues. Police guarded the gates to Hinkley Point nuclear power station near Bridgwater, Somerset 'In the majority of these cases the incident was indeed reported by the person who was responsible for the breach.' The force abides by the security rules set up by the government's Officer for Nuclear Regulation. Mr Griffiths added that procedures were changed following the loss of the gun so it would 'never happen again'. China is poised to host the annual G20 summit in Hangzhou on Sept. 4-5, an occasion for strengthening international economic cooperation amid sluggish recovery worldwide. The upcoming summit is promoting the theme of "an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive world economy," reflecting China's emergence to take a leading role in the current economic revival. The leadership that China is assuming is backed by its economic capacity; it has become the second largest economy, a quarter of the world total. Economic restructuring is the Chinese solution to defy global downturn pressures. By carrying out structural reform, China aims to phase out industries and sectors characterized by high energy and labor use and high pollution. While everyone seems to be applauding this top-down reform effort, there are also economists who believe such a reform, which aims at upgrading whole industries, should be given an international context like everything else. Einar Tangen, U.S. economic and political affairs commentator, is among those arguing that the economic restructuring in China is only as good as how the rest of the world regards and needs it. "I don't see how China can go alone with internal restructuring if the rest of the world doesn't need it," Tangen told a recent symposium on the G20 summit. The way out is that China should make the world aware that what it is striving for has a positive global impact, and then taking a stronger leadership role for the global recovery. "It's important that China take a leadership role to protect your jobs and future of your children," Tangen said."What China has to gain and what the world has to gain from the G20 are exactly the same a way to replace the failing post-WWII U.S.-led unilateral leadership. China must bring in resources and ship out value-added goods, not only on a regional basis, but also on a global scale." However, he clarified that, although China's role in global governance will expand on par with its economic competence, it still would not challenge American global dominance, which covers far more areas than merely the economic front. He believed that China's wisdom and vision based on its own experience would enlighten crisis-stuck Europe and beyond. "China's ability to get where it is today is different from every other country. Looking back at the trajectory where it was expected to be today, China has exceeded that," he added. The Victorian family at the centre of a bizarre cross country paranoia-fuelled trip to NSW could be suffering from a rare form of shared delusional schizophrenia. Jacoba and Mark Tromp and their three adult children Riana, Ella and Mitchell left their home in Silvan, Melbourne on Monday without their mobile phones, credit cards or passports. Mr Tromp was reportedly paranoid that someone was going to kill them, but police have said the family were never in danger. Scroll down for video Mark Tromp, 51, (pictured with his daughter Ella Tromp) is still missing after embarking on an off-grid family holiday when he feared people were trying to kill him Mitchell Tromp and his sister Ella pictured, have returned home after leaving their parents when they realised they were delusional Riana Tromp, left, and her mother Jacoba, right, are being treated in a mental health facility in Goulburn. Riana was found in a catatonic state on Tuesday, her mother arrived to Yass Hospital two days later The reason for the strange delusion which spread fear through the family of five could be a shared psychiatric disorder, the Goulburn Post reported. The newspaper claimed a police circular shown to them suggested the family had been diagnosed with the mental illness. The couple's three children went with them on the off-grid holiday before leaving when they realised their parents were 'delusional'. Mitchell Tromp was the first of the couple's children to leave. He got out of the car in Kelso, near Bathurst on Monday where he took public transport back to Melbourne. 'He thinks people are after him. He's not in a good state of mind,' Mitchell said of his father. Riana and Ella left their parents at Jenolan Caves. Ella allegedly took a ute and drove towards Melbourne with her sister on Monday night but they became separated in Goulburn. The children reported their parents missing in Goulburn. Riana was found the next day in the back of a stranger's ute and appeared 'catatonic' when she was found. She is currently being cared for by mental health services in Goulburn. Jacoba, the mother of the children and Mark's wife turned up in Yass Hospital on Thursday, and is now being treated at the same health service as her eldest daughter, Riana. Mark Tromp is still missing. 'I've never seen anything like it. It's really hard to explain or put a word on it but they were just fearing for their lives and then they decided to flee,' Mitchell said on Friday. Mitchell has denied the family have been diagnosed with any psychological disorders, shared or otherwise. The suggestion the family have a shared delusional disorder has also been speculated by News.com who say it could be a condition known as folie a deux. The condition almost always occurs in tight-knit families between partners and siblings who could be otherwise socially isolated. People affected by the condition fall into a cycle of reinforcing each other's paranoid delusions. Since Jacoba and Mark Tromp were reported missing the couple's family including their children have reinforced how tight-knit they all were. The all worked together on the family farm and had unbreakable friendships. two of the three adult children live with their parents. Monbulk Police Sergeant Mark Knight knows the family personally and is leading the investigation into Mark's disappearance. He expressed an interest in the idea the family could be suffering from shared delusions. A Norwegian man has revealed in hilarious detail how he freed himself after one of his testicles got stuck in an Ikea chair while having a shower. Claus Jrstad, 45, of Alta in the country's north, had bought the Marius chair for showering because he had a knee injury but the testicle became trapped this week after falling into a hole in the stool and swelling in the hot conditions. Speaking to MailOnline from Norway tonight, Mr Jrstad said he was trapped sitting under the shower for so long that the water turned cold and he began to freeze - prompting him to risk electrocution and reach for a hairdryer to get warm again. Sitting there and noticing the accident, I bent down to see what the f*** happened, I realised the little nutter has got stuck, he told MailOnline. Claus Jrstad posted this pic to Facebook after the ordeal with his testicle and the chair Mr Jrstad originally posted about his issues with the Marius chair to Ikea's Norway Facebook page - and received a response from the retailer as the post went viral Mr Jrstad, of Alta, Norway, was a 'free man again!' after untangling from the Ikea chair I couldnt f***** move. Imagine an angry Irishman having an incident, cursing his way. And as I couldn't move, I started pondering how the hell I was gonna get outta the mess. After a lot of pondering forth and back, I realised I had no bloody ideas. The water turned cold by itself. So I started freezing. The water got cold. Even more cold than my mother-in-laws smile when I married her daughter. But the cold water was his problem and his saviour, though the photographer and father-of-three admitted he could have electrocuted himself by what he tried to do next. In despair, I reached for the hairdryer to keep warm while pondering, and thats when I realised the nut has got loose from the squirrel stool,' he said. 'It was when I reached for the dryer I realised I was a free man. He believes the cold water made his testicle shrink, allowing it to pop back through the hole. The retailer responded to the funny post about the 'skipper and two sailors', wishing Claus well on his next 'sea excursion' His comments come after his problems were laid bare in a hilarious Facebook post and discussion on the social media site with staff from the Swedish retailing giant. In his hilarious post complete with pictures and updates, Mr Jrstad described his genitals as the 'skipper and two sailors' because he said Swedes did not like direct descriptions of genitals. 'As you can imagine, the skipper is the captain down there, and the sailors are the two nuts that dangle,' he wrote. In his post to Ikea, he described himself as a 'free man again!' and asked if the stool came in yellow but was told only in red, black and white. While the post was liked and shared tens of thousands of times, IKEA responded, using their customer's maritime theme. Claus bought the Marius stool from Ikea to help him shower as he suffers from a knee injury 'Hey Claus. We recommend that you take the stool out of the shower... or that you sit on it with the right uniform on and in the right setting,' the staffer posted. 'If you choose to keep it in the shower, make sure you are well dressed for your next sea excursion.' Showing he was a fast learner, Mr Jrstad later posted a picture of the stool in the shower again - but this time covered with a wash cloth so his testicles could not get stuck again. He told MailOnline the figure on the wash cloth was named 'fantorangen'. 'And "fant" is slang in Norwegian for "wiener". You get the picture.' But he doesn't want to take another risk. The stool is being used elsewhere in the home now. He said he did not suffer any injuries apart from his stomach muscles hurting from laughter after reading comments on his Facebook post. In a later reply to his own post, Claus posted this photo to show the retailer he had fixed his problem for future showers. Ikea then suggested it look at its range of washcloths Ikea, still involved in the Facebook discussion, said it was 'so great to hear that you have had many good tips'. The retailer said that to prevent a 'new capsizing' he should look at the company's washcloths with a nice flower arrangement. Ever helpful, the staffer provided a link to the Ikea website. Former New England Mafia boss Francis 'Cadillac Frank' Salemme and a mob associate have been indicted in the 1993 killing of a Boston nightclub owner. An indictment unsealed Friday charges Salemme and Paul Weadick with the murder of federal witness Steven DiSarro. Salemme was arrested last month in the case and is being held without bail. Weadick was arrested Friday. Former New England Mafia boss Francis 'Cadillac Frank' Salemme and a mob associate have been indicted in the 1993 killing of a Boston nightclub owner. Salemme is pictured in a 2004 court sketch The indictment alleges that Salemme, Weadick and Salemme's son participated in DiSarro's killing to prevent him from talking to authorities about illegal activities by Salemme and others. Salemme and his son, Frank Salemme Jr., had a hidden interest in DiSarro's nightclub, The Channel. Weadick, 61, of Burlington, was a close associate of Salemme's son, according to the indictment. Salemme, now 83, led the New England family of La Cosa Nostra in the early 1990s. His son died in 1995. The indictment says shortly after DiSarro was killed, Salemme brought his body to Providence, Rhode Island, where his associates made arrangements to bury it. DiSarro's remains were found in March behind a mill in Providence. Salemme denies participating in DiSarro's killing. Weadick has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder of a federal witness. His lawyer, Carmine Lepore, said Weadick 'had nothing to do with' DiSarro's killing. Weadick was ordered held in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for September 8. An indictment unsealed Friday charges Salemme (left in 1995) and Paul Weadick with the murder of federal witness Steven DiSarro (right) Salemme was indicted on racketeering charges in 1995 and convicted in 1999. He was indicted again in 2004 for denying knowing anything about DiSarro's killing while he was negotiating a plea deal with federal prosecutors. He was convicted of obstruction of justice and sentenced to five years in prison. Salemme went into the federal witness protection program while he was a cooperating witness during the prosecution of Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger and former FBI Agent John Connolly Jr., Bulger's handler while he worked as an FBI informant. Salemme is pictured in a 1972 mugshot. Salemme, now 83, was arrested last month in the case and is being held without bail Emily Maitlis (pictured) worried for her family's safety after allegedly receiving letters from Edward Vines A stalker bombarded BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis with letters over the course of 20 years after becoming 'obsessed' with her, a court heard today. Edward Vines, 46, was slapped with a harassment order in 2009 which barred him from contacting Ms Maitlis and her husband, children and parents. But a court heard this did not prevent him from contacting the journalist, 45, who worried for her family's safety after allegedly receiving letters from Vines. The court heard Vines, of Oxford, developed an 'obsession' with the presenter after she spurned his advances when the pair studied at Cambridge University. A jury at Oxford Crown Court was told he sent two letters to the journalist and emails and letters to her mother Marion Maitlis between May 10 and June 26 last year. He denies two charges of breaching the restraining order which prevented from him contacting Ms Maitlis. The subject of the letters centred around Vines' belief that Ms Maitlis had acted 'scornfully' towards him after he had told her he loved while the pair were students in 1990, the court was told. The jury heard Vines, who was flanked in the dock by nurses from the secure hospital where he resides, has a string of convictions dating back to 2002 as a result of his actions towards the presenter. In the first letter, sent to BBC Newsnight in May 2015, he allegedly accused her of making up allegations of harassment, an offence for which he was jailed for four months in 2002. Ms Maitlis' statement, read to the court by prosecutor Julian Lynch, said: 'I was at the BBC, going through my post when I noticed an envelope addressed to me. 'I opened it and straight away saw the name "Edward Vines". Scroll down for video Edward Vines (pictured) denies two charges of breaching the restraining order which prevented from him contacting Ms Maitlis The subject of the letters centred around Vines' belief that Ms Maitlis (pictured with her son Max) had acted 'scornfully', the court heard 'I did not read the contents of the letter and handed it straight to security. 'When Edward Vines contacts me, it causes me considerable stress and makes me worry about my safety and that of my family.' The court heard Vines caused Ms Maitlis so much distress she reported him to police on the same day that colleague TV journalist Jill Dando was murdered in 1999. Julian Lynch, prosecuting, read out the long letters sent to Ms Maitlis at the BBC HQ and also emails and letters to her mother. This resulted in Vines being charged with two counts of breaching a restraining order, which was imposed seven years ago. He told the jury of six men and six women: 'Mr Vines and Emily Maitlis were students together at Cambridge University in the 1990s. 'They were friends while they were there and, at some stage, Mr Vines fell in love with Emily Maitlis, a love it seems she did not return. 'Thereafter it seems their friendship broke down. 'You won't hear the details from Emily Maitlis's side but it seems to have developed into an obsession with her until the present day. 'The obsession resulted in a number of criminal convictions, starting in 2002 when Mr Vines was convicted of harassing Emily Maitlis. 'He broke the restraining order in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2016. 'The Crown's case is that he goes on to break the restraining order in two ways - he wrote a letter to Emily Maitlis on May 10, 2015 sent to her at the BBC offices, which arrived around June 23, 2015. 'She only saw it before handing it on to security then police, being well aware of the restraining order. 'Having not got a reply to that letter, he wrote a letter sent June 25, 2015, which arrived around July 3. It never ended up in Emily Maitlis' hands. 'That and these two letters are alleged in count one.' Mr Lynch added: 'He also breaches the restraining order through contacting Marion Maitlis (Emily's mother), on May 19, 2015 when he sends her an email asking her to put him in contact with Emily. 'He also sent her letters on May 5 and May 7, and you will get a chance to read these letters and emails. 'The letters to Emily Maitlis are quite lengthy and go into matters of their friendship at Cambridge. 'You may feel when you hear them that they are rather long and rambling and ultimately the obsession Edward Vines has with Emily Maitlis.' When police attended the Oxford flat he lived in to arrest Vines they discovered neat files containing witness statements from the original harassment charge. Vines allegedly told Ms Maitlis (pictured) her he loved while the pair were students in 1990 His trial at Oxford Crown Court (pictured) heard he sent two letters to the journalist and emails and letters to her mother Marion Maitlis between May 10 and June 26 last year In a police interview Vines admitted breaching the restraining order but was adamant he had never harassed Ms Maitlis. He claimed that he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice when in 2008 he was suffering a 'psychotic episode' and blamed media coverage on him entering a guilty plea, also accusing Ms Maitlis of perjury and providing an exaggerated witness statement. That year he was sent to a mental health facility for breaching the restraining order, and in 2010 he spent eight months in prison for a similar breech. He was given a suspended sentence in 2013 after emailing Newsnight, the current affairs show which Ms Maitlis works on, and the following year was jailed for contacting her mother, requesting she facilitate a meeting with the journalist. The court heard that the pair met at Cambridge University in 1990 when they were both first year students and Vines declared his amorous feelings for his then-pal. His letters to her, sent between May 10, 2015 and June 26, 2015, focused on a request for a meeting so she could 'explain her behaviour.' One read: 'I write to you to address the question of your behaviour to me at Cambridge in 1990 and to ask you if you will withdraw your witness statement from 2002. 'In October 1989 you and I were friends in our first term at university and in January 1990 told you I was in love with you but in April you were scornful.' Keaun L. Cook (in an undated photo) was arrested on terrorism charges An 18-year-old was arrested after authorities accused him of contacting a terrorist group about planning a 'mass casualty event' in Illinois. Keaun L. Cook, of Godfrey, Illinois, was arrested Wednesday and charged with providing material support for terrorism and making a terrorist threat. Cook - who is said to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia - is accused of plotting an attack at several locations in Madison County, Illinois, but did not disclose the specific venues that were targeted. At a press conference on Thursday, the state's attorney Tom Gibbons described Cook as a dangerous man with a deliberate plan to cause a 'mass casualty event'. There was no evidence of any explosives or other weapons found, and Cook's threats were made verbally, according to Gibbons. But County Sheriff John Lakin said the threat was genuine. At a news conference on Thursday, Gibbons said police departments where the attacks were planned had been notified of the threats. County Sheriff John Lakin said authorities learned of the threat on August 24 when deputies performed a welfare check at the home of Cook's grandmother, who has looked after him since his mother unexpectedly died of an illness in 2011. Authorities accused Cook (pictured) of plotting an attack at several locations in Madison County, Illinois Gibbons said someone then reported the verbal threats. Although investigators found no dangerous materials or firearms in the home, Lakin said he thinks there was a 'strong possibility he could have carried it out alone'. I'm very proud to stand here today and say that we stopped an event that could have caused a very, very, very serious situation County Sheriff John Lakin 'I'm very proud to stand here today and say that we stopped an event that could have caused a very, very, very serious situation,' Lakin said. Cook was being held at the Madison County jail on $150,000 bond and did not have a lawyer as of Friday morning. Cook's grandmother, Debra Thomas, hand-delivered two letters to The Alton Telegraph on Thursday, explaining that her grandson struggles with paranoid schizophrenia. She also wrote that Cook had spent more than 300 days in isolated confinement at a county detention center, where the condition went untreated. According to her letter, Thomas couldn't force her grandson to take his medication once he returned home and called the police to help Cook receive treatment. Illinois' state attorney Tom Gibbons described Cook as a dangerous man (pictured, his home in Godfrey 'When he's on his medicine he is the sweetest person you know, when off like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,' Thomas wrote, noting that she never would have involved the police if she thought it would have landed her grandson in jail. Thomas didn't immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. Gibbons' office said further details about the alleged plot wouldn't be released because the investigation is ongoing. He said his office planned to file a motion later Friday asking for Cook to be held without bond. Cook has no previous felony convictions in Madison County. He did have one 2011 misdemeanor conviction for damage to property for using a rock to scratch a pickup truck. Britain's tea-growing industry is thriving so much that we're even exporting tea to China these days. Growers have enjoyed a record-breaking harvest thanks to particularly good weather conditions in the UK this year. An unusually wet and mild winter benefited tea plantations from Scotland to Cornwall, reports The Times. This year's crop was of such good quality that exports to China and Japan have peaked. Tea plantations across Britain from Cornwall to Scotland are celebrating after a good harvest this year. A mild winter helped them. Meanwhile, the world's traditional tea growing areas such as Assam in India have suffered from the effects of climate change There are 12 tea plantations in the UK, with more springing up all the time, according to Angela Pryce, a tea expert and consultant. Tam O'Braan grows 14,000 tea bushes at an elevation of 750 metres at Dalreoch Plantation in Perthshire, in the Highland hills. He said: 'This year's has been exceptionally good and for the first time, 80 per cent of our first flush, the finest high-quality tea, was exported to the Far East, mainly to China.' Last year just under five per cent of the first flush was exported to the Far East. The first flush is harvested at Dalreoch in February, with the rest of the tea then gathered through to September. Mr O'Braan's tea is purchased by Fortnum & Mason, the prestigious London food store, and even won an award from the Salon du The in Paris. According to the Dalreoch website: 'Combinations of the very clean Scottish mountain air and the nutrient rich soil allow for a smooth and undiluted fruitier flavours.' The tea plant Camellia sinensis thrives in a cool, wet temperate climate, and the plants are hardy enough to withstand a British winter. Tregothnan tea plantation in Cornwall is the oldest one in the UK. Yields are up 35 per cent on last year according to Annabel Percy-Hughes, marketing manager for the estate There's nothing Brits like more than a cuppa, and now home-grown tea is thriving, thanks to a mild winter. In fact UK tea plantations have done so well this year they're even exporting to China Annabel Percy-Hughes, marketing manager at the Tregothnan tea plantation near Truro, Cornwall, the oldest tea grower in Britain, said: 'We had a very warm winter and the tea bushes didn't stop growing, and now the last two months have been a perfect combination of rain and sun. Yields are about 35 per cent up on 2015.' While the British tea industry is booming, the world's main tea-producing regions have been struggling with poor weather. The father of a teenager boy who drowned while trying to swim across the River Thames has revealed he and another of his children heard emergency services racing to the scene before he discovered the devastating news. Kevin Naylor today told of his grief over the death of his son Dominick, 15, on Wednesday after the teen disappeared in the river in Walton-on-Thames while swimming with four friends. Mr Naylor has revealed he was compelled to hug the body of his dead son on the river bank after divers pulled it out after a major police search including help from a member of the public who had jumped in to try and rescue Dominick. Dominick Naylor, 15, was with friends in the River Thames when he drowned on Wednesday Mr Naylor was working nearby with his other son when they heard a 15-year-old boy was missing and police sirens and fire engines, The Evening Standard reported. 'One of my other sons rang and asked 'where is Bibbles? (his nickname)' he told the paper, explaining his 'stomach started turning'. 'He had only been out twice all summer.' Mr Naylor paid tribute to his son, a Rydens Enterprise School pupil and Chelsea fan, saying the death had not 'sunk in yet'. He had three elder brothers and a sister. 'He was a lovely boy,' he told The Evening Standard. 'When they brought him out of the water they put him down here and I gave him a hug. 'He was a bit geeky and was shy but was so funny. He had a really good sense of humour. He was just different and was his own person. He was very bright and loved computers.' The 15-year-old boy died after getting caught in underwater reeds or a current as he tried to swim from one bank of the River Thames to another near Sunbury Lock at Walton-on-Thames The site where he drowned is a peaceful stretch of the River Thames as he tried to cool off in the water because of the 24C heat. His friends and family have taken to social media to express their shock and mourning the day after the tragedy. Nicole Nunes wrote on Facebook: 'My heart and thoughts go out to such a beautiful young man. 'Dominick Naylor - taken from this life so soon. Words can't explain the pain you're going through. I'm truly so sorry. I'm so shocked. Didn't expect it to be someone close. 'Love you all. So, so sorry.' Vicky Dearden wrote: 'So, so sad - my heart goes out to you all, I can't believe it he was taken too soon RIP, Dominic sweetheart.' The teenager, who has not yet been named, was one of a group of friends who decided to wade into the river near Sunbury Lock at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey this afternoon (pictured) Chloe Richardson wrote: 'RIP Dom. Taken too early. Missed but never forgotten.' The family live in a small, terraced, 390,000 home in Cobham, Surrey, just off the busy A3. Neighbours described the crowds of people watching on as the emergency services scoured the area from the river bank, from boats and from the air yesterday afternoon. One passer-by who declined to be named said: 'There are always people swimming around here, but I've never heard of anyone dying here. It's so calm. 'The water is as calm today as it was yesterday. But I wouldn't go in if you paid me. 'Partly because of the safety aspect. Mostly because of the rats. 'I've seen people chucking their dog's poo in the river, just walk along and chuck it. It's disgusting. 'I can see why people would want to go in. There's a sparkle on the water, like today. But it's not for me.' Ousted Fox News chairman Roger Ailes (above) hacked the phone records of his own employees as well as the chief reporter for a liberal watchdog website, a new report alleges Ousted Fox News chairman Roger Ailes hacked the phone records of his own employees as well as the chief reporter for a liberal watchdog website, a new report has alleged. In New York magazines September cover story which chronicles the fall of Ailes, Gabriel Sherman said Fox obtained the phone records of journalists by legally questionable means. On Twitter on Friday, Sherman said that this is the first time one of Rupert Murdochs US news outlets has been implicated in phone hacking, referencing the scandal that led to the closure of the News of the World in the UK. Citing two sources with knowledge of the incident, Sherman wrote that Dianne Brandi Foxs general counsel hired a private investigator in 2010 to obtain Joe Strupps personal home and cell phone records. Strupp writes for Media Matters, a non-profit site that monitors misinformation on conservative news sites. In the fall of 2010, Strupp had written a number of articles based on information from anonymous Fox sources. According to the New York report, Ailes wanted to know who was talking to him. This is the culture, a Fox executive told Sherman. Getting phone records doesnt make anyone blink. Brandi denied the allegations to Sherman through a spokesman. A Fox News spokesman declined to comment further when approached by Daily Mail Online. Media Matters president Bradley Beychock responded to the report and said that he is considering suing the network. On Twitter on Friday, Sherman said that this is the first time one of Rupert Murdochs US news outlets has been implicated in phone hacking The new report also revealed how Rupert Murdochs (center) sons James (right) and Lachlan (left) saw former anchor Gretchen Carlsons lawsuit against Ailes as an opportunity He called for an immediate investigation into Ailes as well as current and former employees of Fox News who may be involved. In a statement published on Media Matters, he said: From what we witnessed with Rupert Murdoch and News Corps prior phone hacking scandal, its critical for an immediate investigation of Roger Ailes and any other current or former Fox News employees who may have been involved in this illegal practice. Roger Ailes and Fox News broke the law by hacking into the phone records of Media Matters employees. He added: Anyone involved in the illegal hacking should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and we are considering all options. Ailes also allegedly ruled Fox like a surveillance state. He reportedly had the networks head of engineering install CCTV cameras to allow him to monitor the offices, studios, green rooms, the back entrance and his homes. On one occasion, Ailes allegedly spotted James Murdoch smoking outside the office on a monitor and made a homophobic slur. Gretchen Carlson (left) filed a sexual harassment suit against Ailes in July and shortly after the networks star Megyn Kelly (right) also accusing Ailes of harassment, he was forced to resign Tell me that mouth hasnt sucked a cock, he said to his deputy Bill Shine, an executive who was in the room revealed to Sherman. Shine does not recall the incident, a Fox spokesman said about the alleged incident. And the companys IT department monitored all employee emails, sources say. Sherman also revealed that Ailes allegedly increased his surveillance and retaliated if he found something that angered him. Foxs PR department allegedly leaked negative stories about wayward employees. And Jim Pinkerton, a Fox contributor, ran an anonymous blog which attacked people that Ailes picked, executives told Sherman. The New York report also claimed that Fox contributor worked as a private investigator for Ailes. His tasks included following former Fox producer Andrea Mackris after she filed a lawsuit against Bill OReilly for sexual harassment. The new report also revealed how Rupert Murdochs sons James and Lachlan saw former anchor Gretchen Carlsons lawsuit against Ailes as an opportunity. Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit against Ailes in July prompting numerous other women to come forward with similar claims that Ailes had harassed them. James and Lachlan had been the ones to persuade their father to hire a law firm to conduct an internal investigation. Shortly after the networks star Megyn Kelly joined her in accusing Ailes, he was forced to resign. Besides his sons dislike of Ailes, the 85-year-old Murdoch had also begun to develop a strained relationship with him, according to the report. This was reportedly because Murdoch disapproved of Ailes putting the network backing completely behind Donald Trumps bid for presidency. Twins Ruby and Rosie cant wait to start school next week. Were excited, excited, excited! chants Rosie, who says her new teacher looks like Ariel, Disneys Little Mermaid, because she has red hair. Ruby, who loves gluing, painting and Tinker Bell, and wants to be a doctor when she grows up, confirms that shes as excited as Rosie. The twins are natural entertainers, the consummate double act. When one pipes up with a show-stealing joke or one-liner, the other tries to out-perform her. Scroll down for video Sister act: Twins Rosie (left) and Ruby get ready for school. For their parents Angela and Daniel, their twin daughters feat is an extraordinary one, because the girls have beaten incredible odds to reach this milestone The girls were born conjoined fused together at the abdomen and sharing part of an intestine and within hours of their birth underwent emergency surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, to clear a life-threatening intestinal blockage and separate them Why didnt the skeleton go to the party? asks Ruby. Because he had no body to go with! she laughs. Then Rosie, who hopes to be a pop star, diverts us with a cartwheel and bursts extravagantly into song. Its a hectic, happy, close-knit household and when the four-year-old twins chatty, charming and self-assured join their big sister Lily, nine, at school on Tuesday, their mum Angela will enjoy some peace. What will she do? I think I might just sleep for a day, she smiles. Millions of mums will share Angela Formosas heart-bursting pride when their children take their first steps towards independence as another new school year starts. But for Angela and husband Daniel their twin daughters feat is an extraordinary one, because Rosie and Ruby have beaten incredible odds to reach this milestone. They were born conjoined fused together at the abdomen and sharing part of an intestine and within hours of their birth underwent emergency surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, to clear a life-threatening intestinal blockage and separate them. Conjoined twins are a rarity, accounting for one in every 200,000 twin births. Half are stillborn and of those who do survive, 35 per cent live only for a day. Full-time mum Angela (pictured with the twins and her husband, Daniel) was five weeks into her pregnancy in 2011 when she learned at a scan that she was having twins but there were indications the pregnancy was unusual Fewer still survive separation to live healthy, independent lives: there may be only 500 sets of successfully separated conjoined twins in the world. That Ruby and Rosie Formosa are among them marks them as little short of miraculous, and Angela confesses in the early months she constantly prayed. Id say, Please God, look over them and help them grow strong and healthy, she says. When they were born we didnt take anything for granted. We hadnt decorated their room; we werent expecting to bring them home. They looked so beautiful, our two little princesses lying joined in their incubator, but then we had to sign consent forms for the operation to separate them and we were given the worst-case scenario: that they wouldnt pull through. We were in limbo, worried about the intricacies of surgery. Then when we were told it was a success, I cried with happiness. But I was also thinking, What lies ahead? Will they thrive? Will we cope? Of course we did, and all that worry seems a million years ago now. Weve got two little girls who are strong-willed, robust and very determined, but theyve had to be theyve been through so much. It wasnt until they were a year old that the realisation hit me they were going to be all right. They were going to thrive and lead normal, independent lives. They looked so beautiful, our two little princesses lying joined in their incubator Angela Formosa Angela, 36, a full-time mum, was five weeks into her pregnancy in 2011 when she learned at a scan she was having twins but there were indications the pregnancy was unusual. The sonographer saw two tiny baked bean-like blobs and she called a consultant, who looked to see if she could see two amniotic sacs. But she could only find one and was perplexed. Next day we went back so she could look again, but she couldnt see a dividing membrane. A further scan at 14 weeks was also inconclusive, so Angela was referred to Professor Kypros Nicolaides, the world renowned expert in foetal surgery, at Kings College Hospital, London. He said, Ahah! Theyre joined, Angela remembers. And I started crying. Id thought they were sharing an amniotic sac, but this was much more scary. All these thoughts crowded in on me: what will they look like? How bad is it going to be? Will they survive? Professor Nicolaides said, Be prepared. There might not be any heartbeats, but there were. We knew they were girls and they had all their limbs, and that their heads werent joined, but other than that, it was unknown. I was at the hospital with my mum and I phoned Daniel. It was a sad, sad time but he was upbeat. He said, It will be OK. Well cross each bridge as it comes. In the ensuing days, Angela was offered a termination. I was asked three times if I wanted one, she says. They said, We dont know what the outcome will be. A lot of people would consider one. But I said, No. I knew it was something Id never do. She felt isolated by her condition. There were no other mums in my position. A big swathe of my hair went grey overnight. I was strong in front of other people, but Id go off on my own and have a little cry. And she did not know what to tell Lily. I didnt want to make her upset, but I told her, Youre going to have two sisters, but theyre going to be quite poorly. Daniel, a black cab driver, and Angela, from Bexleyheath, South-East London, told few people outside their loving family. They had little idea themselves what the future held. Even Professor Nicolaides remained baffled. I went for more scans and there were about 20 people in the room with the professor, looking. He said, I cant tell whats going on. There were cords and intestines entwined in such a confined space that nothing was clear. I couldnt help looking at the internet, at all the things that could go wrong. Because I had Lily I had to be strong, but the night before every hospital appointment Id break down. Despite her fears, the fortnightly scans revealed the girls were growing; apparently at equal rates. Both, it seemed, were autonomous. Neither depended on the other for life, and I started to have a positive feeling that they would make it, says Angela. I could feel how active they both were. They were kicking vigorously. But as plans were made for the birth at University College Hospital, London, there was no clarity. At 30 weeks I even went for an MRI scan. They can usually tell what organs and arteries are shared, but all they could see was a jumbled mass. Its a hectic, happy, close-knit household and when the four-year-old twins chatty, charming and self-assured join their big sister Lily (pictured with them), nine, at school on Tuesday, their mother will enjoy some peace I was really worried, says Daniel, but I tried not to show Angela. I focused on the fact we needed to move house so there was room for the twins. But would we need one cot or two? Angela adds: I worried about how wed cope if they couldnt be separated. When the girls were born by caesarean section at 34 weeks, all the family both sets of grandparents and Angelas sister Elizabeth gathered at the hospital. Lily, meanwhile, stayed with Daniels brother Christopher and his wife Sarah. We were so worried that the babies wouldnt live that we wanted everyone to have a chance to see them, says Angela. But all was well: the twins, each weighing 5lb 3oz, were born healthy and breathing independently. I was shown a photo of them wrapped in a blanket, says Angela. I thought, Theyre beautiful then immediately my happiness was clouded by the worry about what would happen next. I remember crying and shaking. I gave them a cuddle and a kiss and held their tiny hands. Daniel was saying how lovely they were. Wed asked for the priest to come because we were worried theyd die, that wed need a baptism. But he said, Theyll be fine, and he gave them a blessing. He said we could have a family christening later. And thats when it got exciting, adds Daniel. Our babies were safely delivered. Everything seemed to be all right except they were joined. However, doctors then diagnosed a life-threatening blockage in the girls intestine; part of which they both shared. There was no choice but to carry out emergency surgery to separate them. Within hours Daniel was speeding with them to GOSH. It was very emotional, having to sign consent forms, he says. They give you the stats for survival. It did not seem good. There was only a 25 per cent chance that theyd pull through. We had a long cuddle before they went down for surgery. I walked down to the theatre with them and the door shut, then that was it. I was thinking, We could lose both of them, says Angela, who remained at UCH, still woozy after the birth, with her parents and sister. The five hours when they were having surgery was the longest of our lives. Meanwhile, Edward Kiely and Professor Agostino Pierro, the surgeons at GOSH, were carrying out the complex operation with a top team of multi-disciplinary medics. The hospital has treated 27 sets of conjoined twins in the past 30 years: its team is world-renowned. Angela says: I couldnt bear to wait to be discharged, so I left the hospital with mum, dad and my sister, and we went to GOSH. A nurse rushed in and said, The surgery has finished. Its a success! and we were overjoyed. It seems that Ruby and Rosie named by their big sister were intent on thriving. They did so well, our two tiny tots, and after a week they were well enough to come out of intensive care and go on to a post-surgical ward, says Angela. Both twins were initially fed on breast milk, then formula was added to boost their weight. Within three weeks, they were discharged. I wondered how Id cope, but of course I did, Angela smiles. Today her three lovely girls sit at the kitchen table in a blizzard of glitter and glue, squealing and wise-cracking. The twins are fiercely individual and devoted to one another. They hold hands and dance; they compete for the limelight. They plant kisses on each other. Rosie is left-handed; Ruby right. Their favourite colour, they cry in unison, is Pink! When they graduated from their cots to big girl beds, Angela would often find them entwined in the same bed. When they start school, they have chosen to be in the same class. The twins have on-going care at GOSH. Angela adds: I dont think the twins are old enough to understand how special they are yet although they know they were once joined and sometimes I need to remind myself just how wonderful the outcome has been. A well-known bikini-clad street performer in Florida with 'HOLLA!' tattooed on his forehead was arrested for a 27th time on Tuesday. Charles Easter, 38, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct in Fort Lauderdale around 1.46am while he was visiting a friend being treated in the emergency room at a local hospital, The Smoking Gun reported. Easter, who has 'HOLLA!' distinctively tattooed on his forehead, allegedly became 'unruly' during the visit, which prompted police to step in. As he was being escorted out of the hospital by a police officer, Easter yelled at a nurse, 'F*** off you c**t,' according to his arrest complaint affidavit. Scroll down for video 'HOLLA!': Charles Easter (pictured above in mugshot) was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct in Fort Lauderdale around 1.46am on Tuesday Easter (pictured), 38, was visiting a friend being treated in the emergency room at a local hospital when he became 'unruly'. He is known for dancing on street corners in bright colored bikinis for tips in the state The officer wrote that 'in a fit of rage,' Easter 'maliciously threw coffee over the floor and wall.' The complaint also notes that Easter, who also goes by the name 'HollaBeyonceAliciaKeys-and-RiRi, which is Rihanna,' has the words 'I Bet You Won't' tattooed on his back, as teardrop tattoos are also on his face. His address in the complaint is listed as 'At Large, Fort Lauderdale, FL'. Easter, who is reportedly married, is known to wear pink or bright colored bikinis while doing sidewalk dance routines in the state in hopes of earning tips. Easter, who also goes by the name 'HollaBeyonceAliciaKeys-and-RiRi, which is Rihanna,' has the words 'I Bet You Won't' tattooed on his back, as teardrop tattoos are also on his face. It's unclear if he is still behind bars He told the Tampa Tribune back in April that he can earn up to $1,000 on a good day dancing in the street. 'I used to be a cross-dresser, now I'm a rock star,' he said at the time. 'I like when people are laughing and having a good time.' Easter has an extensive criminal history in Miami-Dade county, as he's been arrested on charges from drinking in public, panhandling, indecent exposure and trespassing. Advertisement As Hermine pushed through South Carolina with strong winds and heavy rains on Friday, it could strengthen back into a hurricane as it moves into the Atlantic coast over the Labor Day weekend, forecasters said. Hermine, which was earlier downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, could be near hurricane intensity by late Sunday, meteorologist and National Hurricane spokesman Dennis Feltgen told Daily Mail Online. As the storm makes its way towards the East Coast it is likely to strengthen once it moves offshore on Saturday, posing as a dangerous threat to the Jersey Shore, with possible high winds and storm surge. From Florida to New York, more than 30 million people were under tropical storm watches and warnings as the storm moved northeast, bringing the potential for drenching rain and devastating flooding. Hermine - which tore a path of destruction across Florida after making landfall on Friday - is forecast to move across coastal South Carolina this evening and then continue across coastal North Carolina on Saturday morning. As it pushes northeast, it will move offshore of the North Carolina coast by Saturday afternoon before stalling or meandering over the North Atlantic, nearly stationary off the New Jersey coast for several days. 'The northeast will start feeling impacts into the weekend and into Labor day off coastal sections,' Feltgen told Daily Mail Online. Scroll down for video From Florida to New York, more than 30 million people were under tropical storm watches and warnings as Hermine weakened to a tropical storm while moving northeast. Forecasters said Hermine could reach hurricane intensity by Sunday North Carolina sand bags: By Friday afternoon, it had weakened to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm watches and warnings as far north as the Connecticut-Rhode Island border The North Carolina National Guard prepares to depart their Kinston, North Carolina yard on Friday to stage at the Global Transpark after being activated head of Tropical Storm Hermine Large crowds rush to depart New York's Pennsylvania station before the start of the Labor Day holiday weekend on Friday in New York City. Despite weather forecasts for high wind and rain from Hurricane Hermine, thousands of people departed Manhattan for the official last weekend of the summer Dave Christian, a dock worker at Marlin Quay Marina, walks through heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Hermine after checking the docks in Garden City Beach, South Carolina on Friday Workers clean up debris, caused by Hurricane Hermine, in the parking lot in front of convenience store in Cedar Key, Florida Path: This NOAA satellite image taken Friday at 9.45am EDT shows Tropical Storm Hermine moving into South Carolina 'They'll be dealing with this into Monday, Tuesday and quite possibly into Wednesday,' he added. He also said Hermine could become a post-tropical storm as it nears New Jersey, New York and Connecticut on Sunday, but he pointed out Sandy did the same in 2012 and still caused extensive damage. A post-tropical storm means while it might not be classified as a hurricane, it still has all the same impacts, including storm surge along coast, heavy rain and forceful winds. Feltgen warned those along the coast need to be watching the storm very carefully they and to take it seriously. There is expected to be little change in Hermine's strength between tonight and early Saturday, while the center of it remains over land, the National Hurricane Center (NHC). As of 5pm EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Hermine was centered inland over southern South Carolina. After Hurricane Hermine wreaked havoc across Florida on Friday, it surged Georgia before making its way into South Carolina. The Category 1 storm made landfall in Florida early Friday, becoming the first hurricane to hit the Sunshine State in 11 years, and left one dead, 253,000 without power and forced dozens of towns in its path to evacuate. Hurricane Hermine slammed into Florida, with the Sunshine State braced for 80mph winds, 12ft storm surges and up to 20 inches of rain overnight. Hermine has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, posing 'life-threatening' danger After pushing through Georgia, Hermine was expected to move into the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding over the Labor Day weekend (its projected path pictured above) Currently, a tropical storm watch is in effect in coastal parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and the Virginia Tidewater The storm is expected to hover near or off the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast seaboard, braced for strong winds and coastal flooding Georgia was spared the havoc it had expected when it placed 56 counties under a state of emergency, but 85,000 homes and businesses lost power from downed trees and power lines on Friday. Though sustained winds had weakened to 50mph, the tempest could strengthen again over water and possibly bring up to 15 inches of rain to the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states over the next 48 hours. In South Carolina, an official said Hermine had spawned scattered reports of flooded roads, trees down and power outages but no major damage. Emergency Management Division spokesman Derrec Becker likened it more to a bad summer storm than a hurricane, and Gov. Nikki Haley did not declare a state of emergency. The worst damage appears to be on the southern tip of the state in Beaufort County where there were flooded roads, numerous reports of trees down and where a wind gust of 52 mph was recorded. In the Charleston area, only a handful of roads were closed because of flooding, not uncommon during summer thunderstorms. Boats are pictured in the middle of a street in Steinhatchee on Friday after the landfall of Hurricane Hermine in Florida The Big Deck bar and grill in Cedar Key suffered major damage as Hurricane Hermine passed through the area. 'Bring it on Hermine' had been written on wood cladding attached to the bar People are pictured wading through a flooded street in Steinhatchee on Friday after Hurricane Hermine hit Florida Charlie Valentine sweeps water out of the Sea Hag Marina (left) in Steinhatchee as Kristin Skipper helps clean up inside (right) A trailer was destroyed after rain and wind from Hurricane Hermine hit the town of Keaton Beach, Florida WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HURRICANE AND A TROPICAL STORM? In the Atlantic Ocean, a hurricane usual starts as a lowlytropical disturbance, meaning organized thunderstorm activity stretching at least 100 miles across and remaining as one for 24 hours. They often start as storms moving westward from African during the summer, according to Vox. If a tropical disturbance is expected to further develop, meteorologists will appoint it as an investigative area or invest. For example, meteorologists were watching closely with Hermine starting out as 'Invest 99L.' Under certain conditions, a tropical disturbance can continue developing and spin into a low-pressure center, at which point it is classified as a tropical cyclone or tropical depression. In order for a tropical depression to form, wind and water temperature come into play. To fuel the system, there has to be enough moisture in the lower and middle part of the atmosphere and the water also has to be at least 80F. Local winds also have to allow the depression to spin, as too much wind shear can dissipate an aspiring tropical cyclone. With a tropical storm, the pressure in the center of the system drops, and air rushes in, allowing for strong winds to be made. Should the system strengthen and wind speed rises past 39pmh, it is classified as a tropical storm and is also given a name. For example, this happened with Hermine on Wednesday as it made its way into the Gulf of Mexico and intensified. The National Hurricane Center determines when a tropical depression becomes a tropical storm, relying on data from islands and buoys as well as measurements taken from aircrafts flying into the storm to measure wind speed. Tropical storms be upgraded to a hurricane if they pass over a region of particularly warm water and do not encounter a lot of wind shear. When this happens, the pressure in the center of the system drops further and the winds speed up, causing the system to get rounder, usually forming a clearly defined 'eye.' Hurricanes can then be downgraded back to tropical storms as they move over land or cooler water, and are no longer fueled by warm moist air. Hurricanes are downgraded to tropical storm once wind speeds drop below 75mph, which is exactly what happened with Hermine after it made landfall in Florida on Friday. As the storm is forecast to move back over the Atlantic Ocean next week and reaches record-warm ocean temperatures, it could strengthen into a hurricane again. Source: Vox Advertisement Wind gusts up to 30mph were reported in the Richland County area, and some areas received four inches of rain mainly south and east of Columbia. Meanwhile in Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency. At a news conference Friday afternoon, McAuliffe warned that the storm could bring 'life-threatening' storm surges to the eastern part of the state, including heavily populated areas such as Virginia Beach. McAuliffe said forecasters predict waves as high as eight feet and storm surges up to four feet this weekend. McAuliffe added that 10 inches of rain could also pour down over the course of two days. Virginia is deploying 270 members of the National Guard to prepare for flooding and power outages. Cities such as Norfolk and Virginia Beach are often plagued with flooding in low-lying areas and are increasingly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Heavy rainfall and flooding could also possibly hit coastal Delaware and New Jersey starting on Saturday night, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday activated his state's emergency operations center and advised emergency officials to stockpile resources, including sandbags and generators. Meanwhile, New Jersey, still mindful of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, was on high alert as emergency officials advised people to prepare for flooding, high winds and a surge of seawater. Heavy rain and winds were moving into South and North Carolina as the storm advanced, the NHC said. Hermine is forecast to hover near or off the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast seaboard, braced for strong winds and coastal flooding, according to The Weather Channel. Over the next five days, it is expected to remain 'a dangerous cyclone,' according to the hurricane center, according to USA Today. 'Gusts between 60 and 75mph are possible from the central New Jersey coast to the southern tip of Delmarva,' according to AccuWeather. A large oak tree fell across the carport area of a Whataburger restaurant and another tree next to a preschool fell in the opposite direction, hitting a car parked nearby Escaped: Darby Lee looks into the damaged bedroom of his brother and sister in laws apartment that had a tree fall on the roof early Friday morning in Jacksonville, Florida Residents in Alligator Point, Florida look at a road that collapsed during the storm surge from Hurricane Hermine on Friday Defense: Barbara Carroll surveys damage in and around her home from the storm surge caused by Hurricane Hermine which made landfall overnight in the area around Tampa Mother nature's roar: Melvin Gatlin Jr. walks to the back door of his father's house in Valdosta, Georgia A tropical storm watch is in effect in coastal parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and the Virginia Tidewater. A tornado watch has also been issued by the Storm Prediction Center and will remain until 8am EDT for parts of northern and west central Florida, along with southern Georgia and southern South Carolina. Nationwide, airline travel seemed to only be moderately disrupted on Friday with an estimated 172 flight cancellations and another estimated 1,711 flights delayed as of 4pm EDT, according, Flight Aware. Airports in Hermine's path saw minor to moderate delays or cancellations, and included airports in Florida from Jacksonville, Tampa and Gainesville to airports in Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina. Airlines including America, Delta, United and Southwest had issued flexible re-booking policies related to Hermine, according to USA Today. JetBlue, Spirit and Silver Airlines also had offered storm-related waivers. Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain and high winds. People venture out onto the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier as roaring waves crash against the pilings Cleanup: The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center Lucky escapes reported: An unknown number of people in Florida were taken to area hospitals with injuries that weren't thought to be life-threatening Power of the storm: Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade It hit just east of St. Marks around 1.30am EDT with winds around 80mph, and churning up a devastating storm surge in coastal areas, according to the NHC. Storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain carried the danger of flooding along the storm's path over land, including the state capital Tallahassee, which had not been hit by a hurricane since Kate in 1985. Schools in 35 of the Florida's 67 counties were closed, meanwhile state offices were closed in 37 counties. Florida Governor Rick Scott said 253,000 people were without power. HERMINE BRINGS CANCELLATIONS AND POSTPONEMENT OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS GEORGIA The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday closed the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in south Georgia. The refuge, which was directly in Hermine's path, features vast swamplands inhabited by alligators. Spokesman Tom McKenzie said falling trees could prove dangerous to gators and other wildlife. The National Park Service closed Georgia's Cumberland Island to visitors until Saturday morning. The barrier island is home to roughly 15 miles of federally protected wilderness. It's reachable only by boat. The National Hurricane Center has placed the southern half of Georgia's 100-mile coast under a tropical storm watch. All Savannah-Chatham Public School and administrative offices are closed. Several college campuses also have closed as a precaution, including Albany State University and Darton State College, and their satellite locations in Cairo and Cordele. Valdosta State and Georgia Southern also canceled all scheduled classes for Friday. Albany and Darton will reopen Tuesday. A rally planned for Saturday in Fayetteville for Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence was also canceled. Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency for 56 counties in parts of south, central and coastal Georgia. In Savannah, the Bacon Fest, originally a three-day event from Friday through Sunday, will be held on Saturday and Sunday. And the Craft Brew Fest planned for outdoors has been moved inside the trade and convention center. SOUTH CAROLINA With tropical storm warnings in effect, public schools from Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head were closed as forecasters predicted as much as five inches of rain as the storm moved through. The Citadel and the College of Charleston canceled classes and Joint Base Charleston, which consists of the Charleston Air Force Base and the Charleston Naval Weapons Station, also closed though essential personnel were asked to report to the base. Local governments also closed their offices. South Carolina state offices closed in eight counties on or near the coast. NASCAR postponed all track activity on Friday and canceled qualifying for its Sprint Cup and Xfinity races at Darlington Raceway. Ferry boats that take visitors to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor where the Civil War began were not running Friday, and the national monument was to close at noon. The popular open-air City Market in downtown Charleston, a must-see for millions of visitors to Charleston each year, also was closed Friday. The market is in an area that generally floods during heavy rains. The Beach Boogie and BBQ Festival in Myrtle Beach was canceled for Friday evening but will be held Saturday. Also, the Dorn Veteran Administration Medical Center in Columbia canceled appointments for several clinics ahead of the storm. NORTH CAROLINA The Fort Fisher State Historic Site near Wilmington and the Moores Creek National Battlefield closed Friday. A fireworks show planned for the coastal community of Carolina Beach was postponed from Friday until Saturday. Officials at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks warned that dangerous rip currents were affecting beaches all along the seashore. Gov. Pat McCrory has declared a state of emergency in 33 counties in the eastern part of the state. VIRGINIA Old Dominion and Norfolk State universities have postponed their Saturday football home openers until Sunday because of the storm. Old Dominion is scheduled to host Hampton University. Elizabeth City State University is set to visit Norfolk State. Forecasters say the storm could bring heavy rains and high winds to the region on Saturday afternoon and evening. DELAWARE Sails in Lewes, Delaware, aboard a replica of the colonial ship Kalmar Nyckel have been canceled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. NEW YORK New York City public beaches will be closed to swimming on Sunday, and possibly Monday and Tuesday, because of the danger of rip tides associated with the storm. High waves and heavy rain also are forecast for Long Island and New York City on Sunday evening. Advertisement Scott, who declared a state of emergency in 51 counties, also said 6,000 National Guard members were ready to mobilize once the storm passed. Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said 100 Florida National Guard personnel were activated, with 34,000 ready to deploy from elsewhere in the United States. President Barack Obama has asked FEMA administrator Craig Fugate to keep him updated on the situation 'and to alert him if there are any significant unmet needs', White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. 'Local, state and federal officials have been working diligently to prepare for these storms and have resources on hand to respond to them as necessary,' he added. Uprooted: Emergency services responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum estimated as many as 100,000 area residents were without electricity Friday morning Florida style response: Law enforcement officers in Tampa use an airboat to survey damage around homes from high winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Hermine Lynne Garrett speaks to loved ones on the phone as she surveys damage outside of her home from the winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Hermine which made landfall overnight in the area on Friday in Tampa, Florida Law enforcement officers use an airboat to survey damage around homes from high winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Hermine Strong gusts downed power lines and trees as widespread flooding inundated communities in Florida before the hurricane weakened into a tropical storm as it reached Georgia and South Carolina, where conditions deteriorated early on Friday morning Damage: Part of a sea wall that collapsed is seen after Hurricane Hermine passed through overnight on Friday Authorities in Ocala, Florida said a homeless man was found dead in a wooded area early Friday after a tree fell on him as winds from Hermine whipped across the state. The man was apparently sleeping in a tent behind Diamond Oil near Ocala when the tree fell on him, The Ocala Star-Banner reported. Capt. Chip Wildly, director of Marion County's emergency management agency, said the man's body was discovered around 7.35am by people who were reporting to work. No further details were immediately available. Scott said no other deaths or major injuries have been reported. While damage is still being assessed in the Sunshine State now that Hermine has moved out of Florida and into Georgia, Scott said about 70 per cent of the homes in Tallahassee were without power Friday morning. The number rises to 99 per cent in Wakulla County on the marshy Gulf of Mexico coastline south of Tallahassee where Hermine made landfall early Friday. He also noted there's 'a lot of tree damage in Tallahassee, and a lot of road damage.' Hurricane Hermine - Florida's first for 11 years - made landfall shortly after 1.30am as it careered past St Marks, south east of Tallahassee In Tallahassee, high winds knocked trees onto several houses injuring residents inside, according to fire-rescue spokesman Mike Bellamy. He said an unknown number were taken to area hospitals with injuries that were mpt thought to be life-threatening. Drivers also encountered fallen trees and limbs across roadways, with few traffic lights working, creating hazards for motorists who did not realize they had to stop at intersections. A large oak tree fell across the carport area of a Whataburger restaurant and another tree next to a preschool fell in the opposite direction, hitting a car parked nearby. Bellamy said his agency responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Debris and boats are scattered across the road after Hurricane Hermine passed the area on Friday in Steinhatchee, Florida Residents stand among debris as they check on damage after Hurricane Hermine passed through Cedar Key on Friday A man backs his Jeep up after trying to pass though floodwaters from Hurricane Hermine on Friday in Steinhatchee, Florida Residents stand in the middle of the street with officers as they wait to be let in to check their homes in Keaton Beach, Florida The devastation caused by Hermine is shown above in Cedar Key, Florida, leaving a street blocked from debris Tampa street under water: Wind and rain from Hurricane Hermine toppled trees and power lines along Florida's northern Gulf Coast, inundating coastal areas with storm surges before it weakened to a tropical storm over land and plowed toward the Atlantic Coast on Friday At Florida's Keaton Beach, just south of the state's Big Bend where the peninsula meets the Panhandle, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise on Friday while trying to get to their homes. Police had the road blocked because of flooding. Taylor County Commissioner Jody DeVane said several homes were damaged. New father Dustin Beach, 31, rushed to Keaton Beach on Friday from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife had given birth Thursday night to a girl. 'When my wife got up this morning she said, "Go home and check on the house. I need to know where we're going after we leave the hospital,"' Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats had made it. 'It's a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house and I hope they're still there,' she said. A woman head to check on damage in Cedar Key, Florida while walking through a road covered in debris following Hermine making landfall on Friday Surveying the damage: Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain A front end loader clears debris from a street partially covered in water in Cedar Key on Friday morning In the path of the storm: Winds and rain from Hurricane Hermine approach Highway 80 that leads to Tybee Island, Georgia on Friday Recreation: Officials in the affected region on Friday warned that homes continued to be threatened by high water and implored people to avoid flooded roads While there were no other reports of injuries, emergency crews worked 'non-stop' overnight, rescuing 18 people from rising flood waters in Florida's Pascoe country, and several families in Hernando County, Scott said. Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriff's deputies used high-water vehicles during the rescue and those pulled to safety were taken to a nearby shelter. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge that spans Tampa Bay remained closed on Friday morning because of high winds. In Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, a couple suffered minor injuries during the storm when they drove into a tree that had fallen in the road, County Administrator Dustin Hinkel said early Friday. He said storm surge of eight to 10 feet damaged docks and flooded coastal roads. At least seven homes were damaged by falling trees, said Scott Nelson, the county's emergency manager. As the storm barreled across southeastern Georgia, more than 107,000 customers were reported without power across Georgia as crews worked to repair damage left by Hermine. FLORIDA GOVERNOR FEARS HERMINE COULD SPREAD ZIKA A man surveying damage around his home stands in nearly waist-deep water on Friday in Tampa Florida Governor Rick Scott fears Hurricane Hermine could spread Zika - and experts have said the weather will make it harder for the state to fight the virus. Once Hermine passes, the remaining water 'will provide all kinds of breeding sites for the mosquitoes,' that can spread Zika, said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. 'We have to get rid of standing water,' Governor Scott said, according to CBS. 'That's the most important thing we can do now and after the this storm hits.' The hurricane is also likely to disrupt mosquito abatement activities as state authorities prioritize other emergency efforts. On Thursday, Florida officials said they had trapped the first mosquitoes shown to have the Zika virus - a mosquito-borne virus shown to cause birth defects - after weeks of searching. Schaffner said the finding showed there is a substantial amount of Zika in circulation. Florida is the first state in the continental United States to confirm local Zika transmission, with 47 cases of infection so far, raising concerns among pregnant women and threatening the state's multibillion-dollar tourism industry. First detected in Brazil last year, Zika can cause the rare birth defect microcephaly, marked by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, when pregnant women are infected. Brazil, has confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly since last fall. Earlier this week, Governor Scott urged residents and business owners to remain vigilant against Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes once the storm had passed. Scott and other state officials have stressed the need to dump standing water and take other steps to eliminate breeding areas. High winds from the hurricane will also make aerial spraying with pesticides impossible, disrupting a key effort by the state to keep mosquito populations under control, said Joseph Conlon, a retired U.S. Navy entomologist who serves as technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association. Florida officials have been working to drain water in containers on residents' property and scrub away rings of eggs, but fresh rains from a large storm could refill them, and any remaining eggs could hatch. Conlon said the storm will also likely hatch hoards of flood water mosquitoes that present a nuisance, but do not carry disease. Advertisement On its current path, the storm could dump as much as 15 inches of rain on coastal Georgia, which was under a tropical storm watch, and the Carolinas. Forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods and flash floods. Georgia Power reported on its online outage map shortly before noon on Friday that about 30,000 were in the Savannah area and more than 20,000 others were in the Brunswick area near the coast. The utility reported that more than 11,000 customers were without power in hard-hit Lowndes County. Nearly 86,000 of those without power were Georgia Power customers. Georgia Electric Membership Corp.'s online outage map showed about 21,700 customers of other utilities, many of them in rural areas, were without power shortly before noon. Lowndes County spokeswoman Paige Dukes said crews were dealing with fallen trees and snapped power lines, but no injuries had been reported. Winds exceeding 55mph had been recorded in the county, with four to five inches of rainfall, she said. Power: The tropical storm was expected to reach the coastal Carolinas later Friday, then move offshore from North Carolina on Saturday. Forecasters said it could strengthen over the sea Marooned: As it moved north across Florida, the storm continued to whip up heavy rain Wrecked: Homes and vehicles sit in several feet of water left behind by the storm surge caused by Hurricane Hermine Chaplain Chris Fletcher and his cousin Destiny Peters, seven, rode out the storm in a search and rescue center doubling as a shelter in Hosford, Florida Chris Hacker hugs his girlfriend Lyn Charlton after the couple arrived at an elementary school in Steinhatchee, Florida, with their dog to spend the night there as the hurricane approached This is the moment a lightning bolt hit a power station causing a huge spark as Hurricane Hermine battered Florida Another video shows terrifying winds of up to 80mph lashing a house as residents are warned to take shelter In South Carolina, the mayor of Charleston, which saw historic flooding less than a year ago, is urging residents there to 'batten down the hatches, hunker down and stay put' as Hermine moves through the state. Mayor John Tecklenburg said on Friday that the city is blessed that it is not dealing with a major hurricane but officials are taking Hermine seriously. He said as Hermine approaches, the city is expecting serious winds and rainfall that can lead to flash flooding. He said the city distributed 3,000 sandbags on Thursday. It has been almost a year since rainfall from what has been described as a 1,000-year-storm inundated South Carolina and caused widespread flooding in Charleston that prompted officials to block people from entering the downtown area. As of midmorning on Friday, a city map of street closings showed only one street had been blocked by flooding from Hermine. As Hermine made landfall in Florida, the governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared emergencies in affected regions. Emergency officials in North Carolina said they have helicopters, boats and high-clearance vehicles on standby in case of flooding or other tropical storm problems. Pat Bonish cleans up around his business after hurricane Hermine passed through Cedar Key, Florida Bobbi Pattison, left, with help from her neighbors Hugh and Harriet Oglesby, stands up a sea captain statue carved out of wood from a 1993 storm at her home Friday in Steinhatchee, Florida Debris left from the storm surge fills a street in Cedar Key after hurricane Hermine passed through the area Motorists drive by a boat that was tossed onto the road when winds from Hurricane Hermine came ashore early Friday in Dekle Beach, Florida State emergency management director Michael Sprayberry said on Friday morning that swift water rescue teams and National Guard and law enforcement officers with high-clearance vehicles are staged in the eastern part of the state. Helicopters are also ready to respond. Gov. Pat McCrory has made an emergency declaration for 33 eastern counties as Tropical Storm Hermine approaches. There could be high winds and six to eight inches of rain in some areas along the coast, North Carolina officials said. The forecast for North Carolina has improved, but officials are still concerned about whether the storm could stall over an area and cause flooding, McCrory said. Directing the response: The first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma more than a decade ago, Hermine came ashore early on Friday near St. Marks, Florida, 20 miles (30 km) south of the capital of Tallahassee Knee deep: The hurricane flooded low-lying areas - raising concerns about the spread of the Zika virus due to the massive pools of standing water left behind Storm surges of up to 12ft have been predicted, with roads closed as strong winds drive water ashore Hurricane Hermine was the fourth hurricane of 2016 in the Atlantic basin, and was the first time one had hit Florida in 11 years. The last hurricane to hit Florida was Wilma in October 2005, which killed a total of 62 in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Cuba, and Florida, including five in the Sunshine State itself. The category 5 hurricane had wind speeds of up to 183mph and caused an estimated $23billion in damage in Florida. It is ranked as the fifth costliest storm in US history. To date it is the most recent major hurricane to make landfall in the US. The U.S. has only recorded four less powerful hurricane strikes in the past seven years: that's the fewest in any seven-year stretch since records began in the 1800s, according to USA Today. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, center, and Florida Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon, right, give an update on Hermine at the State Disaster Operations Center in Tallahassee on Thursday Joseph Keyser, 14, of Harbour Island, is soaked as waves crash against a wall along Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa Hannah Coles, 9, takes a break from riding her bicycle through the ankle-deep floodwater as the wind whips her face in Gulfport, Florida Hundreds of criminal cases in the Houston area are in jeopardy after a deputy constable destroyed more than 20,000 pieces of evidence while cleaning out a crammed property room. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said Friday that close to 150 cases have been dismissed so far because of the loss of evidence. She says an additional 1,072 cases are being reviewed and that most involve drug offenses, but not all. Bullets in an aggravated assault case were also destroyed in the office purge, which resulted in the loss of 21,500 pieces of evidence. Scroll down for video Bungled cleanup: Hundreds of criminal cases in Texas are in jeopardy after a deputy constable destroyed 21,500 pieces of evidence while cleaning out a crammed property room 'It will make me sick if we have to dismiss a violent case because of this. It will make me ill to have to do that,' Anderson said. The deputy, 54-year-old Corporal Christopher Hess, cleaned the property room at the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office back in January. Authorities haven't explained how it was possible to destroy so much evidence. Hess' boss, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman, says he didn't learn about the loss of evidence until about two months later. He then notified the district attorney's office. The matter is now the subject of a criminal investigation. The deputy, a 14-year-old veteran on the force, has been fired for allegedly failing to follow proper evidence-handling procedures. Hess' attorney Burt Springer said his client and a more senior deputy were ordered by Constable Mark Herman to clean out the evidence room. Attorney Burt Springer (left), who represents Corporal Christopher Hess, says his client and a more senior deputy were ordered by Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman (right) to clear out the evidence room in January Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said during a news conference that about 150 cases have been dismissed so far because of the loss of evidence According to the lawyer, the more senior deputy, who was on the verge of retirement at the time, was in charge of the task, not his client, reported the station KTRK. That other unnamed deputy has since retired. 'There was someone who had to pay the price on this mistake and my client was chosen,' he told the Houston Chronicle, arguing that his client was unfairly terminated from his post. Smith claimed Hansell spiked her own drink to get him fired cup burned her throat; she has since recovered The woman took a big sip and the liquid in her Custodian Russell Smith has been charged with poisoning Jackie Rocket-Smart Hansell's soda after the two had clashed over the victim's recent promotion A janitor at a Florida high school has been arrested after police say he poisoned his boss' drink with a chemical used to remove wax coating from floors. Lake County Sheriff's officials say Jackie Rocket-Smart Hansell told them she and Russell Terrence Smith had clashed over her recent promotion to head custodian at Tavares High School. Authorities say on Monday Hansell left a soda on her desk to go clean the cafeteria. When she returned, she took a big gulp and said it burned her throat. According to an affidavit, cited by Orlando Sentinel, another school staffer saw her struggling to breathe and smelled a strong odor in the Wendy's cup. Hansell was taken to an area hospital to be treated for poisoning. She has since recovered and returned to work When questioned by police, Smith said his fingerprints would be on the cup because he moved it to eat lunch on the table. He also told police they would find his prints on a bottle of floor-stripper used by the school called Bare Bones because he recently touched it. The bizarre poisoning incident took place at Tavares High School in Central Florida on Monday Toxic: Smith told police they would find his fingerprints on a bottle of floor-stripper used by the school called Bare Bones because he recently touched it When the liquid in Hansell's soda cup was tested, its pH levels matched the floor cleaner. The janitor suggested that Hansell had spiked her own drink to get him fired, reported The Daily Commercial. Sir James Dyson is in trouble after building a luxury swimming pool in the basement of his 20million Grade I-listed country mansion without planning permission. The self-made billionaire, inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has been caught out more than four years after the work was completed and may now have to rip it up or face an unlimited fine or even prison. Planning inspectors were sent to his 600-acre Dodington Estate in Gloucestershire after being tipped off that he had installed the pool at an estimated cost of 1million under the 18th century Georgian manor house. Sir James Dyson is in trouble after building a luxury swimming pool in the basement of his 20million Grade I-listed country mansion without planning permission Sir James, 69, and his wife Deirdre (pictured), 73, face a nervous wait while South Gloucestershire Council decides whether to grant retrospective listed building consent Sir James, 69, and his wife Deirdre, 73, face a nervous wait while South Gloucestershire Council decides whether to grant retrospective listed building consent. The 51-bedroom mansion, noted for its exceptional architectural and historic interest, was bought by the couple for a reported 20million in 2003. The inventor, who is worth 5billion and reportedly owns more land in England than the Queen, employed contractors in January 2011 to install the basement pool, complete with changing rooms. The 8ft-wide bathing pool, lined with Carrara marble imported from Tuscany, is enclosed within the houses original arched Bath stone and red-brick walls. With uplights set into the limestone floor, the 4ft-deep pool curves round from a circular bathing area, past oak doors, until it reaches a fountain statue in a stone basin. Experts say the extensive work, which took 12 months to complete, could have cost upwards of 1million, including the marble and a water treatment and ventilation system to stop the house smelling of chlorine. However, the Dysons did not apply for planning permission. In June, South Gloucestershire Council received a complaint about the alterations and sent round planning enforcement officers. Historic England says it is an offence to carry out works on listed buildings without consent. The council is expected to make a decision this month on whether to grant retrospective planning permission, but if it is refused Sir James may have to restore the basement to its original state. The inventor, who is worth 5billion and reportedly owns more land in England than the Queen, employed contractors in January 2011 to install the basement pool, complete with changing rooms Anyone found guilty could also be liable to an unlimited fine and a maximum of two years in prison if the local authority decides to prosecute. A council spokesman said: If permission is refused, the council will need to consider what action to take in order to mitigate the effect of the unauthorised works. It is too early to speculate on what action may be taken. A spokesman for Historic England said: We are working closely with the local conservation officer to better understand and assess the changes that have taken place. Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom pledged to bring an end to these harmful plastics clogging up our oceans Toxic plastic microbeads will be banned from cosmetic products within months, ministers announced last night. In a major victory for the Daily Mails Ban the Beads Now campaign launched only nine days ago, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom pledged to bring an end to these harmful plastics clogging up our oceans. She will outline plans in the next few weeks for a total ban on the use of the beads in products such as shower gel, toothpaste and facial scrubs. Ministers will also consult on whether the beads, which are blamed for poisoning sea life, should also be banned from a range of other products. Mrs Leadsom last night likened the threat posed by microbeads to the damage caused by plastic bags in the oceans another issue on which the Daily Mail has campaigned successfully. She told the Mail: Most people would be dismayed to know the face scrub or toothpaste they use was causing irreversible damage to the environment, with billions of indigestible plastic pieces poisoning sea creatures. Adding plastic to products like face washes and body scrubs is wholly unnecessary when harmless alternatives can be used. This is the next step in tackling microplastics in our seas following the success of the 5p plastic bag charge, and I look forward to working with industry and environmental groups. Leadsom will outline plans in the next few weeks for a total ban on the use of the beads in products such as shower gel, toothpaste and facial scrubs. Pictured: Items with beads in Sources at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said a three-month consultation on the microbead ban will be launched in the coming weeks. The document will propose banning the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads. It will also look at whether a wider ban on microbeads and other tiny plastics is justified. MICROBEADS ' WERE DESIGNED TO BE FLUSHED DOWN THE DRAIN' Microbeads were designed specifically to flush down the drain, the Mail can reveal. A patent filed almost 50 years ago shows the plastic poison being feted for its ability to wash away without clogging pipes. The patent, which was filed in the US in 1967 and granted in 1972, describes a skin cleaner packed with tiny plastic particles designed to scrub the skin without damaging it. It raises questions about how long cosmetic companies have known about microbeads ability to pollute and why they have taken so long to act. Advertisement The beads are widely used in a variety of domestic and industrial cleaning products, as well as other consumer products, such as sun cream, where some argue they have a beneficial effect. Environmentalists last night said they would pore over the details of the consultation to ensure it goes far enough. Mary Creagh, chairman of the Commons environmental audit committee, which called for a ban nine days ago, paid tribute to the Mail for a fantastic campaign which has forced the issue up the political agenda. She added: It is very good news that the Government has acted so swiftly to begin the process of banning these harmful plastics. I will be looking at the proposals very carefully when they come out because marine life doesnt care whether these beads are in shower gel or household cleaning products they are still incredibly harmful. Trillions of tiny pieces of plastic have already ended up in our oceans and it will take generations to clean them up but this is a very welcome step. In a hard-hitting campaign, the Mail has highlighted the way in which cosmetic firms have used the tiny plastic beads, which are often invisible to the naked eye, to add sheen to their products or improve their effectiveness at exfoliation. Environmentalists last night said they would pore over the details of the consultation to ensure it goes far enough Most microbeads are made from polyethylene, the same material used to make plastic bags, bullet-proof vests and artificial knee joints meaning they are incredibly tough and resilient. A single shower can result in 100,000 microbeads being washed into the oceans. On an average day, the UK dumps 86 tons of the beads into the sea, where they collect in the bodies of fish, sea birds and crabs. Some experts believe the beads are also a potential threat to human health as they can enter the food chain. Defra sources said cosmetic manufacturers could often achieve the same benefits by substituting natural alternatives, such as nut shells, salt and sugar. Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, welcomed the ban, but urged ministers to go further. She said: Its a credit to Theresa Mays Government that theyve listened to concerns from the public, scientists, and MPs and taken a first step towards banning microbeads. But marine life doesnt distinguish between plastic from a face wash and plastic from a washing detergent, so it makes no sense for this ban to be limited to some products and not others, as is currently proposed. Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, welcomed the ban, but urged ministers to go further. Pictured: The campaign being launched on August 25 Thankfully, the Government has left the door open for a comprehensive ban covering any microplastic in any household product which can go down the drain and pollute our seas. She added: If Theresa May wants to show real leadership on this issue, thats the kind of ban she should back. Carrie Hume, director of conservation at the Marine Conservation Society said: The Government, the public and campaigners are all in agreement that it isnt acceptable to harm marine life by including microbeads in these products. We welcome this announcement, it is a big step forward in tackling microplastic pollution and demonstrates strong leadership from Government. The public doesnt want to harm marine life by washing millions of plastic particles down the drain, into the ocean. We are excited by this policy direction and the broad scope of the forthcoming consultation. The decision to press ahead comes after campaigners accused ministers and the EU of dragging their feet on the issue. THE MAIL'S VICTORIOUS CAMPAIGN Nine days ago, the Daily Mail launched a campaign calling for a ban on the use of plastic microbeads in cosmetic products, scrubs, gels and toothpaste. The move followed a report from MPs on the Commons environmental audit committee, which warned that trillions of the beads are being flushed into sewers, rivers and seas where they become a threat to wildlife and human health. The Mail highlighted how the EU appears to have dragged its feet on implementing a legal ban, instead leaving manufacturers to voluntarily introduce measures. It called on Theresa Mays Government to take the lead and introduce a UK ban. Just one day later, the campaign won the support of MPs, MEPs, academics and environmental campaigners, as well as leading sporting and showbusiness figures. On the same day, the Mail published evidence from a Greenpeace study highlighting the danger microbeads pose to the British food chain. Last Saturday, we reported that Mrs May faced growing pressure to introduce a ban, after the European Commission signalled it would allow a UK ban on beads if it showed they were a danger to human health or the sea. Then we revealed talks had begun between ministers and environmental groups over a ban. Ministers were urged not to let cosmetics firms off the hook with a partial ban and a campaign group revealed the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050. More than 350,000 people have signed a petition calling for a ban on microbeads, and Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons announced on Tuesday that they were aiming to remove them from their own-label products. Advertisement The United States will next year ban the use of microbeads in cosmetic products. Ministers in this country had appeared content to wait for manufacturers to phase out their use voluntarily. Some manufacturers have already begun the process and Waitrose has announced it will stop stocking such products by the end of this month. But campaigners warned that waiting for all manufacturers to fall in line would have meant years more pollution. A North Carolina prosecutor is dismissing the case against a man imprisoned for two decades before a judge threw out his murder convictions this week. A judge vacated convictions and ordered Darryl Howard's release Wednesday because of DNA evidence unavailable at Howard's 1995 trial in the double-murder case. The judge ruled DNA evidence shows Howard, who spent 21 years in prison, did not rape a woman and her teenage daughter. No other physical evidence connected him to the deaths. I'm out! Darryl Howard with his wife Nannie, right, leave the Durham County Detention Center victorious with their lawyers and family after a judge threw out Howard's conviction Hug of a lifetime: Darryl Howard hugs his wife after being released. Judge Orlando Hudson threw out a double-murder conviction against Howard Howard, left, wipes away tears after Judge Orlando Hudson threw out Howard's double-murder conviction because of DNA evidence unavailable at Howard's 1995 murder trial. His lawyer, Barry Scheck, co-director of the N.Y. based Innocence Project, is at right Darryl Howard hugs attorney Barry Scheck after his double-murder conviction was tossed The Durham District Attorney's office filed dismissal paperwork Friday. Howard was released from the Durham County Detention center shortly after 3pm on Wednesday and was met by his wife Nannie, who married him several years after he was convicted. Howard's case was originally handled by former prosecutor Mike Nifong, who was later disbarred for lying and misconduct in a case of rape accusations against Duke University lacrosse players who were later found innocent. Innocence advocates are undertaking a massive review of convictions from Nifong's tenure. All smiles: Darryl Howard and his family smile after a judge threw out Howard's conviction in a double-murder case tried 21 years ago Howard, 54, was convicted in 1995 on two counts of second-degree murder but after a three-day hearing this week, the judge agreed with attorneys that there was reasonable doubt that Howard committed the crimes Durham County District Attorney Roger Echols said Friday that he doesn't plan to retry Darryl Anthony Howard, who was freed after serving 21 years in prison for two murders he has consistently maintained he didn't commit Darryl Howard walks hand in hand with his wife, Nannie, minutes after being freed from prison after serving 21 years Howard was convicted of the 1991 strangling and sexual assault of 29-year-old Doris Washington and her 13-year-old daughter, Nishonda. He had been sentenced to 80 years in prison, but DNA evidence shows Howard did not rape the women, and no other physical evidence connected him to the crime. The judge said on Wednesday that evidence would have created a reasonable doubt for jurors. 'I don't see any reason he can't be released today,' said Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson. A North Carolina judge on Wednesday threw out the double-murder conviction of Darryl Howard (above), a man who has spent 21 years in prison A North Carolina judge threw out the double-murder conviction of Darryl Howard, citing DNA evidence unavailable at Howard's 1995 murder trial. Above, Howard leaves Durham County courthouse on November 13, 1992, after pleading not guilty Hudson said prosecutors would have to retry Howard, who was convicted based heavily on the testimony of witnesses at the Durham public housing project where the slayings occurred, or drop the case. The same judge was prepared to order Howard's release two years ago, but prosecutors appealed and a state appeals court ruled Hudson failed to hear enough evidence before making a decision. Because prosecutors planned to block Hudson's ruling on the DNA evidence, the judge was expected to hear testimony later on Wednesday on whether misconduct by police and prosecutors helped lead to Howard's conviction. The former district attorney in the Duke case, Mike Nifong (above, in 2007), had been expected to testify on Wednesday about his handling of Howard's case, but prosecutors decided not to appeal the judge's order That meant the prosecutor discredited and disbarred for his handling of the Duke University lacrosse case a decade ago, Mike Nifong, had been expected to be grilled about his conduct in the Howard trial. THE DUKE UNIVERSITY LACROSSE RAPE CASE In the Duke case, three members of the university's men's lacrosse team were accused of raping a stripper hired to entertain a team party in 2006. Crystal Gail Mangum, a black student at North Carolina Central University, accused Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans - who are all white - of raping her. Many involved in the case, including district attorney Mike Nifong called the alleged rape a hate crime. But state investigators later determined Nifong lied and buried evidence proving the lacrosse players were innocent. The judge said in his 2014 ruling that Nifong failed to share with defense attorneys a police memo and other evidence that pointed to suspects other than Howard. A Durham police detective testified at Howard's trial that investigators never considered that the sexual assaults were linked to the killers. Nifong repeated that claim despite a police memo in the prosecution's files that contradicted him. Advertisement DNA evidence presented at the 1991 trial showed Howard was not responsible for sexually assaulting Nishonda Washington before her murder. Whoever did assault Nishonda hasn't been identified. But DNA tests unavailable at the time of Howard's original trial identified the man who had sex with Doris Washington shortly before her 1991 death as Jermeck Jones, who dated Nishonda before her death. He was identified from DNA samples stored in a federal database, which was collected after Jones was sentenced to prison in Tennessee. Jones served nearly four years in Tennessee prisons before his release in late 2007 for crimes including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, failure to appear in court, drug possession and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. Jones' criminal history includes 35 convictions, including several assaults against women, the Charlotte Observer reported last year. Jones on Tuesday refused to answer questions from Howard's attorneys, citing his constitutional right against incriminating himself. Howard's attorneys also played parts of a videotaped interview Jones gave to Durham police when he was arrested on an outstanding warrant and ordered to give a DNA sample to confirm the match from the nationwide database, WRAL reports. In the video, Jones repeatedly said he knew nothing about the deaths, but Howard's lawyers said inconsistencies in his statements should have raised red flags. DNA tests unavailable at the time of Howard's original trial identified the man who had sex with Doris Washington shortly before her 1991 death as Jermeck Jones (above) Reece's attorney, Anthony Osso, had said his client had hoped to avoid the death penalty by cooperating with authorities He is already charged in Oklahoma with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 1997 death of 19-year-old Tiffany Johnston William Lewis Reece (above), 57, was indicted Thursday in the 1997 slayings of two girls in Texas A convicted rapist already charged with abducting and killing a 19-year-old woman in Oklahoma was indicted Thursday in the 1997 slayings of two girls in Texas. A Galveston County grand jury indicted William Lewis Reece, 57, on murder counts in the deaths of 12-year-old Laura Smither of Friendswood and 17-year-old Jessica Cain of Tiki Island. Reece was already serving a 60-year prison sentence in Texas for kidnapping earlier this year when he led police to graves where remains were found of Cain and Kelli Cox, a 20-year-old University of North Texas student who was last seen in Denton in 1997. The 57-year-old registered sex offender is charged in Oklahoma with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 1997 death of 19-year-old Tiffany Johnston. Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady said Reece wouldn't be tried in Galveston until the Oklahoma case was resolved. Scroll down for video A Galveston County grand jury indicted Reece in the death of 12-year-old Laura Smither (above) of Friendswood. Her remains were found more than two weeks after she failed to return from a morning jog Reece was also indicted in the death of 17-year-old Jessica Cain (left). He was already serving a 60-year prison sentence when he led police to graves where remains were found of Cain and Kelli Cox (right), a 20-year-old University of North Texas student The murder indictments were sought because insufficient evidence had been gathered to support capital murder indictments, Roady said. Previously, Reece's attorney, Anthony Osso, had said his client had hoped to avoid the death penalty by cooperating with authorities. Smither's remains were found near Pasadena, an east Houston suburb, more than two weeks after she failed to return from a morning jog in Friendswood in April 1997. Cain had been missing since August 1997, when her abandoned car was found on Interstate 45 near Tiki Island, a community across from Galveston Island. Her remains and those of Cox were exhumed last March from a pasture on the southern fringe of Houston. Smither's remains were found near Pasadena, an east Houston suburb. Above flowers and a rosary mark the spot where Smither's body was found Smither's mother, Gay Smither, said Thursday that she had prayed throughout the time that her daughter was missing that she would return home. She said that when the girl's remains were discovered, it at least provided some resolution. 'Our prayers weren't answered the way we wanted, but our prayers were answered,' she said. 'Prayer does work. We may not like the answer we get.' Gay Smither said she found comfort in knowing the man she believed to be responsible for her daughter's death had already been locked up for years. However, she also said she had forgiven Reece and 'would like to tell him that, to let him know he can change his life.' This was the scene of destruction left as Hurricane Hermine raged through just one small town in Florida. Residents of Steinhatchee were counting the cost and beginning a clear-up on Friday after the first hurricane to hit the state in 11 years left the streets littered with boats and a new marina destroyed. The scale of the destruction gives some idea of the astonishing power of the hurricane as it slammed into the northern Gulf coast and panhandle areas of Florida. Devastation: The streets of Steinhatchee, Florida, are littered with boats after Hurricane Hermine hit Clean-up operation: Residents of Steinhatchee are counting the cost of Hurricane Hermine Displaced: The new marine was destroyed and the docks from it were dumped in a parking lot In the town, residents were counting blessings as well as costs, relieved that the hurricane had passed through without causing injury or loss of life in their area. Those in low-lying areas were told to leave on Thursday night as the hurricane approached land. However not everyone in Steinhatchee did. Among those who stayed were Broward Reed, 75, whose house survived but who eventually fled in his truck with his elderly wife, ahead of the advancing water, around 2am on Friday morning. Taylor County deputies helped his wife, Faith to their pick-up, as she is suffering from cancer. Like others in the town they had to move quickly as flood waters surged through the docks and on to the streets. The evidence of the scale of the flooding was apparent as soon as daylight came, with the boats which had been in the water strewn across nearby roads. The cost of the hurricane to Reed, however, was less than he feared - a fallen palm tree which had hit his house's roof. Standing in his front yard, Reed told DailyMail.com: 'Thank God. 'When I saw the water coming up through the dock, passing the docks and headed for my house, I knew it was time for me and my wife to evacuate.' In fact it was only the third time in his life that he had moved out of his house in the face of a storm. Evacuation: Those in low-lying areas were told to leave on Thursday night as the hurricane approached land Under water: The hurricane passed through without causing injury or loss of life in the area 'I reckon this was one of the bad ones,' he said. 'But not as bad as 1993. In that one I was climbing into my little truck and the wind ripped the driver's side door right off its hinges.' He and his wife spent the night at their daughter's home nearby, on higher ground. Like other residents of the town who had not followed immediate orders to evacuate, he acknowledged that some people might question their decision. But he said: 'I'm born and raised here. Isaac Thomas, six, died from head injuries on Thursday after mom Amber Kinder swerved to avoid a deer and crashed into a tree A six-year-old boy died in a car crash after his mother swerved to avoid a deer but lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree. Amber Kinder, 30, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was driving around 8am Thursday when the deer forced her to swerve before hitting a tree and flipping her SUV. Son Isaac, who was in a child seat in the rear of the vehicle, was airlifted to hospital but later died from head injuries. Mike Burkhart, who came running from his house when he heard the crash, told Trib Live: 'The engine was still running, the radio was on, and smoke was pouring out the vents. 'The woman was in shock trying to get out, and I told her to turn the key to turn the engine off. She did.' Burkhart said he pulled Isaac from the rear of the vehicle before helping Kinder out of the car, by which point emergency crews had arrived and taken over. Darlene Dicaprio, who was driving in front of Kinder's Jeep Cherokee before the crash, told CBS: 'He (Burkhart) went and pulled Isaac out of the car. Father David Thomas (pictured with Isaac, partner Amber and their daughter), mourned his son on Facebook, saying: 'Can't believe I'll never hear his voice again; wish I could have protected you, I'm sorry Isaac' Neighbor Mike Burkhart who heard the accident said he pulled Isaac, who was in a child seat in the back of the car, from the wreck before helping Kinder get out 'He covered him. They had a towel, and I took a blanket down. 'He held him and told him to just hang on till the paramedics got there and rocked him and talked him through until the paramedics did get there. 'He was very, very good with him.' Father David Thomas mourned his son's death on Facebook, writing: 'My son did not make it. 'My life is one big nightmare. I don't know how I'm gonna do the rest of my life without you Isaac. I'm so sorry, you didn't deserve this. 'I always thought when my kids got old enough to be on their own I really wanted my kids to still live with us; that I could never kick him out [and] I always looked forward to seeing him when I got home from work. Other witnesses said Burkhart fetched Isaac a blanket and cradled him until paramedics arrived and airlifted the boy to hospital, where he later died Thomas also spoke of the struggle to raise Isaac's sister, saying he feels 'empty' but vowing to carry on in memory of his son 'Thanks everyone for the support, we for sure need it. Amber and I are grateful for it. 'I know Isaac would want us to do the best and raise his little sister. It's gonna be hard cause I feel empty. 'I can't believe I'll never hear his voice again; wish I could have protected you, I'm sorry Isaac.' Isaac had just joined the first grade at Bon Air Elementary School in Lower Burrell when he died, and officials say support is being offered to his classmates. Police say the crash remains under routine investigation, but added that all signs point to it being an unfortunate accident. The family are raising funds via a GoFundMe page in order to pay for Isaac's funeral costs. You can donate here There was much squirming on Radio 4 on Thursday, when British Medical Association boss Mark Porter hit the airwaves to defend the coming wave of junior doctors' strikes. Five times, in the space of a minute, Today programme host Nick Robinson asked Dr Porter if the industrial action, which will lead to the cancellation of 125,000 operations and a million appointments, had the 'unanimous support' of the BMA's governing council, whose members had met to discuss it just a few hours earlier. Five times, the union boss refused to answer, claiming either not to hear, or not to properly understand the question. Finally, when Robinson refused to let him off the hook, Dr Porter loftily declared that he 'will not engage' with requests to discuss what he described as 'the long and difficult debates we had inside Council'. In the days that followed, this grumpy exchange has passed largely under the radar. But that could be about to change. For insiders say that a fractious and ugly political conflict lies at the heart of Dr Porter's strange refusal to answer this basic query. Scroll down for video British Medical Association boss Mark Porter (pictured) hit the airwaves to defend the coming wave of junior doctors' strikes It revolves around a simple fact: behind the scenes, the BMA's high command not to mention its 168,000 members are now deeply divided over the rights and wrongs of staging the most disruptive industrial action in the 68-year history of the NHS. Few medics dispute that junior doctors have some legitimate grievances over the Government's efforts to impose a new contract that will (among other things) see them paid slightly less for weekend work. Nor will you find many who doubt these highly educated and hard-working professionals deserve to be properly valued and compensated. Yet growing numbers believe that the BMA's unprecedented decision to call for rolling five-day strikes, monthly, for the rest of the year, is disproportionate, unjustified, and risks both harming (and perhaps killing) innocent patients and alienating the public. What's more, senior figures in the BMA believe the junior doctors' dispute is now being cynically hijacked by a hard core of far-Left activists who have quietly gained power within the organisation and are using it to advance a radical political agenda. To this end, they say a crucial point has thus far been lost in the noise surrounding this week's announcement of the walk-out. It is as follows: that the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee (JDC), which is at the heart of the decision to call five-day strikes, is now dominated by a cabal of Labour Party members, Jeremy Corbyn supporters, and activists with links to Left-wing campaign group Momentum and extreme fringes of the anti-capitalist movement. Take its leader, Ellen McCourt for example, a self-styled 'Left leaning, straight talking' former orthopaedist who spent May Day on a protest march in Newcastle which had the official theme 'turn the tide against the Tories'. Fierce industrial disputes are in her blood. Her mother Kath McCourt was chairman of the Royal College of Nursing when it threatened its own national walkout four years ago. Take also the committee's deputy chairs. They are David Rouse, a Labour member, Aaron Borbora, a trade unionist who has spoken at meetings of the National Shop Stewards Network, and Lucy-Jane Davis, a Bristol-based Remain supporter who has used her Twitter feed to accuse the Leave lobby of 'rage and racism', and advised followers to vote Labour at the last General Election. Other highly influential members of the committee include Yannis Gourtsoyannis, a hard-Left Marxist who has spoken alongside Jeremy Corbyn at 'fight austerity' rallies, and Pete Campbell, a Momentum supporter who wears 'Make Capitalism History' T-shirts and has used his Facebook page to promote talks in his native Newcastle on the subject of 'how capitalism is killing you'. Then there's Kapil Ojha, a GP who uses his Twitter feed both to support Corbyn and heap personal abuse on Jeremy Hunt, dubbing the Tory Health Secretary a 'smirking idiot', an 'ignorant, arrogant waste of space', an 'idiotic dishonourable moron' who is 'cowardly, unscrupulous, ruthless and selfish'. Also at the table is Lauren Robson, a Labour member who said last August that Corbyn was 'certainly getting my vote!', and Adam Collins, a Scottish doctor who in April shared a tweet that charmingly called Jeremy Hunt a 'c***'. We shall look at this cabal, and their confrontational approach to industrial relations, in more detail later. Ellen Court, (pictured) a self-styled 'Left leaning, straight talking' former orthopaedist, spent May Day on a protest march in Newcastle which had the official theme 'turn the tide against the Tories' First, though, it should be pointed out that not everyone within the BMA, or the wider medical community, is exactly enamoured by the brand of extremist politics they espouse. Take, for example, the Wednesday meeting that Dr Mark Porter the BMA boss has so abruptly refused to discuss. Held at the organisation's headquarters in London's Tavistock Square, the secret meeting was attended by 40 of the 53 members of the BMA's Council, of which 28 were in the room, and another 12 took part via a video-conferencing link. Thirteen sent apologies, two blaming their absence on jury service. It was confrontational from the start, says a witness, and at times descended into a shouting match between pro-strike members of the JDC and moderates from other sections of the organisation. At one point, there was so much heckling that Porter, the non-voting chairman, had to appeal for calm. Details of what exactly was said differ. According to a detailed account passed to the Mail by one attendee (who has also shown us paperwork circulated at the meeting) supporters of five-day strikes were described as 'immoral' and 'militant' by a member of the BMA's ethics committee, and accused of 'threatening behaviour' by a senior consultant. The account states that another anti-strike official warned militant junior doctors: 'People will die. This will be blamed on us. We cannot argue it's about safety. It's about money and it always has been.' Later, a different official is said to have argued firstly that doctors should be referred to the General Medical Council's regulator if they took part in strikes, and secondly that going on five-day strikes was 'equivalent to imposing harm on patients'. The source claims pro-strike Council members were equally strident. For example, he alleges that a hard-line consultant on the Council urged the BMA to become more 'militant' and 'pick up where the coal miners left off' by seeking to 'break' Theresa May. At this point, it should be stressed that others remember things differently. When contacted by the Mail, the BMA accepted that some of the quotations above were accurate, but described others as either 'false' or 'inaccurate'. The consultant with the hard-line views also denied making the comments about aping the miners and bringing down the Government. What no one disputes is that the pro-strike lobby intervened during Wednesday's meeting to ensure that the all-important vote on whether to back five-day strikes was taken via a public roll-call rather than a secret ballot. 'It was supposed to be a closed session, where no minutes or votes would be released,' says the attendee. 'But the militants discovered that under BMA rules, an open roll call would instead be held if five people there voted for it. 'This suited them because some opponents of strike action are afraid to make their position public in case it leads to them being subjected to abuse from the far-Left.' Even with a public roll call, the vote to endorse strike action was far from a landslide. Indeed, only 16 of the 34 voting members of the BMA's Council supported the move. Another 11 opposed it, while seven were either absent, or abstained. Those who were eligible to vote included Thomas Dolphin, a Labour Party member, Andrew Collier, a junior doctor elected to the Council on a ticket that endorsed turning the BMA into a 'real trade union', and Sundeep Grewal, a GP Registrar whose Facebook page describes the Health Secretary as 'Jeremy 'no one else will do this job' C**t', and whose Twitter feed in April circulated petitions calling for the 'utterly shameful' David Cameron to resign. Like anyone else, they are, of course, perfectly entitled to hold party-political views (though you can look in vain for Conservative Party members on the BMA Council). However, taking both an extreme position on the political spectrum, and a confrontational approach to the ongoing contract dispute, puts them at odds with many of the union's 38,000 rank-and-file junior doctors, who may also feel upset at the fact that obscenities are being levelled at Cabinet ministers via social media in their name. To this end, it should be noted that a secret BMA document leaked to the Mail earlier this week suggests that less than a third of junior doctors (31.5 per cent) support a 'time-limited full walk-out' of the sort the organisation now proposes to undertake. The figure was obtained from a survey carried out in June. 'On the face of this survey, the remaining 68.5 per cent of respondents would not be prepared to take part in that action,' reads the secret document, which goes on to admit that public support for junior doctors is falling while the BMA's 'member relations staff are reporting that they are not detecting the same appetite for industrial action among members [as] for previous phases of industrial action'. Astonishingly, despite this finding, Ellen McCourt's JDC has decided not to actually ask junior doctors to vote on whether the imminent industrial action ought to go ahead. That's because a strike ballot held last November still provides it with a legal right to call industrial action. The secret memo reveals that the committee has therefore 'decided that a new ballot should not be undertaken'. Yannis Gourtsoyannis (pictured) has spoken alongside Jeremy Corbyn at 'fight austerity' rallies While that decision is likely to be legally watertight, senior figures within the BMA tell me they regard it as 'ethically troublesome'. 'The original strike vote was taken ages ago, in a completely different political environment, when a different contract was on the table. Things have moved on, and many members will find it astonishing that they are now being called out on extended strikes without being asked to endorse those strikes via the ballot box,' says one. 'There is little evidence that a majority of junior doctors now support holding five-day strikes once a month. 'Apart from anything else, they will forfeit a quarter of their income. It's a mess.' To understand how it has come to this, it's necessary to wind back the clock to 2013, when negotiations between the BMA and the Government over the new junior doctors' contracts began. Amid growing disagreements between the two sides, several long standing members of the Junior Doctors Committee decided to step aside, finding that they could no longer cope with the demands that negotiations were placing on their time. In their place, perhaps attracted by the colourful nature of the dispute, came a number of committee members with ties to the far-Left. 'To a degree, what has happened to the JDC is exactly the same thing that has happened to the Labour Party,' says one insider. 'Most junior doctors are what I'd call small 'c' conservatives, with fairly centrist views. But the organisation has been taken over by Left-wing radicals.' The extent of this trend is difficult to pin down since, bizarrely, the BMA refuses to say how many people actually sit on its Junior Doctors Committee, or to name anyone aside from the committee's chairman and three deputy chairs. However, we have identified 11 current members, believed to be the vast majority of its serving officers. Of that number, at least four are Labour Party members and three are activist supporters of Jeremy Corbyn. One, Pete Campbell, has spent recent days using his Facebook page to attack Owen Smith, Corbyn's rival for the Labour leadership, saying he 'promises a maintenance of the status quo . . . so we should do all we can to see Jeremy Corbyn win'. Another, Yannis Gourtsoyannis, is a regular speaker at events organised by an action group called the People's Assembly Against Austerity, who has called for a 'spring awakening' to topple the Government. On social media he has claimed the BMA once sought to 'avoid any confrontation' but is now undergoing 'radical change' and is 'stepping up to the plate in its role as a trade union'. A third, Lauren Robson, has attended Corbyn rallies in Bradford, describing him as 'a total breath of fresh air'. A further five members of the JDC have either used social media to endorse the Labour Party, recently attended anti-capitalist rallies, or support Left-wing trade unions who have no obvious relevance to the medical profession. Just two have no discernable political allegiances, although one of those two, Kitty Mohan, also has a seat on the BMA's ruling council, and spent Wednesday's meeting vigorously endorsing strike action. The effect of their takeover has been to create a culture within the committee which celebrates and glamorises industrial action, seeking to co-opt the doctors' union into a wider anti-austerity struggle. 'It's time to dust off our picket arm-bands, an escalated fight is on,' Gourtsoyannis told junior doctors on Facebook earlier this month. 'Theresa May is about to reap what her predecessor has sown.' Meanwhile, critics of strikes have also found themselves attacked by supporters of industrial action on social media. The most obvious recent casualty of the increased radicalisation was Johann Malawana, the previous chairman of the Junior Doctors Committee. In May, after five 24 and 48- hour strikes, followed by protracted talks with the Government, he successfully negotiated an amended contract that both he and the BMA called a 'good deal' for junior doctors. However, when members were balloted the following month over whether to accept the new deal, Malawana's fellow JDC members did little to persuade them to endorse it. Unsurprisingly, it was then rejected (by 58 per cent of participants in the vote, although low turnout meant that only represented around a third of Britain's junior doctors) and Malawana duly resigned. Barely noticed at the time was the fact that the rejected contract also had the strong support of BMA head Dr Mark Porter, who around the time Malawana quit narrowly survived an effort by the BMA's emboldened Left-wingers to remove him from office. Britain has experienced a summer tourism boom with hundreds of thousands more people choosing a staycation. Regional tourist boards are reporting significant increases in visitors with many hotels enjoying record numbers of bookings. According to Visit England, about 5.1million Britons organised a staycation over the August bank holiday weekend, up from 4.7million last year. Cornwall welcomed 3.7million people during July and August, including 1.2million staying for longer than a day The economic uncertainty caused by Brexit led to a fall in the pound from 1.31 euros to a low of 1.15 euros. This meant a family spending 800 euros on a foreign holiday before would now have to shell out an extra 100 euros. Cornwall welcomed 3.7million people during July and August, including 1.2million staying for longer than a day. The visitor numbers, which included almost 84,000 tourists from abroad, are four per cent higher than last year, the Visit Cornwall agency estimated. Mayor of St Ives, one of Cornwalls most popular holiday towns, Linda Taylor said: Without a doubt its busier this year. Whereas young families would have gone to Tunisia or Turkey, they want to just get in their car and travel safely to a destination. Holidaymakers spent a total of almost 503million in the county over the six weeks to the end of August. Tourist chiefs in areas including East Anglia and the Cotswolds also reported surging visitor numbers this summer. Go Lakes, the tourist agency for the Lake District, revealed occupancy rates for hotels and guest houses in July beat a record level set last year. On the Yorkshire coast, Richard Frank, owner of The Crown Spa, Scarboroughs only four-star hotel, said: We took over in 2000 and this has been our best year. Weve had occupancy rates in August of 99 per cent. This has happened since the Brexit vote. Tourist chiefs in areas including East Anglia and the Cotswolds (pictured) also reported surging visitor numbers this summer There had been a pause in bookings but then it just took off. Partly its been the change in the exchange rate. The trend has also been experienced by tourist attractions. English Heritage, which collated final summer holiday visitor numbers for its historic houses, castles and parkland, said it was on course for a record-breaking 1.9million visitors in July and August. As well as the boom in staycations, international tourists coming to the UK have caused a significant rise in spending of 7 per cent this summer, according to analysts Global Blue. The largest nationality shopping tax free was from China, accounting for almost 32 per cent of overseas spending, followed by the US. VisitEngland director Patricia Yates said: Its great to see record numbers of Brits holidaying at home this year and with so much on offer, be it seaside, countryside or city breaks combined with our fabulous range of quality tourism products its a great time to explore Britain. The walkouts have been co-ordinated by the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee (JDC), chaired by Dr Ellen McCourt (pictured) Junior doctors' leaders are being paid up to 250 a day to co-ordinate strikes, while rank-and-file medics will see their pay docked for each day they take part. Organisers of the walkouts can claim the money from the British Medical Association as well as expenses for hotels and business-class travel. The revelations will fuel anger among the junior doctors they are ordering out to strike. A typical trainee on 30,000 will lose an average of 115 each strike day, or 2,300 for all walkouts until December. Growing numbers of junior doctors have voiced opposition to the action on Facebook. During previous walkouts, lasting a maximum of two days, only a handful dared to speak out against them. One said: 'I can't afford to give up a quarter of my salary. I'm so fed up with the BMA.' This week the BMA announced junior doctors would walk out for five consecutive days a month until Christmas, in a move that could tip the NHS into crisis. The first will begin on September 12. An estimated 125,000 operations are expected to be cancelled over the next four months. Junior doctors are at loggerheads with the Government over a new contract which will see them paid less at weekends. The walkouts have been co-ordinated by the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee (JDC), chaired by Dr Ellen McCourt, 32. She is the daughter of former nursing union chief Professor Kath McCourt, who attempted to organise industrial action by nurses four years ago. Junior doctors' leaders are being paid up to 250 a day to co-ordinate strikes. (Pictured, BMA boss Dr Mark Porter) Dr McCourt was able to persuade the BMA's 40-strong council to vote for organising the NHS's biggest ever strike. Yesterday a spokesman confirmed that Dr McCourt and senior JDC members can claim up to 250 a day for union business. This includes any work co-ordinating the strikes, such as attending a meeting for more than an hour. The BMA insisted they cannot claim the money during days of industrial action. But they can claim money back for first-class train travel and five-star hotels. WALKOUTS 'COST MILLIONS' The junior doctors' strikes will cost hospitals millions of pounds and could plunge them even further into the red, experts warned yesterday. They will be forced to cancel hundreds of thousands of operations and outpatient appointments which would otherwise earn them cash. Hospitals are paid by the local NHS body, the Clinical Commissioning Group, for every surgical procedure, X-ray and consultation they undertake. But it is estimated that at least 25,000 operations will be cancelled during each strike week on top of 250,000 appointments. Nigel Edwards, of the Nuffield Trust health think-tank, said hospitals are 'all in quite serious financial trouble losing three weeks' worth of planned care income is a big deal'. 'The longer-term worry is the NHS has this huge challenge to improve productivity and make 20billion in efficiency savings. 'How does it do that if it doesn't have the support of some of its key workers?' Advertisement The BMA spokesman said Dr McCourt had so far not claimed 'the large majority' of the money, but other JDC members are understood to have accepted it. Tory MP Philip Davies said: 'It's a perverse situation when this person's being rewarded for taking the junior doctors on strike no wonder agreement can't be found when a person's being rewarded in this way.' Fellow Conservative MP Philip Hollobone said: 'Most of the public will be amazed the person organising the strike should benefit financially whilst those taking part in the strike action will lose out. This kind of financial incentive to strike is clearly perverse.' Jonathan Stanley, a junior doctor specialising in A&E and surgery, said: 'The public will be outraged and some juniors will be pretty annoyed. 'The best thing junior doctors can do now is to go to work.' Meanwhile, a transcript of an interview Dr McCourt did with BBC Radio 4 in May reveals she initially praised the new contract as 'safer' for patients. She added: 'It really values [junior doctors'] time, values them as part of the workforce.' But three months later she declared the contract to be 'catastrophic'. The Government has accused the BMA of burying a document which could have reassured junior doctors, explaining that they would not be spread more thinly during the week if they were made to work extra weekends, as the NHS would hire more staff. According to the Government, the BMA asked for this to be removed from the final contract agreement drawn up by the Acas conciliation service. A metro line in Beijing was forced to come to a stop after a pregnant woman sat between the doors of a train after people refused to offer her their seat. Line 10 of the Beijing subway was delayed on September 1 after the angry woman refused to move, reports the People's Daily Online. Footage from the incident shows subway staff trying to calm her down as she continues her tirade against her fellow passengers, shouting 'I won't get off'. Subway rage: A woman threw a tantrum on Beijing metro yesterday after failing to get a seat The video, uploaded to Youtube by WeiboVideo, shows the woman sat in between the doors of the carriage causing the train to be at a standstill. Four people can be seen trying to reason with her as she complains that no one offered her a seat. Fellow passengers can be heard becoming frustrated by the woman as she refuses to move. They tell her that it is commuting hours and they have just finished work and want to go home. According to eyewitnesses, the woman continued to refuse to budge and so officers resorted to picking her up themselves and removing her from the train. Angry: She sat in between the doors of the subway in a bid to protest against passengers Line 10 is the most frequently used line on the Beijing underground system. It's estimated that 9.75 million people use the subway system each day. Thousands of people have been discussing on Chinese social media site Weibo as to whether the woman was in the wrong. One user wrote: 'Pregnant woman is doing this wrong but we cannot justify refusing to give her a seat.' While another commented: 'Who knows if you are pregnant or if you just have a beer belly.' And one user said: 'This is against public order. She should be detained.' Frustrated: Subway staff tried to reason with the woman however she would not calm down What's on Weibo reported that violence by females on the Beijing subway is on the rise. Chinese newspaper Beijing Times interviewed officers working at Sihui police station who said that violent situations are increasingly involving women between the ages of 20 and 30. According to the officers, this age group currently accounts for one third of all fights occurring at Sihui station. Advertisement The world's longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge has been forced to close in order to undergo 'an internal system upgrade' after an overwhelming number of tourists flocked to walk across the transparent structure standing some 980 feet high. The walkway in southern China, which cost 48 million to build, opened on August 20 and halted its operations today, according to People's Daily Online. A spokesman from the attraction told MailOnline that the bridge is designed to support a maximum of 800 people at a time, and it has received around 10,000 tourists a day since its opening. The spokesman insisted the glass floor of the bridge is safe. Scroll down for video The glass-bottomed bridge in China closed today - two weeks after its opening - due to overwhelming volume of tourists The walkway crosses two peaks in the mountains of Zhangjiajie - the same ranges that inspired the blockbuster Avatar A spokesman from the attraction told MailOnline that the bridge has received around 10,000 tourists a day since its opening The see-through bridge is located in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, a popular scenic spot in China known to have inspired the American blockbuster Avatar. The same spokesman said government of the local Zili County had requested the bridge to close after it realised that the structure had attracted an overwhelming number of tourists. The management decided to follow the instruction. He said the bridge has been closed for 'maintenance' and 'upgrading'. Tourists were said to need to queue for hours to in order to stand on the transparent floor. The spokesman added that the large number of people had also posed difficulties for the construction of facilities around the attraction. However, the spokesman said the management is 'confident about the quality of the glass floor. 'There were simply too many people. For example, we can't expand our parking area properly, and people started scalping tickets. It is yet to be announced when the bridge will reopen. The bridge is designed to support a maximum of 800 people at a time, and the spokesman insisted the glass floor was safe The dramatic bridge, which stands at some 980 feet high, is designed to support a maximum of 800 people at a time Young boys lie on the world's longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge over the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon on August 20 In an announcement on one of its social media accounts, the company apologised for inconveniencing the many travellers who had made reservations to visit. 'You... have cheated consumers,' one angry commenter replied. 'I'm on the train right now. I can't change my travel plans or get a refund. You have made the world lose hope. I see you are the world's number one cheat,' another posted. A test event on June 25 involved bridge officials driving a car across as they are watched a film crew and some 30 guests on the structure Some even took to smashing the glass with a hammer to prove the robustness of the bridge. However officials are now struggling to cope with the masses of people descending on the attraction saying it needs 'an internal system upgrade' The Zhangjiajie glass-bottomed bridge spans approximately 430 metres (1,400 feet) across two peaks and is suspended 300 metres (984ft) above a sheer drop. It crosses a canyon that divides two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie Park, in China's central Hunan province. The structure is six metres (19ft8in) wide and made of some 99 panels of clear glass. It can carry up to 800 people at the same time, an official at Zhangjiajie told China's state news agency Xinhua. Tourists can walk across the bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, and the more adventurous will be able to bungee jump or ride a zip line. According to management, a bungee platform and a giant swing are expected to be added to the platform. The bungee platform, which will be attached to the bridge, is expected to be 260 metres high (853 feet), said the spokesman. If the plan materialises, the platform will be 23 metres (75 feet) higher than that of the Macau Tower, the highest commercial jumping spot in the world. The swing is planned to be nearly 170 metres (558 feet) long and is due to be suspended from the bridge towards the valley. Both the bungee jump and the swing will be open to the public next year, according to the company. Tourists can walk across the bridge, designed by Israeli Haim Dotan. A bungee platform and a swing have also been planned Following an alarming glass bridge cracking incident at the Yuntai mountain in northern Henan in 2015, authorities in Zhangjiajie were eager to demonstrate the safety of the structure According to Huanqiu, many tourists started queuing to be the first to go on the bridge the night before its grand opening on August 20. The first of those to get on the bridge were seen lying down and doing splits. Later on in the day, the bridge became incredibly crowded and you can barely tell that the structure has a glass bottom. Wang Min, who was visiting the new structure with her husband and children, said: 'I wanted to feel awe-inspired by this bridge. But I'm not afraid - it seems safe!' Lin Chenglu, another visitor who had come to see the bridge with his colleagues, said: 'It's crowded today and a bit of a mess. But to be suspended 300 metres in the air, it's a unique experience.' Following an alarming glass bridge cracking incident at the Yuntai mountain in northern Henan in 2015, authorities in Zhangjiajie were eager to demonstrate the safety of the structure. Cameras and selfie sticks are banned, according to Xinhua, although it seems that some of the first tourists are already flouting the rules No fear: The structure is six metres (19ft8in) wide and made of some 99 panels of clear glass They organised a string of media events, including one where people were encouraged to try and smash the bridge's glass panels with a sledge hammer, and another where they drove a car across it. Tourists will have to book their tickets a day in advance, at a cost of 138 yuan (15.94). Cameras and selfie sticks are banned, and people wearing stilettos will not be allowed to walk on the bridge, Xinhua said. Last October, a group of tourists were left screaming in terror after a glass-bottomed walkway cracked at 3,540 feet high Last October, a group of Chinese tourists were left screaming in terror on the side of a 3,540-foot-high cliff after a glass pane on a new transparent walkway suddenly shattered. A visitor posted pictures of the cracked glass on Chinese social media. She said she could feel the shake under her feet the moment when the glass broke. The U-shaped platform is attached to a cliff face on Yuntai Mountain, Henan Province, and had opened to the public two weeks earlier. 50 years later it will be up for auction starting Sept. 15 for $80,000 Would leak oil when its extremities moved and Nasa cut the program It weights 230 lbs and its height can be adjusted from 5ft 5in to 6ft 2in Before going to the moon, Nasa wanted to test spacesuits on robots Before Neil Armstrong took one giant leap on the moon, Nasa looked to a robot for help with testing the crew's spacesuits. The 1965 PDAD (Power Driven Articulated Dummy) robot simulated 35 basic human motions and used sensors to gather data on how the human body would act in pressurized suits - but it never fulfilled its mission due to a tendency to leak oil. Now, the metallic astronaut is set to be sold along with 100 other 'Remarkable Rarities' from RR Auction, who has marked Nasa's reject robot with an $80,000 price tag. Scroll down for video The 1965 robot was able to simulate 35 basic human motions and used sensors to gather data on how the human body acted in a pressurized suit - but it never fulfilled its due to its tendency to leak oil 'Only two of the test robot's were produced the other is on display and owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum,' Robert Livingston, RR Auction executive vice president, in a statement to collectSpace. 'This [robot] was purchased as surplus from the University of Maryland.' The auction will be hosted online starting September 15 and finish with a live sale at the Royal Sonesta Boston on September. 26. The 'Power Driven Articulated Dummy' project was under Contract No. NAS 9-1370 and ran from May 22, 1963 through July 31, 1965. It was originally built for Nasa's Manned Spacecraft Center by the Illinois Institute of Technology. The reason for a test dummy was officials hoped to use it during design and testing of a spacesuits, which might otherwise be painful, tedious or even dangerous for human beings. NASA'S REJECTED TEST DUMMY The life-sized android was part of Nasa's 'Power Driven Articulated Dummy' project and built for the Manned Spacecraft Center by the Illinois Institute of Technology. Now, the metallic astronaut is set to be sold along with 100 other 'Remarkable Rarities' from RR Auction, who has marked Nasa's reject robot with an $80,000 price tag The 1965 robot was able to simulate 35 basic human motions and used sensors to gather data on how the human body acted in a pressurized suit - but it never made it off the ground due to its tendency to leak oil. It weights 230 lbs and its height can be adjusted from 5ft 5in to 6ft 2in. Although it has wire damage, when it was first created it could swivel its hips, raise and lower its arms and legs, shrug its shoulders, clench its fists and even shake hands. However, the hydraulic system could not handle the pressure needed to move the robot's extremities without leaking, and despite some creative test solutions, including outfitting it with a scuba wetsuit, the problem was never solved. Nasa ultimately tossed out the project and decided to use the funding elsewhere. But, this remarkable robot stands as a testament to the innovative creativity the space agency inspired in its quest skyward. Only two test robots were built and the other is on display and owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Today, the space dummy is missing a forearm and hand, scuffs and dings can be seen on its body and some of its wiring is frayed or damaged. This robot was purchased as surplus from the University of Maryland. Advertisement Weighing in at 230 pounds, the life-size android was made height adjustable from 5 feet 5 inches to six feet two inches so it could simulate the average American male from the fifth to ninety-fifth percentile. The movements of the robot were powered by hydraulic actuators created by oil flowing through a nylon-tube circulatory system, and controlled by the operator from a separate console. The hydraulic system could not handle the pressure needed to move the robot's extremities without leaking, and despite some creative test solutions, including outfitting it with a scuba wetsuit (pictured is a snap when Nasa was still conducting the program in the 1960s) Weighing in at 230 pounds, this remarkable robot stands as a testament to the innovative creativity of Nasa The exterior is covered with a 1/32-inch thick aluminum skin with cutaways to allow freedom of motion, and the facial section of the fiberglass head is removable for access to the interior connections. However, even though its creators successfully created an impressive robot during this time - it could swivel its hips, raise and lower its arms and legs, shrug its shoulders, clench its fists and even shake hands it was never able to complete its mission. The hydraulic system could not handle the pressure needed to move the robot's extremities without leaking, and despite some creative test solutions, including outfitting it with a scuba wetsuit, the problem was never solved. Nasa ultimately tossed out the project and decided to use the funding elsewhere. But, this remarkable robot stands as a testament to the innovative creativity the space agency inspired in its quest skyward. Today, the space dummy is missing a forearm and hand, scuffs and dings can be seen on its body and some of its wiring is frayed or damaged. Google has 'suspended' work on Project Ara, its ambitious effort to build modular smartphone with interchangeable components. This is part of a broader push to streamline the company's hardware efforts, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The move marks an about-face for the technology company, which announced a host of partners for Project Ara at its developer conference in May. Scroll down for video Ara provides a frame in which modules such as cameras, speakers, and sensors can be re-arranged by users like game pieces so as to customizse handsets (prototype pictured). Google may now have suspended the project, sources claim WHAT IS PROJECT ARA? Project Ara is an ambitious effort to build what is known as a modular smartphone with interchangeable components. The company wanted to create a phone that users could customise on the fly with an extra battery, camera, speakers or other components. Each phone would have a central 'spine' and an endoskeleton - nicknamed 'endo' - made of ribs that the individual modules will clip on to. There were expected to be three different sized endos - including mini, medium and large - to rival the existing range of phones currently on the market, from compacts to phablets. Ara phones would be able run on multiple batteries - when one battery dies, it can be detached and replaced with a full battery module. Advertisement Back then said it would ship a developer edition of the product this autumn. The company's aim was to create a phone that users could customise on the fly with an extra battery, camera, speakers or other components. A spokeswoman for Google declined to comment on the matter. While Google will not be releasing the phone itself, the company may work with partners to bring Project Ara's technology to market. This could potentially be done through licensing agreements, one of the people with knowledge of the matter said. Axing Project Ara is one of the first steps in a campaign to unify Google's various hardware efforts, which range from Chromebook laptops to Nexus phones. Former Motorola president Rick Osterloh rejoined Google earlier this year to oversee the effort. Google sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo Group in 2014. Modular smartphones have generated great enthusiasm in the tech community for their potential to prolong the lifespan of a device and reduce electronic waste. The move marks an about-face for the technology company, which announced a host of partners for Project Ara at its developer conference in May (prototype pictured) But the devices are difficult to bring to market because their interchangeable parts make them bulky and costly to produce, said analyst Bob O'Donnell of TECHnalysis Research, adding that he was not surprised to see Google halt the project. 'This was a science experiment that failed, and they are moving on,' he said. Project Ara was one of the flagship efforts of Google's Advanced Technology and Projects group, which aims to develop new devices, but it had various stops and starts. Last year, the company shelved plans to sell the modular phone in Puerto Rico with Latin American carriers. Advertisement These stunning images show you exactly why you should always ask for a window seat on a plane. An off-duty pilot recently captured an incredible view of a cloud-shattering storm that almost looks almost apocalyptic. The images show a violent storm as it erupts from a great Cumulonimbus cloud against a starry sky, just south of Panama City. These stunning images show you exactly why you should always ask for a window seat on a plane. An off-duty pilot recently captured an incredible view of a cloud-shattering storm that almost looks apocalyptic CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS Cumulonimbus clouds are menacing looking multi-level clouds, extending high into the sky in towers or plumes. Otherwise known as thunderclouds, cumulonimbus are the only cloud type that can produce hail, thunder and lighting. The base of the cloud is often flat with a very dark wall like feature hanging underneath, and may only lie a few hundred feet above the Earth's surface. Advertisement The stunning images were captured by pilot on his break as he sat at the back of the Boeing 767-300 aircraft while it travelled over the Pacific Ocean. Pilot and photographer, Santiago Borja, had to get the timing of his photography just right and capture the storm when it was illuminated by a flash of lighting. Otherwise, the storm is invisible in the dark night sky. Mr Borja said: 'This particular storm was standing alone, as opposed to almost all storms which are embedded into cloud areas that make them impossible to be spotted visually. 'The clear skies around the storm gave us a perfect vision of it. 'Flying at more than 450 Knots, you only have a clear view of the storm for a few minutes until you leave it behind. 'The storm life-cycle is way longer than the time it takes to fly past it - it takes many hours for the storm to develop and vanish.' Cumulonimbus clouds are menacing looking multi-level clouds, extending high into the sky in towers or plumes. Otherwise known as thunderclouds, cumulonimbus are the only cloud type that can produce hail, thunder and lighting. The base of the cloud is often flat with a very dark wall like feature hanging underneath, and may only lie a few hundred feet above the Earth's surface. Cumulonimbus clouds are menacing looking multi-level clouds, extending high into the sky in towers or plumes. Otherwise known as thunderclouds, cumulonimbus are the only cloud type that can produce hail, thunder and lighting Cumulonimbus clouds are created through convection, often growing from small cumulus clouds over a hot surface. They get increasingly big until they represent huge powerhouses, storing the same amount of energy as 10 Hiroshima-sized atom bombs. Although the storm looks formidable, Mr Borja said he never felt frightened while travelling past it. He said: 'These days aircraft have advanced equipment to circle around storms this big without entering any dangerous zones. The violent storm erupted from a great Cumulonimbus cloud against a starry sky, just south of Panama City, as the plane flew from North America to Ecuador 'The storm may look close but it was actually several miles away. 'We did not even experience any turbulence the entire flight due to this storm - it was so easy to see and avoid that we circled around it very easily.' He added: 'I felt a great sensation of admiration and respect as I took the photographs, you can feel the great power of the storm as it continuously flashes out the entire sky around it. 'It is purely illuminated by a single lightning generated inside the storm. The rest of the time it is so dark you cannot see anything but a few stars.' They helped the crew of the USS Enterprise in a number of sticky situations in Star Trek and enabled the Empire capture the elusive Millennium Falcon in Star Wars. Now researchers have revealed they are working with Nasa to develop real life tractor beams that could be used in space. Physicists say they are close to showing it is possible to capture, hold, push and pull objects using beams of light over distances of up to 0.4 inches (1cm). Scroll down for video Nasa is working with physicists to develop tractor beams that may be able to capture small particles such as comet dust while in space. It raises hopes that it may one day be possible to realise similar technology capable of capturing larger objects too like in Star Trek (pictured) HOW TO MAKE A TRACTOR BEAM USING LIGHT Optical tweezers, which use the buffeting of photons to push objects with two or more beams of light, have been around for several decades. Pulling objects with light, however, has proved a far harder problem to solve. Dr David Grier and his colleagues developed what they called an optical conveyor that could both pull and push small particles of silica. By creating a hologram with a pattern of bright and dark regions, the particles could be drawn into the bright areas. By altering the hologram so these bright regions moved, the particles could be dragged along with them both forward and backwards. The physicists have also developed solenoid beams that use a hologram beam shaped into a spiral. This screw-shaped beam of energy can attract particles and depending on how the light is tilted, it can move the particles along its length. Advertisement They say if they can do that it may also be possible to move particles over several feet or even miles. While the objects they can move are still small glass beads just a fraction of a millimetre across or about the same size as a human cell the technology could be used to take samples while in orbit. Dr David Grier, a physicist at New York University who has been leading the project, said they were now working with researchers at Nasa's Goddard Space Centre in Maryland to develop long range tractor beams that can work over several miles. He said: 'It is like science fiction being made real. 'A lot of people will be familiar with the idea that a wave can push. It is possible to structure a wave so that it doesn't just push, but it can grab onto an object, hold onto it and even pull it. 'When we were first making tractor beams in the lab at first all we could do was move really tiny things over very, very small distances just over a millionth of a meter. 'We are not lifting up an entire battle cruiser and hauling it across space. But then once you have got to cm and to metres the next step is km. That is what we are working towards now. 'In space exploration, this would be a very big deal.' Dr Grier and his colleagues first developed what they called Holographic Optical Tweezers back in 1997 to move small objects around but have since developed it further so they can pull and move objects. They do this by bouncing a laser off a projector to produce computer-generated holograms that resembles a spiral of intense light known as a solenoid beam. This corkscrew resembles an Archimedes' screw that can attract particles and by altering the hologram these can be moved along the corkscrew. Dr Grier said: 'This helical structure is what enables the beams to pull.' However, the size of the object is limited by the wavelength of the laser being used and its power. Speaking to the MailOnline, Dr Grier said even with small particle sizes they can currently move, the technology could have practical uses. He said: 'For instance, this is the size scale of the dust particles that cometary missions have been collecting from comet tails, and of the soot particles in automotive and industrial exhaust gases. The researchers have been able to create tractor beams with lasers (pictured) that generate holograms capable of capturing, pushing and pulling small particles. It could eventually be used to capture samples from passing comets in space or fumes from car exhaussts 'In space there's no air resistance, so even a small force can have a big effect. 'What our collaborators at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center would like to do is to outfit cometary and planetary exploration vehicles with tractor beams that will collect samples from a safe distance. 'A tractor beam mounted on the International Space Station, for example, could continuously collect the dust particles and microscopic ice crystals in orbit around the earth. 'These particles were deposited by passing comets, and carry within them the history of our solar system. Tractor beams would greatly simplify collecting these valuable samples for analysis.' Dr Grier is due to describe his technology in a documentary filmed by the Smithsonian to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek series. He said the technology could have uses on Earth too. They could be used to take samples of toxic fumes from a long distance for example and to examine the smoke from factories to see if they contain particles of pollution. He said: 'I am a star trek fan so I can't help seeing analogies between what they were dreaming of in the 1960s and what we are finally what we are able to do in the laboratory. It has long been thought that there are four primary tastes salty, sweet, sour and bitter, although a fifth taste, called Umami, was added as a fifth in 2009. But researchers suggest that there may be a sixth taste missing from the list. They say that complex carbohydrates, such as starch, have their own taste and should be considered an independent flavour. Researchers suggest that there may be a sixth taste missing from the list. They say that complex carbohydrates, such as starch, have their own taste and should be considered an independent flavour COMPLEX VERSUS SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES There are two types of carbohydrates complex and simple carbs. Complex carbohydrates are those in their natural food form comprised of a long chain of simple carbs and those that are already in smaller pieces. Complex carbs are foods which contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, such as potatoes, beans and brown rice. Simple carbs are often softer in texture white bread, white rice table sugar. These easily digested carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed, causing a spike in blood sugar and quick boost in energy. Advertisement The research comes from scientists at Oregan State University, who wanted to understand how every culture used complex carbohydrates, yet they do not have their own taste. Complex carbohydrates are made of sugar molecules strung together, much like pearls on a necklace. They are a vital source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and are used by cultures worldwide. When complex carbohydrates are broken down by saliva, their chains break down into simple sugars, which were assumed to produce a sweet taste. However, the researchers suggested that this was not the case, and that the carbohydrates themselves had a unique flavour. To test their theory, the scientists gave a range of different carbohydrate solutions to volunteers and asked them what they thought the taste was. Dr Juyun Lim, who led the study, told New Scientist: 'They called the taste "starchy". 'Asians would say it was rice-like, while Caucasians described it as bread-like or pasta-like. It's like eating flour.' The researchers then gave the participants a compound that blocks the receptors of the tongue that detect sweet tastes. Despite this, the participants could still make out the floury flavour. To test their theory, the scientists gave a range of different carbohydrate solutions to volunteers and asked them what they thought the taste was (stock image) CRITERIA FOR PRIMARY TASTES There are five criteria that must be met to classify a flavour as a primary taste: 1) There must be a chemical stimulus 2) This must then trigger specific receptors on our taste buds 3) There has to be a viable pathway between these receptors and our brains 4) We've got to be able to perceive and process the taste in the brain 5) Finally, this whole process has to trigger downstream effects in the body Advertisement This suggests that we can taste carbohydrates before they are broken down into sugar molecules, and have a flavour in their own right. The results suggest that human taste is more complex than previously thought. Dr Michael Tordoff, a psychobiologist at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, who himself is trying to understand whether we can taste calcium, said: 'Many people think there are only five tastes, but a bunch of us think there might be others.' This is not the first time a sixth taste has been suggested. Last year, scientists from Purdue University in Indiana proposed that fats should have their own flavour, called 'oleogustus' because it evoked unique sensations. One criterion that is definitely met, is that a flavour must be useful to us starch is a valuable source of slow-release energy WHAT IS UMAMI? Umami is the Japanese word for the fifth basic sense of taste, after bitter, salty, sour and sweet. Despite being known in the East for more than 100 years, particularly Japan, it is a relatively new concept to the West where only the four primary tastes were recognised until 2009. Umami means deliciousness in Japanese, but translates best as 'savouriness' and provides the 'meaty' flavour in meat. It is formed from glutamates being detected by receptors on the tongue and is the reason why monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavour enhancer. It is also found naturally in meats, cheeses and mushrooms. Advertisement To become recognised as a primary taste, however, flavour must meet a strict list of criteria. This includes having their own set of tongue receptors, being recognisable, and triggering a physiological response. Unfortunately for the researchers, starch does not meet all the criteria the researchers are yet to find tongue receptors. However, one criterion that is definitely met, is that a flavour must be useful to us starch is a valuable source of slow-release energy. Dr Lim added: 'I believe that's why people prefer complex carbs. They are possibly the most destructive forces on our planet, triggering mass extinctions, kick-starting ice ages and even nearly wiping out our own species around 50,000 years ago. So drilling into a supervolcano huge build-ups of magma beneath the crust that can hurl trillions of tonnes of debris into the atmosphere might seem like a rather foolish idea. But scientists in Italy are doing just that with an ambitious project that aims to drill more than 1.9 miles into Campi Flegrei, the supervolcano simmering beneath the Gulf of Naples in Italy. Scientists are hoping to restart a project to drill into the Campi Flegrei, a supervolcano under the area around Naples after it was stalled a few years ago by safety fears. The Solfatara of Pozzuoli (pictured) is one of forty volcanoes that make up the caldera of the the supervolcano HISTORY OF CAMPI FLEGREI The Phlegraean Fields, or Campi Flegrei, volcano system has had a colourful history. The Romans thought an area called Solfatara - where gas is emitted from the ground - was the home of Vulcan, the god of fire. Meanwhile, one of the craters in the system, Lake Avernus, was referred to as the entrance to Hades in ancient mythology. Additionally, Campi Flegrei has long been a site of geological interest. In Charles Lyell's 1830 Principles of Geology, he identified the burrows of marine fossils at the top of the Macellum of Pozzuoli, an ancient Roman market building, concluding that the ground around Naples rises and falls over geological time. Two eruptions have occurred at the site, one in 1158 at Solfatara and the other in 1538 that formed the Monte Nuovo cinder cone. But more recently the ground around Naples has shown signs that the supervolcano may be preparing to erupt again. In 1969-72 and 1982-84 the Earth's crust in the area around Pozzuoli rose by 11 feet in just a few months. This phenomenon is called bradisism - a slow movement of the earth's surface, as opposed to fast movement due to an earthquake. Advertisement BBC Future reports that researchers are hoping the scheme will give them new insights into this sleeping giant and how these devastating volcanoes behave. They have already drilled a pilot borehole about 1,640 feet into the Earths crust to measure the temperatures and stresses in the pit before the project was suspended in 2010 over safety concerns. The researchers behind it, however, hope they will be able to restart the drilling after getting the green light to go ahead. The project, however, has proved controversial, with some scientists fearing the scheme could cause a catastrophe by altering the state of the volcano and even triggering an eruption. The Campi Flegrei, a caldera already pitted with the craters of past volcanic eruptions, has the potential to kill up to a million people in its immediate vicinity. An eruption could also fling so much material into the atmosphere it could alter the planets climate. But much of the plumbing driving the steady uplift of land around Naples is poorly understood. Many volcanologists, however, believe the best way to find out is to drill down into the area where these processes are taking place. Essentially they want to put their sensors deep under ground to measure the breathing of the volcano as its surface rises up and down each year. Speaking to the BBC, Dr Stefano Carlino, a volcanologist at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology who is leading the project to drill into the Campi Flegrei, said: Our project was evaluated by a committee of the most important and experienced scientists in the field of volcanology and scientific drilling. We are sure that there is no risk for the population. The insights they could gain could be profound. The team recently installed a system of optical fibre sensors under the sea off the coast of Naples to monitor more closely what the magma under there is doing. The caldera of the Campi Flegrei is studded with the craters of past eruptions and volcanic vents (pictured). Far beneath the surface magma is building up and creating huge pressures Drilling down would give them an insight into how the rocks themselves keeping the magma below bottled up like a cork in a champagne bottle is coping with the stress. Fears that drilling could release some of this pressure to trigger earthquakes or even eruptions may also be unfounded. The scientists are looking to drill around 1.9 miles into the Earths crust while the magma is around 4.97 miles. Writing in a piece for the Conversation, Dr Luca De Siena, a volcanologist at the University of Aberdeen who has spent four years at the Vesuvius Observatory, which monitors Camp Flegrei, said: This is a perfect example of striking the balance between not doing enough to prevent a catastrophe, and doing too much. Preliminary drilling at the Campi Flegrei were stopped by local authorities after a media storm over the safety of the technique. The destruction at Pompeii (pictured), near Naples, is an acute reminder of what the devastation that volcanoes in the area can do A geochemist called Benedetto de Vivo at the University of Naples Federico II believes drilling at Campi Flegrei could cause a hydrothermal explosion if the drill hit superheated fluid underground. He believes that this could even trigger a chain reaction that would cause the volcano itself to erupt, although admits this has a low probability. His views are supported by other volcanologists like Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo, who told BBC Future that the area is extremely volatile and unpredictable. He believes scientists should adopt the precautionary principle until more is known about how the supervolcano may respond. An eruption of the Camp Flegrei supervolanco would dwarf the devastation caused by Mount Vesuvius on the otherside of Naples (illustrated) The project to drill into the Campi Flegrei has now stalled after being suspended over the safety fears and currently requires another $6 million to $8 million to complete its pilot borehold. Dr De Siena, however, believes there may be a way to watch the supervolcano without drilling down at all with the help of technology called attenuation tomography. He said: This technique is still relatively new. The Japanese developed it for their volcanoes in the 1990s, but it is only in the past decade that it has reached the West. In combination with other geophysical and geological observations, we have used this technique to establish that there is no large magmatic chamber under Campi Flegrei between 0km and 4km depth at least there wasnt during the last seismic crisis, which was between 1980 and 1984. Advertisement Nasa's Juno spacecraft has sent back the first-ever images of Jupiter's poles, taken during the spacecraft's first flyby of the planet with its instruments switched on. The incredible images show storm systems and weather activity 'unlike anything previously seen'. They reveal stormy conditions, high clouds and a strange blue hue on the planet. Scroll down for video As Nasa's Juno spacecraft closed in on Jupiter for its Aug. 27, 2016 pass, its view grew sharper and fine details in the north polar region became increasingly visible. The JunoCam instrument obtained this view on August 27, about two hours before closest approach, when the spacecraft was 120,000 miles (195,000 kilometers) away from the giant planet (i.e., for Jupiter's center). Juno successfully executed the first of 36 orbital flybys on Aug. 27 when the spacecraft came about 2,500 miles (4,200 kilometers) above Jupiter's swirling clouds. The download of six megabytes of data collected during the six-hour transit, from above Jupiter's north pole to below its south pole, took one-and-a-half days. Unlike rocky Earth and Mars, Jupiter is a gas giant that likely formed first, shortly after the sun. Studying the largest planet in the solar system may hold clues to understanding how Earth and the rest of the planets formed, astronomers hope. While analysis of this first data collection is ongoing, some unique discoveries have already made themselves visible. This image from NASA's Juno spacecraft provides a never-before-seen perspective on Jupiter's south pole. The JunoCam instrument acquired the view on August 27, 2016, when the spacecraft was about 58,700 miles (94,500 kilometers) above the polar region. At this point, the spacecraft was about an hour past its closest approach, and fine detail in the south polar region is clearly resolved. Unlike the equatorial region's familiar structure of belts and zones, the poles are mottled by clockwise and counterclockwise rotating storms of various sizes, similar to giant versions of terrestrial hurricanes. 'First glimpse of Jupiter's north pole, and it looks like nothing we have seen or imagined before,' said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. 'It's bluer in color up there than other parts of the planet, and there are a lot of storms. 'There is no sign of the latitudinal bands or zone and belts that we are used to - this image is hardly recognizable as Jupiter. 'We're seeing signs that the clouds have shadows, possibly indicating that the clouds are at a higher altitude than other features.' THE AURORAS OF JUPITER An unprecedented view of the southern aurora of Jupiter This infrared image gives an unprecedented view of the southern aurora of Jupiter, as captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft on August 27, 2016. The planet's southern aurora can hardly be seen from Earth due to our home planet's position in respect to Jupiter's south pole. Juno's unique polar orbit provides the first opportunity to observe this region of the gas-giant planet in detail. Juno's Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) camera acquired the view at wavelengths ranging from 3.3 to 3.6 microns -- the wavelengths of light emitted by excited hydrogen ions in the polar regions. The view is a mosaic of three images taken just minutes apart from each other, about four hours after the perijove pass while the spacecraft was moving away from Jupiter. Advertisement One of the most notable findings of these first-ever pictures of Jupiter's north and south poles is something that the JunoCam imager did not see. 'Saturn has a hexagon at the north pole,' said Bolton. 'There is nothing on Jupiter that anywhere near resembles that. This montage of 10 JunoCam images shows Jupiter growing and shrinking in apparent size before and after NASA's Juno spacecraft made its closest approach on August 27, 2016, at 12:50 UTC. The images are spaced about 10 hours apart, one Jupiter day, so the Great Red Spot is always in roughly the same place. The small black spots visible on the planet in some of the images are shadows of the large Galilean moons. 'The largest planet in our solar system is truly unique. We have 36 more flybys to study just how unique it really is.' Along with JunoCam snapping pictures during the flyby, all eight of Juno's science instruments were energized and collecting data. This image provides a close-up view of Jupiter's southern hemisphere, as seen by NASA's Juno spacecraft on August 27, 2016. The JunoCam instrument captured this image with its red spectral filter when the spacecraft was about 23,600 miles (38,000 kilometers) above the cloud tops. The image covers an area from close to the south pole to 20 degrees south of the equator, centered on a longitude at about 140 degrees west. The transition between the banded structures near the equator and the more chaotic polar region (south of about 65 degrees south latitude) can be clearly seen. A second version of the image shows the same view with a latitude/longitude grid overlaid. The Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM), supplied by the Italian Space Agency, acquired some remarkable images of Jupiter at its north and south polar regions in infrared wavelengths. 'JIRAM is getting under Jupiter's skin, giving us our first infrared close-ups of the planet,' said Alberto Adriani, JIRAM co-investigator from Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome. 'These first infrared views of Jupiter's north and south poles are revealing warm and hot spots that have never been seen before. 'And while we knew that the first-ever infrared views of Jupiter's south pole could reveal the planet's southern aurora, we were amazed to see it for the first time. 'No other instruments, both from Earth or space, have been able to see the southern aurora. Juno was about 48,000 miles (78,000 kilometers) above Jupiter's polar cloud tops when it captured this view, showing storms and weather unlike anywhere else in the solar system. THE LEGO FIGURES ON JUNO Along with the instruments Juno is also carrying three tiny passengers in the form of Lego figures, made from spacecraft-grade Aluminium. The three models include models of the god Jupiter, his wife and mission namesake the goddess Juno, and astronomer Galileo Hitching a ride on Juno are three 1.5-inch Lego figures depicting the 17th century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, the Roman god Jupiter, and the deity's wife Juno - all made from aluminium to withstand the Jupiter's harsh environment. By drawing attention to these Lego characters, Nasa aims to inspire the next generation of spacecraft engineers by encouraging children to explore subjects such as science and technology. But they are on a suicide mission. Juno, along with its three passengers, meets its demise in 2018 when it deliberately dives into Jupiter's atmosphere and disintegrates a necessary sacrifice to prevent any chance of accidentally crashing into the planet's potentially habitable moons. Advertisement 'Now, with JIRAM, we see that it appears to be very bright and well-structured. 'The high level of detail in the images will tell us more about the aurora's morphology and dynamics.' Among the more unique data sets collected by Juno during its first scientific sweep by Jupiter was that acquired by the mission's Radio/Plasma Wave Experiment (Waves), which recorded ghostly-sounding transmissions emanating from above the planet. These radio emissions from Jupiter have been known about since the 1950s but had never been analyzed from such a close vantage point. 'Jupiter is talking to us in a way only gas-giant worlds can,' said Bill Kurth, co-investigator for the Waves instrument from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. 'Waves detected the signature emissions of the energetic particles that generate the massive auroras which encircle Jupiter's north pole. NASA'S Juno probe made its closet approach yet to Jupiter on Saturday during the main phase of its planned mission to the gas giant (pictured) 'These emissions are the strongest in the solar system. 'Now we are going to try to figure out where the electrons come from that are generating them.' Juno activated its suite of nine instruments as it soared 2,600 miles (4180km) above Jupiter's swirling clouds tops, travelling at 130,000mph (209,200 km/h), last week. On schedule, the agency tweeted that Juno had successfully completed its closest ever fly-by to the planet, the first of 36, which are scheduled to end in February 2018. 'We are getting some intriguing early data returns as we speak,' said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. 'It will take days for all the science data collected during the flyby to be downlinked and even more to begin to comprehend what Juno and Jupiter are trying to tell us.' Juno first swept close to Jupiter when it entered orbit around the planet early last month after a nearly five-year voyage to help study the solar system's origins. However, all the probe's instruments were turned off not to interfere with its positioning as it entered the 53.5-day orbit. Juno swung within about 2,600 miles of the solar system's largest planet, the closest any spacecraft has passed, traveling at 130,000 miles per hour Juno will now be probing Jupiter's many layers to measure their composition, magnetic field and other properties. Scientists hope to learn the source of the planet's fierce winds and whether Jupiter is made entirely of gas or has a solid core. They also expect to learn more about the planet's great red spot, a huge storm that has raged for thousands of years. Saturday's flyby was Juno's first chance to take pictures of Jupiter's mysterious poles. This image obtained from NASA, shows a color view from NASA's Juno spacecraft made from some of the first images taken by JunoCam after the spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter on July 5th 'We are in an orbit nobody has ever been in before, and these images give us a whole new perspective on this gas-giant world,' said Bolton. Although data from the probe is expected to reach Earth in several days, results from scientists' analysis will take longer. 'This is our first opportunity and there are bound to be surprises,' Steve Levin, Juno project scientist from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California said. 'We need to take our time to make sure our conclusions are correct.' The world watched in horror as SpaceX's Falcon 9 burst into flames on the Cape Canaveral launch pad during a routine check for its long awaited trip to space to launch a Facebook satellite earlier this. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the blast originated around the upper stage oxygen tank, but what caused it still remains a mystery. However, conspiracy theorists have developed a different theory after seeing an anomaly pass over at the same time as the blast and suggest an alien air strike sabotaged the mission. Scroll down for videos Alien hunters have developed their own theory of what caused SpaceX Falcon 9 to explode yesterday. Footage from the blast shows an anomaly pass over at the same time as the blast and skeptics believe it was an alien air strike that sabotaged the mission WHAT ARE THE CLAIMS? Following yesterday's SpaceX Falcon 9 failure, videos have surfaced showing a strange 'anomaly' flying over the rocket before, during and after the explosion. Conspiracy theorists claim it was an alien air strike that sabotaged the launch. Some suggest aliens may have thought bombs were attached to the tip and thought it was their good deed to stop it from taking off in a bid to put an end to nuclear missiles and war. One Reddit user claims to be a welder working at the site before Falcon took off and saw strange lights above the pad that hovered for about 20 seconds then they disappeared. Then 20 minutes later, the rocket exploded. However, some individuals arent sold on an extraterrestrial conspiracy and believe it was nothing more than a bird. Advertisement Around 9am EST, the 604-ton rocket was being fueled with a concoction of liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellant when the upper region burst into flames. The entire craft was engulfed in what seemed like seconds, including Facebooks $200 million communication satellite that was specifically designed to bring internet to Africa. And although Flalcon 9s creators are baffled by the turn of events, a new theory has emerged that could provide answers. Since the explosion, YouTube videos have been surfacing that highlight a mysterious anomaly passing over Falcon 9 as it sits on the launch pad before, during and after the explosion, Daily Express reported. YouTuber Graphics King posted footage yesterday and slowed down the video to reveal a black object flying over the rocket at the moment it met its fate. Alien hunters, Martian researchers and the non-believers have all flocked to the video in order to state their opinions of what this mysterious object might be. Some firmly believe the rocket exploding was not a mechanical error, but an attack from another world. I am pretty sure this is not the first time they hit us. I saw another rocket in flight (right after lift off), being destroyed by a saucer, a users by the name of UFO Hunter shared. The world watched in horror as the SpaceX Falcon 9 burst into flames on the Cape Canaveral launch pad during a routine check for its long awaited trip to space. A brokenhearted Elon Musk (pictured), SpaceX CEO, said the blast originated around the upper stage oxygen tank, but what caused it still remains a mystery Around 9am EST, the 604-ton rocket was being fueled with a concoction of liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellant when the upper region burst into flames. Musk shared a Tweet (pictured) about the failed mission shortly after I guess these rockets look too much like ICBMs with a big fat bomb attached to the tip! The Aliens are trying to put an end to nuclear missiles and war. Another shares: 'That bug is at least going 3,600mph minimum. Its not a bird, its an Alien with a laser that destroyed the rocket.' Since the explosion, YouTube videos have surfaced highlighting a mysterious anomaly passing over Falcon 9 as it sits on the launch pad before, during and after the explosion. YouTuber Graphics King slows down the clip to show a black object flying towards the rocket before it bursts into flames Alien hunters, Martian researchers and the non-believers have all flocked to the video in order to state their opinions of what this mysterious object might be. Some say it was an alien laser strike, while others think it was simply a bird that flew over However, others have chimed in to debunk the theory of extraterrestrials. Sadly it was just a bird flying past, if you watch the normal speed video, there are birds flying past start to end, Richard Edwards shares. One individual claims to have seen the extraterrestrial vehicle hover over Falcon 9 with their own eyes. A Reddit users by the name of rainbowfish4 claims to be one of the welders at Kennedy Space Center who was working on the launch and submitted a post following the explosion. Rainbow24 states there were strange lights that appeared in the sky above the pad while they were getting ready for the launch. A Reddit users by the name of rainbowfish4 claims to be one of the welders at Kennedy Space Center saw strange lights that appeared in the sky above the pad while they were getting ready for the launch and 20 minutes later the rocket exploded SPACEX'S CHECKERED (AND EXPLOSIVE) HISTORY Founded in 2002 by PayPal founder Elon Musk, SpaceX has been one of the driving forces behind the efforts by commercial companies to venture into space. Previously the domain of government-sponsored national agencies like Nasa and Russia's Roscosmos, launching spacecraft into orbit was seen as being prohibitively expensive. SpaceX, however, became the first privately funded company to launch a rocket powered by liquid-propellant into orbit in 2008 with its Falcon 1. It later became the first to launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft. With the end of the Nasa's Space Shuttle program, SpaceX has also stepped in to allow the US to continue to send supplies to the International Space Station. In 2012 the company was the first private firm to send a spacecraft packed with cargo to resupply the space station. This year alone it has achieved eight launches carrying supplies to the ISS and a number of satellites into orbit. But SpaceX's journey has been hit with setbacks and problems. Perhaps its worst accident to date occurred on June 28 2015 one of its Falcon 9 rockets carrying an unmanned Dragon capsule filled with cargo for the ISS exploded just minutes after launch. An investigation into the explosion revealed a failed strut on the helium pressure vessels broke as it accelerated out of the atmosphere, allowing a catastrophic escape of gas. Part of SpaceX's model for reducing the cost of space travel is to reuse its rockets. But this has been beset with a series of accidents that saw the rockets topple over and explode during these landing attempts. It lost two rockets after they failed to land safely before it managed to successfully land the first stage booster at Kennedy Space Center on December 21 2015. Freezing fog that caused a landing leg to fail to lock caused another rocket to topple over on a barge in January 2016 on landing. Since then the company has managed to land four of its Falcon 9 launch rockets on floating barges at sea. But on 15 June this year another of its rockets toppled over and was destroyed after managing to touch down on a barge. The company has also had problems while in orbit. In March 1 2013 a Dragon spacecraft suffered thruster issues due to a blacked fuel valve leaving it unable to properly control itself before docking with the ISS. On this occasion engineers were able to remotely clear the blockages and the craft docked with the ISS one day later than scheduled. Advertisement About 20 minutes before launch there was an impression in the cloud (its rainy here) of an oblong shape you could almost see the blue sky through it then 3 white lights appeared in the center of it and then just appeared with a blink of an eye they were visible for maybe 20 seconds. The Reddit users continues to explain that just 20 minutes after the bizarre sighting, the rocket exploded. Google Home and Daydream View VR headset will also be shown off Report says two new handsets, Pixel and Pixel XL, will be Rumors surfaced this week suggesting Google may soon drop the Nexus brand for its upcoming flagship phones. However, there has been no mention of a new product name to replaces the discontinued handsets, until now. A new report from Android Police reveals that Google has settled on Pixel and Pixel XL for the 5in handset, codenamed Sailfish and the 5.5in version, known as Marlin - and both will be unveiled on October 4th. Scroll down for video A new report from Android Police reveals that Google has settled on Pixel and Pixel XL for the 5 in Sailfish and the 5.5 in Marlin, which will be unveiled on October 4th. A reliable source said the tech giant is hosting a major event next month that is focused on its new hardware GOOGLE'S MAJOR EVENT A new report suggests Google is hosting an event on October 4th that is focused on its new hardware. New handsets rumored to be replacing the Nexus brand will debut. Called Pixel and Pixel XL, these HTC devices will be a 5 in Sailfish and 5.5 in Marlin. Included in this exciting fall event will also be a new 4K Chromecast device, which could be called either the Chromecast Plus or Chromecast Ultra. The firm is also expected to show off the Google Home smart speaker, which made its debut at I/O in May, and in-house design for a Daydream VR viewer device, which is being called Daydream View. Advertisement Speaking to two independent sources, we now strongly believe that Google's formerly-maybe-Nexus-phones, Marlin and Sailfish, will be marketed as the Pixel and the Pixel XL,' wrote David Ruddock of Android Police. 'We do not have pricing information. 'At this time, it is unknown to us when Google decided to shift its in-house smartphone brand from Nexus to Pixel or why (though speculation will likely run wild). A reliable source told Android Police that the tech giant is hosting a major event next month that is focused on its new hardware. These new HTC-built devices are said to completely different from any other Pixel hardware Google has released. Included in this exciting fall event will also be a new 4K Chromecast device, which could be called either the Chromecast Plus or Chromecast Ultra. The firm is also expected to show off the Google Home smart speaker, which made its debut at I/O in May, and in-house design for a Daydream VR viewer device, which is being called Daydream View. Android Police explains that have yet to find out what time the event starts and its location, though San Francisco and New York have been their host cities of choice in the recent past. GOOGLE'S DAYDREAM: BRINGING VR TO ANDROID Clay Bavor of Google's VR division revealed that VR will be part of Android N, in a feature called daydream. 'Cardboard and phones are great, but there's a limit. 'We wanted to do more, and that involves solving a lot of really hard problems. 'What we've built won't be availabler until fall, but we'd like to introduce it today. Google is expected to unveil their in-house design for a Daydream VR viewer device, which is being called Daydream View.Pictured is Clay Bavor of Google's VR division who revealed that VR will be part of Android N, in a feature called daydream in May A new controller will also be made for the system The firm revealed new standard for phones running the new Android VR, and a VR mode for Android N to make apps work more effectively. It said Samsung, LG and others will support the software. The firm has also created a design for headsets, and a new controller allowing users to navigate the virtual world. It will also bring Google Play into the virtual world, allowing users to easily find and install apps. A new controller will also be made for the system, allowing users to easily navigate the virtual world. Bavor said Google was also working with developers to produce games for the software. It is also porting its own apps, including a movie theatre and street view to the VR system. YouTube will also appear in the headset, allowing users to search by voice, access their usually playlist and hear 3D spatial audio when wearing headphones. Advertisement What they do know is that the Pixel phones should be available on or sometime after the event. Although rumors are spreading that Google count dump Nexus, they arent turning their back on them just yet. Included in this exciting fall event will also be a new 4K Chromecast device, which could be called either the Chromecast Plus or Chromecast Ultra. It is not clear the location of the even or what time it will start Google announced last week that it is introducing a feature called Wi-Fi Assistant to people with Nexus phones, which lets the device automatically connect to free Wi-Fi hotspots. The post stated that the feature 'allows you to automatically and securely connect to more than a million, free open Wi-Fi hotspots.' Before now, the Wi-Fi Assistant was exclusive to people using Google's Project Fi phone service. WHAT IS GOOGLE HOME? Google Home is a small speaker that will be able to play music and access Google Assistant, a new AI system the search giant unveiled at I/O in May. It will harness the power of Google's search engine along with the AI technology the firm developed to beat a grandmaster at the ancient board game Go to create assistants people can talk and text with as if they were a human being.Downl The firm is also expected to show off the Google Home smart speaker (pictured), which made its debut at I/O in May- a speakert hat will be able to play music and access Google Assistant The gadget is also a high quality speaker, Google claims, allowing users to play back music from online services of a phone. It can also control other speakers, forming a voice controlled multi room hifi system, and control other devices such as lights and Google's Nest thermostat. The voice controlled assistant will be able to control devices and answer queries. Advertisement However, the company is now expanding the update to all Nexus users in the United States, Canada, Mexico, UK and Nordic countries. To activate the service, Nexus owners can go to the Android Settings app, and toggle the feature on and off in the 'Networking' section. The Wi-Fi Assistant uses a virtual private network (VPN) to try to secure a connection. This allows the phone to decide whether a hotspot is safe, without the need for you to check manually. Thanks to her regular stints on Dancing With The Stars, Julianne Hough is in perfect shape. And the 28-year-old professional dancer put her toned limbs on display as she indulged in a little shopping at Kate Somerville in West Hollywood on Thursday. The blonde beauty wore a cute denim romper, nude suede pumps and a beige tote bag. Scroll down for video Dancer body: Julianne Hough indulged in some shopping at Kate Somerville in West Hollywood on Thursday The outfit showed off her petite frame as she walked along the streets of LA. She left her platinum blonde locks in a straight style as she accessorized with a pair of ombre aviator shades. Kate Somerville is known as Hollywood's guru of glow. Stylish: The blonde beauty wore a cute denim romper, nude suede pumps and a beige tote bag Suits you: The outfit showed off her petite frame and toned legs The skincare brand is one of the most famous in Los Angeles and is used by all the top A listers. Julianne no doubt wants her skin glowing for when she returns as a judge later this fall to Dancing With The Stars. Julianne got her start on DWTS as a pro dancer in season four where she became the shows youngest winner. Chic: She left her famous platinum blonde locks in a straight style as she accessorized with a pair of ombre aviator shades She's back! Julianne will return as a judge later this fall to Dancing With The Stars She continued as a dancer through season eight but left before the ninth season. Julianne returned to the popular ABC show as a judge for seasons nineteen through twenty-one. Her brother Derek just announced on Instagram that he'll be back in the ballroom as a pro dancer this fall. She gave birth to baby boy Rocket Zot last year, and is set to welcome her second child with husband Sam Worthington in coming months. But Lara Worthington continues to look just as youthful as she did seven years ago, according to a throwback snap shared to Instagram on Thursday. The 29-year-old showed off her timeless beauty and striking facial features in the image that was taken from a previous fashion fitting. Scroll down for video What's her secret? Lara Worthington, 29, showed off her timeless beauty in a throwback snap from seven years ago, shared to Instagram on Thursday 'Fittings,' Lara captioned the throwback snap, alongside the hash-tag #7yearsago. The photo saw the budding entrepreneur and model flaunt her petite frame in a bodycon pastel pink dress that accentuated her slim waist and delicate decolletage with cleverly placed detailing. Wearing just a minimal amount of makeup, Lara looked almost identical as she does now, proving that she is showing no signs of ageing despite being a busy working mother. Ageless: Lara posted this selfie with her husband Sam Worthington just months back showing that she has not aged in seven years The throwback snap comes just after the popular personality admitted that the thought of giving birth again is 'scary'. 'Knowing you have to give birth and there is no other way you can go is scary,' she confessed to blog Tomboy Beauty, via The Daily Telegraph. Scared: The throwback snap comes just after the popular personality admitted that the thought of giving birth again is 'scary'. Lara explained that once you're pregnant 'there's no going back,' but admitted it's a difficult concept to explain to people without children. While the former swimsuit model has kept quiet about her pregnancy to the media, Who magazine reports that she's been telling friends she's expecting a boy. Revealing all: 'Knowing you have to give birth and there is no other way you can go is scary,' the former swimsuit model told blog, Tomboy Beauty 'She was quite open, saying how happy she is,' a source told the magazine. In July, Lara praised her actor husband Sam in an interview with InStyle magazine. 'He's a hands-on dad,' she said. It's a boy? Who magazine reports that Lara will give birth to another baby boy later this year She added: 'He's not one to sleep through the night and not help'. While many A-list couples choose to hire outside help when raising their children, Lara and Sam, 40, have decided against it. 'Sam and I weren't brought up with any help... It's definitely a lot harder than I thought,' she said. She was branded a 'peasant' by Keira Maguire during a heated argument on The Bachelor last month. And Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris has confirmed their TV rivalry continues months after the cameras stopped rolling. The model told Sunshine Coast Daily they briefly reconciled but the friendship soured after Keira publicly criticised her. Scroll down for video The feud continues! The Bachelor's Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris (L) has confirmed her TV rivalry with Keira Maguire (R) continues months after the cameras stopped rolling Kiki said: 'She messaged me while the show had been airing and said let's catch up. 'I'm a very diplomatic person so I had coffee with her. But since then I read an article with her saying I was the nasty girl in the house and I was very difficult to live with. 'That got under my skin a bit. I want to forgive and forget, so once show finishes I hope we can bury the hatchet once and for all,' she said. 'I had coffee with her': Despite a fiery argument while filming, Kiki agreed to meet with Keira - but their friendship didn't last as Keira later slammed her on 2DayFM's Rove And Sam Shortly after being eliminated from The Bachelor last month, Keira told 2DayFM Hit 104.1's Rove And Sam Kiki was 'hard to live with'. 'Although I do like everyone today, obviously, the situations and circumstances are different,' she began. 'In the house, Rachael and Kiki were I don't know. I found it really hard to live with them. They weren't very nice to me.' The claws are out! The pair clashed on The Bachelor after Kiki claimed Keira was 'ungrateful' about being invited on group dates - and she responded by calling her a 'peasant' 'Really?': After being labelled a 'peasant' Kiki replied, 'I'd prefer to be called a b****' The pair previously clashed after Kiki branded Keira 'ungrateful' because she was fed up of being invited on group dates. A tense argument soon followed, which saw Keira lock herself in the bathroom and scream at Kiki: 'Go away, peasant!' Kiki was not impressed, replying: 'I'm sorry, what? Peasant? Really? I prefer to be called a b****.' Till Death Us Do Part Rating: That is typical of yer Labour government, as Alf would say. A comedy masterclass, every joke slotting smoothly into an intricate pattern, honed by a peerless craftsman, writer Johnny Speight, was no sooner broadcast in January 1967 than it was wiped. Its like taking an elegantly turned chair from the Chippendale workshop and slinging it in a skip. Thank heaven for the outstandingly funny Simon Day and Lizzie Roper, who starred as Alf and Elsie Garnett in a remake of this lost episode of Till Death Us Do Part (BBC4). They performed a loving reconstruction, almost 50 years after the first screening. One-time Fast Show comic Day paid homage to Warren Mitchell, who played Alf for 25 years, by evoking his mannerisms without impersonating him. From the first instant we saw him, cursing the damp embers of his living room fire, this was unmistakeably the miserable old git himself. One-time Fast Show comic Day paid homage to Warren Mitchell, who played Alf for 25 years, by evoking his mannerisms without impersonating him But Mitchells Alf was more sly, with a streak of nasty cunning that ran through his self-pity. Day made him clumsier, dimmer, too stupid and lazy to help himself. Dandy Nichols had played his wife, from the series beginning in 1966 to her death two decades later by which time Till Death had evolved into a more melancholy sitcom called In Sickness And In Health. Her part was often overlooked, because Mitchell was such a scene-stealer. But Lizzie Roper, best known for Hollyoaks, reminded us who was really in charge in the Garnett household. In this episode, shed been to the pictures with her daughter and left Alfs dinner under the grill to be burned black. This updated version of Elsie made no bones about it: her purpose in life was to torment her ignorant pig of a husband, and she did it with silent relish. Mitchells Alf (pictured in the original sitcome series) was more sly, with a streak of nasty cunning that ran through his self-pity. Day made him clumsier, dimmer, too stupid and lazy to help himself This updated version of Elsie made no bones about it: her purpose in life was to torment her ignorant pig of a husband, and she did it with silent relish Director Ben Gosling Fuller chose to shoot it in front of a live audience, on an open sound stage, like Mrs Browns Boys. That was a clever decision, because we were constantly reminded that this was a respectful reconstruction, not an attempt to out-do the original. It also let us know that the laughter was real, not canned. And it was the catchphrases that earned the biggest roars. Every time Alf sneered silly moo at his wife, the audience howled, and the shout of randy Scouse git, aimed at his daughters boyfriend, won a cheer. But when Alf threatened a teenage girl in a phonebox who was giving him lip, and snarled saucy little bitch at her, there was a disapproving gasp from the stalls. The old slob really cant get away with his bullying these days. Although this episode made sense on its own, even to viewers who had never seen the original, writer Speight never intended it to be a one-off. BIG BABY OF THE NIGHT Ndotto the orphan elephant, rescued after he was abandoned by his herd, was the star of Ingenious Animals (BBC1). He slept on a straw bed under an embroidered blanket at the Sheldrick Trust in Kenya, his trunk flopping over the pillow. Too cute for words! Advertisement To do it justice, and show it in context, the BBC should remake at least a dozen Till Deaths. Sometimes the secret to timeless television is simply having a camera in the right place at the right moment. Documentary cameras were already tracking the detectives of Lancashire police when a sensational investigation began. The Murder of Sadie Hartley Rating: The Murder of Sadie Hartley (ITV) showed us the moment that the businesswomans body was found in her home in Helmshore, with more than 40 stab wounds. We watched the 3am arrest, a day later, of her killer, Sarah Williams, who was filmed sitting up bewildered in bed. The moment Sarah Williams was woken in her bed and arrested for the murder of Sadie Hartley was shown in an ITV documentary last night . It was every bit as dramatic as the best crime serial The interview tapes were set out for us (and why, by the way, do coppers still use 1980s-style cassettes? Cant they afford digital recorders?) We got to sit in on the morning conferences, and witness the moment that Williamss accomplice, Katrina Walsh, led officers to the boggy field where she had buried the murder weapons. It was every bit as dramatic and engrossing as the best crime serial, a mixture of the bizarre and the mundane. Walsh was frighteningly odd feigning memory lapses, lying loudly, faking a limp, collapsing on the floor in sobs. She appeared to be a fantasist and extreme attention-seeker, while Williams was empty and without remorse for her pointless crime. She's the Victoria's Secret model turned Playboy cover girl. And Kelly Gale flaunted the figure that has made her famous in recent snaps shared to Instagram on Thursday, while holidaying in Croatia. The 21-year-old Swedish-Australian stunner sizzled in a skimpy neon bikini that drew attention to her ample cleavage and incredibly taut torso. Scroll down for video Sizzling! Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale, 21, flaunted her ample assets and incredible figure in a skimpy neon bikini while holidaying in Croatia, in recent snaps shared to Instagram on Thursday 'Missing the heat,' Kelly captioned a close-up snap, referring to her recent Croatian holiday. The photo saw the in-demand model highlighting her impressive cleavage and enviably taut torso in a bikini that left very little to the imagination. With one manicured hand resting on one of her bikini straps, Kelly tilted her head to one side, allowing her long brunette tresses to fall in loose waves over one shoulder. Simply stunning: A previous snap shared to the social media site, saw Kelly sporting the same skimpy bikini, but drawing attention to her lithe legs and overall flawless physique A previous snap shared to the social media site, saw Kelly sporting the same skimpy bikini, but drawing attention to her lithe legs and overall flawless physique. While flashing her pearly whites for the camera, the beauty's dark tresses appeared to be semi-wet as she looked to be playfully drying her hair with a striped towel in the flawless snap. 'Bikini days,' she captioned the photo, alongside the hash-tags #Croatia and #Hvar. In love: The busty lingerie model has been enjoying a holiday in Croatia with her boyfriend Johannes Jarl The busty lingerie model has been enjoying a holiday in Croatia with her boyfriend Johannes Jarl. Meanwhile, Kelly recently made headlines after posing for the cover of adult magazine Playboy. Although the raunchy publication has banned full-frontal nudity, the svelte star still managed to flash plenty of flesh. She isn't shy! The svelte star recently showcased her finest assets on the cover of Playboy Last year, Kelly was forced to defend herself against claims she had a breast enlargement. 'Many people write as a fact, that I have undergone surgery - most frequently mentioned - a boob-job,' Kelly wrote on Instagram. She continued: 'This is not true. I have never undergone any plastic surgery on my body in any way. Like it or not, this is the way I look'. 'I have never undergone any plastic surgery:' Kelly has claimed her breasts are all-natural 'I choose to write this as I don't want to inspire young girls to ever feel a need to change their beautiful bodies,' she continued. 'I don't, and will never, risk my health in order to please someone else's views of what is attractive or not. You shouldn't either!' She also encouraged fans to embrace their individual quirks, emphasising: 'We are all perfectly imperfect'. She's been enjoying a whirlwind trip to Los Angels to spend time with her sister. And while they opted for a spot of shopping over the beach, Tamara Ecclestone still managed to display her incredible figure while out with her two-year-old daughter Sophia on Thursday. A vision in plaid, the 32-year-old socialite was accompanied by her younger sister Petra Stunt and her three-year-old daughter Lavinia as they hit Beverly Hills. Scroll down for video Flaunt it: Tamara Ecclestone still managed to display her incredible figure while out with her two-year-old daughter Sophia on Thursday Flaunting her curves, the brunette beauty flaunted her sunkissed glow with a form-fitting black vest top which hugged her curves as she cradled her tot on her hip. Displaying her toned pins, Tamara worked a pair of full-length black leggings that teased her slender ankles as she strolled through LA. Highlighting her tiny waist, the F1 heiress stylishly tied an oversized plaid shirt around her hourglass figure as she donned a pair of grey knit trainers. Tamara protected her delicate features from the burning Californian sun with reflective sunnies as she styled her ombre locks into a glamorous curl. Work it: Flaunting her curves, the brunette beauty flaunted her sunkissed glow with a form-fitting black vest top which hugged her curves as she cradled her tot on her hip Not letting it go! Looking adorable, Tamara's sweet tot Sophia channelled her inner Elsa as she donned a head-to-toe Frozen ensemble - emblazoned with the Disney film's characters Looking adorable, Tamara's sweet tot Sophia channelled her inner Elsa as she donned a head-to-toe Frozen ensemble - emblazoned with the Disney film's characters. Coordinating with her sister, Petra opted to work a pair of skin-tight leggings that hugged her calves as she strutted in a pair of chic fluffy black sliders. Keeping her ensemble casual cool, the blonde bombshell teamed a simple grey tee with her look as she too wrapped a black and white flannel shirt around her hips. Working her golden locks into a half-up, half-down style, the 27-year-old looked on-trend dressed her wrists in a number of bracelets as she lift her daughter Matching: Coordinating with her sister, Petra opted to work a pair of skin-tight leggings that hugged her calves as she strutted in a pair of chic fluffy black sliders Working a half-up, half-down style, the 27-year-old carried her youngster to their waiting car in a sweet leopard print sun-dress. Tamara and Sophia, who live in London, arrived in California earlier this month for one of their regular visits to sister Petra, who is also mum to twin sons Andrew and James, one. It's also been a typically jet-set summer for Tamara, who only days before had been taking in the sights of Croatia after soaking up the sun in Mykonos. She was joined by her incredibly youthful-looking mother Slavica and daughter, bringing three generations of the family together. She repeatedly flashed her wedding ring throughout the Our Girl premiere on Thursday night. And Michelle Keegan went further than showing off her ring as she later stepped out with her husband Mark Wright for a celebratory night out after the launch, as the duo remain defiant in the face of rumoured strife in their marriage. The 29-year-old beauty could not stop smiling as she strode along arm-in-arm with her spouse of one year, having enjoyed a night of post-work festivities at London's Mahiki nightclub. Scroll down for video Happier than ever! Michelle Keegan went further than showing off her ring as she later stepped out with her husband Mark Wright for a celebratory night out after the launch, as the duo remain defiant in the face of rumoured strife in their marriage Michelle stole the show at the launch, as she flashed her engagement ring from her husband in a defiant display having set tongues wagging with the absence of the jewellery in recent weeks. In the face of bold claims about their romance, the couple, who have just returned from a beach break in Majorca, seemed happier than ever as they giggled their way out of the swanky club in the capital before hopping in a cab. The former Coronation Street actress remained in her stunning tuxedo from earlier in the night. Look at the smiles! The 29-year-old beauty could not stop smiling as she strode along arm-in-arm with her spouse of one year, having enjoyed a night of post-work festivities at London's Mahiki nightclub Quite the joker! It seems Mark was cracking Michelle up as they headed home Moment to himself: Mark appeared to be lost in thought as Michelle screamed with laughter at a joke from co-star Ben Aldridge A laugh a minute: In the face of bold claims about their romance, the couple, who have just returned from a beach break in Majorca, seemed happier than ever as they giggled their way out of the swanky club in the capital before hopping in a cab Flying the flag: As the duo clamboured into a taxi they were caught in a fit on the giggles, while Michelle held on to a camouflage flag, no doubt a souvenir from the triumphant launch of the show Mark meanwhile, who had not been seen at the premiere, was suitably more low-key in a denim ensemble. The handsome star, who soared to fame in TOWIE's 2010 inauguration, wore tight jeans with a complementary grey T-shirt and denim jacket for his night out with his stunning wife. As the duo clamboured into a taxi they were caught in a fit on the giggles, while Michelle held on to a camouflage flag, no doubt a souvenir from the triumphant launch of the show. Having a giggle: It was a squeeze in the car as the whole gang looked to be heading to their next venue while cracking up with Michelle sat in the centre of the taxi What a laugh! Mark seemed to be the jester of the pack as he giggled away Stoney: Some moments appeared more stern as the laughs dissipated A great night had by all! The happy couple seemed joyous at the end of the evening Stunner: Michelle's gleaming white smile was stunning as she beamed Hometime: The couple looked ready for bed as they left the party Time to go: Michelle struggled to keep her eyes open as Mark guided her to the car Something on your mind? The former TOWIE star seemed preoccupied with his phone More serious moments: Mark and Michelle gazed into the distance as they waited for the car to depart Also in their cab was her co-star Ben Aldridge, who seemed to have been enjoying the party alongside the couple. It was a squeeze in the car as the whole gang looked to be heading to their next venue while cracking up with Michelle sat in the centre of the taxi. While the happy couple seemed joyous at the end of the evening, reports were once again circulating, with insiders claiming Michelle's Our Girl love interest Luke Pasqualino dodged the premiere to avoid questions about their relationship. Glimmering: Michelle's dazzling good looks were radiant in the London night Wrapping up: It was no doubt time for bed after a night of work and partying for the pair Serious: Mark frequently looked lost in thought as he headed out Three's a crowd? Michelle was in a fit of giggles with her co-star Ben What's so funny? While her husband was lost in thought, Michelle was having the time of her life Was it something he said? The actress is obviously great mates with her co-star The glamorous event in London saw Michelle arrive on the arms of handsome co-stars Ben and Royce Pierreson although Luke was nowhere to be seen. Insiders tell The Sun that the 26-year-old former Skins star sought to avoid any awkward line of questioning about the 'close bond' they formed, in fear his responses would further fuel rumours. The speculation was not helped when Luke and Michelle filmed scenes in Manchester in July, where they looked totally at ease with one another. Leading lady: Michelle was keen to celebrate after her big night on the red carpet Hunky husband: Mark didn't appear at the premiere earlier in the evening but was there to party with his wife later This way? Michelle looked for the couple's car as they walked out into the crowd Party time! Michelle chose to celebrate her new TV project at popular haunt Mahiki I got you babe: Gentleman Mark held the door open for his wife Keeping her close: Mark made sure his gorgeous girl stuck by his side in the crowds Where to next? The party spirit seemed to be strong in the cab ride home In the mood: Mark seemed to brighten up as he joined in the fun and japes Michelle plays Lance Corporal Georgie Lane to Luke's character, maverick Special Forces officer Elvis Harte. While the stunning actress ensured her wedding ring was in full focus during the evening, Luke, who is reportedly dating Little Mix's Perrie Edwards, was nowhere to be seen. Sources tell the publication: 'Michelle and Luke obviously formed a close bond while being away from home for so long. Time out: Michelle Our Girl love interest Luke Pasqualino reportedly dodged Thursday night's premiere to dodge questions about their relationship Work time! Insiders tell The Sun that the 26-year-old former Skins star sought to avoid any awkward line of questioning about the 'close bond' they formed, in fear his responses would further fuel rumours Work friends: The glamorous event in London saw the former Coronation Street star, 28, arrive on the arms of handsome co-stars Ben Aldridge and Royce Pierreson although Luke was nowhere to be seen 'But he just wants to the talk to be about his performances, not face the inevitable questions about his relationship with Michelle. His responses could fuel even more rumours.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for BBC and Luke for comment. As she walked the red carpet, Michelle looked incredible in a black two-piece suit, with a plunging white vest top worn beneath to flash a hint of her cleavage yet remaining demure and sophisticated. Where was he? While the stunning actress ensured her wedding ring was in full focus during the evening, Luke, who is reportedly dating Little Mix's Perrie Edwards, was nowhere to be seen New love? Luke is rumoured to be dating Little Mix star Perrie Edwards Ring the alarm! Michelle stole the show at the launch, as she flashed her engagement ring from her husband of a year Mark Wright in a defiant display having set tongues wagging with the absence of the jewellery in recent weeks Stunner: The actress, who has just returned from a beach break with her husband in Majorca, looked incredible in a chic tuxedo as she prepped to unveil her latest work in the BBC series Michelle looked incredible in a chic tuxedo as she prepped to unveil her latest work in the BBC series. Her blonde tresses, recently bleached for her role in forthcoming biopic Bobby And Tina, were beginning to show the faintest hints of her natural raven roots although she ignored the contrast with a pulled back style. The most stand out element of her incredible outfit was undoubtedly her eye-watering engagement ring, gifted to her by Mark in September 2013. Hunky! The most stand out element of her incredible outfit was undoubtedly her eye-watering engagement ring, gifted to her by the former TOWIE star in September 2013 Pals: Royce meanwhile looked sharp in a cobalt blue polo shirt for his turn at the premiere, where he was lucky enough to receive a warm hug and affectionate poses with his stunning co-star Her hands were laden with delicate costume jewellery rings, while she wore a dazzling gold watch although her eye-popping wedding ring was the stand-out element of her accessory choices. Mark and Michelle's marriage has been plagued with rumours of strife, with the whispers being heightened by Michelle's frequent public appearances without her wedding ring of late - although the couple have frequently slammed the reports. Michelle was beaming as she walked the red carpet in her suit while sandwiched between her two co-star pals, with Ben going casual in a bomber jacket. A handsome pair: Michelle was beaming as she walked the red carpet in her suit while sandwiched between her two co-star pals, with Ben going casual in a bomber jacket Suited and booted: Michelle's ensemble was perfect for the evening ahead A gorgeous group: The trio proved to be an extremely good looking group Bling, bling: Her hands were laden with delicate costume jewellery rings, while she wore a dazzling gold watch although her eye-popping wedding ring was the stand-out element of her accessory choices Royce meanwhile looked sharp in a cobalt blue polo shirt for his turn at the premiere, where he was lucky enough to receive a warm hug and affectionate poses with his stunning co-star. Earlier this year a previous story from New! magazine claimed the Heart presenter was concerned when fans linked Michelle to handsome Ben. Michelle had innocently shared a group picture with some of the cast at their read through which was captioned: Me and some of the boys at our cast read through for Our Girl 2! X But a representative for Mark told MailOnline: 'It's a completely fabricated and made up story written by people desperate for content.' Slammed! Earlier this year a previous story from New! magazine claimed the Heart presenter was concerned when fans linked Michelle to handsome Ben Innocent: Michelle had innocently shared a group picture with some of the cast at their read through which was captioned: Me and some of the boys at our cast read through for Our Girl 2! x' Gorgeous: Michelle's role as Corporal Georgie Lane in the new series takes over the lead role from Lacey Turner, who will reprise her character of Molly Dawes but in a minor capacity due to her hectic filming schedule with EastEnders Working it out: Michelle looked ready for business for the night ahead Michelle's role as Corporal Georgie Lane in the new series takes over the lead role from Lacey Turner, who will reprise her character of Molly Dawes but in a minor capacity due to her hectic filming schedule with EastEnders. Speaking about the second season of Our Girl, a BBC spokesperson announced: 'It wont be an easy posting as [Georgie] has to earn the love and trust of her fellow soldiers, and the greater respect of her commanding officer, while working alongside aid workers in the worlds biggest refugee camp. 'Kenya will be full of surprises that will challenge Georgie professionally and personally.' She spent the past week partying in Magaluf. But TOWIE star Megan McKenna didn't look at all worse for wear as she headed out to a meeting in Camden on Thursday afternoon. The 23-year-old looked stylish in an off-the-shoulder blue top and tight black jeans teamed with a pair of high heeled black boots. Blue beauty: Megan McKenna looked stylish in an off-the-shoulder blue top and tight black jeans teamed with a pair of high heeled black boots The top served to show off her holiday tan, while she looked in cheerful spirits after her break away. A lacy black choker and perfectly applied eye make-up completed the look, while the star's hair was tied into a practical top knot. 'Up & ready for Towie meetings today... Then onto something very exciting this afternoon! Which I can tell u very soon.....' she tweeted somewhat cryptically. Top knot: The star's hair was pulled to the top of her head in a practical bun Accessories: Megan teamed her ensemble with a lace choker and a clutch Back to reality: Megan was looking like she'd recovered from her holiday Just a day earlier, Megan was partying the day away during a VIP appearance at a packed party in Magaluf. While she had the time of her life on Wednesday, a few hours later it was a different story as Megan was caught up in flight delays as she headed home to the UK that night. 'Fuminggggggg ellllllllll my flight is delayed 2 hourssssssssss noooooooo,' she told her Twitter followers. Flight issues: Megan was delayed on her flight back to the UK New love: The CBB star joined the cast of the Essex-based reality shows earlier this year, finding love with hunky co-star Pete Wicks And later she added: 'How am I delayed another half hour on top of the 2 hours... F**k sake and I have to be in a meeting tomorrow morning in London! I HATE Liberty takers.' Megan finally made it back to the UK, tweeting in the early hours: 'How have I just landed. literally gonna get home the time I woke up for the airport this morning. Wow.' The CBB star joined the cast of the Essex-based reality shows earlier this year, finding love with hunky co-star Pete Wicks. The London stage debut of Oscar-nominated actor Ed Harris will be a family affair: the part of his stage wife will be played by his real-life spouse, the actress Amy Madigan. Harris will play Dodge, patriarch of a dysfunctional family, in Sam Shepards celebrated play Buried Child. And Madigan will play Halie, the psychologically troubled matriarch. They have some dark secrets, Harris told me. I think most families have a few secrets, or some strange aspect to their history. Were all fascinated by family dynamics, but Id much rather sit in an audience and watch someone elses problems! Oscar-nominated actor Ed Harris is making his West End debut in the Buried Child, with the part of his stage wife will be played by his real-life spouse, the actress Amy Madigan The actor, whose credits include memorable roles in movies such as Apollo 13, The Right Stuff, The Hours and Places In The Heart the 1984 movie during which he met and fell in love with Madigan has long wanted to tread the boards in London. He and Madigan starred in a revival of Buried Child, directed by Scott Elliott for the New Group company, off Broadway earlier this year. Its fun to share intimately with your partner, he said, adding that the rest of the London cast would be new. Buried Child will run for a season at Trafalgar Studios from November 14 until February 18 . Its being brought here by the same team (the New Group and Ambassador Theatre Group) that transferred The Spoils, with Jesse Eisenberg, which has just completed a successful extended run at the Trafalgar. Adam Speers, from ATG, said the Buried Child company would rehearse in New York in October, and then scoot over to London. Harris has been shooting back-to-back film and television roles that include an untitled Darren Aronofsky film, which will also star Jennifer Lawrence and Domhnall Gleeson. Harris has been shooting back-to-back film and television roles that include an untitled Darren Aronofsky film Hes in the middle of playing a photographer in another picture, Kodachrome (due out in 2017); and also had a small part in a film called A Crooked Somebody. I was only there for about a day, and I kept looking at an actress, he told me. I was puzzled, but then I finally realised who she was. It was Joanne Froggatt, the British actress who rose to stardom as Anna, the ladies maid in Downton Abbey. I was so used to seeing her in her little uniform, Harris explained. She was great fun. I liked her a lot. It's a Cinderella ending for funny girl Natasha Funny Girl understudy Natasha J. Barnes will go to the ball. The actress famously stood in for leading lady Sheridan Smith at the Savoy Theatre earlier this summer after the star took a two-month break due to stress. Now Natasha has been cast in the lead role in the Cinderella pantomime at the London Palladium. Natasha J. Barnes, who famously stood in for leading lady Sheridan Smith at the Savoy Theatre, has been cast in the lead role in the Cinderella pantomime at the London Palladium. She will star opposite Paul OGrady as the Wicked Stepmother, Julian Clary as Dandini, Amanda Holden as the Fairy Godmother and Wendy Somerville and Suzie Chard as the stepsisters. Shes going to play the principal girl, in a principal part, said Michael Harrison, whos producing the Palladium show, and co-directing with Andrew Wright (who won plaudits for his choreography for Half A Sixpence at the Chichester Festival Theatre). NEW ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL TO GO ON TOUR The composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa has been overhauling the musical The Addams Family, with writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show ran on Broadway, but didnt really work. The new version, directed by Matthew White, will go on a UK tour (set up by the Music & Lyrics group) that will kick off at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh on April 20, 2017. Advertisement Harrison went to see Barnes in Funny Girl after Wright rang him and said: I think I might have seen our Cinderella. After watching the show, he agreed with him. Natasha will be feisty and funny, and shes got that extra twinkle, he said. When youre on stage with OGrady and Clary, youve got to hold your own. For starters, shes a proper actress; and she has a proper stamp of West End quality. It has been a tremen- dous year for her: being discovered in Funny Girl, and following that by spending Christmas at the London Palladium. Criss Angel called his two-year-old son Johnny 'the truest form of magic' as he opened up about the boy's battle with cancer. The 48-year-old magician told People his son in now in remission, but will need treatment for two more years. 'My son is supposed to outlive me. I'd rather it be me that was sick,' he said. Father and son: The illusionist shared a photo on Instagram in October of Johnny getting chemo 'I want Johnny's future to be long and happy. That kid is just a bundle of love. He's the truest form of magic,' Angel said. The Las Vegas fixture recalled the moment he learned last October that Johnny had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 'I felt helpless,' said the Mindfreak Live! star. Magic man: Criss Angel, shown in March in Las Vegas, has opened up about his son Johnny's battle with cancer Angel cancelled his Las Vegas show for the first time in seven years to be with his boy in Brisbane, Australia. 'I'm locked into a 10-year contract and had never missed one show, but I needed to be with my son,' Angel said. His commitment to Mindfreak Live! at the Luxor Las Vegas and taping for an A&E special airing in October limited his ability to see Johnny. Angel said he was only able to visit the boy once over the next 10 months. The situation was exacerbated as Angel had just separated from his wife Shaunyl Benson, who had relocated with Johnny in Australia. Down under: Shaunyl Benson in January posted a photo of Criss, Johnny and herself at the Australia Zoo Angel and Benson have not reconciled, but are determined to co-parent Johnny,' he said. 'Honestly, we are really good friends. Whenever I need anything, I know that Criss is there,' Benson said. She added that 'it makes Johnny happy to see his parents interacting happily and it makes me happy seeing my son happy.' They said it was hard to see Johnny deal with the side effects of chemotherapy including hair loss and mood swings with 'violent tantrums'. Tender moment: Criss was shown in an Instagram snap in March visiting Johnny 'Johnny is a happy, fun, loving boy, but the steroid treatments have a profound effect on his mood. That's hard to see, but that's not our Johnny. That's the steroids,' Angel said. Johnny is in remission but will continue treatment for two years as his immune system continues to improve. The boy visited the US in August for the first time since his diagnosis. Angel also has launched the Johnny Crisstopher Children's Charitable Foundation to raise awareness and search for a cure for pediatric cancer. Jim Foley was killed by ISIS militants while working as a war journalist in August 2014 Jim Foley was the U.S. journalist executed by Islamic State terrorists in August 2014. This poignant documentary, made by a family friend, Brian Oakes, begins with a caption assuring us that it will not show us the ghastly video footage of the beheading with which Foleys captors demonstrated their inhumanity. But we do see Foley, above, in an orange robe, kneeling next to his masked executioner and reading IS propaganda from cue cards. If there is anything laughable about such a horrible spectacle, it is the belief by Foleys captors that anyone in the West might think he really meant the words he was compelled to spout. That picture of Foley and others like it, such as that of the Liverpudlian engineer Ken Bigley are still the most potent images of the moral depravity of which these people are capable. The purpose of the film is to ensure that we dont remember Foley as a kneeling man in the desert about to be murdered. Its aim is to help us to understand who Foley was and how he lived, before his death. He is recalled, lovingly, by family, journalistic colleagues and fellow hostages. In a way, though, the filmmakers closeness to the Foley family is not especially helpful. Foley was a courageous journalist, and is remembered for his decency, good humor and compassion The man presented to us is something of a paragon of decency, good cheer and compassion, not to mention all-American good looks, with a jawline, as one colleague points out, you could cut cheese with. But it does mean that Foleys kin are candid with their memories, and willing to express their enduring struggle to understand why Jim so wanted to leave his home in affluent New Hampshire to chronicle the horrors of civil war. The answer is not just that he wanted to tell the world what was happening; he also needed the crazy adrenaline rush. Reality stars Katie Maloney, 29, and Tom Schwartz, 32, have been posting photos and videos on social media documenting their South Seas honeymoon. The pair, who appear on Vanderpump Rules, tied the knot August 17 in Northern California. Now they're vacationing in Bora Bora where they're enjoying the sun, sea, sand and some wine. Scroll down for video Newlyweds: Katie Moloney shared this selfie with new husband Tom Schwartz from their Bora Bora honeymoon via Instagram The newlyweds have been posting pictures for their social media followers to enjoy rather than keeping their first days and nights as husband and wife private. In a video shared by Schwartz, his new wife is seen floating in a large inflatable on the ocean while clutching q bottle of wine. In another video, Schwartz is seen diving into the crystal blue waters from a small jetty. Splashing around: Maloney, 29, was also seen in an Instagram video shared by Schwartz floating on the ocean waters on a colorful inflatable clutching a bottle of wine There he goes: Schwartz, 32, was seen on Instagram video diving into the ocean at sunset On TV: The couple, who appear on the reality show Vanderpump Rules, tied the knot on August 17 in Northern California 'My husband is looking ffhhhiiiiiiiiinnee!! Honeymooning with my bubba love is dreamy,' Maloney posted from the Tahiti resort. The couple will appear in the upcoming fifth season of Vanderpunp Rules, which highlights the drama between the staff at SUR Restaurant in West Hollywood, owned by Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills castmember Lisa Vanderpump. Schwartz proposed to Maloney 13 months ago in July 2015. Their boss Vanderpump officiated at their nuptials. Devoted: Maloney and Schwartz were all loved up in the video clip he shared with their social media followers Loved up: The two kissed for the camera They celebrated their five year wedding anniversary last week. And ex-Home And Away star Tammin Sursok looked more smitten than ever with producer husband Sean McEwen, as the couple posed in front of Tower Bridge in London on Thursday. The Australian soap star captioned the romantic snap: 'Pretending I'm Bridget Jones kissing my Mr Darcy in London on the @bridgetjonesbaby tour.' Scroll down for video In love: Tammin Sursok looked more smitten than ever with producer husband Sean McEwen, as the couple posed in front of Tower Bridge in London on Thursday Adding that she had an 'absolute blast.' The passionate snap saw the Pretty Little Liars star bent over her husband's arms and held tightly in a loving embrace. The pair wore matching colour palettes and appeared completely infatuated even ten years on from when their whirlwind romance first sprouted. Tammin recently revealed the secrets behind the couple's successful marriage on her YouTube web series, saying that sex is 'really important for a relationship.' Family snap: The holiday snaps come just a week after the popular personality took to Instagram to celebrate her five year wedding anniversary with her husband 'I've been with my husband for ten years, which is like 55 in LA, we have no prenup, we're in it forever,' she said on her show, In Bed With Tammin. 'It's hard doing what we're doing plus trying to be intimate. But if there's no connection, which I feel like is so important, then you're just friends.' The post come just hours after Tammin was seen posing next to Bridget Jones Baby star Renee Zellweger who she commented was 'sweet and funny' after their meeting. Dinner for two! The photographs come from a series from Tammin's trip to London with Sean and also include other loved up snaps including the two out to dinner A snap of the two on her Instagram shows the chocolate brown soap star standing posed with Renee wearing a light blue dress and white watch. She appears to be in happy spirits and dons a glimmering wedding band on her finger to compliment her outfit. Renee is seen looking radiant as ever posed next to the Australian actress, arm on hip in a purple belted dress her golden tresses loosely falling over her shoulders. The photographs come from a series from Tammin's trip to London with Sean and also include other loved up snaps including the two out to dinner. Friends in high places: Tammin was seen posing next to Bridget Jones Baby star Renee Zellweger, who she commented was 'sweet and funny' after their meeting Just last week, she celebrated the couples five year anniversary together with a sentimental picture of the two with their daughter Phoenix. The snap was captioned: 'To the love of my absolute life. Happy 5 year wedding anniversary,' Tammin captioned the post shared with her 807,000 Instagram followers. '10 years together. A full decade. I love you more every day and I'm so lucky to be on this adventure called life together. 'You are my beginning and my end. I love you,' she continued. She's just like us! Tammin also posted a picture of herself dressed down in UGG boots and a flirty frock while enjoying the sights of London The last picture from her trip shows her posing in a sizzling red dress ready to head back to Los Angeles after what she described as 'one of the best trips.' Tammin and Sean are parents to daughter Phoenix, two, and the clan are based in the US. The former Home And Away star is planning to expand her brood, telling the Today show earlier this year: 'My husband keeps trying to have a baby with me everyday.' 'He would like five kids,' the star beamed. She's the unofficial poster girl for body confidence and can be seen flaunting her hourglass figure across social media. And plus size model and former reality starlet Fiona Falkiner looked every bit the curvaceous goddess as she walked to JAG models for a meeting in New York, on Friday. The 33-year-old host of The Biggest Loser Australia put her assets on display in a revealing black and white dress with a plunging neckline and a high split, which revealed a hint of upper thigh. Scroll down for video Dangerous curves ahead: Fiona Falkiner looked every bit the curvaceous goddess as she walked to JAG models for a meeting in New York on Friday Her golden tresses were swept back into a sleek bun that accentuated her natural beauty, while a pair of dark sunglasses appeared to conceal her eyes. She appeared to be makeup free and complimented her flattering outfit with minimal accessories, including a band on her wrist and thin necklace with a circular pendant. A plunging neckline revealed the busty blonde's decolletage leading down to her waist, which was cinched with a braided black belt. A slit in the dress flaunted the reality show host's shapely sun-kissed pins as she toted a plain black leather bag. Blonde bombshell! The 33-year-old host of The Biggest Loser Australia put her assets on display in a revealing black and white dress with a plunging neckline and a high split, which revealed a hint of upper thigh Casual chic: Her golden tresses were swept back into a sleek bun that accentuated her natural beauty, while a pair of dark sunglasses appeared to conceal her eyes Fiona completed the casual chic outfit with a pair of brown strapped sandals and was earlier seen sipping a clear beverage while holding her phone. During the day Fiona also shared her ensemble with her fans on Instagram. She captioned the picture: 'Boom! Straight off the plane ... meeting with my awesome agents at @jagmodels.' Bronzed beauty: She appeared to be makeup free and complimented her flattering outfit with minimal accessories, including a band on her wrist and thin necklace with a circular pendant Decolletage: A plunging neckline revealed the busty blonde's decolletage leading down to her waist, which was cinched with a braided black belt Her arrival in New York comes after Fiona flaunted her physique in a red and white bandeau bikini last week in Malibu. She had been enjoying a vacation in California before catching a flight to New York to meet her agents. 'Can't cope so happy!!!,' Fiona captioned the snap, shared with her 47,000+ Instagram followers, alongside the hashtag #thatmalibufeeling. Excited: During the day Fiona also shared her ensemble with her fans on Instagram Romee Strijd turned the streets of New York City into her own runway on Thursday. The 21-year-old Dutch model looked stunning in a Tomas Maier beige cotton shirtdress with a double-wrap waist bow tie while strolling in Manhattan. The Victoria's Secret Angel completed her look with black Gucci loafers and carried a handbag from SuperTrash Studio Collection. Personal runway: Romee Strijd stood out on Thursday while out in Manhattan in a Tomas Meier dress Romee wore her blonde hair down around her shoulders and accentuated her natural beauty with just a hint of makeup. The Dutch Vogue cover girl joined the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2014 and was crowned as an Angel in 2015. She was spotted in New York City last month during a solo fashion shoot in the Tribeca district. Romee was showcasing items from the Victoria's Secret VSX Workout collection. Model looks: The Victoria's Secret Angel model looked runway ready in the beige shirtdress and a pair of tortoiseshell Sunday Somewhere shades She told Victoria's Secret that she couldn't believe it when she got the offer in 2015 for a coveted Angel contract. 'My agency said I got the contract, I was really in shock. Becoming an Angel means a lot to me because the brand stands for confident women and the Angels always inspired me,' Romee said. Romee when she became an Angel joined an elite group of supermodels such as Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio. Top model: Romee was named a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2015 She's been dating business consultant Laurens van Leeuwen since at least 2014. Romee also took to Instagram on Thursday and posted a photo of herself walking in Manhattan in her Tomas Maier dress. 'Happy fashionweek,' she wrote in the caption ahead of New York Fashion Week that begins on Wednesday in the Big Apple. She has never been shy to shell out on expensive treats for her lucky children. And so it's no surprise Roxy Jacenko, 36, was happy to pay for her son Hunter Curtis, two, to enjoy a head massage and hair trim at a swanky Bondi hair salon on Friday. Posting to her cute son's Instagram page to update his fans, Roxy shared a photo of him reclining as he received a head massage in the washing basin at the exclusive Joh Bailey salon. Scroll down for video Living the good life! Roxy Jacenko, 36, treated her two-year-old son Hunter Curtis to a head massage and hair trim at a swanky Bondi hair salon on Friday In the caption she wrote: 'Friday - time for a fresh fade with my boy Tom.' In a subsequent post, Hunter is seen sitting in a chair while a stylist snips away at his strawberry blonde locks. Roxy cheekily wrote in the caption: 'Look out ladies'. Suave: In a subsequent post, Hunter is seen sitting in a chair while a stylist snips away at his strawberry blonde locks According to the John Bailey website, children's hair-cuts can cost up to $44 AUD. It comes after Roxy treated her eldest child Pixie, five, to a hair-styling session with a celebrity stylist. Taking to Pixie's Instagram account on Tuesday, Roxy shared a photo of her flame-haired daughter receiving a snip from hairstylist Keiran Street in Roxy's living room, while Roxy's youngest child Hunter, two, watched on in the background. 'When the master swings by': It comes after Roxy treated her eldest child Pixie, five, to a hair-styling session with a celebrity stylist 'When the master swings by @keirenstreethair @huntercurtis14 doubles as security', wrote Roxy in the caption. Hairstylist Keiran has tended to the locks of some of Australia's biggest celebrities, including Jennifer Hawkins, Asher Keddie, Jessica Mauboy, Elizabeth Debicki and Jodi Anasta. Roxy is known to dress her children in staggeringly expensive designer clothing, having shared a photo of Pixie clad in an outfit by Gucci on Monday night before a family dinner. Designer wardrobe: Roxy is known to dress her children in staggeringly expensive designer clothing, having shared a photo of Pixie clad in an outfit by Gucci on Monday night before a family dinner Roxy swathed herself in big-name brands as well, making sure to share a photo to her Instagram account of her Ralph Lauren top, Balmain jacket and Louboutin heels. Family time has become clearly important for the Sweaty Betty founder, whose husband Oliver Curtis was recently incarcerated for insider trading. She recently admitted to 60 Minutes that her two children were her best friends, and that she often spoke to them about what was going on in her life. Struggles: Family time has become clearly important for the Sweaty Betty founder, whose husband Oliver Curtis was recently incarcerated for insider trading In June, Roxy's husband Oliver Curtis was sentenced to two years jail in NSW Supreme Court, following his insider trading conviction In June, Roxy's husband Oliver Curtis was sentenced to two years jail in NSW Supreme Court, following his insider trading conviction. One month later, the mother-of-two revealed that she had found a lump on her left breast and she recently underwent breast cancer surgery. Roxy had surgery to remove the 10mm tumour in her chest earlier this month, allowing 60 Minutes to film the procedure and air the scene in their recent tell-all interview. Cancer struggles: One month later, the mother-of-two revealed that she had found a lump on her left breast and she recently underwent breast cancer surgery She chose the Cotswolds for her 2011 wedding with Jamie Hince. But according to a new report Kate Moss has very different plans when it comes to tying the knot with her boyfriend of one year Nikolai von Bismarck. The Sun claim that the model, 42, and Nikolai, 29, have started making plans to have a low-key wedding in Greece after falling in love with the country during a summer break. Ready to wed? Kate Moss and boyfriend Nikolai von Bismarck have started making plans to have a low-key wedding in Greece according to a new report The report claims that Kate and her beau scouted venues while holidaying in Hydra for nearly a month this summer, where they were joined by pals including the Duchess of York and Kate's ex Jefferson Hack. The couple are reportedly hoping to tie the knot before Christmas, but Kate wants to wait until her divorce from Jamie Hince is finalised before sending out invites. 'They fell in love with Greece after jetting there last month and got the ball rolling by planning the wedding while out there,' an insider claims, adding that unlike her traditional white wedding to Jamie, Kate wants a more intimate do. 'Both want a low key ceremony with a handful of friends and family. The plan is to head back to London to celebrate with a larger group.' Making plans: The Sun claims that Kate and her beau scouted venues while holidaying in Hydra for nearly a month this summer Greece is one of Kate's favourite destinations, with the top model spending part of her 2011 honeymoon on a yacht off the coast of Kefalonia. A representative for Kate has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. The star fuelled speculation she was heading down the aisle for a second time as she flashed a a large sapphire and diamond ring on her engagement finger last month. The Mirror Online reports that the couple were enjoying a romantic meal together in Venice this summer, before Nikolai was seen 'on one knee' exclaiming 'I love you' in Italian. White wedding: Unlike her traditional white wedding in the Cotswolds to Jamie Hince in 2011, Kate wants a more intimate do in Greece Restaurant owner Giovanni Fracassi told the website: 'He shouted out ti amo, and then went down on his knee. It was very romantic. 'He took out a ring and it was funny because he said its for after she is divorced. They were very much in love and she seemed so happy, I never saw her so happy before.' If Kate is engaged, the star will have to wait a while before tying the knot, as she is still legally married to The Kills guitarist Jamie. The Vogue covergirl - who has a daughter Lila Grace, 13, with ex-partner, publisher Jefferson Hack - married Jamie in 2011, but the couple separated last year. She's 14 weeks pregnant with the child of NRL legend Sam Burgess. But Phoebe Burgess wasn't showing a sign of a baby bump on Friday as she shared a stylish selfie with her 35,000 Instagram followers. In a short black and white patterned cotton dress, the TV presenter showed off her trim pins and glowing skin. Scroll down for video What bump? Phoebe Burgess appeared flat stomached in a picture shared to Instagram on Friday - which flaunted her lithe legs and glowing skin Phoebe paired the dress, designed by Cecilie Copenhagen, with a pair of strappy black heels and nude nail polish. Her dark blonde tresses hung loosely around her shoulders, further accentuating her casual look. She used the post to comment on her excitement at attending an advance screening of Bridget Jones' Baby hosted by Bankwest. There it is! The 27-year-old was happy to show off her bump at Myer's 2016 Spring Fashion Launch last month The exciting news was, however, not without it's complications for the 27-year-old. 'Only question now...what does one wear on an orange carpet,' she joked. The soon-to-be mother showed no sign of pregnancy on Friday, but was happy to show off her small bump as she posed with her husband on the red carpet for Myer's 2016 Spring Fashion Launch last month. Growing family: Phoebe and Sam Burgess are expecting the birth of their first child in less than six months Phoebe recently told Daily Mail Australia she is only using pilates to keep herself in shape as she prepares for her first child. Alongside Kristen King, owner of the Fluidform Pilates Studio in Sydney, the entrepreneurial WAG has launched a pilates based activewear brand called Love Your Form. But her pregnancy cravings showed the blonde beauty was only human, as she revealed she had been devouring 'cheeseburgers and apples'. Ashley Graham has revealed she didn't have sex with her husband until they tied the knot. The top model told Elle Canada that she wanted to wait until her wedding night to retain some 'power' in the relationship, but now the couple are wed they enjoy an 'amazing' sex life. Ashley, 28 - who met cinematographer Justin Ervin at church in 2009 and tied the knot the following year - advises other women to wait before getting intimate. Waiting for the wedding night: Ashley Graham has revealed she didn't have sex with her husband Justin Ervin until they tied the knot She told Canada's Elle magazine: 'My husband and I waited; call me crazy, but it worked. Our sex is amazing!' 'It made me feel like I had the power back in my dating life. He respected me more because I wasn't willing to just give it up.' 'I tell my friends to wait three months. Just see if he can wait. If he can, he's a good guy. And, again, it's not for everybody, but for me it was great. It's something I'm actually really proud of.' Worth the wait: The top model told Elle Canada that she wanted to wait until her wedding night to retain some 'power' in the relationship, and now the couple enjoy an 'amazing' sex life The couple, who wed when Ashley was 22, have a long-distance marriage. While the model lives in New York to work in the fashion industry, Justin resides in Los Angeles, where he works as a cinematographer. While Ashley is more than happy with her sex life with her husband, she also couldn't help gushing about getting close to DNCE frontman Joe Jonas, whom she worked with on the set of his music video for Toothbrush. She said: 'We kinda just met in bed, but it was so much fun working with him... He's so respectful and professional, but also a lot of fun and really cute!' Happily married: Ashley, 28,- who met cinematographer Justin Ervin at church in 2009 and tied the knot the following year - advises other women to wait before getting intimate As well as making headlines with her sultry role in the DNCE video, Ashley became the first plus-sized woman cover Sport's Illustrated's vaunted Swimsuit Issue this past February. The model deemed the achievement a 'game changer' has since become an instant icon and role model for women the world over. Her latest venture as a move to TV, with the star currently filming for the new season of America's Next Top Model where she joins the new lineup as a judge alongside host Rita Ora. She's been showing her flair for fashion recently as she promotes the new series of BBC One drama Poldark. And Eleanor Tomlinson put on another stylish display on Friday morning as she arrived at BBC Radio 2 in London with her co-star Aidan Turner. The 24-year-old actress looked glamorous in a figure-hugging burgundy dress, which showcased her incredibly leggy and slender frame. Scroll down for video Lady in red: Eleanor Tomlinson, 24, put on a stylish display on Friday morning as she arrived at BBC Radio 2 in London with her co-star Aidan Turner Model material: The actress looked glamorous in a figure-hugging burgundy dress, which showcased her incredibly leggy frame The knitted dress was tight-fitting, flattering her famously slender frame and long legs as she headed to the Breakfast Show with Chris Evans, currently hosted by Sara Cox. The frock featured a wide-cut neck which displaying her decolletage and fell to her mid-calf, enhancing its elegant and classy look. The red-headed beauty paired the outfit with a pair of chunky and chic burgundy velvet Christian Louboutin heels. Famous locks: Eleanor matched the dress and accessories to her infamous fiery hair, which she swept into a casual bun Maintaining her scarlet theme throughout the Poldark star accessorised with a chic red bag complete with a gold chain strap. Meanwhile her Irish co-star Aidan Turner opted for a more dressed-down look, arriving in a navy T-shirt and jeans. The 33-year-old added a stylish black leather bomber jacket on top as he headed in for the interview, looking a far cry from his 18th century solider character on the hit BBC show. Classy: The frock featured a wide-cut neck which displaying her decolletage and fell to elegant mid-calf length The hunky actor spent plenty of time outside the studio happily chatting and taking photos with his adoring fans. Aidan and Eleanor have become household names in recent times, having starred in beloved drama Poldark since its first season in March 2015. The hit show, which returns for its second season on Sunday, amassed a whopping 5.9 million viewers for its finale. Main man: Irish co-star Aidan Turner opted for a more dressed-down look, arriving in a navy T-shirt and jeans Talking with Sara Cox in the Radio 2 interview about the show's huge success, Aidan admitted he had an inkling early on that they were on to something good. He said: 'By the second or third episode we knew. People were tuning in and enjoying it, and it was hitting the tabloids so we knew early on.' Despite its success, the actor revealed that he actually did not quite fit the official bill for the role at first, having to fake being able to horse ride on his first day of shooting. Stylish: The 33-year-old added a stylish black leather bomber jacket on top as he headed in for the interview 'I lie all the time to get jobs,' the actor joked. '[Horse riding] was on my CV but I couldn't really do it, I could walk around on a horse but couldn't gallop or anything, so I just blagged it on my first day!' He cheekily added: 'I just pretended to be good and it just turned into a good thing.' However, the Irish star did joke that he had certainly prepared for other scenes in the series - most notably, his famous topless appearance that ended up going viral. When asked if he had hit the gym hard before the shoot, Aidan simply laughed before admitting coyly: 'I may have done some crunches, yeah.' Funny man: Aidan hilariously admitted in the interview that he could not actually horse ride when they began Poldark filming, confessing 'I lie all the time to get jobs!' Eleanor also excited fans during the interview by revealing that she will be featured on the upcoming Poldark soundtrack. Having beautifully sung in the first season as her character Demelza, the Yorkshire-born beauty said of season two: 'There's a few more Demelza songs coming - lucky me.' 'And there is going to be an album! There is a soundtrack of Poldark and apparently I am on it.' The duo already had fans in a frenzy earlier this week at BBC Radio 1 appearance - after Aidan panicked followers by implying his beloved Poldark character may die in an upcoming series. Giving back: Aidan spent plenty of time outside the studio happily chatting and taking photos with his adoring fans The actor and Eleanor were explaining to Grimmy how they don't shoot scenes chronologically, and while Eleanor admitted 'it keeps you on your toes,' Aidan added 'it's a bit odd, you die tomorrow, Wednesday you get married...' Later in the show Nick was forced to clarify the comment with the leading man, scolding him by telling him they'd had worried texts from fans before reading one out: 'Aidan Turner just said he was going to die, please say that's not happening.' While a bemused Aidan couldn't even remember saying it, Eleanor said: 'I knew that was going to happen! As it came out of your mouth. You also said you were getting married!' 'I take that all back...To the best of my knowledge I don't die,' Aidan apologised. The second series of Poldark starts on Sunday, September 4 at 9pm on BBC One. She began as a journalist at the age of 15 and enjoyed one of the most illustrious careers in Australian media history. But when Ita Buttrose was offered a co-host role on Studio Ten at the age of 71, there was one achievement she hadn't ticked off the wishlist. 'I had always wanted to host a show,' the veteran journalist told Mamamia. 'It was a goal I hadn't achieved yet:' Ita Buttrose jumped at the chance to join Studio Ten 'I had lots of promises but they never came to pass. So you tell yourself it's not meant to be. 'It was a goal I hadn't achieved yet. I'm one of those people who likes to climb mountains. I like challenges.' So in 2013, the media icon jumped at the chance to join a panel of co-hosts on the Network Ten program. 'I'm one of those people who likes to climb mountains': The 74-year-old said she had always wanted to host a TV program 'I got the call and I thought, 'Isn't that amazing? If you wait long enough, you can achieve goals'',' she told an audience in Canberra last week, according to the Canberra Times. 'I would never have thought I'd be offered this sort of gig at this point in my life and I love it.' The 74-year-old has scaled back her TV commitments and she now appears on the panel two or three times a week. Scaling back: Ita told co-hosts Jessica Rowe, Sarah Harris and Joe Hildebrand that she was going to focus on family During a Studio 10 episode last year, she told co-hosts Jessica Rowe, Sarah Harris and Joe Hildebrand that she was going to focus on family. 'I think it's time I took a little bit more time out for my real family, and by that I mean my grandchildren,' Ita explained. But at the age of 74, Ita has no plans of quitting the industry she has been a part of for 60 years. On set: The veteran journalist was offered a role on the Network Ten program at the age of 71 'I don't think I will retire. I think there are still things I want to do,' she said. The Sydney-born industry veteran began as a journalist at the age of 15, and by 23, the young gun was women's editor at the Telegraph. In 1971, Ita was the founding editor of Cleo magazine and revolutionised the industry and took on TV roles in the 90s on Beauty And The Beast. She makes thousands of women jealous by getting to strip off alongside hunky co-star Aidan Turner in Poldark. But Eleanor Tomlinson revealed that the infamous sex scenes of the BBC One drama are not quite as raunchy as they appear on camera. Chatting to This Morning on Friday, the 24-year-old actress giggled as she admitted that while getting up close and personal with the Irish hunk is 'really fun', it is also 'hilarious', as there are so many people awkwardly watching on set. Scroll down for video 'It's hilarious': Eleanor Tomlinson, 24, revealed on This Morning on Friday that sex scenes with co-star Aidan Turner on Poldark are not quite as raunchy as they appear to viewers on camera Giggling, the star revealed of the intimate scenes: 'They say it's a closed set, but there's still 25 people standing around while you're in just a beige bra!' However, she did confess that it is never awkward with her 33-year-old leading man Aidan, who has become somewhat of a sex symbol since appearing topless on the series. Speaking of working with the star, whose bare chest went viral on the Internet during first season: 'He's such a lovely person. I think he's a bit shy and finds it all a bit embarrassing. What's great about Aidan is that he's such a brilliant actor.' Putting on a good show: Giggling, the star revealed of the intimate scenes: 'They say it's a closed set, but there's still 25 people standing around while you're in just a beige bra!' Chemistry: However, she did confess that it is never awkward with her 33-year-old leading man Aidan, who she pens 'such a brilliant actor' but also 'a lovely person' Eleanor plays Demelza on Poldark, who became the wife of Aidan's character Ross Poldark in the first series, after he saved her from her abusive father by making her his kitchen maid. The redhead went on to express her love of playing the feisty but constantly growing and changing character to show hosts Eamonn and Ruth. She gushed: 'I think Demelza is a great character for any actress to take on. Starting off as an urchin and progressing into a gentleman's wife, it's such a great story.' Passionate: The actress gushed of her leading role, admitting she thinks feisty Demelza 'is a great character for any actress to take on' With season two premiering on BBC One this Sunday, Eleanor gave viewers a taste of what is to come after such a successful debut season. 'Season two picks off right after series one, we've lost our child so we're dealing with that and Ross is about to be tried. It's very tense,' she explained. 'Their relationship is growing the more they get to know each other. There's still turmoil, relationships aren't easy. There's still Elizabeth , stirring up drama. That's what people like - it's realistic.' Glamorous: Eleanor looked elegant as she spilled all on the show and its successes to This Morning hosts Eamonn and Ruth And the drama certainly has garnered itself many loyal fans since it first hit screens in March 2015, amassing a huge 5.9 million viewers for its season finale. Yet, the actress admitted that the drama's success has not drastically affected her daily life. She explained: 'It has given me so many more opportunities acting wise, and as for changing me as a person, I can still walk down the street and not be bothered.' Leading lady: Eleanor stars as Demelza in Poldark, which has garnered itself many loyal fans since it hit screens in March 2015, amassing a huge 5.9 million viewers for its season finale 'It's only when the show's on that people say ''She's ginger, she must be Demelza!'' Eleanor and Aidan have been busy promoting the new series of their hit show over the last week, having been seen arriving at BBC Radio 2 together earlier on Friday morning. The 24-year-old actress looked glamorous in a figure-hugging burgundy co-ord, which showcased her incredibly leggy and slender frame. Lady in red: Eleanor put on a stylish display earlier on Friday morning as she arrived at BBC Radio 2 in London with her co-star Aidan Turner The matching ensemble was tight-fitting, flattering her famously slender frame and long legs as she headed to the Breakfast Show with Chris Evans, currently hosted by Sara Cox. The top featured a wide-cut neck which displaying her decolletage and the skirt fell to her mid-calf, enhancing its elegant and classy look. The red-headed beauty paired the outfit with a pair of chunky and chic burgundy velvet Christian Louboutin heels. Co-ordinated: The red-headed beauty paired the outfit with a pair of chunky and chic burgundy velvet Christian Louboutin heels Famous locks: Eleanor matched the dress and accessories to her infamous fiery hair, which she swept into a casual bun Maintaining her scarlet theme throughout the Poldark star accessorised with a chic red bag complete with a gold chain strap. Meanwhile her Irish co-star Aidan Turner opted for a more dressed-down look, arriving in a navy T-shirt and jeans. The 33-year-old added a stylish black leather bomber jacket on top as he headed in for the interview, looking a far cry from his 18th century solider character on the hit BBC show. Classy: The top featured a wide-cut neck which displaying her decolletage and the skirt fell to elegant mid-calf length Model material: The actress looked glamorous in a figure-hugging burgundy co-ord The hunky actor spent plenty of time outside the studio happily chatting and taking photos with his adoring fans. Aidan and Eleanor have become household names in recent times, having starred in beloved drama Poldark since its first season in March 2015. Talking with Sara Cox in the Radio 2 interview about the show's huge success, Aidan admitted he had an inkling early on that they were on to something good. Main man: Irish co-star Aidan Turner opted for a more dressed-down look, arriving in a navy T-shirt and jeans He said: 'By the second or third episode we knew. People were tuning in and enjoying it, and it was hitting the tabloids so we knew early on.' Despite its success, the actor revealed that he actually did not quite fit the official bill for the role at first, having to fake being able to horse ride on his first day of shooting. 'I lie all the time to get jobs!' the actor joked. Stylish: The 33-year-old added a stylish black leather bomber jacket on top as he headed in for the interview '[Horse riding] was on my CV but I couldn't really do it, I could walk around on a horse but couldn't gallop or anything, so I just blagged it on my first day!' He cheekily added: 'I just pretended to be good and it just turned into a good thing.' However, the Irish star did joke that he had certainly prepared for other scenes in the series - most notably, his famous topless appearance that ended up going viral. When asked if he had hit the gym hard before the shoot, Aidan simply laughed before admitting coyly: 'I may have done some crunches, yeah.' Funny man: Aidan hilariously admitted in the interview that he could not actually horse ride when they began Poldark filming, confessing 'I lie all the time to get jobs!' Eleanor also excited fans during the interview by revealing that she will be featured on the upcoming Poldark soundtrack. Having beautifully sung in the first season as her character Demelza, the Yorkshire-born beauty said of season two: 'There's a few more Demelza songs coming - lucky me.' 'And there is going to be an album! There is a soundtrack of Poldark and apparently I am on it.' The duo already had fans in a frenzy earlier this week at BBC Radio 1 appearance - after Aidan panicked followers by implying his beloved Poldark character may die in an upcoming series. Giving back: Aidan spent plenty of time outside the studio happily chatting and taking photos with his adoring fans The actor and Eleanor were explaining to Grimmy how they don't shoot scenes chronologically, and while Eleanor admitted 'it keeps you on your toes,' Aidan added 'it's a bit odd, you die tomorrow, Wednesday you get married...' Later in the show Nick was forced to clarify the comment with the leading man, scolding him by telling him they'd had worried texts from fans before reading one out: 'Aidan Turner just said he was going to die, please say that's not happening.' While a bemused Aidan couldn't even remember saying it, Eleanor said: 'I knew that was going to happen! As it came out of your mouth. You also said you were getting married!' 'I take that all back...To the best of my knowledge I don't die,' Aidan apologised. The second series of Poldark starts on Sunday, September 4 at 9pm on BBC One. Linda Robson broke down in tears on Friday's Loose Women as she recalled how her son Louis comforted Ben Kinsella after he was fatally stabbed. Ben's actress sister Brooke was a guest on the show alongside her ex EastEnders co-star Louisa Lytton to talk about the latest project of the Ben Kinsella Trust. Brooke set up the trust to campaign against knife crime after her 16-year-old sibling was killed outside a north London bar in 2008. Emotional: Linda Robson broke down in tears on Friday's Loose Women as she recalled how her son Louis comforted Ben Kinsella after he was fatally stabbed Star pupil and promising artist Ben was stabbed 11 times in a street after a night out celebrating the end of his GCSEs. Jade Braithwaite, Michael Alleyne and Juress Kika are currently serving life sentences for his killing. Linda got emotional on Loose Women as she recalled how her son Louis held his best friend Ben in his arms after the attack. Best friends: Linda's son Louis was friends with Ben and was out celebrating GCSE results when the teenager was fatally stabbed Close: Brooke comforted Linda as she broke down in tears while recalling the night in 2008 Struggling to talk, the Birds of a Feather star explained: 'They went out to celebrate their GCSEs and he never came back again.' 'When it happened the boys all separated and Louis went back to Ben and was holding him when the ambulance came there.' Turning to Brooke, she told her 'It's just amazing the work that you're doing. The exhibition shows what path you can take.' Speaking out: Ben's actress sister Brooke (right) was a guest on the show alongside her ex EastEnders co-star Louisa Lytton to talk about the latest project of the Ben Kinsella Trust Gone: Struggling to talk, the Birds of a Feather star explained: 'They went out to celebrate their GCSEs and he never came back again' The Ben Kinsella Exhibition educates young people about the consequences of knife crime and how they can make the right choices to stay safe. The Islington exhibition includes elements such as actors, films and comic strips and has just been updated to include some new interactive touch screen apps. Brooke told the show: 'It's a six room exhibition. The idea came about when we were looking through Ben's room, and we found a piece of homework. Final moments: 'When it happened the boys all separated and Louis went back to Ben and was holding him when the ambulance came there' Exhibit: Ben's actress sister Brooke has campaigned to stop knife crime since his death Steps forward: Turning to Brooke, Linda told her 'It's just amazing the work that you're doing. The exhibition shows what path you can take' 'He wrote a letter about being concerned about street violence. I had no idea he was so worried, this will be Ben's legacy.' 'It's not just about knife crime, it's about the consequences of your choice in life.' 'We've raised almost 30,000,' she added before turning to Linda and hugging her, explaining: 'Most of it was this one!' Important work: The Ben Kinsella Exhibition educates young people about the consequences of knife crime and how they can make the right choices to stay safe Attack: Star pupil and promising artist Ben was stabbed 11 times in a street after a night out celebrating the end of his GCSEs TV ready: Brooke dressed in a chic black dress and platform heels for her TV appearance while Louisa was in jeans and a tee As the future Mrs Brolin, she can look forward to a life of luxury. But while the fancy houses and fast cars may be nice, it's the little gestures that make for a happy marriage. And Josh Brolin proved he's a keeper on Thursday afternoon, as he took charge of the couple's luggage after jetting into Los Angeles together. What a gent! Josh Brolin takes charge of the luggage as he jets into Los Angeles with fiancee Kathryn Boyd on Thursday night Ready to wed: The actor showed his close bond with Kathryn, holding hands after handing his luggage to the limo driver Hoisting their carry on over his shoulder, and grabbing their suitcase, he left Kathryn Boyd free to pick up some magazines at duty free. The pair were returning to their Venice Beach home from four months in New Mexico - just in time for Labour Day. Josh had shaved off the facial hair he had been sporting in recent months, in time for his return home. Glad to be back: The pair were returning to Los Angeles after four months in New Mexico Homeward bound: Josh, 48, is thought to be older than Kathryn, who was working as his assistant when they first became an item The Goonies star celebrated their homecoming with an Instagram of his love riding his bike down the iconic Venice Boardwalk. 'Home sweet home!' he wrote. The couple have been together for three years, and are engaged to be married. Happy couple: Josh posted this picture this week, with the caption 'Bye New Mexico. Thank you for an amazing four months!' They began dating in March 2013, just one month after divorce news broke between him and second wife Diane Lane. Josh, 48, is thought to be older than Kathryn, who was working as his assistant when they first became an item. Glad to be back: The Goonies star Josh celebrated their return home with an Instagram of his love riding his bike down the iconic Venice Boardwalk Prior to his relationship with Kathryn, Josh was married to Diane Lane for nine years, from August 2004-December 2013. Diane announced their separation in February of that year. According to Us Weekly, one month after news broke of their split, Josh began seeing Kathryn in March. At the time she had been his assistant for two years. Close: Josh regularly shares Instagram images of Kathryn, writing on this 'JB&KB' She's the controversial breakfast show host who has vanished from Australian TV screens in recent weeks. So has Sonia Kruger been sacked by Channel Nine following her blunt comments about Muslim immigration? A Nine spokesman told The Sydney Morning Herald that the answer is no - but whispers continue to swirl that her job as co-host of The Voice is in jeopardy. Scroll down for video Gone missing: Channel Nine says Sonia Kruger hasn't been sacked, but whispers continue to swirl that her job as co-host of The Voice is in jeopardy The publication was told by Channel Nine that the outspoken Today Extra host was on annual leave, which was arranged well before her controversial comments. The 51-year-old's contract with Nine is 'ongoing,' according to the spokesperson. But rumours continue to float around the studios of the production company which makes The Voice, Shine, that she may not return as host. Not a fan: International TV star Darren McMullen slammed his former The Voice co-host after she made controversial comments about banning Muslim immigration in Australia Kruger set off a social media firestorm in July when she argued on Today Extra that there is a correlation between the number of Muslims in a country and the number of terrorist attacks. The former Strictly Ballroom star said she had 'a lot of very good friends' who were Muslims and peace-loving, beautiful people. 'But there are fanatics,' she said. Controversial: Kruger set off a social media firestorm in July when she argued there is a correlation between the number of Muslims in a country and the number of terrorist attacks 'Personally, I would like to see it stop now for Australia because I want to feel safe as all of our citizens do when we go out to celebrate Australia Day. She told the panel Japan has a population of 174 million people and 100,000 Muslims and the country never suffers terrorist attacks. Shortly after she made the controversial comments, media personality Darren McMullen slammed his former The Voice co-host, saying she knows little about Australian history. 'Let's be honest, all us white folk are visitors in (Australia) and came off the boat at some stage for a better life,' he told The Sunday Telegraph. Rumours: Whispers continue to float around the studios of the production company which makes The Voice that Kruger won't return to the program 'I find it a bit hilarious when people who invaded a country centuries ago and claimed it as their own then start trying to close up the borders and keep everyone out,' he added. It was claimed last year that there was tension on the set of The Voice, with reports Darren and Sonia couldn't stand one another. Although at the time, he laughed off the rumors. 'We'll probably be dating next week... In fact, lets start that rumour right here me and Sonia its sexual tension,' he told KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O. Cindy Crawford is still one of the most beautiful women in the world. But even stunning supermodels get ditched once in a while. On Thursday the 50-year-old Vogue favorite cut a lonely figure in Malibu after her husband Rande Gerber shared photos from his road trip with best friend George Clooney. Scroll down for video All by myself: Cindy Crawford left her smiles at home when she went out for lunch at Cafe Habana in Malibu on Thursday He did his thing: Meanwhile, spouse Gerber posted to Instagram a shot from his five-day motorcycle road trip with best friend George Clooney The former queen of the catwalk was lunching at Cafe Habana in Malibu. It is not know if she had a date or was by herself. Looking lean and tanned, Crawford stood out in a sleeveless black top and white jeans with metallic sandals and a black purse. The Versace favorite wore her highlighted locks down and seemed to have on minimal makeup with large brown shades. Stylish as ever: Looking lean and tanned, Crawford stood out in a sleeveless black top and white jeans with metallic sandals and a black purse Natural beauty: The Versace favorite wore her highlighted locks down and seemed to have on minimal makeup with large brown shades Meanwhile, spouse Gerber posted an Instagram snap with Oscar winner Clooney. Rande sat on his black motorcycle and the A lister pulled a face behind him as they were photographed in front of a private jet. The caption read: '5 days and 2,500 miles. There's no road too long with friends.' A week ago Gerber announced his motorcycle road trip which seemed to take him to Montana. Not a bad looking one in the bunch: On Wednesday the family supported Kaia at the premiere of her Lifetime Sister Cities at the Paramount Theatre in Hollywood The businessman shared snaps from vintage looking bars and hotels as well as a rest stop with a classic car. Rande and George have been close friends for decades, even launching the tequila company Casamigos together. Meanwhile, the two children of Cindy and Rande - Kaia and Presley - seem to be enjoying their budding careers as models. Every gown seems to fit Kim Kardashian to perfection. But the 35-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star explained on her site kimkardashianwest.com on Friday that getting the fit just right is not as easy as one would think. When the E! queen went to the Rome opera in May, she had to struggle to get her stunning white Vivienne Westwood number to look its best. Scroll down for video The trouble it takes to look tempting: Kim Kardashian revealed on Friday it was work getting this Vivienne Westwood number to fit just right In an entry titled 'FITTING FRIDAY: My Vivienne Westwood Opera Gown,' the reality wonder took her readers through the steps. 'For such a legendary night, I wanted to a simple yet elegant look, so I went to the Vivienne Westwood couture house in London for the perfect gown,' the mother-of-two began. 'The dress I picked was a little difficult in the fitting and we needed a few people to get it just right,' disclosed the sister of Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie. The finished look: The 35-year-old E! star wore the dress to the opera in Rome in May with Kanye West 'When Kanye and I landed in Rome, we only had 10 minutes to change for the opera!!!' That must mean that she got her hair and makeup done on the plane. Kim added she was shocked that she could get it all together fast enough to make the red carpet. Rushed: 'When Kanye and I landed in Rome, we only had 10 minutes to change for the opera!!! I'm shocked we were able to figure it out and zip it up!' she added But alls well that ends well. Kardashian said it turned out 'beautifully.' 'We all know I love a good corset, lol,' she finished. It was also noted that Kim wore Lorraine Schwartz earrings that were gifted to her by husband Kanye for her birthday. Bling from her babe: It was also noted that Kim wore Lorraine Schwartz earrings that were gifted to her by husband Kanye for her birthday She also had on vintage Vivienne Westwood platform heels. In the photo Kim shared to her site, she has two women standing behind her as they sew up the back. Kanye is to her left making sure the fit is done properly. Racks of clothes, a mirror and a crystal chandelier can be seen as well. This entry comes after Kim was seen in a sexy black tank top and black jeans cut into long shorts with a green bomber jacket and heels while in New York City. Daring duds: This entry comes after Kim was seen in a sexy black tank top and black jeans cut into long shorts with a green bomber jacket and heels while in New York City Also on Friday Kendall Jenner talked more about her Vogue cover on her site kendallj.com. The 20-year-old confessed only her mother Kris Jenner and sister Kim knew she would appear on the September cover of the fashion magazine. It also took three days to shoot the spread: 'Originally we were only supposed to shoot for two, but Vogue liked the photos so much that they wanted more.' Advertisement Chloe Moretz brushed off the recent speculation about her split with Brooklyn Beckham on Friday night as she arrived at Deauville American Film Festival. Making a surprise appearance on the red carpet for the opening ceremony, the 19-year-old looked far from weighed down by her break up. It was claimed on Thursday that she had become 'too clingy' for 17-year-old Brit Brooklyn, which led to the demise of their transatlantic romance this week. Scroll down for video Surprise: Chloe Moretz surprised fans with an appearance at Deauville American Film Festival on Friday night, following her high profile split from Brooklyn Beckham But Chloe was once again fancy-free in front of the world's eyes by Friday, returning to actress mode for the 42nd annual celebration of US film where the Infiltrator screening was taking place. This year, the If I Stay actress is one of the young stars to be honoured for her early contribution to the industry. She was sharing the red carpet with fellow new-singleton Diane Kruger, who was dressed aptly from top-to-toe in love hearts. Too clingy? Chloe has been forced to brush off speculation she was 'too clingy' for ex-beau Brooklyn Beckham (here together) Kisses: The stunning 19-year-old seemed to have parked her woes to enjoy the evening Smouldering: Amidst the smiles, the actress remembered to shoot smouldering glances Chloe, meanwhile, was looking fashion fabulous in a keyhole cutout gown, which featured bold blooms all over. She shared a smile with photographers as she fanned out her elegant gown to reveal silver heels beneath. Her jovial expression was quite the contrast to a downcast Chloe, who had been spotted making a stop over in the French capital of Paris from Los Angeles the day before. Her downcast appearance comes shortly before The Sun reported that the couple split due to Chloe being 'too clingy' for her famous beau. Gorgeous: Her dress was adorned with beautiful blooms All the eyes: All eyes were on the graceful blonde, who is dealing with a break up All smiles: The actress looked delighted to be there for an award Brave face: She even had time for her fans on the red carpet Elegant: She picked up the front of her elegant gown to help her glide across the carpet Here for the fans: It was a brave face that the fans wanted to see from their star A source said: 'Brooklyn is so young with his whole life ahead of him, he basically just didn't need the aggro. 'He was besotted with her at first, but as time wore on Chloe wanted to become more serious and given he lives on the other side of he Atlantic, it was something he couldn't offer. 'But, like any youngsters in a relationship, there wouldn't be much of a surprise if they get back together. Especially if they go on to mix in the same circles. Busty: The dress featured a keyhole detail on the bust Congratulations: It was a big night for the beauty, as she collected an award for her commitment to film Special moment: She was honoured as one of the young achievers at the event Memories: She couldn't have looked more delighted about walking up to get the award Thanks for the praise: She shot a smile at the audience as she gave an acceptance speech It was a contemplative Chloe who made an appearance in Paris on Thursday, hours after it was revealed her relationship with Brooklyn has come to an end. The actress was accompanied by her older brother, Trevor Duke, as she took a stroll through central Paris shortly after flying into the French capital from Los Angeles. Her ex-boyfriend was just skip away in London, looking forelorn during a lunch with pals in London. Love on the mind? Diane Kruger looked lovely in love hearts, weeks after her own split Bouncing back: The blonde seemed to be making a statement about her recent split from Joshua Jackson Glorious: She looked exquisite from top to toe in a sheer black gown Classic: The actress was positively glittering on the red carpet But despite her picturesque surroundings the actress did not raise a smile. The Hollywood star was equally subdued as she made her way across Charles De Gaulle airport earlier that day. Looking pale and tired following her lengthy flight, Chloe, 19, was dressed casually in a tracksuit top and jeans teamed with simple white sneakers. With her hand luggage contained in a large ruck sack, the Hollywood star checked her phone while an airport employee ushered them across the arrivals lounge. Judging: The members of the Revelation Jury (from left) French actress Christa Theret, French actress Diane Rouxel, French, born Iranian, actor, comedian Kheiron, French journalist Jury Audrey Pulvar, French scenarist, moviemaker Jerome Bonnell and French scenarist, moviemaker Jury Cedric Anger arrive on the red carpet prior to the opening ceremony and the screening of Infiltrator News of the split initially surfaced when Page Six revealed the romance was over. The pair split shortly before Brooklyn returned to the United Kingdom with his family following an extended summer break in Los Angeles, where they own a home. Brooklyn and his family arrived back in London on Tuesday following their two-month break in California. Chloe confirmed the couple had reignited their relationship during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live in early May. Glamorous: French actress Julie Gayet was also red carpet ready Classic: She was classically elegant in a floor-length black dress Starry-eyed: French actress and member of the Jury Ana Girardot wore a galaxy print Not understanding that sometimes rules apply to everyone may be one of the reasons this star is currently sitting in jail. In a sneak peek of the Real Housewives Of New Jersey, it was revealed that Joe Giudice put his wife Teresa at risk of violating her parole after wanting to be the host with the most to his friends, one of whom had a rap sheet. In a teaser provided to People on Friday, the 44-year-old makes a major guest list slip up that could have serious legal ramifications for his wife. Big mistake: In a sneak peek of the Real Housewives Of New Jersey, it was revealed that Joe Giudice put his wife Teresa at risk of violating her parole after wanting to be the host with the most to his friends, one of whom had a rap sheet Filmed prior to Joe heading to jail for 41-months and just after his 44-year-old spouse was released, in the clip the couple are headed to Teresa's memoir launch. With a big shindig planned to celebrate the book, Turning The Tables, Joe decided to invite all his friends along, including a pal named Chris. Chris is a convicted felon and as part of Teresa's parole she cannot she cannot be around other convicted felons. Despite knowing this, her husband invited his friend to the party, who arrives at the event - which is held at a bar - with his underage son. Very serious: With a big shindig planned to celebrate the book, Turning The Tables, Joe decided to invite all his friends along, including a pal named Chris, who like Teresa is a felon Guest list fail: Despite knowing this, her husband invited his friend to the party, who arrives at the event - which is held at a bar - with his underage son Even double checked: As Chris arrives at the party, he calls Joe to make sure everything is fine with his attendance In a piece to camera, Teresa reveals why it is such a big deal: 'I told my husband he could invite whoever he wanted, I did not know he invited his friend that was bringing his 12-year-old son - you had to be 21 and over.' Making matters worse: 'My attorney Jim found out he's a felon, so one of the rules that I have to follow is that I can't be around other felons.' Despite this, as Chris arrives at the party, he calls Joe to make sure everything is fine with his attendance. Parole in jeopardy: In a piece to camera, Teresa reveals why it is such a big deal as part of the conditions of her release from prison was that she does not associate with other felons 'Whose law?' While his wife informs him Chris cannot bring his son in as 'it's the law', Joe thinks the rules don't necessarily apply Still trying: Returning to his phone call, Joe said, 'I'll see what I can do when I get there. Go to the door and see what happens' While his wife informs him Chris cannot bring his son in as 'it's the law', Joe thinks the rules don't necessarily apply. 'Whose law?' he demands. Returning to his phone call, Joe said: 'I'll see what I can do when I get there. Go to the door and see what happens.' That ma be the issue: The 44-year-old star tries to make it clear to her husband, 'Do you know what the law means?' An infuriated Theresa then asks: 'Do you know what the law means?' 'I would never jeopardize you my love, I love you,' her husband promises. Joe's understanding of the law has, of course, not been the best in the past hence why he is currently serving a 41-month prison sentence as of March this year. The big house: Joe is currently serving 41-month sentence while Teresa just finished 11 months in jail for fraud (the pair are pictured outside court in 2014) Both he and Theresa plead guilty to a number of fraud charges with Theresa serving 11 months in jail. The reality star was originally sentenced to 15 months but was let out early just before Christmas. The couple did start their sentences at the same time so that there was a parent which their children Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana. Forget play dates at the sand pit - North West is too busy having lunch at Capri. The three-year-old joined her mother Kim Kardashian for a meal at the upscale New York restaurant on Friday. Clad in a silky spaghetti strap dress, velvet choker, and white pumps, the youngster was a mini me version of her famous mother. Scroll down for video The sweet life of North West! Kim Kardashian's girl carries $2k Fendi bag from her designer collection and enjoys a lollipop treat on girls' day out with mom on Friday in New York Not your usual children's wear: Clad in a silky spaghetti strap dress, velvet choker, and white pumps, the youngster was a mini me version of her famous mother Strike a pose: North seemed most interested in her lollipop But it was the fur bag hanging from her arm that really caused jaws to drop - the youngster was carrying a $2,000 micro Fendi bag. Plucked from her extensive designer collection, the bag hung from her arm on a leather strap. Despite the pricey accessory, North seemed rather more interested in the lollipop she carried in her hand. Girls day out: The three-year-old joined her mother Kim for a meal at the upscale Capri restaurant in New York on Friday We've arrived! The reality star's eldest daughter was camera ready when the duo prepared to hop out of the car So happy! The tot flashed a grin as she stood on the sidewalk with her famous mom Unmistakeable: It was the fur bag hanging from her arm that really caused jaws to drop - the youngster was carrying a $2,000 micro Fendi bag Ready for the spotlight: North is fast becoming a fixture on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, despite her tender age The youngster is fast becoming a fixture on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, despite her tender age. And she is certainly learning from the best, with mom Kim making sure her daughter is always camera ready. For Friday's outing, Kim herself wore white Bermuda shorts, exposing a patch of dry skin on her leg caused by the skin complaint psoriasis. All white: Kim's outfit included a jacket worn off the shoulder She's got the look: The reality star tossed a sultry look over her shoulder too What a 'deer': North enjoyed playing with her mom's Kim's Snapchat filters Sleeping beauty: Kim looked ready for a nap as she appeared to bemoan North's sleeplessness Pillow talk: The mom-of-two continued the flirt while resting against the pillows Her monotone look was completed by a tank top and jacket in the same colour, worn off her shoulder. Joining Kim and North at lunch was Kim's friend Tracy Romulus, and her daughter Ryan - who is North's BFF. The two moms each have baby sons, who they left at home for the outing. Kanye was also pictured in the Big Apple on Friday, wearing an all black outfit. Hey Ryan! Kim's pal Tracy Romulus and her daughter Ryan completed the lunch party Best foot foward: Kim wore her new favourite outfit of cut off jeans and a tank top Dad's the word: Kanye was also pictured in the Big Apple on Friday, wearing an all black outfit She is back on the market as a singleton. And, clearly, Diane Kruger has romance on the brain - as she proved when she stepped out in France on Friday. The blonde beauty was a VIP guest at the 41st Deauville American Film Festival, where she wowed on the red carpet. Scroll down for video Looking for love? Diane Kruger seems to have romance on the brain - as she proved when she stepped out in France on Friday, where she attended the 41st Deauville American Film Festival The German star effortlessly turned heads in her choice of attire, which consisted of a floor-length dress in jet black. Semi sheer for added sex appeal, it was emblazoned with a profusion of jewelled love hearts. Belted at the waist and featuring cut-out sleeves, it was certainly a statement - whether intentional or not. Passionate about style! The German star effortlessly turned heads in her choice of attire, which consisted of a floor-length dress in jet black Loved-up or not: Belted at the waist and featuring cut-out sleeves, it was certainly a statement - whether intentional or not The latest sighting comes just weeks after it was revealed that Diane, 40, split from long-term boyfriend, Joshua Jackson - following ten years together. 'They have decided to separate and remain friends,' a spokesperson told People Magazine in July. Diane started dating Josh, 38, in 2006 after she split from her husband of five years, French director Guillaume Canet. Split: The latest sighting comes just weeks after it was revealed that Diane, 40, split from long-term boyfriend, Joshua Jackson - following ten years together Gorgeous: The blonde beauty certainly cut a glam display at the bash in North West France In December it was reported that Kruger had been spotted in a New York bar with The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus. The two starred in the 2015 drama Sky, in which Kruger leaves her husband before hooking up with a cowboy stranger, played by 47-year-old Reedus. Joshua was also spotted having coffee with former Teen Wolf actress Crystal Reed in Los Angeles last month. She's currently on the promo trail for the latest installment of Bridget Jones. So it's understandable that Renee Zellwegger should want to retire to her London hotel early on Friday night for a rest. The blonde star, 47, was spotted at the popular eatery after her appearance on BBC's The One Show. Scroll down for video Sheer delight! Renee Zellwegger returned to her London hotel on Friday, following her appearance on The One Show Opting for a colour co-ordinated look, the acclaimed star - who originates from Texas - wore a figure-hugging black jumper. Thankfully, she was also wearing a bra underneath which preserved her modesty when camera flashbulbs turned the material semi-sheer. She matched the outfit with a black and white skirt which helped show off her legs. Carrying a rigid clutch bag, she anchored the monochrome ensemble with some black lace heels for added glamour. Stylish: Opting for a colour co-ordinated look, the acclaimed star - who originates from Texas - wore a figure-hugging black jumper Small mercies! Thankfully, she was also wearing a bra underneath which preserved her modesty when camera flashbulbs turned the material semi-sheer Earlier this week Renee revealed that she found returning to the spotlight to be 'scary'. The actress - who first starred as Bridget in 2001 - confessed: 'It was scary coming back. 'Especially since I love this character and didn't want to disappoint anybody. I always feel a slight twinge of impostor syndrome when I go to work - it's an ever-present sentiment for me that I'll be thinking, 'OK, this is the time I'm going to be discovered and fired' - and after being away for so long, it was strong this time. 'But from the moment I read the script, I was reminded of how much I love Bridget and how much I love her family and her friends, so once I'd gotten past my fear, it was a very happy experience.' Promo trail: Renee is busy promoting the latest installment of the Bridget Jones franchise Getting chatty: Renee joins pregnant Alex Jones on The One Show at the BBC studios Good times: The celebrated performer seemed to be enjoying the live TV interview Slimline: The star couldn't help but show off her trim shape in her choice of attire Meanwhile, Renee also revealed she relished the experience of pretending to be pregnant for the new movie. She told the Daily Mail: 'The prosthetic baby bump was a substantial number, and it took a long time to put on and - importantly - take off, so I wasn't drinking a lot of water because if I needed to go to the bathroom, everyone would have to wait a good 20 minutes for me to get back! 'But it was beautifully built. Kind of like a swimsuit, but with a tank top underneath to keep the weepy rubbery material off my skin, and then a couple of tank tops on top to smooth it out, and then whatever the wardrobe was on top of that. 'It was heavy, which was essential to look realistic. I had advice from friends who had been pregnant and one said to me, 'You shouldn't put your hands on your back like that, pregnant women don't really walk around with their hands on their backs.' 'But it's my back that really hurt while I was wearing the prosthetic, and I say kudos to the ladies who have been through it in real life!' Philippines' Duterte declines meeting with UN's Ban Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has railed against the United Nations for criticising his government, has declined a request to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, officials said Thursday. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that "contacts were had to try to set up a time" for a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum meeting in Laos next week, but that "no time could be agreed upon." A foreign affairs spokesman in Manila said that 11 heads of state had requested meetings with Duterte during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting, and that he had said yes to nine of them. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has railed against the United Nations for criticising his government, even threatening to withdraw from the world body King Rodriguez (PPD/AFP/ho/File) "Please understand that he cannot accept them all and no one should impute any negatives on those he could not accommodate," said Charles Jose in Manila. Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella said the September 6-8 ASEAN meeting in Vientiane was "extraordinarily full" and that "a number of possible meetups have to be presently foregone." Duterte has launched several tirades against the world body after a UN special rapporteur criticized his crackdown on crime, even threatening to pull out of the United Nations, a threat he later withdrew. "Maybe well just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that disrespectful, son of a whore, then I will just leave you," Duterte said in a press conference last month. He later said the threat was just a "joke." Nearly 2,000 people have been killed since Duterte was sworn into office on June 30 and immediately launched his war on crime, according to the national police chief. Duterte has insisted most of the 756 people confirmed killed by police were drug suspects who resisted arrest, while the others died due to gang members waging warfare against each other. New plastic clothing material could keep people cool American researchers have created a low-cost textile made of a plastic base that could cool the body when woven into clothing. The engineers suggested in the US journal Science that the textile could become a way to keep people living in hot climates cool without using air conditioning. "If you can cool the person rather than the building where they work or live, that will save energy," said Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering and of photon science at Stanford. American scientists have developed a material which could cool the body and keep people in hot climates cool without using air conditioning Madaree Tohlala (AFP/File) Scientists blended nanotechnology, photonics and chemistry to develop the material, which cools the wearer in two ways. Like cotton, the textile allows sweat to evaporate through the material, but the new development allows it to also let through heat the body gives off as infrared radiation. The latter is a characteristic of polyethylene, the clear, clingy plastic already used as kitchen wrap. All objects -- including our bodies -- discharge heat as infrared radiation in the form of invisible light wavelengths. Clothing traps those wavelengths close to the body, but the new plastic textile lets them through. "Forty to 60 percent of our body heat is dissipated as infrared radiation when we are sitting in an office," said Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering. "But until now there has been little or no research on designing the thermal radiation characteristics of textiles." To test the cooling capabilities of the experimental material, researchers put swatches of the plastic material and cotton fabric on bare skin and compared skin surface temperature. "Wearing anything traps some heat and makes the skin warmer," Fan said. "If dissipating thermal radiation were our only concern, then it would be best to wear nothing." The cotton fabric made the skin 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) warmer than the new material, suggesting that wearing the "cooling textile" might make people less likely to resort to turning on fans or air conditioners. The scientists said they will continue working to add more colors, textures and cloth-like traits to their product. Irish cabinet agrees to appeal Apple ruling Ireland's fragile minority government agreed Friday to recommend an appeal against the EU's tax ruling on Apple but said it was recalling parliament early to debate the issue. The deal overcomes a split in cabinet surrounding the 13 billion euros ($15 billion) plus interest that the EU says Apple owes in back taxes, putting Ireland at the centre of a row between Europe and the United States. Apple chief Tim Cook has urged the government to appeal against the ruling to secure future investments but opinion polls have shown public support for Ireland taking the money and spending it on social services. Irish Prime Minister and Fine Gael party leader, Enda Kenny, (L) heads a minority government, which relies on the support of the main opposition Fianna Fail party Paul Faith (AFP/File) "The government has decided unanimously to bring an appeal before the European courts to challenge the European Commission's decision on the Apple state aid case," Finance Minister Michael Noonan told reporters. "I believe that there are some very important principles at stake in this case and that a robust legal challenge before the courts is essential to defend Ireland's interests," he said. "The full amount of tax was paid in this case and no state aid was provided. Ireland did not give favourable tax treatment to Apple," he said. But Mary Lou McDonald, deputy leader of the opposition Sinn Fein party, said allowing Apple to avoid a tax payment was an "obscenity". "It's an agenda that has nothing to do with standing by the people of Ireland. What it demonstrates is an absolute disregard and disdain for citizens, fair play and tax justice," she said. Parliament will meet for a special session next Wednesday, ahead of its scheduled return on September 27, officials said. In Brussels, a European Commission spokesperson said: "The Commission will defend its decision in court". - 'In the public interest' - Earlier this week, three independent Irish ministers propping up the government had refused to back the appeal and said they wanted greater transparency about corporate tax arrangements for multinationals. But after the cabinet meeting, Shane Ross of the Independent Alliance said he and his colleague Finian McGrath had supported the government position. "We felt there was a state of urgency because there was uncertainty out there in the markets amongst some multinationals," he said. "We were persuaded by the argument that it was necessary to clear up that uncertainty as soon as possible," he said. Katherine Zappone, another dissenting independent, confirmed she too had agreed to the appeal "in the public interest". The back taxes that the European Commission has determined the US tech giant owes are equivalent to around five percent of Ireland's gross domestic product and almost all of its annual health budget. - 'Do the right thing' - "Ireland is caught in a dispute between the EU and US over which it has little control," the UK-based Financial Times newspaper wrote in an editorial. "Bowing to the commission's ruling would... be a tacit acknowledgement that there has indeed been something rotten in the low-tax regime that Dublin operates to attract multinationals," it said. Ireland's minority government relies on the support of the main opposition Fianna Fail party, which is likely to back the appeal in parliament. Some lawmakers believe Ireland cannot afford to undermine its tax policies, one of the main planks of a highly successful inward investment strategy that has consistently attracted the world's top tech and pharma multinationals over the past three decades. Others say Ireland should take the money and spend it on services or build more affordable homes to deal with a housing crisis. Ireland has two months to lodge an appeal against the ruling. Fianna Fail technology spokesman James Lawless said earlier that Ireland had to appeal but admitted this would be difficult to explain to voters who wanted the money "gift-wrapped on their doorstep". "I would be more interested in preserving Ireland's sovereign tax status," he said, adding: "Ireland has been caught in the crossfire between the United States and Europe". On Thursday, Cook turned up the heat saying he believed the Irish government "would do the right thing". "It is important the government stands strong on that because future investment for business really depends on a level of certainty," he said. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager gives a press conference in Brussels after the EC ordered Apple to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes John Thys (AFP/File) It's official: Malaysia PM outed as key scandal figure A Malaysian cabinet minister has admitted that Prime Minister Najib Razak was the mysterious unnamed official who the US Justice Department said took part in rampant looting of state funds. The admission confirmed widespread suspicions that Najib was "Malaysian Official 1" mentioned in a Justice Department lawsuit filed in July. The lawsuit -- part of US moves to seize more than $1 billion in allegedly ill-gotten assets -- repeatedly fingered the official as someone conspiring to divert vast sums from state investment fund 1MDB. Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak (C) launched a crackdown last year on a spiralling financial scandal Mohd Rasfan (AFP/File) Najib, who launched a crackdown last year to contain the spiralling scandal, has so far not commented on the identity of the unnamed official. But in an interview with the BBC that aired late Thursday, Minister of Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Abdul Rahman Dahlan admitted it was Najib. "It's obvious that the so-called 'Malaysian Official 1' referred to by the US Justice Department is our Prime Minister," he said in a subsequent clarifying statement. Rahman Dahlan, who also is communications director for Najib's ruling coalition, did not address whether Najib committed wrongdoing. But he insisted Najib was not a target of the US lawsuit. His comments, however, will add fuel to persistent calls for Najib to step down and face justice. Tens of thousands of people paralysed the capital Kuala Lumpur in August 2015 with two days of protest over the scandal. Last weekend, several hundred protesters demonstrated, demanding that "Malaysian Official 1" be identified and arrested. Najib, however, has shut down Malaysian investigations, clamped down on media reporting of the affair, and purged critics from his ruling party. 1MDB, or 1Malaysia Development Berhad, was launched by Najib in 2009 and closely overseen by him. Allegations of a vast international scheme of embezzlement and money-laundering involving billions of dollars of 1MDB money began to emerge two years ago. In its scathing lawsuit, the US Justice Department detailed how "Malaysian Official 1", family members, and close associates diverted billions from the now-stricken fund. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. The Justice Department has moved to seize assets including real estate in Beverly Hills, New York and London, artworks by Monet and Van Gogh, and a Bombardier jet that it alleges were purchased with money stolen from 1MDB. It was not immediately clear why Rahman Dahlan, a staunch defender of Najib, had outed him. But the news dominated headlines in Malaysia, and was a top-trending Twitter topic in the country Friday. Senior opposition figure Lim Kit Siang said Najib must immediately submit to justice to avoid further harming Malaysia's image. "The Prime Minister .... (must) purge and cleanse Malaysias reputation as a global kleptocracy," he said in a statement. Analysts warn the scandal could harm foreign investment in Malaysia, but Najib has refused to give way. Political experts see no sign yet that he will be ousted before the next elections, due by mid-2018, due to his long-ruling coalition's firm control. What is Malaysia's 1MDB scandal? Laurence CHU, John SAEKI (AFP) Putin, Abe seek progress on island row Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday tried to make headway on a lingering territorial dispute as they sought to boost trade, but failed to make a breakthrough. Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties. Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a meeting on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 2, 2016 Alexei Druzhinin (Sputnik/AFP) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the leaders had discussed the disputed islands at talks that had focused on boosting trade ties but remained vague on the prospects of solving the conflict. "We are now sensing the readiness of our Japanese partners to discuss issues tied to joint business activities on the islands," Lavrov said, adding that the countries were also mulling humanitarian cooperation. Abe's visit to Russia -- his second this year -- comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip there since 2005. Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News ahead of the talks that Moscow was seeking a "solution where neither party will feel... defeated or a loser." "We are not talking about some kind of exchange or some kind of sale," he said. Putin said signing a peace treaty with Japan was a "key issue" and that Moscow "would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends." Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make progress on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive. - Rapprochement efforts - The two sides, meeting on the sidelines of an economic forum in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, had expressed the hope of easing some of the tensions surrounding the contested islands. "I'm resolved to make progress on the peace treaty and territorial issues by holding candid and thorough talks with President Putin," Abe told reporters before he set off for Vladivostok. Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscow's trade ties with stalwart US ally Tokyo, but doubt they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute. "Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognise them," Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said. Foreign minister Lavrov said earlier this year that Russia wants its ties with Japan to "move forward" but is not prepared to budge on the "result of World War II". Russia has angered Japan recently by building new modern compounds for its troops stationed on two of the disputed islands. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo last year when he visited the islands, which are home to some 19,000 Russians. - Boosting trade - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the talks that the territorial dispute was "far from the main issue on the agenda". Japan joined the US and EU in slapping sanctions on Russia over its meddling in Ukraine, further hindering its already modest trade with Moscow. Bilateral trade between the countries last year fell by 31 percent to $21.3 billion (19 billion euros), in part due to the punishing economic measures by Japan. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that in spite of the sanctions imposed by Tokyo, the Russian market remains "of great interest" to the Japanese business community. Abe's delegation also took part in talks on a wide-range of economic issues with senior Russian officials, including Lavrov, Energy Minister Alexander Novak, and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov. Business leaders Igor Sechin, the CEO of oil giant Rosneft, and Oleg Deripaska, who heads aluminium producer Rusal, were also part of the Russian delegation. During his visit to Russia's Black Sea city of Sochi in May, Abe proposed an eight-point economic cooperation plan with Russia that focused on energy, agriculture and industrial production. 'Miracle' patient speaks as Mother Teresa set for sainthood Sitting in her mud house in eastern India, Monica Besra vividly recalls the "blinding light" emanating from Mother Teresa's photo that she believes helped cure her cancer -- one of the two recognised miracles that propelled the nun towards sainthood. Besra, a tribal woman from West Bengal, became an overnight sensation in September 1998 when she claimed that a picture and a medallion of the world's most famous Roman Catholic nun had cured her ovarian tumour. "Two sisters carried me to the church since I was too weak to stand or walk by myself," the 50-year-old told AFP at her tin-roofed home in Harirampur on Thursday. India's Monica Besra (L) says a "blinding light" from Mother Teresa's photo enveloped her Diptendu Dutta (AFP) Her village is some 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Kolkata, where Mother Teresa -- who is set to be canonised on Sunday -- devoted her life to helping the sick, the poor and the dying. "As soon as I entered (the church), a blinding, divine light emitted from Mother's photo and enveloped me. I closed my eyes, I couldn't understand what was happening. It was indescribable, I felt faint," the mother of five said. On September 5, 1998 -- exactly a year after Mother Teresa's death -- nuns placed a tiny aluminium medallion that had been blessed by the future Saint Teresa of Kolkata on Besra's stomach and prayed for her. She recounts how she awoke to go to the bathroom a few hours later, a walk usually too painful for her to carry out alone. "I got up from my bed feeling so light and good. I looked down to see the giant lump had disappeared. I couldn't believe it. I touched that part, poked it, pinched it. It was really gone. I wasn't dreaming it," said Besra, who still wears the medallion around her neck. The next day she was proclaimed cured, a feat hailed by the Vatican as a miracle leading to Mother Teresa's beatification -- a crucial step on the path to sainthood -- that took place in October 2003 in Rome, with Besra in attendance. The Pope last year recognised a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa -- the 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man suffering from multiple brain tumours, paving the way for her canonisation by the Vatican. - 'Fictitious' - Besra's claim, however, is not without its detractors. Doctors who treated her have said there was no evidence of a miracle and that her tumour, which was at an early stage, had responded to medicine. "Besra was rid of her tumour with the help of very strong medicines and treatment for several days at Balurghat Hospital," former West Bengal health minister Partho De told AFP in 2002. "I mean no disrespect to Mother Teresa but it is stretching the truth to say that it was a miracle worked by her." Prabir Ghosh, general secretary of the Indian Rationalist and Scientific Thinking Association, has challenged her story from the outset. "The miracles attributed to Mother Teresa for her sainthood are fictitious claims. There is no scientific evidence to prove the claims," Ghosh told AFP in Kolkata. "Missionaries of Charity (the nun's order) has fudged facts to claim miracles to secure sainthood for the Roman Catholic nun." Missionaries of Charity has consistently declined to respond on the issue. For her part, Besra, whose beliefs are not strictly in line with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, remains unmoved by her critics. She maintains that Mother Teresa "performs miracles only for those who believe and I have always believed". Although her sainthood is only now being made official, Besra said she always considered the nun a saint with the power to heal. "Her canonisation is a wish come true," she said. The canonisation of Mother Teresa Kun TIAN, Maud ZABA, Jose Vicente BERNABEU (AFP) India's Monica Besra believes the power of prayer and a small silver medallion, blessed by Mother Teresa, removed a tumour from her stomach overnight Diptendu Dutta (AFP) Guinea president, opposition meet after anti-govt protests Guinea's President Alpha Conde and opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo met for talks, two weeks after violent protests over alleged government corruption swept the capital. One man was shot dead by police and several others were injured as at least half a million people rallied in Conakry to denounce what they said was economic mismanagement by Conde's government. "We discussed the political, economic and social situation," Diallo told reporters after the meeting. Guinea's President Alpha Conde (R) shakes hands with opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo during their meeting at the presidential palace in Conakry Cellou Binani (AFP) "There was convergence of views on many issues. There were differences that we tried to iron out through the discussion... and we managed to resolve our differences," added Diallo, the leader of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea who has twice lost to Conde in presidential polls. Conde said the meeting had covered "many points" and that the two would now meet regularly. "We decided to have regular meetings... We all want the best for Guinea, Guinea's citizens. So it is totally normal that there are regular exchanges between the president of the republic and the opposition leader," Conde said. "It will prevent manipulation by one side or the other," the president added. The rally on August 17 organised by several opposition parties had passed peacefully until shots were fired by police as the protesters began to disperse, according to witnesses and an AFP journalist who was on the scene. It was not clear what prompted the intervention by security forces. The police officer who killed the protester -- identified as 21- year-old Thierno Hamidou Diallo -- has been arrested, security minister Abdoul Kabele Camara said. The officer fired "despite strict orders", Camara said. Guinea's constitutional court in November 2015 formally confirmed Conde's re-election, dismissing opposition claims of vote-rigging and fraud. It was only the second democratic presidential poll since Guinea gained independence from France in 1958. Marooned Hanjin vessels spark shipping crisis South Korea's Hanjin Shipping company said Friday about one third of its cargo fleet -- some forty ships -- is marooned at sea or has been seized at ports, as international shipping staggers after its biggest ever bankruptcy filing. On Wednesday, Hanjin Shipping, the world's seventh-largest shipping company filed for court protection after its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), rejected its self-rescue scheme. The crisis has badly hit the oversupplied international shipping industry, suffering from its worst downturn in six decades and sent ripples as far as the US economy, with retailers fearing it may damage Christmas trade. South Korea's Hanjin shipping faces a cash shortage of around $900 million needed to roll over debts Roslan Rahman (AFP/File) "Forty-five of our 144 vessels are unable to operate in the normal fashion in some 10 countries," a Hanjin spokesman told AFP. "Some of them are being impounded, others being barred from docking or discharging," he said. Hanjin's vessels, sailors and cargo are stuck in a maritime limbo as ports, wary they will not be paid for their services, refuse to let them dock, as well as refusing to handle or free cargo already landed. Also effected are ships not owned by Hanjin but contracted by it or those belonging to its alliance members, along with cargo and containers on board those vessels. US retailers, bracing for fall-out from Hanjin's woes as they stock up for the crucial Christmas holiday sales season, have asked Washington to step in and help resolve a growing crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. 10 Hanjin vessels were either seized or denied access at Chinese terminals in Shanghai and Tianjin over the past 48 hours, according to local media reports, with another vessel seized in Singapore earlier the week. An estimated 540,000 containers are expected to face delivery delays, according to the reports. Hanjin officially entered court receivership Friday, the Seoul Central District Court announced. The court will decide whether to keep Hanjin afloat under a recovery programme including debt rescheduling or to declare it bankrupt. South Korean financial authorities reportedly consider letting South Korea's No.2 Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. take over Hanjin's good assets such as its global marketing networks and personnel as well as its own 59 ships. Financial Supervisory Commission Yim Jong-Yong on Friday met with KDB and Hyundai Merchant Marine officials and asked Hyundai to help ease cargo disruptions, Yonhap news agency said. Accordingly, Hyundai plans to deploy a total of 13 vessels to the US and Europe, Yonhap added. Hanjin faces a cash shortage of about one trillion won ($900 million) needed to roll over debts. But major creditors including the state-run Korea Development Bank decided Tuesday not to offer more help. They said the firm failed to present a viable plan to turn around its business, which has been in the red every year since 2011 amid slowing demand in China and rising charter fees to shipowners. World's biggest shipping lines Gal ROMA, John SAEKI (AFP) Taiwan convicts students over anti-China protest Taiwan has convicted five students who stormed the education ministry last year to protest a school curriculum seen as skewed towards Beijing. The students were among a group of demonstrators angry over controversial curriculum changes which they said favoured China's view of the island's history. The new curriculum -- introduced by the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang government which was then in power -- sparked a string of protests and the suicide of a student activist, reflecting growing concerns over increased Chinese influence on Taiwan particularly among the young. A new school curriculum seen as pro-Beijing sparked protests and the suicide of a student activist in Taiwan Sam Yeh (AFP/File) Taiwan is self-ruling since splitting from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war -- but it has never formally declared independence and China still sees it as part of its territory. Five students were indicted on obstruction of justice and coercion charges after they allegedly scuffled with security guards. Four were given suspended sentences Thursday, in addition to 120 hours of community service. The 30-40 day sentences were suspended for two years. The fifth student was also found guilty but received no sentence as he was less involved and had shown remorse, the court added. One student said he would appeal. "I didn't push the security guards," student Tsai Ming-ying told reporters, saying he would contest the "unacceptable" ruling. A court statement said the students were given the suspended sentences due to their youth. "They did not think things through enough," it said, adding that the victims were willing to forgive them. Taiwan's new Beijing-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government repealed the curriculum changes less than two weeks after it took office in May. It also dropped a lawsuit against activists of the "Sunflower Movement", who stormed the cabinet headquarters to protest a China trade pact in 2014. The education ministry dropped trespassing charges against the five convicted students as well as other protesters but legally had to proceed with the more serious obstruction of justice and coercion charges. Ties with China have rapidly cooled since the DPP's Tsai Ing-wen won the presidency in January as Beijing deeply mistrusts her traditionally pro-independence party. Who is the US-designated 'terrorist' leading IS in Somalia? A middle-aged Somali-born cleric with a bright orange beard was this week put on a US terror list, accused of heading the Islamic State group in East Africa. The US State Department on Wednesday said Abdulqadir (also Abdiqadir) Mumin is "the head of a group of ISIL-linked individuals in East Africa," using another term for IS, and branding him a "global terrorist". Here's what we know about the man, and the threat he poses. French commandos attached to EUNAVFOR-Somalia patrol in Bossaso, on the coast of Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland in March, 2014 Aymeric Vincenot (AFP/File) - British links - Mumin was born in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland and lived in Sweden before moving to the UK in the 2000s, where he was granted British citizenship. In London and Leicester, he developed a reputation as a firebrand preacher at extremist mosques and in videos posted online. Monitored by MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, Mumin is thought to have known Mohamed Emwazi, the IS executioner nicknamed 'Jihadi John', and Michael Adebolajo, one of two people convicted over the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in London. In 2010, Mumin travelled to Somalia to join the Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-aligned militant group -- which both Emwazi and Adebolajo had tried to do, but were unsuccessful. On arrival, he reportedly burned his British passport then served as a Shabaab propagandist and imam -- "an ideologue not a commander," according to Matt Bryden, director of Sahan Research, a Kenya-based think tank. - Defection to IS - Mumin was dispatched to mountainous eastern Somaliland on the border with his home region of Puntland in 2012 to bolster the fervour of fighters under the command of local Shabaab leader and Warsengili clan militia leader Mohamed Said Atom. Atom surrendered to the Somali government in 2014 and Mumin eventually took control of the Puntland faction which, separated from the bulk of the Shabaab in Somalia's south, has always been an orphan group. Largely abandoned in the inhospitable Golis mountains, Mumin reimagined himself as a commander, despite lacking any experience on the battlefield, and announced his defection to IS, along with a handful of fighters, in an audio message last October. In the following months, his small group of fighters was harried and attacked by the Shabaab loyalists with local Puntland media describing him as being "on the run". - Little support - Mumin's motivations remain opaque. In a briefing note, the International Crisis Group think tank suggested his departure may have been "a pre-emptive attempt... to lay claim to the spiritual leadership of a future IS franchise in Somalia." The switch to IS has not won him much support -- neither in manpower, money nor material -- with most observers believing he has between 20 and 100 followers, predominately from his own Majerteen clan. Washington said Mumin has "expanded his cell of ISIL supporters by kidnapping young boys aged 10-15, indoctrinating them, and forcing them to take up militant activity." Even so, as a bid to take over Shabaab territory, Mumin's gambit appears to have failed dismally. A video released in April showed Mumin at a small training camp with a handful of supporters in headscarves and grey tunics carrying a variety of assault rifles, grenade launchers and machine guns. - Expansion prospects 'limited' - The remoteness of the Golis mountains has so far saved Mumin from the fate of other defectors who were hunted down and killed, or chased into exile, by the Amniyat, the Shabaab's intelligence unit that has crushed IS attempts to take control of the East Africa jihad. In an article published this week by the Washington-based Hudson Institute think tank, researchers Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Nathaniel Barr described IS as having "only a small and tenuous foothold in Somalia" under Mumin's leadership. Arguably, Mumin's biggest successes is his designation by the US as a serious terrorist threat -- making him the potential target of a drone strike. Despite his less-than-impressive performance, analysts say it would be wrong to dismiss his nascent group. "Its prospects for expansion are limited," said Bryden. "But there is potential." Blue sky thinking: China cleans up for G20 summit Factories have been closed to ensure blue skies, potential troublemakers detained and a quarter of the residents have left: welcome to Hangzhou, a city China's ruling Communist Party is determined will look its best for the G20 summit. From fines for hanging out laundry to restrictions on rice, Beijing has gone to extremes to ensure participants in the global pow-wow will leave with a glowing impression of their host nation. Few summit-watchers expect policy fireworks when leaders from the world's biggest economies gather in the city for talks aimed at breathing life into still-sluggish growth. China's image-sensitive rulers want to impress global leaders attending the G20 summit in Hangzhou STR (AFP/File) But China's image-sensitive rulers see the meeting as a chance to showcase their country's emergence as a global powerhouse. And they are taking no chances. More than two million of the city's nine million citizens are expected to leave, state media say, many enticed by free trips offered by government-run tour firms and taking advantage of a week-long paid vacation employers have been ordered to give them. Many of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who live hand-to-mouth from construction jobs or working for small businesses have already departed. Most migrants have gone home. If you don't close, you could be fined or even arrested, said a man surnamed Hou, who runs a small shop that is now shuttered, along with most nearby restaurants. In an effort to reduce the smog that often chokes eastern China, restrictions extend far beyond the city. Factories within a 300-kilometre (185 mile) radius of the city - the heartland of China's textile industry -- have been forced to shut down for 12 days. Even in Shanghai - some 200 kilometres away - 255 factories have been shuttered. "Many plants like us are closed, losing a lot of money," a woman in her 50s who works for a sock manufacturer in the nearby city of Datang told AFP, asking not to be named. "I heard the meeting is only for two days. This is all for China's image?" -Dirty laundry- Described as the "most beautiful and elegant city in the world" by 13th-century traveller Marco Polo, Hangzhou's island-dotted West Lake has been celebrated by Chinese artists for centuries. Now the area is under tight police control, with uniformed officers on every street and rigorous security checks involving x-rays for anyone seeking to come close to the water. Police are checking IDs on subways, buses, and on streets. There are helicopters patrolling the sky, buzzing all day long. Its like we are about to go to war, a worker at a local internet company told AFP. Others were enjoying the quiet. "It's quite nice to drive with so few cars on the street," said student Shao Tianyu. Posters urging locals to support the G20 and be a civilised Hangzhou resident dot the streets. Inside apartment compounds, notices announce bans on setting-off fireworks and flying remote-controlled drones. It is forbidden to hang clothes to dry on balconies within this compound one poster said, threatening a fine of up to 1000 yuan ($150). Its because foreigners are coming," explained a security guard surnamed Wu. The preparations are even having an impact on dinner tables. After a top official declared last month that not one single grain of unsafe rice would enter Hangzhou for the summit, the staple saw big price rises, one local grain supplier said. - 'Limiting my freedom' - Representatives from several large European charities will be staying away after failing to secure accreditation. "Without accreditation it would be just sightseeing," said Gerd Leipold of environmental campaign group Climate Transparency. Hotels have also tightened security, with some refusing guests from Xinjiang, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority, members of which have been blamed for deadly attacks in Chinese cities in recent years. "We do not entertain clients from Xinjiang, Hong Kong or Taiwan," a receptionist at the Jinjiang hotel told AFP. "After G20 we can host them". In other countries the summit has been a flashpoint for protesters hoping to bring their cause to a global audience. But China has detained dozens of dissidents to prevent any unrest, rights groups say. "I know of more than 100 cases of people being detained," due to the summit, said Huang Qi, who runs a website monitoring grass roots protest in China. Li Huachen, who hopes to draw attention to the alleged forced demolition of his home, said he had been ordered to travel during the summit. "They call it a vacation, but really its limiting my freedom," he told AFP by telephone. "They are scared I will go to Hangzhou". G20 in Hangzhou Laurence CHU (AFP) Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on a one-week visit to China and will also attend the G20 summit in Hangzhou Fred Dufour (AFP/File) Smog often chokes eastern China, where Hangzhou is located, prompting factory closures to clean up the air STR (AFP) Pakistan army kills four suicide bombers at Christian colony Four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in Pakistan were killed early Friday during a gunfight with security forces outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, the army said. Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the army said. "Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50 am (00:50 GMT)," the Pakistan army said in a statement. Pakistani troops are carrying out a house-to-house search north of Peshawar after a failed suicide attack on a Christian colony and a gunfight A Majeed (AFP) "Security forces promptly responded and surrounded the area. Exchange of fire took place and all four terrorists were killed," it said, adding that two paramilitary soldiers, a policeman and two security guards were wounded in the gunfight. The "situation is under control", the statement said, adding that troops were now carrying out a house-to-house search of the area. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attempt, with a spokesman telling journalists in Peshawar they had killed many "infidels" in the assault. The militants regularly exaggerate their claims. JuA claimed it was behind Pakistan's deadliest attack this year, a bombing that also targeted Christians in a crowded Lahore park that killed 75 people on Easter Sunday. And the group has said it was behind an attack on a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta last month that killed 73. Islamic State had also said it carried out that attack, though the Pakistani military said Thursday there was no evidence to support the claim. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population. The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups, and in 2011 gunned down Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was federal minister for minority affairs. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's deadliest-ever terror attack. The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. Quills, coins and dragons: Myanmar's tribal fashions From porcupine quills and fruit, to silver coins and beads, the ethnic costumes on parade in Myanmar's capital this week showed off the country's diversity and added sartorial splendour to the cold detail of talks to end decades of rebellion. Bedecked in an elaborate headdress of feathers, quills and shell-studded tassels, Aye Aye Mu said her traditional outfit carried a hard political message to Naypyidaw. "I am wearing (this costume) because I want to show how many different ethnicities there are in this country," the ethnic Chin lawmaker in the state's lower house explained. Peace conference delegates from the Akha ethnic group from eastern Shan State attend talks at the convention center in Naypyidaw Romeo Gacad (AFP) "Porcupines have quills as a kind of weapon to protect themselves -- in the same way, our people use it as a symbol to protect our rights," she added. "We used to wear this costume on victory day and for other traditional events." She was among the hundreds of delegates from Myanmar's border states kitted out in ancestral dress who gathered for talks aimed at ending nearly 70 years of bloody conflict with the central authorities. Minority lawmakers already wear traditional headwear in parliament, but for many the full outfits were a statement of cultural distinction to the ethnic Bamar majority who have dominated Myanmar's politics for decades. As the seat of power, Naypyidaw, the junta's "Abode of Kings" as its name translates, has come to represent the callous disregard for the country's ethnic people. The highly symbolic talks, which end on Saturday, are an attempt by de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to set the framework for a binding nationwide peace deal. But no resolution is expected this week -- experts predict a years-long tussle complicated by ownership issues over land and resources as well as disarmament of rebel groups and political autonomy. Some groups have already agreed ceasefires, but conflict rumbles on in several border areas that have displaced tens of thousands. The meeting was marred by ongoing skirmishes in Shan and Kachin states and a walkout Thursday by representatives of the Wa -- a heavily armed militia who live in an area bordering China accused of large-scale drug production. Despite the hurdles, a glance around the assembly hall gave a glimpse into the kaleidoscope of cultures in Myanmar. An Akha delegate, of eastern Shan state, wore a headdress covered with Indian rupee coins, a heavy silver chain dangling below her chin and a brightly-coloured woven bag -- worth up to $10,000. "It is really difficult to maintain as it's very expensive. However, I am wearing it here because it is so valuable to our people," Natalina, whose ethnic group do not carry a surname, told AFP. Nam Kham Wah of the PaO, one of Myanmar's largest ethnic groups, said her elaborate turban and the dragon insignia on her shirt told the story of her people. "Our turban is part of our folklore," she said. "We believe our first father was a powerful saint and the mother, a dragon, so our turban is like a dragon head." Natalina, a peace conference delegate from the Akha ethnic group from eastern Shan State Romeo Gacad (AFP) Bomb attack at Pakistan court kills 14, injures dozens At least 14 people were killed and more than 50 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a court in the Pakistani city of Mardan Friday, police said, the latest assault targeting Pakistan's legal community. The bomber shot his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade and detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowds, senior police official Ejaz Khan told reporters. Rescuers picked their way through scattered human remains and blood-stained office equipment and files to collect survivors, witnesses said. Pakistani residents inspect the site of a suicide bomb attack at a district court in Mardan on September 2, 2016 A Majeed (AFP) Amir Hussain, president of the Mardan Bar Association, said he was in a room nearby when the bomb detonated. "There was dust everywhere, and people were crying loud with pain," he said. His suit drenched in blood, he added: "I started picking up the wounded and putting them in cars to take them to hospital. I did not know if the people I was rescuing were dead or alive." Lawyers were being targeted because they are "an important part of democracy, and these terrorists are opposed to democracy," he said. "Our morale is not dented. It is still high," he added. Nasir Khan Durrani, provincial police chief, told AFP the death toll had reached 14, with at least 58 people wounded, three of whom were critical. Officials said the bomber had up to eight kilogrammes of explosives packed into his vest, while the dead included lawyers and police. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan. - Christians targeted - Friday's blast came as security forces fended off four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony near the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the west of Mardan. All four attackers were killed along with a guard at the entrance to the colony, an army statement said. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attempt. The group has also said it was behind the attack on lawyers in Quetta, which killed 73 people on August 8, as well as the Lahore Easter bombing which killed 75 people in Pakistan's deadliest attack this year. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population, while the legal community are also frequently the subjects of targeted killings. Friday's attacks were "a horrific reminder that Pakistan's authorities must do more to ensure vulnerable groups are protected," said Amnesty International South Asia director Champa Patel. "Armed groups are seeking to undermine the rule of law by targeting both the people who defend it in court and the people it should protect." The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups and soft targets such as courts and schools. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's deadliest-ever terror attack. The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned Friday's attacks, adding that militants were on the back foot and were "showing (their) frustration by attacking soft targets". "They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," he added. Pakistan map locating Mardan AFP (AFP) The suicide blast in Mardan is the latest assault on Pakistan's legal community A Majeed (AFP) Pakistani soldiers cordon off a street leading to a Christian colony following an attempted suicide attack on the outskirts of Peshawar on September 2, 2016 A Majeed (AFP) Four killed as blasts rock Baghdad At least four people were killed and 16 wounded on Friday when blasts, including at a weapons storage facility, rocked northeastern neighbourhoods of Baghdad, security sources said. Accounts of the incident differed and it was not immediately clear whether the blasts were accidental or caused by an attack. The largest blast sent a ball of fire into the sky at a weapons depot used by the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary organisation in the Obeidi neighbourhood, on the outskirts of the city. Smoke billows from buildings in a northeastern neighbourhood of Baghdad rocked by several blasts on September 2, 2016 Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP) "The blast took place in a weapons storage facility on a Hashed al-Shaabi base," Ahmed al-Assadi, the organisation's spokesman, told AFP without elaborating. The Hashed al-Shaabi is a large paramilitary force which is nominally under the authority of the prime minister but is dominated by powerful Iran-backed Shiite militias. Several other blasts were reported in nearby neighbourhoods of northeastern Baghdad. An interior ministry official said they were caused by rockets but it was not clear whether the rockets had been fired from outside the base or were set off by the fire at the weapons storage facility. Police and medical officials said at least four people were killed and 16 wounded in the blasts. Catholic icon Mother Teresa to be proclaimed a saint Mother Teresa, the revered but controversial nun whose work with the dying and the destitute made her an icon of 20th Century Christianity, will be declared a saint on Sunday. The elevation of the Nobel Peace Prize winner to Catholicism's celestial pantheon comes on the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death in the Kolkata slums with which she is synonomous. Teresa worked with the poorest of the poor in the sprawling metropolis formerly known as Calcutta for nearly four decades, having initially come to eastern India as a missionary teacher with Ireland's Loreto order. Mother Teresa worked with the poorest of the poor in the sprawling metropolis formerly known as Calcutta for nearly four decades Vincento Pinto (AFP/File) Born to Kosovar Albanian parents in what is now Macedonia in 1910, Teresa died in 1997. By then she was a household name around the world and also a citizen of India, the adopted homeland that embraced the diminutive and doggedly determined sister to the extent that she was granted a state funeral. Her canonisation has been completed in unusually quick time on the back of the extraordinary popularity she enjoyed during her lifetime and with the help of influential supporters. The late pope John Paul II, a personal friend, was the pontiff at the time of Teresa's death. He fast-tracked her beatification (the step before sainthood). The current pope, Francis, is also an admirer of a woman he sees as embodying his vision of a "poor church for the poor." The Missionaries of Charity, the order that Teresa created in 1950, now operates in 133 countries and comprises almost 5,000 male and female members. - Missionaries not social workers - During her life, Teresa was widely revered as a self-sacrificing force for good, despite ferocious criticism from prominent intellectuals including the British writer Christopher Hitchens and the Australian feminist academic Germaine Greer. Hitchens wrote a book about her entitled "Hell's Angel" that branded her a hypocrite who fetishised the suffering of the poor while making sure she herself had access to the best available health care. In death, Teresa's legacy has become more widely questioned as researchers have revealed irregularities in the financing of her Order's activities and questioned the running of her missions, many of which have been described as insalubrious at best with little attention paid to hygiene or alleviating the pain of patients. Her reputation has also suffered as the focus of Western aid work has moved away from immediate relief to development programmes designed to deliver sustainable improvements in living standards: the model of teaching people to fish rather than feeding them fish. Teresa was well aware of such criticism during the latter stages of her life, answering them by saying that her faith in Christ made her know that holding the hand of a dying person was a worthwhile activity. Nor did she deny that evangelism was her primary purpose: we are missionaries, not social workers, she said in various formulations over the years. - Miracles - There was never the slightest hint of her compromising on the tenets of Catholicism in the name of improving the lot of impoverished communities, a stance most famously illustrated by her description of abortion as murder by mothers in her Nobel acceptance speech in 1979. Around 100,000 pilgrims are expected in Rome for Sunday's ceremony, around a third of the total that turned out for Teresa's beatification, seen as the last major outing for John Paul II who died in 2005. Under Catholic canon law, the proclamation of a saint usually requires the candidate to have inspired two miracles - one allows beatification and the second clears the way to sainthood. In Teresa's case the first miracle, approved in 2002, involved the 1998 recovery of a Bengali woman, Monica Besra, from an ovarian tumour. The second, recognised in December, relates to a Brazilian man, Marcilio Haddad Andrino, who claims to have suddenly woken up without pain in 2008 after his wife prayed to Teresa for relief from the agony caused by brain tumours. Andrino will attend Sunday's ceremony while Besra, 50, told AFP she would mark the occasion at her home in the village of Nakor. "I have always considered her a saint, like God," she said. "I prayed to her day and night and always believed that she would fix me. "I'll be praying and celebrating here at home on Sunday. Her canonisation is a wish come true." Canonisation of Mother Teresa Kun TIAN, Maud ZABA, Jose Vicente BERNABEU (AFP) A bust of Mother Teresa is seen outside the convent of the Missionaries of Charity In Rome Alberto Pizzoli (AFP/File) Mother Teresa pictured in New Delhi in May 1997 Ravi Raveendran (AFP/File) Mother Teresa was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her work among the poorest people in India Then US president Ronald Reagan applauds after giving Mother Teresa the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 Mike Sargent (AFP/File) Guinea-Bissau Zika cases not from Americas strain: WHO Zika cases found in Guineau-Bissau do not stem from the virus strain linked to a surge in birth defects in Latin America, the World Health Organization said. When Guinea-Bissau announced in early July that it had recorded several cases of Zika, it was believed to be the second country in West Africa hit by the so-called Asian strain of the virus after Cape Verde. That strain has been spreading like wildfire in Latin America since 2015, and has more recently taken hold in Asia, with researchers warning Friday that 2.6 billion people worldwide were in danger of infection. Zika is primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and also by sexual contact Marvin Recinos (AFP/File) But in a report published late Thursday, WHO said that "in Guinea-Bissau, the gene sequencing results of the four confirmed Zika cases sent in July have preliminarily confirmed that the cases are of the African lineage." This, it said, means that the cases were "not (from) the predominant global outbreak Asian lineage." The African strain of the Zika virus, which takes its name from Uganda's tropical Zika forest where it was first discovered in 1947, has been widespread on the continent since then. But until recently, Zika caused little concern, as it usually led only to mild, flu-like symptoms, with many Africans appearing to have built up immunity against the virus. It remains a mystery whether immunity to the African Zika strain can offer protection against the Asian strain. Benign in most people, Zika has been linked to a form of severe birth defect called microcephaly which causes newborns' heads to be abnormally small. It can also cause rare adult-onset neurological problems such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which can result in paralysis and even death. - 'Further surveillance needed' - In its report, WHO said "investigation of five reported cases of microcephaly" was going on in Guinea-Bissau. While the African strain of the virus found in the country had "not been associated with microcephaly and other neurologic complications, further surveillance is needed," the UN health agency said. Since the spread of Zika did not spark concern before the current outbreak began last year, WHO pointed out that little work had been done previously to track the virus and there had been only "very few confirmed cases of the African lineage." Peter Salama, the WHO's chief on outbreaks and health emergencies, told reporters Friday that the microcephaly cases in Guinea-Bissau had been detected even earlier than the Zika cases, stressing that it remained unclear if they had any connection with the virus. "At the moment, we don't know the answer," he said. In an outbreak that started mid-2015, more than 1.5 million people have been infected with Zika in Brazil, and more than 1,600 babies born with abnormally small heads and brains. Seventy countries and territories have reported local mosquito-borne Zika transmission, with Brazil by far the hardest hit. WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency last February, and the UN agency said Friday that that assessment still stands. Gabon's post-election violence claims more lives Post-election violence in Gabon has claimed two more lives, sources said Saturday, after President Ali Bongo was proclaimed winner of last week's vote while main challenger Jean Ping claimed victory for himself. One of the two new victims was a policeman, the first member of the Gabonese security forces listed as killed in the violence sparked by the announcement on Wednesday of Bongo's victory in last weekend's election. "I deplore the death of a police officer who was shot in Oyem," the main town in the north, Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya told AFP. A funeral procession for Axel Messa, killed in Gabon's post-election protests, passes through the Libreville district of Nzeng Ayong on September 2, 2016 Marco Longari (AFP) The attackers, who shot the policeman in the head, were arrested as they attempted to cross the border with Equatorial Guinea. Some 800 people arrested in the capital Libreville over the last three days were being held in "degrading and intolerable conditions," said lawyer Jean-Pierre Akumbu M'Oluna. The interior minister added that, despite the ongoing violence, "we are seeing life returning to Libreville", with businesses beginning to reopen their doors. However the Gabonese capital has been without internet access since Wednesday. Tension was also high in the economic capital Port-Gentil where a youth was shot dead by security forces overnight, according to witnesses. "The parents wanted to march with the body up to the government building with many other people. They were dispersed by security and defence forces," one witness told AFP. Several residents said the death was just one of several in Port-Gentil in recent days caused by the security forces. "They shoot, they take the bodies away, we are traumatised," one mother said. Such claims have not been independently verified, but according to an AFP count the latest deaths bring the recent death toll to seven. - 'Imminent crisis' - The archbishop of Libreville on Saturday called on both the ruling party and the opposition to avoid an "imminent crisis". Bongo was declared victorious by a razor-thin margin of just under 6,000 votes, but his main challenger Ping, a veteran diplomat and former top African Union official, has insisted the vote was rigged and on Friday claimed victory for himself. "The whole world knows who is president of the republic, it's me Jean Ping," he said. Ping is calling for a recount at every polling station and has highlighted the election result in the Bongo family stronghold of Upper Ogooue, where official figures showed the president won 90 percent of the votes case on 99 percent turnout. The Gabonese authorities have categorically refused his request for a vote recount, invoking the country's electoral law which includes no such procedure. At least 1,000 protesters, some waving signs saying "Ali Bongo out" or wrapped in Gabon's green, yellow and blue flag, gathered in Paris Saturday calling for Ping to be declared winner. "I'm revolted. I think that the President Ali Bongo has taken hostage and stigmatised" Upper Ogooue, said 38-year-old Mireille Moukoubi, who like many of the demonstrators is from Gabon. - International concern - The post-vote violence in this small but oil-rich central African nation has sparked international concern, with top diplomats calling for restraint as rights groups raised the alarm over the use of "excessive force". In a special session on Gabon late Thursday, the UN Security Council expressed "deep concern" about the situation, urging all sides to "to refrain from violence or other provocations". And Washington has urged all parties to work together to "halt the slide towards further unrest." Security forces stormed Ping's HQ late on Wednesday evening, after the announcement of Bongo's victory sparked riots in the capital during which the national assembly was set ablaze. Bloodstains, bullet marks, broken windows, smashed furniture and documents tossed all over the floor bear witness to the attack. Under a campaign poster promising to protect the people of Gabon from "need and fear", a large patch of blood lay congealing on shiny white tiles. "He was a lad of around 25 whom they shot through the window," explained opposition politician Fulbert Mayombo Mbenbjangoye as he escorted journalists late Friday around Ping's headquarters. Across the country, the unrest has paralysed transportation, with bread and other fresh foods in short supply, the situation further aggravated by widespread looting. People hold placards reading "Free Gabon", "Bongo, get out", during a demonstration in support of the Gabonese people, at the Esplanade du Trocadero in Paris Thomas Samson (AFP) The body of Axel Messa, 30, is wrapped in Gabon's national flag while a campaign banner for President Ali Bongo is unfurled, before the funeral procession in Libreville on September 2, 2016 Marco Longari (AFP) Gabon shaken by election violence Alain Bommenel (AFP) Millions strike in India over wages, economic reforms Millions of public sector workers went on strike across India Friday protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans for greater privatisation and a proposed minimum wage hike they say is inadequate. Up to 150 million workers from sectors including nursing, banking, manufacturing and coal mining as well as hawkers and daily wage labourers are expected to take part in the 24-hour nationwide strike, organisers said. Ten major unions called the strike after talks with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley broke down, with leaders rejecting his offer to raise the minimum wage for unskilled workers from 6,396 rupees ($95) per month to 9,100 rupees ($136). Up to 150 million public sector workers downed tools in India in a nationwide strike after government talks with unions broke down Noah Seelam (AFP) "This strike is against the central government, this strike is for the cause of the working people," Ramen Pandey of the Indian National Trade Union Congress said. "Our strike will be 100 percent successful... we will prove that this strike is the world's largest ever." Workers are also demanding the government dump plans to shutter unproductive factories, raise foreign investment caps in some industries and sell off stakes in state-run companies -- over fears that creeping privatisation will jeopardise jobs. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions said workers were "demanding an end to the all-round attack launched by the government against their lives, livelihood and dignity" and that 150 million people were expected to lay down tools. It accused the government of a "vile conspiracy... to privatise the public sector and invite foreign capital in some parts of industry". Unions are seeking the introduction of universal social security as well as an increase in the minimum wage to 18,000 rupees a month because of rising prices. It was not possible to independently verify the number of workers on strike. Banks, shops and schools shut down in several parts of the country including southern Karnataka and Kerala states where public transport stopped running, stranding commuters and travellers. Television footage showed flag-waving protesters squatting on railway tracks in the states of Orissa and West Bengal, which has a long history of left-wing union activism. More than 20 protesters were arrested after they damaged two government buses in West Bengal, senior police official Anuj Sharma told AFP. India's power minister Piyush Goyal said the strike would not have any impact on coal supplies as there is "no shortage of coal anywhere in the country". Modi won a landslide election victory in 2014, promising a string of business-friendly reforms to attract foreign investment and revive the economy. According to the latest budget, the government aims to raise some 560 billion rupees ($8.3 billion) through privatisation in 2016-17 and shut down some state-run firms, after losses exceeded $4 billion in the last financial year. Previous strikes have brought cities to a standstill and cost the Indian economy millions of dollars in lost production. Members of the All India Trade Unions rally in support of a nationwide strike, in Hyderabad on September 2, 2016 Noah Seelam (AFP) Caterpillar set to lay off 2,000 workers in Belgium Caterpillar said Friday it is considering closing its plant in Belgium and making 2,000 workers redundant as the US heavy equipment maker plans global job cuts amid lower demand. The firm, famed for its iconic yellow diggers, said it is "contemplating" moving production from its sole plant in Gosselies, Belgium, to one in Grenoble, France, and other manufucturing sites outside Europe. "If this intention would be confirmed, it would result in a collective lay-off of about 2,000 employees and in the closure of the Gosselies site," Caterpilllar said on its website. Workers gather at a Caterpillar plant in Gosselies, Beligium, on September 2, 2016 Virginie Lefour (Belga/AFP) Antonio Cocciolo, an official for the FGTB union, expressed "total disgust" when he told AFP that an American official speaking in English effectively announced the "complete closure of the site" in the French-speaking area of Belgium. About 1,300 jobs were already cut in 2013 at the plant near Charleroi airport, south of the Belgian capital Brussels. In another statement on Thursday, Caterpillar said it was also considering closing its Monkstown facility as part of restructuring in Northern Ireland that could result in the loss of up to 250 jobs. The company is also mulling stopping production of 25-tonne and larger material handlers in Northern Ireland, including the planned launch of large material handler models for Europe. In July, Caterpillar said it planned additional job cuts in the second half of 2016 as sluggish conditions in energy and mining weighed on second-quarter earnings. Caterpillar, which manufactures industrial equipment for energy, mining and construction companies, said it expects higher costs due to restructuring and job cuts as it cited global economic uncertainty due in part to political upheaval in Turkey and Britain. Net income fell 31 percent to $550 million. Revenue fell 16 percent to $10.3 billion. Saint Teresa: revered, reviled and misunderstood The woman the world came to know as Mother Teresa of Calcutta was called a lot of things in her lifetime. She was the "Saint of the Gutters" and an "Angel of Mercy." But also a "religious imperialist" and, in the words of British author Christopher Hitchens, "a fanatic, a fundamentalist and a fraud." For all the eloquence of her critics, she was always far more revered than reviled. Mother Teresa was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her work among the poorest people in India Millions acclaimed her as an icon of Christian charity and a global symbol of anti-materialism and worthwhile self-sacrifice. On her death in 1997, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II predicted Teresa would "continue to live on in the hearts of all those who have been touched by her selfless love." Since then however it has become apparent that the private Teresa was a more complex personality. The austere persona she displayed to the world with her gaunt, masculine face, masked a lighter, albeit troubled, soul. For long periods, she was plagued by doubts about the faith that drove her mission to provide comfort to the dying. "There is so much contradiction in my soul," she wrote to the Bishop of Calcutta in a posthumously published letter dating from 1957. "Heaven means nothing to me, it looks like an empty place." - Missionary vocation - Two years later, she wrote to a priest friend saying: "If I ever become a saint, I will surely be one of darkness; I will continually be absent from heaven -- to light the light of those in darkness on earth." As of Sunday, the saintly tag becomes official thanks to a fast-track canonisation process that reaches its conclusion on the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death in what is now Kolkata. Baptised Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, Teresa was born into a Kosovar Albanian family in 1910 in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman empire and now the capital of Macedonia. Her father, a businessman who was involved in the region's byzantine politics, died when she was eight. By the time she was 12, according to biographers, Agnes was already a regular visitor to Catholic shrines and knew that she wanted to dedicate her life to missionary work. At 18 she enrolled in an Irish order, the Sisters of Loreto, spending a brief period in Ireland learning English before her departure for India in 1929. There she spent two decades teaching geography to the children of well-to-do families before founding her own order in 1950. - Jokes and laughter - In 1979, her work in the Calcutta slums was rewarded with the Nobel peace prize. In her acceptance speech she made a fervent defence of her approach to helping the poor, which was by then coming under increasing critical scrutiny. To those who said birth control was vital to combating poverty, she replied that abortion was "direct murder by the mother." To those who said her Order should promote development, she replied that she was a missionary, not a social worker. "We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world," she said. "For we are touching the Body of Christ 24 hours." Teresa could come across as an ascetic figure and as a strict task-mistress to those under her. "She spoke her mind," Pope Francis recalled in 2014. "I would have been a little bit scared had she been my Mother Superior." Those who knew her best however paint a different picture of the chocolate and ice cream-loving nun. Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, a member of her Order who promoted her sainthood cause within the Vatican, recalls a maternal, easily amused character who could sometimes be found bent over in laughter while discussing the day's events with fellow nuns. "She could be very demanding and at the same time, especially when a mistake was made, she could be very loving and tender and understanding as well," he told AFP. "You felt that she was a mother," he said. "She was not very good at telling jokes but she had a sense of humour and could really find the funny aspects in... daily life." Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II in Calcutta in February 1986 Jean-Claude Delmas (AFP/File) Mother Teresa (left) meets Diana, Princess of Wales, in Rome in February 1992 Canonisation of Mother Teresa Kun TIAN, Maud ZABA, Jose Vicente BERNABEU (AFP) Mother Teresa pictured in New Delhi in May 1997 Ravi Raveendran (AFP/File) Mother Teresa hugs a child in Beirut in August 1982 Dominique Faget (AFP/File) A bust of Mother Teresa outside the convent of the Missionaries of Charity In Rome Alberto Pizzoli (AFP/File) Obama highlights environment on Pacific atoll President Barack Obama went off the beaten track Thursday -- way off -- to a newly expanded marine reserve on an atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, part of an effort to polish his environmental legacy. Obama flew three hours west of his native Honolulu to Midway Atoll, on the far northwestern tip of the Hawaiian island chain. The atoll is situated at the heart of Papahanaumokuakea, a vast Pacific marine reserve given protected status by then-president George W. Bush in 2006. US President Barack Obama tours Midway Atoll in the North Pacific marine reserve of Papahanaumokuakea on September 1, 2016 Saul Loeb (AFP) Obama recently quadrupled its size to make it the world's largest marine reserve, home to 7,000 marine species, including many endangered birds as well as the Hawaiian monk seal and black coral, which can live for 4,500 years. "This is going to be a precious resource for generations to come," Obama told reporters on Midway's Turtle Beach. All the atoll's 40 inhabitants -- mostly US Fish and Wildlife Service staff -- greeted him. Until recently, the area was perhaps best known to military history buffs. Seventy-four years ago, the Battle of Midway was a decisive naval fight in World War II that turned the tide of the war against Japan. Obama praised the "courage and perseverance" of the vastly outnumbered American soldiers who repelled Japanese forces. "This is hallowed ground," he said. Now, he added, protecting the vast ecosystem "allows us to study and research and understand our oceans better than we ever have before." - 'Existential threat' - The president was later set to go snorkeling with friends away from journalists, the White House said. Since taking office in 2009, he has designated more protected areas than any of his predecessors using the Antiquities Act, signed in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt, who established the first national monuments. For the outgoing president, the visit is part of an eight-year effort to put the environment and tackling climate change higher on the political agenda. Scientists would be able to undertake "critically important" study of climate change in the marine reserve, he said. Although Bush created Papahanaumokuakea, he also earned international scorn by rejecting the global climate deal reached at Kyoto. Obama, in contrast, has led the charge to secure the recently struck Paris climate agreement. "Rising temperatures and sea levels pose an existential threat to your countries," he said in Honolulu earlier to representatives of Pacific island nations at the World Conservation Congress, a major conference of thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists and policy makers. "And while some members of the US Congress still seem to be debating whether climate change is real or not, many of you are already planning for new places for your people to live," he added. Asked on Midway whether he would focus on tackling climate change as part of his work after he leaves office in January, Obama said he may try to influence Republican politicians who deny the phenomenon. "This is something that all of us are going to have to tackle and maybe I get a little more of a hearing if I'm not occupying a political office," he said. After his Hawaii visit, Obama is set to attend a G20 meeting in China, where he is expected to announce the joint formal joining of the Paris climate accord with President Xi Jinping. Hawaii: hosting the world's largest marine reserve Alain BOMMENEL, Simon MALFATTO, Kun TIAN (AFP) US President Barack Obama greets residents of the island during a tour of Midway Atoll in the North Pacific on September 1, 2016 Saul Loeb (AFP) Australian police capture giant cattle-eating crocodile An "angry" giant saltwater crocodile hunting cows at a northern Australia cattle station has been captured and relocated to a breeding farm, authorities and reports said. Wildlife officers had laid a trap in a waterway near where the "saltie" was reported to have been taking cattle at the station in the island continent's tropical north. But they had to wait several days before it could be wrangled out of the enclosure earlier this week as it was too "angry", the NT News reported. Australian wildlife officers haul a captured giant saltwater crocodile onto land in the Northern Territory "Got a big one," an official exclaimed in a video posted on Facebook by the Northern Territory Police on Wednesday as he peered into a cage floating in the water where the croc was trapped. It took several rangers and officers to haul the 4.33-metre (14.2-foot) predator onto land before it was tied up and taken to a Darwin farm, with police quipping on the social media site that it was "just another day in the outback". "It was a bit of an unorthodox extraction from the cage due to the situation where it was in a waterhole with limited access," Remote Sergeant Mark Berry said. "He got a little bit away from us but we ended up getting hold of him. He's now been secured and will be taken into a breeding programme in Darwin. Crocodiles are common in Australia's north where numbers have increased since the introduction of protection laws in 1971, with government estimates putting the national population at approximately 100,000. They kill an average of two people each year in Australia. Israelis fear satellite loss could set back its space industry The launchpad destruction of an advanced Israeli communications satellite may have dealt a blow to the country's aerospace industry, the Israel Space Agency (ISA) said Friday. The unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a test in Florida on Thursday, destroying the Israeli-built and -owned Amos 6 satellite that Facebook planned to use to beam high-speed internet to sub-Saharan Africa. Dramatic footage broadcast by ABC News showed the rocket burst into a ball of flame amid what appeared to be a succession of blasts -- sending its payload tumbling to the ground as a dense plume of black smoke filled the air. The blast at Cape Canaveral caused no injuries, just setbacks for private firm SpaceX HO (NASA TV/AFP/ho) ISA chairman Yitzchak Ben Yisrael said the blast's shock waves could reverberate far beyond Cape Canaveral. He said the incident could jeopardise a pending deal for the sale of private Israeli firm and Amos-operator Spacecom to China's Xinwei group, reportedly worth $285 million (255 million euros) and conditional on the satellite successfully entering service. "This is the second blow, ahead of the Chinese deal," he said, recalling the blackout of the Amos 5 satellite, which like Amos 6 was owned and operated by Spacecom. Communication with the Franco-Italian made Amos 5 was lost in November 2015, four years after it was launched from Kazakhstan. "There is a major question about the launch and I very much hope that Spacecom is strong enough to overcome these things and to order a new satellite," Ben Yisrael told Israeli public radio. "If it orders a new satellite, it will take between two and three years to fill the gap." - 'Strategic' business for Israel - Amos 6 manufacturer Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) said the satellite was "the largest and most advanced communications satellite ever built in Israel." "Obviously, we are disappointed about this incident in the launch vehicle and are ready and willing to assist Spacecom in any manner," it said. "The communications satellite business is strategic for IAI and the State of Israel." The Israel Space Agency, part of the country's science ministry, said that "support for the space industry in Israel will continue with the aim of continuing at the forefront of technology." It said Science Minister Ofir Akunis would convene industry leaders on Sunday for "an emergency debate and situation report." David Zusiman, former project manager for the Amos 3 and 4 satellite projects and involved with the early stages of Amos 6, said the explosion was a setback but not necessarily a disaster. "Amos 6 can be replaced by an identical satellite which it will be possible to order immediately, thanks to the insurance money they will get," he said in an interview on public radio. "The insurance is supposed to cover the cost of a complete satellite, including a new launch." The Amos 6 has an estimated value of between $200 million and $300 million, according to John Logsdon, former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. "The problem is that Amos 6 was supposed to replace Amos 2 which is now quite old and needs replacing," Zusiman said. "There are a number of satellites on the international market which could match Amos 2, they are also old but they could still work for a few more years," he added. "The clients who bought the extra capability of Amos 6 could suffer damage because it sets back their programmes by two to three years. "I don't know if the image of the Israeli space industry will be harmed. "From a rational point of view there was a fault with a small part of the system. The rocket is reliable, it works. The IAI satellite has 100 percent success in space, something very rare." Mexican director raps president's Trump meeting 'betrayal' Mexican film director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu condemned Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto for meeting US presidential candidate Donald Trump, branding it a "betrayal" in an article published Friday. The billionaire real estate tycoon, who has made repeated verbal attacks on Mexico, met Pena Nieto in Mexico City on Wednesday at the invitation of the Mexican president. "Enrique Pena Nieto's invitation to Donald Trump is a betrayal," wrote Inarritu, who won the Oscar for best director in February for his drama "The Revenant". US presidential candidate Donald Trump (right) and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto prepare to deliver a joint press conference in Mexico City on August 31, 2016 Yuri Cortez (AFP/File) "It endorses someone who has insulted us, spat on us and threatened us for over a year before the entire world. It lacks dignity and emboldens a hate campaign against us," he wrote in an opinion article in Spanish daily El Pais. Trump launched his campaign last year by declaring that Mexico was sending "rapists" and other criminals across the border. The Republican nominee has threatened to make Mexico pay for a wall on the border to stop migrants from entering the United States illegally. He has also vowed to deport millions of Mexican immigrants illegally living in the United States, and cancel trade agreements with Mexico. Pena Nieto has faced a barrage of criticism over his decision to hold talks with Trump, with many accusing him of weakness and humiliation. He defended his meeting, saying in a television interview on Wednesday that "we must confront the problems, threats and risks facing Mexico." Inarritu is the first filmmaker to win best director Oscars twice in a row. He won the Academy Award last year for "Birdman," which also scooped up the best picture Oscar. More than 300 Syrians leave rebel town under Daraya deal More than 300 Syrians living in a rebel held town near Damascus were evacuated on Friday under a deal with the government, state media reported. The agreement between the regime and the rebels had already seen thousands of civilians and opposition fighters leave the town of Daraya, southwest of the capital, after a four-year government siege. Civilians evacuated on Friday from nearby Moadimayet al-Sham had been living there for around three years after fleeing fighting in Daraya. A bus carrying Syrian civilians from the town of Daraya crosses a checkpoint at it leaves the rebel held town of Moadamiyet al-Sham on September 2, 2016 Louai Beshara (AFP) Moadimayet al-Sham is also under government siege, but after a truce deal signed in late 2013 has been spared the heavy fighting that has ravaged other rebel-held areas around the capital. Negotiations are underway to secure a deal under which rebel fighters in the town will also leave, though civilians will reportedly remain, parties to the talks told AFP. The evacuees walked to the edge of Moadimayet al-Sham, where eight buses were waiting to take them to reception centres elsewhere in Damascus province, an AFP photographer reported. Soldiers searched their suitcases as they left, and checked their names against a list. State media said 303 residents of Daraya were leaving Moadimayet al-Sham and would be taken to Hrajeleh, a regime-held district, for processing. State television said they consisted of 162 children, 79 women and 62 men. "I've been taking refuge here for three years and I hope that life in the reception centre will be better than here," said Roueida, a mother of seven, as she left. The evacuation follows the implementation of the deal in Daraya itself, which saw the town emptied of rebels and civilians and retaken by government forces. Opposition fighters said they were forced to accept the deal, under which rebels and their families were given safe passage to the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, because the blockade and constant bombardment by the army had made the humanitarian situation untenable. The opposition has criticised such deals and UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura also voiced concern that the Daraya agreement was part of a wider strategy by the regime to empty rebel enclaves that would soon be extended to other areas. He said there were "indications that after Daraya we may have other Darayas." "There is clearly a strategy at the moment to move from Daraya" to other besieged areas "in a similar pattern", he told reporters in Geneva on Thursday. - More evacuations planned - Negotiations are underway between the government and rebels, as well as the local council in Moadimayet al-Sham, for the evacuation of fighters in the town, sources involved in the talks told AFP. Akram al-Jamili, a member of the reconciliation committee for Moadimayet al-Sham, said the deal would differ from the Daraya agreement. "All the civilians will stay. The army will take control of the town. The fighters will sort out their statuses with the authorities or go to Idlib," he said. Mohammed Raja, another member of the committee, said the process was expected to begin before the Eid al-Adha holiday, around September 12, and continue for several months. Bangladesh death-row Islamist tycoon set to hang A wealthy tycoon who was a chief financier for Bangladesh's largest Islamist party refused Friday to seek presidential clemency against his death sentence, an official said, paving the way for his imminent execution by hanging. Mir Quasem Ali, a key leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was sentenced to death by a controversial war crimes tribunal for offences committed during the 1971 independence conflict with Pakistan. After the Supreme Court rejected his final appeal on Tuesday against the penalty, Ali declined to seek a presidential pardon, which requires an admission of guilt. Bangladeshi Jamaat-e-Islami party leader, Mir Quasem Ali waves as he enters a van at the International Crimes Tribunal court in Dhaka, in November 2014 - (AFP/File) "Today (Friday) he announced his decision he won't seek mercy from the president," Prasanta Kumar Bonik, a senior official at the Kashimpur high security jail where Ali is imprisoned, told AFP. "The authorities will now decide when and where he will be executed," he said. The Supreme Court's decision was a major blow for the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which the 63-year-old Ali had helped to revive in recent decades. Security has been stepped up at the prison, located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Dhaka, after Ali announced his decision, local police chief Harun-or-Rashid told AFP. Five opposition leaders including four leading Islamists have been executed for war crimes since 2013, all of them hanged just days after their appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court. Their families said they had refused to seek a presidential pardon as they did not want to legitimise the whole trials process. The war crimes tribunal set up by the government has divided the country, with supporters of Jamaat and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) branding it a sham aimed at eliminating their leaders. Ali, who after the war became a shipping and real estate tycoon, was convicted in November 2014 of a series of crimes during Bangladesh's war of separation from Pakistan, including the abduction and murder of a young independence fighter. His son Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, who was part of his legal defence team, was allegedly abducted by security forces earlier in August, which critics say was an attempt to sow fear and prevent protests against the imminent execution. The executions and convictions of Jamaat officials plunged Bangladesh into one of its worst crises in 2013 when tens of thousands of Islamist activists clashed with police in protests that left some 500 people dead. The Islamist party, which is banned from contesting elections, called a nationwide strike Wednesday, labelling the charges against Ali "false" and "baseless" and accusing the government of exacting "political vengeance". Israel to allow ICC visit on Gaza war mission Israel is to host a working group of the International Criminal Court as it weighs whether to probe alleged war crimes in the 2014 Gaza war, an Israeli official said Friday. The group's arrival "shortly" will be unprecedented, he told AFP on condition of anonymity, saying the visit was intended to show the ICC team "how the Israeli judicial system works". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman declined to comment. The 2014 conflict between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other factions killed 2,251 Palestinians, according to UN figures Thomas Coex (AFP/File) The trip is at the request of ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, whose office, in a brief statement, confirmed Friday it "is in talks with both Palestinian and Israeli authorities about a potential visit". Under its statutes, the ICC must be satisfied that the state in question is unable or unwilling to pursue the matter itself before the court opens war crimes proceedings. Israel will seek to convince the visiting ICC team that it intends to see justice done over accusations it used excessive force in the July-August 2014 war in and around the Palestinian territory and events immediately preceeding it. The official could not say if the group would be given access to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to which Israel controls all passage except across the largely closed Gaza-Egypt border. The 2014 conflict between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other factions killed 2,251 Palestinians, including 551 children, according to UN figures. On the Israeli side, 73 people were killed, mostly soldiers. Israel and the Palestinians have accused each other of war crimes. Israel is alleged to have used force indiscriminately, while Hamas is accused of firing rockets at Israeli civilian population centres and of using Palestinians as human shields. The Palestinians formally asked the ICC last year to investigate the Jewish state, which has not signed up to the ICC, for alleged war crimes. Israel vehemently opposes any ICC investigation, but officials have said they will cooperate with the body to convince it of the competence of the state's own courts. Meanwhile, Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki met Bensouda in The Hague on Friday for unspecified talks. "#ICC Prosecutor receives MFA of #Palestine: #ICC stands for independent & impartial justice #withoutfearorfavour" said an ICC tweet, which shows a smiling Bensouda and Malki shaking hands. China building in disputed shoal: Philippines' Duterte Beijing is expanding its large-scale land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said Friday, despite an international court ruling rejecting most of China's claims in the resource-rich area. A UN-backed tribunal ruled in July that China's claims to almost all of the strategic sea had no legal basis and its construction of artificial islands in disputed waters was illegal. But Duterte said he received an "unsettling" intelligence report showing China had sent barges to the contested Scarborough Shoal and had appeared to begin construction in the area for the first time. Vessels from China's South Sea Fleet take part in a drill in the Xisha Islands -- or Paracel Islands -- in the South China Sea on May 5, 2016 China previously constructed artificial islands in the Spratly chain in the South China Sea. The United States warned in June of "actions" if Beijing extended its military expansion to the Scarborough Shoal. "I think they are starting in (Bajo de) Masinloc and this will be another ruckus there," Duterte said, referring to the shoal by its local name. He said the Philippine Coast Guard found "a lot of barges" near the area. "There seem to be new barges coming in and they suspect that's going to be another construction." China has sought to assert its claims in the South China Sea by building a network of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations. Its massive land reclamation has prompted criticism from the US and claimant countries, with Washington warning it endangers freedom of navigation in international waters. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to the sea, through which over $5 trillion in annual trade passes. The Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and far away from the nearest major Chinese landmass, is a particular flashpoint. China took control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a stand-off with the country's navy. Duterte's comments come a week before a regional summit in Laos where the South China Sea dispute will be on the agenda. He said he would consider bringing up the construction work during bilateral talks with Beijing, adding it would affect global commerce. "If (China) continues building military installations there ... insurance would go up for the ships and the goods they transport. Because then it would be a source of conflict and thereby the threat is always there." Duterte, who took office two months ago, has vowed to mend ties with China after his predecessor Benigno Aquino angered Beijing by filing the arbitration case in 2013. He has said he would not raise the matter of the ruling in Laos to avoid escalating tensions. But on Friday, Duterte he said he would insist on China's compliance with the verdict during direct talks with Beijing. He criticised the Asian giant's statements saying it would ignore the ruling. Ex-Stanford student leaves jail early after sexual assault Brock Turner, the former Stanford University student whose light sentence for a campus sexual assault ignited a national furor, was released from jail Friday after serving three months of a six-month sentence. TV news cameras caught the 21-year-old former swimmer as he left the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, and quickly drove away in a car without commenting. Turner was convicted in March of three counts of sexual assault after being caught raping an intoxicated and unconscious 22-year-old woman behind a dumpster at a fraternity house. Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Brock Turner to six months for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman sparking outrage and a petition to have the judge removed Damien Meyer (AFP/File) He was released early from jail for good behavior while incarcerated. Judge Aaron Persky set off a storm of outrage in June when he sentenced Turner to only six months in prison, followed by three years probation, setting aside prosecutors' call for a six-year prison term. Persky, who had also been a student at Stanford, now faces a recall campaign and has removed himself from hearing criminal cases. The case threw a spotlight on the problem of rape and sexual assault on US college campuses, amid criticism that handling of these cases is often lax and has given rise to a climate of impunity. Turner's victim, identified as "Emily Doe," made a powerful statement at his sentencing that drew international attention. "You don't know me, but you've been inside me, and that's why we're here today," she told her attacker in the statement read in court. "You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today." A letter to the court by Turner's father, stating that the blond, blue-eyed athlete did not deserve to be jailed for "20 minutes of action," further stoked the debate. Investigation after boy sneaks onto Beirut-Istanbul flight Officials at Beirut's international airport said Friday they were investigating how a teenage boy was able to sneak onto a flight and travel to Turkey without a ticket or passport. The boy boarded an Istanbul-bound plane operated by Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines, on Wednesday. He was discovered by the crew onboard after the plane had already taken off, when they realised there were more passengers on the aircraft than on the manifest they had been given, local media said. A teenage boy without a ticket or passport managed to board an Istanbul-bound plane in Beirut operated by Middle East Airlines Patrick Baz (AFP/File) "Widescale investigations are ongoing into the details of the incident and how the child passed through the security checkpoints and boarded the plane without being detected," airport authorities said in a statement published by the official National News Agency. It added that anyone found to have been "negligent" would be punished, and that security procedures were being strengthened "to prevent the recurrence of such an incident." Local media said the boy was 13 years old, and had managed to sneak through the multiple security points in the airport and board the plane, taking a seat in business class. His nationality and the purpose of his journey were unclear. Passengers flying from Beirut's Rafik Hariri airport generally pass through at least five security points, including one before they enter the airport and a final examination of their documents by security at the departure lounge, before boarding flights. Millions of passengers pass through Rafik Hariri airport each year, and the incident comes after officials acknowledged that security at the facility needs work. In March, Transport and Public Works Minister Ghazi Zaiter told a press conference that there was a $1.4 million shortfall in funds needed to bolster security measures at the airport. The boy's adventure prompted criticism from Walid Jumblatt, a leading political figure and head of the Druze minority, who linked it to the country's ongoing political stalemate. Lebanon has been without a president for more than two years, with its parliament locked in a standoff between two rival political blocs. Women back from Syria 'a danger': French prosecutor Women who have joined Islamic State fighters in Syria are facing closer scrutiny when they return to France as the potential danger they represent was underestimated, the country's top prosecutor said Friday. Francois Molins told the daily Le Monde that "hundreds" of women would return from Syria in the next few months. French authorities had probably been wrong "at first to say that they were just following their husbands and that they were restricting themselves to domestic chores in Syria", he said. An image taken from a propaganda video released on March 17, 2014 by the Islamic State group's al-Furqan Media allegedly shows fighters raising their weapons as they stand on a vehicle mounted with the trademark jihadists flag "Now they are systematically arrested when they return and taken into custody." He said 59 women have been charged in France of whom 18 were serving prison sentences. The prosecutor also noted a rise in the number of radicalised girls in France "with very worrying profiles". "They are sometimes behind terrorist plots which, on an intellectual level, are quite far along," he told the paper. Twenty-three boys and 12 girls under the age of 18 are currently facing charges in France for terror-related offences. Molins said he was worried about the potential radicalisation of young teens who had been taken by their parents to Syria or Iraq and might have appeared in IS execution videos or undergone military training. "They are going to be real time bombs," Molins said. He estimated that around 20 minors were currently fighting alongside IS militants in Syria or Iraq. Around 700 French citizens are currently in conflict zones in Syria and Iraq, Molins said. South Africa murder rate jumps to 51 a day South Africa's murder rate increased by 4.9 percent in the last year, official statistics showed Friday, with the police minister admitting the country was struggling with "a prevalent culture of violence". A total of 18,673 people were killed in the 12 months to March -- 51 people every day -- up from 17,805 in the previous year. Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said the sharp increase was largely down to domestic violence and alcohol abuse. A total of 18,673 people were killed in South Africa in the 12 months to March, up from 17,805 in the previous year, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said Alexander Joe (AFP/File) "What it says about us South Africans is that we are violent, we have a prevalent culture of violence," he told journalists. "It's not about what the government can do, it's about what we can (all) do. It's a huge societal issue that we have to deal with." Officials said most murders occurred indoors, in urban areas and involved people known to each other. The latest figures reveal that South Africa's murder rate has risen by nearly 20 percent in four years. The high crime rate is seen as hampering the country's social cohesion, economic growth and international reputation -- especially as a tourist destination. - 'Crimes point to social ills' - Carjacking, which is one of the most prevalent crimes in South Africa, increased by 14.3 percent last year, while house robberies were up 2.7 percent. Sexual offences were down 3.2 percent, though many experts say that incidents are underreported. The governing African National Congress (ANC) expressed its alarm at the number of murders and carjackings, saying they "make our people... live in fear". "While police are central to the alleviation of acts of criminality in society, such crimes point to social ills and thus require interventions beyond the police," the party said in a statement. Sparsely populated Northern Cape was the only province that recorded a decrease in murders, while Eastern Cape province, recorded the sharpest increase -- posting a jump of 9.9 percent. South African police have increasingly come under fire for failing to bring down crime levels, although officials insist that the numbers are lower compared to before the end of apartheid in 1994. Poverty and record levels of unemployment are often seen as key drivers of crime in South Africa, where economic growth is expected to flatline this year. The government recently announced that crime statistics would now be released quarterly, instead of once a year, saying it would help improve policing. Turkey takes 'serious' steps to restore ties with Syria: PM Turkey wants to normalise relations with Syria, the prime minister said Friday, confirming a policy shift after years of supporting rebels opposed to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. "We have normalised our relations with Russia and Israel," Binali Yildirim said in a televised speech. "Now, God willing, Turkey has taken a serious initiative to normalise relations with Egypt and Syria." Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim Adem Altan (AFP/File) Relations between Turkey and Egypt sharply deteriorated after the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Syria, Turkey had persistently insisted Assad's departure was key to any resolution of the country's five-year war and backed rebels trying to oust him. But last month Yildirim signalled a shift, saying that Assad was "one of the actors" in Syria and could stay on temporarily during a transitional period. Last week, Turkey launched an operation against Islamic State jihadists and a Kurdish militia in northern Syria. Ankara said Damascus was forewarned of the operation, via Russia. Since taking office in May, the Turkish premier has sought to resume Ankara's longstanding policy of having "zero problems" with its neighbours. In June, Turkey mended ties with Russia which were sorely tested by the shooting down by Turkey of a Russian warplane along the Syrian border. Over 100 attacks on Mozambique albinos since 2014: UN Albinos in Mozambique have suffered more than 100 attacks since 2014, a UN expert said Friday, with hunters persecuting them for everything from their toes to their faeces. Ikponwosa Ero, the UN Human Rights Council's special expert on albinism, said she was "deeply struck" by the sense of fear within the community in Mozambique. While widely reported in neighbouring Tanzania and Malawi, attacks against albinos in Mozambique were a new phenomenon, said Ero at the end of her 12-day mission to the country. While widely reported in neighbouring Tanzania and Malawi, attacks against albinos in Mozambique were a new phenomenon Tony Karumba (AFP/File) "(They) are hunted and their body parts are wanted -- everything from their heads to their toes, their hair, their nails and even their faeces are collected," she told reporters in Maputo. Ero said local activist groups had gathered evidence of more than 100 attacks on albinos since 2014, with the real figure thought to be higher. Between 20,000 and 30,000 Mozambicans are living with albinism, which causes white skin because of a hereditary condition that leads to an absence of pigmentation. "It is believed that the masterminds operate in a secretive but powerful cross-border network akin to that of drug barons," Ero said. "To date, none of them have been caught or prosecuted and perceived networks are yet to be identified." UN aid chief deplores 'dire' conditions on Jordan-Syria border UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien on Friday lamented the "dire" living conditions endured by more than 70,000 Syrian war refugees trapped for months on the border with Jordan. "The living conditions of the people stranded at the berm are dire," O'Brien told a press conference after visiting makeshift camps for tens of thousands of Syrians who have fled the fighting in their country. Jordan has since June 21 blocked the passage of aid to the refugees and their entry after a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed seven of its soldiers in the desert area. Jordan hosts more than 600,000 Syrian refugees according to the United Nations, a figure the Jordanians put at 1.4 million Khalil Mazraawi (AFP/File) Since then, humanitarian organisations have been able to send aid to the refugees just once, in early August, lifting the aid across the frontier using drones and cranes. "There is no access to basic resources such as food and water, with over 75 percent of that population estimated to be women and children," O'Brien said. "They desperately need assistance and our humanitarian support." However, he also called Jordan's security concerns "very legitimate", and said discussions were under way with Amman to find a way to deliver aid without endangering the kingdom's security. O'Brien emphasised the commitment of donor countries to help Jordan ease the burden of the refugee crisis. The country already hosts more than 600,000 Syrian refugees according to the United Nations, a figure the Jordanians put at 1.4 million. Cholera kills 517 in DR Congo, jab drive planned: WHO A cholera epidemic has killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said Friday, as it prepared to launch a vaccination campaign in Kinshasa. The United Nations health agency voiced deep concern over the outbreak that has infected some 18,000 people, including 517 who have died, since the beginning of the year. Cholera is endemic in DR Congo, but usually only affects the east of the country. Cholera is endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo but usually only affects the east of the country Walter Astrada (AFP/File) This time however, the acute diarrhoeal infection has spread west along the Congo river and has reached Kinshasa for the first time in five years. The capital has suffered 13 cases and two deaths since August 13, Dominique Legros, head of WHO's cholera division, told reporters in Geneva. "That's very worrisome because it affects places where there is usually no cases of cholera, no immunity in the population, (and) the health staff is not used to cholera cases," he said, pointing out that in such areas the mortality rate is often very high. In a bid to stem the epidemic, Legros said WHO was sending support materials and experts to DR Congo and that it had decided Friday to support a large-scale vaccination campaign in Kinshasa. In all, some 300,000 people living in the most risk-prone parts of the capital will receive the two-dose vaccine, getting the first jab between September 22 and 25 -- and the second two weeks later. "The objective is to try to contain the outbreak and avoid that we have similar situation like we had five years ago," he said, referring to the last outbreak in Kinshasa in 2011, which over a two-year period infected some 2,200 people and killed 88. Across the country, that outbreak made 21,750 people ill and left 424 people dead. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and causes acute diarrhoea, with children facing a particularly high risk of infection. Netanyahu vows to bring back body of Gaza soldier Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Friday to recover the body of soldier Oron Shaul who was killed in Gaza in 2014 following his father's death. "In the name of all Israel, we share in the family's pain and assure them we will continue to do everything to bring Oron back so he can be buried according to Jewish ritual," Netanyahu said. He was speaking after paying a condolence visit to the soldier's family after the death of his father, Herzl Shaul, of cancer. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting in Ein Lavan spring located on the outskirts of Jerusalem on June 2, 2016 Abir Sultan (POOL/AFP/File) Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday he was determined to recover the bodies of two soldiers killed in Gaza, including Shaul, although he was opposed to striking a deal with Hamas which rules the Palestinian territory. Shaul, a soldier in the 2014 Gaza war, was believed by the Israeli army to have been killed along with Hadar Goldin, and the Islamist movement Hamas is thought to hold their bodies. Channel 10 television on Monday quoted Lieberman as saying, in private conversations, that the return of the soldiers' remains was improbable and that he does not want to negotiate with Hamas. The report triggered an uproar with Goldin's twin brother, Tzour, telling military radio that Lieberman was ignoring "his responsibilities and the army's code of ethics". Goldin's family later issued a statement denouncing "the abandonment of soldiers on the battlefield by the minister of the defence". Six suspected meningitis cases found near Damascus Six suspected cases of meningitis have been identified in a Syrian town near Damascus that is under siege by government forces, the World Heath Organisation (WHO) said Friday. The suspected cases were diagnosed in the town of Madaya between August 3 and August 30. WHO has already evacuated two of those infected, a child and an adolescent. Residents of the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya wait for a convoy of aid from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Louai Beshara (AFP/File) The UN agency said it was in contact with health officials about sending medicines and organising the evacuation of the other four suspected cases. An activist in Madaya, Abdel Wahab Ahmed, who works at a health facility in the town, told AFP that the mother and two sisters of the evacuated child had also become infected. "The family has been placed in medical isolation in their home, after two weeks of treatment with the only medicines available failed," he said. Several cases of meningitis are reported every week, according to WHO. Most of them are viral forms of the disease, which tends to be less severe than the bacterial form. WHO was not in a position to say Friday which type of meningitis was suspected in Madaya. On August 19, the Red Crescent evacuated 18 people, including 13 sick children from Madaya, according to a doctor who treated the children. Among the children was a 10-year-old boy who had been suffering from meningitis for a month. New Brazil president woos business allies in China New Brazilian President Michel Temer insisted Friday his country has turned a page on years of crisis as he wooed businesses in China after replacing Dilma Rousseff in a bitter impeachment fight. "Even though we suffered from political and economic upheaval, as well as economic downturn, this page has been turned," Temer said in a speech in the Chinese commercial hub Shanghai. "Brazil has put all the economic and political instability it suffered in the past few years behind us." Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Brazil's President Michel Temer in Hangzhou, China, on September 2, 2016 Iwasaki Minoru (Pool/AFP) Temer, 75, was seeking to consolidate his position after senators in Brasilia voted Wednesday to convict Rousseff on charges of having illegally manipulated government accounts. She rejected the effort as a "coup." Temer was promptly sworn in and came to China for the G20 summit which starts in nearby Hangzhou on Sunday. On his international presidential debut in Brazil's biggest export market, he oversaw the signing of billions of dollars' worth of contracts by Brazilian companies. His Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping called him an "old friend" when they met on the shores of Shanghai's landmark West Lake, adding: "China and Brazil make up together the East and West's two biggest developing countries." Temer said it was an "honour" that his first presidential trip was to China, adding: "I am even more honoured to hear you say that we are friends." - Steel, food, aviation - Earlier, with Shanghai mayor Yang Xiong, Temer witnessed the signing of nine agreements covering projects from infrastructure to agriculture and said that China was now "Brazil's most-needed cooperative partner." Brazilians "need China's support, we need China's cooperation," he added. Newspapers reported that Brazilian companies signed $4.6 billion worth of contracts with Chinese firms during Temer's visit. Those included investments by Chinese companies such as CBSteel, China Communications Construction Company and agriculture firm Hunan Dakang, the Brazilian press reports said. Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer said in a statement it signed a deal to sell up to five of its E190 passenger jets to Colorful Guizhou Airlines for $249 million. The new Brazilian leader faces multiple difficulties at home, with the country deep in recession. Rousseff has filed a Supreme Court challenge against her impeachment. Temer's bid to shore up his authority will face strong opposition from her Workers' Party and allied leftist organisations. And his vows to create jobs through market-friendly reforms while tackling the country's fiscal deficit through spending and pension cuts are likely to provoke strong opposition both on the streets and in Congress. Sworn in to serve out the remainder of Rousseff's four-year presidential term up to the end of 2018, Temer assured Chinese entrepreneurs that those who have signed deals in Brazil will be "well protected" by its laws. Ailing Thai king treated for 'severe infection': palace Thailand's hospital-bound King Bhumibol Adulyadej has received treatment for a "severe" blood infection, the palace said Friday, the latest update on the ailing health of the world's longest-reigning monarch. The 88-year-old is deeply revered by many in Thailand and his frail health is a matter of great public concern. He has spent most of the past two years in a Bangkok hospital for a series of ailments, including bacterial infections, breathing difficulties, heart problems and hydrocephalus -- a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid often referred to as "water on the brain". Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej has not been seen in public for nearly a year, though the palace releases regular updates on his health Christophe Archambault (AFP/File) He has not been seen in public for nearly a year, though the palace releases regular updates on his health. The latest statement issued by the Royal Household Bureau on Friday night said blood tests revealed the king was suffering from a "severe infection". "On August 31, 2016 his heartbeat was fast and he had very thick mucus. A test result of the mucus and blood indicated a severe infection," the statement said. An x-ray also revealed the monarch had fluid in his lungs, which a treatment helped to reduce, according to the bureau. The monarch's low blood pressure and a fever have since improved and his medical team is "continuously watching the symptoms closely," the statement added. Bhumibol's reign has spanned seven tumultuous decades and the monarch is seen as a unifying force in a kingdom torn apart by politics. He is also shielded by one of the world's strictest royal defamation laws, which has seen scores of Thais thrown behind bars for criticising the monarchy. Analysts say anxiety over the end of Bhumibol's reign has aggravated the past decade of political conflict, as elites wrestle for influence. But open discussion of his legacy and the future of the institution is all but impossible because of the lese majeste law. CNN, NBC journos among those tapped for US presidential debates Leading broadcast personalities Anderson Cooper of CNN and NBC's Lester Holt are among the journalists tapped to moderate three presidential debates between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, organizers said Friday. Holt, who anchors the NBC Nightly News, will conduct the first debate on September 26 at Hofstra University in New York, according to the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates. A 57-year-old California native with 35 years of broadcast news experience, Holt, an African-American, became the network's evening news anchor in 2015. This combo of file photos shows the moderators for the 2016 general election presidential and vice presidential debates, announced on September 2, 2016, by the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates The second debate will be moderated by ABC journalist Martha Raddatz and Cooper, a 49-year-old broadcasting star who arrived at CNN in 2001 and began hosting his own show "Anderson Cooper 360" in 2003. Raddatz, 63, joined ABC in 1999 and serves as the network's news chief global affairs correspondent and co-anchor on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." The debate will take place on October 9 at Washington University in St Louis. The third and final debate will be held on October 19 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. It will be moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News, who has spent more than 40 years in the industry and hosts "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace." As is traditional, a vice presidential debate will be held between Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine and Trump VP nominee Mike Pence. Africa's disputed elections Clashes in Gabon have left five people dead since incumbent Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a disputed presidential vote. Bongo's victory over challenger Jean Ping by a razor-thin margin of just under 6,000 votes in a weekend poll sparked fighting in Libreville and Port-Gentil, the country's economic capital. Ping claims the vote was rigged. Africa has known similar electoral unrest in the past, including in Gabon. Gabonese soldiers run to take position as supporters of opposition leader Jean Ping protest in front of security forces blocking a demonstration trying to reach the electoral commission in Libreville Marco Longari (AFP/File) Here are some of the other violent elections that have dogged the continent: - Ivory Coast - After a five-month-standoff, incumbent Laurent Gbagbo was detained on April 11, 2011 by forces backing rival Alassane Ouattara, who was recognised internationally as the winner of Ivory Coast's October 2010 presidential election. Gbagbo had refused to stand down and some 3,000 people died in the post-election unrest. He is currently on trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in relation to the clashes. - Kenya - Violence sparked by disputed results in Kenya's December 27, 2007 presidential poll won by Mwai Kibaki claimed some 1,300 lives and left about 600,000 displaced according to documents filed before the ICC. Elections in 1992 and 1997 also led to violence and related inter-ethnic clashes in 1992 in the western Rift Valley killed hundreds of people. - Nigeria - Unrest that claimed more than 800 lives flared in Nigeria after a disputed April 2011 presidential election in which President Goodluck Jonathan was declared victor. Defeated opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari alleged rigging. Elections in April 2007 elections were also criticised by the opposition and observers and led to violence that officially left 39 people dead. The European Union believes at least 200 died. - Togo - In 2005, Faure Gnassingbe won a disputed presidential election after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema. Between 400 and 500 people were killed in related clashes. - Zimbabwe - In the March 29, 2008 general election, the ZANU-PF party of long-serving President Robert Mugabe was defeated by the Movement for Democratic Change of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai's supporters then became targets of violence in which 180 died according to Amnesty International. Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off presidential election against Mugabe, citing violence against his supporters. The March 2002 elections won by Mugabe were also marred by violence. - Democratic Republic of Congo - In late 2011, general elections that were hastily organised and marred by allegations of fraud were accompanied by violence. A UN report that was denounced by authorities in Kinshasa spoke of around 30 deaths and accused government forces of serious human rights violations. Incumbent head of state Joseph Kabila officially won re-election, but challenger Etienne Tshisekedi rejected the results. The country has been mired in crisis ever since. - Madagascar - The island nation was paralyzed by protests during a political crisis in 2001-2002. Incumbent Didier Ratsiraka challeged the proclaimed victory of Marc Ravalomanana in the first round of a presidential poll and subsequent fighting killed several dozen people. - Gabon - In August 2009, the last declared victory by Ali Bongo also sparked clashes that officially left three people dead. Opposition parties say at least 15 people were killed. Residents of the Mathare slum demonstrate in Nairobi, Kenya, 30 December 2007 Roberto Schmdit (AFP/File) Lebanon indicts Syria intel officers over 2013 blast Lebanon on Friday indicted two Syrian intelligence officers it accused of involvement in a deadly 2013 double bomb blast in the city of Tripoli, a judicial source said. The double bombing killed 45 people, and a series of indictments have already been handed down against Lebanese and Syrians accused of involvement. The indictment names Captain Mohamed Ali Ali, an official in the Palestine branch of Syria's intelligence services, and Nasser Jouban, an official in Syria's political security branch. Lebanese civilians gather next to the site of a blast outside the Al-Taqwamosque in the northern city of Tripoli in 2013 Anwar Amro (AFP/File) The two men, neither of whom is in custody, are accused of helping to prepare the attack, placing explosives in cars and assigning a Lebanese cell to carry out the bombing, which also wounded hundreds. The attacks targeted two Sunni mosques in Tripoli, which has frequently experienced tensions between Sunnis and Alawites who belong to the same religious minority as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and tend to support his government. The indictment alleges the attacks also involved other high-ranking Syrian officials, who are accused of directing Ali and Jouban to organise them. The blasts in the northern city were the deadliest attack in Lebanon since the country's 1975-1990 civil war and raised fears that the conflict in neighbouring Syria could be inexorably seeping across the border. Lebanon's political landscape is largely divided between parties that back Assad and those who support the uprising against him that began in March 2011. Top Islamist extremist shot dead in Bangladesh: police Bangladesh police raided a militant hideout in the capital Friday, killing a suspected top Islamist extremist who helped plan the deadly attack on a cafe in Dhaka that left 22 people dead in July. Police said the slain extremist was Major Murad, 35, who stabbed and injured three officers during the raid on a five-storey building in Dhaka's Rupnagar neighbourhood where the suspect had rented a flat. "He was a senior member of the JMB (Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh) and trained the five gunmen who attacked the Gulshan cafe," Sanwar Hossain, a senior counter-terrorism officer in the Dhaka police force, told AFP. Since the deadly Dhaka cafe attack in July, police have shot dead at least 27 Islamist extremists "He was smart and fluent in English. He was the chief trainer of the JMB and one of the planners of the cafe attack. He was shot dead after he stabbed three of our officers who were trying to take him alive," he said, adding that the three policemen had been hospitalised. The raid came days after police killed three suspected Islamist extremists including the alleged mastermind of the cafe attack, JMB leader Tamim Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen. Police have blamed the JMB for a wave of murders targeting foreigners and members of religious minorities in which at least 80 people have been killed. Since the cafe attack in July police have shot dead at least 27 Islamist extremists. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Gulshan attack, releasing photos from inside the cafe during the siege and of the five men who carried out the deadly assault and were shot dead at its finale. But Bangladeshi authorities have rejected the claim, saying international jihadist networks have no presence in the world's third-largest Muslim-majority nation. Critics say Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration is in denial about the nature of the threat posed by Islamist extremists and accuse her of trying to exploit the attacks to demonise her domestic opponents. Turkey-backed rebels clear Syria border villages of IS: army Syrian rebels supported by Turkish and coalition air strikes pushed further west into areas held by Islamic State in northern Syria as Ankara and its allies step up a campaign to rout the jihadists from the border area. Turkish strikes destroyed three buildings used by IS around the villages of Kunduriyah and Arab Izzah, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of the border town of Jarabulus, the army said in a statement. The pro-Ankara rebels took Jarabulus from IS last week on the first day of an unprecedented Turkish offensive aimed both at IS and a US-backed Kurdish militia that had been leading the fight against the jihadists. Turkish soldiers stand in a Turkish army tank driving back to Turkey from the Syrian-Turkish border town of Jarabulus on September 2, 2016 in the Turkish-Syrian border town of Karkamis Bulent Kilic (AFP) In the last few days the rebels have been moving quickly to clear the jihadists from the last stretch of the border under their control, backed by Turkish artillery and Turkish and coalition air strikes. The army said the area around Kunduriyah was now controlled by the opposition rebels. An AFP photographer at the border said Turkish-led forces were undertaking operations near the town of Al-Rai, about 20 kilometres further west. On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis estimated IS only retained control of about 25 kilometers of the border, east of Al-Rai. Turkey sent tanks and troops into Syria on August 24 to both combat IS -- which has been blamed for a string of suicide attacks inside Turkey -- and halt the westward advance of the Kurdish People's Protection Militia (YPG). Turkey sees the YPG as a terror offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) waging a bloody three-decade insurgency on its soil. The Turkey-Kurdish fight is yet another complication in Syria's tangled civil war, with both Turkey and the US seeking to retake territory from IS jihadists by supporting different proxy groups. Washington, which backs the YPG, on Monday expressed alarm at Turkey's bombardments of the group and called on its two allies to remain focused on fighting IS. - Kurdish protesters teargassed - Ankara has said the YPG will remain a target unless it returns east of the Euphrates river into the two cantons under Kurdish control. On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed US claims that the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had retreated to the northeast, as demanded. "Right now, people say they have gone to the east but we say no, they haven't crossed," Erdogan said. A US defence official in Washington, who requested anonymity, said that any continuing presence by the YPG in the area was "completely insignificant". Turkey's operation against the YPG has raised tensions with Syrian Kurds in other areas. On Friday, Turkish security forces fired tear gas and water cannon at stone-throwing protesters in the Syrian border town of Kobane, which Kurdish militia took from IS in 2015 after a lengthy battle. The demonstrators were protesting the route of a five-kilometre wall being built by the Turks between Kobane and the Turkish town of Suruc. Market bomb attack kills 12 in Philippines At least 12 people died and dozens were injured when a bomb tore through a bustling night market in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's home city on Friday, authorities said. The blast occurred just before 11:00pm (1500 GMT), leaving bodies strewn amid the wreckage of plastic tables and chairs on a road that had been closed to traffic for the market in the heart of Davao city. An improvised explosive device caused the explosion, presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said, adding drug traffickers opposed to Duterte's war on crime or Islamic militants may have been responsible. Police investigators collect evidence through injured and dead people lying on the ground, at the site of an explosion at a night market in Davao City, in southern island of Mindanao, on late September 2, 2016 Manman Deijto (AFP) "There are many elements who are angry at our president and our government," Andanar told DZMM radio, after referring to the drug traffickers and the militants. "We are not ruling out the possibility that they might be responsible for this but it is too early to speculate." Twelve people were confirmed killed and more than 30 others injured, according to Ernesto Abella, another presidential spokesman. Davao is the biggest city in the southern Philippines, with a population of about two million people. It is about 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from the capital of Manila. The blast occurred in the centre of Davao, close to one of the city's top hotels that Duterte sometimes holds meetings in, as well as a major university. "The force just hurled me. I practically flew in the air," Adrian Abilanosa, who said his cousin was among those killed, told AFP shortly afterwards. Duterte was in Davao on Friday but was not near the market when the explosion occurred, according to his aides. They said he went straight into meetings with security chiefs following the blast. - Violence-plagued region - Davao is part of the southern region of Mindanao, where Islamic militants have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency that has claimed more than 120,000 lives. Communist rebels, who have been waging an armed struggle since 1968, also maintain a presence in rural areas neighbouring Davao. Duterte had been mayor of Davao for most of the past two decades, before winning national elections in a landslide this year and being sworn in as president on June 30. Duterte became well known for bringing relative peace and order to Davao with hardline security policies, while also brokering local deals with Muslim and communist rebels. However in 2003, two bomb attacks blamed on Muslim rebels at Davao's airport and the city's port within a month of each other killed about 40 people. Duterte has in recent weeks pursued peace talks with the two main Muslim rebel groups. Its leaders have said they want to broker a lasting peace. - Abu Sayyaf threat - However Duterte also ordered a military offensive to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf, a small but extremely dangerous group of militants that has declared allegiance to Islamic State and vowed to continue fighting. Fifteen soldiers died on Monday in clashes with the Abu Sayyaf on Jolo island, one of the Abu Sayyaf's main strongholds about 900 kilometres from Davao. Presidential spokesman Andanar referred to the fighting on Jolo when he speculated on who may have been behind Friday's bomb attack. The Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for three bomb attacks in 2005 -- one in Davao, one in a nearby city and a third in Manila -- that killed eight people. The Abu Sayyaf, notorious for kidnapping foreigners to extract ransoms, said it conducted the 2005 attacks in response to an offensive against it at that time. Andanar on Friday also raised the possibility of drug lords carrying out the attack as a way of fighting back against Duterte's war on crime. Duterte has made eradicating illegal drugs the top priority of the beginning of his presidency. Security forces have conducted raids in communities throughout the country to arrest or kill drug traffickers. More than 2,000 people have died in the war on crime. The United States, the United Nations and rights groups have expressed concern about an apparent wave of extrajudicial killings. But the United States quickly released a statement expressing deep condolences for Friday's blast. Philippines blast AFP (AFP) Hewlett-Packard Enterprise to sell software business: report Hewlett-Packard Enterprise is looking to sell its software division, perhaps for as much as $10 billion, according to media reports on Friday that cited sources close to the matter. The move would include HPE shedding the operations of Autonomy Corp, a British software firm bought five years ago in an $11 billion deal that has since been branded a business blunder. The former HP wrote off nearly $9 billion from the acquisition of Autonomy, which it accused of fudging financial results. The Wall Street Journal reported that HPE was seeking from $8 billion to $10 billion for its software operations Yves Boucau (BELGA/AFP/File) The Wall Street Journal reported that HPE was seeking from $8 billion to $10 billion for its software operations. According to the Financial Times, a number of private equity funds are interested in the HPE unit. "As a matter of policy, HPE does not comment on rumors and speculations," the company said in an email response to an AFP inquiry. HPE, based in Palo Alto, California, was the product of the November 2015 split-up of computing giant Hewlett-Packard. The group divided in two: its enterprise unit, HPE, and the personal computer and printer business HP Inc. that became a household name but faced increasingly fierce competition. HPE chief executive Meg Whitman has continued making moves to dismantle the company. HPE in May announced plans to spin off its corporate services business. The unit was to be merged with Computer Sciences Corp. to create a global corporate technology services giant with expected annual revenues of $26 billion. Barack Obama to meet with Theresa May at G20 in China US President Barack Obama will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China, a White House official said Friday. It will be the first official meeting between the two leaders since May took office in July after David Cameron quit following the British vote to leave the European Union. Obama had spoken out strongly against a Brexit, warning voters in the referendum their nation would go "to the back of the queue" for a US trade deal if they opted to leave. Obama has spoken out strongly against a Brexit, warning voters in the referendum their nation would go "to the back of the queue" for a US trade deal if they opted to leave Saul Loeb (AFP) In Hangzhou, the two leaders "will discuss a range of bilateral and global issues, and, as close friends and steadfast allies, the United States and United Kingdom continue to enjoy an enduring special relationship," the official said. Obama is also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 meeting. The Latest: Prosecutor offers apology to 'Dixmoor Five' MARKHAM, Ill. (AP) The Latest on murder charges in Chicago-area girl's 1991 death (all times local): 7:50 p.m. An Illinois prosecutor has apologized to five men wrongly convicted and imprisoned in the 1991 rape and fatal shooting of a 14-year-old suburban Chicago girl. Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez issued a statement Thursday after a judge denied bond to 58-year-old Willie Randolph on a murder charge in the death of that Dixmoor teenager, Cateresa Matthews. Five years ago, DNA tests cleared the five men, known as the "Dixmoor Five," of all charges. They'd spent a decade or more in prison. Alvarez offered "sincere apologies" to the men and their families. She says the "system did not protect them" and "victimized them in a way that can never possibly be repaired." But she argued that reforms have been implemented "to ensure that no person is wrongfully convicted." ___ 7:15 p.m. A judge has ordered a 58-year-old man held without bond on a murder charge in the 1991 kidnapping, rape and fatal shooting of a 14-year-old suburban Chicago girl. A Cook County prosecutor said at a Thursday bond hearing that Willie Randolph kidnapped Dixmoor teenager Cateresa Matthews at a bus stop, then raped her and shot her through the mouth in a field. The development comes years after DNA evidence cleared five other men who had originally been convicted in the case. The men, known as the "Dixmoor Five," spent a decade or more in prison before that DNA evidence pointed to Randolph, not them, in Cateresa's killing. Randolph, a registered sex offender, is already serving a three-year sentence for drug possession in an Illinois state prison. The Chicago Tribune reports more charges against Randolph are expected later. It wasn't immediately clear if he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf. ___ 10:30 a.m. Prosecutors say a 58-year-old man will be charged with murder and kidnapping in the 1991 killing of a 14-year-old suburban Chicago girl. More than two years ago, five men reached a $40 million settlement with Illinois State Police after they were cleared of all charges in the death of Dixmoor teenager Cateresa Matthews. The men, known as the "Dixmoor Five," spent a decade or more in prison before DNA evidence pointed to Willie Randolph, not them, in Cateresa's killing. The Cook County State's Attorney's office says Randolph will appear in bond court on Thursday afternoon on charges of murder, kidnapping and predatory criminal sexual assault. Sen. Boxer to donate congressional papers to UC Berkeley LOS ANGELES (AP) U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer is leaving Capitol Hill, but the record of her work will find a new home at the University of California, Berkeley. The retiring senator announced Thursday that she is donating more than two decades of her congressional papers to the school's Bancroft Library. The liberal Democrat announced in January she would not seek a fifth term. FILE - In this July 26, 2016 file photo, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Boxer is leaving Capitol Hill, but the record of her work will find a new home at the University of California, Berkeley. The retiring senator announced Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, that she is donating more than two decades of her congressional papers to the schools Bancroft Library. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Boxer, first elected to the Senate in 1992, says in a statement she hopes the archive will provide insights for future generations who want to study the era when women were ascending in greater numbers to political power in Washington. Virginia senator proposes limit on voting rights restoration RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's Senate Majority Leader says he will introduce a constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights for some felons, and set new barriers for others. Republican Thomas K. Norment's announcement Thursday is the latest salvo fired in the battle between the GOP and Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe over restoring voting rights for felons. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/2bZ0yTM) that Norment's proposal would automatically restore voting rights for some non-violent felons. It would also permanently bar violent felons from voting. And future governors would not have the power to restore voting rights. McAuliffe said in a statement that Norment's "cynical proposal" would be a step backward. Tigers suspend minor leaguer Saupold for 5 games DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Tigers have suspended minor league pitcher Warwick Saupold for five games after he was reportedly arrested last weekend in Toledo, Ohio. Saupold was arrested following an altercation at a bar in Toledo, according to an arrest report from the Toledo Police Department obtained by ESPN.com. The Tigers released a statement Thursday night saying they were suspending Saupold after reviewing the details of last weekend's incident. The Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, Saupold's team, had only five games remaining in their season, including Thursday's at Columbus. Super Mario marketing op in Rio cost Nintendo how much? Zero TOKYO (AP) How much did Nintendo pay to land that dream marketing opportunity at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony, where Japan's prime minister popped out dressed as the red-hatted plumber Super Mario? Zero. The Japanese video game maker behind "Pokemon" and "Zelda" got the coveted stage that corporate sponsors pay millions for after they were approached by those creating the festivities for "cooperation," not the other way around, says Nintendo Co. spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa. FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2016 file photo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe removes costume of the Nintendo game character Super Mario as he makes an appearance during the closing ceremony at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. How much yen did Nintendo pay to land that dream marketing opportunity at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony when Japans prime minister popped out dressed as the red-hatted plumber Super Mario? Zero. (Masanori Takei/Kyodo News via AP, File) "I want to make that clear. We did not pay," he said in a telephone interview. "And we are not going to become Olympic sponsors either." Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's emergence in a Super Mario costume was the highlight of the handover section for Tokyo, the host of the 2020 games. The segment was so favorably received in Japan as surprisingly playful and tasteful, given the staidness usually associated with Japan Inc., that Abe earned a new nickname, "Abe-Mario." Tokyo city official Masahiro Hayashi said Japan's top advertising company Dentsu Inc. was tapped to produce the handover segment, with a total budget for the Rio Olympics and the Paralympics of 1.2 billion yen ($12 million). He refused to say how much Dentsu was paid, or give other details. The city of Tokyo and the organizing committee are under intense pressure to trim costs, which have ballooned over the years, partly because of the weakening yen but also because planning fiascos, such as decisions to redo designs for both the main stadium and the Tokyo 2020 logo. Organizing committee spokesman Motoki Okumura would not give details of the spending for the closing ceremony. Dentsu also declined to comment. "Top Olympic sponsors pay millions of dollars to the IOC for permission to promote their brands to a massive global audience. Nintendo just did it for free. With Japan's prime minister as their pitchman. Easily the marketing coup of the Rio games," said Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing analyst and creative director at Baker Street Advertising of San Francisco. Purists might feel the commercial branding was a bit overdone, and argue for other ways to promote Japanese culture, according to Dorfman, who has lived in Japan. "But gaming and anime are certainly major aspects of modern Japan, and Mario is a universal icon. As someone who doesn't take sports or the Olympics too seriously, I found the whole thing pretty funny and entertaining," he said. ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/yuri-kageyama Police investigate social media threats against LGBT people WILTON MANORS, Fla. (AP) Law enforcement officials are investigating threats posted on Facebook to "exterminate" LGBT people living in a predominantly gay city near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Wilton Manors Commissioner Justin Flippen says the threat is being taken seriously by the FBI and local police. The posts mentioned the June 12 attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people and injured more than 50. One post said "if you losers thought the Pulse nightclub shooting was bad, wait till you see what I'm planning for Labor Day." Japan raids Mitsubishi Motors over mileage-cheating scandal TOKYO (AP) Japanese transport ministry officials raided the Tokyo headquarters of scandal-ridden Mitsubishi Motors Corp. on Friday after the government alleged the automaker cheated on mileage ratings on more models than earlier reported. The systematic inflating of mileage numbers first surfaced in April, over minicars, eK wagon and eK Space, that also were sold under the Nissan Motor Co. brand. No overseas models are affected. This week, the government said it had found similar cheating on eight more models, including an electric car, for which Mitsubishi had overstated the cruise range on a single charge. FILE - In this Feb . 5, 2013 file photo, a man talking on the mobile phone walks out from the headquarters of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Tokyo. Japanese transport ministry officials raided the Tokyo headquarters of scandal-ridden Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Friday, Sept. 2, 2016 after the government alleged the automaker cheated on mileage ratings on more models than earlier reported. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File) Ministry official Yuki Ebihara said the raid, the third over the mileage scandal, was part of an investigation to find out how the cheating developed and what might be behind such persistent wrongdoing. Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Motors is compensating owners with cash rebates. Sales of the eight models have been halted in Japan. When the mileage discrepancy over the minicars surfaced, the government ordered mileage tests redone on other models, following the correct procedure, rather than the incorrect methods used by Mitsubishi Motors. Mitsubishi initially said the discrepancy in the mileage was minimal. This week, Mitsubishi acknowledged they went with the best data the redone tests turned up, not the average, as required by law. Mitsubishi's vehicle sales in Japan have nosedived, falling 35 percent last month compared to the same month last year. Nissan has said it is taking a 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi to help its turnaround, although the deal has not yet been completed. Mitsubishi's reputation was hammered by a massive cover-up of defects that surfaced in the early 2000s. ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at twitter.com/yurikageyama Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/yuri-kageyama UN condemns bomb attack at China's embassy in Kyrgyzstan UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. Security Council has condemned "the serious terrorist bomb attack" at China's embassy in Kyrgyzstan and called for the perpetrators, organizers and financiers to be brought to justice. A statement approved by the 15 members late Thursday urged all countries to cooperate with Kyrgyz authorities in the investigation. A suspected suicide bomber crashed a car through the entrance of the embassy in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek on Tuesday, detonating a bomb that killed the attacker and wounded three embassy employees. Kyrgyz authorities have offered no guidance on the attacker or a possible motive. The Security Council stressed that "any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed." Cuba reports remarkable success in containing Zika virus HAVANA (AP) Six months after President Raul Castro declared war on the Zika virus in Cuba, a militarized nationwide campaign of intensive mosquito spraying, monitoring and quarantine appears to be working. Cuba is among the few countries in the Western Hemisphere that have so far prevented significant spread of the disease blamed for birth defects in thousands of children. Only three people have caught Zika in Cuba. Thirty have been diagnosed with cases of the virus they got outside the island, according to Cuban officials. Many are now watching to see whether Cuba is able to maintain control of Zika or will drop its guard and see widening infection like so many of its neighbors. The battle against Zika is testing what Cuba calls a signal accomplishment of its single-party socialist revolution a free health-care system that assigns a family doctor to every neighborhood, with a focus on preventive care and maternal and pediatric health. That system has come under strain in recent years as thousands of specialists emigrate to the U.S., Europe and South America for higher pay and the allied government of Venezuela reduces the flow of subsidized oil that has been keeping Cuba solvent. In this Aug. 26, 2016 photo, a government fumigator sprays a home for mosquitos in Havana, Cuba, Friday, August 26, 2016. Six months after President Raul Castro declared war on the Zika virus in Cuba, a militarized nationwide campaign of intensive mosquito spraying, monitoring and quarantine appears to be working. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) U.S. government scientists fly to Havana in November for a two-day meeting on animal-borne viruses such as Zika, the first conference of its kind since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations a year ago. American researchers say they are eager to learn more and help incorporate Cuba into U.S.-backed international health programs after a half-century without significant professional interaction. "Probably in the last decade we've had two people that have gone down there for anything," said F. Gray Handley, associate director for international research affairs at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "It has been pretty much of a black box." So far, there have been about 40 cases of Zika caused by mosquito bites in Florida. Health officials don't expect widespread outbreaks in the mainland U.S. but there are thousands of cases in Puerto Rico and countries such as Brazil and Venezuela are struggling with large-scale infection. International medical experts familiar with Cuba say other countries can learn from Cuba's intense focus on preventing disease, which led the government to decimate the mosquito population by spraying virtually every neighborhood in Cuba this spring. "Cuba's response has been strong and effective," said Dr. Cristian Morales, the World Health Organization's representative in Cuba. "It has to do with the capacity to organize the population. Applying it to other countries, other contexts, would be extremely difficult." Other elements of Cuba's success so far against Zika may simply not apply to other nations because they are inextricably tied to a form of government unique in the Western hemisphere. Most aspects of life in Cuba are controlled by a single-party state that rigorously monitors citizens' activities. From neighborhood doctors to reporters to block watch captains, most people in Cuba work for a massive government apparatus whose components all ultimately answer to a single unelected leader, Raul Castro, who heads the military, the state and the Communist Party. In February, as Zika spread through South America, Castro announced that he would be deploying the army to spray homes and workplaces because of the failings of civilian government fumigators, whom Cubans frequently brushed off to avoid the smelly, noisy filling of their homes with insecticidal fog. "Our people will be able to demonstrate their ability to organize to maintain the levels of health achieved by the revolution and avoid our families suffering," he wrote. "As never before in similar efforts, we must be ever-more disciplined and demanding." In the following weeks, Cubans cities, towns and villages filled with olive-clad soldiers moving door-to-door with handheld foggers, and using sprayer trucks to blanket entire streets with clouds of insecticide. Cuba's approach compares favorably to the effort in Florida, where officials are spraying areas where Zika cases have already started cropping up, said Carlos Espinal, director of the Global Health Consortium at Florida International University in Miami. "They started very early in advance of the Zika virus," he said. "Once you start going behind the cases then it's complicated, you're just detecting once the transmission is already in place." The Cuban state has officials from immigration agents to neighborhood doctors watching for Zika, especially in the thousands of doctors, nurses and support staff who work overseas in programs that earn the Cuban government billions of dollars a year in badly needed hard currency. "The neighborhood family doctor is told, 'In your community there are 10 people who've gone to Jamaica. Two are doctors, three are nurses and the other six or five are business people, tourists, whatever.' And he has to keep an eye on them, go to their homes, call them," said Professor Jorge Perez, director of the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute in Havana. Perez said 1,700 people with fever or other symptoms had been quarantined for 24-48 hours while being tested for Zika. All pregnant women are tested for Zika in their first trimester, he said. Every worker sent overseas on a government "mission" is quarantined and tested before returning to the island. "We're surrounded by Zika, everywhere," he said. "We've learned that it's better to prevent than to treat." The Cuban government holds regular video conferences among top health officials, military officers, Communist Party officials and sanitation and water experts in the capital and in Cuba's 14 provinces. Even elementary- and middle-school students had been drawn into the campaign, with teams of children as young as 10 sent door-to-door to check for standing water where mosquitoes breed and distribute information about Zika. Those who defy orders to eliminate standing water or trash or allow inspections or fumigation are fined. "In our neighborhood people watch out for surges of mosquitoes, keep things clean and work with the neighborhood to raise their awareness," said Gerardo Olvera, 51, a self-employed vendor of phone cards in Havana. "Meanwhile the authorities are visiting, fumigating. It's all designed to get everyone involved." _____ Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein In this Aug. 26, 2016, photo, a nurse, part of the crew that is responsible for preventing the spread of the Zika virus, asks neighbors about the health situation in Havana, Cuba. Cuba is among few countries in the Western Hemisphere that has so far prevented significant spread of the disease blamed for birth defects in thousands of children. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Myanmar forest-cutting continues despite government efforts PINLEBU, Myanmar (AP) The hills of northern Myanmar's Sagaing region were so legendarily thick with forests that in the days of kings, condemned criminals were ordered into the woods as a death sentence. Today illegal logging has left vast swaths of bare patches, with only a handful of old-growth stands. Despite a temporary ban on all logging by the Southeast Asian country's new government, the Associated Press found in a trip to the remote region that loggers are still cutting down some of the remaining old trees. The AP also saw loggers illegally chopping up the wood from already felled trees for transportation and sale. Piles of such wood have been confiscated by the government, but villagers said officials can be bribed to let it through. Massive amounts of teak, rosewood and other hardwoods have been illegally cut and exported from Myanmar since 2011. Much of that wood was stripped from the Sagaing region, floated on the Irrawaddy River and transported to neighboring China and India. In this June 28, 2016, photo, workers saw illegally logged timber in Katha, northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. An activist traveling with the Associated Press journalists said the logging was illegal and contacted forest department officials, who detained the loggers and seized their equipment later in the day. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Myanmar has lost more than a quarter of its forests since 1990, according to the U.N. The losses have been greatest in the north, in Sagaing and neighboring Shan and Kachin states. The pace of deforestation had increased under the last government, though it banned timber exports in 2014. "Logging companies usually chop down trees more than they actually are permitted," said Min Min, a farmer and environmental activist who previously worked transporting illegally cut logs. "According to my experience, I've never seen the government take action against the companies chopping down any size of trees they wanted." Four activists in Sagaing told The Associated Press that logging appeared to be continuing on a small scale despite the temporary ban, based on truckloads of lumber they have seen being transported. This is the rainy season in Myanmar, and an off period for the illegal timber trade in any case. Those arrested have included members of Myanmar's military, which no longer rules the country but remains powerful. Burmese media reported last week that nearly three tons of rosewood were seized from a military vehicle in Sagaing. This summer, AP reporters rode jeeps and motorbikes for 20 hours over rough, muddy roads to reach villages in northern Sagaing, meeting former illegal loggers, local villagers and elephant keepers. Despite its remoteness, vast swaths of hillsides and valleys were bald patches. Young trees, perhaps 10 years old, stand near the stumps of ancestors that were clearly many times larger. A few villages have managed to cling to old-growth stands in small community forests, but that is all. "We used to be so afraid of coming to the forest alone because it was too forested," said Aung Moe Kyaw, a local environmental activist. "Now, as you see, it is bald and no more big trees. The big trees are all gone now." Logging in Sagaing has traditionally been done with the help of elephants, and while that work has continued, heavy equipment is used much more commonly. "If the logging was only done by the government and pulled logs by elephant, deforestation wouldn't be that bad," said Than Lwin, an elephant trainer, showing off two of the six elephants that work hauling felled tree trunks that weigh up to five tons. "We see that logging companies are chopping down trees as much as they want." Mountains of recently cut illegal timber worth millions of dollars lie in villages across the region; most of the timber the AP team saw was rosewood, coveted in China and elsewhere for its natural red color. Activists say the wood has been seized by the government mostly since late 2015, but that loggers commonly have been able to get it back by bribing officials. The AP team traveling witnessed loggers cutting wood outside Katha, a Sagaing town that is a transit hub for the trade. An activist traveling with the journalists said the logging was illegal and contacted forest department officials, who detained the loggers and seized their equipment. The wood-cutting operation had been set up near a mountain far from the nearest village. Because exporting lumber rather than raw timber is not illegal, clandestine wood-cutting is a way to circumvent the law. Villagers learned of the operation and informed the activist. The leader of the logging crew looked nervous when the activists and journalists arrived. When asked where he got the timber, he said his brother recently gave him the leftover logs, and that they were only for home use. Local environmental activists working under the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade, which supports efforts to combat illegal logging in developing countries, say much illegally cut timber is hauled to Katha, transported on the Irrawaddy and sent on various paths through Kachin state and the Mandalay region before it reaches China's western Yunan province. They say bribes allow illegal loads to pass official gates. Min Min said a former boss would bribe police and forest department officials ahead of time, so that when Min Min arrived at the gate, the officials would let him go without checking his truck. "The officials protect us for giving bribes, and sometimes they even come with us on the truck to show us the way to get to our final destination," he said. Myo Min, national director of the forestry department, said Thursday the government is trying to stop corruption. "There are many individual bribery cases but not all staff from the forest department is involved," he said. "... We have taken action against bribe-taking staff in the past and are still working on it now." Myanmar police referred questions about corruption to the forestry department. Myo Min said the department has taken action against staff in the Katha district in the past. But the district's director, Soe Tint, denied that officials have cooperated in illegal logging. "Because of the Chinese demand for hardwood, there could be illegal logging cooperation among businessmen," he said. How big is Myanmar's smuggling? From 2011 to 2014, Myanmar reported $2.83 billion in exports of hardwood in the rough, while trading partners reported imports of $5.57 billion. Illegal logging is likely to account for some of that $2.74 billion discrepancy. Other timber-cutting is probably absent from any country's record-keeping. India and China are by far the biggest consumers. From 2011 to 2015, the two countries collectively imported about six times more Myanmar teak and rosewood than the rest of the world combined. "Most of illegal timber is transported to China through Kachin state," said Khon Ja of the activist group Kachin Peace Network. "We have witnessed how they (illegal loggers) bribe military officers and civil officers throughout the way when they carried out the illegal timber. "It is an unnecessarily great loss. The valuable natural resources are sold for a penny," she added. From 2010 to 2015, Myanmar had the third-largest forest loss in the world, equivalent to an annual loss of 546,000 hectares (2,100 square miles), according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. In 2011, Myanmar's longtime military rulers gave way to a military-backed but quasi-civilian government led by President Thein Sein that ruled until earlier this year. That government is credited with initiating a series of political reforms and helping the country emerge from decades of international isolation, but one side effect of that new openness was that Myanmar's vast natural resources became easier to exploit. "The worst period was under President Thein Sein's administration," said Than Hlaing, a Sagaing regional lawmaker. "The government itself was cooperating with the businessmen. The illegal logging was widespread in our region." Since 2014, the government has banned the export of raw timber logs to protect old-growth forests. In May, the new elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi announced a nationwide logging ban for this fiscal year, which ends March 31. The forest department compound in Katha is now home to a fleet of trucks, buses and vans that the government has seized from illegal loggers since late last year. Myo Min, the forestry director, said last month that the government has seized more than 16,000 tons of illegally cut logs since April, when the current government took office and that more than 1,000 criminal cases have been filed in that time. He said that continues work that began toward the end of previous government, which seized 30,000 tons of logs and filed more than 2,200 criminal cases in its last fiscal year. At least some illegal loggers are being prosecuted, including one whom AP reporters met in Wuntho village shortly after his release from prison, where he had spent four months. Corruption and weak law enforcement remain obstacles. "The illegal loggers are so smart and professional, as they have been doing it for a long time," said Min Naung, a Lower House lawmaker and a member of the Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Committee. "They know how to transport illegal logs when and where, and they definitely know the weaknesses of the government. They know how to avoid being arrested." He said some officials are still taking bribes, "even if it's less," and that the forest department lacks muscle. "They don't have enough people to seize logging sites and people because it can be dangerous for them, and they have no weapons but pens," he said. A forest department worker in Sagaing was recently killed by illegal loggers. "We could do nothing about it and we were really sad what happened to him. We couldn't protect him," Min Naung said. Soe Tint, the forest official, said that although the killing was the first of its kind in the district, his workers are often threatened or even harmed, and they frequently ask for backup from police. Though local villagers have sometimes taken part in illegal logging, they say they've received virtually none of the proceeds. And they say the biggest operators rely on loggers from other regions. Even by the standards of Myanmar, one of Asia's poorest countries, northern Sagaing is impoverished and remote. The roads are too poor for most people to travel frequently. Villagers are heavily dependent on farming, but they lack irrigation, and harvest food from the forest outside of the growing season. Villages typically have only a primary school, so further education is out of the question for most children. "It has been always difficult for us to stop illegal loggers," said Aung Moe Kyaw, the activist. "They have a good deal with the authorities from different levels and they benefit from it, but villagers who live by the forests are so poor." At the same time, he said, simply having members of Parliament pay attention to the issue is an improvement. "If the new government could protect these forests for a few years," he said, "it would actually give the chance for these forests to live." In this June 25, 2016 photo, an environmental activist who aims to combat illegal logging, stands next to a tree stump at a recently raided illegal logging site in what use to be a forest in Chaung Gwet, in northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. Teak, rosewood and other rare hardwoods continue to be cut down, despite a government ban, the Associated Press found on a recent trip to the countrys north. China and India are the biggest markets for the timber by far. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 25, 2016, photo, tree stumps form a landscape in what use to be a forest in Chaung Gwet, in northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. The hills of northern Myanmar's Sagaing region were so legendarily thick with forests that in the days of kings, condemned criminals were ordered into the woods as a death sentence. Today they form a landscape largely of stumps, and of young trees that would have been dwarfed by their towering ancestors. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 25, 2016, photo, environmental activists who aim to combat illegal logging, walk past tree stumps and dead trees in what use to be a forest in Chaung Gwet, in northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. Teak, rosewood and other rare hardwoods continue to be cut down, despite a government ban, the Associated Press found on a recent trip to the countrys north. China and India are the biggest markets for the timber by far. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 25, 2016, photo, environmental activists who aim to combat illegal logging walk past recently raided illegally logged trees in what use to be a forest in Chaung Gwet, in northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. Teak, rosewood and other rare hardwoods continue to be cut down, despite a government ban, the Associated Press found on a recent trip to the countrys north. China and India are the biggest markets for the timber by far. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 28, 2016, photo, workers cut illegally logged timber in Katha, northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. An activist traveling with the Associated Press journalists said the logging was illegal and contacted forest department officials, who detained the loggers and seized their equipment later in the day. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 27, 2016, photo, mahout Than Lwin sits atop a tamed elephant which carries a log at Myanmar government owned tame-elephant hut in Kabyin Lwin, northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. Since May 2016, the Myanmar government led by Aung San Suu Kyi announced a nationwide logging ban for this fiscal year, ending these elephants regular work of pulling logs from jungles. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 28, 2016, photo, a young teashop worker smiles standing in front of a picture of Myanmar's Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi in Katha, northern Sagaing, In May, the newly elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, announced a nationwide logging ban for this fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2017. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 28, 2016, photo, government forest commissioner Soe Tint adjusts his jacket at his office in Katha, northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. Soe Tint said his workers are often threatened or even harmed by the illegal loggers and they frequently ask for backup from police. Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 27, 2016, photo, schoolchildren walk past a timber yard in Wuntho, northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, from 2010 to 2015, Myanmar had the third-largest forest loss in the world, equivalent to an annual loss of 546,000 hectares. (2,100 square miles). Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 27, 2016, photo, a worker marks logs before transporting at a yard in Wuntho, northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, from 2010 to 2015, Myanmar had the third-largest forest loss in the world, equivalent to an annual loss of 546,000 hectares. (2,100 square miles). Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 27, 2016, photo, tree trunks are loaded to train carriages for transportation in the background of a street market at Wuntho, northern Sagaing division, Myanmar. Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 29, 2016, photo, passengers travel in a ferry in Irrawaddy River, close to Bhamo, northern Kachin state in Myanmar. Much of the wood stripped from Sagaing town floated on the Irrawaddy River is transported to neighboring China and India. Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) In this June 26, 2016, photo, oxen pull a cart on a muddy road near Chaung Gwet in Sagaing division, northern Myanmar. Even by the standards of Myanmar, one of Asia's poorest countries, northern Sagaing is impoverished and remote. Myanmar is struggling to stop illegal logging that has erased one-quarter of the countrys valuable forests in a generation. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe) A 12-year-old who read The Lord Of The Rings aged five has become the youngest Cornell University freshman in the Ivy School's history. Jeremy Shuler was home-schooled by his parents - both aerospace engineers from Grand Prairie, Texas - and started reading books in English and Korean aged two. To help get him into Cornell, Jeremy's parents moved to Ithaca, where his father, Andy Shuler, took up a post at Lockheed Martin Upstate New York. Scroll down for video A 12-year-old who started studying calculus aged 6 has become the youngest Cornell University freshman in the Ivy School's history Jeremy Shuler is the home-schooled child of two aerospace engineers, Andy (left) and Harrey (right) from Grand Prairie, Texas, and started reading books in English and Korean aged two With his bowl-cut hair, cherubic face and frequent happy laughter, Jeremy is clearly still a child despite his advanced intelligence. He swung in his chair while his parents, who he calls Mommy and Daddy, recounted his early years during an interview at the engineering school where his grandfather is a professor, his father got his doctorate and Jeremy is now an undergrad. Lance Collins, Engineering Dean at Cornell, has high hopes for his future success. He said: 'It's risky to extrapolate, but if you look at his trajectory and he stays on course, one day he'll solve some problem we haven't even conceived of. 'That's pretty exciting.' Jeremy read a book called Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics aged five and begun studying calculus a year later. His mother, Harrey, who has a doctorate in aerospace engineering, said: 'From the beginning, he was physically advanced, very strong.' Jeremy fixated on letters and numbers at 3 months old, knew the alphabet at 15 months, and was reading books on his own at 21 months in English and Korean, his mother's native language. Enrolling him in kindergarten was pointless. 'We were concerned about him socializing with other kids,' his mother said. 'At the playground he was freaked out by other kids running around screaming. But when we took him to Math Circle and math camp, he was very social. Jeremy walks to meet an advisor on campus in Ithaca. His mum and dad moved to upstate New York to help him attend Cornell 'He needed someone with similar interests.' Jeremy nodded vehemently at that, saying his closest friends are from the math discussion groups. 'One of my Math Circle friends actually wrote Minecraft for Dummies,' he said, adding that the computer game is one of his favorite pastimes along with reading science fiction. He said he's settling in to college life. 'I was nervous at first, but I'm a lot more excited than nervous now,' he said, adding that he's already made a couple of friends. 'As Mommy said, all the kids in math camp were older than me, so I'm used to having older friends. As long as they like math.' He's enjoying the classes, especially the theoretical discussions, he said. Jeremy's read a book called 'Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics aged five and begun studying calculus a year later But with his bowl-cut hair, cherubic face and frequent happy laughter, Jeremy is clearly still a child despite his advanced intelligence 'The classes are kind of easy so far, but I know they'll be harder pretty soon,' Jeremy said. That's an important thing to keep in mind, according to others with experience in early college. Joe Bates, founder of Singular Computing in Newton, Massachusetts, and a leading researcher in artificial intelligence, entered Johns Hopkins University when he was 13. Now 60, Bates said college was liberating after conventional schooling that always bored him. 'It was actually the first time it was fun and interesting to be in school,' Bates said. 'On a social level, he felt more at home with his nerdy college classmates than he had with junior high students.' For the future, Jeremy plans to just keep on learning. 'I want to pursue a career in academia,' he said But Bates warned Jeremy not to thing he could 'manage everything'. He added: 'You should truly keep your parents and advisers informed, and ask them for help. It's not going to be like before, when you could just do everything.' Kolkata remembers Mother Teresa on the eve of sainthood KOLKATA, India (AP) As Pope Francis prepares to declare Mother Teresa a saint just two decades after her death, people touched by her life in the eastern Indian city where she lived and worked for close to 50 years are filled with pride. Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, in what is now Macedonia, Mother Teresa joined the Loreto order of Roman Catholic nuns in 1928. She was traveling from the city then called Calcutta to Darjeeling in 1946 when she decided to start the Missionaries of Charity order. Since its establishment in 1950, the order has set up hundreds of shelters that care for some of the world's neediest, people she described as "the poorest of the poor." Her work, which began in Kolkata's festering slums and spread across the world, won Mother Teresa a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. In this Aug. 27, 2016 photo, Gautam Lewis talks about an image displayed at his photography exhibition in connection with Mother Teresa's canonization in Kolkata, India. For Lewis, a polio victim abandoned by his parents as a child and rescued by Mother Teresa, the nun is already a saint. At seven, he was adopted from an orphanage run by the Missionaries of Charity, the order set up by Mother Teresa, and moved first to New Zealand and later England. Lewis, 39, now runs a flying school for people with disabilities in the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) It also won her immense love in her adopted home. When she died on September 5, 1997, at age 87, hundreds of thousands of local people poured out into the streets to bid farewell. The tiny, stooped nun had her critics. They said she romanticized poverty, and they questioned the quality of care in her homes and clinics, among other accusations. But on the eve of her canonization, one of the highest honors that the Vatican can bestow, the prevailing feeling among those in Kolkata who knew her is joy. ___ SHE "GAVE ME A DESTINY" Gautam Lewis, a polio victim abandoned by his parents as a child and rescued by Mother Teresa, has long believed in the nun's sainthood, though it won't become official until Sunday. "She used to consider all of us as her children. She was our angel guardian," said Lewis, who has a pronounced limp and walks with a crutch. At 7, Lewis was adopted from an orphanage run by the Missionaries of Charity and moved first to New Zealand and later England. Lewis, 39, now runs a flying school for people with disabilities in the United Kingdom. But the nun remains the most important influence on his life. "Mother gave me a destiny to have a different life." For him Mother Teresa's canonization is "just a formality. To most of us, most people in Kolkata, Mother is already a saint." ___ LEARNING A SIMPLE LIFE Born to an old and wealthy family, artist Sunita Kumar grew up in a Kolkata far removed from the squalor of the slums where Mother Teresa worked. Yet over three decades of volunteer work with the order, she became a close confidante of the nun and later a spokeswoman for the order. She was one of the witnesses interviewed by the Vatican ahead of Mother Teresa's beatification in 2003. "Mother was my role model. I traveled along with Mother quite a bit and learned how simply one can live. The amount of work she used to do herself for the poor, the love and care she gave them, was amazing." In the final years of Mother Teresa's life, Kumar painted several portraits of the diminutive nun. Kumar said she is "very happy and delighted" that the nun who inspired her will be declared a saint. ___ SHE WAS "A LIVING GOD TO US" In 1988, Swapan Pal found shelter in a home where nuns of the Missionaries of Charity cared for people like him who suffered from leprosy and were shunned by their families and communities. That moment saved his life. He was cured and eventually met his wife at the shelter. Both now work at a rehabilitation center that is part of the home. "After being diagnosed as a leprosy patient, I became totally depressed and thought my world had come to an end. But the love and care here has given me a new life," the 50-year-old said. "Mother was a living god to us. We are very, very happy and glad that the Mother would now be known as a saint all over the world." ___ RELIGION NO OBSTACLE Seikh Nurul Hasan runs a shop selling souvenirs and memorabilia of Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity near the Mother House, the main office of the Roman Catholic order. "Mother was a really a great person who worked, cared and loved our people, particularly the poor, irrespective of religion or caste." The 59-year-old Muslim shop owner remembers a time when a minivan carrying several nuns hit some pedestrians outside his shop. He said that although no one was seriously hurt, some enraged local people were about to attack the van. Hearing the noise, Mother Teresa came out and "as she moved towards the vehicle, the people who were about to attack the van came under sort of a spell, became absolutely quiet and went away." "Everyone in this locality is happy with sainthood being conferred on the Mother," he said. ___ PHOTOGRAPHING "A LIVING SAINT" Freelance photographer Sunil Kumar Dutt began covering Mother Teresa's work in Kolkata in 1965 and has one of the largest collections of photographs of the nun. "From the day I first met her, Mother always appeared to me a living saint in action," the 80-year-old said. "My association with Mother Teresa has impacted my life in a very big way. Whenever I think of her I feel a profound peace in the very core of my heart." Dutt added, "Though I know granting sainthood is a formality, I feel Mother does not require any authentication from anywhere." ___ Naqvi reported from New Delhi. In this Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 photo, leprosy patient Chanchala Mala, 48, sits and waits for her ride home after a day's work at the Gandhiji Leprosy Center run by the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, in Titagarh, north of Kolkata, India. The center produces blue border saris, worn by nuns of the order, and other cotton materials used in different homes of the Missionaries of Charity. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 30, 2016 photo, beads with images of Mother Teresa are on display at a shop in Kolkata, India. As Pope Francis prepares to declare As Pope Francis prepares to declare Mother Teresa a saint just two decades after her death, people touched by her life in the eastern Indian city where she lived and worked for close to 50 years are filled with pride. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 27, 2016 photo, inmates sit on their beds as they wait to watch an audio-visual show at "Nirmal Hriday," or Gentle Heart, the home of dying and destitute run by the Missionaries of Charity, in Kolkata, India. The order set up by Mother Teresa has set up hundreds of shelters that care for some of the world's neediest, people she described as "the poorest of the poor." (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 27, 2016 photo, an inmate rests on his bed at "Nirmal Hriday," or Gentle Heart, the home of dying and destitute run by the Missionaries of Charity, in Kolkata, India. The order set up by Mother Teresa has set up hundreds of shelters that care for some of the world's neediest, people she described as "the poorest of the poor." (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 27, 2016 photo, volunteers help an inmate to his bed at "Nirmal Hriday," or Gentle Heart, the home of dying and destitute run by the Missionaries of Charity, in Kolkata, India. The order set up by Mother Teresa has set up hundreds of shelters that care for some of the world's neediest, people she described as "the poorest of the poor." (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016 photo, a foreign paramedic, rear, treats an inmate at "Nirmal Hriday," or Gentle Heart, the home of dying and destitute run by the Missionaries of Charity, in Kolkata, India. The order set up by Mother Teresa has set up hundreds of shelters that care for some of the world's neediest, people she described as "the poorest of the poor." (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 27, 2016 photo, Indian artist Sunita Kumar, a close associate of Mother Teresa, talks to the Associated Press at her home in Kolkata, India. Kumar grew up in a Kolkata far removed from the squalor of the slums where Mother Teresa worked, yet over three decades of volunteer work with the order she became a close confidante of the nun and later a spokeswoman for the order. She was one of the witnesses interviewed by the Vatican ahead of Mother Teresa's beatification in 2003. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 30, 2016 photo, people stand in front of the Gandhiji Prem Nivas, or Gandhiji House of Love, a leprosy hospital, rehabilitation and vocational training center run by Missionaries of Charity, in Titagarh, north of Kolkata, India. The center produces the blue border saris and other cotton materials used in different homes of Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 27, 2016 photo, a nun of the Missionaries of Charity serves evening meal for inmates of "Nirmal Hriday," or Gentle Heart, the home of dying and destitute run by the Missionaries of Charity, in Kolkata, India. The order set up by Mother Teresa has set up hundreds of shelters that care for some of the world's neediest, people she described as "the poorest of the poor." (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 29, 2016 photo, freelance photographer Sunil K. Dutt displays his book on Mother Teresa in Kolkata, India. Dutt began covering Mother Teresa's work in Kolkata in 1965 and has one of the largest collections of photographs of the nun. "From the day I first met her Mother always appeared to me a living saint in action," the 80-year-old said. "My association with Mother Teresa has impacted my life in a very big way. Whenever I think of her I feel a profound peace in the very core of my heart." (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 30, 2016 photo, people who have been cured of leprosy weave blue-bordered saris, worn by nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, at Gandhiji Prem Nivas, or Gandhiji House of Love, in Titagarh, north of Kolkata, India. The center is a leprosy hospital, rehabilitation and vocational training center run by Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 30, 2016 photo, Seikh Nurul Hasan, the owner of a shop selling souvenirs and memorabilia of Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, displays memorabilia to a customer in Kolkata, India. The 59-year-old Muslim shop owner remembers a time when a minivan carrying several nuns hit some pedestrians outside his shop. Some enraged local people were about to attack the van. Hearing the noise, Mother Teresa came out and "as she moved towards the vehicle, the people who were about to attack the van came under sort of a spell, became absolutely quiet and went away." (AP Photo/Bikas Das) In this Aug. 30, 2016 photo, leprosy patients sit on their beds at Gandhiji Prem Nivas, or Gandhiji House of Love, in Titagarh, north of Kolkata, India. The center is a leprosy hospital, rehabilitation and vocational training center run by Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) After slamming Florida, Hermine threatens East Coast DEKLE BEACH, Fla. (AP) The first hurricane to hit Florida in more than a decade wiped away beachside buildings and toppled trees onto homes Friday before plowing inland on a path that could send it rolling up the densely populated East Coast with heavy rain, high winds and flooding. Hermine (her-MEEN) quickly weakened to a tropical storm and was spinning inland along the North Carolina coast late Friday. But the National Hurricane Center predicted it would regain hurricane strength late in the weekend after emerging over the Atlantic Ocean. The system could then lash coastal areas as far north as Connecticut and Rhode Island through Labor Day. "Anyone along the U.S. East Coast needs to be paying close attention this weekend," said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the National Hurricane Center. Lee and Gary Moulton walk from their home along what is left of a road that was destroyed by Hurricane Hermine in the Alligator Point community of Franklin County, Fla., Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (Andrew Wardlow/News Herald via AP) In Florida, Hermine's main impact came in the form of power outages and damage from storm surges. A homeless man south of Gainesville died when a tree fell on him, Gov. Rick Scott said. He later took to a Blackhawk helicopter to visit the coastal communities of Cedar Key and Steinhatchee hit hard by the damage from flooding and storm surge that crumpled docks and washed out homes and businesses. Scott pledged that businesses would be eligible for help from the state. But it's unclear whether Florida will get any federal disaster assistance as the state begins to clean up from the storm. An estimated 325,000 people were without power statewide and more than 107,000 in neighboring Georgia, officials said. At 11 p.m., the hurricane center said the tropical storm's center was about 30 miles west-southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina. Forecasters said the storm threatens a dangerous storm surge into Hampton Roads in southeast Virginia. Hermine had top sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving northeast at 22 mph. Forecasters said the system could strengthen back into a hurricane by Monday morning off the Maryland-Delaware coast before weakening again as it moves north. Tropical storm watches and warnings were posted up and down the coastline. Amtrak says it has cancelled or altered some service on the East Coast as the storm approaches. Back in Florida, a storm surge at Dekle Beach damaged numerous homes and destroyed storage buildings and a 100-yard fishing pier. The area is about 60 miles southeast of St. Marks, where Hermine made landfall at 1:30 a.m. in the Big Bend area, where Florida's peninsula and panhandle meet. Nancy Geohagen walked around collecting photos and other items for her neighbors after the storm scattered them. "I know who this baseball bat belongs to," she said plucking it from a pile of debris. An unnamed spring storm that hit the beach in 1993 killed 10 people who refused to evacuate. This time, only three residents stayed behind. All escaped injury. In nearby Steinhatchee, a storm surge crashed into Bobbi Pattison's home. She wore galoshes and was covered in black muck as she stood in her living room amid overturned furniture and an acrid smell. Tiny crabs darted around her floor. "I had a hurricane cocktail party last night and God got even with me," she said with a chuckle. Where her bar once stood was now only wet sand and rubble. Pattison and two neighbors managed to set upright a large wooden statue of a sea captain she had carved from wood that washed ashore in the 1993 storm. In Keaton Beach, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise Friday, trying to get to their homes. Police blocked the road because of flooding. Dustin Beach, 31, rushed there from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife gave birth to a girl Thursday night to see if his home still stood. "When my wife got up this morning, she said, 'Go home and check on the house. I need to know where we're going after we leave the hospital,'" Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats survived. "It's a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house, and I hope they're still there," she said. High winds knocked trees onto several houses in Tallahassee, injuring people inside. It was sometime after midnight when Alan Autry, 48, started hearing the large pines in his Tallahassee neighborhood start to crack and fall to the ground. Then he heard one come down on the top floor of his house. The tree didn't initially crash through the roof, and Autry and his wife went to a neighbor's house. Sometime before dawn, the corner of his house collapsed from the weight of the tree. "We've been married 13 years and this is our fifth hurricane," said Autry who moved from central Florida six years ago. "By far, this is the worst damage we've ever had." Tampa and St. Petersburg escaped major damage. Up to 17 inches of rain fell in the area over the last two days. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. The Florida governor declared an emergency in 51 counties and said about 6,000 National Guardsmen stood ready to mobilize for the storm's aftermath. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina also declared emergencies. ___ Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro and Curt Anderson in Miami; Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Gary Fineout, Joe Reedy and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida; Russ Bynum in Valdosta, Georgia, and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report. Workers clean up debris, caused by Hurricane Hermine, in the parking lot in front of convenience store, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Gus Soldatos, right, and his father Nick, unload lumber to make repairs on their building after Hurricane Hermine passed through, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Barbara Hogan looks down at some of the damage to the first floor of her apartment after Hurricane Hermine came through Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Debris lies near a waterfront building damaged by Hurricane Hermine Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Darby Lee looks into the damaged bedroom of his brother and sister in laws apartment that had a tree fall on the roof early Friday morning, Sept. 2, 2016 in Jacksonville, Fla. According to Lee, this was the room he was supposed to be sleeping in but he and his brother had stayed up late playing video games in another room when the tree snapped around 4 am and came down on the roof. The four unit apartment building on Boone Park Avenue was one of the handful of damaged properties reported as the last of the wind and rain band from Tropical Storm Hermine passed over the greater the area. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP) Volunteers pitch in to help pull a chunk of the tree from the apartment building roof after Kyle Castleberry of Kyle's Tree Service cut the fallen portion of the tree as close to the roofline as he could Friday, Sept. 2 2016, in Jacksonville, Fla. The four unit apartment building on Boone Park Avenue was one of the handful of damaged properties reported as the last of the wind and rain band from Tropical Storm Hermine passed over the greater the area. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP) Gus Soldatos steps over a hole in the floor as he brings water out of his son's bait shop after the shop experienced damage from Hurricane Hermine Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Bill Heckler picks up some of his belongings that were damaged in his condominium from Hurricane Hermine Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Gus Soldatos, left, and his father Nick, survey damage to one of the buildings they own after Hurricane Hermine passed through, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Cedar Key, Fla. Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after it made landfall. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The North Carolina National Guard prepares to depart their Kinston, N.C., yard Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, to stage at the Global Transpark after being activated head of Tropical Storm Hermine. (Zach Frailey/Daily Free Press via AP) A tree service company removes a fallen tree from the roof of a damaged home Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Valdosta. Ga., in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hermine. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Chris Boland, rear right, whose home just missed a direct hit from a downed pine tree over the power lines, and Julia Tyson look over the aftermath Tropical Storm Hermine Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Valdosta. Ga. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Chris Boland, whose home just missed a direct hit from a fallen pine tree, looks over the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hermine as he waits for power to be restored, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Valdosta in Valdosta. Ga. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) A tree service company removes a fallen tree from the roof of a damaged home Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Valdosta. Ga., in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hermine. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Mike Shalley takes pictures of the churning St. Johns River from the last winds of Hurricane Hermine, which was downgraded to a tropical storm, on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Jacksonville, Fla. (Bruce Lipsky/The Florida Times-Union via AP) Samsung recalls Galaxy Note 7 after battery explosions SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Samsung recalled its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on Friday after finding some of their batteries exploded or caught fire. Samsung's Note 7s are being pulled from shelves in 10 countries, including South Korea and the United States, just two weeks after the product's launch. Customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones in about two weeks, said Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung's mobile business. He apologized for causing inconvenience and concern to customers. Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics' mobile business, speaks at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Samsung suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Friday, just two weeks after the flagship phone's launch, after finding batteries of some of the gadgets exploded while they were charging. Koh said customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones, regardless of when they purchased them. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP) The recall, the first for the new smartphone though not the first for a battery , comes at a crucial moment in Samsung's mobile business. Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone next week and Samsung's mobile division was counting on momentum from the Note 7's strong reviews and higher-than-expected demand. Samsung said it had confirmed 35 instances of Note 7s catching fire or exploding. There have been no reports of injuries related to the problem. The company said it has not found a way to tell exactly which phones may endanger users out of the 2.5 million Note 7s already sold globally. It estimated that about 1 in 42,000 units may have a faulty battery. Samsung didn't say whether customers should stop using their phones, or whether explosions and fires could happen when the phone wasn't charging. Consumers who complained publicly said the problem came while the phone was being charged. "The ball is in Samsung's court to make this right. Consumers want information about what's going on and peace of mind that this is not going to happen again," said Ramon Llamas, who tracks mobile devices at research firm IDC. "No one wants to wake up at 1, 2 or 3 (in the morning) and find out your smartphone's on fire." He added that while phone combustions are unusual, "35 instances are 35 too many." This summer, Samsung ran into a quality-control issue with another smartphone, a niche model called the Galaxy S7 Active. Consumer Reports found that the phone didn't live up to its water-resistance promises. Samsung said that relatively few phones were affected and that it had identified and fixed the manufacturing problem. Samsung said it would replace devices under warranty if it failed, but it declined to let customers swap phones otherwise or to issue a broader recall. On the Note 7, after complaints surfaced online, Samsung found that a battery cell made by one of its two battery suppliers caused the phone to catch fire. Koh refused to name the supplier. "There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process, so it was very difficult to figure out," Koh told reporters at a news conference. "It will cost us so much it makes my heart ache. Nevertheless, the reason we made this decision is because what is most important is customer safety." The phones start at $850 in the U.S., more expensive than most phones. In the U.S., Samsung said it will let customers downgrade to a Galaxy S7 and refund the price difference. Or customers can get a replacement Note 7 as early as next week. Customers' reports of scorched phones prompted Samsung to conduct extra quality controlling tests and delay shipments of the Note 7s this week before the recall. South Korean high school teacher Park Soo-Jung said she had rushed to buy the new phone, pre-ordering and then activating it on Aug. 19, its official launch date. The 34-year-old living in the port city of Busan said that she was bruised when she rushed out of bed after her phone burst into flames, filling her bedroom with smoke stinking of chemicals. She's having second thoughts about buying another newly released device, especially after losing all her personal data stored in the destroyed Note 7, she said. "If the exploded phone had burned near my head, I would not have been able to write this post," she said in a popular online forum Thursday, where she shared a photo of the scorched Note 7 and described dousing the flames. China is not affected by the sales suspension. The company said it used a battery made by another supplier for the Note 7s sold in China. __ AP Technology Writer Mae Anderson in New York contributed to this story. __ Lee can be reached on Twitter: www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP Her previous works can be found on: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/youkyung-lee Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics' mobile business, attends a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Samsung suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Friday, just two weeks after the flagship phone's launch, after finding batteries of some of the gadgets exploded while they were charging. Koh said customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones, regardless of when they purchased them. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP) Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics' mobile business, speaks at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Samsung suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Friday, just two weeks after the flagship phone's launch, after finding batteries of some of the gadgets exploded while they were charging. Koh said customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones, regardless of when they purchased them. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP) Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics' mobile business, speaks at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Samsung suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Friday, just two weeks after the flagship phone's launch, after finding batteries of some of the gadgets exploded while they were charging. Koh said customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones, regardless of when they purchased them. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP) A customer holds a Samsung Electronics Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at the headquarters of South Korean mobile carrier KT in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Samsung will issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as soon as this weekend after its investigation on explosion claims found batteries were at fault, according to South Korea's Yonhap News. (AP Photo/ahn Young-joon) This is the latest in a new series of letters home from a local Marine getting ready to be deployed to the Republic of Georgia to train the Georgian army for their mission in Afghanistan: It has been a busy last couple of weeks. We have completed or training in Germany with the Georgian Battalion, and they have returned to Georgia for a period of leave before they get deployed. My Marines have returned and we are also getting ready to do a leave rotation. In the meantime, we are getting the camp squared away and beginning to pack our equipment to return to the U.S. The end is in sight because the leadership team from the next rotation came to do a pre-deployment site survey. We give them a brief on what they need to do to prepare for the deployment and our lessons learned. The new commander is a Marine I have known for some time. He comes from our neck of the woods. He grew up in Winter and, like me, got his undergraduate degree from UW-Stout. It seems that when it rains it pours. In the last week, I have had two more Red Cross messages due to death or sickness. Getting tickets out of here on a moments notice is difficult. We do everything we can to ensure that people are able to get to their families as soon as possible. In the last month, we have played host for numerous units that have came through to provide the Georgians training. The U.S. Army has had people here, as well as the Germans, Norwegians, Danes, Finns, Irish, British, and others that I cant remember. It makes for interesting conversation in the chow hall. It is a standard thing when you are in the military to limit talk about politics. Not saying that you cant, but you generally do not take a side. The number one question that we are always asked by everyone is about Trump. In the chow hall, we have AFN (Armed Forces Network) television. The military provides American programming to the troops overseas. They take programming from all of the networks to give a good representation of what is going on in the U.S. The foreign military personnel like to watch our news because it gets a different perspective then what they get on their media. In the U.S., we seem to think that we are uncultured because we do not know or understand what is going on in the rest of the world. As much as we do not understand what is happening outside our borders, the rest of the world does not understand us. I spend a lot of time talking to the foreign troops, explaining to them just the mechanics of our politics. Believe it or not, we have a very unique system in the U.S. that is very confusing to people that are used to the parliamentary system that is throughout Europe. I have to explain separation of powers, who writes the laws, what power the President really has. Most confusing is how a person running for president can win the popular vote and lose the election. Finally, for those of you on the edge of your chairs wondering about the lights, the Marine Corps decided not to use my solution. They have a better plan, they are going to get a contract sometime in the future to replace everything, whether it works or not. We will continue to make do until that time comes. After 23 years working for the government, I expected nothing less. This series began in the March 20 edition of The Dunn County News and can also be found at www.dunnconnect.com In Jordan, schools to open doors to all Syrian children ZARQA, Jordan (AP) Intissar Ghozlan's two youngest boys haven't been in school since the family fled from Syria to Jordan two years ago. There's no space in local classrooms, and the boys, 12 and 14, can "barely write their names," having forgotten most of what they learned back home, she says. More than 90,000 Syrian refugee children in Jordan weren't able to attend school last year, along with hundreds of thousands in neighboring refugee host countries, prompting warnings of a "lost generation" as a result of Syria's five-year-old civil war. That's now changing, at least in Jordan. In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 photo, a Jordanian teacher talks to Syrian refugee students at school in Amman, Jordan. Jordan says it is opening its schools to all Syrian refugee children, starting this week, by adding more shifts and hiring more teachers. It is part a deal with donor countries to make life better for refugees and discourage them from migrating onward, in exchange for aid and trade benefits. Last year, more than 90,000 Syrian children in Jordan werent getting an education, along with hundreds of thousands in neighboring refugee host countries, prompting warnings of a "lost generation.(AP Photo/Ahmad Alameen) Boosted by international funding, the kingdom has promised to make room for all refugee children in its schools, starting this week, by adding more afternoon shifts and hiring thousands of teachers. For many children, this could be their last chance, said Robert Jenkins, the Jordan representative of UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency. "At a certain point, it becomes next to impossible for a child to realize its potential, if they have been out of school that long," he said. The back-to-school program "not only will have a great impact on individual children, but on the population as a whole and on Jordan as a whole and on the future potential rebuilding of Syria," he said. On Thursday, Hassan al-Ahmed signed up his 9-year-old daughter Aisha and his 7-year-old son Mohammed for first grade in Zarqa, northeast of the capital, Amman. The siblings, who fled Syria with their parents and two younger brothers in 2014, hadn't been able to attend school before, but were told they could register this year. "The most important thing for me is to have my kids in school," said al-Ahmed, 30, who worked as a farm laborer in Syria and is illiterate. "If my kids don't go to school, they can't do anything in life." The promise of education for all is part of a broader deal made earlier this year at a watershed conference on Syria aid in London. Jordan pledged to give refugees access to legal work and education, as a way of keeping them in the region and discouraging them from migrating to Europe. In return, donor countries promised hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, concessional financing and trade benefits to pay for the refugee burden and boost Jordan's struggling economy. Yet the aid is slow to trickle in. Jordan's education minister, Mohammed Thnaibat, said he needs about $1 billion over three years to educate refugee children and ease current overcrowding. The money would pay for doubling the number of schools with second shifts to 200, building 500 more classrooms, hiring 5,000 teachers and building 300 new schools. Jordan received about $80 million so far for this year, enough to open schools to all, but not enough for keeping the program going for the entire year, he said. "We cannot do this unless we get the grants from the donors and the international organizations who committed themselves that they will pay," the minister said in an interview. Close to five million Syrian refugees have fled to Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt since 2011. Jordan hosts about 660,000 registered refugees, though the total number of Syrians living there is about twice that figure, according to a census last year. More than 80 percent of the registered refugees live in Jordanian towns and cities, while the rest settled in three camps, where schools have been established. In the previous school year, about 145,000 refugee children were enrolled in Jordanian schools, while an estimated 91,000 did not attend, according to UNICEF. In Jordan, lack of classroom space is a major obstacle, along with growing poverty among refugees. More boys are put to work and more girls are married off young to ease the financial burden on their families as the war drags on and refugees' savings run out, aid officials say. Overall, child labor in Jordan has doubled over the past decade, with refugees making up a significant contingent, according to a recent government report. More than half the Syrian children between the ages of 15 and 17 are out of school, it said. UNICEF is trying to encourage all school-age children to return to their studies. Jenkins said the plan for this school year is to make space for an additional 50,000 children and enroll another 25,000 those who've been out of school for at least three years in catch-up programs. In the event that more children show up, "we will squeeze them in and provide education to all 91,000," he said. In one of the school districts in Zarqa, 12 out of 163 schools already run double shifts and an additional five will do so in the future, said local education official Khalil Qaisi. "The instructions are that we have to absorb all the Syrian students in our schools," he said. "We have waiting lists." In the northern city of Irbid, close to the Syrian border, Ghozlan, a mother of six, still hasn't heard if her three school-age children will get an education. Her 8-year-old daughter Haneen completed first grade in Jordan. But then the family moved to a different neighborhood in Irbid where there was no room for her in the school, said Ghozlan. The boys, 14-year-old Aghiyad and 12-year-old Mohammed, completed second and third grade respectively, before fleeing Syria in 2014, but couldn't get into schools in Jordan. "It's a tragedy," she said. "My kids can barely write their names. They have forgotten everything." "They see the kids go to school and they cry." ___ Laub reported from Amman, Jordan. Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed reporting. In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 photo, a Syrian refugee family brings their children to school in Amman, Jordan. Jordan says it is opening its schools to all Syrian refugee children, starting this week, by adding more shifts and hiring more teachers. It is part a deal with donor countries to make life better for refugees and discourage them from migrating onward, in exchange for aid and trade benefits. Last year, more than 90,000 Syrian children in Jordan werent getting an education, along with hundreds of thousands in neighboring refugee host countries, prompting warnings of a "lost generation.(AP Photo/Ahmad Alameen) Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov has died in hospital. Diplomatic sources have revealed his death today after rumours that he had passed away had been circulating for days. His daughter Lola said earlier this week the 78-year-old had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Critical: Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov is in a critical condition in hospital, his government has announced Karimov has run an authoritarian regime in the Central Asian nation since 1989, suppressing opposition and cultivating no apparent successor. He hadn't been seen in public since mid-August, and his government last weekend admitted he was ill. He has two daughters, Gulnara, 44, and Lola, 38, but Gulnara has not been seen in public since she fell out with her father in 2014. Once rumoured to succeed him, she was gagged and placed under house arrest after a barrage of tweets describing the power struggle within their family. News agency Fergana claims Karimov suffered the stroke on Saturday morning and died on Monday. Uzbekistan on Thursday celebrated its Independence Day and it was widely assumed that if the government was to make an announcement on his condition, they would not break the news until after the festivities. Lola Tillyaeva-Karimova, pictured here at an Elie Saab fashion show in Paris in 2015, said earlier this week the 78-year-old had suffered a brain haemorrhage Gulnara Karimova, pictured here in 2012 in Tashkent, has not been seen in public since her father president Islam Karimov placed her under house arrest Reinforcing the impression that a change of leadership is imminent, the president of the country's neighbour Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, planned to travel to Uzbekistan on Saturday, according to a Kazakh government source. The two countries have long vied for regional leadership of the former Soviet states in Central Asia, and both men have held power since independence. Karimov has ruled Uzbekistan, a major cotton exporter also rich in gold and natural gas, in an authoritarian style since 1989, first as a Communist leader, and then as president from 1991. Leader: Karimov has run an authoritarian regime in the Central Asian nation since 1989, suppressing opposition and cultivating no apparent successor He has no obvious successor and analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided by a small group of senior officials and family members. If, however, they fail to reach compromise, open confrontation could destabilise the nation of 32 million that has become a target for Islamist militants. Residents tear down infamous hashish market in Copenhagen COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Residents of Copenhagen's semi-autonomous Christiania neighborhood on Friday tore down the area's hashish market after an alleged drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested after a shoot-out with police. Authorities and his defense lawyer said Friday that he had died from his wounds. The violence marked an escalation in clashes between police and drug dealers who sell hashish openly in Christiania, a largely self-governing enclave created when hippies occupied abandoned navy barracks in 1971. Sale of hashish is illegal in Denmark. Residents of Christiania, remove the illegal hashish stalls in Pusher Street, Copenhagen on Friday, Sept 2, 2016. Residents of Copenhagens semi-autonomous Christiania neighborhood are tearing down the hashish market in the hippie colony after an alleged drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested after a shoot-out with police and authorities and his defense lawyer said Friday that he had died from his wounds. (Thomas Borberg/ AP via POLFOTO) Fed up with the violence, some of Christiania's 600 residents on Friday morning tore down the market stalls used by drug dealers on the neighborhood's infamous "Pusher Street." Denmark's TV2 showed people using saws, cordless drills and crowbars to dismantle the stalls. Others cheered as heavy machinery knocked down plywood stalls and tore down stone walls, leaving piles of rubble of what once were hashish dealers' booths. "It is important that we do this today with the wounded police officer in our thoughts," community spokesman Risenga Manghezi told The Associated Press. "But we cannot guarantee that they won't pop up again, unfortunately." Copenhagen's police chief Thorkild Fogde welcomed the dismantling of "the hashish supermarket," adding it was "a clear attempt to help the police." He acknowledged he could not exclude hashish sale would move to other parts of the city. Danish lawmakers, who for years have called for the open hashish sale to stop, rushed to applaud the residents' action. Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen tweeted "Great Christiania. Hold on tight." Though many Christiania residents have liberal attitudes toward drugs, they are uncomfortable with the presence of criminal gangs running the hashish trade in the neighborhood. "What we, the residents, don't want is to be associated with the violence connected to the hashish sale," Manghezi said. "As for now we have no concrete plans as to what will happen with Pusher Street." Authorities say the gunman, identified as Mesa Hodzic, a Danish national born in Bosnia, opened fire on two police officers as they tried to arrest him late Wednesday. The gunman also shot a bystander in the leg. One of the officers is in critical condition while the other and the bystander are stable, police said. Police later shot Hodzic as they confronted him south of Copenhagen. He was taken to Copenhagen's university hospital, where he died from his wounds early Friday, his defense lawyer Jacob Kiil said. Manghezi said Hodzic was not a Christiania resident. Since Pusher Street was created in the late 1980s, police have raided the hashish sale dozens of time and have torn down stalls several times with little luck. In 2004, residents and hashish dealers together dismantled stalls. Shortly after, stalls and booths mushroomed again. Residents of Christiania, remov the illegal hashish stalls in Pusher Street, Copenhagen on Friday, Sept 2, 2016. Residents of Copenhagens semi-autonomous Christiania neighborhood are tearing down the hashish market in the hippie colony after an alleged drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested after a shoot-out with police and authorities and his defense lawyer said Friday that he had died from his wounds. (Thomas Borberg/ AP via POLFOTO) Residents of Christiania, remove the illegal hashish stalls in Pusher Street, Copenhagen on Friday, Sept 2, 2016. Residents of Copenhagens semi-autonomous Christiania neighborhood are tearing down the hashish market in the hippie colony after an alleged drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested after a shoot-out with police and authorities and his defense lawyer said Friday that he had died from his wounds. (Thomas Borberg/ AP via POLFOTO) Residents of Christiania, remove the illegal hashish stalls in Pusher Street, Copenhagen on Friday, Sept 2, 2016. Residents of Copenhagens semi-autonomous Christiania neighborhood are tearing down the hashish market in the hippie colony after an alleged drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested after a shoot-out with police and authorities and his defense lawyer said Friday that he had died from his wounds. (Thomas Borberg/ AP via POLFOTO) Review of convictions in North Carolina DURHAM, N.C. (AP) When another case of possible prosecutorial misconduct arose in Durham County, it was all one innocence advocate could take. Chris Mumma, director of the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence, reached out to the incoming district attorney. Would he be willing to work with her on an audit of cases of people incarcerated by Durham County prosecutors in the past? Roger Echols said yes, spurring a massive review that quietly began two years ago. The examination of the cases of 1,120 incarcerated people now is focused on 20 cases the center is investigating. Darryl Howard, gets a hug from his wife Nannie as prepare to leave the Durham County Detention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, in Durham, N.C., after a judge threw out Howard's conviction in a double-murder case tried 21 years ago and ordered Howard's release because of DNA evidence unavailable at his 1995 murder trial. (Chuck Liddy/The News & Observer via AP) "If it gets to the point in any of those cases that they think it is reasonable for me to act," Echols said Thursday, "there's no obligation on our part to rubber-stamp what they've done but there's an obligation that I feel that I have in any case they identify, to review it carefully." Mumma and Echols spoke the day after Darryl Howard was freed Wednesday, following 21 years in prison for two slayings he says he didn't commit. A judge ruled that DNA evidence showed Howard didn't participate in the rape and murder of a woman and her 13-year-old daughter in 1991. Judge Orlando Hudson freed him from prison. Hudson two years ago also threw out Howard's sentence, saying former District Attorney Mike Nifong failed to share with defense attorneys a police memo and other evidence that pointed to suspects other than Howard. Howard remained jailed despite the 2014 ruling, and an appeals court decided Hudson had not heard enough evidence. Nifong became district attorney in 2005, just before three Duke lacrosse players were charged with rape in 2006. He was disbarred the following year because state investigators determined he lied and buried evidence proving the players' innocence. Four of the roughly 20 cases the center is investigating directly involved work by Nifong, said Mumma. More than half were handled by other staffers during his nearly three decades prosecuting crimes in Durham. Mumma would not say specifically why the center zeroed in on those 20 cases. However, cases in North Carolina and elsewhere have been re-examined when there are problems with evidence or witness testimony, or suggestions of misconduct by police or prosecutors. Re-examining the cases became necessary after the Duke case and after Howard's conviction was thrown out, said defense attorney Kerry Sutton, who defended some of the three lacrosse players accused of rape by a stripper a decade ago. "I don't know that it was really optional. There was not any way around it. It was going to be done," said Sutton, a friend of the current district attorney. "I'd be surprised if other damaging pieces of evidence of flaws or things not done correctly intentionally or unintentionally weren't found." Nifong did not return calls to his home seeking comment Wednesday or Thursday. His successor, Tracey Cline, was dismissed from office and suspended from practicing law for accusing Hudson of bias and violating rules by seeking prison records for two inmates. The Associated Press couldn't find a working number for her, and an attorney didn't return a message. Echols and Mumma agreed two years ago, about the time the judge first ordered Howard's release, that they ought to investigate whether more cases of questionable prosecutorial conduct remained unearthed. Mumma and her staff began by searching for claims of innocence or constitutional violations in 1,120 cases in which the defendants remained imprisoned. They sent letters to 620 inmates asking for details about their cases. Based on the responses, they have begun a deep look into 20. The review work is similar to that of the conviction integrity units now active inside about two dozen of the more than 2,300 local prosecutorial offices around the country. But any reviews of past prosecutions will come out of Echols' existing budget, and he will likely do some of the administrative and case work himself, he said. The Center on Actual Innocence is a nonprofit that operates independently of government, funded primarily by grants. Concern about whether prosecutors in the state's fourth-largest city have failed to sort the guilty from the innocent has persisted without resolution since the Duke lacrosse case a decade ago, local attorneys said. If Nifong and Cline were aberrations while most prosecutions were by-the-book, "they were aberrations at the very top of the office, so I would be concerned with trickle-down," said Theresa Newman, co-director of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic at the Duke University law school. ___ This story has been corrected to change word in quote in fourth paragraph to reasonable, instead of reason. ___ Follow Martha Waggoner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mjwaggonernc . Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/martha-waggoner . Follow Emery P. Dalesio at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/emery-p-dalesio . Darryl Howard with his wife Nannie, right, leave the Durham County Detention Center victorious with their lawyers and family after a judge threw out Howard's conviction in a double-murder case tried 21 years ago and ordered Howard's release because of DNA evidence unavailable at his 1995 murder trial, in Durham, N.C. Wednesday , Aug. 31, 2016. (Chuck Liddy/The News & Observer via AP) Darryl Howard, left, wipes away tears after Judge Orlando Hudson threw out Howard's double-murder conviction Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, in a Durham County Courthouse courtroom, in Durham, N.C. The judge threw out the convictions and ordered Howards release because of DNA evidence unavailable at Howards 1995 murder trial. His lawyer, Barry Scheck, co-director of the N.Y. based Innocence Project, is at right. (Chuck Liddy/The News & Observer via AP) Darryl Howard walks hand in hand with his wife, Nannie, minutes after being freed from prison after serving 21 years in Durham, N.C., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. A judge earlier Wednesday threw out Howard's 1995 double-murder conviction. Prosecutors decided not to appeal the judge's decision. (AP Photo/Emery Dalesio) Darryl Howard and his family smile after a judge threw out Howard's conviction in a double-murder case tried 21 years ago and ordered Howard's release because of DNA evidence unavailable at his 1995 murder trial, in Durham, N.C. Wednesday , Aug. 31, 2016. (Chuck Liddy/The News & Observer via AP) Darryl Howard hugs his wife, Nannie, after being released from the Durham County Detention Facility on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, in Durham, N.C. During an evidentiary hearing, Judge Orlando Hudson threw out a double-murder conviction against Howard and ordered that he get a new trial in the murders of Doris and Nishonda Washington. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Herald-Sun via AP) Singapore in battle mode against Zika after infections rise SINGAPORE (AP) Singapore is encouraging residents to use insect repellent, clear blockages in drains and wear long-sleeved clothing to protect themselves from mosquitoes after the number of Zika infections rose to 189 in the city-state. Open-air food centers in affected districts had few lunchtime patrons Friday, many apparently fearful of contracting the mosquito-borne virus. "I understand the food court ... is affected but we shouldn't behave like that," said retiree David Lye, 67, one of the very few customers at the large Macpherson Market and Food Center. "We should be positive and do our part to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes," said Lye. He said he has not been using any mosquito repellant. In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, photo, a pest control worker fumigates drains at a local housing estate where Zika infections were reported in Singapore. Singapore is encouraging residents to use insect repellent, clear blockages in drains and wear long-sleeved clothing to protect themselves from mosquitoes as the number of Zika infections rose in this city state. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) Singapore announced its first Zika infection in May, with the virus imported by a 48-year-old man who had traveled to Brazil. On Friday, the Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency confirmed 38 more locally transmitted cases, bringing the total to 189, including two pregnant women. The number includes visitors from Malaysia, and Indonesian and Chinese nationals residing in the city-state. South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a travel advisory on Friday for Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries were Zika has appeared, recommending that travelers take precautionary measures and that pregnant women postpone planned trips. The Zika virus has mild effects on most people, but can be fatal for unborn children. Infection during pregnancy is believed to result in babies with small heads - a condition called microcephaly - and other brain defects. "So far I have been going to work ... I have been going shopping. Everyone is still living their life per normal," said retail supervisor Shubez Chakraverty, who lives in an affected cluster. "After all, it's something we cannot control and it's a very minute ... animal that goes around so it's difficult to monitor." The Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency said in a joint statement that the government's objective is to keep the incidence of the disease low by reducing the mosquito population and breaking the disease transmission chain. At one of the identified clusters in MacPherson neighborhood, official Zika leaflets were put up in common areas beneath public apartments. The flyers encouraged residents to take precautions, such as using insect repellent, clearing drains and wearing long sleeves. They also said residents should visit a doctor if symptoms such as fever and rashes arise. Pest-control workers have been fumigating areas across the island nation of 5.5 million where Zika cases have been identified. In his first comments since the influx of Zika infections, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post Thursday that "Our best defense is to eradicate mosquitoes and destroy breeding habitats, all over Singapore." ___ Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Arriving travelers walk past a thermal scanner at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Indonesia is screening travelers from Singapore for the mosquito-borne Zika virus as the city-state reports a growing number of infections. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, photo, a pest control worker fumigates drains at a local housing estate where Zika infections were reported in Singapore. Singapore is encouraging residents to use insect repellent, clear blockages in drains and wear long-sleeved clothing to protect themselves from mosquitoes as the number of Zika infections rose in this city state. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, photo, a pest control worker fumigates drains at a local housing estate where Zika infections were reported in Singapore. Singapore is encouraging residents to use insect repellent, clear blockages in drains and wear long-sleeved clothing to protect themselves from mosquitoes as the number of Zika infections rose in this city state. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) Arriving travelers walk past an nformation banner on Zika virus at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Indonesia is screening travelers from Singapore for the mosquito-borne Zika virus as the city-state reports a growing number of infections. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) Arriving travelers walk past an information banner on Zika virus at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Indonesia is screening travelers from Singapore for the mosquito-borne Zika virus as the city-state reports a growing number of infections. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) Minister says French migrant camp to be dismantled, no date PARIS (AP) The French government has decided to dismantle the overcrowded migrant camp in the northern port city of Calais "in a controlled operation" as soon as possible, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Friday. Cazeneuve made the announcement during a visit to Calais, but gave no date for the closure. His visit came three days before local businesses, dockers, truckers and farmers block a major highway to demand that the camp now holding record numbers of migrants, most trying to cross the English Channel, be shut down. FILE - This Aug.24, 2016 file photo shows an aerial view of the migrant camp, right, in Calais, northern France. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve is to visit Friday Sept. 2, 2016 the French port city of Calais three days before residents, local businesses, dockers and truckers plan protests to demand that an overcrowded migrant camp be closed. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File) The minister met with local officials, business representatives and some of the 2,000 police officers who man roadways, the Eurotunnel train site and the port to keep migrants from hopping trucks to Britain. "I think we must now take a supplementary step, proceeding with this dismantling for humanitarian reasons ... in a controlled operation as rapidly as possible," Cazeneuve said after the talks. The state estimated the number of migrants living in the makeshift camp in August at nearly 7,000, while aid groups put the count at more than 9,000. The camp was reduced in size by half in March, when the southern sector was razed. Authorities have said the camp must be fully dismantled, but protesters want a date. They say migrants have become an economic drain on the city and a stain on Calais' image. Even without saying when, Cazeneuve's announcement was the fullest account yet of the state's intentions regarding the squalid camp. It appeared likely that his reference to a "controlled operation" means that housing outside the Calais region would be found before the camp is destroyed. The minister said in an interview published Friday in the Nord Littoral newspaper that dismantling the camp is the goal but he wants it done "in stages." The bid to demolish the 72 shops and restaurants in the makeshift camp was a first step, he said. A court halted the plan but the state has appealed. "It's more than a relief," said Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart. She has long asked the state to bring in the army to deal with migrants who each night venture into the roadways to try to hop trucks cross the English Channel to Britain. Overcrowding has increased tensions between migrants, and two died in fights within a month. Seven others were killed this year on the roads. Cazeneuve said he had discussed the issue with British Home Secretary Amber Rudd during her visit to Paris this week and would do so again in two weeks when he goes to Britain, adding without explanation, "because on this subject I want, of course, that we go to the end of this with the British." The French-British Touquet accords effectively moved Britain's border to northern France, which shoulders the burden of the migrants, and there are increasing calls to do away with them. Tensions are rising among Calais locals and those with a stake in its economy. They plan to use their vehicles to block the A16 highway on Monday, a move aimed at paralyzing traffic on the route used to access the Eurotunnel and port. Aid groups fear any quick dismantling of the camp will increase chaos and create a bigger humanitarian crisis than the one at hand. "Asking for the dismantling of the camp today would mean a worsening of the situation instead of solving the problems," said Francois Guennoc of Auberge des Migrants, one of a handful of aid groups that warned in an open letter that razing the camp would scatter migrants and aggravate the situation protesters deplore. The groups called on the French government to demand that Britain shoulder its responsibility or threaten an end to the Touquet accords, signed in 2003. Undoing them would return British police, customs officials and sniffer dogs to their home across the English Channel and put the onus on Britain to screen migrants wanting to live there. FILE - This Aug.24, 2016 file photo shows an aerial view of the migrant camp in Calais, northern France. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve is to visit Friday Sept. 2, 2016 the French port city of Calais three days before residents, local businesses, dockers and truckers plan protests to demand that an overcrowded migrant camp be closed. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File) FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2016 file photo, an Afghan migrant walks with food at the migrant camp in Calais, northern France. Tempers are rising among migrants squeezed in record numbers into a shrinking slum camp in France's port city of Calais, where hours-long waiting lines for food and showers and the tightening grip of security forces are leaving emotions raw. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File) Hawaii tourists salvage vacations during hurricane threats HILO, Hawaii (AP) Tourists in Hawaii who had been planning an escape to a sunny island paradise were instead hit with the threat of back-to-back hurricanes, but they're making the best of their vacations. Julie Harrison said she was a little nervous the hurricanes would ruin her trip to the Big Island but she decided to come regardless. "It's enough of an experience that I just wanted to come out anyway and make it out no matter what," said Harrison during a stop to see the bubbling crater at Kilauea volcano's summit. A couple poses for a photo at Akaka Falls in Honomu, Hawaii on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Tourists in Hawaii who had been planning an escape to a sunny island paradise were instead hit with the threat of back-to-back hurricanes, but they're making the best of their vacations. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) "I've only been here since yesterday and already it's amazing, being able to see the volcanoes and beaches," said Harrison, who lives near Buffalo, New York. Two other relatives one in her 60s and another in her 90s who were going to come with her delayed their trip by about a week because of the storms. "That discouraged them more than someone who was younger," said Harrison's sister-in-law, Heather Bilardo, who lives on the Big Island. The islands of Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe were under a hurricane watch Friday as Hurricane Lester surged closer to the islands. Hurricane Madeline threatened the Big Island earlier in the week but was downgraded to a tropical storm and passed without causing major damage. Lester weakened to a Category 2 but was expected to remain a hurricane as it passes north of the islands Saturday and Sunday, said meteorologist Bob Burke of the National Weather Service. Large waves from 15 to 25 feet are expected to pound east-facing shores of major islands, he said. Oahu's 205 campsites remained open as Lester approached, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters Friday. "We want to allow people to continue to plan to camp, but we want to ask those campers to pay attention...be ready," Caldwell said. "It's going to be a wet weekend." Caldwell said that officials are not expecting a major impact from Hurricane Lester, but they're preparing for the worst just in case. Honolulu Emergency Management Department Director Mark Rigg warned visitors to stay off wet sand and ocean ledges. "If you're not an experienced ocean person, I would advise staying out of the water completely," Rigg said. The popular snorkeling spot Hanauma Bay is staying open for now, and officials plan to assess Saturday morning whether to open emergency shelters, Caldwell said. The storm's center isn't expected to make landfall. But if the storm veers to the south it could have a much greater impact, said Ian Morrison, meteorologist from the National Weather Service. Tourism officials said they hadn't heard of mass cancelations of trips or other major impacts to the tourism industry. "Those that are really dead set on coming to Hawaii no matter what are still coming, and then there are those who are looking to postpone their trip to a later date if it doesn't cost too much to change their airfare," said Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. "Everybody's got their guard up and we're watching closely, but nothing to suggest that they need to cancel their trips or go home early because of a pending hurricane coming this way." Stephen Small, who was visiting the Big Island from Los Angeles, said hurricane threats didn't keep him from traveling because if disaster had struck he would've been glad to help out. "On the other side of the coin, when you're just out trying to relax and have a good time, you kind of try to pray that the hurricane go another route and take another route and leave you alone for the time you're here," Small said. Harry Pomerleau, who manages 40 vacation rental properties in the lower Puna area of the Big Island, doubts the storms will affect tourism. "The cleanup on these are fairly mild, so I don't see why they would stay away," Pomerleau said. In some cases, a mild storm can even have a positive effect. In the Kapoho area of Puna, where homes are built among tide pools, large swells from storms flush out the pools and leaves cleaner water behind, Pomerleau said. ___ Bussewitz reported from Honolulu. Visitors look at the Kilauea volcano summit crater at Hawaii National Park, Hawaii, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. A hurricane watch has been dropped on Hawaii's Big Island, but the threat remains for Maui County and the island of Oahu as Hurricane Lester barrels through the Pacific. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) Visitors look at the Kilauea volcano summit crater at Hawaii National Park, Hawaii on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. A hurricane watch has been dropped on Hawaii's Big Island, but the threat remains for Maui County and the island of Oahu as Hurricane Lester barrels through the Pacific. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) This NOAA satellite image taken Friday, September 02, 2016 at 01:00 AM EDT shows a clear eye associated with Hurricane Lester as it continues to move westward towards Hawaii. A band of showers has moved inland through the Pacific Northwest, making its way across Idaho and northern Nevada. Much of the rest of the Intermountain west remains unsettled, with scattered showers and embedded thunderstorms across the region and into eastern Montana as well. (NOAA/Weather Underground via AP) Kaly Sun, right, removes boards from her restaurant in Pahoa, Hawaii after Tropical Storm Madeline moved through the area, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. The tropical storm left parts of Hawaii's Big Island soggy but intact as residents of the island state prepare for a second round of potentially volatile tropical weather. Hurricane Lester remains on track to impact the islands this weekend, but possibly after being downgraded to a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) This photo shows a fence broken by storm surge from Tropical Storm Madeline at an oceanfront home in Kapoho, Hawaii, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. A tropical storm left the Big Island soggy but intact as residents prepared for the possible arrival of another storm, Hurricane Lester. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) A man stands in front of the boarded-up Pahoa Family Health Center in Pahoa, Hawaii after Tropical Storm Madeline moved through the area, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. The health center reopened a short time later. The tropical storm left parts of Hawaii's Big Island soggy but intact as residents of the island state prepare for a second round of potentially volatile tropical weather. Hawaii Island was pummeled with heavy rains and strong waves overnight, but residents woke to blue skies but little damage after Madeline skirted the island. Hurricane Lester remains on track to impact the islands this weekend, but possibly after being downgraded to a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) A man stands on a street in Pahoa, Hawaii after Tropical Storm Madeline moved through the area, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. The tropical storm left parts of Hawaii's Big Island soggy but intact as residents of the island state prepare for a second round of potentially volatile tropical weather. Hurricane Lester remains on track to impact the islands this weekend, but possibly after being downgraded to a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) A man takes a photo of Akaka Falls in Honomu, Hawaii on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Tourists in Hawaii who had been planning an escape to a sunny island paradise were instead hit with the threat of back-to-back hurricanes, but they're making the best of their vacations. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) UN chief says Sri Lanka killings prompted self-scrutiny COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday the world body has failed to protect civilians in conflicts despite repeated commitments, and the killings at the end of Sri Lanka's civil war seven years ago prompted him to launch an initiative to focus early attention on human rights violations. While Sri Lankans are engaging in a process of reckoning and reconciliation, the U.N. has engaged in "self-scrutiny," Ban said in a speech to a foreign relations think tank as part of a three-day visit to Sri Lanka. He said that had the U.N been more active during Sri Lanka's civil war, many lives could have been saved. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon applauds before delivering his speech on sustainable development to civil society partners during his visit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) "Sri Lanka has taught us many important lessons . (and) you have also made serious problems among your people," Ban said, adding that the U.N. made "big mistakes" during the critical last several months of the civil war. An experts' panel appointed by Ban had reported that up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians may have been killed largely due to shelling by government troops in the final months of the fighting, which ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the rebel Tamil Tigers. The rebels had been fighting for an independent state for the ethnic Tamil minority complaining of systematic marginalization by successive governments controlled by majority Sinhalese. Both sides were accused of serious human rights violations in the absence of independent witnesses after the government evicted aid workers and the U.N. "On the part of the United Nations, I established internal investigations into what had happened, what our people in the United Nations mission here had been doing at that time. We found serious mistakes, inactivities. Had we been more actively engaged, we could have saved many more human lives," he said. Ban said Sri Lanka was only the latest of a series of U.N. failures in past years, including the 1994 genocide in Rwanda for which the U.N. "felt responsible." "It happened just one year after in Srebrenica, again many people were massacred when they were not fully protected by U.N peacekeeping operations. We repeated again, never again; how many times we should repeat never, never again. We did it again in Sri Lanka," he said. Ban said his 2013 initiative Human Righst Upfront followed an introspection of the events in Sri Lanka. The program aims to focus early attention on human rights before they escalate. "Peace and security, development human rights, they are all interlinked, nothing is more important than the other," Ban said. "But I decided that in all our operations, thinking and planning the human rights aspect should be up front." Since the end of Sri Lanka's civil war, Ban has been proactive in calling for accountability for rights violations. During his stay, Ban met with government leaders and discussed progress in reconciliation and accountability processes. On Friday he travelled to the former conflict zone in the north, met Tamil leaders and visited villagers were people displaced by war have been resettled. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the northern town of Jaffna demanding Ban's attention in locating thousands of missing persons, the return of private lands occupied by the military and involving foreign prosecutors and judges in probing allegations of war crimes. The Sri Lankan government has said that it will not involve foreign judges. In his speech in Colombo, Ban urged the government to fast track returning private lands and reduce the size of the military in the former conflict zone to ease tensions and help peace making. Ban told reporters at the end of his visit that the government has made progress in advancing peace and reconciliation and asked Sri Lankans to move on from the past. "Reconciliation asks all of you to do something almost unimaginable. It asks you to overcome all the harm done, the torture, the murders and extra-judicial executions, the suicide bombings the disappearances and forces recruitment, suffering and violence, to transcend your grief and pain," he said. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon delivers a speech on Sustainable Development to civil society partners during his visit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, left, shares a light moment with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera before delivering a speech on sustainable development to civil society partners during his visit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, delivers a speech on Sustainable Development to civil society partners as Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, fourth left, and other dignitaries watch during his visit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Turkey to boost southeast security amid clashes with Kurds ISTANBUL (AP) Clashes between Turkish forces and Kurdish militants left one Turkish soldier and dozens of militants dead Friday as Turkey's prime minister announced new security measures and reconstruction plans for the southeast. The state-run Anadolu news agency said Turkish Armed Forces "neutralized 57 terrorists, including 27 killed." Turkey, EU, and the U.S. consider the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, a terrorist organization. The governor's office of Hakkari province said one Turkish soldier was killed and six others were wounded. In a televized government evaluation meeting in Ankara, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said there will be no peace negotiations with Kurdish militants or the PKK and the government will not capitulate on internal security. "The solution is with the people," he said and added "our Kurdish people have a PKK terror organization problem." Yildirim announced a "watchman system in neighborhoods and in markets" and the extension of a village guard system in eastern and southeastern Turkey to assist security forces in fighting the PKK. The village guards are civilians who are paid by the government to keep an eye out, inform security forces, and take precautions against attacks on public and private institutions. They have been criticized by human rights groups and Kurdish lawmakers for functioning as armed informants and for alleged involvement in violence against villagers. Yildirim announced an initial 1.4 billion lira ($460 million) redevelopment plan for houses damaged during security operations to be completed within a year. He also said new development projects for 22 eastern and southeastern provinces will be introduced when he visits the southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Sunday. The three-decade long conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and a fragile two and a half year ceasefire collapsed last summer. Since then, more than 600 Turkish security personnel and thousands of PKK militants have been killed, according to Anadolu. Rights groups say hundreds of civilians have also been killed in the clashes. Black vote concentrated, but key in Trump-Clinton matchup ATLANTA (AP) Donald Trump will visit a predominantly black church in Detroit this weekend and, his campaign says, "outline policies that will impact minorities and the disenfranchised in our country." It's the latest move in the Republican presidential nominee's outreach to non-whites. The trip comes in response to sharp criticism from many African-Americans incensed by Trump's sweeping generalizations about black life in America. "You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs," he has argued to black voters. While he usually speaks to mainly white crowds, Detroit itself is 83 percent black. On Friday, Trump was in Philadelphia meeting with the family of a slain black woman killed by a young man who entered the U.S. illegally. It's "a horrible story, but it's a story a lot of people are going through," Trump told the family. FILE - In this Aug. 25, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a roundtable meeting with the Republican Leadership Initiative in his offices at Trump Tower in New York. Dr. Ben Carson is seated next to Trump at center. In the decades since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 widely enfranchised African-Americans, they have become a reliable Democratic bloc. President Barack Obama, the nations first black president, won at least 95 percent and 93 percent of the black vote in his two victories, sending Republican to historical lows among African-Americans, according to exit polls. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) A look at how African-Americans will help determine whether Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton is elected the 45th president: ___ DEMOCRATIC BLOC In the decades since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 widely enfranchised African-Americans, they have become a reliable Democratic bloc. President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, won at least 95 percent and 93 percent of the black vote in his two victories, sending Republicans to historical lows among African-Americans, according to exit polls. In Detroit, Republican candidate Mitt Romney won barely more than 6,000 votes out of more than 288,000 cast in 2012. Ronald Reagan notched 14 percent of the black vote in 1980, then slipped to 9 percent in 1984. The high mark for GOP nominees since was Bob Dole's 12 percent in 1996. Polls this year suggest Trump could fare worse than Obama's opponents. ___ STEADY, CONCENTRATED Blacks comprise between 12 and 13 percent of eligible voters (about 226 million), a relatively constant share in recent decades. (Hispanics and Asian-Americans have driven overall non-white population increases.) Until Obama's historic run, blacks hadn't matched their population strength at the polls, usually casting 10 or 11 percent of presidential ballots. For Obama's victories, the African-American share hit 13 percent. Black voters are relatively concentrated in Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states, but they also represent a significant portion of the populations in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia. ___ WHY SUCH LOYALTY? Jaime Harrison, South Carolina's first black Democratic Party chairman, says the party attracted African-Americans when President Lyndon Johnson signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act and Great Society programs then cemented long-term loyalty by defending that legacy he says offers blacks "an opportunity for a life closer to the promise of 'all men are created equal.'" Too many Republicans, Harrison says, answered with "so many dog whistles" intended "to exploit racial divides." He pointed specifically to Reagan's quips about "welfare queens" and George H.W. Bush's "Willie Horton ad" in the 1988 presidential campaign, which featured a black prisoner released on furlough by Bush's Democratic opponent, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. ___ TRUMP'S BLACK AMERICA Trump says Clinton is "a bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as people worthy of a better future." Democratic politicians have ruined inner cities, he says. The Rev. Mark Burns, one of Trump's top African-American backers, recently distributed a cartoon depicting Clinton in blackface. Burns later apologized. "What the hell do you have to lose?" Trump has asked delivering his pitch to an overwhelmingly white audience. Michael Barnett, an African-American, and chair of Florida's Palm Beach County GOP, praises Trump for raising uncomfortable questions. "What has Barack Obama really done for black people?" Barnett asks. "At least Donald Trump is addressing these issues." Still, Trump's abysmal description of life in black communities falls short. African-Americans as a whole lag other race and ethnicity groups in many economic indicators. Yet, the latest Census Bureau analysis puts median household income for blacks at $35,398; that's less than the national median ($53,657) and white median ($56,866), but well above the poverty level for a family of four ($24,300). Also, while murder rates have risen in certain U.S. cities, violent crime levels are not at record highs, as Trump has claimed, and FBI statistics show violent crime nationally remains on a two decade decline. That leaves many black leaders and voters accusing Trump of peddling stereotypes. "You don't go to a 99 percent white audience and talk about us and call that an invitation to us," Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, a Congressional Black Caucus leader, said this week. ___ CLINTON'S COUNTER Clinton has been forceful in pegging Trump as the bigot in the race, saying in a nationally televised speech that Trump will "make America hate again" and pushing an online ad linking Trump to white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Throughout her bid, Clinton has directed specific appeals to African-Americans. She backs stricter gun regulations, emphasizes the need for improving relations between police and the black community and campaigns alongside mothers whose black sons lost their lives in police encounters. Black Democratic primary voters opted nearly 4-to-1 for Clinton over Bernie Sanders in states where exit polling was conducted. (White Democrats narrowly preferred Sanders.) ___ WHERE IT MATTERS MOST Six battleground states Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia have black population shares ranging from about 12 percent to about 22 percent. Obama won each of those states twice, with the exception of North Carolina, which he split. Georgia, a GOP-leaning state that could be competitive, is more than 30 percent African-American. Ohio is a wild card: Obama drove up African-Americans' share of the electorate there from 11 percent in 2008 to 15 percent in 2012, with the increase accounting for more than his eventual margin of victory over Romney. Generally speaking, if Clinton is successful in replicating the Obama coalition her advisers' clearly-stated priority it would put tremendous pressure on Trump to run up his numbers among whites to levels no candidate has reached since Reagan's 1984 landslide. And every additional black vote Clinton picks up pushes Trump's white-voter mountain even higher. ___ Associated Press writer David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan and Jill Colvin in Philadelphia, contributed to this report. Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP . Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump talks with Shalga Hightower during a meeting, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) FILE - In this March 5, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks with African American ministers, in Detroit. In the decades since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 widely enfranchised African-Americans, they have become a reliable Democratic bloc. President Barack Obama, the nations first black president, won at least 95 percent and 93 percent of the black vote in his two victories, sending Republican to historical lows among African-Americans, according to exit polls. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens as Shalga Hightower speaks about her daughter, Iofemi Hightower, who was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Street Levels Block Party 2016 returns to downtown Menomonie from 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 1009 Sixth St. East. The free one-day music festival for ages 18 and older features five bands: Clocks & Clouds (instrumental rock), The Preachers Daughter (indie rock), Good Diction (rhythm-and-blues-grass), Cosmonaught (alternative rock) and Misch (indie/folk pop). Throughout the day, there will be outdoor games, prize giveaways and inexpensive henna tattoos. The Blind Munchies Mobile Coffeehouse will be on site with a full espresso/coffee bar, Dutch-style frites, brats and various bakery items available for purchase. (Cash, Visa and Mastercard accepted.) Turkish president to EU on migrant deal: where is the money? ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey's president accused the European Union on Friday of failing to deliver funds it promised as part of a deal to stop migrants crossing the Aegean Sea, adding to fears that the agreement which helped curtail the huge refugee surge to Europe's heartland could collapse. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the EU had pledged 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in support of some 3 million refugees Turkey currently hosts, but has delivered only 183 million euros. "What happened?" Erdogan asked before heading for the G20 summit in China. "No country can stand alone in this crisis. Unfortunately the promises on this issue are not kept." Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a gathering of judges and lawyers at his palace in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. (Yasin Bulbul, Presidential Press Service, Pool via AP) EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic denied the charges, saying billions it is providing "is funding for refugees and host communities, not for Turkey." When the agreement was announced in March, the EU said only that the money would be disbursed "in close cooperation" with the Turkish government. The row between Turkey and the EU comes a year after the lifeless body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi was photographed on a Turkish beach, drawing the world's attention to the plight of hundreds of thousands refugees who have used the treacherous route across the Aegean while escaping wars and poverty in their countries. Along with up to 6 billion euros promised through 2018 to help the mostly Syrian refugees Turkey is hosting, the incentives for Turkey to agree the migrant deal included fast-track EU membership talks as well as the visa waiver, which is conditional on Turkey modifying its definition of terrorism and what constitutes a terror act to ensure that journalists and academics aren't arrested. Erdogan's comments came a day after visiting European Parliament President Martin Schulz failed to persuade his hosts to amend the tough anti-terrorism laws in exchange for lifting visa restrictions for Turkish nationals a key incentive in the deal. The request was emphatically rejected. "We have once again bluntly told the EU and Mr. Schulz that we cannot make an improvement in the Struggle Against Terrorism Law during the current conditions in the country," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said. "Regarding the prevention of illegal migration, we stand behind our promises. We expect EU countries to do the same. Even the night of the (July 15) coup attempt, the Turkish coast guard saved 2,000 migrant lives. That's how much we care about life," he said on Friday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a leading backer of the EU-Turkey pact, said that it "is in our mutual interest." But she added in an interview with RTL television that Turkey hasn't yet fulfilled the 72 conditions set for visa freedom to be granted "and we will of course insist on the agreements being kept to by our side but also by the Turkish side." Turkish officials maintain they cannot make the amendments to the anti-terror laws at a time when they are fighting heightened threats from Kurdish rebels and the Islamic State group. Turkey has also launched a crackdown after the failed military coup, rounding up tens of thousands of alleged supporters of U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. The government blames Gulen for the uprising that left at least 270 people dead, and considers him and his followers to be terrorists. Gulen denies any involvement. Over 1 million migrants and refugees entered Europe via Turkey and Greece last year. The flow slowed to a trickle earlier this year after Austria set in motion a string of border closures that shut down the Balkan refugee route to the European heartland and Turkey's then-prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, hammered out the deal with Brussels. The apparent impasse between Ankara and Brussels now threatens the whole project. Amanda Paul, senior policy analyst and Turkey specialist at the European Policy Center, an independent Brussels think-tank, said that the deal was "hanging by a thread" and had been flawed from the beginning though she said it's impossible to predict whether and how long it will last. "It's clear that the agreement is probably more important in the scale of things to the EU than it is to Turkey," she said. "I doubt whether the EU has a B plan they basically had no A plan, let alone a B plan ... it would cause a significant crisis, and where they would go from there is an open question." ___ Leaders of India, Egypt agree tackling terrorism a priority NEW DELHI (AP) India and Egypt have agreed to boost cooperation in security and anti-terror efforts, with their leaders on Friday calling terrorism one of the gravest threats their countries face. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said they will cooperate more in defense and exchange more information that might help in rooting out radicals. The two leaders "considered terrorism to be one of the gravest threats to international peace and security," a joint statement said. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the end of a joint press briefing after their meeting in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. El-Sissi is on a three-day official visit to India. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) The Egyptian leader told a news conference that the two countries are "required" to bolster relations "due to the sizable threats and common challenges as we face, starting from the dangers of terror and extremism that entails concerted efforts at all levels, to issues of climate change and sustainable energy sources for future generation." The two sides also signed an agreement on maritime shipping cooperation and spoke of the importance of boosting bilateral trade, which in the past year reached $4.76 billion, making India Egypt's sixth-largest trading partner. President el-Sissi, accompanied by government ministers and business leaders, arrived Thursday night for a three-day visit during which he also met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. No details of that meeting have been released. Kerry had delayed his planned departure from the Indian capital on Thursday. The U.S. Embassy said he plans to join President Barack Obama in China for the weekend G-20 summit. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi look at each other during a joint press briefing after their meeting in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. El-Sissi is on a three-day official visit to India. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, left, listens to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a joint press briefing after their meeting in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. El-Sissi is on a three-day official visit to India. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) An Indian Army officer invites Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to inspects a joint-service guard of honor during his ceremonial reception at the presidential palace in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. El-Sissi is on a three-day official visit to India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Uzbek government says President Karimov has died MOSCOW (AP) Russian news agencies are citing the government of Uzbekistan as saying that President Islam Karimov has died, ending days of rumors about the condition of the 78-year-old hardliner who led the Central Asian country with an iron hand since its independence. Karimov was reported to have been hospitalized last week and his daughter later said on social media that he had suffered a brain hemorrhage. Russia's RIA-Novosti agency said the government announced the funeral would be Saturday in Samarkand, his birthplace. Further details of his death were not immediately available from the mostly opaque country, where media freedom and human rights have been harshly repressed. FILE - In this Monday, April 15, 2013 file photo, Uzbek President Islam Karimov leaves a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia. A national newsreader has delivered a televised Independence Day speech on behalf of ailing President Islam Karimov, who remains hospitalized in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, with a suspected brain hemorrhage. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, file) Karimov ran an authoritarian government in the Central Asian nation since 1989, and cultivated no apparent successor. Karimov's death raises concerns that Uzbekistan could face prolonged infighting among clans over leadership claims, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. Given the lack of access to the country it's hard to judge how powerful the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan might be, but the group has over the years been affiliated with the Taliban, al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and has sent fighters abroad. Under the constitution, if the president dies his duties pass temporarily to the head of the senate until an election can be held within three months. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Karimov's demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence. In any case, the passing of the man who harshly cracked down on opposition would not be likely to lead to an immediate relaxation. Karimov's death would "mark the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not the pattern of grave human rights abuses. His successor is likely to come from Karimov's closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated," said Denis Krivosheev, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International. Uzbekistan celebrated its Independence Day on Thursday, and it was widely assumed that the government would not break any news until after the festivities. On Friday, indications mounted that the country was preparing for a funeral. Photographs posted Friday by the respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru showed what appeared to be undertakers in Karimov's hometown of Samarkand working on a cemetery plot in the graveyard where Karimov's family is buried. The Samarkand airport announced it would be closed to all flights except specially approved aircraft on Saturday, according to the website of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Uzbek opposition blogger Nadezhda Atayeva said on Friday that Uzbek authorities appeared to be cracking down on communication channels. Speaking from western France, she said an opposition contact told her via Skype that government officials had been told to turn off their phones and Internet speeds had slowed sharply. As he spoke, she said, the signal went dead. ___ Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscw and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report. In this photo taken on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, A police officer guards an area at the ancient city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru on Friday posted pictures from Karimov's hometown of Samarkand, showing what appeared to be undertakers working on a cemetery plot in the city's historic graveyard where Karimov's family is buried. The government of Uzbekistan said on Friday that ailing President Karimov is in critical condition, following a week of speculation that the country's president of nearly 27 years could be at death's door. (RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY/Photo via AP) FILE In this file photo taken on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2016, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov speaks to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev while touring the ancient city of Samarkand in central Uzbekistan. Respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru on Friday posted pictures from Karimov's hometown of Samarkand, showing what appeared to be undertakers working on a cemetery plot in the city's historic graveyard where Karimov's family is buried. The government of Uzbekistan said on Friday that ailing President Karimov is in critical condition, following a week of speculation that the country's president of nearly 27 years could be at death's door. (Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik/Pool Photo via AP, file) In this photo taken on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, Uzbek workers clean an area of the central cemetery in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru on Friday posted pictures from Karimov's hometown of Samarkand, showing what appeared to be undertakers working on a cemetery plot in the city's historic graveyard where Karimov's family is buried. The government of Uzbekistan said on Friday that ailing President Karimov is in critical condition, following a week of speculation that the country's president of nearly 27 years could be at death's door. (News Agency Ferghana.Ru/Photo via AP) In this photo taken on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, Uzbek workers clean an area of the central cemetery in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Central Asian news website Fergana.ru on Friday posted pictures from Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov's hometown of Samarkand, showing what appeared to be undertakers working on a cemetery plot in the city's historic graveyard where Karimov's family is buried. The government of Uzbekistan said on Friday that ailing President Karimov is in critical condition, following a week of speculation that the country's president of nearly 27 years could be at death's door. (News Agency Ferghana.Ru/Photo via AP) German government won't distance itself from 'genocide' vote BERLIN (AP) The German government won't distance itself from a parliamentary resolution labeling as genocide the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago, Chancellor Angela Merkel and her spokesman said Friday, but they did stress that it isn't legally binding. The comments came after weekly Der Spiegel reported, without identifying sources, that Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert would distance himself from the June 2 vote in a gesture to end a diplomatic standoff over lawmakers' access to German military personnel in Turkey. Turkey was infuriated by the resolution and withdrew its ambassador for consultations. It has been refusing to allow German lawmakers to visit its Incirlik air base to see personnel stationed there with reconnaissance planes and refueling aircraft supporting the campaign against the Islamic State group. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, right, during her arrival for the weekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) German military missions abroad need parliamentary approval, usually on an annual basis. Some lawmakers have said the Incirlik mission couldn't be extended if visits aren't allowed, raising the possibility of a diplomatically delicate withdrawal to another country. "There can be absolutely no talk" of distancing the government from the resolution, Seibert told reporters in Berlin. Parliament "has the right and opportunity to express itself on any issue whenever it considers that right, and the government supports and defends this sovereign right." However, he did add that Parliament itself says such resolutions are not legally binding. "We are aware, also from recent talks conducted by Foreign Ministry representatives in Turkey, that the question of how a parliamentary resolution should be legally evaluated is a question of great significance there," Seibert said. Merkel echoed those comments in an interview with RTL television aired later Friday. Asked whether they meant that the German government was bowing to Turkey, she replied: "Absolutely not." She added that talks with Turkey will continue, "and I hope that lawmakers can then see their soldiers at Incirlik as a matter of course." Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event viewed by many scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey disputes the description. It says the toll has been inflated and considers those killed victims of a civil war. Friday's comments underlined a difficult balancing act for top German officials, keen to avoid angering Turkey further while also keeping an eye on their own political base and respecting a resolution that passed with cross-party support. Merkel was absent from Parliament for the June vote for what officials described as scheduling reasons, and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was on a visit abroad. However, the government has made clear that Merkel supported the motion and Steinmeier's spokesman, Martin Schaefer, said Friday that he too stands by it. ___ 5th suspect arrested in slaying of New York governor's aide NEW YORK (AP) Authorities say they've arrested a fifth suspect in the slaying of an aide to Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (KWOH'-moh) during a pre-dawn Caribbean festival last year. Kenny Bazile was arrested Thursday in Palm Desert, California. WNBC-TV reports he's accused of firing shots during a gang-related gunbattle in which Carey Gabay (guh-BAY') was fatally shot by stray gunfire. Bazile won't be charged until he's returned to New York. Gabay was a Harvard-educated lawyer. He had been out celebrating J'ouvert (joo-VAY'), a street party and procession held on Labor Day hours ahead of Brooklyn's West Indian Day parade. Four other suspects have been arrested in the shooting. Scottish leader calls for 'new conversation' on independence LONDON (AP) Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon says support for Scottish independence is growing and that the time is right for a "new conversation" on independence because of Britain's decision to leave the European Union. The Scottish First Minister said Friday her party would set up a website to gather public input on a possible independence referendum. A "listening exercise" with the goal of speaking to 2 million voters was also announced. She spoke nearly two years after Scottish voters rejected independence in a referendum. Sturgeon stopped short of calling for a second referendum but says the United Kingdom had fundamentally changed since then because of the Brexit vote in June. Turkey dismissed more than 40,000 civil servants ISTANBUL (AP) The Turkish government announced Friday that nearly 43,000 people have been expelled from their jobs in public institutions for alleged ties to terror organizations endangering national security in the wake of an aborted coup in July. Lists of names and positions published by the government's official gazette show the wide-scale purge Turkey has undertaken since the coup. The government blames the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for the plot that killed at least 270 people, and labels the network a terror organization. Gulen denies any involvement. Opposition education syndicate Egitim-Sen said in a statement Friday that "the government is using the process to target those who do not think like them." It said more than 100 of their members have been "dismissed in an arbitrary way," including 30 who signed a January declaration by more than 1,000 academics denouncing military operations against Kurdish rebels in Turkey. The dismissals are allowed through the state of emergency, declared following the coup attempt. The highest number of dismissals is from the Ministry of National Education with 28,163 people. Caterpillar considers closing Belgian site, laying off 2,000 BRUSSELS (AP) U.S. heavy equipment maker Caterpillar said Friday it may close a Belgian manufacturing site and lay off about 2,000 workers, an announcement met with dismay and alarm by employees and the government. In a post on its corporate website, Caterpillar said that in line with its September 2015 global restructuring plan, it was considering shifting production of construction equipment now at its Gosselies site to Grenoble, France, and other facilities outside Europe. "If this intention would be confirmed, it would result in a collective layoff of about 2,000 employees and in the closure of the Gosselies site," the company said. FILE - This Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 file photo, heavy equipment is parked at the site of Caterpillar Belgium, in Gosselies, Belgium. US. Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar said Friday, Sept. 2, 2016 that it may close a Belgian manufacturing site and lay off about 2,000 employees, an announcement met by the Belgian government and company employees with dismay and alarm. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe, File) Prime Minister Charles Michel and Economy Minister Kris Peeters were expected to attend an emergency meeting with leaders of the Wallonia regional government, home to the Gosselies site. Paul Magnette, leader of the regional government, sought meetings with unions and company management. Magnette told local media Friday he was scandalized by Caterpillar's announcement since the Gosselies site had been given government financial support. Clinton offers plan to prevent 'excessive' drug price hikes DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Following the public outcry over steep increases in price for an emergency allergy treatment, Hillary Clinton is pledging to better protect patients from such costs. Clinton is rolling out a plan Friday designed to give the federal government more power to push back against what she calls "excessive unjustified costs" for medications that have long been on the market. In a statement, Clinton said that "all Americans deserve full access to the medications they need," adding that she is "ready to hold drug companies accountable when they try to put profits ahead of patients, instead of back into research and innovation." FILE - In this Aug. 25, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks in Reno, Nev. Following the public outcry over steep increases in price for an emergency allergy treatment, Clinton is pledging to better protect patients from such costs. Clinton is rolling out a plan Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, designed to give the federal government more power to push back against what she calls "excessive unjustified costs" for medications that have long been on the market. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) Clinton plans to create a drug-pricing oversight group that will monitor price increases. If this group of federal officials decides that an increase is excessive, it could take a number of enforcement actions, including making emergency purchases of an alternate version of the drug, allowing emergency imports of a similar product from other developed countries, and imposing penalties on the companies, such as fines. The announcement comes amid criticism for pharmaceutical company Mylan N.V. over the list price of the EpiPen, which has grown to $608 for a two-pack, an increase of more than 500 percent since 2007. Facing questions about the pricing decisions, the drugmaker has said it will launch a generic version, but that will still cost $300. Ex-Playmate Pamela Anderson: 'Porn is for losers' NEW YORK (AP) Former Playboy model Pamela Anderson has teamed with a rabbi to speak out against pornography. An opinion piece by Anderson and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach published by the Wall Street Journal cites the latest sexting scandal involving former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner in calling for "an honest dialogue" about the dangers of pornography and "an honor code to tamp it down." The essay calls pornography "a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness." It closes by saying "porn is for losers" and calls it "a boring wasteful and dead-end outlet for people too lazy to reap the ample rewards of healthy sexuality." FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2016, file photo, Pamela Anderson delivers her speech during a news conference at the French National Assembly to protest the force-feeding of geese used in the production of foie gras, in Paris. The former Playboy model teamed with Rabbi Shumley Boteach to speak out against pornography in an op-ed published online by The Wall Street Journal Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File) Anderson has appeared on the cover of Playboy 14 times, most recently in December for the magazine's final nude issue. ___ An outgoing Republican state lawmaker has used leftover campaign cash to launch a political action committee, raising questions about what is permissible under recent campaign-finance changes that he and fellow Republicans enacted. Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson, registered the Wisconsin Liberty Fund in June. He listed himself as its chairman and treasurer. Critics and political observers told the Wisconsin State Journal they could not recall another state lawmaker creating their own political action committee while in office. The third-term Knudson is not seeking re-election; he remains in office until January, when his successor will be sworn in. At the same time Knudson formed the Wisconsin Liberty Fund, he transferred into it the balance of his candidate campaign account, about $21,000. A nonpartisan government watchdog group, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, is questioning the legality of the move. The groups director, Matt Rothschild, told the State Journal it could empower Knudson and other lawmakers who might follow his lead to dodge restrictions on campaign fundraising that typically apply to candidates and office-holders. But Knudson told the State Journal he consulted the states former campaign-finance agency, the Government Accountability Board, before forming the committee and was advised it was one of his options for using leftover campaign funds under the states newly revamped campaign finance law. Theres no prohibition against a sitting lawmaker establishing a PAC, Knudson said in an interview. I would have to ask the question: Why would anyone have a problem with this? Political action committees, or PACs, may collect contributions of unlimited amounts while making contributions to candidates, political parties or legislative campaign committees. They also may air their own ads, including those directly advocating for or against a candidate, known in campaign-finance jargon as express advocacy. Candidate campaign committees, by contrast, face strict limits on the size of contributions they may accept. Rothschilds group filed a complaint with the state Ethics Commission challenging the legality of Knudsons actions. We do not believe the new campaign finance law carved out a loophole for an elected official to set up his own express advocacy group, Rothschild said in a statement. Knudson not worried about precedent A spokesman for the state Ethics Commission, Reid Magney, declined to comment on whether Knudsons actions were permissible under law. We dont comment on potential or actual complaints, Magney said. He also said state law prohibits the GAB and the ethics commission from discussing requests for advice, the people and groups that seek it, and the guidance given. Gov. Scott Walker signed a law in December that rewrote and curtailed state campaign-finance regulations. Knudson was Assembly author of a companion law that abolished the nonpartisan GAB and replaced it with partisan commissions on ethics and elections. The new campaign-finance law bars candidates and office-holders from establishing more than one candidate committee. The old law was slightly different, preventing candidates and office-holders from establishing more than one personal campaign committee. Rothschild and Jay Heck, director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, were among those who said they could not recall another sitting lawmaker creating a political action committee. In terms of an individual legislator setting up this kind of entity, its certainly something new, Heck said. Knudson said he wasnt worried about whether theres precedent for what hes doing. I didnt pattern this after anyone, he said. I didnt research whether its even been done before. That really wasnt my concern. Knudson said he expects to use the fund to advocate for constitutional limited government and for liberty and freedom. The intent is to do that through issue advocacy, he added a term for a type of political advocacy that does not explicitly support or oppose a candidate. Knudson said he also envisions the fund occasionally supporting candidates and specific legislation. Extremely troubling At the end of the last campaign-finance reporting period on July 25, Wisconsin Liberty Fund reported making no expenditures. The only funds it had collected were the transfer from Knudsons campaign account and a $100 individual contribution from Knudson. Rothschild called the Knudsons formation of the group extremely troubling. He said his group believes office-holders who dont seek re-election and have leftover campaign funds should either return those dollars to donors or give them to charity. Campaign contributions are not given to candidates to set them up as influence peddlers and shouldnt be used as such, Rothschild said. Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Brandon Weathersby raised the question of whether Knudson plans to pay himself through the PAC. Weathersby also questioned how Knudson would abide by restrictions on the ability of PACs to coordinate their activities with candidates. Its not unusual for a lawmaker to use leftover campaign cash to help political allies or chosen causes. Former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle transferred $1 million from his campaign account to a liberal advocacy group, Greater Wisconsin Committee, during the 2010 campaign. It was part of a bid to boost Democratic gubernatorial nominee and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in his race against then-Milwaukee County executive and Republican nominee Walker. A more recent example was state Sen. Rick Gudex, R-Fond du Lac, who is not seeking re-election this year. Gudex recently gave money from his campaign fund to the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate, the campaign group for Wisconsin Senate Republicans. However, Rothschild said theres an important distinction between Gudexs actions and Knudsons in that Gudex relinquished control of those funds. Attacks across Iraqi capital kill 15 people, wound over 50 BAGHDAD (AP) A series of attacks across Baghdad, including an explosion at a weapons warehouse that set off munitions and sent a huge plume of smoke over the Iraqi capital, killed 15 people and wounded over 50 on Friday, according to Iraqi officials. The attacks underscore the poor security situation in the Iraqi capital, which has been subject to several recent large-scale attacks, including a July shopping center bombing that killed nearly 300 people. At least three rockets landed in eastern Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 15, police officials said. Smoke rises after explosions eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) The rockets that hit eastern Baghdad appear to have been set of by a blast at a weapons storage facility, according to a police official. An Associated Press reporter at the scene said members of the powerful Shiite militia group Asaib Ahl al-Haq were present at the scene of the attack. Police officials say it is unclear which powerful Shiite militia the weapons store belonged to. The weapons' cache blast set off munitions stored there, sending a huge plume of smoke over the city skyline. In the predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Ghazaliya, a bomb struck a shopping street, killing two people and wounding eight, police said. Two bomb attacks on fruit and vegetable markets across the city killed five people and wounded 20, officials from the Interior Ministry said. Meanwhile, a bomb attack on a commercial area in western Baghdad killed three people and wounded eight, according to police and hospital officials. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media. Friday also marked the martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Shiite Imam. In Baghdad pilgrims descended on the Kadhimiya shrine in Baghdad to commemorate the day, but none of the attacks wounded pilgrims or hit near the shrine. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State group has often said it was behind deadly bombings targeting Shiite civilians in the Iraqi capital, including the July shopping center attack. Iraq's army has pushed IS militants out of the major cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, and the government has pledged that it will retake Mosul, the country's second largest city, from the Islamic State group by the end of this year. Late Thursday night, an attack on Iraqi security forces killed nine fighters and wounded 15, according to Karim al-Nouri, the spokesman for Iraq's government-sanctioned mainly Shiite militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. He said that Shiite fighters were among the dead. The Salaheddin Operations Command the unit that overseas Iraqi military operations in the province where Tikrit is located confirmed the attack. It comes just days after Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, retook a town south of the militant-held city of Mosul. Iraqi forces are conducting a number of small-scale operations around Mosul in an effort to cut IS supply lines in and out of the city. ___ Associated Press writers Murtada Faraj and Khalid Mohammed in Baghdad contributed to this report. Iraqi security forces gather as smoke rises after explosions in eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) Smoke rises after explosions in eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) Iraqi security forces gather as smoke rises after explosions in eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) Smoke rises after explosions in eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Iraqi officials say at least three rockets landed in eastern Baghdad killing three people and wounding six. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) Pope removes bishop accused of accepting problem priests VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of an Italian bishop who welcomed into his diocese priests accused of, and in some cases convicted of, sexual abuse, homicide and other crimes. The Vatican didn't say why Bishop Mario Olivieri resigned two years before the regular retirement age of 75. Usually, the Vatican announces early retirements by saying they were due to a "grave" reason that made the bishop unfit for office. In Olivieri's case, the Vatican didn't even provide that information Thursday. Italian newspapers have identified a handful of priests accused or convicted of crimes who were accepted by the tradition-minded Olivieri into his Albenga-Imperia dioceses. Military helicopter rescues stuck chopper from muddy field WALLISVILLE, Texas (AP) Officials say a Chinook helicopter rescued a smaller military helicopter from a muddy field near Houston after it had mechanical troubles and made an emergency landing. The Texas Military Department of Public Affairs say the Texas Army National Guard AH-64D Apache was on a training mission late Tuesday when it encountered problems and was forced to land in the rice field near Wallisville, about 30 miles east of Houston. Nobody was hurt. In this Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 photo from video by KPRC-TV, the shadow of a Chinook helicopter can be seen at right as it lifts a Texas Army National Guard AH-64D Apache helicopter from a muddy field near Wallisville, Texas. The Texas Military Department of Public Affairs said the Apache was on a training mission late Tuesday when it encountered problems and made an emergency landing. Nobody was hurt. (KPRC-TV via AP) Federal officials charge a Mississippi physician offered to illegally trade prescriptions for escort services and later sold prescriptions for money to the escort and an undercover agent. Dr. Michael Loebenberg of Ocean Springs was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled drugs in federal court Thursday in Gulfport. Dr. Michael Loebenberg of Ocean Springs was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled drugs in federal court Thursday in Gulfport Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Lt. Mary Flinchum swore out the criminal charge alleging an escort told investigators in January that Loebenberg had offered to write a prescription in exchange for escort services. Agents then set up three separate meetings in January, April and June where they said Loebenberg wrote illegal prescriptions for hydrocodone and other drugs for a total of $440. Loebenberg gave the confidential informant a prescription for 90 hydrocodone pills for $40 January 29, according to the Sun-Herald. Federal officials charge Loebenberg offered to illegally trade prescriptions for escort services and later sold prescriptions for money to the escort and an undercover agent. He is pictured with his wife in this Facebook photo An April 5 meeting involved Loebenberg, the informant and an undercover agent, who 'bought five prescriptions for hydrocodone and the appetite suppressant phentermine,' the newspaper wrote. The agent later purchased Adderall and hydrocodone prescriptions at a June 8 meeting from Loebenberg, the Sun-Herald reported. Loebenberg was released on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to return for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Cartoon with quake victims under lasagna angers Italians ROME (AP) A French satirical weekly's cartoon depicting victims of last week's earthquake in Italy under layers of lasagna has angered some in the country. The Italian news agency ANSA quoted the mayor of Amatrice, the hardest-hit town where more than 230 bodies were found after the Aug. 24 quake, as calling the cartoon in Charlie Hebdo magazine "tasteless and embarrassing." Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said on Friday while he welcomes irony, it shouldn't come at the expense of the dead. He added that he is sure the cartoon doesn't reflect the true feelings of the French people. Viktoria Plzen punished by UEFA for racist behavior of fans PRAGUE (AP) Viktoria Plzen says it will play its Europa League game against Roma with its stadium partly closed because of racist behavior of some of its fans. Plzen says the punishment by UEFA comes after the incidents in a Champions League playoff game against Ludogorets Razgrad on Aug. 23. The Czech club says two sections of its stands popular among its hard core fans will remain closed for the Sept. 15 game. Hungarian anti-migrant campaign picks up speed ahead of vote BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) A month ahead of Hungary's referendum on European Union migrant quotas, the government's relentless anti-migrant campaign has become inescapable and shows no sign of letting up. Anti-migrant messages cover the country on billboards and in ads on state television as Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party seek popular support for their opposition to the quotas, which would distribute migrants between the EU's member states. And soon pamphlets about the referendum will be delivered by mail to all voters. The billboards and TV ads tell Hungarians things like "Did you know? Since the start of the immigration crisis, over 300 people in Europe died in terror attacks" or "Did you know? Just from Libya, nearly a million immigrants want to come to Europe." In this Aug. 13, 2016 picture a person on motorbike passes a government poster promoting the Oct. 2 referendum against any EU quotas to resettle migrants. reading Did you know? The Paris attacks were carried out by immigrants. in Budapest. A month ahead of a referendum seeking popular support for its opposition to European Union migrant quotas, the Hungarian government's relentless anti-migrant campaign is inescapable and shows no sign of letting up. (AP Photo/ Pablo Gorondi) The government says the resettlement in Hungary of large numbers of migrants would destroy Hungarian communities and culture, while critics say the "hate campaign" is bringing out the worst in Hungarians. The Oct. 2 referendum question is "Do you want the European Union to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?" The government says voting "no" favors Hungary's independence. Experts say the migration issue has been a bonanza for Orban and his anti-migrant Fidesz party, which has avoided the downturn in the polls usually suffered by Hungarian governments midway through their four-year terms. "Orban is seeking to mobilize voters and keep them faithful to Fidesz," said Nick Sitter, professor of public policy at the Central European University in Budapest. "He has managed to avoid the massive drop in popularity thanks to the refugee crisis." Sitter said the migration issue also allows Fidesz to fend off challenges from the far-right Jobbik party, a key opposition group, "by proving itself sufficiently nationalist and anti-European." The government already organized an anti-migrant billboard campaign last year, when nearly 400,000 people passed through the country, coming up north on the route through the Balkans, on their way west to Germany and other favored destinations. The number of migrants and refugees dropped drastically after the construction of razor-wire fences on the borders of Serbia and Croatia. Hungary is also beefing up its police force with 3,000 new "border hunters" to tighten control at the fences and introduced controversial legislation which allows officials to return migrants to Serbia if they are caught within 8 kilometers (5 miles) of the border. As with the earlier billboard campaign, the strongest and maybe most effective counter-campaign is being carried out by the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party, which uses comedy and satire to ridicule the government billboards. With some $100,000 received from 4,000 donors, the group is setting up 1,000 of their own "Did you know?" billboards across the country with messages like "An average Hungarian sees more UFOs in his lifetime than migrants," ''There is war in Syria" and "Most crimes of corruption are committed by politicians." Two-Tailed Dog Party President Gergely Kovacs said the vast amounts of money spent on the campaign by the government which won't say how much until after the referendum have been effective. "The amount of wickedness the government has been able to draw out of people is absolutely damaging," Kovacs said. "The hate campaign has worked." The strong anti-migrant sentiment has seeped deeply into the country and even Pope Francis has become a frequent target of criticism among Fidesz supporters for his message of acceptance and charity toward refugees. Zsolt Bayer, a columnist and Fidesz party member said the pope was either "a demented old man who is totally unfit to be the pope or a scoundrel" because he spoke in the same breath about acts of violence committed by Catholics and Muslims, while documentary filmmaker Fruzsina Skrabski said the pope's statements on refugees and migrants were not "sufficiently thoughtful." There seems to have been little coordination between opposition parties about their stance on the referendum, which, experts said, was par for the course. "There is no united strategy on the part of the opposition which is obvious since their interests are different," said analyst Kornelia Magyar of the Magyar Progressive Institute. While the far-right Jobbik supports the government position against the migrant quotas, the Socialist party, the largest left-wing group, has pronounced itself against the referendum but said it would back the government against any EU quotas. About 4 million citizens will have to cast valid votes to exceed the 50 percent minimum turnout that is needed for the referendum to be valid. The Two-Tail Dog Party's billboards carry a uniform slogan at the bottom "A stupid answer to a stupid question: Vote invalidly!" as they are one of several groups, including the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, urging voters to cast invalid ballots by, for example, putting an "x'' in both the "yes" and "no" boxes. Three small opposition parties, meanwhile, will also launch a more modest campaign with up to 400 billboards from Sept. 15, showing a man and a woman sitting on a couch, raising their middle fingers to a government referendum ad on their TV screen. "We are trying to counterweigh a hate campaign. We are being provocative because we want to make very clear what our answer is," said Viktor Szigetvari, president of the Together party, which, along with the Modern Hungary Movement and the Dialogue for Hungary party, is urging voters to boycott the referendum. Even if turnout fails to reach the 50 percent threshold, "no" votes are expected to be in the overwhelming majority, benefiting Orban and Fidesz. "If Fidesz can get more votes now than in 2014, they can say that the government's support has grown and they will be able to turn the result of the referendum, even if it is invalid, in their favor," Magyar said. Uzbekistan's only post-Soviet President Islam Karimov's death has prompted fears of a power struggle Uzbekistan has been plunged into the greatest period of uncertainty in its post-Soviet history following the death of strongman dictator Islam Karimov. The 78-year-old, who crushed all opposition in the Central Asian country as its only president in a quarter-century of independence from the Soviet Union, died of a stroke yesterday. He will be buried at a ceremony today in his home city of Samarkand in central Uzbekistan. The country will then begin three days of mourning. His death follows days of speculation that officials were delaying making his death public, with no clear successor for the iron-fisted ruler lined up. Karimov suffered a stroke last weekend and fell into a coma. People stand along a road today to pay the tribute to the memory of Uzbek late President Islam Karimov as a mourning motorcade drive by in Tashkent, Uzbekistan Flowers were thrown at a motorcade as people lined the streets to pay tribute to Karimov today Despite his brutal quarter century rule earning him a reputation abroad as one of the region's most savage despots, people in Karimov's hometown mourned his passing and youths wore black clothes. His younger daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, said in a social media post Monday that he had been hospitalized in the capital of Tashkent after a brain hemorrhage Aug. 27. On Friday, she posted again, saying: 'He is gone.' People throw flowers on the hearse today as they gather along the road to watch the funeral procession of President Islam Karimov in Samarkand One of the world's most authoritarian rulers, Karimov cultivated no apparent successor, and his death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim country could face prolonged infighting among clans over its leadership, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. Alexei Pushkov, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told the Tass news agency: 'The death of Islam Karimov may open a pretty dangerous period of unpredictability and uncertainty in Uzbekistan.' Uzbekistan honor guards stand next to a large portrait of the late President Islam Karimov and his awards in Samarkand today POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS FOR STRONGMAN Shavkat Mirziyoyev - The technocrat prime minister Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev Viewed as a tough-guy enforcer, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, 58, appears to be the front-runner to take over long term after he was named head of the committee organising Karimov's funeral. Technocrat Mirziyoyev, who has served as prime minister since 2003, is reported to have close ties to the former president's family and to key security bosses. According to rights activists the former governor of Karimov's home region of Samarkand has been in charge of making sure the country fulfils its annual cotton quotas. That places him at the heart of a industry that is crucial to the Uzbek economy - it is one of the world's leading cotton producers - but is accused of forcing over a million citizens, including children, to pick the cotton each year. Rustam Azimov - The finance chief Deputy premier and finance minister Azimov, 57, is reportedly viewed by foreign diplomats as more friendly to West, although he is still a key member of Karimov's inner circle. The former banker - in place since 2005 - has been touted as a possible replacement after apparently weathering power struggles. After years at the heart of the Uzbek elite Azimov is implicated in the vast web of corruption that has purportedly seen those close to Karimov amass vast fortunes. After news emerged that Karimov was in hospital rumours flew that Azimov had been placed under house arrest, but they were quickly denied and he has been named as part of Karimov's funeral committee. Rustam Inoyatov - the veteran security boss The country's powerful security chief Inoyatov, who has held the post since 1995, has long been seen as the key power behind the throne. At 72 the former KGB officer may not take the top job himself but the long-time Karimov ally looks likely to have a decisive say in who does. Inoyatov's reputation is seriously tarnished for his alleged role in the bloody suppression of protests in the eastern city of Andijan in 2005 - when hundreds of demonstrators are believed to have been gunned down in a massacre. While officially he controls Uzbekistan's security service he also effectively exerts control over the army and other law enforcement agencies. Nigmatulla Yuldashev - the stand-in leader According to Uzbekistan's constitution, senate leader takes over temporarily until early elections are held within three months. But commentators describe Yuldashev as a little-known 'non-entity' who is unlikely to have the clout to impose himself in the long run. The Karimovs - the despot's family Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, Karimov's daughter Still likely to play a big role are Karimov's widow Tatyana and his younger daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva. Karimova-Tillyaeva, Uzbekistan's ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, took to social media during her father's illness to confirm he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. She told the BBC in rare comments in 2013 that she did not foresee a career in politics for herself, insisting she was focused on her young family. She also said that she had not spoken to her older sister Gulnara for 12 years. Once seen as a potential heir to her father's throne one-time socialite, pop star and business magnate Gulnara, 44, spectacularly fell from grace in a bitter family feud and was placed under house arrest in 2014. Gulnara, a former ambassador to the UN in Geneva, is being probed in Europe over a $330 million telecoms corruption scandal. Advertisement Mourners lined the streets to watch the president's funeral today A farewell ceremony was held for Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov near Tashkent International Airport today He lead a fearful regime and led through brutal repression, his critics have said. Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: 'Islam Karimov leaves a legacy of a quarter century of ruthless repression. 'Karimov ruled through fear to erect a system synonymous with the worst human rights abuses: torture, disappearances, forced labour, and the systematic crushing of dissent.' People hold flowers as they gather along the road to watch the funeral procession of President Islam Karimov in Samarkand Nevertheless Karimov's visitors in his last year included US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Uzbekistan still receives US aid. Given the lack of access to the strategic country, it's hard to judge how powerful the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan might be. Karimov, right, pictured alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in 2008 Over the years, the group has been affiliated with the Taliban, al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and it has sent fighters abroad. Under the Uzbek constitution, if the president dies his duties pass temporarily to the head of the senate until an election can be held within three months. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Karimov's demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev leaves a plane as he arrives to take part in mourning events related to the death of Uzbek President Islam Karimov in Samarkand Karimov was known as a tyrant with an explosive temper and a penchant for cruelty. His troops machine-gunned hundreds of unarmed demonstrators to death during a 2005 uprising, he jailed thousands of political opponents, and his henchmen reportedly boiled some dissidents to death. He came under widespread international criticism from human rights groups, but because of Uzbekistan's location as a vital supply route for the war in neighboring Afghanistan, the West sometimes turned a blind eye to his worst abuses. Crowds turned out in force to mourn the death of Islam Karimov at the age of 78 But Karimov's death caused widespread upset across Usbekistan. 'When we found out about his death, all my family - by wife, my son's wife, the children - we were all crying, we couldn't believe it,' one local man, 58, told AFP, refusing to give his name. 'It is a great loss for every Uzbek. He made our country free and developed.' State television in the tightly-controlled nation earlier showed soldiers loading a coffin onto a plane for what it described as Karimov's final journey to Samarkand, with two women who appeared to be his wife and younger daughter weeping on the tarmac. Authorities said Karimov's coffin would be displayed in a city square for people to pay their last respects before he is buried in a nearby cemetery later Saturday next to other family members. Eyewitnesses told AFP that they had seen the funeral cortege pass but that the event was open only to guests with official invitations. Karimov suffered a stroke last week, and the announcement of his death followed days of speculation Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is expected to fly in for the funeral, along with a coterie of leaders from former Soviet republics including Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and the prime ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Loyalist Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev heads the organising committee for the funeral, in a sign that he could be the frontrunner to take over long-term from Karimov. Under Uzbek law, senate head Nigmatulla Yuldashev has now become acting president until early elections are held. Barack Obama said he had recently congratulated Karimov on Uzbekistan's 25 years of independence Noting Karimov's death, President Barack Obama said in a statement that the US 'reaffirms its support for the people of Uzbekistan'. 'This week, I congratulated President Karimov and the people of Uzbekistan on their country's 25 years of independence,' Obama said in the statement. 'As Uzbekistan begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to partnership with Uzbekistan, to its sovereignty, security, and to a future based on the rights of all its citizens.' UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was 'saddened' following Karimov's death UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was 'saddened' at Karimov's death and paid tribute to his efforts 'to develop strong ties between Uzbekistan and the United Nations as well as strengthen regional and global peace and security,' UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Ban singled out Karimov's promotion of the treaty to establish the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone which entered into force in 2009. China's Foreign Ministry called Karimov 'a sincere friend' who promoted a strategic partnership between the two countries. Karimov (right) with Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and China's President Xi Jinping (centre) during the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit in Ufa, Russia His death 'is a great loss of the Uzbek people', ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, according to state media. Uzbekistan, a country of 30 million people famous for its apricot orchards, cotton fields and ancient stone cities along the Silk Road, had been one of the Muslim world's paragons of art and learning. But Karimov cracked down on any form of Islam that wasn't patently subservient to him. His leadership style was epitomized by propaganda posters often displayed in Uzbekistan that depicted him alongside Tamerlane, a 14th-century emperor who had conquered a vast region of West, South and Central Asia. Karimov was known to shout and swear at officials, and was rumoured to have lashed out when he became angry He was known to shout and swear at officials during meetings and it was widely rumored that in bursts of anger he would beat officials and throw ashtrays at them. Under Karimov, the economy remained centralized, with a handful of officials controlling the most lucrative industries and trade. A 1996 ban on the free convertibility of the national currency, the som, blocked trade and foreign investment, while unemployment soared and poverty was widespread. Islam Karimov (left) welcomes chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers prior to their meeting in presidential residence outside of Tashkent in 2002 Endemic corruption stymied development, despite considerable resources of natural gas and gold, along with its cotton exports. Millions of Uzbeks have flooded into Russia and neighboring Kazakhstan to support their families with remittances that amount to a sizable part of the country's GDP. Karimov was suspicious of the West and infuriated by its criticism of his human rights record, but he also dreaded Islamic militancy, fearing it could grow into a strong opposition. He unleashed a harsh campaign against Muslims starting in 1997 and intensifying in 1999 after eight car bombs exploded near key government buildings in Tashkent. The explosions killed 16 people and wounded more than 100. The strongman president, whose record has been attacked by human rights activists, died yesterday after suffering a stroke 'I am ready to rip off the heads of 200 people, to sacrifice their lives, for the sake of peace and tranquility in the country,' Karimov said afterward. 'If a child of mine chose such a path, I myself would rip off his head.' In the next few years, thousands of Muslims who practiced their faith outside government-controlled mosques were rounded up and jailed for alleged links to banned Islamic groups. In 2004, a series of bombings and attacks on police killed more than 50 people and sparked a new wave of arrests and convictions. Islam Karimov (centre) shakes hands with Indian President Pratibha Patil (right) as Uzbek First Lady Tatyana Karimova (left) looks on during a ceremonial reception at President House in New Delhi in May 18, 2011 Following 9/11, the West overlooked Karimov's harsh policies and cut a deal with him in 2001 to use Uzbekistan's Karshi-Khanabad air base for combat missions in Afghanistan. During a May 2005 uprising in the eastern city of Andijan, Uzbek troops fired on demonstrators, killing more than 700 people, according to witnesses and human rights groups. It was the world's worst massacre of protesters since the 1989 bloodbath in China's Tiananmen Square. Angered by U.S. criticism of the crackdown, Karimov evicted U.S. forces from the base. Karimov attends a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and his delegation at the Palace of Forums in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, last year He later quietly softened his position, allowing Uzbekistan to be part of the Northern Distribution Network supply route for Afghanistan, whose utility declined when Russia dropped out of the network in 2015. The United States in turn agreed to start the sale of non-lethal military goods to his regime. Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov was born on January 30, 1938, and studied economics and engineering in what was then a Soviet republic, rising through the Communist Party bureaucracy. In 1989, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made Karimov Uzbekistan's Communist Party chief in the wake of a huge corruption scandal that involved top Uzbek officials. At the time, Karimov was seen as a hard-working and uncorrupt Communist. On March 24, 1990, the local parliament elected him president of the Uzbek Socialist Republic, and in December 1991, just days after the Soviet Union ceased to exist, Karimov won the presidency in a popular vote. Shaken by a series of ethnic and religious riots in the turbulent years surrounding the Soviet collapse, Karimov was obsessed with stability and security. He said Uzbekistan would follow its own path of reform and would build democracy and a market economy without the turmoil and crises of most other former Soviet nations. Mourners lined the streets to pay tribute to the Uzbekistan's president after his death was announced yesterday After his 1991 election, the fledgling democratic opposition was banned and forced into exile. The media were muzzled by censorship. Law enforcement and security services grew increasingly powerful and abusive, and the use of torture in prisons was labeled 'systematic' by international observers. Karimov's death would 'mark the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not the pattern of grave human rights abuses, said Denis Krivosheev, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International. 'His successor is likely to come from Karimov's closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated.' Karimov was a distant leader. His annual New Year's address to the nation was always read by a TV anchor. His wife rarely appeared in public, and his vacations were never announced. But the public was constantly reminded of his leadership by banners with quotes from his speeches posted on buildings and billboards. All of his election victories were landslides, but none were recognized as free or fair by international observers. His only challenger in 2000, Abdulkhafiz Dzhalolov, said he himself voted for Karimov. People gather along the road under the Uzbekistan national flag with a black ribbon to watch the funeral procession of President Islam Karimov in Tashkent His nephew, opposition journalist Jamshid Karimov, was forcibly committed to a psychiatric institution after a series of articles criticizing his uncle and other officials. Karimov's oldest daughter, Gulnara, generated media buzz over her immense wealth, fashion shows and music videos done under the stage name GooGoosha. Sometimes touted as a potential successor, she was both admired and despised at home. In 2014, she used her Twitter account to accuse Uzbekistan's security services of orchestrating a campaign of harassment against her and deceiving her father. The president's daughter Gulnara Karimova pictured at an event at Uzbekistan's Centre of National Arts in October 2013 Her tweets then stopped, prompting speculation that she and her 15-year-old daughter were under house arrest in Tashkent. Word of Karimov's death began spreading even before the Uzbek government announced it Friday night, with officials in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan saying leaders from those countries would attend his funeral and the Turkish prime minister offering condolences. Uzbekistan celebrated its Independence Day on Thursday, which is perhaps why the government had delayed any news about Karimov. Police guard as people gather along a road to watch the funeral procession of President Islam Karimov in Tashkent Photos carried Friday by the respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru showed what appeared to be undertakers in Samarkand working on a plot in the cemetery where Karimov's family is buried. The Samarkand airport said it would be closed to all flights except specially approved aircraft Saturday, according to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's website. Uzbek opposition blogger Nadezhda Atayeva said on Friday that Uzbek authorities appeared to be cracking down on communication channels. Speaking from western France, she said an opposition contact told her via Skype that government officials had been told to turn off their phones and Internet speeds had slowed. As he spoke, she said, the signal went dead. The Latest: Green Party candidate flies to wrong Ohio city WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on the U.S. presidential race (all times EDT): 6 p.m. An Ohio speech by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was delayed after the candidate flew to the wrong city. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump talks with Shalga Hightower during a meeting, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Stein was scheduled to address students at Capital University in the Columbus suburb of Bexley around noon Friday. The university's Green Party student group, which sponsored the event, told The Columbus Dispatch that Stein accidentally flew to the Cincinnati area. It's just over a two-hour drive from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to Bexley. Stein's campaign didn't return messages Friday. ___ 4:05 p.m. Donald Trump is meeting with a woman whose daughter was killed at the age of 20 by a group that included people who entered the country illegally. Shagla Hightower's daughter, Iofemi, was killed along with two friends in a 2007 attack in a Newark, New Jersey school yard. Shagla Hightower told Trump Friday that her daughters' killers "should have never been here" and praises Trump for giving her daughter recognition. She said, "I truly, truly thank you from the bottom of my heart." Trump has been featuring parents whose children have been killed by people living in the U.S. illegally at his events to try to underscore the risk they pose. He said Hightower's is "a horrible story, but it's a story a lot of people are going through." He added that his rival Hillary Clinton "has no clue and doesn't care." ___ 3:50 p.m. Donald Trump is being praised by a group of supporters for coming to "the hood" to meet with local black leaders in Philadelphia. Calvin Tucker, a local Republican leader, thanked Trump at the end of a roundtable meeting "for being brave enough to come" to North Philadelphia. Renee Amoore, a local business leader, says Trump has support in the community, despite polls showing otherwise. She told him: "People say, Mr. Trump, that you have no African-American support. We want you to know that you do." She added that: "Pennsylvania has your back, and Philly in particular." Amoore said: "You are the man," and thanked him for "coming to the 'hood." ___ 3:45 p.m. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine will visit a Labor Day festival in Cleveland, while former president Bill Clinton will headline the annual AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic near Cincinnati. Hillary Clinton's campaign said Friday that her schedule Monday includes a stop with Kaine at a Labor Day festival in Cleveland. Meanwhile, her husband will speak at a holiday gathering that usually draws thousands of union members and their families to the Coney Island amusement park along the Ohio River. Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump both spoke at the American Legion convention this week in Cincinnati. They're expected to be frequent visitors to the pivotal state of Ohio over the next two months. ___ 3:20 p.m. Some Republicans are urging voters to back GOP congressional candidates because they'd constrain Hillary Clinton's agenda should she be elected president this November. Republicans don't want to be blamed for prematurely giving up on presidential nominee Donald Trump for fear of alienating his supporters. But with Trump lagging in most polls and Election Day two months off, many view the argument as a low-risk strategy because of the deep antipathy many Republicans hold toward Clinton. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain unveiled a video this week promising to "act as a check, not a rubber stamp," if Clinton wins the White House. In recent fundraising emails, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, GOP operative Karl Rove and a Colorado lawmaker battling for his seat made similar appeals. ___ 3:05 p.m. Donald Trump is meeting with African-American leaders in Philadelphia, a day before he visits a church in Detroit. Trump's Friday roundtable with local business, civic and religious leaders comes as the Republican nominee is working to appeal to minority voters. He was warmly received by the dozen guests, which included at least some long-time fans. Daphne Goggins, a local Republican leader, was visibly emotional as she introduced herself to Trump. She said she's been a Republican most her life, but "for the first time in my life, I feel like my vote is going to count." She wiped away tears as she spoke. ____ 2:45 p.m. Donald Trump's campaign says that FBI documents related to Hillary Clinton's private email use "reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty." Trump's campaign said in a statement that Clinton's use of private emails demonstrated "rampant conflicts of interest." It said her "reckless conduct and dishonest attempts to avoid accountability show she cannot be trusted with the presidency." The FBI documents, released Friday, showed Clinton never sought or asked permission to use a private server or email address during her tenure as America's top diplomat. That violated federal records keeping policies. Clinton has repeatedly said her use of private email was allowed. But in July she told FBI investigators she "did not explicitly request permission to use a private server or email address," the FBI wrote. ___ 1:45 p.m. Young Hispanics, Asian-Americans and African-Americans are much more likely to trust Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump to deal with immigrants living in the United States illegally. But young whites tend to trust Trump more, both to deal with who are in the United States now and to secure the border. That's according to a GenForward survey of adults age 18 to 30 by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Among young people overall, 47 percent say Trump would better handle securing the border, 26 percent say Clinton, and 18 percent say neither. There's division on who would better handle immigrants in the country now. But on all those questions, there are significant variations based on race and ethnicity. ___ 1:35 p.m. The FBI has released 58 pages of documents from its recently closed investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, including a summary of agents' interviews with Clinton and several of her aides. The documents include technical details about how the server in the basement of Clinton's home was set up. Friday's release of documents involving the Democratic presidential nominee is a highly unusual step, but one that reflects the extraordinary public interest in the investigation into Clinton's server. After a yearlong investigation, the FBI recommended against prosecution in July, and the Justice Department then closed the case. FBI Director James Comey said that while the former secretary of state and her aides had been "extremely careless," there was no evidence they intentionally mishandled classified information. ___ 12:45 p.m. A pastor says Donald Trump was given questions in advance of a planned taped Christian television interview Saturday at a Detroit church. But Bishop Wayne T. Jackson tells CNN Friday that it was not done to give the Republican presidential candidate "an upper hand" with his answers. Jackson says these are questions "African-Americans need to know," and that Trump "hasn't sat down with anyone" in the black community. Jackson's comments come after The New York Times reported obtaining a draft script with Jackson's questions and the campaign's proposed answers for Trump. The interview will take place as Trump is ramping up efforts to sway black voters to the Republican Party. Jackson says Trump will not address his Great Faith Ministries International congregation, but can speak informally with members later. ___ 12:25 p.m. The day before he goes to Detroit for his first general election appearance in front of a majority black audience, Donald Trump is heading to Philadelphia. Trump will be holding a roundtable with business, civic and religious leaders from the city's African-American community. Trump has scaled up his outreach to minority voters in recent weeks, revamping his stump speech to make the case that inner cities have suffered from Democratic policies. He often asks what African-American and Hispanic voters have to lose by giving him a chance. But he appeared to take a step backward with an immigration speech Wednesday evening that turned off many conservative Hispanic leaders. ___ 10:30 a.m. A Senate supporter of Donald Trump from deeply conservative Louisiana says that the Republican message this campaign season "is pretty good," but acknowledges that "it may turn out that Mr. Trump is not the messenger" that the party needs. Bill Cassidy is a staunch critic of President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. But when asked whether Republicans would be able to work with Clinton if she wins, Cassidy said, "there will be common ground." Cassidy said it's the president who sets the tone. He said: "If Secretary Clinton is elected president, I hope we find common ground as to how to progress as a nation." Cassidy made his comments during a taping of C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program that will air on Sunday. ___ 9:35 a.m. NBC News chief anchor Lester Holt will moderate the first scheduled presidential debate on Sept. 26. ABC's Martha Raddatz and CNN's Anderson Cooper are doing the second and Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace the third. The Commission on Presidential Debates on Friday also announced that CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano will moderate the vice presidential debate between Republican Mike Pence and Democrat Tim Kaine. The first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is planned for Hofstra University on Long Island, New York. UK armed forces member charged with terrorism offenses LONDON (AP) British police have charged a Royal Marine with a series of terrorism-related offenses. Thirty-year-old Ciaran Maxwell is scheduled to appear in a London court Friday afternoon. Police say he is charged under the 2006 Terrorism Act and has been accused of terrorist activity dating back to January 2011. He is accused of engaging in the preparation of terrorism, purchasing chemicals and components to be used in the manufacture of explosives, manufacturing explosives, and storing explosives in England and Northern Ireland. He is also charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to supply it and with fraud. Amy Schumer had heckler ejected at Swedish show STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) U.S. actress and stand-up comedian Amy Schumer asked venue to security to remove a heckler who shouted out a sexist comment during a live show in Sweden this week. The video , posted on Schumer's YouTube tour channel, shows the 35-year-old actress challenging the man and asking people in the audience to point him out. After the man shouted a second comment, Schumer responded: "Did you just yell out again? Oh! Yeah, I'm sorry, now it's time." Audience members clapped and cheered as the man was escorted out during the show on Wednesday. Dentist John Vecchione (pictured) signed an agreement this week to suspend his practice until a hearing is held in early October The state has suspended a dentist whose practice has been linked to more than a dozen infections that caused one death and required patients to undergo follow-up heart surgeries. John Vecchione signed an agreement this week to suspend his practice until a hearing is held in early October. A report released last month by the state Department of Health uncovered 15 patients who developed enterococcal endocarditis after undergoing oral surgery using intravenous sedation at Vecchione's practice from December 2012 to August 2014. Twelve patients required heart surgery, and one patient died from complications. Vecchione agreed to improve his procedures after inspectors visited his practice in late 2014 and early 2015, but inspectors who visited his office in Budd Lake, Morris County, last month said the problems persist. 'The deficiencies still present in Respondent's practice after multiple prior inspections and the issuance of a Department of Health report demonstrates a lack of judgment and insight into the affect that breaches can have on the safety of the treatment environment,'the interim consent order filed Wednesday said. Vecchione 'denies any and all allegations of wrongdoing' and 'contends he has made diligent efforts' to fix the problems, the order said. Scroll down for video An office that Vecchione has in Mount Olive, New Jersey, is seen in this image Vecchione's attorney didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday. The investigation into Vecchione began in the fall of 2014 when an infectious-disease specialist at an area hospital noticed two patients with heart infections had recently undergone oral surgery at Vecchione's practice. During a visit to Vecchione's office in November 2014, inspectors found 'multiple safety breaches,' including the use of single vials of medication for multiple patients, the storage and use of unwrapped syringes, poor hand hygiene and the use of nonsterile products such as multiple-use alcohol dispensers, according to the Health Department report released last month. Ryan Del Grosso (pictured) is one of Vecchione's patients who had to get surgery A follow-up visit in January 2015 found that Vecchione had made changes to his procedures but that 'deficiencies were still noted'. The incidence of enterococcal endocarditis following oral surgery is rare, according to the report - about 1.5 cases per 100,000 patients annually nationwide. Black man shot by Minnesota officer to be buried in Missouri MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A black man who was shot by a Minnesota police officer in July will be laid to rest in Missouri. A memorial service for Philando Castile will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at Ronald L. Jones Funeral Chapels in St. Louis. It will be followed by a funeral procession to Calvary Cemetery. The 32-year-old Castile died July 6 after a St. Anthony police officer shot him during a traffic stop. Video of the shooting's gruesome aftermath was streamed live online by Castile's girlfriend, who said Castile was shot after he told the officer he was armed and had a permit to carry. Authorities are investigating. Early voting already: Trump chances may hinge on non-whites WASHINGTON (AP) Two months before Election Day, early voting kicks off next week in North Carolina, the first in a run of key states where minority voters and young adults who cast ballots in advance could give one of the White House contenders a decisive advantage. For Donald Trump, it's a major test of whether his recent outreach to non-white groups is translating into votes. In the increasingly diverse battleground states of North Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Georgia all must-win states for Trump, except Colorado it's minorities in particular who can tip the scales. Early voters are expected to make up between 50 to 75 percent or more of all ballots in the six states, based on 2012 figures. That's compared to a national average of 35 percent, up from 22 percent in 2004, according to election data compiled by The Associated Press. FILE - In this Aug. 30, 2016 file photo, a cyclist rides past a sign directing voters to a primary election voting station early, in Phoenix. Early voting kicks off next week in North Carolina, the first in a two-month run of voting through key swing states where non-whites and young adults could give one of the presidential campaigns a decisive advantage before Election Day. (AP Photo/Matt York, File) Mail-in ballots are popular among older, white Republicans, and party officials are betting they can bank plenty of their votes. But in several swing states, Hispanics, blacks and first-time voters typically have been more likely than whites to cast ballots early and cast them for Democrats. Therein lies the challenge for team Trump. Says Marlon Marshall, Hillary Clinton's director of state campaigns and political engagement: "We can't say this will be locked up with early voting, but it can absolutely make a huge difference." "Every early voter we get is one less person we need to mobilize on Election Day," he says. The Trump campaign says it is taking early voting very seriously with 133 field offices and plans to add 24 more. The campaign is also leaning heavily on the Republican National Committee to identify reliable white Republican voters in battlegrounds to mail in absentee ballots and keep his numbers up. Trump also has vaguely urged supporters to volunteer as "election observers" to root out what he says is Democratic voter fraud. He made that assertion after courts rejected a voter ID law in several states, including North Carolina, citing a risk of disenfranchising the poor, minorities or young people who were less likely to have acceptable IDs and who are more likely to vote Democratic. The Republicans' get-out-the-vote effort is still significantly behind Clinton's, which, by contrast, is more than double the size of Trump's and rivals Barack Obama's massive 2012 operation. "A campaign with a superior voting operation can make a difference, and right now Donald Trump has shown little sign of organization," said Ryan Williams, a former senior staffer to Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. He pointed to Trump's hire just last week of a national field director. At this point in 2012, Williams said, the Romney campaign had a fully staffed field team working intensely with the national party to help identify likely voters, organize turnout events, register voters and knock on doors. National Republican officials say they now have 1,000 paid staffers and 5,000-plus trained organizers and other volunteers in 11 states assigned to help mobilize voters for both Trump and down-ballot GOP candidates. Heavy focus will be on boosting absentee mail-in balloting in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Iowa, using the party's own massive data analytics program. The Clinton campaign has more than 250 field offices in nine states compared to Trump's 133 nationwide, though Trump adviser Karen Giorno says his number will increase, especially in Florida. The Clinton team declined to reveal personnel details, but the 2012 mobilization involved thousands of paid staffers including 500 in Florida alone and 50,000-some trained organizers and other volunteers, according to Jen O'Malley Dillon, Obama's top field director in 2012 and now a senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee. Republican officials stress that a main goal in 2016 will be to avoid deep early vote deficits, explaining that most Republicans are "habitual" Election Day voters In all, 37 states and the District of Columbia will allow voters to cast ballots by mail or at polling sites before Nov. 8. In mid to late October, a host of states launch in-person early voting, favored by non-whites and young adults who largely back Democrats. The most ardent supporters tend to vote first, and a key test will come in the remaining weeks. Put in place last spring, the Clinton ground game relies on a massive voter file to help track both committed supporters and persuadable voters. Volunteers fan out to make their pitches and keep prospective voters informed of deadlines, polling locations and how to request absentee ballots. With new voter ID laws or other restrictions set to be in place in 15 states, a "voter protection team" of lawyers also is working with county officials in North Carolina, Florida, Nevada and Colorado. In Obama's historic 2008 race, he ran up such big early voting advantages in four battlegrounds Colorado, Florida, Iowa and North Carolina that his rival, John McCain, couldn't catch up, despite winning the Election Day vote in those states, according to AP data. ___ AP's Election Research and Quality Control Group in New York and AP reporter Bill Barrow in Miami contributed to this report. ___ Greek police foil drone plot to fly drugs, phones, into jail ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greek police say they have foiled a plot by inmates to smuggle drugs and cellphones into a prison using a drone operated by accomplices outside. A police statement Friday said four Albanian prisoners including one who was out on a furlough and has been arrested will be charged with drugs offences and running a criminal gang. Another two people were taken into custody for allegedly preparing to smuggle the drugs into the prison. Police found the drone, 200 grams (7 ounces) of heroin and 400 grams of marijuana in their possession, as well as 16 mobile phones. Annual New Mexico Hispanic fiesta draws Native American ire SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) It's a week-long event that draws together generations of northern New Mexico Hispanic residents, some who can trace their roots to the 1600s. For centuries, northern New Mexico Hispanic residents have held an elaborate festival in Santa Fe to honor Spanish conquistador Don Diego De Vargas, who reclaimed the city following an American Indian revolt. There is music, dancing, a parade and the reenactment of De Vargas's "peaceful reoccupation" of what is now New Mexico's capital. But after 301 years, an emboldened group of Native American activists said it's time to change a celebration centered on the conquest of New Mexico's Pueblo tribes. They say the annual Santa Fe Fiesta ignores the horrors inflicted on the indigenous population during the colonial era. This Sept. 1, 2016 photo shows Organizers of the Santa Fe Fiesta in Santa Fe, N.M., place shields of the last names of original Spanish settler families on the Palace of the Governors while American Indian jewelers sell items below. For centuries, northern New Mexico Hispanic residents have held an elaborate festival in Santa Fe in honor of Spanish conquistador Don Diego De Vargas who reclaimed the city following an American Indian revolt. But after 301 years, an emboldened group of Native American activists say its time to change a celebration centered around the conquest of New Mexicos Pueblo tribes. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras) "I would like to see fiesta celebrated as a reconciliation of all the different groups of people who make up Santa Fe today, and less Eurocentric (and) less focus on settler colonialism on conquest," said Elena Ortiz, of group Spirit of Po'pay that is planning to hold a protest at the event that begins Friday. "We should welcome all community members." Hispanic residents say the fiesta is more about honoring their Spanish heritage and paying homage to their Catholic faith. "We'd like to just make it something that's just peaceful now," said Santa Fe Fiesta council member Cecilia Tafoya. "I think so many people were hurt both on the Native American and on the Spanish side of it." The city has hosted some annual celebrations of Vargas since the early 1700s. According to the story, Vargas came to Santa Fe 12 years after Spanish settlers were forced out due to the Pueblo Revolt. He returned with a wood-carved Virgin Mary known as "La Conquistadora" and negotiated the return of Spanish rule with Native Americans, who sought to keep their villages and some of their traditions. Members of the Pueblo tribes became Catholic and adopted some Spanish traditions, but some fought against the Spanish rule and later were forced into slavery. The re-enactment of the entrada, or entry, is the climax of the week-long celebration that also features the burning of a six-foot puppet. The annual burning of Zozobra, a towering figure stuffed with shredded paper, is meant to help drive away the doom and gloom of the previous year. Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales had once served as the entrada's Vargas. He said he understands concerns from Native Americans who want the event to be more inclusive. "It needs to be told from both perspectives," said Gonzales, who has met with tribal leaders. Last year, a group of advocates held a silent protest during the entrada. This year, Ortiz said Native American activists and their allies will hold a similar protest. The dispute is a similar clash that is being played out across the nation's most Hispanic state amid pressures to rethink its past. In 1998, a right foot was mysteriously severed off a statue of 16th-century Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Onate in Espanola, New Mexico. Next to the vandalized piece of art amid Onate's fourth centennial was a statement that read: "We took the liberty of removing Onate's right foot on behalf of our brothers and sister of Acoma Pueblo." The western New Mexico tribe had long blamed conquistador for severing the right feet of 24 captive warriors. A few years later in El Paso, Texas, another statue of Onate generated heated debate among Hispanics and Native Americans. That controversy was later captured in the film PBS POV documentary "The Last Conquistador." More recently, the University of New Mexico announced it was considering revising its half-century old seal that depicts a rifle-toting frontiersman and a sword-carrying Spanish conquistador. The move came after complaints from Native American students. And during a July visit to Albuquerque, Mexican-American novelist Sandra Cisneros made national news when she said New Mexico should start a "truth and reconciliation commission" like South Africa to address its history of violence between the state's Hispanics and Native Americans. Pedro Romero, an accordion player in Santa Fe Plaza, said he looked forward to the Santa Fe Fiesta every year because of its history and the celebration of Spanish culture. Romero said he didn't understand why some are planning to protest the event. "There are things to protest going on right now in modern history that need more attention," Romero said Patrick Spencer, a Navajo jeweler who lives in Espanola and sells items at Santa Fe's Palace of the Governors, said all the Spanish colonial knight decorations annoy him, but he's not too offended. "It's fine, man," Spencer said. "It's their thing." ___ Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/russell-contreras . This Sept. 1, 2016 photo shows Elena Ortiz, whose father is an Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Native American, sits outside a Santa Fe, N.M., studio. For centuries, northern New Mexico Hispanic residents have held an elaborate festival in Santa Fe in honor of Spanish conquistador Don Diego De Vargas who reclaimed the city following an American Indian revolt. But after 301 years, an emboldened group of Native American activists say its time to change a celebration centered around the conquest of New Mexicos Pueblo tribes. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras) This Sept. 1, 2016 photo shows visitors of Santa Fe Plaza pass by an image of La Conquistadora, oldest statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States, as organizers prepare for the annual Santa Fe Fiesta. For centuries, northern New Mexico Hispanic residents have held an elaborate festival in Santa Fe in honor of Spanish conquistador Don Diego De Vargas who reclaimed the city following an American Indian revolt. But after 301 years, an emboldened group of Native American activists say its time to change a celebration centered around the conquest of New Mexicos Pueblo tribes. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras) This Sept. 1, 2016 photo shows Organizers of the Santa Fe Fiesta in Santa Fe, N.M., place shields of the last names of original Spanish settler families on the Palace of the Governors while American Indian jewelers sell items below. For centuries, northern New Mexico Hispanic residents have held an elaborate festival in Santa Fe in honor of Spanish conquistador Don Diego De Vargas who reclaimed the city following an American Indian revolt. But after 301 years, an emboldened group of Native American activists say its time to change a celebration centered around the conquest of New Mexicos Pueblo tribes. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras) This Sept. 1, 2016 photo shows Santa Fe Fiesta council member Cecilia Tafoya in this video screen grab oversees decorations in the plaza of Santa Fe, N.M. in preparation for the city's the annual celebration. For centuries, northern New Mexico Hispanic residents have held an elaborate festival in Santa Fe in honor of Spanish conquistador Don Diego De Vargas who reclaimed the city following an American Indian revolt. But after 301 years, an emboldened group of Native American activists say its time to change a celebration centered around the conquest of New Mexicos Pueblo tribes. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras) Halt and catch fire: Battery woes go well beyond Samsung NEW YORK (AP) Samsung's Note 7 isn't the only gadget to catch fire thanks to lithium-battery problems, which have afflicted everything from iPhones to Tesla cars to Boeing jetliners. Blame chemistry and the fact that the batteries we rely on for everyday life are prone to leaking and even bursting into flame if damaged, defective or exposed to excessive heat. That's because lithium-ion batteries store a lot of energy in a tiny space, with combustible components separated by ultra-thin walls. If something happens to those separators, a chemical reaction can quickly escalate out of control. Samsung hasn't specified exactly what caused the fires that led to the recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s Thursday beyond calling it a "battery cell issue ." A customer holds a Samsung Electronics Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at the headquarters of South Korean mobile carrier KT in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Samsung will issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as soon as this weekend after its investigation on explosion claims found batteries were at fault, according to South Korea's Yonhap News. (AP Photo/ahn Young-joon) Still, lithium batteries are so ubiquitous that ordinary users of phones and computers shouldn't worry. Research suggests that you're more likely to get hurt by a kitchen grease fire or a drunk driver than the battery powering your iPhone, Kindle or laptop. "It's not like we live in a world where people's smartphones spontaneously combust," said Ramon Llamas, research manager of research firm IDC's mobile phones team. He said owners of Galaxy Note 7s should err on the side of caution and contact Samsung for a replacement that doesn't run the same risk. Here's a look at other notable incidents when lithium batteries by themselves or in electronics have caused problems. ON AIRPLANES There have been dozens of aircraft fires caused by lithium batteries, so many that the batteries are no longer welcome as cargo on passenger flights. In one of the most recent incidents, a Fiji Airways Boeing 737 was preparing for takeoff from Melbourne, Australia, when smoke was discovered coming from the cargo bay. The plane was evacuated and the cargo unloaded. The source of the fire turned out to be lithium-ion batteries in a passenger's checked bags. Hoverboards and e-cigarettes are banned from flights for the same reason. TESLA In August, a Tesla electric car caught fire during a promotional tour in southwest France. Tesla said in a statement that it is "working with the authorities to establish the facts" about the fire. The driver was quoted in local newspaper Sud Ouest as saying he answered a Facebook ad offering test drives of the Model S sedan. The driver said he saw smoke, and the three people aboard got out before seeing it catch fire. Tesla hasn't officially found fault with the battery. But in 2013 , it faced questions when several Model S sedans caught fire after road debris damaged their batteries. Tesla wound up strengthening the battery shield on new and existing cars. HOVERBOARDS Hoverboards, or self-balancing scooters, have been linked with at least 99 electrical fires in the U.S., according to the the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Hoverboards might be more susceptible than other products to battery fires because they come under more duress than other electronic devices like computers. Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers dumped the products after videos of burning hoverboards went viral. But they reopened sales this year after passing new fire-safety tests. COMPUTER BATTERIES In June HP recalled nearly 50,000 HP, Compaq, HP ProBook, HP ENVY, Compaq Presario, and HP Pavilion computers after seven reports of battery packs overheating, melting or charring, including four reports of property damage totaling about $4,000. Poll: Young adults divided on immigration, border control DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Young Hispanics, Asian-Americans and African-Americans are much more likely to trust Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump to deal with immigrants living in the United States illegally. But young whites tend to trust Trump more on issues related to illegal immigration, including securing the border. Among young people overall, 47 percent say they think Trump would better handle securing the border, 26 percent say Clinton would, and 18 percent say neither would. That's according to a new GenForward survey of adults age 18 to 30 by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. There's division on which candidate would better handle immigrants in the country now without permission, with 39 percent choosing Clinton, 38 percent Trump and 14 percent neither. FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives speak at a rally at the Phoenix in Phoenix. Young Hispanics, Asian-Americans and African-Americans are much more likely to trust Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump to deal with immigrants living in the United States illegally. But young whites tend to trust Trump more on issues related to illegal immigration, including securing the border. Among young people overall, 47 percent say they think Trump would better handle securing the border, 26 percent say Clinton would, and 18 percent say neither would. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) But on all those questions there are significant divisions based on race and ethnicity. Among young whites, more say that Trump would better handle securing the border than Clinton, by a 57 percent to 19 percent margin, while 49 percent say Trump would deal with immigrants who are currently living in the United States illegally, versus 31 percent for Clinton. "We have issues from ISIS types, also we have a lot of illegal immigrants that are taking away from people and we allow them to take government money," said Chase Anderson, 25, of Spokane, Washington, is white and thinks Trump would do better on border security. "We need to figure out our own stuff." Significantly more young Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans say Clinton than Trump would better handle dealing with immigrants who are already in the country illegally. Each of those groups is closely divided on which candidate would better handle securing the border. Reese Toney, 24, of Glen Allen, Virginia, said he was from a mixed race background, noting that he had Hispanic, Italian and African-American roots and his grandfather was originally from Mexico. Toney said he has not decided who to support, but will not be voting for Trump. On border security he said, "I have to say Hillary would do a better job than Trump because Trump would just alienate and agitate the countries around us." Trump has made immigration including his plans to build a border wall and deport people in the country illegally a central issue of his unconventional presidential bid. Clinton would offer a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally and defend President Barack Obama's executive orders that defer enforcement action against children. The poll was conducted before Trump's latest speech on immigration in Arizona this week, a fiery address that reaffirmed his campaign promise to build a wall along the 1,989-mile southern border and force Mexico to pay for it. Most young people oppose deporting all immigrants who are in the country illegally, though that's something nearly half of young whites say they support. Young people across racial and ethnic groups favor creating a pathway to citizenship for otherwise law-abiding immigrants who are currently living in the country illegally. That includes 85 percent of all young people, including about 9 in 10 Asian-Americans and Hispanics, along with more than 8 in 10 whites and African-Americans. "I don't want to make convenient pathways to citizenship for everyone coming across. But we need a broader, more tolerant policy," said Clare Selden, 29, of Boston, who is white and plans to vote for Clinton. "You need a path for people who are working and who work harder than I do." Young people overall are also supportive of greater efforts to secure the border, but by smaller margins and with greater division among different racial and ethnic groups. Sixty-one percent of all young adults, including 66 percent of whites, 65 percent of Asian-Americans, and 57 percent of African-Americans, say they support increasing government spending on security and enforcement at U.S. borders. Young Hispanics are nearly evenly divided, with 47 percent in support to 52 percent opposed. Still, 69 percent of young people, including majorities from each racial and ethnic group, oppose building a border wall to stop illegal immigration. "I don't think the border needs to be better secured," Selden said. "I don't value that as a goal." Majorities of young people across racial and ethnic groups say they think immigrants are changing American culture and way of live for the better. That includes 64 percent of young people overall, 59 percent of whites, 63 percent of African-Americans, 76 percent of Asians and 75 percent of Latinos. "I think immigration is the backbone of this country. Everybody came here searching for a better life," said Toney. ___ The poll of 1,958 adults age 18-30 was conducted August 1-14 using a sample drawn from the probability-based GenForward panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. young adult population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The survey was paid for by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago, using grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone. ___ Online: GenForward polls: http://www.genforwardsurvey.com/ Black Youth Project: http://blackyouthproject.com/ AP-NORC: http://www.apnorc.org/ Pakistan helicopter search planned for 2 missing US climbers SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Pakistan military plans to search with helicopters Saturday morning for a pair of well-known Utah climbers missing on an icy mountain peak that has been encased by thick clouds and snowfall for days. This would be the first time the weather has cleared enough for helicopters to look for mountain climbers Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson, said Jonathan Thesenga, of Black Diamond Equipment. An organization called Global Rescue also has helicopters and a medivac aircraft on standby. A rescue effort was launched last Sunday near northern Pakistan's Choktoi Glacier after Dempster and Adamson failed to return Aug. 26 to base camp following an attempt to climb the north face of a 23,901-foot mountain. This undated photo shows climber Scott Adamson. Two well-known Utah climbers are missing in Pakistan where they were attempting to make a treacherous ascent up an icy mountain. Alpinists Kyle Dempster and Adamson were due back at base camp on Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, after they left five days earlier to begin an ascent up the north face of a place called "Ogre II" off the Choktoi Glacier in northern Pakistan, said Jonathan Thesenga of Black Diamond Equipment. Snowy and cloudy conditions are hindering rescue efforts that began Sunday, he said. (Nathan Smith/Pull Photography via AP) Thesenga says the two left base camp on Aug. 21 to begin their ascent. Their cook, at base camp, spotted their head lamps about halfway up the peak on the second day. On the third day, though, snowy and cloudy temperatures rolled in that have socked in the area, he said. "After days and days of waiting, the upcoming dawn in Pakistan brings us our greatest opportunity for rescuing Scott and Kyle," said Thesenga about a search that will began Friday night in U.S. time zones. He is the global sports marketing manager for Utah-based Black Diamond Equipment, which is sponsoring Dempster. Dempster, 33, and Adamson, 34, both of Utah, are two of the most accomplished alpinists of their generation. Dempster is a two-time winner of the coveted climbing award, Piolets d'Or. He last won in 2013 for a climb he did with others in the same area in Pakistan. They were attempting a climb never before done on the north face of a peak known as Ogre II. It is part of a grouping of mountains called Baintha Brakk. The two faced a nearly 4,600 feet vertical to overhanging face of ice, rock and snow, Thesenga said. The route presented challenges even for the experience hikers, requiring a host of climbing equipment including ropes, crampons, ice axes, ice screws, and helmets, he said. The peak has only been reached once before, by a Korean team in 1980s via less difficult route, Thesenga said. Last year, Dempster and Adamson nearly died trying the same climb. Adamson broke his leg after a 100-foot fall and the two fell again 400 feet while trying to get down the mountain. He said the duo hoped they had learned from their mistakes during the near-death experience to make it this time, Thesenga said. Six other climbers, including two from the United States, who were in the area are at base camp and ready to ascend if they can help, he said. Four guides -- known as porters -- have climbed up a nearby glacier behind where Dempster and Adamson were and are hoping to look for them with binoculars. Dempster and Adamson have made careers of climbing peaks from Pakistan to Alaska. In a video posted on the Black Diamond website, Dempster talks about the risk of his daring sport. "It's a journey to something that inspires you," Dempster said. "On that journey, you go through the feeling of fear and to an eventual outcome. You use your pool of experience and common sense and intuition to help make decision and mitigate the dangers." Physician accused of offering pills in exchange for escorts GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) Federal officials say a Mississippi physician offered to illegally trade prescriptions for escort services and later sold prescriptions for money to the escort and an undercover agent. Dr. Michael Loebenberg of Ocean Springs was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled drugs in federal court Thursday in Gulfport. He was released on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to return for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Loebenberg told a judge he would hire a lawyer. None is listed for him in court records. An escort told investigators in January that Loebenberg had offered to write a prescription in exchange for escort services, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Lt. Mary Flinchum swore in the criminal charge. At the urging of investigators, the escort then called Loebenberg and asked for drugs. The charge says the physician met with the escort on Jan. 29 and sold a prescription for hydrocodone for $40 while sitting in a car outside a pizzeria. Two more meetings were set up after the escort texted with Loebenberg about writing prescriptions for friends, actually undercover agents. "Loebenberg explained that he would need to be careful with his license," the charge states. The escort "explained that the individuals were trustworthy and Loebenberg agreed to meet with (the confidential source's) friend." At the meeting second in April, Flinchum says Loebenberg sold the escort and an undercover agent five prescriptions, including one for a second undercover agent who wasn't present, in exchange for $200. Then in June, the charge says Loebenberg sold five prescriptions for $200. The physician didn't examine either person but after the final meeting told the agent to come to his office before future prescriptions so he could create a file if the pharmacy called the clinic, Flinchum said. The Latest: High surf warning for east-facing Hawaii shores HILO, Hawaii (AP) The Latest on tropical weather systems threatening Hawaii (all times local): 4:30 p.m. The National Weather Service has issued a high surf warning for east-facing shores of the Hawaiian Islands. Visitors look at the Kilauea volcano summit crater at Hawaii National Park, Hawaii, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. A hurricane watch has been dropped on Hawaii's Big Island, but the threat remains for Maui County and the island of Oahu as Hurricane Lester barrels through the Pacific. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) The surf is expected to build overnight and waves are expected to tower at 15 to 25 feet on Saturday. Ocean swells are rising as Hurricane Lester careens through the Pacific just north of the islands. Meteorologist Bob Burke says the waves could impact low-lying areas. The storm is weakening but it's expected to remain a hurricane as it passes the islands Saturday and Sunday. ___ 11:15 a.m. Tourists in Hawaii are making the best of their vacations, despite the threat of two hurricanes this week. Julie Harrison of New York said Friday she was a little nervous the hurricanes would ruin her trip to the Big Island but she decided to come anyway. She says it's been amazing to see the island's volcanoes and beaches. A hurricane watch has been dropped on Hawaii's Big Island, but the threat remains for Maui County and the island of Oahu as Hurricane Lester barrels through the Pacific. The Category 2 storm is weakening but is expected to remain a hurricane as it passes north of the islands. Tropical Storm Madeline left parts of Hawaii's Big Island soggy but intact Thursday. ___ 10:38 a.m. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says campgrounds on Oahu are staying open as Hurricane Lester approaches. But he says campers should get ready for a wet weekend. Caldwell said Friday that officials are not expecting a major impact from Hurricane Lester, but they're preparing for the worst just in case. Honolulu Emergency Management Department Director Mark Rigg is warning visitors to stay off wet sand and ocean ledges. He says people who aren't experienced with the ocean should stay out of the water completely. Caldwell says the popular snorkeling spot Hanauma Bay is staying open for now. Officials plan to assess Saturday morning whether to open emergency shelters. Lester is on track to blow by Hawaii on Saturday and Sunday, running north of the island chain and parallel to the islands. ___ 9:10 a.m. A hurricane watch has been dropped on Hawaii's Big Island, but the threat remains for Maui County and the island of Oahu as Hurricane Lester barrels through the Pacific. Meteorologist Bob Burke of the National Weather Service said Friday that the storm weakened to a Category 2 but is expected to remain a hurricane as it passes north of the islands. Large waves from 15 to 25 feet are expected to pound east-facing shores of major islands. Burke says low-lying areas could be prone to flooding. He says strong winds could pick up starting Friday night. Hurricane Lester is on track to blow by Hawaii running north of the island chain and parallel to the islands. It's not expected to hit the islands as a hurricane unless it turns south. This NOAA satellite image taken Friday, September 02, 2016 at 01:00 AM EDT shows a clear eye associated with Hurricane Lester as it continues to move westward towards Hawaii. A band of showers has moved inland through the Pacific Northwest, making its way across Idaho and northern Nevada. Much of the rest of the Intermountain west remains unsettled, with scattered showers and embedded thunderstorms across the region and into eastern Montana as well. (NOAA/Weather Underground via AP) Visitors look at the Kilauea volcano summit crater at Hawaii National Park, Hawaii on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. A hurricane watch has been dropped on Hawaii's Big Island, but the threat remains for Maui County and the island of Oahu as Hurricane Lester barrels through the Pacific. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) This photo shows a fence broken by storm surge from Tropical Storm Madeline at an oceanfront home in Kapoho, Hawaii, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. A tropical storm left the Big Island soggy but intact as residents prepared for the possible arrival of another storm, Hurricane Lester. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) A man stands on a street in Pahoa, Hawaii after Tropical Storm Madeline moved through the area, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. The tropical storm left parts of Hawaii's Big Island soggy but intact as residents of the island state prepare for a second round of potentially volatile tropical weather. Hurricane Lester remains on track to impact the islands this weekend, but possibly after being downgraded to a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) A man stands in front of the boarded-up Pahoa Family Health Center in Pahoa, Hawaii after Tropical Storm Madeline moved through the area, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. The health center reopened a short time later. The tropical storm left parts of Hawaii's Big Island soggy but intact as residents of the island state prepare for a second round of potentially volatile tropical weather. Hawaii Island was pummeled with heavy rains and strong waves overnight, but residents woke to blue skies but little damage after Madeline skirted the island. Hurricane Lester remains on track to impact the islands this weekend, but possibly after being downgraded to a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) Kaly Sun, right, removes boards from her restaurant in Pahoa, Hawaii after Tropical Storm Madeline moved through the area, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. The tropical storm left parts of Hawaii's Big Island soggy but intact as residents of the island state prepare for a second round of potentially volatile tropical weather. Hurricane Lester remains on track to impact the islands this weekend, but possibly after being downgraded to a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) Giuseppe Manone boards up the windows of a store in Hilo, Hawaii as Hurricane Madeline approached the Big Island on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Drier air and strong upper atmosphere winds are weakening Hurricane Madeline as it approaches Hawaii. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) People jump into Hilo Bay in Hilo, Hawaii, as Topical Storm Madeline drops rain on Hawaii's Big Island, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Forecasters downgraded Madeline from a hurricane to a tropical storm as it veered past Hawaii's Big Island, but officials reiterated warnings to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy) Charge dropped against hospital volunteer accused in tirade WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) The attorney for a former North Carolina hospital volunteer whose racially tinged tirade was posted to YouTube says the charge against her has been dropped. Authorities charged 68-year-old Donna Lorraine Bridger with misdemeanor simple assault for her confrontation with Isaiah Baskins at a hospital on April 14. Baskins said Bridger asked him if he had a job and if he knew what a job was and used the N-word. He recorded part of the confrontation and posted it online. The Winston-Salem Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2bQEXdN) attorney David Freedman said Baskins didn't show up to a Forsyth County courtroom when the case was called Friday. Freedman said Assistant District Attorney Harold Eustache made a motion to continue the case, but Judge Ted Kazakos denied the motion, and Eustache voluntarily dismissed the charge. ___ Swimmer's sex assault sentence spurs debate over prison plan SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A November ballot measure backed by Gov. Jerry Brown would allow earlier parole for thousands of California inmates, but critics say it could result in the very situation that led to public outrage in the case of former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner. The proposal is aimed at controlling overcrowding in state prisons and reining in costs, and is limited to nonviolent offenders. But in California, "nonviolent" is broadly defined. It applies to certain rapes and sexual assaults, such as Turner's conviction, along with vehicular and involuntary manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, exploding a bomb with intent to injure and other crimes. Brock Turner leaves the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Turner, whose six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman at Stanford University sparked national outcry, was released from jail after serving half his term. (Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group via AP) Because of that, the ballot measure could mean less time in prison for people like Turner, prosecutors say. The one-time Olympic hopeful swimmer was released Friday after completing half of a six-month jail sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a trash bin near a fraternity house hosting a party. Many already were upset that the law allowed him to avoid hard time. But under Brown's initiative, Turner would have been eligible for earlier parole consideration even if he had been sentenced to prison, said Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, speaking on behalf of the California District Attorneys Association, which opposes the Democratic governor's plan. "It's being represented as something that applies only to nonviolent offenders, and really nothing could be further from the truth," Totten said. Supporters say the ballot measure promotes rehabilitation programs and allows corrections officials to decide who gets early parole and who stays behind bars. Turner's brief jail term sparked an outcry from numerous politicians, sexual assault survivors and others who are now seeking to recall Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky. "I think that this really raises the same concern that's at the heart of the recall campaign, which is how the legal system treats sexual assault and violence against women," said recall campaign chairwoman Michele Dauber, a Stanford University law professor who is friends with the woman Turner assaulted. "Treating any kind of sexual assault of an unconscious person as a nonviolent offense, that's an injustice to women everywhere." Turner originally was charged with raping an intoxicated or unconscious person, which also is considered a nonviolent crime because, according to California law, it does not involve force. State law considers 23 crimes to be violent, including murder and kidnapping. But Dan Newman, a spokesman for the campaign in favor of the ballot measure, called the list "merely a starting point." Under Proposition 57, the state corrections department could administratively rule out registered sex offenders like Turner for early release, and parole officials could reject anyone with a dangerous history, Newman said. He noted the violent crimes list includes any felony in which a gun is used or that causes great bodily injury. Other crimes are considered nonviolent, including solicitation to commit murder, injuring a child, human trafficking involving a minor, criminal threats, hate crimes and shooting at an occupied building, vehicle or aircraft. Turner faced a minimum two-year prison sentence, and prosecutors sought six years. Persky cited "extraordinary circumstances" in following a probation department recommendation and sentencing him to jail. The judge is stepping aside from hearing criminal cases. The outcry also prompted legislation sent to Brown last week that would effectively require prison for anyone convicted of raping or sexually assaulting an unconscious or intoxicated person. National organizations representing lawmakers and law enforcement could not say if other states consider such crimes nonviolent. What constitutes a violent crime varies widely across the nation and even within states, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Justice Policy Institute, a nonprofit group that advocates for reducing incarceration. Nearly a quarter of California's 130,000 prison inmates could be eligible for earlier parole if the measure passes, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. The initiative expands on an existing federal court order requiring earlier parole consideration for some offenders convicted of nonviolent and nonsexual crimes. Brown's administration calculates that the initiative would require immediate parole hearings for 1,300 inmates, about half of whom are likely to be released earlier. Additionally, the legislative analyst projects that about 7,500 new convicts each year could seek reduced sentences. They could be considered for release about 18 months into a typical two-year sentence. Newman referred to San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to counter criticism from other prosecutors. But she, too, expressed reservations in a statement, after declining an interview. "Nothing is perfect, and there are clearly some issues and language that need to be addressed," Dumanis said. Dumanis, a Republican and the sole district attorney to publicly support the governor's plan, praised another part of the ballot measure that would give corrections officials broad authority to award sentencing credits, including to inmates convicted of violent crimes, if they complete rehabilitation programs. The initiative would require judges instead of prosecutors to decide if juveniles should be tried in adult court. The group Chief Probation Officers of California also supports the measure, as an incentive for inmates who work to improve themselves behind bars. "I do think overwhelmingly it will be used with what we all agree will be nonviolent offenders," Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson said. "We have to take some risk, otherwise we'll never have any reform. The real question here is, 'Are we taking too much risk?'" FILE - This January 2015 file booking photo released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office shows Brock Turner. The former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman is poised to leave jail Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, after serving half a six-month sentence that critics denounced as too lenient. (Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office via AP, File) Moreno had been in and out of jail for more than a decade out for Moreno who attempted to A police officer who pursued a 38-year-old man who had three active arrest warrants was fatally shot by the suspect on Friday morning after a shootout erupted in the residential area of a small, southern New Mexico town. The suspect, Joseph Moreno, was killed during the daytime encounter in the town of Alamogordo. Alamogordo officer Clint Corvinus, 33, lost his life during the pursuit, which also involved another cop. It was not clear which officer shot and killed Moreno, but the suspect managed to fire off a fatal bullet ultimately killing Corvinus. The Alamogordo police officer killed in the line of duty Friday has been identified as 33-year-old Clint Corvinus Corvinus and a fellow officer were pursuing 38-year-old Joseph Moreno, pictured. Moreno had three active warrants for his arrest on charges of felon in possession of a deadly weapon, aggravated residential burglary, and escape from custody Alamogordo Police Chief Daron Syling speaks at a press conference outside police headquarters Moreno was picked up in 2013 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and a habitual offender. He was arrested last year, in August, on charges of possessing narcotics The slain officer was a four-year veteran who went to high school in the town, about 200 miles south of Albuquerque. Authorities said he is survived by his parents, girlfriend and an 8-year-old daughter. 'I am again so very saddened to see that yet another courageous law enforcement officer has been killed in the line of duty,' Gov. Susana Martinez said in a statement. 'The violence against our police officers has to end, and we must do everything we can to stand up for those who put their lives on the line every single day to protect us.' Corvinus' death marks the second fatal shooting of a police officer in a rural area of the state in less than a month. Officer Corvinus, a four-and-a-half year veteran of the Alamogordo Police Department, is survived by his parents, daughter and girlfriend Corvinus was a field training officer at the time of the incident. He also had an eight-year-old daughter Residents add to a sidewalk memorial outside Alamogordo police HQ Local gathered to hear the sad news as the police chief explained what happened Police Chief Daron Syling said 33-year-old Alamogordo Police Officer Clint Corvinus died from his injuries after being struck by gunfire. Corvinus pursued a 38-year-old man with three active arrest warrants and was fatally shot by the suspect During a foot pursuit, Moreno and the officers exchanged gunfire where he was mortally wounded at the scene Three weeks ago, authorities said an Ohio fugitive gunned down Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop in Hatch, a village about 100 miles west of Alamogordo that's known for its green chile crop. Alamogordo, a desert town of about 31,000 people, bills itself as the 'friendliest place on Earth.' It is home to Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands National Monument. Within hours of the shooting Friday, law enforcement across the state expressed condolences for Corvinus' fellow officers and family. Flags were being flown at half-staff outside the Alamogordo police department, and mourners had begun placing flowers outside the building. Police said Moreno had a lengthy criminal history, and online court records showing he was scheduled to stand trial on drug charges in December. How Trump, Clinton immigration plans would affect the US WASHINGTON (AP) No doubt Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have dramatically different approaches on immigration. In tone, Republican Donald Trump often highlights violent crimes perpetrated by immigrants in the country illegally, with aggressive rhetoric that emphasizes nationalism. Democrat Hillary Clinton features a softer approach that embraces diversity and the value of keeping immigrant families together, even as her critics accuse her of promoting "open borders." It's not just talk. The White House contenders' policies would send the country and the lives of more than 10 million people down very different paths. FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Wilmington, Ohio. The 2016 presidential election features two candidates with dramatically different approaches on immigration. In tone, Republican Donald Trump often highlights violent crimes perpetrated by immigrants in the country illegally with aggressive rhetoric that seizes on nationalism if not xenophobia. Democrat Hillary Clinton features a softer approach that embraces diversity and the value of keeping immigrant families together, even as her critics accuse her of promoting open borders. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Trump says he would build a massive wall, create a deportation task force to expel millions, and deny legal status to anyone currently in the country illegally. Clinton would offer a pathway to citizenship for most immigrants regardless of how they arrived, continue to defer enforcement action against families, and offer health care options to immigrants here illegally. Here is a summary of their proposals: PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP CLINTON: She promises to propose immigration legislation in her first 100 days that would include a route to citizenship. Her approach is largely in line with that approved by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate in 2013 turned aside by the House. TRUMP: He clarified this week that he opposes any pathway to legal status for immigrants in the U.S. illegally. They would have to return to their home countries and apply for legal entry should they wish to return. He has not said what would happen to those who choose to stay, but said they are subject to deportation. Trump has also called for an end to "birthright citizenship," currently granted to anyone born in the United States. ___ A BORDER WALL TRUMP: A centerpiece of Trump's immigration plan is a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico. There are already some 650 miles of fencing along the border, including roughly 15-foot tall steel fencing in many urban areas. Trump says he'll extend a huge wall across the vast majority of the 2,100-mile border, which would be a major construction feat costing billions of dollars. He promises to make Mexico pay for it. He would also add 5,000 border patrol agents and expand the number of border patrol stations. CLINTON: She says there are places where a physical barrier is appropriate but opposes large-scale expansion of a border wall. She prefers relying on technology and more border patrol agents to ensure the border is secure. ___ BARACK OBAMA'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS CLINTON: She supports President Obama's executive actions that deferred immigration enforcement against millions of children and parents in the country illegally. A deadlocked Supreme Court decision in June blocked his order, but Clinton insists that such actions are within the president's authority. TRUMP: He said this week he would "immediately terminate" the executive orders, which he said gave amnesty to 5 million immigrants. Indeed, the president's plan shielded up to 4 million people from possible deportation, all of them immigrants who came to the U.S. as children or are parents of citizens or legal residents. ___ DEPORTATION TRUMP: He promised this week to create a deportation task force that would prioritize the removal of criminals, people who have overstayed their visas and other immediate security threats. The numbers could exceed 5 million. He backed off his earlier pledge to forcibly remove all of the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, however, saying only that those who aren't immediate threats would have to go home and then apply for legal status. Critics have likened that piece of the plan to Mitt Romney's widely panned call for "self-deportation." CLINTON: She would continue Obama's policy of deporting violent criminals and others who break the law after entering the United States. But she would scale back the current administration's immigration raids, which she says produce "unnecessary fear and disruption in communities." Under her plan, the vast majority of people in the country illegally would be allowed to stay and apply for legal status and eventual citizenship. ___ GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE CLINTON: She would allow all people to buy into the federal health care exchanges, although she has said those in the country illegally wouldn't qualify for subsidies. Her policy would also allow some to collect Social Security, so long as they pay into the system for at least 10 years. TRUMP: He would deny immigrants in the country illegally access to any government benefits, including the federal health care exchanges. He said this week that such immigrants should not be allowed to get food stamps, welfare payments or government-backed housing assistance. Those who do, he said, would be priorities for deportation. ___ SANCTUARY CITIES TRUMP: Like many Republicans, he vows to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities that shield residents from federal immigration authorities. Trump said this week he would block taxpayer dollars from going to any cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Municipalities like San Francisco, for example, have passed ordinances preventing city officials from even asking about immigration status unless required by law or court order. CLINTON: She has not directly answered whether she supports sanctuary cities or not, but her campaign said Thursday that "Hillary trusts our local police to make sound decisions about protecting their communities." That strongly suggests she would not interfere with local ordinances, like San Francisco's. She has said that such systems allow immigrants to freely report crimes and communicate with local policy without fear of deportation. Her campaign noted Thursday, however, that she believes violent criminal should be deported and a system is needed to ensure that happens. ___ Associated Press writer Catherine Lucey in Des Moines, Iowa contributed to this report. ___ Follow Steve Peoples on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/sppeoples Man accused of killing deli worker with police gun indicted NEW YORK (AP) Prosecutors say a man accused of grabbing and repeatedly firing a New York City police officer's gun and killing a Good Samaritan has an "appalling" disregard for human life. Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark says Efrain Guzman was arraigned Friday on an indictment including a murder charge. Authorities say deli worker Waly Camara had thrown Guzman out when he begged for money. They say Guzman then went to a nearby deli, demanded money and assaulted a worker and Camara rushed to help. Police say they were escorting Guzman out of the store when he grabbed an officer's gun and killed Camara. Another officer then wounded Guzman. Authorities say Guzman kept shooting until the gun ran out of bullets. The Latest: Lawmakers express condolences in officer's death ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) The Latest on the on-duty death of a police officer in New Mexico (all times local): ___ 6:20 p.m. Alamogordo, N.M., Police Chief Daron Syling speaks at a press conference outside police headquarters Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. He said 33-year-old Alamogordo Police Officer Clint Corvinus died from his injuries at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center after being struck by gunfire. Authorities say Corvinus pursued a 38-year-old man with three active arrest warrants and was fatally shot by the suspect Friday after gunfire erupted in a residential area of Alamagordo. The suspect was also killed. (Jacqueline Devine/Alamogordo Daily News via AP) New Mexico lawmakers and law enforcement officials are offering condolences to a fallen officer's family and colleagues after authorities say he was shot and killed while pursuing a suspect. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat, extended sympathies to police in Alamogordo, the desert town where authorities say Officer Clint Corvinus was shot and killed. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, a Republican whose district includes Alamogordo, says the state has lost too many police officers in recent months and the "violence must end." Corvinus' death comes three weeks after an officer in the village of Hatch was gunned down during a traffic stop. Police say Corvinus was on patrol with another officer Friday when they encountered Joseph Moreno, who had three active arrest warrants. He fled on foot before gunfire erupted. Police say Moreno also was killed. ___ 2:20 p.m. Police say a New Mexico police officer was shot and killed after he encountered a 38-year-old man with three active warrants out for his arrest and the suspect opened fire. Alamagordo police said at a news conference that the suspect, Joseph Moreno, also was killed when gunfire erupted Friday during a foot pursuit. Police did not say who shot Moreno, and it wasn't clear if there were other officers involved in the pursuit. The officer killed was identified as Clint Corvinus, a four-year veteran of the Alamogordo police force who went to high school in the town about 200 miles south of Albuquerque. Authorities say he is survived by his parents, girlfriend and an 8-year-old daughter. The shooting Friday comes three weeks after authorities say an Ohio fugitive gunned down Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop in the village of Hatch. ___ 1:10 p.m. Gov. Susana Martinez says a police officer in a New Mexico town has been killed in what marks the second on-duty death of an officer in the state in less than a month. In a statement, the governor says she was saddened by the officer's death and that violence against law enforcement in the state must end. The Alamogordo Daily News reports state and local authorities were investigating the shooting in Alamogordo on Friday that happened near a residential area around 8:30 a.m. Authorities have not identified the officer or a suspect, or released other details of their investigation. The officer's death comes three weeks after authorities say an Ohio fugitive gunned down Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop in the village of Hatch. ___ 12:15 p.m. State and local authorities are investigating a shooting in Alamogordo, a rural town in southern New Mexico. The Alamogordo Daily News (http://bit.ly/2c08W7M ) reports that the shooting happened around 8:30 a.m. Friday. Authorities have not identified suspects in the shooting or released any other details stemming from their investigation. The newspaper reports that local and state police were investigating the shooting at an Alamogordo intersection that's near a residential area, and Alamogordo High School was placed on lockdown as a safety precaution. A man listens as Alamogordo, N.M., Police Chief Daron Syling speaks at a press conference outside police headquarters Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Syling said 33-year-old Alamogordo Police Officer Clint Corvinus died from his injuries at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center after being struck by gunfire. Authorities say Corvinus pursued a 38-year-old man with three active arrest warrants and was fatally shot by the suspect Friday after gunfire erupted in a residential area of Alamagordo. The suspect was also killed. (Jacqueline Devine/Alamogordo Daily News via AP) Residents stand outside Alamogordo, N.M., police headquarters Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Chief Daron Syling said 33-year-old Alamogordo Police Officer Clint Corvinus died from his injuries at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center after being struck by gunfire. Authorities say Corvinus pursued a 38-year-old man with three active arrest warrants and was fatally shot by the suspect Friday after gunfire erupted in a residential area of Alamagordo. The suspect was also killed. (Jacqueline Devine/Alamogordo Daily News via AP) Residents add to a sidewalk memorial outside Alamogordo, N.M., police headquarters Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Chief Daron Syling said 33-year-old Alamogordo Police Officer Clint Corvinus died from his injuries at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center after being struck by gunfire. Authorities say Corvinus pursued a 38-year-old man with three active arrest warrants and was fatally shot by the suspect Friday after gunfire erupted in a residential area of Alamagordo. The suspect was also killed. (Jacqueline Devine/Alamogordo Daily News via AP) This undated photo released by the Alamogordo Police Departmet, shows Alamogordo police Officer Clint Corvinus. Corvinus, 33, was shot and killed Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Alamogordo, N.M., after he encountered a 38-year-old man with three active warrants out for his arrest and the suspect opened fire. (Alamogordo Police Department via AP) Highlights of FBI notes on Clinton email investigation WASHINGTON (AP) The FBI on Friday took the unusual step of releasing to the public documents related to its yearlong investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state. The documents include a summary of her July interview with FBI agents as well as a detailed chronology of steps that investigators took in deciding whether criminal charges were warranted. Here are some of the highlights from the documents: IT ALL STARTED WHEN ... Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the American Legion's 98th Annual Convention at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Clinton told the FBI that she directed her aides in early 2009 to create a private email account and that, "as a matter of convenience," it was moved onto an email system maintained by her husband's staff. She said she was aware a private email server was located in the basement of her Chappaqua, New York, home but had no knowledge of the "hardware, software and security protocols used to construct and operate the server." According to the FBI investigation, Clinton contacted Colin Powell in January 2009 to ask about his use of a BlackBerry when he was secretary of state. He warned her that if she used a BlackBerry to "do business," her emails could become official public records. "Be very careful. I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data," he advised Clinton, the FBI said. She also said she didn't recall receiving guidance from the State Department on email policies and that she didn't explicitly request permission regarding a private email account or server but said no one at the State Department expressed any concerns about it. ___ CLASSIFICATION CONFUSION Clinton told the FBI that she didn't pay attention to particular levels of classified information, though she said she treated all classified information the same. She said she could not give an example of how classification of a document was determined, and told the FBI that she relied on career professionals to handle and mark classified information. At one point in the interview, she was presented with a 2012 email that included a "c'' marking before one of the paragraphs. Though the marking was meant to connote that the material was "confidential" the lowest level of classification Clinton said she wasn't sure. She speculated that perhaps the "c'' referenced the paragraphs being "marked in alphabetical order," according to the FBI interview. Either way, Clinton said she regarded the content of the email as a "condolence call" and questioned the classification level. ___ 'NONPAPER' FAX Some of the FBI questioning concerned a 2011 email exchange in which Clinton requested that a document be emailed to her instead of sent by secure fax. The email with aide Jake Sullivan caused a political uproar earlier this year after being made public. The exchange focused on a set of talking points that Clinton wanted sent to her. After Sullivan said he was having issues getting her the document through secure fax, Clinton suggested he turn it "into nonpaper w/no identifying heading and send nonsecure." Clinton told investigators that she understood "nonpaper" to mean a document with no identifying marks of any kind that cannot be attributed to the U.S. government. She said she thought the practice went back "200 years." Presented with the email by the FBI, Clinton said she intended for Sullivan to remove the State Department letterhead and provide unclassified talking points. She said she had no intention of removing classification markings, and that she couldn't recall actually receiving a "nonpaper" or secure fax. ___ EMAIL RETENTION AND DELETION Clinton aide Cheryl Mills told the FBI that Clinton decided in December 2014 that she no longer needed access to any of her emails older than 60 days. Mills instructed an unidentified person to modify the email retention policy on Clinton's clintonemail.com email address to reflect the change. After Clinton's use of a private email account was publicly revealed in media accounts the following March, a House subcommittee investigating the Benghazi attacks asked for related emails to be preserved and turned over. Sometime between March 25 and 31 weeks after the server was disclosed the unidentified person realized that he did not make the email retention policy changes that had been requested by Mills months earlier. That realization prompted an "oh (expletive) moment," the person later told the FBI. The individual then deleted an archive Clinton emails and used a program known as BleachBit, open source software that lets users shred files, clear Internet history and wipe free space on a hard drive. ___ FOIA OBLIGATIONS Clinton said she never deleted or asked anyone to delete any of the emails to avoid complying with requests from the State Department, the FBI or her obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, which makes government agencies subject to public records requests. She said she never had any conversations about using the email server as a way to get around her legal obligations under FOIA or the Federal Records Act, which imposes requirements for retaining government documents. ___ FOREIGN INTRUSIONS The FBI said it did not find conclusive evidence that Clinton's email server had been compromised by foreign hackers. But investigators said their forensic analysis was limited by the FBI's inability to recover all server equipment and by the lack of complete server log data. FBI Director James Comey has also said foreign government hackers were so sophisticated and the server would be such a high-value target that it was unlikely they would leave evidence of a break-in. Bryan Pagliano, the tech expert who set up the server and spoke to the FBI under immunity, told the FBI there were no successful security breaches, but said he was aware of many failed login attempts which he described as "brute force attacks." Investigators also found multiple instances of phishing emails sent to Clinton's account. ___ OLD PHONES The FBI says its investigation identified 13 mobile devices that were potentially used to send emails, but the FBI was unable to examine them after the law firm that represented Clinton said it could not locate them. The FBI also identified five iPads that could have been used for emails. According to the FBI investigation, a former Clinton aide named Monica Hanley often purchased replacement BlackBerrys for Clinton. The devices would then be set up and synced to the server. When Clinton's BlackBerry device would malfunction, her aides would help her get a new one. And once she transitioned to a new phone, the whereabouts of her old one would "frequently become unknown," the FBI's notes indicate. Brazil's ousted president blasts process, talks about future BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) Former President Dilma Rousseff on Friday slammed the process that led to her ouster this week, promising to provide a strong opposition voice to the new government. In comments to foreign media, Rousseff said next week she would be moving back to her hometown of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. She has 30 days to vacate the presidential palace. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to remove Rousseff for breaking fiscal responsibility laws in her management of the federal budget. Brazil's first female president denies wrongdoing, and has frequently pointed out that previous presidents have used similar accounting measures. Brazil's ousted President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a press conference at the official residence Alvorada Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Rousseff on Friday slammed the process that led to her ouster this week, promising to provide a strong opposition voice to the new government. In comments to foreign media, Rousseff said next week she would be moving back to her hometown of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. She has 30 days to vacate the presidential palace. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Rousseff said she had not developed long-term plans for what comes next, but won't shy away from public life. "I don't have political plans for office, but I do have political plans. I'm going to oppose this government," she said. Rousseff also had sharp words for Michel Temer, who was her vice president before taking over in the wake of her removal. The two were allies who turned into enemies, with Rousseff accusing Temer of being the ringleader behind her ouster. She said that if he doesn't govern on the platform the two ran on in 2010 and 2014, people will see his government as illegitimate. Rousseff also said she would be quick to raise her voice if Temer's government tries to crackdown on protesters. Since her ouster, a handful of small anti-Temer demonstrations have been broken up by police. On Thursday, Rousseff appealed her removal from office to the country's highest court. It's unclear when the court will rule, but several appeals during the months-long impeachment process were rejected. Brazil's ousted President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a press conference at the official residence Alvorada Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Rousseff on Friday slammed the process that led to her ouster this week, promising to provide a strong opposition voice to the new government. In comments to foreign media, Rousseff said next week she would be moving back to her hometown of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. She has 30 days to vacate the presidential palace. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Brazil's ousted President Dilma Rousseff listens to a reporter's question during a press conference at the official residence Alvorada Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Rousseff on Friday slammed the process that led to her ouster this week, promising to provide a strong opposition voice to the new government. In comments to foreign media, Rousseff said next week she would be moving back to her hometown of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. She has 30 days to vacate the presidential palace. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Liberty Counsel Files Brief on Behalf of American Pastor in International Lawsuit SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Sept. 2, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Liberty Counsel filed its second 150-page brief in support of dismissing a lawsuit filed by Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) against American Pastor Scott Lively, responding to the 1,000+ pages submitted by SMUG to keep its vindictive and baseless lawsuit alive. SMUG filed the suit in retaliation against Lively for speaking about homosexuality and God's design for the family in Uganda. SMUG claims Lively committed an international "crime against humanity" when he shared his biblical views on homosexuality during three visits to Uganda in 2002 and 2009, even declaring Lively's "crimes" to be "one step from genocide." SMUG deems every pro-family advocate in Uganda to be a "co-conspirator" in a "criminal enterprise" to "persecute" the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) population of Uganda. In addition to seeking bankrupting financial penalties from Lively, SMUG is asking the federal court to prohibit Lively from, among other things, preaching at Ugandan churches and lobbying or advocating against same-sex marriage in Uganda. Lively's latest brief responds to over 1,000 pages of manufactured allegations and diversionary propaganda filed by SMUG in an attempt to rescue its lawsuit from the sworn testimony of its officers and directors, admitting that SMUG has no knowledge whatsoever connecting Lively to any act of "persecution." The brief, filed on behalf of Lively, shows the court that SMUG not only cannot prove a single act of "persecution" by Lively, but also concealed from Lively and the court a book published by SMUG covering a decade of the Ugandan homosexuality debate and containing information that destroys SMUG's international "conspiracy" theory. "SMUG has now made it clear that it wants to put Pastor Scott Lively's Christian faith on trial," said Liberty Counsel's Harry Mihet, Chief Litigation Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs. "Every American should be concerned about this unprecedented attempt to subjugate U.S. citizens and our Constitution to the new 'morality' of the international left," Mihet continued, "and we should pray for a just and decisive ruling from the court preserving our most cherished constitutional freedoms of thought and expression." The federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts will hear argument on Lively's motion for summary judgment dismissing SMUG's case on October 5, 2016. Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Washington wolf killing sparks rebukes, controversy SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) The on-going extermination of a wolf pack in Washington has prompted a university to disavow statements by one of its professors in defense of wolves - the latest development in a controversy that pits conservationists against cattle ranchers in a part of the state far from the populous Seattle metro area. The Profanity Peak wolf pack is located in mountainous Ferry County, north of Spokane. State officials authorized exterminating the pack for killing at least six head of cattle grazing on public land in the Colville National Forest. So far, six wolves have been killed by hunters shooting from helicopters. Two adults and several pups remain. The hunt has outraged environmental groups, who say wolves are natural predators that should not be killed in favor of cattle grazing at subsidized rates on public land. Opponents of the state's decision to eradicate a wolf pack in order to protect cattle protest outside of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, in Olympia, Wash. So far, six of the 11 members of the Profanity Peak pack have been killed. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte) "It's very, very troubling," said conservationist Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity, which has opposed the hunt. The issue took an unusual twist this week, when Washington State University publicly rebuked a faculty member who had spoken out in support of the wolves. Recent statements by carnivore researcher Robert Wielgus that a rancher released his cattle on top of a wolf den were inappropriate and inaccurate and "contributed substantially to the growing anger and confusion about this significant wildlife management issue," WSU said in a statement Wednesday. WSU disavowed comments by Wielgus, director of the school's Large Carnivore Conservation Lab, which were made to The Seattle Times. Wielgus "subsequently acknowledged that he had no basis in fact for making such a statement," WSU said. The school said the livestock were released more than four miles from the den site. Another statement by Wielgus that none of the participants in his study, in which both wolves and cattle are radio-collared, experienced loss of livestock also was not true, WSU said. "WSU apologizes to our friends, our science partners, and to the public for this incident," the school said. Wielgus said Thursday he was no longer authorized to speak to the media. Robert Strenge, a university spokesman, acknowledged the public rebuke was unusual. "I can't recall in my 13 years (at WSU) ever seeing this sort of thing before," Strenge said. The university's statement did not concern Wielgus' research or other work, Strenge said. Nor was it about expressing his opinion. It only involving the inaccuracy of Wielgus' statements, Strenge said. Weiss said the WSU statement shows the political clout of the livestock industry. "They don't want wolf research out of WSU," she said. State Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, who represents the sparcely-populated region where 75 percent of the state's wolf packs are located, said he met with university officials including President Kirk Schulz after Wielgus made his comments. Kretz said he demanded that WSU make public any action against the professor. "The academic world usually doesn't do things like that," Kretz said. "Usually it's swept under the rug." Kretz said ranchers had past problems with Wielgus' research on wolves and cattle. Ranchers and state Department of Fish and Wildlife workers have received death threats, Kretz said. Wolves were exterminated in Washington state early in the last century. They began moving back into the state in the early 2000s from neighboring Idaho and British Columbia. State officials estimate there are 90 wolves living in Washington, most of them in the remote northeastern corner of the state. This is the third time in recent years that hunters hired by the state have killed wolves to protect livestock. On Thursday, dozens of protesters gathered outside of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife offices in Olympia to decry the killing of the Profanity Peak pack. Many protesters carried pictures of wolves and signs that read "Protect The Wolves" and "Stop The Slaughter." Meanwhile, Kretz and state Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, issued an op-ed this week defending the hunts. "Wolf recovery has not been popular in NE Washington, and it's much deeper than simply a wolf advocate versus cattleman conflict," they wrote. "Our communities fear that our whole culture, our largely rural, pastoral way of life is on the verge of disappearing." Opponents of the state's decision to eradicate a wolf pack in northeastern Washington protest outside of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, in Olympia, Wash. So far, six of the 11 members of the pack have been killed to protect cattle. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte) Trump ramps up minority outreach with Philadelphia visit PHILADELPHIA (AP) Donald Trump was met with tears and gratitude as he sat with African-American supporters Friday, including the mother of a young woman who was killed in an attack by a group that included men who had entered the U.S. illegally. The back-to-back meetings, held in a ballroom in Northwest Philadelphia, underscored the balancing act the Republican nominee is playing as he tries to expand his support in the race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. While Trump works to broaden his appeal among more moderate and minority voters, he's also working to maintain his popularity with his core GOP base by pressing his hard-line views on immigration. At an invite-only roundtable discussion, Trump met with a dozen local business, civic and religious leaders who praised him for coming to "the hood" as part of his outreach efforts. Trump was warmly received by the group, including Daphne Goggins, a local Republican official, who wiped away tears as she introduced herself to Trump. "For the first time in my life," she told him, "I feel like my vote is going to count." Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures as he leaves after a meeting with African American business and civic leaders in Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Renee Amoore, a local business leader, assured Trump that he has support in the black community, despite his low standing in public opinion surveys. "People say, Mr. Trump, that you have no African-American support. We want you to know that you do," she said. "We appreciate you and what you've done, coming to 'the hood,' as people call it. That's a big deal." But Trump's meeting also highlighted the challenges he faces making inroads with African-Americans and Latinos. Protesters gathered in front of the building where Trump appeared, and a coalition of labor leaders met nearby to denounce Trump's outreach to black voters as disingenuous and insulting. Ryan Boyer of the Labor District Council said Trump "has no prescription to help inner-city America." "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," said Boyer, speaking at the council's headquarters. "He did nothing for African-Americans in 30 years of public life. We reject his notion that we have nothing to lose by supporting him." The next stop for Trump is Detroit, where blacks make up some 83 percent of the population. He's expected to visit a church with a predominantly black congregation while there Saturday. In addition to planning trips to urban centers, Trump has revamped his campaign pitch to include a direct appeal to African-Americans and Hispanics, making the case that decades of Democratic policies have failed them. "You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs," he recently argued. But so far, Trump's outreach has largely fallen flat. Many minority voters have found Trump's dire description of their lives to be condescending, and African-American community leaders have dismissed Trump's message delivered largely in front of predominantly white rally audiences as intended more to reassure undecided white voters that he's not racist than to actually help communities of color. Public opinion surveys show Clinton polling far ahead of Trump with minority voters. Even on Friday, the signs of his unpopularity hung subtly in the background. The pastor who operates the nonprofit where he held his meetings publicly distanced himself from the visit. And attendee Debbie Williams, a Republican running for Congress, told Trump her race was "going well," but added, "I can only imagine what's going to happen" after the meeting. Trump continues to take a hard-line stance on illegal immigration, the dangers of which he highlighted once again Friday. The New York billionaire met with Shagla Hightower, whose daughter, Iofemi, was killed along with two friends in a 2007 attack in a Newark, New Jersey, school yard. In an emotional exchange, Shalga Hightower said her daughters' killers "should have never been here" and praised Trump for giving her daughter recognition. "I truly, truly thank you from the bottom of my heart," she said as Trump listened intently. At one point, she and her publicist embraced in tears and Trump placed his hand on Hightower's shoulder to offer comfort. At his events, Trump has been featuring parents whose children have been killed by people living in the U.S. illegally. Hightower's story is "a horrible story," Trump said, "but it's a story a lot of people are going through." "Tremendous numbers, tens of thousands of people, are being affected," he claimed, adding that Clinton "has no clue and doesn't care." Studies have shown that immigrants are, in fact, less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. Also Friday, the FBI released 58 pages of documents from its recently closed investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. The documents include a summary of agents' interviews with Clinton and several of her aides along with technical details about how the server in the basement of Clinton's home was set up. After a yearlong investigation, the FBI recommended against prosecution in July, and the Justice Department closed the case. Neither Clinton nor her running mate Tim Kaine had scheduled campaign events Friday. ___ Associated Press writer Errin Haines Whack contributed to this report. ___ Follow Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj Demonstrators protest outside the location where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was meeting with African American business and civic leaders in Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Jerry Lambert, right, a supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and Asa Khalif with Black Lives Matter scuffle, after Khalif took Lambert's sign, outside the location where Trump is to meet with African American business and civic leaders in Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Jerry Lambert, left, a supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and Asa Khalif with Black Lives Matter scuffle, after Khalif took Lambert's sign, outside the location where Trump is to meet with African American business and civic leaders in Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks as Shalga Hightower, center, hugs family spokesman Charmil Davis during a meeting, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump talks with Shalga Hightower during a meeting, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens as Shalga Hightower speaks about her daughter, Iofemi Hightower, who was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, comforts Shalga Hightower during a meeting, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion with African American business and civic leaders, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meets with African American business and civic leaders during a roundtable, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump comforts Shalga Hightower, center, as she hugs family spokesman Charmil Davis during a meeting, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Philadelphia. Hightower's daughter, Iofemi Hightower, was murdered in a 2007 attack at a Newark schoolyard. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) EgyptAir: Passenger detained after storming pilot's cockpit CAIRO (AP) EgyptAir says a passenger has been detained after storming the pilot's cockpit on a flight carrying 150 passengers. The Friday incident took place aboard charter airline CairoAir 462, which took off from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to Alexandria's Borg el-Arab airport, EgyptAir said. The passenger was not armed. "The crew checked if the passenger was not carrying whatever can impact the security and the safety of the passengers," it said. The pilot notified airport authorities, who declared a state of emergency. The passenger was detained when the plane landed, EgyptAir said. Spanish missionary who devoted life to poor killed in Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) A missionary from Spain who devoted her life to helping the poor in Haiti was fatally shot at a crowded intersection in the Caribbean country's capital Friday. Jean Brunet Noel, a justice ministry official at the scene, identified the woman as Isabel Sola Matas, 51. He said she was from Barcelona but had lived in Haiti for years. Noel said her purse was stolen after assailants shot her twice in the chest as she sat at the wheel of her SUV. She was attacked as she inched down a winding avenue filled with pedestrians and vehicles in Bel Air, a rough hillside neighborhood of shacks in downtown Port-au-Prince. The body of slain Spanish nun Isabelle Sola Matas is carried away by morgue workers, after she was attacked while driving her car in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Local judge Noel Jean Brunet said that two men on a motorcycle drove by and killed the 51-year-old Roman Catholic nun while she was driving. Matas worked at St. Joseph church where she directed a program providing people with prosthetic limbs. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) A Haitian woman who was a passenger in the car was also shot twice and taken to a hospital. Her condition was not immediately known. At Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Rev. Hans Alexandre described Sola as a "tireless servant of God" who helped build houses, worked as a nurse, fed the hungry and created a workshop where prosthetic limbs were made for amputees injured in Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake. "The loss is immense. In killing her they didn't kill just one person, they killed the hopes of many people," Alexandre said. She was widely known for her generosity. Sola hosted Alexandre and four other priests at her two-story home for over a year after the previous church building and its rectory were toppled by the quake. She helped raise tens of thousands of dollars to build a vocational school on the church compound where Haitians could learn everything from catering to electrical wiring to music, Alexandre said. One Haitian woman outside Sola's home shouted in distress and anger when she heard about the killing. "What a country this is! She did so very much for people here and this is what happens," Suzie Mathieu said. Sola was a member of the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary, whose website describes it as a group of women from various countries who commit themselves to serving others. By her home's metal gate, a disheveled man in tattered clothes stared at the ground. "She was the person who took care of people like me, helping with food and other things," he said. "I am very sad today." ___ David McFadden on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dmcfadd The body of slain Spanish nun Isabelle Sola Matas lies in her car in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Local judge Noel Jean Brunet said that two men on a motorcycle drove by and killed the 51-year-old Roman Catholic nun while she was driving. Matas worked at St. Joseph church where she directed a program providing people with prosthetic limbs. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Another Texas death row inmate gets reprieve HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday halted the execution scheduled for later this month of a man convicted of killing a Houston police officer 28 years ago. Robert Jennings, 58, was set for lethal injection Sept. 14 for fatally shooting Elston Howard, a Houston police vice officer, at an adult bookstore in Houston in July 1988. It's the fourth execution stopped by the state's highest criminal appeals court over the past month. Different issues were raised in each case. The brief five-paragraph order from the court indicates four of the panel's nine judges opposed the reprieve for Jennings. The court offered no reason for stopping the punishment, saying only that it should be halted "pending further order of this court." Attorneys for Jennings are questioning in an appeal before the court whether jury instructions during the punishment phase of his trial were proper, arguing jurors couldn't adequately consider Jennings' remorse about the killing when they were deliberating punishment. At the time of his trial in 1989, rules covering capital trials were evolving in the state and federal courts. Howard's shooting occurred more than two months after Jennings was paroled after serving about 10 years of a 30-year sentence for robbery. Witnesses said the 24-year-old officer was arresting a bookstore clerk for showing movies without a license when Jennings walked in and opened fire, shooting him in the arm and neck. After a struggle that ended when Howard became unconscious, witnesses said he shot Howard again in the head. Jennings was arrested later that day. Evidence showed he was responsible for 10 robberies after getting out of prison. Colombia peace deal to be signed this month in Cartagena BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Friday that he will sign a peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia later this month in Cartagena. "This is perhaps the most-important announcement I've made in my entire life," Santos said in a speech, adding that the signing ceremony with the country's main rebel group will take place Sept. 26 in the Caribbean city. Last week, Santos' government and the FARC reached a historic deal bringing to an end 52 years of hostilities by Latin America's largest insurgency. The agreement must still be endorsed by Colombians, who will vote on the accord in a nationwide referendum Oct. 2. FILE - In this June 23, 2016 file photo, Cuba's President Raul Castro, center, motions to bring together Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, left, and Commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC, Rodrigo Londono, better known as Timochenko or Timoleon Jimenez, during a signing ceremony of a cease-fire and rebel disarmament deal, in Havana, Cuba. Santos announced Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, that he will sign a peace accord with the FARC on Sept. 26. in Cartagena. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File) Santos didn't provide any details about the ceremony. The signing of the 297-page agreement will trigger the gradual demobilization of the FARC's estimated 7,000 fighters. Under the terms of the accord, FARC units must deploy to 28 rural areas across the country where they will turn their weapons over to a United Nations-sponsored mission over a period of six months. As part of the accord, rebels who confess war crimes will be spared jail time and ordered to carry out community service in areas hard-hit by the conflict. The rebels' future political movement will also be given 10 seats in congress for two legislative periods lasting until 2026. After that they will have to demonstrate their political strength at the ballot box. Even in advance of the deal's final ratification the government and rebels are taking steps to wind down the conflict. On Friday, negotiators in Havana, Cuba announced that beginning Sept. 10 child soldiers under the age of 15 will begin exiting guerrilla camps. The minors will be handed over to representatives from UNICEF and taken to temporary shelters run by the government. It's unclear how many child soldiers the FARC has. University academics 'should help steer Brexit action plan' Universities must be at the heart of designing the UK's strategy for Brexit but they also need to improve at engaging with the public, a senior academic has said. Concerns raised by the educational institutions during the debate in the run-up to the referendum in June failed to register with the public, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said, despite their efforts at stating the case for staying in the EU. Leading scientists and academics warned before the vote that leaving would cause a major funding blow to British universities and scientific research. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said universities must be at the heart of designing the UK's strategy for Brexit Dame Nancy, who is due to take up her role as president of the British Science Association, suggested academic experts could help devise a Brexit strategy. Speaking ahead of her presidential address at the British Science Festival in Swansea next week, she said: "Universities need to be at the heart of designing the UK's Brexit strategy and we must do more to encourage a sense of public pride in the UK's fantastic scientific achievements, stressing their importance to our economy and wider society." Dame Nancy said scientists and researchers need to be supported and trained to get "out and about more", claiming engagement with the public should not be seen as a "soft option". She said many people are still not aware of what universities do and the contributions they make to society, and spoke of her concerns about how little universities appeared to feature in the EU referendum debate. She said: "It didn't resonate strongly with the public compared to other issues, which concerns me greatly. "Now the decision to leave the EU has been made, we need to be more robust in our arguments about how universities better the lives of everyone, and about the value that science brings to the nation." While funding concerns may be a priority for universities, Dame Nancy said institutions need to demonstrate their relevance to wider society. She said: "I think universities need to be talking about 'How can we help? How can we help to deliver a solution that is a reasonable one not just for universities but for the UK as a society, for the UK as an economy?' "We have lots of people who understand the issues within universities and, assuming that experts will be listened to to some extent in the future, they can contribute, I think, to that discussion and debate. "But I think we need to do so in a way that we say this isn't just about how Brexit needs to be for us, for universities. How does Brexit need to be for the UK in the future?" UK should remain member of single market post-Brexit, says new pro-EU group A new pro-EU campaign group has called for Britain to retain its membership of the single market as it lays out its "ambitious" demands for a post-Brexit UK. Open Britain has suggested that some curbs on the free movement of people could be negotiated, such as only allowing those with job offers to move to Britain. But the group, which has taken over from the official Remain campaign Stronger In, says the UK should "mend not end" free movement and that any curbs must be part of a Europe-wide discussion on the future of the system amid mounting criticism. Open Britain has suggested some curbs on the free movement of people could be negotiated as part of Brexit The report, Stronger With Europe, is the first attempt by the group to sketch out what policies Britain should adopt as it negotiates its exit from the EU. It comes just days after Prime Minister Theresa May held a Cabinet meeting at Chequers where it was stressed that any Brexit deal must include controls on the number of immigrants coming to Britain. Highlighting a series of policy areas it is urging the Government to consider, the group stresses that protecting the UK economy must be a top priority and will launch a campaign to highlight the benefits of the single market. The group, led by former ministers Anna Soubry, Pat McFadden and Norman Lamb, says the UK should be a member of the single market and negotiate a "bespoke UK-EU agreement which prioritises continued elimination of non-tariff barriers and continued influence over regulatory decision-making". It says the UK should mitigate any negative consequences of free movement by introducing a Migration Impact Fund and a ban on agencies advertising solely overseas, and that it should guarantee the rights of existing EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU. But its report does consider limits that could be placed on immigration, and says one option is "to examine tying the free movement of labour to offers of employment". Former Conservative business minister Ms Soubry said: "Getting the best deal for Britain means starting the negotiations with ambitious goals. Britain is an ambitious country and we cannot succeed if we do not start with high ambitions. "The campaign will marry a commitment to Britain's membership of the single market with making a positive case about the benefits of immigration. The present system needs further reform. It's particularly important people know the facts about immigration, we tackle their concerns and ensure the system works fairly for everyone." The group is also calling for "deep co-operation" in security matters to continue, and for all EU funding to UK regions, universities, businesses, farmers and infrastructure projects to be protected until 2020. They also stressed that Britain's commitment to tackling climate change must continue, and that all workers' rights guaranteed by the EU must be immediately translated into UK law. Mr McFadden, the former Labour business minister, said: "The referendum decided that the UK would leave the European Union but it still left big, open questions about our future relationship with the EU and the rest of the world. "These issues could have a major impact on jobs, investment, trade and employment rights in the future. "Open Britain will not just argue for the best deal with Europe but for a more fundamental reform of our economy to make it work for the many, not just the few. "We do not believe that people rejected the global economy at the referendum; we believe that their vote was a call to share more equally in it." Mr Lamb, the former Liberal Democrat health minister, said: "The campaign has started the ball rolling in this debate, which will have many twists and turns. "But it is vital that those who share our values speak up and do not cede the field to others outside of the centre-ground to dominate the argument." The group has not called for a second referendum and says that "we respect the vote and are now campaigning for the best deal for all". The report comes after Tony Blair suggested Britain could still stay in the EU if public opinion shifts away from Brexit over the next few years. The former prime minister said the British people "have the right" to change their minds on the result of the June referendum. Asked whether it was possible that opinion would move sufficiently to avoid Brexit, Mr Blair - speaking in French - responded: "At the moment, today, it is not probable, but the debate continues and I believe it is possible." Business confidence bounces back after post-Brexit slump Business confidence has rebounded after the post-Brexit slump with firms reporting that they are broadly positive about their prospects for the year ahead, a survey shows. Confidence regained much of the ground it lost in the immediate aftermath of the vote to leave the EU, the YouGov/Cebr UK Economic Index shows. The index increased to 109.7 in August, meaning it recovered more than half the losses recorded following the referendum when it fell from 112.6 to 105.0, but it is still below pre-vote levels. Business leaders report less pessimism since EU referendum The survey of more than 500 organisational decision-makers puts the increase in confidence down to improved expectations for capital investment, revenue from domestic sales and revenue from exports over the next year. Before the referendum 53% had an optimistic outlook for the next 12 months, a figure which dipped slightly to 46% in July and rose again to 48% in August, while just 23% are pessimistic. However, the number of businesses that are concerned about the economy over the year ahead almost doubled from 25% in June to 49% in July, and 45% remain pessimistic, according to the latest poll. Last week the YouGov/Cebr announced that consumer confidence saw its highest month-on-month improvement in three and a half years. Cebr director Scott Corfe said: "The dust is settling on the EU vote and businesses are showing signs of resilience, for now at least. "With the post-Brexit panic abating and many indicators signalling a reasonably robust short-term outlook, businesses are suggesting a greater confidence for the coming 12 months when it comes to their own operations. "However, one red flag in these figures is the level of pessimism about the UK economy that the Brexit vote has engendered in British businesses. If these concerns materialise into reality, businesses could rapidly rein in their investment and hiring plans." Stephen Harmston, head of YouGov Reports, said: "For the most part, the panic we saw straight after June 23 has been replaced by calm. In the short term at least, a more positive outlook from businesses and consumers will help grease the wheels of the economy - spurring spending and investment. "What happens in the longer term is the big mystery. Once the UK shows its hand on Brexit and invokes Article 50 things could change for the worse quickly. Labour MP Clive Betts calls for return of shadow cabinet elections Jeremy Corbyn is set to face a fresh challenge to his authority as an MP put forward a motion calling for elections to the shadow cabinet to be reintroduced. The motion, proposed by Clive Betts the Labour MP for Sheffield South East, is set to be debated by the parliamentary party on Monday. Mr Betts dismissed claims the suggestion was a bid to "hobble" Mr Corbyn's leadership and told BBC's Newsnight that it will help to unify the party. Clive Betts said he wants the Parliamentary Labour Party to work together He said: "My motion talks about unity, getting the whole of the Parliamentary Labour Party, including the leader of the shadow cabinet, working together. "In recent weeks I've talked to my party members, but I've also talked to lots of Labour Party voters in my constituency, and they say one simple thing to me - 'for heaven's sake get your act together, start working in a united way down in Westminster, start being an effective opposition to this very right-wing Tory Government, we are fed up with you falling out amongst yourselves'. "Now this is a pragmatic motion, a motion to try and help achieve that objective. "Clearly only a few weeks ago we weren't working together, there were sackings from the shadow cabinet, resignations from the shadow cabinet, and whoever wins the leadership election we can't go back to that sort of situation." The Labour Party has been plunged into turmoil in recent months, marred by mass resignations from the shadow cabinet and accusations of anti-Semitic, homophobic and sexist abuse. But Mr Corbyn is widely expected to beat Owen Smith in the upcoming leadership contest. It has been suggested that reintroducing shadow cabinet elections would allow the centre and so-called right wing of the party to wrest back control and challenge Mr Corbyn from inside the party. But Mr Betts dismissed suggestions the motion is part of an anti-Corbyn plot and said it is designed to help heal divisions in the party by making both sides sit down and "work together". He said: "The other spin on it that it is somehow part of the ongoing plot to curb Jeremy - if he does get back as leader, that isn't certain yet of course - that is absolutely ridiculous. "This is my motion, I have put the motion down. I haven't been going around talking to people and plotting with people and trying to elicit support, I am simply tabling my colleagues to reflect on whether as MPs we don't have a responsibility to Labour voters to try to sort our problems out and try to start working together more effectively. "That's my sole objective in this matter." Labour shadow cabinet elections were abolished in 2011 when Ed Miliband was leader. Mr Betts added: "I've been a member of the Labour Party for 47 years, I've been an MP for 24 years, what I feel very strongly is we need now party unity - that is what my party members are telling me, that's what my Labour Party voters in Sheffield is telling me." Veteran Labour MP David Winnick backed Mr Betts' proposal as a means to ensuring the party can provide an "effective opposition" in Westminster, whoever wins the leadership contest. The Walsall North MP, who is supporting Mr Smith's challenge for the leadership, told the Press Association: "What Clive Betts is trying to do, whatever the result of the election for leader, is a sensible move. There is a widespread sentiment not only among Labour activists, but party members - and even more so those who were members before the general election - for us to resolve difficulties which have arisen since Jeremy Corbyn was elected. The historic Monterey Hotel is a wonderful place to stay to be centrally located when visiting Monterey, California. The accommodations, service, staff and location are all top-notch! You wont be disappointed. Sometimes we make plans and things dont go our way, no matter how hard we try to control them. Case in point: I was supposed be on the other side of the world a couple of weeks ago, but at the last minute, it didnt happen. Although I was incredibly disappointed, this change in plans meant that I was able to join my husband and daughter on a little California road trip they had been planning. DISCLOSURE: I paid for one nights stay, and was hosted for one nights stay at The Monterey Hotel. I received two press tickets for the Monterey Bay aquarium (and paid for one ticket). As always, all opinions are my own. My family didnt have any solid plans, so I suggested that we visit the lovely city of Monterey for a couple of nights before heading inland to the mountains, and thats exactly what we did. Here is our itinerary~ Day 1 LOS ANGELES -> (lunch in Santa Barbara) -> MONTEREY Day 2 MONTEREY Day 3 MONTEREY -> (lunch in Salinas) -> GILROY for garlic -SHAVER LAKE Day 4 SHAVER LAKE Day 5 SHAVER LAKE -> LOS ANGELES Santa Barbara Im not sure if Ive ever told you before, but one of my favorite nearby places is Santa Barbara, and I try to go any chance that I get. Before we left in the morning, I packed a picnic lunch to have in Santa Barbara as its just such a beautiful city with so many gorgeous public areas; theres never a loss for places to picnic, thats for sure! Im sure youve heard about our drought, but even for those of us who live in this rain-forsaken state, its shocking to see just how dry most of California is. However, we actually drove past the Andy Boy farm and saw rapini in the fields! I would have loved to have a whole row to myself! We arrived in Monterey about 4 pm and pulled up in front of the lovely building which is the historic Monterey Hotel in downtown Monterey. Two other guests were checking in and didnt mind the loading zone area they were parked in. This meant we couldnt really park properly. Immediately, a staff member appeared, apologized for the other guests and offered to help with our luggage. It was a wonderful first impression (they had no clue that I was a food/travel blogger). The Historic Monterey Hotel The historic Monterey Hotel was built in 1904 which was evident from the classical architecture and details like the massive fireplace in the lobby, coffered ceiling and arches and columns throughout. Check in went seamlessly and we took the elevator up to our room. There was so much character throughout the hotel, yet everything looked so well maintained. There is also a new wing which is being completed at this time (we heard no construction noise, whatsoever). I must say that I was not expecting to see what I saw when I walked into our room as it was completely updated and spacious for such a historic hotel. Not only was the room comfortable and immaculate, but there was a fireplace, a microwave and a good sized mini-fridge: all such nice amenities to have in our room. My daughter and I immediately noticed a few other things that we loved: The Monterey Hotel recycles (!) and check out the ecologically friendly shampoo, conditioner and body wash dispensers in the gorgeous shower. I was truly impressed with the historic Monterey Hotel and didnt hesitate to let the staff know. Its a lovely feeling to be welcomed into new surroundings and have it feel very homey within minutes. The Monterey Hotel is located on one of the main streets in downtown Monterey, which is only a four minute walk to Old Fishermans Wharf. Monterey Free Trolley Its also around the corner from the free Monterey trolley stop which means you dont even have to walk to Cannery Row or the aquarium if you prefer not to. We did both, so its really nice to have the option and it was lovely that the trolley was free. My husband, daughter and I enjoyed exploring downtown, too. After checking in and spending a bit of time in our room, we decided to walk to Old Fishermans Wharf and Cannery Row and decide on a place for dinner. There is no shortage of places to choose from, but seafood is definitely the main theme, understandably. I had some wonderful clam chowder, but my husband and daughters meals were less than stellar, so I cant recommend the restaurant. Directly across the street from the historic Monterey Hotel is a little coffee shop/restaurant called Caffe Trieste that had some really good coffee. I loved that they give a 50% discount to police officers, firefighters and veterans. Their staff was really lovely, too. We had a great (quiet) nights sleep at The Monterey Hotel. The next morning, started our day with breakfast downstairs (included with the room rate). The breakfast room is located across from the check-in desk. Choices included, yogurt, fresh fruit, pastries, cereals (gluten-free option) and oatmeal. There were also bagels, toast and jam, juices, coffees and more. Fort Ord Dunes State Park Once we were fueled up, we decided to go to Fort Ord Dunes State Park which is just a few minutes north of Monterey. Supposedly, it was a great place to see otters. We didnt spot any, and although it was pretty, it was quite chilly for our LA blood (59F 15C) as the sun hadnt come out yet. Monterey Fishermans Wharf Next on the agenda was lunch, so we drove back to Fishermans Wharf. All three of us had clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl which I would highly recommend! Most of the restaurants on the wharf give out samples, so you can choose the one you like best before ordering. And what a view! Afterwards, we were entertained by some sea lions in the water. Initially, I thought one was stuck, but after observing for a few minutes I realized that he was definitely there of his/her own accord! Click the photo to watch the video of three sea lions. Monterey Bay Aquarium This only whet our appetite to see more sea life, so we took the free tram to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and spent most of our afternoon here. We have visited the aquarium in the past, but I dont think anyone could ever tire of visiting this world class attraction. There was so much to see and we ended up staying until it closed (I would plan a minimum of three hours to see a majority of the exhibits, excluding any programs). This is truly a place that will entertain everyone from 9 months to 99 years of age. In addition to the animals and sea life in the tanks and aquariums, there are auditorium programs, feeding sessions when the penguins, sea otters and fish in the kelp forest tank are fed. There are touch pools and a section just for children with so many activities they will love. One of my favorite displays was the Jellies. Honestly, I could have stood there and watched them for hours. Click on the photo below to see what I mean. And I wasnt the only one. There were at least four different species, and I though this one looked like a UFO in outer space! Another favorite of many of the visitors is the otter tank. They are just so adorable! Click the photo to see this one playing and washing herself in the water. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that if you visit Monterey you simply must go to the aquarium. Honestly, the only reason we left is because they were closing! I would most definitely have stayed longer, however, there were still beautiful sights to see outside of the aquarium. The Crown & Anchor Pub After enjoying our time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we decided to try a British pub for dinner. There were two just around the corner from The Monterey Hotel; we chose The Crown and Anchor and were very happy with our decision. It definitely felt like a British pub and they even had HP Sauce! I enjoyed my fish and chips and (hard) cider. You could really spend a week in Monterey as a home base as there is nearby Pacific Grove, Carmel-by-the-Sea (only 4 miles away), as well as the famous 17 Mile Drive, and if you venture further to Santa Cruz to the north or Big Sur to the south, and there are so many things to see, do and eat! I would absolutely recommend The Monterey Hotel as the perfect location when staying in Monterey. Check into their Aquarium Package as theyve partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to save you money on a two-day pass which also bypasses most lines. Valet parking is available at the hotel for $21, but we chose to park around the corner in a garage for $7/day. I love that these services are included in the room rate (these are just a few from a longer list): High speed Wi-Fi Complimentary breakfast Fitness room Therapeutic spa tub 24-hour front desk We checked out the next morning and headed to nearby Salinas which was having a food festival along with a classic car show. We had a quick bite to eat and were on our way to Gilroy. Salinas Why Gilroy? We were on a mission to buy fresh garlic,! If youve never had really fresh garlic, you dont know what youre missing. Its juicy and so incredibly flavorful and makes everything taste so much better. (Remember: fresh, quality ingredients?) Coincidentally, Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world! With our fresh garlic in tow, we were then on our way to Shaver Lake, which is in the Sierra National Forest, northwest of Fresno. We were staying at a friends cabin, so we made a Trader Joes stop on the way. Shaver Lake is under a four hour drive from Monterey. Shaver Lake Ill leave you with a few shots of us enjoying the lake. Highlights included kayaking, fishing (my husband did) off a pontoon boat that we rented (supposedly a great lake for trophy trout). We loved making SMores with Trader Joes graham crackers and marshmallows (with no chemical ingredients) and dark chocolate. I lost count of how many of those I ate! If you live in or near the LA area, this road trip to Monterey and Shaver Lake is a great getaway for a few days. Youll be able to enjoy both the seaside and mountains. Let me know if you have any questions about any part of our trip. For more information, or to book a reservation at the historic Monterey Hotel CLICK HERE For more information regarding the Monterey Bay Aquarium CLICK HERE Dont miss another recipe or travel post, sign up for my free subscription below! I promise not to share or sell your email address, ever. Disclosure: I paid for one nights stay, and was hosted for one nights stay at The Monterey Hotel. I received two press tickets for the Monterey Bay aquarium (and paid for one ticket). As always, all opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations. Almost one in three dogs across the UK is being fed upon by ticks, a survey of the nation's pets has revealed. Vets have warned the blood-sucking mini-beasts can cause more than just mild irritation to our four-legged friends. The spider-like creatures can carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, which can potentially result in serious health problems for both dogs and humans. The largest survey of ticks and tick-borne disease to be carried out in the UK has revealed almost a third of dogs are harbouring a the tiny, spider-like creatures (pictured) UK'S TICK PROBLEM The study, led by Bristol University, looked at 15,000 dogs across the UK. Almost a third of animals were found to be harbouring a tick. The highest risk areas for ticks were the South West, East Anglia and Scotland. But researchers found that the tiny arachnids were present all across the country, with the likelihood of a dog picking one up equal in both rural and urban areas. Their distribution is thought to have increased due to wetter, warmer winters the UK, meaning they can start feeding earlier and for longer throughout the year. Advertisement The findings come from the largest survey of ticks and the diseases they carry ever to be carried out in the UK. Led by Bristol University, the Big Tick Project looked at almost 15,000 dogs from across the UK last year, finding 31 per cent of those animals checked at random were carrying a tick. The highest risk areas were the South West, East Anglia and Scotland. But researchers found that the tiny arachnids were present all across the country, with the likelihood of a dog picking one up equal in both rural and urban areas. They pose a risk as they can transmit bacteria that cause infections such as Lyme disease, which can lead to very serious conditions including meningitis or heart failure if left untreated, even proving fatal. Professor Richard Wall, who led the project, said: 'The work that we have carried out shows that ticks are extremely widely dispersed. 'The records that we have got appear to show that we have had an increase in tick numbers right across the country. Vets have warned the blood-sucking arachnids can cause more than just mild irritation to pets. Ticks can carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, which can potentially result in serious health problems for both dogs and humans WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A TICK ON YOUR DOG Vets have offered advice for pet-owners on how to find ticks and what to do. They advise to check your dog's skin, starting at the head and ears, searching for lumps. If a lump is found, part the hair to look for signs of a tick. The lump may or may not be painful or swollen. If a tick is found, they advise not to burn, cut or pull the tick off directly - as mouth parts can be left behind, causing infection. Specially designed plastic tick hooks, available from vets and pet stores, can be used to remove the ticks. Owners should ask their vet for advice if they are unsure. SOURCE: Big Tick Project Advertisement 'What we are primarily concerned about is the diseases that ticks carry. In the UK, we have relatively low rates of the prevalence of these pathogens at the moment and, in contrast, in continental Europe they have much higher rates of disease. 'As there seems to be a rise in tick numbers, we need to be concerned and be aware of the potential for increasing problems.' Ticks and the diseases they carry have become a rapidly growing problem across the UK, according to the project, with the distribution of ticks estimated to have expanded by 17 per cent across Britain in the last decade. The growing threat is thought to be partly down to the wet, warm winters the UK has had in recent years, meaning ticks can start feeding earlier and for longer throughout the year. Ticks do not jump or fly, but wait until an animal or person brushes past to climb on. They then bite to attach to the skin and start to feed on the blood until they become engorged with blood. According to Public Health England, it is estimated that there are 2,000 to 3,000 new confirmed cases of Lyme disease in England and Wales each year, although not all cases are confirmed by laboratory testing, the BBC said. Dogs in the South West, East Anglia and Scotland face the highest risk of ticks. But the arachnids are increasingly present across the UK, with the likelihood of a dog picking one up equal in both rural and urban areas Around 15 per cent of cases are in people returning from overseas. Commenting on the findings, TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham has called on pet owners to be more aware of ticks and their potential health impacts to pets. Mr Packham said it had been 'tremendously significant' work which had revealed 'some very shocking and surprising things about the distribution, the population and potential that ticks have to give diseases to our pets and ourselves'. He said: 'The first thing that is striking about the results is that almost one in three dogs that were taken into vets and randomly tested were carrying ticks, which is shocking. 'Also, these ticks were not just found in isolated parts of the UK, but all over the UK.' Junior doctors urged to reconsider 'disproportionate' strike action Fears that hundreds of thousands of operations and millions of appointments are at risk from new waves of strikes by junior doctors have prompted calls for the industrial action to be reconsidered. In a joint statement NHS Providers and NHS Confederation have appealed to the British Medical Association (BMA) to cancel the latest walkouts. Medics will stage strikes from September 12 to 16, on October 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11, November 14 to 18 and December 5 to 9 in the ongoing dispute over a controversial new contract. Junior doctors are to stage further industrial action The Government and BMA remain at loggerheads over the contract, which the Department for Health says will provide a seven-day NHS. Chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said the proposed strikes will "lead to an estimated 125,000 lost operations and over one million lost outpatient appointments". "With barely any notice for trusts to prepare, this unprecedented level of strike action will cause major disruption and risk patient safety," he added. "NHS trust leaders agree with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges that this action is disproportionate. "Less than 40% of junior doctors supported rejection of an agreement strongly endorsed by their own representatives. "None have voted in favour of four sets of five-day strikes - by far the most disruptive industrial action in NHS history. "The BMA Council was split down the middle when it considered the proposed strike action. "Our board and the trusts we represent are therefore formally calling on the BMA to reconsider their proposed strikes for the sake of patients." NHS Confederation chief executive Stephen Dalton also urged the BMA to reconsider the planned industrial action, saying they "don't think there is a strong mandate for the additional strikes given they go well beyond the initial planned action". A host of health organisations have also questioned the decision to extend the bitter campaign, which has been called "extremely worrying" and a "devastating blow to patients". And there have been warnings by one charity that trust in the patient-doctor relationship could be eroded by the months of disruptions. Reports suggest the latest raft of action was not fully backed by BMA members, with The Daily Mail reporting that a leaked ballot showed just 31.5% of members supported a full walkout which was time-limited. But the BMA said it was "absolutely behind" the decision for further strikes. The Patients Association condemned the announcement, saying it was a "disturbing" time to be an NHS patient. Chief executive Katherine Murphy told the Press Association: "From a patient's point of view it is obviously catastrophic news - the scale of the industrial action is unforgivable. "It's putting patients under unnecessary stress and worry because every day they're hearing about a crisis in the NHS and the financial problems in our hospitals up and down the country." She added: "It's a very, very disturbing and worrying time for any patient. "The public have the greatest sympathy for the medical profession and understand the difficult job that they do, but this may take a step too far and could erode the public confidence and trust." Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust health charity, told the Today Programme that the planned strikes would represent a "quite significant step up" in terms of what is likely to be asked of senior doctors tasked with ensuring that care continues during industrial action. He added there had been a "quite obvious shift in the opinion" of medical leaders in relation to the strikes. Six strikes have already taken place across England during the lengthy dispute, causing disruption to hundreds of thousands of patients who have had appointments and operations cancelled. In May it looked as though a breakthrough had been reached in the dispute after both sides agreed to a new deal. Then in July, the Government announced that it would impose a new contract after junior doctors and medical students voted to reject the contract brokered between health leaders and the BMA. The BMA said it will call off the strikes if the Government agrees to stop the imposition. Dr Ellen McCourt, who chairs the BMA junior doctors' committee, said: "We want to resolve this dispute through talks, but in forcing through a contract that junior doctors have rejected and which they don't believe is good for their patients or themselves, the Government has left them with no other choice." Mohammed is the most popular name for boys in England and Wales- but it doesn't top the official list because there are so many different ways to spell it. There were 7,361 children born last year called Mohammed, Muhammed, Mohammad or Mohamed, according to the Office for National Statistics, which would have made it the number one boys name if the variations were taken into account. Instead it is Oliver that tops the boys' list while Amelia dominates the girls' figures, with 6,941 and 5,158 children given those names respectively. There were plenty of quirky names as usual, with characters from Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings providing inspiration, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn may have influenced some parents with 15 boys carrying his surname as a forename. Royal names also remain popular, with George, Harry and William all in the top 10 boys' names, although Charlotte has dropped two places to 25th in the girls' list despite the nation's love for the baby princess. This graphic shows how variations of Mohammed have become more and more popular in the UK since the 1920s If all of the variations of Sophie and Sophia were combined they would easily dethrone Amelia as the most popular girls' name There are officially 14 different ways to spell Mohammed - which means 'one who is praiseworthy' - and the variation in spelling can depend on a family's background, whether they are from an Arabic-speaking country and differences in pronunciation. The most popular variation on the list is 'Muhammad' which placed 12th with 3,730 boys born with the name. Oliver was the most popular boys' name for all regions of England except London and the West Midlands, which both had Muhammad as the top name. This marks the first time Muhammad has been top in two areas, having overtaken Oliver as top name in the West Midlands from 2014. Ella and Mia rose into the top 10 girls' names, replacing Lily and Sophie from 2014, while Noah replaced James in the top 10 boys' names, the Office for National Statistics said. Four names - Jaxon, Roman, Reggie and Carter - broke into the boys' top 100, taking the places of Owen, Robert, Joey and Finlay from 2014. Famous Olivers and Amelias include Made in Chelsea's Ollie Locke, left, and Lady Amelia Windsor, right, granddaughter of the Queens cousin the Duke of Kent Royal names also remain popular, with Harry in the top 10 boys' names on the list Of these, Jaxon rose the most, climbing 35 places to number 80 while Kian fell 44 places to 98, the largest decline. There were six new entries in the girls' top 100, these were Penelope, Mila, Clara, Arabella, Maddison and Aria. These replaced Lydia, Faith, Mollie, Brooke, Isabel and Amy from 2014. Of these, Aria showed the biggest ascent, shooting 70 places to claim the number 100 spot while Katie dropped the furthest - 22 places to number 99, just staying inside the top 100. Elizabeth McLaren, a statistician from the ONS, said: 'Amelia and Oliver remained the most popular names for baby girls and boys born in 2015, having held the top spot since 2011 and 2013 respectively. 'UNIQUE SPELLINGS' DOMINATE NEW NAMES ON THE LIST The number of 'uniquely spelled' first names has shot up by around 50 per cent in the past 20 years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Tens of thousands of names were registered just once or twice in 2015, while there were 1,333 names recorded just three times for boys and 1,740 for girls, figures for England and Wales show. Other trends include the growing use of both hyphenated and shorter first names, the comeback of those popular around a hundred years ago and the dramatic decline of those favoured around the 1970s, ONS statistician Nick Stripe said. There were signs of the influence of migration on trends, with the eastern European variant Zuzanna over 10 times more popular than Susannah, while Muhammad became the top boys' name in two English regions for the first time - London and the West Midlands. Names like Clara, Ava and Violet, which were widespread in the early 20th century, have made a comeback, while those 'from the 1970s' such as Paul, Steven and Darren have sunk dramatically in recent years. Those recently influenced by celebrities such as Jenson, Sienna and Harper remained popular. Hyphenated first names include James-Dean, Alfie-James and Archie-Lee for boys and Scarlett-Rose, Gracie-May and Ava-Leigh for girls. Among shortened names, Bobby became more popular than Robert, which dropped outside the top 100 for the first time. Advertisement 'Ella re-entered the top 10 baby girls' names in 2015 - Ella was last in the top 10 in 2007. Noah entered the top 10 baby boys' names for the first time on record in 2015, following a gradual increase in popularity.' The statistics are 'based on the exact spelling of the name given on the birth certificate; grouping names with similar pronunciation would change the rankings,' the ONS said. There were 697,852 live births in England and Wales in 2015, with more than 27,000 different boys' and 35,000 different girls' names registered, the ONS said. The top 100 boys' names accounted for 52 per cent of all boys born in 2015, while the top 100 girls' names accounted for 43 per cent of all girls born in 2015. HAVE PARENTS NAMED THEIR CHILDREN AFTER POLITICIANS? Some Labour supporters may have chosen to pay tribute to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn through their children. There were 15 boys born in the UK last year named Corbyn, with a further 19 called Corbin, allowing for any spelling mistakes to sneak through. But that figure was dwarfed by 'Cameron', with 451 newborn boys being given that name, although it is much less likely the former prime minister was the inspiration. In what may be a surprise to Lib Dem supporters, four boys were named Farron, sharing the moniker with party leader Tim Farron. Advertisement Half of the top 10 most popular boys' names in 2015 had kept their place from a decade earlier in 2005: Oliver, Jack, Harry, William and Thomas. Compared with 2005, Oscar and Noah showed the biggest increase in popularity for those in the top 10 - rising 45 and 44 places respectively. George has also jumped up 13 places from 17th in 2005 to 4th in 2015, with the young prince's birth in 2013 a likely factor in the name's return to popularity. Daniel showed the biggest decline, having dropped 18 places since being in the top 10 a decade ago. Four out of the top 10 girls' names in 2005 kept their place, these were Olivia, Emily, Ella and Jessica. Isla and Ava shot up 121 and 77 places respectively from their 2005 position to make it in to the 2015 top 10. Ellie has fallen 42 places in the rankings since being in the 2005 top 10 - the largest decrease in popularity for girls. Amelia was the most popular for all regions of England except the East Midlands and the East, where Olivia was registered as the most popular. Oliver and Amelia were the most popular in Wales, the same as 2014. Siobhan Freegard, founder of parenting site ChannelMum.com, said: 'Parents are once again looking across the pond for Americanised monikers. The most popular baby names in England and Wales are technically still Oliver and Amelia 'Jaxon, a US-version of the traditional Jackson, is rocketing in popularity, after being made famous by Jaxon Bieber, half brother of Justin.' She added Maddison 'is one of the most common US girls' names and is gaining traction here,' while a nother trend was for 'gangster chic'. She said: 'Tough but cool Reggie, made famous by the Krays, was picked by Olympic ace Jessica Ennis-Hill for her son, while Carter of Get Carter fame is a name we'll be hearing much more of. 'Roman, given to celeb babies including Roman Keitel, son of Harvey, and Roman Upton, Cate Blanchett's son, sits across both crazes, being used in numerous gangster flicks and also a US favourite.' Some of the most common boys' baby names from a century ago are still proving popular today - although girls' names have not shown quite the same staying power. Of the top 10 boys' baby names for 1914 in England and Wales, three are in the top 10 list for 2015: William, George and Thomas. Eight of the 10 make it in the top 100. By contrast, none of the top 10 girls' baby names for 1914 appear in 2015's top 10, and only three make it into the top 100. William, George and Thomas are ranked at numbers two, three and four in 1914. In 2015 they appear at numbers eight, four and nine respectively. But the number one boys' name in 1914, John, ranks at a lowly number 108 in 2015. The remaining names in the 1914 top 10 were James, Arthur, Frederick, Albert, Charles and Robert. Among these, only Robert fails to make it into 2015's top 100. Girls' names of 1914 have not retained anywhere near the same level of popularity. Top of the list in 1914 was Mary - a name no longer in the top 100. The same goes for the names that filled positions two to five: Margaret, Doris, Dorothy and Kathleen. Florence has bounced back into fashion, however. It ranked at number six in 1914, fell outside the top 100 in 1964, before making it to number 23 in 2015. Elsie has enjoyed a similar revival, going from number seven in 1914 to being outside the 100 in 1964, then coming at number 33 in 2015. The only girls' name to remain inside the top 100 in 1914, 1964 and 2015 is Elizabeth, sitting at numbers nine, 20 and 39 respectively. Winifred ranked at number 10 in 1914, but had disappeared from the top 100 by 1964. In 2015 it is well down the chart at number 845. Sir Richard Branson determined to complete charity challenge after bike crash Sir Richard Branson says he is "determined" to complete a 2,000km (1,250 mile) cycle, hike and swim just a dozen days after a near-deadly bike crash. The 66-year-old said he was "very, very lucky" to escape the accident with cuts, a cracked cheek and a damaged knee, but was confident that he would complete the 30-day charity challenge from the base of the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland, to Mount Etna in Sicily. In his first interview since the crash, he told the Press Association: "I was extraordinarily lucky, as anybody who goes through a nasty crash and survives is extraordinarily lucky, and I'm mending really rapidly. Sir Richard Branson with his children Sam and Holly at the foot of the Matterhorn mountain in Zermatt, Switzerland, on the first day of the Virgin Strive challenge "If you get knocked off your bike you've got to pick yourself up again and get back on again and these kids set the family a challenge every year and they have roped their father in." Sir Richard, who was training for the Virgin Strive Challenge when the accident happened in the Caribbean on August 22, will be accompanied by his children Holly and Sam on the adventure, which begins on Friday. The tycoon said: "Holly and Sam were actually there at the time and they definitely didn't think I'd be standing here on Strive a few weeks later. "My knee is slightly damaged - I'm just going to have to see tomorrow whether I can make it up the mountain but I'm determined to give it my best shot." Holly added: "He's literally the bionic man - he should have broken lots of bones but that didn't happen." Despite the crash, Sir Richard said he had not been put off adventure sports. "I've been through a few near misses in my life and I think what I've learned from it is that I love adventure and my kids have got the bug. "I'd much rather come to grief doing something extraordinary and having an extraordinary life than sitting and vegetating watching television. I don't want to come to grief at all, but if I had to," he explained. Along with a group of around 60 people, the team hopes to raise 1.5 million for Big Change - a foundation set up by Holly and Sam - to give young people the "necessary tools they need to thrive in life". Big Change acts as a catalyst for a number of projects - including How to Thrive and Voice 21 - to accelerate their success. The first group set off on Friday morning and a second will leave on Saturday. They are starting the challenge from the base of the Matterhorn where the 2014 Strive Challenge, which started in England, finished. Sam reached the summit of the Matterhorn on the last challenge, but had to be rescued by helicopter. His cousin Noah Devereux, who came up with the idea for the Strive Challenge with Sam, said: "It was a real strive. Sam had to get rescued by helicopter from the summit because he was struck by acute mountain sickness and it was quite a serious situation for a bit, but luckily he survived to tell the tale." Sam added: "After a year of planning and a massive event and a month's challenge, me and Noah waited for that moment - our dream come true on top of the Matterhorn - and Noah comes in to give me a hug and I throw up on his feet and burst into tears. Boris Johnson: UK should work with EU on migration Britain is seeking a "strong new European partnership" with the remaining 27 members of the EU after Brexit, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said. Mr Johnson said he wants the UK to continue to work with the EU on issues like migration following its withdrawal. He was speaking in Vienna after talks with his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz ahead of an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers which they were both attending later in Slovakian capital Bratislava. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson insisted: 'We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union.' "We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union," said Mr Johnson. "We do want a strong EU but we also want a strong UK and I think we share a vision for a strong new European partnership between the UK and the EU and ever closer relations between Britain and Austria." Mr Johnson said that Austria had been affected by the migration crisis of the past few years, adding: "One of the most important points I wanted to make is that we in the United Kingdom are very, very keen to continue to tackle that sort of issue together, whatever our relationship with the EU." Mr Kurz said: "Our goal must be that we keep strong relations between the UK and the EU and strong relations between the UK and Austria." Moussa Sissoko denies Everton were ever an option after joining Tottenham Moussa Sissoko has claimed he always wanted to sign for Tottenham and a reported move to Everton was never on the agenda. The France midfielder completed a 30million switch from Newcastle to White Hart Lane just ahead of the transfer deadline on Wednesday evening. It had been widely reported the 27-year-old was set for Goodison Park before a late change of plans, with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri claiming they pulled out of a potential deal which could have jeopardised James McCarthy's place in the team under new boss Ronald Koeman. France midfielder Moussa Sissoko played down reports he was all set to join Everton before signing for Tottenham on transfer deadline day. Sissoko, though, insisted no such proposal was ever on the agenda as he remained in London waiting to finalise his switch to Spurs. Speaking in L'Equipe, Sissoko said: "I never went to Everton. "It's funny. I was watching TV, and I saw that a deal had been done with Everton and that I had signed for them, but I was in London, waiting to sign my contract (with Tottenham) " It is true that Wednesday was rather quick, and it happened in the last hours, but the bottom line is this is done, I have finalised my transfer to Tottenham. "I knew this club really wanted me. I trusted my agent to do the job from start to finish." 50% rise in 'uniquely spelled' first names The number of "uniquely spelled" first names has shot up by around 50% in the past 20 years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. Tens of thousands of names were registered just once or twice in 2015, while there were 1,333 names recorded just three times for boys and 1,740 for girls, figures for England and Wales show. Other trends include the growing use of both hyphenated and shorter first names, the comeback of those popular around a hundred years ago and the dramatic decline of those favoured around the 1970s, ONS statistician Nick Stripe said. The most popular baby names in England and Wales are still Oliver and Amelia There were signs of the influence of migration on trends, with the eastern European variant Zuzanna over 10 times more popular than Susannah, while Muhammad became the top boys' name in two English regions for the first time - London and the West Midlands. Names like Clara, Ava and Violet, which were widespread in the early 20th century, have made a comeback, while those "from the 1970s" such as Paul, Steven and Darren have sunk dramatically in recent years. Those recently influenced by celebrities such as Jenson, Sienna and Harper remained popular. Hyphenated first names include James-Dean, Alfie-James and Archie-Lee for boys and Scarlett-Rose, Gracie-May and Ava-Leigh for girls. Among shortened names, Bobby became more popular than Robert, which dropped outside the top 100 for the first time. The influence of the royal family and celebrity culture has remained a constant, while the effect of widely watched television shows such as Game Of Thrones was evident, with scores of people naming their children after characters in the HBO series. Oliver and Amelia remained the most popular overall for the third year running. Jaxon, Roman, Reggie and Carter, broke into the boys' top 100, taking the places of Owen, Robert, Joey and Finlay from 2014. Of these, Jaxon rose the most, climbing 35 places to number 80 while Kian fell 44 places to 98, the largest decline. Penelope, Mila, Clara, Arabella, Maddison and Aria made the girls' top 100, replacing Lydia, Faith, Mollie, Brooke, Isabel and Amy from 2014. Of these, Aria showed the biggest ascent, shooting 70 places to claim the number 100 spot, while Katie dropped the furthest - 22 places to number 99, just staying inside the top 100. Siobhan Freegard, founder of parenting site ChannelMum.com, said: "Parents are once again looking across the pond for Americanised monikers. "Jaxon, a US-version of the traditional Jackson, is rocketing in popularity, after being made famous by Jaxon Bieber, half-brother of Justin." She added that Maddison "is one of the most common US girls' names and is gaining traction here". Half of the top 10 most popular boys' names in 2015 had kept their place from a decade earlier in 2005: Oliver, Jack, Harry, William and Thomas. Four out of the top 10 girls' names in 2005 kept their place, these were Olivia, Emily, Ella and Jessica. There were 697,852 live births in England and Wales in 2015, with more than 27,000 different boys' and 35,000 different girls' names registered, the ONS said. Royal Marine charged with Northern Ireland-related terrorism A serving member of the armed forces has been charged with Northern Ireland-related terror offences. Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell, 30, of Exminster, Devon, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, Scotland Yard said. He is accused of "creating and maintaining hides" in England and Northern Ireland to store explosives. PSNI officers searching properties on Old Glenarm Road in Larne, Co Antrim, as Ciaran Maxwell is charged with terror offences. It is alleged that between January 1 2011 and August 24 2016, Maxwell manufactured explosive substances and c onstructed explosive devices. He is accused of carrying out research resulting in the creation of a library of documents likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism - specifically information regarding "the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices and tactics used by terrorist organisations". Maxwell is charged with getting an image of an adapted Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) pass card and items of PSNI uniform. The Metropolitan Police said he is charged with "creating and maintaining hides in England and Northern Ireland to store explosive substances, explosive devices, components for explosive devices, ammunition, weapons, tools and resources used during the construction of explosive devices and assorted other items linked to the preparation of an act of terrorism". A separate charge says that on August 24 2016 Maxwell had a quantity of cannabis in his possession with intent to supply. He has also been charged with fraud and is accused of having images of bank cards and associated CVC numbers for use in connection with fraud between November 1 2015 and August 24 2016. Maxwell was arrested on August 24 by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's counter terrorism command, supported by Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall Police. The Met said property searches in Exminster are now complete, while searches at New Powderham Plantation in Devon will continue into next week and localised road closures will remain in place. Ireland to fight European Commission over Apple tax bill Ireland is to fight the European Commission over the 13 billion euro tax (11.1 billion) bill it slapped on tech giant Apple. The final decision was taken after two days of negotiations in the country's minority Government after concerns were raised by Independent members of the cabinet. The Dail parliament will be recalled next Wednesday to seek support for the appeal. Apple chief executive Tim Cook branded his company's 13 billion euro bill for unpaid taxes in Europe as "political crap", maddening and untrue The ruling by a Brussels competition watchdog - described by Finance Minister Michael Noonan as bizarre and outrageous - found Ireland gave Apple a sweetheart deal which ultimately allowed the iPhone maker to pay 0.005% tax in 2014 - 50 euro for every one million of profit. Mr Noonan said Europe had overstepped the mark in attempting to dictate tax laws and enforce today's laws for something that happened 10 or 20 years ago. "I believe that there are some very important principles at stake in this case and that a robust legal challenge before the courts is essential to defend Ireland's interests," he said. The minister added: "How could any investor come to Europe if their business was subject to retrospective taxes two decades later?" The tech giant's chief executive Tim Cook branded the numbers set out in Commissioner Margrethe Vestager's ruling as untrue, "political crap", and maddening. As part of the independents' support for the appeal Ireland's corporation tax system is to be reviewed, but it will not include any possibility of a change to the generous and much-maligned rate of 12.5%. On the face of it, when the Dail sits, Ireland's politicians will be asked to back plans to turn down a multibillion-euro windfall, albeit one that would have to be held in a bank account for several years while the legal challenges run their course. At the same time there is massive concern that Ireland would suffer reputational damage to an economy heavily reliant on multinationals if it does not fight Apple's corner. In the wake of the ruling, Ap ple also confirmed it has made provisions on its balance sheets for 30 billion US dollars of tax bills in the US. Mr Cook defended his company's attitude to tax and said it paid 400 million US dollars corporation tax in Ireland in 2014 and another 400 million US dollars of similarly classed tax in the US that year. He put its corporation tax bill at 26.1%. L eft-leaning political groups in Ireland insist the multibillion-euro tax windfall should go towards public services. Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the appeal was wrong and the Government was siding with big business and showing contempt for ordinary citizens. "So this is not about the EU trying to encroach on our tax sovereignty. It is about a level playing pitch and ensuring everyone pays their fair share," she said. The Anti-Austerity Alliance said: " The Government will waste public money taking a case to prevent a potential windfall of billions which could be used to dramatically change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people." Royal Marine in court accused of terror offences A Royal Marine has appeared in court charged with Northern Ireland-linked terror offences. Ciaran Maxwell, 30, of Exminster, Devon, is accused of stashing explosives and weapons in purpose built caches in England and Northern Ireland. He also allegedly compiled a library of terrorism documents, including instructions on how to make explosives and tactics used by terrorist organisations. PSNI officers and Army technical officers searching properties on Old Glenarm Road in Larne, Co Antrim He appeared in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. Maxwell, wearing a grey tracksuit and flanked by two plain-clothed officers in the dock, stood up to confirm his details in a Northern Irish accent. He has not yet entered any plea to the charges against him and was remanded into police custody. The case was adjourned until Monday at Westminster Magistrates Court to give the police more time to investigate. It is alleged that between January 1 2011 and August 24 2016, Maxwell manufactured explosive substances and constructed explosive devices. He is accused of carrying out research resulting in the creation of a library of documents likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism - specifically information regarding "the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices and tactics used by terrorist organisations". Maxwell is also charged with getting an image of an adapted Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) pass card and items of PSNI uniform. UK will be 'global leader' for free trade after Brexit, insists Theresa May The UK will be a "global leader" for free trade following the Brexit vote, Theresa May insisted, as she headed to China for the G20 summit. The Prime Minister, who faces a row with Beijing over the delayed decision on the Hinkley Point power station, maintained that we were in a "golden era" for UK-China relations. Speaking at Heathrow before boarding an RAF plane to Hangzhou, eastern China, she said: "The message for the G20 is that Britain is open for business, as a bold, confident, outward-looking country we will be playing a key role on the world stage." Prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond at Heathrow Airport Ahead of talks with president Xi Jinping she said: "This is a golden era for UK-China relations and one of the things I will be doing at the G20 is obviously talking to president Xi about how we can develop the strategic partnership that we have between the UK and China. "But I will also be talking to other world leaders about how we can develop free trade around the world and Britain wants to seize those opportunities. "My ambition is that Britain will be a global leader in free trade." Mrs May added: "I will be talking to other world leaders about the opportunities for trade around the globe that will open up for Britain following Brexit. "I will be talking about how Britain will be seizing those opportunities." The Prime Minister hopes to use the G20 summit, where she will hold talks with world leaders including US president Barack Obama, to show that the UK remains a "dependable" diplomatic and trading partner in the wake of the vote to quit the European Union. But despite holding face-to-face talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping, Mrs May is not expected to use the meeting to make an announcement on the Hinkley Point project, which is backed by Beijing's state-owned nuclear firm. Mrs May will have a meeting with President Xi on Monday, after the conclusion of the two-day G20 summit of leaders of the world's richest nations in Hangzhou. Although a decision on whether or not the Hinkley Point C project in Somerset will go ahead is expected this month, UK officials indicated it would not be announced at the meeting with the Chinese leader - fuelling speculation the plan will be scrapped or significantly altered. The French energy giant EDF, with support from China General Nuclear, had expected to build the 18 billion plant, but in a surprise move Mrs May's administration signalled a delay in making a final decision on the project amid reports of security concerns about Beijing's involvement and the high cost of energy from the power station. With the UK seeking a new role on the world stage following the Brexit vote, the decision on Hinkley Point has major diplomatic implications for relations between the UK, France and China. During the summit, Mrs May will hold her first face-to-face talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and is expected to adopt an approach of "hard-headed engagement" with Moscow. She will also have a meeting with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, with the trading relationship expected to dominate the agenda. Mrs May's talks with president Obama follow the US leader's warning that the UK would be at "the back of the queue" for a trade deal if it voted to leave the EU. But amid reports the planned US-EU trade deal has stalled, the UK hopes for talks on a transatlantic agreement of its own with Washington. During the summit, Mrs May will have the chance to mingle with world leaders - including during a boat trip on Hangzhou's lake - for the first time since the EU referendum. Former security minister Dame Pauline Neville-Jones said reassurances are needed from China on security issues surrounding Hinkley. German Fin Min spokesman declines to comment on bank mergers BERLIN, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A spokesman for Germany's Finance Ministry declined to comment on the topic of banking mergers on Wednesday after the head of Deutsche Bank called for cross-border bank mergers in Europe. China sets spy trial date for U.S. woman ahead of Obama visit By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas, Sept 1 (Reuters) - China has set a trial date for this month for a U.S. businesswoman accused of spying, charges her husband in Texas said on Thursday were false, and the U.S. State Department said it was concerned about her welfare. Sandy Phan-Gillis, who was born in Vietnam and has Chinese ancestry, was arrested on suspicion of spying by Chinese authorities in March 2015 while visiting the country as part of a trade delegation from Houston. In a statement on Thursday, her husband, Jeff Gillis, accused Chinese authorities of suppressing evidence that would weaken the case against her. "The charges are absolutely false," he said, adding that he wants U.S. President Barack Obama to ask for her release when he attends a summit with China's leader this week. The announcement of the Sept. 19 trial date renewed attention on her case just ahead of a visit to China by Obama, who is due to arrive on Saturday for a G20 summit in the city of Hangzhou. Obama is scheduled to hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday. Gillis said a main contention of the charge against his wife was that she had gone on a spy mission to China in 1996. He said her U.S. passport showed she had not traveled to China at that time and accused the Chinese Consulate in Houston of refusing to acknowledge that there were no entry or exit visas from China in that passport. This, he said, prevented her passport from being used as evidence at her trial. China's Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that Phan-Gillis, now a U.S. citizen, had been formally charged with spying. "We continue to monitor her case closely," State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing in Washington, adding that officers from the U.S. consulate Beijing had visited her on a monthly basis since she was detained. "We have repeatedly pressed Chinese authorities to provide further details of the case and to give our consular officers full and unrestricted access to her as required by the Vienna convention. We urge the government of China to review and consider seriously the ... views expressed by the U.N. working group on arbitrary detention, including its recommendation to release Ms. Phan-Gillis." At a regular briefing on Friday in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China abided by the rule of law. "Please believe that relevant Chinese authorities will strictly handle the case in accordance with the law," Hua said. UAW asks Volkswagen to accept NLRB order on Tennessee plant row Sept 1 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) urged Volkswagen to accept the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) latest order that requires the carmaker to collectively bargain with UAW local union as the representative of a portion of workers at its Tennessee plant. The NLRB on Aug. 26 ordered Volkswagen Group of America Inc among other things to recognize and bargain with UAW, Local 42, as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the employees in the bargaining unit. (http://bit.ly/2bTYSf7) "This unanimous decision makes it clear that the company has been operating in violation of federal law by refusing to come to the bargaining table," said Gary Casteel, UAW secretary-treasurer, in a statement. "We urge Volkswagen to accept the NLRB order and bargain with the local union at the earliest possible date." Volkswagen has filed an appeal against the National Labor Relations Board's order in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the company said in an email to Reuters. Volkswagen has said earlier that it will go to a U.S. federal appeals court in an effort to keep the UAW union from representing a portion of the company's plant workers in Chattanooga. Late last year, a majority of the maintenance, or skilled trades, workers at VW's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to be represented by the UAW. The vote marked a rare victory for the union in the U.S. South, where it has fought many unsuccessful battles to organize non-unionized auto plants. Pennsylvania reinstates Uber's record $11.4 mln fine By Jonathan Stempel Sept 1 (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania regulator on Thursday reinstated a record $11.4 million fine against the popular ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc for operating illegally in the state in 2014. By a 4-1 vote, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission rejected Uber's arguments that the penalty, six times larger than any it had imposed, was unnecessary and excessive. Uber, in a statement, said it intends to appeal to a Pennsylvania state court, and overturn what it called an "absurd" fine imposed for "technical violations." The PUC, which regulates taxi services and Uber rivals such as Lyft, had sanctioned Uber for having from February to August 2014 provided 122,998 rides in Pennsylvania without prior approval, and obstructing a state probe into its operations. It imposed the fine on April 21, reducing it from the $49.9 million ordered by two administrative law judges. The PUC agreed in June to reconsider the payout at Uber's request, over the objection of state officials who called the fine an "appropriate response" to Uber's "lawless conduct." Uber offered new evidence that its service benefited Pennsylvanians, and that any fine should be capped at $1,000 per day, or roughly $200,000, and not based on the number of trips. But the PUC said in its 77-page decision that Uber "failed to set forth any new and novel arguments that appear to have been overlooked or not addressed in our prior determination." In its statement, Uber said the decision sends a "troubling message that Pennsylvania is unwelcoming to technology and innovation," and shows why the state needs "permanent, statewide ride-sharing legislation as soon as possible." Based in San Francisco, Uber has drawn criticism from taxi companies losing market share, regulators concerned about driver and passenger safety, and riders upset over high prices. The PUC previously found that Uber had in 2014 posed a risk to public safety by offering rides without proof its drivers, vehicles and insurance provisions met state standards. U.S. set to approve sales of Boeing fighters to Qatar, Kuwait -sources By Tom Finn and Andrea Shalal DOHA/BERLIN, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to sell $7 billion worth of Boeing Co fighter jets to Qatar and Kuwait after years of delays, and it may start notifying U.S. lawmakers as early as next week, four U.S.- and Gulf-based sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The sales had stalled amid concerns raised by Israel, Washington's closest Middle East ally, that equipment sent to equipment sent to Gulf Arab states would be used against it. U.S. officials have criticised Qatar for alleged ties to armed Islamist groups. Boeing said it was encouraged by continued progress and hoped to see movement on the two big arms sales soon. The State Department said it could not comment on any ongoing government-to-government arms sales requests. A senior U.S. administration official said it was U.S. policy not to comment on proposed U.S. defense sales until they had been formally notified to Congress, but Washington remained committed to the security and stability of the Gulf region. "For decades, we have demonstrated this commitment through continual efforts to enhance our diplomatic relationships and build defense capacity across the region, particularly through promotion of security agreements, foreign military sales, exercises, training, and exchanges," the official said. Delays in the process have caused frustration among U.S. defence officials and industry executives, who have warned that Washington's foot-dragging could cost them billions of dollars of business if buyers grow impatient and seek other suppliers. The expected approval of the fighter jet sales comes as the White House seeks to shore up relations with Gulf Arab allies who want to increase their military capabilities. They fear Washington is drawing closer to Iran, their arch-rival, after its nuclear deal with world powers earlier this year. "It is imminent. We expect a decision next week," said an official from Qatar's defense ministry, who declined to be named as he was not authorized to speak publicly. An adviser to Qatar's military also said the deal was moving ahead. Neither commented on the cost or number of jets that would be delivered. The Pentagon and the State Department have been considering the sale of 36 Boeing F-15 fighter jets to Qatar valued at around $4 billion. They are also considering the sale of 28 F/A- 18E/F Super Hornets, plus options for 12 more, to Kuwait in a deal valued at around $3 billion. Sources said officials at both agencies had largely agreed to the deals some time ago, but had been awaiting final approval from the White House, which is now on board. "A decision by the administration is very close," said one of the sources, who was not authorized to speak publicly. Once the White House gives its formal approval, U.S. officials will start to informally notify U.S. lawmakers before sending a formal notification to Congress 40 days later, at which point the deals will be publicly announced. A third deal, the sale of F-16 fighters built by Lockheed Martin Corp to Bahrain, remains under consideration, but approval is not as far along, said one of the sources. Qatar - home to the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East - and Kuwait have ramped up military spending after uprisings across the Arab World and amid rising tensions between Gulf Arab states and Iran. Disparate crises distract from Obama bid to sign off on Asia shift By Roberta Rampton ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Barack Obama starts his last trip to Asia on Saturday as U.S. president, aiming to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific but distracted by crises ranging from Brexit to the battle against Islamic State. With the clock ticking down on his presidency, Obama will attend a G20 summit in China, a visit that will underscore the challenges he has faced with a rising world power that is both an economic partner and strategic rival. His final meetings in the region with Chinese President Xi Jinping could set the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office in January. Obama will seek to highlight his legacy of stronger ties with Southeast Asia, particularly during the first-ever U.S. presidential visit to Laos, and his success in elevating the issue of climate change on the world stage. But there will be few bright spots in talks with fellow world leaders, who are grappling with the sagging global economy, fallout from Britain's Brexit vote to leave the European Union, increasing suspicion of globalization, the fight against Islamic State militants and territorial disputes in East Asia. During his past nine trips to Asia, Obama has sometimes been distracted by other international developments from the emphasis he sought to place on boosting U.S. military and economic ties to the fast-growing region, leading critics to doubt whether the U.S. commitment will last. The latest visit coincides with the race to succeed Obama in the Nov. 8 presidential election, where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, his former secretary of state and co-architect of his Asia strategy, has opposed his Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, raising concerns from partners in the 12-nation pact. Republican nominee Donald Trump has alarmed allies like Japan and South Korea by suggesting they should pay more for their security and even develop their own nuclear weapons to protect against the threat posed by North Korea. "In Asia, one of the challenges the U.S. has had throughout Obama's presidency is one of reassurance: that we actually say what we mean what we say when we say we intend to rebalance to Asia," said Derek Chollet, a former defense adviser to Obama. "Asia partners are suspicious that even if we really mean it, that we're easily sidetracked," said Chollet, author of "The Long Game," a book about Obama's foreign policy. LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR OBAMA-XI TALKS Obama will start his visit on Saturday with China's Xi. The leaders have forged cooperation on combating climate change and curbing Iran's nuclear drive but have failed to narrow their countries' main differences. Irritants include U.S. accusations of Chinese cyber hacking, disputes over trade and Beijing's pursuit of contested claims in the South China Sea. Michael Green, a top Asia adviser to former Republican President George W. Bush, said he did not expect the Obama-Xi meeting to yield much. "No grand joint declaration as we saw early in the administration, no celebration - perhaps some agreements on climate change - but a pretty rough and scratchy relationship," Green said. Obama faces another tricky meeting when he holds talks with NATO ally Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, with relations strained over strategy on Syria's civil war and concerns about Erdogan's crackdown on opponents after July's failed coup. White House aides have left open the prospect of an informal encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which whom Obama is at sharply at odds over Syria and Ukraine. China will closely watch Obama's first meeting with brash new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, slated for Tuesday at an East Asia summit in Laos. In July, the Philippines, with U.S. backing, won a challenge against China's South China Sea claims at an international arbitration court. Despite the longtime U.S.-Philippines alliance, Duterte recently insulted the U.S. ambassador, calling him a "gay son of a whore." Evan Medeiros, Obama's former top Asia adviser, said such comments plus Duterte's skepticism about the U.S. relationship meant that trust needed to be rebuilt. The White House has said Obama will not pull his punches over human rights concerns, which include thousands of extra-judicial killings since Duterte took office two months ago, according to date released this week. Strains with Duterte could add to Obama's difficulties in forging a united front on the South China Sea with Southeast Asian partners. China may see an opportunity to "drive a wedge" between the United States and Philippines as Beijing seeks a bilateral arrangement with Philippines over the South China Sea, Medeiros said. EU's Vestager warns others, says Apple could cut bill By Alastair Macdonald and Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Other multinationals that do not employ as extreme Irish tax schemes as Apple Inc but shift profits via the country to tax havens could also be breaching EU rules, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday. She handed the iPhone maker a record 13-billion-euro bill for Irish registered units that Dublin authorities accepted were liable to tax in no country on Tuesday. She told Reuters in an interview that other firms' arrangements, which involve routing profits to Irish-registered subsidiaries tax resident in places like Bermuda, might fall foul of the Commission on similar grounds. "Taxes have been paid nowhere due to the Irish tax code," she said. Asked if the bill would have been different if the head office of Apple's Irish unit been registered and paid tax in Bermuda, Vestager said: "not much." Vestager said the core of the case against Apple was that it had an Irish registered company that booked most of the profits generated across Europe. However, since Ireland didn't deem the subsidiary tax resident there, the unit was able to report just a small taxable income at an Irish "branch." Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, and Washington have denounced the Commission ruling as an unjust raid on tax that should be paid in the United States. Apple's chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, told reporters on Tuesday that the assertion that Apple doesn't pay taxes anywhere on much of its profits is "simply wrong." "These are profits that are taxed in the United States, and for anybody that understands the U.S. worldwide tax system, this is very easy to understand," Maestri said. "We actually accrue those tax liabilities on our balance sheet on an ongoing basis and we've done it consistently over the years." Vestager said if Washington chose to tax the profits reported by Apple's Irish operation, she would reduce her demand accordingly. The United States could do this by forcing Apple to have its Irish units pay more in fees to Apple in California for the right to licence Apple patents. "If the U.S. tax authority found that the monies paid due to the cost-sharing agreement were too few ... so that they should pay more in the cost-sharing agreement, that would transfer more money to the States and that may change the books and the accounts in the States," Vestager said. Vestager said, however, that the bill would not be affected if Apple next year moved funds from its Irish units to the United States by paying dividends, even though in this case, the dividends would be taxed. She declined to discuss which other companies' affairs were being looked at by her staff beyond two publicly announced and outstanding investigations into Amazon and McDonald's in Luxembourg. She said that since being alerted to Apple's methods and other cases by a U.S. Senate probe in 2013, the Commission has been looking through about 1,000 such instances in the EU. Disparate crises distract from Obama bid to sign off on Asia shift By Roberta Rampton ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Barack Obama starts his last trip to Asia on Saturday as U.S. president, aiming to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific but distracted by crises ranging from Brexit to the battle against Islamic State. With the clock ticking down on his presidency, Obama will attend a G20 summit in China, a visit that will underscore the challenges he has faced with a rising world power that is both an economic partner and strategic rival. His final meetings in the region with Chinese President Xi Jinping could set the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office in January. Obama will seek to highlight his legacy of stronger ties with Southeast Asia, particularly during the first-ever U.S. presidential visit to Laos, and his success in elevating the issue of climate change on the world stage. But there will be few bright spots in talks with fellow world leaders, who are grappling with the sagging global economy, fallout from Britain's vote to leave the European Union, increasing suspicion of globalization, the fight against Islamic State militants and territorial disputes in East Asia. During his past nine trips to Asia, Obama has sometimes been distracted by other international developments from the emphasis he sought to place on boosting U.S. military and economic ties to the fast-growing region, leading critics to doubt whether the U.S. commitment will last. The latest visit coincides with the race to succeed Obama in the Nov. 8 presidential election, where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, his former secretary of state and co-architect of his Asia strategy, has opposed his Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, raising concerns among the 12 nations in the pact. Republican nominee Donald Trump has alarmed allies like Japan and South Korea by suggesting they should pay more for their security and even develop their own nuclear weapons to protect against the threat posed by North Korea. Derek Chollet, a former defense adviser to Obama, said one of the challenges the United States faces is reassuring governments in Asia that the United States means what it says when it comes to rebalancing towards the region. "Asia partners are suspicious that even if we really mean it, that we're easily sidetracked," said Chollet, author of "The Long Game," a book about Obama's foreign policy. LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR OBAMA-XI TALKS Obama will start his visit on Saturday with China's Xi. The leaders have forged cooperation on combating climate change and curbing Iran's nuclear drive but have failed to narrow their countries' main differences. Irritants include U.S. accusations of Chinese cyber hacking, disputes over trade and Beijing's pursuit of contested claims in the South China Sea. Michael Green, a top Asia adviser to former Republican President George W. Bush, said he did not expect the Obama-Xi meeting to yield much. "No grand joint declaration as we saw early in the administration, no celebration - perhaps some agreements on climate change - but a pretty rough and scratchy relationship," Green said. Obama faces another tricky meeting when he holds talks with NATO ally Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, with relations strained over strategy on Syria's civil war and concerns about Erdogan's crackdown on opponents after July's failed coup. White House aides have left open the prospect of an informal encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which whom Obama is sharply at odds over Syria and Ukraine. China will closely watch Obama's first meeting with brash new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, slated for Tuesday at an East Asia summit in Laos. In July, the Philippines, with U.S. backing, won a challenge against China's South China Sea claims at an international arbitration court. Despite the longtime U.S.-Philippines alliance, Duterte recently insulted the U.S. ambassador, calling him a "gay son of a whore." Evan Medeiros, Obama's former top Asia adviser, said such comments plus Duterte's skepticism about the U.S. relationship meant that trust needed to be rebuilt. The White House has said Obama will not pull his punches over human rights concerns, which include thousands of extra-judicial killings since Duterte took office two months ago, according to date released this week. Strains with Duterte could add to Obama's difficulties in forging a united front on the South China Sea with Southeast Asian partners. China may see an opportunity to "drive a wedge" between the United States and Philippines as Beijing seeks a bilateral arrangement with Manila over the South China Sea, Medeiros said. Western diplomats in Beijing, however, said the Chinese government had its own difficulties reading Duterte. "He seems to change his mind every 24 hours," said one senior Western envoy, referring to Duterte's China policy. Brazil's Temer says decision for Rousseff to keep political rights a "small" embarrassment SHANGHAI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's newly-installed president Michel Temer said the Senate's decision to allow former president Dilma Rousseff to maintain her political rights was a "small" embarrassment and played down its significance to the stability of his government. Temer was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a business summit in Shanghai, after he arrived in China on Friday to attend the G20 leaders' meeting in Hangzhou, his first global event after this week's impeachment of his predecessor, Rousseff. Brazil's Senate on Wednesday decided that Rousseff could maintain her political rights, a break with Brazilian law that specifies a dismissed president should be barred from holding any government job for eight years. Brazil's Temer says decision for Rousseff to keep political rights a "small" embarrassment By Adam Jourdan SHANGHAI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's newly installed president Michel Temer said the Senate's decision to allow former president Dilma Rousseff to maintain her political rights was a "small" embarrassment, and played down its significance to the stability of his government. Temer was speaking on the sidelines of a business summit in Shanghai, after arriving in China on Friday to attend a G20 leaders' meeting in Hangzhou, his first global event after this week's impeachment of his predecessor. "For more than 34 years I've been in public life and constantly followed these types of small embarrassments that are quickly overcome," he told reporters. "From the beginning I have always said I would wait respectfully for the Senate decision. The Senate made that decision, wrongly or rightly, but the Senate made that decision." Brazil's Senate on Wednesday decided that Rousseff could maintain her political rights, a break with Brazilian law that says a dismissed president should be barred from holding any government job for eight years. Brazilian assets seesawed after the dismissal on market fears over division in Temer's alliance following the Senate's vote, which ended 13 years of progressive Workers Party rule. Rousseff's impeachment also sparked angry reaction from leftist governments across the region. Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador withdrew their ambassadors and Brazil responded by recalling its envoys for consultations. Foreign Minister Jose Serra, who was speaking alongside Temer, denied that Rousseff's removal was hurting Brazil's reputation overseas, adding that the impact of the ambassadors' recalls would be felt by their countries. China has expressed confidence in Brazil's ability to maintain stability after the ousting of Rousseff, a message President Xi Jinping repeated during a meeting with Temer later in Hangzhou. "China has great confidence in Brazil's development prospects, as well as confidence in cooperation between China and Brazil," Xi said. "We must continue to treat each other as partners in development and strengthen cooperation, and make China-Brazil cooperation a highlight in unity and cooperative relations between developing countries." Temer told Xi that he wanted to reiterate "the need to maintain the solid relationship that has been built up over time". U.S. fights Zika mosquitoes with limited arsenal By Julie Steenhuysen Sept 2 (Reuters) - Over Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood where Zika gained a foothold in the continental United States, low flying planes have been spraying naled, a tightly controlled pesticide often used as a last resort. It appears to be working, killing at least 90 percent of the target mosquitoes. Across the Biscayne Bay in Miami Beach, wind and high-rise buildings make aerial spraying challenging. So, the effort in the popular tourist destination has focused on ground-sprayed pyrethroids - pesticides that are safer but don't always work. The arrival in Florida of Zika, a virus that can cause a crippling birth defect known as microcephaly, has drawn into focus the limitations of the U.S. mosquito control arsenal. Larvicides reduce future populations relatively safely. But for use against the mature mosquitoes that spread disease, only two classes of pesticides are approved. Each has drawbacks. Organophosphates, such as naled, are effective. But there are strict controls to limit risk. Pyrethroids are safer but have been used so much that mosquitoes, in many places, are immune. "That's really the weak link in much of the United States," said Michael Doyle, director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. "We're kind of caught off guard." DENGUE PREVIEW Doyle led a 2009 effort against a dengue outbreak in South Florida, the first in the United States in nearly a century. Authorities threw everything they had at the Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that carries Zika: backpack fogging, door-to-door yard inspections looking for watery breeding sites and larvicide spraying. Still, 88 people were infected before the virus was brought under control more than two years later, and there continue to be sporadic cases in Florida. The outbreak highlighted gaps in the mosquito control arsenal that remain, according to pesticide makers, abatement officials and entomologists. Few companies make pesticides for use in public health outbreaks, a niche market that is expensive to get into, has a limited upside and varies season to season. Safety testing a new pesticide can cost up to $250 million and take 10 years, said Karen Larson, vice president of regulatory affairs at privately held Clarke Mosquito. As long as a product remains on the market, companies must continue testing for unforeseen side effects, an expense that some makers have blamed for decisions to abandon products. "There's not a lot of profit," Larson said. Sales of the Dibrome brand of naled have been estimated at $12 million a year. By comparison, total crop pesticide sales for some companies can exceed $500 million in a single quarter. Bayer, Dow Chemical, BASF and other agricultural pesticide makers "are not interested in going after a $20 million or $30 million a year market," said William A. Kuser, investor relations director at Dibrome maker American Vanguard Corp. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved several new pesticides in recent years. But it has received few requests for using them against mosquitoes, said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for the agency's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Although it's of critical importance, the amount one can sell is small and it's variable, which makes it difficult for business planning," Jones said. "You can go many years without having much of a market at all, then suddenly, whether it's because of a nuisance outbreak of mosquitoes or something like West Nile or Zika, the market grows significantly." Abatement authorities have pressed for help with the cost of developing mosquito control pesticides. The 1996 U.S. Food Quality Protection Act includes a provision for subsidies to defray the expense of safety testing, but Congress has never funded it. RISK AND RESISTANCE At least 49 cases of locally transmitted Zika infections have been reported in Florida, most in Wynwood and Miami Beach. Most people have no symptoms or mild illness. Because of the microcephaly link, efforts are focused on preventing infection among pregnant women. In Wynwood, the campaign began with pyrethroids, synthetic versions of a chemical derived from chrysanthemums. Amid signs of resistance, authorities switched to naled. Developed as nerve agents, organophosphates, at high doses, can cause nausea, convulsions and death. They can be toxic to wildlife, including bees. The EPA considers naled safe at permitted ultra-low concentrations, and it is sprayed annually over 16 million acres in the United States. But it is banned in Europe, where the risk is seen as unacceptable. In the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, where Zika is widespread, the governor prohibited naled amid protests over safety concerns. Although naled killed more than 90 percent of mosquitoes in traps set in Wynwood, the Aedes aegypti's resilience remains a concern. "This is truly the cockroach of mosquitoes," said Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DROPPING PESTICIDES CDC entomologist Janet McAllister said pyrethroid resistance typically is limited by the mosquito's small range. When resistance to one pyrethroid develops, another often works. Still, she said, "we would love to see additional classes of insecticides available because, even in places that may have an effective tool today, that doesn't mean it is going to last down the road." The EPA can fast-track its evaluation of new pesticides and expand the use of old ones. In response to Zika, it expedited new uses for pesticide-treated bed nets and mosquito traps. Still, development of pesticides is painstaking. Even if the EPA speeds up its evaluation, required safety data can take years to collect. And the expense of ongoing safety testing has prompted companies to drop products. Bayer CropScience, for example, told distributors it dropped the pyrethroid resmethrin in 2012, rather than do additional testing. Clarke Mosquito gave up temephos, a larvicide, six years ago, because of costs, Larson said. That decision led to stockpiling in southwest Florida, said Wayne Gale, director of the Lee County Mosquito Control District. Bombs kill at least 12, wound dozens at Pakistan court By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Two bombs killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens outside a court complex in northwest Pakistan on Friday, a rescue official said, hours after militants killed two people in a Christian neighbourhood in the same region. Both attacks were claimed by Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a breakaway Pakistani Taliban faction believed to be behind some of the past year's deadliest attacks, including last month's bombing of lawyers in the city of Quetta that killed 74 people. The bodies of policemen, lawyers and other civilians were recovered, said Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," Habib told Reuters. The twin attacks in the northwest came one day after Pakistan's army touted the successes of its fight against myriad armed jihadist groups, though a spokesman acknowledged there was still a long way to go. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Friday's latest bombing would "not shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism". "These receding elements are showing frustration by attacking our soft targets. They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," Sharif said in a statement. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar's spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, vowed to stage more attacks in a statement sent to Reuters. "We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts. We will target them more," he said. More than 20 people were killed in an attack in December on a government office in Mardan, which was also claimed by Jamaat-ur-Ahrar. ATTACK ON CHRISTIAN AREA Earlier in the day, four gunmen wearing suicide-bomb vests attacked a Christian neighbourhood in the Khyber tribal region, killing at least one security guard and a civilian resident, military officials said. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, which has targeted Christians in the past, claimed responsibility within hours of the attack. The Islamist group, which briefly declared allegiance to Middle East-based Islamic State in 2014 but recently said it was no longer affiliated with them, also staged the Easter Day attack on Christians in a park in Lahore that killed 72 people including at least 29 children. The attackers exchanged fire with security forces and were killed, the military said. The area is near Warsak Dam, 20 km (12 miles) northwest of Peshawar. The official said the attackers might have been attempting to enter an adjacent security installation by exploiting weaker security arrangements in the residential area. Christians, who number around 2 million in a nation of 190 million people, have been the target of a series of attacks in recent years. SECURITY IMPROVING - BUT SLOWLY Just a day before Friday's attacks, the chief army spokesman briefed the media on the progress of the military's two-year-old offensive against jihadists in the rugged areas bordering Afghanistan. Lt. General Asim Bajwa released figures showing that terrorist attacks had fallen from a total of 128 in 2013, with 46 of those suicide attacks, to 74 last year, including 17 suicide attacks. He also said authorities had arrested more than 300 people attempting to set up an Islamic State operation in Pakistan. He added that the armed forces had killed 3,500 militants since 2014. "There used to be multiple attacks in a day across the country. And we came into (attacks every few) days. And we came into months (between major attacks)," Bajwa said. However, he acknowledged Pakistan still faced a tough fight. "I have said our objective is zero tolerance for any terrorist incidents," he said. "We want to get there." Militants operating in Pakistan - including the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban groups, al Qaeda and the Haqqani network - seek to establish strict Islamic rule. Some target the government in Afghanistan and remaining U.S. troops supporting it there, while others are bent on overthrowing Pakistan's civilian government. Still others target Pakistan's regional rival India to the east. The U.S. and others have accused Pakistan of selectively cracking down on militants that attack its own government, while sparing groups that attack in Afghanistan. Pakistan has denied that charge. Brazil government gaining clout in contentious Oi bankruptcy By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Ana Mano SAO PAULO, Sept. 2 (Reuters) - Growing tensions over Oi SA's bankruptcy process are driving some bondholders to court Brazil's government as an ally against several investors whom they view as a threat to the phone carrier's survival. Private creditors and their advisers have been meeting in recent weeks with cabinet members, state-controlled bank executives and industry watchdog Anatel about heading off rogue investors who may try to break the carrier up in the middle of Oi's reorganization, seven people directly involved in the process have told Reuters. The push to find common ground with the government comes after Brazilian officials pledged in June to keep their distance when Oi filed for bankruptcy protection in June after talks to restructure 65.4 billion reais ($20 billion) in debt collapsed. The stakes are high. Oi is Brazil's largest fixed-line carrier, employs some 140,000 people and is the only phone company in 1,800 Brazilian towns, or about one-third of the nation's 5,500 municipalities. Several state banks have lent billions in reais to Oi, leading creditors and government officials to discuss options ahead of the presentation of Oi's recovery plan expected late next week. "We envision a plan in which private creditors bear losses accordingly with their risk-taking, and no predator shareholder prevails," said a senior government official who asked for anonymity because the matter is sensitive. "The ideal would be for everyone to understand that the new Oi must provide services with quality." The prevailing view among state agencies is that some of the activist investors seeking control of Oi through litigation want the state banks acting as the carrier's lenders to take heavy loan losses - a situation the official described as "worrying." A recent plan by Brazilian distressed debt investor Nelson Tanure and his partners in fund Societe Mondiale FIA to oust part of Oi's board and present a parallel recovery plan involving the disposal of some non-essential assets has particularly spooked some in the government, some of the people involved said. While there is nothing unusual in Anatel wanting Oi to stay as a stable industry player, or in state banks seeking to minimize potential losses, their backstage role reflects the government's push to protect jobs and avert service disruptions as Latin America's biggest economy struggles with a harsh recession, the people said. Still, Anatel's official mandate only allows it to bar a bidder that already owns an existing telecom operator in Brazil, which is not true of any of the known potential acquirers. Rio de Janeiro-based Oi owes Anatel and lenders Banco do Brasil SA, Caixa Economica Federal SA and BNDES a combined 20 billion reais ($6.2 billion) - making the government the carrier's No. 2 biggest creditor after bondholders. That debt includes back fines, loans and licensing fees. For a graphic, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2bTSB2b Communications Minister Gilberto Kassab told Oi Chief Executive Officer Marco Schroeder at a meeting on Monday that the government is mainly concerned about assuring continuity of the company's services during the process. In a statement that day, Kassab said that the outcome of Oi's recovery and a planned regulatory and industry revamp will determine the fate of an industry braced for consolidation in the long run. Along with the sheer size of its claims, the government holds a major trump card: the ability to push for a thorough congressional revision of industry rules that rids Oi of mandatory spending in costly fixed-line infrastructure - a precondition for the reorganization to succeed. The government could forego the spending requirements provided that Oi has a "credible investment plan" to enhance service coverage, the senior government official said. While Congress operates independently of the executive branch, President Michel Temer's PMDB party is the biggest in the legislature. Press representatives for Brasilia-based Anatel and state lenders Banco do Brasil SA, Caixa Economica Federal SA and BNDES declined to comment, as did Brazil's communications ministry. Tanure and Societe Mondiale declined to comment, as did Oi. In a statement to Reuters, Oi's majority shareholder Pharol said it is "ready to negotiate with the different parties taking part in Oi's recovery plan as long as the rights of all shareholders are preserved." ESCALATING TENSIONS The reorganization has done little to calm tensions over Oi's future, with creditor Aurelius Capital Management LLC forcing Oi's Netherlands-based subsidiary to seek creditor protection and Tanure fighting Oi's board members. To be sure, previous attempts by the government to meddle in the reorganizations of power firms Celpa SA and Grupo Rede Energia SA cost bondholders enormous losses less than four years ago. Yet, more Oi creditors, potential new investors and minority shareholders say they want Anatel and other state agencies in their corner. Anatel, for instance, could allow Oi to swap part of its 10 billion-real debt to the regulator for new investments, two senior government officials said. Such a move needs the approval of the nation's budget auditing court. The government's clout in the Oi bankruptcy was also shown by a move in recent weeks by a group of over 80 bondholders to launch talks with BNDES, Caixa and Banco do Brasil on a common stance in formulating Oi's recovery plan. Reuters reported on Aug. 16 that the Moelis & Co-advised group has discussed with the lenders whether to give Oi a grace period of at least five years and cut borrowing costs on some debts. "It's not that every agency we talked to is following a common script, but certainly they have a clear idea of what's good for Oi, the industry and the government," according to a person familiar with the bondholder group's strategy. Likewise, New York-based boutique investment bank AGCM Inc, which is representing a group of potential bidders for Oi, has decided to hold off on a takeover proposal until it can present the plan to relevant state entities - creditors and shareholders alike - involved in the reorganization, one of the people said. AGCM and Moelis declined to comment. ($1 = 3.2264 Brazilian reais) Kazakh president to travel to Uzbekistan on Saturday - source ALMATY, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev plans to travel to Uzbekistan on Saturday, cutting short his trip to China, a Kazakh government source told Reuters on Friday. The sudden change of plans could indicate that the Kazakh government is preparing for an imminent announcement of Uzbek President Islam Karimov's death. Romania - Factors to watch on Sept. 2 Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Friday. PPI DATA Romania's National Statistics Board to release July producer prices data at 0600 GMT. DEBT TENDER Romania sold 100.6 million lei ($25.18 million) worth of July 2027 treasury bonds on Thursday, a third of the planned amount, with the average accepted yield at 3.13 percent, central bank data showed. FX RESERVES The Romanian central bank's foreign exchange reserves, excluding 103.7 tonnes of gold, rose by 309 million euros on the month to 32.97 billion euros ($36.74 billion) at the end of August, it said on Thursday. CENTRAL BANK MINUTES Romania's central bank will begin publishing minutes of its rate-setting meetings, one week after they occur. The first minutes will be published in October, following policymakers' Sept. 30 meeting. CEE CURRENCIES Receding political risks are seen boosting the Polish zloty, and the Czech crown will be helped by the likely removal of the central bank's cap in the next 12 months, a Reuters poll of foreign exchange strategists and analysts showed. CEE MARKETS Poland led a fall of Central European assets on Thursday as risk aversion ahead of key U.S. payroll figures overshadowed a pick-up in Polish and Czech manufacturing indices (PMIs). INTERIOR MINISTER Romania's Interior Minister Petre Toba resigned on Thursday pending a criminal investigation against him over allegations of shielding suspects in a case involving suspected embezzlement and abuse of power. FONDUL PROPRIETATEA Grzegorz Konieczny, Franklin Templeton's manager of Romanian investment fund Fondul Proprietatea said Romania was eastern Europe's most attractive frontier market due to high economic growth, bargain valuations, numerous high-dividend stocks and prospects for further IPOs of state firms. FORMER DEPUTY PM Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors asked parliament on Thursday to approve the start of a criminal investigation against senator and former prime minister Gabriel Oprea for the part he played in the death of a police officer. Police agent Bogdan Gigina died last year when his motorcycle crashed on a rainy evening in capital Bucharest while he was a part of Oprea's official motorcade. HACKER A Romanian man who helped expose the existence of Hillary Clinton's private email domain used during her time as U.S. secretary of state was sentenced Thursday to 52 months in prison by a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. BRD Moody's upgraded BRD - Groupe Societe Generale's deposit ratings to Baa3. For the long-term Romanian diary, click on For emerging markets economic events, click on For an index of all diaries, click on Daraya's fall piles pressure on besieged rebel bastions in Syria By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is targeting the last pockets of resistance to his rule around Damascus and Homs, building on a tactic of siege and bombardment that brought him a victory last week but drew condemnation from the U.N. As the Damascus suburb of Daraya, a potent symbol of the uprising against Assad, fell last week, the army began to put new pressure on the neighbouring rebel enclave of Mouadamiya and on the besieged al-Waer district of the western city of Homs. It is a strategy aimed at consolidating Assad's control over government-held areas in a many-fronted civil war that has drawn in regional and global powers and inflamed sectarian hatred while killing over 250,000 and displacing 11 million. "Daraya is a domino and after that others will fall," said National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar on state television. In nearby Mouadamiya the government has laid down an ultimatum: evacuate the fighters or face a military assault, according to rebels in the town. In Homs, like Daraya an early centre of the uprising, two days of heavy bombing forced rebels in al-Waer to recommence stalled talks on a similar deal, fighters there say. The fall of Daraya, whose inhabitants were evacuated through a deal with the government, dealt a major psychological blow to the opposition while encouraging the army to believe it was in reach of subduing rebel bastions around the heavily fortified capital. However, the U.N.'s aid chief, Stephen O'Brien, voiced "extreme concern" over the evacuation of Daraya, emphasizing the harsh conditions that had brought it to surrender, and warning that it set a dangerous precedent. "Let us be clear, all sieges, a medieval tactic, must be lifted," he said, adding: "What happened in Daraya should not be precedent-setting for other besieged areas in Syria." Before last year's Russian intervention that helped turn the tide of war in Assad's favour, the government had used local truces to advance the limited goal of pacifying hotspots including whole towns run by rebel-controlled councils. It allowed the army and allied militias to escalate military campaigns against the large swathes of rural Syria that are held by an array of insurgent forces, but at the cost of allowing rebels to maintain enclaves around major cities. Haidar, the reconciliation minister, added a warning in his television interview that rebel-held areas like Daraya could not "remain isolated cantons that pose a threat to the state". HELL AND A HEAP OF STONES Daraya's surrender came after two months of the heaviest bombing raids since it fell from government control in 2012, the start of an unrelenting siege that left civilians eating grass and cowering from incendiary barrel bombs, residents said. Days before rebels agreed to evacuate to northwest Syria, army tanks came within metres of trapped residents and fighters, leaving them no option but to leave en masse. "The tank and air shelling now reached the basements where our families had sheltered and huddled. They turned Daraya into hell and a heap of stones. We had no option," said Abu Jamal, head of the largest insurgent group in Daraya, the Liwa Shuhada al-Islam. Authorities moved quickly after the fall of Daraya to issue an ultimatum to the rebels of neighbouring Muadamiya, which had been spared similar destruction thanks to a local truce, fighters there said. Generals of the Syrian government's elite Fourth Brigade, based nearby, laid out non-negotiable terms to insurgents to evacuate within 72 hours or be stormed, said a rebel and member of the suburb's local council who asked not to be named. The deal would involve 5,000 rebels handing over their heavy weapons and leaving Muadamiya with light arms to join insurgent factions elsewhere in Syria. Any who chose to sever their links to the rebellion could join a new police force in the suburb. "It's not possible to get something better. We were given the choice of a comprehensive settlement or face the consequences," Ali Khalifa, a member of the rebel team negotiating with the army in Muadamiya, told Reuters. For Muadamiya it represents the end of the uprising inside the town of 45,000. "The portraits of Assad which we tore during the protests will now be back. This spells the end of our revolution here. I hope our sacrifices have not gone in vain," said Kinan Natouf, a former engineering student from Muadamiya and fighter there. INSURGENT STRONGHOLD In al-Waer, the army and rebels reached an agreement last year brokered by the U.N. involving the release of several thousand prisoners in return for an evacuation of the district's remaining fighters. As the last remaining insurgent stronghold in Homs, a city that was one of the first to rise against Assad, and which later became a symbol of resistance to his rule, it constitutes a valuable prize for the government. However, that agreement broke down and in March the army tightened its blockade. It has now started to target the area with rocket bombardments and intense air strikes said Osama Abu Zeid, a pro-opposition media activist there. "After Daraya the regime exploited what happened to dictate a new agreement that would oblige fighters and their families to leave within two weeks or flatten the neighbourhood," said Osama Abu Zaid an activist on the ground. "We rejected that and now negotiations are back over the old terms of the UN deal," he added. For many of the rebel groups, fearful of the consequences of surrender when so many of the area's inhabitants are wanted by the government for their part in the uprising, such a deal would be hard to accept. "Surrendering al-Waer to the Assad regime will be tantamount to subjecting most of the civilians there to imprisonment, torture and death," said a statement from the Armed Revolutionary Groups in al-Waer, a collection of rebel groups. CAPITAL DEFENCE The defence of the capital, just northeast of Daraya and where the army's best equipped forces are entrenched, is pivotal for the survival of Assad. But unlike in the symbolically important but comparatively isolated rebel pockets in Daraya and Muadamiya, the insurgents in the capital's Eastern Ghouta district of towns and farms hold a large, contiguous area under their own local administration. That has stopped successive military campaigns by the army to recapture the rebel stronghold of Duma, the area's largest urban centre. The outcome of the military advances in Daraya has now buoyed government hopes that a relentless bombing campaign could ultimately bring a similar result in that area, according to military analysts. However, the opposition and aid agencies decry that policy as one of "starve or surrender", saying it will make it harder in the long run to heal wounds of the civil war. Already many within the opposition say the practice of evacuating Sunni Muslim fighters and their families from home towns where many sects once mixed was drawing new demographic frontiers that will only fuel the war's sectarian overtones. Assad's Alawite sect is more aligned with Shi'ite Muslims. At least six killed, 40 wounded in blasts in northwest Pakistan - media PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded outside a district court in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least six people and wounding 40, media reported, the second attack in space of hours in the region. "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," said Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the blasts took place. "Forty wounded, six dead," he added. Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Sept 2 PRAGUE, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Friday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/2E/events-overview ==========================NEWS================================== BONDS: The Czech Finance Ministry plans to issue at least 50 billion crowns ($2 billion) worth of bonds with maturity above 5 years by the end of the year, the ministry said after reporting a record budget surplus for the first eight months. Story: Related stories: SECURITY: Russian intelligence services are conducting "an information war" in the Czech Republic, building a network of puppet groups and propaganda agents that could be used to destabilise the country, the BIS counterintelligence service warned on Thursday. Story: Related stories: TEMELIN: CEZ said the restart of nuclear plant Temelin Unit 2 will be delayed by several days. Story: Related stories: BUDGET: The surplus on the Czech central state budget at the end of August was four times as big as it was a year ago, opening the chance that the country could post its best fiscal performance in two decades. Story: Related stories: PMI: Czech manufacturing business sentiment improved in August due to increases in output and new orders but the rise lagged forecasts, the Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) showed on Thursday. Story: Related stories: CEE FX POLL: Receding political risks are seen boosting the Polish zloty, and the Czech crown will be helped by the likely removal of the central bank's cap in the next 12 months, a Reuters poll of foreign exchange strategists and analysts showed. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: Poland led a fall of Central European assets on Thursday as risk aversion ahead of key U.S. payroll figures overshadowed a pick-up in Polish and Czech manufacturing indices (PMIs). Story: Related stories: ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change close on day in 2016 vs Euro 27.009 27.053 0.16 -0.04 vs Dollar 24.124 24.537 1.68 2.96 Czech Equities 866.37 866.37 0.84 -9.41 U.S. Equities 18,419.3 18,400.88 0.1 5.71 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT =============================PRESS DIGEST======================= CEZ: Utility CEZ will supply Czech Railways with electricity for 2.1 billion crowns ($87.12 million)in 2017-18. Hospodarske Noviny, page 12 CARS: Czech car production rose 1.1 percent in the January-July period to 756,407 vehicles. Hospodarske Noviny, page 12 SKODA: Carmaker Skoda Auto, part of Volkswagen, will start production of its new SUV brand Kodiaq, which it unveiled at the Berlin car show on Thursday, in October. Hospodarske Noviny, page 14 TTIP: The Czech Republic is against any attempt to stop talks over the TTIP trade deal with the United States, Industry Minister Jan Mladek said. E15, page 2 (Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch for their accuracy.) For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com ($1 = 24.1040 Czech crowns) (Reporting by Prague Newsroom) 0-Hermine pounds Florida, then churns north into Carolinas By Letitia Stein TAMPA, Fla., Sept 2 (Reuters) - Hurricane Hermine wreaked havoc across Florida on Friday, causing widespread power outages and flooding before diminishing into a tropical storm and plowing up the Atlantic Coast into the Carolinas with a still-potent mix of high winds and heavy rains. The first hurricane to make landfall in Florida in 11 years, Hermine swept ashore early on Friday near the Gulf shore town of St. Marks, 20 miles (30 km) south of the capital of Tallahassee, packing winds of 80 mph (130 kph) and churning up a devastating storm surge in coastal areas. Torrential downpours and high surf left parts of some communities under water early Friday, with mandatory evacuations ordered in parts of five northwestern Florida counties. State officials said electricity had been knocked out to nearly 300,000 homes and businesses by afternoon. One storm-related death was reported by authorities in the northern Florida town of Ocala, where a fallen tree killed a homeless man sleeping in his tent. Hermine was expected to snarl Labor Day holiday travel as it churned northeast for several more days after battering Florida's $89 billion tourism industry. While maximum sustained winds had weakened to 50 mph (80 kph), the tempest headed to the Atlantic seaboard along a path inhabited by tens of millions of Americans, prompting storm watches and warnings as far north as Rhode Island. As of 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT), the fourth named storm of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season was passing near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, leaving some 51,000 power outages across the state, said state emergency management spokesman Derrec Becker. Becker said localized flooding hit low-lying areas across the state, and there were widespread reports of "downed power lines, downed trees, trees on cars and some flooded cars," along with isolated incidents of tree-damaged homes. One mobile home was virtually sliced in two by a fallen tree, but authorities had no reports of serious storm-related injuries or fatalities, Becker added. Likewise, emergency officials reported no storm deaths in Georgia, which Hermine swept through on its way to South Carolina, but said at least 100,000 utility customers were without power at one point. Emergency declarations remained in effect for all or parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. LIKELY TO REGAIN STRENGTH The storm was projected to creep north along the Carolina coast Friday night, then gather strength after moving offshore into the Atlantic on Saturday morning, possibly reaching near-hurricane intensity by late Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. In addition to powerful winds extending up to 185 miles (295 km) from its center, Hermine was expected to unleash a dangerous storm surge in the Hampton Roads area of tidewater Virginia, where flooding could become 3 to 5 feet deep, the NHC warned. The storm also could douse several southeastern and mid-Atlantic states with up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain through Sunday, the agency said. New Jersey, still mindful of devastation from superstorm Sandy in 2012, was on high alert as emergency officials advised residents to prepare for flooding, high winds and a surge of seawater. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday activated his state's emergency operations center and ordered officials to stockpile resources, including sandbags and generators. New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said residents should avoid beach waters for fear of life-threatening riptides. "I say that to people who go the beach, I say that to surfers: Don't even think about it," De Blasio told reporters. In Florida, concerns over the standing water in which mosquitoes breed intensified as the state battled an outbreak of the Zika virus. "It is incredibly important that everyone does their part to combat the Zika virus by dumping standing water, no matter how small," Florida Governor Rick Scott told a news conference. Overnight, crews in Pasco County, Florida, rescued more than a dozen people after their homes were flooded. Richard Jewett, 68, was rescued from his home in New Port Richey, just north of Tampa, as emergency teams carried out a mandatory evacuation. "The canal started creeping up toward the house, and even though it wasn't high tide it looked like it was coming inside," Jewett said. At least 12 killed, 52 wounded in attack on Pakistan court - rescue official PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Sept 2 (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed and 52 wounded when two bomb blasts were detonated outside a district court in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a rescue official said. "So far we recovered 12 bodies of the lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the blasts took place, told Reuters. Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Sept 2 BRATISLAVA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Friday. ALL TIMES GMT (Slovak Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA======================== Real-time economic data releases.................. Summary of economic data and forecasts......... Recently released economic data................ Previous stories on Slovak data.......... **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/1C/events-overview =======================EVENTS=================================== BRATISLAVA - Informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers. Related stories: =======================NEWS=================================== EU-RUSSIA: Russian intelligence services are conducting "an information war" in the Czech Republic, building a network of puppet groups and propaganda agents that could be used to destabilise the country, the BIS counterintelligence service warned on Thursday. Story: Related stories: RATING: Fitch Ratings has withdrawn Sberbank Slovensko a.s.'s (SBSK) ratings. Story: Related stories: CONSTRUCTION: Yit Oyj said it had started construction of significant area project in Bratislava, Slovakia. Value of first phase is about 13 million euros ($14.50 million). Story: Related stories: For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX Main currency report TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (Reporting by Prague Newsroom) Austrian Economy Minister backs EU-Canada trade deal against chancellor VIENNA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Austria's conservative Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner has backed a free trade deal between the European Union and Canada after Chancellor Christian Kern, a Social Democrat, said Vienna would oppose the agreement in its current form. Kern has said the deal with Canada, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), shares many of the problems posed by one being negotiated with the United States, known as TTIP. Kern, who leads the senior party in Austria's ruling coalition, said Austria would open up a "conflict" in the EU over the CETA. The European Commission hopes EU governments can approve the CETA before the end of October. "It would be impossible to renegotiate (CETA) chapter by chapter," Austrian newspaper Kurier quoted Mitterlehner on Friday as saying. The minister added that a joint government line had to be agreed before an EU meeting on Oct. 18. "Should we decide against the agreement (CETA), we would probably be outvoted because a qualified majority (of EU states) in favour of CETA is emerging ... In the opinion of many experts CETA is a good agreement ... It would help Canada and the EU." The European Parliament would also need to vote to allow it to enter force provisionally next year. But national, and some regional, parliaments would still need to ratify it. There are widespread concerns in Austria that the TTIP being negotiated with the United States could compromise food safety standards. Even Mitterlehner has called for a stop to the TTIP negotiations and a fresh start after U.S. presidential elections in November. However, a spokesman for Austria's powerful agricultural sector on Thursday dismissed concerns that CETA posed a threat to food safety. The head of the Federation of Austrian Industries has come out in favour of both CETA and TTIP, calling the government's debate "cowardly". Kern also opposes the idea that trade deals could allow companies to challenge government policies if they feel regulations put them at a disadvantage. The European Commission has said it remains committed to CETA and reacted to Kern's statements by saying it had not received any clarification on them yet and that the deal was too important to be discussed through the media. POLL-China home prices seen up 10 pct in 2016 on strong demand BEIJING, Sept 2 (Reuters) - China's home prices are expected to rise 10 percent this year due to robust demand, but will nearly stall in 2017 as more cities try to curb sharp price rises, a Reuters poll found. A booming housing market and government infrastructure spree helped the world's second-largest economy grow faster than expected in the second quarter, benefiting the construction industry and companies that sell building materials from steel to cement. China's average nationwide home prices are expected to rise 10.0 percent in 2016 from a year ago, according to the median of forecasts from 11 analysts. That is significantly higher than the 6.3 percent gain predicted in the last poll conducted in June. Analysts cited favourable macroeconomic policies and hot demand in more developed cities as some of the reasons behind the strong price rises. "In general, current credit policy is still relatively relaxed, and this is the reason behind the price rises in first- and second-tier cities," Home Link Research analyst Xu Xiaole said. Other analysts believed that although price rises in first- and second-tier cities have already been "oppressed" to some extent by cooling measures, capital will keep flowing into the property market given Chinese have few other good investment options. That said, analysts surveyed do expect more cities to impose curbs on home purchases this year, such as higher mortgage downpayments, as continued price rises raise fears of overheating and property bubbles. Though home price rises in China's biggest cities showed signs of easing in July from June, they have posted eye-popping gains on a year-on-year basis, with southern boomtown Shenzhen rising nearly 41 percent. Prices in Beijing and Shanghai were up 20.7 percent and 27.3 percent on-year, respectively. Poll respondents believed the enthusiasm for home purchases in bigger cities will persist, and falling inventories likely will drive up prices. Secondary markets with continuous population inflow or located near the country's largest cities, such as Wuhan, Hangzhou and Nanjing, also will see strong price growth for the remainder of this year. But prices in third- and fourth-tier cities are likely to underperform due to high inventories and sluggish demand. Nearly half of the respondents believed it would take over two to five years for inventories to clear with situations in less developed cities a particular worry. Housing inventories has been falling slowly despite strong sales this year. Almost all of the 11 respondents thought property investment would remain low through the end of this year, with a median forecast of 4 percent, after growing just 1 percent last year. Property investment in January-July rose 5.3 percent from a year earlier, official data showed, slowing from an increase of 6.1 percent in January-June. Poll respondents see Chinese home prices as expensive. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is extremely cheap and 10 is extremely over-valued, the median reply was 8, slightly higher than 7 in the last poll. Russia, Japan hold 'in-depth' talks on islands dispute By Vladimir Soldatkin and Kiyoshi Takenaka VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Friday to draw up proposals this year to end a row over a group of disputed islands that has bedevilled relations between their countries for over 70 years. The dispute stems from the Soviet Union's decision, in the final days of World War Two, to seize the islands - known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kuriles - that Tokyo says are its sovereign territory. Concessions over the islands would carry risks for Putin but could boost Japanese investment in Russia at a time when Moscow, battered by low global oil prices and Western sanctions, badly needs an injection of cash. From Tokyo's perspective, better relations would allow Russia and Japan to form a counter-balance to China, the region's rising power. Meeting on the sidelines of a business forum on Russia's Pacific coast, the two leaders agreed that officials on both sides would keep working on a draft deal that Abe and Putin would consider when the Russian leader visits Japan in December. Though Russia and Japan have strong diplomatic and commercial ties, the dispute has prevented them signing a treaty formally ending their World War Two hostilities. "Particularly regarding a peace treaty, the two of us alone had quite an in-depth discussion. It is now clearer how to proceed in talks based on the 'new approach'," Abe told reporters. "Finding a solution through leaders' mutual trust would be the only way to break away from this abnormal condition, where no peace treaty has been concluded for more than 70 years." Abe said he wanted the December summit with Putin to take place in his home town of Nagato city "in a relaxing atmosphere so that talks on a peace treaty would accelerate." "WE DON'T TRADE IN TERRITORIES" Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters he detected a new willingness from the Japanese government to find common ground. "Of course the leaders discussed the issue of a peace treaty," Lavrov said. Referring to the preparatory work being carried out by officials, he said: "There was an agreement that we will continue these consultations and the results will be passed on during the visit of the Russian leader to Japan, which will take place ... before the end of the year." Any concessions by Putin on the islands would carry political risks for him, potentially hurting the image he has crafted at home as a leader who stands up for Russian national interests in the face of outside aggression. In an interview with Bloomberg news agency before he met Abe, Putin indicated he would not contemplate giving up territory. "We're not talking about some exchange or some sale," Putin was quoted as saying. "We are talking about finding a solution where neither of the parties would feel defeated or a loser. Austrian "bad bank" bond buy-back could come Friday -sources By Kirsti Knolle VIENNA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A buy-back offer for Austrian 'bad bank' Heta bonds, a test case for new European rules aimed at ensuring a failed bank's losses are shared with creditors, could come as early as Friday, two sources told Reuters. If successful, the bond buy-back would draw a line under Austria's worst financial disaster since World War Two. "There could be an announcement late on Friday," one of the financial sources said. Austrian Finance Minister Hans Joerg Schelling said this week he expected creditors representing two-thirds of the outstanding debt to accept the offer, which would make it binding for all creditors. Austria's government reached agreement in principle with creditors in May for an offer to buy back at a discount debt of around 11 billion euros ($12.31 billion). The province of Carinthia, helped by loans from the federal government, would offer senior creditors 75 percent of the original face value and junior creditors 30 percent. The overall repayment rate to creditors is seen at about 90 percent if they also accept a special 13.5-year zero-coupon bond as a sweetener. The move in May came after Austria's financial watchdog cut the nominal value of the bulk of the bonds by more than half. Heta's bondholders include Pimco, Commerzbank , Deutsche Pfandbriefbank and Dexia Kommunalbank. Thai utility EGCO expects higher operating profit on rising capacity BANGKOK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Thailand's second largest private power producer, Electricity Generating Pcl, said on Friday it expected 2016 operating profit of 8 billion baht ($231 million), up from last year due to rising capacity at home and abroad. The utility plans to increase its generating capacity by 23 percent to 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2019, when foreign operations will account for half of that total compared to 33 percent now, President Chanin Chaonirattisai told reporters. Renewable energy and hydropower are expected to contribute 30 percent of total capacity over the next 10 years, up from 16 percent currently, Chanin said. EGCO runs 23 power plants with an installed capacity of 4,049 MW in Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia. It posted an operating profit of 4.3 billion baht in the first half of 2016. The company is developing seven power plants that are scheduled to start commercial operations from late 2016 until 2019. It is looking for an opportunity to invest overseas, especially in Southeast Asia, he said. It is also studying the possibility of five foreign projects including the Pakbeng 912-MW hydropower plant and Nam Theun 1 650-MW hydro power plant in Laos, an expansion of a geothermal power plant in Indonesia, and power plants in Vietnam and Myanmar. Its 930-megawatt Khanom Unit 4 power plant began commercial operations in June to serve electricity demand in Thailand's southern region. Hong Kong stocks hit fresh 1-year high on rush of Chinese money Sept 2 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks advanced to a fresh one-year closing high on Friday led by a burst of Chinese money into the city's blue-chips at the fastest pace in nearly 1-1/2-years. The benchmark Hang Seng index climbed 0.5 percent to 23,266.70 points, the highest close since last August, and brings the weekly gain to 1.6 percent. The China Enterprises Index gained 0.8 percent. Chinese investors stepped up buying blue-chips such as HSBC and Bank of China under the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, with weekly money inflows under the cross-border scheme surging to 17.7 billion yuan ($2.65 billion), the highest level since last April. The south-bound gush under the Shanghai Connect comes as mainland investors seek to front-run a similar cross-border link between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, expected to start in November. Chinese investors are also eagerly seeking bargains for foreign-currency assets amid the backdrop of a low-yield environment and a slowing economy at home. "Hong Kong stocks are still modestly valued. U.S. stocks look quite expensive, and Chinese stocks are not cheap," said Charles Wang, Chairman of Shenzhen-based Appleridge Capital Management Co. "There has been strong Chinese demand for overseas asset allocation, so Chinese money inflows into Hong Kong are sustainable." Chinese interest in Hong Kong stocks spiked after the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Connect is expected to be launched in mid- or late November, earlier than many had expected. On Wednesday, Chinese investors spent 4.3 billion yuan buying Hong Kong stocks under the Shanghai-Hong Kong Connect, the most since June 24, and was followed by a similar amount on Thursday and Friday. "Expectations of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Connect is one factor that pushes money southward," said Yang Weixiao, analyst at Founder Securities. In addition, "valuation of Hong Kong stocks are relatively low, attracting money seeking safety." Man Group's new CEO Ellis reshapes top team after Roman exit By Pamela Barbaglia and Simon Jessop LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Man Group's new chief executive Luke Ellis shook up the top team of the world's biggest listed hedge fund on Friday following the shock departure of Manny Roman in June. Roman left Man to head up rival mutual fund manager Pimco and analysts at Credit Suisse said the reshuffle, a day after Ellis officially took on the CEO role, was a "sensible" move that would help "tie-in key employees". The biggest change to the senior management team was the appointment of Mark Jones to group chief financial officer (CFO) from his current position of co-chief executive officer of Man's discretionary equity investment unit, Man GLG. He replaces CFO and co-president Jonathan Sorrell, who will now assume the role of president, filling the position left by Ellis. Sorrell was named co-president after Roman's exit. "We think the retention of and expanded role for Jonathan Sorrell is important," the Credit Suisse analysts said. "This change will allow him to focus all of his time on the Group's strategic and commercial development. The appointments come amid continued efforts by the London-listed firm to diversify its product offering away from a traditional focus on quantitative investment, against a backdrop of weaker returns for many global asset managers. "The firm has changed a great deal in the past few years and, with my own role also changing, it made sense to look at the way we are organised and where different responsibilities should lie," Ellis said in a statement. "From a strategic and operational viewpoint, very little will change and we will continue in a 'business as usual' manner as the changes are implemented as seamlessly as possible." Man posted a 3 percent fall in funds under management in the first half of the year and saw performance fees fall sharply, mirroring what has been a tough climate for the broader industry. Data from industry tracker Eurekahedge showed the industry chalked up its third straight month of outflows in August, with total redemptions totalling $20.7 billion, with funds which bet on equity market moves among the worst hit. Among other appointments, the firm named Sandy Rattray as chief investment officer for its Man AHL, Man Numeric, Man GLG and Man Solutions units. South Korea, Kenya to cooperate on nuclear energy SEOUL, Sept 2 (Reuters) - State-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) on Friday agreed a deal on developing nuclear energy in Kenya, as the African nation looks to broaden its sources of electricity. The company and the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board (KNEB) signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the construction of nuclear projects and sharing expertise, South Korea's energy ministry said in a statement. East Africa's largest economy aims to add nuclear power with a total capacity of 4,000 megawatts by 2033, the ministry said. Blackouts are common in Kenya, partly because of an ageing energy network and insufficient generation capacity. Many businesses in Nairobi and other big towns operate back-up generators. South Korea, the world's fifth-biggest user of nuclear power, has developed its own nuclear industry, constructing and operating its reactors through KEPCO. A KEPCO-led consortium in 2009 won a contract to build four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates, which are under construction. Germany's Merkel not distancing herself from Armenia resolution - sources BERLIN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the parliamentary leader of her conservative party that she is not distancing herself from a Bundestag resolution on the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces that has strained ties with Turkey, according to sources briefed on the matter. Volker Kauder, the head of the Christian Democrats in parliament, told a meeting of party members that he had spoken with Merkel and she emphasised her position, said the sources, who attended the meeting. Uzbekistan's president dies after quarter century in power By Olzhas Auyezov ALMATY, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Islam Karimov, authoritarian president of ex-Soviet Uzbekistan for more than 25 years, has died, officials confirmed on Friday, and in an early sign of who might succeed him, his prime minister was designated mourner-in-chief at his funeral. Karimov, who was 78 and served as Uzbekistan's president from the moment it became independent from the Soviet Union, had been in hospital after suffering a stroke. He will be buried on Saturday in his home city of Samarkand. "He has left us," Karimov's younger daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva wrote on Instagram. "God bless him." He did not designate a political heir, and analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided behind closed doors by a small group of senior officials and family members. That would preserve the system of rule Karimov established. If they fail to agree on a compromise, however, open confrontation could destabilise the mainly Muslim state of 32 million people, which shares a border with Afghanistan and has become a target for Islamist militants. The country is a major cotton exporter and is also rich in gold and natural gas. Unrest there would have repercussions for Russia, the regional power and home to hundreds of thousands of Uzbek migrant workers, and for the U.S.-allied government in Afghanistan which is fighting its own Islamist insurgency. POSSIBLE SUCCESSOR Diplomatic sources told Reuters earlier on Friday that Karimov was dead, but it took several hours before an official announcement was made, in a statement issued by the Uzbek government and parliament. That statement described Karimov as "truly great". It said Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was appointed head of the commission organising his burial. Mirziyoyev was one of the people named by Central Asia analysts as a possible successor. A 59-year-old former regional governor, he has been prime minister since 2003 and is personally in charge of agriculture, a major sector of the economy. Opposition media reports say that in dealings with his own subordinates, Mirziyoyev can fly into a temper and will resort to swearing and curses to make his point. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to acting President Nigmatilla Yuldoshev. The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying his death was a "heavy loss for Uzbekistan". Long criticised by the West and human rights groups, Karimov ruled Uzbekistan from 1989, first as the head of the local Communist Party and then as president of the newly independent republic from 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. FUNERAL PREPARATIONS In Samarkand, where Karimov's mother and two brothers are also buried, public workers were already out on Thursday cleaning the streets, prompting speculation about an imminent state funeral. Samarkand airport was declared closed on Saturday for arriving and departing aircraft except those with a special permission, indicating that the government was making way for official foreign delegations to arrive. Apart from Mirziyoyev, his deputy, Rustam Azimov, has also been seen as a possible successor. Security service chief Rustam Inoyatov and Karimova-Tillyaeva, the younger of Karimov's two daughters, could become kingmakers. According to the constitution, Yuldoshev is supposed to take over and elections must take place within three months. However, analysts do not consider Yuldoshev a serious player. Whoever succeeds Karimov will need to perform a careful balancing act between the West, Russia and China, which all vie for influence in the resource-rich Central Asian region. Another task for the new leader will be resolving tensions with ex-Soviet bloc neighbours Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan over disputed borders and the use of common resources such as water. Syrians in rebel Damascus suburb start to evacuate in deal BEIRUT, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Hundreds of civilians in the Damascus suburb of Mouadamiya began to leave the rebel-held area on Friday in what the government described as an amnesty, part of its efforts to force insurgent pockets around big cities to surrender. The move took place a week after the surrender of neighbouring besieged Daraya, one of the longest-standing bastions of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and only a few kilometres (miles) southwest of the Syrian capital. The United Nations and aid organisations have criticised the evacuation of Daraya and other besieged areas, which were not agreed under its supervision, as setting an alarming precedent for the forced resettlement of civilians after an army siege. Syrian state television showed footage of families heaving luggage through the streets and buses arriving to take them from the district. They will be transported to a temporary housing area in Harjaleh near Damascus, it reported. The 303 people leaving on Friday are civilians who had already been displaced from Daraya, said Mohammed Naim Rajab, a local official in Mouadamiya. The remaining Daraya refugees will depart during the next week or 10 days, he added. Rajab said that an agreement between the government and the rebels in Mouadamiya would be implemented after that. He gave no further details. After the surrender of Daraya a week ago, some of its thousands of residents moved to the Harjaleh housing facility, while those who wished to remain in rebel-held areas, along with fighters, were taken by bus to rebel-held northwestern Syria. Conditions in Mouadamiya had been less harsh than in Daraya since it agreed on a limited local truce with the government in late 2013, allowing aid to enter the suburb in return for a halt to combat. Syrian National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar was quoted on state television this week as saying such pockets of rebel territory could no longer be permitted to exist. "Daraya is a domino and after that others will fall," he said, adding that such areas could not "remain isolated cantons that pose a threat to the state". Rebels still hold a large swathe of Eastern Ghouta, the district of farms and towns that stretches northeast from the capital and has been a stronghold of the opposition since Syria's uprising began in 2011. Likely key players in a post-Karimov Uzbekistan Sept 2 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, an authoritarian ruler who has warned of a militant Islamist threat to the whole Central Asian region, has died after suffering a brain haemorrhage, three diplomatic sources said on Friday. Karimov has run the ex-Soviet republic of 32 million - the region's most populous - with an iron grip for 27 years and speculation is rife over who will succeed him. Below are some of the key figures who analysts say may play a crucial role in deciding who runs post-Karimov Uzbekistan. SHAVKAT MIRZIYOYEV * A 59-year-old former regional governor has been prime minister since 2003 and is personally in charge of agriculture, a key sector of the economy. Many Central Asia experts see him as a possible successor to Karimov. * As prime minister, Mirziyoyev has been a pliant subordinate of Karimov and at the beginning was seen as a transitory figure who would not be in his post for long. With time, Karimov has learned to respect him as a talented manager. * Opposition media reports say that in dealings with his own subordinates, Mirziyoyev can fly into a temper and will resort to swearing and curses to make his point. RUSTAM AZIMOV * A fluent English speaker who headed a local bank at the age of 33, the 57-year-old finance minister is seen as relatively liberal-minded and competent. * A government member since the late 1990s and always linked to the finance portfolio, Azimov has been a key figure leading uneasy talks with international financial institutions critical of Uzbekistan's slow market reforms and heavy state interference in the economy. * Analysts say Azimov is a much stronger politician than Mirziyoyev and is likely to be better equipped to deal with the outside world. But a key question is likely to be who can secure the backing of the security services and the army. RUSTAM INOYATOV * The 72-year-old has run the powerful SNB security service for 21 years and is widely seen as Uzbekistan's main kingmaker. * He was a key figure in suppressing an uprising in the eastern Uzbek city of Andizhan in 2005 when 187 protesters were killed, according to official information. * Inoyatov's influence spreads far beyond the SNB and he is actually in control of the army and police, many of whose senior officers also come from his feared secret service. * "His word will be the final one in deciding who will lead Uzbekistan after Karimov," said Uzbek journalist Alexei Volosevich, adding that Inoyatov had not displayed any presidential ambitions himself. * His support has been particularly crucial for the political fortunes of Mirziyoyev, Central Asia expert Arkady Dubnov told independent news agency www.fergananews.com. LOLA KARIMOVA-TILLYAEVA * Karimov's younger daughter is also expected to have a say in deciding who will succeed her father, analysts say. * The influence of Uzbekistan's 38-year-old ambassador to Paris-based UNESCO has risen in the past couple of years after Lola's elder sister Gulnara - an outspoken and extravagant socialite and fashion designer - was reported to have fallen out with her father and was placed under house arrest. * In a rare contact with mass media, Lola said in a written reply to questions from the BBC in 2013 that she had no political ambitions and declined to say who she thought could succeed her father. She also said at the time that she had not been on speaking terms with her sister for more than 12 years. TIMUR TILLYAEV * Little is known about Lola's husband. She said in the BBC interview that Tillyaev was "a businessman who has never taken part in Uzbekistan's political life". She said he was a shareholder in a trade and transport company and owned a small chain of shops in Geneva. * Sources in Tashkent told Reuters that Tillyaev's transport company supplies goods from China to the largest wholesale market in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital. * The couple and their children moved to Switzerland after selling almost all of their property in Uzbekistan, Lola said in the 2013 interview. * Deliberately distancing themselves from Uzbek politics, Lola said her husband "had never been linked to the cotton business, or oil and gas, or any other national natural resources". Turkey eyes better ties with Egypt, Syria in future - PM ANKARA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Turkey, which patched up strained ties with Israel and Russia, aims to normalise relations with Egypt and even rebuild ties in future with Syria, where it has launched a cross-border offensive, the prime minister said on Friday. "God willing, there will be normalisation with Egypt and Syria," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a televised briefing with ministers. "Turkey has started a serious attempt to normalise ties with Egypt and Syria." He did not give a timeline for restoring ties with either of the Arab nations. Any improvement would mark a further shift in its regional foreign policy that has shown of signs of increasing pragmatism, analysts say. Turkey has long called for President Bashar al-Assad to quit as part of a political solution in its conflict-torn neighbour, but has recently been less vocal about the need for him to leave immediately, concerned more by the prospect of Syria's division and the potential creation of a Kurdish enclave on its border. Ties with Egypt have been strained since the Egyptian army, under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ousted the elected Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests. Turkey built close ties with Egypt's first Islamist president. Turkey's decision to rebuild Israeli ties, strained over the Palestinian issue, and Russian relations, broken over Turkey's shooting down of a Russian warplane over Syria, signalled a more pragmatic approach in Turkish foreign policy, analysts say. Apple appeal against EU tax demand would break new ground By Tom Bergin LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he will appeal the European Commission's ruling that his company received an unlawful 13 billion euro ($14.5 billion) subsidy when Ireland gave it preferential tax deals and that he was confident the decision would be reversed. But over a dozen lawyers, including three advising companies on appeals, told Reuters it was impossible to predict how EU courts would rule in an area that has not been tested before. State aid cases have up until now centered on targeted tax laws that countries introduce with an obvious aim of attracting investment and jobs by reduced tax bills. In the Apple case, and several others, the Commission has been investigating whether member countries' tax authorities were secretly giving tax breaks by being too generous in their application of accepted tax principles. The Commission believes some member states allowed companies to shift profits into untaxed subsidiaries by approving inappropriate transfer prices -- the prices subsidiaries of multinational companies charge each other for intra-group transactions. Most experts said the EU judges dealing with any Apple appeal to overturn the ruling would be focused on whether the European Commission has strayed too far into dictating national tax policy by rejecting Ireland's view of transfer pricing. "What Apple and Ireland have done sounds really outrageous but the last word has not been spoken as to whether the Commission can use transfer pricing rules to identify what a subsidy is," said Herwig Hofmann, Professor of law at the University of Luxembourg. "There's a good argument to be made that if you want to do that, actually you have to harmonize tax laws and you don't have the power to do that." EU law says only governments can approve a harmonization of tax systems. The Commission has also been investigating tax transfer pricing at Fiat, McDonald's, Starbucks and Amazon.com Inc. The companies and the countries which gave the rulings all deny special treatment was given and have launched, or are considering, legal appeals. NO SPECIAL ADVANTAGE Some lawyers say that Apple's arrangement was legal in Ireland and theoretically available to any company and so the California-based company could not have received a advantage that was selective - key factors in most state aid cases. "There's nothing that I have seen in any of the cases that have been taken by the European Commission that suggests there is selective application of the rules," Tim Wach, Global Managing Director at international tax advisors Taxand. However, other lawyers note that Apple's unusual tax structure - involving companies which are tax resident nowhere - means its tax rulings are unlikely to have many close comparators. And the rulings lead to a less than 1 percent tax rate -- something most other companies don't enjoy. "If I had to bet my dollar on something here, I think Apple could have a hard time overturning the selectivity argument," said Georg Berrisch, a partner at Baker Botts in Brussels. Last year, the European Commission published a list of six tax rulings and 59 "measures similar in nature or effect" since 1991, which it had challenged on the basis of state aid rules. It was successful in almost all cases. Officials say these show its current actions are in line with previous precedents. Many experts in the field disagree and last week the U.S. Treasury issued a detailed paper which assessed earlier cases and said "in none of the 65 cases involving State aid nor in any other cases examined by the U.S. Treasury Department, did the Commission challenge how a Member State tax authority applied its own transfer pricing rules in granting a specific ruling." OVER TO THE COURT Europe's highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), will hear any appeal by Apple. The court usually backs the Commission, but lawyers say it sometimes disagrees in state aid cases where it usually comes up against countries. The Irish government is still considering whether to launch its own separate appeal. Some lawyers say ECJ judges are influenced by political considerations and that if the Commission's rulings prompt a major spat with the United States and member states don't support the Commission, the court may hesitate to enforce a tax demand of up to 13 billion euros plus interest. So far, France and Germany have voiced support for the Apple ruling. The UK, which has voted to leave the bloc, filed a submission in support of the Commission's case against Fiat, according to lawyers involved in the case. The UK declined comment. A spokeswoman for the court said political considerations do not come into its decisions. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager agreed. "I don't think the courts will hear any kind of political opinions or feelings or what's in your stomach or whatever. They want the facts of the case," she said. The ECJ could decide the Commission is allowed to challenge transfer pricing but knock back the Commission's methodology for calculating Apple's bill. That would leave the door open to a smaller tax demand being levied. "The amount isn't set in stone at all, I think this figurehead of 13 billion, that is yet to be analyzed in detail," Hofmann said. If the court backs the Commission, the executive would theoretically be free to challenge hundreds of other complex tax arrangements used, mainly by U.S. companies, to minimize taxes on European sales. A Reuters investigation in 2013 showed that at least 74 percent of the 50 biggest U.S. technology companies, including Google and Facebook, use practices similar to Apple's to reduce their tax bills. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/23/us-tax-bigtech-idUSBRE96M08W20130723 Ireland is now supposed to calculate exactly how much Apple owes, which is typically paid ahead of an appeal, using the Commission's methodology. However, a quirk of the Apple ruling may delay this. The Commission said other EU countries could claim some of the 13 billion euros by re-assessing the income of Apple subsidiaries on their territories. Apple's appeal will first be to the EU's General Court, which will take two to three years to rule, lawyers say. A likely appeal to the ECJ could take another two years. In meantime, lawyers will be watching more advanced cases. Denis Waelbroeck, of law firm Ashurst in Brussels, who is advising Luxembourg on its appeal in the FIAT case, said the General Court could give a ruling on that next March. German govt stands by Armenia resoution, says it not legally binding BERLIN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The German government on Friday said it was not distancing itself from a parliamentary resolution on the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces that has strained ties with Turkey, but emphasised that the measure was not legally binding. Yemen's Houthi leader says US provides political cover for Saudi strikes SANAA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The leader of Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi faction accused the United States of providing logistical support and political cover for Saudi-led air strikes in the 18-month Yemeni conflict. In his first published interview since the start of the civil war, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi also told the Houthis' quarterly magazine his group was open to a peaceful solution of the conflict, in which at least 10,000 people have died. "The United States plays a major role in the aggression ... including logistical support for air and naval strikes, providing various weapons ... and providing complete political cover for the aggression, including protection from pressure by human rights groups and the United Nations," he said. The United States is a key ally of Saudi Arabia, which has come under fire from human rights groups over the air strikes that have repeatedly killed civilians in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and its allies, which have intervened in the conflict in support of the exiled government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, see the Houthis as proxies of their archrival Iran. The Houthis deny this and say Hadi and Saudi Arabia are pawns of the West bent on dominating their impoverished country and excluding them from power. U.N.-sponsored talks to try to end the fighting collapsed last month and the Houthis and allied forces loyal to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh have resumed shelling attacks into Saudi Arabia, Yemen's large northern neighbour. In his interview, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi said his opponents did not understand the meaning of real dialogue. "The hurdle facing negotations and dialogue is that the other party wants to achieve through the talks what it wanted to achieve through war, not understanding that the path of dialogue and peace is different to the path of war," he said. Last month U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he had agreed in talks in Saudi Arabia with Gulf Arab states and the United Nations on a plan to restart peace talks for Yemen with a goal of forming a unity government. Germany insists lawmakers be allowed to visit soldiers at Turkish base BERLIN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - German officials have told Turkey that German lawmakers must be allowed to visit 250 German soldiers stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, and expect a visit planned in October to occur, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday. Matthias Schaefer, spokesman for the ministry, said Turkish and German officials remained in talks about the issue. He said it remained to be seen how Turkish officials responded to requests from lawmakers to travel to the base in October. Turkey had banned lawmakers from visiting the base in response to a June parliamentary vote declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a "genocide." German officials have said the resolution is not legally binding. Questioned on Gabon violence, France says won't meddle in Africa PARIS, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Friday that France's days of meddling in African countries' politics were over, as former colony Gabon counted the cost of riots that followed a disputed election. The foreign ministry in Paris, along with the United States and the European Union, on Wednesday urged Gabonese authorities to release election results from individual polling stations for greater transparency. The spokesman for the winner, President Ali Bongo, rejected that request on Thursday. Interviewed on France 2 television on Friday, Ayrault said: "We are Africa's partners but we do not want in any case to intervene in countries' internal affairs. That would be disrespectful of Africans, they don't ask for it". France acted only when countries requested Paris' help, he added. On Sunday, Bongo's allies had expressed anger over a French Socialist Party statement declaring that early results showed challenger Jean Ping to be the winner. They accused it of failing to respect the sovereignty of a country where 14,000 French citizens live, and which hosts a French military base with 450 troops. They said it harked back to the era of La Francafrique, when Paris played puppet-master in African countries decades after post-colonial independence, propping up leaders like Bongo's father in exchange for pushing business to French firms. Following Wednesday's announcement of Bongo's narrow victory, Ping accused authorities of rigging the ballot There are recent precedents of France becoming involved in African countries such as in the Ivory Coast in 2011. After Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down following a disputed election, France went to the United Nation's Security Council to get a mandate to send troops and help swing a civil war in favour of Bagbo's rival Alassane Ouattara. CLE Cigar Company, the cigar company founded by Christian Eiroa, and Reyes Family Cigars, the company founded by the late Rolando Reyes, Sr. have announced they have entered into a strategic partnership. The partnership brings together two of the iconic cigar making families in Honduras the Eiroa and the Reyes familie.s While all of the details of the partnership have not been disclosed, it was announced that CLE would handle sales and marketing for Reyes Family Cigars. Meanwhile the Reyes family will remain in control of its Aliados factory in Honduras. The announcement of the partnership was made in a press release by CLE. The move appears to be strategic to both companies. The brands sold by Reyes Family Cigars are all grandfathered brands, thus giving CLE a series of new products its sales force can sell. For the Reyes Family, it allows for them to focus more on its factory and production that takes place there. In a press release announcing the partnership, Christian Eiroa commented, Rolando Reyes was a mentor to me and over the years spent countless hours teaching me about tobacco and cigars in general, definitely one of the greatest men I have ever known. He was known for his simple life and true passion and dedication for his craft. Just being around him inspired me to love tobacco and cigars and taught me to never accept good enough' Reyes Family Cigars is currently run by Carlos Diez, the grandson of Rolando Reyes, Sr. According to Eiroa, Puros Indios and Cuba Aliados will be the first two brands distributed. On these brands Eiroa commented, The taste of these cigars is like nothing else you have tasted and if you are new to cigars, you are in for a treat. Rolando Reyes Sr. could blend cigars like nobody else. When you smoke your first Puros Indios and Cuba Aliados cigars it will be like taking a time machine back and being able to taste what made many of these great men, great!' The distribution agreement goes into effect on Monday September 12, 2016. Image / Photo Credits: Provided by CLE Cigar Company Mega Financial's new chairman promises reform after U.S. fine By Faith Hung and Liang-Sa Loh TAIPEI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Mega Financial Holding's new chairman said the Taiwan state-controlled firm will strengthen risk management after its banking unit was hit by a U.S. fine for anti-money laundering violations, a case that has hugely embarrassed the island's government. "There are lots of doubts about us. We'll do whatever we can to find out what has happened," Michael C.S. Chang, 68, told reporters on Friday. "We are going to have a deep review and thorough reform." Chang, who took up his post on Friday, will have to clean up what Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called a "ridiculous and incredible" matter, which is threatening to seriously undermine her three-month-old administration. New York authorities in mid-August slapped Mega International Commercial Bank with a $180 million fine for violations that included lax attention to risk exposure in Panama, the first time in a decade that a Taiwan-based financial institution has been penalized by U.S. authorities. Taiwanese financial regulators flew to Panama and New York this week to continue their investigation into whether Mega's activities led to breach of any Taiwanese laws. In 2009, Mega's banking unit also ran afoul of Australian authorities over compliance and anti-money laundering rules. A trained accountant, Chang is known as a firefighter who has dealt with Taiwanese lenders in crisis before. Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), during its previous term in office, appointed Chang as chairman of First Financial Holding Co, another major state-controlled financial firm, where he held the position from 2006 to 2008. Chang's predecessor, Shiu Kuang-si, quit on Wednesday two weeks after being appointed as chairman, in a bid to address allegations of conflicts of interest. Shiu was president of Mega when the suspect transactions took place, and he is the brother-in-law of Taiwan's central bank chief. Another former Mega chairman, Tsai Yeou-tsair, who resigned in March, has been banned from travel abroad, while a former finance minister has been questioned by prosecutors. Taiwan Premier Lin Chuan has also had to weather calls to resign, with critics blaming him because the boards of state-controlled financial institutions are packed with government-selected appointees. The case has embroiled the central bank, which prides itself on being an independent institution and has been headed by Governor Perng Fai-nan, 77, for 18 years. This week the central bank was forced to issue rare statements stating Perng was involved in the Mega case only at the request of other financial regulators in Taiwan. Financial Supervisory Commission Vice Chairman Kuei Hsien-nung in early August requested Perng's help to plead with U.S. authorities, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for more time for Mega to deal with the case. WIDER IMAGE-Exploring the ancient Lao capital of Luang Prabang LUANG PRABANG, Laos, Sept 2 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will visit Laos next week to attend a regional summit, making him the first U.S. president to visit the once-isolated Southeast Asian country. As part of his trip, Obama will visit the northern city of Luang Prabang. Protected by the United Nations cultural heritage agency UNESCO, Luang Prabang is one of the most alluring places in the region - a city that evokes old-world romance that has gained a reputation as a travellers' Shangri La. Here are some key facts about Luang Prabang, a former royal capital turned tourist destination. ANCIENT CAPITAL Luang Prabang, in northern Laos, is encircled by lush mountains and sits at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. It was the capital of the Lao kingdom for more than 200 years until 1565 when power was moved to Vientiane and away from the threat of invaders. After the establishment of a French Protectorate in 1893, following a period of turmoil during which Laos was divided into three independent kingdoms, Luang Prabang once again became the country's royal and religious capital. French rule ended in the 1950s and was followed by years of civil war and regional conflict. After the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao replaced the monarchy with a communist government in 1975 and the country retreated into isolation. Foreign tourists were not allowed to return until 1989. RICH HERITAGE Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, the old town is a fusion of Buddhist architecture and French colonial villas nestled on a peninsula formed by the two rivers. On its website, UNESCO says the "well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions". However, the agency noted "some threats to the site due to the rapid development of the town and strong economic pressures, many of which are related to tourism". SLEEPY BACKWATER NO MORE The country's tourism sector has seen rapid growth with arrivals up 13 percent to 4.6 million in 2015 from the previous year. Most visitors are from neighbours Thailand, Vietnam and China, but South Korea, Japan, Europe and North America are key markets as well. Visitors to Luang Prabang can explore by bicycle or by boat along the city's waterways. The main historic area offers a variety of boutique hotels, restaurants and galleries. A night market selling brightly coloured woven shawls, Lao coffee, carved wooden souvenirs and paper lanterns takes over the main road in the evening. ALMS FOR MONKS Tourists and residents alike often rise early and head toward Sisavangvong road to watch the silent, ancient ritual of Buddhist monks processing through the streets in their orange robes, collecting alms of sticky rice and other food. TRANQUIL TEMPLES Among the dozens of temples in Luang Prabang, Wat Xieng Thong is the best-known, dating from the 16th century. Highlights include a tiny, ornate red chapel in the courtyard, and intricate wall decorations encrusted with tiny glass mosaic tiles. Swiss lower house avoids clash with EU over immigration BERN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Switzerland's lower house of parliament will address legislation that gives local people hiring preference to help limit immigration from the European Union, averting a direct clash with the EU by rejecting unilateral quotas on foreigners. The move was announced on Friday by parliament's Political Institutions Committee, which had to come up with compromise draft legislation to go to the full chamber. "We rejected that the government should be able to decide measures that violate the free movement of people," committee member Kurt Fluri told reporters. Free movement of people is a key pillar of EU policy for countries that want to join its lucrative single market. Britain voted in June to leave the EU, in large part to stop unlimited immigration of EU citizens. Switzerland's cantons last week proposed local hiring preferences as a way to ease pressure on domestic job markets without infringing too much on EU free movement rules. The "bottom-up" protection plan comes with the European Commission and Switzerland entering the home stretch in negotiations over immigration curbs that Swiss voters demanded in a 2014 referendum and which must take effect by February 2017. The talks are crucial for Switzerland, which had threatened to impose unilateral limits next year and will be scrutinised for potential hints of what kind of deal Britain might expect following its Brexit referendum. Gabon residents, troops take to streets of capital after post-election riots By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome LIBREVILLE, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Soldiers were deployed in the Gabonese capital Libreville on Friday as residents ventured back onto the streets, buying provisions and surveying damage after two days of riots sparked by a disputed presidential election. Clashes across the city led to three deaths and up to 1,100 arrests by Thursday afternoon, the interior minister said, as supporters of defeated challenger Jean Ping - who claimed the ballot was fixed - faced off against state security forces. Some shops in the city centre were open on Friday but there was little traffic, and locals expressed concern that the violence - which former colonial power France and others in the West had condemned while calling for greater transparency over the election result - might return. "It's a shame that after such a peaceful election we've arrived at such a deplorable situation," said Paul Ndzembi, 57, part of a small group discussing events on a street in the city centre. "We're afraid the situation will get worse." The country's electoral commission declared President Ali Bongo the election winner by a narrow margin on Wednesday, extending his family's near half-century rule over the oil-producing Central African country for another seven years. Ping, a former close ally of the president who fathered two children with his daughter, called on Bongo to step down on Wednesday. Demonstrators set fire to parliament hours after the election result was announced. The interior of the assembly hall was completely gutted, with seats and tables reduced to cinders, according to a Reuters witness. In the rioting that followed, television stations, supermarkets, shops, and homes were looted in Libreville. Violence also erupted in other cities and provinces, the interior minister said. 'INTERVENTION DISRESPECTFUL' France, the United States and the European Union on Wednesday urged the authorities to release polling station results for greater transparency, a request Bongo's spokesman rejected on Thursday. Allies of Bongo, whose family has cultivated close relations with a succession of French presidents, expressed anger on Sunday over a French Socialist Party statement declaring that early results showed Ping to be the winner. They accused France of failing to respect the sovereignty of a country where 14,000 French citizens live, and which hosts a French military base with 450 troops. Interviewed on Friday on France 2 television, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: "We are Africa's partners but we do not want in any case to intervene in countries' internal affairs. That would be disrespectful of Africans, they don't ask for it". France acted only when countries requested Paris' help, he added. Soldiers, deployed throughout Libreville on Thursday to reinforce the police, were positioned at crossroads on Friday and the elite republican guard ensured security near the presidential palace. Riot police were also visible. President Bongo visited the parliament building late on Thursday and also met with two police officers being treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital. Mother Teresa's mission lives on in Kolkata, grows worldwide By Subrata Nagchoudhury and Sunil Kataria KOLKATA, India, Sept 2 (Reuters) - On the eve of her canonisation as a Roman Catholic saint, and 19 years after her death, the order founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta is going strong - even without her charismatic leadership. The Missionaries of Charity gained world renown, and Mother Teresa a Nobel peace prize, by caring for the dying, the homeless and orphans gathered from the teeming streets of the city in eastern India. They also drew criticism for propagating what one sceptic has called a cult of suffering; for failing to treat people whose lives might have been saved with hospital care; and for trying to convert the destitute to Christianity. While staying true to their cause, the Missionaries of Charity say they have responded to their detractors. "There is no change in our way of treating the sick and dying - we follow the same rule that Mother had introduced," said Sister Nicole, who runs the Nirmal Hriday home in the ancient district of Kalighat, the first to be set up by Mother Teresa in 1952. The nuns no longer picked up people "randomly" off the streets, she said, and only took in the destitute at the request of police. "Any good work will be challenged - but if the work is genuinely good it will survive such criticism and carry on to be God's true work," said Nicole. PRAYER AND WORK Hundreds of thousands are expected to gather in Rome on Sunday for a canonisation service led by Pope Francis, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, in front of St Peter's Basilica. Kolkata, as the former capital of the British Raj is now called, is holding prayers, talks and cultural events. But no major ceremony is planned to mark the path to sainthood for the two miracles of healing attributed to Mother Teresa. The low-key mood reflects an often-heated debate over religious intolerance in India, a predominantly Hindu country of 1.3 billion people. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said Indians felt "proud" about the canonisation, the head of a Hindu grassroots movement that supports his government provoked controversy last year by accusing Mother Teresa of seeking to convert people to Christianity. Her order denies this. Kolkata Archbishop Thomas D'Souza played down any suggestion that Mother Teresa was not loved and respected by people of other faiths in a city that is home to 170,000 Roman Catholics. "Mother is certainly not a goddess to them," he told Reuters. "But she is deeply venerated and people - cutting across caste, community and creed - are respectful to her work." The everyday work of the Missionaries of Charity goes on, meanwhile. On a recent day at the spartan Kalighat home, male inmates with shaven heads and wearing green uniforms lay on bunks. Women ate in a canteen while others were cared for by volunteers. One inmate, a man of about 40 called Saregama, had just died. "Saregama died with dignity and care," said Sister Nicole. "We prayed for him." The number of homes that the Missionaries of Charity run has grown to nearly 750 in India and abroad, from the 600 that Mother Teresa left when she died in 1997. At Mother House, her old headquarters down a narrow lane, the mood was one of silent prayer. Inside, a notice still hung on the wall saying: "Time to see Mother Teresa: 9 am to 12 noon/3 pm to 6 pm. Thursday closed." Cannabis booths torn down in Danish free town Christiania By Annabella PultzNielsen and Nikolaj Skydsgaard COPENHAGEN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Residents of the 'free town' of Christiania in Copenhagen began tearing down cannabis-selling booths on its main street on Friday, two days after a shooting incident rocked one of Denmark's favourite tourist attractions. Known to Danes as "the town", Christiania was founded on abandoned military grounds by squatters in 1971 and is known for its rainbow-coloured hippie houses and its cannabis trade, which generates approximately 1 billion Danish crowns ($150 million) a year, according to police. Free town residents decided at a gathering on Thursday night to start demolishing the booths, concerned that Christiania's liberal drugs culture has been taken over by organised crime. "I'm not a smoker myself, but I am pro-legalizing. There are so many smokers in Denmark, and it cannot be fair that only 600 residents of Christiania should deal with all the trouble of supplying the entire country," said one of them, Tanja Fox. On Wednesday evening two police officers were shot during a routine operation while attempting to arrest a known drug-dealer, and one is still in critical condition. A civilian was hurt by gunfire. The suspected shooter was arrested and died on Friday of gunshot wounds sustained during the operation to capture him. The drug trade is run by bigger gangs according to Danish police, who from time to time remove the cannabis booths only to see them up and running again the next day. "If they start building up the booths again tonight, then well, we're here tonight as well. The plan is to continue tearing them down until it works," Christiania resident Helene Schou said. "I'm not saying hash should disappear completely from Christiania, but we needed a kiosk and what we had was a supermarket." Copenhagen police director Thorkild Fogde told reporters: "This is not just about hash. It's about organized crime and violence. I hope that what we're seeing today is an attempt to actively help the police." Christiania has become Copenhagen's fourth biggest tourist attraction, with half a million visitors a year. "This is too bad. We went here to buy actually, and this was one of our highlights of the trip to Copenhagen," said 22-year-old German tourist Mick, who did not want his last name used. Latvia gas utility owners approve assets spin-off By Gederts Gelzis RIGA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The owners of Latvia's gas utility Latvijas Gaze approved on Friday a spin-off of its gas transportation and storage assets, ahead of market liberalization next year, the company said at a shareholders' meeting. Latvijas Gaze, 34 percent owned by Russia's Gazprom , imports and sells pipeline gas from Russia and operates the region's only underground gas storage. Anton Belevitin, Gazprom's representative at the meeting, said the Russian supplier voted in favour, but it was "forced" to do so because of legal requirements. Latvia's parliament amended the energy law in February, requiring the company to split, as EU rules do not allow gas suppliers and traders to control pipelines, and to open the gas market to competition from April 2017. Latvijas Gaze's other shareholders include EU's infrastructure fund Marguerite with a 28 percent stake, Germany's Uniper with 18 percent, and Latvian gas trader Itera Latvia with 16 percent. Gazprom, Uniper and Itera would most likely be required to dispose their shares in the new company, Zane Kotane, Latvijas Gaze board member, said on Aug. 17. Aigars Kalvitis, Latvijas Gaze's chief executive and the country's former prime minister, told Reuters he did not see the reorganisation posing a risk to gas supplies from Russia. "Latvijas Gaze has a long-term supply agreement (with Gazprom) and we don't see such risks," Kalvitis said, adding that the agreement runs until 2030. Belevitin declined to comment on Gazprom's plans after liberalization, saying he was not authorized to speak about it. While gas prices for industrial users will be liberalized from April next year, households could buy gas under regulated prices until April 2019. Gas companies from neighbouring Baltic states, Lithuania and Estonia, might be interested in selling gas in Latvia, when the market is open, Kotane has said. Latvia's power producer Latvenergo has sought to import gas from neighbouring Lithuania, but plans were blocked by Latvijas Gaze. Conexus Baltic Grid, a planned gas grid and storage company, is expected to start operations by around the end of this year, Kalvitis said. Reorganisation would mean that gas transportation tariffs in Latvia will have to increase, because the new company will not be able to cover its costs with revenues from gas sales, he added. Austria drops talk of 'conflict' over EU-Canada trade deal VIENNA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Austria toned down its opposition to a free trade deal between the European Union and Canada on Friday, two days after social democrat Chancellor Christian Kern had vowed to start a 'conflict' over the agreement. While the so-called CETA accord is all but sealed, the Austrian leader's opposition reflects concerns widely shared in other EU countries, particularly France and Germany, over a bigger trade deal with the United States, known as TTIP, which is still being negotiated. Kern on Friday launched a campaign to inform his party's members about both CETA and TTIP, saying he would invite experts and decision-makers to join a nuanced and balanced debate. Party members would have the option of voting for and against certain parts of the deals online and by telephone to help the government form its position, Kern said. He did not repeat the word 'conflict' which he had used on Wednesday. Kern is worried the deals could allow companies to challenge government policies if they feel regulations put them at a disadvantage, and that they may harm social and environmental standards in Europe. "The cleanest path would be to renegotiate," Kern said of CETA. "But I believe... that will be difficult. Apart from us almost nobody wants to completely reopen this cask." He told reporters he would strive to give as much power as possible to national parliaments over investment disputes and environmental and social standards. The European Commission hopes EU governments can approve CETA before the end of October. The European Parliament also needs to vote to allow it to enter force provisionally next year, and national and some regional parliaments would need to ratify it too. UN chief urges Sri Lanka to redress wrongs of war By Shihar Aneez COLOMBO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Sri Lanka to do more to redress wrongs committed during 26 years of war with Tamil rebels, including returning land and restoring the accountability of the judiciary and security services. Ban, on a three-day official visit, praised the efforts of President Maithripala Sirisena's administration since coming to power last year to address some rights abuses committed during the war. "But more can and should be done to address the legacy of the past and acknowledge the voices of the victims," he told a gathering in Colombo, without mentioning the army or the rebels. "Sri Lanka is still in the early stages of regaining its rightful position in the region and the international community." Dozens of Sri Lankan nationalists, who back ousted president Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Thursday protested against Ban's visit, demanding he leave the island and stop an investigation into alleged abuses at the end of the civil war. Rajapaksa's administration crushed the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009. The United Nations and rights groups have accused the military of killing thousands of civilians, mostly Tamils, during the final weeks of the conflict. The Tamil Tigers were also accused of widespread abuses during the conflict, such as using child soldiers and targeting civilians with suicide bombers, including an attack on the central bank in 1996 which killed nearly 100 people and wounded more than 1,000. Sirisena's administration has established offices to look into reconciliation and missing persons while it also has returned some military-occupied lands in the north. However, Sirisena, also the defence minister, has yet to withdraw the military from the former war zones. Ban said there was still much work to be done "in order to redress the wrongs of the past and to restore the legitimacy and accountability of key institutions, particularly the judiciary and the security services". "I also urge you to speed up the return of land so that the remaining communities of displaced people can return home. In parallel, the size of the military force in the North and East could be reduced, helping to build trust and reduce tensions." Ban also visited northern Jaffna, centre of the wouldbe homeland of the rebels, where he said the United Nations would help Tamils in the resettlement process. Judge in French Riviera's Nice deals further blow to burkini foes PARIS, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Attempts to ban burkini-clad women from the beaches of France's Riviera coast suffered a further setback when a judge in the city of Nice declared the prohibition of the body-hiding swimwear to be illegal there. The verdict delivered on Thursday was the latest of several rulings against bans imposed by local authorities in dozens of southeastern beach resorts in the peak holiday month of August - bans that sparked intense controversy inside and outside France. Nice, where 86 people died in an Islamic State militant attack in July, was one of some 30 towns in the largely right-wing part of the country to ban the burkini on the grounds that it presented a threat to public order. The burkini, which is predominantly worn by Muslim women and covers all of the body bar face, hands and feet, has become a target at a time when identity politics is gaining traction following a string of deadly Islamist attacks in France. The bans have exposed secular France's difficulties grappling with religious tolerance in the wake of the attacks. Nice became a symbol of the burkini-ban controversy when local and foreign media relayed pictures of police ordering a woman lying on the beach to remove some of the clothing that covered most of her body. The United Nations human rights office earlier this week called on French beach resorts to lift their bans on the burkini, calling them a "stupid reaction" that did not improve security but rather fuelled religious intolerance. While the controversy may wane with the end of the summer vacation period, the burkini furore highlighted the tensions set to dominate ahead of elections next May. While traditionally Catholic but also home to large Jewish and Muslim communities, France has made the strict separation of church and state a cornerstone of political life for well over a century. Bomb hits military vehicle in Turkey's southeast -security sources DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A blast from a roadside bomb hit a passing military vehicle near the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir on Friday and the Kurdish militant PKK was suspected to be behind the attack, security sources said. Turkey says air strikes destroy Islamic State sites in Syria ANKARA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Turkish air strikes destroyed three buildings used by Islamic State on Friday in north Syria, the military said, the latest action in a 10-day cross-border offensive by Turkish-backed forces that is targeting jihadists and Kurdish militias. The warplanes struck Arab Ezza and al-Ghundura, which lies a short distance south of the Turkish border and west of the town of Jarablus, which was the first place seized by Turkish-backed forces when they crossed the border on Aug. 24 into Syria. Colombia at peace could produce 20 mln sacks of coffee by 2020: gov't BOGOTA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Colombia could produce as many as 20 million sacks of coffee a year by 2020 if a peace accord with Marxist FARC rebels is approved by the nation in a plebiscite and more coffee is grown in areas once overrun by war, Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas said. Coffee output this year is expected at between 14.5 million and 15 million of the 60-kg sacks, Cardenas said late on Thursday. Colombia is the world's top producer of high-quality arabica beans. The government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) agreed last week to end a five-decade war that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions. Colombians will decide during a plebiscite on Oct. 2 whether they approve the accord. The FARC, a drug-funded insurgent group, has pledged to help clear landmines that have been sewn across the country, and Cardenas expects many farmers to switch from production of coca, the raw material for cocaine, to coffee after peace. "With peace, by 2020, the coffee harvest could reach 20 million sacks, with peace new areas that couldn't be reached before could be cultivated," he said. "What peace means in economic terms for farmers is better conditions, more security, better support for families," he said. Colombia's coffee farmers are bracing for heavy rains which are expected to come later this year along with the La Nina weather phenomenon. The downpours come just after an extended period of drought caused by El Nino, with both extreme weather issues causing problems for coffee growers. Migrants lured by sex into Egypt's backstreet kidney trade, says report By Tom Esslemont LONDON, Sept 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Brokers in Egypt's underground trade in human body parts use prostitutes to tempt migrants to sell their kidneys as hospitals turn a blind eye to illicit dealing in donated organs for transplants, a report says. Undocumented African migrants arriving in Cairo, desperate for cash, told the British Journal of Criminology that sex workers were offered as a "sweetener" before or after removal of their organs. "(One pimp) used the services of sex workers as leverage when negotiating fees with both sellers and buyers," the report said. "A night with a sex worker was offered as an extra inducement to sell." Organ purchase is banned in Egypt, though the country is a common destination for transplant tourism, along with India, Pakistan and Russia, according to separate research by Erasmus MC University Hospital Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In April, images published on social media showed the badly scarred bodies of Somali migrants on an Egyptian beach, suggesting they had had organs removed. In July, a British newspaper reported that African migrants were being killed for their organs in Egypt - a common transit country for migrants - if they could not afford to pay off their people smugglers. "The Egyptians come equipped to remove the organ and transport it in insulated bags," people smuggler Nouredin Atta was quoted by Britain's Times newspaper as telling investigators after his arrest. The picture of organ trading in Egypt extends beyond the criminal underworld, with mainstream hospitals conducting transplants using kidneys procured through backstreet deals, according to Sean Columb, the report's author. Columb, a law lecturer at Liverpool University in Britain, spent weeks in the Egyptian capital interviewing brokers and donors, mostly from Sudan. Nobody from Egypt's Health Ministry was immediately available to comment on his findings. While the buying of kidneys is banned in Egypt, it is not illegal to pay for a transplant procedure, Columb's report said, with some recipients paying up to $100,000 for a new organ. Little data is available on the amount donors receive in Cairo, but one of the 13 sellers Columb spoke to said he was paid 40,000 Egyptian pounds ($4,500) for his kidney. Deals were usually struck in a public place, such as a cafe, in the company of a broker and representative of a registered transplant laboratory, the report said. Egypt, at a crossroads between the Middle East, north Africa and the Mediterranean, has become a major transit hub for thousands of migrants and refugees seeking to enter Europe. Around one in 10 - or some 10,000 - migrants and refugees arriving in Italy from the north African coast have sailed from Egypt since the start of the year, the International Organisation for Migration said, with the remainder traveling from Libya. THUGS, THREATS AND EXTORTION Blurred lines between the illegal purchase of kidneys and legal transplant operations means organ removal is rarely reported to the authorities, Columb said. "Should a transplant professional (surgeon) suspect that an organ has been donated illegally there is no legal duty to report this to the relevant authorities," the article said. Surgeons turn a blind eye to the fact that some migrants give up body parts against their will, the report said, while some brokers threaten donors with big fines if they don't go ahead with removal. "The doctors don't want to know anything. They take the money without question," one broker told Columb. "It is possible the brokers connected to the laboratories could have been part of a more traditional organised crime structure with links overseas," Columb told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The report cites the case of one donor who said security guards imprisoned her in an operating theatre while her kidney was removed. The operation left her with persistent abdominal pain, meaning she has little choice but to work as a prostitute, the report said. Another would-be donor decided not to go ahead with the operation despite receiving threats from brokers. "She informed the (Egyptian and Sudanese) brokers of her decision not to go ahead with the operation, but they insisted that it was too late for her to reconsider, as the health checks and surgery had already been paid for," the report said. The woman said she continued to receive threats from the organ traffickers, who told her they would come and take her kidney, that nobody would care and she would get nothing, according to the article. Global data on illicit organ removal is scant. According to the 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), only 12 countries reported cases of trafficking for organ removal between 2010 and 2012. Victims of this type of exploitation represent just 0.2 percent of trafficked people, UNODC said. Turkish police use tear gas on protesters near Syrian border -security sources ANKARA/BEIRUT Sept 2 (Reuters) - Turkish security forces used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a group of protesters along the Syrian border on Friday, Turkish military sources said, but denied suggestions that they opened fire and killed at least one civilian. The protesters were demonstrating against Turkey building a wall on the Syrian border near the Kurdish Syrian town of Kobani, the security sources said. An official from the Kobani town council, Anwar Musallim, told Reuters that Turkish forces used live ammunition as well as tear gas. Musallim cited a local health official saying that one 17-year-old had been killed and 83 people wounded. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that one child had been killed and more than 30 people injured. When asked about the reports, Turkish military sources said: "A group approached the border and attacked construction machinery, workers and soldiers on the border with stones. Tear gas and water cannon were used against them. There has been no incident of opening fire." Footage from Kurdish news agency ANHA showed young men, some of them in bandanas, throwing stones from the Syrian side of the border as Turkish security forces sprayed them with water cannon in an attempt to push them back. Kobani is about 35 km (22 miles) east of the Syrian border town of Jarablus, which Turkey-backed rebels seized last week from Islamic State in an incursion which has also seen clashes with Syrian Kurdish militia fighters. Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. But it views the Syrian Kurdish YPG, which is backed by Washington, as an extension of Kurdish militants who have waged a three-decade insurgency on its own soil. Singapore says Zika infections spread, nearly 190 cases SINGAPORE, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Singapore said on Friday it had found 38 more people who had contracted Zika, raising to 189 the number infected with the mosquito-borne virus since authorities reported the first locally transmitted case six days ago. Some of the new cases had been detected in areas where infections had not previously been reported, the health ministry said in a statement. The ministry did not specify the locations, but the virus has been spreading daily beyond an initial cluster. Singapore, a regional financial centre and transit hub, is the only Asian country with active transmission of the virus. On Thursday, it said the caseload had jumped to 151 infections, including two pregnant women. Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly - a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized - as well as other brain abnormalities. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last year in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly. In adults, Zika infections have also been linked to a rare neurological syndrome known as Guillain-Barre, as well as other neurological disorders. The United States, Australia and other countries have added Singapore to the growing list of places that pregnant women or those trying to conceive have been warned to avoid. The first locally transmitted Zika infection in Singapore was reported on Saturday, with the initial tally including many foreigners believed to be among the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the island's construction industry. As the outbreak spreads, many of Singapore's five million people are covering up and staying indoors to avoid mosquitoes as health experts warn that virus in the tropical city-state would be difficult to contain. The Zika outbreak comes as Singapore prepares to host the floodlit Formula One Singapore Grand Prix motor-race on Sept. 18. Race promoters have said preparations were going according to plan. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. EUROPE POWER-Fall in solar output lifts German spot for Monday PARIS, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The German spot power price for early next week delivery rose on Friday on an expected decline in solar power output. The year-ahead contract was under pressure as oil futures fell. Solar power supply in Germany for Monday is forecast to fall by 2.1 gigawatts (GW) to 4.5 GW compared with 6.6 GW recorded on Friday, according Thomson Reuters data. German prices are seen rising despite a 2.1 GW increase in wind power supply and a slight fall in consumption with temperatures expected to fall by 2.6 degrees Celsius on average. In France, power consumption on Monday is seen down by 1.2 GW as temperatures fall by an average 2.2 degrees Celsius after two weeks of scorching weather that boosted demand for air conditioning. German baseload power for Monday delivery rose 1.5 euro to 32.50 euros ($36.36) a megawatt hour (MWh) compared with the price paid for Friday delivery. The equivalent French contract was untraded with a bid/ask price of 36.5/37.5 euros/MWh from the Friday close of 33.50 euros/MWh. Along the forward power curve, prices were mixed on Friday. Benchmark German Cal'17 fell slightly despite gains in coal and gas as oil headed for the biggest weekly loss in nearly eight months. Cal'17 baseload power 0.08 percent to 25.95 euros/MWh, while the equivalent French contract rose 15 cents or 0.48 percent to 31.60 euros/MWh. European coal prices for 2017 rose 0.95 percent to $58.7 a tonne. Front-year EU carbon allowances fell 6.85 percent to 4.08 euros a tonne. The Czech year-ahead position was down 0.5 euros at 26.65 euros/MWh, while the spot price for Monday was untraded, but quoted with a bid/ask price of 33 /36.50 euros/MWh. South Africa says minister, not cabinet, asked for Gupta accounts inquiry By James Macharia JOHANNESBURG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - South Africa's presidency said on Friday that a minister not a cabinet team had asked for a judicial inquiry into why banks cut ties with a company belonging to the Gupta family, conflicting messages from a government which appears increasingly divided. On Thursday, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane had said the inter-ministerial team, set up by the cabinet in April and led by him, had cabinet backing for its proposal to set up such an inquiry to consider legal action against the banks. That could trigger further turmoil after markets were rocked by a police investigation of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. South Africa's Treasury is also in public rows with state-owned companies over their dealings with firms linked to the Guptas, who have been accused of holding undue sway over the President Jacob Zuma. The statement from Zwane's team said the banks that had closed Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments' accounts were influenced by "innuendo and potentially reckless media statements". The prominent business family is accused by the opposition of being behind Zuma's abrupt sacking of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December, a move that rattled investor confidence and triggered calls for Zuma's resignation. The Guptas have denied using their friendship with Zuma to influence his decisions, including on cabinet appointments, or to advance their business interests. The president has acknowledged the Guptas are his friends but denies any improper behaviour based on that. REGRET OVER CONFUSION On Friday evening, presidency spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga said in a statement that the proposals by Zwane, which had drawn criticism from political commentators, were not the views of the inter-ministerial team, nor the cabinet. Ngqulunga said the presidency regretted the confusion caused by Zwane's statement, which "was issued in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the task team or Cabinet". As part of its recommendations, Zwane said his team also urged Zuma to set up a state bank and called for new banking licences to be issued to end the "oligopoly" in the industry. He also said that although Gordhan was one of the cabinet team's members, he did not take part in its meetings. Asset manager Futuregrowth said earlier this week it had decided to stop lending money to six state-owned companies because of the swirling political uncertainty. Gordhan said on Friday that Futuregrowth's decision was a "very concerning development". Speaking to the SABC news broadcaster in China, where he has accompanied Zuma for a G20 meeting, Gordhan said "we in the Treasury have been warning both political figures and people who run some of our institutions to be careful ... and make sure your governance is right". "Don't think that the world is not watching us in some of the things that are happening in some of these SOEs (state-run enterprises). Those people are not obliged to lend us money." Gordhan is embroiled in a separate investigation into whether he used a tax service unit to spy on other politicians - something he denies - and that has also put markets on edge about the fate of Africa's most industrialised economy. Several banks and companies had cut ties with Oakbay, including South Africa's top four: Standard Bank, Nedbank, Barclays Africa's Absa and First National Bank (FNB), part of FirstRand. In April, Oakbay approached government departments including the presidency to express "deep disappointment" over the account closures, saying this made it "virtually impossible" to do business in South Africa. A family spokesman for the Indian-born businessmen, who moved to South Africa in the early 1990s, said any inquiry would not change plans announced on Saturday for the Guptas to exit their South African businesses this year. Britain committed to European foreign policy, security - Johnson BRATISLAVA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Britain is committed to European foreign and security cooperation even though it is preparing to leave the European Union, its foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said on Friday as he arrived for talks with other EU ministers. Johnson, a former mayor of London and a colourful politician with a long record of gaffes and scandals, was a high-profile "Leave" campaigner in Britain's June referendum which resulted in a vote to quit the EU bloc. As Britain and the other 27 EU states gear up for painful divorce talks, Johnson reiterated that Britain "may be leaving the European Union but we are not leaving Europe." "The British government, under Theresa May, is absolutely committed to participation in European foreign policy cooperation and European defence and security co-operation," he said. EU's foreign ministers are meeting in Bratislava to discuss the bloc's strained ties with Turkey, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where the so-called Minsk peace accord for the east of the country has stalled. "The events in Ukraine are still very worrying, and it's important I think that we continue to keep pressure up on Russia and we see progress based on the Minsk Agreement," Johnson said. Portugal business boss worried government focus may harm growth By Andrei Khalip LISBON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The Portuguese government's focus on raising consumption will fail to stop the economic slowdown and could complicate deficit and debt reduction as investment keeps falling, the chief of the country's main business lobby warned. Antonio Saraiva, president of the Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP), told Reuters his group was worried by this week's final second-quarter GDP data that showed growth well below levels promised in the budget. He did not share the government's optimism that a pick-up is under way. "We don't have investment or economic growth worthy of the term," said Saraiva, citing the quarter-on-quarter expansion of 0.3 percent. "We are worried because the main engines, investment and exports, are cooling off." Some analysts say weak growth could undermine Portugal's last investment-grade credit rating that keeps it eligible for bond purchases by the European Central Bank, potentially setting off a new debt crisis after a 2011-14 EU/IMF bailout. With this year's budgeted growth target of 1.8 percent now practically unachievable and most economists seeing a slowdown from last year's 1.5 percent, Saraiva said the government must focus on promoting investment and exports in next year's budget, to be presented next month, by implementing much-needed reforms. The minority Socialist government, backed in parliament by the hard left, took over in November and has reversed many austerity measures of the previous administration to give more income to households in the hope of boosting consumption. Portugal had imposed painful austerity under its bailout terms. However, domestic demand growth slowed to just 0.2 percent from the previous quarter's 0.6 percent and 1.3 percent a year ago, while investment fell and exports grew less than in 2015. "The domestic market is small and supply volume saturated - it's not enough to solve the growth problem. When this government makes its main bet on private consumption and higher income, this does not give us tranquillity," Saraiva said. Investor doubts about whether the government will survive if the leftist parties reject budget cuts likely to be required next year have also affected investment decisions, he said. The government touts a fall in second-quarter unemployment to five-year lows of 10.8 percent as a sign that growth is picking up. But Saraiva said that "all other indicators are worrisome" and the good jobless data are linked to the country's tourism boom, which means many summertime jobs are temporary. Prime Minister Antonio Costa vowed this week that even with the current growth this year's deficit target of 2.5 percent of GDP will be achieved. But Saraiva said the longer-term sustainability of deficit and debt was at stake. He criticised the administration for quietly shelving a gradual corporate tax reduction announced by its predecessor and urged it to provide more tax clarity and stability to investors. While lauding the government for pushing for less red tape for businesses, he said the main concern for companies was the slowness of the justice system that often means years before firms can receive what they are owed via courts. "The justice reform for the economy has failed," he said, referring to the previous government's attempts to unclog the courts after much pressure from the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund. Germany's Varta Microbattery prepares stock market listing -sources FRANKFURT, Sept 2 (Reuters) - German battery maker Varta Microbattery is preparing a stock market listing to generate cash for expansion, several people close to the matter told Reuters. Its owner, Swiss investor Montana Tech Components , is working with investment banks on a potential initial public offering (IPO) that could value Varta at between 400 million euros and 600 million euros ($448 million to $671 million), one of the sources said. The source said that shares worth between 150 million euros and 200 million euros could be offered. "We continuously examine financing options for all of our investments," a Montana Tech spokeswoman said. Representatives of Varta were not available for immediate comment. Varta specialises in batteries for hearing aids, headphones and wearable consumer electronics, as well as energy storage systems for homeowners and small businesses. Such systems can be used to store electricity from roof-mounted solar panels. The company achieved 200 million euros in annual sales last year, with core profit (EBITDA) of more than 30 million euros. Varta expects rapid growth in the coming years, particularly in the energy storage sector as German subsidies for the sale of renewable energy are phased out. It plans to use proceeds of a potential IPO, which could take place this year or in early 2017, for investments and acquisitions, another of the sources said. Varta Microbattery, the origins of which can be traced back to the 19th century, formerly belonged to German industrial group Varta, which was taken over by Deutsche Bank in 2000 and then broken up into three smaller units. The car battery operations were taken over by Johnson Controls and the household batteries business was merged with U.S. group Rayovac, now called Spectrum Brands , both in 2002. The microbattery business was snapped up by Montana Tech in 2007. ($1 = 0.8936 euros) Colombians would approve peace accord in plebiscite -report BOGOTA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Colombians would vote in favor of a peace deal between the government and Marxist FARC rebels even as the nation remains deeply divided over the agreement, local media reported on Friday, citing a poll. After almost four years of complicated talks in Havana, the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) agreed last week to end a five-decade war that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions. A poll by Cifras y Conceptos, the first since the agreement was reached, showed that 62 percent of Colombians who decide to participate in the plebiscite would vote in favor of the deal, local radio station Caracol reported on Friday. The poll says 28 percent would vote against and 10 percent are still undecided, Caracol reported. Reuters did not immediately have access to the poll. Colombians will decide during a plebiscite on Oct. 2 whether they approve of the accord. Voters will be asked to respond yes or no to a single question: "Do you support the accord that puts an end to armed conflict and constructs a stable and durable nation?" Some 4.5 million votes need to be cast for a yes or no win. The question has been criticized by opposition legislators for being too one-sided toward a yes vote. President Juan Manuel Santos, who has staked his legacy on peace, has launched a campaign to convince Colombians to back the accord. But he faces fierce opposition from powerful sectors of the country - including popular right-wing hardliner Alvaro Uribe - who believe the only solution is to finish the FARC militarily. Still, while many are upset with the terms of the agreement, they see it as the only way to end the conflict. Under the 297-page accord, FARC leaders accused of crimes will serve alternative punishments including clearing land mines in order to be cleared for political participation. The 7,000-strong rebel group will also be given non-voting congressional representation until 2018 and from then until 2026 receive 10 voting seats whether they have electoral support or not. Chile's ex-President Lagos says he is ready to run for reelection SANTIAGO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said on Friday that he will run again for the country's highest office in 2017, possibly pitting the center-left politician against another ex-president, conservative Sebastian Pinera. Lagos, 78, led the Andean nation from 2000 to 2006. He said in a statement that he wants to give continuity to reforms the ruling center-left coalition has implemented. Socialist President Michelle Bachelet's government has introduced sweeping changes to the tax code, education and the electoral system. But a series of scandals around politicians financing their campaigns with illegal contributions and allegations of dubious business dealings by her daughter-in-law have sapped Bachelet's political capital, while reduced tax revenue due to a sluggish economy have made it harder to pay for the reforms. Bachelet, who is facing historically low approval ratings, has been forced to curtail her ambitious reform agenda. "The great challenge is to give continuity to and improve the reforms the country has implemented, addressing the difficulties that exist," said Lagos. A survey by pollster Gfk Adimark released on Friday showed that 18 percent of respondents said they would prefer Pinera to be reelected president next year, followed by 5 percent who preferred Lagos. Tensions rise in Germany's Turkish diaspora, mirroring splits in Turkey By Paul Carrel and Andrea Shalal BERLIN/COLOGNE, Germany, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Ercan Karakoyun has long played a prominent role in Berlin's Turkish community, promoting education and dialogue among Muslims and Germans of other faiths. Now, however, whenever he can, Karakoyun avoids the bustling streets where many Turks live in the German capital. He says he has received six death threats via email and Facebook that are being investigated by police. "One message said: 'We know where your daughter goes to school'," he added. Karakoyun heads the Foundation for Dialogue and Education in Germany, a movement that supports Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric Turkey blames for July's attempted coup. The group has been active in Germany for many years, operating 150 tutoring centres in the country, 30 government-recognised schools and a dozen interfaith dialogue projects. It has long been seen as a moderate Islamic group although it has faced criticism over a lack of transparency. Now though, tensions are rising among the community of 3 million people with a Turkish background in Germany following the failed putsch. They have split into supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his opponents, and they are vying for influence. The divisions mirror those that are now in stark relief in Turkey between Erdogan's supporters and two other groups - Gulen backers and ethnic Kurds. Karakoyun said ties with Erdogan supporters had been strained for several years but the situation had spiralled out of control since the coup was thwarted. "Erdogan's witchhunt in Turkey against Gulen supporters is now being carried out here," Karakoyun said. The rivalries have raised questions about a failure to better integrate Turks, some of whom have lived in Germany for decades. They have also deepened scepticism in Germany about migrants at a time when Chancellor Angela Merkel is under fire over her open-door refugee policy. The government has a policy headache. Although concerned about Turkey's record on human rights and a crackdown on opponents since the failed coup, it needs Ankara's help to stem the flow of migrants from countries such as Syria. KURDS PLAN TO MARCH One immediate concern is a march planned in Cologne on Saturday by leftist groups and Kurds, who account for one in three immigrants from Turkey. This follows a ban on a large, annual Kurdish festival nearby which angered the Kurds, especially as Erdogan supporters were allowed to hold a rally in Cologne on July 31. Security officials worry that Erdogan supporters could take to the streets to counter the Kurdish march, expected to attract about 30,000 people, and that there could be violence. Tempers flared when Germany's top court prevented Erdogan from addressing the July 31 rally via videolink. With many people of Turkish origin just back from summer holidays in Turkey, there are concerns that passions have been fuelled by media coverage "back home" which is dominated by criticism of Germans, coup plotters and Kurds. "We cannot allow this conflict to be imported to German soil. We have to pay particular attention to those cases where massive pressure is being applied to Germans with a Turkish background here," Nicola Beer, general secretary of Germany's libertarian Free Democratic Party, told Reuters. Community leaders say a pervasive and longstanding sense among young Turkish Germans that they are shunned in society makes them pliable and more attuned to the political mood in the homeland, to which they feel attached but barely know. "Because they (young Turks) are ill-informed (about events in Turkey) many get emotional quickly. Some are charged like ticking time bombs," said Kazim Erdogan, 63, a psychologist who is no relation of Turkey's president. "The atmosphere (in the Turkish community in Germany) is completely poisoned. We are at a tipping point." Lists of businesses identified as backing Gulen, and calling for boycotts of their products or services, have appeared on social media. "We are outing these parallel forces and their henchmen!" read one entry, listing over 20 firms in the Stuttgart area, at least one of which denies such links. Turkish officials say the German government's concerns about tensions in the Turkish community are overblown and the majority of Turks in Germany have rallied behind Erdogan since the coup. Sixty percent of Turks in Germany voted for his AKP party in the latest national elections, according to the Organisation of Turkish Communities in Germany. QUESTIONS ABOUT INTEGRATION But Labour and Social Affairs Minister Andrea Nahles told Reuters after meeting Turkish groups in Berlin's Kreuzberg neighbourhood that the situation was "ripping families apart." Government officials are worried about the role played by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) which operates through some 900 associations across Germany, most of which are mosques with imams dispatched from Turkey. "DITIB is used to spread the Turkish government's message in Germany," Ole Schroeder, deputy interior minister and a member of Merkel's conservatives, told Reuters. Politicians from right and left want DITIB's influence curbed, and many, including Schroeder, are calling for the group to stop importing clerics who are trained in Istanbul. DITIB has denied being steered by the Turkish government or posing any threat to Germany. Merkel has urged Turks in Germany to show "loyalty to our country," a comment that divided her ruling coalition and pointed to growing angst about strains in the Turkish community and Ankara's influence on it. Tensions with Ankara grew when German parliament passed a resolution in June declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide. They rose further when a government report in August called Turkey a hub for Islamist groups, and government data show a quarter of the 850 militants who have left Germany to fight for Islamic State had a Turkish background. Cansel Kiziltepe, a Social Democrat member of the Bundestag lower house of parliament, said the situation showed Germany had not implemented any meaningful integration policies until the early 2000s. French customs seize record meth haul in food cargo from Cameroon PARIS, Sept 2 (Reuters) - French customs have seized a record haul of the drug methamphetamine disguised as cereals from Cameroon at Roissy airport in Paris with a street value of about 3.8 million euros ($4.26 million), they said on Friday. The drug weighed about 51 kg (112.44 lb), making it the biggest single seizure of the drug on French territory. In a statement, the customs department said customs officers checked two boxes that had been declared to contain food coming from the Cameroon capital of Yaounde en route to Malaysia. "In the boxes, they found sachets of cereals including several which were unusually heavy. Opening them, methamphetamine crystals were discovered wrapped in aluminium foil," it said. It did not say if any arrests had been made. Drug networks are increasingly using West and Central Africa as a transit point for drugs from Latin America to Europe, the United States and Asia. They also use the region as production zone for meth because of weak controls on imports of meth ingredients. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says the highly addictive methamphetamine is increasingly popular in East and Southeast Asia. One kilo of it costs around $1,500 to make in West Africa but sells for around $150,000 in Japan. Germany's Vice Chancellor to meet Putin soon -source BERLIN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel will travel to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin soon, a high-ranking source at the Economy Ministry told Reuters on Friday. The source said Gabriel will be accompanied to the meeting with Putin by a delegation of German business leaders. The agenda of the meeting will be current issues, especially German-Russian business relations, the source said. No date for the trip was immediately available. Gabriel is the leader of Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), whose last chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, is still a close ally of Putin. Foreign-owned flower farms attacked in Ethiopia unrest -growers By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - At least seven foreign-owned flower farms in Ethiopia's Amhara region have been burnt to the ground or partially damaged in political violence afflicting the country over the past two months, producers said on Friday. Anti-government protests over disputed provincial boundaries and allegations of human rights violations have spread in the north-central province, the second region to be riven by turmoil this year alongside Oromiya province in central Ethiopia. In June, Human Rights Watch said security forces killed at least 400 people in Oromiya protesting at government plans to incorporate some parts of the region within the city limits of the capital Addis Ababa. "Around seven flower farms have been affected - some burnt to the ground, others partially vandalised during attacks that took place Monday to Wednesday," the Ethiopian Horticultural Producers and Exporters Association said in a statement emailed to Reuters. No injuries have been reported from the attacks. The list of firms included Esmeralda Farms BV of the Netherlands, Italian owned-Alfano Fiori, Indian firm Fontana Flowers PLC, and others operated and owned by investors from Israel, Belgium and the Middle East, it added. All plots are close to Bahir Dar, the Amhara regional capital. "Details are still being gathered. The scope of damage requires further investigation," the statement said. Tensions have been rumbling for two decades over the status of Wolkayt district, a stretch of land that protesters from Amhara say was illegally incorporated into the neighbouring Tigray region to the north. Though demonstrators have behaved mainly peacefully, there have been incidents where government officials and civilians perceived to be associated with the government have been attacked by protesters. A spokeswoman for Flora Holland, the world's largest flower auction based in the Dutch city of Aalsmeer, said that growers were assessing the damage from the attacks. "The scope of the damage differs greatly from business to business," Elizabeth Palandeng said, but she did not believe it would lead to a long-term problem with deliveries. Hardest hit appeared to be a Dutch company, Esmeralda, which said in a statement that 10 million euros worth of investments "went up in smoke" in an attack on its farm on Sept. 29. The African flower industry has grown quickly in recent years, with Kenya and Ethiopia together providing about 65 percent of the Dutch auction's total. Any sign of unrest is closely watched in Ethiopia, an important Horn of Africa ally of the West against Islamist militants in neighbouring Somalia, and an economic power seen as a centre of relative stability in a combustible region. Earlier this week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said his administration would carry out "deep-rooted" reforms and pledged to address grievances, though he warned of measures if protests escalated into violence. CDC grants $2.4 mln to five U.S. jurisdictions to fight Zika Sept 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that it had granted $2.4 million to five jurisdictions to help combat the spread of Zika virus. The funding for Chicago, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles County is in addition to $16.4 million awarded to various states and territories. As of Aug. 26, CDC had made available more than $193 million in funds to fight the virus. In recent weeks, U.S. authorities determined that local mosquitoes were transmitting Zika in an area of south Florida, while the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has experienced a widespread outbreak. Zika, which is mainly a mosquito-borne disease, was first detected in Brazil last year and has been spreading globally. Singapore has reported 189 zika cases since authorities reported the first locally transmitted case six days ago. Thailand's king recovers after treatment for water in lungs - palace BANGKOK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Thailand's 88-year-old king, the world's longest reigning monarch, has been treated after having water in his lungs and his condition has improved, the palace said in a statement late on Friday. In a monthly update on King Bhumibol Adulyadej's health, the palace said he had no fever and his breath and blood pressure have gradually improved after a "continuous renal replacement therapy" since Thursday after blood test showed there was water in his lungs and the function of kidneys reduced. The therapy replaces the normal blood-filtering function of the kidneys. It is used when the kidneys are not working well. The king's condition showed some improvement in most of August before he had rapid breathing and sticky phlegm on Wednesday, and an examination showed severe infection in his blood, the statement said. He had a mild fever on Wednesday and a team of physicians had to administer antibiotics after his blood pressure dropped, the palace said. News about the king's health is closely monitored in Thailand, where King Bhumibol is deeply revered. The king has been treated for various ailments over the past year at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital and was last seen in public on Jan. 11, when he spent several hours visiting his palace in the Thai capital. Anxiety over the king's health and an eventual succession has formed the backdrop to more than a decade of bitter political divide in Thailand that has included military takeovers and sometimes violent street demonstrations. In August's statement, the palace said the monarch was being treated for a "low fever" and a "possible infection" in his blood. After Rousseff ouster, Brazil's Temer faces challenges to austerity By Alonso Soto BRASILIA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A restive Congress and fallout from a weak economy will likely limit the ability of Brazil's new President Michel Temer to rush through spending cuts and the welfare reforms investors had hoped to see soon after the removal of his leftist predecessor. The Senate's dismissal of President Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday cleared the way for Temer, interim president since May, to push through fiscal reforms to close a yawning budget gap that cost Brazil its investment grade credit rating in 2015. But that momentum could be short-lived as Temer's business-friendly agenda faces an uphill battle, his economic advisers and senior lawmakers told Reuters. Ideological divisions and political rivalries within Temer's 22-party alliance could jeopardize the approval of reforms, while high unemployment and expectations of a fragile economic recovery have policymakers wary of a deeper austerity push. "There is no consensus within the government alliance on any of these austerity measures," said Raimundo Lira, a senior senator with Temer's Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB). "Some parties want to move faster while others want to move slower and we need to find the right balance." After replacing Rousseff in May, when she was suspended to stand trial on charges of breaking fiscal rules, Temer won over investors with promises to end years of interventionist policies, sell government assets and stabilize public debt. Brazil's Bovespa stock index and real currency rank among the world's best-performing assets this year. However, Temer has come under fire from investors and some allies for watering down austerity measures to garner support for Rousseff's ouster, including pay increases for an array of public servants. Lawmakers from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Temer's main ally in Congress, are among the loudest voices in favor of austerity. Brazilian assets seesawed on Wednesday as PSDB legislators slammed leading senators from Temer's PMDB for backing a measure that allowed Rousseff to retain the right to hold public office. Aecio Neves, leader of the PSDB, denied any prospect of a split in the coalition but called for the government to make good on its promises to push through austerity measures. A high-profile test for the ruling coalition in the days ahead will be a vote on a hefty wage hike for Supreme Court justices, backed by Temer's party but opposed by the PSDB. NO NEW MEASURES Temer's own advisors are resisting deeper budget cuts and tax increases to quickly rebalance the accounts as they try to avoid suffocating an incipient recovery. A draft 2017 budget presented on Wednesday relied largely on privatizations and an uptick in economic growth to raise tax revenues and narrow a budget deficit. Congress is expected to vote in the coming week on bills to increase private participation in the aviation and oil industries while the government is drafting plans to launch an infrastructure concession program and sell state enterprises. Temer also plans to submit this month his controversial pension reform, likely raising tensions with powerful groups such as the military, public school teachers and police officers. Labor unions, some who support Temer, have vowed to protest any changes to one of the world's most generous pension systems. Pushing through these reforms is ambitious enough, Temer's aides say. "No new measures are planned beyond what we already announced," said one adviser who asked for anonymity because he is not allowed to speak publicly. "Temer will maintain the pace of the fiscal adjustment." Some members of the PSDB have taken aim against Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles for being too soft in pushing austerity. Meirelles, a former central bank governor who is considered an architect of Brazil's economic boom of the last decade, is seen as a potential rival for PSDB candidates for the 2018 presidential elections. "I hope that after the vote Meirelles will be zealous with the public accounts," Senator Jose Anibal said on the sidelines of the impeachment trial in the senate. "You cannot make more concessions." Anibal and other PSDB leaders told Reuters tensions have subsided and Temer has promised to focus on fiscal adjustment in the two remaining years of his term. On the other end of the spectrum are several smaller centrist parties voicing concerns over the reforms and planning to propose changes to avoid social spending cuts. At the heart of Temer's reform agenda is a proposal to limit public spending growth for up to 20 years aimed at cutting a budget deficit that has tripled in less than a decade. Allies are considering lowering the lifetime of that measure to four years or less, altering the indicator used to limit spending growth and allowing extra health and education spending. For the head of the Lower House commission debating the amendments, Danilo Forte, changes are inevitable but he believes lawmakers are focused on resolving the budget crisis. A return to economic growth will help the adjustment by increasing tax revenues, said Forte, a member of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). Buyback offer for Austrian "bad bank" bonds due on Tuesday - APA VIENNA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - The Austrian province of Carinthia's latest offer to buy back the bonds of "bad bank" Heta Asset Resolution will be published on Tuesday, Austrian news agency APA reported on Friday, without identifying its source. Austria's government reached agreement in principle with creditors in May for an offer to buy back Heta bonds at a discount to their original face value of around 11 billion euros ($12.3 billion). Austrian Finance Minister Hans Joerg Schelling said this week he expected creditors representing two-thirds of the outstanding debt to accept the offer, which would make it binding for all creditors. Gabon's Ping declares himself president after post-poll riots By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome LIBREVILLE, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Gabonese opposition candidate Jean Ping declared himself president on Friday, after a disputed election that triggered two days of post-election riots against President Ali Bongo. Violence erupted across the Central African country on Wednesday following the announcement of a slim victory for Bongo, who was first elected in 2009 after the death of his father Omar, Gabon's president for 42 years. But Ping says the poll on Saturday was a sham. "I am the president," Ping told a news conference after being freed from his headquarters, which had earlier been surrounded by Gabonese security forces. "The whole world knows who is the president of the republic: it's me, Jean Ping," he said. "Our country is moving toward chaos ... Peace can only occur if the truth of the ballot box is restored and respected." Five people died in the ensuing unrest, Bongo's spokesman Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze said on Friday, and up to 1,100 arrests had been made by Thursday, according to Gabon's interior minister. Ping called upon the international community to intervene, but analysts said intervention from abroad was unlikely as was a widespread people power revolution to unseat Bongo. "It looks like the result will stand," NKC African Economics' head of research, Francois Conradie, said. "But Bongo has lost legitimacy and will face an unruly labour environment for his next term," referring to possible strikes. Traffic resumed on Libreville's wide waterfront avenues on Friday, occasionally veering to dodge litter or burnt tyres. Some shops reopened and residents queued to buy food. Television stations, supermarkets, shops and homes were looted in Libreville on Wednesday and Thursday. Unrest broke out in other cities and in rural areas as well. "I'm sad for my country because such things should never happen," National Assembly President Richard Auguste Onouviet said as he surveyed the damage at the parliament building, whose assembly hall was gutted by arson on Wednesday. In some suburbs of the capital, residents said they had formed small self-defence groups against looters. "We cannot take this anymore and we are stopping the vandals," said Stephane Mounanga, 44, from the suburb of Dragage. The Bongos have long relied on patronage to buy off dissent. But falling oil prices and production, long dominated by Total and Shell, have led to budget cuts in a country where many citizens have not enjoyed the fruits of oil wealth. Soldiers were positioned at crossroads on Friday and the elite Republican Guard ensured security near the presidential palace. Riot police were also on the streets. NO INTERVENTION A group of Ping's supporters had been holed up inside his headquarters on Friday before being released, as demanded by French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who said France was working with partners to find a quick solution to the crisis. Two people died when the building was first attacked on Wednesday night, according to Ping's camp. Ping, a former diplomat and African Union Commission chairman, is a lifelong insider to Gabonese politics who fathered two children with Omar Bongo's daughter, Pascaline, but later fell out with Ali Bongo and resigned from his party in 2014. France, the United States and the European Union have urged the authorities to release individual polling station results, a request Bongo's spokesman rejected on Thursday. Interviewed on Friday on France 2 television, Ayrault repeated the call for more transparency as regards the election results, but ruled out intervening in Gabon, home to 14,000 French citizens. "We are Africa's partners, but we do not want in any case to intervene in countries' internal affairs. That would be disrespectful of Africans," he said. France has had a military base in Gabon since independence in 1960 and 450 troops are stationed there, according to the French Defence Ministry. France intervened in the Ivory Coast in 2011 under a U.N. mandate to help oust then-president Laurent Gbagbo after he refused to accept defeat in a disputed election. More recently it has intervened in Libya, Mali and Central African Republic. During more than four decades in power, Omar Bongo cultivated close relations with a succession of French presidents, but Ali Bongo's ties to Paris have been more tenuous. France says working with partners to resolve Gabon crisis PARIS, Sept 2 (Reuters) - France said on Friday it was working with all sides in Gabon to find a quick solution to the crisis and urged the Gabonese authorities to release opposition members to help ease the situation. "The French authorities are in contact with all parties, including our African and international partners, to find a quick solution to this crisis," Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in a statement. He said that opposition members surrounded at the headquarters of their leader Jean Ping should be released for health reasons, but also because it was against all legal frameworks. "We ask the Gabonese authorities to resolve this immediately by restoring the freedom of movement to the people concerned. This gesture would help restore calm," he said. Lebanon indicts Syrian officers for twin 2013 mosque bombings -state media BEIRUT, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Lebanon indicted two Syrian intelligence officers on Friday in connection with twin bombings at mosques in Tripoli in 2013, state media said, the deadliest attack in the city since the end of Lebanon's civil war in 1990. The two blasts, at the Sunni Muslim Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in the northern Lebanese city, happened within minutes of each other in August 2013 and killed more than 40 people and injured hundreds. A Lebanese military court accused Syrian intelligence officers Muhammad Ali Ali, of the "Palestine Branch", and Nasser Jubaan, of the "Political Security Directorate," of planning and overseeing the attacks, Lebanon's National News Agency said. The court ruling announcing the indictment said investigators were still trying to uncover the names of the officials responsible for giving the two officers their orders. According to NNA, the ruling said "the order was issued from a high-level security body within the Syrian intelligence service". Shortly after the bombings, five men were charged, including a Sunni Muslim cleric close to the Syrian government. Syria, which had a military presence in Lebanon for 29 years before pulling out in 2005, is now in the sixth year of its own civil war. Sectarian strife has spilled over from Syria and exacerbated similar tensions in Lebanon. For the first three years of Syria's conflict, Tripoli, about 30 km from the Syrian border, saw frequent clashes between Sunni Muslim insurgents and groups supportive of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect. But the clashes, which left hundreds dead and wounded, ceased in 2014 after a deal was reached that allowed a prominent Alawite leader to flee to Syria. Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, a Sunni politician vocally critical of the Syrian government and its ally Iran, said on Friday: "The era of Syrian tutelage is gone and will not return, and threats from the Syrian regime will not scare us." In response to the court's findings, Rifi said he would ask the Lebanese government to expel Syria's ambassador to Lebanon and to cut diplomatic relations with Damascus. Bangladesh police kill "trainer" behind Dhaka cafe attack DHAKA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Bangladesh police on Friday killed the suspected trainer of militants who carried out a deadly attack on a cafe in July that killed 22 people, a senior police official said. The militant, known as Murad, was the head of the military wing of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, said Sanwar Hossain, senior official of the Dhaka police counterterrorism unit. He was killed in a shootout during a raid just outside the capital Dhaka, Hossain told reporters. Two police officials were wounded. The raid came six days after Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, accused of masterminding the attack on July 1, was killed in a gun battle. Brazil's Supreme Court urged to bar Rousseff from politics BRASILIA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court has been asked to overturn a contentious Senate decision allowing former President Dilma Rousseff to remain politically active following her removal from office in an impeachment trial this week. The Senate voted on Wednesday to oust Rousseff for manipulating the federal budget to hide the real state of Brazil's ailing economy in the run-up to her re-election in 2014. In an unexpected separate vote, lawmakers spared the leftist leader from an eight-year ban on running for public office or holding any position in government, as provided for in Brazil's constitution. "They did a last-minute legal trick and guaranteed the former president's political rights," Senator Jose Medeiros, of the Social Democratic Party, said on Friday. He spoke after filing a request to annul the second vote, which he said was unconstitutional. Two other political parties, including the ruling Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), plan to file for similar injunctions later on Friday, following the lead on Thursday of Green Party Senator Alvaro Dias, as controversy grows over the decision not to bar Rousseff from public office. Brazil's new President Michel Temer, who was sworn in after Rousseff was dismissed, has played down the twist in her final removal. "The Senate made that decision, wrongly or rightly, but the Senate made that decision," Temer said on the sidelines of a business summit in Shanghai ahead of a G20 summit in China. The Senate decision, which garnered support from several members of Temer's fractious PMDB, appeared to reflect unease over whether the doctoring of budget figures that Rousseff was convicted of was truly an impeachable offense. Rousseff herself appealed to the Supreme Court on Thursday to annul the decision to oust her, a request that is unlikely to succeed. A reversal of the vote granting her political rights is also seen as improbable since it was allowed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski, who presided over the impeachment trial in the Senate. Brazil Supreme Court urged to bar Rousseff from politics By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Major parties in Brazil's governing coalition pressed the Supreme Court on Friday to overturn a Senate decision allowing former President Dilma Rousseff to remain politically active after her dismissal in an impeachment trial this week. The Senate voted on Wednesday to remove Rousseff from office for manipulating the federal budget to hide the real state of Brazil's ailing economy in the run-up to her 2014 re-election. In an unexpected separate vote, lawmakers spared the leftist leader from an eight-year ban on running for public office or holding any position in government, as provided for in Brazil's constitution. "They did a last-minute legal trick and guaranteed the former president's political rights," Senator Jose Medeiros, of the Social Democratic Party, said on Friday. He spoke after filing a request to annul the second vote, which he said was unconstitutional. His motion was joined by another from the Democrats party and the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, two heavyweights in the coalition assembled by the new President Michel Temer, following a similar motion by Green Party Senator Alvaro Dias on Thursday. The head of the ruling Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, Romero Juca, also condemned on Twitter the Senate's vote separating the matter of Rousseff's ouster from her future political life. Rousseff told a news conference that senators had voted for her to retain her political rights because they were undecided over whether charges she doctored official budget figures warranted her dismissal. Rousseff, who has denied any wrongdoing, said she had no plans to run for elected office but would remain politically active in opposition to what she called the "illegitimate" government of her conservative former vice president. "My political plan is to oppose this government," she said. Rousseff's lawyer Jose Eduardo Cardozo said the attempt to deprive her of political rights will fail because the Supreme Court would have to annul both votes in the Senate since one had influenced the other. Temer, initially annoyed by the vote to maintain Rousseff's rights, played down the twist in her final removal on Friday. "The Senate made that decision, wrongly or rightly, but the Senate made that decision," Temer said on the sidelines of a business summit in Shanghai ahead of a G20 summit in China. Bangladesh police kill man they believe trained Dhaka cafe attackers By Ruma Paul DHAKA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Bangladesh police on Friday killed the man they believe trained the militants who attacked a Dhaka cafe on July 1 killing 22 people, a senior police official said. The man, known as Murad, was the head of the military wing of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, Additional Inspector General of Police Mokhlesur Rahman said. "He trained the attackers who carried out the July attack," Rahman told reporters, adding police were still trying to identify his actual name. He was killed in a shootout when police launched a raid after being tipped-off to his whereabouts just outside the capital. Four police officers were wounded when the militant attacked them with machetes, a pistol and grenades, Rahman said. The raid came six days after Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, accused of masterminding the cafe attack, was killed when police stormed a militant hideout. Analysts say Islamic State in April identified Chowdhury as its national commander. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the cafe attack where militants singled out non-Muslims and foreigners, killing Italians, Japanese, an American and an Indian. The attack in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter was one of the most brazen in Bangladesh, where Islamic State and al Qaeda have claimed a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The government denies that Islamic State or al Qaeda have a presence in the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million people. But security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe assault suggested links to a trans-national network. The scale of that attack and the targeting of foreigners has could hurt foreign investment in the poor South Asian economy, whose $28 billion garments export industry is the world's second largest. Gunmen take over central Mali village - witness BAMAKO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Gunmen seized control of the central Malian village of Boni on Friday, after a sustained attack that forced the few troops stationed there to retreat, a witness told Reuters. "The armed men descended on the town shooting in every direction," Ali Dicko, a resident of Boni, said by telephone, adding they had surrounded a building in which a youth group was meeting. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not clear to which group the armed men were affiliated. Armed groups have proliferated in Mali since Islamists took advantage of an ethnic Tuareg uprising in 2012 to seize the north of the desert country. A French-led intervention drove them back a year later, but instability has continued ever since, and it has spread this year, with multiple flare ups across the north and centre of the country undermining a fragile U.N.-backed peace process. Dicko said the gunmen were speaking Bambara, Mali's lingua franca, and Peul. This year, violence that was largely confined to the north has spread towards the centre of Mali, only a few hundred miles from the capital Bamako. Colombia's FARC rebels postpone conference to ratify peace accord BOGOTA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Colombia's Marxist FARC rebel group said on Friday it had postponed a conference that was meant to ratify a peace agreement with the government, for logistical reasons. After almost four years of complicated talks in Havana, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the government agreed last week to end a five-decade war that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions. The FARC's so-called Tenth Conference, its final as an armed group, was planned between Sept. 13 and 19 and aimed at explaining the contents of the accords to hundreds of rebel commanders. The statement did not provide further details or say when the event would take place. If this were fiction, it could hardly be a more remarkable story. But a decorated ex-Nazi-turned arms dealer actually sold fighter aircraft to both India and Pakistan, which were facing an arms embargo after the 1965 war. The episode is recorded in the authoritative books, The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, written by former South African MP Andrew Feinstein, and earlier, Private Warriors, written by Ken Silverstein and Daniel Burton-Rose. It is also narrated in detail by retired Indian Navy Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha in his definitive book on the Sea Hawk aircraft, Downwind, Four Green. The end of the Second World War left Gerhard Georg Mertins a major in the German Army and a recipient of the Knights Cross for bravery after the allied invasion in 1944. Mertins, along with German SS special forces operator Otto Skorzeny, had also participated in the raid to rescue Italian dictator Benito Mussolini after he was removed by the Italian Grand Council of Fascism and the king of Italy and imprisoned. Mertins and Skorzeny were both also part of a German team sent to train Egypts military, with the blessing of the Gehlen organisation. The organisation was named after its founder, General Reinhard Gehlen, a Nazi in the custody of the US military intelligence after the Second World War, who was tasked by them to set up an intelligence organisation to conduct espionage across the Iron Curtain. This organisation was later merged with the West German governments intelligence agency, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), and Gehlen became its boss. Gerhard Mertins (Photo: Valka.cz ) According to Mertins hagiographer Heinz Vielain, the former paratrooper set up a company called Merex AG in 1963 at the request of Gehlen to facilitate the sale of weapons to other countries. Extract: Private Warriors Mertins) and Gehlen soon cut a deal. German intelligence would provide Merex information about which Third World countries were looking to buy arms, and the company would sell them what they needed, using false end-user certificates when necessary. "Any complication that arose for Merex were taken care of by [German intelligence], Vielain wrote. The most important thing was secrecy, that no one discover the real destination for the weapons." In 1966, Merex sold ninety Luftwaffe surplus F-86 Sabre aircraft to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Since there was an arms embargo on Pakistan at the time, Feinstein writes, "The required subterfuge was undertaken with the help of the Shah of Iran, who allowed the planes to be delivered to Tehran by Luftwaffe officers and then flown to Pakistan by Iranian pilots dressed up as Pakistani officers." Extract: Private Warriors Mertins arranged for Luftwaffe officers to fly the planes to Teheran, where Iranian pilots dressed in Pakistani military uniforms secretly delivered them to Islamabad. The PAF already operated F-86 Sabre aircraft, having acquired 120 of the aircraft from 1954 onwards. But in August 1965, the Indian Navy had already placed an order with Merex for 28 surplus Bundesmarine Sea Hawk 100s and 101 fighters. These fighters arrived at Kochi (then Cochin on June 23 1966). The Indian Navy, too, already operated Sea Hawks, having purchased them from the British in 1959. Extract: The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade When the India-Pakistan war erupted that year both countries were embargoed. But in June 1966 Mertins was given the go-ahead by German authorities to sell the planes to a company in Italy. He leased a ship, the Billetal, to transport the cargo. It set sail from the tiny German port of Nordenham (ostensibly en route to Naples), and once in the Mediterranean passed straight through Italian territorial waters, and wound its way down the Suez Canal and landed in India. Purchased for a reported $625,000 by Merex, the jets were sold for $875,000, raising a profit of around DM 5 million. At precisely the time that the Billetal was carrying cargo for Merex to india, its sister ship, the Werretal, was on its way to Pakistan, traversing much the same route in order to deliver Cobra anti-tank rockets sold to Pakistan by Merex. Although India was apparently unaware of the deals with Pakistan, the Indian Navy was in the know of this subterfuge. Admiral Pasricha writes, "VAdm Karl-Adolf Zener, Chief of Staff, German Navy, visited India in 1965. During his meeting with our CNS, VAdm BS Soman broached the subject and they both discussed the possibility of Germany selling us some Seahawks, since they were no longer in service in the German Navy Thereafter, it was one secret move after another, till 28 Seahawks found their way to Kochi in containers. In fact, the entire deal is best summed up in the words of RAdm SN Kohli, who was DCNS then. On Aug 2, 1965, he had said this on an NHQ file: "It is important that this subject should have no publicity at all and be mentioned in as few circles as possible, as otherwise the deal is likely to be jeopardized since the Govt of West Germany, on principle, does not supply military aid to areas of possible tension. This deal has been specially arranged. An Indian Navy Sea Hawk landing on INS Vikrant. (Photo: The personal collection of Commander G.V.K. Unnithan (retired), Indian Navy.) Extract: Downwind, Four Green Because of the sensitive nature of this deal, it was finalised through an arms dealer, Merex AG, Inter Armco International (Ed: Merex was an agent for Sam Cummings InterArms), though the actual discussions and the entire sale was implemented Government to Government. All transactions were thus planned by this company through a third country. According to Admiral Pasricha, the original plan was for Merex to ship the aircraft directly to India, but the West German government had now raised objections "because of our hostilities with Pakistan". Extract: Downwind, Four Green It was then planned that MV Billetal (which necessarily had to be a German ship) would route through Italy (Naples), thereafter be diverted to South Africa and then go on to Kochi. It has not been able to ascertain how the ships papers were handled. Finally MV Billetal travelled directly to India, with just one transit halt through the Suez. She sailed from Bremen on 30 Jun 66 via Nordenham and reached Kochi on 23 Jul 66. Beekay, who reached Bonn on 23 Jun 66, arrived just in time for this sailing. In December 1966, the contract for the second trip of MV Billetal was signed and the ship again came to Kochi on 16 Aug 67, with Lt. S.P. Kwatra on board for this consignment. "Beekay", here, was Commodore BK Malik, who escorted the first consignment of aircraft on the MV Billetal. Commodore Malik writes about his involvement in the affair in Downwind, Four Green, saying, "On MV Billetal, I was known as the Super Cargo, which means owner of the cargo, and given the owners cabin." All of this caused a fuss in Germany and the US (since the Sabres were sold without the permission of the US government). The US Congress held hearings but no further action was taken because US intelligence agencies quietly owned up to working with Mertins. According to Private Warriors, "Mertins always claimed that the United States which favored Pakistan against left-leaning India signed off on the transfer, and of this there can be little doubt. Congressman Stuart Symington, who later led a US investigation of the deal, concluded that 'Our own intelligence services knew exactly at the time that these F-86s were meant for Pakistan'." Admiral Pasricha says in the book, "The initial price that Germany had quoted to us for these practically new Seahawks was only Rs 1.87 lakh per aircraft, which was minuscule compared to the price of Rs 9.34 lakh that we had paid Britain six years earlier for Mk III/reconditioned Seahawks. Then on Aug 9, 1965, NHQ through NA Bonn, requested the German Navy to consider a further reduction." According to Pasricha, the total cost for the 28 Sea Hawks was DM 5.35 million. Obviously, the profit to Mertins from the deals with both countries was even higher. He writes, further, "The IN had overcome all hurdles and machinations in this clandestine, but exceedingly well-executed deal. This ensured that we had 28 additional Seahawks, with plenty of spares and ammunition. We also made sure that England never came to know of this sale. In fact, the Admiral of the Fleet, Earl Mountbatten visited India and met Admiral Soman during this period." Gerhard Mertins (Creative Commons). Extract: Private Warriors The India-Pakistan conflict made Mertins a very rich man. He used part of the estimated $10 million in proceeds from the aircraft deals to buy two estates in Switzerland one in the Alps, about 300 yards from a villa owned by Cummings and a third on the Rhine near Bonn. He also bought a home in Bethesda, Maryland, where he established a US branch of Merex at offices on upper Wisconsin Avenue. Mertins was prosecuted in Germany for violating the arms embargo but was cleared of any wrongdoing in 1975 after exculpatory evidence was presented to the court, which indicated that the German government had been, at the very least, aware of the arms transfer. Mertins even won DM 5 million in compensation after he sued the German government for the damage to his reputation. The Pakistan Air Force deployed these ex-German Sabres in the next war with India in 1971. The Indian Navy, too, deployed the Sea Hawks in the war, which ended with the mutilation of Pakistan and the independence of Bangladesh. Admiral Pasricha writes, "One of our major strengths during the 1971 war, had been the Seahawks that we had purchased from Germany," adding, "(I)t was only because of the availability of these German Seahawks that we ensured that Vikrant had adequate numbers for the 1971 war! Fourteen out of Vikrants total war inventory of nineteen Seahawks were the German 100s/101s." It is unclear if the Indian government knew about the double-dealing of Mertins or when it discovered it. It is also unclear if the Indian Navy would still have dealt with Mertins, Merex AG and West Germany had it known they were also supplying fighter aircraft and other weaponry to Pakistan? Mertins was later also involved in the Iranian-Contra scandal. Such was his reputation, manufactured or otherwise, that others paid him the ultimate compliment that of imitation. Extract: Private Warriors During the 1980s, (arms dealer) Arif Durrani formed an American company called Merex. He told me he had no formal connection to Mertins, but picked the name to take advantage of the instant recognition it provided within arms business circles. Saifuddin Soz, a veteran Congress leader and former Union minister, may have ruffled some feathers in New Delhi by favouring former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf's four-point Kashmir formula and making a case that the 1952 Delhi Agreement could well be merged with the four-point formula to find a pragmatic solution to the Kashmir dispute. Has Soz ended up stirring a political hornet's nest or is this something that New Delhi should seriously consider to restore some trust and confidence in Kashmir? What is the 1952 Delhi Agreement? Nyla Ali Khan, a Kashmiri academic based in Norman, Oklahoma, USA, explains it in these words: "Broadly, in October 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India reinforced the stipulation that New Delhi's jurisdiction in the state would remain limited to the categories of defence, foreign affairs and communications, which had been underlined in the Instrument of Accession. Subsequent to India acquiring the status of a republic in 1950, this constitutional provision enabled the incorporation of Article 370 into the Indian Constitution, which ratified the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian Union. The subsequent negotiations in June and July 1952 between a delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir government led by Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah and Mirza Afzal Beg, and a delegation of the Indian government led by (Jawaharlal) Nehru resulted in the Delhi Agreement, which reinforced the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir." File photo of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. (Photo credit: PTI.) Jammu and Kashmir's oldest political party, the National Conference (NC), passed an autonomy resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on June 26, 2000. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after accepting the report and recommendations of the State Autonomy Committee (SAC). The greater autonomy that the NC seeks will be the constitutional position that Jammu and Kashmir already enjoyed before 1953 when India only controlled defence, communications, foreign affairs and currency. Mind you, Jammu and Kashmir has a separate constitution and a separate flag. To understand why Soz's support, albeit in his personal capacity, for the four-point Kashmir formula has annoyed the BJP, one should not lose sight of the context and ideological divergence between the two parties. The NC's autonomy resolution of 2000 had "shocked" the BJP. LK Advani, former deputy prime minister of India, in his autobiography My Country My Life, while talking about the NC's autonomy resolution in a chapter entitled "Dealing With The Kashmir Issue" writes: "The nation was shocked on June 26, 2000, during the Vajpayee government's rule in New Delhi, when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly adopted a report of the State Autonomy Committee (SAC) and asked the Centre to immediately implement it. The SAC recommended return of the constitutional situation in Jammu and Kashmir to its pre-1953 status by restoring to the state all subjects of governance except defence, foreign affairs, currency and communication." Subsequently, the BJP-led NDA Union cabinet, in its meeting on July 4, 2000, rejected the NC's autonomy resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. On the same day, Advani adopted a hawkish stand on the issue and told the media that accepting the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly's autonomy resolution will "set the clock back". This was how the BJP rejected a demand which had come from an institution no less than the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. But then, successive governments in New Delhi have always undermined and discredited this institution through a string of broken promises, electoral fraud and rigging. That's why there exists an enormous trust deficit between New Delhi and Srinagar. Some experts and key Kashmir watchers have been arguing that there are no "magic bullet solutions" to Kashmir; some have termed it as an intractable dispute while others claim that only a statesman-like leadership in India, Pakistan and Kashmir, with strong political will, can actually resolve the Kashmir dispute once for all. In this situation, what could be the ideal solution? Does such a leadership exist in Pakistan, India and Kashmir which is prepared to think "out of the box"? Will the people of Kashmir accept anything short of azadi? Fundamentally, there are three stated positions. India considers Jammu and Kashmir its "atoot ang" (inseparable limb) and through a parliamentary resolution of February 22, 1994 also lays claim to the part of Kashmir administered by Pakistan since 1947. Pakistan, on its part, while laying claim to the part of Jammu and Kashmir administered by India, calls it its "shah rag" (jugular vein). In Kashmir, however, the dominant political sentiment is for complete independence from both Pakistan and India. The 'Outlook' poll of October 1995 and the recent Chatham House survey have shown this to be the case. Though there are sections in the Kashmir Valley which favour merger with Pakistan while a few are happy with status quo. Even regional parties like the NC and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which do not strongly challenge Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional relationship with the Union of India, are also pro-resolution. Both are dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs. The NC bats for greater autonomy, the pre-1953 status, while the PDP favours self-rule for erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir under the joint mechanism of Pakistan and India. This brings us to Musharraf's four-point formula. Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Pakistan's foreign minister from 2002 to 2007, in his memoir Neither A Hawk Nor A Dove argues that no solution to the Kashmir dispute can be "perfect" from the point of view of Pakistan, India or the Kashmiris. "It would have to be the best possible under the circumstances." The moot question is: does such a solution exist? A solution that is honourable, implementable, palatable and politically acceptable to all stakeholders? How far can India go? How much will India concede? How much flexibility will Pakistan exhibit? Will it satisfy the Kashmiris? Kasuri writes that India and Pakistan have recognised that there are "forces" in both countries that don't like normalisation of relations, and there are also people who wouldn't settle for less than a "maximalist solution". But the broad contours of a feasible agreement on Kashmir, according to Kasuri, are demilitarisation and reduction in violence, self-governance, a joint control mechanism for both parts of the state, and rendering of the line of control (LoC) as just "a line on the map". In other words, it is the four-point formula proposed by Musharraf. Such a solution could well be palatable to Pakistan and India as both appear more or less convinced that "the boundaries can't be redrawn" and territorial sovereignties should not be challenged. But will it be acceptable to Kashmiris? While the four-point formula does provide a certain "sense of achievement" to a section of Kashmiris, it falls way short of satisfying their larger political aspirations. Most in the Kashmir Valley would, therefore, see de-militarisation, self-governance, joint control, cross-LoC travel and trade only as steps and confidence-building measures towards a settlement, not the final solution. Musharraf's four-point formula drew scathing criticism from the most popular Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani. In Geelani's words, Musharraf had "lost his mental balance" while proposing such a formula. However, the Srinagar-based head priest, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, had favoured the formula as a "good beginning" for a lasting solution. Given the intensity of the current mass uprising in the Kashmir Valley, following the killing of the tech-savvy Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, it is in New Delhi's own interest to "set the clock back" to find a meaningful solution to the Kashmir issue. The all-party delegation that is due to arrive in Srinagar on September 4 must not repeat the same mistakes that previous delegations have made in 2010. It must come with an open mind and enter into a sincere dialogue with all stakeholders, especially the Hurriyat and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), without putting conditionality. The man alleging that the city of Charlottesville violated his First Amendment rights wants a federal judge to suspend the City Councils group defamation rule. Joe Draego, of Albemarle County, filed a lawsuit against the city late last month after being removed from a City Council meeting weeks earlier. During the public comment periods of the June 20 meeting, Draego spoke twice about his concerns over the influx of Muslims to the Central Virginia area. Draego filed a declaration for a preliminary injunction, which would prohibit the council from applying its group defamation rule while the merits of the lawsuit are debated in court. According to Draego, the rules violation of his First Amendment rights constitutes irreparable injury. Mr. Draego has been chilled from appearing before the city council because of the rule and its application to his free speech, the filing reads. Draego states in the declaration that that the council will not suffer any demonstrable harm by not enforcing the rule, and notes that there is no evidence of the rule having ever been invoked before. With its remaining rules in place against profanity, vulgar language, threatening language and more, the council already has ample protection to conduct its business, he states. He adds that it is in the best interest of the general public to have the rule suspended, so that citizens will not be deterred from speaking due to a vague and overbroad rule. A judge is now reviewing Draegos motions. Mayor Mike Signer declined to comment on the spate of recent filings. In his first round of public comment at the June meeting, Draego warned the council about the unlimited in-migration of Muslims to Charlottesville due to inadequate vetting, as described by the latest filings. He was interrupted by Councilor Kristin Szakos, who asked that he keep in mind that children were watching, but continued on until being told that his time was over. During the second public comment period, Draego brought the matter up again, this time referring to Muslims as monstrous maniacs. At that point, Signer informed Draego that his speech had violated a council rule that prohibits defamatory attacks on individuals and groups and ordered that he forfeit his remaining time at the podium. Draego protested, but the council quickly affirmed the mayors order, at which time Draego laid on the floor in protest. Draegos suit against the city in federal court states that his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated during the incident because the councils rule is not content neutral in that it allows praise of certain groups, but not criticism. He adds that the rule is vague, overbroad and unconstitutional as applied. Immediately after the filing, the city issued a statement calling Draegos comments intimidating and disruptive, and on Aug. 17, it filed a motion to have the lawsuit thrown out of court. In its motion, the city asserted that the suit should be thrown out because Draego had sued the wrong party. The city argued that according to a ruling of the Supreme Court of Virginia, a city and its council are not interchangeable entities, meaning that the citys council is authorized to exercise its power at its meetings and adopt its own ordinances. The city further denied Draegos allegations that the group defamation rule was vague and overbroad, writing that case law supports institutions shutting down personal attacks in the interest of serving legitimate public interest in a limited form of decorum and order. Because the governments substantial interest in having such meeting [sic] conducted with relative orderliness and fairness to all, the Mayor and other members of the City Council, while presiding over its meetings must have discretion to cut off speech which they reasonably perceive to be, or imminently to threaten, a disruption of the orderly and fair progress of the discussion, whether by virtue of its irrelevancy, its duration, or its very tone and manner, the filing reads. The filing specifically calls out Draegos manner of delivery, [and] vile and vulgar personal attacks on all persons of Muslim faith, and again cited case law to note that denying a speaker the right to launch personal attacks does not interfere with what that speaker could say without employing such attacks because the same message could be communicated. In his response, Draego stated that many of the assertions made by the city about his verbally abusive and disruptive behavior are factual questions that could not be proven without discovery, and thereby cannot be resolved on a motion to dismiss. He further argues that the video recording of the meeting and the incident show that his behavior did not interfere with the proceedings or the councils business and that nothing in his behavior points to an imminent threat to the orderliness of the proceedings. He added that he was never warned by the council about their group defamation rule and whether his speech was coming close to violating it. Draegos filing also concedes that his comments were harsh and offensive to many, but notes that they do not lose their First Amendment protection for that reason. Draegos attorney, Jeff Fogel, has publicly stated that he found Draegos comments offensive. Addressing his vagueness argument, Draego quoted a 1973 case that found that government regulation is unconstitutionally vague when men of common intelligence must necessarily guess at its meaning. Without explicit standards for what applies within their group defamation rule, the rule itself is too vague, he argued. The council rule regarding group defamation contains no definition or other guidelines for its application, the filing states. From the simple words of the rule, one cannot discern what is prohibited and what is not, especially since there is no case law or prior practice of the council defining group defamation. He added that the rule was overbroad on the grounds that it could easily be applied to many circumstances where it would collide with the First Amendment. Wouldnt a charge of cowardice leveled against the whole police department be subject to the councils broad view of group defamation? he posited. Wouldnt an attack on wine sellers for promoting alcoholism be considered a defamatory attack on wine sellers? Finally, Draego described the rule as unconstitutional on the basis that it is only viewpoint based, and asserted that had his speech praised Muslims, it would have been allowed, but not the other way around. A citizen may urge the council to encourage and accept more Muslim refugees precisely because they are peaceful, non-violent peoples, it reads. However, Mr. Draego cannot speak in opposition to that proposal and give his reasons the assertion [sic] that Muslims are not peaceful, non-violent peoples. Thus, it can be seen that this is not subject matter discrimination but rather a particular perspective on that subject. There are some signs that the race for Virginias 5th Congressional District might not be the cakewalk it has been in recent years for the Republican Party, whose retiring incumbent won his two re-election campaigns with successively bigger margins and fewer dollars. Although Rep. Robert Hurt, R-5th, has soundly defeated his challengers in two election cycles after raising more than $2.5 million to beat one-term Democrat Tom Perriello by just 3 percent of the total votes in 2012 district race, Republican nominee Sen. Tom Garrett Jr., R-Buckingham, may have to face presidential headwinds in a seemingly tough race against Democratic nominee Jane Dittmar. In his 2012 and 2014 bids for Congress, Hurt raised $1.9 million and $1.2 million to win the district with 55.4 percent and 60.9 percent of the total vote those years, respectively. In an interview earlier this week, Hurt said a Republican with the right message can absolutely win the race to succeed him, but he added that party officials shouldnt take the 5th District for granted. I think its important to remember ... if you look back at the last 100 years, its mostly been Democrats whove represented the 5th District, he said. Also running in the 5th are Libertarian candidate Stephen Harmon and independent candidate Yale Landsberg. It is worth noting that Perriellos predecessor, former Rep. Virgil Goode, served his first term as a Democrat, became an independent in 2000 and joined the GOP in 2002. Before Goode, Democrat Lewis F. Payne represented the 5th District for nearly a decade. The majority of those terms were served during a period when Virginia predictably went Republican in presidential elections before the state became more competitive after 2004 and joined the ranks of swing states such as Ohio, Iowa and Florida. This year, many political analysts are predicting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will win Virginia. With that in mind, the race for the 5th District, which stretches from Fauquier County in the north to Danville and the North Carolina border in the south, may be more competitive than Virginia Republicans would like it to be. As of Aug. 10, Sabatos Crystal Ball, an election analysis website produced by the University of Virginia Center for Politics and headed by UVa professor Larry J. Sabato, has the 5th District rated as likely Republican. However, according to Geoffrey Skelley, an associate editor for the Crystal Ball, Republicans should be concerned about the 5th District. Noting that Clinton is besting Republican nominee Donald Trump in Virginia by about 10 points, according to HuffPost Pollster and RealClearPolitics, Skelley said that could prove problematic for Garrett if those polls turn out to be accurate in November. The problems at the top of the ticket could hurt down-ballot Republicans such as Tom Garrett in the Virginia Fifth, he said. Skelley added that Clinton currently seems to be doing better in Virginia than when President Barack Obama ran for his second term. Obama won statewide by about 4 percentage points four years ago. If Clinton is running about 5 points ahead of that margin, its possible that shes improving at least slightly on Obamas margin in the 5th District, where he lost to Romney by 8 points, Skelley said. Regardless of presidential election polls, Dittmar, the former chairwoman of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, will need to campaign aggressively to prove shes more qualified than Garrett, whos served in the state senate since 2011. Skelley said theres some evidence that Dittmar may have an advantage at the moment. According to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, as of June 30, Dittmars campaign has raised more than three times what Garrett has amassed. Skelley said Garretts lack of cash flow early on may be an area of concern for Republicans, but Garrett and other Republican nominees running for Congress might get a boost in the coming weeks. As the Clinton campaign and its allies are quickly shifting resources away from Virginia to more competitive state campaigns, Skelley said there have been reports that Trumps team will be paying for television ads in competitive states in an attempt to motivate Republican activists and supporters. It may engage over some base Republican voters who may remain on the sidelines at this point, helping Trump close the statewide gap at least a little bit, he said. In a 54-46 Romney district, improving Trumps top-line number statewide and in the district could potentially make it harder for Democrats running down-ballot to reap the gains of Trumps struggles. Trump, whom Garrett and Hurt have said they are supporting, may be able to help the state Republican Party fend off a serious challenge for the 5th District seat in Congress. But according to Skelley, it may not be enough for the state to go Republican in the presidential race. With all this in mind, a Trump comeback in Virginia is difficult to see happening unless national conditions worsen significantly for Clinton, he said. That probably means some kind of serious economic or terrorism problem, or something particularly flagrant popping up from her email scandal. Ironically, Skelley said, Trump needs outside help at this point to make Virginia interesting. Earlier this week, Hurt said something to a similar effect when asked whether he thinks Trump has the right message to win the additional Republican and conservative voters needs to win Virginia and other crucial states that seem to be leaning toward Clinton. I think Trump can be a good president if he surrounds himself with people who are smart enough to be able to provide the common-sense, conservative solutions that I think will serve this nation, Hurt said. I think thats the key he needs to surround himself with people who are smarter than he is on the issues he doesnt know about and listen to them. Georgetown University pledged Thursday to apologize for its role in the slave trade and offered to give admissions preference to the descendants of those sold for the benefit of the school, one of the most aggressive responses to date among the universities trying to make amends for the horrors of slavery. As descendants of people enslaved and sold listened, the schools president promised to give their families a boost in admissions, treating applicants who are descendants of slaves owned by Maryland Jesuits the same as it would those who are children of faculty, staff and alumni. And it will name a university residence hall after one of the slaves, a man named Isaac. He was 65 in 1838 when he and 271 other slaves were sold. Georgetown took the steps in response to a report from a panel of faculty, staff, students and alumni that examined the universitys ties to slavery, including the sale of men and women in the early 19th century that helped pay off debt at the Jesuit school. Two priests who took turns as president of Georgetown in those years, the Rev. Thomas Mulledy and the Rev. William McSherry, orchestrated the 1838 sale, for a price of $115,000, or $3.3 million today, breaking families apart. Many ended up in Louisiana, where they labored under dreadful conditions on cotton and sugar plantations, some sold to the widow of a notorious slave trader, according to the report. The episode has been known to scholars for decades. But it has drawn new attention in the past year amid an intensive dialogue about race relations on college campuses across the country. Several people who trace their ancestry to the slaves sold came to Georgetown on Thursday to hear the universitys president, John J. DeGioia. It is with deep gratitude and humility that I recognize your presence, he told them. Members of the audience shot to their feet to echo him with a sustained ovation for the descendants. Before the speech, some descendants wondered why they hadnt been represented on the panel or invited to the speech and what the university would do for, and with, their community going forward. Reconciliation cant be one-sided, said Sandra Green Thomas, 54, a descendant who lives in New Orleans. Apologies are nice. But apologies without actions are a little meaningless. Melissa Kemp, 27, a descendant from Somerville, Mass., said she appreciated in theory the universitys action on admissions preference for slave descendants. But she worried about how many would reach Georgetowns academic standards. Youre dangling an apple a little too high for some of these students, she said. The 16-member panel, which DeGioia convened a year ago, said in its report that a formal, spoken apology would be appropriate because its absence rings so loudly. The report and the universitys response drew emotional reactions from people who trace their lineage to those sold in 1838. Jessica Tilson, 34, a student at Southern University in Louisiana, was driving her mother to work Thursday when she got an email from Georgetown. She burst into tears, pulled into a gas station and told her mother. They cried together and talked about how they would tell Tilsons 80-year-old grandfather. I love the idea, Tilson said. Especially the name of the buildings. Isaac is my sixth-great-grandfather. . . . When people name buildings after people, it shows how much you value them and respect them. . . . Im speechless. There are no feelings in the world that can describe how that feels. Melisande Colomb, 62, a chef from New Orleans who traces her roots to people enslaved and sold to benefit Georgetown, said: Its a beginning. An apology is fine, and thats nice. But what do we do with this American story? With the report, Georgetown joins a growing number of prominent colleges and universities that are giving new scrutiny to their various connections to the institution of slavery in America from Colonial times through the Civil War. What theyre doing is not in isolation, said Kirt Von Daacke, co-chair of the University of Virginias commission on slavery and the university, who welcomed Georgetowns efforts. This is a story that, frankly, every university formed in the 19th century may have some connection to. . . . This is a national story. Brown University acknowledged its close ties to the 18th-century transatlantic slave trade in a groundbreaking 2006 report. U-Va.s governing board voted in 2007 to express regret for the use of slaves. Georgetown, founded in 1789, is now revisiting its own deep entanglement with slavery. DeGioia in recent months has reached out to descendants of slaves the Jesuits sold in a quest to make amends for the actions of his predecessors 40 to 50 in all, he said. Patricia Bayonne-Johnson meets John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, in Spokane, Wash., in June. Bayonne-Johnson is a descendant of slaves owned by Maryland Jesuits. (Jerry Johnson) On Thursday, DeGioia told students that the university must confront its past. This community participated in the institution of slavery, he said. This original evil that shaped the early years of the republic was present here. He said the university also must take steps to address racial inequities in American society today. The report is a milestone for Georgetown, which, like many prominent colleges, was long an all-white bastion. Today about 6 percent of Georgetowns 7,500 undergraduates are African American. Eight percent are Latino, 10 percent are Asian American and 4 percent are multiracial. The panels report explores the relationship between Maryland Jesuits, slavery and the college. The Jesuits established plantations and began using slave labor on them about 1700. Those plantations became an enduring source of financial support for Georgetown, the nations first Catholic college. The report notes that through the Civil War the mood at the college was pro-slavery and ultimately pro-Confederacy. Preliminary research suggests that there were more slaves on Georgetowns campus than previously thought, probably about 1 in every 10 people on campus in the early 19th century. Some were brought by students. Some were rented from slave owners. Mulledy and McSherry organized the sale of 272 slaves to Louisiana businessmen while the former was college president and the latter held the title of superior of the Maryland Province of the Jesuits. The slaves were taken to various plantations in Louisiana. Many were then sold and resold. The sale was controversial at the time. Jesuit authorities in Rome were initially inclined to support emancipation, the report said, and they imposed several conditions on any sale, including a mandate that slave families should not be divided. That condition and others were not honored. Until last year, Mulledy and McSherry were honored at Georgetown. But even as the university revisited the slave sale, a movement emerged to improve the racial climate on campuses nationwide. Students at Georgetown held a sit-in outside DeGioias office in November to protest the Mulledy and McSherry building names and other issues. Soon afterward, the university stripped the priests names from the buildings. Now the building once known as Mulledy Hall will be renamed Isaac Hall, honoring the first of the 272 slaves listed in documents of the 1838 sale. And what was once McSherry Hall will be renamed Anne Marie Becraft Hall, to honor a free woman of color. According to the report, she was a trailblazing educator with roots in the Georgetown neighborhood in the 19th century. The university also plans to develop a public memorial to slaves and their families outside those halls. Names of each of those 272 people will be included in the memorial or inside the halls. Thousands of new and returning students will arrive in Halifax this weekend, set to start a new year of classes and, in some cases, a new chapter in their lives. As in years past, Dalhousie will be working closely with community partners including Halifax Regional Police (HRP) in the coming days and weeks to ensure the transition is as safe and smooth as possible for all. A designated police patrol Starting September 2, Dal will join other universities in Halifax's south end in welcoming the launch of Operation Fall Back an annual HRP-run initiative that includes high-visibility patrols in nearby residential areas during the first full week of the term and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights throughout the month of September. First launched in 2004 to address community concerns, the patrol focuses on known-complaint areas and uses direct enforcement (mainly through issuing tickets) as a way to help reduce noise complaints, vandalism and alcohol-related incidents. The patrol responds to calls from students and community members alike. Fall Back is a robust campaign that allows us to collaborate with Dal and other partners in a nimble way to meet the emerging needs of the community during this busy time of year, says Constable Robin Sherwood, community liaison officer for Halifax's south end. Then, later in the fall, Dalhousie provides financial support to keep the patrol up and running in designated neighbourhoods around its campuses. The Dalhousie Police Patrol runs throughout October (Thursday Saturday) and November (Friday and Saturday) and on select dates during the winter term (Munro Day, St. Patricks Day, etc). A new outreach office This fall, Dalhousie Community Engagement and Security Services will also open a new Community Outreach Office as a further service to keep campus and the surrounding neighbourhood vibrant and safe. Located in a high-traffic spot in the Life Science Centre on Studley Campus (room 204), the office will provide students, faculty, staff and neighbours with access to resources and services from Dal and community partners, including HRP. The outreach team will work collaboratively to respond to concerns and inquiries from the community and to help individuals navigate university and partner resources. To make an appointment, call the office at 902-494-1785. The office will not be staffed on a 24-hour basis, so urgent inquiries should continue to be directed to Dal Security Services or HRP. This will help us to build even stronger relationships both on campus and with the broader community, says Jake MacIsaac, assistant director of Dal Security Services, a key partner in the project. Staying connected, staying safe Dal offers a number mobile security services to members of the university community as well, including Dal Alert an integrated messaging service. Students and staff are encouraged to sign up for the service, which enables the university to send important information in a timely way in the event of significant campus closures (due to severe weather, for example), campus hazards (spills or fires, for example), and other unforeseen events. All members of the Dal community receive email alerts, but subscribers can also opt in to receive information by text message. DalSafe is a free smartphone app that makes it simple to contact Dal's security team by providing simple push-button phone access to all of its different services (emergency line, night-time Tiger Patrol shuttle) in one portal. The app also features GPS-enabled maps of all Dal campuses, a voluntary push-notification service, and other important security tips and information on how to respond to threats or critical incidents. Our goal is to be as accessible as possible in as many ways as possible to members of our community, says MacIsaac. CLARKS Its no coincidence the Clarks United Methodist Church will celebrate its 150-year anniversary the same weekend the town marks its sesquicentennial. Their simultaneous beginnings are more than just a little entwined. The same year Union Pacific Railroad began laying rails through the area and platted the original village of Clarksville, a young David Marquette was embarking on a new venture as an itinerant circuit-riding preacher. This 1866 venture brought him to conduct Methodist classes at Junction Ranch, home of the Calvin B. Hartwell family, along the Platte River east of present-day Clarks. The Hartwells, considered to be the first permanent Clarks-area settlers, arrived just a year prior. Documentation suggests that Marquette could have been about 30 years old when he set out to cover the large southeast Nebraska area on horseback. He served in ministry for 34 years before his death at age 74 in 1911. As additional settlers came to Clarks over the next decade, they spent the years of 1872-78 erecting Episcopal, Catholic and Union church buildings. Records dont exist to show exactly when the Episcopal Church disbanded, and the Union Church soon passed into the hands of a Congregationalist group all before the Methodists got around to building an edifice in Clarks. The present home of the 70-plus Clarks United Methodist Church members is not the first location as a November 1947 fire destroyed the original 68-year-old wood-frame structure. That building, dubbed Somers Chapel, was named in honor of the Philadelphia benefactor who gifted $400 along with a vast Sunday school library and eventually a bell for a building she never personally got to see. Rebuilding on the site of the old foundation, the congregation dedicated its current place of worship free of indebtedness in 1950. Somers picture, unharmed in the fire, hangs in the church today as a reminder of her legacy to the congregation. A number of past ministers will be on hand to join members in celebrating the church's 150-year history Sept. 11 with worship and fellowship. The congregation will also formally welcome their new pastor, Janice Farrell, that day. Clarks United Methodist Church shares Farrell with the other two other churches, Pierce Chapel and Fullerton, of the LouPlatte Faith Alliance. A shared pastor has often been a part of the church's history. In the early Depression years, the Clarks Methodist and Congregational churches shared a pastor. Clarks and Pierce Chapel had for many years worked cooperatively before Clarks was realigned for a time with the Osceola church and Pierce Chapel with the church in Fullerton. Reunited in 2012, Clarks and Pierce Chapel became part of the five appointment parish, Tri-Valley Faith Alliance, along with Fullerton, Belgrade and Cedar Rapids. The LouPlatte Alliance was formed two years ago with Dale Coates assigned pastor. The Clarks church will begin the Sept. 11 festivities at 9:30 a.m. with coffee fellowship before the 10:30 a.m. worship hour. The Rev. Ruben Saenz Jr., who in June was appointed to his first role as bishop, will deliver the morning message. A noon potluck meal will be served at Beck's Ol' Barn approximately 2 miles west of Clarks on U Road. An afternoon celebration program will follow around 1 p.m. LINCOLN Costco has spent years trying to find a location for its first Lincoln store, and it thinks its finally found one at 14th Street and Pine Lake Road. But the vast majority of neighbors who attended a Wednesday evening meeting favor a location anywhere but sandwiched between two schools. More than 100 people listened to a presentation from Costco officials about the proposed store, and several asked questions. The biggest topic on everyone's mind: What will a large warehouse store do to traffic in the area near Southwest High School and Scott Middle School? Costco wants to build a 150,000-square-foot discount store, as well as 16 fuel pumps, on about 20 acres generally between 16th and 20th streets on the north side of Pine Lake Road. It has a purchase agreement to buy 20 acres at the site. The store as proposed would have two entrances off Pine Lake, one at 14th Street and a back entrance at Hazel Scott Drive. According to an engineer from Olsson Associates who did a traffic study for the project, the store would add about 300 cars on the streets during the peak afternoon hours of 4:45 to 5:45. That would be about a 20 percent increase in the number of cars in the area. The store wouldn't open until 10 a.m. on weekdays, so the effect in the morning would be negligible. However, neighbors were more concerned about traffic during the day -- at noon, for example, when juniors and seniors from Lincoln Southwest leave for lunch; and at 3 p.m., when students head home for the day. Those times were not specifically studied, but Ted Johnson, Costco's development director for the Midwest, said noon to 2 p.m. typically would be the store's busiest hours. Those in attendance also worried about the safety of children walking and biking to and from school. Debbie Stuart, who lives in the area and has kids who go to Southwest, said she would like a Costco in Lincoln and expects much of the community would as well. But she said the location so close to two schools is not a good one. "I think I'd be very disappointed if our city invited this kind of chaos into the backyards of two of our schools," she said. A few people in attendance said it's inevitable that the land will be developed, and it's better to get a business like Costco rather than another strip mall or big box retailer with a worse reputation and longer hours. Michelle Dyer Nelson, who lives just a couple of blocks north of the site, said she likes Costco and thinks they have a reputation as being a good neighbor. "I think we're being a little closed-minded about the alternatives," Dyer Nelson said. Brian Whelan, whose company helps Costco with site selection, said it hopes to submit a formal application to the city-county Planning Department within a few weeks. Costco will be seeking to change the zoning from agricultural to business. He said if plans are approved, the goal would be to start construction next spring and be open by fall of 2017. The store would employ 150-200 people, about half of them full time, Whelan said. He said the minimum starting wage for Costco employees is $13 an hour, and most full-time employees with at least five years of service make $50,000 or more a year. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. The renowned American motorcycle brand, Harley-Davidson, has updated its Indian website with its 2017 model line-up. The manufacturer will bring the updated Street 750 model to India with ABS as a standard feature. The bike will also come in new colours, including the two dual-tone options, Fire Red Delux and Vivid Black Deluxe. The dual-tone colour variants will be costlier than the standard option. Moreover, ABS will increase the cost the of the standard variant as well. There is no other changes mentioned on the official website and the other features and specifications of the 2017 Street 750 remains untouched. It continues to be propelled by the liquid-cooled Revolution X V-Twin which comes mated to a six-speed gearbox. The motor makes 47.7PS of power and delivers a peak torque of 59Nm at just 3,750rpm. A smooth belt drive transfers this output to the rear wheel like the other H-D motorcycles. The Harley-Davidson Street 750 has been introduced by the company as a premium urban mobility solution. Unlike the other big and heavy Harleys, this one has a compact design with better city manners. Apart from that, it also keeps the company's flawless open road characteristics along with the true H-D sound and premium detailing. Moreover, the bike comes with a wide option of customising accessories which you can add as per your requirements and taste. Currently, the Street 750 is the most affordable Harley in the market with a sticker price of Rs 4.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Like its competitor Triumph, the company is bringing all its 2017 cruiser fleet with ABS as a standard feature. However, the Triumphs will still come with more standard features like Ride-by-Wire, Slip-Assist clutch, traction control and much more. Now, let's see how the company will price these updated models with this new safety feature. Source: BikeDekho.com Tokyo: Japanese transport ministry officials raided the Tokyo headquarters of scandal-ridden Mitsubishi Motors Corp. on Friday after the government alleged the automaker cheated on mileage ratings on more models than earlier reported. The systematic inflating of mileage numbers first surfaced in April, over minicars, eK wagon and eK Space, that also were sold under the Nissan Motor Co. brand. No overseas models are affected. This week, the government said it had found similar cheating on eight more models, including an electric car, for which Mitsubishi had overstated the cruise range on a single charge. Ministry official Yuki Ebihara said the raid, the third over the mileage scandal, was part of an investigation to find out how the cheating developed and what might be behind such persistent wrongdoing. Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Motors is compensating owners with cash rebates. Sales of the eight models have been halted in Japan. When the mileage discrepancy over the minicars surfaced, the government ordered mileage tests redone on other models, following the correct procedure, rather than the incorrect methods used by Mitsubishi Motors. Mitsubishi initially said the discrepancy in the mileage was minimal. This week, Mitsubishi acknowledged they went with the best data the redone tests turned up, not the average, as required by law. Mitsubishi's vehicle sales in Japan have nosedived, falling 35 per cent last month compared to the same month last year. Nissan has said it is taking a 34 per cent stake in Mitsubishi to help its turnaround, although the deal has not yet been completed. Mitsubishi's reputation was hammered by a massive cover-up of defects that surfaced in the early 2000s. The sales of cars like the Fortuner and the Innova declined as a result of the ban as these vehicles have diesel engines with capacity bigger than two-litre. The diesel ban in Delhi-NCR led prominent foreign automakers to stop their further investments in India. Toyota, the Japanese manufacturer was also one of them. The sales of cars like the Fortuner and the Innova declined as a result of the ban as these vehicles have diesel engines with capacity bigger than two-litre. It was only after eight months that automobile manufacturers could let out a sigh of relief, when the diesel ban was lifted from the national capital and the adjoining areas. This was done in exchange for an environment cess that the automotive manufacturers will have to pay on the sale of every diesel car with an engine capacity of 2000cc or more. Toyota has now shared that it will focus more on India and introduce more vehicles to cater customer demands in the fifth-largest automotive market in the world. Hiroyuki Fukui, CEO for Asia, Middle East and North Africa reportedly said, We would like to be a good citizen wherever we open and India is one of the promising markets in Asia. Our production is only half used. We have huge potential. In India we have the emissions, the regulations. We understand it is important for the health of the people. We are trying to find an amicable solution for sustainable growth. That is why I say we will grow step by step." Toyota had planned to launch subsidiary brands Lexus and Diahatsu in India but, due to the diesel ban, those plans were also put on hold. Since the regulatory uncertainty about the sale of diesel vehicles has now been cleared, the brands will sooner or later make their way to India. N. Raja, director at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said that there are no roadblocks for the introduction of Lexus and Diahatsu now and that plans are being worked out in Japan. Earlier this year, the Japanese carmaker launched the new Innova Crysta with both petrol and diesel engine options. Toyota is now readying itself to launch the facelifted versions of its Etios sedan and the Etios Liva hatchback during the upcoming festive season. With the diesel conundrum sorted, Toyota will be looking to regain its market share by introducing its new Fortuner to compete with the Ford Endeavour. Source: Zigwheels.com The company has already started assembling TVs and media products in India with a local partner. Kolkata: Electronics major Sony India on Thursday said it is still serious about setting up its own manufacturing in India but nothing concrete has materialized so far. "Don't deny any possibility. Still in discussion for opportunities in the future to expand manufacturing, but nothing concrete," said Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India. "We are talking more seriously about what we can do in India," he said here. The company, he said, has already started assembling TVs and media products in India with a local partner. Manufacturing of some products resumed in the country after almost a decade. Sony has its own manufacturing facility in China, Malaysia and Japan, Hibi said. It has a software development centre in India with 1,500 employees. The electronics major is aiming for a 30 per cent sales growth during the festive months of August-November in the country this year with Rs 150 crore push in promotion and campaign for the period. "We are targeting 30 per cent growth during the four months between August and November in India against 20 per cent last year," Mr Hibi said. In West Bengal, Sony is targeting a 40 per cent growth in flat panel and overall growth of 30 per cent, Sony India sales head Satish Padmanabhan said. Flat panels contribute in excess of 50 per cent of its India sales followed by audio and the segment is growing rapidly. However, Sony India officials refused to divulge the sales figures. Sony, which failed to make much headway with mobile phones, has decided to pull out from the mass segment altogether and concentrate only in the premium segment with handsets priced above Rs 20,000. "Henceforth, we will remain in the premium segment and all products we launch will be in excess of Rs 20,000," Mr Hibi said. India has already bought about 600,000 tonnes of wheat in 2016, the most in nine years New Delhi: Wheat traders and industry representatives in India expect the country to step up international purchases significantly over the coming months, providing a potential boost to global prices languishing near 10-year lows. Production in the last two years has fallen well below the peak of 2014/15, reducing stocks to the lowest level in nearly a decade and pushing domestic prices close to record highs. Some traders expect them to climb still further this year. India has already bought about 600,000 tonnes of wheat in 2016, the most in nine years, but traders expect the government to reduce or even abolish the 25 per cent import tariff to make imports cheaper and ease a domestic supply squeeze. "The supply situation is getting very serious," said Veena Sharma, secretary of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India, the country's main wheat industry body. "A review of the import policy may be a viable and rational option to bridge the gap between demand and supply in the domestic market. There is hardly any wheat available in the open market; production is much lower than the number the government is citing." Ramped up imports by the world's second biggest wheat producing and consuming nation could help support global prices, which have fallen this week amid a projected rise in world stocks to a record 252.8 million tonnes. India rarely enters the global market beyond buying a few hundred thousands tonnes annually. The last time it bought more was in 2006, when surprise purchases of close to 7 million tonnes, combined with production problems elsewhere, helped fuel a near 50 per cent rally in global prices. The Food Ministry declined official comment, but a senior government source said there was no cause for panic. "Although we're keeping an eye on the situation, we don't see any shortage at the moment. At the same time, we'll encourage the private trade and flour millers to import as much as they can," said the source, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press. "In terms of various options available to us, we can always abolish or lower the import tax. Please remember that there's no need to worry, as the world has plenty of wheat." Price spread widens Trade and industry experts said India was likely to import large volumes. "In my view, India will have to import at least 4 million tonnes of wheat. A broad estimate suggests our imports will hover around 5 or 6 million tonnes," said Tejinder Narang, a veteran New-Delhi industry expert. In a sign of tightening availability, authorities last month reduced the allocation of wheat each flour mill can buy from the government's open market sales scheme to 500 tonnes from 5,000. It was subsequently raised to 2,000 tonnes, following a protest from millers. Domestic prices are strong and trading near record highs set in June. The spread between Indian and global benchmark U.S. prices has widened to an all-time peak. India's farm ministry in August pegged 2015/16 wheat output at 93.50 million tonnes, up from 86.53 million tonnes a year ago, but most traders estimate production at about 84 million tonnes. India's state wheat reserves, which on Aug. 1 stood at 26.9 million tonnes, are falling rapidly, and traders estimate a drawdown of 2.5-3 million tonnes a month up from the usual 1.5-2 million tonnes. "It will be difficult to maintain buffer stock levels," said a trader based in southern India. "The talk among traders is India will be left with (stocks of) 5-6 million tonnes by April." India's minimum buffer wheat requirement, set in 2010/11, is 7.5 million tonnes on April 1, ahead of the arrival of the new crop. Wheat consumption is estimated to rise to 93.1 million tonnes in 2016/17, up around 11 million tonnes on 2010/11 levels, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. Although traders said increased Indian purchases were unlikely to spark a price rally on the scale of that in 2006, with global stocks so plentiful, they could prove a boon to exporters such as Australia. Australia, the world's fourth largest exporter, is on track to produce a near-record crop of 28 million tonnes, and so far overseas sales have been disappointing. "India likes Australian wheat ... If the tax gets removed, Australian wheat exports will go into India in reasonable volumes," said James Foulsham, Wheat Trading Manager at CBH Group, Australia's largest grain exporter. The Sahara chief had earlier told the court that by December, the group would be in a position to fulfill all the conditions and that talks were going on with Canara Bank for Rs 1,500 crore bank gaurantee. New Delhi: Supreme Court today asked the Sahara Group to come clean by disclosing its sources from where it had raised Rs 25,000 crore and paid its investors in cash, observing that it is "difficult to digest" as such a huge amount "cannot fall from the heavens." "You (Sahara Group) tell us what is the source of this money Did you get the money from other companies or other schemes to the tune of Rs 24,000 crore Withdrew it from bank accounts Or sold property to get it It should be any of the three alternatives. Money did not fall from the heavens. You have to show from where you have got the money. "Though we don't doubt the capacity of your client to pay crores of money to investors, that too in cash in two months. But the entire explanation of the episode is difficult to digest. Tell us the source of the cash and there will be no need to open the pandora box," a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said. The bench, also comprising Justices A R Dave and A K Sikri, which will hear the matter on the issue again on September 16, said "you start the hearing on that date by disclosing from where you got the money." "Show us the documents. How the money was lying in other schemes," the bench said after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Sahara Chief Subrata Roy, submitted that the group had raised money and paid to its investors in cash and the market regulator SEBI was running away from finding out crores of investors. "This is your (Sahara's) claim. SEBI has a very simple question. Please tell us from where you got the money. You tell us and we will close the case. You tell us how you raised Rs 25,000 crore in cash," the bench said. Sibal said the group was open for any probe and even assuming that there is an apprehension that it is a case of blackmoney, the group can be investigated but "if it's black money, who is SEBI to investigate? It is matter of Income Tax (Department)." However, the bench said the onus was on the business house to reveal the source of the money, whether it is accounted money or unaccounted money. "Was it lying in your bank account or you got it from schemes floated by you," the bench said as Sibal tried to convince that the Group drew money from others schemes in which the investment was made. "I have already filed an affidavit," Sibal said. Meanwhile, the bench also asked SEBI to respond after properly examining the plea made by Sahara group in its fresh application seeking permission to borrow money from a foreign entity for raising the amount for securing Roy's interim bail. For the interim bail, the court had put conditions on Roy like depositing Rs 5,000 crore in cash and a bank guarantee of equal amount and tough terms, including payment of the entire Rs 36,000 crore, including interest, to be paid back to the investors. When Sibal was drawing attention to the fresh plea, the bench asked senior advocate Arvind Datar, who appeared for SEBI, to respond to the application after carrying out a thorough investigation. "You look into all the aspects with a pinch of salt. We are not convinced with the application. You investigate thoroughly and properly," the bench told Datar. The bench said it has never restrained Sahara from raising the money. The group's application had stated that Sahara needed to borrow money from Reuben brothers of United Kingdom for depositing it in the SEBI-Sahara account opened at the apex court's direction for refunding money to investors. It had earlier informed the court that the loan on overseas hotels that was given by Bank of China has been taken over by billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben of United Kingdom, whose main activities were in real estate, private equity and venture capital. Roy, on August 26, had offered in Supreme Court to pay an additional Rs 300 crore to SEBI but said the amount should be adjusted as bank guarantee. Sahara had also informed the court that it was negotiating the sale of its three overseas hotels Grosvenor House Hotel in London, New York Plaza and Dream New York hotels. On August 3, the court had extended Roy's parole till September 16 with a condition to deposit Rs 300 crore with SEBI. Roy's parole, granted on humanitarian grounds following the death of his mother, was extended after he had deposited Rs 300.68 crores, giving him the opportunity to raise the remaining amount to secure bail in the case. The apex court had allowed Sahara group to go ahead with sale and alienation of their properties to raise an amount of Rs 5,000 crore as a bank guarantee which they have to deposit in addition to Rs 5,000 crore to get bail for Roy. The Sahara chief had earlier told the court that by December, the group would be in a position to fulfill all the conditions and that talks were going on with Canara Bank for Rs 1,500 crore bank gaurantee. The apex court had passed an order on March 29 stating that SEBI would not sell any property owned by the beleaguered group for a price less than 90 per cent of the circle rates for the area in question without the permission of the court. The court had asked SEBI to initiate the process of selling "unencumbered" properties of Sahara group, whose title deeds are with the market regulator, to generate the bail money for release of the group chief. Director A.R. Murugadoss and Sonakshi Sinha havent left any stone unturned in promoting their next Akira. Earlier, the makers launched the teaser and trailer of the film and that had garnered a lot of attention. Now, we hear that the director will finally be flying back to Chennai after Akira releases. The director had shifted base to Mumbai to shoot Akira and will return to his home ground just after the film releases on September 2. During Holiday, too, the director shifted to the city. Akira is said to be the Hindi remake of the hit Tamil film Mounaguru. This is Sonakshis second film with Murugadoss; she was previously seen in his film Holiday. Mumbai: The Ajay Devgn-KRK feud is getting uglier by the minute with numerous twists and turns. Ever since Karan Johar announced the release date of his upcoming film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which clashes with Ajay Devgns Shivaay, the fan base of the two films have been at loggerheads with each other. But the real battle commenced when Ajay stepped into the ring with an audio clip of KRK admitting to being paid by Karan Johar to say only positive things about the film. The self-proclaimed film critic had resorted to unsavourily slandering Shivaay, and the audio clip added major credence to the foul play theory. KRK, after being ruthlessly exposed of his fraudulence, held a press conference on Friday evening, to come clean on his version of the story. When asked about the audio clip of his conversation with Kumar Mangat, he said, Kumar Mangat and I have produced two films together. We two are close friends and he keeps coming to my house. If I am not a genuine person then he should have not made two big films with me. I feel that this isnt about Ajay Devgns emotional connection with the industry; it is only a matter of money. Before joining the industry, he was 2 rupees people (sic) but now he is a billionaire, so it is clearly a matter of money. Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat have done all of this because when their film 'Son Of Sardaar' clashed with Shah Rukh Khans 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan,' the entire industry requested him to push the release date but Ajay didnt budge. Since Yash Chopra passed away, I believe this is his emotional connection. Ajay Devgn is targeting Karan Johar by using my name as he wants to drag the matter to the court. Earlier, he had filed a case against YRF that he lost and now he wants to repeat the history, he added. When further probed, KRK said, Kumar Mangat asked me why I referred to 'Shivaay' as 'Himmatwala 2. He asked me why I was favouring Karan Johar and 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. Why am I saying good things about the film? He is implying that if I like the teaser of 'ADHM', I still must pan the film. Kumar Mangat is purely putting pressure on me just because he feels we are close friends. Just to avoid him over the phone call, I told him that Karan Johar has given me 25 lakhs, and the very next moment he offered me money to say good things about 'Shivaay'. I never say that I dont take money to do film promotions. I have my website and it is not a public forum. I pay salaries to everyone. I have promoted several films, some have paid me 10 lakhs, some 15 lakhs and the films for which I have promoted, I havent reviewed them. And charging money to promote the films is my policy. I never do it for free. During 'Bombay Velvet', I had said that Karan Johar had sent me a message but it was nothing like that. It became a huge controversy since the time I have asked money on camera from Karan. I saw and loved the teaser of 'ADHM' so I said good things about it. Why will I say bad things about any film just to make someone happy? I feel 'Shivaay' is 'Himmatwala 2' and so I said as much. As a film critic, I will decide what to say and not anyone else, he added. He continued to defend himself by saying, Ive never taken money from him to promote his films. If you watch my review of Action Jackson, youll see that I have not bad-mouthed him at all. On the contrary, I have appreciated him. During the clash between YRF and Son of Sardaar, he had resorted to all sorts of tactics. You have to ask Ajay Devgn if Im so important that he had to take to the media. Karan Johar never asked me to bad-mouth any film. Ive been made a scapegoat, if you ask me. Ill be reviewing both the movies. If the film (Shivaay) turns out to be good, my review will be excellent, as well. Everyone believes that by associating with me, they gain publicity. This is going to harm Ajay Devgns film immensely, whosoever might be behind this. Id only like to ask Ajay Devgn to fight it out with Karan Johar, one-on-one, like men do. Not resort to something like this. Everyones intimidated by Kamaal R Khan, because I am not scared of anyone. I had kicked Ajay Devgns PRO out. Probably the same person must have fed Kumar Mangat with this idea. I dont have any links in Dubai. Im a straight businessman. I absolutely loved the teaser that had come out. Anyone can say anything for the sake of publicity." Ajay Devgn was also swift in issuing a clarification to KRK's press conference. "This fight is between Ajay Devgn and Karan Johar and I have been dragged into it which is unfair. Aishwarya Rai is like my sister-in-law and I disliked her in the teaser, Kamaal concluded. KRK is heard confessing that he was paid 25 lakhs by Ae Dil Hai Mushkil maker Karan Johar to say good things about the film. Mumbai: Ever since Karan Johar announced the release date of his upcoming film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which clashes with Ajay Devgns Shivaay, the fan base of the two films have been at war with each other. But seems like the real battle has just finally begun as Ajay stepped in the ring with an audio evidence where we hear KRK confessing that he was paid by Ae Dil Hai Mushkil maker to say only positive things about the film. While many have praised and said only good things about Ajays upcoming film Shivaay, Kamal R Khan had something entirely different to say. The actor and self-proclaimed critic went on a Twitter spree where he bad mouthed Ajays film while giving a thumbs up to Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Ajay Devgn took notice of the noise created by KRK on Twitter and knowing the fact that KRK initially only had good things to say about his film. The actor suspected a foul play and asked his business partner Kumar Mangat to call up Kamal R Khan and find out what was going on. The conversation between Kumar Mangat and KRK was taped and what unraveled shocked everyone after Ajay Devgn exposed Kamal R Khan and asked for an investigation. Apparently, in the telephonic conversation, KRK is heard confessing that he was paid 25 lakhs by Ae Dil Hai Mushkil maker Karan Johar to say good things about the film. Unhappy with this new information, Ajay Devgn released an official statement where he has demanded the authorities to conduct an investigation to find out if Karan Johar has indeed paid 25 lakhs to KRK for speaking positive things about his film, as he is claiming. Heres Ajay Devgns official statement: I have been a part of the Indian film industry for the past 25 years and have been associated with over 100 films. My father was a professional action director and I have an emotional connection with this industry. It therefore pains me to see that people like Kamaal R Khan are holding the film industry to ransom by spreading negativity about films to extort money from producers. It is very sad that people from our own industry are supporting such elements and spoiling the ethos of the film industry. I would strongly demand that this be thoroughly investigated by competent authorities to clarify if Karan Johar was indeed involved in this. While Ajay has put everything out in the open, KRK claims that Karan Johar never paid him or asked him to bash 'Shivaay'. Instead, he is claiming that Ajay and Kumar offered him money to bash 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. Today @ajaydevgn has proved that KRK Sirf Ek Naam Nahi Hai Balki Aaj KRK Ek brand Hai. KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016 Sir @ajaydevgn 2-4 Dafaa Aaraam Se Suniye Isko Thande Dimag se, Aur Samajhye Ki Maine Kaya Kaha. Lol! Exposed https://t.co/2iWMWeq3eW KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016 Let me clear it. Karan Johar has never paid me or asked me to bash #Shivaay n you can hear it in the tape. I said 25 Lakhs to avoid Kumar. KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016 Kumar+Ajay offered me money to bash #AeDilHaiMushkil as he is offering in the tape also but I refused. I told them that I will do it free. KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016 Ppl thinking that I called Kumar Mangat but not true. Actually he is close friend n he only called me n he called me many times before also. KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016 One side Ajay Devgan is calling me self claimed critic n other side he thinks that I am really powerful no.1 critic who can harm his film. KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016 Today both films #Shivaay n #AeDilHaiMushkil got free publicity of millions of with my name and this is the power of The Brand KRK. G.N. KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016 My press conference today at 5pm at my office 7/70, mahada, Andheri West, where I will give detailed reply for all allegations of Ajay Devgn KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 2, 2016 Kajol, who shares a good equation with Karan Johar, is completely shocked by the entire situation. The actress reacted by retweeting Ajay's post on Twitter. Here's the audio clip: On a similar note, this isn't the first time that KRK has confessed of being paid to promote KJo's film. During 'Bombay Velvet', KRK claimed that Karan threatened to destroy his life if he reviewed his film 'Bombay Velvet' and then later offered to pay him 25 lakhs for promoting his film. Oh! So now Karan Johar sir is offering me 25lakh Rs for good review of #BombayVelvet pic.twitter.com/aZgImC6Pq5 KRK (@kamaalrkhan) April 25, 2015 Even then, Karan Johar had maintained his silence on the issue. If @karanjohar didn't send me threat SMS then he must deny here. If he is not denying means he tried 2convinced me 2give 4* to #BombayVelvet KRK (@kamaalrkhan) April 26, 2015 Well, seems like KRK never got an appraisal since then. Harshvardhan Kapoor seems to be gearing up for a dream debut, with back-to-back movies, Mirzya and Bhavesh Joshi lined up. The young actor plays four different roles in the two films, and is exhausted. In Rakeysh Omprakash Mehras Mirzya the actor is cast as two characters, since the story is set in different eras. Harshvardhan stated that it was like shooting two different films. And now, for Vikramaditya Motwanes Bhavesh Joshi, he will portray the same character set in two different time frames. Harshvardhan says, There are heavy and exhausting tonal shifts in the character. And due to time constraints, I didnt get the time to prepare for the role. The outdoor locations, says Harshvardhan, are also gruelling. We are shooting on actual locations in various parts of Mumbai for extremely long hours, he adds. For Vikramadityas film, scenes are being shot guerrilla-like by night in Mumbai to avoid crowd of fans who already recognise and mob Harshvardhan. In retrospect, the actor says that preparing for Mirzya was easier. He says, We had all the time in the world for Mirzya. We worked at a far more leisurely pace. I even had time to prepare between takes. Vikramadityas approach to filmmaking is far more urgent. For a two-film old actor, Harshavardhan admits he is excessively demanding on himself. He says, Im self-critical at times. I keep thinking if I could have done things better. But Vikramidtya is a wonderful auteur. He sees the film clearly and works out editing patterns in his mind. Rating: Cast: Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Bingbing Fan Director: Renny Harlin Skiptrace is the latest in a series of conglomerate-funded films whose essential nature foregrounds their producers perception of their audiences collective sensibilities. It is not a recent phenomena for long, in a world where the flow of capital is porous and unbound (the villain in the film logs into a screen which lists, as digital blots, his various offshore bank accounts), popular films, prospective blockbusters must render themselves basic turn themselves inside out, so to say in order to assume universal relevance. Therefore, even as these films depict diversity of cultures, these must be reduced to a series of clear icons surface-level facsimiles severed from indigenous context easily reproducible as merchandise to be sold in markets across the world. Benny Chan (played by Jackie Chan, who has forged more bilateral treaties with America than the national government) mutters to his latest consort, Connor Watts: You are a liar, you lie all the time, while Watts is puzzled throughout the film by Bennys selfless devotion to a code of honour. The creation of a clear, acceptable demarcation an easy binary: the corrupt Westerner, the mystical man from the Orient. This is a clue, perhaps: the films major markets are outside America. The most interesting aspect of Skiptrace is how it flattens its own narrative tension to erect in its place, instead, a series of misadventures, interactions with local communities, a film driven not by plot, but by its location on the map in essence, a road movie. It opens with the murder of Chans partner, who while dying implores Chan to take care of his daughter. The incident traumatises Chan, who must now avenge his partners death by taking out a mythical character, the Matador, whose existence only Chan and his team of two younger officers believe in. This invocation of the past to construct a troubled, tortured protagonist of the present is obviously a loan from Jackie Chans very popular series of the Police Story films. Meanwhile, an American with a Texan drawl (Chans tag-team partners from America are always the most American Americans in the world) gets mixed up in an incident with the Chinese mob, who must now silence him. He is also in a bad debt with the Russian mafia (more markets) who abduct him to Siberia. However, Chan must retrieve him because his presence in Hong Kong is required to prove the innocence of his goddaughter. Most of the film is kindled by a minor incident: Watts sets Chans passport on fire, and therefore, they must take the train from Russia to China as such, they cross a vast swathe of land, stereotype various communities on the way, essentialise subcultures, appropriate them for the sake of a joke or two and generally, rev up a bromance. Their journey is met with brief interruptions when a band of perfunctory villains the Russians and the Chinese doing shifts manage to locate them and compel them to commit to an action sequence. These are perhaps the best opportunities for Harlin to put an exhibition of his skills as a director, but he remains mostly content to shoot coverage and reduce Jackie Chans action which is extremely precise, austere; choreography whose cumulative effect depends on a coherent, unified vantage point to chaos. Early on in the film, Chan is referred to fondly as Uncle Benny and this really is the cipher than proliferates through his international collaborations: a selfless, asexual soldier of honour, of the larger cause, of the nation. Later in the film, in a moment of silence, maybe unscripted pathos, Benny glances for a second at a family launching wish-lamps into the air and turns to Watts to declare, I think I should settle down too. Resident in this tired wistfulness is perhaps the next evolution of Chans cinematic icon. The writer is programmer, Lightcube Film Society Ithaca, New York: When he was 2, Jeremy Shuler was reading books in English and Korean. At 6, he was studying calculus. Now, at an age when most kids are attending middle school, the exuberant 12-year-old is a freshman at Cornell University, the youngest the Ivy League school has on record. "It's risky to extrapolate, but if you look at his trajectory and he stays on course, one day he'll solve some problem we haven't even conceived of," said Cornell Engineering Dean Lance Collins. "That's pretty exciting." Jeremy is the home-schooled child of two aerospace engineers who were living in Grand Prairie, Texas, when he applied to Cornell. While Jeremy's elite-level SAT and Advanced Placement test scores in math and science at age 10 showed he was intellectually ready for college, Collins said what sealed the deal was his parents' willingness to move to Ithaca. Jeremy's father, Andy Shuler, transferred from Lockheed Martin in Texas to its location in upstate New York. "I wanted to make sure he had a nice, safe environment in terms of growing up," Collins said. With his bowl-cut hair, cherubic face and frequent happy laughter, Jeremy is clearly still a child despite his advanced intelligence. He swung in his chair while his parents, who he calls Mommy and Daddy, recounted his early years during an interview at the engineering school where his grandfather is a professor, his father got his doctorate and Jeremy is now an undergrad. "From the beginning, he was physically advanced, very strong," said Harrey Shuler, who has a doctorate in aerospace engineering but put her career on hold to home-school Jeremy. He fixated on letters and numbers at 3 months old, knew the alphabet at 15 months, and was reading books on his own at 21 months in English and Korean, his mother's native language. When he was 5, he read "The Lord of the Rings" and "Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics" on his own. Enrolling him in kindergarten was pointless. "We were concerned about him socializing with other kids," his mother said. "At the playground he was freaked out by other kids running around screaming. But when we took him to Math Circle and math camp, he was very social. He needed someone with similar interests." Jeremy nodded vehemently at that, saying his closest friends are from the math discussion groups. "One of my Math Circle friends actually wrote 'Minecraft for Dummies,'" he said, adding that the computer game is one of his favorite pastimes along with reading science fiction. He said he's settling in to college life. "I was nervous at first, but I'm a lot more excited than nervous now," he said, adding that he's already made a couple of friends. "As Mommy said, all the kids in math camp were older than me, so I'm used to having older friends. As long as they like math." He's enjoying the classes, especially the theoretical discussions, he said. "The classes are kind of easy so far, but I know they'll be harder pretty soon," Jeremy said. That's an important thing to keep in mind, according to others with experience in early college. Joe Bates, founder of Singular Computing in Newton, Massachusetts, and a leading researcher in artificial intelligence, entered Johns Hopkins University when he was 13. Now 60, Bates said college was liberating after conventional schooling that always bored him. "It was actually the first time it was fun and interesting to be in school," Bates said. On a social level, he felt more at home with his nerdy college classmates than he had with junior high students. "If I were to give Jeremy any advice, it would be that it can be hard and you should not assume you can manage everything," Bates said, recalling how distressed he was when he found himself struggling with his doctoral studies at Cornell Engineering. "You should truly keep your parents and advisers informed, and ask them for help. It's not going to be like before, when you could just do everything." As for the future, Jeremy plans to just keep on learning. "I want to pursue a career in academia," he said. Nobody in their right mind would reject the idea of having a three-day weekend except perhaps a die-hard workaholic with no life outside their work. But a long weekend has way more benefits apart from offering you more time to spend with loved ones, exploring new places and simply relaxing. Alex Williams, a lecturer in Sociology at City University London, claims that it can also help improve the state of our environment. Reducing the number of working hours has a general correlation with marked reductions in energy consumption as economists David Rosnick and Mark Weisbrot have argued, reports The Conversation. Interestingly, even if Americans simply followed European levels of working hours, they would observe an estimated 20 per cent reduction in energy use and consequently low carbon emissions. Such a scenario could help in avoiding spending money and time on commuting to and fro as well as the energy consumption at workplaces. This would prove to be helpful in making our economy more environment-friendly. For instance, in 2007 the US state of Utah had come up with a new concept of the working week for state employees by extending hours on Monday through Thursday and keeping Fridays free. That resulted in the state estimating more than 12,000 tons of CO2 saved every year. In fact in the first ten months, the state was able to save around $1.8 million in energy costs. However, Utah discontinued the experiment in 2011 after residents complained of lack of access to services on Fridays. Thiruvananthapuram: Sally Kannan from Thrissur is a dog catcher. Thats how she describes herself, when she is out to catch dogs and people ask her if she is a vet. An ABC programme manager and a para-vet, she feels that more women should take up dog catching. Dogs trust women more, she says. She has been approaching various authorities with a proposal to give training to women in Kudumbashree units as dog catchers. This week, she was in Thiruvananthapuram to attend a meeting of various animal welfare organisations with LSGD Minister K T Jaleel. She even put forward her idea of training women to the minister. Female catchers can complement male catchers, she says. She has been working as an animal rescuer for over 15 years. She was one of the three women from the state to win the Women and Child Development Ministrys Achievers Awards in 2015. At 32, she is also a cancer survivor. She trains seasoned dog catchers in the state. Most dog catchers know only the traditional method of snaring dogs employing wire loops. Many also kill dogs by injecting poison into their hearts. Dogs that escape such violent methods tend to be aggressive, she says. She prefers to hand-catch dogs, whenever possible. The friendliest dogs can be caught by hand. When people see us touching a stray, it reassures them. When this is not possible, we use butterfly nets. Such friendly methods ensure that dogs do not turn aggressive. Through the training programme, many catchers who were killers have had a transformation, she says. She has completed Para-vet and ABC Programme Manager's course at Worldwide Veterinary Services, Ooty. People tell me that I talk about dogs because I am a dog lover. But pig is my favourite animal, and I am a Farm Animal Welfare outreach consultant with the Human Society International/India, she says. Heart attacks can leave people in a hysteric state about their health and it has mostly known to be a trigger for depression. But a study has found a link between a persons sex life and heart problems. The study says that sexual problems occur at a higher rate than depression in the aftermath of a heart attack. It also observed that the problem is more prevalent among women with 59% of women reported such issues, while 46% men have experienced them. Harlan Krumholz, Professor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut said that, "We need to concern ourselves with gaining knowledge about how to help our patients achieve a high quality of life in all aspects of their lives." It indicates that if a physician talks to the patient about sexual health after a heart attack, they are more likely to resume sexual activity. The idea was originally inspired by a bar in Paris that offers discounts depending on the politeness of its clients. London: A cafe in Spain is charging its customers more for their coffees and pastries if they are rude when ordering, according to a report in the Independent. Blau Grifeu in Llanca charges rude customers 5 euros while those who behave more graciously pay just 3 euros. A customer who says please or wished the barista a good morning could get his coffee cheaper than the others. Owner, Marisel Valencia Madrid, said the scheme was working and customers were beginning to be more polite to her staff, she told the Times. The idea was originally inspired by a bar in Paris that offers discounts depending on the politeness of its clients. Kochi: A sessions court in Kerala granted bail to Malayalam actor Sreejith Ravi on Friday, a day after he was arrested by the police for misbehaving with school children. Additional District Court judge K P Indira granted bail to the actor on the condition that he deposits Rs one lakh and two solvent sureties of the like amount, surrenders his passport and appears before the investigating officer every week. Ravi was arrested on Thursday for alleged inappropriate conducts in front of a group of students. A group of girl students told police in Ottapalam that Ravi had taken their photos using his mobile phone and alleged that he had flashed them while making inappropriate gestures. Read: Kerala actor Sreejith Ravi detained for allegedly flashing private parts at kids Police had arrested Ravi after a car registration number which was part of the girls complaint, was traced back to him. The actor has however maintained that it was not him. The number of the car provided by the girls is mine. But I was not involved in any such incident. The girls might have mistakenly noted down the car's number. If I committed the offense, the students would have told the police my name. I think children recognise me, he was quoted as saying in reports. Police said Ravi was arrested under Section 509 of IPC (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of women) from a film shooting location at Ottapalam here. Ravi has acted in both Malayalam and Tamil films and usually plays the villian in the movies. Hyderabad: Sleuths from the Special Investigation Team, who are investigating cases related to slain gangster Md Nayeemuddin, have arrested 10 more members of his gang on various charges including kidnapping and extortion. The latest set of arrests brings the total number of people in custody to 54. As many as 62 cases have been registered against Nayeemuddin and his alleged gang members, in Telangana. During the course of investigations into the gang, the SIT's officers arrested 10 individuals from Karimangar and Nalgonda districts, an SIT official said. Md Ahmed Khan, the main henchman of Nayeem, along with nine associates who were allegedly involved in seven cases of kidnap and extortions forced registration of land and plots in Bhongir town of Nalgonda. Khan has been arrested, the official said. The arrests were made over the course of the past two days. Nayeemuddin alias Nayeem alias Balanna (45), wanted in a string of crimes including the murder of an IPS officer, was killed in an exchange of fire with police in Shadnagar town in Mahabubnagar. A Non-Resident Indian who had came to meet his parents and went missing from his home Monday onwards was found dead in Bowenpally on Friday morning. (Representational image) Hyderabad: A Non-Resident Indian who had came to meet his parents and went missing from his home Monday onwards was found dead in Bowenpally on Friday morning. Police recovered the charred body of S. Goutham Reddy, 30, who was working in Kenya. Sources said Mr Reddy, who had got married six months ago, had been troubled by issues at work. Mr Goutham Reddy, the younger son of Mr Venkat Reddy, a businessman from Bowenpally, had been working as a director for Thrive Energy Technologies for the past seven years. Six months ago, he had married Yamini and the two had shifted to Nairobi. A week ago, he called his father and informed him about the financial situation at work and sounded very upset. His father asked him to come to Hyderabad for a break and Reddy and his wife landed in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon. After lunch, he left home saying he would return soon. He did not even carry his mobile phone with him, the police said. Though he looked very depressed, we thought we could talk to him and help him to handle the stress. Without giving us any time to talk, he left home soon. We were waiting for his return, but not in this manner, his father said. Except for this depression, he had no worries. He was happy after marriage and was well settled. Only a proper police inquiry will reveal what actually happened, said Reddys brother-in-law, Mr Praveen Reddy. On Friday morning, a scrap vendor in the Dairy Farm area found the charred decomposed body of Mr Reddy. Police recovered an empty soft drink bottle that smelled of petrol and a matchbox from the spot. There are no injuries on his body. We have altered the case to suspicious death and are awaiting the autopsy report, said Bowenpally Inspector K. Kiran. New Delhi: Four officials of the Home Ministry were suspended on Thursday night for their alleged goof-up in renewing the FCRA licence of the NGO of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is under the scanner of security agencies for his alleged radical views. The officials, whose names and ranks were not known immediately, were suspended after the Home Ministry found that Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation's FCRA licence was renewed recently despite several ongoing probe against him. "The four officials were suspended with immediate effect for their alleged role in the renewal of the FCRA licence of Naik's NGO," a Home Ministry official said. Read: Zakir Naik row: Action is being taken against suspended MHA officials, says Rijiju Naik has come under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' had reported that one of the attackers of the July 1 terror strike in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran a propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. He in a lecture, aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists". The popular but controversial Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He is popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects. New Delhi: With the Delhi High Court lambasting civic bodies over the issue of waterlogging, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said it should "summon" Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung as the post has been upheld as the administrative head by it in a recent verdict. He termed as "strange" the high court's observation that work has to be executed irrespective of who is at the helm of the government. "When HC has said that LG is govt, then HC shud summon LG for waterlogging. This is strange. How can High Court not be concerned who is govt? HC says LG is govt and then asks CM to do the job?" the CM said in a series of tweets. On the Delhi government's submission that its senior officials were not cooperating since the August 4 judgement, the court flatly said yesterday, "We are not concerned about who is government and who is not." It also warned senior Delhi government officials of contempt of court action in case work was not undertaken as per established norms in this regard. Pulling up the local bodies for passing the buck on each other, the court attributed the severe waterlogging to clogging of drains by plastics and other non-biodegradable materials. New Delhi: Delhi Police Crime Branch has constituted a special team to probe the "sex tapes" controversy which led to sacking of AAP minister Sandeep Kumar. A delegation of Delhi BJP leaders on Thursday met Delhi police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma and lodged a complaint against the sacked AAP minister, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, accusing them of "misusing their public authority against women". Read: Sandeep Kumar may have filmed sex tapes during college days: reports After their complaint, the probe was handed over to Crime Branch and it has been learnt that a team has been formed to investigate the matter. Taj Hassan, special commissioner of police (crime) said, "A team lead by DCP (Crime) Bhishma Singh will probe into all aspects of the case. We will take action as per law." The CD will be sent for forensic tests to verify its authenticity. The team has begun probing the source of the CD and how it was circulated, said a senior police official. The team will be investigating whether the women in the CD were victims or they were a party to the episode. Kumar might also be called for questioning, police said. Kumar, social welfare minister in AAP government, was sacked by Kejriwal on August 31 after a CD purportedly showing him in a compromising position with women was made public. The decision to sack the minister was taken at a high- level meeting attended by top AAP leaders. Kumar, however, alleged he was being targeted under a "conspiracy" as he was a Dalit and demanded a probe into the issue. Chennai: The National Green Tribunals southern bench on Wednesday gave the green signal to the road-widening project at Megamalai reserved forest in Theni district, even while asking the State government to abide by the 34 restrictions laid down by the wildlife warden. The Bench comprising Justice P. Jyothimani and expert member P.S. Rao vacated an interim injunction and said the 35- km stretch from Chinnamanur to Iravangalaru Road via Megamalai could be laid even without obtaining an Environmental Clearance (EC) as it is not a hilly terrain. The petitioner, M. Saravanan of Madurai had earlier alleged that the highways department failed to obtain EC and permission from the district-level committee as per the Hill Area Tree Preservation Act. P.H. Manoj Pandian, counsel for impleading respondent described the plight of the villagers. Over 40,000 residents, - belonging to seven villages from Megamalai Reserved Forest- access the road to reach Chinnamanur in order to get to a hospital or school. Many senior citizens and pregnant women faced inconvenience as bus service was halted, following staying of the project, counsel explained. Supporting it, counsel for state government, Abdul Saleem said the project doesnt acquire additional lands. It is just an improvisation to the existing road. Deccan Chronicle is in possession of the conditions put forth by the wildlife warden, P. Sornappan, under the Forest Conservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act which include: Not disturbing wildlife of the forest; restricting labourers stay in the forest; avoiding felling of trees and transplanting them if necessary; non-usage of gravel and concrete in forest premises; non-collection of any specimen, prohibition of intoxicating substance and carrying flash cameras. The warden has also asked the highways authorities to submit the list of all working members to the forest range officer concerned. According to the conditions, if the divisional engineer fails to adhere to the said conditions, permission is liable to be cancelled and the engineer shall claim no compensation. Mumbai: Citing the death of a traffic constable after being assaulted by an erring bike rider, the Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Maharashtra government and BMC to hire private security guards to protect the doctors at public hospitals, if needed. "It is very sad that a traffic policeman on duty is assaulted by law breakers and he dies. Whether the victim is a policeman or a doctor, he or she is in public service round the clock, and hence security must be provided to them," said a bench headed by Justice V M Kanade. HC is hearing a PIL filed by Afak Mandaviya saying doctors in government hospitals often become target of the wrath of disgruntled patients or their relatives. Constable Vilas Shinde (50) succumbed to injuries at a city hospital yesterday after he was hit on head with a wooden plank last week by a juvenile bike rider when asked for vehicle documents. Doctors too are in public service and are vulnerable to attacks from patients or their relatives, said the bench. The court gave three weeks to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the state government to frame a comprehensive action plan to provide adequate security to doctors at the public hospitals. Last month, the government had said that it was going to deploy from September, 56 security personnels (police and home guards) at the government-run hospitals in the city. But the court on Friday remarked that the present security in hospitals is not enough, and private security guards should be hired, if needed. Hyderabad: Telangana Police, probing cases related to slain naxal-turned-gangster Mohammed Nayeemuddin, have arrested 10 more members of his gang on various charges, including kidnapping and extortion. So far, 62 cases have been registered against Nayeemuddin and his gang members in Telangana, police said on Friday. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the cases and the police had earlier arrested 44 people. "During the process of investigation of cases against Nayeemuddin gang, the SIT officers arrested 10 accused persons from Karimangar and Nalgonda districts," a release from police stated. MD Ahmed Khan, the main henchman of Nayeem, along with his nine associates who were allegedly involved in seven cases of kidnap and extortions, forced registration of land and plots in Bhongir town of Nalgonda, was arrested, it said. The arrests were made in last two days. Efforts are on to arrest the remaining gang members, police said. Nayeemuddin alias Nayeem alias Balanna (45), wanted in a string of cases including the murder of an IPS officer, was killed in an exchange of fire with police in Shadnagar town in Mahabubnagar district on August 8. Nayeem had formed a criminal gang and was allegedly indulged in land grabbings, extortion, kidnappings etc, many of which were not reported to police due to fear of reprisal, police said. New Delhi: An all-party delegation, led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, will visit Jammu and Kashmir on September 4-5 as violent protests continued in the Valley following the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani in July. "Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead an all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir on September 4-5, 2016," an official statement issued here today said. It said during the visit, there will be interaction with the Governor and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The visiting delegation will hold meeting with representatives of all political parties and other delegations in Srinagar, it said. "About 30-member all-party delegation includes leaders of over 20 political parties. A preparatory meeting for this delegation has been convened on Saturday," it said. The Kashmir Valley has seen possibly the longest spell of protests for over 50 days in which 70 people have lost their lives so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Vietnam on Friday evening before heading for China on Saturday. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India will engage constructively on all pressing international priorities and challenges with world leaders as he looks forward to "a productive and outcome oriented" G20 Summit in China's Hangzhou that begins from Sunday. The Prime Minister, who will travel to Vietnam on Friday evening before heading for China on Saturday, said his government attaches a high priority to bilateral relations with Vietnam and the partnership between the two countries will benefit Asia and the rest of the world. "Today evening, I will reach Hanoi in Vietnam, marking the start of a very important visit that will further cement the close bond between India and Vietnam," Modi said. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," he said in a Facebook post. Modi said he will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges during the G20 Summit. "We will discuss putting the global economy on the track of sustainable steady growth and responding to emerging and entrenched social, security and economic challenges. "India will engage constructively on all the issues before us and work towards finding solutions and taking forward the agenda for a robust, inclusive and sustainable international economic order that uplifts the socio-economic conditions of people across the world, especially those who need it most in developing countries," the Prime Minister said. Modi said he looks forward "to a productive and outcome oriented Summit". At the G20 Summit, India is likely to raise a host of issues ranging from choking terror funding and checking tax evasion to cutting cost of remittances and market access for key drugs. New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Friday refused to quash the environment clearance granted to the Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd, being developed by Adani Group in Thiruvananthapuram. A bench comprising NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice R S Rathore, however, constituted an expert committee of seven members to look into compliance of conditions of environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance. The green panel, while disposing of the pleas seeking withdrawal of environment clearance given to the venture, also directed the project proponent Adani Group to maintain fisheries harbour on the port for welfare of local fishermen. The tribunal's order came on pleas by Thiruvananthapuram- based environmental activists, Wilfred J and V Marydasan, seeking its direction that coastal areas throughout the country, including Vizhinjam coast, be preserved and no activity be undertaken which would damage such areas. The matter was being heard since February this year by a five-member panel after the Supreme Court paved the way for resumption of hearing. However, in the meantime, one of the expert members retired. The green panel had on August 29 reserved its judgement after the Ministry of Environment and Forests and other parties, including Adani, agreed that remaining four members could pronounce the judgment and they had no objection. The harbour project got environmental and CRZ clearance on January 3, 2014. The activists claimed that the project was being established in the area which was once protected under a 1991 notification. Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday came out with a Rs 500 crore worth scheme to give a fillip to tourism in the state, besides announcing 100 more small buses for Chennai this year. At present, the MTC is operating 200 small buses which links remote places with the nearest transport hub, she said and added that 100 more would join the fleet. The heirs of transport workers who die in service would be given 1,600 jobs based on seniority of registration. It would be distributed among the eight transport corporations and 200 jobs would be allocated to each, she said. About 1.79 crore passengers are using 20,839 buses and the government is providing subsidy for diesel to avoid increase of ticket fares, she said and added that Rs 1.556 crores of subsidy had been given to transport corporations in the last four years. The Chief Minister said the historical monuments would be renewed and documented and the infrastructure at major tourist destinations would be developed. The improvements would be made in the next five years at an estimated amount of Rs 403 crores through the Asian Development Bank funds, she told the Assembly in a statement under rule 110. Besides, coastal tourism would be improved at a cost of Rs 95 crores and schemes worth Rs 22.35 crores would be spent to boost infrastructure in Kanchipuram and Veilankanni. Extensive excavation would be taken up at Azhagankulam archaeological site near Ramanathapuram on the banks of Vaigai river, near the sea coast, she said. The village was a major harbour used by the Romans from second century BC to second century AD. There are evidences in Sangam literature that Azhagankulam was a major harbour, she said. Previous 24 excavations which took place at Azhagankulam had revealed the social, cultural activities of the people in the area. A new zonal arts and cultural centre would be set up at Coimbatore in addition to the six centres functioning at Kanchipuram, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruchy, Madurai and Tirunelveli. The classrooms at the Government Arts College would repaired and automatic fire extinguishers, alarms and protection equipment would be fixed at the Chennai government museum. Besides, the exhibition halls at the museum would be renewed, inner roads would be improved and facilities for the visitors would be improved, she said and allocated Rs 10 crores for the works. New Delhi: Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over alleged sex tape, said that he is being targeted because he is a Dalit and the man seen in the video is not him. Kumar was sacked after Kejriwal received a nine-minute-long CD in which Kumar was purportedly shown in a compromising position with a woman. Asking for investigation, Kumar said that he is considerably heavier than the man seen on the tape. According to NDTV report, the video is about six to seven years old, before Kumar joined politics. The tapes are from his college days, when he was studying law and were likely recorded by Kumar himself. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said they are not in a haste to find a replacement for Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked as the Women and Child Development Minister, as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia will be away alternately for the next few days. However, there is a unanimity within the party and the government to have a Dalit face as a replacement for Kumar. More importantly, the move will also be tactical, party sources said, as it is looking to woo Dalit voters ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls to be held next year. Although the party has 12 Dalit MLAs, about eight-nine MLAs could be in the race to replace Kumar. Seelmapur legislator Rajendra Pal Gautam is seen as a strong contendor, party sources said. Gautam, considered close to Kejriwal, also heads the legal cell of the party, apart from being one of the seven vice-presidents in the Delhi unit. However, one thing which could go against him is that Gautam is a Jatav Dalit while Kumar is a valmiki. Apart from Gautam, others who are in the race are Vishesh Ravi, Prakash Jarwal, Ajay Dutt, Ved Prakash, Raju Dhingan, Girish Soni, Hazari Lal Chauhan and Fateh Singh. "The Chief Minister, along with Home Minister Satyendar Jain will leave for the Vatican City tomorrow to attend the cannonisation of Mother Teressa to be held on September 4. He will return on September 5. In his absence no new face will be announced," said an AAP functionary. In a sudden move, Kumar was sacked from the council of ministers on Wednesday. In a video message, Kejriwal said Kumar had "betrayed" the core values on which AAP will never compromise and hit out at rival parties for their "indifference" in taking action in cases of wrongdoings and corruption. Kejriwal also asserted that he will prefer to die than stray from AAP's principles, adding the same rule will apply to himself and all other senior leaders. The petition has challenged the constitutional validity of the Maharashtra Animals Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015 that bans the slaughter, possession, consumption and import of beef in the state. (Photo: PTI) Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Maharashtra Government on its complete ban on beef and its export in the state. The apex court will next hear the matter after six weeks. The apex court had last week issued notice to the BJP-led state government on a petition challenging a Bombay High Court order, permitting consumption of beef brought from states that allow cow slaughter. The Bombay High Court in May upheld the ban on slaughter of bulls and bullocks in Maharashtra, while making it clear that mere possession of beef of animals slaughtered outside the state cannot invite criminal action. The high court struck down two sections of the state Act which criminalised possession of beef. Striking down Sections 5(d) and 9(b) of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act which criminalised and imposed punishment for possession of beef of animals slaughtered in the state or outside. Around 36 beef dealers associations across Maharashtra had in August filed a petition in the top court challenging the beef ban. The dealers want the court to permit the slaughter of cattle 'bulls and bullocks, not cows' of more than 16 years of age. They said that after the age of 16, cattle are too old to be used for farming and other activities. The petition has challenged the constitutional validity of the Maharashtra Animals Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015 that bans the slaughter, possession, consumption and import of beef in the state. In March last year, the BJP-led state government had banned the slaughtering of bulls, bullocks and cows by amending the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1976 that was challenged in the Bombay High Court. New Delhi: A 12-member delegation led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday left for Rome to attend the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa on Sunday. During her three-day visit, Swaraj will also have bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni, the first high-level contact between the two countries after the UN tribunal's verdict of the return of Italian marines charged with murdering two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012. "Leaving for Rome to attend the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa," Swaraj tweeted. According to official sources, Swaraj will meet her Italian counterpart over the weekend during which the two sides will review the status of bilateral ties. The relationship between India and Italy soured after India detained Italian marines -Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre- on charges of murdering two Indian fishermen. Unsatisfied with Indian judicial process, Italy moved the UN Tribunal, which in May this year allowed Girone to return pending the trial. Latorre is already in Italy on health grounds. Apart from the central government delegation, two state government-level delegations from Delhi and West Bengal led by Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee respectively also left for Rome to attend the ceremony. A 12-member official delegation and a group of industrialists are accompanying Mamata Mukherjee. She left Kolkata on an Emirates flight in the morning. "At the invitation of Missionaries of Charity, I am leaving for the holy Vatican City to participate in the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa. Mother was the mother of humanity. Her love for the ailing, the needy and the entire humanity was unbounded," she said on Twitter. "Bengal is more proud as Mother lived and worked here and showered us with her abundant love and care. It is indeed a moment of great pride and honour. Bless us Mother, so that we can continue to serve the people," Mamata said. The Chief Minister will stay in Italy till September 5 where Rome's first woman mayor Virginia Raggi will host a special reception during her visit to Vatican City. From Rome, she will fly to Munich where she will hold meetings with businessmen in the manufacturing sector. Mamata is scheduled to return to Kolkata on September 10. Swaraj's delegation will comprise Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Lok Sabha MPs Prof K V Thomas, Jose K Mani, Anto Anthony and Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister of Goa Francis D'Souza. Others include Judge of Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph, eminent lawyer Harish Salve, Secretary General of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India Theodore Mascarenhas and K J Alphons. Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sujata Mehta will also be part of the delegation. In March, Pope Francis had announced that Mother Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity, will be elevated to sainthood after the Church recognised two miracles attributed to her after her death in 1997. New Delhi: Backing triple talaq, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Friday, saying the court cant interfere in religious freedom and personal laws cannot be re-written in the name of social reforms. Triple talaq (Talaq-e-bidat) is a Muslim man divorcing his wife by pronouncing more than one talaq in a single tuhr (the period between two menstruations), or in a tuhr after coitus, or pronouncing an irrevocable instantaneous divorce at one go (unilateral triple-talaq). Nikah halala refers to the marriage of a woman with another man who subsequently divorces her so that her previous husband can remarry her. Submitting its response in connection with the ongoing matter on 'triple talaq', the Muslim body said, Personal laws cannot be challenged as violative of Part III of the Constitution. "When serious discords develop in a marriage and husband wants to get rid of wife, legal compulsions and time consuming judicial process....in extreme cases husband may resort to illegal criminal ways of getting rid of her by murdering her. In such situations Triple Talaq is a better recourse," the Muslim body told the apex court. "Marriage is a contract in which both parties are not physically equal. Male is stronger and female is a weaker sex. Securing separation through Court takes a long time and deters prospects of remarriage," it added. The Board further said that polygamy as a social practice is not for gratifying men's lust, but it is a social need. "Muslim women have right to divorce under Khula practice. Issues of Muslim Personal Laware raised in the Supreme Courtare for Parliament for decide. The Uniform Civil code is a directive principle and not enforceable. The personal laws are protected by Article 25, 26 and 29 of the Constitution as they are acts done in pursuance of a religion," it added. The board stated that personal laws, which are based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community in India, can't be rewritten in the name of social reform and that the courts can't interfere in them. "Courts can't supplant their own interpretations," the board said. The Holy Quran and said scriptures don't fall within the expression of laws that can be challenged. Triple talaq has been challenged by a Muslim woman, who was divorced by her husband through a phone call from Dubai. She filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging the Muslim practices of polygamy. Petitioner 26-year-old Ishrat Jahan has sought a declaration from the court that Section 2 of Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 was unconstitutional as it violated fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (equality), 15 (non-discrimination), 21 (life) and 25 (religion) of the Constitution "in so far as it seeks to recognise and validate talaq-e-bidat (triple talaq) as a valid form of divorce". On June 29, the apex court had agreed to examine the issue and said that a divorce through 'triple talaq' among the Muslim community was a "very important matter affecting a large section of people", which has to be tested on the "touchstone of the constitutional framework". The apex court had taken suo motu cognizance of the question whether Muslim women faced gender discrimination in cases of divorce or due to other marriages of their husbands and urged Chief Justice of India to set up a bench to examine the issue. Subsequently, various other petitions including one by triple talaq victim Shayara Bano were filed challenging the age-old practice of 'triple talaq' among the Muslim community. London: Britain's charities watchdog on Friday asked a UK-based Hindu charity to maintain its distance from the RSS as it was found in a sting operation that a speaker having formal links with the right-wing group had made remarks against Muslims and Christians at a camp. The Charity Commission issued the warning as part of its inquiry report into the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS-UK) after an undercover television investigation showed a speaker making anti-Muslim and Christian remarks to some students during one of its camps. The commission concluded there was "mismanagement" in the administration of the charity by failing to effectively monitor the speaker seen in the TV programme but said there was "insufficient evidence to show that the views of concern expressed by the speaker were endemic or systematic in the charity". "The inquiry found no evidence other than the comments made by the speaker of formal links with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). However, the inquiry has advised the trustees that they need to take proactive steps to ensure RSS has no control or influence over the charity and its affairs and that if links arise due to any personal links individuals may have, that these are separated from the charity and do not damage it or its reputation," said the report titled 'Inquiry Report: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (UK)'. "The commission questioned the trustees on a number of matters on the relationship between the charity and RSS," the report said. "The trustees' response was that 'HSS neither funds nor is funded by RSS? The two entities are completely separate and independent from one another and are accordingly not inter-dependent'," it said. In a documentary by Hardcash Productions entitled 'Charities Behaving Badly' broadcast on Britain's ITV Network on February 18, a speaker at an HSS youth camp in Herefordshire is seen making controversial remarks against other religions when responding to questions. It led to the Charity Commission opening a statutory inquiry to investigate comments made by the individual invited to speak at the charity event. The inquiry, which concluded today, said there was mismanagement in the charity evidenced by "failures to follow the charity's own policy and guidelines, lack of adequate procedures on speakers participating at events, not ensuring that the appropriate number of adults were present in the classroom with the speaker during his presentations and lack of appropriate oversight and monitoring". Modi insisted that there are no instructions from his government for conducting probe against any political party or dynasty. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Amid a row over inquiry against Robert Vadra's land deals in Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday rejected allegations of vendetta and insisted that there are no instructions from his government for conducting probe against any political party or dynasty. "I have been Chief Minister of a state (Gujarat) for 14 years. The history is witness to it that I have never opened any file because of political reasons. There has been no such allegation against me. It has been over two-and-a-half years here (in government at the centre). There is no instruction from the government to open any file," he told CNN-News 18. He was responding to questions that the government was allegedly targeting political dynasties, an apparent reference to the Sonia Gandhi family. Without referring to any case, Modi said law will take its own course. "I do not have right to do any cover up either. It is not right to say that we have not spared any dynasty," the Prime Minister said. His remarks came amidst a row over the inquiry conducted by a one-man Commission, set up by Haryana's BJP government, into the controversial land deals of Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Congress has come down hard on the issue, accusing the Justice Dhingra Commission as also BJP governments at the Centre and Haryana of running a campaign of slander and vilification. "The sole intent is to defame, conspire and malign rather than examine the facts fairly. This shows the mal-intent and sinister conspiracy of government of Haryana, of BJP and even the Commission itself," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala has said. He claimed that the constitution of Justice Dhingra Commission was a "mere cog" in that wheel of "malicious witch-hunt", propagated by BJP. Fatehgarh Sahib: AAP MP Bhagwant Mann targeted the print media on Thursday, asking volunteers not to read newspapers, alleging influence of money in publication of news. At a party rally here, Mann not only allegedly misbehaved with mediapersons after arriving four hours behind schedule, but also asked party volunteers not to read newspapers. Mann when confronted by the media for the reason behind the delay in reaching the rally venue at Bassi Pathana near here got infuriated. Mann shot back to say, "We don't need any media reporting of AAP's functions." He also asked workers of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to "throw" media persons out of the venue. Some workers also allegedly manhandled media persons after protesting their presence. The workers pushed media persons and tried to snatch their cameras, police said. Bassi Pathana MLA Justice (retd) Nirmal Singh strongly condemned Mann for misbehaving with media during AAP rally. Kolkata: Buoyed by the Supreme Court judgement on the Singur issue, the West Bengal government wants to include the subject in the school syllabus. "We want to include Singur movement in school syllabus. We have already discussed the issue at length," School Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said here today at the state secretariat 'Nabanna'. "A proposal in this regard is being sent to the 'Syllabus Committee' for inclusion of Singur movement in the school syllabus," he said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier described as 'landmark victory' the apex court judgement on the Singur land acquisition by the erstwhile Left Front government for the Nano car plant. An elated Banerjee had said, The The Supreme Court judgement on Singur is a landmark victory. We have waited 10 years for this judgement. I can die peacefully, I am so happy (with the verdict.)" Banerjee steered political opposition against the land acquisition process forcing the Tatas to abandon the project in 2008. Hyderabad: With the Centre deciding to award Class XII equivalency certificates to ITI graduates and hold grand graduation ceremonies for them from this year, Prime Minister Modis Make in India initiative will soon get an ITI push. Union skill development minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy who inaugurated, the K. Kavitha headed Telangana Jagruthi's skill development centre here on Friday, said these steps were aimed at removing the mental blocks that people have towards ITI graduates. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan expressed serious concern over the sorry state of affairs in the education sector and rapid commercialisation of education. Saraswati (education) has become Lakshmi (money) in this country, he said, urging immediate steps for de-commercialisation of education. Mr Rudy said skill development was grossly neglected thus far, and the country was now paying a price in the form of large-scale unemployment as youths got degrees but lacked employable skills. The Centre will spend Rs 32,000 crore on skill development in the next three years, Mr Rudy said. Ms Kavitha said, We have trained 3,353 youths in various industry-related skill development programmes since August 2015. We provided them skills along with job opportunities. Members of India's low-caste Dalit community hold wooden sticks and shout slogans in Ahmadabad, India, as they protest after four men belonging to the Dalit community were beaten while trying to skin a dead cow in western India. (Photo: AP) Hyderabad: Dalits in Andhra Pradesh face more violence than in any other state in Southern India. AP is the fourth state after Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan that has the highest number of crimes committed against Dalits in India. A total of 4,415 cases were reported across the state in 2015, National Crime Records Bureau reveals. As per the NCRB data, 9.8 per cent of total cases reported in India occurred in AP. A state with more than 84 lakh Dalits, AP has the second largest rate of violence against Scheduled Castes in the country after Rajasthan, as per the population ratio. Telangana also saw an increase in crime against Dalits in the last year. As many as 1,678 cases in which Dalits were victims were reported in the state in 2015. Human rights activists say that though organised violence against Dalits has decreased in the state, spontaneous attacks on lower castes have been on the rise. The data shows that Dalit women face sexual harassment frequently in the state. More than 300 women faced various degrees of sexual assault. More than 100 women were raped, while others were molested. As many as 21 women were stripped by the perpetrators in various places in AP too last year. According to Dalit Rights activists, the Right wing government is inactive when it comes to violence on Dalits. Sangh Parivars own militant units target Dalits in the state, and the governments, in the Centre and state, are inactive because they are extreme Right wing in nature. This has worsened the situation and made lower castes more vulnerable to violence, said Mr B. Laxmaiah, leader of Kula Nirmulana Porata Samithi. He said that only if governments followed democratic values and came forward to protect the weaker sections, the problem will be solved. Activists pointed out how badly the Central government had handled the Rohith Vemula case and its failure to curb violence by hate groups and cow vigilantes. Another activist suggested that each panchayat should have at least one Dalit member who should be deployed to report atrocities against SC/ST to the police. Buses are parked at the bus depot during the strike called by trade unions in Hyderabad on Friday. (Photo: DC) Hyderabad: Fridays transport bandh was near total in the city. Though many people avoided travel, those who had to take public transport said they had come out in the hope of availing skeletal services. Till about 4 pm, RTC ran only 73 buses of its 10,000-strong fleet, costing the corporation about Rs 11 crore. These buses were operated by staff belonging to the BJP-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Union, which did not participate in the strike. Mr G. Gangadhar, waiting for a bus at the Jubilee Bus Station with his wife, said he had taken voluntary discharge from a private hospital after being tested positive for throat cancer. We dont have the money to stay at the hospital and were going back to Armoor. We will wait till the buses resume, he said. Right, commuters were also forced to ride on the outside of crowded maxi cabs. (Photo: DC) Secunderabad railway station in-charge Vincent Paul said city services were jam-packed and 14 special trains ran in addition to the 121 MMTS services. A senior official of state-owned Singareni Collieries said attendance during the first shift was poor as over 90 per cent of staff had participated in the strike. Autorickshaws and cabs were off the roads for most part of the day and Ola and Uber cabs, which were available, did not resort to using surge pricing unlike rain-hit Wednesday. Ms Mamta, who had booked a cab from Secunderabad station to Malakpet, said. I just came from Vijayawada. The estimated fare is Rs 160. Its normal. DRDL staff stop an employee from attentending duty on Friday. (Photo: DC) Taxis playing between Hyderabad and other cities, however, charged three times the normal fare. A maxi cab driver demanded Rs 250 per person from Jubilee bus station to Sircilla. Auto-rickshaws that did not participate in the strike demanded up to four times the normal fare while Setwin buses charged 50 per cent extra. Banks, malls, schools hit pause on operations The general strike called by major trade unions on Friday resulted in total shutdown in the city and districts. Public transportation came to a halt with RTC buses remaining off the roads. Most banks and commercial establishments also remained closed. Activities in all state government offices were also hit with staff extending support to the bandh and taking part in protest rallies. While some schools declared a holiday, others functioned but without transportation. Cinema theatres cancelled morning and matinee shows and shopping malls remained closed till evening. Theatres, shopping malls, hotels and other commercial establishments resumed functioning after 5 pm. With majority of autos remaining off the roads, people faced a tough time reaching their destinations. Those who arrived at railway stations faced hardships with no buses or autos. Banking operations came to a standstill as over 15,000 employees of various banks participated in the strike. "Though some bank branches were open, there was no activity with the entire staff going on strike. Clearing of cheques was affected," said Mr B.S. Rambabu, joint secretary, AIBEAP. Nearly 3.5 lakh TS government employees supported the strike by wearing black badges and by staying away from their duties. Government offices too thus wore a deserted look. Hyderabad: The cash-for-vote scam has come back to haunt AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with the principal special judge for ACB cases on Monday ordering the ACB to thoroughly investigate a complaint filed by YSR Congress legislator A. Ramakrishna Reddy. Mr Ramakrishna Reddy appended reports from forensic labs in Mumbai and London which he said had confirmed that the voice recorded in the conversations was that of Mr Naidu. Based on this, the YSRC MLA urged the court to make Mr Naidu the key accused in the case and investigate his role as abettor and perpetrator. The Telangana ACB on May 31, 2015, had arrested TD MLA A. Revanth Reddy and a few others in Hyderabad. They were accused of trying to bribe nominated Anglo-Indian MLA Elvis Stephenson Rs 5 crore so as to make him vote for the TD candidate in the MLC elections. His masters voice The ACB on May 31, 2015, had arrested TD MLA A. Revanth Reddy and a few others for trying to bribe MLA Elvis Stephenson to vote for the TD candidate in the MLC elections. The ACB had found a voice in an audio and video conversation purported to be that of Mr Naidu who was heard saying, Hello good evening brother, how are you? Manavallu briefed me... I am with you... ACB report by September 29 The TS ACB had found audio and video of Mr Naidu talking to independent MLA, luring him to vote for the TD. A voice purported to be that of Mr Naidu was heard saying, Hello good evening brother, how are you? Manavallu briefed me... I am with you. This is our commitment... We will work together. Petitioner Ramak-rishna Reddy alleged: It is evident that Naidu was party to the criminal conspiracy along with the others and abetted defector complainant Elvis to vote in favour of their candidate. MLA Revanth Reddy was caught red-handed with Rs 50 lakh while handing it over to MLA Elvis Stephenson. Naidu must be probed for criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The test sample that was sent by Mr Ramakrishna Reddy was taken from Mr Naidus speech at Davos and compared with the audio recording. According to the petitioner a forensic lab in Maharashtra had stated in its report, The auditory analysis of the recorded voice sample of Mr Naidu and the specimen voice sample of are similar. The ACB has to submit its report before September 29. Petitioners advocate Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy said, After considering the complaint, the judge directed the agency to investigate the case under Section 156 (3) which provides powers to the judge to monitor it besides placing the persons named as accused in the case. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data implies that an average 27 complaints are registered against Madhya Pradesh police every day. (Photo: PTI/Representational) Bhopal: A whopping 10,089 complaints were registered against policemen in Madhya Pradesh last year, according to the data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), implying an average 27 complaints per day. Notable in this regard is a recent incident where a constable from Ashoknagar district allegedly kidnapped and raped a 17-year-old school girl three days back. Of the total complaints received against policemen in Madhya Pradesh last year, nearly 6,189 were rejected as false or unsubstantiated after initial inquiry, according to NCRB's latest data, apparently suggesting that the state police were soft in taking action against their brethren. Only 127 policemen were charge-sheeted and 88 arrested last year in connection with offences against them, as per the data thus reflecting slow prosecution of law enforcers. Besides, a total 2,473 departmental enquiries were conducted on complaints against policemen, while only two judicial inquiries were carried out, but no magisterial inquiry was done against the law enforcers in Madhya Pradesh, the NCRB report said. In contrast, Kerala was way ahead in taking action against its policemen last year. The southern state received 4,634 complaints against policemen in 2015. Of them, only 599 were rejected as false or unsubstantiated, the report said. In Kerala, 2,903 departmental, 55 judicial and seven magisterial inquiries were carried out on complaints against policemen, it said. However, MP police says they take prompt action on complaints against cops. "We acknowledge each and every complaint whether it is against police or anybody. We also take prompt action," Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police, Rishi Kumar Shukla said. The MP police welcome complaints against its men rather than discouraging them, he said. After MP, Maharashtra was second on the list where 8,004 complaints against policemen came in last year, while Uttar Pradesh figured third with 4,659 complaints trickling in against the law enforcers in 2015, the NCRB report said. In Bihar, just 97 complaints were received against policemen last year, the report said. Among the Union Territories, Delhi was on top with 12,913 complaints received against policemen, the report added. Korba, Chhattisgarh: A 50-year-old man, who was ostracised for marrying outside his community 40 years ago, was not allowed to use village crematorium to perform the last rites of his wife here. The incident came to light yesterday in Arda village under Bakimongra police station limits, located around 20 kms away from Korba district of Chhattisgarh, when some villagers informed about it to local media persons. According to villagers, Shyama Bai, wife of Bhagat Das Baghel, died on August 23 after a prolonged illness. However, the villagers neither attended the last rites of Baghel's wife, nor did they allow him to use the village's crematorium, following which Baghel had to cremate her in his vegetable field behind his house, they said. When contacted, police said they had not received any complaint in this regard. "We have not received any complaint related to the issue. But we are taking cognisance of the information and action will be taken accordingly," said SK Pathak, Bakimongra police station officer. According to villagers, Baghel had married Bai, who belonged to a different caste, 40 years back and has been facing social boycott since then. Childhood marriages are rampant in villages in the state. Bakimongra village Sarpanch Sarwan Singh Kanwar confirmed that Baghel had been ostracised. He said they did not intervene as the issue was not related to Panchayat. Kanwar said if he been in the village on the day of the incident, he would have helped Baghel in cremating his wife. Ahmedabad: Metro man E Sreedharan on Thursday said that engineering institutes in the country are producing engineers of very sub-standard quality while underlining the paradox wherein IITians are heading to foreign countries for higher studies or better employment. Addressing a gathering here, Sreedharan appealed to the engineers to get a different orientation, standard and mission for handling various infrastructure projects for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of (Rs) 5 trillion. In our country, engineers are not able to come up very fast. We (engineers) are not taking enough efforts to keep ourselves up-to-date. Engineering colleges or institutes that we have in the country, according to me, are producing a very sub-standard quality of engineers, said Sreedharan, a Padma Vibhusan awardee credited for successfully steering challenging projects like Konkan rail and Delhi Metro. He was speaking at U N Mahida memorial lecture on the topic of professional ethics and role of engineers, organised by the state chapter of the Institution of Engineers (India). Sreedharan referred to a study conducted by a magazine which surveyed some 300 engineering colleges to conclude that only 29 per cent engineers are employable, while 30 per cent can be made employable after further studies, whereas 48 per cent are simply not employable. This is the standard of education that we are getting in this country. Is that enough? In engineering profession, knowledge is the most important thing. You will have to be expert. Knowledge has to be practical-oriented, he said. Highlighting the paradox, Sreedharan said while most engineering colleges are producing sub-standard graduates, the best engineers or those coming out of the IITs and NITs are leaving the country for better opportunities abroad. What I find is that, in this country, the best engineers or those coming out of IITs and NITs straightaway make a beeline to foreign countries for higher studies or better employment. Many even join IT or management degree, the retired Indian Engineering Service officer said. He also expressed doubt if engineers showed any obligation by completing works on time and within estimated cost. The country needs very learned engineers. Prime Minister declared that he has set a target of Rs 5 trillion for infrastructure projects. If these projects are to be handled, the team of engineers in the country will have to have a different orientation and standard with a different mission, he added. Chennai: DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday faulted the state government for not convening an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue and said it is not ready to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and make an appeal to him. Citing the protest of farmers on the issue, he said all the parties had supported the protests, but the AIADMK government had refused to pass a resolution demanding Cauvery water. The DMK leader also sought explanation for the suspension of senior IAS officials Gnanadesikan and said the government should transparently come out with the charges against them. He also criticised the government on the law and order front, referring to the murder of a girl at a private engineering college and another women at Sriperumbudur. He also expressed doubts over proper conduct of the local body elections and said the 3,970 of the 9,924 vacancies in local bodies remain unfilled. Karunanidhi also flayed the arrest of a PMK functionary Agnes, on corruption charges and pointed out that the functionary had led protests demanding closure of Tasmac shops. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even before BJP national president Amit Shah urging the partys 52 Rajya Sabha MPs to care for a lost seat in the Lok Sabha, the partys Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala Suresh Gopi and nominated MP to the Lok Sabha Richard Hay had already adopted two villages in Thiruvananthapuram district. Suresh Gopi and Prof. Hay had adopted Kalliyoor and Vengannur grama panchayats, respectively, in Thiruvananthapuram district. While Suresh Gopi who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha this April, Thalassery-born Prof. Hay had to wait for 14 months to be nominated as a Lok Sabha MP representing the Anglo Indian community. Richard Hay told DC that there have been instances where clash of ideas occurred when it comes to implementing a welfare scheme being implemented in a Lok Sabha constituency as the elected MP from a rival party would have similar welfare schemes. Prof. Hay said he had convened a meeting of former and current leaders of the grama panchayat to develop a slew of projects for them to plan in Vengannur so that he can implement them effectively. Though I joined the Lok Sabha only after 14 months, I have been allocated Rs 2.5 crore towards the Member of Parliament Local Area Development, he said. I have already earmarked `1 crore to the Thalassery Government Hospital but it is yet to be spent. The remaining amount will be given to Vengannur grama panchayat after we decide on the projects with the panchayat leaders within this month. A top BJP leader, however, told DC the party has so far not earmarked constituencies for the two MP. Both these MPs have adopted two villages in Thiruvananthapuram district, the leader said. The central governments schemes can be effectively implemented for the growth and the development of these two villages. But very soon they will be provided with more responsible jobs to care for LS constituencies. At a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, Amit Shah had asked the 52 Rajya Sabha members to adopt one Lok Sabha constituency each where the party had lost in 2014 and nurse it as if they are the Lok Sabha members from there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah are keen to utilise the services of Rajya Sabha MPs to woo the voters from the lost constituencies so as to spread the partys base and ideology. They have asked them to spend their MPLAD fund there and work in expanding the organisation. Amethi: In a stern message, Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked party workers involved in groupism to mend their ways so that a united Congress can win the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due next year. "Those dabbling in groupism should mend their ways and stay united to hand a crushing defeat to other parties in the elections," the Congress Vice President said at a meeting with party leaders that went on till wee hours. Rahul discussed threadbare the issues before the party and asked party workers to fan out in the interiors to make people aware of Congress' policies and programmes. He also discussed ways to counter the strategy of opposition parties. Winding up his three-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Rahul on Friday participated in the district vigilance committee meeting. Meanwhile, some protesting anganwadi workers tried to gather on the route to be taken by the Congress leader to air their grievances. When police tried to stop them they were involved in a fracas. Later, when Rahul arrived on the scene while leaving for Lucknow, he came out of his car and listened to their grievances. Rahul is scheduled to embark on a yatra from Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh on September 6 to highlight problems being faced by the farmers. The yatra will conclude in Delhi after a month. Hyderabad: The High Court on Friday granted respite to AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu by staying the order passed by the principal special judge for Anti-Corruption Bureau cases in the cash-for-vote scam. The principal special judge had ordered the Telangana state ACB to investigate a fresh complaint filed by YSRC MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy. Justice Raja Elango, while dealing with a petition moved by Mr Naidu seeking to quash the principal special judges order, asked whether the YSRC MLA could intervene in the case before the ACB court. When a complaint is received by a magistrate under Section 200 of CrPC, can the magistrate order a probe under Section 156 (3) of the CrPC, the judge asked. Does a magistrate have the power to order a probe in a case wherein investigation has already been completed and chargesheet filed, he asked. The judge said since the issue had raised several questions of law, it would be proper to grant interim stay so that the court could examine the questions. Hyderabad: The High Court on Friday granted respite to AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu by staying the order passed by the principal special judge for Anti-Corruption Bureau cases in the cash-for-vote scam. While granting stay on all further proceedings in the complaint of the MLA, the judge posted the case after eight weeks and directed counsels for the MLA and ACB to file their counter affidavits. The judge made it clear that the stay was not applicable to the main case that had been registered based on a complaint by Anglo-Indian nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson and proceedings in that case may go on. Earlier Siddhartha Luthra, senior counsel from the Supreme Court, appearing for Mr Naidu, had contended that the YSRC MLA had no locus to file the complaint before the trial court and had done so with political motives. Mr Ramakrishna Reddy had no connection with the crime and he was neither an informant nor a witness to the crime, he said. Asked by the judge, senior counsel Ravi Kiran Rao of the ACB told the court that they had filed a memo before the ACB court informing that no fresh FIR was required in this case. The judge asked how could the ACB file a memo when the court had asked it to investigate. Whether right or wrong, as the court had issued an order, it was the responsibility of the probing agency to investigate into the matter, the judge said. He questioned the ACB whether it was expecting another order on its memo from the ACB court. Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy, counsel for the YSRC MLA, submitted that they had filed the complaint against Mr Naidu seeking action under the Prevention of Corruption Act for abetting others for receiving bribe in this case, not under the Section 156 (3). When he tried to cite an order of the Supreme Court wherein the apex court had barred intervention of others in corruption cases in accordance with Section 19(3) of the PC Act, the judge prevented him stating, If you cite one orde Will move Supreme Court to get stay on probe vacated: YSRC MLA YSR Congress MLA A. Ramakrishna Reddy, who had filed a petition in cash-for-vote scam against AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Friday said that he will move the Supreme Court and get the stay granted by the High Court on the ACB court order, vacated. I will file a review petition in the High Court seeking lifting of the stay. Then I will approach Supreme Court. The ACB court ordered investigation into the case as we could provide evidence. I have been demanding that Naidu not go for appeal but face investigation. Advocate and counsel for the petitioner Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy said, This is an interim stay. The stay has been given on a memo filed by the ACB. There is no stay on the original case of cash-for-vote. As the all-party delegation prepares to head for Srinagar, it will be confronted with the spectre of the Valley still smouldering like a powder keg, perhaps waiting for the next match. Though curfew restrictions have been eased, a clueless BJP-NDA government at the Centre and a paralysed PDP-BJP government in J&K continue to run around like headless chickens trying to catch their own tail. The question India needs to ask is: why should the death of a self-professed militant trigger an outpouring of unrest that refuses to go away? Why should children under 15 be pelting stones at the symbols of the state, ready to face the wrath of pellet guns in return? What is this new ogre the Indian nation is confronted with? The current Frankenstein is unfortunately one of our own creation. A child born in 1989-90 in the Valley will be 26 years old today. During the transition from childhood to adolescence, and then finally adulthood, s/he will have seen conflict and chaos as the natural order of things. Now extrapolate it to someone who was 10 or 15 years old in 1990, and you have two generations of young Kashmiris for whom curfew, cordon and search, street protests, azadi, AK-47, AK-56, Pakistan-trained mujahids and enforced disappearances, torture, interrogation and encounters, fake or real, are as much a part of everyday lexicon as school, college, ice-cream, career and dating are for youngsters in any normal part of the world. Myth, rumour, folklore, history and institutional memory bring these words to life and direct anger and bitterness towards the men in khaki or olive green. Perhaps this is the only enduring face of the Indian state they have seen. It is, therefore, unsurprising that over 14 per cent of those with debilitating pellet injuries are under 14. The closest parallel is Afghanistan, where violence has been the new normal since 1980. In the 26 years since the current violence began in the Valley, the media paradigm has seen a transformation. Private cable and satellite TV have come of age and, more important, Internet and new media platforms have become both sources of information exchange and a vent for the young and others to direct their angst and annoyance. However, the noxious steam that is released re-circulates in the overheated pressure cooker called Jammu and Kashmir, ratcheting up pressure to explosive levels. It blows the lid at regular intervals, and the poisonous brew overflows like a deluge. That is what happened in 2008, in 2010 and again in 2016. Each time, the trigger may have been different but the result was the same, leaving India rummaging to put together a response and invariably tilting at windmills. Today Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh keep parroting the cliched insaniyat, jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat line, without really trying to understand what these words really mean. Rather than applying balm, therefore, these phrases end up having the same effect and impact as the ubiquitous triple talaq. On April 18, 2003 when then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee used these words from the rostrum of the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium, he extended the hand of friendship to both Pakistan and people outside the mainstream in J&K. By then, he had understood after many false dawns that there could be no meaningful dialogue with the separatists without concurrent confabulations with Pakistan. Most of them had a symbiotic relationship with the Pakistani establishment in varying degrees. While some were on a tight leash, others enjoyed a slightly longer rope, but the cord was always omnipresent. The assassination of Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone a year earlier in May 2002, when he spoke out against the foreign militants and in favour of a dialogue, asserting that the militant gun had no justification in Kashmir, may have solidified Mr Vajpayees belief that the separatists and the deep state in Pakistan were conjoined as Siamese twins. Similarly, when the UPA government took office, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh followed the twin tracks of exploring with Pakistans President Pervez Musharraf the modus vivendi of making borders irrelevant in J&K, while holding out an olive branch to domestic splittists in J&K. Contrast this with the situation now, where Mr Modi has decided to deploy the rhetorical arsenal of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan to surmount a disastrous Pakistan policy. This has only further queered the pitch of bilateral relations. No wonder that despite Rajnath Singhs tweeting the cliched mantra of this government, he didnt get a chance to play host to a single separatist leader of any consequence during his recent stay at the Nehru Guest House in Srinagar. Pakistans decision to send 22 MPs to different countries to raise the Kashmir issue with their interlocutors, ahead of Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharifs annual pilgrimage to the mecca of talk shops the UN General Assembly session in New York later this month is only going to make the gobbledygook between the two countries even more vile. This will feed right back into the Valleys pressure cooker ecosystem, further estranging the populace. It is slowly becoming a redundant oxymoron that Kashmir requires a political solution. What is the political solution a 14-year-old is looking for when he pelts stones? What the state needs is an emotional outreach to people under constant stress a regular conversation with the rest of India that creates an emotional bonding. A jackboot on the door and the cold tip of a gun in the ribs certainly doesnt create the ambience for such a conversation. In every counter-insurgency doctrine, winning the hearts and minds of the populace is a core objective. It involves the simultaneous application of both hard and soft power by the State. However, in Kashmirs case, the soft touch has either been conspicuous by its absence or too faint to make any tangible impact. What India hasnt grasped despite handling countless insurgencies is that till the time a separatist impulse has popular partisan support and the oxygen of the media, it is impossible to surmount. J&K has both these ingredients in abundance: an angry young population with the power of new media to boot. Its a deadly cocktail, to say the least. Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, the head of the Indian Air Force, appears to have gone ballistic, throwing at an aerospace seminar in New Delhi on Thursday a view that is among the oldest in the RSS armoury of attacks on our first Prime Minister that what we call Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was ours to take militarily if only Jawaharlal Nehru hadnt abruptly ordered a ceasefire. It is true that an untruth repeated a thousand times begins to appear to the gullible as the truth: this is the first principle of successful false propaganda. But more considered opinion with greater regard to historical facts and circumstances dont buttress Air Chief Marshal Rahas line of thinking. There are many serious reflections on the first Kashmir campaign, one of them by a participant, the late Gen. K.V. Krishna Rao, a former Army Chief and later governor of J&K. Air Chief Marshal Raha could do little better than acquaint himself at least with this soldiers account on the ground realities of the day. War, it has been quite rightly said, is too serious a matter to be left to generals. And the last thing we need are too many talkative military men. Air power is of course undoubtedly a vital element of warfare. But the Air Chief should also bear in mind that the relentless pounding of North Vietnam by US bombers couldnt prevent Americas military humiliation there, and regular American air raids in Afghanistan are yet to settle the matter against the Pakistan-fed Taliban. As an RSS functionary from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra has sued Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for defamation for saying at an election rally in 2014 that RSS people shot Gandhiji dead, and now these people speak of Gandhiji, a brief allusion to history is in order. While the State sentenced Nathuram Godse to death for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi, it didnt stop there. It could have. An individual had been tried and duly punished. After all, an entire organisation cannot be sent to the gallows. Nevertheless, then Union home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had the RSS banned for about a year and a half and its chief, M.S. Golwalkar, arrested. The home minister didnt believe the RSS as an organisation was involved in Gandhijis assassination, and he informed Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru accordingly. But the Sardar was angry that the RSS had distributed sweets when the Mahatma was killed. As compilations of Patels correspondence show, he accused the RSS of spreading communal poison. As the home minister told Nehru, it was a fanatical wing of the Hindu Mahasabha directly under Savarkar that hatched the conspiracy... Nevertheless, the Sardar believed the activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the government and the State... What about Gandhijis assassin? Was Nathuram from the RSS or Hindu Mahasabha? His brother Gopal Godse had said that the killer was linked to the RSS. Does it mean he had nothing to do with the Hindu Mahasabha or its leader Savarkar? That too is historically incorrect. In truth, in those days, it wasnt even a muslin curtain that separated the two. Sardar Patels views on the RSS sufficiently show what this outfit thought of the Mahatma. This brings us to the defamation case involving Rahul Gandhi. In his remarks, that have attracted the defamation case, Mr Gandhi has not accused the RSS, but the RSS people (in Hindi RSS ke log). The two are certainly different the first means the organisation, the second suggests individuals linked to it. But this is legal defence, which Mr Gandhi initially argued through his counsel Kapil Sibal, but on Thursday he told the Supreme Court that he was ready to face trial, and that he stands by every word he spoke. In doing so, Mr Gandhi has shown courage of conviction, and has undertaken to carry on a political as well as an ideological battle. This is a breath of fresh air. Many have thought for long that while the Congress has traditionally believed in anti-communal politics and has taken a composite view of the evolution of the Indian State and society, it has not always stood up for what it believes. The Congress vice-presidents current stand, therefore, represents a marker of change. I am Raipur-returned and proud of it. Raipur? Yup. In Chhattisgarh. When I mentioned I was invited there to address a bunch of smart, educated and ambitious entrepreneurs, most friends went blank! Some asked whether it was outside Delhi, others, whether there is regular train service to the destination. Will you be staying in a circuit house... someones home? Is there running water in Raipur? Will it be safe? Isnt it the place thats notorious for kidnapping, rape and murder? Ooops you are going into a Naxal-infested area watch out for the tribals. Some of them are head hunters... Ignorance, ignorance, ignorance. These are random remarks. I swear I have not made them up. Despite the onslaught of information bombarding us from all directions, we are withdrawing further and further into ourselves. In a sense, our world is actually shrinking dramatically. We are more concerned with that which is instantly available to us something which suits our limited and immediate purpose. Raipur is not exactly on everybodys radar. By that I mean, unless you have business interests in the region, you really wont bother about a place like Raipur. But you really should! I acknowledge the fact that I was pretty ignorant and indifferent to it till the commercial flight touched down and I walked out into a spanking, new, modern airport. Around me were dozens of city slickers getting into their fancy cars Mercs, Audis and Beemers. More revelations were to follow as we drove past glittering hotels (the worlds top brands) and luxury shopping malls with KFC outlets. I couldve been in Mumbai. Delhi. Any other big city of India. The visible, physical changes in what were considered Tier-2 cities is so startling, it takes a while to sink in. Local business people rattle off statistics to establish Raipurs credentials. They talk about the progress it has made in just 10 years. Is it just the mining money? Something else? That there is a great deal of wealth here is pretty obvious. The wealth is in your face. Subtlety is clearly not a virtue in these parts. Flashing assets and talking about creating more money, seems to be the main objective. There is a strong under current of mixed signals which is hard to miss. While these are global goals, the speed with which the transformation is taking place in these busy hubs is creating a bit of a social dilemma. Especially for young women, caught between traditional family influences and the desire to be considered cool by peers. I noticed the sari is no longer the favoured garment at formal functions, and even the salwar kameez has taken a backseat for these young and fit ladies, who prefer high-end designer Western wear dresses and gowns over what they called auntyji clothes. Talking to one popular lady from Gujarat, I was not terribly surprised to hear that most richie-rich Gujarati brides these days insist on elaborate, red carpet gowns as a part of their trousseaux. When this set travels for leisure, it is to glam party spots like Ibiza and St. Tropez. They are accompanied by a retinue which includes a maharaj (cook), two maids (one for the kids, one for madam), and a Man Friday for the boss. Most men address their friends and colleagues as boss. These are Indias new maharajas. And they are in a great, big hurry to crack the billionaire club before they turn 40. I was most impressed by their focus. They work hard. Network non-stop. Are politically aware and nurse global ambitions. Their wives match their aspirations, with perfectly groomed appearances and a social manner that displays a lot of confidence. These are not trophy wives or decorative spouses. They are engaged in their own business activities and consciously work towards creating their own individual profile. It was refreshing to see a pretty level-playing field, where both partners played equal roles. This is the sort of societal shift that is going to define where we are headed 20 years down the line. Raipur is but one such destination that has had a serious makeover in recent times. When I mentioned that to an organiser, he smiled, Have you been to Indore recently? No? Do go there and check out the roar of Ferraris... Perhaps, a Bharat yatra is overdue. All of us need to get out of our comfort zones to discover how incredibly fast change is taking place across India. Bollywood movies are a pretty good barometer for reflecting whats going on just a few hundred miles from the metros. Perfectly encapsulating this dramatic, almost overnight shift is the story of a Maharashtra MLAs wife who crashed her Rs 5.5-crore Lamborghini into an autorickshaw a week after her husband had presented it to her. The man had taken to social media to boast about this super-generous birthday gift. Which meant he wasnt trying to hide the fact that he was seriously loaded. Some would call this crass and brazen, given the fellows background. Others will praise him for being this bold and upfront. After the incident went viral on social media, the wife posted a picture of herself with the saffron-coloured car, stating, This is me with my lovely car. Both are fine. Please dont interpret anything wrong. Ah well... welcome to the New India, where low life gets transformed into high life before one can blink. Yesterdays petty crook is todays legislator... and tomorrows leader. A Lamborghini is but a symbol of this progress take it or leave it. Industry telecom experts and users said the introduction of the high-speed broadband service will push 4G growth in India. (Representational Image) Mumbai: Reliance Industries (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani announced Jio tariffs at the companys annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday. The offer, which was being tested across the country for the past few months, launches on September 5. As Jio releases officially, industry telecom experts and users said the introduction of the high-speed broadband service will push 4G growth in India and compel other telcos to introduce cheaper plans. India Rating and Research (Ind-Ra) expects Jio tariff plan to intensify competition which will squeeze the market share, EBITDA margins and credit metrics of incumbents. Large telecom companies including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular have already undertaken pre-emptive measures such as price cuts for higher data volumes at former price to retain its customers, said Tanu Sharma, Associate Director Large Corporates, India Ratings & Research. The agency said Jio would reduce data price points by 30 to 40 per cent, forcing a drop in skyrocketing Internet data prices, charged by major telcos in India. Senior Telecom Analyst at Counterpoint Research, Tarun Pathak, said, The entry of Jio in the market will prove to be an inflection point when it comes to data usage. He said users were earlier limiting their data consumption needs due to data caps and pricing. But Reliance Jio has brought down the average data pricing by 10x levels. Apart from making the full package (Jio's Data, Voice, Video and the full bouquet of Jio applications and content) free till December 31, Reliance will offer users free voice calls using IP-based network, according to a company spokesperson. In terms of data, it is slated to offer 1GB data for Rs 50; five times less than the average price of data packs offered by other major telcos. The company has same has filed the data tariffs with TRAI yesterday for approval. Reliance Jio detailed tariffs (PTI) We believe this disruptive pricing by Reliance Jio will surely have an impact on the telecom industrial competitive dynamics significantly. This will invariably spur consumer interest and making Jio one of the fastest operators worldwide to reach 100 million users, Pathak said. He mentioned that the existence of feature phones, which is common in India, will provide the required time for other telcos to reshuffle their tariff plans over due course. There is a plenty of room for all the stakeholders in mobile ecosystem to coexist and grow at the same time. The entry of Jio will act as a catalyst for telecom industry growth, added Pathak. Massive 4G boost In his speech at the AGM, Ambani said it is important to equip the country with digital tools and Jio will make sure all Indians are ready to reap the benefits in the digital age. He said the disruptive pricing of Jio will not only initiate 4G evolution in India but also steer other telcos to follow a disruptive price mechanism a win-win situation for mobile phone users in India. India is ranked 155th in the world for mobile broadband Internet access, out of 230 countries. Jio is conceived to change this. I have no doubt that with the launch of Jio, India's rank will go up among the top ten, said Ambani. Indias broadband customer base stood at approximately 151 million in April 2016, and the 4G user base was estimated to be about 6 million; a small user base in comparison to developed countries around the globe. Most data services in the country are primarily delivered via mobile broadband network, comprising over 88.7 per cent (134 million) of total broadband subscriptions. The low 4G user-base is expected to grow by over 98 percent to 350 million by 2020. While the slow broadband alongside expensive rates seems incapable of fulfilling Indias digital goal, the entry of Jio will give a significant push to fulfill it. The 4G-based broadband offer, available at significantly cheaper rates in line with the Digital India Initiative, would induce most non-users to get on board the Jio ship. Jio's 4G network already covers 18,000 cities and towns, and over 2 lakh villages and by March 2017, it is expected cover 90 per cent of India's population. Challenges While Jio is the first telecom company to offer a 4G-only service based on Next Generation Network (NGN), the hurdle for the company is to offer uninterrupted services in the future. Telecom analyst Pathak said the real test will set in once Jio achieves a critical mass as it has to ensure the quality of its services and at the same time hook new users on to its ecosystem. He further added, From a competitive perspective we still believe that its the quality of service which will be a real differentiator in the long run as pricing in a prepaid market like India can give a competitive edge in short to medium term where competition can catch up fast. The past few weeks have been difficult for Jio, facing criticism from other telecom bodies under the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). COAI director-general Rajan S Mathews had, on behalf of telcos, accused Jio of running a commercial service under the guise of testing. During the last phase of testing, the service was plagued by around five crore call failures, which Ambani said was due to insufficient interconnecting capacity provided by other telcos. The RIL chief requested the incumbent operators to give fair access. The onus is rightly on the incumbent operators not to misuse their market power by creating unfair hurdles, when it comes to providing points of interconnect between their networks and Jio's network, said Ambani. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. She was wearing traditional Muslim attire -- headscarf --when the assailants struck. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died. (Representational image) New York: In a suspected case of hate crime, a 60-year-old Muslim woman wearing a headscarf was brutally stabbed to death by unknown persons here, nearly two weeks after a Bangladeshi-origin imam of a mosque and his associate were killed. Nazma Khanam, a former schoolteacher, was on her way home along with her husband Shamsul Alam Khan, 75, after closing their shop and picking up some groceries when she was attacked. They were just blocks away from their home when the attacker struck about 9:15 PM on Wednesday, New York Daily News reported. Her asthma-stricken husband found her on a Queens sidewalk in Jamaica Hills with a 4-inch knife lodged in her chest, the sources said. Khana, married for 45 years to Khan, have three children. They moved to the US from Bangladesh with her husband and youngest son in 2009. They all became citizens in June. "Somebody killed me," a mortally-wounded Khanam told her husband as he cradled her in his arms, her blood spilling out onto his hands, relatives said. She was wearing traditional Muslim attire -- headscarf --when the assailants struck. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died. "He (Khan) is screaming and crying, 'My wife just came to this country to just get killed! We had a better life in Bangladesh!," the victim's nephew Humayun Kabir, who is a policeman, said yesterday. The attack prompted Khanam's relatives to denounce the slaying as a hate crime. "They did not take her phone, pocketbook, bag, nothing. We feel this is a hate crime... We want justice," the victim's another nephew Mohammad Rahman said. Investigators, however, believe Khanam may have been the target of a robbery attempt -- even though she was found with all of her possessions, police sources said. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is monitoring the probe. The attack was not captured on camera but a man was recorded sprinting away moments later. Relatives will escort her body to Bangladesh for burial. Kabir's uncle said "We want proper justice for this". Some in the Muslim community drew parallels to the murder of a Queens imam and his friend in Ozone Park. A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his assistant were shot dead from point blank range by a lone gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across America over rising Islamophobic rhetoric. Police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home after midday prayers at Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque when they were approached from behind by a male with medium complexion who was dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts. Washington: Melania Trump, the wife of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, has sued British newspaper Daily Mail and a US-based blog for USD 150 million in damages over stories that had alleged she worked as an escort in the 1990s. Both media outlets have retracted the story and issued an apology. "These defendants made several statements about Mrs Trump that are 100 per cent false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," her lawyer Charles Harder said in a statement. "Defendants broadcast their lies to millions of people throughout the US and the world without any justification. Their many lies include, among others, that Mrs Trump supposedly was an 'escort' in the 1990s before she met her husband. The defendants' actions were so "egregious, malicious and harmful" Melania, that her damages are estimated at USD 150 million, Harder said. Melania had served a legal notice to the two publications last week. The lawsuit was filed in a Maryland court yesterday. Soon after, the Daily Mail retracted the story. "To the extent that anything in the Daily Mail's article was interpreted as stating or suggesting that Mrs Trump worked as an 'escort' or in the 'sex business,' that she had a 'composite or presentation card for the sex business,' or that either of the modeling agencies referenced in the article were engaged in these businesses, it is hereby retracted, and the Daily Mail newspaper regrets any such misinterpretation," the mewspaper said in a statement. Maryland-based blog Tarpley.net also issued a statement apologising to Melania for publishing the story. Two other publications have also apologised to the former model for repeating the claims. In an interview to CNN, Harder said that Melania would proceed with the lawsuit despite the Daily Mail's retraction. Brock Turner plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. (Photo: AP/File) San Francisco: A former Stanford University swimmer whose six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman sparked national outcry was released from jail Friday after serving half his term. Brock Turner walked out of the main entrance of the Santa Clara County jail and got into a white SUV. Turner plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. The 21-year-old must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation. Turner's case exploded into the spotlight when a poignant statement from the victim swept through social media and critics decried the sentence as too lenient. It prompted California lawmakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and led to an effort to remove the judge from the bench. Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a trash bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party in January 2015. He plans to appeal. In the June sentencing, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the "extraordinary circumstances" of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He followed the probation department's recommendation for a "moderate" jail sentence. Following backlash and a push for a recall, Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. California jail inmates with good behavior typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turner's probation. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio, 15 miles east of Dayton. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turner's neighbors informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff's office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Deputies also will check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities. Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather. "He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor," Russia is building bridge across the Kerch strait, which will link it with the Crimean peninsula, on the island of Tuzla. (Photo: AFP) Washington: Companies building a multi-billion dollar bridge to link the Russian mainland with annexed Crimea, a project close to the heart of President Vladimir Putin, were targeted by the United States in an updated sanctions blacklist on Thursday. The US Department of the Treasury added dozens of people and companies to the list, first introduced after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and expanded over its support for separatist rebels in the east of the country. As well as multiple subsidiaries of Russian gas giant Gazprom and 11 Crimean officials, the Treasury named seven companies directly involved in the construction of the 19 km (11.8 miles) road-and-rail connection across the Kerch Strait, dubbed "Putin's bridge" by some Russians. Chief among those were SGM-Most, a subsidiary of lead contractor Stroygazmontazh which is already under US sanctions, and sub-contractor Mostotrest, one of Russia's biggest bridge builders. "Treasury stands with our partners in condemning Russia's violation of international law, and we will continue to sanction those who threaten Ukraine's peace, security and sovereignty," said John Smith, acting director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which levies sanctions. The Russian Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment, but Moscow has previously said sanctions levied over its actions in Ukraine undermine efforts to resolve the conflict. Set to be the longest dual-purpose span in Europe when completed, the Kremlin sees its 212-billion rouble ($3.2 billion) bridge as vital to integrating Crimea into Russia, both symbolically and as an economic lifeline for the region. Putin has called the undertaking an historic mission. But the project has had to contend with Western sanctions since the construction contract was handed to Stroygazmontazh last year, a firm controlled by Arkady Rotenberg, a close ally of Putin's and his former judo partner. Rotenberg is already under US sanctions because of his links to the Russian leader, which the Treasury says have helped him win billions of dollars in state contracts. He cannot raise capital in the West or hire Western sub-contractors to help his firm complete the project. Officials linked to the bridge's construction say they have all the skills, equipment and supplies required to build it without Western help. "The sanctions will not affect the construction of the bridge," Crimea Bridge infocentre, the organization responsible for communications about the project, said in a statement on Thursday. "The contractor has all the resources necessary for the timely completion of the project." Rotenberg and his brother Boris have denied getting help from the Russian leader for their businesses. Gazprom did not reply to a request for comment. The restrictions on the energy giant and its subsidiaries prevent US firms or citizens from providing goods or services supporting the firm's deepwater, arctic offshore, or shale oil projects. The restriction does not apply to financial services, such as clearing transactions or providing insurance for such projects. Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security published a report on Thursday, stating the United States and its negotiating partners agreed in secret to allow Iran to evade some restrictions in last year's landmark nuclear agreement. (Photo: AP/Representational) Washington: The United States and its negotiating partners agreed "in secret" to allow Iran to evade some restrictions in last year's landmark nuclear agreement in order to meet the deadline for it to start getting relief from economic sanctions, according to a think tank report published on Thursday. The report, which was released by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, is based on information provided by several officials of governments involved in the negotiations. The group's president David Albright, a former United Nations weapons inspector and co-author of the report, declined to identify the officials, and Reuters could not independently verify the report's assertions. "The exemptions or loopholes are happening in secret, and it appears that they favor Iran," Albright said. The report ignited a chorus of Republican criticism, including from the campaign of presidential nominee Donald Trump. His campaign sought to link the findings to Trump's Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state when secret talks were held with Iran but had left office before formal negotiations began. "The deeply flawed nuclear deal Hillary Clinton secretly spearheaded with Iran looks worse and worse by the day," said a statement issued by retired Army General Michael Flynn, a top Trump adviser. "Its now clear President Obama gave away the store to secure a weak agreement that is full of loopholes." The Clinton campaign did not immediately comment on the report. The White House said it took "significant exception" to some of the report's findings, saying that the easing of sanctions was always dependent upon Iran's adherence to the agreement. "The implementation date was driven by the ability of the (International Atomic Energy Agency) to verify that Iran had completed the steps that they promised to take," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a briefing on Thursday. "That is what precipitated implementation day. Since then Iran has been in compliance with the agreement," Earnest said. Among the exemptions outlined in the think tank's report were two that allowed Iran to exceed the deal's limits on how much low-enriched uranium (LEU) it can keep in its nuclear facilities, the report said. LEU can be purified into highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium. The exemptions, the report said, were approved by the joint commission the deal created to oversee implementation of the accord. The commission is comprised of the United States and its negotiating partners called the P5+1 and Iran. One senior "knowledgeable" official was cited by the report as saying that if the joint commission had not acted to create these exemptions, some of Irans nuclear facilities would not have been in compliance with the deal by Jan. 16, the deadline for the beginning of the lifting of sanctions. The US administration has said that the world powers that negotiated the accord -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- made no secret arrangements. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the joint commission and its role were "not secret." The official did not address the report's assertions of exemptions. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that Iran was not granted "exceptions" to limits on low-enriched uranium or heavy water "that would allow them to have a usable amount of material in excess of what they're supposed to have towards the production of fissile material." He repeatedly declined to directly address the report's findings on the exemptions, saying the joint commission's work is "confidential." Diplomats at the United Nations for the other P5+1 countries did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the report. Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment. Albright said the exceptions risked setting precedents that Iran could use to seek additional waivers. Albright served as an inspector with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team that investigated former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons program. While Albright has neither endorsed nor denounced the overall agreement, he has expressed concern over what he considers potential flaws in the nuclear deal, including the expiration of key limitations on Iran's nuclear work in 10-15 years. Exemptions on Uranium, Hot Cells The administration of President Barack Obama informed Congress of the exemptions on Jan. 16, said the report. Albright said the exemptions, which have not been made public, were detailed in confidential documents sent to Capitol Hill that day -- after the exemptions had already been granted. The White House official said the administration had briefed Congress "frequently and comprehensively" on the joint commission's work. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a leading critic of the Iran deal and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Reuters in an email: "I was not aware nor did I receive any briefing (on the exemptions). As part of the concessions that allowed Iran to exceed uranium limits, the joint commission agreed to exempt unknown quantities of 3.5 percent LEU contained in liquid, solid and sludge wastes stored at Iranian nuclear facilities, according to the report. The agreement restricts Iran to stockpiling only 300 kg of 3.5 percent LEU. The commission approved a second exemption for an unknown quantity of near 20 percent LEU in "lab contaminant" that was determined to be unrecoverable, the report said. The nuclear agreement requires Iran to fabricate all such LEU into research reactor fuel. If the total amount of excess LEU Iran possesses is unknown, it is impossible to know how much weapons-grade uranium it could yield, experts said. The draft report said the joint commission also agreed to allow Iran to keep operating 19 radiation containment chambers larger than the accord set. These so-called "hot cells" are used for handling radioactive material but can be "misused for secret, mostly small-scale plutonium separation efforts," said the report. Plutonium is another nuclear weapons fuel. The deal allowed Iran to meet a 130-tonne limit on heavy water produced at its Arak facility by selling its excess stock on the open market. But with no buyer available, the joint commission helped Tehran meet the sanctions relief deadline by allowing it to send 50 tonnes of the material which can be used in nuclear weapons production to Oman, where it was stored under Iranian control, the report said. The shipment to Oman of the heavy water that can be used in nuclear weapons production has already been reported. Albright's report made the new assertion that the joint committee had approved this concession. The United States sent a 71-year-old Pakistani national to prison for 33 months after he pleaded guilty of to a conspiracy to export defence controlled items without a license. (Representational image) Washington: A 71-year-old Pakistani national in the United States has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for trying to smuggle sensitive military technology to the Pakistan Army. A US court in Arizona passed the sentence on Syed Vaqar Ashraf of Lahore on Thursday, after he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to export defence controlled items without a license, the US Department of Justice said. Federal prosecutors alleged Ashraf attempted to procure gyroscopes and illegally ship them to Pakistan so they could be used by the Pakistani military. Ashraf then travelled to Belgium to inspect the products and arrange for their final transport to Pakistan. He was arrested on August 26, 2014, by the Belgium Federal Police at the request of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, who had been conducting an undercover investigation of his activities. China's air force says it's developing a new type of strategic bomber that would significantly increase its long-range strike. (Photo: AP/Representational) Beijing: China's air force says it's developing a new type of strategic bomber, adding to recent progress in large aircraft production. Air force chief Ma Xiaotian told state media at an open-day event on Thursday that the bomber would significantly increase China's long-range strike ability. He gave no other details about the aircraft or when it would be introduced, saying only that "you will see it in the future." China last year revealed its new generation H-6K strategic bomber equipped with the DH-20 land-attack cruise missile, giving it the ability to hit targets as far away as Australia. Only Russia and the US are currently able to launch cruise missiles from the air. The plane has since flown training missions over the western Pacific and patrols over the South China Sea. Modi will hold extensive talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and call on President Tran Dai Quang on Saturday. (Photo: Twitter) Hanoi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flew into the Vietnamese capital on his maiden visit to hold wide-ranging talks with the country's top leadership on ways to bolster strategic bilateral ties in key areas like defence, security, counter-terrorism and trade. "Hello to Hanoi! PM @narendramodi makes a late night arrival in Vietnam to begin the first leg of his 2 nation tour," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The visit, that marks the first by an Indian premier to the country in 15 years, takes place on his way to Hangzhou, China to attend the G20 Summit beginning Sunday. (Photo: Twitter)Modi will hold extensive talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and call on President Tran Dai Quang on Saturday. He is also scheduled to meet Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Defence, security, science and technology, trade and culture are some of the issues on the plate for the talks. The premier will also pay homage to revered leader Ho Chi Minh, whom he described in his Facebook post as one of 20th century's tallest leaders. He will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda. Ho Chi Minh, who is often called "the Vietnamese George Washington" by Communist Vietnamese, has a city named after him. After his death, Ho's followers embalmed his body and put it in a tomb, the mausoleum, where he is still worshipped today. "Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc and I would also be discussing regional cooperation and stability and our multilateral cooperation," Modi told Voice of Vietnam Radio network earlier. The thrust of our multifaceted relationship is to work towards stability, maintenance of peace, economic growth and prosperity in our countries, Asia and beyond, he added. Modi emphasised that India's Act East Policy aimed to forge partnerships with its eastern neighbours to encompass security, strategic, political, counter-terrorism, and defence collaboration in addition to economic ties. "It was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbours of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy engagement," he told the radio, adding that Vietnam was an integral member of ASEAN and is a "very important pillar in our Act East Policy". India's ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. Vietnam is the ASEAN Coordinator for India for 2015-18 and the two countries have expressed their strong commitment in strengthening partnership within the India-ASEAN and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation frameworks. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people to people ties will also be my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," the premier said on his Facebook page today. His visit comes after the July final award by the Hague tribunal on the South China Sea issue. India's position has always been that all parties adhere and respect the tribunal, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Officials in response to a question on Vietnam's request to India to supply Brahmos missiles yesterday said that both sides are engaged in "robust" conversation on stepping up cooperation in various areas including defence. Islamabad: At least 14 people were killed and more than 30, including lawyers and policemen, injured after two back-to-back powerful explosions hit district court in Pakistans Mardan district on Friday. The bomber made his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade then detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowd, officials said. Army soldiers and policemen cordoned off the area while Rescue 1122 teams moved the injured persons to District Headquarter Hospital and Mardan Medical Complex. The dead included at least two policemen as well as lawyers and clerks. The bomber had up to eight kilograms of explosives packed into his vest. This was second attack on Pakistans legal community within a month. In August, a blast at a hospital in southern Balochistan province capital Quetta killed more than 70 people, nearly wiping out the citys senior lawyers. Earlier, four suicide bombers were killed in prompt response by the security forces in Peshawars Christian Colony near Warsak Road. Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with terrorists in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar. A man suffered repeated beatings and lost a kidney in an ordeal he described as pure hell during his 600 days of secret detention by Ukrainian authorities. (Photo: AFP/Representational) Ukrainsk: Secretly detained by Ukrainian authorities for almost 600 days, Mykola Vakaruk suffered repeated beatings, battled the freezing cold and lost a kidney in an ordeal he described as pure hell. The 34-year-old was released in late July following pressure from rights monitors from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who revealed the existence of "secret prisons" run by the pro-Western former republic's security service. In their July report, the global rights groups accused both the Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists of illegally holding and torturing civilians in the war-torn industrial east. The 28-month conflict has claimed nearly 9,600 lives and displaced some two million people. But it has also been accompanied by damning allegations of human rights violations and war crimes committed by both sides. Vakaruk's life turned into a nightmare in December 2014, when he was arrested by unidentified people in his hometown of Ukrainsk, which borders the war zone but remains under Kiev's control. With one of his hands handcuffed to a radiator, "the interrogations began," Vakaruk said after finally making it back home. "Two men in civilian clothing came up to me and said: 'In case of a wrong answer, you will get a blow to the chest'," said Vakaruk, whose thin frame and haggard look betrayed signs of enduring hardship. Vakaruk said his captors forced him to confess to being "engaged in provocations against the Ukrainian authorities," a euphemism for being a separatist or a rebel supporter. "It was freezing and the cell was just two square meters (22 square feet)," he said. "Even the water turned into ice." The repeated blows he sustained severely damaged his kidney, which caused him even further agony in the cold. In March 2015, he was hospitalised in the Ukrainian industrial hub of Kharkiv, which barely escaped the conflict. In hospital, he was forced to assume a false identity before undergoing surgery to remove his kidney. He was held by the Kharkiv security service the rest of the time, before being suddenly released on July 25. "We got our papers back and 100 hryvnias ($3.80, 3.40 euros)," in compensation, he said. Threats of 'severe repercussions Between July 25 and August 2, 13 prisoners who were held secretly in Kharkiv by Ukrainian forces were released, Amnesty International and HRW said in a report published last month. The two groups had earlier denounced the existence of such detention centres where they said people were often held without being formally charged -- in the government-held cities of Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Izium and Mariupol. Ukraine's security service denied the allegations. But in May, the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) was forced to abandon its mission to Ukraine after being denied access to a number of places where people were believed to be detained and mistreated. A three-member SPT delegation will return to Ukraine on Monday after holding what it said were "positive talks" with Kiev. But the group's suspended visit and repeated allegations of the security service resorting to torture have tarnished the image of a country that broke loose from Russian influence in a historic February 2014 revolution and has anchored its future to the West. The pro-Moscow revolt, in which the Kremlin denies any involvement, began weeks after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March 2014 a step that plunged Moscow's relations with the West to a post-Cold War low. Ukrainian authorities and the pro-Russian rebels have also held a number of prisoner swaps. Yet monitors are concerned that civilian detainees were often presented as combatants to be used during these exchanges. Amnesty and HRW believe that at least five more people were still being secretly held by Ukraine's secret service, a charge Kiev denies, adding that all its conduct was legal. According to their report, before releasing the prisoners, guards often threatened them with "severe repercussions" if they spoke out about their detention. But Vakaruk has refused to stay in the shadows, pledging to seek justice with the help of his family. "Why I should move away from here? My parents are buried here, my children were born here," he said. Madrid: Lawmakers in Spain's Parliament were on Friday expected to reject for the second time in three days acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's bid to form a minority government, pushing the country closer to a third election in a year. Rajoy was defeated in a first vote of confidence Wednesday by 180 votes to 170 and all signs indicate the vote tally will be the same in the second ballot Friday night. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party has been running a caretaker government following inconclusive elections in December and again in June. The party won the most seats in both but lacks votes in Parliament to win the confidence vote and take power. If he loses again Friday, Parliament will have two months to produce a government or fresh elections will be called, most likely on Christmas Day. Rajoy, in office since 2011, needed an absolute majority in the first vote while a simple majority of more votes in favor than against will suffice Friday. But no party appears willing to change stance and once again he is likely to have only the support of his Popular Party's 137 lawmakers and 33 others from two smaller groups. Pressure has mounted on the leading opposition Socialist party, which has 85 seats, to at least abstain and let a minority government be formed. But the Socialists argue they could never support a politician they blame for high unemployment, political corruption and severe cuts in national health care and education. The last two national elections produced greatly fragmented parliaments with the rise of two new groups - the far-left Unidos Podemos alliance, which came in third, and the fourth-place, business-friendly Ciudadanos party. The development ended Spain's traditional two-party political system of the Popular Party and the Socialists. Spain has never had a coalition government and the country's political elite are struggling with the idea of negotiating deals. Ankara: In a bid to make more space available for coup plotters' in Turkish jails, the country has ordered the release of nearly 34,000 prisoners. According to a report in the Independent, the move was aimed at putting behind bars all those accused in last month's attempted coup to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While releasing the prisoners, authorities took into consideration some guidelines. Those prisoners who had served half of their sentence were pardoned the remaining half and were set free. Read: Turkey's failed military coup: What we know However, those who were serving jail term for severe crimes including rape and murder were not released. Turkish analysts say that this will make space for those who were behind the failed military coup. This move comes in the wake of recent coup attempt that was followed by several arrests. After the failed coup, government blamed US-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, for the plot that killed at least 270 people, and labeled the network a terror organisation. So far, Turkey has arrested thousands of people, accusing them of being behind the coup. Read: Turkey coup prisoners starved, beaten and raped, claims Amnesty Moreover, in the wake of the arrests over the attempted military coup, a report by Amnesty International revealed that the prisoners were starved, beaten, hogtied and even raped. Human rights group Amnesty International said that it had "credible evidence" of the abuse and torture of people detained in sweeping arrests since Turkey's July 15 coup. Vladivostok, Russia: Russia's president on Friday denied Moscow was behind an email hack that embarrassed White House hopeful Hillary Clinton but said it was important the information got into the public domain. "I don't know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this," Vladimir Putin told Bloomberg News in an interview aired Friday. Hacked emails leaked by WikiLeaks in July revealed that party leaders had sought to undermine the primary campaign of Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders and US officials said Russia was behind the release. Putin slammed the accusations as attempts to "distract the public's attention from the essence of the problem by raising some minor issues connected with the search for who did it." "The important thing is the content that was given to the public," he said. Clinton's rival Donald Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Putin, leading some to conjecture the Kremlin strongman was working to put the real estate billionaire in the White House. Vatican City: Pope Francis said it is the worlds poor who are suffering the impact of climate change even though they are the ones least responsible for it. Climate change is contributing to the heart-rending refugee crisis. The worlds poor, though least responsible for climate change, are most vulnerable and already suffering its impact, he said while speaking at a press conference in Rome to mark the Catholic churchs World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the Independent reported. He proposed that caring for the environment be added to traditional Christian works of mercy such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick. Global warming continues, due in part to human activity: 2015 was the warmest year on record, and 2016 will likely be warmer still. This is leading to ever more severe droughts, floods, fires and extreme weather events, said the Pope. Mans destruction of the environment is a sin, he said, and accused mankind of turning the planet into a polluted wasteland full of debris, desolation and filth. We must not be indifferent or resigned to the loss of biodiversity and the destruction of ecosystems, often caused by our irresponsible and selfish behaviour, he said. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence. We have no such right. The Pope also urged political and business leaders to stop thinking of short-term gains and work for the common good, the Guardian reported. Last year the Pope had called for a new system of global government to tackle climate change in his encyclical, calling on world leaders to ignore the short-term outlook and look to the long-term instead. Women and their children leave the Moadamiyeh suburb of Damascus, Syria. (Photo: AP) Moadimayet Al-Sham: More than 300 Syrians living in a rebel held town near Damascus were evacuated on Friday under a deal with the government, state media reported. The agreement between the regime and the rebels had already seen thousands of civilians and opposition fighters leave the town of Daraya, southwest of the capital, after a four-year government siege. Civilians evacuated on Friday from nearby Moadimayet al-Sham had been living there for around three years after fleeing fighting in Daraya. Moadimayet al-Sham is also under government siege, but after a truce deal signed in late 2013 has been spared the heavy fighting that has ravaged other rebel-held areas around the capital. Negotiations are underway to secure a deal under which rebel fighters in the town will also leave, though civilians will reportedly remain, parties to the talks told AFP. The evacuees walked to the edge of Moadimayet al-Sham, where eight buses were waiting to take them to reception centres elsewhere in Damascus province, an AFP photographer reported. Soldiers searched their suitcases as they left, and checked their names against a list. State media said 303 residents of Daraya were leaving Moadimayet al-Sham and would be taken to Hrajeleh, a regime-held district, for processing. State television said they consisted of 162 children, 79 women and 62 men. "I've been taking refuge here for three years and I hope that life in the reception centre will be better than here," said Roueida, a mother of seven, as she left. The evacuation follows the implementation of the deal in Daraya itself, which saw the town emptied of rebels and civilians and retaken by government forces. Opposition fighters said they were forced to accept the deal, under which rebels and their families were given safe passage to the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, because the blockade and constant bombardment by the army had made the humanitarian situation untenable. The opposition has criticised such deals and UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura also voiced concern that the Daraya agreement was part of a wider strategy by the regime to empty rebel enclaves that would soon be extended to other areas. He said there were "indications that after Daraya we may have other Darayas." "There is clearly a strategy at the moment to move from Daraya" to other besieged areas "in a similar pattern", he told reporters in Geneva. Negotiations are underway between the government and rebels, as well as the local council in Moadimayet al-Sham, for the evacuation of fighters in the town, sources said. The video starts with a man, speaking in Arabic, narrating how Syrian rebels discovered the place where Islamic State militants rape their sex slaves. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab) Manbij, Aleppo: A harrowing video showing the poor living conditions of ISIS sex slaves in the terror group's caliphate in Syrian city of Manbij has emerged online. The video starts with a man, speaking in Arabic, narrating how Syrian rebels discovered the place where Islamic State militants rape their sex slaves. The man then enters the place and points towards a room where the sex slaves are forced to live. Read: ISIS forces birth control pills on girls to keep them 'available for sex' The video then moves on to show a room full of filthy cushions, dirty and stained bed sheets and peeled walls. Also, on the walls something is written in Arabic which is assumed to be written by the women living there. Syrian rebels who came across the ISIS prison said they found contraceptives, drugs as well as sexual stimulants in one of the rooms. The stained pillows and dirty bed sheets used by ISIS sex slaves. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab) Terming ISIS prisons as the worst in the world, Syrian fighters said they also found some of the most violent tools of torture used by ISIS. In one of the rooms, the rebels also saw two bowls filled with water, placed on the floor. The bowls, according to them, are meant for women prisoners who drink water in them and sometimes even eat in those bowls. The food bowls used by ISIS sex slaves for drinking water and sometimes even for eating food. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab) The video ends with some of the Syrian fighters guarding the entrance of the place. It is unclear whether the rebels have sealed the place. ISIS militants have been known for their horrifying ways while dealing with their women prisoners. A number of Yazidi women, who had escaped from the clutches of ISIS, had described how the terror group used different methods to keep them away from pregnancy -- including oral sex and injectable contraception. In his tweet, he also mentioned that he had the right to express his opinion. (Representational Image) Riyadh: A man in Saudi Arabia has been arrested and was awarded 2,000 lashes as punishment for criticising religion and ridiculing the Quran on popular micro-blogging website, Twitter. He has also been fined 4,000. According to a report in The Sun, the accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, posed a tweet denying the existence of God and also mocked Quran. The accused had earlier posted around 600 tweets before his arrest and was an active Twitter user. In his tweet, he also mentioned that he had the right to express his opinion. The man got into trouble after his controversial tweets were noticed by 'religious police' in charge of monitoring social networks in Saudi. In his controversial tweets, the accused also mentioned that all prophets were liars and that religious preachings fuelled hostilities among people. Saudi Arabia's law prohibits a person from professing atheism and is considered as an 'act of terrorism'. The controversial terror laws in the country were introduced by King Abdullah who died last year in January. This is not the first time an individual has been punished for insulting religion in the country. In February, a man was sentenced to 10 years in prison and awarded with 2,000 lashes for expressing his atheism on Twitter. The terrorists have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, the official said. (Photo: AP) Lahore: Eight militants belonging to Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terror groups have been arrested and weapons seized during multiple raids across Punjab province, security officials said on Friday. Punjab police's counter-terrorism department (CTD) said most of the terrorists were from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. CTD said the team seized weapons, explosives, CDs containing hate speeches and glorification of "jihad". "A joint team of the CTD and other security agencies picked up six suspects from Chak 58-JB on Narawala Road Faisalabad (some 150kms from Lahore)," a CTD official said. The terrorists have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, the official said. In another raid in the province's Jauharabad city, the CTD arrested another terrorist affiliated to the TTP. Following intelligence reports that some terrorists were planning to attack sensitive installations in Jauharabad, a CTD team conducted a raid near the city's railway station yesterday and arrested Ejaz Husain of TTP's Aminullah Amin group. In another operation, a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) was arrested from Rajanpur, some 400km from here. A CTD police team after receiving information about presence of a suspected terrorist conducted the raid and arrested Bilal Makwal. A case has been registered against the suspects under different sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Pakistani military has launched a combing operation in the country after the Quetta blast last month in which more than 70 people - mostly lawyers - were killed. According to the official estimates, around 8,000 Afghans will leave Pakistan every day after the Eid-ul Azha, adding at present 3,000 to 3,500 such refugees are returning on a daily basis. (Photo: AFP) Islamabad: Islamabad: About 2,40,000 Afghan refugees will be repatriated every month after Eid-ul Azha, said Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Dr Imran Zaib on Friday. "December 31 had been fixed as a deadline for the return of more than 1.5 million Afghan refugees, who have legal stay in the country," the Express Tribune quoted Zaib as saying. Providing details of the Afghan refugees, who have already moved back to Afghanistan by the end of the last month, Zaib said that about 1,24,000 refugees who were residing illegally in different parts of Pakistan for many years have already left the country. "More than 90,000 registered refugees were repatriated during July and August. Out of those 90,000 refugees, around 70,000 were residing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) while the rest were settled in Punjab and Sindh," he said. He said that according to the official estimates, around 8,000 Afghans will leave Pakistan every day after the Eid-ul Azha, adding at present 3,000 to 3,500 such refugees are returning on a daily basis. He, however, agreed that it would not be possible to repatriate more than 2.5 million registered and non-registered Afghans by the final deadline for their total repatriation, which is at the end of this year. He said that a high-level conference of officials will again review the whole situation in mid-November to decide the next course of action. "I think that a fresh deadline will have to be fixed by the government for the return of remaining Afghan refugees," he said. Commenting on reports that thousands of refugees, who own properties in Pakistan were facing numerous problems to sell out their houses and business centres as most of them were built unlawfully, Zaib said the government will help them in disposal of their properties. The Commissioner, however, said that the refugees were not legally allowed to purchase land or buildings in Pakistan. He added that it would not be possible for the Afghan refugees to return to Pakistan once they have left for their own country. "After the newly introduced border management system no one will be allowed to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan without legal documents," he added. Modi and Xi had last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 23 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. (Photo: PTI) Hangzhou: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Sunday on the first day of the G20 summit here and are likely to discuss bilateral differences over issues including the proposed USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through PoK. The Modi-Xi meeting assumes significance as India-China relations have followed a southward trajectory over contentious issues like the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist groups in the UN, China stalling India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that criss-crosses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Delhi this month, India and China formed a mechanism led by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister to address their differences. The meeting between Modi and Xi - their second in less than three months is expected to take place in the morning of September 4, officials here said. Modi and Xi had last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 23 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The two leaders are to meet again in little over a month for more elaborate discussions during the BRICS summit to be hosted by India in Goa on October 15-16. Chinese officials say the two meetings between Modi and Xi could set a new direction to the bilateral relations. Modi will reach China tomorrow evening from Vietnam to take part in the two-day G20 summit. The Indian contingent will be putting up at Sheraton resort - about 30 kilometres outside the city - where Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too would stay. Modi is likely to hold bilaterals with several G20 leaders during his 48-hour stay here. Xi too is scheduled to have a number of one-to-one meetings including with US President Barack Obama. Top disarmament officials from India and China were also expected to meet to discuss issues of China "blocking" the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Beijing's opposition to New Delhi's bid to joining the 48-member NSG. Islamabad: The Pakistan Government has accelerated the process in order to obtain Interpol's red warrants against Baloch separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, who currently resides in Switzerland. To complete the 'Red Notice' application requirements for Interpol, the Balochistan Police Department has contacted the Interior Ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh, reports the Express Tribune. After the required paperwork is complete, the Pakistan Government would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to the country. Issue of Interpol notices are followed after international requests are made for cooperation or alerts allowing the police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. Reports suggest that according to the identification details submitted by the BalochistanPolice, the 33-year-old chief of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) is known in his close circles as "Sahib". He came to prominence recently after appreciating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the human rights violations in Balochistanwhich has clearly been denounced by Islamabad. Brahamdagh is the grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed during a controversial military operation in Kohlu in 2006. During the operation, he fled to Afghanistan and subsequently moved to Switzerlandafter Pakistanasked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. He had reportedly sought political asylum in Switzerlandin 2011 but his request was turned down in January 2016, citing Islamabad's decision of declaring him a "terrorist" wanted for multiple attacks. So far, five separate cases under Sections 120, 121, 123 and 353 of the PakistanPenal Code have been registered against Baloch separatist leaders, including Brahamdagh, Harbiyar Marri and Banyuk Karima Baloch, for hailing the Indian Prime Minister statements. Islamabad: Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said his country was aware of the "nefarious designs" of the enemies and will take every step to ensure security. Raheel made the remarks during an address at a seminar in Gilgit-Baltistan, which has been illegally occupied by Pakistan, to highlight the progress of the USD 46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Making a special mention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India's intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Gen Raheel assured the nation that the country's frontiers are totally secure, Dawn News reported. However, no statement was issued by army in this regard. Raheel said that CPEC would be completed and it will greatly benefit the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. "I am confident that Gilgit-Baltistan will also develop like the Chinese area across the border," he said. Raheel said the army will provide foolproof security to CPEC which was a project of national importance. Asserting that Pakistan was determined to eliminate militancy, General Raheel said, "We don't care what the world says, but we are fighting for our survival and the way the army has worked for eradication of terrorism, no other army can do that." Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier said that going to Pakistan is like going to hell. (Photo: AP) Lahore: Lawmakers in Pakistan's Punjab Assembly have condemned Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's recent statement that "going to Pakistan is like going to hell" and asked the government to summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest over it. Speaking on the point of order in the Assembly, treasury member Ramesh Singh Arora said that Parrikar's statement was "regrettable". "India has not only committed atrocities against Kashmiris for demanding their right to franchise but is also accusing Islamabad of fomenting violence in Kashmir," he said. "The propaganda against Pakistan must be checked," he said. Arora and other members of the Assembly demanded that the Foreign Office summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest against Parrikar's statement. Another treasury member Sheikh Allauddin suggested that Punjab Assembly should invite Indian novelist and rights activist Arundhati Roy for briefing the assembly members on the issue. He asked the Speaker to consider his proposal seriously. Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar appreciated the suggestion and drew attention of the House towards its legal and diplomatic aspects. "The Foreign Office may be approached in this respect and the next step should be taken in the light of its advice on invitation to Roy to visit Pakistan especially the Punjab Assembly," Sarwar said. A number of other members both from treasury and opposition also criticised India for the violence in Kashmir and supported the Kashmiris' right to self-determination during the yesterday's session. Parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad told the House that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formed a committee of parliamentarians to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums. Earlier, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Committee members had also condemned Parrikar's statement and demanded that he should apologise for hurting the sentiments of Pakistanis. At least four suicide bombers attacked the Christian Colony in Pakistans Peshawar on Friday morning. (Photo: Videograb) Peshawar: A group of militants attacked a Christian colony near Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar early Friday, triggering a shootout in which four attackers were killed and one Christian died, police and the military said. Three security officials and two civilian guards were wounded in the attack. Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said in a statement that the attack was quickly repulsed and that security forces were searching for any accomplices of the attackers. The security forces have gunned down all the four attackers, General Director of the Inter-Services Public Relations Bajwa said in a tweet. According to a report in Dawn, the gunmen, wearing suicide jackets, attacked the colony around 6 am and eyewitnesses claimed to have heard sounds of explosions in the area, which has been cordoned off. Local police official Shaukat Khan said four suicide bombers entered the Christian colony and one of them went into a church but no one was there at the time. He said they killed one Christian in the colony, adding that a quick response from the local civilian guards and security forces prevented more deaths. No one claimed responsibility but the attack came a day after the military said it foiled a bid by the Islamic State group to expand its network into this predominantly Muslim country, with the military arresting 309 suspects, including IS members from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan. (Representational Image) Peshawar: A suicide bomber today blew himselfup at crowded Mardan district courts, killing 12 people and wounding 52 others, hours after security forces killed four suicide attackers who tried to storm a Christian neighbourhood in Peshawar in Pakistan's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding his suicide vest among the morning crowds at the main gate of Mardan district courts. "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," chief rescue officer in Mardan Haris Habib said. "So far we have recovered 12 bodies of lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Habib was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. A state of emergency has been declared at local hospitals and security has been tightened in all adjoining areas. This was second attack on Pakistan's legal community. Last month, a blast in southern Balochistan province capital Quetta killed more than 70 people, nearly wiping out the senior lawyers of the city. Today's attack on court occurred hours after four heavily-armed suicide attackers tried to storm a Christian colony in Peshawar, killing one person and wounding several others before being gunned down by security forces. In the predawn attack in the same province, terrorists struck the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, and killed one Christian security guard. Soldiers backed by army helicopters rushed to spot where they exchanged gunfire with terrorists. All four terrorists were killed during the encounter. Five persons including two Frontier Corps personnel, one policeman and two civilian guards were injured in the attack. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted that all four terrorists have been killed. "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded. All 4 suicide bombers killed. Search in progress," Bajwa tweeted. Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets while two others were killed by security forces. No outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack, but such attacks are blamed on the Taliban. A Taliban suicide bomber had targeted Christians in Lahore at Easter this year, killing more than 70 people. Taliban militants stormed an army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's one of the worst terror attacks. Today's attacks came a day after an army spokesman said that Pakistan had destroyed organised presence of militants on its soil. The army had launched operation 'Zarb-e-Azb' in June 2014 in a bid to flush out militants from the country's restive tribal areas and bring an end to the militancy that has killed thousands of civilian since 2004. Essential services like banking and public transport, as also work at public sector entities, may be hit on Friday with ten central trade unions giving a one-day nationwide strike call to protest against the government's "indifference" to their demands for better wages and facilities and the "anti-worker" changes in labour laws. All major unions, excluding RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike call, terming the government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage as "completely inadequate". On its part, the government asked all ministries to ensure that public utilities and essential services are not affected. Secretaries of all departments have been asked to take effective measures for smooth running of various services coming under their respective ministries. Trade union leaders, however, claimed that the strike would be even bigger than the one last year on September 2 and expected the number of striking workers to swell to as much as 18 crore. Last year, the unions had said that around 14 crore workers participated in the nationwide strike at that time. The CTUs will strike work protesting against what they call the government's apathy towards their 12-point charter of demands including a monthly minimum wage of Rs 18,000, controlling price rise and assured minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000. "This time strike will be bigger than last year as over 18 crore workers from formal and informal sectors would come on streets to protest against government's indifference to their 12-points charter of demands and unilateral anti-worker labour law amendments," Trade Union Coordination Committee (TUCC) General Secretary S P Tiwari told PTI. He further said, "Besides ports and civil aviation, the essential services like transport, telecom and banking will be paralysed. The workers will go on strike in hospitals and power plants but the protest will not affect their normal functioning." Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya blamed the previous UPA rule for the issues faced by the workers and said the present government "doesn't want a confrontation with labour unions" and rather needs their cooperation and support. He said banking and insurance sectors are likely to be impacted more due to the strike tomorrow, while adding that out of 12 demands of the trade unions, eight are related to the labour department and seven of them have been agreed to. "The seven demands include wage revision, bonus for workers from Rs 10,000-21,000 and social security, which is a prime aspect for workers, particularly skilled workers like anganwadis, Asha workers and Mid-day meal workers," Dattatreya said. He said workers in central public sector undertakings like Coal India, GAIL, ONGC, NTPC, OIL, HAL and BHEL will observe strike tomorrow. Many of these companies, as also several public sector banks, have said that the strike may impact their operations. However, Indian Railways and some other central government employees will not participate in the strike as government has already constituted a committee to look into their demand of raising monthly minimum wage from Rs 18,000 to about Rs 26,000 under the 7th Pay Commission. Tiwari said: "We are not asking for more. We are demanding Rs 18,000 minimum monthly wage which was accepted by the government on the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission." He was of the view that the demand is reasonable in the backdrop of price rise. Delhi Government has already hiked monthly minimum wage to Rs 14,052, Rs 15,032 and Rs 18,000 for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers respectively. All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said preparations in industrial areas and various sectoral sections of formal and informal economy are all prepared for making this action as "grand protest of working class" against the anti-labour policies of the Centre. There will be processions in almost all the industrial clusters of Delhi such as Okhla, Kirti Nagar, Mayapuri area, Wazirpur, Jhilmil-Shadra, Patparganj and Mangolpuri from the morning along with industrial strike, it added. "At Jantar Mantar there will be gathering of workers and employees from Banks, Insurance, Universities, Postal, Telecom, Defence and Oil Sectors to have procession to Parliament," AITUC added. AITUC Secretary Amarjeet Kaur said, "There will be 'chakka jam' in 11 states like Andhra Pradesh, Telengana Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka." The Centre for India Trade Unions (CITU) said Labour Minister had on August 31 informed about the government's commitment to fair earning and social security for workers. CITU said it considers this a deliberate "misinformation campaign" to create confusion and to "sabotage" the nationwide general strike tomorrow. CITU also attacked the BMS on accepting the government's "meager" hike in minimum wages. BMS has decided not to participate in strike. Last year also on September 2, the union opted out of the strike at the last moment. "How could a trade union worth its name accept such a mockery on their genuine demand formulated on the basis of a formula accepted by the central govt also? BMS may consider this mockery of offer a "historic achievement" owing to their compulsion, but others cannot," CITU said. Banking operations are likely to be particularly hit as most of the major unions of PSU bank employees have decided to join the stir. Many banks have already communicated to their customers about likely inconvenience. Unions like All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), and Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC) have served notice, saying they will go on a one-day strike on September 2. Most banks, including SBI, feel that in case the strike goes ahead, their services are likely to be impacted. There is continuous attempt by the government to push their reforms agenda aimed at privatisation of banks, consolidation and merger of banks and the like, said AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam. However, All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers are not part of the strike. "As BMS is not part of central trade union strike, we as an affiliated organisation are not participating," said NOBW Vice-President Ashwani Rana. Banks have taken necessary steps to ensure smooth functioning and that there is no cash crunch for retail customers, an official of a public sector bank said. Lawmakers in Pakistan's Punjab Assembly have condemned Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's recent statement that "going to Pakistan is like going to hell" and asked the government to summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest over it. Speaking on the point of order in the Assembly, treasury member Ramesh Singh Arora said that Parrikar's statement was "regrettable". "India has not only committed atrocities against Kashmiris for demanding their right to franchise but is also accusing Islamabad of fomenting violence in Kashmir," he said. "The propaganda against Pakistan must be checked," he said. Arora and other members of the Assembly demanded that the Foreign Office summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest against Parrikar's statement. Another treasury member Sheikh Allauddin suggested that Punjab Assembly should invite Indian novelist and rights activist Arundhati Roy for briefing the assembly members on the issue. He asked the Speaker to consider his proposal seriously. Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar appreciated the suggestion and drew attention of the House towards its legal and diplomatic aspects. "The Foreign Office may be approached in this respect and the next step should be taken in the light of its advice on invitation to Roy to visit Pakistan especially the Punjab Assembly," Sarwar said. A number of other members both from treasury and opposition also criticised India for the violence in Kashmir and supported the Kashmiris' right to self-determination during the yesterday's session. Parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad told the House that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formed a committee of parliamentarians to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums. Earlier, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Committee members had also condemned Parrikar's statement and demanded that he should apologise for hurting the sentiments of Pakistanis. "Live and let live", the Supreme Court today advised Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as they locked horns and traded charges in the courtroom over the release of Cauvery water. "Tamil Nadu's situation is 'water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink'. Some steps have to be taken by Karnataka so that the other State [Tamil Nadu] can exist as an entity. The principle of 'live and let live' has to be applied to this dispute," a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit said. The emotional appeal and sane advise came from the bench when Tamil Nadu brought to the notice of the court that the Karnataka Chief Minister has said that not a drop of water will be released to it. Senior lawyer F S Nariman, appearing for Karanataka, said there were rain "deficit months" in the recent past and it was difficult to release the water due to Tamil Nadu. He said the Tribunal has not provided for an alternative for Karnataka on the point of release of water during distress months. In a recent plea, Tamil Nadu had sought a direction to Karnataka to release 50.52 tmc feet of Cauvery water to save 40,000 acres of samba crops this season. In reply, Karnataka has said it has a deficit of about 80 tmc feet in its four reservoirs. Stressing that the states have to live in harmony, the court, which would hear the matter in detail on September 5, said "We cannot assume what will be the rainfall ... but if there is a formula in the Tribunal award, Karnataka is bound by it." Supreme Court judge Justice J Chelameswar had earlier recused himself from hearing the batch of petitions and cross- petitions relating to the implementation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award, filed by various parties, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Prior to this, the apex court had refused to give an urgent hearing to Tamil Nadu's plea for setting up of Cauvery Management Board for implementation of the CWDT award. At the directions of the apex court, the Centre, in 2013, had notified the final award of the CWDT on sharing the waters of the Cauvery system among the basin states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and union territory of Puducherry. The CWDT had recommended the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board/Authority on the lines of the Bhakra Beas Management Board for implementation of the order. The board, in turn, would constitute a Cauvery Water Regulation Committee for assistance. The Tribunal, in a unanimous decision in 2007, had determined the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site, including 14 tmcft for environmental protection and seepage into the sea. The final award made an annual allocation of 419 tmcft to Tamil Nadu in the entire Cauvery basin, 270 tmcft to Karnataka, 30 tmcft to Kerala and 7 tmcft to Puducherry. Pakistani authorities have decided to speed up the process to bring back Baloch separatist leader and Nawaz Akbar Khan Bugti's grandson Brahamdagh Bugti, who is currently living in self-exile in Switzerland. Brahamdagh's grandfather Akbar Bugti was killed in an army operation in Balochistan in 2006, which angered several young Balochs who took up arms. Balochistan Police Department has contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh in order to complete the Red Notice application requirements for Interpol, The Express Tribune reported. After the completion of the required paperwork, Pakistan would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to Pakistan. Interpol notices are international requests of cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. In the case of Red Notices, the suspects are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Interpol assists the national police in identifying and locating these wanted people for lawful action. According to preliminary identification details submitted by the Balochistan police, the 33-year-old chief of the banned Baloch Republican Party is known in his close circles as 'Sahib'. Brahamdagh had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on Balochistan. According to Balochistan police, Brahamdagh has two wives named Laila Bibi and Shuli Bibim and four children. He hails from the Raheja Bugti tribe and is operating the Baloch Republican Army network from Switzerland. He fled to Afghanistan during the crackdown on Baloch rebels and moved to Switzerland when Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. In Switzerland, he sought political asylum in 2011 but the Swiss government turned down his request in January 2016, citing Islamabad's decision of declaring him a "terrorist" wanted for multiple attacks. A Malaysian cabinet minister has admitted that Prime Minister Najib Razak was the mysterious unnamed official who the US Justice Department said took part in rampant looting of state funds. The admission confirmed widespread suspicions that Najib was "Malaysian Official 1" mentioned in a Justice Department lawsuit filed in July. The lawsuit -- part of US moves to seize more than USD 1 billion in allegedly ill-gotten assets -- repeatedly fingered the official as someone conspiring to divert vast sums from state investment fund 1MDB. Najib, who launched a crackdown last year to contain the spiralling scandal, has so far not commented on the identity of the unnamed official. But in an interview with the BBC that aired late yesterday, Minister of Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Abdul Rahman Dahlan admitted it was Najib. "It's obvious that the so-called 'Malaysian Official 1' referred to by the US Justice Department is our Prime Minister," he said in a subsequent clarifying statement. Rahman Dahlan, who also is communications director for Najib's ruling coalition, did not address whether Najib committed wrongdoing. But he insisted Najib was not a target of the US lawsuit. His comments, however, will add fuel to persistent calls for Najib to step down and face justice. Tens of thousands of people paralysed the capital Kuala Lumpur in August 2015 with two days of protest over the scandal. Last weekend, several hundred protesters demonstrated, demanding that "Malaysian Official 1" be identified and arrested. Najib, however, has shut down Malaysian investigations, clamped down on media reporting of the affair, and purged critics from his ruling party. 1MDB, or 1Malaysia Development Berhad, was launched by Najib in 2009 and closely overseen by him. Allegations of a vast international scheme of embezzlement and money-laundering involving billions of dollars of 1MDB money began to emerge two years ago. In its scathing lawsuit, the US Justice Department detailed how "Malaysian Official 1", family members, and close associates diverted billions from the now-stricken fund. Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing. The Justice Department has moved to seize assets including real estate in Beverly Hills, New York and London, artworks by Monet and Van Gogh, and a Bombardier jet that it alleges were purchased with money stolen from 1MDB. Refuting the allegations that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had the sex tape showing Woman and Child Development Minister Sandeep Kumar in his possession for the past 15 days, Home Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday that the AAP government sacked Kumar within 30 minutes of the receipt of the CD. Jain challenged the opposition parties to remove their tainted leaders from the party first before questioning the AAP. Kumar is the second Cabinet minister to be axed in the 19 months tenure of the AAP government. While former Food and Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan was sacked by the CM on charges of corruption, former Law Minister Jitender Tomar resigned from the Cabinet over the issue of submitting fake law degree as educational qualification proof. There are over 120 crore people in the country. Its difficult to say that nobody will commit a mistake. We give party ticket to the chosen candidates, said Home Minister Satyendar Jain. Arvind Kejriwal has said he cannot guarantee that nobody (among his party MLAs) will commit a mistake. But he said that he can guarantee that those who make mistakes will be punished, and he has done it,Jain added. Asked if Kejriwal had the sex tape for nearly 15 days, Jain said, We have taken action within 30 minutes of the receipt of the CD. Those who are challenging this, should first do such a thing. The BJP which is making a fuss about it should sack Amit Shah for once, whose profession is this. Unko to tadipar kiya gaya tha issi kaam ke liye. When asked Woman and Child Development Minster Sandeep Kumar has been removed only from the Cabinet and not the party, Jain said, Isn't this enough? Sacking a minister within 30 minutes. This is the party which does as it says. On Wednesday evening, Kejriwal had tweeted, Recd objectionable CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect, the following tweet from the CM had said. Rival partiesthe All India Students Association and Students Federation of India came together and made a joint panel of names as their candidates for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union Elections as the final list of the candidates was declared at the university here on Thursday. The All India Students Federation (AISF), which saw its leader Kanhaiya Kumar being elected to the post of JNUSU president in the last elections, did not field any of its candidate for the upcoming polls to be held in the campus on Sep 9. Democratic Students Federation (DSF), a break away faction of the SFI, also fielded just one candidate for the post of the JNUSU joint secretary amid differences among the leftist students union, even as AISA and SFI gave call for a larger Left unity in the students poll to give a tough fight to Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The polls in the JNU have traditionally been a contest between the mainstream leftist students union and the far-left unions of students. After the police booked six leftist students including JNUSU president on charges of sedition earlier in February this year, the battle of ballots in the campus poll has prompted AISA and SFI to come together to spoil the prospects of the surging ABVP. The ABVP has created sufficient grounds in the campus to give a tough fight to the Left alliance. Its not only because of the February 9 incident and the recent lodging of a rape case against an AISA activist, but also because of the internal contradictions within the Left-leaning students groups, a JNU research scholar told DH. A large number of students participation in a protest march that the ABVP took out recently demanding arrest of the AISA activist Anmol Ratan in connection with the case of rape in the campus came was a surprise to many in the campus as the previous protests of the right wing students wing in the campus did not even have 10 students on average, he added. The ABVP saw its candidate elected to the post of JNUSU president way back in 2001. Leftist students groups have been dominating the JNUSU panels later on, with AISA emerging as the most dominant students association in the campus. The SFI was weakened after a group of its leader formed DSF following some serious differences with the SFI leaders few years back. There is no doubt that the ABVP has gained grounds in the campus since Saurabh Sharmas poll to the JNUSU panel as a joint secretary. Since the BJP is ruling at the centre, this may also become a factor for the resurgence of the ABVP. But you never know what can happen in the polls. Despite all contradictions, all Left leaning students groups would want to keep the ABVP at bay, another PhD student of the university said. ABVP has fielded its candidates for all the JNUSU posts including that of counsellor. AISAs Mohit Kumar Pandey, a research scholar, will be contesting the polls for the post of president against ABVPs Janhawi Ojha, who is a research scholar at the university. The Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association has also fielded its candidates, with an eye on Dalit students votes. Student leaders from rival ABVP and NSUI filed their nominations on Thursday for Delhi University Students Union elections, but both parties are yet to pick their presidential candidate. According to some, the key to winning is to pick a Jat, Gujjar or a woman candidate for the presidents post. Polling is on September 9. Chhatra Marg, the main road through the North Campus, was barricaded by police during the nominations. Poll rules forbid campaigning on nomination day, but the BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India were both breaking them. There is competition within parties as well. Miranda House student Mahamedhaa Nagar, who is seeking the DUSU presidents post, said the ABVP is pushing for another girl, Priyanka Chhawarii, as her father is associated with Bharatiya Janata Party for years. Nagar said this shouldnt be the criteria for candidacy. She claims she has a bigger claim for the nomination. She was vice president at Miranda House, represented India as a youth woman leader in a 45-day programme funded by US Government in which 80 countries participated, and also appeared in a magazine conclave against Jawaharlal Nehru University president Kanhaiya Kumar. She claims Chhawarii was only brought in at the last-minute because she is a Gujjar. This year pushing women candidates is one of the key strategies. Priyanka finished her graduation in six years. The ABVP was waiting for her to clear her exams to take her in, said Nagar. DUSU vice president Sunny Dedha said the ABVP is dominated by the Gujjar community in Delhi University. But this year, there is also a Jat candidate, Ankit Sangwan. Priyanka Chhawarii and another ABVP candidate, Vishal Yadav, got most of the limelight on Thursday. ABVP members chanted their names and carried large posters with their names. ABVP and NSUI both nominated eight candidates for the four DUSU posts president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary. Others will have to wait. Like Arjun Chaprana, who contested elections on an ABVP ticket for the past four years and joined NSUI just 10 days back. ABVP never nominated him for the top post. He said students recognise him. He has been counsellor for three years. He knew the problems faced by students and has lead many student agitations in DU, the student argued. Police had put up barricades on both sides of the office of chief election officer, where students filed their nominations. On one side ABVP members cheered, and on the other those from the NSUI. Nominations were to end at 3 pm, but students went in till 4 pm. In the NSUI, Mohit Gerud and Sunny Chillar were cheered the most. People bring in their own friends to cheer for them. It only shows Gerud and Chillar have more friends, said Ajay Chahar, cheering for Chillar. He said he is supporting Chillar because he is a friend. A boy holding an ABVP badge saying Vote for Vishal Yadav said he was not even part of the University. He came to support his friend Vishal Yadav. I have nothing to do with politics I just came because he called me. I am preparing for my SSC exams, he said. All India Students Association, which is almost absent from the scene, has proposed Kanwalpreet Kaur as their presidential candidate this year. Ameesh Verma, came alone from South Campus to fill in his form from AISA. He said that no one knows him yet. He has filled in for all the posts for now. After scrutiny, AISA will decide for which position he should contest. An AISA statement claimed credit for getting authorities to ban the use of prefixes like `AAA before candidates names. It alleged that parties like ABVP and NSUI used this tactic so that their candidates were placed higher on the ballot paper, which went by the alphabetical order. The last DUSU president aaa Satinder Awana too resorted to this, the party said. Nominations can be withdrawn on September 3. On September 4, the university will bring out the list of valid candidates. Amid a court battle between taxi- aggregators and the state government, Karnataka Industries Minister R V Deshpande today said companies like, Ola Cabs and Uber India Technologies, should follow rules of the country. "I had a meeting with Ola and Uber officials. There are some regulations of the transport department which are applicable for everybody. They should follow them," he told reporters while announcing a ThinkBig Summit, an event to encourage women's entrepreneurs, to be held in November here. "They should understand and live with these conditions of this country. Nobody can be above (law)," he added. The Minister was responding to a query on what suggestions he would give to companies like Ola and Uber, who are facing challenges from government polices. The remark came after cab-aggregators and state government have been sparring over the recently introduced Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016. Deshpande said tax-aggregators should obtain licences and operate as a legal entity and cannot question the government on this front. Uber had moved Karnataka High Court after the transport department impounded the vehicles for not securing licences under the new norms. The department also had suspended taxis, which led to protests by drivers, which prompted them to independently file a petition in the court. The department had in April increased the penalty for the cab aggregators from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, for allegedly operating services without obtaining necessary license, despite its repeated warnings. Deshpande said the government can encourage and support those entrepreneurs who are legitimate. He also said the government has decided to bring in a new e-commerce policy, which was decided in the Vision Group meeting. Deshpande welcomed the centre's nod to attract overseas funds by giving foreign investors residency status if they bring in at least Rs 10 crore capital in the country. "It is a good initiative of Government of India because it will help Karnataka in a big way as the state boasts of many multinational companies and R&D facilities. Many a time in previous occasions, Karnataka has proved to be a state which makes them feel at home," he said. Asked to comment on the exclusion of China and Pakistan from the scheme, Deshpande it would be difficult to react to such "sensitive issues" but hoped that the countries which have been left out are included. Condemning violence against dalits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked politicians, including his own partymen, to shun irresponsible statements as said the community's "self-appointed champions" were giving political colour to the social problem to create tensions. He said he was committed to the welfare of dalits and other oppressed sections of the society but some people cannot digest that "Modi is pro-dalit". He condemned the incidents of violence against dalits, saying it does not suit any civilised society. "I want to tell politicians, including the leaders of my own party, that there should be no irresponsible statements against any person or community. The country's unity, social unity and equality should not be affected. We should be extra cautious," Modi told CNN-News 18 in an interview. Noting that there are many dalits who are BJP MPs and MLAs in the country, he said, "Ever since I celebrated 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar...many people felt that Modi is Ambedkar's follower. They started having problems. "Those who consider themselves as "thekedar" (self- appointed champions) of some special section and want to create tension in the society, they could not digest this that Modi is pro-dalit..." Insisting that "I am committed to the welfare of dalits, victims, oppressed, deprived, tribals and women", the Prime Minister said, "Those facing trouble because of this are creating problems and levelling baseless charges against me." Without naming anybody, Modi said, "Those who have poisoned this country in the name of casteism, they should stop giving political colour to a social problem." The Prime Minister said there should never be any violence against dalits and added that the country has full faith that "our agenda is development only". "There is no confusion among people of the country. But those who never wanted that such a government is formed, those who never wanted that previous government should go, their problems are going on. The issue of development is our agenda and it will remain our agenda. It is not a political agenda. It is my conviction. "If country wants to get rid of poverty, then there needs to be development. We need to empower poor people of the country," Modi said. Karnataka Industries minister R V Deshpande today criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not taking an initiative to convene a meeting of the three riparian states to resolve the Mahadayi river dispute inspite of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to do so during the all-party delegation meet in New Delhi recently. "My honorable Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also had met the Prime Minister at the all-party delegation and requested him to call the meeting of all the three states and resolve the Mahadayi dispute amicably. Somehow, Prime Minister has not taken the lead. Our legislature also has passed a resolution requesting Prime Minister's leadership," he told PTI after announcing ThinkBig Summit for women entrepreneurs here. The Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal headed by J M Panchal, during a hearing in New Delhi yesterday, had suggested that the chief ministers of the three sparring states--Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra--can hold talks and resolve the dispute amicably, instead of seeking Centre's intervention. The hearing was adjourned to October 3. Asked how would the government justify its demand urging the Prime Minister to intervene when the Tribunal had suggested an amicable solution through talks, Deshpande said: "What is wrong to make an attempt to resolve a problem. Is it wrong? I don't think it is wrong. If he succeeds it is good for the nation; good for the states". He said the neighbouring states cannot fight and the Prime Minister should take everybody into confidence and resolve the Mahadayi dispute as on many occasions in the past the central governments have made efforts in this regard. Asked to give an account of earlier Prime Ministers including Manmohan Singh taking initiatives, he said "Forget about the precedents. There are lot which I will tell you. If there is no precedent then let the Prime Minister set a new precedence." Karnataka had filed a petition before the tribunal seeking 7.5 tmcft from Mahadayi to provide water for drinking and irrigation purposes to parts of Belagavi, Gadag and Hubballi-Dharwad region. Goa challenged the petition by stating that the diversion of Mahadayi water will spell disaster to the environment and also dry Mandovi river. People from north Karnataka have been holding protests seeking Modis intervention. Supreme Court today asked the Sahara Group to come clean by disclosing its sources from where it had raised Rs 25,000 crore and paid its investors in cash, observing that it is "difficult to digest" as such a huge amount "cannot fall from the heavens." "You (Sahara Group) tell us what is the source of this money? Did you get the money from other companies or other schemes to the tune of Rs 24,000 crore? Withdrew it from bank accounts? Or sold property to get it? It should be any of the three alternatives. Money did not fall from the heavens. You have to show from where you have got the money. "Though we don't doubt the capacity of your client to pay crores of money to investors, that too in cash in two months. But the entire explanation of the episode is difficult to digest. Tell us the source of the cash and there will be no need to open the pandora box," a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said. The bench, also comprising Justices A R Dave and A K Sikri, which will hear the matter on the issue again on September 16, said "you start the hearing on that date by disclosing from where you got the money." "Show us the documents. How the money was lying in other schemes," the bench said after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Sahara Chief Subrata Roy, submitted that the group had raised money and paid to its investors in cash and the market regulator SEBI was running away from finding out crores of investors. "This is your (Sahara's) claim. SEBI has a very simple question. Please tell us from where you got the money. You tell us and we will close the case. You tell us how you raised Rs 25,000 crore in cash," the bench said. Sibal said the group was open for any probe and even assuming that there is an apprehension that it is a case of blackmoney, the group can be investigated but "if it's black money, who is SEBI to investigate? It is matter of Income Tax (Department)." However, the bench said the onus was on the business house to reveal the source of the money, whether it is accounted money or unaccounted money. "Was it lying in your bank account or you got it from schemes floated by you," the bench said as Sibal tried to convince that the Group drew money from others schemes in which the investment was made. "I have already filed an affidavit," Sibal said. Meanwhile, the bench also asked SEBI to respond after properly examining the plea made by Sahara group in its fresh application seeking permission to borrow money from a foreign entity for raising the amount for securing Roy's interim bail. For the interim bail, the court had put conditions on Roy like depositing Rs 5,000 crore in cash and a bank guarantee of equal amount and tough terms, including payment of the entire Rs 36,000 crore, including interest, to be paid back to the investors. When Sibal was drawing attention to the fresh plea, the bench asked senior advocate Arvind Datar, who appeared for SEBI, to respond to the application after carrying out a thorough investigation. "You look into all the aspects with a pinch of salt. We are not convinced with the application. You investigate thoroughly and properly," the bench told Datar. The bench said it has never restrained Sahara from raising the money. The group's application had stated that Sahara needed to borrow money from Reuben brothers of United Kingdom for depositing it in the SEBI-Sahara account opened at the apex court's direction for refunding money to investors. It had earlier informed the court that the loan on overseas hotels that was given by Bank of China has been taken over by billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben of United Kingdom, whose main activities were in real estate, private equity and venture capital. Roy, on August 26, had offered in Supreme Court to pay an additional Rs 300 crore to SEBI but said the amount should be adjusted as bank guarantee. Sahara had also informed the court that it was negotiating the sale of its three overseas hotels -- Grosvenor House Hotel in London, New York Plaza and Dream New York hotels. On August 3, the court had extended Roy's parole till September 16 with a condition to deposit Rs 300 crore with SEBI. Roy's parole, granted on humanitarian grounds following the death of his mother, was extended after he had deposited Rs 300.68 crores, giving him the opportunity to raise the remaining amount to secure bail in the case. The apex court had allowed Sahara group to go ahead with sale and alienation of their properties to raise an amount of Rs 5,000 crore as a bank guarantee which they have to deposit in addition to Rs 5,000 crore to get bail for Roy. The Sahara chief had earlier told the court that by December, the group would be in a position to fulfill all the conditions and that talks were going on with Canara Bank for Rs 1,500 crore bank gaurantee. The apex court had passed an order on March 29 stating that SEBI would not sell any property owned by the beleaguered group for a price less than 90 per cent of the circle rates for the area in question without the permission of the court. The court had asked SEBI to initiate the process of selling "unencumbered" properties of Sahara group, whose title deeds are with the market regulator, to generate the bail money for release of the group chief. Services at several hospitals in the national capital were severely affected as government nurses went on a country-wide indefinite strike today, at a time when Delhi and many other cities are grappling with rising cases of dengue and chikungunya. The massive protest has been called by the All India Government Nurses Federation and the Delhi Nurses Federation seeking redressal of issues related to pay and allowances. About 20,000 nurses from government hospitals in Delhi, including those run by the Centre, the city government or civic bodies have joined the agitation, severely affecting the functioning of hospitals and delivery of services. Meanwhile, the Delhi government today invoked the stringent ESMA declaring as illegal the nurses' stir. "The LG has approved the government's proposal to invoke ESMA against the agitating nurses," a top official said. The Essential Services Maintenance Act allows the government to declare a strike illegal in public interest. The strike has hit patients the hardest, as most of the routine operations were cancelled, OPD timings were curtailed and emergency services were also affected. "No routine surgeries have taken place and elective surgeries have been postponed at our hospital. We are managing with interns and contractual nurses as not a single regular nurse is on work. We have been badly affected," said Dr Vikram Bhaskar of Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital. The child hospital which runs under the central government's Lady Hardinge Medical College gets about 1,000 OPD patients and one could see visible fall in the services for shortage of staff, he said. Situation was similar at RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital and Delhi government hospitals like Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital with many surgeries being rescheduled and OPD timings affected. Municipal hospitals like Hindu Rao and Kasturba Hospital too bore the brunt of the strike. The nation-wide agitation has come at a time when Delhi and several other cities across the country are battling rising cases of dengue and chikungunya. At least 487 cases of dengue have so far been reported in the national capital this season, with 368 of them being recorded last month. Eight deaths due to it have also been reported. At least 432 people have been diagnosed with chikungunya in Delhi so far. "As we had announced, we are attending to emergency and critical cases only. But from Sunday, that too will stop if our demands are not met. Besides Delhi, nurses in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Puducherry and south India, among other places joined the protest," All India Government Nurses Federation spokesperson Liladhar Ramchandani told PTI. About 60 nurses for RML Hospital were detained this morning for obstructing work, police said. Till July 28, 9,990 suspected chikungunya cases have been recorded in the country, with Karnataka reporting 7,591 cases. Also, over 15,000 cases of dengue have been reported across the country this year. Several major hospitals in Delhi, swamped by patients suffering from vector-borne diseases, had till late yesterday tried to reach a common ground with their respective nurses associations, but in vain. Authorities at AIIMS said barring a couple of nurses, all regular nursing employees are working. Ramchandani, who is also the General Secretary of Delhi Nurses Federation, however claimed, "AIIMS is to have its union election soon, after which its members would also join our strike. Railway hospital nurses too have shown solidarity." Delhi government runs nearly 40 hospitals out of which LNJP Hospital is the biggest. Other major hospitals under it include GTB Hospital, DDU Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital and Chacha Nehru Child Hospital. The nurses federation claimed that services were affected at all these hospitals. Among the centrally-run hospitals, Safdarjung Hospital which employs 1,100 nurses, including 160 on contract, too suffered on account of the stir. Many of its doctors, and technicians are already down with mosquito-borne fever and the strike has further hit its services. The hospital has reported three dengue deaths in July, and 263 dengue cases and nearly 250 chikungunya case till August 29. "We tried to convince them (nurses) but they are adamant about their demands. The ministry has assured them but they are not yielding. So many people are suffering from dengue and chikungunya this season, and we also had asked them to defer the strike but in vain," Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital's Medical Superintendent Dr A K Gadpayle said. RML Hospital employs about 840 nurses of whom 236 are on contract. We have 300 resident doctors, so we are trying to manage, he said, adding, "we are getting 15-30 dengue cases and 30 to 35 chikungunya cases daily." Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, Dr A K Rai said, "Their demands about hike in pay scale are not genuine. Also, when people are dying of dengue, and chikungunya cases are going through the roof, you go on strike." "We nurses have deferred the strike twice and recently for a month after proposing it on August 2. But, if the ministry of health betrays us, we have no other option," Ramchandani said, adding, "If needed, we will also court arrest in large number, or take to streets." It is understood that both the federation as well as the Centre are seeking to talk over the issue. Nalini Chidambaram, wife of former Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidamabram, today skipped her scheduled date before Enforcement Directorate sleuths in Kolkata in connection with a money laundering probe in the Saradha chit fund scam case. Officials said Nalini did not appear today and is understood to have suggested to the ED sleuths that she should rather be questioned at her residence, as allowed for women under CrPC provisions. It was not immediately known as to what the ED would do now and whether it would issue fresh summons or take a legal opinion before initiating fresh action. The ED had asked her to appear before the Investigating Officer of the case in Kolkata sometime back where her statement was expected to be recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). She was also asked to carry documents related to her personal finances and those related to her engagement with the Saradha group. The matter pertains to the legal fee paid to Nalini, a Supreme Court lawyer, by the Saradha group, official sources said. The amount in question is Rs 1.26 crore, they said, noting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wants to understand the exact flow of funds to her from Saradha company accounts and the contract made therein. She had earlier been examined by CBI in this regard while ED had probed her role by going through documents provided to it by other accused. The sources said she has now been summoned in the "light of the new evidence". Saradha chairman Sudipta Sen, at present in jail, had mentioned about hiring Nalini as a lawyer at the request of Manoranjana Sinh, estranged wife of Congress leader Matang Sinh. Nalini represented Manoranjana and hence was asked to offer her professional advice in her negotiations with Sen in connection with plans by the group to acquire a TV channel in the northeast. The lawyer is believed to have advised her client against the Rs 42-crore investment by the group to acquire the TV channel. ED had filed a charge sheet in this case in a special PMLA court in Kolkata earlier this year and it is working towards a supplementary charge sheet. The agency, till now, has issued four orders for attaching properties worth about Rs 600 crore in this case.It registered a case under PMLA in 2013 taking cognisance of police FIRs of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. ED has pegged the amount of the scam at Rs 2,500 crore and has conducted an investigation involving lakhs of multi-layered transactions. It has claimed that "more than 90 per cent of such companies existed only on paper and only 17 companies out of the 224 companies actually had carried out some business". At a time when militants and separatists are threatening tit-for-tat attacks and social boycott of policemen and their families, a girl from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir travelled all the way to the Valley to enter into wedlock with a young Kashmir police officer. Sayeda Faiza Gilani, a postgraduate in literature from a university in Islamabad, travelled to violence-hit Valley in Karavan-e-Aman (the Peace Caravan) bus operating weekly between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, to tie the knot with her cousin Syed Owais Gilani, a police sub-inspector otherwise busy countering street protests. The marriage united two families who were separated during the partition of 1947. Both families give the credit for this happy reunion to the grooms father, Syed Shabir Gilani, a retired police officer. Senior Gilani, a native of Karnah area near Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir, says he has had a bitter childhood experience of how the unnatural divide between two Kashmirs severed his father Syed Hassan Shahs ties with the rest of the family. That time our ancestors presumed that separation was temporary and that free movement would be restored. But alas, the situation worsened to a level that my father could not even attend the funeral of his father, recalls Shabir. His wish to visit PoK one day to offer prayers at the mausoleum of his grandfather, was also dashed when Shabir got appointed as a police officer. A ray of hope emerged in 2003, when India and Pakistan decided to reopen traditional routes along the LoC for reunion of divided families. After my retirement from government service as senior superintendent of police in 2014, I decided to nurture my childhood dream of visiting Muzaffarabad, he told DH. With the all-party delegation scheduled to visit Kashmir this weekend, the government is busy setting the stage to commence backchannel diplomacies with the separatist leaders. Sources said the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik has been shifted to Humhama Sub Jail near Srinagar airport from Central Jail, Srinagar, while at least three leaders from Syed Ali Geelani-led Hurriyat are also lodged at the same jail. They said that moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been detained in a hut at Cheshmashahi near the Raj Bhavan, so that his meeting with the visiting delegates can be arranged. A senior police officer said the separatist leaders are being detained at places where there is scope for their meeting with the all party delegation. Central Jail, Srinagar is situated near the densely populated downtown and it would be difficult for us to facilitate the meeting of the visiting delegates with the jailed leaders, he said. He added it would have been difficult to facilitate meeting between the Mirwaiz and the visiting delegates at his Nigeen residence. An all-party delegation led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a two-day visit to Kashmir Valley beginning Sunday as part of efforts to find a solution to the continuing unrest there. The 28-member delegation, comprising Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, is expected to hold talks with leaders of political parties in the Valley as well as members of the civil society in a bid to understand the pain and provide a healing touch. The Union home minister is scheduled to preside over a meeting of the delegation here on Saturday morning to brief them about the two-day visit and the itinerary. Leaders of political parties would be free to meet anyone in the Valley, including separatist leaders such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of the Hurriyat Conference. Singh is expected to keep his meetings restricted to those who are keen to help resolve all the issues within the framework of the Constitution. Besides Azad, the Congress will be represented by senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ambika Soni. Union ministers Ramvilas Paswan and Jitendra Singh will also be part of the delegation visiting the Valley. The delegation will also comprise JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D Raja, NCP leader Tariq Anwar and Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy. At least 100 people were injured after violence erupted in Kashmir on Friday as authorities re-imposed curfew and restrictions across the Valley. A police officer said curfew was re-imposed in Srinagar city and all other towns of the Valley to maintain law and order. However, reports said despite curfew, violent clashes between protesters and security forces broke out throughout the Valley after the congregation prayers. Reports said at least 70 people were injured in the protests across south Kashmir even as stringent curfew was imposed in all big and small towns. As many as 30 people sustained pellet injuries in various areas of Shopian district. Two among them sustained injuries in eyes. At least a dozen people sustained injuries in protests in various areas of Pulwama district. 20 people were injured in Kulgam district, reports said. Witnesses said in restive Qaimoh and adjoining villages of Kulgam, protesters set ablaze an effigy of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.At least 10 protesters were injured due to pellets and tear smoke shells in various areas of Anantnag district. In north Kashmirs Bandipora district, at least 25 civilians were injured after security forces fired pellets and teargas shells to disperse protesters. Reports said over 60 political workers, including three sarpanches, announced their resignation on Friday in Nadihal village of Baramulla district where a teenage boy was killed in firing by security forces two days ago. Several people were also injured during daylong clashes in Srinagar city where authorities had imposed curfew. The authorities, for the eight consecutive week, disallowed Friday prayers at the historic Jama Masjid in Nowhatta area of Srinagar. A police spokesman said 35 stone pelting incidents were reported from Srinagar, Sopore, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kulgam and Kupwara. Normal life remained paralysed in the Valley for the 56th consecutive day on Friday. The nationwide strike by trade unions on Friday paralysed normal life in several states, impacting the functioning of government offices and industrial establishments. Response to the strike call was overwhelming in Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Bihar, while it had significant impact in Puducherry, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Jharkhand and Haryana. Mumbai and Delhi were largely unaffected though the industrial areas in the cities wore a ghostly look. Response was lukewarm in West Bengal, regarded as the Left stronghold. Pvt banks stay out The strike hit the banking sector severely, while transport and postal services also bore the brunt. Private banks did not participate. An agency report claimed that clearing operations at the Reserve Bank was hit, while trade union leaders claimed that cheques worth Rs 19,000 crore could not be cleared. State government employees took part in the strike in large numbers, joined by their fellow workers from central government offices. Oil and coal sectors also witnessed a near complete shutdown on Friday. It was a huge success. Around 18,000 crore workers participated in it, AITUC general secretary D L Sachdeva told DH. The participation was unprecedented. Industrial establishments in government sector were shutdown and workers of schemes such as Anganwadi and Midday Meal scheme also participated in large numbers. Besides banking, insurance and telecom responded very positively, AITUC secretary Amarjeet Kaur claimed. While power plants had downed their shutters, 70% defence sector units observed closure, union representatives said. The strike call badly hit Gurgaons automobile sector. Fullest impact in Kerala The strike saw its fullest impact in Left-ruled Kerala, where government offices, educational institutions and business establishments remained closed. Only private vehicles were seen on roads in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. With public transport off the roads, rail passengers struggled to reach their destinations. The police arranged special vehicles for the stranded passengers. In a first, the Thiruvananthapuram unit of Indian Space Research Organisation saw thin attendance on Friday after activists of the CITU blocked services at ISROs bus bay. The strike had virtually no impact in Tamil Nadu, where transport and offices functioned normally despite claims by unions that several thousands took part. Schools and colleges functioned as usual. In Telangana, TSRTC buses stayed off the roads, while All India Bank Employees Association Joint Secretary B S Rambabu said nearly 15,000 bank employees took part in the strike, paralysing the banks. Nearly two lakh Telangana state government workers attended work wearing a black badge, while production in Singareni collieries was completely affected. In Andhra Pradesh, employees of Vizag steel plant, part-time and contact workers of TTD, Jute workers in West Godavaris Eluru participated in the strike. Blames UPA govt Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya blamed the previous UPA government for the problems affecting labourers. He also told reporters that seven of the eight demands of the unions were conceded in principle. The strike also hit the North-east severely, with banking and public services shutting down completely in Assam and other states. Northeast Frontier Railways reported delays in several train services as protesters blocked tracks in many places. If a truce comes into effect in conflict-torn Syria, it will partially be for the intense diplomatic efforts made from New Delhi over the past two days. A suite in a star hotel in New Delhi was indeed turned into a nerve-centre of US diplomatic efforts for about 48 hours to work out a deal with Russia to bring about a ceasefire in Syria, where a civil war has been raging since March 2011. The suite was occupied by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who was scheduled to end his tour to New Delhi on Wednesday, but decided to stay back for two more days. Kerry and his entourage finally left for China on Friday. He will join US President Barack Obama in Hangzhou in east China. Obama will take part in the G20 summit, which Chinese President Xi Jinping will host in Hangzhou on Sunday. The summit may also provide an opportunity to Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet and narrow their differences on Syria. And it was from New Delhi that Kerry over the past 48 hours has tried to set the stage for the Obama-Putin meeting, which could be the last before the US elects a new president. Kerry called up Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from New Delhi and tried to work out the details of a proposed deal to bring about a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. They had met last week in Geneva and agreed on most of the issues involving the proposed ceasefire in Syria. India and Egypt on Friday agreed to step up their counter-terrorism co-operation, focusing particularly on sharing of intelligence, operational exchanges and prevention of radicalisation of the youth in both the countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met in New Delhi and agreed that growing radicalisation, increasing violence and spread of terror posed a real threat not just to India and Egypt, but also to nations and communities across regions. Modi and Sisi witnessed signing of an Agreement on Maritime Transport, which, they noted in a joint statement, would further intensify bilateral cooperation by facilitating not only maritime commerce, but also transit of naval vessels. In a statement made after his meeting with Sisi, Modi noted that Egypt was a factor for regional peace and stability in Africa and the Arab World. He also lauded Egyptians as the voices of moderate Islam. Modi said that he and the Egyptian president agreed on expanding defence trade, training and capacity-building, building greater information and operational exchanges to combat terrorism and cooperation on emerging challenges of cyber security. They also agreed to work together to fight drug trafficking, trans-national crimes and money laundering, said the prime minister. Sisi said that his government in Cairo was keen to have robust security cooperation with India. New Delhi has of late been stepping up its counter-terrorism co-operation with Cairo, ostensibly because Egypt is a key player in West Asia and North Africa where the Islamic State and other terrorist organisations have been expanding footprints. With several youths from India joining the IS in Syria and Iraq and other countries in the conflict zone, New Delhi is keen to make the mechanism for sharing information with intelligence agencies of Egypt more effective. The National Security Councils of the two governments had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2015. India and Egypt also have a joint working group on counter-terrorism, which met early this year. One of the key areas of bilateral co-operation between India and Egypt is to prevent radicalisation of youths. Modi and Sisi strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They also reaffirmed their resolve to work together at the UN on concluding the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. He told Sisi India was ready to welcome investments from Egyptian firms under the Make in India initiative, in the manufacturing and services sectors. Sisi invited Indian companies participation in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, particularly in sectors like petrochemicals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, skills and Information Technology. The secretive Indian military has come out of its shell to embrace social media in a big way, with two out of its three principal arms army and navy making their presence felt. The Indian Air Force (IAF), too, is set to make its debut. While the army has a strong presence on Facebook and Twitter, the navy has just begun its journey. The air force is at an advanced stage of formulating its social media plan to enter the world of Facebook and Twitter on October 8, celebrated as Air Force Day. Social media has deeply permeated society, across all age groups. Thus, it is imperative to manage social media to shape perceptions of the society. It is here to stay, either use it to an advantage or view it as a major challenge to the organisation, said Lt Gen V G Khandare, director general of the defence intelligence agency. The army was the first to make the splash in 2013 in the wake of the Adarsh and Sukhna scams, which adversely affected its image. The force was in need of a platform to directly communicate the tales of courage, valour and sacrifice to the public. We wanted to harness the power of social media as our messages were not reaching the masses through the conventional media, an army officer, closely associated with the organisations social media campaign, told DH. The armys Facebook page and Twitter handle paid rich dividends during the floods in Uttarakhand, Kashmir and Chennai. A separate office comprising four officers has been created in the army headquarters to manage its social media activities. The armys two most important positions Northern Command and Eastern Command also have their own Twitter handles. The success compelled the navy and air force to use social media platforms to reach out to the common man. The navys first attempt was unsuccessful. But earlier this year, it launched its Twitter handle and subsequently forayed into the Facebook domain last week. At the air force headquarters, we are now working on the modalities on the creation of a social media cell. We will join both Facebook and Twitter in a few months, said an IAF source. Speaking to mediapersons recently, he said Yettinahole issue will be brought to the notice of all the 48 participating nations at the kite festival. Signature campaignA signature campaign to save the Western Ghats will be requested at the festival. With the signed petition, a letter will be submitted to the Unesco through Dieppe Mayor for the conservation of the pristine biodiversity of the Western Ghats. The Unesco will be urged to take up the matter with the Government of India in the interest of the ecology of the planet and prevail upon Karnataka state to take a relook into the project, he said. Team Mangalore member and environmentalist Dinesh Holla who will represent India at the kite festival at Dieppe in France, will give a representation to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), against the Yettinahole project. Legislators who failed to get ministerial berths have been lobbying for chairmanship of important boards and corporations. Though the high command had previously asked state leaders to fill the posts with loyal party workers instead of sitting MLAs, the chief minister and the KPCC president remain under pressure to do the opposite. With less than two years to go for Assembly polls in Karnataka, state leaders are treading cautiously on the appointments, lest they put the MLAs off. The party will discuss and decide whether to appoint sitting legislators or not, Parameshwara told reporters here. In the evening, Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah met Congress party general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Digvijaya Singh, to finalise the list. The three are expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday to get approval for the list. A source said the meeting would also discuss issues such as the demolition drive in Bengaluru, the sedition case against Amnesty International India, the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and the suicide of several police officers. Speaking to reporters earlier, the chief minister said the appointments would be finalised on Saturday. On the Cauvery issue, he said Karnataka was waiting for the Supreme Court verdict on Monday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara, who arrived here on Friday to meet the party top brass to finalise appointments to boards and corporations, are in two minds on considering sitting legislators for the posts. Police are hotly pursuing a young man whose botched wheelie led to the death of a girl riding pillion with him on Old Madras Road, east Bengaluru, on Thursday night. Shiny Kiran K lost her balance and came under the front wheel of a tanker coming behind when her male friend tried to do a wheelie. The horrific accident had occurred opposite Gopalan Signature Mall around 8 pm. Kiran and the man had set off on a ride from RJS College, Koramangala, where she was a II PUC student. They went to KR Puram before riding to Old Madras Road. Shockingly, the man sped off after the accident. The tanker driver also ran away. While police have eyewitness accounts of the accident, no one seems to have noted down or memorised the motorcycles registration number. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed near the accident spot have failed to produce a clear footage of the incident. Police are now left with checking the footage of surveillance cameras installed along the busy road to identify and trace the rider. A police team is already on the job, collecting CCTV footage from establishments located on the stretch, a senior officer said. Police could not question the deceased girls family on Friday as the college was closed because of the transporters strike. They will be questioned on Saturday for potential information about the rider. A relative of the girl, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the deceased would just go to college and return home on time. She was good at studies. This is shocking for the family. We still have no idea how the accident took place. We heard that a wheelie caused it. If thats true, police should immediately arrest the rider, he said. According to the jurisdictional Indiranagar traffic police, they have received many complaints about youths doing wheelie and drag racing on Old Madras Road, which often cause accidents. Kirans father Karunakaran works for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) while her mother is a homemaker. She has a younger brother. The family lives in Jayarajnagar, Halasuru. The post-mortem was conducted on Friday. Kirans father collapsed at the sight of her body. The family refused to comment. The ailing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike hospitals, especially the referral and maternity homes, are hit by a scam of Rs 6.76 crore, according to an investigation. The probe by the Technical Vigilance Cell under Commissioner (TVCC) points to favouritism and vested interests in the purchase of medicines and equipment at the cost of public health. The only option for the poor, these hospitals have become a milch cow for BBMP health officers, reveals the investigation recommended by Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy. The probe shows that officers did not bother to check the manufacturing and expiry dates of the medicines purchased as these crucial details are missing from the purchase register. Also, there were no quality test reports of the medicines and equipment purchased. The TVCC report indicates favouritism as all these medicines and equipment were purchased from Bangalore Traders, Prime Enterprises and Mahesh Agency, which neither have past records of supplying medicines to any government agency nor are authorised dealers of any pharmaceutical companies. The addresses of suppliers are incomplete while their phone numbers, VAT and TIN numbers are missing. These companies gave different addresses at different points in time for supplying medicines and equipment to the BBMP, said the report, raising doubts about the very existence of these firms. The report says fogging machines and sprayers were purchased every year but there are no details to show what happened to the machines purchased in the previous years. The report cites some glaring irregularities. For instance, Pulakeshinagar Health Officer awarded contract to Bangalore Traders for being the lowest bidder. He makes a comparison with JBJ Marketing, which had not even participated in the bid. Similar modus operandi was adopted in Malleswaram where again, a comparison was made with JBJ Marketing benefiting Bangalore Traders. Minimum price In Padmanabha Nagar, Prime Enterprises was shown as quoting the minimum price to supply bleaching powder and phenyl worth Rs 10 lakh but the contract was awarded to Bangalore Traders. For the purchase of Themophos 50% EC, Prime Enterprises was the lowest bidder but the contract was awarded to JBJ Marketing, which did not participate in the bidding. However, the payment was made to Prime Enterprises. The dealings were very confusing, said the investigating officers of TVCC in their report. From 2010-11 to 2014-15, Rs 6.76 crore worth medicines, equipment and furniture were purchased from 33 agencies but three prominent suppliers -- Prime Enterprises (Rs 1.43 crore), Mahesh Agency (Rs 1.23 crore) and Bangalore Traders (Rs 1.23 crore) -- are non-existing firms, the report said. The TVCC has recommended stringent action against officials involved and a high-level investigation with proper auditing of these purchases. When contacted, BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said he was examining the report to initiate action against the officers. The expressway will pass through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and all the three states have approved the final alignment for the green field initiative which is estimated to cost around Rs 7,000 crore. Speaking at the Regional Editors Conference organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) here, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman Raghav Chandra said 2,062 hectares of private land and some parcel of forest land was required for the project. Karnataka has completed acquisition of 84% of the 690 hectares required for the project and the process of issuing the third notification has been completed. In Andhra Pradesh, issue of the third notification has been completed for 76% of the 388 hectares required for the project. In Tamil Nadu, the process of land acquisition has commenced but the third notification is yet to be issued for 694 hectares, he said. Issue of the third notification indicates that the process of land acquisition has been completed. Our officers are in touch with authorities in Tamil Nadu urging them to expedite the process of completing land acquisition. We expect the process to be completed in all the three states in a few months and bids to execute the project will commence by the end of the financial year, Chandra said. Simultaneously, the NHAI has applied for environment and wildlife clearance with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) as seven-km stretch (total 64 hectares) will pass through the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary in Palamaner Reserve Forests in Andhra Pradesh, the officer said. The six-lane toll-expressway with a 120 km/hr speed design will have eight major bridges and 103 minor bridges and will pass through the districts of Bengaluru Rural and Kolar in Karnataka, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, Vellore, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu. It will start from Hoskote and end at Sriperumbudur, around 40 km from Chennai. The last mile connectivity between Hoskote and Bengaluru and Sriperumbudur and Chennai is already in place, Chandra pointed out. The toll road will be on a Design-Build-Finance-Operate pattern wherein the concessionaire will in accordance with the model concession agreement take the responsibility to carry out construction, maintenance and operation of the project. Bids to execute the 262-km Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway to facilitate high-speed travel between the two cities will commence by the end of the current financial year. The vulture population in the first-ever vulture sanctuary of India in Ramadevarabetta in Ramanagaram around 60 km from Bengaluru still faces a threat. The sanctuary, with 25 hillocks, is spread across 346.41 hectares. The hills of Ramanagaram were declared a vulture sanctuary on January 30, 2012. The forest department had planned to create a vulture restaurant, nine years ago, by placing carcasses on hillocks for the birds to feed like in Nepal and other countries, to revive the population. But this did not take off as there is no facility to check if carcasses are Diclofenac-free. Experts and conservationists point out that vulture population across India can be revived only if the government completely bans the drug Diclofenac. Though veterinary Diclofenac was banned in 2006, some veterinarians still use human Diclofenac on animals. Dr Vibhu Prakash, Head of National Level Vulture Conservation team, Bombay Natural History Society, said the Union government had restricted the dosage of human Diclofenac vials from 10-30 ml to 3 ml. But still, 15 ml is being administered on cattle. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and is used to treat mild to moderate pain. It is commonly found is pain relief medicines and is a popular human drug. Prakash added that studies have now shown that veterinarians are administering Aceclofenac, which converts to Diclofenac when administered on animals. It has been scientifically found that the huge vulture population was wiped out because of visceral gout, which is caused by Diclofenac residue. There are just eight conservation vulture breeding cent-res in India, but none in Karnataka. They are in Pin-jore (Haryana), Hydera-bad, Nandankanan Zoo (Odisha), Junagadh Zoo (Gujarat), Muta Zoo (Ranchi), West Bengal, Guwahati (Assam) and Bhopal. Several residents of Domlur V Main, I Cross (2nd Stage) complain that they have been receiving sewage instead of drinking water for the last two months. However, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has not found a solution to tackle the issue so far. There have been several occasions when sewage water fills up my sump instead of Cauvery water. There is a stink everywhere. My grandchildren were sent back from school due to dehydration. Now, I have closed the gate valve as the water I am getting is not clean, Prakash Shinde, who lives in the locality, said. We have no other option but depend on private water suppliers now. BWSSB has also not responded to our complaint, he added S G K Nair, a retired government employee too vents his ire seeing the poor response from the civic authority. We approached the government offices many times but in vain. They say we are not able to find the damage in the drinking water pipeline. What is the government agency for if they cannot respond in time? For how many days should we receive the waste water? he asks. Keshav Reddy, vice-president of Domlur II Stage residents welfare association said: The drinking water pipeline is about 30 years old and it passes below the sewage line. The water pipeline is damaged somewhere and the BWSSB is not able to locate it, he noted. Responding to the issue, a BWSSB official said they would resolve the issue in two days. However, the residents still doubted their claims. The dawn-to-dusk nation-wide strike called by various trade unions against the anti-people policies of the Union Government evoked a mixed response in Bengaluru. Normal life was affected as the KSRTC, BMTC buses, taxis including app-based cabs Ola and Uber and autorikshaws remained off the road. Thousands of passengers who arrived in the city by trains, KSRTC and private buses were stranded at various railway stations and bus terminals including Kempegowda bus station and the City railway station. The BMTC operated just 40 buses during the strike hours. It was a challenge for many to reach their workplaces in the absence of private transport. Taking advantage of the situation, some autorickshaw drivers fleeced passengers to make a quick buck. Meera, an HR executive, said she commutes daily from Hebbal to Marathahalli for Rs 30 in a private cab but today she was asked to pay Rs 300 by an autorickshaw driver. Except for four high-end buses which left for Tirupati on the day, outbound buses of KSRTC, NEKRTC and NWKRTC did not operate till evening. Normal operations resumed after 6 pm. Those who had booked advance tickets in state transport corporation buses were forced to postponed their journey. A Bengalurean, Yogesh, said he had booked his ticket to Mangaluru by a KSRTC bus but could not travel as the buses were off the road. He was promised reimbursement by the KSRTC. Passengers travelling to and from the airport suffered the most. BMTCs Volvo buses started plying at around 3 pm. Though Namma Metro functioned as usual, the ridership was down by almost half till 6 pm. A little more than 70,000 people travelled on the Metro, while the number was over 1.1 lakh last Friday. Ridership increased towards evening, BMRCL Chief Public Relation Officer U A Vasanth Rao said. Thin attendance Hotels, cinemas and business establishments functioned normally. Public sector banks, insurance companies and public sector undertakings were shut while the state government offices recorded thin attendance. The corridors of Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha wore a deserted look as a large number of Secretariat employees chose to go on unauthorised leave supporting the strike. Most offices in the Secretariat and MS Building saw skeletal staff on duty. The employees also wanted to make the most of the long weekend that stretches onto Tuesday. Though Saturday is not a holiday, a majority of the employees did not mind availing of another days leave, officials said. Meanwhile, trade unions held protests at the Town Hall and Laggere against the Central government policies. The strike was totally peaceful. There was not even a stray incident of violence. About 5,000 people had gathered for the protest. The police had made elaborate security arrangements to ensure law and order, said N S Megharik, City Police Commissioner. By Captain Paul Watson 31 August 2016 (Huffington Post) Since 2009, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been on the ground in Taiji, Japan, documenting and bringing to light the atrocious dolphin drive hunt taking place from September to March. Originally dubbed Operation Infinite Patience, this Sea Shepherd campaign has volunteers on the ground enduring constant police harassment and surveillance, physical threats and criticism, all while suffering personal trauma from witnessing the brutal slaughter. These volunteers are known as Cove Guardians. They come from all over the world, at their own expense, to bring attention to this dolphin drive a drive which sees cetaceans being killed, molested, torn apart from their families, and transported to life sentences in aquatic prisons called marine parks where they are forced to perform tricks for tourists. In recent days, there has been a great deal of speculation on social media about Sea Shepherd abandoning Taiji and shutting down the Cove Guardian program. That is wrong. Sea Shepherd has not abandoned any of its campaigns and we remain true to our policy of never giving up until we achieve our goals. We have Infinite Patience! For the naysayers, there was never any question of not being in Taiji. We even have a film crew already scheduled to be there. Our challenge this year is how to proceed with the Cove Guardian strategy in light of the fact that all veterans, including Cove Guardian leaders, have been denied entry to Japan. These logistical obstacles are not to be misconstrued as Sea Shepherd quitting Taiji. I began the Taiji campaign in 2003 when I sent Sea Shepherd crew member and photographer, Brooke MacDonald there to get the first images shown to the world. This was before the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove, before the Dolphin Project and before anyone even knew about this slaughter. Brookes pictures and video remain the best images, for the simple reason she did not encounter any obstacles in taking those pictures. For 13 years we have been on the forefront of the Taiji campaigns. We are the only group to have actually released dolphins when 16 pilot whales were freed after we cut nets and two Sea Shepherd crew members spent a month in jail for doing it. [more] Pennsylvania State Police have concluded their investigation into a bus crash in February in Silver Spring Township that took the life of a Utah woman. Trooper Robert Hicks, spokesman for state police, said the findings from the investigation have been turned over to the district attorneys office for determination if charges will be filed against the bus driver. The district attorneys office is currently reviewing the finding, District Attorney David Freed said. Sadie D. Wells, 20, of Kaysville, Utah, was the front-seat passenger of a Chevrolet Cruze that was hit broadside at the intersection of West Trindle Road and South Locust Point Road by a school bus transporting Cumberland Valley School District students around 12:45 p.m. Feb. 9. Wells was pronounced dead at the scene and three other passengers in the Chevrolet Cruze were taken to the hospital as a result of their injuries. Wells had been in the area acting as a missionary. State police said Edmund C. Clapper, 68, of Mechanicsburg, was driving the school bus south on North Locust Point Road when he failed to stop at the stop sign and struck the Chevrolet Cruze on the passenger side. There were roughly 32 students, who had been dismissed early because of snow, on the bus at the time of the crash. You Would Never Want To Be In Kajols Shoes Right Now! The AMOS-6 satellite being launched by Facebook and Eutelsat to bring satellite connectivity to rural Sub-Saharan Africa has been destroyed after the SpaceX rocket carrying it exploded. SpaceX have stated that an anomaly occurred while the rocket was being fuelled at the launch site in Cape Canaveral, causing the explosion. No one was injured. The rocket was being test-fired prior to its actual launch. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is currently visiting Nigeria, wrote that he was "deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite, but added "we remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided. The blast began at 9:07am EST on Thursday morning and lasted for four minutes. The rocket that exploded was a Falcon 9 a model designed to be reusable thanks to its ability to land upright. SpaceX founder Elon Musk noted that the explosion originated around upper stage [of the] oxygen tank during propellant fill operation. Founded by Musk in 2002, SpaceX is attempting to increase the commercial viability of manned space flights, and the idea of reusing rockets is the bedrock of this idea. While the company has not yet achieved a manned space flight, it has secured contracts with NASA to shuttle American astronauts to the ISS in the future. While Musk was stoical about the accident, the Israel Space Agency was less reserved about losing the $200m satellite, owned by Israeli firm Spacecom. As far as the Israeli communications satellite industry is concerned, this is a very severe blow which could place the future of the industry in doubt if it is not dragged out of the mud, said ISA chairman Isaac Ben-Israel. While undoubtedly a blow for SpaceX, and indeed Facebook and Eutelsat, the accident is unlikely to quell any of the companies ambitions. Musk is due to reveal his proposals for a Mars colony later this month, while Zuckerberg reiterated during his African tour that Facebook intends to push ahead with its controversial Free Basics initiative in Africa. Part of the Internet.org movement, Free Basics offers selected internet content to users for free. The service caused a stir in India when it was suggested that it essentially amount to zero-rating, which was outlawed by Indian regulator TRAI earlier this year. New data from the research project, Prevention of thromboembolic events-European Registry in Atrial Fibrillation (PREFER in AF), has recently been published and highlights an increased stroke risk among diabetes patients with abnormal heart rhythm. The findings, which are being presented at the last European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Romen, Italy, reveal specific at-risk patient profiles for one of the most common forms of arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is a heart rhythm disorder where the heart beats irregularly and rapidly, which often causes blood to thicken and increase the risk of blood clots. When blood clots break off and travel through the bloodstream to the brain, it can result in a stroke. Compared to people without AF, those with the arrhythmia which concerns over six million Europeans have between a three and five times higher risk of stroke, with one in five of all strokes caused by AF. The initial PREFER in AF registry enrolled 7,243 patients across 461 centres in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. A second study gathered data from 5,000 patients across 325 centres and included two additional countries; Belgium and the Netherlands. The information from the PREFER in AF patient registry was collected after one year follow-up and it was adjusted for co-morbidities predisposing patients to damage to blood vessels which can lead to a stroke, such as thrombosis. The findings revealed that AF patients with diabetes who are on insulin treatment are at a significantly increased risk of stroke than AF patients without diabetes (5.2 per cent versus 1.9 per cent) or AF patients with diabetes not on insulin treatment (5.2 per cent versus 1.8 per cent). It also showed that patients with diabetes not receiving insulin therapy had similar incidence of thromboembolic events than patients without diabetes. While the results provide an indication of differences on clinical outcomes for specific patient characteristics, further research is needed to establish whether this can be used to inform and enhance AF management. Human placenta stem cells could provide a safe and effective approach to preventing diabetes complications, according to a new study. A Chinese research team say transplanting human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into people with diabetes could improve diabetic foot syndrome in the future. In this new study, the placentas were collected from women who had undergone full-term caesarean section and gave permission for their placentas to be used. Rats injected with the human placenta-derived MSCs had improved blood flow to critical areas of the body and enhanced blood vessel growth, which could also prevent critical limb ischemia (CLI). CLI is a condition that frequently leads to amputation. Study co-author Dr Zhong Chao Han of the Beijing Institute of Stem Cells, Health and Biotech, said: CLI describes an advanced stage of peripheral artery disease characterised by obstruction of the arteries and a markedly reduced blood flow to the extremities. CLI is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity, putting the patients at high-risk for major amputation. The researchers noted that MSCs are ideal candidates for transplantation because they have both angiogenic (potential to form new blood vessels) and immunomodulatory properties. They are also capable of differentiating into three different lineages. Han added: The utility of placenta-derived MSCs is poorly understood, so we sought to investigate the efficacy of combined regular therapy and cell therapy in treating diabetes-related CLI. So far, MSC therapy represents a simple, safe and effective therapeutic approach for diabetes and its complications, concluded the researchers. Our studies lay the groundwork for the transition from the experimental bench to the clinical bedside. Section editor of the publicatio, Dr Maria Carolina Oliveira Rodrigues, who is also from the Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, said: Diabetes is becoming more prevalent across the globe and stem cell therapy may be a vital approach to serious vascular complications. Future studies should aim to expound upon previous findings in MSC transplantation studies and confirm the efficacy of placenta-derived MSCs for CLI. The study is to be published in the Cell Transplantation journal. HARRISBURG The states highest court said Friday that it was deadlocked on whether to let voters consider a constitutional amendment to raise judges mandatory retirement age from 70 to 75, meaning the question will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. The Supreme Court voted 3-3 on a legal challenge by two of its own retired justices and a lawyer who had argued the reworded ballot would mislead voters into thinking they were imposing the states first-ever age limit rather than giving judges five more years before they must step down. Neither plaintiffs nor the justices who support their position have cited any authority to conclude that a ballot question is misleading where it does not explain the effect of the proposed amendment, thereby affording this court the right to interfere with the submission of the challenged ballot question to the qualified electors of Pennsylvania, wrote Justice Max Baer, who along with Justices Christine Donohue and Sallie Updyke Mundy favored throwing out the lawsuit. Justice Debra Todd, joined by Justices David Wecht and Kevin Dougherty, called the ballot question inherently misleading and ... well short of meeting the exacting standard which all ballot questions for the adoption of constitutional amendments must meet. They would have issued an injunction against the ballot question. The people must be able to evaluate the effect of a proposed change against the constitutions present design, Todd wrote. Because they were tied, the matter reverts to where it was before the lawsuit was filed. A separate challenge to the case by three Democratic state senators had been rejected by the Commonwealth Court, and on Friday the high court upheld that decision with a brief order . The proposed amendment has passed the Legislature in two consecutive sessions and was on track for a vote during the April primary when state lawmakers hastily passed a measure to invalidate the primary votes. Voters narrowly defeated the referendum during the spring primary, with unofficial returns indicating it failed 51 percent to 49 percent. The Legislature also directed the ballot question to be rewritten to remove reference to the current age limit, prompting the lawsuit by retired Justices Ronald Castille, a Republican, and Stephen Zappala Sr., a Democrat, as well as Philadelphia lawyer Dick Sprague. The three plaintiffs argued that the change would defraud voters into thinking they were putting a new restriction on judicial service rather than loosening the existing age limit. Judges currently must retire at the end of the calendar year in which they turn 70. The office of Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, the defendant, issued a statement saying the required advertising of the question has begun and will not need to be changed. The question will appear as: Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to require that justices of the Supreme Court, judges, and magisterial district judges be retired on the last day of the calendar year in which they attain the age of 75 years? A phone message for the plaintiffs attorney was not immediately returned. The seventh justice, Thomas Saylor, did not participate in the case. He turns 70 in December and must retire at the end of the year if the ballot question fails. The change would apply to about 1,000 justices, judges and district judges. Passage could provide them with a significant windfall the more than 400 county Court of Common Pleas judges are typically paid $177,000 with benefits each year. The annual event from Autodesk focussed on harnessing future technology in the process of making Autodesk University India 2016, the annual flagship event from Autodesk, was organised today on the 1st September, 2016. The event saw multiple imminent speakers enlighten the audience about the current state of the design industry as well the future where it is headed. They also spoke about some very interesting product changes from Autodesk. Patrick Williams, Senior Vice President APAC, AUTODESK, started off the event by highlighting the importance of harnessing the latest technology when it comes to making Make in India a success. He also stated that according to findings, the local manufacturing industry is going to be worth around 1 trillion USD by 2025, and with that in perspective, it is imperative that the industry catches up to the latest technology trends and that is exactly what Autodesk aims to do. With the gradual merging of manufacturing and the design process, being able to use the easiest tools for optimizing the entire process has become very important. Make in India Pradeep Nair, Managing Director, Autodesk India & SAARC, highlighted Autodesks contributions to the Make in India initiative from the Government of India. Autodesk had signed an MoU with the Government of Maharashtra to provide their cloud based CAD solution Fusion 360 at attractive costs and in some cases, even for free to small scale entrepreneurs and MSMEs. These Fusion partners were invited on stage and felicitated. The Maker's Auto team with the Auto onstage Also highlighted was the Maker's Auto, which was launched last month at the Maker's Asylum in Mumbai. The Auto was developed by Maker in Residence Coby Unger with his team, with the aim of promoting hands on work and development across the city. Future of Making Things Before we say anything else, we just have to give a hat-tip to Steve Blum for his amazing entrance into the keynote auditorium. Steve Blum, Senior Vice President, Worldwide sales and Services at AUTODESK making an awesome entrance Post that Mr. Steve Blum, Senior Vice President, Worldwide sales and Services at AUTODESK, took us through several brilliant examples of how innovation in the design process has completely changes the way certain companies are operating and solving problems. Some of the interesting ones are: CONXTECH - A California based construction company that has modularised the construction process to bring down build times considerably - according to Steve Blum, the structure of a 10,000sq.ft building was completed in a single day. - A California based construction company that has modularised the construction process to bring down build times considerably - according to Steve Blum, the structure of a 10,000sq.ft building was completed in a single day. Beasts of Balance a.k.a Fabulous beasts - A game developed as a kickstarter (now successful after raising 168,360) since January, using 3D printing to create a gameplay connected with your smartphone or tablet. The character models for the game were created using 3D printing. - A game developed as a kickstarter (now successful after raising 168,360) since January, using 3D printing to create a gameplay connected with your smartphone or tablet. The character models for the game were created using 3D printing. Ford - the Ford Augmented Reality Lab uses VR and AR to test car design and simulate environments around them. This gives the user a complete visual experience of the car without a car actually being present around them. Potential applications are remote car demos. - the Ford Augmented Reality Lab uses VR and AR to test car design and simulate environments around them. This gives the user a complete visual experience of the car without a car actually being present around them. Potential applications are remote car demos. Premier Deicers, Seattle - recovered from a major failure at the Seattle airport by implementing sensors onto each and every stage of their process to get better insights. - recovered from a major failure at the Seattle airport by implementing sensors onto each and every stage of their process to get better insights. McCarthy Building Companies Inc. - Used cloud to manage scale and save more than 17000 man hours. - Used cloud to manage scale and save more than 17000 man hours. Atomic Fiction - Small scale Visual effects studio that has utilized cloud services to get access to top end hardware and eventually compete with big studios. They have worked on the visual effects for Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Empire and the hollywood movie The Walk. - Small scale Visual effects studio that has utilized cloud services to get access to top end hardware and eventually compete with big studios. They have worked on the visual effects for Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Empire and the hollywood movie The Walk. Airbus concept plane - Using generative design algorithm to create a new design for the bionic partition on the Airbus, based on natural slime growth and mammal bone growth patterns. The redesign reduced the weight by 35kgs per seat. - Using generative design algorithm to create a new design for the bionic partition on the Airbus, based on natural slime growth and mammal bone growth patterns. The redesign reduced the weight by 35kgs per seat. Under Armour - Another example of generative design, the sportswear brand manufacture the first completely 3D printed shoes using Fusion 360 and generative design Steve Blum talking about Under Armour's 3D printed shoes Autodesk Collections Mr. Patrick Williams announced the new Autodesk Collections, under which Autodesk will be offering its products under 3 industry targeted suites. The suites are: ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION COLLECTION - Revit, AutoCAD Civil 3D, InfraWorks 360 (US site), AutoCAD PRODUCT DESIGN COLLECTION - Inventor Professional, AutoCAD MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT COLLECTION - Maya, 3dsMax Mr. Patrick Williams talking about Forge from Autodesk Mr. Williams also showcased Autodesk foundation, which is a CSR undertaking from Autodesk, under which they have sponsored multiple NGOs and social organisations to help them achieve their goals. We also got to know about some really interesting and significant undertakings from Autodesk. They have worked with the Government of Rajasthan to digitise heritage structures completely, so that they can be experienced and remembered for longer. Along with that, they have also worked with NASA and the Smithsonian Museum to create a digital model of the original Apollo 11 capsule that landed on the moon. You can check it out here. Autodesk Gallery An entire section was devoted to stalls that demonstrated Autodesk's diverse portfolio of products, like Stingray, Autodesk's offering for 3D game development and design visualisation. There were also stalls that highlighted partner products like the Microsoft Surface. Autodesk Gallery India Maker Movement An entire floor at the event was dedicated to the India Maker Movement, another Autodesk initiative to highlight Makers and the Maker culture in India. We interacted with almost all the makers present and it was really exciting to see the kind of work they have done. From a fully functional mind controlled wheelchair to a physical automated chessboard, from an open source Satellite base station to a prototype for a smart ring, the ideas ranged across all possible areas and every maker was equally enthusiastic about what they had created. The India Maker Movement space at the event - These guys make stuff up!! In Conclusion Right from the beginning, it was quite evident that the event was a success, with the large crowd that had showed up at the venue and was enthusiastically attending each session. Insights from the Industry experts were really informative and we are quite sure that Autodesk did not fail to create an impression on the young students and decision makers in the crowd. Multiple users of the device have reported the phone catching fire and exploding while charging. Reports suggest that Samsung may be looking to recall the Galaxy Note 7 devices. UPDATE: Samsung has issued a statement confirming the recall of Galaxy Note 7 units. The company says that it conducted a thorough investigation and found an issue with a battery cell. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market, Samsung said. It has also stopped the sales of the phone temporarily. Samsung India is now reportedly informing customers that the shipment for Galaxy Note 7 devices will be delayed for those who pre-booked the smartphone. Samsungs newly launched flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7, may already be in trouble just a few weeks after its debut, and a few days before Apple unveils its next premium smartphone, the iPhone 7. Multiple users of the device have reported the phone catching fire and exploding while charging. Acknowledging the same, the South Korean electronics company told TechCrunch, In response to questions on Galaxy Note 7, we are conducting a thorough inspection. We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers. A Korean news agency, Yonhap, also claims to have spoken to Samsung officials who said, Products installed with the problematic battery account for less than 0.1 percent of the entire volume sold. The problem can be simply resolved by changing the battery, but we'll come up with convincing measures for our consumers. Additionally, Yonhap reports that Samsung has also delayed the launch of the Galaxy Note 7 in European markets, and will also be halting shipments to the US. Now, reports suggest that Samsung may be looking to recall the Galaxy Note 7 devices. Unidentified officials have told Reuters that even though deliberations have not been finalised, the company may be considering to potentially pull back the smartphone from the market. On Wednesday, Samsung said that it has stopped the shipment of the Galaxy Note 7 to the top 3 South Korean carriers, and that the company is conducting extensive quality tests. Samsung is not the only smartphone manufacturer who has been in the news for its phones burning and exploding into flames. Recently, Digit also reported that an Indian OnePlus One users phone burst into flames while charging. Creator and publisher of mobile real money and social games, Gaming Realms , announced on Friday that is has signed a marketing partnership deal with Bauer Media UK . The AIM-traded firm said the three-year partnership and revenue share agreement with Bauer relates to Gaming Realms' Spin Genie real-money gaming website. It said the partnership is committing significant media support to promote Spin Genie across Bauer's radio, digital and magazine titles, including Heat and Closer magazines, and on Heat, Kiss, Magic and Absolute radio stations. The campaign will also see celebrity Louie Spence become the face of Spin Genie. We are incredibly excited about the developments happening during this new phase of the business, said Gaming Realms CEO Patrick Southon. Our platform has already proven that it has class leading characteristics in terms of acquisition, retention and monetisation and it is exciting to be extending our marketing reach via these blue chip media companies. Early-stage and pre-IPO disruptive technology investing company Vela Technologies was celebrating on Friday, noting an announcement released on 1 September by BTL Group . The AIM-traded firm described BTL as a technology company based in Vancouver, Canada, focused on developing blockchain technologies to disrupt and transform existing industries. BTL has announced that it has entered into a project with Visa Europe Collab to explore potential applications for blockchain technology in the financial services ecosystem. Vela currently holds 741,666 shares in BTL, representing a 4.7% equity interest in the fully diluted issued share capital of BTL, which is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. BTL Group is pleased to announce that it has entered into a project with Visa Europe Collab to explore potential applications for blockchain technology in the financial services ecosystem, the announcement read. The project will use BTL's cross-border settlement platform Interbit to explore the ways in which a blockchain-based settlements can reduce the friction of domestic and cross border transfers between banks - reducing cost, settlement time, credit risk, and by leveraging smart contracts to automate many of the regulation and compliance requirements of domestic and international transfers. A small number of European banks have been invited to participate in the project. Didi Chuxing and Uber's $35bn merger is set to be investigated by Chinese antitrust regulators over whether the deal complies with competition legislation in the country. Uber agreed to the sale of its Chinese unit in July after a long and costly war of competition between the two companies. Didi will acquire Uber's operations, with investors of the US company receiving a 20% stake. A debate has emerged regarding the regulation of such internet businesses, and China became the biggest marketplace to formally legalise the sector last month. The Ministry of Commerce is leading the investigation, following on from "complaints" surrounding the legality of the deal, and whether it would create a monopoly in the market. Information has been requested by the ministry from both companies, in order to "understand the online ride-hailing business model and the sectors competitive environment," said spokesman Shen Danyang. Most industry experts do not see the investigation causing any significant disruption to the deal, apart from a short time delay. The move, however, does seem to be an attempt by the Chinese authorities to maintain a tough stance against companies that do not seek prior approval ahead of such transactions. Both companies have remarked that they have not crossed the turnover thresholds required for such a notification. Didi is rated as one of the world's most valuable startups with an estimated worth of $28bn, bigger than the likes of AirBnB and Snapchat. Four years of growth has come to an end in the graduate jobs market as the number of vacancies has dropped this year following the UKs decision to leave the EU, according to the Association of graduate recruiters (AGR). The AGR annual survey showed the number of vacancies fell 8% to 19,732 this year compared to 21,427 last year when growth was 13% year-on-year. Chief executive of the AGR, Stephen Isherwood, said: The labour market for young people is shrinking for the first time since the financial crisis. The uncertainty of Brexit is the single biggest challenge facing recruiters in the year ahead. Vacanies in construction, retail and engineering are the hardest hit. However, for some employers the decline in graduate vacancies has been mitigated by an increased in apprenticeships. The number of apprenticeships has increased by 13% this year to a total of 10,095 opportunities. In Spring 2017 the government plans to implement an apprenticeship levy which requires all employers with a pay bill over 3m a year to make an investment in apprenticeships. This has had an effect on employers with more than 1 in 10 repackaging some graduate roles as higher apprenticeships. The rise in apprenticeships is not, however, enough to make up for the shortfall in graduate roles. The overall combined number of vacancies for both graduate jobs and apprenticeships has decreased 3% year-on-year. While there remain thousands of vacancies available for university graduates, school leavers will find many more different options open to them for high quality jobs, said Isherwood. Trading at Segro since the end of June had seen occupational demand remain strong. The property developers vacancy rate remained low and the firm saw net absorption of existing space. From 30 June, the company had signed pre-let agreements for 188,600 square meters across Europe, which Segro expected would result in 6.0m of new annualised headline rent, while the pipeline of near-term opportunities remained encouraging. Segro also placed 74.8m, raising roughly 340m in gross proceeds The positive leasing trend observed in the first six month of 2016 had continued since period-end, with 9.9m of new rent recorded since 30 June. Segros vacancy rate since 30 June had remained at 4.8%, with 1.7m of net absorption of existing space offset increased speculative space which had not yet been let. New rents and renewals in the UK continued to improve since 30 June, especially in London and South East, rising from 4.6% in the first half to 4.8%, Segro said in statement. However, in the companys Central European portfolio they declined by 0.7%, weighed down by lower rents on renewal in Central Europe. During the reporting period in question, Segro signed five new, unconditional pre-let agreements for 188,639 sq m of warehouse space during the period, including a 154,500 sq m big box warehouse in Rome let to a global online retailer and a 13,100 sq m urban warehouse in Paris let to FedEx/TNT, the company said. We expect to make further disposals over the coming year which will provide funds for investment. These will primarily be big box warehouses and land in Continental Europe offered to our SELP joint venture, along with other tactical disposals of mature assets. Segros trading update for its third quarter was set to be published on 20 August. "Investment acquisitions are likely to be modest since, in most markets, we believe the risk-adjusted returns available to us through development are more attractive than from buying existing, built assets. However, we will remain alert and open to acquisitions where returns are attractive and in markets where we are seeking additional scale," the outfit said in a statement. 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. Defense helps Buckeyes rally, pull away for 44-31 win over Penn State No. 2 Ohio State football used 34 decisive seconds midway the fourth quarter and then two knockout blows late for a 44-31 victory over Penn State. Molly Pitcher THE HISTORY: This may be the Carlisle areas most well-known grave site. Molly Ludwig was born Oct. 13, 1754, near Trenton, New Jersey. According to www.findagrave.com, she was sent to Carlisle at a young age to become a servant in the home of Col. William Irvine. She married William Hays in 1769, and her husband eventually enlisted in the 4th Pennsylvania Artillery in 1775. Molly joined her husband for the winters of 1777 and 1778 at his encampment at Valley Forge. During the Revolutionary Wars battle of Monmouth, Molly carried pitchers of water to the soldiers and to help cool the artillery guns, thereby earning her nickname Molly Pitcher. After her husband collapsed during battle she took over the operation of his canon. When the battle was over, Gen. George Washington gave her a non-commissioned officers rank. After the war, Molly and her husband returned to the Carlisle area to live. After William died in 1789, she married George McCauley. HOW THEY DIED: Molly died in Carlisle on Jan. 22, 1832, at the age of 77. THE GRAVESITE: The Old Graveyard, South Bedford and East South streets in Carlisle Subscriber content preview Premiums in many areas are expected to go up by double digits and some insurers are bailing out or scaling back. By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON Addressing concerns about rising premiums and dwindling competition, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell asserted Thursday that the federal health law's insurance markets clearly are sustainable. Willingness by Congress to help smooth out problems would definitely help, Burwell told reporters, but it is not absolutely essential. Congressional Republicans committed to repealing Obamacare are unlikely to assist. . . . Subscriber content preview OLYMPIA (AP) State officials say a small town about 50 miles southeast of Seattle is without water after a water line was damaged during geological survey drilling. The Washington Department of Health said in a news release the town of Carbonado shut down water service Wednesday to residents and businesses. . . . Skanska starting hotel at Second and Stewart Image courtesy of Skanska USA [enlarge] The 229-room Charter Hotel will be operated by a Hilton luxury brand called Curio. Skanska USA said it signed a $51.8 million contract to build a 16-story, 175,000-square-foot hotel at 1608 Second Ave. in downtown Seattle. Widewaters Group of Syracuse, New York, is the developing the 229-room hotel. The property will be called The Charter Hotel and operated by Curio, a Hilton luxury brand that bills itself as a collection of independent, remarkable hotels whose only unifying characteristic is their glorious individuality. Hogan Campis Architecture of Atlanta is the architect. The hotel will have a 3,300-square-foot restaurant, 5,000 square feet of meeting space, and a top-floor lounge and outdoor terrace. The tower will share a half-block site with a 40-story Equity Residential apartment tower now under construction that is scheduled to open next year. Construction will take place above an existing parking structure that will be used by both buildings. Ed Shagen, Widewaters' vice president for the western region, told the DJC last year that his firm had been working with Equity Residential on the development since 2013. The northern half of the parking structure was designed for the hotel. Turner Construction is the general contractor for the Equity Residential project. Skanska started work on the hotel last month. Project manager Dan Leachman said activities have included exposing underground utilities and general mobilization. Construction is scheduled to finish in February 2018. Other project team members include KPFF Consulting Engineers and Atelier Landscape Architects. They told me not to overreact. Read new Donald Trump campaign CEO Steve Bannons comments in context, they said. And, after all, Christine, youre an immigration lawyer, you have a tendency to blow these things out of proportion. Chill, lady. Go say a rosary, and call us in the morning. This: I understand why Catholics want as many Hispanics in this country as possible, because the church is dying in this country, right? If it was not for the Hispanics. And this: (Paul Ryan) is rubbing his social justice Catholicism in my nose every second. And this: That Whore of Babylon stuff, whos to say its not really true? I wont allow slurs against my faith to be justified by irrelevant and off-point debates about illegal immigration. Bannon basically said my church was in the business of supporting illegal immigration so that it could pad its numbers and add money to the weekly collection plate. He knew exactly what he was doing when he conflated immigrant with Hispanic, puckering up for that high-pitched dog whistle that identifies all undesirable foreigners as papists. The man is not only offensive. Hes wrong. While most Mexicans, Central and South Americans and other Latinos self-define as Catholics, a very large minority are evangelical Christians or belong to one of the other Protestant denominations. This is something thats been lost on Bannon, who presumably whispers in Trumps ears. And Im thinking thats because its an easy thing to slam the Catholic Church these days, which has been living through a rather dark period. Im used to dealing with that attitude from liberals who never saw a vestibule they didnt want to refurbish as a transgender bathroom. Ive dealt with the rants of pro-choice Catholics whove added abortion to the list of sacraments and who see absolutely nothing immoral or evil in allowing other people to choose infanticide. Yes, I said infanticide. Sorry if that upsets you. But as much as Im repulsed by the left-wing haters, Im equally disturbed by those on the right who cloak their anti-Catholicism behind this law-and-order rhetoric, this affinity for walls, this sympathy for young, white women from California killed by brown men from Honduras. Im not saying we should welcome criminal aliens into our midst. I am saying we cant be dishonest and try to lay the blame for that criminality on an organization that exists to do Gods work, even where it stumbles mightily. Bannon is just another example of what I like to call the backdoor bigots. They dont actually come out and say they hate the church, because even though anti-Catholicism is the last acceptable prejudice, it still doesnt fly in polite company. Instead of actually coming out and calling Mother Teresa the sister of Miss Babylon, they will point to some negative societal influence or occurrence and then deftly tie the church to it. Liberals often point to homophobia and sex abuse (in the case of priests, usually same-sex abuse) and policies that allegedly hurt and disenfranchise women to undermine the good that the church has done and will continue to do. The greatest private social network of charity across the nation is supported by the Roman Catholic church, including schools, hospitals, womens shelters, crisis pregnancy clinics, orphanages and a host of other institutions that exist to be their brothers keeper. But for the left, this pales in comparison with the fact that this church stands in the way of social engineering, which upsets their secular apple cart. But the brother and sisters on the right are equally adept at their delegitimization tactics, and Bannon is Exhibit A. Its ingenious, really. Take someone who is already persona non grata in society, a Catholic. Conflate him with someone who is even less desirable, an immigrant. Push it a little further, and make that immigrant illegal. Add water, stir, and you have the perfect souffle of blame. People who think the church is a den of pedophiles and hates women will likely vote for Hillary in the fall. On the other hand, people who think the church hides criminal aliens behind the altar will gravitate toward Trump. Once again, Im reminded why Im disgusted by both sides. And once again, Im reminded why Al Smith lost that presidential race, and JFK needed to assure the Houston pastors that he wasnt in the popes pocket. The times, theyre not a-changing. Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com. The 14th ASEAN-India Summit and the 11th East Asia Summit, to be held in Vientiane, Lao PDR on 8 September, will review politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation between India and the ASEAN and discuss its future direction. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the two summits, which will be attended by heads of state / government of the 10 ASEAN and 18 East Asia summit participating countries. The prime minister will also hold bilateral meetings with several leaders on the sidelines of the summit. They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. The coming year will mark 25 years of India's dialogue partnership with ASEAN and a number of commemorative activities are planned to celebrate the Silver Jubilee year. ASEAN is a strategic partner of India since 2012. India and ASEAN have 30 dialogue mechanisms which meet regularly, including a summit and 7 ministerial meetings in foreign affairs, commerce, tourism, agriculture, environment, renewable energy and telecommunications. Minister of state for external affairs General (Retd) VK Singh recently attended the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting and EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane on 25-26 July 2016. Minister of state for commerce and industry Nirmala Seetharaman attended the ASEAN Economic Ministers + India Consultations and EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Vientiane on 6 August 2016. Trade between India and ASEAN stood at $65.04 billion in 2015-16 and accounted for 10.12 per cent of India's total trade with the world. The ASEAN-India economic integration process got a fillip with the creation of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area in July 2015, following the entry into force of the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and Investment Agreements. Conclusion of a balanced Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will further boost trade and investment ties with the region. The East Asia Summit is the premier leaders-led forum in the Asia-Pacific. Since its inception in 2005, it has played a significant role in the strategic, geopolitical and economic evolution of East Asia. Apart from the 10 ASEAN member states, East Asia Summit includes India, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Russia. India, being a founding member of the East Asia Summit, is committed to strengthening the East Asia Summit and making it more effective for dealing with contemporary challenges. At the 11th East Asia Summit, Leaders will discuss matters of regional and international interest and concerns, including maritime security, terrorism, non-proliferation, irregular migration, etc. The EAS is expected to adopt three statements / declarations, which include the Vientiane Declaration on Promoting Infrastructure Development Cooperation in East Asia, a Declaration on Strengthening Responses to Migrants in Crisis and Trafficking in Persons and an EAS Statement on Non-Proliferation. A joint statement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations is expected to be adopted at a separate ceremony after the EAS. India's engagement with the ASEAN and wider Asia-Pacific region has acquired further momentum following the enunciation of the 'Act-East Policy' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit and 9th East Asia Summit in Myanmar in November 2014. Appeals have been lodged to An Board Pleanala against the proposed development of a distillery in Carrick which could create up to 60 jobs. The company, Drioglann Shliabh Cuideachta Ghniomaiochta Ainmnithe, has been granted planning by Donegal County Council for the distillery at Carrick Lower, which would be known as the Sliabh Liag Distillery. There are three appeals against the development lodged with An Board Pleanala by An Taisce and by local residents. Submissions to the Donegal County Council raised concerns about potential water pollution, air pollution and traffic congestion in the area. An Taisce said in its submission to the council that the application lacks justification because it is is unrelated to any existing settlement centres. Local councillor Niamh Kennedy accepted people had a right to object but described the objections to the development as akin to pressing the self destruct button. A decision from An Bord Pleanala is due in January. Sliabh Liag Distillery is a new Irish whiskey company driven by two returning Donegal emigrants. James Doherty and Margaret Cunningham returned to Donegal in 2015 and formed plans to build what would be the first new distillery in Donegal for more than 170 years. Cllr. Kennedy said: I am just totally amazed at the objections in an area which is practically devoid of employment, apart from tourism. This development has the potential to create 60 jobs with even further growth potential. The investment from the company in the area shows the commitment and dedication of the team to bring this project to fruition. This distillery of Irish whiskey on the Wild Atlantic Way will attract many tourists and increase their length of stay in the area. Sixty jobs to rural Donegal is the equivalent to hundreds of jobs in Dublin or Galway. This is a stumbling block which I would hope we can overcome. Pictured: An artist's impression of the proposed distillery. On Sunday last cyclists from all over the world lined up in the shadow of the imposing Trim Castle to take on one of the toughest races in the world. In the midst of these riders was Letterkenny's Jason Black, a man who is no stranger to challenges - both physical and mental. Recently Jason told the Democrat about his journey through life and its challenges which culminated in conquering Everest. Jasons latest challenge is The Race Around Ireland and the solo category, which Jason has entered, is aimed at serious athletes. In doing so he has put himself shoulder to shoulder with some of the toughest ultra endurance athletes in the world. For the last week the Letterkenny man has battled with relentless mountain roads ,the unpredictable Irish weather and then there is the physical and mental challenge to keep going! This morning (Friday) Jason and his team had left Goleen in Cork heading towards Mizen head before heading back to the finish line at Trim. Jason is riding this race carrying a blue banner in support of the Donegal Autism family support group and is helping to create awareness of support for parents and carers of loved ones on the autism spectrum. Hes going well and we wish him flat road and a speedy spin! Health Minister Simon Harris has been called on to provide additional funding and resources for Letterkenny University Hospital. This follows his surprise visit to the hospital on Thursday. The minister was accompanied by the Director General of the HSE, Tony OBrien. The visit was certainly a surprise to Sean Murphy, General Manager at the hospital. He told Highland Radio on Friday he thought it was a wind up when advised, shortly before his arrival, that the minister was on his way to the hospital. He added he didnt have any issue with the unannounced nature of the visit. In August Saolta University Health Care Group issued various statements alerting the public to the fact the emergency department was very busy. Since the unexpected visit by the health minister, TD Pat The Cope Gallagher said that while the dedication of staff to the care of the patients is not in question, their task is impossible unless additional resources are provided by Minister Harris and the HSE. Pressures He says there are growing pressures at the hospital on a daily basis due to budget constraints and staff shortages, and the minister must have seen that during his visit Deputy Gallagher said numerous constituents had contacted him conveying concerns regarding the hospital. He said Letterkenny University Hospital now requires immediate action by this Government. He challenged the health minister and the Government to put in place an action plan for the hospital. He said a supplementary budget allocation and an increased annual budget is now essential for Letterkenny University Hospital in order that the hospital meets the growing demands of the county. That must be the message Minister Harris brings back to Dublin, he said. An MEP says developer led massive wind farms is not the way forward and she is advocating more community led wind farm projects should be encouraged. Following a meeting with representatives of the community owned Templederry Energy Resources which has two wind turbines operating in North Tipperary, MEP Marian Harkin is convinced that the Templederry project is a blueprint others should follow: The community of Templederry had to overcome many obstacles in developing their project which is now fully operational and, through its supply company, can service the electricity needs of their area. Their project is a classic case of a community working together for their mutual long term benefit, she said. What the community of Templederry has done is to provide themselves with a service which is cost controlled and which, for the future, provides a template for communities throughout Ireland to follow their positive leadership, she said. Alluding to issues with larger wind farm projects, the Sligo woman added: Renewable energy is an important component of Irelands future energy policy but the way it has developed to date through developer led massive wind farms being imposed on communities has resulted in huge opposition to projects throughout the length and breadth of Ireland. We still need a properly researched energy policy accompanied by a cost benefit analysis, and agreed set back distance from homes, schools etc. and a genuine opportunity for a community led and managed initiative. She acknowledged that then Energy Minister Alex White had pledged last October to introduce new measures to encourage community ownership of wind farms as he said that existing structures around community payback were weak and this would be addressed in the planned White Paper on Energy. Ms Harkin added: Luckily the community of Templederry had not waited for this government support as it was noticeably weak in the White Paper published in December last. She said it iis to the great credit of Templederry Energy Resources that they are prepared to share their experience in developing their project with communities elsewhere and are prepared to provide advice and assistance to communities wishing to follow their positive and successful example. Pictured Independent MEP Marian Harkin visited the community owned Templederry Energy Resources Wind Farm in North Tipperary for discussions on how communities can benefit from wind farm ownership. Pictured with Marian Harkin MEP at the Templederry Windfarm were founder members (L to R) Noel Carey, Patrick Donoghue, Greg Allen and John Fogarty. Fine Gael TD for Louth, Peter Fitzpatrick, has said that employment has increased in all regions of the country in the past year, which will be of benefit to people in Louth and will encourage young people to come home. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick was speaking after the CSO released the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) figures for Quarter 2 of 2016, showing the 15th quarter of consecutive employment growth. The CSOs QNHS released today (Tuesday) shows that over two million people are now at work in this country, the highest it has been since 2008. Crucially for people here in Louth, the figures show that employment has increased across all regions of Ireland in the last twelve months. Another real positive for families across the country is the CSO data showing the number of Irish people returning home has increased by 74% in the last year. Families here in Louth know all too well the consequences of the economic recession, with their children having to leave to find work. It is great to see these young people returning to a recovering economy, new employment opportunities and the possibility of living fulfilling lives here at home where they belong. Fine Gael is continuing to deliver on its pledge to prioritise job creation and reduce unemployment. The Action Plan for Jobs, first launched in February 2012 during the last Government, oversaw the creation of 179,000 new jobs. Unemployment is now down to 8.4%, firmly below the European average. More importantly, long term unemployment has dropped below 100,000 for the first time since the crisis began. Even with this job creation success, we cannot be complacent. Only a strong economy supporting people at work can pay for the services and investment needed to create a fair society. We must continue to focus on job creation and to ensure that all regions of the country experience the benefits of the economic recovery. We are on target to achieve the Governments goal of the creation of a further 200,000 new jobs by 2020. Already we have seen 36,000 jobs created in the first half of this year. Fianna Fail TD for Louth and East Meath Declan Breathnach has called on Irish Water to delay the works planned on the water main rehabilitation project in Bridge Street / Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk until 2017 when the rejuvenation and refurbishment of the area is due to commence. I have had calls from a number of business owners in the Clanbrassil Street area of Dundalk, Co. Louth about a notification they received from Irish Water dated 30th August informing them of commencement of works starting from middle to late September. They are concerned that these works will drag on and will be very disruptive to business in the busiest trading quarter of the year. The works will involve traffic management, diminished access to premises and will put people off coming to the area to shop. I have asked Irish Water to consider delaying the commencement of these works so that they could be carried out at the same time as the planned refurbishment of Clanbrassil Street. There is a rejuvenation scheme planned for the whole area which has been approved for funding and which is due to commence in 2017. It would make sense to execute the water main rehabilitation project in conjunction with these works so as to lessen the disturbance and impact on affected business owners. 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. With IT teams largely responsible for its success, digital transformation has plunged IT professionals into the spotlight for all the right reasons. You have to hand it to IT professionals. They keep critical systems running with limited resources, they configure networks like its no big deal, and they are often the first to recognise new technologys potential. Now, in a world thats rapidly transitioning to digital, theyre leading the charge. But what are the challenges of spearheading an organisations digital transformation efforts, and how can they be overcome? Identifying digital transformation roadblocks As organisations recognise datas value as a strategic asset and monetisation opportunity, digital transformation initiatives are no longer a nice to have. Businesses know they need to transition to digital to stay relevant and competitive. According to new research by Spiceworks and Canon, most IT professionals say digital transformation informs their organisations current (62 per cent) and future (74 per cent) strategies. However, while digital initiatives are a priority for most, execution can be a challenge. IT professionals report difficulties working with tight budgets (52 per cent), competing priorities (49 per cent) and limited time and staff (38 per cent). The good news is that many of these problems are easy to fix. Tips for a successful transition to digital Have a clear vision: To avoid spreading your IT team too thin, work with stakeholders to develop a common focus. Determine what your most urgent digital priorities are and the potential weak spots and bottlenecks in delivering your digital initiatives. Dont bite off too much: Break your vision into small, achievable chunks. Once you see a return on investment, you can then extend the solution to other parts of your business. Work with a partner: Most IT professionals dont have time to become an expert in all things technical, so utilise partners in areas where you may not have solid experience. An experienced service provider can improve security, automation and digitisation success, for example. Lets take a look at how a leading Victorian car dealership used these recommendations to overcome its digital transformation challenges. Digital transformation at Frankston Toyota For Frankston Toyota, digital transformation meant becoming totally paperless across four dealerships within 12 months. In addition, it needed to reduce manual document handling, eliminate duplicate data entry and cut the average time customers spend in a dealership from 4.5 hours to 90 minutes. The company worked with Canon to develop its digital transformation vision and implement a scalable document management solution. Starting small, the first phase automated manual processes and eliminated archived paper documents. Employees now view documents from their PC instead of sifting through boxes of hardcopy files, saving hours of unnecessary wasted time. Frankston Toyotas head of ICT, Richard Rhodes, describes the solution as a breath of fresh air. He says the digital transformation process will continue indefinitely. There is a phrase we use at Toyota called kaizen, which is continual service improvement. This particular project will never end There are always ways to lean up your systems. Now that it has seen the success of digital document management, Frankston Toyota plans to extend its digital transformation program. Rhodes intends to automate both the companys accounts payable and post-test-drive email communications as part of the next phase of their digital transformation program. This will create further efficiency in the business and improve processes to allow staff to work on more meaningful tasks, such as building client relationships instead of being bogged down with admin work. A challenge worth doing right Nobody said digital transformation was easy, but for IT professionals leading their organisations transition to digital, its a challenge worth doing right. Careful planning, realistic goals and working with a trusted service provider can improve outcomes significantly. For Rhodes, each additional hour a staff member spends with a client and every client win can be also attributed back to him, as he introduced the technology to make it happen. About the author Amy Birchall is the founder and lead content writer of Mint Content, a content marketing agency that helps IT and technology companies tell better business stories. Amy has worked as a business and management journalist, an online news editor and a software marketing manager. Now she leads a team of tech-savvy copywriters producing clear, engaging content that people want to read. Article attribution: Fast Business | Canon Gujarat signs MoU to build small airports Published: September 2, 2016 The Gujarat government has inked a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airport Authority of India (AAI). Under these MoUs, 11 small airports and airstrips will be developed under the Centres Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) to boost regional air connectivity in the State. With this, Gujarat became the third State after Jharkhand and Maharashtra to have signed such an agreement under the Centres Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). Under the MoU Gujarat and the Central Government will jointly undertake development and upgrading of infrastructure in 11 unserved or underserved airports and airstrips. These 11 unserved or underserved airports and airstrips are in Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Surat, Bhuj, Mehsana, Porbandar, Amreli, Mandavi, Kandla, Keshod and Deesa. The Central Government will provide the financial resources under viability gap funding of the RCS. Month: Current Affairs - September, 2016 Topics: Civil Aviation Sector Gujarat National Regional connectivity scheme States Latest E-Books City and seaside are both appealing for residents of St Lukes Park Living nearer to green spaces, such as parks, or by the coast can boost your physical health and make you happier, according to Exeter University researchers. Countrysides new development St Lukes Park in Runwell, Essex is perfectly positioned to offer prospective house buyers a quiet home in the country but within easy reach of the city and seaside. The homes are situated within a short car journey of both Chelmsford city centre and the beach at Southend-on-Sea, as well as just 40 minutes by train from London Liverpool Street. The development, in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), comprises an exceptional collection of 575 apartments and traditional three, four and five bedroom homes set within 200 acres of landscaped grounds, as part of the exciting regeneration of the former Runwell Hospital. With an attractive landscaped entranceway, St Lukes Park is surrounded by mature trees and woodland and also features tranquil woodland walkways, a carefully refurbished Grade II listed chapel, a proposed new primary school and a range of community facilities. Chris Bladon, Managing Director of Countrysides New Homes and Communities Eastern Region said: Both seaside and city living are becoming increasingly popular, but for those who cannot afford to buy a home stones throw away from the beach or in the midst of the city, Runwell offers the ideal location, within easy reach of both, whilst being in the heart of the Essex countryside. St Lukes Park is already proving to be an extremely popular development due to its location, the scale of regeneration and improvements planned for the area. The diverse range of homes available are selling very quickly so we would urge buyers to come and see the area for themselves to avoid disappointment. Currently available at St Lukes Park is the five bedroom Oak house design, a traditional style five bedroom detached home. The house comes complete with a stylish kitchen, family/dining area, plus a separate living room, home office and formal dining room, perfect for entertaining friends and relatives. Located on the first floor is the spacious master bedroom which features fitted wardrobes and a luxurious en suite shower room. There are a further four generously sized bedrooms including a guest bedroom with en suite shower room as well as a family bathroom. An excellent specification features throughout all of the homes at St Lukes Park, with contemporary fitted kitchens and a full range of energy efficient integrated appliances while the modern, hotel-style bathrooms feature sleek fixtures and fittings. St Lukes Park is ideally located approximately 10 miles from Chelmsford and 12 miles from Southend-on-Sea, offering good shopping and leisure facilities. The development is situated in a key commuter spot with direct access to London from nearby Wickford and Rayleigh train stations. It also benefits from excellent road connections with the development close to both the A130 and A127 which offer links to the A12, A13 and M25. Two, three, four and five bedroom homes are now available at St Lukes Park with prices starting from 314,995 for a two bedroom home and 514,995 for a four bedroom house. Prices for the five bedroom Oak start from 649,995. Apartments are due to be released later in the year. For more information, visit countryside-properties.com. Barclaycard launches as credit card pre-approval partner on MoneySuperMarket MoneySuperMarket has announced the UKs leading credit card provider, Barclaycard, as the latest big name to offer the pre-approval facility across its credit cards portfolio on the price comparison website, where customers can now apply for seven of its Platinum and Freedom products. The pre-approval facility means, where applicable, customers can secure exactly the offer they see at the point of applying, should they meet the necessary criteria and have a good credit score. A specific credit limit has to be agreed on acceptance, based on the individuals personal circumstances. MoneySuperMarket was the first price comparison website in the UK to offer pre-approval, launching with Capital One and MBNA in 2015, with Virgin Money and New Day coming on board earlier this year. This weeks introduction of Barclaycard as the fifth partner on the panel means 25% of customers who buy a credit card through MoneySuperMarket have done so through the pre-approval facility. Pre-approval complements the existing Smart Search facility, which is available for all products on its credit cards channel. Pre-approval provides personalised scores, based on the individuals circumstances, showing the likelihood, ranked from 1/10 (least likely) to 9.5/10 (most likely) of being accepted for the card. This transparent system helps customers apply for the products they are most likely to be accepted for as, importantly, each application comes up as a mark on a customers credit score. Peter Harrison, Director of Money at MoneySuperMarket, said: Theres an inherent lack of transparency when people apply for credit cards because they dont know if they will get accepted, if they will get the headline rate, or how it will affect their credit rating if they apply and get rejected. Thats why 2.1 million people used MoneySuperMarkets Smart Search tool in the first half of 2016 to find out which products theyre most likely to get accepted for, before they apply. Pre-approval is the next step in making life easier for anyone applying for a credit card, as it enables us to guarantee our customers theyll be accepted for the card they want, with no surprises further down the line. We want to offer as many attractive products from as many providers as possible through our pre-approval facility, so were delighted to have Barclaycard on board. Craig Evans, Managing Director at Barclaycard, commented: Offering pre-approval gives customers a better indication of which Barclaycard is right for them, based on their individual circumstances, before they apply. Being turned down for a credit card can affect your ability to get one in the future but with pre-approval, this is less likely as youll be able to apply for the right card for you, in the knowledge that you are likely to be accepted. Playground pressure sees parents spend nearly 350 to kit the kids out for school Parents purses may have taken a hit over the recent school holidays, but there is now one more cost to plan for. New research from American Express shows heading back to school will cost the average family with two children 332 to kit their children out for the new school year. The equivalent of six weeks worth of food shopping for a British family. While trying to balance the back-to-school books, parents will splash out on everything from stationery to uniforms and new tech, as nearly half (44%) want their little ones to be up to date with the latest term time trends, while just over a third (35%) say requests from the children drive up the bill. School kit costs breakdown: Items - Average Cost (based on two children per family) Uniform & PE kit (including coat, shoes, trainers and other equipment) 244 Rucksack 21 Book bag 12 Lunchbox 10 Technology 22 Stationery (including calculator) 23 Total 332 Comment from American Express: Jenny Cheung, Director at American Express said: Preparing children for the new school year can be expensive for parents, as they combine purchasing the essentials with those nice to have gadgets. By paying for school items on a credit card that offers rewards or cashback, families can make their spending work hard for them, giving them something back from the school shopping bill. American Express tips for saving money ahead of the new term: To help parents get their children set for September, while keeping a handle on the family budget, American Express has selected some top tips to save money and earn rewards: Check what you already have -make a list of every school-related item you already have to avoid unnecessary spending. Also check with other parents and the school to work out what you actually need. You can always top up supplies a few weeks into term. Set limits if your children are after lots of new items, back-to-school shopping is a great opportunity to teach them the value of money. Plan the shop together, have a set budget for each child, let them find good deals and perhaps allow them one luxury item. Defer non-essential purchases if theres an item on the shopping list that isnt actually needed for the return to school, consider deferring the purchase to a birthday or to Christmas. Use your points - check how many rewards points you have on your credit, charge or store card. You may have enough to get some back to school items for free simply by redeeming your points. Buy simple and jazz it up plain supplies are often much cheaper and your children can add their own personal touches with stickers and colourful embellishments. Not only will this save money, but will make a great summer holiday activity to get children excited about returning to school. Buy in bulk items such as stationery are always much cheaper when bought it large quantities. If you dont think your kids will need 100 pencils, talk to your friends, pool your money together, bulk buy supplies, and then divide them equally. Earn rewards and cashback on your spending Whether its trainers or a tablet, make your money work harder for you by using a card that earns cashback or rewards which can be put towards some well-earned rewards for the whole family to enjoy as the summer fun draws to a close. : - , ' , ' Trump wants credit for just allowing himself to be near black people So Donald Trump is coming to Detroit this weekend for a pretty obvious reason to try to prove that hes not a racist, at least to white people. To have any chance of being elected, Trump needs to do better than Mitt Romney did with white voters or minority voters. And the 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating from white nationalists for his blisteringly anti-immigrant speech in Arizona on Wednesday makes it pretty clear that Trump always bets on white. Its the worlds worst kept secret that the black outreach Trump has been engaging in insulting black voters and asking them what theyve got to lose in front of white crowds is all about winning over the college educated white people who dont want to think of themselves as voting for a bigot, even if they might. But even Trump realizes that this charade of white-on-white black outreach cant go on for too long without him having to actually visit a black community hence Detroit. Its reported wont be speaking directly to the congregation of Great Faith Ministries, which either proves hes not stupid or he wants to get a lot of a credit if he does decide to rise to the pulpit. But whatever he does, it wont prove hes not racist. Being a white American is to be complicit, at least in some faint way, in crimes committed under the cover of white supremacism. None of us is perfect, but few of us are Donald Trump, whose entire identity as conservative politician is built on the vilest strains of racial resentment. So if Trump wants to be seen reaching out to the African-American community, you dont deserve any credit for just showing up. Not in Detroit. Not in 2016. Here are some questions he should answer first: In the late 70s, Trump Management entered into a consent decree with the Justice Department over housing discrimination charges that included your employees putting a big letter C for colored on any application filed by a black apartment-seeker. Why do you feel the government targeted your organization for this investigation? Why did you feel the need to interject yourself in the case of The Central Park Five with a full-page ad calling for the death penalty of five black boys who were wrongly convicted? Do you have any regrets about your involvement? Did this case give you any second thoughts about the death penalty seeing first-hand how a rush to judgement could lead to a wrongful execution? Do you believe the president of the United States is a citizen? What evidence did you see that made you doubt Barack Obamas citizenship? Do you believe Barack Obamas mother was a citizen? Why did you feel the need to interject yourself into this controversy? Do you believe the president is a Christian? Why have you suggested hes really Muslim but hides his true identity? Do you still believe that Mexico purposely sends rapists and murderers to America? Youve recently campaigned on the assertion that the Democratic Party is the party of slavery and Jim Crow. Why do you think about 90 percent of the black community votes Democratic? Do you think black people are unaware of their history? Youve recently attacked Hillary Clinton for the 1994 crime bill. What about the bill do you oppose? Are you against mandatory-minimum sentences? How would you prosecute the drug war differently than past administrations? Do you think groups like Black Lives Matter have any legitimate complaints against law enforcement? Are you for private prisons? Do you feel our prison population is too high? Do you have any criminal justice platform whatsoever? What would you ask him? [CC image credit: Gage Skidmore | Flickr] See update below. Last month, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum wrote a piece for Eclectablog about Attorney General Bill Schuettes crusade to ensure straight-ticket voting is banned forever in Michigan. In her essay, Barb explained how, at its core, Schuettes effort is little more than an attempt to disenfranchise voters in our state. After a 3-judge panel of the 6th District Court upheld a decision by U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain to stop the GOP-led state legislature from enacting the ban, Schuette went back to the trough and asked for the entire 6th District Court to consider reversing Judge Drains decision, something referred to as an en banc hearing. Yesterday, the 6th District Court told Schuette to go Cheney himself: The preliminary injunction keeps in place the law of Michigan for the past 125 years allowing straight-party voting, said Circuit Judge Karen Nelson Moore, concurring in the majority decision that all circuit judges would not hear the case in what is known as an en banc hearing. She said it is standard for a three-judge panel to rule on the merits of an appeal before an en banc hearing is requested, and called appealing directly to the full panel of judges a clear attempt at an end-run around the 6th Circuits operating procedures. At the moment the original three-judge panel still has to weigh in on his request for reconsideration but its highly unlikely theyll reverse course. Schuette has not decided whether or not to throw our fall election into complete chaos by pursuing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. See update below. Responding to the smack down, House Republican Leader Kevin Cotter issued a press release saying, Only Michigan is forced to keep in place a tool of party-machine politics. Only Michigan is bound by discredited case law that has already been vacated and rejected. And, unlike the 49 other states that get to decide whether to have straight-ticket voting only Michigan has been ordered by the federal court to have it or else. This is a comically wrong statement. In fact, its a lie. Michigan voters have voted against eliminating the straight-ticket voting option TWICE. In other words, Michigan already HAS decided whether to have straight-ticket voting. Its Republicans in our state legislature that havent gotten the message. Its also why they put an appropriation in their bill which makes it democracy-proof, ensuring that Michigan voters never get to have their say on the matter again. This is a big win for democracy in our state and a clear message to Republican legislators that they are overstepping their bounds. And its time for Schuette to stop using his office to shore up his 2018 gubernatorial candidacy. While its not the first time hes wasted taxpayer dollars to promote himself Ive written about that extensively (e.g., HERE) it needs to be his last. Former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer deserves major kudos for this victory. He has been the lead attorney as this has made its way through the courts and his skill and professionalism is a large reason why the ban was struck down. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude. One final reminder: the ban on straight-ticket voting isnt just to ensure that its harder for voters in highly-Democratic districts to vote. Its also a blatant attempt by Republicans to assume control over the one last vestige of government controlled by Democrats State Board of Education and University Boards of Regents and Trustees. Heres what Ive written before about this: People like me frequently say that Republicans control every aspect of government in Michigan. However, thats not entirely true. The one place where Democrats still maintain a majority is the State Board of Education. And that is at the core of this entire tempest in a piss pot. Republicans cannot stand the fact that they dont control this group and are using the LGBTQ guidance as a smokescreen for their efforts to either take control or eliminate it entirely. You can be very sure that when Republicans passed the law preventing straight-ticket ballots in Michigan, this was one of the reasons they did it: straight-ticket voting helps Democrats in less-known races like the State Board of Education and University Boards of Regents and Trustees. So, dont be fooled. And if you have any doubt that what I say is true, I point to the fact that, when Democrats introduced legislation to move the non-partisan part of the ballot to the top, Republicans referred it to the House Committee on Elections last spring and it has sat there without a single hearing or further action since then. UPDATE: As if on cue: Attorney General Bill Schuette on Friday filed an emergency motion asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate Michigans straight-ticket voting ban in time for the Nov. 8 election. In a filing on behalf of Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, Schuette asked the court for a response by Thursday, one day before the statewide ballot is set to be finalized. This is not an honest effort. This is an intentional effort to throw Michigans elections into turmoil in a year when Republicans are on the ropes because of their hideous presidential candidate and, here in Michigan, because the Republican brand has been so badly damaged by our corporatist governor, his corporatist administration, and our bought-and-paid for Republican legislators. And hes using YOUR tax dollars to do it. The following guest post was penned by Nick Wallace, a freelance writer/data journalist who lives in Ypsilanti. Enjoy. Arguments that credit individual politicians with ongoing macroeconomic trends should always be treated with skepticism. It is the rare elected official who can cause a recession or reduce the unemployment rate. This is particularly true of state and local leaders; governors, mayors, and other regional policy-makers have limited influence over the short-term economic fate of their constituents. National and international economic winds are simply too powerful. So when I saw this Wall Street Journal op-ed crediting Governor Snyder for Michigans recent economic upswing, my eyes narrowed. Not only does the op-ed credit a lone politician for causing a macroeconomic trend, it credits a first-term governor who was elected at a time of historical economic upheaval. The standard of proof should therefore be especially high in Governor Snyders case; pointing out that enactment of his economic policies coincided with the beginning of the turnaround will not be enough. Unfortunately, the op-eds author, Mary OGrady, does even less than that. While she highlights three major reforms under Gov. Snyder [that] have changed the environment for entrepreneurship, the reforms she credits were all enacted after Michigans turnaround had already begun. The chart below shows Michigans GDP growth rate and the three reforms OGrady credits for the recent upswing. You dont need to be a calendrical savant to see the timing issue here: Michigans turnaround started in 2010; the first of Governor Snyders economic policies wasnt enacted until January 2012. At the very least any argument that the Governor deserves credit for current conditions needs to explain why the economy was doing so well before his agenda took hold. Instead, OGrady simply pretends those years never happened. At the same time, she is dismissive of the possibility that the auto bailout, which kept some of the states largest employers out of traditional bankruptcy proceedings, played an important role in the turnaround. To make this point she throws a number of arguments against the wall, including that the cash for clunkers program probably drew from future growth and that traditional bankruptcy proceedings, had they taken place, may have been just fine for the auto companies (a counterfactual we will thankfully never test). Youll note that neither of those arguments forecloses the possibility that the bailouts were the primary cause of Michigans ongoing turnaround. Nor does the sequence of events. This is what happens with state politics. Unlucky governors like Jennifer Granholm get blamed for circumstances over which they had little to no influence (and OGradys op-ed does just that). Others, like Snyder, receive undue credit for being in charge during happier times. The good news is that Michigan voters seem to understand this. In a June 2016 poll of likely voters in Michigan, just 40% of respondents said they approved of the governors job performance, while 52% disapproved. In spite of the states low unemployment and relatively strong growth, Governor Snyder is a mighty unpopular guy. Perhaps this has to do with the gratuitous budget hole those same corporate tax cuts helped to create, or the enduring insult of passing a right to work law against the will of the people, or the ongoing crisis in Flint. Unlike a recession, these are the types of problems a governor can almost single-handedly create. The bad news is that Mary OGrady, a member of the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, does not understand the limited macroeconomic influence of a first-term governors agenda. Indeed, she argues that given Michigans recent turnaround, Snyders pro-growth reforms should be a model not only to the rest of the country, but to Ontario, Canada as well. In particular she contrasts Snyders economic agenda with Hillary Clintons big-government solutions and failed left-wing populism. Its unclear which big-government solutions OGrady is referencing. Would something like, oh I dont know, the auto bailout (which Secretary Clinton supported) fit that description? [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] Anyone shocked by this isnt paying attention: Instead of speaking to the congregation at Great Faith Ministries International, Mr. Trump had planned to be interviewed by its pastor in a session that would be closed to the public and the news media, with questions submitted in advance. And instead of letting Mr. Trump be his freewheeling self, his campaign prepared lengthy answers for the submitted questions, consulting black Republicans to make sure he says the right things. An eight-page draft script obtained by The New York Times shows 12 questions that Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the pastor, intends to ask Mr. Trump in the taped question-and-answer session, as well as the responses Mr. Trump is being advised to give. [] The document includes the exact wording of answers the aides are proposing for Mr. Trump to give to questions about police killings, racial tension and the perception among many black voters that he and the Republican Party are racist, among other topics. The official said the answers could change based on feedback from the black Republicans they are consulting with. [] Bishop Jackson said Thursday that he saw no problem with the campaigns asking to screen his questions, and noted that in the past he had given advance text of prayers he planned to deliver at the White House. Having a prayer screened before they it is delivered at the White House is a far cry from helping a racist, bigoted presidential candidate reshape his image with a group of Americans he has denigrated, insulted, and maligned. Bishop Jackson should hang his holy head in shame. As I have said before, this is nothing but a heavily-stagecrafted effort by Trump to prove to white voters that hes not a racist bigot. Nothing that happens tomorrow is intended to convince black voters in Detroit and elsewhere that they should vote for the candidate most likely to make their lives worse. Trump has also planned a tour of Detroits ruin porn with Ben Carson that will give him an opportunity to blame the implosion of Americas manufacturing cities on Democrats. Its a two-dimensional cartoon version of actual history that skips over the realities like redlining, urban disinvestment, and racially discriminatory hiring practices that have created the crises in our inner cities, all the result of policies promoted by Republicans and corporatists like Trump. Donald Trump is a disgrace and a stain on our fine country. In our effort to always strive to form a more perfect union, Trumps campaign is a monumental step in the opposite direction. The rest of the world is watching and Donald Trump must not just be beaten by Hillary Clinton on November 8, 2016, he must be crushed. [Photo by Gage Skidmore | Flickr] Linux-operated botnet Distributed Denial of Service attacks surged in this years second quarter, due to growing interest in targeting Chinese servers, according to a Kaspersky Lab report released this week. South Korea kept its top ranking for having the most command-and-control servers. Brazil, Italy and Israel ranked among the leaders behind South Korea for hosting C&C servers, according to Kaspersky Lab. DDoS attacks affected resources in 70 countries, with targets in China absorbing 77 percent of all attacks. Germany and Canada dropped out of the top 10 most-targeted countries, replaced by France and the Netherlands. The Linux server is the go-to platform for orchestrating DDoS attacks because of its latent vulnerabilities, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. A common problem is that they are not protected by reliable security solutions. That makes them prime targets for hackers, especially those that leverage C&C servers to centrally manage and carry out DDoS attacks, he told LinuxInsider. Deploying leading security solutions, as well as utilizing and updating established Linux distros, can go a long way to protecting against these issues. Hardware to Protect All devices are vulnerable servers and desktops running any flavor of Linux, along with switches, routers, ADSL modems, wireless devices and cars. Internet of Things devices running embedded Linux also are vulnerable, said Oleg Kupreev, lead malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab. The main reason is in most cases it is hard to update or reconfigure vulnerable software ASAP especially on highly loaded, critical servers or to update outdated software that is not supported by manufacturer devices, he told LinuxInsider. Companies that rely on Linux servers must protect them against this growing threat. For Linux servers, it is very important to harden, or tweak, the security of the system, Kupreev said. Its important to understand and implement SELinux, keep the software and the kernel up to date, and adopt a strong password policy, he explained. Attack Vectors It appears that nothing much is new about the methods hackers used in their recently stepped-up activities. We dont see any changes in tactics. Brute-forcing passwords, exploiting common vulnerabilities in Web applications, hijacking or sniffing wireless communications these are old and well-known threats, said Kupreev. Of course, each year we see some new threats, like remote-controlled cars but its not a trend, its just a reality. SYN DDoS, TCP DDoS and HTTP DDoS remained the most common attack scenarios in the second quarter, according to Kasperkys report. The share of attacks from Linux botnets almost doubled, to 70 percent. The proportion of attacks using the SYN DDoS method increased 1.4 times, compared with the previous quarter, accounting for 76 percent. For the first time, there was an imbalance between the activities of Linux-based and Windows-based DDoS bots, based on the reports findings. Linux bots are the most effective tool for SYN-DDoS. Linux is becoming more commonplace and is used in most embedded systems, noted John McCarty, CISSP and senior security consultant at AsTech Consulting. These implementations often are not hardened or patched and upgraded regularly, which has led to these systems being compromised and becoming a part of a botnet, he told LinuxInsider. Time Matters Too The duration of the DDoS attacks has increased, Kasperskys report shows. For instance, the proportion of attacks that lasted for up to four hours fell from 68 percent in the first quarter of this year to 60 percent in the second quarter. The proportion of longer attacks grew considerably. Those lasting 20-49 hours accounted for 9 percent (4 percent in Q1) and those lasting 50-99 hours accounted for 4 percent (1 percent in Q1). The longest DDoS attack in Q2 2016 lasted 291 hours (12 days), a significant increase from Q1s longest attack, which was eight days. Contributing Factors Linux can be an extremely secure operating system, according to AsTechs McCarty. When it is properly configured and locked down, Linux can be hardened to withstand many of the current exploits and attacks. However, this reputation can lead to some administrators feeling that these systems are inherently secure and do not need the level of configuration and attention necessary to protect the systems from attack, he said. Another factor that encourages hackers to exploit Linux loopholes is the lack of security professionals and security software to maintain systems properly, said Dodi Glenn, vice president of cybersecurity at PC Pitstop. These systems usually host services, which can be used to reflect malicious activities, he told LinuxInsider. Linux is not inherently insecure, and it has become ubiquitous, observed Weston Henry, website security research analyst at SiteLock. The number of cloud servers and devices running Linux/BusyBox online with security as an afterthought may lead to insecure devices and services, he told LinuxInsider. Treating the Cause Companies must ensure they are hiring the right people to maintain the Linux systems, said PC Pitstops Glenn, and proactive security is key. When securing these systems, create a baseline of the system or a profile of the system, noting its usage of resources in normal operation modes, he advised. Organizations using Linux should ensure the systems are patched, securely configured and hardened, so that unnecessary services and applications are not running or even installed on them. It would help to toss in an intrusion prevention system and next-generation firewall as well. This will help minimize the overall attack surface of these systems, limiting the ability of a hacker to take over the system and use it within a botnet or for any other purpose, said McCarty. DDoS attacks still seem to be about quashing competition from online gaming and gold farming sites in the past to bitcoin sites now, noted SiteLocks Henry. The uptick in Linux botnets stems partly from the stated router and set-top box compromises. A decreased barrier to entry into cloud servers and services may also add to the vulnerable pool, he said. Consider security during system design. That is, design security into the system instead of adding it on after deployment. Other steps to take prior to launch, according to Henry, include assessing network and hosting services for DDoS robustness; beginning a relationship with a DDoS mitigation service; having a DDoS mitigation plan in place; and using a robust content delivery network to take any initial brunt. The FBI has launched investigations into malicious cyberattacks on the electronic election infrastructures in Illinois and Arizona, and federal officials last month warned states to take steps to protect their systems as the presidential campaign heats up, according to reports that surfaced this week. The attacks, dating back to June, led to the illegal download of information on more than 200,000 Illinois voters, leading to a 10-day shutdown of the states voter registration system. Hackers also penetrated systems in Arizona but apparently failed to download specific voter information. A timeline issued by the Illinois Board of Elections confirmed that it contacted the Illinois Attorney Generals office, was contacted by the FBI, and has been cooperating with the agency. SQL Attack The attack on the Illinois voter registration database began on June 23 and was discovered on July 12, according to the timeline. The voter registration database apparently was the victim of an SQL injection attack, resulting from repeatedly entering an authorized database query into a data field on a website. The Illinois AG was notified on July 19. The attackers reportedly were hitting the database five times per second, 24 hours a day from June 23 to Aug. 12. The site was taken down as a precaution on July 13, and firewall protection prevented further data from being compromised. Passwords of election authorities and their staffs reportedly were compromised. Personal information of voters also was compromised, but their voting signatures and histories apparently were not exposed. State voting systems have been dealing with hacking attempts for 10 years, noted Ken Menzel, general counsel of the Illinois State Board of Elections. However, why hackers targeted Illinois and not other states in this instance is unknown, he told the E-Commerce Times. Until law enforcement catches the who, I dont think were going to have a sense of exactly why, Menzel said. There are about 7.5 million active voters in Illinois, he noted, and 200,000 is the upper end of the number of records compromised. The Illinois Attorney Generals office is working with the board to notify voters about the breach, said AG spokesperson Eileen Boyce. Systems Vulnerable The exploitation of vulnerabilities in electronic voting systems has been a nagging worry for years. I think we can safely say that its a unanimous and universal concern that electoral systems are appropriately protected, said Christopher Budd, global threat communication manager at Trend Micro. Voting data can be exploited in a number of ways, he told the E-Commerce Times, including extortion, phishing schemes, and identity theft particularly involving the deceased. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson last month hosted a conference call with top state election officials to discuss the cybersecurity issue and the need to protect voting infrastructures. The call participants included members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the Department of Commerces National Institute for Standards and Technology, and the Department of Justice. DHS planned to launch a Voting Infrastructure Cybersecurity Action Campaign, Johnson said during the call, enlisting experts of all levels from the government and private sector. State officials should implement NIST and EAC recommendations on securing voting infrastructure, he advised, which include making sure voting machines are not connected to the Internet while voting is taking place. The Russian Connection Meanwhile, Arizona took its voter registration system offline in June, due to what the FBI characterized as a credible threat, according to Matt Roberts, spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan. As you might have seen, a credential used by a county user to access the Arizona Statewide Voter Registration System was compromised by malware inadvertently installed on a county computer and subsequently leaked by a known Russian hacker, he told the E-Commerce Times. Our office immediately took steps to perform an exhaustive security review of the statewide voter registration system with the help of the Arizona Department of Administration and our voter registration software vendor, Roberts said. We found no evidence that anyone was able to penetrate the our security to gain access to the information within the registration database, he noted. We have implemented enhanced measures to ensure access the system is secure, restored the system and continued its use. 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The initiative was implemented by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), founding organisation of CmiA, together with German retailer Otto Group, Care International, the German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG) and funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as the cotton company Plexus. DHAKA The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has partnered with US denim brand Levi Strauss to develop a global programme aimed at achieving environmental sustainability. The programme will build on the experience of IFC's Bangladesh Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) program, focusing on providing advice on implementing cleaner production practices in over 165 textile factories in Bangladesh. This is the first time that the IFC PaCT programme will be implemented outside Bangladesh. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced today that 2015 is likely to top the charts as the hottest year in modern observations, with 2011-15 the hottest five-year period on record. With two full months still to add in, the global average surface temperature for January to October in 2015 was 0.73C above the 1961-1990 average. This already puts it a long way above 2014, in which average global temperature reached 0.57C above the 1961-1990 average. 2015 set to be hottest year on record: UN, by @nina_larsonhttps://t.co/UtcKfwfsBn pic.twitter.com/HBU4ECvon8 AFP News Agency (@AFP) November 25, 2015 This years record is down to a combination of rising greenhouse gases and a boost from the strong El Nino underway in the Pacific, says the WMO. Todays announcement is timed to coincide with the gathering of world leaders on Monday to begin talks in Paris aimed at striking a deal to reduce global emissions. Significant Milestone To put todays news another way, global temperature in 2015 is likely to pass the symbolic and significant threshold of 1C above preindustrial levels, says the WMO. Global annual average temperature relative to 1961-1990 based on the three major global temperature datasets (HadCrut4, NASA GisTEMP and NOAA). Red bars indicate an El Nino year, blue is La Nina and grey is neutral. Margin of error is about 0.1C. Image credit: WMO This follows the recent announcement from the Met Office that temperature in the HadCrut4 datasetone of three global datasets the WMO usesis expected to pass the 1C mark in 2015. Dr. Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading said today: Roughly 1.0 degrees Celsius of this warming or around 95 percent, is due to human activity. Natural cycles in the climate system, including El Nino, solar activity and natural variations in weather, are likely to be responsible for the remainder of the warming. Earlier this month, the WMO said greenhouse gases in the atmosphere had reached a new high, with spring concentrations in the northern hemisphere exceeding 400 ppm. Global Impacts Global ocean heat content in the top 700 meters and 2,000 meters reached record high levels in the first nine months of 2015, says the WMO. Global average sea level in the first half of the year was the highest since the start of the satellite record in 1993. Global ocean heat content in the upper 700 metres (left) and 2,000 metres (right). Black line is the yearly average, showing record high levels in 2015. Red line is 3-month running average, blue line is the five-yearly average. Image credit: NOAA / NCEI Most places on land, but not all, experienced warmer than average temperatures between January to October in 2015. But Hawkins doesnt expect a record for Britain in 2015: While 2015 will not break 2014s record as the hottest year in the UK, we know that over longer timescales Britain is warming up 20 percent faster than the global average. Land areas warm faster than the oceans, which means that many regions on land worldwide and where most people live, passed the one-degree threshold years ago and are continuing to heat up faster than the global average. Global surface temperature anomaly relative to 1961-1990 average. Image credit: Carbon Brief using the average value from HadCRUT4, NASA GisTEMP and NOAA global temperature datasets. The high temperatures in 2015 fueled many extreme weather events, todays report notes. Heatwaves affected Europe, North Africa and the Middle East in the spring and summer of 2015 and many places experienced unusual rainfall patterns. The WMOs secretary-general Michel Jarraud said in a press release today: The state of the global climate in 2015 will make history as for a number of reasons 2015 is likely to be the hottest on record, with ocean surface temperatures at the highest level since measurements began. It is probable that the 1C Celsius threshold will be crossed This is all bad news for the planet. The WMO compiled a five-year average to give more context on the state of the climate than a single year. Todays report notes that the five-year period between 2011-2015 was the hottest on record, averaging 0.57C above the 1961-1990 baseline. And with El Nino normally peaking over the new year period, the full effect on global temperature is likely to continue into 2016, says the WMO. Outside Margin of Error Last year, the difference between 2014 and 2013 global temperature was less than the degree of certainty with which scientists can make measurements like this, which is to within about 0.1C. That led the WMO to describe 2014 as nominally the warmest year on record, with the caveat that it couldnt be absolutely certain which of the very hot recent years was the hottest. This year, the picture is much clearer. The difference between the best estimate for this year and last year is 0.16C, considerably greater than the 0.1C margin of error. Global surface temperature anomaly with 0.1C error bars, showing the WMOs expected temperature in 2015 crossing 1C above pre-industrial times (1850-1899). Image credit: Carbon Brief using the average from HadCRUT4, NASA GisTEMP and NOAA global temperature datasets. While this escapes some of last years communication challenges around confirming which was the warmest year, its still more instructive to look at the long term picture, says Professor Tim Osborne from the University of East Anglia. He tells Carbon Brief: Of course, individual yearly records are of interest for a range of reasons, but not really of interest for demonstrating the long-term warming. Every year for a century could be 0.05 C warmer than the preceding one. With uncertainty of +/-0.10 degC, then none would be outside the confidence interval of the preceding one, yet after 100 years wed have 5C of warming. The Paris summit beginning next week will round off an exceptional year, says David Reay, professor of Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh. He says: Climate records have been broken with such frequency in recent years that it is easy to overlook what a significant year 2015 has been. The history books will tell its tale of threshold-busting carbon dioxide levels and extreme temperatures. Whether the final chapter for 2015 will include a more positive footnote is now all down to Paris. And ahead of doors opening in Paris on Monday, Jarraud had a clear message for negotiators: Greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing climate change, can be controlled. We have the knowledge and the tools to act. We have a choice. Future generations will not. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Viral Spoken Word Artist Prince Ea Releases Powerful New Video Man vs. Earth NASA Carbon Map Shows Which Countries are Polluting the World Greenlands Rapidly Melting Glaciers Will Result in Rising Sea Levels for Decades to Come Michael Mann: This GOP Presidential Candidate Understands Less About Science Than the Average Kindergartner Despite a decrease in poaching, the overall African elephant population has fallen for the fourth year in a row, according to new data released by the United Nations to mark World Wildlife Day. Years of unprecedented elephant poaching for ivory have threatened the survival of these gentle giants. As The Guardian reported, elephant poaching peaked in 2011, when it accounted for about 75 percent of all deaths. The new UN report said that 60 percent of elephant deaths are at the hands of poachers, meaning that the overall elephant pollution is likely falling. At least 20,000 elephants were killed for ivory in 2015. Roughly 100 African elephants are killed each day, according to 96 Elephants, a campaign ran by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, have decimated elephant populations, leaving only 400,000 remaining compared to 1,200,000 in the 1980s. African elephant populations continue to face an immediate threat to their survival, especially in central and west Africa where high levels of poaching are still evident, secretary general of the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), John Scanlon, told The Guardian The 1980sthe heyday for the illegal ivory tradewas disastrous for elephants. Photo credit: 96 Elephants According to The Guardian, the new UN report revealed a troubling upward trend in elephant poaching in the Kruger national park in South Africa for the first time in 2015. The proportion of elephants killed by poaching jumped from 17 percent in 2014 to 41 percent last year. While [this] is still below the sustainability threshold, the substantial increase in what had been one of the most secure sites for elephants in Africa is a cause for concern, the report said. In the video below, Scanlon points out that the current wildlife crisis is not a natural phenomenon. Unlike a drought, a flood or a cyclone, wildlife trafficking is a direct result of peoples actions. People are the cause of this serious threat to wildlife and people must be the solution, which also requires us to tackle human greed, ignorance and indifference, he says. The third annual World Wildlife Day is being commemorated globally today to raise awareness around the worlds wild animals and plants under the theme The Future of Wildlife is in our Hands. African and Asian elephants will be a main focus of the day under the theme The future of elephants is in our hands. This is a story about people who stand to lose everythingpeople who may need to flee their native home and never come back. These people are refugees, but theyre not running from war or an oppressive government. Theyre seeking asylum from climate change, the narrator of the Seeker Stories episode below explained. Rising seas and increasingly violent storms have wreaked havoc on small island nations like Tuvalu. Photo credit: Vlad Sokhin Climate refugees are those displaced from their homes due to climate change-induced disasters such as flooding or drought, as well as slow-creeping crises such as sea level rise. There are a growing number of communities that are on the frontlines of climate change, including Native Alaskans and the low-lying island nations of Oceania. These communities are already facing the impacts of climate change, and their unique locations and more traditional livelihoods make them particularly vulnerable to the consequences of a warming world. Photographer and filmmaker Vlad Sokhin partnered with Seeker to produce the video to document how rising seas and increasingly violent storms have already decimated Pacific island communities like Tuvalu. I have seen villages completely destroyed by strong winds and huge storm surges, Sokhin said in the video. People have lost their lives and communities have been displaced from places where their families have lived for generations. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes assessment, were in for at least one to three feet of sea level rise by the end of the century. NASA scientists, however, warn that sea level is rising much faster than expected, and James Hansen and 16 other prominent climate researchers warned this summer that we could see as much as a 10 foot sea-level rise in as little as 50 years. That spells disaster for Tuvaluans. Its population of 11,000 is clustered together on nine islands, comprising a total land area of 10 square kilometers. Its highest elevation is just 15 feet above sea level. One-fifth of Tuvalus population has already left their homes to seek refuge on larger islands. And Tuvalus not alone. The South Pacific islands of Kiribati, Vanuatu and the Maldives are among those facing imminent danger. But its not just low-lying island nations that will deal with the impacts of climate change. Amsterdam, Hamburg and Lisbon, Portugal, are a few of the cities that will face the impacts of rising seas before the end of the century, according to Sokhin. And research published in October 2015 found that 414 cities and towns in the U.S. have already passed their lock-in date [for sea level rise], or the point at which its guaranteed that more than half the citys populated land will eventually be underwater no matter how much humans decrease carbon emissions; its just a matter of when. Watch Seeker Stories episode, The Worlds First Climate Refugees, here: Bayer will no longer sell glyphosate-containing products to U.S. home gardeners, the company announced on Thursday. The move comes as the company currently faces around 30,000 legal claims from customers who believe use of these products including the flagship Roundup caused them to develop cancer, as AgWeb reported. Bayers decision to end U.S. residential sale of Roundup is a historic victory for public health and the environment, Center for Food Safety executive director Andrew Kimbrell said in a statement. As agricultural, large-scale use of this toxic pesticide continues, our farmworkers remain at risk. Its time for EPA to act and ban glyphosate for all uses. The antithesis of eco-friendly lawn care, Glyphosate is a controversial ingredient because it has been linked to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as Cure noted. The World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer declared that it was probably carcinogenic to humans, in 2015. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under former President Donald Trump ruled that the chemical did not pose any risk to human health, the Biden Administration later admitted that the review was flawed and needed to be redone, as Common Dreams reported. Still, it refused to take it off the market in the meantime. Bayers decision comes in response to the many lawsuits related to glyphosate that it inherited when it acquired Monsanto in 2018. Juries sided with the plaintiffs in three highly-watched trials before Bayer settled around 95,000 cases in 2020 to the tune of $10 billion. That settlement, which was one of the largest in U.S. history, allowed Bayer to continue to sell Roundup without any warnings. However, the company still faces further litigation, and said it decided to pull the product from residential use in order to prevent more. More than 90 percent of recent claims come from the residential home and garden market, AgWeb reported. This move is being made exclusively to manage litigation risk and not because of any safety concerns, the company said when it announced its decision. The products will be replaced with different active ingredients beginning in 2023, following reviews by the EPA and state regulatory bodies. January 2023 was the earliest the change could reasonably be implemented, Bayer Crop Science Division president Liam Condon told AgWeb. This is from a regulatory and logistical point of view (of whats) possible, Condon said during a conference call with investors, as AgWeb reported. For an expert review of companies that use environmentally friendly lawn care practices, be sure to check out our lawn care companies guide. Researchers from the University of British Columbia say that closing the high seas to fishing could help coastal fisheries, increasing catches by 10 percent. But our waters are now more polluted than ever, threatening the entire food chain. Australian Fisheries Management Authority / WWF Fish have responded to warming ocean waters by moving north and to deeper waters, and these movements are expected to accelerate. This has resulted in a redistribution of commercial fish stocks. Warm water species are now being found in higher latitudes and tropical water will see substantial decreases in potential catches according to the study published Tuesday in Fish and Fisheries. About half of 36 fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean have shifted northward in the past 40 years, a 2009 report from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, said. Warming of Northwest Atlantic Waters Credit: Janet Nye, NEFSC/NOAA Similar issues have been seen in coastal fisheries. Maine has been enjoying a boom in lobster fishing as the catch in Southern New England declined from 22 million pounds in 1997 to 3.3 million in 2013. But all is not rosy in the Gulf of Maine, which is warming at the fastest rate of almost any sea. At the Portland Fish Exchange, where 90 percent of Maines groundfish catch is sold and stored, annual landings are now averaging 5 to 6 million pounds of cod, flounder, haddock, hake and other species, down from 80 million pounds in the early 1980s. Climate change is predicted to reduce global catches by 10 percent by 2050, a substantial risk to feed a growing world population. This risk is magnified among island and coastal communities in the tropics, where low income and indigenous communities rely on this key food source. Uncontrolled and over-fishing has decimated many fish stocks. The Natural Resources Defense Council states that populations of large ocean fish such as tuna and swordfish have declined by 90 percent from pre-industrial levels. The World Wildlife Fund cites poor fisheries management and illegal fishing as key culprits. Just 1.6 percent of the worlds oceans are protected areas, and beyond coastal zones, there are few if any restrictions on commercial fishing. Large, industrial-scale fishing began replacing small operations in the 20th century, rapidly depleting fish stocks. In 1996, at least 86 million metric tons of catch were taken, and perhaps as much as 130 million tons. The total catch has declined ever since. Weve already past peak fish. Groundfish catches in Maine are down more than 90 percent since the 1980s. Credit: Dan Zukowski The University of British Columbia looked at 30 key fish stocks against three different modeling scenarios: cooperative international fisheries management, closing the ocean to fishing and maintaining the status quo. Under the status quo, global catches are forecast to decline 5.8 percent by 2050, with a deep-sea drop of 10.9 percent. The take in coastal fisheries, defined as exclusive economic zones (EEZ), declines by 5.5 percent. Under cooperative management, global catches increase by nearly 30 percent while the coastal catch increases 6.3 percent. The most dramatic benefit to coastal zones comes from a closure of deep sea fisheries, with a gain in the EEZs of 10.3 percent. Total global catch under this scenario declines by 3.4 percent. Unquestionably, theres a trade-off. The researchers see it this way: Although the scenario with sustainable high seas fisheries performs best amongst those that we explored, it is important to question the likelihood of achieving effective management of sustainable fisheries in the high seas. Gaining full cooperation and enforcement is unlikely. Tropical countries are going to lose out most. High seas closure would help mitigate inequality in fish stock redistribution and enhance resilience of fish species. Destroying the environment is a sin, Pope Francis said in a message from Vatican City. Global warming continues, the pontiff said in a message released Thursday. 2015 was the warmest year on record, and 2016 will likely be warmer still. This is leading to even more severe droughts, floods, fires, and extreme weather events. Pope Francis has sought to highlight the importance of environmental stewardship in his speeches. Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk He would like caring for the environment to be added to the traditional Christian works of mercy, which also include visiting the sick and feeding the hungry. The pope last year declared 2016 to be the Year of Mercy, and urged Catholics to meditate on how they could reflect the love of God in the world. He tied environmental concerns to the growing global migrant crisis. Climate change is also contributing to the heart-rending refugee crisis, he said. The worlds poor, though least responsible for climate change, are the most vulnerable and already suffering its impact. Catholics should use this year to reflect upon sins they may have committed against the environment, and also urged forgiveness for the selfish capitalist system which advocates profit at any price. God gave us the earth to till and to keep in a balanced and respectful way. Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 1, 2016 Economics and politics, society and culture cannot be dominated by thinking only of the short-term and immediate financial or electoral gains, the pope said. Instead, they urgently need to be redirected to the common good, which includes sustainability and care for creation. Pope Francis also targeted the indifference of many to environmental issues. We must not be indifferent or resigned to the loss of biodiversity and destruction of ecosystems, often caused by our irresponsible and selfish behavior, he said. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence We have no such right. Pope Francis also called Earth our common home, and said that rich nations have an ecological debt to poorer nations in the south. Repaying [this debt] would require treating the environments of poorer nations with care and providing the financial resources and technical assistance needed to help them deal with climate change and promote sustainable development, he said in the speech. Finally, he called on Catholics to consider what kind of world they want to leave for the generations that comes after. The Francis Effect: How the Pope Is Changing Americans Views on Climate Change https://t.co/qs9g12InxI (via @EcoWatch) #ActOnClimate Sierra Club (@SierraClub) November 8, 2015 Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Vaticans council for peace and justice, also had commentary in the speech marking the churchs World Day of Prayer. Pope Francis is asking us to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that this is a sinsin against creation, against the poor, against those who have not yet been born, Cardinal Turkson said. The first step in this process is to humbly acknowledge the harm we are doing to the earth through pollution, the scandalous destruction of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, and the specter of climate changewhich seems nearer and more dangerous with each passing year. The pope is an unlikely voice for the environment, The Guardian pointed out in an editorial comment. The pope has previously insisted, most notably in his encyclical released in 2015, that overpopulation is not a driver of environmental destruction. Environmental protection is not taken seriously by a small minority of Catholics, who argue that increasing industrialization provides more jobs and keeps more people out of poverty, Catholic Online reported. One scientist had criticized the pontiff when he raised ecological concerns last year. Speaking after Pope Francis speech to the UN General Assembly in September 2015, renowned environmental scientist Paul Ehrlich criticized the Catholic Church for failing to preach the dangers of overpopulation and refusing to allow its congregants to practice family planning. The pope is dead wrong, Ehrlich said. There is no competent scientist who would say that there is not a problem with population growth. Pope Francis has made environmental consciousness one of his main focuses during his time in office. In 2015, he issued an encyclicala teaching documentLaudato Si, which was the first ever to be issued that concerned the environment, Catholic.com reported. Also, encyclicals were traditionally addressed to bishops, and this one was the first to be addressed to every individual on the planet. In it, the pope focused on pollution, climate change, water issues and the loss of biodiversity. He also linked these issues to global inequality. In the encyclical, he called for human action: Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. Leonardo DiCaprio Meets With Pope Francis to Discuss Need for Immediate Action on Climate Change https://t.co/pg5UO5812E @Climate_Rescue EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) January 29, 2016 Contrary to public belief, Pope Francis is not the first pope with an environmental message. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, also was concerned about climate change, and listed pollution as a new sin in 2008, U.S. News & World Report said. What Is Climate Change? Is It Different From Global Warming? Climate change is actually not a new phenomenon. Scientists have been studying the connection between human activity and the effect on the climate since the 1800s, although it took until the 1950s to find evidence suggesting a link. Since then, the amount of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases) in the atmosphere have steadily increased, taking a sharp jump in the late 1980s when the summer of 1988 became the warmest on record. (There have been many records broken since then.) But climate change is not a synonym for global warming. The term global warming entered the lexicon in the 1950s, but didnt become a common buzzword until a few decades later when more people started taking notice of a warming climate. Except climate change encompasses a greater realm than just rising temperatures. Trapped gases also affect sea-level rise, animal habitats, biodiversity and weather patterns. For example, Texas severe winter storms in February 2021 demonstrate how the climate isnt merely warming. Related: What Are The Top States For Solar Incentives? Why Is Climate Change Important? Why Does It Matter? Marc Guitard / Moment / Getty Images Despite efforts from forward thinkers such as SpaceX Founder Elon Musk to colonize Mars, Earth remains our home for the foreseeable future, and the more human activity negatively impacts the climate, the less habitable it will become. Its estimated that Earth has already warmed about one degree Celsius, or two degrees Fahrenheit, since the start of the Industrial Revolution around the 1750s, although climate change tracking didnt start until the late 1800s. That warming number may not sound like much, but this increase has already resulted in more frequent and severe wildfires, hurricanes, floods, droughts and winter storms, to name some examples. Environmental Impacts Then theres biodiversity loss, another fallout of climate change thats threatening rainforests and coral reefs and accelerating species extinction. Take rainforests, which act as natural carbon sinks by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But as rampant deforestation is occurring everywhere from Brazils Amazon to Borneo, fewer trees mean that rainforests are becoming carbon sources, emitting more carbon than theyre absorbing. Meanwhile, coral reefs are dying as warming ocean temperatures trigger bleaching events, which cause corals to reject algae, their main food and life source. Fewer trees, coral reefs and other habitats also equate to fewer species. Known as the sixth mass extinction, a 2019 UN report revealed that up to a million plant and animal species could become extinct within decades. Human Impact It can be easy to overlook climate change in day-to-day life, or even realize that climate change is behind it. Notice theres yet another romaine lettuce recall due to E. Coli? Research suggests that E. Coli bacteria are becoming more common in our food sources as it adapts to climate change. Cant find your favorite brand of coffee beans anymore? Or that the price has doubled? Climate change is affecting that too. Climate change is also worsening air quality and seasonal allergies, along with polluting tap water. Not least, many preliminary studies have also drawn a line between climate change and the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that is still gripping much of the world. Future pandemics are likely to happen more frequently until the root causes, such as deforestation, are addressed. Speaking of larger-scale issues, global water scarcity is already happening more frequently. The Caribbean is facing water shortages due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall; Australias dams may run dry by 2022 as severe wildfires increase and Cape Town, South Africa has already faced running out of water. As touched upon earlier, its one thing to be inconvenienced by a lack of romaine lettuce for a couple of weeks or higher coffee bean prices, but reports warn how climate change will continue to threaten global food security, to the point of triggering a worldwide food crisis if temperatures surpass two degrees Celsius. Many of these factors are already contributing to climate migration, forcing large numbers of people to relocate to other parts of the world in search of better living conditions. Unless more immediate, drastic action is taken to combat climate change, future generations will have to contend with worst-case scenario projections by the end of the 21st century, not limited to coastal cities going underwater, including Miami; lethal heat levels from South Asia to Central Africa; and more frequent extreme weather events involving hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis, droughts, floods, blizzards and more. Related: What Are The Best Solar Companies? Whats Happening and Why? Fiddlers Ferry power station in Warrington, UK. Chris Conway / Moment / Getty Images The Earths temperature has largely remained stable until industrial times and the introduction of greenhouse gases. These gases have forced the atmosphere to retain heat, as evidenced by rising global temperatures. As the planet grows warmer, glaciers melt faster, sea levels rise, severe flooding increases and droughts and extreme weather events become more deadly. The Greenhouse Effect In the late 1800s, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius studied the connection between the amount of atmospheric carbon and its ability to warm and cool the Earth, and while his initial calculations suggested extreme warming as carbon increased, researchers didnt start to take human-induced climate change seriously until the late 20th century. But proof of human-led climate change can be traced to the 1850s, and satellites are among the ways that scientists have been tracking increased greenhouse gases and their climate impact in more recent years. Climate researchers have also documented warmer oceans, ocean acidification, shrinking ice sheets, decreased snow amounts and extreme weather as among the events resulting from greenhouse gases heating the planet. Numerous factors contribute to the production of greenhouse gases, known as the greenhouse effect. One of the biggest causes involve burning fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, to power everything from cars to daily energy needs (electricity, heat). From 1970-2011, fossil fuels have comprised 78 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Big Ag is another greenhouse contributor, particularly beef production, with the industry adding 10 percent in 2019. This is attributed to clearing land for crops and grazing and growing feed, along with methane produced by cows themselves. In the U.S. alone, Americans consumed 27.3 billion pounds of beef in 2019. Then theres rampant deforestation occurring everywhere from the Amazon to Borneo. A 2021 study from Rainforest Foundation Norway found that two-thirds of the worlds rainforests have already been destroyed or degraded. In Brazil, deforestation reached a 12-year-high in 2020 under right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. As it stands, reports predict that the Amazon rainforest will collapse by 2064. Rainforests are important carbon sinks, meaning the trees capture and remove carbon from the atmosphere. As rainforests collapse, the remaining trees will begin emitting more greenhouse gases than theyre absorbing. Meanwhile, a recent study revealed that abandoned oil and gas wells are leaking more methane than previously believed, with U.S. wells contributing up to 20 percent of annual methane emissions. Not least is the cement industry. Cement is heavily used throughout the global construction industry, and accounts for around eight percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Natural Climate Change Granted, natural climate change exists as well, and can be traced throughout history, from solar radiation triggering the Ice Ages to the asteroid strike that rapidly raised global temperatures and eliminated dinosaurs and many other species in the process. Other sources of natural climate change impacts include volcano eruptions, ocean currents and orbital changes, but these sources generally have smaller and shorter-term environmental impacts. How We Can Combat Climate Change Participant holding a sign at the climate march on Sept. 20, 2020, in Manhattan. A coalition of climate, Indigenous and racial justice groups gathered at Columbus Circle to kick off Climate Week with the Climate Justice Through Racial Justice march. Erik McGregor / LightRocket / Getty Images While the latest studies and numbers can often feel discouraging about societys ability to prevent the worst-case climate scenarios from happening, theres still time to take action. As a Society In 2015 at COP 21 in Paris, 197 countries came together to sign the Paris Agreement, an international climate change treaty agreeing to limit global warming in this century to two degrees Celsius, and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels; its believed that the planet has warmed one degree Celsius since 1750. Studies show that staying within the two-degree range will prevent the worst-case climate scenarios from happening. Achieving this goal requires participating parties to drastically slash greenhouse gas emissions sooner rather than later. However, there have already been numerous setbacks since then, from former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrawing from the Paris Agreement in 2020 to world leaders, such as China, the worlds biggest polluter, failing to enact aggressive climate action plans. Yet many of the treaty participants have been slow to implement changes, putting the world on track to hit 3.2 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century even if the initial goals are met. However, its worth noting that U.S. President Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement in 2021, and pledged to cut greenhouse gases in half by 2030. Then theres the Montreal Protocol, a 1987 global agreement to phase out ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons, chemicals that were commonly used in air-conditioning, refrigeration and aerosols. Recent studies show that parts of the ozone are recovering, proving that a unified commitment to combatting climate change issues does make a difference. On a smaller scale, carbon offset initiatives allow companies and individuals to invest in environmental programs that offset the amount of carbon thats produced through work or lifestyle. For example, major companies (and carbon emitters) such as United Airlines and Shell have pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in part by participating in carbon offset programs that remove carbon from the atmosphere. The problem is that these companies are still producing high levels of fossil fuel emissions. While individuals can make a small impact through carbon offsets, the greater responsibility lies with carbon-emitting corporations to find and implement greener energy alternatives. This translates to car companies producing electric instead of gas vehicles or airlines exploring alternative fuel sources. It also requires major companies to rely more on solar and wind energy for their energy needs. In Our Own Lives While its up to corporations to do the heavy lifting of carbon reduction, that doesnt mean individuals cant make a difference. Adopting a vegan lifestyle, using public transportation, switching to an electric car and becoming a more conscious consumer are all ways to help combat climate change. Veganism Consuming meat relies on clearing land for crops and animals, while raising and killing livestock contributes to about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UNs Food and Agricultural Organization. By comparison, choosing a plant-based diet could reduce greenhouse gas footprints by as much as 70 percent, especially when choosing local produce and products. Public Transportation Riding public trains, subways, buses, trams, ferries and other types of public transportation is another easy way to lower your carbon footprint, considering that gas-powered vehicles contribute 95 percent of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Electric Vehicles Electric cars and trucks have come down in price as more manufacturers enter the field, and these produce far lower emissions than their gas counterparts. Hybrid vehicles are another good alternative for lowering individual emission contributions. Conscious Consumption Buying locally produced food and items is another way to maintain a lower carbon footprint, as the products arent shipped or driven long distances. Supporting small companies that are committed to sustainability is another option, especially when it comes to clothes. Fast fashion has become a popular option thanks to its price point, but often comes at the expense of the environment and can involve unethical overseas labor practices. Not least, plastic saturates every corner of the consumer market, but its possible to find non-plastic alternatives with a little research, from reusable produce bags to baby bottles. Climate Activism Those interested in becoming even more involved can join local climate action organizations. Popular groups include the Sunrise Movement, Fridays for Future, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, to name a few. Voting, volunteering, calling local representatives and participating in climate marches are additional ways to raise your voice. Takeaway Its taken centuries to reach a climate tipping point, with just a matter of decades left to prevent the worst-case climate scenarios from happening. But theres still hope of controlling a warming climate as long as individuals, companies and nations make an immediate concerted effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions. As the world already experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, a rapid unified response can make all the difference. 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. Sea levels in the 20th century rose faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years. And in the 21st century, the tides will climb ever higherby at least 28 cms (11 inches) and possibly by as much as 130 cms (51 inches), according to two new studies. Human activity is implicated in both studies and although neither delivers a new conclusion, each represents a new approach to studies of sea level rise as a consequence of climate change and each is a confirmation of previous research. What sea level rise could look like at the AT&T Park in San Francisco. Photo credit: Climate Central Robert Kopp, a climate scientist and Earth historian at Rutgers University in the U.S. and colleagues reveal in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they tried to look at the greenhouse centurythe 100 years in which oil, gas and coal combustion began to change the mix of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and trigger a rise in planetary average temperaturesin the context of the last 27 centuries. New Approach They compiled a geological database that stretched back to the Bronze Age, which lasted, with regional variations, from the fourth to the first millennium before the Christian era. And they developed a new statistical approach to examine the sea-level indicators retrieved from marshes, coral atolls and archaeological sites around the world. What sea level rise could look like at the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Photo credit: Climate Central They report that although sea level rise might have happened without human action, it would have been less than half the observed 20th century increase and might even have fallen. Had humans not piled greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, more than half the 8,000 coastal floods recorded at U.S. tide gauges in the last century might never have happened. On average, sea levels rose 14 cms between 1900 and 2000. The 20th century rise was extraordinary in the context of the last three millenniaand the rise over the last two decades has been even faster, Dr. Kopp said. In the same journal, a team led by Matthias Mengel, a postdoctoral researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany, report that they took a new look at what might happen to sea levels before 2100. They modeled three scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions, incorporated the latest 20th-century data on melting glaciers and warming oceans and played with the mathematical approach in a new way to predict a set of outcomes. Projected Increase The most hopefulbased on the agreement by 195 nations last December at the UN climate change conference in Parisled to a projected increase of between 28 and 56 cms. The most alarming outcome proposed a possible range of sea level rise from 57 to 131 cms. What sea level rise could look like at the Ocean Drive in Miami. Photo credit: Climate Central The two studies are designed to give practical information to city authorities and coastal planners. Even a 60 cm rise means nations will have to think about coastal protection. With all the greenhouse gases we have already emitted, we cannot stop the seas from rising altogether, but we can substantially limit the rate of the rise by ending the use of fossil fuels, said Co-Author Anders Levermann, a professor of climate system dynamics who is based both at Potsdam and at Columbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in the U.S. This is quite a challenge, but less expensive than adaptation to unabated sea level rise, which in some regions is impossible, Prof. Levermann said. If the world wants to avoid the greatest losses and damage, it now has to rapidly follow the path laid out by the UN climate summit in Paris a few weeks ago. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Climate Experts to American Geophysical Union: Reject Exxon Sponsorship Strongest Ever Southern Cyclone Crashes Into Fiji 6 Stunning Images Show Sense of Urgency to Act on Climate Why Would the New York Post Plug Climate Denier Profiteers? Vast stretches of Californias Central Valley are sinking faster than in the past as the state continues to pump out massive amounts of groundwater during its epic drought, NASA said in a report released Wednesday. The Golden State has been forced to rely more and more on groundwater as it grapples with a four-year drought, record low snowpack and reservoirs that are running dangerously low. The research shows that in some places the ground is sinking nearly two inches each month http://t.co/5pUI2vg7FQ Sean Longoria (@seanlongoria_RS) August 19, 2015 The report found that some places are losing nearly two inches per month. Because of increased pumping, groundwater levels are reaching record lowsup to 100 feet lower than previous records, said Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin. As extensive groundwater pumping continues, the land is sinking more rapidly and this puts nearby infrastructure at greater risk of costly damage. Sinking land, or subsidence, has been a problem in Californias Central Valley for decades as the state has had to rely on increasing amounts of groundwater. But now NASA data, which the agency obtained by comparing satellite images of the Earths surface over time, reveals the problem is the worst its ever been. The drought in California is so bad in some parts that the ground is sinking 1ft each year: http://t.co/Q9LTJ35FWT pic.twitter.com/LQnD2CsrES Santhoff Plumbing (@SanthoffPlumber) August 18, 2015 NASA says: Land near Corcoran in the Tulare basin sank 13 inches in just eight monthsabout 1.6 inches per month. One area in the Sacramento Valley was sinking approximately half-an-inch per month, faster than previous measurements. NASA also found areas near the California Aqueduct sank up to 12.5 inches, with eight inches of that occurring in just four months of 2014. The increased subsidence rates have the potential to damage local, state and federal infrastructure, including aqueducts, bridges, roads and flood control structures. Long-term subsidence has already destroyed thousands of public and private groundwater well casings in the San Joaquin Valley. Over time, subsidence can permanently reduce the underground aquifers water storage capacity. In response to the findings, Gov. Browns Drought Task Force has pledged to help local communities reduce subsidence, protect infrastructure and to better manage sustainable groundwater supplies. The Department of Water Resources will also launch a $10 million program to help communities with groundwater-stressed basins, or strengthen local ordinances or conservation plans. And Californians arent the only ones with that sinking feeling. Last week, a study showed parts of southern Arizona are sinking too. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified more than 17,000 square miles (an area the size of New Hampshire and Vermont combined) of land subsidence in 45 states. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Chloe & Theo: A Movie That Will Change the Way You Look at the World 4 Surprising Countries That Give You Hope for Climate Action California Businesses Save Water in Style With #DroughtNotDrab (Reuters/ Nathalie Koulischer) In the Indian city of Kolkata where Mother Teresa worked with the poor the residents are holding prayers, talks and cultural events. But there is no major ceremony planned to mark the path to sainthood for the two miracles of healing attributed to Mother Teresa, Reuters news agency reports. Albanian-born Mother Teresa became one of the most iconic champions of the poor in the 20th century, is set to become a Catholic saint when Pope Francis leads an open-air Sunday Mass Sept 4. From the work in Kolkata where the Missionaries of Charity worked, the Catholic nuns become known throughout the world and Mother Teresa became a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She spent her life with her fellow nuns caring for the dying, the homeless and orphans who live in the jam-packed streets of the eastern Indian city. By the end of her life she was like Nelson Mandela, she was sought out by the famous and the powerful who wanted to be seen to have been in contact with her. They included U.S. presidents and Britain's Princess Diana. During her life, Mother Teresa was named 18 times in the yearly Gallup's most admired man and woman poll as one of the 10 women around the world who Americans admired most, finishing first several times in the 1980s and 1990s, Wikipedia reports. MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY GOING STRONG The order founded by Mother Teresa is going strong without her charismatic leadership, 19 years after she died. (Photo: Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News) Sisters from the Missionaries of Charity, the same order as Mother Teresa next to her statue in Tirana, Albania with a priest from Cameroon Father Appolinairr Metogo on Nov. 4, 2015. The nuns also drew criticism for propagating what one sceptic has called a cult of suffering, Reuters reported. They also faced accusations of failing to treat people whose lives might have been saved with hospital care; and for trying to convert the destitute to Christianity. While staying true to their cause, the Missionaries of Charity say they have responded to their detractors. "There is no change in our way of treating the sick and dying we follow the same rule that Mother had introduced," said Sister Nicole, who runs the Nirmal Hriday home in the ancient district of Kalighat, the first to be set up by Mother Teresa in 1952. The nuns no longer pick up people "randomly" off the streets, she said, and only at the request of the police do the take in the destitute, said Reuters. "Any good work will be challenged - but if the work is genuinely good it will survive such criticism and carry on to be God's true work," Nicole said. Matt Bradley commented for NBC that much of the criticism of Mother Teresa focused on how her practice of Catholic devotion collided with the real needs of the impoverished people she set out to help. In the eyes of some, particularly in India, she put fame and piety before her mission of aid. Among other critiques, she has been accused of offering stingy or substandard medical care; of proselytizing to her patients; of claiming virtue in suffering rather than trying to alleviate it; cozying up to dictators; and of promoting her efforts to a global media eager for heroes. "I personally think that she did more harm than good," said Bradley. Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the Canadian priest who promoted her sainthood cause, said Sept. 1 in the Vatican that hundreds of thousands of faithful are expected to attend the canonization service in front of St. Peter's basilica, The News Nigeria reported. He said that her canonization is one of the highlights of Francis' Jubilee of Mercy. He said she was affectionately called the "saint of the gutters" during her lifetime, and Teresa will be made an official saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sept.4, just 19 years after her death. "The Church defines saints as those believed to have been holy enough during their lives to now be in Heaven and able to intercede with God to perform miracles. "She has been credited with two miracles, both involving the healing of sick people,'' he said. Kolodiejchuk said that Mother Teresa was one of the most influential women in the Church's 2,000-year history, acclaimed for her work amongst the world's poorest in the slums of the Indian city now called Kolkata. He noted that critics view her differently, arguing she did little to alleviate the pain of the terminally ill and nothing to stamp out the root causes of poverty. The priest recalled that in 1991, the British medical journal the Lancet visited a home she ran in Kolkata for the dying and said untrained carers failed to recognize when some patients could have been cured. Kolodiejchuk said her detractors missed the point of her mission, arguing that she had created a place to comfort people in their final days rather than establish hospitals. 'EVEN SAINTS AREN'T PERFECT' "We don't have to prove that saints were perfect, because no one is perfect," he said. He said that several events are planned in the run up to the ceremony, including a prayer vigil on Friday, an audience in St Peter's Square with Francis on Saturday morning. Kolodiejchuk said it would be followed in the evening by a veneration of Teresa's relics in a Roman basilica outside of the Vatican. "As the canonisation falls on the eve of Teresa's feast day, which marks the anniversary of her death on September 5, 1997, there are expected to be more celebrations and religious services on Monday and later on in the week," he said. Kolodiejchuk noted that Sept. 7-8, the room Teresa used on visits to Rome, in the convent of the Church of San Gregorio Magno near the Colosseum, where her Missionaries of Charity have a local branch, will be open to pilgrims. Kolodiejchuk said that the Indian Foreign Minister, Sushma Swaraj and other dignitaries from Teresa's adopted nation are scheduled to attend the Mass. Mother Teresa was born Agnese Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Macedonia. At the age of 16 she became a nun at 16, moving to India in 1929, where she set up her mission in 1950. Private letters published after her death in 1997 show she despaired for the last 50 years of her life over having lost a personal connection with Jesus, while she continued steadfastly to serve his cause. Still, in a preface to a book Teresa, published in July, Pope Francis recalled how giving to the needy is fundamental to Christian teaching. Francis said that "Mother Teresa made this page of the Gospel the guide for her life and the path to her holiness and it can be for us, as well." In a special presentation held Thursday at the Arcadia Valley Career Tech Center, the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED), announced that Iron County has achieved official designation as a Certified Work Ready Community (CWRC). Congratulations to Iron County, yet another Missouri county thats engaging its workforce and existing businesses base to bolster its position for ongoing workforce success, said DED Director Mike Downing. Workforce success in Iron County means greater economic stability not only locally, but also its good for Missouri as a whole. The CWRC designation, made by American College Testing (ACT), aligns workforce training programs with the economic development needs of communities, matches appropriate applicants to jobs based on skill level and strengthens businesses by strengthening the workforce. "The business community of the greater Arcadia Valley region, represented by the local chamber of commerce, is proud to be a part of the work-ready program in Iron County, said Jim Scaggs, Iron County presiding commissioner. Iron County's business people have recently been busy setting the foundations in place for a stronger local economy for our community and this is an important component. In a small town like ours, every job is valuable and getting every person connected to a job is important. The work-ready certification program helps bring those two together." The CWRC program is utilized at the AV Career Tech Center to assess transitioning students for career readiness. Several local employers support the program, including the Iron County License Office, First State Community Bank, State Farm Insurance Agency, Cabinet Masters and The Abbey Kitchen. In 2012, Missouri was selected to be one of the first four states to participate in the CWRC initiative, and in 2013, Jasper County became the first CWRC in the nation. Missouri now has 78 counties actively participating in the CWRC initiative and 34 fully-certified counties. With Iron County's certification, it joins the surrounding counties of St. Francois, Madison, Washington, St. Genevieve, Franklin and Jefferson. New certifications are considered on a quarterly basis. "I am very excited for Iron County and the surrounding communities for being certified workforce ready, said Steve Pursley, AV Career Tech Center director. This is a very important step in the growth of our economic development. Here at the tech center we are constantly searching for new ways to improve the opportunities for our students, and this will definitely give them a fantastic opportunity for their next step in life." In the past few months, about a dozen Missouri counties have celebrated certification as work ready communities. Additional partners in obtaining the CWRC designation include the Arcadia Valley Chamber of Commerce, Iron County Economic Partnership, Arcadia Valley High School, Mineral Area College, MERS Goodwill, Southeast Missouri Workforce Board and the Missouri Division of Workforce Development. According to Director Downing, CWRC status "makes communities more attractive to businesses because it offers a feedback loop for whats needed by different players in the dynamic 21st Century workforce." He said CWRC certification benefits include: Workers better understand what skills are required by employers and how to prepare themselves for success. Businesses can more effectively communicate their workforce needs to area education and workforce training programs. Educators have better tools for closing any skill gaps by establishing career pathways for students with stackable industry-recognized credentials. Economic development organizations are better equipped with an on-demand reporting tool to promote the quality of their workforce. Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o... The post below is by guest blogger Alex Hernandez. *** The Best Things I Read This Week FiveThirtyEight lays down the facts on US immigration and Marc Porter Magee thinks schools should pay attention. For the record, the alien invasion story is further down and is about actual extraterrestrials. Andy Rotherham wants kidz to right really, really good and, at the end of the day, your school has no imagination and notwithstanding the foregoing get off his lawn. Richard Whitmire dropped the The Founders, a history of Americas best charter schools. My colleague Darryl Cobb forgot he hated the internet just long enough to talk about his seriously amazing work supporting charter school leaders of color. Matt Candler of 4pt0 Schools says a lot of #edtech is just not helping and proposes three technologies that will make school better for everyone. [Note: Im on the 4pt0 board] Researcher Susan Dynarski is an Imperator Furiosa-level badass. Our alien overlords finally made contact before the predictable lamestream media cover-up. We are all in the same gang: some Stanford physics PhD thinks wormholes and quantum entanglement are the same thing. He wants a truce between the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics. Finally, if you need something to read this holiday weekend, I recommend Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel by Tom Wainright. Thought-provoking and downright practical. And now #MoosePorn. We saw these moose (dont call them meese) while hiking Kenosha Pass in Colorado. But everyone in Colorado has moose in their backyards, obviously. Photo taken by my friend Rebecca Hoskins Thanks Eduwonk for letting me crash this week. *** Alex Hernandez (@thinkschools) is a partner at Charter School Growth Fund, a nonprofit that supports the growth of the nations best public charter schools. He serves on the boards of DSST Public Schools, Ednovate, 4.0 Schools and Rocketship Education. Alex graduated from Claremont McKenna College and has an MBA and Masters of Education from Stanford University. He lives near Boulder, CO with his wife and twin sons and can usually be found on his porch late in the evening playing Mexican folk songs. African-American students make up a major share of enrollment in the nations charter schoolsand in some cities, they dominate. But since two black civil rights organizations born from different generations called for a halt to opening new charters, debate has been raging over how the groups demands will affect black support for the publicly funded, but independently run schools. In recent weeks, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the venerable civil rights organization, took its firmest stance to date on charter schools in calling for a moratorium. Soon after, the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of over 50 organizations that includes activists from Black Lives Mattera powerful new advocacy forcealso called for a ban on charter school growth. The rationale at the core of both groups stances: Black families and communities are losing control of their public schools. Its a critique that some charter school supporters empathize with. Education reformers basically disposed communitiesbrought in reform ideas, [such as] charter schools, but didnt hire local teachers almost engaging in this work in a missionary manner, said Shavar Jeffries, the president of Democrats for Education Reform, a national, pro-charter advocacy group. And that will absolutely undermine the ability of education reform to sustain itself. But, he said, support for charters is strong among low-income black and Latino families. Core of Community Although charter schools are more popular with Republicans, they garner strong support from Democrats58 percentaccording to a 2016 poll from Education Next, a journal published by Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution. U.S. Total Student Enrollment Source: Education Week Research Center, 2016. Analysis of data from U.S. Department of Educations Common Core of Data (2012-13). But that support among Democrats starts to break down somewhat among survey respondents who are black. Forty-five percent of African-American respondents said they either completely support or somewhat support charter schools, compared with 29 percent that either completely oppose or somewhat oppose charters. Twenty-six percent said they neither support nor oppose charters. Those divides in black public opinion are nothing new, said Howard Fuller, a former superintendent of the Milwaukee schools and the founder of the pro-charter school advocacy organization, Black Alliance for Educational Options. No matter what the public policy is, the downside of this has been that the push to improve academic achievement has led to black schools being closed, black teachers losing their jobs and being devalued, said Fuller. Its not possible for this type of change to occur andfor there not to be a division. Although schools are important in any community, that is especially so for black communities, said Jeffrey Henig, a professor of political science and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Not only was educational opportunity an important goal of the civil rights movement, schools hired black employees before much of the public sector did, he said. The African-American community was shut out of power and authority for so many years, even if African-Americans see the warts on the local district, its their district, Henig said. The NAACPs proposed moratorium, which still has to be approved by the groups national board in October, cites increased segregation, high rates of suspensions and expulsions for black students, fiscal mismanagement, and poor oversight in charter schools as reasons to hit pause on the sectors growth. Joan Duvall Flynn, the president of the NAACPs Pennsylvania state conference and local branches, was struck by how many of those issues echoed concerns she had identified in her own state. The language calling for the moratorium was proposed by the California chapter. The fact that way across the country theyre having the same observations and experiences, I think makes it clear that this is a nationwide issue, Duvall Flynn said. We are very concerned about the loss of local control of public education. The closest democratic institution to every kitchen table is the school board. Charter schools, though funded with taxpayer dollars, are directly run by appointed boards, not elected ones. The NAACPs resolution further states that charter schools are rapidly expanding and are increasingly targeting low-income areas and communities of color. The most visible segment of the charter sectorpropelled in part by deep-pocketed foundationsis focused on setting up shop in low-income, urban neighborhoods with the aim of serving the black and Latino students who live in those communities. Thats the goal of many of the nations highest-profile charter school networks, such as KIPP, YES Prep, and Aspire Public Schools. Charter Demographics Nationally, black students make up 28 percent of charter school enrollment, compared with 15 percent of noncharter enrollment, according to an Education Week Research Center analysis of federal data from the 2012-13 school year. White students make up 35 percent of total charter school enrollment and 50 percent of the public, noncharter sector. But the racial makeup of charter schools varies greatly from state to state. Black students make up large majorities of charter school enrollment in Louisiana, New Jersey, and Tennesseein areas where states have taken over low-performing districts or schools. Many of the themes in the NAACPs resolution, such as concerns over strict discipline policies and school closures, are echoed in the education agenda outlined by the Movement for Black Lives. Its agenda also targets some of the most powerful philanthropic backers of the charter school sector. It calls out the Walton Family Foundation, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for bankrolling what it calls an international education privatization agenda that includes the expansion of charter schools. (All three foundations help support coverage of different issues in Education Week. The newspaper retains sole editorial control over its content.) Bigger Debates The Movement for Black Lives agenda also demands an end to converting regular public schools to charters, closing schools, and taking over schools by states and mayors, among other initiatives. The agenda was shaped by young activists whose outlooks have been molded by drastic changes in urban education in cities such as Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Chicago, said Jonathan Stith, the national coordinator for the Alliance for Educational Justice, a group that works with student activists in urban communities. Stith, whose organization is part of the Movement for Black Lives, helped write the platform. Critics of the proposed charter moratoriums have said the groups are taking direction from the teachers unions, which generally oppose the expansion of charters. But Stith rebuffs those accusations, saying the movement is charting its own path. He points to a crucial part of his groups agenda that he says the unions have kept quiet onhow police in schools negatively impact students. Whats been interesting is seeing the two teachers unions being very yay, anti-privatization, but very silent around school police, said Stith. The education of black children in this country is caught between a policeman and a privatizer. Although its still too early to know whether the stances taken by the NAACP and the Movement for Black Lives will ultimately affect policy or support for the charter sector, they may be symptoms of other challenges facing charter school supporters. More and more, education politics and policy is being infiltrated by these bigger wars over the proper role of government, the proper role of philanthropy, and the proper role of markets, said Henig of Teachers College. Charter schools rode in on a wave of reform that included teacher accountability, high-stakes testing, and private providers, he said. Those bigger debates seem to be sticking to the charter issue in ways that helped it initially and are now slowing it down. Almost since Head Starts creation half a century ago as part of the War on Poverty, advocates have sought a research-based answer to this question: Does it work? Two new studies examining the long-term impact of the $8.6 billion federal preschool program offer support to those who say the answer is yes. Those studiesone of which took a look at Head Start participants in middle school and another that examined life outcomes at adulthoodsay that Head Start has measurable long-term benefits for certain outcomes. Those include higher levels of high school and college completion found in one study, and lower levels of chronic absenteeism and grade retention found in another. Whether Head Start can work is an antiquated question at this point, said Deborah Phillips, a professor of psychology at Georgetown University and the co-author of a study that looked at middle school outcomes for children who took part in a Head Start program in Tulsa, Okla. The answer is, yes it can, Phillips said. The question now is, under what circumstances does the Head Start program produce these effects? At the same time, these studies raise other questions: While both showed some positive effects for students overall, that wasnt always the case when looking at some subgroups, such as black students or boys. And both studies acknowledge that there might be unknowable differences between the Head Start students and the comparison group that might affect the magnitude of the results, though they attempted to control for these factors. Addressing Fade-Out The most common critique of Head Start is that its academic benefits fade out by the time children are a few years into elementary school. The touchstone study in this area was the federally funded National Head Start Impact Study, which followed a group of students who enrolled in Head Start and compared them with another group of students who did not enroll because the program in their area was oversubscribed. (Some of those children did go on to other preschools, or to other Head Start programs that had room for them.) That study found initial positive impacts but also found that by the end of 3rd grade, Head Start students were performing very similarly to their peers. No other Head Start research has matched the large-scale, randomized experimental design of the impact study. But supporters of Head Start have argued that the program offers beneficial sleeper effects that are best measured later in a participants life. These two new studies, while not having the same gold standard research design as the federal study, still offer important information, their authors say. The Tulsa research followed children who enrolled in the Head Start program that is run by the Community Action Project of Tulsa. It found that 7th graders who had attended that program had measurably higher math scores than students who had not enrolled in Head Start or in another preschool program that was run by the Tulsa district. The Tulsa research also found that the former Head Start students were less likely to be retained prior to 8th grade: 14 percent of them had been retained, compared with 20 percent of the students in the control group. And while 9 percent of the control group had been absent more than 18 days in the school year, that was true for only 6 percent of the former Head Start students. Phillips said the Tulsa research shows that some academic effects are still measurable, along with nonacademic effects that are important, such as showing up for school regularly. But when breaking out results into subgroups, the Tulsa study did not find any statistically significant Head Start effects on boys and on African-American children. The measurable positive effects were found for girls, Hispanic students, white students, and students who were eligible for free lunches. This caught us by surprise, Phillips said. Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of data about what happens in the schools. These kids got a strong boost into school, but something is happening between 3rd and 8th grade that is not supportive of African-American kids and boys. That finding merits deeper research, she said. Its also noteworthy that CAP Tulsa in 2005-06, when these children were enrolled, was different from other Head Start programs. Although Head Start is federally funded, the government does not directly run the programs. Instead, public agencies and community groups such as CAP Tulsa provide space, personnel, materials, and professional development for the Head Start programs they manage. Oklahoma has a universal pre-K program, and CAP Tulsa meets many of the same requirements that the school-run programs do. The lead teachers all have bachelors degrees and special training in early childhood, which was not true of all Head Start programs in 2005-06. The teachers are also paid wages that are comparable to public school teachers. The program also scored high on measures of academic instruction and instructional quality. That means the effects seen here might not generalize to Head Start nationally. But Head Start has undertaken a variety of different quality-improvement measures, Phillips said. Lead teachers are now required to have a bachelors degree, and low-rated programs have been forced to compete for renewed funding. Whats very encouraging today is that the national Head Start program is moving in the direction of whats going on in Tulsa, Phillips said. Impacts on Adulthood Another study of Head Start effects goes much further than middle school. The Hamilton Project, an economic-policy initiative of the Brookings Institution, used the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which measures a wide variety of economic and social factors, including whether participants enrolled in Head Start. The researchers compared Head Start participants with their siblings who either attended another Head Start program or did not go to preschool. That study found that participating in Head Start increased a persons likelihood of graduating from high school, pursuing post-high-school education, and completing a post-high-school program, which might include a certificate, associate degree, or bachelors degree. Another result from the long-term study was that some children who took part in Head Start grew up into adults who invested more in positive parenting practices, such as reading to their child or showing physical affection. That is in comparison with their siblings who attended another preschool program. This is the first of its kind in terms of a finding, so theres much more to explore here. But it gives us some hope that this will continue to spill over into the next generation, said Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, a co-author of the research as well as the director of the Hamilton Project. When broken out into subgroups, however, the parenting findings were only significant for former Head Start students who were black. For Hispanic and white participants, the effects were not statistically different from those of their siblings who attended a different preschool. Grover J. Russ Whitehurst, the director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings, said that these studies dont offer proof of Head Starts effectiveness. For the longer-range study, thats because, despite attempts at statistical controls, the studies cannot measure all the factors that might prompt a parent to enroll one child in Head Start and not a sibling. Or, in the case of the Tulsa research, theres no way to determine why one family might seek out Head Start while another family might look for another type of early-care arrangement. I dont think either of these two studies adds credible information to what we know about the impact of Head Start, Whitehurst said. The parent was observing something about the child, or observing something about her own circumstances that year. That is almost surely correlated with the measures of later outcomes. Schanzenbach said that the sibling-comparison method used in the Hamilton Project study, which also controlled for a number of additional child, maternal, and household factors, can produce important findings. What we want to know is what are the long-term impacts of preschool, and were not going to know that from an experiment unless we have a time machine, Schanzenbach said. But this long-term-evaluation approach adds a nice new dimension to the broader literature on this really important topic. MERS Goodwill has come across a possible accidental donation of $450 at its Farmington location. The cash was found while processing donated items the afternoon of Aug. 19 by employee, Mary Judd. Goodwill believes the money was donated unknowingly that Friday around noon and would like the donor to come forward. The store is located at 840 Valley Creek Drive. Accidental donations happen often in our locations, and we simply want to do right by our donors and either thank them or right a possible accidental drop off, said David Kutchback, President and CEO of MERS Goodwill. We are proud of our team member, Mary, for doing the right thing and turning the money over to our management team for further investigation. We hope we find the donor as we have many times in the past. Recently, while processing donations in the Festus location, staff recovered 28 US Savings Bonds at $1,000 each, totaling $28,000, with some bonds being issued back in 1998. Through address searches and a little help from a funeral home, MERS Goodwill found the name that matched the bonds, verified social security numbers, and were able to return those bonds to the family. Additionally, earlier this month in the St. Peters location, a class ring was found with the name of the owner engraved on the inside of the ring. MERS Goodwills Loss Prevention team found her on Facebook residing in Jackson, Missouri. After speaking with the owner of the ring, Goodwill learned it was taken from her and pawned about four years ago. The owner couldnt believe it, and made arrangements to get the ring back. MERS Goodwill would like to remind its generous donors to look in all pockets, bags, envelopes and small boxes just in case you are letting go of something unintentionally. Whether you take just minutes to quickly gather up a few no-longer needed items, or spend a weekend clearing out old clothes, housewares and other items, there is always a chance that a hiding spot still contains something special. If someone out there would like to come forward to claim the cash donation at the Farmington store, that donor should call Goodwill at 314-982-8802. After 30 days, the money found will go to MERS Goodwill programs that help the community including: The MERS Goodwill sheltered workshop that serves individuals with severe disabilities. The MERS Goodwill Vet Success Program which supports veterans both in their return to civilian employment and independent living. The MERS Goodwill autism employment center that help members of the community with Autism Spectrum Disorder transition toward self-sufficiency. Now that North Korea continues, very predictably, to escalate its nuclear program (just as Iran will), let's jump into our time machines and remember how Bill Clinton solved the Nork nukes. Good afternoon. I am pleased that the United States and North Korea yesterday reached agreement on the text of a framework document on North Korea's nuclear program. This agreement will help to achieve a longstanding and vital American objective: an end to the threat of nuclear proliferation on the Korean Peninsula. Country Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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 Donald Trump has provided the political world with many moving moments over the past year, but none quite like the whiplash mood swing between his daytime and nighttime performances in Mexico City and Phoenix on Wednesday. In the daylight hours, Trump struck his most presidential pose to date with a solemn (if somewhat grumpy) reading of prepared remarks at a news conference alongside Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto. That somber event, inside the Mexican presidential residence, epitomized the more moderate image Trump has pursued on immigration issues over the past 10 days. But as night fell in Phoenix, back in the U.S.A., Trump mounted the stage in prime time and quickly caught fire. He poured forth an hourlong harangue against all things alien, highlighting the lurid crimes of a handful of illegal immigrants as if to define the character of millions. He also promised to build "a beautiful wall" across the entire U.S.-Mexico border and create a "deportation task force" that would eventually guarantee that "the bad ones are gone." On the subject of the wall, Trump departed from his script to assure his listeners that Mexico would indeed pay for it - adding, "They may not know it yet, but they will." In so doing, he as much as acknowledged that Pena Nieto had told him something different earlier in the day. That was not a minor point, but rather a sore one. The issue of the wall's cost had taken over the news and Twitter feeds earlier in the evening. Trump himself had insisted at the news conference in Mexico City that the two men did not discuss the financing of the wall. Pena Nieto, who did not contradict Trump at the time (maintaining a striking deference to the American throughout their joint appearance), later tweeted that he had begun their meeting by saying Mexico would never pay for such a wall, a stance Mexican officials have taken consistently. None of the Trump surrogates appearing across the media landscape Wednesday night seemed to dispute this, saying rather that the Wednesday meeting had "not been a negotiation" and that more formal talks would ensue on the wall and its financing. Rest assured, they seemed to say, Mexico will come around. 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. 14:55, 28 OCT 2022 When you think of a quintessential Kardashian look, your mind probably wanders to neutral layers. Maybe a skintight midi skirt or an oversized fur coat. Let's get real: the most badass Kardashian-Jenner isn't Kylie and her Pumas, or Khloe and those second-skin dresses she prefers. No, the real OG Kardashian is actually a West, and we're not talking about Kanye. North West is bar-none the single most well-dressed toddler on the planet. Does she pick out her outfits herself? Do her parents? Does a stylist? Who knows and frankly, who cares -- the tot has more style cred than most street style stars, and she's a fraction of their age. From pairing slip dresses and sneakers (Yeezys, no less) to tutus and bomber jackets, North has earned herself a place on everyone's Best Dressed Lists well before she even knew the difference between Balmain and Givenchy. If you've been dying to copy the tot's style (and can't afford the baby Balenciaga she usually wears) try one of the below looks. Take a cue from North's ballerina-inspired style by pairing a silky babydoll over a plain white tee. Don't forget your kicks -- and if they're Yeezy boosts, points to you. North might not be a 90s baby, but she definitely pays homage to the decade with camo prints and oversized silhouettes. Pair a sleeveless cream turtleneck with a pair of high-waisted, distressed straight-leg jeans. Again, don't forget those sneakers -- comfort is as important to North as is a hugh bun and a perma-scowl. Finally, if your inner North is destined to spend the night out (or hit up a red carpet event, as toddlers are wont to do) partner your fluffiest faux-fur with a black or navy jumpsuit. Doc Martens add a kickass feel and will make it easy to stay on your feet all night (or until the Kimye of your friend group feels like it's time to bounce.) The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 featured many firsts for the South Korean tech giant. It was the first Note device to ship with a dual curved screen. It was the first phablet to come with an Iris Scanner as well. Now, the smartphone has gained a rather notorious reputation - it was the first Note device that bursts into flames, resulting in a mass recall of all devices that have been sold so far. Samsung Issues Mass Recall As much as the previous statement seemed to include a figure of speech, it, unfortunately, did not. As reported by a number of the phablet's users, the Note 7 apparently has a tendency to explode - not just malfunction; the Note 7 literally explodes. While Samsung estimates that the number of defective Note 7 units comprise just 24 out of every 1 million devices, the South Korean tech giant is not taking any chances. In an announcement on Friday, Samsung boldly stated that the company would be recalling every single Note 7 that has ever been manufactured. The production of the flagship phablet has been ceased, as well. Battery Problem a Culprit? Analysis from the South Korean tech giant has determined that the Note 7's flaw lies in its battery, and while the flaw is very rare, the problem is so serious that it can literally cause the battery to combust. So far, Samsung has received 35 reports of faulty Note 7s. Note 7 Users Get a New Product for Free In order to provide some compensation for those who have already purchased the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung has stated that everyone who has bought the phablet would be receiving a new device from the company, at least until the issue gets resolved. Thus, those who have purchased a Note 7 would not be living without a smartphone while waiting for their device to get replaced. Samsung would make sure that they can still keep themselves connected. Consumers Applaud Samsung for Taking Responsibility While the recall is a massive source of embarrassment for the South Korean tech giant, many consumers and smartphone users have applauded Samsung for owning up to its mistake. Flaws in flagship devices are nothing new. Just a few years ago, a serious design flaw in the iPhone 4 rendered its antenna useless in some circumstances. Despite many complaints, however, Apple has opted to simply address the issue in the device's successor, the highly-successful iPhone 4S. Philip Bump of The Fix at the Washington Post addresses "The national economic implications of a taco truck on every corner": A supporter of Donald Trump appeared on MSNBC's "All In" on Thursday night to offer a vision of a bleak, delicious future. "My culture is a very dominant culture, and it's imposing and it's causing problems," Marco Gutierrez of Latinos for Trump told Joy Ann Reid. "If you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner." That's a serious charge, worthy of being considered seriously. Although easy access to inexpensive Mexican food would be a boon for hungry Americans, what would the inevitable presence of those trucks do to the American economy? How could our country accommodate an explosion of trucks at that scale? The upshot: And it would mean that, per Gutierrez's vision of the future, we'd suddenly see 3.2 million conveniently located taco trucks. How ubiquitous is that? Well, it's one on every corner. But we can also compare it to Starbucks, which seems pretty ubiquitous in a lot of places. In 2012, there were about 11,000 Starbucks locations in the United States. ... But it's where we're headed, apparently, if Trump loses. That's good news for the economy in one way. If you assume that three people work in each truck, that's 9.6 million new jobs created. The labor force in August was 159.4 million, with 144.6 million employed. Adding 9.6 million taco truck workers would help America reach nearly full employment and that's just the staffing in the trucks. Think about all of the ancillary job creation: mechanics, gas station workers, Mexican food truck management executives. We'd likely need to increase immigration levels just to meet the demand. Of course, there would be other repercussions. Many of the taco trucks would struggle to find business, like those posted at remote crossroads in Kansas. Other restaurants would likely suffer as a glut of other options and price wars undercut their offerings. There would be plenty of jobs for those fired from higher-end restaurants, but the resulting drop in wages would be staggering. Happy Labor Day. On 29 September this year, the infamous Khairlanji caste atrocity would be 10 years old. It is on this fateful day in 2006 that Bhaiyalal Bhotmanges entire familyhis wife Surekha (44), daughter Priyanka (17), sons Roshan (19) and Sudhir (21)was lynched to death by a mob of caste-Hindu villagers. For various reasons, the case had evoked late responses from Dalits, but when it did, it spontaneously engulfed the whole of Maharashtra in conflagrations of protest. It even had reverberations abroad. It was tried as one of the fastest-tracked cases and punishments were meted out to the culprits within two years. The decision in the case was appealed in the high court, which also came to a judgment within two years. The case is now with the Supreme Court. 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. With well-known malware threats directed against Mac computers and other devices running Apple operating systems, including the recent Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor backdoor threat and KeRanger ransomware, Apple-based systems are being attacked more. But, say security experts, the threats are more a sign of rising cyberattacks against all devices than any specific spike targeting Apple systems. Every year for the last six years has been the year of Mac malware, said Ryan Olson, director of threat intelligence for Palo Alto Networks, the firm credited with discovering KeRanger. Attacks against Macs are growing for sure, he said. But its never been as huge of a problem as attacks against PCs. The Problem with Macs Mac attacks grew fourfold between 2010 and 2015, according to Gordon MacKay, CTO of Digital Defense, Inc. The conundrum for many Mac users is that they switch to Macs because the operating system tends to be more secure but as more switch, the Macs become a more lucrative target for hackers. Part of the problem in protecting Macs is the successful job Apple has done in promoting the operating system as safer than Windows, security experts agree. While it is true that the OS X operating system has been the target of fewer attacks and Apple offers some security protections not available in Windows, this sense of security might make Mac users less likely to take common-sense security precautions when using their devices. It seems that there is the perception among many Mac users that their operating system is somehow immune to cyberattacks, said Ofer Caspi, advanced threat prevention researcher at Check Point. If you add to this the fact that cyber security vendors offer relatively less protection software for Mac than for Windows, you can clearly see how cybercriminals could become increasingly more interested in creating new malware that targets Mac OS. Malware in circulation can be retooled and built like a Lego set in minutes to target Windows and/or Macs, said Peter Tran, general manager and senior director at RSA. Over the last three years alone, there has been over 1 billion reported new variants of malware in circulation, which averages to over 900,000 per day. All these variants are generally swapped and interchanged to create the new flavor of the minute.' How Is Mac Malware Different? Mac malware is generally less sophisticated than software targeting PCs because it wasnt until the last few years that hackers started working at targeting the Macs, which make up a smaller percentage of the personal computer market, Olson said. Malware has been a cat and mouse game in the PC market. Hackers would develop a malware, a protection would be built to defend against it, hackers would revise/evolve the attack, defenses would further evolve and so on. With hackers starting later and developing fewer attacks against Macs, the sophistication and evolution of those attacks is running behind that of attacks against PCs, Olson said. But in both the Mac and PC malware markets, hackers are sharing malware source code, reducing the cost to produce threats so more will be developed, said Intel security research architect Craig Schmugar. In addition, some may see the Mac installed base as an untapped market, with a user base that is more likely to be caught off guard by an attack. Ransomware a Growing Threat The KeRanger exploit is just another in the growing amount of ransomware, though so far its the first one to specifically target Macs, MacKay said. Ransomware attacks are particularly harmful for enterprises and lucrative for hackers. The ransomware locks up the users computer(s) and is encrypted so it cant be removed except by the hacker, who demands payment via bitcoin virtually untraceable before restoring the system. There are even hacker outfits providing ransomware-as-a-service, MacKay said. Ransomware hackers are becoming increasingly clever on the timing of their attacks. Some have even introduced a delay on the effects of the threat; users might click on a harmful link or open a dangerous email but the ransomware will stay dormant for a few days, slowly encrypting files, said Robert Gibbons, CTO of Datto. Ransomware makers are becoming savvy in this way, wanting to make sure even the oldest backups are infected. Datto sells appliances that are separate standalone infrastructures, with the aim of allowing users to recover data from further back in time than other backup solutions, he said. Hackers attacking Macs use many of the same non-technical techniques as those attacking PCs. At a high level, theres little technical difference between the attacks, MacKay noted. However, Mac attacks tend to rely certain executable Mac file types, according to Nick Bilogorskiy, senior director of threat operations at Cyphort Inc. The attack vectors include: DMG, an app within a HFS container or disk image; PKG, an app within an XAR container and package installer; Mach-O, similar to a Windows executable file; AppleScripts, used for Apple inter-application communication; Perl/Python/Bash scripts; Bourne-again shell scripts; and extensions from Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Security experts agree that Apple has been a little more responsive than other vendors in providing security protections. In addition to vetting applications in its Apple Play store and including the Gatekeeper security application on its newer operating systems, the company has been a little quicker to respond to threats, according to analysts. 9 Tips for Fighting Mac Malware Threats Keep systems up to date, and set systems to automatically install software patches and updates as soon as they become available. Dont disable Gatekeeper, a feature in Mountain Lion and OS X Lion v10.7.5 that builds on OS Xs existing malware checks to help protect Macs from malware and other problem apps downloaded from the Internet. Download apps only from the Apple store, as they are likely to be vetted to be malware-free. Avoid third-party apps from other sources. Be careful what you click on. Many past Mac infections relied on user interaction and for users to bypass OS security features. Be cautious about any application/tool without a signed digital certificate. There are some legitimate older applications/tools without these. Communicate any known or suspected threats across the enterprise. If something appears suspicious, assume that it is at least until it can be properly vetted. Caution others in the enterprise about any suspicious activity or messages seeking access to secure credentials. Limit or disable Java and Flash, favorite resources used by hackers to develop attacks. Disable browser-based auto file download Stay abreast of evolving phishing and other social engineering techniques. Phillip J. Britts work has appeared on technology, financial services and business websites and publications including BAI, Telephony, Connected Planet, Independent Banker, insideARM.com, Bank Systems & Technology, Mobile Marketing & Technology, Loyalty 360, CRM Magazine, KM World and Information Today. Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, a partner in the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), have discovered that the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) is increased in the blood of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The higher the number of MDSC, the more limited the lung function. The findings on this new biomarker have now been published in the European Respiratory Journal. Patients with fibrotic lung diseases*, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), show progressive worsening of lung function with increased shortness of breath and dry cough. To-date, this process is irreversible, which is why scientists are searching for novel biomarkers or indicators, which enable earlier diagnosis of this disease, with the aim to better interfere with disease progression. A team of scientists at the Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC) at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen headed by Professor Oliver Eickelberg, Chairman of the CPC and Director of the Institute of Lung Biology as well as the DZL at the Munich partner site, have now discovered that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC)** may serve as such biomarkers. "The role of MDSC has been most extensively studied in cancer, where they suppress the immune system and contribute to a poor prognosis," explained first author Isis Fernandez, MD. The current study suggests that similar mechanisms are also at work in IPF. In collaboration with the Department of Internal Medicine V (Director: Professor Jurgen Behr) of the Munich University Hospital, the team examined blood samples of 170 study participants, including 69 IPF patients, in terms of the composition of circulating immune cell types. In each patient, these were correlated with lung function. Strikingly, the MDSC count in IPF patients was significantly higher than in the healthy control group. At the same time, the researchers observed that there was an inverse correlation between lung function and circulating MDSC counts: the poorer the lung function, the higher the MDSC count. In control groups of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other interstitial lung diseases, this inverse correlation was not found. "We conclude that the number of MDSC reflects the course of the disease, especially in IPF," said Fernandez. To obtain an indication of whether the cells themselves could be the cause of the deterioration in lung function, the researchers measured the activity of genes that are typically expressed by immune cells. They found that these genes were expressed less frequently in samples that exhibited high MDSC counts. This indicates that MDSC - similar to their role in cancer - also compromise the immune system in IPF, according to the scientists. A look into the lung tissue of IPF patients supports this assumption. "We were able to show that MDSC are primarily found in fibrotic niches of IPF lungs characterized by increased interstitial tissue and scarring, that is, in regions where the disease is very pronounced," said Eickelberg. "As a next step, we seek to investigate whether the presence of MDSC can serve as a biomarker to detect IPF and to determine how pronounced it is." In addition, the researchers want to investigate the mechanisms of accumulation in more detail. "Controlling accumulation or expansion of MDSC or blocking their suppressive functions may represent a promising treatment options for patients with IPF," said Eickelberg. ### Further Information Background: *Fibrotic lung diseases are characterized by an increase of connective tissue in the lung, which hardens and becomes scarred. This stiffening is accompanied by a disturbed regeneration of the lung which in turn is associated with deteriorating lung function. The quality of life for these the patients is significantly limited. **Myeloid-derived suppressor cells are a heterogeneous group of immune cells of the hematopoietic system, which in the healthy system play a role in tissue renewal and immune response. Original Publication: Fernandez, I. et al. (2016). Peripheral blood myeloid-derived suppressor cells reflect disease status in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, European Respiratory Journal, DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01826-2015 As German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen has about 2,300 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 37,000 staff members. http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/index.html The Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC) is a joint research project of the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat with its University Hospital and the Asklepios Fachkliniken Munchen-Gauting. The CPC's objective is to conduct research on chronic lung diseases in order to develop new diagnosis and therapy strategies. The CPC maintains a focus on experimental pneumology with the investigation of cellular, molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in lung diseases. The CPC is one of five sites of the German Center for Lung Research (Deutsches Zentrum fur Lungenforschung, DZL). http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/ilbd/index.html Munich University Hospital (LMU) treats around 500,000 outpatients, inpatients and semi-residential patients each year at its Grohadern and City Centre Campuses. Just over 2,000 beds are available to its 28 specialist clinics, twelve institutes and seven departments, and its 47 interdisciplinary centres. Of a total of 9,500 employees, around 1,600 are doctors and 3,200 are nursing staff. Munich University Hospital has been a public-law institution since 2006. Together with the Medical Faculty of Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich University Hospital is involved in four special research areas of the German Research Foundation (SFB 684, 914, 1054, 1123), three Transregios (TRR 127, 128, 152) belonging to Clinical Research Group 809, and two Graduate Colleges belonging to the German Research Foundation (GK 1091, 1202). This is in addition to the Center for Integrated Protein Sciences (CIPSM), Munich Center of Advanced Photonics (MAP), Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM) and Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy) - all institutes of excellence - and the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN-LMU), the Graduate School of Quantitative Biosciences Munich (QBM) and the Graduate School Life Science Munich (LSM). http://www.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de The German Center for Lung Research (DZL) pools German expertise in the field of pulmonology research and clinical pulmonology. The association's head office is in Giessen. The aim of the DZL is to find answers to open questions in research into lung diseases by adopting an innovative, integrated approach and thus to make a sizeable contribution to improving the prevention, diagnosis and individualized treatment of lung disease and to ensure optimum patient care. http://www.dzl.de/index.php/en Contact for the media: Department of Communication, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstadter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel. +49 89 3187 2238 - Fax: +49 89 3187 3324 - E-mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de Scientific contact at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen: Prof. Dr. Oliver Eickelberg, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Max-Lebsche-Platz 31, 81377 Munchen, Tel. +49 89 3187 4666 - E-mail: oliver.eickelberg@helmholtz-muenchen.de New insights into human aging to be presented at the 3rd International Practical Applications for Aging Research Forum at the Basel Life Science Week Friday, September 2nd, Baltimore, MD - Insilico Medicine, Inc, one of the leading companies applying latest advances in artificial intelligence to drug discovery, biomarker development and aging research is co-organizing the 3rd International Practical Applications for Aging Research Forum at the Basel Life Science Week in Basel, Switzerland, September 21-22. On September 21st, the CEO of Insilico Medicine will present new data on geroprotectors, small molecules that mimic the young healthy state in old human tissues. The results are a result of a multi-year research program with multiple in silico predictions made using algorithms validated using data from many age-related diseases and culminated with in vitro validation. The manuscript presenting these research results was recently accepted by a major peer-reviewed journal "Aging" and will be published after the conference. "Aging research is slowly gaining credibility and some of the largest pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutritional companies are launching research programs to translate these new insights into products. For the third year in a row Insilico Medicine is co-organizing the Aging Forum during the Basel Life Science Week and bringing together world's top thought leaders in the field. This event intends to bridge academic and commercial research and foster collaborations that will result in practical solutions to one of humanity's most challenging problems", said Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, CEO of Insilico Medicine. The BLSW conference is free to attend as it is sponsored by the city of Basel and large industry players headquartered in Basel including Novartis and Roche. The forum was originally organized by Alex Zhavoronkov of Insilico Medicine and Bhupinder Bhullar of Novartis and in 2016 it welcomed Brian Kennedy, the CEO of the Buck Institute on Aging as a co-organizer. The 3rd annual forum will feature 20+ speakers from both the industry and academia and http://www.nature.com/natureevents/science/events/47271-3rd_Annual_International_Aging_Research_for_Drug_Discovery_Forum. Since its inception in 2014, scientists at Insilico Medicine are applying advanced signaling pathway analysis and deep learning techniques to analyze the changes transpiring in human tissues during aging and in many diseases and identifying molecules that may be able to correct the pathological processes in old tissues. In 2015 some of these predictions were validated experimentally and for the first time the results will be presented at the 3rd Annual International Aging Research for Drug Discovery Forum in Basel. Other speakers representing companies and academic institutions working in longevity research will present their research findings including Michael West, CEO of Biotime, Robert Hariri, co-founder of Human Longevity, Mun Yew Wong, CEO of Asia Genomics, Jerome Feige, head of aging at Nestle, Vadim Gladyshev, professor at Harvard, Alexey Moskalev, professor of the Russian Academy of sciences, Jing-Dong Han of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhaxybay Zhumadilov, director of the National Laboratory Astana, Miguel Camargo of UCB, Morten Scheibye-Knudsen of the Healthy Aging Center in Denmark, and many others. In addition to Alex Zhavoronkov, who will present at the forum, five scientists from Insilico Medicine will present their posters on perspective geroprotectors, senolytic drugs and applications of deep learning to drug discovery and biomarker development. "We are very excited to present our research at one of the largest drug discovery events in Europe and co-organize industry's first forum bridging advances in aging research with drug discovery for the third year in a row. Basel Life Science Week is expanding every year and should be on the calendar of every life sciences professional", said Alex Aliper, president of Insilico Medicine, Inc. ### About Insilico Medicine Insilico Medicine, Inc. is a bioinformatics company located at the Emerging Technology Centers at the Johns Hopkins University Eastern campus in Baltimore with R&D resources in Belgium, Russia, and Poland hiring talent through hackathons and competitions. It utilizes advances in genomics, big data analysis and deep learning for in silico drug discovery and drug repurposing for aging and age-related diseases. The company pursues internal drug discovery programs in cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, sarcopenia and geroprotector discovery. Through its Pharmaceutical Artificial Intelligence division the company provides advanced machine learning services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and skin care companies. Brief company video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l62jlwgL3v8. Honolulu, Hawai'i, 2 September (IUCN) - A guide launched today by IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, outlines best practices to ensure environmentally responsible seismic surveys and other forms of undersea mapping, with the aim of minimizing negative impacts of loud associated noise on marine life. The guide was launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress currently taking place in Hawai'i, USA. Whales and other cetaceans, pinnipeds, turtles, as well as fish and possibly other marine creatures, are all able to hear the intense sounds produced by seismic surveys. The effects of such operations on species can occur over very large areas in the ocean and include disruption of communication, stress and behavioural changes such as avoidance of key habitat. "The noise from seismic surveys can disrupt the essential life functions of marine species, such as breeding, nursing and foraging," says Carl Gustaf Lundin, Director of IUCN's Global Marine and Polar Programme. "It is therefore critical to turn down the volume and ensure the surveys are conducted in an environmentally responsible way. The new IUCN guide will help in achieving this." The guide has been developed for governments, industry and scientists engaged in planning and conducting offshore seismic surveys and other forms of undersea mapping. It outlines best practices and tools for the entire process - from planning the survey and conducting the operation, to minimizing and monitoring the risk to vulnerable marine species, and evaluating potential impacts. In seismic surveys, air guns towed behind ships repeat powerful bursts of sound. Sensors measure the return echo to reveal details of the sea floor and underlying geologic structure to a depth of several kilometres. Sound is a powerful tool for imaging and investigating the sea floor, and is deployed mostly by the energy industry to pinpoint the location of oil or gas. Such surveys are also used for mapping the continental shelf, and for finding the best sites for new offshore wind energy projects. The IUCN guide assesses the potential risk of various surveys on marine life, and emphasises that surveys must take into account the specific circumstances related to the site. Key factors for consideration include the life history and population status of local species, environmental features and history, and nature of other operations in the area. "Our guide is based on the best available science and methods," says one of the authors, Dr Douglas Nowacek of Duke University, who is a member of the Cetacean Specialist Group of IUCN's Species Survival Commission. "It draws on observations of operations and associated monitoring and mitigation efforts over several decades of geophysical and other industrial surveys." "Undertaking a structured approach for planning and conducting environmentally responsible seismic surveys and other forms of seabed mapping is now more feasible than ever thanks to the lessons learned from previous operations, sustained research, and improvements in technology," says the other author, Dr Brandon Southall of Southall Environment Associates Inc. and University of California, Santa Cruz. "This guide will help managers and policymakers navigate this process." Increased public awareness of the issue of human-generated noise in the ocean has been accompanied by greater involvement by governments and regulators. Parallel to IUCN's efforts, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for example, is developing a national strategy for reducing underwater noise, a draft of which was released earlier in the year. The world's governments, parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), are expected to adopt a number of measures recommended by scientists for addressing impacts of underwater noise on marine and coastal biodiversity at the next CBD meeting in Mexico in December 2016. ### Editor's notes The guide Effective planning strategies for managing environmental risk associated with geophysical and other imaging surveys: a resource guide for managers: https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/46291 Some of the key recommendations include: Having a systematic, risk assessment-based means of conducting effective monitoring and mitigation; Reducing the survey area and sound source transmissions to the minimal size necessary; Using the smallest source (e.g., smallest number/size of airguns) necessary to accomplish the exploratory goal; Avoiding redundant surveys - permits are often given to multiple companies to survey the same area. Regulatory structures could be implemented to reduce this redundancy; Pursuing alternative, lower energy sources; Ensuring transparency and dialogue with interested stakeholders as well as open access of environmental data in a reasonable time frame. The IUCN's guide also includes a comprehensive online compilation of global resources, regulations and references related to each step of the process, which will continue to be updated through an ongoing dialogue with regulatory agencies, industry and civil society organisations. At the 2004 IUCN World Conservation Congress, IUCN Members expressed concern that over the last century, noise levels had increased as a result of human activities such as oil, gas and mineral exploration and production, vessel traffic, and military testing and training. Since then, IUCN has worked with governments and industry to identify and implement measures that promote the reduction of human-generated ocean noise. During this time, for example, IUCN has drawn on the experience of its Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel, an independent group of scientists which includes developing comprehensive monitoring and mitigation programmes for seismic surveys in the sensitive area for the whales off Russia's Sakhalin Island. It also integrates contributions from the oil and gas industry, regulators and other experts involved in this field in other parts of the world. At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, 1-10 September 2016, in Hawai'i, USA, there will be several sessions dedicated to examining the impacts of human activities on the marine environment and some will also explore industry best practices, for example in the oil and gas sector. In many species, the sex chromosomes are unequally distributed: in humans as well as in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster male cells only possess one X chromosome, unlike female cells, which contain two Xs. Male fruit flies compensate for this short-coming by doubling the activity of their single X chromosome. This vital process is controlled by the enzyme complex known as DCC (dosage compensation complex). "How this regulator distinguishes the X chromosome from all the other chromosomes has remained unsolved for a long time", says LMU biologist Professor Peter Becker from the Biomedical Center (BMC) at the LMU. Becker's team has now reported on an important conceptual and methodological breakthrough: the researchers demonstrate that a key role in the process is played by the fine detail of DNA shape. In addition, they have also identified the part of the enzyme complex that binds to the X chromosome. The insights gained from Drosophila are not only important for understanding the gene regulation in flies, but also illustrate fundamental mechanisms that affect all life forms in similar ways. The scientists have reported their results in the prestigious journal Nature. Some 300 binding sites for the DCC enzyme complex to the X chromosome are known to date. From their DNA sequences, researchers have calculated the recognition sequence (known as the consensus sequence), in which each position is occupied by the particular DNA building block, which occurs most frequently in comparison with all binding sites. "The problem is that the consensus sequence signature that can be robustly identified at most DCC binding sites is also present some thousands of times on all other chromosomes", states Becker. "For this reason, we have previously been unable to predict whether a particular DNA sequence is actually a functional DCC binding site or not." A novel strategy Becker describes as 'genome-wide biochemical analysis' has now provided a major step forward. The researchers were able to demonstrate that one specific building block from the DCC regulator - the MSL2 protein - is sufficient to reliably bind the consensus sequence. Furthermore, the MSL2 protein actually possesses two DNA binding domains, of which one binds to a DNA sequence, which extends the previously known consensus sequence. "We called this new signature 'PionX', because it turns out that these binding sites represent the first DCC contact points to the X chromosome. There are, however, some 2,700 sequences in the fly genome that resemble the PionX signature a lot, of which only 57 function as genuine MSL2 binding sites", relates Becker. "The decisive breakthrough was achieved by BMC bioinformaticians, first and foremost Tobias Straub, who calculated how the sequence of the base pairs affected the intricate structure of the DNA, also known as 'DNA shape'", states Becker. The researchers identified a particular shape shared by PionX sequences that is preferably recognised by the MSL2 protein. This structure makes the vital difference: it distinguishes the binding sites on the X chromosome from all others, enabling a selective interaction and regulation by the dosage compensation complex. "Our work has decisively advanced the understanding of chromosome-wide regulation during the process of X chromosome dosage compensation", states Becker. "However, our current progress only explains part of the X chromosomal recognition in vivo and we still have to improve our ability to distinguish correct DCC binding sites from 'false-positive' and false-negative' sites identified by our algorithm." In the future, the researchers intend to further refine the genome-wide biochemical analysis strategy, in order to better understand the recognition of the X chromosome by the DCC. ### Researchers discovered a new snake species in Madagascar and named it "ghost snake" for its pale grey coloration and elusiveness. They found the ghost snake on a recently opened path within the well-traveled Ankarana National Park in northern Madagascar in February 2014. They studied the snake's physical characteristics and genetics, which verified that it is a new species. The researchers from the LSU Museum of Natural Science, the American Museum of Natural History and the Universite de Mahajunga in Madagascar named it Madagascarophis lolo, pronounced "luu luu," which means ghost in Malagasy. Their work was published in the scientific journal, Copeia, today. The ghost snake is part of a common group of snakes called Madagascarophis, or cat-eyed snakes, named for their vertical pupils, which is often found among snakes that are active in the evening or night. Many of the cat-eyed snakes are found in developed areas or degraded forests. However, the researchers found the ghost snake on the national park's iconic pale grey limestone Tsingy rocks. "None of the other snakes in Madagascarophis are as pale and none of them have this distinct pattern," said Sara Ruane, post-doctoral researcher at the LSU Museum of Natural Science and lead author of the paper. The researchers conducted genetic analyses and were surprised to find that the ghost snake's next closest relative is a snake called Madagascarophis fuchsi, which was discovered at a site approximately 100 kilometers north of Ankarana several years ago. Both were found in rocky, isolated areas. "I think what's exciting and important about this work is even though the cat-eyed snakes could be considered one of the most common groups of snakes in Madagascar, there are still new species we don't know about because a lot of regions are hard to get to and poorly explored. If this commonly known, wide group of snakes harbors this hidden diversity, what else is out there that we don't know about?" Ruane said. Malagasy master's student Bernard Randriamahatantsoa spotted the snake on the path. Randriamahatantsoa, Ruane and their collaborators discovered the ghost snake after hiking for more than 17 miles in near-constant rain from their field site to the Ankarana park entrance, whilst in search for a different species. "It was really tough. It was a lot of work, but the payoff was big," Ruane said. "Snakes are hard to find under the best of circumstances. They are pretty elusive." That's why the researchers conduct their fieldwork during the rainy season in Madagascar when snakes and their prey, such as frogs, lizards and even other snakes, are most active. After discovering this new species, the researchers returned to the U.S. to conduct their morphological and genetic analyses. Part of the study of the snake's physical characteristics includes counting all of the scales on its belly, its back, counting how many scales touch the eye and the number of scales on the upper and lower lips. Ruane extracted DNA from tissue samples from the ghost snake and the previously found Madagascarophis fuchsi. She compared three genetic markers shared across the species of Madagascarophis to determine how similar the new species was to those previously known. In addition, Ruane and her colleagues mapped the genetic family tree, or phylogeny, for the entire group of Madagascarophis, which has five species. "All of the analyses we did supported that this is a distinct species despite the fact that we only have this one individual," she said. ### This research was supported by the National Science Foundation. Ruane will participate in a live Twitter Q & A on Thursday, Sept. 8 from noon to 1 p.m. Central Time about this new species from the LSU Museum of Natural Science's Twitter handle @LSU_MNS. A study by researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University and the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology shows that birds in an urban environment have fewer and smaller offspring than in rural settings Great Tits (Parus major) are synanthropes who have followed humans into large cities. A team led by Philipp Sprau at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology in Seewiesen has investigated the adaptive mechanisms needed by the birds for urban life. Their study has shown that while Great Tits begin to breed earlier in cities, their clutches are smaller and nestlings weigh less than their rural counterparts upon leaving the nest. Differences between cities and rural environments To study the effects of urbanization, the scientists placed 600 nest boxes in twelve forest areas and another 156 in the city of Munich. Along with key life history traits, such as the start of egg laying, clutch size, and number and weight of nestlings, they correlated breeding success for the tits with environmental parameters characteristic for urbanization such as temperature, humidity, light, and noise that were measured throughout the breeding season. Although the measurements of environmental parameters showed differences between city and rural environments, the scientists found no direct relationship between these parameters and the quantified life history traits. "Therefore we divided the city into three zones ranging from areas with conditions close to natural habitats to those characteristic of urban settings," said Niels Dingemanse of Ludwig Maximilian University, head of the study group for the evolutionary ecology of variation at the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology. This analysis of the varied extreme urbanization also revealed no specific patterns. The simple division between "city" and "forest" habitats still explained the differences in life histories best. "Our study showed how difficult it is to accurately measure the effects of urban development on natural ecosystems," commented Sprau, principal author and head of the study. "Although we have quantified various environmental parameters, no clear patterns were found which can explain the differences in reproductive success." Thus for future studies it must be considered that individual features of urban environments such as light and noise may not be enough to describe the prevailing environmental conditions adequately. Other environmental factors than those quantified in this study should be considered in addition in future studies to assess the impact of the multidimensionality of urbanization on wildlife. ### Original publication: Philipp Sprau, Alexia Mouchet, Niels J. Dingemanse Multi-dimensional environmental predictors of variation in avian forest and city life-histories. Behavioural Ecology; 23 August, 2016 HOUSTON - (Sept. 2, 2016) - Flakes of graphene welded together into solid materials may be suitable for bone implants, according to a study led by Rice University scientists. The Rice lab of materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan and colleagues in Texas, Brazil and India used spark plasma sintering to weld flakes of graphene oxide into porous solids that compare favorably with the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of titanium, a standard bone-replacement material. The discovery is the subject of a paper in Advanced Materials. The researchers believe their technique will give them the ability to create highly complex shapes out of graphene in minutes using graphite molds, which they believe would be easier to process than specialty metals. "We started thinking about this for bone implants because graphene is one of the most intriguing materials with many possibilities and it's generally biocompatible," said Rice postdoctoral research associate Chandra Sekhar Tiwary, co-lead author of the paper with Dibyendu Chakravarty of the International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials in Hyderabad, India. "Four things are important: its mechanical properties, density, porosity and biocompatibility." Tiwary said spark plasma sintering is being used in industry to make complex parts, generally with ceramics. "The technique uses a high pulse current that welds the flakes together instantly. You only need high voltage, not high pressure or temperatures," he said. The material they made is nearly 50 percent porous, with a density half that of graphite and a quarter of titanium metal. But it has enough compressive strength -- 40 megapascals -- to qualify it for bone implants, he said. The strength of the bonds between sheets keeps it from disintegrating in water. The researchers controlled the density of the material by altering the voltage that delivers the highly localized blast of heat that makes the nanoscale welds. Though the experiments were carried out at room temperature, the researchers made graphene solids of various density by raising these sintering temperatures from 200 to 400 degrees Celsius. Samples made at local temperatures of 300 C proved best, Tiwary said. "The nice thing about two-dimensional materials is that they give you a lot of surface area to connect. With graphene, you just need to overcome a small activation barrier to make very strong welds," he said. With the help of colleagues at Hysitron in Minnesota, the researchers measured the load-bearing capacity of thin sheets of two- to five-layer bonded graphene by repeatedly stressing them with a picoindenter attached to a scanning electron microscope and found they were stable up to 70 micronewtons. Colleagues at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center successfully cultured cells on the material to show its biocompatibility. As a bonus, the researchers also discovered the sintering process has the ability to reduce graphene oxide flakes to pure bilayer graphene, which makes them stronger and more stable than graphene monolayers or graphene oxide. "This example demonstrates the possible use of unconventional materials in conventional technologies," Ajayan said. "But these transitions can only be made if materials such as 2-D graphene layers can be scalably made into 3-D solids with appropriate density and strength. "Engineering junctions and strong interfaces between nanoscale building blocks is the biggest challenge in achieving such goals, but in this case, spark plasma sintering seems to be effective in joining graphene sheets to produce strong 3-D solids," he said. ### Co-authors of the paper are graduate student Sruthi Radhakrishnan of Rice and at MD Anderson; researcher Soumya Vinod and graduate student Sehmus Ozden of Rice; Pedro Alves da Silva of the State University of Campinas, Brazil, and the Federal University of ABC, Santo Andre, Brazil; Autreto Cristano Woellner and Professor Douglas Galvao of the State University of Campinas, Brazil; Sanjit Bhowmick and Syed Asif of Hysitron Inc. of Minneapolis; and Sendurai Mani of MD Anderson. Ajayan is chair of Rice's Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and a professor of chemistry. The research was supported by the Department of Defense, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, the Sao Paulo Research Foundation, the Center for Computational Engineering and Sciences at Unicamp, Brazil, and the Government of India Department of Science and Technology. Read the abstract at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201603146/full This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2016/09/02/3-d-graphene-has-promise-for-bio-applications/ Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews Video: https://youtu.be/9itxVFu_p5U A molecular dynamics simulation shows how graphene oxide layers stack when welded by spark plasma sintering. The presence of oxygen molecules at left prevents the graphene layers from bonding, as they do without oxygen at right. (Credit: Ajayan Group/Rice University and Galvao group/Unicamp, Brazil) Related materials: Ajayan Research Group: http://ajayan.rice.edu Rice Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering: https://msne.rice.edu Images for download: http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/09/0906_BONE-1-WEB-1rfjnr7.jpg Rice University materials scientists and their international colleagues created a form of 3-D graphene oxide with layers welded together at room temperature via spark plasma sintering. The material shows promise for biological applications. (Credit: Ajayan Group/Rice University) http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/09/0906_BONE-2-WEB-22oacp6.jpg A focused ion beam microscope image shows 3-D graphene layers welded together in a block. The material is biocompatible and its material properties meet the standards necessary for consideration as a bone implant, according to researchers at Rice University. (Credit: Ajayan Group/Rice University) http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/09/0906_BONE-3-WEB-1xccx3p.jpg A pellet of three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide developed by an international team led by Rice University shows the potential to replace titanium as a material for bone implants. (Credit: Rice University) 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. David Ruth 713-348-6327 david@rice.edu Mike Williams 713-348-6728 mikewilliams@rice.edu TORONTO, Sept. 1, 2016--Parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region may be vulnerable to outbreaks of the Zika virus, including some of the world's most populous countries and many with limited resources to identify and respond to the mosquito-borne disease, a new study says. The study, published online today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, said India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh may be at greatest risk of local outbreaks. These countries receive a combination of high volumes of travelers from Zika-affected areas, have mosquitos capable of transmitting Zika virus, climate conditions conducive to local spread, and limited health resources. Study author Dr. Kamran Khan of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto said that identifying where and when populations would be most susceptible to local transmission of Zika virus could help inform public health decisions about the use of finite resources. "An estimated 2.6 billion people live in areas of Africa and Asia-Pacific where local Zika virus transmission is possible," said Dr. Khan. "The potential for epidemics in those regions is particularly concerning given that the vast numbers of people who could be exposed to Zika virus are living in environments where health and human resources to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks are limited." The research team, which included scientists from Toronto General Hospital, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Oxford University, analyzed airline passenger traffic data from 689 cities with commercial airports in the Americas. They then mapped the monthly destinations and volumes of travellers arriving into Africa and Asia-Pacific to identify countries at greatest risk of Zika virus importation across seasons. Health expenditure per capita was used as a proxy of a country's capacity to detect and effectively respond to a possible Zika virus outbreak. Countries with populations at risk for Zika virus importation and subsequent spread include India (67,422 travellers arriving per year; 1.2 billion residents in potential Zika transmission areas), China (238,415 travellers; 242 million residents), Indonesia (13,865 travellers; 197 million residents), the Philippines (35,635 travellers; 70 million residents) and Thailand (29241 travellers; 59 million residents). Dr. Isaac Bogoch, another author of the study and an infectious disease specialist at University Health Network's Toronto General Hospital, said the health consequences of Zika in Africa and Asia-Pacific will depend not just on local ability to diagnose and respond to a possible outbreak, but also on levels of existing immunity to Zika virus. Even though Zika virus was first identified in Africa, and sporadic cases have been reported in both Africa and Asia-Pacific, little is known about whether the Asian strain of the virus (now circulating in the Americas) will affect individuals differently if they have previously been infected with the African strain. ### This study received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. About St. Michael's Hospital St. Michael's Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding medical education to future health care professionals in more than 23 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, and care of the homeless are among the Hospital's recognized areas of expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael's Hospital are recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Geoff Koehler Senior Public Affairs Adviser Communications and Public Affairs Department St. Michael's Hospital 416-864-5960 koehlerg@smh.ca Respiratory tract infections (RTI) with cough are the most common reason children are prescribed antibiotics by their doctors, but up to a third of prescriptions may be unnecessary. A new study of over 8000 children has identified seven key predictors which could help general practitioners (GPs) and nurses in primary care identify low risk children who are less likely to need antibiotics, according to new research published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The authors estimate that if antibiotic prescribing in this low risk group was halved, and even if it increased to 90% in high risk patients, the new tool could reduce antibiotic prescribing to children with RTI and coughs by 10% overall, similar to other interventions used to combat antibiotic resistance. The proposed tool called STARWAVe uses seven predictors of future hospitalisation that can be easily identified by doctors and nurses during a patient visit--short illness (less than 3 days), high temperature (?37.8C on examination or parent reported severe fever in the previous 24 hours), aged under 2 years, respiratory distress, wheeze, asthma, and moderate/severe vomiting in the previous 24 hours. Children presenting with no more than one of these items are deemed at very low risk of future complications. The authors say that the rule now needs externally validating in a randomised trial, but could be a useful tool to improve the targeting of antibiotics to reduce the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Respiratory infections with cough is the most common reason people go to the doctor and the most frequent reason given for primary care antibiotic prescribing in children. Yet it is challenging for GPs and primary care nurses to easily identify serious respiratory infections, and up to a third of antibiotics prescribed in primary care are considered unnecessary. "Excessive antibiotic use has contributed to the development of resistance to these drugs", explains lead author Professor Alastair Hay from the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. "The aim of our study was to develop a simple, usable prediction tool based on symptoms and signs to help GPs and nurses identify children presenting in primary care at the lowest and highest risk of future complications and hospitalisation, so that antibiotics can be targeted accordingly."[1] To create the tool, Hay and colleagues analysed data collected between July 2011 and May 2013 from almost 8400 children aged between 3 months and 16 years with acute (less than 28 days) cough and respiratory tract infection symptoms (eg, fever) who were seen at 247 GP practices across England. They used modelling to determine which of the 50 demographic characteristics, parent-reported symptoms and physical examination signs measured might be most useful and accurate in distinguishing good from poor prognosis illnesses, defined as those resulting in hospitalisation for respiratory infection in the month following a visit to primary care (table 1). Modelling showed that seven characteristics were independently linked with hospitalisation-- short (?3 days) illness; temperature; age (<2 years); recession (signs of respiratory distress); wheeze; asthma; and vomiting (mnemonic "STARWAVe") (table 2). Using these findings, the authors then developed a seven-item scoring system for a child's risk of future hospitalisation (table 3). For example, a child showing 0-1 of these characteristics would be at very low risk of hospitalisation (0.3% risk; 67% of children in the study); a child with 2-3 of these characteristics would be at normal risk, similar to the general population (1.5% risk; 30% of children in the study); whilst a child showing 4 or more would be a high risk candidate for future hospitalisation (11.8% risk; 3% of children in the study). According to the authors, a 'no antibiotic' prescribing strategy would be appropriate for low risk children; whilst a 'no antibiotic or delayed antibiotic' treatment strategy would be best for normal risk children--as recommended by NICE; and children deemed at high risk of hospitalisation should be closely monitored for signs of deterioration and followed-up within 24 hours. The accuracy of the rule was measured by a figure called the 'area under the receiver operating characteristic curve', or AUROC. An AUROC of 0.5 would mean the rule is about as good a predictor as flipping a coin. An AUROC of 1.0 is perfect. The new STARWAVe rule gave an AUROC of 0.81, which indicates it should predict the risk of hospitalisation with high accuracy. The authors note that the results are likely to be applicable to primary care systems similar to those in the UK, but as only 78 children were hospitalised during the study, further research is needed to externally validate the tool. According to Professor Hay, "This is the first study of its kind, based on a large representative sample of children who visit the doctor with respiratory illness. We hope that our proposed clinical tool might eventually enable doctors to quickly and easily identify their lowest and highest risk patients, although more research will be needed to determine just how effective it is in clinical practice. The rule should supplement not replace clinical judgement, and doctors and nurses should still advise parents about the symptoms and signs they should look out for, and when to seek medical help."[1] In a linked Comment, Professor David Price, Chair of Primary Care Respiratory Medicine at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK and colleagues discuss the need to test the tool in whole study populations and not just those recruiting and consenting to enter a study. They write, "Notwithstanding the inclusion of patients prescribed an antibiotic and the absence of an independent validation cohort, STARWAVe promises to achieve better targeting of antibiotics in primary care. There are few efficacious interventions for respiratory tract infection available to primary care clinicians beyond offering reassurance and self-management advice, so the modest benefit offered by antibiotics can persuade general practitioners to prescribe them. STARWAVe offers primary care clinicians an evidence-based practical tool to help guide antibiotic prescribing decisions and, through shared decision-making, has the potential to reduce prescribing based on prognostic uncertainty or on nonmedical grounds." ### NOTES TO EDITORS: This study was funded by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) [1] Quotes direct from author and cannot be found in text of Article. 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/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(16)30223-5/abstract September 2, 2016 -- Chronic wasting disease has caused significant declines in east-central Wyoming white-tailed deer populations, according to new research published this week by University of Wyoming scientists. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of deer, elk and moose found in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. The research, led by recent UW Ph.D. graduate David Edmunds, under the direction of Associate Professor Todd Cornish in the Department of Veterinary Sciences, is the first conclusive evidence that CWD found at high prevalence leads directly to population declines in free-ranging deer populations. The findings, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE this week, provides new information that could influence management of this continually expanding disease. "Chronic wasting disease has likely been present in southeast Wyoming deer and elk populations for approximately 50 years," Edmunds says. "It has been steadily increasing to the point that some hunt areas are seeing populations with as many as 30 percent to almost 50 percent of harvested deer testing positive for this disease." For eight years, he and his colleagues tracked white-tailed deer east of Casper to determine if CWD itself can cause population numbers to decline by increasing mortality of deer annually. "We found that CWD drastically reduced annual survival rates in the deer population, especially in females," Edmunds says. Working as a graduate student under Cornish in the Wyoming Wildlife/Livestock Health Center in the Department of Veterinary Sciences, Edmunds and colleagues captured both female and male fawns on their winter ranges to test whether they had CWD, pregnancy tested females, and marked all deer with radio transmitters attached to collars for tracking purposes. Deer were tracked throughout the year and captured annually to retest for CWD. A variety of data were collected, including survival and pregnancy rates, number of fawns seen alongside does in late summer, and CWD prevalence. All of these were used to determine the population growth rate -- which is by how much the population size varies from one year to the next. The researchers found that over the study period from 2003-10, the population declined 10 percent annually, which they say could lead to localized extinctions in less than 50 years. "The decline was caused directly by CWD lowering annual survival of female deer, which have the biggest impact on population growth rates," Edmunds says. "This was because CWD-positive deer died both directly from the disease and were more likely to be killed by hunters than CWD-negative deer." Cornish says the findings highlight the importance of preventing CWD from spreading into new deer and elk populations. "We really do not have any effective strategies currently to manage CWD once it becomes established in landscapes and in populations," he says. "Now that we know CWD causes populations to decline once the disease reaches significant levels in deer, this is a disease to be taken very seriously, with more research on control and prevention strategies warranted." Edmunds and Cornish are two of the co-authors of the report published Tuesday -- along with a collaborative team of researchers from the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, UW's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Texas A&M University. ### To read the article summarizing the research in PLOS ONE, go to bit.ly/cwddeer. Dr. Anna Rieckmann at Umea University in Sweden has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant by the European Research Council. The awarded EUR 1.5 million will allow her to spend five years researching the neural basis of cognitive functions. The European Research Council (ERC) supports top quality research through competitive funding. The aim is to support investigator-driven frontier research across all fields, on the basis of scientific excellence. For early career researchers, funding is offered through Starting Grants, which is awarded to young talented researchers with a promising track-record, with the aim to encourage them to become independent research leaders. "Being awarded such a prestigious grant of course means a lot for me as it gives me the opportunity to conduct an extremely exciting and ambitious research project, to start my own lab and to become an independent researcher," says Anna Rieckmann. For the ERC Starting Grant, Anna Rieckmann has designed the project SIMULTAN, which investigates the neural basis of human cognitive functioning with a new imaging technique that combines functional MRI (fMRI) with simultaneous molecular imaging (PET). FMRI is a widely used tool in the cognitive neurosciences but is only an indirect, and not fully understood, signal of brain activity. "Using these simultaneous measurements will help us understand what biological processes occur in certain situations when we observe an fMRI signal. This is important for the field as a whole as it may influence how existing and future fMRI studies are interpreted," explains Anna Rieckmann. For her work, Anna Rieckmann will utilise the GE Signa PET-MR scanner that was installed at the University Hospital of Umea in 2014, and which is one of only two such machines available in Sweden. Anna Rieckmann will specifically focus on the ageing brain, where she hopes the new technique will eventually help distinguish a normally ageing brain from one that is in the pre-clinical stages of disease, and aid in the development of interventions to halt cognitive decline in ageing. "It feels incredibly pleasing to congratulate Anna Rieckmann for this superior acknowledgement of her research. Competition for ERC starting grants is tough and this shows what top quality research Anna Rieckmann has achieved. Congratulations from me and the entire University Management," says Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor of Umea University. Anna Rieckmann comes from Luneburg in Germany and has worked at the Department of Radiation Sciences and the Umea Center for Functional Brain Imaging at Umea University since April 2015. Previously, Anna Rieckmann completed a 3-year post-doc at Harvard University in Boston. ### Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- A World-Famous WhistleBlower Edward Snowden's reference to "Press Freedom"'s links, (that he Personaly Supports), alerted "Eurofora" about an initialy Unbelievable, Big Positive Aftermath of our July 2016 Article denouncing the Murder of Web Editor Miranda Do Carmo (See: http://www.eurofora.net/brief/brief/webeditorkilled.html) : Indeed, we were, for once, Positively Surprized to Find out that, after a Long and quasi-Total, scandalously Indifferend "Silence" at almost All Mainstream Media of the Establishment, World-wide, during a Whole Month, even on such a shocking, Brutal and Shameless Cold-Blood Murder of that WebNews Editor, (a former City Employee, who had set up alone a Local News-WebSite often Publishing, during 3 Years now, even quite Critical Reports on some Thorny Local Affairs concerning the current Municipality which had Obliged him to leave his former Job), Killed with many Bullet Shots Fired at his Family Home Doorstep, Suddenly a well-known Brittish Establishment's Newspaper as "The Guardian", astonishingly made a Spectacular "U-Turn", Long-After its staff's Summer Holidays, Starting to Publish, after all these Weeks, a Long Article on that Crime, for the 1st Time ! Why ? It's, as we Discovered very soon, because, just a Few Days Earlier, even prestigious International Organisation "UNESCO"'s Director General, Irina Bokova, with whom "Eurofora" has Worked in the Past, including at the CoE, (Comp., f.ex., earlier Irina Bokova's Statements to "Eurofora" at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/unescobokovainternetautomatictranslation.html), had, in the meantime, a Few Weeks After Our Publication, issued a landmark Official Statement Urging to Investigate lone Web-Editor Do Carmo's Murder, in the name of all UNO Member State's Obligation to Protect from Aggressions all Journalists : - "I Condemn the Murder of Joao Miranda do Carmo, and I Call on the Authorities to Investigate this Crime, and Bring its Perpetrators to Justice", said UNESCO's Head. This was done, as a matter of Principle, "so as to Protect Journalists' ability to Continue Contributing to Informed Public Debate", (i.e., a Basic PreCondition to real Democracy), she Stressed. - The Victim, "Do Carmo", "Owned and Edited a Local News Website", but "was Shot ... at his Home", UNESCO's Official Anouncement reminded. Concerning such Web-"Media Workers", "the Director-General of UNESCO issues Statements", whenever one of them might, eventualy, be "Killed", "in line with (a) Resolution", already "adopted" by the International Organization's "Member States", as early as since "1997", entitled "Condemnation of Violence against Journalists", this August 2016 Official Document explains. Headlined : "Director-General Condemns Murder of Journalist Joao Miranda do Carmo in Brazil", this was Posted "on a Dedicated (Web-) Page", Titled : "UNESCO Condemns the Killing of Journalists". Irina Bokova, currently is among the Front-Runner Candidates for the post of the New Secretary General of the UNO. The "Resolution No 29", of UNESCO's General Conference of 1997 in Paris, about "Violence against Journalists", to which refers the Recent, August 2016, Official Statement of Director General Irina Bukova, is clearly Founded on the Human Right of Free Speech (refering also to the PanEuropean ECHR), and, speaking about "Journalists", it Focuses on what it explicitly names as "Persons Exercising (i.e. in their Regular Activities : See Infra) the Right to Freedom of Expression", (f.ex. Art. 2, al 2). -------------------------------------------------- => Apparently, Thanks also to that Boost given by Irina Bokova to that Web-Editor's Murder case Investigation, the competent Local Police in Brazil, managed to Arrest, Shortly Afterwards, also a 2nd Suspect, as "The Guardian" Reports, citting the Local Press and an apparently well-informed US Texas University Blogger specialized on Press Freedom Issues throughout all the American Continent. Personaly Linked to that Local Municipality, that the Victim used to Strongly Criticize quite Often, (Comp. Supra), those 2 Arrested Suspects might be related also with a Concrete Affair that the Web-Editor had just Covered in an Article among those Published Shortly before his Murder, according to some Local Press Reports, (also compared to do Carmos' Website content - in Portuguese). ------------------------------------------------------- "Eurofora" had earlier Published a relevant Interview, with the New "European Federation of Journalists" Secretary General, Ricardo Gutierrez, during a landmark CoE's International Conference on Press Freedom Topical Issues, where he has stressed, in substance, that, in that Field, what Matters most, is Not to have, or not, a so-called "Press Card" (too often issued by some National Outlets rather according to mainly ...Fiscal aspects, as f.ex. the Origin of the Majority of a Person's Financial Revenues, and Not at all according to the Substantial Content of his/her Regular Activity to Produce Original NewsReports Informing about Important Issues affecting People's Lives and the Society at large, while also Respecting Press Deontolgy Rules), but, preferably, to "Be a Good Journalist", as he had resumed, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/iachrcoebookandefjsgonjournalismdefinition.html). + This very Topical, General Issue, more and more Widespread in our Post-Modern Times, particularly Since the Digital New Tech. Revolution, added to the World-Wide-Web's Internet, notoriously Bypassed Gutemberg's Old Printing Machine, (which, however, still remains always Useful, even if Otherwise), has also Recently Inspired some Exceptionaly very Long and interesting Thoughts, Ideas and Practical Proposals, that our old Friend, the Experienced Long-Time former Internationa Federation of Journalists' Secretary General, Aidan White, (currently Director of the "Ethical Press Network"), had just Published then, in a Special CoE's Book on "Journalism at Risk", a Hard Copy of which was graciously given to "Eurofora", on which we Published then several Abstracts in an Overall Analysis about such New Media Actors, who should, under certain Conditions, be Protected by all relevant Authorities in the Same Way as all Journalists, (See Ibid). ++ Even More Important, "Eurofora" had also Published then, a Pioneer Analysis of two (curiously often Disregarded and/or Ignored by Establishment's Old Media) Historic, landmark Decisions of the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights (IACHR)n which had Unanimously Condemened the Attempts of some National Governments in Latin America (under the Push of some Selfish, Undemocratic and Obscurantist, Corporatist Lobbies) to Attempt to Impose a similar kind of "Press Card", issued Only on similarly Inadequate Criteria, often Blatantly DisRegarding a Real Media Work, (Comp. Supra), in order to Oblige all News Producers to hold one, Otherwise being Threatened with Obstacles Hindering their Activities and even Denying them any Recognition and/or Protection as Journalists : The Inter-American Judges clearly Condemned that, as a Blatant, Anti-Democratic and illegal Violation of the Human Right to the Freedom of Expression, which is also a well-known pre-requisitive to any Genuine Democracy, (as also the PanEuropean, Strasbourg-based ECHR, notoriously admits). This had been Timely observed, during that 2 Days long CoE's landmark International Conference, by a Competent CoE's Expert, just 1 Week before the 30th Anniversary of those Historic Judgments of the Inter-American Human Rights' Court, (which, Tragically, "coinciided" with the notorious October 2015 ISIL's Deadly Islamic Terrorist Attacks killing a lot of Innocent Civilian People in Paris)... Meanwhile, "Eurofora"s NewsReport on that particular Case of Website Editor do Carmo's Murder, Published towards the End of July 2016, has already been Read by about 500 Independent Visitors in Less than 1 Month this Summer, while the Previous, Wider-scope NewsReport on Basic Principles, Published on Mid-October 2015, (i.e. almost 10 Months Earlier), was Read by more than ...7.000 Independent Visitors of "Eurofora.net". ---------------------------------- + Soros Scandal on 2014 EU Elections' Manipulation + EU Observer staff ...Paid to Woo controversial Millionaire's Wishes ! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- A Fortiori, after the Recent Revations made by Leaks of Classified Documents on Controversial Multi-Millionaire Soros' multiple Payments f.ex. to Establishment's Media "EU Observer"'staff in order to Write and Publish Newspaper Articles supporting his Views, as Part of what was Denounced as a much Wider Attempt to "Manipulate Elections in All EU Member States", f.ex. on the occasion of a "European Elections 2014" on EU Parliament "Project", according to concrete Data released by "DC Leaks" Group of Activists, it would, obviously, become an even Worst Scandal if some EU Agents might, eventualy, have given comfortable Press Accreditations to Individuals Paid by that Lobbystit Millionaire for Articles making his Propaganda, in a Blatant Violation of Elementary Press Deontology Rules, while, almost at the Same Time, they would, perhaps, have Raised Obstacles or even Refused to allow Access to Other, Honest Press Workers, who simply Accomplish their Duty to Regularly Investigate and Publish Original EU News on various Topical Issues affecting People's Lives and the Society at large, (in line with ECHR's well established Principles on Art. 10 of the PanEuropean Convention on Human Rights) ... Indeed, it's at least Twice that Controversial Multi-Millionaire Soros paid Establishment's Media "EU Observers"' Staff, First with about 30.000 $, and Afterwards with More than 131.000 $, (etc), in order to Target not only "Europe's Far Right" Politician's "Speech", but even "Mainstream Politicians"' "Rhetoric and Policies" (sic !). For such purpose, Soros Paid more than "128 Articles" of so-called ... "Professional News Reporting" (sic !), by some, so-called "Experienced, Local (Pseudo-) Journalists", that "EU Observer Recruited", thanks to that Multi-Millionaire's Money, leaked documents revealed, (and such Corrupted Misgivings even Continued also After the 2014 EU Elections !) Which Shady Bureaucrat would, after that, Dare eventualy Oppress Honest News Reporting by really Independent Journalists, Respecting Press Deontology Rules, Contrary to such Paid Lackeys, on any Hollow Pretext concerning Money ? After those stunning Revelations (of which there are even more..), any such Arbitrary Blunder, wouldn't stay UnPunished for long, in one way or another... ---------------------------------------------------------------- (../..) In a post for the theistic evolutionary group BioLogos, Canadian biology professor Dennis Venema writes affectionately, with only a mild touch of disdain, about the intelligent design movement. Their (meaning our) hearts are in the right place, he tells readers. Like him, advocates of ID want to build an apologetic against materialism. Theyre just going about it in the wrong way. And their science is wrong. Venema readily concedes that living cells use highly intricate processes to manage genetic information. However, is it really information? And is the genetic code really a code? The quote marks in both cases are Venemas. He uses them in the evident hope of weakening the commonly held intuition that both must be designed. If there is a natural pathway to the genetic code, he argues, then it only looks like a code in hindsight. It only looks like information after evolution improved it. Venemas argument rests on two premises, one empirical and one philosophical. The empirical premise is that a natural pathway to the genetic code is known, though admittedly many questions remain. The philosophical premise is that finding a natural explanation is superior to interventionism (the approach of looking for supernatural acts of God requiring miracles). We should learn from history, he says, and prefer the natural pathway: As an aside, as a Christian biologist I would be perfectly fine with the answer being either natural or supernatural. Both natural and supernatural means are part of the providence of God, and the distinction is not a biblical one in any case. Perhaps God set up the cosmos in a way to allow for abiogenesis to take place. Perhaps he created the first life directly though, as we will see, there are lines of evidence that I think are suggestive of the former rather than the latter. Similarly, I would have been fine with God supernaturally sustaining the flames of the sun for our benefit, as English apologist John Edwards claimed long ago. I do happen to think that solar fusion is an elegant way to solve this problem, and as a person of faith I think it evinces a deeper, more satisfying design than some sort of miraculous interventionist approach for keeping the sun going. I recognize, however, that seeing design in the natural process of solar fusion or abiogenesis is not the sort of argument that some Christian apologists are looking for. [Emphasis added.] Whats notable is the language of faith. Who is making a religious argument here? In this one paragraph, Venema uses the words God, supernatural, providence, biblical, faith, miraculous, and Christian. Such language is tellingly absent from most intelligent design literature, which as a matter of science and of principle avoids questions about the identity of the designer, instead ascribing effects to causes that can be demonstrated scientifically to be necessary and sufficient. The design argument is a purely scientific one, as Michael Behe states in Unlocking the Mystery of Life: It might have religious implications, but it does not depend on religious premises. Indeed, ID emphatically isnt an apologetic strategy. It is a scientific theory of origins, which may be right or wrong, yet must be judged as science and only as science. From there, Venema addresses biological matters. In particular, he attempts to refute Stephen Meyers contention that the genetic code is arbitrary, therefore designed. Well before Stephen Meyer wrote Signature in the Cell (2009), Venema argues, Meyer should have known of the work of Michael Yarus, who as far back as the 1980s was showing that chemical affinities between RNA and amino acids could have led to the genetic code naturally. From simple beginnings entirely natural todays complex interactions between messenger RNA (mRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) could have evolved by a process of Direct RNA Templating, or DRT: I recall reading Meyers argument for an arbitrary code when Signature first came out in 2009, and being surprised by it. The reason for my surprise was simple: in 2009 there was already a detailed body of scientific work that demonstrated exactly what Meyer claimed had never been shown.[1] Though Meyer claimed that molecular biologists have failed to find any significant chemical interaction between the codons on mRNA (or the anticodons on tRNA) and the amino acids on the acceptor arm of tRNA to which the codons correspond this was simply not the case. Overall, Venemas tone is respectful and non-confrontational. Thats good. But now it is our turn to be surprised, because another detailed body of scientific work has already rebutted his argument. In fact, Dr. Meyer, along with Paul Nelson, addressed DRT in a paper in BIO-Complexity in August 2011, responding specifically to the claims of Michael Yarus (see Ann Gaugers summary here at Evolution News). Not only that, Meyer responded to Venema directly when he brought up the same argument in his critical view of Signature in December 2010 (PDF here; see Meyers rebuttal and Venemas response). Other authors have responded to DRT in our pages: Jonathan M. (August 2011), Evolution News (September 2011), and Casey Luskin (December 2011). Thats at least six who have replied to Venemas sole empirical support for his argument. In each case, they did so with scientific evidence, not religious arguments or appeals to apologetic concerns. Why, then, is Dr. Venema resurrecting DRT as if it is something new? In his article there is not a single reference to any of our post-Signature writings, including the direct dialogue he had with Meyer in 2011 on this very point. How curious. That seems a missed opportunity for engagement. His omission is doubly regrettable when you consider that the DRT argument fails to address the very issue Venema claims it does: the origin of the genetic code. Chemical affinity is the wrong kind of process to explain biological information. Real information (without the scare quotes) is characterized by aperiodic sequences of building blocks, not the regular, repetitive sequences produced by chemical attraction. Thats clear from this sentence, as from Venemas own writing. Its clear from DNA itself. His sole empirical support, therefore, falls away. The fact that several amino acids do in fact bind their codons or anticodons is strong evidence that at least part of the code was formed through chemical interactions and, contra Meyer, is not an arbitrary code. The code we have or at least for those amino acids for which direct binding was possible was indeed a chemically favored code. And if it was chemically favored, then it is quite likely that it had a chemical origin, even if we do not yet understand all the details of how it came to be. The reader can decide what is strong evidence or quite likely. Are we to conclude that the English language emerged by unguided natural processes because crisps and chips can refer to the same thing, as he argues? In DNA, the sequence AUG leads to adding methionine to a protein, not because of any chemical attraction, but because it has meaning in a code. It refers to a separate entity that a programmed system knows how to decode. Some amino acids can be coded by multiple DNA triplets (serine has six), but this is another design feature (see Casey Luskins article here). What motivates this desire to prefer natural causes? Certainly a fear of God-of-the-gaps looms large. Venema adduces what science will learn some day: As such, building an apologetic on the presumed future failings of abiogenesis research, when current research already undercuts ones thesis, seems to me as problematic for Meyer in 2009 as it did for Edwards in 1696. Do unanswered questions remain? Of course. Should we bank on them never being answered? Or would it be more wise to frame our apologetics on what we know, rather than what we dont know? But thats the point. ID argues that we should infer intelligent causes when justified through the Design Filter because of what we do know, not what we dont know. We do know of a cause that can build information-rich structures with meaning and reference. We do know of a cause that can encode, decode, and translate things into functional hierarchies. That cause is intelligence. We never see natural processes building such things. Is this interventionist thinking? The real appeal to miracles is hoping for unguided natural processes to accomplish, at some unspecified future date, what is demonstrably physically impossible (see Douglas Axes book Undeniable for the math on that). John Edwards did not use the Design Filter. He speculated, and used theological arguments in so doing. There is no comparison. The real gaps argument lies in hoping that science will someday find a natural chemical affinity leading to the genetic code. That is like expecting that someday scientists will find that the molecules in a DVD can organize themselves into a movie that will play in a DVD player. The best explanation appeals to causes known to be in operation that can account for the phenomenon under study: for DVDs and for the genetic code that far surpasses DVDs in functional information. In our universal experience, intelligence is not only the best explanation; it is the only explanation. Venema promises more posts in a series rebutting Meyers claim that evolution is incapable of generating significant amounts of new information. Of course, he is welcome to his own opinion, but not to his own science. To ignore a large body of past dialogue on the very issue under consideration does a disservice to his readers and misinforms them about our position, as if we were the ones unaware of the science. Dr. Venema is warmly encouraged to try again: start with a literature search, provide references, and address an opponents position as it is, not a caricature of it. Photo credit: Marquis Washington stock.adobe.com. Anthony Apanovitch is an innocent man, and the state of Ohio knows it. But it plans to execute him anyway. Apanovitch is on death row even though DNA evidence conclusively proves that he did not commit the crime for which he has been sentenced to die. He is there because of a shocking combination of prosecutorial misconduct and the desire of some supporters of capital punishment to achieve finality in death cases even if it comes at the expense of justice . This almost unimaginable situation defies any semblance of justice and simple fairness. Executing the innocent is an American nightmare. It is a nightmare that Apanovitch is living. The state of Ohio needs to end that nightmare and make sure that it doesnt commit a state-sanctioned murder. Capital sentencing has proven to be unreliable not just in Ohio but wherever the death penalty is used in this country. Over the last fifty years, 190 people have been exonerated and released from death row . Twenty-one of those exonerations resu Missouri's death chamber A reporter whose stories have been critical of Missouri's death penalty procedures sued the state's prisons chief Wednesday in federal court, accusing him of wrongly excluding him from being an execution witness. The American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit filed on behalf of Buzzfeed News reporter Christopher McDaniel asks a judge to block anyone other than Missouri's attorney general from serving as an execution witness until McDaniel's due-process claims are decided. None of the 25 Missouri death row inmates had been scheduled for execution as of Wednesday. McDaniel, a former reporter for St. Louis public radio, applied in January 2014 to witness a Missouri execution "to ensure that executions are carried out in a constitutional manner," according to the lawsuit. But McDaniel never got a response, and 17 executions have been carried out by the state since. George Lombardi, who heads the state Department of Corrections, has "unfettered discretion" in deciding who, according to state law, may be among the at least "8 reputable citizens" to witness an execution, according to the lawsuit. David Owen, a Missouri Department of Corrections spokesman, told The Associated Press by email that the department doesn't publicly discuss pending litigation. Neither Nanci Gonder, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, nor Scott Holste, a spokesman for the governor, responded to requests for comment. The lawsuit contends that McDaniel's "unfavourable" reporting about the way Missouri executes prisoners may explain why he hasn't been allowed to witness an execution. McDaniel's stories since December 2013 have called into question such matters as how the state obtains its execution drugs and the state's method of giving condemned inmates sedatives before their executions. State records obtained by the ACLU through a May 2014 public records request and eventual litigation showed that applicants to be execution witnesses were denied if they "expressed a desire to ensure that executions were carried out properly and constitutionally," the lawsuit alleges. "Execution witnesses are an important check to ensure the department does not abuse its power. That check does not work when the department can choose to exclude anyone critical of its behaviour," Tony Rothert, the ACLU of Missouri's legal chief, said in a statement. Missouri has executed more prisoners than any state except Texas in recent years. It has executed 19 prisoners since November 2013, including 6 last year. The only one this year came in May, when 66-year-old Earl Forrest was put to death for the 2002 killings of 2 people in a drug dispute and a sheriff's deputy in a subsequent shootout. | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! Source: Associated Press, September 1, 2016 Friday, September 2, 2016 If you have a drive through window, you should implement a method to be used by blind and deaf patrons to order at your drive through window if you want to avoid discrimination claims and class action suits. You should also be sure self-serve soda machines have raise braille on the user-input interfaces. Several cases have been filed across the US against fast food retailers with drive-through windows alleging discrimination because there were not adequate accommodations for blind or deaf customers. In the case of Scott Magee et al. v. McDonalds Corp., a blind patron sued McDonalds alleging accusing it of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) by limiting its late-night services to drive-throughs that blind individuals cannot access. Many fast food retailers limit late night service to the drive-through because it reduces the employee count and provides protection to the employees against theft and other criminal activity. Many establishments also refuse to serve customers not in cars in the drive-through due to safety concerns. The patron claims that because pedestrians are prohibited from ordering at the drive-thru windows or entering the restaurants in the late evening and early morning, blind people are completely blocked from ordering from the fast-food restaurants during those hours unless they hire a taxi or have a friend who drives them through the drive through window. The enjoyment of fast food was likened to a right of living in the US, and should be available without reliance on a third party, especially for those who may not be able to cook for themselves. The patron proposed a phone that could be used for ordering from outside and that employees could bring the order out personally to the disabled patrons. A Nebraska case against McDonalds in 2007 made similar claims and argued that the company should post a sign at the order location (the squawk box ordering device) instructing deaf and blind patrons to proceed to the pick-up or order window for service. They argue that interruption in drive through service for order or pick up window orders is a reasonable accommodation. Such accommodation was found reasonable by a DC judge in a similar case about a decade earlier against a midwest McDonalds business. In Cirrincione v. Taco Bell Corporation et al., a case against two Taco Bell locations, allegations included the failure to provide accommodations for deaf patrons in the drive through ordering process and to properly train employees working the drive through windows how to handle handicapped patrons. The patron alleged that she was treated rudely when she attempted to hand a note with her order to the employees at two separate New Jersey pick-up windows (rather than order through the two-way speaker system). She was told that she interrupted the drive-through service and that she should come inside the store on future visits. Taco Bell settled another discrimination case in 2014 paying a $5.4 million settlement to a class of disabled customers in a lawsuit alleging the California locations of the restaurant didnt accommodate people using wheelchairs or scooters. White Castle and McDonalds have been sued for not allowing walk-up (or motorized wheelchair or bicycle) service at the drive-through window. Last year, a blind man in New York sued McDonalds because its Freestyle soda machines, which allow customers to mix their own cocktails of soda flavors using a touch screen, violate the ADA because blind consumers cannot use them without assistance. The patron argued that the machines could easily accommodate the needs of the blind by using tactile buttons and an audio interface. What would be acceptable accommodations? A few things found acceptable in settling some of the cases include the use of picture menus, pen and paper, raised braille menus and button interfaces, voice command customer interfaces and permitting ordering at the person manned window. No matter what accommodations you choose to implement, you should provide training to your staff on serving customers with disabilities, particularly those who are deaf or hard of hearing, and inform employees that corrective or disciplinary action will be taken against employees who do not comply with your accessibility policy. The two 2016 cases are Scott Magee et al. v. McDonalds Corp., case number 1:16-cv-05652, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and Cirrincione v. Taco Bell Corporation et al., case number 1:16-cv-04248, filed in U.S. District Court of New Jersey. About Tracy Jong Tracy Jong has been an attorney for more than 20 years, representing restaurants, bars, and craft beverage manufacturers in a wide array of legal matters. She is also a licensed patent attorney. Her book Everything You Need To Know About Obtaining and Maintaining a New York Retail Liquor License: The Definitive Guide to Navigating the State Liquor Authority will be available next month on Amazon.com as a softcover and Kindle e-book. Her legal column is available in The Equipped Brewer, a publication giving business advice, trends, and vendor reviews to help craft breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries build brands and succeed financially. She also maintains a website and blog with practical information on legal and business issues affecting the industry. Follow her, sign up for her free firm app or monthly newsletter. www.TracyJongLawFirm.com TJong@TracyJongLawFirm.com Facebook: Tracy Jong Law Firm Twitter: @TJLawFirm LinkedIn: Tracy Jong Tracy Jong Law Firm Friday, September 2, 2016 James Holmess 2012 attack on the Century Aurora 16 movie theater showing The Dark Knight Rises killed 12 people and wounded 70 others. Many of the survivors and relatives of those killed sued Cinemark, the theaters owner, in state and federal court, arguing that lax security was the cause of the attack. Cinemarks defense was that the shooting was unforeseeable. Two suits went forward, one in state court and one in federal court, with different plaintiffs. Cinemark prevailed in both. After the recent jury verdict for Cinemark in the state court case this summer, the company had sought nearly $700,000 from the victims under the loser pays Colorado law, which directs that the winning side in a civil case is entitled to recover its legal costs from the losing side. This is the predominant system in England and Europe. The litigation costs of Cinemark in the federal case are likely to be more than $700,000, maybe a lot more. Whats going on here (the best question to begin any ethics inquiry)? Well 1. The law suits were a terrible idea. This was the result, in part, of the increasingly popular ideological virus in our society that is slowly reprogramming previously functioning brains to believe that nobody should have to pay for their misfortunes, and that somebody with deeper pocket and more resources should always be obligated to pay instead. This is increasingly a staple of leftist thought: the government, insurance companies, corporations, people with more money, all of them should be potentially on the hook when misfortune strikes others, because thats fair. 2. Its not fair, though. It is profoundly un-American and unethical. If those parties have caused the damage, or had the power and responsibility to mitigate it, or promised to pay for it, then there are ethical arguments to support them paying some or all of the expenses. But if something terrible happens to you, those people should have no more obligation to be accountable for your harm than you should have responsibility for taking care of them. Thats not the message sent by the culture though. Lawyers love the message that if you are harmed, somebody else can be found to ease your pain. They love it, because they can share in the bounty if a lawsuit seeking damages prevails, and this attitude guarantees more lawsuits. 3. It was predictable that these lawsuits against the movie theater would be filed, because there was bound to be greedy and/or incompetent lawyers who would take the cases. It was not a suit that should have been brought, however, and the plaintiffs should have listened when lawyers told them that, as Im sure some did. Do you know how many mass shootings there have been in movie theaters? None. Zero. Rival gangs have had shootouts at a drive-in, and arguments have escalated into violence in ticket lines, and individuals have been attacked and killed for talking during a film, and movies about violence have sparked riots. No one, however, had ever done what James Holmes did, so it was ridiculous to try to make the theater pay damages because it didnt anticipate what had never happened before. 4. The law suit was not technically frivolous, since it argued for a new standard of liability, so it was not an unethical lawsuit in legal ethics terms. It was still, however, an unethical lawsuitin universal, right and wrong terms that aimed to punish a corporation that did nothing wrong, based on the unethical principle that we are not responsible for the burdens of our own misfortunes. The lawsuits failed the Rule of Universalitywould we want such a principle to apply to all tragedies?-the Golden Rule, and utilitarianism. In an article about the case in the Los Angeles Times, victim and plaintiff Marcus Weaver is quotes as saying, We all knew they were liable. We knew they were at fault. How did they know that, since the theater management wasnt liable, and wasnt at fault? Who gave them the bizarre idea that it was? What lawyers failed their ethical duty to explain that the culture pf blame-shifting for catastrophes had warped their common sense and values? 5. If the plaintiffs in Colorado were not informed by their attorneys that there was a real risk of their woes being magnified by having to pay litigation costs after they lost, which was likely, that was unethical, as well as malpractice. 6. According to the Los Angeles Times, the federal judge overseeing the case told the plaintiffs attorneys that he was prepared to rule against their clients, and urged the plaintiffs to settle with Cinemark. What? Judges cant do that! They cant give one party a heads up on what hes going to rule so they can get a settlement from the party that doesnt know what the other party knows! No such settlement would be enforceable. I presume the judge will be hearing from the judicial discipline committee. 7. The illicitly-planted settlement, which would have given plaintiffs $150, 000 to split rather than the millions they were seeking, fell apart because a single victim refused to accept it. Her child was killed in the shooting, she was left paralyzed and the baby she was carrying had been lost, so she had reason to be unreasonable and selfishbut reason to be unreasonable and selfish isnt justification. Her stubbornness, be it born of frustration, anger, misery or an obsession with revenge, was irresponsible and destructive, and he lawyer should have told her so, and perhaps did. 8. Because of the single victim who felt entitled to place the other plaintiffs at risk in the hope of a miracle that wasnt going to happen, the loss of the case placed the burden of more than $700, 000 dollars on the victims, as well as additional costs of the federal suit. Many will say that this is unfair to the victims. I hate loser pays as public policy, but it certainly isnt unfair in a case like this. Cinemark was forced to spend well over a million dollars because a lot of people randomly harmed by a madman felt that the law should redistribute misery. It was a wrongful, unfair, dangerous lawsuit, Imagine what measures would have to be put into place after Caremark lost, in every movie theater in the country. Airport-style security for moviegoers, pat-downs, armed guards, wildly increased insurance premiums, extra exits in theater. Heck, who knows what else? Bullet proof seats? Silent buzzers to summon police for a once in a millennium event? The inevitable result would be higher movie tickets, as you and I would have to pay for a lone gunmans act in Colorado. A possible result would be the end of the movie industry. 9. The victims deserved to lose. Everyone should be thrilled that they did. 10. Today we learned that Cinemark has offered a deal in which it will drop its claims for litigation costs if the victims will agree not to appeal the cases. This is a wise move, if only from a public relations standpoint. Maybe it is a deal inspired, at least in part, by compassion, which would make it an ethical move as well. 11. All but four plaintiffs have agreed to this settlement, meaning that if they do forward with appeals and lose, as they should, the four will be solely responsible for the costs. No one should feel sorry for them when they do lose. They are rolling the dice, gambling hundreds of thousands of dollars that they will get lucky with an unjust ruling. 12. How do you like your loser pays now, Rosie? In 2007, Rosie ODonnell shot off her big mouth on The View to the effect that the U.S. should have a loser pays system. The problem with loser pays is that while it discourages bad suits, long-shot suits and ill-conceived suits like these, it also discourages legitimate suits in cases where the litigation costs will soar and one of the parties is much better equipped to pay for them. I explained this on the old Ethics Scoreboard, and in 2010 re-posted that piece here, when loser pays raised its ugly, misshapen head again. An excerpt: Why dont we have the British system that turns every lawsuit into a major financial risk to the plaintiff? We dont have it because it would effectively cut off anyone without millions of dollars to burn from redress from major injuries caused by large and wealthy organizations. America has a contingent fee system in personal injury cases, which means that lawyers get paid only if a case prevails. It also has a system of court-ordered punishments, including court costs and fines, for plaintiffs and lawyers who bring absurd lawsuits Rosies brilliant solution would discourage even the most deserving plaintiffs from suing corporations that sold them deadly cars, bad drugs, fatal toys and other defective products. It would make it harder for working parents to sue negligent hospitals that left their child blind and brain-damaged, and careless surgeons who amputate wrong legs or miss obvious tumors while examining patients. The Catholic Church would have loved Rosies system when it was being brought to court for allowing sexual predators to serially molest young boys. America leads the world in product safety because victims of negligence and callousness can sue without fear of being clobbered by companies that can spend, or threaten to spend, millions in their defense. The big pay-off from contingent fees, some of which are certainly excessive, provides incentive for plaintiffs attorneys to sink millions of their own into legitimate cases, allowing them to be tried. [Loser pays] would be a gift to every manufacturer of a dangerous product, every designer who paid more attention to aesthetics than safety, every bad doctor, every careless driver, every dishonest insurance company, and every shoddy construction company. MIAMI - Florida has found the Zika virus in three groups of mosquitoes trapped in Miami Beach - the first time this has happened in the continental U.S. - and authorities are blaming a particular flower for making mosquito control much more difficult. One of the traps that tested positive was at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, where bromeliads bloom. The plants trap standing water in their cylindrical centers, providing excellent breeding areas for mosquitoes amid their colorful flowers and pointy leaves. "Everyone should know by now that bromeliads are really problematic for us. These are probably the number one breeding area for mosquitoes," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. He said Miami Beach is removing all bromeliads from its landscaping, and urged residents across the county to either pull them out or rinse them after every rain. Targeted efforts And with Hurricane Hermine bringing much more rain to Florida, Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday ordered the county to immediately conduct aerial spraying by helicopter as recommended by the CDC. The Zika-carrying mosquitoes were trapped in a touristy 1.5-square-mile area of South Beach identified as a zone of active transmission of the virus, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said. "This is the first time we have found a Zika virus positive mosquito pool in the continental United States," said Erin Sykes, a CDC spokeswoman. Finding the virus in mosquitoes has been likened by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to finding a needle in a haystack, but the testing helps mosquito controllers target their efforts, and it confirms that the insects themselves, in addition to infected humans, have begun transmitting the virus inside the mainland United States. The illness spreads from people to mosquitoes to people again through bites, but the insects do not spread the disease among their own population, and their lifespan is just a few weeks. A poll released Thursday suggests nearly 48 percent of Americans are wary of traveling to U.S. destinations where people have been infected with Zika. The Kaiser Family Foundation survey also found 61 percent felt uneasy about traveling to Zika zones outside the U.S. mainland, including Puerto Rico. Spreading in Singapore In Singapore, officials said a pregnant woman tested positive for the Zika virus infection on Wednesday, as the number of reported cases reached 115 in less than a week since the first locally-transmitted infection was identified. There were 24 new cases identified Wednesday, with a potential infection cluster in the east of the island, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency. Nine additional infections were also detected from testing of previous cases. A total of 57 cases - half of those infected - were foreigners who work and live in the city-state, the Ministry of Health said in a separate statement on Thursday. Polunsky Unit, Texas death row, Livingston, TX It's been 148 days since Texas executed someone - a remarkable lull in the use of the death penalty for a state that has killed far more people than any other. It's been 148 days since Texas executed someone - a remarkable lull in the use of the death penalty for a state that has killed far more people than any other. In the nearly 5 months since Pablo Vasquez was killed by lethal injection on April 6, execution after execution in the state has been canceled. In fact, there hasn't been a gap between Texas executions this long since June 2008, according to state records. That gap happened when the Supreme Court temporarily halted the death penalty nationwide during a case on the constitutionality of lethal injection. The 2016 hiatus is, in part, a sign of the decline of the death penalty in the Lone Star State. Since 1976, Texas has executed 537 people - more than the next top 6 states combined. At its peak in 2000, the state had 40 executions, more than 1 every other week. That's gradually declined over the years; in 2015, Texas executed 13 people. The lull in executions also comes as more judges, public officials and ordinary citizens are speaking out about the questionable practices in some of the state's death penalty convictions. "Texans are stepping back from this most irreversible punishment," said Kathryn Kase, the executive director of Texas Defender Services, a nonprofit law firm that defends death row inmates. "More and more people are expressing concerns about the way Texas has used the death penalty ... We all benefit from going more slowly on this." The state's execution-free summer was caused by a string of scheduled executions that were stayed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest criminal court in the state. Since Vasquez was killed, the Court has heard last-minute appeals from five men scheduled to be executed, and in each case ruled that the execution must be called off. "Cases that would have historically been given a green light with just a cursory glance are now being given more scrutiny," said Kristin Houle, the executive director of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. While each of the inmates' lives were spared for different reasons, each stay underscores the variety of flaws in the state's handling of the death penalty. The men were: --Charles Flores, who was scheduled to die on June 2 and won a stay on May 27. His execution was stayed over his claim that police officers improperly hypnotized the key eyewitness in the case. --Robert Roberson, who was scheduled to die June 21 and won a stay on June 16 because of new scientific evidence discounting the "shaken baby" theory that led to his conviction. --Robert Pruett, who was scheduled to die August 23 and won a stay on August 11 while the court considered whether more DNA testing was necessary. --Jeff Wood, who was scheduled to die August 24 and won a stay on August 19 due to improper expert testimony during his trial. His case attracted national attention because he didn't actually kill anybody; he was involved in a robbery when his accomplice shot and killed a store clerk. --Rolando Ruiz, who was scheduled to die Wednesday and won a stay last week Friday based on his claim that his previous lawyer was incompetent. In addition, Perry Williams, who was scheduled to die July 14, had his execution called off after the state failed to meet a deadline for testing of its execution drugs ordered by a separate federal court. 3 other inmates, Terry Edwards, Ramiro Gonzalez, and Tai'chin Preyor, had their executions postponed for procedural reasons. While the Court of Criminal Appeals has historically had a reputation of being conservative and ruling against defendants, some observers say there has been a change in tone over the last few months. Anti-death penalty activists and lawyers point to the influence of Judge Elsa Alcala, who's become a strong voice criticizing Texas executions. In June, Alcala - the only nonwhite judge on the Court - wrote a powerful opinion questioning the constitutionality of the death penalty. She's been a part of the majority opinions staying all 6 of the recent executions. "She is a thorn in the sides of all the [pro-death penalty] justices who sit up there in Austin," said Pat Hartwell, a longtime anti-capital punishment activist in Houston. "We have been waiting for years for a sitting judge to do this." At the same time that executions in the state have flatlined, Texas juries have sent only 2 new inmates to death row so far in 2016, and sent only 3 inmates in all of 2015 - far fewer than in previous years. "The innocence cases have really shaken people, the forensic science errors that have been discussed, and just the repeated drumbeat of stories about the overall of the failures in how the death penalty is carried out, it's caused people to stop and reflect," Kase said. "They don't like what they see." Spokespeople for the Texas Attorney General's office and the state prison system declined to comment. The decline in executions and death sentences in Texas mirrors a wider decrease in the use of the death penalty across the country. The number of death sentences in the U.S. in 2015 was the lowest since 1991, and will likely be even lower this year. Many other states are currently unable to execute anyone: Arizona and Arkansas lack any execution drugs, Oklahoma has enacted a moratorium following the botched execution, and Florida and Alabama are dealing with a Supreme Court ruling that seems to invalidate their policy of allowing judges to sentence a defendant to death instead of juries. Still, Texas remains in many ways the center of capital punishment in America. 6 of the 15 people executed around the country so far in 2016 are from the Lone Star State, as were 13 of the 28 people executed in 2015. And polls still show that large majorities of Texans support the death penalty, although it's down from past years. There are currently 4 executions scheduled to take place in the state over the next few months. The next inmate on the list, Robert Jennings, is scheduled to die September 14. Jennings' attorneys have already filed a motion asking the top court for a stay. | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! Source: fusion.net, Sept. 1, 2016 JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser Midwest spinach production explained in detail Learn how spinach performs in the Midwest and seasonal considerations in a new publication from ISU. Shropshire A Full-Time position is available for an assistant herdsperson on a family dairy farm in mid Shropshire. We have a 250 dairy herd rearing own replacements together with a b... There has been a considerable increase in farmers anticipating either no or low business growth, according to a new survey. The National Association of Independent Accountancy Practices (MHA) produced a snapshot of attitudes in farming today, taken shortly before the EU referendum. It found that farmers were concerned mostly about pricing and succession planning. "This is the first time the survey has dipped into negative territory, and reflects a combination of poor prices and poor weather with correspondingly poor yields," David Missen, Head of the MHA agricultural sector said. "However, the good weather in July and August together with currency movement post referendum has certainly helped to improve matters and the outlook for the reminder of the year is looking more positive. David Missen, Head of the MHA agricultural sector "Clearly, 2016 has been a momentous year with the country deciding to leave the EU and the uncertainty of the vote at the time would have contributed to the general feeling of uneasiness within agriculture" The survey also highlighted the elephant in the room that is Succession Planning - which continues to be of increasing concern to agricultural businesses. Mr. Missen said the sooner families manage this situation the better for all concerned. "All members affected by the succession issue should be involved in the process. "This may be challenging for some families but it is crucial in order that misunderstandings are avoided" Farm borrowing increases Borrowing on UK farms has grown significantly and is relatively unchecked in recent times with a record 17.769bn in the year ending June. The data shows a rise of 208m in overall agricultural borrowing which shows a continued trend year-on-year. Historically borrowings normally fall around December time as farm subsidy payments make their way into the farmers' bank account. Between 2009 and 2014, the drop is borrowing between November and December averaged 4.5%. But increasing numbers of farmers are borrowing to ease cash flow problems with the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Neil Parish MP saying farmers face 'extreme hardship' as prices for produce is low. Increasingly volatile markets may mean farming businesses that are highly seasonal or have long profit cycles will need to think differently about managing their cash flow in the future. NFU President Meurig Raymond said: "Cash flow problems are arguably the biggest threat for farm businesses at present. "And the NFU has been working directly with the banks to ensure a positive dialogue continues in the face of external factors, outside of our control, which are having an impact on farmers bottom lines. "Farmgate prices for key commodities are in a markedly different place than they were two years ago, leading to lower margins and profitability across the sector." FW & JM Douglas, a mixed beef and arable farming company near Malton, North Yorkshire, has more than doubled tyre life on its JCB 536-60 Agri Loadall after switching to Michelin BibLoad Hard Surface tyres. The 460/70 R 24 BibLoad fitments have clocked up more than 2,000 hours work to date nearly double that recorded by the previous-generation Michelin XMCL tyres they replaced and the company predicts the fitments will run a further 1,000 hours before they need replacing. John Douglas, Farm Manager at FW & JM Douglas says: "We were looking for a durable, long-lasting and safe tyre that could cope with intensive use on concrete, without compromising in-field performance. "After seeking advice from our local Exelagri dealer, Terry Elsey Tyres, it was clear that wed found the best specification fitment in Michelins BibLoad tyres. "After two years hard work on the JCB, weve been seriously impressed by how well the tyres have performed. "The machine is working more efficiently as it has a better grip on the concrete, and the tyres seem to soak up the vibrations, making it more comfortable to operate over long periods, Mr Douglas adds. JCB Loadall The JCB Loadall is a busy part of FW & JM Douglas fleet, which also includes another Loadall, one JCB Fastrac tractor, a John Deere tractor and three Deutz-Fahr tractors. The Loadall has a mixed workload including feeder wagon loading for the farms 850-head beef herd and loading the on-site anaerobic digester. FW & JM Douglas also runs a combine and a sprayer, both shod with Michelin Ultraflex Technology tyres a range designed to limit soil compaction, thanks to their ability to run at low pressures in the field. Weve specified Michelin for a number of years, and we opt for Michelin tyres wherever possible particularly for our heavier machines in the field. "The Ultraflex range, and now our BibLoad Hard Surface tyres, offer a fantastic return on our investment, Mr Douglas says. Hard surfaces Michelin BibLoad Hard Surface tyres are designed for work on hard surfaces, whether dry, wet or greasy, and feature a unique diamond-shaped tread block. Resistance to wear-and-tear is enhanced by the tread and shoulder blocks, while the tyres longevity is the result of an increased ground contact patch of 44 per cent, compared to the equivalent previous-generation XMCL tyres. With 12 bevelled edges to each diamond-shaped block, greater transverse grip is provided on slippery ground, and mud and debris can be cleaned quicker from the tread grooves. Operator comfort is enhanced by the 96 tread blocks, which come into contact with the ground in an offset fashion, rather than simultaneously, reducing vibration. Terry Elsey Tyres has supported FW & JM Douglas operations with expert tyre advice for more than three decades. As part of Michelins Exelagri dealer partnership programme, the company is certified as having all the expertise required to ensure FW & JM Douglas gets maximum performance from its agricultural tyres. The Malton-based dealership covers the whole of North Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and has 15 employees, five of whom specialise in agricultural fitments. FW & JM Douglas, which specialises in beef finishing, was established more than 100 years ago, and farms 1,000 acres around Malton, much of which has been in the Douglas family for generations. The company also farms arable crops, and runs an anaerobic digestion plant at its home farm. Maris Otter barley malt has helped secure the top place yet again at CAMRAs Great British Beer Festival. This is the 11th time in 16 years that Maris Otter has been the barley of choice for the Champion Beer of Britain. Binghams Vanilla Stout 5% abv from Berkshire, this years Champion Beer of Britain, is based on Maris Otter malt, with vanilla, dark malts and British hops added. Chris Bingham, Owner/Brewer and MD of Binghams Brewery, comments: We are really keen on Maris Otter as it gives a sure foundation for our beers and the character of a base malt is important. "Maris Otter has a balanced, pleasantly biscuity flavour, and is a real class act." Binghams Vanilla Stout 5% abv from Berkshire, this years Champion Beer of Britai "I tell people that when blending spices for a curry, you cant always tell which flavour comes from which ingredient, but you can certainly tell when one important flavour is absent! The revered barley variety was developed in the 1960s by a Dr Bell, in Maris Lane, Trumpington, Cambridgeshire. Maris Otter was developed for its taste and remains the only barley bred to provide consistency for the brewer and a spectrum of flavours which come through in the beer; and although it yields less than new barley varieties, what it does yield is extremely special. Maris Otter was saved from likely extinction in 1990 by Robin Appel of Hampshire and Banhams of East Anglia, barley merchants with a passion for the job and with maltster customers who supply brewers across the globe. They also marked a great milestone for it as, following the celebrations for its 50th anniversary back in 2015, more Maris Otter was grown in Britain last year than for the previous twenty years. 'Difficult time for winter barley farmers' Demand has been rising since from brewers not only in the UK, but also from Europe and America. "However, the 2016 growing season has been a difficult one for many winter barley farmers," Mr Bingham said. "The lack of June sunshine this year has meant that yields are lower than in 2015 but quality has been far better than its more modern counterparts." The industry will have plenty of top quality Maris Otter malt from this harvest and demand remains good for planting this autumn. When the leaves turn and an evening chill embraces the British public, farmers will be planting yet another seasons worth of the worlds finest malting barley. "Maris Otter may be over 50 years old, but none can match the flavour or brewing characteristics of our old Champion," concluded Mr Bingham. Farmers are often known for their involvement in local communities, no more so than in Somersham, Suffolk. Here the farming families have been the cornerstone of support for the campaign to save a historic pub. Some 20 months ago, the doors of the Duke of Marlborough closed. The owners, who had been running a great food-orientated business there for over 15 years were retiring. More than 20 pubs are closing every week and many of them are being de-licensed and sold as houses. In a bid to prevent this from happening to the Duke of Marlborough, Dr Sarah Caston set up a campaign to Save the Duke. Its gained massive support from the community and last September shares went on sale to allow anyone interested in helping to save the pub to become a shareholder. Over 260,000 has been raised in shares and loans during the past year, and chairman James Batchelor-Wylam is appealing to people across the region to do the last bit to make things happen. Financial incentives Hes asking anyone who cares about the regions pub heritage to put their hands in their pockets to help buy and reopen the beautiful oak-beamed inn. There are also good financial incentives, he points out. Supporters will be saving a jewel in Suffolks crown, ensuring that over 500 years of hospitality does not come to an end, he says. "The personal benefit is that they will be able to take advantage of one of the two generous schemes set up by the government to encourage social investment. "EIS and SITR offer 30% tax back on investments. Not to be sneezed at by anyone who pays tax!" James is a senior partner at NFU Mutual, and a local farmer. The regions farming community have played a massive role in the campaigns progress. Theyve run fundraising events in their barns, provided Suffolk Punches for PR purposes, hosted meetings, been active on the committee and invested in the project. Support of the farming community Without Sarah starting up the campaign and running it for a year, without James taking on the chairing of the committee, and without the support of the farming community, there would have been no prospect of getting the Duke re-open, says committee member Frances Brace. With their entrepreneurial, can-do approach, we have a massive 260,000 in the bank and are well on the way to achieving our goals! James Batchelor Wylam highlights the importance of pubs to agriculture, as well as to other local businesses. He says this is especially true of Suffolk: The Duke of Marlborough lies in a fabulous barley-growing area and within a stones throw of what is probably the countrys leading hop-propagation farm. "Malted barley and hops are the key ingredients of beer, Britains national drink, and one of Suffolks best local products! "Re-opening the pub will contribute to the success of all these parts of the supply chain as well as providing a fantastic social hub," Mr Brace said. Three-range hydrostatic drive or 12x12 shuttle gearbox for 28hp model Three-range dual pedal hydrostatic drive for larger 41hp and 47hp versions Complementary to McCormick 'GM' and heavy-duty 'F' series compacts A new range of compact tractors available through McCormick sales and service dealers provide versatile performance for farming, horticulture and many other rural enterprises. The new 'CT' Series complements McCormick's mechanical drive 35hp to 54hp 'GM' Series and heavy-duty 58hp to 98hp 'F' Series by using hydrostatic drive to give easy driving characteristics and speed control. "These tractors are ideal for yard scraping and other light duties on dairy farms or pig and poultry units; for paddock work on smallholdings; and for transport, spraying and light cultivation on horticultural units," says Stewart Barnett, McCormick's UK sales manager. "They would also provide a reliable and versatile power unit for equestrian centres, livery stables and large private or commercial properties in the countryside where I would see them pulling trailers and operating grounds maintenance machinery." The McCormick CT28 has a 1.5-litre Mitsubishi four-cylinder diesel engine developing 28hp and comes with a choice of transmissions three-range hydrostatic transmission or a 12 forward, 12 reverse speed synchro shuttle gearbox. A 1.66m wheelbase and 1188kg capacity rear implement lift complemented by single-speed rear- and mid-mounted power take-off shafts round off the essential features of the little machine. The McCormick CT41 HST and CT47 HST are larger, a little heavier and have more power. The 1.75m wheelbase provides the stability needed to handle bigger implements and linkage lift capacity is a more generous 1250kg. The tractors' 2.3-litre and 2.5-litre Mitsubishi engines develop 41hp and 47hp. The two larger 'CT' tractors come only with the three-speed hydro-drive transmission, which is operated using separate 'forwards' and 'backwards' pedals. There is also has a cruise control feature that allows forward speed to be maintained without having to keep a foot on the pedal. A cast front axle with tight-turning 55deg steering provides four-wheel drive traction, with a rear differential lock adding to grip in challenging conditions. "We're confident these new McCormick models will meet the requirements of a wide range of compact tractor users," says Stewart Barnett. "They are backed by a two-year warranty and, as with our full-size tractors, are supported by a full-service dealer network and reliable parts back-up from our Doncaster base." Trump paid IRS fine after illegal political contribution: report Donald Trump paid a $2,500 fine to the IRS this year after it was discovered that the moguls namesake charity had illegally made a $25,000 political contribution, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. The Donald J. Trump Foundation gave the money to a group called Justice for All, which was supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondis campaign. At the time, Bondi was weighing whether to pursue an investigation into allegations of fraud that had been leveled against Trump University. She eventually declined to bring charges. The Post had discovered that in their 2013 tax filings, the charity did not list the contribution to the Florida group, but instead showed a $25,000 contribution to a charity in Kansas with a similar name which it never made. Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Michelle McIlveen yesterday met with Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, and the Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire. During the meeting in Belfast, the Ministers considered the potential implications of Brexit on Northern Irelands agri-food and fishing industries, rural communities and environment sector and discussed the need to ensure that these are recognised and addressed within future trade and policy frameworks. Speaking afterwards, Miss McIlveen said: I wanted to send a very clear message that we, as a region, must be closely and directly involved in the domestic agricultural, environmental and fisheries policy and trade agendas as they unfold in order to maximise the opportunities that will come with leaving the European Union. "It is hugely encouraging that Mr Davis and Mr Brokenshire both stated that they would ensure Northern Irelands voice is heard in the negotiations towards exiting the European Union. "I intend to make sure that our unique circumstances in many areas, including cross-border trade and wider agri-food exports, are fully recognised as we move forward. "It is also vital that Northern Ireland has a say in framing the budgetary consequences of the EU exit. "While the Treasury has provided a degree of reassurance to 2020, it is important that follow-on arrangements underpin continued economic and environmental development of Northern Ireland." A woman is in a critical condition after being attacked by cattle on an island in Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh. It is understood the woman was walking her dog when she was attacked by cattle. The family pet later died as a result of injuries. The Enniskillen RNLI crew, who were undertaking a training exercise, were called into action by the Coastguard. The woman was assessed by paramedics and taken to the South West Acute hospital in Enniskillen. The Irish Coast Guard took the woman by helicopter, along with her son who was uninjured, to the South West Acute Hospital, before she was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. An RNLI spokesman said: "It was deemed that Rescue 118, Sligo's Coastguard helicopter, was needed to transport the lady. "From what we've heard she was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital (in Belfast)." A spokeswoman for the Department for Communities said: "The incident occurred on private land. The department is involved with discussions with relevant authorities and the landowner to ascertain exactly what happened." It is understood the woman's injuries are serious, but not life-threatening. The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement. Support Fort Bragg to be known as Fort Liberty. Here's what to know. When will Fort Bragg be renamed? Why will it be renamed Fort Liberty? How much will it cost? Lebanon Police and Linn County Sheriff's Office deputies served a narcotics search warrant Thursday morning at the Lebanon home of Harold Kelsey. Officers found Kelsey, 64, at home with seven other adults and two infants. During the search, detectives said they located approximately 3.5 grams of methamphetamine, four digital scales, multiple small empty sacks used for packaging methamphetamine, numerous syringes and other drug paraphernalia. Kelsey was arrested and lodged in Linn County Jail for unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unlawful delivery of methamphetamine and frequenting a location where drugs are used or sold. Maura Viles, 24 was also arrested and lodged in jail for unlawful possession of methamphetamine and unlawful delivery of methamphetamine. Jeffrey Major, 51 and Samantha Mansell, 21, were cited and released for unlawful possession of methamphetamine. Dustin Coughran, 26, was cited and released for unlawful possession of heroin. Dennis Jones, Jr., 24, and Alexandria Mulrooney, 24, were cited and released on warrants unrelated to the search warrant. Anyone with information related to this search warrant is encouraged to contact Detective Justin Bach at (541) 451-1751, ext. 4328. Apple is stunned by the EU Commissions tax ruling. The company cannot understand where the numbers are coming from. Apple is paying all its taxes, says Bruce Sewell, General Counsel of the company. Apple says it has always been about doing the right thing. How does that fit with the effective tax rate of 0.005 percent the Commission says you paid in 2014 on your combined profits in Europe and in Ireland? We paid tax at the statutory rate of 12.5 percent tax on profits relating to our activities in Ireland. We dont understand where the Commissions figures are coming from. We paid $400 million in corporate income taxes in Ireland in 2014. In addition, we paid $400 million in current US corporate taxes on those profits. We also accrued several billion in US corporate tax on a deferred basis. To get to this meaningless 0.005 percent, the Commission completely ignores the fact that the vast majority of these profits were subject to U.S. taxation. And the low sum which the European Commission names in 2014, is not reprehensible? Mehr zum Thema 1/ We cannot understand where these numbers are coming from. We have paid more taxes than the Commission has indicated. Doesnt your subsidiary in Ireland only exist to avoid paying taxes? Absolutely not. We came to Ireland in 1980 when the company was expanding overseas and was looking for an extremely talented and well-trained workforce. We were a very small company at the time and started our Irish operations with 60 employees. Today we employ 6,000 people and we believe we are the largest taxpayer in Ireland. Isnt there another company that has no employees but has huge profits? We established a non-resident company in accordance with Irish law. The company was responsible for managing our most valuable assets including research and development, intellectual property and worldwide brand outside of the Americas. These are all assets that derive from the activity in Cupertino. It did not have an office or employees in Ireland because it was not an operational business and its business was not specific to Ireland. In terms of how its profits are taxed, international tax rules dictate that you pay corporation tax where the value is created. To try and attribute all these profits to the small resident company in Ireland is to suggest that every piece of value from sales to India to contracts in Africa are attributable to the activities in Ireland and should be taxed there. And that simply makes no sense. Isnt the company paying low taxes relative to the enormous profits you generate from your products? No, thats not true. We pay tax on our activity in Ireland at the statutory 12.5%. We are the largest tax payer in Ireland, the largest tax payer in the US and the largest tax payer in the world. We paid $13 billion in tax last year and had a reported global tax rate of 26.4%. This isnt an argument about how much tax we pay, but where we pay it. The European Commission appears to believe that despite the fact these profits are legitimately attributable to our head office in Cupertino and subject to tax on a deferred basis, they should be taxed in Ireland. .Do you agree that it is not acceptable in Europe today to pay low taxes compared to your profits? This impression is based on misinformation. We pay all our taxes, we obey all laws and we pay tax on the profits relating to the activities we carry out in Ireland at the statutory rate of 12.5 percent. And now? We will appeal the Commission's decision. Will Apple remain loyal to Ireland? We continue to invest here. However, we fear that after this decision, Europe will become less attractive for overseas investors. Should the Commission reserve the right to decide on the tax policy of your country? Are you worried if State aid takes effect it is a sharp sword? We are convinced that we always acted properly and have always paid all taxes. A California woman was sentenced to 50 months in prison for conspiring to illegally export fighter jet engines and a missile-firing drone to China. Wenxia Man, aka Wency Man, was convicted by a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale in June of one count of conspiring to export and cause the export of defense articles without the required license. Man, 45, of San Diego, was born in China and became a U.S. citizen in 2006. She was sentenced last month. She told undercover U.S. investigators she worked for Xinsheng Zhang. She described Zhang as a technology spy who worked on behalf of the Chinese military. Man said Zhang was particularly interested in stealth technology. The U.S. has reportedly indicted Zhang. But he lives in China and hasnt been arrested. Prosecutors said Man conspired with Zhang from 2011 through 2013 to illegally acquire and export to China defense articles including: Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines used in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines used in the F-22 Raptor fighter jet General Electric F110-GE-132 engines designed for the F-16 fighter jet General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper/Predator B Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, capable of firing Hellfire Missiles, and Technical data for each item. Prosecutors said Zhang discussed paying $50 million to an undercover agent in Florida for delivery to China of the MG-9 Reaper drone. Its a defense article on the U.S. defense munitions list. The Chinese military intended to copy the jet engines and the drone, the DOJ said. ____ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016. The BFI London Film Festival 2016 has announced the full line-up and has put together another exciting programme. Arrival The Festival will screen a total of 193 fiction and 52 documentary features, including 18 World Premieres, 8 International Premieres, 39 European Premieres. There will also be screenings of 144 short films, including documentary, live action, and animated works. We already knew that A United Kingdom and Free Fire would open and close the 2017 festival, and now it has been revealed which movies will play in between. Lion, Arrival, The Birth of a Nation, La La land, Manchester By The Sea, A Monster Calls, Nocturnal Animals, Queen of Katwe, and Their Finest will make up the headline galas. Movies such as La La Land, Arrival and The Birth of a Nation will all play extensively on the festival circuit this autumn and are tipped to be potential Oscar contenders. The Gala section also brings together some of cinema's biggest actors and directors as Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Casey Affleck, Damien Chazelle, Tom Ford, Denis Villeneuve, and Mira Nair are all involved. The Official Competition is as follows: Brimstone - Martin Koolhoven Certain Woman - Kelly Reichardt Clash - Mohamed Diab Elle - Paul Verhoeven Frantz - Francois Ozon Goldstone - Ivan Sen Layla M - Mijke de Jong Moonlight - Barry Jenkins Neruda - Pablo Larrain A Quiet Passion - Terence Davies Una - Benedict Andrews Your Name - Makoto Shinkai Goldstone, Layla M., Moonlight, and Una will all receive their European Premieres at the festival. The BFI London Film Festival also recognises new directing talent with the First Feature Competition: Chameleon - Jorge Riquelme Serrano A Date For Mad Mary - Darren Thornton Divines - Houda Benyamina The Giant - Johannes Nyholm Hedi - Mohamed Ben Attia Lady Macbeth - William Oldroyd The Levelling - Hope Dickson Leach My Life As A Courgette - Claude Barras Playground - Bartosz M. Kowalski Porto - Gabe Klinger Raw - Julia Ducournau What's In The Darkness - Wang Yichun Wulu - Daouda Coulibaly The Documentary Competition line-up is as follows: All This Panic - Jenny Gage Chasing Asylum - Eva Orner David Lynch: The Art Life - Jon Nguyen The Graduation - Claire Simon An Insignificant Man - Khushboo Ranka, Vinay Shukla Lovetrue - Alma Har'el On Call - Alice Diop Safari - Ulrich Seidl The Space in Between - Marina Abramovic and Brazil - Marco Del Fiol Starless Dreams - Mehrdad Oskouei Tower - Keith Maitland The War Show - Andreas Dalsgaard, Obaidah Zytoon The BFI London Film Festival runs from 5th - 16th October. by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Director Damian Chazelle has compared the on-screen chemistry of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone to the likes of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling in La La Land The filmmaker teams up with both Gosling and Stone for the first time in new film La La Land, but this is the third collaboration between the two actors. And Chazelle says that the on-screen relationship between the two actors reminds him of great screen partnerships of the past. Speaking to EW, the director said: "Certainly aware of it. It's funny. One the one hand, they - for me - feel like the closest thing that we have right now to an old Hollywood couple, like Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn or Fred and Ginger or Myrna Loy and Dick Powell. "There's something about the recurrence of Ryan and Emma as a couple and about them individually as actors and the way they register onscreen - the timeless glamour that they're capable of." La La Land opened the Venice Film Festival earlier this week, where it has enchanted audiences and has been tipped as a major Oscar contender. The film marks the return of Chazelle to the director's chair for the first time since he enjoyed huge success with Whiplash. The director has assembled a great cast as J.K. Simmons - who on a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Whiplash - Finn Wittrock, Rosemarie DeWitt, and John Legend are also on board. La La Land was already surrounded in Oscar whispers, but now the musical looks like it is quickly becoming an Academy Award front-runner. And UK audiences will be back to see what all the fuss is about later this autumn, as the movie is set to screen at the BFI London Film Festival; where it will be one of the must-see movies. La La Land is released 13th January 2017. by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Rajshree Ojha's short, Biriyani, part of the anthology, X: Past Is Present, hit screens in November 2015. Soon after, the writer-director, best known for helming the 2010 Sonam Kapoor-Abhay Deol romcom, Aisha, took off to Kashmir in the dead of winter to write, research and scout for locations for her next. Still untitled, it is based on the controversial Kashmiri all-girl rock-band, Pragaash. Three teenage Muslim girls, guitarist and vocalist Noma Nazir Bhatt, drummer Farah Deeba and Aneeqa Khalid on the bass guitar had joined hands to form this one-of-its kind band in December 2012 and invited the ire of scholars who alleged the trio had broken the Islamic code.After they won their first award at a National Battle of the Bands event in Srinagar, the girls began to receive death and rape threats on the phone and via Facebook. Things took a turn for the worse after Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad, Kashmir's state-appointed cleric, publicly criticised the band for exhibiting "indecent behaviour" and stated that "this kind of non-serious activity can become the first step towards our destruction". On February 3, 2013, he issued a fatwa against the group, stating that music was "not good for society" and all "the bad things happening in the Indian society are because of music".Later that month, the police registered an FIR against the online attackers and then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ordered a probe into the matter. Three people were arrested for promoting enmity between classes and criminal intimidation. The girls got a lot of support globally, online, but eventually disintegrated towards the end of 2014. There was a reference to Pragaash in Marlon James's Man Booker Prize-winning novel, A Brief History of Seven Killings, as the "first ray of light", and a medical student, Abhigyan Bahuguna, made a short film, Pariha - The Land of Fairies, which released in Christmas, 2015. Rajshree who has been writing and researching the film for the last one year, interacted with the girls, their families, along with journalists and police officers in the region. She visited the Presentation Convent High School in Rajbagh where the girls studied, met their teachers and other students. She was to fly to Kashmir with a team of five for the final recce and prep but the trip has been delayed following unrest in the Valley. Still, the film should kick off by early next year and the team has been strictly instructed to not reveal anything because Rajshree is worried she won't be able to film in Srinagar if the separatists stand up in protest. However, Mirror has learnt that Alia Bhatt has been approached to play the lead vocalist of the band and could be seen crooning a few singles herself.One of the girls will be a Kashmiri local from Srinagar and Rajshree is hoping to launch a Pakistani actress as the third band member. Shabana Azmi, last seen as Neerja Bhanot's mother in Ram Madhvani's hijack drama, has been approached to play a character modelled on Asiya Andrabi, a pro-Pakistan separatist and the founding leader of Dukhtaran-eMillat - Daughters of the Nation - which was a part of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Valley. "Asiya Andrabi is one of the most important women separatists and often referred to as Kashmir's Iron Lady. Her burqa and spectacles will be a crucial part of the character's look in the film," a source close to the development informed Mirror. Meanwhile, Nawazzuddin Siddiqui has been approached to step into the role of a police officer. Next Story : Not Your Average Gift: Our Handpicked Thoughtful Diwali Gifts Your travels may take you places, but home is where the heart finally dwells. Here's how you can transform your home to replicate your most favourite places from around the world. GRECIAN PARLOUR If you've been to Greece, particularly Santorini, you'll easily recall the pristine white structures set against the vivid blue of the Aegean Sea. This colour combination is probably Greece's most recognisable trait that lends this destination an aura of tranquillity. The easiest way to recreate it is to let the blue-and-white palette play a dominant role in the design of your room. Start by painting your walls eggshell white and then accessorise with other colours inherent to Greece like blue, along with a hint of yellow and green. "Incorporate colour by way of a table, throw pillows and a rug. Use airy yet fluid sheer drapes in monochromatic colours to maintain the cool yet beach-like ambience. Alternatively, if you want to avoid too many colours, use chevron, stripes or other minimalist prints to add a dash of Greek inspiration in your space," explains Sabah Sheikh, Founder of Atisuto. While designing this area, keep the decor minimal and clutter-free. FRENCH BOUDOIR Think of France and one can't help but think of the city of Paris with its romantic landmarks and equally memorable cuisine. A feast for your senses, France has proven to be a major source of inspiration in design, especially decor. To create the ultimate French inspired bedroom, envision a cosy space with European styled furniture--an elaborately designed bed with carved detailing, a vintage vanity table and small side tables. Namrata Seth, Director, Sixinch India, tells us what it takes to get it right, "Think floral wallpapers and light wooden flooring.Opt for floor-length sheer drapes in pastel pink to complement the mix of dusty rose and grey for your bed linen and cushion covers. For your statement piece, add an antique-style silver-gilded chandelier. Finish by placing bronze lamps or pewter candleholders on your side tables." Additionally, place a ceramic vase filled with flowers on your window sill to create a picturesque setting. For some warmth and texture, throw in a shag rug and hang a few pictures or paintings that remind you of France. Follow the same theme in your bathroom, with white as the base colour to complement the accessories--towels, ceramic vase and rug--in pastel tones. DINING IN MOROCCO A journey to Morocco is a cultural experience defined by vibrant colours, striking patterns and exquisite style. To introduce some Moroccan flair in your kitchen, look no further than their colours and motifs."Accessorise the walls and countertops with a Moroccan backsplash. You could even consider colourful printed wall tiles or wallpapers that flaunt Moorish designs. Install Moroccan counters and sinks and a faucet that's brassplated or copper-plated for an authentic and rustic look. For your flooring, opt for subtle patterned cement tiles or designed-patterned mosaic," elucidates Purvi Parikh, Owner, Tranceforme. For the dining table, consider a traditionally carved rectangle-shaped wooden table surrounded by wooden or iron chairs with patterned cushions. For crockery and cutlery, bring in colourful variants that flaunt typical Moroccan patterns, designs and motifs in ceramic, clay or silver. "Floral hand-painted clay pots, colourful ceramic canisters, Casablanca-inspired silverware and Savannah turquoise serving trays and platters are essential accessories for this look," avers Parikh. Lastly, lighting fixtures are a hallmark of Moroccan decor. Add warmth and light with brass or copper lanterns and handcrafted lamps. TRANQUILLITY OF CAMBODIA The premise of a Cambodian inspired space is to reflect tranquillity. This makes Cambodia the ideal design inspiration for your outdoor space such as balcony, terrace or veranda. With this in mind, Manisha Lath Gupta, Co-founder and CEO, Mojarto.com, says, "Look for artefacts made of ceramic, wood or stone. Make them as earthy as possible. The aim is to combine rusticity and splendour. Muted tones and minimalist furniture piece will lend an open yet rugged feel.Conjure the Khmer style, which combines elements of indigenous animistic beliefs and numerous faiths including Buddhism and Hinduism." For tranquillity and solitude, place a Buddha statue--large or small--in a meditative pose. Additionally, adorn this space with pottery or animal figurines. (Gayatri S) Next Story : Not Your Average Gift: Our Handpicked Thoughtful Diwali Gifts SWEET HOME The Sweet Home Police Department, with assistance from the Linn County Regional SWAT Team, Linn County Sheriff's Office and the Lebanon, Benton County and Albany police departments, served a narcotics-related search warrant Friday morning at 1011 N. River Road. Six adults and three juveniles were on the property at that time. During the investigation, detectives seized evidence of ongoing methamphetamine use/sales, drug paraphernalia, stolen property and a firearm. A car that was reported stolen in June was also recovered; however, it had been dismantled beyond repair. Sharon Minshull, 54, was charged with possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. Kenneth Buckland, 51, was also charged with possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine. Shawne Patrick Stramat, 45, was taken into custody on an outstanding parole board warrant and a Lebanon Municipal Court warrant for contempt of court/probation violation. He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and felon in possession of methamphetamine. He was lodged at Linn County Jail. Melissa Jean Ackley, 38, was taken into custody on an outstanding probation violation warrant for failure to appear and possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and Sweet Home Municipal Court warrant for second-degree theft. She was also cited on three outstanding Lebanon Municipal Court warrants for failure to appear/third-degree theft, failure to appear/criminal cite and contempt of court probation violation. Ackley was also charged with possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and lodged at Linn County Jail. Patrick Lee Mcnees, 22, was taken into custody on an outstanding Sweet Home Municipal Court warrant for failure to comply-second-degree criminal mischief. He was cited and released. Juan Gerardo Sanchez, 29, and Freddie Leon Seiber, 54, are both being sought for questioning. Seiber has several outstanding federal warrants for arrest. The investigation was the result of ongoing complaints regarding frequent and suspicious traffic associated with the residence. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to contact Sweet Home Police Department detective Cyndi Pichardo at 541-367-5181. The International Apparel Federation (IAF) has lined up an impressive cast of speakers, who will present their views on cutting edge developments in the apparel industry at the 32nd IAF World Fashion Convention to be held in Mumbai on September 27-28, 2016. The convention is being held under the theme of 'Insights into New Opportunities'.The convention will bring together leading industry stakeholders across the value chain to deliberate and present insights into various opportunity areas, covering the entire spectrum from manufacturing to technology to branding and retailing. The International Apparel Federation (IAF) has lined up an impressive cast of speakers, who will present their views on cutting edge developments in the apparel industry at the 32nd IAF World Fashion Convention to be held in Mumbai on September 27-28, 2016. The convention is being held under the theme of 'Insights into New Opportunities'.# The sourcing session will have Alex Thomas, vice president at VF Corporation, Faruque Hassan, senior vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), and Fred LeMoine of Weave/TAL from Hong Kong.The branding session will feature the president for Raymond Apparel and the Indian market CEOs of Bestseller, Tommy Hilfiger and Nike.Representatives of Reliance, Shoppers Stop and Arvind Brands will partake in the retail session, which will cover the story of India, one of the largest and fastest growing markets for fashion in the world.For the technology session, major global technology suppliers to the fashion industry like WGSN, WTIN, Alvanon and Lectra will explain how technology is changing fashion's industry. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Readymade garments (RMG) industry in Bangladesh has played an important role in accelerating the economic growth. This growth can be increased by diversifying its economy, improving the infrastructure, enhancing its structural transformation and creating meaningful jobs. In order to reduce surplus labour, the economy should grow at over 8 per cent per year. Improvement in the quality of education, increasing workers vocational skills and providing access to finance can lead to the growth of multiple other sectors such as tourism, IT services and pharmaceuticals in the country, says a study released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Some other factors like upgrading technology and effective learning in the workplace can also accelerate productivity and competitiveness. Readymade garments (RMG) industry in Bangladesh has played an important role in accelerating the economic growth. This growth can be increased by diversifying its economy, improving the infrastructure, enhancing its structural transformation and creating meaningful jobs. In order to reduce surplus labour, the economy should grow at over 8 per cent per year.# The readymade garments sector and overseas remittances have fuelled strong growth of over 6 per cent in the past decade, allowing the economy to recently graduate to middle income status, said Edimon Ginting, director in ADBs Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department. The study also reveals that a rise in the number of migrant workers can prove to be beneficial. Bangladesh can tap into existing destinations like Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Singapore as well as some new ones such as Lebanon, Jordan and the Republic of Korea for opportunities. Accelerating the growth of decent work, a process which is underway under the framework of Bangladeshs 7th Five Year Plan (FY2016-FY2020), is also recommended by the study. (KT) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Tata Cliq, the Tata groups multi-brand phygital e-commerce platform, is offering a handpicked curated collection of over 14 lingerie brands. Offering an exhaustive collection of intriguing designs of sensuality, elegance and comfort with an assortment of styles and sizes, the collection includes products from both Indian and foreign brands. The list of brands include Amante, Clovia, Pretty Secrets, Lovable, Enamor, Wunderlove and Intima to pamper women. Popular Russian lingerie brand Infinity Lingerie is offering a wide collection at affordable prices with 20-25 new styles across ranges and taste added every month. According to Cliq, offering a diverse size range from 75FG to 95BCD, from XL to XXXL, customers also have the freedom to combine different styles in a single set in the Infinity brand. Tata Cliq, the Tata group's multi-brand phygital e-commerce platform, is offering a handpicked curated collection of over 14 lingerie brands. Offering an exhaustive collection of intriguing designs of sensuality, elegance and comfort with an assortment of styles and sizes, the collection includes products from both Indian and foreign brands.# With trendy colours, approved moulded cups, removable push-up and sleepwear, Infinity Lingerie also offers gorgeous feminine underwear specially designed for weddings which is made of premium quality jacquard satin fabrics, the Tata Group company said. With an extensive variety of bras, briefs/panties, Tata Cliq brings a series of tempting offers, where one can mix and match crop tops and boy shorts or pick from a multipack of panties, choose from pretty & playful lingerie sets or explore the fine lacy lingerie. In the next few months, the online retailer will add brands like Camel, Jockey, Triumph and Bwitch to its retail portfolio to provide customers a curated shopping experience, across product ranges. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Building on the success of the entry level JFX200-2513 model, Mimaki has now launched the UV-LED flatbed JFX200-2531, with twice the printing area and a unique toggle print function that increases throughput by allowing operators to mount one board while another is printing. The toggle print function also helps increase media throughput.According to Mimaki, the new large flatbed UV-curable inkjet printer is compatible with media as large as 2.5 x 3.1 metres, thereby increasing the application range to accommodate large signs and wall decorations. Building on the success of the entry level JFX200-2513 model, Mimaki has now launched the UV-LED flatbed JFX200-2531, with twice the printing area and a unique toggle print function that increases throughput by allowing operators to mount one board while another is printing. The toggle print function also helps increase media throughput. According to...# In addition, the JFX200-2531features a stable media handling, for improved image quality and an ioniser that eliminates electrostatic discharge that can affect image quality.The printer incorporates a standard vacuum pedal for hands-free operation of the media vacuum power, while also having an anti-banding function and variable dot printing for smooth images.The JFX200-2531 is compatible with a wide range of ink types including; LH-100 scratch resistant ink; LUS-120 and LUS-150 inks for printing on soft materials; LUS-200 ink for outdoor applications with resistance to sun, rain and other weather conditions; and the LUS-350 ink, a unique, stretchable ink suitable for a wide range of thermoforming applications. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India In order to improve cost positions, strengthen integration and also deliver growth, India's biggest private sector company Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is investing more than Rs 110,000 crore in its petrochemicals and refining business. The company is also de-risking these businesses by shifting to an annuity like strong cash-flow generating portfolio.Speaking at the 43rd AGM, RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani also added, In the past two years, our earnings have grown, while oil prices have dropped from $100 to below $40 per barrel, demonstrating the success of the new business model. In order to improve cost positions, strengthen integration and also deliver growth, India's biggest private sector company Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is investing more than Rs 110,000 crore in its petrochemicals and refining business. The company is also de-risking these businesses by shifting to an annuity like strong cash-flow generating portfolio.# According to Ambani, RIL's petrochemical business had the highest ever volumes and earnings and its margins were among the top five companies globally, while posting record net profits despite no contribution from its upstream business and largest ever capital expenditure in a year.The petrochemicals segment of RIL achieved record EBIT of Rs 10,221 crore in fiscal 2016, up 23 per cent year-on-year and in turn delivered one of the best performances in the global petrochemical industry.Explaining the reasons for the record EBIT reported by the petrochemicals segment, Ambani said, Our integrated business model, combining strong downstream positions and risk management enabled us to grow profits despite soft oil and gas prices. We are now investing to double the capacity of this business.Reliance is building amongst the world's largest and most integrated crackers in Jamnagar that will use 'off gases' from the refinery as feedstock with a capacity in excess of 1.5 million metric tons per annum, a unique configuration possible, only due to the scale and complexity of its refinery.The company is executing a project of this scale at about half the capital cost of similar crackers being built in North America. We have made substantial progress in this project and target it to be mechanically complete by December of this year, Ambani informed.The cracker portfolio of Reliance is currently dependent on domestic sources of feedstock including from its refinery. So, while Ethane is the feedstock for over 65 per cent of cracker capacity in North America, the RIL portfolio needs dedicated long-term supply of feedstock for sustained competitiveness.We were the first company globally to conceptualise large scale imports of Ethane from the US as feedstock for our cracker portfolio, a project, which involves dedicated ships, pipelines and modifications to existing facilities. This innovation will provide us feedstock assurance and flexibility for the long term, he stated.As per the RIL chairman, the ships are expected to be delivered over the next two quarters and the full project will be ready by the end of this fiscal.Last year, RIL commissioned a 650,000 tons per annum Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plant and state-of-the-art 2.3 million tons per year Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plant at Dahej.The company is also expanding its polyester presence in setting up one of the largest PX plants in the world at Jamnagar, in which pre-commissioning activities have commenced with production slated to begin in the next few weeks. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software, automation and vision systems for the apparel, graphics, packaging and other industrial markets, has announced that American Industrial Partners (AIP) has acquired all of its outstanding shares. The investment in Gerber was made out of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP. Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software, automation and vision systems for the apparel, graphics, packaging and other industrial markets, has announced that American Industrial Partners (AIP) has acquired all of its outstanding shares. The investment in Gerber was made out of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP.# AIP has a long history of successfully acquiring businesses such as Gerber and partnering with management to drive growth. Its American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP is a $1.8 billion fund that closed in September 2015. AIP's portfolio includes industry leading businesses in related end markets including aerospace, automotive and graphics supported by over 24,000 people in 28 countries. Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software, automation and vision systems for the apparel, graphics, packaging and other industrial markets, has announced that American Industrial Partners (AIP) has acquired all of its outstanding shares. The investment in Gerber was made out of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP.# We are very excited to have AIP as our new investor, said Mike Elia, Gerber CEO. They are a committed partner with common values and a shared passion for making it easier for people in the apparel, transportation and home and leisure industries to design, produce, and sell everyday items made from textiles, leather, composites or similar materials. Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software, automation and vision systems for the apparel, graphics, packaging and other industrial markets, has announced that American Industrial Partners (AIP) has acquired all of its outstanding shares. The investment in Gerber was made out of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP.# Our partnership with AIP will accelerate our investment plans and new product introductions, allowing brands, manufacturers, and retailers to reap the benefits of integrated digital technologies including 3D, the Cloud, IoT and advanced vision systems to reach their optimum potential faster, he added. Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software, automation and vision systems for the apparel, graphics, packaging and other industrial markets, has announced that American Industrial Partners (AIP) has acquired all of its outstanding shares. The investment in Gerber was made out of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP.# Gerber's full line of digital solutions include many of the most recognised products in the industry including YuniquePLM, AccuMark, the Gerbercutter, Gerber Edge, Omega and Virtek Vision Systems. These solutions enable leading brands, manufacturers, and retailers to be more efficient, lower costs and integrate their workflows from concept to market. Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software, automation and vision systems for the apparel, graphics, packaging and other industrial markets, has announced that American Industrial Partners (AIP) has acquired all of its outstanding shares. The investment in Gerber was made out of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP.# Gerber's history of innovation and leadership, large install base, and deep industry knowledge is an ideal fit with our investment strategy, said Justin Fish of AIP. We look forward to supporting the Gerber management team to execute on key growth initiatives and help Gerber's customers achieve productivity gains through sophisticated, easy-to-use software; smart, connected machines and world-class service and support. (RKS) Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software, automation and vision systems for the apparel, graphics, packaging and other industrial markets, has announced that American Industrial Partners (AIP) has acquired all of its outstanding shares. The investment in Gerber was made out of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, LP.# Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Heads of schools from around the country have been challenged to ensure that all children have access to excellence in all facets of education. This was highlighted by the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Hon. Mahendra Reddy at the 118th Fiji Principals Association conference held in Labasa yesterday. Your role as the school heads is paramount in shaping the culture and direction in your schools. We want to ensure excellence in all facets of education. In this contemporary era, the quality of education is the basis for the quality of knowledge in society, Dr Reddy said. Quality education enables individuals to make meaningful impact in a globally competitive employment market. Dr Reddy, in commending this years theme Empowering Educational leaders with 21st Century Skills, said that it is highly fitting given the dynamic direction the Government has paved for education in Fiji. The Fijian Education system is going through a major overhaul in terms of quality and excellence and we need empowered educational leaders who can bring about positive changes in the lives of our children. Education is paramount to national interests and I have reiterated time and again that I want every Fijian to have access to quality education so that they contribute positively to a knowledge-based Society. I dream that every child in Fiji goes through the ranks of education without having to make compromises and successfully contribute to nation building. With plans to further improve the education system for young Fijians, Minister Reddy reminded the heads of schools of their core role which was teaching and helping students attain academic excellence. The future of our children is in our hands and we are not only preparing them for the intermediate output of academic excellence but for the long term goal of building a peaceful, vibrant and growing society and country. -ENDS- The Ministry of Health and Medical Services today received 10 microscopes and mosquito surveillance equipment from the US Navy to combat vector-borne diseases. At the official handover, the Minister for Health and Medical Services Hon. Jone Usamate said the equipment will be used to monitor the density and distribution of vectors around Fiji and to implement control methods against these diseases.Minister Usamate thanked the US Navy for coming on board to assist the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to fight vector-borne diseases.The spread of vector borne diseases were only brought under control through the coordinated efforts of government, ministries, communities, corporate bodies and our donor partners like the US Navy, Minister Usamate said.He highlighted that mosquito-borne diseases were a serious concern for Fiji and it was important to ensure suitable measures were put in place.Vector-borne diseases place a burden on health facilities, health supplies and the workforce. It has an adverse impact on the economy, the tourism industry and threatens community stability, he said.A team of entomologists from the US Navy in Hawaii is currently in the country to work with local health officers to review Fijis vector control protocols and improve competency in pesticide application, mosquito identification and Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping.-ENDS- FIJI and Malaysia share a long history marked by cordial bilateral ties and close cooperation at international forums, says Prime Minister Hon. Voreqe Bainimarama. In a congratulatory note to his Malaysian counterpart, Dato Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak on Malaysias 59th independence anniversary, Prime Minister Bainimarama extended the Fijian people and the Governments well wishes.Dear Prime Minister, on behalf of the Fijian Government and Fijian people, I have the honour to extend my warmest congratulations as Malaysia celebrates the 59th year of your Independence.We are especially keen to strengthen our economic relationship and attract more Malaysian investment to Fiji. And I look forward to working with you to expand these ties in the months and years ahead.He also thanked Malaysia for their assistance to Fiji over the years especially in the areas of technical and defence cooperation.Prime Minister Bainimarama said as someone who has received training in Malaysia myself, I have particular reason to value your nations contribution to Fiji and to appreciate the Malaysian way of life.He congratulated the Malaysian people as they celebrated Merdeka (independence) Day celebrations and wished the nation every success.-ENDS- Oct. 10, 1940 Aug. 28, 2016 Robert Lee Mulkey was born on Oct. 10, 1940, in Salem. Bob was a devoted husband, and a loving father and grandfather. Though he battled Parkinson's Disease for almost half his life, he never forgot his wife, sons and grandchildren, and remembered them until his passing on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, at the Mennonite Home in Albany. He is survived by those loved ones: wife Linda Mulkey; sons Chris and Jason Mulkey; and grandchildren Owen, lsaac and Linnea Mulkey. He was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth Mulkey; mother Comet Mulkey; stepsiblings Darell Jones and Audrey Egger; and halfsisters Julie Jellison and Peggy Schwartz. He joined the service in 1962 as an Air Force Guard stationed at the Strategic Air Command Amarillo Air Force Base, and served during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1968, Bob met Linda in Portland on a blind date and they instantly connected. Less than a year later, they were married on Nov. 1, 1969, in Longview, Washington. Together they raised two sons at their home in Southeast Portland. Bob worked for many years in building maintenance at the Standard Insurance building in Downtown Portland. He loved his work fixing things, which was a big part of who he was. Bob truly enjoyed working with his hands and was always in pursuit of the next project around the house. He used those projects to get his children involved, spending his free time teaching them valuable skills and cultivating a positive do-it-yourself mentality. Bob was a quiet man, but he showed his love for his family and friends in many ways. He believed in helping his neighbors and was always quick to lend a helping hand. He spent a lot of time with his two boys, wrestling and giving them horseback rides around the house. Bob was a lifelong Oregonian. Through his father, Kenneth Mulkey and grandfather, Oren F. Mulkey, he was a direct descendant to his great-grandfather, Albert G. Mulkey, and great-great-grandfather, James L. Mulkey, who were among the first settlers of Benton County and Corvallis. A private family service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at Bald Hill Natural Area in Corvallis. Online condolences for the family may be posted at www.fisherfuneralhome.com. Rating: 2.5 /5 After delivering a typical masala film, Tevar in 2015, Sonakshi Sinha is all set to enthral the audience with her never seen before avatar! Generally, when we talk about high octane scenes, actors like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and other actors come into our mind! We get to see an actress in an action oriented role only very rarely, and it becomes a double treat when the actress herself, plays the lead role! Luckily, Sonakshi has accepted this challenge with A R Murugadoss's Akira, which is apparently a remake of Mouna Guru! Now, whether Sonakshi will be able to successfully deliver this action-packed flick or not, you need to read our review first! Director: A R Murugadoss Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Konkana Sen, Amit Sadh and few others. PLOT: The story, initially revolves around the life of Akira Sharma (Sonakshi Sinha). The film introduces the little Akira as a strong girl, who was molested at a very young age and, rather than fearing goons, she learns Karate as her father wants her to be a fearless girl. An unfortunate incident puts the young Akira in trouble and the girl has to serve a jail term of three years. After a few years, Akira's mother and brother convince her to pursue her higher studies away from her hometown, Jodhpur. That's how Akira Sharma lands up in Mumbai. For her, controlling anger is next to impossible; and even there, she picks a fight with her hostelmates and ends up in major trouble. Meanwhile, there is one more character in the film, around the whom the plot of the story revolves. It's the corrupt Police Officer played by Anurag Kashyap, who witnesses an accident along with his Sub-Inspector. When he is about to take the victim to a nearby hospital, he comes across a huge stash of cash. Out of greed, rather than helping the victim, he kills him on the spot and flee to Mumbai with the money! Now, how Akira gets stuck in this crime plot and what she does to prove herself innocent, forms the crux of the story! PERFORMANCES: Let's take a moment to appreciate Sonakshi Sinha's guts to this film. And let us tell you that throughout the film, the lady has shown full confidence in her acting as she knows, she is doing an amazing job! We totally loved the badass avatar of Sonakshi in the film. What amused us the most, is how she excels in different emotional frames like a pro! No need to say that her high-octane action sequences are the major highlights of the film and she sizzles in those frames! OUT NOW! Preity Zinta's Wedding Pics From California On the other hand, Anurag Kashyap is quite impressive in the film as well and is showing just the kind of menace that is expected from a villain. Konkana Sen, who shares very little screen space has done justice to her serious character and it's always a delight to see her on-screen! TECHNICALITIES: While we loved seeing Sonakshi Sinha kicking some serious butts, we can't take away the fact that some scenes were just way too exaggerated! A R Murugadoss is one talented director and overall, he has done a good job in re-launching Sonakshi in a rebellious avatar! However, the plot of the film fails to command our interest at a stretch. Also See: Katrina Kaif In A 'Never Seen Before' Avatar For FBB's New Photoshoot Amidst the shabbily cut scenes, the overdone actions and violence, we feel that the editing team too, lacked crispiness or they didn't do their homework properly! Apart from Anurag Kashyap, songs of the film also play the villain of the film! No matter how serious the storyline is, audiences want a refreshment and here, the songs take a backseat. VERDICT: No matter whether you are a Sonakshi Sinha fan or not, we suggest you to watch Akira, only and only for her career best performance! More power to you, Sona! IRVINE, California, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Resolve Systems, the most widely deployed enterprise security and IT incident response and automation platform announced it will be hosting the Service and Network Operators (SNO) International Telecom Forum, October 18-20, in London, England. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150420/199820LOGO The Service & Network Operators International Telecom Forum is the only worldwide event that brings together network operations experts from telecommunications providers. The peer-driven event includes NOC managers, directors and executives who contribute to the agenda with best-practices, personal learnings and innovations. Sessions will focus on Network & Service Management, Security, Measurements, and Standards. The forum will be hosted at The Crystal, an award-winning London events venue. The intimate event is complimentary for approved attendees who must request an invitation from the event website. "Network Operation teams are tasked with increasing service performance while driving down costs," said CEO of Resolve Systems, Martin Savitt. "Our customers have demonstrated again and again that implementing new models for incident resolution with process guidance and automation can drive substantial savings and dramatically impact the customer experience. We are excited to join international experts in London to discuss the transformation of the industry and share success stories." Peter Sutherland, Network Operations, Telstra and Chairman, International SNO states, "NOCs, no matter the size or sophistication, share the same challenge of providing outstanding customer experiences in the most productive way possible." Peter adds, "SNO is a forum for NOC leaders to achieve this vision through sharing their challenges and solutions." SNOis organized in partnership with the Telecommunications Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, who encourages the development of Network and Service Management activities worldwide. Over its long history, the International SNO Forum has been hosted in a variety of cities including Milan, Beijing, Melbourne, Geneva, and New York. About Resolve Systems Resolve Systems is the most widely deployed Enterprise Security & IT Incident Response Automation Platform. Since 2008, the Resolve Platform has empowered teams by providing actionable dashboards and process guidance for end-to-end and human-guided automations. Fortune 500 customers rely on Resolve's unique onboarding process created to deliver value at a scalable, rapid pace. By leveraging pre-built automation content, Resolve can be onboarded in as little as 30 days. Contact: Marin Sakhri marketing@resolvsystems.com +1-949-954-6592 CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/01/16 -- Serinus Energy Inc. ("Serinus" or the "Company") (TSX: SEN)(WARSAW: SEN) today announced changes to its Board of Directors (the "Board"). Mr. Stephen Akerfeldt and Mr. Michael McVea have both resigned from the Board with immediate effect. The Board will move expeditiously to evaluate and select potential replacements, and anticipates that these positions will be filled on a timely basis. Helmut Langanger, Serinus' Chairman of the Board, expressed appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Akerfeldt and Mr. McVea for their long service to the Company. Both have served on and/or chaired various committees and their experience and counsel has been of great value and will be missed. About Serinus Serinus is an international upstream oil and gas exploration and production company that owns and operates projects in Tunisia and Romania. For further information, please refer to the Serinus website (www.serinusenergy.com). Translation: This news release has been translated into Polish from the English original. Forward-looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements made as of the date of this announcement with respect to future activities that either are not or may not be historical facts. Although the Company believes that its expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date hereof, any potential results suggested by such statements involve risk and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Various factors that could impair or prevent the Company from completing the expected activities on its projects include that the Company's projects experience technical and mechanical problems, there are changes in product prices, failure to obtain regulatory approvals, the state of the national or international monetary, oil and gas, financial, political and economic markets in the jurisdictions where the Company operates and other risks not anticipated by the Company or disclosed in the Company's published material. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties and actual results may vary materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statement. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in this announcement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement, unless required by law. Contacts: Serinus Energy Inc. - Canada Gregory M. Chornoboy Director - Capital Markets & Corporate Development +1-403-264-8877 gchornoboy@serinusenergy.com Serinus Energy Inc. - Poland Jakub J. Korczak Vice President Investor Relations & Managing Director CEE +48 22 414 21 00 jkorczak@serinusenergy.com (2) Reflects the number of positions in issuers in which the Company has previously publicly disclosed an investment, which occurs after the Company has completed its accumulation. Cash, cash equivalents, direct or indirect currency or other hedges and income/expense items are excluded. Multiple financial instruments (for example, common stock and derivatives on common stock) associated with one (1) issuer count as one (1) position. A position that is included in the number of positions will be removed from the table only if the Company has previously publicly announced a disposition of the investment or if the investment becomes 0.0% of the portfolio. (3) For the purpose of determining the equity and debt exposures, investments are valued as follows: (a) equity or debt is valued at market value, (b) options referencing equity or debt are valued at market value, and (c) swaps or forwards referencing equity or debt are valued at the market value of the notional equity or debt underlying the swaps or forwards. Whether a position is deemed to be long or short is determined by whether an investment has positive or negative exposure to price increases or decreases. For example, long puts are deemed to be short exposure. (4) Includes all issuer equity, debt, and derivatives related to issuer equity and debt, and associated currency hedges. Cash, cash equivalents, direct or indirect currency or other hedges and income/expense items are excluded. The market values of associated currency hedges are included as part of the associated investment. In the event that there is a change in market cap category with respect to any non-publicly disclosed position, this information is not updated until such position is publicly disclosed. (5) Portfolio composition is reflective of the publicly disclosed portfolio positions as of the date of this report. A position in an issuer is only assigned to a sector once it has been publicly disclosed. (6) "Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. AUM" equals the assets under management of Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.. Any performance fees crystallized as of the end of the year will be reflected in the following period's AUM. (7) "Total Strategy AUM" equals the aggregate assets under management of Pershing Square, L.P., Pershing Square International, Ltd., Pershing Square II, L.P. and Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.. Redemptions effective as of the end of any period (including redemptions attributable to crystallized performance fees/allocations, if any) will be reflected in the following period's AUM. (8) "Total Firm AUM" equals the aggregate of the Total Strategy AUM and the assets under management of PS V, L.P., PS V International, Ltd. and affiliated entities (collectively, "PSV"), less amounts invested in PSV by the core funds TEL AVIV and SYDNEY, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- HexaTier, provider of the leading comprehensive security and compliance solution for databases and Database as a Service (DBaaS) platforms, announced today that WebSecure Technologies is an official reseller in Australia. HexaTier delivers database security, sensitive data discovery, dynamic data masking and database monitoring on the cloud and off. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325331LOGO ) "WithWebSecure's proven ability in the integration of security solutions and HexaTier'sspecialization in database reverse proxy technology tosecuredatabases and assure compliance, thesynergy between us is compelling," said Stewart Sim, Owner, WebSecure Technologies. "WebSecureis very excited about the partnership and growth potential for both companies based on this unique offering." HexaTier'sunifieddatabase security and compliance solutionprotects SME databases running on Amazon RDS and EC2, SQL Azure, Google Cloud, and Rackspace, as well as within the traditional network infrastructure. Utilizing a patented database reverse proxy, sensitive data in the database is automatically discovered and dynamically masked. HexaTier also blocks SQL injections in real time, monitors database activity performed by applications and DBAs, implements segregation of duties, and creates rule-based restrictions for accessing, copying and detecting data based on user, IP, address geography, date/time and more. "We see ourselves as the critical component in database security, regardless of where the data resides," said Dan Dinnar, CEO, HexaTier. "WebSecure's philosophy strongly aligns with our approach, as they seek out the best security technologies to provide the highest level of service to their SME customers." About WebSecure WebSecure Technologies identifies high caliber security solutions to complex problems and works collaboratively with its clients to plan, implement and support the leading technologies, such as HexaTier. Its proprietary framework - the Four Sides - scales to ensure that its solutions fit any organization's size or industry. It is based in Sydney. About HexaTier HexaTier sets the industry standard for database security and compliance in the cloud with its unified solution that provides database security, dynamic data masking (DDM), database activity monitoring (DAM) and discovery of sensitive data. HexaTier is the first and only company to provide security for cloud-hosted databases and DBaaS platforms through a streamlined and simple solution. Utilizing purpose-built, patented Database Reverse Proxy technology, the company protects against both internal and external security threats. HexaTier was founded in 2009 and headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in Boston, MA and Irvine, CA. Media Contact Amy Kenigsberg K2 Global Communications amy@k2-gc.com +1-913-440-4072 (+7 ET) +972-9-794-1681 (+2 GMT) Regulatory News: United Company RUSAL Plc (Paris:RUSAL) (Paris:RUAL): Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement. UNITED COMPANY RUSAL PLC (Incorporated under the laws of Jersey with limited liability) (Stock Code: 486) CONTINUING CONNECTED TRANSACTIONS REPAIR SERVICES Reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated 2 July 2015, 30 December 2015, 12 January 2016, 5 February 2016, 30 March 2016, 20 May 2016 and 5 July 2016 in relation to the Previously Disclosed Repair Services Contracts. The Company announces that members of the Group entered into addendums with an associate of En+, pursuant to which the associate of En+ agreed to provide repair services to the members of the Group. THE REPAIR SERVICES CONTRACTS Reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated 2 July 2015, 30 December 2015, 12 January 2016, 5 February 2016, 30 March 2016, 20 May 2016 and 5 July 2016 in relation to the Previously Disclosed Repair Services Contracts. The Company announces that members of the Group entered into addendums with an associate of En+, pursuant to which the associate of En+ agreed to provide repair services to members of the Group (the "Repair Services Contracts"), details of which are set out below. No. Date of addendum Customer (member of the Group) Contractor (associate of En+) Term of addendum Repair services Estimated consideration payable for the year ending 31 December 2016 excluding VAT (USD) Payment terms 1. Addendum #2 dated 1 September 2016, which is an addendum to the contract dated 11 January 2016 between the same parties Open Joint-Stock Company "RUSAL Bratsk Aluminium Smelter" Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont" Up to 31 December 2016 Repairs of sewerage soakaway and heating pipeline 16,232 (note 1) Within 40 calendar days upon signing of the performed works certificate by the customer against an invoice 2. Addendum #3 dated 1 September 2016, which is an addendum to the contract dated 11 January 2016 between the same parties Open Joint-Stock Company "RUSAL Bratsk Aluminium Smelter" Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont" Up to 31 December 2016 Connection of gas ducts after emergency disconnection 12,229 (note 1) Within 40 calendar days upon signing of the performed works certificate by the customer against an invoice 3. Addendum #4 dated 1 September 2016, which is an addendum to the contract dated 11 January 2016 between the same parties Limited Liability Company "Russian Engineering Company" Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont" Up to 31 December 2016 Replacement of the 1585 lateral gas duct 5,505 (note 2) Within 40 calendar days upon signing of the performed works certificate by the customer against an invoice No. Date of addendum Customer (member of the Group) Contractor (associate of En+) Term of addendum Repair services Estimated consideration payable for the year ending 31 December 2016 excluding VAT (USD) Payment terms 4. Addendum #5 dated 1 September 2016, which is an addendum to the contract dated 11 January 2016 between the same parties Limited Liability Company "Russian Engineering Company" Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont Up to 31 December 2016 Repairs of gas treatment equipment 3,637 (note 2) Within 40 calendar days upon signing of the performed works certificate by the customer against an invoice 5. Addendum #6 dated 1 September 2016, which is an addendum to the contract dated 11 January 2016 between the same parties Limited Liability Company "Russian Engineering Company" Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont Up to 31 December 2016 Replacement of heating pipelines in the emulsion room at Casthouse 1 19,905 (note 2) Within 40 calendar days upon signing of the performed works certificate by the customer against an invoice Total estimated consideration payable for the year 57,508 Notes: 1. The estimated consideration payable is calculated on the basis of cost of one labour hour ranging from USD2.99 to USD3.52 (excluding VAT). 2. The estimated consideration payable is calculated on the basis of cost of one labour hour which is estimated at USD2.71 (excluding VAT).The consideration under the Repair Services Contracts is to be paid in cash via wire transfer or set-off. THE ANNUAL AGGREGATE TRANSACTION AMOUNT The contract price payable under the Repair Services Contracts has been determined with reference to the market price and on terms no less favourable than those prevailing in the Russian market for repair services of the same type and quality and those offered by the associates of En+ to independent third parties. The basis of calculation of payments under the Repair Services Contracts is the price of contract offered by the associates of En+ which is based on the estimated costs (including labour costs and the necessary materials) for the relevant repair works. The Company invited several organizations to take part in the tender in relation to the required repair services and chose the contractor offering the best terms and conditions (taking into account the price, quality offered by the contractor and availability of professionals with the required skill and experience) and then entered into the contract/addendum with the chosen contractor. Based on the terms of the Repair Services Contracts and the Previously Disclosed Repair Services Contracts, the annual aggregate transaction amount that is payable by the Group to the associates of En+ for the financial year ending 31 December 2016 is estimated to be approximately USD14.270 million. The annual aggregate transaction amount is estimated by the Directors based on the amount of repair services to be received and the contract price. THE AGGREGATION APPROACH Pursuant to Rule 14A.81 of the Listing Rules, the continuing connected transactions contemplated under the Repair Services Contracts and the Previously Disclosed Repair Services Contracts should be aggregated, as they were entered into by the Group with the associates of the same group of connected persons who are parties connected or otherwise associated with one another, and the subject matter of each of the contracts relates to the receipt of repair and maintenance services by members of the Group. REASONS FOR AND BENEFITS OF THE TRANSACTIONS The Directors consider that the Repair Services Contracts are for the benefit of the Company, as the contractor offered a competitive price. The Directors (including the independent non-executive Directors) consider that the Repair Services Contracts have been negotiated on an arm's length basis and on normal commercial terms which are fair and reasonable and the transactions contemplated under the Repair Services Contracts are in the ordinary and usual course of business of the Group and in the interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. None of the Directors has a material interest in the transactions contemplated under the Repair Services Contracts, save for Mr. Deripaska, Mr. Maxim Sokov, Ms. Olga Mashkovskaya and Ms. Gulzhan Moldazhanova, who are directors of En+, being the holding company of Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont". Mr. Deripaska is also indirectly interested in more than 50% of the issued share capital of En+. Accordingly, Mr. Deripaska, Mr. Maxim Sokov, Ms. Olga Mashkovskaya and Ms. Gulzhan Moldazhanova did not vote on the Board resolution approving the Repair Services Contracts. LISTING RULES IMPLICATIONS Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont" is directly or indirectly held by En+ as to more than 30% of the issued share capital and is therefore an associate of En+ which is a substantial shareholder of the Company and thus is a connected person of the Company under the Listing Rules. The estimated annual aggregate transaction amount of the continuing connected transactions under the Repair Services Contracts and the Previously Disclosed Repair Services Contracts for the financial year ending 31 December 2016 is more than 0.1% but less than 5% under the applicable percentage ratios. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 14A.76 of the Listing Rules, the transactions contemplated under these contracts are only subject to the announcement requirements set out in Rules 14A.35 and 14A.68, the annual review requirements set out in Rules 14A.49, 14A.55 to 14A.59, 14A.71 and 14A.72 and the requirements set out in Rules 14A.34 and 14A.50 to 14A.54 of the Listing Rules. These transactions are exempt from the circular and the independent shareholders' approval requirements under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules. Details of the Repair Services Contracts and the Previously Disclosed Repair Services Contracts will be included in the next annual report and accounts of the Company in accordance with Rule 14A.71 of the Listing Rules where appropriate. PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ACTIVITIES The Company is principally engaged in the production and sale of aluminium, including alloys and value-added products, and alumina. Joint-Stock Company "Irkutskenergoremont" is principally engaged in activities for supporting of operability of thermal power plants. DEFINITIONS In this announcement, the following expressions have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: "associate(s)" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "Board" the board of Directors. "Company" United Company RUSAL Plc, a limited liability company incorporated in Jersey, the shares of which are listed on the main board of the Stock Exchange. "connected person(s)" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "continuing connected transactions" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "Director(s)" the director(s) of the Company. "En+" En+ Group Limited, a company incorporated in Jersey, a substantial shareholder of the Company. "Group" the Company and its subsidiaries. "Listing Rules" the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange. "Mr. Deripaska" Mr. Oleg Deripaska, an executive Director. "percentage ratios" the percentage ratios under Rule 14.07 of the Listing Rules. "Previously Disclosed Repair Services Contracts" the repair services contracts between members of the Group and the associate of En+, pursuant to which the associate of En+ agreed to provide repair services to member of the Group during the year 2016, as disclosed in the announcements of the Company dated 2 July 2015, 30 December 2015, 12 January 2016, 5 February 2016, 30 March 2016, 20 May 2016 and 5 July 2016. "Stock Exchange" The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. "substantial shareholder" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "USD" United States dollars, the lawful currency of the United States of America. "VAT" value added tax. By Order of the Board of Directors of United Company RUSAL Plc Aby Wong Po Ying Company Secretary 2 September 2016 As at the date of this announcement, the executive Directors are Mr. Oleg Deripaska, Mr. Vladislav Soloviev and Mr. Siegfried Wolf, the non-executive Directors are Mr. Maxim Sokov, Mr. Dmitry Afanasiev, Mr. Len Blavatnik, Mr. Ivan Glasenberg, Mr. Maksim Goldman, Ms. Gulzhan Moldazhanova, Mr. Daniel Lesin Wolfe, Ms. Olga Mashkovskaya, and Ms. Ekaterina Nikitina, and the independent non-executive Directors are Mr. Matthias Warnig (Chairman), Mr. Philip Lader, Dr. Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Mr. Mark Garber, Mr. Dmitry Vasiliev and Mr. Bernard Zonneveld. All announcements and press releases published by the Company are available on its website under the links http://www.rusal.ru/en/investors/info.aspxhttp://rusal.ru/investors/info/moex/ and http://www.rusal.ru/en/press-center/press-releases.aspx, respectively. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160901005958/en/ Contacts: United Company RUSAL Plc SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.(SSNLF.OB, SSNNF.OB, SMSN.L) is expected to announce global recall of all of its newest Galaxy Note 7 phablets due to faulty batteries that catch fire, Yonhap reported, citing an unidentified company official. The official reportedly said the company is expected to announce the result of its investigation into the cause of the reported explosions, as well as comprehensive countermeasures either this weekend or early next week at the latest. The official reportedly noted that the company's announcement of the recall is unlikely on Friday because Samsung is in talks with Verizon of the U.S. and other business partners on the issue. Samsung began selling the Galaxy Note 7 on August 19 in 10 countries worldwide. The Galaxy smartphone maker said on Wednesday that it delayed shipments of its new devices to mobile carriers, citing more testing needed for quality checks without elaborating on the cause. A series of reports since last week said that the Note 7 had caught fire while charging and some customers uploaded pictures of their burned-out devices on the internet. 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. PALO ALTO (dpa-AFX) - Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (HPE) is seeking a buyer for its software unit in a deal that could be valued at as much as $10 billion, according to reports citing familiar with the matter. Such a transaction would likely end the company's association with the former operations of Autonomy Corp., a British software maker acquired in 2011 for $11 billion in a deal widely regarded as a mistake. The reports noted that HP Enterprise is seeking a price in the range of $8 billion and $10 billion for the software unit. The deal talks at those values with buyout firms that include Thoma Bravo LLC. The unit being offered for sale makes software to manage business operations. The company plans to keep software businesses associated with pieces of customers' key technology infrastructure-such as software-defined networking, the reports said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Ah, the Labor Day weekend: It's the last chance to blow out of town on a road trip to check off the last items on your summer of 2016 bucket list. And the reference to "bucket list" is unfortunately appropriate, considering the rate at which Americans and Oregonians are dying in highway wrecks. You might have noticed the national story a couple of weeks ago about the remarkable rise in highway fatalities in the United States. It's a topic we've written about before, but these new numbers made it clear that there's a growing problem on the nation's highways. Here's the upshot of the national story: According to data from the National Safety Council, traffic fatalities on U.S. roads were up 9 percent during the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year. This surge in fatalities continues a trend that began two years ago, as the economy improved and traffic picked up. Some of the increase in traffic fatalities was expected, especially considering that Americans drove a record 1.58 trillion miles in the first half of this year: As the number of miles increases, so does the number of wrecks. But you can't explain all of this deadly surge just by pointing to increased traffic; the mileage driven is up just 3.3 percent over last year, considerably less than the percentage climb in the number of fatalities. And the raw numbers are shocking: The council, a congressionally chartered nonprofit that gets its data from state authorities, said an estimated 19,100 people were killed on U.S. roads from January to June of this year. For a touch of macabre perspective, that's more than the population of Lebanon. It's 18 percent more than two years ago at the six-month mark. In addition, the council said, about 2.2 million people were seriously injured in crashes during the first six months of the year. Oregon is at the leading edge of this trend: Since 2014, the council reported, fatal wrecks here have increased a whopping 70 percent. (Only Vermont, with an increase of 82 percent, outpaced Oregon.) We've long assumed that improved safety features in automobiles would help drive down the amount of carnage on the highways, and for many years that was true: After peaking in the 1970s, the number of traffic deaths generally declined, until this recent surge. Although no one knows for sure, our guess is that the spike in deaths corresponds in part to an increase in the amount of distracted driving. Our cars may have more safety features than ever before, but we also have invented more ways to distract ourselves when we should be focusing on the vitally important task of driving. And remember this: 94 percent of fatal wrecks are attributed to some kind of driver error, and that includes errors such as texting when you should be watching the road. As our vehicles turn into rolling amusement centers, it's easy to forget that driving needs to treated as serious business, and the consequences of even a moment of distraction can be lethal. Looking at the trends, the National Safety Council is estimating that 438 people will be killed on the nation's roads over the Labor Day weekend, which officially begins today. If that holds true, it would be the deadliest Labor Day weekend since 2008. As you begin your road trip to your weekend destination to enjoy the last few days of summer, be sure that you don't do anything behind the wheel that will add to those distressing statistics. (mm) SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- Sky Premium International held a media briefing of their brand new membership services club in Singapore, Sky Premium, at the Japanese food enclave at Takujo Japanese Dining @ Emporium Shokuhin on 31st August 2016. The event saw a live presentation of a Bluefin tuna cutting ceremony where guests, partners and media friends got a glimpse into one of the many luxurious experiences Sky Premium has to offer. Immersing in an afternoon reflective of The Good Life, Sky Premium delighted guests with a presentation of the Hon Maguro, also known as the Bluefin tuna cutting ceremony. Weighing at a whopping 60kg, the tuna was airflown from sustainable sources in Uwajima prefecture, Japan, where the Maguro cutting was performed with utmost skill and precision by Chef William Teo, head chef of Takujo Japanese Dining at Emporium Shokuhin. Utilizing four different sets of highly specialized knives, including one that resembles a samurai sword, the delectable Hon Maguro was artfully plated in a platter of sashimi, sushi, maki and a 6-hour braised tuna head. Margaret Koh, General Manager of Sky Premium, said, "In a day and age where time is such a commodity, we often miss out and get caught up in a daily routine of things. Sky Premium offers that balance and luxury of time, to enjoy affordable luxury in the pursuit of living the good life. I'm delighted that we had the opportunity to showcase a novel art form of the Hon Maguro, a first-hand glimpse into some of the luxurious experiences Sky Premium has to offer. We hope to continue bringing the good life experiences to our members in the coming months ahead." Sky Premium's panel advisors Allan Wu, renowned celebrity in Southeast Asia; and fashion-forward lawyer, Tan Min-Li, warmly welcomed guests during the media briefing. In line with Sky Premium's philosophy of being connected under one sky, media friends also had a chance to pick out exciting privileges from a photo wall, unravelling their very own experience of The Good Life. Image Sky Premium's panel advisors Allan Wu and Tan Min-Li, with Margaret Koh, General Manager of Sky Premium and Jayme Ong, who was the emcee for the media briefing http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/5493 Company logo http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/5350 Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3051423 For further enquiries, please contact: Cheryl Lee / Keith Jonathan PR Communications Pte Ltd Tel: (65) 6227 2135 Fax: (65) 6227 3915 Email: Email Contact / Email Contact Regulatory News: Coca-Cola European Partners plc (CCEP) (ticker symbol: CCE) will host an event with investors and analysts in Barcelona on Tuesday, 27 September 2016. The meeting will be hosted by Chairman Sol Daurella, Chief Executive Officer John F. Brock, Chief Operating Officer Damian Gammell, and Chief Financial Officer Nik Jhangiani. Presentations will be webcasted and include other key leaders, a detailed business overview, and a discussion of the company's long-term outlook. John F. Brock, CEO, commented: "Just three months ago, we executed a transaction that created the world's largest independent Coca-Cola bottler by net sales and a leading consumer goods company in the European marketplace. This meeting will enable us to provide a better understanding of our business and our strong commitment to creating increasing value for our shareowners." Damian Gammell, COO, added: "We look forward to our first investor and analyst event as CCEP in Barcelona, which will provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Spanish market as well as our other key operations." On 27 September, CCEP will webcast the presentations live through its website, www.ccep.com, beginning at 3:00 p.m. CEST, 2:00 p.m. BST, and 9:00 a.m. EDT. A replay of the presentation will be available at this site within 24 hours after the presentations. ABOUT CCEP Coca-Cola European Partners plc (CCEP) is a leading consumer packaged goods company in Europe, producing, distributing and marketing an extensive range of nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages and is the world's largest independent Coca-Cola bottler based on net sales. Coca-Cola European Partners serves a consumer population of over 300 million across Western Europe, including Andorra, Belgium, continental France, Germany, Great Britain, Iceland, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. The company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam, the New York Stock Exchange, Euronext London, and on the Spanish stock exchanges, and trades under the symbol CCE. For more information about CCEP, please visit www.ccep.com and follow CCEP on Twitter at @CocaColaEP. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160902005115/en/ Contacts: Coca-Cola European Partners plc Investor Relations: Thor Erickson, +1 678-260-3110 or Media Relations: Ros Hunt, +44 (0) 7528 251 022 OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen weakened against the other major currencies in the early European session on Friday. The yen fell to nearly a 2-month low of 75.48 against the NZ dollar, more than a 1-month low of 116.01 against the euro and a 1-month low of 105.75 against the Swiss franc, fro early highs of 78.00, 120.00 and 110.00, respectively. Against the pound, the U.S. and the Canadian dollars, the yen dropped to 137.64, 103.70 and 79.11 from early highs of 136.84, 103.13 and 78.76, respectively. If the yen extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 78.00 against the kiwi, 120.00 against the euro, 110.00 against the franc, 145.00 against the pound, 106.00 against the greenback and 82.00 against the loonie. 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, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- We have come a long way within customer service since Automatic Call Distributor technology. One of the biggest changes being the shift from a voice-only call centre to the omni-channel contact centre, which encompasses any and all customer contact points, from web chat and email to social media and self-service. We look at these developments and what they mean for industry leaders in our latest in-depth report: The Ultimate Guide to Customer Service. This report covers the tremendous evolution seen within technology, tools and processes, accelerating further in the last few years, as well as the changes in requirements for your people. Customer service agents are no longer purely targeted on efficiency and getting customers off the phone as swiftly as possible, instead there is a requirement for a personalised interaction and emotional engagement so the customer feels the experience has been a positive one. But what have been the biggest changes in recent years? And how will they continue to develop? In this complimentary report we look at the developments on the people side of contact centre customer service (from outsourcing to employee engagement) as well as the processes and technology side (including data & analytics, self-service, automation, and the Voice of the Customer). We also delve into how the main disruptor of the 21st century - digital - links people, processes and technology together into a seamless and consistent omni-channel model. The trends and challenges uncovered in this report are illustrated with in-depth interviews with industry leaders and case studies from organisations that excel in their field, including the COO of Atom Bank, the Customer Services Director of Staples, the Customer Contact Centres Project Director of Air France - KLM, the Vice President and CX Transformist of Temkin Group , the Customer Services Director of Hallmark and the General Manager - Digital Care of BT. They provide you with the ultimate guide to delivering an excellent customer service with your contact centre in 2016 and beyond. Discover their insights into the industry by downloading your complimentary copy of The Ultimate Guide to Customer Service, created by the CX Network, the leading provider of customer experience and service resources for industry leaders. Find out more by visiting http://bit.ly/2bEHvuI , calling +44(0)207-368-9484 or emailing CXnews@iqpc.com . STOCKHOLM (dpa-AFX) - Sweden's current account surplus declined notably due to a fall in primary income in the second quarter, data published by Statistics Sweden showed Friday. The current account surplus fell to SEK 36 billion from SEK 57.1 billion in the first quarter. In the same period of last year, the surplus totaled SEK 37 billion. The visible trade surplus rose to SEK 26.9 billion from SEK 26.5 billion a quarter ago and the surplus on services widened to SEK 22.4 billion from SEK 16.6 billion. Meanwhile, primary income showed a negative balance of SEK 5.9 billion compared to a surplus of SEK 37 billion in the first quarter. At the same time, the shortfall on secondary income narrowed to SEK 7.4 billion from SEK 23 billion. At the end of the second quarter of 2016, Sweden's international investment position showed net external assets of SEK 401 billion. This represented an increase compared to the previous quarter when net assets amounted to SEK 257 billion. The capital account showed a SEK 0.6 billion shortfall and the financial account balance was in negative SEK 68.2 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. MUNICH, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile App ' Scan Alipay ' available for every retailer after registration Simple QR code scanning procedure The payment service provider Wirecard will collaborate with Alipay - a company of the Ant Financial Services Group, which is an affiliate of the Alibaba Group - to launch a mobile payment acceptance technology on the European market for QR code-based alternative payment methods. To this end, Wirecard has developed an app, with which retailers across Europe can accept and process Alipay payments through a simple scanning procedure. The solution is targeted at high street retailers in Europe who wish to offer Chinese tourists China's leading mobile payment method, Alipay. Retailers will soon be able to download the 'Scan Alipay' iOS app from the app store - integration with POS systems is not necessary. An Android version will follow in the course of this year. The app will be taken up predominantly by catering establishments and clothing retailers. These two sectors benefit in particular from the promising growth in tourism from China. The App offers retailers a simple entrance to benefit from Alipay payment acceptance and can also be used by large retail chains as a way to deploy Alipay as a new payment method without large integration efforts at selected POS (Point-of-Sales). Rita Liu, Head of Europe at Alipay, comments, "We are pleased that our partnership with Wirecard is developing so well. With the new app, we offer a simple possibility to deploy the Alipay acceptance that generated a mobile payment experience which will benefit retailers in Europe, and consumers from Asia, alike. Our customers have a strong sense of loyalty to the Alipay brand. We are sure that tourists will look to use this domestic payment method in Europe more and more often." Jorn Leogrande, Executive Vice President Mobile Services at Wirecard, adds, "The Alipay solution is unique within Europe and around the world. We are proud to take this step together with Alipay, which will provide the easiest way for retailers in Europe to offer this Chinese payment method. We see great potential in the growing number of Chinese tourists and businessmen travelling to Europe. This is why we also plan to strengthen our collaboration in the future, so that we can win over the target market with state-of-the-art payment solutions." Its ease of use means that the app is attractive for all retailers: a customer making a cashless payment with their Alipay App simply needs to show the retailer the barcode on their smartphone display. All the retailer is required to do is enter the amount payable into the 'Scan Alipay' app on a mobile device - in US dollars, euro or British pounds - and then scan the QR code on the customer's smartphone. This is all that is necessary to complete the transaction. Payment processing is then handled by Wirecard Bank. Retailers will be able to acquire the app soon by simply downloading it for free from the App Store. About Wirecard: Wirecard AG is a global technology group that supports companies in accepting electronic payments from all sales channels. As a leading independent supplier, the Wirecard Group offers outsourcing and white label solutions for electronic payments. A global platform bundles international payment acceptances and methods with supplementary fraud prevention solutions. With regard to issuing own payment instruments in the form of cards or mobile payment solutions, the Wirecard Group provides companies with an end-to-end infrastructure, including the requisite licences for card and account products. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Securities Exchange (TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060, WDI). For further information about Wirecard, please visit http://www.wirecard.com or follow us on Twitter @wirecard. About Alipay: Launched in 2004, Alipay is the world's leading third-party payment platform. It currently has over 450 million active registered users and more than 200 financial institution partners. During the 2015 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, China's equivalent of Cyber Monday, Alipay processed RMB 91.3 billion worth of transactions from Alibaba's marketplaces. In addition to online payment functions such as online shopping payments, money transfer, and utility bill payments, Alipay is expanding to offline payments both inside and outside of China. Over 600,000 brick-and-mortar merchants and over one million taxis now accept Alipay as a payment method across China. As of December 2015, Alipay was accepted in more than 50,000 retail stores outside of China, and tax reimbursement via Alipay is supported in 24 countries and regions, including South Korea, Germany and France. More than half of the transactions processed by Alipay are conducted on mobile devices. Alipay has evolved from a digital wallet to a lifestyle enabler. Users can hail a taxi, book a hotel, or buy movie tickets directly from various modules within the app and purchase wealth management products such as Yu'e Bao. Wirecard media contact: Wirecard AG Jana Tilz Tel: +49(0)89-4424-1363 Email: jana.tilz@wirecard.com Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor join Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed for Official Opening DUBLIN, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax, a global information solutions company with headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., today announced the official opening of its second location in Ireland. Officials from Georgia and Ireland, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, attended opening ceremonies for the new IT Centre. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060224/CLF037LOGO The new office, located in what is referred to as "Dublin's Silicon Docks," will serve as a key international location for Equifax's IT Research and Development efforts. The IT Centre, located in the Bloodstone Building on Sir John Rogerson's Quay, has made great progress in filling the initial 100 available positions and is continuing to hire for open opportunities. Given the deep pool of talent in the marketplace, Equifax is looking at continued expansion and expects additional personnel to be added in coming months. The global information technology needs of Equifax spans 24 countries across four continents, and the new Centre will support these offices around the world. According to IT Centre Leader Paul O'Dwyer, the Dublin office will focus on how the company's consumer and business data can be used to develop new products. Speaking at the Centre opening, Dave Webb, CIO of Equifax, said: "Equifax has been in this market for more than 20 years, since we added our Wexford office in 1994. This experience has taught us that the talent of the workforce in Ireland runs deep. Given this, and the support we have received from IDA Ireland, Dublin became a natural choice and will continue to present additional opportunities in terms of growth and development." Guests at today's opening included Equifax leadership, employees and Irish and Georgia dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Atlanta Kasim Reed, the President of Georgia Institute of Technology G.P. "Bud" Peterson, and IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan. Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr said "Research and development is a fast growing economic sector here in Dublin and I'm delighted to be welcoming Equifax to our captial city. 'Dublin's Silicon Dock' - Grand Canal Dock - has excellent business facilities, is within walking distance from the city centre and is a great place to do business." Speaking at the event Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor stated, "I am delighted that Equifax is continuing to invest in Ireland with the opening of their new state of the art IT Centre. It is a testament to Dublin being at the forefront of Innovation with a talented workforce that Equifax have decided to expand here. I am confident through ensuring Ireland has the right policies for job creation, FinTech companies such as Equifax will thrive by continuing to grow and develop over the many years ahead and I wish the team the very best for the future". "IDA Ireland has been working with Equifax over the last year on the opening of this new facility in Ireland and is thrilled to see it come to full fruition. We believe that the Equifax Dublin IT centre is a true endorsement of Ireland's research and development credentials," said Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland. "For half a century, Equifax has been a cornerstone of the FinTech sector in metro Atlanta. As Equifax has grown and thrived, Atlanta has emerged as one of the world's leading hubs for FinTech companies," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "I am pleased to join Equifax today as we celebrate the company's growing presence in Ireland, and as a champion of innovation, I am excited about the opportunities to strengthen our city's economic and cultural ties with Dublin." Equifax, considered one of Atlanta's original FinTech companies, was founded in Atlanta in 1889. Over the last 10 years, the company has focused on utilizing the data it has on hand to support the sustainability of the financial marketplace, as well as the needs of creditworthy consumers. Consumer credit data is the most accurate way to assess a consumer's financial health and a useful tool in assessing current economic performance. Equifax is working to revolutionize consumer credit information to enhance its offerings in support of consumers and economies around the world. About Equifax Equifax powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyzes data on more than 820 million consumers and more than 91 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide. Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes' World's 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com 2 September 2016 Mayan Energy Ltd (formerly Northcote Energy Ltd) ('Mayan' or 'the Company') Subscription under the Placing Director/PDMR Holding TVR Further to the announcement of 1 September 2016,Mayan Energy Limited is pleased to announce that Heriberto ('Eddie') Gonzalez Jr., Chief Executive Officer, has today subscribed for 333,333,333 new ordinary shares in the Company on the same terms as the Placing (the "Shares"), that is at 0.015p per Share. This brings the total amount raised under the Placing to 550,000. Application will be made for the Shares, which will rank pari passu with the existing ordinary shares, to be admitted to trading on AIM ('Admission'). It is expected that Admission will become effective and dealings will commence on or around 8 September 2016. Following the issue of the Shares, Mr Gonzalez's total holding will comprise of 333,333,333 ordinary shares in the Company, representing 0.02% of the enlarged issued share capital. The enlarged issued share capital of the Company will consist of 13,898,253,603 Ordinary Shares. No shares were held in treasury at the date of this announcement. The total current voting rights in the Company are therefore 13, 898,253,603. In addition the Company confirms that it has now issued certain directors and management 2,060,000,000 options to subscribe for ordinary share on the terms and further described in the announcement of 1 September 2016. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014. The notification below, made in accordance with the requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulations, provides further detail in respect of the transaction as described above. 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Heriberto ("Eddie") Gonzalez Jr. 2 Reason for notification a) Position / status Chief Executive Officer b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Mayan Energy Ltd b) LEI Not applicable 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code Ordinary shares in Mayan Energy Ltd ISIN VGG5S26K1079 Nature of the transaction Purchase of 333,333,333 ordinary shares Price(s) and volumes(s) Price(s) Volumes(s) 0.15p 333,333,333 d) Aggregated information n/a e) Date of the transaction 2 September 2016 f) Place of the transaction London Stock Exchange, AIM (XLON) **ENDS** For further information visit www. northcoteenergy.com or contact the following: On the initiative and following the resolution of Panevezio keliai AB, the shareholder of Panevezio statybos trestas AB, as the shareholder to whom the shares hold give not less than 1/10 of all votes according to Paragraph 1 Article 23 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Panevezio statybos trestas AB (address of registered office P. Puzino Str. 1, Panevezys, company code 147732969) is convened on 3 October 2016.The place of the meeting shall be the of Panevezio statybos trestas AB at P. Puzino Str. 1, Panevezys.The beginning of the meeting - 10:00 (registration shall start at 9:30).The accounting day shall be 26 September 2016 (only the persons who are on the shareholder list of the company at the end of the accounting day of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, or the persons who are proxies for them, or the persons with whom an agreement on the transfer of voting rights is concluded, have the right to participate and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders).The Agenda of the Meeting shall be as follows:1. Selection of an audit company and pricing of audit services.The company shall not provide any possibilities to participate and vote at the meeting using any means of electronic communications.Draft resolutions on the items of the agenda, any documents to be presented to the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders and any information related to realisation of the shareholders' rights shall be published on the website of the company at www.pst.lt under the menu item Investor Relations not later than 21 days before the meeting date. The shareholders shall also be granted access to the information thereof at the secretary's office at the headquarters of the company (P. Puzino Str. 1, Panevezys) from 7:30 till 16:30. The telephone number for inquiries: (+370 45) 505 508.The shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all votes may propose additional items to be included in the agenda and present a draft resolution of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders for each proposed additional agenda item or, in case no resolution has to be adopted, give an explanation. Any proposals for additional items of the agenda shall be submitted in writing or by e-mail. The proposals in writing are to be delivered to the secretary's office at or sent by registered mail to the following address: Panevezio statybos trestas AB, P. Puzino Str. 1, LT- 35173, Panevezys. The proposals by e-mail are to be sent to the following e-mail address pst@pst.lt.Any proposals for additional items of the agenda are to be presented by 16:00 on 19 September 2016. In the event new items are added to the meeting agenda, not later than 10 days before the meeting date the company shall inform about the additions thereof using the same means as have been used for convening the meeting.The shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all votes may propose new draft resolutions on the items that are on or to be included in the agenda, additional candidates for the members of the company bodies and the audit company. The proposals thereof may be presented in writing or by e-mail.The proposals in writing may be delivered (on work days) to the secretary's office in the company or sent by registered mail to Panevezio statybos trestas AB, at P. Puzino Str. 1, LT- 35173, Panevezys by 9:00 on 3 October 2016. The proposals presented in writing shall be discussed during the meeting provided they have been received at the company before 9:00 on the meeting day (3 October 2016). Any proposals in writing may be presented during the meeting after the chairman of the meeting reads the agenda out but not later that the meeting starts working on the agenda items.Any proposals delivered by e-mail are to be sent to pst@pst.lt. The proposals received at the e-mail address thereof by 9:00 on 3 October 2016 shall be discussed during the meeting.The shareholders are entitled to present their questions related to the agenda items to the company in advance. The questions may be sent by the shareholders by e-mail to pst@pst.lt not later than 3 work days before the meeting date. The company shall answer the questions thereof by e-mail before the meeting. The company shall not deliver the answer to any question of the shareholders in person provided the relevant information is published on the website of the company at http://www.pst.lt .When registering to participate at the meeting, the shareholders or their proxies shall present a document which is a proof of their personal identity. The proxies to the shareholders are to present their proxies certified following a prescribed procedure. The proxy issued by a legal person has to be certified by a Notary Public. The proxy issued in a foreign country has to be translated into Lithuanian and legalised following the procedure prescribed by law. The proxy may be given the authority by more than one shareholder and vote in a different manner based on the instructions given by each shareholder. The company has no special form for the proxy.Using the means of electronic communications, the shareholder may authorize some other natural or legal person to participate and vote at the meeting on behalf of the shareholder. Such proxy requires no certification by a Notary Public. The proxy issued by the means of electronic communications is to be certified by the electronic signature of the shareholder created using any safe electronic signature software and attested by the qualified certificate valid in the Republic of Lithuania. Both the proxy and the notification are to be in writing. The shareholder shall notify the company about the proxy issued by the means of electronic communications by e-mail to pst@pst.lt not later than at 16:00 on the last work day before the meeting date. The electronic signature shall be affixed on the proxy and the notification and not on the letter sent by e-mail. When sending the notification to the company, the shareholder shall refer to the internet address to be used for the purpose of free downloading of electronic signature verification software. In case the shares hold by the shareholder are kept on a few securities accounts, the shareholder may authorise separate proxies to participate and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in accordance with the rights carried by the shares kept in each securities account. In that case any instructions given by the shareholder shall be valid only for one Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.The shareholder who holds the shares of the company acquired in his name, however for the interests of other persons, before voting at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders shall disclose to the company the identity of the end client, the number of voting shares and the content of given voting instructions or any other explanation related to the participation and voting at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders agreed with the client. The shareholder may vote in a different manner using one part of his shares carrying votes and the other part of shares carrying votes.The shareholder or his proxy may vote in advance in writing by filling in the general ballot paper. Not later than 21 days before the meeting date the form of the general ballot paper shall be published on the website of the company at http://www.pst.lt under the menu item Investors Relations. In case the shareholder submits a written request, not later than 10 days before the meeting date the company shall send a general ballot paper by registered mail or deliver it in person against signature. The filled in general ballot paper is to be signed by the shareholder or his proxy. In case the general ballot paper is signed by the proxy, the document validating the voting right shall be attached to it. The filled in general ballot paper with the attached documents (if applicable) shall be delivered to the company by registered mail at Panevezio statybos trestas AB, P. Puzino Str. 1, LT- 35173, Panevezys, to the secretary's office not later than the last work day before the meeting date.The following information and documents shall be published on the website of the company at http://www.pst.lt under the menu item Investors Relations throughout the entire period starting not later than 21 days before the meeting date:-- the notice of convening the meeting; -- the total number of company shares and the number of voting shares as of the date of convening the meeting; -- draft resolutions on the items of the agenda and any other documents to be presented to the meeting; -- the form of a general ballot paper.For more information contact:Dalius GeseviciusManaging DirectorPanevezio statybos trestas ABPhone: (+370 45) 505 503 1. Selection of an audit company and pricing of audit services.1.1. To select KPMG Baltics UAB as an auditor to carry out the audit of the financial statement packages and annual reports of Panevezio statybos trestas AB and the companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group for the year 2016. To pay the amount not exceeding 42 700 (forty two thousand seven hundred) Euros, VAT excluded, for the audit/review of the financial statement packages and annual reports of all companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group for the year 2016, except the companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group located in Latvia, Poland and Sweden, Territorija OOO located in Vologda Region and Baltlitstroj OOO located in Kaliningrad Region, both in Russia. To pay the amount not exceeding 27 100 (twenty seven thousand one hundred) Euros, VAT excluded, for the audit of the financial statements and annual report of Panevezio statybos trestas AB for the year 2016.1.2. The auditors for carrying out the audit in the companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group located outside the European Union following the legal acts regulating accounting and audits in the countries thereof, are to be selected at the discretion of the General Meetings of Shareholders at these companies considering the possibilities of these audit companies at the same time to carry out the review/audit of the financial statement package of the relevant company belonging to Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group for consolidation purposes. Payment for these audit services is not included in the payment for the audit of the financial statement packages and annual reports of the companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group, specified in item 1.1. hereinabove.1.3.To provide for the possibility in the companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group, Baltlitstroj OOO and Territorija OOO, located in Russia, to select an auditor to carry out the audit following the legal acts regulating audit and accounting at the relevant country at the discretion of the General Meeting of Shareholders of the companies thereof and the review of the financial statement package for consolidation purposes/audit for consolidation purposes will be carried out by KPMG Baltics UAB. In these cases the payment for the services thereof will be added to the amounts specified in item 1.1. hereinabove.1.4. To delegate the Managing Director of Panevezio statybos trestas AB:1.4.1. Upon a written consent by Arturas Bucas, to sign the contract (and/or its appendixes) for audit carrying out the audit of the financial statement packages and annual reports for the year 2016, any integral parts of such contract, amendments of, additions to the contract, hand-over statements and any other documents related to the proper implementation of the decision;1.4.2. To initiate the General Meetings of Shareholders at the companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group, by means of participation at the meetings thereof to ensure selection of the relevant auditor and following the procedure defined in item 1.5. hereinbelow by these companies and their subsidiary companies.1.5. The contracts for the provision of the audit/review services at the companies of Panevezio statybos trestas AB Group shall be signed by the Directors of the companies thereof upon a written consent by Arturas Bucas provided the relevant audit processes are related to the audit of the financial statements of Panevezio statybos trestas AB. The copies of the contracts and audit reports shall be provided to the parent companies within 7 (seven) days from their signature.For more information contact:Dalius GeseviciusManaging DirectorPanevezio statybos trestas ABPhone: (+370 45) 505 503 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. PUNE, India, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report " Urology Surgical Instruments Market by Product (Endoscopes, Endovision Systems, Peripheral Instruments, Consumables and Accessories), Application (Chronic Kidney Diseases, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Oncology) - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, This report studies the global urology surgical instruments market for the forecast period of 2016 to 2021. This market is expected to reach USD 11.48 Billion by 2021 from USD 7.74 Billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 8.2%. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 132 market data Tables and 53 Figures spread through 201 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Urology Surgical Instruments Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/urology-surgical-instrument-market-120080018.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. A number of factors such as rising prevalence of kidney diseases and urinary tract infections; rising number of hospitals and growing hospital investments in surgical infrastructure; availability of investments, funds, and grants from government bodies; and rising geriatric population are expected to drive the growth of the urology surgical instruments market during the forecast period. In this report, the global urology surgical instruments market is segmented on the basis of product, application, and region. Based on product, the urology surgical instruments market is categorized into urology endoscopes, endovision systems, peripheral instruments, and consumables and accessories. The consumables and accessories segment is expected to account for the largest share of the urology surgical instruments market in 2016, and is also expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The large share and high growth of this segment can be attributed to factors such as increasing surgical intervention for urology conditions, advancements in minimally invasive surgeries, increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disorders that can lead to increase in kidney transplants, increase in awareness of urology conditions at early stages, and rising geriatric population. Based on application, the urology surgical instruments market is segmented into chronic kidney disease (CKD), urinary stones, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), oncology, and other applications (erectile dysfunction and hernia). The chronic kidney disease segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2016; while, the urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the forecast period. The high growth of this segment can be attributed to the increasing awareness of the condition and rising prevalence of urinary incontinence. Speak to our research experts: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=120080018 Geographically, the global urology surgical instruments market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (Latin America, Middle East, and Africa). North America is expected to account for the largest share of the urology surgical instruments market in 2016, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. The Asia-Pacific market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period (2016-2021), and serves as a revenue pocket for companies offering urology surgical instruments. Prominent players in the global urology surgical instruments market include Olympus Corporation (Japan), KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Richard WOLF GmbH (Germany), Coloplast A/S (Denmark), Cook Medical Inc. (U.S.), Boston Scientific Corporation (U.S.), Medtronic plc (Ireland), Teleflex incorporated (U.S.), Stryker Corporation (U.S.), CooperSurgical, Inc. (U.S.), and ConMed Corporation (U.S.). Browse Related Reports: Operating Room Equipment & Supplies Market by Equipment (Anesthesia Machines, Operating Tables), by Supplies (Surgical Instruments, Disposable Materials), & by End-User (Hospitals, Outpatient Facilities) - Analysis & Global Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/operating-room-equipment-supplies-market-263711827.html Endoscopy Equipment Market by Product (Endoscopes (Flexible, Rigid, Capsule), Visualization Systems, Other Endoscopy Equipment (Electrical, Mechanical), Accessories), by Application (Laparoscopy, Bronchoscopy, GI Endoscopy) - Trends & Global Forecasts to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/endoscopy-devices-market-689.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. 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The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://mnmblog.org/market-research/healthcare/medical-devices Connect with us on LinkedIn @http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets MAZATLAN, MEXICO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- DynaResource de Mexico SA de C.V. ("DynaMexico"), the 100% owner of the San Jose de Gracia Project, located in the County of Sinaloa de Leyva, State of Sinaloa, Mexico (the "SJG Project"), is providing clarifying statements and a number of updates with respect to an arbitration ruling, and an October 5, 2015 Order issued by the Thirty Sixth Civil Court of the Superior Court of Justice of the Federal District of Mexico (the "October 5, 2015 Court Order"), which awarded $48 million USD in damages to DynaMexico against Goldgroup Resources Inc.: 1. The American Arbitration Association - International Centre for Dispute Resolution (the "AAA") issued an Arbitration Ruling dated August 25, 2016 (the "Arbitration Ruling") involving Goldgroup Resources Inc., DynaResource de Mexico SA de CV. ("DynaMexico"), and DynaResource, Inc., Irving, Texas (OTCQB: DYNR). 2. Goldgroup Mining Inc., Vancouver, B.C., the parent company of Goldgroup Resources Inc. ("GGA.TO" - "Goldgroup"), issued a press release on August 31, 2016 including statements and interpretations related to the Arbitration Ruling. 3. DynaMexico herein states the following facts: A. In issuing the Arbitration Ruling, the arbitration panel ignored the October 5, 2015 Court Order. B. Excerpts from the October 5, 2015 Court Order addressing the role of the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") are set forth immediately below: SIXTH: Pursuant to Article 1424 of the Commercial Code of Mexico, the arbitration provision established under clause 8.16 of the Earn In/Option Agreement, dated as of September 1, 2006, is ineffective and impossible to execute. SEVENTH: This Court declares that any controversy arising from the Earn In/Option Agreement must be brought and resolved under Mexican Law and by competent Mexican Courts with proper jurisdiction, in recognition of the waiver and exclusion of the arbitration clause (contained in the Earn In/Option Agreement) by both parties. EIGHTH: This Court declares that the American Arbitration Association must abstain from hearing arbitration procedure number 50 501 T 00226 14, or any other ongoing and/or future ongoing arbitration already filed or to be filed by the defendant Goldgroup, based on the Earn In/Option Agreement dated September 1, 2006. NINTH: This Court declares that the American Arbitration Association does not have jurisdiction to hear any conflict and/or interpretation arising from the Earn In/Option Agreement, dated September 1, 2006. TENTH: This Court declares, that the American Arbitration Association does not have jurisdiction to hear disputes arising between shareholders of DynaMexico, which disputes do not arise directly and immediately from the Earn In/Option Agreement, dated September 1, 2006. ELEVENTH: This Court declares, that the American Arbitration Association does not have jurisdiction to hear any matters where Koy Wilber Diepholz, who is the President of the Board of Directors of DynaMexico, and has been personally sued in relation to the arbitration clause established under clause 8.16 of the Earn In/Option Agreement, dated September 1, 2006, since he signed the mentioned instrument in representation of the Company and not in his personal capacity. C. The Arbitration Ruling contains an acknowledgement by the AAA that the AAA was named as a defendant in the legal demand filed by DynaMexico in the Thirty Sixth Civil Court of the Superior Court of Justice of the Federal District of Mexico (the "DynaMexico Legal Demand"). The Arbitration Ruling also contains a statement that the AAA was not properly served notice of the DynaMexico Legal Demand. D. DynaMexico obeyed the October 5, 2015 Court Order, and did not attend the Arbitration hearing. E. DynaMexico will pursue all legal remedies in order to obtain a full dismissal of the Arbitration Ruling. F. The October 5, 2015 Court Order and the $48 million USD award of damages against Goldgroup Resources Inc. remains in full force and effect as issued. DynaMexico is currently pursuing all available remedies in order to collect $48 million USD in damages from Goldgroup Resources Inc. K.D. DIEPHOLZ; DynaResource de Mexico, SA de CV.; Presidente IMPORTANT CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING CANADIAN DISCLOSURE STANDARDS The Company has Shareholders who are "OTC Reporting Issuer" as that term is defined in Multilateral Instrument 51-509, Issuers Quoted in the U.S. Over-the-Counter Markets, promulgated by various Canadian Provincial Securities Commissions. Accordingly, certain disclosure in this news release or other disclosure provided by the Company has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. In Canada, an issuer is required to provide technical information with respect to mineralization, including reserves and resources, if any, on its mineral exploration properties in accordance with Canadian requirements, which differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") applicable to registration statements and reports filed by United States companies pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. As such, information contained in this news release or other disclosure provided by the Company concerning descriptions of mineralization under Canadian standards may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC and not subject to Canadian securities legislation. This news release or other disclosure provided by the Company may use the terms "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources". While these terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations (under National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects), the SEC does not recognize them. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted to reserves. In addition, "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and 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 securities legislation, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, although they may form, in certain circumstances, the basis of a "preliminary economic assessment" as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This News release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27 A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Certain information contained in this news release, including any information relating to future financial or operating performance may be deemed "forward-looking". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that DynaMexico expects to occur, are "forward-looking information". These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the Company's expectations regarding the future growth, results of operations, business prospects and opportunities of DynaMexico. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current internal projections, expectations or beliefs and are based on information currently available to DynaMexico. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. Certain assumptions have been made regarding the Company's plans at the San Jose de Gracia property. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of DynaMexico and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Such factors include, without limitation: capital requirements, fluctuations in the international currency markets and in the rates of exchange of the currencies of the United States and Mexico; price volatility in the spot and forward markets for commodities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, between actual and estimated reserves and resources and between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; changes in national and local governments in any country which DynaMexico currently or may in the future carry on business; taxation; controls; regulations and political or economic developments in the countries in which DynaMexico does or may carry on business; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; competition; loss of key employees; additional funding requirements; actual results of current exploration or reclamation activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents; labor disputes; defective title to mineral claims or property or contests over claims to mineral properties. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold bullion losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks) as well as those risks referenced in the Annual Report for DynaMexico available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and actual results and future events could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Although DynaMexico believes that the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on reasonable assumptions, readers cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with such statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking information. DynaMexico expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. For further information on DynaMexico, please contact: Brad J. Saulter V.P. - Investor Relations US Telephone: 972-868-9066 K.D. Diepholz DynaResource de Mexico Presidente MONTREAL, QUEBEC and SARASOTA, FLORIDA and DAMAN, INDIA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (TSX: ITP) ("IPG" or "the Company"), a leading manufacturer of packaging products and machinery, today announced the execution of an agreement to acquire a 74% ownership stake in Powerband Industries Private Limited (d/b/a "Powerband"), a global supplier of acrylic adhesive-based carton sealing tapes and stretch films located in Daman, India. The remaining 26% will continue to be held by the Desai family which founded the Company in 1994. This transaction is expected to officially close before the end of 2016 subject to satisfaction of certain customary conditions precedent. Once completed, Powerband will become a 74%-owned subsidiary of IPG, further extending IPG's product offering and global presence in the rapidly growing world packaging market. All amounts in this press release are denominated in US dollars unless otherwise indicated. Powerband's revenue for the most recently completed fiscal year was approximately $32 million. The purchase price of approximately $42 million will be financed with funds available under the Company's revolving credit facility. The Company expects that these acquired operations will be accretive to net earnings. "We believe that it is critical to IPG's growth that we expand from being a primarily North American producer to becoming a greater participant in the global market," said Greg Yull, IPG's President and Chief Executive Officer. "This transaction materially furthers IPG's strategy to expand globally due, in part, to Powerband's presence in virtually every significant global market, as well as providing IPG with the benefit of access to a low cost and high growth jurisdiction." Rajan Desai, the current Managing Director and founder of Powerband, will continue to manage Powerband's operations and remain a significant shareholder. The business will remain headquartered in Daman, India. About Powerband Powerband is based in Daman, India which is approximately 100 miles north of Mumbai. Powerband has 220 full-time employees and is a leading manufacturer of packaging tapes and stretch films. From its ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified facility, Powerband services the Indian market and exports packaging product to more than 30 countries. For more information, visit www.powerband.in. About IPG Intertape Polymer Group Inc. is a recognized leader in the development, manufacture and sale of a variety of paper and film based pressure-sensitive and water-activated tapes, polyethylene and specialized polyolefin films, woven coated fabrics and complementary packaging systems for industrial and retail use. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec and Sarasota, Florida, the Company employs approximately 2,000 employees with operations in 17 locations, including 12 manufacturing facilities in North America and one in Europe. For more information about IPG, visit www.itape.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), which are made in reliance upon the protections provided by such legislation for forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, including statements regarding the closing of this acquisition and the expected timing of such closing, this acquisition extending the Company's product offering and global presence, the purchase price for this acquisition and the source of funds for such purchase price, that the acquired operations will be accretive to net earnings and the future management, shareholding and headquarters of Powerband's operations, may constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections made by the Company's management. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "continue," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan," "foresee," "believe" or "seek" or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements, by their nature, involve risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements are also subject to assumptions concerning, among other things: business conditions and growth or declines in the Company's industry, the Company's customers' industries and the general economy; the post-closing performance of Powerband; the anticipated benefits from the Company's manufacturing facility closures and other restructuring efforts; the quality, and market reception, of the Company's products; the Company's anticipated business strategies; risks and costs inherent in litigation; the Company's ability to maintain and improve quality and customer service; anticipated trends in the Company's business; anticipated cash flows from the Company's operations; availability of funds under the Company's Revolving Credit Facility; and the Company's ability to continue to control costs. The Company can give no assurance that these estimates and expectations will prove to have been correct. Actual outcomes and results may, and often do, differ from what is expressed, implied or projected in such forward-looking statements, and such differences may be material. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. For additional information regarding important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and other risks and uncertainties, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements, you are encouraged to read "Item 3 Key Information - Risk Factors", "Item 5 Operating and Financial Review and Prospects (Management's Discussion & Analysis)" and statements located elsewhere in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the other statements and factors contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators and the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of these forward-looking statements speaks only as of the date of this press release. The Company will not update these statements unless applicable securities laws require it to do so. Contacts: Maison Brison Communications Pierre Boucher 514-731-0000 BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Chinese regulators have opened anti-monopoly investigations into Didi Chuxing Technology Co.'s acquisition of Chinese business from ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. amid concerns over whether the deal complied with the nation's antitrust law, reports said. China's Ministry of Commerce reportedly said Friday that the investigation was initiated after it received questions over the proposed merger, which would be creating a $35 billion market-leading giant. The ministry's antitrust unit has already held two meetings with Didi and asked to submit documents and related information on the deal, ministry spokesman Shen Danyang told reporters Friday. The agency also asked Didi the reason for not applying for antitrust review, reports said, citing a transcript on its website. It was in early August that Didi agreed to buy Uber China, for which Uber Technologies would be receiving 5.89 percent of the combined company with preferred equity interest equal to 17.7 percent of the economic benefits. Didi's decision to buy out Uber's Chinese operation would give it control of almost 90 percent of the ride-hailing market. The Ministry of Commerce's Anti-monopoly Bureau is the primary body for assessing the antitrust impact of deals. The spokesman said, 'As a next step, the commerce ministry will continue to investigate this case in accordance with the law, to safeguard fair competition and consumers' interests.' 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. ZTE's devotion to audio quality is being recognized once again at an important tradeshow BERLIN, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTE, a leading global mobile device maker, today announced that its flagship ZTE AXON 7 series has been named the winner of the 2016 IFA Product Technical Innovation Award - "Breakthrough in Smartphone Audio Innovation" by International Data Group (IDG) and German Industry and Commerce Ltd. "We are thrilled once again to receive the 2016 IFA Product Technical Innovation Award - this time for our AXON 7 series," said Adam Zeng, CEO, ZTE Mobile Devices. Smartphone audio quality is one of the most important features according to our in-depth consumer market research and we deliberately distinguish the AXON 7 series with our superior sound quality unlike any others." The ZTE AXON 7 series offer elegant design, simple-to-use camera, great display and other premium features that a flagship smartphone would offer. However, when it comes to the sound quality, ZTE collaborated with many industry experts in audio technology as well as the prestigious Golden Ears Conservatory of music group to develop the AXON 7 series audio performance. Thus the AXON 7 and the newly launched AXON 7 mini both feature a dedicated Hi-Fi audio chipset, large front-facing stereo speakers, and Dolby Atmos 7.1 surround sound effects for a movie theatre-like, mobile audio experience. The market reception of the AXON 7 has also been quite remarkable. It is currently sold out in the U.S., consumers in China have given it a 97% favorability rating on one of the biggest online retail platforms JD.com, and it has received great reviews from many industry's top tech media outlets. ZTE will be showcasing the AXON 7 with VR, AXON 7 mini, Blade V7 series, AXON Watch, and Spro Series smart projector at Hall 25, Stand 105 at the Berlin ExpoCenter City. MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. ("MOBI724" or the "Company") (CSE: MOS), a Fintech leader offering all in one fully integrated EMV payment, card link couponing and digital marketing is pleased to announce the closing of an unsecured convertible debentures (Convertible Debentures) with a large institutional investor for proceeds of $1,500,000. The Convertible Debentures will mature on June 30, 2018 (Maturity Date) and will accrue interest at a rate of 12% per annum. The Convertible Debentures shall be convertible at a price of $0.35 per common share. The Board has also agreed with the institutional investor to cancel an existing Convertible Debenture and to roll over the capital and interest in the amount of $1,205,566.03 into a new convertible debenture to be added to the new proceeds of $1,500,000 for an aggregate total of $2,705,566.03. The Convertible Debenture is sold pursuant to exemptions from prospectus requirements to purchasers in Canada and will not be listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE). The common shares issuable upon conversion will be listed on the CSE and will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of closing. The proceeds received will be utilized to support solution deployments as well as supporting the Company's working capital requirements. Conversion of debt and warrants issuance The Company has also converted $64,442.10 of debt by issuing 979,779 common shares at prices varying between $0.06 and $0.1125. The Company has also issued 1,554,545 common share purchase warrants at a cost of $155.45 with an exercise price of $0.824 expiring on December 31, 2016. Anti-Dilution Shares As previously announced in a press release issued on October 29, 2015, the Company has issued to the shareholders of Mobi724 Solutions Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Mobi) 3,720,000 common shares representing anti-dilution shares with respect to the acquisition of Mobi724 Solutions Inc.). Conversion of debentures The Company has also converted debentures in the amount of $324,991.00 including interest by issuing 5,331,430 common shares to the debenture holders at a conversion price of $0.061 as well as 5,331,430 common share purchase warrants exercisable at a price of $0.0825 and expiring on December 31, 2016 About Mobi724 Global Solutions MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. (CSE: MOS), a leader in the Fintech industry based in Montreal (Canada), offers a unique and fully integrated suite of Payment & Digital Marketing solutions. We are innovating in our market with a combined EMV Payment, Card Linked Offers, and Digital Marketing platform that works on any card and any mobile device. We pioneered in adding intelligence to all types of transactions benefiting banks, retailers and cardholders. We succeed in leveraging all available user and purchasing data to increase transaction volumes and spend. MOBI724 provides a turnkey solution to its clients to capture card transactions on any mobile device, at any point of sale or from any payment card. Our easy-to-adapt gateway Switch is designed for easy integration with all payment protocols in our target markets. Within the same solution suite we combined our Card Linked Offers solution, and provided financial institutions' payment card portfolios and retailers the ability to add offers and/or coupons which can be redeemed directly at the Point of Sale, in a seamless user experience for all the parties in the eco-system. MOBI724 Global Solutions unleashes the true potential of both payment and card-linked couponing/rewards transactions for both online and offline points of sale (POS). The Corporation provides its customers with full and comprehensive traceability and enriched consumer data through its offering. Its solutions enables card associations, retailers, manufacturers, offer providers, mobile operators and card issuers to create, manage, deliver and "track and measure" incentive campaigns worldwide to ANY mobile device and allow its redemption at ANY point of sales. Our credit and debit EMV payment solutions will allow banks to process end to end EMV transactions, focusing on authentication, approved security and quick merchant adoption which allows the users to process payments with a wide range of devices over a secure and seamless transaction. MOBI724's PCI and EMV cloud-based switch, with their device agnostic connectivity, simplifies deployment and integration, and introduces new payment and digital incentives solutions to the market enabling multi layered intelligent transactions therefore SMART TRANSACTIONS. For more information on its products and on MOBI724 Global Solutions, visit www.mobi724globalsolutions.com. Certain statements in this document, including those which express management's expectations or estimations with regard to the Company's future performance, constitute "forward-looking statements" as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to the Company or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances. The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy or accuracy. This news release does not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell any securities in the United States. Contacts: Mr. Marcel Vienneau 1-514-394-5200 Ext 413 SHANGHAI, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solution provider, has today announced that AMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange), the world's leading Internet Exchange located in The Netherlands, has selected the Huawei OSN902 100G WDM data center solution to maintain an economical and efficient metro area network as traffic and capacity continues to grow in the era of cloud, online video and IoT. Huawei OSN902 provides high security encryption, high capacity, simple management with ultra-low power and front-to-back cooling for a green IT and data center environment. Working closely with AMS-IX to understand its unique set of needs and challenges, Huawei provided a tailored WDM exchange solution. Companies requiring complex data center solutions are typically confronted with a number of problems, for example, incompatibility between traditional WDM equipment, creating data center inefficiencies and maintenance of optical equipment automation. "As enterprises and service providers adopt an ever increasing number of big data and cloud-based solutions, catering for the huge demands on their network capacity is a constant challenge for Internet Exchanges," commented Wonder Wang, CEO Huawei Technologies Netherlands. "From now on, AMS-IX will be able to easily manage the traffic in its metro area network for the benefit of millions of end-users." "AMS-IX has grown from two Points-of-Presence into a metro area network, built on the use of hundreds of fibers. In the past year we have been looking for a Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solution to bring down cost and implementation time for extra bandwidth while ensuring a future-proof network for our customers," commented Henk Steenman, CTO of AMS-IX. "With its OSN902, Huawei has delivered a solution that perfectly fits these requirements. As we were able to work closely with Huawei they could provide us with a tailored, cost-efficient and easy to manage DCI solution." About Huawei Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on: http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei http://www.twitter.com/Huawei http://www.facebook.com/Huawei http://www.google.com/+Huawei http://www.youtube.com/Huawei About AMS-IX Established in the early 1990s, AMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange) is a neutral, non-profit and independent Internet Exchange based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Business Internet traffic at AMS-IX has a peak of close to 5 Terabits per second (Tbps) and it interconnects around 800 IP networks, making it the largest Internet Exchange in the world. The AMS-IX platform provides IP interconnection and peering services of a guaranteed high quality for all types of IP traffic, irrespective whether this is traditional data, Voice over IP, mobile Internet traffic or video. By means of peering, these networks can provide their end users (both consumers as well as companies) with stabile, fast and cost-efficient Internet services. AMS-IX also manages the world's first mobile peering points: The Global GPRS Roaming Exchange (GRX), the Mobile Data Exchange (MDX) and the IPX interconnection points. Furthermore, AMS-IX also manages two additional Internet Exchanges abroad: AMS-IX Hong Kong and AMS-IX Caribbean on Curacao. AMS-IX's subsidiary company AMS-IX USA Inc. manages AMS-IX Bay Area, AMS-IX Chicago and AMS-IX New York in the United States. For more information, please visit AMS-IX online at www.ams-ix.net or follow us on: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ams-ix https://twitter.com/AMS_IX https://www.facebook.com/amsterdam.internet.exchange https://www.youtube.com/VideoAMSIX Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3051192 Huawei Miranda Liu miranda.liu@huawei.com Press Release Krasnodar September 2, 2016 PJSC "Magnit" Announces the Change of Share of the Entity under the Issuer's Control Krasnodar, September 2, 2016: Public Joint Stock Company "Magnit", Russia's largest food retailer (the "Company", the "Issuer", MOEX and LSE: MGNT), announces the change of share of the entity which is under the Issuer's control. Full company name and address: Joint Stock Company "Tander" 185, Levanevskogo street, Krasnodar, Russia Taxpayer Id Number: 2310031475 Principal State Registration Number: 1022301598549 Object of acquisition/ disposal: Ordinary registered uncertified voting shares with a state registration No. 1-01-60525-P of 04.03.2004, International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) RU000A0JKQU8 Disposal of shares Date of change: August 30, 2016 Amount of disposed shares: 4,837 shares (0.005115% of the total equity) Basis for disposal: Sale and Purchase Agreement executed in the trading of Closed Joint Stock Company MICEX Stock Exchange Amount of votes before disposal: 13,085 votes (0.013838% of the total number of votes) Amount of votes after disposal: 8,248 votes (0.008722% of the total number of votes) Acquisition of shares Date of change: August 31, 2016 Date of the fact being reported to the Issuer: September 2, 2016 Amount of acquired shares: 1,406 shares (0.001487% of the total equity) Basis for acquired: Sale and Purchase Agreement executed in the trading of Closed Joint Stock Company MICEX Stock Exchange Amount of votes before acquired: 8,248 votes (0.008722% of the total number of votes) Amount of votes after disposal: 9,654 votes (0.010209% of the total number of votes) Disposal of shares Date of change: August 31, 2016 Amount of disposed shares: 1,390 shares (0.001470% of the total equity) Basis for disposal: Sale and Purchase Agreement executed in the trading of Closed Joint Stock Company MICEX Stock Exchange Amount of votes before disposal: 9,654 votes (0.010209% of the total number of votes) Amount of votes after disposal: 8,264 votes (0.008739% of the total number of votes) For further information, please contact: Timothy Post Head of Investor Relations Email: post@magnit.ru Office: +7-861-277-4554 x 17600 Mobile: +7-961-511-7678 Direct Line: +7-861-277-4562 Investor Relations Office MagnitIR@magnit.ru Direct Line: +7-861-277-4562 Website: ir.magnit.com/ Media Inquiries Media Relations Department press@magnit.ru Company description: Magnit is Russia's largest food retailer. Founded in 1994, the company is headquartered in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. As of June 30, 2016, Magnit operated 34 distribution centers and 12,888 stores (9,902 convenience, 398 hypermarkets and 2,588 drogerie stores) in 2,397 cities and towns throughout 7 federal regions of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the reviewed IFRS consolidated financial statements for 1H 2016, Magnit had revenues of RUB 522 billion and an EBITDA of RUB 52 billion. Magnit's local shares are traded on the Moscow Stock Exchange (MOEX: MGNT) and its GDRs on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: MGNT) and it has a credit rating from Standard & Poor's of BB+. Measured by market capitalization, Magnit is one of the largest retailers in Europe. SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- International research firm Parks Associates wrapped up the third-annual Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers in San Diego this week, hosting close to 300 executives and featuring more than 50 speakers, including keynotes from Annette Bruls, President, Diabetes Service and Solutions, Medtronic; Alex Hurd, Senior Director, Product Development, Growth and Payer Innovation - Health & Wellness, Walmart; Dr. David Rhew, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Healthcare and Fitness, Samsung Electronics America; and Stuart Slutzky, Chief, Product Innovation, HumanaVitality. "Consumer engagement is the core focus for the event, and our speakers this year are focused on the specifics of how to achieve this engagement," said Harry Wang, Senior Director, Research, Parks Associates. "Throughout the event, healthcare executives discussed strategies to achieve consumer engagement, such as how to define and track engagement, what is the role of the pharmacist, how can connected devices impact chronic conditions, what is the best environment to approach consumers about health and wellness solutions, and what is the impact of apps on consumer behavior." Parks Associates research shows the adoption of connected healthcare devices has increased 40% since 2Q 2014 but only 13-14% of U.S. broadband households show interest in new health management services. "The industry needs to focus on metrics such as Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for healthcare solutions, which are key measurements of consumer satisfaction with a solution," Wang said. "As part of the ongoing shift to a consumer-focused market, it is essential for companies to be attentive to consumer needs and maintain strong consumer connections. They can take lessons from outside the industry, from successes such as Pokemon Go, in designing healthcare apps and solutions." Connected Health Summit focused on continued market challenges and opportunities. Parks Associates research indicates the number of people 65-85 will account for more than 16% of the total population by 2025 and chronic disease currently accounts for more than 70% of total healthcare costs. Of the more than 60% of consumers in U.S. broadband households with a chronic condition, 11% do not have a primary care doctor. "Only 36% of U.S. consumers living in broadband households know that their employer offers a sponsored wellness program, and among them, more than half choose not to use it," Wang said. "Making these solutions seamless and easy is critical to usage." Conference sponsors include Independa, higi, ARM, Care Innovations, Healthways, Alarm.com, Honeywell, MEDL Mobile, MultiTech, New Fields Technologies, PokitDok, Z-Wave, ZigBee, the California Health Care Foundation, Bright.md, Medable, and Home8. Conference supporters include i-HOME, Intelligent Health Association, Internet of Things Consortium, RFID in Healthcare Consortium, Antenna, B2 Group, Best Web Design Agencies, Conference Guru, Consortium for Patient Engagement, CrowdReviews.com, Doctors' Choice, FierceHealthcare, FierceHealthIT, FierceMobileHealthcare, FiercePharma, Healthcare Business & Technology, HomeToys.com, Internet Health Management News, Managed Care, Mediaplanet, mHealth Times, Mind Commerce, Morning Coffee & Health, Open Mobile Alliance, PharmaVOICE, RTC Magazine, SFBayEventsList.com, Smart Insights, Springboard Enterprises, StartUp Health, Story of Digital Health, Telehealth & Telecare Aware, TeleMental Health Institute, The Journal of mHealth, The MedTech Strategist, and Visibility Magazine. The media data sheet for the event is available online at www.connectedhealthsummit.com. To schedule a meeting with an analyst or speaker, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com, 720.987.6614. About Connected Health Summit Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers analyzes the role of innovative connected health solutions in driving changes in consumer behaviors as well as healthcare systems, insurers, and hospital networks. The event focuses on four areas of consumer health, which require active consumer participation to be successful: remote health monitoring for accountable care, consumer-centric wellness and fitness solutions, independent living technologies and services, and innovative convenience care models. For more information on Parks Associates research or Connected Health Summit, visit www.connectedhealthsummit.com. To schedule an interview or to request specific research data, please contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com. Holly Sprague Parks Associates 720.987.6614 hsprague@gmail.com CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar weakened against the other major currencies in the New York session on Friday. The U.S. dollar fell to nearly a 1-month low of 1.3345 against the pound, from an early high of 1.3252. Against the euro, the Swiss franc, the Australian and the New Zealand dollars, the greenback dropped to 1-week lows of 1.1252, 0.9739, 0.7616 and 0.7359 from early highs of 1.1155, 0.9812, 0.7536 and 0.7275, respectively. The greenback slipped to 3-day lows of 102.80 against the yen and 1.3016 against the Canadian dollar, from early highs of 103.71 and 1.3115, respectively. If the greenback extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.42 against the pound, 1.14 against the euro, 0.96 against the franc, 0.77 against the aussie, 0.75 against the kiwi, 99.00 against the yen and 1.28 against the loonie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- -- Momentum of support for Concerned Shareholders continues to build. -- Concerned Shareholders' worst fears confirmed by Q2 Results. -- Concerned Shareholders refute incorrect information asserted by entrenched Management of Hemostemix. -- Concerned Shareholders urge ALL shareholders to VOTE the BLUE Form to VOTE for positive CHANGE. Barry Ullet, Bernie Troitsky, Donn Lovett, Glynn Hendry, Jed M. Wood, Jim Brown, Joseph P. Stewart, Dr. Owen Schwartz, Dr. Pierre Liemgruber, Robert Achtymichuk, Robert Sweep, Rodney Cavanagh, Rodney Risling and Todd Reinhart, shareholders (collectively, the "Concerned Shareholders") of Hemostemix Inc. ("Hemostemix" or the "Company"), wish to thank shareholders for the resounding support they have received to date. The Concerned Shareholders would also like to address the troubling Q2 Results, correct purposeful misleading information from management of the Company ("Management"), and provide an update on its progress and transition planning. Shareholder Support For Change In spite of Management's statement purporting to have "overwhelming" shareholder support, it is in actuality, the Concerned Shareholders who have and continue to receive the support from shareholders based on personal feedback and the votes received to date. With the little time that was allotted to the Concerned Shareholders to communicate, given Management's tactical attempts to stifle open and constructive communication, it is clear that minority shareholders are strongly supportive of much needed changes to the board. In fact, despite Management's anti-democratic approach to fixing the record date and meeting dates, purporting to invoke new and unusual new By-Law provisions and releasing their meeting materials and second quarter financial results at the last possible moments, the Concerned Shareholders have been able to rapidly respond with clear and informative materials, which have triggered support from shareholders of all ranks, ranging from the general retail investors, many of the Company's largest shareholders and multiple former directors, officers and advisors to Hemostemix, who have been brought together by a common desire to positively change Hemostemix. The only active resistance the Concerned Shareholders have encountered in this proxy contest is from the embattled consultant CEO who acquired his first 100 shares on June 17, 2016 for $23.00, the part-time consultant CFO (who is concurrently also the CFO of another struggling TSX Venture listed issuer) who owns zero shares and three other shareholders who have all been directors and/or officers of the Company. Who are the true dissidents here? The true overwhelming number of shareholders of the struggling Company - or an embittered team of 5 presiding over the continuing decline led by a consultant with a token $23 investment trying to hold on to his high paying consultancy fees? Worst Fears Confirmed by More of the Same Results In the view of the Concerned Shareholders, the recently released Q2 Results are extremely disappointing and only confirm their worst fears about the state of the Company. In keeping with the pattern we have seen from Management, they released their mandatory filings for their second fiscal quarter of 2016 (the period ended June 30, 2016, the "Q2 Results") beginning at 4:13 p.m. on Monday August 29, 2016. That was the last possible date for filing for the Company to avoid being cease traded for a failure to file the Q2 Results. Here are some of the lowlights: -- The Company appears to be effectively insolvent. (See balance sheet on page 3 of the Q2 Financials) -- Cash position is a mere $127,267 combined with a current rate of spending of $218,624.50 per month and no active clinical trials. (See statement of cash flow on page 6 of the Q2 Financials and statement of loss on page 4) -- Current accounts payable of nearly $1,500,000, including just under $1,000,000 in trade payables and accrued expenses and over $12,000 in income taxes. (See balance sheet on page 3 of the Q2 Financials and Note 7 on page 11) -- The Company had by June 30, 2016 already built up $460,000 of loans from the existing board and shareholders to support working capital. Based on their August 11, 2016 press release regarding the Insider Loan Proposal, it appears those obligations have jumped up to $1,070,000. (See Notes 8, 13 and 14 of the Q2 Financials) -- The Q2 Results spell out that the Company will still be required to pay its former strategic partner Criterium Inc. ("Criterium") a further $2,278,657.89 (USD $1,731,780) to complete its critical Phase 2 Trial. (See Notes 4 and 12 of the Q2 Financials) -- Based on the Company's current rate of spending it appears to require a minimum of $5 million to satisfy its disclosed obligations and get back on track to obtain interim data collected for its critical Phase 2 Trial by Criterium. Management has specifically confirmed this in its Thursday press release (September 1). The Insider Loan Proposal is insufficient to cover the current accounts payable. The prior Drive Capital Proposal was designed to provide for 100% of it. -- The outrageous details of the Insider Loan Proposal to a still undisclosed supposedly "arm's length party" keep piling up: -- Management has already agreed to up all of the Company's assets under the Insider Loan Proposal for ONLY $1 million, without ANY kind of commitment for additional funds whatsoever. (See Note 14, paragraph 2 of the Q2 Financials and page 13 of the Q2 MD&A). -- Management has put them in a position to seize all of the Company's assets (including all of its IP) for a mere $1 million if the Company defaults. -- This "arm's length party" will be in position to become the Company's biggest shareholder with 12,500,000 shares without any consent or approval from shareholders being sought by Management. (See page 13 of the Q2 MD&A) -- The Concerned Shareholders confirmed that no application to the TSX Venture Exchange had been made in relation to the Insider Loan Proposal whatsoever, which prompted consideration of the matter by the Compliance and Disclosure Department of the TSX Venture Exchange. (See Note 14, paragraph 1 of the Q2 Financials) -- The Q2 Results clearly indicate that both the current CEO and CFO are mere consultant contractors, not employees of the Company, and that they are still collecting their fees despite the Company's precarious position. (See statement of loss on page 4 of the Q2 Financials and Note 13 (Related Party Balances and Transactions)) Shareholders are encouraged to read the Q2 Results for themselves including the Company's interim financial statements (the "Q2 Financials") and their interim management discussion and analysis (the "Q2 MD&A"). The alarming Q2 Results speak for themselves and it should be a concern to all shareholders if this is what Management defines as "its path to success". Concerned Shareholders Refute Incorrect Information Asserted by Management and Board of Hemostemix In the documents filed by Management earlier this week, there were numerous inaccuracies and misstatements aimed at misleading shareholders. Set out below are some of the Concerned Shareholders responses to issues raised by Management. Based on the Concerned Shareholders' responses, you will find it is clear that you cannot put your trust in the Management or the Board of Hemostemix. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FICTION THE TRUTH Management's Numerous Inaccuracies Concerned Shareholders' Clarifying And Misstatements Truths ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The company has made great strides - Based on the Q2 Results, Hemostemix in bringing our landmark technology is insolvent. to market and are clearly on the path to success" - Based on Hemostemix's Q2 Results, Hemostemix' critical Phase 2 Trial has been halted with the former strategic partner running the trial having terminated its agreements with Hemostemix and requiring an additional $2,278,657.89 (USD $1,731,780) to complete its work. - An ongoing string of Hemostemix directors, officers and key advisors have left the Company, some of them without having been paid and now suing the Company as a result. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We have refreshed our best-in-class - The Concerned Shareholders are Board creating a strong balance hardly refreshed by the impromptu between deep industry knowledge, addition of replacements to fill international operating experience sudden mid-term resignations. and capital markets expertise" Additionally, based on past trends (constant flight of directors and executives), how long will these new additions last? - The Concerned Shareholders remain particularly alarmed by one of those impromptu replacements, Angus Jenkins being thrust into the Chairman's seat. - Given the very serious concerns about the Poseidon Concepts failure, which was devastating to its many investors, the Company should be addressing Mr Jenkin's insider role within Poseidon and its many corporate failures. -The Company has not addressed these concerns regarding Mr. Jenkins and instead thrust him into the Chairman's position mere days after parachuting him into its mess. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "They have zero industry experience" - This is patently false. - The Concerned Shareholders' nominees for the board represent a slate of highly qualified executives, investors in public and private companies, and entrepreneurs with track records of placing shareholders' interests first and creating value. - The Concerned Shareholders' nominees common denominator is running successful businesses and stewarding successful businesses at the board level - Those successful businesses include medical businesses, such as Mr. Jed Wood's involvement with OncoGen LLC, which operates Visionary Breast Care Centers in Southern California. - Further, their deep and disciplined approach melded with guidance and support from appropriate leading-edge clinical scientists and advisors seems very likely to result in a new way of doing business at Hemostemix, as opposed to "staying the course" with a group whose track record with the Company would suggest further failures will follow. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "To unlock that value, your This statement seems more than a management team is leading a number little confusing in light of the of successful clinical trials" facts that: - the Company no longer has a service provider to operate a clinical trial, - the Company has been forced to publicly announce repeatedly that it has ceased enrolling patients in its Phase 2 Trial, and - the Company's Chief Medical Officer recently resigned and has not been replaced. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Monday and Tuesday Management - Based on the Q2 Results, it has says: "We are already halfway to our become quite evident that Criterium, interim analysis stage, which will the Company's former contract deliver clinical efficacy data. Once research organization (CRO) the interim analysis is complete, terminated their agreement with Hemostemix will be in the driver's Hemostemix based on non-payment of seat - with an ability to access fees. capital and partner with major pharmaceutical and biotech companies" - It's also clear based on the Q2 Results that Criterium will require a On Thursday Management says: "With further $2,278,657.89 (USD funding, we expect it will take $1,731,780) to complete the Phase 2 approximately nine months to have the Trial. unblended data in hand. We anticipate we need C$4MM to reach this extremely - Management is desperately trying to important milestone." save itself by playing with distinctions that make no difference. - As Drive Capital's due diligence had confirmed, at least $4 million was required by the Company to get to its interim analysis milestone and yet it rejected that level of support to accept a similarly structured arrangement on worse terms and a mere 25% of the money they know they need. Whose interest does that serve? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We are on the path to success and in - The Concerned Shareholders' the process of securing the perspective, which they have heard additional financing to advance these resounding support for both before trials and monetize our technology" and now during this proxy contest is that the marketplace has no confidence in the current CEO and the decision making for the Company that have led us to this point. - In light of this and all of the Company's turmoil, the Concerned Shareholders are shocked by this type of self-serving generic statement under the circumstances from a company that appears to be insolvent. - The shareholders generally ought to hope that the "additional financings" directed at "monetizing our technology refer to more than the Insider Loan Proposal, since as described above, all it seems to realistically set the table for is the monetizing of the technology by the enforcement of general security that is being granted to the still undisclosed "arm's length party" for a mere $1 million. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management says about the Concerned - As clearly described in the Shareholders and Jed Wood or Drive Concerned Shareholders' proxy Capital in particular: circular, Drive Capital's approach was effectively the opposite of what - "ACCORDING TO THE DISSIDENTS' PLAN, management is alluding to now. The ALL HEMOSTEMIX ASSETS WILL BE USED AS Concerned Shareholders were NOT COLLATERAL TO SECURE THEIR LOAN AND interested in pursuing a course, such THEY WILL DECIDE IF HEMOSTEMIX GOES as the ones proposed by Management, INTO DEFAULT AFTER AN INITIAL PAYMENT that would have the clear and present OF C$ 1 MILLION. IN ESSENCE, THE potential of wiping out all of the DISSIDENTS COULD SEIZE ALL HEMOSTEMIX shareholders' investments. ASSETS FOR C$ 1 MILLION" - Despite this perspective, shared - "Drive Capital has been pushing the with current Management by Drive company to borrow money on onerous Capital, current Management has and off-market terms" nevertheless aimed to pursue precisely that type of short term - "Drive Capital appeared to be solution with the still undisclosed pursuing a "loan to own" scheme with "arm's length investor" and the the company which could have resulted Insider Loan Proposal. in the loss of all of our intellectual property " - Management aims to discredit the Drive Capital proposal based on some of its basic concepts when it has hypocritically agreed to accept a somewhat similarly structured transaction with the biggest distinction being that it is on markedly worse economic terms than what was offered by Drive Capital. - If Management truly thinks Drive Capital has been pushing for onerous and off-market terms - a view that they strongly object to - what is that same Management group doing by rejecting that for a similar structure but with obviously inferior terms? - This behaviour and messaging is indicative of Management's desperate desire to entrench their positions for their own purposes and benefits as opposed to giving adequate regard and attention to the best interests of Hemostemix and ALL of its shareholders. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management says about the Concerned - These inflammatory statements all Shareholders and Jim Brown in generally boil down to a perspective particular: that is strongly held by the current CEO that for various reasons, Taiwan - "Focus instead on the grey market is "bad for business" or at least business of medical tourism in "bad for Hemostemix's business. unregulated jurisdictions" - The Concerned Shareholders - "They want to scale back clinical understand that the current CEO has trials and move our business to vehemently pushed this perspective at jurisdictions with poor regulatory the board level despite the contracts oversight" with Hemostemix (Asia) Corp. ("HEMA") that the same CEO negotiated for and - "Their agenda is to move our personally signed. current program and clinical trials to Taiwan for premature - As noted in the Concerned commercialization" Shareholders' proxy circular, based on these agreements executed by the - "To give up the North American and current CEO, HEMA has raised and European markets is foolish" invested significant resources and it is Hemostemix management that has - "To send your company to Taiwan is neglected or refused to live up to negligent" its commitments under their agreements. HEMA has been for some - "Mr. Brown is directly responsible time considering all of its possible for the failed arrangements between legal remedies, which could include, Hemostemix and HEMA" but not be limited to civil litigation against Hemostemix and/or - "HEMA and Mr. Brown have failed to its current Management. HEMA has now carry out their obligations under retained and instructed counsel to that agreement. And do not appear to pursue claims for breach of contract. be dealing in good faith. As a result, we have advised Mr. Brown - The current CEO's perspective on that we consider HEMA in default of Taiwan seems more than a little its obligations and the contract is "dubious" given he approved the void" original agreements and has now moved to revoke the opportunities they secured to explore the possible clinical trials in the former "Eastern Bloc". - Without identifying specific "Eastern Bloc countries" it is impossible to make direct comparisons to Taiwan. However, by most measures, Taiwan is a very advanced economy with a high level of medical service and expertise. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management says about the Concerned - Mr. Achtymichuk agreed to join the Shareholders and Robert Achtymichuk Company at a clearly difficult and in particular: tumultuous time for it based in large part on his personal connections to - "...should be pointing the finger and regard for many of the at Mr. Achtymichuk..." shareholders of Hemostemix. - "...Mr. Achtymichuk is playing both - Mr. Achtymichuk served Hemostemix sides: He continued to bill the to the best of his ability with its company for his services while best interests and the interests of working with the Dissidents in the its shareholders squarely in mind. lead up to their ambush." - Mr. Achtymichuk has never been paid by the Company for the duration of his service and is now in the process of retaining and instructing counsel to pursue claims for breach of contract and specific breaches of applicable privacy laws. Such a claim would be at least the 4th reported Management litigation claim that Hemostemix has been subject over the last 2 years. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The inaccuracies and misstatements are too numerous to list. We hope that shareholders can see from the few examples addressed above, how Management is trying to falsely lead them. In order to preserve value and ensure that those with an economic interest in Hemostemix determine its path forward, it is critical that all shareholders support our nominees and our plan. ONLY WITH YOUR SUPPORT IN VOTING THE BLUE FORM CAN WE DEFEAT MANAGEMENT AND FINALLY PUT AN END TO THEIR SYSTEMIC DESTRUCTION OF SHAREHOLDER VALUE. EVERY VOTE IS PARAMOUNT TO MAKING THIS MUCH NEEDED CHANGE A REALITY. Again, we ask you to please ensure that you vote only the BLUE form and disregard any proxy materials received from Management to ensure meaningful change. More Progress and Planning for Transition The Concerned Shareholders are committed to acting in the best interests of YOUR COMPANY, with a view toward maximizing the value of Hemostemix for the benefit of ALL of the Company's shareholders. Building from that foundation, the Concerned Shareholders have: -- designed a sound strategic plan with timelines, as described in the Concerned Shareholders proxy circular, to enhance shareholder value; -- secured the support of a Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology who has agreed to help us rebuild a very strong team; highly qualified clinical scientists and medical professionals who have agreed to help us rebuild a very strong team; -- further developed its transition plan relating to the clinical science and biotechnology expertise required for the Company going forward, based on the consultations with a range of highly qualified clinical scientists and medical professionals with deep and specific knowledge of not only the Company's general industry (research and development of autologous cell therapies), but the Company's specific technology and clinical trials in particular; -- engaged in advanced discussions with a state-of-the-art U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("US FDA") cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) certified lab facility in the United States of America - backed by well-respected experts in the field of stem cell research and development - that would be capable of not only continuing the Phase 2 Trial, but also be in a position to promptly launch complimentary US FDA sanctioned cardiovascular trials, while utilizing the same qualified staff and medical expertise creating tremendous cost controls and value added data; and -- advanced plans to raise a minimum of $4,000,000 through a debt or convertible debt facility to stabilize the Company and fund the continuation of the collection of interim data and the Phase 2 Trial on reasonable commercial terms and with a view to involving current shareholders generally if and as permitted, whether via rights offering or otherwise. Drive Capital has agreed to underwrite or top-up this financing as necessary. Our proposed new leadership will provide enhanced, cohesive management that will promote greater transparency, and enhance value for ALL Shareholders. Summary and Call for Action We have paid the full cost of seeking to change the Board of Hemostemix out of our own pockets in response to the dismissive and high-handed actions of Management following many months of decline. On the other hand, we understand that Management has engaged expensive new legal counsel and a costly proxy solicitation firm, to be paid based on the Q2 Results, with your Company's money that can be ill afforded or that they simply do not have. This is unprecedented behaviour for a company the size of Hemostemix, which is for most intents and purposes insolvent and shows Management's desperation and hypocrisy. It is obviously easy to spend the shareholders' funds to keep your job and privileges - particularly in the case of a CEO who holds almost no shares. Management of Hemostemix has squandered your cash and is leveraging what is left of the company to desperately keep themselves in control. They have created easily refutable arguments to support an untenable position. It is time for change. We also note that we followed a standard practice of having our counsel deliver a letter to counsel for Hemostemix, regarding a protocol for the meeting to ensure a fair and orderly meeting. Hemostemix responded with a terse three sentence reply featuring: "The Company confirms that the Meeting will be conducted in accordance with the Company's by-laws, all other legal requirements, appropriate recognized practices and with a view to the best interests of all shareholders." Given Management's other conduct leading up to and throughout this proxy contest, we are obviously concerned with this seemingly glib and unhelpful reply. Hopefully this is not an indication that Management will seek to act in an unfair and capricious manner at the meeting. We have heard from many shareholders who have informed us that they will attend the meeting. We would encourage all shareholders to attend the meeting and stand up for change. The meeting will be held at 2:00 P.M. (Mountain Standard time) on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at the offices of Heighington Law Firm, 730, 1015 - 4th Street S.W., Calgary, Alberta. We hope to see you there. We once again thank shareholders for the significant support shown so far. Although support for the Concerned Shareholders is emphatic, given Management's actions to date, shareholders should be wary of any tactics they may use to try to invalidate your vote and disenfranchise you. Therefore, shareholders who have received their BLUE forms late and have not voted yet, we urge you to continue to vote. It is important that management fully appreciate and understand the level of discontent and the strong desire for change. Time is of the essence. Vote online or by telephone by following the instructions found in the BLUE form mailed to you. Discard Management's voting form and only the BLUE form well in advance of the impending deadline of 12:00 noon P.M. (Calgary time) on September 6, 2016. If you have already voted using management's form but wish to support the Concerned Shareholders, simply recast your vote using the BLUE form. A later dated vote will supersede a previous vote. Questions, Requests for assistance with voting may be directed to the Concerned Shareholders' Proxy Solicitor: Laurel Hill Advisory Group North America Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 Collect Calls Outside North America: 416-304-0211 Email: assistance@laurelhill.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news 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, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to actions taken by the Company or shareholders in connection with the Meeting. No assurance can be given that any of the events or outcomes anticipated by any forward-looking statement will occur. Contacts: Laurel Hill Advisory Group North America Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 Collect Calls Outside North America: 416-304-0211 assistance@laurelhill.com OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- Stria Lithium Inc. (TSX VENTURE: SRA) (OTCQX: SRCAF) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a total of $114,400 in grants from the Government of Quebec, Plan Nord, and from Innovation et Developpement Manicouagan (CLD) Baie Comeau, to conduct a prefeasibility analysis for the production of lithium metal and lithium foil in Baie Comeau, Quebec. The grants were announced at a news conference held by the Hon. Pierre Arcand, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for Plan Nord, and by Claude Martel, Mayor of Baie Comeau and Vice President of CLD. Stria Lithium, the sole owner of the Pontax Lithium Project in the James Bay region of Northern Quebec that is currently at the exploration stage. Stria also holds the proprietary technology, in-house process engineering and manufacturing expertise to produce high-value, in-demand lithium metal and lithium foil for an underserved North American market. Working in the Province of Quebec affords Stria access to low-cost supplies of electricity required for lithium metal processing and fabrication of end products used for the most part in the manufacture of primary lithium batteries, aluminum alloys for the aircraft industry and starter material for pharmaceutical and specialty chemical industries. Baie Comeau is some 420 km northeast of Quebec City on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. Its deep water port provides easy access to both North American and European lithium metal markets. The Government of Quebec has provided a grant of $74,400 to finance the pre-feasibility study divided equally between the Ministry of Economics, Science and Innovation and the Societe du Plan Nord while Innovation et Developpement Manicouagan (CLD) Baie Comeau is contributing $40,000. Stria has committed $50,000 in in-kind contributions to the project. The purpose of the prefeasibility study is to determine the viability of Stria's planned production facility before moving to a full feasibility analysis prior to construction. Stria anticipates completion of the initial analysis within 3 months. Key deliverables of the study are to verify the principal assumptions for Stria's comprehensive business plan. These include verification of prevailing and future markets, confirmation of the technology and operating risks. Consolidation of site requirements including required permits, environmental considerations, staffing and capital and operating costs. Minister Arcand said the prefeasibility study was a first step that might lead to a total investment of $20 million in Baie Comeau and lead to the creation of some 30 direct jobs. He said the Stria technology and manufacturing project dovetailed with Plan Nord's development objectives in terms of business diversification in the Northern Quebec region. "The pre-feasibility study that will lead Stria Lithium into this region meets one of the (government's) objectives for Plan Nord 2035," said Minister Arcand. "And that is to support promising projects with a view to the diversification through enhanced mineral processing, in particular, minerals such as diamond, apatite, ilmenite, lithium, graphite and rare earths. " Stria Lithium Chief Executive Officer Gary Economo said his company sees a strategic value in commissioning its lithium production facility in Quebec. "As the world moves to a low carbon economy, securing a competitive business advantage is critical to a manufacturer's success in both today's and tomorrow's clean technology markets," said Mr. Economo. "We see our commercial advantages through a lens that incorporates environmental sustainability with unique technologies from the production floor to the end-user - a prerequisite for acceptance everywhere in the world today," he added. Stria President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Iain Todd praised the commitments by Quebec authorities for sharing Stria's technology vision. "Stria is truly unique in the lithium sector," said Dr. Todd. "While we continue exploration of our James Bay project, we anticipate being in a revenue-positive position within the next 24 months. "From an operating perspective, one of the key cost components to production of lithium metal is the price of energy. The availability of low cost electricity in the Baie Comeau region, offers Stria a significant market advantage in the manufacturing of lithium metal by electrolysis," said Dr. Todd. About Stria Lithium Inc. Stria Lithium Inc. (TSX VENTURE: SRA) (OTCQX: SRCAF) is a Canadian junior mining exploration company with an expanding technology focus. It is also the sole owner of the Pontax spodumene lithium property in Northern Quebec. Stria's mission is to be a reliable, profitable global source for both lithium metal and lithium compound products and process technologies. Stria's expanded business focus is on the application of in-house developed technologies and processes that lead to the production lithium metal and lithium metal foil. Stria Lithium Inc. is part of the 2GL Platform, a green energy technology alliance with Grafoid Inc., Focus Graphite Inc., and Braille Battery Inc. Forward-Looking Statement This news release may contain forward-looking statements, being statements that are not historical facts, and discussions of future plans and objectives. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove accurate. Such statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are in our documents filed from time to time with the TSX Venture Exchange and provincial securities regulators, most of which are available at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the accuracy of this release Contacts: Stria Lithium Inc. Iain Todd President and COO (613) 702-0789 BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Commerce Department is scheduled to release its factory orders data for July at 10:00 am ET Friday. Ahead of the data, the U.S. dollar showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the U.S. dollar recovered against the yen and the Swiss franc, it held steady against the euro and the pound. As of 9:55 am ET, the U.S. dollar was trading at 1.1201 against the euro, 1.3336 against the pound, 0.9777 against the Swiss franc and 103.65 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. DUBLIN, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global USB Car Charger Market 2016-2020" report to their offering. The report forecasts the global USB car charger market to grow at a CAGR of 1.64% during the period 2016-2020. Commenting on the report, an analyst from the research team said: Availability of products with equal charging through multiple slots will be a key trend for market growth. The products that are already present in the market with two slots on the same charger are currently not able to charge two products with the same efficiency. The charging efficiency often depends on the products being charged. There are, however, a number of products such as the Scosche's USBC242M reVOLT dual that are able to charge two products with the same efficiency. We can expect more vendors to offer products that meet this specification during the forecast period. According to the report, development of broadband and wireless infrastructure will be a key driver for market growth. Availability of high-speed internet has increased the adoption of advanced video communications, resulting in higher demand for digital content and high-bandwidth network connectivity. Service providers need to increase their wireless network infrastructure and electronic equipment to meet the increased need in the market. 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: AmazonBasics Anker Belkin Sony Aukey Griffin Technology Maxboost Omaker Sanoxy 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: Geographical segmentation PART 07: Market drivers PART 08: Impact of drivers PART 09: Market challenges PART 10: Impact of drivers and challenges PART 11: Market trends PART 12: Vendor landscape PART 13: Summary of figures PART 14: Appendix PART 15: About the Author For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/53jg2p/global_usb_car 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 ALBANY, New York, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The heparin market in Europe is rather consolidated, with the Sanofi, Aspen, Pfizer, and Leo Pharma accounting for over 65% of the market in 2015. In a new study, Transparency Market Research (TMR) has found that Sanofi is the clear leader in the Europe heparin market, enjoying a 47.5% share in 2015. Increased global sales of Lovenox can be attributed to the company's success. Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with free PDF Brochure: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4815 "A focus on the expansion of R&D activities, in-licensing and acquisitions, and portfolio management are the key strategies adopted by the market leader," the author of the study finds. In 2015, the company spent over US$5 bn on the research and development of 18 new medicines and vaccines. Companies in the heparin market in Europe are also emphasizing on key BRIC-M countries, developing market-specific innovations, and prioritizing resource allocation. Rise in Incidence of Coagulation and Renal Disorders Spurring Demand for Heparin The recall of heparin products imported from China in 2008 was a turning point in the heparin market across the globe. The presence of a high level of allergenic substances in heparin products imported from China resulted in over a 100 deaths in the U.S. Tainted supplies were also found in several European countries, forcing the implementation of strict regulations regarding the use of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) produced outside the European Economic Area (EEA). "This event spurred the domestic development of crude and API heparin and a number of companies entered the heparin processing business in the years that followed. This has had a significant impact on the growth of the heparin market in Europe," a lead analyst at TMR comments. The heparin market in Europe is also fueled by the growing incidence of coagulation disorders such as venous thromboembolism (VTE). "These disorders cause nearly half a million deaths in the region each year, even more than the collective deaths caused by breast and prostate cancer, AIDS, and highway accidents," the author of the study finds. View exclusive Global strategic Business report:http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/europe-heparin-market.html Low-molecular-weight Heparin to Register Remarkable Growth by 2024 The opportunity in the Europe heparin market is estimated to be worth US$3.4 bn by 2024, rising from US$2.2 bn in 2015. The market is projected to register a steady CAGR of 5.2% from 2016 to 2024. Among the key product types, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) accounted for a massive share of close to 80% in 2015, emerging as the leading segment. Generating revenue of US$2.9 bn by the end of the forecast period, LMWH is also anticipated to post substantial growth, registering a 5.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. Unfractionated heparin, on the other hand, will grow at a sluggish pace. On the basis of end user, hospitals led the heparin market in Europe by value and are also anticipated to expand at the most rapid pace by 2024. By region, Germany contributed majority of the heparin market share in 2015. In addition to Germany, France, Belgium, and Portugal are likely to register the highest growth rates throughout the forecast period. This review is based on the findings of a TMR report titled "Heparin Market - Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024." Browse Regional PR:http://www.europlat.org/europe-heparin-market.htm Europe HeparinMarket, by Product Unfractionated Heparin Low Molecular Weight Heparin Ultra-low Molecular Weight Heparin Europe HeparinMarket, by End User Hospitals Blood and Stem Cell Banks Others Europe HeparinMarket, by Country Germany France U.K. Italy Spain Poland Switzerland Austria Hungary Belgium Portugal Czech Republic Greece Slovakia Rest of Europe Browse Other Research Reports: Global Heparin Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/heparin-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/heparin-market.html Global Stem Cells Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/stem-cells-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/stem-cells-market.html Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market:http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/blood-pressure-monitoring-market.html About Us: Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S. based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMR's global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations. EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- Members of the media are invited to attend an important infrastructure announcement with the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Robert C. McLeod, Minister Responsible for Infrastructure; and the Honourable Joe Savikataaq, Minister of Community and Government Services. Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Time: 4:00 p.m. MDT Location: Main Meeting Room Shaw Conference Centre 9797 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, Alberta Follow us on Twitter at @INFC_eng Contacts: Brook Simpson Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities 613-219-0149 brook.simpson@canada.ca Jay Boast Communications and Website AdvisorDepartment of Municipal and Community AffairsGovernment of Northwest Territories867-767-9162 ext. 21044jay_boast@gov.nt.caKris MullalyPolicy Analyst/Communication OfficerGovernment of Nunavut867-222-0279kmullaly@gov.nu.caInfrastructure Canada613-960-9251Toll free: 1-877-250-7154infc.media-medias.infc@canada.ca WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - With Donald Trump losing support among some prominent Hispanics following his fiery immigration speech, a supporter of the Republican presidential nominee likely did not do the real estate tycoon any favors with controversial remarks on Thursday. In an interview on MSNBC's 'All In With Chris Hayes,' Latinos for Trump co-founder Marco Gutierrez warned of the problems the U.S. will face unless illegal immigration is addressed. 'We need to understand that this is different times. We have problems here. We need reform,' Mexican-born Gutierrez told MSNBC's Joy Reid, who was guest-hosting for Hayes. 'My culture is a very dominant culture, and it's imposing, and it's causing problems,' he added. 'If you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner.' Also appearing on the program, New York state Senator Adriano Espaillat said he was offended by Gutierrez' comments. Espaillat, who is running to become the first Dominican-American elected to Congress, touted the tolerance of the Hispanic culture and argued that Trump is the one being 'aggressive and bullying.' The comments from Gutierrez come after several conservative Hispanics withdrew their support for Trump following his highly anticipated immigration speech on Wednesday. Trump's speech was widely seen as a doubling down on hardline immigration policies despite recent indications that he was softening on the issue. The GOP nominee reiterated his claim that he would make Mexico pay for a wall on the southern border and called for the establishment of a deportation task force to remove illegal immigrants currently in the country. (Photo: Gage Skidmore) 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. LAGUNA HILLS, CA--(Marketwired - September 02, 2016) - Itonis, Inc. (OTC PINK: ITNS) Itonis is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Comcast Spotlight Washington to provide cable TV and digital video advertisements for its Emesyl anti-nausea Homeopathic product. The initial 4-week campaign in the DC market starts on September 5, and will run through October 2, 2016 with a newly designed 30 second commercial. The newly designed commercial scheduled to air can be viewed here: http://www.itonisholdings.com/data/supporting_files/uploads/157c8c899f2339-emesyl_v02c.mp4 The campaign will run on multiple targeted TV networks in 12 separate advertising zones in the following areas: Howard County, North Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, DC, Arlington, and Alexandria. Audience reach includes Comcast households and those of Comcast Spotlight's media sales partners Verizon FiOS and Cox. A detailed listing of the targeted TV networks and run times can be viewed here: http://www.itonisholdings.com/data/supporting_files/uploads/157c8d8db050fc-emesyl_metro_dc_sept_2016_commercial_run_times.pdf The television campaign will be integrated with video pre-roll ads on Comcast Spotlight's targeted digital platform with impressions targeted to Health and Travel audiences across the DMA. "We learned a lot from the run of our initial 10,000 commercial spots, which was coordinated via Neovix, Inc. The initial ads did not produce the results we had hoped to achieve, and based on their response we will not be doing any future business with them." "The Comcast Spotlight cable TV campaign is focused on very specific demographics, and we are extremely excited to be working with them to create additional branding and retail sales for our anti-nausea Emesyl product," said Steve Pidliskey, Itonis Vice President. About Itonis, Inc. Located in Laguna Hills, California, and founded in 2005, Itonis Inc. has focused on the distribution of innovative products to the medical and pharmaceutical industries. The company also holds a licensing agreement with MyECheck Inc, which allows the company to use MyECheck's patented mobile payment application and share transaction revenue fees for point of purchase payments across various industries. Please visit www.itonisholdings.com for additional information. Safe Harbor: Statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including the failure to complete successfully the development of new or enhanced products, the Company's future capital needs, the lack of market demand for any new or enhanced products the Company may develop, any actions by the Company's affiliates that may be adverse to the Company, the success of competitive products, other economic factors affecting the Company and its markets, seasonal changes, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results may differ materially from those contained in this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any statements in this press release. Contact: Itonis, Inc. Office@itonisholdings.com The global physical security market in the retail sectoris expected to grow at a CAGR of nearly 7% during the forecast period, according to Technavio's latest report. In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global physical security marketin the retail sectorfor 2016-2020. The market is further categorized into three segments by type, including EAS (electronic article surveillance), video surveillance systems, and access control and intruder alarm system, of which the EAS market in retail sector will grow at a CAGR of 7% by 2020. "The global retail market will grow significantly during the forecast period, driven by the discount, dollar store, food, and service retail concepts. Restaurants will be the strongest category in terms of overall unit growth among all retail concepts. The demand for physical security deployments will increase in line with the significant growth in the global retail industry," says Amrita Choudhury, a lead IT security research analyst from Technavio. Technavio's research study segments the global physical security market in the retail sectorinto the following regions: Americas APAC EMEA In 2015, with a market share of 47%, the Americas dominated the global physical security market in retail sector, followed by EMEA with 38% and APAC with 15%. Americas: largest physical security market in retail sector By 2020, the physical security market in retail sector in the Americas will account for a market share of over 46%, growing at a CAGR of over 6%. Though the market share of the Americas region is decreasing, the market is likely to have increased demand for security solutions because of growth in the number of retail stores and facilities. Several international retailers are expanding in the US. Wal-Mart Stores, a multinational retail corporation that owns and operates a chain of retail stores in different formats such as restaurants, supermarkets, apparel stores, discount stores, drug stores, and hypermarkets, is also planning to expand its business in different locations across the Americas. US retailers are using several tools to combat retail shrinks, such as video surveillance, alarm monitoring, and security guards. The most common solutions in the country to protect merchandise are EAS, security keepers, and advanced inventory control tactics. "The US is one of the most advanced retail markets globally, with significant amounts of retail spending, and the market is attracting international retailers. The portal cities of New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles have the presence of most global brands," says Amrita. Ask sample report: http://goo.gl/31RRLf Increasing awareness about retail shop security fueling the market in EMEA The physical security market in retail sector in EMEA will account for a market share of over 38% by 2020, growing at a CAGR of nearly 7%. The Middle Eastern cities such as Dubai, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, and Riyadh are emerging as business and travel hubs, and they are attracting more global retail brands. The cities' strong in-place tourism helps increase the flow of foreign money. The cities have affordable retail space, supported by franchise structures, which are feasible options for international retailers. In addition, the international brands can enter into the Middle East's retail market without too much competition from domestic brands, because the domestic retail market is not as mature compared to other regions. Furthermore, the quickening pace of recovery in many of traditional European markets is evident to both the adaptability of the many retail partners such as SPAR. Recovery in European markets had gathered pace with strong retail sales growth reported by SPAR Austria, SPAR Belgium, and SPAR Hungary. Among the African countries, Nigeria was the second-largest market for video surveillance systems in the Sub-Saharan region after South Africa in 2015. APAC to post a CAGR of more than 7% during the period 2016-2020 The physical security market in retail sector in APAC will account for a market share of above 15% by 2020. The revenue of the market is expected to increase because of the rapid growth in the retail sector across APAC. Asia is always an attractive region for international retailers, and it is evident from the global retail development index 2015 for countries like China, India, Mongolia, and Malaysia. Additionally, India is benefiting from its the economic stability and regulatory reforms, which are aimed at improving ease of doing business. China's number one spot in the list is due to the shift in the economy from an infrastructure investment-driven model to consumer consumption model. The growing middle class coupled with the relaxation of one-child policy will boost consumer spending in the country, leading to higher retail market growth during the forecast period. With the rise in the number of international retail chains entering the local market, the adoption of security solutions to prevent inventory shrinkage has increased. This is expected to create awareness about the requirement of security solutions among the local retail stores. The top vendors in the global physical security market in the retail sector highlighted in the report are: Axis Communications Bosch Checkpoint Systems Crossmatch Honeywell Tyco Security Browse Related Reports: Global Cloud Security Market in the Retail Sector 2016-2020 Global Inventory Management Software Market in the Retail Sector 2016-2020 Global Mobile Identity Management 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/20160902005017/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cayman Finance CEO Mr Jude Scott has welcomed the positive news that the Cayman Islands had been included on Italy's "whitelist". Mr Scott said inclusion on the whitelist will, among other things, allow Cayman Islands funds to invest in Italian securities such as bonds and securitization instruments and receive interest payments gross of withholding tax. Additionally, Cayman funds may benefit from full exemption from Italian tax on profits attributable to them where they own more than 5 percent of an Italian Real Estate Investment Fund. While statistics show Managers in the United States manage approximately 74% of net assets from Cayman domiciled regulated funds, Europe remains an important player in the alternative investment industry. Mr Scott said this decision was a positive step forward for Cayman's financial services industry in Europe, particularly on the heels of the European Securities and Markets Authority's (ESMA) recent deferral of its recommendation on the Cayman Islands' application for the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) passport. "We are optimistic that the pending legislation for the Cayman Islands AIFMD regime will be in place late 2016/early 2017," Mr Scott said. "Once the remaining legislation is enacted, we see no impediments hindering Cayman's AIFMD passport application. The creation of this regime will offer wider opportunities for Cayman domiciled funds and managers in Europe." The Cayman Islands continue to make positive strides as a reputable international financial centre as it co-operatively develops legislation for the AIFMD compliant regime to market into Europe beyond the national private placement regimes. Mr Scott said Cayman's financial services industry is encouraged by Italy's recognition of the Cayman Islands for its good tax governance and inclusion of the jurisdiction on its whitelist. "The inclusion of the Cayman Islands on Italy's whitelist echoes to the global financial services industry its recognition of our robust framework to combat corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion but as importantly, Cayman's commitment to comply with international standards of transparency and exchange of information," Mr Scott said. "It is encouraging to be recognised by many European countries and more recently Italy, on tax information exchange. We look forward to building a stronger partnership with Italy and other EU countries in an effort to combat financial crimes." This development will enable Cayman funds, particularly credit and real estate funds, to provide much needed inward investment into Italy. The granting of the right to receive interest income gross of withholding tax is very positive for Cayman funds investing in Italian securities. Mr Scott said Cayman's funds industry could play an increasingly important role in providing liquidity and credit to Italian businesses, to help offset the challenges faced by Italian banks as a result of the recent global credit crises. "Cayman funds have played this role with other major economies," he said. "As a premier global financial hub and allocator of global capital and financing, Cayman provides a cost effective, neutral platform to allow international investment to be made into economies that need that investment, while at the same time giving pension funds and other international institutional investors an opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio of securities. "The Cayman Islands enables parties from around the world who are domiciled in countries that may have differing laws, regulations, tax structures and customs to benefit from doing business with each other using Cayman as an efficient and effective global financial hub. "This inward investment from Cayman will ultimately help stimulate economic activity, create much needed jobs and generate taxable revenue in Italy." Mr Scott said if Cayman is granted the AIFMD passport, Italian resident investors and pension funds would be able to invest in Cayman domiciled structures including many of the world's best alternative investment structures. "As Cayman funds continue to market into Europe, all stakeholders can take confidence that the Cayman Islands Government, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and the financial services industry remain committed to building a vibrant alternative investment funds industry that safeguards its investors but facilitates growth and good business," he said. The Cayman Islands signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with Italy on 3 December 2012 which came into force on 13 August 2015. To date, the Cayman Islands have signed 36 tax information exchange agreements, two inter-governmental agreements, namely with the United States and the United Kingdom and more recently a multilateral competent authority agreement to implement the OECD Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information - Common Reporting Standard to improve international tax compliance and the exchange of information. Contact: Lynne Byles, lynne@tower.com.ky, +1-345-623-6700 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Friday banned several antimicrobial soaps after manufacturers were not able to prove that those soaps were both safe and more effective than plain soap. 'Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,' said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. 'In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.' The restriction applies to consumer antiseptic wash products containing one or more of 19 specific active ingredients, including the most commonly used ingredients - triclosan and triclocarban. The companies will not be able to sell these soaps under misleading marketing. The FDA also said that exposure to certain active ingredients used in antibacterial products - for example, triclosan and triclocarban - could pose health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effect. 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. Technavio has announced the top 12 leading vendors in their recentglobal stick PC marketreport until 2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the shipments of stick PCs. Competitive vendor landscape According to the report, the global stick PC market has only a few vendors, but Technavio analysts expect the entry of more vendors in the market in the coming years. Intel, ASUSTeK Computer, and Lenovo will be well established in the market due to their strong foothold and brand in the global PC market. "Competition in the market is low as the market is still in the initial stages of development. Intel has paved the way for new product lines, which are considered to be the replacement for portable PCs. This has attracted many vendors to the market. The majority of the vendors in the market use Intel processors in their products. This has strengthened the foothold of Intel core x86-based processor," says Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead computing devices research analyst from Technavio. The competition among the vendors is based on the availability of the products, features, and processing speed. The brand name will play an important role in the adoption of stick PCs, including the brand of the core processor installed in stick PCs. The report also states that emerging stick PC brands are opting for Intel processors, but established brands such as Google are introducing stick PCs with Rockchip processors. These variations are meant to promote their products and strengthen their foothold in the market. The increase in the volume of stick PCs will help the vendors lower their cost of production and also integrate technologically advanced components such as high density NAND, LPDDR4 RAM, and SoC to enhance value proposition. Request sample report: http://goo.gl/JoJ1vd Top 12 stick PC market vendors ARCHOS In 2016, ARCHOS has planned to establish itself as the major European network provider for connected objects through its subsidiary PicoWAN. PicoWAN is a global network operator. ARCHOS PC Stick is its only product that falls into the stick PC category. Its popularity in Europe can help it achieve significant market share in the European countries. ASUSTeK Computer ASUSTeK Computer is one of the top vendors in the PC market. It owns 7.9% market share of the global PC shipments. In the stick PC market, it owns three types of products, two of which have Intel processors and one uses the Rockchip processor. Chromebit is its only product that uses the Rockchip processor and is the reason behind the low cost of this stick PC. Azulle Azulle is a start-up that provides only one stick PC product with a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. It is the only vendor that provides LAN to the stick PC, which gives it an edge in the market. Chenzi The company's product portfolio includes Android-based tablets, stick PCs, 3D converter boxes, digital converter boxes, enclosures, netbooks, karaoke players, portable TVs, and LED TVs. It offers only one stick PC, i.e., iView Cyber PC with Intel processor and a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. Hannspree Hannspree has only one product in its stick PC portfolio Hanspree Micro PC desktop. It has a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. The company has a good reputation in the tablet PC market, which it can use to its advantage. iBall In 2015, iBall launched its first stick iBall Splendo in collaboration with Intel and Microsoft. As iBall is based in India, it can gain an edge in the global stick PC market if it is marketed properly in its home country. Due to the low price of stick PCs, they have a significant potential in the Indian market. Intel At CES 2016, the company introduced a new model of Intel Compute Stick with an upgraded processor, from Atom to Cherry Trail, to improve the graphics performance of the stick PC. Even the price was increased to USD 159. Lenovo Lenovo offers products such as PCs, tablet computers, smartphones, workstations, servers, electronic storage devices, IT management software, and smart televisions. MagicStick MagicStick is a start-up and has two models of stick PCs: MagicStick Wave and MagicStick One. It is the only vendor in the market that provides an 8GB RAM. The company can use this specification to market its products to gamers and gain an edge in the overall market. Meegopad Meegopad's portfolio includes Intel Stick PC, Intel Mini PC projectors, and Android TV sticks. The company has five stick PCs in the market, four of which have an internal memory of 32GB and one has an internal memory of 64GB. Meegopad A02, which provides Remix OS 2.0, is the only product that has an expandable memory of up to 128GB, and it uses Allwinner processor. MODECOM MODECOM is one of the top vendors in PC cases market. In 2001, the company started its own production facilities in China to increase its production capacity. In 2003, it started the production of 2.1 and 5.1 speaker systems, which had great success during their launch due to their unique design. Panache Panache has only one type of stick PC, i.e., Panache Air PC. It has a 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. It provides Windows 10 OS and has an expandable memory of up to 128GB. Browse Related Reports: Global Digital Learning Devices Market 2016-2020 Global Digital Educational Publishing Market 2016-2020 Global Smart Wearable Entertainment Devices and Services 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/20160902005025/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- The Honourable Judy Foote, Minister of Public Works and Procurement, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, will be at Memorial University of Newfoundland to announce infrastructure funding for the university and to highlight the benefits of the Government of Canada's Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund. Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Time: 10:30 a.m. (NT) Location: Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's Campus R. Gushue Hall, Junior Common Room Irwin's Road St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Follow Minister Bains on social media. Twitter: @MinisterISED Contacts: Philip Proulx Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development 343-291-2500 Media Relations Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 343-291-1777 ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- IGM Financial Inc. (IGM) (TSX: IGM) today reported preliminary total mutual fund net new money in August of ($104.4) million as shown in Table 1. Total assets under management were $139.3 billion at August 31, 2016, compared with $138.5 billion at July 31, 2016 and $133.4 billion at August 31, 2015. Mutual fund assets under management were $133.1 billion as at August 31, 2016, compared with $132.3 billion at July 31, 2016 and $127.2 billion at August 31, 2015. Assets under management are shown in Table 2. Table 1 - Mutual Funds Net New Money(i) Month ended August 31, 2016 Investors IGM ($ millions) (unaudited) Group Mackenzie Counsel Financial ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- All Mutual Funds Gross Sales $ 578.0 $ 535.6 $ 49.2 $ 1,162.8 Net New Money $ (55.4) $ (51.2) $ 2.2 $ (104.4) Long Term Mutual Funds Gross Sales $ 488.3 $ 498.3 $ 46.5 $ 1,033.1 Net New Money $ (80.7) $ (47.8) $ 0.3 $ (128.2) (i)Mutual Fund Net New Money is defined as Gross Sales less Gross Redemptions and is consistent with the terminology used by The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC). Table 2 - Assets under % Change Management August July August Last % Change ($ billions) (unaudited) 2016 2016 2015 Month YOY ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ Total Assets under Management(1) $ 139.27 $ 138.54 $ 133.36 0.5 4.4 Mutual Fund Assets under Management $ 133.05 $ 132.33 $ 127.19 0.5 4.6 Investors Group Mutual Funds $ 78.64 $ 78.24 $ 74.67 0.5 5.3 Mackenzie Mutual Funds $ 49.96 $ 49.66 $ 48.53 0.6 2.9 Sub-advisory, institutional and other(2) $ 13.94 $ 13.93 $ 12.82 0.1 8.7 ------------------------------------------------ Total Mackenzie $ 63.90 $ 63.59 $ 61.35 0.5 4.2 ------------------------------------------------ Counsel Mutual Funds $ 4.45 $ 4.44 $ 4.04 0.2 10.1 (1) Excludes assets managed by Mackenzie on behalf of Investors Group and Investment Planning Counsel. These assets had a value of $7.7 billion at August 31, 2016 ($7.7 billion at July 31, 2016 and $6.7 billion at August 31, 2015). (2) Includes $50.9 million of Exchange Traded Fund assets managed by Mackenzie. Preliminary average mutual fund assets under management and average total assets under management for the quarter to date are set out in Table 3. Table 3 - Average Assets under Management (3) ($ billions) (unaudited) Quarter to Date --------------- --------------- Total Average Assets under Management (4) $ 137.96 Mutual Fund Average Assets under Management $ 131.83 Investors Group Mutual Funds $ 77.93 Mackenzie Mutual Funds $ 49.49 Sub-advisory, institutional and other $ 13.78 --------------- Total Mackenzie $ 63.27 --------------- Counsel Mutual Funds $ 4.41 (3) Based on daily average mutual fund assets and month-end average institutional, sub-advisory and other assets. (4) Excludes average assets of $7.7 billion managed by Mackenzie on behalf of Investors Group and Investment Planning Counsel. IGM Financial Inc. is one of Canada's premier personal financial services companies, and one of the country's largest managers and distributors of mutual funds and other managed asset products, with over $139 billion in total assets under management. Its activities are carried out principally through Investors Group through a network of over 5,300 Consultants, Mackenzie Financial Corporation through a diversified network of third-party financial advisors and Investment Planning Counsel through a network of financial planners who are dedicated to serving the needs of their clients. A MEMBER OF THE POWER FINANCIAL CORPORATION GROUP OF COMPANIES. Contacts: Media Relations: Ron Arnst 204-956-3364 ron.arnst@igmfinancial.com Investor Relations: Paul Hancock 204-956-8103 investor.relations@igmfinancial.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump leads Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Iowa, according to an Emerson College poll, while a separate poll showed a statistical tie in Virginia. The survey of likely Iowa voters showed Trump leading Clinton by 44 percent to 39 percent, with Libertarian Gary Johnson at 8 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein at just 1 percent. The results of the poll suggest Clinton is having difficulty securing the Democratic vote in Iowa, as 34 percent of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., voters support a candidate other than the former Secretary of State. Gender is playing a significant role in the race, as Trump leads 51 percent to 30 percent among men compared to Clinton's 47 percent to 39 percent advantage among women. Meanwhile, a survey of likely Virginia voters showed Clinton with a slim 44 percent to 43 percent lead over Trump. The one-point gap is well within the poll's margin of error. Eleven percent of likely Virginia voters said they support Johnson, while another 3 percent favor Stein. Trump holds a wide lead over Clinton among white voters, but Clinton has strong support among minority and female voters. The Emerson poll of 600 likely Iowa voters was conducted August 31st through September 1st and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The survey of 800 likely Virginia voters was conducted August 30th through September 1st and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. (Photo: Michael Vadon) 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. OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is concluding his visit to China today, announced new tourism initiatives to create a stronger and more stable long-term relationship with China. The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, made the following statement: "Tourism is a way in which countries build closer ties not just through governments and business but also through their people. The Canada-China agreement builds on this by boosting cultural exchanges and the two-way flow of tourists. "Our two countries confirmed the agreement following the first leg of Prime Minister Trudeau's official visit to China. The meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang reaffirmed Canada's commitment to strengthening business and cultural ties with the world's second-largest economy. "Canada and China have also agreed to make 2018 the Year of Canada-China Tourism. Both countries are exploring future measures to facilitate the travel flow of tourists and are working on tourism promotion activities in Canada and China, including, for example, the Canada China International Film Festival this month in beautiful Montreal. "An agreement was reached that will authorize Canada to open seven additional visa application centres in China to help serve a growing number of Chinese tourists who are crossing the Pacific to explore Canada. As of this summer, Chinese travellers will be able to fly to Canada from 11 cities in China, so there is a need for the visa application centres. "China is Canada's fastest-growing tourism market, already its third-largest overseas source market for tourists, and Chinese visitors contribute over $1 billion annually to Canada's economy. There were almost half a million Chinese visitors in 2015, and there is a forecast for a 15 percent growth in visitors for 2016. Chinese tourist travel to Canada rose 24 percent in the first six months of this year, helped by new direct flights to Montreal and Calgary. Chinese visitors alone support about 7,400 Canadian jobs. "The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tourism for Canada's economy and has committed additional funding to enhance marketing initiatives in important international markets, including China. "This announcement will go far in boosting tourism, creating closer ties and deepening the strategic partnership between our two countries." Follow Minister Chagger on social media. Twitter: @MinofSBT Instagram: minofsbt Contacts: James Fitz-Morris Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Small Business and Tourism 343-291-2700 Media Relations Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 343-291-1777 ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- I am very pleased that the Government of Canada signed two significant agreements with the People's Republic of China that will strengthen our cultural and economic ties. The Honourable Stephane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, signed a bilateral film coproduction treaty with Cai Fuchao, Minister of State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China. This agreement, which replaces a treaty from 1987, will further position Canada as a partner of choice in audiovisual coproduction. Audiovisual coproduction treaties allow producers to combine their creative and financial resources to develop coproductions that stimulate foreign investment, create jobs, and increase exchanges of culture and knowledge between partner countries. In order for the new treaty to come into effect, each country will have to complete domestic procedures to ratify it. Projects coproduced under a treaty are given national status in both Canada and the partner country. This makes producers eligible for national benefits in their own countries, such as funding programs and tax incentives. Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Li Keqiang also signed a Program of Cultural Cooperation for 2017 to 2019. The Program encourages cooperation, exchanges, high-level dialogue and sharing of expertise in a broad range of cultural areas. It is an important contributor to opening market opportunities in China for Canadian culture, and will deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of Canada and China. In the past 50 years, Canada has signed audiovisual coproduction treaties with 54 countries. In the past 10 years alone, our country has produced 654 treaty coproductions, whose budgets total $4.8 billion. Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr. Contacts: Pierre-Olivier Herbert Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage 819-997-7788 TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- Gentor Resources Inc. ("Gentor" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: GNT) reports that Peter Ruxton has resigned from the board of directors of the Company. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Ruxton for his years of service to the Company. About Gentor Gentor is a mineral exploration company with copper exploration properties in Turkey. The Company's strategy is to create shareholder value by developing highly prospective mineral properties around the globe, with current focus in Turkey. 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: Arnold T. Kondrat President and CEO +1 (416) 366 2221 or +1 (800) 714 7938 www.gentorresources.com Sponsoo, a Hamburg, Germany-based sport sponsorship marketplace, closed a 300k funding round. Four business angels and previous shareholders participated in the round. The company intends to use the funds to further grow its core business in Germany, hire sales employees and developers and to ramp up marketing efforts. Led by CEO Andreas Kitzing, Sponsoo is a sport marketing startup that aims to fully digitalize the sport sponsorship industry by connecting athletes, clubs and sponsors on a full-service online marketplace. Until now, the company was financed by EU grants, recurring revenues and prizes from startup competitions such as Microsofts Do Great Things campaign. FinSMEs 02/09/2016 On Friday, the Left-affiliated parties have called for a nation-wide strike to protest the current government's "anti-labour" policies. Trade unions are likely to be joined by workers of six public sector banks. Many people are predicting that the possible fallout of the strike could result into a shutdown of banks, factories and government offices across the country. In New Delhi, essential services such as banking and transport are likely to be hit on Friday as 10 central trade unions go on a one-day nationwide strike, protesting against "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. "The strike is on. We are getting good response. More information will pour in after sometime. Around 90 percent workers at BHEL's plant in Tiruchirapalli have not reported at work in the morning shift," Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Tapan Kumar Sen told PTI. He further said, "Vizag steel plant is 100 percent closed. At some places there would be instances of 'Rail Roko'. This is going to be a successful strike as more than 15 crore workers will come on streets to protest." Last year, these 10 trade unions had called nationwide strike and around 15 crore workers participated in the agitation. Sen further said, "Gurgaon industrial area is completely closed and the police have arrested about 12 people in Manesar area. All this information indicates that the strike will be bigger this time." All major unions, excluding RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike call, terming the government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage as "completely inadequate". On its part, the government has asked all ministries to ensure that public utilities and essential services are not affected. Secretaries of all departments have been asked to take effective measures for smooth running of various services coming under their respective ministries. On Thursday, speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya blamed the previous UPA regime for the issues faced by the workers and said the present government "doesn't want a confrontation with labour unions" and rather needs their cooperation and support. He had conceded banking and insurance sectors are likely to be impacted more due to the strike today, while adding that out of 12 demands of the trade unions, eight are related to the labour department and seven of them have been agreed to. Opposing the country-wide strike called by central trade unions, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government will take strongest possible action against "miscreants" who try to disrupt public life and will ensure compensation for damage to shops or vehicles. "Bengal will not be stopped on 2 September, 2016. On 2 September, all educational institutions, shops, institutions, offices and factories will remain open. Vehicles will ply normally and public transport will not be hindered. There will be strongest possible action against any miscreant who will try to disrupt public life," Banerjee tweeted. "The government will arrange for due compensation for any damage caused by miscreants to any shop, vehicle or establishment," Banerjee tweeted. The chief minister had last week asserted that her government would not allow any bandh in the state on September 2 and said, "If they (central trade unions) want they can go to Delhi and stage dharna to register their protest." The central trade unions have given a call for a countrywide general strike on 2 September to protest the "anti-people, anti-national and anti-worker" policies of the NDA government at the Centre. The #Bandh will be a total failure. We are monitoring the situation. We appeal to everyone to defeat the bandh: CM AITC (@AITCofficial) September 2, 2016 Welcome change. This time, #Kolkata is not celebrating a bandh while the rest of the country does! #BharatBandh Amitav (@vuttaa) September 2, 2016 On Friday, CPM and TMC workers clashed on the streets of Kolkata. North 24 Parganas (WB): Visuals of clash between CPM and TMC workers during #TradeUnionStrike in Madhyamgram pic.twitter.com/eRLRerIYbL ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Various people took to Twitter to express their feelings about the strike. Bengaluru, infamous for its traffic, saw relieved commuters who revelled at the sight of empty roads. Although, some commuters found it difficult to reach work because public transport services like buses, autos and taxis are called off. According to a report by The Times of India, KSRTC and BMTC unions are supporting the bandh, and hence most commuters find it difficult to make it to their work place. No traffic thanks to #Bandh, and pleasant weather.. Wish Bangalore was like this everyday.. Sigh! Sreejit Ramakumar (@SreejitR) September 2, 2016 Hey bandh people got any protesting or such type jobs for a 6 year old who should be in school but is wreaking havoc at home instead? Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) September 2, 2016 Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon Limited and Chairperson of IIM-Bangalore also showed her displeasure over the bandh. She expressed that he call for a strike affects the economy of the country. Bandhs are robbing us of GDP growth - I wonder if someone can calculate Bandh linked GDP loss to the country @PMOIndia Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (@kiranshaw) August 31, 2016 Today's drive to office reminded me of the first time I drove my bike in late 90s #bandh #bliss #smalljoys P D Sathish Chandra (@pdschandra) September 2, 2016 Most people don't know what the strike is called for, but are just glad that they get an extra day off work - a long weekend. RT if your current mood is " I don't know what is the reason behind today's Bandh , but who cares since today is Friday " #BharatBandh Prisma Perera (@HelloMrPerera) September 2, 2016 What bandh? Looks like any other day in Mumbai. Sadly,even the rickshaw chaps have not joined the bandh! #BharatBandh Ravindra (@ravirao83) September 2, 2016 With inputs from agencies Chennai: The nation-wide strike called by central trade unions on Friday did not have much impact on normal life in Tamil Nadu as transport services and other businesses began the day's functioning normally. Bus and train services were operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions are functioning normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing is not participating in the strike called by ten central unions protesting "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. The striking union members staged demonstrations at various places raising slogans in support of their demands. A Madurai report said the strike did not affect normalcy in most parts of southern districts of the state. However, inter-state buses to Kerala were stopped at the border towns of Nagercoil and Theni. Central government government offices wore a deserted look with the employees joining the strike while section of state government employees, especially in the revenue department, are also participating in the strike, the report said. Shops in most places were open and autorickshaws were seen plying as usual. Police have been deployed for providing security to PSUs and government offices to prevent any untoward incident. Officials said essential services were maintained and buses were operated by members of 'Anna Thozhirsanga Peravai', the AIADMK backed trade union. Private buses were off the road in Tiruvarur district. More than 50,000 police personnel have been deployed in southern districts, police said adding so far no untoward incident had been reported. New Delhi: CPI congratulated employees and workers for observing the "most successful" general strike on the call of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on Friday and called the protest as a "rebuff" on "anti-worker" policies of the NDA Government at Centre. "The Central Secretariat of CPI congratulates the working class and employees for the most successful general strike all over India on the call of Central Trade Unions," the party said in a statement. The CPI claimed there was a "bandh like" situation in many states as employees attached to banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, telecommunication, coal, steel, mining sectors, state and central government went on strike even as many state transporters also joined the strike. "The participation is likely to be more than last strikes of workers. Last year, 15 crore workers participated in strike. Unrest in the working class, the creators of the wealth of the nation, is not good for the progress of the nation," it noted. The party also urged the government to start discussion with the CTUs and solve their "justified" demands as early as possible. Since Monday, Chetan, a student of the Dr K Shivarama Karanth Government College in Bellare, 78 km from Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district of coastal Karnataka has been wearing a saffron scarf over his shirt to college. He is not alone. A rough count reveals some 50-odd students have adopted this sartorial accessory. But it is not a fashion statement they are making. This is in protest against the college management's reluctance to stop the Muslim female students from wearing a burqa or a veil to the classroom. "We will keep protesting till our demands are met. Inside an educational institution, everyone is equal that is why you should have an uniform,'' says Chetan. The students have found support from the ABVP. Its Dakshina Kannada district convener Ashwath Rao says his organisation is opposed to any kind of religious symbols on campus. "The college management should ensure there is no religious divide between students. Do we keep any portrait of God inside the classroom? No, because here the professor is God. They should leave behind their religion at home. If there is no burqa, there will be no saffron scarf or shawl,'' says Rao. The protest was surprising because the college has been in existence for over two decades and has not faced this kind of ire before. Of the 492 students in the college, there are 15 Muslim girls and four Muslim boys. K Chandrasekhara, principal of the college said, "The students came to me with their demand. I have asked them to stop protesting till I speak to the Parents Teachers Association. But they have not paid heed to my request.'' College authorities suspect this protest is being remote controlled by outside elements and have appealed to BJP MLA from Sullia S Angara, who is associated with the college in his capacity as the area's legislator, to speak to the right wing groups. The management, however, is relieved that the students have not resorted to disrupting classes or raising slogans. It is quite possible that the saffron agitation is in retaliation to the protest on Saturday by the Campus Front of India, the student wing of the Popular Front of India, an organisation that espouses the cause of the Muslim community and is active in Kerala and coastal Karnataka. Its members had protested against the decision of the Srinivas College of Pharmacy near Mangaluru to ban the veil and stop male students from sporting long beards. While the students claimed the ban on the veil was new and not imposed during earlier academic sessions, the college said it wanted to ensure uniformity in how the students attend college. BV Seetaram, editor of Mangaluru-based Kannada newspaper Karavali Ale says it is a tug-of-war going on in educational spaces in Dakshina Kannada district. "It is an attempt by both sides to push college managements into a corner. Both sides want to assert their religious identity and muscle power through their attire,'' says Seetaram. He recalls that when France banned the burqa in 2010, right wing groups in the district tried to impose the same in Mangaluru, leading to communal tension. The district has always been a hotbed of vigilantism with frequent clashes taking place between rabid elements of both communities. Moral policing is rampant in Mangaluru that has reported several incidents of groups thrashing the member from the other community. Hindu groups thrash a Muslim boy if he is seen with a Hindu girl and a Hindu boy will meet the same fate at the hands of Muslim groups, if seen with a Muslim girl. Hindu groups have often accused Muslim boys of engaging in love jihad. In February last year, Mohammed Riyaz, a student of Mangaluru's Govinda Dasa college was abducted by a group of right wing activists and assaulted for close to three hours. His crime was clicking some pictures with his classmates, that included girls from the Hindu community. The pictures had been shared between friends over WhatsApp and had found their way into the phones of members of the Hindutva outfits. He was let off after being warned not to speak to Hindu girls. The Muslim community tries the same tactics. Two years back, a group christened the Muslim Defence Force sent out messages through Facebook, asking Muslim women to 'unfriend' Hindu men on the social networking site. Social activist Vidya Dinker says this is the Saudisation of Mangaluru at work where Muslims girls today will be denied an education if they do not wear the burqa to college. "Even some girls feels they will be spoken of badly by their own community if they don't wear the veil. What is happening is not surprising as the right wing groups are always looking to challenge Muslims and the burqa is the obvious target of choice,'' says Dinker. The latest round of burqa versus the saffron scarf has the disturbing potential of further dividing an already communally polarised coastal Karnataka. With the younger generation also getting sucked into it, the exposed faultlines will only leave the region more naked and vulnerable. The Jammu and Kashmir government has clamped down on five news channels for "fomenting trouble" in Kashmir Valley during the ongoing unrest that has left close to seventy people dead and thousands injured. These channels, the state government said in a directive to cable operators, have created law and order problem and should be blocked with immediate effect. A letter by district magistrate of Srinagar to the cable operators on Thursday said that the cable operators have been transmitting programmes which promote hatred, ill-will, disharmony and a feeling of enmity against the sovereignty of State. The five popular news and current affairs channels the state government have asked cable operators to block include, Noida based Gulistan TV, KBC, JK Channel and Hyderabad based Munsiff TV and Insaaf TV. These channels, according to cable operators, enjoy massive viewership for their news production. The directive by the district magistrate to the cable operators reads, "whereas, Cable Television Network (Regulation Act, 1995) provides a mechanism to regulate the operation of television network and in order to prevent the breech of peace and to stop incitement and instigation of the public to cause mental and physical threat to particular functionaries of the Government. You are directed to stop telecasting/transmitting of the programmes of these channels failing which action as contemplated under the provisions of Cable Television Networks (Regulation Act, 1995) will be taken against you". The cable operators have criticised the state governments decision saying these channels have been "actually" showing the "ground reality," while the mainstream television news channels have largely ignored Kashmir. "The government had no idea that these were not local channels but satellite channels based outside the state. First, they asked us to stop producing programs on these channels, unofficially. When we told them these channels were not managed by Kashmiris, they were stunned," Mir Amjid, proprietor of SEN Digital Cable Network, told Firstpost. "Then the government send a directive to block all five of them. These are very popular channels and they attract massive viewership in valley, he added. The state governments move to block these news channels is seen as a second attempt to censor news coming out of the Valley. Earlier, the government had banned newspapers for three days, and also blocked news channels when the protests had escalated during the initial days of the unrest. As there has been no letup in the ongoing protests, officials told Firstpost, the government wants to ensure that the reports about incidents of violence do not spread across the valley, which the government believes is escalating the protests. Following the strategy of the clampdown the state government has already snapped mobile internet services and the outgoing calls services of the pre-paid mobile phones, while in the last two months post-paid cellphones, broadband internet were also shutdown for a brief period. Due to the intense curfew and beating of newspaper staff previously the distribution of both national and locals newspapers has also been affected, while the national newspapers have not been able to reach readers for last two months. It is also because all the newspapers stands and agencies have not been able to operate due to the government imposed curfew. Selling newspaper in such an environment is very difficult when the government forces are not even allowing newspaper shops to be opened, Hilal Ahmad, owner of Srinagar's known newspaper and bookshop, Khan News Agency, told Firstpost. While the newspapers are being distributed to some extent in Srinagar there are reports that only one or two newspapers are able to reach other districts and villages. The evening news bullets on these local channels were the only source of information for millions of people across Kashmir, who have been forced to stay in their houses due to an ongoing curfew. "These channels were the only source of news from last fifty days. They used to report from every village and town of Kashmir, which no national news channel would do. The government has snatched this last option of information from us," Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, a resident of Baramulla, said on phone. Other than the clampdown there have also been several incidents were local journalists have been thrashed, beaten up and physically stopped from performing their duties. Jammu: The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions on the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. Different sources told IANS in winter capital Jammu, "Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire on Friday, using small weapons and automatics to target our positions in Akhnoor sector of the LoC." "Our troops are effectively retaliating the Pakistan firing using the same calibre weapons." Till last reports came in firing exchanges were continuing in the area. No damage has so far been reported from the Indian side. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India will engage constructively on all pressing international priorities and challenges with world leaders as he is looks forward to "a productive and outcome oriented" G20 Summit in China's Hangzhou that begins from Sunday. The Prime Minister, who will travel to Vietnam on Friday evening before heading for China on Saturday, said his government attaches a high priority to bilateral relations with Vietnam and the partnership between the two countries will benefit Asia and the rest of the world. "Today evening, I will reach Hanoi in Vietnam, marking the start of a very important visit that will further cement the close bond between India and Vietnam," Modi said. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," he said in a Facebook post. Modi said he will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges during the G20 Summit. "We will discuss putting the global economy on the track of sustainable steady growth and responding to emerging and entrenched social, security and economic challenges. "India will engage constructively on all the issues before us and work towards finding solutions and taking forward the agenda for a robust, inclusive and sustainable international economic order that uplifts the socio-economic conditions of people across the world, especially those who need it most in developing countries," the Prime Minister said. Modi said he looks forward "to a productive and outcome oriented Summit". At the G20 Summit, India is likely to raise a host of issues ranging from choking terror funding and checking tax evasion to cutting cost of remittances and market access for key drugs. During the Vietnam visit, Modi will hold extensive discussions with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. "We will review complete spectrum of our bilateral relationship," he said. He will also meet the President of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong; and the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. "In Vietnam, I will have the opportunity to pay homage to Ho Chi Minh, one of 20th century's tallest leaders. I will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda," the Prime Minister said. He also greeted people Vietnam on their National Day on Friday. "Vietnam is a friendly nation with whom we cherish our relationship," Modi said. India's ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. Modi will leave for Hangzhou from Vietnam on Saturday. "I will visit Hangzhou, China from 3-5 September 2016 for the Annual G-20 Leaders Summit. I will arrive in Hangzhou from Vietnam where I would have concluded an important bilateral visit," he said in another Facebook post. The South China Sea issue may figure in the talks with Vietnamese leadership. China wants India to refrain from undertaking oil exploration in the Vietnamese blocks in order to ensure "peace and stability" in the South China Sea. "Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's reported affairs with many female colleagues were juicy gossip but it didn't spoil his political career. His relationship with Edwina Mountbatten is widely discussed. The entire world knew about it. Their affections continued till Pt. Nehru's last breath. Was it a sin?" Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh came forward to back former minister in the Delhi government Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked from the cabinet after an alleged sex video of the minister surfaced, and said that there was nothing wrong if a man and a woman involved in a consensual act in a private space. On 31 August, Delhi Chief Minister and party convener Arvind Kejriwal, in a sudden move, sacked Sandeep after receiving an "objectionable" CD allegedly carrying details of some "wrongdoings". The decision to sack the minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top AAP leaders. Coming to the sacked leader's aid, Ashutosh in an open letter, which was published in NDTV, questioned the rationale behind sacking the leader. "The question then is that if two consenting adults are physically involved with each other, is it a crime?" The Sex Was Consensual, Private Act. TV editors are indulging in bigger stupidity - writes Ashutosh https://t.co/cS4NhOt2yS ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) September 2, 2016 Adding that the "act" was not coerced and was of a consensual nature, there was no "wrongdoing." The woman, Ashutosh wrote, "is not coerced" and she has not even complained to anyone after that. The woman did not file any official complaint with the police or the court. "Neither has the wife of the man expressed any divergent view on the conduct of the man." Interestingly, Ashutosh's open letter is in clear contradiction of Kejriwal's stand on the issue. "It's not rape," said Ashutosh. "Then why should this sex video be discussed at all? Why should it be made public? Why should it be linked to the character of the man and the party? Why should it create headlines? What wrong has the man done?" Ashutosh wrote that the sacked minister can't openly flirt with the opposite sex or smoke in public but asserted that what a man or a woman do in their private space is their business. "...he or she should not be chased there." "This video exposes the hypocrisy of the society and hollowness of the media. How the video has been treated on air by certain TV channels informs us about the bankruptcy of some editors occupying high positions in the media industry." Giving examples of world leaders who have not made qualms about sex and relationship between a man and a woman, Ashutosh cited former prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Ashutosh said that his relationship with Sarla Chaudhary, a distant relative of Rabindra Nath Tagore, had disturbed a lot of people, including his wife Kasturba, Nehru, C Rajagopalachari, but Gandhi never budged. In fact, in his later days, Gandhi "slept naked with his two nieces to experiment with celibacy," Ashutosh wrote. Ashutosh cited examples of RM Lohia, who was in a live-in relationship; Atal Bihar Vajpayee, who never married but was in a relationship with his college friend and George Fernandes, who 'was married to Laila Kabir, but this was never a problem for his friendship with Jaya Jaitley." Ashutosh also quoted Mao Je Dong's biographer Zhisui Li, who wrote: "Mao's sexual activity was not confined to women. The young males who served as his attendants were invariably handsome and strong and one of their responsibilities was to administer a nightly massage as an additional aid to sleep." The senior AAP leader, at the end of the letter rues over there's nothing private anymore. "As a novice, I can only say that it is easy to trash AAP but difficult to point fingers at these gentlemen because they were very powerful people." Read the full letter here. "Main akela hi chala tha janibe manzil magar; Log paas aate gaye aur karwan banata gaya" Majrooh Sultanpuri Indeed, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founded by an otherwise nondescript loner from Punjab known as Kanshiram on 14 April, 1984, with a handful of people has, by now, grown into a political powerhouse in Uttar Pradesh. Its caravan of active members riding elephants is rather huge. And the partys presiding chieftain, Mayawati, is seen blazing the campaign trails in a no-holds-barred electoral fight to grab governance in Lucknow for a record fifth time. It was not for nothing that former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao had described her rise from obscurity to eminence as a miracle of Indian democracy. And Time magazine placed her prominently in the list of Indias 15 most influential persons not too long ago. Even Forbes placed her in the 59th position in its list of 100 most powerful women in the world in 2008. Newsweek too placed her in its list of top women achievers. Indeed, she is very influential. Didnt you notice what happened to Dayashankar Singh in the aftermath of his much-publicised vulgar comments? The Narendra Modi government was made to apologise on the floor of the parliament. And the BJP, on its part, had to beat a rather uncharacteristic hasty retreat. Dayashankar Singh was, then and there, expelled from the party. But Mayawati and her lieutenants persisted with their ranting and raving about the episode. Lets give the readers of the Firstpost a little bit of historical perspective: Mayawati beats her political bete noire, Mulayam Singh Yadav, by a mile. She has been chief minister of the state four times compared to Mulayam Singh and ND Tiwari, who could adore the UP CMs chair only thrice. In achievement and aura of invincibility, she perhaps comes only next to Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, who was prime minister of United Provinces headquartered at Allahabad twice (from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1946 to 1950) and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh twice (from 1950 t0 1952 and from after the first general elections in 1952 to 1954). But despite the accolades that Mayawati received from within India and abroad as well her party continues to be one of the most underrated political entities. The BSP has always been belittled by self-styled political observers and psephologists, especially in the run up to elections. Majority of UP watchers, including BJP president Amit Shah and those who conduct opinion polls believe that its a fight between the SP and the BJP this time. The BSP and the Congress would, in their view, be relegated to the third and fourth spots. Forget all the propaganda material; lets view the BSPs meteoric rise on the canvas of UP assembly elections dispassionately. Right from the time it became a serious player in 1993, its vote share has been on the upswing: the party bagged 11.12 percent votes in 1993. Just two years later, the vote share jumped to 19.64 percent. And in the next two elections in 2002 and 2007, the party got 23.06 percent and 30.43 percent votes respectively. The BSP lost to the SP in 2012. But still, it could manage to get as much as 26 percent votes, hardly three-and-a-half percentage points away from the SPs 29.12 percent votes. But wait a minute and look back at Mayawatis characteristic style of political manouvering. Youll marvel at her antics and tactics. She aligned with Mulayam Singh in 1993 and shared power for all practical purposes. She abruptly parted company with her ally, following the infamous 'state guest house incident' that had rocked Lucknow like never before and, instead, aligned with the BJP to form a government. She ditched the BJP later. She befriended the saffron outfit in 1997 and 2002 again. She abandoned the ally sooner than later when it suited her. Yes, like Otto von Bismarck of Germany, Mayawati had, over the years, mastered the art of keeping both friends and foes on tenterhooks all the time. And she succeeded at her game. If you recall, Mayawati, in her later years, skilfully weaned away over to her side, the Brahmin vote-bank of the BJP. The saffron camp was left high and dry. The BJP could win only 47 seats with 15 percent votes in 2012. For the ensuing assembly elections, the BSP supremo is working on an altogether different strategy. She is busy giving shape to a Dalit-Muslim consolidation in her favour. And dont be surprised if she succeeds once again. The fact that four prominent Muslim legislators one from the SP and three others from the Congress have formally crossed over to her party might give you some inkling of a Dalit-Muslim consolidation taking place in UP. The four new entrants into the BSP are: Mohammad Muslim, who represents the Tiloi constituency in Amethi, Kazim Ali Khan from Swar in Rampur, Dilnawaz Khan, who comes from Syana in Buland Shahar, and Nawazish Alam Khan from Budhana in Muzaffarnagar. The recent activities of self-styled cow vigilantes in different parts of the country are only helping Mayawatis cause. Her Dalit vote bank, which was about to crumble under BJPs pressure, looks solid once again. And the fact that more and more Muslims are joining her caravan is an icing on the cake. And as far as Brahmins are concerned, they are looking towards the Congress as an option. Isnt it time to wait for even more engrossing optics? And perhaps path-breaking politics too? Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18 acknowledged the contributions made to the country by Indians living abroad and said they have a lot of affection for India. Speaking to Rahul Joshi, group editor of Network18, also touched upon the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the situation in Jamu and Kashmir and the declining corruption at the higher levels. Edited excerpts: I think you are the first Prime Minister.. who has had a direct communication with Indians abroad...how has this benefitted the country? Everything should not be measured on a scale of profit and loss. In any other country in the world, who is Indian.. at whatever post he may be.. he has a feeling in his heart..that my country must progress. And if they get unfavourable press about their country then they are the most upset. Because they are away, it pricks them even more. We get used to a lot of things. They get affected. They have a lot of affection for India. But they don't get an opportunity or a channel. We have acknowledged the power of the diaspora in Niti Aayog. In its basics. This is such a global strength. They have global exposure. They have academic quality and qualifications. A zeal to work for the country. And wherever they are, their love for the country has not diminished. Why should we disassociate with them? We must establish a link with them. And there will come a time, when they will be a true ambassador of the India. And I have seen that more than the government's mission, India's strength is largely due to their (diaspora) attitude and contacts. Mission plus diaspora, when they get together our strength grows manifold. So this was my role and we are getting good results. Entire country is keenly looking forward to the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. It is being dubbed as mini national elections. What do you think are the key issues and what are the BJP's prospects in UP? Firstly, it's unfortunate that in our country everything we do is immediately linked to elections. UP elections are a year and three months away, still all our elections are being linked to that. Super political pundits can't get politics out of their minds. Their minds buzzinn\g with politics run faster in AC rooms. ... Again, in our country there are frequent elections. Elections here, elections there...elections, elections, elections. Every decision is weighed in the election balance. There will only be adverse for our country impact till the time we continue to keep linking issues, decisions to elections. It's high time we de-linked the two. Parties will come up with their manifestos after polls are announced. Why link them now? Leaders of political parties, when they meet me, emphatically tell me let us please keep elections aside. They tell me why don't we club assembly elections with Lok Sabha polls. And why don't we hold local body elections as well during that time, so that the entire election process gets over in a week to 10 days time and the for five years the country runs uninterruptedly. There will be decisions, momentum and the bureaucracy will work effectively. Every party is saying this but no single party can decide this. All parties will have to unitedly do this. Government alone can't do this. Election commission has the lead this effort and all parties have to agree on this. I can have my own ideas but I can't do anything about it. This has to be done democratically. But I do hope, some day, there will be comprehensive discussions, debate. Time has come to discuss what good things to add and what to remove from this process. There will be elections in five states in coming days and Uttar Pradesh is one of them. As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only. Our focus will be welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice. Our focus will be to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood in our country. We will take steps in these regards and move forward. There is apprehension that there could be an environment of polarisation in Uttar Pradesh. The poison of casteism and communal vote bank have caused enough damage in our country. The biggest obstacle to strengthening our democracy is the vote bank politics. There was no atmosphere of vote bank politics in last general elections, there was the atmosphere of development of politics. After 30 years people of section of our society unitedly voted for a majority government. An entire section of our society has made a shift. It's possible that the people of UP will do a similar thing for betterment of UP, they will vote keeping development in their mind. J&K is burning now. Your party is part of the state government there and the situation is worsening there. What should be done done according to you to improve the situation there? Whenever we talk about J&K, we should take the entire picture of Jammu, the Valley and the Ladakh region into account. The seeds of the problem was sown ever since independence and division of our country. Every government had to battle with this problem. This is not a new problem, it is an old one. I believe, the youth of Kashmir will not be distracted. We will proceed together maintaining peace, unity and goodwill so that the heaven called Kashmir will remain heaven. Problems will also get solved. That's why I always maintain that people of Kashmir need both development and trust. And the billion strong Indians has always stayed committed to both development and it has never wavered from its commitment of trust. This belief is still there today and it will always be there in future as well. We will march on the path of development and trust. And we will succeed. It's widely believed that high level corruption has come down drastically under your rule but low level corruption is still rampant. What will be your strategy to check this? I'm grateful to you that you have accepted that there is no high level corruption. If Ganga is clean at Gaumukh then Ganga will gradually become pure while flowing down. You may have noticed that we have taken many steps which have neutralised chances of any corruption. For instance we have shifted the gas subsidy system into the Direct Benefit Scheme. Ghost clients who used to wrongly enjoy the benefits of gas subsidy are no longer there. Chandigarh was being supplied 30 lakh litres of kerosene. Using technology we stopped providing kerosene to those houses which have gas connection and electricity. And we provided gas connections to those who earlier didn't have. That's how we made Chandigarh kerosene free and saved 30 lakh litres of kerosene from being sold in the black market. The Harayna chief minister was telling me he is going to make eight districts kerosene free by this November. You would know our farmers used to be desperate for urea and used to buy from black market. Black marketeers ruled. In some states the farmers buying urea from black market were even lathicharged. You must have noticed there is no news of urea shortfall these days. No queuing up of farmers anywhere, no lathicharge anywhere and black marketing has stopped. And why it is not happening anymore. Earlier the urea meant for farmers used to land up in chemical factories on the sly. Chemical factories used to process this as raw material and brought out finished products. They used to get urea cheap. Chemical factories and middlemen enjoyed the cream. We started neem coating of urea. As a result even one gram of urea cannot be used by chemical factories and now entire urea is 100 percent being used for cultivation only. Additionally, we raised production of urea by 20 lakh tonnes. We also neem coating imported urea. No only that, tribals in Gujarat who were engaged to collect neem seed for this purpose have started extracting neem oil while neem coating and they have earned up to 10 to 12 crore rupees . This is a win-win situation. Corruption and difficulties both gone. Likewise we can do away with low level corruption through policy decisions and using technology. You will start liking at low level what you liked at top level. Auto refresh feeds "I have to fulfil my duties and responsibilities. If I have to work hard, I will. There is nothing like real or fake Modi. A human is a human. If you take off your political glasses, you will see Modi as he is." "One must have the courage to leave redundant ideas. One must have the courage to change oneself." "I hear and observe a lot. I am a workaholic. I live living in the present. That's the reason that the person who meets me thinks that I have given them a quality time." "Governments, political parties and leaders have tried to form a reputation and an image. It would have been better if they had tried to form India's image." One who loves to live in the present should not worry about the future: Modi In an exclusive 75-minute interview with CNN-News18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Rahul Joshi, group editor of Network 18, on a number of issues including the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, black money, repeated attacks on the Dalit community and on the economy. The interview was conducted on Thursday. Modi also spoke about social imbalances saying that "self-appointed guardians are trying to create tension", and that they didn't like that "Modi is with Dalits and devotes himself to tribals". "As far as some incidents are concerned they need to be condemned. There is no place for those in a civilised society law and order is a state subject. Some are selectively picking issues and blaming Modi. I don't know what purpose this serves, but it hurts the interest of the country," he said. He insisted that during his 14-year tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat he has never targeted any dynasties and opened any files for political reasons. Talking about black money, he said that let the law take its course. When asked about the economic growth in the country and slow private investments, Modi said that after he took charge as the Prime Minister, he should have presented a white paper on India's economic situation in 2014, before the first budget of his government was presented. But he decided against it and said though the move would have helped them in making political gains, the report would have hit the market badly and the world view of India would have been affected. Modi also spoke about how many people had a problem with the thought that "Modi is a devotee of Ambedkar". He added that "self-appointed guardians are trying to create tension, they didn't like that Modi is with Dalits and devotes himself to tribals. I'm devoted to the development of all Dalits, the oppressed, under-privileged and the deprived." The Prime Minister said there should never be any violence against dalits and added that the country has full faith that "our agenda is development only". "There is no confusion among people of the country. But those who never wanted that such a government is formed, those who never wanted that previous government should go, their problems are going on. With inputs from PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he is often painted as one who doesn't listen and only talks down. In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, the Prime Minister spoke to Rahul Joshi, group editor of Network18 on his duties and responsibilities and made it amply clear that he won't shy away from taking strong decisions for the country's sake. Edited excerpts: Mr Prime Minister, it's being said that Lutyens Delhi did not like you, but have you started liking Delhi? As you know the position of Prime Minister is such that there's no question of liking or disliking Luteyns Delhi. But there is a need to deliberate on this. In Delhi's power corridors there's an active group of people which is dedicated to only a few. It could be because of their own reasons or personal gains. It's not a question of Modi. Look back at history, what happened with Sardar Patel. This group presented Sardar Patel as a simple person from a village with simple intellect. Look at what happened to Morarji Desai. This same group never talked about his abilities, achievements. It always talked about what he drank. What happened with Deve Gowda? A farmer's son became the PM yet they said he only sleeps. And what happened with the supremely talented Ambedkar who are praising today. They made fun of him. What happened with Chaudhury Charan Singh? They again made fun of him. So I'm not surprised when they make fun of him. These "custodians" who are dedicated to a select few will never accept anyone who is linked to the roots of this country. So I too do not want to waste my time addressing to this group. The welfare of the billion people is my biggest task and I will not lose anything if I do not associate myself with the Lutyens Delhi. It's better if I live with the poor people of this country who are like me. It's being talked about in media circles that if TRP rating are down then cut to Modi rallies, still you have a bitter-sweet relationship with media. Yes sometimes but no most of the times. What do you have to say about media? Media has major contributions towards whatever I'm today. Yes, I don't give soundbytes here and there. Media may complain that Modiji doesn't make spicy, controversial remarks. This is a genuine complains. I'm mostly involved in my work and my work speaks. For a long time I was involved with organisational work. So I have strong friendly association with the media world. There is not a media personality with whom I haven't had tea and not had fun. I know many of them by their names. So the expectations are natural. Mostly media has seen big personalities becoming PM, not someone like me who have spent time among them as a friend. Media is doing its job and it should. I believe, media must strongly criticise government's work. Otherwise democracy won't work. But unfortunately, in this TRP rat race, media doesn't have enough time for research. Criticism is not possible without research. For 10 minutes of criticism you meed 10 hours if research. Instead of criticism it gets into levelling allegations. As a result democracy gets weakened. Government must be afraid of media criticisms bu that's fast going away. I want media to be very critical based on facts. The country will benefit from this. It's right that media has its compulsions. It has to win the TRP race. So I'm glad that at least I'm useful to them this way. More than my rallies, to win TRP they get people to abuse me. Like media you seem to have a strained relationship with the judiciary. Why? This is a totally wrong perception. This government goes by rules, law and the Constitution. There is no scope for any confrontation or tension with any constitutional institution. There must be as much warmth with judiciary as needed for constitutional decorum. I try my best to maintain as much decorum as possible. Thank you for giving us so much time. I would like to ask you few some personal questions. We got a strong leader in you. But couple of times your emotional side came out. People would like to know what kind of human being you are. Viewers would like to know what is the real Narendra Modi like? Or there are many layers to Modi's character. A soldier at border who bravely fights on and the same soldier when he plays with his daughter cannot behave in the same manner. Narendra Modi whatever he is, after all a human being. Why should I suppress or hide what's inside me. I'm what I am. Let people see what they see. As far as my duties and responsibilities are concerned, I have to fulfill them with the best of my abilities. If I have to take strong decisions for the country's sake then I will have to make those decisions. If I have to work hard for that then I will have to. If I have to bend I'll bend. If I have to walk fast then I'll walk fast. But these are not facets of my character, these are part of my responsibilities. There is nothing like real or fake Modi. Human being is a human being. If you take off your political glasses, then you will see the real Modi. But you will do a mistake if you continue to judge Modi through your perceived notions. Modiji, I have met you many times in Gandhinagar when you were CM and even in PMO. I have never seen any file, paper or even phone on your table. No one ever intervened during our meetings. You function like a CEO. Some say you hear more and speak less. What's your working style. You have made right observations. I have been painted as one who doesn't listen and only talks down. I actually hear a lot and observe a lot, that's I have evolved as a person. I have benefitted a lot through this. I'm a workaholic but basically I always like to live in the present. If you have come to meet me then I get immersed in that meeting. I don't touch the phone or see the paper and I don't lose focus. When I see files similarly get immersed and get lost in those files. Ditto my tours. I live every moment in my present. The person who meets me is always satisfied that I have given him quality time. Secondly, one must give justice to one's work, I have always tried that. One must always learn and understand. One must have the courage to leave those ideas that were relevant five years back and not now. One must have the courage the change oneself. This is my style of functioning. Numerous blogs on the internet narrate several unimaginable and intriguing tales of 'illicit-love affairs' featuring various political leaders both contemporary and those in history. If you chance upon them, you read them, get some free laughs and shrug them off. But when you happen to be a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), you tend to see things differently, it seems. You stop for a while, diligently take note of it and keep it as an instrument to be used to construct an absurd defence, in case you get attacked for some wrongdoing in the future. In an attempt to defend former AAP minister Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked recently following the release of his alleged sex tape, AAP spokesperson Ashutosh chose to defend Kumar citing a logic that is, to put it mildly, disingenuous. In a blog published on NDTV, while justifying his former colleague, Ashutosh wrote, "Indian history is full of examples of our leaders and heroes who had lived with their desires beyond social boundaries. In a comparison that is outright laughable, he exemplified Mahatma Gandhis relationship with Sarla Chaudhary, and Gandhis experiment with his desires as a defence for the alleged acts of Sandeep Kumar. Ashutosh wrote, History is also witness to the fact that top leaders of the Congress in 1910s were worried about Gandhi Ji's relationship with Sarla Chaudhary, who was distantly related to Rabindra Nath Tagore. Gandhi Ji had confessed that Sarla was his spiritual wife. Kasturba Gandhi was very disturbed. C Rajagopalchari and other senior leaders of the party had to intervene. They persuaded, pressured, cajoled Gandhi Ji to leave Sarla. Gandhi Ji, in his later days, slept naked with his two nieces to experiment with celibacy. Pandit Nehru had told him not to do so as the country would rise against him, but Gandhi Ji did not budge." He also referred to Nehrus reported affairs with many female colleagues, including Edwina Mountbatten, and also talked about the 'relationships' of Ram Manohar Lohia, George Fernandes and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. While numerous authors have interpreted the relationship of these leaders in different ways, never has anyone tried to contrast it in the manner that Ashutosh chose to do. Apparently, Platonic is a word that does not exist in Ashutoshs vocabulary. It seems that he can only paint a relationship between a man and women in one colour, with a single stroke. While any defence for Gandhi from the onslaught of the AAP leader will only dignify the latter's comments, it is clear that the tools chosen by AAP leaders to defend the indefensible are not carefully chosen and are almost unintelligible. To help their cause, the AAP leaders need to go beyond the rhetorical insinuations they use to attack their adversaries. There are numerous books penned by several world-acclaimed academics on Gandhi, that elaborately dwell on his sexuality, which can be of great help to Ashutosh. David Hardiman, author of Gandhi: In His Time and Ours, while discussing Gandhis experiment that earned him strong criticism writes, Gandhi himself was always in doubt as to his success in achieving full mastery over his passion. He set high standards for himself in this respect, being wrecked by a sense of failure when he had an involuntary discharge of semen in his sleep. He assumed that he had not entirely conquered his desires," "This lead to his experiment of 1946-47 when sought to test his celibacy by sleeping with naked and nubile women without feeling any sexual stirrings. He did this at a time of great difficulty for India, when he felt a need to enhance his spiritual powers so as to be equal to the situation. His success in this respect may have given him the moral strength to act with supreme courage as he did in the face of the terrible division and carnage of those years," Hardiman wrote. Renowned Gandhian scholar Bhikhu Parekh, in his book Colonialism, Tradition, Reform: An Analysis of Gandhi's Political Discourse, echoes a similar view. He writes, Views on sex and sexuality formed an integral part of his theory of politics. Of his five main tenets for which he is most well-known: swaraj, ahimsa, swadeshi, sarvodaya and satyagraha, each encompassed within it an element of Gandhis beliefs on sex. As a political leader and figure of nationalism, Gandhi believed that in order to regenerate India, he, himself, had to become as pure a spirit or as perfect a man as he possibly could and control over his sexuality formed an integral component of this plan. But such civility of expressing themselves in a logical and polite way is perhaps a passe for the AAP leadership, something which emanates from the top. And one is further tempted to ask Ashutosh what regeneration plan the act of his minister-colleague was targeted at. On Thursday, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann unabashedly attacked the media and allegedly provoked his party cadres and volunteers to throw journalists out of his rally, when he was confronted by a question related to Sandeep Kumars explicit video. According to a The Financial Express report, Mann, who was addressing a rally in Bassi Pathana, Fatehgarh Sahib threatened the media persons to leave the venue or be ready to be thrown throw away. The report further states, Following which, AAP volunteers tried to snatch the camera and also manhandled journalists, who in order to escape the ordeal had to run out of the venue. The AAP member reportedly arrived three hours late at the venue, after which his twenty-minute speech criticised the media heavily. According to a report by The Indian Express following the incident, the Chandigarh Press Club condemned the attack and was planning to lodge an FIR against Mann. But then unsubstantiated allegations and the use of language unsuitable for leaders has now become a part of AAP's comfort zone. How else, one might ask, can you justify calling the prime minister of the country a psychopath. True to her melodramatic style, Bengals Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted Wednesdays landmark Supreme Court judgment striking down the acquisition of land in Singur, with these words: I have dreamt of this SC verdict for so long, for the people of Singur. Now I can die in peace. Its difficult to ignore the sub-textual sense of triumph underlying that statement. Banerjee has indeed scored yet another remarkable victory against her political adversary, the Left Front more particularly against its fulcrum, the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The Supreme Court judgment on Singur turned out to be yet another milestone in the journey she began as Bengals Chief Minister, five years ago. In a direct indictment of the former Left Front government headed by CPMs Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the Supreme Court in its judgment, said: This action of the state government is grossly perverse and illegal and void ab initio in law and such an exercise of power by the state government for acquisition of land cannot be allowed under any circumstance. In 2006, the CPM-led government acquired 1000 acres of agricultural land in Singur to allot it to Tata Motors to set up the Nano car factory. What followed as a result of this decision was truly unprecedented in Bengals recent political history. The use of CPMs organisational machinery to coerce and bully Singurs reluctant peasants into giving up their land, unleashed massive resistance protests first by farmers in Singur, and soon afterwards, by the farmers of Nandigram. As the Left Front government tried to replicate its coercive model of land acquisition in Nandigram to build a chemical hub, the farmers in that village exploded in anger. In no time, there was a continuum of popular resistance, of the kind Bengal had not seen for over thirty years and more. For the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, the strident popular movements became a turning point in the long-drawn and hard battle she had waged all these years. Banerjee, all of a sudden, became the face of a constituency that, till the explosion of peasants movements, had stayed unwaveringly loyal to the Left Front government since it came to power in 1977. The radical protests fanning out from Singur-Nandigram, and then drawing in the otherwise indifferent urban population of the metropolitan city of Kolkata turned out to be the Left Fronts nemesis. Believing his government to be unassailable, then CPI Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, had tried to eliminate the ideological and political core that was integral to the CPM. And that reversal blew up in the CPMs face. The reasons for the peoples widespread anger was not difficult to understand. The middle classes had always regarded the Marxists with suspicion. Now even the Lefts traditional bastion of supports the peasants turned against them. Banerjee as the popular saying went in Bengal managed to project herself as more Left than the original Leftists. Yet despite successive and humiliating electoral setbacks, the CPM refused to look inwards into its own political bankruptcy, its dismal failure to govern a state it presided over for 34 years, its inability to re-invent itself in the face of the fast changing contemporary political scenario in the country. Its only a reflection of this huge failure that till date, the CPM has not been able to bring itself to articulate a proper apology to the peasants of Singur-Nandigram. In fact, how serious and deep the CPMs unwillingness to introspect is, can be gauged from the way the party has responded to Wednesdays Supreme Court verdict. At a press conference in Kolkata, the CPM state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra said, This is not an issue of tendering an apology. We have said it clearly that the land cannot be acquired against the wishes of the farmer. He insisted that the The land was back then acquired by following the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. In the recent assembly election in Bengal, the architect of the Singur-Nandigram land acquisition model, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, held a rally in Singur. Digging in their heels, the CPM leader and his colleagues present on the podium at that rally, justified the partys land acquisition efforts in Singur. A report in The Indian Express (17 January, 2016) said: The other key signal from the CPM meeting appeared to be the emergence of a consensus on a reassessment of the Bhattacharjee governments line on the Tata Motors plant. The entire Left leadership present at Singur reiterated that the policy had been right and if followed through, could have brought in sweeping changes and prosperity to Bengal. The 2016 poll results, bringing Banerjee back to power with a majority even bigger than five years ago, showed how deeply immersed the CPM still is in its hubris. Never mind that the ground beneath the partys feet has been hollowed out. And that, its arch rival the TMC has just been recognised as a national party by the Election Commission. Clearly, the CPM has little to fall back upon by way of cheering itself. Panaji: Subhash Velingkar, who was sacked as RSS Goa unit chief on Thursday, said he and his supporters would function independently of the parent body at least till the Assembly polls. He also blamed Union ministers Manohar Parrikar and Nitin Gandkari for his removal from the Sangh. "Last night, several RSS workers have resigned from their posts. We have now split from Konkan prant forming a separate RSS Goa prant," Velingkar told reporters. He, however, added, "We will approach the parent body seeking affiliation after the Assembly polls in March 2017." Velingkar, who was removed from the key post by the RSS, said the workers have "reinstated" him as the Goa "Prant Sangh Chalak." He was "relieved" from his charge of the state by the RSS in the wake of his forum Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) persistently challenging the BJP and its government in the state as part of its campaign for making the local language Medium of Instruction (MoI) in the schools. They had even shown black flags to the BJP national chief Amit Shah during a recent visit to the state. The BBMS has been pressing for regional languages like Konkani and Marathi to be made the MoI in schools and grants given to the English-medium institutes stopped. Sangh said Velingkar was sacked because he was indulging in political activities, which as an RSS member he could not do. Countering the charge of meddling in politics, he sought to know as to why the Sangh did not object to his involvement in the political movement during 2012 Goa Assembly election, in which he gave the slogan of "Congress-hatao". "When they did not object to my role in Congress-hatao, why are they questioning now when I speak against BJP?," he said. RSS Konkan prant Sanghachalak Satish Modh, had in a statement, said that Velingkar has been relieved of the charge as he wanted to get involved in political activity. Earlier, speaking to PTI, Velingkar alleged Parrikar and Gadkari were instrumental in Sangh taking action against him. "I was not shocked. I was anticipating it (the action). (Manohar) Parrikar and Nitin Gadkari are powerful at the Centre. They have (been) strongly lobbying there. They must have tried for it. They must have wrongly fed the RSS high command," Velingkar told PTI. "There is a possibility of Gadkari and Parrikar misreporting to the RSS headquarters on the issue. Parrikar is very much behind this. For them, I was the only focal point and they tried to break the (MoI) movement. Later they will repent for doing it," said Velingkar. He also said that the higher-ups could have problems because of BBSM's agitation. "Their (his detractors') stand is not in consonance with the resolution adopted at all-India level (to protect mother tongue in their respective states," he said. Reacting to Velingkar's removal, over 300 Sangh workers have announced they will quit the organisation and "defeat" BJP in the Assembly polls if he is not reinstated. A large number of RSS workers from the state last night held an 'emergency' meeting for over three hours at Bambolim near here in the backdrop of Velingkar's removal. "We are not banking on them (the main RSS), we have detached Goa unit from Konkan prant (region). We will remain as RSS, we will be RSS Goa. We will continue as RSS. We will reinstate the people (officials on their posts),"he added. Velingkar, who has been fighting for withdrawal of grants to English medium schools and for the cause of promoting regional languages, has been at loggerheads with the saffron party as well as Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar. Velingkar said he has never sought to be relieved from the post and said that "RSS' policy of not indulging in politics seems to be inconsistent when it comes to the BJP." "When BJP tramples upon principles, what is the difference between Congress and BJP? Both the parties are same. Merely being BJP does not appeal to us. Be it Parrikar or anyone, if you don't conform with the requirement of ideology based on which you seek votes, we don't want them. We are not your (BJP) slaves," he said. He said that RSS always presumes that after being trained in shakha, a Swayamsevak will continue nurturing the virtues that he has learnt. It depends upon every individual, some people maintain the virtues some don't." Washington: Democrat Hillary Clinton raised an impressive $143 million for her presidential bid and the Democratic Party in August, the best fundraising month for her campaign so far, her team has announced. Of the total amount raised last month, $62 million was received for Clinton's White House run. About $81 million was raised for the Democratic National Committee and state parties through the Hillary Victory Fund and the Hillary Action Fund. Consequently, her campaign team 'Hillary for America', along with the DNC and state parties began September with a combined $152 million in the bank, a media release said. More than 2.3 million people have donated to her campaign and the average donation made to HFA in August was about $50, the campaign said in a statement. "Thanks to the 2.3 million people who have contributed to our campaign, we are heading into the final two months of the race with the resources we need to organise and mobilise millions of voters across the country," said Hillary for America campaign manager Robby Mook. The rival Trump campaign has not issued its latest monthly fundraising figures. Mother Teresa is about to become a saint and one of her fiercest critics has just missed his flight to Kolkata and also had his book launch at Calcutta University cancelled. Divine retribution? Dr Aroup Chatterjee chuckles after finally making it into Kolkata. After 25 years of taking on Kolkatas most internationally famous icon, he has developed both a somewhat thick skin and a sense of humour. Hes just moved his book launch to a different venue. I am not bothered if Mother Teresa becomes a Catholic saint, says Chatterjee. Then he adds with shrug that the history of Catholic saints is anyway filled with dubious characters and fascists and anti-Semites. He rattles off a few examples. Pope Pius X banned all other religions from Rome. Josemaria Escriva was a fascist. I have no problems with her being a Catholic saint, says Chatterjee . I do have problems when people call her a saint in the secular sense or the broad sense. Mother Teresa did not pretend to be anything but a dogmatic Catholic nun. But the halo around her, especially the Nobel Peace Prize, sort of secularised her. Her canonisation has also led to more scrutiny of her legacy. And just as she has detractors, she has staunch admirers who truly believe in her and they are not all Catholic either. Freddie Dickson comes to her tomb in Mother House all the way from Howrah whenever he can. A stocky man with Jesus and Mary tattoos all over his arms, Dickson says he had a troubled youth fighting addiction problems. Praying to Mother Teresa for a second chance changed his life. When he prayed for a friend battling alcoholism, it brought his friend back to church. He says, as a child, he thought of Mother Teresa as just someone who got money from abroad to do some social service in Kolkata. But then he came to the Mission, saw her barebones room and really believed in her. He says long before she became famous, the Mission was struggling for money. They literally did not have any money for food one day. She still gave away food to the disabled as they always did saying let us not think we are starving, rather we are fasting. The next day suddenly major donations flowed in. The problem has always been that Mother Teresas work overshadowed many other organisations, some religious, some secular, doing similar work or even more grassroots work than hers. But that blame cannot be laid at her door. She simply evangelised for her mission better than the others did. Anyway the Sisters are not that visible, say at a time of cyclone or catastrophe, and the order is more relevant in the western imagination of Kolkata than to Kolkatans themselves. The other critique is that was the quality of the work says Chatterjee who documented its shortcomings in his book, Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict. He claims the figures of those being fed were hugely inflated. Her ambulances were not really picking up the dying from the streets as believed by her admirers. The order did not cremate the dead according to their own religions. They were handed over to the Kolkata corporation. I was astonished and disgusted that this level of so-called service was being blown up as the best in the world, says Chatterjee. He remembers how needles and surgical gloves were re-used when she was alive by her order. The vows they took were to just live simply and to serve the poor and do whatever they could for them. Her idea was not to diversify and build hospitals That has changed now says Sunita Kumar, long-time friend of Mother Teresa who was also appointed as spokesperson for the order. Kumar has often heard the criticism that the Missionaries could have done much more with the enormous money the order raised. A state-of-the-art hospital, perhaps? Is that their job? Or is that the job of the healthcare department? Or is it the job of the government to provide us with education and eradicate poverty? retorts Gautam Lewis, one time resident at her home for children. The vows they took were to just live simply and to serve the poor and do whatever they could for them. Her idea was not to diversify and build hospitals, says Kumar. I think there is a misconception that she was a social worker. I dont think she was, says Lewis. She was a nun, devoted to her vows. Lewis was left at Mother Teresas home as a polio-stricken child. He was adopted and taken to England where he went to the same public school that Prince Charles did. Now he is back in Kolkata with his film Mother and Me showing at the Mother Teresa International Film Festival (yes, there is such a thing). My film is called Mother and Me, not Mother and Gautam Lewis because its not about Gautam Lewis. Its about all the other mes that have benefited because of service above self. In that process of service though, Chatterjee says, Kolkata and Indias image took a drubbing. He remembers how his Irish wife was fed such horror stories about Kolkata at her school in Ireland, she dreaded coming to the city after they were married. Even in 2014, the Daily Mail website did a story about the 10 worst cities in the world. It included places like the strife-torn capital of Somalia; Kolkata was the worst and it was written by someone who had never been to the city. He sees that as a legacy of viewing the city through the prism of Mother Teresa. As you pump up Mother Teresa, you pump down Calcutta. The two are inversely proportional, he says. I dont want Calcutta to be seen as a place that exists on Western charity. It is ironic that upper class Calcuttans collude with that world view. Sunita Kumar disagrees. She says that Mother Teresa always maintained that it was not about Kolkata. Poverty could exist anywhere even in the affluent west. They are poor because they dont get love or care, she says. A poster in the Mother Teresa museum next to her tomb echoes that. It reads The greatest poverty is to be unloved and unwanted. I cant forget Mother telling me once she went to a hospital because she was called there. There were five new born babies left in a bucket. Mother took them home, remembers Kumar. As she becomes St Teresa of Kolkata, perhaps its time to remember her for what she really was a Catholic nun true to her beliefs. Chatterjee is surprised the Indian Left is not a vociferous critic. Her biggest critique should come from the Left, he says. Do the Left leaders know she was an opponent of contraception even in marriage and abortion even in gang rape? Even there, he sees some hypocrisy. Mother Teresa, he says, gave a certificate of approval to the Emergency which became notorious for forced sterilisations. Perhaps one good thing that will come out of her canonisation on Sunday is that St Teresa will be reclaimed by her church. She will be unquestionably an official Catholic saint now and not the unofficial saint of the gutters. But theres irony even in that canonisation. Sunita Kumar remembers going to the Vatican with Mother Teresa once. Mother looked at all its grandeur and spectacular architecture and artwork and turned to Kumar and said, Sunita, they dont need all that. This after all is the woman who had once half-jokingly wished the government would give her the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata so she could house her poor. Theres a poster in the Mother Teresa museum that seems prophetic now. Its a quote from Mother Teresa: If I ever become a saint, I will surely be one of darkness. I will continuously be absent from heaven to light the light of those in darkness on earth. At some level both her critics and her devotees will agree with that. Transcription 1 Press Release Torquay/28 10 May EMBARGO CAUTION!! OBSERVE RELEASE DATE NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR RADIO BROADCAOTING BEFORE G.M.T.. SATURDAY MY 12, GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE Torquay Tariff Negotiations TOR/JAY UcflggaSMCE: PUBLICATICN OF TARIFF SCHEDULES 1. On May 12, 1951, the Torquay Schedules of Tariff Concessions was published at Geneva by the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement en Tariffs and Trade, The volume containing the Schedules also includes the texts of certain legal instruments which were drawn up at Torquay. These are the Final Act of Torquay; the Decisions agreeing to the Accession of Austria, the Federal Republic of Germany, Korea., Peru, the Philippines and Turkey, respectively; the Torquay Protocol to the General Agreement; and the Declaration on the Continued Application of the Schedules to the General Agreement* The implication of these legal instruments was described in press release Torquay/27. The Torquay Schedules of Tariff Concessions, containing approximately 1200 pages is on sale through U.N. Sales Agents, price 28 Swiss francs. 2 The Torquay Schedales contain the new rates of import duties on which concessions were granted An informal count shows that there were approximately 8f00 concessions, as compared with 5000 concessions negotiated at the Annecy Conference in 1949o The concessions in the rates of tariff duties which were negotiated in 1947 at Geneva and in 1949 at Annecy had an assured life only to January 1, 1951 > Thereafter it was pen for any contracting party to give notice under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement of its intention to withdraw or modify any of the concessions which it had made in its tariff. To avoid the danger and uncertainty of widespread withdrawal or modification of the Geneva and ^nnecy concessions at an uncertain future date it was decided that any renegotiations of the 1947 and 1949 negotiations which countries felt obliged to undertake shoudd be carried out at Torquay and that the resulting schedules of concessions should be extended for another three years 0 An informal count of the modifications and withdrawals shows that some 12 countries withdrew or modified about 295 items in all. In every instance the modifications or withdrawals were counterbalanced by the granting of alternative compensatory concessions: in no case was there recourse to retaliatory withdrawals. 2 ~ 2 With the rebinding of the Geneva and Annecy concessions and the accession of further governments to the GATT, the (socalled) Consolidated Schedules resulting from the three tariff conferences'r.wiir'apply to seme 58,800 classifications of items entering inwthe trade of some 38 countries which among them account for over 80 percent of world imports and exports. 3t The following is an informal list, showing the approximate number of concessions negotiated at Torquay: Contracting Parties Approximate Number of Concessions Approximate Number of Withdrawals and Modifications Australia Benelux Brazil Canada Ceylon Chile Cuba Czechoslovakia Denmark Dominican Republic Finland France Greece Haiti India Indonesia Italy New Zealand Norway Pakistan Southern Rhodesia South Africa Sweden United Kingdom United States ^ ( ~, U 1 5 Acceding Governments Austria Germany Korea Peru Philippines Turkey Uruguay TOTAL: JLL 295 Note: Uruguay took part in the Annecy negotiations but did not subsequently become a contracting party 0 4. The publication of the results of the Torquay Conference marks the completion of the series of three tariff conferences which have been held since the end of the war. The result has been to reduce rates of import duties affecting a considerable proportion of world trade and to introduce 3 3 ANNEX This.Annex contains statements communicated by certain governments which took part in the Torquay negotiations. Benelux As a result of its tariff agreement with Germany, Benelux secured 226 reductions and 157 bindings of Germany duties It granted Germany 8 reductions and 32 new bindings Germany, which has recently adopted a new tariff, granted concessions much more important than those it has obtained, since its accession to the General Agreement entitles it, through mostfavourednation treatment, to the benefit of all concessions previously granted by the other countries to each other* Generally, the German duties lound in the agreement with Benelux do not exceed the rates of the prewar Germany duties. In sone cases, they are considerably lower* On the whole, the agreement with Germany gives, in the field of tariffs, guarantees of value to the export trade of Benelux c The agreements of Benelux with Austria^ Peru, Turkey and the Philippines also reflected the need for those countries'.to grant tariff concessions in return for their admission as contracting parties to the General Agreement* The agreement concluded between Benelux and the United States of America provided important tariff concessions for some of the Benelux export products, especially window glass, woollen carpets, artificial textiles,; 3.ace and some types.of firearms 0. The tariff reductions granted in return by Benelux concerned mainly fiscal duties* Through the agreement with Italy, Benelux obtained reductions of duties on some products, in particular flax materials, polished glass, "marbite" and nickel anodes As a result of the agreement with Denmark, Benelux obtained a few' bindings of duties in return for the granting of a tariff quota at a reduced rate for potatoe seedlings. Among the negotiations entered into to meet the wish of Benelux to modify concessions previously granted; the more important ones were those relating to the new duties on wines which Benelux intends to introduce in accordance with the future unification of excise taxes on alcohol. within Benelux Brazil As a country of moderate tariffs, Brazil could not undertake a wide number of important negotiations at the Torquay Conference Brazil completed new negotiations with Austria and the United States Concessions were given to Austria on periodicals and fashion magazines, glass objects for personal adornment, microscopes and accompanying cases, microtomes, tools, tobacco pipes cigar and cigarette holders, and types of fertilizers* Compensations were obtained on coffee, bananas, ora::.ges, Brazil nuts, matte, carnauba wax, castor oil and babasstu With the United States concessions were given on asparagus, tobacco leaf (wrapper tobacco, "funo capeiro"), alternators, boosters, generators and the like over 50 and up to 100 Kgs Compensations were obtained on copaiba balsam, cerium compounds, thorium nitrate, thorium oxide and other salts, gasmantle scrap ; plywood of Parana pine, and tucum nuts. 4 Czeehoslovakia s 1 During the Torquay Conference Czechoslovakia concluded: a) Renegotiations pursuant to Article XXVIII with some of the present contracting parties, namely with Australia, Benelux, Denmark, Finland, France, Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay; these renegotiations resulted mostly in less important corrections or modifications of existing schedules b) Negotiations with some of the acceding governments, namely with Austria, the Philippines, Turkey and Peru The largest negotiation was completed with nustria: Czechoslovakia granted to Austria tariff concessions (in the form of reductions or bindings) on the import of cattle for breeding, agricultural tools, special machinery and various consumer goods. Austria granted to Czechoslovakia in return tariff concessions on the import i offeeer.textile articles, chinaware, special machinery, (/ furniture and so on. France Both Turkey and the Philippines granted to Czechoslovakia concessions on the import of glass and glassware of all kinds, apparatus, instruments; Turkey, in addition, granted concessions on tiles for walls, chinaware, stoneware; the Philippines on stoves, bicycles and laces. The main concessions granted by Czechoslovakia to Turkey concern figs, currants, oil seeds, nuts, carpets and residues from the manufacture of fatty oils, those to the Philippines concern dessicated coconut, copra, preserved pineapple, Manila hemp, ores, etc, The following are some of the products on which France has lowered her tariffs: tinned salmon, certain fruit juices, saddlery and leather goods, Agricultural products include: wines, cognacs and brandies, liquors fruits, early fruits and vegetables, vanilla, of which it is known that Madagascar is the main world producer, spices, essential oils, rare woods^ foie gras, preserves; fish products include canned sardines and cod (from St, PierreetMiquelon); manufactured products include: silks and rayons, woollen cloth, cloth mixed with fibre, cotton, silk, rayon and woollen threads and yarn3, hosiery, lace, automobiles (particularly the smaller types), cycles, mechanical and precision instruments, pharmaceutical products, perfumery, leather goods and cigarette paper..the Federal Republic of Germany Prior to the beginning of the conference 3100 requests were made f concessions on the German customs tariff. These requests related to appr imately 1875 rates of duty, i,e t, k&% oi the items contained in the Germa Draft Tariff which contains approximately 4000 items. In the German ofi lists to the opposite parties to the negotiations, 1140 of these request.' were recognized as justified. In the course of the negotiations with 21 countries, these figures were increased; the number of reductions of rat increased in comparison to the number of bindings. On the whole, approx imately 700 rates of duty were reduced and approximately $00 rates of du were bound. Concessions have been made by Germany on 72% of the total number of rates on which requests were made. Prior to the beginning of the negotiations, the Federal Republic made requests on 3^74 items in the respective tariffs of the 21 countri with which agreements were concluded, at a later date. After conclusic 5 of the negotiations, Germany had been granted a reduction of rates in 1533 and a binding in 1037 cases, so that 66% of the total number of reouests made were met 0 On the basis of the number of concessions made, 72$ of the requests _ made to Germany and 66/fc of the requests made by Germany to other countries have been met either by reduction or binding. It had been intended to enter into tariff negotiations with 24 countries. No negotiations were taken up with South Africa, whereas the negotiations with Brazil and Turkey had to be deferred to a later date 0 Accordingly, the Federal Republic has concluded 21 tariff agreements. United Kingdom The United Kingdom has undertaken to reduce rates of duty on imports valued at 4o3 million in 1949> and has undertaken not to increase rates of duty on imports valued at 3*5 million in 1949 The United Kingdom concluded agreements with Austria, the German Federal Republic, Peru, the Philippines, and Turkey <. a) Austria 0 Concessions obtained cover imports into Austria ffcom the UK P valued in terms of 1949 trade at 4 million and affect a wide range of manufactured products, b) The German Federal Republic, Concessions obtained include concessions regarding the duties on certain machinery and on yarns and fabrics of cotton, wool and flax, and cover imports into Western Germany from the U.K, valued in terms of 1949 trade at about 5 million, c) Peru Concessions cover imports into Peru from the U K, valued in terms of 1948 trade at about 2 million and affect a wide range of manufactured products, d) Philippines, Most of the direct concessions took the form of reductions in the rates of duty applicable to UK goods (including textiles and whiskey) and these automatically reduce the margin of preference enjoyed by United States goods in the Philippine market. Direct and indirect concessions obtained cover imports into the Philippines from the U,K,, valued in terns of 1948 trade at 0 U 6 million, e) Turkey* Concessions obtained affect a wide range of manufactured goods including light motor cars and cover imports into Turquey from the United Kingdom valued in terms of 1949 trade at 7 million. There was less scope for tariff negotiations with existing contracting parties since the U K., had already concluded tariff agreements with them. Agreements were, however, concluded with France and with Denmark^ Norway and Sweden, In addition, a substantial volume of UoK 1 exports to these countries is covered by the concessions they made to other participating countries. The U.K, stands to benefit not only from the bindings and reductions of duties conceded to her directly by the countries with which she concluded agreements, but also, by virtue of the mostfavourednation provisions of the General Agreement ; from the bindings and reductions of duties which were conceded by the other participating governments to one another a These concessions, direct and indirect, cover imports into the countries concerned from the U,Kvalued in terms of 1949 trade at sane 70 million c Of this, some 20 million represents items on which reductions were obtained in the rates of duty whi >U formed the basis of negotiation, the balance being bindings or ceilxng rates,, 6 ~ O ~ The UK negotiated certain modifications in the commitments undertaken at Geneva in respect of fresh strawberries, alarm clocks and wines. The commitments in respect of wine were modified to allow wider margins between the rates of duty on light wine imported in cask and light wines (still and sparkling) imported in bottles. United States Reduced customs duties covering 419,271;000 dollars in foreign shipments to the United States will become effective on June 6, In return governments with which the U 6 3. negotiated agree to reduce or bind tariff duties on U.3<> exports valued at 1,157^000,000 dollars, Germany granted over half the concessions the U c S e received from the Torquay Conference, affecting 557;594,000 dollars of American exports. Colombo: UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Sri Lanka to speed up returning land to war-battered minority Tamils and reduce the army's presence in their areas to help reconciliation after decades of ethnic bloodshed. The UN Secretary-General said he welcomed some symbolic steps taken by the new government to ensure reconciliation, but there should be more momentum to ensure lasting peace, seven years after the 37-year civil war ended. "I also urge you to speed up the return of (Tamil) land so that the remaining communities of displaced people can return home," Ban said at a public lecture attended by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. "In parallel, the size of the military force in the (former war zones of) North and East could be reduced, helping to build trust and reduce tensions." Ban is due to wrap up his two-day visit later Friday after a visit to the Tamil heartland of Jaffna, where he will tour the village of Veeman Kamam, where war-displaced civilians were given their land back by the military earlier this year. However, Tamil groups still maintain 32 camps for internally displaced persons in the peninsula. Over 1,00,000 Tamils cannot access their homes in the region either because they have been completely destroyed during decades of fighting or the land is still occupied by the military. "There is still much work to be done in order to redress the wrongs of the past and to restore the legitimacy and accountability of key institutions, particularly the judiciary and the security services," Ban said. He also pressed for accountability for the "tens of thousands of civilians" who perished in the final months of the war in 2009, a figure disputed by the former government. On the first full day of his visit Thursday, dozens of majority Sinhalese nationalists rallied outside the UN compound in Colombo, protesting against the UN's actions during the prolonged ethnic war. Ban said on Friday that the UN too learnt lessons from Sri Lanka's conflict. Tamils had accused the UN of failing to protect civilians during the fighting while the then government in Colombo accused the world body of interference. "Sri Lanka has taught us many important lessons," he said. "Building on these, the United Nations has taken wide-ranging steps to strengthen our focus on human rights, particularly during times of political and humanitarian crisis." Mark Zuckerbergs two-day visit to Nigeria has done a lot for the country; it is a pity no government official or agency has tried to tap into the gains of that visit. He arrived at a time there was much talk about economic recession, concerns about companies folding up or retrenching staff, or international investors leaving the country in droves, out of frustration with the uncertainties in the system. Zuckerbergs arrival raised our hopes: co-founder of Facebook and the 5th richest man in the world, sneaked into Nigeria to meet with developers and entrepreneurs and to discuss investments in Nigerias growing start-up ecosystem. And for two days, he went round the city of Lagos, visiting start-ups and interacting with young entrepreneurs. The way Nigeria is often painted abroad, and in those travel advisories that foreign ministries issue, you would think Nigeria is such an unsafe place where kidnappers are permanently on the prowl. Zuckerberg helped to show the rest of the world that Nigeria is not so bad at all, and that something really exciting is happening here among the countrys young population. He had no bodyguards. He did not have to hire a lorry load of Nigerian policemen to keep watch over him. He trekked on the streets of Lagos, surrounded by a few of his hosts. On Wednesday morning, he jogged across the Ikoyi-Lekki bridge. He ate pounded yam, shrimps, snails (I thought they said he is a vegan!) and jollof rice (Nigerian jollof (!) not that one from Ghana). His visit went smoothly. More investors may well be encouraged to visit Nigeria too, seeing how confidently a whole $53.7 billion walked freely about in Nigeria, and he was not stolen or kidnapped. Zuckerbergs visit also provided great publicity for Nigerias emerging Silicon Valley, and the young entrepreneurs to whom Zuckerberg paid compliments. He has already invested in a Nigerian start-up, Andela, and he has made friends with other young Nigerians, the guys behind Jobberman and C-Creation Hub (CcHUB) and so many others. Zuckerberg cut the picture throughout his visit of a true inspirational figure. His simplicity and humility was impressive. He kept going about in a T-shirt, and interacted freely with everyone he met. Many young Nigerians can learn from his example: the way some people whose biggest possession is a laptop sometimes carry their shoulders in the sky, if they were to be half of what Zuckerberg is, they wont just claim that they are voltrons or overlords, they will look for more intimidating labels. But Mark Zuckerberg, who is just 32, shows that it is not all about money, or influence, character matters. There is no doubt that his hosts were also impressed with him. And that probably explains the protest that greeted the attempt by CNN International and American artiste, Tyrese Gibson, to refer to the visit as Zuckerbergs visit to sub-Saharan Africa. Young Nigerians kept shouting back that Zuckerberg is in Nigeria, not sub-Saharan Africa! They wanted the publicity for their country. Inspired by Zuckerbergs visit as the tech entrepreneurs in Nigerias Silicon Valley may have been, the Nigerian government should see in the visit, and the excitement that it has generated, the need to provide greater support for technological innovation in the country. There are many young Nigerians out there who are gifted, hardworking and innovative. They belong to the 21st Century. They are aggressive. They want to operate at the international level and become superstars. They have ideas. They are ready and willing. The basic thing that government owes them is to provide an enabling environment for their talents to flower. It has taken a few young men and ladies to bring Mark Zuckerberg to Nigeria. There are other young Nigerians doing wonderful things in other sectors of the economy who can save this country if they are given the chance. There is also a large army of untapped and yet-to-be-discovered talents, whose future we cannot afford to waste. Investment in education will help. Uncommon sense will make things happen. Zuckerbergs visit also did a lot for Nollywood. He described Nollywood as a national treasure. That statement should be framed and sent to every major agency in the private and public sectors in Nigeria. He may not yet have invested in Nollywood, but there was no doubt that the members of Nollywood and other celebrities who met with him appreciated their being recognized by one of the most successful young men of the 21st century. I watch Nollywood movies, but I dont think I have ever seen those Nollywood stars who met with Zuckerberg smile that heartily and broadly not even in the movies. The ones who did not bare their 32, were staring at the Facebook ambassador in that typical Nigerian fashion: ah, see money, Mark, abi make I send you script make you sponsor? The way the visit went, if Mark Zuckerberg had wanted a Nigerian wife, or girlfriend, he would have been met at every turn with echoes of Yes, Yes, Yescome and hold something. But he is already married. So, dont worry, Priscilla Chan (Marks wife), your husband is safe, Nigerian ladies will only admire him, they dont mean any harm, and they wont initiate him into coded runs. But of course you trust him you know he is not Justin Bieber. But money is good oh. After money, it is money. Ha, Ori lonise, eda ko laropin o, Edumare funmi ni money Altogether, it was a great business outing for Zuckerberg and Facebook. Over 16 million Nigerians are on Facebook, it is the largest and most influential social media platform in the country; on a daily basis, over 7 million Nigerians log onto the website. Many more are on whatsapp, another Facebook acquired platform. With Zuckerbergs visit, that number is bound to grow. The strategic friendships and partnerships that he has been able to build is a demonstration of power and influence: Facebook is on the ground in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, and he has taken that further by visiting Kenya look beyond the T-shirt, this young American billionaire is building constituencies and spheres of influence across Africa; he is exploring new markets and staying ahead of the competition in a continent that many other investors may overlook, or desert for reasons of inconvenience. As a business strategy, Mark Zuckerbergs exploration of the African market is brilliant. It may be the subject someday of a Management, Leadership and Marketing Class. Businesses must innovate, innovate and innovate and the best way to do that is through people. Nigerian entrepreneurs have a lot to learn in this regard: the mindset of the business leader is the soul of strategy. There are too many thermostatic leaders in the Nigerian business environment, and that is why at the slightest confrontation with hard choices, they close shop and run. Here is Mark Zuckerberg, in the face of proven recession, he wants to support start-ups and SMEs in Nigeria; at a time others are fleeing, he is coming into Nigeria and Africa. He is smart. Wicked problems in a business environment should inspire genius, change and innovation. That is what leadership is all about. Beyond business and culture, there was a small political side to the Zuckerberg visit. The Facebook CEO had said Facebook will promote the use of Hausa Language, some reports indicated he had said he loves Hausa language, and then a storm followed, resulting in a hot, healthy spat between two friends, colleagues and brothers of mine, Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) and Reno Omokri (@renoomokri), with one claiming that Americans are promoting Northern hegemony (John Kerry, now Zuckerberg and Facebook), and the other saying it is not a big deal, and in the exchange, we got some lectures about Nigerias ethnic and hegemonic politics. On Wednesday at a town hall meeting, Zuckerberg more or less edited himself by saying I am glad we support Hausa, and we are planning on supporting more languages soon. He didnt specify what those other languages are. I hope he knows Nigeria has over 400 languages and ethnic groups, and they all form part of the Nigerian Facebook community. He should tread carefully here, because I am not too sure Facebook can adopt Yoruba language before Igbo, or vice versa, without a social media war on its hands, and if Facebook chooses to accommodate the three major languages in Nigeria, it could be confronted with a major battle over minority rights on its platform. We are like that in this country, Mark. But the difference is that Mark Zuckerberg is not a politician, he has voted only once (in 2008) and he doesnt make political statements, except when business interests are at stake. Eyin boys, FFK and Reno, Zuckerberg doesnt really care about the local fights we fight: he wants to create new markets and if promoting Hausa on Facebook will create more customers in that part of Nigeria, so be it. And in case religion is part of that politics, it doesnt concern him either, he was born Jewish, but he is a self-declared atheist. If he worships any religion, it is the religion of Facebook. In Nigeria, he has Igbos, Yorubas and other Nigerians working for him. (https://techpoint.ng/2016/08/31/nigerians-working-with-mark-zuckerberg-facebook/). He is interested in their intellect not where they come from. One more thing: The Nigerian government snubbed him or did he snub our government? When he got to Kenya, he was received at the airport by the Cabinet Secretary of Information and Communications and later given a delicious lunch of fish, semo and soup (https://techpoint.ng/2016/09/01/mark-zuckerberg-in-kenya/), no Nigerian government official offered him common sachet water and yet he was here to create jobs and markets! We shouldnt frighten him away with our politics! The good news, though, is that he is a humanist even if a secular humanist: End of story. Thank you Marky, for the visit and for giving us a good story to tell. By Samuel O. Adeyemi On the eve of my birthday, I glued my eyes to the live broadcast of Mark Zuckerbergs town hall meeting with software developers and entrepreneurs in Lagos. Even though I had other pressing tasks to attend to, I stayed glued. Mark spoke extensively on the mission of Facebook to connect the world; but what struck me from this town hall meeting was how he painted a rosy picture of Nigerias future. Listen to him: Nigeria is shaping the whole continent and influencing how things are going to work around the world for the next generation. After being here for a short period of time, I do believe that theres no way Nigeria will not end up shaping what is being built around the world. The world need to see the energy in Nigeria. Here in Lagos and in the continent, things are changing really quickly. The economy is shifting from a resource-based economy into an entrepreneur- and knowledge-based economy. And you guys are the ones bringing that change not only in Nigeria but around the world. That is the story that is under-appreciated around world. People dont have a feel of how much energy and entrepreneurial spirit are in here. Wow! This is awesome. This to me is a wonderful birthday gift. How come Nigerias leading media didnt blow this up in their reportage? Well, I think they would rather trumpet the recession to depress the people instead of giving them this cheery news. In case youre still in doubt, Nigeria is Truly Changing! This change has nothing to do with Buhari or Jonathan. It has everything to do with you and me. It has everything to do with the creative minds of young Nigerians daring the odds in spite of the rancorous political class which specializes in trading blames and looting the treasury. My advice to young Nigerians is to fully wake up, take our destinies into our own hands and create the future. When we change; Nigeria will indeed change the world. This is the time to do that which God has laid in our hearts. It is time to look inwards to unleash our creative genius. It is time to write that book. It is time to write that proposal. It is time to write that Business Plan. It is time to start that business that will bring jobs, happiness to the land and rescue the naira. It is time to provide creative solutions to the world. Forget recession; it is only when it is dark that the stars can rise! In my Lifetime, Nigeria will be a World Power! I have seen the Promised Land. I will get to the Promised Land. Will you? Samuel O. Adeyemi (ANIPR) is a Media Entrepreneur and Journalist. He writes from Lagos. Click HERE for a list of our other web sites Click HERE to get filtered opportunity reports by email, starting at only $21.95/month. User login is required to use this feature. Register here Contact us if you like to have a single PDF file with each report send in your email each day. 2000 - 2022 24 .- . focus-news.net, () . 24 . 24 . . 24 . Lava will start selling its Made in India feature phones, smartphones, tablets and accessories in Egypt soon. The company on Thursday announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Egypt based Easy Group for the same. The MoU was signed by Hari Om Rai, Chairman and Managing Director, Lava and Asser Salama, Chairman, Easy Group at the joint Business Council of India and Egyptian Federation of Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi. The firm says that it has aggressive plan for Egyptian market and with Easy Groups market leadership position in distribution and reach, it will make Lava products available across the country. The joint venture will set up its complete end-to-end business operations in Egypt and will be headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. To begin with, both companies jointly create 2000 direct and 5000 indirect employment opportunities in the next 6 months and over 10,000 employment opportunities in the next 5 years. Commenting on the joint venture, Hari Om Rai, Chairman and Managing Director, Lava said: At Lava, our vision is to empower people to do more and be more not only in India but also across nations. Our foray in Egypt is a step forward in that direction and we are very delighted to partner with Easy Group who shares our vision and values. The partnership is also a testimony to our focus on Make in India initiative In India for India and the World. Sony announced the Xperia X Compact at ongoing IFA 2016 Berlin. We are live at the event and have got our hands on the phone. Lets take a detailed look at the hardware and specifications on the Xperia X Compact. The Xperia X Compact has a 4.6-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD Triluminos Display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. It is powered by hexa-core Snapdragon 650 64-bit processor with Adreno 510 GPU. Running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), the phone comes with 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB via microSD card. There is a 5MP front-facing camera with 1/3.06 Exmor RS sensor, 22mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens, 1080p video recording. Also present is the Sony branding, earpiece and usual set of proximity and ambient light sensor. There is front facing speaker on the bezel below the display which has three on-screen touch buttons. A single nano SIM card slot is present on the left side. The phone measures 129 x 65 x 9.5 mm and weighs 135 grams. The right side houses the power button that is equipped with a fingerprint sensor, volume rockers and dedicated camera shutter button. A 3.5mm audio jack and a secondary microphone is present on the top. The bottom houses a USB Type C port. There is a 23MP camera at the back with Exmos RS sensor, 1/2.3 sensor, f/2.0 lens, Predictive Hybrid AF, 5-axis stabilization, 1080p video recording. The Xperia X Compact has a sleek design that feels great to hold in hand. It has a design similar to the XZ but in a smaller form factor and is appropriate for people with small hands. Connectivity options on the phone include 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz / 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C. There is a 2700 mAh battery on the phone that comes with Qnovos Adaptive Charging technology. The Sony Xperia X Compact comes in Mist Blue, Universe Black and White colors and will roll out globally starting from October. No details about the price yet. Sneha contributed to this post. What happened Shares of Verifone Systems, Inc. (PAY) were down 19.1% as of 11:30 a.m. ET Wednesday after the payments and commerce solutions company announced weaker-than-expected fiscal third-quarter 2016 revenue. So what Adjusted quarterly revenue fell 3.4% year over year, to $493 million, and translated to a 10.6% decline in adjusted net income per diluted share, to $0.42. By comparison, Verifone's guidance provided three months ago called for significantly higher adjusted revenue of $515.4 million, and adjusted net income of $0.40 per share. Verifone CEO Paul Galant explained: We made real progress during the third quarter in further repositioning Verifone, building our services business and bringing our new devices to market. Despite this progress, Q3 was a challenging quarter for Verifone on revenues. We moved decisively to reduce our cost structure, and those initial efforts helped us exceed our revised EPS target. We are managing through what we believe are difficult but temporary local market and lingering EMV adoption issues. Now what For the current (fiscal fourth) quarter, Verifone anticipates adjusted revenue of $460 million, and adjusted net income per share in the range of $0.28 to $0.29. Analysts, on average, were modeling higher fiscal Q4 adjusted revenue of $536.3 million, and adjusted earnings of $0.50 per share. Finally, for the full fiscal year, Verifone now expects adjusted revenue of $2.0 billion, and adjusted net income per share of $1.64 to $1.65. Both ranges mark reductions from its previous guidance, which was reduced last quarter to predict fiscal 2016 revenue of $2.1 billion, and earnings of $1.85 per share. That said, Galant also insisted the company is "relentlessly executing the long-term vision for Verifone to transform from a box shipper to a services provider." But after combining its relative underperformance so far with yet another full-year guidance reduction, it's no surprise investors are taking another big step back from Verifone today. The most-talked-about incident came as Verstappen aggressively blocked Raikkonens attack going up to the hill at Kemmel, which prompted the latter to describe the formers defending as ******* ridiculous, and to predict that soon he will cause a massive accident. Verstappen and Red Bull team manager Jonathan Wheatley met with Whiting on Friday morning in Italy to discuss the limits of acceptable behaviour. It is understood that the FIAs view - shared by the stewards who included drivers Danny Sullivan and Felipe Giaffone - is that the Dutchman was just about within the rules by making his single move at the very last second in response to the Finns, rather than making his tactics clear with a single move and waiting to see how Raikkonen responded. Several other drivers feel there are two points at issue here: respect, and whether Verstappen - as some pundits suggested - really did what he did in Belgium as payback for the first-corner incident which ruined all three drivers races. Raikkonen said he thought the rules of engagement were already unambiguous: I think its quite clear what they are and obviously sometimes you feel its not correct what happens on circuit but obviously I think the biggest problem is its not always the same. I think as drivers we always discussed it and its a bit up and down and I think that could be improved. Personally I have nothing against Max. He is doing a good job and hes fast. It's not a personal thing but certain things, at least in my feeling, were not correct if you have to slow down or brake under full speed. But those things are never-ending discussions, but lets see what happens. Vettel added: I havent spoken to him yet. I think the thing that weve spoken about before and has come up again in Spa was the bit that is the moving under braking which obviously, as the lead car, is the wrong thing to do. The following car can react, but there are situations where you cant react anymore and it will end up in a crash which has been something that weve talked about. I think he understood when we spoke about it so we obviously need to maybe have another chat. But as I said in Spa, Im not a big fan of running to the stewards and complain there. I think its much better if we do it face to face. Unfortunately we havent done that yet, but Im sure we will. Support for Verstappen came from McLaren's Fernando Alonso, however. Hurricane Hermine tore a path of destruction across Florida on Friday, leaving more than 253,000 homes and businesses without power, flooding low-lying areas and raising concerns about the spread of the Zika virus due to the massive pools of standing water left behind. The first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma more than a decade ago, Hermine came ashore early on Friday near St. Marks, Florida, 20 miles (30 km) south of the capital of Tallahassee, packing winds of 80 mph (130 kph) and churning up a devastating storm surge in coastal areas. It was set to snarl U.S. Labor Day holiday travel after battering Florida's $89-billion tourism industry. The tempest headed toward the Atlantic seaboard on a path where tens of millions of Americans live, causing storm watches and warnings stretching to New Jersey, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. One homeless man was hit by a tree and died, Florida Governor Rick Scott said, but officials have not confirmed whether the death was storm-related. "Now is the time to come together. There is a lot of work to do," Scott told a news conference, warning people to look out for downed power lines and avoid driving in pools of standing water. Concerns over the standing water in which mosquitoes breed intensified as the state battles an outbreak of the Zika virus. "... It is incredibly important that everyone does their part to combat the Zika virus by dumping standing water, no matter how small. Any amount of standing water can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes," Scott said. According to the Florida Department of Health, there have been 47 cases of Zika in people believed to have contracted the virus through local mosquitoes. Active transmission is thought to be occurring only in two small areas around Miami. As the sun rose on Friday morning on Hudson Beach, just north of Tampa, cars sat askew in the middle of flooded out roads. Palm fronds, tree branches and garbage cans were scattered about. Overnight, Pasco County crews rescued more than a dozen people and brought them to shelters after their homes were flooded. Richard Jewett, 68, was rescued from his home in nearby New Port Richey, around 1:30 a.m. EDT (0530 GMT) on Friday as emergency workers carried out a mandatory evacuation. "The canal started creeping up toward the house and even though it wasn't high tide it looked like it was coming inside," he said. A weakening Hermine moved across southern Georgia, blowing winds of 60 miles per hour (95 km) at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), according to the NHC. The tropical storm was expected to reach the coastal Carolinas later Friday, then move offshore from North Carolina on Saturday. Forecasters said it could strengthen over the sea. In Cedar Key, an island community in northwest Florida, waters rose more than 9.5 feet (2.9 meters), among the highest surges ever seen, the National Weather Service said. Officials in the affected region on Friday warned that homes continued to be threatened by high water and implored people to avoid flooded roads. "This is one of the worst that we have seen in the city in a long time, and unfortunately, it is not over yet," Mayor Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg, Florida, told reporters. On its current path, the storm could dump as much as 15 inches (38 cm) of rain on coastal Georgia, and the Carolinas. Forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods and flash floods. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared emergencies in affected regions. As it moved north across Florida, the storm continued to whip up heavy rain. Trees blocked roads and bridges were shut to assess the damage caused by high waters, the Florida Department of Transportation said. (By Letitia Stein; Additional reporting by Zachary Fagenson in Hudson Beach, Fla., Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Laila Kearney in New York and Jon Herskovitz in Austin; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Jeffrey Benkoe) Image source: Shopify, Inc. Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) successfully completed an offering for millions of new shares on Aug. 22. The 8,625,000 shares, sold for $38.25 per share, will add about 10% to Shopify's market cap, and the amount of cash that Shopify got from the deal nears $235 million. The new deal could have implications for the stock in the short team, as well as the company's long-term growth. Here's what you need to know now. Small changes in the short term In the short term, not much is likely to change for Shopify's stock or financials. One change is that more shares outstanding will affect Shopify's earnings or loss per share.The 8.6 million new shares add to the existing 75 million shares, an increase of 11.5%. Since earnings or loss per share is calculated by dividing net income or loss by the total number of shares outstanding, Shopify's loss per share is going to look slightly better in the quarters and full year to come by year-over-year comparisons. Shopify's loss per share has been relatively small, just $0.04 per share in the recent quarter compared to $0.03 per share in the same period a year ago. Full-year 2016 loss per share had been estimated at $0.15, but because of the increase in number of shares, that ratio could look slightly better. The other way that these new shares could affect the stock is more price volatility. The new shares were sold to a few big investment firms like Credit Suisse, KeyBanc, and others. If some of those firms decide to unload some of their new stash, that could send the stock price down temporarily. However, this should be a small risk based on the amount of new shares and the firms' optimism about Shopify's long-term prospects. Major changes in the long term While the change for the stock and its short-term financials seems relatively small, the opportunity for Shopify and its long-term business development is huge. The most important aspect of this offering is what Shopify plans to do with its new cash load. In the announcement of this planned offering, management said that "Shopify expects to use its net proceeds from the Offering to strengthen its balance sheet, providing flexibility to fund its growth strategies." It's because of theexpensive investments it's making in business and customer development that Shopify has been able to grow so aggressively. Subscription revenue, specifically, was up 72% year over year during the most recent quarter, and the number of current merchants is up to 300,000 from 175,000 this time last year. That's what helped Shopify to report Q2 sales skyrocketing 93% year over year, to nearly $87 million. With its newly bolstered cash reserves, Shopify will continue to invest in its digital platform and partnerships to keep those numbers rising rapidly. As of the most recent quarter, Shopify had$179.6 millionin cash, down from $190.2 millionat the end of 2015.With the added $235 million from the share issue, Shopify can take the worry about its dwindling cash reserves off the table to continue its aggressive growth initiatives that will spur future growth. Is Shopify a buy? Even though Shopify's net loss is actually widening, and the company is seemingly burning through cash, clearly something is going right for the business as customers and sales are growing rapidly, including the addition of major clients like Apple and Tesla Motors.It's for those reasons that the firms likeCredit Suisse, KeyBanc, and others have agreed to buy these millions of new shares of Shopify stock, believing that Shopify is a great way to invest in the growth of e-commerce. While Shopify is likely to continue posting losses for some time because of its large-scale investments, this move to add cash that will support development looks like a good one in Shopify's long-term growth trajectory. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Seth McNew owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple, Shopify, and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. 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. Image source: Suncor Energy. Suncor Energy (NYSE: SU) put to rest any speculation about its next venture by agreeing to pay $50 million for a 30% participating interest in the U.K. North Sea Rosebank project. After a year of heavy investing to acquire majority interests in the Fort Hills and Syncrude oil ventures in Canada's oil sands region, this would appear to be a significant departure from its long-term strategy. The latest acquisition, though, reinforces the company's drive for future production growth. Here's what the deal entails, why it doesn't change Suncor's strategic plan, and why it might end up being a risky venture. The deal The Rosebank project in the North Sea is an immense oil and natural gas field with a design capacity of 100,000 barrels of crude oil and 80 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The project is currently in the engineering and design phase after getting postponed in 2013. Whether or not the project moves forward is still up in the air, which is why Suncor only had to pay $50 million for OMV Limited's 30% interest. If the co-venture partners, currently led by Chevron (NYSE: CVX), decide to move forward, Suncor will actually have to pay an additional $165 million to OMV. That doesn't really tell the whole story, either. If the project moves forward, which is not yet a certainty, it's expected to cost roughly $10 billion in capital expenditures. With a 30% interest, Suncor would be on the hook for $3 billion. How it fits in the strategy $3 billion is no small chunk of change, but let's keep it in perspective. Over the past year, Suncor has invested $6 billion into the Canadian oil sands region. Along with its previous oil sands positions, which provide upwards of 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/D), it's expecting the new investments to add nearly 300,000 BOE/D. This would essentially contribute 85% of its expected 800,000 BOE/D in total production by 2019. When Suncor released these 2019 expectations, it did not take into account any added production from the North Sea. So, assuming the Rosebank venture eventually moves forward, how would the new acquisition affect the strategy? In reality, there are two main impacts. First, the company's strategy is to boost production. Before the North Sea deal, its expectation from its current assets came to 800,000 BOE/D by 2019. With the potential Rosebank production, Suncor has an additional source oflonger-term production it can depend on, even though it remains unclear exactly when it will come online. Second, if the second quarter taught the company anything, it's that putting all of your eggs in one basket exposes you to risks. In the second quarter, that risk was a wildfire, which essentially cut its production in half and crushed profits. By diversifying its regional production, even if it is a long-term project, Suncor is giving itself a hedge to protect against production shortages in any one position. Underlying risks Here's where Suncor's strategy might run into some headwinds. A large portion of it seems to be contingent on oil prices not just recovering, but actually approaching triple digits. The oil sands Fort Hills project, for example, potentially has a breakeven point of nearly $100, according to a 2015 report buy Citigroup Global Markets. Back in 2014, a year after Chevron suspended the Rosebank project, research companies calculated that Chevron would receive an 8% rate of return with $100 oil. These estimates are dated, though, and traditional coasts of production such as equipment and service contracts have decreased significantly over the past two years. To that point, the partners of both ventures have been working to reduce costs and believe they will be economical over the life of the projects. These assessments are based on the expected life of the fields that should last for decades, an eventual rise in oil prices, and continued cost reductions as efficiencies are identified and new technologies are incorporated. Suncor has already had success with these reductions in its oil sands positions, where it has lowered costs to around CA$27 per barrel. Regardless, there is an inherent risk to a company that moves forward with long-term ventures that are currently uneconomical. Fort Hills is moving forward, and first oil is expected by the end of 2017. As for the Rosebank project, Suncor has made a relatively modest investment in a project that may or may not move forward. Assuming they both come online, Suncor has locked up positions that should assure future long-term production growth. As investors, we need to continue to monitor if Suncor can make these ventures profitable, or if the high operating costs become burdensome to its bottom line. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early, in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. David Lettis owns shares of Chevron. The Motley Fool recommends Chevron. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee weighed in on media bias in coverage of the 2016 presidential race. The FOX Business Networks Dagen McDowell listed two recent examples to support allegations of bias by the mainstream media. In a re-airing of an interview with a retired New Jersey police officer on Headline News, his Trump for President shirt was blurred out. And CNN edited the word crooked out of a Donald Trump tweet the network showed on air. To which Huckabee responded, Its an example of the fact that journalism is dead as we once knew it. Huckabee then reflected on how the mainstream media used to be more objective in its coverage of politics. It used to be that if you read a story written by a journalist you didnt really know whether that journalist liked the person he was writing about or didnt. And I always said, the best journalists were the ones who when I read the story about me, I couldnt tell whether he liked me or not. And when I read that I said, thats a real journalist. I dont read many stories like that ever there just arent any. According to Huckabee, today there are an increasing number of examples of liberal bias in the mainstream media. Today the bias in the media, weve seen it this week, you just gave two examples from Headline News and CNN. We see it all the time with Facebook, you see it with the New York Times, the Washington Post organizations that used to be respected in journalistic circles and now are nothing more than fronts for left-wing claptrap. But McDowell pointed out signs of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clintons dislike of the media as well. Trump, he frequently criticizes the mainstream media and he goes after individuals, he goes after whole networks. But Hillary Clinton has just as much disdain for the media it has been 272 days I think since she held a press conference, and that doesnt seem to have any impact. Shooting deaths in Chicago so far this year have surpassed last years total number, while the month of August proved to be the most violent month in the city in about the last 20 years. As of August 31, shooting deaths in the Windy City have increased to 425. Reverend Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, joined the FOX Business Network to discuss the staggering statistics and possible causes behind the rising amount of shooting deaths. Chicago is a theater for the gun market, Jackson said. Chicago is the Middle West and guns are coming in great numbers, thats why there should be some commitment. People cannot sit on their porches, children cannot go to school, cannot play in the parks. Its beyond the citizens capacity to stop it. Jackson, known for his work as a civil rights activist, explained that government needs to step in to help curb the epidemic. The silence of the [Illinois] governor and even the federal governmentthe federal government has some obligation. When there was a killing in Orlando and Sandy Hook, the entire federal government moved on it. But there is no commitment to rebuild the infrastructure of inner cities. The reverend explained that without focusing on fixing this type of infrastructure spending, Americas struggling cities will continue to suffer. So long as were more committed to investing in the Far East and China and the like, and not investing in our cities, we are paying a price, Jackson said. Republicans ignore it because it seems that they cant get votes there. And Democrats often times throw their hands upWe need help desperatelyPeople need jobs, healthcare, housing and access to capital. In what some experts are hailing as a major breakthrough in the field of Alzheimers research, a new investigational drug was found to reduce the diseases hallmark plaques potentially slowing cognitive decline and preventing the disease. Researchers cautioned, however, that the study was an early test for safety, and the drug needs to be tested further. Alzheimers disease is marked by amyloid plaques, which are believed to be the main culprit in the most common form of dementia. Build-up of amyloid proteins leads to plaques, which blocks cell-to-cell signaling. In the trial by Biogen, researchers tested an antibody to see whether it can bind and break down amyloid protein, Time reported. We are pretty certain of the fact that the antibody reduces the amyloid plaques and in some ways gets rid of the majority of it, Alfred Sandrock, senior author of the paper from Massachusetts-based Biogen, told Time.com. Thats important because if we really want to treat Alzheimers at even the very earliest stages, then we felt it was important for our antibody to remove the plaque thats already there. In the new yearlong clinical trial, researchers gave 165 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimers monthly infusions of either the antibody, aducanumab, or a placebo, and did a series of brain scans. The people taking aducanumab showed a sharp decrease in the amount of amyloid beta in their brains. The higher the dose of aducanumab they received, the greater the amyloid clearance revealed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. "After one year, you can see no red on the image, meaning the amyloid has almost completely disappeared," said Dr. Roger Nitsch, a co-author of the study and the director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Zurich. He is also a founder of the biopharmaceutical company Neuroimmune. The findings, which have been publicly presented before, are being published Wednesday for the first time in a peer-reviewed journal, Nature. This is a remarkable therapeutic achievement and a tremendous advance for the field, Robert Vassar, a neuroscientist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, told Science. Additionally, participants who took the largest 10-mg dose showed less decline on one of two memory tests, compared to those who had lower doses or the placebo, Science reported. Researchers are recruiting for two separate 18-month-long phase III trials to see whether amyloid reduction will result in improved brain function , Time reported. Many promising Alzheimers drugs have failed in these larger groups, Science reported. "We're encouraged that, there appeared to be a slowing of cognitive decline at a dose-dependent manner, and also a dose-dependent slowing in functional decline," said study co-author Dr. Stephen Salloway, a neurologist at Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. However, 40 patients dropped out of the trial, Science reported. Half did so because of adverse side effects, such as small hemorrhages or brain swelling. Higher doses more commonly led to the side effects. Individuals with a genetic predisposition to developing Alzheimers were found to be at a higher risk for developing brain swelling. The larger question is whether clearing amyloid beta will lead to dramatic improvements in cognitive decline, Dr. Eric Reiman, a psychiatrist and researcher at Banner Alzheimer's Institute, a research and patient care center in Phoenix, wrote in an editorial accompanying the new study in the journal. Some researchers believe beta amyloid is a byproduct of the destructive brain process, and not the cause, noted Reiman, who was not involved in the new study. There is no cure for Alzheimers disease, which affects more than 5 million Americans, according to the Alzheimers Association. LiveScience contributed to this report. A New York artist with twins has a powerful response for a peer who recently said publicly that having children would have derailed her career, and her message is starting to go viral. About two weeks ago on Facebook, Hein Koh, a sculptor based in Brooklyn, shared a photo of herself breastfeeding her twins while working on her laptop. She wrote in the photo caption that she felt compelled to share the May 2015 photo because performance artist Marina Abramovic told German newspaper Tagesspiegel in July that having children would have been a disaster for her work. One only has limited energy in the body, and I would have had to divide it, Abramovi told the paper. On Facebook, Koh wrote that her family has made a different kind of impact on her life and work. It may be true for her, but that is not everyones experience nor truth, Koh wrote in the post, which had garnered more than 5,000 likes as of Friday morning. Becoming a #mom (of twins no less) has personally helped me become a better #artist I learned to be extremely efficient with my time, prioritize whats important and let go of the rest, and #multitask like a champ. Koh likened parenthood to other life challenges and said it has been the biggest challenge for her thus far but, if you embrace it and figure out creative solutions, you can emerge a better person, she wrote. Koh told Babble.com that she hopes the photo discourages people from passing judgment on moms. Regardless of our individual choices, women should support other women, and lead by example rather than attack, she told the website. Thats the kind of culture I want to promote. South Africa said Thursday it will now provide free treatment to all people infected with HIV, regardless of the condition of their immune system. The country leads the world in infections. Before the announcement by the country's health department, people were eligible for free treatment based on a certain measure of their white blood cells, which fight infection. "This new policy extends this to all people living with HIV," the department said. The change is based on World Health Organization guidelines adopted in late 2015 after it was found that treating those with HIV as early as possible improves their health and prolongs their life. South Africa has one of the world's largest treatment programs, with over 3.4 million people receiving HIV medication. The United Nations has said some seven million people in South Africa were believed to be infected with HIV in 2105. The health department said the change in policy would help increase life expectancy in the country, currently at 63 years, to at least 70 years by 2030. It warned, however, that the change may lead to congestion and increased waiting times at health facilities. A Massachusetts mother who received the phone call every parent fears is sharing photos of her hospitalized teen daughter to warn others about the dangers of underage drinking. Melissa Aho, of Baldwinville, Massachusetts, posted the photos of her daughter, Ryleigh Payton, on Tuesday, and she urged others to share them. This past Saturday night my 15 year old daughter asked me to sleep at a friends house and go to the moves. I said yes, Aho wrote. She has always been very good at communicating with me and checking in with me. But her plans changed that night and the series of events that followed are nothing that any family should have to experience Aho wrote that she received a Facebook message from someone at around 1 a.m. informing her that someone else had received a phone call about Ryleigh, who was passed out. Immediately my heart sank and I tried to call her phone repeatedly and of course there was no answer, Aho wrote. I questioned who, where, when, whys and received no answer back because that girl was already in route of finding the girl who called her and my daughter, picked them up and brought them to my driveway. Aho described finding her unconscious daughter in the back of a car. Ryleigh was covered in vomit and foaming at the mouth. Aho said all she was told of the night was that her daughter had been drinking vodka, but it was unclear whether she had been given any opioids or other substances. She said paramedics administered Narcan, a prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and aims to reverse an overdose, four times but Ryleigh was unresponsive. Aho said her daughter was intubated and rushed to University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where doctors informed her that Ryleigh was no longer breathing on her own. I suffered 14 long hours pleading and begging for my daughters life, experiencing flashbacks from the moment she was born, to her first smile and giggle, the first time she said Mumma, her first step, her 1st birthday, her first day of school, her first friendship, sleepover, sickness, her graduation of middle school, our private mother daughter moments, laughing, joking, running, snuggling and so forth, I was thinking of her siblings and what losing her would do to them and the rest of her family and all of the people that love her, Aho posted. Aho posted that Ryleigh eventually woke up, and is now home recovering from breathing issues and other injuries that stemmed from intoxication. Aho said that, as details of Ryleighs night unraveled, it became clear that most of the teens she was with did not want to call parents or authorities because they feared they would get in trouble. She said only one acquaintance sought information about what had happened to Ryleigh and called for help. She credited that person with saving her daughters life. That one girl saved my daughters life by contacting someone who could get ahold of me and if it were not for her the reality of it is I would be burying my daughter this week, Aho wrote. Parents share this with your children so they can see the dangers of underage drinking and what it can do!!! The Italian Ministry of Health is in hot water after launching a campaign for a Fertility Day, which is exactly what it sounds like. The country, which faces a declining birth rate thats putting its economy in danger, is urging anyone who can make a baby to do so on Sept. 22. Fertility is a common good, the campaign urges. The initiative hasnt quite been as seductive as the Ministry hoped, reports Quartz. In fact, its prompted so much backlash on Twitter, where angry users have ripped the campaign using the hashtag #FertilityDay for the past 24 hours, that its founders are backpedaling. The Ministry has since removed the initiatives Web site (fertilityday2016.it), but the bizarre and even offensive images created for the campaign live on. One ad urges, Beauty knows no age. Fertility does. Another reads: Young parents. The best way to be creative. With the unemployment rate at 42 percent for Italians ages of 15 to 24, writer Giulia Blasi points out that there may be better ways to get creative than popping out a kid you cant afford. She argues that Italys efforts would be better spent making it easier for women to balance motherhood and work. But where Italy has crashed and burned, other low-birth countries have had a little more success. Danish travel company Spies Rejser made news when it launched a Do it for Denmark campaign, offering prizes to Danes who became pregnant while on vacation. The reason, according to the company: Denmarks stunningly low birthrate of 10 babies per 1,000 residents in 2013. The company launched a follow-up campaign in 2015, Do it for Mom, that urged parents to send their married children on vacation to, you got it, make some grandkids. The city of Copenhagen really drove the message home a few weeks later, launching their own government-funded campaign to remind residents that fertility doesnt last forever. Click for more from the New York Post. Wednesday, Hillary Clinton offered a forcefully stated case for American exceptionalism in her address to the American Legions national convention. In the speech she championed America as having a unique and significant role in the world and in her own political aspirations. If theres one core belief that has guided and inspired me every step of the way, it is this: the United States is an exceptional nation. She also noted that Americas unique and significant role comes with serious responsibilities. When we say America is exceptional, she said, it means that we recognize Americas unique and unparalleled ability to be a force for peace and progress, a champion for freedom and opportunity. How should Evangelicals respond to these words? Christian citizens should respond to Clintons case with a qualified yes and a firm no. First, we should respond with a qualified yes. Let me start with a theological and moral qualification based around our pledge of allegiance to the United States as one nation under God. The United States, like all other nations, exists under Gods reign. Itlike China, Russia, and Saudi Arabiais a nation under God. That is a theological fact. For Christians, one nation under God is also a moral aspiration. We want our country to align its vision for the good life with Gods design for human flourishing. We dont want to institute a theocracy where non-Christians are forced to live like Christians. Far from it. But for Christians, one nation under God is also a moral aspiration. We want our country to align its vision for the good life with Gods design for human flourishing. We dont want to institute a theocracy where non-Christians are forced to live like Christians. Far from it. The gospel is freely given and freely received. However, we do want basic Judeo-Christian morality to be the guiding framework that American citizens adopt. And the extent to which we adopt that framework, with its attendant vision for human flourishing, the United States will be an exceptional nation. Let me continue with a further qualification. Clinton mentioned the United States unparalleled ability to be a force for peace. She is right that we are the most powerful nation in the world and, as such, we should wield our power in the service of peace. However, in our desire to foster peace, we should refuse the interventionist tendency that has sometimes characterized the foreign policy of both major political parties. Interventionism seeks peace through proactive war-waging. But once we become proactive interventionists, expanding the notion of just war to include interventions such as preventive strikes, we have lapsed into a crusader ethic that seeks a final peace through the sword. As Christians we reject the crusader ethic because it oversteps Gods design for government to wield the sword defensively by wielding it offensively to try to achieve the type of comprehensive world peace that only God will achieve. To the extent that Americans wield our power wisely without lapsing into a crusader mentality, therefore, we will in fact be an exceptional nation. Second, we should respond with a firm no. In Hillarys speech, she made clear her view that America is unique in its ability to be an unparalleled force for progress in the world. The United States has always viewed itself as being in the vanguard of progress. But much of what Hillary Clinton and the left view as progress is actually regress. Take human rights, for example. As the left-leaning faction of the Supreme Court continues to legislate from the bench, creating rights out of thin air, the United States veers farther and farther away from the Judeo-Christian vision for the common good. Our vision for human flourishing does not include a right to take innocent life in the womb, to make gender malleable, or to redefine the institution of marriage. To make matters worse, a number of persons on the left are not satisfied with their legal victories, but are now trying to stigmatize those of us who are conscientious objectors. They make an analogy with the Civil Rights Movement. Like slaveholders of the past, they argue, we are on the wrong side of history and should be stigmatized as such. To the extent, therefore, that Clinton and the left tie their international policies to these freshly fabricated human rights, the United States is a decidedly unexceptional nation. Are Evangelicals on the wrong side of history? If by history you mean current trends and by wrong side you mean being on the receiving end of moral condescension, the answer is yes. But if we define history by the Bibles narrative and being on the right side by aligning ourselves with Gods vision for human flourishing, the answer is no. To the extent that our answer is no, the United States will be a truly exceptional nation. Irans state-controlled media announced on August 29 that Iran has deployed an advanced Russian surface-to-air missile defense system, the S-300, to protect its underground Fordow uranium enrichment facility from airstrikes. The S-300 is the most advanced Russian anti-aircraft system that Moscow exports. It has long been understood that Iran sought these missiles to protect its nuclear sites from airstrikes by the United States and Israel. So, if the Obama administrations claims are true -- that the July 2015 nuclear deal with Iran halted the threat from Irans nuclear program -- why is Iran increasing its defenses of this sensitive nuclear site? There are two reasons. First, the nuclear agreement is a fraud. Second, Tehran is preparing to gut it. In my new book "Obamabomb: A Dangerous and Growing National Security Fraud" I explain how the threat from Irans nuclear deal will actually grow while the nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) is in effect because Iran is permitted to continue to improve its capability to produce nuclear fuel by enriching uranium, developing advanced uranium centrifuges, and operating a heavy-water reactor. The verification provisions of the JCPOA are very weak and Iran has placed military facilities where nuclear weapons work is likely to take place off-limits to IAEA inspectors. The agreement also ended IAEA investigations of Irans past nuclear weapons work even though a December 2015 IAEA report said this activity continued at least until 2009. There have been recent signs of Iranian cheating on the nuclear deal. For example, a June 2016 German intelligence report said there were intensive efforts by Iran to covertly acquire nuclear technology in Germany in 2015 and that this activity probably is continuing. In addition, Iranian firms that had been sanctioned for illicit nuclear and missile procurement but were relieved of these sanctions by the JCPOA are now very active in procuring goods in China, according to a report by the Institute for Science and International Security. The Institute also reported in a July 2016 memo an attempt by Iran to covertly acquire tons of high-strength carbon fiber, a substance used to make uranium centrifuge parts. Under the JCPOA, purchases of high-strength carbon fiber by Iran must be approved by the parties to the agreement. There also have been a series of incidents including recent harassment of U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf by Iranian ships that contradict predictions made by Obama officials in July 2015 that the nuclear deal would improve Iranian behavior and U.S.-Iran relations. The acquisition and deployment of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to defend the Fordow facility is the latest evidence that Iran does not plan to abide by the JCPOA. The Fordow facility was secretly constructed under a mountain near the city of Qom in violation of Irans nuclear treaty obligations. U.S., UK and French leaders announced its existence in September 2009. Designed to be a heavily-protected plant to enrich uranium, there is no doubt that the purpose of this facility is to produce nuclear weapons fuel. President Obama said in December 2013 that Iran did not need the Fordow facility to have a peaceful nuclear program. However, Iran was permitted to continue to operate this facility under the JCPOA, although half of its 2,710 centrifuges were put into storage and its remaining centrifuges are limited to enriching materials other than uranium for use as medical isotopes for 15 years. Iran could reverse these measures in a few months and resume enrichment. If Iran has truly agreed not to enrich uranium at Fordow for 15 years, there obviously was no reason to deploy advanced anti-aircraft missiles at this site now unless it was planning on violating the JCPOA in the near future. Fordow was already a difficult target for U.S. and Israeli airstrikes and would probably take multiple strikes by Americas largest bunker buster bomb the 15-ton GBU-57 MOP (massive ordnance penetrator) to destroy. Only the B-2 stealth bomber and the aging B-52 can carry the MOP. Stealth U.S. aircraft such as the B-2, F-22 Raptor, and F-35 reportedly can evade the S-300 but they could be vulnerable if Iran deployed enough S-300 systems. There has been talk of Israel destroying Fordow with bunker buster bombs by repeatedly bombing a single point at this facility. Although Israel does not have the MOP nor a bomber capable of carrying this weapon, it does have the 5-ton GBU-28 bunker buster bomb which can be carried by its F-15E fighters. However, the S-300 poses a serious threat to fourth-generation fighters like the F-15. Israel will be able to evade the S-300 when it receives its first fifth-generation F-35s in December 2016 but the F-35 cannot carry the GBU-28 bunker buster. Bunker busters for the F-35 are under development but are many years away from deployment. I believe these factors indicate Iranian leaders are contemplating violating or terminating the JCPOA in the short to medium term by resuming uranium enrichment at Fordow and want to prevent Israel from responding with airstrikes and discourage the United States from doing so. When would Iran do this? Certainly not before Barack Obama leaves office because Tehran is using the Obama administrations desperation to protect the presidents legacy nuclear deal to exact more concession from the United States. Iranian leaders probably will view a Hillary Clinton presidency as a third Obama term and may move quickly to terminate the JCPOA and resume uranium enrichment at Fordow shortly after her inauguration. If he wins the election, Donald Trumps tough terms to renegotiate the JCPOA probably will lead to its termination. Although Iran would not fear a U.S. military response if it resumed enrichment at Fordow under President Obama or under a Hillary Clinton presidency, this would not be the case under a President Trump. In all likelihood, regardless of the deployment of the S-300s, Iranian leaders probably fear Trump would order airstrikes to destroy Fordow and other Iranian nuclear facilities if it violated the JCPOA and possibly if it refused to agree to a much stronger nuclear agreement. Without a crystal ball, there is no way to predict for certain what will happen with the Iranian nuclear deal under a Clinton or Trump presidency. However, in light of the deployment of the S-300s, the weakness of the JCPOA, and Irans increasingly belligerent behavior over the last year, we can say with certainty that President Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran is an enormous fraud that will lead to huge security challenges for his successor. I will never forget the day, in early August 1989, when Mother Teresa came to the Albanian Embassy in Rome to receive her first visa a visa that would enable her to travel back to her homeland after almost 60 years away from it. I was a minister-counsellor for cultural affairs in the embassy at the time. It was during a period when the weakened communist government of Albania was allowing breezes of pluralism to blow through the bureaucracy. It had taken Mother Teresa two decades and an intense personal tragedy to get that permission. Her long ordeal started in late 1960s when her mother Drane and sister Age were living in Tirana, the Albanian capital. Her mother was ailing. Mother Teresa wanted to see her before she died. She used a variety of powerful friends, from presidents to foreign ministers, to plead with Enver Hoxhas insular communist regime to grant her mother a 30-day visa and permission to leave the country. -- The hope was that the elderly woman would be able to visit her daughter in Rome and enter a hospital. Mother Teresa slowly got out. In front of us was a tiny lady, stooped over, wearing dark sandals on her feet, dressed in her simple, white and blue sari. The only adornment she wore was a Roman Catholic rosary around her neck. But the regime never allowed that to happen. Her mother and sister died in Tirana in the mid-1970s. In all the intervening years she had never been able to even to visit their graves. It took almost 19 yearsuntil a popular revolution began to topple nearby pro-Soviet communist regimes -- for the Albanian government to decide to approve a travel visa. When the approval came the embassy contacted the sisters at the Missionaries of Charity in Rome, the order that Mother Teresa founded, to let her know that the visa was ready. To our surprise they told us that Mother Teresa herself would be coming to the embassy. By that time, Mother Teresa was world famous. She had received the Nobel Prize in 1979, had met with presidents, kings and leaders around the world. We at the embassy anticipated her arrival with all pomp that a world dignitary of her status deserved. We thought that she would arrive in the same fashion. Instead, on that early afternoon, on a very hot day in August, an old car pulled into the driveway of our embassy in Romes via Asmara, driven by one of the missionary sisters. Mother Teresa slowly got out. In front of us was a tiny lady, stooped over, wearing dark sandals on her feet, dressed in her simple, white and blue sari. The only adornment she wore was a Roman Catholic rosary around her neck. Inside the embassy hall, we had prepared a huge banquet in her honor. Neither she, nor the two Sisters accompanying her, ever touched it. She didnt stay long, meeting briefly with our ambassador, and in parting saluted all of us in rusty Albanian Zoti qofte me ju (May God be with you). A few days later she arrived in Albania, met with officials there, and was able to finally visit and pay her respects at the graves of her mother and sister. Two years after her visit, the countrys communist regime was swept away in popular elections. Mother Teresa would later return to Albania and open her local branches of her Sisters of Charity. These women immediately began to bring help to the poor and sick all over Albania. The Sisters of Charitys doors were open to everyone: Muslim, Roma, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Albanians alike. They never turned anyone away. Mother Theresa liked to say, there are no great things, only small things with great love that bring about change in this life. The canonization of Mother Teresa on Sunday brings great pride to Albanians. But the humility and patience she showed decades ago, even while enduring the pain of separation from her dearest family members, is what truly illuminates our path to social justice and greater help for people in need. This is a serious matter. It should require serious people making real plans with metrics for victory and an end strategy in sight. That is clearly not the case right now. We are seeing reports that U.S. arms are fighting U.S. arms. Turkey has rolled U.S.-made M60 tanks into Syria to attack U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds. These Kurds have our weapons and support -- and have had special forces embedded with them. We helped these Kurds take towns from ISIS, yet now we watch our ally in Turkey attack them and our Secretary of State tells them to retreat from the gains they made with our help. So far in this war we have funneled weapons to terrorists, armed multiple sides and generally acted as if we dont have a clue what to do in the region -- and weve done it all unconstitutionally. A few miles away in Mare', Syria, CIA-backed "moderate" Syrian rebels fight Pentagon-backed Turkish Kurds. All the while ISIS slithers away into the shadows to watch two U.S. allies devour each other. Ironically, ISIS fighters now number under 25,000, while Turkish, Iraqi and Peshmerga Kurd forces are nearly 1 million strong. If only our allies were united, they could make short order of ISIS. So why are they so divided? Why does the United States continue to operate with no authorization for war, no strategy and no exit in sight? This is an abysmal failure of the foreign policy establishment on both sides of the aisle, with the Obama administration deserving much of the current blame. From the beginning of the Syrian civil war, this has been the problem. The Obama administration drew red lines that made no sense. It armed opposition it did not know well or understand. Worse yet, the opposition to Bashar al-Assad has never been unified, and their hatred for each other typically trumps their desire to attack ISIS. In fact, for many of the so called moderate Syrian rebels, ISIS and Al Qaeda are still viewed as allies against Assad. Some rebel groups even acknowledge publicly that if and when Assad is defeated, their next target will be Israel -- not ISIS. And yet, despite this precarious state, Obama sends a steady drip of U.S. soldiers, a dozen at a time, into the cauldron of chaos. So far in this war we have funneled weapons to terrorists, armed multiple sides and generally acted as if we dont have a clue what to do in the region -- and weve done it all unconstitutionally, with the president far exceeding his authority. Enough. When Congress comes back this fall, we should immediately take action to either authorize this war or to end it, to demand a strategy and an exit plan from this administration and to institute some sort of sanity test to our current foreign policy in the region. In the meantime, let us hope that our underwhelming contingent of soldiers will not be trapped by constraining rules of engagement in a war with vague boundaries and an ill-defined enemy. War, of course, should not be entered into lightly. Our Founding Fathers understood this, debated it extensively and delegated power to declare war to Congress. Congress should assert itself -- declare war, or not, and give our soldiers a clear mission. Our soldiers deserve this. Now that the parties have chosen their presidential candidates for the November elections, its time to take a closer look at their platforms. On the issue of overcriminalization, in particular, the two parties are worlds apart. Lets start with the Democratic platform, which focuses mainly on issues that apply to all criminals. Among other things the Democrats want to change policing policy, reform the prisons, reduce sentences, and eliminate the death penalty. All that is typical fare for Democrats. But the Democrats dont care a bit about the more foundational issue of who is labeled a criminal in the first place. Their platform says nothing about the average American who accidentally stumbles over an arcane regulatory tripwire, makes a simple mistake of fact, or commits the crime of holding an unlicensed croquet game in a national park. They totally ignore the rapidly-growing tangle of federal criminal laws and the maze of criminally-enforceable administrative regulations, which are estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands. The vast majority of these criminal offenses have nothing to do with universally-acknowledged offenses against people or property, and many are so vague or complex that they are meaningless without expensive legal advice. The Democrats failure to even acknowledge the problem is a serious oversight. The Republican platform, by contrast, is balanced and serious. It criticizes Congresss recklessness in expanding the criminal law without restraint and denounces as intolerable the practice of letting unelected bureaucrats define new crimes. Instead of doubling down on the status quo, Republicans are calling for a bipartisan commission to review the federal criminal code for outdated or obsolete criminal offenses, as well as demanding reform to ensure that existing laws have adequate criminal intent requirements. None of these measures is a panacea, of course, but all are excellent starting points. Why did the Democrats miss the opportunity to support serious reform of the overcriminalization problem? Easy. The status quo leaves unbelievable power in the hands of federal prosecutors, who, under a Democratic president, would answer to Democratic political appointees. They dont want to relinquish that kind of power, at least not yet. No, they want more. The Democratic platform declares support for stronger criminal laws in the financial arena, which in practice usually means ever-broader and ever-vaguer laws that empower federal prosecutors to decide which conduct deserves to be punished without making meaningful improvements to the financial system. (This is also a textbook example of how political posturing leads to overcriminalization problems in the first place. And amazingly, as if the Democratic platform werent bad enough already, it actually gets worse. This years platform demands that the government investigate energy companies for dissenting from liberal climate-change orthodoxy, which they mischaracterize as fraud on investors. Calls for criminal investigation of political adversaries are nothing new, of course (Republicans demanded prosecution of Hillary Clinton for reckless mishandling of national security secrets), but they dont typically involve prosecuting the hallmarks of a free society disagreement and debate as federal crimes. Frankly, the Democrats should be embarrassed. Their platform repudiates the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelts Attorney General, Robert H. Jackson, who famously warned about the most dangerous power of the prosecutor: that he will pick people that he thinks he should get, rather than pick cases that need to be prosecuted. But whereas Jackson sought to prevent his generation of Democratic officials from politicizing and personalizing law enforcement, this generation apparently took his warning as inspiration. If the temptation is not resisted, Jackson said, unscrupulous prosecutors could target individuals and groups for the supposed crime of disagreeing with the majority. And this, it seems, is exactly what the platform calls for. Despite these stark differences, there is one limited area of agreement. Both parties support reform of civil asset forfeiture, a form of property seizure that some revenue-hungry officials have abused at the expense of law-abiding citizens. That suggests that perhaps, just perhaps, the Democrats will be open to broader reform in the future. But on the whole, only one party really gets the overcriminalization problem right now. Whereas the Republican platform addresses overcriminalization seriously, the Democratic platform remains mired in the status quo. Only time will tell whether Democrats will be willing to put aside their partisan power game for the common good. Hillary Clinton's campaign and its allies have hurled allegations that Team Trump is tangled up with the Kremlin -- but remain largely silent about the Russian links of Clinton's own campaign chairman, John Podesta, and the company he co-founded. Robby Mook, Clinton's campaign manager, recently told ABC News that the "hand of the Kremlin" is at work in the Donald Trump campaign. This was after his campaign chairman Paul Manafort stepped down amid reports he received payments from Ukraines pro-Kremlin political party. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid piled on last week, asking FBI Director James Comey to investigate potential Trump camp ties to Russias alleged involvement in hacking of Democratic organizations and possible election interference. The evidence of a direct connection between the Russian government and Donald Trumps presidential campaign continues to mount, he wrote. But the Trump campaign is not alone in its Russian connections. As first revealed in The Panama Papers leak, the Podesta Group, a lobbying firm co-founded by John Podesta, moved to register in March with the U.S. government as a lobbyist for Sberbank -- the U.S. subsidiary of the Russian state-held bank. Podesta left the firm years ago, but his brother and co-founder Tony Podesta -- also a top Clinton bundler -- is currently chairman. According to Senate lobbying records, Tony Podesta is listed as a lobbyist for the bank and for three affiliated companies -- the Luxembourg-based SB International, Cyprus-based SBGB and Troika Dialog Group, located in the Cayman Islands. Sberbank is the Kremlin, they dont do anything major without Putins go-ahead, and they dont tell him no either, a retired senior U.S. intelligence official told The New York Observer. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a consortium of journalists, has reported that both Sberbank and Troika Dialog have links to companies that were exploited by Putin allies to redirect state resources into profitable private investments. John Podesta has not had a role at or stake in the Podesta Group since 2003. Neither the Clinton campaign nor Reids office responded to requests for comment on whether they back a probe of Clinton campaign Russian links. The Podesta Group, though, already is part of an FBI and Justice Department investigation looking into the activities of Manaforts firm and other U.S. companies who allegedly were used to aid corruption by former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Kremlin Party of Regions, according to CNN. According to an Associated Press report, the investigation is looking at the $1.13 million paid to the Podesta Group by the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, a pro-Yanukovych non-profit. Because the payment was made to the center, the Podesta Group did not register as a lobbyist for a foreign entity. Our firm represents many global companies, based around the world, and we file publicly available disclosure reports associated with these representations as necessary, Podesta Group CEO Kimberly Fitts said in a statement to FoxNews.com. In a separate statement, Fitts said the group has retained outside counsel. When the Centre became a client, it certified in writing that none of the activities of the Centre are directly or indirectly supervised, directed, controlled, financed or subsidized in whole or in part by a government of a foreign country or a foreign political party. We relied on that certification and advice from counsel in registering and reporting under the Lobbying Disclosure Act rather than the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the statement said. The pro-Kremlin slant of the Centre was publicly known as far back as 2012 when The Los Angeles Times noted that it just happens to be an operation controlled by Yanukovych, according to Ukrainska Pravda. The fact that Russia has connections with figures on both sides of the aisle is not necessarily surprising. The Russians are not any different than the Chinese in that they play both sides of the aisle developing relationships with whoever is close to power, Peter Schweizer, author and president of the Government Accountability Institute and an outspoken Clinton critic, told FoxNews.com. The reset went far beyond the normal diplomatic outreach on the surface to the flow of funds to the Clintons and their allies, he said, referring to the attempt to "reset" relations with Moscow early on in the Obama administration. One of the links, according to a recent report from Schweizer's group, involves John Podestas time on the board of Joule Unlimited, a small Massachusetts-based energy company. Just two months after Podesta joined the company it received an investment of $35 million from Rusnano, an investment firm founded by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The amount of compensation that Podesta received for his contribution to the company is unclear. While disclosure papers for Joule Unlimited were filed, Podesta did not disclose his work for Joule Global Stichting, a related entity. According to the report, Podesta said in a 2014 filing he divested stock options from Joule. Pages from the FBIs probe into Hillary Clintons private email server are giving more insight into the attempted cyberattacks on the server, as well as the concerns from Clintons staff and the former secretary of state herself that the homebrew arrangement may have been compromised. FBI Director James Comey said in July that the government found no evidence that the server was hacked, but said that foreign governments were so sophisticated, and the server such a high-value target, that it was unlikely they would leave evidence of the break-in. IT specialist Bryan Pagliano told investigators that while there were no breaches of the server, he was aware of many failed logins, which he described as brute force attacks, according to the report. He also told the FBI that the attempts increased as time went on. When asked, he said he could not recall if a high volume of failed logins came from a specific country. Clinton told investigators she was unaware of specific details about the security, software and hardware used on her server, and that she occasionally received odd-looking emails. But she told agents that there were never so many suspicious emails to arouse concern. The report cites an email from Clinton aide Huma Abedin in which she wrote that Clinton was worried about someone hacking into her email when she received an email from a known [redacted] associate that contained a link to a pornographic website." The report notes that Abedins email gives no other information as to why Clinton was concerned about hacking. However, after a redacted portion, the report says: Open source information indicated, if opened, the targeted users device may have been infected, and information would have been sent to at least three computers overseas, including one in Russia. Additionally, the report says the FBIs review of Internet Information Services (IIS) web logs indicated that there had been one scanning attempt from an external IP address that resulted in a successful compromise of an email account -- but it was not clear whose email account. The report does appear to indicate at least one instance in which the server was compromised in some way. The report says that on February 5, 2013, three IP addresses matching known Tor exit nodes accessed a user e-mail account believed to belong to an unnamed Clinton staffer. That staffer told investigators she was not familiar with, nor had ever used Tor software. FBI investigation to date was unable to identify the actor(s) responsible for this login or how [redacted] login credentials were compromised, the report said. The Trump campaign immediately seized on the revelations in the report. Hillary Clinton is applying for a job that begins each day with a Top Secret intelligence briefing, and the notes from her FBI interview reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty, Senior Communications Advisor Jason Miller said in a statement. Clintons secret email server was an end run around government transparency laws that wound up jeopardizing our national security and sensitive diplomatic efforts," he said. The countrys thirst for beer has attracted interest from foreign companies. The Vietnamese government is looking to fully divest from the country's prized beer companies, Sabeco and Habeco, in the next 18 months. Deputy Trade Minister Do Thang Hai said at a regular cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the government would sell its 89.59 percent stake in Sabeco, officially known as Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp., for US1$1.8 billion, and 82 percent own in Habeco, officially known as Hanoi Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp., for $404 million. Both local and foreign investors are eligible to buy into the beer companies. Sabeco, brewer of Saigon Beer and 333 Beer, is Vietnam's largest brewer by sales with 40 percent of the market last year, followed by Heineken and Habeco with 20 percent shares each, Thanh Nien News reported, citing the Vietnam Beer Association. The countrys thirst for beer has attracted interest from foreign companies, Bloomberg reported. Thai Beverage PCL, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. and Heineken NV are among companies interested in Sabeco, the newswire quoted Euromonitor analyst Andrea Lianto as saying. Beer consumption in the Southeast Asian country jumped about 40 per cent in 2015 from 2010, according to the Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association. Vietnamese are expected to consume more than 4.04 billion liters of beer this year, the most in the region and up from 3.88 billion litres in 2015, Bloomberg reported, citing Euromonitor International. Its citizens of legal drinking age, 18 and above, is expected to increase to 72.4 million by 2021 from 68.7 million this year, according to Euromonitor. Vietnam has so far struggled to find foreign investors for state-owned enterprises partly because its offers are too small to be attractive. However, the latest decision to scrap the long standing foreign ownership cap could change the situation as foreign investors are now allowed to own a 100 percent stake in companies in some select industries. The Vietnamese government is stepping up its efforts to divest from many state-owned enterprises. This latest push may succeed because this time the government really feels motivated to make it work: It needs the money to gap a widening budget deficit which is forecast to soar to 6.5 percent of gross domestic product this year. Related news: >Vietnam to rake in $7 billion from massive divestment push >Privatization helps Vietnamese contractors compete with foreign players >Vietnam dairy giant on global expansion path Its not much of an overstatement to say that the press swooned over Donald Trumps trip to Mexico and gagged over his speech in Arizona. Its hard to believe it happened on the same dayand is quite revealing of how the media world is handling the volatile issue of illegal immigration (as well as how polarized they are over Trump). Of course, some outlets just scoffed at the whole day. Politico, in a news story, said Trump had been playing at diplomacy in Mexico, that his speech made clear that what happened there, much like his campaign's two-weeks of gentle walkbacks, was a ruse. And, for good measure, called the entire episode a farce. But lets take a step back. Even some of Trumps harshest critics gave him kudos for the gamble he took in Mexico City. He appeared on the world stage with Enrique Pena Nieto, handled himself well, and both men spoke of having an open and constructive conversation. Sure, Trump had claimed that making Mexico pay for a border wall hadnt come up, while Pena Nieto later said he made clear his country would do no such thing. But diplomacy doesnt mean hammering away on the most divisive issue the first time you meet a foreign leader, especially if youre, well, not yet president. Every challenger, and especially one whos never held elective office, has to pass a commander-in-chief test. So those images were especially valuable for the billionaire outsider. And had he simply returned to Trump Tower, he would have basked in 48 hours of positive coverage. But instead he gave the loud and fiery address in Phoenix, and the New York Times couldnt hide its disdain: Yet the juxtaposition of Mr. Trumps dual performances was so jarring that his true vision and intentions on immigration were hard to discern. He displayed an almost unrecognizable demeanor during his afternoon in Mexico, appearing measured and diplomatic, while hours later he took the stage at his campaign rally and denounced illegal immigrants on the whole as a criminally minded and dangerous group that sows terror in communities and commits murders, rapes and other heinous violence. For the record, I dont believe he denounced illegal immigrants on the whole as criminals, though he certainly played up the dangers of allowing them to stay here without being vetted and emphasized that those with criminal records would be booted out. (The Times piece also went through a significant rewrite after the first edition, as you can see here.) Much of the press didnt really credit Trump for dropping his mass deportation plan in favor of dealing with the non-criminals of the 11 million illegal immigrants in several years, after the rest of his plan is in place. Instead, there were observations that his base might not like the change. And while the left trashed the speech as unhinged and demagogic, as Salon put it, the underlying tone elsewhere was that Trump was consumed with throwing red meat to the anti-immigrant crowd, and parading relatives of those killed by illegal immigrants. By yesterday, Trump was back to telling supporter Laura Ingraham on her radio show that theres quite a bit of softening in his plan. Now theres legitimate media criticism to be made of whether Trump was sending mixed messages at Wednesdays twin events, and whether the speech did nothing to draw moderate voters to his cause. But for a decade now, the mainstream media mindset has been in favor of modest immigration reform. That was true when George W. Bush was pushing it. It was true with the Republican autopsy after 2012. It was true when Marco Rubio and the Gang of 8 were trying to push a compromise measure through Congress. Thats why the pundits were so surprised when Trump won the nomination after embracing such ideas as a temporary ban on Muslim immigrants. Hes playing on a bigger field now, of course, but on this issue, at least, much of the media still find his message distasteful. Marine Maj. Sterling Norton, 36, was killed when his F/A-18 Hornet crashed on July 28 during a live-fire nighttime training accident in Southern California. Less than a week later, another F/A-18 from the same squadron crashed outside Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev. The pilot ejected safely but it was the squadrons third F/A-18 crash since October - two of which were fatal. The Marine Corps, in response, conducted a one-day safety stand-down. But such accidents are becoming more frequent amid concerns that insufficient training and an aging fleet hobbled by a shortage of spare parts are contributing factors. A Fox News investigation reveals that, overall, the entire U.S. military saw a 48 percent increase in non-combat aviation crashes in 2014 and 2015 compared with the two prior years, based on press reports. They are going up partly because they are not getting the training they should get. They're going up because maintenance is harder and harder to accomplish. They are going up because the airplanes are getting older and older, said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, in an interview with Fox News. Maj. Norton deployed in combat to Afghanistan in 2012. His commanding officer called him one of his best pilots. According to the Washington Post, a Marine who witnessed the crash said Nortons jet broke apart in midair while in a dive preparing to fire weapons. "I want to wait for the investigation report. However, these jets are too old and should not be flown anymore," Norton's mother, Mary Anne Vanderhoof, told Fox News. She added that her son was an elite Top Gun graduate and weapons tactics instructor. On Capitol Hill in July, the head of Marine Corps aviation seemed to share her concern. I worry about my young aviators that aren't getting the number of hours they need to. And so it's the mishaps that loom over the bow that we don't see coming just now Will they have the experience to keep that bad thing from happening?" said Lt. Gen. Jon "Dog" Davis. So far in 2016, there have been nine military aircraft crashes. Four involved Navy F/A-18 Hornet jets. There were 33 total across all branches in 2014 and 2015 up from just 23 in 2012 and 2013. The admiral in charge of Navy aviation denies a link between the crashes and the age and readiness of their planes. "I wouldn't characterize it as a crisis. I get the question a lot of, do you tie it to readiness or a lack of proficiency and in review of those mishaps, I can't make that connection," said Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, speaking in Washington last month. According to statistics provided by the U.S. Navy, only 21 percent of its early model Navy F-18 Hornets can fly -- and only half of its newer Super Hornets can as well. Over 100 Super Hornets are not flying due to shortages in critical spare parts. The Navys fleet of MH-60 helicopters is not much better. Only 57 percent of its 412 helicopters can fly. The Navy, like the Marines, is having a hard time finding available jets for its pilots to fly and train in amid more than $100 billion in defense cuts since 2009, a steady tempo of combat missions, and a delay of the F-18s replacement, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Training is another concern. Right now, the Navy is averaging 12-14 flight hours a month for its pilots, according to Shoemaker. The Navy is buying more Super Hornets and hopes to increase that average to 15 hours by December 2017, according to a Navy official who shared a forecast model with Fox News. Following a Fox News investigation into Marine Corps aviation in April, an interview with the head of Marine Corps aviation reveals some gains, but many problems persist. Today, only two of the Marine's 12 F-18 Hornet squadrons meet their flying hours, Davis told Fox News. He said they are averaging 11.1 flight hours a month per Marine pilot right now. While it was 8.8 back in March, he said his pilots should average 16 hours a month. Our model is all squadrons ready to go, he said. When asked why his pilots were not getting enough hours in the air he replied, Not enough airplanes to fly, its a simple physics problem. Right now, of the Marines' 273 F-18s, only 91 can fly; 88 are waiting for parts. Thornberry said President Obama has effectively sent more U.S. troops into harms way without paying for the increase in costs. When the president sends more people to Afghanistan more people to Iraq, he doesn't ask for more money. The costs just come out of the training, the maintenance and the readiness of our force. The problem is getting worse, he told Fox News. The Pentagon disagrees. Lt. Col. James B. Brindle, a Defense Department spokesman, said in a statement, "Ensuring that the force is well-equipped and well-trained to execute critical missions is a priority. We have looked at our data and have not observed an overall trend in the increase of mishaps due to reduced training hours. Annual mishap totals vary for a variety of reasons. Any increases we have observed are too small, and over too short a duration, to categorize." Marine and Navy F-18s were originally designed for 6,000 flight hours, but they were refurbished and extended to 8,000 hours while waiting for the new Joint Strike Fighter. Some jets may even reach 10,000 hours, according to Navy and Marine Corps officials. In 2015, the Marine Corps aviation mishap rate was three times the Navys. The Air Force, while not suffering from the same shortage of parts, is short 700 pilots, and the secretary of the Air Force said last month it will grow to 1,000 in just a couple of years from now. When asked how quickly the Marine Corps can get more Joint Strike Fighters into the fleet to replace 24-year old F-18s, Davis replied, I am buying as many as we can afford. The money is not there. Fox News Leonard Balducci contributed to this report. While Donald Trump doubled down this week on his vow to make Mexico pay for his proposed southern border wall, his campaign is reported to be weighing options that dont necessarily involve the seemingly far-fetched scenario of the Mexican government handing America a great, big check. LifeZette first reported that the Republican presidential nominee and his top advisers are looking at using assets seized from drug cartels and other traffickers. This reportedly could involve establishing a joint border security fund -- holding seized assets from crackdowns on both sides of the border for border construction and maintenance. Trump, asked Thursday by Fox News about the report, did not deny the option is on the table. There are many ways that they can pay for the wall, Trump said, calling it a negotiation. But he again insisted, The United States will not be paying for the wall. Mexico will be paying for the wall. Breitbart News, whose chairman Stephen Bannon left to be Trumps campaign CEO, also reported that cartel resources would be seized to fund the wall if Trump wins. Trump supporter, and former presidential primary rival, Ben Carson floated another option Thursday night. Speaking with Fox News, Carson said money saved from enforcing the border could be used though he did not elaborate on what level of savings the federal government could expect, particularly when Trump is proposing spending more money on border security resources. Recognize that a lot of money is going to be saved by enforcing our borders, by not, you know, giving various types of benefits to people who are here illegally, Carson said. That money is money that we otherwise would not have had and that can be applied to the wall and various other things. Thats I believe the spirit in which that comment is made. I don't think Mexico is going to write a check out and say here, pay for the wall. Trump has not addressed such details on the stump. He declared in his immigration policy speech Wednesday night that, Mexico will pay for the wall they dont know it yet, but theyre going to pay. That came after Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, and both men left the meeting battling over the payment issue. Trump said they didnt discuss payment, while Pena Nieto said he made clear Mexico will not put up the money. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump added the line about payment into his Phoenix speech, in response to Pena Nietos claims. If a Trump administration did pursue using cartel assets to fund a wall, it would take billions. Trump has estimated the wall could be built for as little as $8 billion, though other analyses have put the cost much higher. Estimates of Mexican cartel revenue vary drastically. The U.S. government estimated a decade ago that Mexican traffickers make nearly $14 billion on drug sales to the U.S. A recently discovered pterosaur was a real pip-squeak compared to the much larger flying reptiles that flapped across the skies during the age of dinosaurs. Found in what is now British Columbia, a handful of fossils were described in a new study as belonging to a pterosaur that lived about 77 million years ago, with a wingspan estimated to be 5 feet in length. The pterosaur is thought to have been approximately the size of a house cat, measuring 1 foot tall at the shoulder, according to the study authors. It is significantly smaller than any other pterosaur from that era, and is the first of its kind found on North America's west coast, the researchers said. While the new pterosaur has yet to acquire an official scientific name, its fossils provide an important example of the variety in pterosaur forms especially during the Late Cretaceous, when their diversity was waning, the scientists wrote in the study. [Photos of Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs] Neither dinosaurs nor birds Pterosaurs lived alongside both dinosaurs and birds, but were neither; they represent a unique reptile lineage that spanned the Late Triassic Period to the end of the Cretaceous Period (about 228 million to 66 million years ago). The fossils described in the study date to the later part of the Cretaceous and represent only a fraction of the animal's skeleton a few vertebrae, a wing bone and several other fragments and were poorly preserved, the researchers reported. Nevertheless, the fossils were still recognizable as belonging to a pterosaur, which has hollow bones distinctively modified for flight, according to the study's lead author, Elizabeth Martin-Silverstone, a doctoral student in paleobiology at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. These bones were unusually small for a Late Cretaceous pterosaur, but analysis of their internal structure revealed that the pterosaur was fully grown or very nearly so, Martin-Silverstone told Live Science. The animal appeared to share traits with a group of toothless, short-winged pterosaurs called azhdarchids that dominated this period, but it was dramatically smaller than any known species, providing the first evidence that small pterosaurs may have lived alongside their much larger Late Cretaceous cousins, the researchers said. "The general idea is that the end of the Cretaceous had these giant, 10-m [33 ft] wingspan pterosaurs taking over the skies," Martin-Silverstone said. "This reminds us there were other smaller pterosaurs out there, occupying other niches." "A strange time" The Late Cretaceous was "a strange time for pterosaur evolution," said study co-author Mark Witton, a paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. During this period, pterosaurs became bigger than ever before, Witton told Live Science. "It wasn't until the end of the Cretaceous when the biggest pterosaurs emerged, with the longest necks about 3 m [10 feet] the biggest wingspans, and body mass [of] probably 250 kilograms [551 lbs.]. Some were as big as giraffes, with wingspans comparable to hang gliders or small planes," Witton explained. But at the same time, overall pterosaur diversity was greatly reduced from its heyday in the Early Cretaceous, about 146 million years ago, he added. "That was a point in time where we saw radiation in lots of different pterosaur groups waders, filter feeders, terrestrial forms picking up food on the ground, dedicated scavengers. The end of the Cretaceous was such a contrast to that, when there were only two or three groups left," Witton said. [Photos: Ancient Pterosaur Eggs & Fossils Uncovered in China] And as the biggest pterosaurs were evolving, the smallest forms began to disappear from the fossil record. "It's almost like there was a shift in the average. The whole size range shifted upward, so we started to lose a lot of the smaller ones," Witton told Live Science. Evolutionary pressures certainly may have driven smaller pterosaurs extinct, but there could be another explanation for why small pterosaurs' fossils from the Late Cretaceous are practically nonexistent, the study authors suggested. Pterosaurs' hollow bones are known for their fragility and are scarce as fossils in general but this is especially true for the smallest specimens, Martin-Silverstone said. It's possible that small pterosaurs were actually more common during the Late Cretaceous than currently suspected, but external factors destroyed their delicate bones before these remains could fossilize. Juveniles of larger pterosaurs certainly existed during the Late Cretaceous, but researchers haven't found any fossils of them either, Witton added. Ultimately, solving this riddle will require more specimens, which is where overlooked material in museum collections could play a critically important role, the researchers said in the study. "What we have now it's not enough to understand this weird phenomenon at the end of the Cretaceous, where there aren't any small pterosaurs," Witton said. "There are so many things in museums that people aren't looking out for. What we want to do is put these things on the radar of researchers and curators, so we can start to build up a good-quality data set of these small specimens." The findings were published online Tuesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Original article on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Samsung halted sales of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone Friday after finding batteries of some of the devices exploded while they were charged. Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsungs mobile business, said customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones, regardless of when they purchased them. Note 7 sales launched just two weeks ago. Samsung issued its first global recall of the flagship smartphone because it has not found ways to specify exactly which phones may endanger the user. The smartphones are being yanked from shelves in 10 countries, including the U.S. and South Korea. Koh said the company's investigation found that a battery cell made by one of its two battery suppliers caused the phone to catch fire. He refused to name the battery supplier. "There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process so it was very difficult to find out," Koh told reporters at a news conference. Some buyers reported their phones caught fire or exploded while charging, sharing the photos of scorched phones on social media. Samsung said it had confirmed 35 such cases in South Korea and overseas. There have been no reports of injuries related to the problem. Samsung said it has sold more than 1 million Note 7 smartphones since the product's Aug. 19 launch. It has manufactured about 2.5 million Note 7 phones so far, some of them still in inventory. Koh said they also will be returned and swapped with new ones. The company estimated that it would take about two weeks to begin swapping old Note 7s for new phones. China is not affected by the sales suspension. The company said it used a battery made by another supplier for the Note 7 sold in China The Associated Press contributed to this report. The beach may be the last place youll want to go to celebrate Labor Day weekend the unofficial last weekend of summer this year. On the East Coast, Tropical Storm Hermine the first hurricane to make a direct hit on Florida since 2005 was barreling through Georgia Friday morning on a path expected to take it through the Carolinas and then back into the Atlantic. But meteorologists say it will deliver strong winds, heavy rain and very rough surf to beaches all the way up to New England over the weekend and into next week. In the Pacific, beachgoers in Hawaii were being told to exercise caution and heed all official warnings as they faced their second major storm of the week.Hurricane Lester, now a Category 2 storm, is not expected to make a direct hit on the islands, but forecasters are warning of dangerous surf, driving rain and heavy winds in parts of the state. And Lester is saying hello to Hawaii just as Tropical Storm Madeline, which brushed by the Big Island on Wednesday, is saying goodbye. A flash flood watch remained in effect on the Big Island Friday morning, and the entire state was under a wind advisory. But there are a lot of places in this country that dont have sand and surf, and AAA is still predicting nearly 34 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the five-day period that ends on Labor Day. Heres the best way to get from here to there and back again on this last, possibly very soggy, weekend of summer. If youre traveling by car: Airport delays, flight cancellations and low gas prices ($2.23 for a gallon of regular) will put more cars on the highways this weekend. Americans will purchase about 400-million gallons of gasoline each day over Labor Day weekend, predicts the Oil Price Information Service. Before driving off, check the local news for flood warnings, and avoid areas that have been hit by heavy rainfall, since flooding is expected in many parts of the U.S. this weekend. A routine check of your vehicles vitals is always advisable. Keep up with scheduled oil changes and check the tire pressure, windshield wipers and fluid. Most importantly, always travel with a first aid kit and a car emergency kit. To avoid heavy holiday traffic, Saturday is the best day to leave this weekend. And try to schedule travel during off-peak times before 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m. If youre traveling by plane: This holiday weekend will be busier than ever. Airlines for America, the major airlines trade association and lobbying group, says 15.6 million passengers are expected to travel by air this weekend. Friday will be the busiest day, making Saturday the best day to travel. Be sure to schedule ample time to make it to your plane. On Wednesday, the TSA urged domestic passengers to arrive 2 1/2 hours early for their flights, and even earlier than that over the holiday weekend. Due to tropical weather conditions in FL, service thru 9/3 may be interrupted. Rebook: https://t.co/68fEXvlGuz pic.twitter.com/hmMs9v3gbh Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) August 31, 2016 Stay connected with the airlines via Twitter. Major airlines tweet travel advisories that provide solutions to delays or cancellations. Delays due to the weather this weekend should be felt all over the country, says Howard Altschule, certified consulting meteorologist for Forensic Weather Consultants. Even if you are in Chicago, your plane might be coming from Baltimore, where weather has delayed the flight and you might not be able to get home. Headed to the Southeast? Many airlines, including United, Southwest, American and Delta, are waiving change and cancellation fees due to this weekends storms, saving travelers hundreds of dollars. If youre traveling by train: The best way to avoid airport security lines and heavy highway traffic is to travel by train. You dont have to worry about finding a rest stop; you can surf the web with free Wi-Fi, and you can sprawl out with lots of leg room. Nearly 30 million travelers ride on Amtrak every year. Fares are usually cheaper than flying, kids ride half-price and there are discounts for students and AAA members. But trains aren't perfect. They, too, can be subject to weather delays, sometimes due to trees and debris on tracks, flooding and strong winds. Amtrak has suspended service in its Southeast region due to Tropical Storm Hermine. Check the Amtrak website for travel advisories before you head to the station. If you're planning a beach trip anywhere along the East Coast, it won't hurt to pack a couple rainy day activities. And don't forget the poncho. Vacation in Syria? Seriously? The war-torn nation's Ministry of Tourism released a promotional tourism video featuring Tartus, one of its pristine coastal towns, in hopes of attracting tourists. Missing from the pitch was the fact that a suicide bomber killed dozens on that same beach earlier this summer, and residents of Homs, just 60 miles away, are running from government-sacntioned bombings. The one-minute, 43-second video-- presumably filmed by an unarmed drone-- is titled Syria--Always Beautiful. With festive music and sunseeker on jet skis and frolicking on beaches, the idyllic footage is akin to advertisements Americans might see luring them to a place like Myrtle Beach, S.C. The video is one of a dozen videos uploaded by the ministry with no mention of the countrys bloody conflict that has killed at least 400,000. The Washington Post reported that there is good reason that Damascus would like to see an increase in tourists: In 2011, just before civil war broke out, Syria's revenue from tourism amounted to $8.3 billion, or 13.5 percent of the countrys GDP. But despite the PR-push, it is up against a sobering reality. Last year, the U.S. State Department warned Americans to not only avoid visiting Syria, but to pass on commercial flights that fly over the country. Many airlines, including Arab League carriers, have suspended their flights to the country. The potential for hostile acts exists throughout the country, including kidnappings and the use of chemical warfare against civilians. Shelling and aerial bombardment, including of densely populated urban areas, have significantly raised the risk of death or serious injury. The destruction of infrastructure, housing, medical facilities, schools, and power and water utilities has also increased hardships inside the country, the State Department warning reads on department of states website read. Lonely Planets website doesnt put it much gentler. At the time of writing, Syria is one of the most dangerous places on the planet. To put it simply, you cant go. And if you can, you shouldnt. Syria is not the only dangerous locale still courting tourists. A month ago, Taliban militants in western Afghanistan attacked a convoy carrying foreign tourists, leaving at least six people injured. According to a recent survey by Demand Gen Report, 47 percent of B2B buyers consume three to five content pieces before engaging with a salesperson. Yet, more than 70 percent of marketers lack a consistent or integrated content strategy. What about you? Are you part of that statistic? If so, youre not just leaving money on the table - youre practically handing it to your competitors. The fact is, having a viable content marketing strategy for your business has never been more important. The problem is with so much information available online, its easy to feel overwhelmed. Dont worry. Weve all been there. Here are five content marketing strategies that will always work. 1. Write authoritative content. The Internet is constantly evolving. Once upon a time, you could build an audience of raving fans, eager for your next 400-word post. Today, that is not often the case. The truth is that if youre not writing what Backlinko Founder Brian Dean calls, kick-butt, "wow this is freakin' amazing" content, youre wasting your time. To get noticed in todays noisy marketplace, you need to write authoritative content - content thats not just thorough and well-researched, but positions you as the go-to authority in your field. 2. Write evergreen pieces of content. While thorough, well-researched content is important, its not enough to get an edge over your competition; you need content thats up-to-date and relevant to your readers interests. With evergreen content, your blog will continue to rank well in Googles search engine results pages (SERPs) long after youve promoted it. It will drive more traffic to your site, and generate more leads for your business. To do that, though, you need to write content that is beginner-friendly, actionable and easy-to-understand (see No. 3). Most importantly, you need to constantly update it as and when your market changes. Go the extra mile, and Google will reward you for it. 3. Write in easy-to-understand language. Years ago, Copywriter Robert Bly interviewed 100 CEOs for a book he was writing about executive leadership. He wanted to know: Do successful people use big, pretentious words that reflect an Ivy league education, or do they talk like you and me? To Blys surprise, they talked in plain, everyday language. Theres a temptation, when writing, to try and emulate the greatest writers of our time, to communicate in a way thats more complicated than needed. Stop. Youre not writing for your colleagues; youre writing for your customers. When writing authoritative evergreen content, use simple, easy-to-understand English (especially if its a complicated topic). Take your reader by the hand, and walk them through it, step-by-step. Your readers will thank you for it. Related: Don't Believe an SEO Expert Who Tells You Any of These 7 Lies 4. Focus on one big idea. Were living in the information age. Imagine, you have access to more resources than the last King of France did. Yet, despite this advantage, were still starved for knowledge. Your readers know what to do, but they dont do what they know, because theyre overwhelmed. They dont want 10 mediocre ways or hacks to solve a problem theyre experiencing. Theyre busy enough as it is. Do you think your readers have time to apply every recommendation from every blog post they read? Of course not. They, like everyone, want the quickest and easiest solution to their problem - one big idea that explains exactly what to do and when and how to do it. Give your readers what they want. When you do, it wont be the big idea theyll attribute their success to, itll be you. Related: 5 Startups That Are Killing It With Content Marketing 5. Connect and collaborate with influencers in your field. If youre like most entrepreneurs, youve probably heard the term, influencer outreach. Its no secret that connecting with authorities in your field is one of the most effective ways of maximizing your business message, increasing your domain authority and reaching more people in less time. The problem, though, is many business owners think of influencer outreach as a one-off effort, rather than a collaborative partnership thats nurtured over time. The highest leveraging results come from not reaching out once but developing a genuine relationship with experts in your field - one thats founded on mutual trust and goodwill. Related: 12 Secrets to Pitching the Perfect Guest Post Stop thinking of influencer outreach as a cost on your part, and start seeing it as what it really is: an investment in you, your business and your network. No matter what industry youre in, content marketing is, and will continue to be, one of the most effective ways you can scale your business. The marketplace is getting noisier, but you dont need to shout louder to get heard; you just need to find people who are eager to listen. Whether youre trying to raise money or secure a licensing deal, taking away perceived risk is essential to bringing a concept for a new product to market. Youre always going to have to convince someone of something -- namely that your idea and by extension you, are worth investing in. Risk is inherent in any business venture, of course: Thats just the nature of business. But there are concrete strategies you can deploy to assuage fears and keep moving the ball down the court. Ultimately, if you want to get paid for your ingenuity, you need to get figure out how to get people behind you. In practice, thats less of a lofty goal than it might seem. Over the course of my career, after having brought many different products to market, these are the tactics Ive discovered get deals done and forge critical partnerships. Use them to slay perceived risk. 1. Become a storyteller. Do you know what your story is? Your story is your reason for being, your purpose. And when it comes to pitching, when you need to really connect with your audience -- well, to successfully tell your story, you need to make it all about them. Thats where your one-sentence benefit statement comes into play. Appeal directly to your audience. Every word you choose counts, because you need your audience to identify with you quickly. Remember, were all consumers. Were united in that way. We share the same experiences, the same pain points and frustrations. When I made a presentation about my rotating label -- my big idea -- at Pfizer, I was out of my league. The other men in the room had doctorate degrees. I could barely pronounce the ingredients listed on the companys cough syrup. But it didnt matter: I spoke from and to the consumers point of view. I focused on the fact that my label would deliver more content. I knew there had been issues with compliance, that consumers were experiencing difficulties. And I was a parent to boot. So I spoke to that. I was able to pierce them emotionally. And it worked: They were interested. Related: The 7 Steps of Effective Product Development We relate to stories best. We remember them. Not facts. Not figures. So hone in on your story and practice your delivery. Of course, every audience is different -- the best approaches are tailored, not rote. 2. Know how to protect your intellectual property. We all want to keep others out of our business. It isnt easy. But it isnt impossible, either. One surefire way of mitigating risk is by familiarizing yourself with the landscape of intellectual property related to your innovation and the industry at large. There is so much you can learn by studying the history. Its all right there in the patent filings, which are yours for the taking. What have others done? How have similar products evolved? What does the market look like today in comparison? What can you deduce about whats worked and what hasnt? It does take time. But if you work at it, like I did, patents will become less and less indecipherable. In time, theyll actually paint a picture. Studying the prior art is so valuable because doing so will help you hone in on the uniqueness of your idea. And for the intellectual property you file to be strong, you need a credible and sincere point of difference. Ultimately, reading prior art will help you map out your own way forward. For those of you who are thinking, But what if my idea is the first of its kind! I say: There is always prior art. And thats a good thing! Those old patents, theyre a gold mine. Plunder them. There are firms you can hire to do prior art searches for you, but I think its worth the effort to teach yourself how to it even if you decide to hire one. There are free resources available online, including classes taught by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Go beyond utility patents, and teach yourself how to use provisional patent applications, design patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. Related: How to Hatch Your Golden Egg: The Keys To Product Development If youre asked about prior art during an important meeting and can respond thoughtfully, youre well on your way to landing that deal. Being asked about prior art is actually a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate just how much you know about why your idea can and will solve the problem other patents have failed to. If you can articulate the clear benefit of your concept compared to others, youre money. Simply paying a law firm to file a patent application on your behalf and thinking youre good wont cut it. That is not a strategy. Please, do not think you can outsource the work of developing a strategy -- a plan -- to your attorneys. Thats not their job. Its up to you to understand how prior art is going to impact your business moving forward. What I know is this: The work your attorneys do for you will only ever be as good as the information you provide them with. They approach intellectual property from a legal perspective, as they should. You need to approach it from a business perspective. Know the difference between the two. It really comes down to how much time and effort youre willing to spend teaching yourself. Its not about money. You can ask a future partner to pay for your intellectual property moving forward and even possibly recoup some costs. 3. Harness the power of pull-through marketing. Nothing mitigates risk like proof of demand. Everyone wants to know: Do consumers need this product? Will they buy it? How can I be sure? Finding someone who wants to buy your product and bringing their order to the table is a way of saying, Hey -- this is real. This is happening. Are you in? Pull-through marketing can take away enough risk to get the crucial partners you need on board. Related: 9 Essential Tools for Agile Product Development Teams For example, when one of my students invented a game-changing packaging innovation, it was clear he would need a significant amount of time and money to develop it. So he did a small production run with a specific intention: To intrigue a bigger fish. Sure enough, a leading beverage manufacturer got in touch with him to ask for a huge quote. With that enormous order essentially in hand, he was able to team up with manufacturers that would have ignored him before. Theyre ready to invest their time, energy and money into his project. It's amazing how fast things move when there's a purchase order hanging in the balance. Thats a classic example of pull-through marketing. Its especially useful, and often necessary, when youre working on bringing a big idea to market -- an idea that will require a significant amount of capital to seize the market. See? That wasnt so hard. Use them in conjunction, and become unstoppable. A Florida fugitive has been arrested after cops said he used a wanted poster with his mug shot for his Facebook profile picture. Stuart police say they were able to track down the wanted man, Mack Yearwood, 42, this week thanks to his choice of a Facebook photo, Fox 29 Palm Beach reported Friday. Yearwoods wanted poster, which included his mug shot, was posted online in October by the Citrus County Sheriffs Office. He had been charged with violating terms of his probation in a battery case. Several months later, Yearwood made the poster his Facebook profile picture. At the time, a relative left a comment on his Facebook page that said, I wish he would take it down too !! The cops use facebook now !!. Yearwood's days on the lam came to an end Tuesday, a day after Stuart police in Palm Beach County took a battery complaint and began looking for him as the suspect, WPBF-TV reported. During the investigation detectives tried to find out what they could about Yearwood, according to the station. They found Yearwood's Facebook page and the Citrus County wanted poster. Yearwood was arrested on the open warrants from Citrus County and a marijuana possession charge. Cops said they are continuing to investigate the battery complaint. ELKO Familiar smells filled the air Thursday afternoon at the fairgrounds. Hay, baked goods, sun-warmed fur, dirt and ice-cold beer combined to announce the last summer celebration, the Elko County Fair. By late afternoon, the poultry and rabbit barn was nearly full, home arts entries were accumulating on shelves and tables, and the carnival had fired up its rides. People sifted in from all areas of the county with the common joy of hard-working folks at play. The fair has been going on here for 96 years and, although there have been a few changes, the event is going strong. We had to change some of the sub-categories for arts and crafts, said a volunteer at the turn-in booth. Over the years the categories became too cumbersome to deal with and things were slimmed down to a much sleeker process. Once judging is over, premiums can be picked up in home arts at any time during their hours of operation, which was not always the case. Children in 4-H were allowed to take the day off from school because many of them travel to town on Thursday with their livestock and other entries. Judging from the busy activities in all of the barns and washing areas the young participants still had a lot of work to do before evening. Animal judging takes place Friday starting at 7:15 a.m. Ask any kid about his animal and you will get the full story, said 4-H Coordinator Steve Terry. The animal programs require three years of commitment for the child who signs up in livestock. Beth Bailee of Battle Born 4-H is ready for the competition. She brought 15 rabbits to the fair, including the mini rex variety, French lops and a Flemish giant, weighing in at around 16 pounds. Last year I won reserve champion with Silver, Triggers dad, said Bailee. She is participating in her second year of raising rabbits for 4-H and looking forward to a good time this season. Im entering Trigger in the showmanship class, she said. I have a lot of hope if I dont get any DQs (disqualifications). The one-time Stanford swimming star whose six-month term for sexual assault sparked national outrage walked out of jail with his bowed Friday, after serving just half of his sentence. Brock Turner refused to acknowledge the media after serving just three months for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in a case that drew widespread condemnation. The former Olympic hopeful swimmer walked out of the main entrance of the Santa Clara County jail Friday shortly after 6 a.m. local time and got into a white SUV. Turner, 21, who plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents, must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation. Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said Turner was given a large packet of hate mail on his release. She said he was held in "protective custody" during his incarceration, but that her department didn't receive any credible threats. "There was a lot of hate," she said. Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a trash bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party in January 2015. He plans to appeal. In the June sentencing, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the "extraordinary circumstances" of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He followed the probation department's recommendation for a "moderate" jail sentence. Following backlash and a push for a recall, Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. In her statement, the victim had described how the attack left her emotionally scarred. "My independence, natural joy, gentleness, and steady lifestyle I had been enjoying became distorted beyond recognition. I became closed off, angry, self-deprecating, tired, irritable, empty," she said. After Turner's sentence was announced, District Attorney Jeff Rosen said he was disappointed in its length. "The punishment does not fit the crime," Rosen said in June. "The sentence does not factor in the true seriousness of this sexual assault, or the victim's ongoing trauma. Campus rape is no different than off-campus rape. Rape is rape." In an editorial, the San Jose Mercury News had called the six-month county jail sentence "a slap on the wrist." "Brock Turner's six-month jail term for sexual assault of an intoxicated, unconscious woman on the Stanford campus last year is a setback for the movement to take campus rape seriously," the newspaper said. Jail inmates in California with good behavior typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turner's probation. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio, 15 miles east of Dayton. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turner's neighbors informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff's office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Deputies also will check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities. Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather. "He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor," Fischer said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Four survivors of the 2012 Colorado theater shooting massacre were ordered by a judge Thursday to pay Cinemark nearly $700,000 in legal fees. The 28 families of those killed and wounded in the July 2012 shooting sued Cinemark, the movie chain that owns the Century 16 where James Holmes opened fire during a showing of The Dark Knight Rises, claiming that there wasnt adequate security to stop Holmes from carrying out the attack. An Arapahoe County civil jury ruled in May that Cinemark wasnt liable for the shooting that left 12 people dead and 70 others. Lawyers for Cinemark then filed a bill of costs for $699,187.13 in June in the country court. The Denver Post noted that under state law, the winning side in a civil case is entitled to recover all of its legal costs. According to KDVR-TV, the families are appealing the judges ruling. The Los Angeles Times reported that a group of the survivors were prepared to settle with the movie chain in a federal case that was brought after U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson said he was going to rule in favor of Cinemark. Even though the jurys verdict decided the case in May, Cinemark and the plaintiffs were negotiating a settlement and had until June 24 to decide to take it. According to the paper, Cinemark offered $150,000 to be split among 41 plaintiffs with three most critically injured to each receive $30,000. The remaining would split around $60,000. One plaintiff said that the offer felt like a slap in the face, but the four plaintiffs who didnt take the deal were warned that Cinemark would move forward to recoup all the legal fees that had accumulated. Either seek justice and go into debt, or take that pitiful offering of money and the improved public safety, survivor Marcus Weaver told KDVR-TV. One plaintiff turned down the deal and 37 others withdrew themselves from the case. Ashley Moser, Stefan Moton, Joshua Nowlan and Nickelas Gallup remained in the lawsuit and a judge ruled on June 24 that Cinemark wasnt liable for damages, according to the station. The LA Times reported that the court costs in the state case were nearly $700,000 and the federal court costs are expected to be a lot more. Click for more from KDVR-TV. The first hurricane to hit Florida in more than a decade wiped away beachside buildings and toppled trees onto homes Friday before plowing inland on a path that could send it rolling up the densely populated East Coast with heavy rain, high winds and flooding. Hermine quickly weakened to a tropical storm and was spinning inland along the North Carolina coast late Friday. But the National Hurricane Center predicted it would regain hurricane strength late in the weekend after emerging over the Atlantic Ocean. The system could then lash coastal areas as far north as Connecticut and Rhode Island through Labor Day. The storms projected path prompted New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to declare a state of emergency Saturday for three counties on the Atlantic Ocean. The impending weather conditions constitute an imminent hazard, which threatens and presently endangers the health, safety, and resources of the residents of Ocean County, Atlantic County and Cape May County, he said. In Florida, Hermine's main impact came in the form of power outages and damage from storm surges. A homeless man south of Gainesville died when a tree fell on him, Gov. Rick Scott said. He later took to a Blackhawk helicopter to visit the coastal communities of Cedar Key and Steinhatchee hit hard by the damage from flooding and storm surge that crumpled docks and washed out homes and businesses. Scott pledged that businesses would be eligible for help from the state. But it's unclear whether Florida will get any federal disaster assistance as the state begins to clean up from the storm. An estimated 325,000 people were without power statewide and more than 107,000 in neighboring Georgia, officials said. At 2 a.m. Saturday, the hurricane center said the tropical storm's center was about 60 miles west-northwest of Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Forecasters said the storm threatens a dangerous storm surge into Hampton Roads in southeast Virginia. Hermine had top sustained winds of 60 mph and was moving northeast at 22 mph. Forecasters said the system could strengthen back into a hurricane by Monday morning off the Maryland-Delaware coast before weakening again as it moves north. Tropical storm watches and warnings were posted up and down the coastline. Amtrak says it has cancelled or altered some service on the East Coast as the storm approaches. Back in Florida, a storm surge at Dekle Beach damaged numerous homes and destroyed storage buildings and a 100-yard fishing pier. The area is about 60 miles southeast of St. Marks, where Hermine made landfall at 1:30 a.m. in the Big Bend area, where Florida's peninsula and panhandle meet. Nancy Geohagen walked around collecting photos and other items for her neighbors after the storm scattered them. "I know who this baseball bat belongs to," she said plucking it from a pile of debris. An unnamed spring storm that hit the beach in 1993 killed 10 people who refused to evacuate. This time, only three residents stayed behind. All escaped injury. In nearby Steinhatchee, a storm surge crashed into Bobbi Pattison's home. She wore galoshes and was covered in black muck as she stood in her living room amid overturned furniture and an acrid smell. Tiny crabs darted around her floor. "I had a hurricane cocktail party last night and God got even with me," she said with a chuckle. Where her bar once stood was now only wet sand and rubble. Pattison and two neighbors managed to set upright a large wooden statue of a sea captain she had carved from wood that washed ashore in the 1993 storm. In Keaton Beach, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise Friday, trying to get to their homes. Police blocked the road because of flooding. Dustin Beach, 31, rushed there from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife gave birth to a girl Thursday night to see if his home still stood. "When my wife got up this morning, she said, 'Go home and check on the house. I need to know where we're going after we leave the hospital,'" Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats survived. "It's a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house, and I hope they're still there," she said. High winds knocked trees onto several houses in Tallahassee, injuring people inside. It was sometime after midnight when Alan Autry, 48, started hearing the large pines in his Tallahassee neighborhood start to crack and fall to the ground. Then he heard one come down on the top floor of his house. The tree didn't initially crash through the roof, and Autry and his wife went to a neighbor's house. Sometime before dawn, the corner of his house collapsed from the weight of the tree. "We've been married 13 years and this is our fifth hurricane," said Autry who moved from central Florida six years ago. "By far, this is the worst damage we've ever had." Tampa and St. Petersburg escaped major damage. Up to 17 inches of rain fell in the area over the last two days. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. The Florida governor declared an emergency in 51 counties and said about 6,000 National Guardsmen stood ready to mobilize for the storm's aftermath. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina also declared emergencies. Authorities in Ohio were on alert Tuesday after a student said a person in clown mask chased him with a knife. According to WCMH-TV, a 14-year-old boy in Columbus was walking to the bus stop on his way to Columbus North International School at around 6:15 a.m., when a man dressed in all black and wearing a clown mask chased him down the street with a knife. Mothers in the neighborhood told the station that theyre telling their kids to pay attention and follow their gut. I thought it was crazy! Tombi Williams, a mother of two told WCMH-TV. I did not think it was here, but it goes to show things crazy and stupid can happen everywhere. The latest incident involving a clown comes on the heels of a clown trying to lure children in South Carolina into the woods. Columbus police said theyre taking the report very seriously. We dont expect it during the early morning hours when people are going to work or school, so is there a concern there, yeah, Columbus police Sgt. Rich Weiner said. We will have units in the area patrolling to make sure that this does not occur again. Mothers in the neighborhood said theyre going to keep a closer eye on the bus stop where the boy saw the clown. Click for more from WCMH-TV. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has announced that he will sign a peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia later this month in Cartagena. Santos made the announcement in a speech Friday in the historic Caribbean city. He said the signing ceremony will take place Sept. 26. Swiss gun rights proponents fear a new European Union measure to tighten gun control could disarm thousands of law-abiding citizens, Reuters reports. The proposed gun restrictions which Switzerland, a non-EU member, would be obliged to implement under cross border agreements, has raised hackles among the Swiss, who resent intervention from Brussels, the news wire reported. It also comes at a time of increased tensions between Switzerland and the EU over Swiss efforts to curb immigration. Christopher Blocher, a leading voice of the Swiss right, told Reuters Switzerland should end its participation in the system of passport-free travel if the tighter gun restrictions are defeated in a referendum. The proposed measure would curb online weapons sales and impose more restrictions on assault weapons, the according to Reuters. It was drafted after the ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris last November that killed scores of people. The initial proposal provoked an outcry in Switzerland because it meant a ban on the long Swiss tradition of ex-soldiers keeping their assault rifles, the new wire reported. Then two months ago, Justice Minister Simonetta Sommagrua returned from meetings in Brussels saying she he successfully negotiated against such a ban, according to Reuters. But in the fine print, the EU demanded concessions including psychological tests and club membership. Swiss gun rights proponents also fear the restrictions could encroach on the countrys proud heritage and national identity that includes a well-armed citizenry. When conflicts arise, Switzerland must put its sovereignty first, said Blocher, a businessman and vice president of the SVP, the country's biggest party, told Reuters. In an emergency, Switzerland should be ready to exit (the cross border agreements). Switzerland has one of the highest rates of private gun ownership in Europe, with nearly 48 percent of households owning a gun. In France, there are about 30 weapons per 100 people, while the figure in the Great Britain is far lower, at 6.7 guns per 100 civilians, Reuters reported citing the Australian-based think tank GunPolicy.org. However, gun-related crime in Switzerland is low and the high number of privately owned guns harks back to a long tradition of self-defense and to the Swiss policy of near-universal conscription, Reuters reported. In 2015, 11 percent of the 20,600 soldiers who left the Swiss Army opted to keep their assault rifles which upon departure are modified to fire single shots, according to Reuters. The number of soldiers choosing to keep their weapons has been declining for several years. Switzerland's grassroots gun lobby ProTELL, named after the 14th-century folk hero William Tell, is prepared to call for a referendum on the EU blocs proposal, if necessary. With our direct democracy, Swiss people are accustomed to having the last word, ProTell's Dominik Riner told Reuters. We're opposed to any and all efforts to make current weapons laws more restrictive. Europe plans to finalize its gun directive later this year, Reuters reported. Click here to read more from Reuters. Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC Named to Inc. Magazines List of Americas Fastest-Growing Private Companies September 02, 2016 // Franchising.com // CLEARWATER, Fla. Inc. magazine announced today the placement of Murphy Business & Financial Corporation on the 35th annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy - Americas independent entrepreneurs. To be included among such successful companies is a great honor, said Roger Murphy, founder, president and CEO of Murphy Business & Financial Corporation. Its a testament to the hard work of our team and the incredible growth of our franchise movement. The 2016 Inc. 5000, unveiled at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September print issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 23 to September 27), is the most competitive crop of privately held companies in the U.S. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. This prestigious award validates Murphy Business progress in the past year and the 22 years since its launch. In the past 12 months alone, Murphy Business has reached an entirely new level, with more than 180 locations now open across the country, ingraining itself into all of the communities it serves. Murphy Business & Financial Corporation is North Americas leading, full-service business brokerage firm with offices in both the United States and Canada. Offering entrepreneurs both regional developer and unit franchisee operating models, the Murphy Business home office supports both groups and their agents with extensive training, along with initial and ongoing marketing efforts that leave Murphy Business owners to focus on the most important part of their business spending more time with their clients. For more information on Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC, please visit www.murphybusiness.com About Murphy Business & Financial Corporation Clearwater, Florida-based Murphy Business & Financial Corporation is a full-service business brokerage firm facilitating business sales, purchases, consulting, valuations, mergers and acquisitions. Closing deals at a higher ratio than the business brokerage industry average, several accolades have been bestowed upon the company including appearing as a Top 50 Franchise according to Franchise Business Review. Methodology The 2016 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2012 to 2015. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2012. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit and independent not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies as of December 31, 2015. The minimum required revenue for 2012 is $100,000; the minimum for 2015 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/5000. About Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 6,000,000 today. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com/ . The Inc. 500|5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation's most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The Inc. 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates their remarkable achievements. The event also offers informative workshops, celebrated keynote speakers, and evening functions. For more information on Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Conference, visit http://www.inc.com/. SOURCE Murphy Business & Financial Corporation Contact: Liz Robinson All Points Public Relations (847) 897-7497 lrobinson@allpointspr.com ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Thriving North American Property Restoration Franchise Plans to Expand in Europe Executives Will Discuss PuroClean Master Franchise Opportunities During Franchise Show Ireland, Sept. 9 & 10 September 02, 2016 // Franchising.com // TAMARAC, Fla. - PuroClean, a leading North American property restoration company with more than 230 franchisees, announced that they plan to expand into the European market through Master Franchise Agreements. PuroClean Chairman and CEO Mark Davis will be available to discuss this unique entrepreneurial opportunity during Franchise Show Ireland, RDS, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland, Sept. 9 and 10. The company will have a booth (#404) and PuroClean co-founder Rory ODwyer will be a featured speaker during the International Franchising seminars. PuroClean franchisees provide mitigation and restoration services to homeowners and businesses whose properties have been damaged by water, mold, fire and natural disasters. In addition, PuroClean is the restoration partner of choice for many North American insurance companies and property managers. After conducting an in-depth analysis of various countries across the globe, PuroClean identified a significant need for its range of services and world-class property restoration in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain as well as other European countries. The company plans to penetrate the approximately 302 billion in property claims across Europe through the Master Franchise model. The expansion is spearheaded by Davis, co-founder of Belfor in the United States, along with Hans Joerg Tschudi, who built Belfor into a worldwide brand, along with several PuroClean executives with experience operating restoration companies in Europe. Belfor is the worlds largest disaster restoration company with more than 300 offices in 26 countries worldwide and covers more than 90 percent of global insured markets. Davis and Tschudi bring their decades of experience in expanding Belfor globally to strategically grow PuroClean. PuroCleans proven track record of growing franchise businesses that provide expert, certified property restoration in the United States and Canada, coupled with our solid infrastructure and resources, make us the ideal franchise to provide property restoration services in Europe, Davis said. Were excited to provide entrepreneurs in Europe with the opportunity to stake their claim in the European restoration industry. The right European entrepreneurs will be attracted to PuroCleans recession-proof format that aids the insurance claims industry by adding new, competent, well-trained and well-equipped service providers in each country. Other benefits of becoming a Master Franchisee in Europe include: The companys proven business model Access to proven systems, policies and procedures Assuming the role of the franchisor in your area/country Autonomy to develop your area/country while still having support Recruit, screen and train your franchisees, who then develop their area in a similar way, accelerating growth Receiving support to develop specific expansion plans Unlimited growth potential from an on-demand industry Personal fulfillment from assisting and servicing communities in times of need The ideal candidates should be entrepreneurs who embody what PuroClean stands for making a tremendous impact on the communities they serve by offering essential services that help property owners in their time of need, Davis continued. They should clearly understand the franchisor/franchisee relationship in addition to the training and support process for franchisees. Founded in 1991, PuroClean offers a unique business opportunity to entrepreneurs with excellent interpersonal skills who seek a low risk/high reward franchise opportunity and an incredible level of personal satisfaction. PuroClean Master Franchise owners have the opportunity to enjoy attractive profit margins while following a proven sales model that paves the pathway to success in the recession-proof restoration industry. Contact PuroClean at 01-1-800-775-7876 orInfo@PuroClean.com; for more information, please visit www.PuroCleanOpportunity.com About PuroClean PuroClean is a leading North American commercial and residential restoration franchise. Founded in 1991, the company offers fire and water cleanup and restoration services, mold mitigation and remediation, as well as biohazard cleanup and removal throughout the United States and Canada through its franchise network of offices. PuroClean is now expanding into Europe through Master Franchise opportunities. The expansion is spearheaded by Mark Davis, PuroClean CEO and co-founder of Belfor in the United States, and Hans Joerg Tschudi, who built Belfor into a worldwide brand, along with several PuroClean executives with experience operating restoration companies in Europe. Contact PuroClean at 01-1-800-775-7876 for more information or find out more about PuroClean at www.puroclean.com SOURCE PuroClean Media Contact: J.T. Morand Fishman Public Relations 847-945-1300 jtmorand@fishmanpr.com ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Woodys Bar-B-Q Makes its Delicious Debut in North Carolina Fayetteville Residents Jason and Wendy Olsen to Open Lumberton Location of Florida-Based Authentic Southern Barbecue Chain in September September 02, 2016 // Franchising.com // Jacksonville, Florida After more than 35 years of serving up its signature recipes of slowed smoked meats and comfort food sides to adoring fans, Florida-based barbecue chain Woodys Bar-B-Q is preparing to bring a taste of the Old South to the Old North State. Conveniently located just off of I-95 at 4880 Kahn Drive, the companys newest franchise location Woodys Bar-B-Q of Lumberton will feature barbecue classics such as baby back ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken and more in a warm and welcoming interior with two Carolina natives at the helm, Fayetteville residents Jason and Wendy Olsen. Opening our own restaurant has been a dream on Jasons heart for many years, explained Wendy. We were drawn to Woodys Bar-B-Q because we felt a personal connection with the story of how Woody Mills and Yolanda Mills-Mawman first launched their company in Jacksonville with a similar dream and some dog-eared recipes. We also really like the fact that Woodys is based on the philosophy that the guest comes first, which will truly resonate in a town where Southern Hospitality reigns supreme. Of course, what finally sold us on the concept was the food. Its fresh and consistently phenomenal. We cant wait for folks in Lumberton and the Fayetteville area to taste it. No strangers to hospitality, Wendys father built portable pig cookers by hand and catered to many organizations and individuals as a hobby. She grew up watching how good food and great relationships were made through her mom and dad. Jason had a similar experience through a family-owned food packaging store in Clinton, Iowa. The couple has lived in Fayetteville for over 30 years and is excited to be a part of the recent growth in neighboring Lumberton. Jason and Wendy are extremely tapped into their community, which is something we seek in an ideal franchisee, said Yolanda Mills-Mawman. It demonstrates a desire to please their neighbors, to serve as good hosts and to have their new restaurant become a valued part of the fabric of that community. Add excellent food, a great location, and service with a smile to the mix, and we believe thats the recipe for success. The Olsen family will represent us well in our first North Carolina franchise. As far as their guests first visit to Woodys Bar-B-Q of Lumberton is concerned, Jason recommends his personal favorites off the menu: The Texas Beef Brisket and Woodys Signature Baby Back Ribs, while Wendy suggests the Smoked Turkey Breast, Smoked Wings, Barbecue Chicken or Pulled Pork, capped off with a slice of Sky High Pie. In addition to great food and superior service, Woodys Bar-B-Q of Lumberton will offer a family-friendly fun atmosphere, full bar, flat screen TVs throughout, and special promotion nights on the event calendar such as Kids Eat Free Mondays, All-You-Can-Eat nights and Live Music just to name a few. Woodys Bar-B-Q of Lumberton is scheduled to open in mid-to-late September 2016 and a Grand Opening complete with live music is already in the works for sometime this Fall. When not hard at work at their new restaurant, locals can expect to see Wendy, Jason, and their son, J.T. at Freedom Biker Church of Fayetteville or tending to the needs of area homeless through the group HD (Homeless Disciples). In addition to its first North Carolina location, Woodys Bar-B-Q recently opened new franchises in Middletown, New York and Augusta, Georgia. Additional franchises are set to open this Fall in Dallas, Texas and Starke, Florida. For more information about Woodys Bar-B-Q and its list of locations throughout the U.S., barbecue fans and prospective franchisees are invited to visit www.woodys.com. About Woodys Bar-B-Q After opening their first Woodys Bar-B-Q in 1980, partners Woody Mills and Yolanda Mills-Mawman have spent the past three decades setting the bar higher for great Southern Bar-B-Q. From the humble beginnings of just one location in Jacksonville, Florida, a shared passion for Bar-B-Q, and a dog-eared collection of recipes, Mills and Mawman have grown the Woodys Bar-B-Q brand to locations reaching from the Deep South where Bar-B-Q is king to the Northeast and Western fronts. Perhaps best known for their legendary melt-in-your-mouth slow-smoked Signature Baby Back Ribs, Woodys has also built quite a following among patrons with their secret recipe Bar-B-Q sauces and meats, as well as their freshly prepared comfort food-inspired side dishes. Individuals who wish to learn more about becoming a Woodys Bar-B-Q franchisee are encouraged to visit http://www.woodys.com/franchise/. SOURCE Woodys Bar-B-Q Contact: Tammy Littleton Cipriani Director of Marketing Woodys Bar-B-Q P: 904-992-0556 ex 30 E: tammy@woodysbarbq.com ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus ELKO Coldwell Banker is challenging other small businesses to donate funds to speed up the process of installing enhanced 911 in Elko County. The realty business gave $1,000 Thursday to go toward installing the system. Jim Winer, broker and owner of Coldwell Banker Algerio/Q-Team Realty, said he was shocked when he read in the Elko Daily Free Press that the county didnt have enhanced 911, which allows a dispatcher to see the address that is connected to the phone of a 911 caller. The county is scheduled Wednesday to approve the second reading of an ordinance that will enable it to collect a fee that will be used to pay for enhanced 911. With our budget, the way it is right now, its pretty tough to come up with any extra money at all, said County Commissioner Glen Guttry. The surcharge is allowed through state law. Once the ordinance is approved, each individual phone line will be charged 25 cents a month and each trunk line or T-1 will be charged $2.50 a month. Guttry said he thinks any donations the county receives could help kick start the installation of the system. I think the point is most people think we already have enhanced 911, he said. I think its important we dont delay it. The estimate for the first portion of the systems needed is about $200,000. It could take as long as one to two years to get the surcharge account built up enough from peoples phone bills to where we could even begin to implement, said Elko Police Chief Ben Reed. What these types of donations will do is speed that up. It will jump start it. Winer said he thought the county could reach the needed funds quicker if local businesses donated. I thought $1,000 is a lot to a small business, but if 100 small businesses each gave $1,000 and thats not insurmountable in a community like this were at $100,000, he said. Winer said he wanted to challenge other small businesses, but not make it a hard challenge. If you and your business support this cause, we do. We believe in it. We think its important for all of northeastern Nevada, he said. If youre so moved, donate and give to the cause. He said he doesnt want to embarrass anyone into giving. Winer hopes the donation draws attention to the need in the county. We believe in giving back at all levels for all purposes to this community, Winer said. Theyve been so good to us, and this is important for the safety (of Elko County). When theres an emergency, the faster and more efficient that these guys can get there and help, thats important. Reed reiterated what he has said over and over again about the importance of having enhanced 911. If we cant find you, we cant help you, he said. Location is everything in our business. The same as real estate. With both fires and medical emergencies, seconds count, said Elko Fire Chief Matt Griego. He said knowing the exact location of a patient is everything. Undersheriff Ron Supp said enhanced 911 could be more crucial for the entire county because of the distances deputies have to cover. Were very excited for this new-to-us technology, said Elko Combined Dispatch Director Donna Holladay. Its going to help us to do our jobs better. When someone calls 911 today, the only information that comes over is the phone number and possibly the name of the account holder. If you block your number, its blocked to us as well, Holladay said. Griego said many times callers are emotional and they can give a wrong address or give their home address rather than the address of the location of the emergency. Reed said the ultimate goal is next generation 911, which many metropolitan areas already have. Next generation would allow callers to text and interact with dispatch, and would include sending videos or photos to dispatch. It also would allow law enforcement to pinpoint cellular phones. This step wont get us there, thats way in the future, but weve got to build the foundation, Reed said. Any person or business that is interested to donate to the enhanced 911 system should contact Assistant County Manager and CFO Cash Minor at 748-0220. ELKO Against a backdrop of a melodic high school band and community spirit, Gov. Brian Sandoval mingled with the locals to get a pulse on what is currently affecting them. Today is just to show support for the community and for the band, said Sandoval, explaining he has consecutively participated in the Elko Band of Indians fundraising event for seven or eight years. I love the Elko band and I love when they play Cherokee, he said. The governor said he has never spoken at the event. Im actually not here to talk to people. Im here to listen to people, said Sandoval, when asked what he would like to discuss during his time in Elko. He said he typically visits small businesses to understand what is going on from their perspective. Sandoval pointed to the economy as a topic he thinks is on the publics mind, as well as conservation efforts on Nevadas public lands. Im really excited as weve recently signed that agreement with Newmont (Mining Corp.), in terms of preserving the sage grouse habitat, he said. The governor will be at Newmonts Long Canyon mine in the coming weeks. In the past few months, he also said he has been in Elko County to visit locations such as the Owyhee Combined School to see its progress, as it is part of the Victory Schools Program. This program appropriates $25 million from the State General Fund each year, for a period of two years, to fund underperforming schools in the States 20 poorest zip codes. Underperforming entails the lowest levels of student achievement, according to the Nevada Department of Education. Program goals include reading at grade level and graduating from high schools with skills imperative for success in the collegiate level or workplace. Elko County Schools include Owyhee elementary and high schools, as well as West Wendover elementary and high schools. I want to hear what people have to say about education and the economy, and if there is anything I can do to help out, said Sandoval. Looking toward what is important to the State, Sandoval said he hopes to continually improve the delivery of education and workforce development. One of the concerns I hear out here, and throughout the State, is to make sure our job training programs match up with the companies that are coming in the type of jobs that are going to be available, he said. Great Basin Colleges importance was cited for the area. In addition, the governor said he was happy to carry on the conversation concerning the institution and provide bridge funding during the last couple of sessions of the Legislature. This was done so GBC could continue their mission of serving the students here in Elko County, said Sandoval, before concluding that it is great to be here in Elko County. Picking up some treats from the bake sale was also on his to-do list for the evening. He comes every year and he asks for gingerbread cookies, said Marlene Bourke, So, we made sure that we had gingerbread cookies for him this year. Aside from gingerbread, the governor continued his tradition of buying the first cake during the auction. Its so nice that he comes in to see the kids and listen to them perform. Its nice that he comes every year for this, said Bourke. The event was also time to say hello to old friends as Sandoval was greeted by Walt Lovell, who said he has known him for years. THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS 2.5 STARS This movie about two people who try to fill a whole in their lives with someone elses baby is one of the more beautifully shot films youll ever see. With most of the film focusing around a small island with a lighthouse off the coast of Australia, from first light to waves sweeping in and out, it is really gorgeous. And the cast is strong as well. Michael Fassbender and especially Alicia Vikander are very much a couple in love at the start of the film. Tom is back from a ghastly four years in World War 1, wanting just to forget the death and pain he saw there. Isabel is reeling from her own loss during the war, two brothers. In one especially strong moment, she wonders if she can still be called sister when those brothers are gone. The pair find each other and then a touching, healing love as they get married and set up housekeeping on their own little Eden, the island where they create a sweet togetherness. Because this isnt a happily-ever-after sort of book or film, all doesnt go well for the newly married couple. When Isabel miscarries twice, shes desolate, and saved seemingly only by a sort of Divine deliverance, the arrival of a baby in a small boat. The other person in the boat, presumably her father, is dead when the boat arrives. I wont give too much else about the plot away, except to say that the decision Tom lets Isabel push him intoto take the baby as their ownwill have repercussions for the rest of the film. Its a strong, emotional film, though one with so much grief and pain that it will be too much for many. That weight makes it a hard film to love, but one you can appreciate. Still, Fassbender, Vikander and Rachel Weiszwhose arrival forces painful decisionsare all strong actors who give the film an emotional punch. That punch is to the gut, and the heart, will be more than many moviegoers will appreciate. But one that will stick with them long after they leave the theater. Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some sexual content. 132 min. Playing locally at Regal Fredericksburg 14. I have represented Canyon Construction, through Moore Law Group, PC, over approximately the last 2.5 years, while this matter has been on appeal. While an attorney at the Law Offices of Michael B. Springer, PC, I represented Canyon Construction in the City of Elko airport litigation since its inception in 2007. I have remained silent throughout this dispute between the City of Elko and Canyon Construction, making very few public statements, and only making such statements when asked to do so by Canyon Construction. I am pleased that the City of Elko has conditionally accepted Canyon Constructions offer of judgment and that Canyon Construction has agreed to pay the City of Elko $500,000.00, because this dispute needs to be put to rest. However, I write this correspondence to you today to set the record straight in this matter. Following the shameful display in which members of the City of Elko City Council engaged during a public meeting held on August 23, 2016, where the City Council sought to rewrite the history of this litigation through the public chastisement of Mike Lattin, accusing Mike Lattin and this office by inference of defrauding the public, it is time that the public understands the specifics of this matter that will demonstrate that Mike Lattin had no choice but to defend himself and Canyon Construction aggressively, in the face of the City of Elkos misguided effort to pursue inflated and unsupported damages claims in this dispute. During this public verbal flogging of Mike Lattin on August 23, 2016, the City Council again made this case into something that it never should have become, turning a public meeting where a reasonable settlement offer was to be discussed into a personal attack on Mike Lattin. The public is entitled to know the following: 1. The Multiple Offers made by Canyon during Arbitration were not Offensive During the City Council meeting on August 23, 2016, Councilman Rice claimed that the offers made by Canyon Construction during this dispute were offensive and that, as a result, Mike Lattin has taken advantage of every man, woman, and child in Elko. This unfounded hyperbole is distressing, especially because the City of Elko, not Canyon Construction, never made a reasonable offer to settle this dispute prior to arbitration. Because Councilman Rice claims that Canyons multiple offers to settle this dispute were all offensive, a reciting of all offers Canyon Construction made to settle this disaster of a lawsuit is appropriate at this time, not for purposes of proving Canyons lack of liability or of persuading a tribunal to support Canyons arguments in this matter, because this matter has been concluded with a mutually acceptable settlement, but to avoid any public perception that Canyon Construction has only presented offensive offers to settle this dispute. These offers are as follows: a. Soon after or just before the City of Elko filed its lawsuit in this matter, Canyon Construction verbally offered to fix the entire apron, but not replace it, at no cost to the City. This offer was made by Mike Lattin to Curtis Calder. For some reason, this offer was plainly rejected by Curtis Calder, and the lawsuit seeking $10,000,000.00 from Canyon Construction was allowed to proceed. It is unclear if this offer to repair the apron, at no cost to the City, was ever presented to the City Council by Mr. Calder. b. When the City of Elko was striving to repair a damaged area near the airport terminal (which is damage that the arbitration panel found to be caused by the City of Elko misusing deicing salts at this location, not by any misdeed of Canyon), Canyon Construction offered to repair this area at no cost to the City. Again, this offer was plainly rejected by Curtis Calder and it is also unclear if this offer was ever presented to the City Council by Mr. Calder. Rather than allow Canyon to repair this portion of the concrete apron at no cost to the City, the City of Elko paid Canyon to replace this concrete. c. Canyon offered to allow judgment to be entered against it in January of 2011 in the amount of $500,000.00. The City of Elko rejected this offer as a result of its failure to take any action on the offer within 10 days of receiving it. It is unclear if this offer was presented to the City Council at a public meeting. This offer certainly was not offensive, considering that the City of Elko only collected $351,000.00 from Canyon on its judgment at arbitration. d. Canyon and Knight Piesold, the engineer on this project, frequently offered to meet jointly with the City of Elko and the FAA to attempt to craft a resolution to this matter. The City of Elko never took Canyon and Knight Piesold up on these offers to meet with the FAA. Canyon also offered to pay the cost of applying topical solutions to the concrete that might impede the apparent failures at certain locations, which was again rejected by the City. e. Only weeks before arbitration, on January 23, 2012, and in light of the repairs that Canyons own experts believed should be made to the airport in the amount of $952,000.00 (though Canyon continued to dispute liability for those repairs), Canyon and Knight Piesold presented a joint offer to the City of Elko, where Canyon, Knight Piesold and the City of Elko each would agree to be responsible to pay 1/3 of the $952,000.00 in damages, and Canyon, Knight Piesold and the City would agree to be responsible to pay 1/3 of an airport concrete maintenance fund that would be established in the total amount of $540,000.00. This offer was made directly to Mayor Johnson and was not offensive. It is unclear if this offer was presented to the City Council. f. Prior to arbitration, Canyon Construction and Knight Piesold presented a joint offer to settle this case to the City of Elko in a total amount of $3,500,000.00, on condition that the City of Elko allow Canyon to perform any repair work associated with the payment of this amount. Certainly, this was not an offensive offer. This offer was rejected and it does not appear that it was considered by the City of Elko at a public hearing. g. Prior to arbitration, Canyon did not receive any reasonable offers from the City of Elko, in light of the damages ultimately proved to exist at arbitration ($952,000.00). (In the arbitration award, the total amount of the award was reduced by $250,000.00, because the City had failed to properly maintain the concrete. Also in the arbitration award, the City was awarded a joint and several judgment against Canyon and Knight Piesold in the amount $702,000.00, of which the City of Elko has already accepted $351,000.00 from Canyon and $351,000.00 from Knight Piesold. Knight Piesold was also found negligent in this matter, and a separate award of $250,000.00 was assessed against Knight Piesold, which Knight Piesold paid). Canyon Construction never attempted to resolve this dispute in an offensive manner. Councilman Rices assertions to the contrary only serve to enrage the public against Mike Lattin and Canyon Construction and these assertions have no place in public discourse. 2. Canyon Construction did not obtain a Favorable Decision at Arbitration or increase the Costs of Arbitration by Hook or by Crook At the City Council meeting on August 23, 2016, Councilman Keener claimed that Canyon Construction conducted itself by hook or by crook to obtain a favorable arbitration award (considering that the City of Elko requested an award of $10,000,000.00, but only collected $351,000.00 from Canyon) and that Canyon increased the costs incurred by the City of Elko during this arbitration. At this meeting, Mayor Johnson also expressed surprise and confusion as to why the arbitration panel did not award the City of Elko any attorneys fees or costs following arbitration. Both of these statements appear to have been made to suggest that Canyon Construction, or this law office, fooled the arbitration panel in this case. These statements fail to recognize that the arbitration panel in this case was not comprised of a cast of clowns, unfamiliar with the law or with construction projects. One of the arbitrators is a former Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court. Another arbitrator is a Las Vegas attorney with over 40 years of experience in construction litigation. The final arbitrator is an accomplished construction attorney from Salt Lake City who also happens to be an engineer. Certainly, at arbitration, Canyon did not attempt to and did not pull the wool over anyones eyes. Instead, at arbitration, Canyon Construction methodically directed the arbitration panel to the gaping holes in the City of Elkos case, of which a block of Swiss cheese would be jealous. During the cross-examination of the City of Elkos primary expert witness, Canyon Construction carefully undressed the expert witness, showing the arbitration panel that his opinions were not worth the $850,000.00 the City of Elko paid this witness. This public undressing was not done with smoke and mirrors or by hook or by crook, but with the data that was attached to the City of Elkos experts own expert witness reports. Time after time at arbitration, Canyon demonstrated that the City of Elkos expert recommended tearing out concrete, totaling the entirety of the concrete apron, when this experts own data showed that most of the concrete to be torn out at most locations at the airport was suffering minor to no visible distress. Why the City of Elko City Council does not understand this by now is astounding. After Canyon presented all of the evidence at arbitration that cut off the City of Elkos claims at the knees, the arbitration panel declared in its order that Elkos claim that the entire apron needs to be replaced at a cost of $9-$10 million dollars is grossly overstated and not supported by the evidence. . . The arbitration panel also held, correctly, that the Citys $9-10 million damage claim was grossly excessive, not warranted by the evidence, and caused excessive expense in this arbitration. Insisting that the entire apron be removed was not warranted by any reasonable view of the evidence and would result in economic waste. This finding from the arbitration panel, supported by mountains of evidence presented at arbitration (which the City of Elko did not appeal), is why the arbitration panel originally rejected the City of Elkos request for an award of attorneys fees, because the City of Elko recklessly pursued excessive and unwarranted claims against Canyon Construction from day one of this dispute. The Nevada Supreme Court, when it overturned the arbitration panels decision not to award attorneys fees and costs and remanded the matter for a determination of a reasonable award of attorneys fees and costs, informed the arbitration panel that it could use its findings from arbitration regarding the City of Elkos excessive claims when determining what would be a reasonable award of attorneys fees. If the City of Elko had pursued its claims against Canyon Construction reasonably, acknowledging that the repairs needed at the airport were minimal and localized, rather than relying upon an expert witness whose data did not support his opinions, as proved at arbitration, then there would have been no cause for the City to reject any of Canyons offers. For whatever reason, the City of Elko relied upon faulty information in pursuing its excessive claims to its own detriment. Neither Mike Lattin nor Canyon Construction caused the City to pursue its excessive and unsupported claims, which amounted to economic waste, in the reckless and uncontrolled way that it did. What is shameful about this entire case is that 29 elected officials (as stated by Councilman Rice) who served on the City of Elko City Council during the pendency of this lawsuit did not see the reality of this case, which was that the damage at the airport was minimal and localized and that it could be repaired for a fraction of the costs and attorneys fees that the City of Elko eventually spent on this case. This was not money well spent, but money wasted. This money was not spent in the pursuit of a mandate from the electorate in the City of Elko, but a waste of resources caused by the reckless and uncontrolled pursuit of inflated and unsupported claims. 3. Reckless and Uncontrolled Spending by the City of Elko During discovery in this matter, at most of the depositions taken before arbitration and at other hearings and telephone calls with the arbitration panel, the City of Elkos attorneys frequently assigned three attorneys to attend. Even though three attorneys frequently attended these depositions and other meetings, it was rare that more than one of them asked questions. Combined, these three attorneys billed just under $1,000.00 per hour for their joint attendance at these depositions and meetings. On the other hand, Canyons attorneys never sent more than one attorney to any of these meetings or depositions and that one attorney billed $200.00 per hour for the majority of this case. During the arbitration hearing, at times, the City of Elko had four attorneys representing it, plus multiple support staff. Canyon only had one attorney at arbitration and no support staff. During this matter, the City of Elko paid its attorneys over $2,400,000.00, paid its experts over $850,000.00, and incurred costs that pushed the total amount of attorneys fees and costs to over $3,400,000.00 (see attached spread sheet showing the majority of what the City expended). The City Council revealed at the meeting on August 23, 2016, that its attorneys have spent an additional $300,000.00, just on appeal, which is more than three times what Canyon has spent on appeal. All of this money could have been better spent to remedy the minimal and localized cracking at the airport, to help pay the costs of constructing a new police station, or to give to charity. Instead, the City of Elko has spent gross amounts on high-priced attorneys from the Bay Area and equally high-priced expert witnesses, in a misguided effort to prove an entitlement to $10,000,000.00 in damages that never existed. Who can blame Mike Lattin and Canyon Construction for aggressively defending themselves in the face of the City of Elkos outrageous and unsupported damages claims? Canyon Construction, as a result of the City of Elkos unyielding pursuit of excessive and unsupported claims in this case, has spent $1,100,000.00 to defend itself in this arbitration. That is the greatest shame associated with this case. John D. Moore Reno Donald Trump has created thousands of jobs The Aug. 29 editorial, Address the changing economy, stupid, reflects the liberal bent of The Free LanceStar editorial board. The editorial devoted one and a half columns to negatively critiquing Donald Trumps economic policies and only two paragraphs related to Hillary Clintons economic program, and that from a liberal columnist. One should ask, How many jobs has Donald Trump created in his businesses? and then ask Mrs. Clinton the same question. Mr. Trump has created tens of thousands of jobs. Mrs. Clintons program is to create jobs paid for by taxpayers to fund infrastructure programs by increasing taxes or borrowing more to add to the national debt. There is no free lunch. Jobs created by Mr. Trumps businesses contribute to the real workday economy, and not at taxpayer expense. Kudos to the Virginia General Assembly for increasing the states spending on worker-training credentials. But think about this: In 20062007, Forbes magazine rated Virginia as having the best business climate in the United States. Forbes in 2015 rated Virginias business climate No. 7 in the U.S., a drop from No. 4 in 2014. That is not a good trend, regardless of what we hear from Richmond. Business Insider magazine, in August 2015, ranked Virginias economy number 42 out of 51 states, showing weaker job growth than most states. The article said jobs in Virginia increased 1.3 percent between June 2014 and June 2015, with a flat GDP in 2014. On the national level, lets think about electing someone who has actually created jobs. Growing the economy is the best way for the federal government to be able to afford improving infrastructure without increasing taxes and borrowing to plunge the United States further into debt. I believe that Donald Trump is the best leader to do that for the country and Virginia. William Derryberry Locust Grove Tough choice ahead for Republicans In the fall of 1968, my father asked me who would get my vote for president, my first election at age 21. I replied: Eugene McCarthy (he was on the ballot in New York). Dad, a lifelong GOP stalwart, dropped the newspaper he was reading, dropped his chin so he could eyeball me over his reading glasses, and asked: Son, do you know there are only two ways to vote? I replied along the lines of: Oh, please, please tell me, oh wise one. (This was 1968.) He answered: The two ways to vote are: Republican, and wrong. I laughed, and he picked up his newspaper, chuckling over his astute political insight. I suspect Dad four years earlier had a tough time deciding whether he could vote for Barry Goldwater. Dad never said who got his vote, but I suspect no one, or Lyndon Johnson. Goldwater was way, way out there for Dads tastes, a Rockefeller Republican. Like Goldwater then, Trumps bubble is seriously off-center ... way off level, in the parlance of carpenters. I sympathize with mainstream Republicans who face a choice of: Wrong and wrong. In the end, as an independent, I vote for wrong, but not totally freaking nuts. Joe Junod Bumpass One of Clintons accomplishments is unmatched In response to William Thomass letter [Aug. 25, Many leaders more qualified than Clinton], I must add that as great as the gentlemen were that he listedhighly qualified statesmennone of them served as first lady of these United States of America. Lets not forget that Hillary Clinton has broken many glass ceilings, something else they could never accomplish! Dolores Procopio Spotsylvania The power of sharing your story Research not to mention Hollywood has consistently shown us there is power in sharing stories, particularly stories about the profound changes wrought by cancer and other diseases. Not only is it healing for the storyteller it helps them to reflect, process and make sense of whats happened to them its helpful for the listener. As Fred Hutch public health researcher and lead author Kathy Briant put it in her paper, Stories are used to teach and to remember struggles so that others may struggle less. Reading or listening to other patients stories can actually improve a patients health, according to studies, and this applies to sharing via social media and online patient forums, as well. Stories can also relay crucial health messages in a much more understandable way. You might not remember that every 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases your risk of colorectal cancer by about 18 percent, but you will remember your Uncle Joe telling you, You know, kid, if I hadnt eaten a rasher of bacon every morning for 30 years, I might not be wearing this colostomy bag. Briant and fellow researchers at the Sunnyside-based Center for Community Health Promotion wanted to know if digital storytelling creating a short video with music, photographs and personal health narratives would be beneficial to underrepresented groups such as the Hispanic/Latino community in the Lower Yakima Valley. So they invited members of the community to a series of digital storytelling workshops, ultimately producing Morfin Cruz's poignant video and 17 others. The digital stories, all available on Fred Hutchs YouTube channel, cover everything from dealing with a cancer diagnosis to learning to live with diabetes to trying to help loved ones kick the smoking habit. Public health messages with cultural relevance The Sunnyside videos are not just simple health narratives. Theyre powerful messages of strength, survivorship and disease prevention that speak to a segment of the population often wracked by health disparities. Theyre public health messages that hit the cultural mark. Hilda Hernandez, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, talks about her surgery, chemo and radiation and shares pictures of the hollow space under her left arm where lymph nodes were removed. She also shares pictures and talks about the resulting lymphedema Ahora tengo un brazo gordito y otro flaquito Now I have one arm that is chubby and another that is skinny and discusses activities she avoids so the condition wont get worse. Antonia Gutierrez shares the fear she felt upon being diagnosed with colon cancer and the trepidation she had about starting chemo. But she also talks about how she was able to work through treatment and now goes in for regular follow-up appointments with her oncologist to make sure her cancer stays away. Maxxlife Financial Expands Lineup of Carriers for Super Visa Insurance Insurance broker expands group of insurance carriers to offer policies for Super Visa Insurance. -- Maxxlife Financial, Inc., the insurance broker, announced today that is expanding the number of insurance carriers it works with to offer policies for Super Visa Insurance. The insurance is required for visas granted to visiting parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The visa provides a temporary resident permit that enables the applicant to stay in Canada for visits of up to two years. "This is about bringing families together," said Manoj Vohra, Director of Maxxlife Financial, Inc. "It should bring a smile to everyone's face." Canada's Super Visa program, which was launched in December 2011, offers a multi-entry visa that is valid for up to 10 years. The program is successful and popular because it reduces the need to renew status at each visit. The program carries several conditions, though. Applicants for Super Visa Insurance need to be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. They need to be allowed to enter Canada and provide proof that their child or grandchild meets the minimum income threshold. The Canadian government set these policies because it does not want to be burdened with financial support or healthcare costs of visa recipients once they are in Canada. This is the need addressed by the Super Visa health insurance policies from different carriers offered by Maxxlife Financial, Inc. The company's website, www.maxxlife.ca, provides details on the policy offerings and enables applicants to get their questions answered online. Maxxlife Financial, Inc. works with such insurance carriers as Manulife, Travelshield, GMS, Destination, Tugao, SRMRM travel Insurance, Allianz Global Assistant and 21st Century Travel Insurance ltd. Maxxlife Financial, Inc. offers a 24-hour international answering service for clients at 1 (855) 846-2524. The company has 6 offices in Ontario and Alberta. For more information, contact the company at info@maxxlife.ca. For more information, please visit http://www.maxxlife.ca Contact Info: Name: Manoj Vohra Organization: Maxxlife Financial, Inc. Phone: (855) 846-2524 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/maxxlife-financial-expands-lineup-of-carriers-for-super-visa-insurance/130819 Release ID: 130819 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Fire Protection Company Receives ORA 2016 Purveyor Award The Ohio Restaurant Association's "2016 Outstanding Purveyor Award" was awarded this year to Silco Fire & Security for its exceptional service to the restaurant community. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Silco provides fire protection and security products and services to homes and businesses alike. -- The Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) has awarded the Silco Fire & Security company the 2016 "Outstanding Purveyor Award." The award was presented at the ORA "Chairman's & Industry Awards Event" held July 9th this year at the White Castle headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1920 the ORA is an advocacy group for its members, and "... the only statewide organization with a full-time lobbyist and political advocacy program devoted exclusively to the foodservice industry..." according to the ORA website. Each year the ORA presents Industry Awards to members for distinguished careers and service in the foodservice industry, which includes the Outstanding Purveyor Award for being "a company recognized for its exceptional service to the restaurant community." "Not only is this award a great honor, it is testament to your company's commitment to the industry and the responsible stewardship you have exemplified throughout your years of service." says Bradie Berry, Director of Project Services for the ORA. Silco Fire & Security is a company that provides fire protection services and equipment, including fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, special hazard suppression systems, exit and emergency lighting, and restaurant fire suppression systems. Silco installs and services all of the above. In addition to fire safety related services, Silco provides security systems including video surveillance, access control, and intercom systems, for both homes and businesses. Silco also provides fire and security monitoring, and will monitor virtually any brand of fire and security alarms for businesses and homes. Four restaurateurs also received awards at the event: 1. Jeff Ruby of Jeff Ruby Restaurants, Cincinnati OH - Outstand Restauranteur Award 2. Scott Heimlich of Barcelona Restaurant & Sidecar Catering, Columbus, OH - Outstand Restaurateur Award 3. Val Voelker of Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern, Twinsburg, OH - Outstand Restaurateur Award 4. Dick Schuster of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, Sandusky, OH - Lifetime Achieving Award Said Silco company president David Fraser, regarding the award "The ORA is a great organization and resource for restaurants in Ohio. We are honored and humbled to receive this award." Fraser continued to say "Of all industries, the restaurant industry is among the highest risk for fire. We work closely with the ORA and its members to help educate and reduce risks from fire. We have an entire division at Silco dedicated to Restaurant Fire Protection." A family owned business based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Silco also has offices in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, and Akron. Silco can be contacted at: Silco Fire & Security 10765 Medallion Drive Cincinnati, Ohio 45241 (513) 733-5655 http://SilcoFS.com For more information, please visit http://silcofs.com/ Contact Info: Name: Jim Eastman Organization: Comtrex, LLC Address: 270 Northland Blvd Suite 209, Cincinnati Ohio 45246 Phone: 1 859 240 4987 Release ID: 130815 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) Primo Print launches Full Service EDDM Targeted Marketing Solution With new on-site mapping tools, businesses can target specific neighborhoods, mail routes, and zip codes, announces PrimoPrint.com -- Primo Print is proud to announce the launch of a full service Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) targeted marketing solution. With this new service, businesses target specific demographics, neighborhoods, mail routes and zip codes with saturation mailing to reach geographically selected leads. Printing, processing and delivery to the post office starts as low as 25 cents per piece including postage. "With the oversized postcard format, local businesses find Every Door Direct Mail to be an easy, cost-effective addition to their overall marketing plan. Traditional direct mail can be cumbersome and requires expensive, often outdated mail list which result is lower response rates that EDDM. In April of 2015 The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) reported that oversized mailers such as EDDM postcards achieved the highest response rates of all direct mail at 4.25%," Marc Levack, spokesperson for Primo Print explains. "EDDM has grown in popularity since it's introduction in 2011 but we have found that many business owners became dismayed with the paperwork, processing and time it would take to get their postcards to the post office," Levack continues. "We wanted to create a simple, cost-effective solution for the business owners that would simplify the process so that they could get back to doing what they do best, running their business." The new full-service EDDM solution from Primo Print allows the business owner to pick an in-mailbox date before selecting mail routes from a convenient on-site mapping tool with active demographic tools and pricing updates where the cost of the product and postage is displayed based on every route selection. After completing product and route selections Primo Print takes care of the printing, processing, paperwork, postage and delivery to the post office. "Multi-channel marketing needs to continue, with every door direct mail being a crucial component of the marketing strategy. When multiple channels are used, businesses find they reach more of the target audience. There's an old saying that for every ten no responses, a business will receive a yes. Make sure the person likely to say yes isn't overlooked, by using a multi-prong approach that includes direct mail," Levack continues. Not only Canada Post reports that the human brain is wired for non-digital communications, with direct mail ads requiring 21 percent less cognitive effort on the part of the recipient to process the information. Humans find it easier to understand direct mail, and this type of mailing tends to be more persuasive, especially when it appeals to multiple senses. "Keep the above information in mind when creating a marketing strategy and developing direct mailing products. The goal is to obtain the highest return on investment for the company's marketing efforts, and every door direct mail is of great help in achieving this goal. Contact us today to discuss your plans, and we'll work to ensure you accomplish what you are setting out to do," Levack states. About Primo Print: A highly recognized, reliable print source, Primo Print maintains nine production facilities across the United States to better serve clients. Known for its knowledgeable, friendly, US-based customer support, quality products and everyday low prices, Primo Print strives to be the one-stop solution for clients' printing needs. For more information, please visit https://www.primoprint.com/every-door-direct-mail-postcards Contact Info: Name: Marc Levack Organization: Primo Print Phone: (704) 837-7757 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/primo-print-launches-full-service-eddm-targeted-marketing-solution/130867 Release ID: 130867 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) The Plumbing Authority Launches Revamped Website Catering to Growing Community Added features and user-friendly design enhance the online customer experience, publishes theplumbingauthority.com -- According to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 12 percent increase in demand for plumbing services is predicted for the coming decade. This figure appears directly proportional to the Knoxville area's expected 38 percent population surge during the same time frame. This leaves local businesses in the field gearing up for the growing call for their services over next few years. As part of The Plumbing Authority's efforts to better cater to their expanding public, owner Bryan Dotson has launched the company's revamped website. Said Dotson, "We've been serving the area for decades, and we've already seen quite a bit of growth in our communities. Though we're a small company, we've been dedicated to providing our customers with the best service possible from the moment we first opened our doors. These days, many of our new customers develop their first impression of us based on what they find online, and we want that experience to be as hassle-free for them as our face-to-face encounters. Our new website is designed to be a direct reflection of our company." The company's new website is the result of collaborative efforts with Maverick Web Marketing. Newly implemented features include mobile-responsive design along with simplified navigation. Additionally, the site offers more in-depth information about the company as well as various aspects of the plumbing industry. Helpful tips and advice for both commercial and residential customers have likewise been incorporated. Based on The Plumbing Authority's Google Listing, customers have granted the company a five-star rating. Reviews from new and repeat customers alike tout technicians for their experience, knowledge, professionalism, courtesy and prompt response to service calls among other characteristics. Past accolades earned by the company include Better Business Bureau accreditation with an A+ rating as well as the Super Service Award from Angie's List. Concluded Dotson, "We're happy to see so many new businesses and residents coming into the area, and we're proud to be part of that growth. We encourage customers to browse Our Reviews and check out the various special offers we make available to home and business owners in the communities we serve. We've always been committed to quality and professionalism; our new website is simply the latest step in our goals of better serving our customers." About The Plumbing Authority: Providing a variety of plumbing services and repairs to residents of Knoxville, Tennessee and surrounding areas, The Plumbing Authority covers everything from residential and commercial new builds to remodels, repair work and emergency calls. For more information, please visit http://www.theplumbingauthority.com Contact Info: Name: Bryan Dotson Organization: The Plumbing Authority Phone: (865) 776-6406 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/the-plumbing-authority-launches-revamped-website-catering-to-growing-community/130900 Release ID: 130900 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) Thermalabs is Forging New Partnerships to Increase Market Reach Thermalabs is working to expand its global market reach. -- Cosmetics firm Thermalabs is working on new partnerships in an attempt to expand its global market reach. The company had earlier announced that it was pursuing new distribution channels to reach out to more customers outside its traditional market areas. This comes at a time when the company is working to increase its product portfolio. In the recent few weeks, the company has introduced at least six different products to the market. Thermalabs is a leading cosmetics firm based in the United States. The company works to promote healthy skin care practices, usually in line with its goal to combat skin cancer. Thermalabs opened its doors sometimes in 2013, introducing a premium tanning lotion known as the 'Original Self Tanner'. This was a natural and organic formulation that leveraged unique ingredients such as Olive Oil and Aloe Vera. It helped tanning fanatics acquire a beautiful, sun-kissed glow within just four hours. This was a real advantage especially considered that most of the competition's tanners required up to 6 hours to show the desired results. Thermalabs tanner also appeared to perform somewhat better compared to most other competing products. Most of this superiority could be attributed to the outstanding ingredients that the company used. The firm was also able to flex a powerful (if not ingenious) marketing muscle. Thermalabs used the success that it saw with its first product to create a launching pad for future releases. Most of the products that Thermalabs introduced within its first year in the market, including the likes of Glow2Go and the Ultimitt tan applicator mitt, have been all-time bestsellers on Amazon.com and other online shopping platforms. The company has today contributed at least 24 different products to the global cosmetics space. Most of these are tanning aids and accessories. In the recent past, Thermalabs appears to be working on a long-term segmentation strategy where different sub-brands (Supremasea, Tent World and Organic Healthcare) are set up to take over the marketing of different categories of products. This is a clear attempt at diversification that appears to have started bearing fruits for the company. Alex Howard, a marketing coordinator working at the firm, said, "Thermalabs is increasingly a force to reckon within the cosmetics industry. Our products and innovative approaches have created new baselines in this space. We are glad that our customers have stayed faithful in this journey since we got started some three years ago. Thermalabs success can be attributed (in part) to our ability to leverage organic and natural ingredients to create top-notch formulations. Although we have created various sub-brands to diversify our operations, we still see the need to engage in more partnership activity with the goal of reaching out to more customers. Soon, we will be announcing some of the agreements we are signing with other global firms." For more information, please visit http://www.thermalabs.com/home Contact Info: Name: Jennifer Parker Organization: Thermalabs Address: 450 West 58th Street New York, NY 10019 Phone: (877) 266-6257 Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcxFn_D9gsM Source: http://marketersmedia.com/thermalabs-is-forging-new-partnerships-to-increase-market-reach/130386 Release ID: 130386 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) Best Shopify Apps For Online Store Ecomisoft Ecommerce Bundle Service Launched Ecomisoft, a app bundle website for ecommerce business owners, has launched, offering businesses in any niche the chance to establish their presence online. Through a streamlined app buying service, users can boost their success with ease. -- A new Shopify app bundle site has launched giving users the chance to test and choose all the apps they would like to use online, ensuring they can spend more of their time building their business and making it a success. Called Ecomisoft, it was created by Matt Stefanito help business owners establish their ecommerce brands more easily, cutting the need for numerous fees and allowing businesses in any niche to harness the power of online marketing apps through one program. More information can be found on the Ecomisoft website at: http://ecomisoft.com. The site explains that the expert staff at Ecomisoft know how it feels for struggling business owners tired of spending all their money on apps just to try and get their business off the ground. Not only is the process of buying numerous apps time consuming, but it can eat into the profits of the business as well. Ecomisoft bundles together a large number of high quality apps for ecommerce businesses, offering users the chance to access them all for one monthly subscription. This is designed to fit clients' budgets, so they can boost their company's success without spending large amounts of money. Users will be able to choose from three different monthly plans when they sign up to Ecomisoft, all of which are designed to offer the ultimate in ecommerce store flexibility, allowing business owners to choose precisely the right option that's best for them. The site goes on to say that by using Ecomisoft, business owners will be able to make the most of a wide range of apps all from one source, which has one support desk for questions, helping to streamline the process. Users will be able to get all the apps they need to increase their profits instead of having to dig for the apps they need all over the Internet. Because of this, business owners can feel more in control of their online presence. The service also helps them to maximize their success by benefiting from case studies and real world strategies developed by expert marketers. A full list of features is provided on the Ecomisoft website. For more information, please visit http://ecomisoft.com Contact Info: Name: James Peterson Organization: Muncheye.com Release ID: 130882 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) New Phoenix Marketing Services at Small Biz Press Release Service Leveraging the power of big, established media brands brings the search engine world to attention. How many web based, lead-generation strategies have small business tried and failed with? Those interested in learning more can do so on the website at http://www.smallbizpressreleaseservice.com/ -- Phoenix Small Businesses looking for the latest Marketing services now can purchase Press Release Writing and Distribution Services with Small BIZ Press Release Service. Today Peter M Deeley Jr. releases details of the new Press Release Services Service's development. The company site is found here: http://www.smallbizpressreleaseservice.com/ The Press Release Services are designed to appeal specifically to small business increasing their exposure to future clients and includes: The Press Release distribution service was included because search results dominated by too few players. This service comes from a small business seeking to help other small businesses. These Press Releases will leverage power normally associated with big brands for small businesses seeking exposure to targeted clients. The Press Writing Service was made part of the service, since not everybody has the time, interest, or ability to craft effective media pieces. Customers who invest in the service should enjoy this feature because this Press Release Writing Service makes this a "turn-key" process allowing business owners to enjoy the benefits of excellent marketing service without learning entirely new skill sets - such as effective copywriting. Leveraging the power of big, established media brands brings the search engine world to attention. How many web based, lead-generation strategies have small business tried and failed with? This service brings a level of attention on Google previously inaccessible to small businesses. When a business is not located on Google's front page, their presence on the search engine has little value. Nobody scrolls into the second third, fourth pages of search results. Getting near the top of those searches is the only way to monetize your web-lead generation efforts. Peter M Deeley Jr., when asked about the Press Release Services Service said: "Small Biz Press Release Service is a small business. Small businesses juggle an enormous number of competing priorities. This service will over-deliver value for clients without demanding a great deal of time to manage." This is the latest offering from Peter M Deeley Jr. is important because Deeley feels: "growing small businesses is key to the health of the country. Professional and financial success play vital roles in everybody's happiness. It is key part of the business' mission to assist people in the fulfillment of their dreams.. Those interested in learning more Press Release Services can do so on the website at http://www.smallbizpressreleaseservice.com/ For more information, please visit http://www.smallbizpressreleaseservice.com/ Contact Info: Name: Peter Deeley Organization: A Well Run Life Address: 3160 S. Gilbert Rd. #5 Phone: 6027177458 Release ID: 130974 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. Towrys head of investment Andrew Wilson is to leave the company this year following its takeover by wealth management rival Tilney Bestinvest. Towry has confirmed Mr Wilson has decided to leave the business in order to pursue new opportunities. The investment boss has spent 22 years at the company, joining in 1994 when it was called John Scott & Partners. Tilney announced back in April that it had purchased Towry for 600m as it looked to offer a wider range of services for clients. A spokeswoman from Towry said Mr Wilson will remain with the company for some months to help ensure a smooth integration with Tilney. She said Mr Wilson has made a considerable contribution since joining the business. As the firm is currently in a HR consultation process around the integration, it was unable to confirm the details of the future structure of the central investment team. The merger of the two businesses began last month, and Tilney Bestinvest managing director of business development and communications Jason Hollands said clients should not notice any difference. Tilney has also recently reshuffled its investment team, with Julius Baers managing director Alan Edwards taking over as head of investment management for England. Earlier this week, the firm announced it had promoted Miles Robinson to head of investment management in London, and last year it hired former Signia Wealth managing director, Martin King. katherine.denham@ft.com European regulation, dying clients and lost pension pots: this is the week in news in post-Brexit Britain. The news engines are not quite firing on all cylinders yet, but they are certainly showing signs of life after the summer. 1) Advisers good will shows the best side of financial services can prevail A financial adviser has been providing pro-bono help to a man who lost nine tenths of his pension savings after being recommended to invest in high-risk assets. Neil Liversidges client had been contacted by a company which claimed to be working for the UK government to improve pensions. This company then passed his details on to Blueinfinitas, a financial adviser based in Weston-super-Mare, which, until January, had been FCA regulated. According to documents seen by Financial Adviser, Blueinfinitas recommended that the client transfer his stakeholder pension worth nearly 80,000 into a self-invested personal pension (Sipp). Some of his money went into blue chip equities such as Vodafone, Tesco and BAE Systems, but the majority more than 73,000 was invested in a range of assets Mr Liversidge described as interesting. These included 19,238 in a five-year bond issued by St Lucia property developer Affinity Global Developments and another 19,355 in Goldcrest, a company looking to develop gold mines in Ghana. The largest investment of 34,465 was made into Auhua Clean Energy. 2) Politicians rebel to stand in the way of EU regulation The European Parliaments Economic and Monetary Affairs (Econ) Committee has voted to halt the progress of the Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (Priips) legislation, scheduled to come into force at the end of this year. The commitee backed a vote to reject the Priips delegated act because it proposes that past performance figures be replaced with future performance scenarios. Asset managers have previously campaigned against the change, and MEPs supported them, with UK MEP Syed Kamall said introducing future performance projections ran the risk that investors would not realise they could lose money. 3) Pension freedoms fail to liberate adviser to carry out clients wishes Restrictive pension transfer rules post-freedoms have meant a client in ill-health has lost out on a favourable annuity rate after a request to transfer could not be processed in time. Julian Pruggmayer, sole trader at Financial Risk Management, applied in May on behalf of his client for a transfer of an old defined benefits (DB) scheme, which had no guaranteed annuity rate attached to it and it has still not gone through. The client, Tony Potts, who is in his late 60s and has type two diabetes and high blood pressure, asked Mr Pruggmayer whether he could transfer this old pension of 42,000 into his existing pension, with a view to taking out an impaired lives annuity. Mercer stopped the transfer from going ahead because of new pension freedom rules meaning the transfer had to be signed of by a specialist, despite the fact it had been. A preserved heart found at La Pedraja in Burgos. Serrulla et al. In the end, your heart and mine will be shipwrecked in an ocean of bones, wrote Miguel Hernandez to his wife in 1937 from a trench during the Spanish Civil War. Almost 80 years later, the poet's prediction came true when forensic anthropologist Fernando Serrulla was called to La Pedraja in Burgos, site of one of the biggest mass graves of the conflict, where brains been found preserved inside victims' skulls, along with a heart that stopped beating in 1936. When I arrived at the grave, I was astounded. I have been working as a pathologist for 30 years and I have never seen anything like it, says Serrulla, who is based at the Galician Institute of Legal Medicine. They found 45 brains in the grave, two of which still contained the bullets that killed them Between July and November 1936, the forces of General Francisco Franco buried 104 corpses in this mass grave. In a neighboring site, they buried 31 more. The dead were young men and women who supported the Republic Franco had set out to destroy. They were arrested in nearby villages Briviesca, Miranda de Ebro and Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The blue shirts picked them off the streets and imprisoned them. Then, in the so-called clearances, they loaded them onto trucks, drove them to the hillside and put a bullet through their heads. Eighty years later, 45 brains and one heart are still intact. This is the only such case we know of, says Francisco Etxeberria, the pathologist in charge of La Pedrajas exhumation, an emotional operation carried out by the Aranzadi Society of Science, which has carried out more than 100 exhumations across Spain. Located on the Camino de Santiago, La Pedraja has proved the most revealing. There are even two brains that still contain the bullet that killed them, says Etxeberria. Exhumacion de la fosa de La Pedraja en 2010. Aranzadi The unique preservation of the brains and the heart at La Pedraja has a scientific explanation. According to Serrulla, whose findings have been published in Science and Justice magazine, the grave was dug in watertight clay soil with a high acid content and the summer of 1936 was cold and wet. The grave was like a swimming pool, he says. Most of the bodies had a bullet in the neck and the water seeped into the skull. Water does not allow the growth of the microbes that trigger decomposition. So the fatty brains were saponified and turned to soap. Now stored in a refrigerated chamber at the Verin Hospital in Ourense, the organs still feel greasy and are only one sixth of their original size, reduced from a kilo and a half to the equivalent of half an apple. This is the biggest and best preserved collection of saponified brains in the world, says Serrulla. The executioners wanted to eliminate their victims and stamp out their enemies. But they could not get rid of their ideas, nor their brains. The executioners wanted to eliminate their victims and stamp out their enemies. But they could not get rid of their ideas, nor their brains, says Fernando Serrulla. One of the 45 preserved brains from La Pedraja. Serrulla et al. Rafael Martinez Moro, a public works contractor, was among those shot and buried in La Pedraja. He was killed on October 3, 1936, when he was 44. His crime was to be president of Briviescas Socialist Association in a town with a population of 3,500. His was one of 15 bodies that DNA evidence helped to identify, while the owner of the heart has remained anonymous. Martinez Moros son, Rafael Martinez Martinez, was 14 when his father was killed; he was more than 90 years old when he stood by the grave alongside the children and siblings of the other victims and watched his body be exhumed,. It is not fair to say you should forget they killed your father as Mariano Rajoy suggested, said Miguel Angel Martinez Movilla, grandson of Martinez Moro and representative of the Association of the Victims Relatives in Pedraja. An architect based in Briviesca, Martinez Movilla recalls how the Aranzadi team unearthed personal items that had become mixed up with bones gold teeth, glasses, coats and a wallet. And then suddenly the first brain turned up, he says. It was intensely emotional for the relatives that were there. Rafael Martinez Moro, one of the victims of La Pedraja Coleccion familiar Examined under the microscope, the brains still show structures related to the nervous system. And a preliminary study suggests one suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage an injury that often follows a blow to the head during life. We have never had evidence before of traumas preceding death, says Serrulla. This indicates the use of torture. Serrulla recalls that the UN rapporteur Pablo de Greiff urged Mariano Rajoys Government to lift the Amnesty Law of 1977 and investigate crimes carried out by Franco's forces during the Civil War. Should that ever happen, the brains found in La Pedraja could be used as evidence. Serrulla and Etxeberria both mention the fact that while 2,200 mass graves from the Civil War have been located, only 300 have been exhumed, disinterring 7,000 victims. That is 7,000 out of 114,000 missing, a figure that puts Spain second only to Cambodia in terms of victims whose remains have never been found, according to Judges for Democracy. Rafael Martinez Martinez, with a photo of his father by his fathers remains. Oscar Rodriguez While De Greiff asked the Spanish Government to make it state policy to locate and open the mass graves from the Civil War, the government of Prime Minister Rajoy abolished financial help for the families of Franco's victims. The exhumation at La Pedraja has been financed by relatives and a grant of around 150,000 from Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapateros Socialist Party administration. But Miguel Angel Martinez Movilla, says that the search for his grandfather and the other bodies found in La Pedraja started long before 2010. We began to meet on this hillside in 1975, he recalls the year Franco died. They knew the bodies had been buried in the vicinity, approximately 10 km from the archaeological site of Atapuerca. There, in those caves in 1975, the authorities were pouring money into exhuming human remains that were hundreds of thousands of years old. It is curious how much was spent on Atapuerca and the scant resources invested in finding the bodies of those killed 80 years ago, whose children and siblings are still alive and who have been searching for them in the ditches, says Martinez Movilla. English version by Heather Galloway. Sell in May and return on St Legers Day - this used to be the old investment adage but advisers and fund managers have suggested anyone doing this will have been wrong-footed. According to Jason Hollands, managing director of communications at TilneyBestinvest, it would have been right to be sceptical of the old adage that investors should sell in May and come back to the markets in September. He commented: Anyone dogmatically following such an approach this year will have been badly wrong footed. For despite many observers and professional investors including ourselves - being cautious in our 2016 outlook and a rocky start to the year which began with Chinese markets nosediving and a bloody rout for commodities, the summer returns from stock markets have been surprisingly buoyant. With equities currently at the upper end of their trading range and valuations generally high, now was a good time to trim back Ryan Paterson While in recent months many investors have been ditching equities in favour of defensive assets such as gold and absolute return funds, the stock markets have seemingly brushed aside Brexit, party political upheavals, terrorist attacks in Europe, an attempted coup in Turkey and the most extraordinary US Presidential campaign in living memory. He pointed to strong performance from the FTSE 100 index of UK blue-chip companies. This surged 10 per cent from a closing level on 29 April of 6,241 points to 6,868 at the end of August. However, he said investors should not breathe a sigh of collective relief as there could be more volatility on its way, but nor should they assume the gains from the UK are over. Indeed, in a survey of advisers by FTAdviser Advantage, 71 per cent believed investors should return to and add to their UK exposure, with some strong gains expected over the autumn. Only 29 per cent believed investors would remain shy of UK equity markets, given anticipated volatility and the effects of the US election on the horizon. Some believe now is the time to lock in returns. Thesis Asset Management has cut its exposure to UK equities in light of recent market conditions across six of its seven-strong range of model portfolios. Ryan Paterson, research manager at Thesis, said the decision to reduce exposure was down to confidence in UK equities moderating somewhat as uncertainty looks to persist in the UK for some time. He commented: With equities currently at the upper end of their trading range and valuations generally high, now was a good time to trim back. The hangover from the referendum is yet to be felt, reduced business investment and likely slower pace of hiring is still to come. While some are locking in the strong returns, other investors who sold ahead of the June vote and waited to return will have lost out on the gains over July and August - especially those who headed into cash just as the Bank of England cut base rates to 0.25 per cent. When my own employer offered us 1,000 per person towards independent financial advice as the Financial Times switched ownership and therefore pension scheme, I thought this was a great idea. It showed the company valued its staffs concerns about the pension scheme changes and were committed to helping us make the best individual decisions. Although way back in the past (think 1999 and then in 2002) I had nice defined benefit pensions, I left these well alone and they have been deferred until my retirement. Since then Ive had four defined contribution (DC) pensions schemes (Scottish Equitable, Aegon, Friends Life and now Zurich). My idea was to combine all these four DC pensions into one, with Zurich. To this extent, I sought the advice of a pensions adviser, letting him know upfront I had 1,000 to play with. I carried out my own Finametrica risk profile (correctly guessing upfront I was a 5.4 on the Risk-tor Scale). I sought all the requisite information from the various providers. Im all for paying for an adviser to do for me what I just dont want to have to do myself Eventually after some chasing it became clear the love was one-sided. I was advised (for free) to get Zurich to do it for me because as they were all DC pensions, post-freedoms it would be possible for the provider to do it all. Maybe 1,000 wasnt enough for the paperwork involved. Maybe Zurich could do it for nowt. Maybe it would be easier to get the provider to sort it out, if I provided the proper documentation. The problem is, six months later, I still havent moved all my various pots. Ive got 54,000 sitting in these various DCs and havent had the time or, honestly, the motivation to get this sorted out. What I wanted was someone to do it for me, especially as the money would be coming from my company and not out of my savings. This is exactly the reason I pay an accountant 300 to do my tax returns each year. I make barely any money from my freelance work - less than 5,000 a year - but I still have to fill in a long self-assessment form, sort out all my shares, investments, charitable giving, etc etc. Last year was the first year I asked an accountant to help me out. It was like a burden had been lifted. I just had to give him my box file of financial information for 2014-2015, and he got it done in minute detail. I had no subsequent letter from Messrs Tax Grabbit and Fine (HMRC) telling me Id either over paid or under paid. Two years ago, HMRC told me theyd overcharged me 600, and paid this sum into my account. Later that year, it wrote again asking for it back. Evidently the Jim Henson Workshop is missing some of its characters and theyre working in Whitehall. The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry! Here are just a few of the many, many positions being advertised right now. Location: Bend, Oregon Sony Bend Studio, the creator of Days Gone, Syphon Filter and Uncharted: Golden Abyss, is looking for top talent to join our in passionate team in creating a new AAA PlayStation 4 exclusive. Help drive and contribute to the technical development of characters and animation for AAA products with a specialized focus on creating character rigging methods, animation tools, and pipelines. Responsibilities: Develop character rigs and skeletons that meet the technical limitations of game engines while insuring the characters movements look as realistic as possible Develop and implement skinning methods to achieve realistic deformation for faces, bodies, and clothes, including the creation of tools and scripts to assist in completing these tasks quickly and efficiently during production Develop animation tools to assist in the creation of character animation and motion capture clean up, using layers, blends, FK and IK setups, etc. Develop tools and methods for synchronizing character animations with object animations in game Develop methods for animating character attachments like props, cloth, and hair procedurally and through baking out animations from character rigs Work directly with animation programmers to implement all in-game animations defined by the game design and within technical limitations Take on a leadership role within the art team. This entails: contributing to schedule management needs, providing guidance to support the diplomatic resolution of complex problems, providing input on team performance reviews, facilitating career coaching, and training and mentoring other technical artists in developing advanced technical skills and artistic abilities Keep aware of industry trends and technical techniques, evaluate competitive products, and determine areas we can improve or innovate. Communicate innovations in a convincing way and collaborate with the leadership team to develop plans for implementation Provide input on the technical methods used to achieve the artistic goals and vision through all phases of the game development cycle from pre-production through final product release. This entails ensuring all animated events are of the highest technical quality and uphold the integrity of the games design and artistic vision as a whole Serve as a technical resource for all phases of production and other studio art and technical needs. This includes, but is not limited to: conducting general research, developing cutting-edge tools and techniques, and testing new systems or tools. Provide training, transmit industry related information, and convey concerns in a constructive way by providing solutions to those concerns Independently undertake research and information gathering prior to the commencement of a new task to ensure game design needs, reference materials, artistic direction, and technological considerations are all effectively managed to meet the defined goals Qualifications Highly proficient in Mel scripting, object rigging, and skinning both mechanical and organic assets. Some knowledge of Python, Java, C++, and max scripting is a plus. Highly proficient in the use of 3D animation software to create animation rigs, skin characters, and do animation testing. This requires mastery of 3D software and the ability to analyze photos, videos, and concept art reference to help achieve the desired quality of character animation and deformation Knowledge of Havok for rag doll, cloth, and hair setup is a plus Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal Strong time management and project management skills Strong data management skills, with the ability to manage and track large amounts of data as they go through the art pipeline with attention to naming conventions, directory structures, and other processes Extensive portfolio with examples of current, hands-on work, including: object animation (both mechanical and organic), use of Havok and other physics-based tools, and tools and scripts used to assist in the creation of object animation, rigging, and setup Some previous or next-gen video game platform experience is desirable (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360) Minimum 5 years game art production or film-related experience required; 8-10 years preferred Minimum 2 years post-high school education or training required; Masters degree and/or professional certification preferred Does this sound like a job you're interested in? Apply here! Location: San Francisco, CA Look, Tim said I could basically write whatever I want here, so Im going to be honest with you. Being a level designer is an amazing jobyou get to assemble, populate, and orchestrate a tiny world, full of its own inhabitants, stories, and amazing places to discover. You get to play with a huge toy box of models, characters, enemies, objects, and interactions to construct a pocket universe and, often, you get to help make a bunch of new toys that are needed for the fantastic ideas that you and the rest of your level team came up with. You get to make moments and places that people will remember for the rest of their lives. At Double Fine, were just getting started on Psychonauts 2 and were giving level designers the biggest toy box imaginable to play withthe HUMAN MIND. Were looking for a Lead Level Designer with wild creativity and technical acumen to help us imagine the best, most inventive, most mind-bending mental landscapes possible & manage a small Level Design team to design, layout, build, script, test, polish, and ship them. Responsibilities: Serve as the projects key expert and advocate for the art and craft of 3D level design. Bring creative inspiration, new ideas, process, and problem solving to the projects levels and overall design through inspiration and expertise from inside and outside of games. Collaborate with the Creative Director, Lead Designer, and other disciplines to set, document, and communicate the core direction, design values, and quality bar for all level design on the project and ensure these are in harmony with the projects creative goals, narrative, and themes. Collaborate with other leads to design, document, and administer the level design workflow, including defining key developmental milestones, interdepartmental approvals, technical standards, and design metrics and standards. Help to scope and schedule level design work and take direct ownership of the timeliness and quality of the final work. Use a variety of written, visual, and interactive tools to communicate and document design direction, new ideas, core principles, and critical feedback in a clear, actionable, goal-oriented way to other disciplines, all all levels of experience. Direct management of the Level Design staff, including hiring, career development, tasking and scheduling. Particular focus on strong mentorship, building trust, empowering creative expression, and creating an environment that values continuous improvement in communication, process, and creative output. Work directly on an individual level team to create polished, memorable, narrative-driven 3D game levels to serve as pilot content demonstrating the quality level and direction for the rest of the game. Lead or participate in interdisciplinary groups to design, implement, and polish level-specific gameplay features, such as unique player mechanics, bosses, and level-specific enemies. Drive internal feedback process for levels through formal reviews and internal / external playtests. Digest and prioritize feedback into actionable plans for improvement. Act as a primary client for internal level design tools. Work with programmers to design, test, and drive tools and workflow improvements to empower the Level Design staff. Maintain an expert level knowledge of the current state and trends in regards to project genre, tools, and competing games. Conduct regular research into past and present games and game productions to inform current project goals and process. Requirements: Desires in a highly-iterative, collaborative, creatively-lead development environment. Experience and interest in working on narrative-driven games, with a strong focus in interactive / visual storytelling through level design and gameplay. At least five years of game development experience across at least two shipped titles as a level designer. Demonstrated proficiency with one or more current 3D game engines, scripting languages, and 3D authoring/editing tools. Deep understanding of the game market and ability to think about, dissect , and discuss games from a critical perspective. Advanced written English and creative writing skills Able to work autonomously, alone or in groups, when empowered with clear direction and trust. Solid, demonstrated ability designing, tuning, and balancing gameplay and levels for current generation console games. Demonstrated ability to define and drive design process in a group setting, including giving, receiving, and internalizing critical feedback, running creative meetings, and remaining open to new ideas and challenges. Pluses: Prior experience in a lead / management role. Background or experience in fine art, writing, music, or other creative discipline. Experience as a level designer on 3D platform games. Experience as a designer on narrative-driven games. Experience with Unreal 4 on a shipped game. Experience with high level programming languages. Due to the immediate nature of this position and current government employment-visa sponsorship restrictions, we are unable to consider foreign candidates. Sound good? Apply now! Location: Wellington, New Zealand Magic Leap is an eclectic group of visionaries, rocket scientists, wizards, and gurus from the fields of film, robotics, visualization, software, computing, and user experience. We are growing quickly, and this is the time to get on board and play a role in shaping the way people will be interacting with the world tomorrow. Job Description We are looking for an exceptionally talented 3D Artist to join our growing team in New Zealand and help us build the ultimate robot disintegrating science fiction experience. This role will be hired as part of the collaboration between Weta Workshop and Magic Leap. The ideal candidate will have experience modeling and texturing assets for a diverse visual range of environments and requirements, as well as a solid grasp of form, color and light in relation to 3D art assets. You should be well-versed in industry standard development tools such Maya and Photoshop, and any additional skills you possess in areas such as asset animation/rigging, concept art and game level set-dressing would also be a highly regarded. We are making something incredible; Do you have the art skills we need to pull it off? Responsibilities Conceptualise, prototype and create a wide range of visually compelling, engine performant 3D assets for Dr. Grordborts Invaders Work directly with level teams to populate and dress game levels and story sets within nontraditional spaces and configurations Take high-level written or verbal concepts and be able to visualise them quickly and clearly Actively participate in frequent reviews, retrospectives, and task planning sessions Respond to art asset requests from external teams and studios Help maintain the current game asset library, and provide optimisation suggestion where applicable Requirements Expert knowledge of Photoshop and Maya, with experience in modeling and texturing assets for games Ability to conceptualise thematically consistent assets and take them from initial concept right through to in-engine implementation Working proficiency with Unity, Substance Suite, ZBrush and basic C# scripting knowledge would be beneficial, but is not essential Additional Information All your information will be kept confidential according to Equal Employment Opportunities guidelines. Interested? Apply now! About the Gamasutra Job Board Whether you're just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what's out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers. Gamasutra's Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A. Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here. The Pirate Bay Latest News & Update: Torrentz Clone Torrent Site Rises Following Kickass Fold The search for alternative torrent sites continues following the demise of Kickass Torrents and Torrentz just recently. The Pirate Bay has managed to keep itself up but with the rampant take-down of various sites, the fight against piracy seems to be gaining ground. Knowing however that there are still a lot of torrent hosting sites to cover, completely ridding the Internet of torrents is a daunting task. Making it harder is the fact that some sites simply refuse to die. The Pirate Bay is a clear example. The site has had its share of brush-ins with the law and yet it somehow manages to pop up from somewhere. Pinpointing how the people behind them continue to be a cat-and-mouse game and some sites could be using that as motivation. Rise of a Clone Torrentz may be out but a clone has reportedly risen from the ashes. This is with reference to Torrentzeu.to which may be existing on borrowed time. The hunt may at some point reach the new site though its sudden coming could pave the way for other sites to follow. United States Library of Congress illegally hosting torrents soon? While most prowl the web for alternatives, there could be an interesting torrent hosting site popping up soon. And all of it will be hosted uncannily at a place where illegal downloads could be the last thing that would come to mind the United States Library of Congress. According to Torrentfreak, the setup could technically be illegal despite the fact that a certain process would be followed for copyrighted music and videos among others. The steps would include artists publishing copyrighted work where two copies would be submitted to the Library of Congress. Once all those are fulfilled, the public can gain access securely though it may be more of a streaming manner. The procedure of doing so will be critical and would require close scrutiny. Some groups like the RIAA have already shown dismay on the changes in publishing requirements, citing devastating impacts to member company revenues. MacBook Pro 2016 Release Date, News & Update: Fans Still Praying For Laptop Debut On September 7, Apple Watch 2 Confirmed? With the upcoming Apple event to be held at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco believed to be set for the iPhone 7, there could be some other Apple products emerging. That includes potentially the Apple Watch 2 and the companys array of operating systems (i.e. iOS 10, macOS Sierra, watchOS 3) among others. The MacBook Pro 2016 has long been rumored as possible though there are some who believe this will not happen. Much of that was covered in a previous post where the main point was attention. The last thing that Apple needs right now is to host folks whose attention will be divided on the iPhone 7 and the MacBook Pro 2016 but that hasnt quashed rumors of the much-awaited laptops appearance in San Francisco. Dousing hopes of the MacBook Pro 2016 faithful With that said, the wise money points to a Fall release, a consolation that assures Apple loyalists that there is a refreshed MacBook Pro 2016 on the way. Bloomberg had reported that the MacBook Pro 2016 will likely debut in the Fall alongside a new iMac and possibly a MacBook Air. One thing that these Apple products will boast of is 5K display, a result of Apples collaboration with LG. Aside from that, there could be a new standalone display monitor in the mix sporting 5K display which technically hints at a 5K-happy year-ending product launch on the end of the Apple. With that crop in mind, it makes sense to hold off the MacBook Pro 2016 and save it for the coming months. Apple already has a lot on its plate with a minimally refreshed flagship which doesnt have immediate tie-ups with the Apple laptop clan. The Apple Watch 2 makes a lot of sense since it does integrate with the iPhone 7/ 7 Plus so the whole thing can be considered a tactical maneuver. With the Cupertino company wanting to check its sales skid, this could be a great ploy to arrest its faltering fortunes. Doctor Who Season 10 Air Date, Spoilers, News & Update: A Wedding On Christmas Next Season? Cast, Location, Plot Details Revealed "Doctor Who" Season 10 release date won't be happening until next year. But that's not stopping fans of the hit BBC series from speculating on what the next season could bring. The latest of these rumors were caused by some "Doctor Who" cast who were seen in a prime British location prompting rumors of what next season's plot could be. 'Doctor Who' Cast Spotted At Kings Weston House Eagle-eyed observers spotted the "Doctor Who" cast and crew filming at a well known-venue in Bristol. This then lead some to speculate that a party of some kind could be featured in the upcoming "Doctor Who" Season 10 of the series. The venue chosen by the "Doctor Who" Season 10 cast and crew is none other than Kings Weston House in Bristol, according to Bristol Post. The house is quite grand, impressive and old. Built in the early 18th century, it also boasts of spacious grounds as well as various outbuildings. Somebody even managed to photograph "Doctor Who" Season 10 cast members Peter Capaldi, who plays Doctor Who in the series, along with his new assistant in the show, actress Pearl Mackie. The photo was posted on Instagram with the caption "Just met Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie on the set of doctor who!" Will There Be A Wedding In "Doctor Who" Season 10? Now the speculations begin. Will there be a wedding when "Doctor Who" Season 10 air date arrive? This is actually a very logical speculation to make. Apparently, Kings Weston House is a very popular wedding venue in the Bristol area which prompted some to assume that indeed, the series could feature somebody's wedding when "Doctor Who" Season 10 releases next year. "Doctor Who" Season 10 To Have A Christmas Party? On the other hand, some people speculation a more festive occasion to unfold with the arrival of "Doctor Who" Season 10 air date. Some offer that next season could feature a christmas party that would be set in the Kings Weston House. This speculation was started by locals who were present in the actual location. According to these fans, the front of the Kings Weston House was covered with fake snow, hence the association with Christmas and parties due to the location. Let's see if these "Doctor Who" Season 10 rumors. "Doctor Who" Season 10 Release Date Unfortunately, fans have to wait a long time to find out what really happens next season. According to Den of Geek, "Doctor Who" Season 10 release date is slated for spring next year while a one episode Christmas Special will air on Dec 25. Stay tuned to GamenGuide for more "Doctor Who" Season 10 spoilers, news and update! Health officials said the local coronavirus outlook remained stable this week, though they continued to warn against a potential winter surge. Volunteers receive instructions before heading out on the search. Xoan Rey (EFE) Authorities in the small coastal village of A Pobra do Caraminal, in Spain's northwestern region of Galicia, have been swamped by offers from volunteers to help find an 18-year-old woman who has been missing for almost two weeks. Diana Quer, a resident of Madrid who was on holiday at a family home there, has not been seen since the early hours of August 22 after attending a local fiesta in the largely rural area with friends. Investigators are not ruling out any possibility, including that the teen may have left voluntarily after a family dispute. So far no clues have turned up in the area where she went missing. I am quite downcast, sad and devastated Diana Quer's mother More than 100 nearby residents have so far signed up to look for signs of Diana. On Thursday, 33 people were selected for the first patrol, which will search under the supervision of the Civil Guard. Volunteers fanned out at 9am after receiving basic training in search operations, and began combing the hills of Barbanza, the area located around A Pobra do Caraminal. The response to the local authorities call for help has been overwhelming, said A Pobra Mayor Xose Lois Pineiro. Some people even offered their private drones to expand the search area, but these were finally turned down. For our part, we will do everything in our power to ensure this girl turns up as soon as possible so that we can give this story a happy ending and to maintain our villages good name, said the mayor. 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. Local restaurant and bar owners have pledged to provide food and drinks for the volunteers. Twelve days after Diana Quer disappeared, no physical evidence has emerged of her likely whereabouts, or whether she is dead or alive. A new twist In a further twist to the story, Dianas mother has lost custody of her younger daughter Valeria after a court ruled against her earlier this week. I am sad and devastated, but have faith in God said Diana Lopez-Pinel in statements to Spanish news agency Europa Press. But the girls father, Juan Carlos Quer, told media the courts decision unfortunately comes very late. Diana and Valerias parents divorced four years ago, and neighbors have said that the mother and daughters often had loud arguments at home. Investigators have ruled out an early theory that Diana may have been assaulted by a man on her way home after it emerged that she had sent a Whatsapp message to a friend saying I am getting really scared. A gypsy guy has called out to me. The man has since been located, questioned and dismissed as a suspect. The family has insisted throughout this time that Diana is being held against her will, while rejecting the term kidnapping. English version by Susana Urra. ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation. RASPBERRY (razbere) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer. We hereby deliver: ROSES to the Labor Day weekend, the last chance to blow out of town to check off the last items on your summer of 2016 bucket list. But RASPBERRIES to estimates that this Labor Day weekend could be the deadliest on the nation's highways since 2008. The National Safety Council, the congressionally chartered nonprofit that tracks these matters, said it's estimating that 438 people will die in fatal auto wrecks over the holiday weekend, which officially begins today. That Labor Day estimate is right in line with an alarming trend in U.S. auto fatalities: The council reported earlier this month that traffic fatalities for the first six months of 2016 were running 9 percent ahead of the same period last year. The raw numbers are startling: 19,100 people were killed on U.S. roads from January to June of this year. To add a bit of macabre perspective, that's about four times the population of Philomath. (And this doesn't even mention the 2.2 million people seriously injured in traffic wrecks during that same period.) In this matter, Oregon is among the nation's leaders: Fatal wrecks in this state since 2014 have increased by 70 percent. (Only Vermont boasts a higher percentage increase, at 87 percent.) Some of this increase was expected, as Americans took advantage of a recovering economy and low gas prices and hit the road; as the miles driven increase, so too do the number of accidents. But the increase in wrecks far outstrips the increase in miles driven, so something else is going on. No one knows for sure, but our guess is that the increase in wrecks corresponds with an increase in distracted driving. Our vehicles are safer than ever before, but we also have invented any number of devices that can distract us as we drive. And it's not as if we need to invent any more ways to make critical mistakes while driving: Estimates are that 94 percent of fatal wrecks are the result of some kind of driver error. As you begin the final road trip of the summer of 2016, keep these numbers in mind. And don't do anything that will add to this collection of distressing statistics. ROSES and a fond farewell to Gene Wilder, who died this week at the age of 83. There always was a twinkle of mischief in Wilder's eyes in his best film roles, starting with his 1967 film debut in "Bonnie and Clyde" (not a bad movie to have as your debut). That mischief served him well in what likely remains his best-known role, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," which still has a surprisingly dark edge to it. And it was an essential part of his groundbreaking work with longtime colleague Mel Brooks. It's hard to remember what a subversive piece of filmmaking "Blazing Saddles" was back in 1974; it's also hard to imagine "Young Frankenstein," arguably Brooks' best movie (and also released in 1974), without Wilder. Wilder once had this assessment of his work: "I'm not so funny. Gilda (Radner, his wife, who died in 1989) was funny. I'm funny on camera sometimes. In life, once in a while. Once in a while." That's way too harsh. Our guess is that people will be watching Wilder on film for many years to come and will reach a much more charitable conclusion. RASPBERRIES, as always, to scam artists who try to take advantage of our most charitable instincts. It seems like this has been a quiet summer for scams, but that's an illusion: These con artists always are out there working for a quick score at the expense of a frightened, confused victim. A reader told us this week that she had been recently targeted by that old scam in which you get a call from someone who purports to be your grandchild. The "grandchild" says he or she is in jail and needs some cash; in this week's variation, the "grandchild" wants the victim to speak with an "attorney," who presumably needs to get some cash. We say "presumably," because the call this week never got to that point; our reader quickly determined that the caller didn't know the names of any of her actual grandkids and hung up. And that's what you should do if you get one of these calls. These scam artists are skilled at keeping you on the line, but don't feel bad about being rude. Just hang up. And then call your local law enforcement agency. ROSES, with a side dish of ivy, to the second year of an effort to control invasive plants at Takena Landing. The city of Albany has again partnered with Goat Power, a Goldendale, Washington company, to bring down a herd of about 60 goats to munch on the ivy so that native plants will get more room to grow. (Another invasive plant, water primrose, is also targeted in the effort.) Ivy is slowly strangling the trees along the river and crowding out native plants such as sword fern and Oregon grape. But the goats, working behind an electric fence, will eat 150 or 200 pounds of greenery each day. The goats' efforts last year at Takena made a noticeable difference, Albany officials said, and great things are expected from them this year as well. This is the second year of a three-year effort, funded by a $260,000 grant through the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. It's great this project return for his second year, but here's a cautionary note: Stay away from the herd. In addition to that electric fence, the animals often have poison oak on their bodies. For the goats, that's no big deal. For you, it might be a different story. Help deliver Thanksgiving To the Editor: Since 1996, our family has coordinated a program in which we provide the fixings for families in need to make their own Thanksgiving dinner and deliver full... Vote for future To the Editor: Newday has endorsed Kathy Hochul and Chuck Schumer. If that doesn't frighten everyone, it should. They will continue wasteful spending (therefore our taxes will have... Cart before the horse To the Editor: On page 8 of last weeks Garden City News, a submission by the St. Pauls Committee appears in which the Committee criticizes FDEM for failing to appear... 5 minutes to midnight To the Editor: It Is 5 Minutes To 12. The coming mid-term election on November 8th is of utmost importance and may change our country make-up for ever. Thus, you... We recently came across this article about a floating island in Argentina that rotates. Producer and film director Sergio Neuspiller discovered it when filming in the area and has since started a Kickstarter to raise funds to investigate it further. See the Kickstarter promotion video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfmYEZ8FVAM The island is visible in Google Earth imagery and has been in existence since at least 2003, the date of the oldest Google Earth image of the location. Here is an animation showing how it moves over time: It is fairly obvious what is happening (no, its not an alien base as some have suggested). When you have a floating island and a water current that flows along one side of it, it will naturally rotate and become circular over time, as well as carving out a circular hole. The phenomenon is quite rare, because the conditions must be just right. Floating islands of plants are themselves quite rare, but in addition, it requires a current, though a fairly slow moving one. [ Update: We believe wind may be the main factor in some instances rather than current. ] There is a special type of floating island that is very common and that is ice. The phenomenon does occur with ice, as you can see in the YouTube videos below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j6dS9rxbuk We tried to find other examples of rotating floating islands not made of ice and we found one on a lake in India: Read more about it here. We also found a reference to one in the Okavango delta. You can read the full story about it in a PDF found here. Apparently a Brian Wilson discovered a rotating floating island and identified it in aerial imagery from as far back as 1944. It could be seen to have kept rotating up until about 1974, when it attached itself to one side of the lagoon it was in and remained there until at least 1990. We had a look at the coordinates given and not far from that location did indeed find a floating island that has moved between 2006 and 2016. We cannot positively confirm that it is the same island. But for the real treasure trove of rotating floating islands, the place to go is the Luapula River on the border of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Sadly, there isnt a lot of historical imagery, so good animations were not possible. So, we are showing them in the form of before and afters to demonstrate that the islands do, in fact, move. A round one, an oval and another shape, sharing a pool. If we are not mistaken, the dark patches are fire scars, suggesting the island can sustain fires without destroying it. A whole bunch of floating islands! And thats just some of them. There are many more! Amazingly, we could just (although only just) see some of them moving using our Landsat animations KML file. To see the above locations in Google Earth, including historical imagery tours, download this KML file . 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. Cologne/Bonn Airport : Three times a week to Miami Cologne Eurowings now offers direct flights from Cologne/Bonn to Miami. In March, Wizz Air will introduce a direct flight to Tuzla. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Eurowings began flying non-stop to Miami from Cologne/Bonn at the start of September. The airport announced that the first flight left on Thursday. It was an on-time departure for the first Airbus A330-200 which left at 11:40 a.m. According to the airport, the flights will depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 11:40 a.m. and land in Miami at 4:10 p.m. local time. The flight time is 10 1/2 hours. Michael Garvens, Chief Executive of the Cologne/Bonn Airport said, With Miami, the Cologne/Bonn airport now has a direct connection to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the USA. For Eurowings, it is the eighth low-cost long distance route being offered from Cologne/Bonn. Other destinations already include Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana in the Caribbean, Varadero in Cuba and Mauritius. In December, Havana will be added to the schedule. Wizz Air also announced a new route. From March 27, 2017, there will be a twice weekly flight from Cologne/Bonn to Bosnia and Herzogovina. The low-cost airlines will fly with an Airbus A320 on Mondays and Fridays at 3:15 p.m. from Cologne/Bonn. The flight time to Tuzla is two hours. Artaskh President: There is no return to the past for us (video) On 1 September, a festive reception devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic proclamation was held in the name of President Bako Sahakyan. In his speech, Bako Sahakyan mentioned that the proclamation of the Artsakh Republic was a significant and crucial event that opened a new and glorious page in the history of our people. "The formation of the Artsakh Republic is the joint achievement of the whole Armenian nation, one of its greatest victories. Its independence and security are exclusive values that are not subject to any speculation. There is no return to the past for us. Any such attempt is pregnant with unpredictable consequences and is doomed to failure. We are looking towards the future that will undoubtedly be bright for our people and state", underlined Artsakh Republic President in his speech. President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, NKR second President Arkady Ghoukasyan, primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, NKR National Assembly chairman Ashot Ghoulyan, prime-minister Arayik Haroutyunyan, high-ranking officials from Artsakh and Armenia, Diaspora representatives and guests from abroad partook at the reception, Artsakh President's Press Office reports. 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. Serzh Sargsyan: There is no military solution to Artsakh issue Serzh Sargsyan has issued a congratulatory message on the occasion of Nagorno Karabakh Independence Day "Dear Compatriots, I congratulate you on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. September 2, 1991 opened a glorious page in the modern history of the Armenian nation. A quarter of a century ago, the Armenians of Artsakh made their irrevocable choice. That critical step was conscientious and deliberate. That choice, that will and determination brought back from the brink of a deadly precipice to life and freedom the most endangered part of the Armenian nation the Armenians of Artsakh. You fought and won in the unequal war. You built a state and society which are free as never before. You created an army which is strong and combat ready as never before. You raised from the ashes a piece of land which never before was so cultivated and beautiful. You proved to yourselves, to the entire Armenian nation, and the world that the free Artsakh is not only viable but also possesses a huge potential for development. There is no doubt that the potential has not been fully utilized yet. There is no doubt that there is still much to be done in Artsakh and in Armenia. And there is no doubt that we will fulfill our task. We will do it through the efforts of the entire Armenian nation. We will do it despite all difficulties and challenges. Last Aprils military actions once again or rather once more proved that if the enemy tries to solve the problem through military means, he will be thrown back with losses. It proved that no force in the world is capable of solving the Artsakh issue through military means. There is no such force because you live, because you are true to the choice you made 25 years ago. There is no military solution; solution is political. Today, on this memorable day, I tell you once again: just as yesterday and today, tomorrow too you will decide your own destiny. We have no doubts about Artsakhs bright future. Long live the free and independent Artsakh! Long live the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh!" Huawei Nova -- A shrunken Nexus 6P The so-called Huawei Nova is built out of aircraft-grade aluminum that includes a mix of magnesium and aluminum alloy. Moreover, this smartphone comes with a sandblasted shell and rounded outer edges just like 6P. Five-inch display looks better with 443 ppi This mid-tier Huawei Nova flaunts a 5-inch IPS Full HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, translating into 443ppi. However, it has been observed that a human eye can generally not differentiate detail past 300 ppi. Doesn't have any stand out feature to boast about! Beneath the display, hides an octa-core 2GHz Snapdragon 625 chip, which is the successor to the older Snapdragon 615 SoC. With 3020mAh battery combined with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 625, Huawei claims that it can deliver two days of use per charge. As this chipset comes under more efficient manufacturing process, -- 14nm, this smartphone will be able to strike a balance between performance and power saving. Expansion up to 128GB via MicroSD card slot! The Huawei Nova is clubbed with 3GB LPDDR3 RAM, 32GB ROM out of which 22GB will be available for the users. Further, the users can expand it up to 128GB via MicroSD card slot. Other notable elements include the USB Type-C charging and shipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow based on Emotion UI 4.1 Nova inherits some P9 features! When it comes to the optics the Nova is equipped with a 12MP rear camera with autofocus feature and 8MP camera with fixed feature. This smartphone comes with PDAF (phase focusing) and CAF (contrast focusing) that helps users in fast focusing. Moreover, it also has a familiar gamut of camera tricks such as light painting, time-lapse and slow-motion modes. On the front, the 8MP camera helps the user to take selfies. Users can also take a selfie using fingerprint sensor on the back. Also, it is equipped with some features such as Beauty Skin 3.0 and Beauty Make-up 2.0. Huawei nova's enhanced skin software also optimizes facial features in both photos and videos Huawei Nova Plus -- A shrunken Mate 8 Switching up to Nova Plus, this smartphone also comes built with aircraft grade aluminum with a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. It measures 151.875.77.3mm and weighs at 160grams. Beefed up display with Snapdragon 625 SoC This bigger variant sports a 5.5-inch Full HD 2.5D curved glass display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels translating to a 401 ppi. Just like Nova, this smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 625 SoC with Adreno 506 as GPU under the hood. Supports Multi-user and knuckle tap! With Nova Plus, users can create separate profiles on the phone with improved data and privacy protection, while still allowing access to common applications. Moreover, the knuckle-tap shortcuts allow the users to take screenshots, trigger video recording, enable split screen app mode and more. Equips tri-axial OIS technology! As per the specs sheet, this smartphone comes with a 16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, PDAF, OIS and 8MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture. It comes with some really good features including "Pro" mode for manually controlling ISO and shutter speed, and light-painting apps to create artistic shots when the phone is in a static position. For the selfie freaks, this smartphone has eight templates with real-time preview as well. Larger form factor = increase in battery size The Nova Plus is powered by a 3,340mAh battery, promising up to 2.2 days of usage in a single charge. In terms of storage, this smartphone has 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM with an expandable storage of up to 128GB through MicroSD card slots 'Feels Like Home Season 2' offers something real and tangible to think about; takes home a pertinent point - if your intentions are good, there is nothing in life that isn't achievable. France and Germany take over protection of Baltic skies NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 31 Aug. 2016 In a ceremony on Wednesday (31 August), France and Germany took over NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission from Portugal and the United Kingdom, which guarded the skies over the Alliance's Baltic member states since May. France will lead the mission until the end of the year, with four Mirage jets based at Siauliai airbase in Lithuania. Germany will provide four Eurofighter Typhoon which will fly out of Amari in Estonia. The aircraft, alongside pilots and ground crews, will be on 24/7 stand-by to launch quickly in response to any unidentified aircraft approaching NATO airspace. NATO jets have guarded the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since the three countries joined the Alliance in 2004. Today's handover of command marks the 42nd rotation for the mission, which gained extra prominence after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's increased military activity in the Baltic Sea region. NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission regularly intercepts Russian military jets flying over international waters close to the Baltic States. The Alliance conducts several air policing missions in which Allied fighter jets patrol the airspace of member nations which do not have fighter jets of their own. NATO aircraft guard the airspace over Albania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia on a 24/7 basis, 365 days per year. Air policing usually involves having fighter aircraft on standby to respond and intercept aircraft that approach alliance airspace without permission or without following flight regulations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address General gives KC-46A progress report at symposium By John Parker, 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published September 01, 2016 TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFNS) -- The first active-duty KC-46A Pegasus is slated to arrive at Tinker Air Force Base for routine maintenance three years from now, but preparations for the new aerial refueling tanker are in full swing across the Air Force, the program's executive officer said. Brig. Gen. Duke Richardson, the Air Force program executive officer for tankers, delivered a comprehensive progress report Aug. 23 at the 11th annual Tinker and the Primes Requirements Symposium in Midwest City. The KC-46 program hit major milestones in July. After hundreds of hours of flight testing, the tanker was cleared for production Aug. 12. Six days later, the Air Force ordered initial production of 19 planes in a $2.8 billion contract with Boeing. Similar buys are scheduled annually through the 2020s, he said. "We are off to the races," Richardson said. Officials broke ground in July on the 158-acre KC-46A Tanker Sustainment Campus at Tinker AFB. A total of 14 hangar docks are planned for the repair, maintenance and overhaul of 179 planes the Defense Department currently plans to buy. The depot operation is expected to create more than 1,300 jobs. The first mission-ready Pegasus is scheduled for delivery next fall, Richardson said, but Tinker AFB's Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex won't receive its first plane for routine maintenance until 2019. Pegasus aircraft will be on a staggered maintenance schedule, with aircraft systems worked on every two years in an eight-year cycle. A KC-46's first scheduled maintenance stop, for example, should last 14-16 days. "It's not like a KC-135 (tanker) coming in here for 160 flow days, but it's also not coming back every five years," he added. "It's coming back every two years." Deliveries of KC-46 support equipment have already begun at Altus AFB and McConnell AFB, Kansas, Richardson informed. McConnell AFB will be the first base to fly the Pegasus aircraft in 2017, flown by both active-duty and Air Force Reserve aircrews. Crews will be trained at Altus AFB. "If you go to those two bases now, you'll see hangars full of support equipment," Richardson said. "By and large, the whole system is getting ready to start operating this weapon system." The 448th Supply Chain Management Wing at Tinker AFB will eventually handle the platform's supply chain, he said. Other KC-46 maintenance and sustainment operations will be based at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Utah, and Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, Georgia. The joint Boeing-Air Force team is operating five KC-46s in the flight test program. Flight testing is about one-third complete, Richardson said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Mason Conducts Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercises with UK, Australian Navies Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160901-13 Release Date: 9/1/2016 1:07:00 PM By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Janweb B. Lagazo, USS Mason (DDG 87) Public Affairs ARABIAN SEA (NNS) -- Sailors aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87), part of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (Ike CSG), concluded bilateral anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises with the Royal Australian navy and the United Kingdom's Royal navy, Aug. 29. Mason, recently the recipient of the U.S. Navy's prestigious ASW Bloodhound Award, led the Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement (SHAREM) exercise with U.K. Royal navy's Fort-class fleet replenishment ship RFA Fort Victoria and Type 23 frigate HMS Portland (F 79), Australian Royal navy's Anzac-class frigate HMAS Perth (FFH 157), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) and Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Dallas (SSN 700). "We love training," said Mason Command Master Chief Ronn Shasky, from Mansfield, Ohio. "We love showing how much we've learned, how much we've absorbed, and continuing Mason's great legacy as submarine fighters. It's no secret that we've been one of the better, if not the best ship in the Atlantic Fleet for a long time. The ASW Bloodhound award is a tribute to our ASW team which includes our watch team on the bridge, in combat, and on the flight deck." The multi-day exercise featured procedures which tested the ships' capacity to detect, locate, and engage submarines using fathometers, multi-functional towed arrays (MFTAs), sonobuoys, and active and passive sonar. "It's important to work with foreign allies in ASW," said Lt. j.g. Nick Gutierrez, Mason's ASW officer, from Chicago. "The more opportunity we have to work with foreign nations to help build our cohesiveness and mission readiness is absolutely crucial for the future." Gutierrez explained the scenarios measured the groups' "abilities to work individually and as one cohesive ASW unit." "We started out as four ships that have never worked together," said Lt. Cmdr. Thom Hobbs, executive officer of Portland. "We came together using a whole series of common tactics and procedures we learned from our home navies and we put them into practice in a difficult area of the world for [ASW]. We improved on them and accomplished what we set out to do." Hobbs continued to emphasize SHAREM allowed the ships to evaluate "how effectively surface ships and aircraft can work together to detect and track submarines," culminating in the launching of a training torpedo to prosecute a simulated target. "It was great to work with such a proficient team," said Lt. Cmdr. Katie Lunser, air boss of the "Swamp Foxes" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74, from Holland, New York. "We always appreciate the time and coordination it takes for this type of training." Gutierrez said Mason's anti-submarine tactical air controllers have a "unique connection and relationship" with the pilots of HSM 74 and are able to work "near flawlessly together." SHAREM challenged the watchstanders' abilities in successfully tracking, localizing, and targeting an undersea target. "This gave us the chance to knock off our ASW rust," said Cmdr. Christopher J. Gilbertson, Mason's commanding officer, from Minneapolis. "It allowed us to do what we're best at -- our job. The key now is making lessons learned, not just lessons documented. Implementing is our goal now. Overall, it was great to work with professionals and we always appreciate the exercise." Mason continues to be part of the United States' commitment to Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multi-national naval partnership, which was created between 31 navies, including the United Kingdom's Royal navy and the Royal Australian navy. CMF's mission is to promote security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters while working with regional partners in countering terrorism, preventing piracy and promoting a safe maritime environment. "This exercise was an opportunity to show the fleet and the world why we're number one when it comes to [ASW]," said Shasky. "Our ASW team is top-notch. All of our Sailors' professionalism, training, motivation, drive, hunger, and what they do are second to none." Mason has worked with seven of the 31 member nations in CMF since beginning their scheduled deployment -- Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom. Mason is deployed to support maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and deployed with the Ike CSG. Along with Mason, Ike CSG includes CSG 10 staff, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 staff, aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61), and DESRON 26 guided-missile destroyers USS Stout (DDG 55), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) and Nitze. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gabon's opposition leader calls for international help after security raid on HDs Iran Press TV Thu Sep 1, 2016 6:40AM The leader of the opposition in Gabon, a country in Central Africa, has called for international help to protect the population following a raid by government forces on opposition headquarters in the capital, Libreville, and amid a dispute over presidential election results. "We have said that the people of Gabon are in danger. They (the international community) should come and help us against the clan [of incumbent President Ali Bongo]," said Jean Ping, a former foreign minister and now the country's opposition leader, early on Thursday. Bongo, who has been in power since another disputed election in 2009, was on Wednesday officially declared the winner of the latest presidential election. Ping and his supporters have contested the results. In his Thursday remarks, Ping said "everybody knows" that he was the real winner of the election, which was held last Saturday. Pro-Ping protesters set ablaze the National Assembly building on Wednesday night, a few hours after Bongo was declared the president. Protesters, mainly from poor neighborhoods, also clashed with riot police. The sound of gunfire crackled across the city and several people were reportedly wounded. The infuriated protesters were chanting "Ali must go." Referring to the raid on the opposition headquarters, the 73-year-old Ping said, "They attacked around 1:00 a.m. (0000 GMT). It is the republican guard. They were bombarding with helicopters and then they attacked on the ground." He said two people had been killed during the attack and 19 were injured, "some of them very seriously." Ping was not inside the building at the time. Reports say that security forces had besieged he building for at least one hour, were firing tear gas canisters into the premises and were firing live rounds at it, too. Ping has accused the ruling party members of the electoral commission, known as Cenap, of having rigged turnout figures and votes in favor of Bongo in order to hand him a victory. "In this election, we committed ourselves to liberating our country. And that is the choice that was clearly expressed by the Gabonese people," Ping had said on Wednesday. According to Cenap, the 57-year-old incumbent president won 49.80 percent of the Saturday votes, compared to the 48.23 percent garnered by Ping, marking a thin margin of only 5,594 votes of a total 627,805 registered voters. The results, however, will stay "provisional" until they are approved by the constitutional court. The poor African country had been ruled by Bongo's father, Omar, for over four decades until 2009. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Larisa Alaverdyan: Only Armenian authorities are talking about concessions (video) September 2, 2016, marks the 25th anniversary of independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Larisa Alaverdyan, Executive Director of the Foundation against Violation of Law NGO, a chief expert of the Special Committee of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia, says September 2, 1991 is a historic day for the NKR as a declaration On the Proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was adopted on that day. On Sept. 2, Artsakh declared about its secession from Azerbaijan, Larisa Alaverdyan told reporters on Friday. She added that the independence referendum was held later, on December 10 and Independence of Artsakh was proclaimed on January 6, 1992. She says the declaration of Artsakh independence was tantamount to a coup d'etat as Armenians acted extremely literate and competent, fully complying with international law. Political analyst Hayk Martirosyan said in turn that we cheated ourselves by proclaiming Artsakh as an independent state. Artsakh independence implies unfinished victory for us. Artsakh was declared independent in order to join Armenia, but it did not happen. After the four-day April war, we were to recognize the independence of Artsakh, hold an immediate referendum and join the two Armenian states, he stressed. The political analyst notes that Artsakh fully depends on Armenia. No one talks about it but Armenia gives $ 100 million to Artsakh every year, Mr. Martirosyan said. Larisa Alaverdyan added that she continues to believe that Artsakh is part of Armenia. Speaking about possible territorial concessions, she said only the Armenian authorities are talking about concessions today. Azerbaijan is not ready for concessions. Moreover, because of the impersonal politics of our authorities, we are stirring up the vain hopes of Azerbaijanis who believe that they have the right to annex the territories that do not belong to them, she said in conclusion. Kosovo Postpones Montenegro Border Vote Amid Protests, Serb Boycott September 01, 2016 by RFE/RL's Balkan Service Amid fierce protests by nationalists and a boycott by Serbian deputies, Kosovo's government has called off a parliamentary vote on a controversial bill that would demarcate the country's border with Montenegro and move the country closer to European Union membership. Kosovar Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said on September 1 that "political pressure" by the opposition led to the draft law being removed from the parliament's agenda. He said the legislation would be reconsidered at a later date. Hundreds of people opposed to the demarcation bill broke into applause at news of the postponement and claimed victory. Police detained deputy parliament speaker Aida Derguti outside of parliament on September 1 and said they found some spray cans among opposition deputies. They also said a raid earlier in the day uncovered material used to make Molotov cocktails. Tear gas has been sprayed by opposition deputies in parliament several times in the past year in protest against the bill. Fatmir Limaj, the chairman of the opposition Initiative for Kosovo party, said the vote on the bill was postponed due to the refusal of ethnic Serbian deputies to attend the parliament session. The draft law needs two-thirds of the 120 votes in parliament, and opposition deputies and some belonging to ruling parties oppose the demarcation plan. Ethnic Serbian deputies hold 11 seats in the parliament and their votes as members of the ruling coalition -- are seen as crucial to the bill's approval. Slavko Simic, the head of the Serb List (Kosovo) party, told RFE/RL that lawmakers from his party did not attend the parliament session due to "the complex security environment for Kosovar Serbs and their property." He added that other members of the ruling coalition had "obstructed every vital process consistent with the interests of the [ethnic] Serbian people in Kosovo." 'Good For Kosovo' Passage of the border plan has been touted by the United States and EU member countries as necessary for the Balkan country to move closer to Brussels and secure visa-free travel to the EU. U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie told RFE/RL that the demarcation plan is "good for Kosovo and the region." He warned that using the issue to score political points would lead to "xenophobia and nationalism." The demarcation proposal -- which was signed by Kosovar and Montenegrin officials in 2015 -- has set off protests around the country led by opposition parties who say the bill would transfer some 8,200 hectares of land to Montenegro. Government officials reject that charge and say the border as defined in the draft law follows the boundaries of Kosovo as laid out by UN Special Envoy to Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari in 2007 before recommending supervised independence for Kosovo, which had been a Serbian province. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and has been recognized by 112 countries. Kosovo was placed under UN administration in 1999, shortly after the end of the Kosovo War in which several thousand people were killed and more than 1 million people were displaced. Written by Pete Baumgartner based on reporting by Amra Zejneli and Arbana Vidishiqi of RFE/RL's Balkan Service Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/kosovo-protest- parliament-border-deal-/27959796.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 Air Force Denies Reports of Not Providing Help to Turkey in Anti-Daesh Fight Sputnik News 20:10 01.09.2016(updated 20:18 01.09.2016) The US-led coalition against Daesh provided the necessary support to Turkish forces in the attack on the terrorist group in Syria's city of Jarablus, US Air Forces Central Command spokeswoman Kiley Dougherty told Sputnik on Thursday. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Turkish news agency Anadolu reported earlier that the US military did not provide needed air support in a timely manner to Turkish and Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces when they were attacked by Daesh terrorists on August 30. US-led coalition jets, Anadolu said, came three hours later when airstrikes were useless. "Turkish forces requested air support from Coalition assets after a hostile vehicle attacked a Turkish tank in Jarabulus, Syria Tuesday evening," Dougherty said. "Coalition air support coordinated with the Turkish Air Force and Coalition ground forces to identify and destroy the vehicle." When Turkish military and the FSA came under fire a rocket hit a Turkish tank and wounded three soldiers. Simultaneously, the terrorists attacked the FSA with heavy weapons. "We adhere to very exacting and disciplined procedures as it relates to the identification and execution of viable military targets," Dougherty added. "As the battlespace becomes increasingly complex, the need for carefully coordinated operations and maneuvers will help deny Da'esh [Islamic State] sanctuary and ensure the appropriate amount of military force against a verified target." The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since the summer of 2014. Daesh has been designated a terrorist organization, and is outlawed in Russia and numerous other countries throughout the world. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nigerian State Regulates Cattle Herders After Violent Clashes By Chris Stein September 01, 2016 Nomadic cattle herders say regulations enacted by a Nigerian state this week won't end clashes between farmers and herdsmen that have left dozens dead in the West African country. The governor of southwestern Ekiti state, Peter Ayodele Fayose, signed a law Monday that limited cattle herders to grazing on state-designated reserves during daylight hours.It also banned herdsmen from carrying weapons. Farmers blame herdsmen The governor's spokesman, Lere Olayinka, said the law is a reaction to a series of clashes between farmers and nomadic herdsmen that have erupted in Nigeria's south and middle belt. "It's a way of finding answers to the question of all these issue of herdsmen invading peoples' farmlands, destroying farmlands at will and killing almost everywhere in the country," Olayinka said. "There will be designated area where you can have you ranch, probably pay some amount of money to the state government, have your ranch, and the ranch belongs to you where you can keep your cattle." Herdsmen regularly move cattle from the country's arid north to the country's lusher south in search of grazing land. Most of the time, they co-exist peacefully with local farmers. Recent clashes between the two groups are rooted in competition for arable land, experts say. The causes of the individual clashes vary, but often are the result of longstanding animosity and tit-for-tat killings between the two groups. Farmers blame herdsmen for allowing cows onto fields, where they trample or eat crops. Herdsmen say hostile villagers attack them in rural areas and steal their cattle. Herdsmen blame hostile villagers The nomads have shouldered most of the blame, with politicians accusing them of burning down villages and killing civilians. Herdsmen groups say they are being unfairly blamed. The law has found little support among Ekiti's cattle herders. Zaiyanu Mohammade, secretary of the state branch of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, said the regulations are an effort to rid Ekiti of cattle herders. Particularly objectionable was the law's ban on herders carrying weapons. Many herdsmen carry knives for self-defense in the bush, he said. "We use it for our animal and where we're [entering] our bush and [dangerous] place, we can meet any bad animal," Mohammade said. "We use that cutlass and go defend ourselves." A former national chairman of the cattle breeder's association, Sale Bayari, said the bill would only heighten competition for land by pushing herdsmen to find other places to graze. He said Nigeria's federal government needs to come up with a plan to demarcate areas where herdsmen can graze. "Without the cattle ranches and without the grazing reserves, [and] there are state governors like Ekiti that are already banning grazing, it simply means that the herdsmen will have to know how to survive," Bayari said. He expected the law would face a challenge in court. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kosovo Postpones Debate on Montenegro Border Deal By VOA News September 01, 2016 Kosovo's government on Thursday withdrew a controversial draft law on a border deal with Montenegro, saying a vote on the measure would be postponed indefinitely. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa told lawmakers that the measure had been withdrawn because of the tension surrounding the issue. "This is not the situation in which we should discuss and vote on the law for ratification of the agreement with Montenegro," he said. "Today, the government withdraws this law from the agenda and parliament procedures." Mustafa insisted this "does not mean that the government will change or renegotiate the agreement." He announced the postponement after deputies from Kosovo's Serb minority failed to attend the session. About 2,000 protesters, led by the Self-Determination party, a staunch opponent of the measure, gathered on the streets of the capital, Pristina, ahead of Thursday's parliamentary session, chanting, "[Border] agreement will not pass." Mustafa's announcement was met with cheers of "Victory!" and "Down with the government!" by protesters. Opponents of the proposed deal say Kosovo would lose thousands of hectares of land. Demonstrators held posters reading, "We do not want land from Montenegro; we do not give land to Montenegro." The European Union has made border demarcation with Montenegro a condition for Kosovo to secure visa-free travel. Kosovo's opposition deputies, who used tear gas at the parliament and have organized violent protests in the streets since late 2015, had said the deal would give Montenegro some 8,000 hectares, a claim rejected by the government and the United States, Kosovo's strongest ally. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Uzbek President Misses Independence Day Speech Due to Illness By Daniel Schearf September 01, 2016 Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov missed the country's Independence Day celebrations Thursday, remaining hospitalized since suffering a stroke. A state TV anchor read Karimov's speech in his place. The speech, attributed to Karimov, encouraged the country's citizens to continue to move forward, after independence gave them the "opportunity to build a free and prosperous life." The sudden stroke and hospitalization of Uzbekistan's only president since independence has formed a dark cloud over the country as the most populous former Soviet republic in Central Asia marks 25 years since breaking from the Soviet Union (Aug 31 & Sept 1). Instead of Karimov, who has not been seen in public for days, Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev, a possible successor, is leading ceremonies. A concert the president usually attends for the occasion was cancelled. Uzbek authorities rejected a report that Karimov is already dead. One of his daughters said Wednesday he remains in stable condition in a hospital. No clear successor Regardless, the mood of celebration is muted by the uncertainty over the president's health and, more importantly, the lack of a clear successor. "This is a huge test, one that has been anticipated for some time," says Deirdre Tynan, who is based in Bishkek as the Central Asia project director for the International Crisis Group. "But if Uzbekistan stumbles, if the transition turns to political chaos, the risk of violent conflict is high; and in a region as fragile as Central Asia, the risk of that spreading is also high," she wrote in e-mails to VOA's Moscow bureau. Karimov has led Uzbekistan with an iron fist since 1989, just before the Soviet Union split apart. He has been heavily criticized for using law enforcement and the courts to repress political opponents, activists and the media as well as forcing millions to labor in cotton fields. In 2005, security forces fired into a crowd of protesters in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan. While Uzbek authorities put the death toll at 187, independent journalists and human rights groups say as many 1,000 people were killed. Human rights The New York-based group Human Rights Watch says the Uzbek government has jailed thousands of people on politically motivated charges, many of whom have been subjected to torture. Political analysts in Moscow say his heavy-handed approach has kept Islamic militants at bay and maintained stability. But, they warn any power struggle among Uzbekistan's ruling clans could see that threat exposed or exploited. "Karimov for many years was a very serious defender of not only his country, but also the whole region from this radical Islamic threat," said Alexander Golts, an independent defense analyst in Moscow and deputy editor of Yezhenedelny Zhurnal (Weekly Journal). "And, unfortunately, everything was based on his personality, as is usual in all authoritarian regimes," Golts said. "Karimov managed to establish security service[s] that can control everything in Uzbekistan. "But God knows how these people from security will behave when Mr. Karimov disappears." Other regional analysts say most of Uzbekistan's elites want to avoid a nasty fight for Karimov's throne. "The beneficiaries in this struggle, the winners, may lose more in the course of struggle if they allow chaos and loss of control in the country during it," Central Asia expert Arkady Dubnov said. "So there are limits beyond which the elites cannot afford a severe struggle using 'unconventional' methods of political struggle." Moscow watching The Kremlin will be watching closely to see who comes next, Tynan said, as Uzbekistan's stability and security is in Russia's interest. "Karimov was a highly unpopular figure among Russian diplomats," she said. "Moscow will want someone who is amenable, at least in public, to their policies," Tynan said. "In an ideal world, that's someone who would have Uzbekistan re-join the CSTO (Collective Treaty Security Organization) and be open to the EEU (Eurasian Economic Union). In practical terms though, they would probably settle for someone who is not antagonistic and willing to at least go through the motions of mutual respect." Regional expert Dubnov thinks Moscow may have a favorite contender to replace Karimov: Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev. The prime minister is "supported by the head of the Internal Security Service, Rustam Innoyatov, who has been a KGB officer for a long time during the Soviet period and an unchangeable head of Uzbek security," Dubnov said. "His idea of security that he got in the Soviet times can facilitate finding common language in dialogue between Tashkent and Moscow." Russian officials have said little since Sunday, when Uzbekistan announced the president was hospitalized. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said they had no fresh information on Karimov and could not confirm reports about his death. Russia's Interfax news agency reported Russian neurosurgeons are treating Karimov. If Karimov dies, the head of Uzbekistan's Senate becomes temporary leader for three months while new elections are arranged. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Over 1,000 Arrested in Gabon Post-election Violence By VOA News September 01, 2016 Gabon's interior minister says more than 1,000 people have been arrested since the capital erupted in violence Wednesday, after officials announced the re-election of President Ali Bongo. Thursday, police patrolled the streets of Libreville, after a night of clashes in which demonstrators set fire to the National Assembly and buildings nearby, and government forces stormed the headquarters of the opposition. In Washington, the U.S. State Department urged all sides to come together "peacefully" to avoid future unrest, while not ruling out that "appropriate actions" might be considered going forward. "We deplore the escalation of violence" following the release of provisional election results by the government, spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. "We call upon the security forces to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all Gabonese citizens and of all residents of Gabon." Meanwhile, a security message was issued Thursday by the U.S. Embassy in Libreville to inform American citizens of "widespread, violent demonstrations, rioting and looting" there, and to ask Americans to remain in safe locations. "Security forces have responded to the situation with tear gas and have placed roadblocks at major arterial roads, cutting off transportation across the city. There is also debris and burned cars blocking the roads in some areas," the message said. At least one fatality Gabon government officials said at least one person was killed and 19 others were injured when government forces stormed the headquarters of the opposition. Opposition leader Jean Ping said earlier that two had been killed. Ping is disputing the official election results that showed him losing by about 5,000 votes to Bongo. He said his campaign has evidence the election was rigged and plans to present it to Gabon's constitutional court. At issue are the results from one province where the results show nearly 100 percent voter turnout, with Bongo receiving 95 percent of the votes. Some members of the electoral commission resigned as the results were announced Wednesday. While not commenting on whether Washington would ask for a recount, the State Department called on the Gabonese government to release results for each individual polling station. The State Department said those were provisional results that still needed to be certified by Gabon's constitutional court. "We are asking that the legal procedures for certification of the results be followed according to Gabonese law in a fair and transparent manner," Kirby said. U.N. chief urges calm U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for Gabon to remain peaceful in the aftermath of the hotly contested poll. "The secretary-general urges all concerned political leaders and their supporters to refrain from further acts that could undermine the peace and stability of the country," his spokesman said in a statement. "He also calls on the authorities to ensure that the national security forces exercise maximum restraint in their response to protests." A spokesman for the government said the security forces raided the opposition building in search of people who had set fires near the parliament building earlier in the night. "Armed people who set fire to the parliament had gathered at Jean Ping's headquarters along with hundreds of looters and thugs. ... They were not political protesters but criminals," Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze told AFP. The U.S. Embassy called for all individual polling station results to be published after it said observers witnessed "many systemic flaws and irregularities" in the voting. The irregularities included polling stations opening late and "last-minute changes to voting procedures." Both candidates declared victory after Saturday's vote, and each side accused the other of fraud during the vote count. Gabon does not have a runoff system, so the candidate with the most votes in the 10-candidate field wins the election. Ping was running to end a half-century of Bongo family rule. Ali Bongo succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who died in 2009 after 42 years in office. VOA Afrique contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Serbia Says It Will Remain Neutral on Bosnian Serb Referendum By VOA News September 01, 2016 Serbia has declared it will maintain a neutral position toward the controversial Bosnian Serb referendum that has challenged the international community in Bosnia and heightened ethnic tensions more than 20 years after the war. President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said in a statement Thursday that Belgrade neither supported nor objected to the Bosnian Serbs' referendum on whether to mark January 9 as Republika Srbska's Statehood Day also the anniversary of the 1992 Serb declaration of independence from Bosnia. "I will tell them what I think, but I will not try to pressure anyone," Vucic said before a meeting with Bosnian Serb leaders Thursday. "Everyone is capable of making the decision within their authority." "They will not meddle, and will neither support nor contest the decisions we made, that it is up to us to evaluate all the dangers, all the problems that may emerge from the decisions we make," Republika Srpska's President Milorad Dodik said after the meeting. Mladen Ivanic, who shares the collective presidency with Bosniak and Croat counterparts, hinted that the Serbs could back down, but only if the opposing side did the same. "There will be very complex situations and occasions in the coming few days. I think that with a sort of understanding, Sarajevo needs to accept the fact that the Serbs care about January 9," Ivanic said. In their statement after the meeting, Vucic and Nikolic also sharply criticized Western policies in the Balkans, complaining of an alleged anti-Serb campaign in the region and a weak international response. Serbia continues to have a strong influence on Serbs in Bosnia, and there have been hopes it will join international efforts to avert the September 25 referendum. There also have been fears that Belgrade could be moving away from the West and closer to Russia, its traditional ally. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spanish aircrews train with US at Red Flag 16-4 By Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum, 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published September 02, 2016 NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- Since its inception in 1975, Red Flag has served as the pinnacle of air-to-air combat training for the Air Force and its allies. For the Spanish Air Force, Red Flag 16-4 has been the perfect avenue to receive the best training for their aircrews and support personnel, as well as an avenue for overcoming unique challenges that aren't always experienced in European exercises. "With most of our experience coming from European exercises, we have mostly a European outlook," said Spanish Air Force Capt. Dario Perez, an EF-18M pilot. "Working with the United States Air Force aircraft and its allies serves as a great chance to train in a non-European venue, and broaden our views." In order to expand their views, communication between allies can be a challenge for Spanish Air Forces, but at Red Flag this has not turned out to be a roadblock. "As we are standardized with NATO everyone speaks the same language while we train," said Spanish Air Force Capt. Esteve Ferran, a pilot. "With the NATO documents we use, everyone is on the same page and on the same sheet of music at all times. Like last time we were here in 2008 the exercise proved to be difficult at first, but once we got rolling it was excellent." Once settled in, Red Flag 16-4 offered unique trials for Spanish Air Force pilots and crews to overcome. "While the Red Flag exercise here is similar to the exercises that we encounter in Europe, the surface-to-air threats that are part of Red Flag are top notch and always serve as a challenge," Perez said. While the surface-to-air threats that pilots face here at Red Flag 16-4 serve as a valuable aspect of training, they aren't the only facet of Red Flag valuable for aircrews. "Tactically speaking, the surface-to-air threats are top notch," Ferran said. "Also, the ability to use live ordnance in training is something that we don't always get access to when we participate in European exercises." With all of these benefits of Red Flag's training there are also multiple challenges that aircrews have had to face. "One of the most difficult things about this exercise has been the act of deploying all of our assets here," Ferran said. "It has been difficult, and staging out of Nellis was the first challenge we faced. Then, the night operations of Red Flag have also been a challenge. There is a nine-hour difference between the time zones and so when we finish operations we then have briefings at 3 a.m. It gets tiring and becomes a challenge and is something that we don't see in European exercises." While these challenges, coupled with the tests of the monsoon weather that Las Vegas has brought to Red Flag 16-4, have presented Spanish air force with obstacles, they haven't stopped pilots and aircrews from overcoming them. Taking these obstacles in stride, the Spanish Air Force has used one of the premier air-to-air exercises that the Air Force offers to gain excellent training experience for aircrews. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Obituary: Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Who Long Ruled With Fear, Dead At 78 September 02, 2016 by RFE/RL Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who ruled Central Asia's most populous ex-Soviet republic with an iron fist for a quarter-century, has died at the age of 78. Uzbek state television said on September 2 that Karimov died at 8:55 p.m. local time in Tashkent, five days after his daughter reported he was in intensive care after suffering a "brain hemorrhage." A former Communist Party boss, Karimov maintained his grip on power with the backing of a feared security apparatus accused of widespread rights abuses, a geopolitical balancing act between Russia and the West, and an unremitting expansion of presidential authority. He presided over what activists said was the systematic suppression of political dissent, forced labor in Uzbekistan's cotton fields, and the frequent use of torture by law enforcement and security forces. Karimov's death invites uncertainty over succession in a country where one man has been in power since before the Soviet collapse, encouraging a system of opaque government and a lack of experience with democracy and the rule of law. Born in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand in 1938, Karimov was trained as an economist. He rose to political preeminence in 1989, when he was elected first secretary of the Communist Party of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1990, amid his shift to the still-Soviet republic's presidency through a rubber-stamp vote, Karimov laid out the vision that would dominate Uzbek politics in the emerging state and for decades to come. "If you elect me president tomorrow, then I need the right to dissolve parliament. Then I would have the final word," he said. Karimov declared Uzbek independence on August 31, 1991, as the Soviet Union lurched toward collapse, and subsequently won the country's first presidential election. Each of his landslide reelections over the next two and a half decades -- with around 90 percent of the vote -- was dismissed by the West as neither free nor fair, and two were disputed by critics citing a constitutional ban on Uzbek presidents serving more than two terms. A wily political operator, Karimov consolidated power in the newly independent Uzbekistan, eventually used dubious public referendums, neutralization of the political opposition, and elimination of critical media to keep potential rivals -- and the public -- at bay. Allegations Of Torture In its annual human rights report in April, the U.S. State Department said that in Uzbekistan "the executive branch under President Islam Karimov dominated political life and exercised nearly complete control over the other branches of government." Karimov's tenure saw the Uzbek judicial system come under frequent criticism from international watchdogs for its allegedly routine use of torture against detainees. In 2007, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report titled Nowhere To Turn: Torture And Ill-Treatment In Uzbekistan. HRW's Geneva director, Juliette De Rivero, told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service at the time that "the main point of this report is to show that [torture] is a systematic practice [and] to show that at all stages of the judicial process detainees are put under pressure and put in situations in which they are likely to be tortured." Karimov was accused by some of using the threat of Islamist militancy to justify ruthless security practices. Brutal crackdowns on Islamic groups followed bombings in 1999 and 2004 and twin incursions by the banned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in 1999 and 2000. Berating lawmakers for a perceived laxity in combating Islamist radicals in the late 1990s, Karimov told parliament: "If you don't have the will to do it, give me a gun and I'll shoot them in the head myself." Karimov also leveraged Uzbekistan's location to build ties with Washington, offering logistical assistance for U.S.-led military operations across the border in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda. Rights activists accused U.S. officials of turning a blind eye to the Uzbek president's abuses in return for transit privileges, a charge Washington rejected. In May 2005, large protests and lawlessness in the eastern city of Andijon were brutally suppressed by Uzbek security forces, reportedly leading to hundreds of deaths. Karimov refused to allow an international investigation and continued to allege that the unrest was fomented by Islamic militants who had been trained abroad. Regional Hegemon Uzbekistan -- which borders each of the region's post-Soviet republics, as well as Afghanistan -- is Central Asia's most populous country with its largest armed forces. It also sits atop considerable oil and gas reserves. Under Karimov, the country sought to mold itself into a regional hegemon -- sometimes leading to adversarial relations with its neighbors and breakdowns over border and water issues in particular. Tashkent has repeatedly cited an Islamic extremism threat in closing Uzbek borders, complicating life for residents at home and in adjoining states in the culturally kaleidoscopic Ferghana Valley. Uzbek gas exports gave Karimov considerable leverage over poorer neighbors Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and there have been frequent gas cutoffs over unpaid bills and other disputes. Neighboring states accused Karimov's security forces of masterminding attacks on their soil or crossing their borders to seize people sought by Uzbek authorities. Despite criticism of its human rights record, Uzbekistan's location and energy resources have generally led Russia and Western powers to seek closer ties. But Karimov's policies have variously created friction between Tashkent and Russia, the United States, the European Union, and international financial institutions. During the 1990s, Tajikistan fell into civil war while Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were paralyzed by protests and standoffs between presidents and parliament, and many of Central Asia's emergent states were dependent on international aid for their survival. Uzbekistan, however, avoided major instability and was able to provide its people with basic goods and services, including utilities like electricity and natural gas. But observers say the combination of ruthless repression and poor living standards has provided fertile breeding ground for violent resistance. Uzbekistan has been criticized for a perceived lack of economic reform and condemned as riddled with rampant corruption and nepotism. It has also faced repeated criticism from international rights group for forced labor in its large cotton industry. A Family Affair Karimov's two daughters, Gulnara and Lola, are believed to have immensely benefited from the system. In 2011, the Karimova siblings were both included in the list of Switzerland's 300 wealthiest residents published by the Swiss business magazine Bilan. Karimov's elder daughter, Gulnara -- a prominent socialite and businesswoman once seen as a potential successor to her father as president -- has not appeared in public since 2014 amid reports that she had been placed under house arrest in Uzbekistan amid a corruption scandal. A day after the Uzbek government announced in a rare statement on August 28 that the president had been hospitalized, it was Lola who communicated with the world about her father's condition. "At the moment it is too early to make any predictions about his future health," read the August 29 post on Lola Tillyaeva-Karimova's Instagram. The post, written in Russian, Uzbek, and English, said her father was admitted to the hospital on August 28 and that his condition was "considered stable." Tillyaeva-Karimova, Uzbekistan's ambassador to UNESCO, called for people to "refrain from speculation" and to respect her family's privacy. With contributions from Antoine Blua, Bruce Pannier, and Carl Schreck Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/uzbekistan-islam- karimov-obituary-78/27954048.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 Condolences Begin For Karimov Despite Official Silence On Uzbek Leader's Fate September 02, 2016 by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service Foreign leaders were expressing condolences to Uzbekistan on September 2 over the purported death of that country's longtime president, Islam Karimov, despite official silence from Tashkent since an announcement earlier in the day that the 78-year-old strongman's health was deteriorating. Preparations also appeared to be under way for a major state event in Karimov's birthplace of Samarkand, along the ancient Silk Road, and anonymous foreign officials were quoted as saying leaders from neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan would be attending a funeral for Karimov on September 3. Uzbek authorities keep a notoriously tight grip on information and speculation has swirled since the August 27 announcement of Karimov's hospitalization that he is already dead and members of his close inner circle could be vying to succeed the only leader in Uzbekistan's post-Soviet history. Uzbekistan's cabinet broke days of silence when it announced on September 2 that Karimov was in critical condition. But early on September 2, Reuters quoted three diplomatic sources as saying Karimov was dead. Hours later, Turkey's prime minister, Binali Yildirim, was shown at a televised cabinet meeting saying that "Uzbek President Islam Karimov has passed away," adding, according to Reuters, "May God's mercy be upon him, as the Turkish Republic we are sharing the pain and sorrow of Uzbek people." But it was unclear where Turkish officials had gotten their information. The presidents of Iran and Georgia all publicly expressed sadness over Karimov's passing. Meanwhile, a senior Kyrgyz diplomat and an Afghan government official were quoted as saying Uzbekistan is holding a funeral for Karimov on September 3. They were both speaking to the AP agency on condition of anonymity. The Afghan official said President Ashraf Ghani would attend Karimov's funeral on that date. The Kyrgyz diplomat said the country's prime minister also had been invited to the Uzbek leader's funeral. And diplomatic source in Tajikistan told AFP that the country's president was to fly to Uzbekistan on September 3, without saying where he was heading or why. Reuters reported that Nursultan Nazarbaev, the president of neighboring Kazakhstan, will cut short a trip to China and fly to Uzbekistan on September 3. There were also signs that Uzbekistan could be preparing for Karimov's funeral. RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported that district mayors and other officials were instructed to wear white shirts and black suits to work on September 2. The instructions were issued late on September 1 amid what appeared to be rushed preparations in Karimov's birthplace of Samarkand, on the ancient Silk Road, where central streets were blocked off as cleaning and apparent construction work took place. A large red carpet was laid in the city's historic Registan Square and loudspeakers were being installed. There was also activity around the Chorraha Mosque in Samarkand, and public workers and university students were also being bused to Samarkand's airport. The Samarkand airport issued a notice saying it would be closed to all flights on September 3 "except operations officially confirmed for this date" and all previous permissions for this date were canceled, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. There was no official Uzbek comment on the multiplying reports of Karimov's death, which came a few hours after the September 2 cabinet statement carried by Uzbekistan's official newspaper, Halq Sozi (People's Word), and read out on state TV. It said Karimov was hospitalized on August 27 and that in the previous 24 hours his condition "saw a sharp deterioration and is considered critical by the doctors." The statement was the first official word on Karimov since the cabinet announced on August 28 that he had been hospitalized, without saying what was wrong. His daughter said on Instagram the next day that he had suffered a "brain hemorrhage." Uzbekistan celebrated Independence Day on September 1, with Karimov absent. The prolonged official silence had set off speculation that the only person to have led post-Soviet Central Asia's most populous country it declared independence in 1991 had died. Reuters did not name its diplomatic sources. "Yes, he has died," it quoted one of them as saying. The statement and the report came amid signs that Uzbekistan could be preparting for Karimov's funeral. RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported that district mayors and other officials were instructed to wear white shirts and black suits to work on September 2. The instructions were issued late on September 1 amid what appeared to be rushed preparations in Karimov's native city of Samarkand, on the ancient Silk Road, where central streets were blocked off as cleaning and apparent construction work took place. A large red carpet was laid in the city's historic Registan Square and loudspeakers were being installed. There was also activity around the Chorraha Mosque in Samarkand, and public workers and university students were also being bused to Samarkand's airport. Reuters also reported that Nursultan Nazarbaev, the president of neighboring Kazakhstan, will cut short a trip to China and fly to Uzbekistan on September 3. Security sources told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev had also made a trip to the city. In Karimov's absence, Mirziyaev led a commemorative event in Tashkent on August 31 that marked the start of Independence Day celebrations. Karimov has not been seen in public since mid-August. Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, Karimov's younger daughter, suggested via social media on August 31 that her father was alive and could potentially recover. Until September 2, Uzbekistan's tightly controlled state media had not mentioned Karimov's illness, and it also remains unclear who is currently in charge of the Central Asian nation of around 30 million. Karimov has no apparent successor, and observers suggest any such decision would likely be made within the Uzbek president's trusted circle. International rights watchdogs and Western officials accuse Karimov of brutally suppressing perceived political opponents, and the country has never held an election deemed democratic by Western monitors. Amid the reports of Karimov's death, Amnesty International has said Uzbekistan's "repressive regime" is unlikely to change after he is gone. Denis Krivosheev, the London-based group's deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, said on September 2 that his successor "is likely to come from Karimov's closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated." "During [Karimov's] 27-year long rule, rights and freedoms were profoundly disregarded, with any dissent brutally crushed, and torture and arbitrary detentions became integral to the country's justice system," Krivosheev said in a statement. "Any semblance of justice in the country will require deep political changes and a new, principled approach from Uzbekistan's international partners, something which has been totally lacking in recent years," he added. The Uzbek Constitution states that if the president is unable to perform his duties the head of the upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, assumes presidential authority for a period of three months. No public comments have come from Senate Chairman Nigmatulla Yuldashev, who has led the upper house since January 2015. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, TASS, Gazeta.uz, RIA Novosti, and Interfax Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/uzbekistan- karimov-death-stroke/27963112.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 The menace hanging over Karabakh can be directed against Armenia - opinion (video) Karabakh must either become an independent state with all its rights and obligations, or join Armenia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Armen Navasardyan said on Sept. 2. Talking to reporters in Yerevan, Mr. Navasardyan said Karabakh is inextricably linked to all events taking place in the Caucasus and like Armenia, it is also considered to be part of the Greater Middle East. He says a completely new situation emerged in the region after August 24 when Turkish troops entered Syria. If the countries in the region worsen their relations with Russia, exacerbation will be observed in the Karabakh issue, too. Mr. Navasardyan thinks the issue has fall back into a conflict again as Armenia did not meet the demands set before it. When the Madrid Principles became known, many thought that Russia will agree to territorial concession, while the United States and France want to preserve the status quo of Nagorno-Karabakh but there is no such thing, he said. Armen Navasardyan stresses that although the conflict is frozen, the military situation continues to remain a threat. The menace hanging over Karabakh can be directed against Armenia unless we resolve the problem, he said. Analysis: The 'Day After' Has Arrived For Uzbekistan September 02, 2016 by Noah Tucker In Uzbekistan, the zero hour has finally come. For the first time in 25 years of independence, Uzbeks awake to a country not ruled by Islam Abdughanaevich Karimov. This is the day that many in the diaspora and the opposition have longed for, that analysts and academics like me have been asked to game-plan for years, because it was clear that the most likely -- and possibly only -- pathway to political change in one of the world's most consolidated authoritarian regimes was that Karimov might finally succumb to the laws of nature. I have lost count of the conversations I have had with Uzbek friends over the years that trail off with "maybe after Karimov dies..." as they wonder aloud when they might see their families again, travel outside their home country, start a business, study abroad -- all things that became impossible or fraught with danger for many as Uzbekistan steadily grew more isolated, its economy and society coming under ever-tighter control. A few weeks ago, I drove with an ethnic Uzbek friend in southern Kyrgyzstan along the tall barbed-wire fence that marks the Uzbek border and looked across at the weapons-toting guards on foot patrol. We had both lived in Tashkent for several years and both talked about how much we wished we could return. He shook his head and smiled: "After Karimov dies..." Today is that day. The new era has suddenly arrived, but what will change? No matter how many panels and think pieces have been devoted to predicting this moment, no matter how many dozens of articles are written following the 78-year-old Karimov's death, claiming to predict his successor and lay out the potential directions for the future of a volatile region's most populous country, the uncomfortable truth is that we have very little idea. A scenario many pundits warned we should fear has become reality: Karimov has passed without choosing an "heir" or leaving a clear road to succession. Those who have focused their attention on him personally, rather than the system that developed under him, long warned this could have nightmarish consequences: Islamists that only Karimov's steady hand could supposedly keep in check would erupt from the ever-"simmering" Ferghana Valley; or the country would devolve into open warfare among the country's "clans" that Karimov -- an orphan raised by the Soviet state without political family connections -- had "masterfully balanced" against one another. While there is a grain of truth in these prevailing narratives, their real commonality is that both are myths used to justify claims that the people of Uzbekistan cannot be trusted to govern themselves. These are the founding myths that justify the existence of Uzbekistan's version of what political scientist Alana Ledenova has called sistema in Putin's Russia -- another highly personalized authoritarian system that has evolved a logic of power that far exceeds the personal reach of a single man or likely the limits of his lifetime. Today Karimov is gone, but the vast security state and strict political economy that developed in the period when his portrait watched over every classroom and office is likely to survive him -- in no small part because the myths that justified them are alive and well. As Central Asia scholars like Larry Markowitz and Scott Radnitz have described, the political economy that developed in Uzbekistan stands in marked contrast to its neighbors for the degree to which it created a centralized state and loyalty to it as the locus of the entire economy, protected by a security apparatus that could discipline and punish local actors who refused to submit. Outside that "coercive, rent-seeking state" few opportunities exist for advancement, which means the remaining elites -- with or without Karimov -- have little to no incentive to change the political economy from which they all benefit, and the overwhelming reach of the security apparatus ensures that no one else is in a position to challenge them. Everyday life under this sistema and the coercive power of the country's dominant myths can be seen in a case that unfolded earlier this year. Aramais Avakian was a small-time local entrepreneur in the arid Jizzakh region who owned a property with two small ponds. He attempted to make his livelihood by raising fish in his ponds and had moderate success -- a small aquaculture operation with a few employees -- until his business caught the eye of his local hokim (district mayor), who exercised his authority in the "coercive, rent-seeking" state to demand Avakian sign over his land. He refused. Before long, Avakian was stopped by the police and arrested on charges of being a supporter of Islamic State (IS), after which his family and layers attest he was beaten and mistreated until he "confessed" that he and all of his employees were a secret IS cell that were determined to overthrow the government. Among the many problems with the narrative is that Avakian -- an ethnic Armenian and Orthodox Christian -- is not even a Muslim. For the system that has taken root in Uzbekistan, however, this was no obstacle to sending him to jail for years as an Islamist. This, then, is the system that remains, and one that is unlikely to change with or without Karimov. As political scientist Eric McGlinchey put it earlier this year, "The Uzbek ruling class ... has a strong incentive to maintain the autocratic regime that is the wellspring of financial wealth." The security apparatus that supports this regime -- which many argue long ago grew more powerful than Karimov himself -- is predicated in no small part on the argument that without them an Islamist uprising would engulf the country and from there, overwhelm the region. As we watch events unfold over the coming weeks -- especially if we see the hopes of so many Uzbeks dashed with little to no change in their everyday lives save the portrait on the wall -- remember the story of the fish farmer from Jizzakh as pundits and defenders sell the false dilemma of "autocracy or Islamic State." There are other choices: In 25 years, the Uzbeks have never had an opportunity to find out what they are. Noah Tucker is managing editor at Registan.net and an associate at George Washington University's Elliot School of International Affairs Central Asia Program Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/uzbekistan- karimov-the-day-after-analysis- death-central-asia/27955577.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 Update: air strikes against Daesh 2 September 2016 British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh Latest update - Saturday 27 August Reaper identified Daesh vehicles in northern Iraq, which were subsequently destroyed by coalition air attacks, including one by the Reaper itself. - Sunday 28 August Typhoons struck a number of rocket-launchers in western Iraq. - Monday 29 August Typhoons bombed a bunker and tunnel to the north of Mosul. - Tuesday 30 August Typhoons attacked a further three tunnels north of Mosul, as well as a mechanical excavator helping construct terrorist positions. - Wednesday 31 August Typhoons destroyed a Daesh-held building to the east of Mosul. Detail Saturday 27 August Wednesday 31 August: Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s continue to fly reconnaissance missions over Syria and Iraq, while Typhoon FGR4s and Reapers have conducted a number of successful attacks on Daesh terrorists in northern and western Iraq. Saturday 27 August: A Reaper supported the Iraqi security forces advancing near Qayyarah. The aircraft spotted a heavy vehicle transporter being used by Daesh to move one of the mechanical excavators that are used to construct their fortified positions. Both the transporter and the excavator were destroyed by coalition fast jets, guided to the scene by the Reaper. The Reaper crew subsequently tracked an armed Daesh truck withdrawing from a nearby compound and attempted to conceal the vehicle in shed. A direct hit from a Hellfire missile destroyed the building and the truck inside. Sunday 28 August: A Typhoon patrol over western Iraq used a pair of Paveway IV guided bombs to destroy a dispersed group of rocket-launching rails hidden amidst trees on the northern bank of the Euphrates. Monday 29 August: Typhoons operating ten miles north of Mosul delivered a Paveway attack on a bunker and tunnel network. A number of secondary explosions ensued, most likely from stored ammunition. Tuesday 30 August: Typhoons operating over the same area north of Mosul conducted successful attacks with Paveway IVs on a further three tunnels. An excavator preparing defences nearby was also destroyed. Wednesday 31 August: A Typhoon patrol found its target 15 miles to the east of Mosul, where advancing Iraqi forces had identified a Daesh-held building. It was hit with a Paveway IV leading to number of secondary explosions. Previous air strikes Tuesday 2 August: With Iraqi ground forces continuing their offensive to clear Daesh from the area around Qayyarah, a Royal Air Force Reaper provided close air support. The Reaper observed terrorists attempting to salvage a heavy machine-gun from a truck that had been hit by a previous coalition strike and successfully engaged them with a Hellfire missile. A second group of extremists were also attacked with another Hellfire. UK aircraft then provided targeting support that allowed a coalition fast jet to destroy a mortar team. Over Syria, a pair of Typhoons were similarly supporting the Syrian democratic forces as they fought to secure Manbij. A number of buildings on the south-western edge of the town had been fortified by Daesh as a major defensive position. These were successfully struck by the Typhoons, using eight Paveway IV guided bombs, despite the proximity of the moderate Syrian forces. Wednesday 3 August: Tornados destroyed a Daesh mortar position while patrolling the north and west of Mosul. Thursday 4 August: Tornados were again active over northern Iraq and conducted a Paveway IV attack on a machine-gun position in the hills to the north-west of Tall Afar. Meanwhile, Typhoons destroyed two Daesh-held buildings in western Iraq, while assisting Iraqi forces in the Euphrates Valley. Sunday 7 August: Daesh were observed to be attempting to extract oil from one of the eastern Syrian oilfields which had been successfully targeted by previous coalition air strikes earlier this year. Two Tornados attacked a convoy of tankers north of Abu Kamal. Four Paveway IVs and four Brimstone missiles accounted for a number of vehicles, denying the terrorists the oil revenue they desperately seek. In northern Iraq, a Reaper and Typhoons were again supporting the Iraqi operations around Qayyarah. The Reaper conducted Hellfire attacks on a mortar team that was firing on the Iraqis and on a set of rocket rails. It then helped other coalition aircraft to successfully target an improvised armoured vehicle. The Typhoons also used three Paveway IVs to destroy three Daesh-held buildings. Monday 8 August: A Reaper flew overwatch for Iraqi ground forces operating near Qayyarah in northern Iraq on and used a Hellfire missile to destroy a terrorist vehicle as it was tracked at speed along an open road. To the east of Mosul, a light artillery piece had been identified, positioned within a building. This was successfully attacked by Typhoons with a Paveway IV guided bomb. Tuesday 9 August: Typhoons were active over the same area, conducting attacks with Paveway IVs which destroyed three Daesh-held buildings and a vehicle some 20 miles south-east of Mosul. The same day, a Reaper was again assigned to support Iraqi operations near Qayyarah. Its crew observed a Daesh team setting up a mortar and attacked with a Hellfire. It then used a second missile to destroy a mechanical excavator which was being used to help plant improvised explosive devices and tear up the carriageway of the main highway, in an attempt to hamper the Iraqi advance. Wednesday 10 August: A Reaper patrolled over Manbij, where Syrian democratic forces have cleared Daesh from much of the town. The Reaper intervened in close combat that developed just to the north of Manbij and successfully used Hellfires to clear two groups of extremists engaged in a fire fight with the Syrian moderates. Over Iraq, Typhoons bombed an armed truck concealed under trees some miles to the south-east of Hit. A number of secondary explosions followed as associated ammunition caught fire. Saturday 13 August: A Royal Air Force Reaper remotely piloted aircraft provided overwatch to Iraqi ground forces clearing terrorist positions in the Qayyarah region of northern Iraq. A number of groups of Daesh fighters, armed with rocket-propelled grenades, were active in the area, but were tracked down by the Reaper's crew using the aircraft's very capable surveillance sensors. Three successful attacks were conducted using the Reaper's own Hellfire missiles, and the Reaper also made possible a further five attacks by coalition fast jets, which accounted for other groups of fighters, two vehicles and a mortar team. Sunday 14 August: A second Reaper ensured that the Iraqi units continued to receive close support and this aircraft delivered two Hellfire attacks, again on Daesh rocket-propelled grenade teams. Monday 15 August: Typhoon FGR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri and supported by a Voyager tanker, patrolled over western Iraq. Some miles north of Ramadi, they used a Paveway IV guided bomb against a terrorist mortar position. Tuesday 16 August: Tornado GR4s and a Reaper conducted armed reconnaissance patrols over Syria; a coalition surveillance aircraft spotted a Daesh heavy artillery piece to the south of Manbij, and the Tornados were tasked to deal with it. The gun and an ammunition stockpile were concealed within a treeline at the edge of a road, but a pair of Paveway IVs struck their targets. The Reaper operated over south-eastern Syria, where it used a Hellfire to destroy an anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck, around 40 miles north of Al Tanf. Wednesday 17 August: A Reaper was again in action near Qayyarah, when it successfully engaged yet another group of Daesh terrorists armed with rocket-propelled grenades; a number of secondary explosions followed the impact of the Hellfire missile as the grenades caught fire. Typhoons also continued their patrols over western Iraq, along the Euphrates valley to the north-west of Ramadi, and here they used a Paveway IV to destroy an armed truck which the extremists had tried in vain to conceal under a large vehicle shelter. Thursday 18 August: Tornados operating over northern Iraq. A coalition aircraft spotted a group of extremists hidden in a position beneath trees on the southern bank of the Great Zab River, and these were successfully attacked by the GR4s using a Paveway IV. The Tornados then conducted a further such attack on a Daesh machine-gun position, several miles to the south of Sinjar. Friday 19 August: A Reaper and a pair of Tornados worked together near Qayyarah against a number of terrorist rocket and mortar teams. The Reaper observed a mortar firing from a compound at Iraqi forces, and responded with a successful Hellfire missile attack. The Reaper then provided support to the Tornados as they used a pair of Paveway IVs against a widely dispersed group of rocket-launchers. The Tornados also used a Brimstone missile to destroy a second mortar team, and another Paveway IV to strike an additional set of rocket rails. Saturday 20 August: Another Reaper patrolled over Qayyarah, again hunting for a reported mortar team. The target was tracked down and successfully prosecuted using a Hellfire. Sunday 21 August: a Typhoon flight bombed an armed truck a few miles to the north-west of Ramadi, on the northern bank of the Euphrates, while Tornados were active once more over northern Iraq; a Paveway IV attack struck a terrorist position to the south-west of Kirkuk, and a Brimstone missile was used to destroy a T-62 tank operated by Daesh to the north of Mosul. Monday 22 August: Two Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s operated over northern Iraq. A group of Daesh extremists had been located, sheltering in a cave amongst hills on the southern bank of the Tigris, overlooking the river, some miles to the north-west of Mosul. The Typhoons used one Paveway IV guided bomb to attack the cave entrance, and a second to destroy the terrorists' vehicle, parked on a nearby track. Wednesday 24 August: Iraqi security forces continue to mount offensive operations against Daesh near Qayyarah, and they were well supported by coalition aircraft, including an RAF Reaper and a pair of Tornado GR4s. The GR4s were primarily deployed in the reconnaissance role, but conducted two attacks with Brimstone missiles against terrorists engaged in combat with the Iraqi troops. The Reaper provided surveillance support to other coalition aircraft which delivered an air strike on a Daesh strongpoint, and carried out five attacks with its own weaponry: four Hellfire missiles accounted for two mortar teams and two groups of terrorists manoeuvring along narrow alleyways, and a GBU-12 laser guided bomb destroyed several rocket-launchers which another coalition surveillance aircraft had spotted set up outside the town. Thursday 25 August: Typhoons, supported as is normal by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, patrolled the Euphrates valley west of Ramadi, where they used a Paveway IV to attack a Daesh-held building on the northern river-bank. Over Syria, a pair of Tornados used two Brimstone missiles to engage a number of terrorists spotted occupying positions under trees in farmland in the east of the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Uzbek Leader Has Died By VOA News September 02, 2016 The Uzbekistan government and parliament announced the death of President Islam Karimov in a joint statement Friday, September 2. Karimov, 78, will be buried on September 3 in his hometown of Samarkand, the statement said. Karimov's daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillayeva, commented on Facebook and Instagram about her father's death. "He has left us... I am picking my words and cannot believe it... We are from God and to Him shall we return. May God show His mercy to him," she said. Funeral Earlier Friday, before the official announcement from Uzbekistan, Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed his condolences to the government and the people of Uzbekistan during a televised meeting with his cabinet. "Uzbek President Islam Karimov has passed away," he announced. " May God's mercy be upon him, as the Turkish Republic we are sharing the pain and sorrow of Uzbek people." The Russian Fergana International Information Agency reported earlier that funeral arrangements were being made in Samarkand. Karimov has been an authoritarian ruler of the Central Asia nation for more than a quarter of a century. He suppressed the opposition and did not designate a successor. Rights situation unlikely to improve Rights group Amnesty International said in a statement Friday that with the death of Karimov, Uzbekistan's repressive regime is unlikely to change. "Islam Karimov's death marks the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not of the pattern of grave human rights abuses. His successor is likely to come from Karimov's closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated," said Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia Denis Krivosheev. US reaction U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia Daniel Rosenblum said in an interview with VOA Uzbek Service that the U.S. considers itself a friend of Uzbekistan and the people of Uzbekistan and "supports the country's independence and its sovereignty, and will continue to develop that friendship under any scenario. VOA's Uzbek Service contributed to this report NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gabon Streets Deserted, Tensions High After Election Protests By Nike Ching, Esha Sarai, Idrissa Fall September 02, 2016 Protesters in Gabon's capital city carried out widespread looting Friday, continuing the unrest that followed Wednesday's announcement that incumbent President Ali Bongo had narrowly defeated his challenger in a nationwide vote. VOA reporter Idriss Fall in Libreville said unrest began in the neighborhood of Charbonnage and spread outward. He said most of the protesters are young men in their 20s, but it was unclear whether people who have taken to the streets are making a political statement or simply taking advantage of the situation. "People should remember that whenever you have a political crisis, people would go outside and begin looting whatever is out there. So, to be honest, I can't say that all the people going outside the streets are with [opposition leader Jean] Ping or not with Ping or have another purpose." Fall also reported that the city hall in Gabon's second largest city and major seaport, Port-Gentil, was burned down. He spoke to 26 leaders of the opposition who said that the number of people killed has reached 17 but said it is difficult to independently confirm that total. The nation's interior ministry reports that only three people have been killed. The unrest began Wednesday following official results that show Bongo with 49.8 percent of the vote and challenger Ping with 48.2 percent. Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya says more than 1,000 people have been arrested nationwide, including as many as 800 in the capital. He confirmed three deaths in the violence. Buildings throughout downtown Libreville, including the National Assembly, were set ablaze Thursday. There were also attempts to set fire to City Hall, the broadcasting house, a state newspaper's headquarters and various residences, according to an interior ministry statement that accuses opposition supporters of planning the attacks ahead of time. In Washington, the State Department urged all sides to come together peacefully to avoid future unrest. It said "appropriate actions" may be considered going forward. "We deplore the escalation of violence following the release of those provisional election results by the government," spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. "We call upon the security forces to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all Gabonese citizens and of all residents of Gabon." Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Libreville issued a security message advising American citizens of "widespread, violent demonstrations, rioting and looting" in the capital and urging them to remain in safe locations. "Security forces have responded to the situation with tear gas and have placed roadblocks at major arterial roads, cutting off transportation across the city. There is also debris and burned cars blocking the roads in some areas," according to the security message. Ping is disputing the results showing he lost by about 5,000 votes. He said his campaign has evidence of election rigging, which he plans to present to Gabon's constitutional court. At issue are the results from one province, where the results show nearly 100 percent voter turnout, with Bongo receiving 95 percent of the vote. Some members of the electoral commission resigned as the results were announced Wednesday. While not commenting whether Washington would ask for a recount, the State Department called on the Gabonese government to release results for each individual polling station. The State Department said those provisional results still need to be certified by Gabon's constitutional court. "We are asking that the legal procedures for certification of the results be followed according to Gabonese law in a fair and transparent manner," said Kirby. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for Gabon to remain peaceful after the hotly contested poll. "The secretary-general urges all concerned political leaders and their supporters to refrain from further acts that could undermine the peace and stability of the country," his spokesman said in a statement. "He also calls on the authorities to ensure that the national security forces exercise maximum restraint in their response to protests." Government conducted raids A government spokesman said security forces raided the opposition building in search of people who had set fires near the parliament building earlier in the night. "Armed people who set fire to the parliament had gathered at Jean Ping's headquarters along with hundreds of looters and thugs. ... They were not political protesters but criminals," Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze told the French news agency AFP. The U.S. embassy called for all individual polling station results to be published, after it said observers witnessed "many systemic flaws and irregularities" in the voting. The irregularities included polling stations opening late and "last-minute changes to voting procedures." Both candidates declared victory after Saturday's vote, and each side accused the other of fraud during the vote count. Gabon does not have a run-off system, so the candidate with the most votes in the 10-candidate field wins the election. Ping was running to end a half-century of Bongo family rule. Ali Bongo succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who died in 2009 after 42 years in office. VOA Afrique contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rustam Sodikovich Azimov Islam Karimov, the president of Uzbekistan, died 02 September 2016. Many observers believed the most likely successor to Karimov was Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev, 58, who had headed the government since 2003. One unknown is how much influence other powerful former allies of Karimov -- such as longtime national security chief Rustam Inoyatov and Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov, who is also finance minister -- wield behind the scenes. First Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister Rustam Azimov, had been in the national government since 1998, always in a post connected to finance. Rustam Inoyatov, the head of the National Security Committee [SNB - the Uzbek version of the KGB] since the 1990s, is considered to be a possible successor to Karimov. Many suspect Inoyatov was behind the campaign to bring down Karimovs daughter Gulnara. As Minister of Finance, Rustam Azimov very well may have been in a position to take notes on questionable financial transactions of other members of the Government. He is married, and has two daughters. Born 20 September 1958 in Tashkent city, he graduated from the Faculty of History of the Tashkent State University, Faculty of Economics of the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Mechanization of Agriculture, where he graduated as a Candidate of Economic Sciences, as well as Master's degree at Oxford University. He was a Serviceman at the "Photon", Komsomol leader, virgin farm economist, Secretary of the Party Committee in the Hungry Steppe, associate professor of Party School. In 1990, he became the chairman of "Ipak Yuli" Bank Board. From 1991 to 1998 he served as Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of foreign economic activity. At the same time, since 1992 - Managing the EBRD - the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan. In 1998 he became Minister of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The February 11, 2000 session of Oliy Mazhilis reconfirmed him as the Minister of Finance. On August 1, 2000 he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, heading the general economic complex. Since November 8, 2000 he served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Macroeconomics and Statistics, and was relieved of his duties as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan. On 24 December 2002 the Ministry of Macroeconomics and Statistics of Uzbekistan abolished. From January 22, 2003 he served as Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan - the head of the general economic complex. From February 4, 2005 he was First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economic Affairs, Head of the economic complex and a complex of consumer goods and trade. From July 25, 2005 he was Minister of the Ministry of the reconstituted International Economic Relations, Investments and Trade. Since 2001, he was Chairman of the National Commission on the implementation of the Programme provide the rural population with drinking water and natural gas, the Chairman of the Government Commission on bankruptcy and reorganization of enterprises, Chairman of the National Coordination Council on promoting the development of small and private entrepreneurship. Independent website Uzmetronom reported late on 21 February 2008 that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev had been removed as Prime Minister and would assume duties as Hokim (governor) of Ferghana Province. First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov will assume duties as acting Prime Minister. Mirziyaev has been rumored for the past half year to be on his way out, though in November 2007 he seemed to have recovered his standing. His fall from power by no means entailed disgrace. Former Prime Minister Utkir Sultanov, who was replaced in 2003, then spent three years as a Deputy Prime Minister before moving on to head the TAPOich aircraft manufacturing plant (Karimov's own alma mater). Mirziyaev's press secretary and others denied reports that First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov will be named acting Prime Minister. The reports touched a raw nerve and open a window on a palace intrigue whose ultimate stakes may be the succession to the Presidency. Azimov's star was clearly on the rise. He was out of favor from 2003-2005 or so, following his role as a major booster of the disastrous 2003 EBRD annual meeting held in Tashkent. He had regained favor in the past two years and was named last month as First Deputy Prime Minister. He was arguably among the most powerful cabinet ministers for the past year. Whether he would remain as Prime Minister was unclear. He was widely seen as a promising figure for U.S.-Uzbek relations, and he was thought to be a promoter of sounder economic policies. He is a political survivor, though, who would keep his own message in line with Karimov's. The prevailing view is that Tashkent-based Azimov declined the dubious honor of becoming Karimov's heir apparent, feeling he does not yet have his political ducks lined up with Samarkand/Bukhara- or Ferghana Valley-centered rivals whose support is required for stability in Uzbekistan's political triad. In 2009 Uzbekistan established a special group on the prediction of Economic Development, headed by Rustam Azimov. According to the decree of the Government of Uzbekistan established an interdepartmental working group to develop the socio-economic development of Uzbekistan in 2014. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "When they ask me "who is the President of Uzbekibekibekistanstan?" I am going to say, "you know, I don't know, do you know?" Knowing who is the head of some of some of these small, insignificant states around the world - I don't think that is something that is critical to focusing on national security." Herman Cain, 09 October 2011 Shavkat Miramanovich Mirziyaev Polls closed 04 December 2016 in Uzbekistan, where voters chose who will be the countrys next president after Islam Karimov, the autocrat who ruled the Central Asian nation for a quarter-century until his death three months earlier. Preliminary results announced by the Central Election Commission show that Mirziyoyev took about 88 percent of the vote. Many observers believed the most likely successor to Karimov was Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev. He was appointed head of the commission that organized Karimov's funeral, a duty that in the region's Soviet culture normally falls to the successor. Mirziyaev was made acting president six days after Karimovs death was announced -- circumventing a constitutional process under which the upper parliament house speaker is supposed to take charge. Acting President Shavkat Mirziyaev, who had been the countrys prime minister since 2003, was widely expected to win a five-year term in the December election. The Central Election Commission announced that almost 87 percent of the 20 million-plus electorate took part in the poll. Mirziyaev, born in 1951, had headed the government since 2003. Other contenders included First Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister Rustam Azimov, has been in the national government since 1998, always in a post connected to finance. Rustam Inoyatov, the head of the National Security Committee [SNB - the Uzbek version of the KGB] since the 1990s, was also considered to be a possible successor to Karimov. Many suspect Inoyatov was behind the campaign to bring down Karimovs daughter Gulnara. Shavkat Miramanovich Mirziyaev [also seen as Russified "Shavkat Miramanovich Mirziyoye"] was the Prime Minister of the Republic of UzbekistanSince 2003. He graduated from the Tashkent Institute of irrigation and mechanization of agriculture. He then served as Secretary of the Komsomol organization of the Institute, then worked as a secretary and the rector of the party organization of Tashkent's Mirzo-Ulugbek (former Kuibyshev) up to the district administration (1996). He served as governor (Hakim) of Jizzakh Province from 1996 to September 2001, then as governor of Samarqand Province (September 11, 2001 to December 11, 2003) until his appointment as Prime Minister. He represented District 67 of Jizzakh region (1999-2004), and was deputy of the Oliy Majlis. On 11 December 2003 he was appointed the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He replaced fired Prime Minister, Otkir Sultonov. A 26 November 2004 article on the independent news website Centrasia.ru alleged that Mirziyaev was placed under house arrest for three weeks after arranging an elaborate wedding for his daughter at which each guest was obliged to hand over at least 10,000 dollars as a gift. The article also stated that an unnamed official of a recent Russian delegation described Mirziyaev as having the instincts of "a head of state," reportedly upsetting President Karimov. Independent website Uzmetronom reported late on 21 February 2008 that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev had been removed as Prime Minister and would assume duties as Hokim (governor) of Ferghana Province. First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov will assume duties as acting Prime Minister. Mirziyaev has been rumored for the past half year to be on his way out, though in November 2007he seemed to have recovered his standing. His fall from power by no means entailed disgrace. Former Prime Minister Utkir Sultanov, who was replaced in 2003, then spent three years as a Deputy Prime Minister before moving on to head the TAPOich aircraft manufacturing plant (Karimov's own alma mater). According to contacts in the Parliament and the Cabinet of Ministers, National Security Service Chairman Rustam Inoyatov favored Mirziyaev as the next President of Uzbekistan. According to this version of the palace intrigue, Inoyatov had sufficient compromising information on Mirziyaev to ensure his own interests are protected. Radio Free Europe ran an interview late 21 February 2008 with Prime Minister Mirziyaev's press secretary, Sherzod Kudratkhojaev, who denied the Uzmetronom internet report and said his boss will remain in office. Russia's Interfax news agency, meanwhile, reported that an official Uzbek Government news service had also denied the report. Mass media inside Uzbekistan (print, telvision, radio) have been entirely silent on the issue, and no governmental denial has appeared online. The report clearly touched a raw nerve in certain quarters. In early 2009 sources said President Karimov was retaining Prime Minister Mirziyaev for the time being, but members of the Apparat and Karimov perceived him as unprofessional and Karimov was planning to replace him at an appropriate time. First Deputy Prime Minister Azimov would move up to Prime Minister. On 27 January 2010, the Legislative Chamber and Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan assembled for a joint session. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov attended the convention. Karimov delivered a speech entitled Modernization of the country and fostering a solid civil society is our key priority. Furthermore, the Head of nation nominated Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the position of Uzbekistans Prime Minister. Members of parliament endorsed the recommendation and appointed Mirziyoyev Prime Minister of the Republic. In accordance with the Constitution, the Prime Minister was nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the highest number of seats in the Legislative (lower) Chamber of Parliament. Following the elections held on December 21, 2014, the party won 52 parliamentary seats and retained a majority in the new parliament. Uzbek President Islam Karimov after consideration of nominations submitted for approval to the proposed Mirzieev Houses of Parliament. Leaders of all four factions and deputy group of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan, the lower house of parliament supported the candidacy Mirzieev, said the agency interlocutor. During his statement in the position of head of the government voted a majority of the 150 deputies of the lower house and 100 members of the Senate. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Unmanned SpaceX Rocket Explodes on Florida Launchpad By VOA News September 01, 2016 An unmanned SpaceX rocket exploded on its launchpad in the U.S. state of Florida Thursday morning. NASA said SpaceX was testing the rocket when a series of blasts rocked the site, shaking buildings several kilometers away. Webcam video showed a large plume of smoke at the launch site. No one was injured, but the rocket and a satellite on board were destroyed, according to SpaceX. "SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today's standard pre-launch static fire test,, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload," SpaceX said in an official statement. "Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries." Authorities said the test was part of preparations for the launch this Saturday of a rocket carrying an Israeli communication satellite. The explosion marks a major setback for both SpaceX and NASA, which uses this kind of rocket to launch supplies to the International Space Station. SpaceX is a private U.S. aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company founded by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. The company has gained international fame for developing reusable launch vehicles that it hopes will help lower the cost of space transportation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spouse of US Woman Charged as Spy: China Hiding Evidence By Ye Lin September 02, 2016 The husband of an American woman who has been charged of spying on China said Thursday that Beijing is trying to cover up evidence that could exonerate her. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this week that China has formally charged Texas businesswoman Sandy Phan-Gillis, who has been detained since last year, with espionage. The 55-year-old Vietnamese-born U.S. citizen of Chinese ancestry was detained in March 2015 after being stopped for questioning in the southern city of Zhuhai, where she was preparing to depart for Macau. Her husband, Jeff Gillis, said in a statement on Thursday that "these allegations are completely false," explaining that China accused his wife of conducting espionage in mainland China in 1996, but that her U.S. passport reveals that she wasn't in China at the time. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that the United States remains concerned about her welfare. "We continue to monitor her case closely. Officers from the consulate there have visited her on a monthly basis since she was detained back in March of last year," he said. "We have repeatedly pressed Chinese authorities to provide further details of the case and to give our consular officers full and unrestricted access to her, as required by the Vienna Convention. We urge the Government of China to review and consider seriously the views expressed by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), including its recommendation to release Ms. Phan-Gillis." Arbitrary detention claimed In June, WGAD published a statement calling Phan-Gillis a victim of arbitrary detention, and that she hadn't been brought before judicial authorities or given access to legal assistance. Phan-Gillis, who ran a consulting firm that facilitated business dealings between U.S. and Chinese companies, was detained while traveling with a delegation from Houston, Texas. For six months she was held in a secret location, after which she was transferred to a detention center in the southern region of Guangxi, where she was initially held in solitary confinement. According to the report - the first in WGAD's 25-year history that deemed an American citizen to have been arbitrarily detained by China - Phan-Gillis has not had access to a lawyer or any communication with her family since September 2015. While WGAD says detention is deemed arbitrary if it has no legal basis or legal rights are ignored, China has warned the United Nations against questioning its judicial independence. "We hope that the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention can perform its duties impartially, respect China's judicial sovereignty, and cease making irresponsible remarks about legal cases being handled by relevant Chinese departments," said Hong Lei, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry in a news briefing. State Department officials have said that although the WGAD ruling is not legally binding, they "would encourage the government of China to review and consider the opinion and recommendations received." Jeff Gillis has called on President Barack Obama to request the release of his wife when meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G-20 summit hosted by China this week. This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Mandarin Service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address KPA Panmunjom Mission Exposes Adventurous Nature of Ulji Freedom Guardian Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS) Pyongyang, September 2 (KCNA) -- The Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People's Army (KPA) released a white paper Friday exposing the adventurous nature of the joint military exercises Ulji Freedom Guardian expanded by the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces for decades. The white paper branded the joint military exercises as a direct product of the hideous hostile policy toward the DPRK pursued by the U.S. and its military strategy. The U.S. imperialists' hostile policy toward the DPRK assumes the most despicable and most ferocious aggressive nature, the white paper said, and went on: The main point here is to put the DPRK under their control by force. After the Cold War they invented lots of war scenarios to establish military domination over the whole of Korea and steadily modified and supplemented operational plans of all kinds for their materialization. Ulji Freedom Guardian which has been staged every year is just an example of the scenarios. Ulji Focus Lens joint military exercises which put emphasis on simulation drill on maps were expanded into large-scale war exercises called Ulji Freedom Guardian in 2008 with the U.S. imperialist aggression forces who regard the Korean peninsula as their operational theatre, the puppet forces, all the puppet central and local administrative organs, munitions, civilian enterprises and all human and material resources of south Korea involved. After having a confab on offering the puppet forces an "extended deterrence" including nuclear war means and diverse conventional armed forces in June, 2009, the U.S. imperialists staged Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises with a focus on raising the operational commanding capabilities of units to be involved in the attack for aggression on the north under new operational plan in August in the same year. In 2010, the U.S. increased its troops participating in the joint military exercises three times compared with the previous year while trumpeting about "countermeasure to the north's attack on warship Cheonan" and brought to the areas around the Korean peninsula huge troops including nuclear carrier attack force and preemptive nuclear attack means. After setting 2015 as "year of war" and August when Ulji Freedom Guardian started as "month of starting the war", the U.S. went hell-bent on the joint military drills. Ulji Freedom Guardian is the largest-ever one simulating an actual war that has been expanded in a phased manner. The U.S. dispatches tens or hundreds of troops to other countries and regions for military exercises with various missions. The number involved in Ulji Freedom Guardian is several hundred times as compared with them. War means involved in Ulji Freedom Guardian also assume extreme adventurous nature. By origin, the U.S. imperialists kept it as a top secret to mobilize nuclear war lethal weapons in joint military exercises in the past. Today they are openly making public the introduction of nuclear war weapons and their striking power without any hesitation. This proves that their moves for aggression against the DPRK have entered the phase of implementation after going beyond a limit line. Branding Ulji Freedom Guardian as a preemptive nuclear strike exercise that has gone beyond a limit line, the white paper continued: Recently the enemies are trumpeting about the theory of preemptive strike premised on "symptom of use of nuclear weapons" and "signs". This is a revelation of their sinister ambition to mount a preemptive attack on the DPRK by their own "decision" and "judgment" when an opportunity presents itself. Ulji Freedom Guardian is all directed to realizing this scheme for a preemptive attack. It aims at mounting a surprise preemptive nuclear attack on the DPRK once an opportunity is offered as huge nuclear war troops have already been introduced. Herein lie the danger and adventurous nature of Ulji Freedom Guardian. It is the trite method of the imperialists to describe war as "peace", aggression as "defense" and plunder as "aid". In the face of the flurry of censure and denunciation of the aggressive and adventurous nature of the joint military exercises, the enemies have made profound confusing of the right and wrong with such impudent sophism as "regular and open exercises", "normal exercises whose transparency is guaranteed" and "annual defensive drill". The enemies talk volumes about "defensive nature" of the joint military drills but, in actuality, brought riffraffs of nine satellite countries to Ulji Freedom Guardian under the pretext of "visit". Dancing to the tune of their American master's ballad of "defence" the south Korean puppet forces are trying to create fear of "threat from the north" among the south Korean inhabitants and incite hostility toward the fellow countrymen in a bid to justify the preemptive nuclear attack drill against the DPRK. The moves of the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces to realize at any cost their scheme for invading the DPRK can never be tolerated. If they persistently resort to Ulji Freedom Guardian and other nuclear war exercises against the DPRK, they will face most merciless and miserable end, warned the white paper. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opacity, Appetite for Salacious Stories Hamper North Korea Coverage By Brian Padden September 02, 2016 Reporting on developments inside secretive North Korea often becomes a guessing game, with some news organizations repeating salacious details that portray leader Kim Jong Un as ruthless and unhinged because there is great worldwide interest in it. The problem is that most of these reports rely on anonymous sources who are not always reliable and may have agendas, as we were reminded this week. Citing an unnamed source, the South Korean newspaper Korea Joongang Daily wrongly reported that two officials in the North had been executed: Hwang Min, a former agriculture minister, and Ri Yong Jin, with the education ministry. The news organization also reported that one official was killed with an anti-aircraft gun. Some Western media outlets picked up the Joongang Daily story, reinforcing the report's credibility but also prompting the South Korean government to respond to the false information. Seoul's Unification Ministry later issued a statement correcting the report. Spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said the North's "vice premier for education, Kim Yong Jin, was executed and the head of the North's United Front Department, Kim Yong Chol, was made to undergo revolutionary measures." Jean Lee, the Associated Press' former Pyongyang bureau chief, denounced the idea of a news organization releasing information that hasn't been thoroughly checked out. "I just think it is so irresponsible to put that story out before confirming the details, but it did push the South Korean government to confirm some of the details to get at least the government point of view," said Lee, now a global fellow with the Wilson Center, a policy think tank in Washington. Sorting fact from fiction It is difficult to discern what's happening within the leadership of the secretive and repressive North Korean state. "Those who do know something are not going to talk to you because when they start talking, they will be in trouble," said Andrei Lankov, a North Korea analyst and professor at Kookmin University. At least 100 North Korean officials have been executed since Kim Jong Un took power in December 2011, the Institute for National Security Strategy said in 2015. The institute is affiliated with the South Korean National Intelligence Service. But reports of executions and purges in North Korea are rarely confirmed and some have proven inaccurate. Pyongyang did confirm the 2013 execution of Kim's uncle by marriage, Jang Song Thaek, for allegedly plotting a military coup. The mentor to the young North Korean leader was increasingly seen as a rival source of power, analysts said. Reports in February, however, that Ri Yong Gil, an official with the Korean People's Army, had been executed for corruption turned out to be false when he showed up at North Korea's party congress in May. Anonymous sources As diplomatic and economic channels of communication between North and South Korea have been cut off over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program in defiance of U.N. sanctions, the North Korean defector community in the South has become an increasing source of insider knowledge. "The sources have been replaced by phone calls with North Korean defectors and letters, so it is probably difficult to reveal the sources, who the defectors are," said defector Ahn Chan Il with the World Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. Keeping North Korean sources' identities secret is necessary to protect them and their families, but it also makes it more difficult to assess credibility of the information provided. And some news organizations, especially in South Korea, have been more than willing to repeat salacious stories without verification. "I think that says something to the nature of the business of journalism right now, which is when it comes to North Korea, the more horrible, the more salacious, the more entertaining, the more it fits into the narrative as the North Koreans being these insane outliers," said Lee. Reports that Kim's uncle Jang was killed by a pack of starving dogs have been discredited. The original report was apparently a satirical post on a Chinese social media network that was taken as fact and went viral. Nor has there been any confirmation that an associate of Jang's was executed with a flamethrower. Satellite images in 2015, however, captured what appeared to be a North Korean execution with an anti-aircraft gun. South Korea Official confirmation of developments inside Pyongyang from the government in Seoul is seen as more reliable, even though the National Intelligence Service is also gathering information from unnamed sources and has been wrong at times in the past. An unidentified South Korean official also on Wednesday told reporters that Kim Yong Jin was arrested for what seemed to mean slouching exhibiting a bad attitude while sitting in a chair during a meeting of the People's Supreme Assembly, then accused of being an anti-revolutionary before he was put before a firing squad. Kim Yong Chol was sent to a re-education farm for a month until mid-August, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. Recent high-level defections to South Korea, such as that of Thae Yong Ho, the deputy ambassador of the North Korean embassy in London, could provide better insight into what is happening inside Kim Jong Un's inner circle. Youmi Kim in Seoul contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 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 India Launches Domestic Design Bureau to Cut Imports of Arms and Ammo Sputnik News 14:38 01.09.2016 India has taken a big leap forward toward reducing defense equipment imports, by launching its own design wing. The Army Design Bureau will act as an interface between the Indian Army and the defense industry and will also play a crucial role in all acquisitions in order to promote local solutions to the Army's modernization needs. Making a formal announcement, Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh said, "A lot of spare parts and inventory of the Army which were being procured through imports did not involve high end technology and as such could be made by domestic industries." As a precursor to this development, the Indian government, in its revised Defense Procurement Policy announced earlier this year, had given priority to "Indian designed" products in a separate category. An official spokesperson said that the Army has identified a list of products that domestic industry could help design and manufacture. The products include 125 mm smooth bore barrel guns, improved ammunition for T-72 and T-90 tanks, advanced drone target aircraft, tracked light dozers, assault trackways, aircraft refueling pumsp, expendable aerial targets, 1000hp (horsepower) engines for T-72 tanks, individual underwater breathing apparatus and auxiliary power units for tanks. The Army Design Bureau (ADB) will be based in New Delhi and will conceive and support homegrown technology for manufacturing spare parts and other inventory. This comes in the backdrop of delay in procurement of many products essential for the Indian Army. Procurement of arms and ammunition for assault rifles, bullet proof jackets, night-fighting capabilities for howitzers, missiles and helicopters has been waiting for years. India targeted some equipment for indigenous production but failed or delayed it on many accounts. Indian industries alleged that the Army had set unrealistic technical parameters. Now, opinions have changed, with a Highly placed source in the Ministry of Defense telling Sputnik, "Technical parameters are generally aligned to international standards. We cannot compromise quality just because industries failed to fulfill or understand our demand. Army Design Bureau is definitely a major step in right direction." The Indian Army requires more than 5.2 billion dollars to fulfill its ongoing requirements for modernization. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Wants to Buy Russian Kalibr Cruise Missiles Sputnik News 08:08 01.09.2016(updated 12:24 01.09.2016) India plans to purchase the Kalibr cruise missiles from Russia, the Russian Izvestia newspaper reports. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Izvestia explains that the Kalibr export version will have a significantly reduced flight distance as short as 300 kilometers (186 miles]), in order not to violate the provisions of international agreements that prohibit the export of missiles with a greater flight distance. "These will be, essentially, the same missiles as the ones used in Syria," a diplomatic source told the newspaper on Thursday. Last week, a diplomatic source told RIA Novosti that the Russian Black Sea warships equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles will remain in eastern Mediterranean at least until September. The missile ships have carried out several Kalibr launches against the Jabhat Fatah al Sham (also known as Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front) terrorist group in Syria. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Navy forces escorted 3,200 vessels in recent years: Sayyari IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Noshahr, Mazandaran prov, Sept 1, IRNA -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in this northern province on Thursday that the navy forces have escorted some 3,200 merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden in recent years. Speaking in a local gathering, Sayyari underscored that the Iranian Navy has expanded its operational zone in Makran coastline and the southeastern port city of Chabahar in 10-degree latitude based on valuable guidelines of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. Referring to Iran's history-long experiences in sailing, Sayyari reiterated that the colonial countries have always been trying to prevent the Iranian people from gaining access to the costal areas in the past 130 years. With an aim to attain their illegal interests in Iran, he said, the colonial countries have always tried to station themselves in the Persian Gulf, destroy the Iranian ports and scare people away from coastal areas. Touching upon Iran's geographical position, he added the Islamic Republic enjoys the best geopolitical situation and mineral resources. In recent years, Iran's Navy has increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers. In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 in order to protect merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries. Iran's Navy has managed to foil several attacks on Iranian or foreign tankers during its missions in international waters. 9060**1424 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daesh militants flee as govt. forces close in on Iraqi town Iran Press TV Thu Sep 1, 2016 10:43AM Daesh militants are reportedly fleeing the Iraqi town of Hawija as the Iraqi army and volunteer forces are gearing up for an operation to liberate the area in the Kirkuk province. The al-Sumaria television on Thursday quoted a security source as saying that Daesh commanders had begun selling their properties in the town and were heading to Mosul with their families. The source cited a state of despair among the Takfiri group's ranks amid growing defections and a drop in monthly salaries which have fallen from 350,000 Iraqi dinars (USD 291.5) to 50,000 Iraqi dinars (USD 41.6). Jabbar Ma'amouri, a commander of the Popular Mobilization units, said Daesh commander Abu Jihad Saudi had fled Hawija to an unknown destination, taking around $300,000 with him. Ma'amouri said several Daesh commanders have recently left the town following a series of defeats at the hands of government forces in the provinces of Anbar, Salahuddin and Diyala. An unnamed security official in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh also said Daesh had appointed a 10-year-old boy of German origin as the commander of "the execution battalion" in the area. The official said the terrorist outfit has resorted to its so-called "Cubs of the Caliphate" unit, which consists of boys aged between 10 and 17, for executions following the the sudden flight of senior members who were either disappointed at pay cuts or did not want to engage in gory killings of locals. The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh terrorists mounted an offensive there more than two years ago. The militants have been committing crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians. The Iraqi army and volunteer fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units have been engaged in joint operations to retake militant-held regions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani army admits Daesh terrorists' presence in country Iran Press TV Thu Sep 1, 2016 4:36PM A senior Pakistani military official has made a rare acknowledgement of the presence of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the militancy-riddled country. Army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa told a press conference in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday that Daesh terrorists had managed to make inroads into Pakistan. Bajwa, however, stressed that Pakistani law enforcement agencies had contained the terrorist group's activities by arresting hundreds of its members and preventing them from carrying out major attacks. "Daesh tried to make ingress into Pakistan, but the core of group have now been apprehended," the military official said. The military spokesman noted that a total of 309 militants had been held by Pakistani security forces. Bajwa revealed that Pakistani forces had recently foiled planned attacks by Daesh terrorists on foreign embassies and an airport in the capital, Islamabad The spokesman acknowledged that Daesh terrorists had carried out several small-scale attacks, including the killing of human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud, in Karachi in 2015. Daesh militants were involved in attacks on media and security personnel, and were planning attacks on government, diplomatic and civilian targets, he added. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Pakistani military official said Daesh terrorists were still present in the Afghan provinces of Nangarhar, Khost and Kunar, which lie along the border with Pakistan. In recent years, the Daesh militant group has been making inroads into Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group is also using a sophisticated social media campaign to woo local Taliban and other militants. Residents in Pakistan's troubled northwestern tribal regions have reported the circulation of leaflets backing Daesh terrorists in the region. Slogans in support of the group have also been seen on the walls in a number of towns. Last year, the Pakistani army chief admitted that some groups in the country were attempting to prepare the ground for Daesh activities. "There are people in Islamabad who want to show their allegiance to Daesh. So it's a very dangerous phenomenon," General Raheel Sharif said in an address to the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies in the British capital, London, in October 2015. The general, however, vowed that Pakistan would not allow "even a shadow" of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group into the country. "As far as Daesh is concerned, in Pakistan, even a shadow of Daesh would not be allowed," Sharif emphasized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan: Islamic State Bid To Expand In Country Foiled September 01, 2016 Pakistan says it has halted the Islamic State (IS) group's attempts to expand in the country, arresting hundreds of people involved in plotting attacks on government, diplomatic, and civilian targets. The military's top spokesman, Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, said on September 1 that authorities have arrested 309 people associated with the extremist group. The comments were a rare acknowledgment by a senior Pakistani official that IS militants have had an active presence in the country. Bajwa said most of those detained were established Pakistani militants who had switched loyalties to the IS group, but some 25 were foreigners including Afghans and Syrians. Some were involved in assaults on the media. Of a core group of 20 organizers, Bajwa said, all were captured, except one "who I am sure is not in Pakistan." He added that IS fighters were still present in the Afghan provinces of Nangarhar, Khost, and Kunar, which lie along the border with Pakistan. The leader of the IS group's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed Khan, was killed in an air strike in July in a border region between the two countries. Islamabad Rejects U.S. Complaints Bajwa also rejected U.S. criticism that it was not doing enough in the fight against extremist groups. Pakistan is pursuing an "indiscriminate operation" against all militants, the country's top military spokesman, he said. "There is no concept of good or bad Taliban," he added. Bajwa made the comments a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that, despite some progress in recent months, Pakistan "has work to do in order to push harder against its indigenous groups that are engaged in extremist activities," including the Taliban-linked Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The United States accuses Pakistan's intelligence agency of supporting Haqqani militants and using them as proxies in Afghanistan to gain leverage there against the growing influence of India. Pakistan denies this. Pakistan's army has launched military operations in North Waziristan, where the Haqqani network is based. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/pakistan-foiled-islamic-state/27962172.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 Adds 5 Russian Defense Companies, Gazprom Entities to Sanctions List Sputnik News 18:55 01.09.2016(updated 19:28 01.09.2016) The United States added five Russian defense companies and a score of Gazprom entities, including the Gazprom Media Holding, to the US sectoral sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, the US Department of the Treasury said in a press release on Thursday. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US authorities have added dozens of new Russian and Ukrainian entities and individuals to the sanctions list related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. "The following entities have been added to OFAC's [Office of Foreign Assets Control] SDN [Specially Designated Nationals] List: Shipyard 'Zaliv' Shipyard 'Morye' Ship Repair Center 'Zvezdochka''Feodosia Optical Plant' 'Uranis-Radiosistemy'," the release stated. "Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated the Specially Designated Nationals List and the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List to target sanctions evasion and other activities related to the conflict in Ukraine," the release stated. US authorities have also imposed sanctions on eight ministers of the Republic of Crimea. The new sanctions list also includes the head of the Federal Security Service Directorate, director of the Investigative Committee Chief Investigations Division and the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers and permanent representative to the President of the Russian Federation. Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated in 2014 after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis. The United States, the European Union and some of their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russian sanctions since Crimea reunified with Russia in 2014, and accused Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian internal conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations, and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Navy to Get First Advanced Project 22160 Modular Patrol Ship in 2017 Sputnik News 13:25 01.09.2016(updated 14:10 01.09.2016) Project 22160 is the first of its kind based on the principles of modular construction, allowing the vessels to interchange equipment and armaments based on tasks at hand. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Russian Navy will receive the first of six advanced Project 22160 patrol ships equipped with an integrated bridge system and armed with the Kalibr cruise missile, dubbed the Vasily Bykov, in 2017, the general director of the vessels' shipbuilding plant said Thursday. "According to the state contract, the Project 22160 lead ship's commissioning is scheduled for 2017," Renat Mistakhov told RIA Novosti, ahead of the September 6-11 Army-2016 military and technical international forum to be held in Kubinka near Moscow. Mistakhov noted that Project 22160 is the first of its kind based on the principles of modular construction, allowing the vessels to interchange equipment and armaments based on tasks at hand. The Project 22160 ships are intended for economic zone patrol, search-and-rescue operations, anti-piracy and anti-smuggling activities, environmental monitoring, as well as coastal defense and escort service, according to the shipyard. They have a range of 6,000 nautical miles and are armed with a single 57mm cannon, heavy machine guns, air defense system and missile launchers. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rights Group: Situation in Chechnya Continues to Deteriorate By Danila Galperovich September 01, 2016 A leading international human rights group released a report this week detailing what it says is an intensifying crackdown on dissent in Chechnya, the republic in Russia's North Caucasus region ruled with an iron fist by Ramzan Kadyrov, its Kremlin-appointed leader. The 56-page report by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), titled "Like Walking a Minefield: Vicious Crackdown on Critics in Russia's Chechen Republic," describes "how local authorities punish and humiliate people who show dissatisfaction with or seem reluctant to applaud the Chechen leadership and its policies," and the "increasing threats, assaults and detention of journalists and human rights defenders," HRW said in a press release Thursday. On September 18, Kadyrov, whom the Kremlin has appointed and re-appointed to lead the republic, will participate in direct elections for the top post for the first time. "The increasingly abusive crackdown seems designed to remind the Chechen public of Kadyrov's total control," the report states, and to prevent "any negative information from Chechnya that could undermine the Kremlin's support for Kadyrov." HRW's report is based on more than 40 interviews, with victims of abuses in Chechnya as well as human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and other experts. It cites the case of Khizir Ezhiev, an economics professor at Grozny State Oil Technical University, who was abducted by unidentified gunmen last December after making derogatory comments about Kadyrov during a closed discussion on a Russian social media site. On New Year's Day, Ezhiev's body was discovered with multiple fractures in a forest approximately 40 kilometers from the Chechen capital, Grozny. The report on Chechnya was prepared by Tanya Lokshina, HRW's Russia program director and Moscow-based senior researcher. She told VOA's Russian service that the scale of the repression perpetrated by Chechen authorities against the republic's inhabitants is striking. "It is important to emphasize that over the past six years, the level of repression against even the mildest critics of the situation in Chechnya has gone flat-out off the charts," she said. "We all understand that Kadyrov is very dependent on the Kremlin politically and financially. And, apparently nervous knowing that there is a certain degree of dissatisfaction on the part of the Kremlin leadership Kadyrov has tried to purge the information space completely, apparently assuming that if no negative information spills out of Chechnya, the problem will be solved. No information no cause for dissatisfaction." According to Lokshina, the federal authorities have expressed some dissatisfaction with Kadyrov over the last half-year. "This must not be underestimated," she said, "because it was the first time that it happened in Kadyrov's political career." Lokshina, who has frequently visited Chechnya, said that persecution for the slightest criticism of its leadership has created an unbearable atmosphere for many people in the republic an atmosphere even worse than during the republic's two wars against the Russian military, in which tens of thousands of people were killed. "I was strongly driven to start work on this report by the fact that over the past year, I have increasingly heard from people from Chechnya the same opinion, expressed in different words: 'The war was horrible the bombing, shelling, abductions and disappearances, the dreadful federal operations but we somehow survived this nightmare without losing our dignity. But now the fear is so suffocating that we can do nothing; our dignity has been taken away. And the fact that we have been robbed of our dignity is even worse than war.'" The chairman of the board of the Memorial Human Rights Center, Alexander Cherkasov, told VOA's Russian service that people are persecuted in Chechnya not only for political dissent. "We, Memorial, also released, in June, a report analyzing the situation in the North Caucasus over the last two [or] three years," he said, noting that the report included cases in which residents of Chechnya complained directly to Kadyrov, often via social media, about such problems as corruption on the part of local officials. "There were stories about extortion, about kickbacks demanded in return for the reconstruction of housing," Cherkasov said. "And after these stories were told, those who recounted them found themselves in less than comfortable circumstances, to put it mildly. They were subsequently shown on television expressing contrition which was, to say the least, not really voluntary they took back their words and declared their love for the head of the Chechen Republic." According to Cherkasov, the violations of political rights in Chechnya detailed in HRW's report and violations of socioeconomic rights are inextricably linked. "People in Russia often say that civil rights are not so important, that economic and social rights are more important, and that we can somehow get by without civil rights. However, experience both in Russia generally and Chechnya in particular says otherwise." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's Great Game September 02, 2016 by David Patrikarakos Like rivers, wars surge and recede; like oceans they move in tides. Early this month, the tide of Syria's civil war appeared to turn sharply in favor of the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad when they managed to break the regime's siege of the strategically vital city of Aleppo. It was a serious setback for Assad's forces, a loose coalition consisting of Hizballah, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Iraqi Shi'ite militias, potentially more than 2,500 Russian private military contractors, Russian soldiers, the remnants of the Syrian Army, and Kurdish splinter groups. Since then, the Russian air-powered fightback has begun. Much of the recent media attention on Syria has fallen on Russia's entry last year into the war to help prop up Assad. Its air strikes have been devastating -- especially to Syria's beleaguered civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to secure Russia's naval facility at Tartus, which will enable him to continue to project power in the Middle East. It also provides yet one more imperial adventure to distract his people from the contracting economy and increasingly lower standards of living they are now facing. And of course, he gets to thumb his nose at U.S. President Barack Obama, who has repeatedly stated that Assad must go. Iran Spends 'Billions' On Assad The fear of a revanchist Russia, threatening European stability with its interference in Ukraine and now threatening Middle East stability with its meddling in Syria, has transfixed observers. Turkey's recent foray into the conflict, on August 24, when its tanks and soldiers, backed by U.S. coalition air strikes, crossed the border to attack positions held by the militant group Islamic State (IS) near Jarablus, has only broadened -- and complicated -- the spectacle. But largely lost in all of this has been the role of Iran, which has supported Assad since almost the moment that his brutal crackdown on demonstrators turned mass protest into a civil war. The Syrian military, especially its air force, was always more of an arena for politicking than an effective fighting force. Without Iran -- and specifically the IRGC, led by the supremely gifted military strategist Qassem Soleimani -- there would be no Assad for Russia to prop up. Just days ago the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an exiled Iranian opposition group, presented a dossier to MailOnline, which claimed that, as well as running Iranian operations in Syria from a secret HQ in Damascus known as "the Glasshouse," there are, in fact, 60,000 fighters under Iranian command in Syria -- far more than the 16,000 previously thought. It also asserted that Iran has spent "billions" -- possibly as much as $100 billion -- on supporting Assad since 2011. Regional Outsider Given its hostility to the Islamic republic, the NCRI has most likely inflated these figures, which, the MailOnline article concedes, have not been independently verified but have been deemed "credible" by "intelligence experts." Matthew McInnis and Paul Bucala, analysts from AEI's Critical Threats team, told RFE/RL that those numbers are high. They estimate that at any given point in time, between 13,000 and 15,000 Iranian proxies -- including fighters from Hizballah and Shi'ite militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan -- are overseen by approximately 3,000 Iranian military officers and other personnel in Syria. "These numbers are not static and fluctuate based on rotational cycles and changing military requirements," McInnis noted. AEI estimates that beyond this there are at least 100,000 fighters who make up the Syrian National Defense Force (NDF), which the IRGC and their paramilitary Basij force have helped to establish to prop up the Assad government. What is not in doubt is that Iran has -- at a time when sanctions (since lifted following the deal struck last year to curb Iran's nuclear program) have bitten deep into its economy -- invested precious resources into a quagmire that it cannot afford. Its economy is in disarray, and even with the return of frozen assets and the possibility of increased global trade it is struggling with a host of serious domestic problems -- some of which, particularly the youth of its population and the state's inability to provide adequate employment for them, may yet prove existential. The question is why? And the answer is integral to understanding Syria's civil war. Iran is, like Israel, a regional outsider: a Shi'ite, Persian state in a predominantly Sunni Arab Middle East -- something it discovered to its cost when almost all the Arab states lined up behind Iraq during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. Syria was an exception. The two countries are long-standing allies. But it is more than that; Russia is not the only revanchist nation in great power politics today. Iran, increasingly guided more by the concerns of the IRGC than the clerics of the holy city of Qom, now seeks to dominate the Middle East. And for that Syria is vital. As Jonathan Spyer, the director of the Rubin Center at the IDC Herzliya, observes: "Iran wants to build a contiguous line of Iran-aligned states between the Iraq-Iran border and the sea. Syria forms an essential component in that. Syria is also essential for the maintenance of supply lines from Iran to its main proxy organization, the Lebanese Hizballah. It is Hizballah which gives Iran its physical connection to the struggle against Israel, a struggle to which Iran is committed both for pragmatic and ideological reasons." 'Assadistan' With its traditional adversary, Iraq, now to all intents and purposes a failed state under huge Iranian influence, and "the great Satan" -- the United States, as it is known by some of Iran's hard-line conservatives -- seemingly determined to pivot away from Saudi Arabia toward Tehran, the geopolitical map has re-formed almost perfectly in its favor. But maintaining this status quo is largely dependent on keeping Assad in power. As long as the supply routes to Hizballah remain open it can continue to harass and pressure Israel, Iran's only regional rival of any real power. More than this, if Assad falls he will almost certainly be replaced with a Sunni regime utterly hostile to Iran, both for sectarian reasons (since Sunnis make up more than 70 percent of the country's prewar population and because its likely constituents will have spent years being killed by Iran and its proxies. With Russian air power now in the fight this scenario is unlikely unless, as Spyer further observes, there is an opposing "commitment of Western air power to aggressively advance the rebels' cause." This is something he rightly assesses "almost certainly will not happen." At the same time, Assad remains too weak to reconquer most of the regions in Syria he has lost.The most likely scenario is a truncated "Assadistan" that allows Iran to keep both its supply lines to Hizballah and the contiguity of allied states. And Russia naturally gets to keep its air base. The losers are, once again, the Syrian people. Realpolitik in the Middle East is a dirty and nasty business, and Iran is its master practitioner. Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/tracking-islamic- stat-syria-iran-s-role/27963767.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 Erdogan says post-coup crackdown boosts judiciary Iran Press TV Thu Sep 1, 2016 3:57PM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended Ankara's massive post-coup crackdown on thousands of judges and prosecutors, saying the measure will bolster the country's judiciary. Speaking to judges and prosecutors in the capital Ankara on Thursday, Erdogan rejected that the crackdown, which was launched after the 15 July coup attempt, would weaken Turkey's judiciary. "Quite the contrary I believe it will cause significant relief in the implementation of real justice," said Erdogan of the detention of around 3,500 judges and prosecutors who are believed to be connected to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based opposition accused of masterminding the coup attempt. Around 40,000 people have been detained in Turkey on charges of having links with the Gulen movement, as part of the clampdown underway since July 16, when the coup attempt was declared over. Turkey says around 20,000 of the suspects have been formally arrested. Around 80,000 have also been relived of or suspended from public duty in the military, police, civil service and judiciary. On Thursday, state media said the top Turkish judicial board has dismissed 543 more judges and prosecutors, bringing the number of the judiciary officials sacked so far to 3,300. Ankara has faced fierce criticism from the West, especially Europe where governments and rights campaigners accuse the Turkish government of acting beyond the rule of law. Turkey rejects the claims, saying the criticism is part of the Westerners' sympathy for the coup plotters. Ankara has also defended the crackdown as a bid to avoid a repetition of such a putsch. The Turkish Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday that the army and navy have dishonorably discharged 820 personnel of whom 648 were already under arrest. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish interior minister resigns after attacks, coup attempt Iran Press TV Thu Sep 1, 2016 5:18AM Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala has quit his post in the wake of apparent intelligence failures and public criticism over a string of militant attacks as well as the failed July 15 coup attempt. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced the resignation in a brief statement broadcast on Turkish television channels, without providing any reason for the decision. The announcement followed an unscheduled meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Yildirim at the presidential palace in the capital city of Ankara on Wednesday evening. Turkish Labor and Social Security Minister Suleyman Soylu swiftly filled the Interior Ministry portfolio. The new labor minister was named as Mehmet Muezzinoglu, who is a deputy chairman of Erdogan's ruling AK Party. Ala was in charge of the interior ministry during the botched putsch, as well as the ensuing crackdown against officials and ordinary people suspected of affiliation to the movement of US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the Ankara government accuses of having masterminded the coup attempt. During his tenure, Turkey also witnessed multiple attacks from both Kurdish PKK militants as well as Takfiri Daesh terrorists. A senior Turkish official said Ala's "inability to meet expectations in some areas, primarily security," together with some of the appointments he had made while in post had raised concerns. "Erdogan expects a much more effective fight against Fethullah Gulen organization," the official said, adding that "Soylu is one of the names Erdogan trusts the most." Last month, the Turkish president told Reuters that there had been clear intelligence failures in preventing the failed coup attempt. A faction of the Turkish military declared itself in charge of the country on the night of July 15. Renegade military personnel made use of battle tanks and helicopters to fight loyalists to the incumbent government in Ankara and Istanbul. The coup attempt was suppressed as people turned out on the streets to support Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party. At least 246 people were killed and more than 2,100 others sustained injuries in the coup attempt. Gulen has condemned the coup attempt and denied any involvement in the violence. In addition, Turkish military forces have been conducting ground and aerial operations against PKK positions in Turkey's troubled southeastern border region as well as Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region over the past few months. Last week, the Turkish air force and special ground forces launched the so-called Operation Euphrates Shield in an attempt to purge Turkey's border with Syria of Daesh militants and Kurdish forces. The offensive was launched in coordination with the US-led military coalition purportedly fighting Daesh since 2014. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey Destroys Total of 262 Targets During Syria Military Operation Sputnik News 20:42 01.09.2016 The Turkish army has hit 262 targets since its Euphrates Shield military operation began in northern Syria nine days ago, the Turkish General Staff said Thursday. ANKARA (Sputnik) A total of four targets were destroyed by 14 strikes on Thursday, bringing up the strike count to 1,125, according to a statement issued by the Turkish military. The statement was vague on whether the assets belonged to Daesh jihadist group or local Kurdish forces. Ankara considers Syrian Kurds' YPG militia an ally of the domestically-outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). On August 24, Turkey announced that its troops launched an operation to clear a northern Syrian city of Jarabulus of Daesh militants with air support from the US-led coalition. Syrian Kurds and Damascus both accused Ankara of violating the country's territorial integrity. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey's Ground Offensive in Syria Caught Washington 'Off Guard' Sputnik News 18:04 01.09.2016 Turkish leadership said that the ground offensive in northern Syria was carried out in coordination with the US-led anti-Daesh coalition but Ankara appears to have launched the military campaign, dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield, without giving Washington a heads up. True, both sides discussed the possible operation months before it was launched. In fact, the Turks apparently raised the issue in June 2015, but the US "did not believe Turkey's plan [was] feasible," an unnamed senior military source told newspaper Hurriyet last week. Turkey's plans were shelved when Russia launched its counterterrorism campaign in Syria in September 2015. The downing of a Russian bomber by the Turkish Air Force on November 24, 2015, was also a factor that prevented Ankara from giving the operation the green light. Washington seems to have warmed up to the initiative in recent months, but the US wanted to remove Kurdish forces from the conflict area. The White House was ready to conduct a high-level meeting on the possible operation on August 24, the Wall Street Journal reported, but by that time Turkey had already launched the ground offensive. "Ankara pulled the trigger on the mission unilaterally, without giving officials in Washington advance warning," the newspaper noted, adding that Turkey conducted its first airstrikes against targets in Syria alone. The US decided to provide air cover to the Turkish forces only after it understood that Operation Euphrates Shield was underway. The media outlet described what happened as a "breakdown in coordination" that the US chose to keep under wraps. Early on August 24, the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim issued a statement saying that Turkey launched an operation to free the Syrian city of Jarablus that involved "the Turkish Armed Forces and the International Coalition Air Forces," referring to the US warplanes. Hours later an unnamed US official told Reuters that the US Air Force would provide air cover for Operation Euphrates Shield, adding that Washington was "in synch" with Ankara's initiative. Apparently, this is not how it went down. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After Turkey's Syria Incursions, Questions Grow Over Exit Strategy By Dorian Jones September 01, 2016 A week after Turkey's military launched an incursion into northern Syria, observers at home and abroad are wondering when it will end. But the stated objective of operation "Euphrates Shield" to remove "terrorists" from the Turkish border is vague, prompting growing speculation over Ankara's long term intentions. Turkish forces backing elements of the Free Syrian Army are continuing their operations against both Islamic State and U.S. backed Syrian Kurdish militia (YPG), inside Syria. Ankara has given little indication when the operation will end. "The operation is aimed at fighting against Daesh [IS] and all other terrorist organizations, including the YPG, and cleansing our borders of terrorists and thus ensuring our border security," Ibrahim Kalin, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, said on Wednesday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the operation was also aimed at preventing the YPG from taking more territory with the aim of linking the Kurdish cantons of Kobani and Afrin, which would create a continuous corridor of territory under YPG control running along Turkey's border. Ankara considers the YPG an extension of the outlawed PKK, which is fighting the Turkish state. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter this week urged Turkey to "stay focused" on IS and not the Kurdish forces. The declared goals and history of previous Turkish military deployments in neighboring Iraq suggest "Euphrates Shield" will be a long-term operation, said Aydin Selcen, a retired senior Turkish diplomat who served in Iraq and is now a regional analyst. "Judging by the recent example of Bashiqa and the... northern Iraq experience, and also [that] the number of tanks has increased to 40 in Syria, I see no exit strategy," he said. "I think the main target here is to stop, or have the ability to stop at a moment's notice, a possible union of Afrin and Kobani [Kurdish] cantons. I see a long-term presence. But if you ask me to define long-term, I don't think I will be able to do that." Bashiqa is a large Turkish military base in northern Iraq, ostensibly set up to train Iraqis to fight Islamic State. But Ankara has ignored the calls to withdraw by Baghdad, which was angered by the large deployment of tanks. Observers say Ankara uses the Bashiqa base to undermine the activities of the PKK, which operates in the region. But open-ended operations are fraught with danger. "Moving into Syria is the easiest part; it's about coming back," warns retired Turkish brigadier general Haldun Solmazturk, a veteran of cross-border operations against the PKK who now heads the Ankara-based political research organization 21st Century. "Once you are in, its like a chess [game]. You cannot control the developments, because you are not the only player; there are other players. The key is the lessons learned by the Americans, by the British, by the Israelis, by others the Russians in Afghanistan." Turkey had a ringside seat for the protracted U.S. occupation of Iraq and its painful fallout. The lesson many analysts in Turkey drew from Iraq is that there must be a clear exit strategy. For now, Turkey's presence remains relatively small roughly 40 tanks and several hundred soldiers, many of whom are drawn from special forces. But the Turkish military is steadily reinforcing its presence in Syria, with its forces expanding to the west and south. Analysts say Ankara is likely seeking to carve out a region under its control along the border about 100 kilometers long and 30 kilometers deep, running between the Syrian border towns of Jarabulus to al-Rai. That, say analysts, would provide Turkey with a base to prevent further YPG gains. According to retired diplomat Selcen, Ankara may also believe a presence in Syria will give it a greater say in international deliberations on the future of Syria. But he said the price of an indefinite Syrian operation will likely be very high. "The main risk is ISIS' response inside Turkey, like they did in Antep, Suruc, in Ankara," he said. "I am afraid they... will attack in Turkey. The PKK has already increased their attacks inside Turkey. The PKK attacks also will increase. And also diplomatically, in the mid- to long-term, it... will weigh Turkey down, because there is no exit strategy that I can define." Tehran and Moscow have expressed concerns about when Ankara will withdraw its forces from Syria a question President Erdogan will likely be asked during next week's G-20 summit in Huangzhou, China, where is expected to meet presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin. But observers say the Turkish military has the reputation in region of being reluctant to withdraw its forces once they are deployed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 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 The U.S. Coast Guard, a crew of scientists and others launched an air and sea mission to rescue 13 people, including a child, from a fishing vessel just moments before it sank in darkness in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia. The Coast Guard said in a statement that it received a mayday call from the Tremont fishing vessel after it collided with a 1,000-foot cargo ship early Friday. A scientific research ship operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts sent an inflatable boat that took the sinking ship's crew to another responding vessel. A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted the captain from the Tremont just before it sank. No injuries were reported. Vancouver, September 1, 2016 - Northern Lion Gold Corp. (TSXV: NL) (the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized a plan to proceed with a consolidation of its outstanding common shares (each, a "Share") on the basis of two (2) pre-consolidation Shares for each one (1) post-consolidation Share (the "Consolidation"). The Consolidation is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). The Company believes that the Consolidation is in the best interests of shareholders. In this regard, the Company has received notice from the Exchange that the Company has a Tier 2 Continued Listing Requirement deficiency in relation to its assets and operations for a company classified as a mining issuer. The notice advised that the Company has been placed on notice for transfer to NEX with a deadline of September 23, 2016. The Board believes that it is in the best interests of the Company to remain listed on the Exchange and is actively searching for opportunities with interested parties to create a value enhancing transaction that would enable the Company to meet the continued listing requirements. The Consolidation is intended to make the Company a more attractive party for such a transaction. As at the date hereof, there are a total of 2,962,298 Shares issued and outstanding. Assuming no other change to the issued and outstanding Shares, if the Consolidation is put into effect, a total of 1,481,149 Shares, subject to adjustments for rounding, would be issued and outstanding. NORTHERN LION GOLD CORP. John Lando President For information with respect to Northern Lion or the contents of this news release, please contact the Company at (604) 669-2701 or toll free at 1 800 663 0510. This news release includes "forward-looking information", as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information includes, without limitation, exploration plans of the Company, receipt of all required regulatory approval, completion of the Consolidation, entering into any transaction, the success of exploration activities and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. 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 information is 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 others, risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development; the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; the Company's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; potential defects in title to the Company's properties; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; fluctuating prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition; and other risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by law, the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any 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 NEWS RELEASE Shares Outstanding: 234,421,913 TORONTO, Sept. 2, 2016 /CNW/ - Aquila Resources Inc. (TSX: AQA) ("Aquila"), a development-stage company advancing the gold- and zinc-rich Back Forty Project in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, announced today that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ("MDEQ") has provided public notice on its Proposed Decision to issue a draft Nonferrous Metallic Mineral Mining Permit ("Mining Permit") to Aquila for its Back Forty Project. In addition to the proposed Mining Permit, Aquila has also received draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ("NPDES") and Air Pollution Control permits. "The MDEQ's proposed decision to approve our Mine Permit Application represents a significant milestone for our Back Forty Project," said Mr. Barry Hildred, President and CEO of Aquila Resources. "The draft Mining Permit is a significant step in allowing us to advance with the development of a mine that will bring economic benefit to the Upper Peninsula while adhering to high environmental standards. The MDEQ's proposed decision also underscores Michigan's commitment to responsible and sustainable resource development that benefits all stakeholders." The MDEQ's draft Mining Permit as well as the NPDES Permit and Air Pollution Control Permit, will now be the subject of a public hearing to be administered by the MDEQ prior to issuance of final permits. The MDEQ is holding a 64 day consolidated public comment period, from September 1, 2016, through November 3, 2016, and a consolidated public hearing, on October 6, 2016. The Mining Permit Application ("MPA") review process, proposed decision and permit are being completed in conformance with Part 632 of Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act which regulates nonferrous metallic mineral mining in the state of Michigan. In November 2015, Aquila filed an MPA with the MDEQ. The MDEQ held public meetings in January 2016 soliciting public comments on the application as part of their review of the MPA. In May 2016, the MDEQ issued to Aquila technical review comments on the MPA and the Company responded in June 2016. Aquila continues to work with the MDEQ on the review of its Wetlands Permit for the Back Forty Project. The Wetlands permit is the last of four permits required to build and operate the Back Forty mine. On August 26, 2016, Aquila received correspondence from the MDEQ on its Wetlands permit application that includes comments from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The agencies' comments are in accordance with established MDEQ administrative review procedures. Aquila is currently working on its response to the MDEQ. Economic Impact of the Back Forty Mine: According to a study completed by the Labovitz School of Business of the University of Minnesota Duluth, the Back Forty Mine is anticipated to generate a significant economic impact to the community, including but not limited to: $20 million in total annual tax revenue for federal, state and local governments $11.7 million in annual revenue for state and local governments to support local schools, hospitals, roads, etc. Approximately $13 million in additional royalty based revenue to the State of Michigan The creation of ~250 good paying jobs directly and indirectly associated with the mine operation Qualified Person This news release was reviewed and approved by Thomas O. Quigley, Vice President of Exploration and Senior Technical Advisor for the Back Forty Project. By virtue of his education, experience, and professional association, Mr. Quigley is considered a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Information regarding data verification is provided in Aquila's annual information form dated March 30, 2016. About Aquila Resources Aquila Resources Inc. (TSX: AQA) is a development-stage company with strategic assets in the Great Lakes Region. The company's experienced management team is currently focused on advancing permitting activities for its 100%-owned gold- and zinc-rich Back Forty Project in Michigan. Aquila's flagship Back Forty Project is a volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit located along the mineral-rich Penokean Volcanic Belt in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In its updated Preliminary Economic Assessment filed in September 2014, Back Forty demonstrated strong economics with a pre-tax NPV of $282 million ($210.8 million after-tax) and a pre-tax IRR of 38.8% (32% after-tax) based on mining 16.1M tonnes of measured, indicated, and inferred resources over the 16-year life of mine, of which 12.5M tonne will be open-pit and 3.6M tonnes will be underground. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" 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" and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements relate to any matters that are not historical facts and statements of our beliefs, intentions and expectations about developments, results and events which will or may occur in the future, without limitation, statement with respect to: (i) the economic analysis contained in the PEA; (ii) the development plan of the PEA and results thereof; (iii) capital expenditure programs; (iv) the quality or quantity of the mineral resources subject to estimates by Aquila; and (v) work plans to be conducted by Aquila. These and other forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Aquila to control or predict, that may cause their actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein. Aquila expressly disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents Aquila's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Furthermore, mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. SOURCE Aquila Resources Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Argentum Silver Corp. (ASL-V) ("Argentum" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release of September 1, 2016, it has closed its private placement with Sprott Mining Inc. (SMI) for 15,000,000 Units at a price of $0.07 per unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one share purchase warrant (Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.11 per share until September 2, 2019. In connection with the private placement, the Corporation paid finders fees totaling $73,500 and issued 1,050,000 broker warrants (the Broker Warrants). Each Broker Warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of $0.07 per Broker Warrant share until September 2, 2019. SMI is 100% indirectly and beneficially owned by Eric Sprott. As a result of this investment, SMI now owns 15,000,000 Units (representing 56.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis and 73.2% on a partially diluted basis). Shareholders of the Company approved SMI as a new Control Person by way of shareholder consent resolution. All securities issued under the private placement are subject to statutory hold periods expiring January 3, 2017. Pursuant to the terms of the private placement SMI is entitled to nominate that number of directors that constitutes not less than 30% of the directors of the Company. It is anticipated that SMI will appoint three directors to the board after the next annual general meeting to be held on September 19, 2016. The Units were acquired by SMI for investment purposes. SMI has a long-term view of the investment and may acquire additional common shares of Argentum either on the open market or through private acquisitions or sell the common shares either on the open market or through private dispositions in the future depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors. A copy of SMIs early warning report will appear on the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and may also be obtained by calling (416) 362-7172 (200 Bay Street, Suite 2600, Royal Bank Plaza, South Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J2) About Argentum Silver Argentum holds a 100% interest in the Coyote and Victoria properties located in Jalisco, Mexico. For further information, please visit www.argentumsilvercorp.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Argentum Silver Corp. Geoff Balderson President & CEO For information please contact: Phone: 604-602-0001 Email: gb@harmonycorporateservices.com 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. Argentum relies upon litigation protection for forward-looking statements. 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. To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/argentum09022016.pdfSource: Argentum Silver Corp. (TSX Venture:ASL) To follow Argentum Silver Corp. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below. Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2016 Filing Services Canada Inc. SHARE By Ngan Ho of the San Angelo Standard-Times The Texas Department of Public Safety is offering $12, 500 for information leading to the arrest of Justin Lane Slatton Jr., 20, of San Angelo. Slatton was added to the state's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list in June, and he is DPS's featured fugitive for September. DPS previously offered $7,500 for tips leading to his capture. The increased reward is only valid if tips come during September and result in Slatton's arrests, according to DPS. Slatton is 5 ft. 7 in. tall and weighs approximately 165 lbs with several tattoos including a five-point star on his left hand, the number five on his left wrist, the shape of Texas on his right hand and multiple neck tattoos, the release stated. Slatton and another San Angelo teen are wanted in connection with an April 13 double homicide in Temple. Slatton who has gang-related ties is considered armed and dangerous, DPS said. The Temple Police Department, San Angelo Police Department, Texas Rangers and DPS have sought Slatton since early May. A joint apprehension team arrested the other suspect, Lupe Martinez Chappa III, 18, on May 9 at a residence in the 2400 block of Culver Avenue in San Angelo. Chappa was released from the Tom Green County Jail to the Bell County Sheriff's Office on May 11. He is being held in lieu of $2 million bail and charged with two counts of murder, a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison and a fines up to $10,000. A Bell County grand jury indicted Chappa on murder charges in late July. Chappa and Slatton are suspected in a shooting incident that resulted in the death of two men, Johnathan Hess, 26, of Temple, and Vicente Hernandez, 36, of Killeen, according to an affidavit. A woman who witnessed the deaths told authorities she was at home with Hess and Hernandez when the three "walked outside and two unknown suspects walked up to her residence and shot Jonathan Hess and Vicente Hernandez inside the residence." The witness said one of the suspects also demanded money from her. The witness later identified Chappa and Slatton in a photo lineup as suspects after describing them to a sketch artist, according to the affidavit. Slatton has been convicted of theft of a firearm, burglary of a building, theft and evading arrest, according DPS . Chappa does not have any criminal history listed in Tom Green County's jail records. To submit a tip to DPS, call the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-8477; text the letters "DPS" followed by a tip to 274637; use the web tip information system on the Texas 10 Most Wanted website or Facebook page; or use the DPS mobile app. The Bell County Crime Stoppers and San Angelo Crime Stoppers are also offering rewards for information leading to Slatton's arrest. Temple PD is offering a $1,000 reward for information called in to 254-298-5500, and San Angelo Crime Stoppers is offering a $250 reward for information leading to an arrest. Tips can be made by calling the anonymous tip hotline at 325-658-4357 or 800-756-3434, visiting sanangelocrimestoppers.com or downloading the free mobile app, P3 Tips. One offender from the Texas 10 Most Wanted Program is featured each month in hopes that the higher reward from the Governor's Criminal Justice Division will generate additional tips, DPS said. SHARE The following editorial appeared in Tuesday's Dallas Morning News: Much news from college campuses these days is discouraging for Americans who believe in a diversity of ideas and healthy debate, that quaint notion of free speech. So it's nice to see one such institution stand up for a foundational premise, even if it demands a letter warning students that they might be challenged. The safe space, in the University of Chicago's refreshing view, belongs to free expression. "You will find that we expect members of our community to be engaged in rigorous debate, discussion and even disagreement," Dean of Students John Ellison wrote in welcoming incoming freshmen to campus last week. "At times this may challenge you and even cause discomfort." Working for a company that relies on our constitutionally protected free expression, we stand and cheer. In short, University of Chicago students should not expect "trigger warnings" to flag them to potentially uncomfortable material; or for the university to disinvite invited speakers who might offer controversial views; or for the creation of "safe spaces" where students can retreat from ideas or perspectives that may clash with their own. This bubble-wrapping sensitive young people to buffer them from the harsh realities of opposing views has been an unfortunate trend. We've seen it at elite private schools like Yale, large state schools like the University of Missouri and institutions across the spectrum. And who could forget the angst over "Trump 2016" chalk drawings at Emory University in Atlanta? To be clear, college students standing in opposition to racism, sexism or other societal ills is often positive. The strength of their voices has pushed society forward. No American versed in our constitutional protections would deny them their right to assembly or expression. Nor should Americans tolerate them denying others the same protection. The obvious problem with such correctness-run-amok is that it seeks to preserve free speech rights for one group while stifling another. Just this month, we saw how this can work to everyone's benefit at one of our own flagship institutions. Students at the University of Texas at Austin, opposed to the state allowing the carry of concealed handguns on campus, mocked the new law with a protest involving the carrying of thousands of phallic sex toys ... Counter-protesting were gun-rights advocates. Strong views on both sides. No trigger warnings needed, although protester and counter-protester alike may have strayed beyond "microaggression." Everyone had their say. The world kept spinning. Are there limits? Of course, as courts have recognized through our history. The University of Chicago letter also acknowledges this: "Civility and mutual respect are vital to all of us, and freedom of expression does not mean the freedom to harass or threaten others." Still, critics have questioned the university's motives in showing such apparent dismissal of tender feelings. Our view is that a highly regarded research institution respected its newest students by reminding them that they can handle a little disagreement. UTSA put up a fight at third-ranked Texas Longhorns, but it fell short in straight sets (25-27, 23-25, 21-25) on Thursday night at Gregory Gymnasium.was the only Roadrunner to reach double figures with 16 kills and she added six digs with a pair of blocks. Meanwhile,added nine kills with four digs and a block. Settertallied 32 assists, whileled the team with eight digs.Much like last season's meeting, the opening set went past the 25-point mark with the Horns taking the first set 27-25. Both teams battled it out as the frame featured 12 ties and three lead changes.Jularic drew the 11th tie of the set at 24 with a kill and an impressive effort byin the following rally kept the Roadrunners alive and saw Texas hit one into the net and give UTSA (3-1) the 25-24 lead. The Longhorns called for a timeout and followed with three straight points to win the first set.The second frame was another close one as Texas (3-1) posted a 25-23 win. UTSA held Texas to a .219 hitting percentage after opening the match with a .314 clip. The Roadrunners had a late opportunity after Texas scored set point, 24-22, and followed with a serving error to put UTSA within one, 24-23. The Roadrunners were unable to fend off the Horns as they took a 2-0 lead in the match.In the third set, errors would be the demise of the Roadrunners as they suffered the 25-21 loss for the match. After the final tie at 16, Texas pulled away and never looked back.UTSA will continue tournament play at 10 a.m. on Friday against Miami (Fla.). Marijuana State Laws Medical marijuana legalized Recreational marijuana legalized No laws legalizing marijuana RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA Arizona California Maine Massachusetts Nevada MEDICAL Arkansas Florida Montana North Dakota Marijuana legalization is having a moment. What once seemed like an unlikely proposition is now catching serious steam.In the five states that voted for legalized recreational use, only Arizona rejected the proposition. Maine passed the measure with razor-thin margins. All four states voting on medical marijuana approved their measures.Before Election Day, 26 states and the District of Columbia had legalized medical marijuana, while Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state and Washington, D.C., had legalized recreational use of the drug.From a public health standpoint, the effects of legalization are unclear. The American Public Health Association generally supports both medical and recreational legalization but acknowledges it doesn't yet fully understand the impact on one's health and advocates for heavy regulation of the industry.How the states regulate the exchange, usage and sale of either recreational or medical pot, however, varies in each state.Heres a map and a breakdown of each state's pot ballot initiative -- and how it fared.It was a close race, but Arizona was ultimately the only state to reject recreational marijuana on Tuesday, with 52 percent against the measure, 48 percent in support of it.The measure would have let Arizonans have six plants in their home and would have imposed a 15 percent tax on the sale of the plant from facilities that are "licensed and regulated." Similar to other states that have legalized weed, the tax revenue Arizona generated would have gone toward health and education initiatives.Unlike other states, though, it would have established a new agency called the Department of Marijuana Licenses and Control. Other states with legal marijuana have just created new pot-focused offices within existing departments -- like public health, revenue and agriculture.Supporters of the bill outraised opponents 3 to 1. But the Arizona Republican Party came out against recreational marijuana, which was significant in a reliably red state. Voters did, however, legalize medical marijuana in 2010.In July, opponents of the measure filed a lawsuit, arguing that the ballot language was vague and didn't inform voters as to exactly what they were voting for. A judge, however, dismissed the case earlier this month.Out of the five states with recreational marijuana on the ballot, California was the state always the most likely to pass it.The state was the first to legalize medical marijuana back in 1996. And this isn't the first time California voters have had pot questions on their ballot: A decriminalization measure appeared on the ballot in 1972 and full legalization in 2010. Both were narrowly defeated.But it appears that Californians are now ready for recreational pot. The measure was the first one to be called of the 17 ballot measures, with 56 percent in favor, 44 against.The initiative enacts a 15 percent sales tax along with a cultivation tax of $9.25 per ounce for flowers and $2.75 per ounce for leaves sold in state-regulated retail outlets. It also claims it will "reduce criminal justice costs by tens of millions of dollars annually."Interestingly, the opposition to legalization in California is largely based on fears of big business overtaking small marijuana farmers -- an issue that the ballot measure addresses by restricting big businesses from obtaining licenses to sell for five years.Recreational pot's path to the ballot in Maine was a bumpy one, and the path to legalization was too. After an incredibly tight race, the state called the initiative after 10 a.m. ET Wednesday in favor of the 'yes' vote, with 50.3 percent of residents voting in favor of the measure. Only 9,000 votes separated supporters and opponents.During the initial review of the more than 99,000 signatures turned in to the state, 31,000 were deemed invalid by Secretary of State Matt Dunlap. That put the number of valid signatures at around 51,000 -- just shy of the 61,123 needed to make the ballot. But a state court demanded Dunlap take another look, and he found 62,848 valid signatures.Polls showed a tight race, with about 54 percent in favor and 42 percent against the measure. And state leaders from both sides of the aisle -- including Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic Attorney General Janet Mills -- have come out against the measure.It allows adults to buy and possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow a limited number of plants in their homes. Retailers would be able to sell it with a 10 percent sales tax -- but only with municipal approval, a first for marijuana laws. Revenue generated from the tax would go to school construction.Maine voters legalized medical marijuana in 1999.Massachusetts was undoubtedly the state to watch, and the results were a nailbiter.There were six different polls conducted over the election season -- four supporting legalization and two rejecting it, but all showed a close race. The average of all six polls showed Massachusetts voters narrowly supporting recreational marijuana 48 percent to 42 percent.In the end, residents paseed it 53 percent to 47 percent. But it didn't go down without a fight, as it was a divisive issue until the very end.Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and the Massachusetts Hospital Association opposed legalization. On the other side is former Gov. Bill Weld, Boston City Council President Michelle Wu and the ACLU of Massachusetts.Residentswill now be allowed to grow marijuana and buy it from licensed retail outlets. Only one ounce is allowed in public and up to 10 ounces -- or six plants -- are allowed in homes. Retail marijuana will be subject tothe state sales tax in addition to a 3.75 percent excise tax, which will fund the Marijuana Regulation Fund. Colorado is the only other state to add an excise tax to recreational marijuana, at a hefty 15 percent.Historically, marijuana legalization supporters have had a good track record in Massachusetts. Voters approved a measure to decriminalize possession of small amounts in 2008 and approved a medical marijuana initiative in 2012. Each measure gathered around 63 percent of the vote.The state thats home to Sin City has removed a "sin." Nevada passed the recreational marijuana measure 54 percent to 46 percent.Supporters massively outraised the opposition -- probably because the opposition didn't raise any money. According to the Nevada Secretary of State's website, the Coalition Against Legalizing Marijuana had no cash on hand.The state will allow the recreational use of up to one ounce of marijuana from licensed retailers, but prohibit pot shops from opening near schools, houses of worship and child-care facilities -- rules similar to Alaska, Oregon and Washington's. With a 15 percent excise tax, revenue generated from sales would going to education.Arkansas initially had two measures to legalize medical marijuana on the ballot, but the state's Supreme Court struck down one of them less than two weeks before Election Day.That left Issue 6, which listed far fewer chronic and debilitating conditions that would make someone eligible to use medical pot. The measure also created a Medical Marijuana Commission and put the new tax revenue toward vocational schools, workforce training and the general fund.But even faced with a more limited ballot measure, Arkansans still voted in favor of medical marijuana, 53 percent to 47 percent.It could be tough to implement the initiative, though, as it has practically no major support in the state government. The state's surgeon general, Department of Health, governor and U.S. senator all came out in opposition of Issue 6.Just two years after voters rejected medical marijuana, Floridians were faced with the question again. This time, they overwhelmingly said yes. Seventy-one percent voted in favor of legalization, 29 percent against. The Florida Constitution requires that ballot measures must gain 60 percent of the popular vote to be enacted, signaling that Floridians felt that legal medical marijuana was overdue for the state.In 2014, a medical marijuana ballot measure actually won a majority of the vote -- 57 percent -- but was prevented from becoming law because it didn't pass that 60 percent supermajority.The measure allows patients with conditions like cancer, PTSD, glaucoma and HIV to receive marijuana as treatment. The Florida Department of Health would regulate the production and distribution of patient ID cards.Montana has an interesting history with medical marijuana.The state's voters approved it's use over a decade ago, in 2004, but the legislature repealed it in 2011 after the Drug Enforcement Agency found that medical marijuana businesses were involved in drug trafficking and other crimes.This year's ballot measure brings that option back and also repeals a former clause that limited the number of medical marijuana patients to three per provider.It was tough to see how the state would vote on it, but it ultimately passed the measure with 57 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed.The Democratic candidate for attorney general and the Bozeman city commissioner have both come out in favor of bringing legal medical marijuana back to the state. But Safe Montana -- the opposition campaign -- outraised the supporters $124,000 to $55,000This is North Dakotas second go-around in attempting to legalize medical marijuana through voters.In 2012, a measure failed to make the ballot after hundreds of the 13,500 signatures submitted were invalidated. But this year, North Dakotans resoundly voted for a medical marijuana option, with 64 percent voting in favor and 36 percent voting against it.The new initiative allows medical marijuana to treat debilitating conditions like cancer, AIDS, epilepsy and ALS. Patients would need to obtain ID cards through the Department of Health. The latest job estimates from the Labor Department suggest a recent uptick in local government payrolls.In August, the sector added 24,000 jobs, while July estimates were revised for a monthly gain of 43,000 positions nationally. Total local government employment, including education, has expanded by about 1 percent so far this year.Growth in hiring among schools, in particular, appears to have accelerated after changing little over the first half of the year. Aggregate totals increased by 12,000 jobs last month and 35,000 in July.Employment for all other areas of local government registered increases each month this year, albeit very slight gains some months. In all, local public employment (excluding education) has expanded by 68,000 positions since December, an increase of 1.1 percent.Still, local government employment remains a long way off from pre-recession levels. The Labor Departments August estimate is more than 300,000 jobs below peak employment, a figure that rises substantially when population growth is taken into consideration.By comparison, state-level public employment has showed little movement. Current estimates for total state government jobs, excluding education, are the same as they were in January. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration on Thursday sent layoff notices to 29 workers at the Illinois Department of Transportation who held controversial patronage positions, a move the governor's office said is aimed at ridding the agency of political hires made under Democratic predecessors.Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly confirmed the layoff notices went out to employees classified as "staff assistants," a special position created to hire hundreds of people without having to go through strict personnel procedures designed to keep politics out of most state hiring.The patronage hires were the subject of a scathing report the state's top ethics investigator issued in 2014. The probe found the lax rules had been in place since before ex-Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich took office in 2003, but determined that such hiring escalated under former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn's administration."The duration and pervasiveness of IDOT's improper acts have undoubtedly denied countless qualified candidates the opportunity to lawfully obtain state employment on the basis of merit," the report stated.Since then, a federal judge has put a monitor in place to keep tabs on IDOT hiring, but the findings gave Rauner plenty of material to use against Quinn during the 2014 governor campaign.In a statement Thursday, Rauner declared his administration had "put an end to the illegal patronage hiring that started under Blagojevich and continued under Quinn," and said the layoffs were an attempt to "restore citizens' faith in state government so it works for them and not the political insiders."Despite cultivating a public persona as a political outsider, Quinn was no stranger to political hiring. After serving as an organizer for Democrat Dan Walker's successful 1972 campaign for governor, Quinn joined Walker's staff, where his duties included dishing out patronage as a liaison to state lawmakers.Later, Quinn left the Illinois Industrial Commission after lawmakers launched an investigation into whether Walker had been hiding the payroll costs of governor's office workers on state boards and commissions to make it look like the governor's payroll had dropped.As governor, Quinn became embroiled in several controversies involving patronage hiring. One came a month after he lost his re-election bid when he named Lou Bertuca, his campaign manager, to serve as the $160,000-a-year executive director of the agency that runs the home of the White Sox.Bertuca replaced Quinn's former spokeswoman, who held the executive director post the previous two years. The move prompted a new state law that limits any director appointed to a governor-controlled board or commission to serving 60 days if the appointment was made after the governor loses an election.Rauner also has been accused of hiding the true cost of his office payroll, with Democrats in control of the General Assembly arguing he has put pressure on state services by paying his staff with dollars set aside for other agencies. The administration has previously said outside offices covered roughly $3 million in salary costs for Rauner's staff. An Associated Press review put that figure closer to $4 million.The layoffs are effective Sept. 15. Once complete, the transportation agency will no longer employ the so-called staff assistants, according to Rauner's office.The administration said the layoffs are in compliance with a settlement agreement reached after the Teamsters Local 916 sued to block similar layoffs in 2014 as Quinn sought to control the political fallout of the hiring scandal.Attorneys for workers represented by the union argued that employees should not be punished because of the actions of higher-ups. Teamsters representatives could not be reached for comment Thursday. Change in Annual Homicides: 2014-15 When crime rates began to climb in St. Louis in late 2014, Police Chief Sam Dotson offered an intriguing explanation. A Ferguson effect, following the widely condemned killing of a black teenager by police in a nearby suburb, had led to trepidation on the part of some officers in enforcement situations, and to a feeling of empowerment among offenders.The theory provoked significant interest among law enforcement officials and academics who have since debated its merits in academic studies and in the press. FBI Director James Comey has given it further credence, suggesting police have become more cautious due to a fear of being caught on camera. But nearly two years after Dotsons initial remarks, there is little agreement about what form the Ferguson effect is taking, or even if it exists at all. Nor is there consensus about whether a national crime wave is actually occurring.The latest research on the issue, conducted by University of MissouriSt. Louis professor Richard Rosenfeld for the Justice Department, found a spike in homicides between 2014 and 2015. The number of murders in 56 large cities rose an average of nearly 17 percent in that one year -- the steepest annual increase since at least the 1980s -- and 12 cities recorded spikes exceeding 50 percent. Most striking was the revelation that the 10 cities with the biggest increases were characterized by large African-American populations. The increase is real and worrisome, says Rosenfeld, who now thinks the Ferguson effect theory is plausible.The findings come with several caveats: Its not yet known just how widespread the increase in crime is; the one-year jump in the murder rate follows decades of decline; and recent national trends for other types of crime arent yet available. Overall crime rates in a different sample of 30 large cities reviewed by the Brennan Center for Justice were essentially unchanged last year.The aspect of the Ferguson effect thats received the most attention is the notion that officers are pulling back on enforcement and proactive policing, fueling a crime increase. In Chicago, shooting arrests dropped last year, but gun violence climbed in the months following the release of a video showing the police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. We have allowed our police department to get fetal, and it is having a direct consequence, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said at a meeting in 2015.So far, however, there is insufficient evidence to support the idea that de-policing has led to a nationwide crime wave. In New York, for example, no relationship has been found between crime rates and a reduction in aggressive stop-and-frisk police tactics. The city, which started to curtail the practice drastically in early 2014, has seen overall major felony crimes continue to drop near historic lows. Ronal Serpas, who co-chairs the group Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, recalls warnings about de-policing when police dashboard cameras proliferated in the early 2000s. De-policing didnt happen then, and its not happening now, he says. Its dangerous when well-informed people keep saying this even though they dont have any proof of it.One prominent official with a different view is Malik Aziz, who heads the National Black Police Association. Following the recent shootings, Aziz has seen and heard of officers not injecting themselves into situations that could provoke controversy. It was only after the murder of Freddie Gray in Baltimore that police were being charged with crimes, and it set a new narrative, he says. They fear a type of engagement that may have some backlash to it.Meanwhile, a second version of the Ferguson theory, one that hasnt received as much publicity, is gaining traction. It contends that heightened racial tensions and a distrust in police are contributing to higher crime rates. L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck cited the lack of public trust in police as the real Ferguson effect in an op-ed in theearlier this year. Weaker links between law enforcement and the community make police less effective, he wrote.Under this scenario, criminals might feel more empowered to carry weapons and take matters into their own hands, or residents might be less apt to assist in investigations. While the two versions of the Ferguson effect arent mutually exclusive, Rosenfeld thinks concerns around police legitimacy are more plausible. If there is some kind of a Ferguson effect at work, he says, it has got to extend beyond de-policing.Testing this emerging hypothesis, however, is difficult. Research by Yale University professor Tom Tyler suggests that procedural fairness influences the perception of police legitimacy, which in turn acts as a strong determinant of public compliance with laws and a willingness to cooperate with investigations. A July Gallup poll found 67 percent of blacks felt they were treated less fairly than whites by police, a rate thats remained fairly constant over time. Similarly, a recent Pew Research Center poll reported 18 percent of blacks said theyd been stopped unfairly in the previous 12 months, compared to just 3 percent for whites surveyed. While law enforcement agencies have worked to strengthen local ties via community policing efforts, Aziz says, theyve often failed to engage groups of African-Americans with negative perceptions of police.Serpas, a former New Orleans police chief, doesnt think the declining trust version of the Ferguson effect is any more valid than the de-policing argument. He points out that gaps in trust have remained consistent over time. Over 30 years, weve made a lot of changes and havent really moved the needle much, he says. Homicide spikes in some cities, Serpas believes, are more likely a result of factors like more children being born into disadvantaged families or repeat gun offenders not being locked up. The Justice Department report also considered the effects of falling imprisonment rates and expanding heroin markets, but these trends predate the recent rise in homicides.Any effects of recent high-profile shootings involving police are likely playing out differently across cities. Its worth noting that just 10 of the 56 cities reviewed in the Justice Department study accounted for two-thirds of the surge in homicides. Any increase in crime is driven more by local factors, says Ames Grawert, an attorney with the Brennan Center for Justice.Further clarity on the Ferguson effect should come later this fall, when the FBI releases complete 2015 crime data compiled from all participating law enforcement agencies nationwide. Rosenfeld and others argue the FBI should release preliminary numbers more regularly, similar to economic reports, instead of waiting roughly 10 months after the end of each year. The FBI says its redeveloping its systems and anticipates more frequent publications.While local departments track their own stats, its currently difficult to know whether any uptick in crime mirrors whats happening in other jurisdictions. The data cant be used to address crime problems as theyre emerging, says Rosenfeld. Imagine if unemployment was increasing and the Labor Department was utterly silent. Alaska's gray market marijuana social clubs may have just gone up in smoke.Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth issued an opinion Wednesday that marijuana social clubs -- which include Anchorage's Pot Luck Events and Kenai's Green Rush Events -- are illegal.Lindemuth said these clubs, which allow fee-paying members to consume marijuana on premises but do not sell marijuana, fall under the definition of public consumption, which is prohibited by statute.Though the Marijuana Control Board may allow retail stores to have onsite consumption, neither Pot Luck nor Green Rush is licensed as a retail store or any other cannabis business license type."When Alaskans voted in 2014 to liberalize personal use of marijuana and to allow a commercial marijuana industry, they also voted to prohibit public consumption of marijuana," said Lindemuth in a statement. "Unlicensed marijuana social clubs are public places like any other place of business--such as cafes, movie theaters, or retail stores--where marijuana consumption is not allowed by law."Chris Hladick, Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, requested that Lindemuth offer an opinion on marijuana social clubs.In a statment released hours later, the DCCED said it appreciates Lindemuth's opinion, as it clarifies a longstanding disagreement between interpretations of Ballot Measure 2. With the opinion, Hladick wrote local governments can now work with law enforcement to address these clubs."The ballot measure anticipated a licensed, regulated commercial marijuana industry in Alaska," reads the statement from DCCED. "In order for the Department and the Marijuana Control Board to be able to fulfill the meaning and intent of the law, this clarification was needed. The Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office enforcement staff, in cooperation with local law enforcement, will work to address illegal consumption. Local governments may use their civil and injunctive powers to disallow the operation of illegal businesses in their cities and boroughs."Her legal opinion caps a lengthy standoff between the clubs' owners, law enforcement and regulators.Marijuana social clubs like Anchorage's Pot Luck Events previously existed in a legal gray area. They allow consumption and sharing on premises in exchange for a membership fee, but sell no marijuana directly. The Marijuana Control Board issued an opinion saying the Legislature would have to create the license type for them to either issue a license or close the club.Opponents of the clubs including Marijuana Control Board director Cynthia Franklin defined clubs as "public places," in which marijuana consumption was banned during the summer of 2015.Pot Luck owner Theresa Collins said throughout 2015 and 2016 she was perfectly within the confines of the law because the fee-based membership did not fill the definition of a public place."You don't pay a membership fee and sign a membership contract at a movie theater," Collins said.Law enforcement took no action against Pot Luck Events or a Fairbanks club that opened its doors in November 2015. Soldotna club Green Rush Events closed that month, based on fears of law enforcement, then reopened.Lindemuth is unequivocal in her opinion."If that place is not a licensed retail marijuana store, consuming marijuana there is unlawful," she wrote. "Charging people a fee to consume marijuana at a physical venue, if done regularly and for financial benefit, is to operate a business. The venue itself would therefore be a 'place of business' where it is unlawful to consume marijuana ,even if the venue's proprietor expressly invites people to do so."Even if it were not acting "as a business," she wrote, it is still public consumption, as a substantial amount of people have access to it.Furthermore, Pot Luck's distribution of marijuana samples qualifies the venue as a business, Lindemuth said, as they are taking money in exchange for providing them if the total amount exceeds one ounce, the statutory limit."If this person has 'dominion or control' of the marijuana provided as samples -- even if he does not own or have physical possession of the marijuana -- he is acting unlawfully if the total amount of marijuana is more than one ounce or if he receives payment for transferring that marijuana to patrons." On Thursday, in the morning, at Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University (NVLU), Tokyo, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC received a briefing from Dr Shigenori Ikemoto, President, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University on current and future research and development collaboration between NLVU and Queensland institutions. Following, at NLVU, the Governor addressed students soon to embark on the Australian Animal Studies Program a long-standing exchange partnership between NLVU and The University of Queensland. In the evening, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey departed Tokyo to return to Brisbane. Earlier in the day, at Parliament House, Brisbane, the Honourable Chief Justice Catherine Holmes, Acting Governor of Queensland, presided over a meeting of the Executive Council, and then ceased duty as Acting Governor, and the Honourable Justice Margaret McMurdo AC commenced duty as Acting Governor. Description GIS - 02 September, 2016: The Financing Agreements signature ceremony of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) technical cooperation projects for Mauritius was held on 31st August 2016 in Port Louis. The aim is to strengthen the national food safety and plant health protection systems, and support the forest code revision and institutional reform in Mauritius. The Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Mahen Seeruttun; the Director General of FAO, Dr Jose Graziano Da Silva; and FAO Representative for Mauritius, Dr Patrice Talla Takoukam, were present at the ceremony. The project on Strengthening the National Food Safety and Plant Health Protection Systems , aims at enhancing the capacity of plant protection and food safety control systems with a view to providing 21 improved public services related to plant health protection and food safety. Another objective is to improve the capacity of the plant protection and food safety control systems in the formulation and implementation of international agreements, regulations, mechanisms and frameworks that promote transparent markets and enhance market opportunities. Under the project Support to Forest Code Revision and Institutional Reform in Mauritius, FAO will provide assistance to the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security to design the legal and institutional reform of the forestry sector. On that score an evaluation of the existing legal framework in relation to regulations governing land use especially privately owned forest lands will be carried out. The formulation of concrete proposals will open up opportunities for economic and sustainable development of our limited forest cover. With regard to the implementation of the project to strengthen the National Food Safety and Plant Health Protection Systems, Mauritius has obtained a grant of 380,000 USD whereas for the other project a grant of 298,000 USD has been received. The two projects, which will be implemented over a period of two years, are of prime importance for the country and are in line with the vision of Government to enhance food security and food safety. Both are expected to be completed by July 2018. In his address Minister Seeruttun underlined the importance of project given that our forest lands are under constant threat as a result of the rapid urbanisation. Mauritius badly needs policies and a legal framework to protect and manage our limited land resources in an ecologically sustainable manner so that we can equally deal with problems associated with climatic change, he said. In a bid to control and eradicate the foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Mauritius and Rodrigues, technical assistance from the FAO is being sought to support the vaccination campaign, strengthen FMD detection, raise national awareness and review the national response plan, he pointed out. For his part, Dr Takoukam said that these projects not only contribute to the strategic objectives of the FAO but also meet national priorities of the country programming framework document as agreed with the Government of Mauritius. California Launches Open Data Portal But Wait, There's More ... Kansas City, Mo., Reveals Innovation Partnership Program Startups The Golden States first agencywide open data portal is now live. Officials from the California Government Operations Agency (CalGovOps) announced the launch after a successful pilot that began earlier this summer. The intent, technology leaders say, is to make the states vast collection of data easier to access and more intuitive to use.The site, located at Data.ca.gov , can arguably be called Californias first real open data portal since its previous attempt, released a number of years back, was mostly a directory of links to state data sets and agency portals. This revamp bundles the states diverse data sets into downloadable spreadsheets and PDFs for citizens; for developers, the portal connects the info to APIs so apps can instantly access it.As for the digital framework, state Chief Data Officer Zachary Townsend said in a release that the tech is completely open source via DKAN a popularly used data management platform from NuCivic.This effort represents the next logical step in our open data work, Townsend said. DKAN is not just an open source solution; its the best tool weve found to support our efforts to make the states data assets more accessible through visual, compelling stories.Similar to city portals, the state hopes to enhance decision-making for governments, businesses and residents while also providing a stream of data for academic research, entrepreneurial ventures and government watchdog groups. Stuart Drown, CalGovOps deputy secretary for innovation and sccountability, coordinated much of the effort after directing the GreenGov Challenge, a sustainability code-a-thon that eventually transformed into a pilot for the site.Its open data to push, ultimately, a culture of data-based decision-making, Drown said when announcing the pilot last February.Going forward, the California Department of Technologys (CDT) Office of Digital Innovation has promised to manage the data, and both the CDT and CalGovOps plan to reach out to departments to further data collection and publishing.California is also close to a decision on a massive overhaul of Cal-Access, its beleaguered campaign finance database.The site hasnt seen a major upgrade in nearly 20 years (and it shows). This has compelled lawmakers to pass a bill that would require a complete rebuild of the system by 2019. Drawing bipartisan support and a strong endorsement by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the site would modernize the system with open data tools and aim to reduce labor costs associated with public record requests from researchers, academics, journalists and government information resellers. Phillip Ung , the legislative and external affairs director at the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), said in March that public officials are just as frustrated with the system as citizens are. Moreover, he said its unwieldy structure has gradually built a wall between citizens and their right to know about public officials' investments, monetary holdings, conflicts of interest, gifts and travel expenses. Case in point: To identify all these things within the current system, a visitor would need to know exactly how to request the information, and open roughly 20 different browser tabs."Right now in its current form it is nearly impossible to navigate and do some of the data work that people are interested in doing," Ung said.Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to sign the bill into law, but if he does, it will still have a few hurdles to overcome. Chief among these is its funding sources. The new system will cost an estimated $11.6 million for development and $2.8 million annually for maintenance and where that funding will come from has not been identified.In advance of its launch date on Sept. 6, Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James has revealed the seven startups that will work with the city in its second annual Innovation Partnership Program In a release, James said the venture aspired to discover alternative ways to enhance Kansas Citys services.This partnership is a unique approach to the procurement process, James said. Historically, cities identify areas that need improvement and issue RFPs to address them. This program allows companies and city hall to identify challenges and innovative solutions together.Like similar startup collaborations in major metropolitan cities such as San Francisco and Philadelphia, startups will be embedded within departments to craft potential solutions in a variety of areas like economic development, job growth, environmental sustainability and operation strategies.The partner startups include: Big Bang, an open data company; Integrated Roadways, a company specializing in smart streets; Pomerol Partners, which offers financial analytics; Reality Technology, which digitizes task management; medical app developer SORA; data cloud company SpiderOak; and Stratex Planning, which offers data-driven strategy solutions.The city has outlined more about its participating departments, the projects and the startups below:Big Bang is bringing real-time open data to Kansas City. Software developers will be able to access information for all city transportation services in a single convenient location. This will also be the foundation for future transportation services, such as autonomous and connected vehicles. Kansas City residents will benefit from new apps that incorporate real-time transportation information along with their location to help them navigate in a carefree and enjoyable way. Imagine planning your next trip across town and selecting from options such as greener, cheaper or faster, and being presented with results that reflect the full range of available transportation in the city. Find the best electric vehicle parking along the streetcar line, or ride the last mile with Bike Share KC. Real-time open data will make it possible.Bolstering its ongoing smart city efforts, Kansas City Public Works and Integrated Roadways will collaborate on a plan to upgrade city streets with Integrated Roadways' Smart Pavement system, which makes roads sustainably self-funded by providing value-added wireless services to support mobile connectivity and next-generation electric, connected and autonomous vehicles. Smart Pavement is modular, upgradeable and removable, making it easy to deliver new features, replace damaged sections and access underlying utilities for service.Pomerol Partners' primary goal is to use investment banking grade analytics to bring insights out of the department's data, enabling city leaders to make quicker and more informed decisions. The startup will use its Qlik Analytics Platform to turn data into information, information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. A concurrent goal is bringing transparency to both internal and external users of the citys data by building custom interfaces for different user types and giving them rapid access via mobile devices.Reality Technology's RS Compliance Manager software will allow Kansas City to automate, track and manage the post solicitation procurement process from negotiation through award compliance. The importance of small business to a vibrant economy is well known. Research has shown that expenditures with local businesses generate a higher local economic impact than big box stores. RS Compliance Manager includes the ability to monitor and manage compliance to laws and local ordinances designed for small business, thus improving local small business participation, leading to increased local economic shared prosperity.SORA Medical Solutions creates easy-to-use mobile apps that reduce medical error. SORA's Code Blue app, based on the American Heart Association's guidelines, interactively navigates health-care professionals through a cardiac arrest event while documenting it in real time. The startup's hope is that providing actionable clinical decision support to the city's first responders will improve health outcomes and save lives.SpiderOak gives individuals, teams and organizations control of their data online. The companys encrypted Zero Knowledge cloud backup solution, SpiderOakONE, and new collaboration software Semaphor are designed to make teams like that of Kansas City more productive, connected and secure in todays online world. SpiderOak provides a messaging and collaboration tool that would be a secure alternative to email, providing an internal communications system within City Hall.Stratex Solutions solves the problem of ineffective and inefficient strategic planning processes that fail to deliver meaningful change to the organization in alignment with the most important goals for the organization. Many plans are developed; few are fully implemented. The plans developed end up in a three-ring binder on a shelf or lost in a shared drive because everyone's too busy doing their day job to figure out what to do with the plan. The Stratex Planning system will be used to gather and collect the citys key strategic and tactical data to develop an example of a robust plan. The plan elements will include strategic goals and objectives, tactical strategies, measures, and workforce plans. The system will cascade all elements of the plan to ensure alignment between the city's most important goals and the work executed by employees. Every employee working in the plan will know how their work aligns with the plan and will be able to access the plan within the system. Organizational governance is conducted using the system making strategic planning-related data and status available at any time. (TNS) -- The Kodiak Police Department's officers no longer use body cameras, a change that came less than a year after they started testing the technology, sought after by agencies nationwide and the basis of millions of dollars in federal funding.Kodiak police chief Rhonda Wallace told the local City Council in mid-August she decided to discontinue the use of body cameras because of technical difficulties and privacy concerns.The change troubles private attorney Josh Fitzgerald, who is representing the family of an autistic man suing the city over a physical encounter with police. That encounter was caught on a body camera, and KPD turned over the footage only after a Kodiak Superior Court judge ordered its release in December.Addressing Council members on Aug. 11, Wallace said when the body camera program started in February 2015 the change "appeared beneficial to the community." Officers enjoyed wearing the cameras because they provided accountability. She said she liked having an extra tool to evaluate her employees' performance.But unanticipated problems arose, Wallace said. The cameras were slow to begin recording from sleep mode; they were easily knocked off officers' uniforms; and a button that turns off sound could be inadvertently pressed, she said.Wallace also said the cameras posed a risk to individual privacy rights."Police often encounter people on their worst days. These individuals could be drunk or high on drugs or otherwise behaving in a manner that's not normal for them. People also contact police to discuss extremely private matters that would devastate them if another person could obtain a high definition video of their statement," she said.A 2014 Police Executive Research Forum study included responses from departments around the country citing all of Wallace's concerns and others, including determining when to record and whether to obtain consent.Civil rights advocates are also questioning body camera policies. A scorecard issued by the Leadership Council on Civil and Human Rights evaluating the policies of 50 police departments in major cities found the rules governing their use vary widely.Wallace did not say when the local police department stopped using the cameras. City Manager Aimee Kniaziowski said it was late December, several months after the incident with Nick Pletnikoff.Wallace asserts officers responded to a vehicle break-in and acted properly during Pletnikoff's arrest. The family argues Pletnikoff was checking the mailbox and officers became unnecessarily rough.Kniaziowski said Wednesday she supported the chief's decision. She said she believes the police department will use cameras again in the future."Once a person's right to privacy has been addressed," she said, "we'll work toward getting the program back up and using them again."Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson said body camera issues have been discussed among members of the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police. Johnson said KPD is the only police department he is aware of that stopped using the cameras. His own department has not rolled out a camera program."My take is every community in Alaska is unique, so their reasons for stopping are based on individual needs," he said. "It's not a one-size-fits-all solution."Meanwhile, the two largest law enforcement agencies in the state continue to police without cameras.Anchorage Police Department spokesperson Jennifer Castro said if police there were to start using the devices, it's still a ways off. APD officers use vehicle cameras with sound and carry audio recorders, she said.The Department of Public Safety has yet to issue body cameras to the Alaska State Troopers, said spokesperson Megan Peters.Fitzgerald, the attorney representing the Pletnikoff family, is unconvinced by the police chief's recent presentation. He said her omission of when exactly she shuttered the camera program was intentional."It looks better if it didn't happen right on the heels of the brutality against Nick Pletnikoff," he said, adding the chief's continued statements that the interaction was proper is troubling.The chief reiterated the interaction was proper in a public release highlighting the success of Kodiak CARE, a program she started aimed at increasing communication between the police department and social service agencies that work with the developmentally disabled, and training for officers on how to interact with those individuals.The program also includes an option for families with developmentally disabled members to provide information for a database such as "potential triggers" and caregiver contact information which police could use to inform their contacts with those family members. ID cards are also available for those enrolled in the program.Fitzgerald criticized the police department's new practices as a double standard."The remedy so far has been saying there's a way for the vulnerable people to act, here's a way for the disabled to act, but as to police conduct we're just going to remove the cameras," Fitzgerald said.Kniaziowski characterized the program as mainly an opportunity to connect with stakeholders in the community. She said she does not have concerns about the privacy of the database or potential misuse of the collected information.2016 the Alaska Dispatch News (Anchorage, Alaska)Visit the Alaska Dispatch News (Anchorage, Alaska) at www.adn.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) -- An unmanned SpaceX rocket, topped by an Israeli satellite, was being prepped for a test firing Thursday morning at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida when something went wrong.The 604-ton Falcon 9 rocket was being fueled with a potent mix of liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellant when an explosion quickly enveloped the launch pad in flames.The ensuing fireball delivered a blow to the efforts of two high-profile billionaires: SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg.The rocket, scheduled to launch Saturday, was carrying a satellite designed to bring the Internet to remote villages in Africa and help the social media giant expand its global footprint.Instead, the satellite and rocket were destroyed in several fiery explosions loud enough to be heard 40 miles away as wind spread a plume of black smoke so large and thick it showed up on weather radar."We heard what sounded like a huge thunder strike," said Evan Zimny, 23, who works about five miles away in an office building that shuddered from the blast as ceiling tiles fell."The building and window shook rapidly and loudly and [that] lasted a couple of seconds," he said.There were no reported injuries.Musk said the explosion took place as the rocket was being fueled for a test ahead of a planned weekend launch. The cause was not immediately known, he said.But even as the smoke was clearing, the ramifications started to become apparent.They stretched from SpaceXs Hawthorne headquarters to aerospace companies in Israel to rural Africa.In recent years, the commercial space industry has grown in size and importance. Last year, SpaceX received approval from the Air Force to compete for Pentagon contracts, pitting the firm against United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. that had long enjoyed a monopoly on national security launches.Several other private companies including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic are also racing to launch satellites and tourists into orbit.Todays SpaceX incident while not a NASA launch reminds us that spaceflight is challenging, NASA tweeted. Our partners learn from each success & setback.Industry analysts said the explosion could delay space launches. Saturdays planned liftoff would have been the ninth by SpaceX in 2016, with eight more planned by the end of the year.Its clear there will be some sort of delay, said Phil Smith, senior space analyst at the Tauri Group.The explosion the second Falcon 9 failure in 14 months for SpaceX could also be a setback to Musks efforts to prove that his company can quickly and safely launch and reuse rockets. Just this week, SpaceX had announced that it had signed its first customer to launch a satellite with a reused booster.SpaceX, whose full name is Space Exploration Technologies Corp., charges at least $62 million for each launch. This spring, the company landed its first big Pentagon job an $83-million contract from the Air Force to launch a global positioning system satellite from Cape Canaveral in 2018.Uzi Rubin, former chief of Israels missile defense program, said that rocket launches are never foolproof. But major mishaps usually dont happen during launch preparations, he said.The Falcon 9 up till now was very reliable, Rubin said. Theres always a chance of failure, but usually it happens after the launch. This time it happened on the launch pad.In the long run, however, analysts said there would be few impacts on the burgeoning launch and small satellite industries, as well as on SpaceX.Bill Ostrove, aerospace and defense analyst at market research firm Forecast International, pointed to SpaceXs 93% launch success rate, which is right in the ballpark of the industrys average of 95%.Considering they do have a decent success rate, I dont see much harm being done to the industry as a whole, he said.Still, the explosion was another blow to Musk, the Los Angeles entrepreneur who also runs Tesla Motors Inc. He began his summer by learning that federal regulators were investigating the Autopilot feature of the Tesla Model S electric car after a fatal crash.And SpaceX was still trying to ramp back up after another Falcon 9 rocket exploded in midair minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in June 2015. Lost in the blast was $110 million in cargo for the International Space Station.After an investigation of that incident, Musk said that the company believed the rocket disintegrated after a small steel band purchased from a subcontractor snapped under pressure.The explosion caused SpaceX to reduce its launches last year to only six.Another billionaires ambitions also took a hit Thursday.The Amos-6 satellite sitting atop the SpaceX rocket was going to beam high-speed Internet and other digital services to sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and parts of Europe as part of an effort by Facebook to provide Internet access to poorly connected areas.I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent, Zuckerberg, who was in Africa, said in a Facebook post.It was the first attempt by the companys Internet.org initiative to deliver Internet signals from space. But Zuckerberg said Facebook was working on other technologies, such as an unmanned solar-powered plane that can transmit the Internet to remote locations.We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided, he said.The Amos-6 satellite was a total loss, said Space Communication, the Tel Aviv company that was going to operate it. Known as Spacecom, the company had contracts with the Israeli government to use the satellite, which was meant for broadcast and telecommunications, as well as with Facebook.Spacecom's stock fell nearly 9% in trading in Tel Aviv on Thursday.The satellites manufacturer, Israel Aerospace Industries, took out an insurance policy on the Amos-6 worth $285 million the same amount as the total value of the satellite, according to a person familiar with the matter.That policy, also known as a marine cargo insurance policy, covers transit and pre-launch processing of the satellite from the factory to the launch site. Spacecoms insurance policy doesnt cover risk of loss until the launch.Special correspondent Joshua Mitnick in Tel Aviv and Orlando Sentinel reporter Marco Santana contributed to this report. One of the defining traits of open data is that it is freely available to the public without any restrictions. In short, open data must be open. However, in March, a committee in the California Legislature approved Assembly Bill 2880 (AB 2880), which would grant the state and local governments the ability to apply intellectual property restrictions to all government materials. While supporters of the bill ostensibly intended AB 2880 to prevent potential intellectual property copyright disputes with contractors, in effect the legislation could make everything that a public entity creates such as reports, maps and of course data subject to copyright protections that would restrict the publics ability to access and use this material.Fortunately the California Senate recently struck those provisions from the bill, but had it not, open data would have been dealt a serious blow in the state. Regardless, that any legislation would propose establishing such authority indicates that there is still a long way to go to ensure that policymakers recognize the importance of open government data.Federal copyright law explicitly states that works of the federal government are not eligible for copyright protection, and for good reason tax dollars fund the governments activities, and taxpayers should be able to use and benefit from any data generated by these activities. However, the federal Copyright Act does not apply to state and local governments, which is why California lawmakers were free to consider AB 2880.Restricting how taxpayers can use public data is, at best, double-dipping charging taxpayers for something they have already paid for and, at worst, an attack on open and accountable government. For example, AB 2880 would have allowed a government agency to claim intellectual property protections on data revealing fraudulent or wasteful spending, and though the California Public Records Act would prevent the agency from withholding this data if someone requested it, the agency would be able to restrict how that information is shared or displayed.Open data is still a relatively new concept in government, and robust open data policies were only officially defined at the federal level in 2013 . On the local and state levels, the vast majority of open data policies have only come into existence in the past five years . However, that open data is still in its nascent stages of development is all the more reason to strongly push back against policies that could threaten its future.This is particularly necessary for California, which has demonstrated a series of missteps that show open data is on shaky ground. For example, though some state agencies publish open data , and some municipal governments have their own open data policies , the State Assembly in September 2015 failed to pass legislation that would have created Californias first statewide open data policy and thereby clearly establish that government data was a public resource. And in 2013, the California Supreme Court had to rule that publicly funded GIS data qualified as public records after the Orange County government tried to charge businesses and members of the public $375,000 in licensing fees to access this information. In effect, AB 2880 would have allowed all state agencies to do what Orange County tried to do with its GIS data.As governments increasingly recognize the value of open data and adopt sound open data policies that ensure open data is truly open, the potential for AB 2880-style legislation cropping up elsewhere may decrease. But as of now, only a small fraction of city, county and state governments in the U.S. have open data policies, and it is likely that some lawmakers will again fail to recognize that government data is a public resource and attempt to restrict public access. When they do, open data advocates, the private sector, other policymakers and the public as a whole should firmly resist. A day and time has been set for the announcement of Monza's new Italian grand prix deal. La Gazzetta dello Sport said F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, Italian officials and even FIA president Jean Todt will attend the signing of the new three-year contract at 3pm on Friday. "We worked hard, but with important teamwork we defined the renewal of the contract with Bernie Ecclestone for the Monza grand prix," Italian automobile club (Aci) chief Angelo Sticchi Damiani said. However, there could still be controversy laying down the road, as Imola is taking legal action against the Aci for not sanctioning its bid for the race. "It is understand that the Aci president intends to proceed with the signature on a potentially flawed contract before the decision of the courts," a statement read. (GMM) A newer police car with flashing lights and siren will go on display at the Greensboro Childrens Museum, welcomed with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. today. The Greensboro Police Department donated an out-of-service police car to the museum for use in its Get Out and Play interactive exhibit, which features full-size automobiles. The police car will join other vehicles, including a firetruck, ambulance, Volvo truck and Petty Enterprises race car. The fully outfitted 2011 Crown Victoria replaces a police car that has been on display since 2009 and well-loved by museum visitors. The new police cars interior will include interactive features such as a low audible level siren, air horn, light bar and interior dome light, allowing children to get a small glimpse into police work. Library classes to offer tips for ancestry hunt Learn to trace your ancestry online during these free classes at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth St. in Asheboro: Genealogy with Heritage Quest, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Learn how to use the Heritage Quest online resource, available through www.randquest.org, to access census information, pension records and other documents. Genealogy with Ancestry Library Edition, 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 19. Get started on your family tree using the in-library version of Ancestry.com. To register, call (336) 318-6803. Asheboro library plans Roald Dahl celebration Celebrate the 100th birthday of childrens author Roald Dahl, the creator of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach and more, with a month of activities during September at the Asheboro Public Library. A birthday party at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 13 will feature treats, games and crafts based on Dahls stories. Weekly movies will be shown as follows: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 2 p.m. Sept. 10. Matilda, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16. The Witches, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 23. James and the Giant Peach, 4 and 7 p.m. Sept. 29. The library is at 201 Worth St. in Asheboro. For information, call (336) 318-6804. OAK RIDGE The tiny town of Oak Ridge said Thursday it had licked a giant when it pushed a local property owner and a national pipeline company to abandon a pipeline supply yard it had set up in violation of the towns zoning code. Kanoy Properties has agreed to sign a consent agreement with Oak Ridge to end its lease with Primoris Pipeline Services Corp. and remove the pipeline materials from 5 acres on Fogleman Road zoned for medium general office use. Primoris has agreed to have all pipeline supplies and equipment removed from the site by Sept. 30. Primoris, a Dallas-based company, began in July using the grassy land behind Bank of Oak Ridges operations center on N.C. 68 as a place to stage and prepare supplies for the off-site gas pipelines it is maintaining and replacing in North Carolina. When residents of this town of about 7,000 saw the grassy field turned to red dirt and filled with construction loaders, pipe assembly operations and 18-wheel trucks in their leafy neighborhood, one of them, Ron Simpson, complained to town officials. Thursday at the monthly Town Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem George McClellan said it took pressure from local residents, N.C. Rep. John Blust and U.S. Rep. Mark Walker to hammer out the agreement that will be filed Tuesday in Guilford County Superior Court. But it began with Simpson, who is also chairman of the Oak Ridge Planning and Zoning Board, and thats significant, McClellan said. One person does make a difference, he said. If somebody tries to tell you they dont, tell them to come to Oak Ridge, North Carolina. Oak Ridge has never seen such a flagrant violation of its zoning codes, officials said, so in July it filed suit in Superior Court for an injunction that would stop the operations. But a judge removed himself from the case on Aug. 1 over a conflict of interest and the case was rescheduled for Tuesday. Town Council members and other officials held at least two meetings with representatives of Kanoy and Primoris to talk over a settlement. Council Member Jim Kinneman said Thursday that Primoris clearly did not want to be drawn into the center of a battle between Kanoy Properties and Oak Ridge. The agreement allows Primoris to continue its operations without restriction until Sept. 30 when its lease is terminated. From then, Kanoy will be barred for 10 years from allowing pipeline operations in Oak Ridge unless the town amends its ordinance to permit it. McClellan praised Primoris who acted as a good corporate citizen for the people of Oak Ridge. A federal court struck down North Carolinas 1st and 12th Congressional Districts in February. The courts determined that both districts were racially gerrymandered. That decision mandated that the N.C. Legislature draw new congressional districts in accordance with the federal law. These newly drawn districts, which take effect in January 2017, dramatically restructure the 12th Congressional District and remove all parts of Guilford, Forsyth, Davidson and Cabarrus counties from it. However, since the new district will not take effect until January, I remain your representative and your strong voice in Congress. You can continue to count on me to provide top-notch constituent services for you and your family. As your representative, you can count on me to fight for jobs and for greater economic opportunities throughout our district. I am making strides to bridge the skills gap between job-seekers and employers and to create more opportunities for hard-working Americans. In addition to job creation and growth, access to quality and affordable health care continue to be part of the American dream. Drastic cuts to Medicare and Medicaid are threats to that dream. I will continue to fight for access to health care, especially for our seniors. Since taking office in 2014, in order to better serve you, I have opened district offices in Greensboro and Charlotte. We host community office hours, which are announced weekly. My staff throughout the 12th District is ready to answer your call and is here to serve you. If you wish to host community office hours in your neighborhood, do not hesitate to contact my office in Charlotte at: (704) 344-9950 or in Greensboro at: (336) 275-9950, or email us: nc12scheduler@mail.house.gov. And I also have six standing satellite offices throughout the 12th District in East Spencer, Salisbury, Lexington, Thomasville, High Point and Winston-Salem. My satellite office hours will be available to you in these six locations until January. For additional information, I encourage you to visit Adams.house.gov. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY Despite his conviction last year on money laundering and wire fraud charges, local nightclub operator Ian Bick has continued to engage in illegal activities, according to federal officials. Bick, who was found guilty in November of six counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, has continued to take money from an investor and used the funds for his personal use, including trips to a New York casino, according to a sentencing memorandum filed with the courts this week. Bick also created a significant safety issue by allowing the sprinkler system at Tuxedo Junction in downtown Danbury that he operated to be disabled for the past few months, the document states. Bick is facing up to eight years in prison during a sentencing hearing scheduled later this month. This may be one of those rare white collar cases where a significant term of imprisonment is necessary for specific deterrence, as demonstrated by Bicks post-conviction conduct, the memo states. On the stand, Bick lied about his conduct and has yet to take responsibility for the crimes he committed. Bick told the News-Times Friday that he is disputing the governments claims, noting that a former employee shut off the sprinkler system and that the investor in question didnt lose any money. According to the sentencing memorandum, Bick has taken about $15,000 from an investor since his conviction last fall and gambled with the money during six separate trips to the Empire City Casino in Yonkers. Bick not have permission to leave the state, and lied about it when asked about the trips by a probation official, prosecutors claim. Bick also lied when he told probation officials that he had repaid the money to his most recent investors, the memo states, adding that his father, Michael Bick, the owner of Somethings Fishy Catering, told an investor not to contact police because he would never get his money back that way. Prosecutors also said that Bick allowing the sprinkler system to be disabled at Tuxedo created a substantial risk of injury to the patrons, some of whom are minors. The issue was brought to the attention of federal agents by the local fire marshals office. Luckily, no serious safety event occurred, and while this incident is not directly related to the financial crimes for which Bick faces sentencing now, this demonstrates Bicks poor character, his incorrigible behavior since conviction, and his disrespect for the law, the memo states. Bick claimed Friday that a former employee used an exterior door to access the basement and turn off the sprinkler system, adding that it was returned to service about two weeks later and no shows were held while the system wasnt functioning. He added that the investor provided about $8,000 for two concert promotions at Tuxedos and that the investor received an $1,100 profit from the investment. He got the money back because he disputed the charges on the credit card, Bick said. And that information was given to prosecutors. Bick also said that he didnt lie to probation officials about the New York trips, which the government claims occurred in April and May. Bick said he met with probation officials in August who asked if he had traveled anywhere in the last month, to which he said he did not. Federal prosecutors also filed a separate memo this week stating that they would seek nearly $500,000 in restitution from Bick during his sentencing later this month. Bick disputes the amount of restitution, in part he said because the jury was hung on several wire fraud charges and those alleged victims still need to be separated from the restitution calculations. Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer granted a motion earlier this month to extend the sentencing to Sept. 30 due to incomplete restitutionion information in the pre-sentence investigation report. The judge, however, denied without prejudice a request for a Fatico hearing to determine the actual nature of the restitution. Bick could again request such a hearing during his scheduled sentencing date on Sept. 30. There is already a substantial amount in the restitution fund, Bick said. Bick was convicted last fall after prosecutors say he took money from investors for both concert promotions and online electronic sales, but used the money for personal expenses, including lavish trips and purchasing two jet skis. The sentencing memorandum states that while Bick told investors he was using the money in part to purchase pallets of iPhones and other equipment for resale online, no such purchases were made. Bick was barred from at least one retail web site, according to the document, for selling counterfeit electronics. Bick would often promise returns of as much as 50 percent and would used a Ponzi scheme to repay some of the money he took from investors. The government asserts that the circumstances of this case, given the serious nature of the conduct, the perjury and obstruction of justice, the failure to comply with conditions of his supervised release, the defendant should receive a significant sentence, the memo states. dperrefort@newstimes.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate At a time when Republicans are skittish about Donald Trump costing them their congressional majority, House Speaker Paul Ryan will raid Greenwich for campaign cash for his caucus. Ryan, of Wisconsin, will command $41,100 per plate for dinner Sept. 19 at the Conyers Farm estate of Clifford Asness, the billionaire founder of the Greenwich hedge fund AQR Capital Management, Hearst Connecticut Media has learned. The haul will benefit Team Ryan, a joint fundraising vehicle for Ryans personal campaign, his leadership PAC and the National Republican Congressional Committee. The host committee for the event, which includes a $5,400 reception option for the more budget-conscious, includes former WWE chief executive and two-time Senate candidate Linda McMahon. Ryans visit comes as a GOP faction has expressed concern about Trump dragging down Republicans on the under-ticket and squandering their majorities in the Senate and possibly the House. The current breakdown in the House is 246 seats to 188 for Republicans, whose control of the Senate (54 to 46 seats) appears to be more tenuous. This guy is our problem, said Gian-Carlo Peressutti, a former press secretary and aide to George H.W. Bush in his post-presidential life. Once he goes down in flames and we exorcise our demons, then the grown-ups can be back in charge. Peressutti, who is from Ridgefield, supported former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush during the primary. The sad reality of this race is Republicans are running against the weakest and, I would argue, most corrupt Democratic nominee in history, but because of the bad choice we made were not likely to take advantage of a generationally winnable race, he said. Trumps boosters in Connecticut, where the GOP nominee walloped his primary opponents John Kasich and Ted Cruz in April, dismissed the doomsday scenario. Hell be the next president of the United States, said Charles Glazer, a former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador from Greenwich who is on the host committee for the Ryan event. Hillary Clinton cant win. The go-hide strategy is not going to work for Mrs. Clinton. But Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Conn., said congressional Republicans of which there are none in the state would be foolish to rely on Trump. Trump will cost the Republicans who cant make it on their own, who believe that they have to have coattails to win, Simmons said. Theyre going to be in trouble. There have been palpable tensions during the campaign between Trump and Ryan, who was the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, with Trump waiting until four days before Ryans primary landslide in Wisconsin last month to endorse the speaker. Ryan has pledged his support for Trump, but said it isnt a blank check when it comes to the controversial actions and rhetoric of the nominee. Ryan was also slow to render aid to Trump on the fundraising front. Republican Themis Klarides, of Derby, the House minority Leader in the Legislature, said its anyones guess whether Trump will hurt the GOPs chances on the congressional level. He certainly wasnt my first choice, Klarides said of Trump, for whom she was a delegate to the Republican National Convention. It is an unknown entity, I think, on both sides. (Clinton) is not exactly loved. Last October, Ryan was elected as house speaker after the resignation of Ohios John Boehner from the leadership post. His tenure has been marked by a June sit-in by House Democrats over gun control that Ryan characterized as a stunt. All five members of Connecticuts House delegation took part in the sit-in, with Ryan calling the chamber into recess and ordering C-SPAN cameras to stop rolling. In 2012, Ryan visited Greenwich, Darien and West Hartford during the final month of the presidential race to prime the fundraising pump for himself and running mate Mitt Romney. Jim Campbell, a Trump delegate to Julys Republican National Convention and former Greenwich GOP chairman, said the momentum is shifting in favor of Trump. Itll stay a Republican majority, Campbell said. There are some districts where Trump will not run as strongly as a typical Republican candidate and there are some districts where he will run more strongly than a typical Republican candidate. Leora Levy, a Republican National Committee member from Greenwich who is on the host committee for the Ryan fundraiser, said the outlook for the GOP isnt gloomy in this unusual election year. Any thinking person cant help but be concerned, but Im also cautiously optimistic, Levy said. I think theres a lot of grassroots support for Trump that may not necessarily be reflected in the polls. neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Nearly 400 Greenwich voters are members of a political party they might not know exists. About 1 percent of registered voters 375 people, according to city registrars are members of the Independent Party, a state-recognized third party that sometimes runs candidates for local and statewide office. The problem? Voters in Greenwich and across the state might never have intended to be in the Independent Party. They might not even know what it is. The Independent Party, which says it supports nonpartisan government and cross-endorses Democrats and Republicans, has no national party, nor does it have a Greenwich caucus. The party is active in Waterbury, Danbury, Milford, Watertown and East Haven. When Connecticut residents register to vote or change their affiliations, they can choose to be a Democrat or Republican, or to write in a third party. Many who are unaffiliated not a member of any political party write independent, not realizing that in Connecticut this puts them in the Independent Party. Its quite possible that people who are claiming to be independent dont know the difference between being an Independent Party member and being unaffiliated, said Waterburys Mike Telesca, the self-proclaimed chairman of the state Independent Party. Its not really our fault, he said. And its also not a terrible thing. It gives voters a chance to participate in a third party; as unaffiliated, theyre left out of the system completely. But it could affect an individuals ability to vote in a primary. Under state election law, an unaffiliated voter can declare a party affiliation up to a day before a primary vote in order to vote in that partys primary. But someone switching parties must do so no less than 90 days before a primary vote. That includes someone trying to switch from the Independent Party to become a Republican or Democrat. Greenwich Republican Registrar of Voters Fred DeCaro III said he and Democratic Registrar Sharon Vecchiolla have sent letters out to voters in years with major political primaries to make sure people are registered where they want to be. When we do this we get back a handful of changes so I presume the number of Independent Party members understand what they have selected, DeCaro said. Additionally, DeCaro said if someone comes to register in person at Town Hall, the registrars make sure they understand the difference between being unaffiliated and being Independent. But he said the confusion potentially could worsen under the state motor voter registration system that debuted last month. It will be interesting to see if increased use of the online voter registration system, including the new screens at the (Department of Motor Vehicles), will have an effect, DeCaro said. I don't know if people at the DMV are familiar enough with our system in Connecticut to provide guidance on the difference between unaffiliated and Independent. With 768,000 people, unaffiliated voters make up the states largest voting bloc, topping 758,000 registered Democrats and 434,000 registered Republicans. In Greenwich, unaffiliated voters are the second largest bloc, with 11,500. Republicans have the greatest number of registered voters in town, with 12,782. Democrats have 8,968 registered voters in Greenwich. The Independent Party has about 17,000 members statewide, according to the Office of the Secretary of the State. Runners-up in third-party membership, the Libertarian and Green parties have 1,800 and 1,400 members, respectively. The groups Independence and Winstead Independent each have about 30 members, trailing We The People by 12 voters and the 300-member Working Families party. But only the Independent, Libertarian, Working Families and Green parties have statewide enrollment privileges, meaning that voters from any town can enroll in those groups. Connecticut could make it easier, Telesca said, for third parties to get on the ballot. After collecting signatures for a specific race, the state requires third-party candidates to receive 1 percent of the vote to avoid petitioning in the next election. Third parties therefore lose their ballot lines when they dont continuously run candidates. Greater ballot access would benefit the Independent Party, which Telesca said has been a proponent of open and honest government in Connecticut for decades. Most recently, the party secured a seat on the Waterbury Board of Education. To people confused about its message, Telesca said: The Independent Party is exactly what you think it is. eskalka@scni.com GREENWICH Each fall, Greenwich homeowners and their landscapers push fallen leaves to the curb where they mix with garbage and oily runoff from the roadway before being hauled to the transfer station in a big truck. Its a process that is expensive to the taxpayers and the town, said Aleksandra Moch, an environmental analyst for the Greenwich Conservation Commission. Its also preventable. This fall, her department is offering a series of free workshops to tell people how slated for Sept. 12 through Sept. 29. Wed like to heal our soil and to make it healthier with organic matter and limit all those uses which makes our landscape a little bit dangerous for children and pets to use, Moch said. We are actually encouraging people to take care of their lawns and take care of their yards in a more organic way. There will be a set of workshops geared toward lawn care professionals and another toward property owners. Both workshop types will focus on ways to turn fall leaves into mulch and start organic compost bins. There are a lot of reasons to mix mulched leaves into soil, Moch said. It helps it absorb water and retain moisture better so grass and other plants in hot summers like the one Greenwich just experienced dont dry out as quickly. It also helps oxygen and nutrients circulate through the soil more efficiently, Moch said. More Information Does your malnourished soil have you down? See More Collapse They introduce the good microbial balance which almost acts like our immune system, it regulates whats living in the soil and eliminates bad bacteria and bad fungi, Moch said. There is no need to use the bad pesticides and herbicides, so we can cut down on our use of them. The workshops will consist of two different parts. The first is a powerpoint presentation given by Moch, a soil scientist and master composter trained at the University of Connecticut and the Stamford Arboretum. After that, participants will get some hands-on experience led by either a representative of the Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation or some local professional landscapers. One of the sessions for landscape professionals set for 8 a.m. Sept. 27 will be given in Spanish. A list of landscape professionals that take part in the workshops will be posted on the town website after the workshops conclude. The workshops are related to a program that was made possible by a $5,000 grant the Conservation Commission received from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to bring ecological awareness to schools. Moch has since helped start composting bins in four schools in town. The town also used some of the money to buy mulching blades for its mowers. Moch said mulching blades help the town deal with the large volume of leaves they see each fall. To register for the workshops, contact Moch at amoch@greenwichct.org or 203-622-6461. The workshops will be held at Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road. For a complete schedule and to register, call 203-622-6461 or email: amoch@greenwichct.org. pfrissell@hearstmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss With more employees using social media in the workplace, companies are struggling to create viable social media policies and strategies that enable staff members to use their favorite communication channels while still protecting the companys reputation. One big problem is that social media usage in the workplace does not always result in social engagement. Clearly, social media is a powerful tool to share information and build personal networks. But in many cases, people use social media to sling around new content or retweet the latest breaking news without any context or business relevance. Too often, the loudest mouth gets the most attention, even when what gets said is not very meaningful to drive progress for the organization. In that sense, social media is both a blessing and a curse. Of course social media adoption is inevitable, so companies need to strike the proper balance in how they create a workplace culture for proper social media usage. Outright bans or prohibitions dont work because employees are already on social platforms in their personal lives. More importantly, customers are choosing social channels to tell the world about their consumer experiences and to contact companies directly to address their problems. Related: This is How Your Employees Really See Your Company Culture 1. Brand ambassadors and employee advocacy. More companies are working to humanize their brands by training new employee advocates. These brand ambassadors are savvy social media users who help reinforce the company message and sometimes even engage in social selling. These employees are often not part of a contact center team -- they are excellent communicators throughout the company who leverage their own social networks to advocate for company interests. Some 31 percent of high-growth companies have formal employee advocacy programs in place, more than double the average of all other firms, according to a study by the Hinge Research Institute and Social Media Today. The study found that nearly two-thirds of advocates in a formal program credited their advocacy with attracting new business, and nearly 45 percent said the advocacy has generated new revenue streams. Managers should know that such programs require time and energy to build, including investments in training and software. Nearly 60 percent of workers in formal employee advocacy programs spend at least five hours per week using social media for business purposes. As a result, almost 86 percent said their social media work has had a positive impact on their careers by differentiating them from their peers. Based on the daily use of social media, customers now expect closer emotional ties and a sense of immediacy from the companies they do business with. Otherwise, they will buy elsewhere. This social relationship starts at the company website with user communities, where companies have the most control over messaging. The next level involves interactions on major social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram. Finally, there are the endless blogs, consumer forums and ranking sites where companies have the least amount of control. However, companies should not tune out these public forums, which can be valuable places to correct public misconceptions and distortions. Companies should adopt a proactive social stance that engages in discussions across all channels, according to a recent white paper by Conversocial for Facebook Marketing Partners, Preparing the Enterprise for a New Social Customer Service Model: Adapting to the Culture of Social Media. Related: How to Win on Company Culture Prior to social media, the interaction between companies and customers was transactional and all parties measured their success by the number and swiftness of those transactions. That was largely a culture of commerce, stated the authors. Now, social media is creating a new culture for society, one predicated on connections and sharing. And, as customers embrace the culture of social media, they are demanding that companies do likewise. 2. Millennial expectations and collaborative culture. Growing numbers of the Millennial generation are joining the workforce and having a profound effect on business culture. Raised on social media and smartphones, Millennial employees are bringing their commitment to openness, sharing and transparency into the workplace. Most companies have already hung out their social media shingles on Facebook and Twitter to promote their brands externally. But the real innovators are also deploying internal knowledge management systems that feel recognizable to Millennials who are eager to share content. Management should nurture this desire for collaboration. The push for collaboration can involve new ways to communicate and share ideas, including the use of cloud-based software tools and crowd-solving apps. In this way, offsite employees can engage with onsite teams, giving rise to new synergies. Many companies are also redesigning their physical office spaces to be more open and conducive to personal interactions. Gray fabric cubicles are being replaced by bright, open floor plans. Cross-pollinating ideas from across an organization can often lead to better hybrid solutions that no single individual or department could create in a silo. 3. Customer care and employee engagement. The use of social media and collaboration tools cannot succeed unless a companys overall culture embraces the effort. Employees need to feel that their voices matter, and they need to know that the organization values their contributions and ideas. At the same time, a conversation with one customer today can quickly turn into a conversation with all customers -- who then share their thoughts with the rest of the world through social media posts. Related: Why Your Company Culture Needs to Be a Reflection of You This dynamic radically reorients the relationship between businesses and their customers, giving customers a powerful new level of control in how brands are perceived and represented. In this changing business climate, companies that build effective social media programs can enjoy a clear competitive advantage, both in terms of internal employee engagement and external customer satisfaction. Related: 3 Compelling Reasons to Adapt the Workplace Culture for Social Media Personality Tests: Helpful Tool or Lazy Shortcut? How to Keep Your Culture Intact When You Expand to Another City Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Whats truly at stake in this years presidential election was made abundantly clear Thursday night: During an episode of All In With Chris Hayes, Donald Trump supporter Marco Gutierrez made the dire warning that if Clinton is elected there will be taco trucks on every corner in America. This, presumably, was meant to be interpreted as a problem, but because it actually sounds like an incredible turn of events just imagine never being more than a few feet away from an incredible taco the comment kind of backfired. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Gutierrez is the Mexican-born founder of Latinos for Trump and may be the only person in history to consider taco trucks everywhere to be an issue. Meanwhile, Americans waking up to the news immediately started celebrating a future of being able to get a quick and easy carnitas taco anywhere, anytime: how is "taco trucks on every corner" not a glistening vision of the most utopian possible America David Greenwald (@davidegreenwald) September 2, 2016 Taco trucks on every corner is a deeply personal dream of mine, and he is NOT going to take that from me. https://t.co/sVIjGpWjrP Ashley C. Ford (@iSmashFizzle) September 2, 2016 omfg can u imagine taco trucks and empanada trucks just waiting for u as u come home from work make america great again i am serious darth (@darth) September 2, 2016 These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Following reports of some Samsung Galaxy Note7 units exploding during charging, there have been rumors that the South Korean company is mulling recalling units that have already been sold. Now, the tech giant has issued an official statement on the matter. "In response to questions on Galaxy Note7, we are conducting a thorough inspection with our partners," Samsung said. "We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers." While the statement does not reflect what steps Samsung is planning to address the situation, the company has said to have already halted distribution of the phone in a few markets, including Belgium and Serbia. Although there's currently no official word on the number of units that are affected by the problem, a Samsung official who wished to remain anonymous has said the figure stands at less than 0.1% of the entire volume sold. "The problem can be simply resolved by changing the battery, but we'll come up with convincing measures for our consumers," they said. According to a Reuters report, the delay in Galaxy Note7's shipments due to the battery fiasco has "knocked $7 billion off" Samsung's market value. Not to mention the worst possible timing of the problem for the company, given that the new iPhones are coming next week. Via | Reuters The Lenovo P2 is a 5.5" midranger, while the 4.5" Lenovo A Plus can be had for 69 Just when we thought that Lenovo was done announcing devices after the K6 family was made official, we were greeted by a couple more new models - the Lenovo P2, and the A Plus. A quick glance at the specs reveals the two to be positioned in vastly different market segments. Lenovo P2 The Lenovo P2 is the better one, a nicely-specced midranger with a 5.5-inch FullHD AMOLED display. It's the Snapdragon 625 chipset doing the number-crunching, paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM, while built-in storage is 32GB. Those are the global figures - the Chinese version will come with 4GB of RAM only, and 64GB of internal memory. Storage is expandable regardless of regional version. Lenovo P2 The primary camera on the back of the P2 is a 13MP Sony affair with a dual LED flash. There's a 5MP front-facer too, to take care of selfies. There's the mandatory fingerprint sensor, on this model it's located on the front for a change. The P2 is big on power features, too. For starters, it packs an ample 5,100mAh battery and is quick to charge it with its 24-watt charger. It can also be used to charge other devices, so you don't need to carry an external battery to top up, say, a Bluetooth speaker. There's also a power save mode activated at a flick of a switch. The P2 will be priced at 249/299 in Europe, and will be available in November. Lenovo A Plus The Lenovo A Plus is a decidedly budget offering. It packs a 4.5-inch display with 854 x 480 pixel resolution and is powered by a Mediatek MT6580 chipset with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. There's a single gig of RAM on board, and internal storage is just 8GB, thankfully expandable. Lenovo A Plus The camera department is represented by a 5MP primary shooter (with a single LED flash) and a basic 2MP front-facer. Battery capacity is 2,000mAh, which isn't impressive, but may very well be enough for the hardware. A dual-SIM version will be available. The Lenovo A Plus is priced at 69/79 and is available to purchase as we speak. Haiti - Education: 17 scholarship holder Haitians will continue their studies in Taiwan Thursday at the Karibe Convention Center, in the presence of Jean Beauvois Dorsonne, Minister of Education, Pierrot Delienne, Foreign Minister and the Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Haiti, Tsai-chiu Hwang, was held a departure ceremony for 17 Haitian scholarship holders that will pursue their studies in Taiwan (Republic of China). These 17 scholars selected by competition and from all departments, will leave the country in the direction of Taiwan, in order to pursue for 5 years of graduate studies in various sectors, such as electronic engineering, computer science, civil engineering, tropical medicine and renewable energy. In his speech, the Minister Dorsonne encouraged scholars to be assiduous in their studies and greet "on behalf of the Haitian government and the educational community, the support of the Taiwanese government in the field of education." The Taiwanese Ambassador Tsai-chiu Hwang, said these scholarships were part of the bilateral cooperation between Haiti and Taiwan, which continues in harmony for over 50 years. Chancellor Delienne proudly welcomed those 17 young people, who according to him "will acquire new knowledge to return put them at the service of development of their country." PI/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping politics... Jude Celestin launches his campaign Wednesday, Jude Celestin, candidate for the presidency under the banner "Alternative League for Progress and the Haitian Empowerment" (LAPEH) accompanied among other by members of the former G8: Steven Benoit, Eric Jean Baptiste and Sauveur Pierre Etienne and parliamentarians in office, appeared front thousands of supporters and sympathizers as a resistant who stopped the fraudulent elections in 2015. He also called on Haitians to vote for an economic liberalization program through job creation, promising if elected, to take concrete action in the first 6 months to improve the living conditions of vulnerable groups, saying his program takes into account the program priorities of other political leaders involved in his campaign. Jovenel Moise campaigning in the South Thursday Jovenel Moise aka "neg bannann nan" the presidential candidate under the banner of "Tet Kale Haitian Party" (PHTK) set sail for the South department. He visited successively Randel, Tiburon, Les Anglais, Chardonnieres and Port-a-piment where he drained behind him thousands of activists, supporters and sympathizers. In its various public speaking, Jovenel Moise urged his supporters and all potential voters in these communes to take the train of change by giving him their votes in the poll of 9 October. His vision is clear-cut : put together sun, rivers, lands and men to enable the country to be self-sufficient agriculturally. Guy Philippe answered questions of the prosecution Guy Philippe, Senate candidate for the department of Grand'Anse, in Jeremie responded to questions of justice "I have received a mandate for a series of charges. My lawyers and others advised me to come to answer. I have nothing to hide, since I have no problem with the law [...] I do not want people saying that I hide, that I'm afraid of something [...] I wanted that people who vote for me, know that their candidate is clear that he has no problem. I came, I spent a lot of time to the prosecution and I answered all the questions of the judge." Edmonde Supplice Beauzile accuses Edmonde Supplice Beauzile, presidential candidate under the banner of the Fusion party of Social Democrats Haitians (FUSION) accuses Fanmi Lavalas and PHTK to be responsible for widespread corruption in the country. Words of immy Carter on Haiti Thursday, former President Jimmy Carter and OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro met in Plains, Georgia, to exchange ideas on matters relating to democracy and human rights in the region. About Haiti, both men pointed to the need to comply with the electoral timetable and called for much-needed democratic stability to be achieved in that country as soon as possible. Privert meets representatives of the banking sector Thursday at the National Palace, the de facto President Jocelerme Privert, accompanied by the Minister of Justice, Camille Edouard Jr., met with several representatives of the banking sector https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18457-haiti-flash-the-situation-is-critical-transfers-and-haitian-banking-system-threatened.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18441-haiti-flash-us-threat-on-money-transfers-to-haiti.html* HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2016/09/02 | Source Actress Lee Young-ae has donated W100 million to the Korea Military Academy (US$1=W1,123). Advertisement Lee wants the money to be spent on the descendants of Korean War veterans, the KMA said Thursday. Lee is the daughter of a Korean War veteran, and her father-in-law was an Army brigadier general. She also donated W50 million in July to a middle school in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where she lives. 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. 06:00, 29 OCT 2022 The International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney is currently undergoing one of its largest recruitment drives in over a decade as it aims to scale up by more than 300 fulltime and 1,500 casual staff. The organisation is striving to reach this goal before the centre officially opens in December and is seeking candidates in a range of industries including culinary, hospitality, event operations, customer service, finance and administration. The centre had hoped to create 400 new jobs by September. This figure will increase to 1,500 in March 2017 and then will steadily increase to a full operational capacity of 1,800. HC sat down with Mathew Paine, director of HR, to see how the ICC has planned such a massive recruitment effort. Targeting through technology Since the launch of the campaign, candidates have been targeted through a mixture of indoor and outdoor advertising and social media marketing, Paine said. Im happy to say that its definitely working because over the last few weeks, weve had close to 5,000 applications. As well as posting job ads on Indeed and LinkedIn, the ICC also uses geo-targeted posts through Facebook and even has its own Instagram account. The executive chef and executive pastry chef post their creations online. Weve got a good following there and are looking for any chefs that want to join us. Technology is also used to help manage the interview process. Candidates are asked three questions through a digital platform and have to record answers on their smartphones or tablets. We get to meet those candidates virtually whilst we review those answers. That will save us almost 1,500 hours of interview time, Paine told HC. After the virtual interviews are completed, the ICC then invites selected candidates to come in and talk face-to-face, he added. Mass inductions and training The induction process and orientation starts from the moment a candidate accepts a role, Paine said. Theyre given access to an on-boarding portal where there are corporate videos tailored to our new team members. Weve also created an online induction for new members to meet their team. They get to see all the people in their team through photos and profiles so they get a feel of who theyre going to work with before they even start. For training, the ICC takes a blended approach combining e-learning, on-the-job training, classroom-based learning and seminars, he said. The Centre has also partnered with TAFE NSW Sydney Institute, committing to $250,000 of training over a period of three to four months. Well be able to deliver eight nationally recognised qualifications on the job through that RTO partnership. That really is an industry first for us having such a strong partnership there and being able to map those qualifications back. Finally, the ICC will embark on a three-month testing and training process starting this month and finishing in December. This will ensure that the building is operationally ready and all our team members are fully trained for the first formal event from 20 December. Five locations will donate 10 percent of sales on September 10 to the nonprofit Each fall, Mast General Store shows its commitment to the Blue Ridge Parkway during Friends Day. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is fortunate to count Mast Store among its friends. On Saturday, September 10, five Mast General Stores (Asheville, Boone, Hendersonville, and the Valle Crucis Original Store & Annex) will donate 10 percent of sales to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation as part of the annual event. I hope everyone who enjoys the Blue Ridge Parkway will come out to shop in support of the wonderful park in their backyard and a great local business, said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Patagonia will also make a donation of $2,500 to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation on behalf of Mast General Stores. Through this generous support, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is able to address critical needs on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The nonprofits projects range from a remote wildlife camera program and trail repairs to the rehabilitation of historic places, including Moses H. Cone Memorial Park near Blowing Rock. Ward, staff, and volunteers will greet guests at each location to share details on how the nonprofit enhances visitor experiences through historic preservation, environmental conservation, and educational outreach. Friends Day When: Saturday, September 10 What: Mast General Store will donate 10 percent of sales to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Patagonia is making a donation of $2,500 to the Foundation as part of its 1% for the Planet and on behalf of Mast General Store Where: Mast General Stores in Asheville, Boone, Hendersonville, and the Valle Crucis Original Store & Annex About the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation The Foundation is the primary nonprofit fundraising organization, 501(c)3, of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach, and visitor enjoyment now and for future generations.www.brpfoundation.org About the Mast General Store The Original Mast General Store in the rural community of Valle Crucis, North Carolina, is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the best remaining examples of an old country store. From Valle Crucis, the Mast Store has grown into a family of stores along historic Main Streets in Boone, Waynesville, Hendersonville, Asheville, and Winston-Salem in North Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina. The company strives to uphold the traditions of general store by being involved in each of its home communities. www.MastGeneralStore.com. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket (Reuters) TPG-Axon Capital Management is shutting its office in Hong Kong, where it employs 10 people, and ending its presence in Tokyo in the coming months, according to a letter sent to investors that was seen by Reuters and a person familiar with the situation. The stock-focused hedge fund firm, led by Dinakar Singh, has approximately 45 staff in total, spread between Hong Kong and New York, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the information is private. Of the staff, 15 are investment analysts or traders. No employees are based in Tokyo. To read this article: Apple Festival honors Apple Grower of the Year Kenny Barnwell accepts the 2016 Apple Grower of the Year award. Related Stories At its official kickoff on Friday morning the North Carolina Apple Festival honored the 2016 Apple Grower of the Year, a sixth generation farmer who is also a leader on agriculture issues in the region and state. Kenny Barnwell, who grows 150 acres of apples in Kenny Barnwell Orchards and packs and stores apples through Ridgeview Apple Packers in Edneyville, is known as a progressive farmer who uses best management practices and environmental stewardship. He is a leader in food safety practices, and was among the first in the county to achieve GAP certification (Good Agricultural Practices). He works through science, exploration and through other organizations just to make things better for now and for the future, said Fair Nabers Waggoner, city president of United Community Bank, the award sponsor. This morning he was at Hendersonville Elementary giving out apples just to plant the seed. A sixth generation Henderson County farmer, Barnwell is the current president of N.C. Apple Growers Association, chair of the USDA Farm Service Agency county committee, chair of Agribusiness Henderson County and vice chair of the Henderson County Agriculture Advisory Committee. Barnwell often represents the interests of all Henderson County farmers in local, regional and state forums on such issues as agriculture funding, food safety, environmental regulations, farm labor and crop insurance. Barnwell told the crowd that he was honored to receive the award. I think back to the people that came before us and it is something to be very very proud of, he said. Im very proud to be part of agriculture in Henderson County, not just the apples. With the support from the county commissioners, extension service and the research station, we in Henderson County are able to grow some of the best and safest food in the United States and the world, and thats something we really need to be proud of. We need to celebrate what our local farmers and what are local agriculture does for this county. Colleagues of innocent dad Trevor O'Neill, who was shot in a case of mistaken identity in Spain, have begun a fundraising drive to help his young family. Mr O'Neill worked in the drainage division of Dublin City Council (DCC) and staff in the council have now set up the Trevor O'Neill Memorial Fund. The 41-year-old is survived by his partner Suzanne and three young children, who will benefit from any money raised. Mr O'Neill was killed in a botched hit believed to be linked to the ongoing Kinahan Hutch feud. It is understood that Jonathan Hutch (37), whose brother Gareth was killed earlier this year in Dublin, told police in Spain that he was the intended target. Jonathan Hutch had only met Mr O'Neill on holidays as they were staying in the same complex in Costa de la Calma, close to Santa Ponsa. Jonathan is not a criminal, and gardai believe he was targeted solely because of his family connections. Mr O'Neill was laid to rest earlier this week following a funeral mass in Crumlin. Farewell Dozens of his DCC colleagues were among mourners who turned out to say a final farewell to the proud Dublin GAA supporter. The fund has been set up with the council's credit union and trustees include the Lord Mayor Brendan Carr, along with some of Mr O'Neill's colleagues from the drainage division. All staff and councillors have been asked to consider donating to the fund and they have also been asked to share the information with anyone who may be interested in providing assistance. "Trevor O'Neill was taken by an act of evil. His family in DCC have responded with an act of love, respect and kind generosity. The trust is our way of supporting Trevor's partner and children in this time of great loss and hardship," independent councillor Mannix Flynn told the Herald. At his requiem mass Mr O'Neill was remembered as a family man who was full of life and laughs. His council workers' jacket was among the items brought to the alter to represent his life. At his funeral parish priest Fr Melvyn Mullins said that Mr O'Neill's death was no accident. "The truth is, Trevor was murdered - shot while on holidays," he said. "Tragic events have been recorded with expressions like 'mistaken identity' or 'the wrong person being in the wrong place at the wrong time', but this is of no comfort to the family. "They are empty expressions that do not matter. Trevor was murdered. It is wrong. It is just not right, and it can never be called right." A rowdy drinker at a Dublin hotel bar who was told to give his name to a garda, replied: "ask your mother". Brian Lawrence (23) was at a friends' reunion party when he made the remark to officers called to deal with complaints that they were too loud. The incident happened at a Clarion hotel in west Dublin. Judge David McHugh gave him a two-month suspended sentence when he pleaded guilty to public order offences at Blanchardstown District Court. Lawrence, a father-of-one with an address at St Finian's Grove, Lucan pleaded guilty to failing to provide gardai with a correct name and address, threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, and public intoxication. The court heard the offences happened at the Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley, Clondalkin on July 19 last. Shouting Gardai were called to the hotel and were told by security that a group of males were loud and shouting while they were drinking in the bar. They had refused to stop when asked. The gardai approached the group and were verbally abused by them. The officers asked Lawrence for his name. "Ask your mother," he replied. He was arrested at the scene. The court heard he had previous convictions. "He wants to deal with matters today," Lawrence's lawyer told Judge McHugh. "He is apologetic for what happened." The court heard it had been a "reunion of friends" and the defendant had a lot to drink. He was married and had one child, his lawyer continued. Lawrence is currently unemployed, but is looking for a job and trying to get his life back on track, his lawyer said. "It would appear that he doesn't have a previous conviction for this type of thing," Judge McHugh said. The defendant's lawyer asked the judge to be as lenient as he could in the circumstances. The sentence was suspended for one year. The M50 bridge where Sinead Cuthbert, and Gavin Quinn are living in a tent . Picture credit; Damien Eagers 31/8/2016 Sinead Cuthbert and Gavin Quinn who are living in a tent under a bridge spanning the M50 Picture: Damien Eagers This camp under an M50 slipway in Finglas is home to a Dublin couple facing into their fourth winter of homelessness. Sinead Cuthbert (48) and Gavin Quinn (40) have been together for 25 years. At night they huddle together in a tiny tent hoping the pedestrian bridge above them will keep most of the showers off - but there is little shelter from the wind that blows in from all sides. "The nights are getting longer. We can feel the winter coming in. There's times you'd just wish you were dead," Sinead told the Herald. The couple said they used to have a good future and had done some travelling around Europe in younger days. "I did a course in electronics in Kevin Street, and worked in IBM, 3Com and Sigma Wireless. I had a car and a place to live. Life was good," Gavin said. Problems "Now I have to walk past the place where I bought the car when I'm going down to the garage to use the toilet. I never thought I'd end up like this. "We have used some of the hostels in the city, but there are problems with crime and drugs and you can't always get a place. And often they won't let us stay together and split us up. "It's cold and wet and miserable here, but we feel safer. We don't get bothered here," he added. Sinead is originally from Coolock, and Gavin from Ashbourne. Sinead said she has been on the housing list for four years, and in that time they have been homeless. "We used to sleep in sheds over the other side of the road," said Gavin, pointing to the opposite side of the large twisting Junction 5 of the M50. "But we came back one night and they were burned down, so now we are over here at the footbridge. We've been here around six months now. "It's a crazy situation and it's only getting worse. In the hostels now you have 40 people all grunting and groaning trying to sleep. Something has to be done," Gavin said. Since becoming homeless drugs have also become a problem for both of them. "Merchants Quay (drug treatment centre) are great. We're getting help from them. You get depressed and feel trapped. I'd love to get a job again and work and get a place, but I can't get work without an address, and I can't get an address without work. It just gets harder and harder. "It's no life for anyone. Sometimes you think you'd be better off dead," said Gavin. The couple are just one example of the thousands of people caught up in the spiralling problem of homelessness in the capital. Despite Government pledges and millions of euro being spent fire-fighting the issue since the death of Jonathan Corry just yards from Leinster House in December 2014, the problem is worsening. At the latest rough sleeper count on April 24 last, 102 people were found to be sleeping rough on the city streets. Of those, most were men (84), and people sleeping on the street were more likely to be aged between 31 and 40 years of age. Growings Anthony Flynn of the Inner City Helping Homeless charity (ICHH), which feeds and clothes those sleeping rough every night, said it is now sending volunteers out as far as Killiney to help the growing numbers sleeping on the streets. "We are supporting 140 to 150 people a night sleeping rough. People are coming from many different counties because they think they will get a bed in Dublin, and that's adding pressure to the system in the capital," said Mr Flynn. "Then you get a situation where a 19-year-old who becomes homeless in Carlow ends up on the streets in Dublin because the system can't cope. Before long he's exposed to drugs and everything that goes with that." Ministers will assemble this morning for a crunch Cabinet meeting in a desperate bid to reach agreement on appealing the European Commission's Apple ruling. Fine Gael ministers last night scrambled to insist the issue did not represent a threat to the Government and to express hope that they will secure consensus on the matter. Meanwhile, some of their Independent counterparts remained undecided on whether or not they'd back the plan. Finance minister Michael Noonan wants the State to fight the Commission's demand that Ireland seek 13bn in back-taxes from the tech giant. Wrongdoing He rejects the Commission's ruling that Apple was the beneficiary of illegal State aid, and insists there was no wrongdoing in Apple's tax arrangements here. However, just one Independent minister - Denis Naughten - has publicly said he will support the plan to appeal the decision. Children's minister Katherine Zappone was last night said to still have reservations on the matter. Its understood she is seeking further assurances from Mr Noonan, but will come on board if she's satisfied with his response. Meanwhile, the two Independent Alliance' TDs who attend Cabinet - Dublin ministers Shane Ross and Finian McGrath - held meetings throughout the day to discuss the issue. Junior Independent Alliance minister John Halligan further complicated things by saying the Dail should be recalled to debate the Apple ruling before a decision is made on a State appeal. "If there was a Dail debate over a period of maybe two days, then that may sway the Government or may not as to what they should do regarding this decision," he said. That contradicts the position of Fine Gael who want an agreement to fight the Commission's decision in the European Courts before TDs are brought back to Leinster House. Mr Halligan told RTE Radio he doesn't think the issues should destabilise the Government, but criticised the level of taxation Apple has paid here. "I think it's regretful that Apple, I don't think, have paid a reasonable amount of tax into the Irish economy as every one of us are required to do. Do I think it should bring down the Government? I don't." Both Apple and the Finance Department have insisted that it has paid all of the tax it was legally required to in Ireland. Elsewhere, Fine Gael ministers tried to play down the split with their Independent counterparts. Housing minister Simon Coveney insisted relations with their non-party colleagues is "pretty good". "I'm hopeful we'll have a consensus but, of course, people have to be given the time to tease out their positions." Of the Independent Alliance, he insisted: "They don't want to destabilise the Government. Having spoken to them, I know that's the truth." Clarity "My hope is that we'll reach an agreement... I wouldn't put words into my colleagues' mouths, but I think we'll be in a position then to provide a definitive decision and, more importantly, clarity in terms of the Government's response to a Commission ruling," he said. "I don't think there is any rift. I think the situation is that every minister wants to study the full judgement," Education minister Richard Bruton said. He hit out at the Apple ruling saying: "The European Commission has decided to set itself up as prosecutor, judge and executioner in the case of this." Mr Bruton said the ruling was "based on a misinterpretation of tax law." An inner city representative has lashed out at a study for the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) which ranked areas of Dublin from prettiest to ugliest. Councillor Daithi De Roiste was infuriated by the study, which labelled areas of his south inner city constituency as the ugliest in the capital. "Don't we teach children in school not to judge a book by its cover? Is this really the message we want to send out? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," he said. Mr De Roiste said the research, by urban planner Paul Kearns and architect Motti Ruimy, did not take into the account the close-knit communities that lived in the areas. "What he says just doesn't add up. He doesn't take into account the community spirit and the good, salt-of-the-earth Dubliners who live there," he added. List Among the areas on the authors' most ugly list were Usher's Island - Bridgefoot Street, Dolphin's Barn, The Coombe, Christ Church and Cork Street. But Mr De Roiste pointed out that the areas contained some of the capital's most enjoyed tourist spots. "Guinness is in the area there. This is an attraction that is visited by thousands every year. "It's an area rich with history," he said. "To be honest I think it's very unfair on the working class communities who live there," he said. Mr Ruimy and Mr Kearns did not respond to requests for comment yesterday. Their research took into account factors such as the amount of traffic in the area, the percentage of land zoned as open space, the number of vacant and derelict properties, how many protected structures there were and the number of street trees. Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Stephane Dion (Photo: Internet) During his trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, Minister Dion will meet with his counterparts, members of Government and the opposition to support capacity-building efforts that promote regional security, dialogue, trade and climate action. Besides, he has planned to meet with students, academics and woman entrepreneurs, as well as members of non-governmental organizations, to discuss the importance of gender parity and human rights as this rapidly developing part of the world focuses its efforts on the economy. After that, from 10th-11th September, the 61-year-old Canadian Minister will travel to the Federated States of Micronesia to enhance relations with Pacific island countries at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), where regional economic development and cooperation are priorities. According to a press release issued by the Canadian Embassy in Hanoi on September 2nd, Minister Dion is scheduled to participate in the 28th Post-Forum Dialogue Partners Meeting of the PIF, discussing how Canada and Pacific island countries can tackle the critical issue of climate change and promote regional cooperation and trade, significant concerns for island nations and priorities for Canada. He later to visit some Canada-funded development projects that are empowering youth and women and are contributing to sustainable development throughout the Pacific Islands Region This will be Minister Dions first visit to Cambodia, Vietnam and Micronesia as Minister of Foreign Affairs. It will also be the first time a Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs has attended a PIF dialogue partners meeting. Canada established diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1973. It opened an Embassy in Hanoi in 1994 and a Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh city three years later. Last year, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and Vietnam was valued at over CAD5 billion, thus making Vietnam is Canadas largest trading partner in ASEAN and its 16th-largest merchandise trading partner in the world./. During President Francois Hollandes visit, the two countries will review their cooperation and seek further political ties and delegation exchanges. They will also look to improve the efficiency of bilateral cooperation and accelerate joint economic projects, especially in infrastructure, climate change adaptation, science-technology, health and agriculture. Both nations will sign a number of new cooperation agreements in politics, economy, science-technology, agriculture and judicial affairs as well as exchange regional and international issues of mutual concern. Vietnam and France have spared no efforts to enhance ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in April 1973, two years before the end of the American war in Vietnam .France has been among the most important partners of Vietnam in Europe over the past 40 years and was one of the first foreign countries that helped Vietnam heal the pain of war and normalise relations with the world.Currently, about 300,000 Vietnamese people are living and studying in France ./. HOMECOMINGS BIBLE WAY CHURCH: Bristol, Tennessee, 823 William Street Extension, Sept. 4, 10 a. m.: Homecoming, gospel singing featuring Faithful 2, 713-498-1191. POPLAR CREEK CHURCH OF CHRIST: Grundy, Va., 4128 Poplar Creek Road, Sept. 11, 11 a. m.: Homecoming, guest speaker Pat Mooney from Abingdon, Virginia. HOUSE OF THE LORD CHURCH: Castlewood, Va., 4995 Reeds Valley Road, Sept. 18, 11 a. m.: Homecoming, guest speaker Michael Booker of Bristol, Virginia, gospel singing, featuring The Singing Holbrooks, call Pastor Teddy G. Phillip, 276-762-5845, everyone welcome. REVIVALS TRUE FAITH TABERNACLE: Bristol, Tenn., 2803 Broad Street, Sept 4, 6 p. m. Sunday night, Sept. 5 7, 7 p. m. nightly. Revival, gospel singing featuring Faithful 2, 713-498-1191. POPLAR CREEK CHURCH OF CHRIST: Grundy, Va., 4128 Poplar Creek Road, Sept. 8 11, 7 p. m. nightly: Revival. HOUSE OF THE LORD CHURCH: Castlewood, Va., 4995 Reeds Valley Road, Sept. 15 - 17, 7 p. m. nightly.: Revival , guest speaker Michael Booker of Bristol, Virginia, gospel singing, featuring The Singing Holbrooks, call Pastor Teddy G. Phillip, 276-762-5845, everyone welcome. SINGINGS COXS CHAPEL PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH: Duffield, Va., Sept. 3, 7 p. m.: Gospel singing featuring Faithful 2, 713-498-1191. MORNING STAR CHURCH: Bristol, Va., 319 East Mary Street, Sept 11, 3:30 p. m.: Gospel concert fundraiser for Pastor Anniversary, 276-494-3630. COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTER OF TRI CITIES: Kingsport, Tenn., 2401 John B. Dennis Highway, Sept. 11, 10 a. m.: Commemorative ceremony, We Will Never Forget 9/11, remembers the sacrifice, honor the serving, call 423-288-2211 or 423-967-5908. SUNSET VILLAGE CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., 214 Johnston Avenue off Bluff City Highway, Sept. 18, 11 a. m.: National Back to Church Sunday community picnic, everyone welcome. FIRST BROAD STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Kingsport, Tenn., 101 East Church Circle: Volunteer two hours any day Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marlene Hudson, 423-817-8332, to help with food, Bob Smith, 423-246-3966. Clothing and other donations can be brought to Single Vision or taken to Shades of Grace. FAIRVIEW UNITED METHODISH CHURCH: Jonesborough, Tenn., 878 Highway 81 North., 7-10 a.m.: Country breakfast (3rd Saturday each month), bacon, fresh ground sausage, eggs, pancakes, gravy and biscuits and more. Cost is by donation. Located 5 miles from downtown Jonesborough going toward Fall Branch. YARD SALE: Abingdon, Va., Pentecostal Church, 17535 Jeb Stuart Highway off Exit 19 toward Damascus, second Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., name brand childrens and maternity clothes, plus tons of good quality baby equipment. Proceeds benefit the Mayan malnourished children of Guatemala, and children in our orphanage and those in our orphans at home program. www.safehomesforchildren.org. Loyalty oaths have been tried in the past, but eventually were struck down by the courts as either too vague, or an unconstitutional violation of free speech. These applied, as far as I can tell from reading their history, only to American citizens. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has suggested something different. He wants to screen people coming into America to see if they share American values. Trump says he would exclude not only people who sympathize with terrorists and believe in Sharia law, but those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred. Think of it this way, would the NAACP admit a member of the KKK? Who would deny them their right to turn racists away? From the reaction of the media and Democrats (but I repeat myself), one might think Trumps name is a synonym for bigot and that he is attempting to create a master race in America. Not so fast. As World Magazine editor Marvin Olasky points out in the publicationsSept. 3 issue, Millions of Americans are here because their ancestors signed declarations of intention similar to what Trump is suggesting. Olasky found the declaration of intention Albert Einstein signed in 1936. He became a U.S. citizen four years later. Here is what it said: I will, before being admitted to citizenship, renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty. ... I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. Olasky writes that his immigrant grandfather signed a similar declaration in 1914. A century ago, he says, anarchist was the equivalent of todays terrorist. Some anarchists planted bombs, one assassinated PresidentWilliam McKinley. Olasky continues: Since Sharia law allows and even proposes polygamy as an act of justice, U.S. law excluded Muslims who embraced it. There were to be no divided loyalties. In order for Utahto enter the Union, the state had to renounce polygamy, a doctrine believed and practiced at that time by some Mormons. President Obama is admitting people into America who believe in Sharia law, and the polygamy it allows. No divided loyalties was the key phrase in Olaskys last sentence. How long ago and far away that seems today when our loyalties are more divided than at any time since the Civil War. Diversity has replaced unity and hyphenated identifiers now divide races and ethnic groups. Out of many, one is fading as our national motto. Out of one, many, is rapidly becoming our new one. Much of mainstream media fuel the division because conflict sells. They promote our flaws instead of the phrase from America the Beautiful, one of our great patriotic hymns, God mend thine every flaw. Instead, too many seem intent on exposing, even promoting, new flaws and dividing us further. Who will love America if we dont? Who will sacrifice their lives for freedom if not us? We had better realize America is something special, or risk losing it. Another verse from America the Beautiful is worth recalling as the presidential election approaches: O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life. Who among our leaders demonstrate their love of America more than their love of self? Go to YouTube.com and listen to the late Ray Charles version of this hymn to America. If it doesnt make you tear up, perhaps youd better check your patriotic meter. There is nothing wrong and much right about what Trump proposes for people who want to become citizens of this country. He is no more a bigot than those who wrote the oath taken by Albert Einstein and many others. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. More women, juveniles help drive need for more space at the jail (JTA)-A century ago, passages from the Talmud were translated into Russian to be used as evidence in the anti-Semitic show trial of Menahem Mendel Beilis, a Jew charged with-and eventually acquitted of-murdering a Christian boy. The prosecution in that 1915 trial, which was decried internationally for its resemblance to medieval blood libels, cherry-picked quotes from the Talmud, a central text of Orthodox Jewish tradition, to argue that Beilis had killed the boy for religious purposes. Now the Talmud is again being translated into Russian. But this time it was done in full and with scholarly annotations as part of one Moscow-based Jewish publishing house's ambitious plan to make the text more accessible to a readership of 260 million Russian speakers worldwide. After several years of work, the Knizhniki publishing house this year released the annotated Russian translation of two of the Talmud's 63 tractates. Knizhniki and a partner commissioned the translation by a team of dozens of scholars, most of whom live in Israel, Boruch Gorin, Knizhniki's chief editor and a senior aide to Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, told JTA. The Talmud, a vast compendium containing over 5,400 pages in the original Hebrew and Aramaic, for centuries has formed the cornerstone of rabbinical education. It contains the teachings and opinions of hundreds of rabbis on the widest variety of subjects, including Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history. Yet devout Orthodox Jews-a small minority among the 500,000 Jews that make up the largely nonobservant Jewish communities of the former Soviet Union-are not the readership that Gorin had in mind when he launched the Talmudic translation project, he said. "The devout don't need this translation, they're already living and breathing the Talmud in its original language," he said. Rather the translation project is done with Russian intellectuals, including non-Jews, in mind. Gorin hopes to print about four tractates a year and to complete the entire project within a decade or 12 years. "Russia is no exception to the global rekindled interest in spirituality and religion," Gorin said. "Yet the fundamental text of Judaism had remained inaccessible to Russian intelligentsia, including the many Jews who are part of it, because of the language issue. This is the blockage the project is meant to lift." The translation project of the Talmud-the study of which in communist times was practically forbidden-is not a for-profit endeavor and was launched on donations, Gorin said. But with 1,200 shops selling Talmud and other translated Jewish texts across Russia alone, he insisted the endeavor has commercial value and is already paying for itself. The Talmud translation is the latest addition to a growing series that Knizhniki launched eight years ago called the "Jewish Text Library." It comprises more than 250,000 copies of formative Jewish texts, including the Chumash-the Five Books of Moses that form the nuclear text of the Jewish law and faith-and some of the writings of Maimonides. Despite a relatively hefty price tag of approximately $50 a volume-roughly a tenth of the average monthly salary in Russia-the series became Knizhniki's best-selling category to the surprise of the very people who decided on its launch. "We were printing and, predictably selling quite nicely, volumes of Jewish fiction, literature from Israel and beyond when we launched the Jewish scripture series," Gorin recalled. "The demand for the scripture series came as much from non-Jews as it did from Jews, and it has us printing second, third and fourth editions, so I believe this is a viable business structure." World fiction is a crowded market, he said. By contrast, "offering annotated Jewish scripture in Russian, conforming to scientific publishing standards, is something unique." Interest in Jewish scriptures in Russia is high because "of the understanding that even the secular Jewish culture of analysis and debate originates in Talmudic principles," Gorin said. And considering the central role of Jewish philosophers on Russian literature and thought, "it's also a part of Russian culture by proxy." In Russian, the series featuring the Talmud translation goes by the acronym BET, which is also the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet after alef. Gorin, a Chabad rabbi, said it is an appropriate name for the scriptures project, which follows his movement's opening of dozens of synagogues and Jewish schools across the former Soviet Union after the collapse of communism. "Phase Alef of the Jewish revival of Russia is more or less complete," said Gorin, who is the chairman of Moscow's main Jewish museum and editor-in-chief of its highbrow Jewish weekly L'Chaim. The Talmud translation, he said, "has us continuing to grow well into phase Bet." The Seeking Kin column aims to help reunite long-lost friends and relatives. (JTA)The Israeli missile boat Tarshish had just returned home in June 1976 when crew members learned near midnight that they would be heading back to sea two days later for another couple of months. They were going to represent Israel in Operation Sail, the parade of international ships on the Hudson River near New York City to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial on July 4 of that year. The Tarshish and another missile boat, the Yafo, would refuel in Gibraltar, Bermuda and Norfolk, Virginia, before assembling with the ships of other nations off New Yorks Atlantic coast to await the start of festivities. Hours before the bicentennial celebration was to begin, the Israeli crews would learn of the electrifying rescue by Israeli commandos of airline passengers being held hostage in Entebbe, Uganda. Following the recent lead-up to the Entebbe missions anniversary, a Yafo crewman named Meir Lev-tov began searching for mates from those bicentennial events, including a mention on the Israeli radio program Kol Shishi. Now they are planning a reunion for Sept. 29 at the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum in Haifa. We felt as emissaries representing Israel at such an important event in two aspects: participating in the bicentennial and [relating to] the American Jewish community, said Hadar Shalev, 59, an engineer in Caesarea who had served on the Tarshish. To be doing it in the country thats the leader of the worldwow. During the days, thousands of Americans Jews would visit the crew with the boats docked at Pier 97 on Manhattans West Side, recalled Bennie Arieli, the Yafos captain. He remembered the locals basking in the glow of the Entebbe rescue. They gave us great respect. They were so proud, he said. We felt so good, so welcome. Arieli said one of his sailors, Yaakov Assiag, was befriended there by a local couple who set him up in business after leaving the Navy. Assiags current whereabouts are unknown, and Arieli hopes that he in particular can be located in time to attend the reunion. In fact, a quarter of the approximately 90 sailors on the two boats have not been located. The seven men missing from the Tarshish are Yaakov Eizen, Eliezer Ben-Saadon, Nisim Vaaknin, Dan Hazan, Mordechai Hayun, Dan Nendelovich, Yosef Shiff, Yaron Sharvit. (A list of the Yafos missing was not provided to Seeking Kin.) Lev-tov, an electrician on the Yafo, already experienced one reunion this year, gathering with mates from the Hanit, on which they had fought during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In Israel, especially in the Navy, when youre friends, youre friends for life, he said. Why didnt we do it before 43 years? I dont have an answer. But I wanted to do a reunion for the Yafo, and Hadar [Shalev] said, Why not include the Tarshish, too? Two interesting diplomatic developments occurred during the bicentennial mission. At port in Baltimore several days after OpSail, the naval attache for Portugal to the United States visited the Yafo, which was berthed next to his own countrys boat. Arieli asked if the Israelis could refuel in Portugals Azorean Islands on the way home. It was arranged. Some say that that helped start diplomatic relations between our countries, Arieli said. Then, during shore leave in the Azores, the Israelis bumped into Egyptian sailors on the street. The latter were reserved, telling the Israelis they had been instructed not to converse with them. But they shook hands. The encounter, Shalev said, was so exciting. Earlier, on the Hudson, the Tarshish captain, Eli Ronen, called out on the loudspeaker to the Egyptians motoring by, Do you hear me? If you do, shalom. The vessel, in both instances, was a legendary yacht, El Horreya, formerly owned by Egyptian kings. In 1979, Shalev would see the El Horreya in Haifa transporting President Anwar Sadat following the diplomatic breakthrough that culminated in the Camp David treaty. Arieli wishes he had stayed in closer contact with his Navy buddies over the years, but there was no timea common refrain Seeking Kin hears from people about their long-ago friendships. So is when he said, Now, in the retirement periodwere all about 60we have the time to deal with our memories. Arieli has no doubts that on Sept. 29, he will recognize most of those on my boat, even now. As to the boats: The Tarshish was sold to the Chilean Navy, and the Yafo was decommissioned and sunk by the Israeli Navy more than 12 miles west of Rosh Hanikra. The Hanit was sunk, too, and is now a popular destination for divers near Haifa. Even today, when Lev-tov drives home on Highway 2 along the Mediterranean coast, he is pulled back to his former life. When I see missile boats, I stop the car and light a cigarette, he said. My heart races. Its in my blood. Please email Hillel Kuttler at seekingkin@jta.org if you know people who served on the Yafo and the Tarshish in 1976. If you would like Seeking Kin to write about your search for long-lost relatives and friends, please include the principal facts and your contact information in a brief email. Seeking Kin is sponsored by Bryna Shuchat and Joshua Landes and family in loving memory of their mother and grandmother, Miriam Shuchat, a lifelong uniter of the Jewish people. (Kveller via JTA)-Since our daughter Miranda was adopted, I did not get to see her enter the world. We heard she was born from our social worker and excitedly packed up our car and headed a few states over to meet her. She was a day old when we first laid eyes on her. The very next day she was discharged to our care. What I did get to witness, however, was her entrance into the Jewish world. And it was magical. Just two years prior, Miranda's older sister, Allison, was born still at 37 weeks. I had a relatively easy pregnancy and we could not wait to meet our daughter. To say we were excited is an understatement. Tragically, I realized one day that I was feeling her less and less, so we rushed to the hospital to see what was going on. She was already gone. I delivered my first daughter via C-section after a full day of labor, and the grief was so intense that I had trouble conceiving again. All sorts of fertility treatments failed until my husband and I both decided that we wanted to be parents and did not care how our child came into the world. We called an adoption agency the next day. Fate was on our side. We were picked by Miranda's birth mother just a few weeks after we had completed our home study and piles of paperwork, and our second daughter was born just a few weeks later. We had to wait until everything with the adoption was finalized before we could convert Miranda. Then I had to find a mikvah that would perform the ritual ceremony. It was a little difficult as I was not a member of any synagogue. That, combined with the fact that my husband is not Jewish, made it a little tricky. So I called backup (my mom), and within a few days we were all set. The rabbi at the local synagogue where we used to belong said he would be honored to convert our daughter to Judaism. The mikvah was in a synagogue about 45 minutes away. It was essentially a little pool. Upon entrance, the woman who runs it greeted us warmly and showed us where we needed to go. I changed into my bathing suit and we stripped down Miranda. Mind you, all of this happened in the middle of one of the coldest winters in 20 years, so it's a good thing the pool was heated. When it was time, Miranda and I entered the warm water. My husband and mom were there to witness the joyous occasion. Once in the water, three rabbis came in to witness the ceremony. There were a few prayers to say and I stumbled through them; I was so nervous. Before I knew it, I dunked Miranda under water-I had to let go for a second so she would not be touching me at all. Talk about nervous. But she loved all the attention and did not seem to care one bit. One more prayer, one more dunk, and then lots of applause. It was over. Miranda was converted. I felt proud, excited and jubilant at the same time. I felt that I had done right by my daughter. Afterward we met with the rabbi and his wife to tell them a little bit about us-how we came to be on this journey. I explained that the journey to Miranda, and her conversion, started with her sister, Allison. I explained Allie's story-how she was Jewish because she was born to me-and it was hard to think Miranda wasn't Jewish because she was not born to me. The rabbi said not to look at it like that. Miranda is what we want her to be and this conversion just made it "official." His wife, also a rabbi, said Miranda's soul was Jewish and now the rest of her was as well. I was practically floating on the ride home. It was such a wonderful and beautiful experience. Now we have a certificate declaring her conversion. A few months later we had a naming ceremony as well. All of these traditions are a way to keep the celebration of her conversion going and to continuously welcome our daughter to the Jewish community more and more. So I got to witness a beginning for Miranda: the beginning of a commitment to a religion that means so much to me. Here is the English of the second prayer we recited: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion." Amen. Samantha Koellhoffer is a freelance writer living outside of Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. She blogs here and Time 2 Mom Up, and is currently working on a book about the highs and lows of motherhood. #time2momup Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens.Visit Kveller.com. For most students, the dog days of August are one final chance for summer traditions such as hitting the beach or visiting national parks with their family before heading back to campus. For dozens of pro-Israel college students, however, learning about ways combat increasing campus anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activism was their focus during summers final weeks. Over 80 college students from nearly 70 campuses around the world attended the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in Americas (CAMERA) student conference in Boston, Massachusetts Aug. 7-10. Reports of intimidation on campus are becoming all too common across the globe, said Aviva Slomich, CAMERAs international campus director. Unfortunately campus anti-Semitism seems to be on the rise, which explains why so many students are eager to learn the skills that are offered at CAMERAs conference. The program comes at a critical time for Jewish and pro-Israel students. A recent report by the AMCHA Initiative found an alarming spike in campus anti-Semitism during the first half of 2016. Nearly 100 more incidents of antisemitism occurred on campus during the first six months of 2016 compared with the first six months of 2015, according to the AMCHA Initiatives mid-year study. Anti-Semitic activity was twice as likely to occur on campuses where BDS (the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign) was present, eight times more likely to occur on campuses with at least one active anti-Zionist student group such as SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine), and six times more likely to occur on campuses with one or more faculty boycotter, the report noted. Now in its sixth year, the CAMERA conference seeks to help students learn necessary skills for dealing with anti-Israel activists on campus. The three-day event tackles a number of important issues for students, ranging from educational seminars on the BDS movement to learning about bias in the media. Additionally, the conference allows students to put the knowledge they gain from the seminars to practical use, such as learning about techniques on how to talk with extreme anti-Israel activists on campus and how to work within student government to fight BDS resolutions. These all culminate in an impassioned mock BDS hearing on the last day, where students experience first-hand the challenges they may face during the school year. What we offer students is high-level intellectual training and emotional support to meet the challenges of the modern college campus, said Gilad Skolnick, CAMERAs campus program director. Throughout the year we give students the resources to counter anti-Israel activity on campus, such as providing films, speakers, teach-ins, rallies all funded by CAMERA. Rezwan Ovo Haq, a University of Central Florida economics and political science student, told JNS.org that the CAMERA conference helped him set the foundation to combat anti-Israel activity on campus. I thought that the CAMERA conference was phenomenal and it truly arms [us] with knowledge and information to combat anti-Israeli rhetoric and BDS on college campuses. I look forward to working with CAMERA during the upcoming school year, he said. Haq, however, is not your normal pro-Israel student. He shared his unique experience at the conference in session called Why I left SJP and joined a CAMERA supported group. Raised Muslim, Haq is a first generation immigrant who moved to the United States from Bangladesh at 13. His default inclination was to support the Palestinians because they were also Muslim. As I child, I knew I supported Palestine, I just didnt know why, he said. Upon entering school, Haq reached out to his local Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a pro-Palestinian activist group that champions the BDS movement on campuses and is often in direct conflict with pro-Israel student groups. Haq said he was outraged at images of Palestinians suffering from the 2014 summer war between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas. He later helped his SJP group bring to campus the Israeli Apartheid Wall, which seek to highlight Israels treatment of Palestinians by mimicking the security barrier between Israel and the West. Yet it was that very same wall, meant to protest Israels treatment of the Palestinians, which led him to become an advocate for Israel and attend the CAMERA conference. Ironically, it was at the Israeli Apartheid Wall was when I spoke to a former IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldier for the first time in my life. Before then, I used to believe that IDF soldiers were terrorists yet [we] had a genuine conversation when he shared the story of his best friend being killed during Operation Protective Edge, Haq said. It was at that moment when the image I held of IDF soldiers were humanized, he added. I realized that [I] and this former IDF soldier both wanted peace, we just had a different way of going about it. Calling it a moment of clarity, Haqs interaction with the former IDF soldier set off a frenzy of learning for him. He realized that many pro-Palestinian organizations never hold Palestinian leadership accountable for their actions and that they solely exist to slander Israel, he said. Also at the conference, students heard first-hand from others who experienced high levels of anti-Israel activism on campus and fought against BDS resolutions. Jason Storch, a senior pre-med student from Long Island, NY at Vassar College, got involved in pro-Israel advocacy after witnessing the increasing level of tolerance towards open hostility at anyone so much as on-the-fence about BDS or Israel as a whole, he told JNS.org. I felt it necessary to at least lend an alternative viewpoint I knew was being withheld from the discussion, Storch said. I plan to continue evaluating the situation in the Middle East and coming to various conclusions based on the events, but I cannot see myself not advocating for Israel. So long as there is one liberal democracy amid a sea of tyranny, the decision seems less than challenging. Vassar College, a liberal arts school in New Yorks Hudson Valley, has been known as a hotbed of ant-Israel activism for years. Recently it was at the forefront of the debate over whether or not to support the BDS movement. In March, the Vassar Student Association (VSA) voted to endorse the BDS movement. However, after an outcry from pro-Israel groups, alumni and schools administration, a second vote was held, and the resolution was defeated. Vassar as a campus is of course highly anti-Israel, however it is important to remember this manifests itself through an only decent-sized minority asserting themselves the loudest, Storch said. The whole brand of take no prisoners SJP-style of pro-Palestinian activism isnt resonating with the majority of students, he added. While hes encouraged by the defeat of the BDS resolution, as well as the students and faculty who finally spoke out against it, Storch remains concerned of the overall situation on campus. While Im glad anti-BDS faculty have emerged, theres still a vast discrepancy that often makes students, myself included, worry that theyll be token Israel student in a class, which can be very intimidating, Storch said. With summer ending soon, efforts among pro-Palestinian groups targeting Israel and pro-Israel students on campus will no doubt continue in the upcoming school year. As someone who has been on both sides of the conflict, Haq believes its important for students to truly listen to each other in hopes of forging peace, not only on campus but for the conflict overall. We should put down our talking points and truly listen to what the other side has to say, Haq said. So if youre an Israeli or an advocate of Israel, take the time to listen to a Palestinian and vice-versa. When I heard that IDF soldier speak to me years ago, it was the first time I ever took time to listen to the other side of the story rather than be defensive. We have to understand that the only way to seek peace is for both sides to come to the table. One of the longstanding traditions of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando (JFGO) Annual Meeting is the public recognition of outstanding community volunteers and professionals who have made a significant impact on the Central Florida Jewish Community in the past year. "Each of their stories is unique, yet they share a common mission: helping our Jewish community to thrive," said JFGO Executive Director Olga Yorish. "They are the builders, the visionaries, the leaders and philanthropists whose collective energy could move mountains." In total, 11 individuals were honored during the 2016 Annual Meeting on Aug. 17: Bruce Gould: Jerome J. Bornstein Leadership Award; Eric Sugarman: Byron B. Selber Young Leadership Award; Rhonda Forest and Eric Sugarman Rabbi David Kay: Community Relations Award Dr. Edward Zissman and Ryan Lefkowitz: Federation SuperMensch awards; Nancy Ludin: Jewish Communal Professional Award; Our Jewish Orlando Steering Committee (Leah Silver, Aleah Mathews, Lauren Bubis, Marissa Branisavljevic): Creative Jewish Programming Award. Susan Bierman was presented with the Heritage Florida Jewish News Human Service Award by Heritage Publisher Jeff Gaeser. Bierman, who was traveling and unable to pick up her award in person, recorded an acceptance video that was played at the meeting. Tribute videos for the award winners were played during the Annual Meeting. The videos can be viewed online at http://www.jfgo.org. By Renee Lempert My great-grandparents and grandfather, Jacob Lass, came to New York from Amdur, Poland, in the late 1800s. Till this summer, I assumed my grandfather was an only child. My family breakthrough and connections with cousins began when I researched my grandfather and found him, his parents and six siblings listed in the 1905 N.Y. Population Census! through Ancestry.com, I was able to reach out to cousins who had created their own Lass Family Trees on Ancestry. Now, one of my five newly discovered cousins has created a closed Facebook Group called Lass Family Genealogy. I think the group is a great idea because we are creating and collaborating on a living memorial to our ancestors. The jackpot will be arriving soon-a newly discovered elderly cousin in Toronto is sending me a package of pictures and diaries so I can upload them for her-and all the Lass family. I credit my having a good computer and research skills for much of my success. The upcoming "My Jewish Roots" workshops sponsored by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) should be a great starting point for anyone wanting to research their family history. About "My Jewish Roots" a JGSGO Workshop Roadshow The "My Jewish Roots" series of 10 monthly hands on workshops hosted by the JGSGO is co-hosted by the Roth JCC, Rosen JCC, UCF Hillel, Congregation Ohev Shalom, and Temple Israel in rotation at their facilities and also joinable over the Internet. In addition to assisting attendees in discovering their family tree, these workshops will help the Orlando Jewish community get the most out of the upcoming 37th Annual International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. This premiere international conference will be held for the first time in Florida July 23-28, 2017 at the Disney Swan Hotel with local host JGSGO. For more information, visit http://www.jgsgo.org/MyJewishRoots. The first in the series of Workshops will be "Begin Building Your Family Tree" with Marlis Humphrey. It will be held: Tuesday, September 6, 2016, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the Roth Jewish Community Center, 851 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751. The Workshop is FREE and open to the public. Please bring your own laptop to participate in the lab portion. It is also possible to attend LIVE via the Internet. Pre-registration is required to participate either in-person or online: http://www.jgsgo.org/MyJewishRoots. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. For more information visit http://www.jgsgo.org and "like" us at http://www.facebook.com/jgsgreaterorlando. Questions? Email info@jgsgo.org. Hasidic Jewish men celebrating a wedding in Israel, where marriage and divorce is legally under the authority of the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. JERUSALEM (JTA)-In this case, the sins of the son are the sins of the father. Israel's Supreme Rabbinical Court this month sentenced a haredi Orthodox man to 30 days in jail for pressuring his son to withhold a divorce from his wife for more than a decade. By upholding a lower rabbinical court decision, the high court gave its blessing to an unprecedented approach to freeing women from unwanted marriages. The Orthodox rabbis who adjudicate divorce in Israel-all of whom are men-have come under fire in recent years for not doing enough on behalf of such women, commonly called "chained women," or "agunot" in Hebrew. In response to mounting public pressure, and due to an influx of new judges-selected in a process that includes more women than ever before-rabbinical courts appear to be edging toward more aggressive action against husbands who refuse to give their wife a "get," or Jewish divorce. "I believe and hope that a new spirit of caring and understanding of the woman's position as a victim of get refusal and as an agunah is spreading throughout the entire system," Rachel Levmore, a rabbinical court advocate who provides legal counsel to chained women, told JTA. Levmore directs the Agunah & Get-Refusal Prevention Project at the International Young Israel Movement and the Jewish Agency for Israel. "As the old guard are replaced, many of the new appointments are much more in touch with the reality of Israeli society and the standing of women within Israeli society as a whole and within Jewish law specifically," she said. Shai Doron, a spokesman for the interim director of the Rabbinical Courts Administration, Rabbi Shimon Yaakobi, agreed. "There are more new judges in the rabbinical court and they bring a new attitude," Doron said. "There is a stronger attitude toward those who refuse to give a get in the last few years, so that's the reason there is more punishment." As part of a system dating back to the Ottomans, Jews in Israel must marry and divorce through state rabbis, whose decisions are based on civil as well as Jewish law, or "halachah." Divorce is handled by regional rabbinical courts and the Supreme Rabbinical Court. Women who are not granted a divorce cannot remarry under halachah and are often shunned by the haredi community. Any children they might have with another partner are relegated to marrying only other "illegitimate" children in Israel, as are generations of their descendants. By contrast, the offspring of a recalcitrant husband and another woman are considered legitimate, and generally are able to move on with their lives, putting them in a position of power when it comes to divorce. The plight of chained women has made headlines in Israel and abroad in recent years, as women's rights and religious groups, many of them led by religious Zionist women, have worked to highlight the issue and push for change. Activists on behalf of chained women said changing public attitudes have encouraged harsher action by rabbinical courts against recalcitrant husbands. "More and more pressure is being put on the rabbinical courts to adopt a friendlier approach to interpretation [of Jewish law]," Yedidia Stern, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank who seeks solutions to the problem of chained women, told JTA. "What is interesting to me is the spearhead is religious women in Israel. Most activists are [modern] Orthodox religious women, and they are basically expressing some kind of moderate feminist approach to halachah. "Partly as a result, we see lately more and more cases where very well-known rabbis in the rabbinical court system in Israel are willing to step forward and to help those women who are being refused by their husband to get a get." At the same time, Stern added, there is growing willingness by haredi Orthodox rabbis in Israel-including Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau, who sits part time on the Supreme Rabbinical Court-to interpret Jewish law in favor of women. In the case of the father who was sentenced to jail time-and fined some $40,000-media reports have highlighted that his daughter-in-law suffered a debilitating stroke in 2005 during a family vacation to Israel from New York. The son, who comes from a wealthy and influential Hasidic family, then abandoned his wife and their two children, refusing a divorce for 11 years, even after the rabbinical court ordered him to grant one. None of the family members' names have been made public. The Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court, which sentenced the father, called it "one of the harshest cases of 'igun' ['chained' to a recalcitrant husband] the rabbinical court system has ever had to deal with," according to Haaretz. "All these cases are not easy for the woman, but this case is especially powerful," the chained woman's attorney, Aviad Hacohen, dean of the Academic Center of Law and Science in Hod Hasharon, told JTA. "She is really miserable. She just wants to be a free woman. "I can't find any reason why her husband is refusing. It's pure cruelty." The father's attorney, Eliad Shraga, did not respond to JTA's request for comment. But his office told Haaretz in March that divorce refusal is "unacceptable" and "must be eradicated." "At the same time, it seems that the court floundered and decided to fix a wrong with a wrong, choosing to mistreat the elderly father rather than punish the recalcitrant son," the office said. Shraga has appealed the father's sentence to Israel's Supreme Court, where Hacohen is representing the daughter-in-law. Also last month, the Israeli media reported that the Supreme Rabbinical Court sentenced a recalcitrant husband to five years in jail for adamantly refusing to give his wife a divorce. As the public discourse about chained women has changed, so have the rabbinical courts. About a third of the roughly 100 judges serving on the courts were appointed in the past year following a nearly decade-long freeze on new appointments. That includes 22 new regional court judges and all 10 of the full-time judges on the Supreme Rabbinical Court. The new judges look somewhat different than their predecessors. In the past, judges were overwhelmingly haredi. Only one, the Tel Aviv court judge who ruled against the father, held an academic degree, and few judges in the regional courts and none in the high court had served in the Israel Defense Forces. Among the new regional court judges, eight are rabbis from the religious Zionist movements, sometimes known as modern Orthodoxy, who tend to be more egalitarian in their interpretation of Jewish law than haredi, or fervently religious, rabbis. Three have academic degrees, including one doctorate, and seven served in army combat units. Five of the Supreme Rabbinical Court judges served in the army. But Rabbi David Stav, a prominent religious Zionist rabbi, said the problem of chained women is only getting worse in Israel. He said prenuptial agreements-like the increasingly popular version offered by his religious services group, Tzohar, but opposed by much of Israel's religious establishment-are the only realistic solution. "We should understand that what has been done so far is not solving the problem from its roots. We cannot not get to the point of helping the women two or three years after the story has begun. We have to understand that this time is a tragedy for the agunah," he told JTA. No one knows how many chained women there are in Israel. Estimates range from hundreds to thousands. A handful of recalcitrant husbands sit in prison at any given time. According to partial numbers provided by the rabbinical courts, sanctions ordered by judges jumped to 168 in 2013, from an annual average of about 60 over the previous 12 years, but incarcerations stayed about the same, at 19. Judges can send recalcitrant husbands to jail for up to five years and renew the sentence indefinitely. Short of incarceration, rabbinical courts can revoke state-issued licenses and personal credit cards, levy fines and forbid other Jews to interact with recalcitrant husbands. In one case, the courts even backed internet shaming of a recalcitrant husband. Rabbinical judges have historically been hesitant to go too far with such tactics because Jewish law requires divorce be granted voluntarily to be valid. Where to draw the line is matter of debate among scholars of Jewish law. But more women than ever are now helping to draw that line-albeit indirectly, since Orthodox rabbis, from whose ranks rabbinical judges are drawn, must be men. After decades of male dominance, the 11-member Rabbinic Judges Appointments Committee that selected the new rabbinical judges had four female members, thanks to a 2013 law requiring it. The law was itself forced by a 2011 Supreme Court ruling on a petition by the women's rights group Emunah that froze the the committee's work until women were added. (In January, the High Court of Justice ruled that women must be allowed to contend for the position of rabbinical courts director.) After seven years of inactivity, the committee last September appointed the regional rabbinical court judges. And last month, the committee filled the high rabbinical court seats, which were vacant after eight years without an appointment. Levmore, who is also an activist for chained women and wrote her doctorate and influential academic work on the issue, said she saw firsthand how having females on the committee impacted the applicants and the appointment process. She interviewed all the applicants at length, and said the discussions changed the thinking of many of them as well as of the committee. "The four women [Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Knesset member Revital Swid of the Zionist Union list, attorney Efrat Rosenblatt and Levmore] formed a voting bloc," she said. "This voting bloc influenced the appointment process not in a total manner, but it did have influence on the appointment process." Last week, Levmore was able to pat herself on the back after the panel of three Supreme Rabbinical Court judges she had interviewed and appointed issued what she called a "stunning" 47-page ruling upholding the jail sentence of the father of the recalcitrant husband. By Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA)-Pro-Israel activists in the Miami area plan to protest a Florida state senator active in the Black Lives Matter movement who visited the West Bank as the guest of a group that backs the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Organizers of the protest against Dwight Bullard said they object to the groups and people he met while visiting the region in May under the aegis of a Miami-based civil rights group, Dream Defenders. His delegation met with a founder of the anti-Israel BDS movement and were led by a tour guide identified with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a State Department-designated terrorist group. The outcry against Bullard's participation is one of several recent signs of emerging tensions between the Black Lives Matter movement and the mainstream Jewish community. At least one major national pro-Israel group, the Israel Project, is backing the protest of Bullard. "Any Florida state legislator who would go to Israel and choose to meet with those groups, it's more than troubling, it's deeply disturbing," said Ken Bricker, the Israel Project's Southeast Regional director. "I have to wonder if the constituents in his district [are] aware of who he is and what he believes in." Bullard's trip is unusual in that it joins a lawmaker from a district with a substantial Jewish population-the Democrat represents a chunk of Miami-Dade country-with a cause, BDS, considered anathema for most of the mainstream Jewish community. State legislators routinely travel to Israel and the West Bank under the aegis of pro-Israel groups, and some also go on trips hosted by pro-Palestinian groups, albeit ones that endorse a two-state solution and do not take a position on BDS. On June 3, Bullard spoke at an event that explicitly linked the Black Lives Matter movement to the Palestinian cause titled "Struggles for Liberation: Injustice from Ferguson to Palestine." Sabeel, a Christian group that endorses BDS, sponsored the event. The police shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, two years ago sparked protests that are seen as the launch of the Black Lives Matter movement. "As an African-American born to a mom who lived through Jim Crow and some of those things, people born in a certain place should be afforded political rights," Bullard said Tuesday in an interview with JTA, explaining why he accepted the invitation to attend the Dream Defenders tour. "People should not be viewed in two different lights." His tour group met with Omar Barghouti, a founder of the BDS movement, among others. Pro-Israel groups object that BDS not only singles out Israel, but that it supports a single binational state-essentially a denial of Israel's right to exist as a sovereign Jewish state. Joe Zevuloni, an Israeli-American businessman in South Florida who is planning the Aug. 28 protest outside Bullard's Cutler Bay office, expects African-Americans and other minorities, including Latinos and members of the LGBTQ community, to join the demonstration. "We want to bring our message that we oppose hate in the strongest possible terms," Zevuloni said. "His message of BDS is not welcome here." Most of the country's largest Jewish groups objected this month when a coalition of Black Lives Matter groups issued a platform that in addition to addressing racism and police violence, described Israel as an "Apartheid state" carrying out "genocide" against Palestinians. A co-author of the position on Israel was Rachel Gilmer, the chief of strategy for Dream Defenders. On its website, Dream Defenders rejected criticism of the platform from members of the Jewish community who might otherwise embrace the Black Lives Matter agenda. "As long as we stay silent about Israeli apartheid, they will 'stand' with Black liberation in the US," reads the statement. "We want no part in this quid pro quo form of politics." Bullard said he did not know until after the West Bank trip that its tour guide, Mahmoud Jeddah, was affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. During the same trip Didier Ortiz, a Green Party candidate for the Fort Lauderdale City Council, posted on Instagram a photo of Jeddah and noted his PFLP affiliation. (Ortiz also said in another Instagram posting from the trip, from a checkpoint in Hebron, that "Zionism must be eradicated.") Bullard told JTA that he joined the Dream Defenders trip seeking facts, and was ready to engage with Jewish and pro-Israel groups as part of his constituency outreach, as well as travel to Israel with a pro-Israel group. "If a pro-Jewish organization said if you want to go to Israel, I'd go," he said. "I'm open to talk to anybody about my experience of what I saw." Bullard said he was alarmed by the vitriol he encountered subsequent to the trip. "I want to be a public servant, open-minded," he said. An official of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation declined comment. Bricker questioned Bullard's openness to such outreach. "It's hard to imagine a constructive dialogue with someone who thinks it's acceptable to meet with a barbaric terrorist organization that has the blood of innocents on his hands," he said, referring to the PFLP. Bullard told JTA that he is agnostic about BDS, saying he opposed anti-BDS legislation as a member of the Florida Senate appropriations committee because of his concerns that laws targeting boycotters undercut free speech protections. But he has responded to pro-Israel outreach: Bullard voted in favor of the anti-BDS legislation when it came to the full Senate floor earlier this year after groups that backed the bill, including the local Jewish federation, led a lobbying campaign with a special focus on lawmakers from districts with Jewish communities. Bullard said he traveled with Dream Defenders in his quest to learn more about people suffering from discrimination; he had once traveled to Morocco with the State Department for similar reasons. "For people who are indigenous to an area, they deserve rights and protections they are not afforded," Bullard said, referring both to Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. "The reality is a person born of Palestinian heritage born in Nazareth does not have the same rights as someone born of Jewish heritage," he said. Bullard said he did not have a position on a two-state or one-state outcome, preferring to focus instead on enfranchising the marginalized. "As an elected official," he said, "I'm not in a position to advocate against a two-state or one-state solution." Immigrants taking their oath of U.S. citizenship at the Federal Building in Newark, N.J., Nov. 20, 2014. By Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA)-How extreme does vetting need to be to keep anti-Semites from entering the United States, and is Donald Trump's plan worth the effort? The Republican nominee's proposal to apply an ideological test to potential immigrants is based on precedent: The United States in the last century instituted a broad ban on communists and their sympathizers, and Jewish groups after World War II sought to extend similar strictures to those who sympathized with Nazis. Nonetheless, Jewish civil rights and immigration groups today have questions about the viability of Trump's proposal and whether it is ethical to institute an ideological litmus test on arrivals from countries with vastly different values and education systems. Trump in his Aug. 15 speech noted the precedent. "In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test," he said. "The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting. I call it extreme, extreme vetting." Among those excluded, Trump said, would be anti-Semites. "As we have seen in France, foreign populations have brought their anti-Semitic attitudes with them," he said. Trump also would extend his ban to those who are intolerant of other minorities, including the LGBTQ community, and to those who would seek to impose Islamic religious law on the United States. The Trump campaign did not reply to a JTA request for elaboration on how Trump's proposal would practically work. Melanie Nezer, the vice president of policy for HIAS, the Jewish group leading advocacy for refugees, said current practice excludes immigrants who have actively participated in persecution, including having belonging to a terrorist group. Seeking to root out anti-Semitic attitudes would be harder to define, she said. "I don't know what you're testing for," Nezer said. "How do you determine if someone is anti-Semitic? What is in someone's head? Ideas aren't fixed." The proposal's vagueness is troubling, said Marc Stern, legal counsel for the American Jewish Committee, and could indulge stereotyping if the practice was based on the assumption that natives of some countries would necessarily be bigoted. "While we appreciate the impulse behind the suggestion that anti-Semites be barred from immigrating to the United States, we doubt it is a proposal that would have much practical effect-even if as implemented it does not succumb to dangerous stereotypes about entire groups of people being anti-Semites," Stern said in an email. Those asked if they are anti-Semites are likely to lie, said Shoshana Bryen, the senior director of the Jewish Policy Center, a conservative think tank. "If you say, 'Do you hate Jews, Shia Muslims, Christians?' they'll say no," she said. Additionally, Bryen wondered how far the ban is extended. "If you say, 'I'm going to keep out the anti-Semites,' do you keep out anti-Shia people or anti-Sunni people?" she asked. "You can't go down that pike." It's too much to expect immigrants to arrive with an outlook that is fully compatible with American values, said Abby Levine, the director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, an alliance of groups with an agenda that includes immigration advocacy. "It's nonsensical to expect immigrants from very different cultural contexts to arrive preaching gender, racial and religious equality," Levine said. "New residents can be shaped by their experiences living alongside people who are different from them." Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, the director of the Reform movement's Religious Action Center, said the real threat of anti-Semitism "requires vigilance" but should not be used as a pretext to discriminate. "We take issue with efforts to use anti-Semitism as cover for policy proposals that suggest religious tests for immigration, citizenship or public office, as well as those that call into question American values of religious freedom, respect and tolerance," he said. Ken Jacobson, the Anti-Defamation League's deputy national director, said it made more sense to improve education for tolerance for all Americans as a means of combating bigotry. "I'm very big on something old fashioned called civic education," he said. "I think Americans need more of that when it comes to democracy." Bryen said it was best to let immigrants learn tolerance through the give and take of living in a diverse culture rather than through government-imposed programs. "One of the ways [intolerance] goes away is people talk to each other in the public sphere," she said. According to research provided to JTA by The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, laws passed in the 1950s were broader when it came to weeding out communists, extending to those who would "teach or advocate" subversive views and who were likely to engage in activities "prejudicial to the public interest or public safety." The vague language was removed in the 1990 Immigration Act, which restricts bans to members or affiliates of the Communist Party unless they can show they were forced into membership; members of the Nazi Party in Germany; membership or affiliation with terrorist groups, or participation in persecution and genocide. The broader bans in place before 1990 allowed immigration officials to dig deeper into an applicant's past, extending a ban if there was even a questionable tie to communist activities. Jewish groups following World War II sought unsuccessfully to extend the broader bans on communist sympathizers to Nazi sympathizers, fearing-as it turned out, with some vindication-that the influx of non-Jewish refugees from war-torn Europe would include anti-Semites. Immigration officials administering an ideological test today would have more sophisticated means at their disposal, including access to the vast troves of information on social media. Additionally, an immigrant visa could be revoked if the applicant is found after the fact to have lied-a mechanism that has proven useful in deporting former Nazis. Rafael Medoff, the director of the Wyman Institute, said the reintroduction of an ideological test should not be counted out, given the postwar experience of American Jewish groups. "After World War II, the Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Congress tried but failed to block legislation to admit East Europeans whom they suspected of being anti-Semitic and fascist-leaning," he said. "Although it would be difficult today to screen out anti-Semites from among potential immigrants, there is merit in the principle that bigotry is un-American and therefore should be grounds for exclusion." Jacobson of the ADL warned that dipping into what potential immigrants have said in informal settings like social media is "touchy," especially when applied to refugees who may be facing imminent danger. "When one talks of the values immigrants bring in, we can't bar people, especially if they're refugees who may be in danger," he said. By Andrew Tobin JERUSALEM (JTA)Israeli security forces shut down six illegal weapons manufacturing factories in the West Bank in what the army said was the biggest such operation of an ongoing crackdown. The raids conducted jointly by the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet security service and Israel Police took place last Monday night in Bethlehem and Hebron. Last night, after research and analysis, we decided to clamp down on several warehouses and factories that manufacture guns and arms, a senior army officer told JTA and other journalists in a briefing. From six of these seven warehouses we found advanced weapons technology. Fifty-four weapons were seized, along with gun parts and 22 lathes. Two suspects were arrested, including a major arms dealer, according to the IDF. The army has been targeting weapons production, dealing and possession in the West Bank amid a wave of Palestinian violence against Israelis that started in October but has slowed in the past several months. More than 140 arms manufacturers and dealers have been arrested, 49 weapons production machines and 29 factories shut down, and over 300 weapons confiscated since October, according to the IDF. Each factory typically houses one or two production machines, though sometimes there are more, the senior officer said. The IDF will continue to decisively act against the production infrastructure and trade of weapons and thwart terrorism, the IDF said in a statement. The Israeli army believes there are hundreds of factories, many in garages and homes, and thousands or tens of thousands of illegal weapons on the streets of the West Bank. A single factory can produce up to dozens of weapons a day, according to the senior officer. Only Palestinian security personnel may legally possess weapons. While eradicating illegal weapons in the West Bank is not feasible, the army said it seeks to make them harder and more expensive to acquire. Palestinians currently can buy a homemade Carlo Gustav submachine gun for less than $1,000. A Carlo, as it is known, was among the guns seized Monday, along with 39 pistols, six sniper rifles, four hunting rifles, two flare guns, a pellet gun and a shotgun, the army said. The main thing we try to do is stop the situation where every 15-year-old can put his hands on a gun and murder civilians, the senior officer said. The Carlo has been used in the majority of shooting attacks on Israeli civilians and security personnel since the lone wolf intifada began. More than 30 shooting attacks have been carried out this year with illegal weapons, according to the IDF. Notably the Carlo, which is inaccurate with limited range, was used by two Palestinian cousins in June to shoot up the Max Brenner cafe in the popular Sarona outdoor shopping center in central Tel Aviv. Four Israelis were killed and several seriously injured in the terrorist attack. Thirty-five Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in Palestinian stabbings, car rammings and shootings since October. At least 214 Palestinians have been killed, some two-thirds of them during attacks and the rest during clashes with troops, according to the army. Frustrated or unstable Palestinians, most of them young men, are conducting independent attacks because the army has successfully dismantled the terrorist organizations that once operated in the West Bank, the senior officer said. The army has developed its capabilities to clamp down on illegal weapons in the West Bank in response to their use against Israelis. Weapons are also smuggled from Jordan and stolen from Israeli army bases, the senior officer said. As yet, the army is not aware of any rockets manufacturing in the West Bank, as happens in the Gaza Strip, but has thwarted past attempts by terrorist organizations to start, he said. In recent weeks, the Palestinian Authority also has conducted operations against illegal weapons in the areas of the West Bank under its control. The weapons are mainly used in crime and conflict between Palestinian clans and, in most cases, terrorists use weapons they or family members already own, the senior officer said. Asked about security coordination, the senior officer said the Palestinian Authority, which governs much of the West Bank, acts according to its own interests. But he said the army is supportive of the P.A.s efforts and believes reducing the number of illegal weapons held by Palestinians serves both sides. Last Friday, Jewish Academy of Orlando welcomed its families for the first Shabbat of the year. Head of School, Alan Rusonik, led a shehecheyanu to celebrate the school's new year and new beginnings. All 98 students, parents and teachers enjoyed the "dancing Shabbat" in the auditorium at the JCC. "It was one of the best Shabbats EVER!" says Robyn Eichenholz, a fourth grade parent. "Not only was it fun but it was great to see the younger students hug the older students. There is such a nice sense of comradery." Founding board member and grandparent, Dr. Edward Zissman adds, "The energy and overall ruach was very uplifting. I was so happy to see the parents participating and the children truly enjoying themselves." The school will host a different theme each week, including art, music, mitzvot. Rusonik reports, "The purpose of the dance Shabbat is to engage both student and parent in the joy of Shabbat. We definitely achieved our goal!" This year, all grades will participate in one Shabbat. "Having all of our grades together creates ONE community and increases the connectivity between the students and parents. We are so happy that the first Shabbat was so well received and look forward to a great school year!" To further support Jewish education and your local Jewish day school, to get involved or for any questions, please contact Alan Rusonik, Head of School, at 407-647-0713. For the first time, the U.S. State Department has explicitly accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) of promoting anti-Semitism, a signal Jewish groups are hoping will lead to change in U.S. policy. According to a newly released State Department annual report on international religious freedom, official PA media "carried religiously intolerant material," citing Palestinian television programs that called Jews "evil" or "denied a historical Jewish presence in Jerusalem." Previously, U.S. officials labeled the PA denial of Jewish ties to Jerusalem as "material criticizing the Israeli occupation," but stopped short of calling it anti-Semitism. Arab media channels that carried the anti-Semitic content were "nonofficial PA and nonmainstream," according to last year's report. The Obama Administration no longer claims that the PA is working "to control and eliminate" expressions of anti-Semitism in its media outlets. Officials dropped an assertion made in previous years that the PA acted to "prevent preaching" of "sermons with intolerant or anti-Semitic messages." For years, Israeli leaders have accused the PA and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, of inciting violence and anti-Semitism. Last year amid increasing terror attacks on Israelis, Abbas called for Jerusalem's holy sites to be cleansed of Jews. "Every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem is pure, every shahid [martyr] will reach paradise, and every injured person will be rewarded by God... The Al-Aqsa mosque is ours. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is ours as well. They (Jews) have no right to desecrate the mosque with their dirty feet, we won't allow them to do that," Abbas said in a Sept. 2015 address on Palestinian TV. With the U.S. on the record calling the PA activity anti-Semitism, it could be a step closer to a change in U.S. policy towards the PA, which is overdue, Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union's Advocacy Center in Washington, D.C., told JNS.org. In 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the Palestinian Authority for "promoting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric in its official statements, media, and textbooks." The measure was authored by U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.). Deutch believes that many of the Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israelis during the past year "stemmed directly" from the kinds of anti-Semitic statements cited in the new State Department report. "I recently raised this directly with a high level PA official in a recent visit to Ramallah," Deutch told JNS.org. He declined to provide additional details of that conversation. With the findings of the report, several Jewish organizations are hoping it will spur action on Capitol Hill. "The question is whether Congress will finally move beyond condemnations and seek to make U.S. aid to the PA conditional on ending anti-Semitism in the PA media," said Sarah Stern, president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET), a pro-Israel group based in Washington. "It will be harder for the Obama administration to oppose such a step now that the State Department is on record acknowledging the PA's anti-Semitism." Some liberal Jewish groups, however, argue that Israel's policies are to blame for Palestinian anti-Semitism. Paul Scham, co-president of Partners for Progressive Israel, told JNS.org that "while there have certainly been expressions of anti-Semitism on the part of Palestinians, and perhaps on the part of PA officials... such anti-Semitism is overwhelmingly based on the daily experiences of Palestinians with Israeli Jews in conditions of occupation by Israel and powerlessness for Palestinians." Though Scham says "we neither excuse nor justify any expressions of anti-Semitism and condemn them," he believes Palestinian anti-Semitism "will die down" only with a two-state solution. Meanwhile, others would like to see the U.S. hold the Palestinian Authority accountable, not reward it. Future U.S. and international aid to the PA "should be linked to zero tolerance for anti-Semitism," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. "If not, the PA will continue [its anti-Semitism] with impunity. If there are no consequences for such actions, they will only continue and mushroom." Zsuzsanna Ozsvath, director of the Holocaust Studies program at the University of Texas at Dallas, says when a regime sponsors anti-Semitism, a very dangerous line is crossed. "It's important that the State Department has officially confirmed that the PA is doing," she told JNS.org. "Hopefully people will now take it more seriously. We've learned from history what happens when such regimes are not taken seriously." WASHINGTON (JTA)For years, the leaders of Americas most established Jewish organizationsAIPAC chief among them - have assured their members that when it came to Israel, there wasnt much difference between the Democratic and Republican parties. Even suggesting that control of the White House or Congress might matter to the U.S.-Israel relationship was taboo, often decried as anti-Israel if not anti-Semitic. The 2016 platform debates and conventions have shattered this outlandish insistence that in our hyperpartisan era, Israel policy somehow managed to remain neutral territory. It is now indisputable that the parties have radically different views of Israel. To the extent that any bipartisanship persists, it is only among the least pro-Israel Republicans and the most pro-Israel Democrats. According to their less than comprehensively anti-Israel view, Israelis and Arabs are more or less equally culpable, Israel must risk its national security and the lives of its citizens, and an independent, Judenrein Arab state in the historic Jewish heartland is an imperative. Though the politicians on both sides of the aisle backing this vision may see themselves as pragmatic, moderate centrists looking out for Israels interests, what they actually advocate is rejecting Israels status as a favored ally, ignoring history and law, and capitulating to Arab intransigence and inhumanity. Moreover, the bases of both parties reject this view. The Republican base sees no moral equivalence between Israelis building a pluralistic, liberal democracy of which all decent people should be proud and the Palestinian Authority presiding over a genocidal, suicidal death cult. Members of the Democratic base, as we saw during their convention, reiterate the slanders of Jimmy Carter, Bernie Sanders and Cornel West, while some burned an Israeli flag in symbolic solidarity with the death cult whose own flags were proudly waved on the convention floor. West spoke for much of the Democratic baseand 43 percent of the platform committeewhen he framed his antipathy for Israel as a moral issue and called for an end to occupation and illegal settlements and for rebuild[ing] Gaza, which the U.N. warns could be uninhabitable by 2020. Hillary Clintons politically savvy advisers, understanding that anti-Israel agitation would play poorly in the general election (overall, Americans still side with Israel over the Palestinians, 62 percent to 15 percent, according to a recent Gallup poll) preferred boilerplate language similar to the DNCs 2012 platform: Israelis deserve security, recognition, and a normal life free from terror and incitement. Palestinians should be free to govern themselves in their own viable state, in peace and dignity. In short, a statement of moral equivalence. The Republicans had reluctantly accepted comparable boilerplate language in 2012, tempering far stronger pro-Israel sentiment among the base to accommodate AIPACs insistence that such moral equivalence reflected the American Jewish consensus. In 2016, however, the GOP resisted such pressure. The partys base rallied behind a more definitively pro-Israel approach that embraces the moral superiority of Israels position and Israels unconditional sovereignty. It is this platform languageto which we proudly contributedthat Democrats and their enablers in establishment American Jewish groups have intentionally and repeatedly mischaracterized as standing to the right of Netanyahu in its rejection of a two-state solution. No one actually reading the words of the 2016 GOP platform plank on Israel could possibly reach these conclusions. The Republican platforms actual language recognizes Israel as a fellow liberal democracy and a strategic ally; restates an existing American law declaring an indivisible Jerusalem as Israels capital; upholds our allys right to defend itself against military threats, terror attacks and other forms of warfare; labels as false the widely accepted canard that Israel is an occupier, and recognizes the anti-Semitism behind a Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement that has targeted Jewish interests far from Israel. It closes with a longing for comprehensive and lasting peace negotiated among the residents of the Middle East and opposes outside pressure designed to impose any specific proposal. Thats the sum and substance of what todays Democrats consider extremism: acknowledging the rights of Jews in the Land of Israel, embracing a fellow liberal democracy and strategic ally, supporting its efforts to defend itself and encouraging it to negotiate with its neighbors. Nothing in the new GOP platform rejects or creates even the slightest impediment to a two-state solution. It simply refocuses American interests correctlyin support of our ally Israels sovereignty and securityrather than in pursuit of self-determination for a Palestinian Authority, the PLOs legal and moral successor, that continues to incite and support terror and that has explicitly abandoned even the pretext of a peace process. The chasm between the parties is clear. Todays Democrats are split among those who see moral equivalence between Israel and the P.A. and those who see Israel as a rogue apartheid state committing repeated war crimes against Palestinian victims. To the Republicans, Israel is a close and valued ally under unprecedented attack, worthy of the same commitment and support we extend to our closest allies. These views of Israel and the policy consequences that flow from them are very, very different. A bipartisan consensus that actually supports Israel remains a worthy ideal. As the 2016 conventions showed, it is very far from what we have today. Americans who care about Israel face a clear choice. There is no use pretending otherwise. Jeff Ballabon is chairman of the Iron Dome Alliance and a senior fellow at the Center for Statesmanship and Diplomacy. Bruce Abramson is vice president for policy of the Iron Dome Alliance and a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research. The far left U.S. Green Party marked a significant milestone in the current campaign cycle when CNN broadcast a town hall debate with its presidential candidate, Jill Stein, and her running mate, Ajamu Baraka. It was a chance for the largely obscure party to build upon the momentum generated by Sen. Bernie Sanders bid for the Democratic Party nomination with a progressive platform untainted, as Stein and Baraka emphasized again and again, by the paw prints of corporate lobbyists, special interest groups and dubious foreign governments. Lacking the kind of media broadcast training that turns our minted politicians into eternally smiling taking heads, Stein and Baraka certainly looked, on the CNN stage, like fairly ordinary people suddenly plunged into the limelight of politics. That should be seen as a plus for them, particularly at a time when political discourse is marked by a distrust of elites. Both Stein and Baraka spoke earnestly and that was matched in their body language. For much of the debate, Baraka wore a scholarly frown, while Stein carried herself with the kindly, caring bedside manner that befits a medical doctor. So, you might think a consummate performance all round, and a great opportunity for a party that has no chance of actually winning the election, as its candidates readily concede, to insert itself into the American debate moving forward. Except for one confounding note; the Green Partys self-image is built upon a series of lies, as I will duly explain. However, to understand how those lies came about, some context is first in order. If The Green Party doesnt sound like an especially American construct, thats because it isnt. The notion of an environmentalist political party is a European one, and it was in the countries of western Europe that Green parties first emerged, from the ashes of the failed student revolt at the end of the 1960s. This was particularly true in Germany, whose Green Party lit the path for its imitators elsewhere. There, the failure of mass protest led some left-wingers into the terrorism of the Baader-Meinhof gang, much of it directed against Israeli and Jewish targets. Others got involved in bizarre and sometimes disturbing experiments in communal living. Against those two trajectories, the most sensible option was the political current that birthed the Green Party, which presented environmentalism as an innovative way of opposing capitalist economics, and which also underlined that political change is a process that needs to be led by social movements, not just political parties operating in elected parliaments. But the newfound environmentalism of the 1970s didnt displace all the old loyalties. The practice of making the Palestinians the supreme cause of global justice warriors only intensified. The ingrained habit of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses committed by post-colonial regimes against their own citizens continued. The American incarnation of the Green Party is no different. Precisely for that reason, we have to interpret Steins description of her partys platform as based on the principles of international law, human rights and economic justice as an outright lie. Unfortunately, because of CNNs softball approach to the two candidates, viewers werent given a chance to see where the partys real loyalties lie. For one thing, Baraka was allowed to get away with his appalling description of Pres. Obama as an Uncle Tom still intact. For another, the partys support for the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign targeting Israel went unmentioned. The reality is that Stein, Baraka, and their fellow activists are giving unconditional support to a campaign that seeks to destroy the state of Israel outright. BDS isnt about peace; its about dismantling the national sovereignty of a member state of the United Nations. So much for international law, then. As for human rights, its instructive that this debate took place at the same time as warplanes deployed by both Russiafrom an airbase in Iranand the Bashar al Assad regime in Damascus struck mercilessly in the Aleppo region of Syria. Surely the sight of thousands of dead and traumatized children should lead us to charge both Assad and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin with war crimes? Not according to Stein. Heres what she had to say on the subject on a recent visit to, where else, Moscow: The Obama Administrations obsession with toppling the government in Damascus is fundamentally inconsistent with winning the fight against Islamic State (ISIS)... This isnt a clever foreign policy, its disastrous militarism. Leave aside the minor lieObama has actually kowtowed to the Russians over Syria and should be given due creditand focus on the major one: namely, the spectacle of someone who describes herself as a human rights advocate supporting the survival of one of the most vicious regimes the Middle East has ever seen. On the CNN debate, Stein spoke in favor of an arms embargo on the entire Middle East. Though she didnt say so explicitly, the main focus here is upon Israel, and European Green parties have long been enthusiastic supporters of preventing the Jewish state from defending itself. But her proposal would also impact our Muslim allies in the region, like the Kurds and the secular and nationalist elements of the Syrian opposition. This icy indifference to the suffering of millions of Arabs oppressed by an Arab dictator, along with the dogmatic insistence that outrages, perpetuated by Islamist terrorists like Al Qaeda and ISIS are solely a reaction to rampant western colonialism, tells us only that the U.S. Green Party stands with the dictators, the fanatics and the bullies. Even the call for economic justice is laughable; Stein herself had no problem with paying homage to Putin in Moscow, even though he surrounds himself with oligarchs and gangsters. And neither she nor Baraka had anything to say about Iran, where economic justice is about as meaningful a concept as the rights of women or the right to form an independent labor union. I havent even mentioned Barakas shady collaborations with 9/11 conspiracy theorists or Holocaust deniers, though, which serves merely to confirm the extremist foundations of Green Party politics. The overriding point is this: in the politically turbulent years that indubitably lie ahead of this election, the Green Party will position itself as an alternative for Americans who care about democracy, the environment, access to higher education and a reformed criminal justice system. Those are decent goals, and they are irreconcilable with the monumental violence and injustice that come with supporting dictatorships that have bombed an entire nation back into the stone age. For that reason, and many others, the Green Party is a fraud. Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org & The Tower Magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Haaretz, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through Twenty-First Century Antisemitism (Edition Critic, 2014). Were all on the borders of cultures. We express the condition by where we travel, with whom we deal, and how we deal with those who are different from ourselves. Staying close to home and minding our own business are conventional ways of dealing with strangers, some of whom may worry or threaten us. Americans who feel safe in upscale neighborhoods dont venture into Black ghettos, unless they know the way and want to purchase something available there. Jews living in French Hill stay away from Isaweea, Shuafat, or Beit Hanina, unless they speak Arabic, have business there, and know how to talk themselves out of trouble. We often hear and see fireworks coming from those neighborhoods, celebrating weddings or graduations. Occasionally there are gunshots or sounds of stun grenades or tear gas, most likely the work of the Border Police. Five times a day there are loud calls from the mosques. During the summer, one of those may wake us at about 4 AM. Politicians who think were all alike are bound to failure. Ariel Sharon thought he had a deal with the Christians of Lebanon, and found himself out of the Defense Ministry due to Sabra and Shatilla. George W. Bush brought disaster rather than democracy to Iraq by toppling Saddam Hussein, and Barack Obama multiplied the American contributions to chaos in the Middle East when he urged equality and democracy, and abandoned the imperfect Hosni Mubarak for a democratically elected Islamist. There are several markers of a nearby culture that is much different from ours. One is honor killings, when a father or brother kills an errant female. Errant can mean sex outside of marriage, or as little as seen speaking with a male who is not a family member. In some Muslim countries, an honor killing is not a crime. It is in Israel, and may get a long prison sentence. While in prison, however, those convicted of honor killings are treated with respect by other Arabs. There is also suicide for the sake of killing Jews. It may not actually be suicide, insofar as the person doing it may be convinced that he or she is destined for something better. Men are told that theyll be served by 70 virgins. What they believe is unknown to us. In some cases family members mourn their deaths, while in other cases they speak about them with pride, and say that others should do the same. Family feuds are part of the culture. The Hatfields and McCoys would be at home, and know what to do. A friend living in Beit Hanina says he is afraid to go out at night, lest he get caught in the cross fire. Those living alongside Arabs are not the only ones on the edge of cultures. They are everywhere. Americans are on the other side of the tax border from other western democracies. US taxes are about the lowest, but Americans think they are ungodly high. And within the US there are cultural differences between high tax states and low tax states, where many of the people in the low tax states think that theirs are the highest. There are also sharp cultural divisions within the Jewish population of Israel. Most prominent are between the ultra-Orthodox and other Jews, with the most extreme of the ultra-Orthodox in self-contained Ashkenazi congregations. There are families in which young men are reluctant to leave the yeshiva, join the army, go to work, or study in a university lest they stain their familys reputation and reduce the marriage value of brothers and sisters. Its among the same population where there are schools which refuse to enroll Sephardi students, out of concern that their level of observance cannot match that of the Ashkenazim. Violence exists among Jews, but it is not as prevalent or as legitimate as among the Arabs. Individual choice about sex may lift an eyebrow or annoy parents, but is not likely to produce a slashed throat. Where Jews engage in violent feuds are the rivalries between criminal organizations. They deal with disagreements by car bombs or drive-by shootings. Americans are also aware of cultural differences, and the better off do what they can to avoid areas where they would expect danger. The issue of culture has obvious relevance for questions of democracy, and political dealings with other people. Anyone who thinks that democracy or respect for human rights prevail in the vast majority of countries that call themselves democracies ought to look again. While individuals inclined to democracy and human rights may be found in every society, the generalized pictures are important in affecting how those of different societies anticipate relating to one another. In the midst of the Holocaust, and Arab pogroms, there were Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, and Muslims who risked their own lives in order to protect individual Jews. However, they were not typical. An Israeli politician or government official may not speak so openly and cynically about the quality of other democracies, insofar as they are dependent on the cooperation of international organizations dominated by authoritarian governments that describe themselves as democratic. They are also dependent on colleagues from the west who are themselves dependent on the same organizations, or obsessed with being politically correct. We can respect the norms of what is politically correct without being fooled by them. Will there be a Palestinian State? That depends largely, but not entirely on Israel. Deals may have to be made, and reservations swallowed. Just now Israel and Turkey have signed off on a deal whereby Israel pays $20 million for the families of people killed while violently opposing the landing of IDF personnel on a ship trying to break the blockade on Gaza. Many Israelis may think the deal is unfair, but occasionally such deals have to be made. Should a Palestinian State come into existence, we cant be sure how it will be governed. We can guess, however, that it will work to limit violence toward Jews, out of concern about what Israel might do. The rubble in Gaza, and the death tolls there and in Lebanon (2006) provide examples. Being so close to the borders between sharply different cultures is interesting in an intellectual sense, but It aint always pleasant. For Israelis, it is also the fate of a people long targeted, who must do unpleasant things in order to protect themselves. Comment please, irashark@gmail.com, and pity on those who do not understand. MIAMI (JTA)Every four years the same movie plays at the Jewish Political Film Festival: Its the one where the Democrats pass another party platform with more ironclad support for Israel and then nominate yet another presidential candidate whose record on Israel is beyond question. The ending is always the same, too, with two-thirds to three-quarters of American Jews voting for the Democrat. This year will be no different. American Jews again will vote for the Democratic candidate, confident that Democrats will have Israels back. Not only is this years Democratic Party platform ironclad when its comes to support for Israel, but the Democratic presidential nominee also is resolute in her defense of the Jewish state. The platform is unequivocal in calling a strong and secure Israel vital to the United States. Vowing to ensure that Israel always has the ability to defend itself, the platform pledges to support Israels right to defend itself, including by retaining its qualitative military edge, and [to] oppose any effort to delegitimize Israel. It is also the first party platform to promise that the United States will fight boycotts, sanctions and divestment efforts against Israel. The platform states the U.S. will work toward a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiated directly by the parties that guarantees Israels future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders. And it says Jerusalem should remain the capital of Israel, an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths. It is hard to imagine a more pro-Israel platform, particularly given the fears that some people had over the makeup of the platform committee, whose members included individuals with strong pro-Palestinian leanings. It also is hard to imagine a more pro-Israel candidate than Hillary Clinton, who in a June foreign policy address called Israels security non-negotiable. Theyre our closest ally in the region, she said, and we have a moral obligation to defend them. Clinton has also demonstrated her pro-Israel bona fides as a U.S. senator and secretary of state. She has condemned Palestinian incitement numerous times throughout the years, sponsored a Senate resolution calling for the Magen David Adoms inclusion in the International Red Cross, fought for bills to combat anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, brokered a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, and criticized the U.N. Human Rights Council for its structural bias against Israel. Clinton helped equip Israel with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, advocated for the Iron Dome rocket defense system and upgraded Patriot missiles, condemned the unfair and maligned Goldstone Report, and opposed anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations and other international bodies. Her relationship with Israel extends back to her days as first lady of Arkansas, when she brought to that state Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, an educational program developed in Israel. Her ties to Israel have continued throughout the decades. Contrast Clintons proven support for Israel with her opponents lack of coherent policy on Israelor any coherent foreign policy. One day Donald Trump says the United States will be neutral on Israel. Another day he says his primary consultant on foreign policy is myself and I have a good instinct for this stuff. He questions Israels commitment to peace and says hell make Israel pay for American aid. Trump appeals to racists and anti-Semites, and his America first promises would lead to an isolationist and nativist America that abandons its allies, including Israel. Shimon Peres, a former president of Israel, said such a policy would be a very great mistake. Peres is among a growing number of Israelis and Republicans who recognize that a Trump presidency would be dangerous. William Kristol, a neoconservative, ardent Zionist and editor of The Weekly Standard, said a Trump presidency would weaken America, which is is not good for Israel. Fifty Republican security experts signed a letter stating that Trump would be the most reckless president in American history, and has demonstrated that he has little understanding of Americas vital national interests, its complex diplomatic challenges, its indispensable alliances, and the democratic values on which U.S. foreign policy must be based. Those vital national interests and indispensable alliances include Israel. Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, called Trump a loose cannon, telling Haaretz, This can produce not just diplomatic confusion and discordbut it can lead to wars in the Middle East. Pro-Israel Republicans, rather than wasting money on the fear of Democrats bringing even more American Jews to their party, particularly this year, should instead put their efforts into ensuring that American support for Israel remains bipartisan. Lets bring down the curtain on failed attempts to paint Democrats as weak on Israel. Its untrue, its not working and its not helpfulto Israel. Michael M. Adler is treasurer of Jews for Progress, a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC, and is a former chair of the National Jewish Democratic Council. Its not the end of the world just because an Egyptian athlete refused to shake hands with his Israeli counterpart at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro last week. After all, the Egyptian is the one who violated judo etiquette. Hes the one whom the fans booed. I wont lose any sleep over his petty insult, and I doubt many Israelis will either. But the incident, as small as it was, does offer some food for thought about much bigger issues, such as the prospects for peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors. The Judo Snubber, Mr. Islam El Shehaby, was born on August 1, 1982. In other words, he was born nearly five years after Anwar Sadats visit to Jerusalem. Four years after the successful Camp David negotiations. Three and a half years after the signing of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty. Three months after the final Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai. Which is to say that El Shehaby has never known anything but peace with Israel. Throughout his entire life, Egypt has been at peace, not at war, with the Jewish State. So if El Shehaby hates Israel, its not because of anything in his personal experience. Hes not a bitter war veteran. He didnt watch his friends die in some tank battle with the Israelis. There has to be some other reason to explain his hostility. And there is. The peace treaty requires both parties to abstain from hostile propaganda against each other. Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin insisted on that clause because he understood that for peace to last, it has to be between peoples, not just between leaders. Leaders, of course, come and go. Sadat was assassinated in October 1981, even before Israels final withdrawal. Begin resigned from office in October 1983. For peace between Israel and Egypt to endure, both countries had to consciously educate their people to accept it. The Israeli public didnt need much convincing. The Israelis, after all, were the victims. They were the ones who were desperate for peace. And even those who had some qualms about Israels enormous concessions giving up the entire Sinai peninsula, surrendering the oil fields, tearing down the Jewish communities in the Yamit region soon retreated from their opposition. Not so in Egypt. Neither Sadat nor his successors ever made any serious effort to educate the younger generation to accept peace. The Egyptian government-controlled media, mosques, and schools continued to spout hatred of Israel and Jews. As a child, Islam El Shehaby no doubt was inculcated with the same anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hatred that dominated Egyptian society before there was a peace treaty. Real peace never took hold. The treaty has been, and remains, little more than a long-term ceasefire. Now, a ceasefire is of course much better than gunfire. But a ceasefire is a fragile thing. If its not backed by deep, wide-ranging societal support for peace, then it could be broken at any time, by some new leader who decides he prefers war. And because the Egyptian public has been educated and conditioned for war all these years, it will back him up. Thats the problem with Islam El Shehaby. He continues to view Israel as the enemy, all these years later. Thats why he could not bring himself to shake the hand of his Israeli judo opponent. There may be peace, but hes ready for warready and willing. Which is why so many Israelis are reluctant about the idea of establishing a Palestinian state next door. If 34 years after the peace treaty was signed, an Egyptian athlete still will not even shake hands with an Israeli, what does that portend for peace with the Palestinians, whose entire society is drenched in hatred of Israel and Jews? The consolation that Israelis can derive from peace with Egypt is that although its shallow, at least most of the Egyptian army is separated from Israel by the Sinai. A Palestinian army, however, would be just a few miles from Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem. Thats too much of a risk to ask Israelis to take. They have every right to wait until they see meaningful changes in Palestinian society before they start talking about taking those kinds of chances. The non-handshake in Rio de Janeiro is a reminder of that reality. Stephen M. Flatow, an attorney in New Jersey, is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. As a minority group that has faced down centuries of anti-Semitism, the Jewish people have long stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other long-suffering and persecuted minority groups such as African-Americans. This was evident during the Civil Rights Movement when Jewish leaders stood against segregation in the south. That allegiance continues today with Jewish figures speaking out against inequality that many African-Americans face. Despite this solidarity, Jewish and African-American relations today face one of their biggest challenges yet. Some affiliated with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement are seeking to blend their struggles in America with the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel movement, which threatens to drive a wedge between the two groups. An off shoot of BLM, the Movement for Black Lives, described Israel as an apartheid state with over 50 laws on the books that sanction discrimination against the Palestinian people, in an Aug. 1 platform called A Vision for Black Lives. The platform stated there was a genocide taking place against the Palestinian people instigated by Israel and called on the U.S. to stop all aid to the Jewish state. The ideological connection between perceived racial injustices in Israel and America is not as strange as some may think, according to Dr. Asaf Romirowsky, executive director for Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME), a non-profit that addresses anti-Semitism and anti-Israel rhetoric through academia. None of this new in the sense that theyve been able to make that connection, loosely as it may be, from a kind of sympathy, Romirowsky told JNS.org. Anybody looking for an underdog cause in some way has found a solution and an outlet through the Palestinian cause. BLM is no different in that regard, he added. That connection is evident give the background of the co-author of the Israel section of A Vision for Black Lives, Rachel Gilmer. Gilmer, a 28-year-old African-American raised Jewish, is associated with the BLM-affiliated group Dream Defenders, which brought African-American activists to Israel and the West Bank. While our struggles are not identical, it became so clear that we are up against the same system of state violence and repression, Gilmer said in an interview with Haaretz during a visit to the region last spring. We must call for the divestment of the military industrial complex, just like we are calling for a divestment from the policing of our neighborhoods. The mainstream Jewish community had been largely supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement, despite reservations concerning its fringe elements. The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Bostons Executive Director, Jeremy Burton, released a July 15 statement stating that although there were clearly some in BLM that held a biased and unjust agenda demonizing Israel, the Jewish community should ignore that discomfort keeping them from being an ally with this grassroots effort to address the systemic, institutionalized racism that fuels a horrifying nightmare of extrajudicial killings. Moving away from BLM Once BLM released its anti-Israel platform, the JCRC and mainstream Jewish groups distanced themselves from the movement. JCRC cannot and will not align ourselves with organizations that falsely and maliciously assert that Israel is committing genocide, the group said in an Aug. 3 statement. It also condemned the BLMs support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, saying, We reject participation in any coalition that seeks to isolate and demonize Israel singularly amongst the nations of the world. Similarly, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), which has a long history of championing civil rights, strongly condemned the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel views expressed in the platform, in an Aug. 6 statement. Jason Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in a blog post agreed with the BLM in needing to address the wide range of racial inequities and socio-economic issues facing African Americans today, but took strong objection to the platforms use of the term genocide. Even more progressive Jewish groups, including ones supportive of the BLM platform, admitted that they would have not used the term genocide. We know why our community was upset by the use of the word genocide, IfNotNow activist Yonah Liberman recently told The Forward. I dont think we would have used that language. Using that word is loaded for the Jewish people. That is not the way we understand the situation. We use the word occupation. Susannah Heschel, PhD, a Jewish scholar and daughter of Rabbi Abraham Heschel, a celebrated Jewish theologian, scholar and civil rights activist who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, told JNS.org shes disappointed over the BLMs position on Israel. Theyre slamming the door in our face and theyre cutting off their own legs, said Heschel, who currently serves as the Eli Black professor of Jewish Studies and chair of the Jewish Studies program at Dartmouth College. Heschel said she was shocked and horrified by BLMs anti-Israel activities because their accusations are simply not true and outrageous. She considers the BLM platform to be self-destructive. We Jews are the best allies the African-American community has had . . . What does this accomplish for black lives? Youre losing people who can help in every way. BLM is now basically telling the Jewish world, Go away. I find that tragic. I care about black lives, tremendously. Similarly, many African-American leaders, whove worked closely on building relations between the black and Jewish community, consider the platforms position not representative of the larger African-American community. Rev. Carrol Baltimore, PhD, of Alexandria, Va., the immediate president emeritus of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, told JNS.org hes been working for several years through the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) to build bridges between the African-American and Jewish communities and Israel in order to preserve, protect and strengthen the longstanding, historic black-Jewish alliance embodied in the close relationship between Rev. King and Rabbi A.J. Heschel. Baltimore, along with several other African-American Christian leaders, including Rev. Dr. Kenneth C. Ulmer, Rev. Dr. Edward L. Branch, Rev. Dr. Deedee Coleman, Rev. Dr. Glenn Plummer, with with Kristina King, The Fellowships director African-American outreach, issued a joint statement on Aug. 22 rejecting the anti-Israel stance of the Movement for Black Lives. It was a vitriolic attack against Israel laced with misinformation and anti-Semitism and an agenda that is not embraced by the broader African American community, the joint statement from The Fellowship read. The anti-Semitism and misinformation found in this small segment is so misleading that it makes an experienced leader question the entire document and thus the intentions of the organization. Baltimore told JNS.org that, While we support many aspects of the Movement for Black Lives platform, we felt it was critical to correct falsehoods about Israel and not risk endangering the black-Jewish relationship. Nevertheless, BLM-affiliated groups, such as Dream Defenders, dismissed any concern about losing support from mainstream Jewish organizations. The real issue is that the BLM leaders are simply trying to present a highly, distorted defamatory depiction of Israeli politics, and most of the time, these people dont know what they are talking about, Heschel said. This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ The Maratha agitation for reservation was running out of steam last year, but now it seems to be gathering storm by the day with lakhs of agitators in Osmanabad and Beed in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra coming together this week to demand quota in jobs and education. The alleged misuse of a law called Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act against upper castes is generally believed to have triggered the agitation, but there is also growing restlessness in the community, comprising by and large of farmers, about being left behind by other groups who have benefitted from reservations. Marathas are one-third (34%) of the states population and so far have been considered as a privileged group which has given many chief ministers to Maharashtra. The Congress-NCP government in the state had set aside 16% reservation for the community in 2014, but that was soon after struck down by the courts. Professor Prakash Pawar, who teaches at the Shivaji University in Kolhapur, says the agitation is only likely to be intensified as resentment takes root among the masses that they have got a raw deal over the years. One must distinguish between the Maratha ruling elite and the masses, says Pawar. There has been widespread discontent among the Maratha middle classes against the rural elite for years: a fact that resulted in the defeat of he Congress and the NCP in the 2014 elections. But now with the current dispensation somewhat indifferent to their demands and the massive social churning underway in other states like Gujarat and Haryana, where Patidars and Jats have agitated violently for similar reservation, Maratha masses do not see why they should be left behind in any manner, he says. The current agitation has landless Marathas as well as the privileged ones, but it is the middle classes among the Marathas who have the most at stake in this agitation, says Pawar. In the last two years there has been a considerable shift in the socio-economic dimensions of the state and Marathas are now greatly restless as they see other communities, particularly Dalits, secure jobs and other privileges on the basis of the reservations granted to them and are determined for a slice of the same. In the years past, Marathas and Kunbis (who are 19% of the overall community of Marathas) were either rulers or farmers. Farming was a respectable profession but now, given the rural distress in large parts of the country and the state, they are coming off worse than those communities and groups who were traditionally on the lower rungs of the social ladder, says Dr Bhalchandra Kango, a Communist activist. Rich or poor, they were once on the higher rungs of the social ladder. But now they see Dalits and other classes they have traditionally considered socially inferior get jobs in government and return to the villages as talatis and tehsildars (revenue officials) whom they must defer to. That is causing much resentment in an atmosphere where farming is considerably un-remunerative these days. The youth only want government jobs to sustain themselves and without these reservations they come off second best and that causes greater resentment, says Kango. Both the Congress and the NCP are once again making a bid to consolidate the Maratha vote bank. Narayan Rane, who headed the committee that recommended reservations for the community in 2014 says There should be no reason why this should not be granted to them. We are not asking for a portion of the reservation already granted to other groups. We are asking for an independent quota for the Marathas. Maratha chief ministers didnt perceive the need to give reservations to Marathas. During the Mandal agitation of the late 1980s when Sharad Pawar, who is now eyeing this vote bank again, had declared that Marathas were not as underprivileged as other Other Backward Classes. Rane rejects this argument, saying: One Maratha chief minister or two does not bring anything to the large masses of population. If a particular leader is chief minister, does that then mean that the whole community are automatically privileged? That is as bold an argument as it goes but it is also an admission of the failure of past governments to factor in the growing aspirations of the people in a milieu of farming debts, crop failures, resultant suicides and the pressures of a global market. The agitation, then, is only likely to grow. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The G20 economies, including India, China, the United States and the EU are currently meeting for their first summit since the Paris Agreement was reached last year, when the entire world came together to set a roadmap to limit climate change. The G20 summit is an important moment to reaffirm the importance of the Paris Agreement and send a signal to the world that the low-carbon economy is taking root. India was instrumental in ensuring the success of the historic deal in Paris, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is showing global leadership on climate action and clean energy. At the summit, we can further that leadership. The G20 is a forum for the worlds largest economies to collaborate on international economic growth and finance. But whats become increasingly clear is that climate action is indispensable for inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Climate change directly threatens growth and development gains. The UN estimates that if we dont take ambitious action now, the costs of adapting to rising temperatures and seas could reach 500 billion dollar per year, unravelling recent progress in reducing poverty. But if we do act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the right ways, we can provide a stimulus to our economies while simultaneously reducing the risks of climate change and protecting the poorest. Investing in sustainable infrastructure, boosting energy efficiency, and stimulating innovation in clean technology and sustainable land use can promote poverty reduction and climate goals while also delivering a range of local benefits such as cleaner air, safer water and better livelihoods. There are multiple areas where India can work with other G20 countries to accelerate the transformation to a low-carbon, resilient economy. It should push for a strong summit statement from the G20 that puts climate action in a prominent place, with specific commitments to action. For one, the G20 countries should encourage the Paris Agreements early entry into force. 180 countries have signed the agreement, including India, but it doesnt become law until 55 countries representing 55% of global emissions formally join it through their domestic processes. India, along with others like the United States and China, has already indicated that it is will join by the end of the year. It should encourage all G20 countries to do so as well. A united front from the G20 would send a strong message to the world, including the business community, that the Paris Agreement matters today, not tomorrow. India should also show leadership by pushing a strong agenda for fossil fuel subsidy reform at the G20. Back in 2009, the G20 agreed to phase out fossil fuel subsidies over the medium term, and while there has been some progress since then, its time to set a firm deadline for a full phase out and couple that deadline with careful and robust monitoring of progress. And India is well placed to push for this since we are seeing first-hand the benefits of reforming these subsidies at home. In the last few years, Indias efforts to reform subsidies for petrol, diesel, kerosene, and LPG, have already decreased the budget deficit, while complementary measures have protected the poor from price changes. Earlier this year, the finance ministry proposed doubling the cess on coal, lignite and peat to $6 (Rs 400) per tonne. The money raised from the cess has been used to finance research and innovation for a low-carbon future, demonstrating leadership and placing us on a promising virtuous circle of policy reform and innovation. Taking these learnings to the global platform of the G20 will help leaders fight against the burden of global fossil fuel subsidies, which amounted to approximately 550 billion dollar in 2014. These subsidies make bad economic sense: they drain government budgets, reduce energy efficiency and are often ineffective at reaching the poorest. By incentivising the burning of fossil fuels, theyre also a major contributor to climate change and air pollution. In India alone, air pollution associated with fossil fuels is responsible for more than half a million premature deaths every year. Simply put: the case is clear when we weigh the benefits of reform versus the costs of the current subsidies to our health, our climate, and our economic well-being. India should push the G20 to set a deadline for phase out of these subsidies by 2025 at the latest so that the rest of the world may follow. This green economy is already one we understand in India. Our Paris commitments, especially those on clean energy, were ambitious and we continue to drive a strong climate agenda, including in our core role with the BRICS Bank. In April 2016, the Bank launched its first four investments, worth 811 million dollar, all for clean energy projects. India is also working hard to meet its ambitious goals of 175 GW of wind and solar energy by 2022. And our leadership along with France under the International Solar Alliance which was announced in Paris a brilliant announcement and commitment by the Indian government should be watched closely. But we can and should do more. We should also formally join the Paris Agreement as soon as possible: India doing so would trigger early entry into force of the Agreement for the rest of the world. The G20 gives us an opportunity to show we are at the forefront of climate action. We should seize it. Naina Lal Kidwai is the former chairman of HSBC India. She is a member of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. The views expressed are personal. Read | Nobody creates a narrative around climate change: Amitav Ghosh In a move of great symbolic significance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Vietnam this evening. This will be the first visit by a prime minister to Vietnam in the last 15 years ostensibly to celebrate 10 years of strategic partnership between the two nations. Modis visit comes at a time when India-China ties are passing through difficult times given Chinas deepening alliance with Pakistan. On Saturday evening he will leave for Hangzhou, in China, to attend the G20 summit. India under the Narendra Modi government has made no secret of its desire to play a more assertive role in the larger India-Pacific. As Modi underlined in his address to the joint session of the US Congress in June: A strong India-US partnership can anchor peace, prosperity and stability from Asia to Africa and from Indian Ocean to the Pacific. It can also help ensure security of the sea lanes of commerce and freedom of navigation on seas. Read: China eyes successful G20 hosting, but suspects West may derail agenda Therefore, a more ambitious outreach to Vietnam should not be surprising. India is now ready to sell the supersonic BrahMos missile, made by an India-Russia joint venture, to Vietnam after dilly-dallying on Hanois request for this sale since 2011. Though Indias ties with Vietnam have been growing in the last few years, this sale was seen as a step too far that would antagonise China. The Modi government has directed BrahMos Aerospace, which produces the missiles, to expedite this sale to Vietnam along with Indonesia, South Africa, Chile and Brazil. India is already providing a concessional line of credit of $100 million for the procurement of defence equipment and in a first of its kind has sold four offshore patrol vessels to Vietnam likely to be used to strengthen the nations defences in the energy rich-South China Sea. This comes at a time when the US has also lifted its ban on sale of lethal military equipment to Vietnam. Indias abiding interest in Vietnam too remains in the defence realm. It wants to build relations with states like Vietnam that can act as pressure points against China. With this in mind, it has been helping Hanoi beef up its naval and air capabilities. Read: With eye on China, India to build satellite tracking station in Vietnam The two nations also have stakes in ensuring sea-lane security, as well as shared concerns about Chinese access to the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Hence, India is helping Vietnam to build capacity for repair and maintenance of its defence platforms. At the same time, the armed forces of the two states have started cooperation in areas like IT and English-language training of Vietnamese Army personnel. The two countries potentially share a common friend the US. New Delhi has a burgeoning relationship with Washington with the two signing a logistical support agreement this week, while Vietnam has been courting the US as the South China Sea becomes a flashpoint. As these three countries ponder how to manage Chinas rise, they have been drawn closer together. Read: US Kerry says no military solution to South China Sea dispute It is instructive that India entered the fraught region of the South China Sea via Vietnam. India signed an agreement with Vietnam in October 2011 to expand and promote oil exploration in South China Sea and then reconfirmed its decision to carry on despite the Chinese challenge to the legality of Indian presence. Beijing told New Delhi that its permission was needed for Indias State-owned oil and gas firm to explore for energy in the two Vietnamese blocks in those waters. But Vietnam quickly cited the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to claim its sovereign rights over the two blocks in question. Hanoi has been publicly sparring with Beijing over the South China Sea for the last few years, so such a response was expected. What was new, however, was New Delhis new-found aggression in taking on Beijing. It immediately decided to support Hanois claims. By accepting the Vietnamese invitation to explore oil and gas in Blocks 127 and 128, India not only expressed its desire to deepen friendship with Vietnam, but ignored Chinas warning to stay away. This display of backbone helped India strengthen its relationship with Vietnam. Read | After India, Vietnam says Beijing making untruthful claims on South China Sea Hanoi is gradually becoming the linchpin of this eastward move by New Delhi. Hanoi fought a brief war with Beijing in 1979 and has grown wary of the Middle Kingdoms increasing economic and military weight. Thats why in some quarters of New Delhi, Vietnam is already seen as a counterweight in the same way Pakistan has been for China. If China wants to expand its presence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region, New Delhis thinks that India can do the same thing in East Asia. And if China can have a strategic partnership with Pakistan ignoring Indian concerns, India can develop robust ties with Vietnam on Chinas periphery without giving China a veto on such relationships. Read | All will lose: Vietnam warns of losses over South China Sea conflict Modis Vietnam visit underscores the evolution in Indias policy towards the India-Pacific. New Delhi seems ready to challenge Beijing on its own turf. And for the moment at least, this stance is being welcomed by states like Vietnam who fear the growing aggression of China. A more engaged India will also lead to a more stable balance of power in the region. Harsh V Pant is professor of international relations at Kings College London. The views expressed are personal The canonisation of the Saint of the Gutters, which will take place tomorrow, is a unique moment of pride for our ancient land, the cradle of so many great religions. Mother Teresas life and work reaffirms our faith in humanity that the streams of mercy have not dried up. She becomes tomorrow the ultimate symbol of asceticism in the Catholic Church. I am blessed that I will be able to witness this momentous event at the St Peters Basilica, Rome. The life of this frail woman showed the greatness of Gods love and compassion towards us all. Her life attains greater significance in the context of a world reeling under terrorism, racism and other criminal offences that have become daily occurrences. She devoted her life to the poorest of the poor irrespective of caste or creed. Nobody can forget this exemplar of motherhood. In honour of her sacrifices, a grateful India acknowledged her with the Padma Shri in 1962 and the Bharat Ratna in 1980. And the world was not far behind. This apostle of peace and love received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 . In 1997 on her passing, the government of India accorded her a state funeral. Today, her tomb is a place of pilgrimage and prayer for thousands of visitors. Read | Mother Teresa canonisation sparks Mother of all junkets for VIPs I followed her life closely, rejoicing in her becoming a saint during her lifetime. A picture of simplicity, her image could be portrayed even by small children with a piece of chalk with a few lines of blue on a background of white. The story of her life was equally simple. Every journey she undertook was a pilgrimage undertaken with Gods love. Her life was a fabric of compassion the main strands which was Gods love and humanity. With a deep insight into a human beings undying desire to be loved and to love, she took it upon herself to translate this into action and touching the lives of those around her. Her work touched every social evil, as she tried to heal a sick world. In Mother Teresas vision, feeding the hungry and caring for the dying were not ends in themselves, but a share in Jesus own redemptive work of love for the least and the lost. In the face of the overwhelming needs of the poor, abandoned on Calcuttas streets and slums, Mother Teresa adopted a new approach to bringing Gods gospel and his love to the poor. Read | Celebrating Mother Teresas canonisation is not minority appeasement By birth I am an Albanian, as a citizen I am Indian: By faith I am a Catholic; and my calling is to serve humanity. When many are ceaselessly striving to build walls of separatism, these words are noteworthy. She was trying to inculcate a world view beyond the confines of caste, colour or creed. No political ideology or State could stop her from fulfilling her mission. Countries like China, Cuba, Ethiopia, the United States, and Russia, welcomed her as she tried to touch the lives of the poor. While doing so, she forgot all her trials and tribulations. And this is how she gave a new lease of life to leprosy and HIV patients. Once a man ridiculed her work saying: I wouldnt touch a leprosy patient even if I am given $1,000. Her reply was magnificent. She calmly said: Yes, I too would not have touched a leprosy patient even if I was given $2,000 if it was for the sake of money. But I do it happily for the sake of Gods love. Read | West Bengal govt to use Mother Teresas canonisation to boost tourism She is an icon of the times. Mother Teresa is a promise to the world that there is hope even in the most seemingly hopeless conditions. She travelled around the world as an apostle of mercy. She saw God in the most lowly and downtrodden. She heard the agony of the foetus being aborted in the sanctum sanctorum of life, a mothers womb. She heard Gods voice in these silent cries, and responded. This ordinary woman became the guardian of the lives of so many. Now she passes on into immortality as St Teresa. Mother Teresas mission and message have touched not only the poorest of the poor, but those well beyond the slums of Calcutta, as the Church proclaims her canonisation. Today, her life itself is a message of hope for innumerable people across the world. She became the gospel of compassion to all she met, a profound life of witness to Gods boundless love, Today, as we beseech her to intercede for us, let her life be a chronicle of servitude that all of us can try and emulate. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis is major archbishop catholicos of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church. He is president of the All India Bishops Conference. The views expressed are personal Click here for full coverage When you visit Ganesha this year, wear a lawyers coat a pandal in Dahisar wants to spread awareness about the critically low number of judges at Indian courts. Or take a 20-minute walk through a deep, dark cave before greeting the elephant god in Mulund, exploring temple art inspired by pilgrimage spots in north India. For a taste of world architecture, visit pandals in Khetwadi and Ulhasnagar: the former a grand Indo-Italian palace; the latter a replica of the glitzy Lisboa Tower in Macau. Worshippers have been visiting pandals for decades, and want to be blown away by something unique, says Ganesh Mathur, secretary of Khetwadicha Ganraj, a mandal in Girgaum. We want to offer them an experience to remember when they come in. Aside from offering your prayers to Ganpati, take our pandal trail to marvel at the creativity that descends on the city this time of year. The Macau experience Ganesha will receive an exotic Asian welcome in Ulhasnagar this year, through a 69-foot bamboo structure made on the lines of Macaus Lisboa Tower. The deity will be placed in a 35-ft birdcage inside the tower complete with real and artificial birds. The entrance of pandal has a 69-ft high bamboo structure that resembles Lisboa tower in Macau. (Getty Images) Birds such as the little cormorant will be brought in from Thailand, says Dilip Valecha, president of the Ulhasnagar Fan Circle (UFC) pandal at Ulhasnagar. Artisans from Kolkata were flown in to adorn the Lisboa Tower replica with LED lights. We want the structure to be very impressive, adds Valecha. The 23-year-old mandal is known for its unique themes. Last year, they created a giant aquarium, with real fish, recalls Ganpat Devan, 23, a banker based in the area, and a regular visitor. With such themes, the mandal is the perfect visit for adults as well as children, he says. It is a grand visual treat with world-class experience. Where: UFC Group Pandal, Section 27, Ulhasnagar When: 5 am to 11 pm. Making a case Businessman Navnit Chudasama, 48, will open up his home to Ganesh this year, with a purpose to create awareness about the acute shortage of judges in courts across the country. Each devotee will be given an advocates coat before entering, and the mini-pandal will be set up like the Supreme Court with cut outs of the current Supreme Court judges addressing to the idol. Read: This artist is using doodles of Coldplays lyrics to invite the band to India Court cases go on for several years because there are not enough judges. Through this pandal, I hope to share the urgency of this with others, and hope that authorities will look into the grave matter, says Chudasama. For 11 years now, Chudasama has been setting up pandals at his home inspired by social issues, including political relations between India and America and Terrorism in Kashmir. The theme begins as soon as you enter Chudasamas housing society, says visitor Rajeshwari Sakhuja, 22, media professional. He pays attention to minute detail, such as measurements of the pandal that correspond to the measurements of the actual structure. The pandal is a visual treat too. Where: A-15, Om Arun apartment, Dahisar (East) When: 10 am to 10 pm. Caved in To visit this Mulund idol, you will have to take a 20-minute walk through a long, winding cave that features replicas of pilgrimage spots such as Jagannath temple and Amarnath temple from north India. With twists, turns and inclines, the cave is made with bamboo and jute, and plastered with PoP. You also encounter two 14-ft waterfalls, and a pond at the end of the cave. Trek for 20 minutes in a cave before you see the deity at a pandal in Mulund. (Pratik Chorge /HT PHOTO) The entrance of the cave will have a 14-foot statue of Shiva, seated at a height of 18 feet, pouring a stream of water below, says Dampita Iyer, 22, a science student and a regular visitorThis year, the mandal plans to host a fire safety training programme for visitors. Where: Dayanand School Ground, Devidayal Road, Mulund (West) When: 9 am to 11 pm. When India meets Italy A 28-ft palace will marry Indian and Roman architecture in Khetwadi, as Ganpatis abode for his city visit. The palace, made of Plaster of Paris, will have Roman pillars, but sculptures inspired by Indian cave art on the walls. Indian themed wall art at the Khetwadicha Raja pandal. (Arijit Sen/HT PHOTO) We want to give visitors a glimpse of the architectural heritage of the two countries, says Ganesh Mathur, joint-secretary of the mandal. The grand structure looked breathtaking even while it was being built, says Nevidita Chatterjee, 30, a home maker from Girgaum. There is room for hundreds of devotees in the structure. Where: 12th Lane, Khetwadi, Girgaum When: 6 am to 10 pm. A no-waste idol Made entirely of tissue paper and finished with chalk powder, the 22-ft idol at the Bal Gopal Mandal in Vile Parle will weigh seven kg. The deity will sit on a unicorn made of recycled newspapers, painted with water colours. Instead of immersing the idol, the mandal will donate it to an exhibition after the festival. The idol is seated on a unicorn also made entirely of paper. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO) The eco-consciousness doesnt end there members of the mandal will perform dramas and telecast documentaries on issues such as environment conservation and female foeticide. It is nice when a festival mandal uses its platform to spread awareness about the issues that matter, says Rahul Devrai, 24, an advertisement professional and a regular visitor. The theme this year is interesting, and its inspiring to have an idol that does not need to be immersed. Where: Sri Siddhivinayak Society, Shraddhanand Road, Vile Parle (East) When: 9 am to 10 pm. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON If you love art, missing Sothebys preview of 11 modern and contemporary artworks at the Taj Mahal Hotel this weekend will cost you dearly. It might even cost you millions of pounds. The works are rare, some have never been shown in India, and are headed for London, where theyll be part of a huge auction of Modern & Contemporary South Asian paintings and sculptures in October. Theyre expected to fetch anything from 40,000 (about Rs 35.5 lakh) to 1,400,000 (about Rs 12.4 crore). The works include an early untitled abstract by VS Gaitonde from 1973, rare because it marks a shift from his previous horizontal canvases to the vertical format he favoured until the 1990s. Theres the very large, very impressive The Deposition: Burial of Christ FN Souzas 1963 masterpiece, a facsimile of which is at the preview. Its truly gorgeous, says Yamini Mehta, the international head of modern and contemporary south Asian art, of the Souza painting. It shows the artist trying to say that hes not just part of the Indian group of painters but is a global artist, by tackling a subject that old masters have. Hes using it to say, Ive arrived, but in his own way. Read: Evocative online art exhibition captures Kashmir Valleys pain The Souza has been sourced from a collection in the UK; the Gaitonde from a Czech collection. Other paintings include an untitled 1979 work by Jagdish Swaminathan from a collector in Brazil; Hajera, an MF Husain work from 1964; and Rice Fields, Palni Holls- II, a 2008 work by Jehangir Sabavala. The exhibition will also display an untitled 1979 work by Jagdish Swaminathan, from a collector in Brazil. Theres also a small untitled canvas by Ganesh Pyne from 1969, sourced from an estate in Switzerland. It was bought and tucked away in the hills, says Mehta. Its rare to find such an early Pyne work in pristine condition. The paintings mark a long tradition of Westerners who were stationed in India between the 1950s and 1970s and took back art as mementoes of their visit. Some were lucky the artists they bought have since appreciated highly in value, Mehta says. The preview is part of Sothebys plan to extend its reach in India with workshops and other events. Theres a growing sophistication among Indian collectors after [the economic downturn in 2008], Mehta says. There used to be a fair number of speculators, now we see more concerted collectors people who are doing their research, getting to know the artists and are careful of what they buy. Its a good prospect for long-term growth. What: Sothebys preview of Indian modern and contemporary art Where: The Ballroom, Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Colaba When: Saturday, 6.30 pm onwards; Sunday, 9 am to 6 pm ENTRY IS FREE SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON American product designer Coby Unger came to Mumbai, dismantled an auto rickshaw, and created a mobile workshop platform thats set to hit the streets The Makers Asylum in Andheri is a bit like Tony Starks lab, or Bruce Waynes basement - the sort of space filled with interesting gadgets. Its a 6,000sqft workshop space where designers, engineers, and carpenters collaborate to build innovative products. We are here to meet Coby Unger (26), an American collaborator at the Asylum. Unger reminds you of a grown-up Harry Potter: lanky, messy hair (only blonde, not black), glasses. Instead of the forehead scar, he has multiple cuts on his palms. He is a wizard too. Not wand-wielding, but welding machine-wielding. His latest creation is the Maker Auto. The refurbished auto is a mobile workshop space equipped with working tables, hand tools (hammers, saws, and measuring tape), even a 3D printer. ALSO READ: Want to build a drone from scratch? Heres how We want to make manufacturing and designing more accessible to maker communities in the city. With the Auto, we are not confined to a limited space, and eliminate membership charges, says Unger. The Auto was unveiled on August 24, and is expected to hit the streets this month. They even have their first workshop venue: Dharavi , in collaboration with an NGO called Dharavi Diary, on design thinking, and push-cart building for the children living in the community. The making Why the auto rickshaw? The vehicle is quintessentially Indian, and embodies Mumbais culture, says Unger. Was it easy to find one in working condition? We simply brought one off OLX. The real challenges came after, says Unger. The final Auto houses four folding tables, with attached drawers, a 3D printer, and electrical support. (Photo: Vidya Subramanian/HT) For Unger and his team members - product designers and collaborators at the Asylum, Mayur Ahuaj (20) and Nikhil Shinde (21) - their first challenge was the inexperience in dealing with an automobile. They also had to work on the Autos limited body space to incorporate folding tables, printers, and drawers to carry tools. The final Auto houses four folding tables, with attached drawers. The tables fit inside what was originally the passenger seat. The boot is equipped with a 3D printer, and electrical support. The rickshaw seats up to two people in the front to drive around town. Whats most interesting are the Autos wing-like doors, that swing open like that of a convertible car, unveiling the folding tables. ALSO READ: Have a whacky idea? Crowdfunding can help achieve it Global traveller Unger always grew up around tools, back home in Rhode Island, USA. His father is a carpenter, and his mother, a science teacher. I am a combination of their talent and expertise, he says. He went on to study product and industrial design at Philadelphia University. In college, he realised his calling lay in physically building products instead of designing them for mass production. Unger (left) grew up around tools in Rhode Island, USA. (Photo: Vidya Subramanian/HT) After graduation, Unger worked as an artist in residence at Autodesk Pier 9, San Francisco, a community of designers, and product innovators, equipped with machinery. As part of his residency here, Unger worked at Instructables, a creation firm incubated at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. How did he end up in India? The urge to travel brought Unger to Pondicherry in early 2015. India has a history of innovative technology. Even today, there still exist hundred thousands of professions that involve people making things with their hands. The skill set is unparalleled, he says. Yet, travel wasnt the only attraction. Unger met Vaibhav Chhabra, co-founder, Makers Asylum, at a conference in Bengaluru earlier this year. Chhabra invited Unger to be a part of the maker in residence programme - a four-month programme that encourages young makers to create innovative products. And that is how the idea of Auto began to take shape. ALSO READ: From paper planes to radio-controlled ones, aeromodelling takes off in the city The Autos wing-like doors, that swing open like that of a convertible car, unveiling four folding tables. (Photo: Vidya Subramanian/HT) Long road ahead Keeping the accessibility of a maker space in mind, the Autos purpose is quite flexible. It can be used by multiple designers, for a series of workshops. You can stock the auto with workshop-specific tools, as required. Nothing is fixed. This means that everyone from school children, to freelance designers are open to use the facility, says Unger Despite the Autos possible contribution to the makers movement in India, to get it running on the streets has been the teams biggest challenge. With multiple RTO permissions required for the commercial use of an auto rickshaw, and a three-wheeler driving license, a major hurdle still lies before them. Yet, Unger is optimistic. Weve filed all the paperwork and it shouldnt be long now before the licenses come through, he says But beyond the community-building initiative, Unger primarily hopes to dignify the art of creation through the Auto to make making cool again. Indians dont want to get their hands dirty. They are content with their desk jobs, and often look down upon builders. If I am able to generate respect for creation and making again through the Auto, the project will be a success, he says. Unger hopes to primarily generate respect for making and building products with the Auto. (Photo: Vidya Subramanian/HT ) Track the Auto: Follow the Auto on Facebook to get updates on the Autos upcoming workshops and collaborations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 350-year-old cloth painting depicts an elaborate procession king Abdullah Qutb Shah, who reigned in the 1600s, advances into the Golconda kingdom with horses, elephants, soldiers and a palanquin. The once-damanged painting, known for its distinctive influences from Chalukyan, Timurid, Mughal, Deccani, Maratha and European forms, has now been restored. You can see it among 50 conserved works this weekend, a collection that spans 5,000 years of Indian history. Hosted by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), an exhibition titled Conserving the Collection features 50 artworks paintings; and terracotta, stone, metal and ivory sculptures. The oldest artefacts on display are a terracotta grain-storing pot and toy cart dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. A 1962 VS Gaitonde painting ends the trajectory. The pieces have been restored by the museums state-of-the-art conservation lab over the past 14 months. This is the first-of-its-kind exhibition in the country, which highlights conservation processes and techniques, says Anupam Sah, head of the conservation centre. Read: Project to restore monuments, rebuild lives of artisans The Deccani painting mentioned above had water stains all over it. The powdery paint was peeling off. Even if we tried to touch it, the paint would come off, says Sah. To restore the work, the centre used a medical nebulizer, a device used to administer medication in the form of mist. The mist consolidated all the paint. Then we could start work on the piece, adds Sah. To restore this cloth painting from the 1600s, the conservation lab used a nebuliser a device used to administer medication in the form of a mist to consolidate the paint. Another interesting work is that of Buddha, dating back to the period 300 BC to 1200 BC. Made of stucco, a mixture of lime and sand, it is among the few idols where Buddha is seen with a crown, seated on a pedestal rather than the floor, says Sah. This work had dirt deposited on it; it had to be cleaned using laser beams. It is intriguing that even at the time, the measurements to make the stucco mixture was standardised. One part lime and two-and-a-half part sand was a universally practiced ration, adds Sah. A 2,250-year-old basalt-stone Ashokan edict, which depicts the importance given to slaves and revere teachers in Brahmi, is also on display, recovered from Nallasopara, Mumbai. A hand-woven and embroidered Chumba rumal or handkerchief is 200 years old, and was found with several holes in it. These were fixed using the Chumba style silk and weaves, using the kind of thread used in the era. A book titled Conserving the Collection, authored by Sah, will also be released at the exhibition. WHERE: Premchand Roychand Gallery, East Wing, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj vastu Sangrahalaya, MG Road, Fort WHEN: September 3 to November 1 CALL: 2284-4484. 10.30 am to 6 pm ENTRY FEE: Rs 75 Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is unhappy with the governments proposal to ban surrogate parenthood in India. The anti-surrogacy bill has not been thought through. Under the guise of stopping exploitation of poor women it is retrograde in its definition of family. Whats worse is that it impacts on the rights of the LGBT community and single parents. Im pretty sure it will not be passed in Parliament, not in its present form at least, says Azmi, who played a lesbian in Fire, 20 years ago, and will play a lesbians mother in the film, Signature Move. Shabana Azmi says no attention is being paid to maternal mortality. (HT Photo) Read: Educating women vital for socio-economic growth: Shabana Azmi Asked if adoption is not a viable option, Shabana shoots rues, It is. But how and why should the State impose this as a no-choice? People must have the option of choice? G for Government G for God? Why dont they concentrate on improving the plight of poor women? We lose as many women in one year due to pregnancy complications as having 400 airplane crashes a year! Governments would fall if we had so many crashes. But since its poor rural women who are dying, no attention is being paid to maternal mortality. Read: I love flawed characters, says actor Shabana Azmi Bisexual filmmaker Shonali Bose of Margarita With A Straw fame, also calls the governments proposal absolutely outrageous. While its true that rent a womb has exploited poor women, there are other ways to ensure this does not take this place and women are doing it of their own free will. This ban targets single parents and gay people and privileges heterosexual married couples. I feel everyone has the right to be a parent, and marriage should play no part in this decision. Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor took to Twitter on Friday to thank yesteryear actor Sadhana on the occasion of her 75th birth anniversary. Sadhana passed away on December 25 last year after a long battle with cancer. Remembering Sadhanaji today on her birthday. Thank you for all the films and your style, Rishi tweeted alongside a black-and-white photograph of her. Read: Remembering Sadhana with a playlist of her hit songs Remembering Sadhana ji today on her Birthday! Thank you for all the films and your style! pic.twitter.com/qTEodQ38ZV Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) September 2, 2016 A top-rung Bollywood star of the 1960s and 1970s, Sadhana was born in Karachi, now in Pakistan. However, after Partition, when she was barely seven, her family migrated to India and settled in Bombay (now Mumbai). She entered films as a child artiste in 1955 with a minor appearance in Raj Kapoors film, Shree 420. Later, in 1958, she acted in Indias first Sindhi language film Abaana in a significant role, on a token payment of Re 1. Sadhana is credited with introducing the famous fringe haircut -- known as her trademark Sadhana Cut -- and tight body-hugging churidar-kurtas as a much-copied fashion in Bollywood. Paired with the top heroes of that era, Sadhana starred in notable films like Ek Musafir, Ek Hasina, Asli Naqli, Mere Mehboob -- her first colour movie, Woh Kaun Thi, Rajkumar, Waqt, Aarzoo, Mera Saaya, Gaban, Ek Phool, Do Mali and many others till her voluntary retirement from Bollywood in 1994. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actors often take time to come into their own, and Rajkummar Rao is one such example. He started his Bollywood career with smaller roles, but got much acclaim for his stellar performance in Shahid (2013) and for roles in films such as Kai Po Che! (2013) and Queen (2014). The actor celebrated his birthday on August 31. As he turns 32, Raj Kummar talks about his struggle in Bollywood, his relationship with actor-girlfriend Patralekhaa, and more. Does ageing scare you? No, it doesnt. I have worked in so many films, and I have so much experience that Im more confident and energetic now. Age is just a number. Read: Rajkummar Rao, Geetanjali Thapa come together for Vikramaditya Motwanes Newton How did your parents react when you told them that you wanted to become an actor? My family has always supported me. Whatever I have achieved today is because of them. I dont think many people have the kind of confidence, like my parents do, in me. You have spoken about your struggles before entering the industry. But whats the struggle like after you became part of it? Theres a constant struggle to choose the right film, and to do movies that you believe in. Then, there should also be people who have the faith to pull off these films. Its a struggle to find that. Watch: A scene from Raj Kummar Raos film Shahid Has it ever happened that the roles promised to you were taken away because of politics in the industry? Yes, it has happened a few times. At that moment, it does hurt because you feel you deserve the role more. But you move on and keep working hard. Actresses are said to have a shelf life in Bollywood. Do actors face a similar issue? I dont think that term is used for anyone. Actors are doing amazing work now. There are very strong characters being written for women. The same holds true for actors, and the biggest example of that is Amitabh Bachchan. He can do so much even at his age. Read: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Rajkummar Rao team up for Bareily Ki Barfi You dont have any godfathers in the industry, but do you have friends you can count on? Yes, I can say that Mahesh Bhatt and Hansal Mehta (both film-makers) are two people who will always stand by me. Watch: Trailer of Raj Kummar Raos film Aligarh You are vocal about your relationship with Patralekhaa. Do you feel your personal life, at times, takes over your professional one? I do not give my personal life that much importance. I want people to know me because of my work. I dont go around telling people everything that happens in my personal life. Buzz that Salman Khan will marry rumoured girlfriend, Romanian TV personality lulia Vantur this year just got stronger. According to reports in an English daily, the Dabanng actor announced November 18 as the D-Day at a recent party he hosted at his plush apartment in Mumbai. Read: Iulia Vantur breaks silence on those Salman Khan wedding rumours Iulia Vantur gets along well with Salman Khans family. The reports also quoted a guest at the party saying that the wedding will be a close-knit affair with only family members attending it. An eyewitness at the party also said, Not just Salman but even his family adores lulia and it was quite evident at the party. Read: Salman Khan isnt married. Sushmita Sen tells us why According to sources, Salman and Iulia have been spending a lot of time together at the actors Karjat farmhouse. Recently, Iulia had also accompanied the actor to Ladakh while he was shooting for Kabir Khans Tubelight. Lets hope this time the rumours turn real, and Bhais fans get a reason to celebrate like never before. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actors Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif have been on a promotional spree for their film Baar Baar Dekho, their next stop being Delhi. Sidharth, who is from the capital, cant wait to come home and has planned to take Katrina to visit his college Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. Read: Baar Baar Dekho: Sidharth, Katrina promote their film in style Confirming the news, the films spokesperson says, Sidharth is excited to come to Delhi and wants to share some of his memories of his college life with Katrina. Read: CBFC objects to Savita Bhabhi in Baar Baar Dekho The two will be visiting the college on Tuesday next week. It was Sidharths idea to plan a trip to his college. The story of the film revolves around acknowledging and reviving memories, which is what Sidharth is looking forward to doing. Katrina and him would also want to visit his favourite hang out spots in the city, however, they might not have the time in this trip, says a source, close to the actor. Follow @htshowbiz for more. For those, for whom books hold allure the very sight of an ordinary book shop is like an adventure of sorts. When it comes to a grand event like a book fair, the adventure gets even bigger. The ongoing 22nd Delhi Book Fair promises to do just that there are books, stationery and much more available . People buy books only if they are available at a cheaper price, says Ramesh Ojha, from Mukta Book Agency. At his stall, all fiction books are available on discounted rates. We are also offering three book for Rs 100, adds Ojha. Read: Rekindle your love for reading at Delhi Book Fair 2016 Its not just book in all shapes, sizes and genres which are up for grab at throwaway prices under clearance sales at different stalls. But there are also some eye-catching artefacts and stationery that one can look forward to at the fair. But if you dont wish to spend your entire day exploring it all at the fair, heres a guide to help you find your way to the right stalls where you can indulge in the best of deals! Take a look here... At Stall 12A-5E, this jewellery on display is made of clay. Priced between Rs 450-1500, the clay to mould them is available in 80 different shades . (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) Tired of refilling your stapler? Opt for Pinless Stapler for Rs 230 available at Stall 12A-15B. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) Available at Stall 12A-14, is this ballpoint pen in gold colour, priced Rs 30 and its Rs 20 version in silver have a stylus at the back, for touchscreen gadgets. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 12A-11, this set of colours for Rs350 is a perfect gift for anyone young or old, and is selling off the shelf like hot cakes. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) Also at Stall 12A-11, these aqua water colour pencils worth Rs 100 are quite magical. Though they are used like usual pencils, when their impression on paper is smudged with a wet brush, it creates an affect of water colour paint. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) Read: Stationery stalls also draw crowds at Delhi Book Fair At Stall 8D-E, everything is available at half the price under the clearance sale at this stall, including this Ben Ten gift set, which will cost Rs 200 after discount. It includes a pencil box, money box, sharpener, crayons, ball pen, pencil and eraser. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 12A-6D, almost everything is made of paper at this stall. The paper pencils cost Rs 10, mini photo stand is for Rs 200 and pencil stand is for Rs 150. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 12A-7B, pens, such as the ones made of quill are priced between Rs 10-50. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 12-1-0, book marks with quirky one-liners are available for Rs 10 each. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 11-4B, one is sure to rekindle his/her interest for Bollywood here, with so many books related to showbiz available. The recent reprint of a book on yesteryear actor Meena Kumari , priced at Rs 325 is quite popular. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 11-03B, a wide range of biographies on icons such as Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Mark Zuckerberg and others are available for just Rs 40. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 11-02C, books on Zohra Segal, Lata Mangeshkar, Abhishek Bachchan and Aamir Khan are luring the visitors. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 9-02B, Lalit Kala Akademi has printed paintings of renowned artists on mugs, which are priced at Rs 150. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) At Stall 9-06C, books on Hollywood actors such as Hellen Mirren and Kardarshian sisters along with some amazing cookbooks are available for Rs 100. (Khushboo Shukla/ Hindustan Times) CATCH IT LIVE What: Delhi Book Fair Where: Hall No 8 to 12A, Pragati Maidan When: August 27 to September 4 Timings: 11am to 8pm Nearest Metro Station: Pragati Maidan on Blue Line SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Canadian province of British Columbia has become the first foreign government to issue a rupee-denominated bond, signalling its desire to play a role in Indias infrastructure development plans. These are popularly known as masala bonds, and the BC government bond was placed on the London Stock Exchange where recently issued Indian masala bonds, by home-loan lender HDFC and public sector company NTPC, are listed. In a statement, the provinces finance minister Michael de Jong said, The masala bond issuance offers British Columbia a means to become well-positioned to profile our confidence in the outlook for India, and to participate in the internationalisation of the rupee and Indias economy. Canadas high commissioner to India Nadir Patel welcomed the move, as he noted: This bold move by the government of BC, to be the first sovereign government to issue a masala bond, highlights the confidence that BC and Canada are showing in the Indian economy. It reflects our strongly held view that India continues to improve its economic outlook under the leadership of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. The bond, with a three-year term, raised nearly Canadian $100 million on the London Stock Exchange, and is re-invested in another masala bond, issued by Indias Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC). This back-to-back issue, Patel said, shows that BC and Canada continue to find imaginative ways to invest in India to help it achieve its core objectives of building needed infrastructure for this fast emerging economy. Furthermore this will increase Canadas already substantial investments, estimated to be in the order of $15 billion in Indias infrastructure, he said. The move of issuing a masala bond follows the provinces earlier venture into a Chinese currency-denominated bond in 2013. It also issued a domestic bond in China in January. The move also signalled how the province is looking at a role in Indias infrastructure development plans. India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and is one of BCs priority export market partners. We are delighted at the prospect of strengthening and expanding bilateral relations, de Jong said. HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh said in a statement: We are pleased to know that the province of British Columbia has also successfully placed Rs 5 billion of Rupee Denominated Masala Bonds and utilised the proceeds to invest into HDFCs Masala Bond Issue. This transaction is a landmark deal as it opens up a new market for sovereign issuers and investors. The bond comes ahead of an expected provincial trade mission, headed by its premier (the equivalent of chief minister) Christy Clark, later this year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indias established telecom players saw their share prices dip further on Friday, after analysts slashed price targets on some of them, and warned that the launch of new rival Reliance Industries Jio venture is set to be much more disruptive than earlier imagined. Free voice is key to making Reliance Jios integrated plans much more compelling cost-wise than those of peers, stated JPMorgan analyst Viju George in a note to clients. Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, Indias richest man, took the wraps off the Jio network on Thursday touting free calls and rock-bottom data prices that sent shares of established players into a nosedive on fears of an all-out price war. RJio has disrupted industry pricing more than we imagined, with consequences for incumbents likely more difficult than we expected, said George, who trimmed his price target on Bharti Airtel to Rs 290 from Rs 335, and that on Idea Cellular to Rs 85 from Rs 100. Idea shares were down nearly 3% in early trading, while Indias largest wireless player Airtel slid less than a per cent. Shares of Reliance Communications, the telecom venture run by Mukeshs younger brother Anil Ambani, also fell 1.7%. We have been concerned over Jios launch for a couple of years, and the event is turning out to be as negative as we had feared, Credit Suisse analyst Sunil Tirumalai wrote in a note. Tirumalai said he believed Jios tariff structure, if it resonates with customers, could usher in the entry of bundled voice and data plans in the country. Read: 13 years later, Reliance set to disrupt Indias telecom market again NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has not announced a replacement for women and child development minister Sandeep Kumar, who was dropped by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from his cabinet on Wednesday. Senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders met on Thursday at the chief ministers residence to discuss the crisis after a sex tape surfaced allegedly featuring Kumar. Sources, however, said no decision has been taken over who will replace Kumar in the cabinet. It is a prerogative of the Chief Minister, said a government spokesperson. Kejriwal will be out of the city for three days starting Friday. He is going to the Vatican City to attend the canon is at ion of Mother Teresa. A decision is likely after Kejriwal returns to the city but sources said Kumar will be replaced by a Dalit legislator. The AAP has been projecting itself as a party of the poor and targeted the BJP government at the Centre over recent incidents of atrocities against Dalits reported from several states. The party is also planning to come up with a special Dalit manifesto this month for the Punjab assembly polls, scheduled early next year. The agrarian state has a high concentration of Dal it voters. Twelve of the 70 seats in Delhi assembly are reserved for SC candidates. AAP won all these seats in the 2015 assembly polls. Among the Dalit MLAs, Rakhi Bidlan was recently appointed the deputy Speaker. Seemapuri legislator Rajendra Pal Gautam is also among the active legislators in the assembly. Two-time legislator from Madipur, Girish Soni was a minister in the 49-day government formed by AAP in 2013. Kumars fate in party continues to hang in balance. However, in a video message on Thursday, Kejriwal said party will soon hold a meeting and decide on action against the sacked minister. Sources said the party is likely to constitute a disciplinary committee to look into the case. Sources said AAP had failed to take disciplinary action against its legislators, who have embarrassed the party in the past. After Kejriwal sacked Asim Ahmed Khan from the post of environment minister over allegations of corruption, a committee was constituted to probe the matter. A CBI inquiry was also recommended. Khan, however, continues to be a member of the party despite alleging that the chief ministers office was conspiring to get him eliminated. Former minister Jitender Singh Tomar, sacked after he was arrested in a forgery and fake degree case, also continues to be a member of the party. NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP on Thursday demanded the resignation of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged sex scandal that has hit his cabinet. His government has become a government of scamsters, people with no morals and persons indulging in forgery and extortion, BJP Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay said while addressing reporters. The BJP leader demanded that MLAs who have allegations of harassing women or similar complaints against them should be expelled from the Assembly. Kejriwal took action against the minister under the pressure of the media and to hide his incompetence, Upadhyay said. Earlier in the day, Upadhyay led hundreds of BJP workers who protested outside Kejriwals Civil Lines residence. They raised slogans against expelled minister Sandeep Kumar and the Delhi government. Police used water cannon to disperse the crowd. New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi questioned the AAP claim that they had chosen their candidates after proper scrutiny. It has become difficult for him (Kejrwal) to face the people under the prevailing circumstances. His MLAs are involved in anarchy, harassment of women, bribery, extortion and scams and now sexual misconduct, Lekhi said. Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said Kejriwal was a man of double standards. He suspended BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma for insulting a woman MLA in a controversial debate but today he is sitting with Sandeep Kumar, Somnath Bharti, Manoj Kumar, Dinesh Mohania, Amanatullah Khan, Prakash Jarwal, Sharad Chauhan and Rajesh Rishi -- all accused of sexual misconduct, Gupta said while addressing protesters outside the CMs residence. If Kejriwal wants to repent, he should dismiss all of them from the Assembly and get Sandeep Kumar arrested, Gupta said. MP FILES COMPLAINT West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma filed a complaint against San deep Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, and deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Thursday evening for allegedly misusing their public authority against women. Verma was accompanied by Manjinder Singh Sirsa, advisor to deputy CM, Punjab, Ravindra Gupta, former mayor, Anil Sharma, former MLA, and others. He met Delhi Police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma to file the complaint. The BJP MP in the complaint mentioned the objectionable video in which Kumar, Delhis former women and child development minister, was seen in a compromising position with two women. The MP accused Kejriwal and Sisodia of protecting the minister for the past 15 days despite knowing the offence committed by the minister. NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party government had described the action against women and child development minister Sandeep Kumar prompt. But Om Prakash, who claims to have uncovered the scandal, says the objectionable CD was provided to the government over a fortnight ago. The CD was delivered to me by an unknown man, five days ago. It was in a bag with some other official documents and a letter which said that this is the reality of your MLA, Om Prakash told HT on Thursday. The man told us that he had approached the Delhi CM with the CD and a formal complaint almost 20 days ago, but there was no action against Sandeep Kumar, he said. PWD minister Satyendra Jain, however, rejected the allegations on Thursday. Jain said the CD was received on Wednesday evening and the chief minister took action within 30 minutes. Soon after the report of dropping Kumar from the cabinet was out, Prakash appeared before the media to talk about how he stumbled upon a sex CD allegedly showing Kumar with two different women in a video and a set of pictures. Once we ( Om Prakash and other shopkeepers from Sultanpur Majra) realised what was there in the CD, we decided to hand it over to the Lieutenant Governors office. It was finally submitted on Wednesday around 11 am, said Om Prakash. Prakash is a wholesaler of wood and coal in Sultanpur Majra - Sandeep Kumars constituency. He is running his business in the area for the last 35 years. Though he claims to be a block president of the Congress, the party has denied any association with him. Delhi Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee said, Om Prakash is not a Congress worker. Once upon a time, he might have been a party member. What I heard is that he is actually a close associate of Sandeep Kumar, she said. NEW DELHI: Delhi Police head constable Murari Lal went beyond his call of duty and swam through a flooded Pul Prahladpur underpass in south Delhi to rescue 16 schoolchildren and their teachers trapped in a school bus on Wednesday. Assistant sub-inspector Chokhe Lal also helped Murari. The bus was taking 70 students and teachers of a Faridabad school on an educational tour to a school in Noida. It broke down in the waterlogged underpass at 9.40 am. The occupants started screaming for help as the children were afraid to get out and water began to rise inside. Several bystanders witnessed the incident, but nobody mustered the courage to help the occupants. At 9.44, a passerby informed the police control room. The call was marked to a PCR van stationed near Okhla T-point, two kilometres from the underpass. Head constable Murari Lal was the in-charge of the van and ASI Chokhe was the driver. Constable Murari told HT, All roads leading to the underpass were already choked with traffic. We took an alternative route and reached the spot in 16 minutes after passing through narrow lanes. The bus was half filled with water and the children were screaming for help. Murari removed his shoes, raincoat and service pistols, kept them in the PCR van, and jumped into the water. He swam to the bus and comforted the children. I went to the rear seats of the bus and removed the glasses of one of the windows. I went out and rescued one of the children through the window. I rescued 16 children, one-by-one, carrying them on my shoulders, said Murari. Muraris courageous act inspired four or five youths in the crowd to jump into the water and help him. Meanwhile, cops from the local police station arrived and rescued children and two women teachers. We formed a human chain to make our rescue operation more effective, he said. The operation continued till 11.30 am. The rescued children shook hand with the cops, especially Murari, for saving their lives. A few of the teachers broke down while thanking Murari. Senior police officers congratulated Murari and his colleague for showing remarkable courage. On Friday, police commissioner, Alok Kumar Verma, will reward Murari and Chokhe. Wednesdays heavy downpour had led to water logging in various parts of the city and caused huge traffic jams across the city. Some underpasses across the city were flooded with several feet of water. A DTC bus with over 25 passengers was trapped in the flooded Zakhira underpass. Delhi Traffic Police and fire department officials pulled out the passengers using a ladder from the bus roof. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has said that another four centers of administrative services will be opened in the near-front zone in Donbas in the nearest future. "We have agreed with our American partners, with the International Renaissance Foundation, which participated in the financing, the regional state administration that took upon itself the bulk of expenditures and the territorial community of the city that we will open another four centers of administrative services right now on the near-frontline areas," Poroshenko said pronouncing his speech at the National Technical University of Ukraine Kyiv Polytechnic Institute named after Ivan Sikorsky on Thursday. The President recalled that on August 31, during his visit to Donetsk region, he inaugurated the modern center of administrative services in Mariupol. According to him, such modern centers with modern facilities and quality service will provide 150 types of services, and about 500 of such services until the end of 2016. NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Crime Branch have arrested two persons, including a former short service officer in the Army, for allegedly illegally procuring and selling call detail records (CDR). The officer, Captain DK Giri, has reportedly been running a detective agency in Hyderabad since 1978, and got into the snooping business by accessing and selling CDRs only last year. Giri also has an elaborate website that claims that his agency, Sharp Detectives, can also deal with high-level sensitive cases. The website that introduces him as Alexander also claims that he was awarded the Ratna Shiromani Award in the Parliament Club, for professional excellence and scientific approach in private Investigations. He is presently the chairman of Andhra Pradesh Chapter of The Association of Private Detectives in India( APDI ). According to the police, Giri and one Ravi Reddy had been procuring CDRs with the connivance of some telecom agencies and selling them at different rates. At present, they were only operational in Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, joint commissioner of police( crime branch) Ravindra Singh Yadav confirmed. Giri was reportedly commissioned in the Indian Army, in 11 Gorkha Rifles, in 1972. His website claims that he has over a dozen private investigators classified into categories A, B and Cdepending upon the kind of investigation and risk involved. During investigation it was found that Giri had been procuring CDRs for businessmen, who wanted to snoop over their rivals, brokers, housewives and husbands. For each CDR, Giri charged between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000. The police have taken the agents, who provided CDRs to Giri, in remand and are questioning them. Six persons were earlier arrested including a UP police constable in July, posted with surveillance cell at IG office for accessing CDRs and selling them to detective agencies. NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday pulled up the civic agencies for failing to create by-laws to deal with plastic waste management. The court said plastic waste was a major source of clogged drains in the Capital. Half of drainage clogging taking place in Delhi is because of plastic waste In absence of infrastructure for segregation, collection, storage... and disposal of plastic waste.., it would be difficult to stop clogging of drains, a bench of Justice BD Ahmed and Justice Ashutosh Kumar said. The court expressed displeasure at municipal corporations, public works department (PWD), and other agencies for passing the buck to each other over Wednesdays water-logging. The PWDs counsel blamed the municipal corporations for abdicating their responsibility, saying majority of the remaining 30,000 km roads were under their jurisdiction. The Delhi governments senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra claimed PWD officials were not taking its orders after the high court said the lieutenant-governor was the administrative head of the capital. The court directed the local bodies to frame by-laws incorporating the provisions of the 2016 Rules, which include proper segregation of bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste at source. It ordered the State Level Advisory Committee to convene a meeting and submit a status report by the next hearing. The court was hearing a PIL by Col (Rtd) BB Sharan who has sought direction for maintaining cleanliness in Delhi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MUMBAI /GURGAON: Slain gangster Sandeep Gadolis body would be flown to Gurgaon for cremation on Friday -- nearly seven months after the Gurgaon Police shot him dead in an alleged fake encounter in a Mumbai hotel. Gadolis family received his body on Thursday evening, which they will take to Gurgaon on Friday morning to conduct his final rites. The body will reach Gurgaon at 11am on Friday, said Sudesh Kataria, Gadolis sister. The last rites will take place at their native Gadoli Khurd village in Gurgaon, she said. Gadolis family said they did not claim the body lying in Mumbais JJ Hospitals mortuary since February 7 because they wanted all Gurgaon police officials allegedly involved in his encounter to be arrested. Five Gurgaon policemen, including Pradyuman Yadav, who allegedly shot dead the most-wanted gangster, were suspended on May 30 and later arrested by the Mumbai police. Sources said that the family changed their mind due to Gadolis ailing mother, who was recently hospitalised. Gadolis sister Sudesh said, My mother is unwell in Gurgaon so we want her to see Sandeeps body before his funeral. The SIT has been successful in arresting six persons that includes four policemen along with his girlfriend Divya Pahuja and her mother Sonia. Sudesh further said, We are not happy with the SITs interrogations as they have not arrested Manoj Gujjar, who is the mastermind. The SIT has claimed that my brother had killed police sub-inspector Pradhymans brother in 1999 which is not true. The family alleged that Gujjar, brother of rival gangster-turned-municipal councillor Binder Gujjar, bribed the Gurgaon Police to kill Gadoli. Sudesh added, Gujjar paid the police to kill my brother. The ACP, DCP and even the CP is involved in the conspiracy and I wish to see everyone in jail. We named 11 people in the FIR after the Supreme Court ordered the SIT to note the FIR on the basis of our complaint, but they have named just eight, of which two are yet to be arrested. Wanted in more than 30 cases, Gadoli had Rs 1.2 lakh bounty on his head. The Mumbai and Gurgaon Police have been contesting each others claims regarding the encounter. The Gurgaon Police officials maintain they killed him in retaliatory fire. The Mumbai police allege the encounter was staged. NEW DELHI: Left parties are putting up a united face against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad( ABVP) in the upcoming J NU students union election. The All India Students Association (AISA) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) have formed an alliance called Left Unity. The All India Students Federation (AISF), to which former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar belongs, will offer internal support to the AISA-SFI alliance. On Thursday, the names of the final candidates were announced. From Left Unity, AISAs Mohit Kumar Pandey will contest for the post of president, while SFIs Amal PP will stand for vice-president. The main agenda for Left Unity will be to preserve the democratic space in universities. The government has been attacking universities across country. The attack on JNU, Hyderabad University and Rohit Vemulas issue will dominate the elections, said Mohit. The last few months were turbulent for the JNUSU, with the university being embroiled in a debate on sedition after an event was held on campus. It was alleged that anti-national slogans were raised at the event, after which three students, including Kanhaiya Kumar were ar rested. he Students Front for Swaraj the student wing of AAPs breakaway group, Swaraj Abhiyan, has also fielded its presidential candidate for the first time. Polls will be held on September 9 and counting of votes will begin the same night. Meanwhile, the list of candidates for the Delhi University Students Union polls were also announced. There are 27 candidates for the presidents post and 19 for the vice-presidents post. NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will have to stand trial for blaming the RSS for Mahatma Gandhis assassination after the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to quash a defamation case against him. Rahul, who withdrew his plea for dismissing the case on being refused relief, will now be tried in a Bhiwandi trial court in Maharashtra, where a complaint was filed against him by a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh activist in 2014. I stand by each and every word. I will never take my words back. I stood by it yesterday, I stand by it today and I will stand by it in future. I am ready to go to trial, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rahul, said. A bench headed by justice Dipak Misra also refused to exempt Rahul from appearing in person. The Bhiwandi court will now fix the date of hearing. Even Nathuram Godses brother said the RSS men killed Mahatma Gandhi, Sibal said. Godse shot dead the Mahatma in Delhi on January 30, 1948. The RSS questioned Rahuls alleged reluctance to face trial. Is he scared to face truth? He keeps on taking U-turns, All India Prachar Pramukh of RSS Manmohan Vaidya tweeted. Addressing a poll rally in Bhiwandi in the 2014 election campaign, Rahul said RSS men shot Gandhiji, prompting Rajesh Kunte to file a complaint. Rahul told the SC last month that he didnt blame the RSS as an institution for the assassination, inviting criticism for his U-turn. A few days later, Rahul said he stood by every word and condemned the RSSs hateful and divisive agenda. Appearing for Kunte, senior advocate UR Lalit told the court the Congress maligned the RSS every time elections were called. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked from his post over an alleged sex scandal, said on Thursday that he was targeted because he was poor and Dalit. This is a conspiracy against me as I belong to Valmiki Samaj. There should be a probe into this matter. I am very hurt by watching the video on television. There is no authenticity of this CD. Authenticity should be checked, he told reporters at his residence in New Delhi. Kumar was removed as Delhi women and child welfare minister on Wednesday over a video purportedly showing the 35-year-old in a compromising position with two women. I am the only Dalit face of the party. I have been popular among Dalit community, thats why a conspiracy has been hatched against me. Other political parties are after us as we do not have a political background, he said, stressing there was a conspiracy against him and his party. Reports said the nine-minute video showed Kumar, the legislator for Sultanpur Majra, with a woman. There was another clip with a separate woman. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday warned real estate giant Unitech of contempt if it did not hand over vacant plots to three buyers who were promised flats in its Burgundy project on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. Though the buyers opted for an out-of-court settlement with the developer, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked them to seek contempt against the companys chairman and directors if Unitech failed to keep its commitment. Parties should not be relegated to any other forum but should have access to this court only so that they learn how to behave in a manner so that the settlement is complied with. If there is any breach of the settlement, the chairman and directors of the company shall be liable to contempt, the bench said, disallowing them to move any other forum if the terms of compromise were violated. The court struck down a clause in the compromise deed that permitted either of the parties to approach a court in Delhi if the compromise failed. Unitech offered an alternative plot each to the three buyers in Noida Sector 96. Each plot measures 520 square yards and costs Rs 5 crore, the company counsel AM Singhvi told the court. The price of one flat in Burgundy was Rs 3.84 crore. The company has simply allocated the plots to the three buyers but was yet to register them. The realty firm had earlier promised to register the plots within a year. As per an earlier SC order, Unitech had deposited Rs 5 crore with the court registry after challenging the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions verdict directing them to refund the buyers for delaying the project. The SC said it would entertain Unitechs appeal if only the company paid up. If the amount is not deposited, liberty is granted to the respondents to move an application for contempt of this court and in that event, the directors of the petitioner-company may be sent to custody, the bench had said. Since Unitech has provided alternative plots in this case, the money with the registry will get adjusted in another case wherein it has to deposit Rs 15 crore with the court in connection with its project in Gurgaon . On August 17, the court had ordered the company to pay the amount over its delayed Vistas housing project in Gurgaon. It was made clear that the money will have to remitted to those who want it and consumers cannot be made to wait endlessly. Thirty-one flat buyers who booked their flats in Vistas have demanded refund, as ordered by the national consumer forum. NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force chief Arup Raha on Thursday indicated that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would have been Indias had the country gone for a military solution rather than taking a moral high ground. In unusually candid remarks, Air chief marshal Raha termed PoK as a thorn in our flesh and said air power had not been fully utilised till the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Talking about the 1947 conflict with Pakistan, he said it were the IAF planes that brought soldiers and equipment to the battlefield when raiders attacked Jammu and Kashmir. And when a military solution was in sight, taking moral high ground, I think we went to UN for a peaceful solution to this problem. The problem still continues. PoK remains a thorn in our flesh today, Raha said at an aerospace seminar here. Indias security environment was vitiated and aerospace power would be required to deter a conflict and also ensure peace. NEW DELHI: Three men allegedly barged in the house of a businessman, held his wife hostage at knifepoint and fled with Rs 10 lakh and some gold jewellery in north Delhis Lahori Gate area on Tuesday afternoon. The woman alleged the robbers not only thrashed her but also tore her clothes, chopped her hair and tied her to a chair when she tried to resist the robbery bid. The police said it appeared the men knew the family as the entry to the house was friendly. In her complaint, the woman said she was alone at home at the time of the incident, while her husband, a garment trader was at his shop. She said the men knocked at the door and the moment she opened, one of them held a knife to her throat and asked her to sit on the couch. She alleged when she tried to push him, the man allegedly chopped her hair with a cutter. When she held his hand, the man allegedly tore her clothes and tied her up, a senior police officer said. One of them then went to the kitchen and served lunch. The men reportedly ate lunch and then proceeded to ransack the house. The men also forced the woman to hand over the key to the locker and the almirah. She alleged the men snatched the keys from her, opened the locker and took out all the cash and jewellery. They then put it all in a bag and left the house, leaving the woman tied to the chair, a senior police officer said. The matter came to the fore only when her husband returned home after two hours. He said he found the door ajar, the house ransacked and his wife tied to a chair with her clothes torn and hair cut short. He then untied her and the couple made a PCR call. Based on their complaint, a case has been registered at the Lahori Gate police station, a senior police officer said. The police suspect the robbers knew the family and it may be a case of business rivalry. They have accessed the CCTV footage from the area and many persons are seen entering the building. The woman claimed the men seem to know in which locker the jewellery was kept. We are also scanning his call details. We hope to make the arrest soon, a police officer said. A complaint filed by a delegation of BJP and Akali leaders led by west Delhi MP Parvesh Verma in connection with former Delhi minister Sandeep Kumars objectionable CD row has been forwarded to the crime branch. The branch has constituted a special team to verify the authenticity of the CD, which Sandeep Kumar says is doctored. The team will look into the BJP leaders allegations that Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia sat on the CD for over 15 days. Read more: Delhi CM Kejriwal sacks minister Sandeep Kumar over alleged sex tape HT asked experts if Kumar can be booked for a criminal act and if the case will stand in court. Criminal lawyer Arjun Diwan said no criminal case can be made out against Kumar. A personal act behind closed doors is not a crime. In fact, the man who leaked the video with an intention to make it public is liable for punishment, he said. Recording a personal video is not a crime but circulating or publishing it on a public platform with an intention to tarnish ones image amounts to crime. In the present situation, no case can be made out against him (Kumar), he said. A case can be made only if the woman in the video approaches police or court and says Kumar recorded it without her knowledge. Kumar then may be booked under Section 354C - filming a woman during a private act and for representing a woman in an indecent way, outraging her modesty. The filming is also in violation of the IT Act that bans publishing pornography in electronic form and its transmission/transfer. No one knows about the woman in the video. Her marital status is important to establish the adultery angle. Kumar can be booked for adultery in case the husband of the woman in the video approaches police. Adultery (section 497) is sexual intercourse with wife of another man, he said. Can Kumars wife complain of adultery? No, say experts. Sections of adultery do not apply even if Kumars wife files a complaint against him, alleging she was cheated. Law says only the husband of the woman who is a party (in this case, the woman in the video) can file a complaint against the other male person about adultery. The woman is not an abettor in this situation, advocate Arvind Jain said. Read more: No sex, please: Sandeep Kumar pays the price of prudish politics The BJP has also demanded action against Sisodia and Kejriwal. But no case can be made out against the CM and deputy CM as the act had no connection with the portfolio that Kumar held, say experts. Action can be initiated if the video is found to be linked to his office in any way -- in this case, if it is proved he used his power and post to get sexual favours, or took sexual favours to get a job done. The CM or the deputy CM has no business entertaining complaints that question their ministers personal life, until it is not influencing his work in any way. They are not duty-bound to question what a minister does in his personal space, Diwan said. Under what sections can he be possibly booked? 1)Adultery (Section 497), in case husband of woman in act files complaint against Kumar. 2)Section 354C - filming a woman during a private act if the woman files police complaint that video was shot without her knowledge. 3)IT Act: If it is found Kumar shot video to tarnish the womans image with an intention to later circulate it. 4)Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (for soliciting) The adoption of laws to reform the energy sector in Ukraine will let European institutions provide Ukraine with EUR 600 million in macro-finance assistance, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said at a meeting with Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy. "I'd like to really thank for the words that inspire confidence in [the adoption of] two very important bills - on the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) and on the electricity market. I am very glad about your optimism that these bills will be taken in the coming weeks, because both the European institutions and the International Monetary Fund are waiting for their adoption," he said during a meeting with Parubiy in the Ukrainian parliament on Friday morning. Once this has been done, "it will allow the European Union, and the European Commission to provide a tranche of EUR 600 million in macro-financial assistance," Sefcovic said. He also expressed hope that the Verkhovna Rada's committees would cooperate in the development of solutions aimed at energy efficiency and reform of the energy sector. According to him, the EC is ready "to provide technical and financial assistance so that the citizens of Ukraine could be able to take advantage of savings on bills for heat and electricity and improving the comfort of their homes." The Delhi Police crime branch has arrested a 43-year-old army man and a former Delhi Police sub inspectors son among three for drug trafficking. The police said on Friday 75 kg of marijuana was recovered from them during a raid in Sector 14 in Dwarka in southwest Delhi. The accused have been identified as Babuji Sahu, the army man, Jitender Yadav, 22, son of a retired Delhi Police officer, and their associate, Narender Kumar, 27. The police said they were active members of a drug trafficking racket in Delhi and Punjab for the past few years. Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (crime), said the three were arrested on Tuesday night from near a bus stand in Sector 14 in Dwarka on a tip-off. Assistant sub inspector Yudhvir Singh found out that a lot of marijuana was being smuggled into Delhi from Odisha and Bihar and sold in parts of the city, Yadav said. The police then collected details of those involved in the racket. On September 30, the team was tipped off about the delivery of marijuana in Dwarka. A trap was then laid and the three men travelling in a car were caught. We recovered 75.380 kg of marijuana in 30 packets from an iron box, bedding and a trolley bag, said Yadav. Sahu revealed he was born and brought up at an Odisha village. In 1992, Sahu joined the army as a sepoy and was later promoted to HMT Gun Fitter. His current posting was in Amritsar, Punjab. Near Sahus village, cannabis was cultivated. He met some villagers who sold ganja. Lured by the handsome profit in the trade, he also began supplying ganja. Whenever Sahu visited his native village, he brought ganja with him and supplied it to his contacts in Delhi and UP. He would transport the ganja on a train. After delivering the drug, he would fly back, said Yadav. Jitendra disclosed his father retired from Delhi Police as a sub inspector. After his fathers death, he stopped studying. He had studied till Class 12. Soon he began selling marijuana. He also bought ganja from Sahu, said an investigator. Narender, who earlier ran an auto spare parts shop, entered the drug trade six months ago, the officer said. Delhi Police head constable Murari Lal went beyond his call of duty and swam through a flooded Pul Prahladpur underpass in south Delhi to rescue 70 schoolchildren and their teachers trapped in a school bus on Wednesday. Assistant sub-inspector Chokhe Lal also helped Murari. The bus was taking students of a Faridabad school on an educational tour to a school in Noida. It broke down in the waterlogged underpass at 9.40 am. The occupants started screaming for help as the children were afraid to get out and water began to rise inside. Several bystanders witnessed the incident, but nobody mustered the courage to help the occupants. At 9.44, a passerby informed the police control room. The call was marked to a PCR van stationed near Okhla T-point, two kilometres from the underpass. Head constable Murari Lal was the in-charge of the van and ASI Chokhe was the driver. Constable Murari told HT, All roads leading to the underpass were already choked with traffic. We took an alternative route and reached the spot in 16 minutes after passing through narrow lanes. The bus was half filled with water and the children were screaming for help. Murari removed his shoes, raincoat and service pistols, kept them in the PCR van, and jumped into the water. He swam to the bus and comforted the children. I went to the rear seats of the bus and removed the glasses of one of the windows. I went out and rescued one of the children through the window. I rescued 16 children, one-by-one, carrying them on my shoulders, said Murari. Read: On seasons rainiest day, Delhi drowns Muraris courageous act inspired four or five youths in the crowd to jump into the water and help him. Meanwhile, cops from the local police station arrived and rescued children and two women teachers. We formed a human chain to make our rescue operation more effective, he said. The operation continued till 11.30 am. The rescued children shook hand with the cops, especially Murari, for saving their lives. A few of the teachers broke down while thanking Murari. Senior police officers congratulated Murari and his colleague for showing remarkable courage. On Friday, police commissioner, Alok Kumar Verma, will reward Murari and Chokhe. Wednesdays heavy downpour had led to water logging in various parts of the city and caused huge traffic jams across the city. Some underpasses across the city were flooded with several feet of water. A DTC bus with over 25 passengers was trapped in the flooded Zakhira underpass. Delhi Traffic Police and fire department officials pulled out the passengers using a ladder from the bus roof. The father of the 13-year-old victim of Bulandshahr rape and robbery said that his daughter is concentrating on her studies to forget her ordeal. The girls family said that they hope that she can fulfil her dream of becoming an Indian police service (IPS) officer. I am trying to erase bad memories by focusing on my studies. My only goal now is to go for higher studies and clear IPS exam, the girl said. The district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, NP Singh, has taken the responsibility of bearing her education expenses and got her admitted to a private school in Noida. But her father, who drops her to school daily, is still concerned over his daughters safety as his request for a gun licence is yet to be sanctioned by the state government. Read more: I want to punish attackers with my own hands: Bulandshahr rape victim The Ghaziabad resident, whose wife and minor daughter were gang-raped on June 29 by highway robbers on the Delhi-Kanpur highway in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, said that the local administration and state government has forgotten them. The family still lives in the one-room rented residence in a Ghaziabad village. The Ghaziabad district administration was not showing interest in helping us get our daughter admitted to a better school, where she can be safe and study without disturbance. Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate NP Singh learnt about my problem related to admission. He met me and my daughter and promised help. On August 29, he managed to get my daughters admission to a top private school, the father of the girl said. Read more: Its justice or suicide for us now, say Bulandshahr rape victims kin We did not want our daughter to continue studies in the same school because she was not comfortable. Now she is recovering from the mental trauma. Noida DM got her admitted in class eight and she is trying to focus on her studies now. She is concentrating on her class work even at home to forget the incident, he said. The administration in Noida has taken steps to ensure comfort of the victim. NP Singh said, If she wants to become an IPS officer then I will support her in that exam too, after schooling. We need to help her realise this dream so that she can inspire others. Read more: Bulandshahr rape: Wish we never came back, please leave us alone, pleads family The girls father said, The UP government offered us flats in Ghaziabad that were in a pathetic state with foul smell . We requested for flats in Noida for our daughters safety but the Ghaziabad administration has not bothered to address our concerns in last 20 days. Political leaders and the state government have forgotten us. Ghaziabad district magistrate Nidhi Kesarwani said, Once we receive a letter from the victim requesting flats in Noida, we will send the same to the UP government. We have completed all formalities at Ghaziabad for issuing the weapons licence. Now requisite clearances are needed from the familys home district. We had tried to get her admitted to a Ghaziabad school but they wanted to shift to Noida. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung returned a file on revision of minimum wages to the Delhi government on Friday and asked it to reprocess the entire proposal. Labour minister Gopal Rai, who met Jung at Raj Niwas, said while the L-G did not oppose the proposal in principle, he returned the file terming the 13-member wages fixation committee illegal as prior approval for it was not taken. The labour department, however, sent the proposal to constitute the committee later in the day after Rai held an emergency meeting with the department officials. As per the existing governments proposal, the minimum wages for unskilled person will be `14,052 against the existing `9,568 in the national capital. Besides, the same for semi-skilled and skilled persons will increase from `10,582 to `15,471 and from `11,622 to `17,033, respectively. Read: SC bench allows Kejriwal govt to file fresh plea for Delhi statehood I requested L-G to give ex-facto approval to the formation of the committee as he was not against their recommendation and the formula adopted to revise the minimum wages. But he declined and has asked the government reprocess it. The exercise will delay the revision of minimum wages for sure, Rai said. The Delhi Cabinet had cleared the proposal on August 18 and it was sent for approval to L-G on August 24. On Thursday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal targeted the L-G for sitting on the file on directions of the BJP government at the Centre. Attacking Jung for returning file on minimum wages on Friday, Kejriwal tweeted, On a day when 18 crore workers are on strike, Modis LG returns file on minimum wages. (sic). Left parties are putting up a united face against the Akhil Bharati Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the upcoming JNU students union election. The All India Students Association (AISA) and Students Federation of India (SFI) are forming an alliance called Left Unity. The All India Students Federation (AISF), to which former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar belongs, will offer internal support to the AISA-SFI alliance. On Thursday, the names of the final candidates were announced. From Left Unity, AISAs Mohit Kumar Pandey will contest for the post of president, while SFIs Amal PP will stand for vice-president. The main agenda for Left Unity will be to preserve the democratic space in universities. The government has been attacking universities across country. The attack on JNU, Hyderabad University and Rohit Vemulas issue will dominate the elections, said Mohit. The last few months were turbulent for the JNUSU, with the university being embroiled in a debate on sedition after an event was held on campus. It was alleged that anti-national slogans were raised at the event, after which three students, including Kanhaiya Kumar were arrested. The students were recently granted regular bail by a Delhi Court. Read: JNU Students Union polls on September 9, nominations from August 30 The Students Front for Swaraj (SFS), the student wing of AAPs breakaway group Swaraj Abhiyan, has also fielded its presidential candidate for the first time. Polls will be held on September 9 and counting of votes will begin the same night. The presidential debate will be held on September 7. Last year, the AISF opened its account in the JNUSU polls, winning the presidents post, while the ABVP bagged one of four central panel slots after a gap of 14 years. Meanwhile, the list of candidates for the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections were also announced. There are 27 candidates for the presidents post, while there are 19 names for the vice-presidents posts, said a DU official. In southeast Delhis Govindpuri, inside a small one room house, a three-year-old is in constant pain. The minors family is aghast. They are yet to come to terms with the fact that their only daughter was sexually assaulted. The three-year- old girl, daughter o f a construction labourer, was sexually assaulted, beaten and stubbed with cigarettes by her uncle for two days August 28 and 29. The man, who was earlier arrested for rape in Mehrauli and was out on bail, has been re-arrested. The minor girl, who was admitted to a city hospital for treatment, has been discharged. At least 8-10 cigarette burn marks on her neck, arm, thighs and back betrays the horror that she went through. My daughter has stopped talking to us after the incident, her father said. On the afternoon of August 28, the childs uncle had taken her out on the pretext of taking her to a park. The girls mother said she had resisted the idea, but the man said he would bring her back soon. He took her away saying he would take her to a park and play with her. My daughter was not well, so I asked my son to go and bring her back. He refused to send her back saying she was sleeping and asked us to come back the next morning. The next morning too, my daughter did not return. When I went to his house in the afternoon, it was locked, she said. Read: In over 96% cases rapists are known to victims, shows data In the evening, when the family went to the mans house again, they found the child unconscious on the floor, wrapped in a blanket. As soon as I picked her up, she hugged me. The man and his wife were both at home. I brought my daughter home and saw the bruises. I knew something was wrong and rushed her to AIIMS, said her father. At the hospital, doctors said the child had been assaulted and informed the police. The girl told the doctors that she was taken to a park at night and assaulted there. She was then tortured for a day. The doctors confirmed sexual assault and also found burns inflicted on her body. It appears that she was pinched and thrashed. A medical report was submitted, based on which a case of rape was registered, a police officer said. Police registered a case under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and arrested the minors uncle. His wife, who was allegedly presently when the girl was assaulted, has also been arrested. A senior police officer said the man had earlier been booked in a separate rape case and neighbours claimed that he, along with his wife, often brought children home. From early reports available the labour strike on Friday, called by about 10 unions, met with a mixed response. The union affiliated to the BJP has not participated in the strike. Union leaders have claimed that more than 150 million workers have stayed off factories and workplaces. Their demands are better wages and job security, which they say are under threat because of the policies of the central government. The strike has come despite the central government increasing the daily wage of non-skilled non-agricultural occupations substantially, but the unions dismissed this hike as too paltry. The unions had gone on strike in September last year also and on issues that were more or less the same. Read: Buses off roads, schools closed: Trade union strike disrupts life in many states The main grouse of the labour unions goes back to the time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a package of labour reforms in October 2014, just within five months of coming to power. Though the package was named Shrameva Jayate, which conveys dignity of labour, the unions did not take kindly to it. The announcements were many such as dismantling the process of labour inspections, like whether minimum wages are paid or not, and also an electronic system of compliance with labour laws. Some states such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have gone ahead with their own labour law relaxations. On top of this the unions are not happy with the dilutions in the Factories Act and Apprentices Act. Another complaint that labour unions have is that the Indian government has not yet ratified the International Labour Organisations Conventions 87 and 98, which give workers the right to form unions and bargain for higher wages and other benefits. The problem has been compounded by the fact that the statistics relating to labour are sometimes sketchy, preventing policy formulation. Two departments Central Statistics Office and Labour Bureau are engaged in the job and the demarcation of roles is not clear. Read: Bandaru Dattatreya blames previous UPA govt for trade unions woes While the unions have a point, one thing missing in the discourse is that they sometimes adopt violent methods in dispute resolution, as had been seen in the Maruti incident in 2012, when one executive had been killed. They also do not take into account that sometimes labour laws do stand in the way of job creation. Some industries such as textiles are not permanent and here labour hired for temporary periods can help. But the laws do not allow that. And given the hardened positions that unions adopt on such issues, not much progress can be expected immediately. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Every third candidate in the fray for Delhi University Students Union leadership positions is enrolled in the department of Buddhist studies. Elections to the posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary are scheduled for September 9. Of 91 candidates, 31 are from the department. Last year, too, of 167 candidates, 32 were Buddhism students. In the last two years at least one candidate from the department managed to win. Outgoing president Satender Awana and joint secretary Chhattarpal Yadav were from the department. In 2014, president Mohit Nagar and vice-president Pravesh Malik were enrolled in MA Buddhist Studies. The department, established in 1957, offers a masters programme, MPhil, PhD, and diploma and certificate courses in Tibetan and Pali language and literature. Admissions are held through an entrance test and 356 students are taken every year, excluding those pursuing a doctorate. To be eligible for the test, a student needs 40% marks in graduation. Teachers and students say the department is a popular choice for those with political aspirations as the competition is not unduly tough. To contest elections, a student must have 75% attendance. In other courses this is not possible, so students enrol themselves in Buddhist studies, says Rahul Ojha of second-year MA Buddhist Studies, adding that attendance is not a problem in the first year. Anyone who applies gets through, says Ramesh Bhardwaj, a professor at the university. The department allows students from any discipline to join the masters programme. Awana, the outgoing president, agrees that as the department is open to all it is easier to get in. As many candidates from here win, there is talk that the department is lucky. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Obsolete engineering syllabus in MP colleges is in for a revamp as employers have asked the Madhya Pradesh government to revamp the course. For the past two decades, MP engineering students have been studying from the same syllabus. The old curriculum is creating problems for students in jobs as well as for colleges. A professor of a government engineering college said, The Central and the state governments are emphasising on skill development so that students can be introduced to start-ups but the policy makers do not know how to develop skills among students with an outdated syllabus. Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) has decided to change the syllabus in government as well as private-run engineering colleges with the help of IT companies, real estate companies and industrialists besides educationists and professors. DTE director Ashish Dongre said, We have invited the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), CII and CREDAI to give suggestions. NASSCOM and experts from IT companies are coming on Friday in the first session. We will also gather suggestions from officers of government agencies including public works department (PWD), municipal corporations and Bhopal Development Authority which are involved in development works to know about their demands from civil engineering students, said Dongre. Students also seem happy with the decision. A civil engineering pass-out, Vineeta Thakur, said, This is a very good decision because we are facing a lot of problems in getting a job. Most of what we read in the four years of engineering are of no use. We feel humiliated when experts of companies ask questions on latest developments and we fail to give answers. Association of Technical and Professional Institutes (ATPI) secretary BS Yadav said, This is a very good initiative by the government. RGPV and ATPI are playing a good role in this development. Students will be attracted towards MP to take admissions in engineering colleges. Similarly, companies will come to MP to hire skilled students. Minister of state for technical education Deepak Joshi, in the state assembly in July, had said that the number of jobless engineering graduates was growing in Madhya Pradesh as the quality of education in private-run colleges was declining. The number of students who graduated from Indore and Ujjain divisions in 2014-15 and 2015-16 was more than 14,000, out of whom only 53% could get jobs. As many as 3,545 engineering graduates got jobs in 2014-15, while the number of employed students grew to 3,988 in 2015-16 in Indore and Ujjain divisions. Unidentified gunmen shot dead the wife of a convicted Gurgaon gangster on Friday morning shortly after she put her daughter in a school bus in Bhondsi. Police said the killers came in a car and opened fire at 32-year-old Sushma Rathi as she was walking back to her scooter at a bus stop. Shot in the head and chest, she died on the spot. Read: Sandeep Gadolis girlfriend says she didnt know he was a gangster Her husband Ashok Rathi who is lodged in Bhondsi jail, is serving a life sentence. Rathi who is in his late thirties, had been booked in 28 cases of murder, attempted murder, loot and extortion. He was arrested in March 2014 from the hills behind a BSF camp at Sohna road. His gang is called Rathi gang in Gurgaon and Sohna. Some unidentified men came in a car and shot a woman dead. She was identified as wife of Ashok Rathi. Police teams are investigating the matter said ACP (crime) and Gurgaon police spokesperson Hawa Singh. The culprits burnt the car which police later found in Balabhgarh. Sushmas daughter studies in an upscale school in Sector 48 in Gurgaon. The police sent the body for post mortem and formed a team to nab the accused. A few months ago, Sushma had lodged a complaint with the police about threats from her jailed husband and his brother. Ashok Rathi had escaped from police custody on the night of March 24, 2014 but was rearrested the next day. Read : Gadoli encounter: Family takes body home Read: The 19-year-old aspiring model who holds the key in Gadoli encounter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kyiv expects to sign memorandum between Ukraine, EU on cooperation in energy sector before 2017 Ukraine and the European Union intend to sign a memorandum on cooperation in the energy sector before 2017, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said. "We are completing work on energy strategy, the energy strategy of Ukraine, and, I believe, we will present it in September. We are also preparing the memorandum on cooperation in the energy sector with the EU and, I believe, we will sign it before the end of the year," he said at a briefing following the negotiations with the European Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic on Friday. The memorandum will allow for the expansion of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the energy sector, he said. As part of the joint negotiations the sides discussed creation of the energy efficiency fund, Groysman added. From showcasing excellence in martial arts to tickling our funny bone with his comic timing in films such as Rush Hour(1998) and Around The World In 80 Days , Jackie Chan has given the audience, several reasons to cheer for him. The actor and filmmaker, who hails from Hong Kong, has been recognized for his tremendous contribution to Hollywood cinema and rightfully so. News reports confirm that Jackie, will be receiving an honorary Academy Award on November 12 this year, at Governors Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Read | Skiptrace review: Johnny Knoxville makes a Jackass out of Jackie Chan Along with Hollywood films, Jackie has had a close association with the Hindi film industry as well. The popular stuntmans friendship with Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat was in the news, after the two worked together in the Hong Kong martial-arts-adventure-film The Myth (2005). The duo also promoted the film, the same year, at the 58th International Cannes Film Festival. Aside from Mallika, Jackie has also worked with actors Sonu Sood, Amyra Dastur and Disha Patani. The trio will be seen along with him, in their upcoming film Kung Fu Yoga, which is slated to release on January 28 next year. Read | Jackie Chan wants Indian heroine for his next film, auditions on in Mumbai On Jackies big win, we speak to these actors about their experience on working with him. He put me on the world map- Mallika Sherawat Mallika Sherawat has worked with Jackie Chan in the Hong Kong martial arts-adventure film The Myth (2005), Congrats to Jackie Chan for the honorary Oscar, says Mallika, and adds that she is thrilled with the news. He is a legend. My experience of working with him (in The myth) was truly inspirational and educational. He taught me that great success comes with great ambition. He truly put me on the world map and since The Myth, there has been no looking back, says the actor. He is family for me- Sonu Sood And it's a WRAPPP! the last shot of #kungfuyoga! What a journey with the most grounded man I ever met. #jackiechan A photo posted by Sonu Sood (@sonu_sood) on May 13, 2016 at 9:32am PDT An emotional Sonu Sood talks about his closeness with the Hollywood star and says, I feel so happy for him. He has contributed so much to world cinema and his achievements are unbelievable. Sonu adds that working with Jackie, has been an honor, for him. Each day, and each hour spent with him has been a learning experience. With him, I have grown into becoming a better human being. He is a joy to work with. He is family for me, says Sonu. He loves to make people happy- Disha Patani I am going to miss you taguu hope we meet soon again! love you my angel i am taking back a huge bag full of memories thank you for making me feel like home everyday, giving me a family A photo posted by disha patani (@dishapatani) on May 13, 2016 at 7:28am PDT Disha points out that everyone knows him as a great actor, but not many know that he is one of the kindest human beings. He loves to make people happy. For him, to be getting this award is something which he really deserves, says Disha. Hes the most incredible Kung Fu master of all time, Amyra Dastur Speaking of Jackie, Amyra says that she cant think of any other actor who is more deserving of this award. He is the true definition of an action hero. His films cater to all audiences- from children to adults, which is something, very few film stars have done, she adds. The actor goes on to talk about her experience on working with him in Kung Fu Yoga and says that Jackie treated everyone equally on the sets. From the production to the ads department, to the actors and the director as well; he made sure nobody felt as if they were above one another. That created a warm and friendly environment to work in, says Amyra. Ask her about the most important lesson that she has learnt from Jackie and the actor says, From him, I have learnt that people will always remember the way you make them feel, she says, adding, kindness is never forgotten. And I will always remember him as the most humble and incredible Kung Fu master of all time. He truly is a living legend. It is better to divorce a woman than kill her, the all-India Muslim personal law board told the Supreme Court on Friday, defending the practice of triple talaq that faces legal challenge for bias against women. The AIMPLB, a non-governmental institution that oversees Muslim personal law, also said the Muslim law gave husbands the power to divorce as they were emotionally more stable. Shariah grants the right to divorce because men have greater power of decision making. They are more likely to control emotions and not take a hasty decision, the board said in an affidavit. Triple talaq, under which a Muslim man can repeat the word talaq thrice to divorce his wife, violated womens right to equality, several women have told the Supreme Court. But the board said in case of a discord, divorce was a better option available to a Muslim man than him resorting to criminal ways of getting rid of her (wife) by murdering her. The rights bestowed by religion couldnt be questioned in a court of law, it said. The Quran didnt fall within the expression of laws that could be challenged. The Supreme Court couldnt interfere with religious freedom and rewrite personal laws in the name of social reform, it said. The board was responding to the courts decision to examine gender bias in Muslim law to ensure that a womans right to equality was not violated. Read: Muslim men lend support to campaign against triple talaq All jurists unanimously agreed that husband had the right to divorce. No jurist in Islamic history ever held a view to the contrary. Courts cant supplant their own interpretations, it said. As per Quran, divorce is essentially undesirable but permissible when needed. The affidavit, silent on constitutional rights of Muslim women, comes at a time when more and more women were approaching courts against age-old discriminatory practices. India has separate sets of personal laws for each religion governing marriage, divorce, succession, adoption and maintenance. While Hindu law overhaul began in the 1950s and continues, activists have long argued that Muslim personal law, which has remained mostly unchanged, is tilted against women. To end the confusion over personal laws, the court has been advocating a uniform civil code, a political hot potato. The AIMPLB said constitutional provision on uniform civil code was not enforceable. The BJP has said the combination of Dalits and Muslims is historically unsustainable. The statement is seen as part of a move to scuttle opposition attempts to consolidate Dalit and Muslim votes ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly election early next year. BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao said whenever Dalits came together with Muslims, they suffered adversely with their entity wiped out. Dalit-Muslim unity is historically unsustainable. Look at Pakistan. Where are the Dalits there? The population of Dalits has diminished there, unlike in India where despite the narrow agenda of some communities and social problems, the Dalit population has grown, Rao said on Wednesday, citing Pakistan as an example of the consequence Dalit have suffered for uniting with Muslims. The elections to the 403-member UP assembly will pitch the BJP against the ruling Samajwadi Party which holds sway among the Muslims and the BSP, which has a dedicated Dalit cadre. Rao made a concerted effort to reach out to the Dalits by asserting that they are part of Indian ethnicity. Indian social unity is paramount and the spirit of social unity can protect, promote and empower Dalits. There is no other sectarian agenda that can help Dalits, Rao said speaking at a function on Dalit empowerment through entrepreneurship organised by Bharat Niti, an advocacy platform of the RSS and the BJP and the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI). Read | Una backlash: Muslims join Dalits in fight against injustice The BJP has been in the crosshairs of Dalit and Muslim groups after attacks perpetrated against them by cow vigilantes groups. With accusations flying thick and fast against the party of being anti-Dalit, an allegation that stuck after students unrest across universities following the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad, and reinforced by the flogging of Dalits by cow protection vigilante members in Una in Gujarat, the BJP is now working hard to change that perception. Rao lashed out at the political parties that accuse the BJP of being anti-Dalit by dubbing them as divisive forces. Without Dalit, there is no India. Without Dalit empowerment Indian growth story is incomplete. The objective of Indian freedom struggle is incomplete, he said, asserting that Dalit empowerment is part of national agenda. Read | UP polls: Owaisis party eyes tie up with Mayawati for Dalit-Muslim votes SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Why is the BJP creating so much buzz around the night-stays and lunches at homes of its Dalit leaders when the party itself had been highly critical of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who had set the trend back in 2008? Rahul first spent the night at the hut of Sunita Kori, a Dalit woman, in Gauriganj in his Lok Sabha constituency of Amethi when Mayawati was chief minister. While the Opposition pooh-poohed Rahuls attempt to woo Dalits, he sporadically continued his night-stay programme. Ahead of the 2014 general elections, yoga guru Baba Ramdev described them as picnics and honeymoons while the BJPs prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, labelled it as poverty tourism. As the scramble for Dalit votes begins for the 2017 elections, so has politics over night-stays and lunches at their homes. Dr Nirmal of Ambedkar Mahasabha says nothing hurts the community more than the much-hyped meals as it compels them to believe that people still consider them intellectuals. The Sangh Parivar has stepped into the Congress shoes in their bid to win over the community. While the rank and file have been asked to embark on a night-stay programme across the state, both B JP and RS S chiefs, Am it Shah and Mohan Bhagwat, broke bread with party Dalit leaders, which many in their party described as part of their larger Dal it outreach mission. While B hag wat had lunch at the Agra residence of swayamsewak Choudhury Rajan Singh, RSSs Dal it face, Shah at eat B JP Dal it MP K au sh al Ki shore s home in Bag aria village in Lucknow s Mo han la lg anj area. They described the meals as apolitical. Rajan Singh, in his bid to downplay the Dalit factor, said, We at the RSS dont believe in caste and generally visit each others home. But the opposition is critical. At rallies, Mayawati described these lunches as political drama that in no way removed the rampant untouchability while Congress leader PL Punia finds it highly objectionable and cheap. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it is his governments decisive action that is helping turn India into an opportunity for foreign investors. However with progress must come transparency, and Modi sounded a clear warning on Friday for those who have yet to declare their assets. Pointing out that the government has made requisite legal changes, he said, You may have made mistakes with whatever intention, be it willingly or unwillingly, but here is your chance. Come in the mainstream No one should blame me if I take tough decisions after the 30th (of September). One of Modis poll promises during the 2014 general elections campaign was recovering black money. After several extensions, finance minister Arun Jaitley announced September 30 as the final deadline for people to declare their assets. This money belongs to the countrys poor. No one has the right to loot this. This is my commitment, Modi said in an exclusive interview to CNN News 18 on Friday. Speaking in Hindi, the Prime Minister addressed several other economic issues including the goods and service tax (GST) bill and the challenges the NDA has faced apart from politics and policies. Read| Modi says devoted to Dalits welfare, warns against politics of social imbalance The Modi government is at its halfway mark. However, it has had to jump over many hurdles to have something to show at this point. The GST bill is one of its significant victories. Most (people) dont pay taxes because the process is so complicated, they think they might get stuck in it. GST will simplify tax payments so much that anyone who wants to contribute to the country will come forward. This is perhaps the biggest tax reform since the independence of India. Taxation systems will also be simplified. This will not only benefit the common man, but the revenues will help develop the nation It (the system) will be transparent and strengthen the federal structure, Modi said. Among the other significant changes brought about by his government, Modi also counts the change in public opinion towards the Centre. Though he said it was for people to evaluate the NDAs performance thus far, Modi said the reforms have helped spread positivity in general. There was a negative atmosphere and that had an echo effect. The countrys traders and industrialists had started looking out of the country. There was a paralysis in government (But) Our intentions were strong, policies were clear, there was decisiveness... because there was no vested interest. The result of this was that positivity spread very quickly (through the country). Today, we have the most amount of foreign direct investment after independence, the Prime Minister said. The entire world says that at 7% growth, we are the fastest growing economy -- be it World Bank, IMF (International Monetary Fund), credit agencies, even UN agencies, they all say India is growing rapidly. So those policies which are helping growth have been emphasised. All obstructions are being removed through policies. All this has resulted in speeding up the economy. Modi predicts better days ahead as growth continues, good rains boost agriculture, and industries do better. Usually it is one or two things that are talked about, but today growth is being talked about in all sectors. This time the rains have been good and this helps agriculture, which is the driving force for the economy. This has raised hopes that the coming days will be much better. Infrastructure work is also growing rapidly and that happens when there is demand in the economy. From all of this, it looks like we have moved ahead to better days. Dubbing the all-party delegation meeting as a meaningless photo session, Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani refused to meet the MPs, saying they have neither the mandate nor the intention to resolve the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. In two statements, the chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference asked India to accept the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir and start demilitarisation to pave the way for holding referendum in the state. Indian parliamentarians should have a special session of Parliament where they should accept the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir to pave the way for holding referendum in the state to settle this issue permanently, peacefully and democratically, Geelani said in a statement on Friday. Stating that it will be another futile exercise considering 150 dialogues yielded no results, he appealed to all stakeholders against meeting the delegation. If India accepts the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir and starts demilitarisation... we... will welcome every move forward in this regard, he had said in his statement on Thursday, indicating that he was not against talks. A 27-member all-party delegation led by home minister Rajnath Singh and finance minister Arun Jaitley is slated to hold interactions with various sections in the state on September 4 in the wake of the violence in Kashmir that has left 72 people dead. The demands have been part of the five-point pre-conditions he set for dialogues earlier too. Geelani had refused to enter into a dialogue with an all-party delegation during the 2010 unrest when over 100 youth were killed in action by security forces. However, five members of the delegation had then taken an impromptu decision to meet separatists, which had helped bring down tempers in the Valley. While moderate separatists Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Yasin Mallik remain under arrest, Geelani has been confined to his Hyderpora residence in Srinagar for months. Sources in the Hurriyat said the government has not sent any invitation to the separatist leadership for the talks. PDP sources said even though government representatives are unlikely to meet the separatists, MPs who want to take the initiative on their own wont be stopped. Party sources said CPI(M)s Sitaram Yechury, Congresss Ghulam Nabi Azad and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi may meet separatists on their own. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Union home ministry has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances under which the foreign funding license of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naiks Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) was renewed, sources said on Friday. They said four officials have been suspended. The ministry will soon rectify the position in this matter, a ministry official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. He didnt specify what steps the ministry is contemplating in this regard. The license for the controversial preachers NGO expired in the third week of August even as the home ministry was preparing an action plan for a clampdown on Naiks activities. All NGOs need to register with the home ministry under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to get foreign funding. Once registered, they are required to file a quarterly report with the home ministry providing details about the funding received and spent on activities. Their registration is renewed every five years. The foreigners division of the ministry had also issued a questionnaire to the IRF seeking details of its funding and activities. The questionnaire is the first step of action against an NGO if the ministry finds anything amiss in their activities. Following the questionnaire, it sends a team to inspect the books of NGO concerned and later a show-cause notice is issued asking the NGO why its registration should not be cancelled. The home ministry had also sought the solicitor general of Indias opinion over declaring IRF unlawful under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The ministry was told that Naiks statements on different forums allegedly promoted enmity and hatred between religious groups and inspired and incited terrorists grounds on which the government could proceed to blacklist the IRF. Naik has come under the scanner again after it was alleged that some of the gunmen who attacked a Dhaka bakery in Bangladesh were influenced by his sermons. Law enforcement agencies across India have also been watching Naik closely, and the Maharashtra government also indicted him. The preacher has denied the charges but has refused to come back to India. He is currently believed to be in Saudi Arabia. In his lecture aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, the preacher reportedly urged all Muslims to be terrorists. Naik is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. (GK Dwivedi, joint secretary in-charge of foreigners division, is not among the officials suspended as earlier version of this report said.) The Union home ministry is scrapping the renewed foreign funding licence given to the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) until an investigation into it ends, sources said on Friday. The ministry will rescind its order of renewal of foreign funding licence of the IRF, said a ministry source. The IRF and its founder, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, have been under the scanner after it was alleged that some of the gunmen who attacked a Dhaka bakery in Bangladesh this July were influenced by Naiks sermons. The home ministry has also been working to declare IRF unlawful under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. However, in the third week of August, the foundations application to renew its foreign funding license was processed quietly. Read | Foreign funding for Zakir Naiks NGO renewed, 4 home min officials suspended The matter came to light after an IRF spokesperson announced the renewal in an interview on Thursday. A formal inquiry has been initiated to look into circumstance of the renewal and strict action will be taken against those responsible. Sources said the decision was made by home minister Rajnath Singh in consultation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Three officials have already been suspended from the foreigners division that deals with matters under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the law that governs foreign funding. They included two under-secretaries and one section officer. A data entry operator was also removed from his post. All NGOs are required to register with the foreigners division to receive donations from abroad. The IRF intends to take the home ministry to court over the scrapping of the license. We will challenge it in court. We assume that the renewal was done following all norms, Aarif Malik, IRF spokesperson said. Stating that if anything was wrong, the ministry should have not renewed the licence, Malik said, What logic will they give now to revoke it? The ministry had started a probe into the affairs of the IRF by sending it a questionnaire, a step followed by an inspection of the NGOs books. We replied to the questionnaire after receiving intimation about renewal. The probe against us is politically motivated. Our books were inspected by the ministry in 2014-15 as well but nothing adverse came out it, Malik added. GK Dwivedi, joint secretary of the foreigners division, is also facing heat for the embarrassing slip-up. Dwivedi is credited for making all FCRA services online and thus bringing transparency. The formal process of Dwivedis suspension was initiated on Thursday only after the home minister cleared it in consultation with the PM , a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity. An overhaul of the foreigners division is also on cards. The slip-up comes at a rather inconvenient time for the government -- the Centre had sought the solicitor general of Indias opinion about blacklisting the IRF, a move that would block foreign funding to the organisation. Cable and mutli-system operators were also directed not to broadcast Naiks Peace TV which does not have a license in India. Read more | Zakir Naik unfit to preach, Muslims should avoid listening to him: Darul Uloom Read more | Not just Dhaka attackers, Dr Zakir Naik also inspired Malwani man SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Shortly after Independence Day this time, the countrys most populous state woke up to some fresh data that again indicated the gravity of its unemployment scenario. Amid studies that say Uttar Pradesh will have 1.3 crore jobless youth (18-35 age) next year, municipal corporations across the state received 18 lakh applications for 40,000 sweepers. The Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) alone was flooded with seven lakh applications against its 3,275 vacancies for safai karamcharis. A staggering five lakh of them were graduates and postgraduates. For long considered menial, the job also saw signs of UPs conventional caste paradigm shifting: upper-caste applicants have applied for the post that is occupied by members of the subaltern Dhanuk and Valmiki communities. No less than one lakh applicants are Brahmins, 75,000 are Thakurs and 30,000 are Banias. It was in July this year the Uttar Pradesh government issued a notification to appoint 40,000 sweepers on contractual basis in the states 75 districts with a monthly stipend of `15,000. The prerequisites: should pass Class 8, know how to ride a bicycle and how to wield a broom. When the date to apply (also online) ended on August 17, the civic bodies across the state were left to choose from 18 lakh candidates. State capital Lucknow received 5.5 lakh applications against 3,142 vacancies of Safai workers. KMC, given its glut of applications, estimates two years to finish interviewing candidates. It is unbelievable, says Kanpur mayor Jagatveer Singh Drona. Honestly, I am at a loss of words to describe the situation. The corporation is hiring a private company to sort out and list the applications, according to KMC officials. Feeding that data into computers will itself take two months. The applicants are keen about a sarkari job. Amit Gupta, who is pursuing doctorate after post-graduation in chemistry, has applied for the post in Jhansi, which needs 175 sweepers and 15,000 have applied. The salary is better than what I get as a teacher in private colleges and schools. Jhansi is close to my home district of Hamirpur, he shrugs. There are no jobs anywhere. When I learnt about this one, I applied immediately. The situation at play is a grim extension of what the UP youth experienced a year ago. In September 2015, 23 lakh candidates applied for 368 vacancies for peons. The Agra Municipal Corporation, which had to fill 1,778 posts, got 90,000 applicants. Of them, 17,000 were graduates and postgraduates. The age bracket was 18-40 then, and 1.25 lakh candidates each applied with the municipal corporations in Varanasi, Meerut, Aligarh and Gorakhpur besides Ghaziabad, where applications have also come from neighbouring states such as Harayana, Delhi and even Uttarakhand, officials say. Industry chambers say jobs are simply not available in UP despite a high potential for employment. The desperation is understandable, says state Assocham president Shailendra Jain. We signed several MoUs with the state for setting up industry. Bureaucratic rigmarole disallows them from reaching fruition. If industries come, the scene will better. A recent report by the National Sample Survey Organisation projected UPs unemployed youth at one crore by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017), adding that the number will be in addition to 32 lakh awaiting jobs. The workforce in agriculture has reduced from 69% to 52% in 18 years. The states job growth between 2005 and 12 remained steady at 0.08%, but it was largely fuelled by the construction sector, which is now struggling. UP has one of the lowest shares in salaried jobs (11%) among all states, just better than Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Odisha, said the World Banks March 2016 assessment report. Our state is a victim of a paradox, says Prof SP Singh, a social scientist in Kanpur. It produces the highest number of graduates in the country, and they dont have employment. So they go for any government job. It gives them a sense of security. With a population of 19.98 crore, the state has 57 universities, second most after Tamil Nadu, that is 8.9% of all universities. And it has 4,828 colleges or 13.85% of all colleges in the country, which is the highest in India. Applications pile up at the corporation office. State capital Lucknow received 5.5 lakh applications against 3,142 vacancies of safai workers. (HT Photo) The state offers 20 colleges per lakh of population against the national average of 25, with an average enrolment of 1,079, which is higher than the national average of 703. The total enrolment of students in regular mode in higher education institutes in UP is 39.59 lakh. The Karnataka government on Friday filed its reply in the Supreme Court to the Tamil Nadu governments plea for an urgent judicial direction to Bengaluru for releasing 50.052 thousand million cubic feet of Cauvery water from its reservoirs to feed the agricultural lands of the neighbouring state. The Karnataka government said it is in deficit of 80 tmcft water and cannot give water to Tamil Nadu. During the hearing, Justice Dipak Mishra observed, Live and let live principle should be kept in mind. Both states should live in harmony. Hearing in the case has been adjourned till Monday. The apex court will look into the features of Cauvery Tribunal Award and decide on Tamil Nadus plea seeking release of 50.052 tmcft water. A three-judge bench of chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices AM Kanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had fixed the date of hearing on a mention made by senior counsel Shekar Naphade for urgent listing of the application in which the state also sought an interim direction to Karnataka to release 25 tmcft of water to enable farmers in the state to raise the Samba crop. Earlier, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah informed that the Tamil Nadu Government in their application filed before the Supreme Court had asked the court to direct his government to release 50.052 tmcft of water as per the normal year. He said Karnataka is facing a severe distressed year and added that both states should share the Cauvery water as per the distress pro-rata basis. Ukraine-China cooperation in the Antonov An-225 'Mriya' heavy-lift transport aircraft project boasting a 250-tonne payload rules out reassignment of intellectual property rights to China, Antonov State Company said. "The An-225 cooperation agreement between Antonov State Company and Aerospace Industry Corporation of China (AICC) is sort of a roadmap acknowledging mutual interest in collaboration fostering the An-225 program," the company said. A number of foreign media outlets said that the Ukrainian company had allegedly reassigned An-225 intellectual property rights to China. "Proposals are being prepared to draw up an agreement on finalizing construction and modernizing a second An-225 'Mriya' plane at Antonov State Company facilities. AICC is the customer. So, Antonov State Company is fulfilling the primary task of an aircraft plant - construction and delivery of a plane to a customer," the company said. "A contract on joint mass production of the modernized plane in China under an Antonov license will be prepared in the future; that project will involve not only Antonov State Company but also other enterprises of the Ukrainian aircraft industry," it said. "The rights of the An-225 'Mriya' certificate holder, including An-225 intellectual property rights, will not be reassigned by Antonov State Company to the Chinese side," the report said. "A combination of high intellectual potential and unique aircraft design experience of Antonov State Company and the broad capacities of China's industry will put these agreements into life. In addition to funding, Ukraine will be guaranteed international cooperation and work in conjunction with global industrial majors who may join this project," the company said. Antonov State Company is a leading Ukrainian aircraft designer and manufacturer and an acclaimed world leader in the area of various types of transport aircraft. The company cooperates with 76 countries. It was included in Ukroboronprom State Concern in April 2015 on the government's orders. Antonov and AICC signed the An-225 cooperation agreement in Beijing on August 30 to finalize the construction of a second 'Mriya' plane in Kyiv for the Chinese customer and to start joint licensed production of the heavy-lift jet in China. A number of foreign media outlets said that the agreement allegedly stipulated free reassignment of An-225 'Mriya' property rights, including documentation and specifications, to China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he is devoted to the development of Dalits and the poor, blaming some self-appointed guardians of the society for levelling baseless allegations against his government. In an interview to CNN-News 18 to be aired on Friday evening, the Prime Minister said people who want to fuel tension did not like his stand against politics of social imbalance and were giving political tones to social problems. His remarks came against the backdrop of a raging controversy over attacks against Muslims and Dalits on suspicion of slaughtering cows or smuggling beef -- banned in several Indian states. Cows are revered animals for Hindus. The thrashing of four Dalit youth, who were skinning a dead cow in Gujarats Una, by self-styled vigilantes in July triggered a wave of protests, cornering Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in his home state ahead of next years state elections. Modi broke his silence on the issue last month and condemned the so-called cow protectors . All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country, Modi said, and added the Indian society has some deeply rooted imbalance. In the face of criticism over alleged intolerance in his rule, the PM said the self-appointed guardians did not like that Modi is with the Dalits. That Modi devotes himself to tribals And this is why they are levelling baseless allegations. Modi said the BJP will fight the upcoming state elections, including that in Uttar Pradesh, on development agenda. Our focus will be welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice. Our focus will be to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood in our country. The opposition Congress party has time and again accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which won a landslide verdict in the 2014 general elections on Modis development promises, of being pro-industrialist and anti-farmer. There was no atmosphere of vote-bank politics in last general elections, there was an atmosphere of development politics, Modi reiterated. Modi, who in 2014 promised to user in achche din, said: Indias economy has seen off the worst and the government didnt want to talk shortcuts to give it an artificial sugar rush. Mother Teresa, the founder of Missionaries of Charity, who dedicated her life to the care of the poorest of the poor, will be Canonized by the Vatican on September 4. Ahead of her canonization, Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, who has been the postulator for Mothers Canonization cause responsible for documenting and investigating her life, as well as the miracles attributed to her, to facilitate her canonization, speaks to HT from Rome. Excerpts from a telephonic interview. Father, when was the process of Mothers canonization initiated and what are the different steps in the process? The first step in the process is when people sense there is something holy about the person. Like in Mother Teresas case, people felt she was a holy person. After that the Bishop of the diocese in which the person died has to petition that a cause for Beatification and Canonization be initiated. If no objection is made by the Vatican, the process is started, after which the person is addressed as a Servant of God. In Mothers case that petition had to come from Kolkata. Usually there has to be a five year gap between the persons death and when the petition can be made. But in Mothers case the Pope waived off three years, so the petition was moved and accepted in 1999. I was appointed postulator in March 1999. Was the process fast-tracked because in 1998, a year after her death, Mother Teresa was already to have performed a miracle? No, the miracle had nothing to do with it. Typically the investigation of miracles happens at a much later stage in the beatification or canonization process. The logic is to say that we have made all humanly possible efforts to find whether there are any obstacles in the path of beatifying or canonizing this person, and we have found nothing. The miracle then is the last possible confirmation, a confirmation from God of the holiness of the person. So after the cause for Beatification and Canonization has been accepted, what happens then. After that starts the investigation into and documentation of the persons life. From that investigation and gathering of information in support of the persons holiness, is drawn up the Positio, the Position in English or a position on the cause. This is put to vote at multiples levels. In Mothers case it was unanimously cleared by the commission of nine theologians and the council of 15 bishops. It is then forwarded to the Pope. Once the Pope has recognized the heroic virtues of the person, he or she is referred to as Venerable. After that starts the search for, and investigation into, the first miracle. However, in Mothers case since Monicas case was reported in 1998, and the tribunal was already in Kolkata in 1999 to document Mothers life, they recorded both. But for a miracle to be accepted as once, it has be to proved beyond doubt that it cant be explained medically, right? However, in Monicas case there was a doctor at a government hospital who had claimed that medicines had cured Monica. So how was it accepted as a miracle? We had to consider his claim of course. But we had the medical reports. And the tribunal spoke to 11 doctors, 10 of whom were Hindus. And they all said that they couldnt explain it medically. And then the Beatification happened in 2003 As in the case of initiating the cause, when three years were waived off, were any other exceptions made for Mother? There was never any requirement for the proper performance of the procedure that was not followed in Mothers case. For example, in Mothers case we spoke to 117 witnesses while documenting her life. Simply because so many people knew her and from around the world. In a typical case, one will only speak to about 50 witnesses. However, usually the confirmation of the holiness of ones life and the confirmation of the miracle are announced by the Pope one after the other on different days. But for Mother, both declarations were made by Pope John Paul II on the same day in December 2002, because he wanted the Beatification to happen on the occasion of his 25th anniversary as Pope. After the Beatification then, one only needs to find a second miracle for the Canonization? Yes. Tell us a little about Marcilio what had happened to him and how we was cured. We in India dont have very many details about him. Marcilio is an engineer in Brazil. He was suffering from a bacterial infection in the brain which had caused multiple abscesses, because of which he developed hydrocephaly. On December 9, 2008, Marcilio complained of excruciating pain in his head and slipped into a coma. The doctors took him to the operation theatre, hoping to drain the water, but the surgery doesnt go as planned, and the doctor leaves the OT to find help. When he returned, Marcilio was awake, in no pain and wondering what he was doing in the OT. Two brain scans were taken, one on Dec 9 and the other on December 13, and none of the doctors could medically explain how Marcilio was cured. In fact, the doctor who had been treating Marcilio told his brother that he had had 30 patients with similar conditions and Marcilio was the only one who survived. And was Marcilio praying to Mother Teresa? Both Marcilio and his wife had been praying to Mother. They had a relic of her and they would put it on his head and pray. Marcilio used to sleep with her relic under his pillow. On December 9, after Marcilio slipped into a coma, his wife started praying to Mother intensely and told everyone in the family to do the same. I have read that for a miracle to be attributed to someone, not only does it have to be established beyond doubt that the situation cant be explained scientifically, but also that neither the person, nor anyone in his or her family were praying to someone else Oh yes. In fact between the first and the second miracle there were so many other cases that had come up. There was a case in Philippines. One of the doctors said that there is a slight chance that it might have been natural. So that was the end of it. In another case, there was no scientific explanation, the family had been praying to Mother, but one person in the family was praying to someone else. So whose miracle was it? Is there a position caller the Devils Advocate in the Canonization process? There is such a thing as the devils advocate, but that role was more in the old process, which was more legal. The postulator would have a lawyer who would defend the sainthood cause and the Promotor of the Faith (the devils advocates official name) would argue against. Now it is more a scientific, historical process, but the Promotor of the Faith (as the head of the theological commission of 9 theologians who study the case) still has the responsibility to look for negative points, if he can find any. There have been people such as journalist Christopher Hitchens and physician Aroup Chatterjee who have criticized Mother and the kind of care offered at the Missionaries of Charity centres. Were these criticisms considered while documenting Mothers life for the Beatification and Canonization? Oh yes. In fact both were called as witnesses, the first in the US and the second in London. We had to consider what they said and then either prove that it was factually incorrect or that they had misunderstood the situation and how. For example the allegation about her taking money from people of questionable characters. Thats not factually true. In fact, there are many instances when she refused to accept a donation if she felt the money was ill-gotten. In many interviews you have talked about how Mother, in her later years, felt that Jesus had abandoned her. Wasnt that an obstacle in the way of the canonization? Not at all. In fact even in the case studies on her life we talk about the years of darkness. In fact in Christian spirituality there have been others who have felt the same. What made Mother different was that she felt it for a very long 50 years and yet she never lost faith. That makes her spiritually more heroic. Even Jesus, on the cross, asks God why he had forsaken him. He had felt that sense of being abandoned. So one explanation of why Mother Teresa was feeling it is that she had become so one with Jesus so as for him to share his deepest pain with her. The other explanation is that Mother when talking about poverty spoke not just of material poverty, but also spiritual poverty. Which is why she wanted to give love to those who were unloved and uncared for. And now we know that she was in solidarity not just with those who were materially poor, but also those who were spiritually poor. In the years that you have been the postulator of Mothers Canonization cause what is it that you have found most frustrating or challenging? The most challenging thing was the size of the project. What I mean is that most of the people considered for sainthood are from a certain place and time. But since Mother was known and loved globally, so for us the challenge was to connect to people in all these different places and record their experiences. Only 77 of the witnesses were from Calcutta. The others were from various parts of the world. There were over 200 archives of material on her to go through. And were you never frustrated with the pace of things? There was a ten year gap between the Beatification and the reporting of the second miracle. I cant really complain about the pace. Her Beatification was the fastest in history. After that people would ask me wheres the second miracle. And I would say it will happen when it has to happen. Or that it has happened, but I havent heard about it. Sure enough, the miracle happened in 2008, but I didnt hear of it till five years later. Why is that? Arent these cases meant to be reported by local bodies? They are meant to be, but sometimes, as in this case, it wasnt. But the great thing is that the Canonization is happening now and it is happening in the Year of Mercy, which makes us very happy, because the whole idea of the Missionaries of Charity is mercy. So what will you feel when you stand there on September 4. Apart from happiness, of course. I will feel gratitude and satisfaction at the successful culmination of the process. I will also be thankful that as Postulator I wouldnt be held responsible for having messed up the Cause or making too many mistakes. And what do you think should Mother Teresa be patron saint of? Oh, she could be patron saint of women who are having trouble conceiving. Even during her life couples who were having trouble having a baby would come to her. And she would take a medallion of Mother Mary and tell them to pray to Mother Mary saying, Mary, Mother of Jesus, give us a child. And their prayer would be answered. She could also be a patron saint of travelers, she did so much travelling herself. In fact, ever since her death I have always prayed to her to take care of my luggage whenever I have travelled and I have never had any trouble with luggage. It hasnt ever been lost or delayed or anything. Click here for full coverage SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lawmakers in Pakistans Punjab assembly have condemned Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikars recent statement that going to Pakistan is like going to hell and asked the government to summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest over it. Speaking on the point of order in the assembly, treasury member Ramesh Singh Arora said that Parrikars statement was regrettable. India has not only committed atrocities against Kashmiris for demanding their right to franchise but is also accusing Islamabad of fomenting violence in Kashmir, he said. The propaganda against Pakistan must be checked, he said. Arora and other members of the assembly demanded that the foreign office summon the Indian ambassador to record a strong protest against Parrikars statement. Watch | Going to Pakistan is same as going to hell: Manohar Parrikar Another treasury member Sheikh Allauddin suggested that Punjab Assembly should invite Indian novelist and rights activist Arundhati Roy for briefing the assembly members on the issue. He asked the speaker to consider his proposal seriously. Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar appreciated the suggestion and drew attention of the House towards its legal and diplomatic aspects. The foreign office may be approached in this respect and the next step should be taken in the light of its advice on invitation to Roy to visit Pakistan especially the Punjab Assembly, Sarwar said. A number of other members both from treasury and opposition also criticised India for the violence in Kashmir and supported the Kashmiris right to self-determination during the yesterdays session. Parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad told the House that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formed a committee of parliamentarians to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums. Earlier, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Committee members had also condemned Parrikars statement and demanded that he should apologise for hurting the sentiments of Pakistanis. The Pakistani army opened unprovoked fire at Indian posts along the Line of Control in Jammus Akhnoor sector on Friday. The Indian Army posts have responded appropriately in a controlled and measured manner. Intermittent firing is presently on, defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said. Pakistan army violated the ceasefire today (Friday), using small weapons and automatics to target our positions, another spokesperson said. Till last reports came in firing exchanges were continuing in the area. No damage has so far been reported from the Indian side. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew into the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday on his maiden visit to hold wide-ranging talks with the countrys top leadership on ways to bolster strategic bilateral ties in key areas like defence, security, counterterrorism and trade. Reached Hanoi. This is a special visit & will go a long way in deepening the strong bond between India & Vietnam, Modi tweeted. Reached Hanoi. This is a special visit & will go a long way in deepening the strong bond between India & Vietnam. pic.twitter.com/TRoKPVHiDW Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 2, 2016 The visit, that marks the first by an Indian premier to the country in 15 years, takes place on his way to Hangzhou, China to attend the G20 Summit beginning Sunday. Modi will hold extensive talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and call on President Tran Dai Quang on Saturday. Modi is also scheduled to meet Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly chairperson Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Defence, security, science and technology, trade and culture are some of the issues on the plate for the talks. Modi will also pay homage to revered leader Ho Chi Minh, whom he described in his Facebook post as one of 20th centurys tallest leaders. He will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda. Ho Chi Minh, who is often called the Vietnamese George Washington by Communist Vietnamese, has a city named after him. After his death, Hos followers embalmed his body and put it in a tomb, the mausoleum, where he is still worshipped today. Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc and I would also be discussing regional cooperation and stability and our multilateral cooperation, Modi told Voice of Vietnam Radio network earlier. The thrust of our multifaceted relationship is to work towards stability, maintenance of peace, economic growth and prosperity in our countries, Asia and beyond, he added. Modi emphasised that Indias Act East Policy aimed to forge partnerships with its eastern neighbours to encompass security, strategic, political, counter-terrorism, and defence collaboration in addition to economic ties. It was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbours of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy engagement, he told the radio, adding that Vietnam was an integral member of ASEAN and is a very important pillar in our Act East Policy. We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people to people ties will also be my endeavour during the Vietnam visit, the premier said on his Facebook page. Indias ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation tour to Vietnam and China on Friday. During the first leg of his four-day visit, the Prime Minister will first reach Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday night, where he will meet President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and hold wide-ranging talks with the top leadership to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and oil exploration. Briefing the media on Thursday, secretary (East), external affairs ministry, Preeti Saran said, Vietnam is Indias important strategic partner and the visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties, including defence, security and trade. On September 3, the Prime Minister will leave for Hangzhou, China, from Vietnam in the evening to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. During the visit, India will take up issues like cross-border mobility of professionals, terror financing, tax evasion and reduction in remittance transaction cost among others, secretary (West), Sujata Mehta said. Mehta said Modi will be the lead speaker at the session on inclusive and inter-connected development. On the sidelines of the summit, the Prime Minister will have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It would be the first meeting between Modi and President Jinping after their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent, where the Prime Minister had urged China to make a fair and objective assessment of Indias application on merit for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). On August 12, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi, possibly to firm up the agenda for the talks between President Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. According to a report in Chinas state-owned Global Times, foreign minister Yi may also use his visit to New Delhi to acquire a perspective and an assessment of Prime Minister Modis visits to Vietnam and Laos. According to reports, Beijing is viewing Modis visit to Vietnam closely, given that Hanoi is also a party in the SCS dispute and has also staked a maritime and rich energy resource claim to use its waters. The Prime Minister will also attend a BRICS leaders meet. He will return to India on September 5. On September 7, Prime Minister Modi will leave for Laos PDR on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-Asean and East Asia summits. At the ASEAN-India Summit, the Prime Minister and ASEAN leaders will review ASEAN-India cooperation and discuss its future direction in the areas of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern. After Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi withdrew his appeal from the Supreme Court for quashing of the defamation case against him, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said on Friday the Congress think tank is intellectually bankrupted. This is historically settled fact that Godse, the accused in Gandhi assassination, had nothing to do with the RSS. This has been set by the court and a commission. The commission was appointed by the Congress regime, which submitted its reports after four years of hard labour. But if Rahul Gandhi is going beyond that, then he has to bring some new facts. I think it is the intellectual bankruptcy of the Congress think tank. They had neither studied the courts trail nor had they examined the document submitted before the Kapoor Commission, RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha told ANI. Commenting on Congress leader Kapil Sibals statement, where he said that a true Hindu could have never killed Mahatma Gandhi, Sinha termed it a very dangerous situation. It is very dangerous. He evoked the religion of Nathuram Godse. This was the same social philosophy of the Congress, which led in 1984 a communal riot and thousand of Sikhs were killed by the Congress men after the killers of Indira Gandhi was identified as Sikhs, he alleged. Earlier on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi withdrew his appeal from the Supreme Court over his remarks that the RSS was responsible for Mahatma Gandhis assassination. Sibal, who appeared for Gandhi, told the apex court that Rahul stands by his statement- RSS ke logon ne Gandhi ji ko goli mari (RSS members shot at Gandhi). He will not withdraw his words and is ready to face trial, Sibal told the apex court. Meanwhile, the top court refused to grant Gandhi exemption from personal appearance before lower court in the case. Sibbal had on August 24 told the Supreme Court that Rahul never accused the RSS as an institution that carried out the crime. RSS ke logon ne hatya ki is entirely different from RSS had killed Mahatma Gandhi, Sibbal had told the apex court. The RSS, the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for his speech at a rally in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra in 2014. Gandhi moved the Supreme Court in May 2015, seeking a stay on the Bombay high court order dismissing his plea for quashing the defamation case. On July 19, the apex court remarked against Gandhi for indulging in collective denunciation against an organisation and said its wrong. It said that Rahul Gandhi might have to face a trial to prove his defence that his statement was an assertion of a historical fact. Self-appointed guardians threatened by his governments commitment to Dalits are creating social tensions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, exhorting them not to inflict pain on wounds caused by thousands of years of injustice. Modi, whose government is accused by the Opposition of unleashing social terror, cautioned against giving a political colour to social problems while asking party hotheads to choose their words carefully. Contesting the accusation that his government was anti-Dalit, Modi said he was working for the development of the community. All those self-appointed guardians who were trying to create tensions in the country did not like this -- that Modi is with Dalits, that Modi devotes himself to tribals Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble, the Prime Minister said in an interview with CNN News 18. Here is what Modi said on other issues ranging from the Indian economy to the unrest in Kashmir that has killed 73 people: On the economy There was a paralysis in the government. Investors had started looking out. Our intentions were strong and policies clear. Today, we have the highest amount of foreign direct investment in the country after Independence. At 7%, we are the fastest growing economy. The rains have been good. This has raised hopes that coming days will be better. On next round of reforms I say that in my government: Reform, perform and transform. Take ease of doing business. Our ranking is improving very quickly. This is not possible without reform. Our systems, processes, forms were so complicated. Now there were reformed, so our rankings are going up. These small things need to be improved. Even today there is licence raj in some areas and that needs to go. After we removed 1,700 obsolete laws, I have asked states to follow suit. We are getting more technology. The reforms have to be done at a larger scale. At the centre of our reforms is the common man: How to make life easier for the common man, how they will get what is their right, we want to stress on these. Read | Poison of casteism, communal votebank did enough damage: PM On political vendetta From a political standpoint, I have neither thought about this and nor will I do so in the future. I have been a state chief minister for 14 years and history is testimony to the fact that I have never opened any file due to political considerations. It has been over two years at the Centre. The government has given no instruction to open any file. The law will take its own course. I have no right to indulge in any cover up. On black money We have made requisite legal changes so that the black money circulating inside the country can also be curbed. Theres a scheme which is running till the 30th of September. For all those who are still willing to come in the mainstream I have publicly said, September 30 is your last date. You may have made mistakes with whatever intention. Here is your chance. Come in the mainstream. I have this plan for people to sleep peacefully at night. And no one should blame me if I take tough decisions after the 30th. This money belongs to the countrys poor. No one has the right to loot this. This is my commitment. I am working with full force and will continue the effort. On poverty alleviation Poverty alleviation has been a political slogan and a lot of politics has also happened on poverty. Programmes for poverty alleviation have also been started keeping elections in mind. My path is different. We have to empower the poor to end poverty. Politics is done by keeping the poor as poor. The biggest tool for empowerment is education. One of the things that we have done is called Stand Up India. I have told banks that every branch must give financial aid to a Dalit, a tribal and a woman. They must make them an entrepreneur. The country has 1.25 lakh branches of banks. If they empower even three people each, they will benefit 4-5 lakh families. On job creation Skill development is the need of the hour. The country has 80 crore youth who are below 30. If the youth has the skill, they can change the fortunes of this country. And we are laying stress on this. The countrys youth and employment are at the centre of all economic activity. In the agriculture sector also, if you move towards value addition, it will create more opportunities to generate employment. A youth from the village has had to go to big towns under pressure. If he gets value addition, if we empower him, then employment opportunities shall be created. On addressing Indian diaspora In any country in the world if there is an Indian, he feels that my country must progress. We have acknowledged the power of the diaspora in Niti Ayog. This is such a global strength. They have global exposure. They have academic quality and qualifications and a zeal to work for the country. Why should we disassociate with them? We must establish a link with them. And there will come a time, when they will be a true ambassador of the India. On Kashmir When we talk about J&K, we should take the entire picture of Jammu, the Valley and the Ladakh region into account. I believe, the youth of Kashmir will not be distracted. We will proceed together maintaining peace, unity and goodwill so that the heaven called Kashmir will remain heaven. I always maintain that people of Kashmir need both development and trust. On grassroots-level corruption If Ganga is clean at Gaumukh then it will gradually become pure while flowing down. We have taken steps to neutralise chances of any corruption. For instance, we have shifted the gas subsidy system into the Direct Benefit Scheme. Ghost clients who used to wrongly enjoy the benefits of gas subsidy are no longer there. Chandigarh was being supplied 30 lakh litres of kerosene. We stopped providing kerosene to those houses which have gas connection and electricity. And we provided gas connections to those who earlier didnt have. Thats how we saved 30 lakh litres of kerosene from being sold in the black market. We can do away with low level corruption through policy decisions and using technology. You will start liking at low level what you liked at top level. On Lutyens Delhis politics In Delhis power corridors theres an active group dedicated to only a few. Look at what happened with Sardar Patel this group presented him as a villager with ordinary intellect. This same group never talked about Morarji Desais abilities, but always said what he drank. What happened with Deve Gowda? A farmers son became the PM yet they said he only sleeps. Short cut will cut you short: Read full transcript of PM Modis interview SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Appointments of judges, which has pitted the judiciary against the government, are likely to be delayed after a senior judge refused to attend Supreme Court collegium meetings citing lack of transparency in a rare revolt to hit the top court. In a three-page letter, justice J Chelameswar urged Chief Justice of India TS Thakur to make the judges appointment process transparent, sources said. Reasons for rejecting or recommending a candidate should be put on record, the letter sent on Thursday said. Under the collegium system the CJI and other senior SC justices appoint judges to the top court as well as the high court. It is also responsible for transferring HC judges. The judge, who objected to some recent transfers, expressed his unwillingness to attend the meetings as no record of the discussion between the top five judges in collegium was maintained. He is understood to have said he saw no purpose in attending the meeting and suggested the collegiums agenda should be circulated to members. He also turned down the CJIs request to take back the letter, sources said. Read | Centre mulls screening panel to assist SC collegium in judges appointment He was the lone dissenting judge in the five-judge constitution bench that in October last struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which gave some say to the executive in judges appointment. He, however, signed the unanimous order requiring the government to make changes in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) in consultation with collegium laying down fresh guidelines for judges appointments. Read | National Judicial Appointments Commission: All you need to know This is the first time in the history of the Indian judiciary that a senior judge of the Supreme Court has decided to keep away from collegium meetings, questioning the opacity in appointment and transfer of judges. The letter comes at a time when the government and judiciary are at loggerheads over the new MoP. CJI Thakur has publicly criticised the government for not clearing fresh appointments and transfers, despite an assurance that vacancies will be filled up pending finalisation of the MoP. He has warned that the court might pass judicial orders if things didnt move fast. Read | Filling vacancies in judiciary a national challenge, says CJI Justice Chelameswars letter will give fodder to the government to lash out at the judiciary for resisting transparency. The note was sent hours before the collegium was scheduled to meet to discuss the revised MoP. The judge skipped the meeting, which proceeded in his absence. However, no decision was taken on the MoP. Read more | Collegium system is a lesser evil than the NJAC SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The smart inaugural campaign of Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Jio with a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown the way to draw mileage out of popular leaders holding constitutional positions in a perfectly legal way. The ad, however, also saw Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal lashing out at Modi. Kejriwal tweeted, Modiji, you carry on with modelling for Reliance. The labourers of India will unite to teach you a lesson in 2019. Kejriwal also posted the advertisements photo and added: PM of India openly endorses Reliance product. 2019 Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 2, 2016 Former Lok Sabha secretary general and law secretary to the government of India, TK Vishwanathan, told Hindustan Times that there is nothing wrong legally in dedicating any service or product to the Prime Minister or any constitutional functionary. If any corporate house or a private citizen want to use the PMs picture to dedicate a service or a product, at least legally, the industry has not committed any wrong, he added. I'm curious to know what the resident dolt has to say from a marketing person's point of view about Modi in Reliance #Jio ad. SamSays (@samjawed65) September 2, 2016 Well, you do know that "I'm Jio'd" is an anagram of Modi-ji. pic.twitter.com/jKfcLbLpob Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) September 2, 2016 Modi is a perfect brand ambassador for Jio because their customer care reps will also answer all your questions with cold, harsh stares. Overrated Outcast (@over_rated) September 2, 2016 The advertisement, following the launch of Reliance Jio that offered free voice calls and data services at very low tariffs, came at a time when the NDA government is facing the oppositions charge of being pro-corporate. The print advertisement also mentioned, Jio is dedicated to realizing our Prime Ministers Digital India vision for 1.2 billion Indians. Sources in the government said that prior permission is generally sought before using the photo of the Prime Minister. But they could not confirm if, in this case, permission was sought. The Congress, which is critical about the pro-corporate reforms of the Modi regime and dubbed his government the suit-boot ki sarkar, initially did not take particular exception to the advertisement. However, party spokesperson Ajay Maken later said if the required permission was not sought for using the Prime Ministers image, it is a serious issue and appropriate action should be taken. Most other political parties remained silent. The CPI(M) ignored the ad and focused on enforcing a workers strike. Social media though was on fire. He was a man of reliance earlier as a CM, He is man of reliance as PM. Never works for Aam Aadmi. #ReliancePM pic.twitter.com/zfcVVD66fC Gajendra Sharma (@Airavta) September 2, 2016 Public rights lawyer Nishant Gambhir says he filed a Right to Information query asking the Prime Ministers Office to reveal if Reliance Jio sought permission to use Modis photo, and to share the permission letter. He also sought to know about the existing guidelines for using such photos and whether the PM has now become the brand ambassador of Reliance. Disclaimer: Im not accusing the PM or Reliance Jio of anything. Im curious about the ethics & protocol involved in using photo of the PM. Nishant Gambhir (@madnish30) September 2, 2016 Last year, when Bandhan Bank was inaugurated to provide loans to small-scale business, a photo of President Pranab Mukherjee was used. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Militants units shelled Ukrainian military positions 11 times on Thursday, September 1, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not return fire, the press center of the headquarters of Kyiv's army operation said. "The militants opened fire on positions of Ukrainian units 11 times in the past day: eight violations of the 'regime of quiet' were recorded in the Donetsk region and three near the city of Mariupol," the headquarters said on Facebook on Friday. In particular, militants forces used anti-tank grenade launchers against Troitske and Nevelske in the Donetsk region. Automatic grenade launchers, large-caliber machineguns and small arms were fired on Ukrainian military positions near Avdiyivka. The militia also fired small arms on Luhanske and Verkhnetoretske. Ukrainian positions in the vicinity of Maryinka and Hranytne, located near the city of Mariupol, came under small arms fire. A "fragile lull" was observed in the Luhansk region, it said. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine are not responding to provocations, are not returning fire and are strictly abiding by the Minsk agreements," the operation headquarters' press center said. Heavy rain in the last week of July flooded parts of Bengaluru, with several lakes overflowing and bringing the city to a standstill. The situation reflected the toll that the IT hub is paying for the haphazard and unplanned growth of the city. The overnight flooding in the low-lying areas such as Kodichikkanahalli and Madivala in South Bengaluru, where hundreds of houses were inundated, woke up officials of both the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Karnataka government. Encroachment of stormwater drains connecting the major lakes of Bengaluru led to the waterlogging. Cut to the first week of August. During a weekend, house owners in some neighbourhoods of the city woke up to find that they may soon not have a roof over their heads. They were gripped by panic. The BBMP had initiated the drive against stormwater drain (SWD) encroachers, unannounced. On the first day of the drive, i.e. on August 6, buildings were demolished in more than 32 locations in three zones of the city corporation. An official count of the exact number of structures razed was not available. Emotions ran high at the demolition sites. House owners were seen pleading with BBMP officials to grant them extra time to vacate while some even got into an altercation. It was a disturbing sight where the houses built with hard-earned money were razed to the ground. Pradeep Rao, a tea vendor who built a modest house at Avani Sringeri near Kodichikkanahalli lake 15 years ago, was devastated to witness his house being demolished right before his eyes. The same day, at Shubh Enclave - a plush layout next to a lake in South-East Bengaluru BBMP demolished around 10 structures allegedly built on stormwater drains. Shubh Enclave is located in an area between two natural water bodies and is built on primary and tertiary stormwater drains, according to BBMP officials. Sudden awakening? Why did the city corporation launch the anti-encroachment drive all of a sudden without even issuing individual notices to property owners unlike in the past? In fact, in areas in South Bengaluru close to the lakes, where houses were demolished, the house owners claimed that though BBMP had surveyed their property several times in the past, every time the officials would assure them that no SWD passes through their land and they were safe. In some other areas, the BBMP had conducted the survey in the last few years and even issued notices to the land owners to vacate the property. But, most of them, sensing danger, would get a stay from the high court once the notice was served, due to which BBMP did not demolish the encroachment. This time it was different. The heavy rain followed by the flooding shook up the government. A BBMP official, who didnt want to be named, said the civic authorities need not issue notices before the eviction drive as the land belongs to the corporation. We, in fact, issued a public notice asking people to vacate the encroached property voluntarily, he said. According to BBMP sources, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, who convened a meeting with the officials following the flood situation, asked them to explain the cause behind the flood. When the officials cited encroachment of drains as the reason, the CM directed BBMP to mercilessly clear all drain encroachments. On what basis did BBMP identify encroachments? That is the question that residents have been asking ever since the demolition drive began. An officer from the Survey and Settlement Department says on condition of anonymity that the department had initiated a survey of stormwater drains in Bengaluru five months ago. The survey was taken up as per the direction of a legislative committee headed by Speaker K B Koliwad that has been working on lake and tank encroachment issues in Bengaluru. The whirlwind survey of drains was finished in a matter of four months. When the chief minister asked the officials if a survey of drains had been made and whether they have the encroachment details, the officials pointed to the survey that we had just finished. So, the CM immediately directed BBMP to demolish the encroachments based on that survey report, said the survey department official. Interestingly, this is not the only survey of stormwater drains conducted in Bengaluru. In 2010, BBMP entrusted a private firm with surveying the stormwater drains in the city. STUP Consultants Private Ltd had prepared a master plan project report for remodelling of stormwater drains in the entire area under BBMP. According to the report, the total length of SWD area in Bengaluru is 840 km. While the report did not give an accurate figure of encroached drains, it did propose solutions to the existing encroachment problem. But the BBMP set aside this report and did not take up the work of remodelling the drains. On the day the anti-encroachment drive began in full swing, BBMP commissioner Manjunath Prasad told the media that of the 840 km of SWD network in the city, more than 340 km had been encroached upon. This is not the first time that we are surveying and clearing the SWD encroachments. The recent and the last surveys have identified 1,923 encroachments of which 822 were cleared in the last two-three years. We have now taken up the eviction of remaining encroachments, he said. Protecting the rich and the famous The BBMP claims to have cleared 200 encroachments since the demolition drive began last month. However, things have taken a different turn now. With the posh malls, tech parks and huge layouts having figured on the list of encroachers, BBMP has now started resurveying the encroached areas. Responding to the allegation that the BBMP is resorting to resurvey to protect the big builders, Bengaluru mayor Manjunath Reddy said the resurvey is being done only to verify the previous survey report. We havent stopped the demolition drive yet. Resurvey and demolition will be carried out simultaneously. Following the waterlogging in some areas, we had to clear the encroachments in sensitive areas immediately. The areas that are currently being re-surveyed are not flood prone, he contended. Despite all this, one question has continued to befuddle ordinary citizens. Many owners who have lost their houses claim to have all the property documents in place; then what was wrong in the system that allowed them to buy encroached property and build a house, knowingly or unwittingly? That we shall know in the next part of this three-part series. This story has been published through an arrangement with Oorvani Foundation/Open Media Initiative. Quietly and unobtrusively, the ideological parent of the BJP - the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is making its mark among the Bihar flood victims. Activists of six RSS affiliates, namely, Sewa Bharati, Ganga Samagrah, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Bajrang Dal, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have fanned out in the states flood-hit districts to provide relief including food, medicines and survival apparatus to the victims. About 11,000 of our workers are in the service of the flood victims. We have reached out to about 66,000 victims so far. We are supplying them food packets and medicines every day, said Amarendra Kumar Singh of the RSS who is in overall charge of relief operations. Our relief efforts are concentrated in marooned, remote villages which we reach by hiring private boats. This is never easy as boats are scarce. However, these are villages the government agencies have not been able to reach, Singh claimed. Its a claim the state government has rubbished. The relief work by the RSS affiliates is in contrast to Bihars main opposition party - the BJP - which is largely perceived to have confined its flood relief activism in the state to pressurising the state government to do more for the victims of the calamity that has affected over 35 lakh people spread across 12 districts of the state. Although assembly elections in Bihar are not due for another four years, the RSS outreach stands to bring it closer to large sections of other backward classes and extremely backward castes, which constitute a bulk of flood victims. These classes were believed to played a big role in deciding the outcome of the November 2015 assembly poll in which the RJD-JD (U)-Congress grand alliance crushed the BJP-led NDA, winning 178 of the 243 assembly seats. No wonder, RSS Singh said the relief efforts by its affiliates were made all the more harder by discouragement from the government machinery. At times our boats laden with relief materials have been seized. At another time, we were told not to use our banner on the relief boats, Singh added. Senior BJP leader Sushil Modi said the government did not want any private agency or party to take credit for the relief work. That is why NGOs have been debarred from visiting government relief camps, he added. Citing another example, Modi said a private body serving food to flood victims at Bakhtiarpur, about 40 km east of Patna, was pulled up by a local officer for serving food on leaf plates instead of stainless steel utensils. They were also warned that a security situation may arise. So they wound up and left, he added. Bihar minister for disaster management Chandra Shekhar hit back, saying if private agencies were allowed in relief camps there would be anarchy. An impression should not gain ground that the government is doing nothing for flood victims, he added. Shekhar said the RSS claim to providing flood relief was just hot air. They are nowhere to be seen. Besides, the union government, controlled by the RSS, is doing nothing for flood victims. Central ministers do aerial surveys and return to Delhi without giving any anything, he rued. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Staff at the office of the Uttar Pradeshs director general of police had a panicked morning when they found a python at the accounts section on Friday. The 12-foot-long snake was spotted by the cleaning staff at around 5:30am. Forest department officials were immediately informed, who captured the serpent and transferred it to the Lucknow zoo within an hour. As panic subsided, officials said the snakes presence was surprising for two reasons first, it was at one of the busiest offices. Second, the place where it was spotted suggested that the snake came up through the stairs. The python might have entered the office during the night as it is the time when there is not much activity. Even the security guards are deployed outside the building, said an official. This is the second python sighting in less than a month. On August 21, a python was spotted by two men at the lake in Butler Palace Colony where they had gone fishing. The colony has residences of top bureaucrats and police officers. After the Taj Mahal and railway station becoming free wi-fi zones in Agra, an auto-rickshaw driver driven by the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava is also providing the facility to passengers getting down at the Agra Cantt railway station. I bought this auto-rickshaw two months ago and wanted to make it a fully equipped vehicle. Tourists have access to free wi-fi on trains and at railway stations but they face connectivity problems while travelling to hotels or monuments says Ifraq Khan, 40, the man behind the idea. This made me keep a wi-fi device in my auto-rickshaw and the idea worked well, for which I have to bear expenses of Rs 500 every month. The satisfaction of my passengers while using the service compensates for the added expense, Khan says adding that even his passengers seem ready to pay extra for the facility. I tell them the password and enable passengers to use the internet, says Khan who recollects a foreign tourists statement This is crazy technology in India. The tourist said this was the first auto rickshaw (with wi-fi facility) he had travelled in, claims Khan who is popularly known as Lalla Bhai in the area. A tourist enjoys a ride in Ifraq Khans wi-fi enabled auto near Taj Mahal. (HT Photo) Khan is driving auto-rickshaw for the past 15 years in the city. This is the third auto he has purchased and holds it as his most precious one. Quite a few tourists who get down at the railway station ask for me as their friends had told them about their experience in my auto-rickshaw Khan says proudly. Athithi Devo Bhava should not remain a slogan, it should be practiced, he believes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Akira Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Konkona Sensharma Director: AR Murugadoss Rating: 1.5/5 Director AR Murugadoss third film after Ghajini and Holiday is an attempt to establish Akira as the new Shiva, the excellent student protagonist in Ram Gopal Varmas 1989 film. But a lousy script, tedious length and over the top acting restrict it from becoming even a patch on it. Akira Sharma (Sonakshi Sinha), explained as gracefully strong, chooses martial arts over dancing when she is 11 years old after realising the value of physical power. A local hero in Jodhpur, Akira decides to come to the big bad world of Mumbai for higher education. This all starts when Sonakshi reaches Mumbai from Jodhpur. Thanks to her habit of standing up to the authorities, she becomes one of the most talked about students in her college. On the other side of the fence, a group of weed smoking cops are taking the law for a ride. Watch: Our FB Live discussion on Akira, Island City They cross paths and Akira unwittingly lands up in a vicious net of deceit, crime and betrayal. Will she punch her way out of this trap? She isnt the one to get scared easily. When a wide-eyed ACP Govind Rane (Anurag Kashyap) informs us about his weed, South ka maal hai, achcha hoga (This stuff is from South, must be good), we take it as a compliment about Murugadoss filmography. He scares a college professor, subordinates, pavement dwellers, students, a dubious woman, two of her allies - basically anyone who comes within his sight. Watch: Sonakshi Sinha in a song from Akira He is up against a woman of substance, but the weak build-up cools off the heat. Maintaining the tradition of popular South Indian action films, Murugadoss relies on one-liners and the populist behaviour of its characters. Lacking any novelty in the story, he ends up putting Sonakshi Sinha in the situations faced by her male counterparts in countless number of films. The menacing ACP knows the tricks of the trade. Projected as a womans fight against injustice, Akira has many loose threads. Characters keep appearing and disappearing without any justification, and thats probably not a good thing to happen in a 138-minute film. The scenes keep changing without establishing anything. The audience is taken from the college dungeons to the headmasters house to mental asylums in search of a clue, but they dont get any. Akira isnt an out and out action film. In fact, the makers are too concerned about making it look like a family drama. Lacklustre supporting cast and depthless writing make it even duller. Despite some shots of acid attack survivors and specially-abled children, Akira fails to evoke any solid emotion. Watch: Sonakshi Sinha in Akira trailer Interact with Rohit Vats at Twitter/@nawabjha ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dont Breathe Director - Fede Alvarez Cast - Jane Levy, Dylan Minette, Daniel Zovatto, Stephen Lang Rating - 4/5 Rare is the film that grips you from the very first shot, but thats exactly what Dont Breathe does. There was blood. There was a body. There was a monster. And no one was breathing. Dont Breathe, the new film by Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez is a beast of a movie its tight, relentlessly thrilling, fiendishly clever, and for its audience, its one of the most satisfying films of the year. The plot can only get you so far in films like this, so it helps that Dont Breathe is a stunner. Everything from the enticing premise to the pitch perfect execution there isnt much wrong with this movie - and God does it feel good to say that. Speaking of the premise, I advise you to watch this movie cold. The less you know about it the better. In fact, if youre overly finicky about even the slightest spoilers, wait till youve seen the movie before reading on. Not that there are going to be spoilers, but sometimes, simply knowing that there is going to be a twist is distracting enough. Read more movie reviews here But for those of you who dont mind an extra detail or two, heres a brief tease of the set up: Three young thieves get tipped off about a big score. Their mark is an army vet with close to $300,000 in cash hidden somewhere in his house, where he happens to live alone. Also, hes blind. Like stealing candy from a baby, right? Yes, theyre thieves. Yes, theyre robbing a blind man. But you really want them to escape. Wrong. So very, very wrong. Very soon after they break in, they begin to lose control of the situation. The mark (a menacing Stephen Lang), it is revealed, is an unstoppable force of nature. He is like a Lion ruling his domain. He sniffs them out, he stalks them. He locks them in his lair, and then, when they are trapped, he hunts them. And all this while, no one was breathing. At just two films old and especially with this one Fede Alvarez is showing signs of greatness. Not only is he a terrific genre filmmaker, he is a terrific filmmaker, period. He plays the audience like a fiddle. If someone were to take the time, Im sure they would find that this film is paced with such scientific precision that it almost makes it seem as if Alvarez is controlling his audience from behind one of those control panels from The Cabin in the Woods. Read The Conjuring 2 review: A louder, overlong carbon copy of the original It doesnt take long for things to go wrong in Dont Breathe. Its a compact little thriller with big scares. It is possibly too early to tell, but if there is one bad habit that Fede Alvarez keeps defaulting to, its gore. His first film, the remake of Sam Raimis cult classic Evil Dead was eye-gougingly gruesome, but it was all warranted. In Dont Breathe, Alvarez creates an atmosphere. He builds suspense, which, in my opinion, is always the way to go. But he always relieves tension with an act of violence. Yes, there are jump scares, but not the idiotic kind. He even finds time for social commentary. Dont Breathe works just as well as as a chronicle of a decaying city: Detroit. Read: Dont Breathe: 5 things you should know about one of 2016s scariest films This isnt just any old home invasion thriller, even though it owes a great debt to classics like The Last House on the Left, Straw Dogs or Panic Room. It takes the conventions of the genre and doesnt so much flip them on their head as it shoots them in the face. Point blank. It understands the limitations of the genre and works wonders within them. Stephen Lang does a brilliant job at conveying his characters quick thinking with very few words. He is a clinical killer. Aside from just a handful of films like The Purge, Youre Next and Knock Knock, the home invasion thriller is a dying subgenre of horror films. But Dont Breathe ahem breathes new life into it. Every moment is earned. How often do you find yourself screaming at the screen while watching a horror movie, in disbelief at the characters stupidity? But here, it all makes sense. For there to even be a movie, the trio of thieves must be kept confined within the playground, and in a pleasant surprise, there isnt a single decision they make here that you wouldnt make yourself which is incredibly refreshing after watching dozens of those dumb blondes who go down to the basement all alone while a killer is on the loose. Dont Breathe is several horror movies rolled into one: Its a home invasion thriller, its a slasher, its a suspense drama. And quickly, before we wrap up, just one more thing. About midway through the film, a certain plot development happens that significantly alters the movie. Be warned, what follows is so gleefully twisted, it might take the best of you by surprise. It was nasty, deranged and very violent. There was blood. There was a body. There was a monster. And I promise you, no one was breathing. Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @NaaharRohan ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop DONT BREATHE Direction: Fede Alvarez Actors: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette Rating: 4 / 5 This home-invasion thriller has more scares than all the supernatural horror films of James Wan put together. Cleverly inverting the premise of the vintage Audrey Hepburn-starrer Wait Until Dark (1967), Uruguay-born filmmaker Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, 2013) forgoes splatter sensationalism to concentrate on suspense and surprises. Working from a rigorous script co-authored with Rodo Sayagues, the director confines the action of Dont Breathe almost entirely to a rundown house in an abandoned Detroit neighbourhood. Creaking floorboards, the ringtone of a cellphone and a snarling Rottweiler are used to chilling effect. The owner of the house (Stephen Lang) is an Iraq war veteran gone blind. Three teenage friends (Levy, Minnette, Daniel Zovatto) in the habit of breaking and entering rich peoples houses decide to target him because rumour has it he has hundreds of thousands of dollars stashed in his safe. After all, they reason, how hard can it be to rob a sightless middle-aged man? They find out soon enough, as an ever-accelerating cat-and-mouse game unfolds. Read: Stephen Lang on what it took to play a blind man Trapped in the dungeon-like basement of the house, the burglars eventually make a discovery so shocking that you can no longer empathise with any of the characters. Since loud breathing can attract the attention of the sound-sensitive army man, the intruders and often the viewer too end up holding their breath. Creaking wooden floorboards, the ringtone of a cellphone and a snarling Rottweiler are used to chilling effect. Even the recurring passages of pin-drop silence generate edge-of-the-seat dread. Since loud breathing can attract the attention of the sound-sensitive army man, the intruders and more often than not, the viewer comply with the titular admonition. In addition to Alvarezs savvy storytelling skills, fluid camerawork courtesy Pedro Luque, an effectively eerie music score, and powerful performances particularly from Lang, contribute in making Dont Breathe one of the more disturbing frightmares of the year so far. Highly recommended for the strong of stomach and not easily terrified. Watch the trailer for Dont Breathe ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Island City Cast: Vinay Pathak, Amruta Subhash, Tanishtha Chatterjee Director: Ruchika Oberoi Rating: 3.5/5 Ruchika Oberois multiple award-winning film is a tale of people who have become islands in themselves. They live, exist and operate within a city, yet their world is absolutely cut off from the hustle and bustle around them. They keep walking in search of one soft voice, one touching emotion, one driving sentiment, but the silos are too tough to break out from. Island City is weirdly funny, sarcastic and tragic. You have met these people in real world, maybe you are one of them. A collection of three stories, it puts on display the paradoxes of a metropolitan life. Oberoi has set it in Mumbai, but it could be any megapolis. The fun committee Suyash Chaturvedi (Vinay Pathak) is a robot-like worker in a multinational. He wakes up, eats, goes to job, comes back, sleeps, and then repeats the whole process the next day. Mindlessly competitive with the rest of the lot, he looks depressed and purposeless. A newly formed committee suggests Suyashs company to allow the better performing workers a day of absolute fun in order to de-stress them. Suyash tries to avoid it, but is forced to have fun. After all, you have to give your best to an MNC. Vinay Pathak is a treat to watch in island City. Its bizarre to see his boss threatening Chaturvedi to enjoy even when he wants to return to work. From being treated royally at a spa to licking a candy on a joyride, he appears like a dog chasing his own tail. Purushhotam Jee An ill tampered patriarch is in the hospital, and his family thinks that buying a new television may bring some joy to their dull lives. Soon they get hooked to a show called Purushhottam about a virtuous son, husband and brother. But, things may go back to their old set-up when the tyrannical man returns home. After Raman Raghav 2.0, Amruta Subhash impresses in this one too. Amruta Subhash, who brilliantly played Nawazuddin Siddiquis sister in Raman Raghav 2.0, makes this story an emotional roller-coaster. The ethereal presence of a popular TV character around her makes it even more interesting, but you soon start feeling bad for her. However, you are yet to see the worst which happens in the third story. The pink letter Jignesh (Chandan Roy Sanyal) is a foul mouthed mechanic who wants to marry Aarti (Tanishtha Chatterjee), a factory worker, because sundar ladki dhoondne ka time kis ke paas hai (who has the time to search for a beautiful girl). One day, Aarti receives a letter which talks about her soul and hidden desires. The sensible writer wins her over, and she recalls the art of smiling. She writes back and many letters are exchanged through an unknown PO Box. But Aarti doesnt know what she has signed up for. This may change her life and thought process forever. Tanishtha is an actor with a large heart. She excels again. All three stories are about dominant men, violence on the soul and the anxiety of being trapped. These characters are not in love with their situations, but the willingness to break the glass ceiling needs an external force. It doesnt happen on its own. Conditioned to accept things as they are, all three protagonists sleepwalk through their mundane lives. Read other movie reviews here Every section has a shocking end and thats cherry on the cake. Oberoi has woven the story in an intriguing manner where you laugh over the absurdities, but also sympathize with the actors. A lonely urban life is the recurring theme, but Island City comments on other topics such as the MNC work culture, womens emancipation, stress management as well. Watch: Trailer of Island City The most effective story is the last one featuring Tanishtha. When it comes to acting, its a battle among equals with Amruta Subhash a shade better than the others. Island City is well paced, nuanced and to the point. Watch it for the sake of good cinema. Interact with Rohit Vats at twitter/@nawabjha Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 1) Art: Given Time: The Gift and Its Offerings:12 renowned artists (including Jitish Kallat, Anita Dube and Shaurya Kumar ) are showing works inspired by philosopher Jacques Derridas theory on gifting. Where: One Indiabulls Centre, Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone Road; Call: 3368 5424; Entry: Free; When: 11am to 7pm Artwork by Nikhil Chopra (Photo: Aalok Soni/HT) 2) Workshop: Found in Translation: Writer, poet and translator Jerry Pinto will share the challenges he faced, and the knowledge required, to translate a work from one language to another, while keeping the essence of the text intact. Where: Godrej ONE, Vikhroli (E); Register on: indiaculturelab.org/events; When: 5pm (Jerry Pinto) 3) Art: The Spiritual Quest: Artists Dattatraya Thombare and Charushila Gawde will portray human emotions, and recurring dreams of elephants, on canvas. Where: Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli; Call: 98227 79395; Entry: Free; When: 11am to 7pm Artwork by Charushila Gawde Saturday, Septermber 3 4) Photography: Kamalan x Blue Tokai Bombay: Enjoy an evening of poetry and photographs. Narrate your own spoken word piece on travel, or listen to others. Photos curated from the Kamalan Travel Photography Project will be displayed. Where: Blue Tokai Coffee Roastery, Laxmi Woollen Mill, Shakti Mills Lane, Mahalakshmi; Call: 97114 65001; When: 5pm; Entry: Free A photograph from the Kamalan Travel Photography Project 5) Film: World Film Club: Attend a screening of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), in which a not-so-lucky inventor turns a broken Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle, and takes his children off on an adventure to save their grandfather. Where: Little Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point; Call: 2367 9656; When: 2pm to 6pm 6) Workshop: Food Photography 101: Not enough likes on your Instagram? Learn to click food photos with a professional touch. This workshop will include lessons on lighting, exposure triangle, composition and importance of food styling. Where: Magazine Street Kitchen, Gala no 13, Devidayal Compound, Gupta Mills Estate, Reay Road; Call: 2372 6708; Price: Rs 3000; When: 10am to 2pm Learn how to professional-looking photographs of food 7) Food: Japanese Pop up Dinner: This weekend, settle down for a nine-course Japanese meal (which includes sushi, ramen and wagashi) whipped up by chefs Ronak Nanda and Jahan Bloch. Where: Magazine Street Kitchen, Gala no 13, Devidayal Compound, Gupta Mills Estate, Reay Road; Call: 2372 6708; Price: Rs 4,500; When: 7:30pm Savour a Japanese meal this weekend SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 8) Workshop: Growing Organic Fruits in Pots: Grow some fresh fruits on your terrace or balcony, and make your own green patch in this concrete jungle. Learn the basics as well as some simple hacks at this workshop. Where: St. Andrews Auditorium, St Andrews College, St Domnic Road, Bandra (W); Call: 9960 643245; When: 10am to 1pm; Price: Rs 1,400 Chikoo growing in a pot 9) Theatre: Barff: This Hindi thriller play is set in Kashmir, and chronicles the happenings of a single night. Directed by Saurabh Shukla, it stars Sadia Siddiqui and Sunil Palwal. Where: Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli; Call: 2492 0510; Ticket: Rs 200 onwards; When: 7:30pm A still from Barff 10) Workshop: Travel Workshop about Japan: Always wanted to visit Japan? Avid traveller Ansoo Gupta will share everything you need to know, including applying for leave, economical stay options, and driving license requirements. Where: Doolally Taproom, August Kranti Marg, Kemps Corner; Call: 99693 60726; Ticket: Rs 500; When: 11.30am Ansoo Gupta in Japan Starting October 1, the civic body will repair and reconstruct around 350km of roads across the city at an approximate cost of Rs2,000 crore. This will be first major project taken up after last years road scam. A police investigation against the contractors and civic officials is currently underway. As many as 891 roads in the island city, western and eastern suburbs will be taken up for reconstruction and repairs, including concrete and asphalt work. For the first time, 120 traffic junctions will be the BMCs primary focus. After the road scam was unearthed, civic chief Ajoy Mehta took several steps to prevent shoddy work by contractors. This includes a revision in contract conditions to ensure contractors do not cheat and individuals are held responsible for shoddy work. Further, a standard operating procedure has been issued for civic officials to monitor road construction work to maintain quality, said senior civic officials. We have already initiated action against those found responsible for irregularities. It should send a clear signal to everybody that we are taking the road work seriously and quality construction is expected, said Mehta. A majority of the 891 roads will be from the western suburbs 403 roads and 45 junctions will be taken up from Bandra to Dahisar. BMC officials said 204 roads and 52 junctions will be taken up in the island city and 284 roads and 25 junctions in the eastern suburbs. For the first time, the civic body is also paying special attention to traffic junctions. More than 120 traffic junctions will be repaired and rebuilt. At most of these junctions, the road was surfaced with paver blocks, which meant the road was either uneven or there were potholes badly affecting traffic. We are planning to rebuild them in a better way, said a senior official. This should be the beginning of a no-nonsense way of building roads in Mumbai, he said. The flip side is that several roads will be partly closed for traffic, adding to the citys existing traffic woes. It will coincide with the festival season and the construction of the Colaba-Seepz metro at several places. We will try to minimize the inconvenience, said Mehta. The BMC will ask the Mumbai traffic police for permission to work 24x7 to finish the project as soon as possible. It is also planning to use new material to repair and reconstruct cement-concrete roads so that the newly built roads will dry faster and roads need not be blocked for a longer period. This new material will help us open up concrete roads for vehicular traffic within eight to 10 days instead of 28 days. This new technology will dry faster than concrete, said an official from the civic roads department. However, the material is slightly more expensive. It is worth trying because a little bit more money will help us minimise the inconvenience faced by motorists, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has expressed gratitude for the U.S. imposition of sanctions against 37 individuals and entities involved in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. "Another 37 individuals and companies involved in the Russian aggression against Ukraine and Crimean occupation are under sanctions. I am genuinely grateful to American partners for this important step of solidarity with Ukraine," the president wrote on his Facebook page. Poroshenko also stressed the importance of sanctions against Russia: "Russia as an aggressor state should feel the price for any flagrant violation of international rule of law - the occupation of foreign territory, unleashing a hybrid war in the heart of Europe and the murder of thousands of innocent people." President of Ukraine expressed hope that the international partners, "first of all, the European Union," will extend sectoral sanctions against Russia and will strengthen them in the event of an escalation of the conflict. As reported, on Thursday, U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) supplemented the list of sectoral sanctions due to the conflict in Donbas against a number of individuals and companies. "Today's actions are part of ongoing efforts of OFAC to counter attempts to circumvent sanctions against Russia by means of the private sector in the implementation of the sanctions, as well as to promote a diplomatic solution for the conflict in Ukraine," the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported. According to the document, the extension of sanctions "demonstrates commitment of the U.S. Treasury Department to obligations on maintaining sanctions as long as Russia does not fully comply with its obligations under the Minsk agreements, including a comprehensive ceasefire, the withdrawal of all weapons and military personnel and Ukraines regain control over the territory within its internationally recognized borders." The names of 17 persons have been added to the list, including Eduard Basurin. The latter group includes some 20 companies, in particular: Giprostroimost, Mostotrest, Sovmortrans, Glavgosekspertiza Rossii, Koksokhimtrans, Sovfrakht and other companies. Close on the heels of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Devendra Fadnavis-led government on Friday announced a slew of proposed changes to the citys development control regulation, offering a windfall for the suburbs, promising to hasten redevelopment of old buildings. In the first major political event before the 2017 polls, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared stage with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, in one of Mumbais largest suburbs, Ghatkopar, also Housing Minister Prakash Mehtas constituency, and unveiled a new housing policy. The announcements catered to the redevelopment of old dilapidated buildings in the suburbs, buildings of the state housing authority, transit camps and slums sprawled on the key land of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Fadnavis said, Mumbais suburbs are rife with problems, but the most major one is that the common man is scared about leaving his house (for redevelopment). He fears that once he leaves his home, he will never get it back. But, we are committed to our promise of giving this common man relief. For starters, the chief minister said the government plans to adopt the recommendations of the Dinesh Afzalpurkar committee, which was set up in 2008, and extend the incentives offered for the redevelopment of old tenanted buildings in the island city, to the suburbs as well. Currently, for the redevelopment of old tenanted buildings in the island city, the state government offers a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 3, or that required for the rehabilitation of tenants and minimum incentive of 50 percent that increases with the plot size, whichever is higher. There are about 14,000 such buildings in the island city, known as cessed structures, as residents are required to pay a cess to the state housing authority for their upkeep. However, there are no incentives offered to similar buildings in the suburbs. Redevelopment of these decrepit buildingsabout 10,000 as per the chief ministers estimateshas been slow with the structures eligible for a maximum FSI of 2. This is the same as offered for the redevelopment of any other suburban building, coercing developers to stay away from dealing with the complexities of tenanted buildings without any additional perks. Giving in to another long-pending demand from a section of the suburban residents, Fadnavis gave his commitment to rehabilitate eligible slum dwellers squatting on airport land on the same site instead of moving them to another location. After years of protests from the slum dwellers, the erstwhile Congress-NCP government had originally given this commitment in its dying days, by proposing to notify a change in the development control regulations and inviting suggestions and objections on it. The move will benefit 90,000 families occupying 276 acres of land within the severely space-constrained airport. Attempting to give momentum to the stalled revamp of decrepit buildings of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), the Fadnavis government has also decided to bring back the option of letting developers pay a monetary premium to the authority for plots smaller than 2,000 sqm. Overall, FSI for MHADA buildings redevelopment has also been raised to 4. Developers using an FSI of up to 3 can pay a premium. However, if any additional FSI is being consumed, they will have to share housing stock with MHADA, Fadnavis said. Originally, developers undertaking the redevelopment of old MHADA buildings were required to shell out either a monetary premium or a certain portion of the newly-created housing stock as part of the revamp. However, to boost its dwindling stock of affordable houses, in 2010, MHADA decided to end the practice of accepting a premium and made it compulsory for any developer wanting to redevelop a MHADA building to share housing stock, ringing a death knell for the redevelopment of its colonies. Besides, Fadnavis also announced a scheme to regularize 8,448 illegal residents squatting across 56 transit camps of MHADA that are originally meant to accommodate residents of cessed buildings under redevelopment. The BJP-led government has proposed a deposit of Rs 50,000 and a monthly rent of Rs 6,000 for all such residents, with a 10 percent increase every year, and has also promised to incorporate them under its ambitious housing for all mission to give them permanent houses. After three youths at Ulhasnagar got electrocuted on Monday night, when an electric wire fell on the plastic-covered Ganesh idol they were taking in a trolley, Jai Mata Di mandal immersed the Idol at Ganesh Ghat in Kalyan and decided not to celebrate the festival. While two of the boys Hitesh Krushnalal Talreja, 20,and Hitesh Hareshlal Sachdev, 20 died, one of them identified as Kumar suffered injuries and was discharged after first aid. On Monday the Jai Mata Di mandal from Ulhasnagar took the15ft idol from Parels Ganpati workshop and headed to Ulhasnagar. A person from Jai Mata Di mandal said, We were heading to Dashera Maidan, which was just few metres away, when the Ganesh idol touched an electricity wire. As the Ganesh idol was covered in plastic, mandal members Talreja and Sachdev sitting on the trolley got electrocuted and the other person was thrown aside. Another member rushed all three of them to the hospital where two were declared dead. He further added, Both who died were in college and Talreja was his parents only child. The mandal held a meeting and decided not to celebrate the festival. So, instead of taking the idol to pandal, we took to Ganesh Ghat and immersed it. A man from Parel workshop said, We have alerted other mandals about it and asked them to take precaution. The JMD mandal from Ulhasnagar is a very enthusiastic lot and such a news must have struck them badly. Investigation officer, P Khade from central police station said, After the incident, the group decided to immerse the idol at Ganesh Ghat in Kalyan on late Tuesday night. We have lodged a an ADR (accidental death) case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An eight-year-old girl died of a snakebite at her house at Madhuban Bapudham colony in Ghaziabad early Thursday morning. The snake, five-foot long cobra, was spotted inside her house and later relocated to a forest. Khushi was the youngest of her eight siblings. The incident took place around 4.30am when Khushi, who studied in Class 4, was sleeping on the floor along with her siblings. She started screaming when she saw the bite mark on her hand. The five-foot snake, suspected to be a cobra, was spotted inside her house and later relocated to a forest. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo) Since it is summer, children sleep on the floor. We thought it was a rat. There are lot of rats here. For nearly one and half hours we consoled her, but her condition deteriorated and her hand turned blue, said Tika Ram, her father. A doctor from our locality saw her and said it could be a snakebite. We searched the house and found the black snake on an almirah. Shocked, we ran out with all family members and locked the room from outside. The girl was taken to Muradnagar, but she died, he said. #Ghaziabad: Minor girl dies after snake-bite; Cobra caught from house and released in jungle @htTweets @htnoidagzb pic.twitter.com/i9FgnkRZbn Peeyush Khandelwal (@journalistpk73) September 2, 2016 Sheelesh Kumar, Kavi Nagar station house officer, said: By the time we got the information, the girl had died. The forest department and animal rights activists captured the snake. One of the activists said it took more than an hour to capture the five-feet long reptile. It was a cobra. The residential area is surrounded by dense vegetation and snakes usually move around in the rainy season, said Asif Shehzad, range forest officer from the divisional forest department, Ghaziabad. The girls parents said the body was buried on Thursday evening. It was second death in the family as few years back Khushis sister had died of health ailments at their native house in Bulandshahr. Read more: Ghaziabad highrises security fined Rs. 20,000 for killing a cobra SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faction supporting sacked Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur broke away on Friday, vowing to work against the Delhi-led AAP and ending any possibility of the estranged leaders return. Chhotepur, say sources, is expected to join the fourth front floated by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Pargat Singh and the Ludhiana-based MLAs Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh. He will provide it an organisational structure to the outfit. Seven of the 13 zone coordinators of the AAP announced the split during a press conference here. We are AAP Punjab and have nothing to do with the party led by Arvind Kejriwal, said JS Dhaliwal, zone coordinator, Anandpur Sahib. He said Chhotepur will soon announce AAP Punjab candidates for the elections. AAP CHAPTER OVER On joining the fourth front, Chhotepur said he will go by the wish of his supporters. I am not going back to AAP. That chapter is over, he said. He agreed if splinter groups do not unite, it will help the Akalis by dividing the anti-incumbency vote. Also read | We dont need media: Journos chased out of AAPs Punjab rally as Mann loses it He is visiting Golden Temple on Saturday before starting a 10-day tour of the state on September 6. Reacting to Kejriwals video message labelling him corrupt, Chhotepur said, Its the other way round. Did I bungle funds? No, because the party didnt give me any funds. Punjab leaders collected funds and gave them to the Delhi leaders working under Kejriwal. Where did that money go? Can Kejriwal explain who pays for his trips to Punjab? AAP or the Delhi government? What about his flights? Is he an aam aadmi? he said. IN PROTEST MODE AAP Punjab faction members will be holding protests during Kejriwals visit to Punjab on September 10 and 11. We will show black flags and ask him to go back. Punjab is only for Punjabis, said Gurinder Singh Bajwa, zone coordinator, Amritsar. Must read | AAP donation graph in Punjab falling Appealing to supporters to stop donations to AAP, Bajwa said the hard-earned money of NRIs was being wasted by Delhi leaders on luxuries. Despite there being an office-cum-residence of the party in Amritsar, Durgesh Pathak (national organisation building head) stayed with his team in a grand hotel for a week. The party paid for it, he said. Dr HS Cheema, the Jalandhar zone coordinator, said: There will be protests against 52 outsiders that the Delhi AAP leadership has appointed in Punjab as conduits to deal in tickets and positions. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Centre on Thursday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that the Chandigarh international airport will have a parallel CAT-III B facility compliant runway (which help aircraft operation in zero visibility during fog). No time-frame has been given. The quality of a runway is determined by the runway visual range. It is the distance over which a pilot of an aircraft can see the runway surface during foggy weather conditions. CAT-II lighting system is required for RVR above 300 m (moderate fog). CAT-IIIB- lighting system is required when RVR is 46 m or less, also called zero visibility. Assistant solicitor general Chetan Mittal said, Certain Indian Air Force (IAF) installations or assets will require removal or demolition. These installations are indispensable for operational reasons. Hence, present runway cant be upgraded to CAT-IIIB facility, he said. The old runway would remain CAT-II compliant, operational in moderate fog conditions (runway visibility of around 300 m). NO TO INCREASE IN OPERATIONS The Central government has also told the court that, for now, watch-hour facility cannot be extended beyond 10pm on weekdays and 8 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Two-hour relaxation on Saturday and Sunday is considered crucial to match with other IAF operational commitments, the court was told. Previously, the Centre had promised watch-hour facility up to midnight. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said no to providing manpower for extending watch hours, contradicting its earlier stand in the HC where it had stated that it could give manpower, provided the government allowed it, since nod from the IAF was required. The IAF has said the facility could be extended only after 2018. OLD RUNWAY TO BE RE-CARPETED The court was told that for existing runway resurfacing, tender would be issued by September 30. However, no deadline was given. Earlier, the Centre had told the court that it would try and complete the project within one year. On Thursday, the court was miffed over the dillydallying tactics of the government and the delay in operations of international flights, an year after inauguration. At one point, the bench of justice SS Saron and justice Lisa Gill observed that Centre was treating states and high courts like its colonies; and lamented that the air force too had buckled under pressure. The petitioner, Mohali Industries Associations, counsel Puneet Bali said that it was a national shame that manpower for extension of watch hours for the next two years was not available when training could be given in 15 months. We are not interested in international operation anymore. Now, we want prosecution of those who have delayed the project, the HC bench observed adding, When officials from Delhi are in HC they say something else, but by the time they cross the Kundli border, they get back in Delhi mode, the HC bench observed on civil aviation secretarys appearance in HC and his claims of having infrastructure at city airport well in time. Later, Indian Air Force officials were called in and they apprised the court on various aspects of airport in the in-camera proceedings. The hearing would resume on Friday. Protest after a road accident, in which a labourer was killed, took an ugly turn in the Focal Point area of Ludhiana on Thursday night when a group of transporters allegedly opened fire on agitators, leading to the death of another labourer. Tension gripped the area after Vishwanath Sahu, 32, of Fouji Colony was crushed by a loaded tractor-trailer. The driver took shelter at a steel factory in order to escape the ire of protesters who were chasing him. An agitated worker pelting stones on the transporters. (Gurminder Singh/HT Photo) The owner of the vehicle and other transporters also reached the spot. As they were talking with the labourers and the family of the deceased, the protesters started hurling stones at them. The transporters also took shelter in the steel factory. The protesters damaged the tractor-trailer after the vehicle owner refused to pay `30 lakh compensation to Vishwanaths family. In retaliation, the transporters opened fire on the protesters from inside the factory, killing a worker on the spot. The transporters firing at the protesters at Focal Point in Ludhiana on Thursday. (HT Photo) Ludhiana deputy commissioner of police Dhruman Nimble said tractor driver Hikmat Chand had been arrested and four others had been rounded up. A murder case had been registered against transport company owner Major Jeet Singh. Bodies of both the persons were sent to the civil hospital for post-mortem. Focal Point station house officer Harjinder Singh said: We have not arrested Major Singh so far as fired bullets in self-defence. The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) to explain the false statement by a cop that had led it to deny pre-arrest bail to a Tarn Taran man. Observing that it was a question of the life and liberty of a citizen, the bench of justice TS Dhindsa also asked the SSP to produce record of the police officials on court duty. Tarn Taran man Tarun Arora was booked in a drug and arms case in 2014. In 2015, he moved the high court for pre-arrest bail. In December 2015, the court asked police to not to arrest him and told him to secure interim bail from a trial court. However, during resumed hearing in January 2016, assistant subinspector (ASI) Gurjeet Singh submitted that Arora had not appeared before court. So, his plea was dismissed. He filed again for bail and submitted that false statement had denied him. For evidence, he produced the trial court order of the said date. When police were asked to respond, deputy superintendent of police Harpal Singh claimed that since ASI Jagbans Singh, not Gurjeet Singh, had attended court in January, the latter was unaware of the details and so had made a wrong statement. The court observed that first the state denied what was recorded in the order and now it wanted the court to believe the other-cop story. To top it all, when the matter was taken up on August 30, the officer deputed was unaware of the case status. The matter has been posted for September 29. With scores of attacks being reported against Sikhs abroad, especially in the West, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to reach out to governments and people in other countries to point out that Sikhs should not be confused with Muslims. With anti-Islam and anti-Muslim sentiment in some western countries, particularly the United States, Britain and countries in Europe, on the rise following a spate of terrorist incidents carried out by fundamentalist and radical Muslim groups, it is the Sikh community which is also being targeted out of ignorance. We are going to publish lakhs of brochures in which we will explain what the Sikh religion is and how it is different from Islam. We will also point out that Sikhs should not be confused with Muslims, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said. To create awareness among people in other countries about Sikhs, the SGPC will distribute the Identification Brochures in these countries through Indian embassies and other institutions. Makkar said the Sikhs were being targeted as they were being mistaken as Muslims or Arabs. Our identity is different from Muslims. Our thinking and ideology is different. Our customs are different, our appearance is different. Westerners, despite being intelligent, cannot differentiate between Sikhs and Muslims. I am surprised at this, Makkar said. The brochures will contain all information about identification of Sikhs, their culture and values. These will be sent to all Indian embassies for further distribution in the respective countries. Brochures will also be sent to governments of these countries, Makkar said. The SGPC is planning to distribute the brochures to millions of people who come to the Sikh shrines. A large number of devotees to these shrines are non-resident Indians (NRIs) and foreigners. Just four days (September 15) after the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks in New York by Al-Qaeda operatives, a 49-year-old gas station owner, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was shot dead by a paranoid American in Arizona. This was followed by an attack on a gurdwara (Sikh temple) by miscreants in November 2001 in New Yorks Palermo area. Since then, hundreds of hate crimes against Sikhs, including the shooting at the gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in August 2012, have been reported from different parts of the world. According to Sikh Coalition, a forum for Sikhs, in the months following 9/11, over 300 incidents of hate crimes against Sikhs were reported. However, not all Sikhs are gung-ho about the SGPC move. It is too little, too late; 9/11 happened 15 years back. What is the reason for waking up now? Sikhs in other countries may be suffering due to identity confusion but they can take care of themselves. Many Sikhs, especially the younger generation, do not sport turbans and beards. Discrimination, based on religious identity is a reality in other countries. The SGPC move is hardly going to help, Harman Singh, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, told IANS. The SGPC, which manages gurdwaras in Punjab and some other states and has an annual budget of Rs 1,200 crore ($180 million), is supposed to the custodian of Sikh religious affairs. Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh has told the party legislators to throw their weight behind leader of opposition Charanjit Singh Channi in the Vidhan Sabha session starting on September 8. It is to caution them not to abandon him like last time. Amarinder briefed them at the state Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting here on Thursday. It is our last session, he told the media later, and I have advised the CLP leader to make it count by raising crucial issues in the House. In the previous assembly session, an isolated Channi had a struggling initiation as CLP leader. At the CLP meeting, Ferozepur legislator Parminder Pinky got up to object over the venue, Channis house. A few senior leaders were concerned immediately but the MLA who had a spat with Channi inside the CLP office at the Vidhan Sabha in the last session claimed no such thing happened. Captain asked previous state CLP leader Sunil Jakhar to share his wisdom and experience with Channi, who took over as leader of the opposition earlier this year. The CLP will meet again to shortlist the issues for the four-day session. The issues are many farm debt, the poor not getting the benefits of blue card and other schemes, Amarinder told the media. He said the MLAs had their respective issues but the session was too short to raise all. Nearly 40 of 46 Congress legislators, besides the partys Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary attended the meeting. Amarinders wife, Preneet Kaur; former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and MLAs Karan Kaur Brar (Muktsar), Ajit Inder Singh Mofar (Sardulgarh), and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha) were notable absentees. The next CLP meeting is likely after the obituary references on the first day of the session. Meanwhile, Amarinder clarified that viral fever had kept him away from the death anniversary function of former chief minister Beant Singh on Wednesday. It was in reaction to the news reports that highlight his absence from the event. Raging bulls claimed life of an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) on Sahnewal-Kohara road on Wednesday evening. The raging bulls pushed him on the main road, after which a speeding truck ran over him leaving him dead. The victim, ASI Tarlok Singh (45), was returning back from Punjab and Haryana High court, Chandigarh, following hearing of a case. The Sahnewal police have initiated an investigation in the case. The body has been handed over to the family after conducting the post mortem. A resident of Khanpur village, Singh was deputed at Focal Point police station. Inspector Hardeep Singh, SHO at police station Sahnewal, said ASI found traffic jam near Kohara following which he turned his car towards Sahnewal. He stopped on a roadside eatery for tea. Meanwhile, two raging bulls struck there. The ASI tried to escape, but he was not so fortunate. The bulls hit him, following which he fell on the main road and a speeding truck ran over him. The SHO said that the police have been investigating about the role of truck driver in the incident. The first Ukraine National Police Office on ensuring Human Rights began operating in Kyiv on Friday, the Ukrainian National Police Chief Khatia Dekanoidze has said. "Such representatives will operate in almost all regional centers. We do not have the resources yet for existing of such a police ombudsman in every small district department, but they have been instructed they should monitor the whole situation in the region," she said while visiting the newly established Office on ensuring Human Rights in Kyiv. According to Dekanoidze, National Police ombudsman will locally monitor the observance of human rights. "Police ombudsman is authorized to check the situation in detention centers at any time," Dekanoidze said. National Police Chief informed that the recruitment for this structure has started, the relevant trainings and drills were conducted. She also informed that she set the task for the territorial bodies chiefs of the Ukrainian National Police, so that they will personally monitor the situation in the regional police stations of medium and small cities. "If I find the regional police department, which has not been attended by the chief of the National Police Main Department, this man will resign from his post," Dekanoidze assured. Discord in the AAP in Punjab gained traction after the party declared two lists of candidates. And it came to a boil after Sucha Singh Chhotepur was removed as state convener. Heres a round-up of incidents that stand testimony to that. Read: AAP workers have strong objections on 1 or 2 names: Chhotepur NAWANSHAHR: CAPS, KEJRI EFFIGY BURNT Rebel AAP workers led by former local party leader Ashwani Joshi protested against party convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by burning his effigy and the partys caps on Chandigarh Road on Thursday. Joshi, who claims to have been shortlisted for the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat in 2014, said Kejriwal is a dictator and has forgotten promises. He accused AAPs Delhi leaders of insulting Punjabis by acting against MPs Dharamvira Gandhi and Harinder Singh Khalsa, and Chhotepur. PATIALA: STONES THROWN AT PARTY OFFICE AAP protest against Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak in Patiala on Thursday. (Bharat Bhushan/HT Photo) Volunteers protested at the AAP zonal office, demanding that Chhotepur be made Punjab convener again. They also hurled stones at the closed office and alleged the party has sold tickets. They demanded change of candidate at Ghanaur and Nabha. They were led by Amarinder Singh Tur, Gian Singh Mungo and Narinder Singh Kaleke. Read: Will not return to party that has people who conspired against me: Chhotepur PATHANKOT: CLASH BETWEEN AAP FACTIONS The police in Pathankot booked over a dozen AAP workers owing allegiance to Kejriwal, on Thursday, for a clash with others owing allegiance to Chhotepur. Those booked included a party leader, Amarjit Singh, who arranged a rally on Wednesday in Bhoa constituency, where the group inclined to Chhotepur was allegedly denied entry. AMRITSAR: VERTICAL SPLIT AFTER THRASHING The differences within the AAP are out in the open in Amritsar now with allegations and counter-allegations hitting the headlines daily. The rift showed when some volunteers opposing the Delhi team and asking them to go back from Punjab thrashed senior AAP worker Anil Mahajan, who was raising slogans in favour of Kejriwal. This incident on Tuesday vertically divided the party here, with Amritsar zone in-charge Gurinder Singh Bajwa opposing the Delhi team; and national council member Ashok Talwar and other members of the local unit backing Kejriwal. BATHINDA: RIFT GOES TO THE ROOTS People burning effigy of AAP MP Bhagwant Mann in Muktsar on Thursday. (HT Photo) The rift in AAP has reached the lowest level of party workers here. Angered over Chhotepurs removal, a volunteer here closed the partys zonal office being run from his building in Bathinda. This man, Surjit Singh, who had contested the 2007 assembly polls as BSP candidate from Talwandi Sabo, had dedicated his building as party office. The rift has emboldened those not happy with the ticket allotment; which was evident from a protest by workers against the womens wing president Baljinder Kaur who is the candidate from Talwandi Sabo, on Wednesday. There were reports of a party section being unhappy, but nobody had come forward until the Chhotepur sacking emboldened the disgruntled elements. Ironically, the protesting group was considered opposed to Chhotepur as Baljinder was considered close to Chhotepur not very long ago. Read: Reinstate Chhotepur by Sept 1 or face protest, say supporters Her parents were born in India post 1947. She grew up in the US and her high school never told her anything about the largest displacement in the human history that came with Independence and Partition of the country. Yet, the painful story of migrating in the midst of death, rape and misery told to her by her grandmother living in Indian side of Punjab, haunted her long. She is Guneeta Singh Bhalla, a physicist from Berkley, who took upon herself the task of recording the first-hand accounts of those who survived the communal frenzy during Partition in video interviews. Guneeta Singh Bhalla (HT Photo) Speaking to HT, she says: I still regret not having recorded my dadis (grandmothers) interview. Things fell in perspective when I visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 2008 and also saw Holocaust memorials. What led her to this was her resolve to change the lack of knowledge and information about the grave tragedy. The first-hand experience validated Partition and brought forward the human loss and tragedy poignantly. What started as a humble effort by her to interview two survivors in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2011, Guneeta has come a long way with volunteers in different parts of the world joining hands to record oral histories. Now that the official launch happens in Delhi on Saturday evening, September 3, the 1947 Partition Archives already has recorded 7,000 video interviews. I realised that this was not something that I could do individually. It was a race against time as the people to be interviewed were already in their 80s and 90s, she says. Thus, she founded the archives as a non-profit oral history organisation and a group of volunteers in Berkley started the task which rapidly spread to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries. When a few hundred interviews were recorded, the target was set to complete 10,000 stories by 2017 to mark seven decades of Partition. Today, we are not very far from the target and volunteers are growing every day. Not only did we crowd funds, we even crowdsourced the interviewers. After the India launch, we will focus on Pakistan and England, says Guneeta. The 1947 Archives conducts a fellowship programme to select volunteers who are further trained in interviewing and story collection techniques. Guneeta says because of the sensitive relationship of Partition stories with present day inter-communal relations, only a small portion is made available publically, but the material is accessible for research. What makes the whole exercise rewarding is that volunteers of different communities and countries are involved and it is taken as a tragedy that affected all humankind. Besides loss, it also has many stories about one community members coming to the aid of the other. REACH THE PARTITION ARCHIVE AT: www.1947partitionarchive.org/www.facebook.com/1947PartitionArchive Violence could lurk in the shadow during the PU polls this year, if confessions of two arrested Panjab University Student Union (PUSU) leaders arrested in connection with an April 9 firing incident on campus are any indication. The accused Randeep Kharoud (25) and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi (26) were brought on production warrant from Patiala to Chandigarh on Thursday. The accused have never been enrolled on the PU campus. They have told the police that main accused in the firing where eight shots were fired Harwinder Singh alias Rinda had pledged to take revenge from the Student Organisation of India (SOI), the student wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The duo claimed that Rinda, wanted in several other criminal cases as well, kept weapons on him. WHISTLING AT GIRLS LED TO THE FIRING An altercation between two student groups of PU resulted in three students getting injured after gunshots were fired on the university campus. About eight rounds were fired in the parking of PUs department of public administration as leaders of PUSU and SOI got involved in a fight. As a result, SOIs Manpreet Aulakh suffered a gun injury on his upper thigh, PUSUs Resham Godhara suffered a gun injury on his head and Jashanpreet from SOI suffered injuries on his arm and legs. Other students too suffered injuries as the two parties also began hitting each other with rods. PUSU leaders Naval Kishore and Shishu Mani were also allegedly involved in the firing. At Dugri Phase 3 area, road side vendors have altered their daily routine as they try to avoid miscreants who robbed and attacked them. To add to their woes, they have alleged that police have not acted on their complaints. Raju Yadav (40) and his wife Sunita Devi (36) were robbed of a gold locket, earrings and Rs 1,500 cash on August 7. Both, along with their son Bittu, were going to their house when around 10pm two miscreants on a scooter asked them for a cigarette. In a moment they put a pistol like weapon at my stomach and demanded money. When I resisted the accused flashed a sharp-edged weapon, commonly used by butchers to cut pieces of meat, and attacked us, leaving me and my wife badly injured, said Raju Yadav, who runs a tea stall in the area. The miscreants marked a 10-inch long cut on my head and fingers of my hands were nearly chopped off. My wife also suffered deep injury on her hand. After looting gold locket, Rs 1,500 in cash and earrings of my wife, they fled, he added. Yadav alleged that all his pleas to police have fallen on deaf ears and they have not taken any action till date. Afraid that they will be targeted again, Yadav closes his stall in the evening. THEY THREATENED ME OF DIRE CONSEQUENCES Raju Yadav said that the miscreants have come to know that I went to the police station to lodge a complaint against them and have started receiving threats on phone. The miscreants also threatened his relatives over phone and asked them to stop him for going to police station. Similarly, Chander Bahadur (72), said around a month back he was targeted in a similar manner. Miscreants came to my tea stall and asked for a cigarette. When they found me alone, they flashed a sharp-edged weapon and injured me. Bahadur said that he was robbed off Rs 10,000 and all his material from tea stall was taken. I did not file any complaint with the police, as I know it is wastage of time. Now I go home soon after the sunset, said Bahadur. Sub-inspector Joginder Singh, SHO at Dugri police station, said he has not received any complaint from any one. He added that if there is any complaint, they will take action against the culprits. Singh said the area falls under jurisdiction of two police stations. It could be matter of Basant Park police post. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The blue-card holders of Model Town raised slogans against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann during a protest on the Kotkapura road here on Thursday. With a view to projecting that it was the spontaneous ire of blue-card holders (beneficiaries of the atta-dal scheme), the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) organised a protest against Mann, burning his effigy, against his controversial remarks on card holders. The protesters said that Mann had insulted the blue-card holders by comparing them to beggars and he should apologise to them. The protesters said that they would not let AAP leaders into Model Town. Read: We dont need media: Journos chased out of AAPs Punjab rally as Mann loses it Though the protest was projected as if it was a sudden reaction from the blue-card holders, the SADs hand in organising the protest was evident from the fact that the office of SAD leader Kanwarjeet Singh Rozy Barkandi sent out an e-mail about the agitation. Though there were two-three Akali workers at the protest, it was a spontaneous demonstration by the blue-card holders. Protesters requested us to communicate with the media, so we did it, said Ravi Kumar who sent the e-mail on behalf of Barkandi s office. Barkandi could not be contacted despite several attempts. Interacting with the media at the event where members of the family of late Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra, incluidng his son-in-law Harmail Singh Tohra, daughter Kuldeep Kaur Tohra, and grandson Harinder Pal Singh Tohra, joined the AAP in Chandigarh on Tuesday, Mann had indirectly compared blue-card holders to beggars. Both the SAD and the Congress criticised him for this. Read: Many bushfires erupt in AAP after Chhotepur sacking SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two men carjacked the Mercedes C-class of industrialist Sukhdev Singh Chadha (40) from near a Verka milk booth in Sector 15 around 8.30pm on Thursday. The industrialists wife, Parampreet Kaur Chadha (36), was in the car, which had its engine running when a miscreant in a red T-shirt knocked at the drivers-side door. As Parampreet Kaur rolled down the glass, the man told her the car needed to be moved, as it was blocking traffic. The miscreant unlocked the car by putting his hand in through the window and took the drivers seat. Within no time, another youth came over to take the backseat and tried to push her out after covering her mouth. The miscreant in the rear seat tried to gag me. I managed to open the cars door and was dragged hanging on to it for about 200 metres. I received injuries on my head and legs and, finally, I fell off the car. The youth were Punjabi-speaking, the victim woman, who was taken to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, has told the police in her statement. Deputy superintendent of police (central) Ram Gopal and Sector 11 station house officer (SHO) Narinder Patial reached the spot. A crime-branch team led by Gurmukh Singh also reached the scene of crime. The mobile phone of Sukhdev Singh, which he had left in car, was later recovered from Sector 24. We are verifying the sequence of events as narrated by Parampreet Kaur, said DSP (central) Ram Gopal. A case of robbery was registered on the basis of the womans complaint. We are tracing the carjackers, said the DSP. Supermodel Pamela Anderson has asked people to give up pornography, saying, it is a public hazard. In a joint op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, the 49-year-old actress wrote, This is a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness given how freely available, anonymously accessible and easily disseminated pornography is nowadays. Actress Pamela Anderson adjusts her sunglasses during a news conference on the set of Sur-Vie west of Montreal, Quebec. (AP) Anderson, whose tape with her then-husband Tommy Lee was stolen in 1995, is concerned of freely available vulgar graphics on the internet and warned that situation is becoming serious. The march of technology is irreversible and we arent so naive as to believe that any kind of imposed regulation could ever reseal the Pandoras box of pornography. What is required is an honest dialogue about what we are witnessing - the true nature and danger of porn - and an honour code to tamp it down in the collective interests of our well-being as individuals, as families and as communities, she wrote. Follow @htshowbiz for more Some of Donald Trumps Hispanic backers distanced themselves from the Republican nominee on Thursday for standing by a hardline approach to illegal immigration in a key speech after indicating for weeks that he may soften his approach. Trump tried to clarify confusion about immigration, his signature policy issue, in a speech on Wednesday. He said the only way undocumented foreigners could live in the United States legally if he is elected on Nov. 8 would be to leave the country and apply for re-entry. But the businessman, trailing Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in opinion polls, did back away from earlier promises to deport immediately the 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally and said he would prioritise those with criminal records. While polls show a large majority of Hispanic voters oppose Trump, the withdrawal of support from among his small group of Latino backers underscores how difficult it is for Trump to broaden his support with minorities and moderate voters. Alfonso Aguilar, who recently organised a support letter on behalf of Trump, said he felt disappointed and misled by the fiery speech and withdrew his backing. For the last two months he said he was not going to deport people without criminal records. He actually said that he was going to treat undocumented immigrants without criminal records in a humane and compassionate way, Aguilar told CNN. He is the president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles group. Trump used his Wednesday appearance in Phoenix to clarify his stance on illegal immigration. But instead of moderating his message as many expected, Trump returned to the hardline rhetoric that powered him to victory in the Republican presidential nomination race over 16 rivals, heartening conservatives drawn to Trump by the issue. Some members of a council Trump formed last month to advise him on Hispanic issues expressed reservations about or cut ties to the New York real estate developers candidacy after the Phoenix speech. Jacob Monty, a Texas attorney and member of the group, said he was withdrawing his support and would not vote in the election. There was nothing pro-business in that speech, Monty told MSNBC. We were hoping for some glimmer of the Donald Trump that we met with a week and half ago, but it never came. Scam Panel member Ramiro Pena, a Baptist pastor in Texas who spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, wrote in an email to party leaders that he believed Trump would lose the election and that the advisory panel was a scam. But other Latino advisers, including Florida pastor Mario Bramnick and Kentucky State Senator Ralph Alvardo, said they would continue working with the Trump campaign. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus downplayed the fallout from Trumps speech, telling CNN that the nominee made clear he first wants to build the border wall and deal with criminal elements, then have a humane conversation about other illegal immigrants. Somehow or another no one is talking about that piece, Priebus said. At a campaign rally on Thursday in Wilmington, Ohio, Trump said his immigration plan would treat everyone with dignity, respect and compassion but prioritise compassion for American citizens and include some kind of ideological screening. We only want to admit those into our country who share our values and love our people, Trump said. Trump gave his Phoenix address, which was flagged as a major policy speech, just hours after he met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City. At a joint press conference after the meeting, Trump said the pair discussed his campaign promise to build a border wall but not which country would pay for it. Pena Nieto said on Twitter on Wednesday night he had made it clear Mexico would not be paying for the wall. Trump supporters at the Wilmington rally said they approved of the candidates immigration policies but moderate Republicans in Arizona, where Latinos make up more than 30 percent of the population, told Reuters they were less swayed by his message. Clintons campaign called Trumps immigration speech a disaster and said it would begin running advertisements in Arizona, a sign it sees a chance of winning a state that has long backed Republican presidential candidates. Clinton raised about $143 million in August for her presidential bid and the Democratic Party, her campaign announced. Trump has not yet released his fundraising totals for the month of August. It was indeed a hilarious start to the media conference for Derek Cianfrances The Light Between Oceans at the ongoing Venice Film Festival on Thursday, when a bubbly young Italian journalist asked: I have a question for Mr Michael Fassbender (who plays the male lead, Tom Sherbourne ) because I would like him to look into my eyes. Amidst laughter, she continued: I think this is the very first role in which you play a family man. Is this a rehearsal? If Fassbender went hot with embarrassment, he concealed it well by quipping that everything is a rehearsal. The film is directed by Derek Cianfrance. (Venice Film Festival) The movie was shot on Cape Campbell, a really small, wind-swept peninsula in New Zealand in 2014, and perhaps the romance of the place must have played Cupid to Fassbender and his leading lady, Alicia Vikander -- who essays Isabel on the screen. They have remained a couple since then, not married though, not as yet. Both actors had a great word for each other. While Vikander felt that Fassbenders support helped her enormously to essay a mother in the film (which I am not in real life), he thought that she was so fierce and hungry that it helped. It was something that its always a great thing to see in an actor who is coming on, getting an opportunity who hasnt been well known yet. The Light Between Oceans tells a heartbreaking story. (Venice Film Festival) The Light Between Oceans is, above all this, a battle between truth and love -- as Cianfrance (known for works like Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines) described his work. Indeed, the movie is all about the moral dilemma that Tom and Isabel face as they get married and live in small island, Janus Rock, off western Australia, in the years following 1918. Based on a best-selling novel by ML Stedmans, also called The Light Between Oceans, the film looks mesmeric and tells a heartbreaking story. Tom comes to Janus Rock as a lighthouse keeper, a spot that is completely isolated. Wounded physically and mentally by World War I, Tom seeks absolute solitude, but meets Isabel, who lives in a town across the island. Having lost two of her brothers in the war, she is lonely and desperate for love, and two seem like made for each other. They get married after a courtship across the stormy waves of the sea. They want to start a family, but fate comes in the way. Isabel loses two of her children, and then one night, Tom finds a drifting boat at sea that has a dead man and an infant girl, surprisingly alive. The couple pass through a moral dilemma, questioning each other whether they should report the matter to the police or just keep quiet -- and raise the child as their own. While the husband would rather adopt the child after notifying the police, the wife implores him to remain quiet and pass off the little one as their own. Watch the trailer of The Light Between Oceans here: Five years later, however, things take a tragic turn when Tom runs into the childs real mother who assuming that her husband and child were lost at sea, is a grieving wreck. For Tom, this could not have been more morally disturbing, and turns himself over to the police, despite Isabels vehement pleas not to do so. Fine performances etched out against the magical scenery of the sea and the sand, The Light Between Oceans is emotionally draining and painful -- and provokes a debate in us, the debate about right and wrong. But ultimately as the director told the conference, his work was all about forgiveness, and we see this so clearly even as the flicker from the lighthouse tries to help all those out at sea find their way to the shore. Tom does this, helping the childs biological mother unite with the baby girl -- even as he lets his and Isabels lives plunge into gloom. (Gautaman Bhaskaran is covering the Venice Film Festival.) ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has started a number of inquiries on counts of incapacitation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and army property embezzlement, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said. "I'd like to tell you that the Prosecutor General's Office [...] has begun a number of criminal inquiries on counts of embezzlement of military property of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and their incapacitation," he said at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada National Security and Defense Committee in Kyiv on Friday. The leadership of the Ukrainian Armed Forces sold the army assets worth almost UAH 2 billion over the period between 2005 and 2014, Lutsenko said. The most large-scale sales of the army property took place before 2005, Lutsenko said, adding that "however, the most documents about it were lost or destroyed". "Nonetheless, military prosecutors currently restore these files during cross-inspections at different business firms that facilitated the transactions," he said. "Over the period from 2005-2014, we have full details which I will disclose now. The army property sold over the past 10 years was worth more than UAH 1,837,299,000," Lutsenko said. In total, over the aforesaid period, they sold out 832 tanks, 232 helicopters, 202 airplanes, 714 infantry fighting vehicles and armored troop carriers, alongside with 4,930 cars, 28,555 pieces of tube, rocket and missile artillery ordnance, 1,824,000 pieces of small arms, and a selection of ammunitions worth UAH 560 million, Lutsenko said. A suicide bombing by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar at a court complex in northwest Pakistan killed 13 people and injured more than 50 on Friday, hours after troops foiled an assault by the group on a Christian colony near Peshawar by killing four attackers. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan that has targeted Christians and the legal community in the past, claimed responsibility for both attacks. Its spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan promised more attacks. We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts. We will target them more, he told Reuters. Six lawyers and two policemen were among the 13 people who died at the court complex in Mardan city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. A small blast was followed by a bigger explosion, chief rescue officer Haris Habib told the media. Habib said the civil defence had rescued 52 injured people, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians. The attacker lobbed a grenade before detonating his explosive vest at the main gate of the court complex, police officials said. They said the suicide bomber had seven to eight kilograms of explosives attached to his body. Earlier in the day, four terrorists wearing suicide vests were killed during a failed attack on a Christian colony near Warsak dam on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistani soldiers arrive at a street after suicide bombers attacked a Christian colony near Peshawar on Friday. (Reuters) A security guard and a resident of the colony were also killed. Two security guards and a police constable were seriously injured in the attack. The four terrorists tried to enter the Christian colony in Warsak area, where an army air defence unit is also stationed. Security guards and policemen deployed at the gate of the colony exchanged fire with the attackers, who were all killed in the gun battle. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which briefly declared allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014 but recently said it was no longer affiliated with the group, also carried out the Easter Sunday attack on Christians in a park in Lahore that killed 72 people, including 29 children, and injured more than 300. Fridays assault on the court complex in Mardan was the second attack on Pakistans legal community in the past few weeks. Last month, a blast in Quetta, the capital of southern Balochistan province, killed more than 70, nearly wiping out the citys senior lawyers. Both Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Islamic State had claimed the attack in Quetta. Observers say the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has carried out attacks on civilians and security forces in an apparent attempt to boost its profile in the aftermath of a military operation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Fridays attacks would not shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism. He said in a statement: These receding elements are showing frustration by attacking our soft targets. They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan. One Turkish soldier was killed and six wounded in clashes with Kurdish militants in the volatile southeast, Turkeys state-run news agency said Anadolu said on Friday that 20 Kurdish fighters were also killed during the clashes in the Hakkari province that included Turkish airstrikes. Violence between the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and Turkish security forces resumed last year after the collapse of a two-year peace process. Since then, more than 600 Turkish security personnel and thousands of PKK militants have been killed, according to Anadolu. Rights groups say hundreds of civilians have also been killed in the clashes. Last week, Turkey sent tanks across the Syrian border to fight the Islamic State group and to halt the advance of Syrian Kurdish groups affiliated with the PKK. Turkey has sacked another 10,000 police officers, judges, prosecutors and academics, according to a decree published on Friday, as the state continued a purge within public services following Julys failed coup. A total of 7,669 police were dismissed in the latest swoop on suspected coup plotters or supporters, along with 323 personnel in the gendarmerie, which looks after domestic security. A further 543 prosecutors and judges were also dismissed, bringing the total of those removed from the judiciary to 3,390, NTV channel reported. The states post-coup crackdown on higher education also continued, with 2,346 academics getting the sack, along with 28,000 others in education, including thousands of teachers. Turkey accuses US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet movement of ordering and implementing the failed putsch which left nearly 270 dead, including 24 coup-plotters. Since then, tens of thousands of people within the judiciary, military, education system and police force have been removed, detained or arrested after being accused of links to Gulens movement or the coup itself. Scores of journalists have also been arrested. Also on Friday, the justice minister said tens of thousands of convicts who were jailed before the putsch had been freed, under an initiative apparently aimed at relieving pressure on prisons which are bursting with coup suspects. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of running a parallel state in Turkey and has vowed to rid the country of the virus of the preachers influence. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, strongly denies any involvement with the bid to overthrow Erdogan. The EU and UN have criticised the Turkish crackdown, as well as the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) which has accused the government of going too far. To fill the gaping holes left in the judiciary, the state has invited judges and prosecutors who took early retirement to apply to return. The latest sweep also involved the dismissal of more than 800 military personnel, most of whom were already under arrest. A total of 4,451 military personnel have been sacked since July, including scores of generals. 34,000 convicts released Announcing the prisoner release, justice minister Bekir Bozdag said it involved people jailed for minor offences. As of yesterday evening, 33,838 prisoners and detainees have been released, Bozdag said during a ministerial meeting in Ankara led by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim that was broadcast live. The government said it was not an amnesty and that it would not apply to those jailed for murder, terrorism or crimes against state security, nor would it involve any of those held in connection with the coup. According to state-run Anadolu news agency, the total capacity of Turkeys prisons is 187,351 people. Since July 15, the number of those in custody has swelled to more than 200,000. Yildirim said that 40,000 people had been detained in July, of whom 20,000 were remanded in custody. The EU had criticised the crackdown and expressed alarms at reports of maltreatment of detained coup suspects. A suicide attack targeting a court complex in northwest Pakistan killed 12 people and injured more than 50 on Friday, hours after security forces foiled an attack on a Christian neighbourhood near Peshawar by killing four attackers. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for both attacks. The group has also targeted Christians in the past. The groups spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, promised more attacks. We appeal to civilians to remain away from law enforcement installations and these un-Islamic courts. We will target them more, he told Reuters. The suicide bomber blew himself up at the crowded Mardan district court complex in the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province after detonating a grenade. First there was a small blast followed by a big blast, Haris Habib, the chief rescue officer in Mardan, said. So far we have recovered 12 bodies of lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot, Habib told the media. Earlier in the day, four gunmen wearing suicide vests attacked a Christian colony near Warsak dam, north of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa capital Peshawar, killing a security guard and a civilian, military officials said. The attackers exchanged fire with security forces and were killed, the military said, adding the situation was under control. A house to house search is in progress, it said. Two solders, a policeman and two civilian security guards were injured in the battle, the military said. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which briefly declared allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014 but recently said it was no longer affiliated with the group, also carried out the Easter Day attack on Christians in a park in Lahore that killed 72 people, including 29 children. More than 20 people were killed in an attack in December on a government office in Mardan, which too was claimed by Jamaat-ur-Ahrar. Fridays assault on the court complex in Mardan was the second attack on Pakistans legal community in the past few weeks. Last month, a blast in Quetta, the capital of southern Balochistan province, killed more than 70, nearly wiping out the citys senior lawyers. Both Jamaat-ur-Ahrar and Islamic State had claimed the attack in Quetta. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the attacks would not shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism. He said in a statement: These receding elements are showing frustration by attacking our soft targets. They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan. An award-winning Bangladeshi journalist who edits a specialist education website was arrested for allegedly defaming a powerful former official, police said on Friday. Police detained Siddiqur Rahman Khan for publishing what it described as multiple fictitious, false and shameful news on the DainikShiksha.com portal, Dhaka police spokesperson Masudur Rahman told AFP. Khan is the latest in a string of journalists to have been detained by Bangladeshi authorities under the provisions of a controversial law which critics say gives the government a free rein to crack down on dissent. Officers from the cyber crime unit arrested Khan on Thursday after Professor Fahima Khatun filed the case under section 57 of the information communication technology act, said Rahman. Local newspapers said Khatun, a former head of a government department that regulates tens of thousands of schools and intermediate colleges, is married to a ruling party lawmaker and is a sister of a cabinet minister. She said in her complaint that an article on the website had defamed and tarnished her image and that of the state. The wording of the controversial law, which has been criticised by a UN expert on human rights, authorises judges to jail anyone who deliberately publishes material deemed to hurt religious beliefs, offend the state or damage law and order for up to 14 years. Several high-profile pro-opposition journalists and social media users, who allegedly defamed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members, have also been arrested in the past under the provisions of the law. The arrests came amid widening fears for freedom of speech in the Muslim-majority nation, which has seen a spate of Islamist extremist killings in recent months. Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cant be trusted to control the nations nuclear arsenal. Just imagine giving this guy access to the nuclear codes, a guy who says how hed consider using nuclear weapons, Biden told a group of about 250 people at a United Auto Workers union hall outside of Youngstown. Its the second time in recent weeks that Biden has campaigned on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He and Clinton made a joint appearance in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in mid-August. Biden received an expected warm welcome at the union hall as he discussed the importance of unions and the middle class. His appearance Thursday in the Mahoning Valley is significant because of Ohios traditional role as a bellwether state in presidential elections and Trumps strength in the region during the states Republican primary. Trump received more votes than popular Republican Gov. John Kasich in all of Ohios eastern counties. When talking about middle class struggles, Biden said Clinton gets it. She never yields, Biden said. She never breaks. Trump, on the other hand, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and is choking because he has his foot in his mouth, the vice president said. Biden seemed to relish the attacks on Trump. He said he met recently with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to reassure them that Trump doesnt represent America. Biden said the three presidents are scared to death about the prospects of a Trump presidency and whether he would maintain the countrys commitments to its NATO allies if they faced aggression from Russia. In July, Trump said the United States might abandon its NATO military commitments, including the obligation to defend members against attacks. I dont think hes a bad guy, but hes totally and completely uninformed, Biden said. The death toll from a devastating typhoon in northern Japan rose to 14, officials said on Friday, as another powerful storm approached the countrys south. Two bodies were found separately near rivers on the island of Hokkaido, a police spokesperson told AFP. On Thursday evening, police also found a body near a flooded river in the hard hit town of Iwaizumi in the northern part of Honshu island, public broadcaster NHK said. Typhoon Lionrock, which packed wind gusts of over 160 kilometres an hour landed on Japans northern Pacific coast on Tuesday evening, dumping torrential rain over a wide area. Overflowing rivers wreaked havoc, stranding many communities in the countrys largely agricultural north. Iwaizumi was the hardest hit, with 12 people dying in the town, including nine who were buried inside a building of an elderly care facility. As of Friday morning, more than 1,000 people were still cut off in isolated communities in Iwate prefecture, which includes Iwaizumi, the prefectural government said. Lionrock was the third typhon to strike Japans northeast in about 10 days, the previous two causing at least two deaths. Japan faced another strong typhoon, Namtheun, which was heading north toward the southern main island of Kyushu with gusts of up to 180 kilometres per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Namtheun was on track to pass near the small subtropical island of Amami, which lies between Okinawa and Kyushu, on Saturday, the agency said. In 2013, a powerful typhoon that triggered massive landslides on Oshima island, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Tokyo, killed 40 people, while 82 died after a typhoon hit Japan in 2011. Barack Obama starts his last trip to Asia on Saturday as US President, aiming to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific but distracted by crises ranging from Brexit to the battle against Islamic State. With the clock ticking down on his presidency, Obama will attend a G20 summit in China, a visit that will underscore the challenges he has faced with a rising world power that is both an economic partner and strategic rival. His final meetings in the region with Chinese President Xi Jinping could set the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office in January. Obama will seek to highlight his legacy of stronger ties with Southeast Asia, particularly during the first-ever U.S. presidential visit to Laos, and his success in elevating the issue of climate change on the world stage. But there will be few bright spots in talks with fellow world leaders, who are grappling with the sagging global economy, fallout from Britains Brexit vote to leave the European Union, increasing suspicion of globalisation, the fight against Islamic State militants and territorial disputes in East Asia. During his past nine trips to Asia, Obama has sometimes been distracted by other international developments from the emphasis he sought to place on boosting US military and economic ties to the fast-growing region, leading critics to doubt whether the US commitment will last. The latest visit coincides with the race to succeed Obama in the Nov. 8 presidential election, where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, his former secretary of state and co-architect of his Asia strategy, has opposed his Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, raising concerns from partners in the 12-nation pact. Read | Modi to meet Obama during G-20 summit in China; terrorism, NSG on cards Republican nominee Donald Trump has alarmed allies like Japan and South Korea by suggesting they should pay more for their security and even develop their own nuclear weapons to protect against the threat posed by North Korea. In Asia, one of the challenges the U.S. has had throughout Obamas presidency is one of reassurance: that we actually say what we mean what we say when we say we intend to rebalance to Asia, said Derek Chollet, a former defence adviser to Obama. Asia partners are suspicious that even if we really mean it, that were easily sidetracked, said Chollet, author of The Long Game, a book about Obamas foreign policy. Low expectations Obama will start his visit on Saturday with Chinas Xi. The leaders have forged cooperation on combating climate change and curbing Irans nuclear drive but have failed to narrow their countries main differences. Irritants include U.S. accusations of Chinese cyber hacking, disputes over trade and Beijings pursuit of contested claims in the South China Sea. Michael Green, a top Asia adviser to former Republican President George W. Bush, said he did not expect the Obama-Xi meeting to yield much. No grand joint declaration as we saw early in the administration, no celebration - perhaps some agreements on climate change - but a pretty rough and scratchy relationship, Green said. Obama faces another tricky meeting when he holds talks with NATO ally Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, with relations strained over strategy on Syrias civil war and concerns about Erdogans crackdown on opponents after Julys failed coup. White House aides have left open the prospect of an informal encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which whom Obama is at sharply at odds over Syria and Ukraine. Read | As Obama heads to Laos for Asean, signs of a tilt away from China China will closely watch Obamas first meeting with brash new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, slated for Tuesday at an East Asia summit in Laos. In July, the Philippines, with U.S. backing, won a challenge against Chinas South China Sea claims at an international arbitration court. Despite the longtime US-Philippines alliance, Duterte recently insulted the U.S. ambassador, calling him a gay son of a whore. Evan Medeiros, Obamas former top Asia adviser, said such comments plus Dutertes scepticism about the U.S. relationship meant that trust needed to be rebuilt. The White House has said Obama will not pull his punches over human rights concerns, which include thousands of extra-judicial killings since Duterte took office two months ago, according to date released this week. Strains with Duterte could add to Obamas difficulties in forging a united front on the South China Sea with Southeast Asian partners. China may see an opportunity to drive a wedge between the United States and Philippines as Beijing seeks a bilateral arrangement with Philippines over the South China Sea, Medeiros said. Read | Obama takes the Silicon Valley spirit global Its probably not a good time to be in Hangzhou city in eastern China this weekend if you are not a world leader coming to attend the G20 Summit. For one, you might not get even a glass of fresh fruit juice, which for some inexplicable reason is being seen as a security threat and has been banned in many places. Then, as a conscientious citizen of the city, one might be asked to contribute by wiping out four pests flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes and rodents. A campaign to eradicate the pests has been on since March and is reaching a crescendo of sorts this weekend, according to reports in the state media. Airports and railway stations have been on alert for days and armed personnel have been deployed across Hangzhou to keep a watch. China has also temporarily shut down more than 200 companies around Hangzhou and imposed restriction on vehicles to keep a check on pollution. With the city under a virtual lockdown, only emergency services, shops with daily necessities and convenience stores are open. The city of 6.5 million has begun emptying out ahead of the summit, which will see Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Barack Obama, Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flying into the city. Chinas top leadership led by President Xi Jinping will receive the world leaders. Brazilian President Michel Temer (centre) introduces his delegate to Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) during their meeting at the West lake State Guest House in Hangzhou on Friday. (REUTERS) The focus will be on reviving the stagnating global economy and the road to economic recovery. One in three of Hangzhous citizens, according to state media, are leaving for the weekend, opting not to spend several days holed up in their homes. More than two million or one in three Hangzhou citizens are planning a trip during the upcoming G20 Summit to be hosted in the city, making most of the weeklong vacation granted by the city government to help ensure airtight security, state-run website china.org said in a report. According to the official Xinhua news agency, more than 3,900 volunteers were recruited from universities to help with the summits logistics. The volunteers, who are mostly college students and teachers who can speak a foreign language, were chosen from over 26,000 applicants from 15 universities across Zhejiang Province, volunteer coordinator Wang Huilin said. China is not taking lightly the criticism about the tight security for Hangzhou. While complaints about the undesirable security in Rio de Janeiro last month still linger, some foreign media outlets recently have dismissed the tight security measures taken by the Hangzhou authorities, saying these steps show a lack of confidence in local public security, the nationalistic tabloid Global Times reported. It added: The Hangzhou summit is set to be attended by dozens of heads of states, including presidents of the US, Russia, France, South Korea, and also leaders of international organisations. With so many dignitaries present in Hangzhou, who could take responsibility for the grave consequences if there were an incident? In this sense, Hangzhou can never be too cautious about security. Gabons newly re-elected President sought to assert authority Thursday as the presidential guard attacked the opposition candidates party headquarters amid fiery protests that have seen three killed, hundreds detained and the internet blocked. The opposition quickly alleged election fraud after results announced on Wednesday showed that a family dynasty stretching back to the 1960s would remain in power in this oil-rich Central African country. President Ali Bongo Ondimba beat opposition candidate Jean Ping by a narrow margin in Saturdays vote, 49.8% to 48.2%, according to the electoral commissions provisional results. I know who has won and who has lost, Bongo said Thursday to local media. Who has won? One million, eight hundred thousand Gabonese with whom we will progress together. Who has lost? A small group that had the objective of taking power to use Gabon instead of serving it. Pings supporters have taken to the streets in protest, burning cars and buildings, vandalising and looting. They burned cars in front of the National Assembly on Wednesday night, sending thick smoke over the city, after police fired tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators. Security forces detained 800 people in the capital, Libreville, and 400 people in other areas of the country, according to interior minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya. The unrest killed at least three people, Boubeya said, without giving details. The President said he was sad for the deaths of citizens, and he thanked security forces, who he said did all they could to avoid using live bullets. In a statement, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called the response by security forces disproportionate and he called on the government to immediately restore communications, especially the internet. Spokesperson John Kirby, briefing reporters on Thursday, said the US State Department was in contact with the government of Gabon in the wake of the elections and said the results are provisional because they have not yet been certified. We urge all parties to come together peacefully at this critical time to halt the slide towards further unrest, he said. Bans special representative for central Africa, Abdoulaye Bathily, briefed the UN Security Council on Thursday by video link from Libreville. The council stressed the importance of a transparent and impartial electoral process and called on all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other actors, to remain calm, refrain from violence and other provocations, and to resolve any electoral disputes through established constitutional and legal mechanisms. Around 1am on Thursday, soldiers in green berets, who are known to be part of the presidential guard, shot live rounds during an attack on Pings opposition headquarters, injuring at least 20, according to Paul Marie Gondjout, an opposition official who was there. One person was killed, said Pings campaign director, Rene Ndemezoo Obiang. Security forces later surrounded the building, and remained there on Thursday night, detaining more than a dozen members of the National Union opposition party inside, said party spokesperson Sandrine Akere. Ping was not in the building. Government spokesperson Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze confirmed the presidential guard operation on the opposition headquarters. It was a part of securing the headquarters of Jean Ping, because all of the operations for the capital had been planned there, said Bilie-By-Nze, referring to the protests. He said at least 16 had been injured and were being treated. The spokesperson called on people contesting the vote to do so through proper legal channels. Looting and clashes also followed Bongos previous election win in 2009, when he came to power after the death of his father, long-time ruler Omar Bongo. European Union observers have criticized what they called a lack of transparency in the vote, and both the EU and the United States have called for electoral officials to publish results from all polling stations. Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office Yuriy Lutsenko has promised legal evaluation of the mistakes made by the General Staff command during the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas in 2014-2015. "The fourth factor [revealed] by the examination is the mistakes made by the ATO command and the Ukrainian General Staff during planning and execution of military operations. This is another fact established by the examination, and every episode of these mistakes will be legally evaluated from the angle of supervision of the military operation by the General Staff, the Defense Ministry and their subordinates," the prosecutor general said at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada National Security and Defense Committee on Friday. "The fifth factor, which, according to experts is the only factor having a causal relation to the Ilovaisk tragedy, is the military aggression of the Russian Armed Forces, the direct military invasion of the Ukrainian territory," he said. A South Korean-owned company is cutting down primary rainforests for timber and then setting fires to clear the land to plant oil palm in apparent violation of Indonesian law, according to an investigation by environmental groups. The investigation points to systematic and widespread use of fire by the Jakarta-based Korindo Group PT, which adds to the pall of smoky haze choking large parts of Southeast Asia during the annual dry season, the environmental groups said in a report published on Thursday. Korindo has already cleared more than 50,000 hectares (193 square miles) of tropical lowland forest for palm oil plantations in the remote provinces of Papua and Maluku, and at least 75,000 hectares are at immediate risk of being cleared, the report said. Ive never seen evidence so strong to prove that a company intentionally burned, AidEnvironment Indonesia senior consultant Erik Waker told Reuters in a telephone interview. One of Korindos main customers, Wilmar International Ltd. , told Reuters the company has stopped buying palm from Korindo for violating its no deforestation policy, the company said in an emailed statement. Korindo blamed local people living near its timber concession area for lighting fires for hunting wild animals living in the forests. Accusations that the Korindo Group were a big contributor to the smoke and haze in 2015 and consequently had an impact on the economy and damaged the environment in Indonesia are not true, the company said in a statement. Indonesias environment ministry has sent a team to Papua to collect material and information, after they were presented with the findings from the report, the ministrys law enforcement director Muhammad Yunus told Reuters. An orangutan looks at the electric fence at the International Animal Rescue centre outside the city of Ketapang in West Kalimantan. The three-year-old is learning to fend for himself since being found wandering a palm oil plantation, alone and suffering smoke inhalation, at the height of fires last year that razed huge swathes of rainforest in Indonesia's part of Borneo. (AFP) $16 Billion in losses Indonesia is home to the worlds third-largest area of tropical forests. It is also the worlds fifth-largest emitter of the greenhouse gases widely blamed for global warming, largely due to deforestation. Korindo holds a total of 160,000 hectares of oil palm concessions in eight areas of Papua and Maluku, according to the report, and an estimated 900,000 hectares of logging areas that could also be converted. It is one of the largest plantation companies in eastern Indonesia. Around 90 percent of the worlds palm oil crop grows in Malaysia and Indonesia. Indonesias President Joko Widodo in April imposed a moratorium on expanding palm oil plantations, with the industry under mounting pressure from global companies that use palm oil in products, ranging from soups to soaps and chocolates, to adhere to environmentally sustainable plantation practices. Consumer giants, such as Unilever and Kellog, are increasingly demanding sustainability certification from watchdog groups, including no use of fire to clear land, before buying products from palm oil producers. Last years forest fires in Indonesia burned 2.5 million hectares, an area the size of Great Britain, causing total economic losses of $16 billion, a World Bank report said. Many forest communities throughout Indonesia practice slash and burn agriculture, using fire to clear land. But the World Resources Institute, which runs an extensive database on forest fires in Indonesia, says more than a third of the fires last year were on pulp wood concessions, and a good proportion of the rest were on palm oil plantations. Under Indonesian law, a company found guilty of clearing land by burning can be fined up to 10 billion rupiah ($735,000), and the management faces up to 10 years in jail. Companies that fail to control fires started elsewhere but which spread into their concession land also face punishment. An aerial view of an oil palm plantation in Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, Indonesia (Reuters file photo) Rainforest Korindo Group employs around 20,000 people across 30 affiliated companies mainly involved in plywood, paper and pulp and palm oil, according to the companys website. It is majority-owned by South Koreas Seung family. The sparsely populated province of Papua is the Indonesian half of an island shared by Papua New Guinea, and home to indigenous communities. Mighty Southeast Asia director Bustar Maitar said plantation companies like Korindo compensate Papuan communities for clearing the forests that once provided them with food. They get some compensation and they finish their money at markets. They want to go hunting again but theres no more forest. And then because they have no more money and they cant go hunting they go back to complain to the company. So social conflicts keep going because the community no longer has a way to support themselves from day to day. The environmental groups used satellite images that recorded hot spots and infrared pictures showing fires, along with photos and videos taken on the ground, the report said. During a trip to Korindos concessions in Papua this year, Maitar said researchers found extensive stacking, a process used to heap woody debris leftover from land clearing into long piles that serve as a pathway for fires. Once its dry they set it alight, Maitar said. Wakker at AidEnvironment said the Korindo case poses a challenge for President Widodo after his moratorium on clearing new land for plantations. The big question is whether (the president) will have those permits withdrawn or not, said Wakker. If he allows them to continue clearing that land its going to be the largest deforestation project in Indonesia. A man accused of shooting dead an imam and his assistant as they left a New York City mosque pleaded not guilty to the charges. Thirty-six-year-old Oscar Morel entered the pleas on Thursday to charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon in the Aug. 13 attack. On August 13, Morel approached 55-year-old Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and his aide Thara Miah, 64, from behind and shot both of them in the head near a mosque in Queens, the prosecutors said. Defense attorney Michael Schwed questioned how authorities have handled the investigation, saying witnesses couldnt identify Morel in a lineup. Schwed says hes confident he can prove his client is innocent. Morel is due back in court on October 18. Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov, who died on Friday at the age of 78 after suffering a brain haemorrhage, saw himself as the protector of his Central Asian nation against militant Islam. But to his critics, Karimov was a brutal dictator who used torture to stay in power in the former Soviet republic for 27 years. Under his rule, Uzbekistan, a country of 32 million people straddling the ancient Silk Road that links Asia and Europe, became one of the worlds most isolated and authoritarian nations. Karimov regularly warned of the threat posed by militant Islamists to the stability of the vast, resource-rich Central Asian region. Such people must be shot in the head, he said of Islamists in a speech to parliament in 1996. If necessary, if you lack the resolve, Ill shoot them myself. But his critics accused him of exaggerating the dangers to justify his crackdowns on political dissent Karimov, who steered Uzbekistan to independence from Moscow in 1991, tellingly chose Tamerlane, the 14th century Central Asian ruler and conqueror with a penchant for mass murder, as the countrys national hero. He brooked no dissent, stubbornly resisted pressure to reform the moribund economy and jealously guarded Uzbekistans independence against Russia and the West. In a typically feisty rebuff to Western calls to respect human rights, Karimov said in 2006: Do not interfere in our affairs under the pretext of furthering freedom and democracy, Do not...tell us what to do, whom to befriend and how to orient ourselves. Uzbekistans relations with the US and the European Union were frozen after Karimovs troops brutally suppressed a popular uprising in the eastern town of Andizhan in May 2005. Hundreds of civilians were killed, according to reports by witnesses and rights groups. Karimov shut down a US military airbase in Uzbekistan, established after the 9/11 attacks by al Qaeda. The West imposed a set of sanctions on Uzbekistan and slapped a visa ban on senior Uzbek officials, prompting Karimov to seek improved ties with Russia. But as the West slowly softened its stance on Uzbekistan, a producer of cotton, gold and natural gas, Karimov provided a vital transit route for cargo supplies for the US-led war in neighbouring Afghanistan. As ties with Russia again grew strained, Uzbekistan in 2012 suspended its membership of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which groups several former Soviet nations and is seen by some analysts as a regional counterbalance to NATO. Karimov did not designate a successor and analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided behind closed doors by a small group of senior officials and family members. If they fail to agree on a compromise, open confrontation could destabilise the nation that has become a target for Islamist militants. With speculation rife over the issue of succession, some key figures who may play a crucial role in deciding who runs a post-Karimov Uzbekistan are: Shavkat Mirziyoyev - A 59-year-old former regional governor who has been prime minister since 2003 and is personally in charge of agriculture, a key sector of the economy. Many Central Asia experts see him as a possible successor to Karimov. Rustam Azimov - A fluent English speaker who headed a local bank at the age of 33, the 57-year-old finance minister is seen as relatively liberal-minded and competent. Azimov has been a key figure leading uneasy talks with international financial institutions critical of Uzbekistans slow reforms and heavy interference in the economy. Rustam Inoyatov - The 72-year-old has run the powerful SNB security service for 21 years and is widely seen as Uzbekistans main kingmaker. Inoyatovs influence spreads far beyond the SNB and he is actually in control of the army and police, many of whose senior officers come from his feared secret service. Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva - Karimovs younger daughter is also expected to have a say in deciding who will succeed her father, analysts say. The influence of Uzbekistans 38-year-old ambassador to Paris-based UNESCO has risen in the past couple of years after Lolas elder sister Gulnara an outspoken and extravagant socialite and fashion designer was reported to have fallen out with her father and placed under house arrest. The Pakistani government has sped up the process of obtaining Interpols red warrants against self-exiled Baloch separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, who currently resides in Switzerland, reports local daily The Express Tribune. But chances of his return seem dim, say experts, as there are fears that he will not be afforded a fair trial, if extradited. The Balochistan province's police department has contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh to complete the Red Notice application requirements for Interpol. After the completion of the required paperwork, Pakistan would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to Pakistan. He is the grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Akbar Bugti, who was killed in 2006 during a controversial military operation in Kohlu. "My understanding is that the move by Pakistan comes in response to the references on Balochistan made by the Indian Prime Minister," analyst Akbar Zaidi said. According to preliminary identification details submitted by the Balochistan police, the 33-year-old chief of the banned Baloch Republican Party (BRP) is known in his close circles as Sahib. Brahamdagh had appreciated Narendra Modis recent remarks on Balochistan that Islamabad had officially denounced, terming it an intervention in Pakistans internal affairs. This statement by Brahamdagh have angered the Pakistani Army, which is conducting an unannounced operation against separatist militants in the province. Prior to this, the army had been on talks with Bugti over a possible peace agreement. The Balochistan government has been tasked with completing the requirements for the Red Notice application for its submission to Interpol. According to the Balochistan police, Brahamdagh has two wives named Laila Bibi and Shuli Bibim and four children. He hails from the Raheja Bugti tribe and is operating the Baloch Republican Army network from Switzerland. He fled to Afghanistan during the operation and moved to Switzerland when Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. In Switzerland, he sought political asylum in 2011, but his request was turned down in January 2016, citing Islamabads decision of declaring him a terrorist wanted for multiple attacks. A federal police official told the paper that the Balochistan home department is expected to officially request within a month the federal interior ministry to move the request for Interpol red warrants, a FIA official said. He said a provincial court had already declared Brahamdagh a proclaimed offender while issuing his arrest warrants. Pakistan has solid legal grounds and supporting evidence to seek his arrest through Interpol, the official added. But local legal experts disagree with this assertion. Five separate cases under sections 120, 121, 123, and 353 of Pakistan Penal Code have been registered against Baloch separatist leaders, including Brahamdagh, Harbiyar Marri and Banyuk Karima Baloch, for allegedly supporting Modis statements. Cases were registered under the charges of concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment, waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan, concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war, and assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty. A 71-year-old Pakistani national in the US has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for trying to smuggle sensitive military technology to the Pakistan Army. A US Court in Arizona passed the sentence on Syed Vaqar Ashraf of Lahore on Thursday, after he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to export defence controlled items without a license, the US Department of Justice said. Federal prosecutors alleged Ashraf attempted to procure gyroscopes and illegally ship them to Pakistan so they could be used by the Pakistani military. Ashraf then traveled to Belgium to inspect the products and arrange for their final transport to Pakistan. Ashraf was arrested on August 26, 2014 by the Belgium Federal Police at the request of US Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, who had been conducting an undercover investigation of his activities. The assembly in Pakistans most populous province should invite Indian writer Arundhati Roy to brief its members on the Kashmir issue as she has raised her voice against Indian atrocities in the state, a lawmaker has suggested. Sheikh Allauddin, a legislator from the PML-N party that rules Punjab province and is also in power at the centre, made the suggestion on Thursday when the assembly was discussing the Kashmir issue. Roy, who has often criticised the Indian governments handling of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, has a large following in Pakistan. Her essays on various subjects, including Kashmir, have been prominently published in Pakistani newspapers such as Dawn. Punjabs labour and human resource minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar appreciated Allauddins suggestion and drew the assemblys attention to the legal and diplomatic aspects of inviting Roy to brief the legislators, the Dawn reported. Sarwar said the Foreign Office might be approached and the next step should be taken in the light of the federal ministrys advice. The Punjab assembly also expressed solidarity with the Kashmiris struggle for freedom from India, the report said. Ramesh Singh Arora, a Sikh legislator of the PML-N party, said India had committed atrocities against the Kashmiris for demanding their right to franchise and also accused Pakistan of fomenting violence in Kashmir. The propaganda against Pakistan must be checked, Arora said. He also described Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikars remarks against Pakistan as regrettable and demanded the Foreign Office should summon the Indian envoy to record a protest. Legislators Farzana Nazeer, Farzana Butt and Waheed Gul of the PML-N and Saadia Suhail Rana of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf also criticised India for the violence in Kashmir and supported the Kashmiris right to self-determination. Parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad told the assembly that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formed a committee of parliamentarians to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums and expose the violent face of Indian government to the world. Pakistan has repeatedly criticised Indias handling of the unrest that erupted in Kashmir following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani. More than 70 people have died in the violence. Angered by Islamabads description of Wani as a Kashmiri leader, India has accused Pakistan of inciting violence in the state and infiltrating terrorists across the Line of Control. The war of words between the two countries took another turn after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said last month that Pakistan would have to answer for rights violations in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Brock Turner whose six-month sentence for raping an unconscious woman at Stanford University sparked national outcry has been released from jail after serving half his term. The one-time Olympic hopeful swimmer walked out the main entrance of the Santa Clara County jail on Friday shortly after 6am. Turner, who did not comment to the media, got into a white SUV. He plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. The 21-year-old must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation. Turners case exploded into the spotlight when a poignant statement from the victim swept through social media and critics decried the sentence as too lenient. It prompted California lawmakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and led to an effort to remove the judge from the bench. Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a trash bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party in January 2015. He plans to appeal. In the June sentencing, Santa Clara County judge Aaron Persky cited the extraordinary circumstances of Turners youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He followed the probation departments recommendation for a moderate jail sentence. Following backlash and a push for a recall, Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. California jail inmates with good behaviour typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turners probation. Greene County sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio, 15 miles east of Dayton. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turners neighbors informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriffs office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Deputies also will check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities. Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather. He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor, Fischer said. At least four suicide bombers attacked a Christian neighbourhood in northwestern Pakistan early on Friday, killing at least one security guard, the military said. Authorities promptly responded and all four attackers were dead, army spokesman Lt. General Asim Bajwa said in a message on social network Twitter. In a separate statement, the militarys information wing said one security guard of the Christian residential area was killed at the start of the attack, at 5:30am. The area is near Warsak Dam, in the Khyber tribal region 20 km (12 miles) northwest of the city of Peshawar, an official at the scene told Reuters. Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ur-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said there were several deaths in the attack on the neighbourhood near Warsak Dam. The attackers, wearing suicide vests and carrying firearms, exchanged fire with security forces and were killed, the statement said. Two solders, a policeman and two civilian security guards were wounded, it added. The official said the attackers might have been attempting to enter an adjacent security installation, by exploiting weaker security arrangements in the residential area. Secretly detained by Ukrainian authorities for almost 600 days, Mykola Vakaruk suffered repeated beatings, battled the freezing cold and lost a kidney in an ordeal he described as pure hell. The 34-year-old was released in late July following pressure from rights monitors Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who revealed the existence of secret prisons run by the pro-Western former republics security service. In their July report, the global rights groups accused both the Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists of illegally holding and torturing civilians in the war-torn industrial east. The 28-month conflict has claimed nearly 9,600 lives and displaced some two million people. But it has also been accompanied by damning allegations of human rights violations and war crimes committed by both sides. Vakaruks life turned into a nightmare in December 2014, when he was arrested by unidentified people in his hometown of Ukrainsk, which borders the war zone but remains under Kievs control. With one of his hands handcuffed to a radiator, the interrogations began, Vakaruk told AFP after finally making it back home. Two men in civilian clothing came up to me and said: In case of a wrong answer, you will get a blow to the chest, said Vakaruk, whose thin frame and haggard look betrayed signs of enduring hardship. Read | Moscow frees Ukrainian pilot in swap for Russians held in conflict Vakaruk said his captors forced him to confess to being engaged in provocations against the Ukrainian authorities, a euphemism for being a separatist or a rebel supporter. It was freezing and the cell was just two square metres (22 square feet), he said. Even the water turned into ice. The repeated blows he sustained severely damaged his kidney, which caused him even further agony in the cold. In March 2015, he was hospitalised in the Ukrainian industrial hub of Kharkiv, which barely escaped the conflict. In hospital, he was forced to assume a false identity before undergoing surgery to remove his kidney. He was held by the Kharkiv security service the rest of the time, before being suddenly released on July 25. We got our papers back and 100 hryvnias ($3.80, 3.40 euros), in compensation, he said. Mykola Vakaruk shows a scar on his body in a small town in the Donetsk region. (AFP Photo) Threats of severe repercussions Between July 25 and August 2, 13 prisoners who were held secretly in Kharkiv by Ukrainian forces were released, Amnesty International and HRW said in a report published last month. The two groups had earlier denounced the existence of such detention centres -- where they said people were often held without being formally charged -- in the government-held cities of Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Izium and Mariupol. Ukraines security service denied the allegations. But in May, the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) was forced to abandon its mission to Ukraine after being denied access to a number of places where people were believed to be detained and mistreated. Read | Renowned journalist killed in car bomb attack in Ukraine A three-member SPT delegation will return to Ukraine on Monday after holding what it said were positive talks with Kiev. But the groups suspended visit and repeated allegations of the security service resorting to torture have tarnished the image of a country that broke loose from Russian influence in a historic February 2014 revolution and has anchored its future to the West. Riot police fight with supporters of volunteer battalion Tornado, in front of a city court in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. A Kiev court postponed a hearing on former officers of volunteer battalion Tornado who had been accused of a number of crimes, including kidnapping, torture, and abuse of power in 2014-15. (AP File Photo) The pro-Moscow revolt, in which the Kremlin denies any involvement, began weeks after Russia annexed Ukraines Crimea peninsula in March 2014 -- a step that plunged Moscows relations with the West to a post-Cold War low. Ukrainian authorities and the pro-Russian rebels have also held a number of prisoner swaps. Yet monitors are concerned that civilian detainees were often presented as combatants to be used during these exchanges. Amnesty and HRW believe that at least five more people were still being secretly held by Ukraines secret service, a charge Kiev denies, adding that all its conduct was legal. According to their report, before releasing the prisoners, guards often threatened them with severe repercussions if they spoke out about their detention. But Vakaruk has refused to stay in the shadows, pledging to seek justice with the help of his family. Why I should move away from here? My parents are buried here, my children were born here, he said. A woman walks through an exhibition on missing people from the conflict in east Ukraine, in Kiev. (AFP File Photo) At least two people were killed and 11 wounded in explosions in northeastern neighbourhoods of Baghdad on Friday, police said. It was not immediately clear what the target was but a police source said mortar rounds or rockets hit three areas near the vast Shia neighbourhood of Sadr City. We have two killed and 11 wounded so far, a police colonel said. The blasts came as tens of thousands of Shia faithful from across Iraq and abroad converged on the Kadhimiyah shrine in Baghdad to commemorate the death of Mohammed al-Jawad, the ninth Shiite imam. Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference Start of the Political Season: a Starting Point or the Beginning of the End? On Monday, September 5, at 12.30, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference entitled Start of the Political Season: a Starting Point or the Beginning of the End? The participants will include Director of the Institute of Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov, expert of the Gardarica Strategic Consulting Corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko, Director of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko (8/5A Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. Kurdish Peshmerga forces retook a swath of northern Iraq late last month from Islamic State and days later American forces appeared in the area, the latest sign of increasing US military activity in the country. The U.S. troops, numbering about a dozen, were still there this week and spent Wednesday supervising Iraqi army engineers repairing a bridge to help local forces cross the Great Zab river in their push towards Mosul, the militants de facto capital in Iraq which Baghdad wants to retake this year. We move around a lot. Weve been all over the country, one of the U.S. servicemen told Reuters on the bridge, about 45 km (28 miles) southeast of Mosul. He said the Iraqis were making quick progress in repairing the span, and that the American troops would leave the area within days. Loath to become mired in another conflict overseas, the White House has insisted there will be no American boots on the ground in Iraq, but current troop levels are approaching 5,000. That is still a fraction of the 170,000 deployed at the height of the nine-year occupation that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, sparking an al Qaeda-backed insurgency and throwing the country into a sectarian civil war. President Barack Obama withdrew U.S. troops from Iraq but they returned in 2014 after the Iraqi army fled Islamic States advance through a third of the country despite billions of dollars in U.S. aid and training. The United States is conducting an extensive air campaign over Iraq and also covert special forces raids against the jihadists behind their frontlines. But Washington says the focus of its troops in the country is to train, advise and equip local forces - Iraqi military and police, Kurdish Peshmerga and Sunni tribal militias, which are both battling Islamic State - and that U.S. servicemen there have no combat role. Advisers from the United States and other countries from an international coalition fighting Islamic State were initially confined to a few military bases across Iraq, but as the campaign progressed and Mosul comes into focus, Americans have inched closer to the action. Rocket attack A Reuters correspondent saw coalition soldiers in May outside the northern Iraqi village of Hassan Shami, a few miles east of the frontline at the time. They spoke English but their nationality was not clear. [nL8N18Q044} While the U.S. military advisers and the soldiers who protect them do not have a combat mission, circumstances have at least occasionally blurred their role and brought them into contact with Islamic State militants. Such encounters have only been made public three times. Last October, Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler was killed in a raid in Hawija where the military said U.S. special forces acting as advisers were sucked into battle when Kurdish fighters came under fire. Then in April, a rocket attack by Islamic State killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin at an American base near Makhmour used for protecting U.S. advisers. A few weeks later, Petty Officer First Class Charles Keating was killed in the village of Tel Asqof where the U.S. military says he was called in as part of a quick reaction force to help advisers who had got caught up in a firefight. The U.S. military, which tightly controls media access to its bases and no longer embeds reporters with troops like it did during the occupation, has tried to keep attention away from its activities in Iraq. The soldiers who Reuters encountered on the bridge quickly turned their backs to cameras, and a Reuters request to visit Qayyara airbase, where the Pentagon is sending several hundred troops to help set up a logistics hub for the Mosul operation, was recently denied. A military convoy heading on Monday towards the base, which was heavily damaged by fleeing Islamic State militants, contained sophisticated engineering vehicles and heavily armoured transport vehicles. An Indian-origin man wanted for the kidnapping and murder of his business partner was tracked down to his house near Wolverhampton by The Times, the daily reported on Friday. Baldev Singh Deol, 62, is reportedly sought by Indian police for the alleged murder of Ranjit Singh Power, who was part owner of a hotel in Wolverhampton. Power went missing while on a visit to Punjab in May last year. Mr Deol was seen yesterday at his home near Wolverhampton but, even though Interpol has issued an arrest warrant, West Midlands police said they were powerless to arrest him until a request was made via an extradition notice and they had not been given authority by the Home Office, the daily reported. The extradition paperwork has not been processed in India, the report added. Deol told The Times by phone: Of course, Im in the UK. Dont worry about it darling, Im here. He hung up when he was asked about an arrest notice over the alleged murder of Power. A spokesperson for West Midlands police said: This is an Indian police investigation. As yet, West Midlands police havent received any formal request for extradition proceedings from the Indian authorities. We remain ready to assist with any inquiries should a request be made. Britains regulator of charity organisations criticised the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) on Friday for not following procedures after a television sting operation revealed a speaker making anti-Islamic comments at a camp organised by the group. The Charity Commission concluded after an investigation that there was mismanagement in HSS administration, with indications of a potential breach of the duty of trustees, but added there was insufficient evidence that the views expressed by the speaker were endemic or systematic in the organisation. Ideologically inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), HSS has been operating in Britain since 1966. Its structure, principles and activities are similar to those of the RSS, whose head, Mohan Bhagwat, attended its mahashibir in Luton in early August to mark 50 years of the groups existence in Britain. The sting operation showed a teacher at a Sangh Shiksha Varg (SSV) event for children, organised by HSS in Herefordshire during July-August 2014, making strong remarks against Muslims. It was telecast on ITV in January 2015. By assessing the full and unaired footage, the inquiry identified that the speaker was permitted to speak at the event as a consequence and reflection of the trustees mismanagement, including the failure to appropriately screen speakers; to follow their own policies and allow the speaker to continue to speak despite his inflammatory statements, the inquiry report said. The report added: The commission also identified that the most offensive and inappropriate comments recorded at the SSV event were included in the programme and the commission found some of these to be particularly objectionable and anti-Islamic. The inquiry also considered the relationship between the HSS and RSS. During the SSV event, the speaker was asked by the undercover reporter if he considered himself to be part of RSS or HSS and the speaker was quoted as saying: See they are both the same, only thing is that here (in the UK) we cannot call RSS as RSS, so we call it HSS. However, when asked the same question during the inquiry, the speaker said: I acknowledge that perhaps it would have been more accurate to say (that the two organisations are) similar or founded on some common principles. HSS trustees told the inquiry that the group neither funds nor is funded by RSS; none of the trustees of HSS are members of RSS and RSS has no control, influence or governance over HSS or HSS over RSS...The two entities are completely separate and independent from one another and are accordingly not inter-dependent. The report said: However, the inquiry has advised the trustees that they need to take proactive steps to ensure RSS has no control or influence over the charity and its affairs and that if links arise due to any personal links individuals may have, that these are separated from the charity and do not damage it or its reputation. HSS trustees, the report added, cooperated with the inquiry and acted promptly to review policies and procedures and set in motion their own review of events. Registered as a charity in 1974, HSS aims to advance Hindu religion and to educate the public in the Hindu ideals and way of life. During the Luton mahashibir, HSS said it had grown into a national organisation with over 110 shakhas across Britain. HSS has headquarters in Birmingham and Dhiraj D Shah is its president. In the financial year that ended in March 2015, HSS income was 201,381 and expenditure 201,332. One of its largest expenditures mentioned was for Shakha hall hiring, according to its statement to the Charity Commission. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two US astronauts aboard the International Space Station successfully completed a spacewalk Thursday to make repairs and install new equipment. NASA astronauts completed all planned tasks + a few extra, the US space agency said on Twitter. Americans Jeff Williams, 58, and Kate Rubins, 37, completed their mission at 1841 GMT after six hours and 48 minutes in space. It was their first time in space in nearly two weeks. At that time, they attached an international docking adaptor in anticipation of increased private spaceship traffic. This time, Williams and Rubins retracted one of the thermal radiators outside the space station. Astronauts unsuccessfully tried to push it back into position last year. They also installed two enhanced high definition cameras on the stations truss and tightened bolts on a joint that enables one of the stations solar arrays to rotate, Nasa said. The cameras will be used to monitor spaceships transporting freight and astronauts. The mission was the 195th spacewalk undertaken to build and maintain the ISS. It was the fifth spacewalk for Williams, a veteran astronaut who on August 19 surpassed US astronaut Scott Kellys record for the most cumulative days in space for an American. Kelly has 520 days in space over his career. Williams will have 534 days in space by the time he wraps up his stint at the ISS and returns to Earth next week. It was the second spacewalk for Rubins. She is the 12th woman to walk in space. In their August 19 spacewalk, Williams and Rubins installed a special parking spot on the ISS and connected power and data cables for the docking adaptor. The fittings will enable the space station to share power and data with visiting spaceships. Nasa describes the docking adaptor as a metaphorical gateway to a future that will allow a new generation of US spacecraft -- the first since the space shuttle program ended in 2011 -- to carry astronauts to the space station. The second docking adaptor is expected to be launched in late 2017. The adaptors will work with Boeings CST-100 Starliner and SpaceXs Crew Dragon, two spaceships under construction that are planned to ferry astronauts to the space station. ISLAMABAD: A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan has reopened nearly two weeks after it was closed in response to Afghan protesters burning the Pakistani flag at a border rally, Pakistans military has said. At a Thursday news conference, army spokesman Lf. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said the decision to reopen the border was made after Afghan officials apologised over the incident near the Pakistani border town of Chaman. The Chaman border crossing is used by thousands of people daily to visit relatives. Bajwa said Pakistan is strengthening its border management system to prevent militants, including Islamic State group fighters, from entering Pakistan. He said Pakistan on Thursday arrested six militants, including two al-Qaeda operatives, in Faisalabad, a city in Punjab province. The border crossing, also known as Bab-e-Dosti (Friendship Gate), was closed on August 18. A large number of people from both sides of the border welcomed the reopening of the gate. Bilateral trade was adversely affected since the closure of the gate causing severe hardships for traders on both sides. Chaman is one of the busiest crossing points along with Torkham. More than 50,000 people, mostly Afghans, travel across the two facilities each day. Local Nepali administrations have started shutting down liquor shops in Nepal-India border after booze lovers in Bihar started flocking to the Nepali side and hampered peace and order in the porous border. A ban on the sales of alcohol by Indias Bihar state has resulted in flourishing liquor business in bordering Nepali towns. Assistant Chief District Officer of Mahottari district, Shambu Prasad Yadav told Hindustan Times that his office has imposed a ban on selling and consuming of alcohol within 500 metres in the Nepali side. After ban in Bihar, border towns like Biratnagar, Itahari, Bhedetar, Rajbiraj, Mahattari and others are witnessing massive surge of Indian alcohol lovers. We have declared restricted area for consuming and selling alcohol as per the local administration law after we face maintaining law and order. Consuming alcohol itself creates challenges in maintaining peace and harmony in international border so that we had decided to put such ban, said Yadav. After ban in Bihar, hundreds of new liquor shops were opened in Nepal targeting Indian customers. Some of the shops were even owned by Indians even due to high profit value due to sudden rise of booze lovers from Bihar. The Indian side had asked Nepal authorities to take stringent against the booze lovers. The permanent ouster of deeply unpopular President Dilma Rousseff by Brazils Senate means that a man who is arguably just as unpopular is now faced with trying to ease the wounds of a divided nation mired in recession. Long known as an uncharismatic back-room wheeler-dealer, Michel Temer inherits a shrinking economy, a Zika virus outbreak that has ravaged poor northeastern states and political instability fed by a sprawling corruption probe that has tarred much of the countrys political and business elite himself included. So far hes struggled in the nearly four months hes served as interim president following Rousseffs May impeachment, which suspended her from office while a final trial was prepared. The Senates 61-20 vote on Wednesday to permanently remove her means Temer, who had been her vice president, will now serve out her term, which ends in late 2018. Just hours after Rousseff was removed, Temer assured the nation his administration was up to the task. From today on, the expectations are much higher for the government. I hope that in these two years and four months, we do what we have declared put Brazil back on track, he said. Temer also denied that the proceedings were a coup against Rousseff, which she repeatedly claimed throughout the process. Putschist is you, he said, referring to Rousseff. Its you who is breaking the constitution. Temer said he planned to attend the G20 meetings in China this weekend, mentioning bilateral meetings that leaders from Spain, Japan, Italy and Saudi Arabia have already requested. We are travelling to show the world that we have political and legal stability, he said. We have to show that there is hope in the country. Whether Temer can convince Brazilians that he is worth a real shot is unclear. He appeared tone-deaf with his first move in May: appointing an entirely white, male Cabinet to oversee a nation of 200 million people where more than 50 percent identify as black or mixed-race. Three of Temers ministers had to quit within days of being named because of corruption allegations. And so far he has struggled to build consensus around key reforms, such as slimming the countrys pension system. Government ministers are promising progress now that interim is no longer part of Temers title. With the end of the interim period and a vote of more than 60 senators, the investors will start bringing jobs again, said Cabinet chief Eliseu Padilha. WASHINGTON: In a major speech on Wednesday, Donald Trump repeated most of his already known stance on undocumented immigrants , but left unclear his plans for those already here. He had earlier threatened to deport undocumented immigrants, estimated at 11 million, but sought to move away from it in recent days, saying he is softening. He didnt go there at all in his speech, wary perhaps of upsetting his support base. Trump said there will be no amnesty for those staying illegally: they will have one route and one route only. To return home and apply for re-entry. He did speak of deportation but only in the context of illegal immigrants found involved in criminal activities. Day one, my first hour in office, those people are gone, he said. And you can call it deported if you want. The press doesnt like that term. You can call it whatever the hell you want. Theyre gone. Trump did mention his campaigns signature promise of a wall along the border with Mexico, which, he insisted, will be paid for 100% by the Mexican government. DHAKA: Bangladesh police have arrested two alleged operatives of banned Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) from south-eastern port city of Chittagong, a police spokesman said. ABT is blamed for a series of attacks on secular writers, activists and followers of minority religious faiths. Analysts believe the banned groups members are inclined to al-Qaeda. ABTs top leader, Ziaul Haque, a renegade army major, is on the run. Police last month announced a bounty leading to arrests of the fugitive major and Bangladeshi Canadian Tamim Chowdhury describing the latter as the top leader of Neo-Jamaatul Mujahideen (neo-JMB). The neo-JMB, known to be linked to Islamic State, carried out the July 1 terrorist attack at Dhakas Holey Artisan restaurant, killing 22 people including 17 foreigners and an Indian girl. Chowdhury was killed in a security raid at a militant hideout at Narayanganj on the outskirts of the capital along with two other alleged terrorists on August 27. JMB LEADERS IN INDIA? Bangladesh suspects two top leaders of a reorganised JMB took secret refuge in India to mobilise weaponry and financial support for the banned group to carry out the July 1 terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe, according to reports on Thursday. One of the two leaders, Shariful Islam Khaled, is also blamed for hacking to death a liberal university professor, who was on way to work, in April. Mamunur Rashid Ripon alias Jahangir and Khaled left for India in April, days after the murder of the Rajshahi University professor, The Daily Star reported. (Mamunur Rashid) Ripon and Khaled went to the neighbouring country in April and they have been hiding there since then, it quoted polices counterterrorism and transnational crimes unit chief Monirul Islam as saying. He said Bangladesh has already informed India about the militants possible stay in Kolkata. Historic travelers can quench their thirst with a flood of Civil War-themed brews. From Minnesota to Maine to Virginia, a curious intersection of Civil War history and beer brewing is taking place. Heritage tourism is a driving force marrying beer and the Civil War. Since small independent craft brewers often struggle to compete with the large national brands for retail shelf space, and packaging and distribution can be very expensive, many small breweries have embraced a business model whereby the brewery becomes a destination, complete with tasting rooms and on-site sales. Its an approach that has given rise to beer tourism in many parts of the country. After touring the battlefields around Fredericksburg, Va., for example, you can drop into Spencer Devon Brewing for a Sunken Road Belgian Blonde or a Fighting 69th Irish Stout. Follow up a hot day on the fields of Gettysburg by stopping by Battlefield Brew Worksthe perfect place to refresh your spirits with a Lincoln Lager, an Irish Brigade Brown Ale or a Bobby E. Lee Double IPA. Drive north to Hagerstown, Md., after a visit to Burnside Bridge and Bloody Lane and try Antietam Brewerys Generals Golden Ale or Little Mac IPA. More Civil War battles were fought in Virginia than in any other state, and in the past five years the number of breweries in the Old Dominion alone has tripled. Theres not a battlefield in Virginia that does not have a brewery nearby, many of which have adopted names or labels that pay tribute to historical events, as well as notables who passed through their communities 150 years ago. Tin Cannon Brewing Company, for example, located just a few miles from Manassas, explains its name as an ode toan area of tremendous Civil War history. In Spotsylvania County, Adventure Brewing Company, which has two locations in Fredericksburg, operates a restaurant named Lees Retreat after the momentous events that happened nearby. Adventure also produces a very popular Stonewall Stout, the slogan for which is One Taste and Youll SayId Give My Right Arm for a Stonewall Stout. Jackson, however, lost his left arm, proving that not all brewers are historians. Center of the Universe Brewing Company, outside Richmond, released Crazy Bet Imperial Amber Ale with a label bearing the likeness of notorious Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew. Like Crazy Bet, this Imperial Amber is sweet upfront and bitter at the end. We think shed like it! reads the label. Confederate Colonel John S. Mosbys visage graces The Ghost of the 43rd American Pale Ale by Three Notchd Brewing Company in Charlottesville, Va. The Corcoran Brewing Company in Purcellville, Va., produces J.E.B. Stuart Stoutonly fitting, as Corcoran is situated close to where Stuart screened the Army of Northern Virginias march to Pennsylvania during 1863 cavalry fighting at Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville. Breweries in other states have also incorporated Civil War references into their labels. In Wilmington, N.C, a major Atlantic point of entry for Confederate blockade runners as well as home to Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Ironclad Brewery offers its own Cape Fear Defender India Pale Ale. The logo of Union Pizza and Brewing Company of Fergus Falls, Minn., features Ulysses S. Grant in uniformbut you also can opt for a glass of their Jeff Davis Porter to enjoy with your slice of pie. Americas 16th president gets a nod from two locations: The Lincoln Brewing Company of Fuquay-Varina, N.C., and Lincolns Beard Brewing Company in Miami, Fla. Burnt Hickory Brewery in Kennesaw, Ga., offers its patrons Fighting Bishop Belgian Trippel and Old Wooden Head Imperial India Pale Ale, in honor of Confederate Generals Leonidas Polk and John Bell Hood. Brewers have also collaborated with historic sites and museums. A partnership between the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and breweries in Frederick, Md., exemplifies this tasty intersection of tourism and history. When the Civil War Sesquicentennial commenced in 2011, the museum worked with Brewers Alley Restaurant and the Monocacy Brewing Company to create a limited edition series of beers commemorating the wars anniversary. The museums staff researched historic recipes and provided them to the brewers, who massaged them into beers that they bottled and sold locally. Together with the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, we set out to tell an interpretive story through beer, said a Brewers Alley representative. The first release occurred in 2012, with Antietam Ale, followed in 2013 with three additional brews: Proclamation Porter, First Draught and Gettysburg Wheat. Bad Old Man Ransom Ale, released in 2014, sported a label featuring Confederate General Jubal Early, who threatened to burn down the city of Frederick unless he received $200,000 ransom during his 1864 invasion of Maryland. Sesquicentennial Ale capped off the series in 2015. That partnership benefited both the brewery and the museum, with proceeds from beer sales going to support the museums interpretive programs. As breweries increasingly become tourist destinations, were likely to see even more cooperation between historic sites and brewers. Perhaps therell also be a Beers for Battlefields collaboration, to benefit battlefield preservation as well as thirsty visitors. In the meantime, whenever you visit your favorite battlefield or site, take time out to look for, and maybe sample, whats being served locally. When hes not working as a historian and cultural resources manager at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, you can often find Eric J. Mink quenching his thirst at a nearby craft brewery. It might come as a surprise to moms, daycare workers, or any woman who has carried a weighty toddler on her hip that there were once womens protective laws forbidding members of the female sex from taking jobs that required them to lift more than 25 pounds or work more than eight hours a day. Leah Rosie Rosenfeld was a single mother of a dozen children working in the parched towns of southeastern Californias Mojave Desert for the Southern Pacific Railroad, when she came head-to-head with these so-called womens protective laws in 1955. Rosenfeld applied for a promotion to become a station agent, but was passed over for a male employee with a decades less experience. Southern Pacific used womens protective laws as cover for not promoting Rosenfeld, arguing the new job would require her to lift more than 25 pounds. As Rosenfeld later told railroad historian Shirley Burman in a 2009 interview for Trains magazine, she was already lifting far heavier loads than 25 pounds in the current job she had with Southern Pacific, and was getting paid less than she would have as station agent. For more than a decade, Rosenfeld kept applying for promotions, and Southern Pacific kept passing her over for male employees with less experience. In 1966 Southern Pacific denied her a promotion for the fourth time, again citing womens protective laws, at which point Rosenfeld sought help from the newly-formed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This federal agency is responsible for enforcing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. The EEOC encouraged Rosenfeld to sue Southern Pacific for violating federal law. Rosenfelds lawsuit claimed Southern Pacific discriminated against her when it hired a junior male employee instead of Rosenfeld solely because of her sex. On Aug. 30, 1968, the court ruled in Rosenfelds favor. Southern Pacific quickly appealed the verdict to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. But the national news media was already taking notice of Rosenfelds groundbreaking legal moves. The NBC News program The Huntley Brinkley Report featured Rosenfeld on its April 1, 1970 broadcast about women filing discrimination lawsuits against employers who wouldnt hire them solely because of their sex. Interviewed at the desk in the train station where she worked, the petite Rosenfeld, her gray hair loosely pulled back from her face, said matter-of-factly: There may be some women who work for the pleasure of it, but I think most work because they have to. They have a family to support and they need the money. And I havent noticed that the grocery stores give us any discount on food, and yet were expected to work at a lower wage. And I dont think its fair. On June 5, 1971 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower courts decision to invalidate sections of the California Labor Code, stating, The premise of Title VII, the wisdom of which is not in question here, is that women are now to be on equal footing with men The footing is not equal if a male employee may be appointed to a particular position on a showing that he is physically qualified, but a female employee is denied an opportunity to demonstrate personal physical qualification. The courts decision made headlines, but not all of them were celebratory. The San Bernardino County Sun ran a story from the United Press International wire service with the patronizing banner: Lady, You Can Have the Job If You Can Lift 50 Pounds. Rosenfeld told friend and railroad historian Burman she didnt have much time to enjoy her promotion before she retired. But her actions helped the countless women who would come after her. As Rosenfelds attorney wrote to his client in a letter, You must realize that you were a pioneer in the battle for sex equality and that you made legal history. You should be proud of what you have done. Bibliography Munts, Raymond, and Rice David C. Women Workers: Protection or Equality? Industrial and Labor Relations Review 24.1 (1970): 3-13. Web. Mackin, Catherine. The Huntley-Brinkley Report. The Huntley-Brinkley Report. NBC News. 1 Apr. 1970. Television. Dow, Bonnie J. Chapter 2. Watching Womens Liberation, 1970: Feminisms Pivotal Year on the Network News. N.p.: U of Illinois, 2014. 77-78. Print. Burman, Shirley. Women and Railroading. Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing Co., 16 Nov. 2009. Web. 24 June 2016. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. USA.gov, n.d. Web. 24 June 2016. Leah Rosenfeld, Appellee, v. Southern Pacific Company, a Delaware Corporation, Appellant.leah Rosenfeld, Appellee, v. Southern Pacific Company, a Delaware Corporation, Et Al., Appellants, 444 F.2d 1219 (9th Cir. 1971). U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 1 June 1971. Justia US Law. Web. 24 June 2016. UPI. Lady, You Can Have the Job If You Can Lift 50 Pounds. The San Bernardino County Sun 5 June 1971: A17. Newspapers.com. Web. 24 June 2016. Sightings of unidentified flying objects in different parts of the world, have fascinated mankind for decades now since it reinforces the belief that there must be sophisticated life forms in other planets and galaxies. There has never been any conclusive proof regarding the same but NASA has been trying to find it for a long time while independent experts believe that UFOs are a reality. However, in a recent development that has fired up UFO enthusiasts once again, hawkish observers of video footage from the International Space Station seem to have found conclusive proof of the existence of UFOs and by extension, that of intelligent life. According to a report in the Daily Star, " The footage uploaded by Streetcap1 appears show two unusual objects flying above a progress capsule - which are used to supply the International Space Station. The clip is believed to be taken from a live NASA stream. It has been scrutinised by UFO enthusiasts who believe the video is proof that aliens exist." The video has been uploaded on YouTube and has given rise to feverish discussion among UFO enthusiasts as well as experts. An expert on UFOs, Scott Waring said, "This is 100% proof that aliens do monitor the space station." He added, "The first UFO is smaller... which tells me it's father away than the second larger UFO." The Daily Star report also added, "The strange lights seem to disappear behind a black block rather than continue off the screen - causing speculation of a sinister cover up. They argue that NASA has tried to cover up the UFO discovery by editing the live feed." Excited UFO enthusiasts took to the YouTube comment section to air their views. One of them wrote, "It almost looks like a giant spaceship is passing by but the rest of it is being blocked by some kind of invisible wall perhaps using some kind of software." While another chimed in, "The reason why NASA is ending the live ISS feed is because they can't censor enough of what is showing up without making the truth obvious in and of itself, so they are closing the public feed off entirely." @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, in addition to other telescopes, has discovered the most distant galaxy cluster in the history of astronomical sciences. The galaxy cluster has been discovered right after its formation, which is a brief yet important stage in the evolution of a galaxy. The galaxy cluster dubbed CL J1001+0220 is located at a distance of 11.1 billion light-years from Earth, according to the press statement released by NASA. According to the American space agency, the discovery of the galaxy cluster pushes back the formation time of this object by almost 700 million years. The object is believed to be the largest formation in the universe that is held together by gravity alone. According to Tao Wang, lead researcher from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, the galaxy cluster is expanding at a rate that has never been seen before. Another striking characteristic of the cluster is its huge distance from the Earth. The core of the CL J1001 galaxy possesses 11 other massive galaxies, out of which 9 are giving birth to stars continuously. It is estimated that stars are forming at an enormous rate which is equivalent to the formation of around 3,000 suns in a year. This is a huge rate, especially for a cluster located at such a great distance and young age as that of CL J1001. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered the galaxy based on the large amount of hot gas, which is one of the defining features of a galaxy cluster. The researchers believe that they have caught the galaxy at a rare and critical stage, just when several loose collections of galaxies came together to form a fully-formed and young cluster. A study of the galaxy has revealed that elliptical galaxies inside a cluster may form new stars at a great rate in shorter and violent outbursts, as compared to galaxies that are present outside a galaxy cluster. In addition, star formation tends to take place in such galaxies when they have fallen into a cluster and not before this phenomenon. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ISIS fighters executed nine children in a public square in Mosul Thursday for their membership to an enemy group. The children, whose ages were unknown, were reportedly tied to iron poles and slaughtered by being mutilated into half in front of horrified residents. An unnamed source gave a statement to the Iraqi News on the gruesome killings: "ISIS fighters have executed nine youths of Mosul. The outfit accused these youths of belonging to an anti-ISIS resistance faction." "The death sentence pronounced by ISIS sharia court stated that the men should be tied to an iron pole in the center of Tal Afar Square in Mosul and then sliced into two with an electric chainsaw," the source elaborated. The Sun reported that ISIS conducted the executions as its revenge for the death of their top propagandist Abu Mohamed al-Adnani, who was killed by Russia, the United States (US), and their allies via airstrikes on Aleppo on Tuesday. Al-Adnani had been the subject of a manhunt worth a $5m bounty. The barbaric killings comes as the latest in a long chain of slaughters conducted by the rebel group, which continue to control large swathes of land within Iraq and Syria. Members of the US-led coalition continue to train tribal groups for a massive siege on Mosul, currently ISIS' stronghold. Iraq plans to reclaim Mosul from ISIS, also known as the Islamic State or Daesh, before the present year ends, with help from the US. Since coming under the rebel group's control in 2014, the city has witnessed routine killings made on allegations of cooperation with enemy forces. Brutal killings continue to be part of ISIS' strategy of fear and dominance. The rebel group is notorious for executing people for their refusal to convert to Islam, engaging in homosexual relations, smoking and drinking liquor, and patronizing Western culture, among many others. Australian Border Police arrested two Canadian women for cocaine possession in Sydney on Sunday. Cops, together with sniffer dogs, boarded the cruise ship MS Sea Princess, which carried 2,000 people on round-the-world trips from the UK to Australia. A total of 95 kilos of the drug have been found from a suitcase in a passenger cabin. It is the biggest single drug seizure in Australia's history. A 63-year old man was detained in connection with the incident. Social media accounts unveiled that 22-year old Melina Roberge and 28-year old Isabelle Lagace visited Canada, USA, Colombia, Peru, New Zealand before arriving in Australia. Pictures of the two in bikini selfies, notably on Instagram, surfaced on the internet. It also appeared that the trips of the women were well-documented. Two photos in Tahiti showed them drinking coconuts while kneeling on the beach. Another presented the two driving dune buggies in Peru. Roberge has one getting a leg tattoo. A picture of Lagace showed her wearing a necklace made from beads in the form of marijuana leaves. It is unclear where the women boarded the ship but based on their Instagram accounts, their most recent trip came from Tahiti three days prior to their arrest. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) issued a statement that the three will be facing an offense of importing drugs with a commercial volume into the country. All three will be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. It was reported that the confiscated drug amounted to around 30 million Australian dollars or 23 million USD. Currently detained in Sydney, the suspects will have trials typically lasting from 12-18 months. It remains unclear how police were alerted about the drugs but according to the Canadian media, the three have been considered as high risk travelers by border agencies. The Australian Border Force (ABF) has cooperated with the US Department of Homeland Security and the Canadian Border Agency in the bust. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The follow-up operation, which will commence when the weather in the southern Hemisphere becomes conducive, is a welcome development to the families of the victims of the ill-fated flight. In February, Chief Commissioner of the ATSB Martin Dolan declared that, with three quarters of the search completed, he is optimistic that MH370 will be found. MH370 has been carrying 239 passengers including crew members when it vanished on March 8, 2014 during an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. A couple of years later, the search has gone nowhere. The absence of new leads will compel the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese authorities to end its $130-million operation of high-tech scanning at designated swaths of sea floor in the Indian Ocean. The unprecedented hunt for wreckage from the flight is supposed to end in July but without positive developments along the way, it is likely that the quest and investigation will continue. Dan O'Malley, ATSB spokesman, has pointed out that some targets, which were previously missed while scouring the ocean bed, have already been identified. The projected marks are scattered across the greater search area. In line with this, doubts and suspicions have surfaced that investigators are searching on the wrong direction due to basing their calculations on the plane's location which, in a sense, borders on a hit-and-miss approach. Some experts are challenging the examiners' theory that the plane flew unmanned during its final moments. It is suspected instead that the aircraft may have glided with someone at the helm. Meanwhile, the Chinese-owned search trawler Dong Hai Jiu 101, which can be controlled remotely, will be joining the Maryland-based Phoenix International in scouring the area. So far, around 110,000 kilometers of the targeted sea region have already been explored. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Davao City police reported that the incident occurred at a night market along Roxas Street around 10:30 p.m. President Duterte was already in Davao City for his usual weekend break and had earlier given a televised news conference in the city. But Duterte's son Paolo, vice mayor of Davao City, said his father was far from the blast location when the explosion took place. The explosion was outside a hotel where Duterte visits frequently. He earlier shrugged off rumors of a plot to assassinate him, saying such threats were to be expected. It was not clear if the explosion was caused by a bomb as earlier reports indicated that a liquify petroleum gas tank may have went off along the busy night market. President Duterte, in his campaign against drugs, was subjected to series of assassination threats. The newly-elected president, merely two months in office, gained popularity in his war against drugs, tagging high ranking government officials such as a senator, court judges, police generals, governors and mayors in illegal drug activities. The numbers of drug-related killings reached 2,000 with most fatalities reportedly engaged in gunfights against authorities while others were believed to be executed by vigilantes. On Monday, Philippine authorities seized caches of weapon parts that accordingly will be used for the assassination of the President. Threats further intensify as Duterte embarked in a massive campaign against the ISIS-linked Abu Sayyaf Group in southern Philippines, vowing to finish the terrorist group in months' time. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A military drill has been recently conducted by China's PLA infantry regiment, Army Aviation, and Special Forces in northwest Chinas Xinjiang. The drill includes precision strike of artilleries, tank confrontation, air-to-ground helicopter strikes, and quick descent of Special Forces from air. The drill shows the armed forces combat capability with their comprehensive equipment and swift tactics. F rom September 17 - 25, London Design Festival 2016 will take place across the capital with five major design shows hosting over 400 events, installations and exhibitions in landmark locations and seven designated design districts. The annual event, now in its 14th year, showcases the best in British and international design. Here's what you need to know... The major design shows to watch out for: 100% Design: a contemporary design trade show at Olympia London, from September 21 - 24. Running alongside it is LuxuryMade, a new boutique exhibition in West Kensington for contemporary decorative interiors, held at Kensington Olympias Pillar and Upper Pillar Halls. It's open to the public on September 24, tickets cost 15. Decorex International: held in the grounds of Syon Park, from September 18-21, showcasing high-end interior designers, retailers and work by more than 400 exhibitors. Open to traders and, on September 20, the general public. Tickets cost 30. For London Design Festival highlights, follow us on instagram @ESHomesProperty Designjunction: taking place from September 22 - 25 in its new home in Granary Square, King's Cross, and alongside the newly-created King's Cross Creative Quarter. Eight purpose-built, monopoly-style houses will be on display, featuring the latest developments and trends in furniture, technology and contemporary lighting. Plus there'll be pop-up stalls and design workshops. A main project will be 'Dyslexic Design' which will showcase selected designers' works in support of the British Dyslexia Association. Tickets bought online cost 12. Focus/16: at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, the show will host over 100 events, demonstrations and workshops to inspire visitors in the fabulous south-west London setting. A free event, from September 18 23, the first four days are trade-only. London Design Fair: marking its 10th anniversary, this year will be the fair's biggest yet - growing to include an additional floor at the Old Truman Brewery in East London from September 22 - 25. The event will host new and established design brands and, after two trade-only days, members of the public can visit on September 24 and 25. Tickets bought online cost 10. Designersblock: now in its 19th year, this event showcases independent designers, featuring furniture, lighting, textiles, jewellery, architecture, and interactive design. It's free, from September 21-25, but you have to register in advance at www.verydesignersblock.com. V&A Museum: hosting a series of free talks, workshops and exhibitions during the festival, the V&A Museum in South Kensington is a must-visit. There's a late night opening on Friday September 23. The official design districts: The capital is being split into seven concentrated "design districts", each area will be open until late on a designated night during the week. Clerkenwell will host creative events, in settings including showrooms and pop-ups to restaurants and bars. Check out the design quarter map for hidden studios, design gems and one-off events highlighting new collections in furniture, lighting, jewellery and textiles. Tuesday 20 September is the late night opening. Returning for its third year, Islington design district brings together design-led shops, showrooms and cafes. Walk from Amwell Street, south of Angel, to Camden Passage and along Upper Street to discover new designers and one-off exhibitions. Late night opening is on Tuesday 20 September. Hosted by the creative companies that work in the Shoreditch Design Triangle, there's enough in this district to keep you entertained for hours. Head over on Tuesday 20 September for the late night opening and make sure to check out The Ace Hotel on the high street, a designated hub for meeting people, relaxing and gathering festival information... Bankside design district is now in its second year, one of two festival design hubs south of the river and home to many galleries and design studios year-round. Look out for the pop-up sign painting school and calligraphy workshops at Borough Market. The area's late opening night is on Wednesday 21 September. Chelsea design quarter takes in the area around the southern end of King's Road, along Lots Road and towards Imperial Wharf. It's one of London's most diverse design hubs, with contemporary and classic interiors specialists concentrated in one area. There will be workshops and talks throughout the week, with Monday 19 September the designated late night opening. With Tom Dixon among the leading international designers to have originated from this district, Brompton has been the setting for many iconic design exhibitions over the past decade. Now in its tenth year as an official design district, Brompton will host glass-making presentations and workshops as part of its "Breathless" programme, among other installations. Thursday 22 September is the late night opening. Brixton is the festival's newest design district. All the creative displays, installations and events in the town centre will fall under the umbrella theme of "Rebel Rebel" - a homage to one of the world's design icons, Brixton-born David Bowie. Head over on Friday 23 September for the late night opening. News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits. Tuesday, October 25, 4:30 7 p.m. Orr Area EMS Open House Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798. Orr Fire Hall 4540 Lake St., Orr Tuesday, October 25, 12 6 p.m. Essentia Health Job Fair Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org. 901 9th St. N., Virginia Photo taken on Aug. 31, 2016 shows a night view of Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The G20 Summit will be held in Hangzhou from Sept. 4 to 5. When it comes to choosing a city to host an international forum in China, first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai always come to mind. For that reason, Hangzhou, a quasi-first-tier city in China, has received wide attention for hosting the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit. Despite China's confidence, there are still some doubts in the West about the decision to choose Hangzhou as the host city. A recent Chinese news report by Voice of America Chinese cited Scott Kennedy, a US-based research fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who expressed concerns about Hangzhou hosting the summit. His view is that Hangzhou's success lies in private firms' independence to make business decisions by getting loans and investments from the financial market, but that there is a divide in the practices between Hangzhou - located in one of China's most robust economic regions - and Beijing, which has control over the country's economy and enterprises. Such arguments stem from the belief that Beijing's political demands contradict local governments' economic interests. People with this mindset see this international summit as an opportunity for China to show Beijing's political desires but ignore the fact that the G20 summit strives to achieve the goal of balanced growth. As the old Chinese saying goes, in heaven, paradise, on earth, Suzhou and Hangzhou. This illustrates Hangzhou's long and lauded history as a vital part of China. To get a sense of the city's economic vitality, one only needs to consider that the city harbors the headquarters of Alibaba and other private firms like domestic beverage maker Hangzhou Wahaha Group. China has moved past the phase where it needs Beijing or Shanghai to show a Chinese image. Instead, varied cities in China are beginning to host global events. If we have to attribute the move away from Beijing or Shanghai to political implications, it might be suggested that this is a display of political confidence. Besides, since beginning with the sixth G20 summit in Cannes, France, the summit has been hosted in other tourist cities like Los Cabos, Mexico in 2012, Brisbane, Australia in 2014 and Antalya, Turkey in 2015. Hangzhou fits perfectly into this trend. Further, Hangzhou's economic vitality and innovative development should also be viewed as complementary to the G20 summit's theme: "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy." Following China's political opening-up and efforts in promoting an innovative economy, more Chinese cities have grown increasingly international, a fact that may have escaped the rest of the world. Now, following the G20 Hangzhou summit, there is a greater possibility that more second-tier and third-tier Chinese cities will host international conferences and global activities. (The author is a research fellow with the Charhar Institute, a non-governmental think tank. ) 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 The Long March-5, China's largest carrier rocket to date, arrived at a launch center in southern China on Sept. 1. The rocket is scheduled to be launched in November, according to national defense and aerospace authorities. Transported by two special rocket-carrying ships, Yuanwang-21 and Yuanwang-22, the rocket departed for Qinglan Port in Wenchang, Hainan province on Aug. 26, according to the State Administration of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) and China National Space Administration. Instead of highly toxic propellants, Long March-5 uses liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and lox kerosene as fuel, making it relatively environmentally friendly. Its engines can produce a thrust of more than 1,000 metric tons when taking off. The diameter of the liquid-fuel rocket was expanded from 3.35 meters to 5 meters, which offers a significant advantage when it comes time to enter space. However, the larger diameter necessitated the rocket's transportation to the launch center by ship, as its diameter is too large to pass through tunnels. As the country's strongest carrier rocket, the Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tonnes in low Earth orbit and 14 tonnes in geostationary orbit. The rocket is planned to carry the Chang'e-5 lunar probe in 2017 and will be used to launch China's space station modules and Mars probes. In year-over-year comparisons, the industry's occupancy grew 4.3% to 67.5%. Average daily rate increased 4.2% to US$121.22. Revenue per available room rose 8.7% to US$81.85. The U.S. hotel industry recorded positive results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 21-27 August 2016, according to data from STR. In year-over-year comparisons, the industry's occupancy grew 4.3% to 67.5%. Average daily rate increased 4.2% to US$121.22. Revenue per available room rose 8.7% to US$81.85. Among the Top 25 Markets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-New Jersey, posted the largest year-over-year increases in ADR (+15.0% to US$135.93) and RevPAR (+30.8% to US$106.17). Five additional markets saw a RevPAR increase of more than 15.0%: St. Louis, Missouri, Illinois (+29.5% to US$69.94); Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia (+22.0% to US$87.18); Anaheim/Santa Ana, California (+19.2% to US$121.19); San Diego, California (+18.8% to US$130.13); and Atlanta, Georgia (+18.1% to US$73.01). Overall, 21 of the Top 25 Markets recorded an increase in RevPAR for the week. St. Louis reported the largest increase in occupancy (+16.7% to 68.0%) and was the only other market to record a double-digit lift in ADR (+11.0% to US$102.92) after the aforementioned Philadelphia. In addition to St. Louis, three markets experienced double-digit growth in occupancy: Philadelphia (+13.7% to 78.1%), Norfolk/Virginia Beach (+13.6% to 70.7%) and Anaheim/Santa Ana (+10.5% to 78.0%). Houston, Texas, saw the only double-digit declines in occupancy (-12.0% to 54.9%) and RevPAR (-15.5% to US$54.21). New Orleans, Louisiana (-7.5% to US$107.64), reported the largest drop in ADR. 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. Best Western Hotels & Resorts celebrated its second Vib groundbreaking yesterday in Springfield, Missouri. Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President, Brand Management for Best Western Hotels & Resorts, and Terry Porter, Chairman, Board of Directors, gathered with Springfield Mayor, Robert Stephens and Elliott Lodgings Gordon Elliott for Thursdays ceremony. Vib is Best Western Hotels & Resorts new chic, hip, urban boutique concept. We couldnt be happier to be in Springfield to celebrate one of our newest brands, Vib, said Pohl. Weve aligned ourselves with the perfect partners to develop our second Vib property and look forward to seeing the project come to fruition. This new high-energy hotel will provide a contemporary offering for todays traveler - seeking technology integration, social engagement and consistent service. The Vib prototype is cost-effective to build and operate and includes a flexible floor plan for new-build opportunities or design repurposing. Upon completion in 2017, hotel amenities will include free Wi-Fi, grab-n-go stations with premium food and coffee, a bar, a fireplace, a 700 sq. ft. Zen zone, gaming pods, a fitness center and more. Were always selective in our new-builds and this is the type of development weve been looking to bring to Springfield, said Elliott. The hotel should serve as a stimulant for the area helping with additional development and bringing the business traveler and millennial to our city. The Springfield Vib is being developed on East Sunshine and will provide a unique lodging option for the millions of visitors Springfield receives each year. In addition to the Springfield Vib, Best Western Hotels & Resorts has Vib projects under development in Miami, Los Angeles, Staten Island, NY, Seoul, South Korea, and Vientiane, Laos and is actively negotiating deals in key U.S. cities including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, New Orleans, Scottsdale and San Diego. One day, many years before he became internationally known, Flume sat down at a computer with his friend Killian and started working on a song called Hectic Sausage. What do you get if you take all the sausages in the world and put them together? Killian asked at the songs outset, his voice pitched down to the sub-baritone growl of Emperor Zurg. The biggest damn sausage you ever seen. Using free music software hed found in a cereal box, Flume launched into a maximalist techno groove a punishing 4-on-the-floor kick, robotic wubs, and cataclysmic synths, the sound of a Godzilla-like giant sausage dispassionately laying waste to Tokyo. Flume was 12 at the time. HNHH recently met with the 24-year-old version of Flume at his hotel room on the west side of Manhattan 10,000 miles away from the childhood home outside Sydney, Australia where he conceived Hectic Sausage. He had recently kicked off a North American tour in support of his sophomore album, Skin. Killian, who has joined him on the tour as a roadie, was elsewhere in the hotel. During the interview, nothing about Flumes demeanor or appearance suggested that he is one of the most popular electronic artists in the world. He gave unpretentious and thoughtful answers. He wore a purple cap, plain yellow T-shirt, khaki shorts, and a bare upper lip where a moustache once lived. He was simply Harley Edward Streten, and Harley he would remain until he stepped on stage the next night at Queens Forest Hills Stadium under the nom de guerre Flume. Flume first made a splash in 2012 when he released Sleepless, a track that combined sliced and stretched female vocal riffs with harmonious, undulating synths. It presented a refreshing alternative to progressive house and dubstep, which were prevalent at the time. Whats more, it may have struck a nerve with young listeners anxious about the ways in which technology has become increasingly integrated into the fabric of everyday human life, whether it be virtual reality, wearable tech, consumer preference algorithms, or Siri. Flumes stated musical purpose is to explore the nexus between the organic and the synthetic, and his style would prove immensely popular as he established his sound on his acclaimed self-titled debut album in 2013 and expanded upon it with Skin. To me, skin is alien and kind of weird; it weirds me out, he told Complex earlier this year. Its strange, but its also really intimate and personal; its living, organic. Thats how I want the music to sound, I want it to feel alien and strange, but also like its got a heartbeat, like its got a soul, like its not made by a robot. Or, I want it to sound like its made by a robot, but somehow its got this human quality. Over the course of his interview with HNHH, Flume explained how listening to J Dilla and Flying Lotus engendered a musical epiphany, helped him break out of the 4/4 house mold he grew up on, and helped him to begin to imagine a more fluid form of electronic music. *** It blew my mind Artistic epiphanies are not uncommon. Robert Johnson met the devil at the crossroads and sold his soul to become a master of the blues. Charlie Parker realized he could superimpose complex harmonies on top of existing chords. Flume grew up listening to Daft Punk and DJ Hixxys gabba sugar overdose house music. He never listened to much hip hop until he came across J Dillas Donuts and Flying Lotus Cosmogramma and Los Angeles towards the end of high school. Their willingness to color outside the lines, toy with irregular grooves, and embrace experimentation and imperfection was nothing short of revelation. It blew my mind, he said. I was listening to these dudes, and their beats were not on time. They were wrong. But they were right! It was an epiphany. I dont have to put everything on the grid. I found a lot of beauty in the rhythms, textures, tones in experimental hip hop. Its the framework for [my debut album], because before that I was just doing dance music all the time. Flume began as a side-project, but once those songs started winning contests and earned him a deal with the independent label Future Classic, it became his focus. His debut album Flume, completed on his laptop during a three-month backpacking trip through Europe and released four days after his 21st birthday, essentially used the wonky rhythms and spirit of experimentation he had absorbed from Dilla and FlyLo to deconstruct house music, while diving deeper into the infinite world of synthetic sounds. Like a glove For the next album, Skin, Flume added one more element to the mix: rappers. By working with Vince Staples, Vic Mensa, Raekwon, & Allan Kingdom, he not only changed the surface complexion of the album, but gave himself a new challenge that changed his fundamental approach to music-making. Working with rappers is different thing entirely than working with vocalists, who are all about the melodies, feelings, emotions, he explained. When I work with rappers well write something together. Record it, take the a capella, ditch the instrumental, and then make an entirely new song just around the a capella. I try to make the drums and synths fit like a glove around the phrasing. I try to make the rap vocals and my instrumental feel like one. Flume explained why wanted to collaborate with these particular rappers, none of whom stylistically is much like the others: Vince Staples I was a big fan of Summertime 06. I liked his demeanor and what he was about. Hes hilarious, hes not trying to put up a front. Hes got an amazing tone as well. Cool voice. Im a big fan of Clams Casino too, and he did a bunch of the production [on Summertime 06]. I love his lo-fi aesthetic and approach. I`ve got a real soft spot for what he does. I love his sound design. Hes amazing. A lot of his progressions are euphoric, but it feels gothic. Vic Mensa I was just a fan. He came through for Laneway Festival, a music festival in Australia. We linked up, and did some music in Sydney. I kind of had a bunch of ideas and played them for him in a proper studio. That one beat we used he was really into, and we went from there. We stayed in the studio until 4AM. I was like, Dude, we need to fucking get out of here. He wanted to keep going. Raekwon Ive never even met Raekwon. That was totally remote. We had a track, and I wanted it to be some kind of cinematic hip hop thing. We had Allan Kingdom on it. I just felt that it needed a rapper. We put feelers out and my manager hit me up and told me Raekwon wants to hop on this. And I was kind of like, Holy shit. Cool. He sent over his verses, and they were super tight. His verse is one of my favorite parts of the record. Freddie Gibbs, with whom Flume has worked with previously We were hitting him up hard. Eventually he came through while at a music festival in Sydney. He was smoking a crazy amounts of blunts. Hip hop, or more human In his own words, Flume is on a quest to make sounds never before made or heard in the history of mankind. It is a noble quest, not for the faint of heart or imagination. It requires guidance, and Flume proceeds with his electronic heroes standing on his right shoulder and Dilla and FlyLo on his left. The thing is, I love the tones and textures of dance, techno, trance music, he said. I love the feeling, I just dont like the vehicle its delivered in. What I love about hip hop are the rhythms and the sway of it. It feels like its got soul and its alive. Sometimes I feel dance music is missing a live element. So what I draw from hip hop is that feeling, and I try to put that feeling in the context of heavily electronic music. So the sounds are super synthetic, but the feeling is hip hop, or more human. Gillian Gilbert says the band are in top form ahead of their Electric Picnic headliner Out now with those lovely EP-bound Picture This boys on the cover, the new issue of Hot Press includes an in-depth interview with New Orders Gillian Gilbert wholl be taking to the Stradbally Main Stage on Sunday night with her bandmates. Talking about the impressive roll-call of guests on their much-acclaimed Music Complete album, she says: The first person we asked was Elly Jackson whod done a few support gigs with us as La Roux. I thought she was amazing. Next was Iggy Pop. Stephen and Bern had met him years ago in New York, and then we all met him in 2014 when he did the John Peel Interview on the music industry for BBC Radio 6. He was so on the money with what he said. Iggys got this wild man of rock persona but is actually a pussycat. Barneys duet partner on Superheated is Brandon Flowers who recently joined New Order for the live premiere of the song in Las Vegas ritzy Cosmopolitan @ the Chelsea venue. As you probably know, The Killers named themselves after the fictional band in our Crystal video, Gillian beams. We bumped into him years ago when they were playing on a really little stage at Glastonbury. Im rubbish at being able to tell whos going to be big or not, but he just oozed charisma. Also up for discussion are tanks, hair transplants, Stranger Things, posh New York and Sydney gigs and Tony Wilson. You can Buy Hot Press 40-15, our Student special starring Picture This direct from hotpress.com Or download the iOS app for iPad/iPhone Or download the Android App The first unmanned distribution vehicles independently developed by Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com will began trial operation this October, the company announced on Sept. 1. The statement also said that such vehicles are expected to be in large-scale commercial use in the near future. At 1 meter long, 0.8 meters wide and 0.6 meters high, the unmanned distribution vehicles are capable of independently planning routes, avoiding congested roads and identifying traffic lights. It notifies buyers using APP or text message. Some netizens commented that the devices will threaten the jobs of delivery people. Discussing the original intent of the project, Xiao Jun, head of JD.com's intelligent logistics research, explained that Chinese logistics systems in urban areas are entirely dependent on manpower, requiring a large number of employees to make deliveries spanning small distances. According to Xiao, this results in inefficiency. Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba, another e-commerce giant in China, dismissed JD.com's test of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in June, laughingly stating that the company might as well be attempting to deliver packages to Mars. Nevertheless, as the first group working toward UAV delivery in China, JD.com is confident that such measures can not only resolve distribution issues in rural areas, but can also reduce operation costs, according to analysts. The album was a seminal part of the Oasis story and will be re-issue of the album will be released on October 7. Today it has been revealed that a deluxe edition of the album will be available. The 100 box set will include the remastered album and the Mustique demos, along with this will be a hardback book featuring exclusive sleeve notes and rare photos, a 12" white-label sampler of the Mustique demos, a promo CD of the "2016 Rethink" remix of "D'You Know What I mean?", four photgraphs, an embossed enamel keyring, and a 7 single comprising early demos recorded by Mark Coyle of Going Nowhere and Stand By Me. Advertisement The Chemical Brothers first played at Electric Picnic ten years ago and, as they line up to headline the Main Stage on Friday night, it kind of feels like they've never really left. The dominating presence in electronic music and one of the most spectacular live acts in any genre of music today, The Chemical Brothers just released their eighth album, Born in the Echoes , back in July. The album propelled them back into the mainstream for the first time in years, but with a formidable body of work over 20+ years there is no doubt that the English duo have always had a massive bearing on electronic music. You can read our interview, conducted back in 2005 when "Push the Button" was making its way through the charts, here . The Union of Students in Ireland released a statement yesterday urging students to remain vigilant against drugs and unknown substances at this weekend's music festival. We are urging students not to take unknown substances, or any substances from people they dont know, said Annie Hoey, USI President. Festivals are a great chance to enjoy music, art and culture with friends and while many young people drink or use substances at these events, we are advising students to stay away from any substances they dont know the origin or make-up of. If young people choose to use drugs, we are urging them to never mix substances. Alcohol, illegal drugs and prescribed drugs can all interact dangerously with each other. USI is advising students to rehydrate regularly with water or isotonic drinks and to avoid drinking more than one pint per hour. Advertisement They have also advised that if anyone has a bad reaction to any drink or substance, or knows someone who does, to go to the on-site emergency services immediately. NEW YORK - Neither Michael Fassbender nor Alicia Vikander was especially keen on living at a remote New Zealand lighthouse for the duration of shooting Derek Cianfrance's 1920s period drama "The Light Between Oceans." Cianfrance, the director of the gritty independent films "Blue Valentine" and "The Place Beyond the Pines," is known for leading actors to immersive extremes. To play a married couple in "Blue Valentine," Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams lived in a Scranton, Penn., home together. Williams has said she often has to remind herself that she didn't actually marry Gosling. For "The Light Between Oceans," adapted from M.L. Stedman's 2012 best-seller about a lighthouse keeper after World War I, Cianfrance wanted to keep his stars and small crew at their exotic location: Cape Campbell on the New Zealand coast, to double for the tale's Australian island. Fassbender and Vikander are both known for complete commitment to their roles, but neither is a method-acting nut. "Run for the hills," Fassbender says was his initial reaction, humming the Iron Maiden song of the same name. "Initially I thought, 'Oh, God, this is going to be hell: on this peninsula in the middle of the nowhere. It turned out to be a really unique experience, to be in such an extreme environment." "They were, especially Fassbender, uncertain," Cianfrance says. "I'm like, 'Michael, just give me a shot here.' I had to work really hard to convince my production to stay out there. He was like, 'OK, I'll give it one night.' Flash forward five-and-a-half weeks later and he didn't want to leave, and neither did Alicia." They had other reasons for wanting to stay. Since shooting "The Light Between Oceans" more than a year ago, Vikander and Fassbender have been a couple: one of the movies' most decorated if discreet pairings. Both the film, which DreamWorks released Friday, and their romance are, in part, a product of the blurring of fiction and reality. "We had a chemistry from the beginning, obviously, and sort of to the present," says Fassbender, chuckling. "I just found her to be extremely committed and brave and really fierce. She goes for it. She doesn't let the fear of falling on her face stop her from trying things out." The two came into the film having met only briefly. This was before Vikander exploded across movie screens last year in "Ex Machina" and "The Danish Girl," for which she won an Oscar. A fan of Fassbender's for films such as "Hunger" and "Fish Tank," Vikander says she considered him "one of the best actors of his generation." "It's something when you get to work with an actor who immediately vindicates your faith," Vikander says. "He pushed me, and I dared to do the same back. It was easy from the get-go. He kind of came in with open-arms and was willing to really serve this story justice." Fassbender plays a former soldier craving isolation after the war. He and Vikander's character, who lives in the nearest village, fall in love, but their union is haunted by miscarriage and later, a shared deceit. The stark, wind-swept beauty of the film's rugged, romantic location, along with cinematographer Adam Arkapaw's photography, gives the film a classical sweep new to Cianfrance's films. "I make movies about family. I make movies about relationships. This one just has an epic backdrop," the Brooklyn writer-director says. "In some ways, when I was shooting it, I was thinking of trying to make a (Nick) Cassavetes film on a David Lean landscape." Cianfrance eschews saying "action" or "cut" and instead has the actors improvise their way into and out of a scene. He would rouse the cast and crew for first light, or bring them back for the evening sun. They slept in trailers near the lighthouse. For Vikander's first day of shooting, before she arrived on set, he had her picked up at 2 a.m. and driven to the lighthouse. She was asked to cover her eyes until she was to exit a woodshed for her first take. "I just looked out and saw this huge lighthouse, which is pretty extraordinary," Vikander recalls. "And the film crew was up on the top, so I started to climb up to the top. And they had timed it so the second I came up there, the sun just popped up over the horizon. It was probably the most extraordinary sunrise I had ever seen. It's not me acting, really, in the film when I see it." The elements, Fassbender says, also made a powerful impression on him, particularly the relentless wind. And the removal from cellphones and other day-to-day pressures turned out to be welcome in focusing on the film's tender and tragic story. "I'm a big part of superhero franchises and sci-fi franchises, but these are real people dealing with life, and what life throws at you and how you handle it and how lives veer off a path that you thought they were destined for," he says. "That struck a chord with me personally." "We actually had a true experience on that island. A lot of stuff made the film. A lot of stuff didn't," Cianfrance says. "But we were actually living there, and the film witnesses the truth of our experience." President Barack Obama has staked much of his foreign policy legacy on boosting America's presence in Asia. He has increased the number of Navy ships in Asia's contested waters, forged ties with old adversaries, and relentlessly pursued a massive and controversial Asia-Pacific trade accord. But as he heads to the region for his 10th visit since 2009, the president's effort to shift America's focus more decisively toward Asia remains a work in progress. And the unfinished and reversible nature of the president's signal foreign policy initiative raises an even larger question: In an age of political dysfunction at home, chaos in the Middle East and growing threats to the liberal international order, is it possible for any president to set a strategic foreign policy course and stick to it? 'Contentious meeting' Obama's trip to Asia, which begins Saturday in China with the Group of 20 economic summit and includes a first-ever presidential visit to Laos, offers one view of the challenges Obama has faced in pursuing his overarching vision. "We see this trip as really bringing together a number of the president's top priorities for the last seven and a half years," said Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser. The list of legacy-defining items includes managing the increasingly tense territorial disputes between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea, cyber-espionage, climate change and trade. Just as daunting are the flashpoint issues of the moment that could serve to deflect the president's attention. In China, Obama is set to meet with President Xi Jinping, but his most closely watched meetings likely will be with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a critical and increasingly troublesome ally in the battle against the Islamic State. "That's going to be a very contentious meeting and drive as many headlines as anything he will do in Asia," said Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, a global political-risk consulting firm. In recent weeks Erdogan has blasted the United States for failing to extradite a U.S. resident whom the Turkish leader blames for a recent coup. Obama will also need to address tension arising from the increasingly nasty shooting war in Syria between Turkey and the Kurdish militia fighters - both critical allies in a fight against the Islamic State. The meeting with Erdogan highlights a paradox for Obama. The White House has long insisted that the most consequential development of the 21st century is the rise of the Asia-Pacific region as an economic powerhouse. But the problems and opportunities in Asia rarely come with the pressing deadlines or the prospect of dire consequences as crises elsewhere in the world. "We aren't about to go to war in Asia," said Patrick Cronin, senior director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. "Things are pretty calm and people are mostly doing business. But there is a lot of jockeying about who is going to determine the rules of the road in the area." China's 'dangerous side' For the moment, the main jockeying has been with China, which escaped the global recession largely unscathed and has been eager, as the world's second largest economy, to throw its weight around. Increasingly Chinese leaders have been unwilling to make concessions or show patience when it comes to settling territorial disputes with neighbors. The aggressive stance, in turn, has provoked alarm. "China took a situation where it had a relatively friendly Asia and turned almost everyone against it," said Orville Schell, a longtime China scholar. "That's a very bad place for China to be in. When China gets spurned or rejected, it loses face. It brings out the most obdurate side of the country, a very dangerous side." SHERMAN - Calling a federal securities law "murky," a judge on Friday appeared torn about whether to dismiss securities fraud charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, likening the case to trying "to fit a square peg in a round hole." U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III, said he normally rejects motions to dismiss, but he was troubled by a lack of case law regarding Paxton's responsibility to disclose that he would make a commission from convincing friends and business associates to invest in a North Texas tech company. "It's not fair to force someone to summary judgment or trial because the law is murky," Mazzant said in the midst of two hours of oral arguments in the Eastern District of Texas over whether to dismiss a civil suit against Paxton by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. SEC lawyers argued Paxton had a duty to disclose to investors in 2011 that he would make a commission by convincing them to invest in Servergy Inc., a McKinney company purporting to make a revolutionary new computer network server. According to the SEC complaint, Paxton, then a Collin County state representative, received 100,000 shares in Servergy stock for recruiting investors for the company. "Mr. Paxton was a secret broker," said Matthew Gulde, the SEC attorney, adding Paxton's omission to people who trusted him constituted a half-truth. "Nobody knew Paxton was selling a commodity." More Information Paxton's security fraud case goes back a year A look at the Texas attorney general's legal troubles. July 28, 2015: A Collin County grand jury charges Paxton with two counts of first-degree securities fraud and one third-degree count of securities fraud. One first-degree count accuses him of encouraging people to invest Servergy Inc.without disclosing that he was making a commission. Aug. 3, 2015: The attorney general is booked on the felony charges, then released on $35,000 bail. Aug. 27, 2015: Paxton pleads not guilty to violating state security laws. About halfway through proceedings, his lead counsel steps down, providing no details. Dec. 1, 2015: His lawyers ask a judge to throw out indictments accusing Paxton of violating state securities law, saying the grand jury was improperly influenced by a local judge, that the state had no jurisdiction on the fraud allegations, and that the statute of limitations had expired on a third charge. Dec. 11, 2015: The judge in Paxton's criminal case denies the attempts to have the indictments thrown out. April 11: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges Paxton with civil securities fraud in the Servergy case. April 12: During the SEC's investigative process, two of Paxton's co-defendants agreed to settle their cases by paying a combined $266,000, according to the federal government. Those settlements, by Servergy and former firm official Caleb White, were signed in mid-March, court records show. White, who was accused of the same crime as Paxton but received one-fifth of the shares in the company, paid the SEC $66,000. June 9: Paxton's new attorney, Matthew Martens, files a motion to dismiss SEC charges against his client. See More Collapse Paxton's attorneys contended he had no obligation to volunteer to potential investors that he was making a commission and argued that his silence does not constitute securities fraud, a tactic that, if successful, could unravel much of the SEC's case. Benefit of the doubt The lack of clear case law should afford Paxton the benefit of the doubt, not make him the subject of the first test case, his attorneys said. Mazzant said he was unsure Paxton had a fiduciary duty to disclose his commission, particularly to members of his investment group, whom he approached about investing. Mazzant suggested from the bench that if Paxton's omission constitutes a half-truth, anyone encouraging someone to invest in a company has a duty to disclose their financial interest, inadvertently setting a new securities rule. Paxton is facing civil fraud charges, accused of misleading friends, business associates, law clients and members of an investment group into raising $840,000 in investments for Servergy. He also is charged with failing to register as an investment broker with the state. He has refused to negotiate a settlement, although two other partiesin the SEC complaint, including a former member of the Servergy board, already have settled. Former Servergy CEO William Mapp, accused of making false statements about the product and its buyers, is open to settling, according to court records. Paxton is facing similar criminal charges in state district court. He was indicted last year on two counts of first-degree felony securities fraud and one count of failing to register as an investment adviser with the state, a third-degree felony. Those charges are on appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Paxton could face five to 99 years in prison and fiscal penalties if found guilty. Paxton in 2014 paid a $1,000 fine to the Texas State Securities Board after admitting that he had not properly registered as an investment adviser for a friend's capital management company. 'Cuts in our favor' SEC cases rarely make it to trial, often settling before landing in court. Last year, the SEC took about 30 cases to judgment in district court or administrative proceedings while filing some 800 enforcement actions in that time. Lawyers for the SEC declined to comment on Friday's hearing. Matthew Martens, who gave oral arguments representing Paxton, said he believes the lack of legal clarity surrounding Paxton's duty to disclose his commissions "actually cuts in our favor." "We were pleased the judge was asking all the right questions," Martens said. Bill Mateja, another lead lawyer on Paxton's team, said he expects the same arguments will be made in the state district court. The court also heard oral arguments about whether Paxton was required to register as an investment broker. Paxton's attorneys contend he was not engaged enough in the business of selling securities to necessitate registration with the state. The "hallmark of being a broker is transactional compensation," said Gulde, arguing for the SEC. Paxton's previous experience with investments show he "is not someone who is walking into this blindly." Investors vulnerable While the law is fuzzy, the SEC has plausible arguments why Paxton was required to tell investors he had a financial incentive, said Robert Prentice, an expert on securities fraud and chair of the Business, Government and Society department at the University of Texas at Austin. "The common law has generally held that there would be no duty to volunteer such information if you were dealing with a stranger, such as someone you met over Craigslist who is trying to sell you a car," he said. The seller has a duty to disclose their financial benefit if they have a close relationship with the buyer, he said, such as Paxton approaching his friends and business contacts about investing. "It is quite arguable that the investors lowered their guard and were uniquely vulnerable, making it important that Mr. Paxton disclose this information," Prentice said. Paxton has reported raising nearly $330,000 from friends and family to fund his legal battle, which is now beginning in earnest. Should his criminal appeal fail, he is expected to face trial in state court in 2017. The SEC's civil case, if not dismissed, is expected to take place in fall of 2017. "I appreciate the opportunity today to begin to present my side of the case," Paxton told reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing. "I certainly appreciate the judge taking the time that he took. Obviously, he was well prepared, and I appreciate his efforts to examine the case." Paxton did not take questions, including whether he thought he had a moral responsibility to disclose he would profit from his friends' investments. The judge said he expects to rule in the next 30 days. What Americans, and the world, saw on Wednesday night if they sat through Donald Trump's 90-minute immigration harangue was the living, breathing portrait of a demagogue. A few hours after his surprise meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, during which Trump was as polite and conciliatory as a frat boy confronted by a Matamoros cop, Trump in Phoenix was back with the bluster. He left little doubt that this was the real Trump, if there is such a thing. What appeared to be a "softening" during the last couple of weeks turned out to be a reflection of the dual and contradictory advice he's been getting from his new campaign team. Trump made it clear Wednesday night and in subsequent comments Thursday that he's going with the hardest of the hardliners. Nevermind that polls show he's pleasing no one but his hard-core base, a group of people whose deep-throated chants in Phoenix of "USA, USA, USA" evoked memories of dangerous demagogues rallying the faithful in decades past. That's not what this nation needs, not what Texans need. Texans know the border. They know the blending of cultures that make up who we are. They know the economic advantages that come with close ties to Mexico. They know the Mexican people. They also know that this ignorant, vain-glorious man has no idea how to address the very real challenges facing the nation's immigration system, on the border and elsewhere. Trump in all his red-faced bluster would be laughable if not for the fact that millions of Americans are looking for a scapegoat. They believe he's just the man to drive out the brown-skinned, Spanish-speaking among us and to build a wall - an "impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern border wall" - to keep them out. On immigration, that's the essence of Trump's appeal. Mexico, Trump assures us, will pay for that multi-billion-dollar wall. "They just don't know it yet," he proclaimed in Phoenix, shortly after he said he and Pena Nieto did not discuss funding for the wall. (The Mexican president said they did, insisting that he told Trump Mexico would not be paying for any wall.) To even be talking about funding for a border wall is absurd. There will be no 2,000-mile wall, in large part because the immigration problems this country faces have nothing to do with interlopers wading a river or crossing a line in the Arizona desert. Except for the year 2011, illegal immigration from Mexico is at its lowest point since 1972. Spending billions to appease the nativists among us is not exactly the fiscally conservative, fiscally prudent thing to do. Despite his bluster, neither Trump nor any other president will be shipping millions of the undocumented among us out of the country, a cruel process that also would cost billions. Trump won't be creating some kind of deportation task force to go knocking on doors in the middle of the night and rounding up 11 million or 6 million or whatever number might qualify under Trump's threat. The "brown shirts" are an unfortunate part of another time, another place, not 21st-century America. Most Americans want no part of such an outrageous venture. To hear Trump tell it, undocumented immigrants in this country are, with few exceptions, innately criminal. That brown-skinned fellow putting up dry wall on the new apartment complex across the street, that fellow pulling weeds behind the walls of a gated community, the waitress bringing migas and coffee to our table - they have nothing on their minds but rape, pillage and murder. Don't you know? That's why they're in this country. We've come to understand that Trump's hateful lies and exaggerations are part of a pattern. We know that for the Republican nominee, it's the truth that's alien. A few examples from Wednesday night: Illegal immigration does not cost our country more than $113 billion a year. Hillary Clinton does not plan to bring in 620,000 new Syrian refugees a year; those who do come here have been subject to a comprehensive two-year screening. Despite Trump's claim that "countless Americans" are "victims of violence" by undocumented immigrants who are "dangerous, dangerous, dangerous criminals," the vast, vast, vast majority of undocumented immigrants do not fit Trump's description of aggravated felons, whose crimes include murder. NAFTA, despite weaknesses, has not been a "disaster," as Trump has labeled it. The Mexican president noted on Tuesday that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce believes that more than 6 million American jobs rely on trade with Mexico. For a little while Tuesday afternoon, it seemed as if the Republican nominee for president of the United States had risen to the occasion. Standing next to the Mexican president, he seemed almost thoughtful, reasonable, courteous and restrained. No doubt, the new, more presidential Trump made Clinton supporters a tad bit anxious. They needn't have worried. All it took was a raucous, adoring crowd in Arizona egging him on and a speech prepared with input from the hardliner side of the campaign team for the real Donald Trump to reemerge. If he's the symbol of this great nation after November, our southern neighbors might have second thoughts about a wall - a wall protecting them from us. Texas County Memorial Hospital has inked a three-year contract with Jennifer Groner, DO, board certified family medicine physician and obstetrician. Groner joins TCMH to work full-time at the TCMH Mountain Grove Clinic beginning Nov. 14. She plans to reside in Texas County with her children, Matthew and Sarah. Groner is the attending physician for the department of community and family medicine and assistant professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine and Family Medicine Residency and Surgical Obstetrical Fellowship based at Truman Medical Center Lakewood in Kansas City. Groner grew up Jefferson City. She has family that still lives in the area. Groner completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind., and she did biological sciences courses at the University of Missouri in Columbia. She attended medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville. Groners medical internship year was at Ingram Regional Medical Center in Lansing, Mich., and she completed residency at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City. Groner completed a post-sophomore fellowship in clinical and anatomical pathology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia. She also completed a surgical obstetrical fellowship at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine. Following her fellowship training in 2010, Groner took the faculty position at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Earlier this year, Groner decided to look for a traditional family medicine physician that would allow her to live and raise her children in a smaller town. A job in rural family medicine with obstetrics was my goal as a first year medical student, Groner said. I have very much enjoyed my time in academic medicine, but I am excited to finally do my dream job! Groner noted the warmth and friendliness of the people she met in Houston and in Mountain Grove during her visits with TCMH. I think this is going to be a great place to raise my family. I am looking forward to being part of the community and finding a place for my kids to call home, Groner said. Wes Murray, chief executive officer at TCMH, said having a full-time physician in the Mountain Grove clinic has always been the strategic goal of TCMH. Dr. Groner is going to be an excellent addition to our medical team at the Mountain Grove clinic, he said. Groner will see patients of all ages at the clinic. She will provide complete womens health and obstetrical care, delivering babies at Texas County Memorial Hospital. Groner will also be on the hospital medical staff, caring for inpatients at TCMH. In my visit to TCMH, it was apparent to me that Mountain Grove needed a full-time physician, Groner said. One of the things that made this position more attractive to me than other positions I considered was the opportunity to fill a need and make a difference in the community I serve. Groner will work at the clinic with Sara Openshaw, family nurse practitioner; and Tracey Arwood, certified nurse midwife. Cory Offutt, MD, will also see obstetrics patients at the clinic one afternoon a week. We have seen our OB services grow through Tracey Arwood and Dr. Offutts presence in Mountain Grove, Murray said. We expect that the addition of a full-time, fellowship trained, board certified obstetrician will help us continue to draw in pregnant women that want to see a local healthcare provider and deliver their baby close to home. For additional information about Groner or to make an appointment, contact the TCMH Mountain Grove clinic at 417-926-1770. Xinjiangs Dingsheng Fenghe Agricultural Investment Company has officially denied any previous knowledge of the genetically altered male parent of its corn product, which was uncovered by a local seed authority in May. The seed authority in Altay Prefecture of Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region found that 2,000 mu (around 133 hectares) of cornfields tested positive for the genetically modified Bt breed. In addition to a 10,000-yuan ($1,500) fine imposed on the company, all 133 hectares of the genetically modified corn were destroyed. China has not approved the commercial planting of any kind of genetically modified corn. If we had known, we would not have planted it. Now it has cost us millions, a Dingsheng Fenghe employee explained. Multiple experts were invited to the field on Aug. 31 to perform cost evaluations. Holdseed Company, who delegated the task of growing the crops to Dingsheng Fenghe, had not commented on the issue as of press time. Law enforcement officials in Tongliao, where the company is based, said it has no previous violations. According to officials with the seed authority, even if the company was unaware of the genetically engineered nature of the products male parent, Dingsheng Fenghe is still liable based on the Regulations on Administration of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms. As for the origin of the Bt corn, which is a variant of maize that has been genetically altered to express one or more proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, experts believe it is likely to be foreign. The Bt gene is the most widely applied insecticidal gene in crops. This type of corn usually can last for two generations, noted Xue Dayuan, a professor at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences of Minzu University, adding that seed provenance control should be emphasized to crack down on illegal cultivation. Huang Dafang, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, believes that the illegal cultivation of genetically modified organisms would disturb the current market order. However, Huang also pointed out that cultivation is only matter of procedure. No safety concerns are involved. A Halloween event Downtown Trick or Treat is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 31, in downtown Houston. The annual activity which runs from 6-8 p.m. allows children to receive candy and participate in several activities downtown. Families and businesses are encouraged to set up a booth to distribute goodies. Persons who would like to set up a booth, offer financial assistance and/or candy can call Fawn Bell at 417-967-0102. 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Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. res of New Zealand employers are being shamed by a recent survey after it was revealed over 170,000 workers are currently without a written employment agreement despite it being a legal requirement.The data gathered for the first time by Statistics NZ showed almost one in 10 employees do not have their terms and conditions in writing with casual and part-time employees worst affected.One third of causal workers reported they had no written agreement and 17.4 per cent of part-time employees said the same compared to just 6.4 per cent for full-time employees.Certain industries also showed a tendency to overlook employment agreement with about 20 per cent of employees in forestry, fishing, and farming indicating they had no written agreement. Construction, accommodation and food services came a close second at around 15 per cent.The most compliant industry was financial services, where fewer than five per cent of employees had no written employment agreement.The survey also showed a distinct split when it came to seniority, age and union affiliation while the rate was around 15 per cent for labourers, managers and professionals had a rate of between four and eight per cent.Similarly, those aged younger than 30 were less likely to have a written agreement than older employees and only 2.4 per cent of union members had no agreement, compared with 10.4 per cent of non-union members.Labour's workplace relations spokesman Iain Lees-Galloway said in some cases the breach was intentional but in most cases it was due to a "nonchalant" approach by employers.He also reminded employers that, thanks to the recently-passed Employment Standards Act, the inspectorate can now impose fines of $1,000 for each breach up to a maximum of $20,000 over a three month period plus extra for having no records."It can be a short sharp shock if the Labour Inspectorate turns up and these things are not in place, he warned. latest workplace survey completed by New Zealand Police is painting a less-than-appealing picture of the force, with many officers claiming theyre incredibly stressed and inadequately trained.In the annual survey, 59.8 per cent of officers said they don't receive sufficient training and 55.6 per cent said the level of work-related stress was unacceptable the major gripes are just two of a number pointed out by clearly disgruntled employees.In addition, just 39 per cent said the organisation was interested in the opinions of its staff, 68.8 per cent said appointments weren't made on merit and just 42.3 per cent agreed police delivered on the promises they made to the community a drop of 9.2 percentage points from last year.One police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the New Zealand Herald that staff shortages and a static budget were to blame."Our job quality isn't as good as it could be just because we're under so much pressure, and then at the same time we still have to pull people over and give them tickets, do bail checks and patrolling, and then there's a whole heap of overtime as well, he said.The disillusioned officer also told the news outlet that a recent change in rosters has led to an increase in overtime and a 30 per cent jump in staff taking sick days."People just don't want to come to work because they're so sick of overtime, he said. There hasn't been a budget increase in five years, and we're expected to keep crime rates down, burglaries down when there's way more people, way more crime and we're getting less and less cops. That's where the stress comes from for us."Kaye Ryan, the polices acting deputy chief executive for people, said a new training model was launched in April which will help address staff concerns."Police stress levels are a concern, she admitted. Our staff are put in a range of situations every day that can be extremely difficult to deal with, and most members of the public will not be aware of the extent of the situations staff are exposed to."With this comes an inevitable level of stress, and we encourage staff to come forward and speak openly about how they are coping."Our extensive Wellness and Safety network is in place to ensure employees who seek help are offered full support through our Employee Assistance Programme." Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao addresses a press conference on September 2. Photo: Jia Xingpeng China has allocated 100-billion yuan in structural adjustment funds for the steel and coal industries, making the country one of the first major economies to tackle excessive industrial capacity, said Chinese vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao on Sep. 2, two days before the G20 Hangzhou Summit opening. Zhu, at a press conference on Sep. 2, said China has implemented the strongest measures to tackle industrial overcapacity, including enterprise mergers and reorganizations based on market rules or bankruptcy laws. China is also promoting the use of nationwide bankruptcy courts, he added. Zhu said the G20 Hangzhou Summit comes at a time when world economic recovery is slow and unbalanced. The world economy is full of uncertainties, such as Brexit, is increasingly divided by the develop worlds monetary policies, and is experiencing downward pressure. He expressed his hope that the world can come together to spur economic growth. This is also why the world sets its eyes on Hangzhou and expects the summit to boost global economic growth and improve global financial market stability, said Zhu. Specifically, Zhu pointed out that one of the key focuses of this years summit will be international tax reform, especially on the coordination of policy on tax evasion, base erosion, and tax havens. China announced that the G20 Hangzhou Summit will, for the first time in history, encourage the establishment of a new international tax system that is fair, just, inclusive, and orderly. Zhu stressed that under Chinas presidency, much discussion has focused on the use of taxes to support economic growth and increase government tax revenue. OTTAWA Public consultations over the new electoral system should result in a clear sense of what Canadians want, not just vague and lofty ideas, opposition MPs say. NDP critic Nathan Cullen told The Huffington Post Canada he is concerned that Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsefs town halls are not dealing with the elephant in the room. Advertisement Perhaps the minister and the Liberal government are not asking citizens what system they want to adopt because they dont want to know the answer, Cullen suggested. Its either a lack of understanding on how to do these [consultations] or an unwillingness to have people say your preferred system sucks, or we have an opinion different than what the prime minister maybe has, he told HuffPost. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he favours a ranked ballot, where people identify their preferred candidates in order and their second-place votes, for example, are redistributed if no candidate wins a majority of the ballots cast. The NDP is in favour of a proportional system, in which gaining 40 per cent of the vote gives a political party 40 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons. Advertisement I hope this thing is not ultimately about control, Cullen said. That if you keep things vague, you get to control the outcome and say: See? Look, we gave you a strong democracy [when] we gave you this model that is not supported by many Canadians or any other country in the world. The minister should be asking Canadians what system they prefer, he said. We need anecdotal and empirical [data]. We need numbers. We need an idea of where people are landing. So far, however, rather than ask citizens what voting system they like best, Monsef has spent her time asking Canadians what characteristics make a good member of Parliament and what values they want to see reflected in the new electoral process. We need anecdotal and empirical [data]. We need numbers. We need an idea of where people are landing. During a visit to Whitehorse on Wednesday, Monsef said Holy moly! when a majority of people lifted their hands up to say they hadnt made up their minds on whether they like the current first-past-the-post system or whether they support an alternative voting system. Monsef did not explain any of the options on the table or ask the group for specific feedback. Advertisement I think Canadians would be frustrated if they left the town hall and all they heard was how important democracy is, said Cullen, who represents the B.C. riding of SkeenaBulkley Valley. Every potential electoral system has tradeoffs, he added. There is no perfect system. Its a matter of enhancing the things you care most about and trading off the things you care less about. Cullen said hes been pushing the Commons committee, which will begin its cross-country consultations on Sept. 19, to ask those who attend the hearing for their input. We are spending a lot of time and money to do this, Cullen said. For heavens sake, if we dont end up with a clear sense of peoples opinions about a new voting system, then we will have failed in our task. Advertisement Conservative democratic institutions critic Scott Reid said he also wonders why Monsef is consulting Canadians but not asking them what electoral system they prefer. She should be asking what type of model do you favour, he said. She could ask them why but that would be a better model than keeping it at the level of permanent abstraction. It would be a better way of arriving at advice from the Canadian public that is actually meaningful. Monsef, Reid said, should also be asking whether a referendum is required before making substantial changes to the electoral system. To do all the consultation before we know what the details are [makes no sense]. This is a technical piece of legislation the devil is in the details. Advertisement Monsefs office, however, defended the ministers method. A discussion around values is in fact informative, her spokesman, Jean-Bruno Villeneuve, wrote in an email. There is no perfect electoral system, but each system is made up of a set of values that reflect what that system prioritizes as its objective, he wrote. By putting the emphasis on the values that Canadians attach to their voting system, the minister is in no way preventing or limiting discussion among the people who come to the consultations. The Liberals promised during last years election campaign that they would change the way MPs are elected. They pledged to introduce legislation within 18 months and tasked the Commons committee with studying the issue and coming up with proposals by December. It will be up to the Liberal cabinet, however, to decide what system to put to a vote in Parliament. Villeneuve would not say how much money Monsef is spending on her 21-city tour. Hearings unlikely to result in clear action plan The Commons committee studying electoral reform has budgeted $540,008 to visit 16 communities later this month. It approved a bit more money this week for Inuktitut interpretation, after a news report noted that Monsefs town hall in Iqaluit had no translation for local residents. The committees consultation are also unlikely to result in a clear idea of what kind of electoral system those who attend the hearing prefer. Advertisement Francis Scarpaleggia, the chair of the special committee on electoral reform, said the hearings will include panels with witnesses and invited guests and an open mic session. The committee will give attendees a briefing paper that describes some of the models, he said, but were not going to say weve narrowed down to these two models, what do you think? Were not narrowing down anything at this point, Scarpaleggia said. The point of the consultation, he said, is to hear from Canadians outside Ottawa and from groups who arent focused on electoral reform but who might be concerned by its potential impact. Also on HuffPost When it comes to Netflix, customers have no chill. A study by Digitalsmiths, a unit of TiVo, has found that 21 per cent of current Netflix customers would still pay for the service if the subscription rate was hiked to $16 per month, Variety reported. Netflix recently underwent a price change in both Canada and the U.S. Canadian viewers who signed on to the streaming service's high-definition offering are now paying $9.99 per month, up from $8.99 in 2014. Advertisement In the survey of 3,114 adults aged 18 and over in Canada and the U.S., only 8.4 per cent would pay if it cost up to $19, and 6.5 per cent said they'd continue subscribing if it cost $20 to $23. A measly 1.4 per cent said they would keep paying for Netflix if it cost over $32. The survey also said that consumers consider Netflix's price its most appealing facet (58.9 per cent), followed by its allowance for customized profiles (55.1 per cent) and its search capabilities (49 per cent), as reported by Business Insider. People were, however, less impressed with Netflix's subscription rate this year compared to the last one. Advertisement Four per cent fewer people listed price as their favourite Netflix feature in the most recent poll. The survey comes as Netflix's recent stock performance has drawn varying reviews from different analysts. It was worth US$97.38 on Thursday after trading closed, and was given a "sell" rating by Victor Anthony of investment firm Axiom Capital Management, according to Barron's. Anthony cited "rising competition, diminishing pricing power, and rising content costs." RBC Capital Markets, however, has a different view. The bank said in a note last week that the streaming service is seeing "record high usage levels," with 54 per cent using Netflix to watch TV and movies in August, compared to 50 per cent in May. Advertisement That's more than YouTube (47 per cent) and Amazon (30 per cent). The bank also noted that 67 per cent of subscribers say they are "extremely" or "very" satisfied with the service, compared to five per cent who say they're likely to cancel in the coming three months. Don't count the oilsands industry among those rushing to see marijuana legalized across Canada. Legalized pot would have an "adverse impact on workplace safety and on an employer's ability to ensure a safe work environment," says a letter from Enform to the federal government. "Enform respectfully submits that any legislation that is considered must address the obligations of employers to maintain a safe work environment and the workplace safety risks associated with marijuana use and abuse," it said in its memo to the Task Force on Marijuana Legalization, Regulation and Restriction. Advertisement Enform is a safety advocacy organization which has directors that come from bodies such as the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC). In the letter, Enform president Cameron MacGillivray said the organization is concerned about the link between marijuana use and injury a correlaton that has been backed up by academic study. Advertisement In one study Enform noted, male marijuana users had a "28 per cent higher rate of hospitalization due to injuries" than non-pot users. The rate of injuries among women was 37 per cent higher. "There can be no doubt that marijuana use is incompatible with working in a safety-sensitive workplace," the letter said. It noted other studies that say marijuana affects people's alertness and their ability to control machines. Enform is asking the federal government to implement an "express prohibition on the use of marijuana in safety-sensitive workplaces" if it legalizes the drug. Advertisement It also wants the government to ban marijuana use within a short time frame of working a shift on a safety-sensitive site, and to restrict anyone from possessing or selling pot at such workplaces. Drug testing a controversial industry topic Earlier this year, an Alberta judge ruled that Suncor's plan to randomly test workers for alcohol and drugs would not violate their privacy, The Canadian Press reported. That ruling followed a decision by an arbitrator, which agreed with labour union Unifor that Suncor's testing represented a "personal invasion" on workers. Unifor also argued that Suncor already has an extensive alcohol and drug policy that included fair testing. Also on HuffPost WEED: The New Science of Marijuana See Gallery BERLIN The father of a 3-year-old boy whose lifeless body photographed on a Turkish beach drew the world's attention to the plight of refugees says little has changed in the year since. Abdullah Kurdi, a Syrian who now lives in Iraq, lost not only 3-year-old Alan but also son Galip, 5, and wife Rihan, 35, one year ago Friday. Advertisement Abdullah Kurdi, father of three-year old Alan Kurdi, waits at the morgue in Mugla, southern Turkey, on Sept. 3, 2015, after a boat carrying refugees sank trying to reach the Greek island of Kos. (Photo: Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images) Kurdi was quoted by Germany's Bild newspaper as saying this week that he's glad the photo of his son's body was published to "make clear to people what is happening'' but he's upset that more hasn't been done for refugees since. Advertisement "Politicians said after the death of my family: never again!'' he said. "Everyone allegedly wanted to do something after the photos that had so moved them. But what is happening now? The dying goes on and nobody's doing anything.'' Kurdi urged others contemplating the journey that he undertook with his family to rethink their plans. "The dying goes on and nobody's doing anything.'' "I'd like to say to the refugees in the refugee camps that they shouldn't make this journey,'' he said. "The danger is too great. It's not worth it.'' His sister, Tima Kurdi, posted this week on her Facebook page that "we must never forget the price for freedom.'' "Please keep (Aylan) and all those who died for the chance of freedom from the shackles of war in our daily prayers,'' she wrote. Advertisement Also on HuffPost The Calgary Humane Society is looking for the public's help after four kittens were found abandoned in a dumpster. On Wednesday, the kittens were rescued from a sealed box in the alley of the 3300 block of 44 Ave. S.E. A Humane Society representative said the circumstances of the kittens' abandonment were extremely cruel. Advertisement These four kittens were left sealed in a box in a Calgary dumpster. (Photo: Calgary Humane Society) "These vulnerable kittens were not set free or left behind. They were maliciously sealed in a box and tossed in a garbage dumpster with no possible way to escape," said Brad Nichols in a release. "There was clear intent to ensure these kittens did not have an opportunity to fend for themselves. The Calgary Police Service and the Calgary Humane Society are asking anyone with information to come forward. Also on HuffPost: Part of Kate Middleton's charm has always been her ability to look classy while giving off an aura of the girl next door who can knock back a pint or two when the occasion calls for it. On Thursday, The Duchess of Cambridge did just that. On day one of their two-day trip to Cornwall and Scilly Isles of England, the duke and duchess stopped by Healey's Cider Farm for a tour and taste of the local business' Cornish cider and 120-proof whiskey. Advertisement But before they got to drinking, the duo got a chance to tend the bar with the duchess pouring a pint of Healey's Rattler cider. "I've never mastered this!" Kate said while pouring the drink, People magazine reports. The Duchess of Cambridge pours a pint at Healey's Cornish Cider Farm, a thriving local business celebrating its 30th anniversary on Sept. 1, 2016. After tasting the cider, owner Joe Healey offered the couple more drinks including whiskey, brandy and rum which prompted the prince to say: "Rum?! This is where the engagement really goes downhill!" Advertisement Though the couple didn't finish off all of their drinks, they did enjoy the whiskey. After taking a good gulp the duchess reportedly told Healey it was delicious. The duchess certainly seems to be a fan of the spirit: Back in 2014 the couple toured Scotland's Glenturret distillery, which is known for its Grouse whiskey. While William hesitated to drink the 68.9 per cent proof alcohol straight from the still the duchess happily sipped on two different 40 per cent proof blends, E Online reports. Also on HuffPost A Conservative leadership contender has elaborated on what she sees as "anti-Canadian values." Ontario MP Kellie Leitch caused a stir this week after The Canadian Press revealed her campaign asked supporters in a survey if the federal government should screen refugees and landed immigrants for values that clash with this country. Advertisement Kellie Leitch rises during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 24, 2015. (Photo: Justin Tang/CP) For some, the news harkened back to a controversial moment during the election campaign last year, when Leitch promoted creating an RCMP tip line for so-called "barbaric cultural practices" such as forced marriage or female genital mutilation. The Conservative pledge spurred accusations of xenophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice. In a statement released Friday, Leitch pledged she would not shy away from such discussions. "In my bid to become the Prime Minister of Canada, I will be putting forward policies that will make Canada safer, stronger and that will enhance a unified Canadian identity," she said. Leitch says she feels "very strongly" about the proposal to screen potential immigrants for "intolerance towards other religions, cultures and sexual orientations, violent and/or misogynist behaviour and/or a lack of acceptance of our Canadian tradition of personal and economic freedoms." Advertisement "Canadians can expect to hear more, not less from me, on this topic in the coming months." Debating these matters, she said, requires tough conversations that go beyond "simplified labels" and sound bites. "Canadians can expect to hear more, not less from me, on this topic in the coming months," she said. U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has also called for potential immigrants to undergo "extreme vetting" to test their views on religious freedom, gender equality and LGBTQ rights. Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., on Aug. 31. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Chong blasts idea Fellow Tory leadership candidate Michael Chong was critical of Leitch's remarks. He took to Facebook with a statement Friday afternoon saying that the notion that some immigrants are "anti-Canadian" doesn't represent his party. Advertisement "The language and context that Kellie used has led key Conservatives, including Prime Minister Harper's former Director of Policy, to criticize this move as the worst of dog-whistle politics," he said. "Conservatives need to unite around a fiscally conservative agenda that is inclusive of Canadians from diverse backgrounds." Tories will win in 2019, Chong added, by focusing on economic issues and not those matters that "pit one Canadian against another." Tip line regret In an interview with Power & Politics last spring, Leitch teared up over the controversy surrounding the tip line. Leitch said that if she could go back in time, she would not have made that announcement. "We weren't talking about race, we were talking about kids," she said. "But that message was completely overtaken and I regret that. And I regret that it occurred, and it shouldn't have been done." Leitch said much the same in an interview with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix published online Friday. She said her intention in that announcement was to stand up for "victimized" women and girls. Advertisement But she also suggested the tip line was a good idea that just wasn't communicated effectively. "All Canadians would want to protect young women and girls from any atrocity, and we didn't articulate it clearly that day. The important part of the message was overtaken, and I take responsibly for that," she told The Star Phoenix. Leitch, a surgeon first elected to the House in 2011 in the riding of Simcoe-Grey, served as labour minister and minister for the status of women under former prime minister Stephen Harper. In April, she became the first Conservative to jump into the race to replace Harper. Early fundraising numbers show her ahead of other leadership candidates. Leitch's full statement can be read below: With files from The Canadian Press Also on HuffPost Conservative Leadership Candidates See Gallery File photo of Tu Youyou carrying out her research on the efficacy of artemisinin in treating malaria. A Chinese pharmaceutical company has announced its plan to invest 70 million yuan (about $10 million) in the research of the drug artemisinin as a potential treatment for lupus. The antimalarial drug, which was discovered by Chinese Nobel Prize laureate Tu Youyou, may offer novel and effective therapy against the disease. According to an official announcement on Sept. 1, KPC Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company based in southern Chinas Yunnan province, plans to spend 70 million yuan on the purchase of a patent and clinical trial license for lupus treatment research. Lead by Tu, the research focuses on the efficacy of artemisinin in treating lupus. It is now in clinical trials. There is no drug tailored to treat lupus in China. Traditional therapy for the potentially fatal ailment is a combination of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressives, which can damage patients' immune systems in the long run, KPCs announcement read. If artemisinin can be proven to have better clinical efficacy in treating lupus, it may fill the vacuum in the pharmaceutical market, as there is currently no radical cure for the disease, the report continued. Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus, is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own tissue and organs, which can damage the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain and blood. Tu and her colleagues have been working on the treatment of autoimmune diseases with artemisinin for the past decade, with promising results for lupus. Her team received permission from the China Food and Drug Administration to carry out large-scale clinical testing in April, Xinhua reported. Looks like the royal Prince of Bhutan is giving Prince George a run for his money for most adorable. On Wednesday, photos of six-month-old Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck were released by cultural organization Yellow Bhutan. The images are part of the Bhutan royals official calendar for the month of September. Wearing a traditional Bhutanese robe, the little prince is seen smiling off-camera, showing off his wee dimples and oh-so-chubby cheeks! Advertisement The photos were taken by the Princes father, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who welcomed the baby boy with his wife, Queen Jetsun Pema, back in February. It is a joy to see our little Prince growing up so quickly, and touching to see him already begin to carry out Royal Duties, the caption on Yellow Bhutans Facebook page reads. Prince George and Prince Jigmes parents are already friends. In April, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met the Bhutanese king and queen during their royal tour of India and Bhutan. Advertisement While Prince George doesnt have his own calendar like the Prince of Bhutan, he does have loads of commemorative items and souvenirs that celebrate him. These items range from silver coins to porcelain dolls. Since Prince William and Kate Middleton love sharing sweet photos of three-year-old George and 16-month-old Charlotte, its hard to say which royal tot is the cutest. But heres hoping the British and Bhutan royals have a playdate with their kids real soon. Also on HuffPost It's 2016 and it appears as though young black girls still aren't "allowed" to wear their hair the way it naturally grows from their scalp, according to one South African school. Pretoria High School for Girls is facing some serious backlash after 13-year-old student Zulaikha Patel and her other peers protested the facility for discriminating against their natural hair, which they say teachers refer to as "exotic." Advertisement They threatened to arrest an unarmed group of black girls who were walking against the racial injustices of the school. #stopracismatpretoriagirlshigh A video posted by Palesa Sedibe (@palii_sedibe) on Aug 28, 2016 at 2:58am PDT However, while Pretoria High's code of conduct does not specifically say Afros aren't allowed, it does state that "all [hair]styles must be conservative, and neat." And they have strict rules around single braids, locs and cornrows such as specific diameter, direction of the braids and vertical length. But Patel claims staff has complained about her hair. "The issue of my hair has been a thing that's followed me my entire life," Patel told CNN on Thursday. "Even in primary I was told my hair is not natural, it's exotic, my Afro was not wanted or anything like that and then the issue followed me to high school." The school was all white during apartheid and only began to integrate other races in 1994. And the topic has gotten people on the Internet quite upset as well. The hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh has taken over Twitter for the past week in support of the movement. Advertisement Tiisetso Phetla former pupil at the school says, she experienced this #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHighpic.twitter.com/QsTlSf9rTw Zikhona Tshona (@ZikhonaTshona) August 29, 2016 They are babies fighting to be unapologetic Blk cos they aren't allowed to be. #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHighpic.twitter.com/1A1hZEAKgp boqor riya. (@hausofriya) August 29, 2016 I'm reminded of a white woman I knew who was flabbergasted when I told her that hair is political. #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh Sailor Petty (@anthoknees) August 29, 2016 Also showing support? Solange Knowles. I think you are super rad #ZulaikhaPatel Go on w ya baaaad self solange knowles (@solangeknowles) August 31, 2016 An online petition was created as well to put an end to the discriminatory policy. These girls have to protest their rights to wear their NATURAL HAIR at school. #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHighpic.twitter.com/9QdOrseaaS Chihiro Ogino (@WickedBeaute) August 29, 2016 Advertisement And it seems as thought the outcry has positively impacted the school. According to the BBC, the alleged racist hair policy has since been suspended. Follow Huffington Post Canada Style on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! Also on HuffPost In light of the back to school season, and Californias new vaccine law, its important to know what the immunization regulations are in Canada. First off, vaccinations are definitely recommended, but they are not mandatory in Canada. However, Ontario and News Brunswick have regulations that require proof of your childs immunizations for school entry. Advertisement Exemptions to this include anyone with medical or personal reasons, but these exceptions arent as simple as a no thanks from parents. Ontario has proposed legislation for all parents who wish to refuse their childs immunization for personal reasons to attend an educational session hosted by a public health centre. After that, they can get an official exemption form. The form states that their child will be excluded from school if there is an outbreak or immediate risk of an outbreak at their school. Ontario schools would be able to turn away students who don't have this form or their vaccinations. Advertisement The city of Hamilton, Ontario, already advised parents to get their children vaccinated for the school year and to make sure their records are updated. Even though a childs immunizations may be up-to-date, public health records may not be. Reporting vaccine records to public health is the responsibility of parents, they stated on their website. Manitoba used to require proof for measles for children to attend school, but it now appears to be voluntary. If your child is starting or going back to school this year, heres everything you need to know about making sure their immunizations are up to date: What vaccines are required in Ontario? Meningococcal disease Pertussis Varicella Diphtheria Tetanus Polio Measles Mumps Rubella What vaccines are required in New Brunswick? Diphtheria Tetanus Polio Measles Mumps Rubella Where can I get my child vaccinated? Theyre available at your family health care provider and are free of charge. How to report vaccine records: Ask your childs doctor for their yellow immunization sheet, and contact Public Health in your area. Advertisement For more information ask your healthcare provider or visit your province's or territory's public health website. Also on HuffPost Connel_Design via Getty Images Pride flag and spectator taking pictures with mobile phone I work for a bank that is looking forward to a time when sexual orientation and gender identity will be a non-issue in North America; boring stuff to talk about, passe. A time when it will no longer be necessary for us to make a point of actively embracing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community; diversity, respect and inclusion will simply be part of how we behave as a society and who we are as human beings. Advertisement Based on recent events, unfortunately, it appears that time has not come yet. Following the mass shooting that took place in Orlando, Florida on June 12 that targeted members of the LGBTQ community at Pulse nightclub (among countless other tragedies,) it appears we still have work to do. However, the broader community's response to this tragic incident reminds us not only of the homophobic, transphobic and biphobic violence that LGBTQ people continue to face every day worldwide, but also of the resilience, compassion and solidarity of our global LGBTQ community. From the overwhelming turnout at local Orlando blood donation banks, to grief counselling and financial support that was collected for the victims, it is clear that attitudes which may have been attributed to the "status quo" of the past are no longer acceptable to many. And so, it is essential that business and Albertans alike continue to vigorously champion LGBTQ rights across the country and around the world. Advertisement Sure, it's smart from a business perspective -- LGBTQ employees who feel comfortable, who can bring their 'whole selves' to work, are bound to be more motivated, happier and more productive. And clients or customers who identify as LGBTQ may appreciate our advocacy and want to bank with us. But the importance of LGBTQ advocacy goes beyond that. Respecting the sexuality of any human being -- whether they identify as homosexual, heterosexual or anywhere in between -- is the right thing to do. It really is as simple and straightforward as that. For those looking to attend a Pride parade or festival, there are certainly many to consider. In Canada, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto are the biggest, but there are countless smaller and emerging festivals from Coast to Coast. In Alberta, there are six Pride festivals, including Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Jasper, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Calgary Pride, which takes place this weekend. Even with rain in the forecast, spirits in the LGBTQ community remain sunny in the prairies. Pride isn't about being 'gay for a day.' It's about diversity, respect, inclusion and year-round support for the LGBTQ community (in good times and bad), not just once a year when there's a big celebration. Advertisement To find out more about TD's commitment to the LGBTA community, please visit td.com/lgbta Steve Allen via Getty Images Genbaku Dome or Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Hiroshima, Japan The following is a harrowing account by a Hiroshima survivor talking about the fate of her schoolmates. It was recently read out in the British parliament during a debate about Britain's nuclear arsenal: "Some fell to the ground and their stomachs already expanded full, burst and organs fell out. Others had skin falling off them and others still were carrying limbs. And one in particular was carrying their eyeballs in their hand." In response to a question, British PM Theresa May said without hesitation that, if necessary, she would authorize the use of a nuclear weapon that would kill hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children. But let's get one thing clear: a single modern nuclear weapon would most likely end up killing many millions, whether immediately or slowly, and is designed to be much more devastating to both people and the environment than those dropped by the U.S. on Japan. Politicians like May are reading from a script devised by elite interests (see David Rothkopf's analysis). This US-led elite comprises the extremely wealthy of the world who set the globalization and war agendas at the G8, G20, NATO, the World Bank, and the WTO. They are from the highest levels of finance capital and transnational corporations. This transnational class dictate global economic policies and decide who lives and who dies and which wars are fought and inflicted on which people. The mainstream narrative tends to depict these individuals as "wealth creators." In reality, however, many of these "high flyers" have stolen ordinary people's wealth, stashed it away in tax havens, bankrupted economies and have imposed a form of globalization that results in devastating destruction and war for those who attempt to remain independent from them, or structurally adjusted violence via privatisation and economic neo-liberalism for millions in countries that have acquiesced. Advertisement The agritech sector poisons our food and agriculture. Madeleine Albright says it was worth it to have killed half a million kids in Iraq to effectively extend the wider geopolitical goals of "corporate America." Welfare is dismantled and austerity is imposed on millions. The rich increase their already enormous wealth. Powerful corporations corrupt government machinery and colonise every aspect of life for profit. And nuclear weapons hang over humanity like the sword of Damocles -- not to protect the masses from the bogeyman, but to protect the power and wealth of competing global elites; or, to be more precise, in the case of the U.S. -- the predominant superpower -- to cajole and coerce with the aim of expanding influence. While we hear much talk about the "civilized values" of the West, what civilized value is the threat of nuclear mass murder based on? The media and much of the public seem to shrug their shoulders and accept that nuclear weapons are essential and the mass murder of sections of humanity is perfectly acceptable in the face of some fabricated "Russian aggression." Many believe nuclear weapons are a necessary evil and fall into line with hegemonic thinking about humanity being inherently conflictual, competitive and war-like. Such tendencies do of course exist, but they do not exist in a vacuum. These traits are played on by politicians, the media and vested interests that seek to scare the population into accepting a 'necessary' nuclear status quo. Co-operation and equality are as much a part of any arbitrary aspect of "human nature" as any other defined characteristic. These values are, however, sidelined by a system which fuels wealth accumulation for the few, exploitation, war and a zero-sum system of power. Advertisement Much of humanity has been convinced to accept the potential for instant nuclear Armageddon hanging over its collective head as a given. If the 20th century has shown us anything, it is that imperialist interests are adept at gathering the masses under notions of the flag, "the bomb" and king, god or country to justify their slaughter. Now and then, though, the reality of a nuclear-armed world comes to the fore, as May's response demonstrates. To prevent us all shuddering with the fear of the threat of instant nuclear destruction on a daily basis, it's a case of don't worry, be happy and watch TV. It was the late academic Rick Roderick who highlighted that modern society trivializes issues that are of ultimate importance: they eventually become banal or "matter of fact" to the population. People are spun the notion that militarism and neoliberalism and its structural violence are necessary for securing peace, defeating terror, creating prosperity or promoting "growth." The ultimate banality is to accept this and believe there is no alternative or to just switch off to it all. Instead of acquiescing when someone like May advocates mass murder in the name of peace, it is time to move beyond rhetoric and for ordinary people to take responsibility and act. We should listen to peace campaigner Robert J Burrowes: "Many people evade responsibility, of course, simply by believing and acting as if someone else, perhaps even 'the government', is 'properly' responsible... the most widespread ways of evading responsibility are to deny any responsibility for military violence while paying the taxes to finance it... denying any responsibility for the exploitation of other people while buying the cheap products produced by their exploited (and sometimes slave) labour... and denying any part in inflicting violence without understanding the many forms this violence can take." Of course, war is by no means the sole preserve of a particular social system. The roots of violence are complex as Burrowes notes. But there is potentially a different path for humanity that draws on an aspect of "human nature" that is too often suppressed, devalued and, today, when used as a basis for social transformation, regarded as a threat to those who benefit from and are hell-bent on fueling division and conflict. It is an aspect steeped in notions of commonality and international camaraderie and cooperation and rests on the genuine democratic ownership of productive resources put to use for the common good. monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images Teenage Girl Visits Doctor's Office Suffering With Depression Upset There's a deadline looming at your office. Stressed by his workload and afraid of being fired, your colleague starts to panic, breathing rapidly. It might be an anxiety attack. What do you do? A close friend has been depressed, absent and withdrawn for weeks. Suddenly you get a chipper phone call. Would you recognize the mood shift as a potential warning sign? Advertisement What would you say? You don't have to be a passive bystander, struggling for words or paralyzed by ignorance. If your co-worker had a heart attack or your friend broke an ankle, the protocol would be pretty clear. Stabilize an injured limb; wrap and elevate a wound. Administer CPR, if properly trained. Call 911. But what about mental health crises like the ones above, described to us by mental health first aid trainers? Unlike blocked arteries or broken bones, mental illness is shrouded in stigma. People are reluctant to talk about it and, when confronted with someone in crisis, few know what to do. Still, odds are much greater that you'll encounter someone with an anxiety disorder or depression than someone with heart disease. Statistically, mental illness affects much more of the population -- one in five Canadians. You don't have to be a passive bystander, struggling for words or paralyzed by ignorance. You can become a mental health first responder. Mental health first aid (MFHA) teaches Canadians what to do in an emergency, breaking down fears and myths to increase awareness of mental illness. The basic MFHA training course takes two days, and is available across Canada through trainers certified by Mental Health First Aid Canada (fees for the course vary). Advertisement First aiders learn an exercise for hyperventilating panic victims: they should focus on your hand as you raise and lower it to help them control their breathing. A panic attack and a heart attack have some similar physical symptoms; always call 911 just in case. Through discussion and interactive role play, MFHA training breaks down the discomfort involved in talking about mental illnesses like depression. More importantly, participants learn to ask hard but vital questions. It's not best to avoid the subject. MFHA certified trainer Denise Waligora told us about one of her students, a career counsellor whose client confessed that he was depressed. Thanks to her training, she knew to come right out and ask: "Are you thinking about suicide?" He was. The counsellor probed further and learned her client had already made a suicide plan. She recognized a high-risk situation, assessing the likelihood that he would follow through with it using targeted questions. It was high. She took him to a hospital, one listed in her training as having proper facilities. Some weeks later, when the man was released, he told the counsellor she'd saved his life. With a better understanding of mental illness, unburdened by stigma or the myth that she should avoid certain subjects, this MHFA graduate had the confidence and the compassion to intervene. Advertisement First aid is a powerful act of compassion -- caring about others' pain and taking action to heal it. Trainers like Waligora teach their students to recognize signs and symptoms of mental illnesses in four areas: mood disorders, anxiety, addiction and substance abuse, and psychotic disorders. Myths -- like the belief that people suffering psychotic issues are always violent -- are demolished. MHFA Canada is now developing first aid courses tailored to the cultural differences and special circumstances that face groups like First Nations, Inuit, seniors, and veterans. Critically, first aiders are made aware of the mental health resources available locally, so they can refer those in crisis to the appropriate contacts. Just as a first aid kit doesn't replace doctors and hospitals, MFHA isn't a substitute for professional mental health care. Canada still needs to invest much more in facilities and treatment programs. First aid is a powerful act of compassion -- caring about others' pain and taking action to heal it. Whether it's a broken bone or a wounded mind, if someone is hurting, wouldn't you want to know what to do? Advertisement Craig and Marc Kielburger are the co-founders of the WE movement, which includes WE Charity, ME to WE Social Enterprise and WE Day. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) provided Red Army meal rations for over 4,000 students during a recent military training event held on campus, which turned out to be rather popular with the students. In China, military training is held annually for all first-year college students in order to promote students' will power and sense of national pride. An executive officer for the military training at SJTU said that providing the meals was intended to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party and the 80th anniversary of the Long March. Additionally, the meals are nutritious and filling, which is a necessity for the students while they are training. The meals also help students to feel the spirit of the Long March in contemporary society, according to the officer. The Red Army meals contain food such as pumpkin soup, steamed sweet potatoes and taro. The cups and bowls also feature slogans like, "Serve the people whole-heartedly!" and, "The Red Army never feared the difficulties of the Long March." The meals were anticipated with excitement not only by the first-year students participating in military training, but also by other students and staff on campus. Students willingly stood in a long queue just to try such a meal. BORIS ROESSLER via Getty Images People stand in front of a new graffiti by artists Justus Becker and Oguz Sen depicting the drowned Syrian refugee boy Alan Kurdi (initially reported as Aylan Kurdi) at the harbor in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on July 4, 2016.The artists created the new mural showing Alan Kurdi inmid of teddy bears after vandals had destroyed the former mural showing the Syrian toddler drowned. / AFP / dpa / Boris Roessler / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION---GERMANY OUT (Photo credit should read BORIS ROESSLER/AFP/Getty Images) This summer, my family lost someone very dear to us. Everything is different now. The first year, I'm told, will be especially tough. We'll be feeling our way through the first Thanksgiving, the first Christmas, the first anniversary of his death. My dear one was an elderly gentleman, full of years and adventures. While we mourn him deeply, we console ourselves with the knowledge that he seized life with both hands. Advertisement Today, the world remembers a child who never had the chance to seize life at all. His name was Alan Kurdi. You'll recall him as the little Syrian boy who was found dead on a beach in Turkey the morning of September 2, 2015. He had stepped into a crowded inflatable boat with his family the night before, in a desperate attempt to reach Europe in safety. Stock photo We didn't reach back Alan's death rocked people everywhere -- from families in their homes to leaders in the halls of power. When children like Alan reached out for help, we didn't reach back. For the past year, individuals, governments and world bodies have all needed to reckon with what that means. Alan was unknowingly responsible for jolting the world out of our malaise vis-a-vis the war in Syria, shoving the needle of our lukewarm response from yellow to bright red. One year later, it's crucial that we assess our progress. How have we honoured Alan, in the steps we've taken to protect other Syrian children? Advertisement There's no doubt that things have changed. Here at World Vision, we noticed an immediate increase in public discussion around the war in Syria. After four years of working to draw public attention to the plight of children devastated by the conflict, it was encouraging to have people write to us online, attend our events, share our posts and support programs for Syrian children overseas. Alan Kurdi deserved to live, to grow into the child he was created to be. But Alan's impact was even bigger than that. The death of this tiny boy also became a turning point politically, in the middle of the federal election campaign. Immigration policy had already been an issue, but Alan's headlines drew it to the forefront. In the past year, thousands of Syrian children were welcomed into Canada. Alan Kurdi's death was instrumental in making that policy change. A child like any other It would be so easy to reduce Alan Kurdi to a "phenomenon." But no matter how much of a turning point his death was, he was still a little boy who couldn't have wanted to die. True, Alan had never known peace in his three years of life -- that makes him very different from most children here in Canada. But that didn't mean he didn't have days full of laughter, that he didn't hug his parents and tease his brother. It didn't mean that he wasn't born with boundless God-given potential. Alan Kurdi deserved to live, to grow into the child he was created to be. His loss is something I will never be at peace with. Not ever. Advertisement Honouring Alan privately Although he impacted Canada on a national scale, today I urge you to make your response to Alan's memory a personal one. I think about our family's own loss this summer, and the ways that we're finding some kind of meaning there. I want to live my life in a way that honours my loved one's memory -- a response that will be unique to me. I'm not yet sure it exactly how it will look, but my life will be different because of him. Please make your life different because of Alan -- no matter how that looks for you Maybe it's sending an e-mail to Stephane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, demanding that Canada play a bigger role in the peace process. Perhaps it's taking the time to talk with the Syrian refugee parent in your school playground, or the one you pass on the street each day. Or it could be just hugging your own children tighter each time you return from work. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Advertisement By Kelly Di Domenico The best way I can describe being a participant in the recent 2016 World Social Forum (WSF) in Montreal, is feeling like a piece in a tapestry that has interconnected with all the other pieces necessary to build a new world. Many pieces are needed to build global justice. First there are the issues themselves: human rights; democracy; gender equality; respect of Indigenous rights; climate and mining justice; peace, and so much more. Then there is the research, analysis, actions and mobilization required to make change happen. And finally of course, the people themselves who tirelessly make it all happen. These pieces come together at different moments, but rare are the occasions to have them all come together, and the WSF provided the perfect platform for this synergy to happen. An estimated 35,000 participants and over one thousand activities were at the heart of the World Social Forum, united under the theme Another World is Needed, Together, it is Possible! It was the first time that the WSF was held in the "North" and some questioned if having it in a wealthy country like Canada would diminish the resonance of this space that has traditionally been one for groups in the "South" to exchange, plan and imagine a different world. But one just had to look at the temperatures in Montreal the week of the WSF to realize that "business as usual" no longer applies in every way. Advertisement As the thermometer hit 34C that week, it was the 15th day in Montreal to hit above 30C. Normally, we get six. Toronto has seen 26 days instead of the usual 11. We are in a climate crisis of global proportions; holding the WSF in Montreal was a way to acknowledge that the paradigm shift required to ensure justice for all and save the planet needs to happen in the "North" more than anywhere else, and that more work needs to be done in the "North" to make that happen. This is a significant shift in the way we perceive international development and the actions we take as NGOs. As one participant said, "We always speak of poverty reduction, but why not wealth reduction?" I couldn't help but ask myself, could an NGO ever launch a "wealth reduction" program here in Canada in the same way we launch "poverty eradication" programs in the Global South? What would the logical framework even look like?! The various pieces needed for this critical shift to take place could be seen coming together through the panels, workshops, and convergence assemblies that took place throughout the week. Victims of the Mariana mining tragedy in Brazil, where a burst dam launched millions of tonnes of toxic mud on a 500 km path of destruction, spoke side-by-side with members of the Xat'sull First Nations community in British Columbia whose waters have been contaminated by the Mount Polley tailings dam breach. Advertisement Farmers from Canada, Burundi, Norway and Honduras shared their experiences of using agroecology all while expressing concern over urban migration of youth and abandoned fields. Our problems and solutions are increasingly becoming one and the same. The beauty of the WSF was seeing all these communities coming together and to begin to envision the arresting and brilliant portrait that is emerging. Unfortunately, over 200 would-be participants were denied visas to enter Canada. Although this sadly limited the participation of activists from the Global South, it precisely highlighted the stringent and exclusionary policies and structures that we are facing here in the "North" and must struggle to change. The work that needs to take place here is profound and challenging, as we come to realize that we can no longer simply focus on the foreign policies of "northern" countries, but must look closely at local ones that dictate how we live and organize our societies if we are to truly have a global impact. By having the WSF in Canada, it also gave global coverage to the struggles of Canada's Indigenous communities, who have been mobilizing around the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, calling for the implementation of the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights and defending their ancestral lands in inspiring ways against pipelines, mines and other projects that only contribute to destroying our planet. Advertisement Development and Peace, like most NGOs in Canada, is made of several diverse and colourful tapestry pieces. We foster solidarity between Canadians and communities experiencing injustice in the Global South through partnerships with local grassroots organizations and education campaigns in Canada. At the WSF, we invited several of our partners from the Global South, as well as members, including a youth delegation from across Canada, so that they could contribute to, and benefit from, the WSF. The beauty of the WSF was seeing all these communities coming together and to begin to envision the arresting and brilliant portrait that is emerging. The networks, alliances, groups, committees and coalitions that we are all a part of took shape in a way that revealed the vast reach of our work and the exciting possibilities that exist for another world. There was something magical about being one of those tapestry pieces at the WSF. Now, we must work to bring in those in society who are still the missing pieces and invite them to become part of this global movement for change. Surely at the next WSF, the tapestry will be even larger! Kelly Di Domenico is Communications Officer at Development and Peace. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CCIC or its members. Jupiterimages via Getty Images It has been three years since the Ontario government announced that all front-line police officers in the province would be permitted to carry Conducted Energy Weapons (also known by their popular brand name "Tasers"). Prior to this announcement, Tasers were only available to officers in specialized and supervisory positions. Almost all 49 municipal police services in Ontario have adopted and expanded Taser use to front-line officers, including the Ontario Provincial Police. However, the Toronto Police Service -- the largest municipal police force in Canada -- still has not taken this step. Advertisement Now is the time for the Toronto Police Services Board to approve Taser expansion for all front-line officers in the city. The addition of Tasers simply provides police with another option when dealing with a critical situation that may require forceful action. People will argue that police do not need more weapons, but rather more effective de-escalation training and techniques. Those people are right. The main focus should always be on communication and de-escalation. However, these techniques do not always work, and by having access to a Taser can significantly help to prevent or avoid a fatal encounter involving a police shooting. Tasers are considered to be "less-lethal" weapons. They have been associated with several deaths over the past decade. The causes of death are most often underlying medical conditions brought on by the electrical shock from the Taser. According to a report from Amnesty International in 2013 on police use of force in the U.S., approximately 540 deaths have been connected to the use of Tasers since 2001. The Guardian -- who tracks people killed by U.S. police -- reported that of the 1,146 people killed by American police in 2015, 49 were the result of Taser use. Because there is no national database on police-civilian fatalities, these are unofficial statistics. Advertisement Unfortunately, expanding Taser use will not completely prevent police use of deadly force. In Canada, supervisory officers and those in tactical roles have been carrying Tasers since 2000. It is estimated that the use of Tasers has been associated with approximately 30 deaths between 2000 and 2015. Since the Ontario government expanded Taser use to all police officers in 2013, there have been no reported deaths associated with deployment of the weapon by front-line officers. Thus, deaths related to Taser use are extremely rare in Canada. There are several concerns about the use of Tasers by police. The fear is that police will use the weapon indiscriminately because of its "less-lethal" classification. Although this is a legitimate concern, evidence from other municipal services in Ontario show otherwise. In several agencies, Taser use has decreased or remained the same since front-line officers began carrying the weapon as compared with years prior. In other services, Taser use has increased. This is common for the fact that more access will translate into more usage. However, most Taser incidents are reported as "demonstrated force presence" only. This means that the officer did not deploy his/her Taser, but merely presented it in a way to deter an individual. Therefore, actual deployment of Tasers (either in probe or stun mode) by officers is uncommon. This illustrates proper decision-making, effective training, and strong guidelines around the use of this weapon for and by Ontario police officers. Expanding the use of Tasers to front-line officers in Toronto is a logical decision, especially since the agency has had the opportunity to do so for three years. Unfortunately, expanding Taser use will not completely prevent police use of deadly force. And the reality is that there will most likely be a case where a Taser is connected to a fatality. However, providing Taser access to front-line officers in Toronto will give police a necessary option that will contribute to enhancing the safety of both the public and the police. The Toronto Police Service must develop a strong policy around Taser use that goes far beyond the requirements outlined in the Ontario guidelines. The policy must also ensure meaningful accountability and strict disciplinary measures for when officers use Tasers carelessly and without sufficient justification. Advertisement Tasers are a very expensive investment (new models cost approximately $2,000 each and have a shelf-life of 3-5 years). This is a primary reason why the Toronto Police Services Board has not approved widespread expansion. It is a significant budgetary concern especially to those urging police cutbacks in light of rising costs. However, if they can prevent the death of at least one person, are they not worth the cost for expansion? Erick's master's thesis examined the Ontario government's decision to expand Taser use to all officers. It can be found at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/plcng/cnmcs-plcng/rsrch-prtl/dtls-en.aspx?d=PS&i=89723442 Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook More and more, we're hearing stories of sexual violence being told publicly and receiving sustained media attention. We see mainstream media using the phrase "rape culture" -- used for decades by anti-sexual violence advocates -- to talk about the system of beliefs and attitudes that props up abusers while tearing down survivors of violence. This is, arguably, a turning point in the national conversation about sexual violence and gender-based violence in Canada. But whose stories are being included in the conversation? Which survivors' voices are heard? We sat down with advocates Andrea Villanueva and Chenthoori Malankov to talk about how the conversation on sexual violence can centre communities of colour. Advertisement Andrea Villanueva is a Mexican-based artist with a permanent disability. She studies Cinema and Human Rights at York University. When she was 15 years old she co-founded an organization called Project Slut. Chenthoori Malankov is a student at York University who uses the power of community to connect, reflect and educate. She was raised in Toronto but is a daughter of Tamil's diaspora. Utilizing alternative platforms such as arts, education models she designs and facilitates workshops in schools throughout Toronto on issues revolving around gender-based violence and wanting to create more spaces for marginalized voices. Interviewer: What are the challenges you have seen in mainstream media reporting on sexual violence and rape enacted against women of colour? Chenthoori: "There's no representation of women of colour in media because media isn't a safe place for survivors or women of colour. When women of colour are represented in the media it [is implied] that family violence or sexual assault is something that happens in our culture. Our cultures are [portrayed as] barbaric [and] our stories are sensationalized." Advertisement Andrea: "We get scapegoated, as if race [is] the reason why we get raped or why sexual violence happens to us. They don't know how to investigate issues that happen in communities. They say 'Oh [in] this community men were very masculine, very machista, and lots of women get assaulted.' They scapegoat my community which makes it harder for women of colour to come forward." Interviewer: How have you seen women of colour creating consent culture? Chenthoori: "I've seen women of colour creating consent culture all the time. [However] it is hard to have these conversations in my community, specifically around [what] consent looks like. The root cause of sexual assault and gender-based violence is silenced and it's almost OK that it's happening to us. We [are told we] should be quiet about [it]. It's reliving trauma for the rest of our lives. "I would like to see women of colour hold men accountable. In my community, patriarchy is at the forefront of almost all movements. Constructively criticizing actions happening in our communities [is important]. Family is complicated when we talk about family violence; [that is also the case] with consent culture." Interviewer: Often survivors are portrayed as white, straight, cisgender, able-bodied women. How can the media avoid minimizing stories about sexual violence against survivors that don't fit this narrative? Chenthoori: "It's a matter of humanizing women of colour. There's stigma attached to women of colour in the media... It always comes back to culture or that we're immigrants. It's never about validating my experience. It's letting white women take up space and taking [it] away from women of colour. Why [are] women of colour sensationalized? Why is my culture the narrative of what happened to me? Violence against women is in every culture. It's about making me human and writing it as I say." Advertisement Andrea: "'Racially charged' stories should be [delivered] with truth and compassion, [not used to] further marginalize and re-victimize. Ask people within that person's community how [the story] impacts them... Ask how they feel about [how] they're being represented... [Ask] experts in communities. Look outside your professional circle... [You can] deliver a story without further victimizing anybody if you ask, 'how is this going to affect others?'" Interviewer: Statistics show most survivors do not report. Why is it important to have diverse representations of survivorship in media reporting? Chenthoori: "Representation is important, especially diverse representation of survivorship. [It would] be powerful if I saw Tamil women speaking out of [their] experience. When someone [speaks out] it restores hope for survivors who don't feel safe or comfortable [doing so]. Someone coming and reporting increases visibility." Andrea: "It's difficult for different communities to navigate the legal system, the police, etc., without being re-victimized. It's difficult to get a conviction. So it's important to represent [this reality] because the ideal survivor is [not] the norm. We validate only survivors that [try to] to 'get a verdict and to put that man away.' We need to show women that don't go through a reporting or legal processes because that reinforces to other women [that] violence did happen to you." Interviewer: There has been a swell in media coverage of rape culture in recent months. What conversations are you glad to see happening, and what do we still need to address? Advertisement Chenthoori: "Because of students and [community] activists the provincial government is creating an action plan to stop sexual violence. This is a tipping point for youth engagement. It's always 'experts' that talk about these things; not enough representation of lived experiences. A lot of people should be involved. "In the Cosby and Ghomeshi cases, the women were never really validated. The amount of women that came forward, yet still [the] innocent until proven guilty [narrative]. There was never a follow-up about how the survivors are doing, what the community is doing, what supports and resources are accessible to survivors." Andrea: "In my community there are women's circles and we share. It doesn't have to be experts. Our communities are powerful. I would like to see [stories about how] we [can] heal ourselves to some extent." This blog is part of a series of interviews femifesto is publishing on media reporting and sexual violence in diverse communities across Canada. Colin McConnell via Getty Images TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 2 - The annual Labour Day Parade was held today starting at University and Queen Sts and ending up in theCNE groundsA.UNIFOR,the new superunion was one of the lead marchersATom Mulclair and Andrea Horvath were both marching together in the parade as thousands took part in this annual parade for labour (Colin McConnell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) This Labour Day over twenty-five thousand union members will march on the streets of Toronto with the Labour Council to celebrate the achievements of the labour movement. It is the largest parade on Labour Day in North America -- a testament to the determination of workers to mark our place in Canada's largest urban centre. But it is also fitting because the roots of Labour Day are actually in Toronto. One hundred and forty five years ago a small group of workmen came together to give life to an idea -- the creation of a collective voice for working people in Toronto. On April 12th, 1871 the Toronto Trades and Labour Assembly (now the Labour Council) was founded by representatives of the emerging economy -- barrel-makers, shoemakers, printers, bakers, cigar-makers and metalworkers. They were soon joined by other occupations. It was a time of rising for workers across the world, from the nine-hour day movement to the Paris Commune. Advertisement The new Assembly decided to hold a "working man's demonstration." Two thousand workers representing 13 unions participated -- the predecessor of today's Labour Day parade. Within a year the fledging labour movement in Toronto would be tested. Printers at the Globe newspaper went on strike and were jailed for criminal sedition. Ten thousand people took to the streets demanding their freedom and labour rights. The call for justice echoed throughout the country and Sir John A. MacDonald's government passed the first Trade Union act. The tradition of large parades continued, and Peter McGuire of the Carpenters Union took the idea back to New York with a proposal to mark the first Monday of September as a union celebration. The idea took hold and spread, and by 1894 the Canadian government declared Labour Day a public holiday. A century later the day is a welcome holiday that ends the summer and starts the school year. But the faces marching on Labour Day reflect something much deeper. Since the first nations gave us the name Toronto -- a "gathering place" -- this region has been built by waves of immigrants and refugees. Each new group discovered that in order to have a fair share of Canada's prosperity they needed collective representation. In the workplace that meant building a union, and from the very beginning our unions adopted the principle that "What we wish for ourselves, we wish for all." We are fighting for an economy that is both sustainable and offers good jobs for all. In the early decades the Labour Council mounted campaigns for employment standards, sanitary conditions, limitation of working hours; and prohibiting child labour. It also called for equal pay for women, one of the first advocates for equality in Canada. There was a sweeping program for municipal ownership of the street railway system, telephone services, power, gas and the fire brigade. It lobbied for better public health and a quality education system, as well as a Fair Wage policy. Advertisement The creation of the Toronto Hydro Electric System was championed by William Hubbard, the first African-Canadian City Councillor. Labour led a plebiscite to create the publicly owned Toronto Transit Commission. These crucial achievements reflected the determination of labour to engage in "political bargaining" to win social gains. After the Great Depression the Second World War spurred the economy and created a new upsurge of organizing. Tens of thousands joined unions in Toronto and struggled for collective agreements. The lessons of fight against fascism were deeply felt, and in 1947 the Toronto Joint Labour Committee for Human Rights was formed. It led a relentless campaign against racist practices by employers, landlords and businesses. The Labour Council was also a founding partner of the United Way, and unions widely supported charitable work. The 21st century has posed many challenges to the labour movement. Governments have embraced austerity, employers are imposing two-tier wages, and tough strikes or lock-outs are more frequent. Precarious work seems to be the norm for the next generation. But unions in Toronto and York Region are responding. Labour has been deeply involved in the struggles for decent work, for racial equality, for public services and for an education system that gives every student what they need to succeed. We are fighting for an economy that is both sustainable and offers good jobs for all. Working people in Toronto have been on a remarkable journey since 1871. On Labour Day, we honour those who laid the foundations for a movement that has been so much part of Toronto's history. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Advertisement CP The First Nations water crisis is beyond a national embarrassment. It should be seen as a national crime that the basic human right to water is seriously at risk in First Nations communities across Canada. According to a Globe and Mail investigation, and backed up by the government's own data, about 150,000 aboriginal people living on reserve do not have reliable access to a safe supply of drinking water. Advertisement Children that are bathed in the available water often end up with painful rashes or other skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Water wells are contaminated with uranium, among other things, including cancer-causing by-products that are used to treat the dirty source water. As of this summer, there are 158 boil-water advisories in place for 114 First Nation communities and while that may seem startling enough, it does not reveal the full extent of water problems facing First Nations communities. There are reservations that lack basic housing let alone running water, which leaves people relying on overpriced bottled water, cisterns and water brought in on trucks and well water which causes illnesses such as gastrointestinal disorders due to contamination. Just imagine if 150,000 people in Toronto had no access to clean drinking water. Criminal charges were filed in the Flint, Michigan water crisis where both current and former state employees were charged with misconduct among other crimes. The problem wasn't fixed for two reasons if we are honest: it's expensive and mainly low-income black people were drinking it. Another case that immediately came to mind, and was also referenced in the Globe and Mail report, is one near my home. In Walkerton, Ontario 2,300 people fell ill and seven died after breakdowns in the local water system. The region's public health officer later said the catastrophe was probably preventable. A public inquiry was held, people were charged and the government offered compensation to settle a class action lawsuit as well as invested millions in infrastructure to prevent future outbreaks. So southern Ontario has become a very safe place for water. Advertisement Not so lucky the 150,000 aboriginals though. Just imagine if 150,000 people in Toronto had no access to clean drinking water. The outcry would be massive and the issue would be addressed immediately no matter the cost. It is ultimately up to governments to ensure citizens have access to basic necessities. That's what taxes are intended for. And the government of Canada, through complex history, legislation and funding, has specific responsibilities for First Nation communities. They have had many years of information, experience and opportunities to prevent or provide remediation for the water situation but for the most part, they have failed miserably when it comes to aboriginal people. With the election of the Liberals, many signs indicate it will be a new relationship with the federal government and First Nations. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to eliminate all boil-water advisories on reserves within five years, which many leaders are doubtful will happen. While I hope we skeptics are proved wrong and he makes good on that promise, I am also aware of how very basic a promise it is. Think about it. How long would it last that people in southern Ontario were on regular boil-water advisories? The Government of Canada should launch a comprehensive review into communities with unsafe water, identify the causes, determine the remedies and hold people accountable. Any corporation, individual or group contaminating water or willfully knowing water is poisoning people and letting them drink it should be held criminally responsible. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook I encourage all of you to care if the water crisis for First Nations communities is ended and if people are ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Steve Debenport via Getty Images In 2017, the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) will turn 25 years old. We are deeply proud of the role our network has played over the past quarter century to support communities across Ontario. Food banks have grown from being a resource for emergency food support to multi-service centres that offer innovative programs to help clients move beyond hard times. This anniversary is also cause for sober reflection. Food bank use has remained stubbornly high, especially since the 2008 recession. While food banks are proud to serve their communities, they do wish there was no need for their services. Advertisement Food banks work extremely hard to provide both short and long-term solutions to hunger, including cooking classes, accredited training programs, resume-writing workshops and job fairs. Yet ultimately, these programs do not parallel what could be achieved through good public policy. If we want to achieve our vision of a hunger-free Ontario, we must collectively act to make this a reality. This is why we are launching our first-ever Hunger Action Month this September. Hunger Action Month has two main goals: to start important conversations with the Ontario government around the policy changes necessary to reduce the need for food banks, and to spur action in the people of Ontario to fight hunger in their communities. We all want to see the end of hunger in our communities -- but we can't do it alone. Food banks across the province will be hosting their local MPPs at simultaneous food sort events on September 16 so that our representatives can see first-hand the important work being done by Ontario's food banks. On September 21, we will be following this up with a Day of Action at Queen's Park, where leaders from our food banks will meet with MPPs, Ministers and their staff to discuss how to take action on hunger. The OAFB has three primary recommendations for change. These are: Advertisement 1) Improve social assistance rates to match pre-1993 levels: In the '90s, the Ontario government slashed social assistance rates by 21.6 per cent. Despite increases over the years, the level of support provided by Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program today is still significantly lower than pre-1993 levels, and inadequate in helping recipients meet even their most basic expenses. Ontario Works, for example, only provides $681 per month to a single person. In 1993, they would have received $663 per month. As the cost of living has increased 45 per cent since 1993, social assistance rates should be -- at minimum -- raised to pre-budget cut levels, which would be approximately $962 per month for a single person today. 2) Increase access to affordable housing: The average food bank client spends 70 per cent of their income on housing, putting them at high risk of homelessness and leaving very little for bills and other expenses. At the same time, the wait list for affordable housing in Ontario is four years long. We are asking for a portable housing benefit that gears rent to income and is given directly to Ontarians in need, making affordable housing far more accessible to those who need it most. 3) Develop, launch and monitor a Basic Income Pilot: In the Ontario government's latest budget, they made mention of a Basic Income Pilot project in 2017. We think this is a very encouraging sign, as social assistance is in great need of reform and Basic Income has the potential to address many of the issues in the system. We will be strongly encouraging the government to make good on their promise and monitoring the progress of the pilot. Advertisement During Hunger Action Month, we will also be encouraging everyone in Ontario to educate, advocate, volunteer and donate to fight hunger in their communities. Educate: Take time to learn about hunger and poverty in your community, and what you can do to help! Consider starting a conversation about hunger: at the dinner table, around the water cooler, and over social media, and discussing the role each of us can play in addressing it in our communities, province and country. Advocate: There are now so many ways to get in contact with your local representatives! Start with a call or sending a letter! You can also email, use social media, sign online petitions, visit their constituency office, or attend community meetings. Ask them what they are doing to address poverty, precarious work, and unaffordable housing. For every $1 you donate, we can provide 3 meals to someone in need. Volunteer: There are many ways you can lend your time and talents to alleviate hunger in your community! Each organization's needs are different, so contact your local food bank and inquire about how you can help. This could be anything from getting your co-workers together to do a group food sort, using your specialized skills and knowledge to help specific projects, or organizing a food or funds drive for the food bank. Donate: While we work towards long-term change to address the root causes of hunger, we still need to ensure that people have access to food in the short-term. Donate today to the Ontario Association of Food Banks: for every $1 you donate, we can provide 3 meals to someone in need. Advertisement We all want to see the end of hunger in our communities -- but we can't do it alone. It will take all of us acting together today to create a better Ontario tomorrow. To learn more, please visit us at: www.oafb.ca On Tuesday evening, the Speaker of the House of Commons will host the UK premiere of a new film, starring Miss World Canada, and he will be joined by a number of Parliamentarians from both Houses and all parties. Despite being banned from the Miss World finals in China last year by the brutal regime in Beijing because of her outspoken activism on human rights, Canada's beauty queen Anastasia Lin will be contesting again this year, this time in Washington, DC. Yet this film is no pageant. Instead, it is a thriller and borderline horror movie - and yet is one of the most important films of 2016. The Bleeding Edge depicts the harrowing and horrifying practice of forced organ harvesting in China today. "Organ harvesting" is a term that sounds misleadingly innocuous. The stark truth is that it means the practice of forcibly cutting out livers, kidneys, hearts, lungs and corneas from prisoners of conscience while they are still alive. Those prisoners are likely to be practitioners of Falun Gong, a severely persecuted 'Buddha-school' spiritual movement that teaches the cultivation of principles of "truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance". Other victims may be Christians from the unregistered 'house' churches, Uighur Muslims or Tibetan Buddhists. Once they are stripped of their valuable organs, the victims, if still alive, are then executed. Advertisement The Conservative Party Human Rights Commission subsequently held a second hearing specifically on this issue, where we heard in more depth from Ms Lin, Mr Gutmann and one of his co-authors, Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas, as well as from a Uyghur surgeon, Dr Enver Tohti, who has admitted once conducting an operation to remove organs from a living prisoner. The screening of The Bleeding Edge coincides with Theresa May's first visit to China since she became Prime Minister, and follows the meeting of the G20 world leaders in Hangzhou this weekend. Mrs May has already taken some very welcome steps towards recalibrating our relationship with China, by delaying the Hinkley Point nuclear project. I hope she will add the issue of forced organ harvesting to her list of growing concerns about Sino-British relations. Of course, China is becoming an economic and political superpower and cannot be ignored. Of course, as we move towards Brexit, we will be looking to forge new trading relationships with countries like China. And of course, a dialogue with China on key global concerns, from climate change to terror, is important. But such a relationship should not come at any price, as Mrs May already shows signs of recognising. And body parts taken from living prisoners of conscience by force, to be sold to western 'organ tourists', is too high a price. Furthermore, Germany's Angela Merkel, among others, has shown that it is a myth that one has to stay silent on human rights if one wants to trade with China. She has been consistently outspoken and yet Germany continues to be China's best trading partner in Europe. Mrs May would do well to abandon banalities about a 'golden era' and chart an honest, robust and principled course with Beijing. Advertisement The United States Congress passed a resolution in June, condemning forced organ harvesting in China, particularly focused on prisoners of conscience. The European Parliament has done the same, as have several other legislatures around the world. It is time for the United Kingdom to lead the way in addressing this issue, just as Mrs May has championed tackling human trafficking. The United Kingdom, together with other allies, should call on the United Nations to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate China's forced organ harvesting - or, failing that, conduct its own investigation. A ban on organ tourism - whereby foreigners go to China to receive transplants at state-approved hospitals - is also long overdue, as is a travel ban for those who perform such gruesome operations. Statistics on how many people from Britain travel to China each year for organ transplants should also be sought and released. In her testimony to the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, Ms Lin said that this issue "forces us to confront the question of how humans - doctors trained to heal, no less - could possibly do such great evil?" Her answer: "The aggressors in China were not born to be monsters who take out organs from their people ... It's the system that made them do that. It's the system that made them so cold-bloodedly able to cut people open and take out their organs and watch them die. No one is born to be so cruel." Last week, the University of Chicago sent out a letter to its incoming class affirming its commitment to freedom of speech and academic freedom - and against mandatory Trigger Warnings; turning universities into "safe spaces"; and the worrying trend in the US of disinviting commencement speakers when they're considered too controversial (a fate which notably befell former Dutch Parliamentarian and critic of Islam Ayaan Hirsi Ali at Brandeis). Such an attitude could not come quickly enough. In Missouri, a "safe space" for protestors meant that journalists should be prohibited, with the infamous Melissa Click attempting to have them forcibly removed, and Northwestern professor Laura Kipnis's criticisms of Trigger Warnings and defence of professors having relationships with their students led to an opaque investigation by her own university. In the UK, similar controversies are nothing new, with even Peter Tatchell targeted for no-platforming by the NUS's LGBT Office, ironically for opposing no-platforming, and Germaine Greer targeted for her views on transgender issues - even when not scheduled to speak on the subject. In such a climate, it's little wonder that the Chicago letter proved controversial. To clear up one misconception from the outset, however, the University released a follow-up statement that it would be up to professors whether Trigger Warnings would be used in classes rather than either banning them outright, or indeed making them compulsory (which, contrary to some of the letter's critics, does appear to have happened in some American universities). While students are certainly free to request such warnings, professors should be equally free to deny these requests - and to do so without automatically being assumed to lack empathy or compassion. Sadly, such responses have been quite prevalent on social media in the aftermath of the letter, with supporters derided as such in what seems to have become little more than a trope for sections of the activist Left. What this ignores is the simple fact that one can be empathetic and compassionate and yet oppose trigger warnings, "safe spaces", and no-platforming - and that empathy and compassion are not simply political buzzwords. Advertisement To take "safe spaces" first, the first thing to remember is that students are, of course, free to set up such spaces if they wish. Problems, however, quickly arise when the spaces in question also promise to allow for some measure of free discussion. In Oxford, for instance, the infamous Cuntry Living group cast itself as perhaps the premier (and certainly best-known) space for discussion of feminist issues. That is, until you happened to disagree with the group's administrators on whether, for instance, there could possibly be another motivation than sexism to a political cartoon not featuring any female party leaders. More problematic still is when it is demanded that universities themselves become "safe spaces". In the first instance, it's never quite clear when a space becomes "safe", but if you're Nicholas Christakis the process of ensuring this involves being screamed at by students who insist your place of work is their "home" because your wife sent an e-mail suggesting that Halloween costumes not be taken too seriously. If you're Brendan O'Neill, it means you can't present a pro-choice argument in a debate on abortion purely because you're a man, and if you're a woman you shouldn't be allowed to make a pro-life argument. And if you're Maryam Namazie - an ex-Muslim feminist and self-identified Marxist - not only will it involve disruption of your talk by Islamists, but the Feminist Society will stand with them over you. It seems abundantly clear that to make a space "safe" for one group will necessarily preclude it being so for another - especially when actualviolence - is used to enforce it, so it should be little wonder why many are loathe to see universities, where free thought is supposed to flourish, declared as such. Advertisement Similar objections can be levelled at the use of trigger warnings in universities today. While there are certainly cases where a professor may wish to add warnings to their material, today, trigger warnings can be found for anything from Pokemon, to the Women's Equality Party, and even "mentions the [General] Election" in the wake of the 2015 election in Oxford. Ironically, it is those who question the general utility of trigger warnings - and attempt to do this with evidence of how a culture in which they are ingrained can make recovery more difficult (cited multiple times in The Atlantic's seminal piece on the subject) - are accused of mocking the idea, when it is the proliferation of clearly-unreasonable TWs that has done far more to turn a device designed to prevent attacks of diagnosed illness and trauma into little more than an ideological laughing stock. However, trigger warnings are not simply denigrated by over-proliferation, but by the overtly political way in which many are used. It is far from uncommon to see "TW: racism" or "TW: ableism" or even "TW: Zionism", as if their purpose is to prevent exposure not simply to traumatic themes when this can cause an attack, but rather to any idea with which an activist may disagree. Alternatively, maybe it is indeed being seriously suggested that people with mental health issues are so fragile that merely listening to an opposing view will cause irreparable harm - and then we wonder why mental health stigma persists. Moreover, it invites ideas to be pre-judged and discarded before one has even read them, and ultimately, as the upcoming book "Why Academic Freedom Matters" points out, invites a culture where our first response to ideas which make us uncomfortable is to try and avoid them rather than engage with them. Part of the point of a university is surely to broaden one's mind and arguments; it's not a parent-free Seventh Form for one to be spoon-fed the required material to become a lawyer or a doctor. The end result of all of this, ostensibly in the best interests of those with mental health issues (as if, when one in four students will experience these problems, they can be said to be a bloc for whom activists can claim to speak) is ultimately a culture of infantalisation, where play-doh and puppy videos are offered as an alternative to sitting through a debate to its end if your "deeply held beliefs" are challenged, and where censorship becomes the go-to suggestion for accommodating mental health on campus. It is a culture whereby far-left activists again assume they know what's best for the full quarter of students affected and to speak on their behalf (despite the diversity of those affected), just as with other groups, and a paternalistic saviourism anoints such people with a duty to "protect" people with mental health problems from anything remotely disturbing, which is unlikely to be good for recovery in the long term, or ending the stigma of mental illness. Advertisement Most disturbingly, it is a culture whereby any critic is assumed to have no mental health problems themselves. It is far from uncommon for critics of trigger warnings in particular to be patronisingly "educated" (aka, talked down to) about panic attacks (thereby assuming they have never experienced one, or told that they must never have experienced mental illness. In fact, many critics of safe space and trigger warning culture themselves have suffered from mental illness, and more still likely do but choose not to disclose it to the world - and nor should they have to, precisely because they shouldn't be assumed to have no such problems purely on account of disagreement. After 72 years of separation, an elderly man named Cai Gongyu finally reunited with his brother's ashes in the Tianjin Martyrs and Laborers Cemetery on Sept. 1. During the War against Japanese aggression, 986 Chinese laborers were forced to work at the Hanaoka Mine in Japan. During a workers' riot on June 30, 1945, 419 Chinese laborers were killed by the Japanese, including Cai's brother, Cai Yuanhai. On Sept. 1, survivors and their relatives attended memorial activities at the cemetary to mark the 71st anniversary of victory in the war. (Xinhua/Bai Yu) In recent years we've seen a few 'whydunit' dramas emerge, such as The Fall, when we know who the perpetrator is from the outset and spend the series trying to figure out what drives them to kill. One of Us, which began last week on BBC One, however reverts to the traditional 'whodunit' style - with not just one homicide, but three. The series is very much reminiscent of "Nordic Noir" - the setting brings to mind Scandinavian crime dramas where it rains a lot, it is bleak and dark and there are lots of shots of cars driving down winding country roads. We have a rural and urban contrast in this series that is often seen in Scandi crime drama - the bustling city streets of Edinburgh and the isolated and remote countryside of the Highlands. I think this will be a consistent theme throughout the series and will be crucial to the plot. One of Us is very much within the 'post forensics' genre (Jermyn, 2013). Audiences are looking for more than the bodies, morgues and forensic science that typifies series like CSI. They want to immerse themselves in the complex narratives and multifaceted characters that surround a homicide, they want access to the stories, not just the physical evidence - something that One of Us looks like it will deliver on. Audiences are now quite sophisticated in their understandings of homicide. Exposed to a vast market of crime fiction, true crime, crime drama and crime film - not to mention the proliferation of online spaces dedicated to all things homicide - they are often quite accurate in their beliefs about what this crime is, how and why it happens. But One of Us presents a challenge for even the most dedicated crime fan. Advertisement The first episode was a veritable feast of crime and deviance - alcoholism, drug dealing, car-jacking, burglary, homicide, police officers engaging in misconduct. There is significant doubt in the audiences' minds as to whether the man the family think killed Adam and Gracie actually did kill them. The scenario they think played out is actually quite rare. Brookman (2005) found that only 7% of homicides occurred in the course of another crime (like burglary, robbery or sex attacks). Most people who are the victims of homicide are killed by people they know - most often a partner, ex-partner, family member or acquaintance. Therefore when speculating about the 'whodunit' question, the answers probably lie within the family we were introduced to in last night's episode. There were some thought-provoking moments. For example in recalling that she had shot a bird earlier that day, Louise says "What kind of person gets pleasure out of death?". Euthanasia appeared as a topic when care home resident Meredith asked her nurse Claire to help her die. Detective Inspector Wallace appears to be stealing LSD from the police evidence store and selling it to a drug dealer - apparently to raise money for her daughter's life saving operation. Therefore this series is asking some bigger questions about homicide - when is it right or justified to take another persons' life? How far will people go to save a life? Advertisement Last August, having visited the Greek island of Kefalonia for over twenty years, I was seriously assessing the pros and cons of running off in pursuit of the Greek dream. The stress of failing to grasp a sustainable work-life balance and the chaos of life in my mid-twenties had made Greece seem like an attractive escape route. For years many of the locals had watched me grow up as I laughed, danced and cried my summers away on the island, and part of me had always believed that it was where I was destined to end up. I was eager, then, to catch up with Sophia, a friend who had sacrificed all in her quest to follow the dream. She'd made the move, married a Greek and produced two kids, completing her set. Noticing her one morning sitting alone on one of the island's private beaches, I walked over, expecting to hear her gush over how life in paradise really had become her idyllic Greek reality. The dream, it turns out, had fast become a nightmare. "Don't come to Greece," she warned, blindly unaware of my latest plans, "...and don't marry a Greek!" Clocking my expression, she exclaimed: "My God, you're thinking about it, aren't you?!" I admitted that it had crossed my mind. If not the marriage part then certainly the move. It didn't take long for her to delve into her problems, of which there were many. The technicalities of marriage once land becomes shared, the unending troubles or non-existence of Greek healthcare, the loneliness of winters absent from family... She really appeared to have been through the mill. Yet she had seemed so happy in previous years, the epitome of content as she watched her youngest paddling by the shore, basking in the summer heat. It was a wake up call if ever I needed one. Advertisement However, there are others who have managed to make it work. Louise, who married a local restaurateur 15 years ago, couldn't be happier with island life. After working as a rep touring the Ionian Islands during her twenties, she rocked up at a bar in Kefalonia's capital one year, gazed into the eyes of a charismatic barman and the rest is history. The difference is that, unlike Sophia, she speaks fluent Greek and has made the effort to immerse herself in the local life. In doing so she has been accepted and credited in her efforts to create a family who have grown up recognising the importance of Greek traditions. Her children have the best of both worlds (as does she) - summers in Greece, Christmas in country - it has all worked out, for her at least. And so the thought stayed with me. You cannot visit a place every year for two decades for it not to have an impact on your life. The beauty of Kefalonia goes beyond the cliches of paradise, though it is the warmth of the locals who have made the island what it is to my family and I. I could turn up unannounced on Christmas Eve and be welcomed into the arms of Nicholas and Elini. I could waltz into the island's well know hotspot, 'The Bees Knees', in late August and put the world to rights downing cocktails with Giannis. I could even arrive with no accommodation planned, only to have found a home within hours. I have yet to meet a Kefalonian who has not made me feel welcome. Dear Member of Parliament, We are living in turbulent times. After a long period of largely positive globalisation, characterised by progressive international collaboration and economic and political alignment, the global economy is stagnating. Mass migration, particularly caused by the Syrian conflict and ISIS, is placing severe strain on Europe and the wider international community. Racial tensions are exacerbating cultural and ethnic divisions. Terrorism is an ever-present and increasingly insidious threat. As a result of all this, nationalism is once again on the rise. Nowhere is all of this more keenly felt than in Europe. On Monday, 5th September, Parliament will hold a debate on whether to hold a second EU referendum. The referendum result has placed the UK at a crossroads. Where the UK goes from here will not only determine the future of the UK, but will have a big impact on the EU as well, and by extension the international community. I urge you to attend the debate, and to engage in the discussion openly and constructively. In doing so, there are two key things which I ask you to please consider. The first of these is what we understand by democracy. As I and others have already argued, democracy does not begin or end with a referendum. Democracy in this country - the result of many centuries of historical antecedents - requires Parliament to pronounce itself before a law is passed and binding decisions are made. Advertisement You will agree that MPs are elected to Parliament to discuss, debate and vote on matters of national significance in accordance with their best judgement and with their conscience. In doing so, they are called upon to act in the best interests of the country, not just their constituents, particularly on matters of great national and international importance. It would be simpler, in some ways, to consider the EU referendum result final and refuse to question it, as some have indeed done. That, however, is not what democracy demands. From a democratic and constitutional perspective, the legal consensus is clear: Parliament must speak before decisions affecting this country's future are made. And you, as a Member of Parliament, have a crucial role to play in what happens next. The UK, as a country which respects and is governed by the rule of law, must not, whether deliberately or inadvertently, subvert the democratic process for the sake of political expediency. The second, and equally important, issue, is what this means for the very fabric of British society. Already we have seen a sharp increase in hate crime, which some have described as an increasing "normalisation" of xenophobia, and which has directly resulted from the EU referendum. This has been roundly and rightly condemned by MPs across nearly all political lines. But this violence and prejudice is the mark of a nation which has already begun withdrawing within itself. A toxic belief system centred around notions of national purity and national superiority, once confined to the shadows, has now reared its head again, and it will increasingly influence and shape British society the further the UK drifts towards isolationism. Advertisement Those who wish to leave the EU at all costs do so from a purely ideological perspective - and though they might not admit it, that ideology is intrinsically and unmistakably isolationist. Economically, isolationism in an increasingly interconnected world is retrograde at best, crazy at worst. Socially and culturally, it breeds ignorance, prejudice and intolerance. Some have sought to play down the risks of isolationism by arguing that we can somehow be out of the EU but still remain as much a part of "Europe" as ever, indeed so much so that we will hardly notice the difference. This "halfway house" view ignores the fact that today, to all effects and purposes, Europe is the EU. There is no "Europe" outside the EU except from a purely geographical, and therefore entirely academic, perspective. The EU is the countries of Europe, and it will be what the countries of Europe, its Member States, wish it to be. There is no separate, alternative or meaningful relationship with an alternative "Europe" that does not involve the EU. Moreover, the very thin majority which returned the result on 23rd June is at best dubious today, now that the implications of leaving the EU - economically, politically, and more broadly for our own society - have become clearer, and now that the public debate is no longer dominated by the outright lies and the ugly and divisive rhetoric which we heard throughout the referendum campaign. It is far from clear that the same referendum would produce the same outcome were it held today - in fact the opposite is more likely. In summary: The issue of Brexit, and the debate which will take place on 5th September, is about much more than trade deals or even simply leaving the EU itself. Advertisement This is a debate about the meaning of democracy, and the role of Parliament in a democratic country governed by the rule of law. It is about what kind of society we want to live in, and our children to grow up in. And it is about whether isolationism is the vision that we share for the future of the UK. Brexit is not a done deal. Isolationism is not the inevitable path that we must now begrudgingly follow despite our better instincts. Do not fear the angry voices which only wish you to rubberstamp the EU referendum result, regardless of its many flaws and whatever the consequences for the nation and indeed the Union. Refuse to be shouted down by those whose eagerness to "leave the EU" overrides their concern for the best interests of our nation and all of its people, and blinds them to the very real dangers of pursuing an isolationist path. These are not the people who should be determining the country's future for all of us. Do not let a sense of obligation towards a referendum result as flawed as this one and on something as far-reaching as this lead you to endorse an outcome which you know is wrong for our country, wrong for our continent and contrary to the principles which most of us hold dear. Above all, reject and stand up to isolationism. Do not let the politics of fear subdue this country's great tradition of democracy by imposing a "tyranny of the majority", which many political thinkers from Plato through to the prominent Utilitarian John Stuart Mill warned against. Doing so would do as great a disservice to democracy itself as to the people of this country. Advertisement Consider instead what kind of country we want to collectively build, what role we want our nation to play in the modern world, and let the values of a confident, progressive-minded and outward-looking nation guide this discussion. Upon returning to the UK after a month travelling around the US by bus, I have to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief. Not just that I would never have to step on a Greyhound bus again, but because over the last month I had come to understand a new menacing phenomenon, guns. Of course, I never truly entertained that anyone would really go out of their way to shoot me or my two friends; who was realistically going to shoot three, white, British 21-year-old women? Something tells me that the white cops we passed on the street certainly weren't going to. However, where there are guns, there are stray bullets. Where there are guns, bystanders and innocents die. Where there are guns, and people willing to use them, who knows? This is the realisation that we quickly came to, and soon the subject of guns was never far from our minds. Advertisement In Denver, Colorado, a man walked into an office and shot dead a woman and then himself in a part of town we had walked around countless times over our stay there. In San Francisco, there was a standoff between an obviously disturbed man and police two blocks from our hostel. As we watched the television, my friend turned and said how she had just walked down that road some 45 minutes earlier. In Portland, Oregon, we walked past a group of heavily armed police officers, with great big batons and guns, doing a training activity. They must have seen the sheer look of abject horror on our faces, as they one by one looked up, lowering their machines, and wished us a good day. Again, I must repeat that we were three, white, British girls. Would the two African American boys we befriended at our San Francisco hostel, one of whom is a student at Harvard, have been shown such politeness? Advertisement Because that was the other side to this menace that became all too clear. In the USA today the trope of guns cannot be untwined from that of race. There is a major problem over there, I can say - I've seen it. photo credit: Isabel Bull When sat in the Greyhound bus terminal in San Francisco, breaking news flashed up on the televisions. A video showing the killing of the unarmed African American Charles Kinsey by two white police officers had just been released. Kinsey was clearly unarmed. The bus terminal erupted. The majority of the workers there were African American. We witnessed their shocked faces, their fear, their grief and finally their anger. Our bus left late, our driver had been hotly debating 'why' with an indignant younger man. In Washington DC, when exiting a museum I was called to one side by a member of staff. He was an older African American and had a kind face. He asked me where I was from and what I thought was the biggest difference between my country and his. He stopped my response and said one word, guns. Advertisement The subject of guns came up with nearly everyone we met and spoke to. It was inescapable. I would joke during such conversations that, well, guns don't really exist in my country for me. Except this was joke was half true, because the American reality surrounding guns is unfounded here. Through the sheer happy accident of birthplace and being me, well my skin tone, I had 21 years privilege of never even having to think about guns. When my sister and I were children our parents never sent us off to school with the sharp pain in the pit of their stomachs that today could be the day. I do not know anyone who has been harmed, killed or otherwise associated with guns. Heck, aside from those rifles one finds at amusement fairs, I'm not even entirely sure if I had ever seen a real gun outside of a museum. Guns were not a part of my reality, until they were, for a few weeks over this summer. And this is the message what we in other countries should be calling out. Say loud and clear to the US, having a great big gun problem is not normal! Life without guns, contrary to certain realms of American thought, is actually pretty great! The older African American at the museum looked at me intensely, recounting the pains of his community and the horrors of guns. I nodded in agreement. "Well why don't you write about it?" he said, "they could listen to you", he said. Newsletter sign-up HuffPost UK Daily Brief Sign up and we will email you daily with the best of our political and news coverage while also giving you a taste of our most-popular lifestyle, opinion and personal blogs. Following the decision to leave the EU, my Facebook feed was swamped with the distressed cries from my predominantly privately educated Oxford University friends, declaring how disgusted and disappointed they were at the racism and bigotry that had propelled the Leave campaign to victory. 'I am ashamed to call myself British' one wrote, 'this is not the progressive and forward thinking country I believed it to be' another declared. Growing up in the working class borough of Hillingdon, coincidently one of the five London boroughs which voted leave, I was exposed to a broad spectrum of races, classes and political opinions. Walking home from school, I accustomed myself to the chants of 'paki' from anonymous men in white vans and the bitter mutterings of 'foreigners' and 'need to speak English' on night buses and dingy shop corners. Meanwhile, there were those who praised the easy accessibility of both the local Polish sweet store and the fish and chippy on the High Street, whilst my secondary school based in Slough, actively encouraged the sharing of religions and cultures in a positive constructive manner. In contrast, despite being academically stimulated at Oxford, I have experienced a narrower scope of political opinion, as universities easily become spheres of conformity, whereby young people naturally swing to the left, through similarity of upbringing and sheer herd mentality. Advertisement For me, witnessing the post referendum online chaos which ensued amongst university friends, marked the temporary bursting of a liberal bubble which pervades throughout British universities. This bubble fuelled by social media, enables one to become a virtual activist by joining online student communities such as 'Cuntry Living' and 'Worrying Signs', as well as liking and sharing articles from outlets such as the Guardian, BuzzFeed, The Independent, Vice and Writers of Colour, to name a few. Being so encased within progressive media content in predominately liberal universities provides a false virtual reality, in which individuals regard their environments and associates as reflective of the broader British society and believe that by being vocal online they are genuinely making a practical difference. 'Little Englanders' are often ridiculed for what many perceive to be ignorant nationalism, yet are 'Little Oxonians' and 'Little Londoners', shrouded by educational titles, wealth and societal privilege, not guilty of holding the same narrow perspective? In a country increasingly characterised by Labour and Conservative incompetence, a lifeless economy and growing racial intolerance, the ease of social media, proves to be a vital outlet for the frustration of young students, who see a world in which anti-intellectualism has taken precedent. Certainly, a pithy tweet calling out bigotry can become a therapeutic source of calm, as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram allow for like minded people to connect and find clarity within the chaos. Although online communities, hashtags and movements, often founded on principals of equality, can instigate real change and provide safe environments for individuals to tackle prejudice, such platforms are in danger of becoming insular and self serving. Sharing incidents of sexism within a Facebook group, for example, will do little to alter the opinions of those with sexist attitudes. In fact, such individuals are not even present within the group, which is more often than not, filled with self proclaimed feminists who already hold a fixed mindset on gender issues. Likewise, discussing classism in a stream of angry tweets, as a beneficiary of a middle class Oxford education, does little to aid a minimum wage worker unable to support themselves. Whilst all public activist forums have moderators designed to ensure that such groups remain as inclusive and productive as possible, some online havens can quickly descend into vicious nit-picking technical traps as the wording and timing of posts can spark brutal in-fights between members. At their worst, online groups can become self-congratulatory, allowing students to articulately comprehend notions of classism, ableism, homophobia, sexism and racism, whilst simultaneously fostering an environment of demonisation towards those who do not hold the exact views of the majority. Advertisement I have just read Ravinder Randhawa's blog on Killing the Creative - In Creative Writing Courses. Without wanting to offend her, I wanted to write about why, in my opinion, she is wrong and also about why I believe it's important to address the way the criticism of writing training for the reasons outlined in her blog is causing damage to the diversity of the writing industry. Creative Writing courses are a relatively new animal - the first course was created in 1970 by Malcolm Bradbury and Angus Wilson at the University of East Anglia and the first graduate Playwriting course was created in 1989 by David Edgar. However, writer training is part of a long tradition of arts training - great artists like Picasso received formal art training, and some believe it is this formal training which allowed and paved the way for their greater experimentation. Advertisement Similarly, at London Writers' Week this year - the week we run at Central Saint Martins as part of our new campaign to provide increased access and diversity in the writing industry - one speaker spoke about this subject matter and the criticism of writing courses, pointing out "would we say a violinist is weaker because they have violin lessons", and how craft training, taught in the right way, similarly strengthens a writer's skills and voice rather than weakening it. Ravinder Rhandhawa in her blog suggests the importance of craft training for a writer has never been considered important in the past. However, it seems to me that ideas of craft can be traced as far back as Aristotle who wrote Poetics and of "The Six Principles of Drama" or Horace who believed that a play should have five acts if it is to be a success, stating "Let no play be either shorter or longer than five acts, if when once seen it hopes to be called for and brought back to the stage". Horace wrote that 2000 years ago. More recently, John Yorke, author of Into The Woods, former Head of Channel 4 Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production, Managing Director of Angel Station, founder of the BBC Writers Academy and one of the Masters teaching the course I run at Central Saint Martins, has also spoken about how Shakespeare wrote in 5 acts and of how this is part of the success of his narratives and why they have lasted such a long time. So why is it important to point this out? In my opinion, it's important because: 1.Writing training, in a similar way to other forms of arts training, has the potential to create greater diversity in the writing industry by equipping anyone with a craft skillset they can use throughout their careers Advertisement 2.At Central Saint Martins, we believe writer training can also increase diversity in the writing industry by equipping writers with a business skillset, explaining who the companies are, how they work, how writers work with them etc. 3.Without the above skillsets, the likelihood of diversity decreases - because, if you don't come from a background associated with the arts, how do you know how to be a writer? And if you don't have training, you keep making mistakes, and, if you keep making mistakes, the likelihood is those with less financial security will drop out and give up on their writing aspirations. Bloomberg via Getty Images Every time I visit my local supermarket I see a minor change, maybe not noticeable to many, but definitely there. What started with a few automatic tills at one end of the aisles has grown to over half the store in length. This presumably means every time I visit less people are employed at the supermarket. For me this is the most graphic representation of not just where our economy is changing now but how it will develop over the next 20 years, with the most pessimistic estimates claiming that half of all jobs could be lost to automation and computerisation, representing the biggest economic policy challenge in a generation. So why isn't our new Prime Minister talking about it? Advertisement Concerns about automation aren't a new phenomenon. For as long as there have been technological innovations to ease the burden of physical labour, there have also been dire warnings about the impact on jobs. However, while the short-term impact of early automation was severe enough to lead to the "Luddite" riots of the early 1800s, in the main, the dire predictions of what John Maynard Keynes termed, "technological unemployment" have proven unfounded. In the long-run, technological innovation has always delivered more employment opportunities to the economy than it has taken away. But unlike previous waves of industrial progress, the new wave of automation threatens jobs across the entire spectrum at a pace that may be impossible to keep up with. Studies by the likes of Deloitte predict 2.1m jobs in wholesale and retail have a high chance of being automated in the next 20 years and another 1.5m could be replaced in transport and storage in the same period. The growth in jobs in these sectors in recent years in these areas now looks like being dramatically reversed and has masked a continual decline in manufacturing which by 2014 represented just 8% of the total workforce. It isn't just the obvious jobs that are at risk, professions are under attack too as we have seen a whole raft of new legal tools have been launched, automating functions which were once the preserve of well-paid clerks and paralegals. Advertisement Further analysis by Deloitte has found that the UK has already lost 31,000 jobs in the legal sector to automation, with a further 114,000 set to go in the next 20 years. This will be a pattern repeated across most of the professions, further limiting opportunity for millions. Change is already beginning to happen all around us at a frightening pace and so the question that we face is whether we can turn what is the biggest industrial policy challenge that we face into an opportunity. Next week Parliament is holding a debate entitled the "fourth industrial revolution" which calls on the Government to keep the country at the forefront of new technological developments. In the past year alone, Amazon has won approval from the Government to test delivery by drones and George Osborne brought forward the testing of driverless HGVs , which shows the level of Government commitment to this. However, where Government is lacking is not on a strategy for encouraging these developments but an honest appraisal of whether enough new opportunities can be created to bridge what could be a gaping chasm in the job market and how we prepare our children for what will be a markedly different economy to that of today. These are questions that need to be answered sooner rather than later if we are to avoid an unemployment rates which would make the 1980s seem like a golden age. Carrying on as we are will ultimately heap misery on millions and create an imbalanced and unsustainable economy where a very few at the top prosper. The majority will face a struggle just to survive and the insecurity many feel today will become chronic. This could lead to calls for a universal income or efforts to reduce the number of maximum working hours in a week, either of which could be a progressive response to the situation. There will no doubt be other ideas that emerge over time although I fear that things will need to get a whole lot worse before these ideas have much traction with the wider public and there is of course a danger that some solutions offered will be less than progressive. 12-year-old Fuzi loves dancing and has more new friends than he can count - but it was not long ago that he was aimlessly roaming the streets of Istanbul, one of many Syrian refugees robbed of their futures by the relentless war. Fuzi's family fled war-torn Syria when the young boy was only nine and have spent the last three years fighting for survival in the crime ridden neighbourhood of Tarlabas. As the Syrian civil war continues into its fifth year, more than 2.7 million Syrian refugees are now living in Turkey. There is little hope among Syrians to return to their country in the near future, and Turkey has become home for large numbers of refugee families with children. Advertisement "Although there is practical humanitarian assistance pouring in for the refugees, so far there has been little emphasis on the need to integrate both communities and to provide services that enable them to live together for longer periods of time," says Serkan Bozkurt, International Medical Corps' Community Liaison Officer in Turkey. To address this issue, International Medical Corps collaborated with Arada Cultural and Art Association and Sururi Elementary School to produce 'Wonders of a Miracle' - a powerful art performance focused on the importance of friendship and unity. Funded by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and staged under the umbrella of the Istanbul Children and Youth Biennial at the Antrepo stage and Tatavla Theatre, 'Wonders of a Miracle' was made possible by a diverse mixture of Turkish, Syrian and Romani children between 9 and 14 years - youngsters who themselves were in charge of choreography, production and costumes. "Some of these children go to school together - yet they still view each other with suspicion," Serkan said. "For many of them this was the first time they interacted with each other." Advertisement Like Fuzi, many children come from challenging circumstances and carry psychological scars from the ongoing war - kids deemed unlikely to make something of themselves in the future. 'Wonders of a Miracle' has changed all that. "We have seen significant improvements in their self-confidence, their ability to express themselves and their motivation to learn and create," Serkan says. Fuzi has attended every class and says it has helped him come out of his shell. "My favourite part is the hip-hop dancing - and together with my cousin I have also started rapping." Emir - a 13-year-old Romani boy in Fuzi's group - said that before he joined the programme he had only one friend and often felt lonely. Just months ago the teenager spent most of his time wandering around Istanbul, living rough and seldom attending school. He now heads to school regularly - and says that he has learned a lot from his classes. He has started painting and is planning to form a hip-hop group with his best friend. Advertisement "I have fifteen new friends," Emir says proudly, "from Syria, Turkey and also other Romani children. I finally feel like I am part of the community." Serkan added: "This moving performance has achieved more than just a good show. It has enabled this diverse group of children to come out of their shells, gain confidence and acceptance and to become leaders amongst their peers. "The group has also made a tremendous impact on the wider community, gathering the support of not only the parents, but also of the school and outside associations. Corruption isn't the exclusive preserve of governments and multinational corporations. It affects all of us. Transparency International estimates that 75 million Africans paid a bribe last year. And most surveyed believed corruption is on the rise. The poor are worst affected, as those who rely on public services are twice as likely to have paid a bribe. Corruption also fuels exclusion and amplifies poverty, depriving millions of basic services like health, education and housing. Uganda topped the Corruption Perceptions Index in East Africa. Its police were seen as the most corrupt in Africa, while 42% of Ugandan respondents also believed that most or all business executives are corrupt. Advertisement Infographic provided by Transparency International But it's not all doom and gloom. Citizens across the country are joining forces to fight back. Half the population now have mobile phones, leading to a proliferation of services that let citizens report corruption, feedback on service delivery and demand better from their leaders. In Northern Uganda, nearly two decades of conflict have left social infrastructure and services in complete disarray. The Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) has recently launched the m-Omulimisa platform which allows citizens to easily report service delivery issues via SMS, which are forwarded to the relevant local authority to resolve. As Ms Grace Acheng, a local resident from Chegere Subcounty in Apac district explains, "Our districts face regular service delivery problems, such as impassable roads, bridges that have washed away, absentee school teachers, low quality building construction at schools, and lack of medicines at our health centres. m-Omulimisa gives us a way to report these problems and highlight corruption." Advertisement The platform, used in combination with coordinated offline pressure, has led to real changes on the ground. Community reports have resulted in the repair of poorly maintained borehole pipes at Awiri Parish, Apac district and the construction of new toilets at Amilo Primary School in IIbuje Subcounty, to name just two examples. Perhaps even more importantly, WOUGNET are changing perceptions, helping citizens realise they have the power to shape their communities. Infographic provided by Ekimeeza.com The Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda has created a similar platform which enables citizens to hold their leaders to account on service delivery. Roy Mukasa, their Network Officer can see a real need for such a platform. "Few people are aware of their rights; many people have paid or continue to pay bribes on a regular basis. For example, we have learned about school girls who have bribed to get good grades, and others who have bribed to get medical treatment - the list goes on and on." The programme improved the quality of health service delivery and communication between service providers and citizens, reduced the solicitation of bribes and prevented drug stock-outs at clinics. To be effective, digital approaches require sufficient offline engagement. Citizens Election Watch with Information Technology (CEW-IT) has worked with UK-based mySociety to create the Fix My Community platform. Citizens can use SMS, email or social media to report problems in local service delivery, which are plotted on a map and channelled to the responsible authorities. Advertisement The platform has helped to highlight issues such as poor educational facilities, weak road networks and a lack of access to clean and safe water. The reports formed the basis of a wider accountability programme, drawing upon popular radio shows and neighbourhood assemblies to allow citizens to flag problems with authorities and work with them to effectively resolve them. Image provided by Citizens Election Watch-IT, Uganda Many of us are all too familiar with development projects that have gone badly wrong. Often at their root are solutions that have been parachuted in from the West, with a lack of deep consideration of the local context and nuances. Furthermore, we may require more innovative approaches, which bring together a diverse set of people to solve problems in novel ways. Last year, Hive Colab, a technology innovation space in Uganda, worked in partnership with mySociety to bring together civic groups, local technologists and creatives to see if they could do just that. Through user-centred design, the group collectively identified a challenge close to their hearts and devised appropriate solutions. Their brainchild, Yogera meaning "Speak Up" in Luganda enables residents in Kampala to report corruption and poor service delivery or to "Celebrate a Hero" who has denied a bribe in their community. The platform also informs people about their rights in creative, engaging ways. Reports are anonymous and can be made via the web, Facebook or Twitter. Again, reports are channelled to responsible leaders or authorities for resolution and progress is displayed online. The platform is currently being piloted by Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda and the group is encouraging other social organisations to get involved. Advertisement Image provided by Yogera team, Uganda As Barbara Birungi, Director of Hive Colab explains, "Technology presents us with huge opportunities to foster a culture of transparency and accountability. In places where corruption is a social norm, citizens need to be empowered to work together to shift those norms. It is difficult for individuals to stand alone against corruption. Yogera provides an easy and safe way for them to do it together, and start to change norms". Summit to take co-operation to new heights Tian Xuejun, the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to South Africa Innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive future its a win-win situation, says Chinese Ambassador LAST December, on the occasion of Chinese President Xi Jinpings state visit to South Africa and the co-chairing of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa-Co-operation (FOCAC), the Chinese president and African leaders together mapped out a new blueprint for China-Africa win-win co-operation and common development, ushering China- Africa relations into a new era. This year, on September 4 and 5, President Xi will host another historic meeting the G20 Hangzhou Summit.The summit will be held under the theme of Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy, which resonates strongly with the co-operation and development aspirations of China and other developing countries across Africa and beyond. Innovative economies provide China-Africa co-operation with an inexhaustible momentum of growth. The innovation of growth models has become a common choice for China and Africa and has created space for our bilateral co-operation. Over the last two years, China-South Africa co-operation has achieved many breakthroughs in production capacity, special economic zones, energy, infrastructure, human resources and finance.The focus of our trade relations has started to move away from traditional trade and towards more high-value-added investments and industries. Today, over 140 medium and large Chinese companies are doing business in South Africa.And Chinese investment projects such as a home appliances industrial park and cargo truck factory have created over 20 000 jobs for South Africans. Exciting progress is taking place in science and technology co-operation as well.China and South Africa have signed a declaration of intent on the launch of the Science Park of Co-operation.Huawei has launched its first African Innovation and Experience Centre in South Africa with the aim of training 1 000 ICT African talents. At the continental level, China and the AU have reached agreement on establishing the African Centre of Disease Control and Prevention.China has reached agreements with South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria on science and technology co-operation. With the launch of the China-Africa science and technology partnership in the future, China-Africa co-operation is well positioned to upgrade to a whole new phase. Invigorated institutions offer China-Africa co-operation the strongest capacity for results delivery. Following the conclusion of the Johannesburg summit of FOCAC, China has honoured its commitments and made efforts to implement the follow-up actions. In Africa, more than 30 countries have established internal FOCAC follow-up mechanisms.Working together, we have created a new wave of momentum for China-Africa win-win co-operation. Preliminary statistics record that China and Africa have signed 243 co-operation agreements worth $50.8 billion.The New Development Bank (NDB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) initiated by China have offered African countries more financing opportunities. Last April, the NDB announced its first set of loans, among which Eskom has secured $180 million for developing power lines that transmit 670 megawatts and for renewable energy generation projects of 500 megawatts.Preparations are also under way for the launch of the regional centre of the NDB in South Africa. In the case of the AIIB, South Africa, as a founding member, has filed applications for financing. Increasingly, China-Africa co-operation demonstrates the renewed strength and vitality of our invigorated institutions. Interconnected growth brings China-Africa co-operation closer to our respective national development. Against the sluggish world economy, both China and Africa have entered into a crucial stage of economic transformation and restructuring: China is promoting supply-side structural reform and international production capacity and equipment manufacturing co-operation, while Africa is actively pursuing industrialisation, modernisation and urbanisation. The complementarity of our development aspirations is enormous, and it has become a natural next step for both sides to make the best out of the China- Africa 10 co-operation plans and achieve fresh growth. Since 2015, China has signed co-operation framework agreements on international production capacity with six African countries, including Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Not long ago, the South African government agreed to set up the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone where Chinese companies will take part in the development of a metallurgical complex. Tangible progress has been made in China-Africa co-operation on large infrastructure projects including railway, highway, port, airport, water and electricity supply and telecommunications. Africas first electrified light railway connecting Addis Ababa and Djibouti will soon start full co-operation.The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway will also be put into service next year.These projects are testimony to the deepening of China-Africa win win co-operation on infrastructure development. Inclusive development represents the shared pursuit of China-Africa co-operation. China is the largest developing country and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries. Both sides are seeking inclusive and sustainable development on the way forward. As it holds the presidency for this years G20, China has prioritised development of the global macro policy framework. It has pushed for the leading role of G20 in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and has called for stronger emphasis on and support for Africas industrialisation, inclusive business, employment and food security. Today, Chinas aid has reached all friendly countries on the continent.Fourteen African countries suffering the most from the drought have received or will receive emergency food aid from China. China is committed to win-win co-operation with Africa and will strive to bring the fruits of co-operation to our people. The steady progress in China- Africa co-operation cannot be achieved without deep political trust and strong public support.China and Africa have always been good friends, good partners and good brothers. The two have enjoyed high-level exchanges and co-ordinated with each other on international and regional issues such as UN reform, climate change, Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and counterterrorism. Together, China and Africa not only have supported each others development, but upheld the common and fundamental interests of the whole developing world. China firmly supports African countries in exploring development paths suitable for individual national conditions.China remains committed to speaking up for Africa in the international arena, calls on the international community to pay greater attention to Africa, and supports that priority be given to enhancing the representation of Africa in the UN Security Council and other institutions. China-Africa co-operation and exchanges also bear fruitful results in the areas of culture, education, health, science and technology, think-tanks, women and youth. The celebrations in 2014 and last year mark an important innovation for China-South Africa and China- Africa relations. Currently, over 40 000 African students are studying in China and more than 27 African countries have resident journalists in China. A steady increase has also been registered in the number of visitors between China and Africa. In this golden autumn season, the G20 Hangzhou Summit to be held in the most beautiful city in southern China will enjoy the extensive participation of developing countries and has great potential to yield fruitful results. For Africas participation, China has invited heads of state of G20 member South Africa and guest countries of Egypt, Chad, and Senegal. We have strong reasons to believe that their participation in the G20 Hangzhou Summit will help lead China-Africa co-operation into a new era of innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive development. (The story was originally published on Business Report on September 2nd, 2016.) Art is a therapeutic medium, just like music. It, too, is a vehicle in which we can do such things as recover hope, dignify suffering, develop empathy, laugh, wonder, nurture a sense of communion with others, and regain a sense of justice and political idealism. Alain de Botton, Art as Therapy. The Hospital Rooms We know how lucky we are to have the NHS and it's services, spanning physical and mental health care. Sometimes though, we leave with our bodies healed, and our spirits a little diminished. If you have spent time visiting a loved one in a mental health unit, a situation that curator Niamh White and artist Tim A Shaw found themselves in, you may come away thinking that the environment of these units could do with some care. Our surroundings affect experience and perception of ourselves, more so for those in a vulnerable situation. With this in mind, Niamh and Tim approached The Arts Council with a proposal to commission contemporary artists to refurbish mental health wards in the NHS. Six weeks later the Hospital Rooms was born. A project which aims to support patients and visitors to mental health units in the UK. Joining forces with South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, they have commissioned artists including Nick Knight OBE and Gavin Turk to refurbish the Phoenix Unit at Springfield University Hospital in Tooting. Advertisement Nick Knight's 'Lily' in The Phoenix Unit, Springfield Hospital London. Photo The Hospital Rooms The need for supporting mental health units in the UK cannot be underestimated. Mental health problems constitute the largest single source of world economic burden, with an estimated global cost of 1.6 trillion; greater than cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer and diabetes on their own. And yet, mental illness is still a taboo in this country meaning that 75% of sufferers keep silent about their illness. LM Why do you think that the look of NHS spaces are overlooked? THR NHS budgets are always stretched, and improving the environmental conditions of hospitals is never the top priority. Understandably, money is going towards staff, prescribed drugs and social care. However, having the right environment to recover in and having a stimulating living space for someone in rehabilitation is vitally important. We hope that projects like ours will help to demonstrate how valuable imaginative and thought-provoking art and design is. LM The Phoenix Unit at Springfield University Hospital in Tooting was your debut project. How did this come about? Advertisement THR It was important that we worked with a trust that was forward thinking. We approached Dr. Emma Whicher, the Medical Director at Springfield about undertaking a project at the hospital, and she was enthusiastic. She recommended that we take on Phoenix Unit, a secure residential rehabilitation unit for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and set up a meeting with Dr. Charlotte Harrison, the consultant psychiatrist who has a particular interest in multi-sensory therapy. LM Can you describe your first impression of Springfield prior to refurbishment? THR The unit is bright with lots of natural light, and there are several communal spaces for service users to watch TV, rest and participate in activities. Although there is a Quiet Room, Activity Room and Women's Lounge, there was little that differentiated one from the next. Aimee Parrot's work in the Women's Room of the Phoenix Unit, Springfield Hospital London. Photo The Hospital Rooms LM I imagine that patient input was paramount? THR We visited the unit 16 times before starting work onsite. Each time we would speak to service users and staff, and bring along one of the artists, as these visits informed the work. In one of our first meetings it became apparent that the courtyard area is an important part of the unit, especially for those users who aren't able to have non-escorted leave. We hadn't originally planned on undertaking any work on the outdoor space, but as a result of these meetings we commissioned the landscape architect, Joh Bates, to tackle the courtyard. My work was informed by requests for service users to display their own works. I made the Dining Room into the 'Phoenix Gallery', a space for the users to display their own work made during our workshops, in turn encouraging their creative practice. Advertisement LM Can you talk about the process from conception to completion? THR Once the artists had visited the unit, spoken to staff, service users and chosen the room that they wanted to work on, they would give us a detailed description of what they had planned. We would then propose the ideas to the consultant psychiatrist, the occupational therapists, maintenance and health and safety to get feedback on the suitability of subject matter and compliance. We discussed in detail the physical restrictions of the unit, and made sure that all artworks were compliant, safe and robust, then submitted proposals to the trust. We were very aware that we were going to be spending a large amount of time in the users' home. We were generously welcomed, and had fascinating conversations about the work. LM There are prestigious artists involved. How did their experience of the NHS influence their contributions? THR Our artists have various experiences of mental health services and approached the spaces with this in mind. Also, the artists' expertise in making work that lasts and is of the highest quality was invaluable. LM Niamh, how has the Hospital Rooms influenced your work as a curator? THR Working on this project has been unlike any other. The project is curatorially rigorous. We focus on actively co-producing projects with artists, mental health service users and mental health practitioners to capitalise on different streams of knowledge and create solutions to social needs. LM What is your vision for developing the Hospital Rooms in the future? THR We have completed the installations at Phoenix unit, and are currently mid way through our workshops with the service users. We are now a registered charity and are currently in the final stages of planning another large project, and have several more in the pipeline. KEMPNER: New York label for the polished, modern city girl. Designer Meggie says Kemper is for the sexy, confident and powerful woman. Image: Stylist's Own Inspiration: the designs are inspired by their grandmother - night-loving Nan Kempner, who was just as comfortable at a black-tie ball in Paris, as she was on the Studio 54 dance floor. Advertisement Image: Stylist's Own Chris of the Kemper collection said they wanted to be in the business of 'manufacturing cool,' making women feel as confident as they could. Image: Stylist's Own Western trend: cowgirl ankle boots. Image: Stylist's Own 90s trend: minimal hair and make up styling. Advertisement Image: Stylist's Own 90s trend: choker. Image: Stylist's Own Nan's style was very polished and chic, but always had a creative flair, said Meggie. Image: Stylist's Own Off-the shoulder trend: poncho knitwear. Image: Stylist's Own Right. Shake the sand out of your sandals and bundle up your burkini. Summer is over. (And if you really want to know what I thought about the burkinis on beaches row, you might be interested in this piece that I wrote about the niqab three years ago. The arguments are the same.) It's time, I'm afraid, to get serious. And that means Brexit. There is simply no other game in town - and Theresa May knows it. She's been dealt a lousy hand by her unlamented predecessor - isn't it extraordinary how quickly one forgets these people's names? - and she's going to need every ounce of her political skills to negotiate her way through the labyrinth. Advertisement Think of it this way: to get a deal on the UK's new relationship with the EU, she will have to satisfy not only the bulk of her own party, with a substantial chunk of her own MPs wishing the referendum had gone the other way, but also all 27 of the remaining EU heads of government. She will also need to find a way to keep her three semi-house trained Brexit bull elephants - Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox - all on board, a task that I confidently predict will be utterly beyond her. I strongly suspect that at least one of them will be angrily tramping off into the jungle before the end of next year. We have already learnt one thing: the Norway half-in, half-out option is off the table. Last Wednesday's statement from Number 10 is worth careful analysis: 'The model we are seeking is one unique to the United Kingdom ... This must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade goods and services.' It is nearly, but not quite, a direct echo of Boris Johnson's policy on cake: pro-having it, and pro-eating it. If Boris had been PM, the word after 'Europe' in the sentence quoted above would have been 'and' instead of 'but'. The effect is the same: whistle as loud as you like, Mrs M, but what you want and what you are going to get are two very different things. We've known right from the start, whatever the Brexiteers would have had us believe, that restricting immigration from the EU will come at a cost: less tariff-free access to the European single market. The issue that will dominate all of politics for the next two years is exactly how to calibrate the equation. How much less immigration equals how much less market access? Advertisement One proposal well worth considering has already come from the Brussels-based Bruegel think tank, in a paper co-authored by five eminent European policy advisers, including Sir Paul Tucker, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England, Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, and Jean Pisani-Ferry, who is head of the French prime minister's policy planning staff. What they suggest is something that they call a Continental Partnership, which they describe as 'considerably less deep than EU membership but rather closer than a simple free-trade agreement.' It would, they say, 'be based on an intergovernmental form of collaboration, with no legal right to free movement for workers but a regime of some controlled labour mobility and a contribution to the EU budget.' The key is that it would be a tailor-made relationship, negotiated specifically to meet the needs of both the the UK and the EU, while accepting the clearly expressed wish of British voters to leave the EU. No one is suggesting that it will be easy to draw up a new, post-divorce co-habitation agreement, but the Bruegel authors have at least had the courage to try to imagine a post-Brexit future. They say: 'The proposed continental partnership would consist in participating in goods, services, capital mobility and some temporary labour mobility as well as in a new system of inter-governmental decision making and enforcement of common rules to protect the homogeneity of the deeply integrated market.' Which sounds fine in principle, until you look at that tell-tale phrase - 'enforcement of common rules' - and you realise that access to markets never comes cost-free. The Brexiteers' slogan 'Taking back control', which was just a marginally politer way of saying 'Doing what we want', conveniently ignored the fact that if you want to be granted preferential access to the biggest market in the world, you will be expected to accept certain conditions. We'll do what we like, and screw the lot of you, is not a trade policy calculated to win many new orders. Mrs May knows that, even if Mr Johnson doesn't. Advertisement It's worth noting that the prime minister's long experience at the Home Office is likely to have taught her just how difficult it is to control immigration when business leaders are loudly arguing for a flexible labour pool and their continued need to be able to hire the 'best and the brightest' from overseas. Her maverick foreign secretary is also openly pro-immigration even as a Brexiteer-come-lately, and the Treasury is institutionally much more sympathetic to those who argue about the economic benefits of immigration from the EU. Over the past couple of weeks, teenagers up and down the country have been opening brown envelopes they've been told will decide their futures. There have been tears, both of joy and dejection, upon the discovery of whether they're equipped with an arsenal of As and A*s or a decent set of Scrabble letters. Many students, myself included, were sold a story at school that how you do in your GCSEs and A-Levels will necessarily affect your chances of going to university and access to the upper echelons of the job market. However, that a straight A* student from Mill Hill in north London received rejections from every medical school she applied for; and that university courses do exist with staggeringly low entrance requirements, prove that the matter cannot and should not be viewed in absolutes. Advertisement When asking the question as to whether grades matter therefore, the far-reaching answer can actually be summed up succinctly: "It depends." It depends on what you want to do. Anyway, when the Mill Hill native's story was shared on social media, it attracted the expected bevy of bemusement and outrage in equal measure. She's a genius! Why hasn't she got in anywhere? That reaction represents a problem. Too often in British schools, we have seen the promotion of a systematic point of view, one that is as inaccurate as it is unhealthy. It's inaccurate in the context of medicine in particular because we don't know how well or badly this girl interviewed, whether her personal statement was written in crayon or if other candidates simply had more extra-curricular experience going for them. It's unhealthy, in any case, to heap so much pressure on a young person and suggest that their performance in a few exams will define them. We need to stop this tiered perception that one job is somehow inherently better than another. Advertisement Still, don't mistake me for some soft touch. I do think grades are very important, if not conclusive. Of course we need to have some measurement of how someone is taught and without assessment, how do we know how well they've learnt? I see very little benefit in celebrities taking to Twitter to tell teenagers that grades don't matter because that sort of rhetoric is hardly going to instill a strong work ethic, is it? Perhaps a more sensible approach would be to view grades in tandem with demonstrable applicable skills or experience related to the course or job someone's going for. They're a good starting point, no doubt, and a bad grade in Biology is probably indicative that you won't make a great brain surgeon; but that's fine. Do something else and be the best at that instead. After the immeasurable success of her Harry Potter books and her unabashed forwardness in standing up for justice on social media, it is not hard to work out why J.K Rowling is a national treasure. Indeed, she has become a torchbearer for huge waves of the disenfranchised, often left leaning youth, including myself. However, I believe that this time she has got it wrong. So very wrong. Unless you are a hermit or live in a cave deep in the Black Mountains, you are probably aware that Rowling has recently launched a 'scathing' Twitter attack on Jeremy Corbyn. In any other context, a political Tweet from the Queen of the Potter World would do a few rounds in much of the media. However, like traingate and that time Jezza wore a grey tracksuit, the fact that these tweets are about Corbyn has meant that all other news has been swept aside in order for certain media outlets to take another pointless jibe at Jeremy. Even the unelected Theresa May's plans to abolish the Human Rights Act looming closer and closer is not "news" enough. Yet, a couple of Tweets saying that the man who is likely to be elected Labour leader for the second time is "unelectable" are somehow headline material. Advertisement Now, it is my sincere belief that Rowling is a compassionate, kind and intelligent individual. I have a lot of admiration for the author and her fan base is proof that I am not alone. The exact same can also be said for Corbyn, however. Indeed, I believe that Jeremy is one of the most compassionate and kind MPs there is. it is also my sincere belief that he is undoubtedly honest and intelligent. And, just like J.K, Corbyn's humongous mass of supporters is proof that I am not alone in my view. So why does Rowling think that Corbyn is dangerous to the Labour party? What could possess someone on Rowling's level to side with TheDaily Mail and TheSun? What could lead Rowling to align her views with that of career politicians over that of a huge percentage of ordinary people, young and old, who have continued to show support for the Labour leader despite the constant media barrage against him? I don't know. However, I do know why I, as well as many others, support Jeremy and so I will now endeavour to explain why. Corbyn inspires the disenfranchised. Many of Labour's losses in the last general election can be put squarely down to disenfranchisement. Some, who once supported Labour for their commitment to worker's rights, voted UKIP. Some, who once supported Labour's commitment to equality and true socialism, voted Green (including myself, might I add). Some didn't even vote at all. Most famously, however, was the majority of Scotland who saw no alternative but to vote SNP. Most instances that I have come across where onetime Labour lovers have changed allegiance have appeared to come about as a result of the increasingly right-of-centre views of New Labour coupled with the inexcusable decision to go to war by the figurehead of New Labour, Tony Blair. Yet, look what has happened since Jeremy has taken the party mantle. Huge increases in membership as well as an increase in support across the UK, including Scotland. Many have heralded it as a return to Labour's true values. (you won't read that in The Telegraph) Advertisement Corbyn is genuine, consistent and actually cares A main problem people have with politics is that they don't know who to trust. One politician says this then another says that, then they both do something completely different. Jeremy has always fought for the same things: Combating privatisation of essential services in favour of nationalisation and public ownership in order to put people before profit (including the railways and the NHS). Combating racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism (his protesting against Thatcher's support of the South African apartheid springs to mind). His support for gender equality and the LGBTQ community (even when some MPs were still in support of male supremacy and the criminalisation of homosexuals). His support for the elderly, the disabled and the vulnerable. His support for the young and for a more enriching and inclusive education system. His support for trade unions and workers rights. His support for the impoverished and his continued opposition to tax loopholes and avoidance amongst the rich and elite. Jeremy has not wavered from his positions on key socialist values. Jeremy only changes his views when confronted with enough new evidence to change his mind about which view most aligns with his unwavering values. This is because he actually believes in these values, unlike many politicians today. Corbyn IS strong enough to be our Prime Minister The most permeating criticism of Corbyn is that he isn't a strong leader. That he may have good values but not the drive to carry them out. Well, I disagree. Just looking at his historical involvements in many protests and rallies, which furthered many causes we take for granted today, it is clear that Jeremy has never been afraid to stand up for his values. Since becoming Labour leader he has brought the voices of ordinary people right onto the very surface of David Cameron's despatch box. Jeremy has led campaigns which have forced the Conservative's into several crucial U-turns in policy and budgeting. Jeremy has stayed strong, calm and resilient despite a constant barrage of hate: first from the conservative right, then from most of the political class, then from the media, then from the moguls and the tycoons, then from his own PLP. He seems pretty darn strong to me. Corbyn will finally change the conversation away from immigration For years, much of the right wing press has led a profit-inspired campaign to fuel hatred against foreigners and, more over, immigrants. This has led to the rise in hate crime and support for right wing groups like UKIP, the EDL and the BNP. The Conservatives chose to follow suit by saying they would get tough on immigration and one would have thought that a genuine Labour party would say "Hang on a minute, the problem isn't an overcrowding of immigrants. The problem is that we have stopped building houses and schools. In fact, we have closed many schools and sold off over half of our council houses to private landlords. Our emergency services aren't overwhelmed due to immigration, they're overwhelmed because the Conservative government has made cuts to policing, cuts to fire rescue services, cuts to the NHS and healthcare." However, Labour chose to shimmy up to their right wing 'opposition'. In fact, Ed Miliband's campaign even carved it into a big stone saying they would get tough on immigration. Keir Hardie would've rolled in his grave if he knew that a Labour leader had carved such a sentiment on a mug, let alone on a giant plinth. It seems that the only voices from the Labour camp who are not scapegoating immigrants but instead looking to invest more into our society are Corbyn and his team. Funny that. There are multiple other reasons why Corbyn is, in my view, a strong candidate for Labour's next Prime Minister. In my opinion, Corbyn is not so much a danger but a breath of relief for the wounded and misshapen Labour party who may actually return to their values and regain their support under Corbyn. I hope the wonderful J.K. Rowling reads this or, at least, hears the reasons why many of her fans are also fans of Jezza. I would continue to cite more reasons but I can hear a cup of tea and the next page of the Cursed Child calling my name. Chris J Ratcliffe via Getty Images In October 2015 when Theresa May was still the Home Secretary, the Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the UK. During his visit, at least three individuals in London were arrested for protesting peacefully. They were held for almost 24 hours, their homes searched, their property seized and, when released on bail, strict conditions were ordered to ensure they could not fulfill their rights to further protest the Chinese President while he remained in the UK. My name is Shao Jiang, a former prisoner of conscience and survivor of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, and I was one of the three protesters arrested last October. The nature of my detention was illegal under UK and international law and, in December 2015, I filed an IPCC complaint against my treatment and the unlawful policing of protests surrounding President Xi's visit; the investigation by the IPCC continues. Advertisement The UK's effort in accommodating the Chinese state visit last October is now being rewarded by a reciprocal suppression on dissenting voices in China. As Theresa May the Prime Minister prepares her trip to Hangzhou to attend the G20 Summit, local residents are being harassed: a great number of individuals have been forced to leave the city ahead of G20; businesses, especially those run by Uyghurs, have to close; gatherings have been banned; dissidents around the country have been detained, placed under house arrest or barred from travelling. Hangzhou, the city that will host the G20 Summit, witnessed the founding of the China Democracy Party (CDP) in 1998, an oppositional party aiming to challenge the Chinese Communist Party's monopolistic one-party rule. Although its registration was declined from the start and the organization has always been banned, the CDP has gathered around its banner members ranging from veteran activists of the 1978 Democracy Wall movement to organizers of 1989 pro-democracy movement. When Xi Jinping occupied the top provincial office in Zhejiang (2002-2007), dozens of CDP members were sentenced to lengthy jail terms. In past June, another two veteran democracy activists in Hangzhou were sentenced to 11 and 10.5 years' imprisonment. At least two dozens of CDP members remain in jail to this day. Xi Jinping's presidency has seen the worst human rights violations in the country since the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. Over 2,500 human rights defenders have been subjected to forced disappearance and arbitrary detention in China. Torture and ill-treatment are widely practiced across the country. In a nationwide clampdown last July, over 300 human rights lawyers and activists were detained or summoned for interrogation. Some have been charged with "subversion of state power" or "inciting subversion of state power". The Chinese Communist Party's war on "extremists", "separatists" and "terrorists" in Tibet, East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and throughout China has led to thousands of government-sponsored acts of torture and hundreds of extrajudicial killings. In September 2014, Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti was sentenced to life imprisonment for advocating equal rights for the Uyghur people. In Tibet, the repression by the authorities has been so severe that over 150 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest. In July 2015, revered Tibetan monk and political prisoner Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died in prison. Advertisement Hong Kong has not escaped from Xi's harsh approach. After Beijing rejected proposals of democratic reform in 2014, the people of Hong Kong rose up in the largest street protest the city has ever seen. However, Xi's government was unmoved by such defiance; and instead authorised the suppression of peaceful protests with a mix of police brutality, hired goons and court actions. Those injured by the police have not seen any redress and the political prosecution of protesters is still ongoing. Since 1990s, the British government has engaged in the so-called human rights dialogues with the Chinese government. However, the civil society has not been allowed to participate in this process. The bilateral dialogues remain at rhetoric level, as the British government has long been following whatever the Chinese regime instructs. Following my unlawful arrest last October, I sent a few freedom of information requests to the Home Office, regarding the policing policy during Xi Jinping's UK visit. For four months the Home Office skirted my requests using language similar to that of Beijing authorities stating "public interest" and "national security". Additionally the Home Office claimed that the disclosure of information "could potentially damage the bilateral relationship between the UK and the People's Republic of China". What is the "public interest" of the British people? Will the British government's endorsement by silence of China's suppression of its own dissidents benefit the British people? It might appear that the sacrifice of the Chinese workers' rights to strike and to form independent trade unions has indeed benefited the consumers in the UK who can afford cheap products made in China, but will that create more jobs for the British workers? In August, thousands of residents in Lianyungang, a habour city in the neighbouring Jiangsu province, protested against building a nuclear waste plant there by the China National Nuclear Corporation, in cooperation with a French company. Following the anti-nuclear protest, demonstrators and journalists were beaten and arrested. Does this not alert the British people who are still waiting for their government's final decision on Hinkley Point C nuclear power station? While so many young people in the UK cannot afford to buy their own homes, the Chinese newspapers have started advising their readers to take advantage of a weakened pound in the post-Brexit UK by investing in the British property market. One thing I can be sure of is that it is not those homeless Chinese petitioners who can afford to buy a house in the UK. Young Women of the UK, grab yourself a cuppa, I've got a little story for you... On a blustery, dreary day in Scotland around the millennium (I know, right?), I had the dreaded careers meeting with my guidance teacher, the weather and the prospect of my UCAS form was not the only bleak, bleak happenings on that day. Sitting in front of her with my clean sheet of 8 1's (A's for those South of the border), I was told to perhaps consider speech therapy or dentistry instead of becoming a doctor. "Its very very difficult, especially for girls" "But I have the grades and I'm predicted them for my highers to apply" "I know but I'm just setting your expectations" Scottish self deprication at best and sexism at worst, it was at that point I knew inequality wasn't just the boys being allowed to pinch our bums or be nasty to us 'because they fancied us'. I wish I'd had the confidence and conviction to speak up then, instead I nodded and took the sheet. I wish I'd had the assurance when told to take my make up off at drama school, I wish I'd had the sureness to speak up on holidays when men picked me up in the street and ran off and I should've told the police when I was sexually assaulted whilst travelling. I didn't. All those countless times in the DJ booth and in meetings where I knew I was treated with less respect than my male colleagues. I didn't speak up, but now I do. I know I have to set an example for the young women who look up at us expectantly to navigate them through "too much flesh" "not enough flesh" "frigid" "unambitious" "quiet". They need us and we need them to stand up and make our daughters lives free'er and far more equal. Advertisement Help is at hand, not from people in position of power, parents or head teachers from YOU. Action for Change is a campaign that will skill you up to give you the tools and courage to make positive change in your community and beyond. You are the little grass roots with the big strong voices, green and naive you are not, tall, strong stalks ready to take on the world you ARE. Petitions, organising events, fundraising and being vocal about the change you want to see, this campaign is right behind you. With Girlguiding and their half a million strong members, you can't be ignored any longer, the internet has given us the power to make local issues, global issues. It doesn't have to be big over arcing decisions or campaigns, if this gives you the boldness to speak your mind to the boy who puts you down, or the teacher who tells you you cant, its a victory among many. I spoke to Katie Horsburgh, 16, she is a member of Girl Guidings youth advocate panel, to see if the generation underneath me still has same obstacles? One thing I starkly remember about school is boys speaking out more in class, she finds the same... Katie: At school it is fairly common that boys generally seem to feel more confident than their female peers. They are rowdier, more open with opinions and more likely to speak out in class. I think that this is due to the outdated expectation that women should be seen and not heard, as well as girls not wanting to "scare boys off" by appearing "too smart" if they know the answers. This is really detrimental to the educational experience of girls. Some girls also feel too shy to speak up because of how loud and rowdy many of the boys are, which stems from the "boys will be boys" attitude. This type of behaviour is really intimidating, especially when many girls have inappropriate sexual comments made about them in a place where they are supposed to feel safe - school. Advertisement Lisa: Do you feel your opinion is valued less than your male peers? Katie: I am very fortunate to have wonderful teachers who value the opinions of girls and boys equally. However, in certain groups of boys of my school there is a macho-climate where boys seem determined to constantly prove their masculinity. I think it's really sad that they feel that they must always confirm to their peers that they fit into an outdated societal ideal of what it means to be a man. In these groups, it is seen as "cool" to laugh at the opinions of girls, to evaluate girls based on their bodies and make vile sexual comments. This kind of toxic masculinity makes it quite difficult to speak out in school. I have often worried about what a big group of boys will do if i state an opinion. On many occasions this led me to stay silent, however, more recently i have begun to stand up for myself and my female peers. Lisa: Why do you think young women struggle to be heard? Katie: In my opinion, young women struggle to be heard because of the fear of judgement. It's all very well to say that girls should just be more confident, but in fact there is much more to it than that. Girls need to know that their opinions will be listened to and valued. Girls need to know that their safety in school will be protected. Girls need to know that their voices have the power to make real, tangible change. With our collective voice, we have the power to do anything. Lisa: If you could change one thing about the dynamics between boys and girls what would it be? Katie: I would encourage boys and girls to build a mutual respect for each other. If boys started to view girls as three dimensional people, we wouldn't constantly be downgrades into silent, sexual objects. With this newfound respect, girls would grow in confidence and begin to express opinions more. This mixing would also eradicate the lad culture that is so common nowadays, as perhaps by being surrounded by people of all genders boys would feel less pressured to frequently reaffirm their masculinity. Lisa: What would be the first thing you would lobby for in parliament? Katie: If I were an MP the first thing I would lobby for would be compulsory, high quality PSHE. PSHE takes many of the issues i care most deeply about, such as gender equality, mental health and sexual health and relationships, down to a grassroots level. By giving all students this essential information, we set them up for life. Advertisement Lisa: Which skill that is not taught in school would you most like to acquire and why. Katie: There are many many topics that I wasn't taught about in school which i would love to learn more about, including mental health, body confidence, LGBTQ+ and so on. However, in terms of a skill, i would really like to learn how to write a CV. I literally can't get a job without one, so why on earth haven't i been taught how to write one?! Katies opinion echos alot of what I hear from my little cousins right down to what I witness on the street, from cat calling to institutional sexism there is lots to be done and we can all do it. Together. We are the big sisters you never knew you had and we're right behind you. The rise of brief trends over classic style and shoddy workmanship at cheap prices in the fashion industry is damaging both our planet and its people. I'm a 25 year old designer and I wanted to share with you the story of how a t-shirt could be what's needed to engage the mass market with sustainable fashion. Thanks to fast fashion our industry is currently the world's most polluting after oil. 25% of the world's chemicals are used for textile production and 10% of the world's carbon emissions result from the apparel industry. As a result more toxic chemicals are released into our air, water and soil, and greenhouse gases are created that deplete our water and fossil fuel energy resources. Advertisement The Rana Plaza disaster of 2013 also illustrates the grave social and economic problems with the fast fashion model. Over 1,100 people were killed when the building they were working in, making cheap clothing for fast fashion retailers, collapsed. Corners had been cut in terms of cost of production and, tragically, health and safety had not been considered a priority. People have so many responsibilities and commitments in their lives - professional, financial, emotional, social and even charitable - and it is, therefore, tough to expect customers to shop for clothing with sustainability in mind and to consider the ethics of a brand over, say, the simple RRP of the clothing that they are selling. I believe we can engage the mainstream customer in sustainable fashion through The 30 Year T-Shirt. I designed this t-shirt as a wardrobe staple to be made so durably that we could guarantee it for 30 years. My manufacturing team in Serra da Estrela, Portugal have been making beautiful clothing since 1964 and we based the design of The 30 Year T-Shirt on some t-shirts they made in the 1970s that were still in perfect condition. We double reinforce all seams, use 360 grams per metre Italian cotton and treat the t-shirts against shrinking. The "30 Year" concept is immediately eye-catching but has far reaching and crucial benefits: The 30 Year T-Shirt at $50 is cheaper in terms cost per wear than its fast fashion equivalent of a plain coloured tee. It is also a garment that is made to a world class standard, delivered online direct-to-customer at a value price point. The customer, therefore, looks better and saves money at the same time. Advertisement The 30 Year T-Shirt is a sustainable fashion campaign fighting fast fashion, aiming to encourage people to shop sustainably and to lead an industry trend into protecting our natural resources by producing truly durable clothing. Some people argue that fashions come and go, and that the 30 Year concept doesn't work. I consider that to be very narrow minded. Other than it terms of sizing, how could you improve upon a well cut white t-shirt? I am not suggesting for one second that we stop designing innovative and interesting new garments with new prints, materials or other features. I am just suggesting that we stop allowing fast fashion retailers to systematically make wardrobe staples to fall apart so that we're forced into replacing them. And before you turn around and tell me that you'll be too fat to fit into the same t-shirt in three decades time, stop being so defeatist and lay off the Domino's (even I'm trying to). If we could cut down on unnecessary garment manufacturing and distribution, we would be making some important strides towards making the fashion industry more sustainable. What better way to achieve this then by guaranteeing that the cornerstones of your wardrobe, which you'll most likely never change, will actually last? Fashion production requires machinery which uses valuable energy, it wastes fabric (15% of fabric is wasted during the manufacturing process, on average) and then there is the carbon footprint, caused by transporting the goods, to consider. The rise of globalisation has meant that cotton is grown in one place, woven in another and then clothing can be put together somewhere else entirely. Almost all clothing sold in the Western world is imported and this contributes hugely to emissions. On top of production and delivery, there is also huge energy consumption involved with bricks and mortar fashion retail, packaging and marketing. I am not implying that we should not have any more shops but, in an age of globalisation, the efficiency of the direct to customer vertically integrated e-commerce fashion business model for brand owners, consumers and our environment must not be overlooked. The 30 Year concept also aims to encourage a different attitude to fashion ownership and disposal. Many people, in this era of readily available cheap fast fashion, buy items that they do not even wear once. The energy consumed to create, market and deliver the garment is wasted as a result and further energy is then used up in the disposal process. It is, therefore, important that we think carefully before buying something. A good rule of thumb is that championed by Eco Age and Livia Firth: when shopping for clothing, think "am I going to wear this at least 30 times?". Based on a figure of 400 loads per year, the average washing machine consumes 75,000 litres of water every year and leaves behind chemicals from washing powder and liquids that are resistant to water treatment. Washing machines and tumble dryers also consume a huge amount of electricity from fossil fuels. The mere process, therefore, of owning and washing clothing has a huge effect on the environment, so choosing a 30 Year garment or something that is going to last longer, be cheaper in terms of cost per wear and actually look better makes sense on many levels. Advertisement Now is the time when we must encourage a more sensible and sustainable attitude towards fashion consumption. In Britain, a supposedly forward thinking nation, 85% of the clothing that we throw away ends up in landfill. Why is such idiotically narrow minded behaviour so prevalent? Charity shops are a wonderful thing. I recently bought a beautiful Italian cotton Gucci overcoat from Oxfam in Notting Hill for just 20. Imagine if that had been thrown away! To find out more about sustainable fashion and the 30 Year concept, please visit tomcridland.com. This September The Huffington Post UK Style is focusing on all things sustainable, for the second year running. Our thirst for fast fashion is dramatically impacting the environment and the lives of thousands of workers in a negative way. Our aim is to raise awareness of this zeitgeist issue and champion brands and people working to make the fashion industry a more ethical place. Many marijuana activists and reformers were disappointed recently when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued their long anticipated "big announcement" of the summer and marijuana wasn't rescheduled. Rumors had been swirling for months that DEA would re-schedule marijuana, moving the prohibited substance out of Schedule I and into, well, no one really knew because there was really no substance to the rumor. As an observer of the marijuana reform movement for nearly four decades, this writer never gave the rumors any credence. DEA will reschedule marijuana the day after they pry Charlton Heston's cold dead hands from his NRA rifle. The DEA did take some action and it is significant. Essentially they announced the end of a monopoly. For fifty years, and perhaps longer, the University of Mississippi has been the only legal producer of cannabis in the United States. The DEA announced that will change. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has awarded the contract to Ole' Miss for decade after decade and the University has been providing researchers and a few medical patients with what passes for marijuana in the federal government's thinking but which most legal users describe as "ditch weed." I once visited the Mississippi "pot plantation" and was taken aback with how small the acreage actually is. It was in September 1978 and the medical marijuana movement was picking up steam with four states enacting laws that authorized intrastate research using federal supplies of marijuana. In 1979 that number would grow to 20-plus and it was clear that the "pot plantation" could not possibly provide the amount of marijuana the states would require to make these research programs a reality. The feds were able to short-circuit the state medical marijuana research programs by releasing synthetic delta-9 THC (a.k.a., Marinol) and for the next thirty years the Ole' Miss pot plantation just kept rolling along, servicing a handful of legal medical marijuana patients and researchers still trying to find the "harm" in marijuana. Advertisement Then the "Eureka" moment occurred. Researchers discovered the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) in the 1990s and cannabis research would never be the same. This discovery of an entirely unknown physiological system--found in every mammal -- set the scientific community abuzz. In particular the community was excited about a little known cannabinoid, CBD, which seemed to have a multitude of therapeutic properties but none of the pesky psychoactive properties associated with THC. Simultaneously in the U.S. there was a new round of state laws being enacted, this time via the ballot box. Medical cannabis patients found their voices and loudly demanded legal access. Entrepreneurs began growing cannabis and, most importantly, openly discussing and experimenting with different strains. Think Charlotte's Web and you get the picture. Cultivators of legal cannabis began to conduct the experiments that NIDA and DEA should have done years before. And countries like Israel, Spain and Canada began developing strains of cannabis that gave legitimate researchers the cannabis they needed to explore the wonders of the ECS. The U.S. government had missed the boat, the golden age of cannabis research had sailed without them. U.S. researchers, of course, were the ones who got the short end of the stick. DEA continued to play their well known game of obfuscation, NIDA continued its mantra about "only researching the abuse of marijuana, not the therapeutic aspects," and FDA sought the moral high-ground by claiming it would treat applications for cannabis therapeutics the same as any other. Collectively it was the head-in-the-sand approach that has characterized the federal agencies from the very first days of the medical cannabis movement. This time, however, the whole world was watching, and moving ahead. Advertisement The U.S. government can no longer ignore the advances in cannabinoid science and Ole Miss is no longer adequate to meet the demands of researchers and industry. DEA had little choice but to expand the number of legal cultivators. The real question is: will any one apply to grow? The DEA has promulgated regulations regarding their new policy that will deter most, including the implication that growers with any involvement in non-legal growing of cannabis will not be considered. This is thought to include growers from legal states. And DEA will still hold the cat-bird seat since they get to determine "the number of bulk manufacturers necessary to 'produce an adequate and uninterrupted supply of [cannabis] under adequately competitive conditions for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial purposes.'" Ultimately, at least to my thinking, the announcement is meant to clear the way for those pharmaceutical companies who have stayed the course with year-after-year of research and are now preparing to bring a product to market. In particular G.W. Pharmaceuticals could be the big benefactor of this change in regulation. Their pediatric epilepsy drug, epidiolex, has continued to excel in Phase III studies and it is expected that a New Drug Application (NDA) will be filed in early 2017. Once approved the CBD extract will be available nationally for use in treatment of childhood seizures but off-label use of the drug is certain to occur and DEA's August 12th announcement gives G.W., and other pharmaceuticals a way to "grow their own" in the U.S., with DEA's blessing and oversight, of course. As for rescheduling: don't hold your breath. In the end it will be CBD that gets re-scheduled. Cannabis, the whole plant, will likely remain in Schedule I. Precedent for this hypocritical scheduling is already in place with delta-9 THC in Schedule III while the cannabis it is derived from is in Schedule I. The Hangzhou Olympic and International Expo Center, where the G20 Summit will take place, in the beautiful Binjiang district of Hangzhou. (Picture: Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) MARCO Polo, the Italian traveler of the 13th century, lauded Hangzhou as the worlds most magnificent and noble city. For its abundance of scenic attractions like the West Lake, the Xixi Wetland, the Grand Canal and the Qiantang River, Hangzhou is among the most coveted tourist destinations in the world. It was shortlisted by New York Times in 2011 as one of the 41 Places to Go. Both the West Lake and the Grand Canal are now Unesco World Heritage Sites. Renowned as one of Chinas seven ancient capitals, historic Hangzhous proudly among the first group of cities that the central government designated as a historic and cultural city. Also known as the fabled city in the south-east, Hangzhou shares with Suzhou the ultimate fame of Paradise on Earth. For the last decade, the city tops the national chart of Chinas Happiest Cities. It has also won the Best Human Habitat award from the UN. Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhejiang Province on Chinas south-eastern coast. As the provinces economic, cultural, technological and educational centre, the city also plays a central role in the Yangtze River Delta, which lies at the heart of the region traditionally called Jiangnan (literally, south of the Yangtze River). For years, Hangzhou has been recognised by the World Bank as having Chinas best investment environments. Forbes Magazine has also consecutively placed Hangzhou on its chart of Mainland Chinas Best Cities for Commerce. Its otherwise recognised as the capital of e-commerce, among the Top Ten Innovative Cities of China, the Top Ten Vibrant Cities of China, the Top Ten Low-carbon Cities in China, the Most Accomplished City in Peoples Well-being Improvement, and the Best Image Friendly City. The Alibaba Group, the worlds biggest online B2B business, and Geely, the Chinese automaker which owns Volvo, are both headquartered in Hangzhou. Hangzhou has been regarded throughout China as a national cultural and leisure capital, renowned for its rich legacy and pristine natural beauty, said Li Hong, director-general, Hangzhou Tourism Commission (HTC). With hosting G20 and the 2022 Asian Games, the city is poised to take its place on the world stage. The HTC has implemented several tech-focused programmes to aid visitors in navigating Hangzhou. Launched in January last year by the HTC in partnership with e-commerce giant Alibaba, the Hangzhou Tourism Passport facilitates reservations and payment via a QR code at hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions across the city. (The story was originally published on Business Report on September 2nd, 2016.) The United States of America was born in violence. The brutality, severity, and ubiquity of violence during slavery preceded and followed our country's founding. It was, indeed, inscribed and fundamentally baked into the parchment of our constitution. For many of us this is a difficult and disturbing truth to face, but one we know too well. It persistently unsettles the meaning of our democracy and search for a more perfect union. It too often disturbs long-cherished beliefs and practices and disrupts visions of what our future holds. The death penalty has been and remains an essential and consistent form of this American violence--often its messenger--and it is time to stop. For the first peoples of this land, communities of African descent, other communities of color and poor people, news about America the violent, is not really news at all. Ours is a different recognition grounded in a historic set of oppressions established through searing social custom, legislative fiat, religious teachings, and racial taxonomies. Enslavement, segregation, discrimination, criminalization, removal, poverty, second-class citizenship, and all manner of brutality and violation are its legacy. It is a legacy that continues still, nowhere more prominently than in the continued administration of the death penalty. Oppressions based on race, gender, class, sex, ethnicity and so much more have had deep material and spiritual consequences for our national community life. Long before ascending to the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall battled the death penalty on behalf of Black lives in the South that were diminished and treated as inconsequential, cheap, abbreviated, and expendable. Marshall's 1940's heroics in the killing fields of Lake County, Florida, included exposing and challenging brandings, lynchings, rape, abuse, burnings, and bombings. Today, many of those atrocities have given way to predatory lending, redlining, mass incarceration, health disparities, voter exclusion, three strikes, stop and frisk, and stand your ground. The struggle against state-sanctioned violence, homegrown terror, sexual aggression, bullying, profiling, shootings, killings, and assassinations racks the increasingly fragile American psyche. The death penalty, then as now, is the tip of this iceberg. Americans are not alone in the urgent struggle to reclaim our deeper humanity. The world over is seized with dehumanizing pain. It has long been so. Nelson Mandela, and all of Africa, bore the pain and scars of violent imperialism and systems that by law and practice denied African humanity. Mandela saw that there could be no future for South Africa or its Black population if the death penalty, as instrument or symbol remained. Today, indifference and hatred seems to grow more debilitating by the moment. Violence and terror is without boundary. From Palestine and Paris to African Mediterranean refugee routes and Syria, the refrain is agonizingly personal and distressingly the same. Old divisions have become new. We have seen "all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 4:1) There is so much in our experience as African Americans, as a people who have undergone the terror, who were once forcibly enslaved, the raped and the lynched, the foreclosed and the incarcerated, to warrant our hatred of this country. This simple and seldom-expressed truth courses through our veins and has always been known and feared in this land by others, including the perpetrators. Yet somehow, African America remains true to itself, waging justice in the face of this nation's grave shortcomings, and our own apprehensions no less, declaring that we will find a way to live together in this rainbow nation and world and not perish together as fools. We care enough to advocate for right, to challenge institutional racism, to be collectively angry and morally indignant over the senseless loss and devaluation of Black lives. In critical solidarity with other communities of struggle, we are forging new meanings of justice and the birth of a new nation. Truth telling, the call for public conversations on race, racism, and recognition of intersectional realities - state and domestic forms of violence, police shootings and the shootings of police, health and gender equity, queer and transgender equality, Islamophobia and immigration, to name a few - is terribly important. We must learn how to talk meaningfully about and act effectively against the complex realities of racism. No death penalty trial, whether in Charleston, Boston, or Texas, will contribute one iota, to this necessary national conversation. A new vocabulary and a new resolve in this present moment are required. Truth telling also requires something even more courageous of us. Sometimes, we have to commit to do the unnoticed restorative work of laying the foundation, of walking the talk, of consensus-building, of consciousness-raising, one individual at a time, of sustaining the movement toward a more just, sustainable, and inclusive world that is ours to envision even if it has not yet appeared on the horizon. One year ago in Charleston, South Carolina, nine people were killed during Bible study and prayer, by a twenty-one year old self-professed white supremacist; five survived, including a child. In the current maelstrom, there are those who seek to hold the killer accountable by death. Such a response is certainly understandable. In some quarters it may even be accepted wisdom. But successful prosecution of the death penalty extends our national cycle of violence and death and the almost certain continued disproportionate execution of people who are Black, Brown, poor, and impaired - the traditional subjects of capital punishment, a penalty rooted in racial terrorism. We, therefore reject the notion that you offer reparations to those who have suffered racial violence by offering more violence. Our just obligation is to hold the killer fully accountable, honor the legacy of the lives lost, and promote the restoration of health and well-being to a devastated community. A severe prison sentence of life without possibility of release, and ultimately death in prison is a devastating, lifelong punishment that powerfully, importantly, rejects the barbarism of state-inflicted death. It also allows for redemption. Death and the instruments of death must be eliminated from our criminal justice system. Our historic struggle against state-sanctioned terror requires it. The God of life expects no less. There is a resurgent movement today insisting it is time to end state violence and systemic oppression, to break the endless cycle of racial animus, trauma, and death. Nineteen states have abolished the death penalty, seven in the last decade. Four Governors have imposed moratoria on executions and new death sentences and executions have been reduced nationwide. The Democratic Party platform during this critical election year calls for abolition and public support for the death penalty is at an all-time low. Dismantling the death penalty is a crucial component for communities of struggle to reach their full potential. A wellspring of strength is found in the most incredible of places: The historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The nine murdered saints. The five survivors. There are a lot of reasons why I despise the fact that Trump is visiting Mexico. There are the obvious ones, such as the guy's complete disrespect to the country and its people, and then there's those that aren't quite so obvious and a lot more offending. The main reason I hate the fact that Trump is meeting with President Enrique Pena Nieto is not exactly because I hate Trump and all that he represents (racism, stereotyping, hate and authoritarianism), but because my country's president is such an idiot, corrupt human being that he may end up offering to build the wall and pay for it as long as there is something in it for him personally. Advertisement You could say the Mexican President is a huge disappointment, but what Trump's visit feels like hurts even more. It feels like treason. Not only did Pena fail to timely address Trump's comments on Mexican immigrants and the threats he's been sending regarding the wall all throughout his campaign, now he invites the man into our country. I just hope that he was properly prepared to deal with Trump's irrational ways. I hope he said to him privately everything he should have said publicly when Trump called Mexicans rapists. I hope he showed Trump that walls are already at the Mexico-US border and made him understand that they don't work. I hope he emphasized on the fact that the United States and Mexico need to work in unison against drug trafficking and consumption, for as long as there's demand in the US there's going to be criminals crossing the border to supply such demand. The problem is our president is not smart enough. And worst of all, I don't think there's a genuine interest on Pena's part to do this. I strongly believe that he will end up doing whatever is best for him and not for the country he is supposed to be serving. The fact that Pena's Administration did not announce Trump's visit until after Trump's campaign did speaks volumes as to what are the Mexican president's priorities. Trump has planted seeds in the American people that we've been fighting against for decades. Why invite anyone with those kinds of beliefs into the country he has been using as an example to promote such hateful rhetoric? Advertisement I hate that Trump is in Mexico. As a Mexican who LEGALLY lived in the US for almost six years and as the mother of two American citizens, I hate the fact that Pena and Trump's meeting feels like two evils joining against the interest of the people. Peter Laugharn President and CEO, Hilton Foundation Peter Laugharn (pronounced LAW-harn) serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Peter is a passionate leader with 25 years of foundation and nonprofit experience internationally, with a focus on improving the well-being of vulnerable children. He was executive director of the Firelight Foundation from 2008 to 2014. Firelight identifies, funds, and supports promising African nonprofits serving vulnerable children and families in the areas of education, resilience, and health. Prior to Firelight, Peter served for six years as executive director of the Netherlands-based Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private foundation that works to improve opportunities for children up to age 8 who are growing up in socially and economically difficult circumstances. He was director of programs at the Foundation for three years before becoming executive director. Advertisement Peter began his career at Save the Children, where he worked for 11 years in a variety of roles. Eight of those years, he was based in Bamako, Mali. Peter helped develop the Village Schools model, which promoted access to basic education, girls' schooling, and community participation. The model helped 45,000 children go to school and raised the number of primary schools in the country by 40 percent. Peter was later Save the Children's Mali Field Office director, West Africa Area director and then education advisor for Africa, providing technical assistance for programs in 10 countries. A graduate of Stanford and Georgetown Universities, Peter holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of London. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 1982 to 1984. Peter was a co-founder of the International Education Funders Group and the Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS, and he is a member of the National Advisory Board of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University. Ann Paisley Chandler: What is the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation? Peter Laugharn: The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is a family foundation established in 1944 by the man who started Hilton Hotels, Conrad N. Hilton. An astute businessman and savvy entrepreneur, Conrad was also a devout Catholic who was passionate about helping those in need. As such, he left nearly all of his fortune (97 percent) to the Foundation when he died in 1979, and much of our organization's work is guided by his last will and altruistic nature. Specifically, the Foundation invests in six strategic initiatives including: homelessness, foster youth, Catholic Sisters, substance use prevention, safe water, and children affected by HIV and AIDS. We also award the world's largest humanitarian prize - the Hilton Humanitarian Prize - to a nonprofit doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. Advertisement Chandler: What makes your nonprofit so unique? Laugharn: I think what makes the Foundation so unique is twofold: First, we have a compelling background story. Our founder was a famous hotel mogul with a humanitarian heart. He had immense respect for other people and cultures, believing that good personal relations led to good business deals. When he passed away in 1979, he left virtually all of his fortune (97 percent) to the Foundation with a mandate to "relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute." He was clear that he wanted his wealth to help the people who needed it the most--including children and the Catholic sisters. He was also clear that there should be "no territorial, religious, or color restrictions on your benefactions...The practice of charity will bind us--will bind all men in one great brotherhood." The Foundation's giving follows this precept closely, giving out approximately half of our grants in the U.S., and the other half internationally. It's amazing and deeply humbling to think that Conrad not only founded hotels, but he also managed to start a foundation that's been able to help alleviate human suffering for more than 70 years. Second, we give the world's largest humanitarian prize, currently worth $2 million. The Prize honors exemplary nonprofit organizations working to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people throughout the world. Over the last 21 years, we have awarded this prize to a wide range of organizations, including those that fight child prostitution, empower women, and work to end poverty and hunger. We are unique in the sense that we are ultimately helping to alleviate world suffering by shining a spotlight on an impressive set of nonprofits around the world, who collectively raise the standard for humanitarian action. Chandler: Can you tell me more about the Prize and what makes it so special? Laugharn: Yes, since 1996, the Foundation has bestowed the Prize to a nonprofit organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. Each year, the Foundation reviews hundreds of nominations from notable nonprofits across the globe, and an independent, international panel of distinguished jurors makes the final selection after a rigorous vetting process. Advertisement To provide you with some brief background on the Prize, it started at $1 million, and at the 10-year anniversary in 2005, the amount was increased to $1.5 million. To further the reach and impact of the Prize even more, the Foundation decided to increase the monetary award to $2 million in 2015 in honor of the Prize's 20th anniversary. Above all else, the Prize is meant to shine a spotlight on organizations doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering. While the Prize is about so much more than money, the unrestricted grant funds certainly are useful, even for organizations with seemingly large budgets. Because the funds are not restricted to specific purposes, they allow organizations to decide how best to use the funds, whether to launch and scale up key programs, or to invest in strengthening existing programs or infrastructure. We find that the Prize helps these tremendous organizations grow and reach more people around the world. When I reflect back on past Prize recipients, which include the likes of Doctors without Borders, Partners in Health, ECPAT International, and Landesa, I am proud of the fact that the Prize really helps to give nonprofit organizations a chance to see their vision and mission come to fruition. For example, when we awarded Operation Smile our first prize in 1996, they were working in eight countries. The award helped them ramp up their reach and quickly expand to 15 countries. Today, they are performing surgeries in more than 60 countries. We are immensely proud of our history and work to date, and to be associated with such tremendous organizations. Advertisement Chandler: Can you tell me about this year's Prize recipient and why you chose them specifically? Laugharn: Each year, the Foundation reviews hundreds of nominations from notable nonprofits across the globe, and an independent, international panel of distinguished jurors makes the final selection after a rigorous vetting process. This year's Prize recipient is The Task Force for Global Health (The Task Force). The organization has been a pioneer in global health since its founding 32 years ago by Dr. William H. Foege, a renowned epidemiologist and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, who is credited with developing the strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox. Today, The Task Force reaches hundreds of millions of people in 151 countries through programs focusing on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), vaccines, field epidemiology, public health informatics, and health workforce development. The organization collaborates with partners in diverse sectors, including pharmaceutical companies and health agencies in other countries, on comprehensive disease control and elimination programs. Major funders include governments, foundations and corporations. Personally, what impresses me the most about Task Force is the fact that they are laser-focused on compassion, collaboration, and smart solutions. The organization and its partners roll up their sleeves and solve massive global health problems, and they do it without fanfare. This is an organization that, with its partners, is on track to help eliminate three NTDs by 2025--blinding trachoma, river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis--which collectively threaten hundreds of millions of people each year with blindness, disfigurement, and even death. The Task Force will receive $2 million in unrestricted funding and join 20 other distinguished nonprofit organizations that have received this Prize during the last two decades. Specifically, the Prize money will support the acquisition of a larger headquarters in Atlanta that will enable The Task Force to move into noncommunicable diseases and meet the growth needs of its existing programs. Chandler: Can you tell me about your grantmaking process? How do you decide which organizations to give to, and how much to give them? Laugharn: Our Foundation, which is based in Agoura Hills, Calif., is strongly influenced by Conrad Hilton's last will and testament, but also his sense of entrepreneurship. Our grantmaking programs work to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people throughout the world by investing in smart solutions and effective partnerships. As such, the Foundation currently conducts strategic initiatives in the six priority areas mentioned above, as well as five further program areas: hospitality education, multiple sclerosis, disaster relief and recovery, avoidable blindness, and Catholic education. To date, the Foundation has awarded a total of nearly $1.5 billion in grants since inception, giving away $107 million in 2015 alone. Under the stewardship of our board of directors, we hope to continue Conrad's philanthropic legacy in perpetuity. Chandler: Peter, you recently joined the Foundation in January as the new President & CEO. Can you tell me about your background and new role? Laugharn: That's correct. I began my tenure as President and CEO on January 1, 2016, succeeding Steve Hilton's 10-year term as chief executive of the Foundation. Steve is now chair of the board. I was very drawn to the vision of our founder, Conrad Hilton. He was a self-made man who grew up in a family of modest means in what was then New Mexico. He had a strong work ethic and was a devout Catholic who prayed before every business deal. He combined strong entrepreneurial skills, moral convictions and great compassion - all grounded in his faith. Historically, we have channeled Conrad's personality and values, and I'll continue to do so, because they're very energizing for an organization, and a strong basis for philanthropic activity. In terms of my background, I grew up in Los Angeles and spent much of my career in Africa so the Foundation allows me to keep working on these two places that mean so much to me. Additionally, my background encompasses 25 years of foundation and non-profit management experience focused on improving the well-being of vulnerable children and families. Prior to joining the Foundation, I served as Executive Director of the Firelight Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Before that, I served as the Regional Director of West Africa for Save the Children, and Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation. At the beginning of my career, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. Our Prize has a great track record of choosing excellent recipients, and I'd like to generate more awareness surrounding them and the Prize, overall. Not only do I want the world to know which organization received it, but I want people to value their work. I want the Prize to make people think about what happens to the organization throughout the year of the Laureate. You know, "What new challenge have they taken on?" "Where are they now"?" "How are they continuing to change the world for the better?" Chandler: I understand that the Foundation will be putting on a symposium at the end of September. What is the purpose of that and what do you hope to accomplish? Advertisement Laugharn: Yes, that is correct. The Task Force and their achievements will be honored at this year's Prize ceremony, which will take place at our international Humanitarian Symposium. It will take place in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria on Sept. 30. The focus of the symposium will be the future of humanitarian action, with speakers offering their visions of success in tackling some of the world's most pressing issues, such as the growing refugee crisis. We are honored to have a roster of prestigious speakers for our event, including: Mary Robinson, president of the Mary Robinson Foundation--Climate Justice, former President of Ireland, and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; as well as Zainab Salbi, Iraqi-American author, women's rights activist, humanitarian, social entrepreneur, and media commentator, who is the founder and former CEO of Hilton Prize Laureate Women for Women International. Local flea markets are probably one of the best things that city has to offer. They reflect the city's temper, atmosphere and vibe. Let's take a short trip around 10 best local flea markets in Europe. We hope that this list will inspire you to search for your own and maybe even more unique places. The world is open! Image by Gintare Kozakaite Encants de Barcelona is one of those idiosyncratic places that all devoted shopping fans have already heard about. You still haven't? Don't worry, that's why we are here for! Encants de Barcelona dates back to the 14th century and is considered as one of the oldest and well-know markets in Europe. Our local Gerard says that "it is a really great and different experience of the city if you want to be more close to the locals and history." Here you can find basically everything and we are not even joking. Books, posters, old-school jewellery, furniture, paintings, clothes, shoes, electronics, adult videos... Shall we continue? The market is huge! Thus, if you are visiting Barcelona, we definitely recommend you to visit Encants de Barcelona, just keep in mind that you should come as early as possible (the market opens at 9 a.m.) if you want to grab the best catch! Advertisement Image by Krunoslav Koprivnjak Let's head to the capital of Croatia - Zagreb - and its hectic Hrelic flea market! The market is huge and really versatile, so in order to make it more convenient to visitors, it was divided into three different spaces: a used cars fair, clothing as well as tools and... the rest of the stuff. In a very beginning, Hrelic market was only selling used cars (nowadays it is the largest car fair in Croatia), but later it was expanded to a large flea market of everything! The second space includes lots-lots-lots of stalls with replica clothing as well as tools such as axes or spades. The third space - the rest of the stuff - is probably the most exciting. According to our spotter Krunoslav, "Name 10 things that pop up to your mind. They've got it. Well, that's a really comprehensive characterization...We have nothing more to add! Image by Bart van Poll In the North of Amsterdam you can find IJhallen market - the market which mainly sells clothes. Or, to be more clear, piles of them! For the entrance you will have to pay a symbolic fee - 4.50 euros - and you will be able to spend as many time as you want. And forget your shyness - here you MUST to bargain for your best catch! Or you will probably forget it as soon as you will see a perfectly cute garment. A personal and absolutely useful tip from our local Gisela: try to get in before opening hours by paying a higher entrance fee. You can be that lucky one who enters the market first and catches the best pieces! Image by Robby Block Visiting Berlin and don't have time to wait until Sunday's flea market? There is a perfect way out - Leopoldplatz flea market that takes place a day earlier (on Saturday) than most of the city's markets. Leopoldplatz is one of the lesser-known spots, but it is still super popular amongst locals. Our spotter Robby mentioned that "Maybe it's too grimy for the pioneers; too gritty for the gentrifiers." But that's a flea market! So, roll up you shirt sleeves - it's time to search for old-school treasures. By the way, don't get up too early, the market opens at 10 a.m.! Advertisement Image by Anna Popovych Welcome to hipsters' flea market - Kurazh Bazar. And you can be the part of it. To be more precise, if you have something to sell (doesn't matter if it's pair of socks or an old TV), you just simply rent a spot on the market. And this is it, now you are one of the locals! Sell, purchase, exchange, communicate, grab some snacks from local eateries... Just enjoy an exceptional time in Kiev's Kurazh Bazar! By the way, the founder of this flea market is The New Old Market which tries to expand and popularize second-hand fairs. Both Kurazh Bazar and The New Old Market contribute to charity - each time they choose a different fund which gets all the donated money. Image by Davy Verbeke We are pretty sure that this spot will catch your attention. It's flea market in Brussels, called Marolles. Marolles is a historical district where aforesaid market takes place every day of the week, starting at 6 a.m. In locals' opinion, the best days to visit the market are Thursday and Friday, but the most unique and rare antiques can be found only on Saturday and Sunday. But we are sure that no matter when you will decide to explore Marolles flea market, you will feel its exceptional atmosphere. Everytime. Locals love this place! Our spotter Davy is not an exception - after purchasing some old pieces, he always stops to buy some cooked snails that are sold at a little stand nearby the market or to restaurant called La Clef d'Or. Image by Daniela D'Avanzo Want to get lost in a flea market? Yes, that's proably what happens if you will go to Porta Portese - the biggest flea market in Rome. It's enormous. Thus, Porta Portese definitely should be on your "must-visit" list. It's a hectic place with lots of vintage stuff - clothes, furniture, posters, books... Most of things are unique, so our local Daniela gives you an honest advice: if you see something you like, just grab it, it's a great possibility that you won't find it anywhere else! And believe us, being a huge fan of Porta Portesa, she definitely knows what she is talking about... The market opens at 6 a.m., so be ready to wake up early, because the earlier you will get there - the more choices you will have! Image by FB Gieda Staroci na warszawskim Kole You visit it once and suddenly you become its frequent guest. We are talking about Bazar na Kole (Warsaw). It's an antique market which even takes place even when it's... -30 degrees Celsius. Sounds insane! Here you can purchase everything from kitschy porcelain to traditional Polish bedspread (it's a MUST-HAVE if you are visiting Poland). All the stuff is really inexpensive, so you will probably leave the market with a few what-did-I-just-bought gadgets. Image by Elin Reitehaug Do you need pure inspiration for your creativity? Let's head to Sunday Market at Bla. Here you can find not only vintage clothing, shoes or accessories. The market is really popular amongst local designers and crafters who try to sell their goods, such as bags, wallets, jewellery or clothes. The selection is wide open! Our local Elin mentioned that the size of this market varies and it won't take a lot of your time. She also suggest to check Sunday Market at Bla Facebook page, in order to get a clear vision what to expect when you will get there! Advertisement Image by Nikolai Ostashov Want to buy some old stuff and see a different face of the city? Then Station Market of Tallinn is a right choice. Our local Nikolai says that "If you just want to see Tallinn as it is, then this market, with its somehow different target group, is a fresh contrast to the pimped up old town." Nikolai's attitude makes sense: the market is a huge contrast to the city centre. It sells everything from Soviet military memorabilia, dishes, clothes and knitted socks. Thus, when you come to Station Market, it seems that you take a step back to the past. For some reason tourists hardly go here, but it's totally worth going for an authentic experience! Can a Free Press be a Free Press Without Risk: Russia, America, The Iran/Contra/Drugs in Black Neighborhoods Scandal By Carol Smaldino Me: It could change everything if we begin to hold the press accountable for telling us the truth, which includes writing about things that might be inconvenient for us or for them. *Gary Webb, 2004: "The reason I'd enjoyed such smooth sailing for so long hadn't been, as I'd assumed, that I was careful and diligent and good at my job. It turned out to have nothing to do with it. The truth was that, in all those years, I hadn't written anything important enough to suppress." Advertisement I had already been preoccupied by journalism in America. This is not only because major news outlets didn't report their findings regarding Iraq. It was rather that I saw many courageous and devoted reporters of investigative stories doing their jobs while their findings, even if shocking, didn't remain the target of more investigation or action. There were Bill Moyers, James Risen, Jane Mayer, Seymour Hirsch, and Glenn Greenwald as a few who followed up on controversial stories. There were Michael Moore and Al Gore who won Academy Awards, but the inconvenient truth in the films didn't seem to have a lasting effect, to make a real difference. What has also been missing is the press picking up on articles and stories and books that are news in that they bring issues to the fore, either for the first time or differently than before. I wondered if the granting of awards was just a spectacle to convince us, and the world outside, that we are the best and the greatest because we allow people to say ostensibly controversial things out loud. We could then discuss the movies or the news over dinner and go right home to bed. When Tim Wise suggested I read "White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide" by Carol Anderson I did so. Her handle on slavery, segregation, racism and white hate are particularly astute, distressing and sobering. When I found her descriptions of the Reagan Administration (yes, that would be Ronald) and its CIA funding the illegal war in Nicaragua backing the Contras, I was astounded. It was accomplished by dumping tons of crack cocaine in South Los Angeles in what would be the beginning of a systematic poisoning and in ways a genocide--, both there and in other cities. I wondered how Anderson got to say in print abominable truths in ways that toppled myths of grandiosity about national integrity--if we are to take this stuff seriously. In particular I wondered: Was Anderson considered a non-threat to top media sources, and God forbid the government, as relatively unknown and therefore perhaps less likely to attract the fury and outrage of those in power. Ouch. Advertisement In doing some light research on these topics I found Anderson was completely on target. It was then that I discovered the work of Gary Webb. Webb was a lone white reporter who followed a common sense (and non-racist) approach to the eruption of crack cocaine in Los Angeles. He figured that people didn't use drugs because they were black, but because the drugs were there, and he wondered how they got there. His findings implicated the CIA and its funding the clandestine and illegal war in Central America though these profits. Webb had been a prestigious reporter with a Pulitzer under his belt) and despite this, or because of it (along with the fact that his reporting was put Online for everyone to read and was therefore available), the New York Times, the LA Times and the Washington Post put their money and their power, not behind helping to complement his research and findings but rather to demean and discredit him. The campaign they began was filled with hostility, competition, and greed--nothing that had anything to do with their responsibility to the people or the truth. It worked. Reagan could have easily been impeached; in fact he should have been. He lied to Congress, went against their decision against a war in Nicaragua; he also went completely counter to his own well-dramatized war on drugs to become as hypocritical as any President could be. During this inner dialogue, I happened to notice the International New York Times with the following headline, on August 28, 2016. It was by Neil MacFarquhar and read, " A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories". It had me at hello but not in a good way. The article detailed a common practice of Russian media outlets, which involves basically spreading rumors that have no real truth to them, one being about the negative effects of a potential for Sweden to join NATO. At that time I was reading about egregious crimes and negligence right in our press at home. How could I indulge in self-congratulation, I thought. So I didn't. Advertisement I stayed with the upset that the Iran Contra affair, upset also that it had seemed so dense at the time, and that I no doubt was part of the population distracted by the collusion between government and press., something Gary Webb spoke about this sorrowfully and thoughtfully. (link , THE MIGHTY WURLITZER PLAYS ON by Gary Webb) In terms of Russia, I am not a fan of how Putin and company have decided to rewrite Stalin so the children will have good self esteem when they think of him. In terms of America, we can't have a free press if the press stops journalists and journalism when the going gets rough, or becomes dangerous. What can get us less scared of the truth, no matter what? And maybe even to be ready as well for hearings, actions and reparations now, for the Iran/Contra drug disasters that to this day affect our national consciousness and so many black people who have been punished, assaulted and incarcerated due to those policies. The American courts are not kind to the poor, and are downright hostile to at least one poor, transgender woman. Aileta Jane Ilana, born Christopher James Swicegood, is a 24-year-old transgender inmate housed at the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg, Virginia. Born and raised in Idaho, she now resides in a male federal prison, where she will remain for the next decade. While in prison Swicegood has received treatment for her gender dysphoria and has started the transition from a male to a female presentation. "Ever since I can remember I felt as though I was a girl, but I lacked the financial and professional support to start my transition," said Swicegood. Advertisement As part of her transition, she has taken the name of Aileta and has asked friends and family to address her with female pronouns. She is also in the process of seeking hormone replacement therapy and other treatments that are in line with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Care, the prevailing standards of care for such individuals. "The Bureau of Prisons seems virulently opposed to helping me. While I generally feel safe, health care staff act as though I'm a burden. So far, they have refused to adhere to prevailing standards of care. They would rather ignore me than help me," explained Swicegood. As a means to take charge of her own sense of self, she has elected to legally change her name to Aileta. As she asserts, "The name 'Christopher' pains me. A person's name is personal, and it should be up to them what they are called. Whenever I'm referred to as 'Christopher' or with male pronouns it is like a slap in the face; it's as if my own sense of whom I am is disregarded." The process of changing her name should have been simple, but in the conservative courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, it turned out to be impossible. On October 19, 2015 she filed her petition. Since she only makes $5.25 a month from her prison job, a family friend paid the $41 filing fee for her. Bishop Knott, Jr., Clerk of Court for the Prince George County Circuit Court initially accused Swicegood's family friend of pretending to be an attorney for sending in the $41 money order, but ultimately allowed the case to move forward. A hearing was set for January 19, 2016, and Susan O. Fierro, the Commonwealth Attorney, was allotted 30 days to file responsive pleadings. Advertisement On January 13, 2016, 50 days after the deadline, Fierro filed numerous objections to Swicegood's name change petition. Six days later the hearing was held. Swicegood was not permitted to attend due to being in prison, and she could not afford an attorney. On January 19, 2016, without hearing anything from Swicegood, Judge Nathan C. Lee denied the name change, reasoning that being transgender is not "good cause" for a name change. Judge Lee's denial came in the mail prior to Swicegood even receiving Fierro's objections. "I was beyond frustrated. They had a certain number of days to file objections and elected not to. Yet, the court permitted a late filing, which didn't permit me to respond to the objections or even see them, and the court held a hearing that I could not attend. This seems criminal. Its certainly not access to the courts," said Swicegood. The Bureau of Prisons refused to provide Swicegood with any Virginia state case law during the pendency of her case. According to an administrative remedy response from Eric Wilson, FCI Petersburg Warden, "You may solicit or purchase legal materials from outside the institution. You may also obtain this information from an authorized attorney visit from a retained attorney." Mid-Atlantic Regional Director J. F. Caraway further asserted, "the Bureau of Prisons is not mandated to provide state case law and other state legal materials." This left Swicegood with no access to state law or even the rules of court. Her administrative remedy remains pending with the Bureau's Central Office, overdue for several months now. "I had to rely on friends in here to ask their friends outside of prison to locate some state case law. There wasn't much, but we eventually managed to put together an appeal," explained Swicegood. Despite all of the obstacles, Swicegood managed to file her appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia on May 18, 2016. After several letters with Chief Deputy Clerk of Court Douglas B. Robelen, the petition was deemed timely filed. Swicegood requested that an attorney be appointed due to having no real access to Virginia law. For several months she waited for a response, which came in August 2016. Advertisement The door was yet again slammed in her face. The Supreme Court of Virginia refused to hear the case, stating in an August 26, 2016 decision, that Swicegood had "failed to timely file the petition for appeal[.]" To add insult to injury, the court also denied the motion for appointment of counsel. No one was going to provide her with access to the law of the state of Virginia, despite her obvious needs. Not the Bureau of Prisons, not the Prince George County Circuit Court, and not the Supreme Court of Virginia. Swicegood, an American citizen with a legitimate claim under Virginia law, would be prevented from accessing Virginia law by the authorities. "Evidently, if you are transgender and incarcerated within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you have nothing coming to you. My one real hope here was that I could at least know the law and press my case. My hopes were dashed," Swicegood explained, holding back tears. "But I will push on. Luckily, federal prisoners do have access to federal case law. So we're Supreme Court bound." A recently released Canadian documentary on abortion purports "to find the truth for the sake of women's health." Regrettably, the slickly produced film quickly degenerates into hubris and hypocrisy. Having donated my time and expertise to appear in the film, I found the outcome disappointing -- if not unexpected. The film is a prototype of pseudoscience. Physician-author Atul Gawande describes the characteristics of pseudoscience as the following: Science's defenders have identified five hallmark moves of pseudoscientists. They argue that the scientific consensus emerges from a conspiracy to suppress dissenting views. They produce fake experts, who have views contrary to established knowledge but do not actually have a credible scientific track record. They cherry-pick the data and papers that challenge the dominant view as a means of discrediting an entire field. They deploy false analogies and other logical fallacies. And they set impossible expectations of research: when scientists produce one level of certainty, the pseudoscientists insist they achieve another. Hubris Sophistry First, the film alleges unique insights into gynecology and epidemiology, the study of the causes of disease. The director, Punam Gill, and producer, Joses Martin, claim to hold "the truth" about the health effects of abortion, despite their admission that, "We aren't scientists." The film discounts the world's medical and public health communities, which, after decades of careful study, agree that abortion is safe. Indeed, within three years after the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Institute of Medicine (now National Academy of Medicine) had established the safety and public health benefits of abortion. Over subsequent decades, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization have repeatedly confirmed this finding. An International Conspiracy Against Women Second, the film alleges that international medical and public health organizations have for decades misled the public about the putative dangers of induced abortion. The film makers claim that "the research involved in the making of this film was extensive." "Extensive" apparently means cherry-picking 21 citations, a depth of scholarship that would be inadequate for a college term paper. Among these alleged conspirators are the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, March of Dimes, and American Public Health Association. Conspiracies typically are driven by power, money or some other gain. Missing from the film is any explanation as to why organizations with no involvement with abortion, such as the American Psychiatric Association, would conspire to mislead the public. Instead, these organizations have over the past four decades carefully examined the scientific evidence and have repeatedly concluded that abortion is safe and without long-term consequences, either medical or psychological. That the National Cancer Institute declined participation in the film does not indicate a sinister cover-up; rather, the Institute likely had more important business than working with independent film makers from another country. The film's title advances the conspiracy theory, and its logo has the Statue of Liberty with her finger over her mouth. Of note, the film makers apparently borrowed the title "Hush" from several previous horror/thriller films of the same name, including releases in 1998, 2005, 2008. That a fourth psychological horror film with the name "Hush" was released in the same year as this documentary will further confuse the public. Advertisement Hypocrisy Although the film makers purport to have provided a balanced presentation, its content belies the claim. I advised the director in writing in September of 2014 of the poor credentials and discredited science of several anti-abortion activists interviewed for the film. She was apparently undeterred in conjuring up a conspiracy. The film makers did not ask me to suggest other pro-choice experts who could appear in the film. Fair and balanced? In the film 22 identified "experts" describe an array of putative abortion dangers. Moreover, six women (identified only by first name) who had abortions describe problems they attribute to their abortions, including relationships with men. In contrast, Brenda Major, Ph.D. and I are the only two experts who speak to the safety of abortion. Out of the tens of millions of women who have benefited from safe legal abortion in the U.S., the film features none. A simple tally indicates about 28 speakers alleging harm vs. 2 citing safety. Given this overwhelming bias and slick production, naive viewers may easily reach the wrong conclusion. Scientific credentials The credentials of many abortion opponents in the film are suspect. Described as "the Moses of the anti-abortion movement," one holds a "Ph.D." from a now-defunct unaccredited school in Hawaii that required no coursework. The publications of another have been discredited by the research community. Another is a private practitioner with no research training; she speaks internationally in opposition to abortion and contraception. Some have no medical credentials at all but are religious activists against abortion. Another heads the Population Research Institute, which works internationally to undermine family planning and vaccination. Deception The film depicts the director visiting the "Seattle Abortion Clinic." There, she apparently secretly voice-records her conversation with an unidentified "Abortion Clinic Manager." This segment further misleads viewers: no "Seattle Abortion Clinic" exists. Moreover, if the clinic where the surreptitious recording took place is indeed located in Seattle, the film may have violated state law requiring consent of both persons in the recording. When I asked the producer to identify the clinic and confirm that consent had been obtained, he refused both requests. The director has not responded to my inquiries. This is how the film makers are conducting "a liberating conversation about abortion and women's health." As Mother Teresa is being declared a saint by Pope Francis, I remember our meeting in the last year of her life. In 1996, I was visiting India and one evening after viewing the Taj Mahal in Agra, I met a priest in the hotel bar. Really. He was on his way to Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying Destitute. When I mentioned my lifelong work with the dying, he asked if I wanted to join him. I said, "I can't just show up." He said, "It's India. Everybody just shows up. There's no guarantee Mother will be there but you can see her facility for the dying." The next thing I knew I was on a train to Calcutta. The poverty was excruciating. The priest was doing mass the next morning at The Mother House (Missionaries of Charity), which I attended. There she was, all five feet of her. She was at a distance and at the end of Mass left quickly. Later I went to visit Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying Destitutes (Nirmal Hriday - Home of the Pure Heart), her home for the dying. Forty grey foam wooden cots with dying people covered the room in rows, and I was stunned. I'm American where one person neatly dies in a room surrounded by family and friends. Advertisement I approached the sister in charge and said, "I'm here to volunteer. What are people dying of?" She replied calmly, "We don't know and it doesn't matter. Are you here to help?" I walked around looking for something to do for these unfortunate souls. There were no IV's to hang, no vital signs to check, and no common language. Some of these people had never experienced a moment of kindness in their life. Part of the mission was to make sure they felt love before they left this earth. So I just sat with them, one human caring about another. If they needed a shower, there were no mechanical lifts. I just had to pick them up, carry them and hold them under the shower. When they got a shower, so did I, but in the stifling heat of Calcutta, the more showers the better. The next morning, I wanted to visit Mother Teresa's orphanage. When I asked for directions at The Mother House, a sister said, "I told Mother Teresa you had worked with Elisabeth Kubler Ross and you were writing a book about the needs of the dying. She will meet with you." I opened my Day Runner planner to write down the appointment time when the sister gestured to me and said, "Come." I followed her down the hallway and we entered a sitting area. There she was! When I sat beside her, she grabbed my hand like I was an old friend. She had kind brown eyes, intensely wrinkled skin, and the warmest of smiles. I thought this would be an electrifying meeting but in truth, it had a profound simplicity. She asked about me and what had brought me to India. I told her about my work in hospice and how we had been overwhelmed with the AIDS epidemic in the nineties. She told me they had cared for many people dying of AIDS. She said we must care for everyone. Then she leaned in and told me that in the not too distant future she would be dying, too. She was so looking forward to being with her Maker. I noticed that when she talked about God, it sounded like He was her oldest, dearest friend. I had never heard anyone speak so personally about their relationship with God. Advertisement I was trying to get my bearings. Mother Teresa, herself, was sitting with me, telling me she would be dying soon, when she said, "Do you have a business card?" "Yes," I said. "I have a business card, too," she said. "Would you like one?" One of the sisters brought her a business card and she said, "You Americans love business cards. Let's switch." She handed me her card with a beautiful prayer that said, The fruit of silence is prayer, The fruit of prayer is faith, The fruit of faith is love, The fruit of love is service, The fruit of service is peace. Mother Teresa was giggling and I felt tangible happiness exuding from her. She was the happiest person I've ever experienced. We spoke intimately for a while and when I was about to leave, she grabbed my hand once again. "Please pray for me," she said. I was taken aback. The Pope prayed for this woman. Why did she need my prayers? But I realized that in Mother Teresa's eyes, all prayers were equal. They all mattered. Advertisement A couple of months later, after I sent the galleys of my finished book, The Needs of The Dying to her, I was overwhelmed that she sent me back the loveliest words of praise for the book. But a few people were unhappy about that. There were many who asked, "why him?" Also a devout Catholic doing an early peer review of the book said, "We think you should get rid of the story about the AIDS patient before it is published." "Mother Teresa didn't have a problem with caring for people with AIDS," I said. I kept the story. For me the point was about the service. The details didn't matter. Because of her simple kindness to me, I have always tried to keep the service first. Seeing God in the other I am serving. Her gifts to me were deeply personal and her work was inspiring. I often believe without her kind words, my book would not have had the reach to help so many people. Still, as a new, young writer and caregiver, I was thrown by questions about whether I deserve Mother Teresa's praise. I confided in a close colleague who was a priest, "I understand that people out there have been doing this work longer than I have and are probably more deserving of praise from Mother Teresa than I am." He said, "So you don't feel you deserve it. Then here is what you have to do. Spend every day of your life earning that praise." "Who knew there would be so much interest in a biomechanics paper??!!" Those are the words--and the multiple exclamation points--of Tara Moriarty, proprietor of the Moriarty Lab, an infectious diseases research lab that studies primarily Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Moriarty is the principal investigator of a new academic paper from the University of Toronto that details the mechanism by which Bb "crawl" through the body. Scientific American is among the many mainstream outlets that discussed the findings, which may represent a major step in making the ever-gray world of Lyme disease science more black and white. Understanding the movement of an infectious disease agent may seem unnecessarily technical to many people, but Lyme disease patients and specialists see hope in this would-be obscure study--and despite Moriarty's surprise over the popularity of her paper (now among the top three percent of all papers ever tracked by Altmetric, a service that analyzes online activity surrounding scholarly research publications), she knows it's not because of a latent popular interest in the mechanics of disease-causing microbes. Advertisement "All of the interest," Moriarty says, "is because it's [about] Lyme disease, and although there are some biomechanics folks following it, all other followers are biologists (mainly microbiologists), and hugely, members of the Lyme disease advocacy and support communities." Under Our Skin 2: Emergence is a documentary that addresses the complexities and controversies surrounding the Lyme disease epidemic. Understanding the behavior of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease is essential to figuring out how to treat it effectively--just as figuring out how HIV works was essential to preventing the development of AIDS. A little context for the uninitiated: Lyme disease is a complex illness that is arguably the most politically controversial disease since the emergence of HIV/AIDS--and one of the most widespread. Advertisement I interviewed Moriarty by e-mail, and that interview follows, but before I get to it, here are a few Lyme basics to lend context to the discussion. Lyme disease (left) and syphilis bacteria: "They look alike, they talk alike, at times they even walk alike." The last of these symptoms is still thought to be very rare; however, in 2012 and 2013, the deaths of three relatively young Massachusetts residents (ages 26-38) were discovered by a coroner to have been caused by Lyme disease. None of these patients had been diagnosed with Lyme while alive, although one was prescribed medication to treat sudden-onset severe anxiety (a common and commonly dismissed Lyme symptom) the very day before his sudden death. Advertisement Many people who live with Lyme disease (in full disclosure, I belong to this group) report a vast array of symptoms that often are far more severe and life-affecting than a casual broadcast news viewer would be led to believe--and more severe and life-affecting than public health services such as the CDC in the United States and national health agencies in many other countries, including the United Kingdom and especially Australia, acknowledge. All of this is simply an explanation for why an academic paper about the biomechanics of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium is among the most-read online scholarly articles. People are suffering and, probably in many more cases than are reported, dying from Lyme disease--and those at risk want to know why. Moriarty and her coauthors are helping us to understand that. Scientific American reported that your study found "The tiny, spiral-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi can quickly grapple along the inner surfaces of blood vessels to get to vulnerable tissues or to hiding places where it can hole up beyond the reach of drugs." Have any other bacteria or invasive pathogens shown similar behavior/movement? Tara Moriarty Moriarty: Unfortunately, in our interview for this article, we didn't actually say that B. burgdorferi can use dissemination to reach hiding places beyond the reach of drugs. The structure of the sentence in this article sounds as if we did say this, but we didn't actually study how dissemination affects vulnerability of these bacteria to drugs, or intend to say that dissemination affects susceptibility to treatment (please see below about this concern too). We were studying the biomechanics of how B. burgdorferi adhere to blood vessel surfaces. In theory, yes, something that makes it easier for bacteria to stick to blood vessels under high force might make it easier to get to some tissues. For example, the force caused by blood flow is higher in the brain than in many tissues. However, we did not conduct our studies at the range of force found in brain blood vessels, so the mechanisms we found are probably more important for blood vessels in other tissues and organs. We know, for example, that white blood cells use special mechanisms to adhere to blood vessels in the brain. It's likely that Borrelia would need something special to do this too, but this mechanism hasn't been discovered yet. Advertisement It is well known that many antibiotics do not cross the blood-brain barrier very effectively, and that some antibiotics don't penetrate bone, which can make antibiotic treatment in these tissues more challenging. Generally, when the efficacy of antibiotics in treating specific infections is studied, if these infections affect the brain and bone, early studies to determine correct dosing also look at the efficacy of antibiotics in these tissues, to ensure that the dose is high enough to be effective there. Lots of bacteria can disseminate via the bloodstream, but we don't know much about exactly how most bacteria do this, and we certainly don't know how other bacteria move when they're in the process of sticking to these surfaces, or how they overcome the force caused by blood flow. It's the insight into how the bacteria move and overcome the force of blood flow that is really unique about our study. And we've developed methods which will probably be useful for studying how other bacteria stick to blood vessel walls under flow. We do know some things about how other bacteria stick to blood vessel walls, however, even if we don't know as much as we now know about Borrelia. We don't understand how the bacteria initially stick, but once they're there, they often start making sticky substances which form a kind of glue that attracts more bacteria, and which encases the bacteria that are present in a sticky mass called a vegetative mass or a biofilm that can't be washed off the heart valve by blood flow. Figuring out how bacteria stick to surfaces under flow is hugely important for treatment of some of the most serious consequences of some infections. How does this special movement affect the bacterium's survival in the body? We didn't directly study how this special movement affects bacterial survival in the body. It took us 5 years just to figure out how the bacteria stick to blood vessel surfaces! We haven't even got to the stage of measuring survival, although we're starting to work on this now. We know that in people and in mice, Borrelia burgdorferi and related Lyme disease-causing species are found in the bloodstream early in infection, but don't stay there for very long. We don't actually have direct proof of why this happens, but the theory has always been that the blood is a pretty hostile and unprotected environment for these and most bacteria, since the blood is being circulated through major filtration sites in the body (lung, liver, spleen) many times/minute, and the chances of the bacteria being trapped and killed by immune cells in the filtering organs is much higher the longer they live in the blood stream. Also, the blood may not have some of the nutrients the bacteria need to survive and proliferate, at least for B. burgdorferi, which may not be as metabolically adapted to living in the blood stream as the Borrelia which cause relapsing fever, for example. So, according to these assumptions, the ability of Borrelia to stick to blood vessel surfaces using this form of movement and then to escape out into the tissues outside of the blood vessels probably helps the bacteria to survive for longer in the host than they would if they couldn't leave the bloodstream, because they can access sites where they may be more protected than they are in the bloodstream. Long story short--this movement probably is very important for longterm survival of the bacteria, but there's still a lot to do to test this idea scientifically. Above: Video of Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria showing "swimming" in a corkscrewing movement typical of Lyme disease, syphilis, and other spirochete-type bacteria. The new study describes a different kind of movement by which the bacteria "glue" one end to a blood vessel, detach and then attach the other end, and inch along the vessel in a caterpillar-type movement that may prevent it from being swept away by blood flow and therefore making it more resilient inside the body. Prior to your study, was it thought that all Bb bacteria were "free swimming" in the blood, or was there any evidence that the bacteria might be able to evade blood flow? That's a really good question. There's actually been quite a bit of evidence that Borrelia sticks to blood vessel walls. What was special about the study we're discussing is that we figured out some aspects of exactly how they manage to stick. We've known dating back more than 30 years now that B. burgdorferi can stick to the cells which line blood vessels, endothelial cells, if you grow these cells in a dish and add the bacteria to them without any kind of flow. There were some early, amazing electron microscopy and other studies which demonstrated that these interactions occurred. Then, as time went on, researchers started using other kinds of methods to figure out how Borrelia stuck to endothelial cells, but none of these studies were conducted under the kinds of flow-induced force conditions that are actually present in the vasculature (although some of the findings of these earlier studies turn out to also apply to B. burgdorferi interactions with endothelial cells under flow too). Advertisement There's lots of previous direct and indirect evidence that these bacteria can evade blood flow by sticking to endothelial cells, and we even knew some of the proteins that were involved in this. The trick was that we still didn't know exactly how this sticking happened, and how exactly the bacteria moved when this was happening. This sounds like a trivial detail, but it's not, because it's the seemingly tiny details of how something like this happens that are actually key to figuring out how to stop it from happening. As more women postpone having children until they're older due to career or finding the right partner, some are choosing to freeze their eggs to use later, hoping to beat age-related fertility problems. Will the investment payoff? Maybe. Until recently, eggs were most often frozen for later use for medical reasons. A woman with cancer could opt to preserve her eggs before undergoing chemotherapy or radiation that could permanently damage or destroy her eggs. Freezing for medical reasons has been possible for three decades. Over the last decade, improvement in cryopreservation technology, namely ultra-rapid freezing by vitrification, resulted in higher pregnancy rates and the offering of egg freezing to non-cancer patients. The 2012 announcement by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) that egg freezing was no longer experimental led many fertility clinics to market these services to women concerned about declining fertility -- rather than a specific medical reason -- leading to the practice being described as "social" egg freezing. Advertisement The strong interest and popularity of freezing eggs to delay childbirth has garnered extensive media coverage including stories about clinic "Wine and Freeze" parties that young women attend to learn all about the process from cost to success rates. Conversation about postponing motherhood through egg freezing has gone mainstream. Demographics, societal interest and aggressive marketing may be spiking demand for egg freezing -- the number of women doing so at fertility clinics in the U.S. grew more than sevenfold between 2009 and 2013. About 4,000 women froze their eggs in 2013, up from about 2,500 the year before according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) which collects this US data. Those tracking the trend suggest the majority of women currently freezing their eggs live in cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Fertility clinic medical director Dr. Eric Widra suggests "This is clearly a time where the technological ability to do this is converging with the demographics." From a medical perspective, eggs can be kept frozen for many years so when a woman wants to become pregnant, the eggs can be thawed and fertilized with partner or donor sperm. The resulting embryo or embryos would then be transferred into the uterus, usually 5 days later after fertilization. Some 5,000 babies have already been born this way. Advertisement Still, real concerns remain between the hype and hope about freezing eggs for a later pregnancy. A few factors to consider: It's not easy The process is not simple or painless. Women must inject themselves daily with hormones for an average of 10 to 12 days, stimulating ovaries to get as many mature eggs as possible. Doctors recommend women freeze 15-20 eggs. There are side effects and a surgical procedure requiring anesthesia is used to retrieve the eggs. It's not cheap Insurance rarely covers egg freezing. One cycle averages $12,000, and multiple cycles may be needed if not enough eggs are produced. A few tech companies including Apple, Facebook and Intel recently started covering the process but coverage remains rare. Some fertility companies may offer financing. And, additional costs include annual egg storage fees plus the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer when the eggs are eventually used. Age still matters The number of eggs and egg quality decline with age so a woman's age when she freezes her eggs can make a big difference in success rates. The older a woman is when she freezes her eggs, the lower the chances of success. Women in their 20's and 30's have the best eggs and highest subsequent pregnancy rates. Doctors generally don't recommend the process for women over age 38. The success rate can be low Overall, the success rate of live births from frozen eggs has remained consistently fairly low -- about 20 to 24 percent. And, very few women who froze their eggs since 2012 have gone on to use them - SART found in 2013 there were 414 thaw cycles and 99 live births which are deliveries, including multiples, not babies born. For women 38 and younger, the success rate of a healthy baby from a frozen egg is estimated at 2-12% with an average of about 5% per mature egg. Women in their 20s might get 15 or 20 eggs, giving them a very good chance for pregnancy later. However, there is also a good chance they will find a partner and never need to use the frozen eggs. That's why the ASRM suggests egg freezing is generally most appropriate for women age 30 to 38. So, if you're considering freezing your eggs to use later, have a candid discussion with your fertility specialist. As John Robertson, professor of law and bioethics at University of Texas Law School describes it, freezing eggs can be both empowering and alienating. "The problem is it may be marketed to women who are in the older age group who may have very little chance of obtaining viable eggs, so it's extremely important that there be full disclosure at every step of the process." Advertisement Dr. Kevin Doody, President of SART, does not think older women should be targets of egg freezing marketing efforts. He believes if a women aged 40 or 42 wants to have her eggs frozen that a "substantial counseling session" would be in order. File photo of Dilma Rousseff [Photo: mrcjcn.com] Related: Brazilian Senate votes to strip Dilma Rousseff of presidency Brazil's Dilma Rousseff appealed the decision of her impeachment from the presidency to the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday, a day after being stripped of office. Rousseff's defense team submitted a "writ of security" against the Senate vote that found her guilty on Wednesday of being "criminally responsible" for fiscal wrongdoing. A "writ of security" is a Brazilian legal tool to protect individuals from legal decisions that may violate their rights. The head of her legal team, former Justice Minister and Attorney General Jose Eduardo Cardozo, had previously announced that they would resort to the measure, citing "irregularities in the process" of impeachment. Rousseff was impeached by an overwhelming majority of 61 to 20 votes, for allegedly inflating fiscal accounts and downplaying a growing budget deficit to improve her chances of being elected to a second term. Rousseff, of the left-leaning Workers' Party, has denied the charges, saying the trial was politically motivated by the right-wing opposition. Her vice president, Michel Temer, of the conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, was sworn in to serve the remainder of her term through 2018. It is every parent's nightmare: your child is sick. I experienced this last month, and saying that it was frustrating would be an understatement. Going to the walk-in clinic and ER is exhausting when you see multiple doctors who don't know your family's story. It feels like they give you five minutes to explain why you are there, and then provide a quick generic answer as to what they think is causing the symptoms, and send you on your way. The worst part is feeling no one is listening, let alone taking the time to get to know you. I think that is one of the main reasons that people have a hard time trusting doctors lately. It's hard to take someone's word for something, when you feel like they are not paying attention to you, and that they don't know what you have been going through. It seems like every time we go in, I'm told my son has a "virus," and that we should go back if his symptoms persist. Then they do, and we go back in the revolving door, only to be told the same thing. I completely understand why doctors are hesitant to misdiagnose something, and throw antibiotics at us every time, but there has to be some happy medium. The first time (or two) that I go in, I usually accept the "virus" explanation, and I wait it out like they ask. When it goes on for weeks, and they defer investigating further, I feel like I have no one on my side. For a mother who works outside of the home, I can't spend every day that my son is under the weather at home, no matter how badly I wish I could. As long as we are told it's a virus that needs to run its course, we have to keep him out of daycare. Advertisement I think the worst part of it is that we feel like just another number to them. Aside from our primary physician, every other doctor makes us feel like we are just another task on their long "to-do" list, and that they are trying to get out the door as soon as possible. It would be nice to feel heard and understood by a doctor, instead of being made to feel like an over-anxious burden. The best doctors make time to listen and teach their patients, even when they are busy. It can be scary for us to deal with symptoms and issues that we don't completely understand. Dr. Brian Crownover, owner of Treasure Valley Family Medicine (a medical clinic in Meridian, Idaho) says: "Relationships matter, and relationships developed over time and not limited by short appointment slots are the magic mojo which allows physicians to connect, educate and keep you living life to the fullest. Embrace those doctors who truly live up to their name - Doctore - which is Latin for teacher; your doctor should be eager to both listen and comprehensively teach about your concerns and needs." Portrait of American businessman Donald Trump, with a shovel, and unidentified others during the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the ballroom at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida, 2003. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images) It's true, I have not hung on every word of Donald Trump's campaign speeches over the past year, but until Wednesday night I had not heard him explicitly mention how he would combat the inevitable "escape" tunnels under his promised Great Wall of Mexico. Here's how he put it, after repeating that he would build the wall, and Mexico would (no matter what its president just told him) pay for it. We will use the best technology, including above- and below-ground sensors. That's the tunnels. Remember that. Above- and below- ground sensors, towers, aerial surveillance and manpower to supplement the wall, find and dislocate tunnels and keep out criminal cartels. Trump had recently told CNN that any escapes would be thwarted by "tunnel technology." Now, there are plenty of differences between the Berlin Wall of 1961-1989 and the current, and future, border barrier with Mexico, as I make clear in my new book The Tunnels. To state the most obvious: in Berlin it was built by a government attempting to keep its people in, while in the current scenario it is constructed by the other country to keep people out. However, they also have much in common, including the fact that in both cases tunnels were or will be built by individuals desperate to flee their country; and the brutal, elaborate security systems used to monitor escapes, including (as Trump mentioned) guard towers, barbed wire, electronic sensors, snipers with rifles, and all the rest. A 481-foot tunnel under the current "wall," used to smuggle drugs to the West, was discovered not long ago. This seems to be a hot topic. The New York Times has just posted an article titled "As Donald Trump Calls for Wall on Mexican Border, Smugglers Dig Tunnels." They count 200 tunnels so far, used for various reasons: But no technology exists to reliably detect the tunnels, and experts say it may be years before such a system is developed....Border Patrol agents cannot hear smugglers digging and do not know how many tunnels there are, a gap in border security that homeland security experts say renders talk of a wall moot. My book focuses on escape tunnels dug under the Wall in 1962 by brave young students in West Berlin attempting to "rescue" friends, family, lovers and strangers in the East, and how JFK and the Kennedy administration tried to suppress NBC and CBS coverage of them. But it also explores the other modes of escape at the time, from using fake passports to fleeing via sewers, swimming across rivers, climbing the Wall, blowing a hole in it, hiding under the back seats of automobiles, and more-and the many dozens of East Germans slain by guards or Stasi in the process. This brought worldwide shame to the East German government and their Soviet backers, besides causing mental breakdowns by guards ordered to carry out the shootings. And it would be Americans, under President Trump, who would be doing the killing. Make no mistake: tunnels would be excavated, despite the Trump "sensors" and "technology" and "towers." By Shawn Grooms Whether he's pointing out "his African American" at one of his rallies or politicizing tragedy via Twitter, Donald Trump is no stranger to using unprecedented tactics to galvanize minority voters. A few months ago, Trump called out an audience member at his rally in Redding, California simply because of his race; a race that is scarcely seen at any of the presidential nominees rallies thus far. Other than the private meetings with prominent black leaders at Trump Tower--causing many raised eyebrows--the candidate has yet to foster a stronghold on the community. Advertisement Trump denies African American-based societies such as the NAACP and the National Association of Black Journalists, and steers clear of many traditional campaign trail stops within African American communities; but the Republican nominee has proven time and again he's running anything but a traditional campaign--possibly to his demise. The presidential hopeful appears to be in a race for the bottom. Only two months out from Election Day, Trump is polling at zero percent among African Americans, according to a recent PPP poll. Though African Americans are a major voting bloc for the Democratic Party, past Republican candidates accomplished much higher polling numbers than Trump. It's possibly due to his lack of outreach and usage of insult politics. No matter where in the United States, Trump rallies have adopted a very specific set of characteristics: the chanting of Trump in suburban areas with predominantly white crowds. When the real estate mogul took to the stage in Dimondale, Michigan--miles away from Detroit--the country heard his pitch to African Americans. However, his "efforts" simply weren't enough, according to many, taking to Twitter to express their outrage. Advertisement Insult politics appear to be a preferred tactic used by Trump. Emily Ekins, Director of Polling at the Cato Institute, told GVH Live that "people find [Donald Trump's outreach] very inauthentic - possibly due to the billionaire's raw campaign rhetoric. ... [He] made it very clear over the course of his campaign that he does not see Americans as individuals but as a part of groups. Groups that he often disparages." Trump didn't help his case among black voters, when he "tried to change his tune" to appear more inclusive according to Ekins. "You're living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs. 58 percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?" Trump asked African American voters in Dimondale, Michigan, a city that is 93 percent white, according to the Census Bureau. It's going to take more than insults to win over the African American community, Mr. Trump. Ekins noted that "[because] all of the offensive comments he's made throughout his life and particularly in the last year, people aren't ready to believe him--that he really cares about the problems they are facing in their everyday lives." Despite his recent outreach, African Americans might not be his target. "I think that the Trump campaign knows very well that his latest outreach efforts to appear more inclusive, won't have much effect among the voters that he's specifically trying to reach out to. But what it will do, is kind of soften his appeal among white educated voters who are reluctant to vote for a candidate that many view as bigoted or even racist," Ekins said. "[W]hat he's really trying to do is assuage [white voters'] fears, so they feel better about voting for him." Advertisement And it appears to possibly be working for the candidate. In the latest poll from NBC News' Survey Monkey, Donald Trump is chipping away at Hilary Clinton's national lead. Though he's polling lower than anyone in history among African Americans, his "black outreach" is attracting independent voters across the country. In a time of dramatic challenge, the country needs vision and ideas about the future of the nation, but it's not coming from electoral politics this year. The Pew Research Center reports that "for the first time in more than two decades, a majority of voters express dissatisfaction with their choices for president this Fall." NBC News discussions with swing voters about the election produced terms like "skunk," "rotten eggs," and "garbage." In such a context, can college and university presidents become "philosophers of possibility," leaders in catalyzing discussion and action about education and a good society? According to a recent study by Gallup and Lumina, nearly everyone - 96% -- believes that "it is somewhat or very important for adults to have a degree or personal certificate beyond high school." Eighty percent also believe that colleges and universities must change to meet the needs of today's students. I begin a series of profiles with Katrina Rogers, President of Fielding Graduate University. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, helping to lead a multi-stakeholder project on the future of the Virgin River in Utah, Katrina Rogers had an epiphany. "It was very contentious," she describes. "We had different stakeholders -- Native Americans, conservative rural Mormon communities, environmentalists, the US National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Reclamation. I came in representing one of the environmental groups, the Grand Canyon Trust, and naively thought that if we all get together and talk we'll come up with a solution." She learned from the experience the importance of dialogue, and also that it is not a simple process. Advertisement Rogers found that "you have to be engaged for the long term," not simply show up. The field of democratic engagement and conflict resolution has crucial insights, like finding common interests and the craft of negotiation. "Most important, I discovered the importance of language," she says. Divisions about the river's future were bitter - at one point the town of Virgin passed a law barring environmentalists. "In Mormon communities you can't talk about the fish," she discovered. "You have to talk about history, heritage, stewardship and protection. These are the important values." Katrina Rogers also realized how few people have skills for such work. Education institutions, with vast multiplier impacts across society because of their formative role in developing leaders, potentially play a vital part. But today colleges and universities, in her view, "are thin on the ground in helping people make the link between the knowledge they accrue and their broader social obligations. The democratic process is usually relegated to voting a few times a year. People don't learn to think about their role as citizen actors." Rogers had earlier experience in higher education when she led the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Geneva, Switzerland, for nearly a decade. She was also a Fulbright scholar in Germany. Her realizations in the Virgin River effort led her to Fielding, first as the associate dean of the School of Human and Organizational Development, then as provost and finally as president in 2013. "I began to think, What is my responsibility as an intellectual? As a scholarly president?" In her experience, a president has to be brave to take public leadership. "There are trends that make it difficult for presidents to take on the part of a public intellectual, which was much more common in previous decades. For example, 13% of presidents don't come from any academic background and that percentage is increasing. They may be capable, but they're not socialized in the culture." Further, the demands of the presidency make it difficult to develop a strong public voice. "The pressure on most presidents is to spend almost all their time on fundraising." Advertisement Rogers decided to experiment. "I failed at some things and other things have worked better." For example, Fielding has an institutional commitment to social and ecological justice. When the Occupy Movement emerged, she posted a statement of support on the website. "I received some acclaim and some critique from community members who pointed out that there is a difference between taking a stand as an individual as opposed to as an institution." This July, Rogers reemphasized the importance of well-crafted dialogue in the midst of the avalanche of news about police shootings of black men and the killings of police officers. Many Americans wonder if deepening fractures along racial lines can be reversed. She invited the Fielding community -- faculty, students, staff, alumni, trustees -- to online discussions titled "Conversation on the University's Role in Addressing Racial Injustice" over the summer. These discussions have attracted strong interest from Fielding community members, not only to host ongoing dialogues, but also to continue advance the own understanding as graduate learners and educators. The conversation was often emotional, as she imagined it would be. Some participants angrily denounced police. Others who worked with police departments described the enormous pressures on police and the often invisible stress and depression. Several pointed to successful initiatives in improving relationships between police and African-American communities. Many had ideas for follow-up action by the Fielding community, such as research and developing knowledge about successful strategies for change from the US and abroad. The Fielding community agreed it was important to have spaces where such conversation can take place, leading to action. Rogers believes that "people are hungry for spaces like this that are inviting, where people can be themselves and think and learn with others in more complex ways than polarization allows us to do." She also thinks that the context of deepening polarization presents major challenges. As just one example, she says, "Social media allows us to opt out of interaction with any group that doesn't agree with us." Advertisement Dialogue is crucial for democracy itself, Rogers notes. "People need hope and the sense that they're not helpless," she concludes. "Dialogue can be a path to agency." In this May 24, 2014 photo, China's Harbin (112) guided missile destroyer takes part in a week-long China-Russia "Joint Sea-2014" navy exercise at the East China Sea off Shanghai, China. Several Asian nations are arming up, their wary eyes fixed squarely on one country: a resurgent China that's boldly asserting its territorial claims all along the East Asian coast. The scramble to spend more defense dollars comes amid spats with China over contested reefs and waters. Other Asian countries such as India and South Korea are quickly modernizing their forces, although their disputes with China have stayed largely at the diplomatic level. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT PERTH, Australia -- Just who is balancing whom? China and Russia are expected to hold joint patrols in the South China Sea this month from Sept. 11 to 19, Russian news agency TASS reported. Captain Vladimir Matveyev told TASS that the war games will take place "on the coast and in the water area of the South China Sea." According to Matveyev, the joint military exercises have occurred four times previously and are aimed at "consolidating practical cooperation and counteraction to various threats out in the sea." And, indeed, the event seems to be in line with past military exercises by the two countries aimed at invigorating the Beijing-Moscow relationship and curtailing American power in the region. The move comes after Vietnam reportedly moved rocket launchers onto its own islands in the disputed waters that Reuters said could take out some Chinese positions, such as its runways and military installations, in the area. And that's not all. The September patrols are scheduled to to take place not long after the Hague sided with the Philippines over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea and the same month as China hosts the G-20 summit, at which Putin is slated to be received as a special guest. It's a busy and tense time in the region, but for the past few years it always has been. Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) during meeting prior to G20 Turkey Summit on November 15, 2015 in Antalya, Turkey. (Ahmet Bolat/Getty Images) The patrols are noteworthy in themselves, given friendly overtures between the giants are often viewed with concern by the West and smaller surrounding countries. Russia and China have been conducting joint exercises for some time, first in the East China Sea after ties with Japan soured over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands (both China and Japan claim sovereignty) and in European waters close to Russia's neighbors. Closer ties are, it's widely thought, thanks to U.S. movements in the South China Sea and possibly Ukraine. In fact, there have been varied amounts of Russo-Sino cooperation in some areas for a while. Both nations suggest all patrols have been "routine" and no third party is involved. In April of last year, ahead of the May 2015 drills, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said, "The aim is to deepen both countries' friendly and practical cooperation, and increase our navies' ability to jointly deal with maritime security threats." This sentiment echoes what Russian Captain Matveyev has said about the forthcoming drills. Any patrol close to Vietnamese waters will be poorly received, and will also damage relations with Moscow. Yet that doesn't mean others in the region aren't paying attention -- especially Vietnam. Hanoi is likely watching keenly: its highest-level ties are with the two nations, and persistent sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea have painfully strained relations between Hanoi and Beijing, especially after China moved its oil rig into Vietnam's exclusive economic zone in 2014. Any patrol close to Vietnamese waters will be poorly received, and will also damage relations with Moscow. A Friendship Beyond Soviet Days Russia's friendship with Vietnam goes back to Soviet times when the USSR helped many communist or proto-communist nations (Ethiopia's Mengistu Haile Mariam looked to Leonid Brezhnev for guidance and the nations signed a 20-year friendship treaty in 1978). Traditionally, Russia supplied arms and other services to Vietnam like education, was also active in oil and gas exploration and rented its deepwater port Cam Ranh Bay. Despite the downturn of the 1990s that meant less Russian development money, ties between the nations remained robust -- and the camaraderie, too. Russia and Vietnam have a comprehensive strategic partnership, as do China and Vietnam. Russia was elevated to this level, the highest level of cooperation, not long ago in 2012, after officially becoming Vietnam's first strategic partner in 2001, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made his first prime ministerial visit to Russia this May. Carlyle Thayer, a longtime Vietnam expert and emeritus professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy, recently wrote that Russia's intentions in Vietnam and for its relationship upgrade were a pivot to Asia, but also a chance for better cooperation across science and technology, oil and gas, nuclear work and tourism. Soviet-Vietnamese Declaration. Leonid Brezhnev during talks with Le Duan of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. October 29, 1975. (Sovfoto/UIG via Getty Images In fact, the relationship between these two countries transcends politics to influence culture. There's a generation of pets in Vietnam all affectionately named "Misha" after Russia's Olympic bear mascot. There's also a generation of engineers who were Soviet-trained, studying anywhere from Moscow to Kiev, or in the case of one hydrologist I once interviewed, Uzbekistan. Those not lucky enough for graduate study might still have ended up in Russia as part of a labor export deal, sadly detailed in author Duong Thu Huong's novel "Paradise of the Blind." The country remains a place many Vietnamese work, legally and otherwise, today. One man in Ho Chi Minh City opened a Russian-style shashlik shack in honor of his time in the old USSR and his lost love. Russians visit Vietnam in strong numbers and you can find menus (full of Russian food) in Cyrillic in beach towns like Mui Ne or Nha Trang north of Ho Chi Minh City. Russians, in fact, are one of Vietnam's strongest tourist groups, arriving in the hundreds of thousands each year. Advertisement About six years ago while a freelance correspondent in Vietnam, I wrote a brief travel piece on the Soviet relics still around in Hanoi. But that's all they really were -- relics. Younger Vietnamese probably think little of Russia, and those in their 20s today were not alive during the grand old Internationale days. One friend of mine there spent 10 years living in Moscow as child, where his father ran a business. Ta Ngoc Duy, 34, returned to Hanoi in his 20s but is still fluent in Russian. While Vietnam may still have highly valued the relationship with Russia through the 1980s and even the 1990s, post-Perestroika, it was rarely at the forefront of Russians' minds. 'People talk about partnering up with the U.S. against China rather than Russia because they still see [the] U.S. as a serious superpower.' "Back then VN [Vietnam] thought Russia was a best place to be before the collapse of communism of course, but in general the feelings [about Russia] among the northern Vietnamese were positive," he told me. "[But] Russians didn't see Vietnam as anything. We met occasionally people who worked as consultants in Vietnam back in the 70s. They were lovely but rare people of course." Advertisement But Vietnam never held the same importance in Russians' minds as Russia did for Vietnamese of that generation. Today Duy said the younger generation is largely "indifferent" regarding Russia, and the language is rarely taught in schools. English and some Asian languages like Korean or Japanese are favored. The "U.S. is of course the most favorite partner these days ... people talk about partnering up with the U.S. against China rather than Russia because they still see [the] U.S. as a serious superpower," he said. Russia's President Vladimir Putin listens to Vietnam's former President Truong Tan Sang at an APEC Summit on October 7, 2013. (REUTERS/Mast Irham/Pool) The Pivot to Vietnam Vietnam and China are Russia's only real friends in Asia -- and Vietnam the only in ASEAN. Given tensions between the two, Russia has its own, smaller balancing act to play (compared with the oft-described one Vietnam plays between China and the U.S.) This summation of Russia-Vietnam relations by Moscow-based Southeast Asia expert Anton Tsvetov writing for the Carnegie Moscow Center bears substantial quoting: A strong partnership with Vietnam is central to Russia's political and strategic presence in Southeast Asia -- although even that may start to lose its relative importance as Vietnam's relations with the United States, India, Japan, and the EU improve ... Russian-Vietnamese summits or high-level meetings are held annually and generate plenty of positive rhetoric. Because of the high level of bilateral relations and significant arms sales to Vietnam, Russia gets preferential treatment when using the Cam Ranh deepwater port. Russia, or rather the Soviets, leased this port for 25 years and there has been talk of Russia returning for a while now. Vietnam and China are Russia's only real friends in Asia -- and Vietnam the only in ASEAN. Vietnam's ambassador to Russia was quoted by Russian media in May as saying his nation believed Russia, "a close country, and a traditional partner," and that a "relationship of trust with Russia is a priority of Vietnamese foreign policy." What is the value of foreign policy between the nations, past public diplomatese in the papers? In an interview Tsvetov told me, "I would say that the value Russian foreign policy places on Vietnam is twofold -- strategic and commercial. Strategically, there is no closer partner for Russia than Vietnam in Southeast Asia, as manifested by the special port call arrangements for Cam Ranh Bay and Vietnam's FTA [free trade agreement] with the Eurasian Economic Union." And, importantly, Vietnam is a "counterpart" in what Tsvetov calls the most developed areas of Russian industry and those that "constitute the largest influential pressure groups": oil and gas, nuclear energy and the arms trade. This picture taken on January 3, 2014 shows the Vietnamese Navy's first submarine class Kilo 636 being released into the sea at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam. (Vietnam News Agency/Getty Images) This real-time value does not match what Tsvetov called the "rosy rhetoric": trade and investment between the two countries is still relatively low at around $4 billion. Yet the co-dependence has lessened: Vietnam has not needed wide-scale Soviet (or rather Russian) economic aid since the 1980s and its doi moi program of economic reform that opened markets to the world economy, and Russia is no longer using Vietnam to deter China quite so much. Tsvetov also noted that "balancing out U.S. military presence on the Philippines," is also no longer a focus. "We have none of that indispensability today," he said. However, Vietnam is an arms customer and also serves as an entrance into ASEAN for Russia. Advertisement While the United States' pivot to the region may include returning there given worries in Ukraine and involvement in Syria, Russia has had a place at the ASEAN table for well over two decades, with the first Russia-ASEAN dialogue held in 1991. Moscow sent Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Laos in July in fact. At the same time ASEAN, initially formed to combat communism, has been suspicious of Russia in the past and as one scholar wrote, "The role of Southeast Asia in Russian foreign policy was uncertain in the beginning of the 1990s. In fact, relations with ASEAN started from zero." 'Some in Moscow are advocating for closer military cooperation and assume that an anti-U.S. alignment is inevitable' Russia's standpoint on the South China Sea is more nuanced than America's as well. It believes that the rule of law and United Nations' Convention on the Law of the Sea should be followed but has also decried what it calls "internationalization" of the issue. In other words, keep it out of ASEAN and keep non-claimants out of it, too -- something Lavrov said this April. This was not something Hanoi wished to hear. Russia still supplies much of Vietnam's weaponry, having recently delivered many of its six Kilo-class submarines first ordered in 2009. From 2011 to 2015 Vietnam was the 8th largest importer of major weapons according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The U.S. lifted the embargo on arms sales to Vietnam during Obama's visit, something Vietnam had wanted for a long time but each sale is still subject to congressional approval and also will not preclude a continuation of the Russian market (it is cheaper, after all) and submarines and other materiel need maintenance. This is important to factor in when thinking of the patrols. Vietnam increased its arms intake thanks largely to Chinese aggression in the region and the increase will make the costs of skirmishes, or even war, for Beijing that much higher. A Marriage of Convenience? What does all this mean for the patrols to be held in a little over a week and Russia-Vietnam relations? Professor Carlyle Thayer, the Vietnam expert, called the closer Russia-China ties and their drill a "marriage of convenience" in a presentation in May this year. Hanoi, of course, understands this and may have even predicted it given the patrols in the East China Sea were also designed to provoke (and it knew the Hague ruling was coming). In this photo taken Wednesday, July 3, 2013, a Chinese destroyer leads a fleet of naval ships, heading to take part in a joint exercise with Russia in the Sea of Japan. (AP Photo/CHINA OUT) The Wall Street Journal also noted that past joint exercises in another continent are seen as significant in this bilateral relationship as well: "In May last year, China and Russia held drills in European waters for the first time -- in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea -- in what many Western officials saw as a show of solidarity following Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014." Beyond these past patrols is also the tension spurred by an international tribunal. The Hague ruling will likely push Chinese hawkishness, but whether that will extend to once again upsetting Vietnam remains to be seen. Though Russia's purposeful neutrality when it comes to sovereignty issues has upset Vietnam, it also means that any overt violation of Vietnamese sovereignty would be contradictory. Advertisement Everyone is friends until someone moves an anti-submarine ship too close. So there are those strategic considerations and, given this non-alliance is largely described as anti-U.S. in character, Moscow may not want to push Vietnam further to the U.S., either strategically or even in terms of more general sentiment. At the same time this non-alliance itself bears closer scrutiny: how long can it last and where might it go? Tsvetov, giving the view from Moscow told me, "Though some in Moscow are advocating for closer military cooperation and assume that an anti-U.S. alignment is inevitable, a significant group of Russian scholars do not expect that to happen given all the strategic limitations of an arrangement like that." As for Beijing? Xi Jinping once said that China and Russia's relationship was the best and greatest of any of the great powers, and yet he also greatly values relations with Vietnam as he made clear on his visit last year. So in other words, everyone is friends until someone moves an anti-submarine ship too close. Earlier on WorldPost: Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are from New York State. Trump is one of the big developers of the city and Clinton represented New York as a Senator and former First Lady, but neither one of them is close to the most revered and respected New Yorker couple of all time: Franklin D and Eleanor Roosevelt. Photo Source: http://www.americanradioworks.org/segments/the-roosevelts-as-a-political-team/ By close, I mean their wealth. The Roosevelt's were born into immense wealth. Clinton and Trump, although both being born into money (although a significantly different amount), made the majority of their own fortunes. Trump made his fortune by building all over New York City and eventually cities around the world. The Clinton's amassed their fortune later in life, after many years in politics. By close, I mean their political beliefs. The country believed in FDR and the First Lady. FDR slammed corporations and focused on building a net for the poor and the middle class. FDR won his war. Though, it must be acknowledged that Nazi agents in the United States discovered and revealed that FDR did support and use the death penalty. The wars, in which Clinton is implicit, are still raging. Trump might want to avoid wars but we know he can't be believed. To top it off, Trump has expressed a desire to broaden laws to allow torture; even adding that we need to "beat the savages." Advertisement By close, I mean their use of influence. Eleanor used her influence to persuade the Russians and their ilk to support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Once this occurred, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of Human Rights in Paris, France, on December 10th, 1948. Clinton's history of voting for wars doesn't bode well. Although Trump shares FDR's intention of not engaging the U.S. military with Russia, Clinton does not. By close I mean the way they talk to and inform their constituents. FDR broke new ground with his 30 fireside chats between 1933 and 1944. These were informal conversations with the Nation that were radio broadcast across the country. These conversations, or chats, were an informal way for the President to explain and discuss ideas and policies with the people they were actually impacting. These fireside chats provided the nation with assurance and trust- something both 2016 presidential candidates lack. Trump addresses the nation so frequently it gets tiresome; with each press conference normally ending in a gaffe. While Clinton rarely holds press conferences of any kind, leaving the Nation in the dark. Not to mention of course, Clinton has amassed a great deal of distrust with the continuation of the email controversy. By close, I mean the love that people felt for the Roosevelts compared to the voter's feelings towards Trump and Clinton. The unfavorable ratings for both Clinton and Trump are at an all time high. According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, Clinton's "strongly unfavorable" rating is at 56% and Trump is soaring at an all time high of 63%. Hillary Clinton is reminiscent of a lawyer arguing a case with endless clauses that leaves the jury in total confusion. Donald Trump just blurts out inflammatory statements, but you can't be sure what he actually thinks or how long it will take before he switches positions. Advertisement However, there is one similarity between the Roosevelt's and 2016 presidential candidates. The next President, presumably Clinton or Trump, will inherit an angry and confused America just like FDR did. But his answer to America was to build a future for the next generations. Eleanor saw the destruction of Europe by the Nazis and wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, arguably the best document written to protect the rights of every person in the world. She created the backbone, the spine of the human rights movement. How will Trump or Clinton deal with the anger of the Nation? Simply put, the constituencies of both candidates are far apart in solution, which is normal in a presidential campaign. But the problem is that the constituencies are adding fuel to the fire of division. One of these candidates will reign over a split nation. The Roosevelt answer, the New York answer, was to get America going again. Start with the poor and the lower middle class. Build from the bottom up. Call forth the talent, abilities and power of the people. The Roosevelt s believed that America was like an economic triangle; the people at the bottom of the triangle are the poor who love the Constitution and Bill of Rights the most. The top of the triangle, the rich, made the Roosevelt's wary. They believed that the strength of the triangle rests in the bottom and the middle. So, the Roosevelt's dedicated their team to build out futures for those at the middle and bottom. Their approach, rather than trickle down, was to work from the bottom up. The Roosevelt's proved that if you assist the most systematically and structurally disenfranchised citizens, the rest will follow. My hope is that the memory of Roosevelt's New York will shake these candidates into the reality that America is in trouble. Big and bigger money doesn't solve the problem. When Roosevelt sent our soldiers into battle, he provided a sense of rightness to the fight and they knew why they were there. Wars need the country's permission for our young to die and come back wounded, in every sense of the word. I am not sure if the current 2016 presidential candidates understand that. Advertisement I encourage both candidates to walk thru the FDR monument, along the Potomac, and carefully read the words written on the walls. I hope that these words will inspire the candidates to finally feel the Roosevelt's love for people and their plight. Without this, the Nation is bound to continue cultivating anger and frustration. But, if the candidates make the choice to follow in the Roosevelt's memory, the Nation will be able to heal and grow in infinitely beautiful and powerful ways. Last June, I had the honour of being invited to the 7th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), hosted by President Barack Obama at Stanford University, California. The Summit provided entrepreneurs with the opportunity to mingle with some of the world's top investors, business executives and political leaders in the heart of Silicon Valley. Notable speakers included President Barack Obama; Secretary of State John Kerry; Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel; Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook; Brian Chesky, CEO of AirBnb; and Shark Tank's Daymond John, among others. Advertisement I was honoured to represent Canada at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and hope to amplify the benefits of my attendance by sharing some of my key takeaways from the summit. Tackling Global Challenges Through Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurs' natural affinity for innovation has allowed them to become a catalyst for solving global problems in partnership with the world's governments. Across the world, entrepreneurs address global challenges in areas such as education, transportation, healthcare access, infrastructure, and economic development. Through their work, entrepreneurs also catalyze and accelerate globalization.There are extraordinary benefits to a globalized world where we are trading, networking and communicating with one another- and yet as cultures collide, people are getting worried. John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, suggests that entrepreneurship can help contribute to political stability: "In our world today, there is an intimate connection between the creation of economic opportunity and the potential of peace." While economies have undergone dramatic shifts, have been transformed by technology and automation, and are increasingly globalized; entrepreneurship has remained an engine of growth Advertisement Entrepreneurship has the opportunity to expand and broaden the benefits of globalization for everyone, everywhere. By translating their vision into reality, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to contribute to global prosperity and progress. Building Bridges for Entrepreneurial Success So what allows entrepreneurs to succeed in transforming their ideas, dreams, and creativity into successful companies that address the world's most pressing challenges? As the CEO of Global Professionals Practicum (GPP), I believe the key is a strong network of peers, mentors, and advisors- it can often be the difference between success and failure. Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn concurs: "The key thing that enables entrepreneurs to succeed is networks- networks provide access to customers, capital, and talent, but most importantly to learning opportunities". Brian Chesky, CEO of AirBnb acknowledges that networks are particularly important for entrepreneurs because they enable you to learn best practices in a short period of time: "Learn who the experts are and learn from them". I hope that entrepreneurs who are looking to tackle global challenges will reach out to learn about how to build a network that can contribute to their success. Don't be shy- talk to the experts, connect with mentors that will help you navigate through challenges, and find that connection who might just change your life. Advertisement This article is part of an ongoing series on how to build successful professional relationships and networks. Follow us at Huffington Post or Global Professionals Practicum So my old alma mater is getting rid of yet another tenured faculty member who doesn't bend to its narrow understanding of Christianity and dares to publicly support LGBT people. Gordon College, in Wenham, Mass., has been in the news the last couple of years because its president, D. Michael Lindsay, was one of the prominent evangelicals in 2014 who petitioned President Obama for the right to discriminate against prospective employees who happen to be LGBT. They insisted they had a "right" to taxpayer dollars, in the form of federal contracts, even though they felt they shouldn't have to abide by the president's then-pending executive order barring discrimination in federal contracts. Earlier this year, Lauren Barthold, an associate philosophy professor at Gordon, sued the college after Lindsay and others reprimanded and threatened to fire her because she publicly criticized their discriminatory policy, supported the LGBT community and, they claimed, urged a boycott against the college. Advertisement Barthold said clearly in a letter in The Salem News, "I am not writing this letter to either plead for your continued support of Gordon or to ask you to boycott the college." Other things in Barthold's letter are probably what most angered Gordon's administrators. "I am sad," she wrote, "that I work at an institution that believes that not talking about homosexuality and silencing stories of Christians dealing with their sexual identities is the way to bring healing and build community." She also expressed "relief" that Gordon's discriminatory hiring policy has been made public, "since this (sadly) seems to be a way to get the administration to take seriously requests for dialogue and clubs devoted to exploring themes of sexual identity within a Christian context." Barthold sued Gordon College after it punished her by revoking her scheduled fall 2015 eligibility for full professorship -- despite previous promotions for her teaching abilities -- and dropped her as director of Gordon's gender studies program that she created. She sought compensatory and punitive damages for lost wages and "mental distress," and claimed she had been disciplined differently than male colleagues who had likewise spoken out against the college's policy. Advertisement Sarah Wunsch, deputy legal director for the ACLU of Massachusetts, which represented Barthold, said that although the organization strongly supports religious freedom, that "does not mean the freedom to do anything to others in the name of religion." She pointed out that Gordon hires faculty and staff from a variety of Christian backgrounds as evidence the college "does not have the right to punish a philosophy professor who criticized a policy of discrimination in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity." In a September 1 e-mail blast to Gordon alumni and others, the college's board chairman Herman J. Smith wrote, "Prof. Barthold believed that her communications through the media were proper expressions of her Christian faith. She believed her statements were made out of love and respect for the College." Nevertheless, Smith said "the college considered Prof. Barthold's statements to be harmful and inappropriate for a faculty member." He defended the disciplinary actions "in response to Prof. Barthold's media communications" as proper and "grounded in important college policies and expectations that it has for faculty members as a Christian institution." Smith said it was "Christian principles" that led the college and Barthold to "resolve their differences and end their dispute." Barthold has "agreed to resign from her tenured faculty position at the end of the upcoming semester, following her residency this fall on a previously awarded research fellowship at the University of Connecticut." Although Smith acknowledges that Barthold has made "many contributions," "is a well-respected scholar," and has "touched the lives of many students," she simply must go. Advertisement Gordon College will not abide dissent. At least not from a woman professor who dares to publicly question its arcane and discriminatory policy. As a Gordon alumnus, and president of the graduating class of 1980, I responded to Smith's e-mail with my own message. "How ironic to receive your message at the same time that the issue of "safe spaces" and intellectual freedom are being debated by some of the nation's leading universities. "I am sorry, though not surprised, to see that Gordon College continues to ostracize even gifted faculty members who do not bend to the pressure to conform in every way to the college's narrow understanding of Christianity. "As a gay man, I had to overcome the shame and stigma against LGBT people fostered at Gordon. I had to learn to affirm and care about myself in spite of the messages I received at Gordon, and from Gordon since, that I and my relationships are somehow "less than." Fortunately my understanding of God, and the Gospel, was inspired at Gordon by such writers as C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. This is why my faith is able to encompass all of humanity, not only those of a particular privileged sexual orientation. "I have made my career as a journalist and author writing on such issues as health and medicine, social justice, and equality -- issues I care about precisely because of the faith that Gordon nurtured in me. How sad to see the college retrench even as national surveys show such strong support for LGBT equality and same-sex marriage among young evangelicals. History is not on Gordon's side on this matter. The demographic tide will soon wash over the college's arcane prejudice. Advertisement This week's Sabbath is also the start of the Hebrew month of Elul, which means that our majestic High Holidays begin to appear on the horizon. Elul may be the final month of the year - but, in Jewish spiritual life, Elul is far more a beginning than an end. The month is a warming up, rather than a winding down. Traditionally, Elul is a time of preparation, a stretch of spiritual exercise, when, in some communities, special gatherings are held at or before daybreak to sing prayers that shake the spirit awake. Throughout this past year of commenting on our weekly Torah readings, the writings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira of Piaseczno - in his final years, the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto - have kept me company. When at a loss, when my mind has drawn a blank, I have often turned to one or the other of the Piaseczner Rebbe's books and collections of sermons, and usually I have found something that has set my own thoughts in motion. Advertisement And another source of inspiration, week by week, is reflecting on our community here at Harvard. In a conversation with students in 1921, Rabbi Shapira remarked: "It is well known and one must remember that it is impossible to be constantly in a spiritually elevated state - perforce, there will be highs and lows. In fact, one who has never experienced falling from a spiritual height has likely never ascended to an especially lofty point." Living in spiritual community means helping one another up - and it means recognizing that, whatever our individual accomplishments, each of us can be thankful for a helping hand quite often, so that each of us can go on to extend one. In that sense, for all the ups and downs of spiritual life, spiritual community is a vehicle of ascent. This week, in the Torah, on the verge of entering into the Land, our ancestors are told that there will be a particular place, "which the Eternal One your God will choose, from among all your tribes, to place the Divine name there - and there, where God indwells, you shall seek, and there you shall go; and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes, the offerings of your hands, and your vowed donations, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks." (Deuteronomy 12:5-6) The reference is to the eventual Temple in Jerusalem, the focal point of our ancient ancestors' devotion. The way in which this week's Sabbath falls upon the calendar this year results in this reading from the Torah being juxtaposed, in our synagogues, with the prophetic reading for the beginning of a new month - from the book of Isaiah - in which we hear a notable skepticism about focus on a mere structure and its practices: Advertisement "Thus says the Eternal One, the heavens are My throne, and the earth My footstool - what is this House that you would build for Me, and what place is my abode?" (Isaiah 66:1) Even sacrifices, of the sort offered in the ancient Temple, may be regarded with a dim view by the Divine as represented by the prophet in this message: "One that slaughters an ox is like one who strikes a man, one that sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog's neck, one who raises up a meal offering is like one who offers pig's blood, one who burns incense like one who blesses an idol. Those ones, too, have chosen their ways, and their souls delight in their abominations." (Isaiah 66:3) It is a stunning rebuke - all the more so for being directed at familiar, ancestral rituals, prescribed in the Torah itself. It is not that the prophet is against the central shrine and capital. "Gladden Jerusalem," he says, "and delight in her, all you who love her - celebrate celebration with her, all you who have mourned over her!" (Isaiah 66:10) Advertisement What the prophet detests, in the Divine name, is empty ritual, religious practice whose real purpose is self-satisfaction and aggrandizement. If that is the nature of the service offered in the sanctuary, it is so disgusting that the prophet - and, he says, God - can hardly bear to look at it. "But upon this one I shall look - upon the poor and contrite of heart, who trembles at My word." (Isaiah 66:2) Coming together in a place of dedication, approaching a sacred time together, is an ascent - an 'aliyah, in the Hebrew terms of our tradition - a pilgrimage. What one should discover upon entering into a place of ascent, and upon embarking on a spiritual journey, is not pretentious ritual experts who have convinced themselves that the rites and ceremonies in which they are well practiced make them the superior darlings of the Divine, entitled to condescend in showing new arrivals how to be. God forbid. What one should discover is humble fellow seekers, good spiritual company on the pilgrim path - sources of inspiration who are inspirational not least because they also look to you for uplift, and are eager to learn about what impels your own spirit on the climb toward a holy destination. Last week's Curios covered the history of neckties, dangerously pure water, and the myth of the Mozart effect. Curio No. 1137 | Neckties: a history They say neckties are the wisdom teeth of menswear: they're useless and only cause pain. Which begs the question of why men around the world wear them. There are examples of neckwear starting in ancient Egypt, ancient Rome and the Qin dynasty in China. But the modern fabric necktie began as a wardrobe feature of soldiers. During the bloody Thirty Years' War in the first half of the 17th century, a group of highly skilled and vicious Croatian mercenaries wore red scarves around their necks for identification and hygiene. The French army began using the word cravat--the French word for a Croatian--to describe not just the Croat soldier, but also his blood red neck scarf... keep reading. Curio No. 1136 | Hitler's "degenerate art" promotion They say there's no accounting for taste. Even if you are a fascist dictator like Adolf Hitler! A decent painter himself, Hitler set out in 1937 to teach the German public the difference between good and bad art. He ordered the Reich Culture Chamber to stage two massive art exhibits in Munich. The first exhibit was held at the brand new House of German Art. Called the Great German Art Exhibition, it featured classical and realist paintings by traditional German artists. The second exhibit, called the Degenerate Art Exhibition, presented 600 abstract and modern works which Hitler felt were "insulting to German feeling" and supposedly by Jewish and Communist artists (only a handful actually were). It featured artists like Marc Chagall, Georg Grosz, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee--all works confiscated from museums in Nazi-held territory. ... keep reading. Advertisement Curio No. 1135 | Frequency lotteries Cellular phones use the same part of the electromagnetic spectrum that powers radio. As in, radio waves. Which means, just like radio stations, cellular service providers need to "own" certain frequencies to prevent interference. Except essentially every call needs its own frequency. When cellular technology came on the scene in the 1980's, the most obvious organization to regulate the frequencies was the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC). They already regulated radio and television broadcast. After being inundated with applications for spectrum licenses in the early 1980's, the FCC instituted a lottery in an attempt to be fair. They literally pulled numbered ping pong balls from a hopper to determine the winners of spectrum frequencies worth billions of dollars. Actually, the FCC first proposed an auction, but Congress said "no." So From 1986 to 1989, the FCC accepted spectrum applications from any US citizen who wanted to apply. And many tried... keep reading. Curio No. 1134 | Too pure water Can water be too pure? There is a longstanding scientific debate whether distilled water is safe for human consumption. Proponents argue distillation filters out dangerous chemicals sometimes found in our drinking water; on the other hand, it also filters out critical nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and sodium. But there is no debate about whether we should drink ultrapure water. That's a definite no. Known in high-tech engineering circles as UPW, it's as close to pure H2O as possible--and it's critical for producing microchips. Chip manufacturers need a cleaning substance that can remove dirt and grime from the microscopic electronic pathways printed into the chips, without introducing new residue. Ultrapure water contains virtually nothing but H2O molecules, so it's the perfect substance for the job... keep reading. Advertisement Curio No. 1133 | Beatles-topia Fifty years ago today, the Beatles played their last concert--at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. But the Fab Four recorded in the studio for four more years, rattling off Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album, Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road, and Let It Be. No big deal! Almost a year after the Candlestick show, though, they were lost and in need of direction. Which is why they almost bought a group of islands in Greece and established a commune. Seriously? John Lennon conceived of the idea. He wanted all the Beatles and their manager, Brian Epstein, to live on the islands and record there... keep reading. Curio No. 1132 | Lawnchair Larry's dream Up, up, and oh no! Cluster ballooning is when brave and/or stupid people attach themselves to a cluster of helium balloons and try to reach the highest altitude possible. If you now have a mental image of Winnie-the-Pooh or the house in the animated movie Up, you've got it about right. The grandfather of cluster ballooning is Larry Walters, better known as "Lawnchair Larry." Walters gained worldwide fame in 1982, when he and his lawnchair took flight in Los Angeles, lifted by 45 helium-filled weather balloons. Walters was a truck driver with no prior ballooning experience. But he had a 20-year-old "American dream" of floating up into the sky, ever since he was turned down by the Air Force for poor eyesight. Walters spent his life savings on the balloons, and enlisted his wife as his "ground crew." On July 12, he took off from his roof with a soda, a CB radio, an altimeter, and a pellet gun... keep reading. Curio No. 1131 | The real Mozart effect Baby Mozart? After a 1993 study in Nature found classical music improved children's spatial reasoning, news outlets mistakenly reported classical music could boost children's IQ. This error spawned a craze among educators and parents that society is still cleaning up. Overnight, businesses sprouted up making recordings, videos, books and wind-up mobiles devoted to babies' classical music needs. Not only was this mania based on a falsely-reported story, but the later attempts to recreate the results of the Nature experiment were unsuccessful. Regardless, the mythical baby Mozart effect was born. Subsequent studies have never found an impact of more than 1 IQ point from any particular musical exposure to infants. Another study concluded pop music was actually the best genre for boosting spatial reasoning for children... keep reading. Advertisement A screenshot of the latest posting of Beijing Normal University's Sina Weibo account. [File photo: Chinanews.com] Beijing Normal University has promised to investigate the reported sexual harassment incidents on its campus following the online circulation of one its student's research papers into the matter. According to the report, five cases of sexual harassment were reported in just one week - from August 18 to 25. On its official Sina Weibo account, the university said that it is still verifying the sexual harassment issues reported in the paper. Regarding the teacher named as perpetrator in the report, the university had initiated investigations and if justified, the teacher will be disciplined to the full extent of the university's policies. To ensure a safe campus environment, the university has upgraded the alarm devices at some of the locations on campus during summer vacation. Students can request the university's security monitoring center for help by simply pressing a button on the device. The university also promised to deploy more alarm devices and security guards in the future. Growing up in this day and age is tough. You are expected to look, dress, speak, think, and behave a certain way -- all of which are heavily contingent on the environment in which you have grown up. In my strict, traditional Chinese household, it was a foreign concept to be proud of any achievements. Instead, I thrived off knowing I could always do better and authority figures around me constantly compared me to my peers -- conveniently only those who were seen as more successful than I was. When I was younger, I always felt like I lived in my elder brother's shadow. I would always get one less A than he did in national examinations, or rank slightly lower in swim meets. Similarly, I would always receive fewer speaker points than my partner in debate tournaments. These seemingly objective measurements of success told me I was not good enough and that, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't keep up. Perhaps being prudent with praises was just a part of Asian culture, but I felt that no matter how much I tried, I could never live up to my parents' impossible standards of excellence. At various points in my life, I remember resenting and rebelling against their goals for me. I was trapped in a box that I had no autonomy of constructing or sustaining. Advertisement Reflecting on my first year in university, I wonder if my experiences growing up contributed to my feelings of inadequacy. Initially, that was all I thought it was: feeling inadequate. But I soon realized I constantly felt underqualified at my university, too. Minerva, where I go to university, has an acceptance rate of less than 2%. It attracts "the world's best and brightest." So when I found out I was accepted, I was convinced it was an admissions mistake. How could I have qualified for this prestigious university program? I kept doubting the system that presented me with this opportunity. How did they select their students? Why did they choose me? A few weeks after I received my admissions notification, Ben Nelson, the founder of Minerva, came to Kuala Lumpur to meet us admits. I was incredibly nervous. I tried not to talk too much because I feared I would say something unintelligent and get my acceptance revoked. He explained how Minerva evaluated their applicants and assured me that I belonged here. I still wasn't convinced. Flash forward a few months when I moved to San Francisco, I remember being at a cafe and preparing for class the next day when I felt overwhelmed with the complex jargons and unfamiliar concepts being introduced. I took my first preparatory quiz that day and scored a zero. A zero. I was convinced I was a fraud at this highly selective school, they would find out soon enough, and I'd be on the next plane back to Malaysia. I was convinced I didn't belong at Minerva. Advertisement At the same time, I was amazed at how accomplished my peers were when they shared their experiences from their gap years and study abroad programs. Comparing myself to my classmates was like second nature to me. I felt small and under qualified. I looked back at my resume and made excuses for my successes. Being proud of my accomplishments felt foreign to me so I made excuses for why I got "lucky." With the help of my professor and mentor, Dr. Michelle Greene, I realized I was experiencing something very normal: Imposter Syndrome. It is the inability to internalize your successes and fear that you might be exposed as an imposter. It seemed as though Imposter Syndrome was holding me back, by making me feel insecure and unsure of myself. Acknowledging that my feelings were normal, helped me rebuild my confidence. Slowly, I started trusting myself to proofread my papers. I started raising my hand in class more often than I usually would and I started reminding myself that I was significant. I made a conscious effort to give myself mental praise when I was brushing my teeth in the morning, and when I finally grasped a concept from a complex reading, I'd give myself a pat on the back. Small gestures like these have helped me love myself again, and I think I am starting to believe that I am worthy of that love. While I cannot confidently say I will never feel like an impostor again, I do see how it has motivated and fueled me so far in life; My feelings of inadequacy created a need to work harder than everyone else in order to prove myself. I genuinely feel like it has made me strive for success but maintain a humble spirit. Never again will I look at my straight As and tell myself that I got lucky. Even as the nation takes this long weekend to celebrate the American workforce, the rights and bargaining power of American workers continue to erode. From the rampant decline of union membership nationwide to the devastation of workers' rights under Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, our national workforce faces harsh challenges to the preservation of fair pay and the rights to organize. In 60 years, we've seen private-sector union membership fall from roughly a third of the workforce to just 6.7 percent. As a result, pay for private-sector workers has stagnated dramatically in the past 30 years, with non-union male workers lacking a college degree facing real wages even lower than they were in the late 1970s. Amalgamated Bank was founded on a firm belief in the importance of preserving the equity and wellbeing of the labor force, and we continue to fight today for worker protections and the betterment of working peoples' financial security. As the largest majority union-owned bank in the country, we strive to offer the support and services working families need, and engage in aggressive shareholder activism to ensure corporations are held to the highest standards of responsibility. Advertisement Labor Day is a celebration of workers' accomplishments in America, and represents the best parts of our nation's devotion to protecting our workers from corporate abuse. Unions ensure working men and women receive the pay and protections they deserve -- even if they aren't members. We know for a fact that the presence of unions in an industry drives wages higher for all workers, and creates benchmarks for benefits that the entire sector strives to match. States with a higher union presence typically see higher minimum wages, and increased competition among companies to offer the best pay and benefits to their workers. Meanwhile, conservative politicians continue to strip away the rights of workers, supporting "right-to-work" laws that undercut workers' ability to secure fair protections. In Wisconsin, where unionized workers were proven to make 11.7 percent more than their nonunion colleagues, roughly 130,000 union members have left their unions, and some unions have shuttered altogether after failing the annual "recertification" votes mandated by Governor Walker's "right-to-work" laws. In Indiana and Michigan, lawmakers have passed similar bills to prohibit union workplaces from charging non-union workers dues, undercutting unions' funding and political operations. Throughout our history, we at Amalgamated have aggressively fought on behalf of workers, and taken every opportunity to defend their ability to protect their rights. In the 1960's, we introduced trust fund management services for unions, and later opened the Trust and Investment Services Division to serve union pension and benefit funds. In 1973, we stayed open through the weekend to give bail checks to striking Philadelphia teachers. As buyers turned to foreign-made cars in the 1980's, we offered dramatic incentives to domestic car buyers to support American auto industry workers. Advertisement Just this year, Amalgamated helped workers in Washington, D.C., California and New York become the first in the nation to secure a $15 minimum wage -- a move supported by an estimated 60 percent of Americans. We believe it is our job as a good corporate citizen to protect the rights of both our own workers and the national labor force. It's not automation or technological advances cutting into workers' wages; it's decades of decline in the bargaining power of and respect for workers themselves. Restoring wage growth, and combating the endemic wage inequality plaguing the country, begins with empowering workers to fight for their rights and secure equitable treatment. The African Fashion scene has continued to grow tremendously over the years with an industry potential worth billions of dollars. As we experience the rise of new designers, retailers, tech entrepreneurs and path finders changing the face of the fashion industry, there's no doubt that Africa's economy has beamed more light on the immense opportunities evident in this industry while attracting possible long-term investments for its growth. One of the pioneers paving the way in the E-commerce space is the assiduous and vibrant 29 year old entrepreneur, Olatorera Oniru, Founder of Dressmeoutlet.com, an e-commerce platform with an eye for the global market. Before starting out as an entrepreneur, Olatorera had worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Ericsson as the head of sales Governance, MTN Account in the Sub-Sahara African region; Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a senior analyst and with General Electric as financial management intern. Olatorera is passionate about Africa, change, entrepreneurship and development. She has been involved with many prestigious leadership events. Her passion includes Innovation, Poverty Alleviation, National Development, Good Governance, Happy People and her activities include spending time with her Husband and children. Advertisement I recently had a chat with Olatorera about her entrepreneurial journey, growth and future plans for her thriving company, Dressmeoutlet.com. Let's talk about DressmeOutlet.com. What inspired the birth of your company? Dressmeoutlet.com is Africa's most fashionable, quality-focused and customer-centric online retailer. We retail fashion and beauty products to help our customers look good and feel good. Dressmeoutlet.com's customers are our foremost partners to the growth of Dressmeoutlet.com and the fashion industry and thus, we aim to please every step of the purchase journey. Dressmeoutlet.com was inspired by the yearn to make Africa greater. Africa is an amazing continent rich in natural and human resources but setback by decades of challenges due to corruption and inappropriate handover of leadership and power. Everyone with a good heart wants to see the greatness of Africa re-invented and as soon as immediately. Given that you're an African brand with a global audience; what measures do you use to track the success of your brand? At Dressmeoutlet.com, we have several factors that we use to measure the company's successful growth. Customer loyalty is tracked by the amount of repeat customers we have and as of today, over 70% of our customers are repeat buyers. This excites us because it lets us know that our customers love the products and services they received from Dressmeoutlet.com, significant enough to continue buying more items now and in future. Our return rates are also extremely low proving our points of high-quality, thoroughness and great customer service equals success in retail. Our physical products are high quality and when converted to digital products with thorough precision we directly ensure the lowest rate of returns and exchanges possible. We also ensure on-time delivery of all orders placed and continue to monitor our growth rate to ensure that our high level of diligent customer service will not falter at all even when demand for our products and services increases massively across borders. At Dressmeoutlet.com, we also track referrals; referrals from our repeat customers are one of our strongest growth factors. Advertisement Give us an insight into the selection and general planning process of the products retailed on Dressmeoutlet.com. What criteria do you use to select brands to work with and products to sell on your platform? Our foremost goal is to ensure high-quality. We want to retail only the very best. Beyond that, we also ensure branding, style, design, innovation, creativity and size, scale and mass-production capabilities of the designer. We have our bi-annual Cocktails & Dresses Largest Gathering of Made in Africa's Best Event coming up in December this year which brings together supporters and vendors playing a strong role in the made in Africa movement. It's been said that the African fashion industry is worth about $30 billion, yet there are several untapped opportunities. What in your opinion would help put Africa on the global fashion map? It is everything the very best of the industry players are currently doing and more plus growth on a much larger scale. We need to scale and scale rapidly. At Dressmeoutlet.com, we are currently solidifying the base essentials for the scale to be successful. We have ensured an operational process flow that works now and will continue to work when we are hiring thousands of employees and dispatching tens of thousands of products daily. We have mastered what our customers love most about Dressmeoutlet.com, we have discovered what they would love more of and we have figured out how best to continue serving the market on a larger scale. We are working on increasing our suppliers, increasing our inventory, increasing our patents and establishing new innovations and highly creative and unique designs. Within the next 6 to 8 months, we are expecting significant growth in our input, output, processes and resources. Continue to track our progress, we want to make you excited and proud to buy African made products of the highest quality that will last years if not decades. I must also note that the African Fashion Industry is highly dependent on the past, current and future ecosystem to be successful. We need new entrants filling gaps in the value chain. We need the entire supply chain from cotton farming to retailing established locally and solidly. It truly takes all the players within the ecosystem, committed to excellence, to successfully grow the industry beyond the $30 billion valuation in a few years to come. As an African woman, what challenges have you faced so far in your startup journey? The challenges I have faced are not peculiar to Dressmeoutlet.com but to most businesses being run within Africa. Many of us know of the vast challenges and setbacks from poor leadership to bad decisions to underdeveloped infrastructure. At Dressmeoutlet.com, we aim to constantly serve our customers as best as we can while we continue growing. We are highly focused and thus we do not dwell on challenges. Every challenge for us is possibly solvable and so we solve and grow, quickly and efficiently. If we cannot solve, we find another route to arrive at the same milestone agenda. We limit excuses and we maximize results. Many times, we have found ourselves serving as consultants to partners in other industries. We give business development and business innovation tips to our service providers where necessary or solicited. If we can help them succeed, we are directly helping Dressmeoutlet.com grow too. We aim to impact lives beyond our current mission and vision. We are strongly built on partnerships and collaborations. We get the best value from all our partners in the value chain. Advertisement Our foremost goal remains to ensure that our customers find and shop for and receive in a timely manner, products from Africa that they love and will tell people about. The fashion and e-commerce industries are very exciting. Anything involving innovation and uniqueness is worth it especially when you see the results and attain the milestones. What major milestones has Dressmeoutlet.com achieved so far and how did you get there? Dressmeoutlet.com dispatches daily and globally. We have 99% positive testimonials on our products and services. Also noteworthy, over 75% of our customers are repeat buyers coming to Dressmeoutlet.com frequently for more. We have built our inventory suppliers across Africa to over 50 SMEs and growing daily. By 2017, we will have over 150 vendors across Africa retailing via Dressmeoutlet.com. A significant percentage of our vendors also retail exclusively via Dressmeoutlet.com while they focus on manufacturing. Dressmeoutlet.com's team is currently made up of over 25 whizzy graduates and are hiring on a daily basis; currently looking for MBAs and assertive graduates with Master's degrees to head certain sales and operations leadership positions. We are growing and are projecting significant first year sales. Black Friday and Christmas sales this year will be momentous with discounts of up to 80% on over 10,000 high-quality designer products. What should we expect from DressmeOutlet.com in 5-10 years time? In 5 to 10 years, let's base our expectations on Africa. We want Africa to boom. We want Africa to narrow the gap between our current state and the world's most developed nations. We want to see poverty alleviated and unemployment rate reduced. This requires Dressmeoutlet.com, all other entrepreneurs in technology, agriculture, mining, government, and other industries to be dedicated to the growth plan. We want to see the standard of living increased to an acceptable minimum and we want to see less beggars and more entrepreneurs, more innovators and more leaders. We want much more for Africa, for everyone. Advertisement At Dressmeoutlet.com, we will continue growing, every single day and will not exactly quantify what 10 years from now will equate but we want to make Africa and the world proud. We want to continue doing good, providing the very best products and maximizing revenue. In so doing, we will employ more, build more partnerships and continue to expand the best of Africa to homes globally. The path of entrepreneurship can be tough. What ways do you unwind and keep your mind, body and soul at peace? I love family time and I love a good workout. I also love vacations, a day or two on the beach sipping cocktails would be great but I can't afford to take any vacations right now. My time is maxed out between Dressmeoutlet.com and my family. As a woman, I have to always ensure that my husband, kids and home are well catered to at all times and as an entrepreneur, I have to do the same and more for the ecosystem at Dressmeoutlet.com. When I need a sweet break, I put on my running shoes and go running and let my mind either rest or brainstorm. Either way, I'm sweating and feeling great with the fresh cool wind in Lagos. It's also good to keep fit. From the very start of his campaign Donald Trump's case for his superior qualification for the presidency has rested on his vaunted deal-making ability. Here is an excerpt from a fund-raising email his campaign sent around on August 23: I've built my career...by making great deals. I'm known for it -- I even wrote a book years ago called "The Art of the Deal." For the last 8 years, America hasn't even been getting bad deals from the Obama-Hillary Democrats -- they've been disastrous. So here's the great deal I have for you, Friend: you can count on me to make the very best deals for our country and our people -- on trade, on security, on jobs and more... How does Trump view his deal-making art? In a 1990 interview with Playboy magazine he was asked, "Is there a master plan to your deal making or is it all improvisational?" His answer: "It's much more improvisational than people might think." Advertisement As a politician, Trump's improvisation has translated into his unique speaking style. Trump free-associates. When he is unbound by the likes of teleprompters (and even then in irresistible asides), Trump moves from topic A to topic B improvisationally. He often seems to have a list in front of him--topics he wants to talk about. Or better, he wants to riff about. And, via what looks like free association, one riff can lead to another. And another. And another. What are these riffs? Where do they come from? The most fundamental fact for understanding how Trump managed to blow away sixteen politicians in the Republican primaries is that he prepared for his presidential run by immersing himself in the far-right Tea Party-infused, Michael Savage/Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity talk-radio world. True believers in this world make up around twenty percent of the American electorate, though they vote in disproportionately high numbers in Republican primaries. It is a world most Americans have been familiar with only superficially. But Trump understood, profoundly, what was burning this constituency up. He became supple in expressing the themes that run through their conversation day after day, and the memes that constitute the groundwork of what is constantly hammered at on kindred websites. He saw them and raised--"Build that wall!" He made their issues his own. At his convention, calling them the "forgotten people," Trump told this following what he had already made come true: "I am your voice." Trump is alpha-male, nostalgia-hawker and celebrity all rolled into one. From day one--Mexicans are "bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists"--the rest of America could hardly believe their ears. Liberals and Democrats were appalled at what they were hearing. Republicans and conservatives were unnerved by their sense that decades of their winking at such sentiments had finally delivered them their comeuppance. Trump's mind-boggling collection of outrageous remarks throughout the months of the primaries (and since) consists almost entirely of the themes and memes in the daily conversation among the far-right populists he steeped himself in. It is their daily grist. Advertisement Precisely because he said those things uncensored, Trump was electrifying for this constituency, who are, finally, the largest voting bloc in the Republican base. Resentments about the Clintons, Obama, the Republican establishment and much much more were suddenly out there at the level of presidential politics, asserted in the name of smashing political correctness, no longer merely forming the agreed-upon, taken for granted reality that set the terms of everyday in-house discourse on the populist far right. When Trump free associates, he's diving into this bank of these memes and pulling them out one by one. Take the extraordinary series of Trumpisms that seemed to crater his campaign in the weeks following the conventions as the national audience paying attention to the presidential campaign grew. To a one, Trump's most inciting remarks are taken-for-granted chestnuts from this extreme populist right discourse. Rigged elections? Everyone knows Obama didn't really win. Skewed polls? Unskewing is a science in that world. Hillary the devil? An everyday topic, these days edging out Obama as the Antichrist. "Lock her up"? It's been a certain conviction for months that her inevitable indictment was going to tank Hillary's presidential campaign. Flirting with supporting Paul Ryan's Tea Party opposition in the primary? The very stuff of the populist insurgency against the Republican establishment which has betrayed "real conservatism." Attacking the gold-star Khans? That's an easy one: they're purveyors of Sharia law that is creeping across America. Threatening Hillary with "second amendment people"? In the daily anguish over whether to support RINO (Republican in name only) establishment candidates or to go down to electoral defeat with Tea Party challengers, "second amendment remedies" is a residual category that inevitably makes its appearance. To some extent, Trump's replacing Paul Manafort with Steve Bannon from Breitbart.com as at the top of his campaign has pulled back the curtain on the reservoir of themes and memes Trump has been free-associating with for the past fourteen months. There is now an ideological designation for this thinking: populist nationalism. The white supremacism that has been cheering at the sidelines of the Trump campaign all along has now come out of the shadows. So too its undercurrent of anti-Semitism. Hillary Clinton's speech this week in Reno, Nevada citing Trump's alt right support, has made clear to a wide audience that the most radical anti-immigrant forces in America's political landscape have migrated from the fringes to the commanding heights of the current Republican campaign for the presidency. So too has Trump's joint appearance in Jackson, Mississippi with Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain's anti-immigration United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), who succeeded at the national level, with support from the right-wing of the Conservative Party, in his Brexit campaign to remove Britain from the European Union. In Trump's populist right world opposition to the Republican establishment and candidates like McCain, Romney and Jeb Bush has long been in lockstep with the conviction that nominating a "real conservative"--that is, someone like them; a "real American"--is the sure route, the real route, the only route for the Republicans to win the White House. Bannon matches Trump in his contempt for the Republican establishment. He has supported the far right's taking down former House speaker John Boehner. Before that, he mobilized Breitbart to help defeat Boehner's number two in the House, Eric Cantor. Earlier this year, he worked hard at trying to unseat current speaker Paul Ryan. Steve Bannon has emerged as today's most accomplished practitioner of driving thinking from the far right into the despised mainstream press. The late founder of Breitbart.com, Andrew Breitbart, once called Bannon "the Leni Riefenstahl of the Tea Party movement, an oddly positive reference to Nazi Germany's most famous filmmaker." And, it appears, Bannon has been joined in the Trump campaign by yesterday's most accomplished practitioner of these arts, Roger Ailes, who, in the form of Fox News, twenty years ago gave America's radical right its very own news network. Bannon in particular, has long been a Hillary Clinton specialist, moving inquisitions like Clinton Cash, the 2015 book and 2016 movie, into mainstream outlets. Why mothers have to talk to their sons about sexual assault By Liza Long Brock Turner was the son every mother wanted--until he wasn't. A Stanford swimmer, smart, talented, good looking, hard-working, and a rapist. As the world knows, Turner made a very bad decision at a party one night, a decision that devastated his victim and landed him to jail...for three whole months. That's right. A disabled U.S. veteran who grows a few pot plants in his backyard can get sentenced to life in prison. But for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, quintessential white boy Brock Turner did three whole months in jail. He got out today. In the face of this absurdity, my friend and fellow blogger Elaine Ambrose joined forces with Audrey Hayworth to create the "You Can't Rape Me Because I'm Drunk" challenge. I hope that every woman blogger in the world writes something on this subject today. Advertisement The first thing I thought when I saw Brock Turner's horrific story was, "Wow! That looks like my kid." Then I called my oldest son, who like Brock, is a college student (though not at Stanford--they were the only school he applied to that rejected him, and seriously, it was their loss). My son confirmed with a weary sigh that yes, I had in fact had "the talk" with him, several awkward times. I'm not talking about the Sex Talk, where sex, like Lord Voldemort, is the Act That Must Not Be Named. I'm talking about the Consent Talk. As part of the talk, I routinely offer practical and well-meaning advice that my sons should obtain a signed and notarized letter from any potential sexual partner stating the other person's unequivocal wishes and also make copies of several forms of ID proving age, including but not limited to driver's license and birth certificate. Vaccination records are a plus. Am I joking? Maybe a little bit, but not really. The consequences to all involved parties are just too severe. I mean, yes, Brock Turner's laughable prison sentence is the most insulting thing to women since that truly horrifying blog post on how to harass headphone-wearing gals who are clearly trying to avoid a conversation and/or the most recent words out of Donald Trump's mouth. Advertisement But Turner will, in fact, face lifelong (and in my opinion, if not his father's , well-deserved) repercussions for his decision to assault a helpless victim (you can read her powerful statement, if you haven't already, here). These frequent, blunt conversations about consent are important for all of us. When I was a teenager, I was taught that "No means no." Honestly, that didn't always work out so well for me, or for many women. The times my "no" or my silence was incorrectly misconstrued as a "yes" include but are not limited to the following: A late night living room in an off campus apartment at Brigham Young University when I was a sophomore. I was reported to the BYU Honor Code office and threatened with possible expulsion from school. Also, my Bishop encouraged me to marry the person in question (I didn't). Apparently, this kind of thing is still going on at BYU today. A second class night train from Rome to Venice my junior year. The man in question, a stranger, made certain assumptions about American girls that were astonishingly untrue. Every time I look at pictures from that trip, I can see his leering eyes. A co-worker repeatedly asked me out, and I kept refusing, so he reported me to Human Resources and accused me of sexually harassing him. Apparently, if you don't say yes, that is harassment. I found another job. (The worst time is not on this list. I save that one for therapy.) Of course, I was also taught that if a man did sexually assault me, it was really my fault, for one or more of the following reasons: I was wearing a short skirt or baring my shoulders. I was alone with him in his residence. I let him buy me a drink. I went for a walk by myself. When women say no, they really mean yes (see obnoxious headphone essay above). And so on. Advertisement Now, as an older and wiser mother of three sons (and one daughter), I know that consent is not about "No means no." It's about "yes means yes." Unconscious or sleeping women cannot say "yes." The fact that Brock Turner did not hear his victim say "no" in no way excuses what he did to her. There's this whole separate conversation we need to have about the judge in this case, not to mention the legal statutes that influenced his decision. But I'll save that one for the legal experts. I'm relieved to learn that the judge asked to be removed from criminal cases and reassigned to civil ones, so he can't wield his bias to harm any future victims of sexual assault. There's also a whole separate conversation we need to have about alcohol on college campuses. Did alcohol impair Brock Turner's judgement? That seems likely. According to the National Institute of Health, 97,000 students between the ages of 18-24 reported that they had experienced sexual assault while drinking. In the aftermath of the Turner assault, Stanford has taken the bold step of banning hard liquor from campus parties in an attempt to "meaningfully change the campus culture around alcohol." Of course, some worry this move may only exacerbate the problem of alcohol and sexual assault by driving it underground. And at some schools, sexual assault continues to be a problem even in the absence of alcohol (see BYU above). Advertisement But at the end of the day, as a mother of boys and as a sexual assault survivor, I feel that the solution to this problem starts at home. It is my duty to stand with all the other strong women who are framing this conversation on our terms. And it is my duty to talk with my sons and teach them what consent really means. The problem ends when my sons--and every mother's son--respect the women in their lives as equals. Here's a resource I use to jumpstart this crucial conversation: "Consent: It's Simple as Tea." One notable line: "Unconscious people don't want tea!" ___________________ During World War I, an American serviceman named Lee Duncan found a destroyed dog kennel on the battlefield. Miraculously, a puppy was still alive inside. Mr. Duncan rescued the pup, named him Rinty, and took him home to California. Many Americans know the rest of the story. That pup became Rin Tin Tin, the legendary TV and film star. But the real rest of the story is that battlefield dogs are, for the most part, a completely overlooked breed. Advertisement How many of us know American military dog Sergeant Stubby, the Boston Bull Terrier who captured a German spy among his many exploits? He was the most decorated dog of the First World War and the only one to be nominated for a specific military rank and promotion. How many of us know American military dog Chips, the German Shepherd-Collie-Siberian Husky mix who saved his unit in the invasion of Italy in World War II? Chips attacked a group of enemy gunmen, who then surrendered to the U.S. troops. And how many of us know American military dog Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who served in the Navy SEALS? Cairo was with the SEALS during Operation Neptune Spear, in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. The sad story is that America's military dogs go unrecognized and are easily forgotten. They don't come home to parades down Main Street. They don't have celebratory reunions captured by TV cameras. Advertisement In fact, until very recently when Congress passed legislation enabling American military dogs to return to the U.S., many didn't even get to come home. In Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, dozens were left in country to be euthanized! That is beyond comprehension. And it is simply inhumane. These are American military dogs fighting American battles and saving American lives. Indeed, it is estimated that each military dog saves the lives of 150-200 service men and women. We as a nation have a collective responsibility to honor their service, just as we should always pay tribute to the men and women who have served so selflessly and valiantly in America's Armed Services. Several decades ago, I set out to create the country's first permanent public tribute to our four million living disabled American veterans and all those who have died. I believed then, and now, that they are unsung heroes. But far too often, we as a country have marginalized them and averted our eyes to their plight. It took nearly two decades, but on October 5, 2014, I was honored to present to President Obama and our nation the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. Through this Memorial, generations will come to learn about all those who have been serious injured in the line of duty while wearing the uniforms of America's five military branches, past and present. The Memorial honors them, just as they honored us with their service and sacrifice and protected the freedoms we so enjoy and cherish. Advertisement Now is the time to do the same with our American military dogs. They, too, are unsung heroes. Their services and sacrifices have also been forgotten. There are some 2700 dogs in active military service, 700 of whom deployed overseas. And just like their four-legged military brothers and sisters who have served on the battlefield, these hero dogs have done so much to protect our freedoms, as well as their human soldiers. They detect explosive devices and carry out life-saving tasks. They search areas that cannot be accessed by the soldiers themselves. They do scout and sentry work. And at times, they even shield their human soldiers from bullets. On top of all this, they provide comfort and companionship to our troops, in country and when they come home - many serve as therapy dogs for their returning troops, helping them heal from the ravages of war. Of course, their bravery also often comes at a cost. Just like with our human warriors, these dogs can get injured and maimed. Just like our two-legged soldiers, they can suffer emotional and psychological distress. Some are even killed in combat. Just as with America's disabled veterans, our nation's military dogs are not given the credit they have earned and deserved. That is why I am now joining forces with the American Humane Association to build the first American Military Hero Dog Monument in Washington, D.C. To get this project off the ground, we are launching a nationwide design program. Whether one is a professional or amateur artist, a sculptor or designer, a veterans or civilian can submit a fitting design for the monument. I encourage all Americans to visit www.americanhumane.org for details on the American Military Hero Dog Design contest. Advertisement One of my most intense grievances concerns the way the second Bush administration led by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pillaged our National Guard units to conduct its misbegotten invasion of Iraq. I assume it would have been politically unpalatable to ask Congress to fund that mission -- raising and equipping the additional forces required -- so it was much easier to simply call in the National Guard. In short order, the National Guard was denuded of much of its weaponry, including tanks and aircraft, and thousands of working Americans in the prime of life were snatched away from their jobs and families and sent abroad. One may argue this is exactly what the National Guard is for, but I believe it should be our last ditch defense for national emergencies. In any case, within a couple of years the National Guard was virtually disarmed. My greatest concern was that this treatment would undermine public support for the National Guard. I feared the middle-aged working men and women would become reluctant to serve, knowing they could be plucked from their homes and jobs any time irresponsible politicians decided to embark upon ill-considered military adventures. We were sending people in their 50s and even 60s into the war zones. Advertisement I need not have worried. The National Guard is alive and well and refurbishing its ranks and arsenals. Better yet, Guard is taking creative leadership of cyber defense. The Air National Guard is today fully integrated with the U.S Air Force cyber mission. The Air National Guard's 261st Cyber Operations Squadron is in California and the 262nd is in Washington State, mobilized for six-month rotations with U.S. Cyber Command's Cyber Mission Force. In 2013, the National Guard piloted 10-person computer network defense teams in all 50 states, plus four territories. The Army National Guard is activating seven new multistate cyber protection teams, adding to three teams already in existence. The Air National Guard is activating four cyber operations squadrons, which join six already in action. With these expansions, the Guard intends to grow its cyber force to about 2,500 cyber warriors -- about 1,100 in the Army Guard and 1,300 in the Air Guard. A pro-impeachment demonstrator holds a cardboard coffin painted with the name of Brazil's suspended president Dilma Rousseff during a protest in front of the National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil, August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly With a score of 61 votes in favor of the impeachment and 20 against, the Senate removed Dilma Rousseff from office and put an end to a government built on fiscal fraud. Dilma will be remembered as the president who staged a farce to get reelected, sent 11 million people into unemployment, put the country into a harsh economic crisis and, above all, defied law and order by thwarting the constitution and the powers of the republic in order to stay in office. Advertisement Allied to perverse dictatorships like those in Venezuela and Cuba, and hostile to constitutional republics such as Paraguay, Dilma was after the legacy of tyrants: Unlimited and unbridled political power. Luckily, in the battle between the republic and Dilma, the people of Brazil chose to defend the former. Dilma's government tried to exploit its power, money, political influence and friends among the business and media elite to escape justice. We are sending a powerful message to the tyrannical governments across the continent: You are not invincible. But the millions of Brazilians that took to streets in some of the largest demonstrations in the country's history led the National Congress and the Supreme Court to a point where there was no room for the political conspiracies that attempted to protect the Workers' Party (PT). After a year of vibrant protests calling for the president's impeachment, the congressmen were forced to carry out their duty and punish the executive branch for the atrocities it has committed. After a trial that lasted nine months, the constitutional process has come to an end, condemning Dilma to the dustbin of history. We are sending a powerful message to the tyrannical governments across the continent: You are not invincible, and the people can hold you accountable for your crimes. Not even the Workers' Party, which has been increasing its presence in federal government over the past 13 years, could stop this powerful movement. Advertisement Dilma has been removed from office so that the dream of a free and prosperous Brazil can flourish. The federal constitution remains strong and intact -- despite the PT's attempts to undermine it. Rousseff's impeachment is not the red party's only punishment for conspiring against the republic. The Worker's Party may now lose votes in the 2016 and 2018 elections. The PT's ambition to obtain a political hegemony similar to the one that exists in Venezuela -- conceived and nurtured since Lula and Dirceu came to power -- has now been shattered. When Dilma took office, she and her allies still exhibited some degree of dignity -- however fake. Today, she describes the process of being removed from power for her crimes a ''parliamentary coup.'' The party's totalitarian mentality has been exposed. Brazil should not make the same mistake again: The Socialism and Freedom Party, which clearly supports dictatorships, is likely to use the same tactics of pretending to be an ethical and virtuous party while simultaneously compromising freedom and order. They must be denounced at once. For the time being, there is a lot to celebrate: the institutions and the population showed their willingness to protect the rule of law. Advertisement Despite its imperfections, this is a great and important achievement of the "Diretas Ja" (the campaign for free and direct elections that took place in 1984). This chapter indicates the rebirth of liberal democracy in Brazil. Dilma has been removed from office so that the dream of a free and prosperous Brazil can flourish. Like the impeachment, the realization of this goal is in the hands of Brazilians themselves. This article was created for PolitiFact Illinois, a collaboration between Reboot Illinois and Pulitzer Prize-winning national website PolitiFact. For additional fact checks in this partnership, visit the PolitiFact Illinois website. In August 2014, as the race between former Gov. Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner hit full throttle, no issue was more hotly contested than Rauner's charge that Quinn had reduced spending on K-12 education as state finances spiraled ever-downward under his leadership. Specifically, the Rauner campaign cited Illinois State Board of Education data that showed school funding going from $7.4 billion in Fiscal Year 2009 to $6.8 billion in FY 2015. Rauner said that amounted to a $600 million reduction. Quinn, however, said his administration actually increased state-level funding during that time by $442 million. Advertisement Whether school funding increased or decreased from FY 2009 to FY 2015 depended on whether you counted $1.8 billion in federal economic stimulus money in your calculation. Rauner did, Quinn didn't. The issue never was settled, and seemed to disappear after Rauner defeated Quinn in the 2014 election. Then came Governor's Day at the Illinois State Fair on Aug. 17. Rauner is not up for election this year, but his legislative agenda is. His campaign fund in recent weeks has given $10 million to the Illinois Republican Party to support GOP candidates who are running against what Rauner describes as a "corrupt machine" run by Democrats. Throughout the summer, Rauner has revived some of the themes that were a big part of his own, successful campaign two years ago. As he rallied the Republican faithful at the fairgrounds for the final charge to Election Day, Rauner reached back into his 2014 campaign quiver for another shot at Democrats' stewardship of school funding in Illinois. "They are strangling our state. They are driving jobs away. They are raising your taxes to the highest property taxes in America. They are building massive government bureaucracy everywhere, crushing our economy," Rauner told an enthusiastic crowd. "They are cutting our school funding. Four times in the last 10 years before we came into office." Advertisement So here we are again, almost exactly two years from when this debate first erupted, only this time the argument is expanded to include all Illinois Democrats and narrowed to "four times" that they cut school funding. We decided to dig back in and find out if it's true. A training formation of China's East China Sea Fleet conducts combat training in the West Pacific in mid-August. Included in the formation is missile destroyer Jingzhou, of which images were just released for the first time. (Photo/mod.gov.cn) "[T]he discovery of the Jewish virus is one of the greatest revolutions that has taken place in the world. The battle in which we are engaged today is of the same sort as the battle waged, during the last century, by Pasteur and Koch. How many diseases have their origin in the Jewish virus! ... We shall regain our health only be eliminating the Jew." - Adolf Hitler (quoted in Burleigh and Wippermann, Racial State, p. 107) !(http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/hitler-quotes/)! During the early 1930s, Adolf Hitler claimed Jews were the cause of Germany's unemployment, low wages and communism. Following Hitler's ugly misrepresentation of people of Jewish ancestry, a year ago Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate tycoon opened his bid for the presidency of the United States with a claim that Mexico is laughing at us while sending us their problems, their drugs, their crimes, their rapists, and that the people of Mexican and Muslim ancestry cause the problems we face, unemployment, low wages, violence in the streets and terrorism. !(http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/html)! During the years that followed Hitler becoming chancellor of Germany, he imprisoned, enslaved and murdered millions of people of Jewish ancestry to eliminate the Jewish problem. Without saying, or even hinting how, Trump claims he will solve United States problems. !(http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/html/)! Accompanying Trump's reliance on Hitler's use of lies to gain power is the danger that Trump will rely on Hitler's use of race and ancestry to solve our problems. Trump's position on the issues the United States faces changes almost daily. One day he says that he wants to deport all Mexican immigrants and their entire families who have not completed the steps to enter the country with proper documentation. The next day he says he will be lenient in undisclosed cases only to again revert on the next day to his I will build-a-wall rhetoric. One day he favors workers rights and the next day he leaves them to strangle in the bankruptcy court. When discussing on the Republican convention floor the serious problems we face, he stated no specifics, only "I am your voice. I alone can fix it." The Republican delegates responded with chants of "USA" and "Lock her up." !(http://www.theatlanic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/trump-rnc-speech-alone-fix-it/492557/)! Like Trump today, during the 1930s, Hitler sought the support of workers by claiming he opposed the exploitation of the economically weak, unfair salaries and evaluation of people by their wealth and property instead of responsibility and performance. !(http://econc10.bu.edu/economic_systerms/Theory/Famous/Hitler.htm) Then, [o]n May 2d, 1933, the day after Labor day, Nazi groups occupied union halls and labor leaders were arrested. Trade unions were outlawed by Adolf Hitler, while collective bargaining and the right to strike was abolished." !(http://newsjunkiepost.com/2011/02/20may-1933-hitler-abolishes-unions/)! While Trump claims he supports workers rights, four times he has used our bankruptcy laws to avoid paying workers and others he owed money. !(http://abcnews.go.com/Politics-donald-trump-filed-bankruptcy-times/story?id=13419250/)! Trump claims his ability to avoid paying money he owes displays his ability to negotiate. He does not mention his reliance on the bankruptcy court to enable him to evade payment of money he owed. When bragging about his diplomat skills, he asks, "When was the last time anybody saw us beating China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time." If Trump is elected president and pursues his modus operandi in business, he will likely just declare the United States is bankrupt because of our large national debt. This will prevent the United States from paying for defense, the national parks and elderly medical bills and Social Security. Perhaps the greatest falsehood Trump utters is that Hillary Clinton "lies like crazy about everything. Whether it is trips where she was gunned down in a helicopter or an airplane, she's a liar and everybody knows that." Again Trump's claim lacks specifics. Like Hitler, Trump appears to believe that if you win you need not have to explain." !(http://nlcatp,org//2014/12/14/)! Just as Hitler maintained, if you want people to believe a falsehood, keep saying it. Trump appears to follow Hitler's maxim "[b]y the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise." !(http://nlcatp,org//2014/12/14/)! We face the danger that, in Hitler's famous words, "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventfully they will believe it." !(http://nlcatp,org/)! Apparently, like Hitler, Trump believes that if he keeps saying Hillary Clinton is an untrustworthy liar; eventfully the people will believe it. In 1989, Trump took out a full page in the New York Times calling for the death penalty for five youths, four Black and one Latino charged but found innocent of assaulting a jogger in Central Park. !(http://www.rawstory.com/2015/08/donald-trump-kept-book-of-hitler-speeches-on his nightstand-ex-wife-claims/)! Many charged racism. The racism charge again arose after Trump named the editor of a far-right fringe racist internet advocate as his campaign chief. Can we forget Hitler's henchmen, Hermann Goring, Rudolf Hoess, Joseph Goebbles and Heinrich Himmler? Given what we have heard Trump say and have seen what Trump does, we cannot take the chance that Trump as president will follow Hitler's example of seeking to solve our problems through the arrest, enslavement and murder of those blamed for creating the problems. If Trump is elected we may be thrown back into the German turmoil of the 1930s and witness the arrest, enslavement and murder of millions of Mexican immigrants and US citizens, and the banning of Muslim and Asian immigrants. This is is an unacceptable alternative. We must do all we can do to ensure that we do not run this risk. We must get out the vote of all Americans to vote for the only rational candidate Hillary Clinton. We must not fall into the Hitler trap of accepting as true the falsehood that Hillary Clinton is not trustworthy just because Trump repeats the lie over and over. We must ask ourselves if a claim without specifics that Hillary Clinton is not trustworthy overcomes the risk of war with Latin America, threatened nuclear, and a civil war at home. Donald Trump's bloodcurdling speech in Phoenix on immigration two nights ago is being compared to his speech a year ago, in the same place, on the same topic. But in many ways it also mirrors his address at the Republican National Convention in July, focused on "law and order," pitting groups against one another, and in the process demonizing all people of color. At that time he attempted to pit "LGBTQ citizens" against Muslims, reiterating that he will protect gays from a "hateful foreign ideology." For weeks he'd been horribly exploiting the Orlando massacre, which was carried out by an American citizen filled with a hatred of gays who grew up in a country in which hate groups, like the Family Research Council, inspire animus and discrimination. Because the killer was a Muslim, however, and referenced ISIS, which he seemed to have confused with Al Qaeda and other groups -- and though he had no ties, or even known sympathy, to ISIS before -- Trump spun the massacre as one directed by "radical Islam" and decided this was how he would feign support for LGBT people. As I've pointed out many times, the media ate it up, often describing Trump as "embracing" LGBT "rights" when he is as opposed to any actual "rights" -- including marriage equality -- as any other GOP presidential candidate has been. Advertisement On Wednesday night, Trump appeared to expand on his attempt to pit LGBT people against Muslims to include all immigrants as potential enemies. This is of course monumentally ignorant in many ways, including because of the fact that many immigrants, whether Muslim, Mexican or any other group, are LGBT themselves. Many LGBT immigrants are in fact fleeing their countries because of horrific anti-LGBT oppression, such as the case with LGBT Syrian refugees (while Trump rails against Hillary Clinton for calling for accepting more Syrian refugees). And many Central and South American LGBT immigrants are facing terrible homophobic and transphobic abuse in detention centers in the U.S., after fleeing homophobia in their native countries. That pertinent fact notwithstanding, Trump once again promised in his speech on Wednesday to enforce an "ideological certification" test for immigrants -- "extreme vetting" -- that is as hypocritical as it is unconstitutional: Another reform involves new screening tests for all applicants that include an ideological certification to make sure that those we are admitting to our country share our values and love our people....Applicants will be asked for their views about honor killings, about respect for women and gays and minorities, attitudes on Radical Islam, and many other topics as part of the vetting procedure. This is outrageous because it is evangelical Christian extremist leaders in the United States -- U.S. citizens -- who are right now the major danger to the safety and well-being of LGBT people, taking away our rights and inspiring violence on the streets. When Trump says that the "ideological certification" will make sure immigrants accept our "values" about "women and gays," what "values" is he talking about? Right now the values he embraces regarding LGBT people are those of the Family Research Council (FRC), which endorsed him. Advertisement He's promised them and other anti-LGBT groups, via the Christian Broadcasting Network, to appoint judges who would overturn marriage equality and supports the First Amendment Defense Act, which would allow for discrimination against LGBT people by government entities and businesses. And he certainly doesn't support the Equality Act, which would add protections for LGBT people to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and which Hillary Clinton pledged to get passed after it was introduced in Congress last year. He in fact believes such issues should be left to the states, as he said (in a flip-flop) regarding North Carolina's anti-LGBT law which regulates where transgender people go to the bathroom. So when Trump says immigrants must share our values for "respect of women and gays" he's trying to dupe both GOP moderates and the media into the belief that he actually supports LGBT rights when he doesn't. At the same time, anti-LGBT groups don't mind the mention because they know it's in the service of bashing Muslims -- and FRC leader Tony Perkins, whose church Trump made a big donation to, admitted as much, even using the term LGBT himself -- and that he's, on paper, on board with their domestic anti-LGBT agenda; he'll in fact be speaking to them as the star speaker of FRC's Values Voter Summit next week. This post was coauthored with Cole Kosydar, MSt in US History Will the bloody child of Aleppo, whose ravaged face caught the attention of the world community, inspire humanity to end this war in Syria? The death toll has already risen to 470,000, at least according to a report published early this year by the Syrian Center for Policy Research. Yet despite this carnage, the international community's response has been feeble; there seems to be a lack of desire to champion peace or any committed willingness to search for it. It is disturbing that even in the 21st century the concept of achieving and sustaining peace is viewed with incredulity. But this was not always the case. American public sentiment was once more accepting of diplomacy over war. In fact, in 1928 following the calamity of the First World War, the American Secretary of State, Frank Kellogg, in cooperation with his French counterpart Aristide Briand signed a treaty to outlaw war itself. While the Kellogg-Briand Pact was cast aside with the outbreak of WWII and then subsequently forgotten in the proxy battles of the Cold War, it should not be understood today as simply misplaced idealism. We argue that the United States should again aspire to outlaw war -- specifically preemptive war --- and commit itself to international treaties that will ensure this pledge is upheld. Or else, we believe these wars will continue. Advertisement A new decade in the 21st century approaches and the strife of war continues to affect many American families whose sons and daughters are deployed on bases around the world. The fall of the Soviet Union and the supposed triumph of liberal capitalism was heralded as the end of history. The 21st century was supposed to rubber stamp the belief that interventions like Vietnam would never happen again in a world of stable capitalist democracies. But they have, over and over again. Since President George H.W. Bush declared an end to the Vietnam complex after a decisive victory by the American led coalition in the first Iraq War, the United States has led military interventions in at least five different countries from Somalia to Haiti, from Beirut to the Balkans, not including the wars following September 11th. And one should not forget the lightening strike military interventions in Libya, Granada, Panama in the twilight hours of the Cold War under President Reagan. Counting the current Iraq/Afghanistan War the United States has carried out at least 10 large-scale, boots-on the-ground interventions in total since the Vietnam War. It is more accurate to say then that from the fin-de-siecle of the 20th century to the first two decades of the 21st, this has been an era not of defensive war, but of preemptive war. What happened to the nation that once sought to outlaw war? What happened to the nation that once lampooned the far-reaching chains of the British Empire? It is fair and circumspect to ask: have we through political, military, and economic coercive influence become an Empire ourselves? On his deathbed, the architect of the Vietnam War, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara --"The Whiz Kid" -- urged in his memoirs that America in its hurt and recalcitrance learn from the mistakes of Vietnam and accept a sense of historical responsibility to lead an international community without unnecessary violence and war (McNamara 1996). Advertisement The shadows of Vietnam defined the Baby Boomer era, just as Iraq has come to define the era of their sons and daughters. Let not another war define the millennial generation. To prevent these types of ill conceived invasions, the U.S. Senate should allow itself to be legally bound by Security Council resolutions and give this commitment teeth by joining the International Criminal Court (ICC) so American leaders can be held responsible. If anything, the ICC will act as a powerful determinant against "preemptive war." These commitments are not an abdication of American sovereignty, but in fact a reaffirmation of our collective security obligations. All our NATO partners are members of the ICC, and so too should the United States. These steps may still leave us far from adhering to the principles of the Kellogg-Briand Pact, but they are important and necessary steps in the right direction. Peace in this decade may not be achieved, but it is a goal to which we should never stop aspiring. ATHENS, GREECE - AUGUST 29: A refugee child holds a placard depicting a Syrian flag with the words 'Freedom Syria' in central Athens during the protest against the August 24th, 2016 arson attack on the refugee housing squat in Notara street at the port of Piraeus on August 29, 2016 in Athens, Greece. (Photo by Nicolas Koutsokostas/Corbis via Getty Images) One year ago, the world mourned the death of Alan Kurdi. He was a Syrian toddler who drowned on his way to a better life, and his image stuck with all of us, humanizing the tragic toll of a war that keeps being forgotten. Weeks ago, another Syrian boy, Omran Daqneesh, made headlines around the world. His stunned and bloodied face as he sat in the back of an ambulance was another reminder of the horror, another wake-up call to finally do something about the situation in Syria. The two boys have become symbols of what seems like a never-ending nightmare. They shocked the international community to the core and made many, for at least a short while, say enough is enough. But with Syria in its sixth year of civil war, the rhetoric surrounding the conflict is worse than ever. When refugee numbers hit 4 million in July of 2015, it became the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. Then, when the world witnessed recent terror attacks like those in France and Belgium, the events sparked some politicians to link refugees with terrorism. Despite evidence to the contrary, this rhetoric still exists today by some of the leading politicians in the United States, including in the Republican presidential nominee's call to ban all Muslims from entering America. Advertisement When I, Oula, first came to America from Syria, I started organizing protests at the White House in solidarity with my people to raise awareness and to get the media to cover the subject from the people's perspective. Very few Syrians did that at that time. As a political asylee who was forced to leave my hometown of Damascus in 2005 due to direct death threats from President Bashar al-Assad to my parents on an account of their human rights activism, I know how the Syrian regime manipulates media in its favor. That's why it's crucial to fight the false accusations and the negativity spreading all over the news about Syrians, whether they are about the peaceful protesters in 2011 whom the regime called "terrorists" since the very beginning, or about the millions of Syrian refugees today who are also being accused of terrorism by many sides, not only by the Assad regime, but also by some American public figures and politicians such as Donald Trump. This hostile and derogatory dialogue around Syrian refugees in the United States that dominates discussions of the Syrian population needs to change. And one of the best places to start is in the classroom with programs like I Am Syria. Realizing the need to counter discriminatory statements and false accusations targeting refugees fleeing their war-torn countries, grassroots movements such as I Am Syria have made it their mission to educate students on the Syrian conflict through recent news, articles with leaders in the Syrian movements and lesson plans geared towards the youth.The campaign, which creates an online curriculum for teachers to provide some context of these issues such as the so-called Islamic State and the refugee crisis has been designed to teach the facts, and acknowledge the suffering of the innocent rather than the fear of extremism. The goal is to give students a platform to act on, rather than just observe the conflict that is occurring. Lessons are designed to get students excited to generate change and open up the floor for conversations and positive solutions to combat the negative news about refugees presented in the media. And the images of Alan and Omran, while devastating, seem to increase student empathy for the cause. Advertisement From our experience, when students see Syrian children in that situation, their stories and suffering drive them to do something to help, raise awareness and also educate people around them about the issue. What makes teaching the Syria conflict even more pivotal is how protests in Syria began. The catalyst for the Syrian uprising was a group of 9 to 12 year old boys writing graffiti on their school walls: "The government must go!" These efforts were followed by other students placing their green hands on the walls of their community. The underlying lesson for students is that no matter how small their voice might seem at a young age, it can lead to a global change. When students see Syrian children in that situation, their stories and suffering drive them to do something to help. "Learning about current world issues is essential, as it allows students to see and discuss how countries work together to address human rights violations and war," Thea MacFawn, a teacher from Latham, N.Y. using the curriculum, said. "Teaching about current world issues also provides students the space to articulate their ideas about how to address these conflicts while considering current U.S. foreign policy." Advertisement In our experience, the sad truth is that many students do not know much outside of what they see in the news about the Syrian conflict. When asked why learning about the Syrian conflict in the classroom is important, James Hoehn, a now college freshman, said, "The younger generations live their lives with little concern for others and the troubles they face. They don't realize that they are blessed with what they have compared to what the Syrians have. One of the ways to get them to appreciate what they have is to teach them about the conflict through school." Fellow student Antonio Pecoraro, a college freshman at the time, had a similar sentiment after learning about Syria: "Learning about the hardships the Syrian people have to endure allows students to envision a world that stretches beyond their community, and allows them to become proper and cultured individuals." An injured Syrian child receives treatment at a makeshift hospital following a reported airstike on a rebel-held town east of the capital Damascus, on August 23, 2016. (And Doumany/Getty Images) Syria is in the heart of the Middle East, the center of a troubled region, and every power whether it's regional or international has an interest in Syria's story today. Unlike Vegas, what happens in Syria never stays in Syria, and there are many reasons behind that. Advertisement Frustrated protesters cried for the international community's help, especially America's help, but no one answered. The world witnessed the bloody crackdown on civilians for years, and the use of chemical weapons by the regime, but turned a blind eye. Every group is fighting for its own agendas at the expense of the Syrian people who called for freedom and dignity. The dreadful proxy war has muted the voices of the Syrian people and made them hopeless and powerless. But it doesn't have to be that way. Voices don't have to be muted and stories don't have to go untold. We are all Alan Kurdi. We are all Omran Daqneesh. We are all Syrian. Since the creation of the lesson plans, I Am Syria gets hundreds of hits and downloads a month during each school year. Educators around the world have extended the material further and hold events to raise money and awareness for the people of Syria. Moved by the stories and the struggle of Syrian refugees, Nicole Nederlk's elementary school students in Charlotte raised more than $500 this spring that they donated to the Convoy of Hope to aid refugees in the Middle East and Europe. Advertisement This young North Carolina classroom is not alone. Just this past March, a San Bernardino, Calif. classroom of 4th and 5th graders were inspired to do something after listening to the I Am Syria lesson plans. Selling bracelets to cover shipping costs and asking for shoe donations, they were able to send gently used shoes to a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. The work of teaching students compassion and kindness towards Syrian refugees is not a mission only for the United States in the eyes of the I Am Syria staff. They work to reach classrooms internationally as well. Children play along a street in rebel-held neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria September 1, 2016. (Reuters/Abdalrhman Ismail) Karin Etman of the 4T1 Montessori Lyceum School in Amsterdam told us after utilizing the I Am Syria materials, "Together with our pupils we started to join forces and contribute in as many ways as possible to support Syrian people. With compassion, with thoughts, and with our voices, there is always hope." Not only does I Am Syria help to educate young students, the material was also designed for refugee students. Jordan Hattar, the co-founder and director of Help4Refugees has worked extensively with Syrian refugees and their children inside the Zaatari Refugee camp in Jordan, teaching English. He explains, "I Am Syria has made learning about the Syrian conflict and assisting Syrian refugees more accessible to those who want to help. Firsthand, I have seen I Am Syria connect those who want to help, with those who need help." Advertisement New York student Calvin Gath was among the first students to get involved with the I Am Syria organization and be taught the educational material in 2012, just one year into the conflict. Calvin describes his thoughts when first learning the material: "A few years ago, I remember thinking that Syria was just the next in line for their Arab spring revolution, but I didn't know about the mass atrocities against the Syrian people until I learned from I Am Syria." 'It's easy to get sucked into your immediate surroundings and ignore atrocities as they happen elsewhere in the world.' For Calvin, the political climate around Syria and Syrian refugees is shocking. "The refugee crisis is such a critical debate in American politics right now," he added. "And for people to hold opinions on the decisions regarding the lives of millions of people, without understanding the grave circumstances under which those people live, is unfortunate." Calvin is dedicated to spreading awareness. He told us he has relayed the importance the campaign on Facebook and to his local congressional representatives. Advertisement "It's easy to get sucked into your immediate surroundings and ignore atrocities as they happen elsewhere in the world, but after I Am Syria I feel obligated to help others when I can, even if it's something small," he said. Speed fascinates us all. It is the rare contest that rewards the slowest. Our language reflects this fixation on the fastest. Vivid figures of speech attempt to impress upon the listener just how quickly something happens. For those who may have wondered about the outcome of a race between the drop of a hat, the blink of an eye, a bat out of hell and other familiar contenders, we now have the results. Professor Mohamed Abdel-Maguid, head of the Department for Science and Technology at University Campus Suffolk in the UK gathered this data. In case you're wondering if the professor has too much time on his hands, you should know that his CV is filled with awards and honors. His most recent paper is Enhanced Information Throughput in MIMO-OFDM based systems using Fractional Sampling and Iterative Signal Processing. Advertisement Speeds are indicated in meters per second and from fastest to slowest. In a flash: 3,000,000,000 - speed of light Lightening fast: 6,000,000 - speed of a lightening bolt Faster than a speeding bullet: >1,524 In one fell swoop: 108.05 - speed of peregrine falcon, fastest self-propelled animal Before you know it: >100 - speed of electrical impulse along human nerve A bat out of hell: 35.8 - speed of diving Mexican free-tailed bat Off like a hare: 19.4 - speed of a brown hare Make it snappy: 13 - speed at which fingers can be snapped Like wildfire: 7 - rate at which bushfires can spread Drop of a hat: 5.7 - speed of a hat dropped in a vacuum from average head height FILE PHOTO - Brazil's suspended President Dilma Rousseff attends the final session of debate and voting on Rousseff's impeachment trial in Brasilia, Brazil, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY On August 31, a rainy afternoon in Sao Paulo, I watched the 2016 coup play out on the Senate TV channel. They referred to the process as a legal impeachment. They claimed that Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff, had committed a macroeconomic crime. My dear reader, stop pretending to be impartial. Stop trying to convince yourself that this decision will overthrow the Workers' Party (PT). It's will not. Advertisement Those who stood behind this coup have, by default, supported Michel Temer, Eduardo Cunha, Aecio Neves and their followers. Those who were in favor of this coup have endorsed corruption. I am not a member of the PT. I will never become a member of any party, due to my work as a journalist, as well as for personal reasons. But I am not afraid of taking a stand: I think it's important to say that this impeachment was actually a coup. I believe it was a parliamentary coup brought about by corrupt politicians. I watched Dilma Rousseff's trial since it started on Thursday, August 25, paying attention to the arguments of the prosecution and the defense. There was no consensus over the fiscal maneuvers, which are central to the impeachment claim. Advertisement The Senate voted favorably for her impeachment, with a score of 61 to 20. Senator Randolfe Rodrigues was responsible for proposing a separate motion concerning Dilma's political rights. However, the 43 votes in favor of barring her from holding any public office for the next eight years were insufficient. In a nutshell: The coup removed her from office, but some senators, mainly from PMDB (the current president's party), realized that an open war against the PT was not a smart idea. They decided that they didn't want to bar Rousseff from public office for eight years, unlike what happened during the legitimate impeachment process against Fernando Collor de Mello. Here are the facts about the politicians that voted in this process. Renan Calheiros is a defendant in at least 11 investigations into corruption crimes. Another member of his party, Romero Juca, was involved in plotting to stop investigations into the Car Wash Operation. I think it's important to say that this impeachment was actually a coup. Antonio Anastasia, who was responsible for preparing the impeachment report, has been accused of receiving R$ 2 million from the Andrade Gutierrez, UTC, OAS, Odebrecht and Queiroz Galvao contractors as well as from the BTG Pactual Bank, which were all mentioned in the Car Wash Operation. Aecio Neves was mentioned at least five times in the plea bargain process of the Petrobras corruption scheme. Advertisement Michel Temer, the new president of Brazil, has been accused by the Car Wash Operation investigators of receiving R$ 5 million from congressman Eduardo Cunha since 2015. The former speaker of the lower house of Congress, whose political rights have not been suspended, has allegedly received R$ 52 million in 36 installments, according to an accusation in one of the numerous plea bargain statements. It may sound repetitive, but one thing is clear: All these crimes are more relevant than the fiscal maneuvers carried out by Dilma Rousseff during the Harvest Plan. All these investigations involve money stolen from the Brazilian people, and not financial operations devised to obtain financial resources for the "Bolsa Familia" and other social programs. All the facts of this coup must be reiterated, no matter how repetitive they may sound. Senators from PSDB (and their political allies) consider the fact that Dilma has kept her political rights as a "coup" against the impeachment process. The hard and cruel truth is that the Workers' Party corrupt congressional base disrespected the constitution and double-crossed a president elected by 54 million votes. Advertisement And they did it in order to keep stealing from all of us. By Natalie Crawford It came down to a matter of matching blinds. Women, removed from shelters, lived in their cars, awaiting the opening of Family Rescue's Ridgeland Transitional Housing because the state objected to the fact that some window blinds did not match. After six long years of jumping through the state's hoops and convincing private investors that Ridgeland and domestic violence was worth their money, Family Rescue found the only thing standing between 22 families in need of a home and the December elements was matching window blinds. So, housing center officials opened anyway, ready to face whatever fines the state would throw at them. In an interview, Joyce Coffee, the executive director and chief executive officer of Family Rescue's women's shelter on Chicago's South Side, recalls this moment in December as one she'll never forget. Finally open, women stood inside Ridgeland for the the first time, never having met each other, and around them spun a little girl. She went woman to woman, offering a hello and kind smile, before off again she'd twirl. The girl turned to her mother to ask, "Mom, will this be our home? Can we have a Christmas tree?" Advertisement The women began to weep. Shelters like Family Rescue pull off more than just Christmas trees and Christmas miracles every day. Coffee and the other workers at Family Rescue prove every day can be miraculous through the work they do shepherding women through recovery from domestic violence. Family Rescue provides women with more than shelter, food, and clothing. They also offer court advocacy, helping women navigate a complex court system. They are the only agency with offices inside a Chicago police station to aid victims. Open since 1981, Family Rescue was only the second domestic violence shelter in the city of Chicago and the first and only shelter operating on the South Side until February. The numbers, from the most recent anual report, show: 12,358 nights of safe shelter were provided 23,242 nights of affordable housing were provided 1,462 crisis called were answered 938 orders of protection were obtained for victims Throughout its 35 years, Family Rescue has faced hardships--struggling through the recession, the state budget impasse, and other funding challenges. As a result, the management of the women's shelter faced expensive yet necessary building renovations that could have resulted in them having to close their doors. Instead, Family Rescue got a lifeline when it was won an Impact 100 grant that allowed the shelter to continue its work. Impact 100 is a volunteer organization of metropolitan women who pool $1,000 donations into four, $100,000 grants they award annually. Illinois faces many challenges. And there are many ordinary Illinoisans rising up daily to meet those challenges. In the first of an occasional series of Illinois success stories, Reboot Illinois sat down with Coffee to learn more about Family Rescue's struggles and how it is rising up to achieve success for women who need help. The interview that follows has been edited for brevity and clarity. Advertisement Bulletin board in Family Rescue. Q: What is the mission of Family Rescue? Joyce Coffee: It basically says that we are an agency that is dedicated to eliminating domestic violence in the Chicago community, and we do that through direct services, through systems advocacy, and through community education, which fosters prevention...The mission statement has enough flexibility to allow us to experiment and do things but enough structure so that we don't stray from ... the original purpose of the organization. Q: How did Gay Northrup start Family Rescue? A: She went to England and worked for a year for a woman by the name of Erin Pizzey, who is generally credited with opening the first battered women's shelter...Erin had written a book called Scream Quietly or Your Neighbors Might Hear...Then [Gay] came back to Chicago and coordinated a speaking tour for Erin to come here, and Gay started the Domestic Violence Project with the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army was like her incubator; they knew she was going to spin off to become Family Rescue, and that lasted a couple of years. Then she incorporated Family Rescue and bought this building. This was a convent, and she bought it with money from Angela Lansbury, the actress...and the Benjamin J Rosenthal Foundation. Playground at Family Rescue. Q: How did you get involved with Family Rescue? A: My first job was running a day care center, and I had women in my day care center and DCFS was taking their children away from them. This woman finally came to me and she was crying and...said 'Joyce, can you help me?' And I said, 'Well, why are they taking them away? Are you abusing your child?'...and she said, 'No no no!' Well, someone was doing something, and you know what she said? She said, 'My boyfriend did this or did that'...I didn't know about domestic violence, didn't even know the word, and I wrote this proposal and it was funded. Judges would allow women to keep their children if they went to counseling ... so that was my first touch with domestic violence even though I didn't know that's what it was. My second real job was as a HeadStart coordinator ... in Michigan, and the bus drivers would come to me and say, 'Joyce, you know, I think you need to look at this particular child.' 'Well, what's happening?' 'Have you ever noticed that if you move real fast around that child they'll flinch?' I said, 'No, but we'll pay attention.' Now there's my second go around, and I'm finding there's women, who'd joined HeadStart and whose children were being abuse ... Still didn't know any words about domestic violence. I left, went to California, and worked in a residential facility for severely emotionally disturbed teenagers, and then moved back here--moved to Chicago. Gay was looking for a shelter director and put an ad in the paper, so I applied ... I looked up Family Rescue and saw it was a domestic violence agency, and I didn't know anything about domestic violence, so I went to the library to get a book ... The book at the library was Scream Quietly or Your Neighbors Might Hear. So I read this book and said, 'Man, I've come in contact with domestic violence.' So I come into the interview, and Gay gets to this thing about do you know anything about domestic violence? And I said, 'You know, I didn't think that I did, but I've been working with this issue ... and I read this book ... And remember what I told you about that book? She was sitting there smiling, and she hired me right on the spot. Advertisement Joyce Coffee, executive director and chief executive officer of Family Rescue. Q: What are some obstacles that Family Rescue has had to overcome? A: We've had challenges all along. This period has certainly been very difficult and not just because of what is happening to Family Rescue, but what is happening to the social services community period. It's being decimated. Partners that we rely on to help us with our clients to meet their goals ... are closing or their wait-lists are getting longer. It's harder for us to transition women into housing and get them off of welfare. The safety net underneath them is crumbing. So the challenge has been in trying to adequately fund these services during a recession where even in times of plenty, domestic violence services have never been funded to the degree they should and could have been ... But the issues that you're dealing with and the complexity of the problems that the families bring, you need the brightest and the best, but we don't have the brightest and the best money. Children's playroom at Family Rescue. Q: How is the Impact 100 grant going to help relieve some of the funding stress you might have today? A: Obviously with the funding constraints that happened and even as we were seeing the recession coming to an end, the funding community hadn't rebounded and then the state did a tail spin, so last year and this year, no budgets ... Domestic violence fortunately got our contracts paid, but in the beginning of the fiscal year last year, it was a slow path. I think we went five months with no state funding before that kink got worked out, so we used up our reserves. We used our line of credit, and the interest on your line of credit you can't pay back with government funds, so you have to pay it back out of private funds. Even though we were able to live, we didn't have any reserves, so last year ... well, towards the end of 2014, some critical renovations needed to happen. This building needed significant tuck-pointing. The brick facade was pulling away from the parapet ... There was all of this stuff that was going on with the building, and it was going to cost a little over a $100,000 to fix it. And we didn't have any money to fix it, so when the Impact 100 opportunity came, we applied and fortunately we were selected. The $100,000 is paying for this major rehab of the facility that we wouldn't of had the reserves to do, and eventually we would have had building and code violations, which would have endangered the operations of the shelter. Advertisement Q: What was it like applying to Impact 100? A: "They are the most amazing group of women...'You're among friends.' 'You're among friends.' They kept coming over to the table ... and they'd come up and ask you questions, and they would all say a variation of that: 'You're among friends' ... You don't jump through hoops. Yeah, you have to present your cause and et cetera, but after you got selected, the helpfulness and...the ease of stuff that happened ... for a hundred thousand dollars? Do you know, I've got government grants that make you go through heck and high water for $10,000, and this is a hundred thousand dollars? ... They are so amazing. Q: How have you seen the field of domestic violence services changing for the better? As we approach Labor Day, we should all remember the words of the late, great US Senator Paul Wellstone, "We all do better when we all do better." This clearly is the mission of the labor movement. The story of unions is the story of America's middle class. Unions have been essential in gaining safer working conditions, better wages and benefits, and empowering workers to have a seat at the table. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, union workers' wages are 27 percent greater than non-union workers' wages. Seventy-nine percent of unionized workers receive health insurance from their employers, compared to only 49 percent of non-union workers. Seventy-six percent of union workers have guaranteed defined-benefit pension plans, compared to only 16 percent of non-union workers. Eighty-three percent of union workers receive paid sick leave compared to only 62 percent of non-union workers. Advertisement There is no doubt that unions benefit working families, but since the 1970s, union membership has been in serious decline and we have seen wages stagnate. One of the root causes of declining wages is that workers' ability to join together and bargain for higher wages and better working conditions has been severely undermined. We have also seen targeted attacks against unions by Republicans all across the country including the passage of so-called "right to work" laws, which further lower wages and weaken workplace protections. A new report released this week from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) provides further evidence that the benefits of unions go way beyond their own members, by raising the wages of non-unionized workers as well. In fact, non-union workers lose $133 billion annually due to the decline in unions, according to the report. Traditionally, non-union employers needed to keep wages high in order to compete with union jobs. However, wage trends have shown the opposite is now true. Union jobs are now being forced to take lower wages to remain competitive in an economy dominated by non-union companies. It's become a race to the bottom at the expense of hard working Americans. But it doesn't have to be this way. As we celebrate Labor Day this upcoming weekend, we must renew and refocus our efforts to strengthen our unions and ensure our economy works for middle class families, not just for shareholders and corporate bottom lines. Advertisement There are commonsense reforms we can enact to restore bargaining rights and safeguard a seat at the table for employees. This is why I introduced the Workplace Democracy Act with Senator Bernie Sanders, which would make it easier for workers to join unions and bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. We should also pass the WAGE Act, a bill I've cosponsored, which was introduced by Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Bobby Scott. This bill would triple the back-pay employers must pay to workers who are fired or retaliated against by their employers, regardless of immigration status. Renewing our focus on the American worker also means fighting against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Every time an American job is shipped out of the country due to bad trade deals, it pushes down the wages for workers in the United States. Hernan Cortes led a fascinating life. This is not only because he defeated the most powerful empire in Mesoamerica with very few resources and lots of intelligence, but also because of his firm conviction to create a great mestizo nation, without Spanish domination and with a deep respect for indigenous culture. The biography and legacy of this complex historical figure is surely among the most relevant and distorted in the history of Mexico, because paradoxically Cortes' image was systematically denigrated by Spanish kings. I'm fascinated with Cortes because I see him as the origin of the complex nation known as Mexico. The story of Cortes tells us of a man who built his own destiny and whose successes and mistakes mark us to this day. Nothing has damaged our collective subconscious more than disqualifying the entrepreneur who risked everything, who left behind his status as the richest man in Cuba, to embark on a journey into the unknown and begin his fascinating Mexican adventure. The official story, which simplifies, polarizes, and even caricaturizes the origin of our nation, dividing us between "conquerors" and "conquered," victims and victimizers, not only slights the achievements of our ancestors but also engenders a vision that divides and degrades us. The historical narrative without nuances and based on absolute truths has only resulted in Mexicans entering into conflict with their own origins. Advertisement We must seek a more balanced view on the principles of our great nation. For example, the book "Cortes" by Christian Duverger offers a detailed account of the conquest of Mexico and the public administration and social organization put into place by Cortes in the new territories. Another author who I consider important in delving into this complex figure is Juan Miralles, with his books "The Five Routes of Hernan Cortes" and "Hernan: the Inventor of Mexico."Duverger's book gives us a comprehensive and objective view of a much nuanced historical figure with an appreciation that goes far beyond the caricature presented in textbooks. At the age of 19, with an entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit, the young Cortes arrived in the Americas in 1504. He lived for some time in what is today Haiti and Cuba. In his quest for options to develop a new mestizo nation, with values that would transcend the Middle Ages and taking advantage of the opportunity presented by Diego Velazquez, governor of Cuba, for an expedition to Mexico, Cortes sold his property, obtained loans, and in 1519 set sail for Yucatan. Advertisement Determined to explore and colonize new territories, Cortes left with ten boats, close to 500 infantrymen, 16 horses and 13 shotguns. How could a man with so few resources conquer a vast empire of more than 6 million inhabitants, with enormous military capacity? His leadership, political savvy, ability to detect opportunities, make decisions and act quickly according to the circumstances, as well as the untenable situation of the peoples living under Aztec domination would be crucial factors in this formidable undertaking. Cortes was not the brutal and bloodthirsty conqueror described in official historic accounts. He was a lover of the Nahua culture and waged war against the Aztecs as a last resort after exhausting the possibility of negotiations. And even then, when executing the attack, he left the northern road open so his opponents could flee, an option that was strongly rejected by the Mexicas. In the earliest period of New Spain -the name he gave the region Cortes tried to ensure that most of the natural resources remained in what is today Mexico, because he realized very soon that this country was much richer than Spain itself. Cortes was also a true entrepreneur who sought to adapt the livestock and agriculture of the Old World to the climate of Mesoamerica. He financed and led several expeditions to the southeast and across the Mexican Pacific -that's why the Sea of Cortes, also known as the Gulf of California bears his name and launched maritime transport between New Spain and Peru, among many other business initiatives. Advertisement Hernan Cortes, visionary and creator of his own world, promoted a mestizaje model based on the racial and ethnic mix that he himself followed. He sought to make Nahuatl the official language and for Catholicism to be gradually assimilated, respecting the core beliefs of the inhabitants of Mesoamerica. However, King Carlos I, in his unbridled lust for material wealth and power, opposed Cortes' plan, and pushed aside the conquistador and send viceroys to govern New Spain, with the territory becoming one more property of the Spanish crown. Given the official discourse that refuses to recognize Cortes' relevance in the history of Mexico, I have decided to launch a dramatized historical series for television. This will offer an objective look at this key figure, a story of love, war, and mestizaje. Making a television series about this historical figure is to establish a legacy in relation to our identity that invites us to think about and value our cultural heritage. Mexico can overcome the "trauma of the Conquest," but to do so it must know its history. May I weigh in with one little observation on the Colin Kaepernick kerfuffle? As a former G.I. organizer and as a peace activist, I must object to the cliche that everyone, on both sides, mouths mindlessly. It is that we must honor our troops "who have been fighting and dying for our freedom." Even plenty of G.I.s, active duty and vets, smirk at the hypocrisy of such statements. Now, I have no problem with recognizing the suffering American troops have and continue to endure (and let's not forget the suffering that has been visited on the people the US has invaded). But we really must parse this claim of fighting and dying for our freedom. Has there been any, even one, military intervention overseas since World War II that did anything for "our freedom?" Travel to Saigon, travel to Fallujah. Check out how all that killing worked out. Many young people have gone into the military out of economic necessity and many also hoped to do something good for the country. Advertisement But if I could prove to you (and I could, obviously) that every intervention in the Middle East has amplified the hatred of the West, that the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and now Yemen and Syria have only increased the number of outraged young people willing to wage war against the West, then what? What if you thought you were fighting for freedom but it turns out your fighting made things worse, led to the creation of Isis, to the blowback terrorist attacks on Europe and the US? Perhaps it's time for all the tin-pot patriots, soft-shell politicians, and knee-jerk flag-saluters to examine the words they use and look behind them to see if there is any truth lurking there. Don't try to sugarcoat these disasters with sanctimonious rhetoric. We don't owe the troops thanks for preserving our freedoms; we owe them an apology, a huge apology, for tricking them into wars that were not in their interests or the country's. A member of the English Service Team at Hangzhou's West Lake area provides assistance to a foreign visitor. (Photo/China.com.cn) "Hi, everybody, how are you feeling tonight? I'm Daniel, a traffic police officer. Here is some advice for you" A video recording of a traffic police officer's English advice for visitors to Hangzhou's West Lake scenic area has recently drawn much attention online. Pan Hongjiang, the officer in the video, has become an Internet star thanks to his good looks and fluent English. Many netizens have noticed Pan's eye-catching yellow arm band with the words "English Service" in the video. Only police officers with good English skills can wear the arm band, and Pan is part of the English Service Team at West Lake. A member of the English Service Team gives a salute at Hangzhou's West Lake area. (Photo/Hangzhou Daily) In order to enhance police officers' professional skills and better serve Hangzhou's increasingly international image, local police have offered English training for officers since last year. Police officers have to learn English expressions including those to describe the cultural background of West Lake, travel routes, traffic terms and more. The English Service team has grown from six original members to 28. More and more officers are demonstrating an interest in learning English. Since 2015, the English Service Team has helped over 60 international visitors per month on average. The yellow "English Service" arm band. (Photo/Hangzhou Daily) "Traffic police officers contribute to visitors' first impressions of a city," remarked the English Service team members. With the arrival of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, Pan and his colleagues are ready to provide quality service to foreign visitors and show the world a new Hangzhou. BERLIN, GERMANY, 2 JUNE: Flying Emirates present Airbus A380 at Berlin Air Show 2016.(Photo by Madeleine Lenz/Corbis via Getty Images) For the second time in less than a year, the U.S. government has hired Emirates, a massively subsidized, state-owned airline, to fly federal employees, this time between New York and Milan, Italy. This is not just an odd choice, but violates a federal law, the Fly America Act. The act requires federal travelers to use U.S. air carrier service for all air travel and cargo transportation services funded by the U.S. government. To enable this ruse, Emirates has signed a "codesharing" agreement with JetBlue, and technically JetBlue, a U.S. air carrier, is the government contractor. JetBlue operates no international long-haul service whatsoever, and has no aircraft capable of operating a 4,000-mile flight across the Atlantic. Codesharing means that JetBlue will sell seats under its "B6" JetBlue code - directly and via intermediaries like travel agencies and Expedia - on Emirates-operated New York-Milan flights. This partnership allowed JetBlue to bid for the U.S. government's business, even though Emirates will do 100 percent of the flying and get virtually all the revenue. Thus, JetBlue essentially serves as the bag man, collecting revenues and remitting them to government coffers in Dubai. Prior to this award, American Airlines held the Milan contract with the General Services Administration (GSA, the procurement arm of the U.S.). Advertisement In late 2015, GSA awarded JetBlue the contract to fly federal employees (including military personnel and intelligence officials) from Washington to Dubai. United previously held the Washington-Dubai GSA contract, and the loss of 15,000 government passengers per year was one factor in United's decision to discontinue its Washington-Dubai route. Although American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United also use codeshare relationships for some of their government-contract flying, all three are global carriers with extensive international networks, and each is capable of operating any of those contract routes on its own, without codesharing. That is not the case with JetBlue, which must rely 100 percent on Emirates to meet its obligations to the U.S. government. Decades ago, Congress passed the Fly America Act to ensure all air travel ultimate paid for by U.S. taxpayers would take place on U.S. air carriers and flights operated by American workers, "to help improve the economic and competitive position of U.S.-flag carriers against foreign air carriers." The Emirates-JetBlue contract is a cynical manipulation of the law. Emirates and the other two state-owned Gulf airlines, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, have received more than $50 billion in subsidies and other unfair benefits from UAE and Qatari government sponsors. This massive support contravenes official U.S policy, and violates the Open Skies agreements which grant airlines from these two countries unlimited, unrestricted access to the U.S., the largest aviation market in the world (in return, U.S. airlines can fly to two countries with a combined population about the size of Ohio. Advertisement For the past 18 months, American, Delta, and United have urged the U.S. government to address these violations. And in July, the Department of State took a big step and held meetings with the UAE and Qatar to discuss the issue. While these conversations continue, the GSA contract for travel to Milan is a disappointing development. It's also a big poke in the eye to Congress, which made it clear quite some time ago that government travel must take place on U.S. airlines. On May 4, 2016, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu announced that Russia planned to form 3 new military divisions to counter NATO's growing military presence in Eastern Europe. These new military divisions will consist of 10,000 troops deployed on Russia's southern and western frontiers. In addition, Shoygu pledged to improve military training for Russian troops and upgrade Russia's military hardware production to combat the "NATO threat." Moscow's military buildup has increased fears of an imminent Crimea-style Russian military intervention in the Baltic States. These concerns are likely misplaced, however. Even though Putin's military modernization efforts after the 2008 Georgian War laid the groundwork for the 2014 annexation of Crimea, there is evidence that Russia's latest military buildup is primarily for domestic consumption. By demonstrating Russia's ability to project military power on the world stage, Russian President Vladimir Putin has rallied nationalist sentiments around his government. Kremlin policymakers have also successfully framed Russia's military buildup as a defensive reaction to NATO and Ukrainian aggression. Putin's creation of a perpetual external enemy construct has allowed him to maintain consistently high approval ratings during a period of economic recession. How the Kremlin's Military Buildup Appeals to Russian Nationalists Advertisement Since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict and the imposition of sweeping sanctions against Russia, Kremlin policymakers have used Russia's growing military power to rally pro-government nationalism. Immediately after the US and EU banned arms sales to Russia, the Russian government expedited its military modernization efforts. Putin hoped that showcasing Russia's military strength would rally economic nationalist sentiments around his rule. As Eugene Rumer and Rajan Menon note in their 2015 book Conflict in Ukraine, Putin's focus on creating economic nationalism has encouraged the Russian military to produce arms domestically without regard for cost. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin claimed that Russia's defense industry has been strengthened by protectionist policies that were adopted in response to Western sanctions. In 2014, Putin asked the Russian military to domestically manufacture 90 of Russia's 200 most frequently imported weapons systems by 2020 and to transition towards complete self-sufficiency as soon as possible. Putin's ability to foment pro-government nationalism has been strengthened by increased international recognition of the Russian military's global power projection capacity. The Russian state media prominently featured US President Barack Obama's February 2016 description of the Russian military as the "second-most powerful military" in the world. Obama's statement contrasted markedly with his 2014 description of Russia as a regional power that invaded Crimea out of weakness. Russian elites have used Obama's striking change of opinion as proof that Moscow's military interventions in Ukraine and Syria have boosted Russia's international status. Advertisement To bolster perceptions of Russia as a great power, Putin has made a concerted effort to expand the Russian military's global reach. The globalization of Russia's military capabilities has allowed Moscow to expand its military presence in areas outside its sphere of influence, like Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. As Russia-West relations have become increasingly strained, the Russian Defense Ministry has held diplomatic negotiations with countries like Venezuela, Algeria, Vietnam, Singapore and Seychelles to gain access to their port facilities. The creation of a globalized Russian military combined with Moscow's extra-regional power projection in Syria has increased public perceptions of Russia as a great power and rallied Russian nationalists around Putin's government. How Putin has Framed Russia's Military Buildup in Defensive Terms Even though NATO policymakers view Russia's military buildup as aggressive posturing, Kremlin policymakers have insisted that Russia has expanded its military capabilities for defensive purposes. By depicting Russian international conduct as defensive, Putin has been able to rally nationalism around popular opposition to two external actors: NATO and Ukraine. US policymakers have insisted that NATO's expanded presence on Russia's borders makes Eastern European countries more secure from Russian aggression. Russian policymakers have shunned this logic. Kremlin officials believe that NATO's growing presence is proof of Washington's covert attempts to undermine Russia's international influence. This position has been advanced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who alleged in November 2015 that NATO invented Russia as an enemy to remain relevant after its failed mission in Afghanistan. Putin has also repeatedly emphasized that NATO deployments in Eastern Europe are a threat to Russia's national security. To demonstrate that Russia is merely responding to NATO "aggression," Putin claimed on July 1, that NATO flies planes without transponders over the Baltic States twice as often as Russia does. The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that NATO has doubled its military presence on Russia's borders and has used NATO's escalation as a justification for its military buildup. Advertisement The Russian government's strident anti-NATO rhetoric has rallied anti-Western nationalists around Putin's rule. Kremlin policymakers have used multilateralism to demonstrate the growth of Russia's international status to nationalist constituencies. The increased frequency of CSTO bloc anti-NATO drills, demonstrate to the public that Russia's leading role in combatting the "NATO threat" is expanding Moscow's influence. Russia's recent military buildup on the Crimea-Ukraine border has fomented anti-Ukrainian nationalism. Kremlin policymakers have become increasingly vocal about the threat posed by the Ukrainian government to Russian and European security. On August 19, Putin declared that the Ukrainian government was sponsoring anti-Russian terrorism and had rebuffed diplomatic negotiations with Moscow. Russian officials have also insisted that the Ukrainian government's refusal to hold free elections in Donbas is a violation of the Minsk Accords. Putin's incendiary rhetoric towards Ukraine is closely linked to his desire to rally pro-government nationalism ahead of the September 2016 Russian legislative elections. Russia's mobilization of 40,000 troops on the Crimea-Ukraine border has rallied nationalist sentiments around Putin's rule. Putin's defensive posturing is aimed at reframing Europe's perceptions of the Ukraine conflict. Putin has attempted to prove that the Ukrainian government is stoking the Crimea crisis and that Russia is not a unilateral aggressor in Ukraine. If Putin is able to make a convincing Ukrainian culpability case to Western policymakers, EU sanctions against Russia could be lifted. The removal of sanctions on Moscow's terms would be a major diplomatic victory for Putin that would rally nationalist sentiments around his government for years to come. Since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, Western policymakers have assumed that Russia's military buildup is a harbinger of neo-imperial expansion. However, this perspective mischaracterizes Russian foreign policy, as it neglects the importance of domestic politics in Putin's strategic calculus. The increasingly prohibitive costs of territorial expansion suggest that Russia's military buildup is primarily aimed at rallying pro-Putin nationalist sentiments and distracting the public from Russia's economic malaise. Barring a massive change in the dynamic of Russia-West relations, Russia's fast-track military modernization will likely be an enduring feature of the CIS security landscape for years to come. Advertisement By Gerard J. Meskill, MD To the many patients who use or have been prescribed CPAP to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the recently published article from the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) may be cause for alarm. This research states that "therapy with CPAP plus usual care, as compared with usual care alone, did not prevent cardiovascular events in patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and established cardiovascular disease" (1). In other words, CPAP did not make any difference in preventing a stroke or heart attack in patients with existing cardiovascular disease. Before you go unplugging your CPAP devices and throwing them in the trash (or out the window), let's take a careful look at the guts of this study. After exclusions and attrition, the study had approximately 2500 participants aged 45-75 (81% men) across 89 clinical centers and 7 countries. All of the participants had pre-existing cardiovascular disease. The following people were excluded: people reporting excessive daytime sleepiness, significant oxygen drops on sleep testing (defined as lower than 80% oxygen saturation for more than 10 minutes of recording time on the sleep study), and people with significant congestive heart failure. What the researchers did was use a home sleep monitor to diagnosis OSA and then an auto-titrating CPAP (or "APAP") to determine the right CPAP pressure to treat those people who were found to have moderate or severe OSA. Advertisement Here's where the study becomes problematic. The mean usage time of CPAP for all participants was 3.3 hours. Only 42 percent of study subjects had "good adherence" to CPAP, which was defined as averaging 4 hours of CPAP use per night, but the results were analyzed as if they had all used it. In June of last year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society published an editorial stating that adults should "obtain seven or more hours of sleep per night to avoid the health risks of chronic inadequate sleep" (2). A recent Gallup poll reflects that only 60% of Americans average 7 or more hours of sleep per night, while 85% average at least 6 hours per night (3). So even using that lower metric of 6 hours per night, the average participant in this study only used CPAP for half the time, on average, and the "good adherence" model averaged compliance for two-thirds of the night. Think about that for a minute. If you saw a study come out stating aspirin is ineffective for preventing a heart attack or stroke and then found that the participants only averaged using aspirin half the time, you would naturally conclude that perhaps the problem is adherence, not the therapy. Indeed, in the discussion of this article, the authors state "although [an average of 3.3 hours per night of CPAP use] exceeded the estimates in our power calculations, it may still have been insufficient to provide the level of effect on cardiovascular outcomes that had been hypothesized." In fact, several publications have demonstrated that when CPAP therapy is used adequately, it does reduce the risk of subsequent stroke. Martinez et al. showed that patients with moderate-to-severe OSA who were admitted for stroke and used CPAP had a lower risk of subsequent strokes than those who did not (4). Another study also showed that those with stroke and OSA had greater improvement in function after 30 days if they used CPAP for at least 6.5 hours per night compared to those that did not (5). Advertisement While not cited by the study (because its focus was on recurrent cardiovascular events among those with existing disease), do not forget that there is abundant research showing that OSA increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. One study showed the lifetime risk of heart attack doubles if OSA is untreated and triples if the OSA is severe (6). Another study showed that untreated moderate-to-severe OSA increases the lifetime risk of a stroke fourfold (7). And the Sleep Heart Health Study (which is considered the sentinel study on cardiovascular risk from OSA) showed that men with untreated OSA have more than double the lifetime stroke risk compared to men without OSA (8). As a medical community, we know CPAP is extremely important to treat OSA. It improves sleep quality, quality of life, and work productivity. In fact, the NEJM article acknowledged this: "The reductions from baseline in sleepiness and other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea were greater in the CPAP group than in the usual-care group," "greater reductions from baseline in the anxiety and depression subscale scores of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were also observed in the CPAP group than in the usual-care group," "greater improvement in scores on the physical and mental subscales," and "fewer days off from work because of poor health" compared to the usual-care group. What is amazing about these findings is that sleepy people were excluded from the study, and yet people still reported improvement in sleepiness, depression, anxiety, and work attendance ... even with only 3.3 hours of CPAP use per night! What that demonstrates is that even partial CPAP therapy leads to important improvements in health. The studies referenced above also demonstrate that OSA presents real cardiovascular risk, and appropriate CPAP usage reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. What medical researchers need to focus on is how to make it easier for patients to become adherent to CPAP. National statistics on adherence to CPAP are terrible, with some studies showing that as many as 83 percent of patients prescribed CPAP fail to use it for at least 4 hours per night (9). If there's one thing this article proved, it is that haphazard use of CPAP may not be sufficient to protect individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease from recurrence of stroke or heart attack. So before you let this recent publication convince you to stop using your CPAP device, remember that poor use of CPAP is what may have led to these published results in the first place! Advertisement Sources: 1.McEvoy RD et al. "CPAP for Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Obstructive Sleep Apnea." N Eng J Med. Aug 28, 2016. Epub ahead of print. 2.http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=5596 3.http://www.gallup.com/poll/166553/less-recommended-amount-sleep.aspx 4.Martinez-Garcia M, Campos-Rodriguez F, Soler-Cataluna J, Catalan-Serra P, Roman-Sanchez P, Montserrat J. "Increased incidence of nonfatal cardiovascular events in stroke patients with sleep apnoea: effect of CPAP treatment." Eur Respir J. 2012;39:906-912. 5.Minnerup J, Ritter M, Wersching H, Kemmling A, Okegwo A, Schmidt A, Schilling M, Ringelstein E, Schabitz W, Young P, Dziewas R. "Continuous positive airway pressure ventilation for acute ischemic stroke: a randomized feasibility study." Stroke. 2012;43:1137-1139. 6.Yaggi H, Concato J, Kernan WN, et al. "Obstructive sleep apnea as a risk factor for stroke and death." N Engl J Med 2005; 359:2034-2041. 7.Arzt M, Young T, Finn L, Skatrud JB, Bradley C. "Association of sleep-disordered breathing and the occurrence of stroke." Am J Resp Crit Care Med. 172:1447-1451. 8.Redline S, Yenokyan G, Gottlieb DJ, Shahar E, O'Connor GT, et al. "Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea and incident stroke: The sleep heart health study. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 182(2), 269-77. 9.Weaver TE, Grunstein RR. "Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy: the challenge to effective treatment." Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2008;5(2):173. Well, that University of Chicago sure made it clear who's the boss! The recent and highly publicized "warning" to incoming freshman was a blatant bit of pandering to the seemingly overwhelming consensus that women, students of color, and gay folks are too sensitive and that their playing the "victim" is soiling the integrity of colleges and universities. John Ellison, dean of students, wrote, "Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called trigger warnings, we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual 'safe spaces' where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own," One more solid blow against "political correctness" and the restoration of the rights of privileged white men to exercise their powerful intellectual might. What a courageous man! Advertisement Or perhaps, what an unmitigated load of faux intellectualism and capitulation to mean-spirited conventional wisdom. The University of Chicago, or at least Ellison, herein commits a superfluous act of conflation, whether intentional or merely stupid. In the pubic conversation about "political correctness," at least in the campus context, there are two very different matters. Few, certainly not I, condone the rare vigilante effort to disinvite a controversial speaker or to silence uncomfortable speech. As is true with any political or social issue, those wishing to broadly condemn "political correctness" can find an egregious example to arouse sentiment in their favor. That tactic is no more virtuous than welfare reformers who find a "queen" buying potato chips or conservative politicians who impose voting hurdles on poor communities of color by evoking fears of non-existent voter fraud. So, I gladly stipulate to the notion that we should not yield to those who would shout down a speaker or force cancellation of a provocative presentation. In these cases, there is "harm," in that a legitimate form of speech is inhibited. All of society, particularly educational institutions, should vigorously protect the right to uncomfortable expression. To quote a slice of a broader thought from Justice Louis B. Brandeis, " . . . the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence." Advertisement But that is not the issue addressed by Ellison's message or by the broad condemnation of "political correctness" among most conservatives and too many liberals. In the main, accusations of "political correctness" are flung widely and carelessly as cover for those who wish to be crude, cruel, offensive or insensitive with impunity. This intellectually dishonest condemnation of "political correctness" has fueled the abominable "speech" coming from the Trump campaign, beginning with the candidate himself and cascading through his supporters, who use racial epithets, threats of violence and crude caricatures with apparent glee. It bears noting, for those who genuinely care about freedom of expression, that not a one of these offensive "speakers," including Trump himself, has faced threat of any civil or criminal penalties as a result of their vile utterances. One of society's great advances, on and off campus, has been the recognition of different identities, the encouragement of empathy and the embrace of those who have been historically marginalized or vilified in society. Acknowledging privilege, understanding racism, and encouraging civility are not examples of "political correctness," they are gratifying signs of an evolving society. The anti-PC voices seem to be nostalgic for a time when privilege wasn't challenged and marginalized voices stayed on the margins. When Yale University officials gently suggested that students not appear in black face on Halloween, others rapidly jumped in to yell "political correctness!!!" and hammered the University for coddling students. Really? The anti-PC outcry would have been quite justified had Yale threatened to punish any student who engaged in offensive costuming. But, of course, that wasn't the issue. In the name of "academic freedom," the gentle suggestion that students should be thoughtful was the perceived offense, not the possibility of some smart ass intentionally insulting hundreds of students for whom blackface is a reminder of slavery and centuries of institutional racism. Which of these two things should offend our sensibilities? When students receive, and perhaps heed, so-called "trigger warnings," it harms no other person. The professor is not compelled to sanitize the curriculum. Other students are not denied the educational opportunity to absorb the strong material. When students wish to rest in a "safe space," affinity group or other setting where they might commiserate or find comfort, what harm has it done to the privileged majority? Advertisement On a journey of joy through the pallet, I encountered China Through a Wine Glass by Noel Shu. This 130-page book grabbed my attention with the idea of the pleasure of wine espoused with an adventure into a somewhat mystical ancient culture. China Though a Wine Glass is actually an insightful picture of current day China relating to the world while striving to maintain the Maoist culture. Personal life, politics, commerce and wine blend in the telling of how a malleable Western mind could succeed in the Chinese society and market. Even though the book is targeted for the wine industry, it reveals great insight for anyone willing to accept the increasing need to understand cross-cultural interactions with China and the West. "From the streets of New York's Chinatown, to the Helan Qingxue at the foothills of Helan Mountain in China, never would I have imagined sipping my way around the world and telling the untold stories of the Chinese wine industry", writes Shu. Shu describes the history of wine making in China, including the influences and investments from prestigious wine makers in France and Italy. The story includes the huge problem of counterfeiting wines. Laughable accounts of clumsy copy attempts on well known brand wines that sold to high bidders on the international market are recounted through interviews with wine experts. Shu gives background information to how the Chinese reason and try to succeed in commercialism while impacted by government control. He also gives quite thorough insight for companies coming from outside China to understand how to succeed in the Chinese market. Advertisement China Through a Wine glass describes many of the wines available in China and how they compare to wines around the world. He includes his view of market probabilities for both the Chinese consumer and international wine lovers. One wine described, Chateau Henson's Rimage de Cabernet Gernischt, Valley du Wuhai 2010, caught my attention with the description as a quirky wine with aromas of Lapsang Souchong, licorice and blueberry (some of my favorite flavors). The author explains that most Chinese wines are not available outside of the country, because they cannot keep up to the national consumption to be able to produce for the international market. Another downside described is price. Shu explains that the Chinese value an item by the price, not necessarily the quality. So a favorite wine sells for $600 per bottle, but with a $60 quality. Bagan Pagoda field during sunset Saluting Burma's Next Step and Keeping Hands Off Susanne Dumbleton, PhD This week, Aung San Suu Kyi will walk to the podium in an assembly hall in Myanmar (Burma) and call to order representatives of the 135 ethnic peoples who make up the population of the country. In convening this Second Panglong Conference, she is resuming the work her father, Aung San, began in 1947, and left unfinished because assassins ended his life. This will be more than a touching event at which a heroic woman will live out the dream of her assassinated father. If all goes well, the gathering will accelerate the peaceful progress toward democracy in this critically important Asian nation. Advertisement The Second Panglong's goal is as profound and difficult as that before the men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1789--to define, to the satisfaction of all, a way in which regions would form a union yet share power. If deliberations succeed, it will be one of the most meaningful developments on the current world political scene. Not surprisingly, eyes in world capitals are watching closely. It is critical that hovering international interests watch but not interfere. Just getting to this date has been an epic struggle. For more than 50 years after Aung San's death, a military junta wielded cruel power over the people, using the premise that the multiple ethnic differences made the people so unruly that only an iron fist could keep them from falling into disarray. The opposite was true, of course. It was the military that created chaos--executing, imprisoning, or driving into exile all elected officials, closing universities, silencing the press, forbidding assembly, and using forced labor, land seizures and crony capitalism for personal benefit. Advertisement The generals have been backing down, but even after free elections in 2015, they retain the right to reassert military rule. Chapter XI of the military-drafted Constitution gives the National Defense and Security Council the authority to impose martial law, disband parliament, and return to full control at even a hint of unrest. Moreover, people who have survived oppressive rule over two generations are understandably short on trust. Many Burmese, especially those living far from the centers of power, are reluctant to believe central government will respect their rights and address their needs. In this context, Aung San Suu Kyi remains an inimitable force. By virtue of her legacy, she carries sway, a sway she expanded by being willing to suffer beside and stand up for her people for decades. Interestingly, the credibility that carries most weight these weeks is what she earned on her own, going out in the country to listen to the people. One remarkable result of her influence is that attendance will be an unprecedented, actually unexpected, 100 percent. One week before the conference was to begin, even the most resistant leaders--those in the regions most offended by the former regime--agreed to give the Second Panglong a chance. Some say the most reluctant attendees changed their minds because they cut individual deals with China. Perhaps rumors of outside interference nudged Aung San Suu Kyi to invite UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to attend as a respected elder. Success is not guaranteed. Even with full participation, the task is daunting. Those heading to the Conference site disagree strongly on issues, particularly regional rights versus centralized rights and the right to field militias. Hovering over all is the question of the people in Rohingya, whose citizenship is in question and who have not been included on the invitation list. Advertisement Complex compromise is the only way forward. Aung San Suu Kyi considers the meeting's purpose vital. "If you ask me what my most important aim is for my country, that is to achieve peace and unity among the different peoples of our union. Without peace there can be no sustained development," she told a press conference. This event is in President Obama's sights because it aligns with his focus on Pacific Rim interests and because he admires Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Leaders in Japan are watching, too, eager for power balance in Asia. Most interested of all are Myanmar's immediate neighbors--India, China, and Thailand--who want stability on their borders and a strong trading partner. The Burmese welcome the interest, but they want no interference. From the start they have insisted, especially on this matter, that the Burmese people must be in charge. They are right. The world should watch with interest, but keep hands off. By Michael Wolraich Read the article on The History Reader Theodore Roosevelt and Terrorism Some years ago, an unstable young man committed one of the most notorious terrorist acts in U.S. history. He was American-born, but his parents were immigrants, and his allegiance to a radical ideology with foreign origins terrified the public. "They and those like them should be kept out of this country," railed Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, "and if found here they should be promptly deported to the country whence they came." The young man was Leon Czolgosz, a Polish-American anarchist. On August 31, 1901, he fatally shot President William McKinley in the abdomen with .32 caliber revolver. The nation reacted with shock and outrage. McKinley's successor, President Theodore Roosevelt, denounced anarchy as "a crime against the whole human race" and demanded legislation to restrict immigration and deport suspected anarchists. Congress answered the call with the Anarchist Exclusion Act, which barred anyone "who disbelieves in or who is opposed to all organized government" from becoming citizens. A sketch of Czolgosz shooting McKinley. By T. Dart Walker (1869-1914). Image is in the public domain via Wikimedia.com Advertisement Today, history is repeating itself. We have our own Leon Czolgosz--an unstable young man named Omar Mateen who pledged allegiance to ISIS as he murdered 49 innocent people. Like Czolgosz, Mateen is an American-born son of immigrants, and his crime has provoked calls to bar Muslim immigrants. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is naturally leading the charge. "If we don't get tough, and we don't get smart and fast, we're not going to have our country anymore," he warned. "There will be nothing, absolutely nothing left." But before we get too excited about passing a Muslim Exclusion Act, we would do well to take lessons from America's original war on terror. In the early 1900s, many Americans saw anarchism as an existential threat, much the way Mr. Trump and others view radical Islam today. They feared that hordes of European anarchists were secretly plotting to destabilize the country and indoctrinate the youth with dangerous ideas. "We open our arms to the human sewage of Europe," protested the Washington Post. "The nation which offered itself as an asylum for the oppressed has been turned into a lurking place for murderers," warned the San Francisco Chronicle. It was a farce, of course. Anarchist ideas influenced some labor activists and inspired a few terrorist attacks but never posed a serious threat to the country, and the movement petered out within a few decades. The only threat to our liberty was the public's overwrought response to anarchism-inspired crimes. The Anarchist Exclusion Act was first in a series of repressive laws targeting immigrants and dissidents, including the the Espionage Act of 1917, the Sedition Act of 1918, the Emergency Quota Act of 1921, and the Immigration Acts of 1917, 1918, and 1924. The anarchist hysteria peaked with the notorious trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in 1921, during which two Italian immigrants with anarchist ties were sentenced to death with insufficient evidence. Today, we look back at this era with shame. The alleged anarchist plots that seemed so frightening at the time faded into obscurity; only the country's intolerance and narrow-mindedness stand out from the pages of history. Our current obsession with Islamic extremism will be much the same. A century from now, historians will dismiss the so-called war on terror as an overreaction inflamed by xenophobia and bigotry, and Donald Trump's name will be lumped with other notorious demagogues from American history like Father Coughlin and Joseph McCarthy. Advertisement Theodore Roosevelt and Fairbanks, 1904. By Photo copyrighted by Underwood & Underwood. Image is in the public domain via Wikimedia.com Sign up for more essays, interviews and excerpts from Thought Matters. ThoughtMatters is a partnership between Macmillan Publishers and Huffington Post Libryia Jones is a mom with a vision. After her daughter was born, she made an ode to herself and her little one that they would live abroad and experience the world together. By the time her daughter was nine she was personally requesting this move and Jones was ready to put it into action. In 2015, Libryia Jones' vision grew as she researched ways for her and her daughter to live abroad. There were many things to consider, specifically as a mother - making a living, safety, education for her child. In conversing with a colleague who had also caught the travel bug and new friends she met online while doing her research, Jones wondered what if she could make this dream a reality not just for herself but for others as well. And thus My Wander Year was born. Recently, My Wander Year, Founder & CEO, Libryia Jones, her daughter, and 30 others embarked on a the journey of a lifetime. The group of newly minted Wanderists, as Libryia calls them, are travelling for a year making four cities on four different continents their home for three months each. Advertisement Dope!! Prague, Czech Republic, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Cape Town, South Africa, and Medellin, Colombia are the cities the Wanderists will get to call home and explore while working remotely and home-schooling their children. I caught up with Libryia as she embarked on the first leg of My Wander Year. Let's see what she has to say. Tiffany Crawford: What is My Wander Year in your own words? Libryia Jones; It's a group of dope ass people who are very intentional about living their lives on their terms. My Wander Year facilitates a lifestyle that people don't have to vacation from. We help people become expatriates for a short time and to live and work from all over the world by taking care of identifying locations, securing lodging, finding a place to work, and building a community to experience it with. Crawford: The concept of being a "Digital Nomad" is something that seems to be taking off in the recent years with those who want to be location independent, what made you make the leap from corporate job, very location-dependent to location-independent? Advertisement Jones: I actually love being in an office environment for the camaraderie. I'm a very social person and I enjoy being around people who are smart...and passionate about what they do. However, I value freedom so much. I have never liked the idea that there is an 8-hour window in which I should be productive and effective. The belief that we need parameters and a controlled environment to have a real and meaningful contribution is just antiquated and untrue. One of the single most frustrating things about being in an office is having to pretend to be busy. If I'm done, why do I have to stay here? If I'm being efficient and completing my work, why can't I go out and play? Why am I chained to this desk forcing myself to look busy every time someone walks by. I needed a life that allowed me to have sections of time where I could be laser focused and productive and sections of time where I could lazily wander along the streets of a city getting lost and finding my way back. Crawford: Why a full year? Is there something unique about wandering all four seasons? Jones: Why not! This is our inaugural year, we wanted to do My Wander Year in a big way. We wanted it to be a serious commitment from ourselves and from the people who came along with us. Go hard or don't go! Although we're traveling for a year, we actually won't experience all four seasons. We are "chasing summer/spring". We will be leaving Prague just going into the cold fall but the remainder of our locations will be warm to hot. Advertisement Crawford: What made you decide to embark on such an endeavor? It seems so implausible to many to travel for a year, how were you able to convince 30 other people to join you? It's impressive! Jones: You know, it still feels unreal to me! I decided to embark on this endeavor because I was just tired of writing the resolution every year that this was the year I was going to pick up and move myself and my daughter abroad. I've been telling my daughter we were moving abroad since she was three years old. Finally, around age nine she said "Mommy, WHEN are we moving?". It was beyond time. When I got the courage to go, I realized that there were likely other people in similar situations. They want to do this. They just need the boost, they need someone to create the opportunity, and the community to go with. I'm not sure it took any convincing, honestly. It really just took putting it out there and saying "I know you've been wanting to do this, here's your chance." I think it's even more impressive that these folks have signed up to follow me and my daughter around the world. That takes a lot of courage and faith. Crawford: You just took your Inaugural trip to Prague with your first team of participants and announced Medellin, Colombia as your fourth city? What made you select it? Advertisement Jones: The team deliberated for weeks on the fourth location. We knew we wanted it to be somewhere that would enhance the experience for our Wanderists. Additionally, so many people expressed an interest in learning Spanish throughout the year that we wanted to make sure that we chose a Spanish speaking country. After comparing roughly 6 cities on the basis of exchange rate, cost of living, public transportation, digital nomad environment, and safety, Medellin was the clear choice. The public transportation system is quite comprehensive with a train, bus, and even airlift. Their growing culture of remote entrepreneurs and employees has spawned a number of coworking spaces that contribute to the digital nomad lifestyle. The city is just amazing with beautiful backdrops of mountains, and the weather is definitely a plus. Crawford: Traveling for a full year with 30 people sounds like a logistical feat to say the least, how do you manage it all? Jones: I don't manage it all! I have a team of ten people who are incredibly smart and passionate about what we're doing. We all play a role and take those roles very seriously. Each member of the My Wander Year team brings something invaluable to the table and not one of them are "yes men". We take initiative, we challenge each other, we hold each other accountable, and we work hard to do what's in the very best interest of the group and the company. Crawford: What made you decide to use the subscription-based model? Jones: The membership model felt like a natural transition for anyone participating. Everyone is used to paying rent or a mortgage on a monthly basis. We saw this as trading those living expenses at home for living expense abroad. We do offer the ability to pay in advance for the full or half year with the benefit of a discount. Advertisement Crawford: Travelers can bring their children, what do you want to create for your customer's and yourself inside of such an experience? Jones: Offering the ability to bring families along is something that I believe sets My Wander Year apart from other programs. This experience should not be something that is only for the single and childless. Our belief is that this is an opportunity that anyone with the resources to do so should be able to take advantage of this opportunity. Being married or having children should never be a roadblock to living out a dream. Crawford: What do you want people to know about Libryia Jones? Jones: Here's where I get a little mushy. The one thing I want people to know about me is that I was born to love them. I believe that underneath all the things we think life is about, it's really about love. We are all connected in some way and I want, as much as I can, to honor that connection. I am a lover and a Wanderer, who firmly believes in the saying, "all who wander are not lost." Crawford: About My Wander Year? Jones: What I hope people get to know about My Wander Year is that this is not just an opportunity to travel the world for a year -- It's permission to live out your dreams. Crawford: What advice would you give to other women founders with a huge vision such as yours? Jones: I wrote a blog about the process I went through from idea to launch. It has some great resources and tips on how I got here. Advertisement The truth is, there is no formula for everyone to follow. There is, however, one principle that everyone should follow - you actually are capable of doing whatever it is you set your mind to. In every case of a #girlboss who saw her vision come to life whether it be Sarah Blakely (Founder of Spanxx), Myliek Teele (Founder of CurlBox), or Evita Robinson (Founder of Nomadness), she believed she could, so she did. There is a clear and present danger in America. Over the past decade, it has taken over ten times as many American lives as immigrant Islamic jihadists. Neither candidate for president will discuss it publicly. They don't have talking points, much less a plan to protect the American people from this dire threat. I am referring to lightning. Over the past ten years, lightning has killed an average of 31 Americans annually. That's 310 lives snuffed out by thunderbolts, compared with only 16 killed by radical Islamic terrorist immigrants in the same period. Advertisement This is something that ISIS has in common with the lotto - the odds are greater that you will be struck by lightning than win the lotto or be killed by an ISIS terrorist. No one is doing anything about lightning. Unlike the "extreme, extreme" immigration vetting proposed by Donald Trump to make our country safer, no one is talking about deporting clouds or banning rain or setting up a department of homeland meteorological defense. Another unanswered threat to Americans is the one posed by toddlers. As was the case with lightning, armed toddlers killed more Americans than Islamic terrorists in 2015. Despite the extreme extreme threat posed by gun-wielding toddlers, no one is subjecting infants to ideological testing to determine whether or not they harbor hostile attitudes toward our country or its principles. In the course of researching this article, I was astonished to discover literally dozens of threats to the homeland far more treacherous than the one posed by immigrants. The following is a sample: Advertisement The lapses in homeland security are indeed breathtaking. Though hundreds of Americans are slaughtered annually by radicalized lawnmowers and buses hell bent on imposing their mechaniacal agenda on our way of life, none of our presidential candidates have yet articulated a plan to keep us safe. Mainstream media, complicit in a dastardly conspiracy to blind Americans from perils hiding in plain sight, change the subject with coverage about immigrant Muslim extremists coming to kill us all. In fairness to politicians and the media, our collective memory of 9/11 demands eternal vigilance. We'll never forget the 2,996 Americans who were murdered by 19 Islamic terrorists who entered the country with guest and student visas. America's response to the terrorist threat has been robust. To date, the United States has spent 1.7 trillion dollars and nearly 7,000 American lives on the war on terror, along with the lives of 500,000 Iraqi men, women and children. Eternal vigilance has a stiff price in America when it comes to terrorism, though not so much for other threats facing the homeland. For example, 11,348 Americans were shot to death by other Americans in 2001 - nearly four times the number that were killed on 9/11. What has been our government's response? It looks like this: 2003: Congress passed the Tiahrt Amendment prohibiting law enforcement from publicly releasing data showing where criminals bought their firearms 2004 saw the sunset of the assault weapons ban included as part of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Gun manufacturers were once again permitted to manufacture weapons like the AR-15, the weapon of choice for mass murderers. Advertisement 2005 brought the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, shielding gun manufacturers from liability when their products are used to commit crimes. 2016: republicans in both houses of Congress reject legislation that would prevent suspected terrorists on the no-fly list from purchasing firearms. While high-risk individuals may not board a plane, they are free to buy as many guns as they wish. On average, 11,737 Americans have been shot to death every year by other Americans since 9/11. That's over 180,000 lives lost - 60 times the number of people killed on 9/11 and 7,200 times more than have been killed by Muslim immigrants in the United States over the same period. No significant federal gun control legislation has passed Congress since 1994. In fairness, Congress hasn't done anything about lightning either. Some things are simply beyond our control. The reports first came in a trickle, then a deluge. In April 2014, we learnt that Boko Haram had raided the Government Secondary School for girls in Chibok, Borno State, and whisked their captives into the night whereupon they seemingly disappeared. The outcry was felt around the world, with organisations and individuals alike imploring governments to act, the United Nations to denounce, and even addressing the extremists directly through the "bring back our girls" campaign sustained by home-grown activists. It's no surprise the world expressed its grief as one. The notion of enforced disappearance induces such a visceral distress in all of us that it is, understandably, a powerful strategic tactic for the morally bankrupt. In the case of Boko Haram, such a tactic aligns neatly with aspirations to spread terror and gain income through financial extortion, for it is no secret that its victims are tortured in unimaginably graphic ways. Around the world, many kidnapped people do not return to their families alive, and even for the fortunate few who may, the resounding physical and psychological scars are not so easily soothed. Sadly, the Chibok situation is nothing new. Seldom throughout history has armed mobilisation not been weaponised to victimise women. The missing Chibok girls have been deprived of their liberty since April 2014, their whereabouts unknown. One missing Chibok girl, Amina Nkeki, formerly of Christian faith, has been found, returned, converted to Islam, nursing an infant, as a child bride. The other girls remain unfound and unreturned to date. The precise number of girls who have disappeared in Nigeria is unknown and may never be confirmed. However, every disappeared life is of inestimable value and potential; every girl should and does matter, every life counts. Advertisement Enforced disappearance is the secret abduction or imprisonment of an individual by by a third party, accompanied by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate and whereabouts thereafter. The intent of enforced disappearance is to place the victim outside the protection of the law, but its impact on the those directly linked to, or proximally impacted by these victims are similarly numerous and resounding. A community affected by enforced disappearance is one that thereafter lives in fear: for the welfare of the person missing, for the families left in turmoil, and in anticipation of potential additional kidnapping situations. Though the enforced disappearance of the Chibok girls of Borno State is not the only enforced disappearance in Nigeria, this issue is not just a Nigerian problem. Governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals alike must and do, continually and collectively advocate for the protection and advancement of women. On 21 December 2010, by its resolution 65/209 the UN General Assembly expressed its deep concern, in particular, by the increase in enforced or involuntary disappearances in various regions of the world, including arrest, detention and abduction, when these are part of or amount to enforced disappearances, and by the growing number of reports concerning harassment, ill-treatment and intimidation of witnesses of disappearances or relatives of persons who have disappeared. As we mark the International Day for Enforced Disappearances this week, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa continues to advocate not only for the secure release of the Chibok girls, but for all access to safe and quality education for children to be protected. We also call for the health and wellbeing of all retrieved girls, and indeed all displaced persons, to be compassionately and appropriately managed by Governments, NGOs and other international organisations who have all committed to protecting the safety, sanctity and dignity of mankind everywhere. Advertisement Through the use of public health records, we can monitor and evaluate the health and psychological condition of every released victim of enforced disappearance in Nigeria - not only to ensure they are physically well, but in order to identify needs, and ensure they receive any and all necessary psycho-social support. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has extended his deep condolences to the government and people of the Republic of Uzbekistan over the death of President Islam Karimov. "It is with great regret that I received the news of the death of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, outstanding statesman, public and political figure Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov. Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov went down in history as the first President of independent Uzbekistan. He is associated with the formation, development and strengthening of the state independence and sovereignty of the country, its accomplishments and successes in socio-economic and political areas, brotherly Uzbekistan`s integration into the international community."- said president Aliyev in a letter of condolences to Nigmatilla Yuldashev, Chairman of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. "A far-sighted, principled and consistent policy, organizational talent, a truly state approach to most difficult tasks fairly earned Islam Karimov the people`s love, deep respect and great authority both in Uzbekistan and beyond. We in Azerbaijan know and have deep respect for Islam Karimov as a true friend, who made an outstanding contribution to strengthening centuries-old good traditions of friendship and mutual support between our peoples, establishing and developing Azerbaijani-Uzbek inter-governmental relations during the years of independence. In this moment of grief, on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to you, family and relatives of Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov, all the people of brotherly Uzbekistan over this irretrievable loss. Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov will live in our memories and hearts."- said president in a letter. Crossposted from UN Women. Religious leaders attending training in Mertolemariam town in February 2016. Photo: EOC Archbishop Abune Markos from East Gojam Zone Diocese in Ethiopia believes in gender equality. He is committed to end child marriages and all forms of violence against women and girls in Ethiopia. Education is power and the key to freedom, he says. Marriage should only happen when people are ready. You can only marry when you are an adult, at least at 18 years old. In the Amhara region, a billboard with a message about fighting violence against women and harmful traditional practices. Photo: UN Women/Paula Mata Archbishop Markos has trained more than 300 religious leaders in the East Gojam Zone, Amhara region to influence their communities in preventing harmful traditional practices and violence against women and girls. He trains religious representatives at all levels, particularly, community priests from the rural areas, where such practices are most prevalent. Advertisement In Ethiopia, 40 per cent of all women in their early 20s are married before they turn 18. Six of the top ten hotspots for girls married between ages 15-17 are in the Amhara region [1]. Of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years, 74 per cent have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) [2]. Ababa Enbakom Chanie Workineh, General Manager of the East Gojam Diocese Office and coordinator of the training, notes that even priests misinterpret religious principles and sanction or condone harmful practices that have nothing to do with religion. We preach equality in religion. We condemn violence and crime, he adds. At the end of the training conducted by UN Women in February 2016, religious leaders developed a 13-point call for action to end harmful traditional practices and gender-based violence in the region, including rejecting violence against women, child marriage and the practice of FGM. They are now preaching to prevent such violence in their congregations. Ababa Enbakom Chanie Workineh, General Manager of East Gojam Diocese Office, Amhara holds his hand up as sign to stop violence against women and girls. Photo: UN Women/Paula Mata Advertisement Archbishop Markos vision is to establish measures, such as institutionalizing the trainings in theological schools, which can be easily replicated throughout the country. Following the training, religious leaders and community members were able to prevent almost 470 child marriages in Guzamn and Sinan districts, according to interviews with the workshop participants. Religious leaders are fundamental allies in driving the advancement of women's rights in Ethiopian society, says UN Women Ethiopia Deputy Representative Funmi Bologun. Where patriarchal traditions and cultural practices condone discrimination against women, true interpretation of religion has the power to break the barriers and unlock human potential. Programmes such as this, aiming to build the capacity of religious leaders on womens rights, is critical in order to reduce the social acceptance of violence against women and to change discriminatory attitudes and behaviours. The trainings were undertaken as part of UN Womens programme on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in Ethiopia, which first carried out outreach activities in Kobo and Weldia of the Amhara regional state. UN Women aims to continue expanding the programme to reach more religious leaders in grassroots communities and to pilot SASA! Faitha community-based methodology to change attitudes and behavioursin the region. In 2013 the programme supported school gender-clubs, where students regularly come together to discuss how to prevent violence against women in school communities. School gender-club members Eden and Abeba with the teacher and leader Lubaba at Woldia General Secondary School in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. Photo: UN Women/Kristin Ivarsson Notes [1] UNICEF (2016). UNICEF Data: Monitoring the Situation of Children and Women, Ethiopia So what does this mean and how can you win a piece of the action? Mayor de Blasio has pledged through the OneNYC initiative to increase city contract awards to M/WBE firms. M/WBE stands for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and/or Women Business Enterprise (WBE) or dually certified Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE). New York City's Local Law 1 of 2013 was enacted based on a disparity study done for M/WBE business utilization spending in government contracts. The report showed a record of historically less-than-optimal award dollars allocated for MWBE firms' expenditures on procurement opportunities. In addition to procurement goals through Local Law 1 of 2013, the OneNYC initiative pledges a minimum of $16 billion toward contract awards to qualified, vetted and certified M/WBE firms for New York City contracts. What are the requirements for M/WBE firms? To take part, the first step is for your business to receive certification as an MBE or WBE or dually certified M/WBE. These are the requirements: At least 51% owned, controlled and operated by US citizen(s) or permanent resident(s) who is/are member(s) of a designated minority group or a woman or women Selling products or services for a period of at least one year Real and substantial presence in the geographic market of NYC See the full details at NYC M/WBE Certification Program. What is the process? The certification process can be complex and can take several months. It involves compiling various records including tax returns, business certificates and other required documentation. The application must be articulately completed with supporting documents and submitted either on paper or online. Instead of approaching the process as a do-it-yourself project, it would be beneficial to engage the services of a professional, which are available for free. What free help is available with certification and growing your business in NYC? Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of New York City Small Business Services, and Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, recently announced the first cohort of WE Connect Mentors. These 17 powerful women from various industries provide in-person office hours and workshops at Small Business Centers throughout New York City. They also facilitate online chats and provide digital posts about business challenges and their areas of expertise for entrepreneurs. As the CEO of Precision Healthcare Consultants, I am honored to be a part of such a diverse group of business owners providing free tailored advice to women entrepreneurs in the five boroughs as an inaugural mentor. A portal for support and advice Recently, a new online portal called WENYC was developed to respond to the needs of women entrepreneurs in New York City. This new website provides the following much-needed resources: M/WBE certification help Financial advice Legal advice Networking Workshops Workspaces Mentorships The practical articles and Best Advice for Women Entrepreneurs Video is a wonderful gift from the NYC Department of Small Business Services through WENYC. This free tool will help women at all stages, from start-up through certification and post certification, and will offer technical assistance and networking. Getting a piece of the 16-billion-dollar pie in New York City is within the reach of every NYC M/WBE entrepreneur. It takes three steps: 1. Examine if your firm qualifies as an NYC M/WBE 2. Prepare paperwork for the process 3. Get free resources and help through the WENYC Portal It is important as an entrepreneur to maintain your passion for your business. After all, passion is why we become entrepreneurs in the first place. The late Maya Angelou said, "You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off of you." My advice: while the eyes are on you, let them see you enjoying a piece of the16-billion dollar pie. Take it from me, it tastes good! Beautiful new moon at sunset in Madagascar American Muslims are no different than Muslims around the world for centuries- stubborn and never in agreement as to when our holidays are to take place on the calendar. The Muslim calendar is lunar. And we live in a Gregorian world. I sometimes feel like Muslims try so hard to do it right, that we are getting it all wrong. Advertisement Having a lunar-based calendar means that everything is dependent on the moon sighting. Some Islamic scholars think that the moon must be sighted by the naked eye for it to count. Others think that modern technology and telescopes are perfectly acceptable. The weather can have an effect on whether the moon is sighted or not. Then there is geography. Local cultural traditions play a part too. So what do all of these variances mean? It means Muslims around the world never celebrate our holidays at the same time. You might have Muslims in the United States, Egypt and the Arab world celebrating Eid on one day while Muslims in India, Indonesia and South Africa celebrating it a different day. Some scholars want the world to get on board with the idea that if the moon is sighted anywhere on the planet- then it is considered as having been sighted and should be acceptable to everyone. But Muslims are much too stubborn for that. To the relief of Trump supporters, there is no global Muslim authority figure or modern Caliph in the world. Some countries have a national Islamic body that makes moonsighting decisions and declares them for their country. Even then - you will always have your rogue local groups that will shun authority and do their own thing. Advertisement In North America, we have the Fiqh Council, an affiliate of ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) who issues their statements as to when holidays should be celebrated. And that's great that an authoritative body steps forward trying to unite us. But it doesn't work. In America, communities still celebrate holidays when they decide to celebrate them - based on a number of logical and illogical arguments and counter-arguments. As an American Muslim, I find all of this frustrating. The reality in America is that each mosque and each community pretty much wings it and does their own thing. And there is a problem with that. If we want school calendars and work calendars to include Muslim holidays and even get the days off like we saw successfully happen in New York City - but we can't even agree amongst ourselves when our holidays even are - we look like a bunch of morons. Sorry. Someone had to say it. Within communities and even families, there is division. So instead of celebrating our holy days together, people are bickering. People are digging their heels into the ground. People are so worried about getting the date wrong- that we miss the forest for the trees. We end up not even celebrating together as a community or as a family. We continue on- divided in our ideas and in our celebrations. This is the exact opposite of what the essence of Islam is about. Advertisement Islam is about unity. It is about our Ummah (global, Muslim community.) When worrying so much about the semantics of moon sighting causes rifts between brothers, something is not right. We don't have the luxury in 2016 America of having the moon sighted late at night by the village uncles and having a town crier bang his pots and pans to alert the villagers so we could prepare the celebrations for the next day. We have responsibilities at school and at work in our busy society that runs on a solar calendar. We have to give school administrators a heads up. We have to give bosses a heads up. Some people may have the luxury to be able to drop everything. Not everyone has that luxury. I realize that these struggles are part and parcel to being a minority. But we can do MUCH better, guys! This year, Muslim leaders got together in Turkey to come to a consensus on this issue. Leaders from approximately 50 countries met in Istanbul in May 2016 for an International Hijri Calendar Unity Congress. (Yes!) They voted on have a single calendar, dual calendar or to leave the matter undecided. They voted for a single calendar. (Yes again!) Mehmet Gormez, the head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate stated that he hoped this "will end a 60-year conflict in the Islamic World." The congress published the following sentiment, "The basic rule to determine the start of the lunar month is the sighting of the crescent, whether this is done by the naked eye or through modern methods of astronomy. ... If the crescent is sighted in one place it will be accepted as having been seen everywhere." Advertisement A list of official proposals was published including the following: "The congress offers Muslim minorities living in Europe, America and similar regions to work to unite their Eids, symbolic occasions as well as their views and feelings. It also offers the religious administrations of Muslim states to study this calendar and have faith in it as this calendar will achieve goodness and keep away evil and has no aim but to create unity of symbols and emotions." (Yes, yes and more yes!) "The congress advices the religious authorities of the Islamic countries and persons and institutions responsible for religious affairs to adopt the calendar and work to create unity to determine the start of the lunar months. " "The congress invites the calendar makers in the Islamic world to adopt this calendar to unite Muslims around this calendar which is an indicator of the civilization and identity of the Muslims and unites their emotions and thoughts." "The congress advices Muslims living in non-Muslim countries to apply the calendar and thus create unity among all Muslims. It is not religiously permissible for Muslims who live in the same country to quarrel about the days of Eid and when to start fasting. On the contrary they should adhere to the rulings of religious authorities like the European Research and Fatwa Council or the Office of the President of Diyanet in Turkey as our Prophet has declared: "The day you fast is the day when you all fast, the day you mark Eid is the day when you all celebrate together and the day you sacrifice (animals) is the day when you perform this ritual all together." Hutchinson steamrolls Liberal 35-7, setting up rematch with Bishop Carroll The Hutchinson Salthawks overcame several Liberal short-field opportunities in the first half to beat the Redskins 35-7 Friday night at Gowans Stadium Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.2 By Azad Hasanli - Trend: The Marketing and Operations Department of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) exported 11.38 million tons of oil from Turkeys Ceyhan port in January-August 2016, as compared to 11.27 million tons in the first eight months of 2015, said the message from SOCAR. As much as 1.27 million tons of oil was exported from Ceyhan port in August 2016, as compared to 871,800 tons in the same period in 2015. In total, SOCAR exported 17.93 million tons of oil from Turkeys Ceyhan port in 2015, as compared to 20.48 million tons in 2014. Oil is delivered to Ceyhan port via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. The total length of the B is 1,768 kilometers, including a 443 kilometer-long section running through Azerbaijan, a 249-kilometer long section in Georgia and a 1,076-kilometer long section in Turkey. The construction of the pipeline started in 2003. It was filled with oil in 2005. The shareholders of BTC Co., which was crested Aug.1, 2002 for the projects implementation, are: BP (30.1 percent), AzBTC (25 percent), Chevron (8.9 percent), Statoil (8.71 percent), (6.53 percent), Eni (5 percent), Total (5 percent), Itochu (3.4 percent), Inpex (2.5 percent), ConocoPhillips (2.5 percent) and ONGC (2.36 percent). When Jim Powell was growing up in Missoula, Montana, he has clear memories of his fathers work as an employee benefits broker. While much of it didnt interest him initially, one experience made an impression: accompanying his father while he delivered a life insurance check to a grieving family.It was something my dad really didnt have to do, Powell recalled. The insurance company could have mailed the check directly or had it overnighted. But he was just a very personal individual and he wanted to make sure his clients family was cared for. That left a pretty significant impactLater, when Powell was looking for a first job after finishing his business administration degree at the University of Montana, he remembered his fathers moving example and asked him for introductions in the industry.In 1981, he joined what was then Great West Life in Seattle, eventually moving to Tampa, Florida with the company. Seven years later, he moved over to the brokerage side with Arthur J. Gallagher in Clearwater.I moved my way up the ranks, doing some regional work in Louisiana, Powell said. Then, I decided I wanted to be in a consultant role rather than management and asked to be able to handle existing clients and find new ones.Powells commitment to customer care then took him to Hilb Rogal & Hobbs, which was later acquired by Willis. He recently joined Alliant, where he works as First Vice President over employee benefits in the Tampa/St. Petersburg region.Over the years, hes had the chance to work with a variety of outlets, including those in the public, private and educational spaces. While each requires its own unique approach, Powell says he enjoys the opportunity to be become a trusted business advisor to each.I would contrast this versus the majority of my competitors that are more insurance product salespeople, selling employers a particular product rather than learning about the employer and bringing a solution that is better for them than for the insurance broker, he said.Its this commitment to customer care that made the industry transition under the Affordable Care Act an exciting opportunity for him. While Powell admits to doing more hours of work for each and every client, he has risen to the challenge of understanding the law, spending more time with in-house counsel and advising clients on regulatory compliance requirements.Its a whole new discipline almost like weve become attorneys to our clients as well as brokers, he said.And every day is a new opportunity to learn.I love that every client is so unique and different, and finding out what is important to them and how they want to be treated is great, said Powell. Theres no cookie cutter approach to this, and that personal element is what I find so rewarding. Why encrypted tech may not be as safe as you thinkEncrypted technology has been identified as a potential risk as cyber criminals find ways to hide malware within the data.A report from application network and security firm A10 Networks in conjunction with the Ponemon Institute found that 80 per cent of organizations suffered a cyber-attack in the past year; almost half used malware hidden in encrypted data to evade detection.The issue is that the SSL technology which makes the data hard to spot by would-be attackers is also hard for many common security tools.The survey reveals that 75 per cent of respondents understand that their networks are at risk from encrypted traffic and around two-thirds are unprepared to detect malicious SSL traffic.As encrypted traffic grows, with companies believing it is the safer option, so will the risk unless organizations also ensure that security protocols are able to cope.Ridge Global expands into CanadaRidge Global, the specialist cyber insurance and security company founded by former US Director of Homeland Security Gov. Tom Ridge, has expanded into Canada."Cyber risk is different from other forms of risk, so you cannot purchase reliable insurance for this 21st Century risk in antiquated ways. Moreover, too many senior executives and risk officers are finding out that their existing cyber coverage is insufficient only after the chaos caused by a breach," said Gov. Ridge, Chairman of Ridge Global. "That is why we have created customized insurance solutions that we combine with segment-specific risk management.Ridge Canada is based in Toronto are headed by Greg Markell as CEO. Its tailored products are available to insurance agents and brokers nationwide.Harris named head of Chubb s global servicesChubb North America has appointed Tom Harris to lead its Global Services division as executive vice president.His role will include worldwide responsibility for delivering the firms commercial lines insurance products for global clients and the oversight and development of Chubbs online risk management tools portal."We are pleased to welcome Tom into this key leadership role. His appointment demonstrates our intent to grow and invest in the servicing and core program support that our customers have come to expect from Chubb, commented Chris Maleno, Senior Vice President, Chubb Group. Clarksburg School Sets Back to School Night, Welcomes New Staff CLARKSBURG, Mass. Clarksburg School will hold its annual back to school evening event on Sept. 21, but it will be a little different than in years past. Usually, teachers would give a presentation on that night and set up conferences for the parent night in December. "The teachers didn't think seeing parents once a year in December was enough," Principal Tara Barnes told the School Committee last week. Instead, they asked that two parent conference nights be set up, one on Oct. 20 and another on March 23. "They felt it was more meaningful," Barnes said. "But I thought it was important to do a back-to-school event. ... "I think there are a lot of things parents need to know. We're going to changing report cards, we're going to have an online portal." So she's reaching out to the Clarksburg PTG to help host the evening, giving that group a chance to meet with parents (and potential members). Teachers will be asked if they would like to volunteer to attend. Barnes is not sure what else will happen, but there definitely will be an event, she said. "I've been thinking creatively about this." Her report last week also included the preparations for the school's opening, which occurred on Thursday. Among the new staff greeting pupils this year is the new Spanish teacher Philip Bragdon, taking the place of Amy Sanchez, who left for a full-time position. Bragdon will work part time in Clarksburg and Rowe. DFER has spent thousands on the Bloomberg campaign for the House of Representatives. Bloomberg says he doesn't agree with lifting the charter school cap. Pro-Charter School PAC Spent Close To $4K on Bloomberg Campaign PITTSFIELD, Mass. A national pro-charter school organization has dumped nearly $4,000 into support of House of Representatives candidate Michael Bloomberg's campaign. According to finance reports, Democrats for Education Reform spent $3,510.20 on direct mailers supporting the candidate and another $320 for the design. The design was done through Bartlett Interactive of Concord and the mailing was done by Novus Group in Boston. DFER is based out of Washington, D.C., and New York City and has spent a massive amount of money supporting candidates in Massachusetts. The organization has been active in supporting the passage of Question 2, which would raise the cap on the number of charter schools. Bloomberg said he responded to a questionnaire the organization sent out in May, in which he voiced support for "working to bring charter-like benefits to the local school districts through innovation and Horace Mann schools and through co-operation of currently existing Commonwealth charters." The questionnaire specifically asked about the ballot question, which he responded by saying he did not support the expansion because "I believe the focus should be on reforming the current public school system with a one-system approach." The question of raising the charter school cap is heading to the ballot. Both Bloomberg and Farley-Bouvier are seeking the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Berkshire House of Representatives seat. Farley-Bouvier, the incumbent, on Friday was critical of Bloomberg receiving what she calls "dark money" being infused into the electoral season. "This is coupled with the fact that Mr. Bloomberg's credibility is in serious question that he would say one thing and then be supported at the same time by a group whose clear mission is a yes on No. 2. I think this calls into question his credibility in everything else he said in this campaign," Farley-Bouvier said on Friday. Farley-Bouvier rejects Bloomberg's claim that he had no input in the organization's decision to support him. She, too, was contacted by the organization but refused to go through the questionnaire process. "When this organization approached me, I knew about this dark money. I knew their history. I knew that their main mission was charter schools and lifting this cap, Question 2, and I did not participate in their endorsement process because of that. I know about the endorsement process. I know what the questionnaire looks like and I say no, I do not want any kind of that support in my campaign," Farley-Bouvier said. "Mr. Bloomberg clearly participated in the endorsement process. They did not endorse him out of nowhere. They do not endorse candidates and support candidates who do not line up with their mission." An additional concern for Farley-Bouvier is that the donors to the organization cannot be traced. DFER is funded out of New York by an organization called Education Reform Now. Federal law doesn't require the donors to that organization to be made public. "We do not know who is funding this organization Education Reform Now, DFER for Mass," Farley-Bouvier said. "DFER Mass is putting substantial money into other races." Bloomberg has been consistent publicly that he opposed the question and on Friday reiterated that support while firing back at Farley-Bouvier's record. "I am and always have been opposed to raising the cap on charter schools, and therefore support a no vote on Question 2 this fall. Rep. Farley-Bouvier can not say the same for herself as she supported lifting the charter cap in 2014. Her insinuation that I am personally receiving money from the organization known as Democrats for Education Reform is a demonstration of her failure to understand campaign finance in Massachusetts. Independent expenditures are not made with any prior knowledge of the candidate, nor do I personally receive any of the money. It is simply an organization that has decided to send a piece of mail supporting me in the election," Bloomberg wrote in a statement. "While I do not agree with DFER's position on raising the cap on charter schools, we do share the common concern that today's education system is leaving many school children behind, particularly those coming from low-income families, and children of color, and that the best path forward is not through small tweaks to the system and added funding to a broken system, but through meaningful education reform. I am thankful for their support in believing that I am the best candidate for educational advancement in Pittsfield." Farley-Bouvier, too, has opposed raising the cap. Charter schools were intended to use public money on a school to try different ways to education children, which could then be incorporated into the traditional public school. "We have not seen that at all. We have seen public dollars being siphoned off into charter schools," Farley-Bouvier said. "I'm not saying every charter school is a bad thing. What I am saying is question 2 lifting the cap is a bad idea. Unless and until we can have changes in our charter school funding and accountability, it is not appropriate to lift this cap." DFER has been putting a lot of money into races across Massachusetts. The organization supports charter schools specifically Horace Mann charter schools as well as use of standardized testing, common core, and access to "high-quality affordable early education and care programs especially for at-risk children," according to its website. The Horace Mann model is one that Bloomberg has previously voiced support for because that form is under the jurisdiction of local school committees and does not go outside of teacher union contracts. He also said he supports standardized testing to some degree. "I believe in the use of testing to gauge progress of students. But I don't think we are at the point to use it to measure our teacher's performance," Bloomberg said. Farley-Bouvier said DFER's "main mission" is to support raising the cap on charter schools and she doesn't believe the organization would support her competitor otherwise. "He has made multiple statements that he is against lifting the charter school cap, a no vote on Question 2. This organization's main mission at this time is to lift the charter school cap and support candidates who agree with that position. I do not think both of these things can be true that they are supporting him and he is against lifting the charter school cap," Farley-Bouvier said. The primary election is less than a week away and the winner of the nomination will then take on independent Christopher Connell in the general election. iciHaiti - Social : Pierre Esperance reelected to the FIDH Board Pierre Esperance Executive Secretary of National Defense Network Human Rights (RNDDH), was re-elected as Secretary General of the new International Board of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) [Note that the office has 7 Secretaries general]. The vote took place during the 39th FIDH Congress, held in late August in Johannesburg (South Africa) where were present 178 member organizations from 120 countries to determine the main directions for the next 3 years and elect a new International Board [composed of 22 activists from 21 countries representing 5 continents]. During this conference, the Greek university Dimitris Christopoulos was elected President of the FIDH. New organizations from 15 countries were welcomed into the FIDH bringing to 184 the number of its members. The Congress also adopted 26 resolutions including 3 special motions on the situation in Syria, Zimbabwe and appealed to the international protection of human rights defenders in the world. IH/ iciHaiti Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 Trend: New Lifan cars will be assembled at the Nakhchivan Automobile Plant (NAZ), the plant's Director Musa Abdullayev told Trend. This issue was discussed during the talks in Baku between the plant's Director Musa Abdullayev and Director General of Lifan International Sun Zejun. Four-wheel drive Lifan X7 sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a minivan for 11 people will be added to the model range of cars to be produced in Azerbaijan. During the talks it was also agreed to supply finished products of the NAZ to a third country. Abdullayev said that the parties also discussed the issue of opening of a dealer network in the districts of Azerbaijan, as well Chinese banks support in financing of sales in the Azerbaijani market. Sun Zejun highlighted the prospects of the Azerbaijani market, its potential caused by the growth of the economy as a whole. The growth of Azerbaijans economy is visible to the naked eye, it is enough to look at the speed the capital of the country, Baku, grows at, he said. Lifan representatives noted the high professionalism of Azerbaijani colleagues. Also the Chinese plants delegation met with Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ganja Automobile Plant Production Association Khanlar Fatiyev. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 Trend: The referendum on amending Azerbaijans constitution scheduled for September 26 will be discussed in Paris in October at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Bureau meeting, the press service of Azerbaijans parliament said Sept. 2. Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to hold a referendum Sept. 26 for making amendments to the countrys constitution. Presidential election in Moldova and Bulgaria, parliamentary election in Belarus, Georgia, Jordan, Montenegro, Morocco and other issues will be also discussed at the PACE Bureau meeting. Azerbaijani MP, chairperson of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons Sahiba Gafarova, who will stay in France Sept. 4-10, will take part in the meeting of the Assemblys Bureau, as well as the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 Trend: Russia and Turkey intend to sign a memorandum on the establishment of a joint investment fund worth more than $1 billion on the sidelines of G-20 summit, to be held in Hangzhou, China September 4-5, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said in an interview with Russia 24 TV channel, TASS agency reported Sept. 2. "We will hold important talks with Turkey at the G20 forum, he said. Earlier, Dmitriev said that the process of the joint investments of the Russian-Turkish fund may start in 2017. Nihat Zeybekchi, Turkish economy minister, said at the negotiations on July 26 that the Russian-Turkish investment fund will also finance a variety of projects in third countries. Turkey's Sovereign Wealth Fund will act as a partner in the joint investment fund establishment with the participation of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Google Philippines launches today its year-long social media campaign called #LovePhilippines in time for National Heroes Day to inspire Filipinos to discover more about the country and our culture and fuel their love for the Philippines. Google Philippines will post #LovePhilippines content on their social media channels to put a spotlight on the heritage of the Filipinos. The posts will include, but are not limited to, moments of triumph in history, interesting stories behind acclaimed Filipinos and their achievements, trivia on uniquely Filipino norms, and a quick tour of hidden gems in the country using different Google products like Search, Street View, YouTube, and materials from Google Cultural Institute. The campaign kicks off with a post featuring a unique pinoy dessert that was Jose Rizal's favorite, minatamis na santol. Apart from learning something new about our national hero, Filipinos will also get to prepare the treat by watching a YouTube video tutorial. The campaign aims to encourage Filipinos to share with pride the positive things about our country on social media and introduce the wonderful aspects of the Philippines and its people to non-Filipinos so they can appreciate the culture more. As part of Googles commitment to equip Filipinos with information that are relevant to their lives, Google put together the campaign to show netizens that there are easily accessible materials online that they can use to boost the morale of fellow Filipinos and inspire others to take pride on the many remarkable characteristics of the Philippines. We hear things said about the Philippines or the Filipinos, but there are plenty of beautiful facts about us that are easily searchable online. We want to bring out these information so that people will be inspired to show the world that the Philippines is a fast developing country with a rich history and colorful culture. Filipinos are innately inspiring, and we look forward to spreading more love for the Philippines in the days to come, said Gail Tan, Google Philippines Head of Communications and Public Affairs. Back to top Imperial Valley News Center Habitat Is a Crucial Factor in Survivability of Released Tortoises Las Vegas, Nevada - As conservationists work to recover endangered species populations, taking individuals that are maintained and protected under human care and reintroducing them into the wild, it becomes apparent that there is a great deal to learn about the science of species recovery. In a paper published in the recent edition of the Journal of Applied Ecology, a team of wildlife experts from San Diego Zoo Global, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Nevada analyzed the effect of habitat quality on the survival and dispersal of released desert tortoises. Juvenile tortoises used in this study originated from eggs produced by females housed at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center in Las Vegas. Ages ranged from 6 months to 4 years. The tortoises were translocated and monitored for one year, using radio tracking systems. The goals of the study were to help re-establish populations of this threatened and declining species, and to understand better what critical resources on the landscape are associated with the ability of young tortoises to survive and thrive, said Ron Swaisgood, Ph.D., director of Applied Animal Ecology at San Diego Zoo Global. Tortoises released in habitat that included appropriate vegetation, rocks and the presence of animal burrows had lower mortality rates than those released in areas where land features offered fewer options for predator avoidance. Burrows created by small mammals represent critical components of desert tortoise ecology, said Melia Nafus, Ph.D., a researcher for San Diego Zoo Global and lead author of the study. Supporting healthy rodent populations through habitat management may improve juvenile desert tortoise survival and recruitment. Another interesting finding of the study was that tortoises released on rocky ground were less likely to disperse away from the release site. This finding probably relates to the tortoises dependence on rocky substrate, as camouflage to hide from predators, said tortoise expert and co-author Todd Esque, Ph.D., from the U.S. Geological Survey. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encourages research such as this because it provides vital knowledge that informs our policy and management decisions, stated study co-author Roy Averill-Murray, who heads the services Desert Tortoise Recovery Office. Now, we have better information when deciding which habitats to protect for desert tortoises, and where to attempt re-establishment of desert tortoise populations with future releases. Translocation of individuals back to the wild is one of many important tools that conservation biologists use to recover endangered and threatened species. We view these translocations as a way to learn more about animals habitat requirements, while also assisting directly with species recovery goals, said Ron Swaisgood. Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is inspiring children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the internet and in childrens hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global. Governor Brown Issues on Death of Caltrans Worker Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following statement regarding the death of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) electrician Jorge Lopez: Anne and I were saddened to learn of the death of Jorge Lopez, who worked each day to make our California roads safer. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and many colleagues who are mourning this tragedy. Jorge Lopez, 57, of Sylmar, died today when he was struck by a big rig as he was standing outside his vehicle on State Route 14 in Acton. Two other Caltrans employees driving behind Lopez were uninjured in the accident. Lopez is the 185th Caltrans employee to lose his life on the job. He is survived by his wife Leticia and three children. In honor of Lopez, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff. Energy Department Recognizes The Wendys Company, and its Franchisee Wendco Group, For Leadership in Energy Performance Mobile, Alabama - As part of the Obama Administrations effort to cut energy waste in the nations restaurants and buildings, today the Energy Departments Better Buildings Challenge recognized the Wendys Company and its franchisee, Wendco Group, for leadership in energy efficiency. This local restaurant achieved a 37 percent total energy reduction or more than 50 percent energy savings per sales transaction, and nearly $8,000 in savings annually. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, Wendys has committed to achieving 20 percent energy savings over 10 years, across 1.5 million square feet of building space at company-owned restaurants. Its also the first restaurant company to include franchisees in the Better Buildings Challenge. To date, six franchisees have joined, adding an additional 270 restaurants (nearly 700,000 square feet) to the collective Wendys footprint. Wendys joined the Better Buildings Challenge in January of this year and was so inspired by the program that the company started its own program called the Wendys Energy Challenge. The program is modeled after the Better Buildings Challenge and encourages Wendys franchisees across North America to be good stewards of energy usage. The leadership demonstrated by this corporation and its franchisee is tremendous, said Maria T. Vargas, U.S. Department of Energy, Better Buildings Challenge director. Not only is The Wendys Company focused on improving corporate-level energy efficiency, it is doing so in a way that reaches thousands more restaurants. This approach with the Wendco Group is exemplary of a commitment to continuous improvement, a dedication to greater savings, and proof that partnerships extend energy savings. Wendco Group operates 43 restaurants in Alabama and Florida and has made a long-term commitment to energy efficiency as a business strategy. The group actively develops and pursues strategies for lowering energy use across their building portfolio, including ongoing equipment maintenance, strategic energy upgrades and high efficiency equipment installation. Upgrades to the Wendys location in Mobile, Alabama include exterior LED lights, all-LED interior lights, an ultra-high efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a new, efficient commercial kitchen hood. Were proud to be among the first restaurant companies to join the Challenge, said Abigail Pringle, chief development officer for the Wendys Company. We see environmental stewardship in restaurant development as a big responsibility, and it connects to our values. We believe stewardship is a journey, a long-term commitment. Its not something we are simply checking off the list, rather were driving purposeful change with bold goals that are brought to life through our culture and our business practices of how we plan, design, engineer, construct and operate our restaurants. The Wendys Company previously identified HVAC as one of the largest energy-consuming systems in Wendys restaurants. Wendco Group chose the Mobile restaurant as a pilot location to use and validate the efficiency of new HVAC equipment, including new rooftop units (RTUs) with variable speed compressors and fans. A second Wendys restaurant in Mobile served as a control test subject, because it was also demolished and rebuilt in 2015, but used the older HVAC design. The ultra-high efficiency HVAC system installed at the new Mobile location led to a 14 percent decrease in energy consumption compared to the control restaurant. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, the Energy Department aims to achieve the goal of doubling American energy productivity by 2030 while motivating corporate and public-sector leaders across the country to save energy through commitments and investments. More than 310 organizations are partnering with the Energy Department to achieve 20 percent portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency over the next decade. Across the country, partners have shared energy data for more than 34,000 properties and are reporting energy savings of 20 percent or more at 5,500 properties, and 10 percent or more at 12,600 properties. FTC Approves American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc.s Application to Divest Assets to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. Washington, DC - Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved an application from American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. to sell some of its assets to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., a Delaware-based subsidiary of Taiyo Nippon Snso Corporation of Japan. The divestiture is required by the FTCs July 2016 final order settling charges that the $13.4 billion merger of industrial gas producers American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and Airgas, Inc. would likely harm competition in several U.S. and regional markets. In its application, American Air Liquide seeks to divest to Matheson the bulk oxygen, nitrogen, and argon assets; the bulk nitrous oxide assets; the retail packaged welding gases assets; and parts of the bulk liquid carbon dioxide assets, as specified in the proposed order. The FTC is currently accepting public comments on an application by American Air Liquide to divest the other bulk liquid carbon dioxide assets to Aspen Air U.S. Corp.. The Commission vote to approve the divestiture was 3-0. (FTC File No. 161 0045, Docket No. C-4574 ; the staff contact is Roberta Baruch, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-2861) Vietnam's National Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, it is with great pleasure that I wish the people of Vietnam a joyous National Day this September 2. "The relationship between our two countries and peoples is stronger than it has ever been. We are poised to make even more progress in the months and years ahead as we work together to implement the historic initiatives announced during President Obamas visit to Vietnam in May. "I was honored to accompany President Obama on his visit -- my third trip to Vietnam as Secretary of State -- and was struck, as I always am, by the remarkable transformation in our bilateral relations. "From the first time that I stepped foot in Vietnam as a young soldier in 1968 to my most recent visit in May, Ive seen incredible changes taking shape, from the growing city skylines to the pulsating entrepreneurial energy to the increasing flow of people, goods, and ideas from every corner of Vietnam to the United States and elsewhere. "In the midst of these changes, what remains constant for me, and what Ive always loved about Vietnam, is the warmth, and generosity, and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people. "It is their resiliency and innate desire to move beyond the shadow of the past toward a more prosperous, healthy, and free society for their children and future generations that had shaped Vietnams trajectory. "Vietnam is a country of tremendous potential, and Im confident it will have a bright future thanks to the dedication of its young people, business community, and active civil society. "We look forward to continuing to deepen our comprehensive and increasingly strategic partnership with Vietnam to advance our shared interest in building and sustaining a rules-based order, not only in the Asia-Pacific region but throughout the world. "On this festive occasion, I wish the people of Vietnam peace and prosperity in the coming year." On the Occasion of the Feast of San Marino Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the Sammarinese people as you celebrate the Feast of San Marino on September 3. "After your nations Regent Captains offered Abraham Lincoln honorary citizenship during the U.S. Civil War, Lincoln replied, Although your dominion is small, your State is nevertheless one of the most honored, in all history. Today, San Marino remains a paragon of self-governance, a beacon of freedom, and an important voice in support of human rights. The United States deeply values your steadfast commitment to democratic principles and your contributions to peace, liberty, and prosperity across the globe. "I send my best wishes to all the people of San Marino on this special day and throughout the year to come." Watch: Man's Fire Stunt Goes Horribly Wrong, Beard Up in Flames Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 By Azad Hasanli Trend: The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) has revoked the license of the Caucasus Development Bank-Georgia JSC, a Georgian subsidiary of Azerbaijans Caucasus Development Bank, the NBG said in a message. It is reported that this move was made due to the revocation of the license of the parent bank Azerbaijans Caucasus Development Bank. A temporary administration was introduced at the Caucasus Development Bank-Georgia JSC Aug. 18. The license of Caucasus Development Bank was revoked on Jan. 27, 2016, in Azerbaijan, while it was declared bankrupt on Aug. 16 by the Baku Administrative-Economical Court No.1. The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) had said the banks license was revoked because its total capital didn't correspond to the minimum requirement of 50 million manats. The bank also couldn't fulfill obligations to creditors, CBA explained. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} On the 31 October a report circulated online claiming the controversial sculpture featured in Kanye Wests Famous music video - featuring a naked Taylor Swift, Ray Jay, and Donald Trump - was on sale for $4 million. Giving credence to the claim was the New York Times, detailing how the co-founder of the Los Angeles gallery keeping the sculpture, Tim Blum, thought the price-tag was a good ballpark. However, a conflicting report from the Los Angeles Times has emerged, slamming the NYT, saying the $4 million price tag does not exist as the piece is not for sale. Its misinformation, the work is not for sale as of now and never was, the gallerys press representative, Nicoletta Beyer, told the publication. Weve never discussed or agreed upon a price [with West]. The $4 million, theres no weight to that. Blum also went on record once more, saying his ballpark remark was taken out of context. The sculpture was never for sale; I was quoted out of context. From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift Show all 6 1 /6 From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift September 2009 NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 13: Kanye West (L) jumps onstage after Taylor Swift (C) won the "Best Female Video" award during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images) From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift September 2009 NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 13: Kanye West (L) jumps onstage after Taylor Swift (C) won the "Best Female Video" award during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images) Christopher Polk/Getty From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift February 2015 LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 08: (L-R) Recording Artists Taylor Swift, Jay Z and Kanye West and tv personality Kim Kardashian attend The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the STAPLES Center on February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS) From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift August 2015 LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 30: Recording artist Kanye West (L) accepts the Video Vanguard Award from recording artist Taylor Swift onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on August 30, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift April 2016 Kanye West drops 'Famous', which includes the controversial line 'I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that bitch famous' From beef to BFFs to beef again: Kanye West and Taylor Swift July 2016 Kim Kardashian releases of audio of Tayior Swift approving the lyrics to 'Famous' Getty It was just a pop-up exhibition based on my and the gallerys interest in Kanye West as a multidisciplinary artist and the fact that we do these kinds of events with regularity. He clarified that he was remarking on the general value of the artwork, not agreeing on a price: He was saying that if it were for sale, that would make sense, hypothetically, but we dont know where that particular number came from. A spokesperson for West said the rappers estate are incredibly flattered that a number is being reported. But at no point have we ever disclosed a sale price for the piece. As far as Mr. West is concerned - it's all about the art. Since the release of Famous, West has released a second music video, this time for the song Fade featuring Teyana Taylor dancing. The choreographer recently explained the videos catface ending. 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 }} Denis Villeneuve is currently working on the next Blade Runner movie starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. His new film Arrival (a premiere in Venice this week) is also a sci-fi movie, albeit a very cerebral and contemplative one. The film, based on cult sci-fi yarn Story Of Your Life by Ted Chiang, starts with a War of the Worlds-style alien invasion. Its plot, though,turns out to be more preoccupied with linguistics, philosophy and non-linear time than with humans in boiler suits zapping the creatures from outer space. The main protagonist Dr Lousie Banks (Amy Adams) is a brilliant academic. In a deliberately dream-like and confusing prelude which stands as a mini-movie in its own right, we see a montage of incidents from her life with her beloved daughter. Back in the present, she is teaching in a sparsely attended lecture hall when one of her students makes her turn on the new channel on TV. A dozen oval spaced alien spaceships have arrived on earth. Theyre hovering everywhere from Devon to the Black Sea. World leaders have no idea whether the spaceships have come in peace or with murderous intentions. Louise is recruited by the military authorities alongside scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to try to communicate with the visitors. The film is fascinating in its own slow-burning way as it depicts Louises painstaking efforts to come up with a set of language conventions that the aliens can understand. The heptapods are spidery creatures with starfish-shaped hands who communicate through their own incredibly complex form of hieroglyphs. They create inky patterns of circles and symbols that look elements from Jackson Pollock paintings. A jarring, minimalist score by Johann Johannsson adds to the general eeriness. Arrival - Trailer This is one sci-fi movie in which there is no attempt whatsoever to anthopomorphise the aliens. Theyre not like humans. Louise is patient and dogged in her attempts to understand them but she has no time. Across the world, everywhere from China to Russia to Sudan, military forces are gathering, ready to try to blast the aliens back to the galaxy whence they came. In the wake of their arrival, the stock market has collapsed, looting is widespread and there is a very real danger that the superpowers, instead of joining forces to deal with their new visitors, will soon turn their weaponry on each other. Amy Adams is a very versatile actress, equally adept at playing con artists and ingenues; in appearing in screwball comedy and in very dark drama. Here, she is utterly credible as the academic so passionate about her work that she hardly seems to notice that Armageddon may be nigh. This is a Hollywood movie in which semantics matter. The difference between weapon and tool is crucial for the future of humankind. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Show all 19 1 /19 Early Oscars 2017 contenders Early Oscars 2017 contenders La La Land Whiplash director Damien Chapelle opens this years Venice Film Festival with this original musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as a couple of dreamers trying to make it big in Hollywood: she, a lonely aspiring actress; he, a cocky jazz pianist. The trailer promises a neon-soaked, dreamy take on the classic Golden Age musical, all big-hearted romance and wholesome glamour. Expect La La Land to explore some darker emotional territory alongside all the toe-tapping, too. In cinemas here on 13 January. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Silence Martin Scorseses passion project since 1991 is yet to receive a release date but rumours abound that it will be out in time for the Oscars. Based on a novel of the same name by Japanese author Shusaku Endo, the story centres on two Jesuit missionaries sent to 17th century Japan to spread Christianity and find their mentor Once there, they endure brutal persecution at the time of Kakura Kirishitan (Hidden Christians) following the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion. Silence sounds weighty, intense and full of hard-hitting promise. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi director Ang Lee has narrowly missed out on a Best Picture win twice now but this adaptation of Ben Fountains acclaimed novel could be the film that finally wins him some overdue glory. The cast includes Kristen Stewart and Vin Diesel with newcomer Joe Alwyn in the lead as 19-year-old soldier Billy, who is brought home for a victory tour after serving in Iraq. Told in flashbacks, the drama reveals the horror of what really happened to his squad in contrast to Americas flashy, patriotic perceptions. Out here 6 January. Early Oscars 2017 contenders A United Kingdom Oyelowo plays Prince Seretse Khama, inaugural Botswana president from 1966 to 1980, in this follow-up to 2015s Belle. Films about real life people often hold clout with the Academy when done well and with Gone Girls Rosamund Pike playing Khamas eventual wife Ruth Williams, A United Kingdom should pull in cinemagoers. Khama sparked a global stir when he married the white Londoner in the late Forties and the first pictures from the movie promise beautiful costumes and cinematography. A United Kingdom will open the London Film Festival before its general release on 25 November. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Loving Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton star as Mildred and Richard Loving in this historical drama about an interracial couple sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958 for the crime of getting married. Out here just in time for the Oscars on 3 February. Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, Loving earned positive reviews from critics when it competed for the Palme dOr at Cannes and received a standing ovation for understated, strong performances. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Manchester by the Sea One of the best scripts co-producer Matt Damon had ever read, this tragedy about an uncle who is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boys father dies while trying to reconcile with his ex-wife stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and newcomer Lucas Hedges. It was bought at Sundance by Amazon for $10 million and arrives in the UK on 13 January. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Nocturnal Animals Designer Tom Ford has cinematic strings to his bow, as proved with 2009s Venice premiere The Single Man. Hes back in the chair for this drama-thriller starring Amy Adams as a remarried art gallery owner whose ex-husbands violent new book begins to haunt her. Jake Gyllenhaal, Isla Fisher and Armie Hammer also star. Due in UK cinemas on 4 November. Early Oscars 2017 contenders The Light Between Oceans Michael Fassbender stars alongside last years Best Supporting Actress winner Alicia Vikander in the big screen adaptation of ML Stedmans 2012 novel of the same name. Derek Cianfrance is the man behind the camera for this story about a lighthouse keeper war veteran who rescues a baby girl with his wife after she washes up on an adrift rowboat. Then, in steps another Oscar winner, Rachel Weisz, as the woman who threatens to break their happy family apart. Out in the UK on 4 November - bring tissues. Early Oscars 2017 contenders American Pastoral Ewan McGregor makes his directorial debut with this period adaptation of Philip Roths novel American Pastoral. The drama - set in the 60s - centres on a successful businessman (McGregor) whose missing daughter (Dakota Fanning) is accused of a violent bombing in post-war America. Out in the UK on 11 November. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Queen of Katwe Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) is the director behind this long-awaited biopic of Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi. That Mutesi is played by 12 Years a Slave Oscar-winner Lupita Nyongo is reason enough to anticipate this Disney-produced film, out here 21 October. Disney Early Oscars 2017 contenders Free Fire Ben Wheatleys new action thriller will close the London Film Festival. Set in Massachusetts in the late Seventies, Free Fire stars Oscar-winning Room actress Brie Larson in the lead alongside Cillian Murphy. It follows the heart-stopping game of survival after shots are fired during a meeting between Justine, two Irishmen and two arms dealers who are selling them a stash of guns. Expect blood, sweat and irony with bravura filmmaking from the High-Rise director. Reaches UK cinemas sometime in 2017. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Paterson Jim Jarmuschs Palme dOr contender sees Adam Driver take the lead as a bus driver poet from Paterson, New Jersey. Each night after work, he has dinner with his wife Laura before walking his dog (2016s Palm Dog winner) to the bar for one beer. Then one day, a small disaster strikes. Early Oscars 2017 contenders The Founder Michael Keaton has starred in the last two Best Picture winners Spotlight and Birdman. Here, he takes on the role of ruthless McDonalds founder Ray Kroc, with the film telling the story of the fast food empires origins. The ambitious entrepreneur on a journey to theme didnt end so well for last years Joy, so it remains to be seen whether The Founder can live up to expectations as an Oscars contender. Out here 30 September. The Weinstein Company Early Oscars 2017 contenders Sully Clint Eastwood returns with Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, about the hero pilot who, in 2009, successfully landed his plane along the Hudson River after it was disabled by a flock of geese, saving all 155 crew and passengers. Tom Hanks takes the lead as Chesley Sullenberger in a biopic that sounds like it could tick a lot of Oscars boxes. Based on the autobiography Highest Duty, the thriller marks Eastwoods first directorial effort since 2014s American Sniper. Out 2 December. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Jackie Pablo Larrain directs Oscar winner Natalie Portman as late first lady and fashion icon Jacqueline Kennedy in what he has promised will not be another classic biopic. Set in the days immediately after John F Kennedys 1963 assassination, the film sparked great excitement among distributors after a seven-minute promo screened at Cannes. Release date unknown at this stage. Early Oscars 2017 contenders The Girl on the Train The Helps Tate Taylor is in the directors chair for this years Gone Girl about a troubled woman who becomes embroiled in a murder case after developing a fixation on a beautiful couple from her commuter train. Expect a film pulsating with creepy, voyeur vibes, a la Rear Window, based on Paula Hawkins bestselling thriller. Out in the UK on 7 October. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Florence Foster Jenkins Meryl Streep has been widely praised for her turn as the 1940s New York heiress who couldnt sing (and we mean really couldnt sing) yet somehow became an opera singer with the help of her patient husband St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant) and pianist Cosme McMoon (Simon Helberg). Directed by two-time Academy nominee Stephen Frears, the film proved heartwarming and inspiring upon its release earlier this year and was embraced by both film lovers and critics. Early Oscars 2017 contenders Christine Rebecca Hall set Sundance ablaze in January, earning five-star reviews for the performance of her career in Christine, about the news anchor who killed herself live on air in 1974 after suffering from depression. Yet to receive a UK release date, Christine arrives in US cinemas in October, with Antonio Campos also one to watch for directorial accolades come awards season. Courtesy of Sundance Institute Early Oscars 2017 contenders Arrival Paramount Pictures Villeneuve has assembled a strong supporting cast. Forest Whitaker is a furrowed-browed, no-nonsense US military Colonel, trying to get Louise to hurry up and crack the code that will enable her to understand the Heptapod language. Michael Stuhlbarg is the vaguely sinister intelligence chief type, ready to turn against Louise if he even suspects that she is compromising national security. They, and Renners scientist, are all subservient to Adams, who carries the movie. Occasionally, when characters breathlessly utter lines about language and time being not the same for the aliens or were suddenly whisked into the past or future, the film can seem a little silly. Its heartening, though, to encounter a science fiction thriller that is ready to deal with abstract ideas and that doesnt rely on the slightest on action movie cliches. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Let's call it new music Friday - here's something by the Istanbul-based The Away Days who are back with a new single 'World Horizon', which we're premiering today on The Independent. They've supported the likes of Savages, Bell and Sebastian and Portishead - representing one of just a few bands from Turkey who are succeeding in breaking new ground in the UK. Check the track out and let us know what you think: Q&A with The Away Days What are you listening to at the moment? At the moment, we're listening to Soft Hair, Sampha and Local Natives. What are your plans for the rest of 2016? After the our first single, we're planning to release our second single from our debut album. And play our first European Headline Tour in November. Reaching new audiences, pushing our music to the largest platforms as much as possible. What was the first gig you ever played and what's been the best so far? My (Can Ozen) first gig was in the city called ''Antalya'' south of Turkey when i was 15. The best one was in Hoxton Square Kitchen last year. The crowd and the people were awesome. Looking forward to come back to UK! 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 }} Apple has pushed out an urgent security update for Macs to stop them being taken over by hackers. The update for OS X El Capitan, OS X Yosemite and the Safari browser, protects against a security vulnerability that was discovered in iPhones last week. That malware was exceptionally powerful, since it let hackers take over devices if their owners clicked just one link. It was discovered after a human rights activist received one such link, and sent it to security researchers to analyse. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty The company already pushed out an update to iOS, when the Pegasus malware was first made public. The company recommends that everyone download that update as well as the one for Mac. Recommended Read more How the most dramatic iOS spyware ever found was revealed iOS and OS X share a substantial amount of code, so vulnerabilities that exist in one of the pieces of software tend also to be found in another. Apple actually pushed out two patches. One is for OS X, and the other is for Safari itself both will patch the vulnerability but the latter is meant for people who cant update the former. The update is installed by heading to the Mac App Store and clicking on the Update button in the top right corner. Its possible that your computer might have actually updated without your knowledge already. If so, that update page will have nothing to show. 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 }} Samsung says it is suspending sales of its new smartphone after some of them exploded while they were charging and will let everyone who has one return them. At least 35 cases have been found of the phone blowing up while it was charging. Those spontaneous explosions are the result of a fault with the battery, Samsung said. Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung's mobile business said Friday that customers who already bought Note 7s will be able to swap them for new smartphones, regardless of the purchasing date. The company has been said to have been considering recalling all of the phones that have already gone on sale, according to previous reports. Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Here are some pictures of exploded phones that are circulating online Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Exploded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - in pictures Samsung said that it would provide details of how owners could trade in their phones later. The announcement comes just two weeks after Samsung launched its latest flagship smartphone. Some buyers reported their phones caught fire or exploded while charging, and Samsung said it had confirmed 35 such cases, caused by faulty batteries. Samsung said it has sold more than 1 million Note 7 smartphones since the product's launch. Additional reporting by Associated Press Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 Trend: Saxo Bank, the trading and investment specialist, launched a reduced margin requirement solution for its most popular CFD Index Trackers which provides greater flexibility during trading hours with most liquidity while maintaining margin at prudent levels Sept. 2. Initially, the reduced intraday margins will be available on selected CFD Index Trackers on main stock indices in Europe and the US such as US 500, EU 50, GERMANY 30, UK 100, FRANCE 40, SPAIN 35 and SWISS 20. Saxos Intraday Margin will enable clients to reduce their margin requirements during the principal trading hours given the stronger liquidity in the underlying market, while maintaining margin requirements at responsible levels. The Intraday Margins, which accounts for half of the normal margin requirements, is applied during main trading hours and phased out when underlying cash markets are about to close. Going forward, Saxo intends to offer Intraday Margins on a wider range of CFDs. At the same time, Saxo Bank introduces fixed spreads on CFD Index Trackers, applicable during main trading hours and in normal market conditions, meaning that clients will experience a reduction in trading cost of up to 30 % on the most popular CFD Index Trackers. This gives clients an improved trading experience and a high degree of certainty with regards to trading costs associated with entering and closing CFD Index Tracker positions. For the main US, European and Asia-Pacific Indices, the spreads are fixed at the minimum target spreads during the opening hours of the underlying cash market. Fixed spreads apply under normal market conditions and up to a certain trade size. We have experienced strong client interest in our CFD Index Tracker offering, and we want to make sure that clients are able to trade flexibly and responsibly taking the liquidity available in the underlying futures and cash markets into account, Claus Nielsen, head markets at Saxo Bank, said commenting on the launch. In line with our aim to enable clients to access markets as efficiently as possible, our Intraday Margins for CFDs and improved spreads have been designed to provide clients with increased flexibility during the trading day while also ensuring appropriate levels of margin for prudent risk management, he said. These new initiatives follow a series of other recent improvements to Saxo Banks CFD offering including active pricing on equity products and Direct Market Access on Single Stock CFDs. Saxo Bank Group (Saxo) is a leading multi-asset trading and investment specialist, offering a complete set of investment and trading technologies, tools and strategies. For almost 25 years, Saxos mission has been to enable individuals and institutions by facilitating their access to professional investing and trading through technology and expertise. As a fully licensed and regulated bank, Saxo enables its private clients to trade multiple asset classes across global financial markets from one single margin account and across multiple devices. Additionally, Saxo provides institutional clients such as banks and brokers with multi-asset execution, prime brokerage services and trading technology. Saxos award winning trading platforms are available in more than 20 languages and form the technology backbone of more than 100 financial institutions worldwide. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A radioactive drug, similar to that which killed Russian former spy Alexander Litvinenko has been approved as a treatment for prostate cancer on the NHS. Radium-223 is a powerful drug based on a mildly radioactive form of the metal radium. Given as an infusion into the bloodstream, it is taken up by bones and can specifically target tumours through alpha particles. Infusions are typically given once a month, for up to six months. The drugs emit the same type of radiation as polonium-210 which was used to assassinate former Russia spy Mr Litvinenko due to its ability to destroy tissues and organs. However, despite this, when used in a controlled manner, the same capabilities can be used to specifically target cancers. The health regulation authority NICE has announced prostate cancer patients will now be able to access the drug on a routine basis. It has previously only been recommended for patients who had received initial treatment alongside an additional medicine, docetaxel. 13 ways to help prevent cancer Show all 13 1 /13 13 ways to help prevent cancer 13 ways to help prevent cancer Stopping smoking. This notoriously difficult habit to break sees tar build-up in the lungs and DNA alteration and causes 15,558 cancer deaths a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Avoiding the sun, and the melanoma that comes with overexposure to harmful UV rays, could help conscientious shade-lovers dodge being one of the 7,220 people who die from it 13 ways to help prevent cancer A diet that is low in red meat can help to prevent bowel cancer, according to the research - with 30 grams a day recommended for men, and 25 a day recommended for women 13 ways to help prevent cancer Foods high in fibre, meanwhile, can further make for healthier bowels. Processed foods in developed countries appear to be causing higher rates of colon cancer than diets in continents such as Africa, which have high bean and pulse intakes 13 ways to help prevent cancer Two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day were given as the magic number for good diet in the research. Overall, diet causes only slightly fewer cancer deaths than sun exposure in Australia, at 7,000 a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Obesity and being overweight, linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, causes 3,917 deaths by cancer a year on its own Getty 13 ways to help prevent cancer Dying of a cancer caused by infection also comes in highly, linked to 3,421 cancer deaths a year. Infections such as human papilloma virus - which can cause cervical cancer in women - and hepatitis - can be prevented by vaccinations and having regular check-ups 13 ways to help prevent cancer Cutting back on drinks could reduce the risk of cancers caused by alcohol - such as liver cancer, bowel cancer, breast cancer and mouth cancer - that are leading to 3,208 deaths a year 2014 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Sitting around and not getting the heart pumping - less than one hour's exercise a day - is directly leading to about 1,800 people having lower immune functions and higher hormone levels, among other factors, that cause cancers 2011 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Hormone replacement therapy, which is used to relieve symptoms of the menopause in women, caused 539 deaths from (mainly breast) cancer in Australia last year. It did, however, prevent 52 cases of colorectal cancers 2003 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Insufficient breastfeeding, bizarrely, makes the top 10. Breastfeeding for 12 months could prevent 235 cancer cases a year, said the research AFP/Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Oral contraceptives, like the Pill, caused about 105 breast cancers and 52 cervical cancers - but it also prevented about 1,440 ovarian and uterine (womb) cases of cancer last year 2006 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Taking aspirin also prevented 232 cases in the Queensland research of colorectal and oesophagal cancers - but as it can also cause strokes, is not yet recommended as a formal treatment against the risk of cancer Professor Carole Longson, director of the centre for health technology evaluation at NICE, said: I am pleased we have been able to broaden our recommendations for radium-223. Patients with prostate cancer will surely benefit from this drug being available for routine NHS use. I hope well see more drugs like this move into routine NHS use after companies have been able to better demonstrate cost-effectiveness. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men in the UK. Around 1 in 8 men will be affected by the condition during their lifeline. An estimated 47,000 men are diagnosed with the cancer every year. 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 }} More than two billion people are at risk of developing the Zika virus, scientists have warned. Data on air traveller numbers, analysed by scientists and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, found vast numbers of people are vulnerable. People living in India, Indonesia and Nigeria are the most vulnerable to transmission, the research found. It is thought this risk is particularly heightened in summer as people are more likely to engage in travel, especially over long distances. The number of people travelling to a population can affect likelihood of contracting the virus. Limited access to health resources in countries with high poverty rates and poor infrastructure is another factor, with the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan and Bangladesh being most affected by such conditions. Around the world, more than 70 countries and territories now have continuing Zika transmission. The World Health Organisation has declared it to be a global health emergency. There is currently no known vaccine or drug treatment for it. Zika was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. Although outbreaks have occurred since, the current spread is on an unprecedented scale. The recent outbreak was first seen in May 2015 in Brazil. More than 50 cases have been noted in the UK so far. Zika is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, resulting in quick transmission between people, especially in high-density populations. The World Health Organisation has warned it can also be transferred during sexual contact. Zika is thought to have resulted in thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains. As a result, the Brazilian government warned against women trying to conceive while they are deemed at high risk of developing the virus. The reports authors said: As the Zika virus epidemic in the Americas intensifies and expands, hundreds, and possibly thousands, of infected travellers are now transporting the virus to distant regions of the world. Given the broad global range of aedes mosquitoes and the arrival of summer in the northern hemisphere, these translocation events could catalyse new Zika virus epidemics, in much the same manner that the epidemic in Brazil began. The potential for epidemics to occur in parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region is particularly worrying given the vast numbers of people who are potentially susceptible to Zika virus and are living in environments where health and human resources to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemics are limited. Our findings could offer valuable information to support time-sensitive public health decision-making at local, national, and international levels. The UN health agency convened its expert committee this week to assess the latest status of the epidemic. Dr. David Heymann, the committee's chair, said Friday that considerable gaps remain in understanding Zika and the complications it causes including resulting in babies with serious neurological problems and WHO concluded that the outbreak remains a global emergency. This extraordinary event is rapidly becoming, unfortunately, an ordinary event, Dr Heymann said, explaining that health officials around the world should prepare for the imminent arrival of the disease spread mostly by mosquitoes, but also through sex. In the absence of any effective treatments or vaccines for the disease and given past failures to wipe out the mosquitoes that mostly spread Zika Dr Heymann said it will largely be up to individuals to avoid infection. People have to assume responsibility for this on their own, he said, adding that people at risk of the disease should wear long sleeves and insect repellent. Battling the zika virus - in pictures Show all 19 1 /19 Battling the zika virus - in pictures Battling the zika virus - in pictures A worker of the Salvadorean Ministry of Health fumigates a house in Soyapango, 6 kilometers from San Salvador, El Salvador. Salvadorean authorities have began a three days campaign of fumigation to reduce the presence of the mosquito that transmit the Zika virus. EPA/Oscar Rivera Battling the zika virus - in pictures A Health Ministry employee fumigates a home against the Aedes aegypti mosquito to prevent the spread of the Zika virus in Soyapango, six km east of San Salvador. Health authorities have issued a national alert against the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, because of the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly and Guillain-BarrE Syndrome in foetuses. AFP PHOTO/Marvin RECINOSMarvin RECINOS/AFP/Getty Images Battling the zika virus - in pictures A pediatric infectologist examines a two-months-old baby, who has microcephaly, on 26 January 2016 in Recife, Brazil. Getty Images Battling the zika virus - in pictures A woman walks through the fumes as Health Ministry employee fumigate against the Aedes aegypti mosquito to prevent the spread of the Zika virus in Soyapango. Marvin RECINOS/AFP/Getty Images Battling the zika virus - in pictures A health ministry employee sprays to eliminate breeding sites of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits diseases such as the dengue, chicunguna and Zica viruses, in a Tegucigalpa cemetery on January 21, 2016. The medical school at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) recommended that women in the country avoid getting pregnant for the time being due to the presence of the Zika virus. If a pregnant woman is infected by the virus, the baby could be born with microcephaly. AFP PHOTO/Orlando SIERRA Battling the zika virus - in pictures A man walks away from his home with his son as health workers fumigates the Altos del Cerro neighbourhood as part of preventive measures against the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases in Soyapango, El Salvador REUTERS/Jose Cabezas Battling the zika virus - in pictures A three-months-old, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil. Getty Images Battling the zika virus - in pictures A pregnant woman waits to be attended at the Maternal and Children's Hospital in Tegucigalpa. The medical school at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) recommended that women in the country avoid getting pregnant for the time being due to the presence of the Zika virus. If a pregnant woman is infected by the virus, the baby could be born with microcephaly. ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images Battling the zika virus - in pictures Army soldiers apply insect repellent as they prepare for a clean up operation against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is a vector for transmitting the Zika virus in Sao Paulo, Brazil. AP Photo/Andre Penner Battling the zika virus - in pictures Workers disinfect the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro to fight the spread of the Zika virus Battling the zika virus - in pictures Dr. Vanessa Van Der Linden, the neuro-pediatrician who first recognized the microcephaly crisis in Brazil, measures the head of a 2-month-old baby with microcephaly in Recife Battling the zika virus - in pictures Mother Mylene Helena Ferreira cares for her son David Henrique Ferreira, 5 months, who has microcephaly, on January 25, 2016 in Recife, Brazil. In the last four months, authorities have recorded close to 4,000 cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants Getty Images Battling the zika virus - in pictures U.S. women who are pregnant from traveling to many South American countries Battling the zika virus - in pictures In the last four months, authorities have recorded close to 4,000 cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants. Getty Images Battling the zika virus - in pictures Dr. Vanessa Van Der Linden, the neuro-pediatrician who first recognized the microcephaly crisis in Brazil, examines a two-month-old baby with microcephaly on January 27, 2016 in Recife, Brazil Battling the zika virus - in pictures Washington Post Battling the zika virus - in pictures Battling the zika virus - in pictures Battling the zika virus - in pictures WHO said it was also unknown just how big the risk is for pregnant women. Although Zika has been proven to cause a range of neurological problems in babies, various studies have put the risk anywhere from 1 to 30 percent. We don't have a definitive answer, said Dr. Peter Salama, WHO's director of emergencies. The risk is relatively low, but significant. Despite Zika's spread to more than 70 countries and territories, Brazil has the vast majority of cases of microcephaly, or infants born with abnormally small heads. Dr Heymann said that studies are ongoing in the country and that the explanation could involve numerous factors. Peter Salama, head of disease emergencies and outbreaks at the WHO, said the virus was likely to keep spreading. Florida officials on Thursday said they have trapped the first mosquitoes that tested positive for the Zika virus in the Miami area, further confirming reports of local US transmission of the illness. There have been 49 cases of Zika in people believed to have contracted the virus in a small area of Miami Mr Salama, asked about Florida and the risk of spread elsewhere in the US, said: In terms of further spread, yes, a risk. As we said, the US is no exception. Wherever there is a competent vector, in this case the Aedes aegypti mosquito, there is a risk that the virus will spread. 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 long-standing and bitter dispute between the RMT rail union and Southern Rail heightened today after Southern's owner, Go-Ahead Group announced a 27 per cent jump in profits to 100 million just one day after 20 million of taxpayers money was committed to help end delays. Staff shortages, track and signalling problems and strike action have ensured Southern passengers suffer months of severe delays, cancellations and overcrowding. Union bosses, who have been locked in talks with the troubled train operator over staffing on trains, reacted in stunned disbelief to news of the profits. Mick Whelan, the Aslef general secretary said it was like living with Alice in Wonderland. A company which has failed to deliver for passengers every day for the last year and which only yesterday got its snout back in the public trough with another generous pile of taxpayers cash, courtesy of a compliant DfT [Department for Transport] has just announced record profits for its shareholders. RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: While Go-Ahead have been driving Britain's biggest rail franchise into total meltdown, the cash has been sloshing through the boardroom at obscene levels. This is reward for total failure on a scale which is off the map. Just a fraction of these profits would be enough to keep the guards on Southern trains, keep the passengers safe and resolve the industrial dispute between RMT and the company. It is shameful that they have opted to hoard cash instead of protecting the travelling public. Southern chief executive David Brown apologised for the delays but said they were caused by maintenence issues rather than the company's failings. A large part of the role of the GTR franchise is to introduce three new train fleets and modernise working practices. During this period of change, Southern services have been disrupted by restricted network capacity, strike action and increased levels of absence. We apologise to the people whose lives have been affected during this time. We continue to work closely with the DfT (Department for Transport), Network Rail and other suppliers and partners to operate the best service possible while delivering the long-term improvements. But MPs and passenger groups were not impressed. Andy McDonald MP, Labours Shadow Secretary of State for Transport pointed out that fares had risen over 25 per cent since 2010 and called on government to end the franchise immediately. With 20 million of taxpayers money going in to prop up this failed franchise, no wonder Southern passengers are at their wits end, he added. This Tory sponsored rip off of the public simply has to stop, he said. Jenny Randerson, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, was similarly scathing: While passengers are left fuming on platforms, the company has yet again taken the public for a ride. When will ministers stand up to Southern and take away its franchise? This is a scandal. James MacColl, of passenger group, the Campaign for Better Transport urged Go Ahead to use its profits to give back to long-suffering passengers, who are facing a further ticket price hike from january. Passengers still haven't been assured they'll get proper compensation for the disruptions they've suffered from, McColl said. Go Ahead's profit figure shows that industry could certainly afford to help with this. Chris Grayling's Department for Transport also came in for criticism. Labour MP, McDonald claimed that the contract it had negotiated with Southerns owners put all risks in the hands of taxpayers and passengers. Trevor Tupper, a representative of the West Sussex Rail Users Union said that the 20 million awarded was primarily to fix Network Rails failure to maintain the track. Really now the dispute is between the Department for Transport and the unions. But its the passengers in the middle who are getting kicked," he said UK rail operators ranked Show all 22 1 /22 UK rail operators ranked UK rail operators ranked Grand Central - 79% Here is the list of best and worst train operators with their overall customer score UK rail operators ranked Hull Trains - 73% UK rail operators ranked Merseyrail - 70% UK rail operators ranked Virgin Trains West Coast - 69% UK rail operators ranked C2C - 62% UK rail operators ranked East Coast/Virgin Trains East Coast - 61% UK rail operators ranked Chiltern Railways - 60% UK rail operators ranked Scotrail - 59% UK rail operators ranked East Midlands Trains - 58% UK rail operators ranked London Overground - 56% UK rail operators ranked Cross Country Trains - 55% UK rail operators ranked First TransPennine Express - 55% UK rail operators ranked London Midland - 55% UK rail operators ranked TfL Rail - 52% UK rail operators ranked South West Trains - 51% UK rail operators ranked First Great Western/Great Western Railway- 50% UK rail operators ranked Northern Rail - 50% Phil Sangwell UK rail operators ranked Arriva Trains Wales - 49% UK rail operators ranked Southern - 48% UK rail operators ranked Abellio Greater Anglia - 47% UK rail operators ranked Southeastern - 46% UK rail operators ranked Thameslink and Great Northern - 46% Southern was given some good news when the TSSA union called off a planned 24-hour walkout on 7 September in a row over ticket office closures. But a 48-hour walkout over the deadlocked guards dispute is due to go ahead as planned on 7 and 8 September, which will cause fresh travel misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers. Southern maintains that the proposals put forward are safer than the existing arrangement; an assertion with which the RMT disagrees. Southern has the worst punctuality record of any franchise in the country, with almost one in five trains late. The Southern rail owner runs the five worst performing lines in the country, including the nation's least punctual train line, the premium-priced Gatwick Express which notched up 8,100 late services in the first six months of 2016. 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 company which jointly operates the troubled Southern rail franchise, has seen full-year profits soar 27 per cent to almost 100 million, just one day after the Government handed Southern a 20 million "bailout" package. On Thursday transport secretary Chris Grayling said the funds would help Southern get to grips with the delays and disruption which have caused months of misery for commuters. Go-Ahead Group, which owns 65 per cent of Southern operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) alongside Keolis, also saw revenues rise 4.5 per cent to 3.4 billion. Boss David Brown said: "A large part of the role of the GTR franchise is to introduce three new train fleets and modernise working practices. During this period of change, Southern services have been disrupted by restricted network capacity, strike action and increased levels of absence. "We apologise to the people whose lives have been affected during this time. We continue to work closely with the DfT (Department for Transport), Network Rail and other suppliers and partners to operate the best service possible while delivering the long-term improvements." Brown saw his pay rise to 2.16 million this year, from 1.96 million in 2015, despite the network he operates having the worst punctuality record of any franchise in the country, with almost one in five trains late. The Southern rail owner runs the five worst performing lines in the country, including the nation's least punctual train line, the premium-priced "Gatwick Express" which notched up 8,100 late services in the first six months of 2016. UK rail operators ranked Show all 22 1 /22 UK rail operators ranked UK rail operators ranked Grand Central - 79% Here is the list of best and worst train operators with their overall customer score UK rail operators ranked Hull Trains - 73% UK rail operators ranked Merseyrail - 70% UK rail operators ranked Virgin Trains West Coast - 69% UK rail operators ranked C2C - 62% UK rail operators ranked East Coast/Virgin Trains East Coast - 61% UK rail operators ranked Chiltern Railways - 60% UK rail operators ranked Scotrail - 59% UK rail operators ranked East Midlands Trains - 58% UK rail operators ranked London Overground - 56% UK rail operators ranked Cross Country Trains - 55% UK rail operators ranked First TransPennine Express - 55% UK rail operators ranked London Midland - 55% UK rail operators ranked TfL Rail - 52% UK rail operators ranked South West Trains - 51% UK rail operators ranked First Great Western/Great Western Railway- 50% UK rail operators ranked Northern Rail - 50% Phil Sangwell UK rail operators ranked Arriva Trains Wales - 49% UK rail operators ranked Southern - 48% UK rail operators ranked Abellio Greater Anglia - 47% UK rail operators ranked Southeastern - 46% UK rail operators ranked Thameslink and Great Northern - 46% In January, Southern announced fare rises for exasperated passengers. The company has failed to resolve a bitter dispute with unions over the role of guards and staff shortages. But Southern said it plans to press ahead with replacing guards with new on-board train supervisors, who do not have control of train doors. The move has triggered strike action from unions, who say the move will compromise safety. Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Cash said: "While Go-Ahead have been driving Britain's biggest rail franchise into total meltdown, the cash has been sloshing through the boardroom at obscene levels. This is reward for total failure on a scale which is off the map. "Just a fraction of these profits would be enough to keep the guards on Southern trains, keep the passengers safe and resolve the industrial dispute between RMT and the company. It is shameful that they have opted to hoard cash instead of protecting the travelling public." Southern rail strikes: On board the 5.20pm from Victoria Southern was given some good news when the TSSA union called off a planned 24-hour walkout on 7 September in a row over ticket office closures. But the 48-hour walkout over the deadlocked guards dispute is fue to go ahead as planned on 7 and 8 September, which will cause fresh travel misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers. Mr Cash added: "It is also deeply cynical that Southern/Go-Ahead have brought forward this mega profit announcement so it doesn't clash with the strike action by guards next week. They are a money-raking disaster that has turned Britain's railways into a global laughing stock and they should be slung out and replaced by the public sector option." 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 }} Oxford University will take in a higher proportion of state school educated pupils this year than it has for the past four decades. Six in 10 of the applicants offered a place at the university this year will have attended state school, marking a rise of nearly four per cent of state-educated entrants compared with last year. The remaining four in 10 places will still go to the estimated seven per cent of pupils in the UK who are privately educated. Earlier this year it was revealed Oxford had the lowest proportion of entrants from the poorest social classes of any UK university, at just 10 per cent. The university has since made conscious efforts to "target the students and schools that are most under-represented", increasing investment on outreach projects to encourage poorer people to apply, including a summer school for state-educated pupils. Dr Samina Khan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach at Oxford University, said the figures show the initiatives are working. She said: We take our commitment to diversifying Oxford incredibly seriously our work in recent years especially through initiatives like our UNIQ summer school for state school students has been about targeting the students and schools that are most under-represented. These figures, along with our continuing progress towards our Access Agreement targets for disadvantaged groups of students, are a positive indication that all our work is bearing fruit. But many have expressed that more needs to be done to achieve fair access to higher education and bridge the gap between the most and least advantaged young people. Professor Les Ebdon, Director of Fair Access to Higher Education, told The Independent: These figures represent welcome progress, and show the value of the work universities are doing to reach out to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. "However there is still much work to do, particularly at those universities with the highest entrance requirements, where the gap between the most and least advantaged is especially wide. "Closing this gap, and ensuring that talent not background is the key to entering higher education, is crucial to achieving a more socially mobile society. University: Is it still worth the trouble? Show all 4 1 /4 University: Is it still worth the trouble? University: Is it still worth the trouble? 437093.bin Jason Alden University: Is it still worth the trouble? 437101.bin John Lawrence University: Is it still worth the trouble? 437102.bin JASON ALDEN University: Is it still worth the trouble? 437103.bin GETTY IMAGES Former Oxford University student Dhruti Shah tweeted that the rise in state-educated people being offered places at Oxford was "good news" but that "there needs to be more support". Meanwhile Sam Freedam, Executive Director at Teach First, said the figures were "encouraging", but questioned how many of the state school entrants come from disadvantaged backgrounds. In February it was revealed seven of the 24 universities in the more selective Russell Group - including Oxford and Cambridge - had seen a drop in the percentage of poor students attending the UK's leading universities. 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 }} Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, and Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling. What do these high-profile couples have in common? They all met on film sets. Actors are often posted to foreign locations for months on end, seeing the same faces every day. This combined with the social circles they move in, the difficulty they have in relating to people living outside of the public eye and their concerns over protecting wealth can make forming relationships with people in similar positions the most attractive option. The director Derek Cianfrances new film The Light Between Oceans stars another high-profile couple, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. Cianfrance says he selected Vikander partly because of how he believed she and Fassbender would gel. They did, real life imitated art and Cianfrance is now an official matchmaker. "All Im trying to do is create a connection on the screen, I really am trying to make a connection between my actors, he told Vanity Fair. [[ Im making movies about human relationships and intimacy. My entire purpose on set, and in making a movie, is trying to be [as] truthful as possible to that. One of the first ways to do that is trying to cast the movies right. I cast Michael Fassbender first, I cast Ryan Gosling first, and I have to then think who is going to work with this person. Celebrity couples who met on film sets Show all 7 1 /7 Celebrity couples who met on film sets Celebrity couples who met on film sets Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender The couple met on the set of The Light Between Oceans Getty Celebrity couples who met on film sets Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling The couple met on the set of The Place Beyond The Pines Getty Celebrity couples who met on film sets Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem The couple starred in Jamon Jamon in 1992 and began dating in 2007 AFP/Getty Images Celebrity couples who met on film sets Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum The couple met on the set of the 2006 film Step Up Getty Celebrity couples who met on film sets Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds The couple met on set of the 2011 movie Green Lantern Getty Celebrity couples who met on film sets Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth The teen couple met filming the 2010 film The Last Song Getty Celebrity couples who met on film sets Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy The couple met on the set of Evening in 2006 Getty I have to meet a lot of actors and when I met Alicia after meeting a ton of actors for that role I felt like her and Michael would go together like salt and pepper [] I thought they would make each other better, they would compliment each other as performers. I just felt that they would fit in a beautiful way together. What happens behind the scenes is really none of my business but Im pleased when anybody finds love. Im making movies about love and Im making love stories and the fact that has happened a couple of times on my movies, I cant take too much credit for that. I do feel fortunate though that the movies are witnessing something real. Cianfrance also directed The Place Beyond The Pines which is widely thought to be the film shoot where Gosling and Mendes first started their relationship. The couple have since been together for five years and have two children. Vikander and Fassbender are thought to have been dating since December, 2014. They appeared to confirm their relationship when they sat with each other during awards season, including when Vikander won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in The Danish Girl in February. However, the couple are fiercely private about their relationship and when the BAFTAs thought it would be a good idea to place a kiss cam on the couple, they both refused to conform and left the camera looming on their faces, leading it to be cut from the television broadcast. 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 }} For anyone wondering what could compel a politician to throw caution to the wind and relaunch their career with an appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, Ed Balls can explain. The answer is as many suspected: a midlife crisis. Mr Balls, the former Labour cabinet minister whose legacy will forever be overshadowed by the eponymous tweet he accidentally sent on that fateful day, has been criticised for his decision to join the show, with more unforgiving commentators branding the move tragic. Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Show all 15 1 /15 Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Ed Balls The former Labour MP, who held the position of Shadow Chancellor from 2011 to 2015, has now turned to writing; contributing to the Guardian and working on his upcoming book. None of which compares to the notoriety gained from that one time he tweeted his own name. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Will Young The first ever winner of Pop Idol, Young's career has long outlasted the show's own run; having won two Brits and two Ivor Novellos for his work, alongside an Olivier nomination for his role as Emcee in 2013's West End production of Cabaret. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Laura Whitmore The Irish DJ and presenter has co-hosted I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here Now for the past five years; alongside presenting spots at the BRITs, the BAFTAs, the MTV Movie Awards, and the London 2012 Olympics. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Ore Oduba A presenter on BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live; the sports expert has been busy reporting from Rio for the 2016 Olympics. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Melvin Odoom The TV and radio presenter can be heard on the Kiss FM Breakfast show, alongside stints at MTV, 4Music, T4, and The Box. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Louise Redknapp The former pop star enjoyed success both as a member of group Eternal and in her own solo career, before transitioning to presenting as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Danny Mac The Hollyoaks actor is known for playing wheeler-dealer Dodger Savage, though he has roots in musical theatre; starring in productions of Wicked and Les Miserables. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Daisy Lowe The model has walked for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, and Vivienne Westwood; though she's also starred in the likes of Confine and the upcoming Tulip Fever, alongside a cameo in the Absolutely Fabulous movie. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Naga Munchetty The BBC Breakfast presenter has also worked for Reuters, Bloomberg, and Channel 4. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Anastacia The singer is best known for tracks "I'm Outta Love", "Sick & Tired", "One Day In Your Life", and "Left Outside Alone". BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Claudia Fragapane The 18-year-old gymnast is fresh from the Rio Olympics, having already won four gold medals at the Commonweath Games in Glasgow in 2014. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Tameka Empson The actress and comedian is best known for her work on Eastenders and comedy series 3 Non Blondes. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Judge Rinder The star of the ITV series which sees him preside over televised legal cases, launching an arsenal of quips and putdowns. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Lesley Joseph Best known for her role as Dorien Green in Birds of a Feather, the 70-year-old is the oldest contestant this series. BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestants line-up 2016 Greg Rutherford The long-jumper won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, and nabbed bronze at this year's Rio Olympics. BBC But he is determined to make the most of his new-found passion and waltzed down the red carpet with Laura Whitmore in tow at the official Strictly red carpet launch. Definitely a mid-life crisis, but I think youve got to embrace it and enjoy it, he told BBC Radio Fours Today programme. Im quite worried about the jive because my hips dont really move in quite the right way, but I have a great professional partner, and I have three weeks to train. But its a chance to say that politics is about human beings, and that those of us that come out of politics, in my sort of retirement phase, can do things that are quite exciting. Well get to see whether I can do something big again in the future, but in the mean time, what could possibly be bigger than going on Strictly? 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 disgraced former spokesman for Subway who was jailed for trading child abuse images and sex abuse is suing the parents of one of his victims. Jared Fogle was sentenced to more than 15 years in a Colorado prison for his crimes in November. Fogle is now accusing the parents of one of his victims of being to blame for what he calls her destructive behaviours, according to a filing in the US District Court in Indianapolis obtained by the Associated Press. 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 parents and the victim are not named in the document, which also alleges they argued and drank in front of her. His suit claims they were the cause of her distress and contends the parents may be liable for some or all of her claims against him. The girl, who filed a lawsuit against Fogle for monetary damages in March, was secretly filmed getting undressed and bathing in the home of his business partner. Fogles suit claims: Custody and parenting time (agreements), it says, required Jane Doe to constantly rotate her living arrangements caused unnecessary stress, anxiety, and trauma for Jane Doe. Her parents have not responded to the suit. 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 }} Jon Polito, the Philadelphia-born actor best known for his roles in The Big Lebowski, Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink, has died at the age of 65. Polito featured in more than 100 films, and appeared in numerous televisions shows since the early 1980s. He was also known for his voice over work, according to the New York Daily News. The news of Politos death was made public on Friday morning by film director John McNaughton, who said he counted him as both a close friend and a collaborator. John is probably best known for his work in Coen Brothers films. Jon and I worked together in TV starting with episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, some pilots and Masters of Horror, Mr McNaughton wrote. He appeared in over 100 films, countless TV episodes and on Broadway. Jon was a born actor and will be deeply missed by his legion of friends, fans, family and of course his longtime partner, Darryl Armbruster to whom I send my condolences. RIP old pal. Notable deaths in 2016 Show all 42 1 /42 Notable deaths in 2016 Notable deaths in 2016 Debbie Reynolds was an American actress, singer, businesswoman, film historian, and humanitarian. She died on December 28 in Los Angeles Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Actress Carrie Fisher died on December 27 aged 60 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Comedian and Actor Ricky Harris died on December 26 aged 54 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 British singer George Michael died on 25 December aged 53 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Rick Parfitt OBE was an English musician, best known for being a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Status Quo. He died on December 24 in Marbella, Spain Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Lord Jenkin of Roding died at the age of 90 on the 21 December PA wire Notable deaths in 2016 Rabbi Lionel Blue died on the 19 December Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Zsa Zsa Gabor died on December 18 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Leonard Cohen died on 7 November Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Grand secretary of the Orange Order Drew Nelson died on 10 October aged 60 after a short illness PA Notable deaths in 2016 Aaron Pryor, the relentless junior welterweight died Sunday, Oct. 9, at the age of 60 at his home in Cincinnati after a long battle with heart disease AP Notable deaths in 2016 Polish Director Andrzej Wajda died on October 9, aged 90 Reuters Notable deaths in 2016 Stylianos Pattakos has died following a stroke on 8th October. He was 103 years old. AP Notable deaths in 2016 Dickie Jeeps, was an English rugby union player who played for Northampton. He represented and captained both the England national rugby union team and the British Lions in the 1950s and 1960s. He died on 8th October. He was 84 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Duke of Westminster Billionaire landowner the Duke of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor has died on 9 August, aged 64 Rex Features Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Knudsen Sir Roger Moores stepdaughter Christina Knudsen has died from cancer on 25 July at teh age of 47 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Caroline Aherne The actress Caroline Aherne has died from cancer on 2 July at the age of 52 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Grimmie Christina Grimmie, 22, who was an American singer and songwriter, known for her participation in the NBC singing competition The Voice, was signing autographs at a concert venue in Orlando on 10 June when an assailant shot her. Grimmie was transported to a local hospital where she died from her wounds on 11 June Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Kimbo Slice Former UFC and Bellator MMA fighter Kimbo Slice died after being admitted to hospital in Florida on 6 June, aged 42 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Muhammad Ali The three-time former heavyweight world champion died after being admitted to hospital with a respiratory illness on 3 June, aged 74 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Sally Brampton Brampton who was the launch editor of the UK edition of Elle magazine has died on 10 May, aged 60 Grant Triplow/REX/Shutterstock Notable deaths in 2016 Billy Paul The soul singer Billy Paul, who was best known for his single Me and Mrs Jones, has died on 24 April, aged 81 Noel Vasquez/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Prince Prince, the legendary musician, has been found dead at his Paisley Park recording studio on 21 April. He was 57 Notable deaths in 2016 Chyna WWE icon Joan Laurer dies aged 45 after being found at California home on 20 April Notable deaths in 2016 Victoria Wood The five-time Bafta-winning actress and comedian Victoria Wood has died on 20 April at her London home after a short illness with cancer. She was 62 Notable deaths in 2016 David Gest The entertainer and former husband of Liza Minnelli, David Gest has been found dead on 12 April in the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Warf, London. He was 62-years-old PA Notable deaths in 2016 Denise Robertson Denise Robertson, an agony aunt on This Morning for over 30 years, has died on 1 April, aged 83 Notable deaths in 2016 Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Hadid, the prominent architect best known for designs such as the London Olympic Aquatic Centre and the Guangzhou Opera House, has died of a heart attack on 31 March, aged 65 2010 AFP Notable deaths in 2016 Ronnie Corbett British entertainer Ronnie Corbett has passed away on 31 March at the age of 85 2014 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Imre Kertesz Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Imre Kertesz, who won the 2002 Nobel Literature Prize, has died on 31 March, at the age of 86 REUTERS Notable deaths in 2016 Rob Ford Rob Ford, the former controversial mayor of Toronto, has died following a battle with a rare form of cancer. The 46-year-old passed away at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto on 22 March Notable deaths in 2016 Joey Feek Joey (left) passed away in March after a two-year cancer illness. She was part of country music duo, Joey + Rory, with her husband Rory (right) Jason Merritt/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Umberto Eco Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco died 19 February 2016 aged 84 EPA Notable deaths in 2016 Harper Lee Harper Lee, the American novelist known for writing 'To Kill a Mockingbird', died February 19, 2016 aged 89 2005 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Vanity Vanity, pictured performing in 1983, died aged 57 REX Features Notable deaths in 2016 Dave Mirra The BMX legend's body found inside truck with gunshot wound after apparent suicide aged 41 Notable deaths in 2016 Harry Harpham The former miner became Sheffield Labour MP in May after many years as a local councillor. He died after succumbing to cancer, at the age of 61. Notable deaths in 2016 Dale Griffin The Mott the Hoople drummer died on January 17, aged 67 REX Notable deaths in 2016 Rene Angelil Celine Dion's husband and manager Rene Angelil has lost his battle with cancer on 14 January, aged 73 2011 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Alan Rickman Legendary actor Alan Rickman has died on 14 January at the age of 69 after battle with pancreatic cancer. He is largely regarded as one of the most beloved British actors of our generation with roles in Love Actually, Die Hard, Michael Collins, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and an illustrious stage career 2015 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Maurice White The Earth, Wind & Fire founder died aged 74. The nine-piece band sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and won six Grammy awards Notable deaths in 2016 Lawrence Phillips Former NFL star found dead in prison cell on 13 January in suspected suicide, aged 40 AFP/Getty Images His most recent role was in the film The Maestro, which is currently in pre-production. In 2012, Polito received the award for Best Actor from the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival for his role in the short film Anti-Muse. Besides his on-screen fame, the actor also starred in several Broadway productions, including the 1984 revival of Death of a Salesman, which was broadcast on CBS. Polito had been with his partner, fellow actor Darryl Armbruster, since 2000. The cause of his death has yet to be announced. 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 serving member of the British armed forces has been charged with terrorism offences. Ciaran Maxwell, 30, was arrested in Somerset on Wednesday, 24 August, by officers from the Metropolitan Police Services counter-terrorism unit. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA The Royal Marine, from Exminster, Devon, will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court today, charged with assisting another to commit acts of terrorism. His charges include manufacturing explosive devices and creating and maintaining hides in England and Northern Ireland to store weapons, ammunition and explosives. He is also charged with conducting research resulting in the creation of a library of documents likely to be useful to terrorists specifically information regarding the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices and tactics used by terrorist organisations. Maxwell is further charged with obtaining an image of an adapted Police Service of Northern Ireland pass card and uniform. He is also charged with possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possession of images of bank cards and CVC numbers for use in connection with fraud. Additional reporting by PA Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.1 By Aygun Badalova - Trend: OPEC and Russia should reach a deal to freeze oil supply, while Iran deserves to complete its return to world markets, Russias President Vladimir Putin said in interview to Bloomberg. From the viewpoint of economic sense and logic, it would be correct to find some sort of compromise. I am confident that everyone understands that. We believe that this is the right decision for world energy, Putin said. Putin said that now countries recognize that Iran should be allowed to continue raising production. The Russian president said he may recommend completing the plan when he meets with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Group of 20 summit in China next week. The informal OPEC meeting is expected in late September in Algeria. It is expected that the talks on oil production freeze will be held between OPEC and non-OPEC countries. The meeting will be held at the fringe of the International Energy Forum in Algiers from 26-28 September. The forum will bring together ministers, CEOs, international organizations like OPEC and the IEA, and experts from 73 countries. I would very much like to hope that every participant of this market thats interested in maintaining stable and fair global energy prices will in the end make the necessary decision, said Putin. "Prince bin Salman is a very reliable partner with whom you can reach agreements, and can be certain that those agreements will be honored, he said. Putin said that oil producers recognize that Iran, which has mostly restored the output halted during three years of trade restrictions, deserves to complete its return to world markets. Iran is starting from a very low position, connected with the well-known sanctions in relation to this country, Putin said. It would be unfair to leave it on this sanctioned level. Iran has been earlier called on by many countries, the rival Saudi Arabia in particular, to cooperate with the proposal to hold outputs at the January levels. Tehran has rejected the idea as an imposition of a new set of sanctions on Iran after the country was freed of the economic sanctions in January. Iran's Oil Ministry has said it suffered a setback from 2.3 million barrels per day (mbpd) of oil export to 1 mbpd under the sanctions, maintaining that it will not consider any freeze until it has made up for the "unjust" setback. The secretary-general of OPEC Mohammed Barkindo is scheduled to visit Tehran Sept. 5 to meet with Irans oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, to convince Iran to join the oil output freeze plan. Earlier Iran said the country supports any action by oil producers aimed at market balance, but Iran has the right to continue reviving its share on the international oil markets. Putin said that oil producers recognize that Iran, which has mostly restored the output halted during three years of trade restrictions, deserves to complete its return to world markets. Iran is starting from a very low position, connected with the well-known sanctions in relation to this country, Putin said. It would be unfair to leave it on this sanctioned level. 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 }} The BBC has denied being hacked after a breaking news alert was transmitted in Bengali. Visitors to the English language BBC website and users of the news services mobile app received news alerts in the south Asian language on Friday afternoon. The error led to speculation the organisation was a victim of cybercrime. It is unknown how many people were affected but the BBC is one of the worlds most foremost news organisations and millions of people use its online services every day. Apologies to anyone who received a breaking news alert from our Bengali service, the BBC Breaking News account tweeted. Don't worry, we weren't hacked. A BBC spokeswoman confirmed to The Independent the Bengali script appeared because of human error but would not comment any further. Readers were confused by the Bengali-language alert and some speculated hacking was the cause. Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change Show all 11 1 /11 Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243563.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243570.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243573.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243576.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243578.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243580.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243583.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243584.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243585.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243586.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu Bangladesh in the frontline against climate change 243587.bin Department for International Development (DFID)/Rafiqur Rahman Raqu The story itself became the most popular on the BBC website. It was about suspected militants being raided by police in Bangladesh. Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and is also used in India, mainly in the north eastern states. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Church of England bishop has come out as gay and in a relationship with a long term partner. The sexuality of Nicholas Chamberlain, Bishop of Grantham, has been known for some time within the Church. But he revealed his identity on his own terms after a Sunday newspaper planned to identify him. It was not my decision to make a big thing about coming out, Bishop Chamberlain told the Guardian. He continued: People know Im gay, but its not the first thing Id say to anyone. Sexuality is part of who I am, but its my ministry that I want to focus on. Bishop Chamberlain also said the people involved in his consecration in November 2015 knew about my sexual identity. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church, issued a statement to the newspaper in support of the bishop. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters He said: I am and have been fully aware of Bishop Nicks long-term, committed relationship. His appointment as bishop of Grantham was made on the basis of his skills and calling to serve the church in the diocese of Lincoln. He lives within the bishops guidelines and his sexuality is completely irrelevant to his office. Bishop Chamberlain was appointed to his position by bishop of Lincoln, Christopher Lowson. Bishop Lowson also voiced his support for the clergyman in letters to his parishes. I am satisfied now, as I was at the time of his appointment, that Bishop Nicholas fully understands, and lives by, the House of Bishops guidance on issues in human sexuality, Bishop Lowson wrote. For me, and for those who assisted in his appointment, the fact that Bishop Nicholas is gay is not, and has never been, a determining factor. A Church of England spokesman said: "Nicholas has not misled anyone and has been open and truthful if asked. The matter is not secret, although it is private as is the case with all partnerships/relationships." Despite having a partner, Bishop Chamberlain maintained his relationship was celibate, as per Church rules. There has been lingering division in the Church of England about the place of gay clergy members. While some of the leadership has in recent years advocated a tolerant approach, other more traditionalist bishops have called for a more literal biblical view on homosexuality. 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 }} Brexit Secretary David Davis claim the UK will not have a hard border with the Republic of Ireland after it leaves the EU are ridiculous, according to a former EU commissioner. On his visit to Northern Ireland, Mr Davis promised there would be no return to the hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic when the UK leaves the EU. Writing in The Belfast Telegraph on Thursday, Mr Davis said: We had a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland many years before either country was a member of the European Union. We are clear we do not want a hard border no return to the past and no unnecessary barriers to trade. David Davis says UK wants free access to EU single market What we will do is deliver a practical solution that will work in everyones interests, and I look forward to opening the conversation about how that should operate with my colleagues today. However, former EU commissioner Peter Sutherland has described Mr Davis claim there will be no hard trade border as ridiculous. I am absolutely mystified, not for the first time in this debate, about what is coming out of London, he said during his visit to Stormont House, The Irish Times reported. 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 We have been told by a number of Conservative Party spokespeople that Britain will leave the common customs area of the EU. "If this is true, the customs union, which relates to sharing a common external tariff of the EU, will have to be maintained by all other EU countries with the UK following its withdrawal. Goods will have to be checked at borders. I would be very fearful that they may be heading towards a negotiation that will require a hard border between north and south in Ireland. Dismissing this as a prospect at this stage is ridiculous. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A second European Union referendum should be held in order to confirm or reject the final Brexit package, the Green Partys new leader has said. Caroline Lucas was elected to her post on Friday in a job-share with the partys former welfare spokesperson Jonathan Bartley. In her first policy commitment as leader she attacked Theresa Mays claim that Brexit means Brexit, arguing that the slogan meant nothing until we know what the terms of any Brexit deal will be. Thats why our Party says, loudly and proudly, we the people should continue to have our say, she told delegates at the conference in Birmingham. And once the principles of any new deal have been set out, we want them put to a second referendum. Ms Lucas made the comments in her speech to the Green Party's annual conference in Birmingham. Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith has also commited to a second referendum; Labours Jeremy Corbyn has said the country must accept the result. Theresa May has said that Brexit means Brexit while the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron has said his party will stand on a manifesto of keeping Britain in the EU at the next general election. Protesters demonstrate against the EU referendum result outside Parliament in June (Getty) Ukip have long supported leaving the European Union. Proponents of a second referendum argue that the nature of Brexit was unclear to voters at the time and that many claims made by the Leave side in the campaign were made on a false basis. The first referendum took place on 23 June; Leave won an unexpected victory of 53 to 47 per cent after unusually high turnout was registered in the north of England. 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 }} Caroline Lucas has returned as the leader of the Green Party on a joint ticket with Jonathan Bartley, the party has announced at its annual conference. It comes after Natalie Bennett, the Green leader since 2012, officially stood down from the role claiming not to be a spin-trained, lifelong politician but vowed to retain a prominent role in the party. Around 86 per cent of members voted for Ms Lucas, the partys only representative in Westminster and MP for Brighton Pavilion, and Mr Bartley, the Greens little-known welfare spokesperson. There were five other contenders in the leadership race. Using her speech to address the fallout from the European Union referendum Ms Lucas said that Prime Ministers mantra that Brexit means Brexit is nothing until we know what the terms of any Brexit deal will be. She added that her party could not accept a deal that doesnt offer hope and security to both those who voted to Leave and those who voted to Remain. Thats why our Party says, loudly and proudly, we the people should continue to have our say. And once the principles of any new deal have been set out, we want them put to a second referendum. Addressing the 1,200-strong audience Ms Lucas, the partys only MP in Westminster for Brighton Pavilion, said the since we last met as a Party, our country has been shaken by the bitterly fought EU referendum campaign and its political fallout. Trust has been shattered and the truth lies buried. And at what point did it become OK to produce posters so dehumanising, so degrading and so despicable that they are compared to 1930s propaganda even by a Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer? Our political class so gravely out of touch that they are surprised when years of scapegoating migrants for our social and economic ills come home to roost. However, some activists in the party have considered the battle more of a coronation, rather than a contest. Writing for Open Democracy in June, Matt Townsend, a Green activist, said Ms Lucass decision to run had convinced other potential candidates not to run. He added: I am sure there will be some competition, but the general expectation is of a coronation rather than a real contest. Caroline is the Green Partys only national household name politician. Unless something amazing happens, there is a risk the contest has already been killed off , Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Show all 13 1 /13 Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Taxes Wealth tax of up to 2 per cent on the assets of 300,000 people who are worth more than 3m, the countrys richest 1 per cent Corbis Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Wages National minimum wage to be lifted to living-wage levels and to reach 10 an hour by 2020. Would also curb boardroom excesses by linking salaries at the top of companies to pay at the bottom Getty Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Pensions End pensioner poverty by introducing a weekly citizens pension of 170 for a single person and 300 for a couple Getty Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Energy Targets and timetables for improving efficiency and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions across all sectors. Wants electricity use to be reduced by a third by 2020, by half by 2030 and two-thirds by 2050 REX FEATURES Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Health Accuses Labour and Tory governments of introducing privatisation by stealth into the NHS. Pledges to maintain a publicly funded, publicly provided health service Getty Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Education Money would be allocated to schools according to their needs rather than their status. Schools which remain in the private sector would be classed as businesses, have all charitable status removed and pay taxes Getty Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Railways Bring railway network back into public hands as franchises expire or if companies break the terms of their agreements Getty Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Immigration Rules would be based on the principle of fair and prompt treatment of applicants rather than on excluding dishonest applicants whatever the cost to the honest ones Getty Images Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Food Minimise transport of food and other agricultural products by supporting local food distribution and pressing for transport costs, especially air freight, to fully reflect environmental impact Creative Commons Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Farming Phase out all factory farming and support a transition to small, free-range units, mixed rotational farming and extensive grazing. Would ban battery farming of poultry Getty Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Genetic engineering Moratorium on the release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment and on the importation of food and feed containing GMOs, pending comprehensive assessment of the technologys safety Getty Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Cannabis Possession, trade and cultivation of cannabis would be immediately decriminalised. Trade in cannabis would be examined by a Royal Commission, with a view to establishing a fully legalised and regulated trade Reuters Policies: Where the Greens stand on the major issues Housing Reform housing benefit to give greater help to poorer tenants and to prevent eviction or repossession of either private tenants or homeowners Getty Registering his delight at winning the contest, Mr Bartley added: We are incredibly proud to be the first leaders of a political party in this country to be job sharing. Demonstrating both the power of working together and the importance of striking a healthy balance between work and family and other commitments. We stand here, more united as Party with two leaders than others are with one. And to everyone who wants more than divisions and uncertainty, we say this: come and join the Green Party today. Natalie Bennett on her own and Green Party's future At the general election last year the the Green party received 1.1 million votes but the party failed to establish control in vital target seats in university towns such as Bristol West and Norwich South. The party also lost control of its only council in Brighton and many critics point to her car crash radio interview with LBC for halting the partys Green Surge during the election campaign. In an interview with The Independent on Friday Ms Bennett, who was born in Australia before moving to Britain in 1999, said it was definitely a possibility she will run again to be an MP at the next general election, as she officially stood down as leader of the party. In one of her last interviews at the helm of the party, Ms Bennett said she had achieved what she had set out to do in 2012 to grow the size of the party and increase its vote share. Im standing down as leader but Im not going away. Im still planning to keep doing full-time politics. But in the Green party leadership is not a greasy poll where you scramble to the top and cling on, its a role that we can share around, Ms Bennett said as she sat on the edge of a bench in Camley Street National Park a location she had attempted to film a campaign video for her leadership bid in 2012 but cancelled due to the noise of sirens, helicopters, trains and lorries made it impossible. 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 goes to her first major international summit today to reassure nervous world leaders that the UK is still dependable and willing to play a role on the world stage following Brexit. Her trip to the G20 summit in China is a major personal test of the Prime Ministers ability to convince allies, partners and rivals that Britain really is still open for business. Mrs May will give a major speech to leaders, many of whom warned Brexit would be a disaster for the world economy, to insist the UKs EU exit will be smooth and orderly. But her overall success will hang on four potentially awkward face-to-face meetings with some of most powerful men in the world Chinese President Xi Jinping, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting with Mr Xi could be particularly difficult as Mrs Mays government reviews whether to pull back from the 18 billion Hinkley nuclear project, embarrassing China which is heavily invested. On Sunday, Mrs May has been given a key speaking slot in a session on the global economy in which she will insist the UK is still consistent and dependable. Sources said she would try to use the talk to set out the UKs view of the referendum decision, preparations for Brexit talks and underlining, once again, that Britain is open for business and wanting a smooth and orderly departure. Inside Theresa May's cabinet meeting at Chequers to discuss Brexit Key figures in the audience lined up just weeks ago behind David Cameron and George Osborne to convince British voters of the disastrous effects of leaving the EU. But a UK official said: Many of those that set out their views also respected the will of the democratic will of the British people. That decision has been taken. In that sense the Prime Minister will want to look at how we look to the future and now start planning for those relationships once the UK has left the European Union. Listening carefully to Mrs Mays promise on dependability will be Mr Xi, whose governments money is propping up the ambitious plan to build two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point. His ambassador in the UK has warned relations between the two countries are at a "crucial historical juncture" and that "mutual trust" could be at risk if the deal falls. But The Independent reported last week how Mrs Mays officials are said to be looking for the least damaging way out. The Government has said it is considering all the component parts of the deal and will likely set out a decision this month. The UK official insisted that the Chinese would not be expecting a decision in the next few days and went on to play down its importance, saying that it is not the case that Britain is defined solely by one energy project. It will require a masterful balancing act to handle the issue, while also seeking the golden era in relations between the two countries that Mrs Mays officials claim she wants. Her first bilateral will be with US President Mr Obama, who she will see soon after landing in Hangzhou. It comes not long after he warned that the UK would be at the back of the queue for trade talks if it quit Europe. Officials said the face-to-face, their first since Mrs May moved into Downing Street, would take place before the summit had officially opened, allowing it more time, with likely talking points including Brexit, trade, Isis and Ukraine. Three hours later Ukraine will come up in discussions again when for the first time she meets the Russian President, whose armed forces annexed the Crimea two years ago and are believed to have been engaged in surreptitious action in the country since. Another difficult issue is Syria where the forces of Bashar Assad, which Mr Putin is supporting, were recently accused by the UN of using chemical weapons. It is also unclear if she will directly raise the murder in London of Alexander Litvinenko, which an inquiry this year found was probably approved by Mr Putin. The UK official said: The Prime Ministers view is that we should approach this in a hard-headed way, recognising that is in the interests of the UK to seek to work with Russia on issues around security that can affect people here at home, but recognising the many issues where we would disagree in the relationship. The following morning Mrs May then meets Mr Modi with talks likely to focus on economic co-operation and trade, but India has also recently raised concerns about British clampdowns on visas for students and workers. Tension over the issue will have been heightened after Mrs May signalled earlier this week that curbs on migration would be a main goal of post-Brexit Britain. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government is facing fresh calls to accelerate action on the refugee crisis on the anniversary of the death of a Syrian boy whose image prompted a global outcry. Harrowing pictures of three-year-old Alan Kurdi's tiny, lifeless body on a Turkish beach in September 2015 led to widespread demands for more refugees to be settled in the UK. On Friday, celebrities including Juliet Stevenson and Vanessa Redgrave, religious leaders and local politicians will urge ministers to immediately bring over hundreds of children stranded in Calais' sprawling migrant camp. They will gather for a memorial event organised with Citizens UK outside the Home Office in London, before handing in a letter addressed to Home Secretary Amber Rudd. It will include the names of 387 children said to be eligible for asylum in the UK, including those with family links in the country and those who are to be cared for under a Government commitment to resettle more lone refugee children from Europe. Lord Dubs, the Labour peer and campaigner who helped force the Government into accepting an amendment to the Immigration Act compelling them to take in more lone minors from Europe said: I am deeply saddened that despite repeated calls from me and others the Government still seems to be dragging its feet on the commitments it made when the amendment in my name was accepted. Now that the new Government has had some weeks to settle in after the EU referendum vote there really is no excuse for any further delay. Theresa May and Amber Rudd should be taking immediate action. Since the Act received royal assent in May, more than 30 under 18s have been accepted for transfer from within Europe, the Home Office said. Toddler Alan drowned in the sea after his family attempted the perilous crossing into Europe across the water. On Monday alone, Medecins Sans Frontieres said it had helped in the rescue some 3,000 people in the central Mediterranean. Bishop of Barking Peter Hill said: It has been established that the UK has a legal obligation to these children, but more to the point, this country has a moral obligation. As we mark the first anniversary of the death of Alan Kurdi, and remember all the other refugee children who have died trying to reach safety in the last year, I call on the Government to take a small humanitarian step in rescuing the children of Calais. Charity ActionAid's head of humanitarian response Mike Noyes also made a call for more action on the anniversary, saying: The UK Government and European leaders must urgently welcome more refugees into our countries and provide safe passage for those fleeing conflict and devastation. We cannot wait for another tragedy, another death of a young child to shock us into acting. Calais and Dunkirk camps Show all 16 1 /16 Calais and Dunkirk camps Calais and Dunkirk camps (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps A portrait of an Afghan man wearing a traditional Perhan Turban in the Calais Jungle (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) Calais and Dunkirk camps Two Gendarmes guard the main entrance to the Dunkirk camp (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) Calais and Dunkirk camps One Kurdish Iraqi mans reminder to himself (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps Two young boys in the Dunkirk camp (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps An Iranian hunger striker stands outside the only remaining shelter in the South Side of the Calais camp (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) Calais and Dunkirk camps A church in the South Calais camp, on of the the only structures not demolished in the South Side of the camp (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) Calais and Dunkirk camps A man gets a hair cut in the Calais camp (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps Night falls on the Calais Jungle. Fires burn in the distance (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps The containers provided as alternative accommodation for the people in the camps (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps A young boy in the Dunkirk camp (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps A man listens to music inside one of the shipping containers (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) Calais and Dunkirk camps The awful living conditions in the Dunkirk camp (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps An Afghan man in the Calais camp (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) Calais and Dunkirk camps One of the Iranian hunger strikers (Photo: Alan Schaller) Calais and Dunkirk camps A family in their wooden shelter in the new Dunkirk camp (Photo: Alan Schaller) A Home Office spokeswoman said: Our priority is to protect the best interests of children who are in need of our help. She added: We are in active discussions with the UNHCR, other partner organisations and the Italian, Greek and French governments to strengthen and speed up mechanisms to identify, assess and transfer unaccompanied refugee children to the UK where this is in their best interests. We continue to work closely with the French government to ensure that children in Calais with family links in the UK are identified, receive sufficient support and can access the Dublin family reunification process without delay. Press Association Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government is set to announce a ban on the water pollutant known as microbeads after a long campaign by environmentalists. Microbeads are solid plastic particles. They are found in some toothpastes, body scrubs and other cosmetics and give products a speckled appearance. The beads serve an aesthetic purpose but some manufacturers also claim they can help with exfoliation or cleaning. The solid plastic particles however do not biodegrade and so can cause environmental damage when washed down the drain. The beads are not filtered out by water treatment plants and it has been suggested that they can carry toxins once they themselves become contaminated. Aquatic creatures have also been known to mistake the particles for food. In May, Environment Minister George Eustice said the Government supported a ban on the substances, signaling a change in approach from previous a previous commitment to a voluntary phase-out. He however stopped short of a timetable for the ban. The Independent now however understands that the Government will announce a ban at the weekend. Such a ban would likely come into force in 2017. A Government consultation on how broad the ban should be is expected next week. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists Show all 11 1 /11 Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Termite tossing' by Willem Kruger (South Africa) Termite after termite after termite using the tip of its massive beak-like forceps to pick them up, the hornbill would flick them in the air and then swallow them. Foraging beside a track in South Africas semi-arid Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the southern yellow-billed hornbill was so deeply absorbed in termite snacking that it gradually worked its way to within 6 metres (19 feet) of where Willem sat watching from his vehicle. Though widespread, this southern African hornbill can be shy, and as it feeds on the ground mainly on termites, beetles, grasshoppers and caterpillars it can be difficult for a photographer to get a clear shot among the scrub. The bird feeds this way because its tongue isnt long enough to pick up insects as, say, a woodpecker might, and though its huge bill restricts its field of vision, it can still see the bills tip and so can pick up insects with precision. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Swarming under the stars' by Imre Potyo (Hungary) Imre was captivated by the chaotic swarming of mayflies on Hungarys River Raba and dreamt of photographing the spectacle beneath a starlit sky. For a few days each year (at the end of July or beginning of August), vast numbers of the adult insects emerge from the Danube tributary, where they developed as larvae. On this occasion, the insects emerged just after sunset. At first, they stayed close to the water, but once they had mated, the females gained altitude. They filled the air with millions of silken wings, smothering Imre and his equipment in their race upstream to lay their eggs on the waters surface. Then they died, exhausted, after just a few hours. This compensatory flight sometimes as far as several kilometres upstream is crucial to make up for the subsequent downstream drift of the eggs and nymphs, and luckily for Imre, it was happening under a clear sky. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'The disappearing fish' by Iago Leonardo (Spain) In the open ocean, theres nowhere to hide, but the lookdown fish a name it probably gets from the steep profile of its head, with mouth set low and large eyes high is a master of camouflage. Recent research suggests that it uses special platelets in its skin cells to reflect polarized light (light moving in a single plane), making itself almost invisible to predators and potential prey. The platelets scatter polarized light depending on the angle of the sun and the fish, doing a better job than simply reflecting it like a mirror. This clever camouflage works particularly well when viewed from positions of likely attack or pursuit. What is not yet clear is whether the fish can increase its camouflage by moving the platelets or its body for maximum effect in the oceans fluctuating light. The lookdowns disappearing act impressed Iago, who was free-diving with special permission around Contoy Island, near Cancun, Mexico. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Nosy neighbour' by Sam Hobson (UK) Sam knew exactly who to expect when he set his camera on the wall one summers evening in a suburban street in Bristol, the UKs famous fox city. He wanted to capture the inquisitive nature of the urban red fox in a way that would pique the curiosity of its human neighbours about the wildlife around them. This was the culmination of weeks of scouting for the ideal location a quiet, welllit neighbourhood, where the foxes were used to people (several residents fed them regularly) and the right fox. For several hours every night, Sam sat in one fox familys territory, gradually gaining their trust until they ignored his presence. One of the cubs was always investigating new things his weeping left eye the result of a scratch from a cat he got too close to. I discovered a wall that he liked to sit on in the early evening, says Sam. He would poke his head over for a quick look before hopping up. Setting his focus very close to the lens, Sam stood back and waited. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Thistle-plucker' by Isaac Aylward (UK) Try keeping a flying linnet in sight while scrambling down rocky embankments holding a telephoto lens. Isaac did, for 20 minutes. He was determined to keep pace with the linnet that he spotted while hiking in Bulgarias Rila Mountains, finally catching up with the tiny bird when it settled to feed on a thistle flowerhead. From the florets that were ripening, it pulled out the little seed parachutes one by one, deftly nipped off the seeds and discarded the feathery down. Isaac composed this alpine-meadow tableau with the sea of soft purple knapweed behind, accentuating the clashing red of the linnets plumage. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Crystal precision' by Mario Cea (Spain) Every night, not long after sunset, about 30 common pipistrelle bats emerge from their roost in a derelict house in Salamanca, Spain, to go hunting. Each has an appetite for up to 3,000 insects a night, which it eats on the wing. Its flight is characteristically fast and jerky, as it tunes its orientation with echolocation to detect objects in the dark. The sounds it makes too highpitched for most humans to hear create echoes that allow it to make a sonic map of its surroundings. Mario positioned his camera precisely so that it was level with the bats exit through a broken window and the exact distance away to capture a head-on shot. The hard part was configuring the flashes to reveal the bat and highlight the edges of the glass shards. His perseverance paid off when he caught the perfect pose as a bat leaves the roost on its nighttime foray. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Collective courtship' by Scott Portelli (Australia) Thousands of giant cuttlefish gather each winter in the shallow waters of South Australias Upper Spencer Gulf for their once-in-a-lifetime spawning. Males compete for territories that have the best crevices for egglaying and then attract females with mesmerizing displays of changing skin colour, texture and pattern. Rivalry among the worlds largest cuttlefish up to a metre (3.3 feet) long is fierce, as males outnumber females by up to eleven to one. A successful, usually large, male grabs the smaller female with his tentacles, turns her to face him (as here) and uses a specialized tentacle to insert sperm sacs into an opening near her mouth. He then guards her until she lays the eggs. The preoccupied cuttlefish (the male on the right) completely ignored Scott, allowing him to get close. A line of suitors was poised in the background, waiting for a chance to mate with the female (sometimes smaller males camouflage themselves as females to sneak past the male. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Blast furnace' by Alexandre Hec (France) When the lava flow from Kilauea on Hawaiis Big Island periodically enters the ocean, the sight is spectacular, but on this occasion Alexandre was in for a special treat. Kilauea (meaning spewing or much spreading) is one of the worlds most active volcanoes, in constant eruption since 1983. As red-hot lava at more than 1,000C (1,832F) flows into the sea, vast plumes of steam hiss up, condensing to produce salty, acidic mist or rain. Alexandre witnessed the action and returned in an inflatable the following evening to find that a new crater had formed close to the shore. Capturing the furious action in a rough sea was no easy task. From 100 metres (328 feet) away, he was blasted with heat and noise like a jet taking off. In a moment of visibility, his perseverance paid off, with a dramatic image of glowing lava being tossed some 30 metres (98 feet) into the air against the night sky. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Splitting the catch' by Audun Rikardsen (Norway) Sometimes its the fishing boats that look for the killer whales and humpbacks, hoping to locate the shoals of herring that migrate to these Arctic Norwegian waters. But in recent winters, the whales have also started to follow the boats. Here a large male killer whale feeds on herring that have been squeezed out of the boats closing fishing net. He has learnt the sound that this type of boat makes when it retrieves its gear and homed in on it. The relationship would seem to be a win-win one, but not always. Whales sometimes try to steal the fish, causing damage to the gear, and they can also become entangled in the nets, sometimes fatally, especially in the case of humpbacks. The search for solutions is under-way, including better systems for releasing any whales that get trapped. Having grown up in a small coastal fishing community in northern Norway, Audun has always been fascinated by the relationship between humans and wildlife. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Golden relic' by Dhyey Shah (India) With fewer than 2,500 mature adults left in the wild, in fragmented pockets of forest in northeastern India (Assam) and Bhutan, Gees golden langurs are endangered. Living high in the trees, they are also difficult to observe. But, on the tiny man-made island of Umananda, in Assams Brahmaputra River, you are guaranteed to see one. Site of a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the island is equally famous for its introduced golden langurs. Within moments of stepping off the boat, Dhyey spotted the golden coat of a langur high up in a tree. The monkey briefly made eye contact and then slipped away. Today, there are just six left on the island, and, with much of the vegetation having been cleared, the leaf-eating monkeys are forced to depend mainly on junk food from visitors Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 finalists 'Playing pangolin' by Lance van de Vyver (New Zealand/South Africa) Lance had tracked the pride for several hours before they stopped to rest by a waterhole, but their attention was not on drinking. The lions (in South Africas Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve) had discovered a Temmincks ground pangolin. This nocturnal, ant-eating mammal is armour-plated with scales made of fused hair, and it curls up into an almost impregnable ball when threatened. Pangolins usually escape unscathed from big cats (though not from humans, whose exploitation of them for the traditional medicine trade is causing their severe decline). But these lions just wouldnt give up. They rolled it around like a soccer ball, says Lance. Every time they lost interest, the pangolin uncurled and tried to retreat, attracting their attention again. Spotting a young lion holding the pangolin ball on a termite mound close to the vehicle, Lance focused in on the lions claws and the pangolins scratched scales, choosing black and white to help simplify the composition. In December, last year former Green Party leader Natalie Bennett told The Independent that the Government should follow the US example and move to legislation. In August, a cross-party environmental audit committee report demanded cosmetics companies be prohibited from musing microbeads. Committee chair Mary Creagh MP claimed a plate of six oysters can contain up to 50 particles of plastic and called on more research to be done on the impact of microplastic consumption on human health. Trillions of tiny pieces of plastic are accumulating in the worlds oceans, lakes and estuaries, harming marine life and entering the food chain, Ms Creagh added. The microbeads in scrubs, shower gels and toothpastes are an avoidable part of this plastic pollution problem. A single shower can result in 100,000 plastic particles entering the ocean. Some manufacturers have voluntarily removed microbeads from their products after consumer campaigners but they remain in others. 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 }} Natalie Bennett has said it is definitely a possibility she will run again to be an MP at the next general election, as she prepares to step down as leader of the Green Party after her four year term. In one of her last interviews at the helm of the party, Ms Bennett said she had achieved what she had set out to do in 2012 to grow the size of the party and increase its vote share. Im standing down as leader but Im not going away. Im still planning to keep doing full-time politics. But in the Green party leadership is not a greasy poll where you scramble to the top and cling on, its a role that we can share around, Ms Bennett said as she sat on the edge of a bench in Camley Street National Park a location she had attempted to film a campaign video for her leadership bid in 2012 but cancelled due to the noise of sirens, helicopters, trains and lorries made it impossible. Recommended Read more Natalie Bennett and Oona Chaplin call for UK to give refugees safety Asked whether she would stand as an MP again at the next general election, told The Independent: Yep, thats definitely a possibility. But Ms Bennett, a former newspaper journalist, appeared unsure whether she would run again in the constituency of Holborn & St Pancras, adding: Well have to see what happens. During the 2015 general election Ms Bennett came a distant third in the constituency with just over 12 per cent of the vote. Keir Starmer, the Labour candidate and former director of public prosecutions, won the London seat with over 50 per cent of the vote share. Holborn and St Pancras is an interesting seat because I think it is a seat the Green party can and will win in the future what weve got do is grow around the country and thats what we keep on doing. One of things I will be concentrating on is the issue of electoral reform. Ms Bennett said. She added that she will now use her time away from the top of the party to focus on education policy and improving situations for small businesses. Ms Bennett, who was born in Australia before moving to Britain in 1999, believes she has established the Greens as a party of national force during her four year tenure and there is some evidence for this. Under her leadership the partys membership base has quadrupled and during the general election the Greens, for the first time, secured a place in televised debates following a swell of grassroots activism. But, despite recording 1.1 million votes at the general election, the party failed to take vital target seats in university towns such as Bristol West and Norwich South. The party also lost control of its only council in Brighton and many critics point to her car crash radio interview with LBC for halting the partys Green Surge during the election campaign. The radio interview, Ms Bennett described, was similar to being punched in the guts. At the time she apologised to Green members for giving was she called a very bad radio interview. "I didn't do a great job I had a brain fade, that happens," she added. On Friday the party, at its annual conference in Birmingham, will elect its new leader or leaders as Caroline Lucas is running on a joint ticket with Jonathan Bartley but Ms Bennett has refused to officially endorse any of the seven candidates for the leadership. Voting came to a close last week and Ms Lucas, the partys only MP, and Mr Bartley, the partys welfare spokesperson, are widely expected to win the contest. In total the number of votes cast was 14,764 out of an electorate of 43,087, meaning the contest has broken the record for the highest turnout with just over 34 per cent. I think the position of leader, particularly in the Green party, gives you a certain amount of extra clout. People will really listen to you, Ms Bennett added. But I think I really believe in democracy and people making their own mind up. I've never endorsed any candidate for any internal election. The challenges for the new leader, she adds, are for them to keep up with the rate of change in British politics. "It's very hard. We don't have the same sort of money and resources as other parties do. But I also think this is very much the Green party's time. Climate change, just today, we have got scientists, geologists, talking about the Anthropocene that very much being confirmed we have changed the planet as a human race. "Just because Labour and the Tory have been the two largest parties for the last century doesn't mean that's going to continue. Political change, real political change, when it happens I believe happens in big jumps. What can be seen as the political mainstream, the political norm, can and does shift very rapidly and it needs to shift. I believe the Green party, whatever the electoral system, can have a very prominent place in it. Quick fire Favourite politician? Im going to have to say Caroline Lucas and its also true. She went there to Brighton Pavilion, took on huge odds. Everyone said Greens never get elected to Parliament its too difficult. She made the breakthrough thats now opened the way for the potential for so many others. Least favourite? I suppose Ill have to say Nigel Farage That was the easiest question thus far. I think as I go around the country, the level of xenophobia, the level of racism. Weve seen the level of attacks, the level of reported abuse rise but thats because weve seen in public discourse Farage has led British politics in entirely the wrong and dangerous direction. Jeremy Corbyn or Owen Smith? No comment. Thats a matter for the Labour party members to decide Would you rather be stuck in lift with Jeremy Corbyn or Owen Smith? Id rather not be stuck in a lift. Michael Gove or Boris Johnson? Neither, sorry, am not going to go for either of those. I used to work with Michael Gove at the Times. If you had to have a cup of coffee I would go for Michael. Short, casual conversation. Best moment as Green leader: What I really enjoyed was looking David Cameron in the eye and saying why havent you welcomed Syrian refugees to Britain and he looked, I think, very uncomfortable at that point and Im proud of that one. And I also think the famous hug with Nicola [Sturgeon] and Leanne [Wood] and I what I think will happen, in perhaps 10 or 15 years time we might see a whole crop of MPs in Parliament, female MPs, saying they were inspired by that moment to get involved in politics. Worst moment? Well, I suppose that will have to be the LBC interview. When something like that happens you feel like youve been punched in the guts thats what it feels like. And you feel like youve let the party, yourself and everything down. So, yeah thats tough. One of things that is necessary in all politics but perhaps particularly in Green party politics, when youre fighting the system, is resilience. Have you sat on the floors of any Virgin Trains recently? No I have got lots to complain about Virgin Trains. I did recently have the air condition dump a load of water on me, in my laptop, on a Virgin Train. It was a couple of months ago. 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 }} Private companies delivering public services or in receipt of public money should be public to freedom of information rules, the Governments new Information Commissioner has said. Concerned citizens, journalists, and campaigners use powers granted to all residents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain information about the way their services are run and money spent by the Government. But people looking for transparency from the Government have long been frustrated by an increasing reliance on private sector contracting and outsourcing by public bodies. Private companies are exempt from the FOIA and when they are involved in delivering public services important information can often only be found on their books. Even when a public body holds data relevant to the a contract it can often be blocked on the grounds that it is commercially sensitive to contractors involved. However, Elizabeth Denham, who was named as the new Information Commissioner in April this year, said private companies which used significant public money should be open to scrutiny. Private contractors above a certain threshold for a contract or doing some specific types of work could be included under the FoI Act, she told the BBC. The Government could do more to include private bodies that are basically doing work on behalf of the public. Under the 2010 Coalition government ministers promised to write FOI provisions into future Government contracts, but signs of progress have been slow to emerge. The Information Commissioner has no power to force private companies to follow FOI; the Government would have to legislate to achieve this aim. Ms Denham, who was previously the information commissioner in the Canadian province of British Columbia, said she would be tougher on public bodies that broke rules. Looking at this from the outside, most of the public would have the view that more than one in 10 not getting a timely response to a request is not a sign of success, she said. The Government looked at severely curtailing freedom of information rules earlier this year but ultimately backed down after a campaign by newspapers. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.2 By Azad Hasanli, Elena Kosolapova - Trend: The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) will bring tens of billions of net profit to Azerbaijan in 2018-2019, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev told Trend in an interview Sept. 2. Shah Deniz 2 is one of our most promising projects. The development of the huge Shah Deniz field, which has around 1.2 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 2.2 billion barrels of condensate reserves, will make it possible to increase the natural gas export and will give a momentum to gas and oil processing, Abdullayev said. Currently, SOCAR is on the verge of a new period in the oil and gas industry with such projects as Shah Deniz, Southern Gas Corridor, SOCAR Polymer, STAR refinery, and other large projects, according to Abdullayev. SOCAR is now investing its revenues in important industry projects. Once completed, these projects will bring billions of additional revenues to Azerbaijan, he said. The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey. At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Other sources can also join this project at a later stage. As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and TAP. 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 }} Nicola Sturgeon has said the time has come for Scotland to have a new conversation about independence. Giving a speech in the town where "Braveheart" William Wallace won a historic battle against the English, the Scottish First Minister said she would trigger the "biggest ever political listening exercise" to convince voters a second referendum is needed. This would include a new website to gauge opinion, a string of town hall meetings and a "growth commission" to work out how Scotland can remain financially viable on its own and consider key issues like currency. Ms Sturgeon, who knows she cannot demand a new vote unless she is certain of a win, said recent polls had shown increased backing for leaving the UK and added: "I suspect support for independence will be even higher if it becomes clear it is the best or only way to protect our interests." At the event in Stirling, Ms Sturgeon said "seismic changes" following the UKs decision to leave the EU will have a "deep impact" on Scotland that needs to now be addressed. It was at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297 that Wallace defeated the army of Edward I, despite being hugely outnumbered. Ms Sturgeons speech comes nearly two years on from the September 2014 referendum which saw Scots vote by 55 per cent to 45 per cent in favour or remaining in the UK. She said: "The UK that Scotland voted to stay part of has changed and so too have the arguments for and against independence." "But there are two truths that we must never forget. First, Scotland will only become independent when a majority of people choose it. There are no shortcuts, we still have to make the case and win the argument. And second, important though the issue of EU membership is, the case for independence is about more than that." Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell She said independence would provide "an alternative to just hoping for the best at Westminster", although she admitted it would present "its own challenges and complexities". Ms Sturgeon said she wanted to understand in detail how people feel about Europe, Brexit and independence and that the "wealth of information and insight" gathered would inform the next stage of the SNP's campaign. The First Minister added that "tough issues" will not be ducked, including how an independent Scotland would address a 15bn deficit. She said: "The commission will inform our thinking on how growth can be sustained in the here and now and during the period of uncertainty caused by Brexit. "But it will also examine projections for Scotland's finances in the context of independence and consider a policy programme, with social justice at its heart, to grow the economy and reduce Scotland's deficit to a sustainable level. "It will also consider the monetary arrangements that would best support and underpin a strategy for sustainable growth." After this years Brexit vote Ms Sturgeon warned that a second independence referendum was "highly likely" and she has tasked the Scottish government to draw up legislation to pave the way for another ballot. Prime Minister Theresa May has signalled she is against the idea and Labour, Tories and Liberal Democrats in Scotland have all vowed to oppose the legislation. The minority SNP administration could see a referendum Bill passed if it is backed by the Scottish Greens. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "Nicola Sturgeon has shown today that she is prepared to ignore the priorities of the people of Scotland in pursuit of her own narrow nationalist agenda. If she was really listening, she would know that most of us don't want to go back to another divisive referendum debate, we want Scotland to move on." Labour MSP James Kelly said: "It is disappointing that, days before laying a legislative agenda before the most powerful Scottish Parliament ever, the SNP are determined to drag us back to the arguments of the past." Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie claimed Ms Sturgeon had already decided independence was the answer to Brexit. He added: "She is therefore only pretending to listen. With the chaos of Brexit we do not need further chaos with the threat of independence." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government has been accused of dragging its feet on a commitment to give refuge to unaccompanied Syrian children fleeing persecution by Isis. Lord Alf Dubs, a Labour peer who himself came to Britain as a child refugee fleeting from the Nazis, said Theresa May should take immediate action on the issue. The call comes a day after the Information Commissioner ruled that the Home Office must disclose the number of children it had accepted under the arrangement in the last year. Recommended Read more Peer who was saved from Nazis calls on Britain to help Syrian children The department, which is responsible for migration and asylum, had released the figures in previous years but resisted doing so for 2015. Campaigners are worried this is because the figures would show no progress; the department has 35 calendar days to comply with the ruling. I am deeply saddened that despite repeated calls from me and others the Government still seems to be dragging its feet on the commitments it made when the amendment in my name was accepted. Now that the new Government has had some weeks to settle in after the EU referendum vote there really is no excuse for any further delay. Theresa May and Amber Rudd should be taking immediate action. Lord Dubs earlier this year helped force the Government into accepting an amendment to the Immigration Act. The so-called Dubs Amendment compelled them to take in more lone minors from Europe. The peer, who had Jewish family, was brought to Britain as part of the Kindertransport scheme operated by British stockbroker Nicholas Winton. The scheme arranged transport for nearly 10,000 mostly Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland who were seen as at risk of persecution or muder by the Nazis. He later became an MP for seats in Battersea and then a peer. In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Refugees sleep on the deck of MV Aquarius Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship An overcrowded rubber vote before a rescue by the MV Aquarius Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Young boy being rescued from a rubber boat by the MV Aquarius Isabelle Serro/SOS Mediterranee In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship The rescue of a wooden boat with more than 400 peopl on board by the MV Aquarius on 21 August Isabelle Serro/SOS Mediterranee In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Women rescued on MV Aquarius approaching Italy in the early morning Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Crew on the MV Aquarius search for a missing boat Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Rescue on the 21st August of a wooden boat carrying more than 400 people and a rubber boat with 120 people crammed on board. Ferry Schippers/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship The night rescue of 124 people after they had been on the water for 20 hours by the MV Aquarius Peter Eickmeyer/SOS Mediterranee In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship The MV Aquarius rescue vessel operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee in the Mediterranean Sea Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Jacob Goldberg, MSF's team leader on board the MV Aquarius rescue ship Alva White/MSF A Home Office spokesperson said on Thursday night: "Our priority is to protect the best interests of children who are in need of our help. Last year there were over 3,000 claims for asylum in the UK by unaccompanied children, in addition to those who were already being cared for in the UK. While these children have made it to the UK, they still need support and we still need local authorities to agree to care for them. We are in active discussions with the UNHCR, other partner organisations and the Italian, Greek and French governments to strengthen and speed up mechanisms to identify, assess and transfer unaccompanied refugee children to the UK where this in their best interests. We continue to work closely with the French government to ensure that children in Calais with family links in the UK are identified, receive sufficient support and can access the Dublin family reunification process without delay. 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 }} Counter-terrorism police have launched an investigation into a fanatic who has threatened to hang a Jewish female Labour MP from the gallows. Ruth Smeeth is reportedly receiving special protection from police after receiving the foul-mouthed death threat on Facebook. The Stoke-on-Trent MP is branded a dyke and a CIA agent in the highly offensive rant which is reported in The Sun. The abuser accuses her of treason and says the gallows would be a fine and fitting place for her. The threat was issued in July, soon after the MP fled the launch of Labour's report into anti-Semitism in tears after being accused by a Momentum activist of colluding with the right-wing press. Ms Smeeth accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of a catastrophic failure of leadership for failing to intervene during the incident and said the Labour Party cannot be a safe space for British Jews. And she laid the blame for the latest threat with Mr Corbyn who she said had not done enough to stop abuse, telling The Sun: I very much hold Jeremy personally responsible. Counter-terrorism police are investigating who is behind the abusive message, but no arrests have been made. Ms Smeeth told The Sun: You can't help but have a human reaction when you see comments as hateful as this. What concerns me most is the impact it has on my staff, who see it before me. But I am quite clear that I will not be intimidated by any of these people. I was elected to serve my constituents and I have a job to do. The Met Police said: On Wednesday, 13 July, allegations of malicious communication and threats to kill made via social media were reported to the Metropolitan Police Service. After an assessment, an investigation was started by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command in liaison with the Parliamentary & Diplomatic Protection Command. That investigation is ongoing. At this stage, whilst there have been no arrests, a number of lines of enquiry are being actively pursued. A Labour spokeswoman said: The Labour Party fully supports the work of the police in ensuring the safety and protection of all MPs and their staff. Threatening behaviour will not be tolerated within the party and we urge anyone receiving any abuse to contact the party and where relevant the police. We will do all we can to support Ruth and her staff during this time. Press Association 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 8-year-old girl has been arrested for committing lesbianism in Uganda, it has been reported. The girl is understood to be in police custody after her neighbour reported her to the police for engaging in romantic relationships with other girls. Catherine Wobuyaga, officer at Jinja Police Child Family Protection unit, in the eastern region, confirmed the girl had been arrested, Gay Star News reports. A neighbour alleged the girl had been spotted luring other girls to a nearby farm, whereupon she enacted various sex acts with her fingers. As the girl is a minor, she cannot be named for legal reasons. Same-sex sexual acts are illegal in Uganda, which has some of the most restrictive anti-LGBT laws in the world. International human rights activists condemned the alleged arrest. Victor Odero, Amnesty Internationals East Africa Campaigner told The Independent: The girl should be immediately and unconditionally released if she is still in detention. What she needs is protection and respect for her privacy, rather than being treated as a criminal. The states responsibility here is to protect the childs welfare, not to arrest her. The penal code criminalising same-sex acts in Uganda dates back to laws passed under colonial British rule. While they initially referred only to acts between men, they have now been extended to also include lesbian and bisexual women. In February 2014, the laws were extended further so that not only is homosexuality a criminal offence but also promoting homosexuality or knowing someone had committed a homosexual act and failing to report it to the police. Signing the bill into law, President Yoweri Museveni said: No study has shown you can be homosexual by nature. Thats why I have agreed to sign the bill. LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty LGBT relationships are illegal in 74 countries around the world, including in 12 countries where they are punishable by death. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Nevada woman painted a large message to police in order to protect her autistic son Autistic Man Lives Here Cops No Excuse, it reads. Recommended Read more Hillary Clinton unveils comprehensive mental health plan for the US Judy McKim decided to paint the notification after she says police assaulted her son, Zachary, at a time when significant scrutiny is placed on officers in the US, whom many believe are ill-equipped in de-escalation tactics when interacting with people with psychological disorders. In bold, black letters Ms Mckim painted the warning on her home, along with a number of signs describing her son as black autistic man with a full beard. I wanted to make sure that they knew everything. That he is still in diapers, doesnt understand words, doesnt understand what a gun is, she told a local ABC affiliate. Hes autistic, he doesnt know whats happening. He doesnt know what police is. Autistic boy receives 20,000 birthday cards after mother posts public plea Show all 5 1 /5 Autistic boy receives 20,000 birthday cards after mother posts public plea Autistic boy receives 20,000 birthday cards after mother posts public plea Ollie Jones told his mother he had written himself two cards to open on his own birthday Karen Jones Autistic boy receives 20,000 birthday cards after mother posts public plea Ollie, 15, receiving his birthday messages Karen Jones Autistic boy receives 20,000 birthday cards after mother posts public plea Ollie received an estimated 20,000 cards for his 15th birthday from strangers all over the world Karen Jones Autistic boy receives 20,000 birthday cards after mother posts public plea Karen Jones Autistic boy receives 20,000 birthday cards after mother posts public plea Karen Jones According to the report, a neighbour called 911 after witnessing the son, identified only as Zachary, 28, in an apparent rage outside of his home in Henderson, a suburb 15 miles outside of Las Vegas. When police arrived, they reportedly attempted to restrain him. He is in a diaper, along with the pacifier, and the cops are kneeling on my son and one of them reaches for his gun because Zach was fighting for his life, said Ms McKim, who adopted her son when he was two days old. The police report does not indicate that police ever touched Zachary, but does indicate that they took him to an area hospital, where he was held for two days. No charges were filed. Henderson Police have reportedly reached out to Ms McKim to investigate the incident. The incident comes after the Justice Department released a sweeping report on the Baltimore Police Department, which revealed that officers in the city found themselves in unnecessarily violent confrontations with mentally ill civilians most of whom have committed no crimes. Unarmed black care worker shot by US police while he was calming autistic patient The findings marked the first time the Justice Department found evidence that a police departments policies had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the Associated Press. Through the course of our work in the last several years on this bucket of issues, weve seen how important it is to get at the mental health issues as early in the system as possible, said Vanita Gupta, head of the departments Civil Rights Division. Recommendations from the DOJ include better training for both dispatchers and officers, efforts to divert people suffering from mental health issues to receive treatment instead of jail, and fostering relationships between law enforcement and mental health specialists. Ms McKim who is taking exhaustive measures to communicate her sons needs to police hopes her story will help other families in similar situations. I dont like doing this. Im embarrassed. Im embarrassed that everyone knows, Im embarrassed that Im on TV. Im embarrassed that you guys are seeing my life, but thats reality, she said. It scared me this bad." 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 }} Do bears swim in backyard swimming pools? Apparently so. A mother and her two young cubs were spotted taking a dip by news helicopters in Pasadena, California. The authorities were first alerted to the three bears roaming the neighbourhood at just after midday on Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported. One of the cubs, said to be less than a year old, accidentally shattered a sliding-glass door at the back of a home after bumping into it. Shortly thereafter, at around 12.30pm, a Sky5 news chopper captured images of the bears splashing around in someones swimming pool. The footage was broadcast live on local and national television and became a social media hit. The 300lb mother and her cubs were eventually chased away from the pool by a family dog. They retreated to a nearby rubbish bin and rummaged for food, before making their way to a second swimming pool for another cooling plunge. Eventually the bears left the neighbourhood and returned to the nearby forest, to do whatever it is that bears do in the woods. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a fraternity house has been released from prison after serving half of a six-month sentence that critics condemned as too lenient. In the latest twist to a case that has ignited controversy across the USA, Brock Turner walked out of Santa Clara County jail in California at around 6am yesterday and climbed into a white SUV after spending just three months behind bars. The 21-year-old told authorities he plans to live with his parents in his native Ohio, where he must register as a sex offender for life. The case dominated the news amid allegations that the judge had imposed a lenient sentence because of Turners status as a student at an elite university. The judge had sentenced him to six months, despite a powerful written statement delivered by his victim in which which she outlined the impact the attack had on her. Every day, I have to relearn that I am not fragile; I am capable; I am wholesome; I am not just the livid victim, she wrote, addressing Turner directly. Your life is not over. You have decades of years ahead to rewrite your story. But right now, you do not get to shrug your shoulders and be confused anymore. You have been convicted of violating me intentionally, forcibly, sexually, with malicious intent. The controversy prompted California politicians to pass a tougher sexual assault law and led to an effort to remove the judge involved in the case from the bench. Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a rubbish bin after they drank heavily at a party in January 2015 at the university located near San Francisco. He has said he plans to appeal his conviction. The judge will no longer hear criminal cases following the controversy (AP) During a sentencing hearing in June, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the extraordinary circumstances of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He said he had followed the probation department's recommendation for a moderate jail sentence. Following backlash and a push for a recall, Mr Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, something that is to start next week. The Associated Press said that Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner had five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio, 15 miles east of Dayton. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Mr Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turners neighbours informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff's office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Police officers will also check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities, the AP said. Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather. He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor, said Mr Fischer. Turner was apprehended by two Stanford students, who testified that they intervened because the woman appeared to be unconscious. As they approached, Turner fled. The two men gave chase, apprehending Turner and restraining him until police arrived to take him in custody. In her letter, the woman described blacking out at a party and waking up in a hospital with pine needles in her hair, dried blood and bandages on the backs of her hands and elbows, her underwear missing. I dont sleep when I think about the way it could have gone if the two guys had never come. What would have happened to me? she 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 }} The family of a college student who disappeared during a 2004 trip to China see new signs for hope after a Japanese news agency reported that he was kidnapped by the North Korean government. David Sneddon was presumed dead after he vanished in the Yunnan Province in western China when he was 24. A student at Brigham Young University, police said Mr Sneddon likely died while hiking in Tiger Leaping Gorge near the Jinsha River on 14 August 2004. But they never recovered a body. On Wednesday, Yahoo News Japan reported that Mr Sneddon had been spotted in North Korea, where he is believed to live. He reportedly works as an English teacher, and has a wife and two children. North Korea's worst human rights abuses Show all 11 1 /11 North Korea's worst human rights abuses North Korea's worst human rights abuses Starvation A UN report said that policies leading to mass starvation in North Korea amounted to crimes against humanity. Deaths peaked during the 1990s North Korean famine. Al Jazeera North Korea's worst human rights abuses Executions Defence minister Hyon Yong Chol is believed to be the latest official executed after falling foul of Kim Jong-un. As well as gruesome public executions, thousands of people have been killed in state 'purges' and for alleged anti-state crimes Getty North Korea's worst human rights abuses Torture Torture is prevalent in prison camps, as well as in police and security service custody. AP North Korea's worst human rights abuses Freedom of religion American missionary Kenneth Bae was one of the many people detained after trying to practice their religion. The DPRK Constitution claims to protect freedom of religion but not if it as alleged of being used a a pretext for 'drawing in foreign forces or for harming the state and social order'. Christianity is frequently considered a political crime North Korea's worst human rights abuses Freedom of expression All media is tightly-state controlled and expressing facts of opinions critical of the government or Juche ideology can lead to arrest and imprisonment. As well as being under extensive surveillance, people are encouraged to 'inform' on friends and neighbours Getty North Korea's worst human rights abuses Freedom of thought A UN report found that the 'DPRK operates an all-encompassing indoctrination machine which takes root from childhood to propagate an official personality cult and to manufacture absolute obedience to the Supreme Leader, effectively to the exclusion of any independent thought from the official ideology and state propaganda' Reuters North Korea's worst human rights abuses Forced labour Prisoners are subjected to forced labour in camps, including children as young as five. Some workers are also reportedly being sent abroad to fund the government's projects AFP North Korea's worst human rights abuses Sexual discrimination Although women are permitted to serve in the military, their role is restrained by the Juche ideology and the UN reports that 'discrimination against women remains pervasive in all aspects of society' AP North Korea's worst human rights abuses Freedom of movement Freedom of movement is severely restricted within North Korea and very few citizens are allowed to leave the country. Immigrants found in China can be forcible repatriated and punished on their return. The right for foreigners to enter is also severely restricted. Reuters North Korea's worst human rights abuses Prison camps Many of the worst abuses reported take place at prison camps, some specifically for political crimes. The camps officially do not exist but have been photographed using satellite. Inmates are 'forcibly disappeared' and usually imprisoned until death REUTERS North Korea's worst human rights abuses Reproductive rights Forced abortions have been reported for imprisoned women, often after being raped by guards. Mothers and babies frequently die in childbirth because of a lack of adequate care, often delivering babies unaided at home. AP The US Department of State announced Wednesday that they will begin searching for Mr Sneddon in North Korea. Choi Sun-yong, who heads the Abductees Family Union, said a source revealed Mr Sneddon had in fact been kidnapped by North Korean operatives, and worked as an English tutor for Kim Jong-un who was heir to the countrys dictatorship at the time. Mr Sneddons parents, Roy and Kathleen, never believed the official story that their son had died falling into a river. Knowing North Korea's reputation for kidnapping foreigners, they believed the Kim regime sought out their son for his fluency in Korean which he used during his time spent as a Mormon missionary in South Korea - and snatched him for their own purposes. Over the past 12 years, the Sneddons never stopped campaigning for American officials to investigate their sons disappearance. We just knew in our heart that he was alive, so we had to keep fighting, Ms Sneddon told Deseret News Utah. Utah representatives had previously urged Congress to investigate the circumstances of Mr Sneddons disappearance, and confirm whether or not he was kidnapped by North Korea. The evidence indicates that there are still a lot of unanswered questions about Davids disappearance, Representative Chris Stewart, who serves on the US House Intelligence Committee said in a February statement. Davids family deserves answers to those questions, and until we find those answers, I will continue urging the State Department to pursue all possible explanations for Davids disappearance. 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 }} Florida has been hit by its first hurricane in more than a decade, as Hurricane Hermine made landfall in the south eastern US state. Winds of around 80 miles per hour battered the Big Bend area on the north east edge of the Gulf of Mexico early Friday morning, according to the US National Hurricane Centre. And 70,000 people have been left without power in nearby Tallahassee, according to local media around 60 per cent of the citys electricity customers. On Thursday evening, Florida Governor Rick Scott urged residents to move inland before Hermine reached land. He warned of dangerous wind speeds, downed trees, and power outages, reminded people to make sure they were equipped with supplies, like food, water, and medicine. Projected storm surges of up to 3.7m threatened a wide swathe of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 25.4cm of rain carried the danger of flooding along the storm's path over land. The last hurricane to strike Florida was the powerful Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. It swept across heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion of damage. Tallahassee has not been hit by a hurricane since Hurricane Kate in 1985. This is a life-threatening situation, Mr Scott said in his address. Its going to be a lot of risk. Right now, I want everybody to be safe. Mr Scott said that 6,000 National Guardsmen are ready to mobilise once the storm passes. Residents have posted countless videos to social media that show torrential rains, heavy winds, and in one instance a huge flash said to have been a power station. Both governors of North Carolina and Georgia have issued states of emergency. Hermine is expected to move into Georgia, but will likely be downgraded to a tropical storm by that time. Tallahassee resident Tom Duffy, 70, told Associated Press on Thursday that he planned to reserve a hotel room for Friday night in the neighbouring state of Alabama if downed trees caused the kind of power cuts he expected. We've dodged bullet after bullet after bullet, Mr Duffy said, but added that Hermine has taken dead aim at the city, where blustery winds sent trees swaying before dawn. Is your holiday home hurricane-proof? Show all 3 1 /3 Is your holiday home hurricane-proof? Is your holiday home hurricane-proof? 89958.bin Is your holiday home hurricane-proof? 89943.bin Is your holiday home hurricane-proof? 89953.bin Chris Greaves, a Big Bend area resident preparing for Hermine, shared memories of Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the area in 1992. He told the AP that he did not expect the same amount of widespread damage, but remained cautious because tropical weather is nothing to mess with. Courtney Chason expressed similar concerns. Ive never seen [the coastal waves] this high, its pretty damn crazy, she said. I hope it doesnt get any higher; we need lots of prayers. Across the Florida state line in south Georgia, about a dozen people had already arrived by Thursday evening at a Red Cross shelter that opened at a city auditorium in Valdosta which is normally used for banquets and gospel concerts. Cynthia Arnold left her mobile home for the shelter with her brother and her five-year-old grandson, saying: I'm not just going to sit there and be ignorant. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A five-year-old boy was flown to the wrong city in an airline mix-up that left his mother freaking out as she thought he had been kidnapped. Maribel Martinez said she was distraught when staff from American airline JetBlue presented her with another little boy at New Yorks JFK airport. No, this is not my child, she told them, according to the New York Daily News. I was freaking out. Her son Andy, who was returning unaccompanied from a family visit in the Dominican Republic, landed nearly 200 miles away in the US city of Boston. Ms Martinez said her son was wearing a wristband with his name on it but the other child may have been carrying Andy's passport. It took more than three hours for the airline to figure out what had happened and where Andy was, said Ms Martinezs lawyer Sanford Rubenstein. I thought he was kidnapped, said Martinez, who said she had not stopped crying since the incident on 17 August. I thought I would never see him again. Maribel Martinez accompanied by her lawyer Sanford Rubenstein, left, and a translator at a news conference on Thursday (Associated Press) The boy who was mistakenly flown to New York was safely returned to Boston, JetBlue said. The airline is reviewing how the mix-up occurred. Upon learning of the error, our teams in JFK and Boston immediately took steps to assist the children in reaching their correct destinations, JetBlue said in a statement. While the children were always under the care and supervision of JetBlue crew members, we realize this situation was distressing for their families. Maribel Martinez with a photo of her 5-year-old son Andy at her lawyer's office in New York (Associated Press) Ms Martinez flew to the Dominican Republic with her son on 28 July for a family holiday and returned home to New York a week later, leaving Andy with relatives. When buying his return ticket, she paid a $100 (75) fee for a JetBlue representative to escort him onto the plane. The world's 10 worst airlines Show all 10 1 /10 The world's 10 worst airlines The world's 10 worst airlines 10. Jet AirHelp, has assessed more than 30 airlines using scores for quality of service, on-time performance and responses to claims for compensation. Here follows the lowest ranked airlines, starting with Jet Airways, 35% of whose flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 9. Aerolineas Argentinas 15% of Aerolineas Argentinas flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 8. Iberia 16% of Iberia flights were delayed in 2018 Getty Images The world's 10 worst airlines 7. Korean Air 36% of Korean Air flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 6. Ryanair 14% of Ryanair flights were delayed in 2018 EPA The world's 10 worst airlines 5. Air Mauritius 31% of Air Mauritius flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 4. easyJet 21% of easyJet flights were delayed in 2018 AFP/Getty Images The world's 10 worst airlines 3. Pakistan International Airlines 39% of Pakistan International Airlines were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 2. Royal Jordanian Airlines 13% of Royal Jordanian Airlines flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The world's 10 worst airlines 1. WOW Air 25% of WOW Air flights were delayed in 2018 Getty The airline put Andy on a flight to JFK Airport on the same day as his arrival in Boston. JetBlue refunded Ms Martinez $475 (358) for Andy's return ticket and also gave the family $2,100 (1,583) in credit. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.2 Aygun Badalova - Trend: Turkish Stream gas pipeline project will be eventually implemented, Russian President Vladimir Putin believes. In an interview with Bloomberg Putin said that Russia and Turkey have many projects in energy sphere, and Turkish Stream is one of them. I think, we will eventually implement it. At least, its first part, related to expanding of transport capabilities and increasing supplies to the Turkish domestic market, but also with the possibility to transport to European partners, if they wish to, and if the European Commission will support it, Putin said in the interview, published on the Kremlin website. Turkish Stream project, which involves the construction of a gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey through the Black Sea, was frozen after the relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated in November 2015. During a meeting on Aug. 9, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to resume the implementation of the Turkish Stream project. 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 }} Violence against women is far more complex than a simple matter of physical strength, according to rights groups who have condemned Donald Trump's campaign manager's comments that rape would not exist if women were as strong as men. Instead they say power, control and conditioning are all factors rather than simple brute force. Republican pollster and strategist Kellyanne Conway made her remarks in 2013 during a PBS broadcast and they resurfaced this week, soon after she was promoted to a senior position in the Trump campaign. If we were physiologically not mentally, emotionally, professionally equal to men, if we were physiologically as strong as men, rape would not exist, Ms Conway said. You would be able to defend yourself and fight him off. Sara Darehshori, senior counsel in the US program at Human Rights Watch, told The Independent that Ms Conways comments ignored the fact that victims were often incapacitated or vulnerable - and that rape victims can also be men - several scenarios that have no correlation with physical strength. "Implying that assaults would not occur if women were stronger is not only wrong, but also reflects outdated attitudes blaming victims for their assaults," she said. Kellyanne Conway: Rape would not exist if women were physiologically as strong as men Kristen Houser, chief public affairs officer at the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre, said that a fifth of the US population suffered sexual assault during their lifetime, and it often came down to abuse of power and control rather than brute strength. "The experience of attempted rape is as equally traumatising [as rape]," she said. Along with the well researched notion of fight or flight, another very common biological response to a traumatic event is to freeze up. "It has to do with the way our body processes sensory information and the chemicals that our brain emits, so when we hear survivors say they cant move their arms or they cant find their voice to scream, that is a very real response," she said. The controversial comments from Ms Conway have likely done little to bolster Mr Trump's favourability ratings among women, a majority of whom are backing Hillary Cinton. Mr Trumps son, Eric Trump, was also recently criticised for claiming that "strong, powerful" women would not let themselves be subjected to sexual harassment at work, pointing to his sister, Ivanka Trump, as an example. Lee Paiva, president of No Means No Worldwide, works with women across the world, teaching empowerment as well as self-defence classes. She argued that women are socialised from childhood to be polite and to take orders, which can even disadvantage women when they are under attack. "I was attacked when I was 15. I didnt yell, even though I was in a house of 10 [people]," she said. "There is this perception that if you fight back, you will make him angrier, and he will kill you." "We ask for a moment of calm and think what you have to fight with - your eyes, your mouth, your elbows, your feet," she added. She added that physical training and the ability to defend yourself only made up one third of their training, however, while the rest came down to education and empowerment. Ruth Glenn, executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, accused of Ms Conway of victim blaming and said more focus should be put on the perpetrator rather than the victim carrying out self-defence. "When we make a statement like that were holding victims accountable," she said. "Its about a culture - its not about whether a woman is empowered and strong. I know plenty of strong and empowered women who are subjected to harassment and unequal treatment. Its an indication of a culture that is still patriarchal." Many rapists will know their victim, she added, and will have learnt their vulnerabilities. In short, she said, fighting violence against women comes down to much more than beefing up at the gym. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Texas judge declined to grant a female British citizen on death row a retrial, which could have changed the outcome of her 2002 capital murder conviction. Lawyers for Linda Carty argued that their client was denied due process when prosecutors did not disclose false witness testimony that painted the defendant as the apparent mastermind of a 2001 murder kidnapping. The Houston Chronicle reported that Carty was sentenced to death after she was convicted of the murder of her neighbour, Joana Rodriguez, in May 2001. Rodriguez was found bound and gagged in the trunk of a car after she and her newborn baby were taken from her Houston home. After hearing Cartys appeal, Judge David Garner said prosecutors still had overwhelming evidence of the defendants guilt from other sources. Mr Garner agreed that prosecutors should have turned over their witness statements in the 2002 trial, but he ruled that it was not likely have changed the course of Cartys conviction. In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas Show all 6 1 /6 In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas 'Old Sparky', the decommissioned electric chair in which 361 prisoners were executed between 1924 and 1964, at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, Texas. AFP AFP In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas The Polunsky Unit, where death row inmates are held, in Livingston, Texas, about 40 miles from Huntsville. AFP AFP In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas A holding cell for death row inmates that are scheduled to be executed in the Texas death chamber in Huntsville. Hulton Archive Hulton Archive In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas A bed used for administering the lethal injection to death row prisoners in Huntsville, Texas. Getty Images In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas The front door to a Texas death chamber in Huntsville. Getty Images In Pictures: Capital punishment in Texas A cemetery for prisoners, with some three thousand graves since the 19th century in Huntsville, Texas. Last year, Texas executed its 500 convict since the death penalty was restored in 1976, a record in a country where capital punishment is elsewhere in decline. AFP AFP These were serious and unfounded allegations of misconduct against two very senior prosecutors who have done nothing for the past two decades except protect and serve people of Harris County. And this recommendation serves to uphold their fine reputations, Assistant District Attorney Josh Reiss told the Chronicle after the Thursday ruling. Carty an ex-Drug Enforcement Agency informant born in the Caribbean island of St Kitts when it was under British rule reportedly led police to the vehicle where Rodriguez was found asphyxiated. The newborn was rescued. Although, Carty maintains her innocence, prosecutors said she orchestrated the kidnapping with three other men who did not receive death sentences for their participation in the crime. Prosecutors said that Carty wanted Rodriguezs newborn son after suffering several miscarriages. Carty was convicted under the Texas law of parties which dictates that a person is criminally liable if one solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit the offence. Carty worked with three co-conspirators, according to court documents, but was the only of the group to be sentenced to death. Two men testified against her who later accused prosecutors of coercion but all three were still convicted and sentenced to time in prison for kidnapping. Texas is the most active capital punishment state in the US, but as public opinion of the method dwindles, so do execution numbers. The state has, so far, executed six inmates this year, with five more scheduled in 2016. In 2000, the US carried out 85 executions in total 40 of those occurred in Texas. But in 2015, the state only executed 13 people, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre. 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 }} The founder of Latinos for Trump warned of the imminent threat the US faces if Hillary Clinton wins the election: taco trucks. The comment comes a day after Donald Trump returned to his hard-line stance against immigration into the country, when he vowed in his speech to begin mass deportations his first hour in office if elected. When pressed by MSNBCs Joy Reid to elaborate on problems the country faced if Mr Trump loses, Marco Gutierrez gave his warning. My culture is a very dominant culture and its imposing and its causing problems, he said. If you dont do something about it, youre going to have taco trucks on every corner. Many on Twitter responded to Mr Gutierrezs comment expressing their bewilderment at the sentiment and enthusiasm for the food. Regardless of Mr Gutierrezs odd statement, Mr Trump was met with a sharp drop in the little Latino support he had in the wake of his immigration speech which came hours after he appeared alongside Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto following a last-minute meeting. Mr Trump had appeared to indicate a softening of his immigration platform, following a Fox News poll that showed him trailing Ms Clinton in Latino support 66-20. Donald Trump hopes his new deportation taskforce can deport Hillary Clinton But his Wednesday night speech in Phoenix swept away any speculation that Mr Trump would move to the centre on the issue. I was a strong supporter of Donald Trump when I believed he was going to address the immigration problem realistically and compassionately, Jacob Monty, a Latino lawyer who resigned from Mr Trumps National Hispanic Advisory Council on Wednesday, told Politico. What I heard today was not realistic and not compassionate. Mr Trump has done very little to appeal to Latino voters since he launched his campaign accusing Mexico of sending over rapists and criminals. On Cinco de Mayo, he was criticised for tone-deafness when he tweeted a photo of himself posing with a taco salad from his Trump Tower cafe. Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill, he said. I love Hispanics! 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 }} Ahead of a visit to a black church, Donald Trump and his team are leaving nothing to chance. The Republican candidate is due to visit the Great Faith Ministries International church in Detroit on Saturday and hold a question-and-answer session with its minister. The conversation will be shown on television later. But Mr Trumps campaign has not only ensured that all the questions were known in advance; they also carefully scripted his responses about topics such as the brutal treatment of black suspects by some police officers. Donald Trump is desperate to win over support from black voters (Associated Press) I want to make race disappear as a factor in government and governance, Mr Trump is due to say at some point. The New York Times said it obtained a leaked document showing the 12 questions Bishop Wayne T Jackson, the pastor, intends to ask Mr Trump in the taped session, along with the New York tycoons answers. The proposed answers were devised by aides working for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, according to an official. People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Show all 8 1 /8 People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Miley Cyrus 'God he thinks he is the f***ing chosen one or some shit! Honestly f*** this sh*t I am moving if this is my president! I dont say things I dont mean!' Jemal Countess/Getty Images People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Whoopi Goldberg 'I dont think thats America. I dont want it to be America. Maybe its time for me to move you know' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Samuel L. Jackson 'If that mother**er becomes president, Im moving my black ass to South Africa' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Raven Symone 'My confession for this election is, if any Republican gets nominated, Im gonna move to Canada with my entire family. Is that bad? I already have my ticket. I literally bought my ticket, I swear' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Cher 'If he were to be elected, I'm moving to Jupiter' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Neve Campbell 'Im terrified. Its really scary. My biggest fear is that Trump will triumph. I cannot believe that he is still in the game ... [I'll] move back to Canada' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Jon Stewart 'I would consider getting in a rocket and going to another planet, because clearly this planets gone bonkers' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Randy Blythe 'He could just be a clown. If he is the president, though, I am leaving America 'till he's gone' Mr Trump could come up with his own responses and forgo the prepared answers when he speaks to Mr Jackson, though the report said his aides will also help edit the interview before it airs on the clergymans Impact Network. The session is not on Mr Trumps official schedule and is not open to the public or the media. Jason Miller, a senior communications adviser for the Trump campaign, told the newspaper that Mr Trump was also planning to address the congregation for between five and 10 minutes after the interview, an apparent change to the original plan. Mr Trump will then visit various Detroit neighbourhoods with Ben Carson, a one-time campaign riva lwho grew up in Detroit and who now supports Mr Trump. If you know anything about Mr. Trump, its that he will want the opportunity to take his vision and message of opportunity directly to the people on Saturday, Mr Miller said . The visit to Detroit comes as Mr Trump has been trying to appeal directly to African American voters. A Public Policy Polling survey published this week showed Mr Trump had a near zero per cent favourability rating among black voters, with 3 per cent unsure and 97 per cent unfavourable. His appeals to black voters have been dismissed as patronising and offensive. He has frequently said they have "nothing to lose by voting for him. Youre living in poverty, you have no jobs, your schools are no good, he said at one recent rally. If you keep voting for the same people, you will keep getting exactly the same result. Trump Says America is 'Going to Hell' The report said that when Mr Trump is asked about his vision for black Americans, he will stay positive and use lines such as: If we are to make America great again, we must reduce, rather than highlight, issues of race in this country. To a question submitted by Mr Jackson about whether his campaign is racist, the script suggests that Mr Trump avoids repeating the word, and instead speaks about improving education and getting people off welfare. The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding, Mr Trump is advised to say. Perhaps the most important question Mr Trump is to face, is scheduled as the first and asks Mr Trump whether he is a Christian, if he believes in the Bible and is inspired by the word of God. As I went through my life, things got busy with business, but my family kept me grounded to the truth and the word of God, Mr Trump has been told to say. I treasure my relationship with my family, and through them, I have a strong faith enriched by an ever-wonderful God. 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 }} They may look fancy. But the US government has said old-fashioned soap and water is more effective than anti-bacterial products. On Friday, the federal authorities banned 19 chemicals long-used in antibacterial soaps, saying manufacturers failed to show they are safe and kill germs. We have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water, Dr Janet Woodcock, of the Food and Drug Administrations drug centre, said in a statement. Makers of anti-bacterial soaps challenged the finding (AP) The Associated Press said that the decision primarily targets two once-ubiquitous ingredients - triclosan and triclocarban - that some limited animal research suggests can interfere with hormone levels and spur drug-resistant bacteria. The chemicals have long been under scrutiny, and a cleaning industry spokesman said most companies have already removed the now banned 19 chemicals from their soaps and washes. The FDA said it will allow companies more time to provide data on three other chemicals, which are still in a majority of products sold today. Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, Ms Woodcock said. In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term. The American Cleaning Institute, a cleaning chemical association, disputed the FDA's findings, saying in a statement: The FDA already has in its hands data that shows the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps. 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 }} At least 13 people have been killed in a series of militant attacks in Pakistan that saw suicide bombers target a Christian neighbourhood and another blast hit a district court. In the city of Peshawar, four gunmen wearing suicide vests entered a Christian colony early on Friday morning, with one entering a church but finding no one inside. Police said the men killed at least one victim but were quickly repelled by security forces and died in the ensuing gun battle. Pakistani soldiers escort ambulances carrying the bodies of suicide bombers following one of the attacks (Getty) Three police officers and two civilian guards were wounded in the attack, near where extremists massacred 134 children at a school in 2014. Hours later, a huge blast rocked a district court in the city of Mardan, killing 12 people and wounding 54 others, including lawyers, police officers and passers-by. A suicide bomber threw a grenade at the district court before detonating his explosives, according to government spokesman Mushtaq Ghani. The president of the Mardan Bar Association, Amir Hussain, told reporters he was in a neighbouring room when the blast happened. There was dust everywhere, and people were crying [out] loud with pain, he said. A local police official, Ijaz Ahmed Khan, said the attacker intended to target a gathering of lawyers but was thwarted by officers who were then killed in the blast. A Pakistani security official inspects the site of a suicide bomb explosion that targeted Mardan court (EPA) Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway Taliban faction, claimed responsibility for both attacks. The group, whose name translates as The Party of Freedom Fighters, has carried out a string of atrocities including a bombing that killed more than 70 people during Easter celebrations at a park in Lahore. Last month, a bomb blast targeting lawyers and journalists gathering outside a hospital in the city of Quetta killed 70 more victims. Both Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Isis issued competing claims of responsibility for the attack amid confusion over whether militants had pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State. The Pakistani army said it had prevented Isis from establishing a network in the country, with the arrest of more than 300 alleged sympathisers and members in recent years, including fighters from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack A man reacts after his relative was killed in a bomb blast in restive Quetta EPA In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack Residents light candles to honour victims of the blast in Quetta during a candellight vigil in Peshawar Reuters In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack People carry the coffin of a victim of suicide bomb attack at a hospital for burial in Quetta REUTERS In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack Pakistani victims injured in a suicide bombing are treated at a hospital in Quetta AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack A lawyer who was injured in a bomb blast wait to receive medical treatment in restive Quetta EPA In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack A doctor treats an injured lawyer at the scene of a bomb blast in restive Quetta EPA In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack People comfort a man mourning the death of a family member who was killed in suicide bombing, at a funeral in Quetta AP In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack People transfer an injured man from the blast site in Quetta Rex Features In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack Pakistani security officials and lawyers gather around the bodies of victims killed in a bomb explosion at a government hospital premises in Quetta AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Pakistan hospital attack The scene following a bomb blast outside a hospital in Quetta Naseer Ahmed/Reuters In a statement on Thursday the military also claimed it had cleared the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Fridays attacks took place. Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani Prime Minister, condemned both atrocities saying: These cowardly attacks cannot shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism. It was the latest in a series of attacks targeting lawyers, security forces, politicians and religious minorities in predominantly Muslim Pakistan. Human Rights Watch said the government has failed to take adequate steps to prevent and respond to massacres targeting Christians and Shia and Ahmadi Muslims. In March 2015, suicide bombers belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban targeted two churches in a Christian district of Lahore and the previous year a woman and two children were killed in riots over an allegedly blasphemous Facebook post. Additional reporting by AP 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 }} Uzbek president Islam Karimov has died, leaving no obvious successor to lead Central Asia's most populus country. A statement from the government and parliament hailed him as truly great. Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was appointed head of the commission organising his burial, a sign that he might succeed Karimov. He has left us, Karimov's younger daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva wrote on Instagram in Russian, adding God bless him in Uzbek. Turkeys Prime Minister, Binali Yldrm, revealed the news in a televised meeting with his cabinet earlier on Friday, saying: We send our condolences and share the pain of the Uzbek people. The Uzbek government initally released a statement saying only that Karimov's health had "sharply deteriorated in the past 24 hours to reach a critical state". The initial message followed days of unofficial reports Mr Karimov was near to death after he suffered a stroke last week. His daughter Lola said the Karimov had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to acting President Nigmatilla Yuldoshev. The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying his death was a heavy loss for Uzbekistan. Georgian President Giorgy Margvelashvili was another leader who expressed condolences over the death of Mr Karimov in a statement on the presidential website. I'd like to express my condolences from me personally and on behalf of the Georgian people to the President's family and Uzbek people, Mr Margvelashvili added Notable deaths in 2016 Show all 42 1 /42 Notable deaths in 2016 Notable deaths in 2016 Debbie Reynolds was an American actress, singer, businesswoman, film historian, and humanitarian. She died on December 28 in Los Angeles Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Actress Carrie Fisher died on December 27 aged 60 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Comedian and Actor Ricky Harris died on December 26 aged 54 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 British singer George Michael died on 25 December aged 53 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Rick Parfitt OBE was an English musician, best known for being a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Status Quo. He died on December 24 in Marbella, Spain Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Lord Jenkin of Roding died at the age of 90 on the 21 December PA wire Notable deaths in 2016 Rabbi Lionel Blue died on the 19 December Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Zsa Zsa Gabor died on December 18 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Leonard Cohen died on 7 November Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Grand secretary of the Orange Order Drew Nelson died on 10 October aged 60 after a short illness PA Notable deaths in 2016 Aaron Pryor, the relentless junior welterweight died Sunday, Oct. 9, at the age of 60 at his home in Cincinnati after a long battle with heart disease AP Notable deaths in 2016 Polish Director Andrzej Wajda died on October 9, aged 90 Reuters Notable deaths in 2016 Stylianos Pattakos has died following a stroke on 8th October. He was 103 years old. AP Notable deaths in 2016 Dickie Jeeps, was an English rugby union player who played for Northampton. He represented and captained both the England national rugby union team and the British Lions in the 1950s and 1960s. He died on 8th October. He was 84 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Duke of Westminster Billionaire landowner the Duke of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor has died on 9 August, aged 64 Rex Features Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Knudsen Sir Roger Moores stepdaughter Christina Knudsen has died from cancer on 25 July at teh age of 47 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Caroline Aherne The actress Caroline Aherne has died from cancer on 2 July at the age of 52 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Grimmie Christina Grimmie, 22, who was an American singer and songwriter, known for her participation in the NBC singing competition The Voice, was signing autographs at a concert venue in Orlando on 10 June when an assailant shot her. Grimmie was transported to a local hospital where she died from her wounds on 11 June Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Kimbo Slice Former UFC and Bellator MMA fighter Kimbo Slice died after being admitted to hospital in Florida on 6 June, aged 42 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Muhammad Ali The three-time former heavyweight world champion died after being admitted to hospital with a respiratory illness on 3 June, aged 74 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Sally Brampton Brampton who was the launch editor of the UK edition of Elle magazine has died on 10 May, aged 60 Grant Triplow/REX/Shutterstock Notable deaths in 2016 Billy Paul The soul singer Billy Paul, who was best known for his single Me and Mrs Jones, has died on 24 April, aged 81 Noel Vasquez/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Prince Prince, the legendary musician, has been found dead at his Paisley Park recording studio on 21 April. He was 57 Notable deaths in 2016 Chyna WWE icon Joan Laurer dies aged 45 after being found at California home on 20 April Notable deaths in 2016 Victoria Wood The five-time Bafta-winning actress and comedian Victoria Wood has died on 20 April at her London home after a short illness with cancer. She was 62 Notable deaths in 2016 David Gest The entertainer and former husband of Liza Minnelli, David Gest has been found dead on 12 April in the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Warf, London. He was 62-years-old PA Notable deaths in 2016 Denise Robertson Denise Robertson, an agony aunt on This Morning for over 30 years, has died on 1 April, aged 83 Notable deaths in 2016 Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Hadid, the prominent architect best known for designs such as the London Olympic Aquatic Centre and the Guangzhou Opera House, has died of a heart attack on 31 March, aged 65 2010 AFP Notable deaths in 2016 Ronnie Corbett British entertainer Ronnie Corbett has passed away on 31 March at the age of 85 2014 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Imre Kertesz Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Imre Kertesz, who won the 2002 Nobel Literature Prize, has died on 31 March, at the age of 86 REUTERS Notable deaths in 2016 Rob Ford Rob Ford, the former controversial mayor of Toronto, has died following a battle with a rare form of cancer. The 46-year-old passed away at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto on 22 March Notable deaths in 2016 Joey Feek Joey (left) passed away in March after a two-year cancer illness. She was part of country music duo, Joey + Rory, with her husband Rory (right) Jason Merritt/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Umberto Eco Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco died 19 February 2016 aged 84 EPA Notable deaths in 2016 Harper Lee Harper Lee, the American novelist known for writing 'To Kill a Mockingbird', died February 19, 2016 aged 89 2005 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Vanity Vanity, pictured performing in 1983, died aged 57 REX Features Notable deaths in 2016 Dave Mirra The BMX legend's body found inside truck with gunshot wound after apparent suicide aged 41 Notable deaths in 2016 Harry Harpham The former miner became Sheffield Labour MP in May after many years as a local councillor. He died after succumbing to cancer, at the age of 61. Notable deaths in 2016 Dale Griffin The Mott the Hoople drummer died on January 17, aged 67 REX Notable deaths in 2016 Rene Angelil Celine Dion's husband and manager Rene Angelil has lost his battle with cancer on 14 January, aged 73 2011 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Alan Rickman Legendary actor Alan Rickman has died on 14 January at the age of 69 after battle with pancreatic cancer. He is largely regarded as one of the most beloved British actors of our generation with roles in Love Actually, Die Hard, Michael Collins, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and an illustrious stage career 2015 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Maurice White The Earth, Wind & Fire founder died aged 74. The nine-piece band sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and won six Grammy awards Notable deaths in 2016 Lawrence Phillips Former NFL star found dead in prison cell on 13 January in suspected suicide, aged 40 AFP/Getty Images Karimov will be buried in his hometown of Samarkand on Saturday according to Muslim traditions.Respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru posted pictures on Friday from Samarkand, showing what appeared to be undertakers working on a cemetery plot in the city's historic graveyard where other members of his family are buried. The Samarkand airport announced it would be closed to all flights except specially approved aircraft on Saturday, according to the website of the US Federal Aviation Administration. Mr Karimov has run an authoritarian regime since 1989, suppressing opposition and cultivating no apparent successor, leaving a power vacuum. Analysts say the transition of power is likely to be decided behind closed doors by a small group of senior officials and family members. If they fail to agree on a compromise, however, open confrontation could destabilise the nation of 32 million that has become a target for Islamist militants. Under the constitution, if the president dies his duties pass temporarily to the head of the senate until an election can be held within three months. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Mr Karimov's demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence. Mr Karimov's authoritarian rule, and supression of any opposition drew much criticism, particularly from human rights groups. Human Rights Watchs statement on the country says: Uzbekistans human rights record is atrocious. Thousands are imprisoned on politically motivated charges. Torture is endemic in the criminal justice system. Authorities continue to crack down on civil society activists, opposition members, and journalists." In 2005 Uzbek troops shot dead hundreds of protesters in the eastern city of Andijan, in one particularly notable incident. In a typically feisty rebuff to Western calls to respect human rights, Mr Karimov said in 2006: Do not interfere in our affairs under the pretext of furthering freedom and democracy, Do not ... tell us what to do, whom to befriend and how to orient ourselves. Mr Karimov regularly warned of the threat posed by militant Islamists, but his critics accused him of exaggerating the dangers to justify his crackdowns on political dissent. Such people must be shot in the head, he said of the Islamists in a speech to parliament in 1996. If necessary, if you lack the resolve, I'll shoot them myself. On Thursday, Uzbekistan celebrated its Independence Day, marking 25 years since the country seceded from the Soviet Union, and it was widely assumed that if the government would not break news about Mr Karimov until after the festivities. Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report 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 }} Medicinal cannabis will become legal in Australia from November, after a landmark decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The substance will remain strictly controlled with only those prescribed the drug allowed to take it - following the landmark decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Several clinical trials provide evidence that cannabis can help patients with dealing with chronic pain and cancer with few side effects. The drug can also be used to help stimulate appetite for those with HIV, treat inflammatory bowel disease and migraines. The decision follows the Federal Parliaments resolve to support changing the Narcotic Drugs Act to allow cannabis to be legally grown in Australia if it is for medicinal purposes. Yet with a national regulator not yet set up, campaigners for the legalisation of the drug warned that medicinal cannabis might still be difficult to get hold of, despite the decision. Lucy Haslam, who has worked to get the drug legalised for medical use, told the Canberra Times that the suggested legal medical marijuana industry could be so bound up in red tape it wouldnt work. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty "My fear is that the industry will become so expensive that patients won't be able to access a legal supply at an affordable price," she said. "There's also a lot of work to do on educating people and doctors, some of who remain a bit uncomfortable about prescribing medical cannabis to patients." The medical marijuana industry could make millions for drugs companies in Australia. Tilray, a Canadian company that has been testing cannabis on chemotherapy patients and was looking to import the drug into the country said the decision to legalise the drug could spawn a billion dollar industry. In Australia, we think that medical cannabis has potential to be a billion-dollar industry, and can create thousands of skilled jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars in foreign investment, the companys president Brendan Kennedy told news.com.au. 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 schoolboy in Australia has been praised for learning sign language in order to help his friend fit in at school. Ross Kelly, a year six student from Canberra, learned the language from scratch to communicate with his friend Isam Gurung, who had just transfered from a specialist school for the hearing impaired. Ross and Isam initially started passing notes to each other before Ross went on to the learn Auslan (Australian sign language) so that he could translate lessons and assemblies for his friend. "He came and he was very, very shy. He didn't want to come to class the first few days," Ross told ABC. "We started out writing notes to each other and I decided this wasn't very efficient because there was always a delay," he said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Sarah Middleton, Rosss teacher, then nominated him for for a special huanity award from the Fred Hollows Foundation, which he duly won. "It is amazing that he has learnt a whole new language and to see a student take on something so big and be able to follow that passion," she told ABC. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When Alan Kurdi and his family boarded a tiny dinghy in the early hours of 2 September 2015 they were attempting to reach the Greek island of Kos and travel onwards to mainland Europe. The disaster that killed the three-year-old Syrian boy, his mother and brother destroyed that dream but many desperate refugees continue to risk their lives undertaking the same treacherous journey. Alan and his brother are among hundreds of children who have drowned, with their small bodies washing up along the coasts of Turkey, Greece, Italy and Libya. Turkish police officers stand next to the dead bodies of drowned children i Izmir, Turkey, in February 2016 (AP) Those who survive are the lucky ones, but they face a bleak future in an increasingly hostile Europe, whose leaders struck a deal now seeing all refugees arriving on Greek islands imprisoned under the threat of deportation. If Alan had survived he would probably have made it somewhere in Europe with his family but not now, says Sacha Myers, from Save the Children. Last September, we would see children for a few hours or a day and then they would move on, but now they are stuck here for weeks or even months. We have more people arriving every day but theres just not space. Tensions are increasing and parents are so concerned for their children. Many of them have lost loved ones or have seen awful things in their short lives, and now they are locked in camps. Sexual violence and abuse has been reported in Greeces many detention centres, which have also been hit by riots and violent police crackdowns seeing tents burned and tear gas fired at refugees. Some families mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq have been left too frightened to leave their shelters at night or to even venture to use the toilets that are shared by thousands of men, women and children. In Kos, where almost 5,000 refugees have arrived this year, Ms Myers described deteriorating living conditions as absolutely miserable as authorities scrabble to expand the reception centre into a car park. Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily. Children and adults arriving in Kos are forced to sleep on the ground or abandoned or ruined buildings because there isnt enough accommodation available, she told The Independent. The hotspot is a fenced area far away from town and is not a safe environment for children, especially those who have fled conflict and extreme poverty in their homeland. Recommended Read more Children as young as seven sexually assaulted at refugee camps Tensions are increasing due to the poor conditions and because many people have been waiting for months with no end in sight. People are losing hope. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) recently warned that the islands reception centre had far surpassed its capacity, calling on local authorities to ship refugees to a neighbouring island to reduce overcrowding. Asylum seekers trapped on Kos are just a fraction of around 60,000 currently stranded in Greece, facing being returned to Turkey if their applications fail, or stranded at the countrys border if they are granted protection and wish to travel onwards. Only 119 of the 8,000 relocation places pledged by 22 European countries remain, while almost 500 migrants have so far been sent back to Turkey since the implementation of the controversial agreement with the EU in March. Naval and coastguard ships were sent to patrol the Aegean Sea to intercept migrant boats, prevent the hundreds of thousands of crossings seen last year and crack down on people smuggling. Daniel Esdras, the International Organisation for Migrations chief of mission in Greece, warned that although the measures had seen an abrupt drop in drownings, they were making refugees journeys to Europe expensive, more difficult and more dangerous. Poor health conditions for refugee children in Greek camps If you have money you can pass any border lets face it and the more difficult the border is the more expensive it will be, he told The Independent. Some people go back to Turkey so they can try again, take a different route to Europe. No one can be sure what will happen now. Humanitarian agencies have long warned that the closure of borders along the Western Balkans route towards Germany would push refugees into the hands of ruthless people smugglers, amid reports of brutality by police and local vigilante groups. A 20-year-old Afghan asylum seeker was shot dead while walking through forests from Bulgaria thorough Serbia, while a Syrian was arrested after being shot by Slovakian border guards in May. In Hungary, four criminal cases are underway against border guards accused of excessive force as the government plans to build an even more massive anti-refugee fence than the existing razor wire construction. Frontex, the EUs border agency, acknowledged in a recent report that the border closures have made it more difficult for refugee flows to be monitored, as desperate asylum seekers evade checks with more dynamic and dangerous routes. More than 280,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, according to UN numbers Lucy Carrigan, from the International Rescue Committee, said refugees arriving on Europes shores were being greeted by much less compassion. The events of the past year have made people much less welcoming to refugees and less understanding about who they are and why they need protection, she told The Independent. I dont think that anybody who cares about refugees wants to see them risk their lives at sea. We have to do better for these people. More than 280,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, according to UN figures, with at least 3,169 dying so far, setting 2016 on course to be the deadliest year on record. The Missing Migrants Project lists causes of death including drowning, asphyxiation, boat fires, hypothermia and illness. While most asylum seekers this year have crossed the Aegean Sea, numbers are rising in the Central Mediterranean, which has become the deadliest sea passage in the world since the start of the refugee crisis. At least 6,500 people were rescued on Monday alone and aid workers fear further disasters as smugglers continue to pack desperate asylum seekers onto dangerously overcrowded boats. Ms Myers said that while Alans death alerted the world the harrowing consequences of the refugee crisis, the ongoing plight of child migrants must not be forgotten. We have got to acknowledge the children who are still drowning and those who are stranded, she added. They are still suffering. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.2 Aygun Badalova - Trend: Ukraine could become energy exporter, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said during his working visit in Kyiv on September 2. In meetings with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Andrii Parubii, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development Hennadii Zubko and Energy Minister Ihor Nasalyk, Sefcovic reiterated the need for Ukraine to continue on the path of reforms, the European Commission said in a message. He also reconfirmed the readiness of the European Commission to pursue with successful trilateral format of gas talks of the past. "Further reforms are central for modernising Ukraine's economy, to bring advantages to consumers and enterprises alike, and thereby to unlock the potential for higher standards of living. In this sense, I welcome the decision of the government of Ukraine on the unbundling of Naftogaz. It is now important to implement this decision swiftly and consistently in the months ahead, Sefcovic said. In parallel, Ukraine's potential in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy is huge: Would Ukraine manage to increase its energy efficiency levels to the EU average level, the savings achieved would be greater than the energy consumption of Spain over a whole year. Ukraine could thus even become an exporter of energy," he added. Sefcovic also noted that the Commission wants to re-launch the successful trilateral format of gas talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the European Commission. In the past, this forum has proven its usefulness: it is better for all to sit down together around one table. Russia as an exporter, Ukraine as a transit country and the EU as the main importer share a common interest of predictability. The trilateral format remains the most suitable for discussing gas supplies for the upcoming winter heating season. In this sense, I am also looking forward to meet with Russian authorities in the next weeks," Sefcovic said. 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 burkini ban has been lifted in Nice after a court ruled the terror attack in July was "insufficient grounds" to justify it. The ruling comes nearly a week after Nice authorities initially ignored a ruling by the country's highest administrative court that declared the law forbidding swimwear worn by Muslim women was "clearly illegal". Police in Nice had continued to target women on beaches wearing the Islamic swimwear despite the high court overturning the controversial ban. But the citys administrative court has now lifted the ban, ruling that the terror threat following Bastille Day attack in July did not justify it. The court said: The emotions and the concerns resulting from terrorist attacks, and especially from the attack on July 14, are insufficient grounds to legally justify the contested ban. It added that burkinis posed no risk to hygiene, decency or safety when swimming. In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans PA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Jenny Dawkins, a curate from All Saints Church in Peckham, at an anti-burkini ban protest at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans PA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Somayia Khan's six-year-old daughter at a protest against burkini bans at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Friends Rebecca (L) and Hannah (R) at a protest against burkini bans at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans Reuters In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans EPA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London People participate in a 'Wear what you want beach party' protest outside of the French Embassy in London EPA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London A protester holds a sign which reads "Are you Burkini Beach Body Ready?" as she lies on a beach towel outside the French Embassy in London on August 25, 2016, AFP/Getty Images Nice was one of the first places to ban the modest swimsuits this summer, citing security after the terror attacks in July, as well as risk to public order and France's rules on secularism in public. At least 30 fines have been issued in Nice since the burkini ban was introduced. The ban was lifted in Cannes earlier this week on the basis that it was a violation of fundamental liberties, following a similar ruling in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet, which set a legal precedent. The UN human rights office has condemned local bans in France on burkini swimwear as a grave and illegal breach of fundamental freedoms and a stupid reaction to recent extremist attacks. 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 }} Isis has claimed responsibility for a shooting attack that injured two police officers and a bystander in Copenhagen, despite local claims it was linked to drug dealing. The officers were assaulted while on patrol in the Danish capital's district of Christiania, which is known for its cannabis trade, on Wednesday. In a statement released through its online propaganda agency, Isis described the attacker as a "soldier of the Islamic State", saying he was responding to jihadists' calls for followers to carry out atrocities in the West. Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Show all 9 1 /9 Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Policemen outside Rouen's cathedral during the funeral of Jacques Hamel, the priest who was killed in a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy on 26 July during a hostage-taking claimed by Islamic State group Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two jihadists, both 19, slit Hamel's throat while he was celebrating mass in an attack that shocked France as well as the Catholic Church Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Muslims place flowers and hold a minute of silence in front of the church if Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, western France, where French priest Jacques Hamel was killed on 26 July Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two people hold each other by the new makeshift memorial in Nice, in tribute to the victims of the deadly Bastille Day attack at the Promenade des Anglais Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the truck attack that killed 84 people in Nice on France's national holiday. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, 31, smashed a 19-tonne truck into a packed crowd of people in the Riviera city celebrating Bastille Day Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police work at a site where a Syrian migrant set off an explosive device in Ansbach, southern Germany, on 25 July, killing himself and wounding a dozen others Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis A Syrian migrant set off an explosion at a bar in southern Germany that killed himself and wounded a dozen others in the third attack to hit Bavaria in a week. The 27-year-old, who had spent a stint in a psychiatric facility, had intended to target a music festival in the city of Ansbach but was turned away because he did not have a ticket Friebe/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police officers walk along train tracks in Wuerzburg southern Germany on 19 July, a day after a man attacked train passengers with an axe. German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the man, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis German police killed a teenage assailant after he attacked passengers on a train in Wuerzburg, southerg Germany with an axe and a knife on 18 July, seriously wounding three people Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AFP/Getty Images The attacker was criticially injured in the ensuing shoot-out with police and died today in Copenhagen's university hospital. Two police officers were shot, including one who was seriously wounded, and a bystander was also injured. Isis' claim of responsibility could not be independently verified and local residents initially linked the gunfight with Christiania's drug trade. Some of the 600 residents of the district, a semi-autonomous former squatter colony created in the 1970s, vowed to drive criminal gangs who run the cannabis trade out of the area following the attack. One of the stalls in the infamous "Pusher Street" was dismantled, with locals saying the suspected attacker had worked there. He was named as Mesa Hodzic, a Danish citizen who was born in Bosnia, but moved to the country at the age of four. "He apparently has ties to [militant Islamist group] Millatu Ibrahim and sympathies for Isis," police said in a statement. After Isis released its claim on Saturday, Copenhagen Police said: "Nothing in the investigation suggests that the perpetrator's actions were influenced by his sympathy for Isis." Residents demolish cannabis vending stalls following a shooting in Christiania, Copenhagen, Denmark September 2, 2016. (Reuters) Rasmus Nordqvist, a Danish MP for the Alternative Party, told The Independent Isis' claim did not prove it played a role in the attack. It is beyond despicable that Isis now claims responsibility for a shooting incident in Copenhagen, in which it has no role or influence, he said. This attempt to claim responsibility clearly exposes the terror network's opportunism and desperation. "The unfortunate shootings in Christiania are first and foremost about the authorities' fight against organised crime and the illegal sales and distribution of cannabis. Until we are informed otherwise we should be very careful in accepting and uncritically pass on Isis-propaganda. The group frequently claims responsibility for attacks carried out by supporters, regardless of any direct involvement. The shooting followed a string of attacks by Isis supporters across Europe, including the massacre of more than 80 people in Nice, a suicide bombing and axe attack in Germany and machete rampage in Belgium. Several attackers left messages pledging allegiance to Isis or its spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, who was killed in an air strike this week. Adnani featured prominently in audio recordings and videos calling for lone wolf attacks in the West in revenge for air strikes against Isis, with his last announcement released in May. 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 man has been shot dead by French security forces after attacking a nurse and stabbing a police officer on the outskirts of Paris. The medic had been called to his home in the eastern suburb of Vincennes when the attack started on Friday morning, Le Parisen reported. When police arrived at the scene, the 29-year-old suspect stabbed one of the officers in the neck before being shot dead by his colleagues. Europe: Germany and France to beef up security The injured police officer was taken to hospital and was believed to be in a stable condition. Authorities have given no further details on the attack or a possible motive but told local newspapers the assailant had recently left a psychiatric hospital. It came just three days after another French police officer was stabbed in Toulouse by a man shouting that he was sick of France. The attacker, identified as an Algerian man, was arrested at the scene and taken into custody. His victim needed stitches for neck wounds and has undergone hospital treatment. Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, sent his condolences to the injured police officer, his relatives and colleagues. Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Show all 9 1 /9 Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Policemen outside Rouen's cathedral during the funeral of Jacques Hamel, the priest who was killed in a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy on 26 July during a hostage-taking claimed by Islamic State group Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two jihadists, both 19, slit Hamel's throat while he was celebrating mass in an attack that shocked France as well as the Catholic Church Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Muslims place flowers and hold a minute of silence in front of the church if Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, western France, where French priest Jacques Hamel was killed on 26 July Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two people hold each other by the new makeshift memorial in Nice, in tribute to the victims of the deadly Bastille Day attack at the Promenade des Anglais Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the truck attack that killed 84 people in Nice on France's national holiday. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, 31, smashed a 19-tonne truck into a packed crowd of people in the Riviera city celebrating Bastille Day Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police work at a site where a Syrian migrant set off an explosive device in Ansbach, southern Germany, on 25 July, killing himself and wounding a dozen others Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis A Syrian migrant set off an explosion at a bar in southern Germany that killed himself and wounded a dozen others in the third attack to hit Bavaria in a week. The 27-year-old, who had spent a stint in a psychiatric facility, had intended to target a music festival in the city of Ansbach but was turned away because he did not have a ticket Friebe/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police officers walk along train tracks in Wuerzburg southern Germany on 19 July, a day after a man attacked train passengers with an axe. German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the man, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis German police killed a teenage assailant after he attacked passengers on a train in Wuerzburg, southerg Germany with an axe and a knife on 18 July, seriously wounding three people Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AFP/Getty Images Police and gendarmes risk their lives to protect of others every day and deserve the respect and esteem of all our citizens, a statement from the interior ministry said. Fridays attack was the latest in a series of stabbings in France, including the attempted murder of a Jewish man in Strasbourg last month. Assailants have pledged allegiance to Isis in several cases, including the murder of a police officer and his wife in June. France has been rocked by a series of terror attacks starting with the massacres at Charlie Hebdos offices and a Kosher supermarket in January last year and Paris attacks. An Isis supporter driving a lorry killed 86 people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice last month and two teenage jihadists killed a Catholic priest after storming a church in Normandy weeks later. The assaults have increased pressure on the French security services while reigniting national debates on immigration, integration and secularism. 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 }} Ireland's coalition government is to appeal against an 11billion back tax demand that the European Commission slapped on iPhone maker Apple this week, a spokesman said. A three-year investigation concluded that tax arrangements between Ireland and the tech giant were illegal. However, the Irish government, Apple and the US Treasury all condemned the penalty, saying it could send investment out of Europe. Now Ireland has signalled it will launch a legal challenge after independent members of the cabinet gave their backing. A motion will come before the Dail (parliament) on Wednesday seeking an endorsement of that decision, the government spokesman said. The Irish economy is heavily dependent on trade with Britain and - at a time when it is grappling with the consequences of Brexit - fears the ruling could deter other big corporations from using Ireland as a base. 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Show all 10 1 /10 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Luxembourg There are an estimated 2.5 trillion shares of mutual funds registered in the Grand Duchy, 1 trillion of which cannot be traced to an owner 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands contain 6% of the world's total banking assets, but just 0.000008% of its population 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Isle of Man David Cameron has said the Isle of Man, where there is no corporation, capital gains or inheritance tax, should not be considered a tax haven 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Jersey There are over 3.5 billion assets per square mile on the self-governing Channel Island 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Ireland Ireland made headlines last year when it emerged Apple was registered in the country in order to dodge over 40bn in taxes 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Mauritius The Mauritian government notionally charges corporation tax, but companies can easily make this back through generous tax credits for foreign businesses 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Bermuda Google holds more than 30bn in offshore cash reserves, primarily via Bermuda 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Monaco A popular domicile for super-rich private individuals, Monaco has the most expensive property in the world. 1 million will buy just 225 square feet 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Switzerland Switzerland has such secretive banking laws that it took until the 1990s to secure the release of Nazi cash reserves 10 of the biggest tax havens in the world Bahamas David Cameron's father ran an offshore fund which hired Bahamas residents to complete paperwork, thus dodging British tax bills Michael Noonan, the finance minister, insisted Dublin would fight on any adverse ruling, arguing that it had to protect a tax regime that has attracted large numbers of multinational employers. However, opponents said the government should take the tax windfall and make sure big companies were paying their fair share. EU orders Apple to pay up to 13 billion euros tax to Ireland The issue came to a head this week when the EC ended its investigation and ruled it was unfair of Dublin to give a sweetheart deal to a single company. In defending the penalty, Margrethe Vestager, commissioner for competition policy, said the deal effectively meant Apple paid a corporate tax rate of one per cent on its European profits in 2003 down to 0.005 per cent in 2014. Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies this is illegal under EU state aid rules. The commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years," she said. Apple has already said it will lodge an appeal. Tim Cook, the Apple chief executive, called the ruling maddening", and said, "it's disappointing, it's clear that this comes from a political place, it has no basis in fact or in law, and unfortunately it's one of those things we have to work through." He found an ally in the US Treasury, which warned the EC penalty could hurt Europe's economy. The Commissions actions could threaten to undermine foreign investment, the business climate in Europe, and the important spirit of economic partnership between the US and the EU, said a spokesman. 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 }} Italy's latest campaign to reverse its falling birth rate has sparked an angry response. The health ministry has produced 12 posters in the run-up to the country's first fertility day on 22 September. Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin announced state-sponsored events informing people about family planning. She has warned of a birthrate "apocalypse" if more Italians do not try for children. One of the campaign posters shows a young woman holding a sand timer with a phrase saying: "Beauty has no age. But fertility does." Another shows two pairs of feet poking out the bottom of a bed alongside the message: "Young parents. The best way to be creative." The campaign though has backfired, with critics branding it an insult to those who are unable to conceive. Best-selling author Roberto Saviano wrote on his Facebook page: "It means, simply, hurry up and have children: you don't have a stable job? What does it matter. "You are not certain that your partner is the right one? "Come on, procreate, do it lightly, for where they eat two eat three." Since the 1960s, Italy's birth rate has halved to 488,000 babies born in 2015. Last year experienced the lowest birth rate since Italy united as one country in 1861. Also hindering the Italian birth rate is a youth unemployment of 35 per cent. Many young people are choosing not to have children until they have secured a stable job, economist Elisabetta Addis from the University of Sassari told the Local. Speaking of what could help turn it around, Professor Addis said: "A baby bonus might help families in financial distress but there is no correlation between giving out money and the birth rate, but there is a correlation between the range of services provided and people having more children. "Having children is a long-term project. Schools could be kept open until 6pm, freeing up a womans time so that she can work, and there should be continual help and assistance while the children are young." The Independent has contacted the Italian Health Ministry for comment. 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 leading academic and legal advisor has said that EU member states 'are failing' to meet their obligations to refugees reaching the continent. Christina Velentza, an academy fellow at Chatham House and human rights lawyer with the Athens Bar Association, described to The Independent how we are seeing more borders and detention centres but not enough protection. In the video above, Mrs Velentza details how EU member states are not living up to their duties in respect of asylum and refugees. Having previously been attached to the Greek Asylum Service in partnership with UNHCR, Mrs Velentez has worked on refugee status determination procedure and the assessment of claims for international protection. Her comments come on the day that marks one year since Alan Kurdi's dead body washed up on a beach in Turkey. Another to criticise the lack of action towards the refugee crisis today was Lord Alf Dubs, a former refugee himself having arrived in the UK after fleeing the Nazis. In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Refugees sleep on the deck of MV Aquarius Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship An overcrowded rubber vote before a rescue by the MV Aquarius Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Young boy being rescued from a rubber boat by the MV Aquarius Isabelle Serro/SOS Mediterranee In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship The rescue of a wooden boat with more than 400 peopl on board by the MV Aquarius on 21 August Isabelle Serro/SOS Mediterranee In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Women rescued on MV Aquarius approaching Italy in the early morning Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Crew on the MV Aquarius search for a missing boat Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Rescue on the 21st August of a wooden boat carrying more than 400 people and a rubber boat with 120 people crammed on board. Ferry Schippers/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship The night rescue of 124 people after they had been on the water for 20 hours by the MV Aquarius Peter Eickmeyer/SOS Mediterranee In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship The MV Aquarius rescue vessel operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee in the Mediterranean Sea Alva White/MSF In pictures: Life on board a refugee rescue ship Jacob Goldberg, MSF's team leader on board the MV Aquarius rescue ship Alva White/MSF Lord Dubs accused the government of "dragging its feet" and called on Theresa May to "take immediate action". 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 UKs decision to withdraw from the European Union has made Europe a little bit weaker, the deputy Prime Minister of Russia has said. Arkady Dvorkovich said Russia needed strong trading partners and stability in order to progress economically. The country has been hit hard by EU and US sanctions, imposed in response to Russias intervention in Ukraine, including the annexation of Crimea. Recommended Read more Russia is teetering on the brink of war with Ukraine Speaking on BBC Newsnight, Mr Dvorkovich, who is in charge of economic policy, said: "For Russia, it's important that Europe is strong. We need strong partners to go forward, and the British decision to leave Europe made Europe a little bit weaker at this point." He added: "The whole [Brexit] process ... creates uncertainties." Mr Dvorkovich also denied accusations expounded by the Remain campaign during the EU referendum that Russia desired a vote for Brexit because it wanted a weaker Europe it could more easily exploit. The deputy Prime Minister told the programme that assertion was just not true. He also described the sanctions levied on Russia because of Ukraine as counterproductive and that they brought losses to all parties. The EU and US have not lifted economic punishments against Russia, introduced in 2014 in response to the conflict and Europes fringes. The EU sanctions will remain in place for at least another six months, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The topic of sanctions is significant as it is believed they are causing great economic harm to Russia, though Mr Dvorkovich denied they are having too much of an effect. Earlier this week, a fresh series of sanctions were announced by the US, targeting individual Russians and Ukrainian separatists as well as companies. A statement by the US Department of Treasury said: The action demonstrates the Treasurys steadfast commitment to maintain sanctions until Russia fully implements its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including a comprehensive cease fire, the withdrawal of all weapons and military personnel, and the restoration of Ukraines control over its side of the internationally recognised border. It also underscores the US governments opposition to Russias occupation of Crimea and our firm refusal to recognise its attempted annexation of the peninsula. 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 }} Almost 34,000 inmates have been released from prisons in Turkey in a suspected move to free up space for thousands of people detained over a failed coup. The move appeared to be part of measures announced last month to allow the release of inmates unrelated to the attempt to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Those who had served half their sentence were eligible, with crimes such as murder and rape excluded from the scheme. Analysts suspect the mass release is a move to make room in Turkeys overcrowded jails to allow the imprisonment of more alleged coup plotters. Bekir Bozdag, the justice minister, said 33,838 prisoners convicted before 1 July who had demonstrated good behaviour were released on Thursday evening. Turkeys failed coup strains relations with the West The United Nations and EU have raised concern over a series of purges and crackdowns following the attempt on 15 July, which sparked the detention of more than 40,000 people. Those arrested include civil servants and academics accused of supporting the Gulen movement, which authorities blame for the coup, and thousands of public sector workers have been suspended or sacked. More than 130 media outlets have been shut down, with dozens of journalists detained, while prisoners have reported torture and abuse. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned last month that the purges may violate international law. While we understand the sense of crisis in Turkey, we are concerned that the governments steps to limit a broad range of human rights guarantees go beyond what can be justified in light of the current situation, experts said in a joint statement. In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: Turkey coup attempt In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Erdogan attends the funeral service for victims of the thwarted coup in Istanbul at Fatih mosque on July 17, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey Burak Kara/Getty Images In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soldiers involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge with their hands raised in Istanbul on 16 July, 2016 Gokhan Tan/Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A civilian beats a soldier after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 REUTERS/Murad Sezer In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Surrendered Turkish soldiers who were involved in the coup are beaten by a civilian Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soliders involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave flags as they capture a Turkish Army vehicle Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt People pose near a tank after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers block Istanbul's Bosphorus Brigde Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A Turkish military stands guard near the Taksim Square in Istanbul Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Pierre Crom/Twitter In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul's Taksim square AP In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Murad Sezer/Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers detain police officers during a security shutdown of the Bosphorus Bridge Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish Army armoured personnel carriers in the main streets of Istanbul Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Chaos reigned in Istanbul as tanks drove through the streets EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to media in the resort town of Marmaris Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of President Erdogan celebrate in Ankara following the suppression of the attempted coup Reuters Turkey is going through a critical period. Derogation measures must not be used in a way that will push the country deeper into crisis. The amnesty came amid continuing disputes between the Turkish government and EU over a deal struck earlier this year to reduce refugee crossings over the Aegean Sea. Mr Erdogan said his administration had only received a small fraction of the 6 billion (5 billion) pledged in support of 3 million refugees Turkey currently hosts. What happened? The support given until now is 183 million," he said on Friday. And they did not give it to us, they gave it to Unicef. No country can stand alone in this crisis. Unfortunately the promises on this issue are not kept. Some Turkish politicians have threatened to pull out of the deal over the funding and delays to visa-free travel within the EU, sparking concerns the route used by hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers to reach Greek islands last year could reopen. 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 }} Women across Saudi Arabia have joined a social media campaign calling for the end of the guardianship system. People took to Twitter, using the hashtag #TogetherToEndMaleGuardianship, to show their support and demand social reform. Currently women are not allowed to make major lifestyle decisions without the permission of their male guardians. The prohibition covers issues such as travelling abroad, getting married and wanting to work. After the initial success of the English hashtag, an Arabic translation soon followed. The pair have since been used in over 170,000 tweets, causing both to trend on Twitter in Saudi Arabia, according to Vocativ. The campaign was promoted by Human Rights Watch (HRW), who authored a report claiming the state directly enforces the guardianship system. The male guardianship system is the most significant impediment to realising womens rights in the country, effectively rendering adult women legal minors who cannot make key decisions for themselves, HRW said in a report on the issue. Under increasing pressure from womens rights activists, the Saudi government agreed to get rid of male guardianship in 2009 and again in 2013 but the system remains mostly intact. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty HRW is calling for the abolishment of the system and says Saudi Arabia is legally obligated to end discrimination against women without delay. 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 }} Horrifying images have emerged of Syrian children being treated for wounds from "napalm bombs" used in suspected government air strikes in Hama province. A "large number" of children injured by incendiary bombs arrived in the Syrian American Medical Society hospital in Hama, a senior advisor to the aid group said. One of the pictures shows a small boy with horrific burns, his skin peeling away from his body in some places. "This is not a victim of American Napalm in Vietnam but Syrian child victim of Assad's Napalm in Hama," Dr Zaher Sahloul wrote alongside the images on Twitter. Another shows a young girl splattered with mud and blood as another child in the hospital bed lies curled up beside her. Air strikes in Hama province on Thursday killed at least 25 civilians, including six children, the Hama-based Syrian Press Center said. It reported at least 10 people were killed when suspected government warplanes struck a crowd of people displaced from Suran, a town north of the city of Hama. Another 15 were killed further to the west, the center added. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported at least 25 civilians, including six children,had been killed. Syria's state news agency, SANA, said warplanes killed 10 "terrorists" in northern Hama. Syrian child smeared in mud Earlier this week, video emerged of a badly burned Syrian child being treated with mud, because medical supplies had run out in the besieged city of Homs. The video shows a young child violently shaking as a man rubs thick mud over her burned, bandaged body. In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis Mud is being used as a cooling agent, a doctor in Homs told al-Jazeera, because medical supplies are so low there is nothing else available. Today there were 12 airstrikes and we received injuries. We are suffering a shortage of medical supplies and even available medicine has expired, the doctor said. Were using polyester bandages which worsen the injuries, because we don't have any other options. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: Kazakhstan and China signed four documents on cooperation within the negotiation of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the city of Hangzhou, Kazakh presidents press-service reported. The parties signed a Protocol on Amending the Agreement between the governments of two countries on the establishment of the Committee for bilateral co-operation from May, 17 2004 and a cooperation plan for adjunction of Kazakhstans development program "Nurly Zhol" and Chinese "Economic belt of the Silk Road" program. Moreover Kazakh Agriculture Ministry and Chinese Directorate of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine signed a protocol on quarantine and health requirements for equine animals exported from Kazakhstan to China and a protocol on requirements for soybeans exported from Kazakhstan to China. Within the meeting, the heads of two countries discussed a wide range of bilateral issues, including the prospects of strengthening cooperation in trade, economic, investment, transit and transport, fuel and energy, as well as cultural and humanitarian spheres. In addition, the two leaders exchanged views on a number of the most pressing issues of regional and international agenda. Edited by SI Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova 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 }} As a nation we have spent the past few days waiting with collectively bated breath to see what our divorce from the European Union will look like. What strategy would our elected leaders devise for this unprecedented step into the unknown? Well, they were not exactly elected as our leaders. But at least they were selected by a gruelling process of debate and well, not quite. At least we can rest assured that our unelected leaders are being kept in check by the scrutiny of Her Majs opposition oh. Well anyway, where was I? Oh yes: Brexit. Its difficult to underestimate the hard work that was in store for Theresa Mays top team as they returned from their summer holidays to assemble at the PMs Buckinghamshire mansion. If there was ever a time for a brainstorm, or, to use the more politically correct term, thought shower, this was it. As ever, where the Conservative Party is concerned, much of the focus was on division. It seems that when it comes to what Brexit means, what it should look like, and how we get there, the whole cabinet is brimming with many and varied ideas and plans. Who knew? So who emerged triumphant from this battle of the political titans? Cometh the hour, cometh the man, as it emerged this week that newly appointed Brexit Secretary David Davis emerged victorious over the Chancellor Philip Hammond in a crucial debate. How did Davis, absent from frontline politics since 2008, achieve this Machiavellian feat? After what must have been hours of talking about stuff and drawing mind maps, Davis won the day by persuading his cabinet colleagues to endorse curbs on immigration. He convinced a whole Brexit brainstorm that a good idea for leaving the EU might be to get immigration down a bit. Brilliant! This, it seems, is where politics is now. A place where stating the damn obvious counts as a victory. In fairness, for a man who, in the 2005 contest to become leader of the Conservative Party, lost to the wet-lipped chinless Etonian who thought it would be good to hold a referendum on Europe before this discussion took place, this probably does count as an achievement. For the rest of us, however, this is scarcely the decisive and bold vision of the withdrawal that we might have hoped for. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell Just so all my cards are on the table, I voted remain. However, after an initial period of shock and bewilderment, I wasnt one of the people (who Im prepared to venture were in the minority) who went into a deep and dark period of mourning. Anyone who thinks that the European Union is an unquestionably positive force for progress, justice and equality should spend more time in Greece, or Spain, or Slovenia, or Hungary. But what I wanted to see after the referendum result was a positive, constructive, thought-out plan for the future, or, at the very least, and recognising that we dont have a free hand in this, a statement of what we wanted to achieve. Instead, what we are left with is the self-satisfied crowing of politicians and their acolytes about their non-achievements, and a handful of vacuous buzzwords (if I hear that Britain is open for business one more time, Im emigrating to America). Still, do not despair entirely my friends, Boris Johnson is about to embark on a three-day European tour, on which his first scheduled meeting is with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Pavlo Klimkin. Whats the worst that could happen? 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 }} Marketing yourself as a lovable, eccentric, white-haired old man can be a surprisingly effective route into political power. Just ask Bernie Sanders. If millennials ruled the world, wed have not only made him the king of it, but would be lining up to fight in his army against a corrupt Ministry, pure-blood supremacy and the dangerous forces of evil. Hang on, thats not politics. Thats Harry Potter. An easy mistake to make, it seems. Supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have been insistent in their comparisons of their hero to his significantly lusher-bearded fictional doppelganger. JK Rowling, undisputed queen of Twitter and magical creator of the wizarding world, hasnt been taking this lying down. Recommended Read more JK Rowling provokes anger for defending last Labour Government The author, who has over 8 million followers on Twitter, has been vocal in her support of Owen Smith and critical of Jeremy Corbyn throughout the Labour leadership contest. She hit back at comparisons between Corbyn and Dumbledore, and in response, his supporters trolled her and those who agreed with her, with a viciousness that is becoming all too familiar. Rowling retweeted messages calling her Satan, Voldemort, and - gasp - Rita Skeeter. Ive seen enough of Corbynite Twitter to know there will have been far, far worse. Debating the ethics of insulting strangers on the internet is often an irritatingly long-winded conversation for a discussion which could be summed up it about three words: Dont do it, d**khead. (Four.) This parade of internet abuse is all the more ridiculous given that we live in Britain: a country where apologising on the Tube is a national sport. This all happened just in time to ruin Back to Hogwarts Day. Readers will know that at 11am sharp, every September 1st, the Hogwarts Express departs from Kings Cross Platform 9 and . Theresa May, if you want to avoid the (admittedly quite apt) comparisons to Dolores Umbridge, Id suggest you consider making it a national holiday. Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Show all 8 1 /8 Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith clash at a leadership hustings in Gateshead, where Mr Smith was scarcely able to answer a question without being booed by Mr Corbyns supporters PA Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy himself admitted he was seven out of 10 in terms of his faith in the European Union. He said it, said Mr Smith during his second live debate with Jeremy Corbyn Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Ballot papers are currently due to be sent out on 22 August and returned a month later, with the result being announced at a special Labour conference on 24 September Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy Corbyn supporters cheer and wave placards as the Labour Leader addresses thousands of supporters in in Liverpool, England Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour Party leadership candidate Owen Smith poses for a picture with supporters during a picnic for young members in London Fields, Hackney in London Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith The Labour leader has a spring in his step at a leadership rally in Sunderland Screenshot Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour leadership contender Owen Smith delivers a speech at the Open University in Milton Keynes, where he promised to reverse Conservative cuts set to leave millions of low paid workers thousands of pounds a year worse off PA Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has urged Owen Smith to distance himself from those saying they want to split the Labour party Getty More importantly, however, comparing political figures to favourite characters from fictional fantasy universes is astoundingly unhelpful. Corbyns supporters may have been raised on tales of Hogwarts but it's evident that they didnt take in much of the wisdom the books contained. Rowlings Dumbledore was a twinkly-eyed and kind headmaster, full of Shakespearean wisdom and deeply powerful magic. Jeremy Corbyn just had a spat with Virgin Trains and doesnt want you to go to the pub. A narrative in which the forces of good ultimately triumph over evil is an essential part of the wizarding world. But this is reality: the Tories are in power, and, as fun as deciding which Death Eater is most like Jeremy Hunt (Lucius has my vote), this la-la-la fingers-in-ears approach really isnt going to get anyone left of Cornelius Fudge elected. JK Rowling and the Labour Leadership Contest is, despite making an even worse Harry Potter sequel than the Cursed Child (sorry, JK), an excellent warning for modern celebrity. Dont stray from the script, dont tell the fans anything they dont want to hear, and for Gods sake keep out of politics or theyll take the OBE back. Ill leave you with a few words of Dumbledores sagest advice: It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Jeremy, I hope youre listening. Have a long, hard look into the Mirror of Erised. Does it show you standing on the steps of No 10, shaking hands with Hillary Clinton? Have you won the General Election? Or is the deepest, most desperate desire of your heart simply a potter round the allotment and a nice seat next to your wife on the train? 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 }} JK Rowling moans that the Labour contest IS NOT BLOODY FUNNY. Does she imagine that some find the attempted coup against the democratically elected leader of the Labour Party amusing? That it is a laughing matter that neoliberal apologists in the PLP have shown far more enthusiasm for discrediting their own leader, the Labour membership and democratic socialism than they ever did for opposing the government? The only laugh to be had from this sorry debacle is from Owen Smiths assertion, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that the leadership race is balanced on a knife edge. Bloody funny. Andy Halewood Bradford on Avon Jeremy Hunt is misguided over his NHS plans Jane Merrick is quite correct to say that Jeremy Hunt is too toxic for the junior doctors dispute to be settled while he remains secretary of state. It was astonishing that Theresa May kept him in post in her reshuffle after he has so spectacularly alienated the majority of the medical profession and been an abject failure, but if media reports are true, this may have been because no-one else was willing to take on the job. The fixed smirk and comparing himself to Nye Bevan seem calculated to provoke. The junior doctors were unwise to vote to reject the offer which the BMA recommended they accept, but for the sake of the NHS the secretary of state should have reconvened talks. His intransigence is as much a factor in perpetuating this dispute as the junior doctors militancy. The constant repetition that he is fulfilling a manifesto promise for a seven-day NHS is deeply misleading. There has always been a seven-day NHS for emergency care. Throughout my 35 year career in the NHS, with the last 22 as a consultant, I worked nights and weekends, without compensatory time off in the week. This did not mean sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, but being hands on in the hospital, seeing patients, doing ward rounds, supervising junior doctors until late into the evening, or all night if needed. If by a seven-day NHS the government means it wants elective surgery and out-patient clinics to happen every day, evenings and weekends included, then they are deluding the public if they think that by tweaking the contract of one group of health care workers but not providing any extra resources this can be delivered. As Professor Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said on the BBCs Today programme, the NHS is barely managing to provide a five-day service because of the shortage of staff and resources. In my own specialty of paediatrics a quarter of middle grade junior doctor posts are currently unfilled, and consultants are filling all those rota gaps in addition to their own work. This is unsustainable. Many trusts are struggling with huge financial black holes resulting from the extraordinarily difficult task of providing high quality and increasingly complex and expensive care to an ageing population, set against the impending melt-down of adult social care services after local government has been starved of funding. All the government can promise us is more cuts! Spreading elective work over seven-days doesnt just need doctors. Theatre lists and clinics cannot function without the other people that make up the NHS team porters, cleaners, nurses, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, and radiographers to name but some. And if these people are going to be working more weekends and evenings then they need time off in the week instead. A seven-day NHS cannot be made by spreading the resources that already struggle to provide five day care ever more thinly. This is the point that junior doctors are trying to get across when they repeatedly talk about patient safety. I believe their fears are genuine, and are justified, and that it is unfair to paint this dispute as being all about pay. So all this political blathering about a seven-day NHS is utter hogwash if the government are not prepared to provide extra resources to the NHS. It will not be created by forcing an unpopular contract onto junior doctors. Hunt has to go and be replaced by someone who really understands, as he seems not to, what delivery of a seven-day NHS really requires. Dr Heather Smith Bishop Auckland In 2005 Jeremy Hunt co-authored a book called Direct Democracy in which he called for the NHS to be dismantled. Eleven years later, he seems to be making a pretty good job of it on his own! Sarah Pegg Seaford What happened to Scotlands commitment to immigrants? Scotlands First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is no shrinking violet. How strange, therefore, that shes been as silent as the grave regarding the 400 child immigrants at Calais who apparently have a legal right to be granted asylum in Great Britain. In the run-up to the Scottish Referendum, Ms Sturgeons predecessor, Alex Salmond, proudly announced: "Scotland welcomes immigrants." Why, therefore, is Sturgeon not being vocal in offering sanctuary in Scotland for these 400 immigrant children, who, in time, could help repopulate a new independent Scotland? Andrea Hunt Datchet Doctors need to stop playing with patients patience Having worked in the NHS for 44 years, during which time no one ever have me a 14 percent wage rise, perhaps it is time that these people realised that, actually, they not the most important people in the NHS, the patients are. In case they need reminding who patients are, these are the people who have contributed large amounts of money towards their education and training with no expectation that these doctors will actually stay within the NHS once they are qualified, but may, as these junior doctors keep reminding us, take those qualifications and skills abroad. Perhaps now is the time to adopt a new revised training scheme where those wishing to become doctors either pay the full cost of their education or commit to working in the NHS for a period of, say, 10 years if they take educational funding for said training? Using withdrawal of their labour and the threat of potentially taking their skills abroad is not a smart move, the general public will not submit to this type of emotional blackmail. Janet Sollitt Address supplied The Wall will never happen Having spent 32 years in US federal service working in such fields as budget, accounting and finance, and contracting, I find Mr Trumps comments regarding the building a 2,000 mile wall from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico absurd. Since the US government is not going to fund one cent of the cost and Mexico has promised not to pay one centavo, the question must be asked what private contractor is going to use their corporate resources to start work on a project without some guarantee of payment. Simply following the money trail or the lack of a money trail consigns Mr Trumps wall to the litterbin of history. George D. Lewis Brackley A letter from the suspended You report that Jeremy Corbyn will win Labours leadership election by 63 per cent to Owen Smiths 37 per cent. This however is dependent on whether Labour Party staff can prevent enough Jeremy Corbyn supporters from voting (Woman blocked from joining Labour on basis she tweeted support for Greens, Independent 31 August 2016). We are members and supporters of the Labour Party who have been suspended or barred from voting. It is standard practice not to inform those who are suspended what the reasons are but instead to leak that information to the press. The Chakrabarti Report called for a moratorium on the retrospective trawling of members social media accounts and past comments. Yet Labour officials are openly defying this by trawling through peoples social media comments in order to find something incriminating. This is nothing more than a fishing expedition on behalf of one candidate. It is one thing to investigate a specific complaint. It is quite another to deliberately target supporters of one candidate in order to change the results of the election. In a parliamentary election that would be considered electoral fraud and the person(s) responsible would be guilty of corrupt electoral practices. Even when someone has voted, their vote can be fished out of the ballot box and nullified. We call on the Electoral Reform Services to either put an end to these practices or withdraw from administering the ballot. If Owen Smith were to win an election in these circumstances it would not be accepted by members of the Labour Party. Tony Greenstein Jackie Walker Nana Asante Clare N Ayton-Edwards David Brand John Dunn Teresa Dyble Marlene Ellis Jason Everson Peter Gates Andrew Godsell Andy Gunton Annette Harrison Andrew Hardman Simon Hinds Allen Lane Chris Lent Philip Lewis Vice Chair, Camden UNISON Adam Soper David White 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 }} Pamela Andersons op-ed urging people not to watch porn is so utterly ridiculous that I hardly know where to start (including the assumption that only men are interested in and consume porn). Its a classic example of the fact that many things are laid at porns door, that should be laid instead at societys. The issue isnt porn. The issue is the complete absence in our society of an open, healthy, honest conversation around sex in the real world. The only thing I agree with is that it is indeed time for an epochal shift in our public and private lives. But not the one that Pamela Anderson and Rabbi Boteach are calling out for. In a world where the ubiquity of internet porn means the average age a child is exposed to it is eight (not because they go looking, but because they stumble across it), we cannot go on operating around sex and porn the way we always have. We have to understand that everyone is a sexual being, and we have to incorporate that into our everyday lives instead of refusing to talk about sex, and then throwing up our hands in horror at the fact that people watch porn. We need to talk about porn The epochal shift I want to see is, very simply, people talking honestly about sex. Everything in life starts with you and your values. I regularly ask people What are your sexual values? and no one can ever answer, because were not brought up to think that way. Many of us are born into families where our parents bring us up to have good manners, a work ethic, a sense of responsibility, accountability. Nobody ever brings us up to behave well in bed. But they should because kindness, sensitivity, empathy, generosity, honesty are as important there as they are in every other area of our lives and work where we are actively taught to exercise those values. The epochal shift needs to be parents explaining sex to kids as early as is appropriate and possible, and, today, also explaining porn which can be easily done, dialled up or down depending on the childs age, as You know when we watch movies and TV we see things that arent real? Well, that happens with sex too people make movies that are exaggerated and extreme, and that can be quite confusing, so if you see anything like that do come and talk to us about it. (More about how to educate kids in my interview for Summerill and Bishop here and here). The epochal shift needs to be understanding that our reluctance to talk about sex has defaulted it to a thing we do, and that instead, sex is personality a key driver and a fundamental part of how we feel about ourselves, other people, our relationships, our lives, our happiness. Of course we enjoy watching porn especially when society refuses to celebrate sex authentically, openly and honestly in other forms of popular culture. So the epochal shift needs to be not censoring, repressing, blocking, shutting down it needs to be opening up. Open up the dialogue around sex as a natural universal human experience, but very importantly also open up to welcoming, supporting and funding entrepreneurs who want to disrupt all of this for the better. Ironically, my social sex startup, MakeLoveNotPorn, is exactly what Pamela Anderson and Rabbi Boteach are calling out for a real world sex counterpoint to porn (our tag line is Pro-sex. Pro-porn. Pro-knowing the difference). We are building a platform to celebrate the funny, messy, beautiful, loving, intimate, silly, ridiculous, glorious sex we all have in the real world, and yet no one will fund us, process payments for us, give us access to business services other ventures can take for granted, because shock horror! were about sex. Recommended Read more Rape porn viewers should be shamed This is exactly why I wrote my open letter to David Cameron three years ago, urging him to reconsider his war on porn. The epochal shift that needs to happen is for us to stop squawking about porn and start talking about sex. Normalise sex, take the shame and embarrassment out of it, welcome and support ventures like MakeLoveNotPorn designed to educate people about sex in the real world, enable everyone to own their sexuality, express it healthily and celebrate it, and watch the world become a much happier place. A motorist was killed when the car they were in crashed and was destroyed in a fire. Gardai said they were investigating the circumstances of the accident which happened when the vehicle hit a wall on the N72 near Ballygalane, Lower Lismore, Co Waterford. Forensic examinations are being carried out to identify the driver and their gender and age. The accident happened at about 6.30pm on Thursday. Gardai said the body was recovered from the car and taken to Waterford University Hospital. No-one else was in the car and no-one else was injured in the accident. The stretch of road was closed to allow forensic collision investigators to examine the scene. Gardai appealed for witnesses. Britain can still avoid Brexit and the public have the right to change their minds, Tony Blair has claimed. The former UK prime minister suggested it was still "possible" to stay in the EU and that Britons were still "free to debate" the UK's position in the world. During an interview with French radio, Mr Blair said the country still didn't know what "Brexit means". Asked whether he believed Britain could avoid Brexit, Mr Blair said: "You have to say at the moment that is not probable today." Speaking in French, he continued: "But, as I have said, the debate continues and I think it's possible, yes. Who makes the rule that we have to end the debate now?" Challenged on whether he believes Britons were entitled to change their minds, he replied: "Yes. We have the right." Mr Blair, a committed Europhile, previously tried and failed in 2009 to become EU president. During the UK referendum campaign, he appeared with the former Conservative prime minister John Major to warn against a Brexit. Speaking yesterday, he said: "I wasn't in agreement with having a referendum, I didn't think it was necessary, but we have to accept we had a referendum, we had a result, but at the moment the debate is continuing because - as a I said - we don't know what Brexit means. "What does it mean for the single market, what does it mean for car manufacturers and financial services and bankers and the free movement of people?" He added that it was necessary to understand that the sentiment expressed in June's vote was not "unique" to Britain. Immigration Mr Blair said that there was "a sentiment throughout Europe - there is a reaction against authority, there is a reaction against globalisation, there is the question of immigration - so it's not just a sentiment (confined to) the English." He added that it was "not clear right now" when Britain would leave the EU because the period before launching the process of Article 50 "could last a year, for example - definitely some months, and then we'll see the principles of the negotiation". Mr Blair added: "For the British prime minister, it is absolutely clear that it is necessary for her and the unity of the Conservative Party but for us, we are free to have a debate." Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] The sale of the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in Dublin to US investment giant Blackstone for 945m was the most expensive single property deal ever, research by BNP Parisbas Real Estate says. Last year the Dundrum Town Centre was sold to Hammerson and Allianz, however the exact value is unclear as it was sold as part of the massive Nama Project Jewel loans portfolio. That entire portfolio, which included stakes in the Ilac Centre and Swords Pavilions, was sold for 1.85bn in September last year. Private equity firm Blackstone tied up the deal for Blanchardstown back in June in what was viewed at the time as one of the biggest deals ever. The centre was sold by Green Property for just under the original asking price of 1bn set back in January. It is understood that Blackstone beat competition from the likes of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Joe O'Reilly's Chartered Land. It's widely believed Blackstone will invest further into the property and develop some of its 1.6 million sq ft capacity for extra space. Elsewhere the Irish commercial property market performed strongly in the second quarter of the year with 2.1bn transacted, the strongest single quarter in the Irish market ever. The backbone of the activity was office investments, with 717m of assets changing hands between April and June. BNP Real Estate head of research Joan Henry said the quarter was a landmark for the Irish commercial property sector. "Our research revealed that the sale of Blanchardstown Shopping Centre represented the largest single asset ever traded in the market, and with over 2.1bn of assets transacted in the period, we are seeing the largest quarterly turnover ever," Mr Henry said. "If turnover reaches the forecasted 3.5bn for 2016, the 10-year average will have increased significantly to 1.7bn, compared to 1bn in 2013." The positive second quarter follows research from CBRE that pointed to 238 commercial property deals in the first six months of the year. The deals from the opening half of the year amounted to around 2.95bn, CBRE claimed. During the period PwC's headquarters at One Spencer Dock was sold for 242m to international investment group AGC Equity Partners in the single biggest office spend ever. Jameson owners Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard shipped 5.7m cases of Jameson whiskey last year as the company reported strong growth across the board. Over the last 12 months Jameson sales increased by 12pc in volume and 16pc in value as the brand continued its 27-year streak of consecutive growth. The Irish whiskey has continued to grow in importance for its parent Pernod Ricard, which also has the likes of Absolut vodka, Beefeater, and Malibu under its control. Jameson now represents 23pc of the company's total sales in the US with word of mouth and brand awareness a big factor in its popularity across the Atlantic. Earlier in the year Irish Distillers reduced its Irish whiskey portfolio through the sale of Paddy to US firm Sazerac. The spirits market overall here expanded by 3pc in value terms with on-trade sales increasing by 2pc nationally. The company's Irish whiskey portfolio dominated the market here last year, making up 83pc of total Irish whiskey sales. Irish Distillers chairman Jean-Christophe Coutures said the firm has seen the global whiskey renaissance continue "with gusto". "Here at home we're proud to see our Irish whiskey sales growing due to a combination of increased tourism and also a growth in the cocktail market," Mr Coutures said. "Ireland's emerging appreciation for cocktails is seeing our products mixed creatively by Ireland's bartenders to serve up something new and different for consumers and we applaud this," he said. Irish Distillers employs around 600 people in Ireland across its bases in Cork and Dublin. Despite the strong growth of the firm's brands, Mr Coutures said the home market is still proving problematic due to the economic climate here. "Ireland has the third highest excise rates on spirits in Europe. It is damaging to our reputation that an American tourist can buy a bottle of Jameson in the US for almost half the price of the same bottle in Ireland, the home of Irish whiskey," he said. The firm's tourism business improved by 4pc last year with 421,000 visits to its centres. During the year Irish Distillers lost its chief executive, Anna Malmhake, who moved on to head up the Absolut vodka company. Mr Coutures succeeded Ms Malmhake in February where he moved from his role as chief executive of Pernod Ricard's Winemakers. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, September 2 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed the topical issues of bilateral cooperation at a meeting with Qatars Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, the Turkmen government said. Stressing the broad prospects for the development of trade and economic relations, the sides called for intensifying fruitful partnership in various fields. The oil and gas sector was stressed as one of the key vectors of interstate relations. The two countries, which are among the leading exporters of natural gas, attach particular importance to the diversification of cooperation in this strategic direction. Investments, trade, high technologies and construction are among the promising areas of the Turkmenistan-Qatar cooperation. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1996. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited the representatives of the Qatari business circles in April 2016 to participate in the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) transnational gas pipeline. President Berdimuhamedov added that the pipeline is designed to supply natural gas to the major countries of South-East Asia, contribute to solving the economic problems of the region, important social and humanitarian issues. The solemn ceremony of launching the TAPI construction, with a capacity of up to 33 billion cubic meters of gas, was held in mid-December 2015. The country's largest telco Eir signalled a 4pc increase in revenue over the last year up to 1.3bn in what is the first 12-month period of annual growth for the company in eight years. Eir posted a 5pc increase in company earnings, up to 505m excluding storm costs. The firm also managed to keep its operating costs broadly flat with the previous year. During the year Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC invested 230 into the company completed a bond refinancing programme, saving it 17m in interest payments. The firm also launched Eir Sport and brought the number of premises passed with fibre power broadband up to 1.6 million. Eir chief executive Richard Moat said it had been a landmark year for the firm. The transformation of our organisation in the past twelve months is clearly evident. We introduced our new invigorated brand eir in September last year, and the recent launch of eir sport positions us as a new name in Irish broadcasting. We have a great platform for our new financial year and we are looking forward to the future with confidence," he said. Pre-tax profits at Irish-owned pharmacy chain Sam McCauley rose by 53pc to 2.98m last year. New accounts just filed by the Co Wexford-headquartered group that operates 30 pharmacies across the country employing hundreds of staff show that revenues increased marginally from 74.16m to 74.78m in the 12 months to the end of September last. The firm last year paid a 3m dividend to its shareholders and this followed a 500,000 payout to shareholders in 2014. The firm is over 60 years in business and has a strong presence in counties Carlow, Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow. According to the directors' report, "2015 was a year of consolidation and the directors are pleased with the performance achieved in a retail market that continued to be difficult outside the larger population areas". The directors state that "the outlook for 2016 is better and the group is well positioned to benefit from the expected improvement in consumer confidence and spending". The group last year reduced its overall bank debt from 13.4m to 11.1m. At the end of September last, the group had shareholder funds totalling 30.7m that included accumulated profits of 18.44m. The cash pile last year decreased from 1.14m to 887,446. Interest payments on the group's bank interest payments totalled 507,372. Cost of sales last year increased from 42.77m to 43m while administrative expenses increased from 27.94m to 28.47m. Operating profits at the group reduced by 7pc from 3.76m to 3.49m. The firm also received 'other operating income' of 285,129 and this followed 322,081 income under that heading in 2014. The group incurred a 1m tax bill that gave the group a post tax profit of 1.96m. The group last year spent 1.43m in acquiring fixed assets. The company sustained an impairment of a financial asset of 1.1m in 2014 that didn't re-occur in 2015. Numbers employed by the group decreased to 528. The chief executives of hotel chains including Hilton and Marriott have told Barack Obama that there has been an "inexcusable delay" in issuing a permit to Dublin-based Norwegian Air International (NAI) to operate flights between Europe and the United States. In a letter to the US president, the hotel bosses have urged Mr Obama to ensure "immediate approval" of NAI's permit application. NAI, a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle, has been trying for over two years to secure a permit from US authorities that will enable it to fly between Europe and the United States under the Open Skies agreement. NAI also wants to launch services from Cork to Boston and New York. The US Department of Transportation said in April that it intended to grant the permit, but since then the process has stalled. The European Commission has also sought arbitration on the matter. "As the European Commission threatens formal arbitration against the United States on NAI's application, we ask that the US government quickly convene its inter-agency stakeholders to make a decision and avoid this process," the hotel and leisure bosses told Mr Obama this week. "A long, drawn-out arbitration proceeding is unlikely to serve the interests of the United States well. The timely approval of NAI's application is the right choice." The letter's signatories include Christopher Nassetta, the chief executive of Hilton Worldwide; Arne Sorenson, the chief executive of Marriott; Stephen Joyce, the chief executive of Choice Hotels International; and the heads of a number of US tourism and leisure groups. US aviation unions are strongly opposed to NAI's plans. The European Commission has rejected Apple's claim that an EU order to the company to pay 13bn back-taxes to Ireland was political, noting the calculations were based on facts and Apple's own data. Apple chief executive Tim Cook told the Irish Independent that the EU's order was motivated in part by anti-US bias. But European Commission's Competition chief Margrethe Vestager hit back immediately, saying she will not accept the accusation. "No, I will not. This is a decision based on the facts of the case," she said. She said the calculations of the back-tax owed by Apple to Ireland were based on data provided by the company itself and facts presented during hearings on Apple tax issues in the United States. Ms Vestager said she would meet US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in Washington in September to further discuss the case. Here are the main business stories from this morning's papers: Irish Independent * Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has insisted that the airline's growth at Dublin Airport has not "topped out" following a decision to cut capacity at the capital next summer. The airline will reduce the number of seats out of Dublin by about 370,000, or 3pc, as it redeploys the capacity elsewhere on its network in Europoe. * The sale of the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in Dublin to US investment giant Blackstone for 945m was the most expensive single property deal ever, research by BNP Parisbas Real Estate says. Last year the Dundrum Town Centre was sold to Hammerson and Allianz, however the exact value is unclear as it was sold as part of the massive Nama Project Jewel loans portfolio. * The chief executives of hotel chains including Hilton and Marriott have told Barack Obama that there has been an "inexcusable delay" in issuing a permit to Dublin-based Norwegian Air International (NAI) to operate flights between Europe and the United States. In a letter to the US president, the hotel bosses have urged Mr Obama to ensure "immediate approval" of NAI's permit application. The Irish Times * The Irish Government failed to reach an agreement yesterday to oppose a ruling by the European Commission that Apple should repay $13bn in back taxes to the Irish State. Last night's debate between Government followed a back and forth argument between Apple boss Tim Cook and European competition commissioner Margarethe Vestager over the ruling. * Soft drinks company Coca Cola is to invest 26m into its Ballina operations in Mayo, making it the only production site outside of the US to use its 'Freestyle' technology. Coca Cola patented its Freestyle technology back in 2010. It allows consumers to choose from 165 different beverages from a touch screen dispenser. * The Irish Stock Exchange chief has called for a cohesive Government strategy to make sure Ireland wins as much business as possible from the Brexit fallout. Ms Somers said Ireland is a much more compelling choice to businesses than the likes of France, the Netherlands and Poland. Irish Examiner * Independent ministers are calling on the Government to ban any future tax deals akin to the arrangement Apple has been accused of geting. The ministers are looking for an all out review on all company tax bills relating to multinationals. * Ryanair is to cut its passenger numbers at Shannon Airport by 12.5pc for the next year as it looks to slightly increase its targets for both Cork and Dublin airports. At the firm's summer announcement yesterday Ryanair said Brexit would weaken the number of tourists coming here from the UK. * Pre-tax profits at Irish-owned pharmacy chain Sam McCauley rose by 53pc to 2.98m last year. New accounts just filed by the Co Wexford-headquartered group that operates 30 pharmacies across the country employing hundreds of staff show that revenues increased marginally from 74.16m to 74.78m in the 12 months to the end of September last. The deal will see INM add seven regional newspapers to the groups existing portfolio Independent News & Media (INM) has agreed a deal to buy newspaper publisher Celtic Media Group (CMG) adding seven newspapers to its chain of regional titles. Celtic Medias printing business is not part of the transaction. The deal will see INM add seven regional newspapers including the Anglo Celt in Cavan, the Meath Chronicle and the Connaught Telegraph, as well as a pre-press service to the groups existing portfolio of regional print and digital titles. Celtic Media Group is owned and managed by its Irish management team following a management buyout of the company in June 2012 for a reported 5.5m. Celtic Media employs around 100 staff and is headed up by former Irish Independent business editor Frank Mulrennan. It is understood that Frank Mulrennan will be joining INM as part of the transaction. The deal adds five new counties to INM Groups spread of regional newspapers. INMs existing regional newspapers include The Herald in Dublin, The Kerryman, The Sligo Champion and Wexford People. We are very pleased that Celtic Media Groups publishing titles are becoming part of INMs portfolio of regional and digital titles. There are clear synergies arising from this transaction, which fit well with INMs strategy to remain as a key player in the delivery of printed news content on a national and regional basis, said Robert Pitt, CEO, INM. We look forward to welcoming the titles into the INM fold and to working with management and editorial to ensure the continued successful delivery of quality local newspapers. Mr Pitt has previously said consolidation was needed in the national print sector to secure the viability of newspapers in the teeth of falling print circulation and a challenging advertising environment. It is a clear objective of INM to support and strengthen its offering of national and regional newspapers and consolidation, as exemplified by this transaction, is the optimum way to protect the Groups titles into the future, he said. The deal announced yesterday is subject to approval from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The value of the transaction was not publicly disclosed. Last week INM reported a profit before tax of 18.5m for the six months to the end of June 2016. The companys cash balance at the end of June was 62.4m. The Irish Government needs to ask itself whether it wants newspapers faced with declining circulation to continue publishing in Ireland, according to the chairman of Independent News & Media (INM), Leslie Buckley. The INM chairman made the comment at the launch of the new media centre of the 'Belfast Telegraph' in Belfast city, where Northern Ireland first minister Arlene Foster was the guest of honour. In Belfast, Leslie Buckley backed the UK tax regime that means that in the North and across Britain, Vat is levied at a zero percent rate on newspaper sales. "While we may have enjoyed a 12.5pc corporate tax rate in the Republic of Ireland, there is one area of UK taxation, First Minister, which is both pragmatic and far-sighted. "That is the zero Vat-rate for newspapers. Independent News & Media and its competitors currently pay a vat rate of 9pc in the Republic of Ireland. "This is a substantial burden in the face of declining readership and circulations," Mr Buckley said. He said he hoped the Government on this side of the border would see the benefit to the media arising from a zero vat rate. "It needs to ask itself, does it want newspapers to continue? Or indeed, is it happy to allow social and digital media to be the primary source of news moving forward. "INM puts a huge ongoing effort into maintaining the primacy of the printed word, but we cannot do it on our own," he said. INM publishes market-leading titles including the 'Irish Independent' and 'Belfast Telegraph'. Mr Buckley praised journalists at the 'Belfast Telegraph' for their coverage of the Brexit debate, but expressed fears about the implications of the June vote. "I am really concerned at the implications for the Republic of Ireland of the Brexit Vote, as we are more impacted than any other member state. "Consequently, we need to recognise, if necessary, that we can block a deal if it is not in our interest," he said. The INM chairman said it was now important to get a deal for Northern Ireland which is grounded on an open border on the island of Ireland with continued free movement of goods across the United Kingdom and Europe. Samsung has suspended sales of its new flagship smartphone the Galaxy Note 7 over safety fears surrounding its battery. A number of users have reported incidents where the battery has exploded while charging, rendering the phone useless. The news comes after reports the firm was considering a major recall of the phone due to the issue. The timing of the problems couldn't be worse for Samsung, which has continually closed the gap in the premium market on Cupertino giant Apple. Apple is due to launch its new flagship device the iPhone 7 next week and problems around Samsung's phone could allow it to steal the march on smartphone sales in the coming year. A spokesperson for Samsung told the Irish Independent the company had found an issue with the phones battery cell after a thorough investigation. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7. For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks, the company said. While analysts expect the Note 7 problems to be resolved quickly, ongoing major problems could derail Samsung's mobile recovery after a string of product successes had reversed the smartphone leader's declining market share. "They need to nip it in the bud right now. The last thing they want is for memes to be spreading on the internet associating the Samsung name with an exploding battery or injury," IDC analyst Bryan Ma said. On Wednesday Samsung said it had halted supply of the new phone to the top three South Korean carriers and that shipments were being delayed as it conducted additional quality testing. It did not elaborate on any problems it may have found with the gadget, which was launched in South Korea and other markets on August 19 and has been generally well-received by critics. Investors stripped about $7bn off Samsung's market value in response to the shipment delays on Thursday, but sentiment appeared to have recovered in Friday trading. The shares rose 0.6pc compared with a 0.3pc gain for the broader market. Additional reporting from Reuters Image provided by NASA shows Jupiter's north polar region, taken by the Juno spacecraft 120,000 miles (195,000 kilometers) away from the planet (NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS via AP) Infrared image provided by NASA shows the southern aurora of Jupiter, captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft. The phenomenon can hardly be seen from Earth due to the position of the two planets (NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS via AP) A Nasa spacecraft has sent back the best views of Jupiter yet, revealing turbulent storms in the north pole. Nasa has released a batch of close-up pictures taken by the Juno spacecraft last week when it flew within 2,500 miles of Jupiter's cloud tops. It was the first of three dozen planned close passes during the 20-month mission. The mission's chief scientist, Scott Bolton, says the north pole is stormy and appears bluer than the rest of the planet. Expand Close Image provided by NASA provides a new perspective on Jupiter's south pole, seen when the Juno spacecraft was about 58,700 miles (94,500 kilometers) away(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Image provided by NASA provides a new perspective on Jupiter's south pole, seen when the Juno spacecraft was about 58,700 miles (94,500 kilometers) away(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS via AP) Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is a gas giant shrouded in colourful stripes and swirls. Juno entered orbit around Jupiter in July after a five-year journey to map the planet's poles, atmosphere and interior. It will fly closer to Jupiter than any other spacecraft. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 2 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkey attaches special importance to the development of the traditionally friendly and fraternal relations with Turkmenistan, Ahmet Arslan, Turkish minister of transport, maritime affairs and communication, said Sept. 2. Arslan made remarks at a meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat. The sides expressed confidence in further development of the interstate cooperation, which was initially based on an equal, mutually beneficial and long-term basis, the Turkmen government said in a message. "Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the strengthening of the constructive inter-state dialogue with Turkey, the government said citing President Berdimuhamedov as saying. Turkmenistan has started to modernize the infrastructure of all modes of transport by initiating the major projects of international importance. "Our countries have every reason to take leading positions in the creation of East-West and North-South modern transport corridors," the president said. Turkish companies have been involved in such major projects as the construction of the international sea port in Turkmenbashi and Ashgabat international airport. The volume of the foreign trade between Turkmenistan and Turkey amounted to $5.5 billion in 2015. Electricity, polymers, propylene, oil and oil products, cotton yarn and textiles are exported to Turkey. Turkmenistan buys technical equipment and consumer goods. Turkish companies are implementing 1,580 projects in Turkmenistan in such sectors as transport, fuel and energy complex, communications, agriculture, construction, trade, water resources management. Some 562 enterprises with Turkish capital have been registered in Turkmenistan. A map of the public transport drop-offs at Electric Picnic. Photo: Transport for Ireland Gardai were humming to a different tune last night when they doled out road safety advice for Electric Picnic attendees. In the spirit of the music festival, they drew inspiration from James Bey's "Scars" lyrics. "You're setting off. It's time to go, the engine's running. We always knew this day was coming. Speed Kills, Arrive alive!" gardai tweeted. That was after they warned picknickers to "watch out for super furry animals". Electric picnic- Expect delays be patient it wont take years &years. Watch out for super fury animals . info https://t.co/Tdg4p1CMca An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) September 1, 2016 #ElectricPicnic You're setting off It's time to go, the engine's running .We always knew this day was coming Speed Kills Arrive alive ! An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) September 1, 2016 That's the safe cross code - Electric Picnic style. Here is a list of public transport options to and from the Picnic, courtesy of Transport for Ireland. BUS Bus Eireann Services From Custom House Quay Friday 07:30 to 18:00 service every 30 minutes Friday from Dublin airport 1400 Saturday 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 Sunday 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 Video of the Day Depart Stradbally Saturday 2300 0000 0100 Sunday 1200 (midday) and from 2030 to 0200 service every 30 minutes Monday 0500 to 1330 service every 30 minutes Tickets can be purchased on: www.buseireann.ie and from Ticketmaster agents. Return fare 23 online, 25 on the day (limited number of tickets can be purchased from the ticket bus on the day of travel) Marathon Coach Travel Ltd From Dublin (Georges Quay) to Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit website J.J. Kavanagh & Sons Ltd From Dublin (Georges Quay) to Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit website BUSES FROM OUTSIDE DUBLIN Bus Eireann Cork Special buses will depart from Parnell Place bus station, Cork at 08.00 on Friday, 2 September next and these will service Fermoy, Mitchelstown and Cahir. This service is scheduled to reach Stradbally Hall at 10.45. The return service will depart from Stradbally at 12.00 on Monday, September arriving in Parnell Place, Cork at 14.25. Return tickets cost 40 and must be purchased in advance from Cork bus station. A limited number of seats are available. Galway A third service will operate from Galway to Stradbally to facilitate festival-goers from the west. This will depart from Galway bus station in Eyre Square at 12.00 on Friday, 2 September and is scheduled to arrive in Stradbally at 15.00. A return service to Galway will depart from Stradbally Hall at 10.00 on Monday, 5 September and will arrive back to Galway at 13.00. Tickets must be purchased in advance from Galway bus station, and there are a limited number of seats available. Visit www.buseireann.ie for more information P.J. Martleys Ltd Portlaoise (Train Station) via James Fintan Lalor Bus stop Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit Website Kelly Travel Tipperary via Cashel and Portlaoise to Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit website Limerick via Nenagh and Roscrea to Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit website Cork via Mitchelstown, Cahir and Portlaoise Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit website Irish Concert Travel Ltd Donegal via Ballyshannon, Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford and Mullingar Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit website Seven Cabs & Coaches Rental Ltd Dundalk Stradbally (Drop off at Green Car Park Z) Visit website TRAIN Take the train to Electric picnic and a shuttle bus service will be in operation from Portlaoise station to EP (5 single), full details are here: www.martleys.com Amy Schumer called out a heckler at a show in Stockholm for his sexist comments before getting him chucked out of the theatre. The American comedian, who is touring the UK this month, was performing at Stockholm's Hovet arena on Wednesday when a member of the audience interrupted her. "Show us your tits!" the man is heard calling out on a video posted to her YouTube channel. Schumer stopped the show in order to identify the culprit. "Okay, wait, I want the guy who just yelled 'show us your tits' to come up here," Schumer said. "Everybody point at him, so I know which one." About dozen people pointed to the man, who was wearing a shirt which read, "I love pussies". "Now don't get shy," Schumer asked the man. "What do you do for a living?" "Sales," he responded. "Sales?" Schumer asked. "How's that working out? Is it going well? Because we're not buying it." Schumer then warned the individual: "If you yell out again, you're going to be yelling 'show your tits' to people in the parking lot, because you're going to get thrown out, motherf****r." When the heckler makes an inaudible remark, he is removed from the auditorium saying "I was about to go anyway". Video of the Day "We're gonna miss you so much," she said, sarcastically. "I already miss you." Schumer has given short shrift to sexism in the past. In January, a young film critic, Jackson Murphy, tweeted a photo of himself with the Trainwreck star on the red carpet at the Critics' Choice Awards, with the caption: "Spent the night with @amyschumer. Certainly not the first guy to write that." Schumer responded: "I get it. Cause Im a whore? Glad I took a photo with you. Hi to your dad. She later accepted his profuse apologies. The comedian is also known for combating sexism in the media, showbusiness and comedy industries through her stand-up and sketches. Mourners attend a candlelight vigil for the six Irish students who died in Berkeley Photo: AP Photo/Beck Diefenbach The California Senate has passed a new law for the construction industry following the devastating Berkeley balcony collapse last year. The bill, which passed in the senate early yesterday with a unanimous vote of 37-0, aims to address the accountability gaps revealed by the Berkeley tragedy and will "bring more oversight to the construction contractors' industry". The balcony collapse of June 2015 resulted in the deaths of six students and severe injuries to seven others. Irish students Eimear Walsh, Olivia Burke, Niccolai Schuster, Lorcan Miller, Eoghan Culligan, all aged 21, and Irish-American Ashley Donohoe (22) all lost their lives. A statement released by the California Government read: "The tragedy reverberated across the Irish community in the United States and abroad as all but one of the students who were killed and injured were visiting from Ireland. "The sixth fatality was a 22-year-old Irish American student from Rohnert Park, California." The bill, which was put forward by Senator Jerry Hill and Senator Loni Hancock, will now be reviewed by Governor Jerry Brown. The governor has until September 30 to act on the Senate Bill. Senator Hill said that the bill "ensures that the state agencies tasked with overseeing the construction industry are taking appropriate steps to identify bad actors and improve building standards". According to the senator, the legislation requires contractors "convicted of felonies or crimes related to their work" to report that information to the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). The bill also requires the CSLB to determine whether receiving construction defect settlement information would be useful for them to fulfil their mission of protecting the public. Finally, it requires the Building Standards Commission to look at improving its safety requirements for balconies and other outdoor structures. The senate's statement continued: "Shock over the tragedy that struck during a birthday party became outrage when it was discovered that the builder of the apartment complex had a history of construction defect settlements with payouts totalling $26.5m." At the moment, state law does not require contractors to report defect settlement cases to their licensing board, even though such disclosures are routine for doctors, engineers and architects. Earlier this month, survivor Aoife Beary was praised by Senator Jerry Hill for sharing her story at the California State Senate. He said there "wasn't a dry eye in the room" as the young woman told her story. Ms Beary said: "My life has been changed forever. I cannot believe that you are even debating this bill. People died. "You should make sure that balconies are scrutinised in this state to prevent this happening again." A 13-year-old boy has no secondary school to attend this year as his application was late because his sister passed away from cancer, his mother told Independent.ie. Lee Moore (13) from Portlaoise had to watch his primary school friends attend St Marys CBS Secondary School last week and was unable to join them due to the schools zero tolerance policy for late applications. Lees mum Ann Marie Moore said the school had absolutely no sympathy for the family. He lost his sister, he lost his friends and hes totally on his own. Hes lost and all of his friends are at school, Ann Marie told Independent.ie. Youd imagine they would be lenient seeing as he lost his sister, she said. Lees mother said his enrolment form was two weeks late as his sister passed away around the deadline. Hes currently on a waiting list to get into the school but Anne Marie fears hes already falling behind. Principal Maura Murphy insisted the application period for the school was between October and November 2015, four months after the death of the young girl. She said pupils were handed application forms on October 12, 2015 and the forms were available online a couple of days later. She also said she did not hear from Lee's mother until December of 2015. She said she has every sympathy for the family and will contact them when a place becomes available. Meanwhile, mum Ann Marie said she is worried Lee is falling behind. He will be home-schooled if he doesnt get a place but hes already two weeks behind and the home-schooling wont be sorted for another four weeks," she said. The Government are paying 40 an hour for an educator to teach him nine hours a week but its ridiculous because most kids are in school eight hours a day, she said. She said Lee is desperate to go back to school and was the type of child who would go to school even when he was sick. Lee is on the waiting list for another secondary school in the town, Portlaoise College, but there has been no word if he will be accepted. Even if he gets into this school well face a lot of costs. Hell need a new uniform, a 700 iPad and he wont be with any of his friends. None of that matters, he just wants to be in school. My heart breaks for him, she said. The principal said she recognised the tragic circumstances of the case and will contact the mother "the minute" a place comes available. Maura Murphy said that while the circumstances are "tragic" she was obliged to follow the school policy in regards to late admissions. I met with Ms Moore on a number of occasions to discuss the issue after the process was closed. If she had come to me during the process last December and explained her situation I might have been able to do something about it then, Murphy told Independent.ie. I met her two weeks ago too out of courtesy to explain the situation hadnt changed. Im working my way through the waiting lists and late lists but I cant pull another child out of the school to give her child a place. Our trustees have approved our application process and I have followed it. The minute I hear a place is available Ill let her know. I dont know if Ill get down the list to as far as her son. GARDAI have submitted a file to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in relation to the death of a 14 year old girl scout. Aoife Winterlich from Walkinstown, Dublin 12 died after she was swept into the sea off Hook Head, Co Wexford on a weekend scouting trip. The teen was rescued from the sea by the Irish Coast Guard but later died on December 11 2015 at Our Ladys Childrens Hospital in Crumlin. Dublin Coroners Court heard that a file was submitted to the DPPs office earlier this week. Detective Inspector Larry Brady of New Ross Garda Station in Co Wexford, told Deputy Dublin Coroner Dr Crona Gallagher that the file had been submitted on August 31. Gardai are awaiting directions from the DPP in relation to possible criminal charges and a three month adjournment of the inquest was sought. The teenagers mother Ann Winterlich, who previously gave evidence of the formal identification of her daughter at Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, was present in court. Aoife Winterlich was a member of the 55th South Circular Road scout group in Dublin. She was on a weekend scouting trip when the incident occurred around 2pm on Sunday December 6 2015. Four young people were swept into the sea during a heavy swell in the aftermath of Storm Desmond. Two of the four made it back to shore, while two were winched to safety by the Irish Coast Guard Waterford based helicopter. Aoife Winterlich fell into the sea as rescuers attempted to bring on her board the helicopter. She was immediately recovered from the sea and both teenagers were flown to hospital, arriving within 17 minutes of the initial call out. The coroner adjourned the inquest for three months until Dec 9 2016. A serving member of the armed forces has been charged with Northern Ireland-related terror offences. Royal Marine Ciaran Maxwell (30) of Exminster, Devon, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, Scotland Yard said. He is accused of "creating and maintaining hides" in England and Northern Ireland to store explosives. It would cost the Government 185 per child per year to deliver free primary education, according to the children's charity Barnardos. The money would pay for school books, uniforms, well-equipped classrooms and free transport for those availing of the school scheme, the charity says. It would also remove the need for parents to pay voluntary contributions and would ensure that schools had enough funds to meet running costs. Barnardos has put the overall cost to the Exchequer at 100m per year, as it launched a campaign for free primary education. According to the charity, the State pays 470.5m per year towards the cost of primary and post-primary schooling. An extra 103m per year would make primary education free and a further 127m would do the same at second-level, it claims. Barnardos said the Government had a constitutional obligation to make primary education free for all children. Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay said the evidence from its annual school costs survey, which has been running for a decade, "clearly contradicts the persistent myth that Ireland has free education". He said that fulfilling children's right to free primary education was "the constitutional responsibility of the Government and one they have shirked for too long. A right is not a right if you have to pay for it." Mr Finlay described the investment required - 185 per pupil per year - as minuscule, but said the benefit to children and society would be immense. "It's a question of prioritising resources to get maximum effect. The first budget of the new Partnership Government will be published this autumn as Ireland firmly emerges from a bitter recession which has left one in nine children living in consistent poverty. Now is the time for this Government to take a bold move and make free primary education a reality," said Mr Finlay. Barnardos Head of Advocacy June Tinsley said the practice in Northern Ireland and other UK jurisdictions showed how to implement a truly free primary education system and "what is needed now is the political leadership to make it happen". She said it was 50 years since then Minister for Education Donogh O'Malley announced the introduction of free education up to post-primary level. By Fatih Karimov Trend: Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 31 Iran plans to offer second phase of South Pars oil layer development project to foreigners, Ali Kardor, the Islamic Republics deputy oil minister, said. The Iranian companies are working on the first phase of the project, but they lack the necessary technology for development of other phases, Kardor, who heads the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), said, Tasnim news agency reported Aug. 31. Iran eyes to pump 35,000 barrels of crude oil a day in the first phase of the project, Kardor said, adding that oil production from the phase will start by March 2017 by installing the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The purchased FPSO unit is now in the UAE and will be handed over to Iran once its equipment installation is completed, Kardor said. FPSO unit is a floating vessel used by the offshore oil and gas industry for the production, processing of hydrocarbons and for storage of oil. An FPSO vessel is designed to receive hydrocarbons produced by itself or from nearby platforms or subsea template, process them, and store oil until it can be offloaded onto a tanker or, less frequently, transported through a pipeline. Kardor further said that drilling of all wells in the first phase of South Pars oil layer has been completed. He added that the other phases of the South Pars oil layer will be offered to foreign firms within the framework of the new oil contract model, IPC (Iran Petroleum Contract). Development of South Pars oil layers is aimed at producing 35,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in the first phase. With the implementation of the first phase and the field assessments conducted thereafter, it will be determined whether the projected production of 54,000 bpd in the second phase is economically viable. South Pars gas field is divided into 24 development phases and contains 40 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. It covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers are situated in Qatar's territorial waters. Currently Irans gas production in the field stands at 430 million cubic meters per day. An EU report has revealed that Galway won the prized 2020 European Capital of Culture after concerns over the funding, operational and legacy issues of rival bidders Limerick and the 'Three Sisters' of Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny. Galway will now serve as European Capital of Culture in 2020, becoming the third Irish city to do so after Dublin in 1991 and Cork in 2005. The prestigious cultural role is worth between 150m and 200m to the host city in terms of both tourist earnings and the international marketing profile. The winning Galway bid was variously described as "ground-breaking," "authentic" and "aspiring". But the EU report from the 10 bid assessors had criticisms for both Limerick and the Three Sisters cities. They expressed surprise that Limerick, despite having one of Ireland's youngest populations, had done very little to engage with its youth groups. "The co-operation with schools, youth groups and higher-education students was underdeveloped," it said. "Given 50pc of Limerick's population is (aged) under 30 years this was a surprising omission." The assessment group admired the way Limerick's 37m bid had portrayed the area's move from 'problem city' to cultural destination. But it queried some of the legacy claims in the bid. "The panel noted that there was little information on the projected social and economic impact of the Capital of Culture, especially given the two impact studies of Limerick 2014. "The panel noted the ambitious plans of the cultural strategy but was concerned that the proposed additional funding for culture in the city by the city (rather than by national organisations not under the control of the city) was not clear." In the case of the Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny bid, the panel was taken aback by some bid elements. The document pointed out that the 31m Three Sisters bid had included a special EU funding prize in its funding model. This was despite the fact that the 1.5m Melina Mercouri prize from the EU is conditional and normally excluded from the proposed funding plan. The panel also noted that it struggled to differentiate between the proposed Capital of Culture programme and existing events in Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny. "The region currently has festivals of undoubted quality, with strong programmes attracting an international audience," it said. "However, the panel was not able to identify how their 2020 editions would be different from their normal offer. "The panel considered that the proposed programme relied too heavily for its artistic impact on existing festivals (notwithstanding their quality)." Assessors stressed that the most admirable part of the 'Three Sisters' bid was the concept of communities like Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny working closely together on joint cultural and art projects. A heavily armed garda unit to combat organised crime gangs involved in the deadly Hutch-Kinahan feud will begin work next week. More than 700 gardai applied for the Dublin Armed Support Unit (ASU), which was announced following the Regency Hotel attack in February. Seventy gardai of various ranks were informed this week that they had been accepted for the elite unit. It will remain at the previously allocated 55 members, but 15 gardai are understood to be acting as reserves for the squad that will be operational on a 24-7 basis. Their operations will begin next Monday. All the members underwent a series of rigorous physical tests as well as interviews by detective inspectors and detective superintendents. Of the 70 officers picked for the unit, 20 were chosen from the K district of the DMR West Division which includes Blanchardstown, Finglas and Cabra garda stations. The unit will be under control of the Special Detective Unit (SDU), and will be based in Harcourt Square where some of the forces national units are also located. The SDU saw a major overhaul in the latest promotions and transfers of senior gardai, with two detective superintendent and one detective inspector being replaced. The Herald previously revealed how the unit had been requested last November after a review of national security by garda management, which involved Commissioner Noirin OSullivan. attack However, it was not announced until after the Regency Hotel attack. Armed men dressed in fake garda SWAT uniforms stormed the hotel on February 5, and key Kinahan lieutenant David Byrne (33) was shot dead. Three days later, in a killing seen as an immediate revenge attack, a four-man hit squad working on behalf of the Kinahan cartel gunned down Eddie Hutch (58), a brother of Gerry The Monk Hutch, at his home on Poplar Row, Ballybough, in the north inner city. Services have resumed after a vehicle has struck a bridge between Portmarnock and Malahide earlier today. Trains operating to Malahide and Portmarnock were suspended following a bridge strike at Blackwood in Dublin. Following the incident, Irish Rail issued a statement saying trains were operating to and from Clongriffin only. Trains going northward to Dundalk and Drogheda were also affected. Irish Rail sent someone to the scene and urged people to check their website for updates. The line has now reopened but commuters have been warned to expect delays for up to 70 minutes for some trains. Inmates climbed on to the roof at Oberstown earlier in the day. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Two garda vans arrive after the incident at Oberstown began yesterday afternoon. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins The blaze lights up the night sky at Oberstown in north Co Dublin. Picture; Caroline Quinn A fire engine arrives at the gates of the Oberstown facility in north Co Dublin last night. Picture; Caroline Quinn Industrial action planned by staff at the Oberstown detention centre for next Monday has been deferred in the wake of the violent scenes which erupted earlier this week. Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone has visited the centre this afternoon to view the damage caused by a fire on Monday night and meet with workers. It is believed that around 2m worth of damage was done to the facility by the fire which was started after a riot. The incident that led to the riot and fire occurred while staff were outside the north Dublin centre protesting about attacks, injuries and fears for their lives. Expand Close A fire engine arrives at the gates of the Oberstown facility in north Co Dublin last night. Picture; Caroline Quinn / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A fire engine arrives at the gates of the Oberstown facility in north Co Dublin last night. Picture; Caroline Quinn While the protest was in operation, the young offenders were forced to remain in their rooms being monitored by other staff. But the offenders used the protest to their advantage when one requested refreshments, and a staff member who brought them was threatened, overpowered at the door and had their keys taken. The offender was then able to free others who then took over the accommodation block. A staff member was overpowered and threatened with boiling water. Another protest was planned for next Monday but a spokesperson for Ms Zappone told Independent.ie is has been deferred to allow for talks. The minister took a tour of Oberstown this afternoon to seek firm assurances that the daily routine of young people will not be impacted into the future. A woman injured after a rampaging cow attacked her and killed her dog at a lakeland beauty spot was last night in a critical condition in hospital. The victim suffered serious back injuries in the freak incident on Devenish Island in Fermanagh. The identity of the woman remains unknown, but she was airlifted to hospital from the Lough Erne island after the incident earlier this week. It is believed she is a tourist who had moored a private hire cruiser at the scenic ecclesiastical heritage site. She was said to be exploring the island with her son and their dog when the cow attacked on Sunday. The family pet later died as a result of injuries. One local man said: "It's possible that the woman's dog spooked the cow. "And if it had a calf, it might have been acting protectively if it believed the pet dog was a threat." An RNLI spokesman said: "Enniskillen RNLI and Rescue Water Craft attended the helicopter evacuation of an injured lady on Devenish Island. "The volunteer crew, who were training at the time, were tasked by Belfast Coastguard and proceeded to the island. "One of the crew stayed with the lady who had suffered back injuries while paramedics were transferred by the boat from the mainland. "The Irish Coast Guard helicopter (Rescue 118) was tasked from Sligo and they airlifted the lady to the nearby South West Acute Hospital." Last night ,none of the local representatives contacted by the Belfast Telegraph were aware of the identity of the injured woman, but all expressed their horror at the attack and offered their sympathies to the victim. Erne DUP councillor Raymond Farrell said: "This seems to have been a lady who had moored her cruiser at Devenish to tour the island with her dog, and then this tragic incident occurred." Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Tom Elliot of the Ulster Unionist Party described the attack as "dreadful" and said his thoughts were with the injured lady. SDLP councillor Patricia Rodgers said she had read about the attack in her local paper. "I hope that the poor lady makes a good recovery," she added. Enniskillen UUP representative Keith Elliot, who lives close to Devenish, said: "I heard the rescue helicopter flying over my house on its way to airlift the victim to hospital after the incident happened." But he heard nothing about the identity of he victim, leading him to think that she was not from the Fermanagh area. "If she was a local person, it would have been the talk of the town," the councillor said. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 2 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: A Boeing 777 of British Airways has landed in Tehran after four years of hiatus in the airways flights to the Islamic Republic. Flight 153 left London Sept. 1 at 21:00 and landed in Tehrans Imam Khomeini Airport at 6:15 the following morning, IRNA news agency reported Sept. 2. British Airways made its first flight to Iran in 1946. The flights were stopped in 2012 under international sanctions on Iran. About four months ago the company announced that it had decided to resume the flights as the sanctions had been lifted. British Airways says it will fly six times a week from London to Tehran. Iran Air will also conduct three flights from Tehran to London every week. Ireland's European Commissioner Phil Hogan has strongly backed Brussels in its 13bn tax ruling against Apple. The former Fine Gael Cabinet minister and key ally of Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed he supported the finding of illegal state aid being granted to Apple. The development came as a furious behind-the-scenes row broke out between the Department of Finance and the Taoiseach's office over who is to blame for the Government's ham-fisted response to the crisis. In his first public comment on the issue, Mr Hogan, who is European Commissioner for Agriculture, said all 28 Commission members supported the decision. Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mr Hogan said it was a collegiate decision made by the Commission. "It was approved by all 28 Commissioners. It will be appealed by the company involved, and perhaps by the Irish Government, if that is what they decide. Given these pending EU court proceedings I can make no further comment," he said. Mr Hogan's appointment to the biggest job in the Taoiseach's gift was seen as a reward for taking unpopular decisions around water charges. Today, Finance Minister Michael Noonan will present a memo to Cabinet aimed at addressing Independent ministers' concerns around appealing the decision and supporting a drive for tax fairness and transparency. Independent ministers are seeking assurances on tax from Finance Minister Michael Noonan before they will back his plan to fight the European Commission's Apple ruling. The Cabinet will assemble this morning in a desperate bid to reach agreement on the matter. Fine Gael ministers last night insisted that the issue did not represent a threat to the Government and expressed their hope that consensus would be secured. Finance Minister Michael Noonan wants the State to fight the Commission's demand that Ireland seek 13bn in back taxes from the tech giant. He rejects the ruling that Apple was the beneficiary of illegal state aid. Just one Independent minister, Denis Naughten, has publicly said he will support the appeal. The Independent Alliance's two TDs who attend at Cabinet, Shane Ross and Finian McGrath, held a series of meetings yesterday amid signs that a compromise could be reached. But junior Alliance minister John Halligan caused upset when he told RTE he'd favour a Dail debate on Apple before a Cabinet decision could be reached. That contradicts the position of Fine Gael who want an agreement to appeal before TDs return to the Dail. Sources suggested this was Mr Halligan's "very personal view" and may not pose an obstacle if a larger compromise can be reached. But the prospect of Mr Halligan quitting Government, though deemed unlikely, was not being entirely ruled out. The potential compromise turned on three requirements from the Independent Alliance and another Independent Minister, Katherine Zappone. They are: a declaration on the future handling of multinational and other company taxes; a general statement on tax fairness; a full Dail debate on the issue. Officials in the Department of Finance were last night drawing up a fresh memo for Mr Noonan to bring to Cabinet today. It is understood Ms Zappone wants Mr Noonan to propose ways of ensuring Ireland has "transparent and fair taxation". A source said she "hopes to have a decision" in time for Cabinet today. Fine Gael ministers Simon Coveney and Richard Bruton played down the split with Independent ministers. Mr Coveney said: "Of course people have to be given the time to tease out their positions." He insisted that the Independent Alliance "don't want to destabilise the Government." Mr Bruton said: "I don't think there is any rift. I'm very optimistic that agreement will be reached." EU Commissioner Phil Hogan supported Brussels in the 13bn tax ruling against Apple. The former Cabinet Minister confirmed that he supported the finding that Ireland granted Apple illegal state aid and the company must pay 13bn plus interest to the Exchequer. The news came as a furious behind-the-scenes row broke out between the Department of Finance and the Taoiseach's office over who is to blame for the Government's ham-fisted response to the crisis. Apple's global boss, Tim Cook, also heavily criticised the EU's actions. Read More In his first public comment on the issue, Mr Hogan said all 28 Commission members supported the decision made public on Tuesday. He has insisted that, as an EU Court appeal is now expected, he cannot make further comment. Expand Close Click here to view full-size graphic / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Click here to view full-size graphic Mr Hogan was a key lieutenant of Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the main mover in defeating a heave against Mr Kenny's Fine Gael party leadership in June 2010. He was also seen as "taking a hit for the team" in 2011 and 2012 by pushing new unpopular local property taxes and water charges. Mr Hogan's appointment to the biggest job in the Taoiseach's gift in autumn 2014 was seen in part as a reward. Mr Kenny also lobbied EU Commission president, Jean Claude Juncker, to secure the agriculture portfolio for Mr Hogan, giving him control of almost 40pc of the EU's 150bn yearly Budget, and spreading his influence across most member states. Read More Speaking about the Apple ruling for the first time yesterday, Mr Hogan told the Irish Independent it was "a collegiate decision made in the normal way by the Commission in respect of the findings of an investigation into state aids by the Commissioner for Competition. "It was approved by all 28 Commissioners. It will be appealed by the company involved, and perhaps by the Irish Government, if that is what they decide. Given these pending EU court proceedings I can make no further comment at this time." Brussels officials say that, while EU Commissioners often act as informal advocates for their country of origin on issues like disputes over regional or farm grants, Mr Hogan was banned from being Ireland's advocate in this matter. "State aid cases are entirely a matter of EU law and are done strictly by the book," one official said. Other Brussels diplomats criticised the Irish Government's failure to "prepare the ground in Ireland" by forewarning the public in advance of the decision. Read More It emerged Apple has engaged top-flight lawyers, Freshfields, to take their case to the EU Courts in Luxembourg, which could take several years. In Dublin, Finance Minister Michael Noonan faced heavy criticism from Fine Gael colleagues for not ensuring that the Independent Alliance was on board with an appeal before media interviews on Tuesday. A number of ministers believe that the Department of Finance "dropped the ball" and "let the side down." However, sources at the Department hit back, saying that they informed Enda Kenny's office over the weekend that a cross-government response would be required. The Irish Independent has learned that senior officials in Government Buildings were told on Saturday to prepare the Independents for the fallout from the Commission's ruling. "That still hadn't happened on Sunday and Mr Noonan made some phone calls to Shane Ross and others himself," a source said. Taoiseach Enda Kenny's chief economic adviser has left Government Buildings to take up a new role with the European Investment Bank (EIB). Andrew McDowell, who has been behind Fine Gael's economic policies since 2011, took up the prestigious position yesterday. He is the first Irish member of the bank's Management Committee for 12 years. His appointment followed a row involving Independent Alliance minister Shane Ross, who prevented the Taoiseach making an appointment to the position without an open competition. Mr McDowell's departure will be seen as a blow to the Taoiseach, although Mr Kenny has encouraged his career progression. Prior to working for the Taoiseach, Mr McDowell was chief economist at the Irish business development agency, Forfas, and European Deputy Editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit. The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union. The position comes with a salary in the region of 270,000, an "installation allowance" of 46,000 and a "resettlement allowance" of 23,000. The complete cost of getting behind the wheel for the first time varies massively between driving schools in the capital, Independent.ie can reveal. Following a price survey of over 40 driving schools in the Dublin area, this website can reveal the most expensive driving school is the Airport Driving School with 12 EDT lessons costing a total of 568. The cheapest driving school to obtain the complete set of lessons is the NSA Driving School at 290, at almost half the cost of Airport Driving School. Learner drivers must now complete 12 lessons, dubbed the Essential Driving Lessons (EDL), before obtaining a licence. While Airport Driving Schools prices arent available online, an employee for the company confirmed classes are 49.79 per hour or 12 lessons at 568 broken down into six two-hour lessons. A pre-test in included in the price. If a student wishes to use the company car for their final test, they must complete a mock test at 149 before hiring the car at a cost of 99, making it the most expensive company for Pre-test/Car hire packages. The school claims they have a 96pc pass rate and guarantee the driving test, if you stick to the instructors lesson plan. Airport Driving School manager Matt Connors said their prices are "privy to the service given". "We have brand new Ford Fiestas and our instructors are trained in house and always training. We have a mock test because we want to guarantee that students will pass their test. We're a very successful school and our customers are very happy." Meanwhile, the RSA School of motoring offers 12 EDT lessons for 347 and a pre-test and car hire deal for 125, both in line with the average price in the county. We dont charge extra for a mock test. Theres not much difference between a pre-test and a mock test, a spokesperson for the RSA told Independent.ie. RSA School of Motoring also said they dont agree with driving schools stating they have a high pass rate; Every pupil is different. Of course if you say you have to follow instructors recommendations of another six lessons after the 12, you can guarantee youll pass. RSA School of Motoring said they offer a one hour pre-test to students as exam preparation but advised students to practise in between lessons to pass the test. Every pupil should be doing three hours of driving in between each lesson," they added. John Nolan from the Nolan School of Driving, which features in the top 10 cheapest driving schools in the Dublin area, said driving students should shop around to determine the hidden costs. He described some costs as "crazy". The Nolan School boasts competitive prices of 320 for 12 lessons. The company offers a pre-test at 50 for two hours and car hire for tests is 80. Some driving schools have excessive prices. They might have excessive costs but their prices are very high and very expensive," he said. You dont have to go with it. Id be inclined to look around and compare the crazy prices. Nationwide, Athlone comes out on top for the highest pass rate at driving centres with a 62.40 pass rate in 2014. According to the RSA, the average pass rate per country is 53.35. Wicklow was at the bottom of the rate list with a 50.15 pass rate. The Breakdown: Price-list of 12 EDT lessons for Dublin-based Driving Schools Price of 12 EDT lessons for Dublin-based Driving Schools School Price Airport Driving School 568 Park School of Motoring 504 Aviva Driving School 499 Branigan's Driving School 420 Clontarf Driving Academy 400 The Churchtown Rathgar School Of Motoring 395 Rathfarnam School of Motoring 385 Automatic Driving Lessons 379 Irish School of Motoring 369 City Driving School 360 Callan Driving School 360 Alexandra School of Motoring 360 Allied Driving Instructors 360 Highways school of motoring 360 Safety First 350 Parkside School of Motoring 350 My Drive School of Motoring 350 Award School of Motoring 350 Dublin North Driving School 350 Startline Driving School 350 A New Driver 350 Embassy Driving School 348 RSA School of Motoring 347 Learn to Drive Dublin 347 InGear Driving School 340 Top Class Driving School 340 My EDT 337 Colliers School of Motoring 335 Pinacle Driving School 335 Tallaght Driving School 330 4ward Driving School 330 Gibson School of Motoring 330 Nolan Driving School 320 National Driving School 320 APLus Driving School 320 King's School of Motoring 320 Euro Driving School 310 Advantage Driving School 300 Top Gear Driving Academy 299 Easy Drive 299 Pass My Test Skilz Driving Academy 299 295 NSA Driving School 290 Price for Pre-Test/Car hire School Price Airport Driving School (Includes mock test 149 and car hire 99) 248 Advantage Driving School 155 Alexandra School of Motoring 145 Automatic Driving Lessons 135 Park School of Motoring 132 Nolan Driving School 130 RSA School of Motoring 125 Safety First 125 My EDT 125 NSA Driving School 125 Top Gear Driving Academy 125 National Driving School 125 My Drive School of Motoring 125 Easy Drive 120 In Gear Driving School 120 Pass My Test 120 City Driving School 120 Parkside School of Motoring 120 Allied Driving Instructors 120 Clontarf Driving Academy 120 Award School of Motoring 120 Branigan's Driving School 120 Dublin North Driving School 120 A New Driver 120 Highways school of motoring 110 Gibson School of Motoring 110 Startline Driving School 110 Irish School of Motoring 100 Top Class Driving School 100 APLus Driving School 100 4ward Driving School 100 Tallaght Driving School 99 Aviva Driving School 99 Colliers School of Motoring 95 Embassy Driving School 80 If youre looking for a quick refresher course, here are some of the best package options: Top Gear Driving School offer a Pre-test at 35 or 6 Pre-tests at 177. Callan Driving School offer five hourly lessons, one hour before the Driving Test and car hire for 280. Pass My Test offer a refresher course of 3 EDT lessons for 90 or six for 175. Tallaght School offer 99 for course of four hours Top Class Driving School offer one hour driving lesson, plus one hour Pre-test and car hire for 250. Euro Driving School offer five hour Pre-test package for 140. (If you've had any driving lesson experiences of note or a story to share, be sure to contact the journalist at cdevine@independent.ie) An Irish mum is pleading with the public to help save her cancer- stricken daughter. Shauntelle Tynan (18), from Carlow, urgently needs to attend a specialist in Texas Children's Hospital to help her recover from the rare form of cancer she suffers, histiocytosis x. Histiocytosis x affects the whole body and multiple organs and is an extremely painful and life-threatening condition. However, the bill is going to be $527,000 (473,000) as Shauntelle will be treated as an international patient. Expand Close Shauntelle Tynan and her mum Leona / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shauntelle Tynan and her mum Leona The money will allow her to stay at the hospital for four months following treatment. So far, campaigners have raised almost 8,000 - a long way off the target. Shauntelle's mum, Leona, is pleading for help to save her daughter's life. "I don't know how people cope with the loss of a child. We thought that she would have chemotherapy and she would be cured," she said. "You put a lot of faith into the treatment, but to go through five protocols and not see any positive effect is very disheartening and it's very hard to get up and start a new treatment and have faith in it," she told the Herald. "You do have to have faith or you don't have anything." The family were recently on holiday in Santa Ponsa when Shauntelle's condition began to worsen. "She started to have a lot of pain and discomfort, so we knew that something wasn't quite right," said Leona. Since arriving home, Shauntelle has been in Beaumont Hospital going through another round of chemotherapy. However, her doctor in Texas has warned that she needs further treatment if she is to come back from the illness. "She's just tired and she's on a lot of different pain relief. They don't really want to bring that down at the moment because she's coping quite well on those medications. "She's on in excess of 40 tablets a day. It's a lot for any young girl to take in," said Leona. "Last week she was at an all-time low. I think it all kind of hit her, it was like a punch in the face that everything was going downhill. She realised that everybody was getting ready to go back to school and she should be going back into sixth year and she's not able to go back." The huge medical expenses in Texas would cover oncology, gynaecology and gastroenterology and include hospital fees, physician charges, tests and treatment. Leona said they are not going to give up without a fight. "I can't allow her to continue feeling like this, getting worse and worse and not knowing what the future holds for her or if she has a future if we don't get this money," she said. Those who want to make a donation to the cause can do so at https://www.gofundme.com/2e7mrp5g. A choice of four properties currently available to buy in city centre Dublin. 28 Greenore Terrace, D2 335k Sherry FitzGerald Ballsbridge (01) 269 8888 Expand Close 28 Greenore Terrace / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 28 Greenore Terrace Some estate agents would describe 28 Greenore Terrace, near Lower Grand Canal St as 'bijou' or 'cosy'. That means it's only 506 sq ft, but promises to be a convenient city-centre bolthole for someone with 335,000 to spend, added to the cost of refurbishing it a little. It's at the end of a terrace, on a corner, and has two bedrooms on the first floor - a reasonable double and a single. Downstairs is a living room, a kitchen with a little breakfast bar, and a shower room. Out the back is a small concrete yard. 24 Buckingham Street, D1 425k Sherry FitzGerald City Centre (01) 643 1400 Expand Close 24 Buckingham Street / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 24 Buckingham Street At census time in 1911, 24 Buckingham Street was split into three residences, housing nine in total. Today the property is still divided. It's in two flats, but the selling agents say it would be an easy conversion back to a four-bedroom family home. The two former reception rooms on the entrance floor have become an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room. There's also a utility and bathroom on this level. The first floor has two bedrooms, while the basement has another bedroom and kitchen, family room and bathroom. 132 Pearse St, D2 675k DNG Central (01) 679 4088 Expand Close 132 Pearse Street / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 132 Pearse Street Pearse Street is unrecognisable on an old map, as everything on it has been renamed in honour of Padraig Pearse, who was born there. Number 132 is on the south side of the street, midway between the square and the station, and a 10-minute walk from Trinity. It's a refurbished four-bedroom house of 1,776 sq ft on two floors with a basement. At entrance level are two reception rooms and the kitchen, which gives onto a balcony out the back. There are two bedrooms in the basement and two on the first floor. 18 Belvidere Road, Dorset St, D1 400k Movehome.ie (01) 886 7090 Expand Close 18 Belvidere Road / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 18 Belvidere Road Belvidere Road (not Belvedere, as it's often misspelt) runs at an angle off the North Circular and heads northwest to Dorset Street. Number 18 is a redbrick house that's been in the same ownership for generations and now needs updating. The basement was extended, taking the floor area up to 1,507 sq ft. The kitchen is in the basement, along with a playroom and two bedrooms, and there are three more on the first floor. The entrance hall has a bay-windowed sitting room and a dining room. An estate agent I know tells how he went to show a client's house for a day's viewing and walked in to discover the dining table laid out full and formal. There were linen napkins, silver service, lit candles, goblets full of wine and in the middle of the table: a steaming chicken roast with potatoes and veg. The viewers who came to look at the house were confused. Had they interrupted someone's dinner? Had they interrupted a very special dinner at that? Perhaps an anniversary meal? No, the agent assured them. This was the owner's OTT take on the infamous "Coffee and freshly baked bread" scenario. This old chestnut assures sellers that all it takes to pin down a sale is an aroma of freshly baked bread and good coffee wafting about. They smell bread and get the chequebook out. The chicken dinner simply distracted viewers from looking at the house. Selling a house is undoubtedly stressful and in the last week before viewings owners inevitably panic and run around expounding their energies on a variety of tasks to make the property seem more palatable to buyers. That last week is indeed vital but it's important to concentrate on jobs which produce effective results. A roast dinner won't make a jot of a difference. Most of our homes are, by definition, "lived in," so they will look undeniably tired to some degree, no matter what you do with them. So a good clean up, decluttering and a few licks of paint here and there will not go astray in the final week. But it is surprising how many home owners forget their real objective: To persuade someone to buy their house for the most money possible. They also fail to take the viewer's goal into account: To find the best house to buy for their money. "You're selling your home, not yourself -many people forget this. It's not about what people might think about you," says one Dublin-based agent who talks about vendors fussing over new towels and curtains to "give the right impression of their tastes". Many vendors actually work against themselves by doing stuff which puts people off. Another auctioneer cites the owner who insisted on having some "intelligent but fairly intense" classical music playing loudly as the soundtrack for viewings. "It basically unnerved people, so it achieved the opposite of what we needed." Another agent cites the case of vendors who cleaned the house but left their car parked in the driveway in an area where parking was difficult. A number of arrivals left without viewing at all - simply because they couldn't park close enough to the house. Don't paint your walls if you don't have time to paint your skirts and doors. Painting one without the other simply has the effect of making neglected parts look extra shabby. Those who scrub their abodes with strong bleach (some do) will put their buyers clean off with a lingering stench that reminds them of public toilets, schools and hospitals as well as making them deeply suspicious of what that smell might be hiding. And if a 48 hour round the clock painting bender makes the place look brighter just before presenting a home, it will similarly make potential buyers equally suspicious if that paint smell is too fresh. "Just what might you have been painting over at the last minute," they'll wonder. The smell of fresh paint isn't a bad one to have so long as it's mild and a few weeks old and suggests a recent rather than last minute cover-up job. Over and over agents say this: A thorough deep clean of the house which sees all walls, skirts, presses, doors, switches, light fittings and bathrooms washed down properly is paramount and will last for the whole term of weekend viewings. Ensure that deep dirt like grease is dealt with. Windows should be cleaned to 100pc clarity. Don't leave them open for the viewings if there's a noisy road outside. Remove absolutely all clutter. Moulds and mildews should be scraped off with a blade before being washed. If you use bleach, use a mild solution of Milton fluid so the smell doesn't linger. Dust and cobwebs should be addressed. Odours which the owners themselves sometimes don't notice must be dealt with. Pets are a particular problem as owners don't smell what assaults the senses of visitors. Use plug-in fresheners. Cat and dog beds should be removed well in advance along with the pets themselves. Favourite spots on rugs, carpets or sofas that pets favour must be thoroughly cleaned. If you smoke, don't smoke in the house for at least a week before viewings and remove all ashtrays well in advance. The smell of socks in teenagers' rooms is another issue - remove dirty laundry to a shed or outbuilding for days before showing a home. Don't boil cabbage, turnips or parsnips in the days before a viewing. When the viewing comes, get yourself, your pets, your children and your car out. The last thing the buyer or the agent needs is a needy vendor lingering. But all is for naught if the price isn't right. No amount of cleaning and scrubbing or staging can sell a house if the price is too high. Estate agents are appointed because they are house sales experts who know the value of property. Don't assume you know better. What percentage of owners don't take their agent's advice on price? My agent friend says a whopping 50pc! Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 By Dalga Khatinoglu Trend: While OPEC members, with some major oil producers like Russia, are preparing to hold a meeting on "common actions" for supporting market prices in Algeria in late September, the cartels Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo is going to visit Iran the next week to encourage the country to help balance the global oil market. Barkindo is scheduled to visit Tehran Sept. 5 to meet with Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh to talk the oil freeze plan, an oil ministry official said on condition of anonymity, Mehr news agency reported. Irans oil output decreased from around 3.9 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2008 to about 2.8 mb/d in 2015 due to the tightened Western sanctions on Iran. Under the sanctions, international companies left the country and none of them has returned as of now, even after elimination of the sanctions in mid-January 2016. Iran has resumed the oil production to about 3.7 mb/d, but the country has five joint fields with Iraq and has already developed some of them in order to add 90,000 b/d to its production by March 21, 2017. Iran has announced repeatedly that it wouldnt join the oil freeze until it brings the output to the pre-sanctions level. Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia told Trend Aug 9 that the country would reach that level in six month. Zamaninia did not reveal any numbers, but said Iran has a specific share in OPEC and will produce at that amount. Based on Zamaninias comments and the current OPEC daily production of 33.4 mb/d, Iran will probably be ready to produce 4 mb/d of oil. On the other hand, the global extra oil production has been continuing since 2014 and the glut wouldn't be cleared by late 2017, even if demand-supply balance in markets starts today. The US Energy Information Administration estimates that global petroleum and other liquid fuels inventory builds averaged 1.9 mb/d in 2015. The pace of inventory builds is expected to slow to an average of 0.8 mb/d in 2016. The market is expected to be relatively balanced in 2017, with inventory draws averaging almost 0.2 mb/d. Iran plans to add 475,000 b/d of oil from the joint fields with Iraq by late 2017. The countrys extra-light oil from South Pars will also double to above 900,000 b/d by that time, while Iran has other upstream projects under development, such as Salman, Changouleh and other fields. As for other OPEC members, Iraq is preparing to resume 150,000 b/d of oil extraction from Kirkuk, while Nigeria has reached an agreement with rebels, which potentially allows it to resume oil output in the near future. Nigerias output declined from 1.953 mb/d in 2014 to 1.508 mb/d in July due to instability in the country. OPEC members have added about 2 mb/d to their output in total since 2014, even taking into account the decline in Libya, Nigeria and Venezuelas production levels. Earlier, Iran refused to join the oil freeze plan in Qatar meeting in February 2016. About 80 percent of Irans crude oil comes from old fields, which are in their second half-life and are loosing 8-12 percent of their output year-to-year naturally. Iran has no choice but to develop new fields and increase output immediately. --- Dalga Khatinoglu is the head of Trend Agencys Iran news service, follow him on Twitter: @dalgakhatinoglu If I was not Irish, I think I would applaud the ruling against Apple by the European Commission. In general, I'm a supporter of lower taxes but I also believe that everyone should pay their fair share, whatever that may be. The same goes for companies. Apple does not pay its fair share in my opinion. Apple isn't alone in this, of course. Samsung, its biggest rival in the smartphone market, also tries to pay as little tax as possible. According to information from Senator Rob Portman, given when Apple boss Tim Cook appeared before a US Senate committee in 2013, Samsung pays an effective tax rate of around 7pc on its worldwide profits. But since I am Irish, I worry about the effect of this decision on the Irish economy and therefore on ordinary Irish people. If Richard Bruton's figure is correct, the multinationals employ 350,000 in this country. Writing in the Irish Independent, Donal O'Donovan said IDA-backed companies paid out 9bn in wages in 2014. What would happen if the big multinationals vanished or downsized their workforces significantly because the tax advantage of being here was seriously eroded, thanks to the ruling against Apple? The loss incurred by the Irish economy would be much greater over the long term than the 13bn-plus windfall we'd get if Apple paid us what the European Commission reckons it owes us. Despite its present buoyancy, the Irish economy faces three big threats. One is Brexit, the second is the Apple ruling and the third is the inherent instability of the eurozone. All of these three dangers are related to the EU and may in time give rise to an Irish-style Euroscepticism. They may also cause further damage to the standing and reputation of our already battered political class, which we hope will make good decisions on behalf of the rest of us. By 'political class', I mean not only our politicians, but senior civil servants as well. If it turns out that the really big, long-term, strategic decisions they have made for this country over the last few decades - joining the euro, for instance - were wrong, what way back is there for them? How do they restore their credibility? Does support for populist politics continue to increase? I classify myself as pro-EEC, not pro-EU. I am all for a free trading bloc and a community of nations. But I am not in favour of ever-closer political union, never mind an EU 'super-state'. Our political class is totally pro-EU. It has never put up any serious objection to an ever-closer political union and it enthusiastically supported the euro. We caused our rulers huge embarrassment when we voted against the Nice and Lisbon treaties, both of which were put to us a second time. In one area and one alone have we resisted moves towards ever-closer union and that is in the area of taxation, especially corporate taxation. The EU is supposed to leave tax policy to the member states and as Declan Ganley reminded us on Twitter the other day, one of the reasons we voted for the Lisbon treaty second time around is because we received a further guarantee about our tax independence. But now the European Commission has used a regulation banning unfair state aid to companies in order to interfere in our tax policy. What our political class should by now have discovered is that all of their toadying to Brussels down all the years has won us very few favours there. We were brutally treated when our economy tanked and we needed to be bailed out. We'll be very lucky if the 'special place' of Ireland is considered when the UK is negotiating its exit from the EU, and now Brussels has delivered a nuclear weapon right into the heart of our economic policy. The only real hope for that policy now lies in a successful appeal to the European Court of Justice. If I was British, I would probably have voted to stay in the EU in order to fight for the right kind of EU from within. However, a big part of me sympathised with the Leave side because I don't like the strong supra-national currents coursing through the institutions of the EU. I don't like the way in which the local is being overly diminished in favour of the global, the particular in favour of the universal. What is truly appalling, though, is the fact that there is almost no debate whatsoever in this country about the EU. Not alone is there no debate about whether or not we should be in the EU, there isn't even a debate about the sort of EU we should be in. Other EU leaders are willing to voice an opinion on this score. For example, no less a figure than Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, said the EU should abandon its "utopian dreams" of ever-closer integration. He said this in the run-up to the Brexit vote and he said it because he is sensible enough to know that continuing assaults on the sovereignty of the nation state, the latest example being the Apple ruling, are feeding Euroscepticism. I'm not aware of any of our political leaders saying anything like this. They are too terrified to rock the boat. And has that strategy gained them any credit? Absolutely not. So it is time we had a debate about the EU, and more precisely about the kind of EU we wish to be a part of. Do we want the EU to be less respectful of national sovereignty or more respectful of it? We should be arguing strongly for the latter. The conclusion by the EU Commission that Ireland granted illegal state aid has put Ireland, the EU and US-EU relations at the top of the global agenda. How important is it for Ireland that this conclusion is challenged? It is absolutely vital - for this country's reputation, for maintaining growth in our economy, for the continued delivery of high quality jobs and for continuing to attract top US multinationals to Ireland. Ireland's reputation as a great place to create high-value jobs and conduct business has been built on key pillars that include a highly-skilled workforce and certainty in tax policy. Ireland simply cannot afford to have its tax policy and administration second-guessed in a retrospective fashion - businesses cannot make investment decisions in such an environment. US companies directly employ more than 140,000 people in Ireland and a further 100,000 indirectly. In the 10 years to 2015, these companies spent an estimated 140bn in the Irish economy. In 2015, 80pc of all corporation tax in Ireland was paid by the multinational sector. The amazing achievement behind these numbers is that Ireland is now a global leader in ICT, data, financial services and life sciences. Our small economy on the periphery of Europe has worked hard over many decades to hone its attractiveness on the global stage. US firms in Ireland have been instrumental over that time in creating jobs and income for Irish workers, adding skills, raising quality standards, developing talent, accelerating innovation, providing business opportunities for indigenous firms, and tax revenues for local and national governments. The combination of a business friendly climate in Ireland and the large, in-country presence of US firms has helped transform and sustain Ireland's status as one of the most resilient and dynamic economies in the world. Our small country with a population that is less than 1pc of the European total now accounts for 11pc of US FDI on this side of the Atlantic. Last year the IDA had a record year, announcing 19,000 new jobs - three-quarters of those from US companies. To accept this week's conclusion by the EU Commission could seriously undermine our standing in the battle for global FDI. Ireland's economic success has been built on a reputation of certainty in the tax code and a willingness to play fair but play to win on the global investment stage. Ireland's success has been due to its delivery of certainty to those who want to create jobs here - certainty in key areas including fiscal and education policy. Businesses seek to minimise uncertainty - global businesses will be reluctant to invest in a region prone to uncertainty. This decision is unprecedented in its retrospective nature and its challenge to an independent Revenue authority. Ireland is fortunate to have a robust and independent Revenue authority that is recognised as operating to the highest international standards. It implements a rules-based tax code legislated for in a transparent manner by the Dail. It played a central role, with the Department of Finance, in the OECD-led Base Erosion Profit Shifting (BEPS) project that seeks to completely reform the international tax framework for multinationals. Any attempt to undermine the independence of our Revenue authority and second-guess how it do its work must be challenged. Any attempt to undermine the necessary process for businesses to seek clarification from the Revenue authority on the application of the law must be challenged as a retrograde step that undermines the global move by all leading Revenue authorities to a cooperative tax-compliance model. The suggestion from a Commission spokesperson this week that "under EU rules if you want legal certainty then you need a Commission decision" will not have helped the case for investing in the EU. It is unprecedented that a national Revenue authority would be (1) over-ruled, (2) instructed to collect a tax that it does not believe is due, and (3) the instruction comes with an observation that some of this "tax" may actually belong to other countries who themselves should consider seeking its recovery. This uncertainty does not help the EU in its bid to attract inward investment. It is worth emphasising that while the focus today is on Ireland this decision has profound implications for the EU as a region for inward investment and for the future relationship of the world's largest trading partnership - the US and the EU. Ireland has successfully transformed its economy thanks to some key pillars including the certainty, transparency and universal applicability to all firms of our tax code. It is that certainty that has helped Ireland compete and that track record has created an investment relationship with the US that is remarkably resilient. For example, in the five very tough years for Ireland from 2008 to 2012, US business investment in Ireland exceeded the previous 60 years. That is down to our hard-earned reputation for certainty. No price tag should ever be put on this reputation - not by Ireland nor by anyone else. Mark Redmond is chief executive of American Chamber of Commerce Ireland People sign a petition outside the GPO over the 13bn in taxes that Apple now owes Photo: Mark Condren The 'Apple tax case' is a strange beast indeed. Having promised to leave our corporate tax rate untouched, as a carrot to sign up to the Lisbon Treaty, it looks as if the EU is now coming after it by stealth. If it makes foreign investors nervous, the Germans and French might get a bigger slice of the action instead. Perhaps it's more about that at the end of the day than the 13bn. On the other hand, we have the almost unbelievable spectacle of an Irish Government planning to use perhaps millions of taxpayers' money to fight a legal challenge in order not to collect billions in taxes. It must be a first. I'm glad to hear the State coffers are so full they can turn down the money. And the cherry on the cake is that many of the politicians planning to take this legal challenge appear to be the very same ones that badgered us four years ago to say 'Yes' to the 30th Amendment of the Constitution, which handed a slice of our national financial sovereignty over to the very same EU. The catch-cry then was the usual 'Will somebody please think of the jobs?' and now it appears the same catch-cry is being employed to try and reduce EU interference in our sovereign financial affairs. The State doesn't want billions in tax money and is now saying it wants less EU interference, after making us change our Constitution to have more. Strange days indeed. Nick Folley, Carrigaline, Co Cork Let the money rest in an account Aren't we the great little country entirely? Just as we were nominated some years ago to sort out the European banking system, the European Commission, no less, unable to sort out the effects of globalisation on corporate tax practices, now calls "Paddy" to the vanguard. They want us to collect an international tax liability. When collected it must be held in a separate account. Why a separate account? Because the Commission has indicated there could be tax claims from other countries where Apple has operations. We must hold the money, then agree tax liabilities with those other countries and dole the money out accordingly. Consequently, it is very probable that little or none of this money would come to Ireland because Apple has already paid tax on its Irish operations. To suggest otherwise is both speculative and mischievous. Maurice Curtin, Ballinlough Road, Cork What about the 64bn 'state aid'? The European Commission ruled that Ireland provided illegal state aid to Apple and as a consequence Apple must pay the State 13bn. What about the 64bn in state aid for the bank bailout? Was selective treatment given in this case too, I wonder? Martin Carey, Athlone, Co Westmeath Apple windfall talk reckless In light of the Apple ruling against Ireland, it is naive to talk of a 'windfall' for Revenue. It should be noted that Ireland has only been obliged to collect the tax. Her ruling makes clear that, "If other countries were to require Apple to pay more tax on profits over the same period under their national taxation rules, this would reduce the amount to be recovered by Ireland." In light of this, it is foolish to think of ourselves as enriched - any gains (if any) will be purely momentary and will pale in comparison to the amount of jobs losses and subsequent tax revenue losses as a result of this decision. Voters should bear that in mind when listening to the parties and representatives who short-sightedly crow over new hospitals and teachers. Such talk is reckless - and puts their accusations of "economic treason" in perspective. Charles O'Conor, Dublin 20 EU has no axe to grind with us MEP Brian Hayes's protests against the EU Competition Commission's ruling that Apple has been given preferential treatment from Ireland's Revenue (read Ireland's Government) might give him Brownie points in the insular world of Fine Gael, but do precious little for cogent argument. His attack on personalities is a naive, if not condescending, attempt to deflect reality by shallow rhetoric. The European Union has no axe to grind with a member state. The excesses of multinationals' tax machinations, whether in The Netherlands, Luxembourg or Ireland, are legion. In the UK, it is the Inland Revenue itself that has been attacking invalid tax schemes of multinationals. If a state wishes to have a corporation tax rate of 12.5pc, as we have, it is within its rights and no one had the right to challenge it. But when that state, knowingly, taxes an entity at a rate of less than 1pc, questions should be asked. Mr Hayes, improbably, asks why Ireland should be pulled up when countries like France have an effective corporate tax rate of 8.8pc. Even a five-year-old could explain to Mr Hayes the difference between 8.8pc and 0.5pc. It is not the effective rate that is in question, but the special arrangement rate of 0.5pc. Mr Hayes is quite incorrect in his assertion that a company can only be taxed on the profits generated on the activities within the country of its residence. If he were to take advice on his interpretation, he would be told that profits generated by a company outside that country would be taxable in that country. It is risible for Mr Hayes to argue that Revenue thinks that the billions of profits earned by Apple in Ireland may/perhaps/should be taxed in the USA. It is said we have benefited by 50m, but to the benefit of one company not paying its dues of 13bn. Harry Spillane, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin State has endured enough The Apple case is pure spin. The relevant law that is being enforced is designed to undermine our capacity to undertake active fiscal and industrial policy of the sort that pulled us out of the dark ages only a few decades ago. The EU has become sick and sour - a giant policy sausage stuffed with the meat of German export interests and wrapped in the skin of French taxation policy. If Ireland does not pull away from Europe and gravitate back toward natural alliances with the US and the UK,it will find itself crushed under the heel of an opportunistic and neglectful bureaucracy. We've endured the forced bank bailouts, we've stomached one in what will be many future rounds of austerity, now we are about to give up our capacity for industrial policy. Wake up, lads. Philip Clarke, Free Trade Wharf, London, UK Biting satire As observed in Virgil's 'Aeneid': 'Beware Geeks bearing gifts". Dr John Doherty, Vienna, Austria On Tuesday night I headed for St Vincent's School, where the sixth years were getting ready to go the Westenra Arms in Monaghan for their Graduation Ball. The place was full of partying couples, who all looked exceptionally well and couldn't wait for the buses to arrive so their night could get under way. The first couple I had the pleasure of talking to were Natasha McCormack from Beechmount Drive and Muhammed Muhammed from Saltown, who were looking exceptionally well and were on for making it an epic night together. Next I caught up with four ladies who were looking stunning and they were Aine Thistleton from Ardee, Clodagh Talt from Bay Estate, Jane Gonnelly from Belfry Avenue and Leila McDonnell from Blackrock, who told me this was totally going to be a girls' night out. Making my way over to another group I then caught up with John McLoughlin from Castlebellingham, who had been asked by Cathy McGeough from Knockbridge, Patrick McGrane from Togher, who was with Ruth Hanna from Knockbridge, Neasa Cumiskey from Demesne Road, who brought Stephen Meagher from Dublin and they were joined by Neasa's mum Grainne, who had come down to see them off on their big night. Also there looking extremely well and waiting for the rest of the party revellers to get there were Andrea Crosse from Knockbridge, who had brought Emmet Kirk from Kilkerley, Ciara Byrne from Blackrock in 'that red dress', who had brought Neill Reilly from Kingswood, Ronan O'Shea from Blackrock, who was lucky enough to have been chosen by Rebecca Watters from Point Road and they assured me it was going to be a mental night for sure. After this I had the pleasure of talking to Elizabeth Marcus from Bay Estate, who was with Kevin Treanor from Dublin and Patrice Coyne from Darver, who had brought Jeff Juliano also from Dublin and the girls told me it was going to be far from a quiet night. Not too long later I met up with Naomi Quigley from Dromiskin, who was with Glen Traynor from Crossmaglen and Naomi said that it was going to be an epic night for sure. Well chaperoned when I met them were Grace Boyd from Seafield Lawns and Michael Gonnelly from Manydown Close, who told me they had had a brilliant night so far and it was only gonna get better. They were there with mums Una Gonnelly and Mairead Boyd, who wanted to wish them all the best on their big night. Next I had the pleasure of talking to Amy Doyle and Courtney Quinn both from Muirhevnamor, who were on a GNO, were looking sensational, and were gonna go crazy! I then headed over for a chat with Meghan Reid from Blackrock and Donal O'Kane from Dromiskin and asked them if they were up for a good night and Donal replied: 'We'll see how it goes.' After this I got a word with Jack McGailey from Mourne Vale and Aoibheann Martin from Cooley Park, who were with Matthew Lines from Gibbstown, who was brought by Rachael Ni Dhonnachadha from Blackrock, who were all looking extremely well and couldn't wait for the adventure to get under way. They were joined by Nicole Devlin from Louth Village, who brought Kyle McKenna from Drumcondrath, Rachel Teather from Bay Estate and Ryan Donnelly from Ashbrook Ireland, who were dressed to impress and were ready to party. Heading over to another group I then caught up with Amy Fergus and Liam Smith both from Point Road, who were ready to party the night away with Hannah O'Connor from Manydown Close and Anton Reilly from Fatima Drive, Aine McElarney and Shane McArdle both from Blackrock, who were armed and ready for an epic night together. Not too long later I met up with Aoife Traynor from Meadow Grove, who was Danann Killeen from Mountain View, Niamh Tuite from Avenue Road and Sean Brady from Toberona, who laughed out loud at me when I suggested it was going to be a nice quiet night. Making my way through the crowds I then got a word with Aoibhin Sally from Bellurgan, who had brought Michael Mullen from Glenwood, who were looking exceptionally well and ready to party. After this I caught up with Laura Jeffers from Faughart, who said she was with Jaxon Gailey from Tyrone and they were there to party. Finally, just before they headed off to get on the bus I got talking to a group, who included Niamh Barrett and Sian Agnew both from Dromiskin, who had brought Dylan Fee and Alan Nugent both from Castleblaney, who were also with Eimear Johnston from Dromiskin and Adam Collins from Mountpleasant, who said it was going to be a mad night for sure. On Friday night I headed for the Lisdoo where the party of the weekend was taking place. Oliver Hanratty from Carrick Road was 40th and anyone who is anyone was there to make the best of his big night of celebrations. I was only in the door when I met up with Oliver's mum and dad Mary and Peter who told me their other kids Owen, Cora and Aisling were there along with their spouses Sharon Hanratty, Franco McGuigan and Franz Kampes and their grandkids Cillian, Caoimhe Enya, Keri, Mia, Conal, Cian, Emma, Cadhla and Aaron and a huge collection of relations and friends. Oliver works in McGeough's Bar and Restaurant in Roden Place and also in Rehab and was delighted to see all his friends there on the night. I then decided to have a look round to see who was up for making the best of Oliver's big bash and I go a swift word with Marie Corcoran from Mary Street South who was with her mum Anna Corcoran from Carrick Road who wanted to wish Oliver a very happy birthday. They were seated beside uncles and aunts Brendan and Rose Hanratty from Corduff, Pat and Vera Conlon from Castleblaney and Oliver and Rose Hanratty from Corduff. Oliver who was wearing his Mrs Brown's Boys mask, proudly told me that the birthday boy was named after him and they were certainly going to be enjoying the party. Heading for an adjacent table I then met up with Tom, Mary and Michael D'Arcy from Blackrock who told me they are family friends and were going to make it a real night to remember with Oliver. I then headed over for a word with Lisa and Stephen McAuley from Pearse Park who said that Lisa knowns Oliver through Rehab and she assured me it was going to be anything but a quiet night. After this I headed over for a chat with some of Oliver's mates and they included Lim O'Reilly from Castle Road, Michael Coburn from Rose Cottage Redbarns Road and Ian Harrison from Forkhill Road who all wanted to wish their friend a very happy 40th. Not too long later I got talking to Jack and John Mulholland from Carrick Road who told me they are actually neighbours of Oliver's and his parents, well there is the matter of a small field between them, but they certainly weren't going to miss Oliver's big bash. Next I caught up with Noirin and Ciaran Nelson from Headford who were having a laugh with Oliver's nieces Caoimhe and Enya Kampes and their friend Sadhbh who was up from Dublin specially for the weekend. After this I met up with Majella Hughes from Belfry Grove who was standing having a laugh with Grainne and Fiachra O'Hanlon from Blackrock who all wanted to wish Oliver all the best on his big night. I then caught up with family member Orlagh Kampes originally from Dundalk but now living in Roscommon, she was with her daughter Naomi Kearns from Barrack Street and assured me it was going to be a wild and crazy celebration. I must admit I hadn't seen my old mate James Connolly in years, but he was there with Aisling Flood both from Tallanstown and they wanted to wish a very happy birthday to Oliver and were going to make sure he had a fantastic night. After this I then headed for 'the rowdy table' where I met up with David Moore from St. Clements Park, Donal Flynn from Faughart, Kyle Norton from Blackrock, Jamie Lynden from Dundalk, Karl McEvoy from Bellurgan, Bronagh Boothman from Bay Estate, John Marron from Carrickmacross, John Stokes from Muirhevnamor and David Coyle from Blackrock who were all in party mode and having a lively night, I think they were just waiting for Oliver to finish getting all the photos taken so that he could join in with them! Making my way to another table I then caught up with Olive and John Martin from Kilcurry who were with their daughter Sarah and were all looking forward to a good night. Not too far away I then met up with Oliver's aunt Teresa Mohan from Carrickmacross enjoying the company of Betty McCrave from Mill Street and the ladies were in great form. Finally, before I was invited out to get my photo taken with the birthday boy (that was a real honour, especially for a man that gets out at night more than I d o), I met his goddaughter Mia Hanratty who wanted to wish Oliver a very happy birthday and was really looking forward to the party celebrations. Parkrun Ireland will once again link in with Operation Transformation this September but this time it is five Irish celebrities that will take on the challenge to loose weight and get active. The main focus will be to motivate the public to register and participate in the nationwide campaign and presenter Kathryn Thomas will present three one hour episodes commencing on September 7th. Dundalk parkrun's Operation transformation ambassador Mary Maher will once again be there to welcome and help anyone coming to parkrun every Saturday morning to complete the program and 5km route which is part of the monthly plan. Walkers, joggers and runners are all welcome with all information and registration can be found www.parkrun.ie/dundalk Fill in your details for free, print of your barcode and take it with you on the day to receive your time. Dundalk parkrun is a free 5km timers route and suitable for all ages and abilities. Children under 11 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. It started, as these things always do, with a short phone call followed by a meeting. And from there, it has blossomed into a charity that is making a huge impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Africa. When Dundalk retained fire fighter Brendan McCoy was asked by the charity Plan Ireland, part of Plan International, to see if he and his colleagues would be interested in helping out with sourcing a fire tender for a region in Niger, he immediately said yes. That was back in 2009 and little did he think that, having been asked, in his capacity as head of the retained firefighters' union by Plan Ireland's CEO Dave Dalton, that it would grow into the amazing organisation that FADA is. FADA is the Fire and Ambulance Development in Africa organisation and was born from the 2009 request from Plan Ireland. It didn't take long for Brendan to see the scale of the problems. 'Niger's second city, Zinder, has a population of just over 200,000 people and they had one 40-year-old fire engine at their disposal. So that's where we started. It began with the donation of a 20-year-old fire engine from Dublin City Council in 2009. 'We went around collecting money to get it out to Niger and it went on Christmas Eve. We had got it shipped through Antwerp and then onto Africa'. There was little point in sending a fire engine to Niger and not assisting with training. Brendan, along with his Dundalk colleague Michael Dawe, Monaghan colleague Darren Gearey and Plan Ireland engineer Jimmy Kinahan travelled to Niger, via Libyan capital Tripoli just weeks before the rising which toppled Muammar Gaddafi, before crossing into Niger close to the Benin border where they met up with the shipped fire engine and drove it to Zinder. The Irish lads were able to get up a training facility in Gaya for the region's fire fighters, who had, at that stage, little or no formal training at all. Brendan said: 'The whole thing gave them a completely different outlook as they had had nothing with regards to training previously. 'We were able to give training with the old equipment, which we had collected from fire stations around Ireland, including in the North, which was all new to the men in Niger and was a great start for them'. The following year, the fire service in Dundalk was able to provide a road traffic accident vehicle for Niger, along with two fire engines from Monaghan. 'We got some sponsorship for the shipping and went back to Gaya again with 35 'jaws of life' which are used for cutting through metal at traffic accident scenes and which were provided by colleagues in Cork. 'We were able to distribute the jaws along the major highways in Niger, which are mainly located to the west of the country. In addition, we provided reflective jackets, helmets and boots, and, along with the additional training, three more fire stations were opened in the region'. By 2011, just two years from FADA's first visit, this region of Niger had three new fire stations, as well as a recovery vehicle. In 2013, with more vehicular donations from Dundalk and Limerick, the lads were back in Niger and setting up even more stations, equipped with vehicles that would otherwise have been sold on for scrap by local authorities. 'The fire services around the country, particularly in Dundalk, especially Chief Fire Officer Eamonn Woulfe, have been magnificent'. The following year, in addition to the fire engines, FADA was able to provide a fully kitted out ambulance. Brendan laughs: 'It took us four days to drive it to Zinder, in 42 degree heat. We had ice cubes on our heads for air conditioning and we had to battle through tidal waves of sandstorms, not to mention fly storms'. The journey took them along dust roads most of the way and they were, at times, close to the Nigerian border where Boko Haram were rampant. They were treated to a stay in the 'presidential apartments' when they arrived, sleeping on the floor and having to wash themselves from a bucket. 'But we were treated like lords. This time, we had Derek McGuinness, a paramedic from Dublin with us, and he was able to train the fire fighters in first aid and accident scene protocol. We brought the best of what we had and we were able to open another station and we were able to provide another 50 sets of cutting equipment'. Things have changed beyond recognition for the fire fighters of Zinder and the project is almost finished there. However, thanks to the generosity of fire colleagues around in Kildare, Monaghan and Navan, five more fire engines are now available. Earlier this month, a response vehicle, donated from Kildare, was sent to Niger in a container, along with 250,000 worth of medical equipment donated by Limerick-based company Fleming Medicare. And while Brendan is thrilled to be able to get these items to where they are most needed, the money that had been earmarked to get the five engines over has been used to ensure the medical supplies get there. Now, Brendan is appealing to people in Dundalk and the surrounding areas, along with businesses based in the locality, to help with donations to get the fire engines over. He said that in the past, people have given donations to get the fire engines named after loved ones, some of whom had passed away and families had decided to remember a relative in this way. It costs around 4500 per engine to get it to Niger and Brendan is hoping to have enough money raised for the vehicles to be in Niger before the end of this year. In addition, the team wants to concentrate on providing river rescue training and equipment in the capital Niamey. After the difference that has been made to Niger, Brendan and the team have already received requests from east and south Africa for similar assistance. Donations can be made to FADA through Bank of Ireland, St Stephen's Green using the following information: IBAN: 1820BOFI900084311831D; SWIFT: BOFIIE2D or by phone by contacting Plan Ireland at 01 6599601. Bella with Michelle McArdle and Siobhan Cassidy at the Dundalk Dog Rescue Paws in the Park in Ice House Hill Dundalk Dog Rescue had a very successful 'Paws in the Park' fundraising event in Ice House Hill Park last week. The charity hosted their now annual event with dog owners and more than a few dog lovers there to raise awareness about the vital work they do. With a series of challenges for the pooches and a few fun activities for the kids, it was a family day out all in the name of a good cause. The highlight of the day was the kind hearted gesture of a young boy, Deaghlan McGovern. A spokeswoman for the charity revealed: 'Deaghlan made a very generous donation of 100 to DDR from his communion money. We are truly grateful and every cent will go towards the dogs in our care. ' Attending the event with his mum Sheona, Deaghlan's generosity was praised by all. 'It's inspiring for us when we see young people recognising the work we do, and gives us hope that current dog welfare situation in Ireland will continue to improve. From all at Dundalk Dog Rescue thank you very much Deaghlan.' Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 By Emil Ilgar Trend: Iran plans to develop 37 new gas fields to compensate the decline in South Pars output, expected to occur in 2023. Irans state news agency IRNA reported Sept. 2 that the South Pars a joint field with Qatar is expected to face pressure fall in coming years, but the country would compensate it with developing 37 new gas fields at South Zagros region in coming years. The cumulative gas production from South Pars reached 3.4 trillion cubic meters (tcm) as of now, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said last week, adding that Iran's output was 1 tcm. South Pars reserves are estimated to stand at above 30 tcm, of which 14 tcm is in Iranian side of the field. Iran plans to increase output of the field by 100 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d) to 530 mcm/d by March 2017 and overtake Qatar for the first time. Tehran also plans to complete developing all 24 phases of the field by 2021 and increase the output level to 800 mcm/d. However, the field's pressure is expected to fall significantly in 2023. Currently South Zagros region produces 200 mcm/d of gas, IRNA reported. Iran produces about 735 mcm/d of raw gas currently. There is 'much anger' among staff and workers at the Dundalk People's Resource Centre which is to close at noon on Friday after 26 years of serving the public at Clanbrassil Street. The DPRC offered a wide range of training services as well as help for people with filling in forms, perfecting their CVs and writing letters. In recent years, it ran a successful and much-needed second hand school book shop that offered parents the opportunity of not only selling their children's books, but also picking up money-saving nearly new editions. They were a FETAC accredited training organisation, offering a range of courses in computers and IT. We are also ICS accredited offering ECDL courses on an ongoing basis. They also offered FETAC accredited childCare courses. The centre was run by a private limited company, Dundalk I.C.T.U Centre Ltd, and at a meeting of their Board last week, a decision was made to close the centre towards the end of August. Co-ordinator Eileen Doohan told the Argus earlier today (Tuesday): 'I can confirm that the centre is closing at noon on Friday. There are 24 people on Community Employment (CE) schemes here and I have worked for the past six weeks, on my own, to ensure that these people have all found new positions, which they have thanks to my hard work'. Unfortunately for Eileen, who has been manager in Dundalk for two and a half years, she is out of work on September 2. She said: 'I will have no job on Friday and I will be signing on the dole. She said there is a feeling of anger in the centre over the closure of the centre and added she was not hopeful that the facility could be re-opened under a different guise in the near future. Eileen said: 'I have to say I don't know what Dundalk Trades Council are doing about all this'. A member of staff who contacted the Argus in relation to the news back in July said 'We were all called in and told that the centre is set to close by the end of August.' He added that no explanation was given to staff, many of whom are on Community Employment (CE) schemes, and others who have worked there for many years. The source said: 'Ironically this one of our busiest times of the year, as people would come to us for help with things like back to school grants, and for the second hand book scheme.' It had been initially explained that the closure was due to 'the current financial position of the company (Dundalk ICTU) Ltd.)' but it was later revealed that there had been no withdrawal of government funding to the centre. And last month, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) to which the centre is affiliated, expressed 'regret' about the imminent closure but said but it is not involved in the centre's running and has no role in its corporate governance. Local women are preparing for the annual Dip in the Nip in aid of Northeast Oncology Unit based in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on September 11. Founded in 2009, the event has raised thousands of Euros for Irish cancer charities. Knockbridge women Mary Ardle and Margaret Donnelly are looking forward to this year's event. Mary, a long-time supporter of NECRET and a 20 year cancer survivor says: 'I am only too happy to support the work of the oncology team and staff in the Lourdes as they are just amazing people. This is my third year to do it and it is always a great fun event.' Margaret Donnelly, says it was the most nerve wrecking thing she ever did. 'I did it for my best friend who lost her battle and I know she would not only have expected me to do something out of the norm but also do something fun to raise money for all those fighting cancer and attending the oncology unit in the Lourdes.' Dundalk detectives hunting for the man who robbed a pharmacy at lunchtime last week say they are 'making good progress' in the investigation as examination of CCTV of the incident continues. The robbery took place at the Jocelyn Pharmacy on Friday at around 1.30pm when a man, aged in his late twenties or early thirties, demanded cash and was given a small amount before he also made a demand for tablets, which he was also given. It is understood he was armed with a knife and fled towards the town centre. The counter assistant was physically uninjured in the robbery, but was traumatised by their ordeal. Gardai said they are continuing to study CCTV from the shop and the area and are making good progress. In an unrelated incident, a 35-year-old man who got into a house at Sliabh Foy Park in Muirhevnamor in the early hours of Wednesday morning last has claimed he was the victim of a mugging, during which a knife was produced. The victim said he was attacked from behind by a lone male at around 12.45am who was holding a knife and the victim managed to escape into a nearby house. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, two women were arrested by Gardai on Monday after a house at Sliabh Foy Park was searched and a quantity of tablets and cash were found. And a small amount of cocaine and heroin were found when Gardai stopped a car at the Crescent on Thursday and arrested the 32-year-old male driver. Dundalk Gardai are also investigating a break-in at a house at Cedarwood Park on Saturday during which the keys to a Northern registered 18 year old blue Toyota Avensis were stolen from the kitchen after a back window was smashed at around 4am. Health Minister Simon Harris says he is adamant that talks between his department and its equivalent in the North will continue to develop and blossom, despite Brexit. Minister Harris told the Argus while on a visit to the Louth County Hospital that he is committed to ensuring that cross border care pathways for patients in the Republic remain open and accessible and revealed that he is in regular touch with the Northern Executive's health minister Michelle O'Neill. The Fine Gael TD said: 'Minister O'Neill and I had a really good conversation within weeks of us both being appointed about the issue of cross border healthcare. We met at the North South Ministerial Council meeting earlier in the summer and we both visited the facility in Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin in July'. The ministers officially opened the new hybrid cardiac catheterisation laboratory (HCCL) at the hospital, the only paediatric interventional cardiology service on the island of Ireland. Crumlin is the national centre for paediatric cardiology and cardio-thoracic surgery and the South's partner in the Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) All Island Network. The project was funded in full by the Health Service Executive at a cost of 5.6million. Children from North and South are treated in Crumlin in what is a state of the art facility and a major development in terms of North-South co-operation on healthcare. Minister Harris said: 'In terms of the North East, officials in the North and here have been instructed to carry out a scoping exercise, regardless of the political difficulties caused by Brexit. And I look forward to meeting Minister O'Neill again to discuss how this is going'. The Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) group, which has been in existence for 23 years, has delivered cross border health programmes thanks to EU INTERREG funding Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and vascular services, new sexual health?Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinics, additional Eating Disorder therapy support, new day opportunities for people with disabilities. Just over 235,000 is to be provided by the government to the council for group rural water schemes in Louth under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme for 2016. The funding for Louth County Council is aimed towards the improvement of water quality in existing group water schemes in the county, the takeover of some schemes by Irish Water in cases where the scheme has sought a takeover, and upgrading and water conservation works in group water scheme distribution networks. Funding is also provided towards new group water and sewerage schemes in Louth. These new schemes enable rural households, to have a supply of good quality piped water for the first time. The news was welcomed by Fine Gael TD Peter Fitzpatrick. He said: 'An allocation of 235,075 is being provided to Louth County Council, which will be responsible for the administration of the programme. 'The allocation announced for Louth today is significant news and will ensure that more people in Louth have access to a good quality piped water supply in their houses. 'This government is working to ensure that the economic recovery, which is now underway, reaches all parts of the country and the benefits are felt inside every doorstep and in every community and the funding announced for Louth is an important step in this process'. The Connemara Retriever centennial commemoration takes place in Greenore over the weekend of September 9 to 11 and will, as part of events to mark the 100th anniversary of Carlingford Lough's worst shipping tragedy, feature a visit from the Irish Navy's LE Roisin, which was captained in the Mediterranean by Carlingford-born Captain Lt Cmnd Ultan Finnegan. On November 3 1916, the S.S. Connemara, a passenger cargo vessel on route from Greenore to Holyhead was in collision with the incoming coal collier the S.S. Retriever at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, resulting in heavy loss of life and only one survivor, Warrenpoint native 21 year old James Boyle. The weekend of events to mark the 100th anniversary starts on Friday September 9 with, by popular demand, the Greenore Drama Group's play, 'A Time to Remember' which is the story of the disaster, written, especially for the 100th anniversary, and directed by Michael Ferguson. It takes place in the Assembly Rooms Greenore at 8.30pm. Admission is 10 and pre booking is advisable at 042-9373822 or 085-7822791. The following morning, the Greenore Maritime Festival 2016 takes place from 10am with the King of the Beach fishing competition and the King of the Halbowline Boat fishing competition. On Saturday afternoon there will be craft exhibitions, miniature train displays, kayaking, and the sea creatures touch tank display. Also on Saturday, the RIC and Black and Tan re-enactment by Ashbourne Historical Group presents 'The night the rifles were taken from Greenore Terminal', recalling events from August 1 1919. The Maritime Festival Project is part funded by the Loughs Agency. The LE Roisin comes to Greenore that weekend, along with arrival of the Holyhead delegation incorporating representation from Holyhead Town Council, Lady Mayor, entertainers, Holyhead/Bangor Male Voice Choir, Holyhead Maritime Museum, entertainers the McGee family and harmonies, Stena Line and Holyhead community groups. The Connemara Retriever official centennial commemoration takes place on Sunday at 3pm with an ecumenical prayer service and wreath blessing on the promenade with beautiful music provided by Holyhead and Bangor Male Voice Choir, Harmonies Tenor Group, Holyhead's Magee family, Ceol Chairlinn, combined local choirs and the Accolade Choir from Newry. There will be a parade to the quayside with the Carlingford and Altnaveigh Memorial Pipe Band where the wreaths will be handed over to the crew of the LE Roisin who will place them at sea. The Centennial Commemoration event has been funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs under the Reconciliation Programme and organisers acknowledge the support of Louth County Council under the Tourism Diaspora Initiative. Sinn Fein has revealed its idea for a single, integrated hospital waiting list management system called Comhliosta, which, the party claims, would use technology to ensure that hospitals too busy to treat those on waiting lists could transfer patients to facilities in a better position to perform the procedure. Louth TD Gerry Adams explained: 'My colleague Cllr Tomas Sharkey recently raised the issue of the under-use of the CT ccanner in the Louth Hospital which is currently only operative three and a half days a week. 'I subsequently submitted a Parliamentary Question to ascertain the length of the waiting list at the Louth Hospital for patients who need this type of scan. 'The reply from the HSE confirmed that 500 people occupy this waiting list and that the average waiting time for an appointment is 16 weeks. This is indicative of a health service bursting at the seams. 'The introduction of additional radiography staff would mean that the CT scanner in Dundalk could be operational five days a week and would have a positive impact on waiting lists. That would however cost money which Fine Gael is averse to spending on healthcare. 'Earlier this month health minister Simon Harris outlined his five point plan to deal with hospital waiting lists saying he will bring a level of political leadership to the problem. Since then healthcare professionals, commentators and politicians have all publicly agreed that this plan is destined for failure'. He said the party had looked to international best practice and proposed a new single, integrated hospital waiting list management system where people can move from one hospital to another to reduce waiting times, calling the system Comhliosta. Mr Adams said: 'Under the current system waiting lists vary drastically across our hospitals. Patients do not know where they stand on the list or how long they will be waiting. People waiting for similar procedures can wait different lengths of time depending on which hospital they have been referred to. 'We want to do away with that. We would introduce a new IT system based on the one in use in the Portuguese health which would generate new maximum waiting times by transferring those on the list from hospitals that are struggling to meet demand to those that are in a better position to perform the procedure more timely. 'This of course would have to be done in conjunction with a major programme of investment in our public hospital system including beds and staff numbers which is where Minister Harris's plan falls down. 'That is why Sinn Fein, in our health policy published ahead of the general election in February, proposed a 3.3billion investment in health services'. Duhallow Vintage Club in conjunction with the Collins Family are holding a memorial run for their late President Ted Collins who passed away recently. Ted was President of Duhallow Vintage Club for many years and was very instrumental in maintaining the strength of the club through the years and getting the club to where it is today. Ted was a great man and had a kind word for everyone he met along the way. He will be missed dearly. The Ted Collins Memorial Run will take place on Sunday September 4 with signing in at Dromtarriffe Community Hall on the Mallow Killarney road near the Sandpit House Pub from 10.30 am.Congratulations to John O Sullivan Chairman of Duhallow Vintage Club who was presented with The Joe O Connor Memorial Cup at the Joe O Connor Memorial Run in Killarney recently. US President Benjamin Franklin once noted: "When you're finished changing, you're finished." That phrase must have been in the back of the mind of Derry Sheehan, MD of Avonmore Electrical at Roskeen which now has 80 on its payroll, the highest number since the company's formation nearly 60 years ago. The company made a clever move and purchased the Dublin-based Campbell Electric motors in December 2015. The purchase means Avonmore Electrical are now the sole Irish agents for both electric motor sales repairs for ABB (Asea Brown Boveri), who are regarded as the biggest players globally in robotics, power and automation technology. With Avonmore Electrical now firmly embedded with the ABB family, the company will again be upping their staffing levels in time to come. The Corkman met with Derry Sheehan who officially took over the family run-business from his father, Jerry a decade ago. "We were after ABB for a few years and we pitched our company and our business model to them. They were impressed and for us it is absolutely huge business-wise to have ABB," said Derry. Every day thousands of cars pass Avonmore Electrical and some may wonder just what the company does. There is their "bread and butter" work such as pump repairs and the catering for electrical requirements in the mining, pharmaceutical, commercial and heavy duty industry. However, in the last two years, Avonmore Electrical has installed a new plant at a cost of 500,000 as part of a 3 million investment plan. "This is a long term investment. Initially we thought it would cost 1 million but now we're at 3 million. But, do you know what? it is justified as we have 80 people employed who nearly all come from Duhallow. I'm very proud of that," said Derry. The company is nowseen as a leading expert in the repair of wind turbines and heavy-duty pumps. The country has in excess of 1,500 wind turbines and Derry realised the massive potential for providing repair and maintenance services. It meant the plant had to be greatly altered to have the space for such repairs, which took almost two years to complete. Into the bargain, Avonmore Electrical is also the country's only expert in the repair of explosion proof equipment to be accredited by the British Approvals Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmosphere (BASEEFA). Derry said the highest number of staff they had on their books was 73 people in 2006-2007 but, after the recession hit, that number had dwindled to 48 by 2009. Hard decisions had to be made and that meant redundancies. Derry described those years as being "a brutal time" not just for the company but equally so for him. "Business ebbs and flows, but I will never forget having to make staff redundant. I felt that no matter what I did it would be wrong, but I was trying my very best to do my best for everyone. We are a family-run company based in a rural area and I didn't just know my staff by name but I knew all their families and their children. Was that hard on me? Absolutely!" he said. "These were men from my own town of Millstreet, from Kanturk and villages throughout Duhallow. The business environment was very tough and the recession took its toll on us. But I had to put the head down and work out a plan to get us back up on top. I don't and have never believed in having a defeatist attitude. The most important aspect of being in business, particularly family-run, is that you must move with the times," he said. When asked just how bad was the situation, he said: "We were looking over the edge of a cliff wondering what is next? So, as I said you can either have a positive or negative attitude but I felt that we had many things on our side, we had high skills, an excellent location and it was about moving forward and branching out our business and our thinking." "To show how serious the situation was, we were doing 40 per cent less turnover from the start of January 2011 compared to January 2008. It was, simply put, a brutal time." So, there were long nights and even longer days for Derry as he began to put a plan in action. The new business strategy meant going after new markets and being catapulted to being a leading expert in the repair of wind turbines and heavy-duty pumps. It meant upskilling, attaining further accreditation and edging the company forward in the business world. During the lengthy interview at his company, he also spoke about 'EX' motors - which are used in any area of factory or plant with the potential to have an explosive atmosphere from flammable substances like gases, vapours, mists or dusts. While many companies in this country claimed to be able to make valid EX repairs - none actually had IEC EX accreditation. So Derry added this to his portfolio, which helped advance the company's status as a leader in its field. He readily agrees that the IEC EX process was invaluable and he described it as being an "ultra-scrupulous" approach which requires high end detailed records. He also agreed that by having this accreditation also brought about a strong confidence in staff and once they had obtained certification, then the "new outlook trickled down through the whole company." On the back of all this work, the company grew by 7-8 per cent in 2011, 2012, 2013 - nice steady growth. Things then accelerated in 2015 and not only was the heavy fog lifting but there was economic sunshine at last as they expanded by a whopping 21 per cent. "Never in my living memory did we see our expansion grow so fast. It was such a relief to see work pay off," he said. "As we were after ABB for a while and because of our success in 2014-2015 we were back being profitable again and it allowed us to invest again and unless we had the money to pump back into the company, then we were going nowhere. It made sense to buy Campbell Electric motors," he said. "Again, this new business model was put in place and with the mammoth changes made to the plant, we had the room to work on wind turbines and heavy-duty pumps. It also meant that the company was more or less a construction site for two years. But ultimately, it meant our new business model was profitable. That was a huge relief," he said. Throughout the interview, he repeatedly and at length heaped praise upon the staff. He stressed that the "character" of the employee is a vital component. He said that, over the years, the company has had apprentices who were "exceptional," but they are a rare breed. "The right attitude, the right character and the willingness to work - that's what I have always looked for," he said. Derry's own background is in electrical engineering and he has worked full time with the company since he was 19 years-years old when he finished college in 1990. Avonmore Electrical has been his first and only job. He was a cub when at 19 years-old he found himself standing next to his father, Jerry, who set up the company in 1958. But was his dad a hard-task master? With a smile, Derry leans forward and said that he learnt a lot from his father. "It is often said that the father-son relationship is one which is the hardest and one which is super-critical. I'll put it to you this way, I didn't get it easy, but did I learn? Absolutely!" he said with a laugh. In 2008 Derry became managing director and "the following year the economy melted." Derry's brother John also works at the company, and his other brother Noel has his own business. By putting a new business model in place, he also attained further nods of accreditation - Environmental ISO 14001, which covers emissions and waste and the Occupational Health and Safety 18001. "We are still here because we are innovative and simply because we had to be. I knew we couldn't stand still, " he said. He works from 9am to 7pm but on busy days he mightn't finish until 9pm. At weekends it wouldn't be uncommon to see him "up the mountains in Killarney" at 6am where he would walk until lunch time and be back home to Millstreet in time for lunch with his wife Janice and three children, Eabha (13), Holly (10) and John B (8). He also makes it his business to "talk to people" who are in the same line of work as himself. He frequently chats with members of EASA (Electrical Apparatus Service Association) which), an international trade organisation of nearly 1,800 electromechanical sales and service firms in 63 countries. "It greatly lessens the burden when you have something on your mind which is work related and, from EASA I have made some very close friends over the years," he said. In 2010, the company held an open day, and Derry is again holding one for his customers on September 8. "Our best advertisement is for our customers to come here and to see what we are all about. It has always been the formula that people deal with people and I don't want to break that formula," he said. On the day it's expected that in excess of 100 invited customers will attend from throughout a host of businesses such as dairying, local authorities, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, power generation and petro-chemical Industries. As the interview drew to a close, he remarked twice in quick succession how "business ebbs and flows" - and while that is absolutely true, the company has not only battled the recession but in effect re-invented, elevated itself and is moving ahead of the tide. There is nothing positive about Brexit for the agri-food sector Agriculture Minister Michael Creed told a Macra na Feirme Brexit forum in Macroom. The minister said there is an over reliance on the United Kingdom market for our exports and Ireland must now explore new and emerging markets, such as South East Asia ."Contingency planning for Brexit is challenging, not least because we don't control the timing," he said. Joe Burke from Bord Bia told the very well attended forum that "[cattle] exports to Northern Ireland and Britain are down almost 50 per cent. This is directly impacted by the euro/ sterling exchange rate." Until there is more certainty around what will happen this will continue affecting the Irish export trade. Alan Jagoe, President of CEJA, pointed out that nothing can happen until the UK triggers Article 50 as they must invoke this article to begin the process of leaving the EU. Speaking at the meeting Macra na Feirme National President Sean Finan said: "Brexit presents the biggest challenge that our generation of young farmers and the industry will ever face. Young farmers are worried about the impact it will have on their businesses in the short term because of Sterling fluctuations and in the medium to long term due to our dependance on the UK export market for our main commodity products and the uncertainty around the trade arrangement that will exist after Britain leaves the EU. "I am calling for the minimisation of any barriers to trade and continuation of the free movement of agricultural produces between Ireland and the UK after Brexit," Mr Finan said. "I welcome the establishment of the consultative committee on Brexit by Minister Creed and also his commitment to fight strongly to represent the interest of young farmers and Irish agriculture in any future negotiations," Mr Finan added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 By Emil Ilgar Trend: OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo will pay an official visit to Qatar on Sep. 4 one day before his trip to Iran, an Iranian source told Trend Sep. 2 on conditions of anonymity. Barkindo is scheduled to visit Tehran Sept. 5 and meet with Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh to convince Tehran to join an oil freeze plan. According to the Iranian source, Barkindo had a meeting with Irans Ambassador to Vienna Ebadollah Molaei two weeks ago as well. The oil freeze plan as well as reviewing the market situations and outlook of the supply and demand in the oil market are expected to be discussed during Barkindos meetings with Qatari and Iranian officials. OPEC members will meet on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum (IEF), which groups producers and consumers, in Algeria on Sept. 26-28. Irans oil minister has confirmed that he will take part in the upcoming meeting, aimed at a "common action" to support the global oil prices. It is expected that the talks on oil production freeze be held with OPEC members as well as non-members. Iran has been called on by many countries, the rival Saudi Arabia in particular, to cooperate with the proposal to hold outputs at January levels. Tehran has rejected the idea as an imposition of a new set of sanctions on Iran after the country was freed of economic sanctions in the same month. Irans oil output stood at 3.9 million barrels per day (mbpd) before sanctions brought it down to 2.8 mbpd. The output now stands at 3.7 mbpd. Saudi Arabia and some other countries used Irans partial absence from the market under sanctions to export beyond their OPEC quotas, with the result that the OPEC output for July stood at 33.44 mbpd while the official ceiling is 30.45 mbpd. Business owners in Kanturk have been invited to find out more about an in innovative retail training programme aimed at exploiting future retail opportunities. Established by Cork County Council under their Economic Development Fund, The Beacon Initiative has already been rolled out more than a dozen Cork towns, with team members working closely alongside more than 200 retail businesses across several different categories. Specifically designed to support small and medium enterprises (SME's), organisers have drawn together a team of expert advisors from a wide range of industry sectors who will mentor participants on a one-to-one basis, providing practical support and expertise to assist them in expanding their business interests. No stone will be left unturned as advisors analyse various aspects of the business including the team, building a strategic business plan, processes and systems, sales/distribution and finance. An open evening will take place at the Edel Quinn Hall on Tuesday, September 13 from 6pm outlining how the Beacon Initiative works and the benefits of taking part in the programme. A spokesperson said the initiative is being rolled out with the support of the Kanturk Chamber of Commerce. "Participation in this project brings huge benefits for businesses in terms of learning best retail principles, building strategic plans, developing online strategies and taking time to work on their business rather than in it," said the spokesperson. "It is hoped to get 15 businesses from Kanturk and the surrounding area to participate in the initiative." For more information about the scheme visit www.beaconinitiative.net or contact Padraig O'Sullivan by phone on 021 428 5140 or by email at Padraig.osullivan@corkcoco.ie. A last stand to save 800 years of history, a last stand to keep the Dominicans in Drogheda. Last Saturday was a day of destiny for those seeking to save not only a church and community, but a way of life that has been at the very soul of Drogheda life for almost 800 years. As Fr Jim Donleavy explained, when the Dominicans came to the town, it was believed that the world 'ended in Drogheda' - and if they went any further they'd fall off the edge of the planet! That was 1224 and in the 792 years since, the Dominicans set down roots that have sweep through Drogheda society , from visits by the King of England to death at the hands of Oliver Cromwell and his army. On Saturday, in glorious summer sunshine, the people gathered again at the Magdalene Tower for the second mass in 500 years at the location. Described by Fr Jim Donleavy as 'holy ground' the tower is where it all began and they returned on this faithful day as a tribute to those that have gone before and lay buried beneath the ground here - noble men who gave their heart and soul to the Dominicans, men 'hunted like wild beasts' at times for their beliefs. This week in Tallaght a major meeting of the Dominican Order takes place and it's likely a firm decision will be made on the future of the priory and church of St Magdalen. Saturday's mass was held to mark that, to say that the community values the Dominican presence and wants it to remain. 'I hope no-one will take away 800 years of devotion and suffering,' Fr Jim remarked. He has already said he will be remaining in Drogheda, members of the congregation have vowed to stand by him - even prepared to chain themselves to the gates. One of the readings at Saturday's mass, concelebrated with Fr Denis Murphy, Fr Larry Collins and Fr Pat Lucey, centred on the 'Valley of the Dry Bones' and Fr Donleavy remarked that they too stood in such an area, on 'sacred ground' - holy because of the prayers offered there and the fact that it was a cemetery, a mass burial place. 'We should be grateful that we have this place, this monument,' he said. He explained that when the Dominicans came, they were poor but enthusiastic and full of determination to spread the good news. 'The Dominicans suffered and gloried with the people. In 1348, a lot of Dominicans died from the Black Death and are buried here. 'When Richard II came to Ireland he wanted to come to the most famous place in the country - Magdalene Tower. 'In 1649, Cromwell stormed the walls and two Dominicans were taken to West Street and beheaded. 'Despite all this and the suppression of the monastery in 1540, they stayed , because of their great devotion to God and the people,' he stated. Speaking at the mass and afterwards in Scholars Hotel, Mayor Oliver Tully remarked on the 'truly historic day' and as mayor expressed his hope that the Dominicans would stay by the Boyneside. 'The Dominicans are part of our heritage and our history and I hope they will be here for another 80 or 800 years. 'It would be awful to lose the Dominicans,' he added. The mass, which included a colour party from the ONE, ended with the Dominicans being applauded by the congregation in support. Mayor Oliver Tully attended with Cllr Paul Bell and Cllr Frank Godfrey. Apologies were given by Fr Vivian Boland in Rome, former prior Dermot Brennan, Fr Joe Heffernan and Fr Adrian Farrelly. Pictured: The scene of the mass and above, Oliver Rice and Sr Agnes. The old Wexford Electronics site, location of the planned Trinity Wharf and marina development in the south end of Wexford town Wexford County Council is planning to spend around 5m developing a marina and upgrading the quay area of Wexford town. With project architects about to be appointed for the Trinity Wharf business park and leisure development planned for the southern part of the town by the waterfront, the local authority is also preparing to develop a marina and new-look quayfront to capitalise on the tourism potential of Wexford. County Manager Tom Enright said: 'We will be announcing the project architect for Trinity Wharf in September. We have been speaking to a number of investors over recent months who would have experience with similar sized developments. It's a fantastic location and we've had a number of investors looking at it who can see the potential is has.' One lead team of architects will be appointed next month for the quayfront works. Mr Enright said: 'It will be one of the leading architecture firms in the country who will prepare the plan. We received 1m in state funding for the quays which we will match, but it may involve us spending 2m of our money depending on the plans that are presented. 'The quayfront is a wonderful place but if you look back towards the town there are a lot of derelict and brownfield development sites like the old Tesco store and we will be putting pressure on the owners to develop these sites. On the plus side we are delighted to see the Stonebridge apartments being used.' Construction is due to begin on the quays in late 2017 and to be completed by the end of 2018. 'We expect to have a draft plan in place by the end of this year and then the project will go to public consultation. 'We want to upgrade the quayfront and the Crescent area and provide better linkages into the town.' Wexford County Council officials have recently received a feasability report on developing a marina and Mr Enright is hopeful the project can be realised over the coming years. A decision has to be made about whether a floating breakwater or a rock embankment breakwater is erected south of the quayfront. He said: 'A floating breakwater would be much more cost effective and could be expanded depending on the number of berths required. We could start with 30 to 50 berths and expand it after. 'The marina in Kilmore Quay is very busy and there is a lot of international traffic because it's the first port of call. We would like to develop a network of marinas in the county with Wexford town as one so we can attract visitors to two or three marinas including New Ross.' Mr Enright said there is great potential for tourism with a marina. 'A marina would help to create the right environment in Wexford town and with a hotel, restaurants and bars it would create that life and that attractive environment.' Grant funding of between 1m and 2m would be sought by the council which would be matched from local authority funds. Twenty-seven jobs will be lost in Enniscorthy after the announcement of the closure of Caulfield's SuperValu. Last Friday there was widespread shock in the town when news of the impending closure and job losses was announced. A spokesperson for the company said difficult trading conditions had led to the store being forced to close its doors on September 24. 'The closure is due to difficult trading conditions over a sustained period. This is a result of increased competition and a growing trend of Enniscorthy residents commuting to surrounding towns for work. Regrettably, this decision will potentially lead to 27 redundancies. The store will cease to operate on September 24, 2016.' Management at the company will now work with staff in a bid to help them find alternative employment. 'Unfortunately the store is no longer sustainable due to difficult trading conditions. It is important to note that this decision is by no means reflective of the quality of the work of our colleagues at the store and we would like to thank each of them for their support over many years. We will now enter a consultation period with colleagues and provide out-placement support to assist them in finding alternative employment.' Pettitt's SuperValu in the Duffry, Enniscorthy, is unaffected by the closure. Meanscoil Gharman is the second ranked secondary school in County Wexford. That's according to an annual 'Schools Guide' published in a national newspaper on Sunday. The county's Irish speaking school at Brownswood ranks 117 in a list of Ireland's top 400 schools, published in the Sunday Times. This is a big improvement on the school's 2015 placing of 155th. According to the guide, just over 56 per cent of Meanscoil Gharman Leaving Cert students attend university, with 76.1 per cent at third level. The FCJ in Bunclody is 183rd on the list, a jump from 217th last year. Just under half of the FCJ's Leaving Cert students attend university. Colaiste Bride also makes the grade, according to the newspaper guide. Ranked at 357, the Enniscorthy school has a university percentage of 36.4 and 70.6 at third level. The top Wexford school is Loreto Wexford, 39th in the country and third in the Leinster table of best schools, excluding Dublin. The Wexford school is named 17th best girls' school in the country - eighth if fee-paying schools are taken out of the equation. Almost seventy per cent of Loreto students go on to university, with 92.5 per cent furthering their education at third level. Our Lady of Lourdes in New Ross has dropped 26 places to 140 and is the third-ranked County Wexford school, with almost 54 per cent of its students attending university and a whopping 91.9 per cent at third level. Other Wexford schools in the list are: St. Peter's College (155), St. Mary's, New Ross (281), Good Counsel, New Ross (285), Presentation Wexford (306), and Gorey Community School (384). The rankings are determined by the number of Leaving Cert students enrolled in universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland in the past three academic years. Where schools have the same percentage at university, the number at third level decides the ranking. The list does not take into account colleges abroad, private third level courses, colleges of further education, or institutions providing PLCs. Malahide, which is home to restaurants such as Oliver Dunnes Bon Appetit, along with Skerries and Howth, are in the running to be named Foodie Destinations 2016 Three Fingal towns are in the running to be named '2016 Foodie Destinations' of the year. Skerries, Malahide and Howth, flying under the collective flag of Dublin Coastal Village' has been shortlisted in the top 10 of the competition. Organised by the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the Fingal areas will compete against Boyne Valley, Cong Derry, Killkenny, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo, The Burren and the Loop Head. Previously known as Foodie Towns, the Foodie Destinations competition is searching for Ireland's premier 'Food Destination 2016'. The Foodie Destinations initiative was formed as part of the Irish Restaurant Awards 2014 but proved to be so popular it became its own entity in 2015. Its aim is to celebrate Ireland's unique and wonderful food offerings and to encourage local food tourism initiatives across the country. Applications for this year's competition were received from all corners of the country and on both sides of the border. For the first stage of judging, applications are thoroughly assessed by an independent panel of judges. Each of these ten finalists will now receive a pre-arranged visit by a pair of independent assessors in the coming weeks. This assessment will be combined with a national public voting campaign where the public can choose their winning foodie destination out of the ten finalists - this can be done through www.foodiedestinations.ie. Both components will carry equal weight in the overall score. The winning town/destination will be crowned 'Foodie Destination of Ireland 2016' in September. The 'Foodie Destination of Ireland' award recognises a destination that actively promotes itself through joint promotional activities such as food festivals, gourmet trails or farmers' markets as well as great dining experiences. The winning Irish destination will have established a local producer/supplier network which is utilised and promoted by local businesses. Plans for future growth and investment into the food and hospitality industry at a local level will also be taken into consideration by judges. Education, training, development and employment will be key components of the ultimate foodie destination. Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, noted that the rich landscape of the Irish culinary scene will provide an exciting battleground for the competition. 'This is an exciting time to be involved with the food and tourism industry in Ireland, and for local businesses to show the nation the pride they have in their communities. Winning the title of 'Foodie Destination of Ireland 2016' will provide a competitive edge to towns and regions wishing to promote their areas to incoming tourists. 'The quality of submissions this year was astounding, and all ten of the 'Foodie Destination' finalists have something to be proud of for reaching the penultimate stage of the competition.' So log on now and cast your vote. Another new route to the UK was announced at Dublin Airport last week when Flybe said it would operate a sixt times per week service from Dublin to Doncaster Sheffield Airport from the end of October, this year. Welcoming the new route, Dublin Airport Managing Director, Vincent Harrison said: 'We are delighted that Flybe is adding Yorkshire to Dublin Airport's route network, providing further choice and flexibility for our customers.' Mr Harrison said: 'The scheduling of this new service will facilitate passengers who wish to connect onwards to one of 11 destinations to the US.' Explaining the attraction of stop in Dublin en route to the US for UK passengers, Mr Harrison said: 'Customers can avail of US Pre-clearance on these flights which enables passengers to save time on arrival in the US. 'The only queue a precleared passenger encounters on arrival in the US is the taxi queue to their final destination.' Flybe was delighted to announce the news and the airline's Chief Revenue Officer explained why it had decided to add the new Yorkshire to Dublin route to its schedule of flights. Flybe's Chief Revenue Officer, Vincent Hodder said: 'We are really pleased that we can offer Yorkshire travellers a continuing service between Doncaster Sheffield and Dublin, one of Ireland's most vibrant and cultural cities.' He added: 'We have timed flights to maximise convenience. The early weekday flights mean that business travellers can make the most of having a full working day, and there is more opportunity for travellers wanting to travel onwards to the US and Canada.' The new route adds to a seemingly never-ending growth in services to and from Dublin Airport this year. This week, a new school in Balbriggan makes history by becoming the first Educate Together Secondary School in north Fingal, answering a huge demand in the area from parents who have had their children educated at primary school level under the Educate Together philosophy. Bremore Educate Together Secondary School opened its doors for the first time on Monday morning, welcoming its first intake of over 40 students that will set the standards and ethos for the students that come after them as the school builds towards an ultimate capacity of 1,000. Seven staff will help to birth the new school. led by principal, Kathy Jones who said she is tremendously excited about the project. Ms Jones is from Clogherhead and so doesn't have far to travel to the Balbriggan school which will be accommodated for the first year in state-of-the-art temporary buildings before moving to a permanent structure, in 2017. The school principal said: 'I'm really excited about it. We are trying to do something a little bit different here at second level. We want to try to create a happy school where we challenge our students and make them into creative individuals ready to cope with whatever the future throws at them.' Balbriggan has two Educate Together Primary Schools and has been crying out for a second-level institution with the same ethos, although the school principal said that the student body is drawn from across many of the primary schools in the area, not just the Educate Together schools. The school has also partnered with Trinity College's 'Bridge 21' programme which draws on expertise from some of the tech giants operating in Ireland to research and deliver, up-to-the-minute technology and teaching methods to the classroom. Ms Jones has been busy planning for the opening of the school and had to do a lot of that preparation off-site in an office kindly provided by a school closer to her Louth home, in Ballymakenny, Drogheda that his run by Educate Together and the Louth Meath Education and Training Board and the school principal is hugely grateful for their help. The school principal at Bremore Educate Together Secondary School concluded: 'Our school is like the beginning of a painting on a big canvas. We have our design brief, it places the student at its centre. Our students, teachers and parents are the artists, we will provide them with their tools, the pallet is as bright as our school logo! It is my hope that we paint a happy, vibrant, welcoming school, one where every student feels a real sense of belonging. I want to acknowledge the efforts of everyone who has contributed to this milestone - thank you!' No one wants the tensions between the worlds nuclear powers to escalate and result in another incident like the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, Sputnik International reported Sept. 2. Putin made the remarks in an interview with Bloomberg. He said no one wants an aggravation similar to the Caribbean Crisis. The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis, the Caribbean Crisis, or the Missile Scare, was a 13-day (October 1628, 1962) confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union concerning the Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba. Some owners of pyrite-affected homes in Fingal are falling between the cracks of Government red tape and failing to secure the exemption for Local Propert Tax they believed they were entitled to. The issue has been highlighted by local Sinn Fein TD, Louise O'Reilly who called on the Minister for Finance to intervene in the cases of a number of households who have been told they must now retrospectively pay local property tax, despite having been in receipt of the exemption up until 2016. Deputy O'Reilly said: 'A number of frustrated households have been in touch with me in Dublin Fingal over correspondence from Revenue looking for the retrospective payment of the property tax, despite having been in receipt of the exemption up until 2016. These are households who submitted all the necessary documents to Revenue at the time, who were aware of the time sensitive nature of the exemption and who were willing to pay once it ran out. Now they are being hit with a bill and being told it must be paid. We have a situation where revenue, in a number of cases, is now looking for back payment, despite these households having sent in the information previously. They are making these families, who had suffered extreme problems because of the presence of pyrite in their homes, feel like tax cheats despite having complied with Revenue at the time. This is unacceptable.' Deputy O'Reilly called on the Minister to intervene to clarify the issue. The utter devastation wreaked on central Italy by last Wednesday's earthquake was watched with horror by Gorey resident Antonio Pandolfi whose father Franco is a native of Amatrice, one of the worst-affected towns. 'It's my father's home town,' said Antonio, who works as one of the managers at Eco restaurant in Gorey town. 'He has lost a cousin.' He added that he has been in touch with his family in Italy on a daily basis since the disaster, and is shocked at the rising death toll. He said that the disaster could have been much worse if it had happened two or three days later. 'This weekend is possibly the busiest week in Amatrice,' he explained. 'The town is quite famous. It is where spaghetti all'amatriciana comes from. It is quite a well known dish, and there is a festival every year to celebrate it. This was to be the 50th year of the festival.' His father Franco (74) and his brothers were due to return to Amatrice on Friday for the festival. 'Thousands of people would have been there on Friday night,' said Antonio. 'It would have been unimaginable.' 'For those who come from that part of Italy, it's something you have to go to,' he said. 'It's your legacy of your land. People come from all over the world for the festival. 'It could have been even worse if it happened on Friday or Saturday. I really can't believe it.' He added that the affected area is home to 69 small villages. 'Most of them don't exist anymore,' he said. He has been speaking to people who said that they ran outside when they heard the earthquake begin. Their homes collapsed to stone and rubble behind them. 'It's just so sad,' he said. 'I can't accept it.' There is growing anger in the region, he added, as a school which was supposed to be earthquake-proof, collapsed. Antonio said that help has arrived in the region from across Europe. 'Italians are great when help is needed,' he said. 'We are the first ones to help. I'm so proud of it.' He is following the aftermath every day on the television news and in the papers and is as shocked by the rising death toll. 'It's not just all the people that have been lost,' he added. 'It's all the culture that has been destroyed. We've lost paintings and monuments dating back to the 1400s. A wonderful church is gone. It can't be rebuilt.' Like many of his generation, his father left the village at a young age to find work, and now lives near Rome. 'A lot of people work in the hospitality industry,' said Antonio, who has continued the family tradition of working in restaurants. Antonio has lived in Gorey for the past three years. He said that Amatrice is built along an old Roman road between Rome and the Apennines. 'It's 1,500 years of history that's gone,' he reflected. 'There's nothing left. There are just rocks. Unfortunately it's an area that everybody knew was dangerous, and nobody did anything to protect it. Think of all the kids that have died.' The search for Harold Keogh began on Tuesday in Courtown after his car was found on the south pier The search for a missing Co Carlow man came to a tragic end in Courtown last Wednesday afternoon when his body was recovered from the water. The Garda Press Office issued a missing person's alert on Tuesday seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Harold Keogh, (33), from Myshall who had not been seen since Sunday evening. His car was found parked on the south pier in Courtown, raising serious concerns for his welfare. An air, sea, and land search was called at 4.30 a.m. on Tuesday morning after fears for his safety grew. The Coastguard helicopter from Dublin searched the coastline from the air, while Courtown Coastguard Unit and Courtown RNLI Lifeboat searched the shoreline and the water. The helicopter returned for another search that evening at low tide, and Cahore Inshore Rescue Service also joined the local efforts. Members of Mr Keogh's family also helped search local woodlands. Courtown Lifeboat resumed searching on Wednesday morning with the Coastguard joined on the coast by around 20 family and friends of Mr Keogh. Divers from Kilkenny Sub Aqua Club had begun a search of Courtown basin and the Garda Sub Aqua Unit had arrived when news came that a body had been located by two Arklow fishermen, around three to four miles off Kilmichael Point, some seven miles north of Courtown. The fishermen remained on the scene until Courtown RNLI Lifeboat arrived to recover the body. A positive identification was made at Courtown Lifeboat house at around 1 p.m. Sam Kennedy of Courtown Lifeboat expressed the sympathies of all on the lifeboat to Mr Keogh's family and friends. 'It was a big consolation that he was found so quickly,' he said. 'It was pure chance that he was found. The sea was relatively calm which helped.' Jim Murphy and all with Courtown Coastguard also sympathised with the Keogh family on their loss. 'If we couldn't find him alive, then when we found him at all, it was a great relief for his family,' he said. It has been confirmed that Fr Shay Cullen, a Dublin-born Columban Missionary in the Philippines, is to receive the Hugh O'Flaherty International Humanitarian Award. The ceremony will take place on Saturday evening, November 5 at the Killarney Avenue Hotel. Named in memory of Kerry Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, who spent much of his youth in Killarney, the award aims to raise awareness of his remarkable deeds during the Second World War, when he and his colleagues in the Rome Escape Line saved over 6,500 people in Nazi-occupied Rome. The prize is conferred upon those who support the same humanitarian ideals and principles of the Monsignor. Over the past few months, nominations have been submitted, and from a shortlist of 11 nominees, it was deemed that Fr Cullen would be the recipient of the 2016 award. Chairperson of the Hugh O'Flaherty Memorial Committee, Jerry O'Grady, explained why: "Fr Shay has given his life to protecting the human rights of oppressed and exploited children and has fearlessly challenged those who were not prepared to shoulder their responsibilities, including local vested interests, local and national government in the Philippines, and the US Government," he explained. Born in Dublin in 1943, Fr Cullen was ordained a Catholic Ministry Priest in 1969, and has since been assigned to several parishes across the Philippines. In that time, he has devoted his life to human rights, and protecting every person, particularly exploited women and children. In 1974, while in the Philippines' city of Olongapo, he established the PREDA Foundation. The project has more than 60 professional staff, who rescue sexually abused children from prisons, brothels, and traffickers, while also providing therapeutic homes for those saved. He has been nominated on three occasions for the Nobel Peace Prize, and he promotes human rights internationally. Upon hearing the news, a delighted Fr Shay said: "On behalf of those children we have rescued and those human rights workers who continue to work for the unjustly imprisoned, and those risking their lives to help them escape, I gladly accept the award". The award itself has since been followed by other notable commemorations of Monsignor O'Flaherty. On October 30, 2013 - fifty years on from his passing in Cahersiveen - a sculpture of the Monsignor by Valentia-based artist Alan Ryan Hall was unveiled in Killarney town centre, and on May 8 of this year, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the German College in the Vatican City, where he lived from 1938 to 1960. The Humanitarian Award Ceremony takes place in the Killarney Avenue Hotel on Saturday evening, November 5, and while it is free of charge, space is limited. Seats can be reserved by phoning the Killarney Chamber Office at (064) 6637928, or e-mailing chamber@killarney.ie. More details on the 2016 Memorial Weekend Programme, which will be published in late September, as well as details on the Monsignor's life and work can be found on www.hughoflaherty.com, or obtained from the Memorial Society at hofmemorialsociety@gmail.com. Student Maria Prochukhan, who was recently awarded the right to remain in Ireland having sought asylum here, achieved an A1 in Art in her Leaving Certificate and is hoping to go to college this year to continue her studies. The St Mary's secondary school pupil, her mother Tatiana and her sister Nadezda (Nadia) made national news earlier this month when they won their five-year battle to remain in Ireland. Tatiana, who was a lecturer in Russian at Pushkin University in Moscow, was writing articles about Putin and about Russian politics, and Maria was discriminated against because of her dark skin. Tatiana said the family have won the right to have the same benefits of Irish citizens, including the right to work which was denied them up until July. The only limitation is that the framily cannot vote. They are hopeful of being granted Irish citizenship in 2019. Tatiana said her daughter was delighted with her results, which included a B1 in English and totalled 535. Maria has been offered a chance to continue her studies, but a cloud of uncertainty hangs over both her and Nadia's future as they have not received word about their grant applications and the accommodation Nadia had in Dublin last year is no longer available. Tatiana said: 'Hope is still alive. Nadia has had an offer of a room from a woman who heard me on Newstalk but we have to see if we can afford it. I have a part time job and Maria has been working in an Italian restaurant. She is due to start third level next week and Nadia is back the end of September. All of her friends have already gotten accommodation but she can't.' Tatiana thanked everyone at St Mary's for their support and her Lithuanian friends and everyone who donated money to the family. St Mary's principal John Michael Porter said he was delighted to see the outcome of the campaign to get right to remain status for the Prochukhan family. Delighted with Maria's results, he said the focus of the teachers and everyone at the school was to support Maria and Nadia. 'This gives them an opportunity to give back to Irish society and for them not to be a burden on soceity. It gave them a basic equality status with Irish students. They weren't looking for anything extra. They still have a tough road to follow.' Mr Porter said some asylum seekers had to stay in direct provision accommodation but the Prochukhan family, through the support of people, have been able to maintain a dignity for themselves outside of these centres. 'They have had a little bit of a better life and there have been a lot of benefactors who have helped them at different times giving an impetus to them when (their spirits) were waning. This was a battle for education so it's very positive and both girls have done very well. Here at school they were exceptional. They linked in with the school and were important members of an inclusive school community. There is no point saying you're an inclusive Christian school if you turn your back when challenges have to be dealt with.' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the PYD forces had not retreated to east of the Euphrates River River in northern Syria despite claims by the US that the group is withdrawing, Daily Sabah reported. Speaking to a news conference on Friday that the reports that PYD has retreated the east of the Euphrates River were not true and added that such development must be confirmed by the Turkish intelligence first. The president also said the Turkish-backed operation to cleanse north Syria of terrorists was going successfully and a 400 sq km area had been cleared of Daesh and YPG terrorists. He also said Turkey had repeatedly proposed the establishment of a "safe zone" in Syria as a solution but said the idea had not received the backing of other world powers. "Operation Euphrates Shield's aim is to remove the threat imposed by terror groups at our border. We cannot turn a blind eye to the rocket attacks fired from bordering towns in north Syria into Turkish soil," Erdogan said. Erdogan added that Turkey's operation into Jarablus was not an incursion and it was conducted to resettle local Arab population back into their town. On Wednesday, the Pentagon insisted PKK's Syria affiliates are withdrawing west of the Euphrates River in northern Syria. "The people we are working with the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces]-the SDF is comprised with a lot of Kurds but other elements too-have lived up their promise," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said. According to Davis, the withdrawals have been taking place for about three days but local reports and some Turkish officials say the PKK's affiliate, PYD, and its military wing, YPG, in and around Manbij continue to hold villages west of the Euphrates. The PYD/PKK has long said it would not cross the river to the east and leave the areas captured from the Daesh terror group to the local predominantly Arab population. The PYD/PKK is trying to combine its self-declared Afrin canton in the northwest corner of Syria to the Kobani and Jazeera cantons in the northeast but Turkey and Syrian opposition groups fighting for the unity of Syria have been trying to prevent PKK affiliates' separatist motivations. Daesh originally controlled 98 kilometers of territory along the Turkish border. Ankara has warned that Turkish Armed Forces would address the threat posed by PKK affiliates in northern Syria as well but Washington wants Ankara to center its focus on Daesh. A call centre and a courier company are setting up business in New Ross creating more than 40 jobs. A well-known County Kilkenny based courier company is relocating their business to a green field site in Butlersland, where Wexford County Council has two advance business sites. Fianna Fail Cllr John Fleming said: 'I have been assisting a well-known courier company who are planning to relocate its business to New Ross from another county. They are also in the process of setting up a call centre which would employ approximately 30 people.' The courier business will be looking to employ more staff, he added. 'The company were looking for a site in the New Ross area and are now focussing on a green field site in Butlersland. The site is owned by Wexford County Council and negotiations are close to completion. Wexford County Council development officers, especially Tony Larkin and Carolyn Godkin, have been more than helpful in this matter and we all worked hard to put this together. As soon as negotiations are completed the company will apply for planning permission as they want to relocate as soon as possible'. Describing the impending jobs boost as great news for New Ross on the employment front, Cllr Fleming said there will also be the indirect benefit of spending in the area. 'This is a hugely positive boost commercially for New Ross town and the area. This shows business people have the confidence to locate in New Ross and I have found in the past one business attracts another. There are a lot of positive things happening in New Ross at the moment with the construction of a new bridge under way to end our traffic congestion and hopefully soon mains gas and high speed broadband,' said Cllr Fleming. Fethard RNLI assisted a man who got into difficulty off the Wexford coast on Tuesday night as he attempted to move between two boats. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their inshore lifeboat at 9.35 p.m. following a request by the Irish Coast Guard that a man had entered the water at the Coal Yard in Cullenstown. The lifeboat helmed by John Colfer and with crew members Thomas Stafford, Finola Foley and Cathal O'Connell onboard, launched immediately from Fethard and proceeded five nautical miles to the scene. Weather conditions at the time were described as calm with a Force 3 west to north westerly wind. The casualty, who was wearing a lifejacket at the time, had been manoeuvring from one vessel to another when he entered the water and got into difficulty. A member of his party who had already come ashore raised the alarm. Shortly before arriving on scene, the crew received communication from the Irish Coast Guard that the casualty had managed to swim ashore. On arrival, the lifeboat crew safely transferred the man into the D Class inshore lifeboat, Trade Wides, and administered first aid. The crew brought the casualty straight ashore at the Coal Yard in Cullenstown, where members of the local Irish Coast Guard unit were also on site. The volunteer crew continued first aid until the arrival of an ambulance which then transferred the casualty to hospital as a precautionary measure. Tony Molloy, Fethard RNLI Deputy Launching Authority said: 'Every minute counted this evening due to the period the casualty had spent in the water and the external temperature. 'The bar of the lough at Cullenstown can be quite treacherous to manoeuvre in darkness, so the knowledge and skill set of the crew who know the area and the manoeuvrability of the D Class inshore lifeboat was essential in getting to the scene where the crew was able to respond rapidly. 'We would like to commend the casualty for wearing his lifejacket and the member of his party who raised the alarm when they started to experience problems. We wish them both well following their ordeal. This was a fine example of good team work with our crew putting their training and skills into practice working alongside our colleagues in the local Irish Coast unit.' Two Sligo men charged with IRA membership have been barred from attending any republican commemorations or gatherings as part of their bail conditions. 27 year-old Damhan McFadden, of Kilmacowen, Ballysadare and Julian Flohr (35) of Rusheen Ard, Caltra, were granted bail by the Special Criminal Court last Thursday. They're accused of membership of the IRA on 14 August. They were arrested in Co Leitrim as part of an operation targeting dissident republican activity. They were charged earlier this month before the non-jury court. McFadden and Flohr were granted bail after the court earlier refused to impose a bail condition that would have required them to notify gardai every time they left Sligo. Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce told State Solicitor Michael O'Donovan that gardai believed the condition was necessary to monitor the men as they lived on the "far side" of the country and had been charged with a serious terrorist offence. However counsel for Flohr, Mr Seoirse O'Dunlaing BL, told the court that the usual conditions for bail were sufficient. Mr John Dunne BL, for McFadden, argued that the issue may be resolved if his client kept a phone on him at all times. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt, sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan, said the court was not minded to impose the notification requirement. The court found the way to proceed was to require the men sign-on twice daily at their local garda station and to keep a mobile phone on their person at all times Mr O'Donovan said there was consent to bail along the lines suggested by the court. With regard to Flohr, Mr O'Donovan said there was consent to release the accused man on his own bond of 120 and on an independent surety. He said that there was consent to bail for McFadden on his own bond of 4,000 and in independent surety of 7,000. Both men must sign on twice daily at Sligo Garda Station between 11am and 12pm and 6pm and 7pm, reside at their home addresses and observe a curfew between 11pm and 7am. They are not to leave the jurisdiction and were directed to surrender their passports and not apply for any new travel documentation. The men cannot contact any proposed prosecution witnesses in the case and are not to associate with their co-accused nor anyone convicted of or charged with a scheduled offence. Mr O'Donovan said the accused are also not to attend any republican commemorations or gatherings. The men are to be of good behaviour and keep the peace and must provide mobile phone numbers to gardai and ensure that these phones are kept on their person and charged at all times. St Gerard's School, Bray is the top ranked school in the county and is among the top 400 schools in the country according to the annual 'Schools Guide' published in the Sunday Times. St Gerard's comes in at 70th place with 97.5 per cent of graduates pursuing third level education. Gaelcholaiste na Mara is ranked second in the county at 83rd place nationally. It jumped from 140th place last year and has 81.4 per cent of past pupils attending third level institutions. East Glendalough School also increased its position this year to claim 159th place from 182nd last year. The school has 91.3 per cent of pupils pursuing third level education. Loreto Bray jumped one place to 198th position and has a total of 80.9 per cent of pupils moving to third level. Colaiste Raithin remained within the top 400 list but saw its rank fall to 213th position from 181. The school has 88.8 per cent of pupils progressing to third level. Dominican College also fell in the ranking from 252 in 2015 to 274 this year with 77.5 per cent of pupils at third level this year. Presentation College, Bray retained 324th place while St Mary's College, Arklow jumped from 375th place to 35th position with 89.2 per cent of pupils moving to third level. Colaiste Bhride, Carnew moved up the rankings to 352th place to 377th place with 74.1 per cent of pupils at third level. The rankings are determined by the number of Leaving Cert students enrolled in universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland in the past three academic years. Where schools have the same percentage at university, the number at third level decides the ranking. The list does not take into account colleges abroad, private third level courses, colleges of further education, or institutions providing PLCs. British fashion designer Victoria Beckham poses as she arrives on May 11, 2016 for the opening ceremony of the 69th Cannes Film Festival Irish shoppers were treated to a first look/ first feel of the brand new Victoria Beckham cosmetics line yesterday and you know what.its fab. But what else would you expect from the former Spice Girl who saw off style critics to become a credible force in the fashion world? Expand Close Victoria Beckham's new makeup range with Estee Lauder. Picture: Bairbre Power / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Victoria Beckham's new makeup range with Estee Lauder. Picture: Bairbre Power The reveal of the 14 piece Victoria Beckham x EsteeLauder collection came today at the Brown Thomas/ ISPCC lunch at the InterContinental Hotel in Ballsbridge which was attended by 350 guests including Ali Hewson and X factor judge, Louis Walsh. The cavalcade of models in the designer catwalk show all wore makeup from the range and guests were able to sample the limited-edition line of products before they officially go on sale on September 18. Brown Thomas is one of only a handful of stores globally who will stock the brand which was developed by a very hands-on Victoria Beckham working with the U.S. beauty giants, Estee Lauder. Victoria wears her cosmetics on the cover of British Vogue which hits the shelves at the end of next week. The range boasts potent colours, three metallic eye shadows (40) which deliver a high shine. Her feel, charcoal black ribbed compacts were inspired by a vintage cigarette case which Victoria picked up on her travels. My October @britishvogue cover, thank you so much @alexandravogue - on stands 8th September! Wearing my #VBxEsteeLauder make up x VB A photo posted by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Sep 1, 2016 at 4:14pm PDT Famous for her own smokey eye look - which she sported the day she visited Brown Thomas with her daughter, Harper, in 2012 - Victoria has introduced personal touches which cross her lifestyle brands. Her Chilean Sunset matt lipstick (40) is an orangey-red and was my favourite of all the products I sampled yesterday. Its a colour that Victoria has used in the Ready-To-Wear clothing collection and also in her accessories range. Its this kind of joined up thinking that customers have come to expect from the entrepreneurial mother-of-four who introduced sexy bodycon dresses with built in scaffolding for a smoother, leaner silhouette. Victoria is practical. She carries a clutch rather than a handbag so she decided to scale down the size of her lipsticks and while the size of the metal, swivel tube bullet is smaller,they deliver the same amount of lipstick in the normal size. For the record, Victorias signature lippy shade is 'Brazilian Nude.' There was particular interest from the fashion show guests in the keenly awaited Morning Aura illuminating creme (80). Part moisturiser, part brightening primer, the product helps brighten your skin and can be used as a primer under make-up. It comes in a 1950s fluted bottle sourced from the Lauder archive and was re-imagined in Beckhams signature blonde gold. Thank you @britishvogue, @lachlanbailey, @orlandopita, @kphelan123 and @petros_petrohilos ! Make up #VBxEsteeLauder - October cover issue on stands September 8th x VB A photo posted by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Sep 2, 2016 at 3:09am PDT Video of the Day In a video she made for American Vogue, Victoria praises the illuminating creme for hydrating, moisturising and tightening as welland who doesnt love that. The products which are built around the different images that Beckham projects in four of the cities that resonate with her: London, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris. Her Modern Mercury highlighter (58) is part of her LA look and the powder helps achieve the designers chiselled cheekbones and can be dusted along the cheek, brow bones and down the bridge of your nose for a sculpted finish. Also from the LA range, the Java Sun Bronzer (58) delivers a matte finish and you can use it to contour and define your cheeks, over your eyes and under your chin to give you that perfect sun-kissed LA glow. From London, comes the eye ink in Black Myrrh, a gel-cream formula tipped to be fool-proof which Victoria devised to create a smoky eye that looks great the longer it's worn. It can be applied on dry eyelids for a wash of colour, but for a more intense finish, she recommends using it on wet lids. The eye colours have names like Bitter Clove and Charred Emerald and are densely pigmented. In the short video for American Vogue, she applies her make-up using her London products. Victoria spices up her eye with Blonde cumin, used Black Nutmeg along lashes line, Grey Amber inside the lid and finishes off the look with a pale lipstick . Prices in the make-up range start at 27 for a lip pencil and the most expensive item is her 'Daylight Edition' which is a small light box complete with a mirror and eight products. Typical of the smart woman she is, Victoria Beckham came up with the idea for the product after staying in too many hotel rooms with bad lighting. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and their daughter Charlotte meet Rapunzel at the all-new "Fantasy Faire" attraction at Disneyland Cast member Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar at the 'Summer Catch' Premiere held at the Mann Village Theater in Los Angeles, CA., August 22, 2001. (photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Sarah Michelle Gellar shared this photo from her wedding to Freddie Prinze Jr Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Jr seem to have escaped the Hollywood curse. The Buffy star (39) and actor turned cookbook author (40) celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary this week and SMG marked it with a sweet throwback to the MTV Movie Awards in 2000. "Happy anniversary @realfreddieprinze You stole my heart, so I got my revenge and took your last name," she wrote. While she still uses her maiden name professionally, the actress changed her last name legally. Their children Charlotte Grace (six) and Rocky James (four) both have the Prinze name. Happy anniversary @realfreddieprinze You stole my heart, so I got my revenge and took your last name!! A photo posted by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Sep 1, 2016 at 3:25am PDT The couple first met on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997 and have been together ever since, even appearing alongside each other in Scooby Doo in 2002 and 2004. And it looks like they're set to go the distance if the last 19 years are anything to go by. Freddie has left his acting career behind in favour of a being a stay-at-home dad when they welcomed their first child in 2009 and is now carving out a path as a kitchen guru. "I wanted to be a stay-at-home dad," he told GQ. "I wanted to cook breakfast and dinner for my kids every day." Expand Close Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and their daughter Charlotte meet Rapunzel at the all-new "Fantasy Faire" attraction at Disneyland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and their daughter Charlotte meet Rapunzel at the all-new "Fantasy Faire" attraction at Disneyland At least 13 people have been killed in two separate militant attacks in n orth-western Pakistan. Gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a Christian colony near the town of Peshawar, killing one civilian, and a suicide bomb attack on a district court in the town of Mardan killed 12 people and wounded 54. Militants triggered a shootout in a Christian neighbourhood in which four attackers were killed and one Christian died, police and the military said. Three security officials and two civilian guards were wounded. Army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa said in a statement that the attack was quickly repulsed and security forces were searching for any accomplices. Local police official Shaukat Khan said four suicide bombers entered the Christian colony. One of them went into a church, but no-one was there at the time. He said the attackers killed one Christian in the neighbourhood. It is not clear if any of the suicide bombers detonated their explosives. The quick response from the local civilian guards and security forces prevented more deaths, Mr Khan said. Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway Taliban faction, claimed the attack. In the town of Mardan, 25 miles from Peshawar, a suicide bomber threw a grenade at the district court before detonating his explosives, according to government spokesman Mushtaq Ghani. A rescue official, Bilal Jalal, said at least 12 people were killed and another 54 wounded in the suicide attack, among them lawyers, policemen and passers-by. He said some of the wounded were in critical condition. Police official Ijaz Ahmed Khan said the attacker apparently wanted to target a gathering of lawyers but was thwarted by police. When a policeman asked the attacker to stop, the bomber threw a grenade at him, killing the officer, Mr Khan said. A second policeman opened fire at the attacker, who detonated his explosives. Lawyer Adil Hussain confirmed the police account. Prime minister Nawaz Sharif issued statements condemning both attacks, saying: "These cowardly attacks cannot shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism." Pakistan has been struck by a number of large-scale militant attacks in recent months, including a March suicide bombing targeting Christians celebrating Easter in a park in the city of Lahore that killed around 70 people. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the bombing and warned of further attacks. Christians are a tiny minority in a majority Muslim nation. While some Christians live in Muslim areas, many choose to live together in Christian-only neighbourhoods. Last month, a bomb blast targeting lawyers and journalists gathering outside a hospital in the city of Quetta killed 70 people. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and the Islamic State group issued competing claims for the attack. The Pakistani army said on Thursday it had prevented IS from establishing a network in the country, saying it had arrested more than 300 IS militants in recent years, including fighters from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The military also claimed it had cleared the Khyber tribal region, near the Christian colony where Friday's attack took place. AP Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.2 By Orkhan Guluzade - Trend: A shootout has occurred in Turkeys Van province between the local population and militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist organization, the Hurriyet newspaper reported Sept.2. Three residents of the province were killed and four more injured as a result of the incident. Reportedly, following the shootout, Turkish armed forces launched an operation to neutralize the terrorists. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for over 33 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade A series of attacks across Baghdad have killed 15 people and wounded more than 50, according to Iraqi officials. The attacks underscore the poor security situation in the Iraqi capital, which has seen several large-scale attacks recently, including a July shopping centre bombing that killed nearly 300 people. At least three rockets landed in eastern Baghdad on Friday morning, killing five people and wounding 15, police officials said. The attack hit a weapons storage facility, according to a reporter at the scene. Residents said the weapons belonged to the powerful Shiite militia group Asaib Ahl al-Haq and militia members were present at the scene. In the predominantly Sunni neighbourhood of Ghazaliya, a bomb struck a shopping street, killing two people and wounding eight, police said. Bomb attacks on two fruit and vegetable markets killed five people and wounded 20, officials from the Interior Ministry said, and another bombing in a commercial area in western Baghdad killed three people and wounded eight, according to police and hospital officials. Friday marked the martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Shiite Imam. In Baghdad pilgrims descended on the Kadhimiya shrine to commemorate the day, but none of the attacks wounded pilgrims or hit near the shrine. No group immediately claimed the attacks, but Islamic State has often said it was behind deadly bombings targeting Shiite civilians in the Iraqi capital, including the July shopping centre attack. Iraq's army has pushed IS militants out of the major cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, and the government has pledged that it will retake Mosul, the country's second largest city, from IS by the end of this year. Late on Thursday, an attack on Iraqi security forces killed nine fighters and wounded 15, according to Karim al-Nouri, spokesman for Iraq's government-sanctioned mainly Shiite militias, known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces. He said Shiite fighters were among the dead. AP Jeremy Shuler, 12, is the youngest student on record to attend Cornell University (AP) When he was two, Jeremy Shuler was reading books in English and Korean - now the exuberant 12-year-old is the youngest student on record at a prestigious US university. Jeremy is the home-schooled child of two aerospace engineers who were living in Grand Prairie, Texas, when he applied to Ivy League Cornell University. While his elite-level exam scores in maths and science aged 10 showed he was intellectually ready for college, what sealed the deal was his parents' willingness to move to Ithaca. Jeremy's father, Andy Shuler, transferred from Lockheed Martin in Texas to its location in New York state. With his bowl-cut hair, cherubic face and frequent happy laughter, Jeremy is clearly still a child despite his advanced intelligence. He swung in his chair while his parents, who he calls Mommy and Daddy, recounted his early years during an interview at the engineering school where his grandfather is a professor, his father got his doctorate and Jeremy is now an undergraduate. "From the beginning, he was physically advanced, very strong," said Harrey Shuler, who has a doctorate in aerospace engineering but put her career on hold to home-school Jeremy. He fixated on letters and numbers aged three months, knew the alphabet at 15 months, and was reading books on his own at 21 months in English and Korean, his mother's native language. When he was five he read The Lord Of The Rings and Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems Of Mathematics on his own. "We were concerned about him socialising with other kids," his mother said. "At the playground he was freaked out by other kids running around screaming. But when we took him to Math Circle and math camp, he was very social. He needed someone with similar interests." Jeremy said his closest friends are from the maths discussion groups. "One of my Math Circle friends actually wrote Minecraft for Dummies," he said, adding that the computer game is one of his favourite pastimes along with reading science fiction. He said he is settling in to college life. "I was nervous at first, but I'm a lot more excited than nervous now," he said. "As Mommy said, all the kids in math camp were older than me, so I'm used to having older friends. As long as they like math." Jeremy added: "The classes are kind of easy so far, but I know they'll be harder pretty soon." AP A student, who was first reported missing in 2004, was actually kidnapped and forced to teach English in North Korea, according to authorities. American student David Sneddon, disappeared while hiking in the Yunnan Province in China. The student, who is fluent in Korean, was just 24 at the time. Police initially said that Sneddon had died in a hiking accident, but no body was ever found. David's parents were always suspicious. We knew in our heart that he was alive, so we had to keep fighting, his mother, Kathleen Sneddon told the New York Post. According to Choi Sung-yong, the head of South Korea's Abductee's Family Union, Sneddon has been found living in North Korea where he is being forced to work as a school teacher. According to reports, he lives in Pyongyang and is married with two children. David's parents believe he was kidnapped because of a previous visit to South Korea, where his language skills became known. It remains unclear why Sneddon never contacted his parents or American officials. A Church of England bishop has come out as gay and in a relationship with a long term partner. The sexuality of Nicholas Chamberlain, Bishop of Grantham, has been known for some time within the Church. But he revealed his identity on his own terms after a Sunday newspaper planned to identify him. It was not my decision to make a big thing about coming out, Bishop Chamberlain told the Guardian. He continued: People know Im gay, but its not the first thing Id say to anyone. Sexuality is part of who I am, but its my ministry that I want to focus on. Bishop Chamberlain also said the people involved in his consecration in November 2015 knew about my sexual identity. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church, issued a statement to the newspaper in support of the bishop. He said: I am and have been fully aware of Bishop Nicks long-term, committed relationship. His appointment as bishop of Grantham was made on the basis of his skills and calling to serve the church in the diocese of Lincoln. He lives within the bishops guidelines and his sexuality is completely irrelevant to his office. Bishop Chamberlain was appointed to his position by bishop of Lincoln, Christopher Lowson. Bishop Lowson also voiced his support for the clergyman in letters to his parishes. I am satisfied now, as I was at the time of his appointment, that Bishop Nicholas fully understands, and lives by, the House of Bishops guidance on issues in human sexuality, Bishop Lowson wrote. For me, and for those who assisted in his appointment, the fact that Bishop Nicholas is gay is not, and has never been, a determining factor. A Church of England spokesman said: "Nicholas has not misled anyone and has been open and truthful if asked. The matter is not secret, although it is private as is the case with all partnerships/relationships." Despite having a partner, Bishop Chamberlain maintained his relationship was celibate, as per Church rules. There has been lingering division in the Church of England about the place of gay clergy members. While some of the leadership has in recent years advocated a tolerant approach, other more traditionalist bishops have called for a more literal biblical view on homosexuality. Four people have been taken to hospital after a suspected chemical leak at a water treatment plant. Emergency services were called to Biochemica UK in Teesside shortly before 11.30am on Friday. They were taken to hospital suffering from breathing difficulties after the incident at the plant on the Cowpen Lane Industrial Estate in Billingham. A spokeswoman from the North East Ambulance Service said the incident had been called through to it as potentially life threatening but on arrival at the scene it was believed this was no longer the case. Two ambulances and two vehicles from the hazardous area response team were dispatched to the scene, which Cleveland Fire Brigade also attended. The Health and Safety Executive said it was aware of the incident and it would be "making initial inquiries and will be visiting the site to conduct an investigation". A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said officers attended the scene amid reports of a "suspected chemical leak". Station manager Ian Dixon, from Cleveland Fire Brigade, told the BBC that a chemical reaction had created a "very small gas cloud" but there were no off-site implications and that "it was a very small-scale incident". A 12-year-old girl has been raped in a park. Police were called to Crowcroft Park in Levenshulme, Manchester, at around 11.20pm on Thursday night after reports of concern for a girl. On arrival, officers discovered that the youngster had been raped, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said. The park, in south Manchester, has been sealed off. Two police tents have been erected over a grassed area in one corner, as forensic teams search the area. Anyone with any information about the incident should call police on 101 quoting incident number 2260 of September 1. Detective Inspector Ian Cottrell, of GMP's serious sexual offences unit, said: "People will be understandably concerned and I want to assure you that we have increased patrols in the area. "We are offering the victim specialist support at what is a very difficult time. "If you have any concerns at all or want to speak to someone to pass on information or report a sexual assault, you can contact police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111." Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.2 By Orkhan Guluzade - Trend: After the recent resignation of Turkeys Interior Minister Efkan Ala, head of the countrys National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan is also expected to step down from his position, the Milligazete reported Sept.2. Fidans resignation is being discussed in Ankaras political circles, according to the newspaper. Hakan Fidan was appointed head of the National Intelligence Organization in May 2010. It was earlier reported that a number of reforms will be held in this structure. It was planned that the National Intelligence Organization will have two divisions: foreign and domestic intelligence. Additionally, Turkey's National Intelligence Organization is planned to be subordinate to the countrys president. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade The official canonization portrait of Mother Teresa is seen after its unveiling at the John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, U.S., September 1, 2016 The Brazilian man whose "miraculous" cure from a brain infection paved the way for Mother Teresa's canonisation this weekend said he is grateful for his life but does not feel particularly chosen by God. Marcilio Haddad Andrino told a Vatican press conference he is just one example of God's ample mercy and love. Expand Close Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity of Calcutta, Sister Mary Prema Pierick speaks during a media conference ahead of the canonisation of Mother Teresa at the Vatican, September 2, 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity of Calcutta, Sister Mary Prema Pierick speaks during a media conference ahead of the canonisation of Mother Teresa at the Vatican, September 2, 2016 "The merciful Lord looks at us all without distinction," Mr Andrino said. "Maybe it was me this time but maybe tomorrow it will be someone else. The merciful mother looks after everyone. I don't feel special." Pope Francis decreed in December that Mr Andrino's cure was a miracle after Vatican doctors and theologians determined that it was medically inexplicable, instantaneous, lasting and due to the intercession of Mother Teresa, who died in 1997. It was the final step needed to canonise the nun who cared for the poorest of the poor. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said all 100,000 tickets have been distributed for Sunday's Mass but the crowd will probably be far greater, spilling into the main streets around St Peter's Square. So far, 15 official delegations have confirmed their presence, 13 led by heads of state or government, and 600 journalists have been accredited. Mr Andrino's wife, Fermanda Nascimento Rocha, recalled that she and her family began fervently praying for Mother Teresa's intercession after receiving a relic of the nun on September 5 2008, after Mr Andrino began suffering from the effects of a viral brain infection. By December that year, despite powerful antibiotics, the brain abscesses and fluid had built up so much that he was suffering debilitating headaches. According to the official story, doctors decided the only chance was to operate, but on the day surgery was scheduled, they couldn't intubate him. "When the doctor left the OR saying he couldn't do the operation - and that the medicine wasn't working any more - I prayed a lot," Ms Nascimento Rocha said. "I asked Mother to cure Marcilio if this is God's will, and if not, to take him by the hand and bring him to the house of the Father to feel his caress." She said she went to her mother's home and prayed "with all the strength I had". When the surgeon returned to Mr Andrino's room, he was awake, pain-free and asymptomatic, according to the priest spearheading Mother Teresa's sainthood cause, the Rev Brian Kolodiejchuk. Within six months, Mr Andrino had returned to work. Soon after, the couple conceived the first of their two children, though Mr Andrino had been told that the powerful drugs he had taken had made him infertile. He calls his two children "the extension of that miracle", adding: "We are very grateful to Mother Teresa for our family." Then US secretary of state Hillary Clinton relied on the judgments of her staff and others not to illegally send emails containing classified information to her private email server, and told FBI investigators she was unclear about a classification marking on official government documents. The revelation came on Friday as the FBI, in a rare step, published scores of pages summarising interviews with Mrs Clinton and her top aides from the FBI's recently closed criminal investigation into her use of a private email server in the basement of her Chappaqua, New York, home. Mrs Clinton told the FBI she never sought or asked permission to use a private server or email address during her tenure as the nation's top diplomat, which violated federal records keeping policies. Mrs Clinton has repeatedly said her use of private email was allowed. But over three and a half hours in an interview in July, she told FBI investigators she "did not explicitly request permission to use a private server or email address", the FBI wrote. They said no one at the State Department raised concerns during her tenure, and that Mrs Clinton said everyone with whom she exchanged emails knew she was using a private email address. The documents also include technical details about how the private server was set up. It is the first disclosure of details provided by Bryan Pagliano, the technology staffer who set up and maintained Mrs Clinton's IT infrastructure. Mr Pagliano secured an immunity agreement from the Justice Department after previously refusing to give evidence before Congress, invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination. Large portions of the FBI documents were censored. The FBI cited exemptions protecting national security and investigative techniques. Previous government reviews of the 55,000 pages of emails Mrs Clinton returned to the State Department found that about 110 contained classified information. Friday's release of documents involving the Democratic presidential nominee was a highly unusual step, but one that reflects extraordinary public interest in the investigation into Mrs Clinton's server. Republicans have used the email issue, as well as the family's charitable foundation, to argue that Mrs Clinton is not trustworthy and should not be elected. The FBI's investigation focused on whether Mrs Clinton sent or received classified information using the private server, which was not authorised for such messages. Mrs Clinton told the FBI she relied on others with knowledge about handling classified files not to send her emails inappropriately. "She had no reason to doubt the judgment of the people working for her on the 'front lines,'" the FBI wrote about one email. Mrs Clinton was also asked about a 2011 email that caught the attention of investigators in which she directed one of her advisers, Jake Sullivan, to transmit a set of talking points and turn it "into nonpaper w/no identifying heading and send nonsecure". Mrs Clinton told the FBI that she believed she was asking Mr Sullivan "to remove the State Department letterhead and provide unclassified talking points" and that she had no intention of removing classification markings. In her interview, Mrs Clinton said she was unfamiliar the meaning of the letter "c'' next to a paragraph and speculated that it might be "referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical order". That particular email had been marked as "confidential," the lowest level of classification. Mrs Clinton said she did not pay attention to the classified level "and took all classified information seriously", according to the FBI notes. After a year-long investigation, the FBI recommended against prosecution in July, and the Justice Department then closed the case. FBI director James Comey said that while Mrs Clinton and her aides had been "extremely careless", there was no evidence they intentionally mishandled classified information. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan issued a statement saying the documents show Mrs Clinton's "reckless and downright dangerous handling of classified information". "They also cast further doubt on the Justice Department's decision to avoid prosecuting what is a clear violation of the law," Mr Ryan said. "This is exactly why I have called for her to be denied access to classified information." The FBI director said the government found no direct evidence that Mrs Clinton's private server was hacked but said foreign government hackers were so sophisticated - and the server would be such a high-value target - that it was unlikely they would leave evidence of a break-in. Mrs Clinton told the FBI she was unaware of specific details about the security, software or hardware used on her server and occasionally received odd-looking emails. But she told agents there were never so many suspicious emails to cause concerns. She also said she had no conversations about using a private email server to avoid her obligations under the Federal Records Act or the Freedom of Information Act. Mrs Clinton told investigators that she directed her aides in early 2009 to create a private email account and that it was "a matter of convenience" for it to be moved onto a system maintained by her husband's staff. She told investigators that "everyone at State knew she had a private email address because it was displayed to anyone with whom she exchanged emails", according to a summary of the July 1 interviewed released on Friday by the FBI. Mrs Clinton said that when top staff received an email, the recipient would evaluate whether the information should be forwarded to her, but no one "ever expressed a concern regarding the sensitivity of the content of these emails". AP A house in Valdosta, Georgia, beneath a pine tree that crashed on to the roof as Tropical Storm Hermine passed through (AP) A boat marooned by the road in Dekle Beach, Florida, by winds from Hurricane Hermine (AP) Hurricane Hermine has barrelled ashore in Florida's Big Bend, killing one person, raising a storm surge that destroyed beachside buildings and bringing heavy rain and tens of thousands of power outages. The first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade toppled trees in the state capital of Tallahassee and downed power lines and injured people in their homes. Hermine later weakened from its peak wind speed of 80mph to a tropical storm as it moved into southern Georgia. The storm is expected to move into the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding. A homeless man in Marion County, south of Gainesville, Florida, was killed when he was hit by a tree as the storm moved through, governor Rick Scott said at a news conference. At Florida's Dekle Beach, just south of the state's Big Bend where the peninsula meets the Panhandle, a storm surge damaged numerous homes and destroyed storage buildings and a 100-yard fishing pier. It is about 60 miles south east of St Marks, where Hermine made landfall. An unnamed spring storm that hit the beach in 1993 killed 10 people as most residents refused to evacuate. This time, only three residents stayed behind. All escaped injury. At nearby Keaton Beach, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise trying to get to their homes. Police had the road blocked because of flooding. Taylor County Commissioner Jody DeVane said several homes were damaged. High winds knocked trees on to several houses in Tallahassee, injuring residents inside, fire and rescue spokesman Mike Bellamy said. He added that an unknown number were taken to area hospitals with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening. Mr Bellamy said his agency responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Mayor Andrew Gillum estimated as many as 100,000 area residents were without electricity on Friday morning. In Pasco County, north of Tampa, authorities said flooding forced 18 people from their homes in Green Key and Hudson Beach. Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriff's deputies used high-water vehicles to rescue people from rising water. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge that spans Tampa Bay was closed because of high winds. In Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, at least seven homes were damaged by falling trees, said Scott Nelson, the county's emergency manager. As Hermine moved north, Georgia Power estimated about 19,000 homes and businesses were without power state-wide. Many of those were in Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County, about 15 miles north of the Georgia-Florida border. Lowndes County spokeswoman Paige Dukes said crews were dealing with fallen trees and snapped power lines, but no injuries had been reported. Winds exceeding 55mph had been recorded in the county, with 4in to 5in of rainfall, she said. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on October 24 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated 23 billion dollars in damage. Mr Scott earlier declared an emergency in 51 counties. He said 6,000 National Guardsmen were poised to mobilise for the storm's aftermath. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina also declared states of emergency. AP Melania Trump has filed a lawsuit in the US state of Maryland Melania Trump's decision to launch legal action against the Daily Mail is unusual but unsurprising, according to a British lawyer. Mrs Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, has filed a lawsuit, against the Mail and an American blogger, at a court in Maryland, in the United States. Paperwork indicates that Mrs Trump is seeking more than 50,000 damages from Mail publishers and says the Daily Mail Online published an article referring to her ''very racy past''. The Mail has published a "retraction" stressing that the article did not intend to state or suggest that "allegations" were true. London solicitor Sarah Webb said Mrs Trump had been the subject of "enormous media interest" and had an international reputation "This is a notable and unusual move by the wife of a presidential candidate," said Ms Webb, a specialist in privacy and media issues at law firm Payne Hicks Beach. "Mrs Trump has been the subject of enormous media interest." She said the United States had always been a "difficult place to sue for defamation" because legislation afforded wide protection afforded to comments about "public figures". But Ms Webb said the legal landscape was changing and added: "Given the international nature of her reputation ... it is unsurprising that Melania Trump is now pursuing claims." The Mail said in its retraction: ''The article discussed whether allegations being made about Melania Trump could negatively affect her husband Donald Trump's presidential bid." The retraction went on: "The article ... did not intend to state or suggest that these allegations are true ... To the contrary (the article) stated that there was no support for the allegations, and it provided adamant denials from Mrs Trump's spokesperson ... The point of the article was that these allegations could impact the US presidential election even if they are untrue." Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street Leonardo DiCaprio's charity has been urged to repay donations linked to a Malaysian fund that backed his film 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. The foundation is being investigated by the US Department of Justice over alleged ties to a $3.5bn embezzlement scandal whose "misappropriated" funds were used to bankroll the 2013 film, according to reports. The actor is now facing calls to "give the dirty money back". According to the Department of Justice, certain donations to the Oscar-winner's environmental charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, (the LDF), came directly from billions of dollars siphoned from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. The department filed a complaint in Los Angeles last month in what has been called the world's largest embezzlement case, saying that at least $1bn traceable to the conspiracy was laundered through the US and used to purchase "assets" there. Expand Close He was nominated for his fourth Oscar for his role as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp He was nominated for his fourth Oscar for his role as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street Owned by the Malaysian government, 1MDB had raised upwards of $8bn. However, according to US authorities, $3.5bn of that was "misappropriated" between 2009 and 2015. According to the complaint, Jho Low (35), a Malaysian businessman and drinking buddy of DiCaprio, spent a full third of the siphoned billions by himself. Low is said to have helped the LDF by buying marked-up champagne bottles at the actor's birthday party in 2013 and paying $1.1m for art at an LDF-funding Christie's auction. He is also said to have donated a Lichtenstein sculpture worth $700,000 to the LDF for another auction. Expand Close Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Wolf Of Wall Street'. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Wolf Of Wall Street'. The department also alleges that millions more were funnelled to Riza Aziz, the stepson of the Malaysian prime minister, whose production company, Red Granite Pictures bankrolled 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. Though not directly targeted, DiCaprio is named as "Hollywood Actor 1" in a 136-page complaint filed by the department. Video of the Day Eyebrows were raised last week when DiCaprio backed out of hosting a $33,400-per-guest fundraiser for Hillary Clinton at the last minute due - officially - to a change in the production schedule for his climate-change film, 'Before the Flood'. His friend Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel stepped in to replace him. US media speculated that his withdrawal was to avoid causing Mrs Clinton embarrassment over the embezzlement case. This week, the Bruno Manser Funds, a rainforest charity active in Malaysian Borneo, said it had sent an open letter to DiCaprio, calling on him to return money he received from individuals connected to the 1MDB. The organisation said DiCaprio, as founder of his environmental charity and a designated UN Messenger of Peace, has a responsibility to help stop corruption. Representatives for DiCaprio and his foundation did not respond to requests for comment.( Daily Telegraph, London) Brock Turner was sentenced to six months in prison (Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office/AP) Former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner will be released today after serving three months for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman near a fraternity party. a sentence that has ignited fierce debate over the way California defines and punishes rape. Turner's sentence to months in county jail instead of years in state prison stoked international outrage, leading California lawmakers to call for mandatory prison time for sex assaults involving unconscious victims, and expanding the state's definition of rape. Expand Close Brock Turner, right, makes his way into the Santa Clara Superior Courthouse in Palo Alto, Califiornia Photo: Dan Honda/AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brock Turner, right, makes his way into the Santa Clara Superior Courthouse in Palo Alto, Califiornia Photo: Dan Honda/AP The former Stanford swimmer (20) has served just half of his sentence and will likely be released on Friday. The light sentence handed down to the ex-student had already provoked outrage following his conviction. Read More Three months ago, Turner was found guilty of assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated woman, sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object, and sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object. Expand Close Brock Allen Turner / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brock Allen Turner The judge who gave the six-month jail term will stop hearing criminal cases after a firestorm of criticism. California has a mandatory minimum sentence for forcible rape - but the law was not the same in cases where the victim is unconscious or heavily intoxocated. However, just this week, the state passed legislation that removes a judge's ability of using discretion during sentencing in such cases. Despite his brief jail time, Turner will spend the rest of his life on the sex offenders register. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Some 24 members of the Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist organization were detained during a special operation conducted by the police in the Turkish south-eastern Gaziantep province, the Turkish Anadolu agency reported Sept. 2. According to the message, the detainees are Turkish citizens. The Turkish police periodically conduct operations in the country against the IS. Earlier, the Turkish media reported that IS militants use the Turkish Gaziantep province on the border with Syria as a stronghold. The countrys media also reported that the IS-related educational facilities operate in Turkey. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, leaves the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, U.S. September 2, 2016. REUTERS/Stephen Lam A former Olympic hopeful swimmer whose six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman sparked a national outcry in the US has been released from jail after serving half his term. Brock Turner's case exploded into the spotlight when a poignant statement from the victim swept through social media and critics condemned his sentence as too lenient. Expand Close Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, leaves the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, U.S. September 2, 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, leaves the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, U.S. September 2, 2016 The 21-year-old walked out the main entrance of Santa Clara County Jail without commenting to the media and climbed into a white SUV. He plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. He must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation. Expand Close Former Stanford student Brock Turner who was sentenced to six months in county jail for the sexual assault of an unconscious and intoxicated woman is shown in this Santa Clara County Sheriff's booking photo taken January 18, 2015, and received June 7, 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former Stanford student Brock Turner who was sentenced to six months in county jail for the sexual assault of an unconscious and intoxicated woman is shown in this Santa Clara County Sheriff's booking photo taken January 18, 2015, and received June 7, 2016 The outcry prompted California policymakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and led to an effort to remove the judge in the case from the bench. Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a rubbish bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party at Stanford University in January last year. He plans to appeal. Expand Close Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, leaves the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, U.S. September 2, 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brock Turner, the former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, leaves the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California, U.S. September 2, 2016 In the June sentencing, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the "extraordinary circumstances" of Turner's youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He followed the probation department's recommendation for a "moderate" jail sentence. Following a backlash, Judge Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. California jail inmates with good behaviour typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turner's probation. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. Mr Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turner's neighbours informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff's office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said. Officers also will check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities. Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather. "He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor," Mr Fischer said. Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said Turner was given a large packet of hate mail on his release. She said he was held in "protective custody" during his incarceration, but her department did not receive any credible threats. "There was a lot of hate," she added. Wednesday was a good day for Donald Trump, a reminder of why we shouldn't underestimate him. It's not that he did or said anything particularly different - he just did his old thing in a more effective way. By hammering home a tough message on immigration, he gets back to the basics and reminds us why he won the primaries. First, Trump flew down Mexico way to discuss his plans for a wall with President Enrique Pena Nieto. The statement he gave afterwards was measured and well delivered, full of praise for the "amazing" and "spectacular" people of Mexico (Trump's efforts at diplomacy read like a TripAdvisor review) and he avoided the subject of who would pay for the gargantuan structure. So, win #1 was standing side-by-side with a foreign leader and looking like a man who can actually get things done. Critical pundits complained the bar is set too low for Trump. But they're missing the point. Trump's poll slide is less to do with his issues than the perception that he's unfit for the presidency. Show him doing the job and not doing it too badly and, like Reagan in 1980, he hopes to allay fears and convince people it's worth taking a gamble on him. Second, Trump returned to Arizona to deliver an electric speech - his second best since the convention - that contradicted much of what he said in Mexico. Mexico will pay for the wall. A wall that will be "beautiful". He also pledged the creation of a special deportation force to kick criminal illegal aliens back across the border. All of which might sound like red meat but in fact reflects a slight softening of his position. He did not call for all 11 million estimated illegal immigrants to be deported, and some of his lieutenants have said that he understands this to be a near-impossible task. Again, critical pundits will focus on the tone of his remarks while failing to notice that the more time Trump has had to think his immigration position through, the closer it has come to the position not only of the GOP but of the Obama administration. Under Obama, millions have been deported: he booted 400,000 people out of the country in 2012 alone. Republicans and Democrats deport because a) it's what the people want and b) it's their job to uphold the law. So win #2 was re-establishing Trump's tough stance on immigration while adding some necessary context: he will talk like an adult to the Mexicans and he probably won't erect a police state to enforce his policy. That the campaign has become a little more sophisticated since Breitbart's Bannon came aboard strengthens my view that the influence of the so-called Alt Right is overblown. Whether or not this can make any difference is a tough call for a columnist to make. But the Clinton campaign should be wary of allowing Trump to set the agenda again. Hillary, it seems to many people, has gone into hiding and is relying on negative campaigning. Trump, by contrast, is flying down to Mexico and laying out a concrete vision for the country. That vision is a fantasy: the wall would be so absurdly costly and politically difficult that its construction would class it as one of the wonders of the post-modern world. But that's not the point. The point is that pay is low, jobs are difficult to get in many rustbelt areas, Americans are concerned about immigration, and Trump has some sort of plan to deal with it. He re-emphasised an argument on Wednesday that is entirely historically accurate: there have been moments in US history when the country has closed its borders to select groups. The world is undergoing a Great Migration from south to north. Lots of developed countries are saying: "No!" Love it or loathe it, Trump's plan is not without practical precedent. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses the National Convention of the American Legion in Cincinnati, Ohio Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shake hands after a joint statement at Los Pinos, the presidential official residence, in Mexico City. Photo: AP Several key Latin American supporters of Donald Trump's presidential campaign are reportedly considering their withdrawal after the Republican nominee's tough immigration speech in Arizona on Wednesday. Jacob Monty, a Houston lawyer and key proponent of the Latino case for Trump, resigned from Mr Trump's National Hispanic Advisory Council following the Republican presidential hopeful's remarks in Phoenix, Arizona. Mr Monty said: "I was a strong supporter of Donald Trump when I believed he was going to address the immigration problem realistically and compassionately." "What I heard today was not realistic and not compassionate." Another important Hispanic supporter of Mr Trump, Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, also said he was "inclined" to withdraw his support. Mr Trump's speech was a return to the hardline immigration rhetoric which swept him to victory in the Republican presidential primary contest. It contrasted markedly with the more moderate tone he had taken with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City just hours earlier. Concern Mr Aguilar, who had previously expressed concern regarding Mr Trump's views toward Hispanic people, organised a letter of support for the Republican signed by prominent Latino conservatives, and has consistently defended Mr Trump in the media. In the wake of the Phoenix speech he said: "It's so disappointing because we feel we took a chance, a very risky chance". Mr Aguilar did not claim to speak on behalf of any organisation, but admitted he was deeply troubled by Mr Trump's address and that "there's a real possibility we will withdraw support from Donald Trump because of that disappointing speech." US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses the National Convention of the American Legion in Cincinnati, Ohio Mexico's president rebuked Donald Trump as a threat to his country just hours after painting a positive picture of talks the two held on Wednesday to try to defuse tensions over the US presidential hopeful's anti-Mexican campaign rhetoric. Enrique Pena Nieto issued the furious response to a major immigration speech from the Republican presidential nominee in Phoenix, Arizona, in which he depicted illegal immigrants as dangerous and insisted all "illegal aliens" would be subject to deportation. "His policy stances could represent a huge threat to Mexico, and I am not prepared to keep my arms crossed and do nothing," Mr Pena Nieto said in a television interview. "That risk, that threat, must be confronted. I told him that is not the way to build a mutually beneficial relationship for both nations." The comments were in stark contrast to the show of diplomacy hours earlier in Mexico, where Mr Trump called Mr Pena Nieto his "friend". Abandoning the diplomatic approach he had taken during the Mexico visit, the Republican nominee delivered a barnstorming address reminiscent of his raucous primary election rallies. After Mr Pena Nieto contradicted his statement that payment for his proposed wall on the US Southern border had not come up during their meeting, Mr Trump did not waver in his prime-time speech. "We will build a great wall along the southern border," he said, pausing for emphasis before continuing: "and Mexico will pay for the wall. One hundred percent. They don't know it yet but they're going to pay for it." Expand Close Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shake hands after a joint statement at Los Pinos, the presidential official residence, in Mexico City. Photo: AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shake hands after a joint statement at Los Pinos, the presidential official residence, in Mexico City. Photo: AP For two weeks, Mr Trump had appeared to signal that he would be softening his approach to illegal immigration in order to appease moderate and Hispanic voters. There was nary an olive branch in sight during Wednesday night's speech, a significant portion of which was devoted to American citizens who had been killed or otherwise harmed by illegal immigrants. "Countless innocent American lives have been stolen because our politicians have failed in their duty to secure our borders and enforce our laws like they have to be enforced," he said. He bemoaned the loss of "victims of the Obama-Clinton open border policy," and was joined on stage by people who had lost children and spouses at the hands of illegal immigrants. One by one, they insisted that if Mr Trump had been in office, their loved ones would still be alive. In a step that will soothe the concerns of his base but is broadly unpopular with the general electorate, Mr Trump warned all 11 million people currently in the US could face deportation if he wins the White House. Rejecting so-called "amnesty", he said no one would be able to gain citizenship by simply remaining in the US after entering illegally. "People will know that you can't just smuggle in, hunker down and wait to be legalised," he said. "Those days are over." He said all undocumented immigrants who were arrested - let alone convicted - would face automatic deportation. Calling for stricter enforcement of existing immigration law and "zero tolerance for criminal aliens", Mr Trump promised to triple the number of immigration officers responsible for deportation. "I am going to create a new special deportation task force focused on identifying and quickly removing the dangerous criminal illegal immigrants in America who have evaded justice," he said. He even made a tongue-in-cheek suggestion of another possible target for expulsion: "Hillary Clinton has evaded justice. Maybe they'll be able to deport her." But he remained unclear about exactly what would become of the 11 million people currently living in the shadows. "For those here illegally today who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only: to return home and apply for re-entry like everybody else under the rules of the new legal immigration system that I have outlined above," Mr Trump said. Mr Trump said his opponent's immigration strategy was to "let everybody in and destroy the country". He warned that if that were to come to pass, America would cease to be a sovereign nation. The tone of the speech was dark, and his message appeared to be intended for his core constituency of white, working-class voters rather than the more diverse group that will go to the polls on November 8. It ended in trademark fashion though: "We're going to make America great again." ( Daily Telegraph London) The father of a three-year-old boy whose lifeless body photographed on a Turkish beach drew the world's attention to the plight of refugees says little has changed in the year since his death. Abdullah Kurdi, a Syrian who now lives in Iraq, lost not only three-year-old Alan but also another son, five-year-old Galip, and wife Rihan, 35, a year ago when their boat sank during the journey from Bodrum, Turkey, to the Greek island of Kos. Mr Kurdi was quoted by Germany's Bild newspaper as saying he is glad the photo of his son's body was published to "make clear to people what is happening", but he is upset that more has not been done for refugees. "Politicians said after the death of my family: never again," he said. "Everyone allegedly wanted to do something after the photos that had so moved them. But what is happening now? The dying goes on and nobody's doing anything." Mr Kurdi urged others contemplating the journey he undertook with his family to rethink their plans. "I'd like to say to the refugees in the refugee camps that they shouldn't make this journey," he said. "The danger is too great. It's not worth it." His sister, Tima Kurdi, posted this week on her Facebook page: "We must never forget the price for freedom. "Please keep (Alan) and all those who died for the chance of freedom from the shackles of war in our daily prayers." AP Meanwhile, Turkey's president has accused the European Union of failing to deliver funds it promised as part of a deal to stop migrants crossing the Aegean Sea. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the EU had pledged 6 billion euros (5 billion) in support of three million refugees Turkey currently hosts. "What happened? The support given until now is 183 million euros (154 million)," Mr Erdogan said. "And they did not give it to us, they gave it to Unicef. No country can stand alone in this crisis. Unfortunately the promises on this issue are not kept," he said. There are fears in Europe that the March deal, which drastically reduced the number of migrants crossing to Greece, could unravel amid Turkish claims that the EU has not stuck to its promises. EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic denied the charges, saying the money it is providing "is funding for refugees and host communities, not for Turkey". "The European Union is respecting its commitments under the EU-Turkey statement," she said. "Suggestions to the contrary, including on financial support for refugees in Turkey, are not true. In fact, we have accelerated the implementation of our commitments over the past months." So far, of the 3 billion euros promised in the first instalment, 2.2 billion euros have been allocated, for humanitarian and non-humanitarian assistance, she said. AP Residents of Copenhagen's semi-autonomous Christiania neighbourhood are tearing down the hashish market in the hippie colony after an alleged drug dealer shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old gunman escaped after the attack but was arrested following a shootout with police. Authorities and his defence lawyer said he had died from his wounds. The violence marked an escalation in clashes between police and drug dealers who sell hashish openly in Christiania, a largely self-governing enclave created when hippies occupied abandoned navy barracks in 1971. Fed up with the violence, some of Christiania's 600 residents tore down the market stalls used by drug dealers in the infamous "Pusher Street". Denmark's TV2 showed people using saws, cordless drills and crowbars to dismantle the stalls. "It is important that we do this today with the wounded police officer in our thoughts," community spokesman Risenga Manghezi said. "But we cannot guarantee that they won't pop up again, unfortunately." Though many Christiania residents have liberal attitudes towards drugs, they are uncomfortable with the presence of criminal gangs running the hashish trade in the neighbourhood. Authorities say the gunman, identified as Mesa Hodzic, a Danish national born in Bosnia, opened fire on two police officers as they tried to arrest him late on Wednesday. The gunman also shot a bystander in the leg. One of the officers is in critical condition while the other and the bystander are stable, police said. Police later shot Hodzic as they confronted him south of Copenhagen. He was taken to Copenhagen's university hospital, where he died from his wounds early on Friday, lawyer Jacob Kiil said. AP Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2 By Orkhan Guluzade Trend: Turkeys constructing a wall on the border with Syria has led to the Syrians protests, Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reported Sept. 2. A group of people in the Syrian city of Kobani, near the border with Turkey, threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the Turkish builders who are erecting the wall along the border. The decision to build walls in the provinces bordering Syria was made as part of the work to step up the fight against terrorism, as the members of terrorist organizations from Syria regularly try to cross into Turkey. Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed more than 500,000 lives. Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The "Islamic State" (IS), the YPG (Kurdish People's Protection Units) and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) are the most active terrorist groups in Syria. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade The dismissals are allowed through the state of emergency declared by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the coup attempt Nearly 43,000 people have been expelled from their jobs in Turkey's public institutions for alleged ties to terror organisations endangering national security, the government says. Lists of names and positions published by the Official Gazette show the widescale purge Turkey has undertaken since the failed coup of July 15. The government blames US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for the plot that killed at least 270 people, and labels the network a terror organisation. The dismissals are allowed through the state of emergency, declared following the coup attempt. The highest number of dismissals is from the Ministry of National Education with 28,163 people. About 35,000 people have been detained for questioning and more than 17,000 of those have been formally arrested to face trial, including soldiers, police, judges and journalists. AP Nihar Info Global applies for trademark registration for 'ONVO' Nihar Info Global Limited informed to the exchanges that it has successfully applied for Trademark registration of its private label "ONVO" under the 'Trademark Classes 18 and 21. ... October 28, 2022 | 28-10-2022 2:37 pm Rupee rises 4 paisa to 82.29/$ Early on Friday, the rupee strengthened against the US dollar by 4 paise to 82.29, helped by a weak US dollar in the international market and strong local equities. The influx of new fore... October 28, 2022 | 28-10-2022 2:30 pm PNB Housing Finance's net profit increases by 12% PNB Housing Finance announced on Thursday that its September 20222023 quarter net profit increased by 11.7% to Rs 262.63 crore, thanks to a little increase in core income. In the same period... October 28, 2022 | 28-10-2022 2:25 pm Dhanuka Agritech soars ~8% as board to consider buyback Dhanuka Agritechs stock surged as much as 8% in Fridays intraday session and touched a high of Rs742. The company stated in its filing with the exchanges that at its ensuing ge... October 28, 2022 | 28-10-2022 2:18 pm Markets trade flat amid volatility; Nifty below 17,800 dragged by metals Domestic benchmark indices in a volatile session and trading flat after a gap-up opening on Friday. Both the Sensex and Nifty benchmarks are in the green during the afternoon market session ami... October 28, 2022 | 28-10-2022 2:00 pm Standing before of an array of alternative transportation options, Eskenazi Health CEO Dr. Lisa Harris and Angies List Senior Director of Business Development Steve Hood today encouraged Central Indiana employers and individuals to participate in the citys first-ever Car Free Day Indy celebration on Sept. 22. Launched in 2000, World Car Free Day was created to encourage people to be less dependent on cars and try alternatives. Harris and Cook urged Central Indiana workers and residents to join the Sept. 22 celebration by pledging to ride the bus, carpool, vanpool, bike or walk instead of driving alone in a car. To underscore local options, Harris and Cook issued the challenge near an IndyGo bus stop, a Commuter Connect-branded vanpool van and Pacers Bikeshare bikes. We all win when we choose alternative transportation options, Dr. Harris said. Our health improves, our air gets cleaner, traffic congestion is reduced and, I believe, we find ourselves connecting more as a community. Area residents who sign an online pledge before Sept. 22 will be registered to win prizes and can receive a free pass for an emergency ride home in case something comes up. The civic leaders at todays event have already signed the pledge to go car free or car lite at www.carfreedayindy.com both because they support the campaign and because they believe it fits with what their organizations stand for. Dr. Harris said, At Eskenazi Health we encourage staff and patients families to carpool by providing more than 130 of our best parking spots for carpools only. Plus, we work closely with IndyGo to help promote access to their buses at all our facilities. Many of our employees carpool, bike, walk or ride IndyGo to get to work, and we hope to see even more on Car Free Day, as well as the future. Angies List has always been green at heart, and were proud of the many sustainability efforts weve had for years, said Hood. Car Free Day is one of those things that fits naturally into our everyday lives here, and were happy to be recognized as a regional sustainability leader. Commuter Connect, a service of Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA), is hosting Car Free Day Indy to attract attention to its services, which include everything from programs that connect would-be carpoolers and vanpoolers, to tips for employers wanting to ease the impact commuting has on their workers. The biggest reason people are hesitant to try other transportation options than driving alone is concern about being stranded if the unexpected happens, said Andrew McGee, assistant director of Commuter Connect. The Emergency Ride Home pass addresses that concern because its a free cab ride home in the event of an emergency. Commuter Connect will be at the following locations on Sept. 22 with free food and music. The public is invited to attend and those who have signed the online pledge can receive a free emergency ride home pass. Were announcing Car Free Day early in order to give people time to plan their car-free and car-lite commutes, said Lori Kaplan, executive director of CIRTA. Well have greater impact for actual Car Free Day and all the days before and after it. Commuter Connect is a federally funded service designed to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion. There is no charge for employers or employees to use Commuter Connects services. To learn more, visit www.CommuterConnect.us. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged enhanced cooperation between Beijing and Ottawa in a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese President Xi Jinping called for better cooperation between Beijing and Ottawa during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit. According to China Daily, Xi declared that China and Canada should develop better relations through economic cooperation which is better enhanced with landmark projects between the two nations. Advertisement The Chinese president pointed out that Beijing and Ottawa have great potential in developing cooperation in fields such as financial services, energy, technological innovation, and equipment manufacturing. Echoing the opinion of his fellow Chinese leader, Premier Li Keqiang agreed that China and Canada should boost economic relations, particularly in technology and agriculture. "We agreed to conduct feasibility research for a free trade zone as soon as possible and ... safeguard trade liberalization and investment facilitation," Li explained. Speaking of agriculture, Canada is currently hoping to change China's mind and convince the Asian country to loosen strict rules covering their canola export. A recent analysis from the Globe and Mail revealed University of Saskatchewan agricultural and resource economics assistant professor Stuart Smyth's opinion on China's additional regulations on canola trade. "I think it's a bit of a bluff by China to say, 'Look, we can just go somewhere else.' If they could do that, they would probably already be doing that," the outlet quoted him saying. However, China appears to be warming up to the idea of cooperating better with Canada, especially after the North American nation applied for membership in the Middle Kingdom's multilateral bank. Meanwhile, a separate report from China Daily revealed that Canada's is applying for membership in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) per an announcement from Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau during a press conference in Beijing. According to AIIB President Jin Liqun, Canada would be the first North American nation to join a multilateral bank and is very much welcome to do so. "The decision of Canada to apply to join AIIB is very welcome and shows its confidence in the strong foundations the bank has built in our first few months," Jin explained, adding that Canada's membership could be beneficial for the AIIB. Nonprofits interested in bringing an award-winning Indiana author to their community to speak to a public audience can apply for funds to cover speaking fees as part of Indiana Humanities Novel Conversations Speaker Program. The program, open to public libraries, schools, churches, museums, community centers and other nonprofit organizations, is funded by a $22,500 grant from The Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation. The speakers program features current and past recipients of the Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. This years participants are: . Philip Gulley, 2016 Regional Author Winner . Sarah Gerkensmeyer, 2016 Emerging Author Finalist . Bill Kenley, 2016 Emerging Author Finalist . Edward Kelsey Moore, 2016 Emerging Author Finalist . Adrian Matejka, 2015 Regional Author Winner . Laura Bates, 2015 Emerging Author Finalist . Michael Shelden, 2014 National Author Winner Indiana Humanities will select up to 20 organizations and match them to their preferred authors through an application process. Application guidelines are available at www.IndianaHumanities.org/ncspeakersprogram. The deadline to apply is Oct. 15. In addition to paying the speakers fees, Indiana Humanities will provide participating organizations with resources such as a communications toolkit, press release template and event banner. Participating organizations are responsible for working with authors to schedule engagements and cover travel expenses. Author events must be completed by June 30, 2017. Were excited to provide more opportunities for Hoosiers to learn from and get inspired by some of Indianas most talented authors, said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. The Glick Funds generosity allows us to support more events around the state, connecting more residents with insightful discussions and readings. Indiana Humanities Novel Conversations program is a free statewide lending library offering sets of books, primarily fiction and biographies, to reading and discussion groups at libraries, senior centers, schools and other places throughout the state. Indiana Humanities makes available 600 titles by more than 500 authors, approximately 45 of whom are Hoosiers. All of the authors taking part in this years speakers program are represented in the Novel Conversations library. Any Indiana resident with a book club can participate in Novel Conversations for free. Books are shipped via the Indiana State Librarys INfo Express service to libraries around the state, or picked up and returned at Indiana Humanities headquarters in Indianapolis. Residents of areas outside library districts may be eligible for free direct shipping. All books must be reserved in advance online by visiting www.indianahumanities.org/novelconversations. In addition to this program, Indiana Humanities offers a variety of opportunities for nonprofits to participate in the humanities. These include grants for humanities-based projects, and a community discussion around the WFYI-produced film Hoosiers: The Story of Indiana. Additionally, Trek and Talk Toolkits are available to individuals or groups and contain everything participants need to create a D-I-Y Next Indiana Campfires excursion, which pairs literature with nature. Organizations interested in learning more about these opportunities can find more information on registering and applying online at IndianaHumanities.org. instagram We had told you recently about how Yuvraj Singh's fiance, Hazel Keech, was denied money by Western Union for 'not being Hind enough'. While Hazel took to Twitter to express her angst, even Yuvraj Singh couldn't help but slam the international money transfer company. Hazel spoke to Bombay Times about the incident and she was clearly upset about it all. She said, "I was very angry. They were trying to be difficult the moment I walked in. Had it been the case of me not carrying the right documents, I wouldn't mind but they said it was because of my name. I told them that I am an Indian citizen, so how does it matter what my name is! Indian citizens don't need to show a passport, you just need government documents as ID proof (pan card and driving license) and I had that with me. But they refused to see my IDs. I spoke to three officers and all three were rude. They kept laughing and sneering." rediff The actress revealed that the reason she made her contempt public is because it's not the first time it has happened. She added, "I don't want anyone to go through this. I am not dramatic or the kind who makes a fuss about things, but this behaviour is unacceptable. My friend, who is an Indian citizen, born and raised in Pune, has faced a similar situation because her name is Insia Lacewala. May be I should change my name to Gayatri or Bhagwati next time. I even asked them if I should recite the Gayatri Mantra or Hanuman Chalisa. My mother is a Hindu and she is a brown Indian lady, who was with me when this happened. They gave me a tough time because I am fair-skinned. You cannot deny me something because of my name or the way I look. India is known for its diversity and such acts should not happen." We're with you on this one Hazel! A tourist looking to send a letter to family in the village of Buardalur in western Iceland, found himself in a bit of a pickle when he realised he didn't know the address. He did the next best thing - he drew a map on the letter instead. And the letter was actually delivered! The description on the letter went something like this: Skessuhorni/Steina Matt via imgur "Country: Iceland City: Buardalur Name: a horse farm with an icelandic/danish couple and 3 kids and a lot of sheep That wasn't all. He was kind enough to write an additional hint, "the danish woman works in a supermarket in Buardalur." And finally ended with 'Takk fyrir!,'Icelandic for thank you. The story first popped up on a Reddit thread. Flickr/Didier Baertschiger/CC BY-SA 2.0 While the map itself looked like a kid may have drawn it, the 'tourist' gets full points for including a red 'here' dot. Have you tried something as rad as this. Sound off in the comments section below. Yesterday turned out to be quite memorable as far as the telecom industry was concerned. While Reliance came out of oblivion to take the nation by storm other service providers whined, howled and lost money in thousands of crores (market share). However, there are still some confused souls out there who don't know what Jio is, and why this is a big deal for everyone. This pocket guide is for those who missed the Jio storm. techfactslive.com What is Reliance Jio? Reliance Jio, or officially known as Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL), is a service provider for mobile networks, broadband services and digital services in India. Jio claims to be the only true provider of 4G LTE services pan-India. The services were launched in the beta phase for Jio's partners and their employees on the 27th of December 2015, on the eve of the late Dhirubhai Ambani's birth anniversary. Yesterday, at the Reliance AGM, chairman Mukesh Ambani officially launched the services. Still, what can one get? Okay, it's everything you associate the word 'internet' with. Jio offers SIM cards for 4G enabled phones and 4G personal hotspots for wireless internet on the go. Reliance also offers Jio apps that promise to offer exclusive digital content (music, videos, TV and movies). The company is also offering budget-friendly smartphones via a subsidiary called LYF with Jio services. In the recent future, the company also plans to launch home internet with speeds up to 1 GBps. Does it only work with LYF phones? Can I use on my iPhone and Android? No, buying a LYF phone is not necessary if you don't need one. As of now, Jio services were only available on select Android phones that support VOLTE but Reliance promises that it will be available for any phone that supports 4G from September 5th 2016. telecomtalk.info Where can I get Jio sim card? Jio Sim cards are exclusively available only at Reliance Digital Stores. You can download MyJio Android app to check the nearest Reliance Digital stores around you. However, thanks to overwhelming response, you might have to register first and wait a few days before actually receiving the Sim. All you need to carry with you is an Aadhar card and 2 passport size photographs. If you buy a LYF phone, you get a Sim card along with it. No waiting. Is the Sim card free? Yes. Can the activated Sim work on other devices? No. Since the SIM card is IMEI bound, it will only work on the device it was first activated in. Is a postpaid SIM also available? Not currently. Which other phones are compatible right now? Currently, the services are available on Samsung, HTC, Micromax, Sony, Vivo, Intex, Lava, Gionee, Panasonic, Asus, Xolo, LG, Karbonn, Videocon, YU, Sansui, Alcatel and TCL handsets. bgr.in Is is still in the preview stages or has it been commercially launched? Jio will be commercially launched in 2017. It's still in the testing phase which is why all of Jio services are being offered to the public for free of cost until 31st December. Expect some bugs, though. Why is it making so much noise? Because Reliance just showed India how cheap internet data actually is. They completely disrupted the market providing some jaw-dropping offers. Not only are they providing the internet to everyone at throw away prices, but are also making voice calls to any network whether local or roaming absolutely free. Check out this link to know what Mukesh Ambani said in the press conference. Is data unlimited in the welcome offer? 4GB per day is available at 4G speeds. It drops to 128 kbps after. rtn.asia Can I keep my old number and switch to Jio? Only after it is commercially launched in 2017. What kind of speeds should I expect? Jio promises speeds up to 135 Mbps but that depends on your location. In some areas speeds up to 90 Mbps have been recorded while in some places the speed has been as low as 1 Mbps. A uniform speed should be expected once it commercially launches. Should I go for it? Reliance has done what they do best - offer a dream that sounds too good to be true. But it actually seems to be happening. The network still has some major glitches which need to be fixed, which is partly a reason why it is being offered for free until 31st December. So if you have a dual-SIM phone, sure, go for it. It doesn't hurt anyone since it's free. But wait for it to launch commercially before you make it your primary network of choice. Samsung has suspended the sale of its latest flagship phone Galaxy Note 7 and is set to recall an unspecified number of devices across the globe after reports emerged that some of the handsets are bursting into flames while charging. techtimes.com Samsung told CNN that it believes the problem lies with the batteries. However, its sister company Samsung SDI, responsible for the manufacturing and supply of batteries for Note 7, told Reuters that they had received no information which suggested that the battery may have been faulty. Samsung has said that they are investigating the matter that first was reported by South Korea's Yonhap News. A total of 35 similar cases has occurred worldwide, the company confirmed. softpedia.com Samsung issued a statement regarding the issue which reads- "Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7. For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible." The unsold phones of the flagship model have been recalled while the company has delayed further shipments of the device. The consumers who already own the phones are being offered replacements. The massive mistake has cost the company $7 billion of its market value. The phone was launched last month and received a positive review worldwide for the specifications it boasted of. A total of 2.5 million handsets have been produced globally. There have been cases of iPhones bursting into flames as well, but since this has been happening in numbers, it is alarming. Rape cases are reported almost every other day across the country, but the government figures say otherwise. The data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) a government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data shows a 5.67 percent decline in cases of rape for the year 2015 as compared to 2014. BCCL The number rape cases registered in 2015 slipped to 34,651 from 36,735 in 2014. The incidents of gang-rape have also gone down by 2,113 last year from 2,346 in the preceding year a reduction of 9.93 percent. However, other sexual offences against women such as sexual harassment, stalking, voyeurism, assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty witnessed a marginal increase of 2.5 percent. A total of 84,222 cases of these natures were registered in 2015 as against 82,2335 in 2014. BCCL Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal fared worst in the NCRB report on crime against women. UP filed 35,527 cases of crime against women in the year 2015 and contributed 10.9 percent to the all-India total, followed by West Bengal with 33,218 cases and Maharashtra with 31,126. With 28,165 cases, Rajasthan stood at number four in the annual report. Among Union Territories, Delhi reported the highest number of crimes against women with 17,104 cases in 2015, followed by Chandigarh at 463. A total of 2,199 rape cases were reported from Delhi last year, followed by 72 in Chandigarh and 36 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Lakshadweep is the only place where no case of rape was registered in 2015. The report also suggests 16,966 rape victims were in the age group of 16-30 years 49 percent of all cases. The chargesheeting rate according to the report stood at 96.1 percent for rape cases and 89.4 percent in overall crimes against women. BCCL Kidnapping of women saw a rise of 3.43 percent to 59,277 cases in 2015 from 57,311 in 2014. Forcing a woman into marriage continues to be the chief reason to kidnap her. According to the data, in 2015, close to 54% of all abductions of women were carried out to force them into marriage. In 2014 too, this reason was behind over 50% of all kidnappings of women. Police sources said such high numbers of kidnappings for marriage were probably due to the fact that parents of girls who eloped often registered cases of kidnapping against the man the girl had fled with. Offenders known to rape victims in over 95% cases According to the NCRB data, offenders were known to the victims in at least 95.5 percent rape cases. Of the total 34,651 rape cases reported last year, at least in 33,098 cases, offenders were known to the victims including relatives, neighbours and employers. In only 1,553 cases, offenders were not identified by the victims. Cities most unsafe for women The city that has performed the worst on women safety indicator is Jodhpur. The Rajasthan city that boasts of forts and palaces recorded high rate of crimes in both indicators. It saw 152 rape cases and 440 cases of assault that included sexual harassment and voyeurism in 2015. BCCL/representational image Behind it is national capital Delhi. Already infamous for it's poor safety record, NCRB data doesn't prove otherwise either. It recorded a total of 1,893 rape cases and 4,563 assault cases last year. In third is Gwalior with a crime rate of 10.4 in rape cases. A total of 188 cases of assault against women were registered here in 2015. BCCL/representational image Another city performing badly on women safety indicators is Bhopal. The state capital saw 133 rape cases and 322 cases of assault outraging the modesty of women. Nagpur in Maharashtra is yet another city figuring in the findings. The city with a population of 65 lakh has a worse crime record compared to some of the bigger metros like Mumbai and Kolkata. BCCL Last in the list is a city from Chhattisgarh - Durg-Bhilainagar town. With a population of 10 lakhs, the city figured high in assault cases against women, NCRB data has shown. It had also a crime rate of 16.4, just below cities like Bhopal and Gwalior. Four home ministry officials, including joint secretary of the foreigners division G K Dwivedi, have been suspended for the renewal of the foreign funding licence of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). AFP The renewal of the licence embarrassed the Centre as it came even as agencies are mulling slapping terror charges against Naik in the wake of claims that he influenced youth to join Islamic State and the Bangladesh government's allegation that the Dhaka cafe attackers were inspired by him. "The MHA has suspended four officers, including Dwivedi and three officers below him. A departmental inquiry is being ordered against him to find out if there was any mala fide intention behind renewal of registration of IRF under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA). Action will be taken accordingly," said an MHA official. BCCL Also Read: Zakir Naik Likely To Face Terror Charges As Government Set To Ban His NGO Home ministry officers said it is highly unlikely that the file regarding licence renewal for IRF, being scanned not only for possible FCRA violations but also for forced conversions and spreading communal hatred, was cleared in a moment of oversight. "The government and its security agencies are weighing the option of declaring IRF an 'unlawful' organisation under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and the foreigners division brass decides to renew its FCRA licence. This could well be an intentional act and not a plain goof-up," said an officer. Incidentally, the MHA had last month sent a standard questionnaire to IRF seeking foreign funding details. An IRF spokesperson was quoted on Thursday by a private news channel as saying that the NGO's licence had been renewed last week and that it had replied to the MHA questionnaire. Also Read: No Clean Chit to Dr Zakir Naik, Investigating Agencies Likely To Ask Him To Join Probe When reached out, the spokesperson said the NGO had nothing to say on the suspension of the MHA officers. He also refused to specify the exact timing of renewal of the FCRA certificate. Nearly 24 years after the Babri Masjid was demolished, resulting in communal strife across India, a 300-year-old dilapidated mosque would be rebuilt on the land belonging to Hanumangarhi temple, which is far away from the disputed site in Ayodhya. TOI Days after a local civic body declared the Aalamgiri Masjid `hazardous', and pasted a notice banning entry into the building, Hanumangarhi temple trust, which is in possession of the masjid land, not only allowed its reconstruction and agreed to bear the cost but also welcomed Muslims to offer namaz in the premises. Aalamgiri Masjid was built in the 17th century with the consent of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb by one of his generals. The structure and its land situated in an area called Argara came in the possession of the Hanumangarhi temple after Nawab Shujauddaulah donated the land to the temple in around 1765, on the condition that namaz would continue at the masjid. However, gradually the practice of offering namaz came to an end and the masjid was lying abandoned with no renovation or maintenance. Ayodhya municipal board had recently put up a notice on its wall banning entry into the masjid.This galvanised a group of local Muslims following which they met Hanumangarhi's chief priest Mahant Gyan Das, requesting him the permission to get the masjid repaired. BCCL "I asked our Muslim brothers to renovate and reconstruct the masjid on our expense and also issued noobjection certificate for Muslims to offer namaz as this is also a `Khuda ka ghar'," Mahant Gyan Das told TOI. "I am also extending support for the renovation of a mausoleum on the premises which is as old as the masjid," added Gyan Das, who has been holding iftar for Ayodhya Muslims during Ramzan. Elaborating on the masjid, historian Roshan Taqui said, "After the battle of Buxar in 1764, Shujauddaulah, the Nawab of Awadh, moved his capital from Faizabad to Lucknow. During his reign in Faizabad he had donated the land in Ayodhya for the construction of Hanumangarhi temple. After he shifted to Lucknow, when a delegation of mahants visited him and appealed for more land, the nawab donated four pucca bighas of land that already had on it a masjid built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb." The new set of rules, prescribed by the Army Headquarters, terms overweight personnel as a public embarrassment due to slovenly appearance in uniform, an ET report said. BCCL The issue has serious ramifications, not only affecting combat readiness but also leading to avoidable ailments resulting in reduced life span in addition to public embarrassment due to slovenly appearance in uniform, Economic Times quoted the set of instructions sent to all commands on August 8. The new rules will also have a significant impact on the postings and promotions of officers. As per the report, the Army wants to bar overweight personnel from receiving unit citations or act as escorts at award ceremonies. Awards will also be received by the senior most fit officers of the unit, besides losing the opportunity to apply for reemployment. BCCL Significantly, the Army also proposes not to recommend overweight personnel for distinguished service awards. The proposed measures, which have been sent for comments to all Army Commands, further state that personnel appearing to be overweight will be evaluated by Army doctors and a 10 per cent obesity above ideal levels will be recorded in their annual reports. ACRs will also include front and side profiles of all personnel, the instructions read. The move comes on the back of the Army chief telling officers at a meeting that even some commanding officers and brigade commanders were not fit. Moreover, the Army chief believes that this has kept some of them from visiting difficult posts, the report said. BCCL The concentrated effort is a personal initiative of Army chief Dalbir Singh, who is known for his outstanding fitness and runs 10 km daily. Comments were also made on expanding waistlines by top echelons of the government at an event in the Capital earlier this year. China may be catching up to the way of life for some in India quicker than you'd think. The fact that a growing number of followers in China recently celebrated Krishna Janmashtami in an event organised by members of the ISKCON group, and that there's a popular Krishna temple in Taipei gives the whole Hare Krishna movement a new dimension. Does anyone else find the fact that we now have an almost religion in common with a country we share no other ambitions with a little bizarre? The Janmashtami celebrations had the whole shebang - chants of 'Hare Krishna,' Bhagvad Gita readings, a special Bhagvad song and plenty sweets to go around till the end of the block and back. Curiously enough, this is a trend that seems to have picked up within families located in urban areas of China. Like us, the Chinese lean towards a more traditional culture and this could perhaps begin to explain the trend Comyan Many cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, the province of Wuhan and Harbin celebrated the event, reports HT. The biggest celebration took place at the International Buddhist Items and Crafts Fair in Dongguan city in Guangdong. Gaudiya Das, who identifies himself as another Krishna 'bhakt', told HT, At the Dongguan fair, we presented the idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra as three international angels of auspiciousness and distributed 3,000 packages of sweets. Krishna Janmashtami celebrations took place across China HT/Sutirtho Patranobis Citing 'sensitivity' issues, Das chose not to term this a 'movement' and was quick to add, We do not want any trouble with the government. The programmes were unofficial, said Das to HT. One of the reasons why this trend may have picked up in China could be explained by the fact that, like us, the Chinese lean towards a more traditional culture. And when you add something like yoga, which led to this in the first place, to the equation, what also follows is a religious get-to-know, of sorts. That said, the report claims that this has less to do with religion and is more a celebration. China seems to reviving a lot of its old and lost religions Comyan Could China be a country looking for a new religion to hold its people together? Reportedly, a lot of religions in the country have now been given a new lease of life. There's no saying how long this trend will continue, but at the moment the followers only seem to be growing, and the Chinese government's liberal approach seems to be a little hard to swallow in one gulp. Foreign ambassadors meet with China's Supreme People's Court for a dialogue in Aug. 2014 in Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images) China's Supreme People's Court is set to introduce an English-language version of their website to enable foreigners to learn the country's judicial system and provide them with information related to judicial documents, including court verdicts, China Daily reported. Advertisement "We need to introduce the verdict website in English, as disputes involving foreign litigants are rising rapidly, and to assist in the preparation of related work," Li Liang, director of the Trial Management Department at the Supreme People's Court, said on Tuesday, Aug.30. "We'd like to provide foreigners with a better guide in English on the website if they need to search for verdicts and related judicial documents," Li said, although the law says that verdicts must be written in Chinese. Li said that in coastal regions such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, where cases involving foreigners are on the rise, some courts would like to provide foreigners with legal services and assistance. "We hope to ease access to courts for litigants, no matter where they are from," Li said. He added that the verdicts in the English-language version would be based on the Chinese website. According to the top court, the Chinese version has published more than 20 million verdicts and has reached more than 2 billion visits, 500 million of them from overseas, since July 2013. Liu Xuewen, a member of the court's Judicial Committee, said that through the website, users may register to enable them to search and download verdicts. "This is an effective way to improve judicial transparency," Liu said. On Monday, Aug. 29, the top court released a revised rule to regulate disclosure, clarifying how verdicts should be released, including the types of judgments that should not be made public. The new rule will take effect on Oct. 1, when the public will have access to all verdicts within seven days and the disclosures are expanded. "In the past, some courts did not release initial rulings on the website as there was no unified standard on disclosure," Li said. "But starting in October, judgments made at any stage will be released." Based on the rule, verdicts that cover divorces, offenders under age 18, and State secrets are not included in the disclosure. Personal information of litigants, including home addresses, bank account details and car registration plate numbers or identity cards will also be deleted from the verdicts. The move was praised by Huang Jin, president of China University of Political Science and Law, but he noted that some courts are too conservative in opening administrative and criminal verdicts to the public. Huang said that out of the 20 million verdicts published, 3.6 million are related to criminal cases, while 680,000 involved administrative cases. He added that the website should also provide a channel where people can immediately report about flawed verdicts or improper disclosure. Goa government is planning not to permit the crowd-pulling dance music festivals in the state between December 15 and January 15 which is the peak tourist season, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said today. BCCL "We are seriously thinking not to allow mega events like EDM festivals between December 15 and January 15 every year as the state witnesses rush of tourists during that time who arrive here to usher in the New Year," Mr Parulekar told Press Trust of India. If the organisers want, they can have their event before December 15 or after January 15, when the peak time for rush of tourists is not there, he said. BCCL Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festivals -- Sunburn and VH1 Supersonic are held annually in Goa in the last week of December. The state police had earlier objected to these events pointing out that it creates pressure on the law and order machinery. Mr Parulekar said the state-level permission panel held its first meeting yesterday and expressed reservations on allowing the music festivals during the peak season. BCCL The government is of the view that it is not possible to allow two EDM festivals at the same time from the security point of view, he said. Both the organisers have already moved an application seeking permission to host the festival this year. "The panel has asked them to submit their proposed dates for holding the event. We have also conveyed the organisers to consider holding the events before December 15 or post January 15 to reduce further pressure on the state machinery," the minister said. All the best heroes are just ordinary people, who make themselves extraordinary with their deeds. One such super-woman who saved an army mans life is an example of just that. On August 20th, a group of soldiers who belonged to Assam Rifles were being trained at the Jutogh Cantt. During the course of that training, some hostile stray dogs started chasing them. Times Of India Mukesh Kumar, a soldier who was being trained there, jumped into a 50-feet-deep roadside pit as soon as the dogs approached him. In that process, he hit his head and fell completely unconscious. It was then that Veena Sharma, a 42-year-old local, approached Mukesh at the spur of the moment and saved his life. She performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and did everything that she could to save his life. Veena Sharma is a resident of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, who defied all the odds in this situation. She didnt waste a single second and ran towards Mukesh the moment she saw him, while other Jawans stood still, assuming Mukesh was dead. Finding no other way to shift the injured man, I called my 72-year-old father Ramesh Sharma, who rarely drives these days, to bring the car. Since none of the soldiers knew how to drive, it was left to my father to transport the injured soldier to Jutogh military hospital, she said to the Time of India. Later, in the process of honouring her, Assam Rifles commanding officer honoured her with a memento and an appreciation letter. In a setback for AAP ahead of next year's assembly polls in Punjab, former BJP MP Navjot Sindhu has floated a new front called "Aawaaz-e-Punjab." "Along with Pargat Singh and Bains brothers, we have formed a front," Navjot Kaur Sidhu said. The front formed by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Pargat Singh and Bains brothers will be called "Aawaaz-e-Punjab". The 'Aawaaz-e-Punjab' will be formally launched next week. Read more 1. Three Terror Attacks Within Hours Leave At Least 17 Dead In Pakistan At least 12 people were killed and 52 others injured as a suicide bomber attacked a court complex in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The incident took place at the Mardan District court on Friday while dozens of people had assembled there. According to local media reports the attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding himself at the main gate of the courts. Read more 2. Indian Army At War With Overweight Personnel, Calls It 'Public Embarrassment' The new set of rules, prescribed by the Army Headquarters, terms overweight personnel as a public embarrassment due to slovenly appearance in uniform. The new rules will also have a significant impact on the postings and promotions of officers. As per the report, the Army wants to bar overweight personnel from receiving unit citations or act as escorts at award ceremonies. Awards will also be received by the senior most fit officers of the unit, besides losing the opportunity to apply for reemployment. Read more 3. Astrologer Predicts A Girl Child, In-Laws Attack Pregnant Woman With Acid In Andhra Pradesh A pregnant woman from Andhra Pradeshs Nellor was attacked with acid, for the likelihood of giving birth to a girl child. Acid was thrown on 28-year-old Girija's stomach by her in-laws on August 19 while she was sleeping. Girija who was taken to a hospital by neighbours suffered nearly 30 per cent burns and is now recovering. The case came to light after she filed a police complaint against her in-laws. Girijas husband and father-in-law have been arrested on charges of attempt to murder. Read more 4. Air India Pilot Who Put The Lives Of 200 Passengers At Risk Because Of His Sudden Mood Swing To Get Clean Chit A senior Air India executive commander prone to sudden, psychotic mood swings carried out an extremely unsafe manoeuvre onboard a Delhi-Paris flight on April 28 putting the Boeing 787 and the lives of over 200 passengers and crew at risk. A panel formed to probe the incident concluded last month that the commander should undergo psychiatric evaluation and thereafter fly only as a co-pilot for six months, during which his behaviour should be under check. The commander is currently grounded, but the airline has formed another committee to relook the case and there are apprehensions he may get a clean chit. Read more 5. Trade Unions Observe Bharat Bandh Major trade unions across India have gone on a nationwide strike to protest the government's alleged "indifference" to their demand for better wages and "anti-worker" changes in labour laws.Over a million workers from at least 10 central trade unions are part of the strike lead by left-leaning unions. The notable absentee among the unions is the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, affiliated to the ruling BJP. According to the unions over 18 crore workers joined the all-India strike, making it bigger than the one held on the same day last year. Read more 6. Four Home Ministry Officials Suspended After Zakir Naik's NGO Cleared For Foreign Funds Four home ministry officials, including joint secretary of the foreigners division G K Dwivedi, have been suspended for the renewal of the foreign funding licence of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). The renewal of the licence embarrassed the Centre as it came even as agencies are mulling slapping terror charges against Naik in the wake of claims that he influenced youth to join Islamic State and the Bangladesh government's allegation that the Dhaka cafe attackers were inspired by him. Read more When India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, made his hallowed speech of Independence at midnight on August 14-15, 1947, India celebrated its freedom from centuries of slavery from the British. Nehru had said, 'Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom,'. But while most us enjoyed that first morning of independent India, there were millions of people who had to wait for more than five years to celebrate liberation from the label of being 'Criminal Tribes'. The 150 or so communities labelled as criminal tribes by the British had to wait a further five years, until August 31, 1952, for their vimukti diwas (liberation day) when the Criminal Tribes Act 1871 was repealed by Indian Parliament in 1952. Denotified tribes of India. Credit: Dakxin Bajarange/Youtube These tribes celebrate their Independence on August 31 when the act was repealed and they were given some freedom the label of being born criminals. By the time of their denotification in 1952, roughly 3.5 million people were labelled criminal tribes. Who are the denotified tribes (DNTs)? Today, there are a number of people, as strong as 20 million, who are DNTs, across India. But most of us don't even know who these DNTs are. DNTs, also known as Vimukta Jati, are tribes that were originally listed under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, as 'Criminal Tribes'. The Act was seen as a deliberate move by the British to deem the mobile and resistant groups as 'Born Criminals'. The British, irrespective of individual behaviour, habits and actions, deemed entire communities, including men, women and children, as criminals and were subjected to strict supervisory measures. Once a tribe became "notified" as criminal, all its members were required to register with the local magistrate, failing which they would be charged with a "crime" under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It was no different from creating a caste for criminals. The only difference was that the group comprised several castes, and pre-existing prejudices about some of these castes only gave this act some sort of legitimacy in Indian society. As a result, their movement was restricted and daily reporting to the police was made mandatory for them. Many were interred in labour settlements and individuals were deported to penal colonies on the Andaman Islands. But did they get freedom in 1952? No. Even after the government of India repealed 1871's Criminal Tribes Act on August 31, 1952, the tribes that were once deemed as 'Born Criminals' by the British did not get complete freedom from this stigma. wikipedia The government of India, although de-notified the tribes, didn't abolish the colonial act completely, but instead reduced its ferocity and replaced it with a series of Habitual Offenders Acts, that asked police to investigate a suspect's criminal tendencies, and whether their occupation is conducive to a settled way of life. The denotified tribes were reclassified as "habitual offenders" in 1959. But didn't that mean upholding the British belief? Though these Vemukta Jatis celebrate their freedom day on August 31, 1952 when the colonial act was repealed, its replacement with the Habitual Offenders Act, 1959 somehow again legitimatises the British belief of these tribes having criminal instincts. Soon the denotified tribes realised that their freedom was yet to be achieved as mainstream Indian society still treated them as habitual criminals if not born. Thus people began their struggle to get out this state sponsored stigma. Most notably, the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes Rights Action Group was founded in 1998 following the death of Budhan Sabar in police custody. Celebrated activists, such as the late Mahasweta Devi, played a decisive role in bringing their cause to the national stage. The stigma still haunts them The recent gang rape case near Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, once again brought the lamented criminal communities to the fore when the accused were identified as people belonging to the Bawaria community. BCCL Crimes like rapes and murders happen across the globe but the media is focused on the identity of the community instead of the henious act done by the accused. Media organisations as big as national newspapers did stories profiling the Bawaria community and its history as a community with a long association with crime. This is not the first such incident. There have been several instances where even the courts have seen the accused in the light of the historic background of his community. What is the maximum jail sentence that one can get? In India, the life sentence term is for 14 years. In some rare cases the court could sentence a convict for life, which means the rest of the lifetime is spent behind the bars. It seem like a Banyan tree in Pakistan's Khyber Agency has been serving a life term. The tree located in Landi Kotal army cantonment area, was arrested in 1898 for allegedly attempting to attack a British official. Dawn A plaque fixed on the tree reads I am under arrest the tree was arrested at the orders of British army officer James Squid who was drunk at the time and saw an old banyan tree lurch towards him. Squid ordered a soldier to arrest the tree immediately. Ever since it has been tied to chains - maybe because it may try to escape or something! Express Tribune While many locals feel that keeping it on chains is an injustice, others feel that a chained tree could be the best way to highlight the legacy of the British Raj. Germany's center-right coalition is working on new laws to cut the rising trend of child marriages in the country. This comes after 100 cases of child brides married to significantly older men were found in Berlin alone this year. Many of the migrant girls come as "child brides" to older men. They were married in their home country before arriving in Germany. Reuters Child marriages are not allowed in Germany, that is, 18 years and under cannot legally get married in the country. However, if a child is 16 and wishes to get married then he/she may seek permission from the family court. German authorities realise that some immigrants come from countries where child marriages are allowed. But German courts ruled that child marriages which took place in a country where this practice is legal shall not be recognised under German Law because it disrupts the German public order. Regional paper Passauer Neue Presse reported a paper published by the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), that said, "The priority of child welfare and the equal treatment of men and women are pillars of our society and our understanding of our values." Reuters ALSO READ: Syrian Refugees Create An App To Help New Comers In Germany Find Their Way Through Bureaucracy While the local government of Berlin reported that 100 cases of child marriages were found in June this year, RT reported that the state of Bavaria found 550 such cases. And North Rhine-Westphalia, a region in Germany, has almost 200 underage marriages registered. So there could be thousands of these cases in Germany. CEO of UNICEF, Christian Schneider, expressing concern, said, "The state has a particular responsibility to protect the welfare of refugee children who live in Germany". At least 12 people were killed and 52 others injured as a suicide bomber attacked a court complex in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. ARY News The incident took place at the Mardan District court on Friday while dozens of people had assembled there. According to local media reports the attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding himself at the main gate of the courts. ARY News So far we recovered 12 bodies of the lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot, Haris Habib, chief rescue officer in Mardan told Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune. The explosion at the court complex was the second in the same area-earlier in the day "there was a small blast followed by a big blast" Habib said. ARY News Jamaatul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, better known as Pakistan Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier on Friday a Christian in colony in Peshawar near the Pak-Afghan border had come under attack. At least four terrorists and one civilian were killed in the incident. Reuters According to reports, around five-six gunmen wearing suicide jackets entered the colony in the early hours. Before they could cause much damage, the Pakistan Army launched a counter operation killing the gunmen. There are four bodies of terrorists and they look like suicide bombers as some of them are in pieces. One Christian has been killed while two private security guards Khud Ali and Najeem and one police constable Sajjad have been wounded seriously," The Express Tribune quoting a police officer reported. Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar.Sec forces Promptly responded,all 4 suicide bombers killed.Search in progress. Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 2, 2016 The series of attacks comes weeks after a civil hospital in Quetta, Balochistan came under attack killing nearly 40 people, mostly lawyers. Chinese media may be contributing to China's slowing economy. (Photo : Getty Images) China is restructuring its economy for the better, something that could prove as a global model for nations looking to mimic its path to development. A report from the Xinhua News Agency revealed how China's economic reform puts the Middle Kingdom in a "sustainable growth path" as described by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Chairman Hans-Paul Burkner. Advertisement This, says China Daily, brings up the possibility of the Asian giant providing an ideal model of economy especially for third world nations that look to reforms to achieve economic growth. China's Economic Reform An August report from the Xinhua News Agency revealed how China's economy is stable but coming out slightly lower in July than what was expected for the period. According to the report, the fixed-asset investment growth dropped to 8.1 percent between January and July 2016 which is the lowest growth rate it recorded by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for a decade. Sheng Laiyun, a spokesperson from NBS said that China's economic restructuring is at a "crucial stage" at the time as the economic growth maintained a steady 6.7 percent in Q2 2016 which is the lowest it has been since 2009's global financial crisis. However, the report said that that is still within the Chinese government's target range which is between 6.5 and 7 percent for 2016. Global Economic Model Now, China caught the attention of BCG chairman who told Xinhua that the country's growth is looking so good it could provide a great economic model for other countries. "In the long run, we believe reforms will improve the health of the Chinese economy. Ultimately, this (economic restructuring and rebalancing) will put China on a more sustainable growth path, and will help solidify its role as a main economic driver in the global economy," Burkner stated. Speaking of the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit this September, Burkner is optimistic that China will pull through and come out as a significant factor in the development of global economy. "As China plays an increasingly important role on the global stage, we expect to see increasing Chinese leadership in the G20 to define a joint vision and to initiate actions for the global economic agenda," he added. Echoing Burkner's opinion, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Quantitative and Technical Economics researcher Wang Xiangyu said that at the rate China is improving after the slowdown, there is a good chance that the country would emerge successful. "I'm quite confident China will accomplish its restructuring agenda since it has become quite resilient now," Wang told China Daily. Chinese passengers still prefer taking a taxi. (Photo : Getty Images) Didi, in its efforts to further strengthen its hold in the Chinese public transportation market, formed partnerships with 50 different taxi companies in the country. The scope of the partnership spans 10 cities in China. Didi's CEO acknowledges that most commuters take taxis and would like to take advantage of this trend. Advertisement According to Chang Wei, "Apart from sharing technology breakthroughs with taxis, Didi has been vigorously facilitating the integration of taxis and other vehicles that provide transportation services via ride-hailing apps." The company intends to use a 100 million yuan fund to reward taxi drivers. This is to enhance more taxis to use the Didi system. In a ceremony, Shenzhen Shangchao Taxi Service Co. Ltd., along with other taxi companies from Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, Shanxi, Anhui, and Nantong, signed an agreement with Didi. The partnership will also enable Didi to hail taxis as well as private car owners. Availing of taxis and cars will be easier for commuters. This move followed the government's move to legalize car-hailing services. This made a fair competition between Didi drivers and taxis. Wang Xiaofeng, an analyst at consultancy Forrester Inc., said, "With the aim to cover the whole car-hailing services, Didi need to tap further into the taxi market. If Didi did not make the move, another similar platform would take the business over." Didi Chuxing is expected to strengthen further. They recently have forced Uber China to merge with Didi after a very long battle to gain a grip on the Chinese market. It was also reported that major companies like Alibaba and Apple have been backing Didi. Business analyst Karishma Vaswani believed that the Uber's merger with Didi was a sign of maturity for the company. He wrote, "If the departure from the Chinese market means a sizeable stake in the biggest ride-sharing player in the world's second-largest economy, which currently has a potential customer base of some 750 million people, and that's only going to grow - then that's not too shabby." Chinese companies want to pay less social security contributions. (Photo : Getty Images) The National Development and Reform Commission website indicated that Chinese companies are paying too much on social security premiums and are looking for ways to cut cost. There are five types of insurance policies that are being paid by companies. These are the mandatory pension, medical insurance, industrial injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance. Advertisement China has one of the largest social security contributions per worker. The country is ranked at the top 13, and requires contributions that are bigger than some European countries and the U.S. Total contributions are being paid by enterprises. Yang Jianhua, director of the Center for Public Policy at the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said, "A few years ago, when the domestic economy was relatively robust, social security spending was already a big cost for many private companies. Nowadays, with a sluggish global and domestic economy, the problem has become grim." If the government allows the reduction in payments, the NDRC said that companies will be saving as much as 150 billion yuan. Yang added, "Generally speaking, the Chinese government's fiscal expenditure on social security is at a relatively low level. Additionally, the government's welfare spending is uneven, with those within the administrative system enjoying better social security welfare, and others, like rural workers and employees in private companies having a lower level of social security." Another expert, Zhong Hongwu, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that government should support the social service system and not let businesses shoulder the burden. He said, "If the current social security scheme is to be adjusted, the government shouldn't transfer the burden from enterprises to employees. Instead, the government should think of ways to enrich the social security funds itself." "We can not utterly blame the enterprises for such deeds as a businessman's primary mission is to help his company survive," Zhong added. Nigerian based vehicle manufacturer, Innoson Motors has denied reports making the rounds claiming it has halted operations. Several companies have halted their Nigerian operations on the back of poor second quarter financial results. Aero Contractors as well as First Nation Airline have suspended their operations indefinitely. Innoson Motors denied the reports through their official Twitter handle The Kano State Hisbah Board said it had commenced medical screening of 1,000 prospective couples for the next Mass Wedding Programme in the state. NAN reports that no fewer than 4, 395 prospective couples were registered by the state government to participate in the programme. The Director General of the board, Dr Abba Sufi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday that the screening which started last week was aimed at ensuring the health status of the couples before the marriage. The medical screening started about eight days ago and it is intended to ascertain the health status of each and everyone of them. The screening is mandatory as it will enable the board and each partner to know the health status their partners before the marriage is conducted, he said. Sufi said the medical screening was in preparation for the conduct of the programme scheduled to take place after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration. The state government has planned to conduct the programme after Sallah, hence the decision to start the screening of the couples in time, Sufi said. He said the state government under the leadership of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje was committed to the success of the programme as it would check prostitution especially among indigent unmarried young girls and widows. NAN recalls that no fewer than 5,000 indigent unmarried young men and women benefited from the programme during the administration of former Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso who introduced it in 2012. Source: NAN A Surulere Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos on Friday granted bail to a 40-year-old man, Friday James, in the sum of N500,000 for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Ipaye Nwachukwu, ordered the accused to provide two sureties in like sum. Nwachukwu said that one of the sureties must be blood relation of the accused while the other must not be a civil servant not below GL-14. She said that the accused must deposit N100, 000 to the chief registrars account, and adjourned the case till Sept. 9 for mention. James, a resident of No. 15B, Onakoye Str., Sari-Iganmu, Lagos, pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of defilement. Prosecutor Anthonia Osanyade told the court that the accused committed the offence at Sari-Iganmu, Lagos, at about 6.00 p.m., on Aug. 20. Osanyade said that the accused sent the girl to buy N20 pure water for him. On her arrival, James dragged her into his room when she stretched her hand to give him his change and forcefully had sex with her, she said. She said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. (NAN) After a three-day visit to Lagos, Nigeria, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrived in Nairobi, Kenya for a similar visit. While in Nairobi, the billionaire visited iHub to interact with developers and entrepreneurs. The reason I specifically wanted to come to Nairobi is the fact that Kenya is a clear leader in mobile money, he said in a brief presser at iHub One of the things that is unique in Kenya is that mobile operators are the ones pushing mobile money while in other places, it is the banks, he said. We could take a partnership approach like the model we have with connectivity and partner with local operators, banks and governments. He also shared photos of himself on a wildlife tour around Lake Naivasha yesterday. For some good news, visiting Kenya means getting to see amazing natural beauty and wildlife, he posted on his page. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Uguru Usani, has denied speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari is contemplating a military action in the troubled Niger Delta over acts of militancy. The minister said that contrary to belief in some quarters, the Buhari administration has immense humane disposition towards the Niger Delta area and the people. He further stated that governments tolerance of the chain of reactions in the region is a demonstration of the fact that government is willing to bring peace at all reasonable cost. Mr. Usani, however, expressed displeasure with the attitude of most militants in the region to the peace process. According to him, the militants are not showing the required commitment to ensure peace in the region contrary to what many of them want the rest of the world to believe. Usani said contradictory signals from the militants tend to suggest that they do not often mean what they say. The same person saying lets negotiate and sends Mr. B to negotiate or to discuss can be the same person that will say I dont want and sending Mr. C to say we dont agree, the minister said in an interview published today. So the correlation in different shades is what complicates the situation but government is not relenting, we still want to talk with our people, he added. He also said that reports about the region are often exaggerated. Citing a recent warning by the United States Government to its citizens to be wary of doing business in the region, Usani said: in spite of that type of warning, businesses are going on there and investments are still coming in. Sometimes, the information that is given out about the region is actually beyond the proportion of the reality and so that should not discourage people from coming in. We know there are volatile areas in the Niger Delta region but there are still places of absolute peace and safety. When we went to the area where the bulk of oil production is carried out in Awka Ibom State, the report we had was that that place has never experienced any form of militancy, yet it is just by the maritime shell. Militancy has not taken place. The pocket of areas of violence should not abrogate the peaceful environment that really demands and commands investments and potentials. The minister who also spoke on the economic challenge in the country said: it is not everyone that is willingly submitting to what we call due process and it is not everyone that is actually committed to due process. Adjusting to the wind of change tends to convey an impression that this government is not interested in the welfare of people. This is not correct. Instead, we are far more interested in the welfare of the people. Basically, the challenge is to get people to understand that, without the foundation, there can be no structure established and that is the foundation that we are trying to set up which is also a serious challenge because change in every circumstance is always resisted. The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has disowned a social media account that quoted her as dismissing recession as just a word. The National Bureau of Statistics had on Wednesday officially declared that Nigeria had entered into a long predicted recession after her economy contracted by 2.06 per cent in the second quarter. Taking to her Twitter @Mrskemiadeosun, the minister said The strongest of all warriors are these two, time and patience. I know people are concerned about the recession. Recession is a word. Her comment drew the ire of Nigerians on social media and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which asked Mrs. Adeosun to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians for her insensitive comments. RELATED POST: You Must Apologize To Nigerians For Insensitive Comments, PDP Tells Adeosun Reacting to the controversy, Festus Akanbi, spokesman for Mr. Adeosun, said the Twitter account was fake and the statements did not reflect the views of the minister. The Twitter handle, @Mrskemiadeosun, does not belong to the Honourable Minister of Finance. At no point did she make that kind of statement in her interaction with the media after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday. The fake handle does not belong to her, Mr. Akanbi said. There are several other handles circulating on social media including Facebook. He also said his principal has no presence on Twitter. I can tell you categorically that she doesnt have a Twitter account, Mr. Akanbi said. The Peoples Democratic Partys call on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over the economic recession has been condemned by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. Describing the call as preposterous, the minister likened it to an armed robber commiserating with the victim. He said this on Friday in Abuja at a forum with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Mr. Mohammed said it is very painful in a situation where the armed robber is now the one sympathising with the victim. I read in the dailies that the PDP said that the president must resign because of the economy. While we are not going to indulge in blame game, I think we should also be honest enough to admit that we will not have been where we are today if they had done what they ought to do. For the party to ask the president to resign is just a big joke. The minister said though the government was not interested in blame game, it was important to set the records straight. He said that agree that Nigeria is not the only country hit by the recession and crash in price of crude, but other countries made savings. Saudi Arabia today has about 600 billion dollars in reserve and this is by planning and saving for the future which the past administration failed to do during surplus. This is not about blaming other administration, but we believe that one should be honest when criticizing. Mr. Mohammed, however, assured that the Federal Government would do everything possible to bring the country out of the economic recession. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to reconstitute the tripartite committee to negotiate a new minimum wage in view of the current economic recession facing the country. The current national minimum wage law, which prescribed N18,000 was enacted in 2011. However, increase in pump price of petroleum from N97 per litre to N145, with its attendant effect on cost of transportation, free-fall of the naira, rise in price of food stuffs, other commodities and services, has made the current minimum wage barely enough to cater for the needs of the average Nigerian worker. The situation is made worse by inability of some states to pay workers salaries as at when due, leading to untold hardships in the land. Speaking at the 59th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Congress in Lagos yesterday, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said it was high time the National Minimum Wage Act should be renegotiated. He said: The developments within the economy which has made nonsense of the purchasing power of the workers make the case for a new National Minimum Wage urgent. We hope that we will not be pushed into taking action that would be costly for the economy, which is already in deep trouble as it were. Our standpoint is that any of the parties to the negotiation who may have reasons why we shouldnt have a new National Minimum Wage should bring those arguments to the negotiation table. Samsung jumped from its Note 5 to the Note 7, boycotting the Note 6 in the series. It touted the Note 7 as the best smartphone/phablet youd and it was easy to see why. With crystal clear AMOLED display, am iris scanner and packing a 4GB rAM, the Note 7 is a true performer- but theres a bit of a snag. Samsung has ordered a global recall for the Note 7 following 35 reported cases of the phone exploding during or after charging. The president of Samsungs mobile business Koh Dong-jin told reporters; We have received several reports of battery explosion on the Note 7 that was officially launched on August 19 and it has been confirmed that it was a battery cell problem, Anyone who bought the Note 7 will now be able to swap it for a new one. It will come as a blow to Samsung, seeing as their rivals, Apple is rolling out its iPhone 7 this week. American business magazine, Forbes, which features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics has updated its list of the worlds most powerful people. This is the list according to Forbes: Vladimir Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin was ranked as the worlds most powerful leader by Forbes after Russia managed to put US threat of an attack on Syria at bay. Russia also gave asylum to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed classified US intelligence information. 2. Angela Merkel German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked second on the list. The worlds most powerful woman is the backbone of the European Union and carries the fate of the euro on her shoulders. 3. Barack Obama US President Barack Obama was ranked third. 4. Pope Francis Fourth place went to 76-year-old Pope Francis. The first Jesuit and Latin American Bishop of Rome preaches compassion for the poor and a greater role for women while signalling the church to quiet its focus on only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptives. 5. Xi Jinping Fifth place went to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to rule for a decade in which China is set to eclipse the US as the worlds largest economy. 6. Bill Gates Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is still Americas richest man, taking the sixth spot in the Forbes list with a net worth of $72 billion. 7. Janet Yellen Janet Yellen, Chair of the US Federal Reserve takes the seventh place. 8. David Cameron David Cameron, former British Prime Minister, takes eight place. He was the Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. 9. Narendra Modi Guests attend the AT&T Audience Network TCA Event at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 5, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo : Getty Images/ Jerod Harris) AT&T has a written a note to Google Fiber, the Telco gloats over its rival's struggles. AT&T, an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate felt vindicated by the recent reports of struggles at Google Fiber. The post, titled "Broadband Investment: Not for the Faint of Heart," outlines a timeline of Google Fiber's promises and setbacks, concluding with the zinger: "We will keep an eye on your your next move from our rear view mirror. Oh, and pardon our dust," Yahoo news reported. Advertisement Following Google's promise to offer faster internet speeds at lower prices, the service has been a big threat to AT&T and other telcos. But in a series of recent reports, Google's broadband service has garnered disappointing subscription numbers and is scrambling for a new model which will be wireless-based as it cuts back the size of its staff. The two multinational giants have clashed before, including legal battles over access to utility poles which are still ongoing. But the latest claim by AT&T, which reads as part tantrum, part take-down, stands out for the undisguised derision and sarcasm it heaps on Google, while highlighting what it says is its own $140 billion investment in broadband. AT&T VP of federal regulatory Joan Marsh writes, "The moral of the story; building reliable and ubiquitous high-speed broadband connectivity is tough." In the post, Marsh says that Fiber will no doubt continue with its broadband experiments, while coming up with excuses for its shortcomings and learning curves. He added that it will also no doubt continue to seek favoritism from government at every level. Despite Marsh's tough words, Ars Technica points out that earlier this year AT&T was described by a Tennessee senator as "the highly powerful lobbying firm in the state by far" as it struggled to stop Google from using utility poles in Nashville. The two firms are also locked in a legal battle in Kentucky. Marsh's last paragraph of post included the harshest burns where he started that Google Fiber still complains it is too hard and costs too much even as it is reported that Google Fiber will try to do all that with half its current workforce. A Google Fiber spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. Watch a video of the Google Fiber here: The Abia State Police Command has arrested two teenage girls for allegedly attempting to sell their unborn babies. According to the police, they were arrested along with one Oluchi, the wife of the owner of the home, where they planned to have the babies and later sell them. The girls, Esther Odum and Ebere Ejimadu, have however denied the allegation. They insisted that there was a mix up somewhere. They stressed that they went to the medicine home for treatment. The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, said: The command got information that the suspect, Ifeanyi Agbasonu and his wife Oluchi, were operating a baby factory at No. 2 Bridget Road Aba. It was there that the two pregnant girls, Esther Odum and Ebere Ejimadu, were arrested. Odum, from Owerri, Imo State, admitted that she was pregnant, but denied nursing any idea to sell the baby after birth. Odum said: I was introduced to Ifeanyi Agbasonu as a homeopathic doctor. I have not stayed there for long. I just arrived there. The place didnt look like a hospital to me. I came there on Wednesday and was arrested on Friday. When I got there on Wednesday, Ifeanyi told me that he is a homeopathic doctor, who specialised in the treatment of infections and wounds. Ejimadu said: I got there on Monday. I live with my aunt at Port Harcourt. The doctor in the hospital told me that I have infection. He said I was free to choose the kind of medicine I wanted to take. He said I should choose either orthodox or traditional. His wife advised me to choose traditional treatment. She said it would work better than orthodox medicine. My aunt said she had a doctor that specialised in treatment of infections. She took me there. I was supposed to stay there until Sunday. I was however arrested. He has even started administering the medicine on me. Oluchi said she knew her husband to be a homeopathic medicine practitioner. She said she was surprised to see policemen at the medical centre. She added: When I asked them their mission, they said I was under arrest. I asked why? They said I would know when I reach their station. The command also paraded four young men suspected to be fake members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The Police said the four men specialised in hijacking petroleum tanker drivers for ransom. Source: Vanguard The Nigerian Army has insisted that leader of the Boko Haram sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau, as well as his alleged impostor, were killed in battles with the military. The theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Lucky Irabor, who was speaking during a tour of Army formations in Adamawa state Thursday, described recent videos of Shekau released by Boko Haram as a facade. I can confirm to you that the original Shekau was killed, the second Shekau was killed, and the man presenting himself as Shekau, I can also confirm to you that a few days ago, he was wounded. We are yet to confirm whether he is dead or not, Mr. Irabor, a Major General, said. They released videos to prove that they are still active, but thats just a facade. It would be recalled that the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Col. Sani Usman, last week, issued a statement saying Shekau was fatally injured in an air strike. In what one could describe as the most unprecedented and spectacular air raid, we have just confirmed that as a result of the interdiction efforts of the Nigerian air force, some key leaders of the Boko Haram terrorists have been killed while others were fatally wounded, Usman had said. Those confirmed dead include Abubakar Mubi, Malam Nuhu and Malam Hamman, amongst others, while their leader, the so-called Abubakar Shekau, is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders. Several other terrorists were also wounded. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, to render an unreserved apology to Nigerians over a comment attributed to her on the current state of the nations economy. The minister had on Wednesday, via her twitter handle, purportedly said that recession is just a word, in response to concern by Nigerians over a recently released report by the National Bureau of Statistics. The NBS had announced Wednesday that Nigerias economy contracted by 2.06% in the second quarter, bringing the country into a long predicted recession. But Mrs. Adeosun, reportedly took to the micro-blogging platform via @Mrskemiadeosun to downplay the significance of the report, saying The strongest of all warriors are Time and Patience. I know people are concerned about the recession. Recession is a word. The tweet was later deleted. However, the PDP, through its Director of New Media, Deji Adeyanju, in a statement yesterday, said the ministers utterances were not only out of place but also insensitive and that she should apologize to Nigerians. The party expressed shock that the comment was made on the same day the NBS released a damning report stating that 4,580,602 people have lost their under President Muhammadu Buhari. Mrs. Kemi Adeosuns statement yesterday (Wednesday) was an out of line & insensitive attempt at signaling. Contrary to her belief, recession is not just a word. Its a horrible reality for millions of Nigerians who face increasing difficulty in putting food on the table & meeting basic everyday financial obligations, Mr. Adeyanju said. Her comments fly against the reality of rising food costs, parents withdrawing children from schools due to fee increments, rising transportation costs, rents & other such everyday expenditure. Her comments are an insult to suffering Nigerians & make mockery of the pain we bear as a result of the sheer incompetence & lack of ability of the Muhammadu Buhari administration of which she is an integral part, he added. We urge Mrs. Adeosun to apologise for her insensitive comments, to stop speaking like a motivational speaker and act like the Minister of Finance that she is, the statement said. Rains in the Plains, Dow soars Sidwell Strategies - Sat Oct 29, 8:38AM CDT 1st winter wheat ratings Monday; consider carbon for cash flow during drought Open Enrollment 101: Make the Most of Your Benefits Young & The Invested - Sat Oct 29, 6:00AM CDT The 2022 open enrollment season will be a difficult one as workers have to factor in persistently high inflation while they choose their coverage. These tips can help you maximize your benefits. Hogs Rebound into Weekend Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Lean hog futures ended the Friday round with 32 to 97 cent gains to fade the triple digit losses from Thursday. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price was $90.54 in the PM update, down by $1.15. The... HEZ22 : 86.100s (+1.15%) HEJ23 : 92.700s (+0.62%) KMZ22 : 96.125s (+0.37%) Cotton Falls Triple Digits Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT December cotton ended the day locked limit lower on the 3c loss. The March contract worked back off the limit for the bell, but still went home down by 274 points. For the week, Dec cotton closed 702 points... CTZ22 : 72.11s (-3.99%) CTH23 : 72.07s (-3.66%) CTK23 : 72.30s (-2.99%) Cattle Market Fades on Friday Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Live cattle futures ended the weeks last trade day down by 35 cents to $1.02 with soon to expire October down the most. Cash trade picked up later in the week with some Friday catch up sales mostly... LEV22 : 150.375s (-0.68%) LEZ22 : 153.000s (-0.28%) LEG23 : 156.325s (-0.33%) GFX22 : 177.875s (-0.14%) GFF23 : 180.375s (-0.04%) Loss for Friday Wheat Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Wheat futures faded on Friday with the front month contracts going home 6 1/4 to 9 1/4 cents lower in SRW. For the December contract that completed the week with a 21 1/2 cent loss. KC futures closed down... ZWZ22 : 829-2s (-1.10%) ZWH23 : 849-0s (-1.05%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.6281 (-1.18%) KEZ22 : 925-0s (-0.78%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.8324 (-0.81%) MWZ22 : 945-0s (-0.58%) Corn Closes Red on Friday Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Front month corn futures settled the Friday session with fractional to 1 1/2 cent losses. The December contract saw a tight 7 1/2 cent range from -6 cents to +1 1/2 cents on the day. It was also down for... ZCZ22 : 680-6s (-0.22%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.7193 (-0.15%) ZCH23 : 686-6s (-0.15%) ZCK23 : 686-2s (unch) By Michael Sawyer For most independent self-storage owners, new customer rentals are handled manually by facility managers during office hours. Their process to drive new tenant revenue is dependable and straightforward. Typically, the strategy only requires one manager to cover all the bases (telephone calls, website inquiries and foot traffic). When new customers reach out by phone, managers are trained to drive them to the facility for an appointment and tour. When prospects visit the company website, strategically designed pages advise them to call the manager for unit pricing and availability. Regardless of where the communication originates, managers stay consistent with the strategy to drive appointments. In the end, all new customers are funneled to the property and manager. This long-established strategy requires a face-to-face appointment to begin the rental process, assign a unit and execute the lease signing, and its effectiveness has been proven. On average, U.S. storage managers are converting 80 percent of their appointments to new tenants. But while this might sound like a positive statistic, theres still more to measure before we consider a conversion process to be successful, according to Brad North, president of Advantage Consulting & Management, which specializes in sales, marketing and operational training to the self-storage industry. We have to first take into account how many sales calls were taken during any given time, North says. Then we would like to compare that number with how many appointments actually showed up. To gain deeper insight, we would want to measure a managers appointment-conversion rate as well. When it comes to statistics, knowing how to measure and interpret results is as important as knowing what to measure. There are also many little leaks that will constantly drain your profit. Due to a number of logical reasons, managers are only able to answer a fraction of your incoming calls. For storage operators who do the math, there is also a logical reason for concern, North adds. There's a profit leak in most storage businesses. In some, the leak is more like a hole thats overlooked. Owners can analyze costs and profit and examine all the operational line items; still, most miss the leak. Meanwhile, profit is lost every single day. Origin of the Call Center Industry-wide, self-storage managers are missing 60 percent of the calls that roll into their facility. If they route calls to voicemail when showing units, maintaining the property or going to the bank, those calls could go unanswered for long stretches. The same is true if the facility only has one phone line or the store closes for any period of time. With so much at stake and little reason to gamble, operators are taking action to reduce missed opportunities. The call-center concept was first implemented decades ago by the publicly owned self-storage giantsthe real estate investment trust, or REITsas a strategy to gain higher occupancy and better maintain a competitive advantage over smaller operators. The plan was devised to route all incoming calls to a centralized office. Over the years, the REITs investment in staffing and technology for these remote centers has become a vital business asset, one that only operators with several hundred locations could begin to justify (and afford). Yet the effect on profit margins has proven substantial. By design, the REITs call-center agents represent the first line of communication for the business. They qualify leads, gather customer data, promote specials, and then drive appointments or reservations to the property. This allows the store managers to focus on operational duties, such as marketing, customer service, lead follow-up and closing sales. Winning the Storage Wars According to The Self Storage Playbook, a report published by Chilton Capital Management in October 2014, the REITs have a huge advantage over independent owners because of their call centers. This is because REITs have hundreds of agents behind the scenes to support store managers and ensure every call is answered. The report stated 45 percent of all sales leads, appointments and reservations are converted to rentals. On average, the typical storage property without a call center is only converting 25 percent of its sales calls, and 40 percent of facility calls go unanswered. Today, thousands of independent self-storage owners have adopted the practice of using a third-party call center managed by an industry vendor. This trend blossomed during the last economic recession, and the solution has been proven to help owners better compete for rentals in their respective marketplaces. The best call centers are equipped with state-of-the-art technology programmed to know everything about a facility (the location, its tenants, payments due, available units, pricing, policies and more). This technology allows the call-center agents to process rentals, reservations and payments in real-time, 24/7. Its a big decision to let a third party get between you and your customers, says Robert Chiti, president and CEO at OpenTech Alliance Inc., a Phoenix-based company that offers call-center services and other self-storage technology solutions. While facility managers are always the best bet in servicing tenants or sealing the deal on rental calls, theres still a big need for back-up. Custom call centers have been proven to make a significant impact on the financial performance of each and every self-storage operation. Call-Center Value Call centers can be used to handle all incoming phone calls, allowing the manager to focus on operational duties, serving tenants, following leads and closing face-to-face appointments. They can also be used solely to accept phone calls that would otherwise be missed and rolled over to voicemail. In either case, a call center is a solution to ensure every call to the self-storage property is answered professionally, whether it comes when the manager is on another call, with tenant or away from the office, or after hours, when the office is closed. A call center is the alternative to missing 40 percent of your calls. Being available when the phone rings and immediately ready to do business with a customer is how call centers have earned their merit. Theres no on-off switch for todays buyers. They dont like to be on hold, and they dont leave messages. Even a sympathetic promise by the manager to call the customer back shortly can be interpreted as a disappointment, adds Chiti. A cold civil war still brews between the self-storage REITs and independent storage owners. While rental-conversion rates are important, the real issue is, if you miss the call, the chance of converting it to a rental is zero. Call centers provide the backup necessary to capture every incoming call, a better solution to compete for business and the means necessary to drive more new tenants. Those facilities left to rely solely on their onsite managers to handle calls, reservations and new rentals during regular office hours will see less impact in their businessespecially in terms of income. Michael Sawyer is the director of marketing for Phoenix-based OpenTech Alliance Inc., which develops self-service rental solutions for the self-storage industry. Every day, the company connects thousands of customers with self-storage operators around the world. Its automated products and services helped facility managers move in more than 100,000 tenants and realize more than $100 million in new sales revenue in 2015. For more information, call 602.749.9370; visit www.opentechalliance.com. Replicas of North Korean Scud-B missile and South Korean Nike missiles are displayed at the Korean War Memorial in Seoul. (Photo : Getty Images) China's approach in treating smaller countries in the region is creating confusion, according to one of the region's top diplomats, Singapore's ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan. Kausikan said that China's 'black or white, with-us or against-us' approach, or what he called as "passive-aggressive diplomacy" is giving countries in the region with 'false dilemma'. Advertisement An article published by the Wall Street Journal cited this approach when China castigated South Korea for deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, a U.S. antiballistic-missile system, which it said was part of an American plot to encircle the country. Seoul made the move after North Korea conducted five nuclear tests. As a result, South Korea was faced with two choices: to take steps to protect itself or maintain relations with China, which is its largest trading partner. In a public lecture last year, Kausikan said that China's strategy has a simple message: that neighboring countries have to give in to China's wishes. And they risk receiving the benefits of Chinese trade, aid and investment, if they stand up for themselves. The diplomat said that this strategy is more about mind games than war games, aimed at inducing politicians to accept China's dominance in the region. He added that Chinese diplomats also used a vocabulary that plays on guilt, in which opposing countries were blamed for "hurting the feelings" of more than 1.3 billion Chinese people. "This aims to simultaneously make you feel bad--you must be a truly obnoxious human being to hurt the feelings of so many people--and is a not-so-subtle warning about getting on the wrong side of a big country," Kausikan said in his speech. The diplomat said that Singapore, which has an ethnic Chinese majority population, has also been a subject of this emotional blackmail. He added that other countries in Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines, is even prepared to deal with Beijing, despite winning the landmark decision in the South China Sea case, in return for investments. Kausikan added that even Australia, which is dependent on China's iron ore, has to balance its alliance with the U.S. and its trade relations with China. Although no specific retaliatory move was made against South Korea, China uses trade as a diplomatic weapon. After the shield's deployment was announced, the visas of South Korean K-pop stars were blocked. According to Kausikan, China's neighbors must make the choice between security and prosperity and stand up for a new balance of power in the region as China "needs the region as much as the region needs China." Carl Icahn of Icahn Enterprises and activist investor Bill Ackman, founder of hedge fund firm Pershing Square Capital Management, revived their public feud over nutritional supplement maker Herbalife this week. The sparring made for good TV, but it also highlighted a lingering debate over what investors actually must disclose about a trade and when. The fireworks between Icahn and Ackman, which have been erupting intermittently for several years, began again last Friday when the Wall Street Journal reported that Icahn was preparing to exit his Herbalife stake. In 2013 Ackman claimed that the Los Angelesbased multilevel marketing company is a pyramid scheme and took a $1 billion short position in its stock. Icahn, who believes Herbalifes business is legitimate, responded to Ackmans claims by buying a stake several months later and has since built his share of the company to more than 18 percent. Herbalife contends that its business is legitimate. In July, the Federal Trade Commission determined that the company's compensation structure was unfair, and Herbalife agreed to pay $200 million in penalty charges and change some of its practices. Last Friday Ackman told CNBC that Icahn had approached him through investment bank Jefferies Group about buying some or all of Icahns more than 17 million shares, essentially surrendering his long position on Herbalife. This is a confidence game, Ackman said on Sqawk Box. I know he thinks this is toast. Icahn, who will appear at Delivering Alpha this month, responded hours later by not only denying the rumor but also purchasing 2.3 million additional Herbalife shares. The feud continued throughout the week, devolving into a back-and-forth about who was more boxed in by their strategy on Herbalife. Ackman claimed Icahn felt trapped in his investment in Herbalife and was purchasing shares to help keep the company afloat; Icahn countered by arguing that Ackman is the one who is boxed in by his short position. Amid the drama, legal experts and other observers noted the opportune timing of Icahns purchase just after the stock dipped on news that he might be selling and some questioned his lack of warning to investors that he was about to buy 2.5 percent more of Herbalife. The law on when shareholders in Mr. Icahns position are required to go public is murky, to be sure, but even if it doesnt require such disclosure, it should, wrote Ronald Barusch, a corporate attorney and a Wall Street Journal columnist, on Monday. Barusch argued that Herbalife investors would have benefited from more transparency regarding Icahns apparent 360 on the stock. Investors are required to file a Schedule 13D, also known as a beneficial ownership report, with the Securities and Exchange Commission within ten days of acquiring more than 5 percent of a companys shares. Filers are required to disclose whether they have any plans to buy or sell more shares in the near future, and if any facts about the trade change after the 13D is filed, it must be amended promptly. The questions this raises what really counts as a plan or proposal, as covered under this regulation, and what counts as promptly have long had legal experts at odds. Icahn filed his initial 13D back in 2013, when he first became a major shareholder in Herbalife. At the time, Icahn noted vaguely on the form that he might someday buy or sell more shares in Herbalife or he might not. Last Fridays trade constituted 2.5 percent of Herbalifes outstanding shares, and Icahn added an amendment to his 13D the same day. Barusch argues in his column that although that amendment is likely good legal coverage for Icahns actions noting that Icahns motivations are unknown he should be more forthcoming in the future, especially considering that he recently obtained approval to bump his ownership of Herbalife from about 18 percent to 35 percent. After his most recent purchase, Icahns stake is 20.8 percent. Icahn responded with a letter to the editor refuting Baruschs comments and suggesting that anyone concerned about lack of transparency look more closely at Ackmans actions. We do not know why he made these statements, but in light of the fact that he admittedly has a massive short position and holds put options on Herbalifes stock, we can sure make an educated guess, Icahn wrote. Its unclear whether regulators will show interest in allegations by both Icahn and Ackman of potential manipulation. Regardless, not all legal experts agree on what level of transparency is actually required for this type of situation or what would constitute manipulation. Christopher Hewitt, a corporate attorney with Tucker Ellis in Cleveland, argues that requiring advance notice of an opportunistic trade like Icahns most recent Herbalife buy would not be in keeping with the spirit of the regulation. If a 13D is meant to protect shareholders from any material trade that could affect the company, he says, such reporting would more likely benefit traders looking to capitalize on the movements of big-name investors like Carl Icahn than anyone who might truly be hurt by such a move. I dont believe you have to disclose the intention on a day-to-day basis, buying on a dip and selling on a spike, says Hewitt. Why is that information the market should have? Why does anyone owe it to day traders to make more money on these short-term movements? Herbalife stock dipped briefly after news of Icahns rumored offer to sell on Friday, spiking back up after he made his purchase, to $63.30 per share on Monday. The price has since leveled out, to about $61 a share. In the end, while Ackman and Icahn threw barbs, the market is no closer to an answer as to the worth of Herbalife itself. Carl Icahn will be appearing at the Delivering Alpha conference, hosted by Institutional Investor and CNBC, on September 13 at the Pierre hotel in New York. This content is from: Opinion Cryptos descent into hell, rather than sending institutional investors straight for the exits, has triggered a hunt for the next big bet.(Part of the crypto column series.) The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance ( ANZIIF ) and Finity Consulting have announced the winner of the 2016 Peter Corrigan Scholarship for Innovation and Leadership.Rebecca Zhang, broker and VP of Guy Carpenter and Company, will receive up to $10,000 funded by Finity Consulting, to attend an international conference or seminar program of her choice.Zhangs winning essay answered the question: How will general insurance in Australia change in the next five years? Select an area of insurance for example, a product class or insurance function that interests you and outline how you see our industry responding and evolving?I feel honoured to be awarded the prestigious Peter Corrigan Scholarship for 2016. Its an invaluable opportunity to further develop my leadership skills at a global level and help me to foster a culture of innovation for the insurance industry said Zhang.Scott Collings, principal and managing director of Finity Consulting, commended Zhangs understanding of digital platforms that impact the Australian insurance market, saying her detailed assessment of how digital platforms are forcing the industry to innovate or be replaced raises some key truths for insurers and firmly validates Rebeccas future in insurance. Prue Willsford , ANZIIF CEO, also lauded Zhang for her essay: Rebeccas essay is an exceptional academic contribution and she is a deserving winner.Zhang was officially awarded and recognised at the 2016 Australian Insurance Industry Awards held on 31 August.The Peter Corrigan Scholarship, made to honour the significant contributions of Peter Corrigan to the insurance industry, is offered every two years to support the professional development of todays insurance professionals. A Brisbane Supreme Court has ordered the liquidators of the failed Linc Energy project to hand over insurance documents to farmer who is part of a $150 million class action against the company, it has been reported.Pamela Bender owns more than 800 hectares of land within the 320-kilometer excavation caution zone set around the trial underground coal gasification (UCG) plant in 2015.According to her lawyers, the insurance documents will be used to determine if the class action against Linc Energy was viable.Linc Energy has been accused of wilfully and unlawfully causing contaminants from its UCG plant to leech into surrounding farmland during the trial, ABC reported.Said action has resulted to a widespread, and in some areas irreversible, damage to arable farmland, according to a report commissioned by the Queensland Government.The company was committed to stand trial on five environmental charges but has since been placed in liquidation, said ABC.The Queensland Government banned UCG activity earlier this year due to its harmful impact to the environment. A worker is dead after police say he was caught in the machinery of a small freight elevator at a New Jersey restaurant. Lakehurst Police Chief Eric Higgins tells the Asbury Park Press 34-year-old Oscar Francisco Carranza-Lopez was moving a delivery of food into the basement of Three Bs Bar and Bistro Sunday morning using the freight elevator. Higgins says he had one foot on the ground and the other on the elevator when it apparently malfunctioned, sending a bar at the top of the elevator down on Carranza-Lopez. Other workers at the restaurant worked to help him before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Higgins says there arent any signs of foul play. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics New Jersey China is known for enforcing strict state secrecy laws. (Photo : Getty Images) An American woman detained in China since the past year has been charged with spying, China's Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday, in the latest development in a case that as added to Sino-U.S. tensions. Houston, Texas businesswoman Sandy Phan-Gillis, who has Chinese ancestry and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in March 2015 and has been held without charges since then. Advertisement "Based on our understanding, Phan-Gillis, because of her suspected crimes of espionage, has been charged according to law by the relevant Chinese department," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a media briefing. "China is a country ruled by law. The relevant Chinese department will handle the case strictly according to law," she added without further elaboration. It remains unclear what violations the charge covers. Beijing has also rebuked claims of the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that Phan-Gillis's detention violates international human rights norms. The U.S. State Department has urged Chinese authorities to resolve the case "expeditiously." The charge comes amid increasingly strained relations between U.S. and China, dogged by issues such as differences over territorial disputes in the South China Sea to the sentencing in the United States of a Chinese national for conspiracy to hack sensitive military information. 51-year-old Sun Bin has been in detention for 46 months in July after pleading guilty to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors. U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive in China on Saturday to attend the G20 summit in the city of Hangzhou. In a letter transcribed by a U.S. consular official in China, Phan-Gillis said her detention was motivated by politics and not for any crime. She visited China on a trade delegation from Houston and was arrested while attempting to cross from the southern city of Zhuhai to Macau. Her husband, Jeff Gillis, has said she is neither a spy nor a thief, according to the Huffington Post. China's state secrecy laws are extremely broad, covering everything from industrial data to the birthdays of top Chinese leaders. Information can also be declared a state secret retroactively. The country lacks independent oversight of its courts and law enforcement agencies, which answer to the ruling Communist Party. A federal judge has dismissed three lawsuits filed against township officials in connection with a 2013 shooting at a municipal building in Pennsylvania that left three people dead and several others injured. The Times-Tribune in Scranton reports U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion said Monday that Ross Township had no constitutional duty to protect residents from the actions of the gunman, Rockne Newell. The lawsuits alleged the township was liable for failing to protect residents despite knowing that Newell threatened violence. But Mannion says Newells actions werent foreseeable. Newell opened fire at a meeting in August 2013, killing three people. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors say he was angry over the loss of his junk-filled property after a lengthy court battle with the township. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation Pennsylvania Brazilian prosecutors are finalizing a criminal investigation into the Samarco mine disaster and expect to ask a judge by the end of September to charge employees, one of the prosecutors heading the case said. The investigation is looking into alleged negligence that may constitute involuntary manslaughter charges, along with possible environmental crimes, Prosecutor Eduardo Aguiar said Tuesday in an interview in Belo Horizonte. Samarco, a venture owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd., denies wrongdoing. We are separating each individual from Samarco to know who had the power to make decisions or avoided making decisions that increased the level of risk of a dam rupture, Aguiar said. A panel commissioned by Samarco and its owners found that the Nov. 5 spill resulted from a series of misguided efforts to fix structural defects that hindered drainage and led to liquefaction, with small earth tremors possibly accelerating the process. No Conclusions BHPs Chief Commercial Director Dean Dalla Valle said Monday [Aug. 29] that there was no evidence that anyone put production over safety or reason to believe anyone at BHP had any information that indicated the dam was in danger. Samarco and its owners declined to comment on the criminal case. The findings, while answering the technical question of why the dam failed, draw no conclusions on liability and was not designed to, UBS Group AG analysts led by Glyn Lawcock said in an Aug. 30 report. The rupture sent billions of gallons of sludge through the Rio Doce valley, killing as many as 19, leaving hundreds homeless and contaminating waterways in two states in what the government described as Brazils worst environmental disaster. The panels conclusions didnt assign blame and, according to Aguiar, didnt reveal anything new. The probe indicates that there was evidence that the risk of a dam breach rose in the years prior to the accident, Aguiar said. Samarcos decision to continue increasing output, rather than halting operations to properly address the growing dam issues, was one of the major causes of the rupture, he said. While the criminal investigation is focusing on the role of Samarco employees, it may eventually shift to Vale and BHP, whose representatives are on the ventures board of directors. We expect the legal issues to eventually be resolved, Macquarie Wealth Management said in the Aug. 30 report. A restart of production is expected in fiscal 2018, though we do not incorporate any cash flow contribution from Samarco in our forecasts for BHP and value it at zero, it said. With assistance from Rebecca Keenan. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Fraud Mining Work onor anywhere neara U.S. commercial aircraft, and chances are good youll encounter a random drug or alcohol test. These screenings are the foundation of a risk program aimed at keeping substance abuse from compromising air safety. It doesnt always work, which makes for a minor furor whenever allegedly inebriated crew members turn up. On Saturday, police in Scotland arrested two United Continental Holdings Inc. pilots on suspicion of being drunk before their 9 a.m. flight to Newark Liberty International Airport. The incident came about a month after two pilots for Canadian airline Air Transat were detained on similar charges at the same Glasgow airport before their flight to Toronto. These were not common occurrences. In the U.S., federal law requires pilots and air traffic controllers have a blood-alcohol level no higher than 0.04 percent, and not have consumed alcohol for at least eight hours before duty. (For automobile drivers, states have legal limits of 0.08 to as high as 0.20 percent.) Last year, only 10 pilots out of 12,480 random tests had alcohol violations above 0.04 percent, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, compared with 13 in 2014 and five in 2013. The industry reported a total of 56,327 random alcohol screening tests for all classes of eligible employees, including pilots. Of those tested, 119 had a blood-alcohol content of 0.04 or higher. Random drug and alcohol testing is a central tenet of the airline industry. The reality is that, for pilots, the chance of being caught is always present. Random drug and alcohol testing is a central tenet of the airline industry, with failure to appear for a test in a reasonable amount of time grounds for suspension or other disciplinary actions. Random tests subjects also include mechanics, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, and other aviation employees whose roles affect safety. In the case of the two United pilots in Scotland, airline spokeswoman Erin Benson said Monday that the carrier will be conducting its own probe. The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority, she said in an e-mail. The FAA reviews test results annually to determine how much random drug and alcohol testing will be required for the following year. In 2014, the rate of positive drug tests (PDF) was 0.534 percent; for alcohol it was 0.106 percent. Currently, about one in four safety-sensitive employees are randomly tested for drugs annually, and about one in ten are tested for alcohol. What makes random testing so effective is the element of surprise, according to an FAA video that details the program. Employees never know if or when they will be selected. Beyond regulation, unions have also made substance abuse a priority. The largest pilots union, the Air Line Pilots Association, has programs for members to recognize behavioral issues and provide help, support, and intervention before a problem enters the work place. One group, Birds of a Feather, has meetings for pilots modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous, with chapters in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and the Middle East. Another organization formed by the FAA, unions, and airlines, Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS), also serves as a substance-abuse treatment program tailored to airline pilots. The group was formed in the mid-1970s and aims to help manage recovery from dependency. The HIMS was founded upon the premise that pilot susceptibility to alcohol dependence was no different from members of other professional groups, the organization says on its website. However, periodic binges rather than daily drinking were typical pilot drinking patterns. The cockpit was usually the last place for symptoms to manifest themselves. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Aviation Drugs When the SpaceX rocket exploded on a Florida launchpad Thursday, the first thought that probably came to mind was thank heavens there werent any astronauts on board. The second may have been: Whos going to pay for all this? The concept of insuring a hugely expensive payload situated atop a big bomb wasnt the foremost concern when Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo astronauts were hurtled into space in the heyday of Americas space adventure. Even during the years of the lumbering space shuttle, and the subsequent tragedies that befell the Challenger and Columbia, it was lives lost rather than the cost to taxpayers that occupied the public consciousness. But now that the U.S. has taken a backseat to commercial interests and flashy entrepreneurs on its forays into the final frontier, the more mundane matter of insurance has become a central issue when disaster strikes. As it turns out, there is a way to get a policy. Some of the largest firms, including American International Group Inc., Munich Re, Swiss Re and Allianz SE, have units that offer space insurance. AIG says its one of the few insurers able to offer a policy spanning as long as five years, as well as one that begins two years prior to launch. The New York-based firm took part in a policy for Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic spaceship, which crashed in 2014. Space risks present a new generation of challenges, according to an Allianz presentation in December. In 2012, The German insurer cited data showing that insurance premiums on space shots were close to $800 million, with total losses at about $600 million the previous year. The company said that a future challenge for insurers includes rising launch values, a decreasing premium pool and increasing risk exposures. This means it takes just a few botched launches to hurt an insurer thats taking in premiums for only a handful of missions every year. $300M Policy SpaceX (or Space Exploration Technologies Corp.) co-founder Elon Musk, of Tesla Motors Inc. fame, didnt buy an insurance policy for the Falcon 9 rocket that exploded at Cape Canaveral, according to a person familiar with the matter. The billionaire sought to launch a satellite named Amos 6, built by Israel Aerospace Industries, a privately-held defense company, and operated by Israeli firm Space Communications Ltd. The satellite was backed by a policy worth almost $300 million, said the person, who requested anonymity because they werent authorized to speak publicly. SpaceX declined to comment. Shares of Tel Aviv-based Space Communications fell the most since November amid a proposed deal to be acquired by a Chinese conglomerate. A successful launch of Amos 6 was a condition of the $285 million sale to a unit of Beijing Xinwei Group, according to an Aug. 24 filing. The insurance policy for Space Communication may not have triggered because it would have required a true launch, rather than a pre-launch, said Peter Elson, chief operating officer for the aerospace team at insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Plc. In terms of the shareholders, they lose out because any damage done to the satellites means a loss of customers, said Meir Slater, head of research at Bank of Jerusalem. Space Communication didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The blast, which occurred shortly after 9 a.m. local time before a test firing of the Falcon 9s engines, left a plume of thick black smoke and triggered a shock wave felt miles around. The failure occurred as fuel was loaded onto the rocket, Musk said in a tweet, adding the problem originated around upper stage oxygen tank. The Federal Aviation Administrations Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which licenses launches, will oversee the companys investigation into the mishap, the agency said in an e-mail. Elson said the market will be looking for an efficient and transparent investigation. To have a loss like this during routine preparations for launch will be a major irritation for them, Elson said of SpaceX. Before they can launch their next mission, theyre going to have to figure out what went wrong with this mission. Elsons company was the broker for coverage obtained by Bransons Virgin Galatic. Brokers advise companies on the best ways to cover risks. The SpaceX accident is a blow to Musks firm because of immediate financial costs, and also since it may delay future launches, said Elson. This was an unusual loss that weve seen for SpaceX, he said. Launches over the last 50 years have frequently gone wrong, but weve seen very few rockets blow up during routine pre-launch operations. An explosion occurring pre-launch is an extremely rare event, agreed Teal Groups Marco Caceres, an analyst of space studies. The failure is also a setback for insurers that rose to the occasion to provide coverage, said Elson. Theres a handful of specialized firms that offer pre-launch policies, with a firm named Pembroke leading the market, according to Elson. Pembroke is affiliated with Ironshore Inc., a firm founded by ex-AIG executives which filed for an initial public offering in the U.S. Aon Plc, the second largest insurance broker by market value, counts SpaceX as a client and said in June that insurers have given Falcon 9 a tremendous amount of support. A representative of the London-based firm declined to comment on Thursdays explosion. Zuckerberg Not Amused Its the second loss of a spacecraft by Musks firm in a little more than a year. The satellite was meant to beam Internet service to sub-Saharan Africa, in conjunction with Facebook Inc. and Eutelsat to connect people in remote parts of the world. Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in an online post that hes deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceXs launch failure destroyed our satellite that would provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent. Musks Hawthorne, California-based company has shaken up the space industry by introducing cost competition and successfully landing rocket boosters to be reused. It has won contracts with NASA to ferry cargo and crew to the International Space Station and agreements with commercial satellite companies to send satellites into orbit. SpaceX has scheduled more than 70 launches, representing $10 billion in contracts. Saturdays launch was to be the ninth of the year for the company, which had settled into a steady tempo of flights following a June 2015 accident that grounded its rockets for six months. That failure was linked to a two-foot-long, inch-thick strut that snapped in a liquid oxygen tank. The latest anomaly occurred during propellant loading of the first and second stages, SpaceX said in a statement, adding that no one was injured. We are continuing to review the data to identify the root cause. With assistance from Dana Hull and Julie Johnsson. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Aerospace Tom Harris has been appointed executive vice president, Global Services, for Chubb North America. In his new role, Harris will have worldwide responsibility for commercial insurance for global clients of all sizes. Additionally, Harris will be responsible for oversight and development of Worldview, Chubbs online portal that currently provides more than 16,000 risk managers and brokers with tools to manage their global insurance programs. Chubb Global Services has 140 employees providing service to multinational businesses in 200 countries for the management of their worldwide programs. Harris will report to Chris Maleno, senior vice president and division president, Chubb North America Major Accounts, and Joseph S. Clabby, vice president and division president, Chubb Bermuda and Global Accounts. Harris has more than 20 years of insurance industry experience. He most recently served as a global client executive in Chubbs North America Major Accounts division. Prior to joining legacy ACE in 2010, Harris spent 16 years serving in various roles in financial reporting, risk management, corporate strategy and accounting. Topics Chubb A U.S. senator says the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide Louisiana with $6.8 million to fund crisis counseling for flood victims. Sen. David Vitters office announced the grant in a news release Wednesday. The release says the money is for counseling, education and development of coping skills. The state will be responsible for distributing the money from FEMAs Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program. Program funds generally go to community-based shelters, community centers and churches. In some cases, in-person services are made available at survivors homes. Earlier this week, FEMA announced funding for free crisis counseling for storm-affected children, administered by the state health department. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana Flood Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), the middle market agency subsidiary of Marsh, has acquired Benefits Advisory Group, an Atlanta-based employee benefits consulting firm. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Created in 2003, Benefits Advisory Group offers employee benefit services to midsize employers throughout Georgia. All of the firms employees, including its owner Al NeSmith, will join MMA and operate as part of MMAs existing Atlanta operations. Thomas R. Brown, vice chairman of MMAs Mid-Atlantic region, said the acquisition will enhance its employee benefits offering in the Atlanta market Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC is a subsidiary of Marsh established in 2008 to serve as a platform for the middle market. In 2015, it expanded its national footprint into Canada. MMA offers commercial property, casualty, personal lines, and employee benefits to midsize businesses and individuals across North America. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions South Carolina isnt required to reimburse private property owners for damage by law officers doing their jobs, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The 3-2 ruling involves the takeover of a Spartanburg convenience store in 2004 by Jimmy Johnson, who took a clerk hostage and held off police for 13 hours. After trying tear gas and pepper spray, the officers ultimately used a bulldozer to end the standoff. Johnson pleaded guilty to kidnapping and is serving a life sentence. The building was never used again. And when the owners refused to tear it down, the city demolished it. Ruling against Carolina Convenience Stores, the justices said the police did not officially appropriate the building for government use before breaking into it with a bulldozer, and therefore dont have to compensate the owners. The South Carolina Constitution does not contemplate that damage occasioned to private property by law enforcement in the course of performing their duties constitutes a compensable taking, the court wrote. In a dissenting opinion, Associate Justice Kaye Hearn wrote that, while she agreed that the city and its officers didnt effectively take over ownership of the store, she disagreed that its owners should be left out to dry. The police damaged the convenience store so significantly as to `take the property from its owners, and this taking clearly served the public use of apprehending a dangerous suspect, she wrote. Regardless of who is assigned fault for this act, faithful interpretation of our constitution demands compensation for the innocent individual. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Law Enforcement Property South Carolina The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is pushing back against a local judge in Georgias recommendation to deny the agency a warrant to inspect the Mar-Jac poultry plant in Gainesville for worker-safety violations. U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Clay Fuller found that OSHA needed to establish probable cause lest inspection warrants become tools of harassment. But this standard was not met, according to Fuller. He recommended that a warrant for an expanded inspection be denied because such an investigation could not be solely based on an employee complaint or report of an injury. In the latest court filing on Aug. 19, OSHA states that high rates of injury at the plant demand an expanded inspection. The agency believes it has reasonable suspicion of safety violations and inadequate recordkeeping. In 2015, for example, court records indicate that Mar-Jac workers reported at least 25 musculoskeletal injuries, six injuries after being struck by hazards, seven slips, trips or falls, and 10 eye injuries from biological hazards. OSHA believes that numerous workplace hazards, including dozens of injuries and above average rates in an already high-hazard field with documented instances of underreporting constitutes `enough injuries for probable cause. The court fight has put OSHAs new Regional Emphasis Program in the crosshairs. Unveiled last fall, the REP is designed to improve worker safety in poultry plants through outreach, education and enforcement efforts, including inspections of production operations, according to the agency. The REP became the basis for OSHAs request for a warrant to inspect up to 16 areas of inquiry beyond an initial accident investigation that began in February when an on-the-job injury left a worker with third-degree burns on the hands and face. OSHA officials have expressed concern that injury rates are underreported in the poultry industry because many workers are immigrants who do not speak English or understand the protections afforded them. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports poultry workers suffer serious injuries at higher rates than workers in most other private-sector industries and also experience more work-related illnesses. Higher incidences of days missed, hearing loss and respiratory conditions are also reported. Industry and trade representatives say these numbers are misleading. When comparing apples to apples, poultry processings rate is much lower than all food manufacturing in general, Thomas Super, spokesman for the National Chicken Council, told The Times in an email. Poultry processings injury and illness rate of 4.3 is on par with all manufacturing jobs (4.0) and is decreasing at a much faster rate. Moreover, the incidence of occupational injuries and illnesses within the poultry sectors slaughter and processing workforce has fallen by 81 percent in the last 20 years, Super said. OSHA is now arguing that it has the authority to expand unannounced inspections, which result from imminent dangers, fatalities and worker complaints, under the framework of the REP. OSHA wants the motion to deny the warrant set aside so it can proceed with inspecting Mar-Jac, saying the judges recommendation erroneously concludes that reasonable suspicion does not exist. In addition, this suspicion is based on evidence, and because it was prompted by an accident, raises no Fourth Amendment concerns, the agency argues. OSHA is also arguing that it has resources and jurisdiction to expand an inspection to at least eight of 16 hazards even without the REP in place. The U.S. District Court will have the final say at a later, undetermined date. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Workers' Compensation Georgia An Idaho family is suing a nurse and the health care company he works for after their 7-month-old baby died when given the wrong medication at a Twin Falls hospital. Chance and Tiffany Elliott filed the wrongful death lawsuit in August, reported KTVB-TV. Their son, August Elliott, was brought to Saint Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center in September 2015 with an elevated heart rate, according to the complaint. The babys condition was rarely life-threatening and can be treated with medication. A doctor at St. Lukes ordered the baby be given heart medication and IV saline solution, but Jeffrey Smith, a traveling nurse, mistakenly gave him an adult dose of potassium intended for another patient. High doses of potassium can be deadly to infants. A short time later, while in his fathers arms, August began arching his back and his eyes rolled back in his head. He was struggling and all his muscles became rigid, lawyers for the Elliott family wrote in the complaint. Medical personnel tried to resuscitate the baby, but within hours he was pronounced dead from a potassium overdose. The lawyers argued that Smith was negligent and that his employer, San Diego-based Aya Healthcare Inc, did not give nurses adequate training or supervision. The Twin Falls County Prosecutors Office said in January that it will not seek criminal charges against Smith. St. Lukes has said it made changes to its procedures to minimize the risk of a similar incident. The Elliots are seeking more than $75,000 in damages, according to court documents. Attorneys for the Elliots, Smith and Aya Healthcare could not be immediately reached. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits More Efficient, More Effective Governance: Authorities Apply New Rules No to Ageism: Per governments new regulation, travel agencies should not deny services to senior citizens. (Above) A group of elders exercise together at Beijings Ritan Park on June 9, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images) Beginning Sept. 1, the Ministry of Public Security together with other bureau officials have started implementing new rules to streamline government procedures for better public service, reported China Daily. One regulation bans trucks with double-row seat on expressways. Another one abolished the issuance of 20 kinds of certificates referring to a persons address, gender, date and place of birth, among others. Advertisement Scrapping red tape made it on the list of recently introduced regulations. People wishing to withdraw housing provident funds need to fill in an application form and submit it without presenting any document. Authorities will then check it for approval. It is almost the same as when purchasing pre-owned houses. Prospective buyers will just have to show an ID card. Local authorities set a 45-day period to process the transferring of ones medical security to another province. Age discrimination gets trashed, too. The China National Tourism Administration ordered travel agencies not to reject senior citizens wanting to travel. These agencies should also hire a doctor to join a group tour composed of elderly travelers. For netizens annoyed by persistent pop-up ads, heres one good news: online ads face restrictions. Pop-ups should include an X that could be clicked to easily close them. Government officials will also first review medical-related online ads before they get advertised. To better manage charity groups and prevent fraudulent acts, policymakers passed the Charity Law in March. Its implementation started this September, according to Xinhua. Charity groups should initially obtain a license before they get to raise funds. The government will impose a maximum of 20,000 yuan as fine to those soliciting donations and pledges without the pertinent license. As for corporations and businessmen who would donate to charitable foundations, tax benefit awaits them. These new regulations mark the start of a brand new month in the country. Even six years after the Panama Papers leaked a confidential list of offshore accounts held by the global elite, tax morality is still very much on the table. Panoramica privacy Questo sito web utilizza i cookies per fornire all'utente la miglior esperienza di navigazione possibile. L'informazione dei cookie e memorizzata nel browser dell' utente, svolge funzioni di riconoscimento quando l' utente ritorna nel sito e permette di sapere quali sezioni del sito sono ritenute piu interessanti e utili. The Pirate Bay is an online index of digital content , founded in 2003, where visitors can search, download and contribute magnet links and torrent files, which facilitate peer-to-peer file sharing. (Photo : YouTube/ReviewTechUSA) Speculations are rife that the shutdown of torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay and Extra Torrent is imminent. Both of them are facing numerous legal issues and may finally shut shop soon. The number one torrent website in the world, Kickass Torrents' owner Artem Vaulim was arrested a few weeks ago in Poland on many charges of copyright infringement and the website was also taken down. Numerous mirror sites cropped up but they could also not survive due to legal notices, according to Torrent Freak. Torrent fans were forced to look for alternatives and most of them shifted their business to The Pirate Bay, thus making it the number one torrent website in the world, once again. Advertisement However, the reign of The Pirate Bay at the number one spot is going to be short-lived as its service partner CloudFlare is engaged in a legal battle, according to the same publication. Hence, it is speculated that The Pirate Bay would also face some of the heat and may be forced to shut down soon. Extra Torrent is also going through the same legal issues and may follow Kickass Torrents to the grave soon. Another torrent website Torrentz also had to shut shop as it did not want to be embroiled in a lengthy legal battle due to copyright issues. In lieu of the closure of the popular torrent websites, torrent lovers are now searching for other alternatives. Numerous Pirate Bay clones and mirror sites are mushrooming everyday but some of them are also scamming people. Hence, it is a prudent idea to beware and to verify the identity of the website before sharing any personal and/or credit card information with the website. Other alternative sites for torrent lovers include RARBG and 1337x.org. However, the sad part is that they are banned in a few countries like the United Kingdom, Denmark amongst others. Movie buffs can avail the services of YTS.ag, which has the torrents of all the latest blockbusters. Old-timers will remember this site as YIFY movies, which had to shut shop in 2015 due to numerous unknown reasons. As of now, its latest avatar YTS.ag is working fine and also boasts of the latest blockbuster torrents. Watch the video to know more about the details and updates about The Pirate Bay here: U.S. healthcare expenditures greatly exceed those of other developed countries. They are projected to increase at a substantial rate but produce no betterand indeed sometimes worseoutcomes, according to research sponsored by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. With national healthcare expenditure (NHE) estimated to reach $6.2 trillion by 2028, public policy experts, government officials, healthcare-sector leaders, business executives, and ordinary citizens share mounting concerns about the countrys ability to provide healthcare services that are fiscally responsible and attain acceptable levels of quality, effectiveness, and equity. Proposals to counter the increasing levels of U.S. healthcare expenditures abound. They include policies intended to achieve price transparency; alternatives to fee-for-service compensation, such as price controls based on Medicare fees or a percentage of negotiated in-network rates, as well as value-based and capitation systems, antitrust enforcement, simplification of administration, and a wholesale restructuring of the sectors present complex arrangements in favor of a single-payer, governmental system for the entire population. Efforts to reduce healthcare spendingeven if theyre aimed at reducing the future rate of increase in expendituresare bound to provoke the powerful groups comprising the healthcare sector. Deciding whose revenue would be cut and how reductions would be allocated among different healthcare interests will require widespread agreement on the necessity, urgency, and inevitability of these reductionscoupled with exceptional political leadership. Key Takeaways Currently, U.S. healthcare costs are growing 1.1% faster than the annual GDP is. By 2028 U.S. healthcare spending will reach $6.2 trillion and account for almost 20% of the GDP. The complexity of the health sector and the political clout of major groups challenge cost-cutting efforts. Pandemic Reveals Systemic Problems The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the patterns and distributions of healthcare services and expenditures, at least for 2020 and 2021. It has spotlighted systemic deficiencies and inequities that existed long before the pandemic, continued to exist throughout it, and will probably exist for long after its over. The pandemic and the development of vaccines have confirmed the importance of investment in basic scientific research. It has advanced innovation, particularly in the provision and distribution of services, through telehealth expansion, retail clinic and urgent care utilization, and outreach to rural and underserved communities through mobile health units. Recognizing the widespread acceptance of telehealth, Walmart has purchased a telehealth provider and plans to expand its service nationwide, while Amazon is expanding its Amazon Care from being available only to employees and their families in Washington state to being available in all 50 states. The pandemic has also revealed substantial weaknesses in crisis preparedness; inadequate and inequitable supply, facility, and professional resources; and insufficient coordination and communication capability. At the very time that policymakers are compelled to address the rising cost of healthcare, the pandemic is requiring them to face long-latent, systemic inadequacies along with the continuing internal and external causes of increasing healthcare expenditures. The necessity of federal financial support and technical assistance for providing free vaccines, various pricing directives for testing, and eventual supply and equipment aid to improve access and affordability for addressing COVID-19 were widely recognized. However, general acceptance of these government interventions seems unlikely to carry forward and expand price regulation and equitable access policies broadly beyond the pandemic. Increasing healthcare costs will continue to challenge individuals, the healthcare sector, and the general U.S. economy. Annual U.S. Healthcare Costs Experts look at healthcare costs both in terms of NHEwhich includes costs at every leveland federal-government health spending. Heres how both are rising. National Health Costs and the GDP Healthcare payers, providers, and patients consider the mounting cost of U.S. healthcare and its increasing demands on the American economy unsustainable. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) annually produces yearly NHE estimates and 10-year national healthcare expenditure projections reflecting total nationwide costs. These comprehensive, national statistics pertain to total U.S. spending and thus include spending by federal, state, and local governments, households, and employers. In 2020, NHE grew 9.7% to $4.1 trillion, an amount representing 19.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Spending per person was $12,530. Current levels of U.S. healthcare spendingboth on a per-person basis and as a share of GDPfar exceed those of comparable countries. The country with the second-highest expenditure per person was Norway, with a 2020 per capita cost of approximately $6,748 and total healthcare spending constituting an 11.3% share of its GDP. Germany is just behind Norway, spending approximately 12.5% of its GDP, averaging $6,731 per person. A number of factors contribute to the higher cost of U.S. healthcare. Generally, healthcare prices are higher in the U.S. for professional services, hospitalizations, and medical supplies and drugs. Higher administrative costs in the U.S. account for one-quarter to one-third of all U.S. healthcare spending. Health Spending by the Federal Government In addition to reporting NHE, CMS also estimates the subset of expenditures that makes up federal healthcare spending. In 2020 the federal government was responsible for 36.3% of NHE. The rest of NHE was divided among households, which accounted for 26.1%, private business at 16.7%, state and local governments at 14.3%, and other private revenue sources at 6.5%. Total federal government expenditures include Medicare, Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace premium subsidies, the Veterans Administration, U.S. Department of Defense healthcare programs, support for healthcare professionals, and hospitals providing uncompensated care, and other federal programs. Medicare represented 21% of total NHE in 2019; it accounted for the largest share of federal healthcare spending, a total of $799.4 billion. CMS projects that Medicare spending will grow 7.6% annually between 2019 and 2028. Medicaid accounted for $613.5 billion, 16% of NHE in 2019. That same year, private health insurance spending amounted to $1,195.1 billion, 31% of NHE, and out-of-pocket expenditures were $406.5 billion, 11% of NHE. From 2018 to 2019, spending for hospitals increased 6.2%, while prescription-drug spending rose 5.7%, and spending for physician and clinical services grew 4.6%. CMS has projected the average annual rate of growth for NHE during the period of 2019 to 2028 to be 5.4%. U.S. Health Outcomes Lag Behind Those of Other Countries Despite Americans spending significantly more on healthcare compared with the residents of other developed countries, they do not enjoy better outcomes. In fact, the U.S. lags behind other countries when common health metrics are considered. Among the wealthier European countries of the current 38 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members the life expectancy for individuals born in 2020 is much higher than in the U.S. In Switzerland, it is 83.2 years, while in France it is 82.3 years, and 80.4 years in the United Kingdom. The life expectancy for U.S. residents, at 77.3 years. The American health system falls short of other national systems in cost and results, with costs far exceeding those of other wealthy countries. Americans also pay more for healthcare than residents of other major countries do, though residents of comparable countries enjoy better healthcare outcomes and live longer. National Health Expense: Ever Higher CMS projects that U.S. healthcare spending will grow at a rate 1.1% faster than that of the annual GDP and is expected to increase from 17.7% of the GDP in 2018 to 19.7% by 2028. Two reasons for this are that health-sector wages are anticipated to increase faster than the GDP will, and the prices for medical goods and services are projected to grow by an average of 2.4% annually by 2028. With the aging baby boom generation greatly increasing Medicare enrollment, Medicare spending is expected to grow 7.6% annually over the decade. Spending for all categories of healthcare expenditures is expected to grow faster between 2019 and 2028 than in earlier years. Even with overall growth, some trends with cost-reduction potential were underway before the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasingly, Americans were seeking healthcare services in places other than traditional professional offices, emergency rooms, and hospitals. As health systems diversified their service locations beyond hospital facilitiesand insurers directed plan members to lower-cost servicethe number and utilization of ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care facilities, and retail clinics grew. The use of telehealth services, both video and telephonic, which was significant even before the pandemic, became many times greater after social distancing became an imperative. Given telehealths convenience for providers and patientsand especially its advantages for remote and underserved communitiesits usage likely will expand. Although professional fee schedules for telehealth so far seem unlikely to vary from in-office fees, telehealth may reduce medical-facility costs for providers. Walmarts and Amazons investments to add telehealth operations to their consumer healthcare offerings confirm expectations for this model of care. Causes of Higher Spending Studies of healthcare spending tend to focus on factors internal to the healthcare sector that contribute to higher costsin particular, prices and administrative costs. Even though changes in these areas would be opposed by powerful interests, significant cost savings are imaginable, even if not easy. Less amenable to change are external conditions that increase costs but cannot be avoided, including basic economic principles and demographics. External Cost Factors: Basic Economics and Demographics CMS estimates, as well as other projections of future increases in U.S. health spending, assume that the current structure of the healthcare sector generally will continue. These projections also take into account external developments that impact costs. Although academic, political, and industry sources are generating many proposals for cost savingsincluding significant structural changesthe prospect for substantial change is uncertain. Certain externalities, particularly demographics, will challenge cost-containment efforts. Supply and demand: Healthcare spending is subject to the basic economic principles of supply and demand. As the population grows and more individuals enjoy better access to care because of developments such as the Affordable Care Act, increased Medicare enrollment, and expanded Medicaid and other government programs in some states, expenditures will rise. Whats more, limitations on current and future supply, particularly with respect to the education and licensing of medical professionals, may result in unmet demand that could easily lead to rising prices. In addition, the increase in the production of expensive drugs protected by patents will also cause spending increases unless cost-containment measuresmuch if not all of which will probably require legislationare adopted. Baby boomers and the larger insured population: Demographics constitute a significant contributor to the rapid ascent of healthcare costs and will have a substantial, immediate impact. As increasing numbers of the baby boom population born between 1946 and 1964 reach Medicare age, that program is projected to experience its highest-ever rate of spending growth among healthcare payers7.6%between 2019 and 2028. Based on the distribution of births between 1946 and 1964, the peak year for new Medicare enrollment likely will be 2022, 65 years after 1957, the year the greatest number of boomers were born. As of the 2020 Census, 10,000 baby boomers were aging into the program every day. And as years pass, the Medicare program will have an increasing number of olderand thus more expensivebeneficiaries. With per-person healthcare expenditures for individuals age 65 and older estimated at five times the spending per child and almost three times the amount per working-age person, the impact of the older cohort is obvious. In 2019 the average Medicare expenditure per enrollee was $13,276, while overall the national average per-person spending was $11,582. Private insurers, who generally pay higher fees than Medicare does but whose enrollees are typically younger and less expensive than the Medicare population, spent $5,927 per person in 2019. Medicaid, which covers individuals of all ages, spent an average of $8,485 per person. During periods of increased enrollment in private insurance and public programs, healthcare costs generally can be expected to increase as more people take advantage of their coverage. Assuming enrollees continue their insurance coverage indefinitely and preventive care reduces the severity and cost of later healthcare needs, individual healthcare costs may decline. However, longer-term savings may not be realized because of terminated insurance coverage (for example, when job loss ends employer coverage or individuals lose government benefits). In addition, high deductibles and copays may discourage the use of covered services by lower-income enrollees and limit their access to long-term and continuing coverage, thereby preventing comprehensive care. Internal Factors: Prices, Administration, and Anticompetitive Trends Factors internal to the healthcare system also affect increasing prices. Prices and administrative costs: Analyses of increasing healthcare spending generally cite prices as the leading cause. In particular, they emphasize trends in pricing for professional and facility services, prescription drugs, and durable medical equipment (DME). More-detailed studies also acknowledge the significant role of administrative costs, which, like prices, are higher in the U.S. than in other developed countries. These studies often emphasize that the administrative costs for private insurance substantially exceed the costs of Medicare administration. The comparative complexity of the U.S. health systemwith its mix of government programs, private insurance, and uninsured individualsentails varied and duplicative administrative requirements that significantly add to expenditures. These include expenses incurred by physicians practices for billing, obtaining pre-approval for services, and record-keeping required by multiple payers whose enrollment, coverage, patient benefits, authorization, payment, and other standards can vary greatly. Insurers and plan managers incur their own administrative costs. Employers and other plan sponsors bear consulting, broker, and administrative expenses for their employee health plans. Although government programs generally spend less on administration and pay providers lower fees than private health plans do, the scale of federal and state programs adds significantly to overall national expenditures. Anticompetitive trends: The impact of greater consolidation in the healthcare sector, both vertically and horizontally, has raised concerns about adverse effects on competition and potential increases in consumer costs, as reported in the New York Times. Investment funds increasingly see the healthcare sector as an attractive investment opportunity and are viewed as influencing rising prices, according to the Harvard Business Review. Private equity has a growing presence in the health sector, says Institutional Investor. Firms are investing in pharma, biotech, technical equipment, facilities from nursing homes to surgery centers, and professional provider groups, including ER, anesthesiology, and other specialist practices serving hospitals. Doctors and hospitals view insurer consolidation as anticompetitive and are challenging companies for lowering fee schedules and forcing provider groups and hospitals out of network, according to reports in the New York Times and Kaiser Health News. HealthLeaders Media reported on a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee at which public officials criticized mergers of provider organizations, insurance company acquisitions of professional provider groups, pharmacy benefit managers, and healthcare-related analytics and consulting organizations. In Jan. 2021, as litigation and regulatory actions challenged insurer mergers and business practices, government officials reacted. Congress unanimously passed a new law repealing a long-standing federal antitrust exemption for medical and dental insurers, which was then signed by President Trump. Thus, federal authorities, as well as state regulators, can now investigate antitrust issues in the health insurance industry. How Much Does the U.S. Spend on Healthcare? The U.S. is projected to spend $6.2 trillion on healthcare by 2028. In 2020, per-person spending was $12,530. How Do U.S. Healthcare Costs Compare With Other Countries? Healthcare in the U.S. is considerably more expensive than in other comparable developed countries, and yet the outcomes are not as good. Life expectancy in the U.S. for people born in 2020 is roughly 77 years, whereas the likes of Norway and Switzerland boast expectancies over 83 years. Why Is U.S. Healthcare so Expensive? While there are a number of factors that make U.S. healthcare so costly, one of the major expenses is administrative costs, which account for between one-quarter to one-third of U.S. healthcare expenses. This is in part due to the complexity of the healthcare system, which combines government programs, private insurance, uninsured individuals, and many duplicative regulatory requirements. Another factor is high drug prices, which are subject to the law of supply and demand in a capitalistic system. What Are the Prospects for Changing the System to Reduce Costs? The best answer to this is uncertain. It is possible to imagine changes that would bring down administrative and drug costs, but they are opposed by powerful forces intent on maintaining high-profit margins. In addition, the graying of the large baby boomer generation is straining the system and driving costs up. A single-payer system, popular in Europe and elsewhere where healthcare costs are so much lower, doesnt seem likely in the current social and political environment. The Bottom Line Both the Biden administration and the Congress that took office in 2021 recognize the need to address widely held concerns about the cost of healthcare in the U.S. With the COVID-19 pandemics exposure of critical weaknesses in the healthcare sector, officials are challenged not only to contain costs but also to develop policies that assure equitable access to quality healthcare. Rebalancing Rebalancing is the process of realigning the weightings of a portfolio of assets. Rebalancing involves periodically buying or selling assets in a portfolio to maintain an original or desired level of asset allocation or risk. For example, say an original target asset allocation was 50% stocks and 50% bonds. If the stocks performed well during the period, it could have increased the stock weighting of the portfolio to 70%. The investor may then decide to sell some stocks and buy bonds to get the portfolio back to the original target allocation of 50/50. 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 Cleantech News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Pre-orders for Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) FIVE Electric-SUV Crossover Exceed Expectations as the FIVE 'Strikingly Different' Tour Begins BREA, Calif. - October 28, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today that the Mullen FIVE "Strikingly Different" EV Crossover Tour which began yesterday, in Pasadena, California, is off to a great start with first day reservations exceeding expectations and overwhelmingly positive customer feedback. 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 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 New Strategic Bomber Being Developed by China Might be a Stealth Aircraft Concept for China's proposed H-20 strategic bomber. The commanding general of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) revealed China is developing a new long-range bomber but refused to go into any specifics about the new aircraft. Air Force General Ma Xiaotian said the new bomber is the latest move in China's ambitious military modernization program. He said the PLAAF has improved its ability to strike at targets far from home and there will be further improvements in the future. Advertisement "We are now developing a new generation of long-range bomber, and you'll see it in the future," said Gen. Ma said. He noted the PLAAF had entered into a "transformation" stage, changing its focus from quantity to quality. But by saying China is developing a new generation of long-range bomber, Gen. Ma is confirming rumors this new bomber won't be an upgrade to the ageing Xian H-6K, China's most modern strategic bomber, but a totally new aircraft. This new bomber might be the H-20 strategic stealth bomber long a subject of intense speculation in military circles. China's planned H-20 is expected to have a subsonic low-observable "flying wing" configuration similar to the U.S. B-2 Spirit that's been operational since 1997. The H-20 is expected to enter service by 2025. China's first stealth bomber will probably be developed and produced by Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, the same firm that makes the H-6K. China's decision to go ahead with its own stealth bomber seems to have been triggered by its failure to buy Russia's supersonic Tupolev Tu-22M3 variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau. This Russian bomber has a combat radius of 2,400 kilometers and can carry up to 24,000 kilograms of bombs and missiles. Western military analysts said China needs the H-20 to deny the U.S. from entering the "First Island Chain" from Alaska to the Philippines, and to cement its military leadership in Asia. China's development of the H-2 is being helped along by classified information stolen by Noshir Gowadia, an Indian convicted in 2011 for selling U.S. aerospace secrets to China. If the new strategic bomber isn't the H-20, it won't be in the same league as the more modern U.S. bombers like the B-1B Lancer and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. And it will probably be two generations behind the next U.S. bomber, the "Long Range Strike-Bomber" or LRS-B of the U.S. Air Force. This very long range bomber is being dubbed the "China Bomber" because of its very long range and its ability to loiter for extended periods over distant targets such as those in the South China Sea and Asia. Take your 13 billion and That was the de facto message from the Irish government to the European Commission today after the cabinet agreed to appeal the Commissions ruling that technology giant Apple owes the Irish taxpayer 13bn, or roughly $14.5 billion plus accrued interest. The decision, according to an RTE report, was taken after a half-hour cabinet meeting that headed off the danger of a rift. Apple had already signaled its intent to launch an appeal. The RTE report stated that Independent Alliance ministers Shane Ross and Finian McGrath, and independent minister Katherine Zappone, had initially baulked at backing an appeal, calling instead for more clarity about multinational tax arrangements in Ireland as well a special Dail debate. Fine Gael ministers, however, argued that an appeal had to be lodged to challenge a ruling that had deep implications for inward investment. In the end, it was agreed to file the appeal, a process that is likely to be a lengthy one. The terms of the appeal will now be drafted by the attorney general and the Dail will return early from its summer recess to debate the issue next Wednesday. That is certain to be a vigorous debate as some opposition parties and TDs have been urging the government to take the tax windfall and spend it on domestic programs. The Anti-Austerity Alliance, for one, immediately made its view clear with a statement that read in part: The Anti-Austerity Alliance has condemned the decision of the government to lodge an appeal against the decision of the EU Commission that Apple owes 13 billion in unpaid taxes. The decision which will see the government lodge an appeal, alongside Apple, against the ruling is this governments bank guarantee moment. It is putting the interests of big business, in this case a major multinational rather than banks, before the interests of ordinary people. The government will waste public money taking a case to prevent a potential windfall of billions which could be used to dramatically change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The cabinet did agree a Dail motion which would see an independent expert review the Republics corporation tax system. The motion, RTE reported, also states that the government should appeal the Apple ruling on the grounds of defending the integrity of the tax system, provide tax certainty to businesses, and to challenge the encroachment of EU state aid rules into the sovereign member states competence to set its taxation. Read more: Ireland being "picked on" by EU says Tim Cook, Apple boss The draft motion also states that no company or individual should receive preferential tax treatment. "It has been a difficult few days for everybody but we have kept our eyes on two things. One is that the multinationals provide jobs to the economy, and secondly the very important principle in the motion that multinationals should pay a fair rate of tax from now, said Independent Alliance minister, Shane Ross. The current Irish government is a majority administration comprised of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance grouping. The government runs with the backing of additional independents and what is currently the largest opposition party, Fianna Fail. Minister for Children, Katherine Zappone, who is U.S.-born, said the best way to secure any money for Ireland was through an appeal because to do otherwise would only end in prolonged delays. She described the original tax deal with Apple as unethical, but said the government had now agreed to transpose EU directives on more transparent tax policies. Ireland is turning its back on a massive tax windfall from Apple, was a CNN headline reporting the cabinet decision, a move that will be making more headlines in more parts of the world than a typical Irish government initiative. As recently as 2010, the CNN report noted, Ireland was bailed out by the EU and International Monetary Fund. The extra tax billions would go a long way at a time when Irish officials are worried about the impact of Brexit on their economy. But multinationals such as Apple have created thousands of jobs in Ireland, and many are worried that the flow of foreign investment could be hurt if the government enforces the EU's retroactive tax demand. Ireland is an attractive location for multinationals for a number of reasons, one of them being its low 12.5 percent corporate tax rate. That rate has been subjected to strong criticism from other EU members and the U.S. though some countries, notably the United Kingdom, have lately initiated moves aimed at lowering their corporate tax rates. Northern Ireland is in line to introduce a tax rate identical to the Republic in 2018, though Junes Brexit vote has resulted in considerable uncertainly on a variety of fiscal and economic fronts. The first Aer Lingus flight between Dublin and Newark took off yesterday from Dublin Airport, commencing a new, year-round, daily service between Ireland and New Jersey. The inaugural Aer Lingus flight EI101, an Airbus A330-202 named St. Caoimhe, took off from Dublin on September 1 at 12.55pm, with over 50 percent of the guests on board beginning their journeys to the US from outside of Ireland, from destinations such as Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, Manchester, London and Edinburgh. Located just 40 minutes from downtown Manhattan, Newark will offer a new option for those traveling in between the Big Apple and Europe, adding to the well-established Dublin and Shannon to JFK routes. Aer Lingus now flies up to four times daily from Ireland to the New York area. Fares from Dublin to Newark start from $234 (209) for travel between November 2016 and March 2017. In the largest expansion of the Aer Lingus Transatlantic network since they first commenced the service in 1958, the new Dublin-Newark route is just the second of three brand new routes to be unveiled this summer. There are just a few short weeks to wait before the inaugural flight between Dublin and Hartford, CT which will begin with a four-times weekly service. A direct Dublin - Los Angeles route was launched last May. Thanks to the ease at which travelers to the US can pass through U.S Customs and Border Protection services at Dublin Airport, Aer Lingus has continued to grow its transatlantic operations, adding three new transatlantic aircraft to its fleet this summer with two more promised for 2017. Read more: Irish airline Aer Lingus celebrates its 80th birthday We are delighted to commence our new direct service from Dublin to Newark, New Jersey, said Declan Kearney, Director of Communications at Aer Lingus. Together with our daily services to JFK from Dublin and Shannon, Aer Lingus now offers customers a choice of up to four flights to New York each day and by the end of this month, Aer Lingus will operate 28 daily services across the Atlantic. While we continue to connect Ireland to the world, we now play an increasing role in connecting Europe to North America and aim to be the number one value carrier across the North Atlantic. On todays inaugural to Newark, more than half our guests began their journey outside of Ireland, starting out from UK cities such as Newcastle, Edinburgh, London as well as European cities like Brussels, Paris, Dubrovnik, to name but a few. We have been growing our transatlantic traffic strongly at Dublin Airport and passenger numbers have grown by 62% on these routes between 2010 and 2015, added Vincent Harrison, Dublin Airport Managing Director. We look forward to welcoming Aer Lingus new route to Hartford, Connecticut at the end of the month, providing further choice and flexibility for both business and leisure customers. Read more: Aer Lingus the only four-star airline connecting Ireland to USA The bust up with the EU Commission's ruling on Apple affords us a rare opportunity to take a good hard look at where we are and where were going, which is why its so unwelcomed by our political leaders. Theyre rattled well discern the wizard's feet under the green curtain. Because what we see this week is what is really there: how much the Irish economy is now predicated on and at the mercy of globalized corporations without any fixed abode. Wise government policy would be to keep these mega companies subordinate to the nation, because their only concern is their own profit. Thats not what we have in Ireland, however, as ministers to the right of the spectrum call for even more unfettered access to the global markets, and au revoir Europe and the nation state. To this chorus add David McWilliams, the wise and witty Irish economist, who sees in the latest dust up with Apple and the EU an opportunity for Ireland to define itself as the halfway point between America and Europe. Not only that, he wants to confirm to the global multinationals that Ireland will work to evade its obligations to the EU a sort of economic Brexit, predicated solely on tax evasion. The potential financial returns have him salivating. We will achieve a totally different economic orbit to the rest of Europe, he writes in the Irish Independent this week. Instead of taking all the money in tax, why not take some in shares (in the multinationals) and invest it, he writes? McWilliams continues: By taking shares in multinationals, Ireland could create a sovereign wealth fund linked to the performance of the best-governed companies in the world, which would provide for future generations. In 2012, US multinationals made $100 billion profit in Ireland, on which they are supposed to pay 12.5pc tax, or $12.5 billion. In fact, they paid $4 billion. Why not encourage multinationals to pay the difference between what they pay and what they ought to pay in shares? Shares are permanent wealth, whereas taxes are transitory income The obvious problem here is that McWilliams is focusing solely on the economic opportunities and not good governance, the stability that it provides, or the many benefits that accrue from it like health care, pensions, and social welfare. Leaving Ireland and the Irish to the mercy of the global markets excites some economists but should concern all other citizens. The definition of fascism is top down corporate government, after all. The dazzling wealth of these multinationals should not be an amulet against paying their dues like any other citizen or company. Corporations, said Mitt Romney, are people my friend, so let them pay their share too. In America workers have watched their jobs disappear, outsourced to other countries, and the Irish have seen happen it too. In this international shell game the multinationals abiding concern is the bottom line, not the health and wealth of host nations. They clearly have no intention of paying tax or of giving us shares. Recall that Ireland received 17 billion in EU structural and cohesion funds between 1973 and 2008. This created the infrastructure, without which no multinational would have even considered Ireland as a base without. Abandoning all our commitments now that we have a new paymaster is beyond treacherous, its politically unwise. Alienating the EU and future US governments by going all in on Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter et al seems like an unwise strategy for long term national solvency. We neither have to be their corporate serfs or the EUs flunkeys. Framing the debate in those terms is unhelpful and self-deluding. We must resist calls to hitch our national wagon to the ever evolving contingencies of cyberspace. McWilliams is a shrewd observer, but his latest gambit is half baked. To be poor and the child of a single mother were among the most dangerous things that could happen to you in the Ireland of the last century. So dangerous, in fact, that now we have a Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, established in February 2015, to find out exactly what happened to the thousands of vulnerable women and children who lived and died in 14 homes between 1922 and 1998. We need an investigation because we don't know what happened to so many of them, of course. Irish society fell silent and looked the other way over the seven decades when these mothers and children were disappeared without a word of protest from most of us. 1998 is only 18 years ago, so all of this unfolded within the lifetimes of most people reading these words right now. It's staggering too think the last Magdalene Laundry only closed its doors in 1996. News of what happened to the inmates that's what they were called of the Catholic Mother and Baby homes has rightly made international headlines since the Tuam scandal, but the fate of Protestant mothers and babies has garnered fewer column inches, although the statistics are no less alarming. It's estimated that more than 200 infants born at just one Protestant mother and baby home in Dublin were buried in unmarked graves. The children, born between 1922 and 1949, were born at Bethany Home, an evangelical institution for unmarried women and their children that fulfilled the same social role as its Catholic counterparts: stem the contamination, keep the women and their unwanted offspring away from prying eyes and public comment. In 2010 at least 40 infants from the home were discovered to have been buried in unmarked graves in the nearby Mount Jerome cemetery. Researchers believe the actual figure is more than five times that because on average, one child died every three weeks at the Bethany Home. It is hard to imagine another circumstance where that number of infant deaths would not have set off alarm bells and government enquiries, unless that child was born to a poor, vulnerable, unmarried woman Ireland's unholy trinity, Catholic and Protestant alike. The Bethany Home was located in the well-to-do suburb of Rathgar in South Dublin. Its a leafy suburb filled, then and now, with tea shops and fine groceries. It's the last place you'd expect to hear alarming tales of neglect and cruelty. Former residents of Bethany told researchers that they were victims of physical abuse and neglect while child residents of the home, and this atmosphere accounted for the high infant mortality rate in the institution. Archived government reports into the condition of the place show us the most pressing concerns of the men who compiled them. After one visit in August 1939 the Irish government's deputy chief medical adviser, Winslow Sterling Berry, concluded, It is well recognized that a large number of illegitimate children are delicate and marasmic from their birth. Read more: Open the grave at Tuam, let's establish the truth once and for all Berry was more concerned with the admittance of Roman Catholics into a proselytizing Protestant institution than with the numbers of children dying there, the report shows, and by refusing to continue government funding, he forced this unwelcome practice to end. There was no concern for the dangerous condition of the children. Believing that illegitimate children are inherently more delicate than those with the good fortune to be born under wedlock was a clever rationalization. If illegitimate children died in surprisingly high numbers it was their weak constitutions that were at fault, he concluded, not the society into which they were born. Case closed. To this day there are thousands who would rather not pick over these old coals. They'd prefer to do what their parents did and just look the other way. What good, they ask, will come of holding these sad days and ways up to the light again? For years the Irish government agreed with them. It wasn't until 2014 that the government finally agreed to investigate the Bethany home. Records show that most of the children were days, weeks or months old when they died. Others show clear evidence of neglect one child reportedly died after crawling into a scalding pot of gruel. Many would later endure physical and sexual abuse after being illegally adopted. Meanwhile, activist and former Bethany survivor Derek Leinster, now 74, has just won the right to take his case to the European Court at Strasbourg. It is the biggest thing that we have ever done, Leinster, a founder of the Bethany Survivors Group, told the press. Currently the group is battling for compensation from the Irish state, but Leinster wants the world to know that he has a bigger target. I want the few who are left to know they have justice, he said. It has taken him a lifetime and he still hasn't found it. For most Irish people it is the climax of the summer holiday festivals. The Rose of Tralee annual event attracts record TV viewing figures and packs the town of Tralee in County Kerry with revelers from morning until night. The contest itself is demure and almost virginal in its intent to showcase young women from all over the world and pick the best of them, not based on looks but on niceness, personality and talent. And so they come from the four corners of earth, Roses from Australia and Dubai, Denmark and Dublin and all points where the Irish flag is flown, for good clean fun. Until this year. The modern world came crashing in on the participants in Irelands international lovely girl event, as Father Ted would surely call it. First came the Sydney Rose Brianna Parkins, who had the temerity to call for a referendum on the Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution which states the life of the fetus is paramount and abortion can never occur. Opponents want an amendment that would allow abortion in the case of a non-survivable womb condition of the fetus. The debate was sparked by the death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian native who died from blood poisoning when she was suffering a miscarriage in Galway University Hospital in 2012. Doctors refused to abort the fetus which was non-viable and that contributed to her death. Parkins went on stage and told the startled audience during her interview with host Daithi O Se that she wished Ireland would have a vote allowing abortion in such circumstances. All hell broke loose on Twitter and in the media. The media manager for the Rose of Tralee festival led Parkins into a side room and told her she had let the entire festival down. Earlier, the Roses had been told to ignore politics such as the American election and all that unladylike stuff. Some chance. The Sydney Rose, a TV executive in Australia, was having none of that. Read more: Thorny times for the lovely Rose of Tralee The second crumble in the mom and apple pie dishing was the decision by the Rose of Tralee folks to air the culling contest during which the 65 Roses were reduced to the 32 who would take part in the TV final. The anguished girls, a la "The Bachelor" who were given a particular color rose, were cordoned off in a side room and told they had not qualified while the cameras rolled. Again, many of the Roses were furious. The Down Rose Fainche McCormack likened it to animals on display in the circus and stated she was disgusted with the treatment. We did not sign up to be treated like animals in the circus and held in a room against our will, she said. Down Rose claims contestants were 'bullied and mistreated' at Tralee festival https://t.co/SqIlRA57L2 pic.twitter.com/U82JDS10am SapyNews (@SapyNEWS) August 26, 2016 Cameras intrusively followed us all week and asked inappropriate probing questions, asking one girl what color underwear she was wearing right before she went on stage. Whats acceptable about that? I could go on for days about the many ways we were manipulated, bullied and mistreated. None of us signed up for a cheap reality television show and now unfortunately the Rose of Tralee is an experience I will never forget, for all the wrong reasons. This is very far from the usual Rose of Tralee palaver which consists of wholesome Irish observations about how wonderful everything is. But it just shows that even the Rose of Tralee is not immune to outside forces. In 2014, a lesbian Rose, Maria Walsh, proved very popular and actually won the contest. Nothing stays the same in this world, even the timeworn tradition of the Rose of Tralee. Festival organizers would be well advised to let a breath of fresh air and reality in. In 2017 lets have some reality TV in the best sense. Paula Kennedy is among locals in Galway working on the Mountbellew Workhouse Project to trace the descendants of the Irish emigrants who traveled on board the Palestine ship to Australia in 1853. On board were 33 Mountbellew workhouse orphan girls. The project is trying to connect with as many of the orphan workhouse girls' descendants in Australia in the hope of telling the girls' stories, establishing where they came from in Galway and, hopefully, connecting with their Irish cousins. Also, some of the orphan girls' siblings went to the USA. The project wants to ensure these orphan workhouse girls are not forgotten. Background to the Workhouse assisted passage to Australia A group of 33 young girls were transported to Australia on the Palestine ship, in 1853 from the Mountbellew workhouse. It was renowned that these bride-ships carried destitute girls from orphanages, poorhouses or those who had a sponsored fare the Great Famine. The Mountbellew workhouse at that time, Aug 1852, had 418 inmates and 130 able-bodied females. In November 6 1852 there were 392 inmates and 124 able bodied-females. On November 20 1852 there were 401 inmates in the workhouse, 134 able-bodied females, though 32 able-bodied females were discharged during this week (presumable the 30 for assisted emigration). County Galway was very much affected by the Famine of 1845-47. In 1841 the population was 443,000. Ten years later, it had fallen to 322,000. In early September 1852, an entry in the Mountbellew Poor Law Union Board of Guardian Minutes described a letter from Lieutenant Sunders (R.N. Emigration Agent) stating that the Emigration Commissioners had instructed him to make a selection of 30 young women from the female inmates in Mountbellew workhouse to be candidates for emigration to Van Diemens Land, with passage to the colony by the ship Travencore, which was to sail from Plymouth. Read more: Doctors, lawyers, teachers also died in Famine workhouses On the September 10, 1852 there was another entry noting that Lieutenant Saunders Emigration Agent had selected 30 of the female inmates for passage to Van Diemen's Land, on board the ship Travencore, which eventually sailed from Plymouth. After the success of this first dispatch of workhouse girls, another list of passengers was drawn up and the Palestine later set sail from Plymouth on November 26, 1852. Among the girls chosen to make that fateful journey to Australia was Mary Dooley. Mary and three other girls replaced several girls deemed medically unfit to make the long journey to Australia. This is where their life stories begin. They led interesting lives. The girls that set sail on the Palestine were: Pat O`Brien Biddy O Brien Mick O Brien Catho O Brien Mary O Brien Catho Cunningham Mary Geraghty Mary Flanagan Mary Flynn Ms Staunton Mary Taylor Ms Egan Biddy Fitzgerald Ellen Hansberry Mary Kilroy Biddy Tully Mary Cunningham Biddy Bodkin Mary Butler Mary Neary Mary Flynn Biddy Concannon Henry Noone Ms Nilfagle Cathie Hughes Georgia Ne Marie Lorre Maria Egan Celia Coldman Catho Glynn Mary Cathe Mary Mannion Mary Dooley Esther Tully Ms Carberry Mary Carberry Eliza Trasta Catho Coleman Ms Atkins These 33 girls traveled over land to Dublin and from there they sailed to Plymouth prior to their departure for Australia. Mary and the other girls arrived in Western Australia on April 28, 1853 after five long, and probably terrifying, months at sea. On arrival, it is believed that Mary found employment as a servant with a local hotel proprietor at The Ship Hotel. Several months later, on January 28, 1854, Mary married Mr John Dawson, who was 26 years her senior. Mary and Johns first child, Mary Jane (possibly named after her mother as was custom in those days), was born on November 13, 1854 in Newtown, Western Australia. Mary had seven more children after Mary Jane. After all of her eight children were born, Mary became one of the first midwives in the south west along with another three Irish girls. These four Irish women saw into the world almost an entire generation of West Australians born into the South West region. It is presumed that Mary went on to have a happy and fulfilling life. Her youngest son Edward later told the story that Marys relatives had earlier emigrated to America, but Mary preferred to go to Australia, as she would one day "return with her apron full of gold." Afterwards she was to say that she "had her apron full of gold, in her many children." Now the Mountbellew Workhouse Project aims to trace the orphan girls' descendants in Australia and secondly to look at possible descendants of relatives here in the surrounding localities of Mountbellew, Caltra, Castleblakeney, Moylough, Newbridge, to name a few areas in the west of Ireland. The aim once they have collated all the descendants is to reconnect them with their ancestors in Ireland. The group plans on holding a service in Mountbellew to celebrate the orphan girls' lives in May 2018 and to acknowledge that they were not forgotten, that they deserve to be remembered in Irish history. The project has already heard from some representatives of the orphan girls wishing to attend. The Mountbellew Workhouse Project has made great strides in Australia and has managed to connect with quite a few of the orphan girls' descendants. They are so excited about this project and eager to assist. If you have any information on those mentioned in this story please contact the Mountbellew Workhouse Project visit their Facebook page here. Read more: Leitrim locals want memorial for 4,000 orphans sent to Australia during Great Hunger Donald Trump is being praised by a group of supporters for coming to "the hood" to meet with local black leaders in Philadelphia. Calvin Tucker, a local Republican leader, thanked Mr Trump at the end of a meeting "for being brave enough to come" to North Philadelphia. The Dublin-based firm reported annual revenues of 433.4m for the 12 months to the end of June, up 10% on the previous year, with adjusted pre-tax profits 22% ahead at just under 17.4m and earnings per share up by 9% at 43.9c. Despite noting a challenging and highly competitive environment, CPLs chairman John Hennessy said employment trends and economic indicators are broadly positive in our principal markets, and we expect to continue to grow profitably in the months ahead. Chief executive Anne Heraty added that the investments we made over the past 18 months in people, in technology and in our talent innovation hub are paying off. CPL said that demand was strong for both permanent and temporary job roles across most sectors during the year, with revenues rising by 21% and 18% respectively. Healthcare was a prime driver of growth in the permanent recruitment sector. In all, the company placed more than 12,000 staff in various industries during the 12 months, representing yearly growth of nearly 17%. CPLs shares rose by just over 4.1%, to 5.55, yesterday. While still down by around 12% from where they started the year, the shares are now 10% down on where they sat at the time of the Brexit vote; having been more than 20% down in mid-July. Analysts are expecting to marginally update their own forecasts for the company for the coming 12 months. While CPL will have more visibility on trading at its October agm, we believe that there has been no immediate shock from Brexit and the company carries good momentum into financial year 2017, said Ross Harvey at Davy Stockbrokers. Meanwhile, rival recruiter Hays yesterday referred to conditions in the UK jobs market as tough but broadly sequentially stable. In its annual results it noted net fee income growth of 24% in Ireland and operating profit growth of 14% for its UK and Ireland operations together. CPL has net fee income exposure to the UK market and Hays said it remained aware of increased concern over economic outlook negativity impacting client and candidate confidence. Davy said that while the impact of Brexit remains hard to determine, CPL has flexibility in its cost base and can moderate growth plans. Announcing its summer schedule for 2017, the airline said the decision of the UK to quit the EU will weaken the number of UK visitors visiting the Republic. Chief executive Michael OLeary had been a leading proponent of the UK staying in the EU. Since the Brexit vote, sterling has slumped against the euro, which has made it more expensive for visitors from Britain to travel across the Irish Sea. However, the airline has revealed that Shannon will be affected disproportionately compared with Dublin and Cork, and reduced its target number of passengers to only 700,000 in 2017 at Shannon, sharply down from a target of close to 800,000 passengers this year. Our Shannon routes to Paris Beauvais and Memmingen will not operate next summer, while weve slightly reduced our London Stansted and Manchester routes due to weaker demand from UK visitors post-Brexit, Ryanair said. It said it will have 14 routes at Shannon and estimates it will support 650 on-site jobs, based on the number of passengers, and increase the frequency of flights to Lanzarote to two a week. At Cork, it has set a target of 860,000 passengers, which is slightly higher than this year, and announced a 2.4% reduction in passenger numbers at Dublin. It plans to carry 12m people through Dublin in 2017, down from 12.3m this year, across 85 routes. It plans to operate 17 routes through Cork next year, increasing frequency of flights to both Lanzarote and Malaga to five a week. Ryanair chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs attributed plans to carry fewer passengers through Dublin to the airport deciding to discontinue an incentive plan. Dublin Airport, however, said all incentive programmes remained in place for all airlines. We are disappointed that Ryanair has decided to reduce some of its capacity from Dublin next year, said Dublin Airport managing director Vincent Harrison. Ryanairs growth at Dublin airport over the past three years has been supported by a range of incentive schemes, most notably the Growth Incentive Scheme, which remains in place. Since 2011, under the growth scheme Dublin airport has paid 34.2m in airport charges rebates to airlines. Initial rumors hinted that the American tech conglomerate is delaying Surface Pro 5 release from late 2016 to spring of 2017. (Photo : YouTube/ Surface) Microsoft has not yet confirmed the Surface Pro 5 specs or its existence itself but speculations and rumors are still spreading like wildfire with the latest one pertaining to the Kaby Lake processor. The Redmond-based tech giant's rumored Surface Pro 5 is already being expected by many fans due to the success of its predecessor. However, no confirmation has been given so far by Microsoft but it is not stopping leaks from coming out. Advertisement Microsoft is reportedly using the i7 Kaby Lake processor for the Surface Pro 5 tablet which is claimed to have up to 20 percent in performance improvements compared to the Skylake processor also from Intel, International Business Times has learned. One improvement is its better use of the Overboost and Turbo Boost feature of the architecture which obviously gives more power for the tablet. Since the Surface Pro 5 will inevitably be used for watching videos, customers will be glad to know that the new Kaby Lake processor is able to stream 4K video at a smooth 60 frames per second. In addition, the new HEVC Main10 video encoders will be beneficial for those who use such codecs for their video needs. The Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date is expected to be around 2017 although the company is also rumored to launch a separate tablet in 2016, PC Advisor UK reported. One leaked photo shows a Surface device and the 2016 in text which suggests an impending release from Microsoft. There are also three more devices spotted in the photo with 2017 written on them. One of them could be the Surface Pro 5 but the images on the wall themselves cannot determine whether which devices will be released soon. Speculations and rumors in the past few months have claimed that the Surface Pro 5 will be unveiled in May and released in June 2016. The Surface Pro 4 was also released in October 2015 which highly suggests that it would not be launched at least until the month has passed. Microsoft will still need to announce the Surface Pro 5 release date and specs in an upcoming event. Fans should just not get their hopes up as the device is not expected to be rolled out until 2017. Ms Vestager insisted the commissions competition division was independent. I know what we are obliged to do and that is to take decisions that are independent, based on the treaty, the facts of the case, and can be checked by the European courts, she said. We have a court practice that says quite clearly that state aid can come in many forms. In this case [its] as a tax benefit. The only politics of that is that were here to make sure the treaty is upheld and this is in the treaty. She also rejected Mr Cooks view the commissions accusation that the company paid 0.005% in 2014 was false. She said the commission had used figures supplied by Apple in US senate hearings in 2013. US treasury secretary Jacob Lew said the commissions decision involved monies that rightly was the property of the US. As the head of the US tax agency, I have been concerned that it reflected an attempt to reach into the US tax base, to tax income that ought to be taxed in the United States, Mr Lew told think tank the Brookings Institution. Asked whether US companies were being treated unfairly by the tax probes under Ms Vestager, Mr Lew said the USs complaint was that the EU was using a state-aid theory to make tax law. We think it undermines the environment in Europe for international business because it creates uncertainty which ultimately will not be good for the European economy, he said. Apple, which employs about 6,000 people in Ireland, was one of the first companies caught up in the EUs backlash against corporate tax-avoidance. The tech company has instructed magic circle law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer to help fight its legal war with the EU over the 13bn tax bill. The tech giant will appeal against the commissions claim that it secured unfair tax deals in Ireland that amounted to state aid, having paid 1% tax on its European profits in 2003 and 0.005% in 2014. The appeals process means Freshfields will represent Apple first in the EUs General Court, and later in the Court of Justice if the initial appeal fails. Ireland and Apple have just over two months to appeal. Considering the duration of cases brought by Starbucks and Fiat after similar tax deals with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, the process could take 18 months to three years before a definitive ruling is handed down from European courts. The Department of Finance has confirmed that Philip Baker, a specialist lawyer in EU corporate tax law, will be representing the Government if it goes ahead with its own appeal. In Europe, all eyes will be on upcoming rulings on the appeals launched by Starbucks and Fiat last year, which could set precedent for Apples legal battle. During the meeting ministers were given their first opportunity to read the detailed ruling which found against the State. It is understood that there was no softening of stances on the part of Fine Gael or the Independent Alliance despite separate breakout meetings between Finance Minister Michael Noonan and both Shane Ross and Finian McGrath. The Independent Alliance held a number of discussions with independent tax experts and Mr Noonan again yesterday and these talks went on late into yesterday evening Independent TD Katherine Zappone threw another spanner in the works during Wednesdays Cabinet meeting. The usually unquestioning and loyal minister for children, was uneasy with appealing the decision and asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny for time to reflect on the ruling. She met the attorney general for two hours yesterday morning to seek clarity on elements of the ruling. She then spent much of the day in meetings with independent tax analysts. She indicated last night that she would be making a decision on the matter at todays cabinet meeting. What is happening today? Ministers are due to reconvene a Cabinet meeting at 11am after Wednesdays meeting was adjourned when those around the table failed to reach any agreement on how to react to the 13bn European Commission tax ruling against Apple. This is seen as a make-or-break discussion and has tested the already weak minority Government. What are they going to discuss? Ministers must discuss a way forward to deal with the implications of the European Commissions ruling. However, the Cabinet meeting could go on for longer than usual despite the fact that only one topic will be on the agenda, given the major impasse that caused Wednesdays adjournment. They must reach some sort of agreement or at least compromise today or face the possibility of the Government collapsing. What are the options? Ministers can decide to adopt one of a number of options. However, if they cannot agree on a united way to proceed on the ruling it could signal a political crisis and the unraveling of the minority government Fine Gael has voiced its strong support of an appeal. Finance Minister Michael Noonan immediately said he favours an appeal and strongly denied the ruling that the State had granted illegal aid to Apple through taxation measures. However, there is significant unrest among the ranks of the Independent Alliance and with Ms Zappone over this clear-cut option. A middle ground option is to recall the Dail to debate the issue. The Independent Alliance has demanded that this happen and has also said it would support an appeal if it is agreed that a motion on taxation measures is brought forward. That would involve an assessment of tax paid by multinationals here. However, Fine Gael has said it would only deal with these suggestions after it is agreed by Cabinet that an appeal will be made. What happens then? If the second compromise option, which seems the most likely, is agreed upon today the Dail will be recalled. It is likely that TDs would return to Leinster House next week to debate and discuss the fallout from the European Commissions ruling. Fianna Fail and Labour have already said that they would support a State appeal and so this would be a rubber-stamping exercise that would provide further backing to the Government decision. However, if, like last Wednesday, the Cabinet cannot formulate a united view on the issue today, it could throw the Government into turmoil. It is worth nothing that the minority Government has just one seat more than required to maintain the support of Fianna Fail under the confidence and supply agreement. It cannot afford to see any members jump ship over this or any other issue. What happens the money while this is going on? The European Commission has ordered Ireland to recoup 13b from Apple in what it views as back taxes. However, after the ruling a senior Revenue official revealed that this figure could actually rise to 19bn when interest on the unpaid sum is taken into account. The money will not immediately be given to the State but will be held in a frozen escrow account. If an appeal which could take four to five years is successful Apple will not be liable to pay the 13bn and this money would be returned to them. However, even if the appeal is quashed the entire amount may still not end up in Irish coffers. The European Commission has said that a portion of the money may be recouped by other governments if they are able to make a case that the tax should have been paid there in the first place. The hashtag #hernamewasClodagh began circulating on social media earlier this week as media reports emerged carrying comments about Mr Hawes nature from neighbours and friends. However, there was little information available about Clodagh or her three children Liam, 13, Niall, 11, and Ryan, 6, who were also killed by Mr Hawe. Clodagh, a primary school teacher, who taught in Kells, Co Meath, was described as not being mad outgoing, but when one-on-one shed talk for hours. Despite reading at Mass in Castlerahan, she was not as involved in community events as her husband, family neighbour Larry McGinn told the Irish Examiner on Tuesday. The hashtag began trending on Wednesday with social media users stating that she had become invisible. The Guardian headlined one article about the case: How a murdered woman became invisible in the coverage of her death. Roy Greenslade, its media commentator, wrote: And in searching for answers, we are told what an honourable man the murderer was: A valuable member of the community, very committed, and the most normal person you could meet. Flowers outside the home of Clodagh and Alan Hawe at Oakdene, Barconey, Ballyjamesduff, in Co Cavan. Picture: Philip Fitzpatrick A blog post by writer Linnea Dunne on her website was shared widely on Wednesday, spawning the hashtag. The post was titled Rest in peace, invisible woman. Ms Dunne wrote: The narrative, of course, is from the viewpoint of the murderer: She was his mother-in-law. She was the childrens grandmother, the murdered womans mother. The murdered woman, then, is most often referred to as the murderers wife relevant only as what she is in relation to the man who killed her. Her name is Clodagh. A man murders four people in Cavan, and we are fed questions and statements of disbelief alongside praise of the murderer as a community man. On the front pages, we see the man and the three children he murdered. Two days in, Clodagh has all but become invisible. And you ask why feminists are so loud and angry? However, the grieving families have not rushed to condemn him, with Clodaghs sister, Jacqueline Connolly, posting a tribute on Facebook last night. A bit of truth at last! RIP our wonderful Alan, Clodagh, Liam, Niall and Ryan, we love you all our angels xxxxxx, she wrote, sharing a news article entitled Cavan deaths: Gardai focus on mental health of father. Alan Hawe, with his sons Ryan, 6, Liam, 13, and Niall, 11, who were murdered by their father before he killed their mother and himself Meanwhile, the head of Womens Aid, Margaret Martin, says that some users of its helpline have been triggered by the tragic event in Cavan. A couple of women mentioned the case in Cavan when they phoned our helpline. They found it triggering. We are really aware of the amount of women who are afraid because of this case, said Ms Martin. I am not commenting on this case. There is still so much information that we do not know. A removal will be held this evening for all five members of the family. Their remains will repose at Finnegans Funeral Home, Cavan Town, from 3pm to 8pm. The funeral will take place in St Marys Church, Castlerahan, at 4pm tomorrow. Gardai continue to investigate the case. In 2015, women disclosed to us on 970 occasions, that their abusive partners threatened to kill them, their children and their families, Womens Aid director Margaret Martin writes in todays Irish Examiner. There were 579 additional disclosures of assaults with weapons, threats with weapons, and being strangled and smothered. Ms Martin says risk factors for intimate partner homicide include physical abuse, threats to kill, controlling behaviour, stalking, and harassment. Extreme jealousy, possessiveness, and patriarchal concepts and attitudes are also red flags for domestic homicide, she said. The Womens Aid director also questioned the way such violent acts as the killings of the Hawe family lead people to look mental health issues or speak about it being a crime of passion, despair, or even love. She said that minimises and miscategorises the horror of the crime perpetrated against women and children. It can blur or remove the victims from the picture and excuse the perpetrator, said Ms Martin. Most importantly, it also frightens and further isolates other women living in abusive situations around Ireland. We must focus on preventing future cases by encouraging women being abused by their partners to speak out. Ms Martins comments have come as the hashtag #hernamewasClodagh has taken off on social media. That is in response to media reports which have carried comments about Mr Hawes nature and possible motivation but little information about Clodagh or her three children Liam, 13, Niall, 11 and Ryan, 6, who were killed. All five members of the Hawe family will repose at Finnegans Funeral Home in Cavan town from 3pm-8pm today, before funeral Mass at 4pm tomorrow in Saint Marys Church in Castlerahan and burial in the local cemetery beside the church. The calls were outlined to Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Finance Minister Michael Noonan last night in addition to a demand that any decision to appeal the European Commission decision is voted on by the Dail. In separate meetings with senior Fine Gael figures yesterday, the Independent Alliance and unaligned minister Katherine Zappone said they will not support an appeal unless the triple set of moves are included. And while a Fine Gael source last night stressed nothing will be agreed before Cabinet signs off on plans to reject the 13bn ruling, the moves have placed fresh pressure on the party to address questions about Irelands existing tax regime. Before todays second cabinet meeting on the Apple crisis in just 72 hours, the Independent Alliance yesterday met privately before three of its members brought the groups conditions directly to Mr Noonan. During a three-hour internal debate, Transport Minister Shane Ross, Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath, and junior ministers John Halligan and Kevin Boxer Moran agreed they will consider backing the Fine Gael-sought appeal on condition the move is voted on by the Dail. The alliance also agreed to request a review of the tax bills of other Irish-based multinationals of similar size to Apple, after Mr Halligan had earlier told RTE Radio the issue is key to ensuring his support for any deal. The points were raised with Mr Noonan during a subsequent two hour meeting with Mr Ross, Mr McGrath, and Mr Moran . However, while Fine Gael figures said after Wednesdays Cabinet meeting they had no aversion to a Dail vote, it is understood Mr Noonan did not formally agree and said nothing will be agreed before an appeal is signed off on. In separate meetings, Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone held lengthy discussions with Attorney General Maire Whelan and Department of Taoiseach officials over the EU decision. After further meetings with independent experts including academics, economists and NGO campaigners, Ms Zappone, who sought todays Cabinet meeting after declining to sign off on an appeal on Wednesday, sent a series of points to officials which will be supplied as a cabinet memo today. These include plans to introduce a fair and transparent tax system, which sources said will include an insistence all tax deals with multinationals are publicly detailed and that any future Apple-type deals are banned. The developments emerged last night as Fine Gaels Education Minister Richard Bruton denied there is any rift in cabinet and Sinn Fein called for the immediate publication of the full EU Apple ruling in addition to the recall of the Seanad to debate the scandal. Meanwhile, competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager hit back at Apple chief executive Tim Cooks RTE Morning Ireland interview, stressing the technology giant still owes Ireland a minimum of 13bn in unpaid tax which must be provided. Mr Cook yesterday said the ruling was political crap, maddening, and disappointing, as he vowed to fight the decision. However, speaking in Brussels, Ms Vestager, a former Danish cabinet minister who has led a series of other investigations into the tax situation of multinationals in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, said she will not back down. If it was up to me, the non-confidential version [of the EU ruling] would have been published yesterday, because that is another way of enabling everyone to see what we have decided and on what basis we have made this decision, she said. As classes resume this week, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) is planning further protests to highlight its opposition to the junior- cycle reforms. Following numerous ballots, its 17,500 members have been banned from undertaking training related to the changes, or from carrying out in-school assessments of their own students. ASTI members account for most staff at the countrys 370 voluntary secondary schools, and at dozens of others jointly staffed with members of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI). English is the first subject in which new junior-cycle assessments have been rolled-out, and although ASTI members are teaching the revised syllabus, they refuse to carry out the related, classroom-based assessments. While two of these are to be marked internally in schools, one element of the externally-assessed Junior Certificate is based on students experience of the work involved. This will be worth 10% of the overall Junior Certificate mark in each subject, including new business studies and science courses being taught to incoming first years from this week. Launching the courses yesterday, Education Minister Richard Bruton said the new junior-cycle framework gives students a chance to develop a wider range of knowledge and skills: It gives students better learning opportunities, and rewards, and recognises non-academic performance and achievements, with a central focus on the students quality of life, well-being, and mental health. But teachers of both subjects, among ASTIs 17,500 members, have not undergone any of the training, which began earlier this year for the new courses. The reforms have been revised a number of times since the first plans were published in 2012 by previous education minister, Ruairi Quinn, leading to the TUI accepting the final agreement a year ago. ASTIs outstanding concerns relate to the removal of ordinary or higher-level options in most subjects, lack of externally-assessed oral exams in Irish and modern languages, and the inclusion of standardised testing of students as part of the junior-cycle framework. While the union met with Mr Bruton and Department of Education officials over the summer, it has decided to escalate its campaign of industrial action this autumn, coinciding with any further negotiations. This is essential, so as to bring about a resolution and to protect teachers of English, who have been teaching the framework for junior-cycle specification for English since September, 2014, while, at the same time, refusing to carry out the classroom-based assessment element, says the latest edition of the ASTIs magazine, Astir. A number of days of protest, or other action, are expected. Before the TUI signed up to the reforms, in September, 2015, the two unions forced the closure of 700 second-level schools, with two one-day strikes over the junior-cycle dispute, in late 2014 and early 2015. She held a day of briefings with the Attorney General and independent tax experts yesterday. Ms Zappone held a two-hour meeting with the Attorney General yesterday morning to tease out a number of issues which she had concerns around. She met with the Attorney General again for an hour later in the day as she sought more clarity on the ruling. Senior government officials also attended these meetings. Ms Zappone spent much of the day meeting with independent tax experts. These experts included academics, economists, and campaigners in the area of tax justice, which is a fair and transparent tax system where there are no special deals made. This is an area which Ms Zappone has been strong on in the past. Those meetings went on into late last night. In her former position as a senator, Ms Zappone spoke out strongly in favour of a progressive and transparent taxation system. She will present a government memo to Cabinet on tax justice and will be insisting this is accepted before she agrees to any appeal on the Apple ruling. After Wednesdays cabinet meeting, during which little progress was made in forming a unified position on the ruling, Ms Zappone reiterated her long-held view on tax justice. Ms Zappone said: I believe that we should have a fair taxation system in Ireland and that everyone should pay their fair share. Ms Zappone added that she very much believes that the Dail should be included in the issue. Meanwhile, Education Minister Richard Bruton yesterday denied there is any rift within Cabinet over the ruling. He rejected widespread reports both sides of the Coalition are polarised on the issue. Speaking just 24 hours after a lengthy four-hour emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday failed to resolve the stand-off leading to a second emergency meeting being called for today the Fine Gael minister denied any split, instead describing the discussions as very useful. Mr Bruton said that he expects the Government to agree a united position on the issue at todays meeting, adding the protracted talks are a perfectly valid way to proceed. I dont think there is any rift, I think what the situation is is that every minister wants to study the full [European Commission] judgment, he said. We had a very useful discussion yesterday, I think that was very positive on all sides, and we agreed to resume those discussions on Friday having given everyone the time to study in greater detail the judgment. Thats the right way to go, I think thats a perfectly valid way to proceed. Asked what is likely to happen at the second emergency Cabinet meeting in 72 hours over the Apple tax crisis, Mr Bruton said he is very optimistic agreement will be reached. Mr Bruton dismissed the European Commissions ruling that Apple owes Ireland at least 13bn as just a case thats being made and stressed that it has not been agreed in a final legal way. Picture credit: Chief ERA Maurice Egan, Stoker, William Mynes , Lieutenant Pat O Mathuna, and Kieran OCallaghan, on behalf of his late father Chief Stoker, Gerry OCallaghan, after they were honoured for their bravery in firefighting and lifesaving on the LE Cliona. Pic: PA Lieutenant Pat O Mathuna, 86, and Stoker William Mynes, 73, fought a boiler room blaze on the LE Cliona on May 29, 1962, after a depth charge exploded prematurely during a training exercise off Cork. They received Scrolls of Commendation alongside Maurice Egan, chief engine room artificer, while a posthumously award was made to the family of Chief Stoker Gerry OCallaghan. A campaign was launched as the sailors were not recommended for medals in the 1960s despite more than 80 lives being saved. Mr Mynes admitted to a few nerves at the ceremony on the LE Niamh at Sir John Rogersons Quay, Dublin, but said the day was about recognition. Im just getting used to the idea of it now. A plaque will be unveiled at the Naval Service headquarters in Haulbowline to remember the crewmens endeavours later this month. LE Cliona Paul Kehoe, junior defence minister, awarded the scrolls which officials said were for their brave and decisive actions in bringing the fire under control. Each one of these four men fearlessly faced difficulty, danger, and pain while successfully extinguishing the fire that had taken hold on board the LE Cliona. The swift and selfless endeavours of each one of these four men ensured that tragedy was avoided and not a single life was lost, he said. Even with the passage of time, their endeavours are not forgotten. The force of the blast blew the corvette ship several feet out of the water and ruptured oil lines sparking the lethal fire below deck. The LE Cliona, a former Royal Navy ship, was 20km from shore, off Daunt Rock, near Roches Point, when the blaze took hold. A large group of media, including an RTE film crew and Irish Examiner reporters were on board the vessel at the time. Mr Mynes, 19 at the time, ordered two younger stokers to evacuate while he went into the confined room to cut off oil supplies, suffering burns on his arms, hands, and face. The ships second-in-command, Mr O Mathuna, joined him and fought the fire for 40 minutes. Below are the original Examiner reports from 1962 The stock price nose-dived after the global smartphone leader reported the shipments had been delayed for quality control testing, and that shipments to South Koreas top three mobile carriers had been halted. Faults with the new premium flagship device could deal a major blow to the South Korean giant, which was counting on the Galaxy Note 7 to maintain its strong mobile earnings momentum against Apples new iPhones expected to be unveiled next week. This is some major buzz-kill for Samsung, especially given all of the hard-earned excitement that products like the Note 7 have been garnering lately, said IDC analyst Bryan Ma. The pending Apple launch puts all the more pressure for them to contain this quickly. The timing of this couldnt have been worse. Samsung did not comment on what problem it was trying to address or whether other markets were affected besides South Korea. Sister company Samsung SDI said that while it was a supplier of Galaxy Note 7 batteries, it had received no information to suggest the batteries were faulty. Several people posted images and videos of charred Galaxy Note 7s online and said the phones caught fire. Be careful out there, everyone rocking the new Note 7, might catch fire yall, one user said in a YouTube clip showing a burnt Note phone. It was not immediately possible to confirm the veracity of the clip. Several South Korean media reports, without citing direct sources, said Samsung will soon announce a plan to recall affected Note 7 phones and replace their batteries as opposed to giving the users a new device. A Samsung spokesman declined to comment. Last year, production problems for the curved displays for the Galaxy S6 edge resulted in poor sales. Focus Ireland yesterday published its annual report for 2015 a year it says was the worst for family homelessness. Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, founder and life president of Focus Ireland, said she has never seen family homelessness as bad as it is now. The number of families becoming homeless rose from an average of 34 per month in 2014 to over 60 per month in 2015, she states in the report. At the launch, Sr Stan said the legislative approach to tackling homelessness is still based on the approach adopted in 1988, when the problem mostly concerned single men. She believes this approach needs to evolve to meet the modern homeless crisis. It must be clear to everyone that the risks we are dealing with now are completely different because hundreds of children are involved. Everyone is trying hard to make the outdated system work but services across the country desperately need leadership from Government to update the rules to reflect the new reality, she said. Focus Ireland chairman Gerry Danaher said while it broadly welcomes the governments action plan on housing and homelessness, more detailed policies are needed to tackle family homelessness. There is little in the action plan which will cut the numbers of families losing their homes or help others secure a home, said Mr Danaher. Focus Ireland and the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive are supporting more families out of homelessness than ever before, but we cannot keep pace with the deepening crisis as 90 families have become homeless every month so far this year, compared with 60 a month last year. A second issue is that every night the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive and Focus Ireland struggle to ensure that every family has somewhere safe to stay, and it is not uncommon for us to still be seeking beds for ten or more families late into the evening. Frequently we are still seeking rooms for some of these families as midnight approaches. The action plan is essentially silent on this crucial issue. The risk of children being forced to sleep rough with their families for want of an emergency bed is now an every night reality. Mr Danaher announced that Focus Ireland will provide 600 more homes by 2019, 150 homes a year over the next four years, which will double its current housing stock. The annual report states that the charity supported more than 12,500 people who were homeless or at risk in 2015, a 9% rise compared to 11,500 in 2014. It found that one in three people availing of its services in 2015 were a child. The report states that families are travelling to Dublin to seek help due to a lack of services in their area. Where the Housing First Intake Team came into contact with families, they were provided with emergency accommodation, but there were a few confirmed cases of families with children forced to sleep rough (and many reports which could not be confirmed), states the report. Many of these families were not from the Dublin region, but had come to Dublin because of an inadequate response to their plight in their own localities. August is usually a quiet news month. This year, though, Ireland has hit the international headlines twice in as many weeks. Neither case would come under the Tourism Ireland definition of positive publicity. Our first brush with international notoriety was the rumble in Rio, with the arrest of Olympic chief, Pat Hickey, and the allocation of Irish tickets. Mr Hickey has yet to go through the Brazilian judicial process, and has not been found guilty of any wrongdoing, but the reputational damage done to Ireland will stick. Pat Hickey This week, were back at the centre of global attention with a story that seems too absurd to be true; the Irish Government has been told by the European Commission that it is owed more than 13bn by Apple. But, in response, the US tech giant says it has been told by the Irish Government that it doesnt owe a cent. All this when we are just coming to terms with the new concept of Leprechaun economics, as described by Nobel Prize-winning economist, Paul Krugman, after official figures, earlier in the summer, showed our economy grew by an extraordinary 26%. At that time, a raft of experts explained why that official figure did not reflect reality. But the Apple development is Looney Laughable Leprechaun Economics. Events have presented a further opportunity to dust down that other taxation-related phrase that reflects so well on our probity with the international community: the Double Irish. Taoiseach Enda Kenny once said: Paddy likes to know whats going on. The rest of the world might adapt that phrase to something along the lines of: Paddy likes things a little bit hookey, if he thinks he can get away with it. There is little that could match the high dudgeon of our politicians, as they expressed their outrage over that commission decision and the whopping figure involved. This is, indeed, a politically disastrous situation. But it is not like we ended up here by accident. This has all been entirely by political design. As Joseph Stiglitz, former chief economist at the World Bank, said on RTE on Wednesday, the State knew what it was doing in agreeing tax deals with Apple. You were encouraging tax-avoidance. You knew it... you got a few jobs at the cost of stealing revenues away from countries around the world and thats the kind of activity that has to be stopped. Its been whispered this week, loudly, that the not-so-secret agenda of our jealous EU neigbours relates to our 12.5% corporate tax rate, especially since there is disagreement over whether the commission has actually over-reached itself by interfering in the tax affairs of a member state. We will never know the truth of that, but it is certainly a likely factor. We do rather set ourselves up for this, almost handing our neighbours the stick with which to beat us. Looking at that ludicrous 26% growth-rate figure, it is easy to forget the financial state we were in up to a very short time ago. Our economic reputation lay in tatters and the figures were there to prove our epic mismanagement. Remember that massive housing boom, which we all believed would continue forever? We shook our heads afterwards, during the austerity years, and swore it would never happen again; that we would find ways of making money that would not disappear in a puff of smoke. But weve now forgotten those economic AA meetings, where we promised to stay financially sober, allowing the temptation of the fast-buck tax deal to dazzle us once more. The Double Irish is being phased out, but its legacy was evident this week. The Governments effective response that it would rather a ship full of toxic nuclear waste to land into the middle of Kildare St than the threatened 13bn says it all. The threat to appeal this decision is in keeping with Fine Gael, in terms of its kick the can down the road approach. It is only a matter of time before they tell us they have appointed a retired judge to investigate the matter. Whatever about the politicians rallying round, it was disturbing to hear a senior member of the Revenue Commissioners, on Morning Ireland, on Wednesday, defend what occurred and say Revenue collected the full amount of tax due from Apple, in accordance with Irish tax law. When last did we hear Revenue discussing an individual case on the airwaves? Why did Revenue feel it should speak out now? Funnily enough, shortly afterwards, we heard Public Expenditure Minister Pascal Donohoe argue: This is not just the assertion of Government, but of an independent body, the Revenue Commissioners, which impartially implements Irish law. We should take that money and put it to good use, towards things like hospitals or schools or infrastructure, but if it goes to paying off our debt, well, thats better than a slap in the face, isnt it? Politically, anyway, it is impossible to see how the Government can argue that the money should be refused. If we didnt refuse it, we would send out a wonderful signal of a new approach by Paddy and his compatriots. And we do need to start a steady strategic change. We need to think about economic sustainability and how to ditch the dodginess. Is it a lack of self-confidence, that we think we can only be successful when the package we are offering has a number of extra bells and whistles? Would the multinationals really up sticks and abandon us, if we were to bump up the rate to, say, 15%? What they are after is certainty and we could give them that. Im reminded of a speech that former US president, Bill Clinton, made during the recession. He was at an event in New York. He spoke of the profound damage that had been done to the Irish psyche by our economic collapse and our impacted sense of shame as a nation. He offered encouraging words about how we would rise once again and be prosperous. But he added the cautionary advice that we were not to think that any economic management cannot be improved, and that clever things that we do may not be tinged by a little arrogance carrying seeds of its own destruction. Bill is a man who knows all about the wrong sorts of headlines. He also knows us well. As Prof Joseph Stiglitz said, the State knew what it was doing in agreeing Apple tax deals The chief executive dismissed an audit by a Brussels watchdog which found it only paid 0.005% tax in 2014, and claimed the global tech brand paid a worldwide rate of 26.1% on its earnings that year. Its maddening. Its maddening and disappointing, the Apple chief said. Its clear that this comes from a political place. It has no basis in fact or in law. Mr Cook said the numbers had been set out in the companys quarterly accounts and that Apple paid $400m corporation tax in Ireland in 2014, another $400m of similarly classed tax in the US, and had set aside billions more for tax bills in America that year. From his base in Cupertino, California, Mr Cook told RTE that the European Commission was over-reaching and attempting to retroactively target Apple and Irish laws with a political ruling. When you are accused of something that is so foreign to your values, it brings out an outrage in you. Thats how we feel, he said. Apple has always been about doing the right thing, never the easy thing. Mr Cook spoke as independent members of the fragile minority Government seek legal explanations of the 130-page ruling from Commissioner Margrethe Vestager and whether they should support Finance Minister Michael Noonans call for an immediate legal challenge. The watchdogs landmark ruling into the iPad and iPhone makers tax affairs found it paid just 1% tax on its European profits in 2003 and 0.005% in 2014 after getting assurances from tax inspectors about its tax affairs and how it routed sales figures through subsidiaries in Ireland and on to the US. The Cabinet met on Wednesday but failed to reach agreement and is scheduled to meet again today as it puzzles over whether to accept the unprecedented windfall ordered by Brussels. There have been calls for the Dail to be recalled to debate the issue, with left-leaning groups insisting the billions should go towards public services. Controversy has raged over whether to pursue the unpaid tax and risk the wrath of multinationals, which the Irish economy depends heavily upon, or to fight the EU finding. Despite the mammoth tax bill, Apple insists it will not abandon Ireland, where it has about 6,000 employees and is planning to build a huge data centre. Mr Cook said that in 2014 his company paid one dollar in every 15 of corporation tax in Ireland. I think the right thing here is to stand up and fight against this over-reach, said Mr Cook. Clearly the sovereignty of the country is at stake and the rule of law and sovereignty of law are at stake. I think both parties feel like the decision is wrong, is not based on law or facts. Its based on politics. I think we should stand up and say that very clearly. In a separate interview, Mr Cook branded Ms Vestagers ruling political crap. Our commitment to Ireland is unwavering. We are not going to let an invalid ruling, a politically-based ruling, affect our deep commitment to Ireland. In a letter to Obama, the CEOs of several top hotels and travel groups described his administrations delay in processing Norwegian Air Internationals (NAI) foreign carrier permit application as inexcusable. NAI, an Irish subsidiary of low-fares giant, Norwegian, applied to the US Department of Transportation (DoT) for the permit on February 14, 2014. The airline wants to launch low-cost flights from Cork to Boston and New York under the terms of the EU/US Open Skies Agreement. However, its application has faced bitter opposition from certain US and European labour and airline unions which have questioned the airlines labour practices, accusing the airline of setting up an Irish operation as a flag of convenience a claim the airline has consistently rejected. Despite the opposition, the DoT signalled its intention last April to grant the licence but it still hasnt been signed off. The airline has now been waiting more than 900 days for a decision a record delay. Despite the protracted process, the airline says it remains committed to launching the services from Cork Airport, and later, from Shannon. In the latest development, 12 leaders of Americas travel and hotel industry have written directly to Mr Obama urging immediate action. The executives, including US Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow, Hilton president and CEO Christopher Nassetta, Marriott president and CEO Arne Sorenson, Loews Hotels president and CEO Kirk Kinsell, and MGM Resorts chairman and CEO James Murren, said the delay is postponing potential economic benefits to the US: As leaders in the US travel industry that employs millions of Americans, we cannot over-emphasise the value of the connectivity created through our more than 100 Open Skies agreement, both to the travel sector and to the broader economy. The European Commission told the US DoT in July that it plans to launch formal arbitration in a bid to force a decision on NAIs licence. The industry leaders said the US government should convene relevant stakeholders to make a decision and avoid arbitration. Meanwhile, Cork Airport last night welcomed Ryanairs increased frequency on their Lanzarote and Malaga routes up to five flights a week for summer 2017, and increased frequency on its Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Malaga routes next winter. The extra flights will see Ryanair flying an extra 20,000 passengers from Cork up from 840,000 this year to 860,000 next year. Airport managing director Niall MacCarthy said the extra flights will give customers more flexibility: We are experiencing growth of 9% since January and Im expecting this to continue until year end. IN FAVOUR OF AN APPEAL Fine Gael Finance Minister Michael Noonan has repeatedly reiterated the view that he does not believe the State engaged in illegal aid to Google and has pushed to appeal the ruling. Fianna Fail Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Finance Michael McGrath TD said, We remain strongly of the view that Ireland needs to aggressively defend its position and reject any attempt by the Commission to take control of the country's tax policy by the back door. It is control over our own tax policies that allows us to create and protect jobs. Labour Labour leader Brendan Howlin said automatically accepting any ruling could be regarded as an effort by the European Commission to determine Irelands tax policy by the back door. He added: Tax policy is one of the remaining areas that remains entirely at the discretion of individual member states. Kevin Boxer Moran Unlike some members of the Independent Alliance he has come out strongly in favour of an appeal. He told local paper, the Westmeath Independent: We have got to show that if multinational companies come in here, if they get into difficulty, we are here to protect them. Sean Canney The Galway East TD has yet to openly comment but it is understood he would back an appeal. Denis Naughten The Minister for Communications has also remained tight-lipped but is expected to back an appeal. UNDECIDED Shane Ross The Independent Alliance TD has said the grouping was initially very concerned about the ruling but he is waiting until today to make any decisions. Finian McGrath Has said the complex document needs to be studied and likewise will be waiting until today to decide. John Halligan Mr Halligan yesterday said it was regretful that Apple is paying such a low tax rat but he added that he does not believe the controversy should bring down the Government. He called for a debate on the matter next week. Katherine Zappone During Wednesdays cabinet meeting the Childrens Minister called for time to examine the ruling. She met with the Attorney General for two hours yesterday morning to seek clarity on a number of issues and followed this up with separate meetings with independent tax experts. AGAINST AN APPEAL Sinn Fein The party has called for the Dail to be recalled next week to debate the EU Commission ruling on Apples tax arrangements in Ireland. Sinn Fein Finance spokesman Pearse Doherty has written to Mr Noonan to ask that the EU Commission ruling be published immediately. He has also demanded a public inquiry be established to look into who facilitated the States sweetheart deal with Apple. Green Party Said it would be immoral to appeal the European Commissions Apple tax ruling, even considering the legal and political complexities to the case. Social Democrats Catherine Murphy of the Social Democrats has said it would be totally intolerable for the State to challenge the ruling. AAA-PBP Strongly against any appeal. A thick green algae has formed on the public slipway at Foynes, making it extremely dangerous for the public to access. Joe Moran of Foynes District Search and Rescue Service described the slipway as treacherous. He said that, for decades, it was custom and practice that the Foynes Port authorities regularly maintained the slipway. However, he said a slick of algae had built up on the slipway over several months, since it was last cleaned in the immediate aftermath of the Buncrana pier tragedy. Calling for the Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) to continue to regularly maintain the slipway, Mr Moran added: We ended up having to clean it ourselves because it wasnt being maintained. But, we had to stop cleaning it after our solicitor told us that we could be held liable in the event of any accidents after we had cleaned it. Responding to Mr Morans concerns, an SFPC spokesperson said: The pier in question is in public ownership and its maintenance does not come under the remit of Shannon Foynes Port Company. Joe Moran at Foynes Pier and slipway, where a cover of slippery algae has been allowed to build up. Mr Moran warned: You saw what happened above in Buncrana... Well, its quite capable of happening in Foynes. Last March, five family members perished in the sea in Co Donegal when their car slipped off Buncrana Pier, which was covered in algae. Sean McGrotty, 49, his sons Mark, 12, and Evan, 8, along with his 59-year-old mother-in-law Ruth Daniels, and sister-in-law Jodi Lee Daniels, 14, all died. Four-month-old baby Rioghnach-Ann was saved when Mr McGrotty handed her out of an opening in one of the cars windows to local man Davitt Walsh. We want the slipway to be cleaned anytime it gets dirty. We just want it safe, Mr Moran warned. A large mudbank has also built up around the slipway, which Mr Moran said is preventing the search and rescue service from responding to emergencies on the Shannon Estuary. Mr Moran said the rescue service has asked SFPC which has responsibility for the waterways around Foynes to dredge the area. The mud is denying us access to the pier for two and half hours either side of the low tide which means there are six hours [every day] where we cant get into the tide if something goes wrong, he added. A spokesperson for SFPC said: Dredging to and from [the slipway] is also not under our remit but we have dredged it in the past as a goodwill gesture. Limerick City and County Council said it has agreed to take over the maintenance of Foynes pier. A spokesman said: A clean-up of the slipway at the pier in Foynes is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. Staff will be applying a special algae removal spray onto the slipway at low tide. Special signs alerting users of the slipway warning them that the surface may be slippy are also being erected. The water at the bottom of the slipway in the port is heavily silted up. Shannon Foynes Port Company would have cleaned this up previously and [we] would expect that to continue in the future. Joe Moran at Foynes Pier and slipway, where a cover of slipperyalgae has been allowed to build up. CREAMS, lotions and oils abound in every bathroom, but did you know some of the most effective skincare products are actually of the powdered variety? A bit like washing powder for clothes but nowhere near as harsh, obviously they combine granulated enzymes, botanicals or actives with mechanical exfoliants, which, when liquefied with water, create a foam that dissolves make-up, dirt and dry skin. EASTERN PROMISE Japanese brand DHCs foaming Face Wash Powder, 11.15, contains the enzyme protease, which sweeps away the dead skin cells that lead to dull-looking skin, plus honey and liquorice to soothe and soften. www.escentual.com plus p&p FOAM PARTY More of an exfoliator than a cleanser, Kiko Pure Clean Powder, 9.30, lathers up nicely, making light work of make-up and grime, while olive pit and corn starch granules scrub away dead skin. www.kikocosmetics.com SODA POP Mixed with water, the kind of baking soda you normally find in the kitchen makes an effective exfoliator, but Biores Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub, 5.86, at Superdrug, combines the raising agent with cleansing actives to leave skin feeling squeaky clean. www.superdrug.com DEEP CLEANSE A Harpers Bazaar Hot 100 winner, Elemiss Papaya Enzyme Peel, contains a potent blend of enzymes, Papaya and Pineapple. A non-granular exfoliating cream, it gently buffs away dry skin and promotes radiance. Ideal for sensitive and mature skins, was 40.96 now 32.77. www.feelunique.com plus p&p SPOT CHECK Exfoliation is essential for preventing acne, but it has to be gentle enough not to irritate existing blemishes. Murad Transforming Powder Dual-Action Cleanser & Exfoliator, was 32 now 27.20, strikes the ideal balance, harnessing salicylic acid, bio-enzymes and pumpkin seed extract to boost cell turnover and prevent breakouts. www.feelunique.com plus p&p SILK CUT Another Japanese import, Sensais luxurious Silky Purifying Silk Peel Powder, 66.58, combines exfoliating powder properties with signature ingredient koishimaru silk to deliver gorgeously soft skin. Use two or three times a week in place of your usual cleanser. www.harrods.com plus p&p GET THE GLOW Part of the excellent Hydra Sparkling range, Givenchys One-Minute Glow Powder, 40,50, Debenhams, is so gentle it can be used daily. Mix a sprinkling of the powder with a dash of water in the palm of your hand, and massage over your face to reveal soft, purified skin that improves the more you use it. www.debenhams.ie TEA TREAT One of the first skincare powders available in Europe, Aesop Tea Tree Leaf Facial Exfoliant, 38.17, is comprised of pulverised tea tree leaves, nut shell and purified clay, all crushed to smithereens to produce a twice-a-week treatment. Activate with water or your favourite cleanser for a double dose of exfoliating action. www.aesop.com plus p&p FLOWER POWER The botanical blend of rose petal, jasmine and neroli in Diptyques Radiance Boosting Powder, 60, delivers nourishing nutrients at the same time as sloughing away dullness. A sublime blend to boost tired skin. www.diptyqueparis.eu tax and p&p included SUPER SERUM An innovative powder serum, Institut Esthederm Intensive Vitamine C Serum, 34.56, needs no moisture to get to work on fine lines and pigment spots, simply tap it lightly over areas of concern. Vitamin C gets destabilized when put in water, so we formulated a high amount of Vitamin C (15%) in powder form, to make sure it remains active until put in contact with the skin, explains brand education director Isabelle Benoit. www.feeluniuque.com plus p&p From 500 metres above a hulking rock off the Kerry coast, travelling at 200kph, Scottish pilot Jim Moseley directs his helicopter in a northerly direction and takes aim at a circular landing platform not much bigger than a couple of tents. HOW do people feel when they discover their child has head lice? This was the subject of a 2013 study published in the International Journal of Dermatology. Not surprisingly, 79% felt a strong negative response, with one-fifth of respondents reporting disgust. One mum said: I felt disgusted and ready for combat. Another spoke of wanting to cry, realising how much work it would be to get it out of my house. Yet head lice common parasites that have never been eradicated are very prevalent, with one in 10 children affected at any one time, says West Cork-based pharmacist Caitriona ORiordan. Its a rite of passage. It comes to every house. Andrew Hennessy, owner of The Hair Experts, has trained in the extraction and elimination of head lice and says that in Britain, the problem is seen as next in prevalence to the common cold. So the first thing anyone visited by head lice needs to realise is youre not alone, there are many others doing battle too. Galway-based practise nurse Sally Whelan recommends parents take a very calm, pragmatic approach. Avoid passing on feelings of disgust, anger and frustration to your child. Over-reacting can upset them and you want a happy child. You just have to accept and deal with the situation. See it as a project. A fully grown louse is about the size of a sesame seed. It doesnt fly but climbs from one hair to another and is passed on by head-to-head contact. Traditionally, head lice would have been confined to the under-12s because they tend to have more physical contact. But in the last two years because of the advent of selfies were seeing it in secondary schools too, says ORiordan. Nits are the tiny eggs, about the size of a pinhead brownish in colour if the louse has hatched and pale white if it hasnt. They tend to be concentrated behind the ears or in the nape of the neck and can be mistaken for dandruff. The difference is: dandruff will move easily/ freely when you try to flick it away. Its a myth that head lice are attracted to dirty hair. Its unrelated to hygiene, says ORiordan. Nor are some types of hair more prone to them. And although itching is a sign, the lice will be there for some time before itching occurs. Its an allergy to the lice that causes itching. Irritation builds up over time. Just because a child isnt itching doesnt mean they dont have them. Early detection is crucial, says ORiordan. You need to catch them before they multiply. And they reproduce fast, with a lifespan of 30 days. Hennessy describes the life cycle: Up to day six the egg (nit) isnt visible. Between days six and eight, it becomes visible and hatches around now. Between days eight and 14, it becomes an adult louse and can mate, with the female laying up to 88 eggs. Because theyre not visible [for a period] it catches people out. It really is a war, says Hennessy. Were seeing hundreds every month, mainly eight to 13-year-olds. Typically, parents ring and say the child has had head lice for anything from two months to a year. We see incredibly stressed parents and distressed children, he says. Hennessy puts the persistence of the lice down to the fact that parents arent doing enough combing. Parents look at product labels that offer 100% success. But that success is only achievable with forensic combing and comprehensive extraction of the eggs, he says. Hennessys approach is to use a special vacuum system that extracts all the live lice into a special filter system, allowing for examination regarding quality and size of infestation. Then we manually extract the nits using fine tooth combs and specific tweezers. Step two of the process involves the child coming back after seven days to check that all have been removed. We extract any egg that has become visible. We would always expect to extract something on the second visit, he says. Any parent who returns a few weeks later with a child who still has a lice problem hasnt maintained preventive combing every seven to 10 days, says Hennessy. Thats the crux of the problem. In Ireland, we dont have an ethos of preventive combing. And because were not proactive about the problem, were reactive to it. * Visit www.thehairexperts.ie Tackling tips Pharmacist Caitriona ORiordan recommends: * Early detection is the best solution. Check childs hair once a week to catch lice before they multiply. * Do this with a special lice comb (available in pharmacies). Divide wet, conditioned hair into six or eight sections. Using plenty of conditioner temporarily immobilises lice so theyre easier to detect. Comb from root to tip. Clean the comb with tissue after every comb through. * Use very strong light or daylight to try to detect the nits. Youre hoping to comb them out but you have to work very diligently to do so, says ORiordan. * Apply the treatment product, which will kill only the adult lice. Products mainly work by coating lice and preventing them breathing. Lice have evolved immunity to pesticide-based products but the newer products arent pesticides they coat lice and dehydrate them. * When treating a child for head lice, ORiordan says she would comb his/her head every day until the next treatment in seven days, when youre hoping to catch any that have hatched (since the first treatment) before they reproduce. * Do not use the treatment product preventatively it wont work. Theres limited evidence showing that tea tree oil spray repels lice and slows down their speed. Spray every morning before the child goes to school. To prevent hair-to-hair contact with other children, you could tie long hair back in a tight plait or keep hair short. * Everybody in the family must be checked if lice are found on one head. If nothings found on other family members, theres no need to treat them. Continue checking everybody as long as youre checking the affected person. * Its considered good manners to inform your childs school. This serves as a memory jog for all to begin checking again, says ORiordan. My appreciation of soft, fresh marzipan hasnt staled in adulthood. In Spain, I discovered turron, a Christmas sweetmeat invented by Moors (who have a taste for all things sweet) 500 years ago in Jijona, a village 48km north of Alicante. Turron de Jijona is my fancy; its soft and must, by law, contain at least 60% almonds, along with local honey and egg white to bind it. Turron de Alicante is hard, and contains 64% almonds. Both are sold in cellophane-wrapped blocks, the shape of a medium-fat, paperback. With the Jijona turron, one can see the almond oil inside. Almonds are the essence of marzipan. I like to eat them raw too. They are much appreciated for their health quality and used in milk, butter and cosmetics. All the better for my brother, who has an almond farm in Andalucia and has arrived to holiday in West Cork bringing us a couple of kilos of the crop. We break the shells with a small hammer: this was how it was done before mechanisation. Old photographs show lines of women in black shawls and long dresses working away with little hammers cracking almonds, dawn to dusk. Mechanisation is wonderful, of course, but thousands of women all over Spain must have lost their jobs when it came in and, who knows, but they might have enjoyed not only the income, but a chance to chat and joke, and move about to spend every hour of the day working away alongside different companions. Funnily enough, the wealthy buyer who comes to my brothers farm still uses a small hammer to crack the nuts. Incidentally, thousands of men all over the almond-growing regions of the Mediterranean must also have lost their jobs beating the trees with sticks. This was the harvesting method then. Now, the trees are shaken by mechanical arms mounted on a tractor, and fall into a large umbrella, affixed to the tree trunk, each in turn. From the umbrella, the almonds are mechanically fed into a machine which removes the green, velvety outer hull, but not the shell. The almonds in their shells are then spread out, ankle deep on a hard surface, to dry in the hot Andalucia sun temperatures when my brother was harvesting a couple of weeks ago were 40C, so there was no problem with drying. Nevertheless, the workers walk through them now and then, each time from a different direction, raising parallel furrows so that the carpet of shells looks like a ploughed field. When they are dry, the buyer arrives, an elegant gent climbing out of his BMW and, after the ritual handshakes and the mucho gustos and encantados, sends his man off to collect random handfuls from the almond carpet to make up a carefully weighed kilo of the crop. He, the jefe, then cracks the almonds on a stone, nut by nut, and carefully, under the farmers watchful eye, weighs the nuts. In the crop from the 4,000 trees of Guara and Lauren varieties grown by my brother, the nut will constitute about 34% of the weight. The buyer will then check the humidity, which should be 6.5%: obviously, he doesnt want to buy water. This done, a per-kilo price is negotiated, and all of the almonds are top-loaded by mechanical shovel into a large enclosed truck, first weighed empty, then weighed again, loaded with almonds. The elegant gent pays up and moves on to the next farm. The stripped hulls make animal feed, the shells, ground down, make animal bedding. Almonds have a distinct advantage as a crop: they can be stored for two years and dont spoil in transit. The brother grew soft fruit when he first bought the land and, on fortunate years, produced the premium, second-earliest peaches to hit supermarket shelves in Europe. On a good year, the farm would harvest 75 tons of peaches; 90 tons of plums, 50 of nectarines, 15 of apricots and 30 of olives. There were bad years too, when hail storms unseasonably swept the Andalucian plains and pockmarked peaches, nectarines and olives, rendering them unsaleable. This, after the cost of 50-strong work gangs hired, first, to thin out the trees to let the sun get at the fruit, and then to pick the crop; no shaking for peaches. Clearly, almonds are a better friend altogether! EU commissioner Margrethe Vestagers statement on Tuesday, concerning state aid to Apple, is a crucial escalation in an investigation that began several years ago. Predictably, the political response here, in some quarters, has been to call for further investigation. The EU Commissions state aid investigation was prompted by matters brought into the public domain by the permanent subcommittee on Investigations of the US senate, in May 2013. Back then, the senate subcommittee compiled a report highlighting Apples structure in Ireland. Public tax investigations often start with politics and politicians. Thats not unique to the US. In this country, the DIRT enquiry, in 1999, was the work of the Public Accounts Committee of the Oireachtas. Taxpayers expect to have their affairs handled confidentially, and revenue authorities worldwide are secretive about the taxes they collect. We dont have the full details of the commissions decision on Apple, because of concerns over confidentiality. All that is in the public domain is the gist of the findings, as outlined in Ms Vestagers press conference. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager There is a predictable knee-jerk reaction from the political classes in clamouring for transparency. Remember the Panama leaks, in April this year, and the publication of files suggesting that secretive offshore financial vehicles were in widespread use? That led to the publication, in the UK, of return-of-income details from senior politicians, including the then PM, David Cameron, and the current opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn. A feature of the US election debate is whether or not presidential hopefuls, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, should publish their tax returns. Now, the call is for greater transparency by multinationals. Revenue have the right to obtain any information they like from any taxpayer, including a multinational, by force if they consider it necessary. However, different constraints apply to what Revenue can do with taxpayer information. They have a duty of confidentiality and can only release information outside of their office under strict conditions. Leaking information that can be linked to, or can identify, a taxpayer outside of these conditions is one of the few situations in which a Revenue officer can be convicted and fined under the Taxes Acts. Revenue have often refused to give the political system details of taxpayer activity. This was highlighted most recently when Revenue wrote to the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, to explain why corporation tax receipts had increased in 2015, but gave no indication of which companies, or even which types of company, were responsible for the increase. Ireland is part of an OECD system known as country-by-country reporting. The idea is that multinationals make reports of how much they earn in each country and how much tax they pay there. Country-by-country reporting has been brokered by the OECD and supported by most of its member countries. When revenue authorities know where multinationals generate profits and pay taxes on them, the shifting of money around the globe to defer or extinguish tax is much less likely to happen. Here in Ireland, there is legislation to facilitate country-by-country reporting. The first exchanges of data by Revenue with their counterparts abroad are likely within the next year. While there is support for making such information available to revenue authorities to help police the system, some countries, including the United States, have balked at the idea that multinational tax-and-profit analysis would be made public. Any calls here, from any side of the political spectrum, for public enquiries or parliamentary debates into the affairs of any taxpayer, must be seen in this light. Public debate on the cross-border taxation of companies, over the past several years, has already led to significant changes in Irish tax law and practice. The most obvious example of reform was the abolition of the so-called Double Irish structure two years ago. That structure permitted the long-term deferral of corporation-tax liabilities in some circumstances. It is being progressively phased out. Another is country-by-country reporting. This kind of tax reform will continue and should be enhanced by public debate. But there is no point in anyone calling for any type of committee, or investigation, that will immediately be thwarted by the domestic obligations of taxpayer confidentiality on the part of the Revenue, or obstruction in the home countries of the multinationals concerned. We need sensible discussion, not knee-jerk calls for enquiries. Brian Keegan is director of taxation with Chartered Accountants Ireland MORE mass graves are discovered in Iraqi and Syrian territory formerly held by the mass murderers known as IS, and the news no longer shocks anyone. Nor does the fact that most Christians who have not yet fled the region, along with other minorities, live in constant terror of more atrocities and executions. After the horrors of the Holocaust, we were supposed to live by the credo never forget, a phrase meant to apply both to past mass killings and to preventing similar actions in the future, whatever the body counts. That future is now, and we are not living up to that pledge. We are not even close. To its credit, the Associated Press has scrupulously documented the findings in Iraq and Syria so far; 72 mass graves containing an estimated 5,200 to 15,000 human remains have been mapped. Many of the victims were Yazidis, members of the ethnic Kurdish religious minority who were targeted by IS for extinction or enslavement. As the AP report points out, its estimates are only for the known mass graves. Many more may yet be discovered. Yet even this chilling story is unlikely to get much traction in a news environment dominated by the Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump presidential contest and Apples tax problems in Ireland. Contrast todays indifference with the shock most people felt as Allied troops liberated German concentration camps at the end of the Second World War. To be sure, the numbers of victims then and now were of a completely different order of magnitude, but the fundamental brutality involved in both was eerily similar. US army Lt William J Cowling, a member of the 42nd Infantry Division that entered Dachau and liberated the approximately 32,000 survivors in the main camp, wrote in horror to his parents about finding train cars full of corpses: Most of them naked and all of them skin and bones Many of the bodies had bullet holes in the back of their heads. It made us sick to our stomach and so mad we could do nothing but clench our fists. I couldnt even talk. Soon the victorious Allies did much more than clench their fists. They held trials for the top Nazi leaders, and at least some of them were held responsible for the hellish conditions in the camps. It was far from a perfect scorecard: Once the Cold War started, the victors largely lost interest in pushing for justice and countless murderers returned to civilian life without facing any consequences. But a small dedicated band of Nazi hunters refused to forget. They laid the groundwork for more trials, which have continued right up till today. The principle of never forget may have faded, but when it comes to past horrors, it has not disappeared. The real problem is with todays horrors and with our inability to focus on any of them for more than one news cycle. This is not simply a product of the internet age. In The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, published in 1979, the Czech emigre writer Milan Kundera wrote about the headlines of that decade: The bloody massacre in Bangladesh quickly covered over the memory of the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia, the assassination of [Salvador] Allende drowned out the groans of Bangladesh and so on and so forth until everyone lets everything be forgotten. Kundera also mentioned the Cambodian genocide. Since then, any number of places Rwanda, Srebrenica, Darfur have been added to the list of places that are synonymous with mass murder. The contrary view is expressed by the powerful words of the Polish Nobel Prize-winning poet Czeslaw Milosz, now inscribed on the monument in Gdansk shipyard that honours the workers who were killed by the communist regime during the 1970 protests there: You who wronged a simple man, Bursting into laughter at the crime, Do not feel safe. The poet remembers. You can kill one, but another is born. The words are written down, the deed, the date. Sadly, though, Kunderas more pessimistic vision appears to be winning out. The words, the deeds, and the dates all blur together, the victims all too often forgotten even after their remains are discovered mute testimony to the worlds indifference. THE most frightening periods in history have often been interregnums moments between the death of one king and the rise of the next. Disorder, war, and even disease can flood into the vacuum, when, as Antonio Gramsci put it in his Prison Notebooks, the old is dying and the new cannot be born. The dislocation and confusion of 2016 do not rival the turmoil of the inter-war period, when Gramsci wrote, but they are symptoms of a new interregnum. After the end of the Cold War, the world was held together by an American-policed security order and a European-inspired legal order. Now, however, both are fraying, and no candidates to replace them have yet emerged. Indeed, unlike in 1989, this is not a crisis of a single type of system. Countries as different as Brazil, China, Russia, and Turkey are under heightened political and economic pressure. Even if the nightmare of a President Donald Trump is avoided, as appears increasingly likely, the United States can no longer be the worlds policeman. Powers such as Russia, Iran, and China are probing US reactions in Ukraine, Syria, and the South China Sea. And US allies like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Poland, and Japan are forging independent, assertive foreign policies to make up for a US that cannot, and will not, carry its previous burdens. Donald Trump Meanwhile, the European Unions declining cohesion is undermining its moral authority. Many of the global institutions that reflect European values and norms from the World Trade Organisation and the International Criminal Court to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are gridlocked. Regionally, the three strands of the European order are unravelling: The US wants to reduce its investment in Nato, the EU is de-emphasising enlargement, and the chaos in the Middle East and Ukraine is making a mockery of the European Neighborhood Policy. The rise and rapprochement of illiberal forces in Russia and Turkey means that the EU is no longer the only pole of attraction in the region. Worse, EU integration has gone into reverse, with member states seeking to insulate themselves from the outside world, rather than trying to export their shared values. As a result, the biggest threats to free trade and the open society stem from domestic sources, not external enemies. Even in Germany, which had long seemed immune to such pressures, the interior minister talks of banning burkas (a policy that would affect 300 people), while the vice-chancellor has declared the death of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the US, even before the body is cold. The EU proved, over the last few decades, that it could be a force for globalisation, tearing down barriers between peoples and nations. But, today, its survival depends on showing that it can protect citizens from the very forces it has promoted. Maintaining the four freedoms at the heart of the European project the movement of people, goods, capital, and services within Europe will be possible only if EU governments have credible policies to protect the most vulnerable in their societies. That will mean improving protection of the EUs external borders, compensating domestic losers from migration and free trade, and soothing public fears about terrorism. The danger is that much of what the EU rightly pushed for during the good times could hasten its unravelling now, during the current interregnum. For example, given so much uncertainty about the future of Europe and the world, debating enlargement, or the TTIP, seems pointless, or worse, because even beginning such discussions plays into the hands of Eurosceptics. The EU needs to distinguish between core and peripheral priorities. For issues such as EU relations with Russia and Turkey (and these two countries relations with each other), member states need to agree on a policy that recognises the interests of all. But much greater flexibility is advisable in other areas, including commitments to refugee reallocation and eurozone rules, where excessive rigidity could cause European unity to buckle and snap. In addition to preventing an alliance between Russia and Ankara, the EU should rethink its goals in its neighborhood. Although the Balkan countries that are outside the EU will remain there for many years, they are in the European security space already, and Europeans should be prepared to intervene militarily, if outbreaks of violence recur. Moreover, EU leaders should pursue a broader definition of peace than the absence of war, including political and social stability and preventing radicalisation in Bosnia and Kosovo. For Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, the goal should be to promote stable and predictable governments. For the next few years, the EU should view them as independent buffer states, rather than as member-states-in-waiting. It will be particularly important not to set red lines the EU is not willing to defend. In the troubled Middle East, the EU cannot hope to be the central actor. But EU countries cannot protect their populations from instability if they are only spectators. Particularly in Syria and Libya, the EU needs to play a more concerted role with regional powers as well as with the US and Russia to advance political processes that could reduce violence, provide humanitarian aid, and stem the flow of refugees. One of the EUs main challenges is to define success in a defensive era. During the heyday of enlargement, the goal was to deepen integration and broaden its reach across Europe. Now, however, success means preventing countries from leaving the EU or from hollowing-out its institutions. History moves in cycles. The interregnum will eventually end and a new order will be born. The survivors and inheritors of the old order will write the rules of the new one. The EUs goal, achievable only with flexibility and courage, must be to remain a viable project and thus be one of the authors. Mark Leonard is director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016. Since the EUs ruling on Apples 13bn in back-taxes was announced on Tuesday, the ramparts have been rushed, with all and sundry making definitive statements. Almost immediately, Finance Minister Michael Noonan said the EU was wrong. How could he know? He might say he disputes the findings, but he made a definitive declaration without approval from cabinet. On Wednesday, Ryanair boss, Michael OLeary, said that the Government should tell the EU where to go. Frankly, the Irish Government should turn around they shouldnt even appeal the decision they should just write a letter to Europe and tell them politely to fuck off, said Mr OLeary. This is the same EU that facilitated the rise of Ryanair by banning State aid for faltering airlines. Like everybody else, Micko wants it both ways. The EU itself has been all over the shop. Initially, it said the 13bn was due to the Irish Exchequer, but then claimed other countries could share in the pay-out. In the US, the treasury department had a pop at the EU. We believe that retroactive tax assessments by the commission are unfair, contrary to well-established legal principles, and call into question the rules of individual member states, it said. Yet much of the massive global corporate tax-avoidance is engineered by American companies, facilitated by domestic laws, and enacted by American politicians who receive money from those same companies. The high moral ground is unoccupied on this matter. On RTE Radio yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave an impassioned defence of his companys tax arrangements. He might well be correct about the legal position, and genuine about Apples commitment to this country, and Apple might not have broken any laws, but its position on tax avoidance is morally indefensible. Apple may be getting a raw deal on this issue, but some would see it as natural justice for paying a fraction of the tax that it should. The EUs competition commission has adopted the stance of policeman for the citizens, ensuring that big business pays its fair share. But what cared the EU for the citizens of this country a few years ago, when it decided that the debts for much of Europes banking crisis be borne by us? Would the EU be as forceful if this matter involved a multinationals relationship with France or Germany? Tim Cook The ruling could be interpreted as Brussels again using a small, peripheral country as a handy experiment in forging a new path. During the recession, that path involved beating a way out of a potentially ruinous financial crisis. Today, it signals the new dispensation, under the OECD, that is determined to go after corporate tax-avoidance. Back home, credibility is also in short supply. Successive Irish governments have bent over backwards to facilitate foreign companies using Ireland as a base for tax-avoidance. Little ruses such as the double Irish ensured that money could be funnelled through this State, filtering out the requirements to pay tax anywhere. In 2004, then finance minister Charlie McCreevy went one further with legislation allowing foreign companies to set up headquarters, or holding companies, here. Thousands of brass-plate operations were opened up, facilitating major tax-avoidance in other jurisdictions. The only real benefit to this country was fat fees for a platoon of lawyers and accountants to set everything up. In recent years, the facilitation of special-purpose vehicles for vulture funds to hoover up cheap property has continued the trend. All of this has added to the perception that Ireland is a tax haven. Technically, it might not be, but the righteous indignation from Cabinet voices about potential reputational damage from the Apple ruling rings hollow. The damage has long been done, and any appeal wont change that. The EU may not be correct in its ruling, but Ireland has lived dangerously for a long time in facilitating tax-avoidance. Then, the opposition are mounting their high horses. Parties such as Sinn Fein want the State to bend to the EUs agenda this time, a complete U-turn from the partys position when the EU was one element of the Troika. Back then, Gerry Adams told the Troika to go home. Different position this time, same empty populism. Anybody suggesting we should take the 13bn has another impediment en route to the high moral ground. Even if the ruling is correct, this country has no right to the money. If it represents tax that should have been paid, then it must go to the countries in which Apple made the profits that generated the tax. If Ireland facilitated Apple in avoiding tax in other jurisdictions, it should not be rewarded for doing so with money that rightly belongs to others. Burma Burmese Citizen Infected With Zika Virus in Singapore Nurses set up a mosquito tent over a hospital bed, as part of a precautionary protocol for patients who are infected by Zika, to show the media at Farrer Park Hospital in Singapore on September 2, 2016. / Edgar Su / Reuters RANGOON The Burmese embassy in Singapore confirmed on Friday that a Burmese citizen is infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Over 150 cases of Zika were reported in Singapore by Thursday; among them were 57 are foreigners, including 10 nationals of Bangladesh, 23 from China, 15 from India, six from Malaysia, and one each from Indonesia, Burma and Taiwan, Channel News Asia reported. The Burmese embassy in Singapore said in a statement released on Friday that the countrys Ministry of Health had been informed that a Burmese citizen was diagnosed with the virus on August 30. The patients condition has since improved and they are being closely monitored. The embassy also recommended pregnant women and women intending to be pregnant temporarily postpone travels to Singapore. The symptoms of Zika infection are generally mild, although in pregnant women it can cause brain malformations and other defects in unborn children. There are no vaccines or specific treatments. Burmas Ministry of Health said that since the Zika epidemic began in Brazil in 2015, they have been taking precautionary measures in the country and screening passengers for fever when arriving at airports and ports. Regionally, the Zika outbreak has also been reported in Thailand and Malaysia. The virus has been known to occur largely in tropical regions of Africa and Asia, and is related to dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever. Burma Burmese Migrant Workers File Lawsuit Against Thai Export Giant Members of the Migrant Worker Rights Network show a 45,000-signature petition delivered to the Thai Broiler Processing Exporter Associationof which Betagro is a memberat the CP Tower in Bangkok on Friday, calling for an investigation into poor working conditions and for worker compensation for what they describe as years of forced labor. / MWRN / Facebook CHIANG MAI, Thailand A group of 14 Burmese migrant workers took legal action against Thai poultry exporter Betagro on Friday at a labor court in Saraburi Province, northeast of Bangkok, alleging years of forced labor. According to a press release by several rights groups acting in support of the workers, a petition of more than 45,000 signatures from various activists was also handed over to the Thai Broiler Processing Exporter Associationof which Betagro is a memberat CP Tower in Bangkok. The litigation claimed 46 million baht (US$1.33 million) in compensation and civil damages for abuses suffered by the workers for years at the poultry farm in Thailands Lopburi province, read the statement. The workers filed the litigation after deciding previous compensation worth 1.7 million baht (US$50,000) was insufficient for up to five years of work under what they describe as abusive conditions. The previous compensation was made on August 1 by Lopburi Department of Labor Protection and Welfare. Speaking with The Irrawaddy on Friday, Andy Hall, international affairs advisor for the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN), said of the migrant workers, They were forced to work many years against their will. And they earn little money. Betagro is a very big corporationthey need to be held responsible for this. We disagreed with that [previous] order [for compensation] because they rewarded workers for only two to four hours of overtime. The workers said they work up to eleven hours as overtime. Thats why we filed the case, said Hall. Betagro delivers its products across Thailand as well as to international markets, particularly those in Europe and Japan. The firms business focuses on agriculture, livestock, and manufacturing ready-made meats and frozen cooked food for export. It also exports pet food to the United States, Canada and Australia. According to the rights groups, the workers allege grueling workdays stretching to 20 hours and forced overtime including sleeping in chicken rearing areas overnight. The workers also claimed they were abused by owners such through the threats, confiscation of personal identity documents, and the deduction of salaries. In addition to urging the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association to encourage Betagro to compensate the 14 workers in question, the 45,000-signature petition also called for an investigation into poor working conditions to ensure there is no more modern day slavery. Burma Stakeholder Presentations at Peace Conference Reveal Contrasting Positions on Statehood and Security Stakeholders pictured on the third day of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference. / Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy NAYPYIDAW The reading of statements by each stakeholder continued on the third day of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference in Naypyidaw, with more than 60 presentations on the building of a future federal state representing Burmas diversity. Ethnic armed alliance the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) presented its draft federal constitution and Tatmadaw representatives reiterated their stances on the 2008 Constitution and security sector reform (SSR) preceded by the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of non-state armed groups. Ethnic groups including the Wa in Shan State and the Shani (Tai Leng) in Kachin State raised the issue of new autonomous states drawn on ethnic lines from within existing states and divisions. Rev. Saw Matthew Aye from the Karen Development Network, who is attending the conference as the ethnic stakeholder, told The Irrawaddy that minority ethnic groups have the right to demand an autonomous state, but we have to see how much it is developed. The challenge is how much resources we have when we try to build a state: whether we have enough lawmakers, educators, physicians, engineering resources and IT resources and so forth, he added. Another issue of discussion was the eight states principle, a proposal included in the draft constitution put together by several ethnic armed groups. Burma is currently made up of seven divisions and seven ethnic statesnamed for the Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon and Shan. The proposed change is to combine three of these Burman-majority divisions to form a single ethnic Burman state in Mandalay, Magwe and Pegu divisions. Ethnic minority leaders argue that this will allow for more equitable political representation and resource sharing between the Burmans and the countrys other ethnic groups. Khun Marko Ban, a stakeholder representing the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), described the current discussion as interesting since he said it focuses on the spirit and principles of the original 1947 Panglong Agreementwhich the conference has been named afterincluding federalism, equality and self-determination. He expressed support for the proposal, and simply said that, The eight states principle is a basic principle, because it stemmed from the essence of the 1947 Panglong Agreement. The Burma Armys presentation mainly cited the 2008 Constitution, which they see as comprehensive and protective of Burmas states; human rights and ethnic advocacy groups have faulted the constitution for enshrining the militarys political power and for granting little autonomy to ethnic regions. Col Zaw Win Myint, representing the Tatmadaw, emphasized how a DDR process would help create the security and stability in the country; yet many non-state armed groups argue that a discussion of implementing DDR is premature. Armed struggle will not bring political goals, and thus the Tatmadaw wants a DDR process first, then followed by SSR, he said. Khu Oo Reh, the secretary of the UNFC and the vice chair of the KNPP, said, I think our understanding is different [regarding DDR and SSR processes]. For us, we have to first prepare the security sector reform process in order to continue doing the DDR process. It would be smooth and easy implementation of DDR only when we are well prepared for the SSR process. During his presentation, UNFC vice chair Nai Hong Sar said, building better relationships between the ethnicities is the key to building the state. For that, we need equality and currently we dont have that. The four UNFC representatives, including Khu Oo Reh of the KNPP, Nai Hong Sar of the New Mon State Party, Sin Wa of the Kachin Independence Organization and Tun Zaw of the Arakan National Congress, read the coalitions draft federal constitution section by section, as each person only was given ten minutes to speak on stage. Highlights of their proposal were regarding examining the chosen name of the country, the issue of forming a federal army, and the pursuit of security sector reform. The reading of their paper will continue on Saturday, the final day of the conference. Nai Hong Sar told The Irrawaddy, if we build a federal state, the countrys name should not only represent one ethnicity, it should demonstrate ownership by all ethnicities or regions. Burma Upper House Bill Committee Backs Abolishment of Controversial Emergency Law Mahn Win Khaing Than pictured in Parliaments Upper House in Naypyidaw on March 25, 2016. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy RANGOON Burmas Parliament moved one step closer to annulling the controversial Emergency Provisions Act as the Upper House Bill Committee backed a proposal on Friday to abolish the 66-year-old law. The bill was approved by the Lower House in late July after a debate involving military lawmakers and the Defense Ministry, who suggested making changes to the law rather than scrapping it. Lawmaker Thein Lwin, a member of the Upper House Bill Committee and the National League for Democracy (NLD), took the floor of the Parliament on Friday and said his committee recommended that the Upper House approve the bill, emphasizing that it had already been passed by the Lower House. We propose seeking a parliamentary decision, Thein Lwin said at the legislative session. Speaker of the Upper House, Mahn Win Khaing Than, said that lawmakers who would like to debate the bill should register to do so by Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the latest. The Emergency Provisions Act was originally enacted in 1950 by the government of Burmas first prime minister, U Nu, and granted the authorities the right to jail individuals who spread what was deemed as false news. Successive military administrations ruling the country have abused the law and used it to suppress dissidents. The law imposes death penalties and sentences up to life in prison for treason or sabotage against military organizations, as well as up to seven years in prison for a sweeping range of other offenses against the state. In 2015, during ex-president Thein Seins administration, the NLDthe then-leading opposition partyproposed scrapping the legislation in the Lower House. However, the move failed as the chamber was under the wider influence of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party majority at the time. Lower House Speaker Win Myint, once said in 2015 that the law was designed to instill fear and restrict political activity. Economy HK Express Launches Rangoon-Hong Kong Direct Flight HK Express launched a direct flight between Rangoon and Hong Kong this week. / Thiha Toe / The Irrawaddy Rangoon HK Express, a low-cost airline based in Hong Kong, launched a direct flight between Rangoon and Hong Kong on Thursday, the airline announced. Discounts of up to 50 percent will be offered on airline tickets to commemorate the launch. A direct flight between Mandalay and Hong Kong is also scheduled to begin on September 5, according to Sherman Luk, HK Express general manager. The airline currently flies to 27 destinations in Asia and plans to launch new flights to Laos, Saipan and Guam later this year. Its good that more and more international airlines are coming to Burma. Previously, Burmese travelers had to travel through Bangkok to go to Hong Kong, said Ye Htut Aung, deputy director of the department of civil aviation. HK Express plans to operate four flights a week from Rangoon to Hong Kong and vice versa. Currently, there are 25 international airlines landing at the Rangoon international airport. Opinion How Ultra-Nationalism Undermines Democratization and Reconciliation Ethnic delegates attend the 21st Century Panglong Conference, which began on Wednesday in Naypyidaw. / Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy A few days before the start of this weeks 21st Century Panglong peace conference, the State Counselors Office announced the formation of an advisory commission on Arakan state, to be chaired by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. In late May this year, President U Htin Kyaw formed the Central Committee for the Implementation of Peace and Development in Arakan State. It has 27 members, all of whom are government officials, and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the chair. The creation of these bodies, and the holding of the Panglong conference, indicates that peace is high on the governments agenda. For some time now, two of the most important elements in the current political landscape have been seen as distinct problems: the peace process involving the government and ethnic armed groups, and the violent and racist ultra-nationalist campaign against the Rohingya, and Muslims in general, by the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, better known by its Burmese language acronym Ma Ba Tha. Very few people working on the peace process take the nationalist campaign seriously, and vice versa. Yet there are clear connections between the two, in terms of how the nationalist movement can undermine the peace process. For a start, lessons can be learned by looking at how Ma Ba Thas populist campaign against Rohingyas/Muslims turned democratic forces from state enemies into public enemies, and from the peoples friends to the nations traitors. Democratic forces: from state enemies to public enemies One of the prime victims of the nationalist movement is the cohort of democratic forces (however problematic and racist some may have been) that have dissented from the junta since 1988. These forces include the (once) exiled media, the international community, human rights activists and monks, as well as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her loyal dissident groups. Past regimes consistently accused them of trying to break up the Union. State propaganda called overseas and once-exiled mediaincluding the BBC, VOA, RFA, DVB, The Irrawaddy and Mizzimakiller media, liars and troublemakers. State media described the international community as neocolonialists who were manipulating opposition groups in order to control the country. Human rights groups were accused of destabilizing Burma, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi described as a threat to sovereignty and culture. But twenty-five years of such state propaganda did not work. People always supported the anti-junta forces and saw them as saviors. People looked up to them as agents of change and as friends of the people. However, after the Arakan State riots broke out in 2012, people started believing nationalist rhetoricthat all these forces were betraying the nation by supporting the Rohingya. As the Rohingya issue was increasingly framed as a threat to sovereignty, people started seeing the democratic forces too as threatening sovereignty, religion and culture. For instance, various media organizations were accused of taking money from the international Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in exchange for producing pro-Rohingya news. Some cartoonists portrayed them as dogs fed by the Rohingya. The Democratic Voice of Burma, whose radio and TV output people have relied on for decades, was called the Democratic Voice of Bengali. Human rights activists were accused of exchanging sovereignty, and race-and-religion, for dangerous foreign ideas. Articles were written condemning human rights as infringing sovereignty. Public protests against international and local nongovernmental organizations were organized. Senior UN official Tomas Ojea Quintanas convoy was attacked. UN envoy Yanghee Lee was called a whore. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was criticized and insulted in ways previously unimaginable. Within a few months, groups and individuals long known for challenging the regime were being framed as the peoples enemies. Members of the public started saying things about these groups that those in power had been unable to get them to say for more than two decades. Ironically, this was achieved not by the traditional state propaganda machine, but by a peoples movement led by monks. This points to the need to see the anti-Rohingya/Muslim campaign as something rather more than just a distraction from the real issues, as some describe it. In fact, the campaign became a populist political instrument whose direct opposition to Rohingya/Muslims eventually, and ironically, weakened public support, trust and confidence in the democratic forces that had been trying to weaken the oppressors. This raises questions around whether the Rohingya/Muslims are indeed the ultimate targets of the nationalist campaign. It may be asked if, (i) the nationalist campaign has been strategically orchestrated in unknown bunkers; (ii) those in power have just turned the violence of an unfolding nationalist campaign to their own advantage; or (iii) the outcomes have been uncalculated and merely the result of coincidence. Whether the outcomes were orchestrated or coincidental, it is certain that the forces of democratization have been discredited and transformed into public enemies in sudden and shocking ways. Moving targets The obvious target being one thing and the result something else is not an isolated phenomenon; it is part of a pattern. Take the way many more people, for a time, came to see Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a threat to sovereignty, and to race-and-religion. The previous military junta spent 25 years painting her as a threat to the nationfor marrying the late Dr. Michael Aris, a British historian of Himalayan culturesbut the people did not buy that propaganda. Yet, in late 2014 and 2015, the number of people opposing her, at least on social media, seemed to rise rapidly. How did this happen? The racist ultra-nationalist narratives are often all about women in danger, mostly in terms of sexual violence and marital strife, caused by lu myo char, bar thar char (people of a different race and religion), i.e. foreigners. When the Arakan State riots broke out in 2012, the initial narrative had to do with Bengali men raping an Arakanese Buddhist woman. The narrative around victimhood shifted gradually to become about kalar (a derogatory term for Muslims and those of South Asian descent) assaulting Burmese womenthen about lu myo char, bar thar char forcing Burmese women to marry them, converting them (and their children) to Islam by force, and torturing and killing them if they refused. Using made-up stories, the narrative warned that Burmese people should not engage socially with Muslims, and that inter-marriage was dangerous. The spinning went further. Nationalists distributed Facebook photos of Burmese ladies overseas dating black men, and then images of Burmese girls in sexy clothing partying with white people. They were relaying a message that such Burmese women were disrespecting Burmese culture and therefore posed a danger to race-and-religion. Eventually, the message morphed into the idea that it was wrong for Burmese women to have sexual and marital relations with foreigners. Prior to the 2015 general election, the prime target of this idea became Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Had the campaign been launched directly against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the first instance, people would have immediately understood it as the usual propaganda. But when the idea that Burmese women marrying foreigners is wrong was constructed in the context of the Rohingya, who were already painted and often taken as outcasts, more and more people internalized the notion. As the idea traveled through different contexts under the guise of disciplining young women and protecting culture and religion, it became more accepted. In 2015, when the issue was overheating, it was used directly against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. By that time, the overtly sexist and racist content of the messaging was unlike anything that had been seen before. This was a powerful psy-war achievement, until people realized it was propaganda against her. To recap, whether it was orchestrated or a mere coincidence, the outcome was obvious: a narrative of condemning rape in 2012 became one of anti-Aung San Suu Kyi in 2015. Nationalists against reconciliation Just as the racist nationalist movement has been seen in the two examples above to have successfully undermined the forces of democratization, it could work similarly against the forces of national reconciliation in unexpected and unforeseen ways. This may sound speculative, but the matters already discussed show signs of what could happen, and how. National reconciliation requires equality between the Burman majority and ethnic minorities, in terms of political decision-making, defense, economic rights and cultural rights. Predominant or significant populations of many ethnic groups are Christian. But the nationalist campaigns, speeches and writings work against equality among all groups. The nationalists calls for Buddhist Burman supremacy in the political hierarchy reinforces what minority groups see as chauvinisma root cause of ethnic conflict. Recently, anti-Christian articles and cartoons have been seen in print publications and posted on social media, including on Ma Ba Thas official Facebook page. Signboards have been put up in various towns saying that lu myo char, bar thar char are not allowed to live in the locality, or to buy and sell at the local markets. A signboard in Shwe Naung in Shan State identified Muslims, Christians and Hindus as those who are so barred. The discourse around lu myo char (different race/ethnicity) reinforces discrimination based on ethnicity. Even poetry is not immune. A poem by Shin Myo Chit about marriage and the expression of Burmese pride is titled Avoid lu myo char. A poem by Maha Bawdi Myein Sayadaw warns readers not to sell land to lu myo char so as to preserve sovereignty. While these poems do not specifically define who lu myo char are, the call for pure Burmese blood, and even pure Buddhist blood, indicate that they proscribe everyone who is not Buddhist and/or Burmese. Moving towards the political arena, a senior monk wrote an article titled Traitors of the Country, published on the Ma Ba Tha (Central) Online Media and Thargitwe Journal Facebook pages, which said that everyone has the responsibility to protect sovereignty, culture and race-and-religion. He stated that those being influenced and supported by foreign countries were traitorsso were politicians defending bar thar char (non-Buddhists) with outside support. Many poems, articles and short stories conflate the protection of Buddhism and Burman culture with the perpetuation of sovereignty. This is at odds with calls from ethnic groups for federalism, in which all members are equal partners. In addition, discourses around lu myo char, bar thar char, land, and protecting sovereignty run the risk of becoming powerful propaganda tools for those in power to criminalize ethnic armed groups struggle for equality and national reconciliation. For ethnic groups can be seen as lu myo char, bar thar char or both. Their struggle for equality, self-determination and federalism, which is in part a struggle for what they see as their ancestral land, could be distorted as an attempt by lu myo char, bar thar char to control our forefathers land, break up the Union and threaten the nations sovereignty. The point is that, if any unforeseen circumstance were to trigger a mass movement against the forces of national reconciliation in the name of protecting sovereignty and race-and-religion, the movements aims would be all too achievablebecause the narratives around national traitors and lu myo char, bar thar char threatening sovereignty and race-and-religion are all already in place. Many people already hold such notions, at least in some form. If ultra-nationalists were to embark on a mass campaign against ethnic groups, neither historical context nor facts would matter much. For the campaigns discussed earlier, which succeeded in discrediting the democratic forces, were all based on lies, deception and hatredperpetuated in this case not by the traditional state propaganda machine, but by monks who are supposed to never lie, deceive or hate. They could do so by invoking the uncontested power of the Sangha and their special status in society. The fact that nationalists are deploying ideas around sovereignty is concerning, because protecting sovereignty is a very distinctive military discourse that has been invoked to crush ethnic minority groups. As recently as June 21, Burmas armed forces chief stated during a meeting with members of the Tatmadaw in Shan State that national defense was about more than just military activity, but also about protecting race-and-religion. A threat to peace In short, whether a coincidence or not, the nationalist movements key narratives of protecting race-and-religion continue to contribute to blocking recognition of diversity and equality as necessary conditions for national reconciliation. Looking at the ways in which the forces of democratization became public enemies, receiving the brunt of public outcry as a by-product of the racist nationalist campaign against Rohingya/Muslims, who can guarantee that the same campaign wont provide a platform to be used against the forces of national reconciliation, at the very least as an unintended consequence? It is to be hoped that people in the government and the peace movement have a vision and a strategy for such an outcome, before it strikes at the heart of peace and national reconciliation. (This is a shorter version of a research paper in Burmese titled Beyond Muslims: Ma Ba Thas Impacts on Democratization and National Reconciliation to be published in the Myanmar Quarterly Journal in September). Dr. Sai Latt received his Ph.D. in Human Geography from Simon Fraser University in Canada. He is a Research Associate of the York Center for Asian Research at York University in Toronto. His research covers violence, securitization and displacement. Interview UWSA Peace Delegate: Observer Status Restrictions Made Us Uncomfortable UWSA leaders at the Panghsang Summit in the Wa Self-Administered Division in May 2016. / J Paing / The Irrawaddy The delegation from the United Wa State Army (UWSA) walked out of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference on its second day in session on Thursday, with the UWSAs southern liaison officer leading his four delegates and their staff out of the convention hall, citing unequal treatment. On Thursday, the Burmese governments peace commission sent a letter to Pao Yu Xiang, the UWSA chairman, explaining that the government views all ethnic armed groups at the peace conference equally. They requested that he excuse the inconvenience caused by mismanagement that led to the UWSA delegation being temporarily identified as observers rather than participants. The Irrawaddys Nang Seng Nom spoke with deputy liaison officer Nyi Yax, one of the members of the Wa delegation, about the UWSAs unexpected exit. Why did your delegation leave the 21st Century Panglong Conference? U Khin Zaw Oo [the government peace negotiator] said that we did not contact them immediately when we arrived in Naypyidaw. But we did report our arrival. There was not sufficient accommodation for us. Ours is a ten-member delegation. We reported that we would lodge at the Myat Yadanar Hotel. Then they told us to take our [ID] cards [to attend the conference]. So we did, and then we lost contact. The following day, we attended the conference. While we were there, we found that our cards were not equal [since they were observers cards and not participants cards] and we reported that [to the conference organizing committee]. They ushered us to our seats. They said access was restricted in the dining room and press conference room for security reasons according to their rules and regulations. We dont blame them for it. But we reported to our central executive committee that there are such-and-such restrictions, and the committee instructed us not to accept the cards even if they were changed. And we left the conference according to the instructions of the central committee. What do you want to say about the government giving you observers cards? We had come to the conference with full support for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and also brought along a paper [statement] to read. But then, the cards turned out to be observers cards. [The government officials] said they would come and change the cards, and then they said that the cards had run out. We didnt know what we should believe and we felt uncomfortable. We contacted them immediately once we arrived. They knew where we were staying. You had at first planned to read a paper at the peace conference, but then you left the conference. What do you want to say about it? We have handed our paper to them [the government officials]. And I dont remember exactly what was said in the paper. The government side said that your delegation did not report your arrival and did not stay at the hotel they had arranged for you. What do you want to say about it? If we didnt report it, how could we get the cardsthrough the air? What do you expect from the Panglong Conference? We support the conference. We left because we didnt like the accommodation, the environment and the way they treated us. I want to see peace prevail in the entire country. We came to the conference for peace. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Interview We Came to This Conference as Equals, but There is Still No Equality: RCSS Lt-Col Sai Ngin pictured at the 21st Century Panglong Conference in Naypyidaw. / Pyay Kyaw NAYPYIDAW Inequality has been a central topic at the 21st Century Panglong peace conference, which began on Wednesday in Naypyidaw. Lt-Col Sai Ngin of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), an ethnic armed group taking part in peace negotiations, told The Irrawaddy after the second day of the conference about the current level of equalityor lack thereofamong ethnic groups. Could you briefly describe the paper the RCSS submitted to the peace conference? Mainly, our paper calls for the 1947 Panglong Agreement to be honored. It focuses on the Panglong Agreement, the Panglong pledge [of federalism], and the establishment of a democratic federal Union that guarantees self-determination and equality. What were the main points discussed on the second day of the conference? Participants mainly talked about the Panglong Agreement. The 21st Century Panglong [conference] emerged as a result of the 1947 Panglong. We shared the same views about the fundamentals of the [1947] Panglong Agreement. Some groups expressed concerns about their future and some minorities demanded autonomous states. That does not directly concern us; it concerns mainly the Union government. [Autonomous states] would have to be in line with the 2008 Constitution, therefore there will be many stages. So, I think we are not directly concerned with it yet. What is your assessment of the conference so far? Im satisfied. The delegations and [political] parties are able to discuss anything. But the time is limited: 10 minutes [for a presentation] is not enough. And we have pointed out to the conference chairman that there is no equality at the conference. The [ranks] of our ethnic armed group delegates are not mentioned on their nametags. For example, I am a lieutenant colonel but the nametag just reads Sai Ngin. That is not equal. If there is no equality even in such a small matter, how can we expect equality in federalism? I have pointed this out and made a request [to feature titles/ranks on nametags]. [Burma Army representatives at the conference are permitted to wear their military uniforms, which already state their rank, whereas ethnic armed groups officers can only wear traditional ethnic dress. Some ethnic armed group officers had hoped that their military ranks would at least be stated on their nametags at the conference, but they are not. Additionally, during the opening sessions, the ranks of ethnic armed group officers at the conference were not mentioned when their names were read outalthough they have been mentioned in more recent sessions, as observed by The Irrawaddy.] Many complained about this on the first day of the conference? So, a solution still hasnt been found after two days? Not yet. We came to this conference as equals, but there is still no equality. Yesterday, the KIO [Kachin Independence Organization] vice chairman Gen NBan La even joked about it. [The KIO vice chairman introduced himself with, ethnic groups call me General NBan La.] So, I have continued to request [appropriate nametags]. If not even a conference program is organized equally, how can we possibly expect equality in political matters? 10 Myths About Virtual Mobile Infrastructure Ericsson said this week that it has introduced the first 5G NR (New Radio). Systems featuring the technology will be ready for deployment in 2017. The AIR 6468 5G NR radio supports massive multiple in, multiple out (Massive MIMO) and multiple user MIMO (MU MIMO), the company said. It will team with other Ericsson equipment in a full suite of 5G components. In addition to MIMO capabilities, the AIR 6468 offers what the company says is a large number of steerable ports to facilitate beamforming. The radio also supports LTE networks. Ericsson is moving aggressively on 5G and, perhaps more importantly, the timeframe across the industry appears to be shortening. The Move to NFV Is Accelerating The ramp up to network functions virtualization (NFV) seems to be accelerating as well. A service provider survey by IHS Markit revealed that 81 percent of carriers say they will deploy NFV by 2017 and that 59 percent said that they will deploy it this year. The reason is simple, according to the report at eWeek. The technology is needed: The adoption is an indication of the growing need by telecommunications vendors to change their IT environments in order to meet the growing demand from customers for more performance and bandwidth and the need to more quickly spin out applications and services to those customers and partners. Michael Howard, the senior research director for Carrier News for IHS, said that the survey results were an indication that NFV and software-defined networks (SDNs) are seen as fundamental shifts that will provide automation, more agile services, more revenue, operational efficiencies and savings. Howard added that NFV is seen as moving from lab tests and proof of concept trials into field deployments. CA Appeals Court Dismisses FTC Case Against AT&T Telecommunications is a litigious area. The docket just got a bit less crowded, however, as Californias Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling and dismissed a suit brought against AT&T by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC alleged in the suit, which was brought in 2014, that the carrier had violated section 5 of the FTC Act by not completely disclosing its data throttling practices, according to WirelessWeek. AT&T had claimed that it was exempt because it was a common carrier. The question before the court was whether a carriers designation as a common carrier covers everything that company does or just those things associated with its common carrier status. The court sided with AT&T in the case. FCC Wont Appeal Municipal Network Decision A second case of the courts dockets stems from a decision last month by the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The court dealt the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a sound defeat by ruling that it didnt have the right to preempt laws which gave states the right to control expansion of broadband networks. The cases stemmed from the desire of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Wilson, North Carolina, to expand their networks. The FCC now says that it wont appeal the decision. The New York Times reported this week that the FCC said an appeal would not be the best use of Commission resources. It is possible that the situation could change over the long haul, however. The decision doesnt say that Congress couldnt vote to give the FCC the power in the future to control municipal broadband expansions. It just said that it doesnt currently have that power. CenturyLink to Provide Broadband to Denver-area Community Lumiere Fiber and CenturyLink said this week that they will be the sole provider of broadband for residents of Sterling Ranch, a master-planned community in northwest Douglas County, Colorado. The companies will offer gigabit per second over fiber. The 1 Gbps services will cost $85 per month. Other services will be extra, the press release said. The community eventually will have 12,000 residents. CenturyLink recently opened the CenturyLink Solutions Store in Denver, where the announcement was made. Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at [email protected] and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk. Save Sometime this month, LG is expected in unveil the LG V20, the company's next high-end flagship. Serving as the successor to the well-received V10, there are high hopes for the upcoming unit. And there is two things that the unit will have upon release that no other unit can boast - Google's Android 7.0 Nougat and In App. When Will It Be Launched? According to C|Net, the LG V20 will be officially announced on September 6th in San Francisco. The invitation to the event only specifically mentions "playing more," with no direct reference to the upcoming unit. Nevertheless, it is widely believed that the handheld will make its public debut on that day. What Does Android 7.0 Nougat Carry? Android 7.0 Nougat has been making waves for quite some time now. Though the dispersal of the same is a little slow, the LG V20 is going to be the first phone to carry the new operating system straight out of the box. The new OS from Google supports multi window, which allows the user to reply to notifications without ever leaving a separate app's interface. In addition, it also has an additional battery saving feature, the Doze on the Go. What Is In App? As Phone Arena adds, the LG V20 will also be the first handheld to sport the In Apps tab from Google. In Apps allows users to search within numerous applications at once. In essence, it is the regular search feature expanded to other apps. At this point In Apps only extends to Gmail, Spotify YouTube and Google Calendar. However, Google promises that it will include searches in Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn, Glide and others in the next coming months. What Else Does LG V20 Have? Even without the software, the LG V20 is a relatively good choice. Although not much is known about its specifications, the device is expected to come with a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (digital to analog converter), which should producer better sound and even decreases the presence of ambient noise. Furthemore, the LG V20 is expected to sport two front-facing cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and a USB Type C port. Even though there hasn't been any announcement yet as to when "Tokyo Ghoul" season three will come back to television, fans of the series are already speculating its storyline. There have been reports that the animated series will allegedly follow the events that occurred in the manga series. Ken Kaneki To Be Named One Eyed King On Season 3 Of "Tokyo Ghoul" Second season of "Tokyo Ghoul" ended with a battle, and some of the fans assumed that will be the death of the protagonist, Ken Kaneki. However, Vine Report said that if based on the events that transpired in the manga series, Ken will live to be declared as the One Eyed King. This was similar to chapter 86 of the on-going manga series, "Tokyo Ghoul: re" If the series gets confirmed for season three, the storyline will move up to two years after the Commission of Counter Ghouls will raid a small neighbourhood cafe. The group will still be able to attack the community despite the Kaneki and his team's best efforts to protect them. Reports claim that it will be best for the network to follow on with the manga series, to be able to be provided of more material for the storyline instead of taking matters into their own hands. One of which is when Kaneki will be trained as a ghoul investigator which already transpired in the manga series. Season 3 To Air Late 2017 Or Early 2018, After Live-Action Movie Franchise According to Starz, amidst all the speculations with the storyline, there still isn't any confirmation to "Tokyo Ghoul" season three release date. Since the network is known to provide a title for each season, it is speculated that the third season will be titled after the final arc of the manga series "Tokyo Ghoul: re." Season three of "Tokyo Ghoul" may be released after the franchise of the live-action movie, presumably to date around late 2017 or early 2018. After a long wait and many speculations along the way, the casting for Lord John Grey of "Outlander" has finally been confirmed and announced. With the actor David Berry confirmed to play the role, fans of the series are now more excited for its upcoming season. David Berry Plays Lord John Grey On "Outlander" Season 3 One of the important roles to fill in the upcoming season three of "Outlander" is Lord John Grey. It has been reported that casting of the role has not been easy since it's a role that's quite hard to fill. However, the long wait is finally over, Australian actor David Berry will be playing the role. Berry will be playing the new love interest of Sam Heughan in the upcoming season three of the series. He will be playing as Lord John Grey, the governor of a Scottish prison called Ardsmuir Prison, where he reconnects with Jamie whom he had an encounter with as a little boy. He tried to kill the latter during the Battle of Culloden. Who Is Lord John Grey In The Lives Of Jamie And Claire? However, the two characters will be developing a strong friendship during the time they spend together in prison. Lord John Grey is a handsome man with an upper class upbringing. However, he has a scandal in his past that has led him to the position of governor of a prison in Northern Scotland, where he reconnects with Jamie. The fans were allegedly a little bit disappointed at first since they expected that the actor to play the role will be older than the actor David Berry. However, they have understood the need to cast a younger actor since there will be flashbacks of their timeline as well, especially during the second season finale where Claire travelled back to 1948. Jamie and Claire are expected to reunite in the upcoming third season, however it will not be as romantic as expected especially since the time that they spent apart. The Space X explosion at launchpad in Florida puts a halt on its latest mission. The Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to launch this month, but it seems like would be a no-go due to the recent incident. Fiasco Not the First Time This is not the first time that Space X was plagued with fiascos like this. In June 2015, NASA collaborated with Elon Musk to help them transport a cargo to the International Space Station. But the mission failed when the Falcon 9 rocket blew up a few minutes after the launch, which resulted in significant delays. NASA's failed project with Space X was immediately blamed to Elon Musk. Elon Musk was able to regain NASA's confidence and convinced them to give the project another shot. Fast forward to today, the Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled for a test launch which resulted to the Space X explosion at its launchpad in Florida. This is the second time Space X failed in a span of 15 months. According to report in LA Times, Elon Musk, Space X CEO, quickly refuted that it was not an explosion but a ball of fire. Eitherway, it does not look good for Elon Musk and the Space X. Damage was Contained Fortunately for other spacecrafts within the space launch complex 41, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) was not affected by the Space X explosion at launchpad in Florida. OSIRIS-Rex is good to go and it is scheduled to launch on Thursday next week. As for let-downs, it wasn't just NASA that was disappointed about the Space X explosion at the launchpad in Florida. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and co-founder of facebook, was deeply disappointed after hearing the news, as BBC reports. The Falcon 9 rocket was carrying a satellite to help Facebook expand the internet in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Zuckerberg's satellite was pretty much destroyed in the Space X explosion, but he has probably anticipated this since he was quick to come up with a Plan B. Facebook CEO says that they still have Aquila, and he is hopeful that this latest development will be that one thing that connects people and gives them opportunity to stay in touch. Lenovo has just released a new entry-level phone in the Indian market in a rather quiet style. It is called as the Lenovo A6600 and is powered by a quad-core 1GHz processor powered by MediaTek. It has a decent 5 inch HD display. Lenovo A6600 Specs The Lenovo A6600 will run on Android Marshmallow, according to GSM Arena. It having a 16 GB of built-in storage is a decent size for most people who are not into high-end smartphone experience. What makes it a much better option for some is that it's averagely low storage capacity can still be expanded to double its size, up to 32 GB, by adding a microSD card. The phone supports a dual-SIM feature and has an 8-megapixel rear camera, while another front facing camera that has 2-megapixel clarity is present. The Lenovo A6600 is present with a LED flash to aid in the camera process. It also supports 4G network thanks to its very own VoLTE. Lenovo A6600 Price and Availability The price of the Lenovo A6600 is very affordable as it is mainly targeted to the mass people of India and China. It only costs $105. It is available mostly at brick and mortar stores, where some reports also suggest that it is sold to as low as only $100. LenovoZuk 2, Lenovo Z2 Plus In related news, Lenovo is also expected to release to the public its other new phones such as the Lenovo Zuk Z2 and the Lenovo Z2 Plus. It was launched in China last May and will now enter the Indian market. Like the Lenovo A6600, the Lenovo Zuk Z2 has a 5-inch display, but it is full-HD, compared to the latter. It has an anti-oil, anti-fingerprint protection on its screen to reduce smudges. It is a far stronger and more capable phone thanks to a 64 bit Snapdragon processor that boasts 4 GB of RAM. It goes with a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front facing the camera. The Zuk Z2 also is capable of recording slow motion at 960 fps. The Samsung Gear S3 was released during the IFA 2016 event which was flocked by potential investors, enthusiasts and a whole bunch of other invited people. The event unveiled the much-improved version of the Gear S2. This puts Apple on a head on collision as it is the direct rival, thanks to its very own Apple Watch. Samsung Gear S3 vs Apple Watch: Design and Display Samsung improved its own smartwatch this 2016, and the S3 is available in two different versions, the Frontier and the Classic. The display is 1.3 inches and has a 360 x 360 display resolution and a 278 PPI density; a competitive one for a smart watch. Despite the age of the Apple Watch, it is still considered to be a sleek and sexy thing, having a 1.65-inch screen and a 1.5-inch screen for the 42mm and 38mm models respectively, states Trusted Reviews. The Apple Watch also uses AMOLED technology, which makes it on par with the Samsung ones. Samsung Gear S3 vs Apple Watch: Hardware and Software The Samsung Gear S3 features a signature rotating bezel which enables the user to take control of the device without needing to use the touchscreen. It is very handy in making it a more user-friendly smart watch. The Apple Watch doesn't have this, but the physical crown button acts as a good substitute. Apple obviously has dominion when it comes to apps, but Samsung's Tizen is also constantly upgrading itself, possibly even surpassing the Apple Store. Samsung Gear S3 vs Apple Watch: Price and Release The Apple Watch has been available in the market for a long time now and most likely a release of a new one is under development. The Apple Watch 44mm version is $400, and the Apple Watch 38mm version is $350. On the other hand, the price of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is priced at roughly $500, though is still unofficial. Chicago this week began deploying sensors on light poles to monitor, photograph and listen to the city. The effort is costing as much as $7 million, and may be the largest urban data collection of its kind once all 500 nodes are in place. The beehive-shaped nodes have an array of sensors with enough onboard computing capability to conduct data processing on the device and minimize the amount of bandwidth needed to transmit data. Cameras will track the movement of pedestrians, vehicles and whether water is pooling on the street. Another camera will be pointed to the sky. A microphone will monitor noise levels. There will also be temperature, pressure, light and vibration sensors. Particle sensors will detect pollen. Gas sensors will check air quality, recording carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Even the magnetic field will be monitored. Urban Center for Computation and Data, Chicago One of the beehive-shaped "Array of Things" nodes being used by Chicago. Chicago is taking an Internet of Things (IoT) deployment to what may be a new level as it seeks insights into the city's environment. Aside from sensors, each node will offer computing capability, including the use of Odroid Linux systems and a separate controller that will enable rebuilding and updating the operating system. And it includes a cellular modem. Once the unit is placed 20 feet up on a pole, the city wants to do as much as remotely as possible. The data will be publicly available through the OpenGrid.io portal once enough sensors are deployed later this fall. But Chicago's CIO Brenna Berman, says the city doesn't yet know how businesses, community groups and others will creatively use the data. "We can't even begin to imagine what they are going to do with it," she said. But Berman has some clear ideas about how the city could use this data. It has an analytical team of 17 people comprising data scientists, business intelligence experts and database administrators, all of whom can use it for predictive analytics. For instance, Chicago has relied on spot surveys to measure traffic and pedestrian flows. But the camera data, which may snap up to two photos per second, will enable the city to continuously track movement at intersections and analyze how to improve them. The city has ample data on traffic accidents, said Berman, "but what we don't have is information about accidents that almost happen or near misses." That information will help improve safety, she said. The project has been dubbed the "Array of Things," an homage to the array of instruments that are combined in telescopes, said Charlie Catlett, a senior computer scientist at Argonne National Laboratory and the project's principal investigator. The National Science Foundation provided $3.1 million and about $2 million was spent on research and development to create the base platform. Cost sharing involing the city and industry partners brings the entire project investment into the $6-to-$7 million range, said Catlett. The entire installation will be completed in 2018. The processing on the device means that data from the photos can be gathered and transmitted and the photo itself deleted. The monthly transmission, per device, is expected to be about one gigabyte over a cellular network, said Catlett. The on-board processing also protects privacy, said Catlett, which was one of the concerns the project sought to address. Although all of the data will go to a cloud-based server, a sampling of photos used for baseline analysis will be sent a University of Chicago-based server. The university was awarded the NSF grant. The device will shut down in extreme weather, although the heat generated by a four-core Arm processor and a Samsung processor used in cell phones will provide some protection in extreme cold, said Catlett. Although cities are deploying sensors in urban environments, Catlett said he is unaware of anything as extensive as what's going on in Chicago. "I've yet to talk to anyone from any city who feels that they have adequate information about even the simple things," said Catlett. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is said to be looking to sell its software division, which would include the business from its disastrous acquisition of Autonomy in 2011, according to news reports. The enterprise IT company that emerged from the breakup of Hewlett-Packard has been restructuring its operations recently, including a US$8.5 billion deal announced in May to spin off and merge its enterprise services business with CSC. A sale of the software business would leave the company focused largely on servers, networking, storage, business critical systems and technology services. HPE is aiming at a price of between $8 billion and $10 billion for the software unit, reported The Wall Street Journal, quoting a person familiar with the situation. Reuters also earlier reported talks by HPE with private equity firms, including highest bidder Thoma Bravo, to hive off the software business. HPE does not comment as a policy on rumors and speculation, a spokeswoman said Thursday evening. The sale is in the possible but not probable category, wrote Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, in an email. "Companies are always evaluating their options, even if it's to gauge the value of a business whose value isn't indicative in the public stock price," he added. The sale of the software business will also help HPE put behind it the controversial acquisition of Autonomy, a software company in the U.K. The undivided HP took a $8.8 billion charge in 2012, alleging serious accounting improprieties at Autonomy before the acquisition. The charges were denied by the former management of the software firm, leading to legal claims and counterclaims. HPEs software division had revenue last year of $3.6 billion down by about 8 percent from $3.9 billion in the previous year, a decline it attributed to customers' transition to SaaS (software-as-a-service) subscriptions. The unit being offered for sale is focused on software for managing business operations, with the company planning to keep software businesses linked with parts of customers key technology infrastructuresuch as software-defined networking, WSJ said. If they were to sell their current software business, I would expect them to make new software acquisitions at the PaaS and IaaS layer, Moorhead wrote. They have to be in software in some way, the only question is how. Last year, our colleagues at PCWorld reviewed the Zymatic, PicoBrew's first automatic beer brewing machine. This year, we got a chance to meet Zymatic's little brother, Pico, at IFA in Berlin. The Pico can brew 5 liters of beer in about two hours, though it takes a little less than a week on average before you can enjoy a cold one. The machine works with pre-packages ingredients that come in a biodegradable container. An online store lets beer lovers choose from craft beer recipes from breweries such as "21st Amendment" "Abita" and "Rogue Ales." Each pack of ingredients comes with an RFID tag that the machine scans to know which recipe it should follow. PicoBrew is currently shipping Pico units to its Kickstarter backers. You can pre-order the machine for $799. General shipping for the U.S. will begin October 1st and shipping will likely start in mid November for Europe. Five years after a security breach forced the Linux Foundation to take kernel.org offline and to rebuild several of its servers, police have arrested a suspect in the case. Donald Ryan Austin, a 27-year-old computer programmer from El Portal, Florida, was arrested during a traffic stop on Aug. 28 based on a sealed indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of California in June. Austin is charged with intentionally damaging four protected servers operated by the Linux Foundation and one of its members in 2011. More specifically, the programmer is accused to have installed rootkit and trojan software on the servers in order to steal the credentials of authorized users connecting to them via SSH (Secure Shell). Austin allegedly accessed the servers using the credentials of a system administrator from the Linux Kernel Organization, a public benefit corporation in charge of distributing the Linux kernel and other open source software. The indictment identifies the Linux Kernel Organization system administrator whose credentials were abused as J.H. but does not specify how the credentials were stolen in the first place. J.H. might be John Hawley, known in the community as Warthog9, who at the time of the attack in 2011 was the kernel.org chief administrator. He was the one who announced the breach on the kernel.org users mailing list on Aug. 29, 2011. The indictment also mentions a member of the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board whose personal email server was allegedly compromised by Austin. He is identified in the indictment as P.A. but is likely Linux developer Hans Peter Anvin, known in the Linux community as HPA. He is mentioned as the owner of one of the affected servers in Hawley's August 2011 announcement. The affected Linux Foundation servers are identified in the indictment as Odin1, Zeus1, and Pub3, and the rootkit is named Phalanx. This information matches the details that were already publicly known about the breach. The kernel.org website, home of the Linux kernel, was offline for over a month between late August and early October 2011 as the affected servers were rebuilt. Austin appeared in a federal court in Miami on Monday and was released on bond Thursday. He is scheduled to appear in court for a new hearing in San Francisco, where the Linux Foundation is based, on Sept. 21. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of US$250,000. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry. Disclaimer Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. The Egyptian president and Indian prime minister held talks in New Delhi Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi held talks with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, discussing bilateral relations including economic and development issues, MENA news agency reported. The two officials also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, among them efforts to counter terrorism. El-Sisi and Modi witnessed the signing of a maritime transportation agreement between Egypt and India after the talks. The Egyptian president also invited Modi to visit Cairo. Modi said at a joint press conference following the talks that Egypt was a natural bridge connecting Asia and Africa. He also said that India was ready to be a reliable partner to Egypt in fulfillment of its developmental, economic and security goals. From his part, President El-Sisi said that Egypt was looking forward to cooperating with India in all fields, especially on the governmental and public levels. El-Sisi also stated that he had given instructions to the Egyptian government to develop a plan to increase economic, development, military and security cooperation with India. Earlier Friday, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee held an official reception ceremony for El-Sisi. He also visited the tomb of Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi. This is El-Sisi's second visit to India in less than a year. Search Keywords: Short link: The city will be home to hospitals and medical faculties A major Indian medical care company will build a complete medical city in Egypt, with investment in the project at $1.6 billion, Egypt's minister of trade and commerce announced in New Delhi on Friday according to MENA agency. Minister Tarek Kabil said an agreement had been reached between the minister and the company by which a delegation from the company would visit Egypt to discuss the project with all official parties involved, including the health ministry. Kabil added that the project will include hospitals, medical centres and faculties, as well as the latest medical technologies. The Egyptian trade minister held a series of meetings with the CEOs of major Indian companies in New Delhi on Thursday, during the visit of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to India. El-Sisi will be in India until Saturday. Search Keywords: Short link: Deaths on hajj are common, often caused by fatigue or crowd stampedes at religious sites Related Iran to send team to Gulf rival Saudi Arabia to discuss hajj pilgrimage arrangements Eight Egyptian pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia in the run-up to the hajj, the Egyptian health ministry stated on Friday, all of natural causes. The hajj will officially start on Saturday. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the globe travel to Saudi Arabia every year to perform the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. Fatalities due to heat exhaustion, fatigue and other natural causes are common; fatal crowd stampedes are also regular occurences due to the volume of traffic along the pilgrimage route. One of the five major pillars of Islam, the hajj must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all Muslims who can afford the costly and difficult trip. Search Keywords: Short link: Turkey has swept Islamic State (IS) militant group and the Kurdish YPG militia from an area of northern Syria, but Syrian Kurdish forces have still not met a Turkish demand to withdraw to the east of the Euphrates river, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Turkey launched a cross-border offensive into Syria last week, saying it had a dual aim of driving away jihadists and ensuring Kurdish forces did not fill the void that was left by extending their control of territory along Turkey's border. Turkey is concerned that Syrian Kurdish fighters could embolden Kurdish militants waging an insurgency on its soil. The United States has been alarmed by Turkey's offensive against Kurdish forces, which Washington has supported. U.S. officials have urged Ankara to focus its attacks on IS instead. Erdogan told a news conference early on Friday morning that the operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield" had been successful in clearing IS and Kurdish YPG from a 400 sq km (150 square mile) area. But he dismissed claims that the Kurdish YPG, which Ankara calls a terrorist group, had withdrawn to a Kurdish-controlled canton to the east of the Euphrates River. The YPG says it has done so and U.S. officials agree that is mostly the case. "At the moment, they are saying the YPG has crossed," Erdogan said. "We are saying no they didn't. The proof depends on our own observation." The Kurdish YPG is part of a broader U.S.-backed coalition in Syria, called the Syrian Democratic Forces. Washington has supported the group in its battle against IS but Ankara sees it as an extension of the PKK, the outlawed Kurdish militant group in Turkey. "Nobody can expect us to allow a terror corridor on our southern border," Erdogan said, adding that said Turkey had sought the establishment of a "safe zone" in Syria, but said the idea had not received the backing of other world powers. Search Keywords: Short link: Email Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday. Saudi Arabia's supreme court announced in an official statement on Friday that Eid Al-Adha will begin on Monday 12 September, and the Day of Arafah, which precedes the Eid festival, will be on Sunday 11 September. The Day of Arafah marks the second day of Hajj pilgrimage at the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. In July, Egypt's Astronomical and Geophysics Institute announced that the country would celebrate the first day of Eid Al-Adha on 11 September according to the institute's calculations. However, the Saudi announcement means that Egypt will instead celebrate the first day of Eid on 12 September.. Eid Al-Adha, which lasts for four days, honours the willingness of the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his first-born son Ismail as an act of submission to God. It falls on a different date each year, as the Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles. Search Keywords: Short link: RALEIGH The emails to the North Carolina election board seemed routine at the time. "Is there any way to get a breakdown of the 2008 voter turnout, by race (white and black) and type of vote (early and Election Day)?" a staffer for the state's Republican-controlled legislature asked in January 2012. "Is there no category for 'Hispanic' voter?" a GOP lawmaker asked in March 2013 after requesting a range of data, including how many voters cast ballots outside their precinct. And in April 2013, a top aide to the Republican House speaker asked for "a breakdown, by race, of those registered voters in your database that do not have a driver's license number." Months later, the North Carolina legislature passed a law that cut a week of early voting, eliminated out-of-precinct voting and required voters to show specific types of photo ID - restrictions that election board data demonstrated would disproportionately affect African Americans and other minorities. Critics dubbed it the "monster" law - a sprawling measure that stitched together various voting restrictions being tested in other states. As civil rights groups have sued to block the North Carolina law and others like it around the country, several thousand pages of documents have been produced under court order, revealing the details of how Republicans crafted these measures. A review of these documents shows that North Carolina GOP leaders launched a meticulous and coordinated effort to deter black voters, who overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. The law, created and passed entirely by white legislators, evoked the state's ugly history of blocking African Americans from voting - practices that had taken a civil rights movement and extensive federal intervention to stop. Last month, a three-judge federal appeals panel struck down the North Carolina law, calling it "the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow." Drawing from the emails and other evidence, the 83-page ruling charged that Republican lawmakers had targeted "African Americans with almost surgical precision." Gov. Pat McCrory, R, filed an emergency petition to restore the law, but a deadlocked Supreme Court on Wednesday refused his stay request, meaning the law will not be in effect for the Nov. 8 election. Because the lower court did not offer specific guidelines for reinstating early voting, however, local election boards run by Republicans are still trying to curb access to the polls. In lengthy interviews, GOP leaders insisted their law is not racially motivated and their goal was to combat voter fraud. They called their opponents demagogues, who are using the specter of racism to inflame the issue. The Rev. William Barber II, president of North Carolina's NAACP chapter, said the policies enacted by the law speak for themselves. "You didn't hear about fraud in North Carolina until blacks started voting in large numbers," said Barber, who has also led a series of large protests against the law. "Then all of a sudden, there's a problem with how people are voting." "People keep asking when they passed this law, 'Were they racist in their heart?' It doesn't matter," he added. "You look at the heart of their policies. If I tell you this law is going to affect black people more than anyone else, and you still go ahead and do it, you yourself are making clear exactly what you are." Longtime Republican consultant Carter Wrenn, a fixture in North Carolina politics, said the GOP's voter fraud argument is nothing more than an excuse. "Of course it's political. Why else would you do it?" he said, explaining that Republicans, like any political party, want to protect their majority. While GOP lawmakers might have passed the law to suppress some voters, Wrenn said, that does not mean it was racist. "Look, if African Americans voted overwhelmingly Republican, they would have kept early voting right where it was," Wrenn said. "It wasn't about discriminating against African Americans. They just ended up in the middle of it because they vote Democrat." Barber, though, argued that Republicans are playing with words. "You can't expect racists to come right out and sound like racists," he said. "They've substituted the word 'racial' with the word 'political.' " Fights over race and voting rights are nothing new in North Carolina. Its history - like many Southern states - is littered with laws and policies specifically designed to deter black voters: literacy tests, poll taxes and required recitations of the preamble of the Constitution. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned many of these practices. But as recently as the mid-1990s, voter turnout among African Americans here remained low, with only 37 percent voting compared to 48 percent of whites. In the late 1990s, when Democrats controlled the legislature, the state tried to make voting easier for all residents. The new rules allowed voting before Election Day, same-day voter registration and the counting of votes cast in the wrong precinct. The laws ended up helping black voters more because they often face more financial and logistical barriers, said Rep. Henry "Mickey" Michaux, one of the state's first black legislators who helped pass many of the new voting rules. "Some folks don't own a car. Some have the type of job where you can't take a day off." With the new laws, voter turnout in North Carolina went from 43rd place in the nation to 11th. The increase was especially big among black voters. Then, in 2010, North Carolina experienced a seismic political shift: Republicans took control of the House and Senate for the first time since 1898. For years, GOP legislators said, they had watched Republicans in other states such as Georgia and Indiana pass voter ID laws. Now they had the power to do the same in Raleigh. House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate Leader Phil Berger tapped Rep. David Lewis, a tobacco and cotton farmer from the rural center of the state, to oversee the effort to pass a new voter ID bill. In 2011, legislators passed a law requiring all voters to produce a photo ID, such as a driver's license. But the state's governor, then still a Democrat, vetoed the bill. In an interview, Lewis said he was driven by a deep concern about voter fraud, particularly people showing up at polls and deliberately impersonating another person. But there is little evidence that such fraud is a problem. A 2013 report by North Carolina's Board of Elections showed that between 2000 and 2012, out of nearly 40 million votes cast, only two cases of in-person voter fraud were referred to a district attorney. Lewis and other Republicans insist fraud could be happening all the same. "Just because it's not documented doesn't mean it doesn't exist," he said. So in 2012, when McGrory won the governor's office, Lewis and others tried again. Within months of McCrory's victory, emails show, the state election board began receiving requests for demographic data from a group of GOP lawmakers, including Lewis, a top aide to Tillis named Ray Starling, and state Reps. Tim Moore and Harry Warren. They asked for statistics on voter behavior broken down by race: Who voted early, and who voted on Election Day? Who voted out of precinct? They asked about what kinds of people were registered to vote but did not have a driver's license. They asked about student ID cards - which some states allow as a form of voter ID - and how many African Americans had them. Moore did not respond to requests for comment. Lewis, Warren and Tillis said they requested the data to make sure their bill would not violate federal laws against discrimination. Over several email exchanges, state researchers told GOP legislators that between 318,643 and 612,955 registered voters appeared to lack IDs issued by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. And the data attached showed the percentage of black people at risk of losing their vote under the new law was much higher than whites. In another email exchange, officials at the University of North Carolina received a data request from Lewis. "I was asked by a State Representative about the number of Student ID cards that are created and the percent of those who are African American," a university official says to his lower staff. No explanation is given on why Lewis needs the data, just a plea to hurry on it. "He needs it in 2 hours or less." But for all the keen interest Republicans expressed in emails about voting methods heavily used by minority voters, the law they drafted in April 2013 at first did not touch any of it. Instead, it focused initially only on voter IDs. Once that early version of HB 589 passed the house, it sat for two months in North Carolina's Senate. When reporters asked about the delay, Tom Apodaca, the Republican chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, pointed to one reason: the U.S. Supreme Court. Under a decades-old provision in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - called Section 5 - Southern states like North Carolina with a history of voter discrimination could not change election laws without the approval of federal officials. But in the spring of 2013, as North Carolina Republicans were working on their bill, a court case - called Shelby v. Holder - was being argued before the Supreme Court that threatened the very existence of Section 5. On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court issued their ruling on the case, nullifying Section 5. Explaining the court's 5-to-4 decision, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that "history did not end in 1965" when the Voting Rights Act was passed. In the decades since then, he said, "voting tests were abolished, disparities in voter registration and turnout due to race were erased, and African-Americans attained political office in record numbers." In North Carolina, within hours of the court ruling, Apodaca told local reporters, "Now we can go with the full bill." With the "legal headache" of Section 5 out of the way, he said a more extensive "omnibus" bill would soon be introduced in the Senate. Weeks later, at 9 p.m. on a Monday, five days before the end of the legislative session, Republican lawmakers emailed out their new version of HB 589. Democrat state Sen. Josh Stein remembers getting the email while sitting at his kitchen table that night, already dressed for bed. "My jaw just hit the table." The bill had grown from 16 pages to 57, tacking on more than 50 new parts. The new bill shortened early voting by half, cutting one of the Sundays when black churches held their "Souls to Polls" drives. It eliminated same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting. It also proposed changes that, to Stein and other opponents, made no sense unless you were purposely trying to discourage voting. For example, it canceled an existing rule that let 16- and 17-year-old high schoolers to pre-register to vote in civics classes or when they got driver's licenses. And it took away counties' ability to extend poll hours on Election Day during extraordinary circumstances such as long lines. On the next day, a hearing on the bill was packed. Republicans in charge began by giving the crowd one white piece of paper with 10 lines on it. Only 10 people would be given the chance to talk, they explained, with just two minutes each. That total of 20 minutes, it later turned out, would be the only public testimony Republicans allowed on the revised bill. During the hearing, Stein read into the legislative record studies and statistics to show the bill would disproportionately hurt African American, minority and younger voters. The idea, he said, was to show Republicans knew exactly what they were doing and lay the groundwork for the legal battle ahead. On the Senate side, Republican state Sen. Bob Rucho was tasked with defending the bill. "I don't agree with your premise," he told Stein and other critics, "and secondly, I don't look at race as who's going to vote. What we're trying to do is make sure that we have an equal opportunity for every single person to vote, and it's not designed on race in any manner." In the space of three days, Republicans managed to get HB 589 approved by the Senate Rules Committee, passed in a Senate floor vote and sent back to the House for a final vote on the second-to-last day of the legislative session. A federal court judge would later write, "Neither this legislature - nor, as far as we can tell, any other legislature in the country - has ever done so much, so fast, to restrict [voting] access." On July 25, 2013, the bill passed the House, 73 to 41. Everyone who voted for the law was a white Republican, and every black member of the legislature voted against it. As the final vote was cast, Democratic representatives all stood up, held hands and bowed their heads in prayer. Rick Glazier, a white Democratic representative at the time, was on the House floor with Michaux, the black legislator who helped pass many of the voting-access laws being dismantled by HB 589. "I'll never forget the look on his face. To see the thing you had fought for your whole career destroyed in a matter of days," Glazier said. "He had tears in his eyes." Lewis said he deeply resented critics who have painted the bill and its supporters as racist. "When Democrats were in power, I may not have agreed with them, but I never questioned them personally or tried to impugn their reputations," he said. On the day McCrory signed HB 589 into law, the state's NAACP chapter sued over the voter ID portion of the bill, while the League of Women Voters and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice challenged its other parts like cutting early voting, same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting. National lawyers from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Advancement Project stepped in to help. The Justice Department later joined as well. In January, the federal district judge overseeing the consolidated cases sided with the Republicans and kept HB 589 in place. The judge, Thomas D. Schroeder - a George W. Bush appointee - said that Republicans offered plausible explanations for why they requested racial voting data and enacted the law. But on July 29, the three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit - all Democratic appointees - overturned Schroeder's decision. North Carolina's Republican leaders have condemned the 4th Circuit ruling and called its judges partisan. The stakes are high for both sides. With just weeks before early voting begins, McCrory is locked in a tight race for reelection against Roy Cooper, the state attorney general. As a swing state, North Carolina could also be pivotal in the presidential election. The Republican state Senate and House leaders said in a statement: "We can only wonder if the intent is to reopen the door for voter fraud, potentially allowing fellow Democrat politicians like Hillary Clinton and Roy Cooper to steal the election." Meanwhile, the years-long fight has metastasized into a county-by-county war throughout North Carolina. When the appellate court restored that week of early voting previously eliminated by HB 589, the judges did not specify what times or places the early voting would take place. Now, Republicans in many counties appear to be using that opening to carry out the intended cuts of HB 589 anyway. In recent weeks, after the 4th Circuit's ruling, the election board in Guilford County tried to cancel Sunday voting and slash the number of polling sites, especially in black and student-heavy neighborhoods. After hundreds disrupted a meeting with chants and protest songs, the board passed a scaled-back compromise plan. Soon after, the election board in Wake County - which includes the capital Raleigh - tried a similar move by restricting the restored early voting days to a single location with limited parking. And in heavily African American Lenoir County, Republican election board members are trying to eliminate Sunday voting and evening hours and slash polling sites from four down to one. When the Republican governor asked the Supreme Court to temporarily reinstate the restrictions of HB 589, he argued that the 4th Circuit struck down the law too close to Election Day, which threatens to create confusion. He was worried, he said, about the harmful effect it could have on voters. ncarolina-voting _____ Keywords: national security WASHINGTON (AP) The man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan 35 years ago will leave a Washington psychiatric hospital to live full-time in Virginia on Sept. 10, his lawyer said Thursday. A federal judge ruled in July that 61-year-old John Hinckley Jr. is not a danger to himself or to others and can leave St. Elizabeths Hospital to live full-time at his mother's home in Williamsburg, Virginia. At the time, Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled Hinckley could leave the hospital as soon as Aug. 5. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shooting of Reagan, who died in 2004, his press secretary James Brady, who died in 2014, and two law enforcement officers outside a Washington hotel. In his July 27 ruling, Friedman wrote that Hinckley was a "profoundly troubled 25-year-old young man" when he shot Reagan in an effort to impress actress Jodie Foster, but he has not exhibited symptoms of major depression or psychotic disorder for more than two decades. Friedman has gradually given Hinckley more freedom over the past decade, allowing him to spend longer and longer stretches at his mother's home. For the past two-plus years, he has spent the majority of his time there: 17 days each month. Hinckley's long-time lawyer Barry Levine on Thursday called Hinckley's departure from the hospital "a milestone" that was the result of a commitment by Hinckley and his family to "responsibly deal with disease." "People of goodwill should celebrate his achievement and success," Levine said. Levine said of his client: "I think he will be a citizen about whom we can all be proud." Friedman's ruling says Hinckley will have to live for at least a year with his mother, Jo Ann, in her house in the gated community of Kingsmill. After that, he could move out and live on his own, with a roommate or in a group house. Hinckley, who has been occasionally trailed by the Secret Service while in Williamsburg, must also find at least part-time employment or volunteer work. He will also have to participate in individual and group therapy, and he'll have to return to Washington at least once a month so doctors can evaluate his mental state. He is also limited in where he can travel. The conditions of his leave will be re-evaluated in 12 to 18 months and some requirements could be modified or dropped. At the time of Friedman's ruling, Reagan's daughter Patti Davis wrote in an article in The Washington Post that she was "not at all comfortable with the decision" to let Hinckley live full-time in Virginia but she was resigned to it. Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty, who were injured in the shooting, expressed similar resignation to the decision in interviews with the AP in July. Ercan Karakoyun has long played a prominent role in Berlin's Turkish community, promoting education and dialogue among Muslims and Germans of other faiths. Now, however, whenever he can, Karakoyun avoids the bustling streets where many Turks live in the German capital. He says he has received six death threats via email and Facebook that are being investigated by police. "One message said: 'We know where your daughter goes to school'," he added. Karakoyun heads the Foundation for Dialogue and Education in Germany, a movement that supports Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric Turkey blames for July's attempted coup. The group has been active in Germany for many years, operating 150 tutoring centers in the country, 30 government-recognized schools and a dozen interfaith dialogue projects. It has long been seen as a moderate Islamic group although it has faced criticism over a lack of transparency. Now though, tensions are rising among the community of 3 million people with a Turkish background in Germany following the failed putsch. They have split into supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his opponents, and they are vying for influence. The divisions mirror those that are now in stark relief in Turkey between Erdogan's supporters and two other groups - Gulen backers and ethnic Kurds. Karakoyun said ties with Erdogan supporters had been strained for several years but the situation had spiralled out of control since the coup was thwarted. "Erdogan's witchhunt in Turkey against Gulen supporters is now being carried out here," Karakoyun said. The rivalries have raised questions about a failure to better integrate Turks, some of whom have lived in Germany for decades. They have also deepened scepticism in Germany about migrants at a time when Chancellor Angela Merkel is under fire over her open-door refugee policy. The government has a policy headache. Although concerned about Turkey's record on human rights and a crackdown on opponents since the failed coup, it needs Ankara's help to stem the flow of migrants from countries such as Syria. KURDS PLAN TO MARCH One immediate concern is a march planned in Cologne on Saturday by leftist groups and Kurds, who account for one in three immigrants from Turkey. This follows a ban on a large, annual Kurdish festival nearby which angered the Kurds, especially as Erdogan supporters were allowed to hold a rally in Cologne on July 31. Security officials worry that Erdogan supporters could take to the streets to counter the Kurdish march, expected to attract about 30,000 people, and that there could be violence. Tempers flared when Germany's top court prevented Erdogan from addressing the July 31 rally via videolink. With many people of Turkish origin just back from summer holidays in Turkey, there are concerns that passions have been fueled by media coverage "back home" which is dominated by criticism of Germans, coup plotters and Kurds. "We cannot allow this conflict to be imported to German soil. We have to pay particular attention to those cases where massive pressure is being applied to Germans with a Turkish background here," Nicola Beer, general secretary of Germanys libertarian Free Democratic Party, told Reuters. Community leaders say a pervasive and longstanding sense among young Turkish Germans that they are shunned in society makes them pliable and more attuned to the political mood in the homeland, to which they feel attached but barely know. "Because they (young Turks) are ill-informed (about events in Turkey) many get emotional quickly. Some are charged like ticking time bombs," said Kazim Erdogan, 63, a psychologist who is no relation of Turkey's president. "The atmosphere (in the Turkish community in Germany) is completely poisoned. We are at a tipping point." Lists of businesses identified as backing Gulen, and calling for boycotts of their products or services, have appeared on social media. "We are outing these parallel forces and their henchmen!" read one entry, listing over 20 firms in the Stuttgart area, at least one of which denies such links. Turkish officials say the German government's concerns about tensions in the Turkish community are overblown and the majority of Turks in Germany have rallied behind Erdogan since the coup. Sixty percent of Turks in Germany voted for his AKP party in the latest national elections, according to the Organisation of Turkish Communities in Germany. QUESTIONS ABOUT INTEGRATION But Labour and Social Affairs Minister Andrea Nahles told Reuters after meeting Turkish groups in Berlin's Kreuzberg neighborhood that the situation was "ripping families apart." Government officials are worried about the role played by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) which operates through some 900 associations across Germany, most of which are mosques with imams dispatched from Turkey. "DITIB is used to spread the Turkish government's message in Germany," Ole Schroeder, deputy interior minister and a member of Merkel's conservatives, told Reuters. Politicians from right and left want DITIB's influence curbed, and many, including Schroeder, are calling for the group to stop importing clerics who are trained in Istanbul. DITIB has denied being steered by the Turkish government or posing any threat to Germany. Merkel has urged Turks in Germany to show "loyalty to our country," a comment that divided her ruling coalition and pointed to growing angst about strains in the Turkish community and Ankara's influence on it. [nL8N1B553N] Tensions with Ankara grew when German parliament passed a resolution in June declaring the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide. They rose further when a government report in August called Turkey a hub for Islamist groups, and government data show a quarter of the 850 militants who have left Germany to fight for Islamic State had a Turkish background. Cansel Kiziltepe, a Social Democrat member of the Bundestag lower house of parliament, said the situation showed Germany had not implemented any meaningful integration policies until the early 2000s. "If people aren't integrated, then they don't feel like they belong here," she told Reuters. "And then they're susceptible when someone comes (along) who shows apparent strength and tries to incite these people against the majority (in) society." Search Keywords: Short link: Reddit Email 0 Shares By Nika Knight, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | Humans are turning the planet into a polluted wasteland full of debris, desolation, and filth, says Pope Francis The worlds poor, though least responsible for climate change, are most vulnerable and already suffering its impact, Pope Francis said. Pope Francis on Thursday put forth an urgent call for people to actively work to save the environment, proposing that the Catholic Church add such a duty to the list of seven mercies, which includes feeding the hungry and visiting the sick, which Catholics are required to perform. We must not be indifferent or resigned to the loss of biodiversity and the destruction of ecosystems, often caused by our irresponsible and selfish behaviour. Pope FrancisFrancis described mans destruction of the environment as a sin, the Guardian reported. The modern world has new forms of poverty, Francis said, and thus requires new forms of mercy to address them, the Washington Post noted. In his speech to mark the churchs World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which the pope created last year, Francis accused humans of turning the Earth into a polluted wasteland full of debris, desolation, and filth. Remarking on the planets rapid warming, Francis observed that [c]limate change is also contributing to the heart-rending refugee crisis. The worlds poor, though least responsible for climate change, are most vulnerable and already suffering its impact. We must not be indifferent or resigned to the loss of biodiversity and the destruction of ecosystems, often caused by our irresponsible and selfish behaviour, he said. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence. We have no such right, Francis said. Francis speech built on ideas he first put forth last year in Laudato Si, his unprecedented encyclical on climate change and environmental protection. Earlier this month, Francis also excoriated capitalism for leading to endless war. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License Via Commondreams.org - Related video added by Juan Cole: Wochit News: Pope Wants To Add Protecting The Enviroment To Catholic Duties VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Sept. 2, 2016) - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S. NV Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE:NVX) ("the Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into the Definitive Agreement with Redstar Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE:RGC) ("Redstar") finalizing the detailed terms of the Letter of Intent ("LOI") previously announced on August 2, 2016, under which NVX will acquire 100% of Redstar's exploration assets in Nevada. These assets consist of a 100% interest (less existing NSRs) in 11 exploration projects (the "Projects") in Nevada, as well as the AngloGold-Ashanti database (the "Database") purchased by Redstar in 2008. John E. Watson, President of NVX, states: "With the completion of the Definitive Agreement, the path has been set for NVX to undertake its Project Generator business model. In addition to the 11 projects being acquired under this transaction, NVX will aggressively seek to add new projects in the Great Basin for its portfolio through the use of the Database and its in-house geologic experience. Projects will be made available on a lease, joint-venture or sale basis, or on a case-by-case basis, may be further explored by the Company." Under the terms of the Definitive Agreement, NVX will acquire the Database and the Projects in consideration of NVX issuing to Redstar 6,000,000 common shares of NVX and Redstar having the right to name two of a proposed 6 member board of NVX. Under the definitive agreement, NVX is required to raise CDN$350,000 within 90 days of the completion of the definitive agreement. On August 11, 2016, NVX announced a private placement ("the Financing") of CDN$500,000, and has subsequently announced on August 26, 2016 that the Financing was increased to CDN$550,000 based on a strong interest in the Company's strategy going forward, which includes the newly purchased assets in Nevada and experienced technical management team. John Watson, CEO of NVX has confirmed he will subscribe to a lead order of the placement for up to CDN$117,000. Peter A. Ball, CEO of Redstar commented, "Redstar is pleased to have reached the Definitive Agreement stage with NV Gold and to officially hand over a solid portfolio of gold projects, along with an extensive database, focused in Nevada. The interest in NV Gold's future and strategy is clearly indicated by the strong interest and subsequent increase in the private placement in NVX. We look forward to being part of the team and large shareholder of NV Gold." In addition, at the completion of the Financing, if Redstar owns less than 29.9% of the outstanding shares of NVX, NVX would be required to issue Redstar additional shares of NVX to increase Redstar's share ownership of NVX shares to 29.9%. Assuming NV Gold completes the private placement for the full CDN$550,000, NVX will be required to issue Redstar an additional 172,730 shares under this provision. Redstar has proposed that its two nominees will be Mr. Peter A. Ball, Redstar's President and CEO and one of its directors, Mr. Ken Booth. Both men bring a deep background of technical and market expertise. As highlighted in the press release dated August 26, 2016, the Financing will consist of an offering of up to 2,750,000 units (the "Units") at CDN$0.20 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Share and one-half of one Warrant exercisable at CDN$0.40 per share for two years from issue of the Units. The expiry date of each whole Warrant is subject to acceleration such that, should the volume weighted average price of the common shares of the Company exceed CDN$0.60 for ten consecutive trading days, the Company may notify the holder in writing that the Warrants will expire 20 trading days from receipt of such notice unless exercised by the holder before such date. Final closing of the acquisition of the Nevada assets of Redstar is subject to customary conditions and such acquisition, as well as the private placement, are subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). About NV Gold Corporation NV Gold is junior exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia that is planning to focus on delivering value through mineral discoveries utilizing the prospector generator model. Leveraging its highly experienced in-house technical knowledge, NV Gold's geological team intends to use the Database, which contains a vast treasury of field knowledge spanning decades of research and exploration, combined with the eleven (11) gold projects, to uncover opportunities for lease or joint venture in the Great Basin region that have been overlooked. NVX also continues to advance its Surselva property, in Graubunden, Switzerland. On behalf of the Board of Directors, John E. Watson, President and CEO For further information, visit the Company's website at www.nvgoldcorp.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service 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 includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the proposed acquisition of the Properties and the Database and the terms of such acquisition, the proposed raising of up to CDN$550,000, the geological potential of or the potential to lease or joint venture any of the Properties, the generative value of the Database and other future plans and objectives of the Company, including exploration plans, 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. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include regulatory issues, market prices, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Vancouver, BC / TheNewswire / September 2nd, 2016 - FIRESTEEL RESOURCES INC. (TSX-V: FTR) ("Firesteel" or the "Company") today announced that pursuant to the option agreement between Prosper Gold Corp (TSX-V: PGX) and Firesteel, signed on July 15th 2013, the two companies have formed a joint venture (the "JV" ) to further explore and develop the Star property near Dease Lake in Northern British Colombia. The company holds a 49% interest in the Star Project J V, pursuant to the option and JV agreement between Prosper and Firesteel dated July 15th 2013. Please see the Company's July 18, 2013 news release for additional information." Michael Hepworth, President and CEO of the Company said; "Firesteel and Prosper will continue to develop the Star property under the terms of the JV previously agreed at the time of signing. Both companies will focus on raising finance to continue the development of the Star Property, which includes 5 significant Cu-Au targets and with the potential for large tonnage. To date the Star property has shown promising drill results but further work needs to be completed to fully define a resource." About the Company Firesteel is an exploration-stage junior mining company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of prospective precious and base metal properties in Canada and stable jurisdictions around the world. Firesteel currently has two highly prospective properties in British Colombia. The ROK Coyote property is 100% owned by Firesteel. The property shares a boundary with Imperial Metals, Red Chris Mine on the South East and a boundary with Colorado Resources on the North West. The property is in good standing until 2025. Highlights of the ROK Coyote property include: ??6,829 Ha of highly prospective that has the potential to host large tonnage Cu-Au targets with known Cu-Au results. ??Adjacent to Imperial Metals Red Chris Mine development and Colorado Resources North ROK property. Significant Historic Drilling Intercepts, ROK Property: Drill Hole Interval (m)* Gold (gpt) Copper (%) RK-76-2 18.00 1.16 1.46 90-R03 38.37 1.32 1.54 RO-01-91 42.00 0.312 0.24 * intercept lengths are given and are not intended to represent true widths. The Star property is currently operated under a Joint Venture agreement between Firesteel (49%) and Prosper Gold. (TSX-V: PGX) (51%). Previous highlights of the Star property include: --6,700 Ha property hosts five significant Cu-Au targets within close proximity with large tonnage, high grade potential. --Star Target - In 2014 a total of 6221.5 meters were drilled in 19 holes. To date the deposit which measures 550 meters north-south and 350 meters east-west and remains open. Recent drill results include 107m of 0.77% Cu & 0.41 g/t Au including 64m of 1.12% Cu & 0.59 g/t Au (previously reported September 23, 2014). The Company's management and board of directors have extensive experience in exploration, operations, business and corporate finance. The Company's objective is to enhance shareholder value as a prospect generator by identifying and securing early-stage exploration opportunities and developing them to more advanced stages with the help of joint venture partners. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been approved by Paul Sarjeant, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and a director of the company. For a detailed overview of Firesteel Resources Inc. please visit: www.FiresteelResources.com For further information, please contact: Michael Hepworth President and Chief Executive Officer (416) 419 5192 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For up to the minute news, industry analysis and feedback follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. 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 Advisory Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. Users of forward-looking statements are cautioned that actual results may vary from forward-looking statements contained herein. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. In certain cases, 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". While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date those statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of the Company's future performance. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot give any assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date of this new release. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not intend nor does it undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent information, events, results or circumstances or otherwise. Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. A reporter sued [complaint, PDF] Missouris prisons chief in federal court on Wednesday for excluding him from being an execution witness. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocate website] filed the lawsuit on behalf of Christopher McDaniel [profile], a reporter whose stories have been critical of Missouris death penalty procedures. The suit asks [press release] a judge to block anyone other than Missouris attorney general from serving as an execution witness until McDaniels due-process claims are decided. McDaniel applied in January 2014 to witness a Missouri execution. He has stated he wants to ensure that executions are carried out in a constitutional manner. McDaniel has yet to receive a response to his request, while 17 executions have been carried out by the state. The Missouri Department of Corrections has unfettered discretion [AP report] in deciding who may be among the at least eight reputable citizens to witness an execution. The ACLU alleges that records they obtained show that applicants to be execution witnesses were denied if they expressed a desire to ensure that executions were carried out properly and constitutionally. Capital punishment [JURIST op-ed] remains a controversial issue in the US and worldwide. Last month the US Supreme Court [official website] upheld a stay [JURIST report] of execution for Alabama inmate Vernon Madison. A few days before that a Miami judge ruled [JURIST report] that Floridas revamped death penalty law is unconstitutional because it does not require a unanimous agreement among jurors to approve executions. In April Virginias General Assembly voted [JURIST report] to keep secret the identities of suppliers of lethal injection drugs. In February the Eleventh Circuit rejected [JURIST report] a Georgia death row inmates legal challenge to the death penalty. In January Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood stated that he plans to ask lawmakers to approve the firing squad, electrocution or nitrogen gas as alternate methods of execution if lethal injection drugs become unavailable [JURIST report]. A three-judge panel of the New Jersey Appellate Division ruled [opinion, PDF] Wednesday that when asked for public records under New Jerseys Sunshine Law, agencies may neither confirm nor deny their existence. The case centered around a state law, similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), called the Open Public Record Act (OPRA). In 2013, a member of the North Jersey Media Group had requested documents under the OPRA relating to 911 calls and complaints regarding a catholic priest [North Jersey Media report]. The only other state that authorizes such a response is Indiana, which did so via statute. Freedom of Information and governmental transparency has been a controversial topic in the last several years, most famously brought to the public eye through the actions of Edward Snowden [JURIST archive]. OPRA [text] was established in 2002 and operates a system whereby a New Jersey citizen may submit requests for public documents, operating on a state level very similarly as FOIA does nationally. FOIA [text] was passed in 1966 under President Lyndon Johnson and has been repeatedly updated by Congress through amendments. The purpose of the act is to provide government documents and materials to the public upon a valid request, but it has come under criticism throughout the years for being overly burdened and sluggish in producing documents [JURIST report]. Upon his first full day in office, President Barack Obama issued a memorandum dictating that [t]he Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails [official memorandum]. The rights coalition North Carolinians for Privacy on Wednesday dropped their case against the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] challenging the federal governments restroom access policy. The case, North Carolinians for Privacy v. United States Department of Justice [complaint, PDF] had been filed against the DOJ after the department threatened to cut off federal funding to the state and public schools unless individuals are allowed to use the bathroom according to the gender with which they identify. The case is one of several surrounding North Carolinas law that requires people to use the restroom according to their birth gender and limits other anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Privacy rights and individual rights have come into conflict lately over the issue of transgender access to restrooms. Last month a judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas temporarily blocked [JURIST report] federal guidelines that allowed transgender students to use the bathroom according to the gender with which they identify. Also in August the US Supreme Court granted [JURIST report] an application to recall and stay lower court orders allowing a transgender student who identities as a male to use the mens restroom in school. In May, officials in 11 states filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas challenging the Obama administrations [JURIST report] recent guidance letter on transgender students. [JURIST] The UN said on Thursday that civilians bear the biggest brunt of terrorism [UN report, press release] and violence in Iraq, reporting that civilians accounted for more than two-thirds of those killed or injured in the month of August. Out of 691 individuals killed in Iraq, 473 were civilians. Baghdad had reports that 231 civilians were killed and 676 were injured. Civilians have also been specifically targeted as days ago Daesh suicide bombers attacked a wedding celebration and the capital. The report concluded saying that accurate numbers of civilian casualties could not be obtained for some areas. Iraq has been closely scrutinized for human rights violations. Last month Human Rights Watch reported that Iraqi militias are recruiting children [JURIST report] from at least one civilian camp of displaced persons in the region of Kurdistan. Earlier in August the UN issued a report detailing the terrible atrocities [JURIST report] committed by the Islamic State against the Yezidi people and other ethnic and religious groups in Iraq. Also last month UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein expressed concern [JURIST report] over efforts by the Iraqi government to expedite implementation of the death penalty. UN rights experts on Thursday called [press release] for the creation of inclusive education programming to include those living with disabilities as a central and crucial step in order to create peaceful and inclusive societies. The call comes in the new and improved Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [text], which seeks to ensure that those living with disabilities are not forgotten and ignored by society. The UN experts are calling on an educational transformation as they have found that million of persons with disabilities are being denied access to education and as a result of that discrimination they are are often placed in vulnerable positions in society. Recognizing also that discrimination against any person on the basis of disability is a violation of the inherent dignity and worth of the human person, Recognizing further the diversity of persons with disabilities, Recognizing the need to promote and protect the human rights of all persons with disabilities, including those who require more intensive support, Concerned that, despite these various instruments and undertakings, persons with disabilities continue to face barriers in their participation as equal members of society and violations of their human rights in all parts of the world The convention calls on states to create better and inclusive education systems to ensure all individuals are able to receive a proper education. The rights of persons with disabilities is a global issue. The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities released a statement Tuesday that women with disabilities face discrimination and are often excluded from freely participating in society [JURIST report. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against Georgia in August alleging that the state discriminates against students with behavior-related disabilities [JURIST report]. The DOJ announced [JURIST report] in March that the city of Forth Worth, Texas has agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that it discriminated against persons with disabilities by refusing to allow a group home for individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction to operate in a single family residential zone in the city. Last October, Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent Moroccan officials a letter claiming that a draft framework law before the countrys parliament is in conflict with obligations to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [JURIST report] At least 14 people were killed and more than 50 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a court in the Pakistani city of Mardan Friday, police said, the latest assault targeting Pakistan's legal community. The bomber shot his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade and detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowds, senior police official Ejaz Khan told reporters. Rescuers picked their way through scattered human remains and blood-stained office equipment and files to collect survivors, witnesses said. Amir Hussain, president of the Mardan Bar Association, said he was in a room nearby when the bomb detonated. "There was dust everywhere, and people were crying loud with pain," he said. His suit drenched in blood, he added: "I started picking up the wounded and putting them in cars to take them to hospital. I did not know if the people I was rescuing were dead or alive." Lawyers were being targeted because they are "an important part of democracy, and these terrorists are opposed to democracy," he said. "Our morale is not dented. It is still high," he added. Nasir Khan Durrani, provincial police chief, told AFP the death toll had reached 14, with at least 58 people wounded, three of whom were critical. Officials said the bomber had up to eight kilogrammes of explosives packed into his vest, while the dead included lawyers and police. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan. - Christians targeted - Friday's blast came as security forces fended off four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony near the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the west of Mardan. All four attackers were killed along with a guard at the entrance to the colony, an army statement said. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attempt. The group has also said it was behind the attack on lawyers in Quetta, which killed 73 people on August 8, as well as the Lahore Easter bombing which killed 75 people in Pakistan's deadliest attack this year. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population, while the legal community are also frequently the subjects of targeted killings. Friday's attacks were "a horrific reminder that Pakistan's authorities must do more to ensure vulnerable groups are protected," said Amnesty International South Asia director Champa Patel. "Armed groups are seeking to undermine the rule of law by targeting both the people who defend it in court and the people it should protect." The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups and soft targets such as courts and schools. Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's deadliest-ever terror attack. The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned Friday's attacks, adding that militants were on the back foot and were "showing (their) frustration by attacking soft targets". "They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," he added. Search Keywords: Short link: The market reacted positively to Emmis first-half results and the Swiss dairy groups ongoing efforts to improve its profitability but the business does face challenges, not least on its top line. Facing challenges at home, the company is also looking to continue to expand internationally to further broaden its business, although growth has come under some pressure in some overseas markets, while the group has to weigh up the impact of Brexit. Dean Best spoke to Emmi CEO Urs Riedener to find out how the Onken owner sees its near-term prospects. Emmi, the Swiss dairy group, enjoyed a bounce in its shares last week when it reported its first-half results and upped its forecasts for two profitability metrics. Analysts were also broadly positive about the companys work on its profitability but, looking ahead, there are still a few clouds on the horizon for the business. Central to Emmis improved forecasts on operating profit and its net profit margin for 2016 has been the improved earnings from its businesses abroad, as the company rolls out its operational excellence programme in markets outside Switzerland. Click here for part one of our interview with Riedener in which he discusses Emmis H1 results and push for improved profitability. However, it was one of Emmis two main international divisions the Americas that was behind its move to cut its forecast for group sales for 2016. Emmi conceded on Tuesday (23 August) it was becoming clear its target to grow sales from its Americas business which also includes units in Spain and Tunisia by 5-7% on an organic basis was too ambitious for this year. Emmi pointed to pressure from low milk prices in the US and difficult economic conditions in Chile and Spain. Can Emmi get its Americas arm back on-track to hit that target in 2017? Speaking to just-food on the day Emmis first-half results were announced, Emmi CEO Urs Riedener is uncertain. We still believe we can have a good single-digit growth rate in the Americas in the future. As soon as milk prices are kicking in again, we are going to show that. Im not sure whether we can be there next year, he says. Thats something we are going to look at once we know the 2016 results and, then, we will give guidance again. At the moment, it looks quite aggressive but, on the other hand, weve seen some acquired companies with quite good growth potential and we have to do the math, once we know how 2016 turned out. Emmi, which has steadily sought to expand internationally organically but, principally, also via M&A has made two acquisitions in the US in the last nine months alone. In December last year, Emmi snapped up US-based goats cheese business Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery. This May, Emmi struck again, buying the California-based organic dairy Cowgirl Creamery Corp. and the associated Tomales Bay Foods. When Emmi announced the acquisitions, the company underlined businesses in niche parts of the dairy sector in countries in which it is already present were of particular interest. Announcing its half-year results, Emmi highlighted the acquisitions of Redwood Hill and Cowgirl Creamery as one of the reasons its sales from fresh dairy products in the Americas jumped 17% year-on-year and the cheese sales generated by the division increased 7.9% (they rose 2.8% and 1.9% on an organic basis, respectively). Emmi cited both new assets as positive influential factors on its business this calendar year. However, Riedener does not divulge anything about the plans for either business, insisting they are run at arms length. Our philosophy [is] theyre more or less independently-run companies, even though were the owner of those companies. Our role is to enable them financially, for example, production site expansion-wise or whatever, to enable them to achieve their targets we are discussing with them. One thing is for sure, both companies have a great growth potential in the future because we are just in the right spot with organic, or with goat or with lactose-free. Theyre in the right spots to grow in the future. In Switzerland, a market that accounted for 54% of Emmis net sales in the first half of the year, the company said its performance during the period was within the target range. However, Emmi still reported a 2.4% in sales on an organic basis in its domestic market, hit by declines in its cheese business. The company said its cheese sales in Switzerland fell 5.8% on the first half of 2015, while sales of fresh cheese were down 5.1%. Emmi will continue with its strategy of trying to grow sales of higher-margin lines and developing new products. The company, for example, is launching a porridge product in Switzerland in the second half of the year under its namesake brand (as well as under its Onken yogurt brand in the UK). However, Riedener underlines its Swiss sales will fall again in the second half of 2016. What we expect [in the second half of 2016] is as we communicated we are going to see a decline. Half of the decline in the first half year was price-driven and the other half of the decline was volume-driven. We think that this is going on. We expect it to be -2 to -4%. Thats what we announced to the market, he says. However, Emmi admits he is unsure whether the company can even get its Swiss business back in growth in 2017 due to a series of factors. Then, the question is the assumption of this pressure from cheap imports into Switzerland [and], like in the UK, a higher share from the discount [retailers] and then retail tourism. People go abroad because Switzerlands a very small country. They go where its cheaper. How will that go on? We would expect to stabilise the business, and our ambition is to get back the growth in Switzerland. Im not sure if by 2017 but, of course, this is the ambition. This decade, Emmi has made five acquisitions in Switzerland (while selling one local business) but, asked if M&A could play a role in injecting some growth into the companys domestic business, Riedener suggests it would be difficult to expand inorganically in Switzerland because of its scale in its home market. We do everything from milk to mozzarella, to powder, to cheese, to you name it. Its difficult for us to grow further and to do acquisitions in Switzerland because everything is already in there. If youre going to do acquisitions in Switzerland, theyre mainly synergy cases. By nature, theyre normally smaller cases, he explains. Emmi will continue to look for M&A targets outside Switzerland. The company, Riedener says, sees international expansion as a way to balance out our portfolio as it believes the Swiss market will open up even more in the medium-to-long term. Emmis international acquisition strategy has focused on markets in the Americas and Europe. Riedener said Emmi would look first to build its operations in existing markets but could look to enter new markets. Internationally, we are only in niches and actually we are quite small. The first priority still is to strengthen businesses we are already in. Also, geographical areas we are already in. On the other hand, we might be interested in opening we said about three new countries in the next whatever years. Therefore, yes, we think we could expand with more of our geographical footprint, but only in a limited way. Emmi as a company is premium, is specialty, and its not that mass market or down market, therefore the number of countries are somewhat limited to us, Riedener says. The company declines to comment on where it could enter next. Emmi has long had an ambition of having its business outside Switzerland accounting for half its sales. Speaking to just-food in 2013, the then head of Emmis international business, Matthias Kunz, said the company believed it could hit that target by the end of 2016. With Switzerland generating 54% of its first-half net sales, it is all but certain Emmi will fall short of that this year but Riedener is relaxed about when the company will see its international sales match its Swiss sales. Actually, I do not care, he laughs. When we were discussing this kind of objective, it was more to open the [companys] perspective at that time. We had about 25% of sales outside of Switzerland. I wanted to make it clear that the ambition has to be to have much more sales outside of Switzerland. Then its not about acquiring sales; you can acquire whatever kind of company, which bring you billions in sales and negative results. Thats not what were looking at. Its more about carefully selecting targets and the day will come when we will achieve the 50%, I do not care whether it is 16, 17, or whenever. I do care about the quality of the mix we are acquiring. Thats the priority. One factor that could dampen Emmis growth outside Switzerland is the UKs decision to leave the EU. When Emmi announced its half-year results last week, the company sketched out its outlook for the rest of 2016 and included Brexit in the significant new macroeconomic uncertainties that have recently appeared, adding: Political unrest and decisions such as Brexit are weighing on consumer sentiment and the commercial development of several of Emmis key markets. Riedener insists that, on a group level, Brexit is not a big factor that we expect to influence overall results. However, at the same time, the Emmi chief executive acknowledges the company will need to weigh up the impact of the UK leaving the EU carefully, pointing to the fact Emmi exports to the UK from plants in Switzerland and Germany and suggesting Brexit could impact consumer demand across Europe. We do not know yet all the details of how Brexit is going to turn out. Youre in the middle of that and I think you also dont have an answer how this is turning out, Riedener laughs. It could potentially affect the consumables in European markets because we are going to see growth rates come down in Europe, even more so probably in the UK. The other thing is, of course, we are selling products from Switzerland. Being produced in Switzerland or being produced in Germany to the UK, the question is what does that mean in terms of pricing? Of course, we have to look at price increases. Then the question is how does that affect demand? There are some open equations about that business, how we can be sure that we are seeing a very successful business as we have done in the past, and also in the future. In the immediate aftermath of the UK referendum on EU membership, the value of sterling dropped, driving up the cost of imported products. Could Emmi consider local production in the UK? Thats always the discussion, we have looked into this before and we are going to probably look at this in the future. Im just not sure whether it makes sense because you also have to look at the competitive set-up. We have a very good set-up in Germany, for example, which would be very expensive to duplicate in the UK. One thing is for sure, its not a quick option. I wouldnt say its not at all an option for the long term. Thats something we are for sure going to look at. I think first we have to solve some issues with pricing, positioning, whatever, then we can again talk about the long-term set-up. Despite Emmis recent progress, there is plenty for Riedener and his colleagues to ponder. Lawmakers in Spain's Parliament are expected to reject for a second time acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's bid to form a minority government, pushing the country closer to a third election in a year. Rajoy was defeated in a first vote of confidence Wednesday by 180 votes to 170. All signs indicate the vote tally will be the same in Friday's second ballot. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party has been running a caretaker government following inconclusive elections in December and again in June. The party won the most seats in both but lacks votes in Parliament to win the confidence vote and take power. If Rajoy loses Friday's vote, Parliament will have two months to choose a government or fresh elections will be called, most likely on Christmas Day. Search Keywords: Short link: NEWSLETTER Sign up Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. Just Style Daily Update The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday. Just Style Weekly Update A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday. Just Style Magazine The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter. French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, victim of a deadly attack by Islamist militants in 2015 for its irreverent humor, was criticized by Italians on Friday for portraying victims of an earthquake that killed almost 300 people as different types of pasta. The cartoon was titled "Earthquake Italian style". It depicted a balding man standing and covered in blood with the moniker "Penne in tomato sauce", a badly scratched up woman next to him labeled "Penne au gratin", and finally feet sticking out between the floors of a collapsed building titled "Lasagne". Amatrice, a town flattened by last week's quake, is famous for the pasta sauce -- amatriciana -- that carries its name. The town's mayor, Sergio Pirozzi, who dramatically declared "the town is gone" on the morning after the Aug. 24 earthquake, was baffled by the cartoon. "How the fuck do you draw a cartoon about the dead!" he said, according to state news agency Ansa. "I'm sure this unpleasant and embarrassing satire does not reflect French sentiment." The French embassy in Rome published a statement on its web site and Twitter, saying the cartoon "absolutely does not represent" France's position, and is a "caricature by the press (and) the freely expressed opinions are those of the journalists." While many Italians showed solidarity with the magazine after the 2015 attack, writing "Je suis Charlie Hebdo" (I am Charlie Hebdo) on social media, the cartoon in the magazine's current edition was called "terrible", "in bad taste", and "disrespectful" on Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere. Many just wrote, "I'm no longer Charlie Hebdo." Twelve people were killed in the January 2015 attack by gunmen accusing the journal of blasphemy in printing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has not commented, but other Italian politicians pulled no punches. Giorgia Meloni, leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, said: "This isn't satire; it's garbage." Charlie Hebdo responded to the controversy by publishing yet another earthquake cartoon on its Facebook page that refers to the fact that in the past organized crime has been found to control various Italian construction companies. The follow-up vignette portrays someone half-buried in the rubble and reads: "Italians, it's not Charlie Hebdo who has built your homes, it's the mafia!" Search Keywords: Short link: (Beijing) The MasterCard Caixin BBD New Economy Index (NEI) for August shows Hangzhou, the host city of the G20 Leaders Summit, leading all Chinese cities in new-economy activity, up from fourth place the previous month. Meanwhile, the index for the country as a whole fell to 28.5, the lowest of the year, reflecting the fact that China's high-tech industry has continued contracting due to lower capital investments. This month's reading declined 90 basis points compared with July. The index measures the labor, capital and technology that go into up-and-coming industries such as IT services, green energy, biotechnology, finance, and legal services. The number of new enterprises in the new-economy sectors in Hangzhou was the most of all Chinese cities. Chen Qin, chief economist of BBD, a big-data firm in the southwestern city of Chengdu that co-compiles the NEI, said the growth spurt might be the result of the G20 summit, an event that made investors optimistic about the city's economy. The summit begins on Sept. 4. The decline in the national NEI in August was mainly due to a drop in capital infusion. The sub-index of capital input fell to 26.1, the lowest since the NEI began a year ago. A slowdown in new-enterprise establishment and decline in venture capital in high-tech firms dragged down investment, which reflects private investors' lack of faith in the national economy, Chen said. Changes in the other two components labor and technology were minor, with a 0.2-point increase and 0.7-point decrease respectively. Information technology contributed 12.7 percent to the emerging new economy, followed by finance and legal services with 5.1 percent. The third-largest contributor was biotech with 4 percent. The NEI focuses on sectors that are driven by technology and talent, instead of resource- and labor-intensive industries that are often covered by official data and therefore help track the pace of structural transition in China's economy. Compiled by Caixin Insight Group and BBD, in collaboration with the National Development School of Peking University in Beijing, the NEI is released on the second of every month. (Beijing) Despite its early arrival to China, the maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars has faced a downward slide in the world's largest car market this year, hampering its attempted comeback in the rest of the world. PSA Group, formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroen, arrived in China three decades ago, ahead of most global brands and at a time when domestic rivals were still in their infancy. But the company has suffered from an identity crisis in recent years, as it finds itself in a difficult niche that makes its cars comparably priced but less attractive than more-popular Western nameplates. At the same time, its models are significantly more expensive than lower-quality domestic Chinese brands. PSA, whose brands include Peugeot, Citroen and the luxury DS, saw its China sales drop nearly 20 percent in the first six months of this year, even as it posted an overall record profit following a major overhaul last year. The China slump accelerated from a 0.9 percent sales decline in 2015, in contrast with a 7 percent expansion for the nation's overall auto market that year. PSA's 50-50 joint venture with domestic automaker Dongfeng Group reported a 52 percent profit decline in the first half of this year from sales of its Peugeot and Citroen models. The French company's other China venture with Chang An Automobile Co., which makes DS sedans, also saw its first-half sales slide 30 percent to only 8,000 units. PSA has been France's primary automobile presence in China for over two decades, after first arriving in the country as early as 1985. Its major hometown rival, Renault, started manufacturing in China only in February this year. Peugeout's slipping position in China was the main factor that caused French brands' share of China's car market to tumble to 2.7 percent in the first seven months of this year, from 3.6 percent a year earlier, according to the China Automobile Industry Association. French car brands have been losing money on their China operations since June 2015, with each vehicle selling at an average loss of 800 yuan (US$ 120) in the first half, according to automobile industry consulting firm WAYS Consulting Co. Cost-cutting PSA has tried to cut costs in China by relocating its China and Southeast Asia headquarters from Shanghai to the lower-cost interior city of Wuhan. A source told Caixin that the relocation, which will also involve layoffs, is expected to save nearly 100 million yuan in operating costs for the company. PSA first entered China in 1985 when it set up a joint venture with the government in Guangzhou, the capital of southern Guangdong Province. That partnership ended in 1997 after years of losses. In 1992, it partnered with Dongfeng to form a joint venture whose first model was the popular Fukang, a Chinese version of the Citroen ZX, which was a fixture on Chinese roads in the 1990s. But the model failed to keep pace with changing Chinese tastes, and was overtaken by more-adaptable rivals from Germany's Volkswagen AG. "PSA's products have very unique features, but the company's strategy is the worst among multinationals as far as I know," said a former PSA employee who spoke on condition of anonymity. One of PSA's biggest problems during the first half of the year in China was its lack of new models, said Li Haigang, general manager of the Peugeot operation of Dongfeng PSA. He added that sales could pick up in the second half as the company prepares to roll out up to five new models. That includes SUVs, which have seen strong sales growth in China in recent years. "One of the company's big mistakes was its missed opportunity for the rising SUV market," said the source at the Dongfeng PSA venture. "The company's profit will continue getting squeezed by its continuing struggles in the highly competitive small-sedan market." Lifeline from Dongfeng Dongfeng has provided a lifeline for PSA not only in China but also worldwide. The Chinese company was part of a 2014 bailout for PSA, buying 14 percent of the ailing automaker that was tottering on the brink of bankruptcy at that time. Backed by the capital injection from Dongfeng and the French government, PSA turned a profit in 2015 after operating at a loss for three straight years. In April this year, PSA Chief Executive Carlos Tavares announced a new strategy called "push to pass," targeting an average profit margin of 4 percent between 2016 and 2018, and 6 percent by 2021. Differences of opinion between joint venture partners PSA and Dongfeng have been hurting the company's ability to chart a future direction, a source close to the company told Caixin. PSA executives want to further differentiate Peugeot and Citroen brands from other foreign rivals to target different customers, the source said. But Dongfeng executives are less sure of the strategy, creating internal confusion. Frequent management reshuffles are only adding to the uncertainties, with Chinese and French partners both announcing new top executives in June. That followed a series of other leadership changes dating back to last year. Such management reshuffles are common among automobile ventures trying to reverse sliding sales, but they also create problems due to shortsighted decision making, said one analyst. The constant change can also cause companies to repeat the same mistakes, he said. "Under the pressure of monthly sales targets, who will think about things for the next year?" he said. Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com); editor Doug Young (dougyoung@caixin.com) FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2013 file photo provided to the AP, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, police officers stand near a weapon inside Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport after a gunman opened fire in the terminal, killing one person and wounding three others. Paul Ciancia, the gunman behind the shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport three years ago, has agreed to plead guilty to all counts in a deal that spares him the death penalty. Ciancia, 26, faces a mandatory life sentence for murder and other penalties, according to the plea agreement filed Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, in U.S. District Court that calls for him to plead guilty to all charges. (AP Photo, File) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form A Samsung Electronics Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is displayed at the headquarters of South Korean mobile carrier KT in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Samsung will issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as soon as this weekend after its investigation on explosion claims found batteries were at fault, according to South Korea's Yonhap News. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) The billionaire Facebook founder is back in Nigeria. He met with president Buhari at Aso Villa where he was seen in a suit happily taking a selfie with the president. Buharis media aide said Mark told VP Osinbajo that he wore a suit and his usual T.shirt and jeans, to meet President Buhari out of respect for him. The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is currently in a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and other political leaders. The meeting is holding at the Presidents Office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The technology entrepreneur had arrived Lagos unannounced on Tuesday for his first visit to the sub-Saharan Africa. 113 Shares Share This spring, the California Board of Optometry shut down the only optometrist providing services to homebound patients in the San Francisco Bay Area. I learned about this because affected patients included several referred from our UC San Francisco Housecalls program, one of a few non-profit, non-concierge home-based practices in the state providing geriatrics care to homebound adults. With over 1 million adults homebound in California, why would any board deliberately limit access to care for such vulnerable adults? California Board of Optometry Policy prevents an optometrist from providing care in private homes. Optometrists can provide care in residential facilities, but only with advance notice to the board and for a limited number of days. An optometrist in California cannot choose to exclusively serve homebound clients. For many homebound adults, physical and cognitive impairments progressively limit their livable space until they are confined within four walls of a single room. Adequate vision to see loved ones, look out a window, watch TV, and read becomes vital to quality of life. Visual impairment contributes to depression, anxiety, and risk of falls. For individuals with dementia, poor vision can cause disturbed perceptions, paranoia, aggressive behavior, or care resistance. Home optometric care can preserve vision. For our housecall patients, access to eye care and new glasses was, in one patients words, a Godsend. The home optometrist we referred our patients to not only corrected vision but addressed problems such as red eye or irritation, and helped us gauge whether an ophthalmology referral was necessary or if conditions such as glaucoma or cataracts could be managed at home. For homebound adults, travel to an ophthalmologists office requires 1 to 2 caregivers and wheelchair/gurney transport, often not covered by insurance and costing at least $300. Thats assuming the ophthalmologist can accommodate a bedbound patient or adult with dementia. Initial home optometric evaluations can help a patient avoid unnecessary trips and support primary care providers in counseling patients about the risks and benefits of interventions. In the 1990s, after advocacy from the UC Berkeley School of Optometry, the California Board of Optometry finally allowed students in private homes to learn about eye care of older adults. Over the next several years, until becoming a casualty of the fiscal crisis for state-funded universities, UC Berkeley educated over a hundred students in home eye care. One of these graduates was the Optometrist who built his practice exclusively to serve homebound adults, and whom the board shut down this spring. Today, we face a nonsensical situation in which an optometric school can educate students to provide home eye care, but these same individuals, once graduated and licensed, are prohibited by their board from practicing those very skills and providing critical services to patients without other options. As our population ages, the number of homebound adults increases. Fortunately, multiple types of clinicians can provide home care: physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, podiatrists, and physical therapists. For Californias Board of Optometry to disallow home optometric care in this time of rising need is outrageous. Over the past two decades, medical housecalls programs have proven their value in caring for aging populations. Home eye care has equal potential to advance health care access, reduce unnecessary medical costs (from falls, depression, and emergency visits), and provide a pathway to fulfilling careers for optometrists passionate about helping underserved adults. Other states already have home optometric care, including Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, and Utah. Yet in the state of California, thanks to Californias Board of Optometry, there is now no access to home eye care. Given our shifting demographics, the need for home optometric care will continue to grow. Such care is reimbursable under Medicare and critically needed. The time is overdue for all state boards of optometry, not just Californias, to permit optometrists to provide home eye care. Helen Kao is a geriatrician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 1K Shares Share In a recent interview, Dr. Farzad Mostashari (former national coordinator for health IT and current CEO, Aledade ACO) gave some advice to physicians on how to avoid burnout and restore their role as caregivers: The key is two things. One, if youre in a kayak in the rapids, you have to lean in and dig your paddle in and push ahead. If you lean back, youre done. Youre going to flip over. So be more active. Dont be passive. Take control. Step two is join together with others to increase your power, increase your control, increase your ability to have someone else help you deal with that crap, deal with the quality reporting, deal with the EHR optimization, deal with the ACO regulations. So I think thats the solution not to retreat into some direct primary care model. That, to me, is not a solution for all of our docs to say, Im not going to take insurance. Thats not the solution. We have to find ways of coping with the change and feeling more in control. I am a family physician who has operated a direct primary care practice (DPC) for nearly five years. In that time, I have met hundreds of physicians planning or operating DPC practices; many of whom I now consider good friends. While they each have a unique story and perspective, your comments are not remotely reflective of the mindset of doctors opting for DPC. I honestly wonder whether you have ever talked to a single one of them. These DPC physicians are among the most courageous, creative and determined men and women I know; the exact opposite of what you describe. They have each taken huge risks professionally, personally and financially in an attempt to take control as you suggest. Most have sacrificed hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in pursuit of becoming the caregivers they envisioned while in medical school. Out of necessity, they are educating their communities on the importance of quality primary care. They hold town halls and talk to the media. They network heavily with technology and medical vendors. They engage employers and policy makers. They write blogs and vigorously in online discussion groups. They are the epitome of entrepreneurship and activism. The DPC physicians Ive met nearly always possess a passion that has sadly been beaten out of most of my physician colleagues. Despite giant obstacles and an uncertain future, DPC physicians forge ahead. Our vision for the future of primary care may be naive to you Dr. Mostashari, but to claim we are passive or retreating is flatly absurd. I do agree that a major driving factor behind the DPC movement is physicians feeling powerless to deal with an ever-growing pile of crap. Can you blame them? Older physicians have lived through many decades of initiatives purporting to improve the practice of primary care only to realize the newest barrage of alphabet soup was keeping them even more distracted from patient care. Is it possible to outsource some of that administrative burden? Sure, but physicians are rightfully skeptical about why the crap exists in the first place. Being born and raised in Kansas, I admittedly dont know much about kayaking. However, I would suggest that the rapids have already tipped over many of our boats. Direct primary care physicians have bravely climbed back in their vessels and are now trying to rescue others; hopefully, before we all go over the waterfall. W. Ryan Neuhofel is a family physician and owner, NeuCare Family Medicine. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 198 Shares Share Ten male students crowded around a clean-shaven instructor who asked a series of questions. The students had meticulously prepared and would maintain close proximity to well-rehearsed answers. Hopefully, the questions are simple, they thought. One by one, they answered, at times stumbling through their responses. This was expected. The students were learning and the incorrect answers allowed room for humility. Such a scene could easily describe an American teaching hospital, or, a Republican presidential debate. The parallels between medicine and politics are abundant. For starters, the phrase I dont know is on the minds of medical students and presidential candidates everywhere despite rarely being uttered on the wards or in debates. Further, the stereotypes of some politicians and doctors overlap in that both believe themselves to be infallible. And, in medicine as well as in politics, mistakes are so taboo that being wrong is not only unacceptable, it becomes seemingly impossible. Given these similarities, one would think Dr. Ben Carson was well suited for the job. A president is a public servant, as is a doctor, and the excitement around his candidacy grew from this fact. Medical school offers a modest beginning that nurtures skills like self-awareness, which is found within good physicians. Of course, that doesnt mean that those traits endure. As Carson progressed through the debates, deep inside him was a clandestine skill honed in medical school that provides, admittedly, an odd utility: the ability to be wrong. Put differently, he was a medical student. He had the potential to be honest. In theory, a doctor would make a great president. Skills in listening, advocacy for patients and decision-making, all bridge medicine and public service. But, from vaccine hedges to Fox News Sunday stumbles, Carson revealed his struggle to exercise the political calisthenics required for such a race. Maybe, Carson was wrong too much. Or, perhaps he didnt instill the confidence needed to woe voters. In the end, the caucus goers who proclaimed they sought a beltway outsider with honesty found a more abrasive alternative. Its hard to imagine another role other than Americas president where such perfection is expected, but the physicians role might be a close second. This pedestal comes with a price: Candidates become mechanical in their answers and hostile to questioning. When I dont know isnt an acceptable response, thoughtless alternatives result. We get policy proposals that offer perplexingly massive border walls, nationwide bans on religious minorities and what might as well be concealed carry permits bestowed to kindergarteners. When brash answers are expected, thoughtfulness becomes as useful as money was to Jeb Bushs campaign. In politics, the theme of perceived weakness is well known. It certainly goes beyond simply not knowing the answers to questions. FDR made numerous attempts to hide his paralysis that was secondary to polio. Bill Clinton ran circles around a mid-1990s psuedo-apology for not acting during Rwandas genocide. Not surprisingly, our human nature and our presidential nature isnt good at embracing fault or weakness. In his book Being Mortal, Dr. Atul Gawande describes a similar insecurity faced by physicians and patients in their conversations about the end of life. The difficulty of these conversations uncovers, in part, physicians struggle to express their limitations to affect the finality of death. The book cites one study by sociologist Nicholas Christakis that showed how physicians consistently overestimated a terminally ill patients survival. On average, the overestimate was by 530 percent. Death, like many nuanced topics, like heavy political questions for Carson and the other former candidates, induces a blind sprint toward comfortable and preferably short answers. In the transition from medicine to politics, Carson quickly discovered that his conservative synapses had moved to Syria, not the brain matter more easily navigable by a neurosurgeon. Microbiology was replaced by ISIS, and despite their dual viral natures, the former didnt help when answering national security questions on CNN. To be president is to be a generalist, but the expectation is to be an uber-specialist on everything. Except no one can know everything. The fast and now of American culture has crept into our presidential candidates policies. Immediate answers that require no research is a poor plan for both medical care and policy. What should be robust solutions to convoluted problems are instead diluted to terse sound bites leaving listeners wondering, Was there even a policy in that statement? Its true that in presidential debates and medical school examinations, you dont earn points for incorrect responses. To develop trust, however, whether with constituents or patients, there is value in recognizing your limitations and the answers you might not have. With that in mind, to the next president, whoever that may be: Embrace your wrong answers, much like a modest medical student. Augie Lindmark is a medical student. He can be reached on Twitter @AugieLindmark. A version of this article originally appeared in in-Training. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Now with Councilman George Altgelt back on the ballot for the November election, another candidate who was disqualified is looking to be placed back on it. Originally running for District Eight, James Newland was disqualified after an error on his application. On Thursday morning, Newland, along with his attorney, told KGNS they were also looking to file a lawsuit against the city. There is no word yet when they will file the suit. Residents in Zapata have been concerned about dead fish washing up on the shore. This issue has been developing for several weeks and residents suspect the problem could be related to some construction going on in the area. TxDot is currently working on a bridge in the area but they say they also built a temporary dam for the fish to swim through while the construction takes place. The Texas Parks and Wildlife is currently looking into the issue to see what exactly is the cause of the problem. TCEQ, Parks and Wildlife, and TxDot are waiting on water samples to find the root of the problem, but resident and business owner James Bendele says whoever is responsible for this incident now has a debt to pay. Representative Tracy King says he has been told the state preliminary suspects the cause may be due to recent rains stirring up sediment and decreasing oxygen in the water. After the success of last years presentation of Wake in The West directed by Dee Gibney the Gowran Little Theatre group are delighted to announce their Autumn 2016 production. After reading through many plays over the summer period, group stalwart and resident director, Andrew O Leary has chosen Brendan Behans The Hostage to wow of the audiences of Gowran Hall in late October The Hostage marks the groups fifth production and Andrew has directed three of these; The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, Its the Real McCoy by Tommy Marren and Moonshine by Jim Nolan. The group, although in its formative years has tackled some very big and challenging pieces and all the cast and crew are very much looking forward to getting their teeth stuck into this years play. The Hostage depicts the events leading up to the planned execution of an 18-year-old IRA member in a Belfast jail, accused of killing an Ulster policeman. Paddy O Leary who plays the title role will be joined on stage this year by a host of the familiar faces (Judith McCormack, Dickie Dreeling, Derek Lawler, Kirsten Neale, Siobhan Maher and Paul O Donnell). The group, always a great promoter of fresh talent, welcomes the new faces of Peter Madden (direct from his appearance with Watergate Productions in The Field by John B. Keane), Orla Kelly, Ellen O Donnell and John Kennedy appearing for the first time with Gowran Little Theatre. Mary Walsh will be assisting Andrew with the shows direction with stage management in the very capable hands of Sandra Twomey. Speaking last week at rehearsals director Andrew O Leary said This play has been on my to do list since the group formed and I am really looking forward to working with the strong cast to deliver what I can assure you will be a very strong version of Brendan Behans masterpiece. Group chairperson Judith McCormack added The audiences of the Gowran and its hinterlands have been so supportive of us in recent years and will not e let down this year with what is already shaping up to be a stellar performance of the play. The SavageJimBreen band from Kilkenny are playing the Electric Picnic this year. They have been asked to play The Global Green stage this. They released their debut album last year and were part of the Kilkenny Roots festival this year. The SavageJimBreen are an Irish alt-folk band made up of four seasoned and diverse song-writers. Their music tells a story of a 21st century Ireland; a place heavy with the modern burden yet somehow lifted by a sense of the ever there. Their multi-perspective in song-crafting leads to an exciting shift through folk and roots landscapes from one song to the next. There is a cohesion at work however, as the band by their own admission, are duty bound to translate all incoming work through a single gaze. Those eyes they say, belong to one man, The Savage Jim Breen. So who is this so called savage Jim Breen? As it turns out it is not altogether clear. Not even to the band. And theyre not at any great pains to find out. He may be an uncle, the cousin of an uncle or a friend of a cousin of an uncle but all thats known is a few years ago one of the band members was shown, in passing, the contents of an old letter written by a somewhat elusive character living somewhere high in the midlands. This missive contained a long but fairly coherent narrative on how this person has seen the country change over the past couple of decades. The cautionary themes of which were chiseled and shaped and put to music becoming the first Savage Jim Breen song, Tool. Through the same mutual friend a recording of the song was aired to the elusive J. Breen who instead of giving an opinion of the song simply sent another letter, this time addressed to the band. These letters, these insights of our changing land and landscape are the porridge in the boiling pot of the album Awake. We on behalf of the Savage Jim Breen hope you can find a quiet moment in which to listen to an old man rant. The four collective heads rose as one towards the end of 2013 and were warmly welcomed into the folds of The Electric Picnic, The Rhythm and Roots Festival Kilkenny and onto an array of stages such as Whelans, The Axis Theatre and a number of gigs in Bewleys. Cafe Theatre, whereupon they have shared the stage with the likes of Damien Dempsey, Kila and Cathy Davy. Through the use of harmony and rhythm The Savage Jim Breen offer a theme of contemplation, acceptance and a 'moving on' with an awareness and a positive step forward. Pembroke James Savage and Manus Crowley play in the Pembroke Hotel every Saturday. Ten new homes for people on the housing waiting list were officially opened by Minister for Housing Simon Coveney in Kilkenny City last Thursday. The new scheme, Gaol Road Crescent, is made up of both one and two-bedroom houses and apartments, with ground floor accommodation also. The homes have the latest energy efficiency technologies, achieving an 'A' rating, and reducing fuel costs for the new residents. The new units meet the needs of the homeless, the elderly, the disabled and general housing needs. There are three car parking spaces and a landscaped central courtyard included. The project is the first new housing construction scheme by Kilkenny County Council, delivered under the Social Housing Strategy 2020. It follows a long period of relative inactivity in terms of local authority builds, with just four houses built last year here, and only 74 built nationwide. Many of the new tenants were on hand last Thursday to take the keys of their homes, and to meet Minister Coveney, who emphasised that the new social housing strategy would not be confined to Dublin. It is a project for every city and every town in the country, he said. And that is why actually it's great that the first scheme I'm opening as Minister for Housing, led by a local authority, is here in Kilkenny. Funding of 1.2 million was allocated by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government for the new buildings. The Gaol Road scheme is the first purpose-built local authority accommodation for single tenants here. In recent years, the council has seen an increase in demand for single-occupancy accommodation, while a significant portion of Kilkennys housing waiting list is single people. Minister Coveney said the new units reflected a changing society, responding to the new type of demand, and different family structure. We have to deal with a lot of family breakup, we have to deal with a lot of people who are living on their own, for all sorts of complex and personal reasons, he said. And again, the social housing that we are going to see developed in huge numbers over the next five years or so will be very different to what was built in the '60s, '70s, and the '80s. It will be better. And most importantly, it will be contributing to better communities as well. Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Matt Doran and Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council Collette Byrne said they were heartened to see the recommencement of the housing construction programme. The model here at Gaol Road Crescent is a true example of a community neighbourhood and illustrates how the provision of social infrastructure and well designed housing units can provide a holistic approach to the development of our towns and villages, said Ms Byrne. Minister Coveney acknowledged the work done by Kilkenny County Council in bringing the scheme to fruition, and also the teams involved. Cleary & Doyle Construction Ltd were the successful building contractors for the project. Many local companies were involved also, including Brian Dunphy Architects on Patrick Street, Ronan Meally M&E consultants, and MPA consulting engineers. We went looking for the greatest companies outside the U.S. and came up with eight proven picks. Here's one of them: Siemens (symbol SIEGY (opens in new tab)). To make the list, the businesses had to have U.S.-traded shares and be industry leaders. They also had to possess substantial financial resources to weather rough economic times. Finally, we sought companies that had significant catalysts to drive the next phase of their growth. Read more about the case for investing in Siemens below. Prices and related figures for U.S.-traded shares are as of August 23. Earnings estimates are for calendar 2016 and 2017, unless otherwise noted. Price-earnings ratios are based on estimated 2016 earnings, unless otherwise indicated. Also, take a look at seven more great stocks from around the world. Siemens Headquarters: Munich, Germany Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up Share price: $120.95 Market capitalization: $97.9 billion Estimated earnings per share: 2016, $7.93; 2017, $8.71 Price-earnings ratio: 15 P/E ratio on 2017 estimate: 14 Dividend yield: 3.2% The business: Siemens is a 169-year-old conglomerate that includes a host of manufacturing and technology businesses. Products include gas and steam turbines, wind-power systems, medical-imaging equipment, factory-automation systems and energy-management controls for buildings. Track record: Like its U.S. rival General Electric, Siemens has struggled to grow amid the anemic global economy that has followed the financial crisis. From 2009 through 2015, annual revenue was mostly stuck at about 75 billion euros (about $85 billion at the current euro-dollar exchange rate). The company also had some missteps such as buying a major oilfield equipment maker just before energy prices dived. In 2015, operating earnings rose just 1% from 2014, disappointing investors. Early this year, Siemens' shares fell to their lowest level since 2012. Reasons to own it: The company's fortunes may be turning. Siemens posted surprisingly strong growth in orders in the April-June quarter. The value of total new orders rose 9% from a year earlier, excluding the effects of currency fluctuations. Siemens got a boost in part from demand for big-ticket power-plant and wind-farm equipment from customers in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Bolivia, among other countries. What's more, for the second time since December, the company raised its forecast for 2016 earnings. That lit a fire under the stock, which has surged 11.5% since August 2. S&P Capital IQ notes that in recent years Siemens has been selling weak business lines to invest in higher-growth industries. If that payoff is beginning, investors can buy the stock at a still-reasonable P/E and earn a tidy 3.2% dividend yield to boot. SHANGHAI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Financeauctioned 10 billion yuan ($1.50 billion) of three-month billsin the interbank market on Friday at an average yield of 1.9690percent, traders said. The auction yield for the three-month bills came in belowThursday's benchmark secondary market yield of 2.0012 percentfor three-month government bills . For stories on Chinese debt issues, click on .($1 = 6.6791 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting By the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by AmruthaGayathri) HONG KONG, Sept 2 (IFR) - Asia credit markets did not seemuch action today as investors stayed cautious ahead of theexpected release of US non-farm payroll data this evening. Non-farm payrolls are likely to have increased by 180,000last month, according to a Reuters survey of economists, aroundthis year's monthly average job growth. "The market was rather quiet today with investors waitingfor the key US job data," said a Hong Kong-basedinvestment-grade trader, noting that spreads on the ten-yearnotes of Chinese oil names were about 1bp-2bp wider. He said that growing supply of new bonds in September waslikely to put pressure on the secondary market. At least several Chinese financial institutions, includingChina Life, were looking to issue new bonds in coming weeks,according to DCM bankers. "We are going to see much more supplies, but demand has notyet showed signs of declining", said a DCM banker. The Asia ex-Japan iTraxx IG index was 0.97bp wider at112bp/114bp. Chongqing Western Modern Logistics Industry Zone'snew 2021s widened to 3.39%. (Reporting by Ina Zhou; editing by Dharsan Singh) Keywords: MARKETS ASIA DEBT/ (Updates to close) Sept 2 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed lower for athird consecutive session on Friday as the prospect of strongU.S. jobs data, which could help seal the deal for a FederalReserve rate rise in the near term, kept investors ontenterhooks. The S&P/ASX 200 index finished 42.76 points, or 0.8percent, lower at 5372.8. The benchmark, which closed 0.3percent lower on Thursday, lost about 2.6 percent, or 142.67points, on the week. Aged care facilities operator Estia Health Ltd andhealth food maker Select Harvest were the day's biggestlosers, shedding 6 percent and 9 percent respectively. While the healthcare and telecom services sectors draggedthe index down this session, basic materials andtelecoms were the week's biggest losers. Financials shed 1.9 percent on the week, withWestpac Banking Corp losing 3.1 percent andCommonwealth Bank of Australia down 3.2 percent. Miners Rio Tinto Ltd and BHP Billiton Ltd lost 2.9 percent and 4.9 percent respectively, on the week. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index finishedflat at 7426.11 points, with gains in staples, basic materialsand technology offset by energy and financials. Westpac Banking Corp lost 2 percent, while fuelretailer Z Energy Ltd shed 1.2 percent The benchmark gained half a percent this week. (Reporting by Rushil Dutta in Bengaluru; Editing by EricMeijer) By Kirsti Knolle VIENNA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A buy-back offer for Austrian'bad bank' Heta bonds, a test case for new Europeanrules aimed at ensuring a failed bank's losses are shared withcreditors, could come as early as Friday, two sources toldReuters. If successful, the bond buy-back would draw a line underAustria's worst financial disaster since World War Two. "There could be an announcement late on Friday," one of thefinancial sources said. Austrian Finance Minister Hans Joerg Schelling said thisweek he expected creditors representing two-thirds of theoutstanding debt to accept the offer, which would make itbinding for all creditors. Austria's government reached agreement in principle withcreditors in May for an offer to buy back at a discount debt ofaround 11 billion euros ($12.31 billion). The province of Carinthia, helped by loans from the federalgovernment, would offer senior creditors 75 percent of theoriginal face value and junior creditors 30 percent. The overall repayment rate to creditors is seen at about 90percent if they also accept a special 13.5-year zero-coupon bondas a sweetener. The move in May came after Austria's financial watchdog cutthe nominal value of the bulk of the bonds by more than half. Heta's bondholders include Pimco , Commerzbank , Deutsche Pfandbriefbank and DexiaKommunalbank . Carinthia would contribute 1.2 billion euros to the buyback,which the federal government will finance with loans, and Viennawould guarantee the zero-coupon bond.($1 = 0.8935 euros) (Additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Editing by AlexanderSmith) By Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Brazilian power holdingcompany Cia Energetica de Minas Gerais SA could use proceedsfrom the sale of a minority stake in an electricity transmissionsubsidiary to help cash-strapped renewable energy unit RenovaEnergia SA, according to a person familiar with the plan. According to the source, who asked for anonymity since theplan is under discussion, Cemig would inject about170 million reais ($52 million) into several investment vehiclesthat Renova has set up to execute the constructionof some windpower projects. The move could be a lifeline for Renova, which is controlledby Cemig, as efforts to lure a partner and raise cash are takinglonger than planned. On Wednesday, Cemig announced plans to sella 13.8 percent stake in Transmissora Alianca de Energia EletricaSA , more than twice the amount announced earlierlast month. Units of Taesa, a blend of the company's common andpreferred shares, slumped on Thursday by the most in a month.Units were up 2.6 percent on Friday morning trading in SaoPaulo, at 22.10 reais. At current prices, the stake is wortharound 880 million reais. Press representatives for Cemig, which is controlled by theBrazilian state of Minas Gerais, declined to comment. Renova didnot have an immediate comment. Salvador, Brazil-based Renova is among many Brazilian powercompanies faced with a severe cash crunch as years of erraticpolicies and a harsh recession hurt the industry. Often seen asresilient during downturns, the renewable electricity industryis struggling with declining electricity consumption and thehighest borrowing costs in a decade. Reuters reported in June that Renova was in talks withpotential investors to raise 1 billion reais in exchange for astake. The company is taking advantage of a government policyallowing producers to renegotiate power sales to alleviate cashshortages while the search for a major investor continues,people familiar with the matter told Reuters inJuly. According to the person, Rothschild & Co is advising Renovaon how to improve its capital structure as the companynegotiates the entry of a new partner. Financing conditions forRenova have worsened since a partnership with SunEdison Inc collapsed late last year. ($1 = 3.2471 Brazilian reais) (Additional reporting by Bruno Federowski in Sao Paulo; Editingby Guillermo Parra-Bernal and David Gregorio) By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's long-dormant equitycapital markets could be set for a revival in the coming monthsthat might help offset slower-than-expected merger andacquisition activity, bankers said. Growing appetite for risk among local investors andexpectations of a more business-friendly government after theouster of former President Dilma Rousseff could help resuscitatea market that has seen only one initial public offering over thepast 23 months, the bankers said. That compares with 10 over theprevious two years. While IPOs are not imminent, bankers at Itau BBA SA andMorgan Stanley say they expect between five and seven moreofferings to take place before year-end. Brazil's benchmark stock index is up 35 percent thisyear, the world's second-best performer, on optimism aboutRousseff's replacement by her former vice president, MichelTemer. Stung by dozens of capital-raising deals that fell short ofpromised returns during Rousseff's five years in office, foreigninvestors in particular are wary of equity offerings in LatinAmerica's biggest economy. However, they could quickly return if Temer effectivelytackles Brazil's budget problems and reignites confidence in theeconomy, said Roderick Greenlees, Itau BBA's global head ofinvestment banking. "There is a situation of repressed demand for capital, whichcan lead more companies to go ahead with their offering plans,"Greenlees said in an interview, suggesting there is pent-upappetite for such deals. A renewed flow of equity offerings could lead to thereworking of some M&A deals now being negotiated, according tobankers including Marcus Silberman, head of Brazil M&A at Bankof America Merrill Lynch. The equity market's revival comes after dozens of M&A dealtalks ran aground in recent months as buyers and sellers splitover valuations and worried that the nation's political crisiscould trigger regulatory or tax changes. One example is homebuilder Gafisa SA, which is leaningtoward listing low-income home unit Construtora Tenda SA ratherthan selling part of it to a partner in the belief that an IPOcould fetch more, people told Reuters last month. Likewise, Carlyle Group LP and CVC Brasil Operadora SA founder Guilherme Paulus' failure to find a buyer fortheir majority stake in the travel agency led them to sell partof their holdings through a public offering. M&A transactions accounted for half of Brazilinvestment-banking advisory fees over the past four years. Inthe past year, equity underwriting fees in Brazil have fallenmore than 50 percent to $51 million - an amount equivalent to aquarter of M&A advisory proceeds in the same period, ThomsonReuters and Freeman Consulting data show. JUGGLING ACT Itau BBA, Brazil's largest investment bank, expectscompanies to raise up to 10 billion reais ($3.1 billion) thisyear from offerings. In many cases, companies raising new equity will do so whileat the same time exploring a full or partial sale to a strategicbuyer, Bank of America's Silberman said. Access to funding will also help cash-strapped companiesraise capital at a time when bankruptcy filings have hit arecord. Others view offerings as a way to fuel expansion as thecountry's economy revives. Still, increased offerings may be a mixed blessing forprivate equity funds, said Eduardo Miras, co-head of Brazilinvestment banking at Morgan Stanley. "Although private equity sponsors may have to pay more toinvest in companies, active public equity markets give them anadditional alternative for divestments," he said. BRF SA's Middle East-based food processor SadiaHalal, and medical imaging provider Centro de ImagemDiagnosticos SA, which filed for an IPO this week, are amongcandidates for listing debuts. Call center firm ContaxParticipacoes SA also recently filed to sell shares in a privateplacement. According to bankers, the return of cash-flush foreigninvestors is a necessary condition for the success of offeringsnext year. Companies and shareholders raised about $1.9 billion fromBrazilian follow-on offerings this year, according to ThomsonReuters and bourse operator BM&FBovespa SA data. The number doesnot include private placements and restricted-efforts deals. Last year follow-ons and IPOs raised over $5 billion. The value of Brazilian corporate takeovers fell 11 percentto $21 billion in the year through Aug. 31 from the year-earlierperiod, while the number of announced M&A transactions slumped16 percent from a year ago, Thomson Reuters data show. ($1 = 3.2272 Brazilian reais) (Additional reporting by Robert Levine in New York; Editing byChristian Plumb and Bill Rigby) By David Ljunggren OTTAWA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Canada's trade deficit in Julyunexpectedly shrank on stronger non-energy exports, a sector theBank of Canada says is crucial to helping revive an economy hitby low oil prices. Statistics Canada said on Friday that the July deficit wasC$2.49 billion ($1.90 billion), lower than the C$3.25 billionshortfall predicted by analysts in a Reuters poll and below therecord C$3.97 billion in June. Exports jumped by 3.4 percent, the biggest month-on-monthgain since last December, on healthy gains in the motor vehiclesand parts, metal and non-metallic mineral products andtransportation equipment sectors. Volumes rose by 3.7 percentwhile prices fell by 0.3 percent. Non-energy exports have been spluttering for several months,prompting concern at the Bank of Canada, which cut interestrates twice last year to offset the effects of the oil slump.The central bank has long been looking for non-resource exports,helped by the soft currency and improving U.S. demand, to offsetthe commodity price drag. "The most important thing here is that exports finallysnapped their lengthy slump in a meaningful way," said DougPorter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. "This is definitely a breath of fresh air for Canadiantrade." The Canadian dollar strengthened on the data,rising to C$1.3019 to the U.S. dollar, or 76.81 U.S. cents, upfrom C$1.3091, or 76.39 U.S. cents before the release. The Bank of Canada has a rate announcement scheduled forWednesday. A Reuters poll showed markets see the central bank onhold until 2018. Imports slipped by 0.1 percent on lower demand for consumergoods, vehicles and parts and electronic and electricalequipment and parts. Exports to the United States, which took 76.2 percent of allCanadian exports in July, rose by 3.3 percent while imports fellby 0.5 percent. As a result, Canada's trade surplus with theUnited States rose to C$2.62 billion from C$1.43 billion inJune. "Domestic demand in the United States is still strong ...and that's translating into growth for Canadian exports," said Ross Prusakowski, a senior economist at Export DevelopmentCanada. In additional to low oil prices, the economy also has torecover from a major fire in northern Alberta in May. Statscan, citing the after-effects of the inferno, saidseparately that the labor productivity of Canadian businesses inthe second quarter of 2016 fell by 0.3 percent, the first dropin a year. ($1=$1.31 Canadian) (Additional reporting by Fergal Smith in Toronto; Editing byMeredith Mazzilli) PRAGUE, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, pressreports and events to watch which may affect Czech financialmarkets on Friday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: ==========================NEWS================================== BONDS: The Czech Finance Ministry plans to issue at least 50billion crowns ($2 billion) worth of bonds with maturity above 5years by the end of the year, the ministry said after reportinga record budget surplus for the first eight months. Story: Related stories: SECURITY: Russian intelligence services are conducting "aninformation war" in the Czech Republic, building a network ofpuppet groups and propaganda agents that could be used todestabilise the country, the BIS counterintelligence servicewarned on Thursday. Story: Related stories: TEMELIN: CEZ said the restart of nuclear plantTemelin Unit 2 will be delayed by several days. Story: Related stories: BUDGET: The surplus on the Czech central state budget at theend of August was four times as big as it was a year ago,opening the chance that the country could post its best fiscalperformance in two decades. Story: Related stories: PMI: Czech manufacturing business sentiment improved inAugust due to increases in output and new orders but the riselagged forecasts, the Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI)showed on Thursday. Story: Related stories: CEE FX POLL: Receding political risks are seen boosting thePolish zloty, and the Czech crown will be helped by the likelyremoval of the central bank's cap in the next 12 months, aReuters poll of foreign exchange strategists and analystsshowed. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: Poland led a fall of Central European assets onThursday as risk aversion ahead of key U.S. payroll figuresovershadowed a pick-up in Polish and Czech manufacturing indices(PMIs). Story: Related stories: ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change close on day in 2016 vs Euro 27.009 27.053 0.16 -0.04 vs Dollar 24.124 24.537 1.68 2.96 Czech Equities 866.37 866.37 0.84 -9.41 U.S. Equities 18,419.3 18,400.88 0.1 5.71 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT=============================PRESS DIGEST======================= CEZ: Utility CEZ will supply Czech Railways withelectricity for 2.1 billion crowns ($87.12 million)in 2017-18. Hospodarske Noviny, page 12 CARS: Czech car production rose 1.1 percent in theJanuary-July period to 756,407 vehicles. Hospodarske Noviny, page 12 SKODA: Carmaker Skoda Auto, part of Volkswagen ,will start production of its new SUV brand Kodiaq, which itunveiled at the Berlin car show on Thursday, in October. Hospodarske Noviny, page 14 TTIP: The Czech Republic is against any attempt to stoptalks over the TTIP trade deal with the United States, IndustryMinister Jan Mladek said. E15, page 2 (Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch fortheir accuracy.) For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com($1 = 24.1040 Czech crowns) (Reporting by Prague Newsroom) SAO PAULO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Most Latin American stocks andcurrencies firmed on Friday after surprisingly mixed U.S. jobsdata muddled the outlook for a rate hike this year. U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 151,000 jobs last month aftertwo straight months of more robust gains, while wage gainsmoderated. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected an increaseof 180,000. Many traders had been making bets on a U.S. rate increase assoon as September following recent hawkish comments by FederalReserve policymakers. But bets on a September increase dropped after Friday's jobsreport, while the odds of a December increase eased to slightlybetter than even, according to U.S. future markets. "Markets were on a positive roll in terms of U.S. economicfigures and were caught off guard by the payroll numbers. Thefuture U.S. rate trajectory remains very murky," said Intercambrokerage trader Glauber Romano. Chile's and Colombia's pesos strengthened over 1 percent,also supported by rising prices of copper and crude oil,respectively. But the Brazilian real had a somewhat volatile session asmany traders worried that President Michel Temer could facedifficulties gathering support for austerity measures inCongress. Brazilian shares, however, jumped almost 2 percent asblue-chip stocks such as state-controlled oil company PetroleoBrasileiro SA and lenders Itau Unibanco SA and Bradesco SA . Shares of Embraer were among the biggest gainers after theplanemaker booked five orders from China's Colorful GuizhouAirlines. But utility CESP Companhia Energetica de Sao Paulo dipped 0.1 percent on news that it will be excludedfrom a preliminary review of the country's benchmark Bovespastock index. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1610 GMT: Stock indexes Latest Daily YTD pct pct change change MSCI Emerging Markets 899.85 0.98 12.21 MSCI LatAm 2,446.88 1.88 31.26 Brazil Bovespa 59,348.48 1.91 36.91 Mexico IPC 47,872.55 0.65 11.39 Chile IPSA 4,135.94 0.37 12.38 Chile IGPA 20,523.94 0.37 13.07 Argentina MerVal 15,885.39 0.91 36.06 Colombia IGBC 10,225.99 0.71 19.64 Venezuela IBC 11,817.31 -1.21 -18.99 Currencies Latest Daily YTD pct pct change change Brazil real 3.2508 -0.08 21.42 Mexico peso 18.6515 0.51 -7.62 Chile peso 672.2 1.23 5.58 Colombia peso 2,954.6 1.12 7.27 Peru sol 3.389 0.15 0.74 Argentina peso (interbank) 14.9050 0.03 -12.90 Argentina peso (parallel) 15.25 0.20 -6.43 (Editing by G Crosse) Greece to auction 1 bln euros of 3-month T-bills on Sept. 7 ATHENS, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Greece will sell 1 billion euros($1.12 billion) of three-month treasury bills on Sept. 7 torefinance a maturing issue, debt agency PDMA said on Friday. Athens successfully rolled over three-month T-bills lastmonth, with the paper priced to yield 2.7 percent. In a rollover, T-bill holders renew their positions insteadof getting paid on the maturing paper they hold. The settlement date of the new bills will be Sept. 9. Onlyprimary dealers will be allowed to participate and no commissionis to be paid. (1 US dollar = 0.8946 euro) (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Alison Williams) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. kitco news (Kitco News) -Charlie Hebdo is doing what it does best...getting a conversation going. source Charlie Hebdo Many woke up infuriated to see the latest edition of Charlie Hebdo seemingly poking fun at Italian earthquake victims. The satirical cartoon reads "Italian Earthquake" and features earthquake victims as signature Italian dishes: a man covered in blood is 'tomato sauce penne," a burnt woman is 'penne gratin,' and perhaps the most offensive, layered bodies in the likelihood of a lasagna. The 6.2 magnitude earthquake, which struck central Italy last week, killed nearly 300 people. Two thirds of them died in the hilltop town of Amatrice, which is where the famous Italian dish, spaghetti allAmatriciana (tomato, pork jowl and pecorino) was invented. This is not the first time Italy was struck by a massive earthquake. The country sits on a very weak part of the planet, tectonically speaking. Before this incident, the most recent major earthquake struck in 2012 in Northern Italy, killing 27. Yet, each time Italy is hit by an earthquake in which even new buildings with anti-earthquake certificates collapse, the entire nation swears for this to never happen again. But this time again, a supposedly quakeproof primary school was destroyed. So the question remains: is Mafia-funded construction the root of the problem quickly built buildings that tumble like a house of cards? Franco Roberti, head of Italys national anti-mafia directorate said that Italian authorities must ensure the mafia is blocked from playing any role in reconstruction. In an interview with Italys La Repubblica, Roberti said that organized crime operations monopolized construction contracts after the 1980 Irpinia earthquake near Naples where 2,400 people died. There are risks, it is useless to hide it, Roberti told the Italian daily La Repubblica. The risk of infiltration is always high. Post-earthquake reconstruction is a tasty morsel for criminal organizations and business interests. Italys advances in construction and building codes have resulted in modern structures but in many of the countrys historic towns and villages, such as Amatrice, its not possible to protect old buildings and their heritage. Getting back to the cartoon in question, if the goal is to have Italy reexamine itself and the Mafia, its conscience did it accomplish this with the illustration of innocent earthquake victims? This time, the satire was not mocking politics nor religion. The twitter world was ablaze with some people disgusted by the lack of taste and lack of respect for earthquake victims. While others, felt it should cause Italy to stand up and take notice. Don't be surprised if this time the Mafia knocks on your door, #CharlieHebdo. Saman+a erger (@flowersophy) September 2, 2016 Funny when #CharlieHebdo were mocking dead Muslims & refugees you all said it's just satire and freedom of speech. Now you all offended? ?? Darren (@fudgie8) September 2, 2016 #CharlieHebdo was disgusting when they joked about muslims and is disgusting now that they're joking about a tragedy that killed 300 people claire (@dobrevskote) September 2, 2016 Satire is hard to do well. This was not well done. It's al dente.#CharlieHebdo pic.twitter.com/q3YifXNk9W Brendan McInnis (@BrendanMcInnis) September 2, 2016 By Daniela Cambone of Kitco News; dcambone@kitco.com Follow @DanielaCambone * E-trading gains further in popularity * Tech helps buyside become price makers * Algos next step in automated trading By Tom Porter LONDON, Sept 2 (IFR) - Corporate bond investors are beingconverted to new trading technology in greater numbers, but theyare still struggling to move paper in size at a time whencentral bank buying is making a structural liquidity droughtmore acute. There are several strands to their shifting behaviour, allstemming from increasing use of electronic as opposed to voicetrading. Algorithmic trading of smaller positions is beginningto be utilised. E-trading is even opening the door to tradingprotocols that side-step investment bank dealers and encourageinvestors to make markets. "The interesting thing we are seeing now through e-tradingis buyside firms becoming price makers," said Russell Dinnage,lead consultant at GreySpark Partners. "They are being asked by banks to make a price for a bond,rather than the other way round." For several years since the financial crisis, investors havestruggled to come to terms with the market's structuralliquidity problem. They now hold most bonds, with investmentbanks no longer willing or able to maintain vast warehouses ofpaper given new regulations and higher capital requirements. Investors used to buy and sell corporate bonds by simplypicking up a phone to a dealer. Now over 80% of US-basedaccounts trade investment-grade corporates electronically - afigure up 10% since 2015 and having more than doubled in thelast decade, according to research from Greenwich Associates. According to GreySpark's Dinnage, the split between voiceand e-trading is now moving closer to 60-40, having been around70-30 for the last three or so years. Goldman Sachs now offers clients small trades using analgorithm, which calculates executable prices on otherwiseilliquid lots. The hope is that as the technology improves, itcan be used for larger tickets. But for now it is the growth of all-to-all, equityexchange-style trading that could be the most promisingdevelopment. Over 50% of transactions on MarketAxess'sall-to-all Open Trading platform are now buyside to buyside.Furthermore, over 600 investor firms responded to requests forprices through the platform in Q2 2016, up from 375 in the sameperiod last year. But this does not indicate that the traditional liquidityproviders investors used to rely on have been replaced. Nor doesit yet herald the death of the request-for-quote model asdealers are still integral to corporate trading, electronic ornot. INERTIA? "The e-trading sector is a very new endeavour - it's a bigretraining exercise," says Evan Moskovit, head of corporatefixed income at Symetra. Moskovit questions the practicality of asking one of histraders to learn and utilize various software applications, allof which are different and require training. "Right now, it's impossible to pick the right one." Numerous platforms have failed. There were around 30e-trading venues competing for corporate business in early 2015,but there are now only around a dozen with genuine market share,according to one market specialist. The industry has also not yet solved two of the biggestpost-crisis problems: the difficulty of transacting in size andthe inability to easily trade when prices are volatile. The Bank for International Settlements estimates that some85% of electronic corporate bond trades are for less than US$1m. Greenwich puts the small drop this year - from 20% to 19% -in high grade volumes traded electronically partly down to boutsof volatility, such as in the wake of the UK's Brexit vote. "The value of the person is not to be underestimated, asthey are a big part of the solution to the liquidity problem incorporate bonds going forward," said Stu Taylor, chief executiveat Algomi, a trading software provider. "When volatility spikes, the uncertainty leads to animmediate reduction in screen-based trading, and that's when youpick up the phone to improve your information." Despite the numerous hurdles, Greenwich expects thepercentage of investment-grade corporates traded electronicallyto increase to a "medium-term peak" of 30%-35% of total volumes. "If and when buyside access to liquidity diminishes furtherat the hand of a market shock, rate rise or increase in the costof capital for dealers," writes Greenwich's head of marketstructure and technology research, Kevin McPartland, "theresulting new pain for institutional investors will act as thecatalyst needed for a dive head first into new ways of trading." CENTRAL BANK CATALYST The European Central Bank has hoovered up 17.8bn ofcorporates since June 8, and the Bank of England diving into theUK market will further restrict the universe of easily tradablepaper. The pain of competing with central banks for paper may pushmore investors to try out e-trading. Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch recorded largespikes in bid-offer spreads - the favoured liquidity indicatorof many market participants - after the ECB's corporate purchaseprogramme was announced on March 10, then after it began on June8, and then again after a list of purchased bonds' ISINs wasreleased on June 23. The analysts note that amid a drift higher in bid-offerssince the ECB started buying, liquidity seems to havedeteriorated further for eligible and purchased names after theISINs were published. Notwithstanding technological developments, for now it lookslike market participants will continue to contend with greaterpricing volatility, increased expense, slower execution andultimately greater levels of frustration. "Former liquidity providers have to find a better way tooperate and optimise their operations and capital," saidMoskovit. "Regardless of the business, if rules change, smart playerswork out better ways to operate. But who knows how long thatwill take?" (Reporting by Tom Porter, editing by Alex Chambers, JulianBaker) By Oksana Kobzeva VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Russia's largestgold producer Polyus is considering placing globaldepository receipts (GDRs) in London in the future, its chiefexecutive said on Friday, less then a year after it left theLondon market. Polyus, controlled by the family of Russian tycoon SuleimanKerimov, delisted shares of its Jersey-registered parent companyfrom the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in late 2015 amid Westernsanctions imposed on Moscow. "We consider the possibility of placing depository receiptsin (the) future," its Chief Executive Pavel Grachev told Reuterson the sidelines of a business conference in Vladivostok, whenasked if the company could return to London. The company is preparing for the placement of 5 percent ofits shares on Moscow Exchange as it needs to raise its freefloat to at least 10 percent from five percent to meet arequirement of Moscow Stock Exchange. Polyus is planning a public deal with either existing or newshares and the placement is expected towards the end of thisyear or early next year, Grachev said. The funds from theplacement will go to Polyus. In the first half of the year, Polyus financed a $3.4billion buyback of shares from its controlling shareholder. As aresult its net debt jumped to $3.5 billion at the end of June,from $364 million at the end of 2015. Grachev said that Polyus did not see any need to refinancethis debt now, adding "We have quite comfortable repaymentschedule, the main weight of its is after 2021." The CEO also said that Polyus' 2016 gold production mayexceed its previously announced range of 1.76-1.80 million oftroy ounces. (Writing by Polina Devitt; Editing by Katya Golubkova andAlexander Smith) TABLE-Croatia July retail sales +3.6 pct yr/yr ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Croatia's State Statistics Bureauissued the following economic details on Friday. RETAIL SALES JUL JUN JUL 2015 Month-on-month change (pct) 16.7 6.9 16.7 Year-on-year 3.6 3.6 4.6 NOTE - The statistics bureau, in line with European Unionpractice, also releases seasonally adjusted indexes according towhich July retail sales rose 2.0 percent month-on-month and 4.5percent year-on-year. (Reporting by Igor Ilic) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. kitco news TABLE-South Africa's 3-month T-bill average yield inches up to 7.5 percent JOHANNESBURG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - South Africa sold 2.555billion rand ($175 million) worth of three-month Treasury billson Friday, at an average yield of 7.5 percent compared with 7.49percent last week, central bank data showed. The bid-to-cover ratio rose to 2.6 from 1.9. Auction date: 02/09/2016 Settlement date: 07/09/2016 Days 91 182 273 364 Amount received (R'bln) 6.663 3.825 5.669 6.05 Amount on offer (R'bln) 2.555 1.961 1.71 1.603 Amount allotted (R'bln) 2.555 1.961 1.71 1.603 Bid-to-cover ratio 1.9 2.0 3.3 3.8 Avg discount rate (pct) 7.36 7.45 7.46 7.36 Average yield (pct) 7.50 7.74 7.90 7.94 ($1 = 14.5950 rand) (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. kitco news Taiwan sells 10-year govt bonds at 0.686 pct yield - c.bank TAIPEI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Taiwan auctioned T$30 billion($947.7 million) in 10-year government bonds at a yield of 0.686percent on Friday, the central bank said in a statement. The yield was slightly above the 0.665 percent and 0.680percent range expected in a Reuters poll. ($1 = 31.6560 Taiwan dollars) (Reporting by Taipei newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. kitco news ISTANBUL, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Companies seized by the Turkishauthorities because of suspected links to the religious movementblamed for a failed coup will be managed or sold by the state'sTMSF Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, Prime Minister BinaliYildirim said on Friday. Turkey launched a crackdown on companies it suspects oflinks to sympathisers of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based clericthe government blames for masterminding the July 15 putsch. The prime minister also said ratings agencies should nottake rash decisions about Turkey's credit rating. Fitch loweredits outlook on Turkey to negative from stable last month, whileMoody's said on July 18 it was putting its rating on review fora possible downgrade to junk status. (Reporting by Asli Kandemir; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editingby Nick Tattersall) SEOUL, Sept 2 (Reuters) - South Korea's oceans ministry saidon Friday the port authorities of Busan and Incheon willguarantee payments for qualifying services offered to HanjinShipping Co Ltd vessels. The ministry said in a statement it is taking measures toensure that cargo-related services for the troubled shipper'sships will resume. Lashing operations for two Hanjin ships have resumed inBusan as of 10 a.m. Friday, the ministry said, while anotherHanjin vessel scheduled to arrive in Incheon at 5 p.m. Fridaywill be able to get relevant services to enter the port andoffload cargo. (Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) FRANKFURT, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Uniper, the power generationand energy trading unit to be spun off from E.ON later this month, has warned of a serious blow to businessshould Britain leave the European Union, in what are the group'sstrongest comments on the matter so far. In its listing prospectus, published on Friday ahead of aplanned Sept. 12 trading start, Uniper said that its largeexposure to Britain, where it owns 7 gigawatt of mostly gas andcoal-based generation capacity, carried substantial risks. "The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU couldaffect the Uniper Group in a number of different ways and couldhave a material adverse effect on the Uniper Group's UnitedKingdom and overall business, prospects, financial condition andresults of operation," it said. (Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Maria Sheahan) (Adds details of release, background) OTTAWA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Canada's trade deficit in Julyunexpectedly shrank to C$2.49 billion ($1.90 billion) from arecord C$3.97 billion in June as exports jumped by 3.4 percentand imports stagnated, Statistics Canada data indicated onFriday. The deficit - the 23rd in a row - was smaller than theC$3.25 billion shortfall forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll.Statscan revised June's deficit upwards from an initial C$3.63billion. Non-energy products drove the growth in exports, withhealthy gains seen in the motor vehicles and parts, metal andnon-metallic mineral products and transportation equipmentsectors. Imports slipped by 0.1 percent on lower demand for consumergoods, vehicles and parts and electronic and electricalequipment and parts. Exports to the United States, which took 76.2 percent of allCanadian exports in July, rose by 3.3 percent while imports fellby 0.5 percent. As a result, Canada's trade surplus with theUnited States rose to C$2.62 billion from C$1.43 billion inJune. ($1=$1.31 Canadian) <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Graphic - Canada economic dashboard ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Nick Zieminski) * CSRC plans to cut number of regulators to 25 from 35 * Aim is to improve structure and increase efficiency (Adds background, changes attribution) SHANGHAI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - China's securities watchdogsaid on Friday it plans to reduce the number of regulatorsresponsible for vetting securities issuance on the country'sgrowth board in a bid to improve efficiency. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said onits official microblog it plans to reduce the number of memberson the Stock Issuance Examination and Verification Committee forthe ChiNext board to 25 from 35, as part of reformsto the vetting process. The regulator said some full-time committee members werefully occupied but some part-time members did not have enoughwork to do, so the reduction - mainly targeting part-timemembers - was aimed at improving structure and increasingefficiency. There are 531 companies listed on the start-up ChiNext board, compared with more than 1,100 publicly tradedon Shanghai's main board. The ChiNext index is down 15.7 percent so far this year,compared with a 13.3 percent decline on the Shanghai index . (Reporting by Samuel Shen and Nathaniel Taplin; Editing byJacqueline Wong) * Second-quarter GDP up 0.9 pct q/q, 2.6 pct y/y * External trade biggest growth contributor in Q2 * Construction hurt by lower investment activity (Adds details, analyst quotes) PRAGUE, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Czech gross domestic productexpanded by 0.9 percent on a quarterly basis in the secondquarter, matching an earlier flash estimate, as strong tradelifted most sectors of the economy, the statistics office saidon Friday. On an annual basis, the economy grew by 2.6 percent, aslightly faster pace than the flash estimate of 2.5 percent butslowing from a rate of 3.0 percent in the first quarter. Analysts expect the Czech economy to cool this year after arecord flow of European Union development funds in 2015 pushedgrowth to among the fastest in Europe last year. However, the economy should still be ahead of most EU peersin 2016, with the central bank forecasting growth of 2.4percent, as domestic demand buoys expansion. "Despite a slowdown, the Czech economy showed decent growthin the first half of the year and the annual growth rate washigher than expected in both quarters," Raiffeisenbank analystDaniela Milucka said. "Today's slight revision upward raises chances that ourfull-year estimate of 2.3 percent could be surpassed." The statistics office said external trade was the biggestdriver behind the annual growth in the second quarter,contributing 2.5 percentage points, while household expenditurealso rose. But investment activity was down given the slow start toprojects at the beginning of a new EU funding period startedthis year, hitting the construction sector. Among manufacturers, the car industry, a major exportergroup in the country which is on pace for another record year in2016, was the biggest growth driver. Overall exports grew 5.7 percent year-on-year in thequarter, above a 3.1 percent rise in imports, the statisticsoffice said. Real change 0.9 (0.9) 2.6 (2.5) Final consumption 0.3 2.2 Household 0.1 2.2 Government 0.8 2.6 Gross capital formation -1.9 -4.5 Fixed -4.1 -4.4 Foreign trade Exports 0.9 5.7 of goods 0.1 5.7 of services 5.5 6.1 Imports -0.6 3.1 of goods -1.0 3.3 of services 1.8 1.6 ***More details on NOTE. GDP totalled 1,175.178 billion crowns ($48.67billion)for the second quarter in nominal terms. The Czech statistics office (CSU) will release a revision ofnational accounts on September 30. Previous flash estimates in parenthesis. (Reporting by Mirka Krufova, Writing by Jason Hovet, Editing byAngus MacSwan) (Updates throughout) By Bernadette Christina Munthe JAKARTA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Indonesia's procurement agencyhas reached an initial agreement to import an extra 70,000tonnes of buffalo meat from India this year, as it seeks tobalance the effects of food import controls aimed at improvingself sufficiency. "In principle they both agree. We'll discuss the detailstoday," Bulog procurement director Wahyu said on Friday,referring to discussions with the trade and agricultureministers. Wahyu, who like many Indonesians goes by one name only, saidthe deal would bring Indonesia's total buffalo meat imports to80,000 tonnes in 2016. The buffalo meat imports are intended to help stabilize meatprices that have climbed as a result of beef and cattle importrestrictions. "Buffalo meat imports provide a meat alternative to thecommunity that's cheaper, healthy and Halal," Bulog CEO DjarotKusumayakti told reporters. According to trade ministry data, beef currently costsaround 115,000 rupiah ($8.68) per kg. Bulog is selling buffalomeat for 65,000 per kg at a consumer level. President Joko Widodo said earlier this year he wants freshbeef to cost around 80,000 rupiah per kg. Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population,imports virtually all of its cattle from Australia - a tradethat was worth nearly $600 million in the last financial year. Indonesia is pushing importers to start breeding their owncattle as part of efforts to reduce its dependence on imports. Last year, Indonesia had to cull millions of chickens toease supply swings and issued more import permits for cattle tocool beef prices. Bulog will also import 260,000 tonnes of raw sugar thisyear, "most of it from Brazil," Bulog CEO Djarot Kusumayaktitold reporters. In June, Southeast Asia's largest economy said it wouldcontrol wheat imports that had jumped after corn imports werecapped this year. ($1 = 13,251 rupiah) (Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Writing by FergusJensen; Editing by Richard Pullin) * After delay, government confirms Karimov's death * Burial set for Saturday in his home city * Karimov criticised in West over authoritarian style * Did not name favoured successor (Edits, adds details on possible successor) By Olzhas Auyezov ALMATY, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Islam Karimov, authoritarianpresident of ex-Soviet Uzbekistan for more than 25 years, hasdied, officials confirmed on Friday, and in an early sign of whomight succeed him, his prime minister was designatedmourner-in-chief at his funeral. Karimov, who was 78 and served as Uzbekistan's presidentfrom the moment it became independent from the Soviet Union, hadbeen in hospital after suffering a stroke. He will be buried onSaturday in his home city of Samarkand. "He has left us," Karimov's younger daughter LolaKarimova-Tillyaeva wrote on Instagram. "God bless him." He did not designate a political heir, and analysts say thetransition of power is likely to be decided behind closed doorsby a small group of senior officials and family members. Thatwould preserve the system of rule Karimov established. If they fail to agree on a compromise, however, openconfrontation could destabilise the mainly Muslim state of 32million people, which shares a border with Afghanistan and hasbecome a target for Islamist militants. The country is a majorcotton exporter and is also rich in gold and natural gas. Unrest there would have repercussions for Russia, theregional power and home to hundreds of thousands of Uzbekmigrant workers, and for the U.S.-allied government inAfghanistan which is fighting its own Islamist insurgency. POSSIBLE SUCCESSOR Diplomatic sources told Reuters earlier on Friday thatKarimov was dead, but it took several hours before an officialannouncement was made, in a statement issued by the Uzbekgovernment and parliament. That statement described Karimov as "truly great". It saidPrime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was appointed head of thecommission organising his burial. Mirziyoyev was one of the people named by Central Asiaanalysts as a possible successor. A 59-year-old former regional governor, he has been primeminister since 2003 and is personally in charge of agriculture,a major sector of the economy. Opposition media reports say that in dealings with his ownsubordinates, Mirziyoyev can fly into a temper and will resortto swearing and curses to make his point. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences toacting President Nigmatilla Yuldoshev. The Kremlin quoted Putinas saying his death was a "heavy loss for Uzbekistan". Long criticised by the West and human rights groups, Karimovruled Uzbekistan from 1989, first as the head of the localCommunist Party and then as president of the newly independentrepublic from 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. FUNERAL PREPARATIONS In Samarkand, where Karimov's mother and two brothers arealso buried, public workers were already out on Thursdaycleaning the streets, prompting speculation about an imminentstate funeral. Samarkand airport was declared closed on Saturday forarriving and departing aircraft except those with a specialpermission, indicating that the government was making way forofficial foreign delegations to arrive. Apart from Mirziyoyev, his deputy, Rustam Azimov, has alsobeen seen as a possible successor. Security service chief RustamInoyatov and Karimova-Tillyaeva, the younger of Karimov's twodaughters, could become kingmakers. According to the constitution, Yuldoshev is supposed to takeover and elections must take place within three months. However,analysts do not consider Yuldoshev a serious player. Whoever succeeds Karimov will need to perform a carefulbalancing act between the West, Russia and China, which all viefor influence in the resource-rich Central Asian region. Another task for the new leader will be resolving tensionswith ex-Soviet bloc neighbours Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan overdisputed borders and the use of common resources such as water. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Factbox on key figures in Uzbekistan Obituary ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov in Almaty, Lidia Kelly, AlexanderWinning and Maria Kiselyova in Moscow; Editing by Christian Loweand Louise Ireland) By Arno Schuetze and Alexander Hubner FRANKFURT, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Germany's third-largest carparts maker ZF Friedrichshafen is preparing to sell itsBody Control Systems unit in a potential $1 billion deal as itcontinues to shed non-core units following the takeover of TRW,people familiar with the matter said. ZF has asked banks to pitch for roles in the potential saleand is likely to mandate advisors later this month, the peopleadded. The Body Control Systems unit makes electronic parts for thevehicle command and control such as switches, heating and airconditioning controls and displays, integrated electronic centrepanels and modular steering column controls. The unit has annual earnings before interest, taxes,depreciation, and amortisation of about $120 million andprospective buyers are likely to value it at about 8 times that,or up to $1 billion, the sources said. Privately held ZF Friedrichshafen declined to comment. ZF acquired U.S.-based TRW in 2015 for $12.4 billion,financing the takeover mainly with debt, and lifting itsborrowings to a current total of 19 billion euros. ZF, which expects annual sales of about 35 billion euros ($39 billion) this year, has since divested smaller units suchas its Engineered Fasteners and Components, which it sold toIllinois Tools Works for $450 million earlier this year. At the same time, ZF remains acquisitive and earlier thisyear launched a $515 million takeover offer for Sweden's Haldex . ZF declined to comment. ($1 = 0.8963 euros) (Additional reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by MariaSheahan) SHARE Marvin F. Horch of Poulsbo Dec. 22, 1919 to Aug. 21, 2016 Veteran Marvin Horch, 96, of Poulsbo, passed away on August 21st. Interment was held at Hansville Cemetery with military funeral honors. A memorial service will be held on September 17th at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 26736 Miller Bay Road NE, Kingston, Washington. Please visit his full life story at www.poulsbomortuary.com. SHARE Sharon Elizabeth Veach of Bremerton Nov. 27, 1937 to Aug. 25, 2016 Sharon was born in Kitsap County to Albert and Hannah (Ekstedt) Bull. She and her two sisters spent their youth in Port Orchard before moving to Poulsbo where Sharon attended North Kitsap Schools. Sharon met Ronald Veach, her one true love, as a teenager and they were married in 1955. Sharon and Ron raised their four children on a small farm in Belfair; they were married 54 years. After raising their family, Sharon and Ron served as missionaries to Mexico and the Philippines for 22 years. She was dedicated to providing food, clothing, and musical instruments to the villages in which they ministered. Sharon truly lived her life for the sake of Jesus Christ. Sharon passed into glory surrounded by family. She was a faithful and devoted wife, mother and friend. Her beautiful singing filled church services with praise and worship. She wrote heartfelt poetry, and created beautiful embroidery. In her pre-missionary life, she was a dedicated member and leader at Full Gospel Assembly in Gorst, Washington. After retiring, she enjoyed attending her grandson's church and listening to gospel hymns. She will be missed by all. Sharon is survived by her sister, Gloria Hansen; her children, Patrick (Patricia) Veach, Bradley (Jeanne) Veach, Suzanne (Raymond) Ramirez, and Scott (Susan) Veach; 10 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister, Geraldine Watts; her grandson, Steven Brillhard; and her husband, Ronald Veach. A heartfelt thanks to the staff at Multicare Home Health & Hospice, as well as the staff and friends at the Pearl on Oyster Bay where Sharon lived her last two years. There will be a graveside service on Saturday, September 17th at 1 p.m. at Twin First Cemetery in Belfair, Washington. A reception will follow at 2:30 p.m. at The Pearl on Oyster Bay, 550 Russell Road, Bremerton, Washington. An online guestbook can be viewed at www.lewischapel.com. The DP editorial: The Government has consistently rejected the idea, now common and dramatically effective overseas, of a levy on plastic bags. That is disappointing but not surprising. Environmental issues have never been among its priorities. Avoiding the nanny state label has been. What is more surprising is to see environmental officials giving their own full-throated defence of doing nothing. Responding to a 16,000-signature petition for a ban or a levy on single-use plastic bags, the Ministry for the Environment proffers the thought that New Zealand does not rank among the top 20 worst countries for plastic pollution. There is a common misconception that plastic waste comes from all countries equally and policies to address the issue should be applied globally, the ministry argues. This sounds familiar. New Zealanders have often been given a similar explanation for the countrys ponderous response to climate change: we are little and the problem is large, so it doesnt matter if we add to the rubbish heap. This is a lame free-loaders argument. It is especially inappropriate from a rich country. Terrible pollution in one corner of the world does not justify even a moderate level here. The ministry also cites contrarian Australian research that suggests the environmental costs of plastic bags are low. As long as the bags head to the landfill, the line goes, there is really no problem. The costs of bans or levies heavily outweigh the benefits, so cutting back on plastic bags should be voluntary. This has a sort of logic if one accepts that plastic bags very slow degradation time (up to 1000 years at the landfill) is acceptable, that their oil-intensive production is no issue, and that plastic bag litter is not an ugly feature of too many New Zealand landscapes, or a threat to bird and marine life. But these are problems. And happily, an effective solution exists: the levy. The Herald reports: The dismissal of Brazils President has upset relations with leftist Latin American governments as Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia recalled their ambassadors to protest what they call a coup. The Brazilian Senate voted 61-20 to convict the countrys first female President, Dilma Rousseff, of illegally using money from state banks to bankroll public spending. The vote ended 13 years of progressive Workers Party rule and brought to power her conservative former Vice-President, Michel Temer. Rousseffs opponents hailed the removal of the former leftist guerrilla as paving the way for a change of fortunes for Brazil. But Temer, who has run Brazil since her suspension in May, inherits a bitterly divided nation with voters in no mood for the austerity measures needed to heal public finances. Do you support four laning (through additional tunnels) the Mt Vic and Terrace tunnels at an estimated cost of $250 million? Shoptember is here! Make sure you stop by our participating stores each week to register for our weekly shopping spree drawings; we'll draw at the end of Tradio for three $100 gift cards from Reynolds Market on September 18th. Once you register for those, you'll be in for a chance at one of three shopping sprees where you can collect up to $500 in groceries from Reynold's Market - we'll draw for that on September 25th! If you hear your name, you'll have three minutes to call us at 228-9336 to confirm your shopping spree reservation. Winners will get to go on a 3 minute shopping spree at Reynolds Market at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sep 26th, for a chance to collect up to $500 in groceries. You must be 18 years or older to be eligible to win. Tobacco, alcohol and lottery tickets are all excluded from the shopping spree. Congrats to our 3 shopping spree winners: Roger Roness, Megan Wersal and Alison Neumiller! Max Crotser, then publisher of The Daily Times; Horvitz Newspapers President Peter A. Horvitz, and Jones Media president and CEO Gregg Jones pose in 2010 when Jones Media bought the Maryville paper. Jones Media has now been sold to Adams Publishing of Minneapolis. (AP Photo/The Greeneville Sun, Steve Harbison) SHARE By News Sentinel Staff Jones Media, owner of The Daily Times in Maryville and other East Tennessee newspapers, has been sold to family-owned Adams Publishing Group of Minneapolis. The Jones family had owned the company for four generations. Other papers included in the deal, which closed Thursday, include The Greeneville Sun; The Daily Post-Athenian in Athens; The Newport Plain Talk; The Rogersville Review; the News-Herald in Loudon County; The Connection in Tellico Village; The Advocate & Democrat in Monroe County; and The Herald-News in Dayton. "After 100 years of family ownership, selling Jones Media was not an easy decision for our family," said Gregg Jones, president and CEO. "However, there was no clear succeeding generation of our family working in the business, so we came to the difficult decision nearly a year ago that selling was the best option for our employees and the communities we serve. "When we met the members of the Adams family, we felt from the beginning that they would be an excellent choice to succeed our family." All of Jones Media's full-time employees will be offered employment and benefits with the new company. Gregg Jones will stay on as head of Jones Media and will succeed his late father, John M. Jones, III, as publisher of The Greeneville Sun. The sale price was not disclosed. The symbolic fact passed quickly, during a long list of achievements in Carl Anderson's annual report as the leader of the Knights of Columbus. Weeks earlier, the powerful Catholic fraternal order had donated its 700th ultrasound machine for use in crisis pregnancy centers. This was appropriate news to share during the Toronto convention, which took its biblical theme from Isaiah: "Before birth the Lord called me, from my mother's womb he gave me my name." "The Spanish language phrase that means 'to give birth' is 'dar a luz,' words that literally mean 'to give light' to the child," Anderson said in his Aug. 2 text. "Our ultrasound program gives a light to the mother that enables her to see the reality and often the personality of her child in the womb." Right now, he added, efforts to oppose abortion are linked to other public debates. For example, there are efforts to support the Little Sisters of the Poor's work with the weak and elderly, as well as their struggles against Health and Human Services mandates they believe attack religious liberty, seeking their cooperation with health care plans supporting contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion. This kind of work does require involvement in politics, noted Anderson, who held several posts in the Ronald Reagan administration. However, he noted that Pope Francis said: "Politics, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good." Thus, Anderson issued a familiar challenge to his audience, which included about 100 bishops. "We need to end the political manipulation of Catholic voters by abortion advocates," he said. "It is time to end the entanglement of Catholic people with abortion killing. ... We will never succeed in building a culture of life if we continue to vote for politicians who support a culture of death." These are fighting words in a tense year in which the GOP White House candidate has clashed with Pope Francis and Catholic bishops conservatives as well as progressives on issues linked to immigration and foreign policy. Billionaire Donald Trump now says he is pro-life, after years of supporting abortion rights. Meanwhile, Democrat Hillary Clinton has a bulletproof record backing abortion rights. Her running mate, Tim Kaine, is an active Catholic who insists he is personally opposed to abortion while holding a 100 percent approval rating from Planned Parenthood for his work in the U.S. Senate. The bottom line: This bizarre political year, noted Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, is both "depressing and liberating." It's depressing that both candidates have "astonishing flaws," and America is more polarized than ever. It's liberating because it's easier to "ignore the routine tribal loyalty chants of both the Democratic and Republican camps." Stressing that he was offering advice, not speaking as an archbishop, Chaput wrote that he thinks the major candidates are "so problematic" that "neither is clearly better than the other." He added: "This year, a lot of good people will skip voting for president ... or vote for a third-party presidential candidate; or not vote at all; or find some mysterious calculus that will allow them to vote for one or the other of the major candidates. ... It's a matter properly reserved for every citizen's informed conscience." On the Catholic left, John Gehring of the Faith in Public Life think tank blasted Chaput for bashing Clinton alongside Trump. "Donald Trump's toxic candidacy is sui generis, a grave threat to basic democratic norms and ideals, Christian values and the common good," he argued in Commonweal. "In this context, the archbishop's astonishing false equivalency is irresponsible and even morally dangerous." And so it goes. Speaking to the Knights, Anderson stressed the urgency of ongoing debates about the religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Also, it's crucial that "we refuse to let the worst among us define who we are as a people," he said. Was this a shot at Trump, Clinton or both? "Faithful citizenship means that in times of tragedy we raise a standard of charity, of unity and of fraternity that can make possible forgiveness, healing and reconciliation," he said. "Faithful citizenship calls us to follow the 'better angels of our nature' to build a better society. But to build a better society we must have the freedom to follow those angels." Terry Mattingly is the editor of GetReligion.org and Senior Fellow for Media and Religion at The King's College in New York City. He lives in Oak Ridge, Tenn. SHARE By News Sentinel Staff Two former Cocke County jail employees one a jail nurse have been indicted on drug charges, the Cocke County Sheriff's Office reported Friday. The sheriff's office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation jointly handled the case, with a Cocke County grand jury indicting the women Autumn Davis, 43, and Shayelan Scheffers, 22, both of Newport on Aug. 30. Scheffers was arrested Aug. 31, and Davis on Friday. Scheffers, who worked full-time as a corrections officer at the Cocke County Detention Center for nine months, is charged with conspiracy, possession of Schedule II narcotics with intent to sell and deliver and prescription fraud. She is being held on a $25,000 bond in another county. Davis, a jail nurse for 20 months, also is charged with conspiracy, possession with intent to sell and deliver Schedule II narcotics and prescription fraud, as well as theft of property worth more than $1,000 after a detective charged she stole jail equipment after her job was terminated. She is jailed with a $75,000 bond. After the sheriff's office received a tip, Cocke County District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn requested the TBI's help in the yearlong investigation of jail staff "involved in the distribution and of controlled substances in the Cocke County jail," said Sheriff Armando Fontes. "This is a very unfortunate situation which involves employees entrusted to do the right thing, and yet they chose to be involved in criminal activity. We hold our employees to a high standard and work diligently to keep our inmates drug free. I will not tolerate any involvement in criminal activity from my employees and will prosecute anyone involved in criminal activity." SHARE By News Sentinel Staff KNOXVILLE A man fought off three would-be robbers with a pocketknife Thursday, police said. Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a report of a robbery at 1201 W. Oldham Ave. at 3:23 p.m. The man told officers he was inside his apartment when he was robbed by three men, according to a KPD news release. A fight broke out, and the man managed to stab at least one of the intruders with a pocketknife, according to the release. One of the robbers had a gun, but it was not fired during the fight, police said. The intruders ran. While police were still on the scene, one man arrived at Physicians Regional Medical Center with a stab wound and was to be questioned by investigators. Complete descriptions of the three men were not immediately available Thursday. More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel. By Don Jacobs of the Knoxville News Sentinel KINGSTON A 15-year-old Harriman boy fatally shot his sister's boyfriend last weekend as the soldier assaulted his sister during an argument, records released Friday show. Jacob Kinney, a student at Harriman High School, used his .357-caliber revolver to shoot MarStratton Gordon, 23, once in the face, according to records. Jacob Kinney at 7:28 p.m. Sunday reported the shooting to authorities and waited on the front porch of the single-story home on Byrd Avenue for Harriman police to arrive, records show. Authorities on Monday charged Kinney with being delinquent by reason of second-degree murder, according to court records released Friday. A judge ordered him held without bond pending the results of a mental evaluation. Gordon had been in a relationship for about a year with Amber Kinney, 23, and stayed at the home on weekends when on leave from his assignment as a heavy truck driver at Fort Campbell, Ky. According to records, Jacob and Amber Kinney and Gordon were the only people in the home at the time of the shooting. A report released Friday by the Harriman Police Department states authorities seized the revolver, but that Jacob Kinney was unarmed when he met officers on the porch. An ambulance crew arrived and found Gordon prostrate on the floor of a bedroom. Amber Kinney was tending to Gordon's head wound, but emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. Records do not show whether Amber Kinney required medical attention. An attorney retained to defend Jacob Kinney said the family did not want to speak with a reporter about the shooting. Roane County General Sessions Judge Terry Stevens on Monday ordered Jacob Kinney to undergo a competency and intelligence evaluation, according to records released by Roane County Circuit Court Clerk Ann Goldston. Stevens also serves as the county's Juvenile Court judge. Court records state Gordon "was involved in an assault" with Amber Kinney when Jacob Kinney obtained the Rossi .357-caliber revolver. Jacob Kinney "entered the hallway between his bedroom and his sister's room and pointed the weapon at" Gordon, records show. The teen "fired one round striking (Gordon) in the left cheek and entered his head causing death," according to a Juvenile Court petition. "This was done with the knowledge (of) what he was doing and what would happen if the firearm was discharged," Harriman Police Department Detective Daniel Schneider wrote in the petition. An autopsy was performed on Gordon at the Knoxville Regional Forensic Center. Results of that procedure have not been released. Testing should show whether alcohol was involved in the domestic assault. Gordon, who was single, will be buried at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery with full military honors. He had enlisted in November 2014. Foothills Funeral Home in Maryville is in charge of arrangements. A funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Heritage High School, 3741 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville. Gordon's family will receive friends from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the high school. At the time of the killing, Jacob Kinney lived with his mother, records show. The judge ordered Jacob Kinney into the custody of the state Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. The teen was to be held at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center in Knoxville until the evaluations are completed and a detention hearing can be scheduled. Roane County will be charged for housing the teen for up to 30 days as authorities determine whether Jacob Kinney is mentally ill. The judge tasked the state Department of Children's Services with gathering the various assessments within 15 days of his order. DCS also was ordered to determine whether TennCare benefits should be sought on Jacob Kinney's behalf. The judge ordered an update on that process within 30 days. If the judge determines the teen requires treatment based on state reports on the boy's assessments, he ordered any mental health facility tasked with providing that treatment to seek the services of TennCare, a private insurance provider "or other potential payer as soon as possible after" the court recommends any services. Once the evaluations on Jacob Kinney are finished, the boy will be taken by the Roane County Sheriff's Office back to Stevens' court for a hearing to determine whether he can be released on bond pending a hearing on the murder charge. While the judge ordered the evaluation of the teen completed within 30 days of his order, no hearing date has been set in Juvenile Court, according to Roane County Circuit Court Clerk Ann Goldston, who also serves as the Juvenile Court clerk. Goldston released the records in the case Friday, two days after a request by the News Sentinel. Goldston said after receiving the request, she consulted the office of Russell Johnson, 9th Judicial District attorney general, and Greg Leffew, the Roane County attorney. Russell's office and Leffew agreed court records on the charges against Kinney were public documents under the law, open to inspection. Goldston said she sought legal opinions about releasing the records because she was unaware of state law that deems juvenile records as public documents if a teen is charged with certain felony offenses such as murder. Goldston said she has had no requests to divulge juvenile records since taking office in 2014. The Harriman Police Department also had refused since Wednesday to release the police report on the killing. A reporter at the Police Department office on Friday was refused the record on advice from the Harriman city attorney. The News Sentinel provided the Police Department a copy of the 1999 law that mandates release of the report. The report was released late Friday afternoon. SHARE For information on statewide interstate construction, drivers can visit the Tennessee Department of Transportation's SmartWay website at https://smartway.tn.gov/traffic. TDOT is now on Twitter. For up-to-the-minute traffic information in the Knoxville and Tri-Cities area, follow TDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/knoxville511. For statewide travel information, drivers can follow www.twitter.com/TN511. SHARE Governor Bill Haslam. By Joel Ebert, USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee NASHVILLE Gov. Bill Haslam is calling a special legislative session to try to save $60 million in federal highway funds in jeopardy after lawmakers passed a measure that made changes to Tennessee's DUI law. Federal authorities say the state's law is not in compliance with a federal zero tolerance law, which requires states to set 0.02 as the allowable blood-alcohol level for drivers under 21. In an effort to bolster the penalties for those found drinking and driving while under the legal age, state lawmakers changed the law to make the allowable blood-alcohol level to 0.08. The law added stiffer penalties for under age drinkers. In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said unless state officials complied with federal law, Tennessee could lose 8 percent, or $60 million, in highway funding. After weeks of discussion with federal officials, Haslam announced on Friday afternoon the need for a special session. "Disappointingly we found out today that the (federal) department (Department of Transportation) is not going to work with us on that and so to avoid putting the $60 million at risk we will be having a special session sometime in the next three weeks," Haslam said. The governor said he talked to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx on Friday morning. Haslam said exact dates are not set and his office is working with the clerks of both the state House and Senate. Rep. William Lamberth, R-Cottontown, who sponsored the legislation with Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, said he was "extremely disappointed" with the federal government's decision but supported Haslam's call for the special session. "Our intention for this piece of legislation was to strengthen our DUI laws and improve the safety of our roadways," Lamberth said. When asked if politics played a factor in the federal government's decision, Lamberth said, "It certainly appears that it is." "It definitely looks like this is politics at its worst," he said. "We're a Republican-led state. There are obviously members of the opposing party that have celebrated that this mistake was made and I think that's very sad." Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., and state Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, have weighed in on the highway funding issue in recent weeks. Shortly after state officials began working with the federal government on the issue, Cooper brought the issue to the forefront. "This never should have happened in the first place," Cooper said in a statement. "I'm glad state lawmakers are fixing their $60 million mistake." All 11 members of Tennessee's congressional delegation signed onto a letter to Fox offering help in resolving the situation. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery also entered the fray, saying his office believed other state DUI measures would allow the state to remain in compliance with federal law. On Tuesday, Stewart and several other Democrats blamed House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, for creating an environment in the Legislature that led to the funding issue. Harwell has pushed for shorter legislative sessions, which Democrats argue leaves little time to properly vet issues. The exact length of the special session is unknown, but Haslam said any legislation would need three readings. When lawmakers introduce bills they typically allow one day for each reading. "We're looking to see if there's any flexibility," he said. Connie Ridley, director of legislative administration, told The Tennessean a regular four-day session week including member travel and per diems costs taxpayers about $100,000, or $25,000 a day. Although there was an effort from lawmakers to call a special session to kick out embattled Rep. Jeremy Durham, Haslam said an effort to expel the Franklin Republican would not be part of the agenda for lawmakers when they reconvene. "We're meeting because this issue has come up and we need to address this," he said. When pressed on the decision to not include Durham's expulsion in the special session call, Haslam said, "That's not our role." Haslam said if members of the Legislature wanted to add Durham to the call, he would not get in the way. Only 27 lawmakers signed onto a petition to call a special session to expel Durham to prevent him from getting lifetime benefits. Durham lost his re-election bid in the August GOP primary. Lamberth said his colleagues could choose to add Durham to the special session but his priority was repealing the DUI law in question. "I feel very passionately about getting this right," Lamberth said. "I'm embarrassed that I filed a bill that has put us in this situation and has endangered any of our funding for any of our highways." The latest special session would be the second in two years and the 59th overall. In 2015, lawmakers had a special session to discuss Insure Tennessee. Knoxville Noodle Bowl Festival, Sept. 14 The 2nd Knoxville Noodle Bowl Festival will be held on September 14. The Chefs Collaborative event is a family-friendly, casual picnic-style community event to raise funds to send young chefs to educational programming throughout the United States. The Knoxville Noodle Bowl Festival will be held from 6:00PM to 8:30PM at the Blue Slip Winery in the Historic Southern Railway Station at 300 W Depot Avenue. Single Admission tickets are $30. Family tickets are $60, and include entry for two adults and children under 15. Entry includes unlimited bowls, beer tasting and non-alcoholic beverages. Attendees will be entertained by live music while sampling unique Asian-style noodle bowls created by local area chefs: Byron & Kiki Sambat, Savory and Sweet; Jesse Newmister, Kaizen; Knox Mason; Ashley and Dan "Bull" Crowder, Bull's BBQ; Jon Gatlin, Oliver Royal; Carol Scott, Blue Slip Winery. Included in the ticket for those 21+ is a line-up of craft beers from local brewers Alliance Brewing Company, Blackhorse Pub & Brewery, Crafty Bastard, Last Days of Autumn, Pretentious Beer and Glassware Company, and Casual Pint Fountain City. Blue Slip wine will be available for additional purchase. Stay up-to-date with the Knoxville Noodle Bowl Festival on the Chefs Collaborative Knoxville Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ChefsCollaborativeKnoxville or visit www.chefscollaborative.org. Chefs Collaborative is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on Individual Donor, Member, and Partner support to inspire, educate, and amplify the voices of chefs and food professionals who care about sourcing, cooking, and serving better food to change the way America eats and create a better food system. Published September 2, 2016 UTAg hosting Woods and Wildlife Field Day, October 14 Students in the UT Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries often perform class projects onsite at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge. Some (like the one in the photo) go on to have internships at the facility. Photo courtesy UTIA. OAK RIDGE, TN The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture will host a Woods and Wildlife Field Day on Friday, October 14, 2016. The annual event will be held at the UT Arboretum, but there is a twist this year. This years event is devoted to discussions of urban woods and wildlife species that thrive on the rural-urban interface. This educational event should be of interest to homeowners and those interested in urban forestry. Registration will begin at 8 a.m., but early birds may choose to enjoy a networking breakfast that starts at 7 a.m. The days events will commence by 8:15 and run until approximately 2:30 p.m. The $10 per person registration fee will help cover the cost of the event, and participants will enjoy a BBQ lunch as part of the activities. The event will feature expert presentations focused on birds and beetles as well as dogwood trees and deer management. Sam Adams, an arborist with UT, will speak during the luncheon. His topic will be Residential Arboriculture A Toolbox for Homeowners. Following lunch students in the UT Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries will give demonstrations of forestry and arboriculture management skills. Kevin Hoyt, director of the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, says this years event will also feature a presentation by Sharon Jean-Phillippe, UT associate professor of forestry, who will discuss career pathways for those interested in studying arboriculture and urban forestry. We look forward to hosting a variety of visitors who want to learn about urban forestry practices and wildlife management, Hoyt said. Pre-registration for the event is encouraged for planning purposes. To pre-register call 865-483-3571, or send an email to utforest@utk.edu. The early bird registration cutoff is Wednesday, October 5, to aid in plans for the luncheon. To request an accommodation for accessibility, call 865-483-3571. For additional details about the program, visit the centers website: forestry.tennessee.edu. The UT Arboretum is a unit of the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center and can be found at 901 Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. Through its mission of research, teaching and service, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. ag.tennessee.edu Published September 2, 2016 Counter-ISIL strikes hit terrorists in Syria, Iraq SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 at 10:33 a.m. SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 2, 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. Attack and remotely piloted aircraft conducted five strikes in Syria: -- Near Raqqah, two strikes damaged an ISIL weapons cache and destroyed another. -- Near Mara, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units, destroying seven fighting positions and a weapons cache. Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted nine strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraqs government: -- Near Albu Hayat, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a communications antenna. -- Near Rutbah, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit. -- Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a building. -- Near Hit, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a building and a bunker. -- Near Kisik, a strike damaged two ISIL tunnels. -- Near Qayyarah, a strike destroyed two ISIL weapons caches. -- Near Ramadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar tube and a vehicle. -- Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed an ISIL security headquarters building. -- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a 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. 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, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Source: DOD Published September 2, 2016 6,000 Florida National Guardsmen placed on alert in anticipation of Hurricane Hermine By Cheryl Pellerin, DoD, @PellerinDoDNews SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 at 5:05 p.m. Coast Guard Fireman Jarod W. Shurack, a crew member at Coast Guard Station Yankeetown, Fla., parks the station's 27-foot utility boat at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Crystal River, Fla., facility, Aug. 31, 2016. Station personnel relocated the boats in preparation for then-Tropical Storm, now Hurricane Hermine, and reminded all boaters that during the height of a storm rescue response may be degraded. Coast Guard photo WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2016 As Category 1 Hurricane Hermine heads for Floridas Gulf Coast, the states governor has activated about 100 National Guard soldiers and airmen as part of an initial preparatory package and is prepared to activate more if needed, a Defense Department spokesman said today. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said another 6,000 soldiers and airmen will be placed on alert, and that under a program called the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, 34,000 additional personnel can be brought in from other states to help in Florida, if needed. EMAC, established in 1996, offers assistance during governor-declared states of emergency through a system that lets states send personnel, equipment and commodities to help disaster relief efforts in other states. Through EMAC, states can also transfer services, such as shipping newborn blood from a disaster-impacted lab to a lab in another state. This is a well-equipped Guard [in Florida] under the governor's control that has about 2,500 high water vehicles, eight helicopters, 17 boats and more than 700 generators, Davis said, so the Guard is working very well as they are intended to do, to be able to support people in their greatest time of need. According to the National Weather Services Hurricane Center, warnings for previously Tropical Storm, now Hurricane, Hermine extend southward along the west coast of Florida to Englewood, including the greater Tampa/St. Petersburg area, and southward along the east coast of Florida to the Flagler/Volusia County line. Hermine is moving toward the north-northeast at nearly 14 miles per hour, and this motion, with a slight increase in forward speed, is expected during the next day or so. On the forecast track, the center of Hermine will be near the Florida coast in the hurricane warning area tonight or early Friday, the NWS says. Current maximum sustained winds exceed 70 mph with higher gusts. The NWS anticipates Hermines wind strength will exceed 80 mph. Hermines winds extend outward up to 185 miles, mainly to the northeast and southeast of its center. Davis said Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, has been identified as a staging area. It has trucks and trailers available in the event that [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] requests it to be used as an initial staging base for further requirements, the captain said. A Navy spokesman told the Pentagon there are no plans right now to sortie ships or aircraft in response to the impending weather, but that all installations in the affected region will be monitoring the weather closely. Davis said the Air Force indicates that some aircraft have been relocated from a few Florida locations, including Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base, both located near the Gulf of Mexico on the states Panhandle. Meanwhile, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, is issuing advisories for Hawaiis main island on Hurricane Lester, located about 720 miles east of Hilo, and Tropical Storm Madeline, located about 165 miles south-southwest of South Point. There's no immediate impact to U.S. military operations there, Davis said, but U.S. Pacific Command is continuing to address the situation and taking appropriate cautionary measures. Some aircraft have been moved into hangars and Pacom will monitor installation tropical cyclone conditions of readiness over the next several days, Davis added. As always, whether in Hawaii or on the East Coast in Florida, he said, we encourage all of our personnel to stay tuned to local and stay plugged in with their chain of command for further updates. Published September 1, 2016 Georgia man killed on Gatlinburg Spur SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 at 10:18 a.m. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a single-car, motor vehicle collision on the southbound Spur at approximately 11:23 p.m. on Thursday, September 1. A tree along the roadside appeared to have fallen on the 2005 Ford truck. The 59-year-old male driver from Georgia was killed in the collision at the scene and transported to LeConte Medical Center by Gatlinburg Fire Department. There were no passengers in the vehicle. The Gatlinburg Police Department also provided assistance. Published September 2, 2016 By Choi Sung-jin Chinese government regulations on Korean batteries are adversely affecting Hyundai Motor's efforts to export electric cars to China, industry sources said Friday. Hyundai Motor, and sister company Kia Motors, plan to release plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in China next year, but are unlikely to receive the Chinese government's subsidy, ranging from 25,000 to 55,000 yuan (4.2 million won to 9.22 million won) a vehicle. Without these, normal marketing of electric cars is all but impossible, they said. LG Chemical, which supplies batteries to the two carmakers, is yet to win certification from the Beijing government. Global automakers that have also used batteries supplied by Korean makers, including from Samsung SDI, are reportedly considering switching to Chinese battery makers to access the world's largest automobile market. Beijing Hyundai, the Chinese offshoot of Korea's largest carmaker in a joint venture with a local partner, plans to release its first PHEV model in China in April. Kia's local chapter, Dungfeng Yueda Kia, will put its model into the Chinese market in October next year. Both models use LG Chemical's batteries, which have not obtained Chinese certification. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is revising its policy toward only subsidizing vehicles with batteries from certified makers. LG Chemical and Samsung SDI failed the fourth certification screening on June 20. The Chinese ministry said it would receive applications for the fifth screening in August but is yet to release a detailed schedule. If LG Chemical's batteries are excluded from subsidies, Hyundai and Kia will find it nearly impossible to launch their electric cars in China. "In China, vehicles not receiving the government's subsidies given to environment-friendly cars cannot make their debuts at all because of the huge gap in price competitiveness," an industry executive said. The two automakers are now in crisis. It is not easy for them to change their batteries to Chinese products, either. "It takes a couple of years at the least to replace the batteries of PHEVs and electric cars as it requires redesigning of the car models," an auto industry official said. "Hyundai Motor Group will lose opportunities to advance to the Chinese market during that period." The Chinese electric car market is expanding rapidly. Sales, including PHEVs, have totaled 207,832 cars, compared with 193,439 in Europe and 115,000 in the United States. Hyundai, which released Sonata's hybrid car in China in June, has been preparing to put to market its first PHEV model next year. In China, electric car subsidies differ depending on the mileage per recharge, ranging from 25,000 yuan for 100-150 km, to 55,000 won (250 km or longer). But Beijing gives 30,000 yuan to PHEV cars with mileage of 50 km or longer. Provincial governments have similar subsidy systems. Electric cars and PHEVs are also exempted from regulations on the issuing of license plates in large Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. A bigger problem for Korean automakers is that the battery-related regulations will make it difficult for them to target the Chinese market with electric cars, including the Ioniq. That means Hyundai Motor Group's strategy to recover its sluggish sales in China with environment-friendly cars could go awry, the industry sources said. The situation is similar for other global automakers. GM, Volkswagen, Audi and PSA are also planning to release electric vehicle models in China next year, and most have batteries from LG Chemical and Samsung SDI. Some foreign carmakers are reportedly considering switching to Chinese batteries. Hyundai is also thinking of using Chinese batteries in some of its models. "As we know, Hyundai is developing a new electric vehicle model that is not based on the Ioniq platform, equipped with a Chinese battery, at its research lab in China," an industry source said. Hanjin Shipping Co., South Korea's leading container shipper currently under receivership, said Friday that 45 of its ships, including 41 container carriers, have been stranded at sea worldwide due to port entry denials in many nations. The world's seventh-largest shipper was put under receivership on Thursday, a day after it filed for court protection after its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, rejected its self-restructuring plan. Since late last month, some of Hanjin Shipping's fleet have been denied access to ports in China, Japan, Singapore, India and other nations as workers demand that the shipper has to pay fees in arrears and in cash in advance. The shipper said one of its vessels was denied passing through the Suez Canal. Hanjin Shipping has a fleet of 98 ships directly run by itself, including its own 37 vessels. With the receivership application accepted, the shipper got a chance to revive itself, but it is still unclear whether it can avert liquidation. Hanjin Shipping's assets are frozen during a deliberation period, and new management is required to come up with a new rehabilitation plan by Nov. 25. The shipper's debts are estimated at some 6 trillion won (US$5.37 billion) as of the end of June. There have been speculation that Hanjin Shipping may be liquidated as its fleets are seized by creditors, forcing its clients to cancel their contracts with the shipper. By Nam Hyun-woo The fallout of Hanjin Shipping's court receivership is quickly spreading around the global sea freight industry on Friday, just two days after the world's seventh-biggest shipping line filed for court protection. The shipping line was also notified that its membership in the CKYHE Alliance was suspended, casting doubts on the company's prospects of joining a new shipping group, The Alliance. As of Friday, the company said 45 of its vessels have been stranded at sea worldwide. The number is almost half of the 98 vessels that the company operates on its own. Those include more than 10 vessels at Shanghai, Tianjin and other ports in China, which have been sitting offshore as they failed to get departure permission or were denied entry to the ports. Also, multiple vessels are stranded at ports in Spain, the U.S., Canada, Japan and other countries. By Kim Tae-gyu U.S.-based buyout fund Lone Star filed a lawsuit seeking $500 million in compensation from Hana Financial Group over the former's sale of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) to the latter. In a regulatory filing, Hana Financial Group said Friday that Lone Star's Belgian subsidiary LSF-KEB Holdings filed an arbitration request with the International Court of Arbitration (ICC) in Washington. LSF-KEB was an entity which bought a controlling 51 percent stake in KEB in 2003 for 1.38 trillion won and sold it to Hana Financial in 2012 at 3.9 trillion won. "We cannot understand why Lone Star takes issue with the buyer of KEB. We guess that the fund now raises issue with everything related to its KEB disposal," a Hana official said. He said that the $500 million seems to be the difference between the originally agreed-upon price signed between Lone Star and Hana Financial and the actual transaction price. After a long battle, Lone Star managed to win the government's approval to dispose of KEB in 2012, but only after having to substantially cut its asking price. "We don't know exactly what the amount means. It might be Lone Star's losses caused by the delayed government approval. Then, why we are responsible?" the official asked. "Anyway, we will prepare for court action to properly deal with the litigation." This is not the first time that Lone Star has taken Korean entities to court _ the legal dispute at the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) still remains unsettled between the Korean government and the fund. The private equity fund has claimed that the delayed government approval caused it to incur huge losses. Hana countered that any transfer in the country's bank is subject to intensive review by financial regulators. Lone Star requires the Seoul administration to pay it $4.7 billion in compensation for the delayed approval of its sales of KEB to HSBC in 2007. It also criticizes the tax imposed on its deal with Hana in 2012. Its rationale: the regulators' failure to give the nod to the KEB sale to HSBC led to an opportunity cost worth 6 trillion won. Midway through 2007, Lone Star had a preliminary agreement for the sale of KEB shares at a high price to HSBC, but the British bank scrapped the pact the following year in the wake of the global financial crisis. Lone Star contended that the lucrative deal did not materialize due to the regulatory delay. The fund also claims that the government should not impose an 850 billion won income tax on the KEB sale to Hana because it is in violation of a bilateral deal between Korean and Belgium to exempt taxation on investments. LSF-KEB, which actually bought and sold KEB as a Lone Star unit, is based in Belgium. The regulators countered that they were unable to give the go-ahead for Lone Star's contracts with HSBC or Hana earlier because of pending investigations and trials affecting the KEB sales. The legality of Lone Star as the major shareholder of KEB, the country's fifth-largest lender, was under debate after a former head of Lone Star Korea was found guilty of stock price manipulation. Domestic banking laws ban an entity from becoming the main shareholder of a financial outfit in such a case. The possibility that Lone Star's acquisition would be unwound was also raised due to alleged irregularities in the process of selling KEB to the fund. The results of the ICSID action are not available to the public yet, which prompts civic groups to urge the government to make the process known because billions of taxpayers' dollars are at stake. By Kim Tae-gyu Samsung Electronics plans to recall around 2.5 million units of Galaxy Note 7s amid continued reports of the model exploding while charging, the tech giant's mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said at a press conference Friday. Shipments of the popular jumbo phones will be stopped and the global release would also be delayed -- the model was released on Aug. 19 in 10 countries including Korea, China and the United States. "As of Sept. 1, 35 claims of explosion were registered at home and abroad via service centers. Merely 24 on a scale of 1 million were affected by the battery problem. Our close examination showed that there were some faults in battery cells," Koh said. "We will let our global customers exchange their Note 7 products for new ones and will ship back all the phones held by our partners and sales outlets... The total number would be around 2.5 million." New replacements will be available in around two weeks. The specific date differs by country. For Korea, the date is Sept. 19. Sales of the large-screen phones to the general public will resume only after the replacements are furnished. Koh said that Samsung has yet to decide how to deal with millions of the collected devices. One option is to recycle them after fixing the faults but Koh refused to specify. Whatever the plan would be, the unprecedented recall is expected to cause financial damage to the company. Koh said that the cost would be painfully high but the safety of customers is a priority. "Up until now, there have been no cases where people were hurt. But there is a possibility," he said. "This is not about money. This is about people's safety, product quality and customer satisfaction." Asked whether Samsung would refund customers, Koh said that the firm will do so in Korea but did not elaborate on the refunding policies outside of the country. "Under Korean law, buyers of new handsets can get refunded in two weeks. Through talks with mobile carriers, we plan to extend the period to show we are responsible," he said. "Our customers also can get other latest products like the Galaxy S7 in return for the Note 7 right away." Koh apologized twice for the flaw while adding that he would delve into the company's procedures of procuring components in order to prevent recurrence of any similar mishaps. Reports first appeared last week that handsets burst into flames while charging and similar claims followed over the past few days, which prompted Samsung to inspect the new phone. Chang Kang-myoung, a former journalist at the DongA Ilbo, is one of today's emerging authors in Korea. An English edition of Chang's book "Fired" translated by Teresa Kim was published by ASIA in October 2015. / Courtesy of Chang Kang-myoung and ASIA By Choi Ha-young Journalist-turned-author Chang Kang-myoung's first novel, "The Bleached," has gone viral on social media among youth, for this quotation: "I think the spirit of challenge for the young generation aims at exploiting them. Doesn't the older generation intend to determine if a profitable business is profitable or not, and then jump into the field later? If the challenge is really a profitable business, why do you guys step away from that opportunity?" Chang has also touched on this important youth issue in his short story "Fired," published last October. "The Bleached," which has also been translated into English by Teresa Kim, received the Young Authors' Award this year. In the story is a series of conflicts at a German company's Seoul branch, between Eun-young, a full-time office worker, and Hye-mi, a part-time administrator, whom Eun-young later fires. One day, the company's new CEO points out Hye-mi's antisocial aspect. Eun-young, who had not paid too much attention to Hye-mi's attitude in the office, suddenly becomes acutely aware of the part-time worker's behaviors. Hye-mi is often late in the morning, citing subway breakdowns, and goes to hospital during her office hour. She often surfs the Internet for information on musical performances and Japanese tours. Her colleagues also dislike her stony face. "If you are working at an organization, you need to be sociable," Eun-young told Hye-mi. Eun-young tries to help Hye-mi and gives her advice. Eun-young thinks Hye-mi should prepare drinks and snacks for guests, with a bright smile. All of the incidents are described from Eun-young's point of view, prompting readers to sympathize with the character. At the office, Eun-young is usually called "the girl." The part-time worker, whose monthly salary is only 1.5 million won ($1,350), is not invited to the company dinner. She is also mobilized to join an anti-labor union rally representing the company, regardless of her opinion and physical condition. Everyone in the office takes it granted though. While everybody thinks Hye-mi is not kind to guests, nobody cares that there are no glasses for guests in the office and that Hye-mi doesn't have authority to buy such supplies. Further, Eun-young expects her salary to improve if Hye-mi is fired. Eventually, Eun-young asks the CEO to fire Hye-mi. After Hye-mi is fired, Eun-young justifies her decision by treating Hye-mi to barbeque ribs and a luxury brand-name scarf. "Why do the poor guys always go to an expensive restaurant and order barbeque ribs?" she wonders at the same time. Even though Eun-young thinks she has been a very considerate boss to Hye-mi, she doesn't understand that her efforts to help Hye-mi originates from arrogance. Eun-young's sense of superiority collapses as Hye-mi asks for a legal basis for her dismissal. She considers Hye-mi's demands, for severance pay, insurance payments and career certificates, as a betrayal. Eun-young thinks Hye-mi is weaker because she has been trained by the harsh labor market to maximize her interests. Both Eun-young and the CEO don't blame their ignorance on labor law, but simply criticize Hye-mi's slyness. Hye-mi appears as a poor girl, who is lazy and uneducated. Her social status justifies Eun-young's feeling of betrayal despite the favors she has done for the social minority. There are plenty of reasons for the youth's poor working conditions in this society they lack maturity, training, career experience and even money to pay expensive tuition fees. Readers might get confused between Eun-young and Hye-mi due to the book's unusual point of view. By choosing Eun-young as the narrator, the author effectively shows how easy it is to sympathize with the strong's point of view. Following his award winning work "The Bleached," which gave a voice to the young generation, Chang has expanded his social consciousness, including about generation discord, social hierarchy, misogyny and the imbalanced development between Seoul and its satellite cities. By Kim Rahn The Supreme Court has ruled that a dual resident of Korea and Saudi Arabia should pay income taxes here on his salary paid to him by his company in Saudi Arabia. The taxation should be decided based on which country, Korea or Saudi Arabia, he stays in longer; where his main assets are; and where he spends most of his income, according to the top court. The court upheld lower court rulings Friday that it was appropriate for a local tax office in Seoul to impose income taxes on the man, surnamed Kang, who runs a construction company in the Middle Eastern country. "In Korea, Kang has a stronger personal network and financial interests than he does in Saudi Arabia. He is a resident of Korea and thus is subject to paying taxes here according to the Income Tax Law," the court said. Kang established the company in Saudi Arabia in 2003. He registered as a Korean resident abroad with the Korean embassy in Saudi Arabia, while he kept a residence in southern Seoul. In 2012, the Seoul tax office levied taxes worth 2.3 billion won ($2 million) on his income between 2007 and 2010, saying he failed to report income worth 6.3 billion won during that period. He then filed the suit, saying Saudi Arabia was where he had a personal network and financial interests, so it was improper to regard him as a resident of Korea and impose taxes on him on that basis. But a district and a high court ruled against him saying the taxation was due. "Kang stayed in Korea for 188 days a year on average between 2007 and 2010. Kang and his wife's main assets are in Korea. His company's major clients are other Korean companies' local units in Saudi Arabia, and major contracts with them were signed in Korea. Considering these factors, he has a stronger personal network and stronger financial interests in Korea than in Saudi Arabia," the courts said. The U.S. Embassy in Seoul has expressed concern over a court's ruling that allows protests near its diplomatic mission, saying it could pose a threat to the safety and security of its facilities and personnel, a local lawmaker said Friday. Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea revealed the letter the embassy sent under the name of its security attache Keith Byrne to the chief of Jongno Police Station in July, seeking protection from and restriction on the rallies near the mission in central Seoul. In June, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of a local civic group that sought nullification of the police's ban on holding a rally within 100 meters of the U.S. Embassy. Under the country's Assembly and Demonstration Act, people are prohibited from holding demonstrations anywhere within a 100-meter radius of the boundary of diplomatic offices or the residences of heads of the missions. The court, however, cited an exceptional clause that said a rally can be held within the area when it would not escalate into a large-scale assembly or demonstration. The rallies held by the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea between February and September last year were always in the size of around 50 and had never developed into a large-scale rally, the court said. The embassy, however, said, "Even peaceful protests can turn violent at any time." "Allowing police authorities to restrict all protests and demonstrations at a safe distance from foreign missions is a prudent measure to ensure the safety and security of embassy facilities and personnel," the letter said. The Jongno Police Station said it has still been prohibiting rallies from being held within 100 meters of diplomatic missions as the case is still pending at the appeals court. (Yonhap) Prosecutors on Friday summoned a ruling party lawmaker over allegations he received bribes from a local businessman in return for business favors. The Busan District Prosecutors' Office called in Rep. Kim Han-pyo of the Saenuri Party as a suspect to question him over suspicions his close aide received kickbacks from a de facto owner of a local construction firm. The exact volume of the money and when it was allegedly transacted have not been made clear. Prosecutors said they are investigating whether the lawmaker was involved in the matter of his aide unlawfully obtaining the money. Three weeks ago, the prosecutors raided the lawmaker's district office in the country's southern port city of Busan and confiscated accounting books. (Yonhap) By Kang Seung-woo President Park Geun-hye will focus on talking Chinese President Xi Jinping into believing that North Korea's nuclear development could undermine China's security during a summit, sources said Friday. Park plans to hold talks with Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit, scheduled for Sunday and Monday in Hangzhou, China. The exact schedule for the summit has not been fixed, according to Cheong Wa Dae. This will be a watershed moment for Seoul-Beijing relations which have ebbed following Seoul's decision to set up a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery. "During the summit, Xi will be urged to play an aggressive role toward North Korea's denuclearization, underlining it may hurt Beijing's security interests to take no action," a source said. Park left for Vladivostok, Russia on Friday the first leg of her trip to three nations that also includes Laos. "President Park is likely to say at the summit that evolving North Korean nuclear weapons may pose a threat to China militarily as well as economically," said Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University. "In that respect, she may call for China's active cooperation in an international move against North Korea's nuclear program, stressing its seriousness." In March, the U.N. Security Council imposed a broad array of sanctions on the repressive state for its nuclear test in January and long-range rocket test the following month both of which violated U.N. resolutions. Last month, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se also reportedly told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities may target China at some point. On Aug. 24, Yun met with Wang and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in a trilateral meeting in Tokyo to condemn the North's "successful" test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) conducted on the same day. In response to Park's demand, Xi may also call for Seoul to take action to defuse escalating inter-Korean tensions. China has been raising objections about the deployment plan, claiming that its presence on the Korean Peninsula could be used to penetrate its territory. Analysts advised Park to exchange opinions frankly about THAAD. "President Park should again explain, clearly and patiently, that the decision to deploy THAAD and other forms of missile defense in South Korea is purely a response to the threats posed by North Korea and has nothing to do with China," said Daniel Sneider, an associate director of research at Stanford's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. However, there is little expectation for the summit to have much impact on the Chinese stance. "I doubt she can do much to change their public position but she may be able to ease the fallout that could come in South Korea's relations with China," said Terence Roehrig, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College. Sneider also said that both the Chinese and Russian arguments against THAAD have little, if nothing, to do with the facts of the decision but rather are attempts to drive wedges between South Korea and the United States. Separately, Park said that should North Korea give up its nuclear and missile threats, there would be no need for THAAD here. Her remark was made during an interview with Russia's state-run news agency Rossiya Segodnya ahead of her trip to Vladivostok. "The deployment of THAAD is a measure of self-defense that is inevitable for safeguarding the security of our nation and the safety of our people from North Korea's ever-escalating nuclear and missile threats," she said. "The essence of the problem in this matter is the North's nuclear and missile threats. If these threats are eliminated, the need to deploy the THAAD system would naturally disappear." Moscow has also expressed strong opposition to the THAAD deployment, claiming that the U.S. anti-missile shield will escalate regional military tensions and hurt their security interests. "Therefore, there is no reason nor practical benefit for the THAAD system to target any third country, and the Korean government does not have any such intentions or plans," the President said, adding that the Korean government is willing to continue closely communicating with Russia over the issue. By Jun Ji-hye China could have provided North Korea with the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that the North successfully fired last month, a U.S. expert claimed Thursday. Bruce Bechtol, a North Korea expert at Angelo State University in Texas, cited that the North's SLBM, known as KN-11, looked just like China's JL-1 submarine missile, noting that the North Korean missile is believed to be "a JL-1 or a very, very close variant." "The missile that the North Koreans launched looks like a two-stage, solid-fuel missile just like the JL-1," Bechtol said on a radio program. "Just looking at the JL-1 and the North Korean SLBM, they're looking exactly the same." The professor pointed out Beijing's history of having provided the isolated state with military hardware, saying that the North recently acquired transporter-erector-launchers (TEL), a type of vehicle used in carrying and launching missiles, from China. The claim is raising suspicions that China may have maintained military cooperation with the North despite the U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang. On Aug. 24, the repressive state successfully test-fired an SLBM in waters off its east coast near the port city of Sinpo. The missile flew about 500 kilometers and landed in waters under Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone (JADIZ) in the East Sea. By Chung Hyun-chae Public trust in the nation's judiciary has plummeted following a series of corruption scandals involving judicial officers including judges, prosecutors and lawyers. The most recent case involved a senior judge who faces arrest for allegedly taking bribes from a businessman in return for favorable rulings for his company. The judge at Incheon District Court, Kim Su-cheon, was detained Thursday during the prosecution's questioning over allegations that he received about 170 million won ($152,220) in bribes from Jung Woon-ho, former chief of the cosmetics company Nature Republic. Prosecutors said they detained him without a warrant, citing his unstable mental state. Kim allegedly bought Jung's used Range Rover SUV below market value for 50 million won in 2014. But he also got some of the money back from Jung. He is also accused of traveling to Vietnam with Jung who paid most of the travel expenses. The prosecution also found that several 1 million won checks issued by Jung were deposited into Kim's account, which Kim claimed was condolence money. In return, Kim allegedly sentenced those indicted for selling counterfeit Nature Republic products to a heavier punishment than the lower court did. Kim is not the first sitting judge who has tarnished the judiciary's image. In January, Choi Min-ho, then-incumbent judge, was sentenced to three years in prison for receiving 260 million won from a private moneylender in Seoul. Last month, a senior judge was even caught for buying sex at a studio apartment in Seoul. Prosecutors are no exception. Former senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon was arrested in July for allegedly receiving over 900 million won in bribes from Kim Jung-ju, founder of gaming company Nexon. Prosecutor-turned-lawyer Hong Man-pyo, who investigated major corruption cases involving the nation's former presidents, was also indicted over allegations that he received some 300 million won from Jung to cover up the executive's overseas gambling charges. Amid plummeting public trust in the judiciary, prosecutors announced reform measures Wednesday to root out corruption involving legal professionals. The measures include setting up taskforce teams under each district prosecutors' office to investigate corruption, which many civic groups criticized sharply. "Only establishing departments, which are even under the influence of the prosecutor general, is a mere stopgap measure that might be hardly effective," said a member of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice. "Power-related corruption scandals in the legal sector will continue unless their monopoly of authority is dissolved." Families in SK cakk fir ummediate action to solve issue By Jung Min-ho Many South Koreans wound up north of the armed truce line in the middle of the Korean Peninsula during and after the chaotic Korean War which ended with an armistice in 1953. In the ideologically charged atmosphere, the South Korean government paid little attention to how its people moved to the other side. Was it a defection or abduction? For a long time, the question was unimportant. But for those who believe their family members were abducted by North Korean agents, the question matters enormously, and they want to find and rescue their missing loved ones from the North. Choi Sung-yong, president of the Korean War Abductees' Family Union (KWAF), said it is time for the government to act on the issue. "Our proof was long ignored, which made us extremely frustrated," he said during a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club, Thursday. "We are calling for the government to take the issue seriously and help us before it is too late." Citing evidence such as North Korean defectors' testimonies, documents and pictures, Choi said it is clear that many South Koreans were taken to the North against their will during and after the war. One document, which he claims a North Korean defector obtained from North Korea, shows the names of 21 South Koreans he believes lived in Pyongyang after being abducted by North Korean agents. The document includes 10 fishermen, four students, three plane crewmembers and four people who lived abroad at the times of the alleged abductions from the late 1960s to late 1970s. Two pictures, also revealed at the conference, show a group of "South Korean abductees," including two who later escaped from the North. Choi said the two now work with him on the issue. During and after the Korean War, thousands of civilians from South Korea were captured and forcibly taken to the North. While a precise number is not known, the KWAF believes it is 96,013. Abductions continued even after the war. Signe Poulsen, the representative of the U.N. Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, said 516 South Koreans abducted during peacetime are believed to remain in North Korea. "Every minute counts when a person is put outside the protection of the law. And when a person disappears, every anguished minute spent by his or her relatives without news of that person, is a minute too long," Poulsen said. "Unfortunately, (in Korea), counting minutes is an overstatement. We are not counting minutes. We are not even counting days or months. We are counting years and decades and, in some cases, half a century. That's 26,280,000 minutes long." She said "enforced disappearances" have had a chilling effect, beyond the individual abductee, to relatives and the community. She also noted their relatives have the right to truth, justice, redress and compensation. It was fortunate for Choi to meet Poulsen, after struggling with the issue for many years with very little help. He said he tried to raise awareness about the abductee issue in 2000, asking for help from the government and other private organizations. The government has remained inactive on the issue largely because of a chronic absence of good options for dealing with it. However, its inaction is not only unethical but also unlawful, said Hwang Seong-wook, a lawyer who works with the KWAF. "Although the U.N. recognizes North Korea as a country, the Korean Constitution does not. Our government should pay more attention to protecting the human rights of its own people who are forced to live in the North," he said. "The government needs to show its political will for doing the right thing. It is an important issue. I mean, what would be more important than living with one's family?" Lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party, including Chairman Lee Jung-hyun, second from right, and floor leader Chung Jin-suk, third from right, hold a sit-in protest in front of the office of National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, Friday, demanding his resignation over his "biased" remarks on the planned deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system the previous day. But later in the day, the ruling party returned to an Assembly session and ended their protest of Chung after the speaker expressed his regret for his comments. / Yonhap Rival parties agree to resume sessions By Kim Hyo-jin The ruling Saenuri Party ended its boycott of National Assembly sessions, Friday, after Speaker Chung Sye-kyun apologized for his remarks that prompted protests from the ruling party. Earlier, the party threatened to boycott all Assembly sessions unless Chung resign immediately, but later returned to the Assembly proceedings and participated in a vote to pass an 11 trillion won ($9.6 billion) supplementary budget bill. On Thursday, Chung, a former lawmaker of the Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), blasted the government's decision to accept the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and demanded the resignation of the scandal-ridden presidential aide, Woo Byung-woo, in his speech to the plenary Assembly session. Saenuri lawmakers left the Assembly hall in protest and later adopted a resolution demanding Chung's resignation, claiming that the speaker violated political neutrality. They held a sit-in protest in front of Chung's office, asking for the speaker to step down and offer an official apology. The two-day boycott, however, came to an end after Chung expressed regret over his remarks and agreed to hand over the right to chair the plenary session temporarily to Vice Speaker Park Joo-sun of the minor opposition People's Party. Chung said he feels responsible for delays to legislative procedures, including passing of the extra budget bill, and said he wishes to apologize to the public. "The speech came from my heart to reflect the voice of the people, and I would like to make it clear that there were no other intentions," he said during a press conference. "I would also like to acknowledge what Saenuri lawmakers pointed out," he added, noting the issue of breaking the political neutrality. The rival parties passed the extra budget bill during a plenary session while deputy speaker Park presided over the session on behalf of Chung. The bill was finalized, Wednesday, when the parties agreed to increase the budgets for education, medical support and job creation while slashing the money set aside for financial and industrial projects. They added 360 billion won and cut 465.4 billion won to and from each sector, finalizing the bill with a total of 105.4 billion won down from the government's original plan, submitted in late July in a bid to invigorate the sluggish economy. An additional 200 billion won was earmarked for education facilities, as noted by Rep. Joo Kwang-deok, a ruling party advocate on the Assembly budget committee, saying it will be used to replace asbestos-insulated classrooms and toxic urethane tracks in schools and building residences for female teachers deployed to remote regions or islands. A major cut was made to the budget for the foreign exchange equalization fund, a 200 billion won cut from 500 billion won, he added. The parties also slashed the budgets for Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) while increasing the money for welfare policies including financial support for families of the disabled and seniors, free vaccinations and sanitary towels for low-income families. The government adopted the extra budget bill during a Cabinet meeting later that day. The parties were supposed to vote on the supplementary budget bill, Thursday, but the vote was delayed while the ruling party's protest against Chung intensified. In Thursday's speech, Speaker Chung slammed Woo, the presidential secretary for civil affairs, for retaining his position while facing the prosecution's investigation, saying the controversy surrounding Woo is "shameful and humiliating." He urged the Assembly members to push ahead with the establishment of an independent investigative body to investigate corruption involving senior public officials _ an issue dividing rival parties. He also criticized the government's move to host THAAD here, saying it underestimated the impact on relations with neighboring countries and prior communications with the public. Saenuri lawmakers claimed Chung is disqualified as he violated the speaker's legal obligation to be politically neutral. Rep. Chung Jin-suk, the Saenuri Party floor leader, accused Chung of "harming national interests." "President Park Geun-hye is soon going to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for the G-20 summit. How could Park answer if Xi asks why she is doing this when the country's no. 2 elected official opposes it?" he said, denouncing Chung's remarks on the THAAD deployment. "He intentionally made such remarks, knowing that it will provoke us," said Saenuri Party Chairman Rep. Lee Jung-hyun during the party's meeting held to discuss countermeasures. Calling it "political terrorism," Lee claimed that Chung plotted the legislative deadlock when rival parties were ready to pass the extra budget bill. Some Saenuri Party officials echoed his view, contending that Chung sought to flex his muscles in the new Assembly where opposition lawmakers outnumber their ruling party counterparts, which is empowering the opposition bloc in the run-up to the presidential election next year. President Park Geun-hye will leave for Russia on Friday to attend an economic forum and a summit with her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, as part of her eight-day trip that also includes visits to China and Laos. During her two-day stay in Vladivostok, Park will first attend the annual Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), a venue to discuss ways to bolster regional cooperation in developing Russia's resource-rich Far East. Under the main theme, "Opening up the Russian Far East," the second EEF will bring together some 2,500 participants from 32 countries, including China, Japan and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On Saturday, the second day of the forum, Park will deliver a keynote speech to put forward her vision for cooperation with Russia in the development of the Russian Far East, her office Cheong Wa Dae said. After the forum, Park will sit down with Putin for a summit to discuss cooperation on an array of issues, including joint efforts to denuclearize North Korea and curb its provocations. The agenda also includes a set of global issues, such as terrorism and climate change. The recent decision by Seoul and Washington to deploy an advanced U.S. antimissile system on South Korean soil is expected to be discussed at the summit, since it has emerged as a source of tension in bilateral relations. Moscow, along with Beijing, has strenuously opposed the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to the Korean Peninsula, arguing the deployment would only escalate regional tensions and undermine its security interests. During her summit with Putin, Park will likely reiterate that the THAAD deployment is an inevitable, self-defense measure to counter Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile threats, and that it will only target the provocative state, observers said. The South Korean leader is also expected to use the summit to restore trust with Moscow. The bilateral relationship has apparently chilled since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, which Seoul, in tandem with the international community, maintains breached international law and undermined Ukraine's territorial integrity. The suspension of the "Rajin-Khasan" project, a three-way logistics scheme involving the two Koreas and Russia, has added fresh tensions to two-way ties. The project got bogged down after Pyongyang's nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch the following month. This week's summit between Park and Putin will be the fourth one. The two leaders held talks on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in September 2013; during Putin's visit to Seoul in November 2013; and at the U.N. conference on climate change in November 2015. Following Park's visit to Russia, she will travel to Hangzhou, China, to attend the G-20 summit of advanced and emerging economies. The two-day event, slated to begin Sunday, will be held under the main theme, "Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy." At the summit, Park plans to voice her concerns over the recrudescence of protectionist tendencies and call for more active efforts by the G-20 to expand free trade, Cheong Wa Dae said. From Wednesday to Thursday, Park will attend the South Korea-ASEAN summit, the ASEAN-plus-three summit, which involves South Korea, China and Japan, and the East Asia Summit (EAS), all of which will take place in the Laotian capital. The EAS is a summit that includes the U.S., Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand, along with the ASEAN-plus-three members. Following the multilateral summits, Park will begin her official visit to Laos, which was arranged on the invitation of Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith. On Friday, the leaders of South Korea and Laos will hold a summit to discuss trade, investment, development and other areas of mutual concern, the presidential office said. (Yonhap) Trump seemed to take a firm line in his speech on Wednesday, harkening back to his tough rhetoric during the primary season. "For those here illegally today who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only -- to return home and apply for re-entry like everybody else. We will break the cycle of amnesty and illegal immigration. We will break the cycle." Some moderate Republicans have been pushing Trump to soften his tone on immigration, especially his previous vow to deport the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants who have come into the country over the past several years. Illegal immigration has been Trump's signature issue since he launched his presidential campaign in June of last year. His sometimes divisive rhetoric has also alienated large numbers of Hispanic voters, according to numerous public opinion polls. At the moment, Trump is running behind the levels of support from Hispanic voters accorded to the 2012 Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, and the 2008 nominee, John McCain. Trump outlined an aggressive 10-point plan to stop illegal immigration during his rally, reminding voters of the central issue in his rise to claim the Republican Party's presidential nomination. Trump's main focus was on removing criminal elements who had entered the country illegally, and he reiterated his pledge to build a border wall with Mexico and have that country pay for it. If you are waiting for a kinder, gentler Donald Trump on immigration, dont hold your breath. In what may have been a pivotal day in the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump doubled down on his tough stance on illegal immigration in Phoenix, Arizona late Wednesday, just hours after presenting a more presidential persona in a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Abrupt About-face Trump's aggressive stance was a swift change from hours earlier when he met with President Pena Nieto in Mexico City. Trump said they discussed the border wall but not who would pay for it. Pena Nieto did not challenge Trump's account during their joint press appearance but later said on Twitter he told Trump at the outset of their meeting that Mexico would not pay for the wall. The Hillary Clinton campaign blasted Trump's Arizona speech in a written statement and accused Trump of "doubling down on his anti-immigrant rhetoric" and attempt at "demonizing immigrants." Candidate Clinton has also been warning voters of late to beware of any Trump efforts to moderate his rhetoric or policy positions. "And now Trump is trying to rebrand himself as well. But dont be fooled. There is an old Mexican proverb that says, tell me with whom you walk and I will tell you who you are. Well, we know who Trump is," Clinton told supporters at a recent rally in Reno, Nevada. Clinton continues to lead Trump in national and key state polls, although some recent national polls have grown tighter. Trump, however, appears to be struggling to broaden his base of support beyond the groups he appealed to in the Republican primaries, according to Georgetown University analyst Stephen Wayne. "Because he appealed to an angry segment of the Republican Party, which is not necessarily the country as a whole. This general election seems to be a referendum for or against Trump. And he won it in the primaries and he's losing it in the general election because of the very appeals he made in the primaries." Clinton's High Negatives Clinton has some problems of her own. The Trump campaign hammers her on a daily basis for refusing to hold a news conference. And recent polls show an increase in voters who don't consider her trustworthy, another factor that may explain why Clinton's lead may be slipping. "Hillary Clinton has massive flaws," said Jeremy Mayer, an assistant professor of government at George Mason University in Virginia. "And had the Republicans nominated a typical Republican, not a former President Ronald Reagan but just your average politician, the race would probably be neck-and-neck right now, given her vulnerabilities." Trump's latest affirmation of his strong stand against illegal immigration may buttress his support among his political base; but, Georgetown's Stephen Wayne argued that Trump has yet to unify the Republican Party behind his candidacy. "So he has to solidify the Republican base, and he has not done that as yet, and two, he has to reach beyond that base because Republicans have not won a majority in a presidential election since 2004." Clinton has built a lead since the party conventions in July; but, with the race tightening once again, Gallup pollster Frank Newport cautions there could be more surprises to come in the final two months of the campaign. "If you look at history, things do change between now and election day, so you can't say everything is frozen at this point." Both candidates increasingly are likely to focus on the coming presidential debates with the first one scheduled for September 26. President Park Geun-hye on Friday defended the planned deployment of an advanced U.S. antimissile system on South Korean soil, reiterating it is an "inevitable, self-defense" measure to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. In an interview with Russia's state-run news agency, Rossiya Segodnya, Park stressed that if Pyongyang's escalating military threats are eliminated, the need for the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system will "naturally" dissipate. The interview was published before Park leaves for Russia's far eastern port city of Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum and a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of an eight-day trip that will also take her to China and Laos. "There is no reason, nor practical benefit, for the THAAD system to target any third country, and the Korean government does not have any such intentions or plans," Park said in the interview. Since Seoul and Washington announced their plan in July to station THAAD in South Korea by end-2017, Moscow, along with Beijing, has strenuously opposed it, arguing the deployment would only escalate military tension in East Asia and hurt its strategic security interests. During her summit with Putin, slated for Saturday, Park is expected to seek understanding from Moscow over the deployment plan. In the interview, Park said she would hold "heart-to-heart" talks with Putin over North Korea-related issues, underscoring that Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs pose a "hefty stumbling block" to bilateral cooperation in the development of Russia's Far East. Park, in addition, said that Moscow is in a "special position" to lead the efforts to pressure Pyongyang to end its nuclear ambitions given that it is a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council and strong advocate of the global nuclear nonproliferation regime. "Since the resolution of North Korea's nuclear and missile issues would provide significant thrust for the mutual development of our two countries and the Far East, I look forward to continuing bilateral cooperation in bringing about such changes with a long-term vision," she said. Park then voiced hope that the scope of bilateral economic cooperation will expand into more diverse fields in Russia's Far East, including fisheries, agriculture, infrastructure, health care and medical services. She also expressed her expectations for increased cooperation between South Korea and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), an economic alliance consisting of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. South Korea and the economic union have been conducting a joint feasibility study on their free trade agreement over the last nine months. "I anticipate that a Korea-EAEU FTA will give impetus to economic integration and trade liberalization in Eurasia, thereby contributing to achieving shared economic growth and promoting consumer benefits," she said. (Yonhap) The U.S. State Department has discredited reports that David Sneddon, 24, is working in North Korea as an English teacher. / Courtesy of YouTube By Hong Dam-young An American student presumed dead in China 12 years ago is said to be working as an English teacher in North Korea. But the U.S. State Department has rejected the report. David Sneddon, 24, vanished in Yunnan Province in western China on Aug. 14, 2004, in what Chinese police said was a hiking accident. His body was never found. After attempts over the years to explain his disappearance, media reports this week said Sneddon was working as an English teacher in North Korea and living with his wife and two children. North Korea allegedly kidnapped him to serve as an English tutor for state leader Kim Jong-un, according to Yahoo News Japan, Wednesday. But the U.S. rejected the reports, saying it has seen "no verifiable evidence." "I cannot speculate on the reasons of this disappearance," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday at a regular press briefing. "However, I can tell you that we have seen no verifiable evidence that indicates Mr. Sneddon was abducted by North Korean officials." He said U.S. diplomatic missions in China have been in regular contact with local authorities since Sneddon was reported missing. South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party continued to protest strongly against the parliamentary speaker on Friday, adding his remark on the controversial deployment of a U.S. missile defense system violated the legal obligation of the office to maintain political neutrality. "It was a reckless remark that hurts our national interest," Chung Jin-suk, the floor leader of Saenuri said, adding the party will continue to seek the resignation of National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun. During the opening speech of the regular parliamentary session on Thursday, Chung criticized the government's move to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that Seoul agreed to host in July. "President Park Geun-hye plans to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping soon," the party whip said. "What will the president say if Xi asks why South Korea intends to deploy the THAAD system even when the country's No. 2 elected official opposes it?" Along with North Korea, China and Russia have been protesting the move, amid concerns that the THAAD system could also have an adverse impact on the balance of power in Northeast Asia. Since Thursday, Saenuri refused to participate in parliamentary proceedings, adding the speaker must resign and make apologies, casting a cloud over the passage of the extra budget bill along with other issues. The conservative Saenuri claims the defense system is vital for coping with North Korea's evolving missile threats, while the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea and the smaller People's Party stress Seoul should refrain from taking steps that would antagonize Beijing. Chung, a six-term lawmaker, is originally from Minjoo, although he left the party after being tapped as the parliament speaker in accordance with South Korean law. (Yonhap) By Duncan Harrison One of the pressing issues these days in the labor and recruitment market is the high youth unemployment rate plaguing the nation. It is fast becoming an important social issue, especially among millennials entering the job market. According to Statistics Korea, the youth unemployment rate in Korea increased to 10.3 percent in June, up from 9.7 percent in May. With a drop in the nation's growth rate and therefore reluctance among companies to hire new employees, the Korean government continues to strive for labor reforms with a focus on a wage peak system. Although not perfect, the wage peak scheme should in principle create more jobs for young people, while guaranteeing job security for older employees since their wages will decline as they near retirement. According to analysis by labor specialists, if companies cut raises by one percent for workers in the top 10 percent, it can create about 60,000 new jobs for youths, so the potential benefit to resolve youth unemployment is clear. Under the new system, employees nearing retirement age will see declining salaries during their last few years of work in exchange for the retirement age being raised. The new system should free up money for firms to hire creative younger workers while retaining older workers at reduced rates. Under new government guidelines, companies will also be able to more easily make redundant underperforming employees, which should lead to better productivity. At Robert Walters Korea, where we predominantly work with large and medium-sized multinationals, feedback from executive decision makers regarding wage peak has generally been positive. While many support the Korean government's direction in terms of policy, many have also expressed concern over the global and local economic slowdown over the last several years. A key difficulty in implementing wage peak lies in getting the necessary consent from workers, as the law refers to raising the retirement age to 60 or above, but does not cover wage reductions near retirement. This is especially true with larger organizations that have labor unions. To alleviate disputes and reduce labor conflict, communication will be needed between unions and management to implement a new wage peak system effectively. Without agreement, many issues could arise such as unlawful termination lawsuits, complaints over unfair performance evaluations, discrimination-related concerns, weakening of employee rights and reduced salaries for the sole purpose of increasing company profits. The lack of a legal basis for a wage peak can create problems. What if, for example, company employees refuse to implement a wage peak system? Effective negotiation and communication once again become the only way as both sides must agree to a win-win solution. On a positive note, it has been reported that many public, private and state-run organizations have incorporated a wage peak system to date through full agreement between management and workers. As the economy improves and with this system a main focus of the Korean government, one can only assume that there will be a stronger push forward with this policy, especially in light of recent high youth unemployment rates. Overall, the new system can provide a lot of positive benefits and opportunities for millennials, but it will ultimately depend on how serious the current and future governments are on backing up these guidelines over a long period and implementing new labor reform legislation. Done properly, labor reform can create mutually beneficial employment situations and increase the competitiveness of Korean organizations. Duncan Harrison is the Country Manager of Robert Walters Korea, one of the world's leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies and outsourcing firms. Reach him at duncan.harrison@robertwalters.co.kr. Last week the United States, North Korea and South Korea, with China and Japan standing by, accelerated the sometimes-dangerous military dance periodically underway in that part of East Asia. South Korea and the United States began on Monday their annual joint military exercises, called "Ulchi Freedom Guardian." The normal North Korean response to these exercises came on Wednesday with Kim Jong-un's Pyongyang regime test-firing from a submarine a ballistic missile 300 miles into the Sea of Japan toward Japan. The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea, meeting in Tokyo later on Wednesday, condemned the North Korean launch. The exchange comes against a highly charged background. The United States proposed to South Korea in July to base an advanced anti-missile defense system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, in South Korea. The decision to accept or refuse the THAAD is still under vigorous discussion in South Korea. China objects to the United States' basing a THAAD in South Korea, seeing the action as aimed at it. South Korea's decision will be partly based on the fact that China is South Korea's largest trading partner, with a quarter of its exports going there. Japan's government is facing an equally fraught decision as a background to its reaction to North Korea's latest provocation. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to harden Japan's military posture in the region, a turn away from its post-World War II position based on its constitution. Aggressive North Korean actions strengthen his position, which is, however, still strongly opposed by important elements in the Japanese political mix. The U.S. position in the region is based on several elements. One is a felt need to counteract growing Chinese influence. A second is to maintain the now anachronistic U.S. military role in South Korea, 63 years after the Korean War armistice, including 28,500 U.S. troops commanded by many generals, and the large U.S. military presence in Japan. The economies of both South Korea and Japan are easily large enough to provide for their own defense. The critical piece of the situation at the moment is not to let any of the points of friction in the region ignite a real war. It is hard to see how Ulchi Freedom Guardian is a positive step in that context. This editorial appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Gwynne Dyer Nobody got punished for blowing up the giant Buddhist statues in Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley in 2001. Nobody has been sent to jail for blowing up much of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria after ISIS captured it in May 2015. (It was recaptured last March.) But Ahmed al-Mahdi is going to jail for a long time for destroying the religious monuments of Timbuktu, and he even says he's sorry. Appearing befor the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Monday, the former junior civil servant in Mali's department of education said "All the charges brought against me are accurate and correct. I am really sorry, and I regret all the damage that my actions have caused." He caused a lot of damage. Timbuktu is a remote desert outpost now, with fewer residents than the 25,000 students who thronged its famous Islamic university in its golden age in the 16th century. Its ancient mosques and monuments are of such historical value that they have earned Timbuktu (like Bamiyan and Palmyra) a UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site. Timbuktu's greatest treasure was its tens of thousands of manuscripts dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries, which dealt with topics as diverse as literature, women's rights, music, philosophy, and good business practice. When Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) stormed into Timbuktu in 2012, the heroic librarian Abdel Kader Haidara saved 95 percent of the city's manuscripts by smuggling them out to Bamako, Mali's capital, by car and boat. But the mosques and the mausoleums could not be moved, and Ahmed al-Mahdi was recruited to head the "morality police". One of his jobs was smashing the ones that were "idolatrous". Al-Mahdi, born near Timbuktu, was already a follower of Wahhabism, an austere Islamic sect of Saudi Arabian origin that condemns ordinary people's reverence for ancient mausoleums and religious shrines as idolatry. So to protect people from sin, historic buildings, tombs, etc. must be destroyed. (Back home, the Wahhabis have pretty well finished the job in Mecca by now.) AQIM, like ISIS and the Taliban, is "Salafi" in its beliefs, but Salafism is essentially an offspring of Wahhabism with added extremism. So Ahmed al-Mahdi was an obvious recruit for AQIM, and he threw himself into his new job with enthusiasm. He is charged with destroying nine mausoleums and part of one mosque, but he almost certainly vandalised many more. Malian and French troops drove AQIM out of Timbuktu in 2013, and al-Mahdi was captured shortly afterwards. As head of the morality police he supervised the whipping of smokers, drinkers and "impure" women, the stoning of adulterers, and the execution of "apostates" but the charge that the International Criminal Court chose to bring against him was "destroying cultural heritage." This is a first for the ICC, the world's permanent war crimes court. Its previous cases have all involved illegal violence against people. This case is about violence against things. Even if they are things sacred to many people, some critics worry that expanding the category of war crimes in this way undermines the unique status of torture, murder and genocide as crimes so terrible that they require international action if local courts cannot deal with them. Mali requested that the case against al-Mahdi be transferred to the ICC, but the question still begs an answer. You won't get it from al-Mahdi, who just wants to apologise: "I ask forgiveness (from the people of Timbuktu), and I ask them to look at me as a son who lost his way." Maybe he means it, and maybe it's just a plea bargain. (The prosecutor is only asking for a prison sentence of 9-11 years, although the maximum penalty is 30 years.) But whether his contrition is genuine is not really the question. It's a very old crime. Gangs of Christian monks (the original iconoclasts) hacked the noses off every "pagan" statue they could find in 4th-century Egypt. Catholic missionaries in 16th century Mexico supervised the burning of thousands of illustrated books containing the history and mythology of the pre-Columbian civilisations: fewer than twenty survive. The Islamist vandals of today belong to a long tradition, and none of their predecessors was punished. So is the ICC of today just picking on Muslims? No. Genocide was only defined and made illegal by the Nuremburg trials in 1945-46, although history is full of other genocides. But the world was not picking on Germans. We had just reached a point in our history when we could finally agree that genocide was always and everywhere a crime against humanity. Making the act of deliberately "destroying cultural heritage" a crime is another, lesser step in the same process of building a body of international human rights law that applies to everybody. Al-Mahdi just happened to come along at what was, for him, the wrong time. Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. Contact gwynne763121476@aol.com. Denis Mukwege By Lee Kyung-min Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor, has won the 13th Seoul Peace Prize for his efforts in helping some 48,500 woman and child rape victims during the civil war in his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the prize organizers said, Friday. "He contributed to human rights improvement for women and children by treating the victims of the unethical war where rape was used as a means of war," the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation said. "He also demonstrated bravery by devoting himself to raising international awareness about the situation to end the civil war." Mukwege, 61, founded Panzi Hospital in DR Congo in 1999 amid the armed conflict in his country that left hundreds of thousands of people brutally murdered, raped, or displaced. Alongside setting up the hospital, he established Maison Dorcas, a long-term rehabilitation program for rape victims. Under the program, victims are offered treatment, consultation, job training, as well as lessons in writing, reading and basic math. It also offers them enough small rooms where up to 180 people can stay for about three months. The need to set up the "dormitory" came after he realized that about 60 percent of the rape victims could not go back home due to the rejection they'd face from family members, especially from husbands and male relatives. According to the foundation, Mukwege said that what is more important than offering the victims medical treatment is to help them restore their dignity so they can realize that what happened was not their fault. Further, in a more fundamental approach to solve the atrocious situation, he gave a speech at the United Nations in September 2012, condemning the DP Congo government and UN members for not seeking prompt measures to put an end to the war. A month after the speech, he almost lost his life as an armed man broke into his house and tried to kill him, after which he moved to France with his family. However, in January 2013, he returned to his home country, following the spike in numbers of patients awaiting his help in Panzi Hospital. The 2008 United Nations Human Rights Prize winner was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the European Union's Sakharov Prize in 2014, and an honorary Doctor of Laws by Harvard University last year. The award ceremony for the Seoul Peace Prize will be held on Oct. 6 in Seoul. Mukwege will be given a plaque and $200,000 in prize money. By Park Si-soo Uzbek President Islam Karimov has died although there is no official confirmation from the country. The Turkish prime minister has said Islam Karimov has died, hours after the Uzbekistan government conceded for the first time the President was critically ill, according to The Guardian. The Associated Press supported this with a report in which a top Kyrgyz diplomat and an Afghan government official said the Uzbek leader has "passed away." The AP said Uzbekistan is holding a funeral for President Islam Karimov on Saturday (local time). Reuters said three diplomatic sources had told it Karimov was dead and a further government announcement would come on Friday that would also name the head of the commission in charge of organizing the funeral. Karimov, 78, hasn't been seen in public since mid-August, but his government admitted only last weekend that he was ill. His daughter Lola said he had suffered a brain hemorrhage, and a swarm of unofficial reports have placed him close to death or even dead. Uzbekistan under Karimov has been an authoritarian regime with the ruler suppressing opposition in the Central Asian country since taking power in 1989 and cultivating no apparent successor. Born on 30 January 1938, Karimov was raised in an orphanage in Samarkand, climbing up the Communist Party ranks to become head of Soviet Uzbekistan and continued as leader after the collapse of the USSR two years later in 1991. The uncertainty over Karimov's health has raised concerns that Uzbekistan could face prolonged infighting among clans over leadership claims, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. Under the constitution, if the president dies his duties pass temporarily to the head of the senate until an election can be held within three months. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power and Karimov's demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence. Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, called a recent tax bill handed to the company by the European Union "total political crap," and claimed that a bias against the U.S. led to the decision. In an interview with the Irish Independent Thursday, Cook vowed to stand with Ireland to fight the ruling and said it had "no basis in law or fact." "It's total political crap," he told the paper. "They just picked a number from I don't know where. In the year that the Commission says we paid that tax figure, we actually paid $400 million. We believe that makes us the highest taxpayer in Ireland that year." Cook's comments come two days after the EU's antitrust regulator ordered the technology giant to repay Ireland $14.5 billion in back taxes, saying the world's most valuable company received an unfair tax break from Dublin and managed to avoid almost all corporate taxes across the 28-nation bloc for more than a decade. The EU's competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager said, "Tax rulings granted by Ireland have artificially reduced Apple's tax burden for over two decades, in breach of the EU state aid rules. Apple now has to repay the benefits." She questioned how anyone might think that Apple's 2014 Irish tax rate of 0.005 percent was fair. Cook denied that his company received any special treatment, though, and said Apple would win the case on an appeal. He called the ruling "politics at play" and accused the EU of overreaching in an effort to change tax laws across the whole of Europe. "There are other possibilities too, but I think it's clear that there is a desire to harmonize tax rates across the EU. Doing it this way doesn't seem like the right approach to me. There should be a public discussion about it," he said. Cook went on to say he believes Apple was targeted because it is a U.S. company operating in Europe, and "people in leadership positions in several countries" told him as much. "But what I feel strongly about is that this decision was politically based, of that I'm very confident," he said. "There is no reason for it in fact or in law." The demise of Hanjin Shipping, Korea's No. 1 shipping company, is sending huge tidal waves across global trade. The global network built up by Hanjin, which grew into the world's seventh-largest shipping company, is collapsing. Importers and exporters are panicking. Hanjin ships 18 percent of Korea's exports to North America and 22 percent of imports from the region. As of Thursday, 13 ports in nine countries have refused to let Hanjin's vessels dock for fear that they will not get paid. On Wednesday, Xiamen, China, Savannah in the U.S., Valencia, Spain and Singapore refused entry to Hanjin's vessels. And on Thursday, Shanghai and Ningbo, China, Yokohama, Japan, Hamburg, Germany and Sydney, Australia also turned them away. Actor Uhm Tae-woong was questioned about rape allegations on Thursday. Police last week said a women in her 30s accused Uhm of sexually assaulting her in the massage parlor where she worked in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province in January. On arrival at a police station in Bundang, Uhm pledged to explain everything to the police and prove his innocence. Actress Lee Young-ae has donated W100 million to the Korea Military Academy (US$1=W1,123). Lee wants the money to be spent on the descendants of Korean War veterans, the KMA said Thursday. Lee is the daughter of a Korean War veteran, and her father-in-law was an Army brigadier general. She also donated W50 million in July to a middle school in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where she lives. Justin Burnetts Zone 2 Council seat is now vacant, following his move out of Zone 2. Burnett sent an email to City Council colleagues and members of City staff on Thursday evening, with the announcement of his move to south Springfield. Mayor Bob Stephens responded to his email, accepting his resignation, noting that he no longer meets the residency requirements to serve as Zone 2 councilman. [Editor's note: Voters elected Burnett to a four-year term to represent Zone 2 in April 2015. He resigned from the seat last Jan. 14. In a letter to city leaders, he cited health problems and the time commitment of serving on the city council as the reasons for quitting. A day later, before the resignation took effect, he rescinded his decision and remained on the council. He said he did so at the urging of people in his zone.] Historically, when a Council member resigns, City Council will set a timeframe for the accepting of qualified applications. Once that deadline has passed, those applications are forwarded to City Council and decisions are made as to the interview process. City Charter section 2.5 states that vacancies will be filled after a majority City Council vote and the appointee will serve in that position until the next regular City election. Timeline details will be provided at a later date. Email text from Justin Burnett: Colleagues, Staff, & Community: As summer officially winds down, I am making an announcement. For several years now, a family member and I have wanted to move to south Springfield, and after new ownership recently acquired our apartment, this decision was finalized. As of today, I no longer have a home in zone 2, or northeast Springfield. Unfortunately, after talking to the City Clerk, it is clear that the City Charter requires council members to reside within their zone, and since I am not a general city council member, I now cease to meet this qualification and my office will immediately become vacant. It has been an honor to serve the people of northeast Springfield. This past year has especially been a highlight, as I have sought to bring unity between different groups of people in our community. Almost 9 months ago, I nearly quit council but decided that my goal was to use my influence to bridge the ideological and cultural gaps that often divide people. Over the months that followed, I put my education and career on hold and spent every spare minute meeting with atheists, people of faith, members of the LGBT community, and activists in the Free the Nipple movement. Each of these groups have been involved in contentious social issues over the past few years and every one of them is important to me. As a council member, I am tasked to represent everyone. As a human, I choose to love everyone. Through countless coffee meetings and several public events, the walls began to come down. The common theme gleaned from them was this: we are all united by our common humanity. Slogans on a wall won't unite us; genuine love for one another will. As a result of this months-long effort, the recall petition against me was cancelled and former political enemies began to work together for the betterment of our community through a prism of friendship. There has also been movement on the issues of homelessness and poverty through greater advocacy, and I am excited to see several new projects come to fruition. With my departure, I don't want to see this effort fail. Whoever my successor is, I encourage him or her to continue building people up. The state of zone 2 is strong today and it will take unconditional love and strength to maintain that condition. In regards to the criminal justice system, we have a plethora of options. County and city leaders will have to decide on how to finance a larger jail facility, which could be in the form of a low sales tax with a sunset provision to ensure the citizens' protection. That expansion--coupled with comprehensive criminal justice system reform (diversion programs and initiatives like "Ban the Box") and plans to combat poverty--should keep the community and leaders united in solving the region's greatest concern. I also want to encourage my successor to avoid campaigning on "no new tax" pledges, as I have. If there is one grey area with tax levels, it is funding for our police and the criminal justice system. No issue is more important, which is why we must be cautious and leave all options on the table for careful deliberation. Ultimately, the voters will decide. I would be remiss in failing to mention my colleagues and city staff. The City Clerk's office, under the direction of Anita Cotter, serves as an exemplary model of professionalism, as does the City Manager's office. Staff members have handled constituent cases with ease and grace, and for that, I am thankful. The individual neighborhood issues--including complaints of excessive noise, speeding, dilapidated sidewalks, heavy truck traffic, and flooding--could not have been resolved without the tireless work of these genuine public servants. My colleagues--who I consider extended family--are people who also have the city's best interests at heart, otherwise they wouldn't be serving. I appreciate each of them and their collective desire to make our community better. Whoever seeks re-election, a first-term election, or wins the mayoral race will have their work cut out for them. I send my complete support and admiration, as I want our city to succeed. In April of 2015, I embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime journey. It has molded me into who I am today, which would not have happened without going through some tough challenges. In the coming days, I plan to complete my college degree and become a first-generation college graduate. I have overcome many obstacles to get to this point, which I don't often talk about. Due to unplanned events during high school, I never officially graduated. I did go on to acquire my GED, enroll in classes at OTC, achieve Chancellor's List designation, and was later inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. To any young person reading this, I would encourage you to pursue higher education, for this is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. You can take classes sparingly and pay your way through, as I am doing. I cannot speak highly enough of our local educational institutes. You can be anything, or anyone, if you will put your mind to it. In summary, we are in a unique time in history. Nationally and locally, we are faced with delicate issues that require thoughtful leadership. We must acknowledge that there are still challenges for minority groups in our community, and only love and understanding will heal that divide as we seek to treat each other as equals. May we seek to forge an even better and kinder future together. A man from Springfield told a detective that he doesn't remember much about the events that led to his arrest on Thursday after a manhunt. The detective says Stefan Daly said he used methamphetamine and heroin on Wednesday night. The manhunt of nearly four hours was near a subdivision just north of Springfield on Thursday morning and afternoon. Officers finally arrested Daly after finding him walking along Kansas Expressway (Missouri 13) near Interstate 44. The search started after two Greene County sheriff's deputies checked on a report of a man and a woman walking through the subdivision and pulling on the door handles of vehicles in the subdivision west of the Lowe's store on North Kansas. When they got there, they found Daly in a yellow Chevrolet Cavalier in a driveway. He ran when deputies approached him. Deputies say Daly then got into a Ford F250 pickup parked at a construction site that happened to have the keys in it. One deputy tried to stop the thief by opening the driver's side door; he said his right arm got lodged in the door, saw the driver threaten him with a knife and was dragged a short ways until he could free himself. Meanwhile, the truck's owner tried to stop the thief by getting in the passenger door; he fell out as the thief sped away. The deputy suffered minor injuries. The truck's owner is hospitalized with a skull fracture, multiple brain bleeds, and swelling of the brain, according to the probable cause statement against Daly. One deputy gave first aid to the injured truck owner while the other one followed the stolen truck. The driver wrecked it nearby when he ran into a trailer and turned the pickup on its side. The thief then fled on foot into a wooded area. That led to a manhunt using officers on foot, horseback, in the air, and with a tracking dog. It ended about 1:20 p.m. when a Springfield School District officer spotted Daly walking on Kansas, pursued him, and, with other officers, tackled him on the bridge over I-44. Greene County detectives say they read Daly his rights and interviewed him. "He stated he used methamphetamine and heroin the night prior to this incident. Daly said this was the first time he had used heroin. He said he only remembers breaking out the window of his friend's truck on the Wal-Mart parking lot on (Thursday morning), then he walked across Kansas Expressway and fell asleep on his friend's porch. When he awoke, he said he was in a field, about three streets down from the Lowe's and the Police were chasing him," the detective's probable cause statement says. "When asked if he would be seen on video during these incidents, Daly replied, 'Not that I know of.' When asked if his fingerprints or DNA would be inside either of the vehicles, Daly answered, 'I have no idea 'cause I don't remember any of this.' "Daly had an injury on his left ankle that was bleeding and he requested to be seen by medical during the interview. When medical staff entered the interview room, Daly tells them the injury 'wasn't like that when I fell asleep,' and then he said, 'There's glass or something in my shoes.' The windshield of the F250 was broken out when it was located. "Video surveillance was collected and reviewed from both Lowe's and from the victim's residence at 3302 N. Marion. In the video from Lowe's, Daly and (the woman with Daly) are seen on multiple cameras inside and outside of the store, at approximately 8:15 a.m. In the video recovered from 3302 N. Marion, Daly is seen entering the driver's door of the yellow Chevrolet Cavalier, wearing the same sandals he was wearing at the time of the arrest. This video shows Daly exit the vehicle as the deputies arrived and it appeared Daly had something metal in his hand as he exited the vehicle." Greene County prosecutors charged Daly with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, assault of a law enforcement officer, second-degree assault, resisting arrest, and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. A judge set his bond at $500,000. No charges are filed yet against the woman who was arrested with him. Daly already had a warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in court to face a charge of tampering with a vehicle that was filed last April 29. Online court records show he went to prison for a five-year sentence in 2013 after pleading guilty in 2012 in for possession of chemicals with intent to manufacture illegal drugs. He initially got five years of probation for that crime but it was revoked in April 2013. He likely will return to prison for breaking terms of his parole for that drug conviction. The man arrested after three men with hammers busted display cases and stole 11 Rolex watches from Maxon's Diamond Merchants now faces three charges. Police are looking for two more thieves, and say the arrested man won't give up their names. Police say it's possible this theft is connected to similar jewelry store robberies in other cities in other states, including one in Memphis on Aug. 26. Mark Pitts, 31, of Detroit, Mich., is charged with second-degree robbery for the stolen watches, first-degree burglary for unlawfully entering the store, and first-degree tampering for being in a stolen car. Police arrested him just east of the jewelry store in southeast Springfield shortly after the robbery in the Brentwood Center on South Glenstone Avenue across from Battlefield Mall. Here's the edited probable cause statement used as the basis of the charges against Pitts: The employees of Maxon's told police a man was buzzed in to the secure store (the front door of the jewelry store is locked unless an employee unlocks it when someone is at the door). After coming inside, the man refused to close the door, the employees said. The employees tried to push him out and he resisted and forced the door open. The man then let two other men rush into the store. Two men entered the store while the third man stood by the front door. The two men in the store pulled out small sledge hammers and began breaking the glass counter where Rolex watches were on display. The men grabbed 11 watches and fled, although police said on Thursday that they dropped the hammers and some of the watches as they fled. A getaway car was waiting for the men. It was a gray 2000 Dodge Stratus that was stolen earlier in the day from the Target store parking lot in Springfield. Pitts was unable to get into the Stratus. A Maxon's employee followed Pitts on foot and directed officers to his location. Police arrested him in front of a house at 2815 S. Stewart Ave., a block east of the store. The two robbers in the car got away. Detectives say they read Pitts his legal rights and interviewed him. They say he admitted his involvement in the robbery. He said he lives in Detroit and came to Springfield to do this robbery. He said he would have assaulted employees with the sledge hammer to steal the watches. Pitts estimated he stole six to ten 10 Rolex watches. Pitts also confirmed this was a planned robbery with several people involved from out of state. End of edited probable cause statement Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond. They say Pitts has no known ties to Springfield and has a criminal history in Michigan, including several thefts of vehicles and firearm possession, and has served time in prison. President Park Geun-hye will attend the G20 summit and the ASEAN+3 summit where she will meet the leaders of China, Russia and the U.S., Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. Seoul is also discussing a possible summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Park meets her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Sunday and Monday in Hangzhou, China. She is expected to try and explain to Chinese President Xi Jinping that the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. is necessary for Seoul's defense against the mounting nuclear and missile threat from North Korea and will not target China. She also sits down with U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit next Wednesday and Thursday in Laos, where she could also have a separate meeting with Abe. But first she meets her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Saturday. The meetings come at a tense time for the region as the impending THAAD has drawn deeper lines in the sand between the U.S.' allies on one side and China and Russia on the other. It will be Park's first meeting with the Chinese and Russian leaders since the THAAD decision was announced in July. North Korea is jittery, and a united front will be necessary to prevent any provocations in the wake of Pyongyang's latest string of missile tests. Park will also sit down face to face with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Italy. The federal government has said it distributed thousands of bags of essential food and non-food items to Nigerians in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Cameroun, Chad and Niger, according to a report by the presidency. A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, listed the food items distributed to the camps in the three countries to include: 12, 332 bags of parboiled rice/rice; 6,084 bags of maize; 6156 bags of millet; 5,180 bags of granulated sugar; 2,000 bags of salt (25kg); 800 bags of semolina; 4,016 bags of beans; 9,800 cartoons of Indomine noodles; 1,800 cartoons of powdered milk; 800 cartoons of spaghetti; 2,000 vegetable oil (20 litres); 2,180 cartoons of Omo detergents; 600 kegs of palm oil and 400 cartoons of 3-extremism. Akande also cited the monthly report of government actions in the North-east states affected by Boko Haram in which the Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSA-P) on IDPs in the Vice Presidents Office, Dr. Mariam Masha, stated that the National Humanitarian Coordination Forum (NHCF) was addressing the welfare of IDPs in these areas. The report indicated that non-food items supplied to the camps in the three countries from 2015 to date included medical and non-medical supplies such as antibiotics, anti-fungal, anti-malaria, anthelmintic, NSAID, non-SAID analgesics, anti-tussives and anti-thasmine drugs. The statement said: There were also eye drops, anti-diabetic drugs, Antacid drugs, multivitamin, laboratory consumables, blankets, mattresses, mosquito nets, mens and womens wears. In Minawao, Cameroun alone, 48,400 bags and cartoons of non-food items like medium and small mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets, blankets, towels, guinea brocade, nylon mats, plastic plates, cups, spoons and buckets, Omo detergents, washing soaps, bathroom slippers, pampers as well as exercise books pencils and textbooks were distributed to IDPs. The report stated that the federal government through initiative of the military had constructed a temporary school for IDPs in the Bama camp and deployed teachers for a population of over 3,000 children. It said the military also provided solar boreholes in Dikwa, Gamboru, Monguno, Marte, Mafe Gwoa, Buni Yadi, Bulla, Allargano and in several other communities in Borno State. The scale of humanitarian efforts by the military also cover road construction and reconstruction, donation of educational materials to schools as well as rehabilitation of worship centres and markets in Adamawa and Yobe States, the report added. The report also stated that the military through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) had formed a working group which was to develop a policy framework and national action plan in preventing and countering violent extremism. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates We are special, lol. Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook is back in Nigeria. Mark had arrived Nigeria on Monday, but quickly left for Kenya where he spent two days before returning today. He however returned to see the President and his Vice. As you can see, even President Buhari is excited to see him, lol. When you are big you are big. Chai to think this man is just in his 30s. God must answer us too, hahaha More photos below Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday said that the Nigeria Police Force is among the best globally. He made the remark while laying the foundation for the construction of the Crime and Incident Data Base Centre at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. According to him, the Nigerian Police personnel, from many instances worldwide, are better trained and equipped than their counterparts in other countries. But he promised that the government will continue to support it achieve more successes, nationally and globally. He said: The Nigeria Police is one of the very best that we have anywhere in the world and I say so because I have worked with law enforcement agents for many years. I have served in the United Nations special operations in the justice sector like the UN Mission in Somalia for about a year and I saw Police Forces from everywhere across the world. The Nigeria Police was there too and everybody admitted that they were possibly the most effective on ground there in Somalia. They were effective because they were better trained, better educated than every other Police Force that was there, besides, they were well equipped by the UN, he added. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The IFA, the biggest home electronics trade show in Europe, kicks off in Berlin on Friday. Samsung and LG are targeting the European high-end market with ultra-high definition TVs and other home appliances. Chinese and Japanese companies focus on mobile devices. Samsung, the worlds biggest TV maker for 10 years, is unveiling an UHD TV at its 8,730 sq.m booth, the biggest among about 1,800 companies at the event. Samsung said the SUHD Quantum dot TV represents the next generation of TVs. It signed deals with leading content providers Netflix and Amazon as well as companies in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. It already had a deal with 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. LG unveiled a high-end home appliance brand dubbed "LG Signature." It is also showcasing its flagship OLED TVs. The company has a 5,220 sq.m booth, its biggest ever at the show. 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... The number of foreigners studying in Korea has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. The Education Ministry on Tuesday said there are 104,262 foreign students at universities and colleges here, up 14.2 percent from last year. The overall number of university students has been falling for two years as the young population dwindles, but foreign students keep increasing. Some have hailed this development as a sign of Korea's growing global role. But critics say universities and colleges are often in it for the overseas tuition fees, which are much higher than for Koreans, and keep the bar deliberately low. Less than half of the foreign students are thought to be fluent enough in Korean to keep up with lectures. Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and Chair of the Geneva-based Colombo Process Member States Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha presenting a report of the Fourth Senior Officials Meeting of the Colombo Process Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 24 August 2016 has detailed the tangible achievements of Sri Lanka's Chairmanship of the Colombo Process over the past 3 years. Ambassador Aryasinha said the group had defied the conventional wisdom that the Colombo Process countries, in most instances being competitors, many of the issues that they had to grapple with were beyond the capacity of leveraging as a Group and that it must necessarily be a zero-sum-game. Under the theme "International Labour Migration for Prosperity: Adding Value by Working Together", Sri Lanka's 'road map' for its period of Chairmanship had taken on 5 of the toughest issues related to labour migration - qualification recognition, ethical recruitment, pre-departure orientation, Promoting Cheaper, Faster & Safer Transfer of Remittances, and enhancing the capacities of the Colombo Process participating countries to track labour market trends. The Colombo Process Technical Support Unit (CPTSU) had also been set up in Colombo in 2015 to support CP goals. The CP had also sought to strengthen engagement between CP countries and countries of destination, particularly the GCC countries, and also the EU countries. The Ambassador added that with the introduction of a self-funding mechanism under Sri Lanka's Chair, the group was no longer dependent on external funds even to organize the regular meetings, and had also been able to attract substantial interest from potential donors to support its new programmes. He noted that recognition of the prevailing collaborative spirit had also resulted in the CP to start to grow in numbers, with the admission of Cambodia as a new and the twelfth-member. He hoped that more of countries will follow, with a view to strengthening providing a better, safe, and dignified life for all migrant workers from our countries, who provide an essential boost to most of our economies. Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Geneva The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more Awaiting Gov. Jerry Browns signature is legislation that could make election day really confusing for many Californians. In its final days, the legislature passed a bill eliminating the traditional polling places and replacing them with a much smaller number of voting centers, scattered around each county. It will be like a neighborhood pharmacy, deli or family owned market being replaced by a Target. The familiar polling places are run by volunteers and usually are in the same location at each election. We walk to a nearby DWP facility, discuss last minute voting decisions on the way and are rewarded by a nice sticker for shirt or jacket. According to one estimate I received, there would be just 645 voting centers in all of Los Angeles County. At present, there is about one polling place for every thousand of the countys 4.3 million voters. Under the legislation, by Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), ballots would be cast at the voting center or by mail. If you dont trust the mail, you could hand deliver your ballot to a voting center, put it in a secure drop box or fill out your ballot in person at the voting center. I dont know if you would get a nice red, white and blue sticker. They would be staffed by trained county employees. They would begin operating 10 days before election. You could register to vote at them, even on election day. They would be connected electronically to a county list of voters, hopefully eliminating the hassle when the polling place volunteer cant find your name. Counties would begin installing the new system in 2018 and 2020. Allen said it would make voting easier and increase the turnout. I think it would make voting harder. Youd have to find a center on a list provided by the county, and then drive there, fighting traffic. I hope you have GPS. The county promises parking. Good luck. Have you ever been stuck in a Trader Joes lot? Or, county officials say, you can take transit. I love public transit but getting somewhere involves time, transfers and walking. Good luck if you are even slightly disabled. Eventually, backers of this scheme see everyone voting by mail. In Los Angeles County, this requires voters to apply for a vote -by -mail ballot, which has not proved especially popular. Just over 30 percent of Los Angeles County voters cast their ballots by mail. Most counties will enclose a vote-by-mail ballot with election material. Los Angeles County, with the states largest number of voters, has been given more time to comply with this requirement. Allen and Dean Logan, Los Angeles County registrar-recorder-county clerk, said the legislation would increase voter turnout. There are many reasons for low turnout, including widespread disillusionment with politics and government. I dont see that reducing the number of polling places would help that situation. This article appears in the September 2, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. OBAMA IS A FAILURE: The World Needs a New Financial Architecture Now! [PDF version of this article] Aug. 26Obama must be ousted, regardless of how much time is left, if there is to be any functioning New Presidency in the United States during the period ahead. His Presidency has been a failure, one which is wreaking havoc, death, and chaos on the United States and the world through illegal wars, bailouts, drone attacks, the destruction of healthcare, drug-related deaths, unemployment, and Obamas personal psychotic pathology. As the nations of Eurasia, under the leadership of President Putin, construct a new strategic and economic system, Obama must be condemned for what he is: an abject failure and a servant of the dying British Monarchy. It is the ongoing collaboration between the leadership of Russia and China on a new economic system and urgent structural changes to the global financial system, which is of the utmost importance. This is the critical flank to avoid nuclear world war and financial chaosthe results of Obamas failed Presidencyand this is the leading topic of discussion among world leaders during the many international summits over the months of September and October. President Xi Jinping of China intends to put the critical issue of a new world economic and financial system on the agenda of the upcoming G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. The official China media, joined by top Russian analysts, have made clear that any such new and viable system must include the United Stateswhich means that the United States must abandon its delusions of ruling a unipolar world, which no longer exists, and begin collaborating with major nations for a new and just economic system. This was highlighted in an Aug. 24 wire of Chinas official Xinhua news agency, titled Interview: Russia, China should Cooperate within G-20 to Tackle Challenges. Andrey Kortunov, the Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council, which is close to the Russian Foreign Ministry, said The longer those reforms are postponed, the higher the risk of new crises and instability in the world economy. He added later, If today Beijing and Moscow offer their concept of stability to the international community, it is not just empty words, but proposals based on many successful experiences. He noted that the United States can be a complex, and sometimes unpredictable partner, but nevertheless, Both Russia and China should consistently seek common ground with Washington, and avoid crises, without making concessions on matters of principle. A Xinhua commentary on the same day, also regarding the G-20, assailed over-reliance on monetary policy and the focus on markets as opposed to nationsat the expense of policies aiming for real physical-economic growth, and based on technological innovation. China will use the conference to spur dialogue among developed and developing countries around the potential to foster growth through reforms and innovation. The Wall Street Journal has suggested that it was at the request of China, that the Bank of International Settlements issued a recent report warning that there are no mechanisms in place at this time which can prevent a blow-out of the $600 trillion-plus global financial derivatives bubble, if any major party defaults. Business Insider, in what could be described as a painful understatement, was forced to admit that the results of this survey are slightly terrifying, because if derivatives clearing-houses fail to handle a crisis, then derivatives become unexploded nuclear bombs nestling deep in the financial system. The Wall Street Journal goes on to note that China has placed the safety of central clearing houses high on the agenda of the upcoming G-20 summit. There is now an increasing and widespread belief among top officials of the trans-Atlantic region, that Europe and the United States are on the very edge of a financial blowout, whose magnitude is equalled only by their own denial both of its global consequences, and of the collapse of western dominance. Bloomberg reported Tuesday, Aug. 23, that Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Credit Suisse are sitting on a combined $102.5 billion in Level 3 assets, i.e. assets which are illiquid, without market value, and which cannot be dumped in a crisis. The Economist headlined its Aug. 20-26 issue, Nightmare on Main Street, warning that the $26 trillion U.S. housing market, which underlies a mountain of derivatives and other bank and non-bank securitized gambling paper, is again ready to blow. With the entire political and financial class of the West increasingly discredited, the only remaining option is the immediate reinstatement of Glass-Steagall full bank separation in the United States, and identical implementation throughout Europe. Glass-Steagall, followed by a jubilee debt write-off for the developing nations (in line with Alfred Herrhausens policy in 1989), and the extension of long-term credit for industrial and scientific development, are just some of the first, indispensable steps towards the creation of a new global financial architecture, and are the prerequisites for a new cultural paradigm, a new Renaissance for all mankind. The foundations for such a new global financial and economic architecture are now well-established through the growing integration of Eurasia, being woven through cooperation among the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS, ASEAN, and other groupings. It is Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative, based on Lyndon and Helga LaRouches original mid-1990s concept of the Eurasian Landbridge, which is the principle upon which this Eurasian and potentially global development is premised. As Mexican President Jose Lopez-Portillo once said, It is now time to listen to the wise words of Lyndon LaRouche! For years after David Ben-Gurion triumphantly declared its establishment in May 1948, the state of Israel was widely admired around the world as a spirited, resolute and self-reliant young nation one that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust, that tamed the harsh desert, that beat back five Arab armies when they invaded, that built a liberal democracy in an undemocratic part of the world. If you werent a displaced Palestinian Arab, what wasnt to love? Today, however, the narrative has changed. In many circles, youre more likely to hear about Israels settlements, intransigence and its nearly 50-year-long occupation of the West Bank and Gaza than you are about its pluck or ingenuity. Some church groups, trade unions and university associations, especially in Europe, have cut ties with the country over its treatment of Palestinians, including its use of force in recent assaults on Gaza. Israel is more popular in the United States than elsewhere, but young Americans are significantly less enamored than older ones. On college campuses, the apartheid analogy is common and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is gaining ground. For the record: This review refers to Israels nearly 50-year-long occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. The United Nations, Human Rights Watch and the International Committee of the Red Cross, among others, consider Gaza part of the occupied Palestinian territories; Israel, which withdrew from the region in 2005, and some other scholars reject this characterization. What went wrong? Thats the unspoken question behind every page of Milton Viorsts Zionism, a smart, analytical, engaging history of the people and ideas that built the state. Viorst, a former Middle East correspondent for the New Yorker, tells the story through the lives of eight preeminent leaders whose perseverance brought the country into existence and shaped its character Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizmann, Vladimir Jabotinsky, David Ben-Gurion, the Rabbis Kook (Abraham Isaac Kook and Zvi Yehuda Kook), Menachem Begin and Benjamin Netanyahu. But the unmistakable message of the book is that the Zionist project was derailed somewhere along the line and that only by grappling with its biggest questions can it be put back on track. Advertisement For instance: Is it possible for an avowedly Jewish state to offer equal rights and democratic privileges to its Arab citizens? Is anti-Zionism actually just another manifestation of anti-Semitism? How do you separate legitimate security concerns from territorial ambitions? Who bears more of the blame for the failure of 100 years of peace-making efforts, Israel or the Palestinians? Was Zionism the secular, progressive, Europeanized movement with its roots in Enlightenment rationalism hijacked and transformed? Could Israel regain its standing in the world by ending the occupation? What went wrong? Thats the unspoken question behind every page of Milton Viorsts Zionism, a smart, analytical, engaging history Nicholas Goldberg on Zionism It becomes clear very quickly in Viorsts book that there is not, and never was, a simple or monolithic Zionist ideology. From Herzls earliest days peddling what seemed a nearly unimaginable, fantastical dream to return the Jews from their diaspora to the land of the Bible after nearly 2,000 years the movement was riven and undecided about both its tactics and its objectives. Cultural Zionists, socialist Zionists, revisionist Zionists and religious Zionists each emerging group had different aspirations for the new country. There were ultra-orthodox Jews who believed there should be no Jewish state in the Holy Land before the coming of the Messiah, and secular Jews who thought the rabbis should have no special authority in the new country; Sephardic Jews and Ashkenazi Jews; stetl Jews from Russia and assimilated, educated Jews from Germany and England, each bringing their own baggage, literally and metaphorically. Some Jews believed the new state should include not only present-day Israel but also the West Bank; some believed it should include Jordan as well. Still others believed there should be no Jewish state at all, just a democratic, binational country shared with the Palestinian Arabs. It is miraculous, frankly, that such a fractious, factionalized group of people scattered around the globe managed the extraordinary task of holding together (through two World Wars, among other things) to see to it that the state was created. And it goes without saying that once Israel was founded, those divisions didnt simply vanish, but were instead baked into the politics of the new country, where they still exist today. Of all the divisions, Viorst pays most attention to the split between mainstream Zionists and the so-called Revisionist Zionists, led in the pre-state years by the articulate, charismatic Vladimir Jabotinsky. Born in Odessa in 1880, Jabotinsky believed that the diplomatic route to statehood was a delusion, and that only arms and force would bring a Jewish state into being. Soldiers in the revisionist Irgun militia engaged in occasional firefights and shootouts with mainstream Zionists and carried out acts of terrorism against both the British and the Arabs. Ben-Gurion, the leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, once referred to Jabotinsky as Vladimir Hitler, provoking an enormous row. Yet revisionism survived. It was Jabotinskys disciple, Menachem Begin in alliance with a growing community of religious Zionists who viewed the West Bank as a non-transferable gift of God to the Jews who empowered the settlement movement in what he called Judea and Samaria after the Six Day War in 1967. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself is a revisionist princeling: His father was secretary to Jabotinsky and was with him when he died. The sons politics are firmly rooted in revisionism, which, Viorst says, has grown only harsher since Jabotinskys time. Todays Israel is mired in Jabotinskys ideals, not Herzls stuck in the Begin era, writes Viorst. Viorst is correct that Jabotinsky, Begin, Netanyahu and their followers have made Zionism tougher, more rigid, militaristic and divided. Yet it would be simplistic to blame the revisionists and the religious Zionists alone for Israels problems with the Palestinians. Its not like the mainstream of the movement had been rapidly reaching a rapprochement. Few Zionist leaders mainstream, revisionist or otherwise were inclined to think much about the Palestinians needs or desires in the early years. Most had come of age in a Europe marked by deadly pogroms or the Holocaust, and were monomaniacal in pursuit of a state to protect the Jews. Ben-Gurion, who emerges from Viorsts book as the most effective and consequential of the Zionist leaders, was not particularly inclined toward accommodation. Ben-Gurions focus was not on peace; it was on security, which he based solely on Israels military domination of the region, writes Viorst. Brilliant as was his life of service, it was marred by his failure to build sustainable ties with the peoples among whom the Jews now lived. In the end, Viorsts book presents only one piece of a complicated history. It is not, for instance, the story of the Palestinians. It has little in it about the legitimate grievances of the Arabic-speaking population or the rise of Palestinian nationalism or about the many mistakes Palestinian leaders have made over the years. For that, look elsewhere. Nor is this a work of new scholarship. Rather it is a concise history both of the ideas and the events that led Israel to the place it is today. In some places it falls back on a rote chronology of events; it is better when it analyzes, synthesizes and draws historical connections. These days, prospects for peace seem terribly remote. The dashed hopes of the last few decades attributable, mostly, to the combined failures of Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and successive Netanyahu governments have left the two-state solution in grave danger. Theres plenty of blame to go around and there are plenty of reasons for the impasse, but I was struck by Viorsts description of the opening speeches of the Palestinian and Israeli delegates at the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991, which he covered: The speakers, he wrote at the time, abused history, abjured self-examination, wallowed in self-pity, preened in righteousness. This book, by contrast, attempts an honest, sympathetic-yet-critical portrayal of Israel. Thats tough to do given how overwrought and inflamed the subject is. But until more people on all sides try, its difficult to see how the conflict will be solved. Goldberg is editor of The Times editorial pages. He covered the Middle East in the 1990s. :: Zionism: The Birth and Transformation of an Ideal by Milton Viorst Thomas Dunne Books: 336 pp., $27.99 A clear fault line emerged in the Democratic Party primaries leading up to the 2008 presidential election. Sen. Barack Obama, a former community organizer, ran as the head of, inspirer of, voice of a political movement: His campaign rallying cry, Yes, we can summoned the power of popular demand; it was Saul Alinsky and Cesar Chavez, the civil rights and labor movements, the feminist achievement, the Underground Railroad. This was the voice of marches and rallies and Frederick Douglass oratory. His primary opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, who had previously borrowed and bought into the African paean to collective action, It Takes a Village, took a more practical if less inspiring tack: She replied, in essence, that, sorry, marches and rallies and speeches dont get it done. Although she was more diplomatic about it, her approach was aimed at showing her young opponent to be callow and naive real change takes the slow grind of administrative and legislative toil. That is an argument Sean Wilentz takes up passionately: Hes not interested in mere show; he wants results. Wilentz gets it. One of Americas great modern historians, and also a devoted and outspoken liberal who writes left-leaning columns on the side, Wilentz happily joins the little-d democratic fight for equality and against privilege. Advertisement One of the heroes of his new book, The Politicians and the Egalitarians: The Hidden History of American Politics, is Thomas Paine, the pamphleteer and rabble-rouser who gave form to an argument that America was exceptional because it broke from the elitist traditions of Europe and embraced a new ethos of equality, as least as compared to other societies of the time. One of Wilentzs villains is that new hip-hop musical star, Alexander Hamilton. For Wilentz, the problem and the crux of his distinction between Paine and Hamilton is that Paine was the consummate egalitarian while Hamilton, who came to America as a teenage orphan, saw Americas future dependent on the creation of a wealthy elite. Wilentz finds in Americas founding a deep commitment to egalitarianism, and while this engrossing and deeply enriching book is both history and argument, much of it is devoted to the long struggle for that equality that John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Paine, and a surprising number of the Founders embraced, at least rhetorically (although it was generally assumed that this leveling was limited to people who were white and, in terms of political participation, male). Lincoln is also here, and LBJ and Teddy Roosevelt. So too are John Brown and W.E.B. DuBois. Unless youre a professional scholar, much of what Wilentz describes will be like discovering a rich new dessert, one such tasty bit being a description of how Browns raid on Harpers Ferry led members of the newly formed Republican Party to pass over the better-known William Seward, a former two-term governor of New York and twice-elected member of the United States Senate, and hand the partys presidential nomination to an Illinois lawyer named Abraham Lincoln, who had been a state legislator except for two years in the U.S. House. Wilentz has also long viewed the American labor movement as a vital piece of the fight for equality, and although I taught about the Homestead steelworker strike as part of my social movements course at Princeton, where Wilentz is a professor of American history, his description of that seminal event tosses in what were to me rich new nuggets of information and insight in his chapter on the Gilded Age. If you want to read this book and you should read it as simply a rewarding insight into how we got from A to B, and some of the fascinating steps along the way a history youll be well rewarded. But Mr. Wilentz will not be happy. Because what he wants you to understand is that Hillary Clinton was right: Social movements are important in establishing awareness of problems and a demand for solutions. But the solutions come not merely from demands but from effective political action, which includes using the governance levers of the American republic and not just the public platforms of democracy. On that, Wilentz and I are on the same page. Spare me your parades and outbursts unless you have a follow-up plan that includes concrete steps to get change enacted the only way it can really be enacted in a constitutional democratic republic: through political action. Here, for example, is Wilentz talking about the over-mythologized Lincoln: Lincoln may have had his own purposes, like the Almighty, but those purposes always included gaining or maintaining political advantage, often enough by cagey and unexhilarating means. Although he was often unsuccessful, his political cunning was his strength, and not a corrupting weakness. Lincolns opposite, of course, was the bloody and decidedly unpragmatic idealism of a John Brown. The contrast posed by Brown, Wilentz writes, is between a savage, heedless politics of purity and a politics of the possible. John Brown was not a harbinger of idealism and justice, but a purveyor of curdled and finally destructive idealism. As in so much of this book, Wilentz the historian is visiting the past to send a message to those of us who live in the 21st century. That point having been made, however, Wilentzs further argument his case for stronger parties begins to slip and, ironically, thats because his prescription for achieving the political ends he envisions is rooted in a past that has unfortunately slipped away from us. Whats required, he believes, is not the burgeoning post-partisan movement but the exact opposite: more partisanship, stronger parties. You can see the conflict: My last book was The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats Into Americans. I tell you that because youll have to take what I say now with that in mind; on that piece of Wilentzs argument Im not a neutral observer. The Founders very deliberately rejected the party-centric parliamentary systems they knew in Europe. Today, as we move ever closer to party government, we find it harder, not easier, to bring about the kinds of paradigm-shifting changes Wilentz desires. The same is true for those whose views differ greatly from his: When government is divided in a heavily partisan system, change in any direction is difficult. The Founders might have thought that was the whole idea big change should require something close to consensus but its not what Sean Wilentz the activist wants. He cant have both: When politics becomes a constant war between conflicting party loyalties, one gets stalemate, not change. As Ronald Reagan might have said, partisanship is not the solution, partisanship is the problem. The problem is in definition and in, as it happens, the historical timeline. Wilentz imagines a partisan political system in which wise party leaders, committed to the public interest, carefully guide their members through a legislative process that produces results for the common good. And indeed there was a time when leaders in Congress were more inclined to take their constitutional responsibilities seriously to understand that they were not servants of the White House when the presidency was held by a member of the same party, or to offer knee-jerk resistance if the White House fell into the wrong hands. A time when party leaders like the ones Wilentz imagines to exist today worked to build congressional majorities drawn from both sides of the aisle. Perhaps that day will come again but it is not what we have today. Instead, a combination of closed party primaries, partisan gerrymandering and laws that give ideologues (who dominate party primaries) the ability to limit ballot access, has created an altogether different, and much less desirable, kind of partisan process than Wilentz might have in mind. He is right absolutely right that to actually make good things happen, including the advances in equality he rightly desires, will require more than rallies and marches; it will also require engagement with the political process. But in todays ideology-driven Congress, giving partisans even more control is, I promise, the last thing Wilentz should want. Mickey Edwards served in Congress for 16 years, after which he taught government at Harvard and Princeton for more than a decade. He is a former columnist for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune and had his own weekly political commentary on NPRs All Things Considered before he returned to Washington as a vice president of the Aspen Institute, where he runs a bipartisan political leadership program. :: The Politicians and the Egalitarians: The Hidden History of American Politics By Sean Wilentz W.W. Norton: 384 pp., $28.95 Airbnb sued a third California city Friday, arguing that the beach town of Santa Monica violated federal laws protecting privacy and online speech. In its 22-page suit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the company alleges that an ordinance Santa Monica officials passed in May 2015 violates the 1st and 4th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution with a series of onerous requirements for property owners who offer short-term rentals. For the record: This article states that in 2015, Santa Monica outlawed rentals of less than 30 days. In fact, such vacation rentals were already illegal. The 2015 law clarified the citys ban on unsupervised short-term vacation rentals, but it allowed such rentals if the primary resident remains on the property, has a city business license and pays Santa Monicas 14% occupancy tax. The ordinance mandates the property owners, or hosts, meet requirements such as posting their business licenses on their online listings and adhering to city fire and building codes. The law also subjects data held by the rental websites to review. Property owners and rental websites such as Airbnb and Homeaway could face civil and criminal penalties for violating the law. Advertisement Santa Monicas clumsily written law punishes hosts who depend on home sharing to make ends meet and travelers looking for low-cost accommodations near the beach, said Alison Schumer, a spokeswoman for Airbnb. The city is unwilling to make necessary improvements to its draconian law, so while this isnt a step we wanted to take, its the best way to protect our community of hosts and guests. Santa Monica city offices were closed Friday and officials were not immediately available to comment. Airbnbs lawsuit is the latest move by the company to counter attempts by local governments to keep the industry out of their neighborhoods. Residents near some of the rental homes have complained of noise, littering and other nuisances. As part of the Santa Monica ordinance, city officials outlawed rentals of less than 30 days. The ordinance allows arrangements such as renting a spare room for longer periods, but hosts in those deals must acquire licenses and pay the citys 14% hotel tax. Santa Monica passed the ordinance to assuage irritated neighbors, affordable housing advocates and the hotel industry. The law won unanimous passage and was seen as a test case for how cities might rein in the so-called sharing economy. But Eric Goldman, a Santa Clara University law professor who has reviewed Santa Monicas law, questioned the legality of the ordinance. Goldman said the way Santa Monica crafted its language requires Airbnb and other rental websites to ensure that property advertisers are in compliance with the citys laws. Theyre trying to hold the website accountable for what their advertisers are doing, Goldman said. Federal law doesnt allow that. Theres obviously a market demand for short-term rentals, both on the supplier and the renter side, Goldman said. We need to be really clear: Whats the problem created by those matches that needs to be resolved by the law? Airbnbs lawsuit is the third case it has brought over the last three months against cities attempting to thwart the short-term rental industry. In June, Airbnb sued San Francisco, its hometown, over a law that penalized rental websites that post properties for owners who dont have a city permit or exceed the number of nights allowed to rent. Then in July, Airbnb filed suit against Anaheim, challenging a new city law that imposes fines on short-term rental sites for listing homes and apartments that violate the citys rental regulations during an 18-month period until such rentals are banned. Hundreds of short-term rental properties have flooded the market near the Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim Convention Center, drawing complaints from residents about noise, traffic and parking problems. Airbnbs lawsuit contended that punishing the rental site for violations by property owners was unfair and unconstitutional. After Airbnb sued, Anaheim officials reviewed the law and agreed not to enforce the provision that would punish hosting sites. But the law will remain on the books, and the ban on short-term rentals is set to begin in April 2018. Airbnb has said it plans to file for dismissal of the case against Anaheim. ivan.penn@latimes.com Follow me at @ivanlpenn ALSO Robots are becoming security guards. Once it gets arms ... itll replace all of us Jobs report may put interest rate hike in question Samsung halts Galaxy Note 7 sales after battery explosions Wetzels Pretzels, the Pasadena pretzel chain, has been sold to a Dallas private equity firm. Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, a Los Angeles private equity firm that has owned Wetzels for nine years, sold its majority stake to CenterOak Partners for an undisclosed amount, said Bill Phelps, Wetzels chief executive and co-founder. The deal closed Thursday. The company will remain based in Pasadena. There are no plans to close any of the nearly 300 locations or lay off any of the chains roughly 3,000 employees, Phelps said. Advertisement Phelps, who will stay on as CEO and the largest individual shareholder, said Levine Leichtman held onto its stake in the chain for far longer than most private equity investments. But the firm was closing the fund and had to sell. We went out and did an auction because they had to close out their funds, Phelps said. CenterOak Partners made the best offer both in terms of money and keeping the team in place. Phelps and co-founder Rick Wetzel launched Wetzels Pretzels in 1994; the pair had met working in marketing for Nestle USA. Since the first store opened in the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, the chain has grown to about 290 locations nationwide and 20 locations internationally in countries including Canada and Malaysia. Wetzel will retain a seat on the board, but no longer will serve as president. Wetzel is co-founder of the fast-growing pizza chain Blaze Pizza. Phelps said Wetzels Pretzels mall business has remained strong, despite reports of struggling malls and big-box retailers. Year to date, same-store sales have grown 6.7%, he said. However, Phelps acknowledged that future growth is likely to come increasingly from properties outside of traditional malls, such as train stations, bus terminals and inside Wal-Mart supercenters. Where one of the densest, most urban neighborhoods in Los Angeles now stands was once the small farming community of Prospect Park, which by the late 1800s boasted acres of fragrant citrus trees planted in orderly rows across gently rolling hills. The citrus groves thrived in the shelter of the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, which kept the tree-killing frost at bay during winter and were also the source of the rich alluvial soil that covered what was then known as the Cahuenga Valley. Prospect Park was to the east of an ambitious little town known as Hollywood, to which it was connected by the tiny steam-drawn cars of the Cahuenga Valley Railroad and later by a streetcar that ran down the center of unpaved Prospect Avenue. Advertisement It was to capitalize on Hollywoods growing popularity in the 1900s that Prospect Parks town leaders decided to re-christen their settlement as East Hollywood. When both towns eagerly agreed to annexation by the city of Los Angeles in 1910, most of Prospect Avenue was renamed Hollywood Boulevard. Cateye Spectacles and the vintage clothing shop Hutch. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) The name was gone, but the same endless supply of sunshine that made Southern California ideal for farming also made it ideal for making silent movies, which relied on the sun for lighting and were filmed on open-air stages. Arrayed along the 1.5-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard between Western Avenue and Hoover Street were the studios where D.W. Griffith shot many of his masterpieces, Charles Fox launched the precursor to 20th Century Fox and the actor Charles Ray continued to build out what would later become the KCET studios. Institutions flocked to the area as well: Childrens Hospital Los Angeles moved to Sunset Boulevard in 1914, with Hollywood Presbyterian, Cedars of Lebanon and Kaiser Permanentes Los Angeles Medical Center eventually following suit. Stunning photos, celebrity homes: Get the free weekly Hot Property newsletter Downtowns Normal School moved to a campus on Vermont Avenue, which soon became the first home of what would become UCLA. And on a knoll overlooking Hollywood Boulevard, oil heiress Aline Barnsdall created an art park that features Frank Lloyd Wrights Hollyhock House and outbuildings by Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra. Today, East Hollywood is known for its rich cultural diversity. Little Armenia and Thai Town are just blocks apart, the Ukrainian Cultural Center is here as well, and the neighborhood has long been home to a vibrant Latino community. Neighborhood highlights Global cuisines on a budget: From the original Zankou Chicken to hangover spot El Gran Burrito and every kind of joint in between (Pa Ord Noodle, were looking at you), East Hollywoods got great eats at low, low prices. The (housing) price is right: Surrounded by more expensive neighborhoods, East Hollywood offers access to hip enclaves at a lower price point. Commuter connections: The real action in East Hollywood is on rails. With three Metro stations in the neighborhood, downtown, the Westside and the Valley are just a train ride away. Oil-based paintings and other items at Eric Bergs Early California Antiques on Melrose Avenue. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) Neighborhood challenges The road to recovery is long: Damage to local businesses during the 92 riots dealt a blow to the neighborhoods economy, but recent reinvestments in the area, including an expansion of L.A. City College and new mixed-use housing developments, are helping to bring jobs back. Expert insight Redfin agent Nikki Kilmer, who lives just west of East Hollywood, has seen big changes in the community in recent months. My favorite corner is Melrose and Western, she said. There was nothing there three months ago, but now there is street art and new restaurants. As for housing, Kilmer said the area is definitely more geared toward renters. The neighborhood is so central, you can get to downtown, Silver Lake or West Hollywood in minutes, she said. Its a really great transitional area, particularly for people looking to save for a home or are new to the area. Market spotlight Portions of the 90027 and the 90029 ZIP Codes overlap the area. In July, based on 17 sales, the median price for a single-family home was $1.255 million. In the 90029 ZIP, the median price was $617,000, based on two sales. Report card There are six elementary schools within the boundaries of East Hollywood. Among them is Harvard Elementary, which scored 829 out of 1,000 in the 2013 Academic Performance Index. Lexington Avenue Primary Center had a score of 801, and Kingsley Elementary scored 788. Nearby schools include Thomas Starr King Middle and Virgil Middle, which scored 843 and 745, respectively. Helen Bernstein High had a score of 634. hotproperty@latimes.com At a time when the word curated is as likely to describe the garnishes in your ham sandwich as it is to address the thinking behind an art exhibition, its refreshing to come across Executive Decisions: The Personal Landscape Legacy of American Presidents at the Center for Land Use Interpretation in Culver City. Smartly focused and radically open-ended, the exhibition brings together a fascinating mass of data that incites and inspires visitors to think for themselves. Four touch-screen monitors deliver the goods: About 800 pictures of every place every U.S. president has ever lived as well as the places each of them is buried. Concise captions accompany the photographs of cabins, plantations, apartments, farmhouses, beach retreats, backyard graves and national cemeteries. Advertisement The stories that unfold as you wend your way through 284 years of history (George Washington was born in 1732) are complex and multilayered. Conflict and craziness seem to be essential to the life-stories of the 43 exemplary citizens, especially as the rudiments of their daily lives are transformed into the stuff of legends. Facts are often elusive. No one knows, for example, where Chester A. Arthur was born. The 1953 replica of his parents home (which stands five miles north of Fairfield, Vt., near the Canadian border) was based on a photograph of the house his parents moved into in 1830 a year after he was born. In the 1880s, many Democrats contended that Arthur was born in Dunham, in Quebec. His tombstone, in Menands, N.Y., compounds the confusion, listing his birthdate as 1830. Some of the sites themselves are similarly complicated. William McKinleys birth home in Niles, Ohio, seems to have taken on a life of its own. After McKinley moved out, the two-story wood-plank home was cut in half and moved to two locations: An amusement park and the back lot of a bank. In 1909, a real estate developer reunited the two halves as the centerpiece of a housing development. It burned down in 1937. That location is now a parking lot. Back in Niles, a replica home was built where McKinleys original birth home stood. Known as the McKinley Birthplace Home and Research Center, it bears little resemblance to the real thing. And it is dwarfed by the National McKinley Birthplace Memorial (which houses the McKinley Memorial Library and the McKinley Museum), a massive marble structure on a five-acre lot up the street. Thats not even the tip of the iceberg. Its great fun to scroll your way through the scenes and stories introduced by the exhibition. Entertaining and engrossing, hilarious and harrowing, its a user-friendly version of big data: Neither overwhelming in its vastness nor restrictive in its argumentation, it gets you thinking about the pasts place in the present and what that means for each of us not to mention the future. +++ Executive Decisions: The Personal Landscape Legacy of American Presidents Where: The Center for Land Use Interpretation, 9331 Venice Blvd., Culver City When: Through Nov. 8 Info: clui.org Sign up for the Essential Arts & Culture newsletter TV and film actor Jon Polito, the bumbling private snoop in The Big Lebowski who left his mark in several Coen Brothers films, has died. He was 65. Politos Coen filmography included Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasnt There and Millers Crossing, which placed him among the gaggle of actors comprising the informal Coen Brothers repertory. For the record: An earlier version of this article said that Polito was being treated for melanoma. He was being treated for multiple myeloma. But the veteran actor racked up the bulk of his credits with a prolific career in television. Advertisement See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Born in 1950, the Philadelphia native had a career that spanned three-and-a-half decades. It m with the 1980s miniseries The Gangster Chronicles, in which Polito played New York mobster Tommy Three Finger Brown Luchesse in the NBC series. That was the first of his many Mafioso and criminal roles both dramatic and comedic. Among the most memorable of his roles was his turn as hotheaded gang chief Johnny Caspar in Millers Crossing, who pronounced ethics as ettics. Gangster parts are incredibly theatrical, Polito told The Times in 1990. I felt like I was this fallen king like Nero. I blustered and grunted so much that I was worried I might be going over the top. But everyone said, Play him as big as you want to go. Polito died of cancer Thursday at City of Hope Hospital, where he was being treated for multiple myeloma, his manager, Maryellen Mulcahy, told the Associated Press Friday. Director John McNaughton, who worked with Polito on the 1990s series Homicide: Life on the Street and 2006s Masters of Horror, first shared the news of Politos death Friday and paid tribute to the late actor on Facebook. Very sad to learn that my dear friend and collaborator, Jon Polito has passed away, McNaughton wrote, adding, He appeared in over 100 films, countless TV episodes and on Broadway. Jon was a born actor and will be deeply missed by his legion of friends, fans, family and of course his long time partner, Darryl Armbruster to whom I send my condolences. R.I.P. old pal - JM. Polito most recently appeared in 2014s Big Eyes and played Dragna in 2013s Gangster Squad. He also took on a role in Major Crimes, played Wayne Knights landlord in Seinfeld, Danny DeVitos brother in Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Ed ONeills former business partner-turned-nemesis in Modern Family. The thick-accented voice actor lent raspy inflection to animated series American Dad and Thundercats and also did video game work. Polito was next slated to star in Adam Cushmans The Maestro, which is in pre-production and slated for 2017. The openly gay star worked on and off Broadway in his early years, winning the Obie Award in 1980. He appeared alongside Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich in the 1984 Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman, playing Howard Wagner. His other accolades include the 2005 Cinequest Film Festivals Maverick Spirit Event Award and the 2012 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival award for best actor in a short film for Anti-Muse. He is survived by Armbruster, his husband. Follow me: @NardineSaad ALSO PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2016 AMC theaters pay tribute to Gene Wilder with Willy Wonka, Blazing Saddles showings Birth of a Nation star Gabrielle Union: Sexual violence happens more often than anyone can imagine Christian Lacroix raised a few eyebrows in France back in 2007 when he became the first couturier to decorate a bottle of water. But the project with Evian was a hit, shipping millions of limited-edition bottles, popularizing the Lacroix name and aesthetic, and kicking off a decade of other fashionable collaborations with the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Elie Saab, Paul Smith, Kenzo and Alexander Wang. To mark the 10th anniversary of the project, Evian tapped Lacroix for an encore, with 750-ml. bottles and facial sprays slated to arrive hotels, cafes, restaurants and stores from Sept. 6. Advertisement Creative director Sacha Walckhoff, who succeeded the founder following the shuttering of the couture house and its transformation into a licensed business, went for blue and pink bottles, symbolizing a gradient horizon at sunrise and sunset respectively. Reflecting on the project, Lacroix chief executive officer Nicolas Topiol said it confirmed to us that Lacroix could do iconic designs people relate to and that people were happy to grab a piece of the dream in buying the premium beverage. Walckhoff revisited a pattern called Paseo that Lacroix used for the red wedding dress that capped his fall 2002 couture show, and famously worn by Madonna in a Steven Klein shoot for W in 2003. Its skirt was based on a bullfighting cape with a pattern mixing swirling garlands, flowers and curlicues. That print has more recently appeared on a range of handbags, along with home products. Its a very flexible design, and its always done well, Topiol said. Lacroix plans to celebrate the Evian milestone with a party Saturday at its Saint-Sulpice boutique in Paris. The event, which falls during the Maison & Objet trade show, is also an occasion to mark the fifth anniversary of Lacroixs push into home wares, which now account for roughly half the business. What started with fabrics has expanded to cushions, wallpapers, carpets, tabletop and furniture, along with such lifestyle products as stationary, phone cases and candles.The retail value of Lacroix-branded products is estimated at about $200 million. At Saturdays event, Topiol and Walckhoff are to unveil a capsule collection of pillows, plates and stationary featuring a print blending tropical plants and buildings. Sonia Rykiel was remembered at her funeral Thursday as a singular fashion personality whose free spirit and joie de vivre defined a particular brand of Parisian style. A sea of black-clad friends and family from the fashion world and beyond gathered at the Cimetiere du Montparnasse. The famous cemetery is also the resting place of the likes of Charles Baudelaire, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Samuel Beckett and Susan Sontag. Filled with poetic speeches and musical passages, including a heart-soaring performance by violinist Renaud Capucon, the ceremony reflected the unique fashion legacy and culture-soaked life of the flame-haired French designer, who died here on Aug. 25 at age 86 following a 20-year battle with Parkinsons disease. Advertisement Alber Elbaz, Peter Copping, Jean-Marc Loubier, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Sidney Toledano, Didier Grumbach and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo were among those who came to bid adieu to Rykiel. Longtime collaborator and photographer Dominique Issermann arrived with former Rykiel model Anne Rohart. I started working with her in 1979. We did all the advertising visuals until 1990, shot 25 collections.Sonia Rykiel picked us when we were nothing. We were two beginners. Anne had never done photos and I had never shot for fashion. I shot black clothes on black with just a small white trim and that really what gave me a leg up, said Issermann, adding, She was running a big company and she was doing it with the ease of a cat. She was such a strong personality of the fashion world, an exceptional woman with such vision. Our paths never crossed professionally, but they did on a personal level and I have such wonderful memories, Toledano said. Nathalie Rykiel led mourners up the cemeterys central alley to a statue of the Angel of Eternal Sleep where guests stood around a lectern under the blazing sun, a light breeze rustling through the leaves of the surrounding trees. Bringing a smile to guests faces, the ceremony opened with a fun musical mix by Rykiels composer son, Jean-Philippe, that sampled famous Rykiel phrases like, I started by making a sweater; I ended up the queen of knitwear, without even knowing how to knit, and I love children, especially my own. Sharing some personal memories, former French prime minister Lionel Jospin, who is typically fiercely private, confessed he was clueless about fashion before meeting Rykiel, sheepishly recalling a Vogue feature in the late Seventies on politicians style that described his look as disastrous. Entering Sonia Rykiels world initiated me in the art of clothes, he said. It also showed me what it takes to create a house, a style, a name that resonates both in France and the world over; the level of talent it involves, the ability to connect with women and capture lair du temps, the sense of color and form, the ability to seduce. Journalist and documentary-maker Loic Prigent, who has made several films about Rykiel, also shared his memories of the designer. Sonia Rykiel designed for those who, like her, want to have their cake and eat it, too.She was a true redhead and made sure the house archives were filled with Polaroids to prove it. She wrote both on books and sweaters; she added mouths to her dresses because she liked to eat, kiss and tell fibs, he said, describing the family atmosphere of the Sonia Rykiel flagship on the Boulevard Saint-Germain. She would treat her collaborators like her own children. She adored them, but she would always be the one who added the last bow, the last rhinestone, to a look so that it was just right. Rykiels three granddaughters also each gave speeches. I am no longer 10, but until Thursday, I thought we would find a solution and that you would get over the illness: a serum, some medicine, a lover or a magical knit, said Lola Rykiel, brand director of public relations for North America, who also shared insight into Rykiels approach. You would ask me how girls dress in New York. You always said that to find inspiration you liked to observe girls in the streets, the ones who dont care about being trendy. You looked at their walk, their legs, whether they had a book in their hand or seemed to be in love. You werent interested in perfection. You preferred that they had a certain something, a mix of sense of humor, insolence and grace. Their words made me fly, they really made us get a deeper sense of the designer but also the person, said an emotional Elbaz following the ceremony. And it made me love her even more. Say what you will about the culinary landscape in Orange County: It may be home to strip malls packed with chain restaurants, but its also where the artisanal food hall scene is taking off like nowhere else in California. Angelenos may not think twice about driving from East Pasadena to Venice Beach for a pastry. A trip down the 5 Freeway to Orange County for lunch? Not likely. But a new wave of food halls that have opened in the O.C. over the last five years should have people planning trips to the area, in search of many things from an excellent beef dip sandwich to Fanny Bay oysters to tacos. Heres a look at the food halls making Orange County suburbia a dining destination. Advertisement See the most-read stories in Life & Style this hour The OC Mix in SoCo in Costa Mesa Burnham Ward Properties bought what was the South Coast Home Furnishings Center in 2009 and turned it into a destination for all things food, fashion and design. In its current state, its not impossible to spend an entire day roaming around, grazing on cheese, chocolate chip cookies and waffles. Maybe start with a coffee and a pastry, buy a couch before lunch, learn what all the fuss is about at a restaurant named one of the best in Southern California, restock your bar, try on a couple of vintage dresses, then stick around for dinner and dessert. For tenants, we look for unique crafters and creators, artists who use food as a their canvas, said Anais Tangie, marketing coordinator for the shopping center. Dont miss: Anything and everything on the menu at chef Carlos Salgados Taco Maria. The restaurant has been lauded by many; Jonathan Gold had it as No. 2 on his 101 Best Restaurants list last year. There might be posole with abalone on the prix-fixe menu one night and a smoked sturgeon taco the next. Theres also Sunday brunch. Sip this: Coffee from Portola and anything you can make with tools from the Mixing Glass. Portola is Orange Countys answer to the hipster coffee culture in Los Angeles. Each drink comes with a story behind the beans and is brewed to order. The Mixing Glass is where youll find everything you need to make an excellent cocktail, including tools, glassware, spirits and bitters. The grilled cheese is one of the signature dishes at Shuck in the OC Mix at SoCo in Costa Mesa. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times ) Must Instagram: The grilled cheese sandwich from Shuck Oyster Bar. Its listed on the menu as cheese. butter. love. And yes, its that simple. Gooey cheese and buttery, crisp bread make for a great photo try to get someone to pull the sandwich apart for some major cheese stretch action. You should probably also order some oysters, and bring your own bottle of wine (no corkage!). Info: 3313 Hyland Ave., Costa Mesa, www.shoptheocmix.com 4th Street. Market in Santa Ana This food hall, which opened in February 2015, is supposed to serve as a culinary incubator for up-and-coming restaurateurs and chefs, as well as a place to get a good meal. And in addition to the restaurant stalls, theres East End Incubator Kitchens, which has small kitchen spaces for rent. Our goal is to have someone start in our East End Kitchens, at some point grow into a mini restaurant and then have a brick-and-mortar somewhere, said Ryan Chase, the developer behind the market. Chase also said it was important to keep the market community-centric by seeking out independent operators. I want to say at least 90% are either born [or] raised in Santa Ana, said Chase. These vendors offer a mix of cuisines: a pizza place, a Vietnamese stall, an eclectic taco-maker and a stall devoted to all things pork. Dont miss: The Pho French dip banh mi sandwich from Sit Low Pho. Its a big, comforting bowl of brisket pho you can eat with your hands, in sandwich form. Thick slices of Angus brisket are layered on a baguette with all the typical pho accouterments, including herbs and jalapeos; the sandwich is served alongside a bowl of pho broth for dipping. Jinnys Pizzeria at The 4th Street Market in Santa Ana serves pizzas that are beyond the obvious, like their signature spaghetti and meatball pizza. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Sip this: A nice glass of wine, one of six craft beers on tap or a house-made soda from Recess, the bar at the market, run by the folks behind Playground restaurant in Santa Ana. Must Instagram: The spaghetti and meatball pizza from Jinnys. If there was ever a dish made specifically to be shared via social media, this is it. Its a cheese pizza topped with bits of meatball and full strands of spaghetti, cheese and tomato sauce. So carbs on top of carbs, plus cheese and a little bit of meat. Yes, its as good as it sounds. Info: 201 E. 4th St., Santa Ana, www.4thstreetmarket.com Lot 579 at Pacific City in Huntington Beach At sunset, even during the week, its not uncommon to find couples sitting outside watching the coastline or families playing ping-pong or foosball in the middle of the shopping center, which opened in 2015. The $135-million project, developed by DJM Capital Partners, is quieter and a bit more upscale than Main Street just a few blocks away. Theres also an impressive food hall called Lot 579 in one corner and a couple restaurants throughout. We were looking for a special alchemy of food and beverage concepts that would reflect the adventurous, beach- and surf-inspired spirit of Huntington Beach, said Linda Berman, chief marketing officer at DJM Capital Partners. Theres a restaurant that specializes in oysters, a fish market with a view of the ocean, an ice cream parlor whose original location opened in the O.C. in 1972 and a sandwich shop that puts spaghetti in its grilled cheese. The seafood case at Bear Flag in Huntington Beach. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times ) Dont miss: Bear Flag Fish Co. (the original location is in Newport Beach). Its a fresh fish market and restaurant with a view of the ocean. This is where you can have poke for lunch, then buy salmon steaks to take home to cook for dinner. Theres usually a line, so expect to wait a bit. Sip this: Champagne at Petals & Pop. Its a flower shop that happens to serve Champagne. You can buy a flower arrangement, check out some cookbooks and gifts in the back, then cap the afternoon shopping with some bubbly served in a vintage coupe glass. Must Instagram: The Southern fried chicken sandwich from Burnt Crumbs is everything you want from a fried chicken dinner, but on a sandwich. Theres a house-made biscuit, Sriracha honey, country gravy, a garlic mashed potato spread and, of course, crispy fried chicken. (Make sure you get a shot of the honey dripping over the chicken and onto the biscuit.) Theres also a spaghetti grilled cheese that involves spaghetti in red sauce and mozzarella on sourdough bread. #whoa. Info: 21010 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, www.gopacificcity.com/lot-579 Anaheim Packing House Here youll find more than 20 food and drink vendors packed into a century-old former Sunkist packing plant. The 42,000-square-foot, sun-drenched space offers both indoor and outdoor communal seating, clerestory windows, barn-style sliding doors and greenery hanging from the ceiling. The food hall, which opened in 2014, was developed by Shaheen Sadeghi, president and founder of Costa Mesa-based LAB Holding, who also created the Costa Mesa anti-malls the Lab and the Camp. He says the goal in curating vendors, which includes a mix of Asian, Middle Eastern, Southern and Latin food, was to create a place that represented the diversity of cultures found in the city of Anaheim. We love the fact that this is a completely international selection of culinary arts, said Sadeghi. We are also strong believers of the fact that communities today want to do things within their own neighborhood. Dont miss: The prime rib dip sandwich from Kroft. Its basically your classic French dip sandwich on flavor steroids. A French roll is slathered with hot horseradish mayo, a layer of jammy, sweet caramelized onions and ribbons of thinly sliced prime rib. Youre given an option to add cheese (do it). And, yes, the sandwich comes with a cup of jus for dipping. Andrew Winters, bartender at the Blind Rabbit speakeasy was concocting the Wait for it a flaming drink, at the Anaheim Packing House in Anaheim. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times ) Sip this: A cocktail from the Blind Rabbit, a speakeasy inside the market. (Seriously, theres a secret entrance.) Once inside, youre in a small, dimly lighted room with the equivalent of a mad scientist behind the bar (maybe co-owner Robert Adamson or another member from his team). Ask for something flaming and you may be presented a cocktail made with a little rum, pineapple juice and vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon thats lighted on fire so that it sparkles in the dark. Must Instagram: The K2 from Pandor Bakery. Its named after Mt. Godwin-Austen in the northern part of Kashmir, the second-highest mountain in the world, for good reason. A doughnut-croissant hybrid is sliced into several pieces and piled high with layers of sweet custard, whipped cream, sliced bananas and strawberries, a hazelnut chocolate spread, Lucky Charms marshmallows and Fruity Pebbles cereal. Its topped with powdered sugar -- because why not? Info: 440 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, www.anaheimpackingdistrict.com Union Market at the District in Tustin The Croissant Ice Cream Sandwich as served at Churned, located at the Union Market in Tustin. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times ) To get to Union Market, you must first find your way through the District, a giant shopping center that is more or less its own city, complete with a Whole Foods market, a Costco and a movie theater. Because of its retail surroundings, Union Market, which opened in 2014, may feel like just another food court until you take a closer look. The market is run by Andrea Young and her husband, Russell, the couple who helped open the original OC Mart Mix in Costa Mesa (now OC Mix). So that Italian restaurant isnt a Sbarro, its a restaurant cooking pasta to order called Market 2 Plate. The sandwich shop isnt a Subway, its an outlet of Kroft and it makes its own porchetta. And that ice cream shop actually churns its ice cream on the spot, hence the name Churned. Dont miss: Sliders from Hatch. This is the new sliders restaurant and tiki bar from chef Leonard Chan (hes the man behind the Iron Press restaurants in Orange County). You can customize your slider or choose from a rotating list of special sliders. Some of the options include duck, fried oysters, rum-braised pork and meatloaf. And to drink: tiki-style fruity cocktails. Sip this: An espresso from Portola coffee or a milk-and-cookie shot from the Dirty Cookie. A cookie in the shape of a shot glass with a chocolate-coated center serves as a glass for ice-cold milk. Depending on the day, you can order matcha sesame, red velvet, chocolate chip and cookies and cream cookie shot glasses. Must Instagram: A CroCream from Churned Creamery. Its an ice cream sandwich, only instead of a cookie, the ice cream is served on a croissant. So flaky, buttery croissants are split open and stuffed with an ice cream flavor of your choice and three toppings. Its as magical as it sounds. Info: 2493 Park Ave., Tustin, www.unionmarkettustin.com Union Market Mission Viejo The Hamshuka Bowl, center, and the Market Bowl, are available at the Hummus Bowl restaurant at the Union Market in Mission Viejo. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times ) Mission Viejo, with its wide roads and tract houses, can feel like the epitome of suburbia. Thats exactly why the Youngs, the same couple behind Union Market in Tustin, decided to develop a food hall in the area. We chose both Tustin and Mission Viejo because we knew we could offer the surrounding communities a shopping experience that they didnt currently have, said Andrea. This Union Market location is designed as a place to just hang out. On a recent visit, most of a Little League team and the players families sat at a table in the middle of the market, eating a couple of pizzas, while the rest of the team cheered on a ping-pong match nearby. If youre looking for somewhere to take the family, this is it. Its also where youll find artisanal boba milk tea, great hummus, shabu shabu and a full bar. Dont miss: A poke bowl from Diced Bowl. This is one of those build-your-own-poke-bowl restaurants. Maybe you want kale, maybe you want rice; if you want spicy tuna, shrimp and albacore, you can do that too. Then add everything from ponzu sauce to chopped mango as toppings. Sip this: A boba milk tea from Milk Box. This is not your average boba teahouse. The milk teas (think Earl Grey lavender) are made with Organic Valley lactose-free milk or Califia Farms almond milk and sweetened with house-made simple syrup. Must Instagram: The Hamshuka bowl from Hummus Bowl. Its a bowl of the restaurants signature hummus (a bit grainier than most, with little bits of chickpea throughout) topped with spicy shakshuka sauce (often spicy, chunky tomato sauce) and an egg. Its both hearty and beautiful. Info: 27741 Crown Valley Parkway, Mission Viejo, www.unionmarketmissionviejo.com Coming soon: Trade in Irvine A new food hall being developed by the Lincoln Property Co. is scheduled to open on Michelson Drive, just a block from John Wayne Airport, this fall. When it opens, the 9,000-square-foot food hall will include a full-service bar, indoor/outdoor communal dining and eight food concepts. This is the first food hall that will be in a centralized residential and business district, said Parke Miller, senior vice president of the Lincoln Property Co. Andrew Gruel, the founder and executive chef of Slapfish, the food truck turned brick-and-mortar restaurants, is developing two concepts there, including Two Birds (specializing in grilled and fried chicken) and Butterleaf (a plant-based concept). You can also expect a sandwich shop called the Sandwich Company. 2222 Michelson Drive, Irvine, www.2222trade.com ALSO Shin Sen Gumi is opening a drive-through ramen restaurant in Torrance Why chefs love dehydrators, plus some recipes you might actually try This new restaurant serves Taiwanese street food by the Beverly Center Lets start with the hug. Yes, sometimes theres hugging in Sacramento. Such as when political consultants and lobbyists get exactly what they want from state legislators, and theyre so over the moon, they cant help themselves. Im talking about Scott Wetch, labor union lobbyist, and Susan McCabe, prolific hired gun for coastal developers. Wetch and McCabe lobbied vigorously against a bill by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) that would have banned private meetings between California coastal commissioners and the people trying to influence their votes. Advertisement The bill got massacred, 45-12, late Wednesday afternoon. Moments later, Wetch and McCabe were seen having a victory hug, and witnesses tell me McCabe gave Wetch a peck on the cheek. McCabe didnt return my call. Wetch did, saying he recalled the hug but not the peck. Then he added: If somebody saw that, Im sure it happened. I would have celebrated too, if I were in their shoes. McCabe and Wetch have clients to represent, theyre good at what they do, and they got the desired results. But instead of a hug, Californians got a kick in the pants. If youve been keeping score, you know why reforms were necessary, and youre probably having a hard time understanding how the Legislature could justify Wednesdays debacle. Need a recap? Commissioners have met far more often with backers of projects than opponents, and they have broken rules by failing to report private sessions with developers. They have sometimes offered only the briefest accounts of what was discussed in such conversations, or rubber-stamped accounts that were written, quite literally, by the lobbyists themselves. You want more? Two commissioners have accepted campaign donations from McCabes business and domestic partner; ethics investigations are underway. And the Coastal Commission is facing lawsuits related to private conversations between commissioners and developers. What else would have to go wrong for legislators to agree theres a problem? And can someone remove the duct tape from Gov. Jerry Browns mouth? He hasnt uttered a peep about any of this. Sen. Jacksons legislation was one of two clean-up bills that drowned Wednesday in the Sacramento cesspool. The other was by Assembly members Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley). Among other things, the latter would have required McCabe and others who lobby the Coastal Commission to register as lobbyists, so the public would have more information about what theyre up to, whos paying them, etc. Both of these are transparency bills, an outraged Atkins said, calling me midday Wednesday to predict the impending losses. There is no reason for both these bills to go down. Some legislators seemed to be taking positions that had nothing to do with the bills, Atkins said. Instead, personality differences were in play, and petty turf issues that come up when bills move from one house to the other. Sounds like high school, doesnt it? You know, its politics, said Atkins, who called the process disgusting. But not surprising. All youve got to do is look at who lobbied against the reforms to know why they were necessary. The biggest opponents were labor, the Chamber of Commerce, Big Oil, developers and their lobbyists. And what do they have in common? They all stand to benefit from keeping the system as it is now. They want more development, not less, up to and including a controversial desalination plant and massive hotel/residential project in Orange County. And sure, the state could definitely use more jobs in construction and commerce, and there is such a thing as reasonable development. But it cant be at the expense of preserving a coast thats meant for everyone to enjoy, not just those with enough money and lobbying clout to build their castles in the sand. Legislators who opposed the reforms were pulling arguments out of their pockets, so to speak. To hear them, youd think Jackson was an un-American zealot trying to stifle free speech. Actually, commissioners still would have been allowed to visit construction sites under certain circumstances, and all sides would have been free to file written arguments for or against projects and testify at public hearings. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) helped make a farce of the proceedings. In denouncing Jacksons bill, she cited her career as a labor leader and argued that the Coastal Commissions lawyer was threatening labor officials to not speak about issues of concern to their own folks that they represent. After five weeks and 1,100 miles, a deeper love of the California coast, a greater desire to watch over it Really? As I read the lawyers comments, he was merely pointing out that a projects economic impact is beyond the scope of the commissioners purview. Their job is to decide whether a proposal meets the specifications laid down in the Coastal Act, and not to clear the way for a full-employment program along the states 1,100-mile coast. Commissioners serve in a quasi-judicial capacity, making private conversations loaded with potential conflicts that state officials have warned about going back more than 30 years. But legislation that aimed to put an end to private conversations after a 1980s corruption scandal contained a loophole that has been used to turn the lobbying of coastal commissioners into a cottage industry, with billions of dollars in play and the conservation of the coast in peril. Shame on Sacramento for failing the public and the coast. One last thought: Coastal commissioners created this mess, and they were responding to a public outcry in May when they voted, 6-5, to support Jacksons bill banning private communications. Well, theyre free to impose their own ban, as some of them have. Trying to win back the public trust, once youve squandered it, does not require legislation. steve.lopez@latimes.com Get more of Steve Lopezs work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez ALSO A dangerous confluence on the California coast: beach erosion and sea level rise In Hermosa, hoping not to be priced out of a beach vacation Bill to ban behind-the-scenes communications with coastal commissioners is defeated in the Assembly Devan Fuentes made it all the way through San Clemente High School without drinking or using drugs. He vividly remembers the first time he smoked pot. He was visiting a friend at Occidental College, and decided the moment had come. They brought out a giant three-foot bong, Fuentes told me the other day in a rustic coffee shop tucked into this towns historic Los Rios neighborhood. I heard a lot of people dont get high their first time, so I held it in for a long time, one large hit. Immediately, I couldnt feel my legs. This was not an entirely unpleasant sensation for Fuentes, 23, who described his younger self as quiet, prone to depression and even sort of an outcast. Advertisement Pot made him feel more extroverted. And that, he said, kind of opened the door. Hoping to launch a music career, he moved with friends to Oakland in the summer of 2012. But my focus wasnt on music and meeting people, he said. It was on making enough money to get by, and smoking. He worked at a Starbucks and a Japanese restaurant. He got to know the local cannabis dispensaries, where, eventually, he was spending between $120 and $160 each week. In March 2013, less than a year after moving north, he crashed. He vividly remembers the moment he was in full-blown psychosis: I was thinking so hard, my mind started traveling so fast, until I experienced a big, bright light flashing in front of my eyes, like being shot from the base of the Earth into the universe, to outer space, and then coming to a final epiphany. And then I am back inside my body, and I start running around my room to find pieces of paper to write on. Terrified, he called 911. I feel schizophrenic, he told the dispatcher. I am afraid I am going to hurt myself. Could pot have triggered Fuentes psychosis? Or could it have exacerbated an underlying predisposition to mental illness? :: As Californians ponder whether to vote for Proposition 64, the November ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana for adult use, its important to own up to the fact that marijuana is not always the benign bud that many advocates would have us believe, particularly for teens and young adults, whose brains are still developing. Proposition 64 proposes safeguards against sales to those under 21, but the minimum age for obtaining a doctors recommendation for medical marijuana is 18, and that will not change with legalization. Opponents say delivery services such as Eaze, which have sprouted all over the state, will make it easy for minors to skirt the law. And yet, in states such as Colorado, where recreational marijuana was legalized in 2012, there does not appear to have been a spike in teen use. A 2015 survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health found that 21.2% of Colorado high school students reported using marijuana the previous month, a rate slightly below the national average of 21.7%. (There are some reports that show higher use.) Still, apart from some very specific medical uses for conditions such as childhood epilepsy, kids have no business using pot, especially todays stuff, which is way more potent than it used to be. We have a child/adolescent unit that treats kids to age 17, and an adult unit for 18 and older, and we see young people in both age groups who come to the emergency room with florid symptoms of psychosis that appear to be associated with heavy use of marijuana, said Tom Strouse, medical director of UCLAs Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. Sometimes they have a known, preexisting illness, but many do not. Marijuana, he said, can cause psychosis. For some, it will be fleeting. But for those with a genetic or biological risk for a chronic illness such as schizophrenia, Strouse said, heavy marijuana use may hasten or intensify the manifestation, and lead to a worse course than if you never used marijuana at all. Strouses colleague, Mark De Antonio, director of Resnicks Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service, often sees young patients who are having what he called a brief psychotic reaction to pot. They are intoxicated, and may be hallucinating, De Antonio said. They become anxious, and incredibly confused. Its not life-threatening. We dont see that many kids that require hospitalization just because they are stoned out of their minds. Still, both De Antonio and Strouse, who has no problem with his cancer patients using marijuana for nerve pain, said they worry about the toll that pot takes on developing brains. Its clear that acute intoxication impairs learning and memory, and if you are stoned every day as a high school student, you will be less good as a student, said Strouse. The conservative, safe answer is that kids should avoid marijuana, said De Antonio. The realistic answer is probably that intermittent use of marijuana and I mean intermittent, like monthly is not going to be harmful. But if you wake and bake use it when you wake up and all day till you go to sleep I dont think good things come from that. :: After his psychotic break, Fuentes ended up hospitalized for nearly two weeks. Before that, he said, hed been smoking pot constantly and drinking as much as a whole pot of coffee a day. He had also experimented with salvia, a psychoactive plant, and magic mushrooms. There had been warning signs; for a couple of months, he said, hed been having what he described as pre-psychotic symptoms, which included delusions, manic behavior and disassociation. He was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and he has been slowly tapering off mood-stabilizing medication. Now sober for about two years, hes decided to talk about his experience, to destigmatize mental illness but also to help others understand the role that psychoactive drugs may have played in his deterioration. He does not entirely blame cannabis for his psychosis. But, he said, pot definitely played a part. As we face the possibility of plunging headlong into the brave new world of recreational marijuana, we have to be certain that the barriers to teen and adolescent use will be high, no pun intended. In the next few weeks, Ill be taking a close look at how the Adult Use of Marijuana Act proposes paradoxically to make it harder for kids to get their hands on pot, while making it easier for everyone else. Also Latinos hold key to pot legalization, but will they share its riches? Why California voters will probably legalize pot in November Oakland museums marijuana exhibit: Go ahead, touch that bud! robin.abcarian@latimes.com Twitter: @AbcarianLAT Police have arrested a man who sneaked through a vehicle entrance at Van Nuys Airport and boarded a jet, where he hung out smoking a cigarette. Employees discovered the 25-year-old transient Thursday afternoon on a Gulfstream G4 at the airport, which serves noncommercial flights. Los Angeles Airport Police said he hid behind a vehicle entering the airfield and made it to a hangar, then boarded the plane. When confronted, he put out the cigarette, causing about $5,000 in interior damage. Advertisement He was arrested on suspicion of trespassing and vandalism. The airport has seen several other intrusions in recent months, including an incident in which taggers spray-painted three jets. An Associated Press investigation showed that, nationally, people get past airport perimeter security more often than authorities publicly acknowledge. ALSO Deer roams onto beach, interrupting surfing team tryouts Victims identified after fatal fire at adult-care facility in Temecula Twenty children and 20 dogs removed from uninhabitable home; 5 women arrested The Riverside County Coroners Office has identified four of the five victims who died in a suspicious fire that severely damaged an adult-care facility for developmentally disabled adults in Temecula on Monday. The dead were identified as James Jennex, 50; Milford Battison, 37; Richard Driskill, 37; and Jared Prudhomme, 26. A fifth victim was not named pending notification of family. All five were residents of the facility known as the Renee Jennex Small Family Home on Cruz Way, according to state records. Advertisement Police and fire officials are still trying to determine how the fire started as well as the cause of deaths of the victims. Riverside County firefighters rushed to the property just outside Temeculas city limits about 5 a.m. Monday, and spent the next hour battling the blaze. As the flames waned, firefighters discovered one set of human remains. Sheriffs department investigators were called in, and four other sets of adult remains were found, officials said Tuesday. The property had been licensed to care for four developmentally disabled people since 2003, according to California Department of Social Services records. The facility was inspected in 2011, 2012 and most recently, in November. Records show no deficiencies were observed at the time. According to the most recent inspection report, the facility was outfitted with smoke detectors and was conducting monthly disaster drills with its patients. ben.poston@latimes.com Follow @bposton on Twitter. ALSO Transient sneaks onto jet, caught smoking a cigarette before being arrested Deer roams onto beach, interrupting surfing team tryouts Twenty children and 20 dogs removed from uninhabitable home; 5 women arrested Paul Ciancia, the gunman whose 2013 rampage at Los Angeles International Airport left a Transportation Security Administration officer dead and three others injured, has agreed to plead guilty to all pending federal charges, according to court papers filed Thursday. Ciancia, now 26, will formally enter the guilty plea to 11 felony counts related to his Nov. 1, 2013, attack in the airports bustling Terminal 3, including the murder of TSA Officer Gerardo I. Hernandez. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty, but the murder charge to which Ciancia will plead carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The weapons charges carry another mandatory 60 years in prison, in addition to several years behind bars for other charges. Advertisement A federal judge will eventually determine the terms of his punishment. Marshall McClain, director of the union that represents airport police officers, said he hoped the plea agreement would help Hernandezs family members heal. Im an advocate for the death penalty. Its unfortunate that he took a life and still hes not going to be found guilty and put to death, McClain said. If it helps bring some closure to the family, Im all for it. Former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. had made the initial decision to seek the death penalty a rarely sought-after punishment for federal defendants. To justify capital punishment, prosecutors cited Ciancias substantial planning and premeditation. That level of preparation by the New Jersey native was revealed in the plea agreement filed Thursday. Ciancia, who had been living in Los Angeles for about 18 months before the shooting rampage, had purchased the Smith & Wesson semiautomatic rifle nearly seven months before he stormed into the terminal. To conceal his weapon, he tied two pieces of luggage together and fashioned a case, according to court papers. On the morning of the attack, he asked a roommate to drive him to the airport for a trip back home to New Jersey, and while en route to LAX, he sent text messages to his siblings, with vague descriptions of his plans. Im so sorry that I have to leave you pre-maturely, but it is for the greater good of humanity. This was the purpose I was brought here, he told his brother. To his sister, Ciancia wrote that he had to stand up to these tyrants. He asked his sister not to let the media distort his actions. There wasnt a terrorist attack on Nov 1. There was a pissed off patriot trying to water the tree of liberty, he wrote. Ciancias siblings grew concerned by the text messages and alerted police. Officers paid a visit to his apartment in Sun Valley, but U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) later told reporters that police missed him by a matter of minutes. Inside the terminal, Ciancia removed his gun from a bag about 9:15 a.m. and aimed it at Hernandez, who was near a podium checking passengers travel documents before travelers headed to an upper-level checkpoint, according to court papers. Hernandez, shot, fell to the floor and Ciancia proceeded up the stairs toward the TSAs security checkpoint. About halfway up, he turned and saw Hernandezs body move. Ciancia walked down the upward-moving escalator, and at point-blank range, fired more rounds at him. Hernandez was shot 12 times in total, according to court papers. After returning to the upper level, Ciancia spotted two other TSA officers and opened fire as they fled toward the gate area. Authorities said he continued along a corridor of shops and a third person, a teacher, was also injured. Meanwhile, passengers took cover, and as Ciancia walked he inquired if they worked with the TSA, witnesses told investigators. If they said no, he moved on. About 9:25 a.m., he was shot and captured by airport police near a circular area of passenger-boarding gates. Authorities recovered a total of 500 rounds of ammunition that Ciancia brought to LAX. Inside his luggage, investigators recovered a handwritten and signed note that mockingly said it was approved by Janet Napolitano, the former secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The note blasted the TSA for its Nazi checkpoints and the presumption that every American is a terrorist. He said his mission would be a success if he killed just one TSA representative during his rampage. In addition to disrupting travel for nearly 170,000 people, the deadly attack led to security reforms. Officials found the emergency response was hampered by poor communication and a lack of coordination among aviation and law enforcement agencies. Ciancia, whose defense attorneys did not respond to requests for comment, was shot in the head and leg during a gun battle with airport police. He spent two weeks recovering at a hospital before he was transferred to a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles, where he remains in custody. matt.hamilton@latimes.com Twitter: @matthjourno ALSO Man found guilty in notorious series of arson attacks across L.A. L.A. County sheriffs deputy fatally shoots man in Florence area, officials say Long Beach police officers wont be charged in fatal 2014 shooting of man fleeing down stairs UPDATES: 9:35: p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with additional details. 6:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on the penalties faced by Ciancia. This article was originally published at 5:40 p.m. Arraignment for Roger Clinton, the half-brother of former President Clinton, on charges that he was driving under the influence of alcohol has been postponed until Oct. 6. A judge also ordered Roger Clinton to attend one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting per week or alternatively show proof of enrollment in an alcohol education program. He regrets the incident and hed like to put it behind him, his attorney, Walter F. Wiggins Jr., said Friday. We have every confidence that well reach an acceptable disposition with the city prosecutor. Were having productive, ongoing conversations. Advertisement City prosecutors in Redondo Beach charged Roger Cassidy Clinton with one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records. The brother-in-law of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was not required to attend the arraignment. The charges stem from a June 5 incident, when a motorist told police about 7:20 p.m. that another driver was heading southbound on Pacific Coast Highway and possibly drunk, police said in a statement. The report was he was driving erratically, violating multiple traffic laws, Redondo Beach police Lt. Joe Hoffman said. Officers stopped the vehicle at Torrance Boulevard and South Prospect Avenue. Inside the vehicle were Roger Clinton and three other passengers, authorities said. Clinton failed a series of field sobriety exams, which typically involve the suspect walking a straight line, standing on one leg and undergoing a test in which officers observe how the suspects eyes move from side to side, according to police. In preliminary alcohol-content tests at the scene, Clintons breath showed readings of 0.230 and 0.237, according to a police report obtained by the Daily Breeze. When he was taken to the police station, he refused an additional breath and blood chemical test to detect his blood alcohol content. That decision triggered an automatic one-year suspension of hisdrivers license by the Department of Motor Vehicles under a law passed in 1990 to deter drunk driving. He was explained the law and chose not to provide chemical testing, Hoffman said. In 2001, Clinton was arrested in Hermosa Beach on suspicion of drunk driving and ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. He was pardoned for a 1985 cocaine distribution offense by President Clinton before he left office. matt.hamilton@latimes.com Twitter: @MattHjourno. ALSO Dodgers plan to promote banished outfielder Yasiel Puig Nearly all California workers would be eligible for a retirement plan in bill headed to governor Framed: She was the PTA mom everyone knew. Who would want to harm her? UPDATES: 11:57 a.m.: This article has been updated with details concerning postponement of the arraignment. This article was originally published at 4 a.m. Police have arrested five people in connection with the sale and distribution of spice, part of a crackdown on the synthetic drug that has been linked to several overdoses among homeless people in skid row, authorities said Thursday. The five people were arrested Wednesday afternoon near 5th and San Pedro streets after narcotics investigators found they had spice, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department. Officer Rosario Herrera, an LAPD spokeswoman, said police were not yet releasing the names of the five people. Advertisement After the arrests, investigators raided a South L.A. building that was believed to be the manufacturing site of the spice before it hit skid row, police said. There, police found cash, controlled substances and chemical ingredients used in the process of manufacturing spice. Spice, also known as K2, is a synthetic cannabinoid -- called that because it affects the same brain receptors as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Typically sold as fake weed, it can have powerful effects including hallucinations, seizures and heart attacks, according to Dr. Gary Tsai, medical director and science officer for the L.A. County Department of Public Healths Office of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control. The drug has been linked to a spate of mass overdoses among homeless people in Los Angeles. On Aug. 19, 38 people were transported to the hospital, many suspected of ingesting the drug. Days later, 14 people were sent to the hospital, their symptoms also thought to be linked to spice. And in April, 15 people were hospitalized after consuming a tainted form of spice, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said at the time. The April incident led to the arrest of a skid row drug kingpin at his Cerritos home along with 15 others as part of an early-morning sweep targeting downtowns infamous drug market. The alleged kingpin, Derrick Turner, was taken into custody while wearing his pajamas. Turner, an Athens Blood gang member, was charged with three felonies including possession of narcotics for sale, receiving the proceeds of drug sales and conspiracy, police said. Times staff writers Richard Winton and Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report. matt.hamilton@latimes.com Twitter: @MattHjourno. ALSO Long Beach police officers cleared in fatal 2014 shooting of man fleeing down stairs Man found guilty in notorious series of arson attacks across L.A. LAX shooter Paul Ciancia agrees to plead guilty; prosecutors to drop death penalty From 2002 through early last year, the Pentagon conducted 11 flight tests of the nations homeland missile defense system. In the carefully scripted exercises, interceptors of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, or GMD, were launched from underground silos to pursue mock enemy warheads high above the Pacific. The interceptors failed to destroy their targets in six of the 11 tests a record that has prompted independent experts to conclude the system cannot be relied on to foil a nuclear strike by North Korea or Iran. Advertisement Yet over that same timespan, Boeing Co., the Pentagons prime contractor for GMD, collected nearly $2 billion in performance bonuses for a job well-done, the Los Angeles Times has learned. The Pentagon paid Boeing more than $21 billion total for managing the system during that period. A Times investigation also found that the criteria for the yearly bonuses were changed at some point to de-emphasize the importance of test results that demonstrate the systems ability to intercept and destroy incoming warheads. Early on, Boeings contract specified that bonuses would be based primarily on hit to kill success in flight tests. In later years, the words hit to kill were removed in favor of more generally phrased benchmarks, contract documents show. L. David Montague, co-chair of a National Academy of Sciences panel that documented shortcomings with GMD, called the $2 billion in bonuses mind-boggling, given the systems performance. Montague, a former president of missile systems for Lockheed Corp., said the bonuses suggest that the Missile Defense Agency, the arm of the Pentagon that oversees GMD, is a rogue organization in need of strict supervision. The cumulative total of bonuses paid to Boeing has not been made public before. The Times obtained details about the payments through a lawsuit it filed against the Defense Department under the Freedom of Information Act. The newspaper also reviewed Boeing-related contract documents obtained independently of the lawsuit. A spokesman for the missile agency, Chris Johnson, said that despite the GMD systems record in flight tests, Boeing had earned its bonuses based on the criteria specified in the contract. He said the payments complied with all appropriate acquisition regulations. These types of contracts allow regular and consistent evaluation by the government, and fees are paid only when companies meet clearly defined targets, Johnson said in an emailed statement. A spokesman for Boeing, Dexter Q. Henson, referred questions about the bonuses to the missile agency while defending the companys work on GMD. Boeing has met contractual requirements and a variety of incentives across a wide range of program objectives, Henson said by email. As the lead contractor, we have partnered with the Missile Defense Agency in the development and operation of the only homeland defense system that can defeat long range missile attacks, he said. :::: The GMD system, which became operational in 2004, is intended to thwart a limited nuclear strike by a non-superpower. It has cost taxpayers more than $40 billion to date. In the event of an attack, interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County and Ft. Greely, Alaska, would burst from their silos and begin a fiery ascent toward the upper atmosphere. The interceptors are multi-stage rockets, each with a 5-foot-long kill vehicle at its tip. The kill vehicle is designed to separate from its rocket in space, fly independently at 4 miles per second and crash into an enemy warhead. GMDs roots go back to the Clinton administration, when concern began to mount over the spread of ballistic missile technology. In 2002, President George W. Bush ordered an initial set of missile defense capabilities to be put in place within two years. To accelerate deployment, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld exempted the missile agency from the Pentagons standard procurement rules and testing standards. The Pentagons own Operational Test and Evaluation office has documented serious deficiencies in the system. So have other government agencies and independent experts. In a report in February, the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, said the systems performance in tests has been insufficient to demonstrate that an operationally useful defense capability exists. The test failures are unsettling given that the exercises are meticulously orchestrated. Personnel operating the GMD system know ahead of time approximately when the targets will be launched and from where, as well their expected speed and trajectory information they would not have in an actual attack. Given the systems weaknesses, four or five interceptors would have to be launched for each incoming enemy warhead, according to current and former officials familiar with the missile agencys projections. As a result, the systems arsenal of 30 operational interceptors four at Vandenberg and 26 at Ft. Greely could be quickly depleted by an attack with multiple missiles. A study by three physicists with expertise in missile defense, released in July by the Union of Concerned Scientists, concluded that the GMD system is simply unable to protect the U.S. public. :::: The Times asked the Missile Defense Agency in March 2014 for information on bonuses paid to GMD contractors. Boeing objected to release of the data, and the agency denied the newspapers request, saying disclosure might reveal trade secrets and commercial or financial data. The Times then sued in federal court last year, asserting that the public had a right to know about the payments. The governments lawyers later agreed to release the information if Boeing would not intervene in the litigation or otherwise take steps to prevent disclosure. Boeing eventually acquiesced, and the Defense Department settled the suit with a single-page letter listing the sum total of bonuses paid to Boeing from Dec. 31, 2001, to March 1, 2015. The figure: $1,959,072,946. The government also agreed to pay $15,000 to cover The Times legal costs. The missile agencys chief of staff, David P. Bagnati, made the initial decision to withhold the bonus data, according to a 2014 email from the Pentagons Freedom of Information office. Johnson, the agency spokesman, said this week that Bagnati made the determination on the advice of agency legal counsel and would have no further comment. Boeing holds two contracts to manage GMD. Under their terms, the company is reimbursed for its direct costs in overseeing the system and for some of its indirect costs, such as executive salaries and other overhead. The bonuses come on top of that and can account for all or a significant part of a contractors profit. One of Boeings GMD contracts also provides a 3% base fee, independent of any bonuses, for some aspects of the work, according to the missile agency. Under the contracts, bonuses are awarded annually and can be up to 100% of specified pools of money. The Defense Department letter that settled The Times lawsuit said the Boeing bonuses fell into three categories. Ninety-five percent of the total sum was designated as award fees. The rest was described as incentive cost fees and incentive performance fees. The precise criteria for bonuses could not be obtained for each of the relevant years. However, documents on file with the Defense and Treasury departments show that the missile agency at some point altered a central criterion. At issue was what would make a flight test count as successful for bonus purposes. Boeings prime contract dated Jan. 1, 2001, states that the primary performance criteria were whether the interceptor destroyed its target during the test an outcome described as HTK success. (HTK is short for hit to kill.) The maximum award fee for a given year was 15% of the contract value. During the first phase of the contract, up to 60% of the award fee pool was based on HTK success criteria. A kill vehicle on display at Ft. Greely, Alaska. (Al Grillo / Associated Press ) Later contract documents, dated August 2011, list various bonus criteria related to preparing for and carrying out the next scheduled flight test. Successful mission execution was worth 30% of the award fee pool. But actually destroying the target hit to kill was no longer specified. Asked for an explanation, Johnson, the agency spokesman, said: In recent contract terms, the words hit-to-kill have been changed to support the more detailed documented objectives of each respective flight test. For intercept flight tests conducted under the current design and sustainment contract, a successful intercept remains a key performance objective. :::: In 2010, the missile agency granted Boeing a contract extension worth more than $1 billion. The Defense Departments inspector general later raised questions about the extension including bonus payments saying that agency officials lost an opportunity to save millions of dollars by failing to wait for an audit they had requested. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj The controversy centered on the GMD Core Completion contract. (The inspector generals report, released in 2014, did not name Boeing, but other records show that the company held this contract.) According to the report, the missile agency asked the Defense Contract Audit Agency to scrutinize the contractors proposed costs and other terms. The audit was due Feb. 15, 2010, but the auditors asked for an additional month, the report said. Yet the missile agency signed the contract extension March 10, 2010 five days before the auditors were to deliver their findings. The inspector general concluded that if agency officials had waited to see the audit, they could have negotiated a significantly lower contract value and saved the government millions of dollars in reduced fees a reference to bonuses, which are based on the total contract value. Johnson said officials chose not to wait because we had sufficient data to reach a determination of a fair and reasonable price for the contract. He added that his agency has incorporated several substantial changes to our procedures to make better use of future audits. :::: The missile agency and its lead contractors have sought to put a positive spin on the systems performance. This year, after a flight test on Jan. 28, the agency and several contractors, including Boeing, issued news releases declaring the test a success. In fact, as The Times reported July 6, a thruster stopped working during the exercise, causing the kill vehicle to fly far off its intended course. The thrusters, which help steer the kill vehicle, have a history of performance problems. In the Jan. 28 exercise, a kill vehicle equipped with a new thruster model was supposed to make a close fly-by of a target. None of the press releases acknowledged the malfunction nor did the missile agencys director, Vice Adm. James D. Syring, in three subsequent appearances before congressional panels. Neither Syring nor the contractors have said publicly why they stayed silent. Whatever their rationale, by characterizing the test as a success, the agency and the contractors may have bolstered the prospects for performance bonuses, according to missile defense specialists. Boeing, in its most recent annual report, underscored the significance of GMD to its finances. The company could face reduced fees, lower profit rates or program cancellation if cost, schedule or technical performance issues arise, the report said. Timothy Sullivan, a former federal contracting officer who examined GMD financial documents at the request of The Times, said the bonus provisions were extraordinarily complex. How you administrate something like this is mind-boggling to me. It is an administrative nightmare, said Sullivan, an attorney who represents defense companies and other government contractors in Washington for the law firm Thompson Coburn LLP. Montague, the former Lockheed Corp. executive, said the intricate bonus system reflected the missile agencys lack of rigor in engineering and contracting. If the goals for managing GMD had been adequately defined at the beginning and spelled out in contracts, there would be little need for lucrative incentives, he said. By relying on bonuses, Montague said, the missile agency has effectively told Boeing: We dont know what were doing, but well decide it together and then youve got to work toward maximizing your fee by concentrating on those areas. david.willman@latimes.com Twitter: @DWillmanNews MORE ON MISSILE DEFENSE $40-billion missile defense system proves unreliable The Pentagons $10-billion bet gone bad Serious flaws revealed in U.S. anti-missile nuclear defense against North Korea Pentagon skips tests on key component of U.S.-based missile defense system When one of Americans oldest and most prestigious universities decided to give preferential admission to the descendants of slaves with ties to the university, it immediately ramped up the pressure on other colleges to atone for their own complicated histories. Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia announced Thursday that descendants of the slaves who built and worked at the Jesuit institution would be treated the same as legacy admissions candidates, such as those related to faculty and alumni. He also said that two buildings on Georgetowns Washington, D.C., campus would be renamed one for a slave, the other for a black Catholic educator who founded a local school for black girls. The university will also launch a center to study slavery and commission a memorial to slaves. Advertisement The decision has divided students, scholars and the descendants themselves, while raising questions over how Georgetown will carry out its promises and how it might shape the path taken by other universities with ties to slavery. Read Georgetowns report on its history of slave ownership This is the biggest news in reparations in years, said Alfred Brophy, a professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who studies the history of slavery and universities. Brophy, who is white, said Georgetown would cause other schools to step up and do more. But William Darity, a professor of African American studies at Duke University who has spoken frequently on reparations, was less impressed. He described the move as soft, easy, and inadequate. There may be some marginal value associated with individual institutions taking steps to atone for their particular sins, but the sins of slavery, Jim Crow, and sustained discrimination and racism are collective, national evils and should be addressed at that level, said Darity, who is black. Georgetown, where students staged a sit-in outside the presidents office to demand the renaming of a building named for a past president with ties to the slave trade a request granted Thursday is not the first campus to examine its racist past. Activists, faculty members, and administrators elsewhere have struggled over dorms named after slave owners, displays of old art depicting slavery, and the iconic columns, rotundas and other university flourishes that were built by slaves. At Yale, a cafeteria worker smashed a stained glass window pane depicting slaves picking cotton. At Princeton, students rallied after officials said they wouldnt remove the name of Woodrow Wilson who had shown support for the Ku Klux Klan from campus buildings. And on Thursday, the University of Oregons president said that a campus building named after a KKK figure should be renamed, but that another one named for a university founder and KKK supporter should remain unchanged. Georgetown is among more than a dozen universities that are part of a consortium on higher education and slavery at University of Virginia, where a commission is preparing a report on how to respond to its use of slaves, who once outnumbered students on the campus founded by Thomas Jefferson. We cant ever fix or undo 400 years of American history. But we can do substantive things that suggest that its the 21st century now, we know the past is a stain on American history, and here is how we can do better, said Kirt von Daacke, a historian and co-chairman of the UVA Presidents Commission on Slavery and the University. Von Daacke, who says other universities are certain to learn from Georgetowns decision, suggested the outcome at other campuses could be different because many are public universities unlike Georgetown and must play by different rules when considering race in admissions. Though Georgetown has said it will give preference for admissions to descendants of slaves, figuring out just who those descendants are is an ongoing process. The university has said there were 272 men, women and children who were sent to Louisiana after being sold from Maryland Jesuit plantations in 1838 to help finance campus operations. But it has not identified all of their living descendants, nor the descendants of other slaves also now eligible for preferred admission who worked on university grounds. The preferential admission offer would put the descendants of slaves on par with legacy applicants. About 25% of legacy applicants are admitted, compared with the overall acceptance rate of 16%. Part of our ongoing research into our universitys historical role in the institution of slavery is to determine the descendants, said spokesman Ryan Murphy, who said officials do not know the exact numbers. The school has increasingly focused on recruiting diverse applicants; of those accepted for its freshmen class, 11% were black, 17% were Asian and 11% Latino. Legacy applicants made up 10% of total freshman admissions. Murphy said that legacy applicants receive an extra look, and relationship to the university is one of many factors considered [in admission] but is not determinative, and that Georgetown would provide this care and respect for the descendants. For some slave descendants, thats not enough. It is a step in the right direction, said Karran Harper Royal, who traces her lineage back to the slaves sold in 1838. Royal, who lives in New Orleans and traveled to Washington on Thursday to attend a ceremony where Georgetowns president discussed the decision, said the school should go a step further in atoning for its past by offering scholarships to descendants. jaweed.kaleem@latimes.com Jaweed Kaleem is The Times national race and justice correspondent. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ALSO Cornell University welcomes 12-year-old college freshman the schools youngest student ever A flawed missile defense system generates $2 billion in bonuses for Boeing Region assesses Hermine damage, including one death, after most powerful storm in a decade slams Florida Hermine, the first hurricane to strike Florida in more than a decade, made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast early Friday morning, pummeling small seaside towns with powerful 80 mph winds and heavy rain. The Category 1 hurricane crashed ashore early Friday near St. Marks, a tiny town with a population of less than 300, in the low-lying, marshy Big Bend area, where the states peninsula meets the Panhandle. Advertisement In St. Marks, the storm surge flooded the Riverside Cafe, the Sweet Magnolia Inn and Bo Lynns Grocery, the communitys only market. Yet it did not reach the post office as it did when Hurricane Kate swept through the region in 1985. It just came up like a torrent, like youre on the river rapids, said Denise Waters, owner of the Sweet Magnolia Inn, which began to fill with 18 inches of water around dusk Thursday night. Stormwater pooled in all the lower rooms, damaging her etched-glass doors and baby grand piano, and leaving mud all over her baseboards. Oh, boy, its a mess, for sure, Waters said, as her husband, Andy, drove 15 miles to visit his 92-year-old mother, who had taken refuge in a hotel. I dont know what were going to do, as she needs oxygen and all the hotels have lost power. After pounding through a mostly undeveloped area of Wakulla County, full of national wildlife refuges and forests, Hermine stormed into the states capital of Tallahassee, which has a population of more than 181,000. Hermine felled trees and limbs and knocked down power lines, blocking roads and cutting off power to more than 253,000 utility customers across Florida. About 100 miles south of St. Marks in Cedar Key, a historical coastal resort with a population of 700, a 9-foot storm surge swept through the raw bars and seafood restaurants that serve tourists on Dock Street, flooded City Hall and wiped out the walls of an older apartment complex building. This is by far the worst storm Ive ever experienced in my 34 years of living here, said Virgil Sandlin, Cedar Keys police chief, who estimated that about 300 people had experienced damage to their homes and businesses. Its worse than the storm of the century. Yet there were few reports of injuries. In Marion County in Central Florida, a homeless man was hit by a tree, but officials were waiting for the coroner to confirm that the death was storm-related. At least 59 shelters were operational in Florida on Thursday night, serving approximately 400 people, the American Red Cross reported. Five shelters were open in Georgia, accommodating 140 people. We got a little less rain than we thought, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said in a Friday morning news briefing. What I worry about now is people driving in standing water, people touching power lines. We need to be careful. By the end of the day, hopefully a lot of this will be cleaned up. In Tallahassee, a tree fell on Amy Parks brick home about 11:45 p.m. Thursday, creating a 10-by-10-foot hole in the middle of her living room and another in her kitchen. As rain poured through the roof, flooding her house, her husband and a friend emptied buckets through the night. We have six kids sleeping on mattresses in the hallway right now, she said in an interview with local television station WCTV. The house is actually flooding, so weve grabbed pillows, blankets, couch cushions, anything we can to try to stop flooding from coming into the hallway where the children are. As the hurricane traveled north, residents were urged to remain indoors and not travel unless absolutely necessary as crews from the Florida Department of Transportation cleared debris and fallen trees from roads. A few hours after landfall, Hermine weakened into a tropical storm as it moved farther inland toward Georgia, according to the National Hurricane Center. Friday morning, it passed through Valdosta, a town of about 55,000 people in south Georgia, with strong winds and heavy rain causing power outages and downed traffic signals and power lines. The amount of debris on city streets and in private yards and properties is overwhelming, City Manager Larry Hanson said in a statement, noting that 15,000 homes and businesses were without power and cleanup efforts were likely to continue for weeks. Still, there was some relief. In spite of Tropical Storm Hermines devastating impact to our area, we feel our city is safe this morning, and there have been no reported deaths. At 2 p.m. EDT, Hermine was about 80 miles west-southwest of Charleston, S.C., with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The storm is forecast to move up into the Carolinas on Friday night and Saturday, with strong winds extending outward up to 175 miles from the center. While the storm is not expected to change in strength through Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center has forecast strengthening once the center of Hermine moves offshore Saturday afternoon. Tropical storm warnings were extended northward, all the way to Fenwick Island, Del. Major Northern cities, such as New York City and Long Island, are under a tropical storm watch. On Friday afternoon, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency. We are strongly encouraging everyone in Virginia to prepare for the possibility of damaging winds, downed trees, power outages and flooding in much of the Commonwealth, McAuliffe said in a statement, warning residents of significant rainfall and life-threatening surge and flooding. Hermine was the first hurricane to strike Florida since Wilma hit just south of Marco Island in the southwestern part of the state in 2005, killing five people and causing $20 billion in damage. Governors in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina declared states of emergency in a swath of counties: Scott listed 51 Florida counties, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal assigned 56 counties and North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory labeled 33 counties. Friday morning, the Weather Channel reported that 16 million people were under a tropical storm warning, and 6 million were under a tropical storm watch. Jarvie is a special correspondent. ALSO Cornell University welcomes 12-year-old college freshman the schools youngest student ever Meet the Donald Trump advisor who was once among Hillary Clintons most emphatic fans What Georgetowns atonement means for the campus debate over slavery UPDATES: 1:35 p.m.: This article was updated with details of damage in Valdosta, Ga. 11 a.m.: This article was updated with details of damage in Cedar Key, Fla. This article was originally published at 9:08 a.m. For years, Patrick Bray has heard the same line from conservative politicians visiting Arizona: Vote for me and Ill secure the border. And for years, he and other cattle ranchers in Maricopa County have thrown their support behind presidents, senators and representatives only to be disappointed. In Brays view, Donald Trumps speech this week promising deportation squads and a great wall was, at least for now, just more talk. Advertisement Weve heard speeches after speeches, Bray said. We only care about who can get the job done. If Trump was looking for a warm reception for his harsh remarks, Arizona was prime territory. Anti-immigration rhetoric has fueled the careers of many politicians there, including three who appeared onstage with Trump: Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and Gov. Doug Ducey. But the speech seemed unlikely to win Trump many new supporters there. Arizona voters have been hearing about immigration for so long that theres not much anybody can say to change their minds, said Brad Jones, a political scientist at UC Davis. His research suggests that tough rhetoric on immigration resonates most in places that did not have significant Latino populations until the last two decades, called new destination states. If a Republican prioritizes an immigration issue, then the message is one of enforcement, one of cracking down, Jones said. The places that listen are those interior red states. In traditional receiving states California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas residents are used to immigrants and unlikely to be swayed by political rhetoric, his research has found. Trump played to some of the worst fears about immigrants in the country illegally, saying that some had been convicted of killings, sexual assaults and some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. President Obama and Hillary Clinton have engaged in gross dereliction of duty by surrendering the safety of the American people to open borders, and you know it better than anybody right here in Arizona, he said. Bray said he heard similar rhetoric when former President George W. Bush was seeking reelection in 2004 and when Republican Mitt Romney ran for president four years ago. The people living down there are outmanned and outgunned, Bray said. For them, its a matter of life or death. Trumps calls for more surveillance technology along the border found favor with at least one constituency: U.S. Border Patrol agents. Their union, the National Border Patrol Council, had already endorsed Trump and expressed dissatisfaction with his opponent, Clinton. To our deep dismay and concern, the Clinton Immigration Plan embraces and expands the Obama policies that created the Era of No Consequences, the union said in a statement on Sunday. Trump said he wants to create more Border Patrol stations, hire 5,000 more agents and put more of them on the border instead of behind desks. nigel.duara@latimes.com Twitter: @nigelduara ALSO Trumps Mexico visit stirs outrage: We dont want him Transcript: Donald Trumps full immigration speech, annotated Donald Trump strikes a softer tone in Mexico but holds fast on his stand against illegal immigration Donald Trump, courting black support, meets with leaders in Philadelphia (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Donald Trump has been courting African American voters recently, but has usually made those pitches before mostly white audiences. On Friday, he made a rare pit stop: a predominantly black community. The Republican presidential nominee traveled to North Philadelphia, visiting African American elected officials and clergy at a charter school to discuss, among other things, healthcare, immigration and criminal justice reform. Outside several dozen protesters lambasted Trump, calling him divisive for his plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and to ban Muslims from entering the county. Trump, whose support among black voters lags drastically behind Democrat Hillary Clinton, has insisted for weeks that as president he would foster better schools, create jobs and build safer communities for African Americans. Renee Amoore, deputy chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, attended Fridays meeting in North Philadelphia. Amoore, a supporter of Trump since the GOP primaries, dismissed the notion that Trump is not appealing to black voters, despite recent polls, such as a USA Today/Suffolk University survey that showed him at 4% support among African Americans. Hes here, in a black community -- thats news, Amoore said, noting that critics have assailed Trump for making pitches to black voters while speaking before primarily white audiences in recent weeks. He is starting a conversation. Trump listened to stories of crime and underperforming schools in Philadelphia, taking notes, acknowledging problems and vowing to fix them, she said. At one moment during the meeting, a woman whose daughter was killed in 2007 by a group of men in the country illegally told her story. Trump, as he has throughout the campaign and this week, stressed that he will deport those in the country illegally with criminal records. These are people who shouldnt be in the country, Trump told the group. On Saturday, Trump is scheduled to travel to Detroit where he will meet with black clergy and elected officials. Ahead of the visit, Clintons campaign on Friday sent an email blast to supporters noting, among other things, a housing discrimination lawsuit the Department of Justice filed against Trump in the 1970s. When California legislators passed a law two years ago banning state government from selling or displaying Confederate flags, the measure seemed silly and not particularly meaningful. The ancient and offensive battle flag of the Confederacy was not flown regularly, if ever, on state property. And why would it have been? But the Capitol gift shop was selling replica Civil War-era money depicting images of the Stars and Bars that was offensive to at least one lawmakers mother. More significantly, legislators said a ban would send a powerful message that California has no tolerance for racist images used to perpetuate bigotry and violence. If the law by Sen. Isadore Hall III (D-Compton) seemed innocuous then, thats because people didnt foresee all the ways it might be used. And now we have one disturbing example of its unintended consequences, courtesy of the Fresno County fair. Advertisement Last year Timothy J. Desmond, a retired schoolteacher and Civil War buff, submitted a painting to the Big Fresno Fair that depicted confederate soldiers just before the 1864 siege of Atlanta. As works of art go, The Attack is never going to be mistaken for a lesser-known piece by one of the Old Masters. Its amateurish and even a bit cartoonish. But quality is not a requirement for the county fairs fine art competition, which is open to anyone over 18 from Fresno County. Nevertheless, fair officials barred Desmonds work from being displayed because one of the soldiers in the picture carries a Confederate flag. Never mind that the image in question is just one element of many in the painting, and is certainly not its focal point. Never mind that it is historically accurate. And never mind that flags are often used in art to give visual cues as to when and where a scene takes place. The flag in that picture, officials decided, meant including the piece in the competition would violate the 2014 law. This is an absurd application of a law that was not intended at least not ostensibly to police artistic expression or speech in a public forum such as the fairs art show. Worse, it sets a dangerous precedent. How might this be interpreted for school art projects or works displayed in a library? The law specifically exempts books, works in museums and digital documents for historical or educational purposes, but not art in other forums. Thats nuts. It also defies common sense. The state has every right to decide not to hang up Confederate flags in its own house. But extending that ban to individuals creative expressions is an ill-considered and possibly unconstitutional leap. Desmond is suing fair and state officials in federal court (the fair is state operated). We hope the state officials decide not to spend time or money to defend this attack on Desmonds 1st Amendment right to paint Civil War scenes as he sees fit. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook As Californias two largest inland bodies of water go, Lake Tahoe is the stereotypical beauty queen classically stunning, endlessly photogenic, fragile. Frankly, quite chilly yet eternally inspiring to legions of admirers. The Salton Sea is the neighbor tucked away at the far end of the street and often forgotten. Stark, spare, somewhat homely, beloved by only a select and discriminating community of devotees. The result of an accident. Unkempt. Sometimes lets be honest here a little smelly. President Obama was at Lake Tahoe earlier this week at an annual conservation summit to discuss his environmental legacy and the decades-long efforts to preserve Tahoe. But almost in passing, he outlined a belated but welcome series of federal initiatives to rescue the rapidly shrinking desert lake more than 500 miles to the southeast. Federal funding to support lake restoration, environmental projects and human health cant come too soon. California leaders have committed themselves to ensuring that the exposed Salton Sea lake bed doesnt become a source of noxious and toxic dust threatening the health of millions of people from the Mexico border to Los Angeles. But the states effort, too, has been belated, and the federal participation spurred in large part by U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer now puts needed attention on a subject that for too long had effectively been ignored in both Sacramento and Washington. Advertisement Of special note is the apparent U.S. interest in the substantial but still sparsely developed geothermal resources at the southern end of the lake. The energy potential could be a key part of a grand bargain among water rights owners, governments and power companies that allows for preservation of a smaller Salton Sea serving millions of birds on the Pacific Flyway, plus, through a series of intertwined agreements, more efficient use of Colorado River water in the fields of the Imperial Valley and a more reliable water supply for San Diego. Sacramentos interest in seeing energy produced around the Salton Sea seemed to have abated in recent years as new technologies made solar power more affordable. But geothermal may be back on track with the federal governments promise to consider purchasing the energy produced there. The important thing to remember about the Salton Sea is that it, unlike the more famous (and yes, more beautiful) Tahoe to the north, is deeply interwoven into the states water, energy and food supplies. It is in a real sense a part of the Colorado River, which today has an even greater role in quenching the thirst of Southern Californians than the Sierra rivers that are part of the federal, state and L.A. water projects. As the supply of Northern California federal and state water comes under increasing threat from diminished snowfall, it is imperative that both Washington and Sacramento do their part to keep the people, the environment and the water of Salton Sea in good health. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook MORE FROM OPINION Birth of a Nation actress Gabrielle Union: I cannot take Nate Parker rape allegations lightly Taking a ban on Confederate flag displays to an absurd extreme Colin Kaepernicks problem: Angry responses always drown out the reason for a protest More than 50 women have accused Bill Cosby of rapes or sexual assaults as early as the 1960s and stretching for decades beyond. Only one criminal case has been filed, however. It is pending in Pennsylvania. Why have no other criminal rape or assault charges been filed? In many cases, accusers never filed a police report. In others, prosecutors may not have believed that the available evidence would convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. But for most of these accusations, it was simply too late for a prosecutor to even consider them. That came as shocking news to many of the women who have bravely come forward in recent years. If they were willing to testify under oath before a jury, they ask, why couldnt Cosby be hauled into criminal court? The Justice for Victims Act (Senate Bill 813) would [eliminate] the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of rape and sexual assault. Advertisement The answer is that California and many other states have a statute of limitations for the prosecution of crimes, including sexual assault and rape. A statute of limitations is a legal deadline before which prosecutors must file a criminal case, or be forever prevented from proceeding to prosecute it. Under California law, rape and other felony sex crime cases generally can be filed only within 10 years a deadline that is extended only if there is DNA evidence. (Pennsylvanias statute of limitations for sexual assault is 12 years, allowing the one case against Cosby to go forward there.) From the moment of assault, the clock starts ticking. This, of course, is true not only for Cosbys accusers. There are statutes of limitations for all crimes in California except murder and embezzlement of public funds. Thats right: Theft of public funds is always prosecutable, but acts of sexual violence against women or children are not. The Justice for Victims Act (Senate Bill 813) would remedy that by eliminating the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of rape and sexual assault. The California Legislature passed the bill, and it is now on Gov. Jerry Browns desk. He should sign it. Sixteen other states already have taken this step. Getting rid of such deadlines sends a message to sexual predators that they should fear criminal consequences for a rape or sexual assault; even if there is no DNA evidence, they still may be prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned. The Justice for Victims Act would have made a difference for Cosbys accusers in California if it had been enacted 60 years ago. Charlotte Fox, for instance, has made a public statement accusing Cosby of engaging in non-consensual sexual activity with her in Beverly Hills in the 1970s while she was incapacitated. Another accuser said Cosby violently forced her into a sexual act in Hollywood while interviewing her for a role in a movie in the 1970s. Judy Huth filed a civil lawsuit in California alleging she was victimized by Cosby in the 1970s when she was 15. She is within the existing statute of limitations to litigate a civil case against Cosby because the lawsuit alleges child sexual abuse. It is, however, too late for a criminal case even if the prosecutor thought guilt could be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Those who represent defendants often oppose eliminating the statutes of limitations. The theory goes that the fairness of a trial is compromised by the passage of time, so prosecutors shouldnt sit on evidence of a crime and wait to charge a person once memories have faded, documents have been thrown out and alibis get hard to prove. This is why other criminal charges with rare exception have time limits, they argue, and rape and sexual assault should not be treated differently. Rape and sexual assault are different, however. Other crimes are much more likely to be reported quickly, but we know that victims of sexual violence often take years to come forward because they may feel ashamed, mistakenly blame themselves for what happened or fear they will not be believed. Police and prosecutors arent holding onto evidence; they havent been informed that there was a crime. For constitutional reasons, the Justice for Victims Act would not be retroactive; it cant re-open the door to criminal courts that statutes of limitations already have slammed shut. But it will help victims of rape and sexual assault in the future. If Gov. Brown signs this bill into law, statutes of limitations no longer will be a sexual predators best friend and a victims worst enemy. Gloria Allred is a victims rights attorney in Los Angeles who represents 33 women who have accused Bill Cosby of rape or sexual assault. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Hillary Clinton has received the vocal endorsement of some retired generals. Their support is a political coup for Clinton, but does it also smack of the other sort of coup the sort plotted by a renegade Joint Chiefs of Staff in the political thriller Seven Days in May? Youd think so, given some of the raised eyebrows that have greeted Clintons conquest of the ranks of retired military brass. The most dramatic example of was the rousing speech delivered at the Democratic National Convention by retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, who told the delegates: I tell you without any hesitation or reservation that Hillary Clinton will be exactly exactly! the kind of commander in chief America needs. Advertisement The military parade has continued. This week Clinton was endorsed by two retired four-star generals: Bob Sennewald, former commanding general of the U.S. Army Forces Command, and David Maddox, former commander in chief of the U.S. Army-Europe. The embrace of Clinton by retired generals is unsettling for some Democrats particularly former supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders because it seems to confirm her reputation as a defense hawk. But you also hear complaints that in endorsing Clinton the ex-generals have violated a taboo against military involvement in electoral politics. That argument is also made about the prominent retired general who supports Donald Trump, Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Hes the man who encouraged delegates at the Republican convention when they shouted, Lock her up! in reference to Clinton. In a column earlier this summer in Foreign Policy, Peter Feaver wrote: Retired senior military officers should not let political parties trade on their service in uniform by becoming high-profile partisan endorsers of presidential candidates. Why not? Because when they speak as retired General So-and-So, they appear to be speaking for the military. They are cloaking themselves in the extraordinarily high degree of respect that the American public accords to the uniformed military. (Feaver also faulted Allen for addressing his remarks, among others, to every American in uniform, which is a different sort of objection. An impressionable young service member might be influenced by an exhortation from a retired general, but Im skeptical.) Retired Adm. Michael Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered a similar view in a written statement provided to the Washington Post for a story it did about Flynn. Mullen argued that for retired senior officers to take leading and vocal roles as clearly partisan figures is a violation of the ethos and professionalism of apolitical military service. Really? Why would anyone assume that a retired general is speaking for the military any more than a retired secretary of State is speaking for the State Department or a retired Supreme Court justice is speaking for the court? And if a former general making an endorsement in a presidential race commits a transgression of the civilian-military divide, what about a retired general who actually runs for president (Alexander Haig, Wesley Clark) or manages to be elected (Dwight Eisenhower)? Civilian control of the military is a sacred principle of American democracy, but so is the right of private citizens to express themselves about politics. That includes former generals, who ought to be as free to draw on their experience in supporting the candidate of their choice as any other citizen. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Apparently, there is a famous woman running for president against Donald Trump who has a very good chance to win, not that there is much said about her in the media. Most days on cable TV news shows, in the political blogs and in the newspapers nearly all the discussion is about Trumps latest weird tweet or bellicose speech or impulsive campaign stunt. Is this good for Hillary Clinton? Some opine that it is. All the focus on Trump deflects attention from the nagging questions, both fair and unfair, about her actions as secretary of State, her mishandled email and her complicated ties to the Clinton Foundation. It allows her to be selective about when she talks to the media. And it frees her to spend lots of time flying around to ultra-exclusive fundraisers from Beverly Hills to Nantucket. Arguably, this is working. Current projections put her on an open path to the 270 electoral votes she needs to capture the presidency, while Trump is struggling to maintain a lead even in solid Republican states such as Georgia and Arizona. So, who cares if Trump dominates the news? 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) Clinton should care. In a country where far too many voters seem more interested in being entertained than enlightened, Trump is a good show. Even though the electoral map favors Clinton, national polls do not indicate that there is much of a popular-vote gap between the two candidates both hover in the 40s. The voters who remain undecided will be swayed by impressions they get from watching television, and it seems a bit of a gamble to cede the cameras to Trump in the hope that he will continue to offend more people than he pleases. Additionally, not all victories are the same. If Clinton wins by a tiny margin, the Trump camps bogus, but inevitable, claims of a rigged election will put a cloud over the outcome. The large percentage of Americans who get their news exclusively from Fox News and talk radio and who have been taught to despise and distrust Hillary and her husband will claim another reason not to accept her as a legitimate occupant of the White House. If Clinton has no coattails and Democrats fail to take the Senate (the House is a long shot in any circumstance), her administration will be politically hamstrung from day one. Clinton needs something close to a landslide if she hopes to have any kind of mandate and if she hopes to bring a more friendly Congress into office with her. To get such a large margin of victory, she must do more than let Trump beat himself. She needs to steal the attention from him and get more people enthused about the idea of having her as president. Right now, in his erratic way, Trump is doing a good job of reinforcing the pervasive right-wing caricature of Hillary as dishonest, corrupt and even criminal. As preposterous as his rhetoric may be, it is being heard day after day while Clintons voice is largely absent. The upcoming presidential debates offer a vitally important opportunity to project an appealing image of competence and command of issues, but, given that Clinton will face a very unpredictable opponent on the debate stage, she cannot be certain those three battles of wits will work in her favor. If Clinton wants to grab the spotlight, she must confront very directly and very effectively the bad image that so many people have lodged in their brains a tough task that carries with it plenty of risk. The temptation will be to play it safe and coast on current momentum to a slim victory. But barely beating the most absurd candidate Republicans have ever nominated will not give Clinton the clout she will need in the toxic political battles certain to come once the votes are counted and the hard work of governing begins. David.Horsey@latimes.com Follow me at @davidhorsey on Twitter A major effort to overhaul the states energy regulator surprisingly collapsed after late legislative maneuverings led to the unraveling of the broad coalition that had pushed for changes at the scandal-ridden agency. The measure would have boosted transparency, strengthened safety rules and shrunk the responsibilities of the California Public Utilities Commission, the agency in charge of regulating the states electric and gas utilities as well as telecommunications and other major industries. The PUC has been under scrutiny since an investigation of the 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno revealed dinner dates, shared talking points and other signs of a close relationship between regulators and utility executives. The furor grew after the 2013 closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California and the recent four-month-long Aliso Canyon gas leak encouraged further criticism of regulators oversight of utilities and safety standards. Advertisement In June, Gov. Jerry Brown and a trio of lawmakers announced they had agreed on a plan to overhaul the agency, what was supposed to be the culmination of years of bipartisan effort. Brown and the legislators released bullet points detailing the changes and the resulting legislation was expected to pass easily. While two bills in the package made it to Browns desk, the legislation that included the majority of the changes from Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) and a companion measure from Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) never came up for a vote before the Legislature adjourned for the year early Thursday morning. We ran out of time and we ran out of consensus, Hill said. Under the two measures that failed, the PUC would have been required to increase internal auditing and whistleblowing procedures and spin off control of transportation services such as Uber and Lyft to other agencies a decision based on concerns the PUC was spread too thin. Similarly, the public would have gained easier access to agency records. But as the Legislatures final hours dwindled, details had yet to be nailed down, and the bills remained stuck in policy committees. One major problem emerged last weekend when PUC President Michael Picker objected to a part of the bill that would have made it a misdemeanor for agency employees to knowingly release confidential information, arguing it would have opened up employees to criminal prosecution when responding to public records requests. Frankly the PUC wouldnt support it, and would ask for a veto of the bill if it had that language in it, Hill said. But Hill worried that if he took out that provision, telecommunication and cable companies would have tried to kill the measure. PUC spokeswoman Terri Prosper confirmed Pickers stance, but said that the agency had worked diligently with lawmakers on the bills and was stunned at the collapse of the reform legislation. Negotiations were still continuing through Wednesday morning with cable company representatives meeting in Hills office. By that point, the legislation had long missed key deadlines for the end of the session and could only advance if it received a waiver from normal Senate rules through a bipartisan supermajority vote. As the clock ticked toward a midnight Thursday deadline, that support wasnt there. Around 11 p.m., state Senate GOP leader Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) wouldnt allow Gattos bill to come to the floor. Gatto gave up at midnight, blaming Fuller in an interview immediately afterwards. It just seems like one of those things when somebody got tired and grouchy and they decided to kill the biggest utility reform bill of the year arguably the decade, said Gatto, who is leaving office due to term limits. Fuller declined to comment. But Assembly GOP leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley, who rebuffed last-second maneuvering to have the bill go through his chamber, said the measure was too rushed. We recognize the need for changes at the PUC, Mayes said in a statement. However, those changes should be crafted in the light of day, not 15 minutes before the end of a two-year legislative session. A spokesman for the governor said Brown was disappointed that Gatto and Hills measures didnt pass, but said Brown still intends to sign the two bills that did reach his desk. Those measures will increase public access to PUC proceedings and boost disclosure of private meetings between utility executives and regulators. The failure of the largest bill frustrated those who have long advocated for changes at the agency, some of whom already believed the package didnt go far enough to break up the coziness between the PUC and industry. Former San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre, who sued the PUC in the aftermath of the San Onofre case and had praised the overhaul when it was announced in June, said it wasnt fair to blame Republicans for its demise. Brown and Gatto didnt make the deal enough of a priority to push it through the Democrat-controlled Legislature, he said. It was a tremendous charade put on the public of California for them to stand up and say they had a deal and then not even have Gattos bill pass, Aguirre said. Aguirre lost a state appellate court case on Wednesday asking for the release of any emails between Brown and the PUC over the San Onofre shutdown. The bill that failed the same day in Sacramento would have allowed a Superior Court, not an appeals court, to make such decisions. (The substance of Aguirres case has yet to be decided.) Wednesdays court ruling emphasized the need for further PUC changes, Hill said. But he believed it might be more difficult in the future. The June agreement between the governor and lawmakers on the PUC overhaul came after Gatto had secured a bipartisan vote in the Assembly on a constitutional amendment that would have given voters the opportunity to break up the PUC and allow the Legislature to then assign all of its responsibilities to other agencies. That vote provided the kind of leverage for changes at the PUC, Hill said, thats unlikely to be there next year. I hope well still see the potential for reform, he said. liam.dillon@latimes.com Follow me at @dillonliam on Twitter ALSO Even after reforms, the states energy regulator can still have private meetings with utility companies Beset by scandals, the states energy regulator is facing a massive reorganization Brown vetoes transparency bills for troubled state utilities commission When it comes to men and shopping, popular belief says the two go together like plaids and stripes, which is to say not very well. That explains why most menswear is displayed in corners of department stores, while womens clothing remains dominant front and center. But in the last few years, a growing interest in fashion among millennial men and a sharp rise in menswear retail sales have helped spur innovation across the retail industry. Male consumers are embracing fashion and demanding better quality and service. The owner of Cloth & Metal, a mens shop on 17th Street in Costa Mesa, says his shop, for one, is meeting that demand. Scott Sablan is a former audio industry product development specialist who wanted a business that translates old-school technique into new-school ideas. The 2,500-square-foot-showrooms interior is set up to show that high-tech and organic can coexist, whether the subject is art, music or clothing. To this end, he also has a range of prices. For that retro-mixed-with-modern feel, Sablan has a turntable and headphone bar where shoppers can try on the latest in updated leather headphones costing up to $400 and try their hand at playing a record on a selection of sleek turntables, which are also for sale. The storefronts roll-up garage door sheds natural light on concrete floors, and the space is punctuated by mid-century modern furniture with blond wood and dark rugs. Sablan wanted to elevate a mans shopping experience by incorporating all the makings of a hip hangout. Cloth & Metal, he says, is meant to evoke the laid-back feeling of endless summer, with a stock of labels ranging from European upstart NNO7 to Saturdays Surf NYC that can cost anywhere from $75 to $200. The brands combine block-patterned board shorts and cotton T-shirts to button-up shirts in clean grays and black plaids. Fine art for sale populates the shops white walls. Contemporary artist Jonathan Paul, working under the name Desire Obtain Cherish, is showcased with his Designer Drug Series, which features a resin reproduction of pills listing designer labels. The eye-catching gag about consumer culture is priced at $140,000. Artist Joshua Levines Golden Longhorn sculpture, valued at $14,000, hangs on an opposite wall. And Mike Stilkeys large-scale installation of discarded books, for sale at $7,500, is displayed near the stores exit. Its pretty much a never-ending quest to curate, Sablan said as he stood in his flagship store. We are never done. He opened his first Cloth & Metal at The OC Mix at SOCO in 2013 and specifically catered to mens lifestyles. The new headquarters on 17th Street, which opened in the spring, is considerably larger, but other than that the stores have a similar vibe. He specifically carries independent clothing and accessories brands and incorporates his love of music throughout both. The National Retail Federation confirms that labels have become more important to male shoppers than in years past, and as mens interest in the latest style grows, so does their spending. The industry trade association reported that the share of male consumers who said that the newest trends are important to them nearly doubled from 2006 to 2014. Theyre passionate about their lifestyle, Sablan said of the shoppers he caters to. People do research on everything they buy and eat its almost like a hobby. Though Cloth & Metal particularly appeals to male shoppers, women often peruse the boutique to find pieces for the men in their lives while also looking for clothing to add to their wardrobes. Sablan has added eyewear, basics like T-shirts and denim for the female shopper interested in unisex products. Fashion, he says, can be expressed in a variety of ways that shouldnt be limited to price. Its not about being exclusive here, Sablan says. We are not elitists. We just have more elevated brands that are unique, and we believe good design and quality should be open for anyone. Cloth & Metal is at 462 E. 17th St., Suite C, Costa Mesa, and at The OC Mix, at SOCO, 3313 Hyland Ave., Suite A15, Costa Mesa. For more information, call (714) 884-3227 or visit clothandmetal.com. kathleen.luppi@latimes.com Twitter: @KathleenLuppi The Ms. America pageant has found a new production company to provide a stage and lighting for its event in Brea on Saturday after a Costa Mesa-based business dissolved this week. DJE Sound and Lighting Inc. in Lake Forest is providing the pageant with sets originally ordered from BTB Event Productions Inc. before that company liquidated its assets Tuesday and Wednesday. The sets and lighting arrived at Breas Curtis Theatre at 1 p.m. Thursday. DJE arrived on time and there were 10 pageant girls waiting outside for them, cheering them on, said Susan Jeske, chief executive of the Ms. America pageant. Theyre doing a rescue mission. Jeske said she was notified Tuesday of BTBs liquidation through an email from a contractor working with the company. Jeske had paid BTB the full amount for the equipment, $3,877.45, about a week ago with the pageants debit card after BTB requested cash payment. BTB owner Chris Chapan could not be reached for comment. Jeske said he called her late Wednesday afternoon to offer an apology and a refund. He said he would return the money in cash but later he just hung up the phone, Jeske said. The Ms. America pageant, featuring 43 contestants, including Oksana Vovk of Newport Beach, is scheduled to be live-streamed at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at www.alerttheglobe.com. An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that Newport Beach City Council candidate Fred Ameri can use his nickname on the November ballot. Ameri, who was born in Iran and whose legal name is Farrokh Ameri, is a 19-year Newport Beach resident, a retired business executive and a former city planning commissioner. He is running to replace termed-out Councilman Keith Curry representing District 7, which includes Newport Coast and Newport Ridge. Also vying for the seat are local attorney and Finance Committee member Will ONeill and attorney Phil Greer. Newport Beach resident William Stewart filed a lawsuit Aug. 22 against Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley and Newport Beach City Clerk Leilani Brown seeking a court judgment mandating that Ameri use his given first name instead of his nickname on the ballot. Stewarts co-attorney, Bruce Peotter, brother of Newport Councilman Scott Peotter, argued in court documents that the state election code requires that a candidates legal name be used on the ballot. A fictitious name, the lawsuit states, would mislead voters. But Judge David Chaffee ruled that Stewart did not establish clear and convincing evidence that use of the name Fred is false or misleading. Ameris attorney Mark Rosen submitted documents showing that Ameri has used the name Fred extensively over several decades. He argued that the community knows Ameri as Fred. During a court hearing Thursday, Chaffee pointed to a copy of a 2014 campaign contribution report filed by Scott Peotter showing a donation Ameri made when Peotter was running for City Council. In the document, Scott Peotter refers to Ameri as Fred proof, Chaffee said, that Ameri is known by his nickname. Chaffee wrote in his ruling that every person has a common-law right to use an assumed name by which he or she is known and recognized. According to Chaffee, the only case in which such a name is not permitted on a ballot is if a candidate changes his or her name within one year of an election, unless the change was made by marriage or court order. It seems [the] petitioner is hoping to marginalize [the] candidate by forcing him to use a birth name he is not commonly known by, Chaffee wrote. Ameri has said the attempt to force him to use his legal name is a racist ploy by opponents. Its ... clearly defamation of character to my spotless record of 55 years of residency in Orange County, Ameri said Thursday. Rosen argued during the hearing that its an attempt to make him sound foreign, not a resident of Newport Beach, and play to prejudice. Stewarts co-attorney Chad Morgan said that forcing Ameri to use his legal name would provide voters with greater access to public records on the candidate, which could help inform their decision. Objection to candidate statement upheld Though Chaffee ruled against Stewart on the name issue, he ruled in favor of his request that Ameris candidate statement, which will appear in documents received by voters, remove what he interprets as a reference to other candidates. The California election code says any candidates statement shall be limited to a recitation of the candidates own personal background and qualifications and shall not in any way make reference to other candidates for that office or to another candidates qualifications, character or activities. Stewart took issue with Ameris statement that since Ameri is providing the funding for the majority of his campaign expenses, he is the only independent candidate. Following Chaffees ruling, the statement will now read, I am personally providing the majority of my campaigns funding, making me independent. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN A scaled-down 35-unit condominium and townhome development proposed for Newport Center will move to the Newport Beach City Council with a recommendation for denial from the Planning Commission. After hours of public discussion Thursday night about the 150 Newport Center project, the planning commissioners voted 5-2 to recommend denial. Commissioners Peter Zak and Ray Lawler dissented. The development, proposed by Newport Center Anacapa Associates LLC, has gone through a series of changes in the past several months at the commissions behest. The developer originally proposed a seven-story, 49-unit building reaching 69 feet tall. However, after its initial meeting with the Planning Commission in July, the company reduced the plan to six stories with 45 units reaching 65 feet. Then, after a two-hour public discussion at the commissions Aug. 18 meeting where commissioners were unable to come to a consensus about the projects density and height, the developer reduced the planned height of the building to 50 feet in five stories and cut the number of units to 35. The project is proposed to replace the Beacon Bay Auto Wash and an adjacent gas station along Newport Center Drive near Anacapa Drive. Ron Soderling, principal at Newport Center Anacapa Associates, said in a statement Friday that he is disappointed that the Planning Commission didnt recognize the benefits of the project. We live in the community and care about the future of the city, he wrote. Thats why we have worked so closely with the community over the past year to develop a project that respects the views of neighbors, reduces traffic and water usage and provides an iconic destination for locals to live out their next chapter of the American dream. We feel optimistic that the City Council will see those benefits and approve the project. Though many commissioners commented on the buildings attractive architecture and their desire to see residences built in Newport Center, several said the landscaping plan is lacking and that the project is too bulky for the 1.26-acre site. Chairman Kory Kramer said he would be more comfortable if the development consisted of 25 units in four stories. The building design is stunning, but its too much for that site, Kramer said. But Lawler felt the project would advance the city general plans goal of creating a walkable community in Newport Center. A lot of people that will choose to live at 150 Newport Center will choose with their feet, he said. The demand is extremely strong for this product. Its smart growth in a great location. For the development to move forward, the City Council would have to vote to change the land-use designation for the site from regional commercial office to multi-unit residential to allow homes to be built. It is not clear when the council will take up the project. Two local groups, Stop Polluting Our Newport, an activist organization, and Line in the Sand, a political action committee, began circulating a petition last week via email and social media urging the Planning Commission to reject the development. As of Thursday evening, the groups said more than 1,400 individuals had registered their support. The petition argues that 150 Newport Center is inappropriate for the location because of its height and bulk and the fact that it proposes residential use on a site not zoned for it. The zoning should remain commercial, the groups say. They also point to noise issues that could arise from the units being close to restaurants, bars and a movie theater at Fashion Island. Several commissioners also took issue with the projects close proximity to Muldoons Irish Pub, saying that residents who purchase condos at 150 Newport Center might become frustrated with the noise from the restaurant. Muldoons owner Ron Schwartz said he also has concerns about building homes near his restaurant at 202 Newport Center Drive, which has operated for decades. Residential can be fine in the right location, he said. As much as everyone would like to force it into a shoe, it doesnt work. In the hit CBS TV series BrainDead, bugs from outer space land in Washington, D.C., eating politicians brains and contributing to some very weird behaviors by these folks. The show is masterfully written, funny and one of my favorites this summer. As I was watching the other night, I wondered, Have space bugs made their way to Newport? You have to admit, things are getting pretty odd in this towns council race, and its as good an explanation as any, I guess. Take last week when resident William Stewart filed a lawsuit in O.C. Superior Court against O.C. Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley and Newport Beach City Clerk Leilani Brown in hopes of forcing council candidate Fred Ameri use his given first name, Farrokh, on the ballot. The intent here, in my view, was clearly to play on residents private prejudices against those of Middle Eastern descent. Ameri, who is of Persian descent, blames opponent Will ONeill, as well as ONeills campaign supporter, Newport Councilman Scott Peotter, whose brother is the attorney for Stewart and ONeills political consultant, Dave Ellis, for these antics. But ONeill says he has no acquaintance with the plaintiff, the lawyer in this case or any of it. To me hes either totally out of touch with his handlers or turning a blind eye to their campaign tactics. Either way its not good. The whole situation takes this race to an all-time low. But did the political brain trust, who thought this was a good tactic, actually help Ameri here? Absolutely, this has helped my campaign, says Ameri. People are calling like never before. Theyre making me the most famous guy in Newport. Though Ameri is outraged, labeling this campaign tactic racist, its not like he didnt anticipate it. Last February, Ameri and O.C. Republican Party Chairman Fred Whitaker asked Kelleys office for an official opinion on Ameris first name. Taking into consideration Ameri has used Fred since 1998 on his voter registration, Kelley writes, If he came to file for office at our front counter, we would accept this name as his ballot name. I believe that it is in his best interest to keep his name as it has been registered for 18 years, Kelly continues. Of course, this could always be challenged in a court of law, but since this is how he is known in the community, I think he has a good case. I am not aware of any rules that are violated by this. I called Ellis, my favorite frenemy, to talk about Ameri claiming hes the real culprit behind the name issue lawsuit. He denies it. I am also responsible for world famine and the Zika virus, Ellis jokes. Id be happy to pay for Freds therapy. Ouch! Ellis went on to explain another interesting twist. He says last summer potential candidates Phil Greer, Ameri and ONeill wanted to retain his services for this election. Ellis met with each of them before choosing ONeill in December. Ellis says he sent emails to Ameri to stop telling people hed hired him. You proceeded to spend three months telling folks that you had retained my services, which was wrong of you to say, Ellis writes. I never led you on or tricked you. When you asked me to print remit envelopes for you, I declined because I did not to lead you on. As you can imagine, Ellis has strong opinions about ONeills opponents. Over the next few weeks, you will hear all sorts of whining from Fred Ameri and Phil Greer about negative campaigning, etc., Ellis says. And he gave me his reasons for not taking them on as clients. Greer is a fiscal train wreck with nearly $700,000 in current state and federal tax liens pending against him, he claims, and, Ameri spent 30 years at RBF Consulting Engineers. They provided engineering services for the development of most of South Orange County around 1.5 million people and now hes anti-development. Greer says the $700,000 figure Ellis throws out is wildly inaccurate. No, it was never $700,000, he tells me. At best, it is $250,000. There are a ton of duplicate liens and other mistakes by the IRS. What Dave has done is add up everything regardless of whether it is duplicate or not and come up with an unsubstantiated number. Greer further explains that there had been an ongoing 2002 IRS dispute, which is being resolved, reducing the claimed tax liability for 2002/2004 from approximately $160,000 to approximately $40,000, amended returns can be filed for the other impacted years, balances, if any, can be paid, and will be resolved shortly. Greer confirms he met with Ellis last summer, but not to hire him. He says they met because Greers wife, Arlene, had initially showed interest in running for office. My meeting with Dave was to determine how nasty he would get if Arlene was to actually become a candidate, says Greer. I was simply being proactive in protecting my wife. I have no intent or interest in associating myself with the sort of campaigns Dave runs. Yep, Gotta love those space bugs BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com. The big California climate change news that happened in August was not the passage of Senate Bill 32. It was the passage of Assembly Joint Resolution 43. AJR43 moves the climate change focus from California to Washington, D.C., which is where we really need leadership. AJR43 asks the president and Congress to pass revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend legislation, a carbon tax, which would put a steadily rising fee on carbon-based fuels while returning all the revenue to households on an equal basis. Under such a plan, each household would receive a monthly dividend check to help lower- and middle-income households adjust to the effects of rising fossil fuel prices. People could use their dividend to keep buying dirty fuel products, but actual experience in places like British Columbia show that people change with rising prices, the economy does go green and emissions fall. AJR43 also asks Congress to impose import tariffs to protect American businesses and to insure the rest of the world follows our lead. The fee-and-dividend plan, as proposed by the Legislature, would not increase the size of government. It would employ market-based incentives rather than government regulations and subsidies and according to the economic model AJR-43 refers to, the REMI model, done by Regional Economic Modeling Inc., fee and dividend will actually boost the American economy and add to our job roles. Im one of 36 volunteers who traveled to Sacramento in support of AJR 43. We went because the resolution endorses nearly everything our group, Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) has been lobbying for in Washington, for the last seven years. CCL helped put it together and is named in the resolution. Now we are turning our sights toward cities in hopes of getting individual communities to endorse fee and dividend legislation and in doing so, become familiar with the fact that there is something we, as citizens, can do to effectively address this serious global problem. Newport Beach and Costa Mesa could make a difference. A resolution from prosperous, conservative Orange County would pack a wallop in Washington, where were currently seen as deniers. I know we are not deniers because Ive personally knocked on hundreds of doors and asked residents in Eastside Costa Mesa, in CdM, in the East and West bluffs and on Balboa Island, two questions. Is climate change happening? Should we do something about it? A clear substantial majority says yes and yes, but our congressman, Dan Rohrabacher, who Ive come to know and personally like, doesnt believe the climate is changing or if it is, its not our fault. I work with Rohrabachers office in hopes that hell reconsider his position and nothing would help me more than a Newport or Costa Mesa resolution similar to AJR 43. MARK TABBERT is co-founder of the Citizens Climate Lobbys Orange County chapter. If youre going to China to walk on the worlds highest, longest glass-bottomed bridge, you might want to delay your trip awhile. The newly opened Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in the countrys Hunan province abruptly closed Friday because it was just too popular. Were overwhelmed by the volume of visitors, a marketing and sales spokesperson for the bridge told CNN. The story notes the bridge was built to accommodate up to 8,000 people a day, but 10 times that many turned out to see the man-made attraction. The announcement came Thursday on the blog site Weibo. The bridge opened Aug. 20. Advertisement A woman poses on the worlds highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge above a valley in Zhangjiajie in Chinas Hunan province. (Fred Dufour / AFP / Getty Images ) Officials didnt say when the bridge would reopen. The bridge is 1,410 feet long (the glass-bottomed Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona is about 70 feet long), 20 feet wide and almost 1,000 feet off the ground, according to the China Tourism Office website. The overwhelming number of visitors prompted officials to shut the bridge roughly two weeks after it opened. (Fred Dufour/ AFP / Getty Images ) The agencys description of the bridge built to accommodate about 660 people at once says it floats in harmony with the surrounding scenery and affords tourists incredible views of the nearby sandstone and quartz peaks, trees, and waterfalls. It costs about $20 to go on the bridge. Though the bridge is closed for now, there are others, like Haohan Qiao, or Brave Mans Bridge, in Shiniuzhai National Geological Park. The bridge allows visitors to cross over a lush canyon in a forested part of Chinas Hunan province. (Fred Dufour / AFP / Getty Images ) It opened last September and closed within a few weeks temporarily for a different problem: One of the bridges panels of glass had shattered. No one was hurt in the incident. MORE If seeing The Walk makes you queasy, this glass bridge in China will terrify you That glass bridge in China that scared the socks off visitors? It cracked How many of these 25 top landmarks have you visited? Machu Picchu is No. 1 Its almost time to say goodbye to the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Shopping and eating venues at the 20-year-old hotel to be reinvented as two new hotels will close Oct. 3. The resort will be transformed into the Park MGM and the NoMad Las Vegas. The Monte Carlo will remain open during construction of the new hotels, but the pool, two restaurants and several shops will vanish. The renovation carries a price tag of $450 million. Advertisement The Street of Dreams shopping complex will be shuttered, along with the Pub, a popular food and drink venue along the promenade. The coming closure means you only have a few weeks left to take the Pub Challenge at the Monte Carlo. For $29, you can try and down an 8-pound hamburger in 45 minutes. The giant burger is free for those who finish. Also, hotel guests will have to go elsewhere to swim and sunbathe, according to a news release. MGM Resorts said folks staying at the Monte Carlo will be welcome at the pools at sister properties along the Strip. For high-end diners, the biggest loss will be the closure of the acclaimed French restaurant Andres. Chef Andre Rochat first opened his namesake eatery in downtown Las Vegas in 1980. It moved to the Monte Carlo in 1997. The restaurants website says plans for a new venture are in the works. The location might change, the wall coverings might be different, but the heart and soul will always remain the same, it says. The launch of the two new resorts is slated for late 2018. Info: Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, (888) 529-4828 MORE Disneys California Adventure Park will close Tower of Terror on Jan. 2 Cosmopolitan Las Vegas to add 21 (that lucky number) tower penthouse suites Dont worry about packing on pounds on Hungry Girls cruise to the Caribbean Want to give pole dancing a spin? Take a class or watch the pros at Pole Expo 2016 in Las Vegas Just under two years ago, Hong Kong was in turmoil. Tens of thousands of students took to the streets, demanding that Beijing give them the freedom to elect their next top leader by 2017. They sang songs, waved banners and slept in tents along major thoroughfares; police shot tear gas canisters and beat them back with batons. Yet in the end, Beijing made no significant concessions, and 79 days after the so-called Umbrella Movement began, it fizzled out. Many observers declared it a failure. This Sunday, Hong Kong residents will, in fact, go to the polls to elect several new members to the citys 70-seat legislature. This is the semi-autonomous Chinese territorys first general election since the protests, and its playing out against a backdrop of heated controversy and worsening social divisions. Advertisement Heres whats happening, and why it matters. Pro-democracy protesters shout at police in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong (Wally Santana/AP ) Whats the background here? When Hong Kongers talk about their citys future, its usually a conversation about its relationship with Chinas central government. Since 1997, Beijing has ruled the former British colony of 7.3 million people under a one country, two systems framework. Beijing takes care of the citys defense and foreign affairs, while the city enjoys civil liberties unavailable on the mainland: an independent judiciary, uncensored Internet, unrestricted media. The agreement is set to expire in 2047, when Beijing will take full control. Yet many Hong Kong residents are worried that in recent years, the two systems part of the arrangement has begun to slip that pro-Beijing interests have been influencing local media, courts and businesses. Its important to note that Sundays election is not the one for which the Umbrella Movement protesters were fighting in June 2015, local opposition defeated Beijings plan for electoral reform in 2017, which barred unpatriotic candidates from running for the citys top office. So next year, the chief executive, as in years past, will be chosen by a 1,200-member committee of elites, many of them pro-Beijing. Whats happening on Sunday? Enter the Legislative Council known colloquially as LegCo Hong Kongs legislature and mini-parliament. Candidates who resent and resist pro-Beijing legislation hope to win at least 24 seats so they can act as a bulwark. Theres no guarantee that it will happen. After Umbrella, society is torn and polarized, said Jason Y. Ng, a Hong Kong attorney and author of Umbrellas in Bloom: Hong Kongs occupy movement uncovered. Many Hong Kong residents, especially older generations, are weary of constant protests; they fret over the economy, which has suffered as mainland visitors seek out friendlier destinations. Yet the younger generations want to fight tooth and nail, Ng said. Its a sign of extreme frustration and anger after Umbrella failed to achieve any tangible results, despite them having spent some 79 days camping out on the streets. Sundays election is a referendum on the competing ideologies, he said. Competing visions of the citys path forward. Why is everyone so worked up? One word is hanging over the elections like a cloud: independence. Talk of independence used to exist only on the absolute fringes of Hong Kongs political discourse after all, Beijing is inextricable from several key aspects of Hong Kong life, including the supply of fresh water, its foreign policy and its defense. Yet since the Umbrella Movement failed to win any significant concessions, many Hong Kong residents are now considering more extreme modes of protest, and talk of independence has become borderline mainstream. Two years ago, people would laugh if you mentioned the word independence, Ng said. Today, its a serious political topic. Although the city has seen a profusion of pro-independence, nativist and localist organizations and political parties since 2014, they remain in the minority, and most Hong Kongers dismiss the notion of full independence as a fantasy. How has the independence movement fared in these elections? Several pro-independence candidates have attempted to run for LegCo, and in August, Hong Kongs Electoral Affairs Commission barred Edward Leung a college student who previously had advocated for Hong Kong independence from running, even after he signed a declaration stating that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China. Five other lower-profile, pro-independence candidates have been barred from running, according to the South China Morning Post newspaper, with the commission claiming that their pro-independence stance violates the Basic Law, the citys mini-constitution. Yet the prohibitions seem to have given the independence movement more momentum. A July study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that 17.4% of Hong Kong residents support eventual independence. And in August, after the six candidates were barred from running, the city saw its first pro-independence rally. Thousands attended. How does Beijing feel about all of this? Predictably, both Beijing and establishment Hong Kong politicians have been incensed by the development. In early August, the Chinese state-run, nationalistic Global Times tabloid called Hong Kong independence a false political proposition and a farce. This week, a top advisor to the Hong Kong government, Cheung Chi-kong, said that the citys schools should avoid discussing independence, arguing that it was akin to discussing how to rob a bank or commit suicide. Local authorities are clearly on edge: Hong Kong police will deploy at least 5,000 officers on polling day as a bulwark against any localism-related unrest, the South China Morning Post reported. What happens if the pro-Beijing camp wins? What about the pro-independence types? If the pro-Beijing camp comes out ahead, Chinese authorities could gain even more influence over the citys affairs. The non pro-Beijing camp already has enough seats to be influential; if it wins 24 on Sunday, it will be able to preserve the status quo. Although pro-independence candidates remain on the ballot, their poll numbers are weak, and none is expected to win. Ng said that even if one did, the path ahead would be uncertain the pro-independence camp has, up until now, been more talk than action. As long as the localist candidates are outside the LegCo, their haloes are intact, he said. But once theyre in, theyll have nowhere to hide but deliver results. Correspondent Violet Law contributed to this report from Hong Kong. ALSO How a burial ceremony in Kabul turned deadly, illustrating Afghanistans political crisis 13 killed, dozens wounded as suicide bombers target a Christian colony and a courthouse in Pakistan North Korea just executed one of its highest-ranking officials for slouching at a meeting. Or did it? Last week, South Korean officials announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had executed one senior official, reportedly for slouching at a political meeting, and banished two others to reeducation camps. News of political violence in North Korea is nothing new the communist country is known for its opacity and brutality. But for many dedicated North Korea-watchers, any developments within the countrys highly secretive political class are cause for speculation. Heres what experts are saying about the latest round of punishments: Advertisement How much do we know about this execution? Not much. South Korean officials told reporters that North Korea executed Kim Yong Jin, a 63-year-old vice premier for education, in July by firing squad. Yet local media gave few details and attributed them to anonymous sources. South Koreas Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee confirmed the execution during a news conference Wednesday, according to CNN. The briefing followed a report a day earlier by JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, claiming two senior North Korean officials former Agricultural Minister Hwang Min and senior Education Ministry official Ri Yong Jin had been executed with antiaircraft guns in August. Whether the three executions were related remains open-ended. So what does it take for a North Korean official to get executed? Slumping, according to this weeks announcement. Kim Yong Jin, the education official, was investigated by the Norths intelligence agency due to his sitting posture shown at a key parliamentary meeting held in late June, reported South Koreas Yonhap News Agency. But very little about North Korean society is clear-cut or straightforward. This current story is that he shrugged that there was some kind of insubordination, said John Delury, a North Korea expert and professor at Yonsei University in Seoul. But seemingly a very petty act of insubordination. So we assume from that, oh, Kim Jong Un is violent, and extremely insecure. If somebody doesnt stiffen their back when they walk in the room, he executes them. The North and South have remained in a state of conflict for six decades because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice. According to Delury, the two sides are always badmouthing each other thats par for the course. So whats actually going on? We might never know. North Koreas state media rarely run anything about the supreme leader other than strongman photos and ebullient praise. What does South Korea make of all this? South Korea points to killings and recent defections by high-level officials as signs of cracks in the government. The country has no shortage of North Korean sources, at both the highest and the grass-roots levels. Last month, a top-level diplomat in North Koreas embassy in Britain defected to the South, according to authorities in Seoul. In April, 13 employees of a North Korean-run restaurant in China fled to South Korea, seeking asylum. But the government shows no obvious signs of rupture, and Kims father and grandfather had ruled for decades without facing any serious opposition. Seoul hasnt always guessed correctly at its neighbors maneuvers. A North Korean general labeled dead by South Korea popped up in May at a ruling party congress. This year, the Souths intelligence officials failed to notice its rival had prepared for a fourth nuclear test. We are hunting around for anything we can grasp on to that the place we hate is about to collapse, said Robert Kelly, an associate professor of international relations at Pusan National University in South Korea. But well never really know. How much do we know about Kim Jong Uns motives? Again, very little. The last known execution of such a high-ranking official took place in 2013, when North Korea said Kim had executed the second in command his uncle, Jang Song Taek. The Norths state-run Korea Central News Agency released a 2,700-word statement calling Jang despicable human scum and accusing him of plotting to overthrow the government. Experts believe the new leader more likely wanted to eliminate older cadres who questioned his rule. How long has this kind of thing been going on? A long time. Since leaders proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Korea in 1948, the country has led a brutal existence, marked by intermittent purges. Its first leader, Kim Il Sung, carried out bloody reeducation campaigns in his nearly half a century rule. Kim Jong Un succeeded his late father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011 and since has pushed out certain military and political elites in an effort to consolidate authority. A United Nations report in 2013 called Kim Jong Uns public executions one of the dreadful tools used to rule by fear. Why would North Korea use antiaircraft guns to execute officials? We cant be too sure that it did. Anytime theres an execution now, youll see the claim somewhere that they were killed with antiaircraft guns its like a meme out there, Delury said. North Korea is a violent place. But I dont think its the kind of place where you get blown up with an antiaircraft gun because you shrugged at a meeting. Meyers is a special correspondent. jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com Few people are as closely identified with a city as Mother Teresa is with Kolkata, the onetime colonial Indian capital where the Albanian nun garnered worldwide admiration for her work with the poor, infirm and outcast. As the Catholic Church prepares to canonize her as a saint, the city formerly known as Calcutta is poised for a rare moment in the spotlight. But not everyone is celebrating. She had no significant impact on the poor of this city, said Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who served as mayor from 2005 to 2010. Advertisement She was responsible for creating a negative image of this city. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya Whatever good work she did has also been done by any other philanthropic organization. I dont find anything extraordinary in it. Bhattacharya is one of a few vocal critics in Kolkata who argue that Mother Teresas shelters glorified the ill rather than treating them, and that her charity appeals across the world misstated the reality of what was once among Indias most prosperous cities. No doubt there was poverty in Calcutta, but it was never a city of lepers and beggars, as Mother Teresa presented it, Bhattacharya said. She was responsible for creating a negative image of this city. As a Calcuttan I feel totally disgusted by it. Pope Francis canonization of Mother Teresa in a ceremony at the Vatican on Sunday has renewed a debate over her legacy in the city she made synonymous with suffering and sacrifice. Many in Kolkata revere her for the half-century of service that earned her a Nobel Peace Prize and the moniker saint of the gutters. The Missionaries of Charity, the order she founded in 1950, sheltered tens of thousands of leprosy victims, sidewalk-dwellers, tuberculosis patients, orphans and the disabled at 19 homes across the city, and now has branches in 150 countries. Until her death in 1997 at age 87, she was the Indian governments favorite adopted citizen, honored with its highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1980. Even as Hindu nationalist groups rose to prominence and opposed the expansion of Christian missionary organizations, Mother Teresa was usually accommodated. She opened her first shelter Nirmal Hriday, or Pure Heart, a home for the dying in an abandoned temple next to Kolkatas most revered Hindu shrine. It is a great blessing that Calcutta is associated with Mother Teresa, said Sunita Kumar, an artist and socialite who befriended her and served as an unofficial spokeswoman. In a city of 5 million that gave India some of its greatest writers and artists, including Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, it is Mother Teresas name and visage swathed in her familiar white sari with blue stripes that are most prominent. Park Street, the citys main commercial thoroughfare, was renamed for her. Mother House, the gray-washed hostel for nuns where she lived and is now entombed, draws tourists from around the world. Volunteers of all ages flock to her charity homes. In the narrow lanes around the Nirmal Hriday house in Kalighat, where colonial-era buildings gently decay in the sticky heat, residents and saffron-clad Hindu priests recalled Mother Teresa although weakened by a heart ailment in her later years as an indomitable presence. She would walk through the streets or go around in a wheelchair, speaking with everyone, said Renu Sarnakar, a bespectacled woman in her 50s who was fashioning packets of Hindu religious offerings out of banana leaves. Once she caressed my face very lovingly, even though I was ill. A widow, Sarnakar said she was admitted to Nirmal Hriday a decade ago with tuberculosis. Medical care was basic, and Sarnakar recalled that many in the womens ward did not survive. The ones who die, they die, Sarnakar said. But for those who can get better, the sisters are very good to us. Mother Teresa faced criticism over the spartan conditions at Nirmal Hriday beginning in the early 1990s. The editor of the Lancet medical journal, Robin Fox, found after volunteering there that the sisters did not seek medical diagnoses for patients and administered only the most rudimentary painkillers and antibiotics. The nuns resisted change, with Mother Teresa often saying that suffering brought one closer to God. A decade after her death, the nun then in charge of the home, Sister Glenda, told the local Telegraph newspaper, We dont want modern things. In the fall of 2008, Hemley Gonzalez, a Cuban-born Miami real estate broker seeking a fresh start after the housing crash, came to Nirmal Hriday as a volunteer. He was tasked with giving daily sponge baths to 50 men, including some suffering from respiratory infections. But there was no heating, making the water unbearably cold for the patients, Gonzalez said. The men started screaming when I poured water on them, he said. Im not a doctor, Im not a nurse, but I can tell by common sense that if someone has a respiratory disease you dont bathe them with cold water. When Gonzalez proposed raising money for a water heater, senior nuns rebuffed him. Gonzalez said the nuns did not distinguish between patients who were terminally ill and those who could be treated and released. He said he observed nuns rinsing dirty needles with tap water and reusing them. It felt like a museum of poverty, said Gonzalez, 40, who later founded Responsible Charity, a nonprofit organization that promotes childrens education in Kolkata and the western city of Pune. See the most-read stories in World News this hour Today, the bathrooms and water systems have been improved, and needles are sterilized. Still the house remains spare. Inside the mens ward, two dozen slender cots are lined up side by side under ceiling fans. One morning recently, a European volunteer filled a pail to wash the misshapen arms of a crippled man, who howled when the sponge grazed a sore on his palm. Kumar said Mother Teresa gave dignity in death to thousands who would have perished on the streets and dismissed criticism that the millions she raised were nowhere to be seen in Kolkata. No one can accuse the Missionaries of Charity of mishandling funds, Kumar said. Aroup Chatterjee, a Kolkata-born physician, said when he moved to Britain to practice medicine in the mid-1980s, Westerners told him constantly that his city must be horrible, because thats where Mother Teresa works. While Kolkata has vast pockets of poverty three in 10 residents live in slums it has lower income inequality and fewer underage workers than other major cities, according to official statistics, and the states per capita income is on par with the national average. It was very disturbing for me to hear that people thought that I came from a city and a culture that was so helpless that we couldnt take care of ourselves, and we had to depend on an Albanian nun to look after our every need, Chatterjee said. A former volunteer at one of her charitable homes, Chatterjee has spoken out against Mother Teresa for more than two decades. His research helped form the basis for Hells Angel, a 1994 documentary hosted by British author Christopher Hitchens that was the first major critique of Mother Teresa to appear in the mainstream Western media. In a 400-page book, recently rereleased under the title Mother Teresa: The Untold Story, Chatterjee levels an extensive list of complaints including her embrace of unsavory donors (including savings and loan swindler Charles Keating) and allegations that she secretly converted Hindu and Muslim patients to Christianity on their deathbeds. In a videotaped January 1992 meeting with the staff at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, where she had been treated for pneumonia, she boasted of baptizing as many as 29,000 people who had died at Nirmal Hriday since 1952. Not one has died without receiving the special ticket for St. Peter, we call it, she said. It is so beautiful to see the people die with so much joy. Chatterjee said Indian officials should have raised concerns that the conversions violated the patients religious freedom, but such views remain unpopular. Last year, a prominent Hindu leader drew nationwide outrage when he alleged that conversion was Mother Teresas main motive. People are afraid to come out against such a Western icon, Chatterjee said on a visit to Kolkata. India is still a colonized nation in its mind. Mother Teresas path to sainthood was fast-tracked the year after she died by the then-pope, John Paul II. In December, she cleared the last hurdle when Pope Francis recognized a second miracle attributed to her the recovery of a Brazilian man who suffered from brain tumors. The first miracle was recognized in 2003 after a tribal Indian woman, Monica Besra, said a medallion with Mother Teresas image cured her cancerous tumor. Besras doctor challenged that claim, saying the tumor was actually a cyst due to tuberculosis, and treated with medication. Debasis Bhattacharya, Kolkata-based director of the Science and Rationalists Assn. of India, a group that advocates for scientific thinking, said the miracle claim would encourage others to seek dubious cures from gurus and faith healers. Bhattacharya, who is no relation to the former mayor, said that despite the money and attention lavished on the Missionaries of Charity, their work has not dented the citys poverty. I dont think theres been any big change in Calcutta due to Mother Teresa, Bhattacharya said. It would have been the same with or without her. shashank.bengali@latimes.com Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia ALSO In India, a journalistic expose leads to a criminal complaint against the journalists Meet the Nightcrawlers of Manila: A night on the front lines of the Philippines war on drugs We thought things would get better: A year after the nuclear deal, Iranians await economic recovery At least 13 people were killed and dozens wounded Friday in a pair of suicide bombings targeting a Christian residential area and a judicial complex in northern Pakistan, rescue officials said. Four militants wearing suicide vests and armed with semiautomatic weapons struck a residential colony populated by Christian families on the outskirts of the city of Peshawar, next to a security base, said Col. Naeem Ullah, commandant of the paramilitary Frontier Corps at the base. A security guard reportedly fired on the assailants and was killed, but residents said his quick response and that of Pakistani security forces helped avert greater carnage, according to accounts by Christian community groups. Advertisement Hours later in Mardan, about 25 miles east of Peshawar, a suicide bomber lobbed a hand grenade at a police officer guarding the main gate of a courthouse and then set off a suicide bomb. The deafening explosion killed or wounded dozens of lawyers and litigants who were at the complex on court business, officials said. Bilal Jalal, a spokesman for the city rescue service, said 12 bodies were retrieved from the site of the blast and that 51 people had been wounded, many of them critically. The death toll could rise further, Jalal said, adding that rescue teams had been dispatched from Peshawar and a state of emergency had been declared in all hospitals in Mardan. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban militant federation, claimed responsibility for both attacks in messages to the news media. The group has claimed responsibility for several large attacks in Pakistan in recent months, including a suicide bombing at a hospital in Quetta last month that killed 64 people most of them lawyers and the bombing of a Lahore park on Easter that left 72 dead. The Islamic State militant group also claimed responsibility for the hospital bombing. Christians form a small, largely working-class minority in mainly Muslim Pakistan, accounting for less than 2% of the countrys nearly 200 million people. They have frequently been the target of attacks as Pakistan battles an array of militant groups aiming to bring down the state. The Christian colony of Warsak Dam, which comprises 25 homes, is about four miles from the Army Public School, where 144 people, mostly children, were killed in a December 2014 attack. Pakistani Christian groups said the attackers entered a church about 6 a.m. but found it empty except for the guard, a Christian man, who alerted security forces. The assailants shot and killed him but other guards rushed to the spot, exchanging fire with the assailants, Ullah said. The attackers took cover in a nearby building that was under construction before detonating their suicide vests inside the compound, Ullah said. Police officers and the paramilitary Frontier Corps responded to the attack. Lt. Col. Asim Bajwa, spokesman for the Pakistani military, praised the security forces for defeating the terrorists attempt. Pakistani Christian leaders also praised the response while noting the vulnerability of their community. The fact that Christians are so often the target in terrorists plots is starting [to] register and security strategies have improved as a consequence, Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Assn., said in a statement. Even then something has to be done to exterminate both the [extremist groups] and the pervading hatred for minorities among the general populace, that together make life for Pakistani Christians and other minorities in Pakistan untenable. Special correspondent Ali reported from Peshawar and staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India. ALSO Mexican president calls Trumps ideas a threat to the future of Mexico Crowds surge into the streets to demand recall of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Framed: She was the PTA mom everyone knew. Who would want to harm her? UPDATES: 7:40 a.m.: This article was updated with Times reporting and a revised death toll. 12:20 a.m.: This article was updated with details and background. This article was originally posted at 11:55 p.m. Russian news agencies are citing the government of Uzbekistan as saying that President Islam Karimov has died, ending days of rumors about the condition of the 78-year-old hard-liner who led the Central Asian country with an iron hand since its independence. Karimov was reported to have been hospitalized last week, and his daughter later said on social media that he had suffered a brain hemorrhage. Russias RIA-Novosti agency said the government announced the funeral would be Saturday in Samarkand, his birthplace. Further details of his death were not immediately available from the mostly opaque country, where media freedom and human rights have been harshly repressed. Advertisement Karimov ran an authoritarian government in the Central Asian nation since 1989 and cultivated no apparent successor. Karimovs death raises concerns that Uzbekistan could face prolonged infighting among clans over leadership claims, something its Islamic radical movement could exploit. Given the lack of access to the country, its hard to judge how powerful the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan might be, but the group has over the years been affiliated with the Taliban, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group and has sent fighters abroad. Under the constitution, if the president dies, his duties pass temporarily to the head of the senate until an election can be held within three months. However, the head of the Uzbek senate is regarded as unlikely to seek permanent power, and Karimovs demise is expected to set off a period of jockeying for political influence. In any case, the death of the man who harshly cracked down on opposition would not be likely to lead to an immediate relaxation. Karimovs death would mark the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not the pattern of grave human rights abuses. His successor is likely to come from Karimovs closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated, said Denis Krivosheev, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International. Uzbekistan celebrated its Independence Day on Thursday, and it was widely assumed that the government would not break any news until after the festivities. On Friday, indications mounted that the country was preparing for a funeral. Photographs posted Friday by the respected Central Asian news website Fergana.ru showed what appeared to be undertakers in Karimovs hometown of Samarkand working on a cemetery plot in the graveyard where Karimovs family is buried. The Samarkand airport announced it would be closed to all flights except specially approved aircraft on Saturday, according to the website of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Uzbek opposition blogger Nadezhda Atayeva said Friday that Uzbek authorities appeared to be cracking down on communication channels. Speaking from western France, she said an opposition contact told her via Skype that government officials had been told to turn off their phones, and Internet speeds had slowed sharply. As he spoke, she said, the signal went dead. MORE WORLD NEWS Crowds surge into the streets to demand recall of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Brazils Senate ousts President Dilma Rousseff from office Afghan refugees in Pakistan forced to leave the country in response to get-tough measures UPDATES: 11:20 a.m.: This article has been updated with Russian news agencies citing the government of Uzbekistan as saying that Karimov has died. 10:25 a.m.: This article has been updated with background on Karimovs presidency. 9:05 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional information about reports of President Karimovs death. This article was originally published at 7:05 a.m. If Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto was taking a gamble when he invited Donald Trump to meet with him this week, it was because he didnt have much to lose. More than halfway through his six-year term, Pena Nieto is Mexicos least popular president since pollsters began such surveys in the 1990s. In recent months, he has struggled to address rising homicide rates, a slowing economy and corruption scandals involving three of his partys governors. Advertisement He has made enemies with teachers over his recent educational reforms, and with the Catholic Church for supporting nationwide same-sex marriage. Hes even been accused of plagiarizing much of his law school thesis. And that was all before Trump came to town. Exactly why Pena Nieto, 50, invited Trump to a closed-door meeting at his presidential palace remains a mystery to many Mexicans, who loathe the Republican presidential candidate for branding Mexican immigrants as rapists and saying hed make Mexico pay for an impenetrable wall on its northern border. What is clear is that by the time Trump had departed Wednesday afternoon and the pair had begun a Twitter war over whether they had discussed who would pay for the wall, the verdict on how the meeting played out for Pena Nieto was clear. It was a disaster, said security analyst Alejandro Hope. He paid a huge political cost for no political gain. It was like it couldnt get any worse for him, and yet he made it worse, said Maureen Meyer, a Mexico expert at the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights advocacy group. It was like it couldnt get any worse for him, and yet he made it worse. Maureen Meyer, Washington Office for Latin America On Friday, fliers started circulating on social media, calling for a march in two weeks to demand the president step down. A survey published by Reforma newspaper underscored the point, with 85% of those polled calling Pena Nietos meeting with Trump a mistake. Nearly two-thirds said the incident made their opinion of the president go down. Not that Pena Nietos poll numbers had much room to fall. A Reforma survey from last month showed only about 23% of Mexicans held a favorable opinion of the president. He is now regarded more poorly than former President Ernesto Zedillo was at the height of the mid-1990s economic crisis. The mockery of him around the world is well-deserved, said Carlos Sortre, a 38-year-old restaurant manager in Mexico City. Never in my life have I felt so much frustration with a president, so much anger. And yet his term had started with so much promise. Pena Nietos 2012 election returned his Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to power after a 12-year absence. He vowed to be a new kind of leader of the PRI, which had previously ruled autocratically for seven decades, its name practically synonymous with corruption. Although Pena Nieto won with just 38% of the votes in an election with two other major candidates, many Mexicans had high hopes for the young, charismatic and handsome politician whose telenovela star wife, Angelica Rivera, they had followed in the tabloids. Pena Nieto enjoyed a 61% favorability rating when he entered office. He moved quickly to enact a series of bold structural reforms across several key sectors, with mixed results. A teacher protesting a government education reform plan wears a sign saying Out with Pena, a reference to the Mexican president. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images ) While Mexico has won international praise for modernizing its judicial system in recent years, a series of energy reforms have so far been less successful, in part because Pena Nieto opened up the nations state-owned oil company to the private sector shortly before oil prices plummeted to their lowest levels in years. The strategic mistake the president made was to oversell his reforms, said Tony Payan, director of the Mexico Center at Rice Universitys Baker Institute. They were premised on false promises of a quick payoff. People expected to see reduced prices in gasoline and electricity, and they have not seen that. What they see is the opposite. The government says the economy is fine, but our families dont feel that, said Laura Carmona, 45, a mother of four who works at an auto dealership. The prices go up all the time light, gasoline, rent but our wages do not rise. The presidents attempts to overhaul the education system have been similarly fraught, with teachers protesting new requirements for teacher evaluation exams by setting up roadblocks and refusing to enter the classroom in some parts of the country. In June, several people were killed in the southern state of Oaxaca after police clashed with demonstrators. Security continues to be a problem. After subsiding early in Pena Nietos term, homicides are on the rise. Local and federal police tasked with fighting drug cartels have been plagued by accusations of torture and other human rights violations. This year, independent investigators discredited a government account of what happened to 43 students who vanished after being apprehended by state police in the state of Guerrero. Pena Nieto has also been dogged by personal corruption scandals, including questions over his wifes 2014 purchase of a white marble mansion from a government contractor and more recent plagiarism allegations (the president said he didnt lift anything in his law school thesis but acknowledged methodological errors). His party fared badly in regional elections this summer, thanks in part to the fact that three PRI governors on their way out because of term limits are facing corruption allegations, included charges of graft. Political analyst Jose Antonio Crespo said Pena Nieto needs to address corruption head-on if he wants to save his presidency and his partys chances at holding onto power in the 2018 race to replace him. He needs to fight corruption as much as possible, Crespo said. This was the message of the elections. But that is a difficult move for Pena Nieto, who would be attacking his own party if he pressed for more investigations into the actions of the governors. The president hasnt yet named a special prosecutor to head a new anti-corruption system that his government created under pressure from advocacy groups. Some analysts say he appears more interested in trying to improve his reputation in front of television cameras. I think in some ways the administration is convinced that they just have an image problem, said Payan. I wonder if the president views it simply as a matter of correcting his message. That could explain why Pena Nieto decided to host Trump for a high-profile meeting. I believe in dialogue to promote the interests of Mexico in the world, and to protect Mexicans wherever they are, Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter before the meeting. But many Mexicans considered the meeting an insult and an act of hubris on Pena Nietos part. See more of our top stories on Facebook If Pena Nieto isnt capable of security, of generating jobs or generating wealth, he isnt capable of defending Mexicans in the U.S., said Jose Cruz, 26, a Mexico City resident who has spent the last six months looking for a job after graduating with an engineering degree. Its not Trump who should apologize to Mexicans, its Pena Nieto for having created this nonsense, he said. On Wednesday Pena Nieto stood side-by-side with Trump after their meeting and called the exchange open and productive. Just hours later, Trump delivered an incendiary immigration speech in Phoenix and repeated his vow to make Mexico pay for construction of a border wall. Pena Nieto responded with a terse message on Twitter: I repeat what I told you personally, Mr. Trump: Mexico will never pay for a wall. By Thursday he called Trumps ideas a threat to the future of Mexico. Enrique Ochoa, the president of the PRI, defended Pena Nietos meeting with Trump. It was an opportunity for Mexico to tell the candidates what offends us, to demand respect for Mexicans living in the United States, and to say up front that we reject the construction of a wall and of course refuse to pay a penny for its construction, Ochoa said. The Trump issue came up several times as Pena Nieto gave his annual address to the nation Thursday night. Breaking with past formats, the president announced weeks ago that he would field questions from young people in a televised town-hall-style meeting, instead of giving a speech. One young man asked about the presidents poor poll numbers and what he will do to raise the governments credibility. Sometimes you have to make decisions that arent popular, Pena Nieto said. I did not become president to maintain high popularity ratings. I decided to become president because I wanted to transform Mexico. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum Cecilia Sanchez in the Times Mexico City bureau contributed to this report. ALSO Mexican president calls Trumps ideas a threat to the future of Mexico Trumps Mexico visit stirs outrage: We dont want him Protesters say a massacre took place in this Mexican town. Now its become a rallying cry against the government The summer is winding down as people are preparing for Labor Day 2016 on Monday Sept. 5. And while the fun festivities are almost over and everyone is back on their grind, they can be inspired by these top Labor Day 2016 quotes. You can also find places where you can get FREE food in New York City to cheer you up. Labor Day 2016 Quotes Without labor nothing prospers. Sophocles The miracle of the seed and the soil is not available by affirmation; it is only available by labor. John Rohn Keep working hard and you can get anything that you want. If God gave you the talent, you should go for it. But dont think its going to be easy. Its hard! Aaliyah A man is not paid for having a head and hands, but for using them. Elbert Hubbard Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken. Bill Dodds There is no labor a person does that is undignified; if they do it right. Bill Cosby Men are made stronger on the realization that the helping hand they need is at the end of their own right arm. Sidney J. Phillips The end of labor is to gain leisure. Aristotle FREE food in NYC While youre back on your grind at work, dont forget to hit some local spots for free food to save money for that next summer vacation. Go to any nearby Subway and get a free cooking when you take a 10-minute survey within 30 days of your first purchase. Visit Cucina de Pesce on 87 East 4th Street on weekdays during the 4 p.m. 8 p.m. Happy Hour and get an order of free mussels marinara when you buy a drink. Rodeo Bar on 375 Third Avenue gives out free nachos with salsa when you order a margarita on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you are more of a sangria person, head to Spain Restaurant on 113 West 13th Street and get free tapas at any time when you order the drink. There is always free chips and salsa at any time at the El Rio Grande on 160 East 38th Street. Want more than just finger foods? Go to The Watering Hole on 106 East 19th Street and enjoy a complimentary buffet available to all bar customers on weekdays between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. And for all you cheese lovers out there, get a free plate of cheese on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. when you buy a beer at Blind Tiger Ale House on Bleecker Street. A growing number of Donald Trump's top Latino surrogates are contemplating withdrawing their support of him after the Republican presidential nominee doubled down on his hard-line immigration stance during a widely anticipated address. Jacob Monty, a member of Trump's National Hispanic Advisory Council, has already submitted his resignation and fellow board member and Texas pastor Ramiro Pena conceded he is considering following suit, adding he's convinced Trump's Wednesday night speech from Phoenix likely caused him the election and he didn't want to be part of a "scam." Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles president Alfonso Aguilar added he is "inclined" to pull his support. "I was a strong supporter of Donald Trump when I believed he was going to address the immigration problem realistically and compassionately," said Monty, a Houston attorney who has aggressively made the Latino case for Trump. "What I heard today was not realistic and not compassionate." Trump's Deportation Plans The outspoken Trump left himself little wiggle room on the issue as he unequivocally called for stricter border patrol and outlined a policy were all immigrants in the country illegally are subject to deportation. In the wake of Trump's most recent fiery declaration, Pena fired off his own missive to Trump and Republican National Committee leaders, asserting "I am so sorry but I believe Mr. Trump lost the election tonight. The 'National Hispanic Advisory Council' seems to be simply for optics and I do not have the time or energy for a scam." Word is when Trump recently met with many of his Hispanic advisers on the issue at Trump Tower he expressed a willingness to be more compassionate and took on a softer tone as opposed to an earlier hard-line vow where he pledged to deport millions "When we met [earlier in August] he was going to approach this issue with a realistic plan, a compassionate plan, with a plan that was not disruptive to the immigrants that were here that were not lawbreakers," said Monty. "He didn't deliver any of that." Aguilar was likewise left feeling dismayed and looking bewildered. "It's so disappointing because we feel we took a chance, a very risky chance," he said. "We decided to make a big U-turn to see if we could make him change. We thought we were moving in the right direction ... we're disappointed. We feel misled." Trump Already struggling With Latinos Even with all the work the likes of Monty and Aguilar put in defending him, Trump was still faring as poorly as any recent republican candidate among Latino voters. That problem only now figures to be exacerbated all the more. Just hours after Trump had finished his controversial speech, Hillary Clinton and her supporters began running ads in Arizona, a historically republican state but one that has recently come to tout a large number of Hispanic voters. Sep 2, 2016, 2:25pm ET Ford dropping plans to launch new car family for China, India? The Blue Oval has grown wary of the initiative as global markets are drawn into the crossover boom. Ford has reportedly dropped plans to develop a new family of cars specifically geared for emerging markets. The 'B500' architecture is said to have been designed to accommodate several bodystyles, ranging from small sedans to hatchbacks and crossovers. The project appears to have been far along before the company pulled the plug, with China and India selected to serve as primary production centers, several sources recently told Reuters. Executives allegedly grew wary of the initiative amid signs of waning demand for small vehicles in certain markets. Ford's strategy is said to have evolved as customer preferences shift toward crossovers and larger cars. "We are constantly evaluating opportunities to better meet the needs of consumers and do not comment on speculation about future product programs," a spokesperson said in a statement. Putting the B500 on the back burner is expected to keep open additional funds that will likely be spent on crossover and SUV development, apparently expecting the upsizing trend to continue in China. If Jhamaer Keyes was really too sick to attend his trial in July, he'll have to prove it. Otherwise Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano will hold him in contempt of court. Jhamaer Keyes Giordano gave the 30-year-old Winslow Township, New Jersey, man a week to produce medical records verifying he was too ill to appear in court to answer to charges he drove into two Bethlehem Township police officers. Keyes was present during jury selection and opening arguments for his trial, but failed to show up for the next two days, so Giordano dismissed the jurors and declared a mistrial. Keyes was picked up in New Jersey about two weeks ago. Giordano raised his bail from 10 percent of $25,000 to $100,000 on Tuesday. Keyes remains in Northampton County Prison. Public defender Anthony Rybak handed up 11 pages of medical records verifying Keyes was treated at two different hospitals for pain in his abdomen and verifying that he has an enlarged heart. But Giordano said none of the paperwork shows Keyes was too sick to make it to court. "I need some proof," the judge said. "I don't have proof." Keyes said the medication he took those days made him unfit to appear in court. "I know it seems strange, but it really happened," he told the judge. He said he's willing to accept a plea deal. Assistant District Attorney John Obrecht has no offer before Keyes. "Mr. Obrecht is the one in charge of the deals, not me," Giordano said. Keyes is accused of pinning a police officer between his car and a police car and running over another officer's foot during a drug sting on Sept. 28, 2015, at the Value Place hotel in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania. Keyes recklessly drove away and reached 120 mph on Route 22 before he got away, according to police. Keyes is charged with two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, five counts of reckless endangerment, and single counts of criminal mischief and fleeing police. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. A garda was viciously assaulted in the public office of Portlaoise Garda Station last week, the second such attack to have occurred within the past month. The terrifying incident unfolded in front of a family with children present at the time, when a 22-year-old man entered the station last Thursday, August 25, in what gardai said was an aggressive manner. The garda on-duty in the station approached the man, at which point the man attacked him inflicting kicks and punches. The garda suffered bruised ribs, as well as bruising to his face and back, and is currently off work. The assailant, a man from Cork, was arrested and charged, and has been released pending the preparation of a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions. There may be more serious charges to come. Earlier in August a Portlaoise-based detective was attacked in similar circumstances some weeks ago. The detective suffered hand and arm injuries after being attacked in the station by a man who was subsequently charged before the district court. A garda spokesperson also said that assaults such these are becoming a common for local gardai. Some things that make you old Naas (well somebody who grew up there in the 70s and 80s). 1. Your earliest experience of social media was reading the court pages in the Leinster Leader. 2. Bagatelle didnt play Naas every weekend. Their posters just outlasted their success and they were wallpapered to every ESB box. 3. McKiernan's on the Kilcullen Road felt like it was part of the same franchise as Mini Brennan's on the Dublin Road. 4. The prospect of being sent to Mrs Kennellys office in Ballycane School was a worrying fate. 5. Digby Bridge was your day at the beach. 6. Jumping off Digby Bridge was your substitute for Mosney. 7. Ghostbusters coming to the Dara One brought the the kind of hysteria witnessed in U2s video The Streets Have No Name. 8. After queuing from as far back as Donals it was a f***kin annoyance that Hollywood actors had to compete with a ringing telephone at the back of Dara 1. This happened fairly often, to Clint Eastwood and Michael J Fox as well as Bill Murray. 9. You could smoke in the Dara 1 then even though it was illegal for you to buy them. 10. Oxygen, which would come years later, had nothing on the Battle of the Bands and Stirrups in Punchestown. 11. Really! Someones going to make a nightclub out of the Garda Station and call it the Naas Court. It will never work! 12. Bomb dives werent forbidden in Naas Swimming Pool. They were actively encouraged. Ditto old tyre tubes and mini rafts for swimming apparatus. 13. Jumping over the disinfectant bath on the way in was your greatest swimming stroke. 14. May Leonard taught you to swim. 15. Getting past Tom on the door of the Five Lamps required no cunning just the heartiest of greetings. 16. Brother Cod coordinated your education, Brother Wright enforced it. 17. You never saw Sister Anne or Sister Bosco in public but you knew them as the equivalents of the above Brothers. 18. CBS caretaker Billy Sheridan was not to be tangled with. 19. The extension in Naas CBS will always be the awful red box-like building that you now have some affection for. 20. Youve been to a Spanish disco in the CBS where black bags had to be stuck to the windows to block the light. 21. Someone bought you drink in Mulveys. 22. Enough time past and you sat down and bought your own drink in Mulveys. 23. Night Shades wasnt a sex shop. It was a video shop on Basin Street with a good horror section. 24. Kildare GAA updates that followed a reading from St Paul or some other saint were nothing unusual when Moling Lennon said Mass in St Davids. 25. Make that the new and the old St Davids. 26. Monread was nothing but a small housing estate beside Ashgrove, and now look... 27. There was always Kerry heads knocking around Eddie Marums on All Ireland day. 28. The shortcut through Martins Avenue really could save a couple of minutes of your day. 29. Johnny Cahill's was more a viewing gallery than a bike shop. 30. Youve told someone not of the town about the Rolling Stones getting barred from Fletchers. 31. Johnny Dwyer refereed you in football. 32. Someone you know had the wrong tooth pulled in Naas hospital. 33. Sausage, Chip and a Can was one old pound in the Yankee Express and you queued your entire lunch break for the privilege. 34. When this offer wasnt available you went to the Capri. 35. Ming Wah up by Esmondale had a monopoly on ethnic food. 36. There was always someone from around the place in the Lebanon. 37. You feel there should be a preservation order on whats left standing of the above. 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. 238,675 is being provided for group rural water schemes in Co. Leitrim under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme for 2016. The announcement was made yesterday, Tuesday, by Minister for the Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government Simon Coveney under the Departments 2016 block and scheme-based grant allocations to local authorities for group water and sewerage schemes. The total 2016 allocation of almost 14.9 million under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme is an increase of almost 30% on last year. The scheme-based allocations being provided will fund almost 119 schemes and projects and benefit over 12,500 households throughout the country. Fine Gael T.D. for Sligo-Leitrim, Tony McLoughlin, welcomed the announcement. The funding for Leitrim County Council is aimed primarily towards the improvement of water quality in existing group water schemes in Co. Leitrim, the takeover of some schemes by Irish Water in cases where the scheme has sought such a takeover, and upgrading and water conservation works in group water scheme distribution networks. Funding is also provided towards new group water and sewerage schemes in Co. Leitrim. These new schemes enable rural households, to have a supply of good quality piped water for the first time. The allocation announced for Co. Leitrim today is significant news and will ensure that more people in the county have access to a good quality piped water supply in their houses. This Government is working to ensure that the economic recovery, which is now underway, reaches all parts of the country and the benefits are felt inside every doorstep and in every community. The Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme and the funding announced for Co. Leitrim today, is an important step in this process for rural areas, he stated. Allocations to local authorities in neighbouring counties were: Cavan 363,500, Donegal 390,100, Longford 60,000, Roscommon 608,000 and Sligo 608,000. Minister Coveney said, We need economic recovery to reach all parts of the country. The Government, together with the Oireachtas, is putting in place measures to revitalise all of Ireland so that the benefits are felt inside every doorstep and in every community. The Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme, by providing certainty to the sector on funding of projects, is an important component of this process for rural areas. The allocations follow on from interim allocations made to local authorities in May. Its been another night of gains for the Liberal Democrats in local elections. In Cornwall, we gained our 5th seat of the year, this time from UKIP whose vote tanked, in the Four Lanes ward, going from a standing start to getting 34.7% of the vote: Four Lanes (Cornwall) result: LDEM: 34.7% (+34.7) IND: 16.6% (+16.6) CON: 14.8% (-5.8) LAB: 14.5% (-5.7) MK: 12.8% (-0.9) UKIP: 6.6% (-21.9) Britain Elects (@britainelects) September 1, 2016 In Hampshire, a thrilling Parish Council contest saw Jack Davies elected after the drawing of lots. He and the Conservative candidate had 401 votes each. No doubt that will be brought up in training sessions ad infinitum to highlight the importance of keeping going until the polls close. In Otley, we held two town council seats. Meet your new councillors for #Ashfield in #Otley after a long polling day Cllr Holmes & Cllr Robinson! pic.twitter.com/eo5VcZyzdW Leeds NW Lib Dems (@LeedsNWLibDems) September 1, 2016 In Stockton, Nick Webb flew the Lib Dem flag in a much more challenging contest. We were already in single figures but 44 people turned out to vote for him. If he hadnt stood, they might lose that habit of going and voting Lib Dem. Thanks to Nick for putting himself forward. Every such contest fought is helping the party rebuild for the future. The seat was closely fought between Conservatives and Labour with the Conservatives gaining. Grangefield (Stockton-on-Tees) result: CON: 50.5% (+15.4) LAB: 43.1% (-5.5) UKIP: 3.6% (-8.8) LDEM: 2.8% (-1.1) Britain Elects (@britainelects) September 1, 2016 Again, the UKIP vote tanked. Labour should be very worried to be losing seats like this. There were also three by-elections in Dorset, all Tory holds. Well update this post with the full results later. All in all, not a bad night at all. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings 10 Cutting-Edge Skin-Care Devices You Can Use at Home Don't ditch your dermatologist just yet. But consider supplementing your routine with these tools, which may help even skin tone, treat mild acne, smooth wrinkles, deflate puffy eyes, and more. ON THE same week that an elderly man in Bruff was held captive in his home which was badly ransacked, it has been confirmed that Limerick has lost a startling 100 gardaI in recent years. Since 2011, Limerick garda numbers have dropped by 15%. In January 2011, there were 656 gardai, while there are now 557. Though Chief Superintendent David Sheahan said that the Limerick Garda Division is down resources, he is hopeful that it will benefit from Templemore graduates in November and December. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors president, Antoinette Cunningham, who hails from Knocklong, has stated that there will also be a glaring vacuum at sergeant level in Limerick, following the filling of four inspector vacancies. Chief Supt Sheahan has described the numbers of promotions and sergeants as positive. It was also confirmed this week that the Limerick Garda Division will lose a further 10 gardai who are to become instructors at Templemore. Though there will be no immediate replacements, the Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald stated that 12 Templemore graduates will be assigned to Limerick, this November. Concerns have been expressed by gardai over the distribution of resources. There are 74 gardai in the Newcastle West district and just 39 gardai in the Bruff district. There are 127 gardai in the Roxboro Road district, and 317 covering the Henry Street district. A number of units in the city cover the entire division. According to a garda source, county stations have been hit the hardest by six days on-four days off rostering system. The source said that, in small rural stations with four gardai, it is common that everyone could be on annual leave, sick leave, and resting at the same time. The garda said that this is not a problem in city stations where there are strong numbers in a centralised base. In the city, you have flexibility to deal with issues as they arise. That flexibility disappears in the rural station. The source added that the garda numbers are startling. Chief Supt Sheahan said that where members are on leave at a garda station, gardai from a local, central station provide policing. It is not as if an area is left without policing. That is not the case, he told the Leader this week. Chief Super Sheahan said that he does not believe that the Bruff and Newcastle West districts are more vulnerable as Henry Street suffered a major loss of 56 gardai since 2011. I have to prioritise, from a policing perspective. If I was to map the level of crime against population and against other factors, you will invariably find that the percentage of gardai in those areas are equitable, he added. Concerns were expressed over the lack of a detective and permanent superintendent in Bruff. A competition [a recruitment process] is curently underway for the detective vacancy, while this has been delayed for the superintendent vacancy. He added that, while the local garda force is down 90 uniformed gardai since January 2011, a number of serious crimes have significantly reduced since last year, including burglaries, car thefts and unlawful taking of cars. Yes, we are down numbers, but the challenge for me, on a day-to-day basis is to manage the numbers that I have to ensure that the people of Limerick get the policing service that they deserve and that they are entitled to. And, yes, I am not going to say that I wouldnt want more people. I certainly do want more people. But, at the same time, it has to be put into the bigger picture insofar as we are trying to provide leaders for the future, he said. This year, 10 gardai have been promoted to sergeant rank; two from Bruff, two from Roxboro Road, and six from Henry Street. Four sergeants from Henry Street were promoted to inspector rank last week. It is not known if the newly-appointed inspectors will remain in Limerick. According to the Chief Supt, this reflects the high standards of the Limerick Garda Division. The challenge for me is to replace those people with equally-competent people, and for them to become the next leaders of the future, he added. As a result of inspector promotions, four sergeant positions are vacant. It is understood that two of these positions will be filled immediately, while the two vacancies will be filled, pending a competition. However, this may not happen for a number of months. We are in a period of transition. We have a big class coming out in November, and we have another class coming out in December. Hopefully I will be the benefactor of those two classes, he said, adding he is positive about the number of new recruits in 2017. He said that police forces, worldwide, had to tighten their belts following the economic crash. AGSI president, Antoinette Cunningham told the Leader on Wednesday: "The AGSI is on the record as stating that garda numbers are falling despite ongoing recruitment campaigns. 762 garda members departed the force or began three-year career breaks in 2014 and 2015. In that period, 550 recruits were taken into the garda college a net loss of 112 members. The situation nationally is mirrored in Limerick. We are now seeing vacancies at Inspector level being filled, leaving a glaring vacuum at sergeant level. Unfortunately, these gaps in manpower are as a direct result of a garda recruitment ban from 2009-2014 and are causing serious pressures on supervision. A MOTHER of four young children who claims she was forced to leave her home in Limerick after it was attacked by a gang of youths says she is paying 50 a day on taxis to get her children to school. Mary OCallaghan, 35, who moved out of her rented-home in Emly more than a week ago, has been living with her sister in St Marys Park in the city since the weekend. Leanne OCallaghan, who has three children of her own, is living with her partner in a two-bedromed council house at St Brendan Street. I have my own three kids but I still took the five of them in because I wouldnt leave them out on the street, Leanne told the Limerick Leader at her home this week. Mary, who is originally from Southill, says a number of windows at her home in Emly were smashed and the front door kicked in by a group of up to 13 youths. She believes the attack was related to another incident which happened around Easter following which she and an older daughter were arrested. Gardai at Tipperary Town declined to comment on the matter saying all queries should be made to the Garda Press Office. Mary says she has been on the social housing list in Limerick for over a decade and has been in contact with a number of housing agencies since moving out of her home. She spend a number of nights in hotels at her own expense before moving in with her sister as she could not secure alternative accommodation. I would like the homeless to take notice and see that I actually have nowhere to go and I have nothing to do, she said. Its been heartbreaking - all I have been doing is crying nobody is helping me, she added. Two of her children Martina (9) and Alicia (10) returned to Scoil Iosagain, Hospital on Tuesday morning following the summer holidays and as Marys does not currently have a car, she says she has been travelling to the school in a taxi each morning. When asked if she would consider returning to the house in Emly she replied: Its unlivable and Im afraid to go back because if I do it will be burned to the ground. A spokesman for Limerick City and County Council says the local authority doesnt comment on individual cases. However, he added that anyone on the housing list whose circumstances change should inform the council as soon as possible. THE Lime Tree Theatre and the Belltable this week launched a packed autumn programme, featuring Parky, Druid Theatre Company, award winning fringe plays, a busy world cinema programme, a childrens festival and a host of other exciting events. The Lime Tree has taken the Belltable under its management this year, appointing new programme manager Marketa Dowling, who was in turn launching her first full programme for the arts centre. Both are stacked full of events and Ms Donlon, backed by new Lime Tree board chair Colm OBrien at the launch, said it was definitely the busiest season we have ever done. It is inevitable, because of the fact that the Belltable is now up and running properly. But it is great and this is what it is all about and it is this particular season that feels like the beginning of the year, the start of it all again and it is exciting. Ms Donlon said the programme was a combination of returning shows, but also bringing in new work and introducing new performers and companies to audiences and getting audiences to come more often. She said she was particularly excited to see Druid coming back, this time with The Beauty Queen of Leenane in October, because she worked as general manager with the company when it first produced the play in the mid 90s a very exciting time. She said it was a huge coup to secure the services of Sir Michael Parkinson for his only show outside Dublin, laughing that she had invoked Terry Wogans name in persuading the veteran broadcaster to do so. That is a key part for me, to make the Lime Tree a premier venue so that when people think about coming to Ireland, it is not just to Dublin, but to key venues in cities around the island. The Cecilians and the College Players will return also, she noted with satisfaction. Ms Dowling said she was very excited to launch the programme. It was so busy behind the scenes in the summer months and I am really proud of the programme that we have pulled together, she said. We have forged a lot of new partnerships and collaborations our cinema programme has gone from strength to strength, we are now presenting arthouse cinema every Wednesday and have teamed up with LACE the Limerick Arts and Culture Exchange to show locally made shorts before every main film. So that is an opportunity for audiences to see local filmmakers on the big screen. The theatre programme, in particular, is really strong. So it is really great. See www.limetreetheatre.ie for full details. May 3, 2021, 12 AM A 1946 cover from Pyongyang to Seoul that had been handed over in one of the official mail exchanges between North and South Korea sold for just over $3,500 at the June 26-29 InterAsia auction in Hong Kong. InterAsia offered a group of Hong Kong stamp errors at its June sale in that city. A 1961 first-day cover with a $1 Hong Kong University commemorative stamp missing its gold ink brought $26,700. An example of the elusive unissued 1964 Zhang Fei opera mask stamp of the Peoples Republic of China fetched $178,000 at the June sale by InterAsia in Hong Kong. A stamp depicting the Monkey King opera mask, one of a set of eight scarce unissued 1964 Peoples Republic of China stamps, sold for $96,400 in the InterAsia June sale. A mint, never-hinged example of the 1968 Entire Nation Is Red stamp of the Peoples Republic of China, withdrawn on its first day of sale, sold for $126,000 in June at InterAsias auction. Harmer-Schau sold a used example of the same stamp in August at AP An unissued 1968 Peoples Republic of China stamp, one of the four philatelic treasures of the Cultural Revolution, brought $71,200 in June at InterAsias auction. A rare red die proof of the 20-chon first stamp of North Korea sold for $4,750 at InterAsias June auction in Hong Kong. The only surviving cover from Taiwan franked with a Large Dragon stamp, mailed to Shanghai in 1879, brought $371,000 at InterAsias sale in Hong Kong in June. By Matthew Healey, New York Correspondent Worldwide auctions continued apace in July and August, with important philatelic holdings crossing the block in Hong Kong and New York, as well as at the American Philatelic Societys annual Stampshow in Portland, Ore. Here is one of five recent auctions we are recapping in our latest International Auction Roundup: InterAsia held a major sale of China, Asia and worldwide stamps and postal history June 26-29 in Hong Kong, including what was said to be the largest offering of North Korea ever to appear at public auction, as well as important items from well-known specialists in Hong Kong and other areas. The total realization for the four-day sale was over $54 million Hong Kong dollars (about US$7 million), some 45 percent beyond presale estimates. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Starting things off the first day were items from the T.S. Yang collection of Chinas earliest issues of 1878-97. A complete sheet of 25 of Chinas first stamp, the 1-candareen Large Dragon of 1878 (Scott 1) in a yellow-green shade, was called pristine save for three hinge remainders in the top and bottom selvage. It sold for the equivalent of about $44,500, including the 15 percent buyers premium that InterAsia adds to all lots. The sale also featured the only surviving cover from Taiwan franked with a Large Dragon stamp. This unique postal history artifact was sent from the Imperial Maritime customs office in Tamsuy (today spelled Tamsui) to William Hancock, a British official with the customs service, who was then stationed in Beijing. Franked with a 3ca brown-red on thin paper (Scott 2) paying the domestic rate, the letter passed through Amoy (modern Xiamen) on the mainland. Although the letter is addressed to Shanghai, Hancock is known to have been stationed in Beijing at the time this letter was sent, in November 1879. It would have been carried to him there from Shanghai by an internal customs courier. The cover fetched $371,000. China adopted a new currency in 1897: the silver yuan, comprising 100 cents. As new stamps were not yet ready, stamps from the 1894 issue marking the 60th birthday of Dowager Empress Tsze Hsi were overprinted with denominations in the new currency. A scarce double-overprint error of the 10-on-9ca issue (Scott 35a) was offered in unused condition with part original gum. One of a lone pane of 20 produced, the stamp went for $47,500. Rarities of the Peoples Republic of China include a number of stamps that for one reason or another were prepared but not issued, and survive only in tiny numbers. One such case was a set of eight Theatrical Masks of the Beijing Opera, printed in 1964. It is unclear why the set was not issued at the time; a very similar set came out in 1980. The original stamps, mentioned in a footnote after Scott 1581, can be identified by the presence of a tiny year date at bottom right. The unissued 8-fen Monkey King, with tiny faults, sold for $96,400, while the elusive 20f Zhang Fei, also slightly faulty, brought a whopping $178,000. Both stamps are the examples illustrated in Yangs Postage Stamp Catalogue of The Peoples Republic of China. Several examples of stamps prepared during the Cultural Revolution but shelved for political reasons also appeared in the InterAsia sale. A splendid mint never-hinged example of the withdrawn 1968 8f Entire Nation Is Red stamp (Scott 999A), well-centered and fault-free, sold for $126,000. The stamp was hastily withdrawn from sale on its first day because the island of Taiwan is conspicuously not red on the map in the vignette, in glaring defiance of the Communist governments stance that the island is an integral part of China. Three postmarked examples of the withdrawn stamp, less well-centered and each exhibiting some degree of faults, went for prices ranging from $41,000 to $52,000. Another unissued 8f stamp of 1968, depicting Chairman Mao and Marshal Lin Biao greeting a victory parade (illustrated and priced, but not listed, after Scott 999A in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue) has been dubbed one of the four philatelic treasures of the Cultural Revolution. Never hinged but with some minor repairs, it sold for $71,200. A group of Queen Elizabeth II-era Hong Kong errors was keenly competed for with many exceptional realisations, reflecting the emergence of a new generation of important collectors, according to a post-sale report by InterAsia. These included a 1961 first-day cover with a $1 Hong Kong University commemorative stamp missing its gold-ink inscription (Scott 199a). Addressed to Singapore and franked together with three Queen Elizabeth definitives, the cover, one of just five FDCs to bear the error stamp, brought $26,700. InterAsias unusual offering of North Korea stamps and postal history came from the international gold medal-winning collection of Taizo Maeda, and attracted interest from bidders around the world. At the close of World War II, Korea, which had been under the thumb of Japan for three and a half decades until 1945, was occupied by the Soviet Union in the north and the other Allies, led by the United States, in the south. Several years of negotiations failed to produce a settlement for a unified nation, and in 1950 war broke out between the two sides. The stalemate from that conflict continues to this day. The first postage stamps of the Communist North appeared in 1946, when the future Democratic Peoples Republic was still a Soviet zone of occupation. The first issue consisted of crudely lithographed designs showing a hibiscus flower (or the hibiscus known as rose of Sharon; the drawing is unclear) on the 20-chon value (Scott 1), and the scenic Diamond Mountains, or Mount Kumgang, on the 50ch (2-5). Rare die proofs of the 20ch design on thin wove paper, in red and in apple green, went for $4,750 and $3,000, respectively. The red proof is close to the color of the issued stamp, whereas the example in apple green is somewhat enigmatic, as that color was used for the 50ch instead. Early North Korea stamps were reprinted in the mid-1950s for sale to collectors overseas. An apple green version of the 20ch appeared at that time, perhaps inspired by this early proof. A used example of the 20ch red, showing part of a circular datestamp clearly reading 1946, was believed by Maeda to be the only known example postmarked with the full Gregorian-calendar year date. It sold for $267. North Korean postmarks from 1946 tend to include either an abbreviated Western-style 46, or simply a 2, signifying the second year of liberation from Japanese rule. Even prior to the outbreak of the Korean War, the exchange of mail between North and South was limited to a single handover point. There were 165 such official exchanges between 1946 and 1950. A 1946 cover from Pyongyang to Seoul, franked with a horizontal pair of 50ch Kim Il Sung stamps (Scott 6), traveled on one such handover, according to the description in the InterAsia sale: This mail is presumed to have gone through the 14th North-South mail exchange that took place on 12 Oct. at Kaesong, after a hiatus of nearly three months because of a cholera outbreak north of the 38th parallel. The southern half of the Korean peninsula by then was already considered a foreign destination, and the cover bears a Soviet-style boxed violet censor handstamp. It sold for just over $3,500. Keep reading our International Auction Roundup: Czechoslovakia propaganda issue sold at Regency-Superior auction Items spotlighting obscure World War II conflicts highlight Cherrystone sale OSS Hitler propaganda sheet brings $17,250 at Harmer-Schau sale Scarce Australian error stamp tops Harmers International auction 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. A Texas teacher's note to parents about her newly implemented "no formal homework policy" in her second-grade class went viral last week, opening up the floodgates for parents, teachers and school administrators to weigh in on this controversial topic. In the note, teacher Brandy Young told parents that her students' only homework would be work that they did not finish during the school day. Instead of having kids spend time on homework, parents should "spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success," Young said. She recommended that parents "eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside and get your child to bed early," strategies that she suggests are more closely tied to a child's success in the classroom than doing homework. Young's rationale for her new policy, as she explained in her note, was that "research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance." [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids] Live Science spoke with three educators who have conducted research on homework and student performance to fact-check this statement, and to find out what studies have shown about homework's positive and negative effects. Keys to student success It's accurate to suggest that studies have found no correlation between homework in elementary school and a student's academic performance, but there is one important exception worth mentioning, said Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education. Research has shown that free reading, or allowing students to read whatever books they want, does improve their academic performance, Pope said. Some elementary school teachers assign free reading as homework, but kids and parents do not always perceive these assignments as true homework that must be completed, she explained. [Best Science-y Books for Kids] In middle school, the evidence shows a slight correlation between doing homework and academic achievement, but further improvement fades after a middle-school student has spent 60 to 90 minutes a night doing homework, said Pope, who is also the co-founder of Challenge Success, an organization that works with schools and families to develop research-based strategies that engage kids and keep them healthy. But it's tricky to draw conclusions from homework studies, because these studies use such varied ways of measuring a student's academic performance, Pope said. Some researchers use standardized test scores to measure achievement, while others use students' grade-point averages, she said. (Image credit: Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley Shutterstock.com) Another variable that can complicate the results of homework studies is that it's hard to know who is actually doing the assignment when it's taken home, Pope said. For example, a student could get help from a parent, tutor, sibling or classmate to complete the work. In high school, there is a strong correlation between students who do 2 hours of homework a night and higher levels of academic achievement, but again, this improvement fades when students exceed the 2-hour threshold, Pope told Live Science. [Top 5 Benefits of Play] Pope said she considers the advice that the viral note offered to parents to eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside and get a child to bed early to be "spot on." She added that there is "really good research" to correlate these four variables with student success. Studies suggest that to perform at their best in school, kids in second grade need sufficient sleep, playtime with their siblings and friends, and downtime, meaning time to transition from school to home. Kids also benefit from regular family time, which ideally takes place five times a week for at least 25 minutes and could take the form of a family meal, Pope said. Making time for reading is also important for a child's success in the classroom, she said. Learning through practice But not all educators share Pope's opinions of a no-homework policy for second graders. The contention that "research is unable to prove that homework improves student performance" is an overstatement, said Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who has been researching homework and student performance for 30 years. "Even in kids as young as age 7, research shows that homework in particular areas can help students learn, especially things children need to learn through practice," said Cooper, the author of "The Battle Over Homework" (Corwin, 2006). Even when looking at levels as early as second grade, studies have found that kids who study a little bit at home may do better on spelling, vocabulary and math tests given in the classroom, Cooper told Live Science. However, he noted that the correlation between doing homework and higher academic achievement is not as strong in elementary students, who generally don't get much homework, as it is in middle-school and high-school students. Rather than a no-homework policy for second graders, Cooper said he would recommend that homework for kids at this age be kept short and simple. It should take no more than about 20 minutes a night for second graders to complete their homework, he said. (Image credit: Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com) To estimate an appropriate amount of time for students to spend doing homework, educators may use "the 10-minute rule" which means multiplying a child's grade level by 10 minutes of homework a night, Cooper explained. That means first graders get 10 minutes of homework, second graders get 20 and so on. Besides just the skills in math, reading or other subjects themselves, homework can have positive effects on children's time-management and study skills, Cooper said. It can also help keep parents informed of what children are learning at school, and help make Mom and Dad aware of their child's strengths and weaknesses, he said. But too much homework in second grade or assignments that are too hard can have a negative impact on young learners, Cooper said. "The last thing you want is for a 7-year-old to be bored [or] frustrated, or think that he or she is not good in school," he added. Some parents who are extremely concerned about ensuring that their children achieve to their maximal ability may put pressure on educators, and this has led some teachers to assign students too much homework, especially at the high-school level, Cooper said. But the key is for students to get the right amount of homework not too much of it and not too little so that it can have positive effects on learning and school performance, Cooper said. Homework and family life But other educators are steadfast that the right amount of homework in elementary school may be little to none. Research suggests that homework in elementary school does not have a positive effect on student achievement, and could even have a negative impact, said Etta Kralovec, an associate professor of teacher education at the University of Arizona South, and the author of "The End of Homework" (Beacon Press, 2001). The findings are more complex in middle- and high-school students, with many studies finding a correlation between classroom grades and homework, Kralovec said. But these results could also raise additional questions, because tracking students separating them into lower-level and advanced-level classes, for example also begins at these grades, and kids in the higher-track classes are often assigned more homework. It may not be that homework actually causes students to get better grades in high school or middle school, it could be that students who do more homework were better students to begin with, Kralovec said. (Image credit: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com) It's also hard to know how much actual time students truly spend on homework, because most research relies on self-reported data from students, parents or teachers, Kralovec said. The amount of time a student reports spending on homework can differ from a parent's report of it, and it can also differ from the amount of time a teacher estimates students will need in order to complete the assignment, Kralovec explained. Despite the research, the amount of time students spend doing homework remains a highly contentious topic in education, Kralovec told Live Science. And when a teacher's short note to parents about a no-homework policy goes viral, it shows that this topic has hit a very important nerve in the American family experience, she said. Family life today is really challenging compared with decades past with more working mothers and some parents working two or three jobs to make ends meet and homework can add yet another stressor to the mix, Kralovec said. If parents feel that the amount of homework students receive is too much and may be encroaching on family time, one strategy they may try is to get organized with other parents, Kralovec suggested. Each school district may set its own policies about the amount of homework given to students. When parents have banded together in their communities, they have often been successful at having public discussions with administrators and teachers, and even moving assignment levels back to healthier levels, she said. Originally published on Live Science. In the upcoming sci-fi drama "Arrival," several mysterious spacecraft touch down around the planet, and humanity is faced with how to approach and eventually communicate with these extraterrestrial visitors. In the film, a team of experts is assembled to investigate, and among the chosen individuals is a linguist, played by actress Amy Adams. Though the story is rooted in science fiction, it does tackle a very real challenge: How do you communicate with someone or how do you learn that individual's language when you have no intermediary language in common? The film is based on "Story of Your Life," a short story by Ted Chiang. It taps into the common science-fiction theme of alien tongues; not only the communication barrier they might present, but the unusual ways they could differ from human language. "There's a long tradition of science fiction that deals with language and communication," Chiang told Live Science in an email. [Greetings, Earthlings! 8 Ways Aliens Could Contact Us] And in both the short story and film, linguists play a key role in bridging the gap between humans and aliens something that isn't entirely farfetched, according to Daniel Everett, a linguist at Bentley University in Massachusetts. "Linguists who've had extensive field experience can do this. That's what they do," Everett told Live Science. (Image credit: 2016 Paramount Pictures) Studying language Everett spent more than 30 years working with the Piraha people of the Brazilian Amazon, learning and studying their language, which was poorly documented prior to his work. Piraha is what's called a language isolate, a linguistic orphan of sorts, and is the last surviving member of its language family. It is also well-known for some of its atypical qualities, such as a lack of counting numbers or relative directions, such as "left" and "right," qualities which Everett worked out over years of study. The people were similarly isolated, and were entirely monolingual, he said. So it didn't matter that Everett didn't know Portuguese. Rather than asking questions about the Piraha language in a shared second language, he conducted his research in a style known as monolingual fieldwork. Pointing to a nearby object, like a stick, and asking (even in English) what it's called is typically interpreted as a cue to name it, Everett said. From the names of things, a linguist can then work their way towards actions, and how to express relationships between objects, Everett said. All the while, linguists typically transcribe the statements, paying attention to the sounds, the grammar and the way meanings are combined, building a working theory of the language, he said. Prompting respondents for nearly identical statements helps to illuminate specific meanings, Everett said. For example, given the words for "stick" and "rock," a person could enact "drop the rock" and "drop the stick," and see what parts of the sentence change. [Gallery: Images of Uncontacted Tribes] With practice, linguists can discern the basic features of an unknown language after an hour or two of interaction with a speaker, according to Everett. But situations that demand monolingual fieldwork, without the aid of a common tongue, aren't as common as they were, say, a hundred years ago, he said. The practice is now viewed as a novelty feat by many linguists, and Everett has demonstrated the process for audiences, meeting the speaker of a mystery language for the first time on stage. Talking to E.T. The process is also recognizable in Chiang's original story, in which the linguist protagonist's procedure is based on the work of Kenneth Pike, Everett's former teacher, Chiang said. "I spent about five years reading about various aspects of linguistics: writing systems, the linguistics of American Sign Language, fieldwork," he added. A more thorough understanding of the language, beyond basic vocabulary and underlying architecture, would require knowledge of the culture, Everett told Live Science. "There are all sorts of cultural interpretations of even the simplest phrases," he said, "That's why conversation is so difficult," especially for two people with different native languages and cultures. That difficulty seems less than ideal in sensitive situations, when a minor miscommunication could result in interstellar warfare, or at least, the death of an explorer (whether human or alien). Cooperation from both parties is essential, Everett said, because mix-ups are unavoidable. [13 Ways to Hunt for Intelligent Aliens] "You're always going to blow it," Everett said. "It's not what you do, but what you do next. How do you respond to your mistakes, to your gaffes and to misunderstandings?" Despite the repeated failures of a trial-and-error approach, Everett said he has always been confident in his ability to eventually figure out how a language works, which hints at something deeply human. "We know that every child can learn every possible human language," said Jesse Snedeker, a Harvard psychologist who studies the development of language in children. "Every child has to have some sort of internal capacity that allows them to learn language." Linguists agree that all humans must share some cognitive or linguistic structures, but there's great debate over which features of language are universal or at least, innately human. Piraha, with its unusual features, has helped shape modern understanding of what those commonalities might be. "We have to ask ourselves, 'Would we have the capacity to learn alien language, and would they have the capacity to learn ours?'" Snedeker told Live Science. "And different people would give you very different answers to that question." Humans can't communicate with any other species on Earth, which makes it unlikely that we'd be able to communicate with extraterrestrial life forms, Chiang said. "On the other hand, there's the argument that any species that achieves a high level of technology would necessarily understand certain concepts, so that ought to provide a basis for at least a limited degree of communication," he added. Keren Rice, a linguist at the University of Toronto in Canada, agreed that basic communication should be possible between humans and aliens. "The only way that I could imagine this not happening is if the things that we think are common to languages situating in time [and] space, talking about participants, etc. are so radically different that the human language provides no starting point for it," Rice told Live Science in an email. Different ways of communicating Although there are evolutionary roots to the structure of human language, Snedeker said, it's possible that there's only one way for languages to work. In that case, aliens may have evolved to solve the problem of language in the same way that humans did, making interplanetary communication possible. [7 Things Most Often Mistaken for UFOs] Everett agreed. "It's entirely possible that there are languages that have systems of organization and ways of transmitting meaning that we've never imagined," he said, "but I think that's unlikely." But even if people are able to discern the patterns in the language, the way the message is sent could be a challenge. Humans communicate mainly through sight, sound and touch, but aliens might not. "It's hard to imagine a language working on taste, but who knows?" Everett said. If extraterrestrials have starkly different perceptual or expressive systems than those of humans, technology could help bridge the gap between human perception and alien output, linguists said. For example, if aliens spoke at frequencies that people can't hear, humans could instead interpret digital recordings as visual waveforms. Snedeker said she asks her students a question on exams to test their understanding of the shared structure and evolutionary basis of human language: "If we discover a new kind of creature on Mars that seems to have a symbolic system of great complexity, who should we send, and how likely are they to succeed?" "There's no right answer to the question," Snedeker said. Original article on Live Science. China donates 82,000 USD for renovation of quake-damaged pagodas in Myanmar 2016-09-02 02:45 NAY PYI TAW, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and the Ruili Municipality of China's Yunnan province on Thursday donated 100 million kyats (about 82,000 U.S. dollars) to Myanmar for renovation of quick-damaged pagodas in the country's Bagan. Myanmar's Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko thanked China for the donation, saying that as a traditionally good neighbor, China provided assistance to Myanmar when Myanmar is hit by natural disaster. Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang said China would continue to provide assistance to Myanmar, adding that a Chinese experts team will be sent to Myanmar to help renovate the damaged pagodas in Bagan. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the central Myanmar on Aug. 24, damaging nearly 400 pagodas and temples in Bagan-Nyaung Oo region. Bagan region was also hit by a strong earthquake in 1975damaging over 1,000 pagodas and temples out of 2,217, the minister said. A stroll through the research literature on shyness can be a little alarming to the parent of a wallflower. Studies have linked behavioral inhibition in children a trait referring not only to shyness but also to extreme caution about new situations with an increased chance of developing anxiety disorders later. And research suggests that the parental urge to protect a cautious kid may make matters worse. But psychologists and child development specialists have also come up with ways to support shy kids. The key, said Sandee McClowry, a psychologist at New York University, is to nudge children out of their comfort zones without trying to change their fundamental natures. "That acceptance of the child is a huge, huge thing," McClowry told Live Science. Shyness and its consequences Psychologists define shyness as a tendency to withdraw from social encounters, and a tendency to feel awkward and tense when social interaction does occur. Researchers who study shyness often use the broader concept of behavioral inhibition to capture kids whose anxiety includes both feeling shy around people and also in new situations. Shyness is part of a child's temperament, and psychologists have found it to be a very persistent trait. In a study published in 1988 in the journal Child Development, researchers compared observations of 4-year-olds with observations of those same kids at 7.5 years. The kids who were timid at 4 generally remained so at 7, while the outgoing kids stayed outgoing. [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids] But other studies have found ramifications of this wallflower personality. Another 1988 study, which used data from people born in the late 1920s, found that men who had been shy in childhood were less likely to marry later and have children later, and generally had less stable careers than those who were outgoing. Shy women, on the other hand, were more likely than outgoing women to marry, have children and stay at home. For both men and women, the researchers wrote in the journal Developmental Psychology, the pattern seemed to be a withdrawal from the world. These results might be different today because of changing gender roles. Still, as the researchers wrote, they highlight that a person's temperament can alter the course of their life via the slow accumulation of choices people make and the opportunities they have. More concerning are studies linking behavioral inhibition to later anxiety. A meta-analysis of seven studies published in 2012 Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that kids with the most extreme behavioral inhibition were more than seven times more likely to later develop social anxiety disorder than kids without behavioral inhibition. About 15 percent of children show extreme behavioral inhibition, the researchers wrote, and about half of that group will develop social anxiety. "In general in our society, extraversion and being able to speak up and express ideas verbally is valued a lot," said Soo Hyun Rhee, a psychologist at the University of Colorado, who studies the links between child temperament and later mental health problems. Thus, Rhee said, shy kids can slip between the cracks in the classroom and in other situations. Preventing problems (Image credit: kitty/Shutterstock.com) For kids with extreme shyness, the American Psychological Association recommends looking for professional help. A therapist can help children (or even adults) come up with strategies for managing their anxieties or choosing activities that fit their temperament. It's easy to want to protect a kid who struggles in new situations, but researchers advise against going too far. In one study that followed kids from age 3 to 6, kids who were behaviorally inhibited at age 3 where more likely to remain behaviorally inhibited at age 6 if their caregivers were overprotective, according to the findings published in August in the Journal of Research in Personality. "Parents who overprotect these kids do a lot of harm," McClowry said. The goal, she said, is for parents to strike a balance. One thing that may help is learning to "scaffold" a child's experiences. In education, scaffolding refers to providing more support in the beginning and then gradually allowing students to become more independent. Scaffolding strategies can help inhibited kids break out of their shell. [8 Tried-and-True Tips for Talking to Preschoolers] "You take very, very small, incremental steps and provide a lot of reinforcement," McClowry said. For example, if a kid wants to go to sleep-away camp but is afraid of spending the night away from home, parents might start by having other kids over for a sleepover at their own house, and then move up to a night away at grandma's. Parents should pay attention to the child's comfort level throughout this scaffolding process, and be accepting if the kid hits a limit. Especially with older children, parents can talk through the process, McClowry said: How did the child feel, what helped them feel better, what did they wish they'd done afterwards? Where do you fit on this spectrum of shy to outgoing? (opens in new tab) Shutterstock (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: katielittle Researchers have also found that parenting that is warm and responsive to a child's needs helps break the link between shyness and potential mental health problems. A 2014 study found that shyness in kids was linked to an increased risk of later anxiety only for children who did not have a secure attachment to their caregivers. Secure attachment refers to a nurturing relationship in which kids feel free to explore but also know they can return to their caregivers for reassurance. Spreading the word on shyness McClowry and her colleagues have developed a school-based program, INSIGHTS into Children's Temperament, that aims to take lessons about shyness into schools. The first step is to help teachers and parents recognize shyness in kids, McClowry said, because when shy kids are quiet, their issues are easy to miss. The program also encourages participants to reframe shyness not as a problem, but as a part of a person's makeup. [9 DIY Ways to Improve Your Mental Health] The researchers use puppets to teach young children that people have different temperaments (Fredrico the Friendly, Gregory the Grumpy, Hilary the Hard Worker, and Coretta the Cautious), which helps the kids understand why other children might react to situations in different ways. These puppets weren't named on a whim; McClowry and her colleagues created the personas using statistics from a study of the temperaments of 883 school-aged kids. For shy kids, the researchers suggest strategies they can use to push themselves out of their comfort zones. "The goal is to support them in a way that they become socially competent in these kinds of situations that are stressful for them," McClowry said. This kind of support can stave off the risk of anxiety and depression, she said. In a 2014 study of the INSIGHTS program across 22 low-income schools that was published in the journal School Psychology review, McClowry and her colleagues found that all of the children who were randomly assigned to the program saw a boost in academic skills, but shy children benefited the most. Between kindergarten and first grade, shy kids who went through the 10-week program saw their critical thinking skills improve and their math skills hold steady, while shy kids who did not do the program declined in both. That's important, the researchers wrote, because many studies have found that shy children struggle more in school than students who are more outgoing. Part of the problem may simply be that shy kids don't show what they know. In a 2014 study of shy toddlers, Rhee and her colleagues found that behaviorally inhibited kids were perfectly able to understand language, but are much less likely than the outgoing kids to talk (especially with a stranger in a psychology lab). The lesson, Rhee said, is that teachers and other educators need to think of ways to let shy kids shine. "This has made me as a professor more sensitive to people who are shy or inhibited, giving them other opportunities to show they know the material, so having more written assignments and so forth," Rhee said. Original article on Live Science. A photo of the crocodile stone discovered by Field Museum archaeologists. The stone was found upside down; the crocodile's rectangular eye is visible on the stone's lower left side, framed on the right by a braceleted arm with a human hand. A centuries-old stone crocodile carving used in Mesoamerican rituals was recently discovered in Mexico, offering clues about an ancient city's ceremonial practices, and its relationship with a larger city nearby. Archaeologists found the slab of carved rock in what is now Oaxaca, near a temple in the ruins of the city Lambityeco, which archaeologists first uncovered in the 1960s and dates back between 500 and A.D. 850. Early excavations at the site decades ago had revealed two palaces; frescoes in one of them hinted at close ties with a larger city in the area called Monte Albon, researchers from the Field Museum in Chicago, who investigated Lambityeco for the past four years, said in a statement. Their work yielded hints that Lambityeco may have begun distancing itself from its more powerful neighbor at one point, with scientists unearthing evidence of changes to important structures and their access routes. [The 7 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth] Buried and barricaded Carvings at the front end of the crocodile stone represent the animal's snout. (Image credit: Copyright Linda M. Nicholas, The Field Museum) The crocodile carving was found after clearing and following a hidden path that had been deliberately barricaded, perhaps as Lambityeco's inhabitants sought to reshape their city to reflect and celebrate their own power and influence rather than Monte Alban's, according to Gary Feinman, one of the team's lead archaeologists and a curator of Mesoamerican anthropology at the Field Museum. Feinman told Live Science that the group was looking closely at parts of the site related to civic and ritual uses. They were especially interested in the pre-Hispanic ball court, a type of space that was both recreational and ceremonial, and which is recognized to have particular significance in Mesoamerican society. During the last season's work, in 2015, when the archaeologists excavated the first part of the ball court, they noticed something peculiar access to the court and its overall layout appeared to have been changed from its original construction and while it was still in use. "The stairway leading out of the ball court was destroyed, and there was river gravel piled to block access to the stairway," Feinman said. Clearing a path Intrigued, the researchers investigated and found a path with large jars arranged along it. When they returned in 2016 to see what else they could find along this path, they discovered the crocodile carving, up against a building on the east side of a plaza. These drawings show three views of the crocodile carving as it would have appeared right side up, with its rectangular eye at the top, a circular earspool, and an arm circled by a bracelet and ending in a human hand. (Image credit: Jose Luis Medina Olivera and Linda M. Nicholas) Artifacts near the carving showed that it served a ritual purpose, Feinman explained. "In front of it was charcoal, pieces of burnt human skull, broken ceramics used as incense burning vessels," he said. Clearly it was being used but the archaeologists doubted that it was in its original position, as the stone was upside down and wasn't well-attached to the building next to it, he said. [In Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World] "I suspect that because the stone was carved on three sides that it was a balustrade marking the beginning of one side of a stairway," Feinman said, adding it was a stairway that was later destroyed. "It looked like they flipped the crocodile stone and reversed it, and left it leaning against the platform, which they then remodeled without a stairway," he said. The blocked entrance, the path, the jars and the crocodile stone may have once been part of a ceremony that began at the ball court and ended at the temple building where the carved crocodile was found, Feinman told Live Science. Breaking away"We think that when the ball court was first constructed, some kind of ritual procession went out past the jars, into the plaza, and up to the building where we found the crocodile stone," Feinman said. "The ball court was seen as access to the underworld. You'd come out of the underworld, get food from the jars, go up to the plaza the level of earth and up to the temple, where you accessed the supernatural world. That clearly changed when they remodeled," he added. Lambityeco's ball court was originally a near-perfect copy of Monte Alban's. But the archaeologists found that about 150 years after the ball court was built, it was modified to shorten it and to change the entrance from the north to the northeast corner which altered the former processional path to the temple. According to Feinman, this may have reflected Lambityeco's leaders' attempts to declare their own importance. "We think that when the civic-ceremonial core of the site was laid out [in] about 500 A.D., there were strong connections between the people who were in charge in Lambityeco and the people who ruled the valley's largest city, Monte Alban," Feinman said. But after 100 to 150 years, that relationship may have changed, according to Feinman. "Possibly the changes that took place in Lambityeco were not only to differentiate it, but also may have given more attention or focus or power to local rulers," he said. Interestingly, while crocodiles were widely associated with the Mesoamerican calendar and held an important role in creation myths, Feinman pointed out that it's unlikely that people living in Oaxaca would ever have seen a living crocodile. As the valley was landlocked, this stone carving of the toothsome river beast was likely the closest that many of Lambityeco's inhabitants ever came to the seeing the real thing. Original article on Live Science. Companies can no longer market hand soaps containing several common antibacterial compounds, the Food and Drug Administration announced today. The FDA instituted the soap ban, which includes the widely used antibacterial chemicals triclosan and triclocarban, citing questions about the antibacterials' safety for long-term use. In addition, there is no evidence these chemicals add any benefit to people's heath beyond those of regular soap, the agency said. "Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water," Dr. Janet Woodcock, the director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), said in a statementtoday (Sept. 2). "In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long term." [Top 7 Germs in Food That Make You Sick] Questions on safety and effectiveness The new ban applies to 19 chemicals, and only applies to soaps that are meant to be lathered and washed off with water. The ruling does not apply to antibacterial chemicals often used in clinical settings, such as hospitals or doctor's offices, and does not apply to antibacterial wipes or hand sanitizers. The new rule comes as no surprise to manufacturers, who have already started eliminating these ingredients from their products. In 2013, the agency said that companies needed to provide evidence that the ingredients were effective and safe. At that time, recent evidence had suggested that long-term use of the soaps could fuel bacterial resistance or disrupt hormones in the body. In order to continue to market the chemicals, companies needed to provide the FDA with data showing that the products work better to combat infections than regular soap, and that the products are safe. But no companies provided data that was sufficiently convincing, the FDA said today. In fact, a 2015 study in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy found that plain soap worked just as well as antibacterial soap containing triclosan against 20 different bacterial strains. Another study found that triclosan could fuel cancer in mice. The state of Minnesota banned products containing triclosan in 2014. The agency also said today that it is holding off on making a decision about three other antibacterial ingredients benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol (PCMX) while they await safety and effectiveness data. While working up a lather with soap and water is the best way to prevent infection, alcohol-based hand sanitizers can also be very effective germ-killers, provided they contain at least 60 percent alcohol, are used to cover every surface of the hands, and are rubbed till they are dry, Dr. Rachel Orscheln, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, previously told Live Science. Original article on Live Science. Two puppies born in October are in fact identical twins, a team of veterinarians reports. This is the first time that a genetically confirmed set of identical twin dogs has been reported in the scientific literature. "What happened in this case would have been the same thing that happens in a woman when she has identical twins," Carolynne Joone, a veterinarian and lecturer at James Cook University in Australia, and co-author of the report of the finding, told Live Science.That is, early during the mother dog's pregnancy, a fertilized egg split in two, creating two genetically identical embryos, Joone said. The Irish wolfhound puppies were first suspected to be twins when, during their birth last October in South Africa, veterinarian Kurt De Cramer observed that the two puppies had shared a single placenta. The puppies' mother had been straining to give birth for several hours and was taken to De Cramer, who performed a Cesarean section, Joone said. The puppies are identical twins, but they do have slightly different white markings on their mostly-gray fur. (Image credit: Mr. Gawie Pottas) De Cramer began cutting at the site of an unusual bulge in the uterus. From that incision, he removed one puppy, and then saw that there was another fetus within the same placenta. Very excited, De Cramer "put [the newborn puppies] on the table next to him, within the [operating] theater, and quickly got assistants to take photographs of these pups still connected to a single placenta," before cleaning them up as usual, Joone said. The veterinarian also delivered the mother's other five puppies, each with its own placenta, the authors wrote in their paper. [Seeing Double: 8 Fascinating Facts About Twins] De Cramer thought it possible that the placenta-sharing pups were monozygotic twins, Joone said. To test this hypothesis, when the puppies were 2 weeks old, De Cramer, Joone and another colleague, Johan Nothling, a veterinarian and professor at the University of Pretoria, drew blood samples and sent them for genetic testing. The twin puppies were suspected to be identical when it was discovered, during their birth, that they were both attached to the same placenta within their mother. (Image credit: Dr. Kurt De Cramer) "I wasn't sure that they were going to be monozygotic at that time," Joone said. "They did look very alike, but they weren't completely identical." There were slight differences in the puppies' white markings. But the DNA showed that the puppies had identical genes on 40 different markers that are commonly used in such testing. A second DNA analysis, done with samples taken from cheek swabs, confirmed that the dogs were identical. The differences in white marking patterns are likely due to differences in gene expression between the two puppies, Joone said. A rarity? The identical twin puppies, shown here with their owner, Dawn Barnard. (Image credit: Dr. Kurt De Cramer) Because this is the first documented case, researchers think that monozygotic twins in canines are rare, Joone said. However, it's also possible that such twins are born more frequently than thought, but go undetected, she added. [10 Things You Didn't Know About Dogs] It's certainly not rare to see what, in an analogy to humans, could be called fraternal twinning in dogs, though. "With dogs, they always have multiples. They always have twins, triplets, quadruplets and so on, but they're all different eggs that have been fertilized [by different sperm]," Joone explained. Human fraternal twins come from two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm. As for what exactly causes a single fertilized egg, or embryo, to split into two embryos, whether in humans or in dogs, that remains mysterious, Joone said. Twinning is "something that has been fascinating us for years," she said. The research appeared Aug. 22 in the journal Reproduction in Domestic Animals. Original article on Live Science. With millions of digitized and born-digital materials in its vast collections, the Library of Congress is developing new methods of collecting, preserving and making data more accessible to the public. To address many of the contemporary questions and issues facing data scholarship and digital humanities, the Librarys newly formed National Digital Initiatives Division (NDI) will convene a cadre of experts in the field who are preserving digital collections and making them accessible using innovative technology. The symposiumCollections as Data: Stewardship and Use Models to Enhance Accesswill be held 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27 in the Coolidge Auditorium on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street, S.E., in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required. For a complete program of the days events, visit digitalpreservation.gov/meetings/dcs16.html. The conference also will be live-streamed on the Librarys YouTube channel. Technology gives users of the Librarys collections the power to explore them in new ways, said Kate Zwaard, NDI chief. Through such methods as visualization, text analysis and mapping, we can question and create knowledge that previously wasnt possible to uncover. This symposium will examine how collections as data are created and used, and how libraries are supporting the emerging fields of digital humanities and data scholarship at large. Part of the Librarys mission is to make its unique resources of greater benefit to Congress, the American people and the world, said Jane McAuliffe, the director of National and International Outreach. Were excited to host this event and eager to foster innovation for the benefit of increasing access and use of our digital collections. Among the participants using digital collections to expand human understanding is digital artist Jer Thorp, keynote speaker and co-founder of The Office for Creative Research. Opening the symposium, he will provide an overview of his organizations efforts to make big data sets more accessible and connected to the human experience. In his first appearance on Capitol Hill, Thorp will discuss visual ways of solving data challenges. Other speakers will highlight efforts in the cultural-heritage and digital-humanities communities to enhance access to digital collections, help develop best practices and address emerging issues in the field of data scholarship. The event will conclude with a look toward the future with Collections as Data: Conditions of Possibility by Thomas Padilla, the curator of humanities data at the University of California Santa Barbara. Other participants include: Maciej Ceglowski, founder of Pinboard Bergis Jules, co-principal investigator and community lead of the Documenting the Now Project and university archivist at the University of California, Riverside Nicole Saylor, head of the American Folklife Centers Archive of Folk Culture Marisa Parham, professor of English at Amherst College and director of the Five College Digital Humanities Project Trevor Munoz, assistant dean for Digital Humanities Research, University of Maryland Libraries and associate director of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities Harriett Green, English and Digital Humanities librarian at the University of Illinois Library Elizabeth Lorang, associate professor of libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries Ricardo Punzalan, assistant professor of Archival Studies at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies Shana Kimball, manager of Public Programs and Outreach at NYPL (New York Public Library) Labs Leah Weinryb Grohsgal, senior program officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities Deborah Thomas, team leader for Digital Projects at the Library of Congress Matthew Weber, assistant professor in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University At the event, the Library will highlight its new digital initiative, NDI, which was created to increase awareness of the Librarys digital innovations and develop new uses of its digital resources by enabling digital scholarship, creating fellowships for library technologists and serving as a catalyst for advances in interdisciplinary research and digital innovation. The Library has made available online millions of digitized and born-digital materials never before accessible. They include more than 10 million pages of historic newspapers, 1.2 million prints and photographs, one-of-a-kind collections such as the papers of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Carl Sagan, Jackie Robinson and many more books, maps, sound recordings, moving images, as well as archived websites representing the worlds cultural heritage from ancient texts to present day born-digital content. The Library of Congress is the worlds largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United Statesand extensive materials from around the worldboth 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 creative works of authorship at copyright.gov. A two-day conference hosted by the Geography and Map Division at the Library of Congress will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Waldseemullers Carta Marina, one of the great masterpieces of Renaissance cartography, and focus on some of the most mysterious maps of the medieval and early modern periods. The conference also will unveil a multimedia interactive website on the life of Waldseemuller and feature best-selling author and historian of science Dava Sobel as the keynote speaker. Facts or Fictions: Debating the Mysteries of Early Modern Science and CartographyA Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of Waldseemullers 1516 Carta Marina will be held on Thursday, Oct. 6 and Friday, Oct. 7, in the Coolidge Auditorium on the ground level of the Librarys Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not needed. The conference is sponsored by the Jay I. Kislak Family Foundation and the Gray Family Memorial Fund. The keynote speech, on the evening of Oct. 6, will be the Librarys annual Jay I. Kislak Lecture in the Archaeology and History of the Early Americas. The lecture by Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileos Daughter, will focus on the early history of celestial cartography, the topic of her forthcoming book that will be released this fall. The Galileo Museum in Florence, Italy, in collaboration with the Librarys Geography and Map Division, created an online multimedia presentation on Waldseemullers life and cartography. Galileo Museum Director Paolo Galluzzi, museum Deputy Director Filippo Camerota and John Hessler, curator of the Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress, will demonstrate the website. Ambassador of Italy to the United States Armando Varricchio and Umberto Tombari, president of Ente Cassa di Risparmio, the foundation in Florence that sponsored the project, will deliver opening remarks. Further information about the website will be released in October. Facts or Fictions also will celebrate the Librarys completion of the Schoner Sammelband acquisition project. The Sammelband is a compilation of materials that originally contained Waldseemullers Map of 1507, his 1516 Carta Marina, globe gores by Johannes Schoner and the earliest printed star chart by Albrecht Durer, dated 1515. Schoner bound together the contents of the Sammelband in Nuremburg in 1517. In 2003, the Library of Congress purchased the 1507 map from the Prince Waldburg-Wolfegg in Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany, whose family owned the Sammelband and its contents for many generations. Jay I. Kislak, a member of the Librarys Madison Council, purchased the Carta Marina, the globe gores and the Sammelband portfolio and donated them to the Library in 2014. The Library purchased the final piece of the original Sammelband, the Durer chart, in late 2015. Speakers at the conference will include historians of cartography, science, philosophy and literature. They will talk about the Vinland Map, Marco Polo and the Rossi Map with Ship, the 1516 Carta Marina, portolan charts, and the Puebla-Tlaxcala contrived maps and manuscripts. There will be a special presentation by the Librarys Conservation Division on the science behind the preservation and encasement of the Waldseemuller Map of 1507. An open house of the Geography and Map Divisionfeaturing a display of cartographic treasures from Waldseemullers timewill be held on the afternoon of Oct. 7. Conference Schedule Thursday, Oct. 6 Morning Session: Facts or Fictions: The Mysteries of Renaissance Cartography 9 a.m.Opening Remarks 9:30 a.m.The Vinland MapKirsten Seaver 10 a.m.Marco Polo and the Rossi Map with ShipBen Olshin 10:30 a.m.Puebla-Tlaxcala MapsStephanie Wood 11 a.m.Questions Afternoon Session: The Carta Marina at 500 1 p.m.Nautical Mapping in the Medieval and Early Modern PeriodJoaquim Gaspar 1:30 p.m.Columbus, Vespucci and the Carta MarinaDon McGuirk 2 p.m.Waldseemullers Carta Marina: Its Originality and DiffusionChet Van Duzer 2:30 p.m.Questions 3 p.m.Reception Evening Session: 2016 Annual Jay I. Kislak Lecture in the Archaeology and History of the Early Americas 6:30 p.m. Mapping The Elusive Southern Sky," Dava Sobel Friday, Oct. 7 Morning Session 9 a.m.Opening RemarksLibrarian of Congress Carla D. HaydenAmbassador of Italy to the United States Armando VarricchioUmberto Tombari, Ente Cassa di Risparmio 10 a.m.Launch of Website A Land Beyond the StarsPaolo Galluzzi, Galileo MuseumFilippo Camerota, Galileo MuseumJohn Hessler, Library of Congress 11 a.m.Encasing WaldseemullerElmer Eusman, Library of Congress 11:30 a.m.All Speakers on Stage for Question and Answer Session Afternoon Session 1-3 p.m.Open House in the Geography and Map Division The Library of Congress has the largest and most comprehensive collection of maps and atlases in the world, some 5.4 million cartographic items that date from the 14th century to the present time. The cartographic collections cover every country and subject, in formats ranging from early manuscripts to the most up-to-date digital geospatial data and software. The collections include the works of some of the most important surveyors and mapmakers in America, such as George Washington, Meriwether Lewis, and Richard Edes Harrison, along with archives relating to the history of geography in the United States. For more information, visit loc.gov/rr/geogmap/. The Librarys Center for the Book, established by Congress in 1977 to "stimulate public interest in books and reading," is a national force for reading and literacy promotion. A public-private partnership, it sponsors educational programs that reach readers of all ages through its affiliated state centers, collaborations with nonprofit reading promotion partners and through the Librarys Young Readers Center and its Poetry and Literature Center. For more information, visit Read.gov. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. China to support venture capital growth to aid startups 2016-09-02 02:45 BEIJING, Sep. 1 (Xinhua) -- China will boost support for venture capital entities to encourage entrepreneurship and support startups, the State Council, China's cabinet, announced Thursday. Industrial leaders, startup incubators and insurance firms will be encouraged to provide investment to startups, according to a statement released after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang. Foreign investors will be treated equally with domestic players and will enjoy much easier market access and streamlined administration procedures than before, the statement added. The government will enrich investment facilitation products and improve platforms such as over-the-counter stock trading board to enhance direct financing. State-owned enterprises also can set up venture capital funds, it said. Venture capital firms with long-term investment strategies will enjoy preferential policies such as tax cuts, according to the statement. The government will improve the regulation framework, curb illegal fund raising and guard against regional and systemic financial risks, the statement added. County Longford dairy farmer Mike Magan from Killashee has won the Best Protein Award in the 2016 Diageo Baileys Champion Cow competition which took place at the Virginia Agricultural Show. The competition which dates back to 1983 rewards strength and form in body conformation as well as proven excellence in quality milk production and is sponsored by Diageo in partnership with its cream supplier Glanbia Ingredients Ireland. According to this years judge Kevin Wilson, They were tremendous cows, the standard was very high. They would grace any show in the world. Widely acknowledged as Irelands top dairy livestock event, attracting the super-elite of the Holstein Friesian breed, the top awards in the 10,000 prize fund were presented by Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, alongside Breffni O'Reilly, Quality Director for Diageo Ireland and Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd Chairman Henry Corbally. Hazel Chu Diageo Ireland's Head of Corporate & Trade Relations said that Diageos production bases for Baileys in Dublin and Mallusk "relied on a top quality cream supply and that the competition was an opportunity to reinforce the provenance of Baileys and the quality of its primary raw ingredient. Chairman of Glanbia Ingredients Ireland, Henry Corbally praised all the entrants for the calibre of pedigree cows on display and he congratulated the Virginia Show on its 75th anniversary. Sports & Recreation, Local News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: September 02 2016 Three shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island will temporarily close during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period. Long Island, NY - September 1, 2016 - Three shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island will temporarily close during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today. These closures are put in place during the busy holidays to protect public health from potentially contaminated shellfish caused by increased boating activity in shellfishing waters. Boaters are reminded to use pump-out facilities to help protect these waters. "As a precautionary measure, DEC annually closes shellfishing in these waters during Labor Day weekends because of the heavy increase in recreational boating," Commissioner Seggos said. "We strongly encourage boaters to act responsibly and be aware of the no-discharge zones in Port Jefferson Harbor, Oyster Bay Harbor and the Sand Hole and to use pump-out facilities to prevent impacts to our natural resources and protect public health." Since 1995, DEC has designated these areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. During peak holiday periods, discharges from marine sanitation devices (toilets) may contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption. DEC will designate the following areas, all on the north shore of Long Island, as closed to the harvest of shellfish beginning at sunrise on Saturday, September 3 and continuing through Wednesday, September 7: 445 acres in a section of Oyster Bay Harbor, Town of Oyster Bay , Nassau County 50 acres in the area known as the Sand Hole in the Town of Huntington , Suffolk County 347 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor in Brookhaven, Suffolk County Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in these areas on Thursday, September 8. If poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit these areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen the areas to harvesting earlier than September 8. A recorded message advising the public about temporary closures of any shellfishing areas in New York State is accessible 24 hours a day by calling (631) 444-0480. The recorded message also advises harvesters of when such areas have reopened. Information, including maps showing the affected areas, is available on the Special Shellfish Closures web page on DEC's website. Boaters should be aware that all of Oyster Bay Harbor, the Sand Hole and Port Jefferson Harbor are designated as no-discharge zones. A no-discharge zone is a designated body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in these areas should utilize the following pump-out facilities: Oyster Bay Harbor (West Harbor) One pump-out boat is operated by the Town of Oyster Bay at no fee to boaters. Contact the pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 9. In addition, the town provides two pump-out stations on floats near the Oyster Bay Marine Center and Waterfront Park and a land-based pump-out in the town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Park. The Sand Hole (Lloyd Neck) Although there are no facilities within the Sand Hole, boaters should contact Town of Oyster Bay pump-out boat as noted above. There also is a land-based pump-out facility at Powle's Marine Center in Cold Spring Harbor. In addition, boaters traveling from Town of Huntington waters can request the services of the Town of Huntington pump-out boat (no fee) by calling on marine radio VHF channel 9. There are also a number of land based pump-out facilities at marinas in Northport Harbor and Huntington Harbor. Port Jefferson Harbor The Town of Brookhaven operates a pump-out boat (no fee) in Port Jefferson Harbor. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays only. Boaters may contact the town's pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 73. A full list of No Discharge Zones in New York State, including other Long Island waters (link leaves DEC website,) can be found at EPA's website School & Education, Local News, National & World News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: September 02 2016 September is Campus Fire Safety Month and this year the NFPA and The Center for Campus Fire Safety are teaming up to host their second national campaign. NFPA and The Center for Campus Fire Safety co-host quiz to address increase in cooking-related fires on and off campuses. Quincy, MA - September 1, 2016 - September is Campus Fire Safety Month and this year the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and The Center for Campus Fire Safety (The Center) are teaming up to host their second national campaign with an online Campus Fire Safety Quiz & Sweepstakes (Quiz) titled, What Kind of Cook are You in the Kitchen? The Quiz raises awareness about the dangers of cooking fires among college-aged students who live in on- and off-campus housing. What Kind of Cook are You in the Kitchen? College-aged students are asked to test their cooking fire safety knowledge through an interactive quiz and enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win an American Express gift card. According to NFPAs recent report, Structure Fires in Dormitories, Fraternities, Sororities and Barracks, between 2010 and 2014, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 3,970 structure fires in dormitories, fraternities, sororities and other related properties. Approximately seven in 10 fires (71 percent) in these properties began in the kitchen or cooking area. The vast majority (86 percent) of fires in these properties involved cooking equipment. Unattended cooking was the most common cause of cooking fires. The report also states that newer dormitories are more likely to have kitchens in suite-style apartments rather than more traditional dorms, further increasing the potential for cooking-related fires. With more access to kitchens, students are making more meals or snacks using stoves and ovens, often for the first time and without proper training, said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA. The campaign encourages students living on- and off-campus to know the risks and the preventative actions that can save their lives. The Quiz, available online from September 1 30 on The Centers website, targets students currently enrolled in an institution of higher education. By participating, students will be able to recognize unsafe practices and learn appropriate ways to cook meals that will reduce the risk for injury and damage caused by fire. Students who complete the Quiz will be entered into a sweepstakes where two winners will be randomly selected to receive a $500 American Express gift card. According to Michael J. Swain, president of The Center for Campus Fire Safety, encouraging students to share this information with their peers will send a strong fire safety message that will be remembered going forward. With the beginning of the school year, he says, The Center continues its mission to make campuses and off-campus housing safer for students. We were pleased to see there were no student deaths in the 2015-2016 school year. From 2000 through October 2014, however, The Center states that 126 students died in 89 fires on college campuses, in Greek housing, or in privately owned off-campus housing within three miles of the campus. Of those, 107 deaths occurred in fires in off-campus housing. The campaign provides a host of resources for students, parents and fire safety educators that focus on the dangers of cooking. The resources have been designed for sharing via social media, on college websites, and for posting in dorms and on common area bulletin boards. They include: Videos Checklists Tips sheets Infographics and flyers Posters Learn more about the Quiz/Sweepstakes here. Find additional resources for students, parents and fire safety educators here. About the Center for Campus Fire Safety The Center for Campus Fire Safety (The Center) is a non-profit 501C3 organization. The Center is a member-based organization devoted to reducing the loss of life from fire on and off campuses. The mission of The Center is to serve as an advocate for the promotion of campus fire safety. The Center serves as the focal point for the efforts of a number of organizations and also as a clearinghouse for information relating to campus fire safety. Visit us at www.campusfiresafety.org for more information. About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Local News, Business & Finance, Health & Wellness, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: September 02 2016 A lawsuit on behalf of Suffolk County against pharmaceutical companies and physicians over aggressive and fraudulent marketing of prescription opium-like painkillers was filed. Commonly known by brand names including OxyContin and Percocet, opioids are derived from or possess properties similar to opium and heroin, and are highly addictive and dangerous, which is why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates them as controlled substances. Suffolk County, NY - August 31, 2016 - Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nations largest law firms focused on consumer protection and mass tort actions, today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Suffolk County against pharmaceutical companies and physicians over aggressive and fraudulent marketing of prescription opium-like painkillers (opioids) that has led to a drug epidemic in the county. According to the complaint filed in the New York Supreme Court, the county including Long Island, N.Y., is seeking relief including compensatory and punitive damages for the millions of dollars it spends each year to combat the public nuisance created by the drug companies deceptive marketing campaign that misrepresents the safety and efficacy of long-term opioid use. The countys incurred costs related to opioid addiction and abuse include health care, criminal justice and victimization, and lost productivity. The lawsuit also takes into account the commission of criminal acts to obtain opioids as among the costs to society that are inevitable consequences of opioid addiction. As an example, the complaint cites the June 19, 2011, robbery and execution of four customers and employees at a Medford, N.Y., pharmacy by two prescription opioid abusers who were desperate to obtain the drugs. It is fair and accurate to compare this action by Suffolk County to the landmark tobacco industry litigation of the 1980s that alleged that cigarette manufacturers knew but did not warn consumers that smoking caused lung cancer and that cigarettes were addictive, said Simmons Hanly Conroy Shareholder Paul Hanly, lead counsel for Suffolk County in this case. As a result of this litigation, we believe other jurisdictions across the country may evaluate their own monetary and societal losses due to the opioid epidemic and come to a similar conclusion about the conspiratory and fraudulent actions of drug companies that have fueled this epidemic. The lawsuit alleges deceptive acts and practices, false advertising, public nuisance, violation of New York Social Services laws, fraud, and unjust enrichment against defendants Purdue Pharma L.P.; Purdue Pharma Inc.; The Purdue Frederick Company, Inc.; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.; Cephalon, Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. n/k/a Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc. n/k/a Janssen Pharmaceuticals; Endo Health Solutions Inc.; and Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; as well as physicians Russell Portenoy, Perry Fine, Scott Fishman and Lynn Webster, who were allegedly instrumental in promoting opioids for sale and distribution nationally and in Suffolk County. Commonly known by brand names including OxyContin and Percocet, opioids are derived from or possess properties similar to opium and heroin, and are highly addictive and dangerous, which is why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates them as controlled substances. While opioids are considered an appropriate treatment for certain types of short-term pain and for palliative end-of-life care, drug companies have manufactured, promoted and marketed opioids as pain relievers by misrepresenting or omitting key information about the appropriate uses, risks and safety of the drugs, Hanly said. The defendants in this case have long known about the addictive qualities and other risks associated with prolonged use of opioids and they must be held accountable for the misrepresentations and the harms to society as a result. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants sought to create a false perception in the minds of physicians, patients, health care providers and health care payors that using opioids to treat chronic pain was safe for most patients and that the drugs benefits outweighed the risks. This was allegedly perpetrated through a civil conspiracy involving a coordinated, sophisticated and highly deceptive (unbranded) promotion and marketing campaign that began in the late 1990s, became more aggressive around 2006, and is ongoing. The National Institutes of Health also identifies drug companies aggressive marketing as a major contributor to the nations opioid abuse problem. Despite a lack of scientific evidence that supports the use of opioids for long-term pain management, since 1999, the amount of prescribed opioids in the United States has nearly quadrupled to a total of 254 million prescriptions in 2010 enough to medicate every U.S. adult around the clock for a month. In 2012, opioids generated $8 billion in revenue for drug companies. In 2012, Suffolk County recorded 214 overdose deaths and 8,271 emergency room visits due to opiate use, and the countys substance abuse programs served 18,724 people for opioid abuse. Between 1996 and 2011, the number of people entering substance abuse programs in Suffolk County increased 1,136 percent. Simmons Hanly Conroy shareholders Paul Hanly and Jayne Conroy have held court-appointed leadership roles of national scope in litigation against pharmaceutical companies brought by consumers harmed by dangerous drugs. In 2006, Hanly and Conroy successfully resolved litigation against Purdue Pharma LLP and Abbot Laboratories, Inc., alleging that 5,000 clients addictions to OxyContin was a result of the manufacturers fraudulent marketing campaign that claimed the drug was not as addictive as alternative drugs. About Simmons Hanly Conroy, LLC Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC is one of the nations largest mass tort law firms and has recovered more than $5 billion in verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs. Primary areas of litigation include asbestos and mesothelioma, pharmaceutical, consumer protection, environmental and personal injury. The firms attorneys have been appointed to leadership in numerous national multidistrict litigations, including Vioxx, Yaz and Toyota Unintended Acceleration. The firm also represents small and mid-size corporations, inventors and entrepreneurs in matters involving business litigation. Offices are located in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Alton, Ill. Read more at www.simmonsfirm.com. Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events By Long Island News & PR Published: September 02 2016 To mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11, Treasures of New York: The Trees shares the untold story of life returning to Ground Zero. New York, NY - August 31, 2016 - To mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11, Treasures of New York: The Trees shares the untold story of life returning to Ground Zeroand emphasizes the importance of nurturing the public open space in one of the Citys densest neighborhoods into a vital green space. The visually stunning film conveys the emotional journey of the design and building of the outdoor living memorial at the World Trade Center site and the story of The Survivor Tree, the charred Callery pear tree that was the last living thing to be saved from the rubble of the WTC site after the 2001 attacks. The one-hour documentary is premiering in a captivating fall season line-up of Treasures of New York episodes celebrating the Citys most meaningful locations and relevant cultural institutions. Treasures of New York: The Trees premieres on Thursday, September 8 at 8pm on WLIW21 and Sunday, September 11 at 7pm on THIRTEEN. Directed by documentary filmmaker Scott Elliott, The Trees was filmed over the course of five years with the cooperation of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and features unprecedented access to the construction site. The film explores themes of resilience and rebirth--examining the fundamental need for human beings to find a source of healing after tragedy, and the deep-seated role that nature plays toward that renewal. The trees themselves are the most dynamic main characters and vivid storytellers in this lyrical film, which chronicles the journey of the 420 oak treesfirst as saplings that were harvested from the states where 9/11 victims lost their lives, then nurtured for seven years at a nursery in New Jersey, and finally transplanted as symbols of hope at the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza in New York City. Viewers will see them in all seasonswith beautifully colored leaves in fall, with the bare branches of winter, with hopeful spring blooms, and in summer as New Yorkers, tourists, survivors and 9/11 family members come to gather, relax and remember in the shade under their branches. The film features world-renowned architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, the visionaries behind the design, and the hundreds of builders, artists and arborists who painstakingly grew, transported and implemented the 420-tree urban forest at the 9/11 Memorial Park site beginning in 2010. Viewers will also meet arborist Jason Bond, who cares for the 400 swamp oaks as if they were his children, and Tom Cox, who is charged with transplanting the 400 trees into one of the worlds most complex, sustainable green roofs in the world. Richie Cabo, a retired corrections officer wounded in the line of duty, nurtures back to health the Survivor Treewhose cuttings have now become the source of hundreds of new saplings that can be planted as an ongoing inspiration and reminder. The Memorial Park trees have also become symbols of strength, hope and renewalwith visitors retrieving fallen acorns and planting them in special areas upon returning home. Anne Van Hine is a tour guide at the Memorial who carries such acorns in her pockets. She lost her husband, a firefighter and an arborist, on 9/11. For her, the trees are a strong symbol of life. Erica Svendsen and Lindsay Campbell, social scientists at the United States Forest Service, take viewers along to visit some of the unofficial living memorials that have sprung up in the New York area, further demonstrating the unique role of nature in helping a grieving community to heal. For more information about the series and this program, visit the Treasures of New York website. For additional information on The Trees film, go to www.thetreesfilm.com or engage on Facebook and Twitter. Director and Producer of The Trees is Scott Elliott. Executive Producer is Katherine Drew. The Trees is produced by 590films. Treasures of New York is a pro duction of WLIW LLC in association with WNET. WNET is the parent company of WLIW21 and THIRTEEN, New York's public television stations and operator of NJTV. Diane Masciale is general manager of WLIW21 and executive producer of local production, including the Treasures of New York series. Executive-in-Charge of Production is John Servidio. Funding for The Trees program is provided by Jean Pitaro, Karen Shepherd, Brian Johnson, Wendy Ingersol Perry, Stephen B. Shedden, Nancy Wohlsen, Richard Elliott, Karen Richardson, Mary Jane Elliott, and others. A full list of underwriters is available at the films website and from WNET and WLIW. About WNET WNET is America's flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21. WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (KidsThirteen, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET's groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get The Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history game. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the daily multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. In addition, WNET produces online-only programming including the award-winning series about gender identity, First Person, and an intergenerational look at tech and pop culture, The Chatterbox with Kevin and Grandma Lill. In 2015, THIRTEEN launched Passport, an online streaming service which allows members to see new and archival THIRTEEN and PBS programming anytime, anywhere: www.thirteen.org/passport School & Education, Local News, Press Releases By WFSD News Published: September 02 2016 The William Floyd High School Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) recently held their cadet officer pinning ceremony. Mastic Beach, NY - September 1, 2016 - The William Floyd High School Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) recently held their cadet officer pinning ceremony on the grounds of the William Floyd Estate, ancestral home of Revolutionary War general, and one of only 56 men to sign the Declaration of Independence, William Floyd. In the outdoor ceremony, the seven seniors were told that with competence comes the confidence to lead, by one of their instructors, Senior Chief Dwight Becherer. He also led the cadets in a recitation of the Cadet Creed as they gathered around the flagpole at the Old Mastic House. Navy core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment were also discussed as a measuring stick for the cadets in meeting the high standards, both academic and physical, of being a cadet officer. The new cadet officers, Christopher Ballas, Taylor Esposito, Kaylyn King, Jillian LaChacz, Logan Marcotte, Rebecca Shanley and Carlie Wegley, have been honing their skills with two to three years of naval science studies, academic excellence and extracurricular activities, so they are prepared as school starts. Now they can hold themselves to a higher standard because of their leadership and team-building skills, and in their pride for the program, said Senior Chief Becherer. In 1718, Richard Floyd II, grandfather of William Floyd, purchased 4400 acres on Moriches Bay and it was eventually passed down through generations of their family. The Old Mastic House is what the family called their home. Eventually, the Floyd family donated the house, all of its contents and 613 acres of property to the National Park Service in 1976, the Bicentennial of the United States. The National Park Service turned 100 last week when the cadets were there and kicks off a second century of stewardship of America's national parks and engaging communities through recreation, conservation, and historic preservation programs. Americas NJROTC, or Citizenship Development Program, is currently under the direction of Rear Admiral Stephen Evans, Commander of the Naval Service Training Command, headquartered on Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. NJROTC is a program that instills in high school students in U.S. secondary educational intuitions the value of citizenship and service to the United States. In addition to regular classroom instruction, NJROTC cadets participate in a number of extra-curricular activities throughout the school year and during summer months that are designed to stimulate learning by hands-on experiences and to reinforce the programs curriculum. Cadet extra-curricular activities include community service projects, drill competitions, academic competitions, visits to naval installations and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) training. Chinese films in Venice From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-09-02 07:45 The 73rd Venice Film Festival runs from Aug 31 to Sept 10 this year. Here we have listed Chinese films that have won the Golden Lion award, one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry. A Story of Qiu Ju (1992) A scene from A Story of Qiu Ju. [Photo/Mtime] Director: Zhang Yimou Qiu Ju, a woman of humble origins, lives in a rural area in China. When her husband is kicked in the groin by the village head, Qiu Ju (played by actress Gong Li), despite being heavily pregnant, travels the distance to a nearby town, then to a big city to fight against all obstacles in order to seek justice. A Story of Qiu Ju won director Zhang Yimou his first Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1992. It was selected as China's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards, but did not make it to the shortlist. Vive L'Amour (1994) A scene from Vive L'Amour. [Photo/Mtime] Director: Tsai Ming-liang Taipei's night hums with the vitality of a metropolis. Hsiao-Kang purchases a bottle of water from a convenience store, returns to his apartment and ponders about his life in an empty room. At a food court in a department store, Mei-ling and Ah-jung meet for the first time and become romantically involved, all the while sipping their fruit juices and glancing at each other from time to time. The slow-paced film with little dialogue is about urban alienation, telling the story of three young people who unknowingly share an apartment in Taipei. The film won a Golden Lion award in 1994. Not One Less (1999) A scene from Not One Less. [Photo/Mtime] Director: Zhang Yimou The film centers on a 13-year-old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, in the countryside during the 1990s. Wei was called to substitute for one month and was tasked with not losing any students during that period. When one of the young boys departs for the city to find work, Wei embarks on a journey to look for him. Educational reform, the urban-rural gap and challenges to bureaucracy and authority are all addressed in the film. Non-professional actors were cast in the film, playing characters with the same names and occupations as in real life, thus blurring the line between art and reality. Not One Less won Zhang his second Golden Lion award. Still Life (2006) A scene from Still Life. [Photo/Mtime] Director: Jia Zhangke Coal-miner Han Sanming and nurse Shen Hong travel to Fengjie, a small town on the Yangtze River, in search of their spouses. Han looks for his ex-wife, whom he separated from 16 years ago and Shen, her husband, who she left two years ago. Still Life premiered at the 2006 Venice Film Festival where it won the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion Award. Lust, Caution (2007) A scene from Lust, Caution. [Photo/Mtime] Director: Ang Lee Lust, Caution, directed by world-renowned director Ang Lee, is based on the namesake novel written by Chinese author Eileen Chang in 1979. The story is set in Hong Kong in 1938 and Shanghai in 1942 when China was under Japanese occupation. A group of Chinese university students from Lingnan University plot to assassinate a high-ranking special agent (played by Tony Leung) of the puppet government through using an attractive young woman (played by Tang Wei) to seduce and trap him. Things get complicated when the two start develop feelings for each other all the while fully knowing their true identities. Lust, Caution shot actress Tang Wei to fame, and won Ang Lee a second Golden Lion award, after his first one for Brokeback Mountain in 2005. Related: 73rd Venice Film Festival opens in Italy Chinese film 'Bitter Money' to compete at Venice film fest 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 Canada confirms plans to join AIIB From:Agencies | 2016-09-01 10:46 Canada will apply to join the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Ottawas finance department said yesterday, in a coup for Beijing after Washington had tried to dissuade US allies from signing up. Canada is always looking for ways to create hope and opportunity for our middle class as well as for people around the world, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said in a statement issued in Beijing. Membership in the AIIB is an opportunity to do just that, he said. The Beijing-headquartered multilateral lender, which began operations earlier this year, has been seen by some as a rival to the World Bank and the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank, which was founded in 1966. The US$100 billion AIIB counts several major European countries among its shareholders after they joined up despite the objections of the United States. The United States remains by far the worlds largest economy and hosts both the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. AIIB President Jin Liqun welcomed Canadas decision, which he called a vote of confidence in the institution that showed Ottawas confidence in the strong foundations the bank has built in our first few months. The US and Japan the worlds third-largest economy have notably declined to join the AIIB. But Jin said that Washington now had a very positive opinion on the bank. China does not regard itself as the big boss in the lender, he added, and its shareholding would definitely be diluted as more members joined, which could ultimately lead to Beijing losing the de facto veto power it holds over some of its decisions. In a speech, Morneau suggested Canada was seeking to strike a balance between the US, its close ally and neighbor, and the growing Asian giant. China is Canadas second-largest trading partner after the United States, with exchanges topping C$85 billion (US$66.5 billion) last year. We have important relationships with the worlds most powerful nations and have developed a capacity for mutual accommodation and governance, Morneau said yesterday in Beijing. Should we become the first North American member of the AIIB, I have every confidence that we bring constructive and balanced views to the table. Joining the China-backed lender would create jobs and business opportunities for Canadians, he said, adding, Participation in the bank is clearly in Canadas best interest. Canadas announcement came during Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to China, where he met Premier Li Keqiang to try to strengthen ties before the G20 summit this weekend in Hangzhou. Trudeau yesterday hailed a new era in relations with China during his first official visit to a key trading partner, saying he aims to boost stability and regularity in their ties. Trudeau and Li agreed to annual meetings and the eventual establishment of a mechanism to discuss national security and rule of law. Trudeau said they will work together to discuss issues of common concern, including climate change, judicial training, gender equality and empowerment of women and children. Renewing our relationship with China is extremely important to Canada, Trudeau said at a joint news conference after his meeting with Li. Until now, the China-Canada relationship has somewhat lacked in stability and regularity. Trudeau and Li also announced an agreement to extend a September 1 deadline that China had imposed on Canada to tighten its screening of canola exports, which could have led to major losses for Canadian farmers. China is the biggest foreign consumer of Canadian canola, which is usually refined into an edible oil, but Li said Chinese canola producers and consumers were worried about imported canola carrying disease. Trudeau said Canada and China were working very closely toward a long-term solution in the coming days and weeks ahead. Al Qaeda claims that two of Ayman al Zawahiris daughters and a third woman were released weeks ago in exchange for the son of General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Pakistans former spymaster who also served as the Chief of Army Staff until 2013. The 20th edition of Al Masra magazine, which was posted online in late August, featured the claim on its front page. Al Masra is produced by a media shop affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but it reports on news from all parts of al Qaedas global network. The Long War Journal cannot independently confirm the hostage exchange. There does not appear to be any reporting in the Pakistani press indicating that Kayanis son had been kidnapped, let alone involved in a high-profile hostage swap. Al Qaeda sources announced in early August that Zawahiris daughters had been released. Independent accounts indicate that the global jihadist organization had been trying to secure their release in exchange for the kidnapped sons of Pakistans elite. The editors of Al Masra included a box (seen on the right) highlighting the story on the front page and saying that detaining the son of the Pakistani Army Commander led to the release. The newsletters authors claimed a series of tweets posted online in mid-August provided the insider details of the story. A pdf of the tweets, with accompanying images, can be viewed here. WARNING: The tweets include graphic images of an alleged Pakistani spy beheaded by al Qaeda for supposedly leading authorities to Zawahiris daughters. The author of the tweets (who wrote on an account that has since been suspended, @muhager_0) blasted the apostate Pakistani Army for selling out high-profile al Qaeda operatives to the Americans in the past, such as Abu Firaj al Libi, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah. In another tweet, the jihadist accused the Pakistani Army of detaining Zawahiris daughters, as well as the daughter of Sheikh Murjan Salem al Jawhari, as part of its infidel war on the mujahideen. The Twitter user, who is likely an al Qaeda media operative, further claimed that al Qaeda was left with two ways to deal with the situation. First, al Qaeda needed to take revenge on the supposed spy. Second, Allah enabled the mujahideen to detain the son of the Pakistani Army commander in order to exchange him for the sisters. He included a picture of Kayani to emphasize that this is the Pakistani leader he meant. Al Qaedas account referred to Kayani as if he is active, even though he has been retired for nearly three years. The prideful Pakistani Army initially refused the proposed exchange, according to al Qaedas account, but eventually agreed to it after lengthy negotiations. Zawahiris daughters and the other woman, along with their children, were reportedly returned to Egypt. It isnt clear if the purported exchange took place in late July or early August. As Sahab, the propaganda arm for al Qaedas senior leadership, released an unusual, thinly-veiled threat against the Pakistani Army in mid-July. The statement, dated June 2016, was attributed to Al Qaeda Central and dealt with the treacherous Pakistani Armys detention of the three women and their children. Umaymah al Zawahiri and Fatimah al Zawahiri were identified, respectively, as the wives of Abu Dujana al Basha and Abu Basir al Urduni, both of whom are fallen al Qaeda commanders. Al Jawharis daughter, Sumaiya Murjan Salem, was listed as the widow of Adnan al Shukrijumah, who was the chief of al Qaedas North American operations until he was killed during a Pakistani operation in Dec. 2014. Shukrijumah had been wanted by Amerian authorities for his role in a string of plots dating back to 2002 and 2003, when he was identified as a key operative in al Qaedas post-9/11 plans. He was also tied to a 2009 plot against New York Citys subways. [See LWJ report, Al Qaeda sleeper agent tied to 2009 NYC subway plot.] In its threatening message, Al Qaeda accused the Pakistanis of holding the three women and their children on the orders of American intelligence since 2014. The jihadists claimed at the time that the negotiations to free them had failed. Al Qaeda said it would hold the Pakistani government and its American masters responsible for their criminal behavior. Just over two weeks later, on Aug. 5, al Qaedas social media channels lit up with news that Zawahiris two daughters and Shukrijumahs widow had been released. Did al Qaeda force the Pakistani governments hand by kidnapping Kayanis son? Again, The Long War Journal cannot substantiate the claim with independent evidence. But the tactic is entirely consistent with al Qaedas past schemes. In May, US Special Operations Forces and Afghan Commandos rescued Ali Haider Gilani, the son of Pakistans former prime minister, in a joint raid. Afghan officials said they didnt even know the younger Gilani was being held at the location that was raided. Several al Qaeda operatives were targeted and it was apparently fortuitous that Gilani was found with them. [See LWJ report: US, Afghan forces rescue son of former Pakistani prime minister from al Qaeda cell.] Ali Haider Gilani was kidnapped in 2013. His father, Yusuf Raza Gilani, was Pakistans Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012. According to the Associated Press and other outlets, Yusuf Gilani claimed that the hostage-takers wanted several al Qaeda prisoners in exchange for his son. After his release, Ali Gilani was more specific. They wanted the government to release some women from [the] family of al Zawahiri and also demanded hefty ransom, press reports quoted Gilani as saying. That is, al Qaeda wanted to exchange Ali Gilani for Zawahiris daughters. This the same swap al Qaeda now claims it arranged for Kayanis son. Additional kidnappings in Pakistan over the past few years may be related to the same aim. The details of how al Qaeda secured the release of the three women are important for our understanding of the groups operations inside Pakistan and Afghanistan. If the jihadist organization is merely boasting, then that is noteworthy. But if al Qaeda did manage to kidnap Kayanis son and force the Pakistani governments hand, then this indicates Zawahiris men have a disturbingly long reach inside of Pakistan. Although retired, Kayani is one of the most powerful figures in the Pakistani military and intelligence establishment, which has long sponsored jihadis, including the al Qaeda-allied Taliban. Al Qaeda used its safe havens in Afghanistan to hold Ali Gilani. This further demonstrates the importance of al Qaedas Afghan redoubt as it operates in South Asia. Al Qaeda likely chose to hold Gilani in Afghanistan, as opposed to Pakistan, because it would be easier to hide him from Pakistani authorities. However, al Qaedas arm in Pakistan has been growing as well. For example, the Washington Post reported in early June that Pakistani counterterrorism officials have a list of several hundred active al Qaeda members in Karachi alone and assume there are at least a few thousand on [Karachis] streets. Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which was formally announced by Zawahiri in September 2014, is growing in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Verifying or disproving the claims surrounding Zawahiris daughters may shed additional light on this al Qaeda arms capabilities. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for 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. Suspected jihadist forces have reportedly captured the central Malian town of Boni after attacking and setting fire to administrative buildings in town. Jihadists briefly held the town before retreating and the Malian military is now said to be back in control of Boni. According to local officials, the Malian military retreated to nearby Douentza after the jihadists entered town. The number of gunmen targeting the town is unclear, however, some estimates put the number at around 40. A resident of Boni speaking to the AFP also reported that the jihadists had people already inside the town waiting for the larger group to arrive. Some jihadists were on motorbikes and had accomplices inside the town. It was planned, the resident reportedly said. The Malian military is now said to be in control of Boni after the jihadists left the town. Local sources stated that after setting fire to the administrative buildings, capturing local officials, and releasing their prisoners, the jihadists quickly left Boni. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, however, both al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its Tuareg front group Ansar Dine are known to operate in the area. Both have also claimed attacks in Boni in the past. Todays attack in Boni follows an ambush on Malian troops near the town on Aug. 29. In that ambush, two Malian military vehicles were attacked and then subsequently captured and burned by suspected jihadists. A spate of recent attacks occurred in central Mali before the assault in Boni. In Boulkessi, near the Malian town of Mondoro and the borders with Burkina Faso in the Mopti Region, a Malian army post was targeted. In Bandigara, also in the Mopti Region, a police station was also hit by jihadists. In the Segou Region, another police station was assaulted in the locality of Sy. Ansar Dine has claimed the latter attack in Sy, also claiming to have captured two assault rifles and two vehicles. The other assaults have yet to been claimed, but are likely the work of Ansar Dines two battalions in the southern half of the country. Elsewhere in Mali, a UN vehicle hit an improvised explosive device near Ansongo in the Gao Region. In Burkina Faso, near the borders with Mali and Niger, a Burkinabe gendarmerie station was attacked by suspected jihadists. One border agent and a civilian were killed in the assault. With the plethora of attacks occurring in central Mali and elsewhere, today marks one of the most active days for jihadist groups operating in the country and in nearby states like Burkina Faso. According to data compiled by The Long War Journal, there has been at least 161 al Qaeda-linked attacks in Mali and neighboring countries so far this year. While most of these occur in Malis north, todays assaults show that jihadist groups continue to retain the capabilities to penetrate in the southern half. Article has been updated to reflect changes in the situation on the ground in Boni. 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. The concept of premature mortality needs to be either abandoned or redefined if it is not to discriminate against older people, according to a commentary piece published in the British Medical Journal. One of the main health targets included in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set out to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke, by a third by 2030. Premature mortality is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as deaths occurring among people aged 69 years or younger. The article authors, from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, argue that this definition sends out a clear statement to member states that health provision for younger groups must be prioritised at the expense of people aged 70 or over. They call on the WHO, the lead global agency on the issue, to rethink this definition so as not to discriminate against older people. They maintain that this current use of premature mortality discourages research and data collection for older people, with an example being their exclusion from HIV targets. It also exacerbates and justifies the existing levels of age discrimination in health care and distracts from the major challenges that especially affect older people, such as palliative care. The article's lead author Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, Professor of Social Policy and International development at UEA's School of International Development, said: "The implications for all countries, the UK included, is that resources allocated to conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia should be diverted from older people in order to comply with this global target. "The World Health Organization cannot continue to take this unethical and discriminatory approach. The SDGs are the key reference point for global health over the next 15 years and must jettison this ageist approach." Setting out their concerns and recommendations in the BMJ, Professor Lloyd-Sherlock and co-authors Professor Martin McKee and Professor Shah Ebrahim, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, say the premature mortality target 'sends a strong signal in favour of discriminating against older people'. They add: "Since the 1990s key aspects of health policy have been framed by explicitly ageist principlesaThe prominent role given to premature mortality thresholds shows that ageism is becoming increasingly blatant. It is inconceivable that global targets would similarly discriminate against other groups, such as women or people with disabilities." Proposing a less discriminatory approach, they conclude: "Engaging with ageism in health policy does not mean throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We still need mortality indicatorsaso long as they are interpreted with care. Additionally, policy-makers should explicitly assess how the choice of measure impacts on the priority given to each age group. "Highly cost-effective health interventions exist for people of all ages. Improved surveillance increases the scope to capture the disease burden in older peopleaIn 2015 WHO published a report on ageing and health, indicating that WHO itself is ready to jettison ageist concepts and champion a more ethical approach. It is important that such progress is not undermined by poorly considered global targets." Publication Theres no shortage of predictions over what Apple will discuss at its upcoming September event, but heres one thing that the company probably wont spend any time on, even though perhaps it should: iCloud storage. On Wednesday, Apple quietly added a new storage tier to its iCloud offerings: 2TB of storage for $20 per month. That has prompted plenty of speculation, some suggesting that a 256GB iPhone might appear to join the 256GB iPad Pro, or that the base storage for iPhones will be bumped up to 32GB. Of course, there are other potential reasons for the storage bump, such as a new feature of macOS Sierra that lets you store your Documents and Desktop folders in iCloud, to be synced between all your Macs. Thats all pretty costly in terms of storage space, so adding a 2TB option makes sense. (Personally, as someone who keeps raw podcast files on his desktop, I imagine I wont be indulging in that macOS feature.) But if Apple raises the amount of storage included in iPhones, then one things for sure: That the default 5GB storage plan is going to start seeming paltry pretty fast. (Whoops, too late. It already seems pretty paltry.) Hey, cloud, get off my back Its not just that the amount of space is a little sparseespecially for people looking to store, say, all the data that fits on their phonesits that iCloud can be pretty obnoxious about making sure you get the message. Inevitably, when my friends and family talk to me about tech problems, iCloud is among the most prominent culprit in their tales of woes and frustration. Of late, Ive especially heard several friends tales of being constantly bugged by messages that theres not enough space in iCloud to store their backup, along with a wheeling dialog box encouraging them to upgrade their storage plan. iCloud can be pretty obnoxious about making sure you get the message. Some of the antipathy is evoked by the manner of the upsell. As one friend told me, he probably would have paid for more storage if only he wasnt needled so frequently, in the same way that constantly being prompted to rate an app we bought makes many of our eyelids twitch. Instead, some of my friends have gone so far as to start deactivating some of the iCloud features out of spite, which frankly isnt doing anybody any favors. Then theres the labyrinthine nature of iCloud. Of your data, whats stored in iCloud? What counts against your storage limit? Whats covered by iCloud Backup? Where do you see that information? A tech-savvy friend of my acquaintance was bemused when I pointed out that tapping Manage Storage under the iCloud section of Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage was the same screen as Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage. For something thats supposed to give customers a little peace of mind, iCloud seems to cause an undue amount of stress instead. Scaling the clouds Much of this could be ameliorated were Apple to consider upping the base storage plans, either by raising the limit to something like 10GB or, preferably getting ahead of the curve by simply making its existing 50GB tier free. I know, I know: this sounds like entitled whining. Make this freeeee! At $0.99 a month, the 50GB plan seems unlikely to be a bank-breaker for most iPhone ownersbut by the same token, it probably isnt a huge revenue generator for Apple, either. ( Around the world, that plan is generally pretty close to the same price point.) $12 a year, even if paid for by every iPhone ownerwhich it surely isntis only a small percentage of what Apple makes in a year. Apple has huge amounts of storage at its disposal, with data centers in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Oregon, and you can bet its not being paid for solely by our iCloud storage plans. Incremental costs on storage are generally low. (It should be noted that Apple is actually competitive withif not undercuttingmany of its competitors for the 50GB plan.) But this is less about the money than it is about the experience. Apples philosophy is about making its products seamless and easy to use. Encouraging people to use iCloud backup is, in most cases, smoother and simpler than having to back-up to a computer. (Not least of all because it means not dealing with iTunes.) Besides, the more that people actually trust and use iCloud, the more likely theyll be to jump to the next storage tiers when their current data fills up. The $0.99 for the 50GB plan feels, frankly, nickel-and-dimey at best (nine dimes, a nickel, and four pennies, to be precise), at worst like nice iPhone datashame if something were to happen to it. People shouldnt have to feel like theyre fighting or paying just to keep their data safe. Money aint everything Lately, the companys been on a bullish track with its Services division and the revenue generated there. Perhaps eliminating the 99-cent tier would cut into that, but Apple generally says that the App Store, which is also grouped under Services, provides much of the revenue. Theres no use pretending Apple isnt a business and thus has making money as its goal. But, as Apple is so fond of saying, perhaps theres more to be gained from providing an experience that surprises and delights users, instead of irritating them. Our Back Pages Issue 95 Issue Date: Summer 1991 Editor: Constance Rooke Pages: 131 Number of contributors: 23 Buy Issue 95: Print Edition Welcome to our show for September, 1991. Weve gathered together a panel of Canadian literary magazines, all of which, as a collective, have contributed to the astonishing growth of Canadian literature since the Massey Commission Report of June 1951. Over here we have The Fiddlehead, the grandfather of the bunchestablished in 1945; we have Prairie Fire, representing the culture of the Canadian mid-west; Brick magazine, the smart little pamphlet that is about to bring out The Brick Reader, exciting for them and for us, no doubt. We have Event magazine from the bustling metropolis of Vancouver, and, on the far edge of the country (and some would say the far edge of reality) we have The Malahat Review. Now, the literary magazines on our panel think theyve been invited here for a discussion on the state of literary publishing in Canada in 1991. What a boring topic that would be folks. Things have never been better! Whats to talk about? So Im going to go and shake hands with The Malahat Review. Hello Malahat. Now, youve been around since 1967. Youve reached out internationally and now have a focus on Canadian writing. Some would say youre the envy of the block and that you are the leading literary journal in the country. Well, what we would say is The Malahat Review THIS is YOUR life! (applause). I know. Youre surprised and humbled and all that, but lets get on with it. Your current issue is a good representation of what youve been doing so well all these years. The cover features a painting by Enzo Cucchithe Italian artist who is literally making waves with his sculpture at York University right now. Inside, there is the usual rich mix of Canadian and international writers. We have some poems by Derk Wynand, who manages to write about mowing the lawn and to make it moving: We must be, as stable now / that the electrons in our heads / are spinning clockwise like his. Wowie. You know, if youre ever looking for a new editor, that guy would make a good candidate. You heard it here first folks. Your old friend, poet Tom Wayman is here too, getting more lyrical and less political than hes been lately. There is a fabulous story called Stone by George McWhirter, and strong fiction by New Yorkers Caroline Keppel and Ann Darby. You remember Jan Thornhill, the childrens writer? Here, she shows she can write Ontario gothic fiction that would send Casey and Finnegan to cower in the dark winter corners of the dog house. Ah, Malahat, look where youve been; barely twenty-four and yet youve done so much already. Just imagine where youll go from here. Just imagine. Jay Ruzesky About Our Back Pages Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) said it has stopped loading cargoes and containers from South Korea's Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd , which has filed for court receivership. OOCL's cargo units will also no longer be loaded on vessels operated by Hanjin Shipping, the world's seventh-largest container shipper, according to a notice posted on its website www.oocl.com and emailed to customers. "For OOCL cargo on Hanjin Shipping operated vessels that are under arrest and/or idled outside the port, we will liaise with Hanjin Shipping and the marine terminal operators to release the cargo as soon as possible," OOCL said. One vessel has also been seized by a creditor in Singapore while firms in the United States have launched legal action against Hanjin to seize vessels and other assets over unpaid bills. OOCL's notice on Friday comes after other shipping lines such as COSCO Container Lines and Evergreen Marine Corp Taiwan Ltd sent out similar assurances to customers. COSCO said on its website on Wednesday that it was engaged in "emergency continency planning" of containers that might be on board of Hanjin Shipping's vessels. Evergreen also said on Wednesday it had activated a contingency plan to stop loading Evergreen Line cargo on to Hanjin Shipping's vessels and would also stop Hanjin Shipping's cargo from being loaded on to its ships. Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee Argentina is diverting or cancelling incoming shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after mild late winter temperatures curbed fuel demand and forced state-run buyer Enarsa to rework some deals. South America's biggest LNG importer had launched back-to-back tenders in June and July after a cold start to winter, lining up dozens of cargoes at bargain prices as global output outpaced demand. But a milder streak in August undercut demand for heating fuel and left Enarsa juggling a supply overhang, the company and trading sources said. Enarsa said it had cancelled one shipment and delayed three cargoes until next year because of one of the warmest Augusts in a decade. Stubbornly high stock levels at Argentina's two import terminals, Bahia Blanca and Escobar, also mean there is no storage for more imports. LNG trade sources who conduct business with Argentina say at least four cargoes destined for Bahia Blanca have been cancelled or rescheduled. "The Bahia cargoes are being targeted for cancellation because it is more difficult to divert Escobar shipments," one source said. STOP FEE Argentina's LNG suppliers, which include the likes of BP, Gunvor and Royal Dutch Shell, can levy penalty fees of up to $5 million for cancellations, one trading source said. Fernando Pazos, head of institutional relations and communications for Enarsa, denied the firm had to pay penalties but said Enarsa sometimes pays a stop fee when a ship is outside the port but cannot enter due to weather conditions. LNG traders dealing with Argentina demand payment upfront due to concerns about the level of dollar reserves in the country after they were run down by the former president. Seven gas tankers are crowded around Argentina's import terminals, live ship-tracking data shows. One of the Bahia Blanca-bound tankers already diverted, the Methane Alison Victoria chartered by Shell, discharged at Jordan's port of Aqaba on Wednesday, according to Thomson Reuters shipping data. Problems in the take-up of LNG stretch beyond Argentina. "LNG imports into Latin America in the first half of the year are down by 3 million tonnes, or 28 percent lower than volumes received over the same period last year," independent LNG consultant Andy Flower said. In Mexico, cheaper pipeline imports from the United States pushed out LNG, while Brazil cut imports by 60 percent as heavy rainfall replenished hydroelectric reserves, he said. In Argentina, seaborne LNG imports declined by 15 percent in the same period. Of 98 container ships, 44 blocked from ports. U.S. firms take legal action over unpaid bills. Roughly half of Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd's container vessels have been blocked from ports since the South Korean firm's collapse, putting manufacturers and their customers increasingly on edge about the fate of cargo and spikes in freight costs. Woes for world's seventh-largest container shipper have only deepened since its banks withdrew support and it filed for court receivership this week. One vessel has also been seized by a creditor in Singapore while firms in the U.S. have launched legal action against Hanjin to seize vessels and other assets over unpaid bills. The potential for cargo to be stranded, perhaps indefinitely, is unnerving for many - particularly as industry insiders and analysts believe that Hanjin has little chance of being rehabilitated and its assets will eventually be liquidated. "The biggest problem is what is going to happen to cargos at sea. We are just praying that our cargos are not seized," said Ra Kyung-moon, executive vice president at Forman Shipping, a freight-forwarding firm in Seoul. Freight-forwarding firms, which organise shipments, may be held liable for customer cargo that doesn't arrive and are also worried about the recovery of funds paid to Hanjin in advance for services promised. Some manufacturers are drawing up contingency plans while the U.S. Retail Industry Leaders Association has called on Department of Commerce and the Federal Maritime Commission to take action to minimise disruption. A Hanjin spokeswoman told Reuters that 44 of its 98 container ships had been denied access to ports including Shanghai, Sydney, Hamburg, and Long Beach, California. These include instances where lashing firms have refused service, or where port authorities have blocked entry. But service for Hanjin ships resumed at South Korea's main ports of Busan and Incheon on Friday after the government said port authorities would guarantee payments for service providers. On Thursday, a Korean trade group said about 10 Hanjin ships were effectively seized in China. Hanjin said on Friday that number was incorrect. SHIPPING COSTS SOAR Freight rates have also surged. Hanjin's collapse has come during the shipping industry's busiest season ahead of the year-end holidays. "The cost of shipping is now jumping through the roof and carriers are filing requests for a full increase in rates from Sept. 1," said Paul Tsui, managing director of the Janel Group in Hong Kong, a freight forwarding and logistics firm. He added that air freight volumes would probably rise to replace urgent orders stranded in ports or at sea. Hanjin accounts for 7.8 percent of trans-Pacific trade volume for the U.S. market and has a global client base. Of 8,281 owners of goods to be transported as of late August, 847 were South Korean firms, according to government data. This week, a judge in California ordered the arrest of the Hanjin Montevideo container ship in Long Beach over unpaid fuel bills totaling $488,750 owed to World Fuel Services, according to court documents seen by Reuters. Lawyers acting for two other firms, Hastay Marine and Montemp Marine, applied on Aug. 31 to a court in California to have Hanjin's assets in the U.S. including cash and property totaling more than $3 million seized to pay outstanding rental payments on two Hanjin ships, court documents showed. Adding insult to injury, Hanjin has also been suspended from the CKYHE shipping alliance, which includes China COSCO , and Evergreen Marine Corp Taiwan Ltd. A South Korean court has ordered the start of rehabilitation proceedings and set a Nov. 25 deadline for the carrier to submit a plan, appointing Hanjin Shipping CEO Suk Tai-soo as trustee. Hanjin's shares, suspended since plunging 24 percent on Tuesday, will resume trading on Sept. 5, the stock exchange said. By Joyce Lee and Keith Wallis MaK together with Caterpillars Marine Asset Intelligence organization has announced that they have partnered with DNV GL to help make the change from time based maintenance to condition based maintenance by leveraging the predictive analytics of Cat Asset Intelligence in accordance with DNV GLs Survey Arrangement Machinery Condition Monitoring (CM) requirements. The Survey Arrangement of DNV GL recognizes, across multiple dimensions, the value that an industry leading condition based monitoring system such as Cat Asset Intelligence provides to ship owners. First, by using data analytics to provide transparency and validate equipment condition, unnecessary maintenance expense can be avoided by right-sizing maintenance to condition and not to the calendar. In addition to maintenance costs, comprehensive reliability studies have shown that human intervention is a key factor in over 80% of failures. By using data analytics to validate equipment condition, unnecessary human intervention and open-inspect activities can be avoided or deferred. Not only can ship owners use Cat Asset Intelligence analytics to validate the equipment condition, but predictive analytics can also be used to identify potential issues before failure, independent of the planned maintenance schedule, helping ship owners to avoid the operational and repair costs of unexpected failures. Both of these uses of Cat Asset Intelligence help reduce planned and unplanned maintenance as well as the associated downtime. Leveraging the analytics of Cat Asset Intelligence helps ship owners and operators to make better decisions using data and actionable information. This project will begin with a customer that has a vessel powered by the new, cutting edge MaK M 46 DF dual fuel engine, which was delivered and supported by Zeppelin Power Systems (the Cat and MaK dealer). Cat Asset Intelligence, combined with the Survey Arrangement Machinery CM, will enable operation of this technology in the smartest, most reliable way possible. This is going to be a major step forward for many ship owners and their operations in the future. This effort enables operations and maintenance leaders to make better decisions using data and analytics, helping to drive reduced cost, downtime and risk. This is further enhanced by DNV GL, who brings a vast level of experience in safeguarding life, property and the environment, said Ken Krooner, Technology & Operations Manager for Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence. We are excited to bring together the leading MaK dual fuel engine technology together with the analytics of Cat Asset Intelligence to continue to drive increased value to our customers. This effort will enable our customers to further increase the availability and decrease the low total operating cost of the MaK medium speed engines by optimizing maintenance practices and avoiding failures said Karl Vollrath, Product Support Manager for MaK. At DNV GL we are always looking to work with our customers to find ways to use new technologies and operational strategies to help the industry become safer, smarter and greener, said Oliver Darley, Head of Ship Systems, Materials and Components at DNV GL Maritime. This project combines the expertise and experience of the equipment maker, analytics provider, vessel owner and operator, and DNV GL as a classification society to take a real step forward in improving vessel performance and efficiency. The cost of transporting containers from ports in Asia to Northern Europe and the United States jumped this week after the collapse of South Korean Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd. Container spot freight rates on the world's busiest routes from Asia to Northern Europe jump 36.6 percent to $949 per twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) this week. Rates increased by 51 percent to the U.S West Coast and 45 percent to the U.S. East Coast. Following the Hanjin default there has been a considerable rise in freight rates, brokerage firm Fearnley Securities wrote in a note to clients on Friday. "To our understanding this has been driven by shippers being reluctant to put their cargoes on Hanjin vessels, whilst ports are not accepting the vessels as they are afraid of not getting paid," Fearnley wrote. A Hanjin spokeswoman said that 44 of its 98 container ships had been denied access to ports including Shanghai, Sydney, Hamburg, and Long Beach, California. One ship had been seized, in Singapore. As the collapse happened in the midst of the peak season it has spurred a supply shock in a market which, despite poor freight rates, was characterized as relatively tight, the Fearnley note said. By Ole Mikkelsen Kelvin Hughes has announced the launch of a new range of radar systems for commercial shipping based on its innovative, solid-state SharpEye technology. Kelvin Hughes has been supplying IMO type-approved radar to merchant ships, fishing boats and workboats since the 1940s, delivering reliability and low cost of ownership together with highly superior detection capability. SharpEye, with its Doppler processing of the radar returns, has taken situational awareness to a new level with its ability to detect more targets, at longer ranges, than conventional, magnetron-based radar systems. Delivering improvements in sub-clutter visibility of approximately 30dB, SharpEye can detect targets with a low Radar Cross Section (RCS), typically 0.5m2, without any picture degradation even in adverse weather conditions. A supplier of radar to more than 25 of the world's navies, Kelvin Hughes also has thousands of systems installed on cargo ships, cruise ships (including the Queen Mary 2), fast ferries and offshore support vessels. The new radar range for commercial shipping includes: S-band Upmast Radar SharpEye S-band radar technology meets the challenges of safety, navigation and collision avoidance at sea through a clever combination of radar techniques designed to provide the best performance in all conditions. The detection performance of SharpEye, despite a low peak transmission power of less than 200W, is much improved over a 30kW magnetron radar. The high reliability and lack of routine maintenance means the need to subsequently access the SharpEye transceiver is almost removed. Navigation Radar Display The latest navigation radar innovation from Kelvin Hughes is the new integrated radar display which incorporates all the market leading software functionality of the companys MantaDigital radar series whilst adding a number of improvements. Working with the transceivers as part of a fully redundant networked system, the radar display provides radar, chart radar and Electronic Chart System (ECS) information to support navigation, route planning and training. Type-approved (MSC192/79 / IEC 62388 ED2), it features dual PPI (Plan Position Indicator), collision warning, spy scope and Enhanced Target Detection (ETD) mode. In addition to its SharpEye systems, the new Kelvin Hughes commercial shipping range also includes: X-Band Series - 12kW Upmast Radar The 12kW X-band Upmast Magnetron Radar features improved target resolution and beam sharpening and represents a cost-effective, type-approved radar in a lightweight package. The increased gain and narrow beam width of the 12kW Magnetron Radar Antenna offers greater range and bearing resolution for improved performance and target separation. Designed for any vessel requiring IMO type-approved radar as well as smaller boats such as workboats and fishing vessels, this compact lightweight radar system is easy to install with a single waterproof connector. Spike Hughes, Kelvin Hughes Sales and Marketing Director, commented: Kelvin Hughes has long been at the forefront of navigation radar for the worlds commercial shipping fleet. Were confident that our new range of products combining state-of-the-art technology with affordability will keep us in that position in the years to come. Danelec Marine is now offering a comprehensive range of conversion kits to facilitate replacement of existing shipboard Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs). The company has created packages to replace more than 30 different models of VDRs and Simplified VDRs (S-VDRs) across all major existing and legacy brands, making it easy and less costly for shipowners to upgrade to the new technology. Many ships are still equipped with VDRs and S-VDRs that were installed more than 10 years ago to meet the initial IMO carriage requirements, said Danelec Marine CEO Hans Ottosen.These systems are nearing or beyond their projected service life, and some are no longer in production or supported by their original manufacturers. We have developed a set of hardware, software and data interfaces that substantially reduce the time and cost of replacement by retaining the existing cable runs and mounting hardware. Danelec Marines mechanical conversion kits consist of pre-drilled universal adaptor plates and mounting brackets for all system components, including the VDR main unit, memory capsule and bridge microphones. The Danelec Remote Data Interface (RDI) units are available for serial, analog and digital connections. Existing cable runs can be re-used, and installed sensor interface units can be either re-used or upgraded to Danelecs new boxes. The RDIs are designed with Danelecs exclusive SoftWare Advanced Protection (SWAP) technology architecture for fast and easy replacement when servicing the system, in accordance with Danelecs company-wide strategy of creating integrated product/service solutions. Danelec Marine also provides a free software tool for conversion of old configuration files. The conversion kits make it feasible for a shipowner to standardize VDR installations across the fleet, reducing the expense of installing and maintaining products from different suppliers, said Ottosen. This also provides a built-in upgrade pathway for shipowners to initiate fleetwide retrieval of data from ship systems and sensors using Danelecs convenient VDR remote access platform. Danelec Marine will show the new VDR/S-VDR conversion kits, along with its other new products and solutions in Hall B6 Stand 529 at the SMM maritime exhibition in Hamburg, Sept. 6-9. Maersk Line, the world's biggest container shipper and a unit of Danish conglomerate A. P. Moller-Maersk, said on Friday in relation to the collapse of South Korea's Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd: * Maersk Line expects minimal impact on its customers' cargo. * Maersk Line on Aug. 30 instructed its global operations centres to not load any cargo onto Hanjin owned vessels. * Says customers have cargo on board two of Hanjin's operated vessels, Maersk Sebarok and Maersk Senang, sailing on the Chennai Express service between Far East Asia and South East India. * Says vessels Hanjin New Jersey and Hanjin Florida sailing on the Mashariki service between Far East Asia and East Africa are both operated by Maersk Line, and are neither owned nor operated by Hanjin Shipping. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen) Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Friday to draw up proposals this year to end a row over a group of disputed islands that has bedevilled relations between their countries for over 70 years. The dispute stems from the Soviet Union's decision, in the final days of World War Two, to seize the islands - known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the Southern Kuriles - that Tokyo says are its sovereign territory. Concessions over the islands would carry risks for Putin but could boost Japanese investment in Russia at a time when Moscow, battered by low global oil prices and Western sanctions, badly needs an injection of cash. From Tokyo's perspective, better relations would allow Russia and Japan to form a counter-balance to China, the region's rising power. Meeting on the sidelines of a business forum on Russia's Pacific coast, the two leaders agreed that officials on both sides would keep working on a draft deal that Abe and Putin would consider when the Russian leader visits Japan in December. Though Russia and Japan have strong diplomatic and commercial ties, the dispute has prevented them signing a treaty formally ending their World War Two hostilities. "Particularly regarding a peace treaty, the two of us alone had quite an in-depth discussion. It is now clearer how to proceed in talks based on the 'new approach'," Abe told reporters. "Finding a solution through leaders' mutual trust would be the only way to break away from this abnormal condition, where no peace treaty has been concluded for more than 70 years." Abe said he wanted the December summit with Putin to take place in his home town of Nagato city "in a relaxing atmosphere so that talks on a peace treaty would accelerate." "WE DON'T TRADE IN TERRITORIES" Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters he detected a new willingness from the Japanese government to find common ground. "Of course the leaders discussed the issue of a peace treaty," Lavrov said. Referring to the preparatory work being carried out by officials, he said: "There was an agreement that we will continue these consultations and the results will be passed on during the visit of the Russian leader to Japan, which will take place ... before the end of the year." Any concessions by Putin on the islands would carry political risks for him, potentially hurting the image he has crafted at home as a leader who stands up for Russian national interests in the face of outside aggression. In an interview with Bloomberg news agency before he met Abe, Putin indicated he would not contemplate giving up territory. "We're not talking about some exchange or some sale," Putin was quoted as saying. "We are talking about finding a solution where neither of the parties would feel defeated or a loser. "We don't trade in territories, although the problem of a peace treaty with Japan is a key one," he said, noting that Moscow was keen to work with Tokyo to resolve the problem. (By Vladimir Soldatkin and Kiyoshi Takenaka; Additional reporting by Ami Miyazaki and Linda Sieg; Writing by Christian Lowe and William Mallard; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. (ABS QE), a subsidiary of ABS Group, has been selected as a third-party verifier by the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), an international association of chemical distributors and their supply-chain partners, for the sixth cycle of the organization's Responsible Distribution program beginning in 2017. For 25 years, NACD has implemented Responsible Distribution as a mandatory third-party-verified environmental, health, safety and security verification program. The verification program allows members to demonstrate their commitment to continuous performance improvement in every phase of chemical storage, handling, transportation and disposal. "We are pleased to receive the designation of verifier for NACD Responsible Distribution," says ABS QE President Alex Weisselberg. "ABS Group and ABS QE are actively involved in the oil, gas and chemical value chain and life cycle, working with clients to streamline projects, preserve their licenses to operate and help improve their business' profitability. Our auditors and independent verifiers have unparalleled industry knowledge to provide high-value performance and management services, with the goal of maintaining safer, more profitable operations within the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors." "ABS QE provides NACD with another solid and experienced verification organization that will help ensure that NACD member companies demonstrate continuous improvement and top environmental, health, safety, and security practices in the chemical industry," says NACD President Eric Byer. "We are impressed with ABS QE's background in various management systems and look forward to a positive relationship with their verifiers and our member companies." Some 44 of Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd's ships have been so far denied access to ports while 1 ship has been seized, Reuters reports quoting a company spokeswoman. The 44 ships include instances where port service providers such as lashing firms have denied service, or port authorities are denying entry to ports. Hanjin operates 98 container ships. With South Korea's biggest shipping company filing for bankruptcy protection, the vessels, sailors and cargo of Hanjin Shipping are stuck in limbo, stranded at sea, reports BBC. Ports, fearing they will not get paid, refuse to let them dock or unload. That means the ships are forced to wait for Hanjin, its creditors or partners to find a solution. It's a case of unprecedented scale, with experts expecting the deadlock to last for weeks, if not months. "Unlike dry cargo, liner shipping is all about marketing and service reliability we havent seen any large carriers come back from collapse," said Rahul Kapoor, a director at maritime consultancy Drewry Financial Research Services. Meanwhile, Spot container freight rates on the major routes from Asia soared by up to 42% today following the collapse of Hanjin Shipping, data from the World Container Index reveals. Unpredictable freight rates are not new phenomenon in the container industry, however a major upheaval of supply like this is likely to cause extreme short-term price volatility. Shippers should expect increasing freight costs and tight allocation for several weeks at least, said Richard Heath, general manager of WCI. According to TT News, woes at Hanjin Shipping, South Koreas largest sea container shipping firm and the worlds seventh-biggest with a 2.9% market share, are derailing the supply chains of companies that need to send goods well in advance of the years biggest shopping season as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach. U.S. retailers urged their government to take steps to minimise disruption from the collapse of the world's seventh-largest container shipper as more of its vessels have been seized or blocked from entering ports around the world. The two Norwegian companies enter into the agreement to cover development of the Hanytangen yard as well as pursuing business opportunities in the oil and gas/maritime industry, primarily targeted at the North Sea and international markets. Langset AS will establish a mechanical workshop and it will move its engineering office and rope access headquarter to Hanytangen. Langset is a provider of services to the maritime and energy sector, and Semco Maritime is a specialist in large-scale maintenance and refurbishment of offshore installations. Together the firms will develop the Hanytangen yard. The agreement is founded on the fact that both parties have common interests and goals in developing the energy sector. Semco Maritime acquired the Hanytangen yard mid-2015. The yard facilities holds the largest dry-dock in North Europe. Langset possesses substantial engineering competences and capacity that fits with Semco Maritimes business model. Both parties expect the agreement to strengthen and improve offerings to customers and that the cooperation will increase the ambition to win future contracts for maintaining both offshore platforms and other maritime/marine projects. With this partnership Langset AS will have its own workshop strategically located in Western Norway. We expect the partnership with Semco Maritime to provide us with new knowledge, technology and access to new business areas. Together Semco Maritime and Langset will strengthen the Hanytangen yards position as a complete supplier of offshore and marine services, said CEO Jan Tore, Langset AS. The cooperation between Langset and Semco Maritime is beyond the usual and key competences, experience and strategy go hand in hand. It will strengthen both Hanytangen Yard and Semco Maritime in general. This will give both parties a stronger market position which we expect our customers will find attractive, said Managing Director Lars Skov, Semco Maritime AS. Wind and rain from Hurricane Hermine toppled trees and power lines along Florida's northern Gulf Coast, inundating coastal areas with storm surges before it weakened to a tropical storm over land and plowed toward the Atlantic Coast on Friday. Hermine made landfall early on Friday near St. Marks, Florida, 20 miles south of the capital of Tallahassee, dumping heavy rains and packing winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), leaving tens of thousands of households without power along Florida's Gulf Coast. No injuries were immediately reported. It was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma more than a decade ago. A weakening Hermine moved across southern Georgia, blowing winds of 60 miles per hour (95 km) at 8 a.m. EDT, (noon GMT), according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical storm was expected to reach the coastal Carolinas later Friday, then move offshore from North Carolina on Saturday. Forecasters said it could restrengthen over the sea. In Cedar Key, an island community in northwest Florida, waters rose more than 9.5 feet (2.9 meters), among the highest surges ever seen, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tallahassee. "It is a mess," Virgil Sandlin, the Cedar Key police chief told the Weather Channel television network. "We have high water in numerous places." Some 170,000 people were without power in the affected region on Friday morning, WCTV television in Tallahassee reported. More than half of Tallahassee had lost power, the NWS said. By Friday morning, the storm barreled across southeastern Georgia, where thousands were without power. On its current path, the storm could dump as much as 15 inches (38 cm) of rain on coastal Georgia, which was under a tropical storm watch, and the Carolinas. Forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods and flash floods. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared emergencies in affected regions. A tropical storm watch extended north to New Jersey with Hermine expected to be felt over the U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend by tens of millions of Americans living along the Atlantic Coast. Yet as it made its way north, the storm whipped up heavy rain across Florida's Gulf Coast on Friday morning. Communities as far south as Tampa shut roads due to flooding. Schools in 35 of the state's 67 counties were closed, Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Twitter. In advance of the storm, he had declared a state of emergency in 51 counties. As the sun rose on Friday morning on Hudson Beach, just north of Tampa, cars sat askew in the middle of flooded out roads. Palm fronds, tree branches and garbage cans were scattered about. Overnight, Pasco County crews rescued 18 people and brought them to shelters after their homes were flooded in Hudson Beach and nearby Green Key. Richard Jewett, 68, was rescued from his home in nearby New Port Richey, around 1:30 a.m. EDT (730 GMT) on Friday as emergency workers carried out a mandatory evacuation. "The canal started creeping up toward the house and even though it wasn't high tide it looked like it was coming inside," he said. By Letitia Stein Nicolas Queru has been appointed to lead Navicos Commercial Marine Division worldwide to take forward the marine electronics groups continuing strategy for growth. Queru has been made EVP Managing Director with immediate effect following his promotion from Vice President, Commercial Marine EMEA. He succeeds Jose Herrero. A French Native residing in Oslo, Norway, Queru has extensive experience in international business management, including over eight years in management consulting at Oliver Wyman and Bain & Company leading assignments in strategic planning, customer loyalty, distribution strategy and sales excellence. Alongside Queru, Stephen Davis, has been appointed Simrad Global Brand Director within Navicos marketing team. Davis will be helping to develop the Simrad brand in both leisure and commercial markets. He will be working alongside the Product Management teams and regional Sales and Marketing groups on a worldwide basis. Daviss marketing background spans several different industry verticals, from packaged consumer goods to on-line travel. He will now get the chance to use his extensive experience and his interest in sailing and powerboating to help continue to build brand awareness for Simrad and its range of products and navigation solutions. Prior to Simrad, Daviss most recent position was with American Airlines, where he led global marketing strategy, based in the U.K. and the U.S. Douglas-Westwood has launched its new World Offshore Maintenance Modifications and Operations Market Forecast 2017-2021 which forecasts a steady recovery from the recent oil price downturn with Modifications spend expected to improve significantly between 2017 and 2021. Report author, Ben Wilby, commented, Despite there being considerable price pressure on MMO providers, the key drivers of spend remain strong with numbers of global and fixed platforms, degradation of existing assets and industry regulation all contributing to 4.1% CAGR growth in global offshore MMO expenditure over the 2017-2021 period In 2017, expenditure is forecast to total nearly $81bn for the worlds global offshore platform population of approximately 8700 fixed and floating assets. By service line, Asset Services accounts for over a half of total expenditure, 60%, with Modifications, 21%, Asset Integrity, 14% and Support Services, 6%. Asia and North America dominate global expenditure, with 24% and 20% of spend over the forecast period. Incat Crowther announced contract to design a 50m Catamaran Passenger Ferry for South Korean operator Seaspovill. The vessel will join the operators existing fleet which runs from the mainland ports of Donghae and Gangneung to the island of Ulleung-do, a renowned destination for outdoor activities such as hiking. Incat Crowther worked with Seaspovill to develop the design of the vessel, and then assisted in the preparation of a preliminary design package and the selection of Austal Philippines to construct the vessel. During this process, Incat Crowther representatives attended operations with Seaspovill and performed detailed route operability analysis. The fully IMO HSC compliant vessel is optimized for through-life efficiency. Long waterline length combines with low structural weight to provide low capital costs and lower fuel burn. Structural weight has been reduced by the use of Incat Crowthers advanced FEA systems to develop efficient cross structure that increases tunnel clearance without undue increase to hull depth and weight. The operational envelope of the vessel is enhanced, allowing operation in rougher conditions, significantly reducing the number of lost days. Seakeeping will be exceptional, with a combination of z-bow hull form and centre bow giving the operator new levels of operability and comfort. To integrate seamlessly with the existing fleet and infrastructure, the vessel is configured around multiple boarding and mooring configurations and maintains existing key points. The vessels primary boarding location will be the midship doors, which are fitted with hinged ramps operated by electric winches. From here, passengers will enter a large central space with plenty of luggage storage and a stairway to the upper deck. Bathrooms and a kiosk are located aft. A total of 346 passengers are accommodated on the main deck. The upper deck seats 100 passengers, plus four passengers in a VIP cabin. A crew room is located adjacent to the elevated wheelhouse, whilst an additional two toilets are located aft. Below decks, the engine rooms are laid out in a clean, accessible manner and feature removal hatches over each engine, completely clear of overhead obstructions. The vessel will be powered by four MTU 16V2000 M72 main engines, each producing 1440kW, driving KaMeWa56A3 waterjets. Capable of reaching a maximum speed of 40 knots, the vessel has been optimized for a loaded operating speed of 33 knots at a modest MCR. SPECIFICATIONS - 50m CATAMARAN PASSENGER FERRY PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS Length Overall 163 9 / 49.9m Length Waterline 156 3 / 47.6m Beam Overall 37 9 / 11.5m Draft (hull) 4 4 / 1.3m Depth 12 10 / 3.9m Construction Marine grade aluminium CAPACITIES Fuel Oil 4 491 gallons / 17 000 litres Fresh Water 396 gallons / 1 500 litres Sullage 396 gallons / 1 500 litres Passengers 450 Crew 8 PROPULSION AND PERFORMANCE Speed (Service) 33 knots Speed (Max) 40 knots Main Engines 4 x MTU 16V2000 M72 Power 4 x 1440kW @ 2250rpm Propulsion 4 x KaMeWa 56A3 Generators 2 x Cat C4.4 REGULATORY Flag Republic of Korea Class / Survey DNV +1A1 HSLC Passenger R2 E0 IMO HSC Category A 1777 - The frigate, USS Raleigh, commanded by Thomas Thompson, captures the British brig, HMS Nancy, while en route to France to purchase military stores. 1864 - During the Civil War, the 8-gun paddle-wheeler, USS Naiad, engages a Confederate battery at Rowes Landing, La., and silences it. 1940 - As the Battle of Britain intensifies, U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull agrees to the transfer 50 warships to the Royal Navy. In exchange, the U.S. is granted land in various British possessions for the establishment of naval or air bases, on ninety-nine-year rent-free leases. 1944 - USS Finback (SS 230) rescues Lt. j.g. George H.W. Bush, who is shot down while attacking Chi Chi Jima. During this time, Lt. j.g. Bush serves with Torpedo Squadron Fifty One (VT 51) based on board USS San Jacinto (CVL 30). Lt. j.g. Bush later becomes the 41st President of the United States. 1945 - More than two weeks after accepting the Allies terms, Japan formally surrenders, marking the end of World War II. The ceremonies, less than half an hour long, take place on board the battleship USS Missouri (BB 63), anchored with other United States and British ships in Tokyo Bay. 1989 - USS Sentry (MCM 3) is commissioned. The Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship is the second to bear that name. USS Sentry moves to its new homeport of Ingleside, Texas, on Aug. 25, 1992. (Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division) Africas first ever dredging simulator was launched in the port city of Durban, South Africa another positive spin-off of ongoing collaboration between Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), the Transnet Maritime School of Excellence (MSoE), Netherlands based Royal IHC and its world-renowned Training Institute. The high-tech simulator based at the MSoEs Langeberg Road premises will aid in building dredging capability in South Africa. Dredging is specialized underwater excavation that helps to keep ports and harbours safe and navigable and is a critical aspect of port development. Transnet anticipates that over the first three-year period 50 students will complete training on the simulator as part of a holistic dredging training program and could find work in Southern Africa or with international dredging contractors. TNPA Chief Executive, Richard Vallihu, said the simulator would enable TNPA to support ports in Southern Africa to develop marine skills and grow their economies. Through this acquisition we can create jobs in line with the Governments Nine-Point Growth Plan. Among the key focus areas of TNPAs R56 billion-plus investments under the Transnet Market Demand Strategy (MDS) are creating capacity ahead of demand, maintenance upgrades, skills development and job creation. We are therefore striving to build our own capabilities by developing mission critical skills that will help us to cater for the needs of the Southern African port system. Instead of sending staff overseas for dredging training we can now do this locally through the dredging school to be fully operational by 2017. A number of regional ports are also ramping up plans to expand port capacity including major dredging projects, so we would like to be in a position to provide human capacity for that as well in the near future, he said. The multi-million Rand simulator mimics the control panel of an actual dredging vessel, complete with environmental simulation of weather conditions, sea states and soil types. This provides realistic training situations while eliminating the risk of accidents, production losses, damage and injuries that could occur while training in real life. TNPA, the MSoE and Royal IHC have packaged a special dredging training program that incorporates 12 weeks of classroom theory, eight weeks of simulation training and six months of practical training on-board a real dredging vessel. The simulator will help to hone critical technical skills required for professions such as pipe operators, Dredge Masters and Dredging Managers. The first intake of trainees - six pipe operators will commence training in January 2017. Ilembe Acquisition of the simulator emanated from Royal IHCs 25% supplier development contribution within the contract to build TNPAs Ilembe trailing suction hopper dredger. Ilembe was the fourth dredger built by Royal IHC as part of TNPA Dredging Services fleet replacement programme in excess of R2 billion. TNPA and Royal IHC had signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance regional port development, covering skills development, research and development, the exchange of technical maritime dredging expertise and dredging infrastructure development. Royal IHC provided bursaries and training to local South African training facilitators from the MSoE and TNPA Dredging Services. A special Dredging School is also in the pipeline. The company further ensured that major parts of the dredging installation of the Ilembe were manufactured locally. A combination workboat/hydrographic survey boat that accompanies the dredger on assignments was also built locally by Nautic Africa in Cape Town, involving sixty people in the production process. IHC Systems Managing Director, Rens Klootwijk, said: TNPA has set out a long-term vision to develop the South African dredging and manufacturing industries, raising levels of operational efficiency and improving the capabilities of those employed in these sectors. IHC is proud to contribute to making this vision a reality by launching our training simulator in Durban today and by helping TNPA to set up South Africas first Dredging School. Built into every capital investment of the MDS, Transnets supplier development initiatives aim to create jobs, pass on expertise and develop skills in the local maritime industry ideals the South African government also aims to achieve with its Operation Phakisa programme which is designed to unlock the countrys Oceans Economy. The MDS now in its fourth year aims to enable the effective, efficient and economic functioning of an integrated port system with the infrastructure and capacity to promote economic growth and contribute to job creation. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) held a half-day emergency preparedness exercise, codenamed FEREX 2016 yesterday (September 02). The annual ferry exercise (FEREX) aims to test the readiness of various agencies to respond to ferry mishaps in the Port of Singapore. More than 450 personnel from 15 agencies and companies took part in this full deployment exercise which included deployment of resources at sea at the Western Anchorage for rescue operations, manning of emergency operations centre at MPAs Port Operations Control Centre, and landing of casualties and rescued persons at Harbourfront Centre Terminal. The exercise was observed by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Khaw Boon Wan, maritime safety agencies from Europe, Asia and Small Island Developing States, ferry operators, International Ferry Safety Association and participants from overseas maritime and port administrations attending the third Port Management Programme conducted by the MPA Academy. The exercise scenario involved a collision between two regional passenger ferries. The impact of the collision caused the hull of Ferry 1 to be breached and it started to take in water. Some passengers were injured while some jumped into the sea out of panic. Life rafts had to be activated and a total of 15 craft were deployed to conduct search and rescue operations, evacuation of injured passengers and recovery of man overboard. Daily VLCC earnings fall to around $10,000; vessel deliveries, shorter voyages weigh on rates. Freight rates for very large crude carriers (VLCCs), which fell to multi-year lows on Thursday, are likely to hold steady around current levels as ship owners resist charterers' attempt to push rates lower in an over-tonnaged market, ship brokers said on Friday. Earnings for a VLCC charter from the Middle East to Asia have fallen to $9,000-$13,000 per day depending on destination, brokers said. That compared with break-even costs for a VLCC of $21,200 per day, according to Robert Hvide Macleod, chief executive of leading tanker owner Frontline Management. "I don't think there's too much downside left," a European supertanker broker said on Friday. "I think rates will move sideways - staying around 30 on the Worldscale measure. It depends on which charterer is fixing and what the ship is like." Supertanker rates have been hit by a raft of new vessel deliveries and ships coming out of dry dock from repair, where owners have accepted lower charter rates so their ships can be immediately employed rather than wait for cargoes. "Owners who need to fix their ships straight from shipyards or dry docks are willing to take a haircut on rates rather than have their ships hanging around unemployed," said a Singapore-based tanker broker. "But the resistance is building - with earnings down to about $10,000 a day, it doesn't make sense for some owners to keep vessels operating at a loss." Refinery maintenance in Asia has also reduced the number of cargoes available for September-loading. Loading disruptions in West Africa have cut the volume of cargoes and shortened sailing distances as buyers seek alternative supplies, thereby increasing the number of tankers available for charter, shipping executives said. India has replaced Nigerian crude with oil from the Middle East, making a huge difference in vessel availability and journey times, Frontline's Macleod said in an earnings call on Wednesday. "One VLCC can probably deliver four cargos from the Middle East (to India) in the same time span as one cargo from Nigeria," he said. VLCC rates from the Middle East to Japan fell to W32.50 on Thursday, the lowest since Aug. 28, 2015, from W35 a week earlier. Rates for VLCCs from West Africa to China dropped to about W39 on Thursday, the lowest since June 6, 2014, from W39.75 the same day last week. Charter rates for an 80,000-dwt Aframax tanker from Southeast Asia to East Coast Australia slumped to around W62.75 on Thursday, the lowest since Nov. 11, 2009, on lack of cargoes. A week earlier, they stood at W68.25. Reporting by Keith Wallis It's the first of September, and you know what that means-a new round of manufacturing surveys! Last month we flooded you with 29 countries' worth of data to show global manufacturing appeared to be on an upswing. This month, lest we write more or less the same story again, we'll zero in on two: America and Britain. One was not so great. The other was smashing. Both are worth noting, but we'd suggest investors not get hung up on either, for good or ill. One month does not a trend make. First up, America, where the Institute for Supply Management's August Manufacturing Purchasers' Index (PMI) slipped to 49.4, implying contraction, as all PMIs under 50 do. This snaps a five-month growth streak, and forward-looking new orders contracted as well. Now, this doesn't mean heavy industry actually shrank in August. PMIs measure how many firms grew, but not how much each grew. If fewer than half of the surveyed businesses saw higher activity, but they grew a lot more than the majority shrank, then the net result could very well be growth. PMIs are quick, fuzzy estimates, not airtight calculations. Then again, even if actual industrial output did slip, it should hardly signal the death knell for this expansion. As Exhibit 1 shows, the Manufacturing PMI shrank for five straight months in late 2015/early 2016, while manufacturing output mostly contracted. Yet the economic expansion didn't end. GDP slowed somewhat, but it still grew, with services and consumption doing the heavy lifting. Since manufacturing is only about 12% of GDP, isolated weakness there generally isn't enough to tip the economy into recession. It's a headwind, but surmountable. Exhibit 1: US Manufacturing PMIs & Industrial Production Source: FactSet, as of 9/1/2016. ISM Manufacturing PMI, July 2009 - August 2016; Manufacturing Output, July 2009 - July 2016. Plus, August could easily be an anomaly. For what it's worth, ISM's factory survey chairman, Bradley Holcomb, thinks it is, as survey respondents' comments just aren't consistent with widespread trouble. "Strong demand" and "good business" were popular phrases, as were "sales increased." Again, PMIs are just kinda quirky. We wouldn't be at all surprised if August's dip were a quirky blip. As for the UK, where August's PMI looked utterly smashing, we'd be hypocritical if we told you to get excited. So we won't. One month is just one month. Then again, the jump to 53.3 follows July's sudden, post-Brexit-vote dip to 48.3, and it's fairly consistent with the longer-term trend of growth, as Exhibit 2 shows. Far be it from us to debunk one isolated bad month with one isolated good month, but we're comfy calling this preliminary evidence that July's dip was a sentiment-induced one-off. We won't draw conclusions, as that would be hasty without a few months' more data, but it's an encouraging start. Exhibit 2: UK Manufacturing PMI Source: FactSet, as of 9/1/2016. Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI, August 2013 - August 2016. Also encouraging: The component breakdown. New orders' rise was "among the steepest on record," according to the press release, a nice rebound from July's steep contraction. The presser also cites "reports of stronger demand, product launches and clients committing to new and previously postponed contracts." That last bit is crucial. The shock of Brits' decision to leave the EU in June clearly knocked the wind out of businesses, as shown in a number of sentiment surveys and July's PMI. That's totally normal. When something unexpected happens and seems to ratchet up uncertainty, it's natural to pause. Pretend you were a UK business owner in that environment, and you'd spent months reading report after report from various experts warning of a huge economic calamity if the Leave campaign won. You'd probably decide a bit of caution was in order, and ring up your suppliers to delay some orders you placed the week prior, when you thought Remain would win. It's the sensible thing to do! And then, once you saw your sales were steady and foot traffic was high-and you saw strong retail sales and consumer spending reports showing business was strong nationwide-you'd probably need to ring those suppliers back up and say, "let's get those shipments cooking, and add another few boxes of widgets and doodads while you're at it!" And then life would carry on as normal. Again, we don't yet know definitively that this is what happened. It's early. Maybe we see a few more downticks if sentiment wobbles more. But August's comeback is consistent with the fact that nothing fundamentally changed for the UK's economy when the vote was over. Britain is still in the EU, trading freely with the other 27 EU nations and all their free-trade partners. Anyone with an EU passport can still travel freely to the UK and shop till they drop. Nothing will change until the exit is actually complete, which could take years. Until then, it's mostly business as usual. Will future economic data confirm this? Maybe. Only time will tell. Overemphasizing August's jump would be as much of an exercise in confirmation bias as overrating July's plunge. Always beware behavioral errors! But not knowing exactly how the UK economy will react to the Brexit vote in the near term isn't a reason to make big portfolio changes. Markets discount all widely known information, including opinions and forecasts. Given how many people, think tanks and politicians warned of a post-vote UK recession, the potential for one is likely already baked into UK and global stock prices-and stocks are likely already looking further out, to the next 12-18 months or so, where most observers expect things to be more or less fine. The Italian EU Referendum Could Result in the Death of the Euro An important election is coming up, and Im not talking about the US presidential election. The upcoming referendum in Italy this fall will have a major macroeconomic impact on the world. But hardly anyone outside of Italy is paying much attention to ityet. Ive been saying for some time in interviews around the country that the referendum in Italy could have even more of an impact than the Brexit vote did in the UK. And like the Brexit vote, it is rife with emotion and political turmoil, making the outcome too close to call. The current prime minister, Matteo Renzi, has basically bet his career on this referendum, which would allow him to enact much-needed reforms. In fact, theyre the same reforms that I have written about in my letters over the past five years and that I talked about in my previous two books. Italy has about as sclerotic a governmental process as any country in Europe. And that is saying something. There is no end to corruption and crony politics. Each faction wants to keep the status quo and keep its perks but wants everybody else to give theirs up. If youre a voter in Italy, your frustration is understandable. This vote in Italy needs to go on your economic radar screen. If the no vote wins, Renzi has promised to resign. This would throw Italy into a political crisis. Then there would be a real potential to elect parties that would call for a vote on whether to stay in the European Union. And at this point, it is not clear what the Italians would decide to do. Know this: The European Monetary Union does not work very well, if at all, without Italy. A no vote would be the death knell of the euro. Nick Andrews, who writes for my friends at Gavekal, gives an excellent summary of the situation in Italy. And, it is worth every bit of your attention. Renzis Great Gamble By Nick Andrews and Stefano Capacci Prime ministers come and go in Italyfour since the financial crisisbut precious little seems to change. The latest incumbent, Matteo Renzi, has pursued structural reform more energetically than his predecessors. But for all the progress he has made, he might as well have been wading through molasses. Now, in a bid to secure a popular mandate for his restructuring program, Renzi has bet his premiership on a referendum over badly-needed constitutional reforms. It is a high stakes gamble. If Renzi wins the vote, which is due in either October or November, his proposed measures will streamline Italys legislative process, breaking the parliamentary gridlock which has crippled successive governments, and opening the way to far-reaching economic reforms. If he loses, Renzi has promised to step downa pledge that has turned the referendum into a popular vote of confidence in the unelected prime minister, his Europhile policies, andby extensionItalys membership of the eurozone itself. As a result, a no vote in October will not just precipitate the fall of Renzis government; it could throw Italys long-term membership of the eurozone into doubt, plunging the single currency area once again into crisis. Policy no mans land Italys fundamental problem is that its stuck in a policy no mans land. Its old economic model, in place for much of the last three decades of the 20th century, relied on a combination of currency devaluation to maintain international competitiveness together with fiscal spending to support the poorer regions of the countrys south. Signing up to the euro put an end to all that, preventing devaluations and prohibiting budget deficits at 10% of gross domestic product. However, the design of Italys bicameral parliamentary system, in which the upper and lower housethe Senate and the Chamber of Deputieswield equal legislative power, made it almost impossible for any government to push through the structural reforms necessary for Italy to compete and prosper within the eurozone. The result has not just been depressed growth and relative impoverishment, but an outright decline in living standards as Italys real GDP per capita has slumped to a 20-year low. Such a below-par economic performance has led to a build-up of bad assets on the balance sheets of Italys banks, where 18% of all loans are now classed as non-performing. In turn, this bad loan overhang has eroded the ability of the banking sector to extend new credit to the thousands of small businesses which are the engine of Italys economy and which normally power employment growth. The result is stagnation. To stand any chance of escaping this low growth trap, Italy needs to enact wholesale structural reforms to enhance its competitiveness relative to its eurozone neighbors. Notably, it needs to make the labor market more flexible to encourage job creation, it needs to lower the barriers to entry that protect much of the countrys service sector, it needs to overhaul a judicial system so sclerotic that bankruptcy proceedings can last 10 years or more, and it needs to restructure its fragmented and dysfunctional banking system. The prescription might be clear, but Italys political system makes enacting reform all but impossible. Renzi has already tried to overhaul Italys labor market by attempting to dismantle the generous protections that make it difficult and expensive for companies to dismiss staff, and which therefore encourage businesses to hire only temporary workers, heightening economic insecurity among the young. But Renzis attempt ran into bruising opposition from Italys powerful and well-subscribed trade unions. The results were a watered-down reform package that entitles existing permanent staff to a near-guarantee of lifetime employment, and a severe dent in Renzis popularity from which he is yet to recover. Its a familiar story in Italy. Entrenched interestswhether represented by local and regional political leaders, unions, protected professions, or established private sector companiesexert enormous influence over the political process. All profit from the status quo, which promises they will continue to benefit from special protections and payouts. And because of the equal balance of power in Italys parliament, which means the Senate can block government legislation indefinitely, the consequence is politicaland economicstagnation. Bloated and wasteful Renzis referendum aims to change that. The prime minister is seeking popular approval for constitutional reforms that promise to cut the size of the upper house from 315 to 100 senators. Under his proposals, senators will no longer be directly elected, but will instead be chosen by regional councils, nominated by the mayors of big cities, orin the case of fivebe appointed by the Italian president. The reform will cut the costs of the notoriously bloated and wasteful upper house, where senators have traditionally enjoyed lavish expenses and generous pensions. Most importantly, it will downgrade the political power of the Senate so that it will no longer be able to obstruct government legislation entirely, but only to propose amendments that will be adopted at the discretion of the lower house (although the Senate will retain a say on constitutional matters, including the ratification of European Union Treaties). The objective is to increase the executive power of the government, and to tackle entrenched interests with additional measures that allow for new laws to facilitate popular referendums and to promote citizen participation in the political process. Unlikely alliance However, powerful forces are arrayed against Renzi, and a Yes vote is far from assured. The proposed reforms have attracted opposition from establishment voices who benefit from the current arrangements. They have also drawn fire from constitutional lawyers and anti-establishment parties, including the populist 5-Star Movement, which argues the 50% simple majority needed to win the referendum is too low for constitutional changes that promise a concentration of political power unprecedented since the formation of the Italian republic in 1946. Perhaps more importantly, Renzis pledge to resign in the event of a No victory has raised the possibility of a protest vote against the prime minister himselfthe third unelected head of government in successionfrom a broad cohort of the electorate, which is thoroughly disillusioned with Italian politics. Increasingly disgruntled, these voters are sick of the corruption and self-interest of politicians, and fed up with painfully austere policies that they believe to be dictated from Brussels and Berlin, and which they hold responsible for Italys poor economic performance. The chances of a Yes vote in the referendum have not been improved by the slump in Renzis personal popularity following last years attempt to reform the labor market, and a series of small bank restructurings that saw retail savers bailed-inforced to take lossesunder new European Union banking regulations. From 40% after Renzi entered office two years ago with optimistic promises of reform, the approval rating of the prime ministers PD party has fallen to little better than 30% today, much the same as that of the opposition 5-Star Movement. As a result, with two months to go the referendum is too close to call. Opinion polls indicate the Yes and No camps are running roughly equal, with a large proportion of voters still undecided. If Renzi loses the referendum, not only will Italy remain in policy limbo, but it is highly likely his subsequent resignation will trigger a parliamentary election. Under new election laws passed last year, if a party fails to win 40% in the first round of voting, the top two parties go through to a second round. The latest opinion polls put Renzis governing PD party on 31% and the 5-Star Movement on 29%, with the next two largest partiesSilvio Berlusconis Forza Italia and the anti-establishment Northern Leaguelevel pegging on around 13%. In recent years, Renzis PD government has represented the best hope for structural reform and economic modernization. But even if the PD party were to win a post-referendum election, there is a risk that, following Renzis resignation, the left wing of the party would wrest back control from the reformist center-right faction, damping hopes for further restructuring. Such a swing to the left would hardly be unique to Italy. In the UK, the militant left has captured the leadership of the main opposition Labour Party. In Spain, Podemos has split the left wing vote, and in France the ruling Socialists have come under pressure in the polls from the radical and Euroskeptic Left Party led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. At the moment, an election victory for the 5-Star Movement, which identifies as neither left nor right, appears at least as probable as a second round win for the PD. The Movement has already scored significant victories in mayoral elections in Rome and Turin and enjoys increasing support across the country. Its broad stance is anti-establishment and in favor of direct participatory democracy rather than representative democracy, which it regardswith some justification in Italyas an invitation to corruption. Beyond that, however, its platform is so vague that it is hard to pinpoint any concrete policies, except its call for a referendum on Italys membership of Europes single currency. Leadership vacuum Perhaps the biggest problem for 5-Star, however, is that it has no clear leader. Its founder and leading voice, Beppe Grillo, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 1980 following a fatal road traffic accident, and so cannot run for public office under Movement rules barring candidates with criminal records. Without Grillo, the parliamentary party would be leaderless, meaning 5-Star has no obvious prime ministerial candidate even should it secure a majority in the election. All this means that the possibility of a No vote in Italys constitutional referendum come October or November is the biggest clear and present danger to the euros survival. Both 5-Star and the Northern League are promising a plebiscite on euro membership should they come to power in a post-referendum election. That does not mean a vote on Italys eurozone membership would lead directly to its exitmany likely No voters in this years constitutional referendum favor continued euro membership. However, a No vote come October would effectively be a vote against the structural reforms needed to ensure Italys economic growth and prosperity within the eurozone. In other words, in the event of a No vote in October, the only economic choice for Italy would be between continued stagnation, or a return to the old economic model of successive devaluations. The latter course would naturally mean exiting the eurozone anyway. But even if Italy were to take that path, it would hardly be a less painful way to restore the economy to health. Whether inside or outside the single currency, Italy still needs structural reform to ensure future growth. The only potential benefit to leaving the eurozone would be that deep devaluation of a reconstituted lira could help to ease some of the transitional pain (although it is probable the palliative effect would be more than offset by the additional economic and financial damage wreaked by an exit). Europe in microcosm Clearly investors should be concerned. Italy is the third biggest economy in the monetary union and one of its core members. Its departure would surely hasten the break-up of the whole euro project. Whats more, the political and economic tensions within Italy ahead of Octobers referendum mirror those at work across the eurozone as a whole. In Italy, the wealthy north makes up the industrial heartland which drives the economy, while the south is underdeveloped and poor. There is little enthusiasm for structural reforms, and throughout the country, populist movementswhich promise to tear down the self-serving political establishmentare rapidly gaining ground. Italy is the wider eurozone in microcosm. In the EU as a whole, progress towards creating the political and economic institutions that could ensure the success of the single currency project have been comprehensively obstructed by narrowbut deeply entrenchednational interests. This failure to advance, and the economic hardships and sense of disempowerment that have resulted, has fueled the rise of populist political parties from Greece to Finlandparties that are challenging an increasingly distrusted political elite and questioning not just the status quo, but the whole European project. If Renzi wins come October, the eurozone has fresh hope. But if he fails, Italy failsand very likely the eurozone fails too. Subscribe to John Mauldins Free Weekly Publication Each week in Outside the Box, John Mauldin highlights a thoughtful, provocative essay from a fellow analyst or economic expert. Some will inspire you. Some will make you uncomfortable. All will challenge you to think outside the box. Subscribe now! John Mauldin Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. 30 Year US Treasury Bonds Analysis We are looking for a final top to the massive bond bull market that began in 1981. While it is possible the final top is in place, I am leaning to one final marginal high before everything goes belly up. Lets review the quarterly and weekly charts of the 30 Year US Treasury Bond price. 30 YEAR US T-BOND QUARTERLY CHART This chart was shown in previous analysis back in June 2016. That analysis outlined the expectation for a top this quarter. So far that appears to be the case but I am now having doubts. In the back of my mind is one of my weaknesses in thinking things will play out quicker than they actually do. I am continually being made to be patient and I suspect this time will be another of those times. This will likely be determined by the US Fed meeting later in September. Increasing rates at that meeting would probably mean the top is in place but I now favour rates to remain unchanged with the rate increase to occur in December this year. This speculation of the fundamentals is based purely on how I view the technicals. I favour price to make one final marginal high, or possibly a lower high, in the final quarter and then a rate increase in December confirms it. Anyway, we can see a three strikes and youre out top formation in play. This is just the expression I give to the pattern of three peaks or troughs. Ive seen some technicians try to claim this as their own. Bollocks. I first learnt it through Gann teachings but it may have been discovered before then. The Bollinger Bands show price up the upper band and the next time price leaves this band will likely signify the bull market is over. I have drawn a Fibonacci Fan from the 1981 low. Previous analysis outlined the expectation for price to do fake out move above the 61.8% angle and price has now done this and is perhaps still in the process of doing so. The RSI shows a quintuple bearish divergence setting up here while the MACD indicator is bullish with eth averages diverged so this really does appear to be a ticking time bomb. Lets look in closer with the weekly chart. 30 YEAR US T-BOND WEEKLY CHART I showed this chart in previous analysis and the expectation was for a third and final strike high. Well, we have the third strike high in place but I now suspect the final high will occur on the fourth strike. A lower high is also a possibility but I personally lean to one more marginal high. The Bollinger Bands show price is back down around the middle band and I favour support to come in here and send price back up for one last lash at the upper band. I have drawn a Fibonacci fan which shows the third strike high at resistance from the 38.2% angle. Price is now down near support from the 50% angle and I favour this support to hold and send price back up to one final high although I doubt price will get back to the 38.2% angle. The RSI doesnt show any bearish divergences on this chart so perhaps one final high will rectify that. The MACD indicator is bearish so caution is clearly required for those bulls still playing the long side. So, a final high to the 35 year bond bull market really does appear imminent if it isnt already in place of course. By Austin Galt www.thevoodooanalyst.com Austin Galt is The Voodoo Analyst. I have studied charts for over 20 years and am currently a private trader. Several years ago I worked as a licensed advisor with a well known Australian stock broker. While there was an abundance of fundamental analysts, there seemed to be a dearth of technical analysts. My aim here is to provide my view of technical analysis that is both intriguing and misunderstood by many. I like to refer to it as the black magic of stock market analysis. Email - info@thevoodooanalyst.com My website is www.thevoodooanalyst.com 2016 Copyright The Voodoo Analyst - 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. Austin Galt Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. American Conservatives Are Turning to Putin BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN: American conservatism has fragmented since 1991. It now looks very little like the movement presided over by Ronald Reagan. One of these factions seems to be pro-Russian and views Russian President Vladimir Putin favorably. You can see this in Donald Trumps speech on national security. He explicitly invited Russia to fight Islamist terrorism together. This is a shift. Today this faction does not see Russia as a strategic or moral threat to the US, but rather as a potential ally. Terrorism fears have replaced the threat of Russia There is a saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. For conservatives, the threat of Russian power seems distant. But, the threat of Islamic terrorism seems near. As such, their moral objection to communism has shifted to the Islamic world. These conservatives see Russia as a nation that faced the Islamic threat inside its own borders. The Russians fought Muslim separatists in Chechnya years before 9/11. They see Putin a man who has already fought the enemy. When he came to power in 2000, he ruthlessly renewed that war and mostly brought peace to the region. Him being an authoritarian who restrains freedom is seen as a mark of his strength. For this faction, the world is a dangerous place. Strength is the core of doing the right thing.If that means fewer freedoms, then it is the price that has to be paid for safety. Conservatives nationalism attracts them to Putin These conservatives are nationalists. What matters to them is protecting the US and its obvious interests, like safety and jobs. Like Trump, they can see Russia as a friend and oppose NATO or NAFTA. This group rejects the internationalist faction in both parties that would give up national interests. A Nationalist International is emerging around the globe. It is made up of nations that are not ashamed of putting the interests of their own countries above others. These countries see international cooperation as a tool, not a principle. This is true for Russia. And it is what attracts conservatives to Putin. Putin is neither a communist nor a liberal. He is a nationalist who restored Russia from the disaster of Boris Yeltsin. He brought back its pride. This faction respects him for that and long for someone as clear as they think he is. The problem with this view is obvious. A Nationalist International is a contradiction in terms. Putin is certainly a nationalist. But that does not mean he defines the national interest of Russia without seeing the US as a threat. This movement might signal a shift in the US foreign policy As long as there is a clear enemy, this conservative movement is coherent. The enemy defines it. How would this faction define the national interest without an enemy? There are contradictions and ambiguities in this factions views. This is quite reasonable. I dont know of any political movement built around ideology that doesnt have this issue. The nationalist conservatives are no more confused than any of us. And, they are a significant faction in the United States. This is actually the old Reagan coalition. If this were a more coherent time, this faction could gather a large following. It would range from unionists (scared that their jobs might go to China) to people afraid of terror and the perceived weakness of liberalism. But this is a time of fragmentation where the presidential candidates are disliked by most. Coalitions dont form in these times. We can see some elements of future coalitions, though. The affection of some conservatives for Vladimir Putin is of great note. It is not because much will come of it, but because it points to the direction that the US might move in the coming decade. Join 250,000 readers of George Friedmans Free Weekly Newsletter George Friedman provides unbiased assessment of the global outlookwhether demographic, technological, cultural, geopolitical, or militaryin his free publication This Week in Geopolitics. Subscribe now and get an in-depth view of the forces that will drive events and investors in the next year, decade, or even a century from now. John Mauldin Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Physical Gold Delivery Failure By German Banks The physical gold delivery failure to clients of Deutsche Bank who own Xetra-Gold, the gold exchange traded commodity, was confirmed yesterday by Deutsche Bourse who said that the inability to deliver gold was not limited to Deutsche Bank and that other German banks were having problems delivering gold. This is yet another example of a bank not making good on promises to redeem their gold investment products, as seen with ABN Amro in 2013 and indeed Julius Baer in recent months as we pointed out yesterday (see here). It is the latest example of the unappreciated risk of owning gold exchange traded commodities (ETCs), exchange traded funds (ETFs) and indeed most institutional gold investment offerings. Xetra-Gold filed an official response yesterday regarding the physical gold delivery failure, one which can be read in German on the following page and was reported and commented on by Zero Hedge overnight: What is notable is that instead of immediately refuting the story as it should have done if there is no breach of prospectus covenants and declaring that any and all physical gold demands have and will be satisfied, Xetra took a very circular approach to responding, one which in effect confirmed our concerns, that the issue was not so much with Xetra, but with the sponsor bank, in this case Deutsche Bank. Furthermore, the author of the original godmode article, Oliver Baron, penned his own reaction, in an article titled Deutsche Boerse takes a stand. He writes that yesterdays article Xetra-Gold: Nothing but a scrap of paper? has struck nerves: Not only that GodmodeTrader was cited among others, at Zero Hedge a financial website influential on Wall Street, but also at Deutsche Bank and at Deutsche Boerse, where the article has caused quite an internal stir, as Godmode traders was informed. He further writes that Deutsche Boerse Commodities has released a fairly spongy formulated observation on the physical delivery of Xetra-Gold. The key phrases are: The Deutsche Boerse Commodities GmbH points out that holders of Xetra-Gold shares can at any time exercise the right to delivery of securitized gold. Deliveries are made via a branch of a bank indicated by the investor. The requirement is that the branch offers this service because the delivery can take place only through the depository bank of the investor. As we reported yesterday, what made this particular failure to deliver notable is that the original client had asked for delivery via a Deutsche Bank branch, the same bank as the ETCs sponsor, which is why, as we noted before, this appears to have been a problem involving not Xetra-Gold, as much as Deutsche Bank itself. Baron agrees. As he writes, in other words, it depends, according to Deutsche Boerse Commodities, on the particular bank branch whether the physical delivery can be carried out. And, as we learned last night, it does appear that if the delivery is requested at a Deutsche Bank branch, the answer is no. But this is where it gets even worse. As Baron adds, in a telephone conversation with the author, the Deutsche Boerse Commodities exchange was unwilling to supply further information to Godmode traders whether physical delivery is generally feasible at most bank branches or not. And worst of all, the exchange was unable to name any bank which is in a position to deliver physical gold without problems. Barons conclusion: the right for actual delivery at Xetra-Gold is theoretical: physical delivery is only possible if the respective bank branch also cooperates. Suspicious gold investors should consider Xetra-Gold as another form of paper gold and not as a physical gold investment. Our take is slightly different: while we already know that physical delivery at Deutsche Bank appears to have been compromised, according to the Deutsche Boerse response, the ability of any and every other bank in Germany to deliver gold is now likewise questionable. Which begs the question: where is all the physical gold? The risks inherent in investing in gold exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded commodities (ETCs) is something that we have warned of since these new gold proxy investment instruments came on the scene in 2003. See Beware of Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs) Bearing Gold and watch the Bloomberg video from 2012 below: Physical Gold Favored Over Derivatives at GoldCore: See Bloomberg Video Here Paper, digital and financial proxies for gold are not real gold. Hence the importance of owning coins and bars either in ones possession or in allocated and segregated storage in the safest vaults in the world. Gold Prices (LBMA AM) 02Sep: USD 1,311.50, GBP 987.95 & EUR 1,172.74 per ounce 01Sep: USD 1,305.70, GBP 1,985.80 & EUR 1,172.13 per ounce 31Aug: USD 1,314.45, GBP 1,000.30 & EUR 1,179.19 per ounce 30Aug: USD 1,318.85, GBP 1,008.39 & EUR 1,180.90 per ounce 26Aug: USD 1,324.90, GBP 1,002.95 & EUR 1,173.33 per ounce 25Aug: USD 1,324.50, GBP 1,001.06 & EUR 1,172.98 per ounce 24Aug: USD 1,337.30, GBP 1,010.73 & EUR 1,185.38 per ounce Silver Prices (LBMA) 02Sep: USD 18.75, GBP 14.15 & EUR 16.76 per ounce 01Sep: USD 18.65, GBP 14.08 & EUR 16.73 per ounce 31Aug: USD 18.74, GBP 14.27 & EUR 16.82 per ounce 30Aug: USD 18.78, GBP 14.35 & EUR 16.82 per ounce 26Aug: USD 18.67, GBP 14.15 & EUR 16.54 per ounce 25Aug: USD 18.50, GBP 14.02 & EUR 16.39 per ounce 24Aug: USD 18.84, GBP 14.23 & EUR 16.70 per ounce This update can be found on the GoldCore blog here. Mark O'Byrne IRL 63 FITZWILLIAM SQUARE DUBLIN 2 E info@goldcore.com UK NO. 1 CORNHILL LONDON 2 EC3V 3ND IRL +353 (0)1 632 5010 UK +44 (0)203 086 9200 US +1 (302)635 1160 W http://www.goldcore.com/uk/ WINNERS MoneyMate and Investor Magazine Financial Analysts 2006 Disclaimer: The information in this document has been obtained from sources, which we believe to be reliable. We cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. It does not constitute a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any investment. Any person acting on the information contained in this document does so at their own risk. Recommendations in this document may not be suitable for all investors. Individual circumstances should be considered before a decision to invest is taken. Investors should note the following: Past experience is not necessarily a guide to future performance. The value of investments may fall or rise against investors' interests. Income levels from investments may fluctuate. Changes in exchange rates may have an adverse effect on the value of, or income from, investments denominated in foreign currencies. GoldCore Limited, trading as GoldCore is a Multi-Agency Intermediary regulated by the Irish Financial Regulator. GoldCore is committed to complying with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. This means that in the provision of our services, appropriate personal information is processed and kept securely. It also means that we will never sell your details to a third party. The information you provide will remain confidential and may be used for the provision of related services. Such information may be disclosed in confidence to agents or service providers, regulatory bodies and group companies. You have the right to ask for a copy of certain information held by us in our records in return for payment of a small fee. You also have the right to require us to correct any inaccuracies in your information. The details you are being asked to supply may be used to provide you with information about other products and services either from GoldCore or other group companies or to provide services which any member of the group has arranged for you with a third party. If you do not wish to receive such contact, please write to the Marketing Manager GoldCore, 63 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2 marking the envelope 'data protection' 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Earlier this year, local attorney Deborah Caldwell-Bono was representing a defendant in a minor criminal case. For that she needed some documents held by a third party. The typical way to get those is to ask a court clerk to subpoena the records. So Caldwell-Bono mailed a request for a subpoena to the general district court clerk in Salem. She mailed a copy of the request to the assistant commonwealths attorney on the case. The prosecutors office received her letter, but the clerks office never did. So it didnt issue a subpoena for the documents, and of course those werent produced. Caldwell-Bono realized this only shortly before her clients next scheduled hearing. That had to be continued because of the unproduced evidence. When we spoke Friday, she couldnt recall whether the client was being held in jail pending the hearing. But if that was the case, he could have spent longer incarcerated than was necessary. I did not have these problems when the mail was handled in Roanoke, Caldwell-Bono wrote in a complaint on a website established by the inspector general for the U.S. Postal Service. Legal mail is very, very important, Caldwell-Bono told me. Now, If its important, I dont put it in the mail. Instead, shell fax documents, email or hand-deliver them. Since February, this column has reported on scores of grievances about mail-service beginning last year, when handling of this regions outgoing letters was moved from the U.S. Postal Services Roanoke Processing and Distribution Center to another one in Greensboro, North Carolina. Its one of many consolidation moves the financially strapped postal service has undertaken across the country to save money. Most complaints have been from individuals about, for example, bills that didnt arrive on time, payments that didnt get delivered and late fees incurred. Now, business people are beginning to speak up about mail-service frustrations. For reasons Ill get into below, these complaints typically come from small businesses. One is Strongs Inc., a heating and air-conditioning company in Pearisburg that has six employees. Margaret Strong, who owns the company with her husband, said their business has been plagued by mail problems since shortly after the switch to Greensboro in April 2015. Ive always paid my bills on time. It makes me mad, she said. Strongs has incurred late fees paying their gas bills. Theyve missed mail from the company that handles their Yellow Pages advertising. And theyve gotten phone calls from customers to whom Strongs has sent late notices. Some of them call and say we never got a bill, Strong told me. In some cases, this is happening to nonprofit institutions. One is Central Church of the Brethren on Church Avenue in downtown Roanoke. Its volunteer treasurer, Lorrie Hite, told me the church didnt receive its water bills for May or June. In July, it got a late notice from the Western Virginia Water Authority, so Hite called. It waived the late fee on the May bill, Hite told me. But they said they would waive only one fee. The church ended up paying a $13.50 late fee for the June bill. Were a small church. We dont want to have to pay even a dollar that were not supposed do, Hite told me. (Sarah Baumgardner, a spokeswoman for the water authority, said its customer-service reps have noticed no generalized increase in the number of customers calling to complain they havent received their bills.) Caldwell-Bono isnt the only attorney whos experienced problems. Roanoke lawyer Robert Rider is another. In my profession, [timeliness of the mail] is critical, Rider told me last week. A lot of the courts, particularly from the standpoint of pleadings, require they be filed in a timely fashion. Before the Greensboro fiasco, you put them in the mail three or four days ahead of time and theyd get there. At least twice, Rider added, hes sent documents to a local court clerk and later called to ensure they arrived. But they told me they havent gotten it. On another occasion, it took 11 days to go across town. Perhaps the most blistering complaint on the inspector generals website was from Kim Merritt, the executive director of a mid-sized law firm on Campbell Avenue in Roanoke. She confirmed to me she filed the complaint, but she otherwise declined to comment. We are one of a multitude of businesses that have been impacted, Merritt wrote in a 381-word screed on the inspector generals website. The stories are never-ending regarding mail sent and never reaching its destination, incoming mail that was never received, and mail arriving at destination but only after a lengthy period of time. By the way, Merritt works for Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte where one of the named partners is Maryellen Goodlatte, the wife of Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County. He and Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, are the ones who requested the inspector generals audit. Larger companies in this area dont seem to be having the same kinds of outgoing mail delivery problems. Carilion Clinic, for instance, hasnt had trouble with the mail. It may be because theyre using a mail-expediting company, which means their local mail doesnt go to Greensboro. Carilion spokesman Chris Turnbull said the hospital corporation uses Automated Mailing Systems. Jay Nance, president of Automated Mailing Systems, or AMS, gave me a tour of his plant on Patterson Avenue last week and explained what his company does. Typically, it can save money for clients sending 50 pieces of mail or more daily, he said. AMS collects mail from large companies each weekday and presorts and stamps it with a meter. Because the mail is presorted, the clients save a few cents on first-class letters. And when youre sending out a lot of those, the savings can add up to big money. Even better, Nance noted, the presorted mail stays in Roanoke rather than going to Greensboro. And what does the U.S. Postal Service say about all of this? I didnt contact the postal service for comment about the specific complaints to the inspector general noted above. The last time I did, officials said it would be inappropriate to comment while the audit is ongoing. But their typical response in the past is exemplified by a letter to the editor we received last week from Wendy English, district manager for the postal services Appalachian District. She was responding to my Aug. 25 column, an open letter to Postmaster General Megan Brennan. Due to the magnitude of the dramatic decline of First-Class Mail and related multibillion dollar loss of revenues, the Postal Service accelerated our realignment of postal operations, facilities, processing equipment, vehicles and our workforce and adapted our network to meet the needs of our customers in this new environment. With every consolidation, we certainly acknowledge there were service issues that needed addressing, and we reacted swiftly. Although any error is one too many, we continued to work hard to improve our service. We moved the Roanoke originating mail over a year ago. We have made progress. Our latest service measurement scores for the Roanoke, VA and WV area for our last quarter (April 1 June 30) indicate a 96.5 on-time performance for single piece First-Class Mail. Back in March, a postal service spokesman told me their on-time delivery rate was over 96 percent. Doesnt sound like progress to me. In his first State of the City address, Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea on Thursday balanced cheerleading for the citys recent successes with a reminder that there is work to do, and not all residents are feeling the citys resurgence. Along with highlighting economic development successes like landing the Deschutes Brewery and plans for an innovation district built around the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, reductions in crime and the advent of Amtrak train service, Lea reminded the audience of the citys poor and hurting. Its part of our responsibility ... to do what we can to reverse that, he said. Its vital for us to provide opportunities for all of our citizens to lift themselves out of poverty. He called for the city to continue to address issues like drug abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. We got to solve problems, he said. We got problems. It was an unusual flavor for the annual address that more typically sums up high notes from the past year and looks ahead optimistically to projects and initiatives to come. The speech at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center and hosted by the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce was attended by about 300 people a significant bump from the typical 200. We have a new mayor. People are curious, said chamber President Joyce Waugh. And, she added, they are interested to hear the whole of the vision of where the city has been and where its going. Lea emphasized teamwork throughout his speech, and the entire event. In a new twist to the program to make that point, Lea invited City Manager Chris Morrill and schools Superintendent Rita Bishop to speak. Bishop showed a promotional video for the school system that had made its debut at the teachers convocation last month. Morrill built his speech around an Atlantic Monthly article about the 11 attributes of successful cities, checking off Roanokes success in each of those areas from use of public-private partnerships to the influence of local patriots, from embracing big ideas, like the innovation district, to the magnetic draw of craft breweries. The school video and Morrills optimistic punch list of what is working well in the city relieved Lea from some cheerleading. I wanted to accentuate that Lea said after the speech, but I also felt as mayor, you have to recognize the whole city. He said during his campaign for mayor in the spring, he became more aware that despite a revival in the citys spirit and economic prospects, everybodys not feeling this success were having. He saw the speech, hosted by the regions chief advocate for business interests, as an opportunity to recognize the contributions of businesses and their leaders, but also remind them of a responsibility to lift up the whole city. We can go higher, he said, but we have to look at those around us. Lea nodded to economic and other successes. Besides Deschutes and the innovation district, he cited the Rapid Acceleration and Mentoring Program, a technology business accelerator about to open in a city-owned building, and the high-speed internet project of the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority. He cited tourism gains and regional cooperation and praised business owners and leaders for their role in the citys resurgence. There is much to celebrate, Lea said. But there are areas where we must stay focused on and continue to address in order to ensure our success. Those included keeping crime down, supporting public schools, working with community agencies on job programs and employment opportunities, and addressing drug abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. The mayor drew attention to work already being done in those areas and others, sticking with his theme of teamwork, such as: The Roanoke Youth Services Board cooperating with Family Service of the Roanoke Valley to offer a Youth Career Fair at Global Youth Service Day. City funding of a Total Action for Progress Summer Youth Employment Program. The summer basketball league he and his son, Sherman Lea Jr., founded to foster better relationships between city youth and the police. School system efforts with area nonprofits to address student homelessness. Thats tough to sit in a classroom and not know where youre staying that night, Lea said. City, nonprofit and private sector cooperation for neighborhood revitalization in the West End. The founding of the Roanoke Valley Hope program, a partnership between city public safety and social services departments and numerous other agencies to address drug addiction issues. It allows people to get rid of their drugs without fear of getting arrested and be fast-tracked into treatment programs. We care, and thats the message I want to drive home as a mayor of the city of Roanoke, Lea said. We care. He closed by returning to an idea hes stressed in the past, one of each persons personal responsibility. I ask you to commit to work with Roanoke City Council and city leaders to create a great future, he said, one in which all citizens play a role and take ownership of making our incredible potential a reality. COLLINSVILLE School board members recognized students from several Henry County schools Thursday night, applauding recent achievements. Will Stone was one of those. Stone is a Bassett High School senior who attended American Legion Boys State over the summer. Virginia Boys State is a leadership action program designed to develop a working knowledge of the structure of government. It also emphasizes that government is what a person makes it. Stone participated in activities that made him an active role in governmental operation. Virginia Cyber Camp participants also received recognition at the meeting. A total of 12 Magna Vista High School students Cody Agee, Amber Burnette, Timothy Cassell, Eric Chacon, Joshua Hubbard, Wyatt Jackson, Logan Mann, Brittany Martin, Zaveyae Moss, Grace Priddy, Abigail Smith and Noah Stockton attended the statewide Virginia Department of Education pilot program over the summer. Two Bassett High School seniors who attended Summer Governors School presented their experiences via slideshow at the meeting. The girls lived on a college campus for four weeks and while there, they participated in classroom and lab work, field studies, research, individual and group projects and performances and seminars with noted scholars, visiting artists and other professionals. Carrie Denny and Kayri Craig studied under two separate disciplines, but had an equally exciting experience. Denny studied Music Theory where she participated in chamber ensembles, master classes and wind ensembles. She specifically enjoyed Music in Progress, a concert she and other Music Theory students put on for other Governors School students before their final performance. School Board Vice Chairman Curtis Millner asked the girls if attending the school helped them decide their academic direction in life. I was pretty sure before I went, but now Im 100 percent sure, Denny said. While Craig said she was still undecided about her choice of study, she thoroughly enjoyed her classes on Humanities. She took a magazine class and a world cinema class. Craig also took part in a roundtable discussion, completed a service project, learned mindfulness in the form of meditation and actively participated in crisis communications. I got a real idea of what college is like, Craig said. Both girls thanked the board members and urged them to allow others to attend in the future. They really did a lot to get toy information and activities that you enjoyed, Terri Flanagan, Horsepasture District Board Member, said. Board signs off on purchases Members also approved the purchase of one Open Court Phonics Foundational Skills Kit for kindergarten through second grade classrooms at each elementary school for a total of 27 kits. Some teachers are asking for it (the kit), said Wendy Durham, the districts director of K-12 Instruction. The program, which focuses on phonics, received rave reviews from teachers in HCPS who have used the tool before. The financial impact results in an estimated $33,000, which will come out of the Fiscal Year 2016 Title I carryover budget. The board also awarded a contract to Barrows Inc. of Roanoke Virginia in the amount of $69,814.27 for furniture for the Bassett High School Media Center. The funds will come out of the Fiscal Year 2017 Operations Budget. Also at the meeting, members discussed the expansion of the weight room at Magna Vista High School. The drawings are complete, Keith Scott, Director of Facilities Maintenance, said. Weve actually applied for a building permit. The board also discussed, but did not vote, on a statewide insurance opportunity. Cotton said that he planned to meet with County Administrator Tim Hall on Sept. 8 to discuss the prospect. After highlighting classroom activities and achievements in Henry County Public Schools, Dr. Cotton presented a slideshow featuring all 527 kindergarteners. Each child held a small chalkboard with the words Class of 2029. That seems like such a long ways away, 2029, Flanagan said. I wonder what the world will be like. Ask the 2017 graduates, Henry County Attorney George Lyle said. The next Henry County School Board Meeting will take place Thursday, Oct. 6, at 9 a.m. in the Summerlin Meeting Room at the Henry County Administration Building in Collinsville. MARTINSVILLE Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) President Angeline Godwin expects to find out soon whether she will be offered a new job. Godwin is one of five finalists being considered for the presidency of Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in Charlotte, N.C. After being contacted by an executive recruitment firm, she went for an interview on Aug. 23 and met with the colleges faculty and staff members. If hired, she would replace Tony Zeiss, who retired in July after leading CPCC one of North Carolinas largest community colleges for 23 years. During a phone interview, Godwin said she understands from a report in the Charlotte Observer that CPCCs board of trustees hopes to make a hiring decision by Labor Day, which is Monday. As of Thursday afternoon, the college had not announced Zeiss successor. Godwin declined to discuss her interview or her thoughts about CPCC. It would be really inappropriate to comment right now, Godwin said. Its their search. Its their school. Im trying to respect the (interview and hiring) process. Godwin has said she is happy working for PHCC and living in Martinsville-Henry County. However, leading the Charlotte college would be a step up the career ladder for her. CPCC has about 70,000 students attending classes on eight campuses. It offers 258 degree, diploma and certificate programs and runs Charlottes public television station, WTVI, according to information online. In comparison, PHCC had about 2,600 students in 2015. It offers approximately 30 associate degree programs and 60 certificate programs and has workforce development centers in Martinsville and Stuart, a motorsports training center and the IDEA Center in uptown Martinsville. Godwin is PHCCs third president, having succeeded former president Max Wingett in 2012. Wingett retired after overseeing the college for 33 years. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. 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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 HADLEY -- Mitch's Marina on the Connecticut River and in the shadow of Mount Holyoke is for sale for $4.9 million. "It is my hope that we will be able to keep it what it is," said the realtor who is listing the property, Joni Fleming, of ERA M Connie Laplante Real Estate. "I'm certainly selling a lifestyle. (The potential buyer) is going to be someone who is looking to live on the river and run the marina." The current owners are Mervil R. Broussard, Melvin P. Broussard and Michael J. Broussard, according to town records. Fleming said the Broussards are brothers who inherited the business from their mother, Melba Broussard, who died in 2013. Melba Broussard inherited Mitch's Marina from founder Mitch Drozdal. Melba Broussard's obituary describes her as Drozdal's longtime companion and says she'd helped run the business as well. Drozdal founded the marina in 1962. The Broussard brothers are retiring from the business, Fleming said. "They just decided that it is time to move on," she said. The 6.7-acre property is at 2 Mitch's Way in the Hockanum Village section of town, Fleming said. It's across the road from Skinner State Park and features 1,000 feet of river frontage, 19 camping spots, 65 to 70 dock slips, parking for 100 boat trailers and 50 additional guest parking spots. There is a snack bar, gas pump and bathrooms as well as a small home on the property. With those 19 camping spots, Mitch's Marina is the only marina on this stretch of the Connecticut with waterfront camping, she said. "It's been a part of recreation and the boating community in Hadley for a long time," she said. And business is good -- Fleming said all the campsites and dock spaces are rented year after year. Correction: This article incorrectly described specific parcels included in the listing. An island in the river near the marina is not part of the sale, according to the agent handling the listing. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- A Massachusetts town has decided to extend its concert curfew by 15 minutes, just for Bruce Springsteen. The Sun Chronicle reports that the Foxborough board of selectmen voted to extend the concert curfew for the rocker's Sept. 14 show at Gillette Stadium to 11:30 p.m. The typical curfew for weeknight concerts is 11:15 p.m. The stadium's director of external affairs says Springsteen has played Gillette twice before with no issues and he's been playing 3 1/2- to four-hour sets on his latest tour. Foxborough is his last stop. And if Springsteen plays past 11:30? Selectman Chris Mitchell notes that stadium concert curfews aren't set by any town law. Not everyone agrees. Board member Ginny Coppola didn't attend the meeting but said in a written statement that she opposed extending curfew. A former boss of the New England La Cosa Nostra family and a family associate have been indicted on federal murder charges. Frank "Cadillac" Salemme and Paul Weadick have been indicted on one count of murder of a federal witness. The indictment alleges that 23 years ago Salemme and Weadick killed Steven A. DiSarro to prevent him from communicating with federal law enforcement officials. DiSarro owned South Boston nightclub "The Channel." His remains were found buried behind mill buildings in Providence this year. Salemme, 83, appeared in federal court to face the charge on August 10. He entered the courtroom smiling at his lawyer and greeting Fred Wyshak, a longtime federal prosecutor, like an old friend. "Fancy seeing you here," he told Wyshak. He denied the charges. Weadick, 61, was arrested Friday morning and will appear U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald. L. Cabell in Boston this afternoon. The United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts believes Salemme was the boss of the New England La Cosa Nostra during the early 1990's until his indictment for racketeering in 1995 and conviction in 1999. AMHERST -- All six candidates running for the 3rd Hampshire District seat held by state Rep. Ellen Story have signed a pledge to refuse campaign contributions from major fossil fuel and utility companies through end of the 2016 election cycle. The organization 350 Mass Action asked those running for office in the state to pledge to refuse contributions from executives, lobbyists and others employed by the 10 major companies. As of Thursday, 35 candidates for the state Legislature had signed the pledge, according to a press release. The pledge requires candidates to refuse donations of $200 or more from employees of BP, Chevron, Eversource, ExxonMobil, Global Partners, Global Petroleum, Kinder Morgan, National Grid, Shell and Spectra Energy. Pledge organizers selected companies for their history of making significant campaign contributions in the state and their financial interest in influencing energy policy that affects Massachusetts, according to 350 Mass Action. The six candidates for the seat are Vira Douangmany Cage, Sarah la Cour, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Bonnie MacCracken, Eric Nakajima and Lawrence O'Brien. All are Democrats. The primary election is Thursday. Story, an Amherst Democrat who has served 12 terms in the state House of Representatives, is not seeking re-election. SPRINGFIELD--- Big Y Foods Inc.held a re-opening celebration on Friday after completing a $4.1 million renovation of its World Class Market at 300 Cooley St. in the Sixteen Acres neighborhood. The Springfield-based chain, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, held a cake-cutting ceremony on Friday to mark the occasion. An improved privacy area in the pharmacy for customers to receive their vaccines. The pharmacy will also host an interactive and informative monthly wellness events. The pharmacy will continue its six-year-old partnership with the Western New England University College of Pharmacy. Upgraded features are similar to those at its Wilbraham location often used by the family-run company as a showplace.The Cooley Street location now also has: A Living Well Eating Smart section with organic, natural and gluten free products A sushi department with an on-site sushi chef A stir-fry station and salad bar New decor and fixtures in all departments A new cheese case offering more selection New exterior signs A farmers' market-style open-air entrance A new flag pole outside A new floor In 2015, Big Y added a new roof, parking lot lighting, upgraded HVAC units and a full store generator at the location. Big Y opened the Cooley Street location in 2003. The store's most recent remodel was in 2008, which cost $1.7 million. The actual sales floor is 43,977 square feet and has 18 total grocery and refrigerated aisles. Sam Chevalier will continue to manage this store. Chevalier has been with Big Y since 2002, when he started as an assistant produce manager and later a produce manager. He was promoted to store director and assigned to the Rocky Hill, Connecticut, location in August 2015 before transferring to Cooley Street in May. Founded in 1936 by brothers Paul and Gerald D'Amour, Big Y is one of the largest family-owned supermarket chains in New England. The company has 68 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts with more than 11,000 employees. BLANDFORD - Massachusetts State Police are reporting two people were killed Thursday evening in a motorcycle accident on Route 23. Police were releasing little information on the accident. No details about who was involved or how the accident occurred was being released Friday morning. The accident occurred on Route 23, also known as Old Stage Road, at about 7:30 p.m. Police said the crash scene was near 215 Otis Stage Road. A section of Route 23 was closed for hours afterward, according to police. The accident is being investigated by the state police barracks in Russell, the Collision Analysis Reconstruction section, Crime Scene Services, and the state police Detective Unit. This is a developing story and more information will be added as it is known. 403 Forbidden 403 Forbidden Code: AccessDenied Message: Access Denied RequestId: 72BC30ED2E835A7D HostId: iDzgaTaNEeJbcGrqawAMgFp3cbD6v9vTiwSVuL+LVfAn9HJ9/+DJWM2m/NckJFwZF40nlZKz/UE= An Error Occurred While Attempting to Retrieve a Custom Error Document Code: AccessDenied Message: Access Denied CHICOPEE -- A bar dispute over fashion choices and the use of cellphone cameras led to one man allegedly shooting up the car of a woman. Dalmain Peters, 24, of 199 Broadway, is being held without the right to bail after pleading not guilty to 11 firearm and drug charges in an arraignment in Chicopee District Court on Thursday. Peters was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, misleading a police officer, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a permit and causing a disturbance while carrying a dangerous weapon in connection with the alleged bar fight, which happened about 1:55 a.m. Sunday on Exchange Street. He has also been charged with carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded or large-capacity firearm on a public way, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine and possession of ammunition without a permit in relation to his subsequent arrest Wednesday morning. The shooting was sparked by a disagreement in the Rollin' Roc Tavern, where Peters' girlfriend started arguing with a group of women, according to a police report included in court documents. "(The girlfriend) was upset because (the victim) and her friends were overdressed for that type of bar and were taking selfies of each other," Detective Chris Sawa said in court records. When patrons were leaving at the end of the night, Peters allegedly fired a handgun at the victim's vehicle, striking the car multiple times, flattening a tire and hitting the passenger side at least three times, court records said. The victim also received minor injuries when she was struck in the legs by flying debris, court records said. Witnesses said they heard the girlfriend yell to Peters: "Why don't you go to the trunk and take out the big one to show them what we really are about," court records said. During the investigation, Sawa and Detectives Michael Dion identified Peters as a suspect in the shooting. They then staked out Chicopee District Court on Wednesday after learning he would likely be accompanying his girlfriend, who is on probation for an unrelated crime, while she met with her probation officer, court records said. Another man and Peters were in a car that dropped off the girlfriend. Police then followed them until they stopped at a gas station on Front Street. At least seven officers from the detective, narcotics, K9 and uniform divisions apprehended Peters. While searching him, police allegedly found a loaded 9-mm handgun with a 30-round clip, 90 packets of heroin, cocaine and marijuana in his possession, court records said. 92 csp stilla.png A still image from the Connecticut State Police dashboard camera shows the front end of a cruiser spinning out on I-91 just before colliding with a moving tractor trailer. The trooper suffered minor injuries. (Connecticut State Police) The Connecticut State Police on Thursday released footage of a near-miss on Interstate 91 in which a police cruiser spun out on the highway to avoid colliding with a motorcycle and a tractor trailer. According to Connecticut State Police, the incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday on I-91 south near Exit 42 in Windor Locks. The video shows the trooper driving in the left passing lane, with two motorcycles in the middle lane on his right and a tanker truck in the right lane. The tanker changes lanes without warning, which causes one of the motorcycles to veer into the path of the cruiser. The unnamed trooper had to steer into the concrete center divide to avoid hitting the motorcycle, and this caused him to spin out. It ends with his cruiser getting clipped by the rear end of the tanker truck. State police said the trooper suffered minor injuries. The operator of the tanker truck was issued a citation for an unsafe lane change. State police said the footage shows the importance for all drivers to maintain a situational awareness when driving, because at any moment unexpected things can happen. "We say over and over again to be aware of your surroundings and to remain alert, this is why," said a state police post on Facebook. "Whether you're the one making a lane change or if you're simply driving down the road, expect the unexpected. Know what's around you." "If a vehicle suddenly comes into your lane where can you go? Do you have an opening on your side to go to? Is there someone behind you? Are you in a construction pattern? You should constantly be re-evaluating and planning for unexpected," the statement reads. ARLINGTON -- A 51-year-old Milford woman, hired as a babysitter through an internet-based service, was charged with child endangerment Wednesday after police found her intoxicated and staggering through the neighborhood with the 3-year-old boy in tow, police said. The woman, identified as Susan M. Devereaux, was arrested and charged with reckless child endangerment, according to Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan. The child was unharmed and police contacted his mother to come pick him up, he said. Devereaux is scheduled to be arraigned at a later date in Cambridge District Court. According to Ryan, police were called to Egerton Road at about 1:30 p.m. for a report of a woman who appeared to be intoxicated stumbling around outside with a small child. The first officers on scene found the woman attempting to open the door to a house. Officers detected strong odor of alcohol coming from her as they talked to her, and it turned out she was confused and at the wrong house. The woman told officers she was the boy's babysitter. Police learned Devereaux had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages and had taken some prescription medication earlier in the day. Police contacted the child's mother, who told them she had originally hired Devereaux though Care.com in the spring, and they had hired her through the site several times since. The last few times they hired her, they had reached out to her directly instead of using the website. Care.com is an online company that matches people in need of babysitting with those willing to work as babysitters. According to the website, it also handles senior care and pet sitting. Ryanpraised the person who notified police about what he called a potentially dangerous situation. "What matters most is that the young child was not harmed," he said. Ryan said his detectives would be contacting Care.com management about the incident. Police also filed a report with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. "I urge everyone to take all possible extra steps you can take while screening a potential babysitter or caregiver. A reference or a website's background check should only be one component of a larger vetting process," Ryan said. "Never rely solely on one reference or a single report." Reached for comment, a Care.com spokesman said, "This incident is deeply disturbing, and we are thankful that the child is now back with his family. We have proactively reached out to local authorities to assist in the investigation in any way we can. Safety is of paramount importance to Care.com and when any safety incident occurs, it hits us very hard. Our thoughts are with this family tonight." Care.com was launched in the U.S. in 2007. According to the company website, it is a publicly traded company with 20 million subscribers in 18 countries. It is based in Waltham. According to the company website, Care.com "does not employ, recommend or endorse any care provider or care seeker. Care.com provides information and tools to help care seekers and care providers connect and make informed decisions." It is estimated that 1,00,000 people flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities. Following up on President Obamas proposal to acknowledge the global marketplace of ideas and leverage current immigration law to encourage entrepreneurship and economic growth, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service issued a ground-breaking proposed rule on immigrant entrepreneurs; the rule is expected to be formally published in the Federal Register next week. The rule would allow start-up foreign founders who could show a significant public benefit to the U.S. from the development of their new companies a temporary "parole" immigration status (not a "visa" status) for up to five years so that the founder can grow that company and create jobs. Full Story: https://clients.dorsey.com/rs/vm.ashx?ct=24F76F1CDEEB42A9CCDD88A5DB2A961BDFF055B2DF8E0BD15EE5636069FFCB1CDB7A3A9C7 T20 World Cup 2022 Points Table Update: New Zealand Consolidate Position at Top in Group 1 Standings Virat Kohli's Innings Against Pakistan Legitimised T20 Cricket as an Art Form: Greg Chappell T20 World Cup: 'It is People's Job to Talk, So They Will Talk' - Haris Rauf on Pakistan Team's Critics New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Highlights T20 World Cup 2022: Ton-up Phillips, Lightening Boult Guide NZ to 65-run Win by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, September 2, 2016 Not much is going their way nowadays, but newspapers may be getting a lucky break in California at least. The state is in the act of repealing a sales tax that was first foisted on newspaper publishers back in the fat days of the 1990s, providing a much-needed financial fillip as the industry continues its rocky transition to the digital age. The sales tax is being withdrawn out of recognition that newspaper publishers now derive a growing proportion of their subscription revenues from sales of digital subs, even in cases where digital and print subs are bundled together. Specifically, the tax authority ruled that at least 53% of the price paid for a bundled print and digital sub can be attributed to the digital access, allowing the subs to be categorized as primarily digital content, which isnt taxable under the tax law passed in 1991. The reduced sales tax on newspaper subscriptions, which amounts to a whopping $0.53 on each dollar of sales tax paid by newspaper publishers, takes effect October 1. A number of publications, including free newspapers and weekly publications, were exempt from the tax. The tax on newsstand sales remains the same but publishers of big metro dailies with large subscription bases should see a modest but much-needed bump to their bottom lines. According to one estimate from the California Board of Equalization, the tax revenues returned to newspaper publishers will come to around $50 million a year. Its worth noting that the same sales tax was repealed for bottled water and snack foods just a year after it was passed, in 1992. Apparently, newspaper publishers didnt have the political sway of junk food. This rare win for the newspaper industry, which otherwise has received scant sympathy from state and federal regulators, follows a prolonged lobbying effort by publishers that petitioned the Board of Equalization, which oversees Californias taxes on goods including fuel, alcohol and tobacco. by Tanya Gazdik , September 2, 2016 Automakers are experiencing nearly across-the-board sales declines at a time of the year when sales usually are robust as dealers clear out model-year inventories. Fords August sales were down 8.8% versus a year ago. General Motors was down 5.2%, Mazda dipped 12.8%, and Toyota was down 5%, while Honda was down 3.6%, Nissan dipped 6.5% and scandal-plagued Volkswagen was down 9.1%. The summer is not delivering explosive sales like last year, but the industry is still on pace to set an annual sales record, said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com executive director of industry analysis. "Automakers have done a good job this year of staying disciplined and managing their inventories, she says. With volumes at record highs, they can focus even more attention on battles for market share." advertisement advertisement After more than six years of steady growth, it appears the auto industry has finally peaked, says Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. Nearly every large automaker suffered sales declines, even as incentive levels rose and truck/SUV sales remained relatively strong, Brauer says. While an end to the growth curve was inevitable, having it peak above 17 million units leaves little room for complaining among automotive CEOs. Now the automakers' focus will shift from simple growth to market share and managing inventories. The use of incentives and fleet sales as a counter to plateauing retail sales will be the statistics to watch going forward. Only Fiat Chrysler showed an increase, a modest 3%, and that was partly due to heavy sales to a commercial, government or daily rental fleet. Retail sales represented 76% of total sales, while fleet sales were 24%. FCA had a strong August, and as usual, Jeep led the way, says Akshay Anand, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. Dodge and Ram also displayed positive results, with healthy gains in Journey and Charger leading the way for Dodge. On the flip side, the Chrysler brand continues to struggle as consumers continue to shy away from sedans. Jeep posted a 12% sales increase in August vs. year-ago. Five Jeep brand models were up in August, led by 41% increase in Jeep Cherokee sales. Dodge was up 5% and six Dodge brand vehicles logged year-over-year sales gains in August. Ram Truck brand was up 2%. The elections might keep automakers from advertising as heavily on TV, says Michael Harley, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. Campaign spending on local TV channels pushes many automotive retailers - heavyweight purchasers of discounted local TV spots - off the air as the political race intensifies and fewer commercials means less showroom traffic, Harley says. Worried consumers may also take a wait-and-see approach to buying a new car if the contest for the White House appears to be threatening the economy. Not all analysts were pessimistic about the dip. Sales in August were soft, as Cox Automotive predicted, but we are still in the midst of one of the highest sales years on record, says Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. Improving consumer confidence paired with jobs growth should mitigate some of the softening in sales through the rest of 2016. There will be great deals to be had as manufacturers sell off remaining model-year vehicles, so its very much a buyers market out there. by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, September 1, 2016 Google has agreed to pay $5.5 million in order settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that it violated Safari users' privacy by circumventing their no-tracking settings. The deal, which received preliminary approval on Wednesday, requires Google to donate around $3 million to six schools and nonprofits -- Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, Center for Democracy & Technology, Public Counsel, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and the Center for Internet & Society at Stanford University. The settlement also calls for the lawyers who brought the case to receive up to $2.5 million. Individual Safari users won't receive anything. If granted final approval by U.S. District Court Judge Sue Robinson in Delaware, the settlement will resolve a class-action lawsuit stemming from the "Safari hack" -- one of the bigger privacy snafus of recent years. The hack came to light in 2012, when computer researcher Jonathan Mayer (now with the Federal Communications Commission) published a report stating that Google -- along with WPP's Media Innovation Group, PointRoll and Vibrant Media -- circumvented Safari's privacy settings and then set tracking cookies. After allegedly doing so, all the companies were able to serve ads to Web users based on their Internet activity. None of the companies were accused of linking cookie-based data to users' names. advertisement advertisement Google, Vibrant Media and PointRoll confirmed Mayer's report when it came out, and said they had stopped tracking Safari users or would soon do so. Google agreed to pay $22.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges stemming from the workaround, and also paid $17 million to settle with a group of state attorneys general. Consumers filed a class-action lawsuit against all of the companies. PointRoll quickly settled the case, but Google and the others fought the charges. U.S. District Court Judge Sue Robinson in Delaware dismissed the matter in 2013 but last November, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals revived the case against Google (but not Vibrant Media or WPP's Media Innovation Group.) "What is notable about this case is how Google accomplished its tracking," the appellate judges wrote. "Allegedly, this was by overriding the plaintiffs cookie blockers, while concurrently announcing in its privacy policy that internet users could 'reset your browser to refuse all cookies." The appellate panel allowed the consumers to proceed on the theory that Google violated general privacy principles set out in California's constitution, as well as ones developed by judges in California. Two months ago, Google and the consumers told the judge they had reached a settlement, but didn't reveal any specifics. The settlement details, disclosed on Monday, appear to be similar to several other agreements that resolved high-profile privacy battles between users and Web companies, including Facebook and Netflix. Google itself settled two prior class-actions by agreeing to make donations to nonprofits. In 2010, Google agreed to pay around $6 million to six nonprofits and schools, and more than $2 million to plaintiffs' attorneys, in order to settle a privacy battle stemming from its launch of the defunct social networking service Buzz. That service created social networks out of people's Gmail contacts. Google designed the feature so that it initially revealed information about the names of users' email contacts, if users activated Buzz without changing the defaults. Three years later, Google settled another privacy case on nearly identical terms. in order to settle a lawsuit alleging that the company "leaked" search users' names to publishers and advertisers through referrer headers -- the information that's automatically transmitted by Google to publishers and advertisers. (Some queries, like people's vanity searches on their own names, can offer clues to users' identities.) Theodore Frank, a well-known activist who founded the Washington-based Center for Class Action Fairness, recently asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate that settlement. He raises several challenges to that deal, including that search engine users who were affected by Google's practices won't receive any money.The 9th Circuit is still considering Frank's arguments. by Richard Whitman , Columnist, September 1, 2016 It's all about Cuba these days and anytime it's all about anything, the advertising industry is right on top of it, capitalizing on any and all related popularity to, well, do what the advertising industry does best; host a shindig at which all involved can glom onto the latest shiny new object and profess their undying -- albeit fickle -- devotion. So yes, today in Adland, it's all about Cuba! Stillwell Partners, organizers of Advertising Week just announced Advertising Week: Cuba x Creativity. Todays announcement coincides with the first commercial flight from America to Cuba since the 50s. Yes, that's right! A plane has barely landed and the ad world has already conquered the island! Advertising Week Cuba will take place at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. The Nacional will host a daily kick-off breakfast at the Parisian Cabaret and a seminar program in Salon 1930, the longtime home of the Buena Vista Social Club. Fast Company will oversee and curate the thought leadership program. And of that responsibility, Fast Company Editor Bob Safian said, Its hard to imagine a destination with more intrigue than Havana. We look forward to a completely unique experience sure to incent our creativity, inspire and enlighten." advertisement advertisement JetBlue, which launched service to Santa Clara Thursday is the founding partner of Cuba x Creativity and will be providing air transportation for all attendees. Chiming in with his excitement, JetBlue EVP of Commercial and Planning Marty St. George said, JetBlue is thrilled to be leading the way to Cuba and we are proud to partner with Advertising Week and Fast Company in this inaugural celebration of creativity in Havana." Stillwells Matt Scheckner, always front and center when it comes to the ad world's celebration of itself, gushed, Havana is the last great creative frontier. It is the jewel of the Americas and we believe there is no better place for a global carnival of creativity than Cuba." Um, the Jewel of the Americas? Has Scheckner stepped foot inside Cuba lately? Give the people some time, Matt. They just tore down a 60-year-old wall of exclusion. They've got some tidying up to do. Cuban musical legend Isaac Delgado will serve as Chairman of the local organizing body which includes representation from area tourism communities and ministries. In 2015, Delgado led a delegation from Cuba to the Advertising Week in New York. Of the Cuba chapter of Advertising Week, Delgado said, Cuba will be ready and we are proud to see Havana alongside New York, London and Tokyo. The passion and energy of the Cuban people will infuse everything we do here." If you're game to go, requests for invitations may be secured here. Facebooks first Web satellite experiment just went up in smoke. Quite literally, the social giants virgin satellite was destroyed in an explosion that took place during a SpaceX pre-launch test, on Thursday. I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite, which would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent, stated Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The satellite was unmanned, and as of Thursday afternoon, there are no reported injuries associated with the explosion. Part of Facebooks Internet.org initiative, the satellite was designed to deliver Web service to under-served regions of the globe. It was valued at roughly $200 million, according to an estimate from space news publisher Spaceflight Now. advertisement advertisement The setback will not deter Facebook from pushing forward with it broader plans to connect the world to the Web, Zuckerberg said on Thursday. We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided, he said. Internet.org -- which is referred to as Free Basics in some regions -- has suffered several setbacks. Most recently, as part of a ruling in favor of Net neutrality, Indian telecom regulators decided to block Free Basics from the country. At the end of 2015, Egyptian authorities also pulled the plug on the free Internet service for reasons that they never fully articulated. Key to Facebooks long-term strategy, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly defended the Free Basics program. In a letter publi shed in the Times of India, last December, Zuckerberg wrote: If we accept that everyone deserves access to the Internet, then we must surely support free basic Internet services. Late last year, Facebook enlisted the help of French satellite operator Eutelsat to have free Internet beamed to some of the more remote regions of Africa. Earlier this year, the Web giant invited the worlds engineering and technology leaders to help reimagine the telecommunications business. With the formation of a Telecom Infra Project, Facebook said it hoped to enlist a critical mass of operators, infrastructure providers, system integrators, and other technology companies in the effort. So far, Telecom Infra Project -- or TIP -- members include Intel, Nokia, Deutsche Telekom and SK Telecom. by Barbara Lippert , Featured Columnist, September 1, 2016 "Forget all those variations on tiresome aviation ad cliches like offers of extra leg room or better WiFi, said the CMO of American Airlines in my mind, in a statement that I am making up. I have to fictionalize it, because frankly, I cant believe how otherwise empty, arrogant, and delusional this new AA ad campaign is. Whats the sense in using good ad money to try to make this so-called traveler feel better? the marketing person in my alt/faux world says. Flying is a nightmare, and its only getting worse. We all know that. So we flipped the concept in a major way, this person who does not exist explains. The first of our major learnings was this: A brand like American Airlines will never improve, and consumers shouldnt bother expecting us to. Got it? Its not like we can make American Airlines great again. advertisement advertisement This faux CMO continues: So, were just being honest. Instead of working on ourselves, we decided to build a better passenger: someone neater, more organized, faster-walking, without baggage (except for pricey noise-canceling earphones.) "Yup, someone who can follow orders and accept unlimited abuse. And will still try to bring the mood up on the plane! Yes, thats our Greatest flyer! Seriously, thats about the only way I can make sense of this ridiculous dumping of responsibility on the poor, exhausted, ravenous unfortunates who actually paid good money to get squished into a seat on a delayed AA flight. (Unless its a satire on hollow, pompous advertising. ) Even spelling the word flier with a y comes off as pretentious. Like an art director said, I dont care how American newspapers spell it! It looks better, like an anchor, and anyway, this has nothing to do with real life or real people! The fact that the campaign comes from Crispin, Porter + Bogusky is another head-spinner. But lets give it a chance, and take a look: First of all, as with the aforementioned letter y, the whole thing is fey, and considerably over-art directed (although the visuals suggest an elevated version of the kind of art you get on Getty Images). And at the same time, its weirdly underpopulated. We see nary a human being, except for the enormous, disembodied head of a baby, from the adorable chubby cheek, nostrils and eyelashes on up, lost in space. No planes, no airports, no people, no food. The main 60-second video opens on some vast expanse of desert, with what looks like a microscopic clan. (Danger, American Family Robinson!) They are just tiny dots in the Lawrence of Arabia-scape. You get the idea that whomever designed this work really doesnt like depicting anything as messy and demanding as, ugh, hold your nose, wait for it: people! Theres a definite disconnect in this vast emptiness being used as the visual behind the line of type suggesting that great flyers walk faster in airports. Huh? These miniature Murricans shown here look stranded and desperate, like they should be airlifted out of there ASAP before they start sacrificing each other for food. No matter: It sure is relatable. Another line is that great flyers ask before opening or closing the window shade. Wait, what? Is that a major problem? Theres also a cohesive graphic device: throughout all of the sparse frames, we see the shadow of the new abstracted eagle and wings AA logo, passing slowly overhead. It seems ominous, and when its not, it reads more as a drone than a passenger plane (Relief from all of this emptiness? An Amazon order, maybe?). There is one line I actually like: They pack like theyre solving a crossword puzzle. Underneath it, we see a horizontal visual of a pair of polished, narrow, mens business shoes, and all-black accessories super-neatly laid out. (Great flyers have narrow feet?) Wait! Whats wrong with this picture? It seems to suggest that the 50% of humanity known as women cant even hope to be great flyers. Never mind. On the equally empty Web site devoted to the campaign, it says, Everything you need is right in front of you. This reminded me of the last flight I ever took on this airline, about eight years ago. I am not making up that I was given a seat in a row that was jerrybuilt in front of the boarding door, so I and my seatmates had to stand in the bathroom while our fellow fliers came through. Otherwise they would have rolled and tripped over our legs and feet. The location was great for deboarding, however. And I walked out of there in my neatly polished mens shoes, and my gleaming mens watch, with my shade up and my mood still elevated at the thought of never returning to American Airlines again. I mean, like, really, who could stand those people and their baggage? by Philip Rosenstein , September 1, 2016 The programmatic TV (PTV) ecosystem is growing, but a 4C white paper on the subject points to a number of barriers that are inhibiting its wholesale adoption -- particularly a fear that PTV will rip control away from suppliers and force CPMs down. The PTV market is expected to grow from $706 million in 2016 to $2.160 billion -- or 3% of the TV market -- in 2017 and up to $4.428 billion -- or 6% of the market -- in 2018, according to eMarketer. Growth is there, but barriers are holding PTV back. 4C spoke with brands, media buyers, planners and sellers, and narrowed down the difficulties in adopting PTV to four main issues: apprehension from career TV professionals, confusion about what PTV actually is, a lack of infrastructure needed to run PTV -- and perhaps most important, an apprehension from suppliers that the adoption of PTV would significantly lower CPMs. Programmatic TV is definitely a more efficient way of buying, especially if the whole process becomes automated. However, it is still in its infancy, as both buyer and seller behaviors need to be changed. In an industry like TV that has had the same processes in place for a very long time, that can require a few years, stated Brett Adamczyk, vice president of business development and strategy at Videa. advertisement advertisement The white paper addressed other interesting points, asking respondents about the strongest benefits PTV can bring the industry. Roughly 58% of respondents say that PTVs biggest advantage is the ability to target audiences more precisely, 13.5% found lower CPMs as the greatest benefit, and 10.7% saw the most benefit in the automation of the transaction process. Another question was which metrics were best for measuring PTV's effectiveness. The largest group -- 19.7% -- of marketers said that brand lift is the best way to measure the success of PTV, 17.7% pointed to increased purchase intent as the best metric, another 17.7% chose better media efficiency, and 17.2% said they would look at direct-response metrics first. Arstechnica, Friday, September 2, 2016 5:12 AM Guccifer, the Romanian hacker that broke into the email accounts of celebrities and politicians and exposed Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, has been sentenced to 52 months in prison. Marcel Lehel Lazar committed the crimes in Romania but was extradited to the US after being caught breaking into more than 100 email accounts of high profile Americans. Read the whole story at Arstechnica by Thom Forbes @tforbes, September 2, 2016 Getting into organic fresh produce seemed like a no-brainer for CEO Diane Morrison and her team at Campbell Soup as shoppers particularly Millennials eschewed the middle aisles for healthier fare. But, as Morrison admitted yesterday, youve got to execute. The company reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly adjusted profit due to a product recall as well as higher costs and lower sales of carrots, issues that the company expects will dent sales for the rest of the year, Reuters Sruthi Ramakrishnan reports. Campbell Fresh operating profit plunged 62% in the quarter and sales fell 5%, hurt by a recall of protein drinks in June, higher carrot costs and lower sales of carrots and carrot ingredients all in the Bolthouse Farms unit. advertisement advertisement Morrison described the problems as short-term executional issues from the get-go during a 4Q 2016 earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha. Variations on the theme of executing better cropped up continually during the session. I expect far more from the Campbell Fresh business. Its clear that we have several immediate challenges in Campbell Fresh, and we are addressing them, she said. The company let go of several senior managers in the division and is reorganizing it, though it kept leader Jeff Dunn in place, reports Annie Gasparro for the Wall Street Journal. Some of these issues are part and parcel to running a fresh food business, Morrison said, adding, We can do better there. Morrison said, Bolthouse management made some production decisions that led to the harvesting of smaller-than-normal carrots. That caused dissatisfied customers to bolt for other suppliers, reports Harold Brubaker for Philly.com. On the beverage side of Bolthouse Farms, a recall in June of 3.8 million bottles of Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus drinks, because they could potentially spoil, hurt results, Brubaker continues. Fixing the problem has forced changes in production that have reduced the amount of beverages that can be made. The line shuts down every 24 hours for maintenance now instead of 72, as it had. Campbells profit will be $3 to $3.09 a share in the fiscal year through July 2017, it said in it statement. Analysts estimated $3.15, on average, Bloombergs Craig Giammona reports. Shares tumbled as much as 5.7% after the company posted [the] disappointing forecast, Giammona writes as low as $57.24 in New York for the biggest intraday decline since May 20. Campbell had gained 16% this year through Wednesday. So wheres some of the good news that has been fueling that optimism until yesterday? The food giant was able to point to continued strong sales of another orange-colored product the ever-smiling Goldfish produced by its Connecticut subsidiary Pepperidge Farm, writes Alexander Soule for The Hour of Norwalk, which happens to host the divisions headquarters and product development lab. The maker of Goldfish, Milano and Tim Tam cookies results are lumped into a snacks category that includes Arnotts biscuits and Kelsen Danish cookies, which combined to have easily the best performance of major divisions on the Campbell Soup shelf, with operating earnings up 5% to $81 million and sales up 1% to $622 million, Soule reports. At the end of the day, Morrison defended Campbells strategy to expand into more of the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and mentioned getting into dairy, The WSJs Gasparro writes. She said Campbells refrigerated salad dressings, fresh soups and protein drinks are a valuable toehold in the growing market for foods that connote health-and-wellness. I remain confident in our C-Fresh strategy, Morrison said, lest there be any doubt about where Campbells will be sowing its seeds going forward. We have strong popular brands that are on trend with the changing nature of consumers' eating habits. We're well positioned in the produce and deli section of stores with an eye on expansion into other categories such as dairy. We have a robust innovation pipeline, and we're enhancing our approach to long-term innovation. Strategy was not the issue. Our problem was execution. Its like burning a pot of good-for-you soup. by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, September 2, 2016 A phone with interchangeable parts intended to reduce electronic waste and allow consumers to keep the core of the device longer than a year or two seemed like a good idea at the time of conception. That's how many describe Google's defunct modular mobile phone design called Project Ara. Now after several years of development and a possible test run in Puerto Rico, reports suggest the Mountain View company will shutter the project to streamline operations. In May, Dan Kaufman, head of advanced technology and products at Google, described Project Ara as Google's vision for the future of phones that would create an entirely new ecosystem of hardware. Google wants more control of the technology in hardware devices. It became increasingly clear during a recent discussion about Google's Physical Web project with Richard Graves, CEO at BKON Connect, which makes technology that allows apps to consumer Physical Web content. It manages the content that people see. advertisement advertisement Graves described the technology that integrates into Android as a way to connect the device with inanimate objects to serve content on hardware such as phones. The chip in the device scans for Bluetooth low-energy signals in beacons and the operating system within the device decides which Bluetooth low energy signal to expose and how to expose the message or the content to consumers. Graves said the information should change as the consumer moves through the store or at a sporting event. (On Aug. 27, BKON ran a pilot at First Tennessee Park.) The Project Ara phone, inspired by the desktop PC, would have allowed consumers to upgrade each piece of the device as needed. It had swappable parts providing the ability to swap out one type of camera for another or upgrade to a battery with a longer lifespan. In theory consumers would have the option to interchange the brains or system on a chip (SoC), WiFi and screen modules. It also would have reduced electronics waste. For those who need to know, the Electronics TakeBack Coalition reported that in 2013, consumers generated 3.14 million tons of e-waste in the U.S. Of this amount, only 1 million tons or 40% was recycled. The rest was trashed in landfills or incinerators. Google spent years trying to create ways to reduce waste, which brings us to the irony of it all, because each digital advertisement that marketers want consumers to interact with must serve up somehow on an electronic device. Reuters reported Friday that axing Project Ara is one of the first steps in a campaign to unify Googles various hardware efforts, ranging from Chromebook laptops to Nexus phones, which former Motorola president Rick Osterloh rejoined Google earlier this year to oversee the effort. Bob ODonnell of TECHnalysis Research, told Reuters that Project Ara "was a science experiment that failed." Now Alphabet and Google are moving on. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 2, 2016 Facebook is working to improve its search and ad-ranking algorithms, as evident of several descriptions on its job site that provide insight into the type of algorithms the company is building. While today its ranking algorithms for search and ads pull in signals from queries, searchers, and content, the company says it is investing in nearly every area that supports the ability for its engineers to better understand how natural-language processing determines the ranking of Facebook's graph, content and user engagement. The project for search rankings focuses on trending topics; artificial intelligence; detection and ranking; indexing for people, entities, posts, photos, and videos; data analysis; and natural-language processing to better understand the query and documents. The goal of the search-ranking team is to "assist the users to complete their intents, and to provide the most relevant and personalized set of results for these intents." Collectively, Facebook members search about 2 billion times daily for more than 1.5 billion people and trillion pieces of shared content such as posts, photos, videos, and links, according to the company. advertisement advertisement Facebook's emphasis on ad ranking is similar to search ranking with a focus on image and text recognition, user and ad modeling, conversion modeling, and modeling new optimization objectives. In late July, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called out three stages of the company's search strategy, saying that the third stage will focus on advertising the company will make from the billions of searches. by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, September 2, 2016 Last year, when Michelle and Robert Duchouquette of Plano, Texas went away for a long weekend, they hired the Dallas based pet-sitting service Prestigious Pets to care for their two dogs and a fish. Michelle Duchouquette wasn't thrilled with the company's services, and made that known on Yelp. She posted in a one-star review that Prestigious Pets provided "fine" care for her dogs, but overfed the fish. The pet company responded by suing the couple for allegedly violating a non-disparagement clause, and for defamation. Prestigous Pets initially sought four figures in small claims court, but later escalated the battle by filing to Dallas County District Court, where it sought up to $1 million in damages. The company alleged that its pet-sitting contract contained language prohibiting consumers from "taking any action that negatively impacts Prestigious Pets, LLC, its reputation, products, services, management, employees or independent contractors." advertisement advertisement This week, Dallas County District Court Judge Jim Jordan dismissed Prestigous Pets' lawsuit. What's more, he ruled that the company may also have to pay attorneys' fees and sanctions; the amount will be determined in the future. "What the decision does make clear is that non-disparagement clauses in form consumer contracts are susceptible to attack in court," writes Public Citizen attorney Paul Alan Levy, who represented the Duchouquettes. "At the same time, the ruling does not establish that non-disparagement clauses in form consumer contracts can never be valid." (Public Citizen also represents MediaPost in an unrelated effort to unseal court papers in a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission against Amazon.) Congress is currently considering legislation that would prevent companies from requiring customers to refrain from posting bad reviews. But even without that nationwide law, some judges, as well as state lawmakers, have already expressed disapproval of those types of contracts. Lawmakers in California recently passed a bill prohibiting companies from insisting on contractual terms that restrict people's right to post reviews. The measure specifies that anyone who tries to enforce a non-disparagement clause could face penalties of between $2,500 and $10,000. California lawmakers acted after the online retailer KlearGear tried to fine married couple John Palmer and Jennifer Kulas $3,500 for posting a bad review. When the couple refused to pay KlearGear allegedly wrecked their credit. Palmer and Kulas subsequently sued KlearGear for violating federal fair credit law; A federal judge awarded the couple $306,750 in 2014. In New York, one judge suggested as far back as 2003 that restrictions on consumers' right to post reviews are unlawful. That ruling stemmed from a case brought by former New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer against Network Associates (now McAfee), which said in its terms and conditions that consumers needed permission to publish reviews. Spitzer won an injunction requiring the company to remove that language from its terms. Despite that ruling, however, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Sullivan in Manhattan recently allowed a couple who rented out their Paris apartment to proceed with a lawsuit against vacationers who allegedly violated their contract by posting a review online. That case is still pending. by Larissa Faw , September 2, 2016 Heineken and the National Trust for Historic Preservation recently embarked on an Indiegogo campaign to raise money to restore the historic Miami Marine Stadium which was abandoned more than two decades ago after Hurricane Andrew. Heineken and its agency Publicis New York developed a video explaining the project and ending with a slate card to direct viewers to the Heineken website. The abandoned structure has become a canvas for graffiti artists so while the goal of the campaign is to ultimately restore the stadium, the spot celebrates the art inside the Marine Stadium, which has an uncertain future as the stadiums restoration moves forward. The ad--filmed on location at the stadium over a five-day period--features stop-motion animation that spotlights the stadium's unique qualities and heritage, including its musical concerts and boat races. advertisement advertisement With five cameras rolling simultaneously, 10 local Miami graffiti artists hand painted every stop-motion animation sequence, frame by frame. Some scenes lasting just seconds took nearly three days to complete, says Publicis. This project honors an iconic piece of Miami history, says Andy Bird, CCO, Publicis New York. "This piece is a tribute to the vibrancy of the stadiums back story, a stadium which has been a mecca to the very same local graffiti artists who came back to celebrate it. The Indiegogo campaign raised its goal of $100,000, though organizers are still seeking additional funding through September 19. By introducing simple tools and training ward nurses to use them, a Norwegian hospital cut deaths from sepsis a condition where infection spreads to the bloodstream by 40 percent. Share on Pinterest Sepsis is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment saves lives. The Norwegian hospital in the study found more patients survived after they introduced some simple steps and put nurses at the forefront of sepsis diagnosis. In the journal Critical Care, researchers describe how Levanger Hospital in Nord-Trndelag, Norway, reduced deaths from sepsis from 12.5 to 7.1 percent after implementing some relatively simple steps, such as increased ward nurse training and a special observation chart. The initiative was part of a Norwegian research project that included members from the Mid-Norway Centre for Sepsis Research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Erik Solligard, head of the sepsis research center and an associate professor at NTNU, is senior author of the paper. He remarks: Sepsis is a very common and serious condition that many people die from. Patients with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes or cancer are particularly at risk. However, sepsis doesnt attract nearly as much attention. Sepsis develops when the body has an overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection. It can arise at any age and affects millions of people worldwide every year. Rates of sepsis likely to rise Prof. Solligard says rates of sepsis are likely to climb further due the rise in lifestyle diseases and the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Fast facts about sepsis In the U.S., sepsis starts outside the hospital for nearly 80 percent of patients Seven out of 10 U.S. patients with sepsis had chronic diseases requiring medical care or had recently used services U.S. patients with sepsis had chronic diseases requiring medical care or had recently used services Infections of the lung, urinary tract, skin, and gut are most often associated with sepsis. Learn more about sepsis Sepsis can cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death. It can develop very quickly and be confused with other conditions in the early stages, making it difficult to diagnose. However, when it does occur, time is of the essence sepsis is a medical emergency prompt diagnosis and treatment saves lives. The signs and symptoms of sepsis include: shivering, fever, or feeling very cold; clammy sweaty skin; extreme pain or discomfort; shortness of breath; confusion or disorientation; and high heart rate. According to the Global Sepsis Alliance, sepsis is the primary cause of death from infection, despite advances in modern medicine like vaccines, antibiotics, and intensive care. The researchers note that the mortality rate for sepsis in North America and parts of Europe is over 10 percent, and that the risk of death rises for every hour the patient does not receive treatment in the form of antibiotics and fluids. The world's only licensed vaccine for dengue may worsen subsequent dengue infections if used in areas with low rates of dengue infection, suggests new research. These infections are also more likely to need hospitalisation, suggests the study, by scientists from Imperial College London, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Florida. The research, published in the journal Science , analysed all publicly available clinical trial data for the vaccine. The results suggest that in people who have never been exposed to dengue before, the vaccine primes the immune system so that if they are subsequently infected, the infection is more severe. However in people who are have been exposed to the virus before vaccination, the vaccine reduces the severity of future infections. The researchers recommend testing people before they receive the vaccine, to establish if they have previously been exposed to the dengue virus. This would help avoid triggering an increase in serious cases of the disease. Dengue is a viral infection that causes just under 400 million cases per year. According to the latest estimates, around half of the world's population are thought to be at risk. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, and causes fever, headache, muscle and joint pain. In some cases, it can lead to a life-threatening condition called haemorrhagic fever which is a leading cause of death and serious illness among children in some Asian and Latin American countries. Unlike most infectious diseases, the second time a person is infected with dengue is usually far more serious than the first. This may be why the vaccine appears to amplify the illness in some individuals, particularly young children. Normally, when a person is infected with a virus their immune system builds defences against it. This means when they are infected a second time, the virus is destroyed before triggering symptoms. However, with dengue, the virus primes the immune system to work against the body. So when a person is infected a second time, a component of the immune system - called antibodies - help the virus infect the cells, leading to a more severe infection. This has serious implications for the vaccine, explains Professor Neil Ferguson, co-lead author, who is the Director of the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial College London: "If someone has never been exposed to dengue, the vaccine seems to act like a silent infection. The initial exposure to the virus from the vaccine primes the immune system, so when they are infected again, the symptoms are more likely to be severe." The vaccine, produced by the company Sanofi-Pasteur, is available in six countries and has been trialled on around 30,000 people from ten countries. After analysing the data, the research team formulated a computer model to predict the effectiveness of the vaccine if used more widely. Professor Neil Ferguson said: "Having a licensed dengue vaccine available is a significant step forward for dengue control. However, we should be careful in considering where and how to use this vaccine as there is still uncertainty about the impact." The team stress the vaccine stills holds benefits - but only if used in areas heavily affected by dengue, where individuals being vaccinated are likely to have encountered the virus before. Derek Cummings, Professor of Biology at the University of Florida and co-author of the study added: "In places with high transmission intensity, most people have been already exposed to dengue at the time of vaccination, and the vaccine has higher efficacy on average. However, in places with lower transmission intensity, were individuals haven't been previously exposed, the vaccine can place people at risk of severe disease and overall, increase the number of hospitalized cases." Dr Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer, joint first author of the research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explained: "Our results indicate that screening potential vaccine recipients could maximize the benefits and minimise the risk of negative outcomes." The World Health Organization recommends that countries consider introduction of the dengue vaccine only in geographic settings (national or subnational) where data suggests a high burden of disease. Professor Ferguson added: "Our model refines estimates of which places would see a decline in dengue incidence with large scale vaccination programmes, and which places should not implement programmes at this point in time. These results present the first published, independent predictions of the potential impact of vaccination that take account of recent data showing that the vaccine can increase the risk of severe dengue disease in young children." The authors hope their analysis can help inform policy-makers in evaluating this and other candidate dengue vaccines. The work was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, the NIHR UK National Institute of Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance under the Health Protection Research Unit initiative, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIH) under the MIDAS initiative, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The children of traumatized people have long been known to be at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mood and anxiety disorders. However, according to Rachel Yehuda from the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who led a new study in Biological Psychiatry, there are very few opportunities to examine biologic alterations in the context of a watershed trauma in exposed people and their adult children born after the event. One of the most intensively studied groups in this regard are the children of survivors of the Nazi concentration camps. From the work of Yehuda and others, there has been growing evidence that concentration camp survivors and their children might show changes in the epigenetic regulation of genes. Epigenetic processes alter the expression of a gene without producing changes in the DNA sequence. DNA methylation is one of these epigenetic modifications, which regulates genome function through processes that add or remove a methyl group to a specific site in DNA, potentially affecting gene transcription. Animal studies have demonstrated that epigenetic changes from stress exposure can be passed on to the offspring. In the new study, Yehuda and colleagues examine these relationships for the first time in humans, with methylation of FKBP5, a stress-related gene that has been associated with PTSD and depression. The researchers examined blood samples of 32 Holocaust survivors and 22 of their adult children, and Jewish parent - offspring control pairs for methylation of intron 7, a specific region within the FKBP5 gene. The analysis revealed that both Holocaust survivors and their offspring show epigenetic changes at the same site of FKBP5 intron 7, but in the opposite direction; Holocaust survivors had 10% higher methylation than control parents, whereas Holocaust offspring had 7.7% lower methylation than control offspring. "These observations suggest that parental trauma is a relevant contributor to offspring biology," said Yehuda. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry, noted that "the observation that the changes in parent and child are in opposing directions suggests that children of traumatized parents are not simply born with a PTSD-like biology. They may inherit traits that promote resilience as well as vulnerability." The analysis was not able to disentangle the influence of parental gender. It was also unable to identify whether the effects in offspring resulted from trauma effects to the parental gametes or changes occurring to offspring during pregnancy or postnatally. Childhood adversity is common in children with traumatized parents, so the researchers examined if the offspring's own childhood trauma played a role in the observed effect. "Interestingly, a relationship between methylation and reported childhood adversity was observed in the offspring, but at a different site within the same intronic region of the gene," said Yehuda. According to the authors, their findings indicate that it may be possible to distinguish changes associated with early adverse experiences in offspring from those associated with trauma in antecedent generations, suggesting the importance for clinicians to inquire about parental trauma in addition to personal trauma. "This study raises important questions about the intergenerational transmission of traits from traumatized parents to their children," said Krystal. "The observation that the same genes might be affected in parents and children suggests that something specific, perhaps related to stress response, is being conveyed from parent to child." Article: Holocaust Exposure Induced Intergenerational Effects on FKBP5 Methylation, Rachel Yehuda, Nikolaos P. Daskalakis, Linda M. Bierer, Heather N. Bader, Torsten Klengel, Florian Holsboer, Elisabeth B. Binder, Biological Psychiatry, doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.005, published online 12 August 2016. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive form of blood cancer. Cooperation between Finnish and Chinese research groups has now opened up new opportunities for developing treatments targeting acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer. A research group led by Professor Daoguang Yan from Jinan University in Guangdong has cooperated with Professor Vesa Olkkonen from the Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research on the Meilahti Campus to uncover a new mechanism which enhances the viability of cancerous T-cells and promotes their reproduction. The researchers discovered that the T-ALL leukaemia cells use a specific signalling pathway to maintain their intense, oxygen-dependent energy metabolism and ability to divide. The pathway is largely based on the ORP4L protein, which is expressed only in cancerous T-cells but not in healthy ones. "The new results establish that ORP4L binds the protein group that transmits signals on the membranes of the cancerous cells, which accelerates the release of calcium ions from the endoplasmic reticulum. This way the 'power plants' of the cell which run on oxygen, the mitochondria, are free to produce energy to their full capacity," explains Professor Olkkonen. Severing the newly discovered signalling pathway could prevent cancerous cells from growing and reproducing. This means that identifying the pathway will enable the development of new leukaemia treatments which target different sections of the pathway. The study was published in the esteemed Nature Communications journal. Interest in ORP proteins brings researchers together Professor Yan has been in charge of his research group at Jinan University in Guangzhou, Guangdong, since 2009. While working in Helsinki at the National Public Health Institute of Finland between 2005 and 2007, Yan became interested in ORPs, a family of proteins which bind oxysterols (oxidised cholesterol derivatives) in humans, and their role in cell signalling. Oxysterol-binding proteins are found in the areas where cell organelles come into contact: they transmit lipids and signals between them. An abnormally intense expression of the ORP4 protein had previously been observed in certain cancer cells, and Yan and Olkkonen suspected that it transmitted signals which maintained the malignancy of the cells. In 2009, Professor Yan discovered that ORP4L was being excessively expressed in T-ALL leukaemia cells, and ever since, he has been studying the function of this protein and its significance in leukaemia. Professor Olkkonen's research group identified the ORP protein family between 1999 and 2001, and is still studying the functions of these proteins, including ORP4L. Olkkonen has made regular visits to Yan's laboratory, and together with Yan has supervised the ORP4L research, the top project at the laboratory. ORP inhibitors to become new cancer drugs? The now-published study used both cultured cancerous T-cell lines and leukaemia cells isolated directly form the blood of patients. The expression of the ORP4L protein was blocked or excessively boosted in experiments on the cultured cells. The significance of the protein in the reproduction of leukaemia cells was also studied in vivo by transferring ORP4L-manipulated human leukaemia cells to immune-deficient mice. "What makes our findings particularly interesting is that small-molecule inhibitors for the ORP proteins have been discovered, and we may be able to use them to develop new drugs to treat T-ALL leukaemia and perhaps other types of cancer as well," Olkkonen states. Advertisement This is the first influenza virus identified in cattle, Li explained. "This contribution was made in South Dakota and our theory has been confirmed independently by other research groups."Li and Radhey Kaushik, professor and assistant head of the biology and microbiology department, secured a National Institutes of Health grant for nearly $400,000 to study the biology, genetics and evolution of the new virus."From a science viewpoint, it's very exciting to work with a brand-new virus," said Li, who has joint appointments in the biology and microbiology and veterinary and biomedical sciences departments.Volker Brozel, head of the Department of Biology and Microbiology, said, "This is a great example of how our researchers add to scientific knowledge and seek solutions to challenges impacting both human and animal health."In particular, these researchers have actively engaged graduate and undergraduate students, he pointed out. "Being associated with the discovery of a new virus genus is a huge boost for their future career paths in medicine, academia and private industry."Ultimately, the goal is to determine whether influenza D, which has 50 percent similarity to human influenza C, can cause problems in humans, according to Kaushik. However, he noted, "the virus has not been shown to be pathogenic in humans. No one should be afraid of this."The research group showed that influenza D is spread only through direct contact and proved a guinea pig can be used as an animal model to study the virus. Influenza D antibodies have been identified in blood samples from sheep and goats, but the virus does not affect poultry.Studies are underway to compare the virulence among the bovine and swine influenza D strains and human influenza C using the guinea pig model."If the virus can undergo reassortment in combination with a closely related human influenza virus, it may be able to form a new strain that could pose more of a threat to humans," Kaushik explained. Li noted, "We have much to learn about this new virus."Source: Newswise In a recent article, leading Pakistani cleric Maulana Zahidur Rashdi noted that Islam and the West are indeed in a clash of civilizations, as argued by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. The article, titled "The Cultural and Civilizational Struggle Between Islam and the West," was published by Roznama Islam, an Urdu-language daily published from Karachi and Lahore, which is known for advocating Islamist causes and pro-jihad arguments. Maulana Zahidur Rashdi is a leading Islamic scholar who frequently writes in newspapers and has visited several countries to preach Islam, especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bangladesh, Iran, Kenya, Iran, Uzbekistan, India, the U.K., Canada, the U.S., and others. Following are excerpts from his article: "[Our Intellectuals See It Not As A War Of Civilization But As] A War Of Interests ... Between The Developed And The Developing Countries, In Which Muslim Countries And Nations Are The Underdogs Due To Lack Of Progress" "'Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has said that those Muslims who believe in shari'a should be expelled from America. Before this, U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump had too demanded a ban on the entry of Muslims into America. Newt Gingrich... has said in an interview: Western civilization is in a state of war. Shari'a is not compatible with the Western civilization, and we will gladly accept those Muslims who do not believe in shari'a. Newt Gingrich has also proposed monitoring mosques in America along with imprisoning individuals who visit websites of extremist organizations. "The statement of the former speaker of the house is not the first such statement regarding this matter. Rather, statements of this nature have previously come from numerous American and European leaders. However, Newt Gingrich's statement is unique in that a few points have been said bluntly without being diplomatic: "One, Western civilization faces a state of war at this time. Two, Islamic shari'a is not compatible with Western civilization. Three, the Muslims believing in shari'a laws are not acceptable to the West. Four, the progressive thinking the West speaks of means abandoning shari'a regulations and laws, and the West will not accept anything less than this. "Even now our intellectuals are not ready to accept the struggle between Muslims and the West as a war of culture and civilization. They say that this is not a civilizational struggle, but rather a war of interests and a struggle between the developed and the developing countries, in which Muslim countries and nations are the underdogs due to lack of progress and have been left behind due to not cooperating with Western society in civilizational progress." "Anything That Is Light For Islam Is Called Darkness In The West; And Anything That Is Called Light By The West Is Declared Darkness And Ignorance By Islam" "However, Newt Gingrich has bluntly clarified that this is a civilizational war in which, on the one side, stands Western culture and civilization, which has enveloped most of the regions and cultures of the world due to scientific progress, military supremacy, economic domination and media control; whereas on the other side is the Islamic civilization, which is fighting a war for its survival and advancement with full force. The point is that this war is now becoming clear and it is written on the wall that in the future, of these two, only the civilization that is better able to solve problems faced by the human society will lead it. This is not only our claim, but a principle of nature and a necessity of the historical process. "The former speaker's statement that there is no compatibility between Western civilization and shari'a also warrants special attention. It is of concern to those among our intellectuals who have been engaged over the past two centuries in efforts to transform Islam according to [the standards of] Western civilization, and seek out interpretations of Islamic principles and laws that show them to conform with Western civilization's principles and laws. These intellectuals cannot understand the simple fact that Islamic culture and civilization is based on the teachings of the Koran and the Sunnah [traditions of Muhammad] and wahi [revelations]... "Allah says... 'This Book we have revealed on you for the reason that you bring out people from the darkness towards light.' In other words, according to Islam, pursuing the revealed teachings is called light and progressive. Whereas, for the West, rejecting and abandoning the shari'a directives is progressive. In other words, anything that is light for Islam is called darkness in the West; and anything that is called light by the West is declared darkness and ignorance by Islam. Therefore, it is meaningless and useless to search for the path of compatibility and understanding between the two. This is the reason that the West is not ready under any condition to tolerate Islamic shari'a to any degree and to allow enforcement of shari'a directives and laws even in the environment of Muslim countries..." "This situation demands that instead of wasting time condemning and rationalizing the statements of Western leaders such as Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump, these statements are viewed as the reality on the ground and that a correct path is charted for leading Muslims. For a long time, I have been telling intellectual circles and educational centers of Muslims that the growing international struggle between Western civilization and Islamic civilization should be clarified at the intellectual and scholarly level... It has become essential to state in clear terms which matters are acceptable within the limits of the teachings of the Koran and the Sunnah and what flexibility exists to accept some matters. "The West's standpoint is very clear in that it is not ready to accept the enforcement of shari'a. In response to this, it is our responsibility to point out the errors of the Western civilization based on the common collective interests of human society and revealed [Islamic] teachings, to clarify the damages caused to human society by it [the Western civilization], and to bring forth benefits and necessities of Islamic Shari'a through reason and logic..." Source: Roznama Islam (Pakistan), August 6, 2016. On August 8, just six days before Pakistan's Independence Day, a suicide bomber killed at least 70 people and wounded more than 100 others at a hospital in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province. The dead included dozens of lawyers who had gathered to mourn the death of Bilal Anwar Kasi, president of the Baluchistan Bar Association, who was shot and killed earlier that day. Within minutes, Pakistan's military and political leaders blamed India for masterminding the attack. Quetta has been the main stronghold of Afghan Taliban leaders who have been housed and shielded there by the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The ISI has traditionally birthed and nurtured jihadist organizations to fight in Afghanistan and against India, especially in Kashmir. It should also be noted that China has been building a major port in Gwadar, on the coast of Baluchistan. Recently, China and Pakistan have also signed an infrastructure agreement that seeks to build a network of highways and rails connecting China to Baluchistan. The infrastructure project is known as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC. After the attack, Pakistani leaders accused India of trying to sabotage the CPEC. However, according to unconfirmed reports, the Islamic State (ISIS) as well as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Jamaatul Ahrar group) claimed responsibility for the attack. India was also blamed for the attack in an editorial in Roznama Ummat, a Pakistani Urdu daily that is pro-Pakistan and pro-jihadi organizations working against Afghanistan and India. Following are excerpts from the editorial, which is titled "The Cowardly Attack On the CPEC Project": "In Order To Escape Blame For Their Ineptitude, Every Attack Is Declared A Suicide Attack [By Security Officials In Pakistan]" "After the attack, Army chief General Raheel Sharif reached Quetta and visited the injured at the Civil Hospital... Presiding over a high-level meeting at the [Army] Corps Headquarters, he ordered an operation [against terrorist groups across Pakistan]. He said that the terrorists have targeted the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project [CPEC]. "Additionally, after the attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cancelled all his engagements and went to Quetta to visit the wounded. Baluchistan, especially Quetta city, has been burning in the fires of terrorism for a long time. Assassinations [notably, of Shia Hazaras by Sunni jihadists], suicide attacks, and bomb blasts have made the life hell for inhabitants. However, this is a moment of thanks [to Allah], that this time the political and the military leadership, in a demonstration of robust wisdom, have pointed towards the real and eternal enemy [i.e. India] which has forced us into fire and blood. "The Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Parvez Rashid, has said openly that there is solid evidence of India's involvement in this attack. The Chief Minister of Baluchistan Sanaullah Zehri added that India's secret agency RAW [Research & Analysis Wing] is involved in the terror attacks occurring in Baluchistan, and that there is evidence of this. Whoever may have carried out this cowardly act, the question is: why couldn't the concerned institutions [i.e. Pakistani intelligence agencies] manage to thwart it? "In 2010, an explosion of a similar nature took place in the same Civil Hospital. The body of a Shia leader in Baluchistan was brought there and an explosion occurred in the crowd, which killed ten people, including a cameraman for a private television channel and police officer Nisar Kazmi. An attack of a similar nature had previously occurred at the Jinnah Hospital in Karachi. In other words, it is a tested terrorist method to target the nearest hospital for a big operation after a small attack. But despite these harsh experiences, why were no fool-proof security arrangements made when the body of the leading lawyer was brought here?" "One more important question is this: How can a suicide bomber carry explosive materials that cause such extensive destruction? How could he reach his target carrying so much heavy material, while evading security officials? It is always seen that in order to escape blame for their ineptitude, every attack is declared a suicide attack [by security officials in Pakistan]. If appropriate and timely security arrangements are made, then it is not that difficult to prevent the real suicide bombers and to make their mission unsuccessful - many unarmed civilians too have executed this task [stopping suicide bombers]." "India Has Resolved To Make This [China-Pakistan] Project A Failure, As It Could Turn Pakistan Into An Asian Tiger Of The Future" "It was also revealed... that despite [a certain type of security devices] being declared ineffective by security experts, 15,000 new such devices are being used for security in airports and other sensitive installations. Several people, including British trader James McCormick, have been jailed for producing ADE651 and other bogus devices used to detect explosive materials... Moreover, corrupt [Pakistani] officials have installed damaged CCTV cameras in cities. The ineffectiveness of these cameras is proven when some explosion or incident takes place within their range. "It was revealed after the explosion that most of the more than 200 cameras installed in Quetta city had become inoperable. Despite all these, our leadership makes the audacious claim that the terrorists' backbone has been broken [during security operations]. Such claims are true to the extent that they weaken the Tehreek-e-Taliban [Pakistan, or TTP], but the network of terrorists spread by India is still not only intact but has become more active than previously, and has started to striking at our roots. This explosion in Quetta is also meaningful with regard to the fact that terrorists have caused grief to the nation just days before Independence Day [August 14]. "After the arrest of many local agents of India and [Indian national] Kulbhushan Yadav and their acceptance [of guilt] before the media, it is no more a secret that it is none other than India that is burning Baluchistan in the fire of lawlessness. As per the Army chief, this attack has been carried out against the CPEC, which has caused sleepless nights to India. India has resolved to make this project a failure, as it could turn Pakistan into an Asian tiger of the future. Its secret agency RAW has reserved $35 million and established a special cell [to attack Baluchistan]... "India is spending tens of millions of rupees monthly and has sent thousands of its agents into Pakistan. Then, the Indian media presents a dreadful image of Pakistan before the world by exaggerating such [terrorist] incidents. There is a need for us to play our role in defeating India's objectives... The government [of Pakistan] should make India look naked by presenting evidence of Indian terrorism at diplomatic and international forums. The people should also keep their eyes on Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs [both seen as traitors in Islamic history of India]. When we land in the field united... then the enemy's objectives will be crushed to dust with Allah's aid..." Source: Roznama Ummat (Pakistan), August 9, 2016. On August 14, 2016 - Pakistan's Independence Day, an Urdu-language daily examined the role of Islam in the Pakistan Movement, which led to the creation of Pakistan on August 14-15, 1947. The article, published by Islamist daily Roznama Islam, is titled "Religion, the basis of independence - [we] saw the consequence of abandoning it" and was written by Professor Abdul Wahid Sajjad. It quoted many statements by Pakistan's founder M.A. Jinnah to prove that the motivation behind the establishment of Pakistan was to create a laboratory for Islam. Following are excerpts from the article: Pakistan's Creation Is Based On The Slogan: "What Is The Meaning Of Pakistan -La Ilaha Illalah [There Is No God But Allah]" "A theory, thought, or imagined life is called ideology. It is meant to denote such a principle and guideline whose basis rests on philosophy and thought. And it contains in it the solution of upcoming problems associated with different aspects of life, whether political, economic, cultural or civilizational. The ideology on which the establishment of Pakistan in based is Islam. Islam is the natural and revealed religion which guides Muslims in every sphere of life. It will not be wrong to describe the ideology as a soul. "In the 20th century, the only state that was established on the basis of ideology is Pakistan. Its clear proof is the slogan: 'What is the meaning of Pakistan - La Ilaha Illalah ["there is no god but Allah"].' Standing at the mountain of Faran, the Prophet Muhammad said: 'If you say La Ilaha Illalah, you will be successful, and welfare in this world and in the Hereafter will be your fate...' It is in the context of this message and blessing that La Ilaha Illalah is considered as the objective of Pakistan's founding due to which fate turned downside up and the scattered Muslims joined on one platform and achieved Independence. "The prescription presented in clear words by the founding leader of this country, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, at the conference of Muslim League [party] in 1943 to sail the boat of the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent was this: 'What was the relationship by way of which all Muslims are like a single body and the anchor that secures the boat of the Ummah? That relationship, that rock, that anchor, is Allah's book, the Koran.' And then addressing students, he said: 'Our leader is Islam, and is the complete guideline for our life.' "In March 1944, explaining the demand for the establishment of Pakistan, he said: 'Pakistan's demand was not made to gain a piece of territory. Rather, we want a laboratory where we can test Islamic principles.' Regarding the Two-Nation Theory in the Subcontinent [that Hindus and Muslims cannot live together as they are two separate nations], the Quaed-e-Azam [Great Leader M. A. Jinnah] said: 'The foundation of this theory was laid down on the day when [in 712CE, Arab Islamic invader] Muhammad bin Qasim set foot on this land.' "And about the establishment of Pakistan, he said: 'It was established when the first Hindu in the Subcontinent converted to Islam.' After the [formal] establishment of Pakistan, addressing the parliament in August 1947, Quaed-e-Azam said: 'We will write such a constitution which will provide us the shade of benevolence in the light of the Koran and Sunnah [sayings of the Prophet Muhammad], will show everyone the path for living and progress, and will guarantee peace and development.'" "Addressing Students At The Aligarh Muslim University, Quaed-e-Azam Said That The Aligarh University Is The Ammunition Depot Of The Pakistan Movement" "Addressing an important meeting of the government of the newly-created Pakistan on October 11, 1947, he said: 'The creation of the state for which we were struggling for the past ten years has become a reality with the blessings of God. For now, the meaning of Pakistan for us is only that we live in it as free individuals, and adopt the collective system of Islam while [helping in] the flourishing of our culture and civilization.' With regard to the ideological personality [of the Pakistani state], do these statements by the founder of Pakistan leave any doubt...? In the activities marking Independence Day in the month of August at the government and political level, do we see any glimpse that shows that the ideological leadership of the nation is being exercised...?" "Rather, in the name of Independence Day, we see demonstration of fireworks, colorful flags, singing and dancing, and lessons of obscenity, vulgarity, mixed [gender] events, and lecherous conduct taught to our new generation - [do we think] these will sharpen the ideological personality of the country or darken it...?" "Our secular and liberal class exaggerates a speech made on August 11, 1947 by Quad-e-Azam and tries to use it prove that the founding of Pakistan was based on the following statement: 'In Pakistan, the way Muslims will be free to go to mosque, Hindus and Christians will similarly be free to go to [temples and] churches.' The claim that it clarifies the fact that this country will be governed by [atheistic] secularism is not proven from the said excerpt... These words of Quaed-e-Azam are based on the spirit of Islamic system and ideology, which determine that in Pakistan there will be freedom of belief. This has always been the practice in an Islamic system whether it be the period of the Righteous Caliphs [the first four Islamic caliphs], or later..." "Secularism rejects religion, whereas the domination of religion over the Pakistan Movement [that led to creation of Pakistan] proves that the blood of 600,000 Muslims [who died during the Partition] was shed in the name of La Ilaha Illalah." In another article titled "Independent Pakistan and Students" published in Roznama Islam on August 14, 2016, Pakistani academic Professor Shamim Akhtar wrote: "Addressing students at the Aligarh Muslim University, Quaed-e-Azam said that the Aligarh university is the ammunition depot of the Pakistan Movement." Source: Roznama Islam (Pakistan), August 14, 2016. The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to [email protected] with "Membership" in the subject line.) Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to [email protected]. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email. EXCLUSIVE: Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Calls To Unite Jihadi Groups, Accuses ISIS Of Causing Schism And Harming Jihad On August 30, 2016, Al-Qaeda's official media wing Al-Sahab released a 15-minute video titled "One United Structure" featuring the group's leader, Ayman Al-Zawahiri. In the video, which was also posted on the group's official Telegram channel, Al-Zawahiri called on all mujahideen everywhere to join ranks under one united body to concentrate their efforts fighting the enemies of Islam. Al-Zawahiri repeatedly attacks "Ibrahim Al-Badri and his gang" - a pejorative reference to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and ISIS - claiming that they have divided the ranks and caused harm to the path of jihad. EXCLUSIVE: AQAP Releases Part Four Of 'Harvest of Spies' Video Series, Says It Executed Two Men Accused Of Being Behind Drone-Strike Death Of Commander Al-Zinjbari On August 29, 2016, Al-Malahem, the media wing of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released Part Four of its "Harvest of Spies" video series highlighting the role played by local agents in drone strikes targeting the group's leaders and fighters. The video, which was posted on the group's official Twitter and Telegram accounts, featured two men confessing that they had spied for Yemeni intelligence agencies and that they were responsible for the February 2016 drone-strike death of senior AQAP military commander Hamza Al-Zinjbari. EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Sympathizer In Washington DC Active On Twitter An ISIS sympathizer has been active on Twitter since July 2016. Tweets focus on Donald Trump, and the double standards Muslims face in Western society. EXCLUSIVE: Chicago ISIS Supporter Active On Facebook An ISIS supporter active on Facebook. He previously was active on Twitter, however, it appears he favors Facebook since his Twitter account is currently dormant. He circulates official ISIS propaganda under the guise of "educational purposes." EXCLUSIVE: Oregon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Enthusiast Expresses Support For ISIS On Facebook An Oregon man on Facebook is vocal in his support for the Islamic State (ISIS) on his Facebook page. He is fairly forthcoming regarding personal details, revealing, for instance, that he was institutionalized and placed in a mental asylum, but it is unclear how long he stayed there since some of the details in varying posts are conflicting. EXCLUSIVE: Sheikh 'Abd Al-Razaq Al-Mahdi Urges Uyghur Fighters In Afghanistan To Not Travel To Syria And Instead Await Chance To Liberate Turkestan From The Chinese On August 26, 2016, the Sawt Al-Islam ("The Voice of Islam") media company, the official media arm of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), which is linked to Al-Qaeda and whose men fight in Afghanistan and Syria, among others, published a 10-minute video titled "For Allah is With Those Who Patiently Persevere." The video, which was also posted to Sawt Al-Islam's Telegram channel, featured an Arabic-language interview with Sheikh 'Abd Al-Razaq Al-Mahdi, a Syria-based cleric associated with Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra), in which he urges Uyghur fighters in Afghanistan to stay there for now and not travel to the Syrian battlefront. Al-Mahdi explains that these fighters are needed on the Afghan front, and are also geographically close to the Turkestan border, and will one day be able to easily return to their land, liberate it from the Chinese, and implement shari'a law there. The rest of the video, which is in the Uyghur language, recounts the history of Al-Qaeda's war in Afghanistan, and includes images of 'Abdallah Azzam, Osama bin Laden, and images of Uyghur fighters who fought in Afghanistan over the years. Pro-ISIS Media Group To Muslims In France, Germany: You Are Lucky To Have The Enemy So Close At Hand; Don't Suffice With Attacks That Kill Only A Handful Of Them; Stage Attacks In Train Stations, Highways, Malls On August 26, 2016, the pro-ISIS media group Al-Battar posted an article titled "Who Among Us [Can Fight] the Cross-Worshipers [Better Than You]?", which calls upon Muslims in the West to carry out "lone wolf" attacks in their countries, especially in France and Germany. The article was posted on the pro-ISIS Al-Khilafa Telegram channel; below are its main points. The author, Shibl Al-Baghdadi ("Lion of Al-Baghdadi"), urges Muslims in Europe - especially in France, "the chief patron of the Cross," and in Germany, "the defender of Atheism" - to carry out attacks by every means, and on all possible targets, for all targets are legitimate. UPDATED - ISIS Announces The Death Of Spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani In Syria, Promises Retaliation On August 30, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) news agency, A'maq, reported that the Islamic State official spokesman, Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani, was killed in Syria. Al-'Adnani, according to the announcement that was posted on the agency's website and Telegram channel, cites a "military source," and says: "Military source to A'maq Agency: the martyrdom of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani, spokesman of the Islamic State, during an inspection of his to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo." ISIS Video Features Foreign Children, One Of Them British, Executing Kurdish Fighters On August 26, 2016, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Al-Raqqa Province, Syria, released a video featuring foreign children, one of them British, executing five men described as Kurdish fighters. In the video, which is titled "The Nations [are] Uniting Against You", the five children, who are identified as Yousouf Al-Ozbaki, Abu Fuad Al-Kurdi, Abu Al-Baraa Al-Tunisi, Abu Abdalla Al-Britani and Abu Ishaq Al-Masri, shouted "Allah Akbar" before shooting the men in the head at close range. ISIS Releases Updated Version Of Its English News Android App The Islamic State (ISIS) news agency, A'maq, has released an updated version of its English news Android app. The upgrade follows other recent releases by the agency, including version 3.0 of its Arabic news app, and a web browser add-on. The new English version, version 2.0, promises more stability and privacy for its users. Similar to the Arabic app, it delivers various ISIS-related news, videos, and infographics that tout ISIS's military achievements and offensive capabilities, among other things. General school students fed up with vocational training VietNamNet Bridge - Despite low tuition and the 100-period (one period of 45 minutes) curriculum, the majority of general school students are not interested in vocational training programs. They attend the vocational classes just to receive bonus marks. Despite low tuition and the 100-period (one period of 45 minutes) curriculum, the majority of general school students are not interested in vocational training programs. They attend the vocational classes just to receive bonus marks. Nguyen Ha V, a 10th grader at Kim Lien High School in Hanoi, said that she spent 1.5 years to attend training when she was at secondary school and plans to continue attending another training course at high school.I learned how to make flowers from paper, V said, adding that after attending the course, she received 1.5 bonus points, which were added to the secondary-school finals result.Making paper flowers is easy so we chose it, she explained.However, the student admitted that though students attended the training course, they did not come to class regularly because the lessons were boring.My friends could not make flowers. They bought flowers in the market and submitted them to the teacher, she said.Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, a 12th grader in Hanoi, admitted that she was not interested in vocational training, but she still registered to attend a course to learn how to make paper flowers.We dont think we can improve our skills or get something from the course. We registered for the course just because we hoped we could receive bonus marks when sitting the high-school finals, Anh said.Someone surfs the internet, and the others sleep or do math exercises, Anh said when asked what students do at vocational lessons.There are 213 9th graders at the Khuong Dinh Secondary School, and 100 percent of them choose to study informatics for vocational training.Do Viet Hien, the headmaster of Khuong Dinh, said in fact, only 90 percent of students initially wanted to study informatics. However, the school advised the other 10 percent to change their mind, because it would be easier to control students if all of them attend the same training course.Nguyen Thi Van Hong, headmaster of Le Loi Secondary School in Hoan Kiem district, admitted that she was not sure about the efficiency of the vocational training, because many students follow training not because they want to improve their skills, but to receive preferences.Under current regulations, vocational training at secondary school is implemented with financial support from local authorities. Therefore, each student pays only VND40,000 for a training course which lasts 1.5 years. Mekong Delta region awaits floods VietNamNet Bridge - The Mekong Delta, the rice, seafood and fruit granary of the country, is facing landslides and sinking, as it no longer receives enough silt because of limited floodwaters. The Mekong Delta, the rice, seafood and fruit granary of the country, is facing landslides and sinking, as it no longer receives enough silt because of limited floodwaters. We have been living here for several generations and we have never seen such poor floodwaters until the last year, said Nguyen Van Ut, 70, in Tan Hong district of Dong Thap province.According to Ut, as floods do not come, locals cannot breed fish and shrimp, or grow vegetables.Nguyen Ba Hung, 38, in An Phu district of An Giang province, said it wasva surprise that floods had not come, though it is August.According to the Southern Meteorological Station, the water level is now very low at the Cuu Long riverhead. On Tien River, the highest water level is 1.36 meters only measured in Tan Chau, while on Hau River, the figure is 1.2 meters, which is 40-50 cm lower than the same period last year.There is no sign of floods so far, said Le Khuong Binh, director of the Dong Thap provincial Meteorological Station.Nguyen Minh Nhi, former chair of An Giang province, who initiated the plan to take full advantage of the flooding season to develop the economy in 2001, said that if floods do not come, it will be a big threat to the western part of the southern region.Previously, production activities in flooding season in An Giang and Dong Thap provinces could create VND5 trillion in value, generating nearly 1 million jobs to locals within 3-4 months of flooding season. However, as floods have been poor in the last two years, the production has scaled down.Nhi warned that damages caused by the absence of floods will be serious and millions of people will lose their livelihoods.The appearance of more and more hydropower dams on the Mekong main stream and branches has resulted in decrease in the volume of water reaching Vietnams Mekong Delta.Nhi expressed concern about information that Thailand had diverted the Mekong stream to take water to irrigate its 5 million hectares of fields.Even Tonle Sap in Cambodia also fears water shortage, he said. If floods no longer come, we will have to live with increasingly serious saline intrusion."According to Le Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Institute for Climate Change Studies, floods have not come because of changes in this years rainy season. Rains concentrate in the Mekong Delta and the water goes directly to the sea. Second, typhoons do not target the central region, but head for the north.Laos lower area and Vietnams central region play an important role in bringing floods to the Mekong Delta, but there is no water, he said.VNE The Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, hosted today, Friday 2 September, a farewell luncheon, in honor of U.S. Ambassador David Pearce, who is about to retire and thus is bound to leave within the first half of the month of September. During the meeting that preceded the luncheon, Mr. David Pearce praised the efforts of Greece to exit the economic crisis and become a pillar of stability and security for the entire region. And that, despite having received huge flows of refugees over the past year. Mr. Pearce, moreover, expressed his certainty that Greek-American relations are entering a new highly productive era, as Greece is to the U.S.A. an exceptionally important partner, given, among others, its geostrategic location. Dear friends, I would like to congratulate the World Pontian Youth Coordinating Committee (PASEPON) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki for organizing, with the support of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and under the Auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, the World Olympiad for Modern Greek and, at the same time, wish all participants best of luck. Ladies and Gentlemen, when Elytis published his Axion Esti in 1959 he depicted the timeliness of the Greek language, from Homer to Byzantium and from there on to Solomos, in a poetic manner through Greek the language they gave me [...] My only care my language on Homers shores [...] sweet psalms with the very first Glory Be to Thee! My only care my language with the very first Glory to Thee! and then in 1979, in one of his best texts, the actual speech he made before the Academy in Stockholm, the poet noted and I quote: Dear friends, it has been granted to me to write in a language that is spoken only by a few million people; but a language spoken without interruption, with very few differences, throughout, for more than two thousand five hundred years. [...] If language was just a simple means of communication, there would not be any problem. But it happens at times that it is also an instrument of magic. And it encodes values. Without a grain of conceit, the Greek language contributed in a defining manner to global intellectual life. Characterized by wholeness, musicality and plasticity it is the only language capable of rendering with admirable clarity, the most profound essence of all human intellectual creations. Just like a living organism, the Greek language tends to gradually evolve through time, adjusts to historical, social and political mutations and reflect the specificities of each era. Ladies and Gentlemen, we aspire to actually having the first World Olympiad for Greek Language, which taking place this year, in the context of celebrating the Aristotle Anniversary Year on the soil that bore and nurtured the philosopher, shall mark the start of a new tradition and shall become an institution to not only help raise global awareness and interest in the Greek language and culture but also build new bridges to connect us to the most vibrant segment of our diaspora, young men and women. And parallel to that we, both the State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are introducing new institutions to showcase and promote our language and linguistic wealth, starting with the World Day for Greek language and culture, then upgrading Modern Greek Studies Professorships, having the bill on Greek education abroad adopted the day before yesterday, following months of preparation and hard work, overall with a view to preserving the singular linguistic and cultural identity of Greeks abroad as well as facilitating their adjustment to a different cultural environment capitalizing on education and training facilities that exist in the host-country while acknowledging and recognizing all types of Greek-speaking education abroad and respectively offering support to enhance them. In addition, a Standing Committee shall be formally established to keep abreast of and promote the work of higher education agencies abroad as well as the work of staff seconded to them. On a final note, let me assure you that you will always have our support in all of your actions that promote the Greek language and culture. Thank you. On Sunday morning, the South Carolina honey bees began to die in massive numbers. Death came suddenly to Dorchester County, S.C. Stressed insects tried to flee their nests, only to surrender in little clumps at hive entrances. The dead worker bees littering the farms suggested that colony collapse disorder was not the culprit - in that odd phenomenon, workers vanish as though raptured, leaving a living queen and young bees behind. Instead, the dead heaps signaled the killer was less mysterious, but no less devastating. The pattern matched acute pesticide poisoning. By one estimate, at a single apiary - Flowertown Bee Farm and Supply, in Summerville - 46 hives died on the spot, totaling about 2.5 million bees. Walking through the farm, one Summerville woman wrote on Facebook, was "like visiting a cemetery, pure sadness." A Clemson University scientist collected soil samples from Flowertown on Tuesday, according to WCBD-TV, to further investigate the cause of death. But to the bee farmers, the reason is already clear. Their bees had been poisoned by Dorchester's own insecticide efforts, casualties in the war on disease-carrying mosquitoes. On Sunday morning, parts of Dorchester County were sprayed with Naled, a common insecticide that kills mosquitoes on contact. The United States began using Naled in 1959, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which notes that the chemical dissipates so quickly it is not a hazard to people. That said, human exposure to Naled during spraying "should not occur." In parts of South Carolina, trucks trailing pesticide clouds are not an unusual sight, thanks to a mosquito-control program that also includes destroying larvae. Given the current concerns of West Nile virus and Zika - there are several dozen cases of travel-related Zika in South Carolina, though the state health department reports no one has yet acquired the disease from a local mosquito bite - Dorchester decided to try something different Sunday. It marked a departure from Dorchester County's usual ground-based efforts. For the first time, an airplane dispensed Naled in a fine mist, raining insect death from above between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Sunday. The county says it provided plenty of warning, spreading word about the pesticide plane via a newspaper announcement Friday and a Facebook post Saturday. Local beekeepers felt differently. "Had I known, I would have been camping on the steps doing whatever I had to do screaming, 'No you can't do this,'" beekeeper Juanita Stanley said in an interview with Charleston's WCSC-TV. Stanley told the Charleston Post and Courier that the bees are her income, but she is more devastated by the loss of the bees than her honey. The county acknowledged the bee deaths Tuesday. "Dorchester County is aware that some beekeepers in the area that was sprayed on Sunday lost their beehives," Jason Ward, county administrator, said in a news release. He added, according to the Charleston Post and Courier, "I am not pleased that so many bees were killed." Spraying Naled from the air is not unprecedented, particularly when covering areas that cannot be reached by truck. In a single year in Florida, more than 6 million acres were fumigated with the chemical, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency argued in January that the technique should be used to curb Zika in Puerto Rico. But the insect neurotoxin cannot discriminate between honey bees and bloodsuckers. A profile of the chemical in Cornell University's pesticide database warned that "Naled is highly toxic to bees." Although the insecticide was known to kill bees, to South Carolina beekeepers spraying had not been as significant a concern as parasites, disease and other hive threats. As South Carolina Beekeepers Association President Larry Haigh told the Post and Courier in June 2015, many counties will spray at night, when honey bees do not forage for pollen. Plus, given sufficient warning, beekeepers will shield their hives and protect the bees' food and water from contamination. Sunday was different. Summerville resident Andrew Macke, who keeps bees as a hobby, wrote on Facebook that the hot weather left bees particularly exposed. Once temperatures exceed 90 degrees, bees may exit the nest to cool down in what is called a beard, clustering on the outside of the hive in a ball. Neither Macke nor Stanley had covered their hives. And then came the plane. "They passed right over the trees three times," Stanley said to ABC 4 News. After the plane left, the familiar buzzing stopped. The silence in its wake was like a morgue, she said. As for the dead bees, as Stanley told the AP, her farm "looks like it's been nuked." A Summerville resident started a Change.org petition calling for Dorchester County to halt aerial Naled spraying. It is unclear whether those who lost bees are pursuing other recourse. (c) 2016, The Washington Post Ben Guarino NATIONAL, HEALTH-SCIENCE Sep 01, 2016 - 6:47 AM TUSCOLA COUNTY Experience and dedication no longer matter for tenured eduction professionals to keep their job. Using the states recently development evaluation criteria veteran teachers were laid off in two school districts. The board of education approved laying off Barbara Merchant Tilt in the Unionville-Sebewaing Area School District after 21 years of service. She primarily taught English and health. And, in the Cass City School District elementary educator Ron McCollum was laid off by the board after 15 years there. Administrators in both districts cited student enrollment decline as well as low performance issues in meeting the states Danielson Teacher Evaluation guidelines. Cass City School Superintendent Jeff Hartel partly blamed McCollums layoff for the change in calculating income in the Great Start Readiness Program for at-risk preschool students. That change eliminated 19 students we though qualified for the program, he said. Hartel also pointed out that McCollum was given goals that werent reached, and he had the lowest teacher evaluation of the districts 55 teachers using the Danielson Teacher Evaluation so he was selected for layoff even though he does not teach preschool. McCollum teaches physical education and technology. Michigan Education Association Union Representative William Burt Burleson says he has an issue with the Danielson Teacher Evaluation. The evaluation was developed to help teachers improve as educators not eliminate them. It is being used to get rid of older teachers, the ones at the top pay, or ones that some dont like. The evaluation was developed without input from teachers and thats what I have an issue with. I dont think school districts are using the evaluation the way it is suppose to be used, Burleson said. Lawmakers are constantly maligning teachers. The Danielson Teacher Evaluation revamped and basically eliminated tenure and seniority rights because it allows veteran teachers to be dismissed after a series of poor reviews. When lawmakers developed the system in 2012, it was their contention it would help educators improve their skills, and is part of the No Child Left Behind program approved by the U.S. Department of Education. MEA officials contend the evaluation is being misused and/or not followed properly. These are teachers careers we are talking about here. This is their profession and their lives that are being impacted by the layoffs from evaluations, Burleson said. There is no reset button for them to get their career back on tack. This has severely impacted their life and will continue to do so. Burleson, who is an adjunct professor at Cooley Law College as well as a former Lansing city attorney, said the MEA has filed a Freedom of Information Act request (FIOA) from the school districts to review both teachers files and will be taking the issue before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for their review. Burleson contends the Danielson Teacher Evaluation is being misused across the state, is a morally bankrupt and reprehensible method. My concern is the process followed, said Cass City Education Association President Kris Milligan. That is our role (in the union) to maintain the integrity of the process and intervening if it is not. We hope to come to a resolution with the best outcome. While McCollum could not be reached for comment about the situation or for information about his career, Tilt provided some background about herself and career. Tilt has 26 years of teaching experience. She did student teaching in 1989 in Ubly, and graduated from Central Michigan University in 1989 with a bachelors in education, earned a minor in English from Saginaw Valley State University and a masters degree in the art of teaching, from Marygrove College in 2003. Her first teaching assessment was with Kingston Public Schools and with the Pioneer Work and Learn Center when it was there. She was granted tenure during her first year there, but was laid off because of low seniority when Pioneer relocated to Vassar. Being laid off didnt last long. She was hired by the Kingston School District to teach at the Pioneer Work and Learn Center, and given tenure the first year. In 1995, she was hired by USA, and earned tenure in her second year there. She taught high and middle school students during her 21 years with the district. She was named Walmart Teacher of the Year in 1997, Health Teacher of the Year in the State of Michigan in 2005, given a Crystal Apple Teaching Award by the USA School Board and numerous other teaching awards over her career. I have never had less than an effective teacher evaluation until this year, Tilt said. I was placed in the middle school to teach sixth-grade English Language Arts and Social Studies, for the first time, for the 2015-2016 school year. I had never taught this grade or these classes before. I am also on the highest rail of the pay scale and high in seniority after teaching at USA for 21 years. The MEA Attorney has advised me that this is all I can say due to upcoming litigation. According to Unionville-Sebewaing Area School District Superintendent George Rierson, besides the performance evaluation a decrease in student enrollment and an increase in expenses were also factors in the decision to lay off Tilt. Tilt is also the president of the Unionville Sebewaing Education Association (USEA) and the grievance chair. She has been very vocal as a union rep and about grievances, Burleson said. 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. Joshua Stephen O'Day, 35 ANN ARBOR, MI - An Ypsilanti Township man will serve 15 to 30 years behind bars for sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at knifepoint in January. Joshua O'Day, 35, of Ypsilanti Township declined to address the court at his Thursday, Sept. 1 sentencing in Washtenaw County Trial Court, but his mother and brother said they hope to express their sympathy to his victim and her family. "I apologize to her," Catherine Chapin, 57, said following the court hearing. "I'll never understand," she said. "He's never done anything and then one day he's out of his mind on drugs and it just all goes to pieces." A woman reported being attacked when she left work at 7 a.m. Jan. 17 near Center Street and Ecorse Road in Ypsilanti. Police at the time said the assailant stole the 20-year-old Ypsilanti Township woman's cellphone, forced her to another location and assaulted her. The woman escaped to a business to call police and O'Day was arrested a few blocks away, police said. O'Day pleaded guilty on July 18 to two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct with a weapon used, one count of unlawful imprisonment, one count of armed robbery and one count of interfering with a crime report. Prior to Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Darlene O'Brien delivering her sentence, Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor John Vella requested O'Brien follow a sentence agreement. "I would rather not rehash all the facts of this case," he said. "I believe the court was aware of how egregious this was, how terrifying this was for the victim, so I'm asking that the court follow the sentence agreement and sentence this defendant to 15 to 30 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections." O'Brien agreed, noting O'Day had no criminal history, but called O'Day's conduct "atrocious." "You must you commit yourself to living free of alcohol and cocaine and the controlled substances that contributed to your being here today," O'Brien said. O'Day was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison for the counts of criminal sexual conduct, seven to 15 years for unlawful imprisonment and 15 to 30 years for armed robbery, all to be served concurrently. He was sentenced to time served for interfering with a crime report. First degree criminal sexual conduct and armed robbery are both felonies punishable by up to life in prison. Chapin said she's hopeful she'll see her son released from prison in her lifetime. "Two families are devastated," she said. Darcie Moran covers cops and courts for MLive and The Ann Arbor News. Email her at dmoran@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter @darciegmoran. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office reports the following activities for Thursday, Sept. 1 with deputies responding to 53 calls for service, conducted 73 traffic stops and made 3 arrests. 6:30 a.m. Deputy Bryant responded to Maci Boulevard near Dearing Road in Sandstone Township for a Property Damage Crash. 8:16 a.m. Deputies Mills and Sukovich responded to West Michigan Avenue in Summit Township for a Trouble with Subject report at Tim Horton's. 8:43 a.m. Deputy Freeman responded to Burtch Road near Bellman Road in Grass Lake Township for a Motorist Assist. 9:04 a.m. Deputy Freeman conducted a traffic stop at North Lake Street in the Village of Grass Lake. A subject was arrested and lodged on an outstanding felony warrant for Malicious Destruction of Property out of Napoleon Police and a misdemeanor warrant for Contempt of Court out of MSP-Jackson. 10:18 a.m. Deputy Sukovich responded to Badgley Road in Summit Township for a Tree Blocking the roadway. 10:38 a.m. Deputy Roe responded to North Sutton Road in Leoni Township for a Larceny report. 11:00 a.m. Deputy Freeman conducted a traffic stop on Wolf Lake Road near Clark Street in the Village of Grass Lake. The driver was arrested for OWI and an outstanding warrant. 12:02 p.m. Deputy Watson responded to Portage Lake Road in Waterloo Township for a Suspicious Situation report. 12:58 p.m. Deputy Mills responded to Round Lake Road in Liberty Township for a Larceny report. 1:24 p.m. Deputy Watson responded to West Territorial Road in Rives Township. A subject was arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for Friend of the Court out of Shiawassee County. 1:38 p.m. Deputies Johnson and Bryant responded to East Southfield Drive in Summit Township for a Domestic Situation. 2:35 p.m. Deputies Roberts and Deering responded to Elizabeth Street near Michigan Avenue in Sandstone Township for a Personal Welfare Check. 3:11 p.m. Deputy McCormick responded to Harshbarger Road near Falahee Road in Leoni Township for a Property Damage Crash. 3:53 p.m. Deputy Mills responded to Clinton Road in Tompkins Township for a tree in the roadway. 4:50 p.m. Deputy Johnson responded to East South Street in Summit Township for a possible Fraud report. 5:32 p.m. Deputy Johnson responded to Spring Arbor Road for a shoplifting complaint. 6:31 p.m. Deputy Roberts responded to Ellis Drive for a Motorcycle personal injury accident. 6:37 p.m. Deputy Sparks responded to the area of I-94 near Mount Hope Road for a traffic hazard, tire in the roadway. 6:38 p.m. Deputy Collins responded to Wellman Road for a fraud report. 6:39 p.m. Deputy Vosters responded to Maitland Drive for a breaking and entering report. 6:44 p.m. Deputy Johnson responded to the area of Probert Road near Francis Street for a traffic hazard. 6:58 p.m. Deputy Johnson responded to Cascade Woods Drive for a suspicious situation report. 7:21 p.m. Deputy Sparks responded to E. Michigan Ave for a residential alarm. 8:08 p.m. Deputy Johnson responded to 40 Paul Street for an animal cruelty report. 9:20 p.m. Deputy Collins responded to Elizabeth Street to assist the Michigan State Police with a physical domestic assault complaint. 9:32 p.m. Deputy Sullivan responded to Hague Avenue for a personal welfare check. 9:34 p.m. Deputies Sparks and Vosters responded to the area of S Meridian Road near Vicary Road for a personal welfare check. 9:46 p.m. Deputies Collins and Meyers responded to Pine Hill Lake Road for a verbal domestic complaint. 1:03 a.m. Deputy Meyers responded to the Michigan State Police Post for a malicious destruction of property complaint that occurred on Jordan Road. 1:33 a.m. Deputy Sullivan and all county units responded to Lincoln Court for several disorderly subjects in the street. 1:43 a.m. Deputy Meyers responded to McCreery Road for a property security check of a residence. KALAMAZOO, MI - William U. Parfet unceremoniously resigned Wednesday from the Stryker Corp. Board of Directors and the company is not saying why. Parfet, 69, was among the longest-tenured members of the board, which works on behalf of company stockholders to establish corporate policies, to provide oversight and guidance to the company's top management, and to make decisions on major corporate issues. Parfet joined the board in 1993. "On Aug. 31, 2016, William Parfet resigned as a director of Stryker Corp. effective immediately," the Kalamazoo-based company stated in an email response to questions about the resignation. Asked why he was resigning, Jenny Braga, senior manager of communications for Stryker, stated in an email that the company had no further comments on the matter. The board continues with eight members. In a regulatory filing, Monsanto Co. stated that Parfet also resigned Wednesday from that company's board. Monsanto is a Missouri-based provider of agricultural products intended to improve farm productivity. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported online that Monsanto disclosed Parfet's resignation in a regulatory filing but did not give a reason for his departure. Parfet had been a member of that board for 16 years. Parfet, who was until recently the chairman and chief executive officer of Mattawan-based drug and chemical testing laboratory MPI Research, has been embroiled in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed on Aug. 1 in federal court in California. The lawsuit alleges Parfet demanded to have sex with Shuang Zhang while she worked for him as a hired consultant in China and as a full-time employee of MPI Research on occasions while they were on business trips overseas and in the United States. She is a resident of Sunnyvale, Calif. In the lawsuit, Zhang, who is described as being 27 years younger than Parfet, claims her two young children (ages 4 and 7) are the result of an affair that began with him in 2008 and continued until June of 2014. The civil lawsuit alleges sexual harassment, sex discrimination and wrongful termination. An attorney for Parfet stated that he will present a vigorous defense to the lawsuit but has otherwise offered no public reaction to the legal action. Parfet is married and has six children, four with his first wife and two with his current wife. He is the great-grandson of W.E. Upjohn, founder of The Upjohn Co., the Kalamazoo-based pharmaceutical company that is now a part of Pfizer Inc. He sold his interests in MPI Research late last year and is executive chairman of inviCRO, a Boston-based provider of imaging solutions for drug development companies. During his 23 years on the Stryker board, Parfet served as non-executive chairman of the board in 2012 as that company sought to find a replacement for then-CEO and Chairman Stephen P. MacMillan. The company stated that MacMillan, who was in the throes of a divorce, stepped down "for family reasons." Not counting Stryker Chairman Emeritus John W. Brown, the only individuals with longer tenure on the board are: Howard E. Cox. Jr., a special limited partner with California-based venture capital firm Greylock Partners; and Ronda E. Stryker, granddaughter of Stryker Corp. founder Dr. Homer Stryker and vice chairwoman of Greenleaf Trust bank. Cox has been a director since 1974, Ronda Stryker since 1984. Stryker Corp. is a maker of medical technologies, including orthopedic implants such as replacement hips and knees for people, powered surgical instruments used in operating rooms, and many of the hospital beds and gurneys found in U.S. health centers and emergency response vehicles. It reported more than $9.9 billion in sales last year and is led by Chairman and CEO Kevin A. Lobo. It has approximately 3,000 employees in Kalamazoo County. They are part of a worldwide corporate workforce of about 27,000 employees. KALAMAZOO, MI --Police confiscated cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines and guns during a Wednesday raid of a house in Kalamazoo's Vine Neighborhood. Investigators from the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team said in a Thursday press release that they served a search warrant in the 700 block of McCourtie Street after an ongoing drug investigation. "During the search, investigators located nearly 10 ounces of crystal methamphetamine, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana," officers stated in a press release. "In addition to the drugs, a shotgun and handgun were located inside the residence." According to police, the handgun was recently reported stolen in Kalamazoo. A 34-year-old man was arrested on multiple drug charges as well as for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, receiving and concealing stolen property, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was being held in the Kalamazoo County Jail. Formed in 1991 in response to a crack-cocaine epidemic, KVET originally was organized as a regional drug law enforcement team. It was staffed by officers from Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department, Kalamazoo Township, the city of Portage and Western Michigan University. As participation by surrounding agencies waned, the team has become primarily an operation of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Officers ask anyone with information regarding illegal drug or firearms activity to contact KVET directly at 269-337-8880 or anonymously via the Silent Observer at 269-343-2100 or KALAMAZOO, MI -- Two men were arrested Thursday when they were found smoking marijuana, with loaded handguns tucked into their waistbands, in the off-campus area of West Michigan Avenue. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety has been conducting patrols in the Western Michigan University campus area this week in anticipation of large crowds during WMU Move In week, according to a news release from the department. On Sept. 1 public safety officers observed several subjects in a car actively involved in drug use. When they made contact with the car's five occupants they found marijuana and two loaded handguns. Officers arrested two 21-year-old men from the Flint area who were in town to partake in Welcome Week festivities. They are accused of carrying concealed weapons, posssession of marijuana and receiving and concealing stolen property, though what stolen property was found, other than one of the handguns, was not specified in the news release. OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP -- At 10:15 a.m., hours before a decision would be made, Nick Loeks intently watched each vote be tallied. "Three votes," the clerk said as two others prepared their pens to record the result. "Boven. DiBiaggio. Loeks. Mazer." A short pause. "Four votes..." On it went. For more than half the day on Thursday, Sept. 1, the Kalamazoo County Board of Canvassers worked to complete a recount of four Township races. The Republican primary for Texas Township treasurer, the Republican primary for Richland Township, the Schoolcraft Township clerk and the fourth position on the Texas Township board had recounts requested by candidates. Candidates, their relatives and curious residents filtered in and out of the Oshtemo Township Offices -- a neutral location picked for the recount. Kalamazoo County Clerk Tim Snow said the day went smoothly. Of the four, two races had a new outcome by Thursday evening. Loeks, who had secured the fourth position for Texas Township Trustee by 27 votes, secured his place. Wendy Mazer, Tim Brown, Donald Boven and Loeks remained the Republican candidates for Texas Township Trustee. "I'm not really nervous," the first-time trustee said hours earlier. "I have a good lead. But you never know, I want to be here just in case." Across the floor, Bear Priest slowly paced in a small line, arms crossed over his Green Bay Packers polo -- his "lucky shirt." Priest was one of two candidates who lost contested races from a blind drawing, which he said was a "silly" practice. "In small communities like Richland Township, I think we should just move all five candidates to the general election," he said. "I don't want someone to have messed up at their job, but I'm hoping a mistake was made." Priest was vindicated. He was declared the fourth Richland Township Trustee against Joseph L. Kaywood. Paul Cutting was decided the winner of the Republican primary for Texas Township treasurer when a tied race ended by a drawing. His opponent Trish Roberts requested a recount to decide who will become the GOP's nominee for Texas Township treasurer in the November general election. The final results showed Cutting with 621 votes, one more than was previously allotted but not enough to beat Roberts, who earned 624. On Election Day, Schoolcraft Township Clerk Virginia Mongreig had a one-vote margin over challenger Deborah Vliek (407 to 406). After the recount, not a single vote changed, and Mongreig remained the victor. All the candidates involved in the recount face no opposition in the November General Election. Amid a local government crackdown on sidewalk vendors in Mandalay, city authorities say the long-held procedure of outsourcing tax collection efforts to a private company will need to be reviewed next year, as the new policy seeking to reduce roadside congestion is fuelling tension on the citys streets. For over a year now Mandalay City Development Committee has been stepping up its efforts to clean up the citys sidewalks. MCDCs clearing department has been checking that vendors have proper licences to sell their wares, while also clearing small shop sellers from areas that authorities say have become too congested. When taking action, we do not close the shops, we fine them, U Soe Tint Aung, head of the MCDCs clearing department. After an initial warning, vendors can be fined between K10,000 and K50,000, he said. In this financial year alone, fines have already totalled K9 million, U Soe Tint Aung added, with over 450 fines handed out to vendors across six Mandalay townships, including Aung Myay Tharzan, Chan Aye Tharzan and Maha Aung Myay. However enforcement of the clean-up policy has forced a re-think of tax collection, as collectors, outsourced to private companies each financial year through a tender process, have been claiming tax in areas where vendors are prohibited from trading. This has created confusion among sellers who receive fines, or are chased out of areas they believe they have paid taxes for and therefore have a right to stay in. When the MCDC staff come to arrest us, we have to flee from the place and pack all my things, but it shouldnt happen while I do my business and pay tax, a vendor in Aung Myay Tharzan township, who said he paid K200 per day in taxes said yesterday. Sometimes my property and goods have been seized when I am arrested and I have to pay a fine to get back my things, he added, asking not to be named. U Win Maung, head of the Revenue Department, said the situation would need to be reported up to the upper level for review, as the process was currently not working. Not only are the tax collectors not allowed to collect tax on the main road, but vendors are not allowed to sell there, according to the rules, he said. The tax cannot be collected at places where committee has disallowed vendors. Translation by San Layy Budget Hong Kong airline HK Express is competing with state carrier Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) on the Yangon-Hong Kong route, and will also start a two-month run flying to Mandalay. HK Express started Hong Kong-to-Yangon return flights yesterday, which it will operate four days a week Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The first flight is 90 percent full with Hong Kong people excited to explore Myanmar, said Sherman Luk, general manager of HK Express. The low-cost carrier will compete with fellow Hong Kong airline Dragon Air, Malaysias AirAsia and Myanmars MNA, which all operate the same route. It will have some impact [on our business], said Captain Than Tun, chief executive of MNA, which only restarted international flights in 2015 after two decades of domestic operations. The carrier is already facing difficulties competing with more established foreign airlines for international traffic, he added. We havent had much time to prepare to compete with our peers because were still rebuilding the airline, he said. MNA is in the middle of a corporatisation process that will eventually see it operate as a private company. MNA flies to Hong Kong from Yangon four times a week in the low season and operates daily flights in peak tourist season, Capt Tun added. HK Express will also start return flights from Hong Kong to Mandalay on September 5, and will run those flights twice a week, Mr Luk said. The firm will be the only carrier offering direct flights from Mandalay to Hong Kong, but is only operating the route until October 28. Kayley So, a public relations officer for HK Express, would only say that operational reasons were behind the two-month window for Mandalay flights. But the airline will explore any opportunity to operate the Mandalay-Hong Kong route in the future, she said. HK Express will be the third international airline to start Mandalay flights within the space of a week. MNA began thrice-weekly Mandalay-Bangkok flights on August 31, and Myanmar Airways International (MAI), the only other international carrier in Myanmar, started its own Mandalay-Bangkok flights yesterday. Daw Aye Mra Tha, MAIs head of marketing and public relations, said that the airline has applied to offer a direct flight to Kolkata, but was not looking at Hong Kong. There arent many passengers flying Yangon to Hong Kong, she said. Its more a seasonal flight during Chinese New Year and the Myanmar Gems Emporium [in June]. It is Myanmars own traditional comedy, a song-and-dance routine by the people for the people. And now well-known comedian Zaganar is bringing anyeint back to the people. Free of charge. The actor and former political prisoner has assembled five teams of talent to present 200 performances across the country. Thilaythi, Har Ngar Kaung, Myanmar Pyi Star, Unit and Asia Har have signed up for the gigs, which are supported by the VeVe Juice company. The five teams will perform 40 shows each, all over the country. Thilaythi will perform 40 shows across Magwe and Sagaing regions in December. Har Nga Kaung will be in Ayeyarwady Region, Zaganar told The Myanmar Times. The art form is based on the traditional anyeint thabin, or performance, and centres around the theme of fading away and then shining forth again. Essentially a street performance, there were 45 shows a night in Mandalay, a hotbed of the culture, before 1988, said Zaganar. At that time, there was no charge to the public. But after 1988, performance art drew away from the people, and audiences were charged admission, or had to watch on TV or DVD. I want to restore things the way they used to be, and to encourage other people to organise performances as well. Yankin township resident Daw Mu Mu, 60, said, When I was young, around 1983, we used to watch anyeint at Thadingyut. The troupes that performed on Waizayandar Road at night would build a stage at Yankin Hsehnalontan about noon. Everybody would turn out to watch them, and would follow them wherever they went. Zaganar said he feared that the traditional art of anyeint could be fading away. Anyeint thabin could be the next thing to go, like Myanmar zat thabin, though people are trying to bring back the art of puppetry. Comedian Panthi, a member of Thilaythis team, said, Ill be taking part in Ko Zaganars program because he wants to restore anyeint. Were planning the schedule for the performances now, including which kinds of plays will be performed, and what kinds of jokes will have the best impact on public to reflect our times. The art is to start from comedy and to work toward knowledge and understanding. Translation by San Layy Youre going to need popcorn. Lots of popcorn. The sixth annual Wathann Film Festival begins on September 7, offering Yangon cinephiles a line-up of more than 30 local and international flicks. It will be a welcome respite from the many B-grade (or often C-grade) blockbusters that usually fill the citys cinemas. Many of us from the new generation of Myanmar film-makers are not satisfied with the current quality and the working environment of the mainstream, commercial films that dominate here, said film-maker Lamin Oo, who has two works in this years We are trying to build our own path. Wathann is unique and crucial because it provides a platform for this new generation of film-makers. Lamin Oos projects are indicative of the local creativity on display at Wathann: Ready In Five Minutes is a documentary short that explores the practice of memento photography in a pagoda and Across the Riverwind is a narrative short about a struggling family who meets a young, well-to-do man. The filmmaker said he was interested in using short film to explore the two worlds of Myanmar, and how the old way of doing things meets the new way of doing things nearly every day and in every aspect of life. [And] short films, unlike their feature-film cousins, often leave the audience with questions rather than answers and resolutions, he said. While a number of film festivals have sprung up around the country in recent years, Wathanns history is more storied than others. It was started in 2011, just as the government tentatively loosened decades-old restrictions on creative industries. Previously, we [film-makers] never had a chance to show our films here, Wathann co-founder and organiser Thaiddhi told The Myanmar Times. So Wathann became the very first film festival in Myanmar. And although there have been seismic political shifts since last years edition of Wathann, organisers see their mission as more important than ever. We urge the new government to allow more freedom of expression in film-making and to provide increased recognition and support to local film-makers, Thaiddhi said. The 2016 instalment features some notable additions, including a Southeast Asia documentary competition and a Southeast Asia short film section. Japanese film-maker Nobuhiro Kawanaka, known as a founder of the Image Forum Film Festival in Tokyo, will be holding a master class as part of the program. Two award-winning German documentaries, Cafe Waldluft the story of a Bavarian hotel that turns into a temporary home for asylum seekers and Above and Below an examination of five outsiders living on the margins of the California desert will also screen. And like previous years, the event provides Yangonites with the chance to watch films inside the grand old Waziya Cinema on Bogyoke Road. The Waziya is allegedly the oldest cinema in Yangon and was once the beating heart of the areas cinema row. I want attendees to be inspired by films from our country, our region and all around the world, Thaiddhi said. Visit www.wathannfilmfestival.com for more information. Since its break-out from South Korea in July, Train to Busan fever has been spreading through cinemas the world over like a rage virus (read our review here). The films cocktail of zombies, gore and sentimentality with a bit more gore for good measure has seen it turn its B-movie budget of less than US$200,000 into an $80 million profit globally, and breathe new life into a genre that just wont stay dead. While Asia is a relative newcomer to big-screen zombies (which date back over 80 years in America to the critically panned 1932 film White Zombie), it does have previous when it comes to undead-flavoured mayhem on the big screen. So if Train to Busan has left you hungry for more Eastern-style flesh-eating flicks, here are three of the best to sink your teeth into. Versus (2000) This Japanese horror spectacular hacks together samurai mysticism, gangster shootouts and, of course, a healthy serving of zombie slaying. When a pair of escaped convicts meet some neer-do-wells in a woodland clearing, they arent expecting it to turn out to be Resurrection Forest the 444th portal to the other side and arent best pleased when bodies buried there start springing back to life. Like many movies of the genre, Versus dialogue comes up short, but stylish action scenes and good-humoured gore make for a thrilling two hours. Worth a look if youre done with Its only a fleshwound! style zombie-film cliches and want something a bit more creative. Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombie (2001) This amusingly titled Japanese B-movie seems to have hopes of providing us with a dense and considered social commentary about the structures in schools that define our characters and colour our souls. Fortunately, it totally fails and instead we are treated to a micro-budget slash-a-thon, with plenty of laughs and fake blood. The premise is daft and has slicing and dicing built in: Teenage girls who are infected turn into Stacies, who must be cut into 165 pieces to be killed. Why? Because Japan. Hopelessly naff, yet brimming with charm and plenty of Western zombie film references, Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombie will either worm its way into your cold heart, or be your least favourite zombie film ever. The Guard Post (2008) Its back to Korea for my final recommendation, which comes complete with something rare to zombie films; a well-defined plot. Two army operatives are sent to investigate a military outpost where a strange incident has been reported. On arrival they find the place strewn with corpses, but all the weapons are still locked up and a rabid virus looks a far more likely killer. The claustrophobic and psychological thrills crescendo in a scene where one of our heroes is convinced by undead soldiers that the disease never really existed. The Guard Post sits at the more sophisticated end of Asian zombie films, and those hoping for more gore and senseless violence will instead have to make do with well-rounded characters and slick production values. Despite a splattering of confusing flashback sequences, this po-faced effort fares well and might be the closest thing to Train to Busan out there for now. If devouring these three still leaves you hungry for more, fear not: The success of Train to Busan will surely see a spree of Asian undead limping toward the big screen before long. In fact, the business-savvy brains behind Busan have already been pushing its animated prequel Seoul Station which some are describing as even better than its successor. Stand by for a tide of unearthly invasion, coming soon to cinemas near you. Lemongrass is for bodily relaxation and sound sleep; fruity fragrance reduces stress and eases migraine. For Ma Khin Swe, 35, a candle enthusiast who loves the scents of chocolate and mocha latte, the choices you make can relax your body, mind and spirit. She came home last year after spending eight years in the United Arab Emirates. Staying with her aunt, she found herself thinking about her hobby. Im mad about candles. I used to collect them when I was in the UAE, she said. Ma Khin Swe, co-founder of Ko Ko Soy Candles, said I believe this is the best time to start a business. Her base is the two-storey house in Kyaung Gone Street, Sanchaung township. Her clean and dark workplace on the first floor is decorated with recently poured lemongrass scent and bottles and boxes filled with raw soya wax. She acquired the skills at a one-year art diploma course in the UEA, where she learned candle-making, pottery and embroidery. It started out as fun, she said. But when I decided to come home to Myanmar, I planned to open a candle shop, importing famous brands from England and the USA. But that was before she found that the duty on imported candles was half as much as the price. Ive found that there are very few fragrances or essential oils available here, she said But were all familiar with candles because of the power cuts. What most people dont know is that wax can also heal body, mind and soul. Family members sought to dissuade her, pointing out that the electricity supply was more reliable these days. I said my candles are different from the paraffin ones in the market, said Ma Khin Swe, who imports raw soya wax and pours it by hand, mixing it with essential oils imported from France. She started the business in February, uploading and introducing her products through Instagram and Facebook. Now her products can be found in eight local shops, including Retro Retro in Yankin, Shwe Kyar Ni restaurant in Sanchaung, M Mart in Myanmar Plaza and others. Soya wax is booming in America. Its the best in the world, she said. Beeswax has the best quality and is more expensive than soya wax, but I chose soya to keep costs low, and because it can burn pure and lasts twice as long as paraffin candles. Its better for the environment. A 150-gram jar candle costs K9900 and will burn for up to 25 hours. There are the fruity and flower types, like jasmine, padauk and gantgaw, lemongrass, green tea, apple, orange, lavender, cinnamon, sandalwood and tamarind. Then there are the coffees: mocha latte and cappuccino. Ma Khin Swe is now preparing to produce other new scents suitable for yoga practitioners, like peppermint and honey melon.She plans to work with other local craft workers to open a night or weekend market, and would like to open her own shop with 50 scents. We already have one shop, called Myanmar Makers Market, or M3. For more information and products, visit the Koko Candles Facebook page. Forest depletion, a shortage of high-quality materials and skilled artisans and a lack of government support are some of the main worries of their craft. But perhaps the most wounding is the lack of appreciation. Everybody feels familiar with bamboo. It tends to be overlooked, or held cheap. But this strong and versatile material, so closely associated with Southeast Asia and its forests, is an unheralded treasure. Some recognition came with the furniture exhibition at Yangons Tatmadaw Hall that ran from August 15 to 18, where members of the Bamboo Lovers Network exhibited their handicrafts. Bamboo does not enjoy a high profile in the world of handicrafts. Few souvenir shops stock bamboo artefacts, the associated technology is low and officialdom lacks interest. The secretary of the network, Saw Mon Thein, said, We help artists find markets for their work. We cant open shops, but we participate in exhibitions. Sometimes hotels order traditional designs, such as tissue boxes, lanterns and paintings. Often, we cant supply as much as they ask. Our artists are already working at maximum capacity. The artisans spend much of their time making samples to encourage buyer interest. The raw material is expensive. One craftsman, U Zaw Lwin Oo of Bagan-Nyaung Oo, said, Bamboo is becoming rare and has to be protected from mildew and worms. We have to make up samples to the customers demands to encourage sales. Lacquerware is based on bamboo, but the market for bamboo products is weaker and the products are not so durable. It can be hard to estimate how long an article will last. He added, Experts came from Indonesia to talk to us about handicrafts and technology. We discussed how to make the products last longer and how to develop the market. Its hard to estimate the age of cut bamboo, and if you cant guarantee the durability of a product the market can be elusive. Bamboo can make floors, walls, sheds, entire houses. Hats, matting, baskets and sieves are made in Nga Thine Chaung, Ayeyarwady Region. Rural families assemble the raw wood and send it to the craftsmen. There is very little profit in the business, says U Aung Lwin, who runs the Aung family hat business in Nga Thine Chaung. They only charge about K50 or K100 per piece. The work is very time-consuming, and it can take all day to earn K1500 or K2000. To produce 40,000 or 50,000 articles for the market takes a great deal of time and effort. For the past five or six years, weve been bringing in Tin bamboo from Bago. Before that, we ordered from Western Yoma and Rakhine Yoma, but the forests became too depleted. We would appreciate more assistance from the government, or civil society, he said. Inevitably, the future of the craft is in doubt as parents discourage their children from taking up such a low-paying business. The work is hard, the pay poor and the prospects dim. Where the government is willing to lend money to a small enterprise, many craftsmen are reluctant to borrow for fear of not making enough money to repay the loan. In other Southeast Asian countries handicraft experts receive long-term support so they can sustain short-term losses. But in this country, Im not sure the government even knows we exist, said U Zaw Lwin Oo. We do the work out of pride. We can show at exhibitions. If I stop working with bamboo, all my workers will stop too. My children were not interested in following me into the profession they all went on to university. How long is this going to last? Translation by Khant Lin Oo and Khine Thazin Han While other Asian countries have introduced period leave for female employees, in Myanmar youd better not mention it. It couldnt happen here. Or could it? Last March, a British company announced that it was allowing female employees one day a month of menstruation leave. Last year, Ma Ei exhibited a performance art called Period for three days at Gallery 65, an artistic response to the idea in the prevailing culture that menstruation is unclean. Good Buddhists nearly 90 percent of the population are taught that women cannot enter a shrine during their monthly period, and should not even touch the flowers, candles or drinking glasses there. Working women in the cities are finding they have little time for those ideas. Daw Mi Mi, 64, said the taboos were in full force when she was growing up in the Delta. My friends and I didnt believe we would go to hell if we donated rice to novices during our periods. That would just mean the novices would go hungry. She rebelled against the boredom imposed by the prejudice. Working helps the blood circulate and eases the pain a bit, she said, adding that it was never something discussed in front of men. Mai Suitaraw, former head of the Chin Literature and Culture Committee, said there is less discrimination and fewer taboos in her native southern Chin State, though in the past menstruating women were told not to go to church. I dont think it was a religious taboo. They just didnt have underwear, she said. Schools have only recently started to teach about the matter, reducing slightly the teasing and the embarrassment some girls used to suffer at the hands of boys. Public health books provided by the UN have been available in urban schools since about 2010, but progress is slower in the countryside. We didnt learn about it from school, but from our friends. We could discuss period pains with men friends at university, but it was better to discuss it with people of the same ethnicity and religion, said Mai Suitaraw, a Baptist. Menstruation leave is good for women who suffer great pain, though it could give some a chance to cheat. It depends how honest they are, she said. Though the British companys period leave policy has attracted international attention, it is not exceptional. In 1947, Japan became the first country to grant leave to female workers who suffered heavily with period pains or did work considered injurious to their health during menstruation. Elsewhere in Asia, however, attempts by businesses and governments to introduce menstrual leave have struggled to gain acceptance. In China, debate intensified in August after the northern province of Ningxia became the fourth region to introduce menstrual leave. In February, female workers in the central Anhui province were also granted the right to take one or two days off, on production of a certificate from a legal medical institute or hospital, according to news website China.org. A female lawyer at Insein High Court said one days leave a month is allowed in Myanmar, but there is no mention of menstruation. But if a woman suffered period pains and got a doctors note, she could take the day off, she said, adding that any attempt to introduce the practice in this country could lead to complaints, and even attempts to verify womens condition. Daw Seint Seint Thway Myint, 40, owner of the Smart garment factory in Hmawbi township, said her business would suffer if all her staff, mostly female, demanded menstruation leave. If a worker feels unwell, we invite her to take a rest on the factory premises. If it gets worse, they can go home. We think that system works, and theres no need for a change in the law, she said. Having worked herself through her period, she said the work can help ease the stress. It also didnt stop her offering meals, water or flowers at the pagoda. I take a bath and wear clean clothes and carry on as normal, paying my respects to the Buddha in the shrine or offering meals to monks. If we feel guilty about our natural bodily functions and stay off work, where will that get us? she said. Dr Ei Phyu Htwe, a medical officer with an NGO in Hsipaw township, Shan State, said the stigma of menstruation was still prevalent in small villages, and education was needed. Village girls still thought it was shameful to suffer period pains, she said. Even now, many village girls dont use sanitary pads. They just wash their longyis once a month. They need a better understanding of hygiene, she said, adding that she supported the idea of menstruation leave. Sometimes women cant work properly, and sometimes cant even stand. Its best to stay in bed, she said. Some women believe washing their hair, taking long baths, eating tea-leaf salad or guava and certain vegetables can block the menstruation cycle. Dr Ei Phyu Htwe dismisses those ideas. The caffeine in the tea leaves can produce hormonal effects. That could have an effect on the pain, she said. Businessman Ko Phyo Phyo, 28, said better education was gradually countering ignorance about menstruation. Men could even help by going out and buying medicine, he said. My younger sister doesnt offer drinking water or meals to the Buddha during her period. Thats just a taboo. Whats important is a pure mind. I dont think women should face discrimination because of natural functions. Twenty years after he returned from Switzerland to Yangon to open his award-winning Yangon restaurant Sharkys, Ye Htut Win famously known as Mr Sharky is this week opening a new restaurant in the historic town of Bagan. Sharkys has long been a favourite among residents and visitors alike, thanks to its artisan dishes and products made using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The new restaurant, which is located opposite Bagans Shwezigon Pagoda in the newly restored Aung Mingalar cinema hall, will follow suit, offering a total artisan food experience, Ye Htut Win said. The essence of the menu remains our quality, made in Myanmar, field-to-table concept: local, artisan, organic. The difference is that we take it one stage further at our Bagan restaurant, where guests can tour our on-site vegetable and aromatic herb farm, which produces all of the restaurants fresh salad and herbs, he said, adding that the restaurant will also feature an on-site bakery. Some might wonder why the Bagan opening has taken Ye Htut Win this long, given the citys high number of visitors and dearth of quality dining options. But the new opening is more than just a restaurant, Ye Htut Win said. Hand in hand with a Sharkys restaurant comes a support and logistics system for the production of our core products. Without these, it would not be Sharkys. Creating these key elements, especially the human resources, takes time. Thats why were not rushing to open in other locations, despite their potential, he said, adding that they are also considering opening restaurants in Ngapali and Nay Pyi Taw. Sharkys Bagan opens on September 3. An appeal letter for 14 Myanmar migrant workers will be filed today pressing ahead with demands for substantial additional compensation from a poultry farm in Thailands Lopburi province accused of labour abuses, according to the Migrant Workers Rights Network. The network said the claimants are seeking 46 million baht (US$1.33 million) from Thai chicken exporting giant Betagro Group, more than 27 times the 1.7 million baht compensation that a court ordered be paid to the workers on July 27. Betagro had sourced some of its chicken from the Thammakaset Farm 2, where the abuses took place, before reportedly dropping it as a supplier when the allegations came to light. U Sein Htay, chair of the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN), said that in addition to the appeal letter to the court, the network would also submit a petition to the Thai Broiler Chicken Association with more than 45,000 signatures in support of the migrant workers. He said the compensation payment ordered by a Thai court in July had only covered two years and no overtime, while the workers in question had been employed anywhere from three to five years at the factory, with regular overtime. We will be pushing the Betagro company to take responsibility for abuse of labourers as well as pressuring the [poultry] association in order to have accountability for forced labour, U Sein Htay said. The case has highlighted abuses in Thailands poultry farming industry, which long avoided the kind of criticism the seafood industry has faced despite also being rife with maltreatment of workers, many of whom are migrants. Andy Hall, an international affairs adviser to the MWRN, said the petition calls on the Thai poultry association to encourage its member, Betagro, to ensure that the owed compensation is provided to the 14 workers and urges the company to investigate working conditions throughout its supply chain. Ko Naing Win, 28, who had worked at the poultry farm for more than three years, said all of the former workers are now employed at a seafood processing facility and are living at the MWRN office in Mahachai, a Thai port town, after quitting their Thammakaset Farm 2 jobs in late June. We want be worthy of our compensation because we were forced and abused labourers for a long time and it was suffering. We hope that Thai authorities and the poultry association will care for us, he said. The chicken factory in central Lopburi province was accused in a June 28 complaint of forcing its employees to work punishing hours for pay below minimum wage. Workers said they were forced to work 65 days straight before getting just three days off, with workdays stretching from 7am to 5pm. Myanmar is planning to increase Zika surveillance after the virus was detected in several neighbouring countries this week, a health official said. The mosquito-borne disease, which has been linked to fatal birth defects, has not been detected in Myanmar. Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia have all confirmed recent cases of Zika, with Singapore battling an outbreak that grew to include 115 patients by August 31, according to that countrys Ministry of Health. Several countries, including the United States, have warned pregnant women to avoid travelling to Singapore following the outbreak. Myanmar health officials say they have been taking precautionary steps against Zika including spraying for mosquitoes and conducting airport screenings since the World Health Organization put out an alert on February 1 warning that the Zika virus is a public health threat of global proportion. Dr Than Win, deputy director general of the Department of Public Health, said in the wake of the nearby outbreak, Myanmar will accelerate prevention and protection procedures. He added that no case has been confirmed in Myanmar. Prevention is the best measure, he said. The department has been taking two kinds of procedures for Zika: a prevention and protection process, and a surveillance process. The mosquito control program we have been implementing is valid for both the Zika virus and dengue fever. Zika is carried by the same type of mosquito the Aedes aegypti as carries the dengue, yellow fever, chikyngunya, Japanese encephalitis and West Nile viruses. The Zika virus can also be transmitted sexually and by blood, however. Symptoms of the Zika virus infection include muscle pains, fever, headache, pain behind the eyes and vomiting. The disease has also been linked to complications in babies, such as microcephaly, where the fetus brain does not fully develop, and the rare paralysis-inducing auto-immune disease Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Awareness is also important. The public should be aware of the infection, and take care to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, and keep their homes clear of mosquito breeding environments, Dr Than Win said. If a patient suspects they may have the symptoms of Zika, they should go quickly to a hospital or clinic. Dr Thandar Lwin, director of disease control at the Public Health Department, said since there is no vaccine to prevent against Zika, the best prevention is to fight the vector: mosquitoes. Although the Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947, and India found that a significant number of people had been exposed to it in 1952, few cases were reported until an isolated outbreak in 2007 in Micronesia, and then another, larger outbreak in Polynesia in 2013. Brazil has reported the largest number of cases, with more than 1 million infections in 2015. A new crop of diplomats may soon be trained at a specialised academy, parliament has heard. U Maung Maung Win, deputy minister for planning and finance, has said the new government was in talks to launch a training institution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is discussing with international professionals to establish the diplomatic academy as a long-term project, the deputy minister said at a Pyithu Hluttaw session on August 30, in response to a question from U Myint Lwin, a lower house MP representing Yangons Twante township. In his inquiry about the diplomacy school, U Myint Lwin added that the National League for Democracy-led government should strive to improve the image of Myanmar around the world. Though Myanmars reputation on the international stage was tarnished for decades by the poor human rights record of successive military regimes, the incumbent NLD administration is riding a wave of global goodwill and support following its overwhelming election victory in November and the peaceful transfer of power earlier this year. The deputy minister explained that in the absence of an existing academy for foreign service personnel, many members of Myanmars diplomatic corps had earned masters degrees or PhDs abroad. He assured lawmakers that improving the countrys image globally was within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remit and also a priority. NLD leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was herself a product of post-secondary education abroad, studying in New Delhi and at Oxford in Britain. Her mother, Daw Khin Kyi, was ambassador to India from 1960 to 1967, Myanmars first woman to head a foreign mission. The NLD cabinet was hit with a scandal over several bogus foreign degrees soon after the appointments were announced in March, however. Minister for Planning and Finance U Kyaw Win told The Myanmar Times within hours of his nomination that the masters and doctorate from Brooklyn Park University listed on his official party profile were fake. He also said he did not finish his thesis. The closest the country currently has to an institution of higher learning for aspiring diplomats is the regrettably named Myanmar Institute for Strategic and International Studies, or Myanmar-ISIS. Translation by San Layy Entering Myanmar overland just became easier at three border checkpoints in Tachileik, Myawady and Kawthaung. As of yesterday, visitors can apply for an e-visa, according to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population. We hope these additional enhancements will offer our valued guests even more flexibility and convenience when visiting Myanmar in the near future, the ministry said in an announcement on its website. The four-step e-visa application can be completed through the ministrys website. Since August last year, Thailand has been granting free visa entry for Myanmar citizens who enter through airports. A visa application is still necessary for land crossings, however, with the kingdom citing fears of bolstering undocumented migration. According to Myanmars ministry of immigration, the e-visa arrangement is meant to streamline the process for both businesspeople and tourists. However, Daw Hla Darli Khin, director of 7Days Travel and Tours Company, said the change will likely have little impact on the tourism industry as few visitors use the overland border gates. If we check the arrivals of tourists at the borders, it is mainly Thai citizens using it. For other foreign citizens, if we compare the number of arrivals at the gates compared to Yangon airport, the number is very small, she said. The three border gates were designated international entry points in August 2013 under an agreement between Thailand and Myanmar. Disaster relief information is to be circulated through pamphlets in Rakhine and other ethnic minority languages, parliament has heard. U Win Myat Aye, Union minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, told the Amyotha Hluttaw on August 29 that the ministry was preparing the pamphlets to alert people to the risk of natural disaster in various parts of the country. The minister was responding to a question from MP U Kyaw Kyaw (ANP; Rakhine 4). Were publishing pamphlets and posters to raise awareness about such natural disasters as fire, flooding, storms, wind, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, drought and lightning strikes. As part of the ministrys 100-day program, we are also working to publish materials written in different ethnic languages, including the Rakhine language in Rakhine State, to ensure that the information is available to all, he told MPs. U Win Myat Aye also said that the government had opened training courses for volunteer groups and government officials dealing with disaster management to improve the effectiveness of disaster response. These included courses on Disaster Management Enhancement and Youth Leadership Volunteers for Disaster Risk Reduction, as well as a Youth Volunteers Disaster Risk Reduction refresher course throughout the states and regions. In Rakhine State, 90 trainees had already undergone instruction in three separate courses so far this year, he said. In July and August, 493,000 people were affected by monsoon flooding, according to data published this week by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Magwe Region has by far been the worst-hit this year, with 204,000 people affected, followed by Mandalay Region, where an estimated 110,000 were hit. Translation by Win Thaw Tar The Chinese embassy in Myanmar and the Ruili municipal administration department have donated a combined K100 million (US$83,000) toward repairs for pagodas in Bagan damaged by an August 24 earthquake. The ancient pagodas and buildings in Bagan are among the most valuable things for Myanmars people, and the heritages of all people and conservation of the Bagan district is our shared concern, Chinese ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang said at a donation ceremony held yesterday at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture in Nay Pyi Taw. Union Religious Affairs and Culture Minister Thura U Aung Ko thanked China, as the first foreign country to offer material support for the effort to rebuild Bagan, one of the countrys biggest tourist draws, in Mandalay Region. I consider this help to be proof in support of the goodwill between Myanmar and China, of the pauk phaw [brotherly] relationship, he said. Of the K100 million, K20 million was put forward by the Chinese embassy and K80 million came from the municipal administration department of Ruili, a Chinese border town in Yunnan province. Mr Hong said the money would support the application of modern repair techniques for the affected pagodas. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture has said nearly 400 pagodas were damaged to varying degrees by last months 6.8-magnitude temblor. In recent years China has made an effort to soften its image in Myanmar, where a strain of anti-Chinese sentiment runs deep among many, fuelled by perceptions that Beijings relationship with the Southeast Asian nation has long been based on self-interest and exploitation, to its southern neighbours detriment. Chinese firms operating in Myanmar are increasingly promoting corporate social responsibility initiatives and China was one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid in the aftermath of last years widespread flooding. Last month during State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis visit to China, the country pledged about $150 million in disaster relief funding. Translation by Khine Thazin Han The commission to scrutinise hydropower projects along the Ayeyarwady River has met with the Ministry of Electric Power and Energy to learn more about the contractual agreement with a Chinese state-owned firm underpinning the suspended Myitsone hydropower project in Kachin State. The commission held its second meeting August 30 in Nay Pyi Taw, and its members will soon travel to the sites of hydropower dams in Kachin State to interview local residents and observe conditions on the ground in the project areas. Irrigation expert U Cho Cho, who is a member of the commission, told The Myanmar Times yesterday that the commission had begun reviewing the Myitsone agreement and was working hard to submit its preliminary report on time. The government, which formed the hydropower scrutiny commission on August 12, has ordered that its first report be compiled by November 11. The 20-member commission has been tasked with reviewing proposed and existing hydropower projects along the length of Myanmars main waterway, which begins in Kachin State at the site of the Myitsone dam. The scrutiny is to include recommendations on whether or not proposed projects should go forward, analysing costs and benefits for the public. Part of the process includes reviewing contracts inked by previous governments. The commission has been ordered to find the best solutions for Myanmars people that will also be palatable to foreign investors who have a stake in the outcomes of the report and subsequent decisions by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government. It has also been instructed to compile the opinions of citizens and civil society organisations in its review. I think in our first report it cannot be mentioned whether the projects should continue or not because the timetable is too short. The second report will be better than the first report, said U Cho Cho. Daw Ja Hkaung, a member of the Kachin State-based Mungchying Rawt Jat organisation, which was an early opponent of the Myitsone project, said the commission needed to do more, and that people did not want to see its members wasting their time with meetings in Nay Pyi Taw. We [Mungchying Rawt Jat] and most people are monitoring their activities and the commissions first report, she said. The commission also intends to submit an interim report within the next month. State-owned China Power Investment Corporation entered into a joint venture to develop the US$3.6 billion Myitsone dam with local conglomerate Asia World and the Ministry of Electric Power under the former junta government. The project was suspended in 2011 by then-president U Thein Sein, who cited widespread public opposition to the mega-dam. Contributing to Myitsones unpopularity was the widespread displacement of populations in the project area, concerns about the dams environmental impacts and the terms of an agreement that would see some 90 percent of the electricity generated sent to China. The controversial dam was on the agenda when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met with Chinese leaders in Beijing last month, though the state counsellor deferred any major decision, saying that would have to await the results of the Ayeyarwady River commissions review. Some 20,000 convicts toil in prison labour camps across the country, where they face abuse, exploitation and forced labour. The first installment in a Myanmar Now Special Report. Under the glare of the midday sun, several dozen men wearing blue outfits, with shackles around their ankles, stood grouped together in a field of shrubs and tall grass. One man among them, holding a long bamboo cane, started to shout at the thin-looking prisoners and they began to use hoes and spades to clear the thick vegetation. One, two, three, four! he yelled rhythmically, setting a quick pace for the work. Nearby, a stocky prison warden was looking on with a rifle slung over his shoulder and an umbrella to shield him from the blazing sun. The convicts were from Kaung Hmu Labour Camp and were seen in June as they cleared a piece of wasteland along the Mandalay-Lashio road in Shan State for the expansion of a sugarcane plantation. The man barking orders was a prisoner appointed to be a so-called prison management assistant, who acts as an enforcer and by doing so can avoid labour. These men also called stick-holders in Myanmar language not only use violence to deal with dissent, former prisoners said, but also flog labourers into working harder. The stick-holders would beat us at will. We worked at the front and they beat us from the rear. Even if a tiny plant was left after clearing weeds in the sugarcane plantations we were beaten, said Ko Zeyar Lin, an ex-convict released from Kaung Hmu Labour Camp in early June. Harsh working conditions and daily beatings are the norm in Kaung Hmu, he said. Those who just arrived in the camp, located in a Shan State mountain town called Nawngcho, suffered most. Prison officers would try to break new prisoners and force them to pay bribes to escape beatings and heavy labour. As soon as we entered the main gate, they slapped and kicked us. When I tried to raise my head a bit to be able to breathe, someone ran over and kicked me in the face, said Ko Zeyar Lin. A months-long investigation by Myanmar Now into Myanmars prison labour system has revealed that thousands of convicts are likely suffering such abuses while they are forced to perform back-breaking manual labour on the orders of prison authorities. In dozens of interviews, ex-prisoners and former prison officials said authorities employ such practices in many camps in order to exact bribes from prisoners, or to earn profits from their free labour. The practices continue months after Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy came to power. Many NLD members themselves were political prisoners during their struggle against military rule, while Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was kept under house arrest for some 15 years. The sources also allege that prison authorities routinely put convicts at the disposal of private companies in return for payments a practice that would violate international conventions against forced labour that Myanmar has signed. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs indicated last week it would not launch an investigation into prison practices such as those uncovered by Myanmar Now, with a deputy minister telling parliament there had been no legal violations in the prison system. A Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson said the ministry would look into Myanmar Nows findings but gave no comment ahead of publication of this report. This is the first in a series of Myanmar Now reports, which will reveal how current and past practices in prison labour camps have resulted in abuses, corruption, exploitation and the deaths of possibly thousands of convicts. Military rule Currently, there are 48 labour camps that hold an estimated 20,000 prisoners, according to the Correctional Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It officially refers to the sites as manufacturing centres and agriculture and livestock breeding training careers centres. Classified government documents obtained by Myanmar Now show how former military governments, which held power for half a century after the army seized power in 1962, established the current prison labour system and its policies. Deaths were common in the camps in the past as prisoners performed hard labour without sufficient food or medical care, former prisoners and officials recalled. Only political prisoners were exempt from labour. Food and care in the camps have improved since 2000 and general death rates in prison labour camps have fallen sharply to around 40 annually by 2014, according to government figures. But Myanmars recent democratic reforms have bypassed the prison labour system, this investigation has found, while widespread abuses persist and junta-era policies remain in place. Human rights activists and others with knowledge of the system urged the government to introduce reforms urgently. Personally, I think the new government should work toward shutting down all these prison labour camps as a political priority, said U Khin Maung Myint, a former chief jailor who retired in 2002 after 25 years at the Correctional Department who has since become a legal consultant on Myanmars penal system. Prisoners at these camps are being punished in a way that violates existing laws, he said, adding that prisoners receive inadequate food and healthcare while prison authorities are trying to extract all their labour in all sorts of ways. Beatings, bribery and privileges Among the 48 labour camps, 30 sites are dubbed agriculture and livestock breeding career training centres where prisoners work on plantations run by the Correctional Department, or are put to work at private plantations and local farms. At 18 sites, located mostly in Mon State in southeastern Myanmar, thousands of convicts are deployed in rock quarries officially called manufacturing centres where they break granite and limestone boulders and crush them into gravel with sledgehammers. The gravel is sold to government agencies or private companies for infrastructure and construction projects, while these sales bring in millions of dollars in revenues for prison authorities, according to production documents seen by Myanmar Now. A Myanmar Now reporter made observations at nine prison labour camps in Shan and Mon states, and in Mandalay and Sagaing regions, and obtained photo and video evidence of harsh labour practices. In interviews, ex-inmates from camps in Shan States Nawngcho township and Sagaing Regions Kalay township consistently described being forced to pay bribes to avoid abuse and hard labour. Kaung Hmu Labour Camp is one of five camps in the mountains around Nawngcho, at an altitude of around 1000 metres (3280 feet) where the nights are cold and the days are hot. Some 200 men are held in Kaung Hmu and work six days a week on the camps 140-acre sugarcane plantation, or in private sugarcane and corn-fields and rice paddies that dot the green, fertile valleys. Ko Zeyar Lin, 25, arrived at Kaung Hmu in early 2015; he was a former police officer from Bago Region who was serving a two-year sentence for fighting with his superintendent. On his way to the camp, warders put iron shackles on his feet to prevent him from running away, he said, and upon arrival prison officers quickly began to increase pressure on him through beatings and a crushing workload. I was accused of being slow at work, so my back was beaten, my buttocks were beaten at least 30 strokes every day, he said. I told the management once that I was sick and could not work. There and then, two prison officers beat me with their bamboo sticks. After a month, he realised his suffering would only stop if he bribed officials and his mother paid around US$500 to the camps deputy chief jailor. He was then assigned to boil water and prepare tea or coffee for prison officials, a task he performed until his release. We were all slaves Ko Zeyar Lin said the poorest prisoners had no such options, and some resorted to offering sex or other services to wealthy convicts or the stick-holders in order to seek protection. You will bribe to get a better task, you will sacrifice your body, or you will toil as an animal. You had no other options we were all slaves, he said. Ko Khin Maung Myint, the former chief jailor, said the prison labour system encourages abuse and corruption because it gives prison authorities full powers to assign convicts labour tasks and enforce corporal punishment. You can bribe officials for what kind of iron shackles you want to be put on: lighter ones or heavier ones, he said. Or you have to bribe more if you want to have the shackles taken off. Some who cant afford it will have to wear them until they are released. According to current prison rules, an inmate cannot be kept shackled longer than two months after he has arrived at a camp. Ko Aung Soe, 51, served a total of 17 years in Myanmars prisons and was released from Hokho Labour Camp in Nawngcho in 2014. The reason why prisoners are beaten is to make everyone fear the prison staff. When prisoners lose all hope, they will bribe officials, he said, adding that those who pay $1000 might become a clerk, while someone who can raise $700 can become a stick-holder. He said some convicts with money actually prefer labour camps to prisons, as they can bribe their way to privileges and enjoy the freedom to move around outdoors without being confined to a cell. During a brief visit to a camp in Nawngcho, this reporter was able to exchange a few sentences with a prisoner convicted for murder. The man, 37, was lanky and his skin was darkened by daily toil in the field, which had been forced to do for the past year and a half, he said. I was beaten just yesterday, he said pointing at scars on his legs. If I could get K300,000 kyats [about $250], I can buy the position of water boiler [to escape labour], but none of my family members has ever visited me. You can clear the weeds for 1 acre, then the next day you are asked to do 2 acres I cant stand it anymore, he said with tears welling up in his eyes. I try to control myself so that I dont I fight back. Forced labour According to current and former prison officials, authorities in charge of labour camps also have dealings with private-sector companies to generate revenues for the camps. The practice comes from a Correctional Department directive stating that camps must generate enough funds to cover their running costs. Rock quarries supply construction firms with thousands of tonnes of gravel per day. Agricultural camps sell the produce from state-owned plantations and hire out convicts to private plantations and local farms, officials and former inmates said. U Zaw Win, a Myanmar Human Rights Commission member and director general of the Correctional Department from 2004 to 2012, said prison authorities of camps in Nawngcho had a joint venture agreement with Ngwe Ye Pale Sugarcane Factory, which obliged the camps to supply prison labour and government land for the companys 800-acre sugarcane plantation. Myanmar Now made several attempts to reach officials at Ngwe Ye Pale Sugarcane Factory for comment, but received no response. U Zaw Win, who is tasked with investigating prison abuses for the government-appointed commission, defended the arrangement, saying, This is just to make sure that prison department doesnt have to worry about having a market for its agricultural products. Ko Zeyar Lin, the former inmate, said prisoners were regularly deployed in the fields of Ngwe Ye Pale Sugarcane Factory. The prison authorities charged the company K3000 per prisoner. They sent 100 prisoners per day, but we earned nothing, he said. Local officials and community leaders living near labour camps in Sagaing Region and Mon State also told Myanmar Now that prisoners were regularly hired by local farmers to work their fields. The deals between prison authorities and companies put prisoners at the disposal of the companies, a practice that would violate the 1930 International Labor Organizations Forced Labour Convention, which Myanmar signed and ratified in 1955. The Conventions Article 2 states that convicted prisoners can only work if it is any work or services exacted from any person as a consequence of a conviction in a court law, provided that the said work or service is carried out under the supervision and control of a public authority, and the person is not hired to or placed at the disposal of private individuals, companies or associations. Piyamal Pichaiwongse, deputy liaison officer with the ILOs Myanmar office, said she could not comment on whether forced labour was taking place in the Myanmar prison labour system, as there had been few complaints and little evidence of wrongdoing. After being interviewed by Myanmar Now, Ko Zeyar Lin, the former convict, contacted the ILO to complain about his prison treatment in Nawngcho township. Piyamal Pichaiwongse said the organisation was looking into the case as a forced labour complaint, adding that Ko Zeyar Lins prison conviction did not include hard labour. Authorities play down allegations U Htay Lwin Tun, the current superintendent of Htone Bo Labour Camp in Mandalay, was previously in charge of the five camps in Nawngcho. He denied that beatings and bribery were commonplace in the camps, acknowledging only one reported case of violent conduct in 2014. Since the case did not lead to lethal injury, I just gave a verbal warning to the prison officer involved, he said in an interview with Myanmar Now at Htone Bo Labour Camp. U Min Tun Soe, a deputy director of the Correctional Department, told Myanmar Now that severe abuses and extreme labour conditions were a thing of the past, and that the reforms initiated by the government of then-president Thein Sein between 2011 and 2015 had improved conditions for prisoners. I dont claim that the beatings have completely stopped, but general conditions regarding food and accommodation have improved, he said, adding that beatings and bribery only occurred in isolated cases where prison management was corrupt. On August 26, lower house lawmaker U Win Myint Aung (NLD; Depayin) asked the Ministry of Home Affairs, which remains under military control, whether the ministry would allow lawmakers to investigate prison conditions, including reports of corruption and abuses in labour camps. Deputy Minister General Kyaw Soe responded that the Correctional Department had effective mechanisms to investigate such complaints, adding that no violations had been reported. He said the Myanmar Human Rights Commission and the International Committee for the Red Cross were also monitoring prison conditions. U Zaw Win, the Myanmar Human Rights Commission member, insisted that violent abuse in labour camps was limited to isolated cases and was not an institutional problem. There is some scolding and slapping, but no more torture and cruel beatings like in the past, said U Zaw Win, whose commission is appointed by the Presidents Office. David Mathieson, a senior Myanmar researcher with Human Rights Watch, said government officials and the commission were turning a blind eye to abuse. The Home Affairs Ministry should order a review of the prison labour system with the aim of ending it, he said, while the NLD-dominated parliament should announce an immediate investigation into the Department of Corrections that includes a thorough accounting of all the prisoners thought to have disappeared into abusive labour camps. A lack of reforms Myanmar Now has obtained hundreds of internal Correctional Department documents that stretch back decades, and that shed a light on junta-era policies for managing the prison labour camps. A document from February 23, 1993, refers to a statement by then-minister for home affairs Lieutenant General Phone Myint who said prisoners labour was wasted if they only remained incarcerated. Their free labour should be used instead for state-owned plantations, infrastructure projects and to generate funds that cover running the prisons, it noted. As late as October 2014, junta-era policy language was still in use by Thein Seins government to explain its prison labour policies. Then-deputy minister for home affairs Brigadier General Kyaw Kyaw Tun told parliament at the time that the labour camps use the prisoners labour, which is going to waste in the prisons, for state-level agriculture, livestock breeding and rock quarries projects, and to ensure that the prisoners learn about agriculture and livestock breeding techniques and have attained a vocational profession upon their release. After the NLD assumed power in April, it urged all departments and ministries to formulate reform priorities for its first 100 days in office. The Correctional Departments reform plans for this period remained limited to a single sentence: To increase the duration of family visits in prison from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, and allow family members to visit any day of the week. Republished with permission from Myanmar Now Government officials submitted an official apology to United Wa State Army, after the UWSA delegation angrily withdrew from the Panglong Conference yesterday. A letter signed by U Thein Zaw, deputy chair of the Peace Commission, was sent to UWSA chief U Pauk U Chan yesterday. "We are very grateful for the attendance of representatives from the 'Wa' Special Zone (2) to the opening ceremony and state dinner on August 31," the letter said. It added that the government pledged to pay equal attention to all ethnic armed forces presenting at the Panglong conference. "We request you [UWSA] understand for your inconveience happened because of weakness of management within the conference," said apology read. Confusion over the registration process resulted in Wa delegates being inadvertently relegated to observer status, a mistake government negotiator U Khin Zaw Oo referred to as a "misunderstanding." The UWSA delegates were not aware they were supposed to liaise with a lead ethnic armed organisation delegate for their full membership cards, he said. Due to their lack of the proper identification cards, the four Wa delegates were denied entry to a meeting yesterday morning. Citing discrimination, they left the convention centre, checked out of their hotel, and departed from Nay Pyi Taw. Repeated attempts to apologise and straighten out the accreditation error were to no avail. We heard that they felt they were being treated unequally and discriminated against. They felt embarrassed with the observer status card as they were banned from going around the conference hall, said Salai Lian Hmung Sakhoung, from the Chin National Front and a member of the convening committee for the conference. The mishap built on perceptions of insensitivity to ethnic groups and mismanagement on the part of conference organisers following a dispute earlier this week regarding recognition of ethnic group representatives official ranks. At an August 29 meeting of the preparation committee in Nay Pyi Taw, the official titles of the ethnic armed group delegates were not included on their nameplates, while those of Tatmadaw representatives were listed. Police have been deployed to security checkpoints at the entrance of three major Mandalay townships in a new measure to crack down on crime, according to local officers. The three townships are the main gates into Mandalay district, and have been under added scrutiny including alcohol checks since August 30, according to Police Colonel Thet Naing from the Mandalay police. He added that the pilot plan was launched in order to better enforce laws against crime, narcotics and traffic violations. The fire brigade, the General Administration Department and township elders are also involved in the project. The officers have been sent to Aung Myay Tharzan, Patheingyi and Amarapura townships, he said. Any sticks, knives and weapons onboard are being investigated before they can reach downtown. The teams are divided to conduct checks at the gates. They are providing information and taking action. There have not been any special cases yet. The added security points are checking all cars and motorcycles entering the three townships. The drivers being asked to take a breathalyser test, said Police Major Thein Oo from the traffic police force. The drivers are being checked by alcohol testers. We are taking extra precautions for bus drivers especially for the sake of passenger safety, Pol Maj Thein Oo said yesterday. U Kyaw Thet Khaing, an administer for Patheingyi township, told The Myanmar Times that documentation both citizenship and drivers licence is also being checked at the new security points. One Chinese citizen whose visa was expired was pulled aside, though he had a recommendation letter and legal documents, he said. We encountered a soldier who had deserted and many drivers who have no licences. Translation by San Layy Nature conservationists hoping to establish a wildlife sanctuary at Yatkansintaung, in Mandalay Regions Madaya township, will launch a petition this month in support of their bid, according to a member of the Mandalay branch of the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability. The wildlife sanctuary was first proposed in September 2015, but it failed to win local authorities approval at the time. Even though there is a signboard about the forestry [reserve] placed there, nothing has happened yet. So we will try again for this, U Soe Win of MATA Mandalay told The Myanmar Times. The 3000-acre (1200-hectare) Yatkansintaung site covers the nearby villages of Shwe Gone Tine, Shwe Done, Shwe Bayat, Latpyansin, Watpaung, Hnget Sar, Kaut Yot Pone and Nga Eain Htaung. The area is also one of considerable religious significance. The proposed wildlife sanctuary has put conservationists at odds with miners in the area. Local groups have complained in recent years of the noise caused by drilling near a pagoda and a 16-bed hospital, as well as voicing concern about the industrys environmental impact. In June, local activists accused one mining company of violating Myanmars Mining Law by operating in a designated religious area. Wildlife campaigners hope a winding down of mining operations in the area will bolster their case. Even though there are 13 production sites for marble, most of them are closed now, and one is about to [have its licence] expire. Only one, Khaing Mar Toe, is operating with a new extension [of its licence], U Soe Win said. Local activists are targeting 500 signatures in favour of the nature reserve, and will submit their petition to the relevant authorities, one of whom already appears inclined to offer a receptive ear: regarding competing visions for the areas future, Mandalay Regions environment minister recently said he wanted whats best for Yatkansintaung. But speaking at a press conference in Mandalay in November, members of the Myanmar Federation of Mining Associations said the mines in Madaya township produced the worlds finest marble, and that any proposed wildlife sanctuary could bring a halt to lucrative exports and eliminate job opportunities. Five marble mining companies operate in Madaya township, officials at the then-Ministry of Mines said last year, with each site capable of producing 1500-2000 tonnes. Farmers who divert their land to non-agricultural purposes without authorisation may face legal action, parliament has heard. U Tun Win, deputy minister for agriculture, told the Pyithu Hluttaw that the use of farmland for purposes aside from agriculture runs against the 2012 Farmland Law. The deputy minister was responding to a question from Bago Region MP U Tin Htwe (NLD; Waw), who asked about the need for permits to change the use of agricultural land. Erecting fences or buildings, or failing to cultivate the land, could lead to a fine, the deputy minister said. Farmers in violation of the law could be evicted, and offending buildings demolished. The question was asked amid allegations that wealthy people are buying farmland alongside roads and railways in Bago Region and elsewhere, including Waw township, for reasons other than cultivation, enclosing land and building unauthorised structures. The deputy minister told MPs there were 42 cases of such misuse of farmland in Waw township, adding that three cases had been permitted by the previous government, involving the construction of an industrial building in September 2015 and two fuel stations in March 2016. Applicants in a further 23 cases had been permitted to use farmland for other purposes, though 16 other cases involved fencing, piling, digging ponds and other structures in May last year, including restaurants, warehouses, fuel stations, agriculture sales centres, livestock fences and stores. The deputy minister said state and regional farmland management units, including in Nay Pyi Taw council area, were authorised to prosecute offenders. The 2012 law was introduced to protect agricultural land from misuse and diversion to other purposes. But Nay Pyi Taw-based rice mill entrepreneur Ko Nay Soe said the law had made things worse. Things were actually better before the law was passed. A lot more fences and buildings were put up afterward. Some of the management committees formed as a result of the law were the worst, he said. Translation by Khant Lin Oo Among the points that State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi made during her speech at the opening of the Union Peace Conference on August 31 was the important role that young people must play in the peace process. She said she admired the energy of the countrys youths, many of whom met in groups throughout the country in the days leading up the conference to show their support for the peace process. Peace will not be achieved without the peoples support, she said. Peace will not be born in a conference room. Peace requires the active support of the people. Read more: Speech highlights from Panglong opening ceremony Given these concerns, it struck some observers as odd that civil society organisations which are well positioned to express the concerns of young people at the grassroots level were not invited to the table at the conference. Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, a former MP from Yangon Region, said CSOs were keen to play a role in the peace process, and the government should open more channels for them to do so. Many groups would become involved if they were invited to participate in a meaningful way, she said, referring to the lack of a formal role for CSOs at the peace conference. Instead, there is a vague plan for a forum to be held sometime after the conference at which CSOs could present their opinions and suggestions. We welcome the conference because we think the intentions are good, and they have their time limitations, but CSOs should be participating actively instead of as observers, she said. Peace is a long-term process, so we hope the next conference will allow them to participate. Nonetheless, many youth activists were happy to hear Daw Aung San Suu Kyis speech, including Ma Thinzar Shunlei Yi, secretary of the National Youth Congress. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the conference was not only for the people there in the room Discussions at the peace conference also concern the future of young people even though youth group representatives are there only as observers and not as participants, she told The Myanmar Times. She said she would like to see young people take a more active role in future peace conferences. The delegates are determining our future, so young people should be involved as partners in the process, she said. Ma Thinzar Shunlei Yi, who is also a member of the US Ambassadors Youth Council in Myanmar, was among 13 representatives of civil society organisations who met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Nay Pyi Taw on August 31. We met in the morning before the conference started, and although he was busy he gave his time to CSOs. It was a great favour to us, she said, adding that she would like the UN to provide funding to help youth groups become more active and participate in the peace process. Ban Ki-moon said civil youth organisations are essential oxygen for the human community, and that our ideas should be heard by our leaders. His words were very good, she said. The second day of the 21st-century Panglong Conference was overshadowed by an early walkout of the countrys most powerful ethnic armed group. After perceived discrimination, the four delegates from the United Wa State Army left the convention centre, checked out of their hotel and departed from Nay Pyi Taw. The National League for Democracy-led government is in the midst of staging a five-day peace summit in its inaugural bid to steer the peace process. Reversing the UWSAs initial refusal to attend the conference had required government overtures at the groups quasi-autonomous stronghold of Panghsang in Shan State, as well as appeals that Beijing pressure the pro-China faction into joining the renewed peace effort. It appeared as if landmark progress had been made when the UWSA a non-signatory to last years nationwide ceasefire agreement agreed to participate. That forward momentum quickly deteriorated yesterday, however, after yet another technical error on the part of conference organisers resulted in a slighting of the ethnic minority group. Confusion over the registration process resulted in the inadvertent demotion of the UWSA from full-fledged participants in the Panglong Conference to holding only observer status. Government negotiator U Khin Zaw Oo referred to the mishap as the result of a misunderstanding. The UWSA delegates were not aware they had to liaise with a lead ethnic armed organisation delegate for their full membership cards, he said. We already gave all the cards to the head representative of the ethnic armed groups, but they [the UWSA] did not contact him. So I gave them observer cards so they could at least gain initial entrance, and I already told them I would arrange to change their status in the afternoon after I contacted the representative. Repeated attempts to apologise and straighten out the accreditation error were to no avail. We heard that they felt they were being treated unequally and discriminated against. They felt embarrassed with the observer status card as they were banned from going around the conference hall, said Salai Lian Hmung Sakhoung, from the Chin National Front and a member of the convening committee for the conference. The National Democratic Alliance Army reportedly experienced a similar problem with participation status, but it was quickly corrected. Yesterdays miscommunication exacerbated already primed tensions following from an earlier bungling of namecards. At an August 29 meeting of the preparation committee in Nay Pyi Taw, the official ranks of the ethnic armed group representatives were absent from their nameplates, while the Tatmadaw representatives ranks were listed. U Hla Maung Shwe, another member of the convening committee, denied that any of the errors had been intentional. We invited them [the UWSA] officially and treated them equally. Technical errors happen. But it was not discrimination or a political, personal or organisational slight, he said. Government negotiators spent much of the day trying to placate the other ethnic armed groups, and urged them not to let the walkout unravel the conference aim to build trust and unity. We cannot let the 21st-century Panglong Conference be disturbed because of this issue, said U Khin Zaw Oo. The deputy director general of the Presidents Office, U Zaw Htay, said at a press conference yesterday that State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had been informed of the UWSAs walkout. She doesnt blame anyone. We were told to try our best not to let this damage the national reconciliation and peace process, he said. Salai Lian Hmung Sakhoung, the Chin delegate, called the UWSAs indignant exit unnecessary. Today, if these delegates had decided to stay until the end of the conference, we could have avoided all this trouble, he said. I would like to request the UWSA to still send high-ranking central committee members to the upcoming political dialogue so that we can continue to have a smooth peace process. After it appeared unlikely the UWSA delegates would return to the conference, the convening committee recorded the paper that the delegation was slated to present yesterday. On the second day of the conference, 32 representatives from government, the Tatmadaw, ethnic armed groups, parliament and political parties read their submitted papers. Nearly all of the speakers urged the forging of a federal democratic Union. Representatives of the Tamatdaw and the Union Solidarity and Development Party reaffirmed the need to adhere to the 2008 military-drafted constitution, as well as the basic principles of the nationwide ceasefire accord signed by the government and eight non-state armed forces last year. Leaders of ethnic armed groups and political parties suggested a greater separation of power between the state and central governments: for example, by allowing states to control their territory with their own constitutions, provided those do not contradict the Union charter. U Zaw Htay said all papers presented at the conference will be combined and published in a book by the Information Ministry. Although there were many different points of view and ideas about the building of a federal democratic state, we could see two points of commonality, said Salai Lian Hmung Sakhoung. One is that all sides want peace. And the other is to build the country based on the principles of democracy and federal Union. But other attendees criticised the conference for being a dry read-out of policy perspectives, rather than a truly collaborative dialogue fostered through any sort of discussion. I feel like [the conference] is like eating a curry without salt, and as a result there can be no satisfaction, said U Naing Lae Ta Ma from the Mon National Party. Hate speech must be curbed. That was the message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon when he addressed an interfaith meeting of religious leaders ahead of the 21st-century Panglong Conference this week. It is an important topic as Myanmar struggles to address the terrible, often violent, consequences of religious and ethnic mistrust, hatred and oppression and those who incite it. But there is another equally pernicious form of hate speech that must not be ignored that which is targeted at people because of their gender or sexuality, and which likewise plays a role in inciting abuse and oppression. If the violence and discrimination suffered by Muslims and people of ethnic minority backgrounds is rightfully a matter of huge concern, and if the hate speech that inflames and supports such behaviour is to be considered a crime, then speech which contributes to the domestic abuse, gender-based violence in conflict and victim blaming of women must be treated just as seriously. During the meeting with Mr Ban, Union Minister for Culture and Religious Affairs Thura U Aung Ko announced that the second draft of the Hate Speech Law had been completed and would soon be submitted to parliament. Now would be the time to call for such gender-based hate speech to be included in the law. The inclusion of misogyny in a definition of what constitutes hate speech is likely to prove controversial. Too often sexism is seen as a second-class offence, somehow less dangerous than racism or religious hatred. It is not. In July, Englands Notthinghamshire Police force became the first in that country to classify misogyny as a hate crime and yesterday it was announced that an event will be held later this month to persuade other police forces to do likewise. But the categorisation has been questioned by some. The force now defines misogyny hate crime as: Incidents against women that are motivated by an attitude of a man towards a woman and includes behaviour targeted towards a woman by men simply because they are a woman. The classification makes it easier for women to report incidents of sexual harassment and empowers police to investigate and offer support to victims. Speaking to The Guardian, Sue Fish, the Nottinghamshire chief constable who has overseen the move, expressed some frustration with headlines about arrests for wolf-whistling. This challenges the power base in society, and some people have deliberately misunderstood, she said. Some trivialise it and say, Oh so I cant chat up a woman now. But I think theres a significant difference between Can I buy you a drink? and Do you want some cock? This is about the unacceptable abuse of women because they are women and it has to stop. Given the internationally condemned violence and oppression of Muslims in this country, and the ruinous consequences of decades of ethnic conflict, it is easy enough to see why these are the main focus of the hate-speech agenda. The explosion in social media provided a new and freely accessible platform for people to incite violence and hatred. But while nationalist monk U Wirathus anti-Muslim rhetoric has hit world headlines, and national media have featured stories of youth leaders meeting to discuss fears over ethnic hate speech exacerbating divides in their communities, hate speech against women has received very little attention. Yet to ignore it is a serious mistake and will leave room for perpetrators of dangerous abuses to avoid legal consequences in future. When U Wirathu infamously called UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee a whore and threatened to strike her with his slipper, that particular sexist diatribe did hit the news. But as many womens rights activists in this country can testify, women who speak out publically are frequently the subject of gender-related hate speech including death threats and threats against their children which receive little attention. And it is not just high-profile women who suffer from misogynisitc hate speech. Mens belief that they are entitled to make sexist comments in the street is evident to any woman who has walked through Yangon, despite or in some cases precisely because of the fact that women find these comments threatening and abusive. If the domestic violence which is endemic in this country is to be tackled seriously, the verbal degradation and abuse of women in public spaces must also be addressed. A law which tackles gender-based verbal violence in public would be a significant step toward changing a culture which allows gender-based physical violence in private to be culturally tolerated. And if the barriers that keep women from public positions of power and influence, and that are so detrimental to this country are ever to be broken down, then women must be protected from gender-based attacks on social media. Certainly this is not the only country where women with online profiles are the target of serious and truly vile abuses and threats. It is a worldwide issue. Many nations, which have had far longer than Myanmar to consider the media law and ethics around the problem, have failed to address it successfully. But at this time of such rapid change and advances, this new law provides Myanmar with the opportunity to be a leader in the field of tackling gender-based hate speech. Those involved in drafting this legislation should champion that idea, and ensure misogyny is covered by the legislation. [September 02, 2016] Casio's September Artist Spotlight: Danny Bedrosian DOVER, N.J., Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This September, Casio America, Inc. is excited to highlight Danny Bedrosian as part of its Artist Program. Bedrosian recently completed his concert tour in Europe with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and visited festivals and clubs in Serbia, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Ireland. Bedrosian will release his newest album this month, titled "My Oldest Friend," under the Bozfonk Moosick label, which will include some of his favorite works to date. The album will also feature artists Michael "Clip" Payne, Lige Curry, Garrett Shider, Ani Bedrosian, Sean Gorman, David Cobb and Adam Trull. "We are so proud to have Danny within the Casio Artist family," said Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio's Electronic Musical Instruments Division. "Accomplished musicians of Danny's caliber need high-performance tools to soundtheir best, and we're pleased that Danny prefers to use Casio's latest instruments during his creative process." Danny Bedrosian has been a talented keyboardist since a young age, with his first of many classical concert recitals taking place at the age of five. He released his debut solo album in September of 2005, and he is currently CEO, Producer & Engineer of his production and publishing company Bozfonk. Albums by Som'n Fierce, MoonChild, Secret Army, and Teresa Jimenez have come out through Bedrosian's work with Bozfonk Moosick production and publishing label, in conjunction with Wefunk South. Aside from producing music, Bedrosian is the current keyboard player for Tallahassee ska and metal act Chilled Monkey Brains. Bedrosian's latest venture led to international releases (Dutch, British, Australian, Italian and American) on vinyl for the first time this year, and he was featured on albums by Gotcha, Space Bugs, Ishan Cooper and Less-on. Over the years, Casio has been committed to providing generations of aspiring musicians with quality electronic musical instruments. Bedrosian, a veteran of Casio's Artist Program, is part of a multitude of artists on the current roster including Larry Dunn, Steve Weingart, Victoria Hermann, Tom Brislin, and more. For additional information about Casio's Artist Program or portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com. About Casio America, Inc. Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions. Established in 1957, Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, digital cameras, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to fulfill its corporate creed of "creativity and contribution" through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit www.casiousa.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336539LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/casios-september-artist-spotlight-danny-bedrosian-300321736.html SOURCE Casio America, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] #flight resumption Flights from Gimpo airport to Osaka, Taipei to resume Sunday Flights from Seoul's Gimpo International Airport to Osaka and Taipei will resume later this week, the state-run airport operator here said Saturday, more than two years after the r... #football Daejeon earn promotion to top division in S. Korean football After eight years of toiling in the second division in South Korean football, Daejeon Hana Citizen FC will be playing with the big boys in 2023. Daejeon routed Gimcheon Sangmu F... International God's Way Church Bishop Daniel Obinim is being dragged to court by the Accra East branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for illegal connection. Bishop Obinim is said to have fixed three post-paid meters at his residence, guest house and television station, OBTV, after the old ones were blocked by ECG due to non-payment of bills. According to Jonathan Asante, the Loss Control Coordinator at the Accra East regional office, the pastor owed a total of GH27,000 before the blockage. A check between March and August this year, he said, showed that the controversial pastor, who is on bail for defrauding by false pretences and assault, is owing a total of GH217,000 from the new meters. He is to be arraigned before a special court on Saturday, September 3. When you even pay, that is a recovery of the debt, Mr Asante explained to TV3's Daniel Opoku on Tuesday. The crime itself and punishment comes with the law. So, paying the debt does not offset you from the criminal aspect of the issue, he added. 3news.com Misunderstandings between the two families - patrilineal and matrilineal - of the late Daasebre Dwamena has resulted in a court injunction being placed on the burial of the late musician. The matrilineal family members of the musician argue that, per the norms of the people of Anomabo in the Central region, where Daasebres mum hails from, it is customary that his maternal family buries him. In the same order, patrilineal family members of the musician are arguing that in an accordance with their tradition, the dad buries a son. The patrilineal family of the late musician, since his untimely demise at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on Friday, July 29, managed to resolve a near dispute with the Muslim community over who has the right to bury his mortal remains.They agreed to bury the late musician on the October 14. However, Joy News Eastern regional correspondent, Kofi Siaw reported on Hitz @1 on Hitz FM that the family is faced with a new battle. Last weekend, we had the information that those from his mothers side [from Anomabo] had gone to the Koforidua High Court to secure an injunction to be placed on the funeral," he reported. According to them, even though Daasebre hails from Koforidua, in the Akan tradition, when somebody dies the matrilineal side are supposed to perform the burial ceremony hence their reason for the injunction placed on the burial of the late musician. Yaw Boateng, brother of the late Daasebre, speaking on Hitz @ 1 confirmed that their family have received an injunction and added that they are to appear in court on September 24. When asked if any attempt has been made to negotiate with the matrilineal side of the late Daasebre on the matter, he stated that both families even agreed on the October 14 date for burial. Actually, we did because, during the one-week celebration, we both agreed on the date of the burial and everything. So we were there one day when they came to tell us that we need to bury him at Anomabo and stuff like that and we told them that in our tradition it is a dad who buries a son. Yaw Boateng refuted claims that suggested that wishes of the delegation sent by the members of Daasebres maternal family were not heard during the one-week celebration of the late musician. No, because it was a delegation which came from Anomabo and my siblings also comes from that side which includes my senior brother who was also there so I dont know where all these is coming from, he added. Sharing the next line of action of the patrilineal family, Yaw Boateng stated that they are ready to meet the matrilineal family in court. We are ready to meet them in court because thats what they want because we tried negotiating and they told us to meet them in court for which they have served us a summon letter. He added that, even though the misunderstanding between both sides of the family will be a possible disgrace to the memory of the late musician, they have no choice. The late musicians brother recalled that Daasebres mum passed away when Daasebre was 7 months old and it was our dad who took care of him and if you can recall, in all his interviews he will say that hes from Koforidua. He never mentioned Anomabo. When he even had this cocaine saga, when he came back, he came to Koforidua. We never heard of any Anomabo from anywhere. I believe it is our senior brother whos leading all these issues so we are ready to meet them in court. Lastly, he emphatically disclosed that they (the patrilineal family) wont attend the funeral of the musician should the court rule in the favour of the mothers family. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Karen Yalley 02.09.2016 LISTEN Father side of the late Daasebre Gyamenah has finally received writ of summons from the members from Daasebres mothers family to appear before the Koforidua High Court on September 24. The report had it that members of Daasebres mothers family in Anomabo have placed a court injunction on the funeral arrangement because his fathers family in Koforidua have refused to release the body to be buried at Anomabo as their tradition demands. Yaw Boateng, brother of the deceased in an interview with MzGee on Hitz FM said they have tried several times to solve the issue amicably with the mother side but they are not willing to cooperate. He added that they are ready to meet them in court since that is their wish. We have tried o solve the issue with the mothers side. During the One Week celebration, we both agreed on the date of the burial and everything so we dont know why they have a change of mind. Weve told them that in our tradition it is the dad who buries a son. We are willing to meet them at court because that is what they want. We tried negotiating, and they are like we should meet them in court. They have served us the summon, and we have nothing to do about it but we have to meet them in court. When MzGee asked if the issue will not disgrace the dead, Yaw Boateng replied that yes but the mums side is not thinking of that aspect. Daasebres mum died when he was seven months old, and it was our dad who took care of him so if you can recall, he said in all his interviews that he is from Koforidua and never mentioned Anomabo. He added that they will accept the court ruling if it goes against them but they believe the final verdict will go in their favour. Yaw Boateng concluded that he is not sure if his family will attend the funeral in Anomabo if they do not win the court case. Daasebre Gyamenah died on July 29 this year at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. There have been disputes between the Muslim community and his fathers family in Koforidua over who has the right to bury the mortal remains of the late musician. After both parties (the Muslims community and his fathers family) agreed on a burial date set for October 14, members of Daasebre Gyamenas mothers family are demanding that his dead body must be moved from Koforidua to Anomabo where his mother hails from, for him to be buried there instead of Koforidua. Libreville (AFP) - Two men died following clashes which erupted overnight in Gabon's capital Libreville, pitting the security forces against demonstrators protesting after President Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a contested election, AFP journalists said. Bekam Ella Edzang, a 27-year-old law student, died of his wounds in hospital after he was shot in the stomach, an AFP journalist said. Another AFP correspondent saw the body of a 30-year-old being carried by a crowd of protesters through the district of Nzeng Ayng. By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA Kumasi, Sept 01, GNA - The leadership of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pensioners Association has expressed outrage over, what it says is the reluctance of the banks to grant loans to members although their monthly pension is paid through the banks. Mr. Mathias Kwadwo Djan, its Ashanti Regional Vice Chairman, said they found this discriminatory and unfair. He said the excuse that they were going to die soon, was regrettable and most unfortunate. He conveyed the sentiment at a ceremony held to raise funds towards the construction of an office complex for the Kumasi district branch of the association, to create adequate space for smooth administrative work. The project is estimated to cost about GHE250,000.00 and is being implemented through fund raising activities. Mr. Djan said the Kumasi district branch alone had a membership of 8,340 and asked that the banks reconsidered their loans policy. The leadership was prepared to provide every vital information and guarantee the banks required. Touching on the office project, Mr. Djan said, it had become necessary given the steady growth in membership. He called for the members to own the project and pull together to ensure its successful completion. They should also continue to put their rich and varied experiences at the disposal of serving public officers, he added. GNA 01.09.2016 LISTEN WASHINGTON, ACCRA, Sept. 1, (UPI/GNA) - U.S. officials expressed serious doubt Wednesday about a claim from Russia's military that one of its bombers killed Islamic State spokesman and plotter Abu Muhammad al-Adnani near battle-torn Aleppo this week. Moscow's defense ministry made the claim online Wednesday, saying al-Adnani was one of up to 40 Islamic State militants killed in the north Syria city by a Russian Su-34 bomber. "According to reports confirmed by several intelligence channels, field commander Abu Mukhammad al-Adnani, better known as 'the official spokesperson' of the international terrorist group Islamic State, was among the liquidated terrorists," Russia's government-owned TASS news agency reported Wednesday, citing defense ministry officials. The terror group announced al-Adnani's death via its official news service, Amaq, on Tuesday. The Pentagon, however, scoffed Wednesday at Moscow's claim of responsibility -- and pointed out that the Kremlin's taking credit for al-Adnani's death makes no strategic or logistical sense. "We have no information to support Russia's claim that they carried out a strike against Adnani," U.S. Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook said during a Pentagon briefing. "From the start, Russia has spent most of its time in its military campaign propping up the [Bashar] Assad regime. It has not devoted much, if any, effort targeting ISIL's leadership. At the same time, we have not seen the Russian military campaign use precision weaponry on a regular basis." "I'm not going to wager a guess as to why they might have a motive to engage in this and to discuss this, and maybe it's just a misunderstanding on their part." Cook said there isn't even information to suggest Russian planes were conducting strikes anywhere in the vicinity where al-Adnani was hit. "I know what ISIL itself has said. I know what the Russians have said," he continued. "We don't trust - we are not going to be satisfied simply to trust ISIL and the Russians on this." After the operative's death was announced Tuesday, the Pentagon said it was U.S.-led coalition forces that targeted al-Adnani with a "precision strike" near Al-Bab, a north Syrian town near Aleppo. Wednesday, Cook reiterated that claim and said the terror spokesman was targeted as he rode in a convoy. "We are still assessing the results of that strike," he said. "It would be laughable but for the very real humanitarian suffering Russia has inflicted," a U.S. defense official said of Russia's claim. "We stand by the statement we made yesterday. We conducted a strike that targeted al-Adnani." Al-Adnani was viewed by the Pentagon as a high value target and possibly the most likely successor to lead the Islamic State militant group in the event its current chief, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed. The State Department had offered a $5 million reward for his capture. GNA By Josephine Naaeke, GNA Accra, Sept. 1, GNA - A new manually operated irrigation water pump known as 'Money Maker Irrigation Pump' for small holder farmers has been launched in Accra. The machine, which is designed to help farmers irrigate their farms all year round, has the potential to transform the agriculture sector in Ghana. The machine is designed by KickStart International, a non-profit social enterprise with a mission to lift millions of people in Africa out of poverty quickly, cost effectively and sustainably. The machine is in two designs, a money maker max pump with two cylinders, foot operated, and ergonomically designed to pump three to 20 litre jerri cans of water per minute, whilst the other, money maker hip pump, a low cost-lightweight solution, pumps two to 20 litre Jerri cans of water per minute. Mr Alexander Anim, the Regional Head of KickStart International, West Africa, said the technology was used mainly in the northern part of Ghana and it was helping farmers to move away from rain-fed agriculture to usstained farming activities all year round. He said this made it possible during the dry season where farmers could still be engaged in farming to feed the populace. Mr Anim called on farmers to embrace the technology as it would ensure that food is available all year round which would also increase revenue and reduce poverty. Mr Kwasi Asare Mintah, the Director of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ghana Irrigation Authority, said Ghana had an irrigable potential of 1.9 million hectares but only 221,000 hectares had been developed by both public and private sectors. Alhaji Mohammed Limuna Muniru, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, commended Kickstart International for introducing this cost-effective technology to smallholder farmers. He said investing in agriculture was the most effective way to end hunger, improve nutrition, and drive economic growth. 'I am already aware KickStart International is working with farmers in sub Saharan Africa and they have, to a larger extent, assisted many farmers to make farming a viable, profitable business through irrigation. This has brought extra income to the farmers and majority have changed their lives for the better, educating their children, getting better healthcare, and empowering women and the youth to start profitable farming enterprises,' the Minister said. Alhaji Limuna said the success stories of farmers in other regions of Africa were a testimony that farmers in Ghana could also improve their livelihood using the Money Maker irrigation pumps. 'The technology does not need electricity. It is simple to use and affordable, thereby making the pumps user friendly, adaptable and convenient for farmers in Ghana,' he said. This would go a long way to solve the problem of food insecurity and difficult economic times in the country, the Minister said. KickStart focuses on its efforts in 16 countries in Africa and works through regional hubs in West Africa (Ghana), East Africa (Kenya) and Southern Africa (Zambia). One Money Maker max pump costs Gha660.00. GNA 01.09.2016 LISTEN By Caroline Pomeyie, GNA Accra, Sept.1, GNA - Mr Norihito Yonebayashi, Senior Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), says Ghana is the best country in West Africa for investment due to its politically stable environment. He added that JICA chose Ghana because the level of education in the country is high compared to other West African countries. 'As a donor it is very easy for us to come in because Ghana is in the best position to receive assistance from donors due to several factors including the fact that it has no record of terrorist activities,' he said. Mr Yonebayashi said this at the signing of minutes of meeting held at the National Blood Service in Accra dubbed: 'Programme for the Reduction of the Risk Transfusion Transmitted Infection with Hemovigilance infrastructure in National Blood Service, Ghana, between JICA, National Blood Service of Ghana and Terumo.' The programme which cost $500,000 was funded by JICA and organised in partnership with Ministry of Health, National Blood Service, Teaching Hospitals of Ghana, and Terumo Corporation. Mr Kaoru Yoshimura, the Ambassador of Japan said: 'In order for private companies with advanced technologies to make investments into African continents on their own and contribute to quality growth, the Governments as well as donor countries need to have strategic development plan through which domestic business activities and competitiveness will surely be enhanced.' 'This will increase the incomes of people, which will make high quality services of advanced companies affordable.' JICA collaboration programme selected Terumo mirasol pathogen reduction technology system to disseminate blood infection prevention technology. According to JICA, an average of two per cent of blood donors are infected with HIV, and 55 per cent with malaria causing great concern about blood products. It said because there is not yet a universal method of testing for malaria, a system for reducing levels of pathogens is needed in order to ensure a safe supply of blood products. Hence, JICA has adopted a programme to collaborate with Terumo Corporation to support sustainable blood safety in Ghana, by reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI) with implementation of the Mirasol WB system, in conjunction with a functional Hemovigilance programme. Mr Yonebayashi added that the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research would be revamped and that Japan is willing to provide the technology and knowhow to support the development of the country. GNA By Patience A. Gbeze, GNA Accra, Sept. 1, GNA - Dr Kandilige Leander, a member of the Research Consortium at the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, has said the public education on the rights of migrant domestic workers should be increased. He said creating a positive perception of migration for domestic work was critical as they remitted their dependants back home and thereby contributed to the socio-economic development and wellbeing of their households. 'Therefore, if effectively regulated and managed migration to urban areas for domestic could offer opportunities for poor migrants to provide essential services and also earn income to enhance the wellbeing of their families,' he stated. Dr Leander was addressing a dissemination workshop to highlight the key findings of a research conducted on the Migration Industry in Ghana, dubbed: 'Migrating Out of Poverty,' with funding from DFID. He said movements across regions were increasing, yet, very little data existed on intra-regional migration. Even the little data available, he said, only exposed the negative aspects, which did not give the accurate picture of the situation. He reiterated the call for strengthening relevant state agencies both financially and technically to implement international and national laws on the protection of migrants working in domestic service. He said the spatial inequalities in development must also be addressed urgently. 'Rural and broad-based regional development must be promoted to reduce spatial inequalities,' he said. 'Such policies must promote small and medium-sized towns across Ghana as alternative centres to rural-urban migrants.' He said the study was conducted in the Accra and Tema areas, with 88 migrants being interviewed across the target areas. Out of that 26 were domestic workers. The study, he said, revealed that four types of recruiting agencies are involved in facilitating migration industry in Ghana. 'One set is fully registered and licensed, another set is partially registered, thus registered with the Registrar General's Department but has not obtained a license from the Labour Department to operate,' he said. 'The third and the fourth categories are relations, friends and families of migrants, and the faith-based Organisation who are neither registered nor have been licensed to operate.' Dr Leander said migrants who get engaged through the latter categories normally received lower pay for their services because there were no contracts or monitoring of the migrants' welfare. He, therefore, called for institution and enforcement of legal instruments to regulate wages and work conditions in the informal sector, including the domestic work conditions in the informal sector. 'The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the Labour Department must be strengthened to monitor the activities and operations of recruitment agencies effectively,' he said. 'Government must also facilitate the ratification of ILO Convention 189 on Decent work for Domestic workers to protect domestic workers.' The Government should also consider gender issues in developing policies and programmes to address vulnerabilities in domestic work. Professor Mariama Awumbila, the Director of Migrating out of Poverty, Ghana, said the research also revealed that poor people did more internal migration than international migration and the ratio was currently 4:1. However, policy interventions were not focused on that area. She, therefore, urged students to contact the Consortium for data to help them on further studies. 'We have lots of data that you can depend upon for research activities, our only demand is that you will credit us,' she added. Mr Eugene N. Korletey, Chief Labour Officer, said Ghana had advanced on ratifying United Nation Convention 189, and expressed the hope that it would be ratified soon. He also called for a legislation to protect domestic workers and pledge their commitment to that effect. Other participants at the workshop, especially from the Trades Union Congress (Ghana), also called for formalising the informal sector to enable them to also bargain collectively. GNA 02.09.2016 LISTEN Following a recent incident at the Western Diamond Cement factory at Bokro in the Western Region, the Regional Labor Office launched extensive investigations and concluded that the accident, which occurred on the 27th of August 2016, was a result of actions taken by the deceased. Officials cite that the deceased worker blatantly failed to adhere to clearly communicated health and safety measures put in place by the company. Western Diamond Cement, which has been operating for more than nine months, has demonstrated a strong safety record and adheres to all international safety standards and protocols. Recent media reports indicated that the deceased was a Togolese national, however, police investigations confirm that he is a Ghanaian. Investigators traced his family to Twifo Praso in the Central Region. Management of the company have met with the family of the deceased, counseled them and continues to lend their support to the family during their bereavement. The head of the family, in a recent radio interview, expressed the familys satisfaction and appreciation to the management of Western Diamond for the enormous support offered by the company and commended them for being a good corporate citizen. An investigation into the matter continues and the company is cooperating with authorities whom, in their preliminary assessment, have found no evidence of wrong doing on the part of the company. Meanwhile, work at the factory continues and the company has reinforced and reiterated its commitment to a strong health and safety environment with proper adherence to all international protocols. The work environment is calm and peaceful as observed by the police and local labor officials. The Agricultural Development Bank has been adjudged the best bank in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing at the 15th Ghana Banking Awards held in Accra on Saturday. The Ghana Banking Awards is recognized as the event which awards the best performing Banks in the country, ADB emerged tops in financing the Agric, Forestry and Fisheries sector which is recognized as the backbone of Ghanas economy. Though many banks and financial institutions shun the provision of credit to farmers due to the risky nature of the sector, the bank over the past five years invested over 350million Ghana Cedis in different areas within the sector. Commenting on the award, the Managing Director, Mr. Daniel Asiedu said winning the award is an indication that the bank remains committed to the reason for its establishment. Winning the award is an indication that even in the midst of stiff industry competition and an unpredictable agricultural sector the bank remains committed to ensuring that the sector remains a major contributor to our economy, he said. According to Mr. Asiedu, as with other awards we have won in the past, we dedicate this to our loyal customers and farmers to whom we remain committed to in growing their business, he said. It is an honor to be the best amongst our peers in a critical sector like Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing and I wish to assure our customers to expect more innovative and tailor-made products, which will boost their businesses, he said. Last year the bank facilitated the provision of 17.7 million euros geared toward the production of 8,000 hectares of rubber in the country. Also, the bank remains the major sponsor of the annual National Farmers Day event and consistently financed the building of a three bedroom house to the ultimate winner. Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com | Joy Business 02.09.2016 LISTEN August 4th 2016 must be marked in the annals of Ghana as a Day of Betrayal and Shame when the majority of Ghanas Parliamentarians on both sides of the House betrayed their collective conscience, thats, if they have any at all or whatever is left of it, and surreptitiously without any fan-fare, transparency nor public debate, voted to sell the people of Ghana, whose interests they are charged to protect, down the Volta river in a manner reminiscent of the slave dealing ancestors of many of them, and the mass of Ghanaians docilely allowed themselves to be sold without a whimper. There is therefore a lot of shame to share around and betrayers to point out and we shall be at it for a long while. First, the MPs rather chose to protect the interests of foreigners, their narrow self-interests and that of a very few Ghanaians in the name of extractive capital masquerading as foreign investment (Leo Sisti & Lyas Hallas. Huffingtonpost 25 July 2016). In doing so, they have consolidated Ghanas neo-colonial position as an integral part of the New British Empire (Mark Curtis, Huffingtonpost 26 July 2016). 4th August 2016 is thus a day of sadness and mourning because our Parliamentarians have sold the people of Ghana into modern day slavery, perpetual neo-colonial rule, by passing the exploitative, obnoxious and monstrous Petroleum Exploration Bill 2016 which is just awaiting the Presidents signature to become effectively the Law replacing PNDC Laws 64 and 84. A law which no progressive and right thinking leaders would pass to regulate the upstream oil and gas industry in their countries in this 21st century; a type of pernicious law none of them can point out a single newly oil exploiting country has adopted. These hollow and clueless MPs should be ashamed of themselves, for being betrayers of our dreams. The economic freedom and emancipation of Ghanaians from abject poverty and deprivations within a generation have been thrown into the doldrums for decades - nay, generations - to come if this passed Bill is not refused assent by President Mahama or, failing that, overturned by a progressive, radical and right thinking leadership in the near future. The calculable economic loss to Ghana which shall be in tens of billions of dollars, the consequent disillusionment and the currently docile and uninformed populaces reaction when the promises the oil boon held are not realised while a very few flaunt their newly found wealth are not things we can predict with exactitude but they will be anything other than positive and peaceful. Further, be it known to all and sundry, especially the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, Christian Council of Ghana, Ghana Pentecostal Charismatic Churches, the Islamic Religious Bodies, National House of Chiefs, National Peace Council, TUC and other Labour Organisations, etc., all bodies which have been briefed extensively by the GIGS and FTOS-PSA GH Campaign, that the new Petroleum Exploration and Production Law poses greater and more dangerous risks to the security and stability of our dear Ghana than the Gitmo Bar 2 detainees to whom they devoted so much time to commenting on publicly. Most of the above organisations, if not all, had ample time to make loud comments about the possible security risks the presence of the 2 detainees were likely to cause, but failed to see and comprehend the real security and stability risks staring in their faces inherent in the E&P Bill if passed into law to regulate the Upstream Oil Industry in Ghana. The facts were handed over to them through letters, face to face explanations and workshop documents which explained the bad and heinous effects of the Bill. They all kept mute and never said a word. Not a single comment emanated from any of them to engender a public debate. They also betrayed the mass of Ghanaians without a voice. A big shame to them! Loud mouth critics of government on oil revenue management, the Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC), Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), IMANI Ghana, CSOs on Oil and Gas (the last actually founded and funded by the Oil Lobby), GNPC, the Petroleum Commission and others who should know better became accomplices and kept mute, in spite of even public challenges to them, Instead, because of parochial self-interests and/or the free Oil Lobby money in millions and hundreds of thousands of dollars, pounds and cedis being doled out to buy their silence and consciences, they became lobbyists and spokesmen for the FOCs bent on deceiving their fellow Ghanaians. They knew in their hearts of hearts that they are traitors to the mass of Ghanaians, only buttering their own bread and CANNOT publicly defend their lies and disinformation on behalf of the Oil Cartel funding them. Or, what they are enjoying already from the oil bonanza, throwing money about like confetti, as even Mr T.K Hybrid Hammond said in an outburst against the spending spree of the GNPC. We heap a huge shame on these betrayers of the dreams of Ghanaians. They are nothing but traitors and modern day slave raiders not deserving of our respect.. Long before Tullows Corporate Responsibility hundreds of millions of dollars Slush Fund came on stream, Star Ghana became a father Christmas the like of which Ghana had never seen, doling out funds left and right to even those who did not ask for it without anyone asking where the money was coming from. Manna from heaven and may they be blessed was the sentiment and responses of all the so-called elite in Ghana while the Ghana Chapter of Transparency International and Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) slumber on their watch in spite of all the releases from GIGS and the FTOS-PSA Gh Campaign. The KOSMOS boss and largest share owner, according to the documentary Big Men, was removed mainly because he was too indiscreet in spraying dollars around, a bit of which we watched on the video. When Star Ghana declared that it had run out of funds (since then obviously replenished, judging by their recent bout of largesse), the British government, our neo-colonial power which was hoping to reap in billions from our oil boon into its economy, stepped in with the 29m Trojan Horse GOGIG money. This aid is nothing more than influence buying money for the key state gate-keeping institutions and ACEP, the key mouth-piece of the Oil Lobby in a manner key US Think Tanks have been observed to have become accomplices of big business (Eric Lipton and Brooke Williams, Aug. 7, 2016). The control of interests groups and governments by vested interests in even advanced democracies like that of the USA has now been recognised as pernicious. Prestigious Think Tanks have become nothing more than ideological mouthpieces for powerful industries and businesses. This blurred line between Thinks Tanks and lobbyists in America was thus the theme of this recent article. It was noted: Think tanks, which position themselves as universities without students, have power in government policy debates because they are seen as researchers independent of moneyed interests. But in the chase for funds, think tanks are pushing agendas important to corporate donors, at times blurring the line between researchers and lobbyists. And they are doing so while reaping the benefits of their tax-exempt status, sometimes without disclosing their connections to corporate interests. We quote further: Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, explains how some think tanks engage in thinly disguised lobbying to influence lawmakers. This is about giant corporations who figured out that by spending, hey, a few tens of millions of dollars, if they can influence outcomes here in Washington, they can make billions of dollars, said Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, a frequent critic of undisclosed Wall Street donations to think tanks. Before our very eyes, at least the few of us with our eyes opened, we see this happening in Ghana, with ACEP for instance becoming the mouthpiece for the Oil Cartel, thanks to the six figure thousands of pounds and millions of cedis it is receiving from the DFID, for instance. As a matter of fact, practically all the so-called think tanks on oil and gas are being liberally funded by oil interests, both the FOCs and the British government as part of its New Empire in Africa drive. We must express our disgust at this modern day robbery of the wealth of Ghanaians with the active help of fellow Ghanaians. As for the Ghanaian print media, the state owned media in particular, a thunderous shame is due them. They have sold their consciences to Marmon and declared a black out on this serious national issue. Even before the first oil was lifted, the Oil Cartel started rounding up journalists for special treatment scholarships to study oil and gas abroad! 64 benefited straight away. At this very moment, ACEP is conducting a so-called 6 months crash course purportedly equivalent to a Masters degree for a selected group of journalists. With the rumpus about unaccredited entities and diploma mills dishing out degrees and PhDs, I hope they are paying attention. The opposition political parties? A big TWEAH! to them as expression of my own personal derision at their total cluelessness and indifference in spite of efforts to engage them. As for the NPP, which started it all, their ranking member in the Energy Committee, Mr T.K. Hybrid Hammond, an ebullient supporter of this obnoxious Bill, was very clear in what the NPP would do if the NDC made a mistake and adopted a PSA system, a system which even Tullow on its website falsely claimed Ghana used in the Jubilee Fields agreement theyd reverse it! We dont expect anything better from them, a party that relishes itself as allies of foreign capital. It is the splintered pro-Nkrumahist parties that most shame must go to for their total cluelessness and silence while all this chance to lead the masses to economically liberate Ghana from the clutches of neo-colonialism under the auspices of the Terrible Twins and Donors slip by. Rather, they became Lords of Trivialities, braying at puny items in comparison such as a Burkinabe contractor donating a vehicle to President Mahama, the Montie 3, etc. I had noted long ago that they have progressed from being delusional to delusional nincompoops. They have surely become an embarrassment to the memory of the great man, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and source of shame to many of us who identify with the Nkrumahist agenda. In subsequent series, we shall focus on the inaction or action of civil society, the so-called elite, the book and research allowances coveting academics, tertiary students unions, chiefs, etc. in this unfolding saga. There is enough shame to share around and they must get their due share. We are in for the long haul. Until the seeds of emancipation from neo-colonial rule sprout, we shall not relent. Andy C.Y. Kwawukume FTOS-PSA Gh Campaign, London [email protected] Leo Sisti & Lyas Hallas Mark Curtis Eric Lipton and Brooke Williams British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, says it is important for Ghana to strive harder to tackle macroeconomic challenges stipulated in the three-year programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mr Benjamin wants government to pursue and meet the demands outlined in IMF fiscal support programme as it will facilitate the reversal of dwindling UK-Ghana bilateral trade figures. The three-year IMF programme with $918 financial support demands that government pursues fiscal adjustments to check ballooning public spending, improve revenue generation and structural reforms to strengthen public finances. Speaking at a short ceremony to launch the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) at his residence in Accra, Mr Benjamin said progress with the IMF programme will attract UK investments to Ghana. Indeed that progress is important for investor confidence along with other actions to tackle potential barriers to business such as the regulatory environment, licensing rules, custom procedures, land registration issues and of course the thorny issue of corruption, he said. Bilateral trade figures between Ghana and the UK has taken a nose dive over the last three years. Trade in goods and services between the two countries fell from 1.3 billion pounds in 2013 to 1 billion in 2014 and 2015 figures, due out soon, are projected to be worse. These notwithstanding, Mr Benjamin said the future looks bright, projecting that overall figures could reach a record high by 2020. He said the launch of the UKGCC will herald a new chapter in efforts to improve trade relations between the two countries. The chamber, which currently has a membership of 20 companies, will promote, foster, and represent UK business interests in Ghana. UKGCC will also assist UK companies to identify market opportunities and provide them with a first point of call when looking to do business in Ghana. It would also support Ghanaian companies looking to export into the UK or looking for British businesses to partner with. We recognize that UK companies have a huge choice as to where to trade and invest worldwide and in doing so, like any other company, they are naturally driven by hard business calculations not sentiment so market conditions and sound economic management everywhere, including here in Ghana, are a key consideration for those companies, Mr Benjamin said. Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Hannah Tetteh, who was also at the UKGCC launch said although the falling trade figures between Ghana and UK is not welcome news, a concerted effort between the two countries to improve the situation will yield results. Hannah Tetteh "I believe that phase is something that we will get out of very quickly especially once weve had an organisation like this [UKGCC] established", She urged UKGCC to find ways of putting up a better structure to promote trade in all the possible products that can find their way onto the UK market from Ghana and onto the Ghanaian market from the United Kingdom. Chief Executive of UKGCC, Mr Tony Burkson, said he expects a total membership of not less than 70 companies in the coming days, noting that setting up the Chamber presents unique opportunities for both UK and Ghanaian companies. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected] Government has not paid feeding grants arrears for the second and third terms of the 2015/2016 academic year for senior high schools in the region contrary to claims by the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Jacob Kor. Some head teachers of the second cycle schools told Citi News off record that government has not paid any of the feeding grants arrears for the second and third terms of the 2015/2016 academic year. They said even though they have been asked to re-open schools for the 2016/2017 academic year on September 5, it would be difficult to feed the students. They added that, government also owes one term of arrears for day students benefiting from the progressively free senior high school education. A letter seen by Citi News dated 8th August, 2016 outlined the inability of schools to feed boarding students if government does not settle the feeding grants arrears for second cycle schools in the three regions of the North. Find the letter below: NON- RELEASE OF BOARDING GRANTS We the members of Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools in the three Northern regions wish to again draw the attention of the Honorable Minister for Education and the Director -General of the Ghana Education Service to the huge indebtedness of the boarding schools. With the co-operation of the food suppliers we were able to feed the students for the three terms of the 2015/2016 academic year on credit up to 7th July,2016 when the first term of boarding grants was released by the scholarship secretariat. Though we were grateful for this release, it only enable us to settle a minimal portion of the debts. As a result , heads are confronted with following challenges that need urgent attention. It was extremely difficult to feed the students during the third term since this was the lean season and we owed the suppliers huge sums. As at the time of writing this letter, the boarding grant for the second and third terms of the 2015/2016 academic year are still outstanding. The schools indebtedness to the food suppliers is so huge that we are being threatened with court actions by the suppliers. The suppliers are requesting for upward price reviews as a result of the very long delay in the release of the grants and which ultimately would affect our budgets. In the light of the above development and constraints, it would be extremely difficult to open for the first term of the 2016/2017 academic year if the outstanding boarding grants are not released to the schools. In this regard, we respectfully and humbly appeal to you to use your good offices to impress upon the Ministry of Finance to expedite action on the release of the grants to enable the boarding schools in the three Northern regions open the schools as scheduled by the Ghana Education Service. The source also disclosed that, the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools(CHASS) across the country will hold an urgent conference meeting in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region on Monday the 5th September,2016 to determine the fate of how to feed the students. By: Frederick Awuni/Citifmonline.com/Ghana There should have been laws to punish Minority MPs over their failed attempt at filing a motion to probe President John Mahamas acceptance of a Ford gift, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has said. Legislators were summoned from their recess on Thursday over the matter, in which the President received a $100,000 Ford expedition from a Burkinabe contractor who is said to have subsequently benefited from some lucrative government contracts. However the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, dismissed the motion explaining that the right body to investigate the matter was the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). The fact that CHRAJ is already investigating the matter rendered the motion for an early recall of Parliament needless, thereby constituting financial loss to the State, in the view of Mr. Asiedu Nketiahs eyes. Speaking to Citi News after the brief sitting, the NDC General Secretary held that People should begin to be charged for willfully causing financial loss to the State. The provisions are very clear in the constitution as to how these matters are handled. Everybody in this country knows that those matters are being handled according to the constitution by CHRAJ. If the law mandates certain constitutional bodies to undertake certain responsibilities, you don't go and conduct yourself in ways the will take away from the authority of those bodies from discharging their constitutional responsibilities, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah further said, as he noted that, the Minority had also undermined the authority of CHRAJ with their actions. Speaker should have power to reject certain motions Mr. Asiedu Nketia also suggested that, the Speaker of Parliament be given powers to reject certain motions deemed unnecessary; because in this instance, the Minority simply fell back on Article 112:3, which he explained gave them power to summon parliament leaving the speaker with no discretion than to summon parliament at this great cost. If we look at it and we see that from the practice, we see that there was a clause that should be added to article 112:3 to give the Speaker discretion to examine the cause for the request for the summoning of Parliament, so that the Speaker will now be empowered to examine the reason why you want to recall Parliament, he said. Minority acted in bad faith The Majority Chief whip in Parliament, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, also expressed some displeasure with the Minoritys motion saying it acted in bad faith in pursuing the case since CHRAJ is already investigating the matter brought before it by both the Progressive People's Party (PPP), and the youth wing of the Convention People's Party (CPP). In law, the process of doing something is as important as the matter itself. So you can't jump the process. All they [Minority] were doing was in bad faith because the matter was being investigated, he explained. By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana Nairobi (AFP) - A middle-aged Somali-born cleric with a bright orange beard was this week put on a US terror list, accused of heading the Islamic State group in East Africa. The US State Department on Wednesday said Abdulqadir (also Abdiqadir) Mumin is "the head of a group of ISIL-linked individuals in East Africa," using another term for IS, and branding him a "global terrorist". Here's what we know about the man, and the threat he poses. British links Mumin was born in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland and lived in Sweden before moving to the UK in the 2000s, where he was granted British citizenship. In London and Leicester, he developed a reputation as a firebrand preacher at extremist mosques and in videos posted online. Monitored by MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, Mumin is thought to have known Mohamed Emwazi, the IS executioner nicknamed 'Jihadi John', and Michael Adebolajo, one of two people convicted over the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in London. In 2010, Mumin travelled to Somalia to join the Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-aligned militant group -- which both Emwazi and Adebolajo had tried to do, but were unsuccessful. On arrival, he reportedly burned his British passport then served as a Shabaab propagandist and imam -- "an ideologue not a commander," according to Matt Bryden, director of Sahan Research, a Kenya-based think tank. Defection to IS UN soldiers secure a perimeter wall following twin car bombings near UN and AU buildings in Mogadishu in July claimed by the jihadist Shabaab group Mumin was dispatched to mountainous eastern Somaliland on the border with his home region of Puntland in 2012 to bolster the fervour of fighters under the command of local Shabaab leader and Warsengili clan militia leader Mohamed Said Atom. Atom surrendered to the Somali government in 2014 and Mumin eventually took control of the Puntland faction which, separated from the bulk of the Shabaab in Somalia's south, has always been an orphan group. Largely abandoned in the inhospitable Golis mountains, Mumin reimagined himself as a commander, despite lacking any experience on the battlefield, and announced his defection to IS, along with a handful of fighters, in an audio message last October. In the following months, his small group of fighters was harried and attacked by the Shabaab loyalists with local Puntland media describing him as being "on the run". Little support Mumin's motivations remain opaque. In a briefing note, the International Crisis Group think tank suggested his departure may have been "a pre-emptive attempt... to lay claim to the spiritual leadership of a future IS franchise in Somalia." The switch to IS has not won him much support -- neither in manpower, money nor material -- with most observers believing he has between 20 and 100 followers, predominately from his own Majerteen clan. Washington said Mumin has "expanded his cell of ISIL supporters by kidnapping young boys aged 10-15, indoctrinating them, and forcing them to take up militant activity." Even so, as a bid to take over Shabaab territory, Mumin's gambit appears to have failed dismally. A video released in April showed Mumin at a small training camp with a handful of supporters in headscarves and grey tunics carrying a variety of assault rifles, grenade launchers and machine guns. Expansion prospects 'limited' The remoteness of the Golis mountains has so far saved Mumin from the fate of other defectors who were hunted down and killed, or chased into exile, by the Amniyat, the Shabaab's intelligence unit that has crushed IS attempts to take control of the East Africa jihad. In an article published this week by the Washington-based Hudson Institute think tank, researchers Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Nathaniel Barr described IS as having "only a small and tenuous foothold in Somalia" under Mumin's leadership. Arguably, Mumin's biggest successes is his designation by the US as a serious terrorist threat -- making him the potential target of a drone strike. Despite his less-than-impressive performance, analysts say it would be wrong to dismiss his nascent group. "Its prospects for expansion are limited," said Bryden. "But there is potential." The newly enskinned paramount chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area in Gonjaland of the Northern Region, Kpembewura Bismark Haruna has predicted over 53 percent victory for the NPP's Presidential nominee for the 2016 election, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. As a former District Chief Executive for the West Gonja District from 2001 to 2005 under the Kufuor-led NPP administration, he has also renewed his allegiance to the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition. Kpembewura Bismark Haruna made the prediction when Nana Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Salaga as part of his four days campaign tour of the Northern Region. The Kpembewura remarked, As a soldier I will always be a soldier, you understand what I mean. The Kpembewura proverbially stated, You know something, you can take the dog out of the fight but you cannot take the fight out of the dog and looking through the crystal ball I can see victory for the NPP. I want to assure you that I am still a friend and you can always depend on me. As I said if God wants to do something he starts from one and he has done it for me and you before. God will do it for you the same way as he did for me as you say the battle is still the lords. He added, The people of Ghana are ready to hear from you and I hope that the next time we will meet like this it will be His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. He pleaded with God to answer his prayer saying, I hope and I think that the lord God is listening to what we are telling him today. God has already done it because I have seen something you haven't seen. I urge each and everyone here that, that day we should come out in our numbers and go and vote and I predict 53 point something percent victory for Nana Addo. We are here doing it and we will continue doing it for you. Kpembewura Bismark Haruna was widely publicized to have endorsed President Mahama's second term bid 100 percent and encouraged all Gonjas to massively vote for him on December 7. Some Gonjas within the NPP fraternity described his earlier conduct as camouflage and opined that he will show his true colors during Nana Akufo-Addo's visit. The NPP faithful have been vindicated by his subtle overturn to predict over 53 percent victory for the NPP Presidential nominee. Elated Nana Akufo-Addo praised the chief for his words of encouragement and overwhelming support. He promised to deliver his mandate when elected President and that he will be in constant touch with traditional rulers who are custodians of the land to give him direction. In a similar fashion, the paramount chief of Saboba Traditional Area, Cheek Binalibeni Kabonja denied ever declaring his support for President Mahama during his campaign tour of the Saboba constituency. He told Nana Akufo-Addo that it was a fabrication and urged him to always call on him for guidance and counseling. Follow the hashtag #GhElections on Social Media for election-related stories By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/ghelections.com/Ghana The first deputy speaker of parliament, Ebo Barton Odro has passionately appealed to the good people of Cape Coast to live in oneness and forge ahead in unity as they celebrate their famous Fetu festival this year. He said the beauty of the annual festival could best be witnessed when it is held devoid of acrimonious attitudes such as trading of insults and above all, unnecessary politicisation of the event. Lawyer Odro, who is the Member of Parliament for the Cape Coast North Constituency made the appeal when he presented some valuable items to the seven Asafo Companies of the Cape Coast Traditional Council. The items included bottles of schnapps, gun powder, gallons of Apeteshi, gin, branded T-Shirts for all the seven warriors and an amount of Gh3,500.00. The first deputy speaker further noted that it was high time the people of Cape Coast stopped pecking each other with insults because of politics and fought for development that would transform their lives. Politics came to meet us and we must therefore not allow it to divide us. We should be prepared to forgive one another and forge ahead so that Cape Coast would move forward. He advised. These items, according to Lawyer Odro, were meant to support the Supi Council and geared towards the successful celebration of the historic festival. The leader of of Amanfo No.7 Asafo Company, Supi Thomas Yallow on behalf of the Supi Council and the Oguaa Traditional Council thanked Lawyer Odro for his donations. He disclosed that the various Asafo Companies used to struggle to put their companies together during the Fetu festival celebration until Lawyer Odro started coming to their aid. Supi Yallow therefore called on other philanthropist to kindly come to the assistance of the Asafo Companies. It would be recalled that Lawyer Ebo Barton Odro has been supporting the Asafo Companies and the Supi Council far before he was voted as the Member of Parliament of the then Cape Coast Constituency in 2008. His support, that has been described by the Supi Council as invaluable, had seen him donates various items and cash to all the seven Asafo Companies in Cape Coast annually. Fetu festival is celebrated by the chiefs and people of Cape Coast in first Saturday of the month of September every year. It is one of the famous festivals in the central region and Ghana at large. During the period, libations are poured our whiles rituals are performed to thank the 77gods of the land for their protection. SSNIT Pensioners Association in the Kumasi District on last Wednesday organised Fundraising in aid of Office accommodation at the Kumasi Culture Centre. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Mathias Kojo Djan, the District Vice Chairman said the project which is estimated at GH 150,000 when completed will have offices ,conference and recreational halls and hostel facilities. He appealed to Departments, organisations and corporate bodies to support the project which will benefit not only the current pensioners but others who will go on retirement later. He assured the members that the Pensioners Medical Scheme (PMS) which is to supplement the National Health Insurance Scheme to take the health care of the members has taking off adding that the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and the Atonsu-Agogo hospital also in Kumasi have been selected to operate the scheme. He said plans are under way to select additional health facilities to cater for members outside Kumasi. Representatives from some Rural Banks at the function assured the members that they are ready to grant loans to all pensioners who are their customers without guarantors. [email protected] 02.09.2016 LISTEN If Africans at home cannot save themselves, nobody will. We are always looking up to Heaven for manna and saviors instead of looking within us for help. Well, we are now shifting that task to African children in Diaspora. Some of us are so desperate in rage because of the unrealistic expectation placed on our children abroad as if they do not have enough to deal with. They are supposed to get into politics like Israelis, as some have already done: free Africa from demons. This is such an unrealistic burden on poor children trying to survive and accomplish against all odds in Europe and America with all the obstacles placed in their ways. The whole premise may sound optimistic and knocking it may sound pessimistic but empirical evidence already dictates that we have produced politicians in Europe including Russia and some in America. The notion that they can pass for whites like Israelis and come home to lead our rescue so farfetched. The best way to illustrate it is by looking at the most successful African politician in Diaspora. Who else but Obama! Was there anything Obama could have done to save Kenya in particular and Africa in general? History dictates a little. Even returned slaves created classes as in Liberia. Before going into how difficult it is, it is pertinent to know the difference between individual and collective achievement. The first has never been in doubt while collective achievement has always eluded us for variety of reasons after the Independent fighters of the 60s. Indeed, as this writer has emphasized many times, until Africans at home achieve economic independence or salvation and start producing for themselves and others, no black man or woman will be respected anywhere in the world. The place to look up to our children is right in an environment where they live, breed and privileged. Fascination with everything outside our environment has given us the notion that survival is easier where we struggle against all odds. Individual achievements should reinforce our confidence that there is nothing wrong with us. Using enabling environment for lack of achievement is another mechanism for excuse why we cannot succeed at home. By putting the enormous pressure on our children outside as if our children inside Africa cannot achieve what will move Africa forward is self-defeating. It even encourages our children at home to look up to Diaspora for salvation. So they take to the sea! Indeed, anyone that can afford it, steal or borrow the money, educate their children outside by giving up on the educational system at home instead of fighting to improve it for the majority that cannot afford to escape. We have set up our expectation, psyche and prospect for failure inside our own environment. Not only is this dangerous for our future, it has compromised our culture, behavior and outlook. Yet, nobody in Diaspora will give us privileges we left at home. Any African in Diaspora that has achieved some success in a leadership position as a manager must have had some influence on policies. The most frustrating part is how to use that policy to move his or her people forward without losing (i.e. fired) for pursuing agenda more favorable to the minority. It is such a tenuous and frustrating position for managers promoting diversity. You pay a price for mentoring your people left behind in the ghetto, in dead-end jobs, under-employed and frustrated. One of the most frustrating situation our children find themselves after being accepted and graduating from Ivy League schools is looking around to see that majority of those left behind without an offer into that prestigious hospital, law firm and Wall Street; are children of color. Obama couldnt secure a prestigious job; settled as a social worker. Even then, some of our children get the big offers. The advice to those ones is to save all the money they could because their time with those firms may not be as long as that of their colleagues. When these reputable firms sneeze, our children are the first to catch a cold. Those that have managed to hang on, have variety of stories to tell on what they had to do. Africans place so much premium on degrees, they forget that it is what you do with it that matters, not necessarily displaying it to collect dust. In the words of one activist, once the white man gives you an education, what you do with it is up to you. Those of us that went back home to use it were lucky. Today, African countries cant guarantee employment for most graduates produced by the universities. Skill plumbers, iron or oil workers contribute as much if not more! We are short of skilled workers needed for infrastructure but not Diaspora degree graduates if they want to go back to Africa to contribute. Those that have secured opportunities in Diaspora would not do anything to jeopardize their positions including putting the interest of Africa first above that of their firms or countries. The same way their parents in Diaspora would not give up their two or three jobs. Its the only way many are seen as the most successful of all blacks! Coming back to Obama. Some driving force in his country, no matter how small, that took over the command of a major political Party: refused to accept him as American. Not only did they refuse, they publicly vowed they would do anything to make sure he failed. Obama worked against all odds and brought United States from the worst economic recession since depression to the number one most successful economy in the world. It was not enough! Nevertheless, they paint his achievements a failure. Every program he proposed to elevate the poor, they struck down including the ones they supported in the past like rebuilding decaying infrastructure. After cutting the unemployment to about five percent and that of blacks by half, they blame him for their systemic discrimination that kept 25% of blacks in poverty. The same people that put disproportional percentage of native American, blacks and Hispanic in a bind are blaming it on Obama. The point here is Obama, the most successful African child in America has his work cut out for him. Expecting him to lift up Africa or African Americans just because he is the President of United States is myopic and too much expectation from those that do not understand the intricacies of western culture and democracy. Freedom is overrated Africans in each country have to wake up and wrestle their economies away from vagabonds that call themselves politicians. If they do not lead, no African children in Diaspora or people of goodwill can do any better. Even if they come home and try, they will be frustrated out as those that tried before them and ran out. Too-knows! Only those at home know how to stone devils. The Deputy Majority Whip in Parliament, wants the Minority to stop lamenting the rejection of their motion to probe President John Mahama by Speaker Doe Adjaho on Thursday. Ahmed Banda says the law that got former President John Kufuor and other public officials off the hook when similar allegations of conflict of interest were kick started against them, is the same law that the Speaker evoked yesterday. He said the commentary of Supreme Court judge, Justice Stephen Brobbey, in the 2012 ruling in a case in which the former Minister of Tourism, late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, was accused of wrongly purchasing a government bungalow served as an important reference in Parliament on Thursday. Justice Brobbey said in unequivocal terms that the exclusive jurisdiction to investigate the conduct of a public officer whether in bribery case in abuse of office in corruption and all those things is the exclusive preserve of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ahmed Banda averred. He was speaking on PM Express Thursday that discussed the surprise rejection of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament by Speaker Doe Adjaho. Related Article: Minoritys move to investigate Mahama Ford gate shot down The Minority legislators were dealt a terrible blow after a motion that sought to trigger an investigation of President John Mahama for receiving a Ford Expedition was downed by the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho. The Ford vehicle valued at $100,000 was provided by a Burkinabe contractor. The Contractor, Djibril Kanazoe later won three government contracts but he rejected the last one after the gift became public. Related Article: Burkinabe contractor offers controversial gift to Prez Mahama The Minority summoned Parliament to consider the establishment of a bi-partisan probe into the matter. But the Speaker on Thursday contended that the matter was already being investigated by another constitutional body, CHRAJ. The Minority have said the Speaker errered in rejecting their motion.. Speaking on the Speakers decision on PM Express that aired on the Joy News channel on Multi TV Ahmed Banda said the Minority should have been guided by history. In all that we are doing, if we will have to proceed further, the end will be the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has already made pronouncement on this matter, that is the law that stands now, he said. Meanwhile the Minority has said they are restrategising to pursue the matter again. Watch the full programme in video link below. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com Raymond Tandoh 02.09.2016 LISTEN THE ASHANTI Regional Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress(NDC) Mr. Raymond Tandoh, has apologised to members of the Regional Communications Team for what he described as a rude response to their grievances. Mr. Tandoh says he is very sorry for any unfortunate comments emanating from an interview he granted to media houses on Tuesday following a publication by The Chronicle and has called on members of the party to forgive him. The NDC Secretary stated that "all outstanding issues have been resolved and the party was going to move forward stronger". He said he realised later about the mishaps and the rude response to the concerns of the party Communicators, stressing that he shares in their grievances and would take steps to address them. Mr. Tandoh, who sounded very sober and reflective, a direct opposite of the mood he was in when he granted the controversial interview on Tuesday, said there was no need for the party to wash its dirty linen in public, adding that internal matters must be treated internally. He added that concrete steps were being taken to address the concerns and pleaded therefore on members of the Communication Department to cease hostilities. "I will plead with them to remain patient and calm for us, we shall handle all matters amicably and move the party forward. There are lots at stake and we can't allow ourselves to be distracted by petty grievances," Mr. Tandoh said. The police administration has sent a stern warning to the public, particularly politicians behind the defacing of campaign posters of their opponents. Campaigning in the Ashanti Region is getting fierce between the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) as both have employed heinous plans to thwart each others electoral fortunes in the region ahead of the December 7 polls. Destruction of posters has taken centre stage in the region by unknown faces believed to be supporters of NDC and NPP. As a matter of concern, the Ashanti Regional Police Command has deployed uninformed personnel to hunt suspects of this illegality. The Regional Commander, COP Kofi Boakye has tasked the various unit commanders in the region to arrest and prosecute perpetrators irrespective of political background. Rawgist.com spotted some defaced posters of the NDCs presidential candidate;John Dramani Mahama and that of opposition NPPs Nana Akufo -Addo in some vantage places in the Kumasi metropolis. Among the constituencies and places such defaced posters of two presidential hopefuls were seen are Asawase, Aboabo, Anloga, Bantama, Abrepo Junction and Komfo Anokye Roundabout. COP Kofi Boakye, who doubles as Chairman of the Regional Election Taskforce expressed worry over the matter since it could escalate to civil war. COP Kofi Boakye bemoaned it is illegal to tear or deface your opponents poster and offenders could be surcharged for destruction of property The security capo added that such destruction could also put the whole nation into chaos and the police will not sit down for such to happen. Speaking rawgist.com, COP Kofi Boakye advised the youth to stay away from anything that could get them into the hands of the police . He reiterated calls to maintain peace and order in the region despite the numerous baseless allegations against him by the two major political parties. Paul Essien 02.09.2016 LISTEN The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is likely to lose the Jomoro parliamentary seat to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 7 parliamentary election. This follows the decision by one of the contenders in the NDCs parliamentary primary in the constituency, who lost in November last year, to contest for the seat as an independent candidate. The aggrieved NDC member lost in a controversial parliamentary primary which saw one Thomas Yankey emerge victorious. DAILY GUIDE gathered that the decision by Leo Kofi Armah Amenlemah to contest for the seat as an independent candidate has the backing of the majority of the NDC youth in the Jomoro area. Currently, some NDC members are unhappy with the decision by the former aspirant and believe the NPP candidate, Paul Essien could win the seat if the NDC kingpins in the area fail to persuade him to rescind his decision. The intention of daughter of the first President of Ghana Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Samia Yaaba Nkrumah to contest the Jomoro seat again on the ticket of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has also heightened the fear of the NDC. Samia Nkrumah captured the seat from the NDC in the 2008 general elections when she first appeared on political scene in Ghana. DAILY GUIDE learnt that the decision by the aggrieved NDC member to contest the Jomoro seat as an independent candidate was borne out of alleged irregularities that occurred during the primary in Jomoro constituency. According to sources, Mr. Amenlemah, before the Jomoro NDC primary last year, drew the attention of the regional executives of the NDC to the biased manner in which the biometric registration of NDC members in the constituency was carried out in the constituency. He alleged that the names of his supporters, numbering about 1,000, were deliberately deleted from polling stations at Half-Assini, Elubo, Jaywaf and Twenene, among others. However, the regional executives purportedly ignored the aspirant's grievances and went ahead with the primary. Mr Amenlemah's supporters, who became very angry at his defeat, mounted intense pressure on him to contest the seat as an independent candidate, which he later agreed. According to political pundits, the current conditions in the Jomoro constituency, coupled with the current economic hardships, rather give the opposition NPP the upper hand in the area in this year's general elections. To this end, some NDC supporters in the Western Region have called on the regional executives of the party to move swiftly to stop the aggrieved member of the party from carrying out his threat to contest the seat as an independent candidate. Meanwhile, the Regional Branch of the NPP have indicated that they are leaving no stone unturned in recapturing some of the seats the party lost to the NDC, including Evalue-Gwira, Ahanta West, Shama and Amenfi West, in this year's general elections. They have also resolved to increase the party's votes in area to ensure a resounding victory for the party and its flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi Thousands of residents of Tamale, the Northern Regional capital, inundated the streets on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 to welcome the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to the metropolis. A journey of about 25 minutes from Savelugu to Tamale took the NPP delegation about 4 hours to make, as human and vehicular traffic, described as unprecedented in the political history of Tamale, impeded the NPP flag bearer. Amidst chants of Nana oo Nana, Shei ko shei, to wit: whatever be the case he will get down (in reference to the president) and Change is coming, market women abandoned their wares, business owners came out of their shops, whilst commercial drivers parked their vehicles, all eager to catch a glimpse of the NPP leader and the vice presidential candidate. Visibly excited and overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for his candidature, Nana Akufo-Addo told the residents, who later gathered at the Zogbeli Park, that he was confident that Tamale had joined in the chorus for change. Having announced the '1 District, 1 Factory' and the '1 Village, 1 Dam' policies, the diversification of the country's agriculture, revival of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), effective implementation of the Free SHS, the setting up of an Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), the restoration of teacher and nursing trainee allowances, amongst others, the NPP flag bearer assured the people that he was committed to fulfilling each of the promises, when God-willing, he wins this year's election. I am not going to tell the Ghanaian people that I am going to do something when I know I cannot do it. I will never, ever lie to the people of Ghana. I will never do that. I have too much respect and love for Ghanaians to do that to them, he reiterated. Nana Akufo-Addo stated, Everywhere I have gone, there is a strong chorus of change for Ghana. And that chorus of change is taking the NPP and its candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to victory in December. He continued, I was coming to make an appeal to the people of Tamale to join this chorus, but I can see from this massive crowd that you have joined this chorus for change already. The change the NPP is assuring Ghanaians of will mean that the years of stagnation and recession under John Dramani Mahama will be coming to an end for the years of progress and prosperity under Nana Akufo-Addo to begin, he indicated. The west uses democracy, as in elections, to control Africa. This has resulted in over half a century of murder and mayhem because all but one African country is a mixture of different ethnicity's and nationalities with tribalism dominant in African societies. Elections mean tribal winners and tribal losers and no in between, or consensus based governance. This has been a recipe for disaster, as in tribal conflict, since the end of direct western colonial rule and the imposition of neocolonialism after WW2. Its called divide and rule and towards this end western style democracy has been a big hit in Africa as far as Pax Americana and its western minions are concerned. In more recent times crisis management has been the de facto policy, as in create a crisis (tribal conflict in the run up to an election) and then manage the crisis to better rape and pillage African resources. As long as the native tribes are killing each other the less chance of any sort of united front against Imperialism as in independent, nationalist African governments demanding a fair share of Africas wealth. Western democracy is all about controlling Africa for western benefit, something crucial to the ability of the western leaders maintaining the support of their population by being able to deliver the goods, economically speaking, in the form of higher standards of living. It is African blood that pays for the rich lifestyles of the western populace, and African blood that pays for social peace in western societies. The western elites don't care if it is buy, rig or steal when it comes to African elections as long as my bastards win everything is copacetic. Election instigated tribal violence is so standard that when an election is fixed without an outbreak of murder and mayhem it comes to be a cause of wonderment in the western media. The very first thing Pax Americana and its vassals demand after any African crisis are elections. And sure enough, another crisis is brewing. Western democracy is really American democracy for the system used in Europe, and most of the rest of the world, originated in the United States of America. The amazing job of brainwashing that has been done to convince both Americans and their acolytes internationally is that somehow American Democracy was ever something progressive. The historical fact is that the war for independence by the British colonies in North America was a counterrevolution for the purpose of preserving slavery. That's right, Washington, Jefferson et al were fighting for independence for the British colonies to preserve slavery, the most criminal, inhumane and barbaric crime against humanity the world has ever known, the enslavement of Africans in subhuman bondage. Thanks to cutting edge historians such as Dr. Gerald Horne, amongst others, there is indisputable historical evidence to convict the founding fathers of the USA of waging war to preserve slavery, which, with the help of the slave owning French aristocracy, succeeded in doing so for almost another century in the USA. Britain had outlawed slavery in the British Isles and Washington, Jefferson et al saw the handwriting on the wall, that their way of life based on the barbaric exploitation and degradation of Africans could only be preserved by independence from Britain. So they formed the Colonial Congress and carried out their counterrevolution with its goal to preserve their barbarism, for the system of slavery they enforced so viciously can hardly be considered civilization. The historical record of the form of barbarism practiced by the slave owning leadership of the newly independent USA is most powerfully exemplified by what is probably the only reliable first hand account of how that Founder of American Democracy, Thomas Jefferson treated his Africans. After dinner the master [Jefferson] and I went to see the slaves plant peas. Their bodies dirty brown rather than black, their dirty rags, their miserable, hideous half-nakedness, these haggard figures, this secretive anxious air, the hateful timorous looks, altogether seized me with an initial sentiment of terror and sadness that I ought to hide my face from. Their indolence in turning up the ground with the hoe was extreme. The master [Jefferson] took a whip to frighten them, and soon ensued a comic scene. Placed in the middle of the gang, he menaced, and turned far and wide [on all sides] turning around. Now, as he turned his face, one by one, the blacks changed attitude; those whom he looked at directly worked best, those whom he half saw worked least, and those he didnt see at all, ceased working altogether; and if he made an about-face, the hoe was raised to view, but otherwise slept behind his back. (Thanks to The Many Headed Hydra... for the previous quotation) This first hand account is from a founding member of the French Society for Friendship with Blacks, the first French antislavery organization. His name was Constantine Volney and he was the author of that African-Centered classic historical work, Ruins; Or, Meditations on the Revolutions of Empires in 1791. It is a fascinating account about his visit to Africas Nile Valley as a part of Napoleon's scientific team before the last major desecration's began. Being an honest, antiracist historian, Volney believed, based on what he saw with his own eyes in the Egyptian tombs and temples, that civilization began in Africa, on the banks of the Nile River. In his own words; It was there that a people, since forgotten, discovered the elements of science and art, at a time when all other men were barbarous, and that a race, now regarded as the refuse of society, because their hair is wooly and their skin is dark, explored among the phenomena of nature, those civil and religious systems which have since held mankind in awe. Ruins was one of the most widely read historical texts of the late 18th and early 19th century. It was published in 6 languages in over 15 editions. Volney was eventually driven from the USA by the forerunner of the Undesirable Aliens Act, passed by a slave owner Congress still having difficulties achieving a good nights sleep, haunted by dreams of the revolution in Haiti and the slaughter of their fellow slave owners by their erstwhile captives, Toussaint and his fellow Africans. Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Constitution of the United States of America which with its hypocrisy drenched words of All men are created equal is supposed to be the template for the governance of African societies? Its bad enough that whites and asians accept this falsehood but that it is essential that we in Africa must do so as well?. Any wonder why western democracy has brought about so much murder and mayhem in Africa? That a system that was created by a society that treated Africans so barbarically should only result in barbarism in Africa when forced upon the people here? It is more that a little ironic that the very structure used to govern the newly independent slavery dominated USA was plagiarized from the League of the Iroquois, the federation of American Indian nations whose grand council and democratic processes were adopted almost without change by the original author of what became the Constitution of the USA, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jeffersons mentor. Can you tell me of anyone, scholar or laymen in the USA, or its acolytes internationally, who know this fact, that the supposedly barbaric American Indians were the very people whose method of governance was adopted and distorted to become the basis of the system of governance known today as American democracy? The League of the Iroquois was composed of nation states which had jurisdiction over affairs of the state only. Each state had its own elected legislature, which, as in Franklins Constitution, chose a number of electors to the federal League of the Iroquois. These electors were accorded to each state based on the individual states population. The electors met regularly in the sacred hall for their deliberations. This grand council (the name Franklin used in the original draft of the Constitution for what came to be the Congress of the USA) was unicameral, as was Franklins original white settler council, later Congress, of the former British colonies. This Grand Council of the League of the Iroquois declared war and negotiated peace treaties, sent and received ambassadors, decided on the new members joining the League and in general acted as a federal government whose decisions superseded those of the states in affairs of the nation. As in Franklins Constitution, in the League of the Iroquois, the electors could not be serving in the military while holding office. In both cases an electorate chose the electors and could recall their choice at anytime. One of the main differences between the structures of the two democracies was that in the League of the Iroquois the electors were reserved for men but ELECTED BY THE WOMEN. Thats right, in the League of the Iroquois the women elected the leadership, something much more democratic than the actual minority of men who made up the electorate in the USA. The League of the Iroquois maintained a national state that stretched from New England to the Mississippi River that existed in conditions of internal peace for a thousand years or more. Africans, like the American Indians, traditionally practiced a more consensual form of democracy, not a winners and losers system of divide and rule. The introduction of American democracy was critical to the success of neo colonialism in Africa and its implementation is responsible for most of the conflict and destruction wracking Africa today. Western democracy, a system adopted by slave owners and redesigned to enable the preservation of a system of barbarism, maintained by force and violence, which has been forced on Africa, with this foreign infection subsequently proving to be critical in the continuing subjugation of the African continent by the western powers. Its all about controlling Africa with western democracy and like Cuba in Latin America, there is only one country on the African continent that rejects this system of exploitation, the small climate disaster wracked nation of Eritrea. Here in Eritrea we prefer to build our own system of democracy based on a peoples liberation war of 30 years and a culture of unity despite religious and ethnic differences that has withstood invasion, sanctions and climate disaster without faltering in our commitment to building a Rich Eritrea without Rich Eritreans, in other words Socialism. The west can have its so called democracy as far as we Eritreans are concerned. Thomas C. Mountain is an independent journalist in Eritrea, living and reporting from the country since 2006. His work can be seen on his facebook page at thomascmountain or he can best be reached at thomascmountain at g mail dot com By Ken Sackey/Benjamin Mensah Accra, Sept. 1, GNA - The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, on Thursday dismissed a motion by the Minority for a bi-partisan special committee to investigate the controversial Ford Expedition gift to President John Mahama by a Burkinabe contractor. The Minority, through its leader Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu, earlier in August in the motion, called on the House to investigate the receipt or otherwise of the vehicle by the President, if receipt infringed on any of the Laws of Ghana and on his (President's) Code of Conduct. The House which had been on recess since July was recalled following the motion to the Speaker. Proceedings for the day started about midday rather than the stipulated 1000 hours, and business for the day lasted for less than 10 minutes after prayers. After the Speakers ruling at the well-attended plenary, the Majority side displayed placards that made mockery of the Minority's insistence on a parliamentary inquest into the Ford gift to the President. Mr Adjaho, addressing the House, dismissed the motion on the grounds that the matter was being considered by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHJRAJ), recalling that some political parties and personalities had taken the matter to that state institution for investigation. He said upon receipt of the motion he sought to find out whether the matter was under investigation at the CHRAJ and consequently directed the Clerk of Parliament to conduct a search that proved the matter was under investigation there. The Speaker said the search showed that there were three petitions before the Commission and that the matter currently before CHRAJ was no different in shape or form from the motion brought by the Minority. Quoting Articles 286 and 287 of the Constitution that gives the CHRAJ the power to investigate matters of corruption and breach of code of conduct, he said: 'I am firmly convinced CHRAJ is the only mandated body to probe this case." The Speaker also referred to a Supreme Court judgement in a case in which Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Dr Edward Omane-Boamah sued the late Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey for abusing his office in his purchase of a state bungalow. Mr Ablakwa and Dr Omane-Boamah are now serving as deputy ministers of Education and Communications respectively, while the late Obetsebi Lamptey served in the erstwhile Kufuor Administration in different capacities, including Minister of State of different portfolios. Speaker Adjaho said the Supreme Court had made a number of rulings on the exclusive jurisdiction of constitutionally mandated bodies, including the CHRAJ, on dealing with the Code of Conduct of public officers, including the President. The Speaker, dismissing the motion, said the House was bound by the interpretation of the Constitution by the Supreme Court, saying; 'It is my view that CHRAJ is the institution vested with the exclusive authority to investigate the matter relating to the Ford gift." The Speaker invoked constitutional provisions that empowered him to exercise discretionary powers and said; "As Speaker, I'm of the firm belief that constitutional bodies must respect each other in order to avoid conflict." He directed the Clerk of Parliament to return the motion to the member in whose name it stood and adjourned the House sine die. Earlier at a press conference on Wednesday, Majority Leader Alban Bagbin said the recall was unnecessary and a waste of public resources, counting the cost of transporting legislators and other ancillary staff of parliament back and forth, logistics, publicity and the risk involved in travelling. He said the motion was a ploy by the Minority to throw as much dirt on the President before the December 7 elections. But the Minority, in a rebuttal after the proceedings, told a press conference addressed by its leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu that the Speaker's rejection of the motion was a 'cabalistic display of power that we have witnessed since the Fourth Republic began.' He described the Speaker's decision to quash the motion as "whimsical and capricious", saying the side was disappointed the Speaker ceded the powers of parliament to CHRAJ and that the House had lost a good opportunity to invoke its powers of oversight on the Executive. Mr Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu said the call for the inquest into the president's receipt of the said gift was a matter that had been brought before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and the Minority was only asking the House to exercise its oversight responsibility over the conduct of a public official, including the President. He explained further that had the Speaker allowed the motion to go through, it would have been a good opportunity for President Mahama to clear himself of the tag of bribery and corruption currently trending. 'There is no institution better than Parliament to have investigated this issue,' the Minority Leader said, adding that if the Speaker's ruling was anything to go by, then the recent judicial scandal involving some judges should have been referred to the CHRAJ and not the courts. He said the Speaker arbitrarily exercised his powers of discretion in dismissing the case. It will be recalled that a journalist, Manasseh Azuri Awuni, reported that a Burkinabe contractor, Mr Jibril Kanozoe gifted a Ford Expedition vehicle to President Mahama in 2012. According to Awuni, that same year, Kanazoe was awarded two contracts - the fencing of the Ghana Embassy in Burkina Faso at a cost of $650,000 and the construction of part of the Eastern Corridor Road Project. GNA By Patience A. Gbeze, GNA Accra, Sept. 1, GNA - Mr Lawrence Amesu, the Director of Amnesty International Ghana, said a lot had been achieved towards ensuring that Ghana gained the status as abolitionist in practice. He said Ghana had not executed anyone over the past 23 years even though the courts continued to sentence people to death, and 'we have about 137 death row inmates, including three women, in our prisons currently'. Speaking at the launch of Advocacy Toolkit for Abolition of Death Penalty in West Africa, Mr Amesu said he believed that Amnesty International's submission with support from other civil society organisations and the opinion of the public had contributed to the recommendation that death penalty should be abolished in Ghana. He said though West Africa was leading that progressive forward march, however, the Anglophone countries within the continent are dragging their feet while the Francophone countries including Senegal, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso had either abolished the death penalty or were doubling their steps towards achieving that. Mr Amesu said the toolkit was very useful for the media, civil society organisations and para institutions which were advocating for the abolition of the death penalty in Ghana as well as all government institutions which had a stake in the process. 'The document will also be very useful for the youth not only as an advocacy tool but also as a knowledge acquisition document because it highlights and explains such terminologies as abolitionist, retentionist, clemency, exoneration, and pardon, among others,' he added. The document, he said, traced the history and achievements of Amnesty International's journey towards total abolition of the death penalty in the world while focusing a little more on the situation in Africa and West Africa. The toolkit also highlights the international instruments and bodies that support the need for the abolition of the death penalty. Dr Isaac Annan, a Director at CHRAJ, who chaired the function, said Ghana was Human Rights compliant as it ratified most of the United Nations Conventions and Resolutions, and reiterated the need for the country to abolish the death penalty as a sign of commitment. Ms Sabrina Tucci, of Amnesty International Secretariat, London, noted that West Africa is a beacon of hope for the whole of Africa and urged civil society organisations to continue the campaign. She called on governments to engage the public in debates on the issue. GNA A dark day in Ghanas History that hit the judiciary so hard is June 30, 1982. On this day three high court judges and a retired army officer were abducted from their homes by some group of unknown persons to somewhere unknown. The following morning news of the abduction and consequent pledge by government to find and rescue these victims, one of whom was a nursing mother went viral. The Chief Justice, High Courts and Families of these victims might have anticipated the return of their employees and loved ones respectively but charred bodies found later and identified to be the abductees were the evidence that their colleagues and families would return no more. Reports from the special investigation board had it that the abduction and execution was a plot hatched in connivance of members of the then Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC). Names of prominent people were linked to this heinous crime against humanity. Whilst circumstance and status prevented the arrest and consequent prosecution of some of these persons evidence brought up against them could not suffice for prosecution. Some group of people were however arrested and sentenced to death. Though Ghanaians have found the reason to forgive each other and moved on as a nation through the National Reconciliation process it remains in the annals of history that once upon time some members of the jury now referred to as Martyrs of the rule of law were murdered whilst discharging their core duty of administering justice to the deserved. It is a little over three decades and the judiciary as an arm of government has not been spared from harsh whips from the tongue of Ghanaians for a myriad of reasons including shortfalls in the justice delivery system. The law interpreters institution has come under heavy criticism following corruption allegations put against them on several platforms including the recent infamous Anas expose . The chief administrator of the institution on several occasions has been accused of compromising her political neutrality. According to them, members of the bench are delivering political judgments at the court and embarrassing the government in the process and even cited a catalogue of actions that lend credence to the assertion. Worst of all is the perception that the appointment of the current Chief Justice by the erstwhile Kuffour administration was her reward for doing a favourable job for President Kuffour, the New Patriotic Party and drug barons cited in the infamous MV Benjamin case. In view of this members of the ruling NDC have once called on their party leader and president of Ghana to institute a public forum for people to present their accounts of the obvious administrative shortcomings, moral and pecuniary corruption in the justice system and act accordingly on the results of the forum, to give themselves and posterity a system of justice which keeps true to the constitutional requirements of the concept of justice originating and sustained by the people. For some reason(s) their request or appeal was totally ignored by their own MillsMahama administration. But the question that a common Ghanaian like myself cannot find answers to is if the Chief Justice appointment was a reward or token of appreciation for a good job done for President Kuffour and not based on merit and her incompetence has come to bare in her role as the administrator of the judiciary then what exactly has remained that singular impediment to a successive removal from office her Ladyship? The debate on the trial of the Montie FM trio for making offensive comments on radio deemed to be threat to the lives of some judges in the country and the recent remission granted by the President has stolen the attention of all. The decision to exercise his prerogative power of mercy was not taken solely by the president but in consultation with the council of state. Our dead goat of a president for once did not turn deafening ear to the cry for mercy by sympathisers of the trio most of whom are followers of the ruling NDC party. The call was an insistence if not a kind reminder to the president to exercise his prerogative power of mercy per article 72 of the 1992 constitution to free the trio to which he has succumbed. This action has been viewed as a political victory for members of the ruling party and ministers who signed various petitions amidst threat by sympathizers of the Montie FM three to vote against the ruling party if the president fails to come to the rescue of the trio. It is few months to elections and threatening judges in times like this only brings fresh memories of the torture and execution of those three judges under the PNDC which has gone through metamorphosis to become the current democratic NDC. Although the panel of members of the jury appeared to be caught up in the state of power drunkenness or fright we should not lose sight of the fact that it was actually an action aimed at taming the wild tongues of the victims and others whose mission is to psyche and incite people to commit violent acts in the upcoming election in the quest for political power. Ghana needs peace as we prepare for the polls and such uncivilised and barbaric comments is a threat to the peace we are enjoying currently and continuously pray for. Ghanas democracy has stood the test of time. Under no circumstance should any Ghanaian entertain the fear that our nation will be caught up under the watch of military dictatorship; that is not to say it is not possible! Guarded by similar thoughts probably it is only logical that the panel who sat on the case nip in the bud anything that will pose as a threat to their lives and the peace of this nation. Who knows history may be repeated? Thus the decision by the members of the jury to impose such heavy misfit sentence on their victims cannot be motivated by some sort of bad blood between the judiciary and the NDC. The utterances made by the Montie trio whilst on air on Montie FM has been condemned by well meaning Ghanaians irrespective of political affiliation but as to whether the verdict passed by the judges befits the crime and the subsequent grant of remission by the president to the trio was a step taken out of deep thought or an abuse of power remains the subject of discussion wherever you find yourself. The undisputed fact is that both actions taken by the judges and the president were based on the 1992 Constitution. If the victims were found undoubtedly culpable and the sentence and remission granted by the jury and the president respectively were necessary good or evil it is the constitution that has stood the test of time. In the same vein if both actions taken by the jury and president are deemed unnecessary and lack sanity then it is a clear reflection of the insanity of the 1992 constitution. The writer is a Ghanaian 'commoner' in love with her country The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that it will launch its manifesto on September 17 in the Brong Ahafo region. NDC campaign spokesperson Joyce Bawa Mogtari said our [NDC] manifesto is ready, the president continues to undertake several other engagements so we have finally agreed that well be launching our manifesto on the 17th of this month...so for our part we are ready to go. The governing party had earlier planned to launch its manifesto on August 28 in Sunyani but cancelled it at the last minute. Speaking on Class FM, Madam Mogtari dismissed claims that the decision to delay its manifesto launch is to steal ideas from the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). Whatever we [NDC] do is usually based on strategy, its based on tact, and above all that, we are a party that is actually in government. So, we do believe that our manifesto will be providing Ghanaians a semblance of what to expect in our second and final term of President Mahama. So, for our part, we continue to implement our existing manifesto...and you know that the NDC since 2004 has actually never launched its election campaign together with its manifesto. The deputy transport minister added: The NDC is in government so what will we have to lose if we either release our manifesto early or later? So for those who are struggling to come to power, of course there might be a good reason why they would want to keep their manifesto under wraps. I know that our manifesto is ready. Weve just been working in a very strategic way to launch our campaign first, kick-start the campaign to galvanise our base, to unite our base, to provide certain a guidance to our base and then, of course, launch the manifesto. President Jacob Zuma has arrived in Hangzhou in the People's Republic of China, to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit. China presides over the work of the G20 this year and under its Presidency, has adopted an overarching theme of working "Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy". South Africa is a member country of the Group of 20 (G20) which consists of 19 countries plus the European Union (EU), the 20th member. G20 members have been meeting regularly since 1999 to discuss global economic policy coordination. The G20 was conceptualised to stabilise and strengthen the global economy, by bringing together the major advanced and emerging market economies. These economies together represent around 85% of global GDP, 80% of global trade and two-thirds of the world's population. The G20 membership includes systemically important advanced and emerging-market economies. These economies meet to discuss the global economy, the international financial architecture, financial regulatory reform and global economic governance. The G20's prominent membership provides a strong platform for influencing global economic policy. It is widely credited with coordinating the response to the 2008 global financial crisis and, therefore, the subsequent global economic recovery. It was after the 2008 global financial crisis that the G20 was elevated to an annual Leaders' Summit, as the premier forum for global economic policy coordination and decision-making. China is the 2016 Presidency of the G20. South Africa's participation in the G20 is aimed at advancing the national agenda, which is creating a better South Africa and contributing to a better and safer Africa and a better world. South Africa's participation in the G20 is to provide strategic foresight in establishing an economic and international policy platform that will drive and negotiate the best possible outcomes for South Africa, Africa and the developing world. South Africa's priorities in the G20 for 2016 include strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, decent employment, efficient and responsive economic infrastructure, increased investment in infrastructure, reducing illicit financial flows through coordination of international tax, coordination of international financial regulatory developments and international coordination on development. This includes domestic resource mobilization (DRM) and ensuring synergy with UN processes on the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development and financing for development. Given that development is an important priority for South Africa in the G20, South Africa serves as a Co-Chair of the G20 Development Working Group (DWG). The President will also participate in the annual B20 engagement with G20 business community. As per usual, an important informal meeting of the BRICS leaders will take place on the margins of the G20 to take forward the agenda of this important forum ahead of its summit in Agoa, India next month. President Zuma is accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and the Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan to the G20. At the conclusion of the G20 Summit, President Zuma will travel to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, where he will attend the "2nd Investing in Africa Forum," on 7 September 2016. He will be joined by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies and the Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindi Chikunga at the forum. 02.09.2016 LISTEN The Greater Accra Regional house of chiefs registrar, Harry Anthony Attipoe has landed himself in dangerous waters as the Coalition of Ga-Dangme Youth have asked him to vacate his office before 13th of September or face their wrath. According to the Coalition, Mr Attipoe is setting bad precedent for workers within the Civil Service and must be compelled to leave his office to maintain sanity in the service. The Coalition has threatened to picket at the premises of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to drum home their concerns. According to the group, Mr Attipoe, for about five months now has refused transfer postings to the Volta Region from his sector minister hence their action. Speaking at a mini protest at Labadi, the Spokesperson for the group, Emmanuel Okoe Thomy said "we are surprised a civil servant is refusing orders from his sector Minister, Mr Henry Seidu Daanaa. What precedent is he serving for other civil servants in the country to follow? I think he must be disciplined to serve as a deterrent for other civil servants who might want to follow his steps" Mr Thomy continued that Attipoe's claims that he is serving the interest of the chiefs at the regional house of Chiefs and for that matter, he will not proceed on his transfer to the Volta Region until the chiefs asks him to do so is ridiculous and gives room for suspicion. "Why is Attipoe refusing to go on transfer and why is he now hiding behind the Chiefs. Are the Chiefs his employees?" Mr Thomy questioned The Coalition of Ga-Dangme Youth has however asked the worried registrar to as a matter of urgency to vacate his office or face their wrath. Clad in red, the aggrieved youth are again appealing to the minister to terminate the appointment of Harry Anthony Attipoe as stated in its letter dated the 12th of August 2016. The Ministry of Chieftaincy in its final postings notice to Mr Attipoe notified him of losing his job effective 18th of August 2016, should he continue to occupy the office of the registrar at the Greater Accra Regional house of chiefs. To this effect, the group is also appealing to the minister to ensure Attipoe faces the full rigours of the code of conduct that employed him and must be shown the exit. A 19-year-old commercial driver has been hauled before an Accra Domestic Violence and Gender Based court for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl. The accused, Bismark Eshun allegedly lured the girl, who sells 'pure water' at the Kwashiman Lorry Station in Accra to his house and forcibly had sex with her. The prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbiri, told the court that the accused, who used to buy water from the victim, had sex with her from 15-16 August this year at Sowutuom also in Accra. Bismark, who appeared before court, presided over by the trial judge, Mrs. Ruby Naa Adjeley Quayson, denied the charge and was remanded into police custody until September 14. Earlier, the prosecutor told the court that investigations into the case were still ongoing and that they intend to establish the age of the victim at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The complainant in the case is one Anti Badu, a trader at Kwashiman who resides at Amasaman. At about 7pm on the said day, the accused spotted the victim by the road side at Kwashieman, stopped his vehicle and conveyed her to his house at Sowutuom where he forcibly had sex with her. Bismark, after the act, warned the victim not to tell anybody about the incident but she bled profusely through her vagina as a result of the sexual intercourse. The accused person kept the victim with him for two days during which he had sex with her on several occasions. On August 17, Bismark conveyed the victim to the complainant at Amasaman at about 6:30am and ordered her to enter the house after he had left the scene. The victim told the complainant about her ordeal which led to the arrest of Bismark. By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson [email protected] WACAM, leading mining rights Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has launched a document to push for a review of the existing mining laws in the country. According to WACAM, the current regulatory standards rather serve the interests of mining companies and those in the extractive sector to the detriment of the country. The NGO stressed the need to reassess the situation immediately. Mining problems have engulfed our nation. We have mined in rivers, mountains, cemeteries, sacred groves, forest reserves and displaced more than 60,000 landlords who have many dependants, yet we have nothing substantial to show for the extreme suffering mining operations have inflicted on our people, Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, Associate Executive Director of WACAM, said at the launch on Tuesday. The document titled: Sample Minerals and Mining Bill, was developed mainly by WACAM in collaboration with the Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL) and Centre for Environmental Impact Assessment (CEIA). Mrs. Owusu-Koranteng said it was not in doubt that Ghana attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the mining sector through a liberal mining regulatory regime but the government failed to protect the environment, community livelihoods, water bodies, protected areas. The campaign of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the inadequacies on the PNDCL 153 resulted in some cosmetic reforms which gave birth to the Minerals and Mining Act, 703, Act 2006, she added. This act has woefully failed to protect the interests of the vulnerable communities. She said for instance that royalty rates which was 3 percent to 12 percent of total volume of the mineral produced in the PNDCL 153 was reduced to a sliding scale of 3 percent to 6 percent in the existing Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703, saying this gave all the mining companies the opportunities to pay the lowest royalty rate of 3 percent until it was revised to 5 percent flat rate in response to campaign of NGOs which is even inadequate. She said the widespread environmental degradation, pollution of almost every water body and the disruption of farming activities as a result of both large and small-scale mining is going to have dire consequences for Ghana very soon. WACAM therefore made key suggestions to the government through parliament, seeking to get the house to push for stricter mining laws that would serve the interests of both the investor and the country. She said the act is suggesting a 'No Go Zones' to ensure total protection of reserved forests from mining activities, free period and informed consent from the communities even before exploratory activities, improved human rights provisions and the payment of royalties of about 10 percent. The government clearly looks at the fiscal benefits and neglect concerns of the communities who are severely affected. We are dealing with a resource that is running out fast and the longer we delay the more Ghana is hurting itself, she declared. Ambassdor Elkanah Odembe, a former Kenyan diplomat, who chaired the event, said the changing circumstances in the Ghanaian mining landscape calls for urgent review of the laws regulating the sector. By William Yaw Owusu John Alexander Ackon supported by Adumhene, Baafour Adjei Kesse IV to cut the tape The Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon has entreated Ghanaians to support indigenous companies by patronizing their products and services. According to him, patronizing Ghanaian products and services will ease pressure on the cedi and ultimately help grow the country's economy. Mr Ackon made this known while speaking at the inauguration of a refurbished Ghana Oil Company (GOIL) service station at Santasi, Kumasi. GOIL has embarked on massive re-branding and facelift of its service stations which has culminated in the increase in the number of stations from about 160 to over 250. The Minister tasked GOIL management team to maintain the quality of its products on the market, entreating Ghanaians to patronize GOIL products and services. Managing Director of GOIL, Patrick A. K. Akorli, paid tribute to customers of the company, adding that consumers have mostly benefited from the deregulation of the industry. He said GOIL has raised the standards in terms of delivering quality products and appealed to Ghanaians to embrace successful national brands like GOIL. Mr Akorli said the company has over 16,000 shareholders, stressing that his outfit intends to forge ahead to enter the West African market on the strength of huge investments in Bunkering Aviation and Bitumen business. The Adumhene, Barfour Adjei Kesse IV, who represented the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, commended GOIL for providing good products to its customers. In attendance were GOIL Brand Ambassador, Azumah Nelson, the playing body and management of Asante Kotoko, who are sponsored by GOIL and the Kokofuhene, Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II. The refurbished service station has a modern service centre and courtyard, a well-stocked GO Shop and a fully-equipped tire centre. By Cephas Larbi ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (seated middle) and Daniel Asiedu, MD of ADB (seated left) and other officials of the bank Managing Director of Agricultural Development Bank (adb), Daniel Asiedu has commended the Ghana Police Service for maintaining peace in the country. According to Mr. Asiedu, the Ghana Police Service has contributed in ensuring the safety of banks in the country to enable them to work efficiently. We have had instances of robbery attempts in some banks but the police have been timely and brave in responding and I wish to commend them for their commitment to duty, he said. Mr. Asiedu made the remarks when the Accra Central Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah paid a courtesy call on him. He pledged the bank's commitment to supporting the Accra Central Division of the Ghana Police Service to maintain peace and security for organizations and companies to transact business. As a bank, we need a peaceful and secure atmosphere to operate, and I am glad the police service has shown over time that they are up to the task in providing us with the peaceful environment needed for our businesses to thrive, he said. According to Mr. Asiedu, the adequate security provided by the Police has helped customers to walk into banking halls to transact business. Mr. Asiedu indicated that the bank would soon roll out tailored-made products and services for selected institutions, including the police service so as to enable them enjoy the full benefits of banking. ACP Addo-Danquah thanked the bank for their assistance over the years and pledged her administration's resolve to continuously provide security to the bank and its environs. We want to ensure that companies and organizations operating within my jurisdiction enjoy the necessary peace and security as they go about their business, she said. A business desk report Government could significantly reduce importation of outboard motors if it offers support to local manufacturers. A Ghanaian auto engineer, Captain Victor Batie (rtd), who has built his own outboard motors using scrap materials, said this in an interview with BUSINESS GUIDE on Thursday in Accra. He brought the outboard motors to the offices of Western Publications Limited, publishers of DAILY GUIDE on Thursday to showcase them. He said they can be used by canoes of all sizes and small boats and have the ability to travel long distances just like the imported ones. They can perform like the normal engine outboard motors. They don't use premix fuel and are less costly as compared to those imported into Ghana, explained the retired army officer, who started his innovative work in 1997 immediately after his retirement from the Ghana Army. Ghana currently imports outboard motors from Japan and other Asian countries. Government this year reportedly imported more than 1,000 outboard motors to be distributed to fishermen at a subsidized cost. Local manufacturers like myself are struggling to get support from the State even though our products can equally meet the needs of fisher folks in the country as compared to those being imported at exorbitant cost, he said. According to him, outboard motors imported into the country are being sold between GH12, 000 and GH14, 000 respectively. But the ones produced locally can be sold between GH2,000 and GH4000 on the market, he said, adding that with support from government, the country could save foreign exchange. Captain Victor Batie (rtd) has won several awards from the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for his other innovations namely: Energy Efficient Cookware, Mosquito Net Mounting Kit and Candle Safety Globe.' He believes support from the State to local manufacturers could lead to the creation of an entire industry for outboard motors in Ghana to create many jobs for the youth. By Melvin Tarlue John Jinapor cutting the tape for the official opening of the Expo,Offering him support is the Turkish Ambassador to Ghana, Nesrin Bayazit (right) and the Acting Indian High Commissioner, P.K. Gupta (second left) while the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) James Asare-Adjei (left) and others look on Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor has assured Ghanaians that the shutdown of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant on Wednesday, August 31 for mandatory maintenance would not lead to power outages across the country. Mr. Jinapor gave the assurance yesterday at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Powerelec Ghana 2016 Expo being held at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre. This was after he had reportedly told Joy FM in an interview that the shutdown of the plant may cause 'dumsor' in the country to counteract an assurance given by Chief Executive (CEO) of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), William Amuna when the announcement was made on August 29. Mr Amuna said the 10-day shutdown would not result in power outages, noting that plans had been put in place to increase intake from the Bui Power Plant to feed the grid. But Mr. Jinapor in the report by JoyFm indicated that despite the available power production capacity, technical challenges may impede smooth power production. He made a U-turn while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the three-day international tradeshow and conference on power generation and industrial electronics to showcase the potential of Ghanas power sector. According to him, engineers at the processing plants had indicated that power supply had normalized despite the shutdown of the Atuabo Gas Plant. He urged Ghanaians to remain calm as technicians at the Atuabo Gas Plant go through the maintenance process. We hope that within a week's time, the gas processing plant will be back on stream. The Ameri Plant and some thermal plants in the Takoradi enclave are down, he said. 'Invest In Energy' Jeen Joshua, CEO of Verifair, one of the organizers of the expo, in a statement, called on African states to increase their investments in the energy sector in order to boost economic growth. He indicated that about 600 million residents in Sub-saharan Africa are without electricity, a development he said was posing threat to the future of children on the continent. Expo The Powerelec Ghana 2016 Expo, which is being held under the patronage of the Government of Ghana, brings together international suppliers from nine countries across the world. The fair, which focuses on solar and other renewable energy sources, features official pavilions from India, Turkey, Egypt, Ghana and China, with over 100 exhibitors. By Melvin Tarlue Managing Director of HFC Bank Ghana Limited, Robert Le Hunte, has paid a courtesy call on the new Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso. The visit was mainly to welcome the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, and at the same time pledge the bank's commitment to supporting KNUST. Other members of the team included Paula Baldwin, General Manager Retail Banking, Benjamin Dzoboku, General Manager Finance and Strategy, as well as other zonal heads of the bank. Mr Le uHuntehdgfdvHunte presented a portrait as gift to the Vice Chancellor. HFC Bank Ghana Limited is a universal bank in Ghana and the most diversified financial institution. As a one-stop financial institution, its services include Commercial Banking, Investment Banking, Mortgage Banking and Micro Finance. HFC Bank has been instrumental in the development of the mortgage industry in Ghana and continues to be the number one home loan provider in the country with over 30% share of the mortgage industry. In May 2015, Republic Bank Limited (RBL), now Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL), became the majority shareholder in HFC Bank with 57.11% equity stake following the closure of the Mandatory Tender Offer (MTO) to shareholders and the subsequent approval by the regulatorSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) is one of the largest and most successful independent commercial banks in the English-speaking Caribbean, with over 178 years of banking experience. Working in collaboration with Republic Financial Holdings Limited, HFC Bank will be able to build on the existing strong foundation and grow to achieve new levels of success in the industry. This collaboration marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter of growth, development and service for both HFC Bank and the University. The British High Commissioner, Guy Warrington, had the pleasure of hosting a farewell reception at his official Residence for this years cohort of Chevening scholars from Sierra Leone. This remarkable group will soon be leaving for the UK to start one-year Masters degrees at some of the UKs most prestigious universities. Organised and funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office with support from partner organisations, Chevening offers the opportunity for exceptional candidates to study in the UK on sponsored Masters programmes. The selection process is highly competitive and recipients of these awards are personally selected by the British High Commission. Successful scholars go on to become part of a highly regarded and influential global network of over 44,000 Chevening alumni. Chevening Scholarships are awarded to those with the potential to be future leaders, influencers and decision-makers in their country. The programme offers a unique opportunity to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build a lasting relationship with the UK. Over the past 30 years Sierra Leone has had 82 successful alumni and this year a further eight scholars will embark on the programme testament to the enduring importance of the UK-Sierra Leone relationship. Chevening Scholars past and present, have proven leadership qualities and a strong academic background, many have returned to Sierra Leone to hold prominent positions in government, the private sector and academia. Attending the reception were some of Sierra Leones leading Chevening alumni. Among them was Mr Sulaiman Bah, Director of Public Prosecutions who studied International Criminal Law at the University of Surrey from 2001-2002. He was joined by Miatta French, Commissioner at the National Electoral Commission (NEC) who studied at the University of Birmingham from 2009-2010. Both returned to the UK in 2009 as Chevening Fellows. Reflecting on the event, Mr Guy Warrington said: Every year the Chevening Programme selects the very best candidates to study in the UK. So Im delighted to send bid farewell to the eight successful Chevening scholars, all of whom have demonstrated their potential and readiness to be future leaders and influencers in their respective fields. The selection process was intense, but now the real hard work begins. Im confident they will make full use of this opportunity to develop at the UKs top universities and bring back new ideas and ways of thinking that will help build a brighter future for Sierra Leone. Applications for this prestigious global scholarship programme are now open for the 2017-18 academic year. For more details please visit www.chevening.org/sierra-leone. Are you a Chevening Alumni? We would love to reconnect with you and welcome you to the Sierra Leone Chevening Alumni Association. Contact [email protected] to find out more. A George Logan 02.09.2016 LISTEN Latest report confirms Born Frees prediction - that Africas elephants are in a devastating spiral of decline International wildlife charity, Born Free Foundation, has described the transcontinental figures released yesterday on savannah elephants as profoundly sobering. In 1979, there were some 1.3 million elephants in Africa, but now a new transcontinental survey - the most comprehensive ever undertaken for elephants - has shown that there are less than 400,000 savannah elephants, one of Africas two species of elephant. Born Free has been campaigning for more than 30 years to stop the illicit trade in ivory to protect and conserve Africas elephants. Will Travers OBE, President and CEO of the Born Free Foundation, said: This new survey confirms that Africas elephants are in a devastating spiral of decline. In spite of most being within protected areas, they continue to be gunned down. The time for yet more debate is long past the trade in and demand for ivory must be brought to an end. Its vital that all ivory markets, both domestic and international, are shut down without delay and that the criminal elements behind the bloody ivory business are dismantled. In 1989, Born Free - representing the overwhelming majority of British citizens - was one of the many organisations to push for, and succeed in securing, the worldwide ban on ivory trading between countries. However, starting in 1997, measures to progressively weaken the ban were brought into play. Legal wholesale auctions of ivory were held and well-organised international criminal syndicates seized their opportunity to meet the rising demand for ivory in East and South East Asia. Born Free has relentlessly joined the chorus of voices calling for a reinstatement of the ban, and later this month will send a delegation to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of Parties in Johannesburg, where a proposal from 13 countries will be on the table, aimed at restoring the highest level of protection that CITES can bestow on the elephants of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, thereby banning all possibility of legal, commercial international ivory trade. Travers added: Without resolute, global action now more individual elephants will be slaughtered, elephant calves will be orphaned, rangers will lose their lives, poachers' mothers will lose their children and criminals will prosper. Born Free will do all in its power to bring this to an end. It is time we all declared our support for elephants, condemned the ivory trade and supported the great majority of African nations who want to see CITES throw all of Africa's elephants a final lifeline. The findings of the new survey follow the publication earlier this week of a new report that revealed forest elephants, Africas other elephant species, are among the worlds slowest reproducing mammals, with females taking more than 20 years to reach reproductive age, giving birth just once every five to six years. For a species that suffered a crippling 62% decline between 2002 and 2011, this means it may take as long as 100 years for forest elephants to reach turn of the century population levels. For more information on the ivory trade see www.bloodyivory.org. The Minority leader in Parliament says the Speakers dismissal of a motion calling for the President to be investigated, is a dangerous attitude that must be checked. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, therefore, wants a law passed to regulate the Speakers use of his discretionary powers which he deems to have been arbitrarily used at Thursdays sitting. The motion in contention was one demanding the setting up a Special Committee to investigate Mahama after he accepted a Ford Expedition gift from a Burkinabe businessman in 2012. The Minority had forced a recall of parliament and were braced for a charged debate on the matter. But in an unusual move, a fairly full House watched the Speaker dismiss the motion explaining that another state instutition, CHRAJ, is already investigating the matter. Shell-shocked by the action, the Minority has condemned the Speakers conduct as whimsical while the Majority has expressed satisfaction in the ruling as a move grounded in law. Only heavens can explain this, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu expressed dismay on the Super Morning Show Friday, adding this was a dangerous attitude from the Speaker. The Suame MP said the Speaker of Parliament is enjoined by Article 296 to be fair in the use of his discretionary power. Article 296 states that Where in this Constitution or in any other law discretionary power is vested in any person or authority that discretionary power shall be deemed to imply a duty to be fair and candid; the exercise of the discretionary power shall not be arbitrary, capricious or biased wither by resentment, prejudice or personal dislike and shall be in accordance with due process of law; and where the person or authority is not a judge or other judicial officer, there shall be published by constitutional instrument or statutory instrument, regulations that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution or that other law to govern the exercise of the discretionary power Clinging to this Article, the Minority leader proclaimed that it is time for a Constitutional Instrument to be passed to rein in the tendency of the Speaker to favour his party in controversial matters. Ever since this parliament [others] have argued extensively that we need a Constitutional Instrument to regulate the conduct of the Speaker. Rt. Hon Speaker Edward Doe Adjaho He suggested that Speakers as nominated by the ruling government are most likely to pander to his partys dictates. If you have put as we have [persons] who are enschooled in their partisan contraption, it becomes very difficult for that prison to be equitable and very objective in his rulings. Picking up on what he believes is a faulty judgment, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said Parliament cannot sit without an order paper [which states the agenda] and the paper is prepared by the Business Committee. Yesterday there was no Business Committee meeting. How did the speaker who is not technically a member of parliament cause an order paper to be prepared?, he pointed out a weird decision by the Speaker. According to him, assuming the Speaker was right in his judgment, common sense required that he communicates with the Minority leader. He would have said that I cannot admit the motion and so Parliament cannot sit. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu explained that a motion becomes a property of the House after it is seconded. Comments can now be made on it. You say you are not allowing the motion to be admitted, you will not grant space for anybody to debate it, yet you go on to run commentary on it. What is this? he said. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com|[email protected] Emmanuel Husseini (pictured) had his eyes plucked out by his friends who lured him to a bush in a village named Marti local Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State and removed them. The police is now searching for the friends who carried out this dastard act. Emmanuel says all he wants now is for his sight to be restored. So sad! 02.09.2016 LISTEN What are the questions to be asked, the impact on the person (Professor Martey) and the general Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the general implications of his actions? To start with, who was the person(s) who tried to bribe him with the intent to gagging him from ever lambasting their party? Was he castigating that yet publicly unknown political party and her membership rightly, based on crimes and other wrongs they were committing or he was simply being mischievous, attacking them for its own sake? Did he actually accept the cash bribe, the 4 x 4 car and the other attached bribery promise of flat at Trasacco? Let us assume that Rev. Professor Martey took the bribe. What prompted him to give half of the US$100,000, thus, US$50,000, to the later to be sacked Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the church, Dr Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong? Why was Dr Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong sacked? Was it for condoning and conniving with Professor Martey to accept bribe contrary to the expectations of the Church and the godly principles of the Christian Faith where every member is to stay above reproach, not engaging themselves in evil practices of which offering and taking bribes is one? If he was sacked for his part played in the alleged bribery, why was the principal culprit, Rev. Professor Martey not equally punished? Why would Professor Martey take him to the house of the yet unknown politician to take the bribe? When the bribe was offered to Professor Martey, what was the instant reaction of the accomplice, thus, the Latter-day Saint (PRO) Dr Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong? Was he gleeful or he was sullen? If he had become saddened at what was unfolding before him, why did he accept a share of the offered bribe? What did he do with his share of the alleged bribe? Did he take it straight away to the Church, showed it to them, subsequently rejected it and lodged either formal or informal complaint against Rev. Professor Martey with the Church and the Police? If he had, why did the public not hear about it until today? Why has the sacked PRO waited until now, to come public with a crime committed in year 2013? Is it because of the fact that Rev. Professor Martey is no longer the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana hence has become a toothless bull he can easily conquer by dealing him a single powerful deadly blow in the form of bribe-taker as it is now the obvious case? Let it be known to all and sundry with Dr Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong inclusive that offering and taking bribe is a crime which is punishable by the laws of the land according as stipulated in the Ghana Criminal Code 1960 (ACT 29) Sections 239 to 245. I strongly detest instances of offering and taking bribes by public and traditional officials hence my continuously expressed opposing view to the Asante Overlords support and role played in the fake enstoolment of one Dr Yaw Sarfo as the Kumawuhene. Let it be known by Dr Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong that if it does turn out that the bribe was indeed taken and he had a share of it, he is as equally guilty and liable for punishment as Professor Martey. From the underlying cited web link of a video posting on Professor Martey on this bribery allegation, one will begin to disbelieve the version as presented by Dr Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Prof-Martey-s-100k-bribe-Ex-PRO-s-claims-false-Presbyterian-Church-of-Ghana-466826 From the video, the alleged bribe-giver went to the Professors home but not the other way round as asserted by the PRO - In July 28, 2013, around 8:15pm, he invited me to the office of one of the leading opposition parties, not the ruling government, when I got there he had received the 100,000 dollars and a V8 he is claiming to have rejected. And he gave me 50,000 dollars, I am speaking on authority that he received the money. Has Professor Martey ever used a V8 car? If he has one, what is its registration number, how did he acquire it and when? Both the PRO and Rev. Professor Martey have many questions to answer. Is the Professor Martey not being blackmailed for being vociferous in his condemnation of the style of governance by President Mahama and the NDC? It is no secret to any sensible Ghanaian to remark that President Mahama is corruptly, incompetently, selectively and ruinously running the affairs of Ghana and that it is about time he was booted out of office to save Ghana from total socio-economic collapse. Today, what has prompted Dr Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong to become a whistle-blower, something he should have done there and then, when the bribe was offered and taken in 2013? Is he simply not being a nuisance fly or mosquito buzzing around our ears with his allegation of which when proven to be true, he will be held equally culpable? Rockson Adofo A delegation from the United Nations Security Council is expected to visit South Sudan on 2nd September, following the recent renewal of the mandate of UNMISS, which underscored the urgency of the Missions tasks related to protection of civilians, and the need for stronger cooperation with the Transitional Government. The delegation, to be co-led by the Permanent Representatives of the Missions of Senegal and the United States, will comprise representatives of all the other permanent and rotating member states of the Security Council, and is expected to hold meetings with President Salva Kiir and other Transitional Government members, with the aim of reinforcing the various messages contained in a number of Resolutions that it has issued in relation to South Sudan. The Council also aims to engage in discussions on how the UN Mission will continue to work with the government to improve the security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan, including discussion of the Regional Protection Force, a key component of the Missions new mandate. While in the country, the Council members will take the opportunity to visit UNMISS Protection of Civilians sites, in Juba and a protection area established adjacent to the UNMISS base in Wau, to meet with internally displaced people and to see for themselves the prevailing humanitarian and security conditions. Council members will also engage with civil society organisations, community leaders, women and youth groups to obtain firsthand perspectives on the security situation, their needs, challenges, the impact of the conflict on communities, and solicit their views. The Council has, in its recent Resolution, expressed grave alarm over the security situation and the ongoing violence in the country, as well as the dire humanitarian consequences for the people of the country. It has also noted extreme concern over reports of widespread sexual and gender-based violence and ethnic clashes, and plans to urge all parties to adhere to an immediate end to fighting throughout the country, during this trip. The visit is also seen as a reiteration of the Councils full support, expressed in the resolution, for UNMISS as well as the member states commitment to seeing an end to the violence in South Sudan, and a return to the full implementation of the Peace Agreement, so that the country can begin to recover from years of conflict and alleviate the suffering of the people. The United Nations Security Council is made up five permanent members, with a further ten members sitting on the Council on a two-year rotation. The current Presidency of the Council for the month of September is held by New Zealand. Libreville (AFP) - Two people died after overnight post-election violence in Gabon, witnesses said Friday, raising to five the number of people killed since riots erupted after President Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a disputed vote. Bongo's government pressed a fierce crackdown, with security forces rounding up around 1,000 people nationwide, including two dozen opposition leaders, since riots first swept across the capital Libreville on Wednesday. Bongo was declared the winner of a weekend poll by a razor-thin margin of just under 6,000 votes, though his main challenger, Jean Ping, said the vote was rigged. Protestors clashed with security forces again on Thursday night. Bekam Ella Edzang, a 27-year-old law student, died of his wounds in hospital on Friday morning after he was shot in the abdomen, an AFP journalist said. "He was injured at around 9:00 pm (2000 GMT) by the Republican Guard, who were firing tear gas and live bullets," a childhood friend of the victim who identified himself only as Geraud told AFP at the hospital. In the Libreville district of Nzeng Ayong, another AFP correspondent saw dozens of protesters carrying the body of a 30-year-old wrapped in the flag of the central African nation. His mother told AFP he was shot in front of his home on Thursday night. The latest deaths bring to five the number killed in the post-poll violence. 'No legitimacy' Also on Friday, 27 opposition and civil society leaders said police were still detaining them outside Ping's headquarters, which security forces raided late Wednesday. "We are cooped up outside like cattle," the leaders said in a joint letter to heads of the international community. They said such a "frontal attack" on the opposition revealed "the government's desire to cover up the electoral theft it just committed." Gabon shaken by election violence "We slept on the ground, amid mosquitoes and the sound of gunfire," one of those held, Paul-Marie Gondjout, Ping's representative at the election commission, told AFP. He added that the public prosecutor had visited, and that he had said no charges were being brought against the opposition leaders. In their joint letter, the leaders said their "only crime was to oppose a regime that no longer has any legitimacy." The interior ministry on Thursday said up to 1,000 people have been detained in the nationwide post-coup crackdown. A government spokesman has said the aim of the security operation was to catch the "criminals" and "looters and thugs" responsible for setting the parliament building on fire on Wednesday night. In several districts of the coastal economic capital Port Gentil, youths barricaded shops to deter further looting, according to an AFP journalist there. Other youths blocked minor roads and threw stones at police, who replied by lobbing tear gas canisters. Using car-mounted loudspeakers, police urged parents to tell their children to stop putting up roadblocks. 'Come together' Protesters set up a barricade in the Nstara district of Libreville on September 1, 2016 At the request of former colonial power France, the UN Security Council held a special session on Gabon on Thursday and expressed "deep concern" about the post-election situation. Council members urged Gabonese on all sides "to remain calm, refrain from violence or other provocations and to resolve any eventual disputes through established constitutional and legal mechanisms." Also Thursday, the United States warned its citizens in Gabon to stay indoors and urged political factions to put an end to violent street battles. "We urge all parties to come together peacefully in this critical time to halt the slide towards further unrest," said US State Department spokesman John Kirby. Addressing his country earlier that day, Bongo poured scorn on the opposition demonstrators. "Democracy does not fit comfortably with self-declared victory, with small groups trained in destruction," Bongo said in a short speech from the presidential palace. "Democracy does not sit well with an attack on parliament," he said, referring to the national assembly building that was set ablaze Wednesday night. "The elections have delivered their verdict... Who lost? A small group whose only plan was to take power to make use of Gabon rather than serve it." On Friday, Bongo's spokesman called on Ping to help restore calm. "There are legal routes to contest the result," Alain-Claude Bilie-By Nze said in a statement. Soon after Saturday's poll Ping, 73, said he had won and that any results to the contrary would be fraudulent. Some regional executives of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) stronghold region; Volta, have boycotted the party's campaign launch scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 4, 2016. We wish to draw the attention of the stakeholders of the great NDC to our decision to abstain ourselves from the said functions with immediate effect, a statement signed by 11 executives of the NDC in the region stated. This, they say is because the party's regional secretary and the chairman had decided to exclude the Regional treasurer, the two vice Chairmen and all deputies from all committees relating to the 2016 campaign in response to apparent calls for accountability on how logistics and resources received by the region in the past were disbursed and used. They among other things questioned the posture of their chairman saying we feel that the posture of the regional chairman and secretary is clearly unhealthy for the unity of the party at this critical hour. The party was hoping to launch its campaign on Sunday, September 4, 2016 where it was to name a number of NDC members to facilitate the party's campaign in the region, they added. The party after its national campaign launch, is launching regional campaign task-forces in the various regions to carry out an effective campaign that will secure them a one-touch victory in the December polls. Below is the full statement: BOYCOTT OF INTENDED LAUNCHING OF VOLTA REGIONAL NDC CAMPAIGN TASKFORCE AND OTHER ACTIVITIES The attention of we, the undersigned members of the NDC Volta Regional Executive Committee (REC) has been drawn to an intended launch of a so-called Regional Campaign Task Force and the opening of the new Regional NDC office through a message circulated by the Regional Secretary, Mr Simon Amegashie Viglo on many social media platforms. We wish to draw the attention of the stakeholders of the great NDC to our decision to abstain ourselves from the said functions with immediate effect. We also demand as a matter of urgency,the need to convene an emergency regional executive Committee meeting to correct the following anomalies:- The campaign task force was constituted without the knowledge and approval of the functional executive committee (FEC) of the party in the region! That, the regional secretary and chairman have decided to exclude the Regional treasure, the two vice Chairmen and all deputies from all committees relating to the 2016 campaign in response to an apparent calls for accountability on how logistics and resources received by the region in the past were disbursed and used! The so-called taskforce which is purported to be coming from the region in consultation with national Executives was itself questioned by the national campaign coordinator/national organizer as to why certain names were included and directed that certain corrections be made! Our region has a convention of wider consultation on issues of this nature with all stakeholders, but in this special and important exercise, such conventions were ignored, and it appears some few executives notably the Chairman and Regional Secretary have chosen to run the activities of the party in isolation as they have been doing for a while now! Recently, a meeting was convened and members of the executive Committee were made to believe that the speaker of Parliament ,Captain Kojo Tsikata and others were planning to hijack the work of the regional executives and that we should rise against their intended formation of campaign oversight Committee. Little did we know that it was a clear mastermind of the regional secretary and chairman to create a dilemma of dividing the entire region which will allow them room to dictate the pace and to Continue to misappropriate party funds and logistics with impunity! Our MDCE's boycotted our last REC meeting because the Regional minister was not included in the taskforce leading to bad-blood between the few Regional executives and MDCE's. Why? The intended launching lacks strategy and focus politically which will undoubtedly have effect on the unity of the region going into this critical elections. Central region has shown a very good lead worthy of emulating by other regions .We are therefore questioning the intention behind the rush and the opaque leadership exhibited by the duo! We also need an explanation why all elected deputy position holders in the FEC were excluded in all committees without any information or explanation or whatsoever. We wish to know also why they maintained the old security committee of the Region but formed new Communication & logistics committee and placed themselves on all ? Is it because they wouldnt benefit anything from security as compared to the communication and logistics committee ?? We feel that the posture of the regional chairman and secretary is clearly unhealthy for the unity of the party at this critical hour. The regional chairman has clearly demonstrated his unwillingness to work with a collective voice as he runs the party administration from his private residence like a GPRTU franchise! He was not able to offer explanation on how he spent monies and logistics he received on behalf of the region. Procurement processes for the newly acquired and refurbished party office is not known to us. Some of them allegedly awarded contracts to their wives to procure items for the building; Clear case of conflict of interest and abuse of office! On this basis we are calling on all major stakeholders including MDCEs, General members and executives at National, Regional, Constituency and Branch levels of our party to ignore the invitation to such a program until such a time that all critical issues raised are resolved and the party properly re-strategized for the campaign towards victory 2016. We refuse to be in the boat and sink with them! We will all resign en-block to pave way for the few to lead the region should our calls and demands be ignored! We have all been duly elected and we owe it to the region, a duty of accountability and responsible leadership! Long live Ghana Long live NDC Victory to JDM Eye Zu Eye Za!!! End. -Signed-: 1. Simon Miles Bakar- Regional Treasurer 2. Edwin Akrobortu- Regional Vice Chairman 3. Col. Cyril Necku- Regional Vice Chairman 4. Mustapha Gbande- Deputy Regional Secretary 0245670150 5.Hajia Hawa Hamid Deputy Regional Women Organizer 6. Chester Ben Ati- Deputy Regional Communication Officer 7. Mathias Johnson Alagbo (KABILA)- Deputy Regional Youth Organizer. 0241786168 8. Joyce Yaa-Osei Deputy Regional Women Organizer 9. Dan Agboka-Dzegede Deputy Regional Treasurer 10 Sulemana Mumuni- Deputy Regional Youth Organizer 11. George Dake- Deputy Regional Organizer CC:- Party Leader, H.E John Dramani Mahama General Secretary National Chairman National Organizer Founder, J. J. Rawlings MPs /PCs caucus Regional Minister Reg Campaign Taskforce Leader Reg Chairman MDCEs PCs Constituency Chairmen General Follow the hashtag #GhElections on Social Media for election related stories By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana Follow @AlloteyGodwin The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin has stated that even though the UK will renegotiate some trade deals with its trade partners after the completion of Brexit, Ghana can now take advantage of the Economic Partnership Agreement to export goods to the country. Trade volumes between the UK and Ghana fell from 1.3 billion pounds in 2013 to one billion in 2014. Currently, projections show that the figure is expected to drop further as trade activities between Ghana and the UK recorded lower outturn in 2015. Speaking at the launch of the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce in Accra, Jon Benjamin assured that the UK will still maintain strong trade relationship with Ghana even after the completion of Brexit. Looking ahead we will continue to maintain strong trading relationship with countries around the world, particularly with Ghana, he said. He however stated that the UK will negotiate new trade agreements with other countries to cover areas such as agriculture and financial services. With some countries we will be able to build on existing frameworks, with others we have to negotiate new trade agreements from the scratch, he said. According to Mr. Benjamin, the new agreements will be targeted at improving products and services that are exported to the UK, as well as help the UK meet its export target of one trillion pounds by 2020. This negotiation will be wide ranging, including sector requirements from agriculture to financial services as well as regulatory issues such as customs and procurements, he said. He pointed out that in the meantime, the UK is still a member of the EU, hence Ghanaian exporters can take advantage to enjoy duty quota on goods exported to the UK. In the meantime we remain a full member of the EU, so with the EPA recently ratified by the Ghanaian parliament, Ghanaian Export companies can still export to the UK to create employment opportunities for Ghanaians, he said. Expressing optimism in the UK economy after the completion of Brexit later, Mr. Benjamin stated that the UK will be able to withstand economic shocks, hence the government of Ghana must strengthen its trade commitments to the country. He recalled that recently, some 15 Ghanaian CEO were invited to a forum in London to learn new trade deals. By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana Friday September 2, 2016. The youth of Krobo say they congratulate Reverend Professor Cephas Narh OmenyoA proud Krobo who was born and brought up in Somanya for his election as the new Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. The election took place at the just ended 16th General Assembly of the Church at Abetifi in the Eastern Region where he received an overwhelming endorsement by the delegates__ganering 96.76 percent of the total vote cast. This came after his two other contestants, the Rev J.O.Y Mante, and the Rev Hubert Oppong, had withdrawn their nominations. A portion of the congratulatory statement issued on Friday by Kloma Hengme, the Krobo advocacy and Heritage association, and signed by its Chairman; Isaac Tamatey Otu, said " We the youth of the Krobo area are proud of you and your numerous achievements. Your succesful election as the new Moderator of the Presby Church has brought so much honour and glory to all sons and daughters of Krobo''. ''You will continue to be our role model, our source of hope and inspiration. May God continue to be your source of strength and direction as you occupy your new office as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana", the statement added. A BRIEF PROFILE OF REV PROF CEPHAS NARH OMENYO Rev. Prof. Cephas Narh Omenyo is the Provost of the College of Education, University of Ghana. He is a Professor in the Department for the Study of Religion with extensive experience in teaching, research and administration. He was born in 1959 and hails from Somanya in the Yilo-Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. He was commissioned into the Ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in 1985 and in two years later in 1987, he was ordained in Tamale. The new Moderator obtained his first degree in Sociology and Religion from the University of Ghana, and Master of Philosophy from the same University, and PhD from Utrecht University in Holland. His research interest area is in Intra-Christian Conversion, Ecclesiological Developments in African Christianity, and Pentecostal Theological Education. Comical Ghanaian Boxer cum musician, Braimah Kamoko, popularly known as Bukom Banku, was on Friday September 2, brought before a Circuit Court for assaulting a hairdresser at Bukom in the Greater Accra Region, who reportedly refused him a kiss. The boxer, whose career has taken a nosedive, damaged the victims Nokia phone valued at GHc 40. According to the police, Bukom Banku entered the shop of the complainant, Martha Nelson, and demanded a kiss from her. After her refusal to kiss him, the boxer allegedly slapped and punched the lady. After the physical assault, he snatched her phone and crashed it on the ground. Bukom Banku subsequently said he would replace her phone with a Galaxy. He is to reappear in court on Monday, September 5. This is the latest allegation of assault brought against the controversial boxer who has had previous run-ins with the law but without any of them ending in a prison term. In March 2016, he was arraigned and granted bail for allegedly assaulting three women after one of them rejected his request for sex. Bukom Banku, in October 2015, also allegedly used a cutlass to assault one Michael Abbey; a resident of Akoto Lantey in Accra, but he again went scot-free. Further back in January 2015, he was also arrested for allegedly inflicting physical harm on some persons after a disagreement at the 'Kpashimo' procession at Gbese in Accra. Bukom Banku pops up at NDC campaign launch Bukom Banku, who was recently seen at the campaign launch of the incumbent NDC in Cape Coast, has portrayed himself as a supporter of the party, for which reason some believe he has been protected from imprisonment for his actions. Bukom Banku at the NDC launch in Cape Coast. By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana 02.09.2016 LISTEN Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has charged Ghanaians to conduct themselves in a way that would preserve the peace and stability of the country, as the nation draws close to the December 7 elections. Let us put Ghana first and not do anything that threatens the peace of the country, he stressed. Vice President Amissah-Arthur was speaking at the Peace Festival 2016 of the Musama Disco Christo Church (MDCC) at Gomoa Eshiem in the Central Region. The festival, which is being attended by MDCC members from all over the country, is also being used as an occasion for thanksgiving and prayers for Ghana. Vice President Amissah-Arthur stated that President John Dramani Mahama is committed to peace, and as such, urged all political actors to commit themselves to the process. He said the church also has a role to play in ensuring peace during the elections, by teaching and preaching peace. He called for unity among members of the church, and prayed for peace and reconciliation. Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the NDC intends to campaign on issues, because the government has a superior achievement in terms of records, which its opponent cannot much. He debunked claims being attributed to him to have been made during the inauguration of the Regional Task Force of the NDC at Agona Swedru. On my part, as the Vice President, I am committed to peace, I do not believe in confrontation politics or politics of insults, he added. Vice President Amissah-Arthur announced that the road from Ankamu junction to Afransi had been awarded on contract, and that work would start on the project. He also promised to support the building of a library in memory Mr. Hopna Q. Jehu-Appiah, a former and late Deputy of Minister of the Region and grandson of the founder of the church. Prophet Moknajeeba Jehu-Appiah, Akaboha IV, General Head of the MDCC, giving a brief history of the Church, stated that the mission was founded by Joseph William Adjanka Appiah, who became known as Prophet Jemisimiham Appiah. He said he was very active in politics, and during the Gold Coast era, became an executive member of the Aborigine Rights Protection Society. He said the founder also prophesied about Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in the 1920s, who later become the first President of Ghana. Mr. Kweku Ricketts Hagan, Regional Minister, commended the church for its continuous prayers for the country. Later, Vice President Amissah-Arthur donated GH10,000 towards the building the library. Vice President Amissah-Arthur also made a whistle stop at Gomoa Eshiem, and urged the party supporters to vote massively for the NDC to retain power to continue with the good works. Source: GNA 02.09.2016 LISTEN Workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have been in the news in recent times, following their protest against the intended handing over of the state owned company to a concessionaire to handle it for the next 30 years, starting from January next year. Led by the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), the workers are contending that apart from job losses, which are obvious to every worker of the company, when government duly executes this action, it would lead to increase in tariffs. The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), the implementation agency, is also insisting that workers of ECG should have nothing to fear and that no worker would be sacked as a result of a concessionaire taking over the running of the company. Though this is not the first time MiDA is assuring workers of the ECG that they would not be sacked when management changes hands and that a clause would be inserted in the contract to protect the workers, The Chronicle still thinks the issue must be looked at dispassionately, before a contract is signed to 'sell off' ECG to the new concessionaire. As the Akan adage goes, if you have not tasted death before, see how sleep looks like. When the then Ghana Telecom was being sold to Vodafone UK, majority of Ghanaians kicked against it, but the promoters of the sale came out with sugar-quoted words that no worker of the company would be laid off , when a deal was finally struck to hand over the company to Vodafone. This obvious Public Relations gimmick was, unfortunately, swallowed hook line and sinker by the workers of the then Ghana Telecom. Anyone who opposed the deal was seen as an enemy of progress by the workers, who had clearly been brainwashed that the sale of the company would improve upon their livelihoods. The workers (GT) organized series of demonstrations and press conferences to back their demand that the company be sold to Vodafone. Those opposing the transaction had no option than to buckle under and allow the company to be sold to Vodafone. A few months after taking over the reins of the company, Vodafone decided to downsize its working staff an action which affected more than one thousand workers. The very workers who supported the deal were paid back with dismissals. Today, all the then GT workers who stood and defended the sale of the company have regretted their actions, but it is now too late as nothing can be done about it now. It is based on these historical antecedents that The Chronicle is advising workers of the ECG to buckle down and ensure that they do not suffer the fate of the former GT workers. It is also not the case, as alleged in the press statement by PUWU that, high tariff will result from the concession agreement. On the contrary, improved performance and reduction in the current loses of ECG should facilitate progressive lowering of tariff, MiDa said in a press statement released in Accra recently. The ECG financial and operational turnarounds project also recognizes the need for significant investment in the power distribution infrastructure and the operational systems of the ECG. It is in response to that need that over US$350 MILLION OUT OF THE US$ 498.2 million for the compact program has been allocated to the ECG, MiDA added. As we have argued in the sale of the GT, these were some of the words churned out by the promoters of the sale, but at the end of the day, none of them were implemented. The concessionaire, who will win the bid to run ECG is surely not going to be 'Father Christmas', but a serious company which aims at earning profit to recoup its investment. It is an undeniable fact that the current hike in the electricity tariffs was as a result of the Karpower and Ameri plants which were brought in to help solve the debilitating energy crisis. The cost of running these plants is very high and in order to ensure their smooth running, the consumer was made to bear the cost. MiDA is an agency that has been tasked to oversee the giving out of ECG to a concessionaire. They would, therefore, do everything possible to ensure that their mandate has been fulfilled. Their prescriptions to us at The Chronicle could be a deadly poison that must not be consumed by the ECG workers. PUWU, the umbrella body of the workers, must ensure that every clause providing job security for the workers is firmly grounded in law. The Vodafone case should guide the workers and indeed entire Ghanaians to put mechanisms in place to prevent laying off of workers and arbitrarily increases in power tariffs after the concessionaire has started running the company. If the government of Ghana had decided to retire its indebtedness to the struggling power company, the issue about concession would not have arisen in the first place. We need to set our priority right, instead of the unbridled privatization that we, as a country, have resorted to. The Ghanaian attitude to time and late attendance to programmes of national importance received a backlash from the Korean Ambassador and a team of Korean engineers at a workshop in Accra yesterday. Lyeo Woon-Ki, the Ambassador, criticised the conduct of the officials of the Ministry of Transport after waiting for almost one hour at a workshop to solicit the inputs of stakeholders for a Master Plan project for Accra, in which the Korean government had provided a $1.5 million funding with technical expertise. The project seeks to address the traffic congestion in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area by 2035. The Minister of Transport was expected to attend, but he sent a representative who arrived 43 minutes late. Mr. Woon-Ki said Ghanaians should learn to respect time, because it is a valuable and precious resource. Hyeokjo Kweon, General Manager of Hanmac Engineering, the consultancy firm that is providing technical expertise for the Master Plan, also expressed his frustration. This is your time. Your government is wasting available time just like this. In Korea, if we schedule a programme to start at 9a.m, it starts at the same time, he stated. Mr. Kweon later took The Ghanaian Times to the VIP waiting room where the Korean Ambassador and the representative of the EximBank of China waited for their Ghanaian counterparts to arrive. The programme, was scheduled to begin at 9am and the Korean delegation had to wait until after 43 minutes when Mr. A. Selby and Mr. Lawrence Kumi, Chief Director and Director in charge of Research and Statistics respectively, of the Ministry of Transport, arrived, offering an apology for their lateness. Some customers of the Electricity Company Ghana in Accra have expressed frustrations over the effect of the ECG strike on business activities. According to them, the two day strike which commenced today has brought activities at the offices to a halt. The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) directed workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana not to attend to official duties today and Monday until government backs down on its concession plan. According to PUWU, the action is in protest of what it describes as a disrespectful attitude showed them by the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA). But speaking to Citi Business News, some customers who visited ECG offices in Accra lamented that the strike will have an adverse effect on economic activities if it is not resolved immediately. I came here almost an hour now and I was told they are on strike and it is up to Monday. It will really worry my work because I can't get power, a customer said. A vendor who operates a prepaid ECG credit business also told Citi Business News the strike action has affected him, resulting in a closure of his business. I am here to buy GHS 10,000 worth of credit but they tell me I can't buy it because they are on strike and so won't serve me, he lamented. He pointed out that the situation is having an adverse effect on economic activities, hence must be addressed. PUWU order strike action PUWU made the order for the strike action after a meeting on Thursday, and issued a circular to all its members to that effect. All staff across ECG operational areas are to report to work but no official duties will be carried out today 2nd September, 2016 and Monday 5th September 2016, the circular added. It however, directed ECG staff to attend to critical areas like hospital theaters as well as security installationsshould a fault occur. All staff are to wear red attire to work on Monday. All the above actions are in protest of MIDA's gross disrespect, lack of transparency and lack of trust. All members are to take note and comply, the circular added. 3 hours demo PUWU, last week embarked on a three-day nationwide demonstration to protest the privatization of ECG and demand the review of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact which they claimed has the roadmap for massive lay-offs. The exercise had all offices of ECG across the country, closed for up to three hours. 'ECG privatization' won't lead to lay-offs But MIDA downplayed assertions that the MCC compact will impact negatively on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and result in lay-offs. The reality is that, the concession arrangement will create more jobs in the power sector, a statement from MiDA noted. By:Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana The Tema Port expansion project has been earmarked to commence on October 1, 2016. Richard Anamoo, Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday. He said the Meridian Port Services (MPS), has secured the required financing to execute the project. The $1.5 billion project when completed in 2019 enable the port accommodate larger container vessels, increase container handling capacity and boost general productivity at the port. Mr. Anamoo explained that they have undertaken thorough feasibility studies as well as consulted all stakeholders involved for the project to take off smoothly but said they have to relocate the Ave Maria Resort. He added that they are yet to agree on a compensation amount for the relocation but assured that talks are far advance to that effect. For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of MPS, Mohamed Samara said under the project, a total of 120 hectares of land would be reclaimed from the sea. Mr Samara added that a 3.85 kilometre breakwater which would be 19 meters and 250 meters deep and wide respectively, within a dredged port access channel would be also constructed. He said his outfit has awarded the construction contract to the China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) while AECOM Professional Services (Ghana) Limited would oversee the construction. The MPS CEO indicated that an agreement has been signed between his company and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, for 667 million dollars while MPS shareholders would provide the rest of the funding as fresh equity amounting to 333 million dollars. Fiifi Kwetey, Minister of Transport, also commended the GPHA and MPS for the initiative expansion project. Port expansion gains The $1.5 billion project, which will take close to four years to complete, will involve the building of four deep water berths and an access channel to accommodate larger vessels with high capacity equipment. This will create the largest cargo port in West Africa, and one of the best in Africa, with a capacity of 3.5 million 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) per annum. The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has said about 5,000 jobs will be created as a result of the project. The expansion work, the first of its magnitude since the port's construction in 1962, will also come with a railway terminal for the movement of containers by rail to and from the port. By: citifmonline.com/Ghana 02.09.2016 LISTEN Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene has admonished Ghanaians to patronise products of home grown industries and business concerns. Otumfuo Osei Tutu said this in a speech statement read on his behalf by Barfour Adjei Kesse IV Adumhene at the inauguration of a refurbished Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) service station at Santasi in Kumasi. The Ashantehene commended GOIL for its good products entreating Ghanaians to patronise home grown industries and business concerns. The inauguration of the refurbished station forms part of GOIL's massive rebranding and facelift of its service stations across the country, which started in 2012 with the outdoor of a new brand logo and new re-branded image into the oil marketing industry in the country. The new logo centred around a G with wind vanes in various shades of orange rotating in an anti-clockwise fashion, seeks to present a dynamic action oriented company and with GOIL, and Good Energy written below in grey. The new GOIL Logo is based on organic and dynamic shapes that represent movement, energy, progress, warmth and growth. Mr John Alexander Ackon, Ashanti Regional Minister, who jointly with the Barfour Kesse IV inaugurated the station, also entreated Ghanaians to embrace successful indigenous companies, by patronising their products. He said this would ease pressure on the local currency and ultimately help grow the economy. He noted that Ghanaians patronising successful indigenous companies like GOIL products is not only an imperative but a national call that would help ease the pressure on the cedi, and help to grow the economy. Mr Patrick Kwame Akpe Akorli, GOIL Managing Director attributed the huge accomplishment to the loyalty of customers who have developed a relationship with the foremost indigenous Oil Marketing Company. He said: Consumers have mostly benefitted from the deregulation of the industry. He noted that GOIL has raised the standards in terms of delivering high quality products and appealed to Ghanaians to embrace successful national brands like GOIL. Mr Akorli said GOIL has more than 16,000 shareholders who are benefitting from the fruits of its success. He said GOIL intends to forge ahead to enter the West African market on the strength of huge investments in Bunkering Aviation and Bitumen business. On the GOIL rebranding, Mr Akorli who is also known as Togbe Adza-Nye IV, Dutorfia of Ziavi in the Volta Region, described the rebranding as a reflection of our commitment to grow our business by being better positioned in the minds of all our stakeholders including our employees, consumers, regulators, investors and even our competitors. He said GOIL has the largest retail network across the country with numerous consumer outlets doted throughout the country, in addition, there are a number of other retail outlets established to market premix fuel and kerosene to rural areas. He said GOIL's philosophy is to continuously improve and provide varieties in terms of its products and service delivery through product differentiation in the region of fuel oils it is about combining best breeds of additives with the normal fuel oil. Our experienced technical team is the brain behind the innovations. They are able to take advantage of global research findings to create products of quality to our customers, he said. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Akorli said GOIL has elevated industrial standard for operating Oil Marketing Company (OMC) in Ghana with introduction of Eraspec industry-proven multi-fuel analysing equipment in the country. He said the equipment offers measurements of fuel component concentrations and of complex parameters was introduced as part of GOIL's broader pragmatic targets set to dominate the downstream oil industry to ensure that Ghanaian oil marketing companies took control of the industry. Mr Akorli explained the mobile industrial-proven multi-fuel analyzer depending on the chosen method a single measurement is able to detect more than 40 parameters within a few seconds. He said as the foremost indigenous OMC, GOIL would continue to work in the best interest of Ghanaian and improve the quality of fuel supply in the country. GNA By Gifty Amofa, GNA Kumasi, Sept 02, GNA - A 28-year farmer at Agogoso near Nyinahin in the Atwima-Mponua District, Abu Adamu, has run into trouble with the law over the possession of dried leaves suspected to be marijuana. Officers of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) intercepted the hard drug concealed on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter passenger bus, traveling from Kumasi to Agogoso. Adamu was on Friday put before a Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs. Lydia Osei Marfo, on Friday charged with possession of illegal drug without authority. He pleaded not guilty and he was granted a GH30,000.00 bail with a surety to make the next appearance on October 10. Police Chief Inspector Felix Akowuah told the court that the accused was caught with the substance on August 13, at about mid-day. He said the officers had stopped the bus at Nkwanta for routine check when they uncovered the dried leaves, arrested and handed him over to the Drug Law Enforcement Unit. Adamu admitted ownership of the drug in his caution statement, taken in the presence of independent witnesses, and mentioned one Okofo in Kumasi, as his source of supply. He could, however, not lead the police to the said man, the prosecution added. Police Chief Inspector Akowuah informed that court that sample of the leaves had been sent for forensic laboratory examination. GNA By A.B. Kafui Kanyi Ho, Sept. 02, GNA - Professor Kwame Ameyaw Domfeh, a former Dean of the University of Ghana Business School, College of Humanities, has said Ghana ought to move away from the culture of 'forgiving wrongdoing'. He said that culture was gradually making laws and regulations ineffective and asked people in high offices to allow laws in the country to work. 'We must allow deviants to be treated as deviants and punished,' Prof. Domfeh stated at the 2nd National Sanitation, Food Hygiene and Safety Conference in Ho. 'If people go against sanitation laws or are doing illegal mining, the system must take care of them without any interventions.' It was organised by the Ho Technical University, formerly, the Ho Polytechnic, with support from Zoomlion Ghana Limited to deliberate on sanitation and food safety issues. Prof. Domfeh noted that though Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies had more than enough laws for sustainable development, the culture of begging for people who breached the law, especially environmental laws, had slowed the pace of development across the country. He therefore tasked the Assemblies to initiate remedial actions to mitigate potential sanitation dangers in their localities to pave way for rapid development. Prof. Domfeh said the Assemblies would generate more revenue internally should they take environmental issues seriously and asked them to show true commitment to the environment and not pay lip service. 'If we manage our environment well and keep the surroundings clean, we will generate and save enough money for other projects,' he stated. Prof. Domfeh also urged the public to develop interest in cleanliness of the environment and pay for waste generated. Prof. Emmanuel Sakyi, the Vice-Chancellor, Ho Technical University, said it was time laws in the country were allowed to work and not only kept on the books. GNA The Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GAMBLS) has said that it will meet with the Ministry of Health later this month [September] over the implementation of the National Health Laboratory policy. The Biomedical scientists called off their week-long strike following talks with the government. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the group, Dennis Adu-Gyasi told Citi News that the Association would hold talks with representatives of the Ministry later in September in a bid to resolve the impasse. In September as has been scheduled by the Labour Commission, we are going to meet the Ministry at the Commission. The Ministry has given us a letter for us to present a member in a Committee that they are forming with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons as they have indicated that the College has given concerns about the policy document after it had been signed by Sherry Ayitey [Former Health Minister] in 2014, he said. If everything goes as planned, in a matter of 14 days from that meeting, we should get closure on the matter. A suit had been filed against the Association by the National Labour Commission (NLC) in a bid to get the scientists to call off their strike. The NLC sued the striking biomedical scientists after it had earlier ordered them not to embark on their industrial action. The hearing, originally set for last Tuesday, August 30, was adjourned to October 10 following the decision by the Association to call off its strike. Dennis Adu-Gyasi stated that Association honoured the summons on Tuesday and intended to appear before the court on the new date set by the court. He, however, bemoaned the lack of urgency that was being given to their issue. On the 30th of August we showed up at the court as the Labour Commission had given us a suit but technically the case was adjourned to the 10th of October. The matter that needed to have been dealt with urgently in the case that NLC filed against the Association. In court technically, we have not been served with the Affidavit so that led to the adjournment of the case, he said In our view, with the urgency that is needed, the case would have been heard sooner than the 10th of October but because we had already suspended the strike we thought in the wisdom of the court, there wasn't any urgency in the matter for pronouncement. As we speak now our case is still at the Labour Commission and the court case does not prevent that. Alex Segbefia, Minister of Health Health Minister to blame The biomedical scientists laid down their tools to highlight their displeasure with government's non-implementation of the National Health Laboratory policy which they say will help raise the quality of laboratory science practice in the country. GAMBLS blamed the Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia for the consequences of their strike, including lives that could be lost as a result, as he had not shown any commitment towards resolving their issues. Speaking at a press conference in Accra last Monday, Ignatius Awimibumo, said despite their concerns that the strike might lead to loss of lives, they feel the only way to persuade the Ministry to resolve their issues was a strike. This is frustration. Any death should be blamed on the Minister of Health. He has the power to do what he has to do. He should just take that bold step. This is what leadership is about. He should provide leadership to the health sector. Health work is team work. He should strengthen the laboratories so that we can support his vision as a Minister, Mr. Awimibmo said at the time. By: Edwin Kwakofi/cititfmonline.com/Ghana The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers wants the National Petroleum Authority to step in to prevent the various Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) from implementing the second phase of the petroleum price deregulation. According to the Chamber, the development if unresolved, will lead to exploitation as the OMCs will set prices capriciously. The same Bulk Distribution Companies [BDCs] could quote different prices in various parts across the country; you could assume that it is not too far that the OMCs will also quote different prices across the country, the Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, Duncan Amoah observed. The Petroleum Price deregulation, introduced in 2015, is geared at sanitizing the country's petroleum downstream sector. The deregulation policy allows Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to fix their own prices, in an attempt to introduce competition to the ultimate benefit and protection of the consumer. Currently, the NPA supervises the ceiling at which the OMCs cannot go beyond in pricing their petroleum products. But Duncan Amoah argues that allowing the second phase of the deregulation without an intervention by the NPA, will lead to chaos in the petroleum downstream sector. That is something that we do not welcome because it is not going to create not only confusion but arbitrariness across the over 3,600 fuel stations across the country, he stressed. Meanwhile the Chamber says it is dissatisfied with the decision by the OMCs to increase petroleum prices in the first pricing window in September. According to the Chamber, the low rate of decrease in prices of petroleum products over the past two pricing windows shouldn't have prompted an increase when global oil prices are increasing. The Chamber reports that the prices of diesel and petrol have gone up between 6 and 8 percent and 4 and 6 percent respectively. By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana The answer to the above question is simple: The President has terribly failed the people of his home Region! They are deeply peeved with him and waiting to show him the exit on December 7. Whilst it took the Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Nana Akuffo Addo, 4 hours to travel from the Tamale Airport Junction to the town centre, it took President John Dramani Mahama 44 minutes to travel the same distance when he was in the Northern Region for a major political activity few weeks ago. This has gotten political analysts and commentators to wonder loudly what could have probably accounted for the diminishing popularity of President Mahama in virtually all the 10 regions of Ghana including his biological Northern Region. Not only is the North excessively deprived and abandoned since President Mahama took over as President of Ghana, but also the position of the North as the poorest and most deprived in Ghana has not changed for the nearly 8 years that the NDC has been in government and taking all the developmental decisions. SADA, a scheme which was set up to bridge the poverty gap between the North and the South, rather ended up becoming the corruption conduit for the NDC government and its surrogates. Virtually all policies of the NDC under President Mahama are Anti-poor; the cancellation of allowances to nursing and trainee teachers, collapsed of the NHIS which has recently become another corruption outlet, helpless unemployment making the youth excruciatingly hopeless, high school fees from nursery to university, high utility bills, high house rents just to mention but a few. The irony however is that whilst the opposition NPP is announcing such feasible policies like 1 District 1 factory, 1 village 1 Dam, restoration of teacher and nursing allowances among other laudable politics, the government of John Dramani Mahama is rather busy talking about the health of the Presidential Candidate of the NPP and unable to name a single policy less than 4 months to a major election! It is clear at this stage that aside training insults consultants and disrespectful junior ministers, this Government has nothing to offer Ghanaians again. It is obvious that the wind of change is blowing with torrential force. The NPP as a government in waiting should not be complacent one bit. The only strategy left for John Mahama and his NDC is to provoke Ghanaians and to steal the verdict. No room should be made available for them to achieve this criminal objective. Every member of the NPP must open their eyes. All Ghanaians desirous of change from the current worst state of the economy to a more prosperous and hopeful country must be the vanguards for change. We can't afford another 4 years of suffering. Enough is enough! Akilu Sayibu Tamale North Some stranded Muslim pilgrims at the Hajj Village in Accra are accusing the Hajj Board of preferential treatment in the selection of people to Saudi Arabia to emplane on the last flight to Mecca. They have been waiting for days and hoping to join the millions of pilgrims embarking on this years Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Chances are that these pilgrims wont be able to make it to the holy land this year as the scheduled 11 flights have all taken off and some of the pilgrims are alleging that the Board is favouring party and people close to them to be on the last flight. In what was a novel move by the Ghana Hajj Board, the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage started in Tamale. Four instead of the three scheduled flights, which was supposed to airlift some 1500 would-be pilgrims, rather airlifted 2000 would-be pilgrims in the three Northern Regions directly to Saudi Arabia from the Tamale International Airport. The rest who could not fly from Tamale were scheduled to travel from Accra, the Hajj Board said. Communication Director of the Board, Mohammed Amin Lamptey said they didnt want the pilgrims from the three Northern Regions to travel down to Accra to begin their journey. Mr Lamptey earlier told Joy News years of experience has informed the Boards decision to start airlifting would-be pilgrims from the three Northern Regions. He said, the refurbishing the Tamale Airport to an international one also made things easier. The Accra operations were supposed to have ended on Wednesday but so far some pilgrims who said they have paid their monies long ago are stranded and no one is telling them anything. Speaking on the Super Morning Show this Friday, Mr Lamptey explained that this was due to the contracted airline bringing a smaller flight to airlift pilgrims during the airlifting, adding although some have paid, some there are issues with visas and documentation. He said this left a backlog of people is to go on the last flight, which they are expecting to fly out on Monday. Mr Lamptey said so far, some 5000 pilgrims have been airlifted but failed to tell how many pilgrims are left to go. An initial communication from the Board told Joy News Ghana was flying some 5424 pilgrims to Hajj this year. Opinions are however divided on the subject of preferential treatment based on partisanship, as some pilgrims say it is a ploy to court public disaffection for the Mahama-led administration. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected] NPP stalwart Dr Arthur Kennedy has added his voice to growing calls by a section of well-meaning Ghanaians for the health status of presidential candidates to be checked prior to elections. He said there are countless instances across the world where presidents have been unable to function in their full capacity because of their failing ailment. According to him, the issue of Nana Addos health should not be brushed aside using politics because of Ghanas recent past with the late president John Mills. Dr Kennedy, who is also a US-based Ghanaian medical practitioner, posted on his Facebook wall and said: As a nation which has suffered a Presidential death, we need to ensure that while we trust Presidents when they claim to be in good health, we verify that in fact they are in good health. This, must apply to Presidential candidates as well. For the avoidance of doubt, I do not wish to imply that one needs to be in perfect health to be President. He added: I believe that each President should have an annual exam done jointly by his physician and another designated by the chief physician of 37 Military hospital. After this, the two shall issue a statement affirming that the President is in good health or otherwise. This same procedure can be modified for Presidential candidates. Within a month of filing their nomination papers, they must have an exam by a Ghanaian physician who shall affirm that the candidate is of sound physical, mental and social health and fit for the rigours of the Presidency. Neither of these should involve making the medical records public. His comment follows a publication in Mondays edition of Africa Watch magazine claiming that the flagbearer of the NPP, Akufo-Addo, had been diagnosed with cancer among other ailments since 2013. But the NPP flag bearer, citing a litany of claims made against him in the past during his ongoing tour of the Upper East region, dismissed the latest allegation, saying ....now they say I have cancer; it will not work! But Dr. Kennedy believes the back and forth allegations as to who is behind the publication is unnecessary and that the issue should go beyond the source of the publication and focus on the veracity or otherwise of the claims. He advised politicians to put the interest of the country over and above theirs. Finally, regardless of the rules, we must rely on the hope that those who seek the highest office have the highest ethics and will put the public interest above their ambitions and private interests. Then they can look at themselves and say, "If healthy, I will be a great President but in failing health, I must pass up the Presidency so that Ghana can have a President who will not be distracted by his health and infirmities, he added. Accra 02 September, 2016: Airtel Ghana played host to 100 pupils and teachers from schools within the Ablekuma Circuit at its Data Centre as part of an educational tour for STEM Club members drawn from schools within the Circuit under Airtels Evolve with STEM initiative. The pupils were given a guided tour of the back-end operations of the Smartphone Network with a clear demonstration of how calls are originated and terminated among others. PHOTO CAPTION: An engineer explains the back-end system to the pupils. The tour was part of efforts by the company to whip up the interest of the club members in the area of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by giving them hands-on experiences in these fields. A mobile phone is one of the most common device we use in our daily lives, even among young people. As the Smartphone Network, we are proud to have the opportunity to explain the mechanism and technology behind making and receiving a phone call, sending and receiving txt messages as well as accessing information on the Internet. We have shared insights into how these devices work and the technology that goes into them. Their bright faces throughout the tour and insightful questions were very inspiring, I must say. Director of Networks and IT at Airtel Ghana, Maruf Lawal remarked. He added, We believe that a solid background in science, technology, engineering and mathematics will not only launch these pupils into great careers in the future, but will also give them the right orientation to become problem solvers for this country and the continent as a whole. Prior to the visit to Airtel, the club members toured the factory of Seven-Up Beverages Companys (SBC) to learn how Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is used in making some of their favourite soft drinks. Over hundred pupils and teachers from three schools within the Ablekuma Circuit signed up in June this year to join STEM Clubs set up by Airtel Ghana under the companys Evolve with STEM initiative. [Read more here ] The company, which is renowned for its contribution to education in Ghana, is currently carrying out a campaign on social media dubbed STEM Champions campaign. The platform is promoting people and organisations that are using STEM to solve local problems as living proof of what STEM education can do to leapfrog development on the continent. The Evolve with STEM initiative has impacted some 2,000 young minds since its inception in December 2015. Airtel Ghana has received several awards in CSR including Best CSR Company for Education at the Ghana CSR Excellence Awards 2015. About Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 358 million customers across its operations at the end of June 2016. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com About Airtel in Africa Airtel is driven by the vision of providing affordable and innovative mobile services to all. Airtel has 17 operations in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Airtel International is a Bharti Airtel company. For more information, please visit www.airtel.com, or like the Airtel Ghana Facebook page via www.facebook.com/airtelgh or follow us on Twitter via the handle @airtelghana. The minority leader of Parliament has described as inaccurate claims by General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was abusing Constitutional provisions. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu says had the NDC chief scribe applied himself to the law he would have appreciated the motion filed by the minority which sought a bipartisan committee to investigate President Mahama over the Ford gate saga. This matter is before Parliament and per Article 187(6) of the Constitution the House is mandated to constitute a committee to deal with it, he told Evans Mensah, host of Joy FM's Newsnite programme. Minority NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) were dealt a terrible blow after a motion that sought to trigger an investigation of President John Mahama for receiving a Ford Expedition was downed by the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho. The Ford vehicle valued at $100,000 was provided by a Burkinabe contractor. Joy News' Manasseh Awuni Azure investigation lifted the lid on the matter which found the President receiving the vehicle in 2012 when he was a Vice President. Related Article: Burkinabe contractor offers controversial gift to Prez Mahama The Burkinabe contractor Oumarou Djibril Kanazoe a friend of President Mahama was later awarded three government contracts but he rejected the last one after the issue was made public. Even though government has admitted the President received the vehicle, it has never failed to defend the action of the president. Functionaries of the NDC compare Ford Expedition to a Mercedes Benz the erstwhile Kufuor administration received from former leader of Libya, Muamar Al Gaddafi. They say if former President John Kufuor was not impeached for flouting provisions of the Constitution, President Mahama should also be spared the noise in the media. After the Speaker threw out the motion, a fulfilled Johnson Asiedu Nketia told Joy News' Elton Brobbey the minority in Parliament always demand constitutional duties to be sidelined. Related Article: NPP fond of abusing constitutional provisions Asiedu Nketia He cited the call by the NPP for the voters register to be validated and the motion for the President to be investigated as classical cases to support his assertion. Reacting to his comment, Mr Mensah-Bonsu says Mr Nketia followed his ignorance when he could have consulted the constitution to understand the action of the NPP. He explained their motion would have improved legislation in the country had the Speaker permitted it. Related Article: Ford probe saga: Speakers ruling whimsical- Minority Mr Mensah-Bonsu says reasons cited by the Speaker and NDC such as Parliament's inability to investigate a matter before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) do not stand the test of time. He said if it were so the Judiciary would not have convicted some judges who were found to have engaged in some impropriety in an investigation undertaken by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. -Myjoyonline Paris (AFP) - Clashes in Gabon have left five people dead since incumbent Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a disputed presidential vote. Bongo's victory over challenger Jean Ping by a razor-thin margin of just under 6,000 votes in a weekend poll sparked fighting in Libreville and Port-Gentil, the country's economic capital. Ping claims the vote was rigged. Africa has known similar electoral unrest in the past, including in Gabon. Here are some of the other violent elections that have dogged the continent: Ivory Coast After a five-month-standoff, incumbent Laurent Gbagbo was detained on April 11, 2011 by forces backing rival Alassane Ouattara, who was recognised internationally as the winner of Ivory Coast's October 2010 presidential election. Gbagbo had refused to stand down and some 3,000 people died in the post-election unrest. He is currently on trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in relation to the clashes. Kenya Residents of the Mathare slum demonstrate in Nairobi, Kenya, 30 December 2007 Violence sparked by disputed results in Kenya's December 27, 2007 presidential poll won by Mwai Kibaki claimed some 1,300 lives and left about 600,000 displaced according to documents filed before the ICC. Elections in 1992 and 1997 also led to violence and related inter-ethnic clashes in 1992 in the western Rift Valley killed hundreds of people. Nigeria Unrest that claimed more than 800 lives flared in Nigeria after a disputed April 2011 presidential election in which President Goodluck Jonathan was declared victor. Defeated opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari alleged rigging. Elections in April 2007 elections were also criticised by the opposition and observers and led to violence that officially left 39 people dead. The European Union believes at least 200 died. Togo In 2005, Faure Gnassingbe won a disputed presidential election after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema. Between 400 and 500 people were killed in related clashes. Zimbabwe In the March 29, 2008 general election, the ZANU-PF party of long-serving President Robert Mugabe was defeated by the Movement for Democratic Change of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai's supporters then became targets of violence in which 180 died according to Amnesty International. Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off presidential election against Mugabe, citing violence against his supporters. The March 2002 elections won by Mugabe were also marred by violence. Democratic Republic of Congo In late 2011, general elections that were hastily organised and marred by allegations of fraud were accompanied by violence. A UN report that was denounced by authorities in Kinshasa spoke of around 30 deaths and accused government forces of serious human rights violations. Opposition supporters march during a rally organised by political opposition parties in Kinshasa Incumbent head of state Joseph Kabila officially won re-election, but challenger Etienne Tshisekedi rejected the results. The country has been mired in crisis ever since. Madagascar The island nation was paralyzed by protests during a political crisis in 2001-2002. Incumbent Didier Ratsiraka challeged the proclaimed victory of Marc Ravalomanana in the first round of a presidential poll and subsequent fighting killed several dozen people. Gabon In August 2009, the last declared victory by Ali Bongo also sparked clashes that officially left three people dead. Opposition parties say at least 15 people were killed. The week started with smiles on the faces of journalists in the country. A ceremony to honour them and their work took place on Saturday, August 27, 2016 and some of them walked away with prizes. Seth Kwame Boateng (far right), Benedict Owusu (middle) and Beatrice Adu (left) displaying their awards The Multimedia Group walked away with five awards; one each for Beatrice Adu, Joseph Opoku Gakpo, Benedict Owusu and three for Seth Kwame Boateng. The journalist of the year award went to investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. Whilst the journalists smiled over their awards, the Bankers were not left. The Banking awards was also organised with Fidelity Bank Ghana adjudged the best bank for the year 2015 at the Ghana banking awards. With just about 95 days to the presidential and parliamentary elections, all political parties are ramping up their campaign, and of course, it wont be without any drama. The vice president, Amissah Arthur made it a point to remind the New Patriotic Party that the NDC is ready to retaliate if they are provoked by the NPP. Not only will they respond, but they will do it two times more. Also, it seems the issues surrounding the release of the Montie 3 will take a while to die down. Another lawyer has sued the Attorney General, Marietta Brew Apppiah Oppong, in an attempt to get President John Mahama to reverse his decision. A legal practitioner based in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region, Alfred Tuah Yeboah was the first to file a suit against the AG. The Montie 3 were released from prison after the president remitted their sentences , but this lawyer is threatening to take them back into prison. Many were shocked when it was reported that presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party had promised to construct a dam in every village in the north. According Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, the only way to increase the total land area under cultivation in Ghana, which currently stands at a mere 30,000 out of 14 million hectares of arable land, is for the country to develop more irrigation systems. On Tuesday, an Accra High Court dismissed the suit filed against the New Patriotic Party (NPP)s parliamentary candidate for Okaikoi-South, Ahmed Arthur. The suit, filed by Former Minister of state and legal advisor to ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor, Vicky Bright, was seeking the court to declare the results of the election as null and void by the court. Justice Daniel Mensah in his ruling stated that Mr Arthur had not committed fraud in his nomination form for both 2012 and 2016 primaries as claimed by Mrs Bright. Then the shocking outburst came at noon on Tuesday. Outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rev Emmanuel Martey revealed that he had rejected from an unnamed politician, a $100,000 bribe, a 44 vehicle and a house in a plush residential area from a political party. He claimed the money was to make him tone down on his political comments. Rev Marteys account was disputed by a former spokesperson of the church. Dr Osei Acheampong who said the reverend minister had lied and that he took the money and even offered him $50,000 from the amount. The claims by the PRO angered some clergymen who came after him. They said he made the claims to get back at Rev. Martey, who had apparently fired him from his post in 2012. The Vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party during a campaign tour of the northern region, also announced a $1 million for 1 constituency policy aimed at alleviating poverty in the country. The policy is under the infrastructure for poverty eradication at a total cost of $1.6 billion. With this amount the NPP government will invest in pro-poor policy in villages across the country. Following severe criticism from the governing party and its supporters, the NPP on Wednesday, defended the rationale behind the policy. A Deputy Director of Communication of the party, Anthony Karbo, in an interview with Joy News said a Nana Akufo-Addo presidency will implement this policy without any sweat. The Inspector General of Police, John Kudalor conducted a fourth shake up in in 10 months since he took office. About 90 officers were re-assigned. Later that day, a motion was moved by the Minority in Parliament for a debate on a Ford Expedition gift received by President John Mahama from a Burkinabe contractor. Gibril Kanazoe. So Parliament was recalled for the motion to be heard. However, in a surprising turn of events, Speaker of Parliament, Doe Adjaho single-handedly on Thursday dashed the hopes of the minority. Mr Adjaho exercising his powers of discretion, rejected the motion and ordered the Clerk of Parliament to return the motion to the Member of Parliament (MP) who filed it. Mr. Doe Adjaho cited constitutional provisions and Supreme Court decision, contending that the matter was already being investigated by another constitutional body. Minority leader and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu described the ruling as whimsical. He said parliament had lost a golden opportunity to invoke its powers of oversight responsibility over the executive. Later that evening, former president John Agyekum Kufuor said there was no way he could have beaten Jerry John Rawlings in the 1996 presidential and parliamentary elections. Describing Rawlings as superhuman, Mr Kufour said the retired military officer made it impossible to be beaten. Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu continued to register the minoritys displeasure at the Speakers ruling. In an interview on Joy FMs Super Morning Show, Mr Kyei Mensah Bonsu suggested the passage of a law to regulate the Speakers use of his discretionary powers. Away from politics, a strike by workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana to protest the planned privatization of the company is biting hard. Customers of the company who went to some premises of the company to purchase credit for their pre-paid meters and have other issues addressed were left stranded. The workers believe a privatization of the company will not auger well for the company and will also result in the loss of jobs. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Naa Sakwaba Akwa | [email protected] The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has hit back at claims made by its former Public Relations Officer that the outgoing moderator of the church Professor Emmanuel Martey accepted a $100,000 dollar bribe. The Church, in a statement, described the allegations made by Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong as malicious lies. The outspoken Moderator revealed last Tuesday that he rejected several attempts by politicians to buy his silence with money and keep him from criticizing the government He claimed that he had been offered gifts by politicians including 100,000 dollars and a Trasacco House, all of which he rejected . Politicians had tried all means to muzzle me, to get me but they can't, they come with bribes, fat envelopes, $100,000. He added that some of these politicians also come with the promises that if you keep quiet we will give you a house at Trasacco with swimming pool We will give you Four Wheel drive [vehicle] but you know what; these people were lucky that I do not have big dogs in my house else I would have released the dogs for them to bite them, Professor Martey added. However, Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong alleged that contrary to the moderator's assertions, he had accepted the bribe and even gave him some of it. In July 28, 2013, around 8:15pm, he invited me to the office of one of the leading opposition parties not the ruling government, when I got there he had received the 100,000 dollars and a V8 he is claiming to have rejected. And he gave me 50,000 dollars, I am speaking on authority that he received the money, he is quoted as having said my some media outlets. Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong The Presbyterian church dismissed these claims suggesting that Osei Akyeampong's story was fabricated. Mr. Akyeampong has resorted to character assassination of some top officials of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana especially the Moderator, Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey, the statement started. It therefore does not make sense that on July 28th, more than one month after his dismissal Professor Emmanuel Martey would invite Mr. Akyeampong to the office of a political party to receive a bribe. The Church insisted that although it was apolitical it still had a say in how the country was governed. They backed the statements made by Professor Martey saying he had every right to comments on any issue which he believed was in the interest of the nation. The PR Unit wants to reiterate that the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and its leadership do not support any political party. The Church and its leadership are non-partisan in nature. In fact there are members of the church in almost all political parties. There are members who are Ministers and high government officials in every regime in this country. For this reason, the church does not take sides, he said. We, however, believe that the church should be interested in how the nation is governed and the clergy like the biblical prophets of old must be the moral conscience of society. The moderator will continue to speak on the affairs of this country and no amount of intimidation, malicious lies and verbal attacks will deter him from speaking the truth. By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana Although the motion was dismissed before it could be debated, the Majority leader, Alban Bagbin and Minority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu held their own debate some moments before the session in parliament began. Myjoyonline.com photojournalist David Andoh captured the unheard debate. What do you think they were saying in these three different pictures? And then they finally agreed....to disagree. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com Bamako (AFP) - The central Malian town of Boni was under jihadist control on Friday after administrative buildings were attacked and the army driven out, an elected official and a security source told AFP. Boni is home to several thousand people and remained under the control of the unidentified armed group by nightfall, who fired on administrative buildings and torched the mayor's office in the afternoon. "At the moment jihadists are in control of the town of Boni. They infiltrated the town and today fired on several buildings," an elected official who requested anonymity said, adding: "the army is no longer there." Ongoing international military intervention since January 2013 has driven Islamist fighters away from major urban centres which they had briefly controlled, but large tracts of Mali are still not controlled by domestic or foreign troops. Jihadist groups early last year began to carry out attacks in central Mali as well as the long-troubled north. "We asked our forces present in Boni to withdraw to the locality of Douentza, which has been done," a military source told AFP, also asking not to be named as the Malian army has refused to comment on the incident. Douentza is around 90 kilometres (56 miles) from Boni. Residents reached by phone described men entering the town riding motorbikes and carrying weapons, shouting "Allahu Akbar" during the attack and flying several jihadist flags. "They set fire to the police chief's house, as well as the mayor's office. They kept firing in the air," the resident said. "I saw the army leave the town," he added. "Some jihadists were on motorbikes and had accomplices inside the town. It was planned." Lawmakers in Mali agreed to extend a state of emergency across the country in July, after attackers stormed an army base in Nampala, also in the centre, leaving 17 soldiers dead and 35 wounded. Two groups -- the Islamist organisation Ansar Dine and a newly formed ethnic group -- claimed to have carried out that raid, which the government described as a "coordinated terrorist attack". Attacks have become more frequent near Mali's borders with Burkina Faso and Niger, both from criminal and jihadist elements. Long prey to rival armed factions, plagued by drug trafficking and at the mercy of jihadism, Mali has struggled for stability since gaining independence from France in 1960. 02.09.2016 LISTEN By GNA Reporter, Ho Ho, Sept. 02, GNA - Mr Yaw Ofori Debrah, the President of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), has urged the stakeholders of the 2016 General Election 'to make it more convenient' for People with Disabilities (PWDs). At a workshop in Ho, he said inclusiveness of PWDs in developmental issues had become a global phenomenon and Ghana could not be left behind. Mr Debrah said many actors in the decision-making processes had paid lip service to the issue of disability and most policies developed, had not made adequate provisions for PWDs. He said 2016 was yet another election year where political parties and the relevant stakeholders were developing manifestos and activities to engage the populace, declaring, 'This is an opportune time for the disability movement to make critical input that may inform the development priorities for the next four years and beyond.' Mr Debrah urged the Electoral Commission to make provisions for PWDs by providing tactile jackets for the visually impaired, accessible screens, polling stations and booths for wheel chair users and other persons with physical disabilities. He also asked the Information Service Department (ISD) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to ensure that information and materials for sensitisation and education were in accessible formats-Braille and large prints - for the disabled. Mr Nuhu Mahama, the Deputy Regional Director, Electoral Commission, said the Commission was making provisions for PWDs. He said they were engaging stakeholders on regional basis to ascertain how best the Commission could help PWDs. Mr Mahama advised PWDs to always draw the attention of electoral officials if they needed any help. GNA By Edmund Quaynor, GNA Okorase (E/R), Sept 02, GNA - An Independent Parliamentary Candidate in the Akropong Constituency, Mr. Asiedu Offei, has pledged to deliver development to the area if elected. He said he would work hard to bring marked change - transform the living conditions of the people. From his own resources, Mr. Offei had within the past five years provided a number of development projects in the area- school structures, boreholes, bridges, streetlight and support to students. Addressing a political rally in Okorase, he said, the people should expect more of such projects, when given the mandate to represent them in parliament. He told the crowd that he was asking them to trust him with their votes to give him the opportunity to bring progress to the constituency. He rallied the people not to be swayed by promises of his other political contestants but to critically examine their track record, individually. They should defy political party association and loyalty to give their votes to people who could perform - to make things better. Mr. Offei said the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has held the constituency seat over the years had taken the development of the people for granted and must be rejected. GNA By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA Accra, Sept. 2, GNA - Mr Daniel Asiedu, the Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (adb), has attributed the bank's award as the Best Bank in Financing Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to its readiness to take risks in the competitive market. "The adb emerged tops in financing agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector, which is recognised as the backbone of Ghana's economy, though many banks shy away from providing credit facilities to farmers due to the risks involved," he said. This was in a press release issued by the Corporate Communications Department of the bank on Friday and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra. The 15th Ghana Banking Awards, which was organised last Saturday, is to award the best performing banks in the country annually. Mr Asiedu said the bank, over the past five years, invested over 350 million Ghana cedis in different areas within the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. He said winning the award was an indication that the bank remained committed to the reason for its establishment. 'Winning the award is an indication that even in the midst of stiff industry competition and an unpredictable agricultural sector, the bank remains committed to ensuring that the sector remains a major contributor to our economy,' he said. "We dedicate the award to the loyal customers and farmers to whom we remain committed to in growing their business," he said. He said it was an honour to be the best amongst their peers in critical sectors like agriculture, forestry and fishing and "I wish to assure our customers to expect more innovative and tailor-made products which will boost their businesses." Mr Asiedu said in 2015, the bank facilitated the provision of 17.7 million Euros geared towards the production of 8,000 hectares of rubber in the country and "it remains the major sponsor of the annual National Farmers' Day event and consistently financed the building of a three bedroom house to the ultimate winner." GNA By Iddi Yire, GNA Accra, Sept. 2, GNA - The Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG), an NGO has urged all and sundry to support and promote the participation and inclusion of all stabilised persons with mental illness in the December 7 general election. Mr Humphrey Kofie, the Executive Secretary of MEHSOG, said a number of international and domestic enactments provide that persons with mental illnesses or psychosocial disability participate and exercise their political rights which include the right to vote. Speaking at a Community Durbar at Nima in Accra on Thursday, Mr Kofie cited that section 29 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disability provides that State Parties guarantee that persons with disabilities participate in political and public life. Sections 54 and 55 of the Mental Health Law also provides the fundamental human rights and freedoms including participation in civil and political life. He said Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana also provides for the rights and freedom of person above 18 years and of sound mind to vote. 'Unfortunately, it is this later provision, which many people including presiding officers, polling agents and members of the society misconstrue to discriminate and excluded stabilised people with mental illnesses or psychosocial disability from the electoral process,' he said. 'The question is who does the Constitution describe or define as unsound mind? Is it you and I who sometimes hold our keys, pens and still looking for it? 'Are they those people who keep their valuable items somewhere and cannot remember? Or are those vagrants who are nude on our streets?' he quizzed. Mr Kofie said MEHSOG would appreciate collaboration with pro bono lawyer or civil society organisation to invoke article 130 of the 1992 Constitution, which is the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, to seek a true and proper interpretation of 'Sound Mind' as provided for in Article 42 (right to vote) to bring the controversy and misinterpretation of this provisions to rest. The durbar was organised by MEHSOG in collaboration with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation in a project titled Inclusion matters: Access and Participation of PWDs in election 2016'. The project is being supported by STAR Ghana with funding from the United Kingdom Department for International Development. The objective of the project is to promote access to voting materials and voting centres for PWDs, ensure effective participation of PWDs in the electoral process and to increase awareness on the electoral process among PWDs. It also seeks to promote access to information on the electoral process for all PWDs, effectively engage stakeholders including political parties and the Electoral Commission on key disability issues. MEHSOG is a broad-based grassroots membership association of mental health and epilepsy service users and their primary care-givers with members across Ghana. It has a membership of over 26,000 across the country. Madam Rita Kyeremaa Kusi, the Executive Director, Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations called on all and sundry to support PWDs to enable them exercise their franchise on December 7. Mr Sulemana Bayensi, Principla Civic Education Officer of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) said at the centre of every fundamental human rights is the dignity of every person. He noted that the contributions of every Ghanaian including the PWDs is essential in nation building. Mr Adam Siddique Zagoon, Senior Civic Education Officer of the NCCE, said measures have been put in place to ensure that all polling stations throughout the country are accessible to PWDs. He said for the visually impede, the Commission would be providing tactile ballot papers for them to cast their votes on December 7. Chief Alhaji Baba Issah, MEHSOG Board Chairman called for the inculcation of the spirit of volunteerism in the nation's youth. GNA By Dennis Peprah, GNA Ampenkrom, (B/A), Sept. 2, GNA - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), under its five year project to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country's cocoa landscape, has in the past two years supplied 800,000 economic tree seedlings to more than 6,000 farmers in growing areas of the cash crop. The project named the "Environment Sustainability and Policy for Cocoa Production in Ghana Project (ESP)", is being implemented in 36 communities with the distribution of local species of Mahogany and Ofram to the farmers to promote environmental sustainability production practices in cocoa growing sites, through biodiversity conservation. The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), is the main implementer of the project, with additional support from the Mondelez International's Cocoa Life Programme. Dr Augustus Asamoah, the Forestry Management and Conservation Specialist of the ESP project, disclosed this at the inauguration of the Ayum-Asuokow Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) at Ampenkrom in the Asunafo North Municipality of Brong-Ahafo Region. He said 250,000 farmers in the area alone, had been supplied with the economic tree seedlings to help increase shade trees on cocoa farms and enhance carbon stocks across the cocoa landscapes. Ayum-Asuokow said an operational area of 21,574 hectares of land in that area, has been established to support sustainable management of forest and natural resources in the area. 'It is an initiative of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission through which the authority to manage the forest and wildlife resources of an area is devolved to communities, land owners and users', Dr. Asamoah explained. He emphasised the need for closer collaboration between the private sector and the responsible government agencies to bring about sustainable production and biodiversity conservation, especially in the cocoa producing areas. Dr Asamoah appealed to traditional rulers to lead the crusade against deforestation and climate change by using their powers to fight illegal lumbering and mining as well as the destruction of river bodies. Nana Kwame Asamoah the Second, the Chief of Ampenkrom said radical approach was required to control the rapid depletion of the forest in the area. He explained that because illegal loggers wielded arms and offensive materials, it was difficult for forest guards to bring the situation under control. Nana Asamoah expressed concern about annual bush and wildfires in the area which were also causing huge devastating effects on the natural and forest resources. Mr. Daniel Amponsah, the Chairman of CREMA, appealed for support especially from security agencies and the Municipal Assembly to enable them arrest deforestation in the area. GNA Accra, Sept. 2, GNA - Meridian Port Services (MPS) has secured the required financing to execute the Tema Port Expansion Project, enabling the development of an ultra-modern port facility at Ghana's primary commercial hub. The project, valued at USD 1.5 billion, in addition to serving Ghana, will also expand trade flows and links across West Africa. Meridian Port Services Limited is a joint venture between the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and Meridian Port Holdings Limited, with BollorA Transport & Logistics and APM Terminals as the two main shareholders. 'A vast continent, with a rapidly growing population, Africa is still significantly under-represented in world trade, currently accounting for less than five per cent of global container trade. 'But the establishment of modern port infrastructure such as this Tema Port expansion will help link African markets to the global logistics chain and promote new trade opportunities and economic growth' said Kim Fejfer, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of APM Terminals. MPS is executing the project within the GPHA Master Plan for the development of Tema Port and building upon its success and achievements under the Concession Agreement that was granted in 2004, resulting in this latest massive expansion of Tema Port's capacity and infrastructure. Philippe Labonne, the Director General of BollorA Transport & Logistics, said; 'The new port infrastructure and its future expansions will propel Ghana into the global best in class, which will improve Ghana's competiveness, facilitate trade growth and improve tax collection'. The project would allow Tema Port to accommodate some of the world's largest container ships and improve cargo handling services and capacity which would enhance the port's competitiveness and position it as a leading maritime hub in West Africa. The immediate cash flow needs of the US$ 1.5 billion port development project is one billion dollars. MPS has signed a $667 million financing package with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, while the MPS shareholders will provide the rest of the funding as fresh equity amounting to $333 million. The financing package for the construction of the port in Tema represents IFC's largest port investment and biggest infrastructure mobilisation to date in Sub-Saharan Africa. It includes $195 million from the IFC's own account and $472 million from three commercial banks: the Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Standard Bank, as well as the Dutch development bank, FMO. Dr Alhaji Asoma Banda, the Chairman of the MPS Board, said the project would generate a vast increase in employment opportunities in the country. He said the expansion works would create around 5,000 direct jobs with industry experts estimating that the economic impact of such new infrastructure would translate into approximately 450,000 new jobs. Construction of the harbour expansion project will begin on October 1, 2016 and projected to be completed by the last quarter of 2019. Mr Richard Anamoo, the Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, said: "This expansion project takes the dream of our founding father Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to the next level and will remain for future generations to benefit from. Mohamed Samara, the CEO of Meridian Port Services, said: 'This project clearly displays the strong commitment of MPS in the drive towards improving Ghana's competitiveness as a preferred destination for international trade and investment,' adding,' bigger vessels means reduced freight charges, with significant savings and a tremendous benefit to the shipping community of Ghana.' He said at present, the largest vessels which could dock at Tema Port are WAFMAX (West African Maximum Vessels) which can carry between 4,500 and 5,000 container Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). The impending expansion would, among other things, increase the depth of the harbour, and add four deep-water berths, a breakwater and a new access channel, enabling the port to accommodate vessels of up to 20,000 TEU capacity. GNA 02.09.2016 LISTEN By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA Takoradi, Sept. 2 GNA - The Ameer and Missionary in-charge of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Ghana, Alhaji Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih, has said the actions and inactions of some Muslims have painted a bad image for the Islamic faith. 'Muslims by their individual and collective actions and inactions have succeeded in soiling the image of the Islamic faith therefore any time you mention the name of Islam, it sent fears down the spines of many people,' he noted. He, therefore, challenged Muslim youth worldwide to redeem such negative image by portraying behaviours and attitudes that espouse the true meaning of Islam which stood for peace. Alhaji Maulvi Bin Salih said this at the opening of the 37th Annual National Rally of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation in Takoradi, in the Western Region, on Thursday. The three-day event, which was held on the theme: 'Tolerance-An Indispensable Tool for Peaceful Co-existence,' brought together more than 3,000 Muslim youth across the country as well as delegations from La Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso. He urged Muslim youth to take a cue from Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya Community worldwide, who has been clamouring for peaceful co-existence among nations, world leaders and religious organisations. According to him, there cannot be peace without tolerance and therefore, entreated Ahmadees worldwide, to promote peace, brotherliness and tolerance between people with diversified religious and political beliefs. The Ameer of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Ghana, noted that as the country is preparing for a general election in December, they must not allow themselves to be used by politicians and political parties as tools to cause mayhem. 'You should not allow those who have outlived their usefulness to use you for their selfish interest, but as future leaders, you must lay a solid foundation for socio-economic development,' he said. Alhaji Maulvi Bin Salih charged them to be disciplined, patient and tolerate others views because mankind thrives on consensus. The Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, in a speech read on his behalf commended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission for the enormous contribution to national development. Mr Aidoo said the Mission had made many social interventions comprising health and educational facilities and expressed Government's commitment to continue partnering religious organisations to develop the nation. He said the Regional Minister indicated that Government has demonstrated its support towards the Muslim Community by upgrading the Tamale Airport into international standard that enabled Muslim pilgrims in the three northern regions to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for their annual Hajj without much difficulty. He urged the youth to use the occasion to build networks, share knowledge and experiences in order to strengthen and enhance their lives. The participants undertook a number of activities such as clean-up exercises in various health facilities, donations to orphanages and inmates at the Prisons. They would also organise Q'uran recitations and sporting activities to strengthen their spiritual, moral and physical wellbeing. GNA 02.09.2016 LISTEN Accra Sept. 2, GNA - Three persons who allegedly robbed a forex bureau of local and foreign currencies at Teshie and six other persons of their belongings at gun point were hauled before Court on friday. At an Accra Circuit Court, Stephan Bediako, aka Skyro or Mawuli, Kweku Nuworkpeh aka Olugbame and Stephen and Abass Fuseni pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and six counts of robbery. The accused person were alleged to have armed themselves with a pump action gun, two locally manufactured pistols, 13 rounds of ammunition s to robbed their victims. They made away with 40,000 cedis, 67,000 CFA, 20,000 Naira, Laptops mobile phones at the forex bureau and later at Coco Palace beach on the Beach road. The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh remanded the accused persons into lawful custody pending a ruling on a bail application put in by their lawyers. Defence counsels had earlier prayed the court to admit them to bail as they are breadwinners who would not abscond if granted bail. According counsels they have relations of substance who can stand as sureties for them. The court adjourned the matter to September 16 to decide on the bail application. Prosecuting Chief Inspector Edward Afful said Mr Sani Abubakar and Yusif Issah are the 1st and 2nd complainants and are businessmen operating Cosmos forex bureau at Teshie. The other complainants: Doris Oko a businesswoman was robbed of her two mobile phones and 11,000 cedis, Quist Adotey was robbed of two mobile phones Madam Esther Quist was robbed of her mobile phone, and assorted credit cards valued 600 cedis and her wedding ring whiles Mr Odon Chijoike Victor was robbed off his laptop, two mobile phones and a wrist watch Chief Inspector Afful told the court that Bediako is unemployed and resides at Teshie, while Nuworkpeh is a farmer at Kpetoe and Fuseini also unemployed resides at Aflao in the Volta Region. According to the prosecutor, the three accused persons became friends about three months ago. Chief Afful said Bediako who resides at Teshie usually goes round during the day to conduct survey at places to rob. On August 23 this year, prosecution said Bediako invited Nuworkpeh and Fuseini and they converged at Teshie to embark on a robbery spree. The following day, Chief Inspector Afful said at about 0800 hours the accused persons met at Fertilizer road at Teshie and waited opposite the Cosmos Forex bureau for the arrival of the operators of the Forex Bureau. As soon as the operators of the forex bureau arrived Nuworkpeh armed with a pump action gun took a position at the entrance of the forex bureau and ordered the operators to surrender their mobile phones, monies and two laptops. He said Fuseini used the butt of his pistol to hit Mohammed and collected 40,000 cedis, CFA 67,000 and 20,000 Naira and bolted. The two operators of the forex bureau raised an alarm and the other sympathisers assisted them to chase accused persons who opened fire to scare of those pursuing them. The accused persons ended up in a bush near the Manna Mission Hospital but a Police patrol Team arrived at the scene and Nuworkpeh was grabbed with a sack containing 4,388 cedis and pump action gun and 13 rounds of Lion BB Cartridges. Bediako however threw his pistol into the bush but same was retrieved with Lion BB cartridge in the barrel. Prosecution contend that investigation revealed that Nuworkpeh brought the cartridges from Kpetoe they kept the weapons with one Kojo a resident of Teshie who is yet to be arrested. Chief Inspector Afful said the monies stolen from the forex bureau could not be traced. The accused persons later led the police to various places to identify their victims. GNA By Jonathan Donkor, GNA Elmina (C/R), Sept. 2, GNA - Health and Safety Ghana (HSG), Ghana's premiere health and safety think tank, has appealed to the Government to speed-up the passage of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) draft bill into law. According to Mr Francis Dzifa Ahadzi, Founder and President of OHS, the bill currently at the cabinet level, has delayed although it was needed to enhance the well-being of workers in relation to their health and safety. When passed the law would create comprehensive national framework for effective coordination and harmonisation of OHS issues in the country, strengthen related research and protect workers from work related accidents, injuries and fatalities. Mr Ahadzi made the call in an interview on the sidelines of a visit of some members of the think tank to Groupe Ndoum (GN) Industrial Estate and the GN Quarry both in Elmina to interact with management and staff and acquaint themselves with the health and safety measures. He said the existing OHS laws in the country are limited in scope, do not cover vast majority of industries and do not include the informal sector, though it forms the majority of the country's workforce. He said because of the non-existence of a comprehensive law on OHS employers are flouting the few laws with impunity, to the disadvantage of many workers in case of casualty, especially those who could not afford to take legal action. Mr Ahadzi advocated the setting up of Authority or an agency that would be empowered to preside over only on OHS cases, just as it is the practice in some Western countries. He said though Ghana is a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which promotes rights of workers and strengthen work related issues it is yet to ratify the ILO convention 155 on OHS. This he noted was due to the non-existence of the comprehensive OHS law unlike the more than the 50 countries, which have ratified the convention. He therefore expressed the need for the passage of the OHS bill into law as soon as possible. According to the ILO, every day, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases while more than 2.3 million deaths are recorded every year. The convention provides for the adoption and coherent national occupational safety and health policy as well as action to be taken by governments and within enterprises to promote OHS and ultimately improve working conditions. Mr Ahadzi indicated the commitment of the think tank to continue to provide advocacy, research, training and advisory services in OHS, water and food safety and environmental management to ensure the safety of workers. GNA Libreville (AFP) - Gabon opposition leader Jean Ping on Friday declared himself the rightful president and called for a vote recount, days after incumbent Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a weekend election which has sparked deadly violence. "I am the president," Ping told a press conference at his home in Libreville late Friday, calling for a recount from every polling station. In the 48 hours since the results of Saturday's election were announced huge crowds of angry supporters, some of whom torched the parliament, have taken to the streets. Bongo's government launched a fierce crackdown, with security forces arresting around a thousand people. Two people died early Friday following overnight clashes, bringing to five the number killed in the violence that erupted after Bongo was declared victor of the disputed election on Saturday. A funeral procession for Axel Messa, killed in Gabon's post-election protests, passes through the Libreville district of Nzeng Ayong on September 2, 2016 Bongo was declared victorious by a razor-thin margin of just under 6,000 votes, but his main challenger Ping, a veteran diplomat and former top African Union official, insisted the vote was rigged and claimed victory for himself. "The whole world knows who is president of the republic, it's me Jean Ping," he said. The Gabonese authorities categorically refused any recount, invoking the country's electoral law which includes no such procedure. The body of Axel Messa, 30, is wrapped in Gabon's national flag while a campaign banner for President Ali Bongo is unfurled, before the funeral procession in Libreville on September 2, 2016 The post-vote violence in this small but oil-rich central African nation has sparked international concern, with top diplomats calling for restraint as rights groups raised the alarm over the use of "excessive force". The latest fatalities included Bekam Ella Edzang, 27, who died after being shot in the stomach "by the Republican Guard, who were firing tear gas and live bullets," a childhood friend called Geraud told AFP. The second victim was identified as 28-year-old Axel Messa, whose mother told AFP he had been shot outside his home. "They found my son outside his front door in the street. A black car pulled up. They lowered the window -- there were two of them -- and they fired twice," she said. Food running out Across the country, the unrest has paralysed transportation, with bread and other fresh foods in short supply, the situation further aggravated by widespread looting. Gabon shaken by election violence "We could hear shots all night. Petrol stations are closed and guarded by troops," said Nicolas, a carpenter who lives on the outskirts of Libreville. "There are soldiers on guard outside one of the bakeries so we can get a bit of bread." Since Wednesday evening, many towns have been gripped by unrest, notably in the country's north, close to the border with Cameroon where the situation is "particularly tense", a security source told AFP. Around 1,000 people have been arrested during rioting after Ali Bongo was declared the winner of Gabon's presidential election by a razor-thin margin over rival Jean Ping In Oyem, the main town in the north, a policeman was hospitalised after being shot in the head, he said. In Port Gentil, the economic capital, some youths could be seen barricading shops to deter further looting, while others blocked roads and threw stones at police, who responded with tear gas canisters. On Thursday, the interior ministry said up to a thousand people had been detained in the post-vote unrest, with a government spokesman saying the aim was to catch the "criminals" who set fire to the parliament building late on Wednesday. Opposition leaders detained Protesters set up a barricade in the Nstara district of Libreville on September 1, 2016 Among those arrested were 27 opposition and civil society leaders who were being held outside Ping's headquarters, which was raided by the security forces late on Wednesday. In a joint letter to the heads of the international community, they said that such a "frontal attack" on the opposition revealed the government's desire "to cover up the electoral theft it just committed." But Bongo's spokesman Alain-Claude Bilie-by-Nze, who is currently in Paris, told AFP the group had later been informed by a UN official that they could go home, saying the official was acting on the president's orders. Contacted by AFP, one of the detainees confirmed they were being allowed to leave. Situation 'largely calm' Nze said the situation had "largely calmed down" across the country, even if it had "not yet returned to normal". And he put the number of protester deaths at "between three and five", saying three members of the security forces had been wounded. In a special session on Gabon late Thursday, the UN Security Council expressed "deep concern" about the situation, urging all sides to "to refrain from violence or other provocations". And Washington has urged all parties to work together to "halt the slide towards further unrest." In a statement released Friday, Senegal-based rights group RADDHO called on the African Union to try and end the violence and stop Gabon from "sinking into total chaos". business Faith in judiciary restored: MakeMyTrip's CEO on HC decision "Now today, it feels that the law does take some time, but eventually you get justice. It's a great feeling of relief and I must say that the faith in the judiciary is definitely restored", says Deep Kalra, Chairman and CEO, MakeMyTrip. you are here: business Expect 5-7 million tonnes sugar deficit next year: Shree Renuka Vivek Saraogi, Managing Director Of Balrampur Chini Mills, says that 80 percent of India's sugar mills at this time of the year won't have much surplus. Only 15-20 percent would have stock above 37% of output. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Infosys Technologies (Infy) held its analyst meet to articulate its strategies in the midst of a cautious business environment prevailing in the industry. The management did highlight that Q2FY17 would be better than Q1FY17 by addressing challenges in consulting vertical while Finacle witnessed it in Q1FY17. However, the management cited caution about the business environment on account of uncertainty prevailing across the industry and due to client specific concerns post Brexit. While Infosys would evaluate its full year FY17 revenue guidance of 10.5-12% in CC terms post Q2FY17 results, an overall cautious environment post Brexit could pose a risk to its FY17 guidance, in our view. On the other hand, the companys dual strategy of renew and new along with automation platforms as Mana is going on the right trajectory paving the way for the companys growth on a long term basis. For all recommendations, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. While Infosys would evaluate its FY17 guidance post Q2FY17 results due to the impact of near term headwinds, the efforts towards Renew & New strategy such as increase in large deal win and top client revenues would pay off over the medium term. We expect Infosys revenues to grow at a CAGR of 12.4% with average EBIT margin of 25.1% over FY16-18E. Hence, we maintain our BUY recommendation on Infosys with a revised target price of Rs 1290 (18x its FY18E EPS). Read More 5 reasons to invest in equities | Is it safe to invest in stocks? What is Metcash Ltd? Metcash Ltd [ASX:MTS] operates a wholesale distribution business specialising in grocery, fresh produce, liquor hardware and other fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). The company operates brands such as IGA Supermarkets, The Bottle-O and Mitre 10. Why Is the Metcash Share Price Important? The company has a current market capitalisation of $2 billion. In the last year, the companys stock price is up almost 100%. The problem is that theyre down around 45% from their high of just five years ago. Whats Next for the Metcash Stock Price? What comes next for Metcash considering that, at their recent AGM, CEO Ian Morrice said: Highly competitive conditions remain in all our markets with additional impact from increased competition in Western and South Australia. He went on to say: Based on all these things together makes for a very challenging year ahead. Competition in the supermarket segment isnt about to slow down. Aldi Australia anticipates their sales to grow almost 90%, to $15 billion, within four years. This will also coincide with market penetration of more than 54.9% nationally. In terms of market share, its anticipated Aldi will fly past Metcash this year. And they might even kill off IGA altogether. This isnt even taking into account the ever persistent rumours that European supermarket giant Lidl may still hit Aussie shores. European raiders are taking over the supermarket industry and theyre dominating the Aussie incumbents. Will Metcash survive this onslaught? In short, yes they will. But in our view, they will be a shell of their current existence. And all this comes before we even consider the threat of Amazon and Amazon Grocery that could sweep all competition aside with ease. The supermarket game is a tough one, and increasing competition is a massive threat to future revenues. Food & Grocery makes up over 68% of Metcashs income and, in the coming years, we see their revenues eroding and having a negative impact on the stock. With the share price rise over the last year, now might be a good time to consider an exit from Metcash. The environment for the food and grocery industry is only going to get more competitive, and margins will come under increasing pressure. If the likes of Lidl and Amazon step into the market, it could spell the end for a brand like IGA, and it could indicate tough times ahead for Metcash. Regards, Sam Burke County Public Schools officials finally have an idea how much the school system and its teachers will be affected by a pay raise included in the budget that North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law in mid-July. Teachers in the state will receive an average 4.7 percent raise, according to information from Burke County Public Schools. McCrory has touted the increase, saying it will mean the average N.C. teacher pay will be more than $50,000 for the first time in state history. Increases, including a step increase for all teachers and instructional support, will range from 2.1 percent to 13.1 percent. BCPS Finance Officer Keith Lawson said that what percentage each teacher receives will depend on state pay tables. The school system itself will be on the hook for a portion of the pay increases. We do pay some teachers from local funds and we will have to absorb that impact, Lawson said. The long-term impact is that teacher pay is increasing, and that is a good thing. Although pay is increasing, on the flip side, we have far fewer teachers than we had several years ago. As a result, it does make it easier to absorb the wage increases. According to information provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to the school system, principals and assistant principals will receive a step increase of 1.5 percent. Additionally, they will be paid a 0.5 percent bonus in October. To ensure school administrators do not lose pay, any teacher who is set to become a principal will be paid their salary, even if that is more than starting principal pay, according to the school system. Permanent, full-time noncertified and central office personnel who were employed in 2015-16 will receive a 1.5 percent pay increase, according to NCDPI information. Part-time employees will receive a pro rata increase based on the number of hours worked. Effective July 1, the retirement rate was 16.12 percent and the health benefit contribution was $5,471, according to DPI. The state budget office may raise those figures to 16.54 percent and $5,659 in January. The state has allocated a statewide total of $17.2 million non-recurring for merit-based bonuses for non-educators, including administrators, central office personnel and noncertified personnel. The money will be allocated to school systems based on enrollment. Lawson said that BCPS will have to submit a plan to DPI by Feb. 1 as to how the school system will disburse that money. The state has reserved, statewide , $4.3 million non-recurring funds for bonuses for the advanced placement program and $126,000 non-recurring funds for the international baccalaureate program, according to DPI. The bonuses will be a pilot program for two years, starting with 2015-16 test scores. Teachers will receive a bonus of $50 for each student who scores a 3 or better on an AP exam and a 4 or better on an IB exam. The maximum is $2,000 per year and is payable in January and not subject to retirement. To be eligible, the teacher must remain employed teaching advanced courses in the same school system at least until the bonus is paid, according to DPI. The state has allocated $600,000 non-recurring funds for a similar two-year pilot program for bonuses for industry certifications and credentials. Based on 2015-16 scores, bonuses of $25 or $50 will be paid for each student taught by a teacher who provided instruction in a course that led to the attainment of an industry certification or credential. According to DPI, the Department of Commerce will assign a value ranking for each certification and credential based on academic rigor and employment value. These bonuses also will be paid in January with a $2,000 maximum and the one-school system requirement. A sum of $10 million statewide has been allocated by the state for a third-grade teacher reading performance pilot program, according to DPI. Starting with 2015-16 data, $5 million will be used to pay bonuses to the top 25 percent of third-grade teachers based on education value-added assessment system growth scores and $5 million will be used to pay bonuses to the top 25 percent of third-grade teachers in each school system. Teachers may receive bonuses under both criteria. Charter school teachers are not eligible. As with the other bonuses, third-grade teachers must remain teaching third grade in the same school system at least until the bonus is paid and bonuses will be paid in January. The state board of education will report on distribution of the bonuses by March 1 and will study the effect of the program on teacher performance and retention and report by March 1, 2018. History has shown that a funds fees are a key predictor of future returns. The lower the fees, the greater the gains returned to the investor compounded over time this is very compelling for returns. The cost of investing plays an important role within the Morningstar Analyst Rating process, along with the investment process, quality of manager and the culture within a fund house. Baillie Gifford Cuts Fees We were therefore pleased to hear that Baillie Gifford have announced that they are reducing the fees on the Gold Rated Baillie Gifford Japan Trust (BGFD) and the Bronze Rated Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (EWI) on September 1 2016. Both trusts have in place an existing tiered fee structure based on net assets starting at 0.95% on the first 50 million and 0.65% thereafter. The additional kicker is that now Baillie Gifford will charge a reduced fee of 0.55% on net assets over and above 250 million. We like the concept and message for investors here, that is, as assets grow they will benefit from the resultant economies of scale and enhanced net performance. Given that the Baillie Gifford Japan Trust has net assets of around 420 million and Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust of approximately 270 million investors will see the benefit of these changes with immediate effect. The respective boards are to be applauded for securing lower fees for investors and boosting investor returns. 3 Investment Trusts with Low Fees Baillie Giffords move makes them a competitive offering within the closed-end fund space, but they are not the only firm to reduce fees in recent years. Two of the lowest cost investment trusts on the market are managed by Henderson and both previously had a management fee and performance fee, the latter of which were scrapped in 2012. We are not adverse to performance fees, providing that they are appropriately structured, however the frequency with which they are now being scrapped suggests that boards and investors favour the simplicity and transparency of a single fee structure. The Gold Rated City of London Investment Trusts (CTY) fees are highly competitive, with ongoing charges as at the end of June 2015 at just 0.42%. City of London is amongst the cheapest of all the UK listed investment trusts and considerably cheaper than the broader peer group average of 0.89%. The fund predominantly provides investors with core UK equity exposure, although there are some overseas holdings at the margin. It offers the prospect of longer term growth in capital and income and the dividend here has been raised for an impressive 50 consecutive years. Job Curtiss cautious approach and focus on limiting downside risk makes it especially suitable for those investors with less tolerance for risk although they should still broadly expect equity volatility here. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT), also rated Gold, is managed by James Anderson and Tom Slater at Baillie Gifford. The fund provides exposure to global equities however investors should be cognisant that the highly active nature of the management here together with the inclusion of unlisted investments, structural gearing and a relatively concentrated portfolio is likely to lead to a bumpy ride at times. Investors should consider this a long term investment and part of a wider diversified portfolio. With net assets of some 4 billion the fund is very substantial in size and this is reflected in the fees that investors pay here which are highly competitive with an ongoing charge of 0.45% as at the end of March 2016 compared to the broader category average of around 0.98%. This adds very substantially to the overall proposition for investors. Another trust of note is the Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR), which is Silver Rated. The Trust provides a one stop shop for global equity exposure. Its legacy was strongly UK centric but that has gradually been paired back through Alex Crookes long tenure and now more than 60% of the fund is invested overseas. There is a strong income commitment which has been fulfilled for over 49 years. The fund represents an ideal core building block within portfolios. The fees investors pay here are very competitive and transparent. It is the boards aim that Bankers offers investors one of the lowest fees in the sector and with an ongoing charge as at the end of October 2015 of 0.52% they have achieved this, especially when compared with the broader category average of 0.98%. VERICOs new president explains how he imagines himself fitting in with the respected broker network, and answers the one question that seems to be on every brokers mind.[ Verico has] accomplished so much over their 10 year, 11 year history, Albert Collu , president of VERICO, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. Theyve built a great business; however, I think there are parts of the business Im confident we can add value to as it relates to specific strategies and services to really enhance the business of the licensees that are currently in place and maybe to attract more down the road.Collu officially stepped into the role September 1.He brings with him over a decade of mortgage industry experience, most recently as the CEO and president of Mortgage Architects But that doesnt mean hes coming in, guns a-blazing.The company has done an incredible job without me. Im looking more just to be an added resource for the VERICO staff and operations as well as the licensees in any way, shape I can to help them build their businesses, Collu said. Truthfully, Im just going to spend the next 3-4 months to learn from the VERICO team, with John and Colin, to understand how VERICO has gotten to where it is.And then Ill work with the licensees to identify what weve done really, really well; what gaps and opportunities there are and really start filling those as early as January, where I can.Despite VERICO being based in Vancouver, Collu will remain in Toronto. The network is establishing a secondary home-base in Canadas largest city.Make no mistake: Ontario is not a small market for VERICO. What it does for us is not necessarily comment on whether we can attract more people from the Ontario markets or eastern markets; its more a commentary of spreading out the operational load, Collu said. Most of the lending, insurer, and supply-side is based here, so it makes us a little bit more strategically efficient so we can conduct better meetings and we can create better synergies. This just gives us an added footprint.Collu Joins VERICO mere months after his former company, Mortgage Architects, was acquired by rival Dominion Lending Centres The question had to be asked: Did that acquisition factor into Collus decision to join VERICO?That question gets asked all the time. The truth is, when that acquisition occurred, I went into the environment with an open mind and that I was going to give everything I had, thereafter, Collu said. I owed it to the staff at Mortgage Architects, I owed it to the brokers; theyre all top shelf. The brokers are top shelf, the staff is top shelf, so I wanted to give everything I could to that particular group.Did it factor? No, not immediately. No. But time has a way of opening up opportunities and new thoughts and new endeavours. The Quebec government is intensifying its efforts to crack down on wealthy immigrants who have been using the provinces previous regulatory regime as a convenient trampoline into Canadas vibrant housing market.Quebec, which is the only remaining jurisdiction that has the Immigrant Investor Program, has long been a favourite staging point for moneyed individuals who get accepted into the provinceonly to immediately move to other parts of Canada, CTV News reported.A large proportion of these immigrants who are supposed to work and live in Quebec end up in B.C. and Ontario, officials stated.The phenomenon has led to the provincial government tightening their criteria and review process, refusing entry to applicants showing signs of wanting to reside in another part of the country.If you have B.C. property, if you have a child attending a B.C. school, there is a question mark on your intent to settle in the province of Quebec, Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said. Immigrant investor cases are now being refused because you have B.C. property or you have a child in a B.C. university.Experts predicted that a significant side-effect of this development is a much-reduced immigration volume from Quebec to Vancouver and Toronto, considered as the countrys hottest residential real estate markets.While various analysts and observers have predicted a mass exodus of wealthy overseas nationals to markets outside Vancouver in the wake of B.C.s new 15 per cent tax on foreign buyers, Quebec-based professionals have argued that the provinces situation is an outlier among the countrys leading markets, citing the difficulties raised by the language barrier and other cultural differences compared to the rest of Canada. Spooky sites Fall is the season of holiday spectacle in Moorpark. In December, of course, Pinedale Road transforms into Candy Cane Lane and dazzles visitors with Santa splendor. But for those who... Local hula group inspires global connections When the pandemic ushered everyone indoors, Moorpark resident and longtime dancer Lisa Rauschenberger decided to get people back outsidesocially distanced, of course. She began to hold weekly hula lessons at... Teens face high stakes in the Oval Office A press room befitting Americas commander in chief was set up inside the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. Journalists and others gathered inside. Ladies and gentlemen, I need you all... The rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula are ancient: More than one billion years old, containing loads of native copper deposits. Mining them created a legacy seen throughout the region. The nation's first big mining boom certainly left its mark on the peninsula. It left icons like the Quincy Mine Hoist; it left massive deposits of mine waste, a fine material called stamp sands, outside Gay; it left a few problems, like a Superfund site in and around Torch Lake. As rich as the copper that people once mined here, the history of the Keweenaw is full of stories, insight, dilemmas, and opportunities. Call it geoheritage. As part of ongoing geoheritage education, the annual Geotours are an effort to bring the earth processes and cultural legacy of the land to light. The program is run by Bill Rose, a professor emeritus of geology at Michigan Tech, and Erika Vye, a recent PhD graduate of the geology program. On Thursday, July 28, they took a boatload of people to the eastern side of the peninsula for an up-close and personal view of the Keweenaw's industrial mining legacy. Mining History The stamp sands stretch on and on. They're the gray of water left in a mop bucket. The grainsas fine as any sand beachare dusty and sparkle; the shimmer comes from tiny bits of arsenic minerals, found only at the Mohawk Mill site. A 236-foot tall smoke stack cuts a long shadow, crisscrossed by old wood frames and building foundations. Nearby, a few aspens and invasive weeds make small islands by the road. Very little grows elsewhere. Nothing separates the millions of tons of stamp sands from Lake Superior's waves crashing against the beach. Watch Stamp Sands Drone Footage or Drone's View of the Keweenaw's Mining Legacy video Watch Stamp Sands Drone Footage or Drone's View of the Keweenaw's Mining Legacy Expand The water was a big reason this location was selected for the Mohawk Mill. "You need a lot of water and a lot of rock to process copper-bearing rocks; you need a big lake or river," says Sean Gohman, a PhD candidate studying industrial archaeology at Michigan Tech. He explains that for the copper rush here, which started in the 1840s and continued on for more than 100 years, many mines dug into the spine of the peninsula while processing facilities, like the early 20th century stamp mill here, strategically straddled the Lake Superior shore. This is one site of dozens where the basalt rock of the regioncontaining trace amounts of heavy native copperwas transported by rail, then pounded and stamped into sand, separated by density, and flushed away into the lake. Totaling about 22.7 million tons, the stamp mill was clearly a productive one. "I think that stamp sands need to be appreciated, some could even be preserved," Gohman says. "We're lucky to have this here, it's the reason our communities exist." That is the crux of geoheritage: It's not a judgment of good or bad history, it accepts the pride, complexity and challenges of a mining legacy. Standing on the stamp sands outside Gay, with dust puffing up from the tour group's feet and arsenic-rich mohawkite glittering for miles downshore, it's hard to ignore the sense of awe at the enormity of the mining enterprise that created the Copper Country. It's also hard not to cringe, at least a little. "The adjectives you use to describe this area depend on your perspective; I say spectacular but others might say appalling." Bill Rose What's difficult is accepting the nuance. This is a complex system with no real right or wrong answersheck, it's hard to know what are the right questions. What is readily apparent is that the stamp sands have an impact. In terms of research, it's a matter of figuring out just what that is. Aboard the Agassiz Seeing patterns is easier from the water. The R/V Agassiz, the university's research vessel at the Great Lakes Research Center is moored in Grand Traverse Bay's Schoolcraft Township Marina, almost 5 miles from the Mohawk Mill site. On one side of the harbor, the pink and white sands of the bay's natural beach stretch out; on the other side, stamp sands fan over the breakwater. The cascade of gray-black mine waste shows how the lake's currents keep pushing the sands along. "Lake Superior doesn't like deltas, there's just too much wind and current so they get destroyed," Rose says, explaining that the lake is a highly dynamic environment that won't keep the stamp sands at rest. "So, the sands get carried away and they encroach on other areasand it's all moving." The R/V Agassiz goes surprisingly fast. A rocket compared to the longshore drift that has dribbled the stamp sands from their original location. In satellite imagery, the Gay stamp sands appear as a long, dark strip coating the shoreline. From the boat, that strip stretches on until it's too hazy to see the beginning or end. Underneath the boat, the sands tumble far out into the lake. As they are carried by storm waves and sifted by regular ones, the grains settle into the cracks of larger stones and cobbles. Swimming at a rocky beach, if you stick your ears into or just close to the water, then you can hear the crystalline cracks of the rocks as the waves shift them. The gentle rise, settling, and migration of the stamp sands is silent. Depth readings on the R/V Agassiz show the location of an important Lake Superior fishery called Buffalo Reef, which appears as two blue ovals (upper right). The boat quiets as Captain Stephen Roblee slows and lets the waves rock the tour group. He points to the depth monitor on his screen where two oval humps loom up under the water. Looking over the boat's side, as the vessel dips into a wave trough, the ghostly outlines of boulders waver about 10 feet below. "We're right above the Buffalo Reef," says Casey Huckins, a professor of biology at Michigan Tech, explaining that "reef" refers to a high spot in the underwater landscape. As the boat sloshes again, he adds, "This is an important breeding spot for lake trout and whitefish." (Quietly, one group member leans to her companion, "What's your sign, baby?" "Aquarius," he replies.) Driven less by the Zodiac and more by natural instincts, Huckins says the cold-loving fish seek out reefs to lay eggs because the piles of cobbles and boulders protect the little orbs from wave action and predators. Growing up, lake trout juveniles favor the deep, open side of the reef and whitefish juveniles stick close to the shore side. With stamp sands, the whitefish are hard to find hanging out by shore. Farther south and east, past Grand Traverse Bay, plenty of whitefish juveniles swim in shallow waters. "This raises questions about what environments the fish can tolerate," Huckins says, explaining that copper is particularly toxic to fish. "We haven't studied it enough yet and we need to." The boat passes the reef and flies back to the harbor. The contrast between the blue waves, black sand, and red sandstone seem so starkthe colors are so separate and it feels like nothing can be done to hold back the mine waste's march. In Torch Lake, though, people did try to make a difference. Superfund Pairing the word "lake" with Superior is a misnomer. Lake Superior is really a sea. And squeezing through the narrow outlet into Torch Lake makes that readily apparent. With crowded shorelines thick with trees the green of a well-watered suburban lawn, Torch Lake defies space and time. It feels like the epitome of any Midwestern lake on any summer day, complete with lakeshore docks and fancy homes. But the trees and cabins are deceptive. This is a dead lake. An old dredge sits in the Torch Lake near the abandoned Quincy Mill outside Lake Linden, Michigan. The benthic community doesn't exist here. That is, there are few to none of the normal organisms that live on or in the lake bottom sediments. That entire portion of the bottom-dwelling food chaina big part of the supportive foundationis missing, making higher levels less stable. It all circles back to the photosynthesizing base of any food chain. "The geology and geological processes determine what plants and plant communities can grow in a place," says Jill Fisher, a staff member at Michigan Tech and an ecologist by training. "So understanding the first helps you understand the second better." And in Torch Lake that means understanding what happens when half a lake is filled with stamp sands and used as a dumping ground for industrial waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the lake a Superfund Site in 1986. Unlike in Lake Superior, where sediment is pushed around and dispersed, the Torch Lake sands stay put. The remediation goal is to wait for the contaminated sediments, as fine as flour dust, to get buried with time. However, some contaminantslike mercurydo not stay put. Grasses and invasive species like purple-flowering spotted knapweed dominate remediated sections of shoreline along Torch Lake. To help secure the lake, particularly the shoreline where the most erosion occurs, the EPA laid down topsoil. Mostly invasive species like knapweed and bird's foot trefoil have taken over, but any and all roots do help stabilize the soil, creating a cap on the stamp sands. The Torch Lake expert aboard the R/V Agassiz is Carol MacLennan, a professor of anthropology at Michigan Tech. She's been around a few Superfund sites and remarks on the hidden nature of this one as the boat passes Lake Linden's waterfront. With its rusted metal, dark windows, and grayed lumber, the old mill and electrical powerhouse look like the raw materials for an industrial chic desk. And with the charming parks and sandstone downtown, some might be fooled into thinking the town's waterfront is cute. MacLennan points to the water's edge along a dilapidated pier where dozens of drowned barrels are suspected to be oozing significant contaminants. Testing remains ongoing to determine what exactly may be leaking out. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is testing the waters of Torch Lake where barrels containing an unknown mix of contaminants were found. "The lesson about mine waste? You have to learn to live with itand what does that really mean?" she asks. "With all mining and processing sites, we look at the risk of human and environmental harm. Those aren't always things we can readily see." The boat rounds a point, revealing a white and brick mansion topped with a large American flag, whitewashed deck, and matching dock below. Farther beyond, past a couple fields of purple and yellow fields of remediated land, a campground juts out into the lake. Delisting the Torch Lake Superfund sites began in 2004; it now counts as one of 347 delisted sites among the 1,652 Superfund sites managed by the EPA. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality still lists the lake as an Area of Concern and recently initiated site-specific soil testing to identify additional contaminated areas. Referencing the interdisciplinary research of faculty at Michigan Tech and the agencies, MacLennan says, "As a result of this collaboration, we've been able to dig into problem areas that the state and federal agencies have not yet addressed." What drives most people's involvement in remediation is the care they have for their communities and history. Rose says he knows where to start. The Next Generation Caring about community and history can take root in a classroom. Flowers adorn trip leader Bill Rose's hatband during a tour of an abandoned stamp mill in Lake Linden, Michigan. "Teachers are multipliers, but they are also learners," Rose says, turning so that the light catches on a sprig of St. John's Wort in his hatband. "So having teachers involved on our tours ups the level of our work for youth, who are our salvation." A handful of teachers came aboard the R/V Agassiz; they disembarked with new ideas to weave into their classes. "Incorporating local history is hard in light of the state's strict requirements for content standardsnone of which talk about the history up here," says Melissa Schneiderhahn, a local teacher. She and other teachers make do by designing lesson plans that use the framework of state's base requirements, modified to accommodate local information and field trips that help explain past cultures, basic chemistry, the food chain, and other scientific and historical concepts. The Keweenaw National Historical Park teams up with local teachers, after school programs, and Michigan Tech researchers to bring history and science together. "The key to engaging kids is starting with a cool place and what's cooler than this? It's right in our backyards." Melissa Schneiderhahn What is Geoheritage? The Keweenaw Peninsula earned the regional nickname "Copper Country" for its unique geology, which is the groundwork that grew into a unique human history. The term "geoheritage" honors both kinds of history. From ancient lava flow ridges to the depths of native copper mines, the geoheritage of the Keweenaw is marked by millennia of humans and billions of years of earth processes. Learn more here. Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigans flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure. We have been cursed with leaders ... CAL FIRE Image of Drought and Insect-impacted trees in the Sierra Nevada View Photos Sonora, CA The Tree Mortality Aid Program (TMAP) is making progress to gather resources and information to help county residents who need it the most to remove hazardous trees from their property. So far the group has two fund raisers planned, set up an account with the Sonora Area Foundation and has plans to gather and put to use millions of dollars of donations to keep Tuolumne County safe. The Program, started as a Sonora Lions Club centennial project, and now involves the Sunrise Rotary, Sonora Kiwanis, Sierra Non-Profit, Interfaith, and Area 12 Agency on Aging. The goal is to remove trees from private property that are a fire hazard and that could injure people in their home. Specifics of who and what will qualify will be released later this month. Ethan Billigmeier with the Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with the group to share what his agency has learned about the process of removing trees from public use areas. At a TMAP meeting yesterday facilitator Cathy Peacock stated her appreciation of PG&E and Caltrans crews who are removing trees in the Mi Wuk area. Peacock says she appreciates their answers to her questions and questions from other locals and their business like attitude. She says they are cleaning up and are really there to get the job done. Discussions at the TMAP meeting related to the logistics and urgency of combining private tree removal efforts with larger tree removal projects, not just as an efficient way to save money but also because this is only the first round of tree removal. Glen Gottschall of the Highway 108 Firesafe Council and Sonora Sunrise Rotary President Mike Olenchalk confirmed the severity of the situation. In short too many trees are available to host far more bark beetles than ever before. Beetles are eaten by woodpeckers but trees also cant get the water they need to thrive. The report is the local soil is dry extending down many feet. The dryness is worse than in past droughts and rain is running off not soak down, the eight feet or more feet where trees seek moisture during droughts. Olenchalk mentioned that Colorado has dealt with infestations that last for decades, he believes emergency in Tuolumne County is just beginning. The first of the two planned fundraisers will be in the morning of Saturday, October 8th managed by the Kiwanis of Sonora. Meal tickets will $10 and may purchased at the door or from any Kiwanis member. Details are in our event calendar here. The second newly announced event is the 24 hour Rocking Chair event or Rock-a-thon in the Junction Shopping Center Parking Lot October 14-15. Individuals are invited to participate in teams to collect pledges for each hour of the entire 24 hours their team keeps a rocking chair rocking. Sonora Lions Club member Tom Penhallegon reported previously that $5,000 in seed money, donated by the Sonora Lions was deposited into an account through the Sonora Area Foundation, which will be handling donations large and small from in and out of the community. A recent blog by Sonora Area Foundation Director Ed Wyllie has details on how to donate to TMAP here. Three TMAP organizations have confirmed they will be applying for grants in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the State Responsibiliy Area fund, that funds money comes from the State Fire Fee. Strawberry Music Festival 2015 View Photos Tuolumne and Arnold will both be very busy this Labor Day Weekend. Here is an overview of events this weekend. The Strawberry Music Festival is setting up for their event this weekend at the West Park in Tuolumne. Jodi Barnett, Operations Manager and Spokesperson for the Strawberry Music Festival, was Fridays KVML Newsmaker of the Day you can read more here. The Tuolumne Park and Recreation District is hosting a Strawberry Days Community Bazaar, this Labor Day Weekend at the West Side Community Park. The event is from 9am to 3pm, offering crafts, antiques and vintage items. The event listing is here. Also in Tuolumne a Soap Box Derby will bring competitors from all over California to the 2nd Annual All-American Gold Rush Shootout. This exciting soapbox race is presented by the Silicon Valley and Northern California Soap Box Derby Associations. Trophies will be awarded in all three divisions (a welcome the return of Masters) and the Bonanza Shootout! will take place at the end of Sundays race to determine the Champion of each division. More details are here. Up in Mi Wuk it is Chief Fuller Days, with handcrafted items and food, the two day event benefits MYACT. Details are here. There are even more events in Calaveras this weekend. The 21st Annual Logging Museum Competition is held on Saturday. Practice for beginners starts at 9am, pros start at noon. Competition includes bucking, choker setting, axe throwing, limbing, and more. There will be games for kids, great barbecue, tours, and the event is next to lake for kids. Details on the entrance fee are in the event listing. If you want some more education, attend the Big Trees free fall seminar What happens when our Sierra ecosystems are disturbed by agents such as fire and invasive species? Dr. Tom Hofstra, professor of forestry and natural resources at Columbia College, will discuss the role of disturbance and succession in Sierra Nevada ecosystems. This seminar is rescheduled from last September, when it was cancelled by the Butte Fire. Also in Arnold, the Ebbetts Pass Volunteer Fire Department sponsors the 44th Annual Labor Day Weekend Arts & Crafts Festival serving local Calaveras County brews, along with 50 booths of original art & crafts in all media exhibited by the makers. Details are here. There is also an Arnold Lions Pancake Breakfast both Saturday and Sunday and the Arnold Library is having a book sale. Also over in Calaveras the newly founded Tri-County LGBT Alliance will host their inaugural Pride In The Park event. The Tri-County Alliance represents Calaveras, Amador, and Tuolumne Counties as well as Alpine Country. On Saturday from 10am to 8pm in Murphys Community Park all friends, family, community allies, and LGBT members are invited to celebrate Diversity and support connections within the Tri-County Area. The event is free for all ages and dressing in bright colors to show your support for the LGBT Community is encouraged. There will be music, guest speakers, informational booths, other LGBTQ Organizations, a photo booth, food, beer and wine. More details are here. Between Murphys and Arnold in Forest Meadows there will be a community Garage Sale in Murphys on Saturday. The gated community will open no earlier than 8:30 am with over 40 participating residents but the sales end at 2:00pm. Beverages will be for sale at Hilltop Park, details are here. On Sunday is the Bear Valley Triathlon, a description of the event and fees are here. Also on Sunday at the Veterans Memorial Hall & Military Museum is the monthly American Legion Sunday Breakfast. A man thought to be homeless was killed Thursday night in Ocala when a tree fell on him as winds from Hermine moved across Central Florida. Man thought to be homeless killed Thursday in Ocala Tree fell on tent the man was sleeping in Gov. Rick Scott said no other deaths, major injuries reported The tree fell on 56-year-old John Mayes, who was staying in a tent in a homeless camp in a wooded area along the 3300 block of southeast Lake Weir Avenue. The man had been living in a hotel prior to living in the camp. Mayes' nephew said his uncle had just gotten out of jail, and the family had no idea where he was. According to investigators, a woman was sleeping in a tent next to Mayes' during the storm, when she heard a huge crash. After the storm, she went over to the tent and realized a tree had fallen on it and called 911. First responders pronounced Mayes dead at the scene. "We have been working with Karen Hill with the Marion County Homeless Society... We have a plan with emergency management to reach out to the homeless areas and give them an option to go to areas that are safer," said Ryan Robbins with the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Investigators think the man's death is accidental and not suspicious. Gov. Rick Scott, speaking at a news conference Friday morning, said he was informed of the fatality by Marion Sheriff Emery Gainey. Scott said no other deaths or major injuries have been reported. Hermine was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida when it hit the Big Bend area early Friday as a Category 1 storm. Hurricane Wilma was the last hurricane to make Florida landfall, when it hit South Florida in October 2005. A fish fry with all-you-can-eat crappie, French fries, coleslaw and dessert will begin at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, at St. Paul Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 905 Oakland. Requested donation is $10 or more. Takeout plates are available. Proceeds go to St. Pauls Capital Growth/Building Fund. Mothers Day Out at First Baptist Church is now registering for fall. It is open to children ages 6 weeks to 4 years old. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Call 296-6318 and ask for Erica. For Kids Sake classes for adults and Sandcastles for children ages 5-17 will be held from 8:15 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 10 at St. Marks Episcopal Church, 710 Joliet. Cost is $40 (cash only) For Kids Sake and $10 cash per child ($20 for three or more children) for Sandcastles. There is no need to register. Call 995-2756 and ask for Vickie. Covenant Health Plainview hosts the cancer survivors prayer support group We Fight to Live from 7-8 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month in Room B. The sessions will consist of a monthly topic and presenter, and a structured segment, allowing time for group sharing. The support group is open to those with a cancer diagnosis and anyone affected by their diagnosis. The group is led by Andrea Ingram, a cancer survivor, as well as Sherry Wall, hospital mission services. There is no charge for the group. For more information contact Andrea Ingram at 806-293-7614 or Sherry Wall at 806-291-3364. Alvin Petty will pick up garage sale-types of items, with proceeds going to the Ideal Village Chapel Scholarship Fund. Call 806-759-0735. The youth at First Presbyterian Church are collecting canned goods, monetary donations, toilet paper and soap for FISH. To help, drop off items at 2101 Utica from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday or Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Phone 296-2604. The Plainview Area Self-Help Group of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society meets the first Monday of every other month at 6:30 p.m. at Ninth and Columbia Street Church of Christ. Meetings will be held in October and December. Its for people with MS and those who have loved ones suffering from MS. For information, email ms.ret.ed@gmail.com. The Apostolic Lighthouse Church, 1504 Houston in Plainview, invites the public to pray at the church from 6-7 p.m. each Friday. You need not be a member of the church to come and pray. For those who are homebound or sick, the church ministry will come and pray for you at your home. Call Pastor Armando Cardenas at 806-729-4057 for information. Like minded individuals are invited to join local members of Gideons International at their weekly breakfast, from 7-7:30 a.m. Saturdays at the Old Mexico Restaurant. The unique international ministry is celebrating its 2 billionth placement since the organization began distributing Bibles in 1908. The group took 93 years to distribute its first billion copies of Bibles and New Testaments (1908-2001), but less than 14 years for its second billion (2002-2015). For information on the local organization, phone Harold Obenhaus at 293-1966 or Fred Willis at 293-5974 or 292-1916. Catholic Charities of Lubbock and the Youth and Family program provide youth skills-building counseling through the S.T.A.R. program. S.T.A.R. (Services to At Risk Youth) offers short-term services to youth ages 0-17 and their families who are dealing with conflict at home, school attendance issues, delinquency, or have a youth who runs away from home. S.T.A.R. services are not for families with an open CPS investigation or youth who have been adjudicated delinquent by a juvenile court. All services are without charge. Call 806-296-7044 and ask a youth case manager for more information. A community breakfast honoring local first responders, including police, fire, EMS, sheriffs deputies and DPS troopers, will be held from 7-11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, outside Abundant Grace Church, 1011 N. I-27. Individuals, churches and organizations interested in participating should call 806-729-7747 or contact Abundant Grace Church. Plainview Habitat for Humanity is a Christian, nonprofit housing organization that seeks to put Gods love into action by building homes, communities and hope. It is currently accepting applications. Visit www.plainviewhabitat.org for application criteria and information. To contact its team, email plainview_habitat@yahoo.com or write Plainview Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 1125, Plainview, TX 79073. The Rotary Club of Plainview is proud to honor Abbigayle Hanoch as our Student of the Month for September 2016. Abbi is the daughter of Chris and Sara Hanoch of Plainview. She is a senior at Plainview High School. Abbi is a member of the Hale County Junior Literacy Council and National Honor Society. This past year, Abbi lived abroad in Japan as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. Japan, she says, was both a time of eye-opening adventure and extreme (sometimes painful) growth, learning a new language, culture and worldview. Through it all, she learned the virtues of restraint, curiosity, positive thinking, and adaptivity. This year, Abbi is leading an effort to create an international club at PHS to help students know about Rotary Youth Exchange as well as other international opportunities many students dont recognize they have. She is also talking with Rotary Youth Leadership Award students about starting an Interact Club in Plainview. Interact is a student service club sponsored by Rotary International. Abbi works at West Texas Woodfire Grill. After high school, she plans to go to college to major in International Business and Trade . . . and participate in another exchange opportunity. Post Crossing:: A My Quality Time Post POSTING FROM LANCASTER,OHIO There have been a lot of visits to this specific post. Please leave a comment Sorry I havent been posting or ... Motivational Post The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination. Tommy Lasorda Tough times never... Post Crossing..First Post of 2012.. Post Crossing..A My Quality Time Post A My Quality Time Post. I send out six postcards at a time then receive six. I then scan them into the computer and do a post. Send a... One Tank Trip to the Columbus Washboard Company/Museum Logan,Ohio A MY QUALITY TIME POST.. AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN FIND CLOSE TO HOME.LANCASTER TO LOGAN,OHIO ABOUT 1/2 AN HOUR DRIVE. IN THE HEART OF THE HOCK... HOSPICE & THE PICKERING HOUSE OF LANCASTER,OHIO for My World ( THE PICKERING HOUSE IN LANCASTER,OHIO A TREMENDOUS COMMUNITY RESOURCE) Something a little different for THAT'S MY WORLD TUESDAY .T... ARE PARENTS TEACHING THEIR KIDS IT'S OK TO PEE IN THE SWIMMING HOLE? ( TODAY'S NEWS FLASH ) BONUS POST::: Goulding's Trading Post & Museum in Monument Valley WISDOM JOKES WISDOM JOKES WISDOM JOKES WISDOM JOKES WISDOM JOKE... PICTURES FROM THE PAST: LAKE PENAGE NEAR SUDBURY,ONTARIO FRANKS CAMP & WALTER Yesterday we had the carpets cleaned in our house. John H. from the Canal Winchester branch of Stanley Steemer did a great job. (a li... DEVILS KITCHEN LANCASTER,OHIO Mt. Pleasant Lancaster,Ohio A SCENIC SUNDAY POST The unsuccessful attempt to get to Devils Kitchen: Click on above picture to go t... THE OLD SWIMMING HOLE IN THE HOCKING HILLS THIRTY MILES FROM LANCASTER,OHIO Yesterday I took a quick trip to Old Manss Cave Campground and the State Park dining lodge pool. There were thunderstorms around so I didn... The states largest municipal lobby is already gearing up for next legislative session, announcing this week that it had formed a panel of municipal leaders to develop its legislative agenda. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities panel will largely focus on legislative proposals focused on property tax relief and revenue diversification, and on regional opportunities for services. The 13-member panel is comprised of both appointed town managers and elected municipal officials, including North Haven Mayor Michael Freda. Other notable members include Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart and Waterbury Mayor Neil OLeary. Boughton, who also serves as CCM president, will lead the panels efforts, with the goal of presenting its findings in December. The General Assembly will convene its session in January after members are elected in November. The budget is likely to be the major issue for the legislature, with the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis projecting deficits exceeding $1 billion in both fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Boughton said CCM is looking for proposed legislation that can be enacted next year that is designed to change the course of events in Connecticut towns and cities starting in July 2017 in terms of municipal funding and local service efficiencies. CCM Executive Director Joe DeLong agreed, saying the panel is taking on ambitious goals ahead of the session. We are not looking for another study that will be filed on an office shelf, he said. The panel will work with Lawrence Walters, professor of public management and policy at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Walters has worked with a number of states and nations on budget and economic issues during his 30 year career, including as the principal investigator for a 2015 study on business personal property and registered motor vehicle taxes in Connecticut. The panel will look to build on the study by exploring and recommending a strategy for increasing local government revenue autonomy without adding further strain on the property tax. Municipalities have been pressing the state for years to help ease their reliance on the property tax. CCMs panel will also examine regional opportunities to more efficiently provide services. msavino@record-journal.com 203-317-2266 Twitter: @reporter_savino DURHAM Diana Ross McCains Thy Childrens Children is a multi-generational family novel with an epic historical sweep, but it is not entirely a work of imagination. McCain based the novel, her first, on the real history of five generations of the Lyman family. McCain said she grew up fascinated with history and moving to Connecticut from Ohio in 1977 exposed her directly to Colonial and Revolutionary America. I had never been to New England before When I got here and there was a house on every corner from the 1700s, I was just in heaven, said McCain, a Durham resident. The sign on the edge of Lyman Orchards in Middlefield Since 1741 particularly captured her attention. An author of non-fiction and a historian, McCain was commissioned in the 90s by the Lyman family to write a brief history of the family, which eventually prompted the idea of turning the story into a novel. If youre going to do non-fiction in a way that draws you in, you have to have a lot of [documentary] material but theres wasnt enough to write a non-fiction history that I thought would capture everything that was going on and fiction gets people into it, she said. They Lyman family story is sprawling and intersects with key American movements and figures. Elihu Lyman fought in the Revolutionary War, William Lyman was involved in the Underground Railroad, and David Lyman made his success in the age of industry and railroads. In writing, McCain tried to stay true to the realities of history and did not want to brush past things like the strictness of womens roles and the direness of disease and medical troubles in earlier times. When Hope Lyman, a married woman, purchased her own land, McCain said, it was a significantly unusual act. And William Lymans support of the Underground Railroad was not an easy position. A mob in Durham beat him for his abolitionist views. To oppose slavery was dangerous, to support the Underground Railroad even more so, McCain said. The project took 20 years. I was doing other things, like working a full time job and having children. It wasnt like I was doing nothing else for twenty years, McCain joked. McCain has gotten positive feedback from friends and strangers about Thy Childrens Children. She particularly enjoyed a favorable review from Connecticut State Historian Walt Woodward and positive feedback from Lyman family members. In a press release, Woodward said, Telling the story of a real family in the thick of Connecticut and American history for over a century in a novel that accurately portrays the past and is also a great read constitutes a rare achievement. Thats exactly what Diana Ross McCain has accomplished. McCain will speak briefly at the opening of the Corn Maze at Lyman Orchards today at 10 a.m. and will sign copies of her book for sale in the Apple Barrel from 11 am to 12pm and from 1 pm to 3 pm. Also, on September 9 at 1 pm at the Durham Public Library, McCain will talk about fiction as a portal to the past and have copies of her book for sale. The talk will be immediately after the Senior Lunch on that day. The lunch is for seniors, but all are welcome to the talk. McCain will also speak at the Levi E. Coe Library in Middlefield on Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. A fishing vessel struck rocks on the shoreline below the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge and took on water Thursday afternoon, badly damaging the boat and requiring rescue efforts for the people and dog on board, officials said. Officials with the Coast Guard, Southern Marin Fire Protection District and Marin County Sheriffs office assisted with the rescue of the 16 people, including the captain, and one dog on board. They also enlisted the help of a helicopter from the Sonoma County Sheriffs office. CHICAGO Matt Cain, long reliever. Cain had been targeted to start Friday for the Giants, but manager Bruce Bochy said Albert Suarez will get the nod instead. Cain will be activated from the disabled list Friday and go to the bullpen. As far as where everybodys at, we think were better off with Suarez, said Bochy, adding Cain is better suited for helping us in the bullpen. Last weekend, Bochy told reporters Cain would pitch Friday if he came out OK from his next minor-league rehab start. Cain was hammered for six runs (four earned) on 10 hits and two walks in five innings with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. The same day, Suarez started for the Giants and pitched 41/3 innings (three runs, five hits, two walks). The difference between the outings was extreme enough for Bochy and friends to change their minds on Cain, whose $127.5 million contract runs through next season. He has $20 million salaries this year and next year and a $7.5 million buyout on his $21 million option for 2018. Bochy was asked about Cains struggles this year. Hes 4-8 with a 5.81 ERA and hasnt had a sub-4.00 ERA since 2012, when he was the ace of a team that won the World Series. Thats a hard one to answer, really, because hes been really good at times, as you know, Bochy said. Hes gone four or five innings of no-hit ball. I think for some reason, hes had a hard time maintaining his delivery. Then when he gets out of sync, he has a hard time getting back in. Bochy said it could be because of time missed because of injuries. Or Cains confidence level isnt what it was before surgeries. Bochy said Cain could be an asset in September because he can be used against both righties and lefties and possibly throw consecutive days. Blach arrives: Ty Blach was among six players added to the roster and awaits his big-league debut after enjoying a big year (14-7, 3.43 ERA) with Triple-A Sacramento. Hes from the Denver area, so lots of friends and family members are expected at Coors Field when the Giants play there next week. He said he had about 120 in the crowd when the River Cats played in Colorado Springs. John Shea is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Leading off Unfriendly confines: The field at Wrigley Field resembled the Coliseums after a Raiders game. It was beaten up because of several concerts, including Pearl Jam and Billy Joel, during the Cubs last trip. John Shea On deck Friday at Cubs 11:20 a.m. CSNBA Suarez (3-2) vs. Lester (14-4) Saturday at Cubs 11:20 a.m. CSNBA Bumgarner (13-8) vs. Arrieta (16-5) Sunday at Cubs, 11:20 a.m. CSNBA, TBS Cueto (14-5) vs. Lackey (9-7) High school seniors are flexing their status on campuses across the state and country in a number of ways, but painted parking spaces have become the most talked about tradition on social media this back-to-school season. The trendy tradition is another way of the upperclassmen marking their territory and letting anyone slated beneath them on the totem pole to steer clear from their parking slot. Some schools designate painting days ahead of the school year for students to deck out their spaces with art that represents them best. The European Court of Auditors yesterday (1 September) criticized the way the EU spends money in Moldova. Following the banking scandal that saw $1 billion disappear from the banking system, which corresponds to about an eighth of Moldovas gross domestic output, EU funds as well as IMFs and the World Banks aid for the country were frozen. The EU-Moldova relations are based on the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and the Eastern Partnership. Under both programs, the country was given 782 million in bilateral aid allocated to Moldova from 2007 to 2015. Being Europes poorest country, Moldova received 37 per inhabitant in 2014 the highest among the EUs eastern neighbors. The 50-page report published by the Court of Auditors, however, says that the country is struck by rampant corruption and weak public institutions that have been top recipients of EU support since 2007. Auditors targeted the sector to evaluate whether the money actually helped to improve the institutions and public governance they concluded that little progress and difference had been made. The auditors also criticized the EU Commission, which should have responded faster when first signals of risks associated with the aid materialized. Programs were not sufficiently aligned to Moldovan strategies. The potential benefit of the programs was reduced by the fact that the Commission did not make full use of its ability to set preconditions for disbursement. Some specific conditions were fulfilled between program negotiation and the start of the sector budget support or were not directly measurable. The Commission could have been more stringent when assessing whether they had been fulfilled. Also, the granting of additional incentive-based funds was not fully justified, the auditors concluded. STAMFORD City officials are urging Stamford residents to heed extreme weather conditions this weekend as the National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm watch for the area. Residents living in areas prone to flooding should monitor forecasts and news outlets, and be prepared to take action should flooding develop, according to a statement released by Mayor David Martins office Friday. The NWS advisories, which come as Hurricane Hermine treks up the Atlantic coast, include a strong wind potential Saturday night and possible coastal flooding Sunday morning. Since making landfall on Floridas Gulf Coast early Friday morning, Hermine has made its way through Georgia and the Carolinas. Its force weakens as it moves up the coast, according to NWS, and will likely be downgraded to a non-tropical storm by this weekend. A Tropical Storm watch means sustained winds of 39 to 73 MPH or higher are possible due to a tropical storm within 48 hours. Even if the storm is no longer classified as tropical when it emerges off the Mid-Atlantic coast, the potential for significant impact remains. The potential for heavy rain will depend on the track of the storm, with minor to moderate flooding possible in some areas. The resulting coastal flooding means that the onshore winds and tides will combine to generate flooding of low areas along the shore. The most vulnerable areas for flooding include shore roads and basements, especially in combination with ongoing heavy rainfall. The city is encouraging residents near areas prone to flooding to avoid driving through flooded roadways, in addition to checking that nearby storm drains are clear of debris, in-home basement pumps are working properly and any valuables that may be stored in a basement that floods are moved to higher locations. Clogged or blocked storm drains can be reported to the Citizen Service Center at 203-977-4140 or by visiting the Stormwater Management Departments website at http://www.stamfordct.gov/stormwater-management. Stamfords Office of Public Safety and the Emergency Operations Center will continue to closely monitor the storm and are prepared to respond to severe weather emergencies as warranted. nora.naughton@scni.com; twitter.com/noranaughton This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT For the second time in a month, a Danbury man, charged with the murder of his teenaged daughter in Massachusetts, waived extradition Friday. New Bedford, Mass., law enforcement officials are very eager for the return of Walter DaSilva for prosecution there, but they wanted to make sure everything was done right. So even though DaSilva, 45, previously waived extradition as a fugitive from justice on a probation violation out of Massachusetts, he was brought before Superior Court Judge William Holden to go through the process on the murder charge. Asked by the judge if he agreed to be returned to Massachusetts, DaSilva murmured through an interpreter, yes. Holden then ordered him held in lieu of $1 million bond until Massachusetts authorities pick up DaSilva from the Bridgeport Community Correctional Center on Tuesday. On Aug. 8, DaSilva, of Town Hill Avenue, Danbury, was taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshal Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force while he was working as a painter on a house on Brooklawn Avenue in Bridgeport. DaSilva, a Brazilian citizen who was twice deported, is charged in the July 3 fatal shooting of his daughter, 19-year-old Sabrina DaSilva. Sabrina DaSilva, a student at Bristol Community College, was found lying in a parking lot in New Bedford. Police said she had been shot nine times. Massachusetts police attempted to question Walter DaSilva, but police said he evaded them. They subsequently sought help from the fugitive task force to locate him. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Colonie When it comes to using technology, teachers have a lot to learn from their digital-era students who are always up to date on the latest apps or social media applications. In the North Colonie school district, the plan this school year is take advantage of their pupils' tech savvy by enlisting them to solve problems. Students will get a half-credit for participating in the district's information technology program. The program is an outgrowth of one launched last school year, where students volunteered time in the library to help classmates with technology-related issues. "A part of it is helping students with technology but it's also about teaching them," said incoming senior Unnas Hussain. "We don't just want tech students. We want artists. We want designers." As an example of the problem-solving students can do, they point to a group of Girl Scouts who wanted to assist students just learning English as they get oriented to Shaker Junior High School. The students hit on the idea of posting signs with QR codes that could be read by a smartphone, offering a translation into the students' native language. That thought would not have occurred to a teacher or administrator, said Kathy Skeals, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the district. Hussain was among students who made a video about the program, which will hold its first meeting for interested students Sept. 15. Helping students learn to make videos or creating instructional videos is part of what the students could produce. Teachers and administrators say they are deliberately vague on what students could do because they want them to generate their own ideas. "I want this to be a total, student-created idea," said Gary Cimorelli, technology integration specialist for the district. Lauren Sheeler, a Spanish teacher and dean for grades 11 and 12, said tech support is still a big part of the program. Participating students spend one hour a week helping classmates. The expansion will require them to work independently on a school project or tutorial. "It's collaborative. Different kids will be working on different things," she said. "We're looking for kids who want to look for new information, new apps. ... If you give them too many instructions, you start limiting what the students can do." Skeals added the program will mirror how a workplace runs. "People sit around and brainstorm 'We have this problem. How do we solve it?' " she said. The program also will provide a way to tap into students' creativity not otherwise available, Sheeler said. "This gives students in school if they are not an athlete, not in theater, it's another outlet where they can contribute to the school." During his time helping students as a tech adviser in the library, Hussain said he saw the questions change over the course of the year. "The problems started to become different, more complex," he said. The students in the program will create a website where their ideas can be posted and shared. Sheeler said students today are much more accustomed than their instructors to problem-solving with technology. "It's probably another decade before the digital age kids are teaching," she said. "If we don't use our students as our best resource, we're missing out," Skeals agreed. tobrien@timesunion.com 518-454-5092 @timobrientu State offering loan incentive ALBANY Amid a shortage of psychiatrists, the state Office of Mental Health has initiated a student loan payback program to lure the medical professionals to work in state centers. OMH announced Wednesday that it is accepting applications for the Doctors Across New York (DANY) Psychiatrist Loan Repayment Program, which makes tax-free payments of up to $150,000 for psychiatrists with student loans who agree to work at state psychiatric centers for at least five years. OMH will provide $1.5 million in funding for the loan repayment program during the 2016-17 fiscal year and will seek similar funding in future budgets. It's projected that New York will face a shortfall of up to 2,650 psychiatrists by 2030, according to OMH. DANY is a state-funded initiative created in 2008 to support doctors who commit to working in underserved areas of the state. Claire Hughes 25-year sentence for church killing UTICA A woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for joining fellow members of a central New York church in a 14-hour round of beatings that killed one of her half brothers and wounded another. Sarah Ferguson was convicted in July of manslaughter and assault by a judge who cleared her of murder in the death of 19-year-old Lucas Leonard at the Word of Life Christian Church last October. Ferguson is one of nine relatives and church members accused of attacking Leonard and 17-year-old Christopher Leonard after the brothers talked about leaving the secretive church. She wept and apologized at sentencing Thursday. The victims' parents pleaded guilty to assault and agreed to testify against the 34-year-old Ferguson and the others, who are scheduled for trial in October on charges that include murder and gang assault. Associated Press 1 Chicago homicides: Chicago recorded its deadliest month in two decades in August, part of a sharp rise in gun violence in the nations third-largest city this year. Chicago police said Thursday that 90 people were killed last month, a 66 percent increase over August 2015. There were 472 shooting victims an average of more than 15 people per day. 2 Black youth poll: Young Americans are about equally likely to say theyve had an encounter with police, but young black adults are much more likely than whites to say theyve been arrested, harassed or know someone who has been, according to a new GenForward poll at the University of Chicago. Twenty-eight percent of blacks say they have been arrested after encounters with law enforcement, 24 percent say theyve been personally harassed by police, and 53 percent say they know someone who has, according to the poll released this week. 1 Heroin overdoses: Cincinnati-area authorities say lab tests confirm that heroin seized in a recent arrest was mixed with a powerful tranquilizer for elephants. Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil said Friday that the substance turned out to be heroin combined with carfentanil and fentanyl. Fentanyl is a strong painkiller, and carfentanil is used to sedate elephants. Authorities suspect heroin laced with other substances is responsible for a spike in overdoses in the Cincinnati area in recent weeks. Grand jury action is pending for two Cincinnati-area men. 2 Mob slaying: Former New England Mafia boss Francis Cadillac Frank Salemme, 83, and a mob associate have been indicted in the 1993 killing of a Boston nightclub owner. An indictment unsealed Friday charges Salemme and Paul Weadick with murder in the death of federal witness Steven DiSarro. Salemme was arrested last month. Weadick was arrested Friday. The indictment alleges that Salemme, Weadick and Salemmes son participated in DiSarros killing to prevent him from talking to authorities about illegal activities by Salemme and others. Salemmes son died in 1995. Salemme and Weadick deny participating in DiSarros killing. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Elected officials lent their heft Thursday to keeping a halfway house from opening under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Quintard Avenue in South Norwalk. Mayor Harry W. Rilling expressed support for helping people re-enter society after jail but he labeled 17 Quintard Ave. where Firetree, Ltd. of Williamsport, Pa., hoped to open the newly renovated house Thursday as not the right place. We support halfway houses, that when somebodys coming out of prison we want to help them integrate back into mainstream life. Thats a good thing, Rilling said. However, there are certain places in the city of Norwalk where you cant have them, and this is one of them. The mayor said the citys zoning regulations do not allow halfway houses on Quintard Avenue. As such, the Norwalk Building Department would not issue Firetree a certificate of occupancy, he added. Rilling was among upward of 100 people attending a meeting of the newly formed Quintard Avenue Neighborhood Association at 19 Quintard Ave. on Thursday evening. In the front yard, association leaders collected petition signatures from other residents opposed to the halfway house. Later, in the backyard, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, Common Council members Travis L. Simms, Phaedrel L. Bowman and Richard J. Bonenfant, as well as a representative from Congressman Jim Himes office spoke. More Information NORWALK Quintard Ave. area Norwalk Harbor Rt. 1 See More Collapse Duff wrote to Himes office on Tuesday, asking the congressman to urge the Federal Bureau of Prisons to decline signing a contract with Firetree for this property in Norwalk. Himes, who represents Connecticuts Fourth Congressional District, wrote the bureau on Thursday in a letter shared by his staff person at the neighborhood meeting. I am requesting that you take the justified concerns of these residents into account when weighing your decision to contract with Firetree Corporation at this location, Himes wrote. Additionally, I ask that you direct your contractor to be more mindful in their communications and dealings with local residents as well as the city of Norwalk. Duff said residents supported the facility when Pivot Ministries, a faith-based, nonprofit organization based in Bridgeport, provided drug- and alcohol-rehabilitation services at the address. He described Firetrees proposed use of the property as different. Theyre not the same type of use, Duff said. There would be 19 ex-prisoners there we dont know if theyre violent offenders, nonviolent offenders and I guess five staff. Bowman, who grew up at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Sheridan Street, traced the evaluation of the halfway house plan under Firetree before stating her opposition. Just being here and seeing how close the yard is, I definitely understand how youre feeling, Bowman said. My only disappointment is zoning didnt inform (Firetree) earlier before they put the work into it. She said the city might end up having to pay Firetree to resolve the matter. Greg Ehlers, the Darien Republican running against Duff, also attended the neighborhood meeting and expressed his opposition to Firetrees plan for the property. If you ask anybody here, theyre going to tell you they dont want this here, Ehlers said. If you ask anybody here why, theyre going to have rational reasons for it. A representative of Firetree did not respond to a request for comment earlier Thursday. In July, Firetree President William C. Brown wrote to the city, outlining the proposed halfway house and comparing it to operations under Pivot Ministries. Not only will Firetree, Ltd.s facility at the same address serve to continue Pivot Houses work, but also that facility will not be expanded beyond the scope and size of the halfway house that had been run at that address for decades, Brown wrote. Firetree, Ltd. will provide rehabilitation, education and supervisory programs and services for up to 19 residents who are in the process of transitioning from an institutional setting back to their communities. According to Firetree, Norwalk Pavilion Residential Reentry Center would offer its residents, among other things, life skills classes, client monitoring, case management, chemical dependency education resources, and mental health, legal, religious, vocational and educational services. A SpaceX rocket carrying a communications satellite exploded on the launchpad Thursday morning, dealing a major blow to Facebook's plans for expanding Internet services in Africa. The Falcon 9 rocket, at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, was scheduled for launch Saturday, and its payload included a satellite for Spacecom, an Israeli company. Facebook had arranged to use the satellite, once it was in orbit, to provide web connectivity to parts of the world that have little if any internet. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, expressed his concern in a strongly worded post on his page. "As I'm here in Africa, I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent," Zuckerberg wrote. Elon Musk, the technology entrepreneur and head of SpaceX, tweeted a rather brief explanation of the incident, which occurred during preparations for a test firing of the rocket's engines: "Loss of Falcon vehicle today during propellant fill operation. Originated around upper stage oxygen tank. Cause still unknown. More soon." NORWALK Following an early morning traffic stop on Friday, a Stamford man was issued a host of charges after police said he threatened to get an AK-47 and shoot them. Elmer Guapinol-Olivia, 39, of Richmond Street, Stamford, was charged with interfering with an officer, second-degree threatening, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to drive in proper lane, and two counts of second-degree failure to appear on prior charges. With the Legislature deadlocked on the State Bars proper role, the legal organization turned to the California Supreme Court on Thursday, for the first time in nearly two decades, for authority to stay afloat by collecting dues from the states 243,000 lawyers. The Assembly and state Senate adjourned for the year Wednesday without agreeing on a bill that would provide the bar with its source of operating income for 2017. Lawmakers joined in criticizing bar officials for spotty discipline of lawyer misconduct and for expenses on facilities and staff, but disagreed on solutions. Back in the day the day when school started after Labor Day, and most people moved in or out of Westport during the summer, so kids would not have to change schools in the middle of the year the Westport News published an annual Welcome to Westport supplement. Jam-packed with advertising the special section was as much a cash cow as a means of introducing new residents to the schools, churches and shops of our town the supplement always led off with an interesting perspective piece. For decades now, Westporters have thought of their hometown as different from others. Theyve tried to convey its unique quality to newcomers, in whatever ways seem appropriate for the times. In 1975, Sue Buffinton described what had happened nearly 20 years earlier, when her father was transferred from Providence, R.I., to New York. Her parents described Westport this way: The schools are great, and everyone has a swimming pool. The town Buffinton moved to was filled, she recalled, with movie stars and beautiful people. It was where Paul Newman, Bette Davis and Linda Blair lived; where Gregory Peck filmed The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, and F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Beautiful and the Damned. Those names and titles dazzled her. But, Buffinton wrote, at heart, Westport was just a great town to live in. Shed leave it with regret, and return to it with relief saying, Im glad to be home. Buffinton noted her feelings for Westport changed as she grew. At 10, she loved Compo Beach in summer, Nashs Pond skating in winter and the spectacular fireworks on the 4th of July. She built dams to catch water bugs and turtles, enjoyed hot chocolate at Bills Smoke Shop (where the Westport Pizzeria is now), and got a deluxe chocolate chip cookie for a nickel at a bakery in the middle of town. She thought Westport was a beautiful place. And, throughout her first year here, she did not swim once in a backyard swimming pool. At 15, Buffinton said, she adopted the cool, slick Seventeen Magazine sophistication that Westport teenagers are so good at perfecting. She went to Saturday matinees at the Fine Arts Theater, where she looked at all the guys across the aisle. She alternated between being a Bedford Junior High School cheerleader and a posed, little lady at the Junior Years charm course held at the Westport Womans Club. She walked for hours at Compo, struggling with adolescent traumas, and was deathly afraid of going to Staples High School. It seemed very big and too, too sophisticated, Buffinton wrote. By the time she was a high school senior, she had spent hours discussing the decadence and superficiality of Westport ... a sterile, stagnant and self-indulgent place with her peers. Sitting at the Big Top hamburger shop (now McDonalds), shed sneer at suburban life. Many friends wore black armbands in opposition to the Vietnam War. But, she admitted, everyone cried at the Candlelight Concert, walking in the traditional procession and singing the hallowed Messiah. The first time she returned to Westport from college, she shocked herself by realizing how much I loved the place. Drinking hot chocolate at Bills Smoke Shop, she could no longer fight the feeling. Westport was her hometown. Six years later in 1975 she struggled to express her feelings. Sunsets over the marshes on Imperial Avenue, the sight of Nigel Cholmeley-Jones in his old blue Packard (at the Memorial Day parade), the roses that bloom each spring on the Sherwood Square fence, the seagulls that scream over Main Street meant more to her than Paul Newman and swimming pools. Reading them today, Buffintons words seem both dated and timeless. Westport is no longer filled with movie stars (Harvey Weinstein doesnt count). The movie theaters all five of them, at one point are gone. So is Bills Smoke Shop, Big Top and junior high school cheerleaders (along with junior highs themselves). But Compo Beach is still there. So is Nashs Pond. Staples still intimidates newcomers, then becomes a comfortable place by senior year. There are more swimming pools than ever. Buffintons story could be written by generations of young Westporters. With a few tweaks, it could appear in the 1980s, 90s, 2000s or today. Westport has changed through the years, but as it does, it still provides a haven for old-timers and newcomers alike. The title of Buffintons piece was cliche. Yet no matter how much this town changes, its true: You can always come home again. Dan Woog is a Westport writer, and his Woogs World appears each Friday. He can be reached at dwoog@optonline.net. His personal blog is www.danwoog06880.com. A burglar broke into the First United Methodist Church in Seguin earlier this week, but couldnt get through a child lock on a cabinet inside, according to police. The Seguin Police Department reports the culprit broke into the church at 710 N. Austin St. by busting the door sometime on Tuesday, but the criminal couldnt seem to defeat a child-proof lock on a cabinet. Matthew Busch, For The San Antonio Express-News / For The San Antonio Express-News Matthew Busch, For The San Antonio Express-News / For The San Antonio Express-News Matthew Busch, For The San Antonio Express-News / For The San Antonio Express-News Matthew Busch, For The San Antonio Express-News / For The San Antonio Express-News Matthew Busch, For The San Antonio Express-News / For The San Antonio Express-News This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Prosecutors presented more evidence Thursday that the motorcycle driven by a San Antonio trucking tycoon was sideswiped by the SUV driven by his wife in a collision hard enough to break a window and cause the bike to crash. Frances Hall, 53, is charged with murder in the death of Bill Hall Jr., 50, who was flung from the motorcycle on South Loop 1604 on Oct. 10, 2013 and died from his injuries. She also is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon prosecutors say she was chasing her husbands longtime lover, Bonnie Contreras, when the motorcycle crash occurred and continued after the Range Rover, hitting the other SUV repeatedly with her Cadillac Escalade. As the jury reviewed photographs, John Turack, an investigator with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, said the damage marks on the right side of the Escalade indicate that it struck the motorcycle and caused the bike's left handlebar to shatter the glass of the right rear panel window. It's possible that (the motorcycle) struck the Escalade, but it's improbable, Turack told the jury. He said the handlebar is attached to the front wheel, and when it went into the window, the bike was pulled, causing Bill Hall to lose control. Prosecutor Scott Simpson asked Turack if a good rider could recover from such a crash. No way, Turack said. It's practically impossible. Once control is lost at highway speed, you can't regain it. Timothy Lovett, a collision reconstruction consultant, reached the same conclusion. It's your opinion that the Escalade struck the bike? prosecutor Stephanie Paulissen asked. I believe so, Lovett said. Their testimony and photographic evidence contradicted Contreras testimony Tuesday, in which she said she saw Frances Hall strike husband's motorcycle from behind, flinging him and the bike through the air and into the grass beside the road. Frances Halls attorneys contend that crash was an accident and that Bill Hall Jr. lost control of his bike because he was riding on the shoulder of the road beside his wifes vehicle. Contreras told the jury that Frances Hall never stopped after the motorcycle was hit and kept after her at high speed in a highway chase. The experts didnt completely back Contrerass testimony that the Escalade struck the Range Rover anywhere from 10-16 times during the encounter. Lovett drew a diagram for the jury to show the angular bumper of the Escalade, which has a foam layer between the bumper and frame to absorb impact. He said although he could not confirm the number of times the Escalade hit the Range Rover, gaps in the foam provided evidence of at least two impacts. Dr. Jennifer Rulon, a Bexar County medical examiner who conducted the autopsy of Bill Hall, testified that he died from multiple blunt force injuries, with 30 rib fractures, a small skull fracture and numerous abrasions and contusions. She added that his heart was enlarged. On cross examination, defense attorney Adam Cortez asked if the fact that he had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or the enlarged heart or the trip on an AirLife helicopter contributed to his death because it's harder to breathe at higher altitude. These rib fractures are so bad, it doesn't matter if (the person) were perfect, or if he had COPD, Rulon said. Traumatic injuries are way worse, very bad and need medical care immediately. If convicted, Frances Hall faces up to life in prison. The trial is in recess until 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. ezavala@express-news.net Twitter: @elizabeth2863 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO - A 22-year-old man found dead, shot in the head multiple times Thursday morning on the Southwest Side has been identified, according to police. RELATED: SAPD: 24-year-old who carried out 'one-man crime spree' spanning 2 days charged with capital murder Ricardo Monarez was found around 2 a.m. Thursday in the 500 block of Ellana Claire Court, according to the San Antonio Police Department. A sergeant at the scene said investigators believe he was inside a car when the shooting took place. RELATED: BCSO: 63-year-old man's crime spree ends after multiple crashes, vehicle fire on I-35 Drugs were found around the mans body, the sergeant said. Witnesses told police they saw a thin man wearing a white T-shirt and gray shorts fleeing the scene on foot. jbeltran@express-news.net Twitter: @JBfromSA The Legislature needs to make very sure that the Texas Department of Public Safetys Operation Secure Texas is worth $1 billion over four years. DPS is requesting an additional $320 million to expand its push at the border. This would be on top of the $800 million awarded during the last Legislature for the biennium. And this is on top of federal efforts at the border, which comes in at multibillions over the last few decades for increased well, everything. The states argument for the border funding is that the federal government is doing a shoddy job of securing the border. Arguably, it isnt. In 2015, it seized 9,435 pounds of drugs and made 924 apprehensions per day. And apprehensions at the border were at a four-month low in July, even with upticks in migration by Central American families and unaccompanied minors. These folks are as likely to walk into Border Patrol custody as try to evade it, and less likely because they are fleeing the violence in their own countries to represent a major threat to U.S. security. At a meeting with legislators last week, DPS Director Steven McGraw acknowledged the difficulty of coming up with the proper metrics at the border. Nonetheless, DPS does report some impressive stats. For instance, immigrant detections and interdiction assistance by the DPS resulted in 20,389 apprehensions in just the last 60 days and 87,629 in the 12 months prior. And, it reported in June, $1.2 trillion in drugs were seized by DPS in the border region in the previous 12 months. Thats impressive and invites scrutiny, particularly since there was a bit of confusion about what and how the agency was reporting outcomes last year. We worry that the figures wont get that scrutiny since the magic words to open wallets these days at the Legislature are border security, though there is ample evidence that beefed-up federal efforts have had substantial effect. Legislative leadership has asked for austerity from other state agencies, but not from the DPS for border security. Much of this $320 million will be to pay for the 250 troopers added in the last Legislature and to apparently secure 250 more. This is what Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants in additional manpower. The question is, with all other efforts underway and with a tight budget ahead that will need to address such big issues as education, is this $1 billion worth it? Fifty years ago, Texas farmworkers demanding a minimum wage went on strike. Their subsequent march along with supporters from Rio Grande City to Austin to press these demands didnt get that result. They made history anyway. They put Texas and the nation on notice that farmworkers those who harvested what we ate were due civil rights as well. A living wage is such a right. This was 1966, two years after the Civil Rights Act. In a recent comment in this newspaper, Ed Sills of the AFL-CIO told the story of the march. At the time, melon workers were paid 40 cents an hour for backbreaking work. No more, they said. They marched 490 miles to Austin, met on the way by then-Gov. John Connally, who told the marchers that he wouldnt dignify their demands with a meeting in the Capitol. Meanwhile, Texas Rangers and other Starr County law enforcement cracked down on the strikers, often brutally. Magdaleno Dimas suffered such a beating that his spine was curved out of shape and he suffered a concussion. This sparked the corrido Los Rinches de Tejas. A U.S. district judge, ruling that Texas violated strikers rights, wrote, It is difficult indeed for this Court to visualize two grown men colliding with each other so as to cause such injuries. Dimas and another man were severely beaten, and the Rangers said this was how their injuries occurred. And heres where history was made. In Allee vs. Medrano, the courts ended the use of public law enforcement as strikebreakers, what Texas did in effect. But the bigger trend was arguably the birth of the movement for Mexican-Americans rights generally in Texas and elsewhere. On Monday, there will be a commemoration of the strike and the march, at 10 a.m. at Milam Park, 501 W. Commerce St. Its an event worth remembering. Re: DA is claiming vaccine dangers, front page, Tuesday: Nico LaHoods anti-vaccination nonsense has taken him from being questionable as district attorney to being a national embarrassment. This stance shows a lack of appreciation for and ability to interpret evidence that is shockingly bad for someone in the legal profession, much less someone with the ability to charge others with crimes. LaHood has to go. I hope local Democrats are organizing right now, and urgently, to find a consensus candidate to run against LaHood in the next Democratic primary. If he is the Democrats candidate again, I would do something Ive never done before: vote for a Republican. Brent Kelley Better Alamo plan Re: Get back to what makes Alamo, and city, great, Gary Foreman, Opinion, Sunday: The columnist expresses the concerns of many about the future of Alamo Plaza, perhaps to please a few disgruntled tourists. The area is just fine and appealing as it is. To change the Alamo to its original state would be costly, destroying historic buildings, removing the Cenotaph, the iconic facade and the chapel roof, and closing streets. Every time a strong wind comes along, the sand in the compound will blow all over downtown. In a previous letter, I proposed building a full-scale replica of the Alamo in the Mission Reach river area, with good access and parking. I agree the mythical story of the Alamo is great for tourism and dollars. We cannot afford to tell the true story of the battle described well in Exodus from the Alamo: The Anatomy of the Last Stand Myth by Phillip Thomas Tucker. As the reporter told Jimmy Stewart in the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. George Farias Everywhere, signs Political signs do not influence voters, the majority of whom know whom they will vote for before leaving home. Soon, those signs will be littering our landscape roads, highways, lawns, libraries. What a waste of money, materials and manpower. Marilyn R. Weltz Stand up, Colin Re: Kaepernick continues bold protest of anthem, Sports, Monday: While I respect Colin Kaepernicks right to not stand for the national anthem, I do question what exactly he has done to remedy the plight of the black community he claims to care so much about. Has he donated millions of dollars of his personal fortune to black causes? Has he volunteered in inner- city neighborhoods? Has he sat in on congressional committees to address these issues he claims to care so much about? Sitting on a bench, which hes certainly used to, is hardly helping the issue. Perhaps after he is cut by the 49ers, when he has all this free time, he can hop in what is probably his luxury automobile, which he earned from playing a kids game, and drive down into a blighted inner-city neighborhood and put his money where his mouth is. Its easy to sit. Colin, try standing. Shannon Deason Invoking Mom Re: In the deep end, Your Turn, Sunday: The comment by the letter writer His mother must have tried to teach him better brought back a memory of many, many years ago. As basic military trainees, we were about to finish the 12-week training course when it was discovered that one of us had stolen a rather large sum of money from a fellow trainee. The drill instructor immediately called a meeting and, with the suspected thief in the hands of the waiting military police, explained how important it was to have complete trust in each other. The DI ended his impromptu lecture by saying to the suspect that his thievery was a direct reflection on his mother. The comment has remained with me for all these many years. Al Walsh, Del Rio Friends or enemies? Re: Should friends of Trump still be your friends? O. Ricardo Pimentel, Other Views, Sunday: One Republican says to another, Have you ever noticed how discussing politics with a Democrat is like talking to a wall? Not entirely, says the other. The wall doesnt insult you and call you names. Mr. Pimentel suggests that supporters of Hillary Clinton should not continue to befriend supporters of Trump. I thought only middle school girls used such blackmail tactics: If you are friends with him/her, then I wont be your friend! I find it interesting that while both candidates are clearly flawed, only the Republicans seem willing to examine and criticize Mr. Trumps fallacies while the Democrats refuse to address the problems of Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Pimentel states, Clinton haters have drunk the Kool-Aid on how fundamentally dishonest she is. When you ask for specifics, they are fuzzy or easily refuted. Mr. Trump seems to speak without carefully weighing his words. Mrs. Clinton seems to carefully weigh her words and then lie. I feel neither one is presidential material. I am so disappointed in both political parties. America deserves, and needs, better. Gerard van den Dries, Lakehills Standing ovation Re: Evita hits the right notes; Woodlawn production strong with cast, set, music, Southside Reporter, Aug. 24: A thousand thank yous to reviewer Deborah Martin for her excellent piece on the Woodlawn Theatres Evita. Acting on Martins review, my wife and I attended possibly the finest theater production we have seen, anywhere. The acting, singing, lighting, choreography, costuming and staging would rival any Broadway production. A standing ovation to the creative folks who put this play together. I recommend it to everyone in San Antonio. Wendell Fuqua 'Sleeping Beauty' now an eye-opener in Beijing Updated: 2016-09-02 13:38 By Chen Nan(chinadaily.com.cn) A scene from Sleeping Beauty. [Photo provided to China Daily] Sir Matthew Bourne's production of Sleeping Beauty is onstage in Beijing through Sept 4 at Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, after performances in Shanghai. "It's very exciting to be in Beijing for the first time," says actress Cordelia Braithwaite in Beijing, who plays the lead role of Princess Aurora. "We had a great time in Shanghai and we look forward to our audiences in Beijing." Braithwaite started dancing at 7, and she was trained in Britain at the Leanne Hughes Theatre School, Leighton Buzzard and went on to additionally train at London Senior Ballet for three years. She watched Bourne's Swan Lake for the first time when she was 13. "I was impressed by the production and I wanted to dance with the company. It's just so different," says Braithwaite, who joined Bourne's company, New Adventures, right after graduation. Her first performance with Bourne was dancing the Italian and Spanish princesses in the 2013-14 Swan Lake tour. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Superior Court judge has tossed out a San Francisco city ordinance that made it illegal to evict teachers and child care providers during the school year, a law city officials hoped would help stem the exodus of educators being priced out of the city. In the decision filed Wednesday, Judge Ronald Quidachay stated that the law, which the Board of Supervisors passed unanimously this year, is invalid on its face, pre-empted by state law and unenforceable. The judges order blocks the city from enforcing the ordinance. The legislation, authored by Supervisor David Campos, prohibited most no-fault evictions during the academic year against employees at San Francisco public, private and parochial schools and child care centers. While the ruling is a blow to both teachers and to tenant-friendly lawmakers, it was not unexpected, Campos said. Every time we do something like this to protect tenants, we expect pushback from the other side, Campos said. They are going to challenge everything we do. We take a long view. You have a set of laws and systems that are not designed to deal with the housing crisis we are facing. The ordinance was challenged by the San Francisco Apartment Association, which represents the owners of rental properties, and the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute in a lawsuit filed June 10. We are pleased with the order, said attorney Andrew Zacks, who represented the real estate groups. The ordinance, which placed the burden on the backs of small property owners in San Francisco, was not the solution to a hard problem of housing teachers. We need to build more housing and build housing that teachers can afford to live in and do that collectively as a city. Currently, families with children under 18 are protected from owner move-in evictions during the school year under legislation by Supervisor Eric Mar in 2010. The Campos legislation expanded those protections to cover nearly any school employee or child care provider and any type of no-fault eviction except Ellis Act evictions, in which the landlord takes the property off the rental market altogether. Andrea Guzman, a spokeswoman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said: While we are disappointed with the ruling, we will review the judges order and discuss with our client possible next steps. A December survey by the United Educators of San Francisco union found that 70 percent of its members said they were renters, and 59 percent were worried that the high cost of living in San Francisco could prevent them from continuing to work and live in the city. A Chronicle analysis in May found that an average city teacher, who earns a salary of $65,240, would have to pay 64 percent of his or her income to afford a one-bedroom unit in the city at the median monthly rent of $3,500. Thats more than twice the recommended federal guidelines for how much salary should be spent on housing. Ken Tray, political director at United Educators and a longtime social studies teacher, called the timing of the ruling unfortunate. We have a new school year and what we are pushing for in the district is stability, safety and support. How do you attain stability, safety and support? Well, you have a stable teaching force and a stable staff, he said. This is what the groundbreaking Campos legislation helped provide an extra layer of protection from eviction during this crisis of affordability. Zacks said the ruling is just the latest example of San Francisco lawmakers passing legislation that is inconsistent with state law. The judicial system is currently the only hope for vindicating the rights of property owners under the assault of short-sighted, ill-advised, counterproductive, and illegal San Francisco legislation, Zacks said. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen Teacher pay Read The Chronicles project on teachers leaving the unaffordable city: http://projects.sfchronicle.com/2016/teacher-pay/ China 'is still in a good place' Updated: 2016-09-02 08:37 By Andrew Moody(China Daily Europe) Influential author believes neoliberalism is in 'death throes' as sluggish growth continues after financial crisis Martin Jacques believes the G20 summit in Hangzhou is taking place at a crucial time for the global economy. The British author and academic insists the Western neoliberal orthodoxy that has dominated global economic thinking since the late 1970s is now in its death throes. British academic Martin Jacques says Chinese GDP growth is still one of the major driving forces of the global economy. Nick J.B. Moore / For China Daily This, he argues, is because of its failure to come up with solutions to sluggish global growth eight years after the global financial crisis. "I think the longer the crisis goes on and it gets more serious - which it may do - and if there is then another crisis as a result of sudden economic shock - then I think it would completely undermine neoliberalism as we have known it," he says. "I don't think it will go tomorrow but I think it will be in its death throes, which might last a long time but by then it would be terminal." Jacques, 70, author of the influential best-selling When China Rules the World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World, made his prediction about the death of neoliberalism in an article in The Observer newspaper on Aug 21, which has created a minor media storm and attracted more than 250,000 page views. "The article has done fantastically well. People say it has trended on Twitter. This is something I have never really understood because I am not a great tweeter," he laughs. He says he wanted to highlight in the article that while the outlook for the Western economic system was bleak, China continued to be one of the most robust economies in the world. "I didn't have enough space to do this but I wanted to build on the discussions around my book when it was first published in 2009. People were saying then that China would not continue rising - as I had forecast - but would have some big economic crisis unless they made major reforms. "Well that crisis has never happened. China obviously has lots of problems but it hasn't faced an economic crisis on anything like in the scale of the West." He says that while there were also questions about China's system of governance it is now that of the West that is under scrutiny and facing serious challenge from anti-establishment figures such as former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders and Republican nominee Donald Trump in the US presidential election, in particular. "It is the West that now faces a political crisis. I think that is very revealing. China, broadly speaking, is still in a good place. The basic picture is still rather good for China. "The underlying reason for the crisis of Western neoliberalism is the fact that wages have stagnated or declined for the American white working class for 40 years. One has to question why they put up with it for so long. They were living in a wealthy country where others were clearly doing very well and they weren't." Jacques, who was speaking from his home in north London, believes the issues all play into the G20 summit, which he argues could be a turning point in the way the world is governed and may see the world's second-largest economy taking on the mantle of a global leader. "If China could come up with some strategic initiatives that were accepted by a range of other countries then this summit could turn into a significant moment. Otherwise, it will be a significant moment in a process that is unquestionably pivotal." Jacques, who is regarded as one of the UK's leading left-wing intellectuals, further argues that it is opportune that China is hosting the G20 summit for the first time since many countries are looking for it to take the initiative in finding solutions to global economic issues. "I think many countries, particularly in the developing world, are now looking for China to take a lead. If you look at what is driving growth in Central Asia, it is China's Belt and Road Initiative. Similarly, in Africa, it is China investment in infrastructure. "With new institutions like the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, China now sees itself as a mover and shaker of globalization and if you went back only three or four years, you would say that no way that would this be the case." Jacques, who was born in Coventry, received a first class honors degree in economics at the University of Manchester before doing a doctorate at King's College, Cambridge. He made his name as a journalist, turning Marxism Today into one of the top political magazines in the UK as editor for 14 years from 1977 to 1991. He later became deputy editor of The Independent newspaper and was also co-founder of Demos, the highly influential left-of-center think tank, in the 1990s. After taking a serious interest in Asian issues, he moved to Hong Kong in 1998 for a time and also has held a number of academic posts in Asia, including in Japan and Singapore. He is now a regular contributor to The Guardian, Financial Times and New York Times and is a senior fellow at the department of politics and international studies at Cambridge University. From this autumn, he will be teaching in Beijing as a visiting professor at Tsinghua University. Jacques says Chinese GDP growth - although slowing from the double digits of the last decade to 6.7 percent in the second quarter of this year - is still one of the major driving forces of the global economy. "What has been the remarkable aspect of China's growth has been that it is a mark of continuity in the global economy. OK, the growth rate is not what it was but at between 6 and 7 percent it is still remarkable in the present conditions. It is second only to India but India has greater growth possibilities because it is much more backward." The author believes that initiatives such as the AIIB and the Belt and Road Initiative have the potential to reshape the world and China's position within it. "If these are only 25 percent successful, they will still make a major difference over a 30-year period. There will be a huge mutual benefit for China and Central Asia and South Asia and places like Pakistan, where there has been a particular emphasis," he says. "It will also be sending out a signal from China to these countries that you can grow in the same kind of way as we have done through infrastructure development." Jacques believes that China, in making the moves that it is making, is presenting an alternative form of globalization. "It is becoming much more proactive as a globalizing force. It is extending and intensifying the process of its integration with the world economy. China's challenge is how it can somehow then also reinvigorate and regenerate the possibilities for global growth." Jacques believes many countries will increasingly see China as a role model of how to govern a country compared with what he regards as increasingly chaotic and incompetent Western governments. "I am not saying they will want to copy the Chinese government system. Unless they are a Confucian society such as Vietnam, I think it is very difficult for them to do that. I think it offers interesting lessons, however. "Governance, by and large, is not competent in the West. This is certainly true of the United States, it's certainly true of the UK and also much of Europe. China's governance is much more stable, long-term focused and much more pragmatic." He says much of the success of China's governance is in the way it tests new initiatives. "Chinese government tries out and experiments with things through pilots in a certain area to see how they work. If they don't, they abandon them. In Britain, we introduce something that is not just road tested and very often it is all a complete flop." Jacques says the G20 summit will be one of the most important events in China since the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and could prove to be a further marker of a changing world. "The institutions of the American world order are in decline and are increasingly not representative of what the world is. This is the crisis and part of the current global problem." andrewmoody@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily European Weekly 09/02/2016 page8) Luminous heart cells (Nanowerk News) Cell models from stem cells serve an ever-increasing role in research of cardiac dysfunction. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have succeeded in producing cells which offer new insights into properties of the heart. They installed a molecular sensor into the cells which emits light, and not only makes the cells' electrical activity visible, but also makes it possible for the first time to quickly identify cell types ("Subtype-specific promoter-driven action potential imaging for precise disease modelling and drug testing in hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes"). A molecular sensor makes the electrical activity of heart cells visible. (Image: Sinnecker /TUM) It has been possible to produce so-called induced pluripotent stem cells in the laboratory for the past ten years. These stem cells are derived from white blood cells, for example, and can be infinitely reproduced in the laboratory, and be turned into all possible types of cells. This has enabled the use of heart cells produced in this way in order to investigate cardiac rhythm dysfunctions, for example. Animal experiments are only of limited use for this application, and tissue samples cannot be easily taken from patients' hearts. Cultivated heart cells, however, provide the opportunity to research such diseases in a 'miniature' format. "Our development solves several problems which had made working with such cell models difficult," said t Dr. Daniel Sinnecker, Cardiologist at TUM's Klinikum rechts der Isar. Laboratory-produced heart cells still pose the problem of how one can best measure electrical activity. In the past, microelectrodes were most commonly used in order to directly determine the cells electrical signals. This procedure, however, is quite tedious, and can only be used on a small number of cells. Differences between cell types In addition, not all heart cells are alike. All heart cells are able to contract at their own cyclic rhythm, and to forward electrical signals to neighbouring cells. Yet, the cells which form the various structures of the heart, such as the atria, the chambers or the sinus node, i.e. the pacemaker of the heart, differ significantly from each other, for example in their action potentials. These are variations in electrical voltage between the inside and outside of cells which form an electric signal that controls the excitation process in the heart and thus its contractions. This difference becomes relevant when examining rhythm disorders which are caused by malfunctions in specific areas of the heart muscle. Producing heart cells from stem cells, scientists today have only insufficient ways of influencing whether those cells become heart chamber cells, atrial cells or nodal cells. In order to investigatea particular disorder, scientists must meticulously identify the type of each individual cell. Biological sensors instead of microelectrodes Daniel Sinnecker and his team described a possible solution for both of these problems in their article in "European Heart Journal." Instead of attaching microelectrodes to cells, the scientists used biological sensors. These are built from fluorescent, i.e.luminous, protein from deep sea jellyfish. The DNA which contains the "construction plans" for these sensor proteins is inserted into heart cells, which then produce the sensor proteins. When the altered heart cells are stimulated with light at a specific wavelength, they produce light at a different wavelength. The precise color of the returned light depends on the voltage difference between the cells' interiors and exteriors. One can therefore measure and record the action potential of individual cells using a special camera. A special characteristic of this new method is that the inserted DNA can be coupled with specific recognition sequences, so-called promoters. These ensure that the sensor proteins are produced only in specific types of heart muscle cells. Thus, it becomes possible to capture only the electrical signals from atrial cells, heart chamber cells or sinus node cells, as needed. New possibilities for investigating drugs In contrast to the prior cumbersome microelectrode technique, this method offers significantly improved performance. "We can already investigate hundreds of cells in one day instead of only a handful," says Zhfen Chen, first author of the study. "This process can basically be automated and scaled up, so that thousands of cells can be investigated at the same time." How maggots are influencing the future of robotics (Nanowerk News) What can software designers and ICT specialists learn from maggots? Quite a lot, it would appear. Through understanding how complex learning processes in simple organisms work, EU-funded scientists hope to usher in an era of self-learning robots and predictive computing. How maggots are influencing the future of robotics Animals - no matter how simple or complex - display a remarkable capacity for learning. Even with limited brain power, an organism can choose the right thing to do in response to external stimuli, which is something that current computational learning theory cannot fully account for. Learning from maggots The MINIMAL project, launched in 2014, has focused on the learning processes in a relatively simple animal, the fruit fly larva (maggots). Despite having fewer than 10 000 neurons, this creature is capable of learning quickly and flexibly certain cues that lead them towards good things and away from bad things. Understanding the specific mechanisms behind this learning process could have important applications for technology, such as the development of self-learning small robotic devices, explains MINIMAL project coordinator Professor Barbara Webb from the School of Informatics at Edinburgh University in the UK. This could mean, for example, being able to develop small, cheap robots for use in precision agriculture, which are able to learn which plants need fertiliser or irrigation. This can then be delivered only where and when needed. Our key idea is that small but active systems can, like animals, locally discriminate and remember only the effective cues needed for the ongoing task. The humble maggot was selected by Webb and her team because they were able to closely monitor and control both the animals behaviour and brain processes in remarkable detail. They were able to track the entire process by which these animals are capable of learning new odours that lead them to good food (such as sugar) and away from bad food (such as quinine). We discovered that some specific single brain cells are sufficient, when activated, to make the larva learn that a particular odour is good, says Webb. We plan to explore this further using a new method developed through the MINIMAL project, which shows the activity of specific brain cells lighting up, which we can track even when the larva moves around freely. We really did not expect this last method to work so it is perhaps one of the most satisfying elements of the project so far. Information opportunities The project teams work on the learning process of the maggot could benefit other fields as well. Although our main aim has been to demonstrate such capabilities in real world robot systems, there may be parallels in the information environment, says Webb. For example, whilst current trends in computing often rely on big data, it is notable that in nature, animals often learn with very little data to predict associations (such as the maggots ability to detect good food). Understanding how this works could have ramifications for the development of software and computer interfaces that anticipate a users next action. Looking even further into the future, it might one day even be possible that the larvae themselves could become engineered computational devices, capable of performing critical signal processing tasks. The next step is to consolidate our findings into a model of the neural learning mechanism of the larva and test this out on a robot, says Webb. We have also developed a soft robot maggot, but it has been difficult to control its movement. Biologically-based learning could be the answer, and we firmly believe that such robots have potential for a range of applications. Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. Long before Tipperary sealed victory over Galway in a tense All-Ireland semi- final, members of the Boherlahan/Dualla club had plans drawn up to travel to Dublin on All-Ireland Final weekend. Club members will make their way to Croke Park on Sunday by bicycle for the dual purpose of engaging in a symbolic commemoration of the famous Tubberadora team that won an All-Ireland club title in 1916 on the anniversary of that event, and to raise funds to invest in the future of the thriving club. Because of the centenary celebrations of the Tubberadora team we had plans in place for some time for this event. There was huge relief among everybody in the club that we edged out Galway because this event will be all the more special with Tipperary in the final on the day said club secretary Lisa Stapleton. The club wanted to stage a significant event to acknowledge the wonderful achievements of Tubberadora 100 years ago but they are also in the process of raising funds to make a massive investment in the club's facilities. There is a lot of excitement in the community about the event, everybody is involved .We have never done anything like this before she explained. As part of the club's five- year plan new facilities including a new adult full-size playing field, an astro turf pitch with a hurling wall and a one kilometre walkway around the existing pitch and the new pitch are to be provided. It is an ambitious project but one that has received tremendous backing from the community, both in terms of financial and moral support. The response has just been incredible. The people in the community appreciate greatly our desire to provide quality facilities. Demand is growing all of the time, membership is increasing and there is a need to plan for the future, said Lisa. The club has purchased four and-a-half acres adjacent to its ground in the village and are in the process of going through the planning stages for the devleopment and are in pursuit of grant funding. We hope work will start fairly soon. We are a thriving club with over 150 juveniles training every Saturday morning and we have to ensure the facilities they require are in place said Lisa. As a result of the goodwill in the community for the project up to 200,000 has already been collected. In the build-up to the Cycle to Croker the club members held bucket collections over the last two weekends in Boherlahan and nearby areas. They take off on Saturday morning with the backing of everybody in the parish and will carry out bucket collections along the way. The Cycle to Croker is being carried out in association with Pieta House and the club is delighted to be able to support such an important service. Every parish in the country has been touched by suicide and we are very happy to help the organisation who want to open a facility in Clonmel, to add to their existing facility in Nenagh, which would be of enormous help to the people of South Tipperary she said. Lisa said the decision to go ahead with the project was important for the community, which had lost a number of services including the local shop. The GAA club is at the very core of the village.People are aware of the work that is being done for young people, they are supportive of our plans and we have received a very generous response from the public she said. The club has held a Strictly Come Dancing event and staged an outdoor performance of Oklahoma but the Cycle to Croker is on a different scale. A huge amount of work has gone into the planning of this. Hopefully everything will go well on the day and we get the result in the match we are all looking for, which would be a great bonus she said. China continues to contribute to world growth Updated: 2016-09-02 08:37 By Wang Yusheng(China Daily Europe) With the G20 Leaders' Summit in Hangzhou on Sept 4 and 5, the eastern Chinese city has come under the spotlight of the world media. But since the summit is being held in the shadow of the global economic downturn, will the annual meeting lead to global governance and global economic recovery? How can China, as host, better play the role of a responsible power? G20 members agree that economic cooperation in "the spirit of win-win partnership" is the way forward, and their shared aim is to build "an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive global economy". Given these facts, the G20 needs to find innovative ways to boost global economic growth, and reform the global economic and financial governance system to make it more resilient to possible risks and give developing countries greater say. The economic bloc should also propel international trade and investment to support sustainable growth. The common purpose of its members should be to realize the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 through win-win partnership. After several conferences of coordinators, as well as frequent discussions, the economies participating in the Hangzhou G20 summit have already accepted this fact. That's why China is confident the G20 summit will fulfill its objectives. As the host country and chair of G20 this year, China will continue to contribute to global economic growth. For the G20 to play its important role in global governance, it has to understand the real economic difficulties the world faces today. The G20 was born in 1999, when developing countries were on the rise and playing a greater role in the global economic growth. And over the past 17 years, the bloc has served as an important platform for dialogue between developed countries and emerging market economies. G20 is a platform for countries to discuss economic issues of global importance, for which its members have to respect each other's core interests and identify areas of greatest common interests for cooperation. Their largest common interest, however, lies in taking the globalization process forward. Through globalization, countries can share more common interests and economic gains. Since globalization requires free trade and investment, it facilitates fairer distribution of resources among economies and promotes equitable international rules. Both emerging market economies and developed countries benefit from globalization. The United States has been pushing forward its Washington Consensus, but because it promotes the free flow of commodities and capital without considering the actual conditions of other countries, its policies have hurt many economies. One of the US presidential candidates has blamed economic globalization for the recession in the US, claiming Chinese workers have "taken away" jobs from Americans. This is baseless because trade protectionism is not conducive to global economic growth, so the G20 has to take a stance that opposes the US presidential candidate's preposterous claims. To begin with, the G20 has to reform the global financial system, help promote the free flow of trade and investment, while keeping the real conditions of different economies in mind, to propel global economic growth. China's Belt and Road Initiative is an excellent example of how the global financial mechanism can be reformed. The initiative is conducive to the trend of the times, advocates equality and win-win cooperation in international matters, and helps developing countries and developed countries to better interact with each other. As the host of the G20 summit, China will do its best to deepen coordination and cooperation among the bloc's members. As this year also marks the beginning of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), as well as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative, China will do everything in its power to make the G20 summit a grand success and lead the world out of the economic crisis. The author is executive director of the China International Studies Research Fund's Strategy Research Center. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. (China Daily European Weekly 09/02/2016 page9) Another group of lenders is pleading for leniency from federal regulation. Community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, focus on low- to moderate-income groups that are typically unbanked or underbanked. While typically small in size, the nation's roughly 1,000 CDFIs, including 122 community development banks, are largely subject to the same rules that govern the entire banking industry. That could change depending on who makes it to the White House. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton introduced a plan last week that would "reduce unnecessary regulations" for small banks and credit unions, while calling for increased support for CDFIs. At the same time, she vowed to be "tough" in defending "the new rules on big Wall Street banks." Such relief would be welcomed by community development banks. The Community Development Bankers Association sent a letter in late June to Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen and other high-ranking Fed officials highlighting the trade group's concerns with elements of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Bank Secrecy Act and Basel III. "We are concerned that many well-intended Dodd-Frank regulatory changes are having [the] unintended consequence of significantly reducing credit availability and access to financial services" in low- to moderate-income communities, wrote Jeannine Jacokes, the association's chief executive. "The effect of regulatory changes [is] to reduce flexibility and increase cost." BankPlus in Belzoni, Miss., is one of the institutions that is taking issue with existing regulation. Regulation, while well-intended, has exacerbated problems in low- and moderate-income areas of the country, particularly in rural communities, said Max Yates, a senior executive vice president at BankPlus who works in rural areas. The $2.5 billion-asset BankPlus is the only bank that operates in seven communities, he said. BankPlus, along with other banks, has taken hits from disclosure-related fees tied to the "Know Before You Owe" rule designed to improve transparency for mortgages. BankPlus has been eating the extra cost of those fees, Yates said. To be sure, smaller institutions were able to secure some "significantly helpful" exemptions to the ability-to-repay rule, Yates said. That rule requires mortgage originators to "make a good faith, reasonable determination of a consumer's ability to repay" a loan. Community development banks are also struggling with the Bank Secrecy Act. Regulators have stepped up BSA and anti-money-laundering enforcement in recent years. "BSA compliance standards are the same for small banks as the largest bank," Jacokes wrote in her letter to Yellen. "More and more banks will not accept or open accounts with [money service businesses]. When this happens, the business can no longer offer the service and consumers are forced to go to expensive check cashing businesses." High standards for money-services businesses are concerning to Rebecca Humphries, a senior vice president and senior loan officer at Neighborhood National Bank in San Diego. The $55 million-asset bank, which has been working with those businesses since 2001 to help customers access financial services, is seeing more regulatory scrutiny, she said. "Because we bank them and they're a niche of ours, the regulatory scrutiny [tied to BSA] is even more heightened," added Humphries, who also serves on the board of the Community Development Bankers Association. "With the heightened scrutiny and the high cost of regulatory compliance, a lot of banks are exiting." With that in mind, bankers with ties to CDFIs want more regulatory carve-outs. "We would like to push for more exemptions that make sense for community banks," said Darrin Williams, chief executive of Southern Bancorp, the holding company for a number of CDFIs, including one in Arkansas. The company, which was founded in 1986, was a pet project of the Clintons, who wanted an institution to support in an "economically depressed" rural area in much the same way that Shore Bank was serving the South Side of Chicago, Williams said. Hillary Clinton served on Southern's board. Southern now has 42 branches and $1.1 billion in assets. "I think their vision is being realized," Williams said. Increasing the number of community development banks was one of Bill Clinton's campaign promises when he ran for president in 1992. "That came from the Arkansas experience," Jacokes said. While the Clintons' interest in community development banks spans three decades, it remains to be seen whether Hillary Clinton, if elected president, will be able to follow through on her plan to boost support for those institutions. Any support would be embraced by CDFIs. "We believe that some modest modifications could make a significant difference in the economic well-being" of low- and moderate-income communities "across the nation," Jacokes wrote in her letter to Yellen. Luxury-condo builder Extell Development Co. said it obtained a construction loan for a lower Manhattan project after months of delays, and bought more time to get financing for a planned tower on Billionaires' Row in Midtown. Extell got a $500 million loan for its One Manhattan Square development from a consortium of lenders including Deutsche Bank AG, Commercial Bank of China and Natixis Real Estate Capital, according to filings Thursday on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, where the New York-based company sells debt to investors. The loan could grow to $750 million within nine months, according to the documents, written in Hebrew. In a separate filing, Extell said its deadline to find financing for Central Park Tower, a planned $3 billion skyscraper on West 57th Street, was extended to July 31 from May 24. The timeline is critical, according to terms of a joint-venture agreement it signed last month with China's SMI USA. If Extell fails to get a loan by the deadline, SMI can require the builder to buy out its stake in the partnership about $300 million with interest. And if Extell fails to do that, SMI can push the developer to sell the entire project. Extell President Gary Barnett didn't immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. The company's Israeli investors reacted positively to the news. Extell's 4.65% bonds due in 2019 jumped 3.2% to 87 agorot ($0.23) at the close of trading in Tel Aviv. The yield dropped 1.23 percentage points to 10%. Extell, which ushered in Manhattan's luxury-condo boom with the construction of the One57 skyscraper across from Carnegie Hall, is now getting caught up in its aftermath. The market for high-end homes is slowing as inventory swells and demand from ultra-wealthy buyers cools amid so much competition. That has made construction loans increasingly hard to get, as lenders shy away from funding potentially risky projects. The loan for the 815-unit One Manhattan Square, on South Street, means Extell can complete a separate financing agreement with office landlord RXR Realty LLC to build the tower. RXR will commit $300 million toward the project, and choose within 120 days of the deal closing whether it wants to add an additional $163.2 million, according to filings in Israel last month. RXR had initially pledged $463.2 million in March, but reduced its commitment after Extell's delay in getting a construction loan. Extell said it is missing only one signature to complete the deal with RXR, according to Thursday's filing. Zais Financial Corp. has begun to quantify the effects that the major flooding across Louisiana had on its Baton Rouge-based mortgage banking subsidiary, GMFS. GMFS reported that it does not expect the flooding to have a material impact on its 2016 financial position, and the subsidiary is already back to operating at full capacity with loan locks at pre-flood levels. Before the natural disaster, production was at $420 million for the quarter, the company said in a news release Thursday. Still, GMFS does have some balance sheet and mortgage servicing rights exposure to the incident. The mortgage bank has 15 loans with $3 million in unpaid principal balance that it expected the properties to have some flood damage. The loans represent 5.4% of the total unpaid principal balance for loans located in storm areas the company has held for sale. GMFS is currently assessing the damage to the properties and confirming if the borrowers had flood insurance. Additionally, GMFS said that 6.4% of its servicing customers have accepted a 90-day forbearance period, during which it will advance taxes, insurance payments and the principal and interest due depending on the investor. GMFS said it believes it has sufficient liquidity to cover the advances, which are expected to total $1.75 million per month. Chip off the old printing block Updated: 2016-09-02 08:37 By Xing Yi(China Daily Europe) Jiang Xun calls them "the reflection of our civilization", an observation that would be on the money even if he were talking about the mobile devices of today that have become so much a part of our lives. As it happens, Jiang is talking of the products of a much earlier medium of communication, etched woodblock printing. In sharp relief to digital printing, in which speed of production is vaunted, woodblock craftsmen took great pride in the painstaking, time-consuming detail that went into turning out their exquisite wares. A Woodblock carver scrapes off parts of the block with various cutting tools and (inset ) the pages of a book printed with woodblocks. In China, 1,000 years ago, it was the most common way of printing books, and countless craftsmen throughout the land carved out characters on wooden blocks. Today, those who practice the craft are few - but they are a stubborn bunch who refuse to let it die. Just south of Beijing's Tian'anmen Square is Mofan bookstore, which is where Jiang, 46, and a handful of fellow craftsmen have a workshop. They continue to produce works of great beauty. Jiang's remark about the characters and their reflecting civilization is all the more apt given that woodblock prints are a mirror image of the carving from which they are printed, and in their heyday they were the most common way - apart from the spoken word - of passing on knowledge from one generation to the next. Woodblock printing was largely used to produce Buddhist texts at first, as the spread of Buddhism in China reached a peak during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The oldest remaining woodblock-printed book is a copy of the Chinese version of the Diamond Sutra, which dates back to 868. The book, now in the British Library in London, is in the form of a scroll discovered in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu province, in the early 20th century. Jiang has collected more than 30,000 woodblocks, about one-tenth of which date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which means he may have the largest woodblock collection of any individual in China. Between 2009 and 2012, a few of his prints were on display at a branch of the National Library in Wenjin Street, Beijing, the only one of its kind in the capital. "In a sense, woodblocks are progenitors of the book," says Jiang, who is also renowned in China as a book designer. "All my works are associated with books." In late 2014, when the Nobel Museum in Stockholm invited him to design a book for Nobel laureate Mo Yan to present at an exhibition, Jiang decided there was no better way of interpreting Mo than through a traditional Chinese thread-bound book printed using woodblock. The book is a short story called Gale that Mo chose from his early works that has about 4,000 characters, and Jiang decided to use a font from Caochuang Yunyu, a poetry anthology by the poet Zhou Min in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), for the book. Jiang says it took him three months to choose the matching characters from Zhou's poems and piece them together for Mo's short story. Then he needed to prepare the woodblocks for printing, a process in which wood is carved away, leaving the characters to stand out as a relief pattern for inking and printing. "The process is difficult because it is such a rare font," says Zhao Yishen, 30, who carved pages one to six of Mo's book. "It's like calligraphy, with many elements of handwriting." Zhao says with most printing fonts he can carve about 30 or 40 characters a day, but with the font for the Mo book the number was halved. "As carvers we aimed to make the characters look as natural as the original writing, not too stiff." With five other carvers, Zhao worked from 8 am to 6 pm every day for three months. "It needed the utmost concentration. I took breaks whenever my eyes got sore, and whenever I began to lose focus I stopped to avoid making mistakes." The work was finished in March last year, after which 274 copies were printed and went on display in Stockholm in mid-April. "It's all handmade, from carving to printing to binding," Jiang says. "When the book and the woodblocks went on display in Stockholm, those who saw them were in awe because in the West there is no tradition of thread-bound books." Jiang kept just one woodblock piece from the Mo production - a piece produced twice in error. Printing technology When Zhao was studying for a law degree, which he earned from Beijing Jiaotong University in 2010, he became engrossed in ancient classic texts in the traditional thread-bound form. "Different books have different fonts depending on when they were published," he says. In addition to the literary content, he was also attracted by the "simply beautiful" characters. These days, only about five publishers in China produce books through traditional woodblock printing. In 2010, Zhao visited one of them, Guangling Ancient Books Printing House in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province. "It was the first time I'd really seen what those woodblocks were. It seemed like an impossible mission for me to make one, but I wanted to try." He decided to stay as an intern, and after a yearlong internship in the printing house, he became a student of Chen Yishi, one of the few people who holds state accreditation as a master of the engraved block printing technique. Chen has a family tradition of engraved printing. His grandfather was a woodblock printer in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and opened a family workshop in the town of Hangji, Jiangsu. However, in World War II, many woodblock printing workshops closed, including Chen's, and later, during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), a call for traditions to be swept away all but put paid to the ancient craft. Chen says his father's words - "We must pass on the craft" - made a great impression on him, so he went back to the trade in the 1980s. Since retiring from Guangling Ancient Books in 2007, he has continued to train apprentices. "Over the years I've had about 100 students, but only about one-fourth are still doing this work. It doesn't pay well, and there are not enough commissions, so they work on and off for some time and eventually do something else." Chen says that since the technique was included in UNESCO's human intangible cultural heritage representative list in 2009, things have improved. Seven students study with him, some sent by publishers such as Guangling Ancient Books, and some, like Zhao, arriving independently. xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn Views of Mofan bookstore, south of Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. (China Daily European Weekly 09/02/2016 page1) The great escape Updated: 2016-09-02 08:39 By Amber Wu(China Daily Europe) Tianmu Mountain nature reserve in eastern China is the perfect remedy for those looking for a break from the city One of the best things about living in Shanghai is that some of China's best hiking trails are on your doorstep. The mountains of neighboring Zhejiang province are a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle (not to mention the regular smog) of the eastern metropolis, offering fresh air and beautiful scenery. Dipping in the natural pool is perfect for people to enjoy the summer. Amber Wu / For China Daily Great views and vistas in the mountain. Among the best destinations to choose from is Tianmu Mountain. So, on one fine day in summer, I hopped on a bus and headed out on an adventure. Just an hour into the drive out of Shanghai, lush mountains and farm villages started to appear on both sides of the highway. It's about here you begin to realize you have actually left the city and are now in the Zhejiang countryside. A few more miles (and, if you are like me, a short nap) later and you will find yourself surrounded by peaks and waterfalls. When the bus started to zigzag its way up a steep incline, I knew I was getting close to my final destination. I was dropped off at a bed-and-breakfast hotel in the middle of an area of extreme natural beauty. It was nearing noon, and as the sun peeked through the heavy clouds I was hit with a feeling of complete tranquility. Eats shoots and leaves Of course, the best thing to do when you're so relaxed is eat. So I headed for the wooden deck terrace fairly high into the mountain to enjoy lunch with some my fellow travelers. There was quite a plethora of nationalities. I chatted with engineers from Germany, a Mongolian designer, and an English teacher who was actually born in France. (Sometimes, the best thing about traveling alone is it encourages you to get chatting to other people, I find.) After wolfing down a plate of bamboo shoots, a staple for Zhejiang folk, I felt sufficiently fueled to take a short hike to a waterfall park. While the entrance gives off the vibe of a tourist trap, once you get passed that it's actually quite serene. Rather than being swarmed by sightseers taking selfies, when was there I actually had the place all to myself. A bit further on, a steady incline (I went at a fair pace and it took about 20 minutes) leads to a spot that offers a panoramic view of the bamboo forests below as well as the waterfalls, which form swirling natural pools - perfect for a cooling dip. Some pools are more secluded than others (take note, couples looking for alone time), while the larger pools are great for splashing about in. If you don't fancy getting wet, there are plenty of overlooking rocks to chill out on. It's a wonderful way to "waste" an afternoon, and as the sun settled on the horizon I headed back to the guesthouse to dry off around a bamboo bonfire. Even at night, parts of the mountain were still visible, providing a great backdrop for those inclined to party the night away with food, drink and music. I had an early night (honest), with the heaviest hiking to come the following day. Peak in interest After a buffet breakfast to stock up on energy, I set off on what I'd been told would be a six-hour trek to see some of the peaks. The first 30 minutes are pretty easygoing, but then the real hike starts. The trail I used was tricky route used only by the local farmers. It requires navigating deep woodlands and rocks covered in moss, while a set of extremely steep steps made me thankful for my bamboo walking stick. Up ahead I could see some hardcore hikers powering on, but slow and steady seems the safer option. I'd also advise people not attempt the hike here alone, as there are numerous opportunities to slip and injure yourself - and this mountain is not somewhere you would like to be stranded. Heading back, I chose an alternative path, and I was glad I did - it offered some breathtaking views. The varied terrain is at some points relatively flat and at others steep, but it is all pretty much 100 percent photogenic. I sat for the moment on a rock looking at the surrounding peaks, which were dotted with wild white flowers. Taking a picture here provides the kind of shot social media was invented for. Back at the guesthouse, drained of all energy, the perfect way to unwind was to take another dip in the natural pools, followed of course by a well-earned drink around a late-night bonfire. The next morning, as I waited for the bus to take me back to Shanghai, I took one last look around. The trip had been another reminder that what shapes us is not the possessions we collect, but rather the memories of the wonderful experiences we share with friends - and with nature. For China Daily (China Daily European Weekly 09/02/2016 page19) China sets an example for Germany Updated: 2016-09-02 08:40 By Fu Jing(China Daily Europe) Such issues as sustainability and global governance have been elevated at the G20, presenting a path to next presidency China's new contribution in helping improve global sustainable infrastructure, green financing and international development during its G20 presidency is impressive and should be followed by Germany when it takes the reins next year, according to a prominent German think tank expert. China has brought new dimensions to the G20 Leaders Summit platform, German Development Institute Director Dirk Messner says as the G20 leaders prepared for their 11th gathering, on Sept 4 and 5 in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. Dirk Messner says China has brought new dimensions to the G20 Leaders Summit. Fu Jing / China Daily The platform traditionally has focused on global growth and economic governance reform since the first meeting was held in Washington at the height of the financial crisis in late 2008. "Looking at the Chinese presidency agenda, there are several things that are very important from Germany's perspective, and we think tanks could use them as bridges to make connections," says Messner, who started advising the Chinese government about 10 years ago on sustainable development. He was speaking during an interview in his office in Bonn recently. Messner praised China's leadership in the current G20 presidency and says he thinks China and Germany could use the 2016-17 presidency to help speed up changes needed to restructure the global economy to be more sustainable. Messner says the first thing needed is sustainable infrastructure. The global economy is still in trouble, and to improve growth, nearly all countries are focusing on infrastructure investment, which is crucial. The next 20 years are expected to see the world's biggest infrastructure investments, and most will be in urban areas. It's important, he says, to place investment trends in the context of climate agreements and the 2030 global sustainability development goals of the United Nations. Making infrastructure green and sustainable will engage the dynamics of the global economy. In this area, Messner says China is leading the way because it will invest a lot at home, but also along points to the Belt and Road Initiative routes, while European countries and the United States are renewing their urban and energy infrastructures. He says building infrastructure projects at new, sustainable and carbon-free developments is important and China has already done a lot in recent years. Messner, who also serves as an expert for the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, an international advisory body to the Chinese government, says the council produced a policy report on these issues for Beijing in November in preparation for China's G20 presidency. Green financing should top the G20 summit agenda, he says, adding that China combines green dimensions with financial market reform, helping to reduce speculation, improving transparency and stabilizing the market. Messner says that in 2015, the United Nations reached two important agreements, namely the Paris climate change deal and its sustainable development goals, amid tremendous new challenges. "We have reached the two agreements and the question is how we transmit their implications to the future," he says. "This would be historic." Messner says China has had the first G20 presidency since the Paris climate summit, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which dealt with greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation, adaptation and finance. The agreement was negotiated in Paris in December. At its heart is holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 C above pre-industrial levels. The sustainable development goals were created when the UN adopted a plan for the next 15 years to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect the planet. The goals are at the heart of the UN's Agenda 2030 development vision. "My understanding is that China is currently linking the traditional agenda of G20 of financial markets and growth into Paris and the 2030 agenda," he says. "This is the third thing which I think could be very important at the upcoming G20 summit and Germany could follow up." In terms of transforming development patterns, Messner says China is at a crossroads. Many new sustainable models, such as decarbonization and energy efficiency, are occurring, and he says there is a huge shift in thinking in China, especially in recent years. He recalls that a task force of the China advisory council proposed a low-carbon economy concept to China's leadership before the 2009 Copenhagen climate change summit, but top leaders responded that such a pattern was more important for Europeans because China's development was based on an energy system heavily dependent on coal. "This was what happened only eight years ago, but now China has become the world's biggest low-carbon investor. That is a huge shift in thinking," he says. "Because, for China's leadership, they believe if they don't link growth and sustainability, that would be a disaster nationally, with (high) costs." Still, these developments are new and the world is looking for solutions. "So China and Germany should be the two pioneering countries to push such an agenda at G20 summits," he says. China has global proposals in the pipeline, he says, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative should be a model for a new type of global cooperation linking growth and sustainability. Another plan, the European Commission's Investment Plan for Europe, known as the Juncker plan, is a 315 billion euro ($350 billion) infrastructure investment program first announced by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in November 2014. Messner says neither plan is visible at the G20 platforms. "China and Germany and Europe could drive the discussion. There is a lot of work to communicate together to make these two visible," he says. China and European Union have entered into an initial agreement to have the investment packages work together, but so far there has not been much progress. "This is a European problem. Europe should be a strong international actor. Europe has a lot of problems, ranging from Greece to Brexit, and so its international power is weak," he says. Messner says both China and the EU have great potential in infrastructure cooperation, but they haven't yet made a global case for it. "So the G20 presidencies of China and Germany are a very good opportunity to make it," he says. Messner says there also is concern about global governance and global leadership. "The G20 is an important actor in organizing global governance. So the summits in Hangzhou and Hamburg should make the global players renew their commitment to cooperation, and build up global governance and global leadership," he adds. "The presidency should look at the consensus that is both important and possible." fujing@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily European Weekly 09/02/2016 page32) 'Few, if any, cancer patients' 'Stick with him' (NaturalNews) The attorney general for the state of Illinois has filed suit against a controversial pharmaceutical firm for allegedly using deceptive marketing practices that included paying an indicted physician thousands for phony speaking events in order to help sell its signature pain drug.As reported by, the firm, Insys Therapeutics, was one of more than 400 Big Pharma companies that have made payments to such doctors, but its shenanigans have received much more attention.To be sure, it isn't unusual for pharmaceutical companies to pay doctors with histories of illicit behavior for consulting with them or speaking about their products. A study recently completed found that more than 2,300 physicians with discipline records in five states have received payments from pharmaceutical and medical device firms since 2013.But, according to investigations in a number of states, the business model Insys relied upon saw huge payments going to doctors who prescribed their drugs most frequently, even if they had histories of disciplinary actions or outright criminality. The payments were largely related to a fentanyl-based drug, Subsys, approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for patients suffering from cancer-related pain that is resistant to other opioids.Insys was the subject of previous media reports in 2014 and 2015 byand. In June 2015, a Connecticut nurse pleaded guilty to taking kickbacks related to speaking payments she got from Insys while she was the top prescriber of Subsys to Medicaid patients in the state.In February, a sales representative in Alabama pleaded guilty to fraud charges , while in April, a district manager and sales rep pleaded not guilty in New York to all charges in relation to kickbacks to providers who were also involved in speaking arrangements.In the most recent suit filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in Cook County, the state wants to impose financial penalties on Insys, while barring the company from selling any products in the state. Madigan says that the company regularly marketed its mainstay pain med for off-label uses, such as treating chronic migraines.Instead of building relationships with physicians who treat patients with cancer, the company "instead directed its promotion and marketing in Illinois to high-volume opioid prescribers who are not oncologists or pain specialists who treat cancer," says the suit.The highest-volume prescriber for Insys was Dr. Paul Madison, who wrote 58 percent of Subsys prescriptions in Illinois, though he treated "few, if any, cancer patients." Madison was indicted in late 2012 on federal charges of making false claims by billing insurers for procedures that were not performed. The indictment says that Insys sales reps were aware of Madison's indictment, and were also aware of his questionable prescribing habits.The suit states that in August 2012, the company's then-CEO, Michael Babich, received an email from a sales rep who said that Madison ran "a very shady pill mill and only accepts cash." In addition, the suit alleges that Madison "basically just shows up to sign his name on the prescription pad, if he shows up at all."Then in October, the same sales rep sent another email stating that Madison had called him personally to say that he was "really under the eye of the DEA, and that he planned on getting patients started on Subsys in Indiana."For his part, Babich appeared unconcerned, replying that he was "very confident that Dr. Madison will be your 'go to physician.' Stick with him." But then, under increasing pressure and investigations, Babich resigned in 2015.In all, Insys paid Madison in excess of $87,000 for speeches, food and travel between 2013 and 2015,reported. Rigged medical system Competition stifled, negotiations restricted, as Big Pharma takes advantage of Americans Evidence-based or belief-driven? $57.5 billion spent annually on drug promotion (NaturalNews) A new research paper published inpoints out a harrowing fact: Brand name drugs are prescribed 10 percent of the time, but they account for 72 percent of the total cost paid for pharmaceutical drugs in the US.This is a prime example of the rigged American medical system, where people are being monetarily preyed upon. Worse yet, the excess billions of dollars reaped by price gouging consumers are used to promote the drugs to even greater extents, through the media or directly to doctors. In this way, Americans are never introduced to effective, evidence-based medicine Brand name drugs penalize consumers because of market exclusivity. Pharmaceutical manufacturers in the US block out competition because of patents, while cheaper generic drugs or holistic therapies are suppressed out of the marketplace. Buyers are not allowed to negotiate the price of drugs freely because of the restrictive patent laws. Also, price negotiations cannot be made because information on similar generic drugs cannot be compared to the patented name brand drugs.Because of these competition-stifling rules, the price of brand name drugs in the US surged 164 percent between 2008 and 2015. Obviously the pharmaceutical industry in this country is not a free market that allows for open competition in helping people get well. Medicine in the US is dominated by brand name drugs that the laws give market exclusivity to.To put these numbers in perspective, Americans spend $858 per capita on prescription drugs. Nineteen other industrialized nations, on average, spend about half that or $400 per capita. The 20 most popular name brand drugs are three times pricier in the US than in the UK. In these other countries negotiations are allowed; in the US, the drug manufacturers set the prices. Negotiations are blocked and insurers are restricted from fighting for the best deals. This is why medicines like insulin for diabetes increased 300 percent between 2002 and 2013. It is also why cancer treatments are debuting at over $100,000, and insurance rates are skyrocketing to cover the rising costs. Not only is the medical system ignoring the root cause of health issues today, but the drug makers are running the show, pushing out competition, blocking negotiations and shoving their junk science into patients' bodies.Doctors often follow along with this brand name domination, ignoring cheaper, comparable drugs with the same effects. This drug-intensive approach also blinds patients and their doctors from seeking alternative methods of natural healing that are restorative to the whole body and cheaper in the long run.In 2004, two tireless researchers from York University found that the US Pharmaceutical industry spends $57.5 billion annually on drug promotion and advertisement, double what the companies spend on actual research. As the researchers explained, this is equivalent to spending $61,000 per US physician just to promote the drugs. This fact alone reveals thatin the drugs andare the real driving forces behind pharmaceutical sales. Because of this, people are not being introduced to evidence-based medicine, but are being brainwashed into accepting the notion that they have chronic diseases, only manageable through synthetic pills. Many physicians become the middle men, only peddling what they are paid to prescribe While emergency medicine has its place, the pharmaceutical industry as a whole does nothing more than prey on people's minds and their lack of understanding of nutrition utilization and detoxification optimization. This inconvenient truth is evidenced by the statistics. Pharmaceutical " medicine " is a hundred billion dollar industry, but the chronic health problems in the country are only getting worse. Diabetes, heart disease, obesity, neurological dysfunction, behavioral problems and immune system deficiency are all on the rise. The pharmaceutical industry diverts people away from the root causes of their health problems, blocking price negotiations and forbidding competition from cheaper drugs and alternative healing modalities. (NaturalNews) In recent days, central bankers from several Western nations met in Jackson Hole, Wy., and issued a common plea to their respective governments : "Help."The message should have resonated much louder and further than it did, but its importance was lost on an illiterate mainstream media and a distracted public. What central bankers from the United States, Japan and Europe weresaying is that they've run out of ideas about how to lift their respective economies out of their cycle of low-to-no growth.In short, nothing they have tried over the past several years since the Great Recession has worked to stimulate and grow their economies. If the people who are supposed to be the best economic minds on the planet don't know what else to do, then you can be sure that a collapse is already on its way . The only question now isit will hit.When it does, Americans in particular will face a series of crises that most of us will be unable to mitigate, though those of us who have spent the past few years preparing will be better off than most.In no particular order, the crises all of us will face are:Most Americans never think about going hungry because a) there are supermarkets all over the place, and b) even if you don't have a job the government will provide you with the means to purchase food, via tax-supported entitlement programs. But what most don't realize is that food logistic chains in the U.S. are so fragile that no U.S. city will be able to feed its population in the event of an collapse. Hunger will lead scores to raid store shelves, emptying them in a matter of minutes. After that, the only food that will be available to anyone who has not stocked up on long-term storable foods or who has no ability to grow some will be whatever is trucked in by the government. And since the economic collapse will be nationwide, the government's ability to distribute food will be maxed out immediately.In a collapse situation, expect widespread looting and rioting which will also put a major strain on available public services, including fire, EMS and police. Anyone who does not have the ability to protect and defend themselves will be at greater risk, and that is likely to be, especially those living in large gun-free zones called American cities. Healthcare services will also be heavily strained, if they don't collapse outright.An economic collapse will mean that, overnight, unemployment will, reaching 50, 60, 70 percent or higher. This will only add to the panic and social chaos and unrest, as tens of millions of Americans take to the streets as a means of trying to support themselves and their families. Regular employment will take months or even years to return, as millions of small, medium and large businesses go bust. The only "economy" that will emerge in the short- to mid-term is a barter economy , so it's best now to begin collecting items that are very useful to barter.With little to no money to spend, Americans won't be able to afford gasoline for their vehicles. Companies won't be able to buy fuel for their transport services, and public transportation will also likely collapse because cities will devolve into war zones. Having alternative forms of transportation like gas-sipping motorcycles and scooters, or even bicycles will be a major benefit to you.This might actually be the least of your worries. If the economy goes belly up and you lose your job, the bank may come after your house, or it may not. In 2007/8 during the height of the Great Recession, foreclosures skyrocketed, a phenomenon that went on for years afterward . But a great collapse will lead to far more loan defaults than what took place then. What will banks do with so much excess property on their hands? They won't be able to sell it, so it's possible they won't act to foreclose on it. But if they do, you're going to need to find somewhere to go. (NaturalNews) Jodi Huggett, a mother of two from North East Lincolnshire, was wrongfully prescribed chemotherapy treatments she did not need. After undergoing four grueling treatments, Mrs. Huggett discovered her doctor hadn't even conducted basic research to determine the best line of treatment for her specific type of cancer.The 41-year-old was diagnosed with a low-grade cancerous growth in her colon. She underwent surgery to have the tumor removed, and several rounds of chemo were prescribed as follow-up treatment. Mrs. Huggett suffered anaphylactic shock twice while receiving her chemo treatments, but still managed to brave through the therapy week after week. However, when approaching her fifth treatment, Mrs. Huggett decided to do some more research to see if it was all really necessary.Her research confirmed her worst fears: She had been made to suffer through weeks of arduous chemotherapy treatments for no reason. Basic guidelines suggested that chemotherapy wasn't even necessary for the type of cancer she had. Mrs. Huggett found a specialist center called the Royal Free Hospital, which is located in London, and contacted them to see about getting a second opinion.Mrs. Huggett told, "They told me chemotherapy never has and never will be proven to work on a tumour like the one I had and the only way it would have been required was for a palliative care patient, which I wasn't." She told the news outlet that she was both heartbroken and shocked that she had truly been given treatment that was totally unnecessary.The Royal Free Hospital contacted Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Castle Hill Hospital where Mrs. Huggett was treated, and politely informed them that they were treating their patient incorrectly.Mrs. Huggett has taken legal action against the Hull and East Trust, and will receive compensation for her suffering. The Trust conceded that: "The oncologist failed to consider accepted UK and European guidelines with regards to the most suitable course of treatment." Hull and East also admitted that the decision to offer chemotherapy violated the hospital's duty of care.Mrs. Huggett suffered from an array of side effects following her chemotherapy treatments, including coldness of the lips, fingers and toes, fatigue, and tingling sensations. She is absolutely disgusted by what she was forced to endure, and by all of the needless treatment costs. In addition to being an unnecessary burden for Huggett, she notes that it was also a tremendous waste of NHS resources. Fortunately, Mrs. Huggett was declared totally cancer-free by the specialists at Royal Free Hospital, and hopefully won't ever have to deal with such horrible treatment again.Chemotherapy is widely used but is not effective for many types of cancer . A 2004 study published by the journalrevealed that of all adult cancers in the USA, chemotherapy's contribution to 5-year-survival rates was only about 2.1 percent. Australians didn't fare much better, with a meager 2.3 percent contribution to their 5-year-survival rate. Australian researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre of the Royal North Shore Hospital gathered data on 22 major malignancies from both the US and Australia. They sought to determine chemotherapy's contribution to the five-year-survival rate, and their results were really quite shocking; chemo doesn't seem to provide much benefit at all. In their conclusion, the study authors stated: "As the 5-year relative survival rate for cancer in Australia is now over 60%, it is clear that cytotoxic chemotherapy only makes a minor contribution to cancer survival."The researchers also called for a "rigorous evaluation" of the cost-efficiency of chemotherapy, as well its impact on quality of life. Will science ever dare to suggest that chemotherapy has actually been harming thousands of people for no reason? The world's first ever contemporary art exhibit for dogs happened a few weeks ago in London. The designs and artworks were done by British contemporary artist Dominic Wilcox with the help of veterinarians and dog experts Wilcox created a lot of interactive installations that will not only delight dogs but will also stimulate them physically and mentally, according to Bored Panda. This fun exhibit is produced by the company More Than for their #PlayMore campaign. According to their website, the exhibit is part of #PlayMore, which encourages dog and cat owners to "spend more time playing with their pets." The company believes that through playing, pets are stimulated physically and mentally. And, of course, healthy pets are happy pets. "Just because dogs can't speak our human language doesn't mean they don't feel the same emotions and enjoy seeing and experiencing new and interesting things," Wilcox said. "Since humans have so many art galleries to visit I thought it's a good time to create an exhibition just for them." A dog lover himself, Wilcox created a fun world for pets. His interactive installations are based on dog activities. Some of the fun installations include a 10-feet-wide dog dive-in full of 1,000 dog balls, a screen that shows a frisbee that can stimulate dogs, dancing water jets where water goes from one bowl to another and even paintings that is patterned with dog's visual spectrum that are situated on the floor to reach the animal's eye level. One of the highlights of the art exhibit is a cut-out car, where a dog's head can pop out while a giant fan blows scents of old shoes and raw car. Wilcox said, "Contemporary art has long been an important source of inspiration and fascination for humans, but never before has it been created with a view to drawing the same kind of emotions out of animals instead." "While it's certainly one of the more interesting challenges I've faced in my career... I'm looking forward to seeing how many tail wags I get in approval!," he told Lonely Planet. The oldest known fossil in the world has been found in Greenland by researchers and is believed to be 3.7 billion years ago, which is 220 million years earlier than the prior oldest known fossil found in Australia. Science Daily reports that the fossils they found are stromatolites, which are formed by ancient microbes. The researchers discovered the stromatolites embedded in the world's oldest sedimentary rocks found in Isua Greenstone Belt. This is along the edge of Greenland's ice cap. Physically, stromatolites look like "domes and mounds" embedded on flat rocks. These stromatolites are formed by ancient microbes that lived in large mats that created "sticky mucus," which catch sand grains and minerals. Bacteria will soon shift upwards as they continue to grow. This process will leave "layers of minerals, which will then solify to what wee see as domes and mounds today. Professor Nutman from UOW's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who also led the research, said, "The significance of stromatolites is that not only do they provide obvious evidence of ancient life that is visible with the naked eye ,but that they are complex ecosystems." Nutman also said the stromatolites they discovered reveals that even 3.7 billion years ago, there is diversity in microbial life. He also added that life was materialized during the Earth's first few hundred million years, which is aligned with the biologists calculations that reveals "the great antiquity of life's genetic code." Due to its importance, identifying stromatolites is heavily scrutinized by experts. There are even long debates about any newly discovered stromatolites to prove that they are indeed the real deal. There is a possibility that some rocks can be similar with stromatolites yet they aren't made by ancient microbes, according to The Atlantic. Live Science notes that the latest findings will now agree with theories that suggest that Earth appeared during the Hadean eon. This period happened more than 4 billion years ago and is believed that during this era, Earth was clobbered by icy comets and large meteorites and was also in the midst of excruciating volcanic activity. During this period, ancient bodies of water on Earth's surface were created. As each month of 2016 continues to shatter world records with their warming temperatures, a top climate scientist from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said the Earth is actually experiencing a warming at an "unprecedented pace" in the last 1,000 years. The Guardian reported that this trend will make it "very unlikely" to meet the 1.5-degree-Celsius limit set and agreed by different countries in the Paris climate accord in December last year. An analysis of ice cores and sediments suggests that the global warming that we currently experience is beyond anything that we had in the past millennium. "There's no period that has the trend seen in the 20th century in terms of the inclination [of temperatures]," Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies, told The Guardian. With each warming month, Schmidt said there is a 99 percent chance that 2016 will be the warmest year on record, beating last year's temperature--which itself broke the benchmark set in 2014. "There's no pause or hiatus in temperature increase," he said. "This is a chronic problem for society in the next 100 years." Temperature reconstructions done by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed warming temperatures that rose by between 4 to 7 degrees Celsius over a period of 5 millennia or 5,000 years. The rising temperatures, however, recorded in the past century is nearly 10 times faster. NASA's website lists evidence showing the severity and seriousness of this rapid climate change. The warming that we currently experience severely impacts our planet and our existence, as seen from the fast-rising sea levels, shrinking ice sheets and glaciers, extreme weather conditions and ocean acidification. There have been records of species being wiped out due to the drastic effects of climate change. One such example is the bramble cay, an Australian rodent that lived in a small outcrop in the Great Barrier Reef. It is documented as the first mammal whose extinction can be blamed on human-induced climate change. The Western Australia dibbler was thought to be extinct. However, after nearly 20 years of the repopulation program, Perth Zoo celebrated the birth of the 1000th baby dibbler named Miles. The little marsupial's numbers dwindled in the region due to predators and loss habitatss, but things are looking up due to the efforts of environmentalists and zoos. According to a report from ABC News, hitting 1,000 was such a significant milestone in the zoo's thrust to re-establish the numbers of the dibbler in Western Australia that the zookeepers decided to name the newborn, which is something they do not usually practice. Meet 'Miles' the 1000th Dibbler born here at the Zoo https://t.co/mBqn9PywPL pic.twitter.com/2RAvfeRCFB Perth Zoo (@PerthZoo) September 1, 2016 Perth Zoo has little time to get attached to four-month-old Miles and his seven siblings as the group only has weeks to go before the animals are scheduled to be released into the wild. So far, the breeding program has released about 850 dibblers. "They're not with us for long and that's good because they need to get back into the wild and display their natural behaviour," zookeeper Leslie Shaw said. "They're strong and tough little creatures and they deserve a lot of credit. They're very little but in the scheme of things they're a pretty big thing out there." Dibblers only have a small window for mating, which likely plays a part in their slow breeding. In another report from ABC News, supervisor of the native species breeding program at Perth Zoo Cathy Lambert explained that the size of the male and female dibblers play an important role in reproduction. "With dibbler mating, it only works if the male is bigger than the female," she said. "She will reject any dibbler that she can fight off, the strategy being that she wants, presumably, the biggest strongest male to sire her young. If he can't overpower her, it won't work." If you've ever wanted to be part of NASA, now is your chance. NASA has developed an app that would urge citizens to become scientists whenever and wherever they are -- all with the use of their smartphone. In over 110 schools for 20 years, NASA's Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program has been aiding students in understanding the local environment in a more global sense. For the space agency to help students and citizens in understanding the environment even more, they released the GLOBE Observer app. The GLOBE observer app allows users to capture images of the clouds in their environment. These images would then be shared to scientists who study the climate of the Earth. Eventually, the GLOBE app will also be used to observe land cover, which would aid in identifying the types of mosquito larvae. "With the launch of GLOBE Observer, the GLOBE program is expanding beyond the classroom to invite everyone to become a citizen Earth scientist," stated Holli Riebeek Kohl, NASA lead of GLOBE Observer. What exactly is the purpose of GLOBE? One is aside from being able to collect solid scientific data, second, it would increase the awareness of the user regarding his or her own environment. "Once you collect environmental observations with the app, they are sent to the GLOBE data and information system for use by scientists and students studying the Earth. You can also use these observations for your own investigations and interact with a vibrant community of individuals from around the world who care about Earth system science and our global environment," explained Kohl. NASA's GLOBE team has challenged interested citizens to use the app and make their own amazing discoveries. Download the app for the IOS on the App Store. An Android version is also made available for download on Google Play. Jewelry pieces designed by Shirley Zhang. [Photo provided to China Daily] Western brands like Cartier and Tiffany have been sought after for years in China, but now they are going to be joined by a slew of new designer brands. The Shenzhen Hemei Group announced in Hong Kong on Aug 29 that it has formed a strategic alliance with Bluebell Group, a Hong Kong-based branding company, and investment firm Orion Partners, to tap the consumer goods market in China. The three have formed a new company that will find and nurture indigenous designer jewelry brands, as well as overseas ones. The company has named Chinese jewelry designer Shirley Zhang as its creative director. As of now, the new company has signed up more than 30 designers from China and Europe to help build brands for the Chinese market. Of the three companies that have come together to form the new venture, Hemei seems like the most unlikely. Hemei, a leading manufacturer of smart electric meters, however, got its first taste of fashion through Make Lumer, an affordable diamond brand, and apparently liked it. The company is now also involved in tourism, capital management and new energy. In the face of the ongoing climate change, it has become increasingly important to look back at how our ancestors behaved when going through a climate change event so that we might learn from their history. Climate change has been lauded as one of the main factors of progress in technology and culture during the stone age. A team of scientists from Norway, South Africa and the U.K. did a comprehensive study on the link between climate change and progress. Their research was published in the journal PLOS ONE. "While acknowledging that climate and environmental shifts may have influenced human subsistence strategies, the research suggests climate change may not have been the driving factor behind cultural and technological innovations in these localities and encourage context-specific evaluation of the role of climate change in driving early human experimentation," co-author and professor from the Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion at the University of Bergen (UiB) Christopher S. Henshilwood said in a news release. "Climate change alone cannot explain why innovation takes place and our research shows that innovation is not dependent on climatic and environmental instability," he added. Technological and cultural innovations during the stone age spanned from agricultural settlements to making tools out of bone and wood. Symbolic expression and jewelry making also appeared for the first time. The team analyzed animal remains in South Africa from 98,000 to 59,000 years ago in order to learn about climate and environmental changes that had happened in the region. They found no link between the changes observed and our ancestor's progress. Karen L. van Niekerk, co-author and postdoctoral Fellow from the Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion at UiB, said their research indicated innovation was more likely related to "changes in long-distance contact, socio-cultural interactions and population movements." UFO hunters have spotted another alleged unidentified flying object (UFO) hovering above the International Space Station (ISS). Based on the footage enhanced by UFO hunters, there were two flashing lights visible near the ISS. Because the sources of lights were unidentified, UFO hunters claimed that it was from UFOs closely monitoring the ISS. UFO hunters have long believed that extraterrestrial life exists. Alongside their belief, they have blatantly accused NASA of covering up the instances when evidence of alien life has been captured by the agency's own cameras. This wasn't the first instance that conspiracy theorists accused NASA of a cover-up. Earlier this year, NASA's ISS live feed was unintentionally cut due to loss of signal, but alien hunters claimed that the feed was cut when an unidentified object appeared on the screen. The two UFOs discussed were seen from a NASA footage, edited and enhanced by YouTube user Streetcap1. The video has been viewed by thousands of enthusiasts. In the video, the lights were seen traveling around a resupply cargo docked to the ISS. Of course, alien hunters will affirm that what was seen in the video is indeed proof that aliens exist. "The first UFO is smaller... which tells me it's father away than the second larger UFO," Scott Waring, a UFO hunter said in a statement. Waring even compared the images of the UFO from a former object seen in older footage, saying that the same object was already seen in space before. For years, NASA has been accused of covering up UFO sighting. But science has always found a logical explanation to most alleged UFO sighting there is. During the ISS incident seen during a live feed, alien hunters claim that there was a UFO hovering on the screen. But NASA experts say that the image is not a UFO but a reflection of the metallic surface of the ISS. Some say that it the two UFO's spotted recently might have been caused by the same reflective properties of the ISS. Meanwhile, the Earth-like planet Proxima b might also be an interest to alien hunters, as the planet is believed to have the ability to retain liquid water that makes it a candidate in searching for alien life forms. On Friday, the east Coast of New Zealand's North Island was shaken by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, the biggest to hit the region in 20 years. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake hit 105 miles northeast of the city of Gisborne and had a depth of 19.1 miles. New Zealand Herald said in total, the quake which struck at 4:37 a.m. left 1,000 homes without power. One hundred forty aftershocks, nearly 100 magnitude 3 or above were also noted. "There's big cracks in the ceiling beams, about 40cms long. There's also cracks in the walls and the water tanks are hammered. The tanks have got cracks in the top and bottom, and they're both leaking water. They'll need to be replaced," Anton McKay, who lives near Gisborne, told the news site. A report by The Independent said that following the strong tremors, an "initial potential warning" covering the east coast of the North Island and the upper South Island was made 90 minutes after the quake as a 30 centimeter-wave was detected near the east coast. The tsunami warning was lifted hours after. The ministry of civil defense and its scientific advisors are still evaluating the severity of the tsunami threat. Meanwhile, no injury was reported. Officials said it is now safe Gisborne residents to return, but emphasized that they must stay away from beaches. The ministry's statement read: The State Bar of California announced this week that for the first time in almost 20 years, it will ask the state Supreme Court for authority to collect attorneys' dues next year. The announcement comes after a bill aimed at reforming the bar failed to pass through the states most recent legislative session, which ended on Wednesday. The bill, SB-846, sought to divide the bar into two agencies, since it currently serves as both a trade group for lawyers and a regulatory body that is supposed to discipline attorneys. The bill called for a shake up on the bars board of trustees, calling for the majority of seats to be held by those who dont practice law. It also included a proposal to determine the bars annual dues. Those dues are paid by all lawyers in the state, and must be approved by the legislature each year. According to a statement issued by the California State Bar on Thursday, the agency will ask for a court decision by early December so that fees can be collected on the usual schedule. The State Bars mission is public protection and we will continue to prioritize that work with as little disruption as possible, said Elizabeth Parker, the executive director of the State Bar of California. Were going to get through this. The California State Bar has come under harsh criticism in recent months over mismanagement and misspending. Last week, the Investigative Unit revealed that a recent state audit shows the agency is overpaying its employees, all while the bars fund to repay victims of corrupt lawyers is millions of dollars short. The audit points to a lack of transparency and inappropriate financial decisions that the agency tried to keep hidden from lawmakers. According to the May 2016 state audit, not only did [the California State Bar] fail to take steps to address the problem or to communicate the funds true financial situation, it did the opposite. In May, the Investigative Unit revealed how the bar was accused of failing to keep watch over some of the states worst attorneys. According to a separate state audit released in June 2015, in trying to clear its backlog of consumer complaints against attorneys, the bar allowed some lawyers to continue practicing, even though they should have been disciplined or disbarred. Flights between San Jose and Shanghai were launched Thursday and will link two high-tech cities, airport officials said. The trips operated by Air China will be offered on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Mineta San Jose International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The first flight from Shanghai arrived Thursday morning in San Jose where it was welcomed by Mayor Sam Liccardo, Aviation Director Kim Becker, Consul General of China in San Francisco Luo Linquan and Air China executives, airport officials said. There were also lion dancers in colorful costumes at the arrivals gate area for international flights, according to airport officials. "We congratulate Air China on inaugurating nonstop service between San Jose and Shanghai, and for marking an additional milestone in launching its first flight from Shanghai to North America, via Silicon Valley's airport," Liccardo said in a statement. "Our technology companies have enthusiastically asked for this nonstop service, and I know through their support this flight to China's major center of commerce will be a success," Liccardo said. The nonstop service will be made on a modern Airbus A330-200 with 237 seats divided between 30 full flat bed seats and 207 economy seats, airport officials said. The new connection marks Air China's 10th stop in North America and Mineta San Jose's eighth international nonstop destination, according to airport officials. "Shanghai is ranked in the top five most requested international business destinations by Silicon Valley travelers in a corporate survey conducted by SJC's community partners, and our community is delighted this flight is now offered at SJC," Becker said in a statement. "Air China's new service is expected to bring an estimated $65 million annually in economic investment to the San Jose area," Becker said. Two high-ranking Democrats from California had sharp words Thursday in response to Donald Trump's immigration speech a day earlier. University of California President Janet Napolitano and Sen. Barbara Boxer were at the UC Berkeley campus Thursday for an event honoring Boxer's career. Boxer, who is retiring from public office after a 40-year career, said she has never seen a presidential nominee quite like Trump. "You dont call people rapist and criminals and say they are taking jobs away and then stand for 20 minutes next to the president of Mexico and have that erased," Boxer said. She was referring to the Republican presidential nominee's Wednesday speech, during which he repeated his promise to build a wall on the border. Napolitano, formerly the governor of Arizona, was equally critical, calling Trump's meeting in Mexico a lost opportunity. "Show me a 10-foot wall, Ill show you a 12-foot ladder," she said. "Thats just not the way you do immigration and immigration enforcement." Republican Assembly Chairman Leo Lacayo answered with a shot at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. "The missed opportunity was Mrs. clinton, who refused to go either for health reasons or personal reasons," Lacayo said. "She doesnt think Mexico's important enough." Lacayo, a Latino activist, says Trumps take-no-prisioners immigration speech is more proof he should be our next president. "This speech is meant to put fear into the hearts and souls of criminals and to soothe those that may otherwise have fears of being deported," he said. Boxer announced that shell be donating her congressional papers and memorabilia to UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library. She also said she intends to launch a lecture series at the library that will focus on women in leadership. A computer programmer was arrested in Florida Sunday on suspicion of damaging four servers in the Bay Area, according to U.S. Department of Justice officials. Donald Ryan Austin, a 27-year-old El Portal, Florida, resident, is suspected of installing malicious software on the servers. He allegedly gained unauthorized access to the servers operated by the Linux Kernel Organization by using another person's credentials, officials said. Austin used that access to install malicious rootkit and Trojan software, in addition to other changes. Austin first appeared in federal court in Miami on Aug. 29. He was released on $50,000 bail Thursday. His next scheduled appearance is in San Francisco, at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 21, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim. If convicted, Austin faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each intentional transmission causing damage to a protected computer. Austin is suspected of committing four counts of such transmissions. Convicted sex offender Brock Turner is expected to return to his native Ohio after being released from jail on Friday, but that news has caused some unease in his hometown. The ex-Stanford University swimmer will be freed after serving just three months of his six-month sentence for three felony counts of sexual assault, which stemmed from his attack on an intoxicated and unconscious woman after a fraternity party. Santa Clara County sheriff's deuputies were setting up barricades late Thursday night marking the path Turner will take out of the Main Jail in San Jose. Hundreds of media and protesters are expected at the scene for his early morning release. Sheriff Laurie Smith said she couldn't recall another case in which such barriers were required for the release of one inmate. "We just want to make sure that he's directed the right way," Smith said. Turner is being let out early on good behavior and hundreds are expected to rally on the jailhouse steps. Michele Dauber, who chairs the Committee to Recall Judge Aaron Persky, will be among them. "The message that Judge Persky sent, not just to Mr. Turner, but to all other potential perpetrators at Stanford and other colleges is, 'Dont worry. This isnt serious,'" Dauber said. Emily Strobach, a student at University of Dayton, Ohio, said "it's ridiculous that [Turner] didn't receive a longer sentence." A summer in jail was not enough time for Turner to think about what he did, according to Strobach, who has been following the case closely. Turner's hometown of Oakwood is just a few miles away from the university campus. "I don't want him anywhere near us," Strobach said. Fellow student Nicole Hamburg agreed. "Its kind of scary to know he is going to be out on the streets again," she said. "He could do the same thing potentially." A two-page probation record document reveals that Turner, who must register as a sex offender for life, will be banned from doing drugs or drinking alcohol for the three years he's on probation. Police also can search him or his property at any time without a warrant. He must complete a sex offender management program for at least one year. During that time, he'll have to take lie detector tests, but Turner is not prohibited from interacting with minors. Anticipating a large, emotional crowd at the jail on Friday, Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, who insists that Turner will not receive special treatment, plans to increase the number of deputies on duty. They will be present simply to ensure the protest remains peaceful, she said. Meanwhile, Senator Jim Beall of Campbell is supporting two bills currently on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk that would require prison time for sexual offenses against unconscious or mentally disabled people. It's about time, millions of survivors and their families believe. "Its insulting to women that our judicial system doesnt take rape seriously," Strobach said. San Francisco sheriff's deputies are looking for a man who was mistakenly released from county jail on Wednesday night, a sheriff's spokeswoman said Thursday. Victor Rodriguez, 20, was in court on Wednesday to be sentenced on charges related to threats against law enforcement, San Francisco Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Eileen Hearst said. The judge upheld a motion to revoke Rodriguez's probation for three months but dismissed a charge relating to the threats. But the court's clerk erroneously filed paperwork indicating that both charges had been dismissed and Rodriguez was released at about 10 p.m., Hearst said. The error was discovered at about 8 a.m. and the sheriff's department alerted Bay Area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for him. Rodriguez is described as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with ear-length black hair, brown eyes and clean-shaven, sheriff's officials said. Inside San Mateos Bay Meadows community, there is shock and disgust over a possible new neighbor: a 5-million-gallon sewage storage basin. City Hall maintains there has been a misunderstanding about a $900 million Clean Water Program designed to protect public health. Oh my god, were talking about a sewage storage tank. I immediately was extremely upset, Linda Shild-Jones said, after learning about the citys proposal. Bay Meadows, a development featuring $1 million-plus townhomes, borders Bay Meadows Park, one of five locations the city is looking to build a sewage storage basin. Other locations are near: Hillsdale Shopping Center, San Mateo County Event Center, Fiesta Meadows Park and Delaware Street. More than 400 community members have signed an online petition demanding the city involve the community in the decision to build a sewage storage tank from going in down the street. This includes Schild-Jones, who fears the fumes will make her sick again. Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, brain fog just the inability to even function, Schild-Jones said, of her symptoms when she used to live downwind from a capped Palo Alto city dump. However, city engineers say a dump and sewage tank cannot be practically compared. The tank will be sealed, buried underground and have odor filters. Community spaces such as parks and parking lots can be built on top. [Diluted sewage is] less concentrated. Its less likely to have odor. It has positive odor control system, which includes a negative pressure, so it actually pulls the air in and pulls it through a treatment system before its discharged, said Cathi Zammit, manager of the Clean Water Program, explaining fumes are more likely to come from open-air pipe systems currently running under streets. The infrastructure upgrades are part of a state mandate to decrease sanitary sewer overflows. The sewage storage basin is expected to cost in the tens of millions, depending on the size and site. Zammit says the tank will operate only during heavy rain storms to stop raw sewage from bubbling out of manholes, into streets and ultimately into the bay. Its a big health problem, according to Zammit, who says the city has had the most problems at 25th Avenue and Delaware. On dry days, she says the tank will be empty. The proposal's intentions, however, seem to be little comfort to some first-time homeowners who think a sewage tank will tank their home values. It was almost alarming and shocking not to have really been reached out to, Sean Emadzadeh said, who adds the postcard the city sent to residents inviting them to a Clean Water Program community meeting seemed too innocuous to involve a sewage basin. His wife Dana says they would not have bought in Bay Meadows had they been aware of the plan. Were talking about raw sewage waste. So I dont reconcile that with a park full of children or school or any type of community space, Dana Emadzadeh said. Zammit says buried sewage overflow tanks have worked in areas such as Daly City and Seattle. Essentially its not used very often, so its not going to have long-term pressurized liquids sitting in it. So the chances for leakage are minimal, Zammit said. More than 100 community members are expected to attend San Mateos next City Council meeting on Tuesday to voice their concerns. The city says there will be no final decisions until January 2017, and it is still considering alternatives. The five locations were chosen because of proximity to 25th Avenue and Delaware, the area with the most overflow issues. Hours after convicted sex offender Brock Turner was released from the Santa Clara County jail after serving half a six-month sentence on Friday, activists continued their efforts to recall the judge who handed him what they said was a lenient sentence for a Stanford-educated, white man. The protest outside the San Jose jail was organized by the Recall Judge Aaron Persky Campaign, whose members have been vocal and active in trying to get the Santa Clara County Superior Court judge off the bench. "Hey, hey, Judge Persky has got to go!" protesters chanted. Among those calling for a recall were a handful of state and federal legislators. Bike billboards proclaim #PerskyMustGo at rally following Brock Turner release. pic.twitter.com/5C6iXvN1Tm UltraViolet (@UltraViolet) September 2, 2016 Happening now: Rally after Brock Turner early release demanding that Judge Persky must go! pic.twitter.com/KzhNO2ZwWT UltraViolet (@UltraViolet) September 2, 2016 This is about more than just Brock Turner. We need a justice system that puts survivors first. https://t.co/opIqm3MgVz UltraViolet (@UltraViolet) September 2, 2016 "Are you ready to give Judge Persky the early release that he deserves?" asked Congressman Eric Swalwell. "Yes!" came the resounding reply. Persky is "unfit to serve on the bench," stressed California's Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leon. Bob Redell/NBC Bay Area Last month, Persky voluntarily took himself off criminal trials, but still presides of civil cases. "I hope Judge Persky knows he is as much part of the problem as Brock Turner is," rape survivor Kamilah Willingham told the crowd. Activists carried signs that read Stop Judicial Bias and #20Minutes, Protect Women, Recall Persky. The signs referred to what Turner's father wrote the court saying just "20 minutes of action" should not justify a stint in jail. "He was never held accountable," said sexual assault survivor Sofie Karasek. Willingham agreed, saying, Turner "would have been punished more harshly if he had gotten drunk and got into a bar fight that night instead." Bob Redell/NBC Bay Area Many have pointed to white privilege in the case, especially taking aim at what Persky said at sentencing: That he chose to give Turner a six-month sentence because of the severe impact state prison would have on someone Turners age and lack of criminal past. While Stanford University student Stephanie Pham stressed the importance of taking "a stand against this extreme wrongdoing and show that rape will be seen as a crime from now on," Persky launched his own defense. The judge created his own anti-recall website, RetainJudgePersky.com, where he is soliciting donations to fight his recall. On it, Persky does not address the Turner case, but described himself as a fair man who has served the public for 20 years. I believe strongly in judicial independence. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution, not to appease politicians or ideologues. When your own rights and property are at stake, you want the judge to make a fair and lawful decision, free from political influence, the website says. As a judge, I have heard thousands of cases. I have a reputation for being fair to both sides. JJ Kap, an assistant public defender for Santa Clara County, sided with Persky. "He had ample reason to give the sentence that he did," he said. "The fact that some people dont like it is not surprising, but certainly not a reason to have him recalled." Persky is not allowed to comment on the Turner case, as the Mercury News pointed out, because the case will be active until Turner serves three years on probation, starting with his Friday jail release. NBC Bay Area's Bob Redell contributed to this report. "End rape culture" Growing crowd outside the jail where #BrockTurner was released this morning. pic.twitter.com/faoi0M4KSW Michelle Roberts (@TheRobertsM) September 2, 2016 Protest to recall Judge Aaron Persky outside main jail in #SanJose where #BrockTurner was released a few hours ago. pic.twitter.com/p2opy5vhFx Bob Redell (@BobNBC) September 2, 2016 [[392163341, C]] Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, are hitting Chicago this month for a handful of fundraisers, Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Clinton will attend a high-priced fundraiser in the city on Sept. 29, Sweet reports. The event offers a variety of pricing options, with tickets ranging from $2,700 for one ticket to $33,400 per table contributed or raised from other people, which includes a photo-op with the candidate, to $150,000 to contribute or raise, which includes VIP access to Clinton. On Monday, Clinton is scheduled to attend a Labor Day picnic in the Quad Cities alongside Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Tammy Duckworth, among others. Additionally, Kaine is slated to headline a Sept. 14 event at Bill Daleys home. Daley is the brother of former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley. He served as President Barack Obamas former chief of staff and President Bill Clintons former commerce secretary. Tickets for the event range from $10,000 to donate or raise, which includes VIP access, to $50,000 for a photo with the senator. That same day, Kaine will also attend a reception at art dealer Paul Grays home. Tickets for that event range from $5,000, which includes a photo with Kaine, to $7,500 for a photo-op and campaign briefing to $25,000 to donate or raise, which includes access to a VIP reception. Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to host his own big-ticket fundraiser in Bolingbrook on Sept. 12. The investigation into what was believed to be the murder of Fox Lake Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz one year ago did more than anger and embarrass a suburban community. It also cost a lot of money. An analysis of the first response by NBC5 Investigates, shows that at a minimum, that response by area police agencies cost well over $220,000. And the ensuing investigation almost certainly topped $1 million. Out of the 99 agencies which responded on the first day after reports that Gliniewicz had been murdered, 84 replied to Freedom of Information requests filed by NBC5. Those showed that a combined response by over 450 officers, cost over $228,000, factoring in manpower and equipment. That includes 70 troopers from the Illinois State Police, at an estimated cost of $29,079; another 66 officers from the Lake County Sheriff, at $18,334; McHenry County sent 65 officers, at a cost of $21,721. Even tiny Round Lake Beach contributed 5 officers, at an estimated $10,911. But it didnt end there. The task force looking into the Gliniewicz case, borrowed heavily from surrounding agencies during the ensuing 2 month investigation. This was an extremely complex investigation with many moving parts, spokesman Chris Covelli said at the time, wihich resulted in 150 separate investigators spending over 25,000 hours. Multiplied times the average hourly salary for a detective in Lake County, that comes to more than $900,000 in manpower alone. Experts say Gliniewicz almost certainly knew what his colleagues would do when he was planning out his ruse. Former NYPD homicide investigator Vernon Geberth who has studied the Gliniewicz case, says he believes the Fox Lake lieuntendant was especially aware that four law enforcement officers had been murdered across America in the preceding two weeks. And he knew that his colleagues knew it too. I believe Gliniewicz purposely planned this event on September 1st, because the timing was right, Geberth told NBC5. He was cleverly able to psychologically manipulate the first responders in a police homicide mode, due to the killings of four police officers in the line of duty during August of 2015. In other words, believing cop killers were on the loose, Gliniewicz knew his colleagues would pull out all the stops. And they did. Problem is, Geberth said, there was initially no adequate incident command at the scene. The responding officers were advised to use caution due to the possibility that the offenders were still in the area, he notes, resulting in what he called a police panic. It wasnt until the Lake County Illinois Sheriffs office arrived, that things began to become organized. Gliniewicz was able to create this perfect storm of police confusion, he said. He had effectively manipulated the entire event predicated upon law enforcements reaction to recent events at the time. Two bodies were found inside a burning minivan in Little Village early Friday, according to police. Firefighters were called to the 3100 block of South Harding Avenue around 12:30 a.m. after nearby restaurant workers noticed a maroon minivan that was set ablaze, police said. After putting out the flames, crews found two people dead, according to police. Both bodies were sitting in the front seats of the vehicle that had been parked outside El Progresso grocery store on the corner of West 31st Street and South Harding Avenue, authorities said. The victims were so badly burned that they could not be removed from the scene, police said, and the vehicle was towed to the medical examiners office. Community activist Raul Montes told NBC5 residents should be outraged enough to come forward with information. Theres been shootings in the area, gang activity, gang retaliation. But to have somebody You know, two bodies burnt alive in a vehicle. I mean, thats totally beyond comprehension. Officials were working Friday to identify the remains and cause of the deaths. Another report of a creepy clown encounter has surfaced, this time in Columbus, Ohio. A 14-year-old student at Columbus North International School was on his way to a bus stop Tuesday, around 6:15 a.m., when a man in a clown mask, dressed in all black, chased him with knife, NBC affiliate WCMH reported. Police told NBC News the teen managed to get away by throwing a rock at the attacker. Authorities are still canvassing the area in search of the suspect and said they will keep a close eye on the bus stop where the incident occurred. "We don't know whether this was a prank or not, but we are taking it seriously," police spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis said. President Donald Trump on Thursday declared Hillary Clinton's defeat in November "the greatest loss in the history of American politics," while painting the Russia investigation as a "total fabrication" by Democrats to distract from their defeat and lack of message. "The reason why Democrats only talk about the totally made up Russia story is because they have no message, no agenda and no vision," Trump told a raucous crowd of supporters gathered for a campaign rally-style event in Huntington, West Virginia, NBC News reported. The attack follows multiple reports in recent weeks of menacing clowns lurking in the woods in Greenvile, South Carolina, allegedly offering kids money to follow them to an abandoned house. Alex-Bouzounis told NBC News the department is aware of the South Carolina reports but is "investigating locally" for now. The Greenville County Sheriff's Office said it has boosted patrols around the Fleetwood Manor apartment complex after it learned that men opened fire into woods behind the complex last week. Residents told a deputy that the men were spooked by what an incident report described as "recent clown activity." A purported picture of one of the clowns which NBC News hasn't been able to verify was posted Tuesday to Twitter. just spotted a major freak behind fleetwood apts. #WTF pic.twitter.com/StN0VzLNY2 Kevin Thoman (@kevthoman) August 30, 2016 According to an incident report, multiple residents, some of them children, said they saw the clowns, brandishing flashing green laser lights and creeping around complex on the night of Aug. 21. Some of the kids said the clowns showed them "large amounts of money." A Colorado Army post is holding a memorial for a soldier from Illinois who died in a noncombat incident in Afghanistan. Thirty-six-year-old Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Wilbur of Granite City will be honored Thursday in a service at Fort Carson, Colorado, his home post. The Defense Department says Wilbur died Aug. 12 in Kandahar. The cause of death wasn't released. He was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, part of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson. Chicago ended its deadliest month in two decades Wednesday and as the number of deaths continues to climb, so do the number of cases that need solving in the city. With 90 murders and 472 shooting victims in August alone, investigators face a daunting challenge as they try catch those responsible for the city's spiking violence. According to FBI data, Chicago has had one of the lowest homicide clearance rates in the country over the past 10 years, when compared to the 10 largest cities. "This year we can expect a clearance rate under 30 percent with regard to homicides," said Arthur Lurigio, a criminology professor at Loyola University. "That means 7 out of 10 homicides do not eventuate in an arrest." The last 31 days saw the most killings in one month since June 1996. "I'm sick and tired of it and everybody in Chicago should be sick and tired of it," Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said before repeating his claims that the violence in the city is perpetuated by repeat gun offenders. "I have to keep going back to the fact that the entire city of Chicago is not at risk for these types of things," he said. Johnson, who is working with local officials to draft a bill that would encourage higher sentencings for repeat gun offenders, said just 15 percent of the victims of violence so far this year were "the good people of Chicago." The remaining 85 percent were "the same group of people that choose that lifestyle." The spiking violence numbers have prompted calls for city officials to bring in the national guard. "We have the fire of violence and gunfire, we have the flood of blood in our streets and we have communities that look like third world countries, look like it must have had a tornado that hit it or a hurricane," outspoken priest Father Michael Pfleger said during a rally at his South Side church Wednesday. "You cant tell people to take pride in your neighborhood when your neighborhood looks like it's been abandoned and its not part of the United States of America." But Johnson, along with Gov. Bruce Rauner, have denied that the national guard will help the situation in Chicago. "Theyre not trained to deal with domestic issues like this," Johnson said. "They dont have arrest powers, theres just too much that could go into that that I dont think would benefit us." Rauner said the idea "wouldn't make sense," adding that "no thoughtful leader thinks that's a good idea or would really provide a solution." He said his team has analyzed and discussed the idea, but, "in fact, it may exacerbate the other problems. So, nobody thinks that's a good idea." According to Chicago police statistics, there have been 2,346 shooting incidents and more than 470 homicides so far this year. That's more killings than New York City and Los Angeles combined. Authorities have blamed access to illegal guns, repeat offenders and not enough penalties for gun offenses for the citys rising number of shootings. "The solution is right in front of our faces, we just have to make a choice to deal with it," Johnson said, noting that several cities have stricter penalties for gun offenders than Chicago. "All Im asking for is to hold the repeat gun offenders. Im not trying to cast a net over the city of Chicago but the guys that continually show us that they dont respect the rules those are the ones we should go after," he added. Karen Harold of suburban Palatine said she can have peace of mind knowing that her elderly mothers Medicaid situation is finally being resolved. But she said the government should be held accountable for putting her mother through a bureaucratic loop. It has been more difficult than I could ever anticipate, Harold said. Harolds 89-year-old mother, Rosemary, broke her wrist last year and ended up in several nursing homes that required immediate pay. That caused her money to run out a little bit quicker than we thought it would, Harold said. So when she tried getting her mother approved for Medicaid to help cover the cost of nursing home care, the government informed them that Rosemary could be approved if she spent down $23,718 on medical expenses, including doctor bills and nursing home services. Illinois spenddown program helps some people who have too much income or too many assets to qualify for Medicaid. It works like an insurance deductible, where an individual can be approved for Medicaid by paying for the cost of personal medical care up to a set amount each month. (The process is outlined by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.) The government wants to ensure that people are not misspending Medicaid funds, so they want to make sure that monies that people may have are spent towards their care, said John Vrba, president of Illinois Health Care Association, a group that represents more than 500 licensed and certified long-term care facilities and programs for the developmentally disabled. Vrba said the state may perform a five year look back. Did you gift out $50,000 to a favorite grandson or did you pay for a kids college education, that would be a misappropriation of funds, Vrba said. However, Harold said her mother had already met the required spend down amount by the time she started the application process in February. She said she contacted the Illinois Department of Human Services, which takes applications for Medicaid, to get answers. I was trying to reach out to somebody who could help me find out where they got that figure, how they determined it and how I could provide information to show them that that figure was inaccurate, Harold said. I would call DHS and get passed from person to person, leave messages. No one would call me back. A DHS spokesperson could not comment on Rosemarys application process due to privacy laws. However, DHS said applying for Medicaid can be a complicated process. They said if an applicant has questions about a spend down amount, they can file an appeal within sixty days. NBC 5 Responds notified the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding Rosemarys situation in May. Harold said she received an email from the government the next day. She said her mother was finally approved for Medicaid the next month. She said Rosemarys coverage is retroactive to April. However, she is waiting for confirmation that the coverage will be retroactive to January. Harold said she learned some confusion in the application process stemmed from a burial policy for which she gave her mother the money to purchase and whether that could be counted toward her spend down. Still, Harold said it is accurate to report that her mother potentially saved $15,000 after NBC 5 Responds got involved. The fact that Medicaid can keep her there and I dont have to worry about her, the family doesnt have to worry about her, is a huge relief for us, Harold said. Harold said she urges families in similar situations to hire a professional to help navigate the Medicaid process. DHS also urges applicants to check with the state to learn if and how a medical expense can be counted toward a spend down. Meanwhile, Vrba cited a study that shows Illinois ranks toward the bottom in state Medicaid reimbursement. He said this impacts both care facilities and families. The state is looking very closely at these dollars and sometimes potentially not treating the family the way they should be treated, Vrba said. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the study. A man accused of pelting the Ohio home of a former neighbor with eggs more than 100 times over a year has pleaded guilty to a charge of inducing panic. Cuyahoga County court records show 31-year-old Jason Kozan pleaded guilty Thursday to the misdemeanor charge. He was charged in March with vandalizing Albert Clemens Sr.'s home in the Cleveland suburb of Euclid. Kozan told WEWS-TV earlier he wasn't responsible for egging the house. Clemens, Sr. told Cleveland.com in March that the eggings started March 2014 and didn't stopped for two full years. "The accuracy is phenomenal," Clemens said at the time. "Because almost every time when it's nice weather and they launch five or six of these at a time, they almost invariably hit the front door." Clemens told the publication his home had been pelted several times a week in the past, sometimes more than once a day. The eggings usually happened after dark and lasted around 10 minutes. He also said he felt the eggs were somehow being launched at the house. [[372297741, C]] Clemens and his wife bought the two-story house 60 years ago, he told Cleveland.com. Although she has since passed away, he still lives there with his 49-year-old daughter and 51-year-old son. The arrest brings an end to a lengthy investigation by police. According to the publication, authorities visited local restaurants and businesses to find the suspects supply. They traced the eggs used in the attack to an Amish farm, but werent able to link them to anyone. They even tried getting fingerprints, but once the eggs crack, protein dissolves any possible prints. "I like the neighborhood," Clemens told Cleveland.com. "I like the city of Euclid. I would live and die in this house but it's been kind of a nightmare." Kozan's attorney, Anthony Bondra, said Friday that Kozan still maintains his innocence related to the damaging of the house. He declined to comment further pending Tuesday's sentencing. Authorities haven't said what motivated the attacks they say largely ceased after Kozan moved. Clemens said the attacks damaged his home and kept his family on edge. A high school in Manhattan, Kansas has county health officials vexed after more than 100 students have come down with symptoms of a mystery illness, according to reports. Stool samples are being collected by the Riley County Health Department to determine what the illness is after approximately 104 students and staff at Manhattan High School have been sent home after falling sick. Tuesday alone saw 21 students sent home after exhibiting symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrheaprompting parents to pull about 26 more students from class. KSNT reports the county health director doesnt know what the illness is, saying additional testing is needed to confirm it. The health department as saying it doesnt think it necessary for the school to close amid the sickness, according to KSNT. The Kansas Department of Agriculture came to the school Wednesday to examine the kitchen and found no issues, WIBW reported. The agriculture department reportedly told the school to disinfect water fountains, restrooms, handrails and doorknobs with bleach, while the health department asks parents to keep kids that show symptoms home from school. A 58-year-old man was charged Thursday with murder and kidnapping in the 1991 killing of a 14-year-old suburban Chicago girl, prosecutors said. More than two years ago, five men reached a $40 million settlement with Illinois State Police after they were cleared of all charges in the death of Dixmoor teenager Cateresa Matthews. The men, known as the "Dixmoor Five," spent a decade or more in prison before DNA evidence pointed to Willie Randolph, not them, in Cateresa's killing. Randolph appeared in bond court Thursday afternoon on charges of murder, kidnapping and predatory criminal sexual assault. Randolph is already serving a three-year sentence for drug possession in an Illinois state prison. He is a registered sex offender. The investigation into Cateresa's killing started anew in 2014, following DNA testing in 2011 that failed to link any of the five imprisoned men to the crime, but instead indicated Randolph was involved. Dixmoor police asked the Cook County sheriff for help, and Cook County prosecutors' cold case unit also assisted. Authorities say the case against Randolph is stronger than before. "Because of the difficulties of dealing with cases that followed, cases where people have been convicted and went to jail, you have to be diligent and build a really strong case," said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. Cateresa disappeared in November 1991. Three weeks later, her body was found in a field near Interstate 57. She had been raped and had a single gunshot wound in her mouth. Her mother, Theresa Matthews, said learning that the five men weren't responsible for her daughter's death "was really stressful." Robert Taylor, James Harden and Jonathan Barr were freed in 2011 after 19 years in prison, while Shainne Sharp and Robert Veal were released after 10 years behind bars. Matthews said she will attend all court hearings going forward. "I'm Cateresa's voice," she said. "I have to speak for her. I want justice for her. It's up to me to speak for my baby." A New York man who was part of a group called the "Jedi Knights" that committed several crimes together has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for burglarizing a Salisbury, Connecticut home and stealing $2.5 million worth of jewelry, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. In February 2012, Jason Gatto, 34, of Gardner, New Yorkm and friends broke into a Salisbury home and stole around 250 pieces of high-end jewelry worth more than $2.5 million, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The jewelry included several rare and signed pieces from Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari, Buccallati, Boucheron, David Webb, Sterle, Tiffany, among others that the victim inherited and planned to pass them on to her children, according to court documents. However, the people "Jedi Knights" jewelry did not realize their value right away and Gatto threw some of the jewelry out the car window as they made their way to a hotel in Newburgh, New York, according to court records. State police did locate some of the discarded jewelry. When they got to the hotel, they met up with a third accomplice who told them the jewelry was very valuable, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The group then traveled to North Carolina, where they divided up the jewelry and sold it there, as well as California and other places, according to federal authorties. Gatto pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property and was ordered to pay 1.5 million in restitution. Police also arrested 33-year-old Miguel Mead, of Schenectady, New York, Michael Simpson of Montgomery, New York, and his girlfriend, Martha Dahl, who they said identified the items as being valuable. Simpson, Dahl and Mead also pleaded guilty and Mead was sentenced to 41 months of imprisonment. Simpson and Dahl have not been sentenced. Police also arrested 33-year-old Miguel Mead, of Schenectady, New York, Michael Simpson of Montgomery, New York, and his girlfriend, Martha Dahl, who they said identified the items as being valuable.Simpson, Dahl and Mead also pleaded guilty and Mead was sentenced to 41 months of imprisonment. Simpson and Dahl have not been sentenced. As Tropical Storm Hermine moves up the Atlantic Coast over the Labor Day weekend, West Haven Emergency Management Director and Deputy Fire Chief Scott Schwartz will closely track the storms path. "We'll call in more crews if needed," he said. "This is really one of those it's wait and watch." A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the immediate Connecticut shoreline over the next few days. Govenor Dannel Malloy is urging shoreline residents to closely monitor the forecast in their communities. "Based on Hermines current projected path, we do not believe it will have a major impact on the state, but it does have the potential to produce some gusty winds and minor to moderate coastal flooding, especially in low-lying areas along the shoreline," Malloy said in a statement Friday. "Power outages are also a possibility with this storm." At the start of the summer, West Haven used federal funding to replenish beaches that lost sand during Irene and Sandy. Now, beach erosion is a major concern if Hermine produces heavy rains along the shoreline, Schwartz said. "We just refurbished all the sand into the shoreline area from FEMA and with (Hermine) sitting there it might erode all that sand away again," Schwartz said. At the Port Milford marina, longtime boater Rick Zini said he changed plans to take his familys Italian motor yacht onto Long Island sound through Monday. "Biggest concern is not being caught in the storm," Zini said. "You never want to try and outrun a storm cause you never will." Zini said he is hoping to take advantage of good conditions Friday and Saturday. "Weather is always a concern," Zini said. "You have to safe boat all the time, so you prep for the worst and hope for the best." While Hermine is not projected to directly hit the shoreline, the Port Milford staff is still taking some precautions. We've looked around at the docks and were checking boats to make sure theyre tied up well, manager Steve Davis said. In case Hermines impact is greater than expected, Schwartz said the city may activate its emergency operations center and utilize the reverse 911 system. "If we tell you to get off the shoreline," Schwartz said. "You need to get off the shoreline. We dont want to put our men in danger, but if we have to come in a rescue you, we will." Schwartz said shoreline residents headed out of town for the long weekend should make sure outside property is secure so it does not blow around if the winds pick up. In case coastal roads flood, Schwartz said drivers should turn around and avoid getting stuck. A Connecticut teenager authorities accused of viciously raping two women has been sentenced to serve 20 years in prison. The Hartford Courant reports that 17-year-old Jaishon Bellamy was sentenced Thursday. He previously reached a plea deal with prosecutors in which he was convicted of first-degree sexual assault for one attack and attempted murder for the other. Prosecutors said the victims, both 38, were subjected to hours-long assaults in East Hartford last September when Bellamy was 16. One assault was in the exit 90 commuter parking lot off Route 15 in East Hartford, near the Econo Lodge, around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 3, 2015, police said. After the assault, he fled in the victim's black Honda Element and led police on a brief chase before crashing, according to police. He ran off and police were not able to find him. As state police investigated the assault at the commuter lot, East Hartford police were investigating a home invasion and sexual assault on Collimore Road days later. Bellamy was tied to both attacks by DNA. He was initially charged as a juvenile, but the case was moved to adult court because of the seriousness of the crimes and his name was made public. Bellamy's public defender sought a lesser sentence because of his client's age and said Bellamy was remorseful. A Hartford Department of Public Works employee is facing charges after a shooting incident in Hartford in July, according to police. Police said they responded to a shooting that occurred in a parking lot on Westland Street on July 9. On Thursday, police obtained an arrest warrant for Stacy Asberry, a Hartford DPW employee, as the shooting suspect who exchanged gunfire with a second suspect, according to police. The second suspect has not been charged yet. Asberry has been charged with first-degree criminal attempt assault, unlawful discharge, carrying a pistol without a permit, having weapons in a motor vehicle and first-degree reckless endangerment. His bond was set at $200,000. Hartford Police said Asberry has five previous arrests in the city. After the arrest, Asberry has been put on unpaid leave. Police said the DPW will review the incident next week through the proper administrative process. A tropical storm watch has been issued for Connecticuts immediate shoreline and the governor is asking residents in the watch zone to closely monitor Tropical Storm Hermine over the next several days and be prepared for potential minor to moderate flooding and some gusty winds. Gov. Dannel Malloy is also urging residents to be prepared in case of potential power outages. Our office is receiving real-time updates on this storm and its path. Just as the state is monitoring and preparing, the public should do the same, especially residents in our shoreline communities, Malloy said in a statement. Based on Hermines current projected path, we do not believe it will have a major impact on the state, but it does have the potential to produce some gusty winds and minor to moderate coastal flooding, especially in low-lying areas along the shoreline. Power outages are also a possibility with this storm. This storm needs to be watched closely over the next three to four days. Malloys office said the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protections Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is monitoring the storm very closely and is prepared to coordinate any potential state response. The Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is also participating in regular National Weather Service conference calls to get the latest information on the storms track and any potential impacts on the state. A federal appeals court wants further examination of claims that Bexar County jurors may have received incomplete instructions when they decided to send a convicted killer to death row a decade ago. Lawyers for 32-year-old Christopher Anthony Young argued to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that jury instructions at his 2006 trial failed to include required guidance about whether mitigating evidence presented during the trial's punishment phase could justify a life prison sentence. Attorneys also contended his trial lawyers were deficient for not spotting the instruction lapse. State courts and a lower federal court had declined similar appeals from Young. He was sentenced to death for the November 2004 fatal shooting of 53-year-old Hasmukh Patel during a robbery at Patel's San Antonio convenience store. Dallas city leaders on Thursday said Police Chief David Brown was talking privately about retirement long before the July 7 ambush that left five officers dead, and long before he made the announcement on Thursday. In the weeks since then, city hall observers said Brown's critics have been mostly silenced by his performance under pressure in the wake of the tragedy that shocked the nation. Community policing policies promoted by Brown won praise from President Barack Obama at a July memorial service as an example for other cities to follow. So city leaders who knew and worked with Brown said they were caught off guard, only by the fact that Brown is choosing to step down now. "I was maybe just surprised by the timing but not the fact he was going to be looking to do something else," said Councilman Lee Kleinman. "He's done such a great job on community policing. I wish him the best." Brown has served 33 years on the Dallas police force. He was sworn in as chief six years ago under pressure to continue reducing crime. "Under his leadership, we have also done it the right way, reducing deadly force dramatically," said Mayor Mike Rawlings. Brown imposed restrictions on foot chases and use of deadly force that were unpopular with Dallas police unions. The city launched a web page disclosing some details on use of force incidents and greatly expanded the use of police tasers and body cameras during Browns time as chief. Councilman Casey Thomas, a former Dallas NAACP President, praised Browns accomplishments. "I think he made tremendous progress. He changed policy that was unpleasant, not happy to the unions. But he did what he thought was right and was best for the city and I was supportive of him and continue to be supportive," Thomas said. "Hes been a great example and a role model for people of all nationalities." Other community leaders were not satisfied. Rev. Ronald Wright, leader of the Dallas civil rights group Justice Seekers Texas, said Brown failed to live up to expectations. "Unfortunately, I think it may have been time for him to move on," Wright said. Wright said too few officers faced criminal charges and too few reforms were completed on mistreatment of suspects. "I'm not saying that they were angels, but they certainly didn't deserve to be judged, tried and convicted right there on the spot," he said. "We were hoping that David Brown would make a difference." The co-founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality, John Fullinwider, said despite praise, the Dallas Police Department has not been reformed under Brown. Vice president of the Dallas Police Association, who said the chief has done a good job, but leaves with a number of serious issues unresolved like police pay. He also told us what the association would like to see in the next chief. "We just hope that he finds or they find a individual who can come in have innovative ideas and take input from the street officers, the command staff not just above but the lower command staff," said Sgt. Mike Mata, vice president of the Dallas Police Association. After 11 straight years of crime reduction, violent crime spiked this year and Brown juggled a shrinking staff to respond. Brown requested more manpower and higher pay to keep Dallas officers from leaving in a new budget being finalized at City Hall now. His Oct. 22 resignation date comes just after that budget fight will be over. "Six years is more than an eternity for a chief in a big city. To say that it is high pressure, highly political job, would be an understatement. We know why Chief Brown held the job as long as he did and he is leaving on his own terms," said Rawlings. Regardless of what others think, in Dallas the police chief serves at the pleasure of the city manager. Current city manager, A.C. Gonzalez, had already announced his own retirement, effective in January. Rawlings said Brown's permanent replacement will be up to a new city manager, yet to be chosen. "What better time if they're going to go, go together, so you can have the new city manager bring in their own person. And I think that could be a positive," said City Councilman Mark Clayton. "But there are huge challenges so were going to have to have some creative ideas." Assistant Dallas Police Chief David Pughes was named interim chief Thursday. The president of Dallas' largest police association says he was shocked and surprised about Dallas Police Chief David Brown's retirement announcement. "Oh, yes this was a surprise. I was in a meeting up north and all of a sudden my phone blew up and I knew something big was happening," said Dallas Police Association President Ron Pinkston. The DPA represents about 2,600 sworn Dallas police officers. Over the past year, Pinkston has been an outspoken critic of Brown and some of his crime-fighting initiatives. Particularly, a plan to move hundreds of patrol cops into new crime-fighting task forces that would change their off-days, their working schedules and largely thrust them into new areas of the city. Much of that plan was abandoned, and the DPA and several other police associations joined together in joint press conferences to questioned the Brown's leadership and his connection with rank-and-file officers; although, they always stopped short of outright calling for the Brown's resignation. Last winter, Brown acknowledged his critics and said he was "re-energized" to fight harder for issues important to patrol cops. He fought hard in recent months for police pay raises and an increased budget to hire hundreds of additional officers. He publicly asked city council members at meetings to give his department more resources to fight crime and improve department morale. And, Brown has earned near universal praise for his handling of this summer's downtown ambush. "Weve always respected his commitment to protecting the families of our city. And we will always be grateful for his strong leadership that inspired the men and women under his command after July 7," Pinkston said. Brown often calls himself a "loner" who shies away from any kind of spotlight. When it comes to personal matters, he's a very private person. It appears most of Brown's high-level colleagues had no idea this announcement was coming. While David Brown is the Chief of Police, there are two dozen other men and women who hold the rank of Assistant Chief or Deputy Chief. NBC 5 spoke with several of them on the phone on condition of anonymity. They uniformly said they had no idea this was coming. They said they were surprised they didn't get a few hours or even a full-day's "heads up" that the Chief was going to make this announcement, especially because it has prompted many questions and concerns from rank-and-file cops at the nightly "roll call meetings" before every shift. Brown will retire in seven weeks at the age of 56. His announcement offers little clue about why he's making the decision now, or what his plans for the future are. Several Deputy Chiefs said they had suspicions Brown may retire by the end of the year. Perhaps, some speculated, he'd retire this autumn after the issue of police pay raises and new hires was addressed. As it turns out, Brown is making his announcement while those battles are still very much underway at City Hall. Pinkston expects Brown to continue his fight for better police pay. " I think Chief Brown will continue to fight to make this a better police department for his last six week," he said. "That means hes going to fight for better pay for police officers. You cant hire good new police officers until you fix the pay, and hes more aware of that problem than anybody." Pinkston also said the city's next permanent chief will have many challenges ahead. "When we look to hire the next chief, Im sure that person will look at, 'is this a city committed to public safety? Are they committed to making the police department successful?'" he said. "We need a commitment from the city manager and from city council that for the next chief. They will fix the problems." When asked if the DPA wants to see an internal candidate within DPD rise to the rank of chief or an outsider, Pinkston replied: "We want the best possible candidate to lead this city. And unless some of these issues are addressed, and quickly, it will be hard to get that candidate here." City Manager AC Gonzalez announced Executive Assistant Chief David Pughes as the interim chief effective next month. A search for a permanent replacement isn't likely to even begin until next year, because Gonzalez is stepping down in January, and it will likely be left to the new City Manager to hire a new permanent chief. Firefighters battled a four-alarm fire at a large house in Dallas.[[392074831,R]] The fire started at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday at a home in the 5100 block of Springmeadow Drive, near Inwood Road. Thick black smoke could been for several miles as flames shot out from the roof of the 8,800 square foot house. Dallas Fire-Rescue Spokesman Jason Evans said no one was home when the fire began and no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change. Former Dallas Tom Leppert both had nothing but praise for Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown who announced Thursday his upcoming retirement on Oct. 22. Leppert believes Brown's strength of character and love for Dallas made him a successful chief. "The fact that he grew up in the community, knew the community, I think has been a large part of the success," he said. Leppert was mayor when Brown was promoted to chief. "I think we needed a great police chief, we needed someone that had character, that understood the challenges that were there, but was also willing to be decisive and take action, and he clearly has done that," said Leppert. "The results have been phenomenal, crime is down and in a lot of cities that have challenges -- police vs. community, that hasn't been the case here. I think we've had one of the best situations of police and community of any large city in the nation." It was Brown's character, Leppert said, that helped guide this city through some of it's darkest days, after five police officers were ambushed and murdered in the heart of the Downtown Dallas. "That character, the strength of faith, the dedication, that all came through at a time when it absolutely had to come through, and that was the dedication to the people of Dallas, that's what you saw," he said. Leppert said he was not surprised to hear of Brown's retirement, the two men discussed it about a year ago. "These jobs are tough jobs, so he's been serving the people of Dallas for six and a half years. Which if you look at a police chief, that's nearly double what the average is," said Leppert. "So I think we've been very fortunate to have his service for as long as we have, and I think the Dallas city is better for it." Leppert said this is the right time for Brown to retire. "Dallas is probably one of the most respected police departments of anywhere, of the major cities in the United States. We owe a lot of it to him and he may as well go out on top," Leppert said. Leppert also said he believes Brown will get, and has probably already gotten, all kinds of offers from all over the country -- from other police departments, to corporations, to positions on the federal level. He said it's a question of 'What does Chief Brown want to do?' It is out with the old and in with the new in Fort Worth, as a longtime business is relocating to make way for a new multi-million dollar arena. Bodycote which heat treats metals for clients like Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopters is in the process of leaving its site on Montgomery Avenue, behind the Will Rogers Memorial Center. The British-based company with locations across the globe, will relocate its North Texas facility to one in Haltom City by the end of 2016. The Haltom location is larger than its current site, is state of the art and has easier access to highways, according to a Bodycote representative. The decision to relocate to Haltom City was based on what is best to support Bodycotes customers in the Dallas/Fort Worth marketplace, especially our local aerospace supply chain partners, as well as whats best for our employees, said Thomas Gibbons of Bodycote. Fort Worth paid $7 million for the 2-plus acre site that Bodycote sits on, its home since 1996, and has agreed to cover all costs associated with cleanup of any environmental contamination at the site thats been home to heavy industry for 82 years. In its place, Fort Worth will build a $450 million arena that will play host to events for the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, in addition to being a possible venue for major concerts that would otherwise typically be held in Dallas or in Arlington at AT&T Stadium. The arena project is already underway, with construction of a parking garage advancing rapidly next door to the Bodycote site. Across the street, Steven Parker of Morris Boot Company, a custom boot maker, is eagerly awaiting the the estimated 2019 opening date of the arena. Were sitting on a gold mine, Parker said about his shop, which opened in January 2016. You cant ask for nothing better. Right across the street? Theres gonna be so much traffic its gonna be unreal. Parker, who said his custom boots start at a price point just below $1,000, noted that traffic inside of his store has already increased steadily in recent weeks with people coming to check out the progress of the arena construction across the street. Next thing you know they come back and order boots. Its already picked up, Parker said. Can you imagine what its gonna be like when the arena actually opens and you have all those cowboys and cowgirls coming in both directions? Quiet and confident. That is how Dallas Police Chief David Brown's South Oak Cliff High School classmates remember the teenager who would become Dallas' top cop. "He was very smart and intelligent, and we knew he was going to be somebody," said Brown's former classmate, Teresa Steward. Brown graduated from South Oak Cliff High School in 1979. He was named "Most Inteligent" by his classmates. Joe Colbert remembers Brown as a laser-focused student who commanded respect from his peers. "It's rare that someone as quiet would be as popular," said Joe Colbert, another classmate. "He's an example of being a man of discipline, principal, and excellence, which were some of the ideas that South Oak Cliff promoted in all of the students." After graduating Brown headed for the University in Texas to pursue a potential law career, but when he returned home to Oak Cliff in the summertime he found his true calling. Crack cocaine was decminating Brown's community and he wanted to do something about it. "Some of our friends were hooked on drugs at the time," Colbert recalled. Brown joined the Dallas Police Department in 1983. He became a sergeant on the departments SWAT Unit before being named lieutenant and ultimately chief. Throughout that time those who worked with Brown said he never forgot where he came from. "He was proud to be from Oak Cliff and he let you know that," said Sergeant Phyllis Williams. Brown will likely be remembered for his emphasis on community policing. Williams said Brown's committment came from years of expereience working in his own community. "He would use (southern Dallas) stations as pilot stations to work towards more involvement with the community, and it bridged the gap between the community and police department," she said. But perhaps Brown's greatest legacy will be in Oak Cliff where students at South Oak Cliff High School can look at a person who grew up in their neighborhood and achieved the highest level of success. "They can actually see one of their own who has risen up to be someone of professional rank - Chief of the Dallas Police Department - one of the largest departments. They're proud of that. He left a positive legacy with them and they're actually proud of him," Williams said. As for Brown's classmates, while they're shocked by his retirment they said his more than three decades of success comes as no surprise to them. "He had the intellect to make a difference in our city here in Dallas," Steward said. If you're hitting the road Labor Day weekend you'll want to find out ahead of time where the Texas Department of Transportation expects construction delays. Since 2012, the easiest way to do that is to look at the Drive Texas Highway Conditions Map which shows general traffic delays, accidents, closures and construction on all Interstates, State Highways and U.S. Highways. Over Labor Day Weekend, you'll want to make note of the following construction projects along Interstate 35E/W, Interstate 45, Interstate 20 and Interstate 30. Interstate 35W Fort Worth -- Numerous exit ramps closed along I-35W north of downtown Fort Worth. Interstate 35E Various lane closures north and southbound between Farmers Branch and Denton for road repairs, re-striping, etc. Red Oak -- The right lane of the southbound main lanes of I-35E will be closed for overlay work, 1/2 mile south of Stephenson Road to 1/2 mile south of Farm-to-Market Road 387. Interstate 35 Abbott -- I-35 northbound outside main lane will be closed for repairing of retaining wall and shoulder pavement beginning Aug. 8 at 8 a.m. Closure will be 24/7 for the duration of the closure. Northbound entrance ramp from Farm-to-Market Road 1242 will be closed for the duration of the closure. Interstate 45 All clear except for a closed entrance ramp in Richland. Interstate 30 All clear except for an exit ramp closed in Rockwall. Interstate 20 All clear heading in and out of Dallas-Fort Worth. To see statewide road closures, delays, traffic and construction projects, visit DriveTexas.org. Ex-Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, whose sexual assault conviction and sentencing sparked a national debate about "rape culture" on college campuses and white privilege in the legal system, walked out of Santa Clara County jail early Friday morning in San Jose after spending three months behind bars. Turner, clad in a crumpled dress shirt, was handed a big packet of hate mail by guards as he exited at 6:08 a.m. With his head down, he slipped into a white SUV. The family checked in to the Hilton Garden Inn in Mountain View. Turner didn't say anything to the throng of media agencies awaiting his departure from jail. However, the bright lights and cameras that focused on him Friday illuminated a harsh fact: Turner will likely have trouble escaping notoriety even once at home in Ohio. For many, he is now the poster child for the problem of sexual assaults on college campuses, and protesters have begun lining up outside the Turner family's home in Greene County. Anticipating his arrival, some protesters on Friday utilized Ohio's open carry rules and strapped AR-15s onto their bodies. They also carried signs promising to "castrate rapists." "I think that six months was not enough for his actions," Kate Gorlaski said. Fellow protester Molly Hardin agreed, saying, "Justice was not served for what Brock did to that victim." The anger has generated worry among those who live nearby in the suburban town near Dayton. There were no formal protests outside of the South Bay jail Friday, and Turner was not booed or harmed, as some had feared. But rape survivor Andrea Murphy was one of the few non-reporters who came to the event, saying she came just to look Turner in the eye. Sheriff Laurie Smith, who is running for re-election, told reporters that this was an "outrage" describing what Turner did as the "rape" of an unconscious drunk woman. She added that Turner should "not have spent time in our jail," meaning that she thought the 21-year-old should have been given a harsher sentence in a state prison. Smith had said earlier in the week that Turner wouldn't receive any "special favors." He would be released through the jail's front entrance, and wasn't getting access to a "backdoor," she had promised. The trial and subsequent outrage prompted a California sex assault bill that's now being considered by Gov. Jerry Brown. In a statement to Gov. Brown, Smith wrote that she urged him to sign the bill to "make clear that probation is not a fair sentence for anyone convicted of a sexual assault felony perpetrated against an intoxicated and unconscious victim." Smith said in her statement dated Aug. 31 that as a sheriff and mother, "I do believe that the interests of justice are best served by ensuring that sexual predators are sent to prison as punishment for their crime." While in jail, Turner shared a cell with five inmates. He was allowed to exercise in the yard for 90 minutes a day, but spent the rest of his time in protective custody because he was "at risk" from other inmates. After Turner's release, District Attorney Jeff Rosen issued a statement, asking law makers to close a loophole in the law regarding unconscious victims and rape: "If we had our way, Brock Turner would be in state prison serving a six-year sentence, not going home. However, our focus today is on a bill that will require a state prison sentence, not probation, for anyone convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious person. With the governors signature, the next Brock Turner will go to prison." A jury found Turner guilty in March of three counts of sexually assaulting an unconscious and intoxicated woman in January 2015. He was not convicted of rape. Turner served half of a six-month sentence his early release is due to good behavior that has brought heavy criticism on Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky. A Stanford student testified that he saw Turner on top of a woman who wasnt moving and, with another student, tackled the swimmer to the ground when he tried to run away. The woman, who graduated from UC Santa Barbara, said she had been drinking and did not want to have sex with Turner at a fraternity party they had attended. The case's profile rose even further when the young woman wrote a powerful letter describing her experience in an unusually direct way, earning praise across the country and even from Vice President Joe Biden. She has not been named publicly. Turner's father drew attention to the case by writing a letter to the court saying just "20 minutes of action" should not justify a stint in jail. Later Friday, women's groups such as Ultraviolet protested Turner's release, and continued their recall campaign against Judge Persky. Activists want the judge removed from the bench because of Turner's sentence, which could have been as long as 14 years. Perksy voluntarily recused himself from all criminal cases last week and has since set up a website to fight his recall. Inmates are routinely set free early due to good behavior. As a condition of his release, Turner will be required to complete a sex offender management program and participate in polygraph tests, according to his probation conditions. He is also banned from stepping on the Stanford campus ever again. As of Friday, he had already registered as a sex offender on the U.S. Department of Justice's website. Categorized as a tier-3 offender, Turner will have to re-register as a sex offender every three months in Ohio. To get off the offender list, he must get a pardon from Californias governor. The Greene County sheriff told NBC Bay Area he expects Turner to check in with him next week. NBC Bay Area's Shawn Murphy, Robert Handa, Rick Boone and Henry Mulak contributed to this report. #BrockTurner expected to be released anytime between now & 9am after serving 3 months for sexual assault. #SanJose pic.twitter.com/QexidTC4Nm Bob Redell (@BobNBC) September 2, 2016 [[392135171 , C]] Actress, activist and former Playboy model Pamela Anderson has teamed with a rabbi to speak out against pornography. An opinion piece by Anderson and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach published by The Wall Street Journal cites the latest sexting scandal involving former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner in calling for "an honest dialogue" about the dangers of pornography and "an honor code to tamp it down." The essay calls pornography "a public hazard of unprecedented seriousness." The ubiquity of porn is an outgrowth of the sexual revolution that began a half-century ago and which, with gender rights and freedoms now having been established, has arguably run its course, the piece reads. It closes by saying "porn is for losers" and calls it "a boring, wasteful and dead-end outlet for people too lazy to reap the ample rewards of healthy sexuality." Rabbi Shmuley has authored dozens of books and briefly hosted a reality television program on TLC called Shalom in the Home. In addition to her modeling and acting work, Anderson has been a vocal member of the organization PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She has appeared on the cover of Playboy 14 times, most recently in December for the magazine's final nude issue. She did not address her past modeling work in the op-ed piece. A German national was convicted Thursday of nearly 50 felony charges for going on an arson spree and setting more than 40 fires in less than a week in Hollywood, West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli ordered jurors to return to court Tuesday for the second phase of the trial, in which the panel will be asked to determine if Harry Burkhart, now 29, was sane or insane at the time of the crimes. The six-man, six-woman jury deliberated about a day before finding Burkhart guilty of 25 counts of arson of property, 18 counts of arson of an inhabited dwelling and two counts each of possession of an incendiary device, attempted arson and arson of a structure. The crimes occurred between Dec. 30, 2011, and Jan. 2, 2012, with a one- day break on New Year's Day, when no fires were set. Most of the blazes were started under vehicles parked in carports or near homes, but one vehicle was set on fire Dec. 30 in the parking lot of a shopping center in Hollywood and another at a complex nearby on New Year's Eve. Outside the jury's presence before the verdict was read, Burkhart said through a German interpreter that he wants to make a "statement" next week. The defendant made the same request after closing arguments wrapped up Wednesday, but the judge noted then that Burkhart had waived his right to testify during the guilt phase of the trial. In summing up his case, Deputy District Attorney Sean Carney told jurors that Burkhart tried to inflict "fear on the entire community" in a "quest for revenge" after his mother was arrested in the United States in connection with a criminal case in Germany. Defense attorney Steve Schoenfield told jurors that the prosecution had presented evidence to connect his client to a handful of the crimes, but "lacked specific evidence against Harry Burkhart for the bulk of the charged arsons." "The M/O (method of operation) is not so unique that only one person, Harry Burkhart, is capable of doing those arsons," the lawyer told the panel. "Copycats could be responsible ... There are plenty of opportunists." He said there was enough evidence to tie Burkhart to "six, possibly seven of the charged fires. We don't want to toss in all these other arsons that haven't been proven... They just don't have the evidence. They have evidence for six of them." In his rebuttal argument, the prosecutor said there was direct evidence that Burkhart was the "perpetrator" in six or seven of the charges against him, and "overwhelming" circumstantial evidence that he set the other fires. "What he wants you to speculate about in this case is that there's a copycat out there," Carney said of the defense attorney's argument. "Nobody knew what combination of fire-starters Harry Burkhart was using except for the police." He noted that the fires started right after Burkhart's mother, Dorothee, was arrested and arraigned and then stopped after Burkhart was taken into custody on Jan. 2, 2012. "A copycat would have to know to stop lighting fires when Harry Burkhart was arrested -- not a reasonable interpretation of the evidence," the deputy district attorney said. Burkhart -- who pleaded both not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity -- has remained jailed since his arrest. He could face nearly 89 years in state prison if jurors find that he was sane at the time of the crimes. A German national was convicted Thursday of more than four dozen charges for going on a Southland arson spree over a roughly three-day period in 2011-12. A second phase of trial of Harry Burkhart, 29, will begin Tuesday, when jurors will be asked to determine if he was sane at the time of the crimes. Burkhart was convicted of going on a three-night arson spree and setting more than 40 fires in Hollywood, West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. He said he "wanted America to burn" and "was going to resolve his grievance through fire and fear," a prosecutor told jurors in a previous court appearance. A defense attorney countered, however, that prosecutors can only tie his client to six or seven of the fires and told jurors they would also hear evidence to support an insanity plea. Authorities asked for the publics help Friday to identify a driver involved in a hit-and-run crash on the Foothill (210) Freeway that killed a motorcyclist on Monday. On August 29 around 5:10 a.m., a man was driving a 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle in the carpool lane of the westbound 210 Freeway, east of Sunflower Avenue in Glendora, according to the California Highway Patrol, Baldwin Park Area. A dark colored SUV changed lanes in front of the motorcyclist, which caused him to lose control. The motorcycle slid along the lane ejecting the man from his motorcycle, who landed in the path of an oncoming truck, police said. A white Toyota Tundra struck the motorcyclist in the carpool lane. The pickup driver briefly stopped at the site of the crash, "contacted" the motorcyclist, then drove away headed westbound on the 210 Freeway, police said in a statement. The injured motorcyclist was transported to Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora, where he was pronounced dead, according to CHP Baldwin Park Area. His family identified him as 53-year-old Raymond Hernandez of Victorville, adding that he was an experienced motorcyclist at a press conference Friday. Police are looking for the driver of the Toyota Tundra double cab model that witnesses described as an early 2000 model, police said. Witnesses described the driver as man in his 30s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, 160 pounds and clean shaven, adding that he was wearing an orange shirt, jeans, and work boots when the crash occurred. Anyone with information was asked to call Officer R. Rodriguez at the CHP Baldwin Park Area at 626-338-1164. Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating a man police believe is responsible for two armed robberies this week, police said Thursday. A man entered a 76 Gas station on the 3200 block of Santa Anita Avenue in El Monte Sunday, pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded money, according to the El Monte Police Department. When the man pointed the black semi-automatic handgun at the cashier, he gave the robber the money in the cash register and his wallet "fearing for his life," police said in a statement. The man took the money and left the gas station in a Toyota Tundra police described as a newer model with a chrome-colored tool box in the bed of the truck, according to Lt. Christopher Cano. The truck's rear license plate was filled with white-colored paper from a dealership that read "Mountain View Chevrolet." He was last seen driving eastbound on Interstate 10 Freeway, according to police. Surveillance video from the gas station indicated that the man has had some "firearms training based on how he was handling" the gun, Cano said in a statement. Authorities connected the man to another robbery that occurred on Monday in Fontana, and noted that he was wearing a "generic black security guard jacket with the word 'Security' on the back and unknown named shoulder patches." During the theft, he brandished a handgun with the same description at a store clerk, and demanded money and cigarettes. The Fontana robbery is being investigated by the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department Fontana Station. Police said he is between 25 and 30 years of age, about 6 foot one inch tall, with short black hair and a tattoo on the right side of his neck. Anyone with information about the robbery was encouraged to call the El Monte Police Department at 626-580-2114. An Indiana woman whose feticide conviction for a self-induced abortion was overturned has been released from prison after a judge said she should be freed immediately. Indiana Department of Correction spokesman Doug Garrison says 35-year-old Purvi Patel was with relatives when she left the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis Thursday morning. Patel's attorney, Lawrence Marshall, says she wants her privacy and is focusing on "putting her life back together." On Wednesday, a judge resentenced Patel to 18 months on a neglect of a dependent charge but said she should be released immediately because she has already served longer than 18 months in prison. The Indiana Court of Appeals in July overturned Patel's 2015 feticide conviction and 20-year prison sentence on a charge of killing her premature infant by taking abortion-inducing drugs, saying that the state's law was not intended to be used "to prosecute women for their own abortions." The state's attorney general decided not to appeal the ruling and let pass the deadline by which he had to ask the Indiana Supreme Court to take up the case. Patel was 32 when she was arrested in July 2013. She had sought treatment at a hospital for profuse bleeding after delivering a 1 -pound boy. According to court records, Patel bought the abortion-inducing drugs online, took the drugs and then delivered the premature baby that died in the home she shared with her parents and grandparents in the community of Granger, northeast of South Bend. She then placed the body in a trash bin behind her family's restaurant. Women's advocacy groups argued that Patel's arrest marked the first time in Indiana that the state's feticide law was used against a woman because of an alleged self-induced abortion, and Patel's attorneys argued that the evidence prosecutors used didn't apply to her alleged actions in a premature delivery. But attorneys for the state, who said that Patel was at least 25 weeks into her pregnancy, just beyond the threshold of viability, argued that the feticide law could apply to a pregnant woman and not just "third-party actors." The appeals court disagreed, saying that since the law was passed in 1979 it had only been used to prosecute those who attacked pregnant women. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's department is bracing for a large, emotional crowd of protesters at the main jail Friday when convicted sex offender Brock Turner is released. Sheriff Laurie Smith said the ex-Stanford University swimmer is not expected to get any special treatment as he walks out sometime after 5 a.m. She is trying to treat the situation in as low key a manner as possible, but said that the department is taking precautions, though not necessarily expecting trouble. Turner is scheduled to be freed after serving just three months of his six-month sentence for three felony counts of sexual assault, which stemmed from his attack on an intoxicated and unconscious woman after a fraternity party. Turner is being let out early on good behavior. A two-page probation record document reveals that Turner, who must register as a sex offender for life, will be banned from doing drugs or drinking alcohol for the three years he's on probation. Police also can search him or his property at any time without a warrant. He must complete a sex offender management program for at least one year. During that time, he'll have to take lie detector tests, but Turner is not prohibited from interacting with minors. Groups, including UltraViolet, plan to protest Turner's release as well as Judge Aaron Persky, who levied what has been decried as a lenient sentence. "I mean, he's a predator, and I'm really against predators being able to walk," said Kathleen Krenek, a San Jose resident. Meanwhile, Smith said she doesn't know how Turner's release will play out. She plans to have at least four extra deputies on staff, but Turner "will be leaving the jail exactly as everyone does," through the front door "at a normal release time," Smith emphasized. When asked if the department will have to take extra precautionary measures, Smith said, "We're going to have some law enforcement here because we're hearing of protests -- some angry protesters. Well just be here, keeping the peace." Smith has also sent a letter to Governor Jerry Brown, urging him to sign a bill making prison mandatory for sex offenses such as Turners. Turner's attorney did not return NBC Bay Areas calls, but legal analyst Steven Clark anticipates probation will be difficult. "So many people know who he is," Clark said. "If he steps out of line, it's likely that he will be reported to probation for any slight violation. And if there is any violation, he'll be back in front of a judge in very quick order." If youre interested in getting plastic surgery, there are hundreds of medical centers in Florida eager to have your business. But its important to do your homework before you hand over your money. Thats what one woman learned the hard way when her procedure didnt happen and she asked for her money back. So she contacted NBC 6 Responds for help. Grisel Marchante isnt your "usual" plastic surgery patient. Shes 65 and her diabetes has left her legally blind. She thought a tummy tuck might improve her health. "Maybe this would be good for me because I can lose some weight," said Grisel Marchante. She says her doctor agreed. "He said 'yes, you can do it. It will be good for you. You have too many tummy, maybe it will help you with your sugar,'" said Marchante. She chose Seduction by Jardons Cosmetic Surgery center for the procedure. To start the process, she paid the required $1,950 deposit. And three days later, paid another $250. "I paid. I was happy to have the surgery done," said Marchante. She completed the required tests and the process seemed to be going smoothly. "They saw my labs and everything. They saw my sugar was high and they saw me, that I was fat, said Marchante. She then paid the required balance of $2,800 to secure an operation date. The office confirmed a date. All seemed to be on track. But a day before the surgery she says the center told her the doctor would not perform the procedure because of her health. "They told me that I was too fat. I was fat and that I have my sugar too high," said Marchante. Marchante says medical center staff also refused to give her a refund saying if she lost the weight and lowered her sugar, they would do the surgery. She didnt think that was fair since they knew her medical situation before taking her money. "They saw me, you know what Im saying. They didnt see a Barbie," said Marchante. She says her follow-up requests for a refund were unsuccessful. "I think that they saw in my face, across the front, Stupid!" said Marchante. So Marchante called NBC 6 responds. We called the medical center. The owner declined an on-camera interview but told us by phone that his "intention is to do the surgery, not return the money." Her contract does address partial refunds if the patient cancels the surgery. But it isnt specific about what happens if the center cancels it. So Marchante contested the charges with her credit card company. And its that move that got her money refunded. "Yes, yes, yes, I got my money back. I was surprised because I was really not thinking it would happen," said Marchante. And shes planning to invest the cash in herself again. This time she wants to take a dream trip across Europe. "I'm planning to have a great time, to see everything. I dont care if I finish in a wheelchair," joked Marchante. Besides checking out the doctors history and making sure he or she is certified to do your procedure, you need to take a really close look at the documents you sign. Remember to read the terms, check when the contract expires and what happens to your money if the service or product isnt provided. Plus, its good to pay with a credit card because you can challenge the charges and, like Grisel, get your money back. The first hurricane to hit Florida in more than a decade wiped away beachside buildings and toppled trees onto homes Friday before plowing inland on a path that could send it rolling up the densely populated East Coast with heavy rain, high winds and flooding. As the system pushed into Georgia, where it weakened to a tropical storm, it knocked down power lines in both states. Hundreds of thousands of people were without electricity. "We will spend the coming days assessing the damage and responding to the needs of our communities and Florida families," Gov. Rick Scott said at Friday morning news conference. The Category 1 storm hit St. Marks, located about 20 miles south of Tallahassee, around 1:30 a.m. ET with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Hermine weakened to a tropical storm as it moved farther inland. There will also be a lot of debris, including uprooted trees and fallen limbs. Do not travel unless absolutely necessary. Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) September 2, 2016 The storm has caused many downed power lines- do not touch or approach them. Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) September 2, 2016 Remember not to drive or walk through standing water. Watch out for flooded roads and road closures. Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) September 2, 2016 Hermine further weakened as it reached the South Carolina border Friday afternoon, but it could strengthen again. At 8 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said the tropical storm was approaching the tourist resort of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, amid warnings of a dangerous storm surge up to southeast Virginia. Hermine had top sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving northeast at 20 mph. Much of the East Coast braced for potentially drenching rain and devastating flooding through the Labor Day weekend. The hurricane center issued tropical storm watches and warnings as far north as the Connecticut-Rhode Island border. Forecasters said the system could strengthen back into a hurricane by Monday morning off the Maryland-Delaware coast before weakening again as it moves north. "Anyone along the U.S. East Coast needs to be paying close attention this weekend," center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said. The heavy rain and flooding could hamper the state's efforts to fight the Zika virus, which was found in three groups of trapped mosquitos in Miami Beach, officials reported Thursday. Forty-nine cases of local transmission have been reported in Florida. Scott said its "incredibly important" for residents to dump any standing water breeding grounds for mosquitos that may be carrying the Zika virus no matter how little. The governor also urged residents to avoid travel unless "absolutely necessary," and warned against driving in flood waters. A homeless man in Marion County, south of Gainesville, was killed when he was hit by a tree as the storm moved through, Scott said. At Florida's Dekle Beach, just south of the state's Big Bend where the peninsula meets the Panhandle, storm surge damaged numerous homes and destroyed storage buildings and a 100-yard fishing pier. Resident Nancy Geohagen walked around collecting photos and other items for her neighbors that had been thrown from storage. "I know who this baseball bat belongs to," she said plucking it from a pile of debris. At nearby Keaton Beach, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise Friday trying to get to their homes. Police had the road blocked because of flooding. Taylor County Commissioner Jody DeVane said several homes were damaged. Dustin Beach, 31, rushed to Keaton Beach on Friday from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife had given birth Thursday night to a girl. "When my wife got up this morning she said, 'Go home and check on the house. I need to know where we're going after we leave the hospital,'" Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats had made it. "It's a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house and I hope they're still there," she said. In Tallahassee, high winds knocked trees onto several houses injuring residents inside, fire-rescue spokesman Mike Bellamy said. He said an unknown number were taken to area hospitals with injuries that weren't thought to be life-threatening. Bellamy said his agency responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Mayor Andrew Gillum estimated as many as 100,000 area residents were without electricity Friday morning. In Florida's Pasco County, north of Tampa, authorities said flooding forced 18 people from their homes in Green Key and Hudson Beach. Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriff's deputies used high-water vehicles early Friday to rescue people from rising water. They were taken to a nearby shelter. As Hermine surged into southern Georgia, 84-year-old Melvin Gatlin Sr. awoke before dawn to the sound of a thundering crack that shook his whole house. The storm's winds had uprooted a pine tree in Gatlin's backyard and sent it crashing onto his home of more than 40 years. The trunk crushed a storage shed where Gatlin kept his deep freezer, lawn mower and other tools and appliances. It also made a tear in the roof. "I thought somebody had shot me, the way it sounded," Gatlin said a few hours later in his living room, where a cooking pot on the floor caught water dripping from the ceiling in a long, thin line. An estimated 325,000 people in Florida were without power statewide and more than 107,000 in Georgia, officials said. After pushing through Georgia, Hermine was bringing heavy rains to the Carolinas. Virtually all of South Carolina was under some sort of weather warning tropical storm warnings near the coast to high wind warnings farther inland. Flash flood watches are posted everywhere except the state's far northwest corner. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. Members of the community came out Thursday to help the son of a Miami-Dade Police officer who's battling Leukemia. Two-year-old Alex needs a bone marrow transplant and is looking for a potential donor who is a match. Looking to help, people filed into the Miami Beach Police Department Thursday to get tested by OneBlood, to see if they could be a match for Alex. OneBlood will be looking for donors for Alex all month. If you are between the ages of 18 and 44, get tested and see if you can help. Click here for more info on donating. Rock's top-selling duo Daryl Hall and John Oates were honored Friday with the 2,587th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their star is in the 6700 block of Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Musicians Institute. The ceremony included a surprise horn honk salute from a passing truck during Hall's speech. "Rock on, man," Hall said. "I love Hollywood Boulevard." Longtime music executive Jerry Greenberg was the event's guest speaker. "I want to thank the Hollywood Hall of Fame for picking a spot on the Boulevard for these guys instead of putting them on a side street," Greenberg siad. "This is where they belong." Hall was born in Pennsylvania and Oates was born in New York before his family moved to Philadelphia, where the two met in the late 1960s. Hall's band, the Temptones, and Oates' band called the Masters weres scheduled to perform at a ballroom in Philadelphia when a fight broke out. In a 2009 NRP profile, they explain how they both ran for the same elevator in a chance meeting that led to the musical partnership built on a mutual love of soul music. They formed their partnership in 1972, going on to record 21 albums, which have sold more than 80 million copies. They came to Southern California in the early 1970s and signed their first record contract. "LA has a real special place in my memories," Oates said. "We recorded three albums out here in the mid-70s and it's always been a blast to come out here." They were recognized as rock's all-time top selling duo in 1987 by the music industry trade organization the Recording Industry Association of America, a distinction they still hold. From the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, they had six No. 1 singles -- "Rich Girl," "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," "Maneater" and "Out of Touch." Hall also wrote "Everytime You Go Away," which Paul Young made a No. 1 hit in 1985. Hall and Oates were among the artists performing on "We Are the World" and closed the Philadelphia portion of Live Aid, both in 1985. They were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and the American Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. Since 2007, Hall has hosted the monthly web series and MTV Live show "Live From Daryl's House," which stemmed from his idea of "playing with my friends and putting it up on the internet." He mentioned his love for the early days of television at Friday's Walk of Fame ceremony. "The pioneers of television are represented here," Hall said, looking around at the surrounding Walk stars. "I feel like, wow, I'm part of this. This is a bit of a surprise." Oates released his latest solo project in 2014, "Good Road to Follow," a three-disc set of genre-specific extended play albums. "We are proud to welcome Daryl Hall & John Oates to the world-famous Walk of Fame," said Hollywood Chamber President-CEO Leron Gubler. "Fans from all over the world are excited to know that these two great music influencers will be immortalized in history with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame." They're currently on tour with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. On Thursday, a SpaceX rocket, along with a satellite leased in part by Facebook, were destroyed in a launch pad explosion at Cape Canaveral. The explosion, in which no people were harmed, occurred during preparation for a launch that had been scheduled for Saturday. A Facebook spokesperson said the company was disappointed by the loss of the Israeli-built Amos 6 satellite. The portion of the satellite that Facebook had leased would have served to bring internet access to parts of sub-Saharan Africa, NBC News reported, as a part of Facebook's mission to connect people around the world through the Internet. Both Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have discussed plans to use low-orbit satellites to bring high-speed internet access to the many regions of the planet that don't have it. While building a space-based internet is not a new idea, it's one that has taken off once again largely due to new technology and lower launch costs. "Now with even faster computers and cheaper satellites, there is a whole lot of interest in creating a bunch of new systems to do this," James Muncy, co-founder of the Space Frontier Foundation, told NBC News. What to Know Dr. John Vecchione has agreed to a five-year suspension; he was linked to 15 cases of bacterial infection of the heart. A patient died Vecchione also agreed to pay $293,500 in penalties; he initially fought the allegations The two-year probe by the state Health Department and Dentistry Board into sanitation at Vecchione's practice began after a 25-year-old got a heart infection a month after having wisdom teeth pulled A New Jersey oral surgeon linked to 15 cases of a bacterial infection of the heart over the last few years, including one case that led to death due to surgery complications, has agreed to a five-year suspension. Dr. John Vecchione on Monday also agreed to pay $293,500 in penalties. He initially had fought the allegations. The suspension comes after NBC 4 New York reported a state Health Department investigation into the rash of infections linked to Vecchione's outpatient surgery clinics in Mt. Olive and Parsippany. The two-year investigation by the state Health Department and Dentistry Board into sanitation at Vecchione's practice began after Jefferson Township's Ryan Del Grosso was diagnosed with the heart infection endocarditis about five weeks after having two wisdom teeth pulled. A doctor treating Del Grosso, now 25, at Morristown Medical Center remembered a similar case of the rare disease and notified state officials. Health investigators identified three cases, all following surgery from the same practice, and later searched records of other patients from 2013 and 2014. The records revealed that 15 patients had been infected, likely caused during the use of IVs to sedate patients before surgery. "Dr. Vecchione spent years denying any responsibility for the infections contracted by patients in his care, Howard Pine, acting director of the division of consumer affairs, said Monday. Vecchione engaged in professional misconduct and gross negligence by failing to follow infection control protocols, state officials said. The state alleged the Budd Lake dentist failed to use sterile water or sterile saline during surgical procedures, improperly handled and stored single dose medication vials and did not properly prepare instruments. The suspension is retroactive to Aug. 31, 2016, when Vecchione agreed to a temporary suspension of his license. That means Vecchione will be permitted to start his one-year probationary period as early as Aug 31 of this year if he complies with terms of the consent order and demonstrates his fitness and competency to resume practice, the state said. Authorities arrested a man in California in connection to the shooting death of Carey Gabay, a former aide to Governor Cuomo slain during last year's J'Ouvert festival. Kenny Bazile was arrested by NYPD detectives, U.S. Marshals and local police Thursday afternoon in Palm Desert. Bazile allegedly fired shots in a gang-related gun battle where Gabay was hit by stray gunfire hours before the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn last September. The 43-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer and Bronx native died after spending more than a week in a coma at a city hospital. "As we approach the one year anniversary of Carey's tragic death, we all mourn his loss and honor his memory," Cuomo said in a statement. "This arrest is another step forward in the pursuit of justice for Careys family and loved ones." Several other men were arrested in June for their role in the shooting. Micah Alleyne, 24, Tyshawn Crawford, 21, and Keith Luncheon, 24, are named in a 16-count indictment charging them with various counts of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment. Each faces up to 25 years in prison on the top count. Stanley Elianor, 25, had previously been charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly possessing a machine gun at the scene. He was arraigned in October and faces up to 15 years in prison. The Jouvert festival Gabay had been attending and the parade that follows attract hundreds of thousands of revelers to Brooklyn every Labor Day but have been marred by several shootings in recent years. Prosecutors said two to three dozen shots were fired from at least eight firearms when Gabay was hit. They say multiple gang members were in the area amid heightened tensions and intended to shoot at rivals on sight; Gabay was an unintended target and had tried to hide behind a parked car. Thursday's arrest comes a city and police officials ramp up security efforts ahead of this year's festival and parade. On Friday, nearly three dozen suspected crips gang members were taken into custody at the 71 precinct in Crown Heights, blocks from where Gabay was slain. Police seized 10 guns and a number of drugs in the bust, authorities said. A new artillery park at Cape Henlopen State Park should prove to be a big blast for history buffs. Friday's ribbon cutting at the World War II Artillery Park at the Fort Miles Museum coincides with the 71st anniversary of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in World War II. The main attraction at the park will be one of the nine original 16-inch guns from the Missouri. The Fort Miles Historical Association saved the gun from being scrapped and raised more than $100,000 in private donations and grants to transport the 116-ton, 66-foot-long gun barrel to Fort Miles, where it joins several other vintage artillery pieces. Fort Miles was a major operational center for U.S. coastal defenses during World War II. [[238427591, C]] The driver of a silver- or champagne-colored car sped off after veering off a Northeast Philadelphia road overnight before mowing down a man riding his bike. The force of the wreck along Frankford Avenue near Comly Street in the Mayfair neighborhood around 12:45 a.m. Friday tore the 43-year-old cyclists mountain bike in half and launched him about 50 feet up the road. "He was unconscious, laying on the side of the road," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. "He was suffering from severe trauma from his head and his upper body. Medics pronounced him dead on the scene." After striking the biker, the driver kept going north on Frankford Avenue, said Small. The driver ignored safety measures the biker was taking. "(The bike) had a least three lights that are still blinking even after the auto accident," said Small. "So we believe the victim was riding his bike on the marked bike lane when the striking vehicle crossed over into the bike lane, not only striking this victim on his bicycle, but then the striking vehicle actually jumped onto the curb and hit a (SEPTA) sign." The force tore that metal sign out of the cement. Investigators believed at least one headlight and a rear view mirror was damaged on striking vehicle -- possibly a Buick, said police. Police asked anyone with information to contact them. In the meantime, they hope the driver surrenders without further incident. "There's still time, turn yourself in, do the right thing, don't wait for the police to identify you and come and get you, it's only going to make things a lot worse for you," said Small. Police in Dover, Delaware were also searching for a hit-and-run driver Friday who struck and killed a 42-year-old man. The driver struck the man just before 1:30 a.m. on Friday on S. State Street just south of Roosevelt Avenue, said police. The driver struck the man and dragged him for roughly 60 feet before fleeing the scene, said police. First responders declared the man dead on the scene. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump met with some leaders of the African-American community in North Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, with protesters demonstrating outside. The round table meeting with 14 African-American business, civic and religious leaders happened around 2 p.m. inside The View at 800 N. Broad Street, a reception hall affiliated with Greater Exodus Baptist Church. Calvin Tucker, a GOP delegate and member of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, was scheduled to introduce the candidate. At the end of the meeting, he thanked Trump "for being brave enough to come" to North Philadelphia. Renee Amoore, a local business leader, said Trump has support in the community, despite polls showing otherwise. "Pennsylvania has your back, and Philly in particular," she said, and thanked him for "coming to the 'hood." Donald Trump made his way to Pennsylvania on Friday, and didnt head out before taking time to speak one-on-one with NBC10s Lauren Mayk. The Republican nominee talked about sanctuary cities, immigration, and his opinion on Phillys mayor. [[361723771, C]] Trump's visit is a move to reverse cavernously unpopular support among minorities, including the black community. Trump's base has long been white men, but he's recently talked about making the GOP the 'home of the African-American voter." At his rallies, he often asks of black communities "what the hell do you have to lose" by voting for him. A recent NBC News/Survey Monkey poll found just 8 percent of African Americans would vote for Trump. His opponent, Hillary Clinton, has support of 87 percent of the black community, according to the survey. A Franklin and Marshall poll of Pennsylvania voters released Thursday listed non-white support for Trump at 25 percent, though it didn't specifically break out support by race. NBC10 Outside the venue, about 50 protesters lined up on Broad Street holding signs about slavery and bigotry. Some people dressed up as sections of a brick wall and chain-link fencing. At one point, a Trump supporter got into a scuffle with one of the protesters over a sign. Philadelphia police officers quickly separated the two men.[[392200431, C]] "He assaulted me," Jerry Lambert, the lone Trump supporter, angrily shouted to reporters following the tussle. Protester Asa Khalif, a local Black Lives Matter activist, had grabbed Lambert's "Democrat for Trump" sign, starting the confrontation. Lambert was eventually hit over the head with the sign. The Bucks County resident asked for charges to be filed, but police declined to make an arrest, saying the shoving match didn't warrant legal action. Lambert came back a short time later holding up a new handwritten poster that read, "I love walls." A pro-Trump supporter and anti-Trump protester got into a short scuffle outside a North Philadelphia reception hall where the Republican presidential candidate was meeting with African-American leaders Friday. Following the roundtable, Trump met with the family of Iofemi Hightower, a young woman who was murdered execution-style along with two others outside a Newark, New Jersey, school in 2007. According to the New York Times, prosecutors said the 20-year-old was brutally slashed with a machete. The murders were linked to a violent gang and the men accused were in the country illegally, the girl's mother said. "[They] should've never been here," Shagla Hightower said during the meeting, which was open to the press and included the mother's son and another daughter. Trump called meeting the family an honor, saying people "have no idea the consequence of [undocumented immigrants] coming in." "I think we're the only hope," he added. "Hillary Clinton has no clue and doesn't care." The Clinton campaign fired back, with state director Corey Dukes describing Trump's Philadelphia visit an "offensive gimmick."[[392211501, C]] "While pushing a hateful, divisive and dangerous agenda, his photo-op in Philadelphia today is nothing more than an offensive gimmick," Dukes said in a statement. "Donald Trump is extremely out of touch with the African-American community." In a one-on-one interview with NBC10's Lauren Mayk, Trump said Democratic leaders have given the African-American community "nothing." "All they want is their votes," he said. "They're having a tremendously hard time, and we will make things so good." The candidate then turned his criticism to the Philadelphia Police Department and mayor Jim Kenney, giving them failing grades for tackling crime. "The guns on the street, they have to take them away from criminals, they know who they are. You have criminals who are carrying guns and beyond guns...they're carrying bombs," Trump said. NBC10s Lauren Mayk went one-on-one with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump following a meeting with black leaders in Philadelphia on Friday. Trump blasted police and city officials saying citizens arent safe and that Democratic leaders have long neglected minorities. He said the department needs to use stop-and-frisk, a controversial surveillance technique where officers search people without reasonable cause. Opponents say the practice is nothing more than profiling and has led to unjust arrests and shooting deaths. Moreover, Philadelphia officers already do practice stop-and-frisk and Kenney has gotten flack for failing to do away with the policy, as some say he promised during his run for mayor. The candidate went on to blast Kenney, saying he's done a "terrible" job running the city, even though Philadelphia has reversed a population decline, saw increased business and residential investment and experienced drops in violent crime in recent years. Kenney's office responded calling Trump a "nincompoop." Wednesday, Aug. 31, marked International Overdose Awareness Day. As part of our continuing coverage after Generation Addicted, our special report exploring the heroin and opioid epidemic, we're checking in with people first introduced in the program. At 25, Bo Garfield hasn't just beat cancer. He's conquered his heroin addiction, too. NBC10 first met Bo in January at Brotherly Love House, a recovery house in Philadelphia's East Germantown neighborhood where he lived at the time. He had just gotten out of jail and shared his story of learning he had thyroid lymphoma and would need surgery in February. In the weeks leading up to the surgery, Bo said on Thursday, he faltered. "Right before my surgery, I kind of went crazy," said Bo, a mild-mannered young man with a deep voice. "I didn't know what was gonna happen." Bo survived the nine-hour surgery and the weeks of radiation that followed. He decided in that time that he'd kick his heroin habit for good, too, and went straight into treatment, he said. "I said, 'I'm done,'" Bo, who grew up in Delaware County, said. "Last time I did heroin was mid-February." WATCH Bo's first interview with NBC10 in February: Bo Garfield Bo, who described smoking crack cocaine in Kensington stash houses at the height of his addiction, swears off all substances now, including alcohol. He still has pain in his neck from the surgery, but takes non-narcotic medications to help ease it. "Everybody's in pain," Bo said. "You just gotta deal with it." Bo is working now at an Old City restaurant where he just landed a promotion to a manager position. He's staying with a friend in Center City while he continues to get back on his feet, and plans to move to a different recovery house in the city, where he'll have a support system of other people who know the same daily struggles that come with leaving behind heroin addiction. Like most people addicted to heroin, Bo has been in and out of treatment. This time, he said, he's determined. "I've had that ambition and that motivation," he said. He's getting ready to start school in two weeks to obtain his certified recovery specialist license so he can help others escape heroin's grips like he did. He's lost nearly a dozen friends to overdoses over the past few years and watched too many close friends, along with his own brother, grapple with addiction. But Bo gets what they're going through. He knows it's not easy to walk away from the needle. "I'm not gonna say some bull---- like 'There is hope,'" he said. "I had to have a spiritual moment. The s--- just clicked. Your family doesn't have to lie at your funeral ... there is another way." Welcome to the NBC10 Digital Exclusive investigation into the tragic world of heroin and opioid addiction in the Philadelphia region and beyond. A gunman accused of killing a TSA officer at Los Angeles International Airport three years ago has agreed to plead guilty to murder in a deal that spares his life. Paul Ciancia, 26, faces a mandatory life sentence for murder and other penalties, according to the plea agreement filed Thursday in U.S. District Court that calls for him to plead guilty to all charges. His trial was scheduled to begin early next year in the death penalty case, but due to the plea agreement, prosecutors won't seek death. The native of Pennsville, New Jersey, who was living in Sun Valley, California, at the time of the shooting had pleaded not guilty. An 11-count indictment against him includes charges of murder of a federal officer, use of a firearm that led to the murder and act of violence in an international airport. The Nov. 1, 2013, LAX rampage began at a TSA checkpoint in Terminal 3, where Ciancia pulled a semi-automatic rifle from a duffel bag and opened fire, killing TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez, a 39-year-old father. Ciancia began walking upstairs but returned when he realized Hernandez was still alive and shot him again, according to court documents that cited witness statements. The gunman then shot two more agents and an airline traveler before he was wounded by gunfire from officers in the terminal, authorities said. He was carrying dozens of rounds of ammunition and a handwritten note that stated he wanted to kill TSA agents and "instill fear in their traitorous minds," according to authorities. U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez previously said jury selection could start on Feb. 23, 2016. The decision to seek the death penalty was up to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder after a review of thousands of pieces of evidence in the investigation. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A man accused of stabbing and killing his estranged wife while her children were home and trying to kill himself in a South Jersey apartment is now in stable condition at a hospital, said authorities. Sgt. Eric Wren, a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, told NJ.com 41-year-old Timothy Moorman remained hospitalized but has improved since he was brought in Aug. 22 in critical condition. The incident played out inside an apartment in building C at the Heights of Collingswood along White Horse Pike (U.S. Route 30) and Collings Avenue in Collingswood, New Jersey Monday night, said Camden County law enforcement. Authorities said Collingswood officers found 36-year-old Joseline Perez with multiple stab wounds as they responded to a reported domestic disturbance. She was pronounced dead hours later. Moorman was also found in a bedroom with self-inflicted wounds and has since been charged with first-degree murder. SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Know Ronald Bettig was lured to a quarry Aug. 12, where he was allegedly pushed to his death The professor's body was found five days later after buzzards were seen hovering over it A pathologist says Bettig probably stayed alive for up to two days, immobile and maybe unconscious A Penn State professor who police say was pushed off an 80-foot rock quarry ledge died slowly and possibly was alive and immobile for up to two days, an investigator testified Wednesday. State Trooper Brian Wakefield revealed new details in the case during a preliminary hearing for 39-year-old George Ishler Jr., one of the two people charged with Ronald Bettig's murder. Danelle Geier, 32, waived her hearing, Pennlive.com reported. The two lured Bettig to Blackhawk Quarry on Aug. 12, police say, telling him they could harvest marijuana there. Police believe Ishler pushed him while Geier waited in the car with her toddler son. Ishler is Geier's uncle, according to police. Wakefield said Bettig likely was still alive then when Geier and Ishler returned to the scene eight hours after the push to plant Bettig's belongings and vehicle there. They hoped to make it look like Bettig had been there on his own and accidentally fell, Wakefield said. Police found Bettig's body Aug. 17, buzzards hovering above it. Wakefield said a pathologist believes the professor may have remained alive for up to two days at the bottom of the ravine, immobile and possibly unconscious. The cause of death has been ruled "blunt force trauma due to a fall." Both Ishler and Geier were ordered to stand trial on murder and related charges after the hearing. Ishler told police Bettig had recently updated his will to include them and police said he thought he and Geier stood to inherit money upon the professor's death, reported Pennlive.com. Bettig had befriended the two months before he died, and Geier had moved into his home in Lemont with her son earlier this year. Wakefield said Geier told him that she and Ishler were tired of the professor's sharp tongue and criticisms of them and Geier's child-rearing habits. They had first tried and failed to drown Bettig on a trip they took to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware on Aug. 10, police said. "When they were in Delaware, (Ishler) stated that he did dunk Bettig while in the ocean, but that he felt he couldn't do it (hold him under) and didn't continue," Wakefield said. Wakefield added Ishler told him "he was to dunk Bettig and Danelle was to wrap her legs around him to hold Bettig down under water." Ishler's defense lawyers questioned the proof behind such claims, saying the investigation of this case is far from finished. They also argued that some law enforcement claims against their client lack documentation. Bettig joined the College of Communications in 1988 and was an associate professor of media studies. He was on leave and not scheduled to teach during the fall 2016 semester. Donald Trump described former Mayor Michael Nutters job performance as terrible in a tweet last December, about a month before Nutter left office. Trump apparently feels the exact same way about Mayor Jim Kenney, who succeeded Nutter in January. In an interview with NBC10 on Friday afternoon, shortly after his meeting with 14 black business leaders at a church-affiliated hall in North Philadelphia, the Republican presidential nominee twice attacked Kenney for what he emphatically described as a terrible job as mayor.[[392078491, C]] The Wharton Business School graduate cited crime and education as two weak spots for Kenney.[[392200431, C]] You look at the way, look, Im in Philadelphia. I went to school here. I know the city very well. To see how far its gone down, the inner cities and the neighborhood where were in right now, I cant even believe it. I mean, the fact is your mayor has done a terrible job, he said. Look at your crime statistics. Look at your education statistics. Your mayor has done a terrible job. I dont the mayor, know not much about him. But the mayor of Philadelphia has done one terrible job. Trump did not go into detail about the citys education and crime. In Kenneys first eight months in office, his most prominent legislative victory has been pushing through a soda tax that will fund the citys first universal pre-K system. He inherited a city with many neighborhoods still under siege from daily gun violence. Homicides in a calendar year, however, have not surpassed 300 since 2012.[[391931221, C]] Kenney responded, in part, by calling Trump a "nincompoop." "Several words come to mind after reading the candidate's comments, but perhaps 'nincompoop' is the most family-friendly," Kenney said. "'Terrible job'? Coming from Donald Trump, I'll wear that as a badge of honor."[[392203681, C]] The mayor pointed out that violent crime is down 2.2 percent year over year and the city's unemployment rate decreased to 6.9 percent in June, the lowest it's been since June 2007. "Those are actual facts: annoying little things to this candidate, who seems to live in his own odd version of reality. Honestly, I'm more concerned not about what Donald Trump says, but about what Philadelphians say," Kenney said. "And I'm sure they don't appreciate a candidate who has barely set foot in this city, who clearly fails to grasp the root causes of poverty, parachuting in and declaring that he understands their lives."[[392211311, C]] No criminal charges will be filed in the death of a man who was involved in a violent fight in the Gaslamp Quarter. Conner Kepple died March 10, on his 21st birthday. Five days earlier, he was involved in a 'violent confrontation' at a bar near E Street and Fourth. San Diego Police homicide investigators turned over the case to the District Attorney's Office earlier this week. Police said they thought up to 12 people, including local bouncers, could face criminal charges. However, the District Attorney's office told NBC 7 that after a thorough review, prosecutors believe there is not enough evidence to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt. San Diego Police say video evidence only shows bits and pieces - and not enough to "clearly show intent to do great bodily harm." "It wasn't a clear cut case for us. No arrests have been made," SDPD Homicide Lt. Manny Del Toro said. "That's why we sought the assistance of the district attorney's office to help us sort this out as far as criminal liability in this case." Kepple's family told NBC 7 they are hoping someone will step forward with evidence. We all still want justice for Conner. Were not stopping at all. There are stones that have not been over, Kepples mother, Annie Stuard said. In the days after the fight, Kepple went to the hospital three times. On March 8, physicians said he was septic and required intubation. He was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh eating disease. After Kepple's condition continued to deteriorate, his family ultimately elected to withdraw care on March 10. The Medical Examiner's office ruled his death a homicide due to complications of blunt force trauma. Kepple worked for MaxCare ambulance as an EMT. He is survived by his parents, an older brother and a younger sister. Another week, another round of delicious details from San Diegos dining scene. This time, Eater San Diego shares the scoop on the highly-anticipated re-launch of a popular Little Italy sport, plus new fall openings and essential coffee shops. Craft & Commerce Reopens After Expansion, With New Menu After a year-long revamp, it has arrived: the new and improved Craft & Commerce. The Little Italy restaurant has reopened with a redesigned and expanded space that includes a second bar, extended seating and a new wrap-around patio. There's also a fresh cocktail list and an overhauled food menu inspired by the eaterys wood-fired grill. San Diego's Most-Anticipated Restaurant Openings for Fall 2016 Eater takes a look at a lineup of the most-anticipated new restaurants set to open in San Diego this fall. The exciting array of new local dining spots ranges from a poke eatery and tiki bar combo, to a sweet and savory pie shop and fast-casual concepts. See where you'll be eating next season. RakiRaki Ramen Launches Little Italy Expansion Popular Kearny Mesa ramen house RakiRaki has finally opened a second outpost on India Street that combines its signature menu with sushi burrito concept Pokirrito and yakitori, plus beer and wine. It's now open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. San Diego's Essential Coffee Shops Our local coffee culture is thriving, with a growing community of coffee roasters and well-respected coffee shops from third-wave coffee bars to neighborhood coffee houses. Eater takes a look at 23 of the city's top spots to get your buzz on. Trendy Dessert Shop & Cafe Debut on Convoy New to Kearny Mesa is Bing Haus, which specializes in novelty desserts and coffee drinks. Still in its soft opening phase, the cafe is offering Thai-style rolled ice cream and soft serve but will soon expand its menu to include Korean shaved ice, pastries and more. Candice Woo is the founding editor of Eater San Diego, a leading source for news about San Diegos restaurant and bar scene. Keep up with the latest Eater San Diego content via Facebook or Twitter, and sign up for Eater San Diegos newsletter here. The search for a suspicious man in the Linda Vista area Friday prompted a lockdown at a charter school operating inside the Boys and Girls Club. San Diego Police Officers (SDPD) were called to Morley Street at 9:30 a.m. after someone said they were threatened by a man with a gun. Officers were searching the area for the suspect, police said. The Boys and Girls Club on E. Jewett Street was on lockdown. The site is also the location for a charter school, according to the organization's website. The principal for the charter school told NBC 7 they were placed on lockdown at 9:57 a.m. and released by the police at 10:17 a.m. A child-care center nearby went on voluntary lockdown. The location of the incident is west of State Route 163 and south of Genesee Avenue. No other information was immediately available. A man claiming to be a pastor and a contractor is facing civil claims from several people who say he took their cash but never did the work. Many are now having trouble getting their money back. One veteran told NBC 7 he chose to work with Pastor James E. Wright, not just because he trusted him as a man of God, but also because he says Wright was advertising a veteran-owned business. "As a veteran myself, I wanted to support that. Long story short, it turns out, he's not actually a veteran, which is pretty shameful for him to say he is," said Vince Smith, a combat veteran who returned from Afghanistan in April, and decided to invest in home improvements. Receipts show he paid a $2,000 deposit, but Smith says the contractor never showed up to do the work. Now he says he's having to go to small claims court to get his money back. Wright did not respond to requests for comment. Pastor James Wright's Craigslist ad boasts services for everything from kitchens and baths to landscaping and electrical work. The website claims he's got 25 years experience in handyman work. But, a quick check with the state's Contractor Licensing Board shows Wright's license is expired, since 1992. This is not the first time NBC 7 has received complaints from viewers about Wright. In May 2015, the federal government took away Wright's Project Share license to provide food to needy people. That was after NBC 7 revealed he was cashing out parishioner's and resident's food stamp cards in exchange for deplorable conditions in what Wright called "shelters." Smith said he tried getting his money back from Wright, who kept texting him excuse after excuse, including that Wright had been in a car accident. A handful of other people have shared similar stories about home improvement work they paid Wright to complete. Smith said he's frustrated because he's trying to get the project done and get his money back before his next deployment. "I'm probably leaving again in the Fall, and I'm wasting all this time trying to recover that money to get this project done before I leave again," Vince said. Wright has faced criminal charges in the past, for example, theft, embezzlement and contracting without a license. California law requires contractors obtain a valid state license to contract for home improvement jobs that cost more than $500. Violations are misdemeanors with a maximum penalty of up to a $5,000 fine and up to six months in jail, for each offense. What to Know Metro is seeking a 50-year contract to privatize its parking system, and suggests a 3 percent annual parking fee increase. Metro currently manages 26 parking garages and 30 parking lots among its stations in D.C., Virginia and Maryland. While Metro would give up most of its parking revenue, the contract would yield money to Metro that could exceed its current earnings. Metrorail is preparing to hand over responsibility of its lucrative parking garages to a private contractor, the News4 I-Team has learned. WMATA currently manages 26 parking garages and 30 parking lots among its stations in D.C., Virginia and Maryland. Now the agency is seeking bids from companies interested in operating, financing and maintaining the transit system's parking system. This indicates a major change for a transit agency that has long managed its own paid parking system. The proposal by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said the contractors would be able to "retain all of WMATA's parking revenue," except for surcharges from local governments. While WMATA would be giving up the bulk of its parking revenue, the contract would grant money to WMATA. While the amount is unknown, it could exceed WMATA's current parking revenues. In its proposal to would-be contractors, WMATA suggests the price of "base parking fees" increase 3 percent each year for the duration of the deal. The agency said it would also consider expanding the hours during which parking is charged, to include holidays and late nights. However, a WMATA spokesman told News4 that any fee changes would require approval of the WMATA board before taking effect. WMATA's proposal encourages contractor to continue using the SmarTrip card system. The bids from private contractors are due by Oct. 28. WMATA is seeking a 50-year agreement with the contractor, according to an agency proposal reviewed by the I-Team. The proposal said it expects to close the deal by next July 1. The contractor would oversee the system's 59,267 daily parking spaces, 56 parking lots and garages, and 3,445 parking meters. In a statement, Metro responded: "Under General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld's Customer Accountability Report (CARe), Metro is exploring the outsourcing of parking operations at Metro facilities. The intent is to improve customer amenities, optimize revenue and reduce annual operating cost. Metro currently operates handles all parking operations for 26 gated parking structures and 30 surface parking lots at Metrorail stations with more than 60,000 parking spaces, and 3,500 single-space parking meters at 44 Metrorail stations. Metro is requesting interested contractors [to] explain how they will provide a high level of customer service to Metro riders. As we move forward, public outreach will be conducted on any proposed changes to parking fees and Board action will be required for any changes to our parking operations, including rates and hours of collection." Wiedefeld had signaled a shift to privatization in a March article posted on WMATA's website. The post said, "(WMATA) must recognize opportunities to partner with the private sector and other regional providers. We will test those opportunities in parking and paratransit, where good customer service and better amenities might be offered more cost effectively in some areas." A 30-year-old Maryland man has been charged with the deaths of his parents after their bodies were found in their Laurel, Maryland, home Thursday night. Howard County police went to the home of Glen and Linda White after the couple did not show up for a scheduled meeting. When they entered the Queens Guard Court home, they found Glen White, 66, dead in a bedroom and Linda White, 61, in the home's basement. Police Glen White had been stabbed while his wife's body showed signs of blunt force trauma. Investigators identified the couple's son, Craig White, as a suspect and located him in Columbia, Maryland, Thursday night. He was taken into custody and charged with first and second-degree murder and assault. Police say all three lived in the home together. A motive for the murders has not been released. Melania Trump has filed a lawsuit against a Maryland blogger and a British news website, saying the two published false statements about her alleged involvement with an escort agency. The wife of the Republican presidential nominee filed the suit Thursday in state court in Montgomery County, Maryland. That's the home of Webster Tarpley, who publishes the Tarpley.net blog. The Daily Mail Online also is named as a defendant. The suit seeks a minimum of $75,000 from each defendant. The suit says the Daily Mail Online published an article about Trump that referred to Trump's "very racy past.'' The suit also says Tarpley.net published a post referring to Trump's time as a "high-end escort.'' Trump lawyer Charles Harder represented Hulk Hogan in his defamation suit against the now-defunct website Gawker. He said in a statement that the "Defendants' actions are so egregious, malicious and harmful to Mrs. Trump that her damages are estimated at $150 million," NBC News reported. Both Tarpley.net and the Daily Mail have since retracted their posts about Trump. The Daily Mail's extensive retraction said the article "did not intend to state or suggest that these allegations are true, nor did it intend to state or suggest that Mrs. Trump ever worked as an 'escort' or in the 'sex business,'" according to NBC News. Tarpley.net published the following statement on its homepage: The Morning Briefing published on tarpley.net on August 2, 2016 referenced unfounded rumors and innuendo regarding Melania Trump, wife of Republican Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, and her life prior to her marriage. The August 2, 2016 morning briefing asserted that it was widely known that Melania Trump previously worked as an escort and that Mrs. Trump was in fear of revelations that she used to work as an escort. The briefing also stated that multiple unnamed sources stated that Mrs. Trump was in a state of apoplectic tantrum, was suffering from a full-blown nervous breakdown, that both Melania Trump and Donald J. Trump feared the revelations coming to light, and that Mrs. Trumps condition was negatively affecting the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump. While the tarpley.net editors, writers and contributors did not generate said rumors, the briefing in question was not diligent in fact-checking or maintaining a healthy distance between innuendo and fact. As such, Webster G. Tarpley, as editor of the content that appears on tarpley.net, hereby officially retracts the August 2, 2016 morning briefing in full and apologizes to Mrs. Trump for any duress and harm she may have endured as a result of the contents of the August 2, 2016 morning briefing. "Once Upon a Time" actress Emilie de Ravin took to Twitter Thursday after an apparent run-in with an American Airlines employee as she attempted to board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport with her breast pump. Dear @AmericanAir I was grabbed forcefully,my carry on bag ripped out of my hand @ lax this morning by AA employee A. 3 witnesses.(cont... Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 By and @AmericanAir female employee Autonette Please kindly dismiss this woman from @americanair employment. Luckily our pilot was (cont... Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 very kind and helpful & apologetic on woman's behalf & assisted in getting her name & instructions on who to contact to report her.(Cont... Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 However ther is NO excuse 4 physical force being used on someone trying to take her breast pump carry on.NOT OK @AmericanAir #accountability Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 Apart from this incident and DISCUSTING woman, thank you for a smooth and safe flight @AmericanAir Emilie de Ravin (@emiliederavin) September 1, 2016 "I was grabbed forcefully, my carry-on bag ripped out of my hand by a AA employee," the former "Lost" actress wrote to her online followers, as she urged American Airlines to fire the employee. De Ravin indicated the incident may have been instigated by her attempting to take her breast pump onto the flight as part of her carry-on baggage. The actress gave birth to her first child with boyfriend, Eric Bilitch, in March and announced her engagement on her Instagram in August. American Airlines released the following statement to E! News: "American Airlines is looking into the situation and apologizes to the customer for the inconvenience. Passengers are allowed to have two carry-on items. A breast pump is considered a medical device and should've been allowed on the plane, which eventually it was." After more than three decades with the Dallas Police Department, Chief of Police David O. Brown announced his retirement Thursday, ending a six-year tenure leading the nation's seventh-largest municipal police force. Brown, who focused on community policing and transparency while battling with police unions during his tumultuous tenure as chief, earned nationwide praise in July when he led the city's response to a deadly ambush where five officers were slain. "After much prayer, I am announcing my retirement from the Dallas Police Department after 33 years as a Dallas police officer," Brown said in a statement on DPDBeat.com. "Serving the citizens of Dallas in this noble profession has been both a true honor and a humbling experience." In the statement, Brown went on to thank his family as well as mayors, city managers and members of the city council, past and present, for allowing him to serve. As Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown prepares to retire NBC 5s Kristi Nelson looks back at how Brown has changed and how he has changed the department. "This is a difficult decision. I pray for your understanding and well wishes," Brown said. Brown, who did not give a reason for the abrupt retirement, said it will become effective Oct. 22. He said he'll be unavailable until Sept. 8, at which time he'll hold a press conference to discuss his retirement. David Pughes, inset, has been named the interim Chief of Police effective Oct. 22. Dallas City Manager A.C. Gonzalez credited Brown Thursday for creating a diverse police force that brought some of the lowest crime rates to Dallas since the 1930s and for outfitting 1,000 officers with body cameras while reducing the use of deadly force by a record number. "The world learned what a superstar David is in the aftermath of one of the most painful tragedies our city has ever experienced - but weve known about his strengths for some time," Gonzalez said. "David is a person of high integrity, character and an unrelenting resolve to serve the citizens of Dallas in the most professional manner possible. Its been a pleasure to work with David. We will miss his leadership." City leaders say they are only surprised by the timing of Dallas Police Chief David Browns announcement that hes retiring since he was talking about retiring before the ambush that left five officers dead. Brown said he joined the force in 1983 because of the crack cocaine epidemic's impact on his neighborhood in Oak Cliff. "I wanted to be part of the solution. Since that time I have taken great pride in knowing that we have always been part of the solution and helped to make Dallas the world class city it is today," Brown said. During his career with the department, Brown lived through the murders of his former police partner, Walter Williams, and his younger brother who was shot and killed by drug dealers. Months after being sworn in as chief, Brown's son was shot and killed in a shootout with Lancaster police after he killed a 23-year old man and a police officer. David Brown is the new Chief of Police in Dallas. In his six years, Brown has been a fierce supporter of his officers while facing backlash from unions over the city's low pay. While supporting the rank-and-file, he's fought tirelessly to reduce officer-involved shootings and reports of police brutality. Following the ambush in July that killed five police officers, four from Dallas and one from DART, Brown defended the plan to kill the gunman using an explosive device on a robot, saying it was the only way to protect officers from further harm since the gunman, claimed to have planted bombs around the area and threatened to hurt more people. Brown said that he would make the same decision again. Brown has historically been quick to credit his officers for 11 straight years of a declining crime rate. When the trend in violent crime was reversed earlier this year, friction developed between Brown and officers on how to staff and combat the issue. Meanwhile, violent crime remains up 10.4 percent year to date, despite an eight-week partnership with state and county officers earlier in 2016 to help round-up suspects. Homicide is up 24.7 percent so far in 2016. Overall crime is up 2.5 percent. Another recent report shows the Dallas police force is shrinking. The Dallas police authorized force of 3,520 was just 3,375 as of Aug. 9. Officers leaving the force outpaced hiring by 116 so far this year. The number of police civilian employees has also declined, leaving more work for sworn officers. The tragedy in July resulted in big support for the department and a huge increase in applications to join the force especially after Brown's call to the community to support the police, join the department and be a force for change. The department hoped to hire 549 officers in 2017 making up for those who leave while also increasing current strength by 200; that plan may now be spread out over three years. ] Union leaders were quick to say meeting those hiring numbers would be difficult with the low pay offered by the department. As chief, Brown commanded a department of more than 4,000 employees with an annual budget of $426 million. There are 25 deputy chiefs or assistant chiefs in the Dallas Police Department who could be likely candidates to replace Brown. The city will undoubtedly also look outside of the department for his replacement. Meantime, Gonzalez has named Assistant Chief David Pughes as interim Police Chief upon Brown's retirement. Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change. Police in Springfield, Massachusetts, say one person is in critical after two overnight shootings Friday. According to necn affiliate WWLP, both shoointgs happened in the Liberty Heights neighborhood early Friday morning. The first shooting was reported at 2 a.m. on Taylor Street. Police said the victim in that shooting was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Another shooting was reported at 4 a.m. on Murry Hill Avenue. Police say two people were shot, and one was taken by car to a local hospital. The conditions of those victims are not known. Maribel Martinez says her worst nightmare came true in August she went to pick up her 5-year-old son from an international flight, only to find he was not on board the plane. Martinez's son, Andy, was returning home alone, flying from a family visit in the Dominican Republic to JFK International Airport in New York. But when his JetBlue flight landed, He was not there. "I was told to wait. The police arrived. I was desperate, going crazy," Martinez's explained through a translator. "I went to pick up my son. He wasn't there. I was given another boy." Martinez says that boy, also 5, was carrying her son's passport. As it turns out, Martinez's son was placed on the wrong plane and ended up in Boston. And the boy given to her was accidentally placed on Andy's flight to New York. Her lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, says this should have never happened. "The JetBlue employees who are responsible for this should be ashamed of their behavior," expressed Rubenstein. JetBlue sent necn a statement reading, in part, "Upon learning of the error, our teams in JFK and Boston immediately took steps to assist the children in reaching their correct destinations. While the children were always under the care and supervision of JetBlue crew members, we realize this situation was distressing for the families." JetBlue also said it's reviewing the incident to prevent it from happening again. Martinez was given a refund for the flight and $2,100 in credit for future flights, But Martinez says she will never use JetBlue again. She and her attorney are now asking for a private investigaton. Police in Boston are looking for a missing man they say is of "diminished mental capacity." Howard Payne, 54, was last seen around 8 p.m. Tuesday in the city's Roslindale neighborhood. According to police, he is unable to take his medications on his own. Payne, who sometimes goes by "Tony," is described as a 5'4 black man who weighs about 150 pounds and has a slim build. When he went missing on Symmes Street, he was wearing a black shirt, blue pants and white sneakers. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or contact detectives directly at (617) 343-4566. Two men from California have been sentenced for their involvement in a mortgage loan scheme that affected homeowners in Connecticut and across the country, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Serj Geutssoyan, also known as Anthony Kirk, 32, of Santa Ana, was sentenced to 52 months in prison, and Daniel Shiau, also known as Scott Decker, 30, of Irvine, was sentenced to 58 months. According to the U.S. Attorneys office, Geutssoyan and Shiau worked as members of a sales team for a series of California-based companies run by Aria Maleki that promised to offer home mortgage loan modifications and debt relief services to homeowners in exchange for fees. The fees ranged from around $2,500 to $4,300. Investigators said the defendants claimed that customers were already approved for mortgage loan modifications, or that theyd negotiated with the homeowners lenders or qualified for government assistance to get victims to pay the fees. According to investigators, the defendants scammed more than 1,000 homeowners out of more than $3 million collectively. Prosecutors said that Geutssoyan and Shiau were paid on commission and earned between 45 percent and 50 percent of the final fee. On Jan. 21, Maleki, Geutssoyan, Shiau and four other California residents were charged with conspiracy and fraud offenses. They were arrested on Jan. 26. According to the U.S. Attorneys office, Maleki, Geutssoyan and Shiau each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Maleki was sentenced to 112 months of imprisonment in July. The four other defendants also pleaded guilty and await sentencing. With Hermine bearing down on the United States, new, high-flying technology is providing critical information to those in the storms path. On Thursday, an unmanned drone flew through Hermine, sampling the storm and measuring its every move. Earlier this week, another drone flew into whats now Hermine as well, and video provided by NOAA and NASA shows that Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft landing in Virginia after its mission. Time-lapse videos, also provided by NASA, show the view from the unmanned plane as it zig zags through the storm, measuring things like wind speed and air pressure. The benefit of this aircraft is, because it flies so high it flies at 60,000 feet which is well above the top of the storm. And its carrying sensors that can look down through the storm so its just like doing an X-ray of that storm, said Robbie Hood, director of NOAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems program. Hurricane Hunters have flown through storms for decades, and still do. But after Sandy, the federal government funded these drones to collect even more information. A Global Hawk can fly much farther and stay in the air much longer than a traditional manned aircraft, so it can actually stay with the storm for 16-20 hours. Our normal manned aircraft is 8-12 hours, Hood said. The drones provide key information that can make forecasts better. On Tuesday, a Global Hawk with a 40-meter wingspan dropped a record 90 instruments while investigating two tropical depressions, one off the Carolinas and the one that became Hermine, according to a NOAA news release. The flight took nearly 24 hours, and helped track the two storms. On Saturday, one of the drones sampled Gaston in the middle of the Atlantic, dropping more than 80 instruments into the storm. It detected hurricane-force winds that otherwise would have gone unnoticed by meteorologists another flight marked the first time that data gathered by the NASA Global Hawk was used to upgrade a storm from tropical storm to hurricane. Were always looking at how can we improve our forecast and expand the warning time that people have to prepare for dangerous storms, Hood said. Only two days into the school year, a Massachusetts father is concerned about how the rest of his son's semester will go at Wellesley High School. "There must be some underlying racism that needs to be addressed," said Tendai Musikavanhu. In July, he learned his son, a junior at the school, was at the center of a string of Facebook messages that appeared to contain racist threats and insults made at the Musikavanhu family, as well as other students of color. "Reading the N word, being told to go home to Africa," he explained. "Reading that is very offensive. But when it's applied to your family it just adds another dimension." The messages were initially sent in a private chat group by students at Wellesley High and surrounding communities. They were made public when someone shared them, prompting the school and police to investigate. "My concern is that when violent thoughts become violent words, and there's not some sort of check point to nip this sort of behavior in the bud, it's just a matter of time whether these people are taken and channeled into violent action," Musikavanhu said. "That needs to be stopped." Wellesley Police said Thursday the matter was now being handled by the school. Superintendent David Lussier could not comment on whether any disciplinary action had been taken against the students involved, but he said the incident has prompted a new conversation about race and inclusion within the school. "With the help of community partners, we hope to more formally assess the climate around race and diversity to better understand our current environment," Lussier wrote in an email to necn. "We hope this becomes an opportunity for our community to learn together so that we can ensure that our town remains a place where diversity is seen as a strength and where we maintain cooperative and caring relationships." The high school's principal addressed the issue in a speech to students on their first day, Wednesday. The entire text can be read here. Musikavanhu said his son was positive about his first week back. While they want some sort of consequences to be imposed on those involved, the family is encouraged by the new dialogue. "I think this gives us an opportunity to have meaningful discussion," Musikavanhu said. "Let's ask our children whether they're interacting with enough people from different backgrounds, and if not, why not." An investigation is underway after multiple reports of green lasers targeting airplanes, two of which landed at Boston's Logan Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating after three different planes traveling to two Massachusetts airports had lasers pointed at them. Just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, a pilot flying over Harriman Airport in North Adams reported being flashed by a green laser while flying 11,000 feet in the air. This is a great concern because lasers can temporarily blind pilots as they are flying or trying to land. About a half an hour later, an American Airlines flight about 10 miles northeast of Logan Airport also reported being flashed by a green laser. Then just two minutes later there was another report from a Delta flight in that same area. Not only is it dangerous for the flight crew and the passengers on board, but it's a federal crime to point a laser at an airplane. There were no reports of any injuries. The FAA has notified state police and these incidents remain under investigation. Investigations are underway to find a man who exposed himself in public twice in Winooski, Vermont. On Wednesday, Winooski Police received allegations of a man who lewdly exposed himself to women at the Gilbrook Natural Area. According to the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, the first incident occurred on the evening of Aug. 31 and the second occurred the morning of Sept. 1. The suspect in both incidents is described as a 5'10"-6' tall, Caucasian male, in his late 20's or early 30's, with a muscular build and short blonde hair. The suspect has not been identified. Contact Detective Charkalis of the Winooski Police Department at jcharkalis@winooskipolice.com or (802) 657-4236 with any information regarding the incidents. Police advise the public to walk in pairs at night or when in secluded areas. A second person arrested on Friday in connection with a woman's murder in an East Boston garage in June is being held without bail. Twenty-one-year-old Angel Ramos of East Boston was arraigned on the murder charge in East Boston District Court Friday after being arrested earlier in the day on Saratoga Street. It's unclear if he has an attorney. Authorities say Ramos and 16-year-old Jose Alejandro Hernandez, also of East Boston, killed 18-year-old Blanca Lainez in an East Boston garage in June. Hernandez was arrested on July 10 and later charged with murder in East Boston Municipal Court. Police in Waterville, Maine, are searching for a suspect who attacked a man while armed with a gun and hammer at an apartment in the Maine city. Chief Joseph Massey says police received reports of the assault on Union Street at about 10:20 a.m. Thursday. The victim was hospitalized for a minor head injury. The attacker fled the apartment through a back door and has not been apprehended. The suspect is described as a white man with brown hair and glasses in his late 20s or early 30s. He was wearing a black T-shirt and red bandanna during the assault. Officers have responded to calls at the apartment building a total of nine times since May. Deputy Chief Bill Bonney says there has been some drug activity connected to the residence. Residents in Foxboro, Massachusetts, say a group of wild turkeys is terrorizing the town, and they are concerned after several people reported being chased and attacked. The bold birds are often found in the wooded areas of Foxboro, but lately, they have been spotted in more populated areas, including Mechanic Street. Debra Sabourin said she was out for an afternoon walk last week when a trio of turkeys started following her. "One of them actually flapped his wings, jumped off the ground and dropkicked me with both of his feet," Sabourin said. Sabourin said she was screaming as the turkeys were pecking at her legs. Eventually, a neighbor noticed and helped her fend them off by throwing boots at the birds from her porch. "I just chucked the first set and it didn't quite work they were still going," Meg Nelson said. "So I tried the other boot and they backed off a little bit." However, the birds have not backed off completely. NECN was there as Foxboro Animal Control received another complaint about the turkeys. Thursday morning they showed up at an elderly complex. Animal Control Officer Sue Thibedeau, who has received more than three dozen calls about the birds, says there is a right way to approach the turkeys so they scatter. "They can be intimidating but when people retreat or run for the it makes them bolder," Thibedeau said. Thibedeau suspects someone is feeding the turkeys, which makes them less afraid of humans. She is asking anyone who might be feeding them to stop and to report aggressive interactions with the birds to police. It is against Massachusetts law to transfer wildlife. The town could ultimately decide to kill the birds who are causing the problems, but officials say there is not enough of a danger to the community to do that yet. YMCA Norfolk leads the way with youth work award YMCA Norfolk has become the first youth organisation to achieve the nationally-recognised Ambition Quality - Bronze standard for the services it provides to young people throughout the county. Days after reports that a new ransomware attack was deleting files from web servers, security researchers determined that some of the affected servers were hacked through insecure deployments of the Redis database. Over the past week, reports popped up on support forums about web servers being wiped clean and hosting a ransom note through which attackers offered to return the deleted files in exchange for two bitcoins (around US$1,150). Experts from tech support forum BleepingComputer.com dubbed the new threat FairWare. On Wednesday, researchers from security firm Duo Security reported a similar attack against servers that hosted publicly accessible Redis databases. Attackers took advantage of insecure-by-default Redis configurations to replace the server's root SSH key and take it over. They then used the newly gained access to delete several directories, including the root web directory where websites are stored, and left behind a ransom note. Redis is an open source in-memory data structure store that can be used as a database, cache, and message broker. Its developers warn that "Redis is designed to be accessed by trusted clients inside trusted environments" and that "usually it is not a good idea to expose the Redis instance directly to the internet." This warning hasn't stopped web server administrators from exposing some 18,000 Redis installations directly to the Internet, therefore putting web servers at risk. Thirteen thousand of those Redis installations show signs of being affected by this new pseudo-ransomware attack, according to the Duo Security researchers. More precisely, Duo's scans revealed that around 13,000 Redis databases had a record called "crackit" that contained a public SSH key as the associated value. By modifying the Redis configuration, attackers tricked the software to replace the SSH authentication key for the root account on the server. Even though the attackers claim in the ransom note that the files have been encrypted, this is most likely not true. The Duo Security researchers set up a honeypot server with an insecure Redis deployment and waited for it to be hacked. They then monitored what commands attackers executed on the server after connecting with the rogue SSH key. All of the observed commands were to delete various directories and to generate the ransom note. "The note suggests that files have been encrypted and sent to a remote server, but we saw no indications of this happening," the researchers said in a blog post. "This attack looks to rely on fear to try and get people to pay for files that no longer exist." The ransom note observed by the Duo researchers was different than the one accompanying the initial FairWare reports. However, BleepingComputer.com founder Lawrence Abrams was able to confirm that Redis was installed on the severs of several FairWare victims and that the same "crackit" key with the same email address was present in the data stores. Apples absence in the virtual reality (VR) market could be lethal. Mobile VR is going to sell expensive top-tier phones. And without a dog in the fight, Apple will cede mobile VR to Googles Android. Recent activity leads me to believe, however, that an Apple/Oculus partnership could be announced at Apples Sept. 7 media event. Here are 10 reasons why I think it could really happen: 1. UploadVR reported that Apple filed a patent on a head-mounted display (HMD) Apple filed a patent on an HMD and hand trackers similar to what are being sold today. Its likely a defensive patent to prevent a damages award in patent litigation with the innovators such as Oculus, HTC and their predecessors. Apples claim in its patent reads: A head-mounted device that is worn on a user's head and configured to integrate with a cellular telephone 2. Apple needs to prove to Wall Street and Main Street that it hasnt lost its innovation mojo Apple is generally perceived to have lost its innovative mojo. When 71 percent of the investors Bloomberg spoke to said Apples most innovative days had past, the premier business news agency questioned: Is Apple Losing Its Innovative Edge? Every company in the technology industry has a VR innovation story except for Apple. Apple needs to change opinions that its innovation engine has stalled. A cohesive VR story would help. 3. Googles Android-based DayDream VR platform will be released very soon Google will release its DayDream VR platform in October. The DayDream beta release that runs on Android 7.0, Nougat, is stable. Indie developers and partners are already building for and porting to it. 4. When Google releases DayDream in October, consumers can buy six DayDream-ready Android phones and HMDs In October, Google will announce DayDream-ready smartphones and HMDs with six partners: Samsung, HTC, Huawei, LG, ZTE, Asus, Alcatel and Xiaomi. ----------------------------------------------------------------- + Also on Network World: + ----------------------------------------------------------------- 5. When Googles VR headsets are announced, many VR apps will be available Unity3D for DayDream release 0.9 is nearly ready for release. Unity 3D, the lingua franca of VR and augmented reality (AR) app authoring, will bring a lot of VR and AR apps to Google DayDream Android VR devices. VR apps will create consumer demand for top-tier, gross-margin-rich, Android flagship phones, creating potentially lethal iPhone competition in Apples premium phone segment. 6. Archrival Samsung is already in VR first place with its Gear VR headset Apple archrival, Samsung, announced its Gear VR headset almost a year ago. Flagship phones, the Galaxy 6 and Galaxy 7, both work with the Gear VR. Apple needs to change opinions that its innovation engine has stalled. A cohesive VR story would help. 7. Samsung Galaxy S6 and S7 consumers will have both Oculus and DayDream apps to choose from Versions of Oculus SDK and Unity have been ported to the Samsung Gear VR. After the Google DayDream-ready headset announcement next month, Samsung will have a robust VR portfolio spanning both Google and Samsung and flanking Apple. Unless Apple announces a VR offering next week, it will lose ground to competitor Samsung, the largest mobile phone maker in the world. 8. Apples iPhones are more powerful than consumers need to run most apps. Apple needs demanding VR apps to persuade consumers to buy more iPhone 7s. Without CPU-intensive new apps like VR, Apples more powerful iPhone 7 and A10 processor due next week wont run perceptively faster than last years iPhone 6s, impeding improved performance as a reason for Apple users to upgrade. Most app developers proactively manage new versions of their apps, so they do not place an additional burden on phone hardware, eliminating sluggish performance as a reason to upgrade. Apples iPhone business is in a slump. In the second quarter of this year, Apple reported iPhone sales declined for the first timedown 16.3 percent, year over year. In the following quarter, iPhone sales fell again. Fortune reported that iPhone shipments "fell off a cliff. Apple needs more than a new iPhone to revive sales; it needs a new category of hardware-hungry apps like VR to persuade users to upgrade their iPhones. 9. An Oculus-Apple partnership will bring VR apps to the Apple App Store right away An Oculus-Apple partnership will bring apps and developers to an Apple VR platform. It would be very hard for Apple to introduce its own secretly developed VR platform that is robust enough to have an immediate impact without compatibility with the Oculus platform. Not impossible, but a big challenge, because all new apps will need to be created by developers unfamiliar with such an unproven Apple platform. 10. VR is happening now. Predictions peg VR will grow to 750 million headsets in the next five years Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games and Carnegie Mellon adjunct professor, predicts that 40 million console-tethered and mobile VR heads will ship in 2017 and 750 million within five years. If Apple fails to be among them, it will miss the VR opportunity. Iris scanner technology is emerging in smartphones, including the new Samsung Note 7, but is expected to come soon to cars and ATM machines to verify a users identity. Experts say an iris scan can be more reliable than a fingerprint scan, which is a big reason it is expected to be used in more devices in coming years. Each iris, the colorful part of the eye that forms a ring around the pupil, is unique and therefore a good biometric indicator. Samsungs Android 6-based Note 7, which shipped on Aug. 19, takes advantage of the technology as well as the Windows 10 Mobile-based HP Elite X3. In the Note 7 and other iris scanning phones, a special front-facing camera sensor and an infrared sensor are used to take a series of video frames of a users iris. Then, software looks at hundreds of points in the scan from various video frames to determine if that person is the authorized user before unlocking the device. A user can customize which of the phones features, such as Secure Folder, will also require an iris scan for entry. Samsung has also preserved the use of passwords, keyboard patterns and fingerprint scanning on the Note 7, partly to give users a choice. Some reviewers have noted that the Note 7s iris scanner is not as reliable as its fingerprint sensor, partly because it is hard to do scans in direct sunlight or when the user is wearing glasses or colored contacts. The Note 7 and Elite X3 were not the first phones to use iris scanner technology. More than a year ago, Fujitsu included an iris scanner on the Arrows NX F-04G smartphone, sold by NTT Docomo only in Japan. That phone as well as a later Fujitsu smartphone model and a Fujitsu tablet all took advantage of iris scanners. All three relied on intellectual property for iris scanners called ActiveIRIS from Delta ID, a startup of fewer than 20 people based in Newark, Calif., that was formed in 2011. Delta ID President Salil Prabhakar said in an interview that his company is working with other smartphone makers interested in the ActiveIRIS technology, although he could not name the companies due to contractual agreements. He said those other companies include smartphones already on sale in the U.S., which implies that ActiveIRIS works with Note 7, as widely rumored. ActiveIRIS is included in Samsungs Galaxy Tab Iris, according to Prabhakar in a report. Aside from not working well in sunlight, iris scan technology is considered more reliable than a fingerprint scan, Prabhakar said. Thats partly because fingerprints of women and children are harder to read because their hands and fingers are smaller and their fingerprints have smaller peaks and valleys to detect. Also, fingerprints age as a person ages, and fingerprints can be obscured by dust and grime among people who work with their hands. No biometric is bad, but every biometric has its challenges, Prabhakar said. Statistically, a fingerprint scan can mistakenly identify a fingerprint for someone else (called a false match) once in 10,000 times, while an iris scan makes a false match once in a million times, he said. The reliability for a fingerprint scan is roughly equivalent to a four-digit PIN, while the iris scan is equivalent to a six-digit PIN. Banks love it. An iris scan is better security, Prabhakar said. Because of that high level of reliability, Delta ID is approaching banks to put ActiveIRIS in ATM machines, and has been in talks with three U.S automakers and several others abroad to include ActiveIRIS in cars, he said. An infrared sensor in a car could be placed in the instrument panel, center console or rearview mirror to identify who is in the drivers seat with an iris scan. With that kind of identity information, a cars systems could be set to individual preferences for the height of the seat or radio stations, Prabhakar said. Iris scanners could even be used to detect when the driver is getting drowsy. Car makers can use it for whatever feature they want to build, he said. A prime market will be rental car companies, which could identify frequent customers once they get seated in a car for a quick checkout. In future iterations of iris scan technology, Delta ID may enhance the iris scan with identifiable aspects of a persons nose and eyes, including the shape of the eyes and the distance between the eyes and nose. It cant be just the eyes and nose, but that information can supplement other information, he said. Interestingly, iris scans work for the blind and even for people with eye diseases, including like cataracts and glaucoma, Prabhakar said. Thats because most of those diseases affect the lens of the eye and not the iris, which is a muscle that controls the pupil aperture. However, there are some peoples irises that cannot be scanned because their pupils are not circular or are elongated, he said. Or, the iris has been injured or a person cannot open his or her eyes wide enough. Indias national identity program, with 1 billion fingerprints and iris scans completed, found that one in a 1,000 irises could not be scanned. That program also found that one in 20 fingerprints could not be accurately scanned, a much higher rate. The iris ID has so much going for it. We want to stay focused on it, Prabhakar said. While Delta ID and a few competitors like Eyelock and Iris ID are focused on growing the iris scanning market in various devices, IHS Technology said earlier this year that it is a small market so far. Iris scanners made up less than 1% of the market for iris, fingerprint and facial scanners in 2015, IHS said. Iris scanner technology alone is unlikely to increase sales of any smartphone or tablet model, said Ramon Llamas, an analyst at IDC. People dont buy a device for a security feature like [an iris scan], he said. Now, a complete security solution is a different story. This story, "Iris scans as ID grow in use" was originally published by Computerworld . The European Commission's decision to force Apple to pay Ireland billions of dollars in back taxes is "total political crap" and a reflection of anti-U.S. sentiment, company CEO Tim Cook told the Irish Independent in an interview published Thursday. "No one did anything wrong here," Cook said. "Ireland is being picked on, and this is unacceptable." The EC ruled on Tuesday that Ireland gave Apple illegal tax benefits by not collecting 13 billion (US$14.5 billion) in taxes owed to it over a 10-year period. It was the culmination of a two-year investigation into the company's tax affairs that found Apple's effective tax rate on profit reported in Ireland was just 500 per million euros in profit, falling to 50 per million in 2014. The Commissions charges have "no basis in fact or in law, Cook wrote in an open letter to Apple customers on Tuesday. The Irish tax authority has also disputed the ruling. Apple will still proceed with a planned expansion in Cork, Ireland, Cook told the Irish Independent, but the company also hopes the Irish government will follow Apple's lead and appeal the ruling. Both Apple and Ireland "played by the rules," he told the publication. We paid $400m in taxes in 2014. We believe were the largest taxpayer there." The EC is essentially trying to reallocate taxes that should be paid in the U.S. to the EU, Cook told the publication, and may be using the case as part of a play to harmonize tax rates across the EU, as well. The fact that Apple was targeted is also in part a reflection of anti-U.S. sentiment, he said. Neither Apple nor the EC responded to a request for comment, nor did the Irish government. Security experts have been saying for decades that human weakness can trump the best technology. Apparently, it can also trump conventional wisdom. Since passwords became the chief method of online authentication, conventional wisdom has been that changing them every month or so would improve a persons, or an organizations, security. Not according to Lorrie Cranor, chief technologist of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), who created something of a media buzz earlier this year when she declared in a blog post that it was, time to rethink mandatory password changes. She gave a keynote speech at the BSides security conference in Las Vegas earlier this month making the same point. But the message was not new she has been preaching it for some time. Cranor, who before her move to the FTC was a professor of computer science and of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, gave a TED talk on it more than two years ago. She contends that changing passwords frequently could do more harm than good. Not because new passwords, in and of themselves, would make it easier for attackers, but because of human nature. She cited research suggesting that, users who are required to change their passwords frequently select weaker passwords to begin with, and then change them in predictable ways that attackers can guess easily. This, she said, was demonstrated more than six years ago in a 2009-2010 study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Researchers, using passwords of more than 10,000 defunct accounts of former students, faculty and staff, found it much easier to crack new passwords if they had cracked an older one, since users tended create a new password with a minor tweak of the old one. Those tweaks included changing a lower-case letter to upper case, substituting a number for a letter, such as a 3 for an e, or simply adding a couple of letters or numbers to the end of the previous password. Cranor said the researchers found that if they knew a previous password, they could guess the new one in fewer than five tries. A hacker who had also stolen the hashed password file would be able to guess new ones within three seconds and that was with 2009 technology. The UNC study is not the only one reaching that conclusion. Researchers at the School of Computer Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, in a paper published in March 2015, concluded that security advantages of password expiration policies were, relatively minor at best, and questionable in light of overall costs, for the same reason the UNC researchers found. (W)hen password changes are forced, often new passwords are algorithmically related to the old [password], allowing many to be found in few guesses, they wrote. And the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in a draft publication from April 2009 (although it was marked Retired this past April), said password expiration policies frequently frustrate users, who then, tend to choose weak passwords and use the same few passwords for many accounts. Not surprisingly, attackers are very much aware of these vulnerabilities. The latest Verizon Data Breach Incident Report (DBIR) found that 63 percent of all data breaches involved the use of stolen, weak or default passwords. A report released earlier this month by Praetorian found that four out of the top five activities in the cyber kill chain had nothing to do with malware, but with stolen credentials, thanks to things like weak domain user passwords and cleartext passwords in memory. All of which would seem to be even more ammunition for organizations like the FIDO Alliance, which has been crusading to eliminate passwords entirely since its formation four years ago. The Alliance has been pitching two passwordless authentication options it hopes will be irresistible to both users and service providers. But even with increasing interest and acceptance of those options, Brett McDowell, FIDOs executive director, has acknowledged that there will be a long tail for password use. And during that long transition, he and others say there are multiple ways to improve security that dont involve creating a new password every couple of months that is easier to crack than previous ones. Zach Lanier, director of research at Cylance, cites Apples TouchID and Googles Project Abacus as mobile options to wean users off passwords, but said passwords are obviously, still around, and theyre likely to be for a bit longer. Its just that theyre so standard for people and enterprises, and have been for so long, that its really hard to make them completely disappear. In the interim, he said, organizations can improve their password security through a combination of employee training and, actively testing their authentication mechanisms and auditing users passwords cracking them whether its through internal infosec teams or external firms. In my opinion, it should be both, he said. This can give the organization a better idea of where things are broken, from people to technology. The users can be brought into this as well, he added, by, making available the tools to enable, if not force, users to test the strength of their own passwords. McDowell agrees that education is, a laudable endeavor, especially to help users avoid falling victim to phishing and/or social engineering attacks. But he said the shared secret authentication model is vulnerable to too many forms of attack not just social engineering hence the need to eliminate them as soon as possible. Tom Pendergast, chief strategist, Security, Privacy & Compliance, at MediaPro, said organizations can and should have much more rigorous password policies. Current policies set the bar far too low for complexity in passwords and dont require multi-factor authentication, acknowledged as the best commonly-available solution, he said. Lanier agreed. There are some really awful organizations, sites or services that cant seem to move past the year 1998 with authentication, he said. Things like not allowing certain characters, or limiting the length of the password to something ridiculously low, all because the developers, database admins, and/or designers are using outdated or deprecated mechanisms. Pendergast said he sees the same thing. There is plenty of existing technology designed specifically to prevent users from repeating passwords, using common passwords, and enforcing password rules. A surprising number of companies dont use these basic password reinforcement functions, he said. And, Lanier noted that, password managers are, of course, a huge boon for generating complex passwords without the fuss of having to remember them or write them on a Stickie note. This at least reduces the risk that a person might serialize their password choices. Certainly not a panacea, but for the average person, its a great idea. [ RELATED: How to evaluate password managers ] Still, as McDowell noted, even rigorous passwords cant compensate for a person being fooled by a skilled attacker. Many times, passwords are simply given away in a phishing or social engineering attack, he said. I saw a recent stat from the SANS Institute that 95% of all attacks on enterprise networks are the result of successful spear phishing. All agree that the weaknesses of human nature mean it would be better to move beyond passwords. But, as McDowell notes, human nature also requires that whatever replaces passwords must be, easier to use than passwords alone. User experience is going to win over security every time so the key to building a secure password replacement system is to build ease-of-use into its foundation, he said. Until then, Lanier said, organizations should, at a minimum, not rely on passwords alone. At the very least, if/when that poor password gets cracked or guessed, two-factor authentication raises the bar for the attacker, he said. This story, "Regular password changes make things worse" was originally published by CSO . The goal of technology is to make the world a better place. Sometimes, you can do that by making a gigantic breakthrough that solves a big problem in one fell swoop or opens major new horizons to the whole of humanity. Much more often, however, you can solve a much smaller problem right at home. Thats what Makoto Koite, a cucumber farmer in Japan, did when he used Googles open-source AI software TensorFlow, an Arduino, and a Raspberry Pi to automatically sort his produce by size and shape. +ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: Googles cloud platform blog has fuller details, but basically it works like this: the cucumbers get placed into a plastic chamber, and get their picture taken from the top, bottom and side. The picture then gets classified based on its similarity to several thousand pre-sorted images Makoto used for a training dataset. Finally, its dumped onto a conveyor belt, where a small motorized arm shunts it into one of several bins. Its not perfect yet, according to Makoto, but further developments in Googles AI libraries and bigger sample sizes for training ought to make the cucumber sorter highly effective, letting the family concentrate on less mind-numbing tasks. * The Raspberry Pi doesnt have to feel left out of the containerization gold rush anymore the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced this week that Docker is coming to the Pi. Yes, its been out there unofficially for a while, but the foundation said that support for the revolutionary deployment framework is now built-in to the latest versions of Raspbian Jesse meant for the Pi. What hobbyists can do with this, Im frankly not sure however, the foundation suggests the use of big groups of networked Pis for Dockers Swarm mode, creating computing clusters. Cool. I guess if youve got a microservice lying around the house that youve been wanting to deploy, this is for you. * The Pis runaway success has spawned a ton of competitors eager to get into the market for small, cheap hobbyist computers. Two of the latest, the Omega2 and the PocketCHIP have intriguing upsides compared to the Raspberry Pi. In the case of the Omega 2, that advantage is, surprisingly, cost it costs just $5, but it comes with on-board Wi-Fi and solid-state storage. (Theres also a $9 version that doubles the $5 units 64MB of memory and 128MB of storage.) After a successful Kickstarter, the first devices will ship in December. Kickstarter PocketCHIP, in contrast, is somewhat more specialized where Raspberry Pi is dizzyingly generalist. Its also quite cheap, at $9, and it packs some pretty impressive specs for the price, as the Inquirer notes in an engaging review. The point of the system, however, is gaming. Its apparently designed to work with a (substantially more expensive) case mod that effectively turns it into a programmable Gameboy. You can do much the same thing with a Pi, of course, but the price point, even with the $60 tacked on for the case, could be attractive to people looking specifically for a tiny, pocket portable gaming rig that requires a little less assembly. We actually had a queue coming out of the door " A NURSE who has been battling breast cancer for the last year has raised more than 4,500 to help pay for a machine that will speed up the diagnosis of future patients. Emily Montgomery organised a coffee morning on Saturday at Newbury Town Hall and set up an online donations page in aid of the Royal Berks Charity. So far, the charity has raised more than 38,000 towards a Faxitron machine, which allows breast tissue samples to be analysed in just one minute. With Mrs Montgomerys fund-raising efforts to be added to that, the charity has now almost reached the 47,000 target. The coffee morning saw cancer support group members from across Berkshire help bake cakes and serve tea and coffee, raising a staggering 1,500 in just two hours. Speaking about the fundraiser, Ms Montgomery who works as a director of nursing and quality for Care UK, said: It went absolutely brilliantly better than expected. We had lots of women coming to help, baking cakes and treats. We actually had a queue coming out of the door at one point. Along with my justgiving page, and the match-funding from my employer, were expecting to raise more than 4,500. Before the event, 50-year-old Ms Montgomery, from Highclere, explained how the machine would benefit future patients. In many other places around the country they already have a Faxitron machine, but here in Berkshire patients have to wait about a week for their biopsy results to come back, she said. Having gone through it myself, that week is the most horrendous. You dont eat, you dont sleep, you have all these imaginary conversations with yourself about how youre going to tell people, and you still have to function at work. Ive spoken to women in many, many support groups, many of whom have had the same experience. We just want to make sure that other women dont have to go through the same thing. Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News on Tuesday, she added: Its just nice to give back. A lot of people had said to me they knew exactly what I meant when they heard [about the wait]. There were a lot of people coming up to me with their own stories of how breast cancer had affected them, or someone they knew. The fundraiser also provided a place for others to gain support and advice. The Newbury Breast Care Support Group was on hand at the event, with the chairwoman, Maureen leDu, displaying information and talking to patients and their families about breast cancer support. A delighted Ms Montgomery said: The sun was on our side, the mayor came along, and the town crier did a superb job of getting the word out. It was such a great team effort from all of the support groups, and everyone created a very positive atmosphere. We all had that one thing in common. To donate visit Mrs Montgomerys justgiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Emily-Montgomery1 Polish theatre company put on emotional show HUNDREDS of spectators gathered in Newbury town centre over the bank holiday weekend to watch a street theatre performance exploring the impact of war on civilians. Silence, by Polish company Teatr Biuro Podroy, was the latest of the Corn Exchanges free outdoor events, with nearly 2,000 people turning up to watch on Sunday and Monday. Featuring physical theatre, fire, unusual staging, puppetry and music, the performance continued the theatre groups story of refugees and migrants caught up in a spiral of war, fences and dreams of escape. Founded in 1988, Teatr Biuro Podroy are one of the worlds leading outdoor companies, known for their production Carmen Funebre, which explored similar themes. Its sequel received a positive response from Newbury spectators, with many taking to social media to praise the performance. Felicity Merchant said that Silence was an amazing and thought provoking show, while Michelle Walker said the brilliant, devastating and powerful show had left her stunned. Newbury town councillor Margo Payne described Silence as a thought-provoking, moving performance. An emotional wreck is putting it mildly! Chrissie Wilding said. Fantastic portrayal of mans inhumanity to man so terribly sad. Well done to the actors it was so poignantly portrayed. Thank you to the Corn Exchange for these events. Much appreciated. Corn Exchange co-director Katy Griffiths said: Were thrilled with the response weve received to Silence this was a very different event to that of Colour of Time earlier on in the summer. We aim to present a varied programme of work and it was wonderful to see so many people came out on the bank holiday weekend to support our outdoor arts programme. The next date in the Corn Exchanges free outdoor arts programme is the popular annual Festival of Light: Lantern Procession, which will take place in the town centre on Sunday, December 11. For more information visit www.cornechangenew.com The programme is supported by Greenham Common Trust and Arts Council England. CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - September 01, 2016) - Azul Partners today announced it has acquired new technology from Supply Dynamics, a Cincinnati-based provider of best-in-class technology solutions designed to address the challenges of procurement and supply chain complexity in distributed manufacturing environments. This acquisition strengthens Azul's MetalMiner offering through the combination of the world's first and only resource for systematically comparing mill/manufacturer direct and distributed metal prices to the actual prices paid by hundreds of similar buyers in real time with its insight, benchmarking and analytics. MetalMiner provides manufacturers, traders, investors, corporations and consultants with critical intelligence based on deep industry knowledge and sophisticated modeling capabilities across the industrial metals sector. Supply Dynamics' system of proprietary data collection and verification, when applied to the metals markets, will bring needed cost savings to manufacturers and corporations globally. Technological advances have continued to increase the speed at which information is available on global commodity prices. However, these "benchmark prices" (e.g., LME Aluminum) lack the detailed information necessary to make accurate decisions when researching or sourcing semi-finished materials. Allowing manufacturers to compare the price of the materials they source (defined by alloy, grade, form and size) to the same materials purchased by hundreds of similar organizations is a huge step forward for the industry, bringing transparency and accountability to a formerly opaque marketplace. It also happens to be a fast and effective way for manufacturers to conduct comprehensive spend analysis, locate potential cost savings and identify alternative sources of supply. Changes to the economic and political environment continue to drive volatility in commodities markets. With the industry's most sophisticated pricing analytics toolset, MetalMiner arms manufacturers with critical information needed to optimize their businesses, investments and trading strategies. "This acquisition underscores MetalMiner's commitment to the North American Manufacturer while supporting Azul's growth as the leading research and advisory firm serving procurement organizations," said Lisa Reisman, Managing Director, Azul Partners, and Executive Editor & Co-Founder of MetalMiner. "MetalMiner clients will benefit from an improved level of transparency in their 2017 sourcing of metal, supported by innovative technologies that deliver a higher level of granularity and a more sophisticated view of market conditions and their impact on price." Trevor Stansbury, Founder and President of Supply Dynamics, said, "Supply Dynamics has experienced tremendous growth over the last 10 years. We are all about connecting disparate pieces of information to enhance customer decision-making as it relates to the extended supply chain. Our rationale for developing this technology was simple: We couldn't understand why the market price for metals was such a moving target when you can easily compare prices for just about everything else. Well now, with MetalMiner Benchmarks, you can! I truly believe that providing this additional resource to MetalMiner's existing pricing, forecasting and benchmarking capabilities will take MetalMiner and its clients to the next level." At launch, MetalMiner customers will have access to 31 million price points, collected from more than 1,100 companies representing 19 industries. This data set includes more than 500 alloy grade and form combinations, as well as specific pricing relative to size, quantity and material origin. This content will be available to MetalMiner clients through its existing advisory services and via MetalMiner.com, where the public will have access to free quotes and charts of 9 popular grades of aluminum, stainless steel, nickel alloy, carbon steel and titanium. About Supply Dynamics: Supply Dynamics provides best-in-class technology solutions designed to address the challenges of managing sourcing, procurement and supply chain complexity in highly distributed manufacturing environments. SDX, by Supply Dynamics, is a cloud-based, multi-enterprise supply chain analytics suite. Coupled with a proprietary (blueprint to bill-of-material) data conversion process called Part Attribute Characterization, Supply Dynamics offers manufacturing companies unmatched visibility into material and process demand through all tiers of the extended supply chain -- from chemical elements to engines, tractors, and even to nuclear power plants. About Azul Partners, Inc. Azul Partners is a digital B2B media, publishing and advisory company with 12 procurement, supply chain and commodities-focused research and advisory ventures, including Spend Matters and MetalMiner. MetalMiner is North America's largest metals information site, providing global perspectives on the issues, trends and trade policies that impact organizations that source and trade metals. MetalMiner provides clients with custom advisory related to industrial metal prices, forecasts and benchmarks. Other Azul Partners brands include Healthcare Matters, Trade Financing Matters, Spend Matters NL (Netherlands), Spend Matters Mexico y Latin America, Spend Matters Almanac (free online provider directory), Spend Matters PRO, Spend Matters CPO, Public Spend Forum US & EU. Cranston East no match for Portsmouth With their 36-6 victory on Friday night, the Patriots clinched the top seed in their half of Division II. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. Columnist Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich). 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). Champaign, IL (61820) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable. Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease - a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Humans can become infected through contact with an infected animal, infected food, or inhalation. Four species of bacteria from the genus Brucella infect humans: B. abortus, B. canis, B. melitensis, and B. suis. Brucella bacteria, 3D illustration. Gram-negative pleomorphic bacteria which cause brucellosis in cattle and humans and are transmitted to man by direct contact with ill animal or by contaminated milk - Image Copyright: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock History of Brucellosis British army surgeon Cleghorn first identified brucellosis in 1751, noting similarities to a disease first described by Hippocrates more than 2000 years earlier. In 1887, David Bruce isolated the causative organisms of the disease. The genus Brucella was later named after him. Scientists further characterized the disease by connecting it with abortions in cattle. Brucella bacteria infect the reproductive organs of the host, resulting in abortions and sterility. Animals shed the bacteria in urine, milk, and other bodily fluids. Brucellosis also infects wild animals, but animal-to-human transmission primarily occurs with domestic animals. Worldwide, there are about 500,000 new cases of brucellosis each year. Animal vaccination programs have reduced the incidence of brucellosis in the US. Brucellosis Evades the Immune System Once inside the body, Brucella bacteria evade the immune system through a number of mechanisms. That makes Brucella difficult for the immune system to eliminate. Cell-mediated immunity is the primary mode of defense for the host. This host response to B. abortus produces tissue granulomas that resemble sarcoidosis. Infection with the more virulent B. melitensis and B. suis can cause visceral microabscesses. Brucella infects the human body through breaks in the skin, mucous membranes, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, and conjunctivae. Inside the body, Brucella bacteria enter the lymphatic system and replicate. They can then spread to the kidney, liver, spleen, breast, or joints. The infection can involve any organ system. Symptoms of brucellosis include: fever sweating headache anorexia fatigue muscle pain joint pain back pain arthritis swelling of scrotum and testicles endocarditis chronic fatigue depression swelling of liver swelling of spleen neurological symptoms The total number of reported cases in the US is about 100 per year. Most cases of brucellosis in the US result from the use of illegal unpasteurized dairy product from Mexico. About 60 percent of US cases are found in Texas and California. Early Treatment is Key Brucellosis responds well to treatment. If treated within a few months of onset, a complete cure with low risk of relapse or chronic disease is possible. However, if treatment is delayed, mortality approaches 85 percent. Illness can become chronic and debilitating. Overall mortality from brucellosis is less than 2 percent. Brucellosis is typically diagnosed from blood cultures and testing for antibodies specific to the disease. The standard treatment for brucellosis is antibiotics. Bed rest is often recommended. Biological Warfare Brucella bacteria have been weaponized in experimental US biological warfare programs. Qualities such as airborne transmission, ability to cause chronic disease, and vague clinical characteristics (leading to difficulty in diagnosing) made it appealing for a weapons program. The program was terminated by 1967, but the organisms are still considered a potential weapon and potential threat to US troops. Further Reading Opening a broad vista in the search for effective pharmaceuticals, a collaboration of Chinese and U.S. chemists has laid out a highly efficient new method to convert abundant organic molecules into new medicines. Writing Sept. 2 in the journal Science, teams led by Guosheng Liu of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC) and Shannon Stahl of the University of Wisconsin-Madison describe a way to convert carbon-hydrogen bonds into nitriles, common components of bioactive molecules used in medicinal and agricultural applications. Carbon-hydrogen bonds are the most common feature of the molecular building blocks used to make valuable chemicals. The new method will help break the stranglehold of carbon-hydrogen bonds present in the chemical feedstocks used to make bioactive molecules. Exchanging hydrogen atoms in such molecules for more useful elements is difficult without damaging or destroying the rest of the molecule. The new method described by Liu and Stahl gives chemists prospecting for bioactive molecules a new tool in the search for novel drugs or chemicals for agriculture. Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today "We need more efficient ways to convert feedstocks into useful molecules," explains Stahl, a UW-Madison professor of chemistry. "Selective functionalization of carbon-hydrogen bonds is one of the holy grails of modern chemistry." Although chemists have ways of making biologically active molecules now, the current routes are often laborious and create large amounts of waste. The new method removes many of the intermediate steps and will make the process far easier for medicinal chemists. An important feature of the new method is that it provides access to so-called chiral molecules that are a match for enzymes targeted in disease. Chiral molecules have mirror-image versions of themselves, similar to a pair of human hands. For drug molecules to be effective, they must fit like a hand into a glove the targeted molecular niche of an enzyme. "The three-dimensional shape and chirality of molecules often correlates with the efficacy or potency of a pharmaceutical," notes Stahl. The two mirror-image forms of drug molecules can have vastly different effects. An infamous example is thalidomide, first prescribed as a sedative in the 1950s. The reverse image of the molecule, however, was later linked to severe birth defects. "It is important to be able to synthesize only one of two mirror images of the molecule, and development of new catalytic methods that achieve this goal, starting with carbon-hydrogen bonds, is highly desired," says Liu, a professor of chemistry at SIOC. With viruses such as Ebola, MERS-CoV and Zika making global headlines, and the progressive development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide, Edinburgh Research & Innovation (ERI), the commercialisation arm of the University of Edinburgh, has announced a new AIMday (Academic Industry Meeting day) for companies looking to find expertise and innovative solutions to dealing with the challenges of microbial infection. This AIMday Infection event on 30th November will tackle individual questions and challenges posed by companies looking to harness the latest research outputs and expertise in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, understanding microbial populations and drivers of resistance. Vicky Thomas, ERIs Commercial Relations Marketing Manager, comments: We have seen the devastation that Ebola and other viruses have created in the past year. And with many bacterial pathogens now showing resistance to antibiotics, this AIMday will shine the spotlight on a very topical and engaging issue. The AIMday Infection will be hosted by the University of Edinburgh on 30th November. It will bring together academics from right across the University of Edinburgh in disciplines including Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Physics, Medicine and Engineering to meet with industry partners to discuss and foster potential collaborations in any area of infectious diseases, such as diagnostics, the development of novel treatments strategies, and ways to enhance the effective use of current therapies. The World Health Organization, together with some of the worlds biggest charities and other health funding bodies, continue to explore ways of preventing infection spread. This AIMday is about widening this conversation to promote innovative ideas and identify pathways to finding better ways of tackling the issues. The AIMday allows companies to submit a question or commercial challenge around any element of infection control. Academics from across the University, will select those questions they believe their research could add the most value to during the company discussion. Each participating company will meet with the academics in a one-hour face to face, closed workshop, to discuss possible innovative ideas to meet todays infectious disease challenges using a multi-disciplinary approach. Ian Sharp, ERIs Head of Marketing and Engagement, said: This AIMday around the area of infection provides an effective and focused way for industry to develop new collaborations with world leading experts and explore answers to global challenges. We have run the AIMday program for several years now and it has been very successful in delivering innovation and new approaches, such as biological organisms inspiring new methods of adaptive camouflage, robotics and AI being used to support the construction industry, and using design modelling to improve brewing. AIMday has proven to be an effective mechanism for developing new and productive partnerships between the University and industry. In 2014, The University of Edinburgh became the first higher academic institute outside Scandinavia to be approved as hosts for AIMday a unique collaborative knowledge exchange initiative that began life at Uppsala University in Sweden. AIMday Infection is the tenth AIMday that Edinburgh Research & Innovation has organised at the University of Edinburgh, and the initiative is proving successful in establishing useful contacts and collaborations, as well as identifying possible new solutions to challenges facing organisations today. This latest AIMday will be held on 30th November 2016 at the Universitys Kings Buildings Campus in Edinburgh. Companies can register and submit their questions or challenges until 30th September at which point academics will be able to select those questions their research is most closely aligned to. NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A Delaware judge on Friday granted a motion to expedite Alere Inc's lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories, which seeks to ensure that Abbott lives up to the terms of its $5.8 billion takeover of the diagnostics company, representatives for Alere said. Alere filed suit last week in the Delaware Court of Chancery, arguing that Abbott is trying to stymie the deal by purposefully delaying key submissions to anti-trust regulators. Abbott denies the charges. (Reporting by Michael Erman) ITL Virginia Inc, the US subsidiary of medical design and manufacturing company ITL, will be supporting the North American roll-out of the Sentimag system following Endomags signing of a major distribution deal. This will include US-based product maintenance, support and servicing training and may eventually extend to manufacturing. Endomagnetics Sentimag Long-standing ITL client, Endomag, recently signed a distribution deal with Leica Biosystems to bring the Sentimag magnetic surgical guidance system to the US and Canada. The Sentimag system and its implantable magnetic seed, Magseed, guide surgeons to cancerous lesions easily and do not require the use of traditional surgical needle wires or radioactive seeds. Similarly, the Sentimag system and its injectable iron solution, Sienna, is a replacement for the radioactive tracer and blue dye traditionally used in sentinel lymph node biopsies. The Sentimag/Magseed system is approved in the U.S. with Sentimag having received its CE mark approval in 2010. Sentimag has already been used in over 14,000 breast care procedures across Europe with Sienna. Thomas Jull, ITL VA's Vice President, said: This first step signals a triumph for ITL VA. Back in 2008, ITL helped develop Sentimag in a collaborative R&D project at our UK facility and we have worked with them ever since. This transatlantic deal highlights Endomags commitment to expanding their reach with the support and expertise of ITL. The Sentimag system is revolutionary a US and Canadian distribution deal opens completely new possibilities for patients to benefit from this technology He added: This is exactly why we decided to open a US office three years ago, to better support our international customer-base. This deal supports our vision to provide a complete service on both sides of the pond. Dr Eric Mayes, CEO of Endomag, said: The design and manufacturing support that we have received from ITL to date has been fundamental to the success of our business and we are delighted to have them supporting us as we take our next big step into the US market. ITL began operating from Richmond, Virginia in May 2013 and has been evolving ever since. Initially providing servicing and aftersales support for products manufactured by ITL in the UK and sold in to the US market, the Virginia facility is now working towards providing a domestic contract manufacturing service. It also provides a route to market for companies looking to break in to the US medical device market and acts as a sales office for ITLs own brand of laboratory products, Vitl Life Science Solutions. Source: http://www.itl.co.uk/ Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, a partner in the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), have discovered that the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) is increased in the blood of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The higher the number of MDSC, the more limited the lung function. The findings on this new biomarker have now been published in the 'European Respiratory Journal'. Patients with fibrotic lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), show progressive worsening of lung function with increased shortness of breath and dry cough. To-date, this process is irreversible, which is why scientists are searching for novel biomarkers or indicators, which enable earlier diagnosis of this disease, with the aim to better interfere with disease progression. A team of scientists at the Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC) at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen headed by Professor Oliver Eickelberg, Chairman of the CPC and Director of the Institute of Lung Biology as well as the DZL at the Munich partner site, have now discovered that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) may serve as such biomarkers. "The role of MDSC has been most extensively studied in cancer, where they suppress the immune system and contribute to a poor prognosis," explained first author Isis Fernandez, MD. The current study suggests that similar mechanisms are also at work in IPF. In collaboration with the Department of Internal Medicine V (Director: Professor Jurgen Behr) of the Munich University Hospital, the team examined blood samples of 170 study participants, including 69 IPF patients, in terms of the composition of circulating immune cell types. In each patient, these were correlated with lung function. Strikingly, the MDSC count in IPF patients was significantly higher than in the healthy control group. At the same time, the researchers observed that there was an inverse correlation between lung function and circulating MDSC counts: the poorer the lung function, the higher the MDSC count. In control groups of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other interstitial lung diseases, this inverse correlation was not found. "We conclude that the number of MDSC reflects the course of the disease, especially in IPF," said Fernandez. To obtain an indication of whether the cells themselves could be the cause of the deterioration in lung function, the researchers measured the activity of genes that are typically expressed by immune cells. They found that these genes were expressed less frequently in samples that exhibited high MDSC counts. This indicates that MDSC - similar to their role in cancer - also compromise the immune system in IPF, according to the scientists. A look into the lung tissue of IPF patients supports this assumption. "We were able to show that MDSC are primarily found in fibrotic niches of IPF lungs characterized by increased interstitial tissue and scarring, that is, in regions where the disease is very pronounced," said Eickelberg. "As a next step, we seek to investigate whether the presence of MDSC can serve as a biomarker to detect IPF and to determine how pronounced it is." In addition, the researchers want to investigate the mechanisms of accumulation in more detail. "Controlling accumulation or expansion of MDSC or blocking their suppressive functions may represent a promising treatment options for patients with IPF," said Eickelberg. Source: https://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/ Dying in America is an expensive process, with about one in four Medicare dollars going to care for people in their last year of life. But for African Americans and Hispanics, the cost of dying is far higher than it is for whites. And despite years of searching for the reason, no one has quite figured out why. A new study by a University of Michigan Medical School team tried to get to the bottom of this expensive mystery with the most detailed study to date. The team published their findings today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Unlike other kinds of health cost disparities, they didn't find that the difference could be explained by differences in patients' income, education, medical conditions or other individual factors such as use of hospice. The differences also persisted after they took into account general health spending patterns in a dying person's area. The team also took into account specific factors related to the unique circumstances that are present at the end of life - the first time this has been done. These indicators of patients' own preferences still didn't explain the differences in cost. As a result, the researchers conclude that something bigger, rooted in the healthcare system as a whole, must be going on. After all the other factors were figured in, the cost of that last six months of life was $7,100 more expensive to the Medicare system for blacks, and $6,100 more expensive for Hispanics, compared with whites. "We need to look harder for the causes of disparities in end-of-life care costs, and look at factors on the provider level and health system level, including family dynamics that may come into play," says Elena Byhoff, M.D., M.Sc., who led the study while she was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at U-M and is now at Tufts Medical Center. Byhoff and her colleagues, including U-M end-of-life care researchers Kenneth Langa, M.D., Ph.D. and Theodore Iwashyna, M.D., Ph.D., hope that their study will add to the broader conversation about how to encourage good patient-provider-family interactions in patients' final years, including the difficult but important questions about advance planning for end-of-life care. Whites were twice as likely as blacks and Hispanics to have an advance directive document in place in the study. New Medicare coverage for doctor visits that include such discussions may help, Byhoff says. But providers must also act on patients' wishes as spelled out in advance directives, and families must understand and honor those wishes when the patient can no longer speak for him or herself. Previous work by Langa and others has shown that end-of-life care costs tend to be lower for patients who have spelled out their wishes to limit treatment ahead of time. A long-term look Patient preferences have been seen by many as a key factor in end-of-life cost disparities, but are hard to study. The U-M team found a way to take them into account in their analysis by using data from the Health and Retirement Study, based at the U-M Institute for Social Research. They gathered data from interviews with more than 7,100 seniors over age 65 with traditional Medicare coverage who took part in the long-term, nationally representative study and died sometime during a 14-year period that ended in 2012. They also used HRS interviews with the seniors' survivors, which allowed them to find out if the death had been expected, if the patient had discussed their end-of-life treatment preferences with their survivor, and if they had a formal advance directive in place when they died. Then, the researchers matched each senior's survey data with his or her Medicare data, from doctor visits and hospital stays to prescription drugs and home, hospice and nursing home care. HRS participants consented to this analysis as part of taking part in the study. The researchers used an End-of-Life Expenditure Index developed by the Dartmouth Institute to correct for regional variations in care costs for people in their last year. In all, 78 percent of the people studied were non-Hispanic whites, 14.5 percent were non-Hispanic blacks, 4.7 percent were Hispanic and 2.8 percent were members of other racial or ethnic groups. In-depth analysis At first glance, without correcting for any differences between groups, the Medicare costs for black patients in their last six months of life were 35 percent higher than for whites, and costs were 42 percent higher for Hispanics. Those differences in cost were cut in half after the researchers took into account a wide range of demographic, socioeconomic, geographic and health status differences among the people in each racial and ethnic group. But still, the final months of a black person's life cost the Medicare system 20 percent more than those of a white person, and the difference was 21 percent for Hispanics. That left 'patient preferences' as the last factor to take into account. The researchers bundled together the presence of an advance directive, discussion of end-of-life treatment preferences, and the fact that a death was expected, to reflect ways in which patients could express their preferences. They did not have access to the advance directives themselves. But even after factoring these in, the disparities persisted. The Medicare system paid 22 percent more for the care of a dying black senior, and 19 percent more for the care of a dying Hispanic senior, than they did for a white senior who matched them in more than 20 ways. The persistence of disparities even after taking into account so many factors makes end-of-life care different from other types of care, where factors such as income, education and ZIP code explain much of the difference in outcomes and spending between racial and ethnic groups. Finding out what factors make the most difference in the last months of life will mean more research. But in the meantime, the researchers hope their findings will help encourage more patients, providers and families of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to start the conversation before it's too late, and uphold the wishes of the dying when they're known. It can be challenging for regulators to keep up with advances related to medical drugs and devices. A new analysis and editorial published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology provide insights on how officials are working to support accelerated access to new therapies while also ensuring their safety. Advances in science and technology have led to the development of therapies such as biosimilar medicines; personalized treatments; and products that sit on the borderline between medicines and other sectors, such as food and cosmetics. In their editorial, Natalie Richards and Ian Hudson, MD of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in London note that regulatory agencies need to support innovation with a flexible approach that ensures access to new therapies while also strengthening vigilance and monitoring risks and benefits. International collaboration will be key to achieving these goals. In a related analysis, Bernd Jilma, MD, of the Medical University of Vienna, and his colleagues looked closely at how regulators have dealt with biosimilars. Biologic therapies are large, complex molecules generally made from human and/or animal materials. Like generic drugs that are cost-effective replacements for trade-name medications, biosimilars offer a less-expensive alternative to costly branded biologic therapies once patents expire; however, approval of biosimilars is much more complex than for generics. The European Medicines Agency (EMA), the leading regulator in Europe, approved the first biosimilar in 2006 (Omnitrope by Sandoz) and since then, the landscape of authorized biosimilars in Europe has widened considerably. Currently, there are 21 products for seven different biologics on the market. Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today There are many papers published describing the regulation and guidelines of the biosimilar approval pathway in Europe; however, it was not clear how these regulations were put into practice, said Dr. Jilma. Our work closes this gap by presenting the results of a systematic comparison of all clinical development programs of biosimilars that were approved by the EMA, therefore offering insights on the implementation of biosimilar regulations in practice. When the investigators compared clinical trials undertaken to get market authorization for biosimilars, they found considerable variability between the clinical development programs that were submitted to the EMA for approval. While some differences can be explained by the characteristics of the different reference products, even for biosimilars to the same reference product, the development strategies could not be considered comparable, said Dr. Jilma. For example, some companies conducted studies that focussed on the activity of biosimilars in the body whereas others put emphasis on phase III clinical trial results in patients with the target disease. We concluded that the details of the development programs are negotiable with the EMA, and companies that produce biosimilars have some flexibility when deciding how best to show biosimilarity, said Dr. Jilma. The researchers also noted that detailed information about the EMAs approval process is publicly available so that clinicians and patients can examine information on different biosimilars efficacy and safety. Source: http://www.wiley.com/ A national study by researchers at the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health--- shows an uneven picture of states' use of Medicaid to help families with young children gain access to mental health services. A large number- as many as 46 states-- use Medicaid to cover several important mental health services for low-income young children, including screening for social-emotional problems and mental health treatment in home, community and pediatric settings. But other key services were covered by far fewer states. Findings from NCCP's latest brief, "Using Medicaid to Help Young Children and Parents Access Mental Health Services," are published online here. Only 12 states provide Medicaid coverage for parenting programs that address young children's mental health needs, while 9 states pay for maternal depression screening under the child's Medicaid during a well-child visit. "States paying for maternal depression screening under the child's Medicaid are wisely investing in children's healthy development by helping their mothers obtain screening and referrals for depression," said Sheila Smith, PhD, NCCP's Early Childhood Director and lead author. "Young children's behavioral health and development greatly depend on their mother's mental health, and early support for children's behavioral health is critical to later school success." The researchers conducted telephone interviews with an administrator identified through contacts with each state's Medicaid Director's office. In total, 49 states and the District of Columbia participated in the survey which asked about coverage of key Medicaid services for young children (age 0-6) and maternal depression screening as well as policies related to eligibility and quality. The survey also found that the majority of states placed few restrictions on the delivery of mental health services to young children. Most states do not limit the number of treatment visits or the type of treatment models that are used. Smith noted that a lack of restrictions on the number of treatment visits can help children obtain needed amounts of treatment. But the restrictions imposed by the few states that require providers to use treatments found to be effective in research may benefit children by promoting high quality practices. More in-depth discussions with administrators in selected states identified several promising policies and initiatives. These include a new "at-risk" code in Oregon that allows young children to receive Medicaid-covered mental health services before they have a full-blown mental health disorder; Medicaid coverage in Oregon and Michigan for evidence-based parenting programs that can help parents learn parenting practices that promote a positive parent-child relationship and address challenging child behavior; and extensive training and support for pediatricians in Minnesota who want to conduct maternal depression screening during well-child visits and respond appropriately when the screen indicates that the mother needs further evaluation and support. "Policymakers and advocates can use the findings to examine actual services in their states and explore options for improving access and effectiveness through their Medicaid programs" observed Smith." Source: Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health One Medicine: how human and veterinary medicine can benefit each other Professor Roberto La Ragione News-Medical speaks to Professor Roberto La Ragione, Chair of Trustees at Humanimal Trust, about the concept of One Medicine and how human and veterinary medicine can collaborate, share knowledge, and initiate research for the benefit of both humans and animals. Lucknow: In a shocking incident, a HIV-positive pregnant woman - traveled nearly 50km to Bareilly with her husband - was denied treatment and delivered a stillborn at Badaun district hospital in Uttar Pradesh. Doctors said the infant could have been saved had the mother received immediate medical attention. A probe has been ordered into the incident. Her husband alleged that in Badaun the doctors refused to admit his wife because she has AIDS. "They refused to help my wife and asked me to take her to some other hospital in Bareilly. I begged them to save my child but they misbehaved. With no other options, I rushed her to Bareilly at midnight and the operation was finally conducted. Unfortunately, the baby was dead," he alleged. The incident took place after a 12-year-old boy died due to alleged medical negligence on August 30, 2016. His father ran from pillar to post in search of medical attention but he died at Kanpur Medical College. New Delhi: The Union home ministry has suspended four officials for alleged irregularities in renewal of FCRA licence of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) founded by controversial preacher Zakir Naik. The crackdown on MHA officials came after it was found that IRF's FCRA licence was renewed recently on August 19 despite several ongoing probe against him. A spokesperson of the MHA said, "We have suspended four officials with immediate effect for their alleged role in the renewal of the FCRA licence of Naik's NGO. We served notice against Naik on August 7 for violating FCRA but surprisingly his licence was renewed on August 19. We need to be investigate this." Naik came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' had reported that one of the attackers of the July 1 cafe terror strike in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran a propaganda on Facebook quoting Naik. Naik, in his lecture aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists". Naik is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among the 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. Hangzhou: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Sunday on the first day of the G20 summit in Hangzhou and are likely to discuss bilateral differences over issues including the proposed $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The Modi-Xi meeting assumes significance as India-China relations have followed a southward trajectory over contentious issues like the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist groups in the UN, China stalling India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that criss-crosses PoK. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Delhi this month, India and China formed a mechanism led by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister to address their differences. The meeting between Modi and Xi - their second in less than three months - is expected to take place in the morning of September 4, officials here said. Modi and Xi had last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 23 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The two leaders are to meet again in little over a month for more elaborate discussions during the BRICS summit to be hosted by India in Goa on October 15-16. Chinese officials say the two meetings between Modi and Xi could set a new direction to the bilateral relations. Modi will reach China on Saturday evening from Vietnam to take part in the two-day G20 summit. The Indian contingent will be putting up at Sheraton resort - about 30 kilometres outside the city - where Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too would stay. Modi is likely to hold bilaterals with several G20 leaders during his 48-hour stay here. Xi too is scheduled to have a number of one-to-one meetings including with US President Barack Obama. Top disarmament officials from India and China were also expected to meet to discuss issues of China "blocking" the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Beijing's opposition to New Delhi's bid to joining the 48-member NSG. Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have expedited the process to bring back Baloch separatist leader and Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's grandson Brahamdagh Bugti, who is currently living in self-imposed exile in Switzerland. Brahamdagh's grandfather and former Chief Minister Akbar Bugti was killed in a controversial army operation in Balochistan in 2006, which angered several young Balochs who took up arms. After the completion of the required paperwork, Pakistan would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to Pakistan. Interpol notices are international requests of cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. In the case of Red Notices, the suspects are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Interpol assists the national police in identifying and locating these wanted people for lawful action. According to preliminary identification details submitted by the Balochistan police, the 33-year-old chief of the banned Baloch Republican Party is known in his close circles as 'Sahib'. Brahamdagh had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on Balochistan. "I thank PM Modi on behalf of whole Baloch Nation. I hope India and Indian Media will also strive to help practically the Baloch Independence Movement," Brahamdagh had said. He hails from the Raheja Bugti tribe and operates the Baloch Republican Army network from Switzerland. Brahamdagh fled Balochistan during the crackdown on Baloch rebels to Afghanistan and moved to Switzerland when Pakistan demanded his extradition in 2010. In Switzerland, he sought political asylum in 2011 but the Swiss government turned down his request in January 2016, citing Islamabad's decision of declaring him a "terrorist" wanted for multiple attacks. (With Inputs From PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Network18 Group editor Rahul Joshi in an exclusive interview in which he dwelt at length on broad sweep of topics including a rare glimpse of himself while warning of tough action on those with unaccounted wealth.Here are the top quotes from the interview.-Whenever my government is evaluated, the situation of the government before we came to power must be kept in mind.-There was a time when we were being seen as a sinking ship. In the BRICS, the I was seen as if it had toppled over. Today it is said that if there is a bright spot, it is India.-This (GST Bill) is perhaps the biggest tax reform since the independence of India. This reform will bring a big change in India.-Today, we have the most amount of Foreign Direct Investment after Independence. The entire world says that at 7% growth, we are the fastest growing economy.-I say in my government -- Reform, Perform and Transform. And since I am sitting for an interview, I would say Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform.-Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is a big reform. Earlier who knew where MNREGA money was going. Now it is sent by DBT.Also read: There's Nothing Like Real or Fake Modi: Top Quotes From PM Interview -The pace at which roads are being made, railways is expanding, six fold increase in electronic goods manufacturing, these things show we haven't taken short cuts. And my motto is, as it says on railway platforms, 'short cut will cut you short'.-I have been a state CM for 14 years. And history is testimony to the fact that I have never opened any file due to political considerations.-If we want to free this country of poverty then we need development. We will need to empower the poor.-As far as some incidents of Dalit atrocities are concerned, they need to be condemned. It has no place in any civilized society.-From a statistical point of view, whether it is communal violence, atrocities against Dalits, atrocities against tribals, data shows that such incidents have gone down in number as opposed to the previous government.-If you look at Dalit MPs and Dalit MLAS, tribal MPs and tribal MLAs, the BJP has a sizeable presence.-I am devoted to the development of all the Dalit, oppressed, underprivileged and deprived. Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble.-We have acknowledged the power of the diaspora in Neeti Ayog. In its basics. This is such a global strength. They have global exposure.-As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only.-The poison of casteism and communal vote bank have caused enough damage in our country. The biggest obstacle to strengthening our democracy is the vote bank politics.-The welfare of the billion people is my biggest task and I will not lose anything if I do not associate myself with Lutyens Delhi.-Media has played a major contribution to whatever I'm today.-This government goes by rules, the law and the constitution. There is no scope for any confrontation or tension with any constitutional institution.-There is nothing like real or fake Modi. Human being is a human being. If you take off your political glasses, then you will see the real Modi.-I have been painted as one who doesn't listen and only talks down. I actually hear a lot and observe a lot. That's I have evolved as a person.-The image of this country is the unending legacy of 1.25 billion people. Modi is just one of those 1.25 billion Indians, nothing more. Modi's identity must get lost among those 1.25 billion people.Also read: Tough Line on Black Money: Full Text of PM Modi's Interview To Network18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down with Network 18 Group Editor Rahul Joshi for a comprehensive interview covering a multitude of topics spanning politics, economy, the criticism of his government following recent attacks on Dalits, vote bank politics and casteism and also offered a rare peek into himself, his working style and his closely held beliefs.Appended below is the edited transcript of the interview translated from Hindi into English: At the outset, thank you for giving this interview to Network 18. Two years ago you were elected with a historic mandate, the most decisive in three decades. How do you view the last two years and what do you think has been your biggest achievement?: After getting the responsibility of becoming the Prime Minister it has been about two years and three months. India is a democratic country and the people evaluate governments regularly. The media also evaluates. And these days, professional survey agencies also do this. And I think this is a good thing and that's why I leave it to the people to evaluate how my government has performed.But I will definitely want that whenever my government is evaluated, the situation of the government before we came to power must be kept in mind, what the state of the country was, what the media was discussing. If we keep that in view, those days newspapers were filled with news of corruption, despair... People had lost hope, they thought everything had sunk.If a patient, however good the doctor, is despondent, medicines will not cure him. But if the patient is hopeful, then even an average doctor can cure him. The reason for that is the patient's inner belief.My first priority after forming the government was that the atmosphere of despair should be removed and to create hope and belief in the country. That doesn't happen with speeches. Concrete steps need to be taken, it has been shown to be done. And today after more than two years, I can say with certainty that there is hope not just in the people of this country, the trust of the entire world in India has grown.There was a time when we were being seen as a sinking ship. In the BRICS, the I (representing India) was seen as wobbly. Today it is said that if there is a bright spot, it is India. I think this in itself is a good way to evaluate.: You came to power on the issue of development, so a question on the economy. After a lot of effort you succeeded in passing the GST Bill. How big a success do you see this. What does it mean for the common man?: This is perhaps the biggest tax reform since the independence of India. This reform will bring a big change in India. Very few people in the country pay taxes. Some people pay taxes because they are patriotic and they want to do something for the country. Some pay taxes because they don't want to break the law. Some pay to avoid trouble. But most don't pay because the process is complicated. They think they might get stuck in the process and won't be able to come out. GST will simplify tax payments so much that anyone who wants to contribute to the country will come forward.Secondly, today if you go and eat in a hotel, the bill that you get comes with this cess, that cess... People send messages on Whatsapp detailing the bill amount and the cess paid. All this will end. And then we routinely see at octroi and border checkposts, miles of vehicles standing. When vehicles stand, it hurts the country's economy. Now all of it will become seamless, the movement of goods from one state to another.Taxation systems will also be simplified and this will not only benefit the common man, the revenues will help develop the nation. Today, there are incidents of mistrust between states. This will end that situation, it will be transparent and strengthen the federal structure.: After coming to power, your biggest challenge was the economy. The task before you was not just to bring it back on track but also increase the pace of growth. Have you managed to achieve this?: You are right that there was a negative atmosphere. The country's traders and industrialists had started looking out. There was a paralysis in government. On the one hand it was this situation. On the other we had to face two successive droughts. Third, there was a slowdown in the global economy. So there were a series of challenges. It wasn't only after we took charge. Even after that there were challenges. But our intention was strong and policies were clear. There was decisiveness because there was no vested interest. The result of this was that positivity spread very quickly.Today, we have the highest amount of foreign direct investment after Independence. The entire world says that at 7% growth, we are the fastest growing economy. Whether it is the World Bank, IMF, credit agencies, even UN agencies they all say India is growing rapidly.So those policies which are helping growth have been emphasised. All obstructions are being removed with policies. All this has resulted in speeding up the economy. This time the rains have been good and this helps agriculture, which is driving force for the economy. This has raised hopes that the coming days will be much better.Usually it is one or two things that are talked about, but today growth has being talked about in all sectors. Electricity production has gone up and so has demand. Infrastructure work is also growing rapidly and that happens when there is demand in the economy. From all this it looks like we have moved ahead to better days.Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview with Network18 Group Editor Rahul Joshi.: You are absolutely right that the monsoon is very encouraging and stock markets are also up. Can you please tell us what the next wave of reforms will be?: First of all, in our country, only what is talked about is seen as reform. If it isn't talked about, it isn't seen as reform. It shows our ignorance. Actually I am of the view reform to transform. I say in my government -- Reform, Perform and Transform. And since I am sitting for an interview, I would say Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform.Take ease of doing business. Our ranking is improving very quickly. This is not possible without reform. Our systems, processes, forms were so complicated. These have been reformed, so our rankings are going up. A UN agency has said that from 10 in the next two years, we could be at number three. These small things need to be improved. Even today there exists licence raj in some areas. That needs to go. This is an important reform that is happening at every level -- administrative, governance, legal.Like for instance we removed 1,700 laws that were from the 19th and 20th centuries. I have asked states also to do so. These are very big reforms that people, because of lack on information, don't consider reforms.Take education, where we have taken an important step that no one gave attention to. We have said that 10 government and 10 private universities will be freed of all University Grants Commission rules. We will give them money and they must move towards becoming world class universities. If rules were holding them up, we will remove the rules. Now do it and show us. This is a major reform, but doesn't get attention.Direct benefit transfer is a big reform. Earlier who knew where MNREGA money was going? Now it is sent by DBT. So are gas subsidy payments and student scholarships. For me all these are reforms in governance, transparency. We are getting in more technology. These have to be done at a larger scale. At the Centre of this is the common man. How to make life easier for the common man, how they will get what is their right, we want to stress on these.:While there has been economic growth, private investment in the economy is still tepid. Some sectors like real estate are still in trouble. Venture capital funding of startups has slowed. What message would you like to give to private industry and foreign investors at this juncture?: Today I think, before presenting the first Budget, I should have placed a White Paper in Parliament on the economic situation in the country. This thought had struck me then. I had two paths then. Politics told me that I should put out all the details. But the nation's interest told me that this information would increase the sense of hopelessness, markets would be badly hit, it would be big blow to the economy and the world's view of India would get worse. It would have been very difficult to get the economy out of that... I chose to stay silent in the national interest at the risk of political damage. At that time the situation in public sector banks was coming out... I didn't put these details out in public. It hurt us, we were criticised, it was made to look like it was all my fault. But I took the political damage in the country's interest.The impact of all these issues from the past have impacted private investment, like the non-performing assets in banks. I held a session with bankers and told them there will be no call from the government to you. These steps would have tightened the screws.Despite that, the pace at which roads are being made, how railways is expanding, the six-fold increase in electronic goods manufacturing these things show we haven't taken shortcuts. And my motto is, as it says on railway platforms: 'short cut will cut you short'. We don't want to take any shortcuts and the results are showing.Anyway the situation has now improved. We don't have to worry about these things but in the beginning -- in May 2014 -- I chose the tough path. When unbiased people analyse the situation, I am confident they will be surprised.You have adopted a tough line on Black Money. In fact, it is said that because of this crackdown on black money, some businessmen are hiding either in Dubai or London. You haven't spared political dynasts either. Will this process continue?: Firstly, I have neither looked at this from a political standpoint and nor will I do so in the future. I have been a state CM for 14 years. And history bears witness to the fact that I have never opened any file due to political considerations. I have never been accused of this either. It has been over two years here too. The government has given no instruction to open any file. The law will take its own course. I have no right to indulge in any cover up. You saying that we haven't spared any dynasty isn't correct."We have made requisite legal changes so that the black money circulating inside the country can also be curbed. There's a scheme which is running till the 30th of September. For all those who are still willing to come in the mainstream. I have said this in public that 30th of September is your last date. You may have made mistakes with whatever intentions. Whether it has been done willingly or unwillingly, here is your chance. Come into the mainstream. I have this plan for people to sleep peacefully at night. People must accept this. And no one should blame me if I take tough decisions after the 30th. This money belongs to the country's poor. No one has the right to loot this. This is my commitment. I am working with full force and will continue the effort.: Mr Prime Minister, let us talk about politics. Many states go to polls next year. Social discrimination and fundamentalism is raising its ugly head again. Dalits and members of backward classes have in fact started saying that the BJP and the RSS are anti Dalit. How will you assure the people that your agenda is development and development alone?: The country has full faith that our agenda is only development. There is no confusion in the minds of people. But all those people who never wanted that a government like this to come to power, those who never wanted the previous regime to go they are the ones who have trouble. So, development is our only issue and it will remain so. And this is not a political issue, this is my conviction. If we want to free this country of poverty then we need development. We will need to empower the poor.As far as some incidents are concerned, they need to be condemned. It has no place in any civilised society. But we must not forget that law and order is a state subject. Some are selectively picking issues and blaming Modi for it. I don't know what purpose does it serve for those who are doing this. But this is surely hurting the interest of the country. Such incidents must not happen. From a statistical point of view, whether it is communal violence, atrocities against Dalits or atrocities against tribals, data shows that such incidents have gone down in number compared with what it was under the previous government.But the issue is not of what happened in their government and our government. The issue is that this is not befitting as per our society. We have a culture dating back thousands of years. We have seen some imbalances in our society and we have to intelligently take our society out of this imbalance. This is a social problem. It is deeply rooted. Politics on social imbalances is a disservice to society. To all those who have faced injustice for generations. If you look at dalit MPs and dalit MLAs, tribal MPs and tribal MLAs, the BJP has a sizable presence.Ever since I celebrated the 125th anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, when the UNO also celebrated his anniversary and 102 countries observed the 125th anniversary, and parliament discussed the life and works of Babasaheb Ambedkar for two days, many people thought that Modi is a devotee of Ambedkar. They started having problems. All those who were self-appointed guardians of Dalits did not like it that Modi is with the Dalits, that Modi devotes himself to tribals. I am devoted to the development of all the dalits, oppressed, underprivileged, deprived, women. Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble.And this is why they are levelling baseless allegations. All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country. They must stop giving political tones to social problems. We must move forward with a purpose. And I want to ask the society also: are these incidents befitting of a civilised society?I spoke from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the incidents of rape...I said that parents must ask their sons also - where they are going, what they are doing? We ask our daughters these questions.And I want to tell this to our politicians also, also my party's leaders too: reckless statements, saying anything about anyone or any person's community before the media. The media will come to you. It needs its TRPs. But you are answerable to the nation. And that is why, all those living in public life.. whether political or social workers -- even if we are representing a particular community -- for the benefit of the country's unity, society's unity, for the sake of general bonhomie, we must be extra vigilant.Whenever we are wounded, even the slightest touch of a paper also causes pain. Thousands of years of injustice have kept these wounds open. The slightest of damage will cause a lot of pain. This is why, it does not matter whether the incident is big or small, what matters is that the incident must not happen in the first place. Which government had more incidents and which didn't is not the point. We all have to work collectively to give strength to the country's unity.: How important is social harmony for economic progress?: Economic progress alone is not the solution. Peace, unity and harmony is essential for society. Even in a family, no matter how well-off you may be...even if you are sitting over a heap of money, the family's unity is important. This is true for the society also. We don't need unity just to fight poverty alone. We need to be united and harmonious. We need to be committed to social justice. And that is why, unity is not important for economic progress alone. Peace, unity and harmony are useful in family, life, society and for the nation. And to all those who believe in Vasudhaive Kutumbakam, the whole world is one.: All political parties talk about removing poverty. Yet poverty remains an issue of grave concern in our country. Job creation is a major challenge for you and you have kept this in mind too. What will be your strategy on both these counts?: You are right. Poverty alleviation has been a political slogan. A lot of politics has happened on poverty. And a lot of programmes for poverty alleviation have also been started keeping elections in mind. I do not want to get in a controversy on whether it was good or bad. But my path is a little different. We have to empower the poor to end poverty. If the poor are empowered, then they have enough power to alleviate poverty. Politics can be done by keeping the poor poor. But freedom from poverty can only come by empowerment. The biggest tool for empowerment is education. The next point is employment. If we get economic empowerment, then it can serve as a tool to change things on its own.All the initiatives that we have taken over the past few years, like the Mudra Scheme - at least 3.5 crore people have taken the benefits of the Mudra Scheme and they got about 1.25 lakh crore rupees through this scheme. Many of them are those who have got money from the bank for the first time. These people will do something or the other. They will get sewing machines, stitch clothes they will do something. It is possible that they might employ a few. This empowerment will give these people a lot of power. To educate their children.Suppose a person buys a taxi. Then they would feel they must educate their children. They will move forward. One of the things that we have done is called Stand Up India. I have told banks that every branch must give financial aid to a Dalit, a tribal and a woman. They must make them an entrepreneur.The country has 1.25 Lakh branches of banks. If they empower even 3 people each, they will benefit 4-5 lakh families. People who did not have this sort of financial empowerment will feel empowered. They will be an economic strength. Start Up India... To give employment to the young, I have started this scheme. These are small decisions. I have also sent an advisory to the states. That they must move forward in this direction.We have big malls in our country. Lakhs and crores of rupees are spent in constructing them. There is no time restriction for them. They can run till 10 pm, 12 pm, 4am,.but there will be a government representative with a stick in his hand and ask a small shopkeeper to shut his shop...Why? We have said that these small traders who have small enterprises, they are free to be open 365 days, 24/7..so that they can go about doing their business and also employ a few. And these are the people who drive the economy in our country. This is where we are working to empower.We have laid a lot of stress on skill development. Skill development is the need of the hour. We have changed systems. Skilled development is a ministry. It has a different budget. And work is being done on a huge scale. Skill development by government, skill development through public private partnership, skilled development through skill universities collaborating with other countries who have done good work in developing skills. The country has 80 crore youth. They are below 30 years of age. If youth have the skill, they can change the fortunes of this country. And we are laying stress on this. The country's youth & employment are at the centre of all economic activity. In the agriculture sector also, if you move towards value addition, it will create more opportunities to generate employment. A village youth who has had to go to big towns under pressure, if he is given value addition and agriculture-centric rural development, if we empower him, then employment opportunities shall be created. We are laying stress on this. And we can see some good results.: You are the first prime minister who has had a direct communication with Indians abroad. How has this benefitted the country?: Everything should not be measured on a scale of profit and loss. In any part of the world, anyone who is Indian, at whatever post he may be, has a feeling in his heart that my country must progress. And if they get unfavourable press about their country, they are the most upset. Because they are away, it pricks them even more. We get used to a lot of things. They get affected. They have a lot of affection for India. But they don't get an opportunity or a channel. We have acknowledged the power of the diaspora in Niti Aayog. This is such a global strength. They have global exposure. They have academic quality and qualifications a zeal to work for the country. And wherever they are, their love for the country has not diminished. Why should we disassociate with them? We must establish a link with them. And there will come a time, when they will be true ambassadors of India. And I have seen that more than a governments mission, India's strength is largely due to the diasporas attitude and contacts. Mission plus diaspora, when they get together, our strength grows manifold. So this was my role and we are getting good results. New Delhi: The Central Trade Unions are on an indefinite strike from Friday to protest against the government's "indifference" to their demands for better wages and facilities and the "anti-worker" changes in labour laws. All major unions, excluding RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike call, terming the government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage as "completely inadequate". On its part, the government has asked all ministries to ensure that public utilities and essential services are not affected. Secretaries of all departments have been asked to take effective measures for smooth running of various services coming under their respective ministries. Trade union leaders, however, claimed that the strike would be even bigger than the one last year on September 2 and expected the number of striking workers to swell to as much as 18 crore. In 2015, the unions had said that around 14 crore workers participated in the nationwide strike at that time. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has warned all the government employees against joining the strike. Banerjee said her government is also planning to introduce a new law under which those who ransack and damage property during bandhs will be made to pay compensation. "There is no bandh in Bengal tomorrow. I appeal to the common people that Durga Puja is coming and on September 5 we have Teachers Day. So let's keep things moving. Let's take Bengal forward. A lot of damage has already been done," she said. The CTUs are protesting against what they call the government's apathy towards their 12-point charter of demands including a monthly minimum wage of Rs 18,000, controlling price rise and assured minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000. (With inputs from PTI) Central and state agencies were ready to arrest controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on his arrival in Mumbai in mid July, sources said on Friday, adding that he changed his travel plans after getting wind of the government's move. Sources in the home ministry told CNN-News18 that Naik came to know about the arrest plan from media reports and gave them the slip. "IB, Mumbai Police - all teams were ready. The media coverage damaged our case. He didn't come after reading media reports," said a MHA officer. Zakir Naik was scheduled to return from Saudi Arabia in mid-July and also address a press conference in Mumbai. The press conference was cancelled at the last moment. Home ministry is not just looking at action under UAPA but also planning to cancel the FCRA license of Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation. A Joint Secretary level officer of MHA's Foreigners division may be suspended for renewing IRF's FCRA license. "It is a serious lapse. Government can not ignore it. Steps will be taken to suspend the renewed license of IRF," MoS Home Koran Rijiju said. Three MHA officers and one data entry operator have already been suspended in this case. Mumbai: Choreographer-director Farah Khan says she finds all the songs "repetitive" these days - the main reason she's almost stopped doing choreography in Bollywood. "I feel all the songs are repetitive nowadays and all the situations are like same. Therefore, I also have stopped (choreographing) and doing very less work. Every song looks the same," she said at a press conference announcing her association with Shashi Ranjan's ITA (Indian Television Academy) School of Performing Arts to design first of its kind choreography course in India. The Happy New Year helmer said today's choreographers are very good dancers but they do not pay attention on improving their expertise further. "A very good dancer gets a chance to choreograph and when their song becomes a hit, they do not pay attention on their skills and expertise. Since they keep getting work they do not see any need to improve their talents or think of choreography to make it unique or deliver a story through the dance composition," she added. "They are good but they are different from me because I had to struggle a lot to reach this level. Sometimes struggle is good for a person because it teaches you a lot. Without struggling, it's like you are in second standard but elevated to 10th. Therefore, what you should have learnt in between, you're not able to acquire. Their struggle isn't same as me," she told. Asked about if she is keen to do choreography for Hollywood films, Farah, 51, replied: "I've already done it. I am happy whenever they make a film with dance and song like Bombay Dreams they choose me for the choreography. I have worked with Jackie Chan and Shakira. However, Hollywood doesn't have the song and dance culture. So when they want somebody from Bollywood I am glad that they think of me first." At the work front, Farah is known for her big budget and star-studded films like Main Hoon Na, Om Shanti Om, Tees Maar Khan and Happy New Year. Reportedly her next directorial venture will be a woman-centric film which is not star-driven. @sonakshisinha all the very best for #Akira . I know it will rock! pic.twitter.com/rchMELDq7R John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) September 1, 2016 Thank you Johnnnn!!! The force was with me in this one too eh?!? Boom https://t.co/YPLgwEaYFM AKIRA/Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) September 1, 2016 : Actor-producer John Abraham has heaped praise on his Force 2 co-star Sonakshi Sinha by calling her the best action hero.The actor, who has impressed many with his action sequences in films like Dishoom, Force and Dhoom, couldn't stop appreciating Sonakshi while promoting her forthcoming film Akira. Sonakshi will be seen in a full-length action role in the thriller.In a video shared by John on his Twitter account on Thursday, he said: "'Akira' is releasing on September 2. Kick everybody's a** because you are the best action hero and guys I have seen 'Akira'. It's fantastic."He also wished her luck for the A.R. Murugadoss directorial and said: "I know it will rock!"Sonakshi thanked the actor by saying: "Thank you John! The force was with me... in this one too? Boom."The film sees Sonakshi as Akira Sharma, a girl who comes to Mumbai from Jodhpur, where she gets into a tiff with goons at a college in which she gets enrolled. Los Angeles: After making her debut at the Oscars this year where she presented one of the awards, Priyanka Chopra will now give away one of the trophies at the 68th Emmy Awards. And Priyanka hopes to have a fun evening, and is already on a quest to find the "perfect dress". The Television Academy announced the first group of presenters for this year's awards and apart from the "Quantico" star, the list includes another Indian-American actor, Aziz Ansari. Excited about the news, the actress tweeted: "This should be such a fun evening... And the search for the perfect dress begins. #Emmys" After making waves internationally with her musical talent, the actress took the small screen route to Hollywood. She made her international TV debut as an FBI agent in "Quantico" last year. Other names that are set to present the trophy are Anthony Anderson, a nominee for comedy Black-ish, Larry David, James Corden, and Taraji P. Henson, reports variety.com. Kristen Bell and Michael Weatherly will also join the parade. Modern Family star Julie Bowen and Randall Park of Fresh Off the Boat are on board, along with Liev Schreiber, a nominee for Ray Donovan -- Season Four of which is aired in India on AXN india Don Mischer is executive producer of the 68th annual Emmy Awards, which will be happen in Microsoft Theater here, on September 18. The red carpet and ceremony will air in India simultaneously via Star English network's channels. With Priyanka's career in the West going in the right direction, the news of her giving an Emmy adds another feather in her cap. The former beauty queen will also be seen as a guest judge for season 15 of American TV series "Project Runway", hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum. Priyanka will join the series as one of the few guest judges on the show. The show focuses on budding designers who are given an opportunity to create a collection for New York Fashion Week. She will also make her Hollywood debt in a negative role in Baywatch -- the big screen version of the globally popular TV series featuring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. Srinagar: The authorities on Thursday ordered suspension of five local cable TV channels in the Kashmir Valley for inciting violence. The district magistrate has asked the Srinagar police chief to ensure that these channels stopped airing. The police chief had in a report said the channels were transmitting content that was inciting violence and instigating people to breach peace. All the transmission operations of these local channels were carried out from Srinagar. As a result of the official order, no cable network operator can carry these channels to viewers in the valley. The crackdown comes as internet facility on mobile phones, both post and prepaid, continue to suspended in the valley for almost two months in the wake of the deadliest unrest Kashmir has suffered in six years. All outgoing call facilities were also suspended on prepaid phones after the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. : "I have never indulged in political vendetta nor will I do it in the future," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told CNN-News18 in an exclusive interview, emphatically rejecting allegations of his political rivals that some of the investigations launched by the government were motivated by political considerations.The PM said that his record of 14 years as the Gujarat chief minister proves he doesnt believe in political tit-for-tat."History bears witness to the fact that I have never opened any file due to political considerations. I have never been accused of this either. It has been over two years here (at the Centre) too. The government has given no instruction to open any file. The law will take its own course," he said, in response to a question on whether the government would crack down political dynasties."I have no right to indulge in any cover up. You saying that we havent spared any dynasty isn't correct," he said.On Thursday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had alleged that PM Modi was playing what he called politics of vendetta. The Aam Aadmi Party-run government in Delhi has also accused the centre of pursuing vindictive politics.The full interview will be broadcast on CNN-News18 at 9 PM on Friday.Also read: PM Narendra Modi Says Atrocities Against Dalits Have No Place in Civilized Society : Several Opposition leaders and social commentators reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's exclusive interview to Network18 on Friday and said that the BJP has been late in reacting to the atrocities against Dalits.JD (U) leader KC Tyagi said the the BJP's reaction to cow vigilantism across the country has been late and whether the vigilantes will ever be reigned in once and for all is the bigger question."I agree that atrocities on dalits is a societal evil but my question is who is responsible for the death of Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula. Who wrote a letter seeking his removal from the university. Which party and ministers were involved in that entire controversy? The atrocities that were being committed on Dalits is shameful and exposes the evil structure of our society. Why didn't the PM not react to what happened in Una?," Tyagi added.Reacting to Modi's comment about the Opposition, Tyagi said, "We are just doing our job as a responsible Opposition. If we don't highlight the wrongs committed by the government, then who else will. There is a lot that needs to be done and his noble words need to be implemented on the ground."BSP leader Sudhindra Bhaduria said that it is unfortunate that he has reacted after almost a month considering that the Dalit flagging in Una happened in his home state."Compared to that Mayawatiji has been seeking justice for the Dalits right from the day when the incident happened. The government has been silent on gangrape of dalit woman to," Bhaduria said.Dalit Scholar Kancha Illaiah said the PM speaks about the right things but hat whe speaks is not being implemented.Gaurav Bhati SP said the development pitch ahead of the UP elections in 2017 is good, who will rein in the fringe elements and motor mouths of the BJP."UP has been boiling with the remarks made by several BJP and RSS leaders and the PM needs to tell us how he plans to tackle such people," Bhatia said.Well known social commentator Ajay Bose said that BJP is a party with many disparate sections and because it has represented upper caste interests for many years, they had many prejudices and that needs to go with time."The general perception amongst Dalits is that the BJP has not reacted sharply to issues on the ground and the BJP is against them. It is difficult for Modi to rein in everyone. But it looks like the entire political agenda of the BJP is to unify the Hindus," Bose said."Prime Minister Modi will have to discipline the party and he needs to punish anybody who take a party line different from the government, Bose added. Self-appointed guardians of Dalits are exploiting age-old social divisions and playing politics to consolidate their vote banks and damage him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told CNN-News18 in an exclusive wide-ranging interview in which he dwelt at length on broad sweep of topics including a rare glimpse of himself while warning of tough action on those with unaccounted wealth.In his most comprehensive interview since he took charge in May 2014, Modi told Network18 Group Editor Rahul Joshi that his biggest achievement as Prime Minister was that he could restore hope within and abroad the country about India's potential. The PM said when he took charge he was tempted to put out a white paper on the state of India's economy that would have shown it as much worse than it was commonly believed then, but decided not to at the cost of political damage to himself because it could have deepened hopelessness and despair.The PM rubbished suggestions of political vendetta influencing his decisions to order investigations and said his 14-year stint as Gujarat chief minister proved he doesn't "open a single file on political considerations". He also felt that a coterie that dominates Lutyen's Delhi, which had problems accepting grassroots prime ministers like Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai and Deve Gowda, were working against him too.He issued a stern warning to tax fugitives asking them to take the September 30 deadline for voluntary disclosure of unaccounted wealth seriously. "No one should blame me if I take tough decisions after the 30th. This money belongs to the country's poor. No one has the right to loot this. This is my commitment," he said during the course of the 75-minute interview conducted in his 7 Race Course Road office.On reforms, Modi said there was need to look at it from a broader perspective. "Reform to transform," he said, adding that everything should revolve around the common man.Modi said he was particularly proud that India, which was being perceived as a sinking ship when he took office, is now seen as a bright spot in the world economy. "My first priority after forming the government was to remove the atmosphere of despair and create hope and belief in the country. That doesn't happen with speeches. Concrete steps need to be taken, it has been shown to be done. And today after more than two years, I can say with certainty that there is hope not just in the people of this country, the trust of the entire world in India has grown," he said.To a pointed question on the importance of social harmony for economic growth, the PM said economic progress alone was not the solution. "Peace, unity and harmony is essential for society. Even in a family, no matter how well-off you may be...even if you are sitting over a heap of money, the family's unity is important. This is true for the society also. We don't need unity just to fight poverty alone. We need to be united and harmonious. We need to be committed to social justice," he said.Talking about the looming state assembly polls in the politically important state of Uttar Pradesh, Modi said it was unfortunate that everything one does is immediately linked to elections. "UP elections are still away, still all our decisions are being linked to that. Super political pundits can't get politics out of their minds. Their minds buzzing with politics run faster in AC rooms," he said, adding that the BJP would fight the elections with development as the main plank and decried the vote bank politics of rival parties."There was no atmosphere of vote bank politics in last general elections. There was the atmosphere of development of politics. After 30 years, all sections of our society unitedly voted for a majority government. An entire section of our society has made a shift. It's possible that the people of UP will do a similar thing for betterment of UP. They will vote keeping development in their mind," he said.He also dismissed suggestions that the BJP or the broader Sangh parivar was against dalits, saying this was a canard spread by practitioners of caste politics even as he condemned a spate of attacks on people belonging to the dalit community."Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble. And this is why they are levelling baseless allegations. All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country. They must stop giving political tones to social problems. We must go forwards with a purpose. And I want to ask the society also: are these incidents befitting of a civilised society," he said.Talking about the continuing unrest in Kashmir, Modi said it was an old problem and needed to be solved with development and trust."The seeds of the problem was sown ever since independence and division of our country. Every government had to battle with this problem. This is not a new problem. It is an old one. I believe the youth of Kashmir will not be distracted. We will proceed together maintaining peace, unity and goodwill so that the heaven called Kashmir will remain a heaven," he said.Seeking to dismiss the perception that he has a bitter-sweet relationship with media, Modi said the press has played a big role in what he is today. "Media is doing its job and it should. I believe the media must strongly criticise the government's work. Otherwise democracy won't work. But unfortunately, in this TRP rat race, the media doesn't have enough time for research. Criticism is not possible without research. For 10 minutes of criticism you need 10 hours of research. Instead of criticism, it gets into levelling allegations. As a result democracy gets weakened. Governments must be afraid of media criticisms, but that's fast going away. I want media to be very critical based on facts," he said.With regard to his relationship with judiciary, Modi said his government goes by rules, the law and the constitution. "There is no scope for any confrontation or tension with any constitutional institution. There must be as much warmth with judiciary as needed for constitutional decorum. I try my best to maintain as much decorum as possible," he said.Modi didn't shy away from taking personal questions and described himself as a workaholic who lives in the moment."A soldier who bravely fights on the border and the same soldier when he plays with his daughter cannot behave in the same manner. Narendra Modi, whatever he is, is after all a human being. Why should I suppress or hide what's inside me? I'm what I am. Let people see what they see," the PM said about himself.Asked what he would like history to view his legacy, he observed that too many Indian leaders were obsessed about building their image at the cost of the nation. "There will be no greater joy for me than Modi getting lost in the pages of history," he said. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei has presented a new lifestyle-oriented model, the Nova, which has a 5-inch screen, and is trading on its ergonomic design, powerful camera, and battery life. Russian-Swiss model, TV host and blogger Xenia Tchoumi co-presented at the event, promoting the Nova design features and camera capabilities. It's to come with Beauty Makeup 2.0 and Beauty Skin 3.0 photo effects apps as standard, augmenting the use of a 12 megapixel rear camera on the Nova and a 16 MP equivalent on the Nova Plus. The Nova Plus, which was announced at 429 in contrast to the Nova's 399, also comes equipped with a 3340 mAh battery for longer battery life. Both have 3GB memory and 32GB internal storage, a fingerprint scanner, DTS Headphone:X optimized audio, fast autofocus, and will be available in Prestige Gold, Mystic Silver and Titanium Grey upon their October introduction in over 50 markets. Peshawar: At least one person and two suspected terrorists were killed after five to six gunmen, wearing suicide jackets, today attacked a Christian colony in Peshawar. The firing reportedly began around 6 am when the terrorists attacked the colony, security sources told DawnNews. In the exchange of fire between gunmen and security forces one civilian and two suspected terrorists were killed, the daily said. The sound of explosions was heard in the area, eyewitnesses claimed, and a helicopter was spotted conducting aerial surveillance. Additional contingents of security forces, including police, Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army commandos have been deployed to the area and an operation is ongoing, the daily reported. The area has been cordoned off. The colony lies near the Pak-Afghan border and the Warsak Dam. The topic of chickens is back in Bedford, but now its within the town. The Town of Bedford Planning Commission met Thursday night to continue a discussion and approve a recommendation of the Land Development Regulations to allow the limited keeping of chickens as an accessory use to single family dwellings. The recommendation will go before the Bedford Town Council after it is advertised. At the August meeting, some commissioners agreed the town should not require a permit to keep chickens as an accessory use to single-family dwellings. Residents would apply for a permit, but it will be offered without a fee. Zoning Administrator and Assistant Town Manager Bart Warner said staff could create a new chicken permit for this situation. The main reason was to at least know where the chickens are if there is an emergency, such as the bird flu. Warner looked into other ordinances in southwest Virginia, including ordinances in Christiansburg and Salem for a comparison. He said from the phone calls he made to those localities he found there were no real complaints about the ordinance and most of the time neighbors take issues up with one another. The commissioners agreed the ordinance should not allow roosters but could allow up to six chickens. In 2013, the county voted to amend the zoning to allow for keeping chickens in residential-zoned areas. Residents voiced support for the measure as an affordable way to raise fresh eggs. Up to 18 birds could be kept and roosters are prohibited. Bedford was the first county in the greater Lynchburg area to allow chickens in residential districts. The regulation change requires a 15-foot setback from adjoining property lines for the county. Last year, the town of Altavista also approved chickens within town limits. A new section was added to the zoning ordinance allowing no more than six hens and requiring a 30-foot setback from a dwelling and 20 feet from a property line. Under its recently revised zoning ordinance, Lynchburg residents may have four fowl on lots of 15,000 square feet or smaller plus an additional fowl for every additional 5,000 square feet for a maximum of 40 fowl. In Appomattox, the code states keeping of domestic chickens shall be permitted only as an accessory use to an already existing residential use located on the same lot. The maximum number of chickens is 12 chicken hens, no roosters are allowed. Chickens are allowed in any zoning district in Campbell County. A maximum of 10 chickens are permitted with no roosters. They must be kept in a rear yard, inside a fenced enclosure that is at least 10 feet from any property line. [ALEXANDRIA] A federal judge Friday rejected an effort to question Harold W. Clarke, the director of the Virginia Department of Corrections, in a suit filed against a corrections officer by one of two prisoners involved in an inmate-on-inmate assault three years ago. However, U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson had a suggestion for the Virginia Attorney General's office about considering a settlement in the case: "The issues are significant and could have an impact beyond this case. I think the defendant should take that into account." Anderson also expressed concern over the recent deposition of an official with the Department of Corrections that appears to undermine the account of an officer who said missing video evidence in the case was inadvertently erased from his computer during a refresh by a third-party vendor in 2014. Lawyers for inmate James H. Raynor are focusing on the Department of Correction's policy -- or lack thereof -- on the retention of video surveillance recordings and allege that the department is not following state document and video retention requirements set by the Library of Virginia. Raynor, an inmate at Sussex II State Prison, alleges his rights were violated in 2013 when a corrections officer failed to protect him from another inmate who knocked him down with punches and injured him. Raynor argues that video surveillance recordings he asked to be saved support his claims, but that they were lost or destroyed in violation of state law. Prison officials questioned in the case said copies of the recordings were inadvertently erased from a computer or otherwise lost over the years. They said they were unaware of the Library of Virginia requirements that recordings of certain events be kept for a period of five years. An assistant attorney general earlier said the loss of the recordings was accidental -- as if they had been destroyed in a fire -- and, in any case, there is no audio on the recording and it would be of little or no value to Raynor. Raynor's lawyers, who are with McGuireWoods, contend that the department is systemically violating state law on preserving video, which is automatically recorded over and lost every 30 to 60 days unless saved. They wanted to question Clarke, who signed the Library of Virginia document retention schedule in 2011, of which other prison officials are unaware. At Friday's hearing before Anderson, J. Michael Parsons, an assistant attorney general, argued against the subpoena for Clarke to give a deposition on the video retention issue, telling Anderson, "We've gone down a rabbit trail here." Anderson responded, "It's turned into something really pretty serious." However, Anderson said that if Clarke had no additional knowledge of the specific incident in question he could not see why Clarke would need to give a deposition. Larissa Sneathern, one of Raynor's lawyers, said it was Clarke who signed the state library's retention schedule for the Department of Corrections in 2011. He is the only person in the department who is tied to the document retention schedule of the state library. However, asked if Clarke had any personal knowledge of the 2013 incident, Sneathern conceded she did not know. Anderson reminded the lawyers Friday that the need to file analyses with the court by Tuesday on how the recent deposition testimony from the department's "go-to guy" on questions about prison video surveillance bears on their positions in the case. The judge said he was troubled by the deposition testimony, which appears in conflict with the state's earlier position that the video was erased inadvertently from an officer's computer; that efforts were made to retrieve the video; and that the officer did not know the video clips could be erased from his computer during a refresh. "That is some serious discrepancy there . . . I've got to say that's really very concerning to the court," he told Parsons. Anderson recalled that another representative of Parsons' office likened the loss to a fire loss and the new deposition suggested otherwise. A prisoner civil rights suit in federal court in Norfolk filed by an inmate who alleged officers used excessive force against him was settled in July after his lawyer sought sanctions against the defendant - as are Raynor's lawyers - over missing video that the inmate said would have supported his claim. The Virginia attorney general's office had denied that the Department of Corrections fails to follow established document retention guidelines. Chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Jessie Barksdale walked the audience through the years that have led up to the groundbreaking of this new shelter, and said they had to determine whether Pittsylvania County could bear the weight of this new animal shelter, to which the answer was clearly, yes. Barksdale spoke at a ground breaking ceremony for the countys new animal shelter on U.S. 29, just north of Chatham Middle School. The SPCA of Pittsylvania County looks ahead to working hand-in-hand with the countys new shelter manager and staff to provide clean habitats and quality care for the animals, Cathryn East, president of the SPCA of Pittsylvania County, said. As of Thursday, donations to the Pittsylvania County Animal Shelter Fund are now being accepted. So far, $60,000 has been donated to the fund through The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region $50,000 from an anonymous donor and $10,000 from Staunton River District Supervisor Elton Blackstock in honor of his dog, Mason. Pittsylvania County Administrator Clarence Monday encouraged and challenged Pittsylvania County residents to help in any way that they could with this project through participation in fundraisers, donations to the Community Foundations fund or volunteering to help with the shelter once it opens. Shelter manager Mark Narron has plans for upcoming fundraisers, which Monday promised that the county will hear announcements about in the very near future. Construction should officially begin Wednesday, and be finished in eight to nine months. East said this shelter will be a facility to showcase for others to try and emulate. The SPCA is honored to participate in this ceremony. It is truly like the sun coming out after a storm. On Aug. 16, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors awarded Blair Construction with the contract for renovation of the former Piedmont Chevrolet building on U.S. 29 to turn it into a suitable facility for the countys new animal shelter. The renovation includes demolition of an existing automobile showroom, adding a 6,000-square-foot addition and renovating 6,000 square feet of the existing building. The base bid was for $3.14 million, but the supervisors voted to add a small addition to the north side of the building as well as adding acoustical panels to the interior of the building. The full construction cost is expected to be $3.24 million, which is spot on the estimates that Dominion 7 gave the board, according to Monday. That will bring the total cost of the project to roughly $4.11 million (which includes the $600,000 for the 11-acre land purchase and $270,000 for the architectural study). Hawk Claus spreads Christmas cheer in DC's Grifter Got Run Over By a Reindeer first look Take a look at two stories from the DC holiday special including the titular chapter and a Hawkwoman and Hawkman tale Eight Turkey detainees have TT passports Speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Port-of-Spain, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young said the Government has been able to ascertain through our diplomatic channels and ties that there were nine persons detained by the Turkish authorities. He added, These persons had in their possession TT passports ... eight of them ... women and children. Young said that the ninth person did not have a TT passport. He explained that Governments national security channels are looking into the issue of the TT passports and whether the holders are in fact TT citizens. He said the circumstances of their detention is still unknown and Government is awaiting official response from the Turkish Government on this matter. Last month, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the Government was investigating a report that nine TT nationals were detained in southern Turkey on their way to join a terrorist group in Syria. Young also said Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) legislation will be among the first pieces of legislation Government will be bringing to Parliament, shortly after sittings resume on September 9. This legislation requires a three-fifths majority for passage and, Young said, the official conversation with the Opposition, by the Government, as far as I am aware, has not as yet begun. He reiterated this was a US requirement since 2010 and the former Peoples Partnership (PP) government did not ensure the country was FATCA compliant. Noting support from groups such as the Bankers Association and the Association of Trinidad and Tobago Insurance Companies for Government signing the inter-government agreement with the US on FATCA, Young did not expect the Opposition to be a stumbling block or hurdle in having this legislation passed. Stampede at Halloween Event Kills at Least 146 in Seoul Airline Gets Creative in Getting Travelers to Take Middle Seat IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (Newser) How often are sperm donors vetted, and how often do they get away with enhancing their positive traits? It's a question at the heart of ongoing lawsuits involving James Christian (Chris) Aggeles, who donated his sperm to Georgia-based Xytex Corp. years ago and fathered 36 children between 2000 and 2014. He billed himself as a highly intelligent donor working toward a PhD in neuroscience engineering, but he was actually a college dropout diagnosed with schizophrenia and narcissistic personality disorder who has spent time behind bars for burglary, reports the CBC. Aggeles appeared at a police station in Georgia's Athens-Clarke County last week to turn himself in, and police say he admitted lying. But how much Xytex knew about his historyor whether the company has or is going to file a report against himremains unclear. So far, he has not been charged with any crimes. Also unclear is whether a disease as genetically complex as schizophrenia will be passed down to his progeny, but it's an issue that's likely not limited to Aggeles. The Guardian reports that it's easier than ever for donor-conceived children to find a genetic family member, with the US Donor Sibling Registry helping to connect more than 10,900 people with their half-siblings or donors. Since donating his sperm, Aggeles has received mental health treatment, earned a degree in cognitive science, and is working toward a master's in artificial intelligence. (Parents are calling for more oversight of the sperm bank industry.) (Newser) The New York Times has an inspiring update on the man once known as the world's fattest. Paul Mason, who at one point weighed as much as 980 pounds, had to be removed from his apartment with a forklift in order to receive gastric bypass surgery in 2010. After six years of improvements and setbacks, he had his second surgery to remove excess skin on Wednesday. "For someone who's so emotionally complicated, who could have given up many timeshe hasn't," one of Mason's three doctors tells the Times. "It's one of the most interesting parts of it, that you have someone who seems to have every reason to throw in the towel, and yet who has fought all the way." The 55-year-old Mason had 50 pounds of excess skin removed from his body last year. He lost another 10 pounds of skin Wednesday. To understand what that means to Mason, who says he felt "trapped" by the extra skin, the Times asks readers to picture a "loose sac weighing three pounds attached to the bottom of each of your upper arms." Mason calls Wednesday's surgery "life-changing." His doctors say it was the "most extreme" case of skin removal they've ever seen. Post-surgery, Masonwho was down to 310 pounds but has since gone back up to 350hopes to treat his arthritic knees, get back to the gym, and buy a car. Read the full story here. (Read more obesity stories.) (Newser) Friends and relatives are deeply worried about two Utah men believed to be stranded on one of Pakistan's highest and toughest mountains. Accomplished mountaineers Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson set out to climb the north face of Baintha Brakk II, also known as Ogre II, on Aug. 21, and they were due back at camp a week ago, KUTV reports. Intense snowstorms around the 23,000-foot mountain have made it impossible for a rescue helicopter to get close enough to search for the men, who tried to conquer the peak last year but turned back after Adamson fell near the summit and broke his leg. If a helicopter can spot the menwho would have run out of food and fuel by now if they're alive and strandeda rescue team is standing by. "It's a remote area in Pakistan, not like you see with teams of people in the Himalayas," a rep of Black Diamond Equipment, which sponsored the climbers, tells CNN. "The cook is at the base camp now with two American climbers and four German-Austrian climbers [who] were on the same glacier and they are the rescue group." The men were last seen Aug. 22, when their cook spotted their headlamps around halfway up the peak, according to a GoFundMe page to help with rescue costs, which has raised more than $170,000. A storm hit the mountain the next day. (Read more mountain climbing stories.) (Newser) Both girls in Wisconsin's disturbing "Slender Man" case will now be pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Attorneys for 14-year-old Anissa Weier signaled this week that they want to change her plea in the attempted murder case from not guilty to "NGI," meaning that she's likely to be committed to a state mental hospital for treatment if found not guilty, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Co-accused Morgan Geyser, who is also 14, has been diagnosed with early onset schizophrenia and has already entered an NGI plea. Both girls were 12 years old in 2014 when they allegedly stabbed a 12-year-old classmate 19 times and left her for dead in what they told investigators was an attempt to please the online horror character "Slender Man." In July, an appeals court ruled that they should be tried as adults for the attempted killing. WISN reports that lawyers for both girls are seeking to have the case heard by jurors from outside Waukesha County, where the attack took place, because of heavy media coverage. (Read more Slender Man stories.) (Newser) Donald Trump is planning another trip outside his comfort zone with a visit to an African-American church in Detroit on Saturday, and he wasn't planning on taking any risks, according to a leaked script seen by the New York Times. The script contains a dozen questions that Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International was apparently planning to ask Trump in a closed-door sessionand, more unusually for such an appearance, lengthy prepared answers for Trump. "I treasure my relationship with my family, and through them, I have a strong faith enriched by an ever-wonderful God," was Trump's prepared answer for a question about whether he is a Christian. "I want to make race disappear as a factor in government and governance," Trump was directed to say after a question about his vision for black Americans. After the script was leaked, a Trump campaign spokesman said the agenda has now changed and Trump plans to speak to the congregation directly after his interview session with the pastor. In other coverage: The Detroit Free Press looks at the uphill struggle Trump will have in order to win votes in Detroit, where Mitt Romney got just 2% of the vote in 2012. Some analysts believe the real purpose of Trump's visit is to show moderate Republicans elsewhere that he is willing to reach out to different groups of voters. The Washington Post analyzes Trump's latest proposals on immigration, and finds that immigration enforcement costs would leap by more than $50 billion over the next few years in order to put his plan into action. Politico looks at the state of the Trump campaign with 22 days to go before early voting begins. There has been some progress in areas including getting the candidate to stay on-message, but the campaign remains "transitory and unstable," with many aides unsure who is calling the shots. At FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver notes that the race is tightening as it nears the home stretchand warns that Clinton supporters are mistaken if they think the electoral college math will save her if it continues to tighten. The Wall Street Journal reports that in his big immigration speech in Arizona Wednesday, Trump had originally planned to avoid mentioning a border wall. He changed his mind and added a line about Mexico paying for the wall after finding out that Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto had told reporters that he told Trump Mexico wouldn't pay. "I had no choice," Trump, who thought they had an agreement not to discuss the wall at their first meeting, tells the Journal. Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani was at the meeting and says that when Pena Nieto declared Mexico wasn't going to pay, he said: "That's off the table" and the talks moved to another subject. (Read more Donald Trump stories.) (Newser) There were whispers that child welfare authorities could be knocking on Anthony Weiner's door after his most recent sexting fiasco, and now that possibility has come to fruition. The former NYC mayoral candidate himself confirmed Thursday to the New York Times that the city's Administration for Children's Services is looking into how he cares for his 4-year-old son, Jordan, conceding that a "bare-bones" announcement about the investigation had been left at his mom's home by the agencya humiliating drop-off that baffles even Weiner. "Crazy if you ask me," he says. The probe into what kind of dad Weiner is was prompted partially because of one of the photos in a recent sexting session, in which Jordancalled by New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser the "saddest, most neglected little tyke imaginable"was seen lying in bed next to his dad wrapped in a blanket while Weiner showed off his underwear-clad lower regions to a woman he'd been corresponding with over social media. The Post had first reported on an investigation on Wednesday, but at the time, Weiner said he hadn't heard anything about it from ACS. The Washington Post explains how such an investigation could enfold and how Weiner's chances of winning any potential custody fight are "slim to none." (Read more Anthony Weiner stories.) (Newser) If only the detective from Clifton Robbins' crime novels could hop off the page and give his new publisher a hand. Scott Pack of Canelo imprint Abandoned Bookshop has been searching high and low for Robbins' relatives after discovering the novelist's 80-year-old works and deciding to publish two as e-books, reports the Guardian. Those relatives would be able to collect royalties. Canelo co-founder Michael Bhaskar describes Robbins' writing as similar to that of Agatha Christie, "but with more of an edge," though "it's a complete mystery who he is." Since coming across one of his books 20 years agoa few hard copies are available online, per Fine BooksPack has searched through archives, death notices, and spoken to people all over Britain, Bhaskar says. "The trail has gone cold." All that's known about Robbins is that he was reportedly born in London in 1890, went to Cambridge, and worked as a journalist before publishing nine books between 1931 and 1940, five of which star detective Clay Harrison, according to a release. "From his books, you get the sense that he might have been a bit of a character. There are a lot of dark shenanigans and drugs," says Bhaskar, adding that records suggest Robbins might have died in 1944 or 1964. "We're hoping that opening this up to the general public will help us find a lead." There's some incentive for relatives to come forward: Royalties of at least 50% are "waiting if someone comes forward" and "will go on accruing if they don't," Bhaskar says. (A typo in a Harry Potter book could make you rich.) TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan wants to boost its ability to secure natural resources, but the government was not considering an investment in Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko said on Friday. The Nikkei reported on Friday that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) was considering investing as much as 1 trillion yen ($9.7 billion) to buy 10 percent of Rosneft through the government-backed Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp, or JOGMEC. The report came as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a business conference in Vladivostok to discuss closer cooperation in such areas as energy and technology. Seko, the newly appointed minister for economic cooperation with Russia who will accompany Abe on the trip to Vladivostok, denied METI was considering an investment in Rosneft through JOGMEC. He confirmed that cabinet is considering a bill to reinforce the ability of JOGMEC to secure supplies of natural resources, but said the move did not target any particular countries or deals. Under current law, JOGMEC is able to support Japanese companies when they buy a stake in foreign mines and energy assets, but it is not able to offer support when they buy a stake in foreign resource companies and is not able to buy stakes in foreign companies itself. The government may make it possible for JOGMEC to acquire stakes in foreign state-backed resource companies on its own, another METI official said. The move comes at a time when some oil producing countries are trying to privatize their oil companies to offset falling revenue in the face of slumping oil prices. (Reporting by Ami Miyazaki and Yuka Obayashi; Writing by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Richard Pullin) (Newser) Most people hate their mugshots even more than the picture on their driver's license, but a Florida man found a wanted poster with his picture on it pleasing enough to put on Facebookand it helped cops bust him, the Palm Beach Post reports. Stuart police responded to a battery complaint Monday night, and when they arrived at the scene, suspect Mack Yearwood wasn't there anymore, per WPBF. Trying to find out more about Yearwood, police hopped onto social media and found his Facebook page, on which he had proudly displayed his wanted poster out of Citrus County, whose officials were after him for probation violation on two battery counts. Cops headed back Tuesday to the house and arrested Yearwood on the outstanding warrants. "I did chuckle, yes," one sergeant tells WPBF. An extra dose of bad luck as Yearwood was taken into custody: He asked officers if he could put on a pair of jeans strewn on the floor, and as he got ready, a bag of pot fell out of one of his pockets. Added onto his woes: a charge of cannabis possession. Meanwhile, the investigation into the battery complaint in Stuart continues, meaning he could face more charges. (Nickelback once had a wanted poster for its "crimes against music.") (Newser) Vladimir Putin gave a two-hour interview to Bloomberg from Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, and he had some thoughts on the DNC email hack his country's been accused of having a hand in. WikiLeaks released nearly 20,000 emails right before the Democratic National Convention in July, and they aired a bit of DNC dirty laundry that showed committee officials tried to throw Clinton rival Bernie Sanders under the bus. "I don't know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this," Putin said of the cyberattack, though he doesn't seem upset it happened. "Listen, does it even matter who hacked this data?" he added. "The important thing is the content that was given to the public." Putin also said his government didn't have its "finger on the pulse" of American politics enough to even try to sway the US elections, per CNN. Bloomberg, however, describes Putin's relationship with Clinton as "acrimonious" and notes the FBI has "high confidence" Moscow was behind the hack. Putin dismissed these claims and said going after the hackers was ridiculous. "There's no need to distract the public's attention from the essence of the problem by raising some minor issues connected with the search for who did it," he said. Meanwhile, RT.com reports that WikiLeaks is blasting a Thursday New York Times article claiming "the agendas of WikiLeaks and Mr. Putin have repeatedly dovetailed." In a statement posted on Twitter, WikiLeaks throws around calls of "deeply misleading" and "absurdly false" to many of the NYT allegations, noting that of the 650,000-plus articles WikiLeaks has published on Putin and Russia, "most" have been "critical." (Read more Vladimir Putin stories.) (Newser) Brock Turner left Santa Clara County Jail in California before the sun had risen Friday, ignoring questions from reporters like, "Are you going to say you're sorry, Brock?" The former Stanford University swimmerwho kept his head down and rode off in a white SUV just after 6am local timeserved three months of a six-month sentence for the sexual assault of an unconscious woman behind a dumpster in January 2015, report BuzzFeed and CNN. Turner was released early for good behavior. He will now be on probation for three years, and must register as a sex offender and complete a sex-offender management program, reports the San Jose Mercury News. He is expected to return to his family's Ohio home in the Dayton suburb of Sugarcreek Township, reports the Daily Beast. "Because of his notoriety, Turner will have the whole community as his probation officer," says a legal analyst. "Any violation may land him back in front of a judge, where he then could face a stiff prison sentence." Before Turner's exit, Sheriff Laurie Smith stood outside the jail expressing support for a bill that would increase punishments for those who sexually assault intoxicated victims. Had the bill been law when Turner was sentenced, he would have faced a minimum of three years in jail. Women's advocacy group UltraViolet and others hoping to recall Judge Aaron Persky plan to hold rallies at the jail on Friday. (Read more Brock Turner stories.) (Newser) Tarantulas are out looking for love, and hikers in Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains are warned to watch out for the hairy spiders, reports AP. Tarantula mating season has begun, and it will last through the end of October, the National Park Service said Thursday. That means the giant arachnids will spend the next two months weaving webs just above ground, outside the female's burrow, the Los Angeles Times reports. Because females typically stay inside, if a hiker comes across a tarantula on a footpath, it's probably a male on the lookout for a mate, experts say. Males have been known to search for up to four miles to find a female. Though they have fangs and carry poison, tarantulas are not considered a serious threat to humans. The spiders move slowly so hikers can take pictures, but humans shouldn't touch or otherwise harass the creatures, said Kate Kuykendall, a spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Mountains. While female tarantulas can live for up to 25 years, the average lifespan of the male is only seven or eight years, so their annual chances to spread their genes is limited. To make matters worse, female tarantulas have been known to eat the males if they linger too long after copulation. (Read more tarantula stories.) (Newser) The Commission on Presidential Debates is tasked with finding the folks who will moderate the upcoming word wars between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, as well as between their respective VP picks. And the commission has spoken, per ABC News, naming NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt as the first debate's chair on Sept. 26 at Hofstra University on Long Island. (It's "another prestigious step" for Holt since he took over the NBC evening news slot from Brian Williams, the New York Times notes.) The second Clinton-Trump matchupfollowing more of a town-hall format at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9will hand co-hosting duties to ABC News' Martha Raddatz and CNN's Anderson Cooper. Fox News host Chris Wallace will take on the third debate on Oct. 19 at Las Vegas' University of Nevada. Meanwhile, CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano will keep Tim Kaine and Mike Pence in check at the VP debate scheduled for Oct. 4 at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. The only commission-chosen debate veteran of the group: Raddatz, who moderated the Joe Biden-Paul Ryan VP debate in 2012. The Times notes the diversity of this year's picks with "an African-American, two women, including a Filipino [Ms. Quijano], and an openly gay man." (Will Trump like the choice of moderators more than the debate schedule?) (Newser) In a lawsuit seeking more than $175,000 in damages, a male student claims the University of Chicago has an "anti-male gender bias" and "routinely portrays a large portion of their male students as sexual predators." The New York Daily News reports the student, named only as John Doe in the lawsuit, was accused of sexual assault by two female students. Despite being found innocent by the university in both cases, John Doe claims that he was the victim of a "fundamentally unfair, arbitrary, and capricious disciplinary procedure" and that the university violated his rights under Title IX. According to Chicagoist, John Doe claims the university disciplines male students "who accept physical contact initiated by female students." The University of Chicago was recently accused of not doing enough for female students who had been sexually assaulted, but John Doe's lawsuit claims the university has now gone too far in the other direction, the Chicago Maroon reports. He says the university did nothing when the two women called him a sexual predator online and in public, leading to the protest of a theater production he directed. He claims the university ignored a Title IX complaint he filed against one of the women after she filed a similar complaint against him. The lawsuit states he was even removed from a physics class he shared with one of the women at her request. In addition to suing the University of Chicago for creating a "hostile environment for men," John Doe is also suing one of the women. (Something similar happened at the University of Texas-Austin.) (Newser) A 22-year-old woman in New York died Aug. 31 after her horse fell on her during an equestrian competition, the Daily Freeman reports. Rebecca Weissbard was going through the hurdle course at Horse Shows in the Sun in Saugerties for a second time on Wednesday when her horse, Remember Me, hit a pole. Weissbard was tossed from the animal, which fell on her. Her mother was the first person to get to her, followed by medics, but Weissbard was unable to be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene. Weissbard's was the first death at Horse Shows in the Sun since it started 12 years ago. [Horse Shows in the Sun] extends its deepest sympathy to the athlete's family and to the entire horse sport community who feels the impact of this significant loss, the New York Daily News quotes competition organizers as saying in a statement. The Chronicle of the Horse reports Weissbard had already won a jumping competition earlier on the day of her death. In 2013, she won gold and silver medals at the Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish sporting event held in Israel. (In a rare case, this woman died after riding a sick horse.) (Newser) Authorities removed 20 children and 20 dogstwo of them deadfrom a house in Victorville, Calif., on Friday while arresting the five adult women who lived there, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to police, the "uninhabitable" house had no gas or electricity. There wasn't enough food for the 20 children and "inadequate" places to sleep. The walls, furniture, and carpet were in "severe disrepair," and an inspection found black mold. None of the dogs had water to drink. The Department of Children and Family Services took the children, ages 2 months to 17 years. The women, ages 22 to 61, were booked on suspicion of child cruelty. Two were additionally booked on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. (Read more child cruelty stories.) Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi sets off on Friday a bilateral visit to Vietnam and to attend the annual summit of powerful G-20 grouping in Chinas Hangzhou where India is likely to seek concrete measures to check terror financing and crackdown on tax evasion. Modis first destination will be Vietnam from where he will leave for Hangzhou on September 3 to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5. The Prime Minister will return to India on September 5 and will again leave for Laos on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN and East Asia Summits. In Vietnam, Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with top leadership of the resource-rich country to deepen ties in key areas of defence, security and trade, and ramping up Indias engagement in oil exploration. Indias ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. At the G-20 Summit, India is likely to raise a host of issues ranging from choking terror funding and checking tax evasion to cutting cost of remittances and market access for key drugs. On the sidelines of the Summit, Modi will have bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and attend a BRICS leaders meet. A number of other bilaterals are being finalised, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sujatha Mehta told reporters. She said issues like global tax reform, climate-friendly financing and market access for antibiotics are some of the issues likely to be discussed at the meetings. Niti Ayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya is Indias sherpa for the G-20 and some of the issues were already discussed in the run-up to the summit. Mehta said there will be deliberations on containing terror financing at the G 20 summit. There are likely to be detailed deliberations on automatic exchange of tax information at G-20, besides discussion on ways to tackle slowdown of the global economy. India has already agreed to the Automatic Exchange of Information Convention of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental economic organisation of around 35 countries. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Lakhs of nurses in government hospitals across the country are going on an indefinite strike from September 2 at a time when Delhi and several other cities are grappling with rising cases of dengue and chikungunya. The nurses want redressal of issues related to pay and allowances. We are not happy with the response of the government and so we will go ahead with our proposed strike from tomorrow. But, we will attend to emergency and critical cases, Spokesperson of All India Government Nurses Federation Liladhar Ramchandani said on Thursday. Government hospitals in Delhi, which include those run by Centre, city government or civic bodies, employ about 20,000 nurses. All major hospitals in Delhi, swamped by patients suffering from vector-borne diseases tried to reach a common ground with their respective nurse associations, but in vain. Also read: Live nationwide strike: What is affected, what is not Nationwide strike: Everything you need to know Strike by 10 trade unions to hit banking, transport on Friday We tried to convince them but they are adamant about their demands. The ministry has assured them but they are not yielding. Also, so many people are suffering from dengue and chikungunya in this season, and we also asked them to defer the strike but in vain, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospitals Medical Superintendent Dr A K Gadpayle said. The hospital employs about 840 nurses of whom 236 are on contract. We have 300 resident doctors, so we will try to manage, he said, adding, We are getting 15-30 dengue cases and 30-35 chikungunya cases daily. Ramchandani, also president of Delhi Nurses Federation, said their demands include raising entry level pay of nurses and allowances. Safdarjung Hospital which employs 1,100 nurses including 160 on contract, has reported three dengue deaths there, all in the month of July. It has reported 263 dengue cases and nearly 250 chikungunya till August 29. Their demands about hike in pay scale are not genuine. Also, when people are dying of dengue, and chikungunya cases are going through the roof, you decide to go on strike, Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, Dr A K Rai said. Ramchandani said, We nurses have deferred the strike twice and recently for one month after proposing it on August 2.But, if the ministry of health betrays us, we have no other option, he claimed. At least 487 cases of dengue have so far been reported in the national capital this season, with 368 of them being recorded last month. Eight deaths due to it have also been reported. At least 432 chikungunya cases have been reported in Delhi so far. Till July 28, 9,990 suspected chikungunya cases have been recorded, with Karnataka reporting 7,591 cases. Also over 15,000 cases of dengue have been reported across the country this year. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Government suspended four Home Ministry officials including a Joint Secretary for allegedly facilitating the renewal of FCRA licence of an NGO promoted by Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, against whom several probes are going on. Those suspended are Joint Secretary G K Dwivedi, an IAS officer, two deputy secretaries and one section officer, official sources said. The action was taken after the Home Ministry found that Naiks NGO Islamic Research Foundations FCRA licence was renewed recently despite several ongoing probes, including one by it. The action against two Under Secretaries and one Section Officer was due to their negligence in clearing the renewal while a case is still pending, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju tweeted. In another tweet, Rijiju said the Home Ministry was very clear that there should be smooth process of registration or renewal of FCRA licence but not when there is a case pending. We had made the process of FCRA renewal online, he tweeted. Mumbai Police is also probing allegations against Naik. Naik is accused of radicalisation of youths into terrorand receiving foreign funds and spending such funds in luring youths into radical views. He came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star reported that one of the attackers of the July 1 terror strike in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran a propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. Naik in a lecture, aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, had reportedly urged all Muslims to be terrorists. The popular but controversial Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He is popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Steel Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh has invited companies from the UK and Luxembourg to invest in India. Singh, who was on a 3-day visit to UK and Luxembourg, invited companies and businessmen from these two countries to invest in India and be a partner in Indias growth story, the Steel Ministry said in a statement today. The minister, who returned to India on Thursday, was accompanied by senior officials from Ministry of Steel and state-run steelmaker SAIL, it added. Singh met Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Etienne Schneider and discussed various issues of mutual interest. He highlighted the significance of Luxembourg from steel industrys point of view and expressed gratitude to Schneider for taking a keen interest in business relations with India, the statement said. The minister invited Luxembourg government and businesses to explore opportunities for enhancing their business presence in India and assured of full support of the Indian government. He also visited the offices of engineering giant Paul Wurth and the worlds largest steel maker ArcelorMittal and met their top management representatives. Singh shared details of steps being taken by the central government to improve ease of doing business and facilitate foreign investment. The minister shared his vision for steel industry in India and termed R&D as the key driver for sustainable growth of the industry, the statement said. He stated that steel producers will have to come forward and demonstrate advantages of using steel by executing innovative pilot projects, it added. For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jaipur: Rajasthan government today justified Jaipur Development Authoritys move to seal the gates of former Jaipur Royal familys hotel Raj Mahal Palace and said it was completely legal and bona fide as the action was taken for public land. The gate which was sealed is located in Khasra number 194 which is a government land and the acquisition is already upheld by Supreme Court so there is nothing worth controversy. The step was taken in the interest of public and the land will be use accordingly, UDH Minister Rajpal Singh said. He said the decree which the former royal family is showing has nothing to do with the said Khasra number. If they have any problem or confusion with regard to demarcation of the land, there are certain agencies to get the land demarked but the JDA has taken this action for its own land, Singh said. The action of the JDA is to ensure possession of its land and this is also the concern of the government, Minister said. The minister informed the JDA had served notice for action on August 22 and the action was taken on August 24. On todays rally by Padmini Devi of the former royal family, the minister said this was an all-community rally not by Rajput community. UDH Minister Rajpal Singh said that he was approached by Devi or her daughter Diya Kumari, who is a BJP MLA. Diya Kumari is our party MLA, a law abiding citizen and she is like my younger sister but such actions are the part of administration, not a political matter, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Members of woman wing of the Congress on 1st september staged a protest outside the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters here over the controversy surrounding sacked cabinet minister Sandeep Kumar. They raised slogans against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwa his party and the AAP government. "The party which claimed high moral standards has been exposed with three cabinet ministers sacked for corruption fake degree and sex scandal and another six MLAs faced charges of atrocities against woman" the All India Mahila Congress said in a statement. Meanwhile a group of 15-20 women sporting black headbands raised slogans against Kejriwal on the premises of Talkatora Stadium where he had come to attend a programme. Kejriwal had come to address a huge gathering of labourers Delhi Transport Corporation drivers and conductors sanitation workers and security personnel at a 'Shramik Samvad' (dialogue with workers) at the stadium. Kumar who held the Women and Child Welfare and Social Welfare portfolios was sacked from the council of ministers yesterday by Kejriwal after he received a nine-minute-long CD in which Kumar was purportedly shown in a compromising position with a woman. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Delhi Police Crime Branch started a probe in the "objectionable" CD episode which led to sacking of AAP minister Sandeep Kumar within hours of a BJP delegation meeting Commissioner Alok Kumar in this regard. The probe into "objectionable" CD which surfaced yesterday showing Kumar in a compromising position with a woman has been given to Crime Branch on the order of commissioner of police sources in the Delhi Police said. A delegation of Delhi BJP on Friday met Kumar and lodged a complaint against the sacked AAP minister Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia accusing them of "misusing their public authority against women". The complainants including BJP MP Parvesh Verma Manjinder Singh Sirsa and other party leaders met Kumar at the Police Head Quarters and urged him to register an FIR against Sandieep Kumar. The BJP leaders also demanded "legal action" against Kejriwal and his deputy Sisodia for "protecting" Sandeep. In separate complaints lodged with Anti Corruption Branch(ACB)RTI activist Vivek Garg and BJP MLA OP Sharma have demanded a probe against Sandeep. The decision to remove Sandeep from the Cabinet was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top AAP leaders last night. He however today alleged he was being targeted under a "conspiracy" as he was a Dalit and demanded a probe into the issue. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Peshawar: At least one person and four terrorists were killed after five to six gunmen, wearing suicide jackets, attacked a Christian colony in Peshawar on Friday. The firing reportedly began around 6 am when the terrorists attacked the colony, security sources told DawnNews. In the exchange of fire between gunmen and security forces one civilian and two suspected terrorists were killed, the daily said. The sound of explosions was heard in the area, eyewitnesses claimed, and a helicopter was spotted conducting aerial surveillance. Also read: Pakistan: Multiple suicide attacks in Mardan district courts, Christian colony in Peshawar; 18 killed, several injured Suicide bomb blast kills 10, injures 30 in Pakistan's Mardan, hours after Peshawar terrorist attack Additional contingents of security forces, including police, Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army commandos have been deployed to the area and an operation is ongoing, the daily reported. The area has been cordoned off. The colony lies near the Pak-Afghan border and the Warsak Dam. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Choreographer-turned director Farah Khan says she was taught the technicalities of choreography for her debut song Pehla nasha in the Aamir Khan-starrer Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander by none other than the superstar himself. It was a great experience for me to do Pehla nasha. It was my first song and I was taking over from a very big choreographer Saroj Khan and I was the fourth assistant there. One person who really helped me a lot that time was Aamir Khan, she told reporters here at an event. He literally used to teach me what are camera lenses, so he taught me the basics and technicalities. I must thank him for that. He didnt act like a star, she said. Farah has joined hands with Shashi Ranjans ITA School of Performing Arts to design a first of its kind choreography course in India. People have often asked me when will I open dance class. I dont like dance classes, I had no interest in that. I wanted to do a choreography course and so this one, she said. Its a 12-week course on how to shoot, choreograph and direct a film song....this course will teach you how to direct a song for a film, she added. Next year Farah will complete 25 years in the industry. She said she has always been inspired by directors like Vijay Anand, V Shantaram and Guru Dutt. When I used to watch Vijay Anands choreography I used to get inspired by it. And also songs of V Shantaram and Guru Dutt inspire me. Saroj Khan is a talented choreographer. I get inspired by good work, she added. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Essential services like banking and public transport, as also work at public sector entities, have been hit as 10 central trade unions have gone on a one-day nationwide strike to protest against low wages. rime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India and Egypt will work to deepen deepen our cooperation in agriculture, skill development and health sectors. At least 10 people were killed and 30 others injured on Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a court in Mardan district in Pakistans restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Here are the top 5 stories of the hour. 1. Bharat Bandh: 18 crore govt workers on one-day nationwide strike to protest against 'minimum wage' decision Essential services like banking and public transport, as also work at public sector entities, have been hit as 10 central trade unions have gone on a one-day nationwide strike to protest against the governments indifference to their demands for better wages and facilities and the anti-worker changes in labour laws. Here is the list of what is affected by the nationwide strike and what is not. 2. India-Egypt to work together in agriculture, skill development and health sectors: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India and Egypt will work to deepen deepen our cooperation in agriculture, skill development and health sectors. Addressing the joint press conference with Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in New Delhi, PM Modi said that the he and Egyptian president have agreed to build on multiple pillars of India-Egypt relationship. 3. Suicide bomb blast kills 10, injures 30 in Pakistan's Mardan, hours after Peshawar terrorist attack At least 10 people were killed and 30 others injured on Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a court in Mardan district in Pakistans restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding his suicide vest among the morning crowds at the court, the district police officer said. Officials said that 10 people were killed, of which at least one was a police officer, local media reported. 4.Sandeep Kumar sex scandal: Delhi Police starts probe in objectionable CD case Delhi Police Crime Branch started a probe in the "objectionable" CD episode which led to sacking of AAP minister Sandeep Kumar within hours of a BJP delegation meeting Commissioner Alok Kumar in this regard. The probe into "objectionable" CD which surfaced yesterday showing Kumar in a compromising position with a woman has been given to Crime Branch on the order of commissioner of police sources in the Delhi Police said. 5. Mother Teresa: The miracle that made her saint Monica Besra, a tribal woman in eastern India, is said to be the miracle which set the path for sainthood for Indian Nobel Peace prize winner Mother Teresa, who will be canonised in Vatican City on September 4. According to foreign media, Besra was so sick in 1998 that she could barely walk. But when nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, helped her tumour was gone within hours. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. United Nations: Nobel Peace Prize winner Wided Bouchamaoui urged people everywhere not to muddle up terrorism with Islam. The Tunisian businesswoman, who co-founded the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet which won the 2015 peace prize, said Muslims who practice their faith calmly and respectfully are victims of a semantic problem when terrorists are described as Islamic terrorists. I think we should call a spade a spade, Bouchamaoui told the UN General Assemblys high-level forum on The Culture of Peace. A terrorist is a killer, a murderer, a criminal and I would even say an imposter who is manipulating Islam. The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was cited by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for making a decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia after the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. Bouchamaoui said Tunisia is still considered the exception to the Arab Spring because it has been able to avoid conflict and to promote dialogue and compromise. It has also been able to promote democracy and is taking steps to counter terrorism, she said. But after deadly attacks in Tunisia and elsewhere carried out by extremists, she said it is absolutely crucial to review and reconsider the solutions the international community can provide to the complex issue of terrorism in order to stem as best as possible the evil. Beyond the victims who are often civilians, Bouchamaoui said terrorism seeks to strike public opinion, to intimidate it by instilling a climate of fear and terror and they have achieved this in some places. The Nobel laureate said she and others intend to join forces to fight extremism, which knows no borders. It must be considered as a priority of the UN agenda on the culture of peace and non-violence, Bouchamaoui said.Stressing the importance of international action, she said, I would like to urge each and every one of you not to muddle up terrorism (with) Islam. By referring to terrorists as Islamic, Bouchamaoui said, confusion is created in peoples minds between the Muslim faith and a team of Jihadists who are prepared to blow themselves up by killing innocent people. She said threats to peace and security linked to terrorism are one challenge Tunisia is facing. Increased insecurity in Tunisia is mainly the result of disastrous management of the conflict in neighboring Libya, Bouchamaoui said. We are very much paying a very high price for the instability in Libya. It affects our country every day, and our neighboring country. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Peshawar: A suicide bomber on Friday blew himself up at crowded Mardan district courts, killing 12 people and wounding 52 others, hours after security forces killed four suicide attackers who tried to storm a Christian neighbourhood in Peshawar in Pakistan's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding his suicide vest among the morning crowds at the main gate of Mardan district courts. "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," chief rescue officer in Mardan Haris Habib said. "So far we have recovered 12 bodies of lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Habib was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. A state of emergency has been declared at local hospitals and security has been tightened in all adjoining areas. Also read: Suicide bomb blast kills 10, injures 30 in Pakistan's Mardan, hours after Peshawar terrorist attack Pakistan: Suicide attack in Peshawars Christian colony; 4 terrorists, 1 civilian killed This was second attack on Pakistan's legal community. Last month, a blast in southern Balochistan province capital Quetta killed more than 70 people, nearly wiping out the senior lawyers of the city. Friday's attack on court occurred hours after four heavily-armed suicide attackers tried to storm a Christian colony in Peshawar, killing one person and wounding several others before being gunned down by security forces. In the predawn attack in the same province, terrorists struck the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, and killed one Christian security guard. Soldiers backed by army helicopters rushed to spot where they exchanged gunfire with terrorists. All four terrorists were killed during the encounter. Five persons including two Frontier Corps personnel, one policeman and two civilian guards were injured in the attack. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted that all four terrorists have been killed. "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded. All 4 suicide bombers killed. Search in progress," Bajwa tweeted. Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets while two others were killed by security forces. No outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack, but such attacks are blamed on the Taliban. A Taliban suicide bomber had targeted Christians in Lahore at Easter this year, killing more than 70 people. Taliban militants stormed an army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's one of the worst terror attacks. Today's attacks came a day after an army spokesman said that Pakistan had destroyed organised presence of militants on its soil. The army had launched operation 'Zarb-e-Azb' in June 2014 in a bid to flush out militants from the country's restive tribal areas and bring an end to the militancy that has killed thousands of civilian since 2004. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The top decision- making body of Muslims in India on Friday said that the Supreme Court cannot interfere in religious freedom and rewrite personal laws in the name of social reform. During a hearing on the controversial triple talaq, Muslim Personal Law Board said that When serious discords develop in a marriage and the husband wants to get rid of his wife, there are legal compulsions and time-consuming judicial processes. In extreme cases, a husband may resort to illegal criminal ways of getting rid of her by murdering her. In such situations, triple talaq is a better recourse. The affidavit filed by the top decision-making body also claims that men are stronger Marriage is a contract in which both parties are not physically equal. Male is stronger and female is a weaker sex, it says. A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur heard a batch of petitions on the conflict between fundamental guarantees in the constitution and personal laws in the country. Triple Talaq has been questioned by many Muslim women so far, among them is Ishrat Jahan, whose husband divorced her on the phone. Ms Jahan has put forward the argument that divorce through spoken words violates fundamental rights. The Supreme Court said that it would examine it could understand the nitty-gritties of Muslim law and come up with a solution. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have decided to speed up the process to bring back Baloch separatist leader and Nawaz Akbar Khan Bugtis grandson Brahamdagh Bugti, who is currently living in self-exile in Switzerland. Brahamdaghs grandfather Akbar Bugti was killed in an army operation in Balochistan in 2006, which angered several young Balochs who took up arms. Balochistan Police Department has contacted the interior ministry for acquiring the required identification documents of Brahamdagh in order to complete the Red Notice application requirements for Interpol, The Express Tribune reported. After the completion of the required paperwork, Pakistan would formally contact Interpol for issuing a Red Notice against Brahamdagh for his extradition to Pakistan. Interpol notices are international requests of cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. In the case of Red Notices, the suspects are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Interpol assists the national police in identifying and locating these wanted people for lawful action.According to preliminary identification details submitted by the Balochistan police, the 33-year-old chief of the banned Baloch Republican Party is known in his close circles as Sahib. Brahamdagh had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent remarks on Balochistan. According to Balochistan police, Brahamdagh has two wives named Laila Bibi and Shuli Bibim and four children. He hails from the Raheja Bugti tribe and is operating the Baloch Republican Army network from Switzerland. He fled to Afghanistan during the crackdown on Baloch rebels and moved to Switzerland when Pakistan asked Kabul to hand him over in 2010. In Switzerland, he sought political asylum in 2011 but the Swiss government turned down his request in January 2016, citing Islamabads decision of declaring him a terrorist wanted for multiple attacks. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : The Delhi High court on Friday blasted the governments panel on unauthorised religious structures for not functioning properly. The court told the AAP-led government that its "one hand ... does not know what the other ... is doing. Justice Manmohan warned the committee, set up to look into unauthorised religious structures built on government lands, that he might order disbanding of the panel as it has not decided even half of the matters pending before it. The courts observation came in a matter pertaining to infrastructural projects, one of which was pending since 1976, as there were several religious structures which were to be demolished for completion of the work. Here are the top quotes of the court: - The judge said One hand of the government does not know what the other hand is doing. I am surprised what you (committee) people are doing. - Observing that there was no coordination among government agencies, the judge said, I am candidly saying that nothing is happening in the religious committee. Its members are bureaucrats and they do not even bother to meet and when they meet, they defer the matter on one pretext or the other. - Infrastructure project is held up due to this. Government officers do not want to do their work. I will be constrained to say that the religious committee is not doing anything and it should be disbanded, the judge said. - The main problem is that there is no coordination between the government agencies. The main grievance is that nothing is being done by the committee. You are not doing 50 per cent of your work and you have not decided even half of the matters which are pending before the committee, it said. - The court directed the government to file a report in this regard within two weeks. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Hanoi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flew into the Vietnamese capital on his maiden visit to hold wide-ranging talks with the countrys top leadership on ways to bolster strategic bilateral ties in key areas like defence, security, counterterrorism and trade. Hello to Hanoi! PM @narendramodi makes a late night arrival in Vietnam to begin the first leg of his 2 nation tour, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The visit, that marks the first by an Indian premier to the country in 15 years, takes place on his way to Hangzhou, China to attend the G20 Summit beginning Sunday. Modi will hold extensive talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and call on President Tran Dai Quang tomorrow. He is also scheduled to meet Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Defence, security, science and technology, trade and culture are some of the issues on the plate for the talks. The premier will also pay homage to revered leader Ho Chi Minh, whom he described in his Facebook post as one of 20th centurys tallest leaders. He will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda. Ho Chi Minh, who is often called the Vietnamese George Washington by Communist Vietnamese, has a city named after him. After his death, Hos followers embalmed his body and put it in a tomb, the mausoleum, where he is still worshipped today. Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc and I would also be discussing regional cooperation and stability and our multilateral cooperation, Modi told Voice of Vietnam Radio network earlier. The thrust of our multifaceted relationship is to work towards stability, maintenance of peace, economic growth and prosperity in our countries, Asia and beyond, he added. Modi emphasised that Indias Act East Policy aimed to forge partnerships with its eastern neighbours to encompass security, strategic, political, counter-terrorism, and defence collaboration in addition to economic ties. It was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbors of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy engagement, he told the radio, adding that Vietnam was an integral member of ASEAN and is a very important pillar in our Act East Policy. Indias ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. gujarat: BJP chief Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with various state party leaders and ministers of Gujarat government to discuss and finalise various programmes to be held in the run-up to the Assembly polls next year. Shah held discussions with several top BJP leaders and ministers, including Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, newly-inducted state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala and several other leaders at party headquarters in Gandhinagar. "Our president discussed several issues pertaining to strengthening the party ahead of the 2017 polls. He had detailed talks about the programmes which the party would organise to reach out to people," BJP's state media convener Harshad Patel said. "He also took feedback about people's response to the Saurashtra-Narmada Avataran Irrigation Yojana (Sauni Yojana) scheme inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi recently at Jamnagar," he added. Shah is scheduled to visit Gujarat on September 8 again to attend a programme in Surat. "On that day, four Patel leaders of BJP will be felicitated by Patel community for their contribution to the society and the community," he said. These Patel leaders include Vaghani, Rupala, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and newly-inducted Union Minister from the state Mansukh Mandaviya. The upcoming event holds significance for the ruling BJP and the state government led by the party ahead of the state polls, as they have been facing wrath of Patels, a crucial vote bank in Gujarat, due to the ongoing quota agitation. Surat had witnessed large-scale violence during the agitation last year. The event is expected to send a strong message that the Patel community is no longer angry with BJP and ready to support it in the coming polls. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign September 15, 2014. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/Illustration/File Photo By Jonathan Stempel REUTERS - A Pennsylvania regulator on Thursday reinstated a record $11.4 million fine against the popular ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc for operating illegally in the state in 2014. By a 4-1 vote, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission rejected Uber's arguments that the penalty, six times larger than any it had imposed, was unnecessary and excessive. Uber, in a statement, said it intends to appeal to a Pennsylvania state court, and overturn what it called an "absurd" fine imposed for "technical violations." The PUC, which regulates taxi services and Uber rivals such as Lyft, had sanctioned Uber for having from February to August 2014 provided 122,998 rides in Pennsylvania without prior approval, and obstructing a state probe into its operations. It imposed the fine on April 21, reducing it from the $49.9 million ordered by two administrative law judges. The PUC agreed in June to reconsider the payout at Uber's request, over the objection of state officials who called the fine an "appropriate response" to Uber's "lawless conduct." Uber offered new evidence that its service benefited Pennsylvanians, and that any fine should be capped at $1,000 per day, or roughly $200,000, and not based on the number of trips. But the PUC said in its 77-page decision that Uber "failed to set forth any new and novel arguments that appear to have been overlooked or not addressed in our prior determination." In its statement, Uber said the decision sends a "troubling message that Pennsylvania is unwelcoming to technology and innovation," and shows why the state needs "permanent, statewide ride-sharing legislation as soon as possible." Based in San Francisco, Uber has drawn criticism from taxi companies losing market share, regulators concerned about driver and passenger safety, and riders upset over high prices. The PUC previously found that Uber had in 2014 posed a risk to public safety by offering rides without proof its drivers, vehicles and insurance provisions met state standards. It also said Uber's contention that it served only a limited customer base at the time "rang hollow," given its "persistent claim" that it provide its service to meet overwhelming demand, despite two cease-and-desist orders. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Alan Crosby) (Adds Uber statement and planned appeal) By Jonathan Stempel Sept 1 (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania regulator on Thursday reinstated a record $11.4 million fine against the popular ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc for operating illegally in the state in 2014. By a 4-1 vote, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission rejected Uber's arguments that the penalty, six times larger than any it had imposed, was unnecessary and excessive. Uber, in a statement, said it intends to appeal to a Pennsylvania state court, and overturn what it called an "absurd" fine imposed for "technical violations." The PUC, which regulates taxi services and Uber rivals such as Lyft, had sanctioned Uber for having from February to August 2014 provided 122,998 rides in Pennsylvania without prior approval, and obstructing a state probe into its operations. It imposed the fine on April 21, reducing it from the $49.9 million ordered by two administrative law judges. The PUC agreed in June to reconsider the payout at Uber's request, over the objection of state officials who called the fine an "appropriate response" to Uber's "lawless conduct." Uber offered new evidence that its service benefited Pennsylvanians, and that any fine should be capped at $1,000 per day, or roughly $200,000, and not based on the number of trips. But the PUC said in its 77-page decision that Uber "failed to set forth any new and novel arguments that appear to have been overlooked or not addressed in our prior determination." In its statement, Uber said the decision sends a "troubling message that Pennsylvania is unwelcoming to technology and innovation," and shows why the state needs "permanent, statewide ride-sharing legislation as soon as possible." Based in San Francisco, Uber has drawn criticism from taxi companies losing market share, regulators concerned about driver and passenger safety, and riders upset over high prices. The PUC previously found that Uber had in 2014 posed a risk to public safety by offering rides without proof its drivers, vehicles and insurance provisions met state standards. It also said Uber's contention that it served only a limited customer base at the time "rang hollow," given its "persistent claim" that it provide its service to meet overwhelming demand, despite two cease-and-desist orders. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Alan Crosby) marijuana dispensary Colorado's weed is getting much cheaper. In October, the cost of a wholesale pound of cannabis was around $2,400 to $2,600. That price has almost been cut in half to between $1,400 and $1,600 last month, according to data from Tradiv, an online marijuana-distribution platform. "In less than a year, we've seen wholesale prices drop to nearly half of their previous totals," John Manlove, director of sales at Tradiv, told Business Insider in an email. "We've never seen prices like this." The reason prices are dropping so rapidly is because the market's getting flooded. As growers ramp up production, the huge amount of marijuana hitting the market in Colorado is causing a "steady decline" in wholesale prices regardless of demand, says Manlove. The story's similar for Washington, where the price of legal marijuana has dropped precipitously since the first recreational dispensaries opened, according to The Cannabist. Wherever there's a legal market for marijuana, prices have been dropping. Manlove says that this has to do with the way cities in Colorado, like Denver, regulate the recreational-marijuana market. In May, Denver's municipal government extended a moratorium on granting licenses to new retail dispensaries as well as marijuana-cultivation facilities. Weed dispensary counter This has allowed a "minority of large cannabis business owners" to buy and consolidate the remaining licenses, says Manlove. And without strict "canopy limits" the amount of plants one facility can grow the influx of marijuana into the Colorado market will continue to cause prices to drop, says Manlove. So, Colorado growers, with few limits and access to a huge market, are able to build an economy of scale, reducing prices across the board. Though low prices are good news for consumers, cultivators will have to cope with lower profit margins on raw marijuana flowers. Story continues According to Headset, a cannabis-intelligence platform, the highest-margin products for dispensaries are those that make marijuana easier to consume, like edibles, beverages, and pre-rolled joints. If these trends continue, then raw marijuana will continue to get only cheaper. And it's likely that the retail market will adapt by pushing further into such higher-margin products. NOW WATCH: We went inside a legal marijuana dispensary it was just like any other retail experience More From Business Insider Chukotka kuril islands At a recent event, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that a division of troops would be stationed in Chukotka, Russia's far-east region, just slightly more than 50 miles from Alaska. "There are plans to form a coastal defense division in 2018 on the Chukotka operational direction," said Shoigu. He said that the deployment was "to ensure control of the closed sea zones of the Kuril Islands and the Bering Strait, cover the routes of Pacific Fleet forces' deployment in the Far Eastern and Northern sea zones, and increase the combat viability of naval strategic nuclear forces." Japan and Russia dispute ownership of the northern Kuril Islands, where Russia plans to deploy missile-defense batteries. The Bering Strait is the narrow waterway that separates Alaska from Russia. Broadly, Russia has taken the lead in militarizing and exploring the Arctic region, as melting ice caps open up new shipping lanes between the East and West. In that context, the deployment of a division to the sparsely populated Chukotka region makes sense. In the past, Russia has bemoaned NATO and US troop deployments near to its borders. How the US will respond to this deployment remains to be seen. NOW WATCH: Here's the high-tech military equipment Russia could use against the world More From Business Insider If Hillary wins, the Saudi regimes that fund her will own America It cant be stated enough just how corrupt Hillary Clinton and her entire administration are. Everything that comes out of her mouth seems to be a blatant lie and in recent years, she has truly managed to live up to her Crooked Hillary moniker. After all, virtually every single one of her actions is twisted in one way or another. One of the most alarming aspects of Crooked Hillary, though, is her frighteningly close relationship with the leaders of Saudi Arabia a country whose ideals and values heavily clash with Americas. Given their tendency to support radical Islamic extremism, which in turn treats women and non-believers like second-class citizens, theres no way that America and Saudi Arabia can operate together. Its clear that Hillary Clinton is willing to compromise American values in order to line her pockets with more cash and thats precisely what is happening with Saudi Arabia. They want Sharia law to be enacted worldwide. That is their end goal. Hillary simply wants power and money. If the two begin working together in roles of absolute power, no less then theres nothing stopping them from achieving their individual goals together. If our worst fears come true and Hillary is elected as the next president of the United States, were all in serious danger for a number of reasons. First, shell start coming after our personal, individual freedoms, then shell eventually transition into more serious, more detrimental changes. The globalists want Sharia to be the law of the land. At this point, theres no denying it. From the repeated attempts to avoid placing blame on religious extremism to Hillarys suspicious relationship with Saudi Arabia and the general protectiveness they all have over the Muslim religion, its frightening that theyre all so intent on protecting this single religious ideology. Things could get extremely dangerous for everyone on planet earth if the globalists are successful in their attempts. Its time to stand up for whats right and make our voices heard. We cannot allow our country to be taken over by those who simply want to enslave us. It cannot be expressed enough how serious the upcoming election is. A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote for a maniacal lunatic who wants to keep the American people as her puppets soulless bodies that exist solely to worship her, expand her power and fuel her financial expansions. This fall, we must all make our way to the polls. For the betterment of our country and for the safety of our future, we must stop Hillary Clinton from being victorious. Sources: TheIntercept.com Politifact.com Submit a correction >> OTTAWA, Sept. 2, 2016 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is working in partnership with Indigenous peoples and the private sector to create new development opportunities that will improve the well-being and quality of life for their communities, while driving economic growth for all Canadians. The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, together with the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Mark Wallace, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs for Canadian Pacific (CP), and Chief Jonathan Kruger of the Penticton Indian Band today announced an agreement to transfer five parcels of land totalling approximately 45 acres to the Penticton Indian Band. The land will be transferred from CP to the Government of Canada, and then to the Penticton Indian Band Development Corporation in trust for the Penticton Indian Band membership. On September 6, Minister Garneau will be meeting with Mr. Wallace and Penticton Indian Band Councillors Kevin Gabriel and Travis Kruger in Vancouver to mark this agreement. The land is being transferred through a unique approach, which involved the cooperation of all parties, and was facilitated by the Government of Canada. Quotes "Creating and expanding the conditions necessary to accelerate economic development opportunities for Indigenous peoples to fully participate in the economy is a priority for the Government of Canada. This transfer brings certainty to the land base and has the potential to unlock economic benefits, both for the Penticton Indian Band and surrounding communities. This land transfer is a notable example of the federal government working in partnership with Indigenous organizations and the private sector. It will be my great pleasure to meet with Penticton Indian Band Council Members Kruger and Gabriel and Canadian Pacific to mark this transfer." The Honourable Marc Garneau Minister of Transport "Today's announcement clearly demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to finding shared solutions through dialogue, as part of the overall work to renew relationships and advance reconciliation with First Nations. This land transfer will provide community and economic development opportunities." The Honourable Carolyn Bennett Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs "CP welcomes today's agreement and looks forward to continued collaboration with the Government of Canada and the Penticton Indian Band. CP is proud to be part of the solution and recognizes the significance of this agreement and the long-term certainty it will create for the Penticton Indian Band." Mark Wallace Canadian Pacific's Vice-President of Corporate Affairs "On behalf of the Penticton Indian Band, we are proud of the hard work done to settle some of these long-standing issues. It is great that we are moving forward, focusing on our interests, rather than our positions. I am proud of the hard work done by the leadership, CP and Canada." Chief Jonathan Kruger, Penticton Indian Band Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through RSS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities. SOURCE Government of Canada For further information: Delphine Denis, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Marc GarneauMinister of Transport, Ottawa,613-991-0700; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, 613-993-0055, [email protected] VANCOUVER, Sept. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - Teachers at private ESL schools say the new Private Training Act taking effect today will still leave students vulnerable to school closures and to misrepresentation by third party agents. Last week the Vancouver English Centre closed without any notice to students highlighting the need for stronger legislation. Through a consultation process with the Ministry of Advanced Education over the past two years, members of the Education and Training Employees' Association (ETEA) and the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) advocated for a stronger regulatory framework with a mandatory registration process. "We are disappointed most of our recommendations were left out of the new regulations," said ETEA President Kevin Drager. "We hoped the new framework would go further to protect students and provide transparency and accountability throughout the industry." The union points out the new regulations fail to provide accountability measures for third parties, such as agents. When students are misled about any features of the school or program by an agent, the school cannot be held responsible despite agents receiving a significant percentage of the tuition from the school, plus other incentives. "Closure of the Vancouver English Centre illustrates the importance of a properly-regulated industry," said Terri Van Steinburg, Secretary-Treasurer of FPSE. "Without mandatory registration under the Act, the owner was able to close the school without providing students any refunds for thousands of dollars in tuition fees, and with no mechanism to submit complaints." The new regulations only require an ESL school to register if they want to offer student visas. Since many of the schools attract students on tourist visas, voluntary registration leaves thousands of students unprotected in the event of a school closure. "The BC government missed an opportunity to strengthen an industry that creates hundreds of jobs and brings millions of dollars into BC's economy," said Van Steinburg. "With these weak regulations, students wanting to study in our province are being left out in the cold." More information can be found at http://bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/m219_2016. SOURCE Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC For further information: Media Contact: Leah Squance, FPSE Communications Officer, [email protected], 604-992-1607 Selechang Taupyen, spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme command, on Thursday disclosed that rice smugglers have devised a method... Selechang Taupyen, spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme command, on Thursday disclosed that rice smugglers have devised a method to beat security checks.According to Taupyen, the latest tactic of smugglers is to wrap bags of rice as corpses and load them in hearses.He said 11 bags of imported rice, wrapped as a corpse, were seized recently, with one Moses Degbogbahun arrested in connection with the incident.The smuggler concealed the smuggled bags of rice in a Volvo ambulance with Reg. No. DV 74 EKY and he was arrested along Aradagun toll gate area of Badagry, he said.The mobile patrol team led by Chief Superintendent of Customs M. Ozah noted the frequent movement of the ambulance and this aroused curiosity of the team, and the vehicle was stopped for proper examination.During the examination, 11 bags of imported rice were discovered and they were carefully arranged and wrapped as a corpse. The suspect is still undergoing investigation for possible prosecution. NigerianEye can exclusively report that Facebook founder Mark Zukerberg who left Nigeria yesterday for Kenya is now back in the country... can exclusively report that Facebook founder Mark Zukerberg who left Nigeria yesterday for Kenya is now back in the country for the second time in few days.The sixth richest man in the world who left Nigeria for Kenya yesterday will be attending the Aso Villa Demo Day in Abuja,gathered.Zukerberg will also be visiting President Muhammadu Buhari for a brief meeting before he proceeds to the venue of a tech event.It can be recalled that he first arrived Nigeria on Tuesday afternoon and met with some key players in the Nigerian technology ecosystem, including his visit to CcHub in Yaba. Following the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, the former has disclosed what he thinks abo... Following the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, the former has disclosed what he thinks about the young IT entrepreneur.According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while granting audience to Zuckerberg at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.Buhari said the various meetings held with Nigerian youths since his arrival in the country were most timely as the country was already exploring opportunities to spur development through entrepreneurship.He said, Nigeria has always been identified as a country with great potential for growth, especially with our youthful population, but now we are moving beyond the potential to reality.I am impressed by your simplicity in sharing your knowledge and wealth with those with less income.The President noted that the simplicity and magnanimity of the entrepreneur, who is among the worlds richest men, had also challenged the culture of lavish wealth display and impulsive spending that had become peculiar to Nigerians.In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets.We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share, he said.In his remarks, Zuckerberg said he was impressed by the interest, energy and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by young Nigerians in all the ICT camps that he had visited.I was highly impressed by the talent of the youths in the Co-creation Hub in Yaba. I was blown away by their talent and the level of energy that I saw, he said.Zuckerberg added that he is in the country to promote the penetration of fast and cheap internet connectivity, Express-wifi, that would help people create online businesses and reduce poverty. Ahmed Makarfi, the caretaker committee chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says rather than play politics, all hands must be on de... Ahmed Makarfi, the caretaker committee chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says rather than play politics, all hands must be on deck to salvage the economy.His party recently asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign for destroying the economy.Speaking with journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, Makarfi explained that if the economy was bad it was the political class that would be blamed as a whole.He said by coming together to fix the economy all parties must not agree on political matters but must have the countrys interest first above all.All hands needed to be on deck. There is a time to play politics, and there is a time whether you the party in government or not, we should not play politics with certain issues, Makarfi said.If the economy is bad, it is the political class that is to be blamed. Indeed before the political class, the military class should share part of the blame because they have done a lot of damage to the system.Let us own up to the wrong we have done and let us collectively repent and come together for the sake of the ordinary man and woman and even those that are not ordinary and save our nation from economic doom.Makarfi said he shares the same views with Olubunmi Okojie, a Cardinal, who recently wrote an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.Long before that letter and as a matter of fact, before the President was sworn into office and to be candid, my personal belief was that the country was in a serious problem and that we were heading into more serious problems, Makarfi said.He said that it should not be seen as failure if we should come together and salvage our country.In any case, people are voted because they were dissatisfied with the last administration. If they were satisfied they would have returned all the past administration at all levels, Makarfi added.Having not returned them because people believe that things will improve with this government, it is good to go forward and see what we can do and improve on our economy. North Korea has executed its education minister, Kim Yong-Jin, 63, because of his bad sitting posture in parliament, according to report... North Korea leader North Korea has executed its education minister, Kim Yong-Jin, 63, because of his bad sitting posture in parliament, according to reports.Before his execution in July, a south Korean official said topofficial was interrogated and found to be an anti-revolutionary agitator .South Korea s unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said: Vice premier for education Kim Yong-Jin was executed.He added: Kim Yong-Jin was denounced for his bad sitting posture when he was sitting below the rostrum. The Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, has distanced the Itsekiri nation from the Chief Edwin Clark-led pan Niger Delta coastal s... The Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, has distanced the Itsekiri nation from the Chief Edwin Clark-led pan Niger Delta coastal states stakeholders meeting which is to negotiate with the Federal Government on behalf of the Niger Delta militants.The Itsekiri monarch, in a statement issued yesterday by the Palace Administrator, Dr. Emmanuel Tetsola, also claimed not to be part of the meeting of the Niger Delta monarchs with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.Clark, who is the Ijaw national leader, had a fortnight ago convened a stakeholders meeting of six coastal states of the Niger Delta at Effurun in Delta State towards proffering solutions to the renewed militancy in the region. The meeting was attended by the Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa while the Bayelsa Governor was represented.The meeting resolved to set up a dialogue team which would discuss with the Federal Government on behalf of militant groups in the region.While disowning those claiming to have represented Itsekiri nation at the meeting called by Clark and the one with the Petroleum minister, the statement emphasized that the monarch had not authorised anybody to represent him or the people of Itsekiri.It stated, It has come to the knowledge of the Palace of the Olu of Warri that some Itsekiri sons and daughters who are attending the above mentioned meetings are claiming to be representing either the Olu of Warri or the Itsekiri people of Delta State.The Palace wishes to state categorically that while individuals are entitled to freedom of speech and association, as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution, it has not authorised or mandated any person to represent either the Olu of Warri or the Itsekiri people at these meetings.The Itsekiri royalty particularly frowned on a report in one of the national dailies which claimed that Prof. Lucky Akaruese represented the Itsekiri ethnic nationality at both meetings.Consequently, those persons who attended these meetings cannot arrogate to themselves the authority to speak or represent either the Olu of Warri or the Itsekiri people, the Olu of Warri added, even as he urged the general public to disregard such insinuation. Niyi Pirisola A former local government caretaker committee chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Okitipupa Local Government... Niyi Pirisola A former local government caretaker committee chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, Evangelist Niyi Pirisola has been assassinated.Mr. Pirisola was "gunned down" by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Friday, Sahara Reporters confirmed."He was killed in the early hours of today (Friday) at about 3:00 am while returning from a branch of Celestial Church Of Christ at Ilutuntun in his hometown," a source told SaharaReporters.The source further said the tenure of the deceased and the chairman of the local area witnessed "bloody violence".A police officer in the town also confirmed the news, saying investigation is on-going. President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday commended the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of social networking website, Facebook, Mark ... President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday commended the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of social networking website, Facebook, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg for sharing his wealth of knowledge with Nigerian youths, and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs.He gave the commendation while receiving the internet entrepreneur in the State House, Abuja.Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the various meetings held with Nigerian youths since his arrival were most timely as the country was already exploring opportunities to spur development through entrepreneurship.He said: Nigeria has always been identified as a country with great potentials for growth, especially with our youthful population, but now we are moving beyond the potentials to reality.I am impressed by your simplicity in sharing your knowledge and wealth with those with less income, the President said.Buhari noted that the simplicity and magnanimity of the entrepreneur, who is among the worlds richest men, had also challenged the culture of lavish wealth display and impulsive spending that had become peculiar to Nigerians.He added: In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets.We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share, he said.In his remarks, Zuckerberg said he was impressed by the interest, energy and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by young Nigerians in all the ICT camps that he had visited.I was highly impressed by the talent of the youths in the Co-creation Hub in Yaba. I was blown away by their talent and the level of energy that I saw, he said.Zuckerberg said he was in the country to promote the penetration of fast and cheap internet connectivity, Express-wifi, that would help people create online businesses and reduce poverty.After the meeting with the President, Zuckerberg and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo went to the old Banquet Hall of the State House for the Aso Villa Demo Day where the three finalists, Tracology, Recycle point, and Mass shuttle were announced to the public.The three winners emerged from a total of 4,000 that competed on innovative and technology ideas relevant to solving Nigerian problems.Out of the 4,000 that competed across the country, 30 of them had earlier emerged from Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja competition.As a reward to the three final winners, Airtel announced N3m each for the top 3, Sahara Energy announced N500,000 each for the top 3, while Dell also announced undisclosed amount for the winners.Speaking at the event, Zukerberg said: Thank you all for having me here today. Its so inspiring to see what you have built here. This trip has really blown me away by the talents of young entrepreneurs and developers in this country, and making a difference and making a change.It reminds me of when I wanted to start Facebook. I wasnt starting a company at the time but wanted to build something to see if it will work. And that is what I see people here do, pushing through challenges, building things that you want to see in the world, if it will help the company great, if it will help the country great.You are not just going to shape Nigeria and the whole of Africa but the whole world. So what I will say to the winners today and all the people that participated that Im blown away by what you are doing, I believe in you and I look forward to seeing what you do and congratulations, he added.Osinbajo said: Its really exciting to have Mark Zugerberg with us. I think one of the great things you have demonstrated is that it is possible to live your dream, it is possible to make your dreams not just come true but so fabulously that it will not only influence your environment but you will influence the whole world.One of the things you have done is really to create connectivity across the world so that people are really able to interact across tribe, race, countries and feel as part of one family and one faith.So I think that its one of great things that you have done. And your coming to Nigeria has been especially energizing not just for the young people but for everyone else. As you can seek Im on Facebook and the president is also on Facebook so we are one of the 17 million.The Vice President also commended all the 30 winners and the three finalists for their great achievement.He said: This is the first Aso Villa Demo Day but the next year will be bigger and better. I dont know if we will be able to get Mark to show up for that but somehow of the other, we are going to keep him in the loop and let him know what we are up to and how and how progress we are making. He saidHe said that Nigeria is going to be built and is being built on the energy, the innovation and the creativity of the young people.He added: Today, Technology has created a level playing field; technology has made it possible for you seated somewhere, in your office or living room to create wealth, to create connectivity, to create all manner of things across the world.So this is not like when I was 25 years. Its a completely new day and I think that there is so much hope, so much your generation is going to do and I am certainly looking forward to being a part of that.By the time I am 80 I hope that I will be in a position to have an app that will enable me follow what you guys are doing, seated somewhere in my village, enjoying life.Im sure you are going to have a great future and I certainly look forward to working with as part of the government of Nigeria to ensure that all that your talents and abilities are put in the best possible use and we Ill support you all the way.We are also looking forward to cooperating with Facebook, Im sure that in the next couple of months we will be working out the ways we can cooperate especially with connectivity and some of the great ideas that Mark has to improving connectivity in Africa, he stated. BELLMAWR -- Borough police are commending the work by one of their own after an off-duty sergeant near the scene of Thursday's fatal shooting at The Walk outlet shops in Atlantic City wrestled a weapon away from the accused gunman. Sgt. Christopher Cummings was in "close proximity" to the Zumiez store, where 26-year-old Absecon man Christopher Romero was gunned down in what authorities said was a domestic violence incident. The shooter, Lewis Maisonet, 55, of Somers Point, was hospitalized in critical condition Thursday night. "At some point, after fatally shooting one male, the shooter turned the gun on himself and fired one round into his own torso. Our very own Sgt. Christopher Cummings was off-duty and in close proximity to him and immediately attempted to disarm the suspect," Bellmawr police said Thursday. Cummings "managed to wrestle the firearm from the gunman before he could inflict any further harm upon himself or anyone else and the suspect was then taken into custody. Great job on your courageous actions Sgt. Cummings," police said. Bellmawr police officials were not immediately available for comment Friday. Readers with information regarding the shooting are asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666. We would just like to take a moment to commend the heroic actions of one of our officers today. As you may have heard,... Posted by Bellmawr Police Department on Thursday, September 1, 2016 Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook. MILLVILLE -- They were pilots, gunners, radiomen and ground crew mechanics. They stormed the sands of Iwo Jima and rained bombs upon Berlin. They are, and will forever remain, proof of what the Greatest Generation was capable of. It was fitting then that the Millville Army Air Field Museum (MAAFM) turned a fly-in by some of World War II's most iconic planes into an opportunity to honor these brave men. "You're representing hundreds of thousands of other World War II veterans who are not here today with us," said Bob Trivellini, vice president of the MAAFM Board of Directors. "It took a nationwide, worldwide effort here on the home front and of course overseas to win that monumental battle." The dozen men called together Thursday -- not one of them under the age of 90 -- represented various military branches and theaters of service. Their visit coincided with the Collings Foundation's Wings of Freedom Tour that brought a B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator to Millville. Salem County resident Charles Wentzell needed no introduction to the Fortress; he helped lead the U.S. Army Air Force's first bombing raid against the Nazi capital and claimed an aerial kill on the same outing. "We lost 67 bombers that day," he said of the four-engine ships that carried a crew of 10. Louis Gerlack, of Glassboro, logged hundreds of hours inside the B-17 as an engineer before switching to the more advanced B-29s that were being used in the skies over Japan after Germany's surrender in spring 1945. "Sadly I taught hundreds of young men aerial gunnery and most of them didn't get back," Gerlack, standing under the B-17's wing, lamented. Paused inside the belly of the B-24 and looking down in wonder at the cramped ball turret position, Carneys Point resident Walter Sierocinski recalled his time in mechanic school and later as a ground crew worker on fighter planes during the war. Fellow Carneys Point man Paul Gelesh came to the museum on Thursday carrying assorted medals and wartime training manuals he found after his dad -- a ball turret gunner on a B-24 -- passed away. He wanted to know more about dad's days overseas, which Wentzell was happy to help him further grasp. "He didn't talk about it," Gelesh said. "I imagine there's some memories there." Seventy-one years after the Axis powers called it quits, those memories are still there. "We all wore the cloth. We all did the job together," said MAAFM volunteer and U.S. Navy veteran Owen Garrison. Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Labor Day weekend -- the unofficial end of summer -- has arrived once again to put a damper on my favorite time of year. While this summer -- just like every year -- has provided three whole months to plan the perfect getaway, I know some of you never made it to the Jersey Shore for some well-earned vacation time. But never fear. There is a way to pack an entire summer of fun into one day. I know because, after nearly 150 miles and 14 hours, I did it. On Aug. 30, I started my very own "summer in a day" challenge that began with sunrise in Seaside Heights and ended at sunset, appropriately enough, at Sunset Beach in Cape May Point. Check out all the stops I was able to make in between, and try it yourself before the autumn winds begin to howl. It's not too late to enjoy amusement rides like the Carousel and Sea Serpent on Mariner's Pier in Wildwood. Sunrise in Seaside Heights I did begin with a head-start. Since Seaside Heights -- the home of MTV's "Jersey Shore" -- is two hours north of my hometown, and my plan was to begin my adventure with sunrise in Seaside, I decided to head up the New Jersey Turnpike the night before my "summer in a day" challenge. After a boardwalk tour of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jenni "JWoww" Farley's favorite Seaside hangouts, I hit the sack in order to rise and shine by 6 a.m. for a 6:25 a.m. sunrise. Tuesday morning was a beautiful one, perfect for watching the sun appear over the eastern horizon of the Atlantic Ocean. From gray and pale yellow to pinkish orange, and finally summertime blue, the sunrise in Seaside provided the perfect way to begin my day. Breakfast at Wally's I left the beach around 7 p.m., hopped in my car and traveled 40 minutes down the coast to Surf City on Long Beach Island for a delicious breakfast at Wally's. For more than 40 years, Wally's has been a favorite breakfast and lunch spot for locals and visitors alike. That tradition continues with new owner and managing partner Michael Tomko, who bought it with his family two years ago. Longtime regulars of Wally's, Tomko and his family has added their own flavor to the already iconic eatery. With breakfast menu items such as the Dirty Monkey Waffle (a chocolate chip Belgian waffle with fresh sliced bananas, chocolate sauce, house-made whipped cream and powdered sugar), shrimp and avocado omelette, and a smoked salmon Benedict, Wally's focuses on the fun that can be had with food. (When it comes to dinner, Wally's goes gourmet, with Viking Village ccallops, Sambuca-finished mahi mahi, and Asian sesame swordfish, marinated and broiled, and served with wasabi mashed potatoes and papaya mango salad.) For my morning visit to Wally's, I chose a Belgian waffle topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries and house-made whipped cream. I was only disappointed that it wasn't possible to order one of everything and eat it all in one trip. I'm already planning to return for lunch and dinner, and I must try that Dirty Monkey waffle. Wally's in Surf City is a favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot for locals and visitors alike. It's the original Just a few minutes drive down the road in Ship Bottom is the original Ron Jon Surf Shop. This iconic store and brand was founded in 1961 by surfer Ron Dimenna, who began his career selling two surfboards he purchased from California. (He bought three and sold two of them in front of the family grocery store in order to be able to afford to keep the third.) He continued selling surfboards from his home on Lyle Street in Manahawkin, a trailer on half of the existing site in Ship Bottom, and finally from the 8,100-square-foot surf emporium that stands today. In addition to the Long Beach Island location, there are Ron Jon Surf Shops Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, and Alabama. The Original Ron Jon Surf Shop was established in Ship Bottom in 1961. Today's surfing emporium is more than 8,000 square feet of shopping fun. Gulls, shells, and surf Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys once said, "On the beach, you can live in bliss," and Atlantic City allows you to experience that feeling free of charge. Many New Jersey beaches require that visitors purchase badges in order to cross over the dunes, but Atlantic City, as well as Wildwood, and Cape May State Park, offers free access to the sand and sea, the beaches littered with beautiful sea shells and stones that wash up from the ocean's depths with every wave. In Atlantic City, surfers can catch a wave at Downtown Beach at Raleigh Avenue, Crystal Beach at New Hampshire Avenue, or Delaware Avenue Beach. Kayakers and wind surfers can hit Jackson Avenue beach. There are more than 50 spotlighted beaches along the Atlantic City shoreline with 11 district lifeguard stations from Caspian to Bartram avenues. Most stations offer outdoor showers and public restrooms. All Atlantic City beaches accessible free of charge. Lucy the Elephant After a relaxing time wading in the warm surf and collecting a bucketful of colorful seashells in Atlantic City, I climbed back into my trusty vehicle and headed south toward the Ocean City boardwalk. Just about halfway between the two shore towns stands Lucy the Elephant -- a six-story novelty structure that was built in Margate in 1881 by James V. Lafferty to attract tourists and sell property in the area. This unique "building" has served as a restaurant, business office, cottage, and tavern. Today, visitors enter through a door in the rear left leg and climb a spiral staircase inside the leg, then ascend into the howdah (the canopied seat atop Lucy's back) where they can enjoy spectacular views of Margate and the Atlantic City skyline. Lucy is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Labor Day hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lucy the Elephant is a fun tourist attraction in Margate. Iconic pie Winner of Best of New Jersey's Best Pizza award every year since 1984, Manco & Manco Pizza has been an Ocean City tradition since 1956. The first Manco & Manco opened at 918 Boardwalk, and the next at 7th Street and Boardwalk. Today, there are Manco & Manco pizzerias on 8th, 9th and 12th streets in Ocean City, and at the Ocean Heights Shopping Center in Somers Point. In the beginning, Manco & Manco served plain pizza and soft drinks. Today, the same original thin and crispy pie can be topped with broccoli, spinach, peppers, and bacon, in addition to favorites such as pepperoni and sausage. Each pie is made fresh in front of the customers, complete with dough tossing and twirling to stretch it and entertain the patrons. Because there are so many different toppings, I ordered four slices and each one was amazing. While you're on the Ocean City boardwalk, don't forget to pick up some salt water taffy and fudge from Fralinger's Original, which has been serving sugary treats up and down the Jersey Shore since 1885. Grabbing a box of salt water taffy can help you sustain summer past Labor Day, per the tagline on each box -- "Sea air and sunshine sealed in every box." Wild rides in Wildwood A trip to the Jersey Shore just isn't complete without riding -- or at least watching others ride -- the amusements on Morey's Piers in Wildwood. With three piers and two water parks, Morey's Piers and Water Parks offers a thrill for everyone. I arrived at Mariner's Pier around 5:30 p.m. and only had about an hour to spend on the boardwalk, so I decided to head straight for Ghost Ship. Ghost Ship -- or Ignis Fatuus -- combines animatronics, special effects, and live actors to bring this haunted sea vessel to life. Next, I visited the PIrates of Wildwoods 3D boat ride, where I encountered funny, scary, and colorful pirates. I was really looking forward to riding Sea Serpent -- a high-speed, looping roller coaster with a dual 120-foot hill that riders take both forward and backward -- but a quick rainstorm that blew through just before my arrival shut the ride down for a while. So I made my way to Adventure Pier for a spin on Great White -- a classic wooden coaster that goes faster than 50 miles per hour and sends riders down a 105-foot drop. Other popular rides are the classic Kong and Great Nor'Easter hanging roller coaster on Surfside Pier, the Carousel and the Giant Wheel on Mariner's Pier, and the Springshot and SkyScraper daredevil rides on Adventure Pier. Morey's Piers is currently offering end-of-season discounts for ride passes and even water parks. Check here for details at moreyspiers.com. Sunset at the point Every evening from May through September, at the southernmost point of New Jersey, a natural miracle occurs. Watching the sun go down at Sunset Beach in Cape May Point is a tradition for many locals and visitors alike. With the famous Atlantus, or the Concrete Ship, looming just off shore, and the flag-raising and -lowering ceremonies each day, Sunset Beach is the perfect way to end any day, especially one that began with sunrise in Seaside. Each night at Cape May Point, visitors gather to watch the sun disappear into the Atlantic Ocean. Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. max-rose-jerry-lewis-portrait.jpg Jerry Lewis is a grieving widower in 'Max Rose' (PALADIN) A long-delayed Jerry Lewis film is finally getting released. But don't get your hopes up. It's not the infamous "The Day the Clown Cried." Instead it's something called "Max Rose," first screened three years ago at Cannes and just now hitting screens. They should hit back. The film, moving even slower than the now 90-year-old Lewis, stars the actor as a jazz pianist who's just lost his wife of 65 years. He's depressed and ailing and so his son sells the house and packs Dad off to a nursing home. But Max still has questions about his marriage, and the one secret his wife kept. And one or two scores to settle. Every so often, a film comes along designed solely to give a great old actor one last shot at a part, and at an Oscar. Most of the movies lazily assume they can replace a plot with nostalgia. They provide a few twinkles and a bit of shtick, and then sink into a mudpit of sentimentality. "Max Rose" is no better. In fact, it's a bit worse. At least the late-in-life movies of Peter O'Toole and Vincent Price showed the stars off to their best advantage. But whatever you might have liked in Lewis - the antic clowning of his own films, the over-sharing of his telethons, or even the curdled privilege of "The King of Comedy" - you won't find here. Instead Lewis' Max is mostly, simply, dull - staring off into space, shuffling down hallways, grimacing at the people around him. Even when he erupts in anger, there's little context or motivation (he hates his son long before the kid has done anything to deserve it). So why should we watch? There are a few old pros who wander through - a still-impish Mort Sahl, a raging Dean Stockwell and, in flashbacks and hallucinations, the lovely Claire Bloom as Max's still-adored, now-departed wife. Seeing her here is especially sweet, as decades ago she starred in another comic's valediction, Chapin's "Limelight." But there's no meat on this story, no connection between its characters - we've no idea, for example, why Max has such a special bond with one grown granddaughter, or even what his musical career was like. (The film seems to have been cut down from an earlier version.) And the movie is visually ugly, with obvious, hackneyed touches (the director's specialty is straight-to-video action thrillers). Whatever you think of Jerry Lewis, he deserves better than this. And so do we. Ratings note: The film contains alcohol abuse. 'Max Rose' (Unrated) Paladin (83 min.) Directed by Daniel Noah. With Jerry Lewis, Claire Bloom, Mort Sahl, Kevin Pollak. Now playing in New York. 1/2 Stephen Whitty may be reached at stephenjwhitty@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwhitty. Find him on Facebook. -- Authorities were continuing Friday to search for a Newark elementary school principal who was in her hometown days before students return to class. Bertha S. Dyer, 68, of Franklin Township, was reportedly last seen Tuesday around 3 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Elementary School in Newark, where she is the principal, police announced Thursday. Dyer's sister reported her missing Wednesday after she didn't show up for several meetings and a family friend called out of concern. "Since the story ran we have received several tips from the public," Franklin Township police Sgt. Philip Rizzo said Friday. "At this time, none of them have panned out." Family members did not report that Dyer suffered from medical conditions which could cause an emergency, police said. Dyer also spoke to someone by phone from her home Tuesday, but the exact time of the call was unclear. Franklin Township police were working with state and county authorities in the investigation, Rizzo said. There were no obvious signs of foul play, he added. Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office was investigating and visited Dyer's school. The case was an "active missing person investigation," according to Somerset County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Jack Bennett. A Newark school district representative did not respond to a message Thursday afternoon. The first day of school for students is Tuesday. Authorities said Dyer is 5-foot-4 inches tall and drives a white 2011 Toyota 4Runner with New Jersey license plate of U79GXM. Anyone with information was urged to call Franklin Township police at 732-873-2300 or Detective Trevor Wilson at 732-873-5533, extension 3161. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. MichaelZingel.jpg Michael Zingel, 35, of Guttenberg, appears in court in Jersey today, Sept. 2, 2016, on charges he posed as a modeling recruiter to get a woman to give him naked pictures of herself and then threatened to post them on Facebook if she didn't give him more. JERSEY CITY - A 35-year-old Guttenberg man has been charged with posing as a modeling recruiter to get a woman to give him nude photographs of herself and then threatened to post them on Facebook if she didn't give him more. Michael Zingel, of the 6900 block of Broadway, is charged with criminal coercion for allegedly threatening to post the images online unless the woman "provided additional explicit images" of herself, the criminal complaint says. Zingel allegedly made the threat on Aug. 27, the complaint says, adding that the charge was filed by the New Jersey State Police and the case will be handled by a prosecutor from the state Attorney General's Office. The defendant made his first appearance on the charges this afternoon in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City. JuanVarela.jpg Juan A. Varela, 48, of Lodi, appears in court in Jersey City today, Sept. 2, 2016, on charges he stole more than $4,000 worth of equipment from a New Jersey Turnpike construction site in June. A 48-year-old Lodi man has been charged with stealing more than $4,000 worth of equipment from a New Jersey Turnpike construction site in Jersey City on June 5. Juan A. Varela, of Massey Street, is charged with burglary, theft and criminal trespassing in connection with the incident at the Interchange 14A Toll Plaza, the criminal complaint says, adding that he was arrested Tuesday. Varela is charged with entering a secured area and taking a Rigid pipe threading machine valued at $4,400 and a compressor valued at $200, the complaint says. The defendant has prior convictions for crimes including burglary, criminal trespassing, and two counts each of theft and aggravated assault, a court official said. Varela's bail was set at $40,000 with a 10 percent cash option when he made his first appearance on the charges this afternoon in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. The complaint does not say how Valera was connected to the theft. Army Corps and Port Authority celebrate completion of NY & NJ Harbor Deepening Navigation Program Sen. Robert Menendez called Donald Trump's visit to Mexico a "farce" and said the Republican presidential nominee's immigration speech in Arizona closed the "door" on Hispanic and other minority voters after an appearance at an event in Bayonne (pictured above) on Sept. 1, 2016. Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal BAYONNE -- Sen. Bob Menendez yesterday called Donald Trump's recent visit to Mexico a "farce" and said the Republican presidential nominee's immigration speech in Arizona closed the "door" on Hispanic and other minority voters. Asked about Trump's visit to Mexico after an event in Bayonne on Thursday, Menendez, D-NJ, accused the candidate of not being truthful about what was discussed during a meeting between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Trump said during a news conference following the Wednesday meeting that he and Nieto had discussed Trump's proposed wall along the U.S. southern border but that they did not discuss who would pay for it, CNN reported. But Nieto later tweeted that he had told Trump that Mexico would refuse to pay for the wall. Menendez yesterday railed against the apparent discrepancy, saying it showed Trump "doesn't understand diplomacy." "That's misleading your allies, and lying about it to the American people is a poor quality for the president of the United States," the senator said, echoing similar accusations by Hillary Clinton's advisers. Citing Trump advisers, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and Nieto had agreed prior to the meeting that there would be no discussion about who would pay for the wall -- but that Nieto then surprised Trump by bringing it up. When it was brought up, former New York City Mayor and current Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani, who was at the meeting, immediately responded for Trump, saying "That's off the table," according to WSJ. Trump then moved onto a different topic, WSJ reported. The Trump campaign couldn't be reached to respond to Menendez's remarks. Jason Mills, the campaign's senior communications adviser, said in a statement on the campaign website that the meeting represented "the first part of the discussion and a relationship builder" between the two sides. "It was not a negotiation, and that would have been inappropriate. It is unsurprising that they hold two different views on this issue, and we look forward to continuing the conversation," he said. In an immigration speech that Trump delivered in Phoenix right after visiting Mexico, the candidate said illegal immigrants who want U.S. citizenship will need to leave the country and head to the back of the line in their home countries, the Associated Press reported. Menendez told The Jersey Journal that Trump's speech did more than just "seal his defeat" in the presidential race. "I think he sealed for the Republican Party, a decade or more of wandering in the wilderness, because the road to the White House comes through Hispanic and minority communities in the key states that are battlegrounds, and he just closed that door forever," the senator said. Menendez's remarks came as some Hispanic leaders who thought the candidate had signaled a willingness to moderate his immigration plans reacted to his speech by saying they felt they had been misled by him, the AP reported. Still, Trump's campaign told AP the candidate "has been consistent in advocating for an end to illegal immigration." Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- A bizarre hit-and-run crash that damaged nine cars, including one vehicle that was pinned beneath another, doesn't come as much of a surprise to some residents in a small neighborhood. Monday's early morning crash on Neptune Avenue between Romar Avenue and Sayles Street is not the first time multiple cars have been damaged on the short block, residents say. Lee Towery, a Neptune Avenue resident, said his new car sustained more than $4,000 worth of damage in February 2015 when a Walgreens truck turned up Mina Avenue from Route 440 to make a delivery to a nearby pharmacy. He suspects the nine vehicles damaged this week were involved in a similar crash. "Truckers are notorious for going through that neighborhood," Towery said. A sign is posted on Route 440 at Mina Avenue restricting trucks over four tons, but Towery said that hasn't stopped truckers from turning through the neighborhood and several residents have complained to the city about the truck traffic. Miguel Molin, a 20-year-old resident of the block, said his brother's girlfriend's car was totaled in Monday morning's wild hit-and-run. He agrees with Towery that the "crazy" damage must have been caused by a large truck. "There should definitely be better street signage in place," the 20-year-old said while standing in front of his home. Debris from the wreckage was still visible Thursday morning, as car parts were scattered along the curb. Shattered plastic remained in the street while a downed "no parking" sign was thrown onto an empty patch of dead grass. Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the city is aware of the truck traffic issue in the Country Village area and is apparently a result of a GPS routing drivers through the residential neighborhood. Towery said if truckers are being directed through the neighborhood, they are not using the proper GPS designed for trucks. He thinks more signage -- perhaps a blinking yellow light -- and cameras should be added around the neighborhood to avoid future crashes. "There's only a matter of time before somebody gets hurt, or worse," Towery said. Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. Last week has been quite eventful for the telecom industry despite a mixed run on the bourse. Several significant developments dominated the headlines with Verizon Communications Inc. VZ at the forefront. The U.S. telecom behemoth recently completed a major upgrade of its 4G LTE networks to LTE-Advanced technology covering 461 cities in the U.S. The LTE-Advanced network will raise the data packet transmission speed by more than 50%. Verizon also unveiled the second round of specifications for the upcoming 5G wireless network. Last month, the company achieved a milestone by becoming the first company in the world to issue an initial radio specification for the 5G wireless network. The second round of update was primarily on the mechanics of connecting to the network. On Aug 29, U.S. telecom giant AT&T Inc. T won a major legal battle as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California dismissed a data throttling charge issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Data throttling is the blocking or slowing of data transmission once customers hit a certain usage limit in a month. In Oct 2014, the FTC raised questions over AT&Ts data throttling practices, accusing the telecom carrier of deceiving its unlimited plan customers. United States Cellular Corp. USM, the fifth-largest regional wireless service provider, recently launched new Shared Connect plans which offer more data, larger allotments and new tools to track data usage. The plan is being offered on its high-quality network that keeps customers connected irrespective of the area the customer is in. Moreover, Comcast Corp. CMCSA received regulatory clearance from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pertaining to the discrimination and carriage pricing charges leveled by Liberman Broadcasting Inc., the owner of Estrella TV in Apr 2016. Meanwhile, research firm SNL Kagan recently reported that the second quarter of 2016 witnessed the highest quarterly subscriber loss in the history of the U.S. pay-TV industry. Notably, the U.S. pay-TV market comprises three kinds of service providers, namely, cable MSOs (multi-service operators), satellite TV operators and fiber-based telecom operators. SNL Kagan has estimated that in the last reported quarter, the pay-TV industry lost approximately 812,000 customers. Story continues According to a recent report by research firm Strategy Analytics, it is expected that 5G mobile handsets will be available for sale in the market by 2020, following a broader rollout of the technology. Though the first trial handsets are expected in 2018, they are likely to face problems such as a short battery life, no 4G handover or unstable connectivity. However, these problems will be taken care of before its actual launch in 2020. The first commercial 5G handsets are expected to be highly expensive. Strategy Analytics forecast has revealed that the number of worldwide 5G connections will touch the 690 million mark by 2025.Major U.S. telecom behemoths Verizon, AT&T, Sprint Corp. S and T-Mobile US Inc. TMUS are all forging ahead with their 5G plans and aim to launch 5G networks in the upcoming years. Outside the U.S., leading Canadian telephone operator BCE Inc.s BCE subsidiary, Bell Canada recently launched Home Hub 3000, which is likely to be one of the most powerful home WiFi services in Canada. This service is supposedly the world's first fully wireless IPTV (Internet Protocol television) service with Wireless 4K Whole Home PVR from Fibe TV. In a separate development, Mexican telecom regulator, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), announced that the countrys telecom sector has witnessed 8.4% year-over-year growth in revenues in the second quarter of 2016. This rate of growth is highest among all the other sectors of the economy. Remarkably, the telecom sectors growth rate is more than three times higher than the 2.5% overall growth rate of Mexicos GDP in the same time frame. In second-quarter 2016, the broader telecom sector of Mexico generated total revenue of around MXN 485 billion (over $26.81 billion). Read the last Telecom Stock Roundup for Aug 25, 2016. Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories 1. Verizon claims that its 5G network will provide a download speed of 1 Gbps (gigabit per second), which is 200 times the throughput of the currently available standard 4G LTE network. The latency period of data delivery will be in single milliseconds. Although several industry researchers have predicted that a full-fledged 5G network deployment will not commence until 2020, Verizon anticipates some level of commercial deployment in 2017. (Read more: Verizon Updates 5G Specifications, Launch Proposed in 2017.) 2. LTE-Advanced networks incorporate several technological advancements like Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP), Self-Optimizing Networks (SON), small cell enhancements, Enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (eICIC) and advanced Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) antenna. Verizon has used MIMO technology and is looking to deploy its advanced version in the future. According to a projection by the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, 28% of LTE network operators worldwide have launched LTE Advanced networks. (Read more: Verizon Launches Nationwide LTE-Advanced Networks.) 3. On Aug 29, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California reversed a lower court's denial of AT&T's motion to dismiss the throttling lawsuit. The appeals court identified AT&T as a common carrier. Due to this, the service provider cannot be held liable for the violations of rules that the FTC brought in its case. Notably, the FCC slapped a fine of $100 million for similar reason in Jun 2015. (Read more: AT&T Wins Legal Battle over Data Throttling with FTC.) 4. Mexico has been witnessing massive investments in its telecom sector. In Jun 2016, the countrys Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) declared that a total of more than $6.5 billion has been invested over the last three years. In addition, around $13.5 billion has been invested recently in the telecom sector. Moreover, the upcoming nationwide shared broadband network will attract around $7 billion worth of investments. (Read more: Mexico's Telecommunications Industry Flourishing.) 5. As per research firm Strategy Analytics, the commercial 5G handsets for 2020 will be first available in South Korea and Japan. The next round of launch will be in the U.S., the UK, Sweden and the UAE in 2021 with tens of millions of 5G handsets to be sold by 2022. By 2025, the sales figure is expected to exceed 300 million. The North American and European operators are focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) platform. (Read more: Will 5G Handsets Make Their Way into the Market by 2020?) Price Performance The following table shows the price movement of the major telecom players over the past week and the last six months. Company Last Week Last 6 Months VZ -0.38% 1.69% T 0.02% 9.33% S 2.32% 78.10% TMUS 0.24% 19.90% VOD -2.09% -2.23% CHL -2.54% 11.07% AMX 1.52% -14.86% CMCSA -0.61% 10.20% DISH 1.29% 3.06% Over the last five trading sessions, share price movement of the major telecom stocks witnessed a mixed trend. China Mobile (2.54%) and Vodafone (2.09%) suffered most in the same time period. On the other hand, Sprint (2.32%) gained considerably. However, over the last six months, the price performance of most telecom stocks was predominantly positive. Among the stocks that gained considerably were Sprint (78.10%), T-Mobile US (19.90%), China Mobile (11.07%), and Comcast (10.20%). In contrast, America Movil lost 14.86% in the same time frame. Whats Next in the Telecom Sector? We do not foresee any significant changes in the telecom industry or overall global economic factors that can affect the industry in the coming week. Therefore, we expect stocks to trade in line with the broader market movement. Where Do Zacks' Investment Ideas Come From? You are welcome to download the full, up-to-the-minute list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buy" stocks free of charge. There is no better place to start your own stock search. Plus you can access the full list of must-avoid Zacks Rank #5 "Strong Sells" and other private research. See the stocks free >> 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 AT&T INC (T): Free Stock Analysis Report SPRINT CORP (S): Free Stock Analysis Report BCE INC (BCE): Free Stock Analysis Report VERIZON COMM (VZ): Free Stock Analysis Report COMCAST CORP A (CMCSA): Free Stock Analysis Report US CELLULAR (USM): Free Stock Analysis Report T-MOBILE US INC (TMUS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Wall Street started September pretty much the same way it ended Augustvery quietly. Stocks are mixed as investors weigh a fresh batch of data on the labor market ahead of tomorrows big jobs report. Worker productivity was revised down to 0.6% in the second quarter, while weekly claims for unemployment benefits rose by 2,000 to 263,000 in the week ended Aug. 27, according to the Labor Department. Cook lets loose Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook says the European Unions demand that Ireland collect $14.5 billion in taxes from Apple is total political crap. Cook made the comments to the Irish Independent newspaper. Will this help or hurt Apple in Europe? Musk faces cash crunch: reports Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is facing what media reports are calling a cash squeeze or a cash crunch. Whatever you call it, it involves both Tesla and Solar City (SCTY), the two companies Musk wants to combine. Why does Tesla need more money now? Trumps changing tunes on immigration Yesterday afternoon, a somewhat subdued Donald Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and later said the two men did not talk about who would pay for a proposed wall on the US southern border. But speaking in Phoenix later, a tougher Trump said Mexico will pay one hundred percent. What are voters to think? Stocks to watch Wynn Resorts (WYNN) shares were higher in early trading after data showed gaming revenue in the Chinese territory of Macau rose for the first time in over two years in August. Wynn, which gets more than half of its revenue from Macau, just opened a $4 billion resort in the worlds gambling mecca a couple of weeks ago. Charter Communications (CHTR) shares were sharply higher this morning following news that the cable provider will begin trading on the S&P 500 (^GSPC) on September 7, replacing EMC (EMC), which is being bought by PC maker Dell. Salesforce.com (CRM) shares fell in early trading after the cloud software company provided a weaker-than-expected outlook for the current quarter as it sees some softness in its US business. However, earnings and revenue did top analysts estimates for its fiscal second quarter, with revenue jumping 25% from a year ago. Campbell Soup (CPB) is getting the cold shoulder from investors this morning. The maker of soups and other food products posted earnings per share that missed forecasts, and while revenue matched estimates, sales were flat from a year ago. The company called the performance of its fresh and organic foods disappointing. Arabi man arrested after admitting to having sex with 15-year-old girl, warrant says Man wanted for threatening to kill mother of his child, police say The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. 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. Aside from getting a good photo opportunity, Donald Trump did a very poor job when he went to Mexico to meet with its president, former ambassador Jeffrey Davidow told CNBC on Thursday. "I think in terms of the optics, he got exactly what he wanted. He went to Mexico , got a cup of coffee, ate a doughnut, got a really good photo op. But in terms of demonstrating that he's a leader, I think he failed. I can only imagine what will happen when he sits down with Vladimir Putin," Davidow, who served as ambassador to Mexico under President Bill Clinton, said in an interview with " Closing Bell ." Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico on Wednesday and in a subsequent news conference touted five "shared goals" for the two countries. However, there was a dispute over whether the pair discussed who would pay for the Republican nominee's proposed border wall. In the news conference, Trump said payment wasn't discussed. However, afterward Pena Nieto tweeted that he told the billionaire that Mexico would not pay for it. Trump's spokesperson responded by saying, "It was not a negotiation, and that would have been inappropriate." However, Davidow told CNBC, "This is the time that you lay it on the table. If you really think you're a great dealmaker, this is the time when you start negotiating the deal. I didn't see any of that." Things that Trump has been proposing, like payment for the wall, renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement and stopping American business from going to Mexico, should have been raised in a "respectful" fashion with Pena Nieto, he added. As for why the Mexican president would want to meet with someone who appears to be hostile toward the country, Davidow believes Pena Nieto wanted to get Mexico's side out to the American public. "If you listen carefully to what he said at the press conference, he presented a really cogent picture of the importance of a friendly Mexico to the U.S. but he didn't say it very well. It got lost in the shuffle of the translation and was overwhelmed by the optics of the event," he said. Story continues In a speech later Wednesday evening, Trump ditched the softer tone he employed during his news conference in Mexico. With renewed bluster, he reiterated his vow to make Mexico pay for the wall and outlined his plan to crack down on immigration. CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report. More From CNBC Mother of boys taken onto field by Saints' Chris McCain: 'We never expected this' 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. CARRABELLE, Fla. Hurricane Hermine gained strength late Thursday evening as it roared toward Floridas Gulf Coast, churning up rough surf that battered docks and boathouses as people braced for the first direct hit on the state from a hurricane in over a decade. The National Hurricane Center said the storms top sustained winds rose from 75 mph in the afternoon to 80 mph by nightfall as the former tropical storm gained new fury as it bore down on the coast. Forecasters said the storm would likely gain a little extra punch before slamming ashore. Hermines landfall was expected late Thursday or early Friday in the Big Bend area the mostly rural and lightly populated corner where the Florida peninsula meets the Panhandle then drop back down to a tropical storm and push into Georgia, the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding. Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned of the danger of strong storm surge, high winds, downed trees and power outages, and had urged people during the day to move to inland shelters if necessary and make sure they had enough food, water and medicine. This is a life-threatening situation, Scott said. Its going to be a lot of risk. Right now, I want everybody to be safe. Courtney Chason, a longtime resident of Carrabelle in the Big Bend coastal area, warily watched with his girlfriend Thursday evening as surging waves began battering some docks and boathouses, the angry surf slowly tearing at them. Water also crashed into yards closest to the shore. Ive never seen it this high, its pretty damn crazy, said Chason. I hope it doesnt get any higher; we need lots of prayers. A strengthened Hermine also sent heavy squalls with its outer bands over Gulf coast beaches elsewhere. By Thursday evening, the normally wide, sugar-sand beach on Treasure Island was entirely covered in water. Palm trees whipped in the wind. Elsewhere along the beach, folks stood gawking at the abnormally large waves and took selfies ahead of the storm. The city of St. Petersburg was littered with downed palm fronds and tree branches, and low-lying streets were flooded. In north Florida, some 9,200 power outages also were reported Thursday evening on an outage map maintained by officials in Tallahassee, the capital city located in north Florida about 35 miles from the coast. Utility officials couldnt immediately be reached for more details though Floridas governor had warned some of the citys stately trees might topple over power lines in storm winds. Scott added that 6,000 National Guardsmen in Florida are ready to mobilize after the storm passes. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina declared states of emergency. As of 9 p.m. EDT, Hermine was in the Gulf of Mexico, centered about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southeast of Apalachicola, Florida, and was moving north-northeast at about 14 mph (22 kph). Forecasters said it could strengthen slightly before blowing ashore still as a Category 1 hurricane. Projected rainfall ranged up to 10 inches in parts of northern Florida and southern Georgia, with 4 to 10 inches possible along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas by Sunday. Lesser amounts were forecast farther up the Atlantic Coast, because the storm was expected to veer out to sea. Floridas governor ordered many state government offices to close at noon, including those in the Tallahassee, home to tens of thousands of state employees. The city has not had a direct hit from a hurricane in 30 years. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. Residents on some islands and other low-lying, flood-prone areas in Florida were urged to clear out earlier Thursday. Flooding was expected across a wide swath of the Big Bend, which has a marshy coastline and is made up of mostly rural communities and small towns, where fishing, hunting and camping are mainstays of life. On Thursday, residents were out in force preparing for the storm, and stores began running low on bottled water and flashlights. City crews struggled to keep up with demand for sand for filling sandbags. On Cedar Key, a small island along the Big Bend, about a dozen people went from storefront to storefront, putting up shutters and nailing pieces of plywood to protect businesses from the wind. One of them, Joe Allen, spray-painted on plywood in large black letters: Bring it on, Hermine. Despite the bravado, he said, Im worried. You can never fully protect yourself from nature. Chris Greaves and family members stopped in Tallahassee to pick up sandbags for his garage and the church they attend. Greaves said he lived in South Florida when Hurricane Andrew devastated the area in 1992. While he said he doesnt expect the same kind of widespread damage, he warned that tropical weather is nothing to mess with. Jet Fabricators, a 60-year-old Michigan City company, has been acquired by local manufacturing veteran Brian Mulligan. The company has already added three employees under Mulligans ownership, bringing the workforce to 15. The company is a full-service metal fabricator serving industries such as aerospace, transportation, power generation and others. Jet Fabricators has a long, proud history in Michigan City and I am looking forward to growing the Jet legacy by reconnecting with the manufacturers in this city, county and region, Mulligan said. Mulligan was owner of B&B Manufacturing Inc., in LaPorte, from 1998 to 2011 and has 20 years of manufacturing experience. A new report found that 19,000 steelworker layoffs in the United States are largely the result of Chinese steelmaking overcapacity that caused a global import crisis. The Alliance for American Manufacturing, a nonprofit formed by leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union found China accounts for nearly half the worlds steelmaker overcapacity. The study Overcapacity in Steel: Chinas Role in a Global Problem found Chinese steelmakers have been building more mills with the help of subsidies and government incentives. Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul warned of more job losses and plant closures if more isnt done to battle cheap imports. Chinas industrial overcapacity in the steel sector may be the most daunting challenge facing manufacturing in the rest of the industrialized world today, Paul said. Beijing has promised to cut capacity for years, but China just hasnt stopped. The Duke University Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness also found the problem will get worse with more than 100 metric tons of new capacity under construction across the world. At the root of the overcapacity problem is a supply and demand imbalance caused by the buildup of production capacity, study author Lukas Brun said. Furthermore, because of the political-economic system in China, it hasnt had success in reducing capacity in its state-owned enterprises because its worried about unemployment and social stability. Brun also found that trade cases U.S. steelmakers have been filing left and right are reacting to damage thats already been done. And filing those cases is expensive, typically costing between $1.5 million and $2 million per case. The Congressional Steel Caucus this week sent a letter urging President Obama to take action at the G20 Summit in China this weekend. Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-Ind., and other members of Congress called on Obama to tackle issues like currency manipulation, illegal government subsidies and state-owned enterprises. American steelworkers and steel companies make the best steel in the world and they deserve to be able to compete on a level playing field, Visclosky said. From the time he was a young boy, Schererville Fire Chief Joe Kruzan knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. When the firefighters visited my classroom and passed out those plastic red hats and asked us who wanted to become a fireman, I proudly raised my hand as high as I could, Kruzan said. Im really living my dream, and Im thankful every day for Gods wonderful blessing. When Kruzans parents died at an early age, he was raised by his uncle in East Chicago. He credits his parents, grandparents and the rest of his family for instilling the importance of service into his heart. A large part of that lesson came in the form of an organization his father, uncles and grandfather played an active role in the Boy Scouts of America. Ive been a Boy Scout since I was a kid, Kruzan said. My parents and grandparents were active leaders. My grandfather and father set the bar, and like myself, were Eagle Scouts. Kruzan believes the Scouts has been the most influential mentoring program for youths in the country. Kruzan has led the Schererville Fire Department since 2004 and has been in fire service since Sept. 11, 1989. Kruzan said his greatest professional highlights were upgrading the unit to paramedic status, tripling staffing and creating the Indiana Fire Alliance. Kruzan is proud to have a role in bringing a memorial Sept. 11th beam to the town, which was spearheaded by his Deputy Chief Bob Patterson. Besides being chief, Kruzan sits on the board for the Tri Town Safety Village, is national chairman for the Firefighters Affinity Group of the prestigious Eagle Scout Association, is a member of the Indiana Fire Chief Board of Directors and is a third-degree Knights of Columbus member. Tri Town Safety Village Executive Director Bill Jarvis said Kruzan is a leader by example and his humility plays a key role in gaining respect. Joe has helped us with our Safety Village tremendously by getting instructors to get involved, Jarvis said. He wont tell you the behind-the-scenes work he does with Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids and the involvement with the burn camps because he doesnt want special attention. Hes a wonderful person and a real asset to our community and region. Still, Kruzans most influential and inspiring accomplishment is his family. Kruzan and his wife, Lindsay, have three children Joseph III, Julia and William and a new grandchild Teagan Harper Kruzan, who is a year old. Kruzans youngest son, William, is the fifth descendant beginning with my grandfather Hubert Kruzan to be an Eagle Scout. Faith and family has been Kruzans motivation his entire life and feels that loved ones who have died continue to send messages that they are with you. Kruzan recalls purchasing an Eagle Scout belt buckle for himself at a national conference. There were only 2,000 made and I went back and bought my son one because he would become an Eagle next year, Kruzan said. This meant that I could show him mine and I had to put it away for a year. When his daughter wanted to buy her brother a gift and came to her father got ideas he showed her the belt buckle he stored away for a year. When I opened the buckle, it was No. 1029, the day (Oct. 29) my son would receive his Eagle Scout honor, said Kruzan. My daughter and I just looked at each other in pure shock and amazement. Kruzan believes work is just an extension of his home. Im most fulfilled when I work with the firefighters, Kruzan said. We have built a cohesive unit and can talk things out because Im a big fan of empowerment. People need to feel a sense of worth and I love the saying, You have to walk with your men if you want to lead them. Kruzan was recently honored by the a Indiana Fire Chief Association with the Presidents Award, its most prestigious honor for exemplifying significant contributions. Kruzan also has been an active member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish. Kruzans advice and words of leadership are simplistic, yet heartfelt: Family comes first, no matter what. VALPARAISO A guilty plea was entered Friday by the last of the three men charged in connection with the Dec. 12, 2014, shooting death of a Portage man in the driveway outside his home. Nathaniel Sipe, 21, of Westville, struck a deal to plead guilty to a reduced charge of attempted theft in return for prosecutors dropping other counts of theft and assisting a criminal who committed a murder. The attempted theft charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor and Sipe was sentenced to a year behind bars with all but time served suspended and to be spent on probation. Sipe served five days behind bars. He was also sentenced to serve 10 days of community service. Sipe had testified last month against his co-defendant Thomas Reichler, 19, of Porter, who was found guilty of murdering 36-year-old Alexius Tapia in front of his wife and children. The murder occurred as Sipe, Reichler and Korey Izynski, of Clarksville, Indiana, were breaking into cars in Tapias Southfield Estates neighborhood shortly before dawn. Tapia spotted the three young men on his home surveillance system and caught Reichler as the other two fled. A grainy home video, shot in the pre-dawn darkness, shows Tapia pulling Reichler back toward the house. Tapia is seen ducking after Reichler pulls out a gun and fires it toward Tapias head. Tapia then turns back toward Reichler and is shot in the upper abdomen by Reichler. Reichler was shot in both arms during the confrontation and Sipe drove him to a Michigan City hospital where both men were apprehended. Sipe told jurors that Reichler was walking around the neighborhood before the shooting playing with and boasting about the handgun he was carrying. Sipe said Reichler was saying, Im on the top of the world. I feel like I can do anything. I can kill anyone. Izynski pleaded guilty in May 2015 to two felony counts of theft in connection with the case and has since been charged with an unrelated count of felony burglary, according to court records. HAMMOND A 50-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to 77 months behind bars for carrying out a string of armed robberies in March, federal court records show. James V. Hunley had faced up to 80 years in prison for the robberies in Crown Point, Cedar Lake, Plymouth and North Judson, but the U.S. attorneys office agreed to recommend a sentence at the minimum of federal guidelines in exchange for his guilty plea. He entered a guilty plea in June. Hunley is accused of robbing a Crown Point Dollar General on March 7, a Dollar General in Plymouth on March 11, a Dollar General in North Judson on March 13 and a Walgreens in Cedar Lake on March 14. According to a sentencing memorandum filed Wednesday, Hunley has childhood ties to Cedar Lake. He was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was arrested earlier this year in connection with the robberies. As part of his sentencing, Hunley agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $1,310 to the victims. Its estimated the businesses losses were in the thousands of dollars. Hunley will be placed on three years supervised release once complete with his prison sentence, according to court records. Hunley was indicted in March on four counts of Hobbs Act robbery. The federal Hobbs Act prohibits a robbery or attempted robbery from affecting interstate or foreign commerce. LAPORTE A 74-year-old LaPorte County woman is accused of cultivating marijuana plants at her home after the plants were spotted by a retired Indiana State Police officer flying a small aircraft. Mildred Layton is charged in LaPorte Circuit Court with possession of marijuana or cultivating marijuana, a level 6 felony, along with maintaining a common nuisance and visiting a common nuisance. Her initial hearing originally set for Wednesday before Judge Tom Alevizos was rescheduled for Sept. 7. ` According to court documents, a retired ISP trooper with more than 30 years of experience of detecting marijuana plants from the air made the discovery July 19 while flying a fixed wing aircraft. About three weeks later several ISP troopers went to the home in Hudson Lake to speak with Layton, who allegedly told police she had just consumed a couple of beers and smoked two marijuana cigarettes, according to court documents. Court records also showed there were seven marijuana plants outside, including three large ones next to her deck and three other smaller ones growing in plastic cups. Also discovered were the stalks of two recently harvested plants, marijuana leaves in bags, a freezer and various other locations in the home along with a variety of indoor growing equipment like fluorescent light fixtures and potting soil. In the basement was an indoor grow room made with material to reflect the rays of high pressure sodium lights, police said. A roach clip, rolling papers and a pipe commonly used to smoke the drug were among other items found in the home along with a grinder that processes the plant material. All of the marijuana weighed more than two pounds, said police. The Great Book of Hemp and a magazine called High Times were also in plain view. Layton told investigators shes been growing marijuana for a couple of years and has lived in the home owned by her brother for about a decade. PORTAGE Barbara Woodruff looked around the new Neighbors Educational Opportunities building and knew her husband would be pleased. I think he would have been thrilled and overwhelmed. He believed in this so much, she said of her husband Ken, who founded the original adult education program in Portage in the 1960s and guided it for the next nearly three decades. Barbara Woodruff was one of over 200 people who attended the ribbon cutting and open house of the new facility which will house New Vistas High School and NEO adult education programs. It has been a whirlwind to put it mildly, especially the last four months, said NEO executive director Rebecca Reiner. It was four months ago that NEO took possession of the old Camelot Bowling Lanes. Contractors completed extensive remodeling of half of the 70,000-square-foot facility to turn it into a school with classrooms, offices, performance area, cafeteria, child care room, community room and the cavern 9,400 square feet of multipurpose area. Remnants of the bowling alley remain in the school. The wooden lanes were saved and recreated into benches, which dot the hallways. Bob Marr, executive director for the office of charter schools at Ball State University, lauded the school and the community. This serves the purpose of what charter schools are about, said Marr, adding he was most impressed that those involved are teaching by leading. What you have are young people with challenges. You all are teaching them by doing, dealing with challenges. You are people who are teaching young people by example, Marr said. CROWN POINT Lake County government's elected officials would like to negotiate a pay raise. The Lake County Council opened its 2017 budget hearing Thursday morning to hear 50 elected officials and department heads ask for more staff and supplies, new office machines and furniture -- and higher pay. The seven council members will debate any spending increases during a dozen scheduled workshop meetings before voting on the final numbers Oct. 11. Normally, county government's elected officials abstain from asking for larger allowances, but not this year. The 2017 budget requests reflect a potential 11 percent pay bump for the Lake County auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and two of the three county commissioners, whose annual base salaries would rise to $62,500 from $56,050. Lake Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr., who took office two years ago, said, "I believe there were many years when elected officials didn't get raises. I heard other elected officials were asking for a raise. I think my request is reasonable given the work I provide the county, my experience and education." Sheriff John Buncich's income would rise to $146,580 from $142,173, a 3 percent increase. Lake County Commissioners Kyle Allen, D-Gary, and Mike Repay, D-Hammond, asked that their $56,050 salaries increase to $62,500, for an 11 percent increase. Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, and Lake Coroner Merrilee Frey requested a 3 percent increase to $57,732 from $56,050. The 2017 proposed budget shows County Assessor Jerome Prince's request for his compensation to rise to $66,203 from $56,050. But Prince appeared early Thursday before the council to say he wanted it reduced to $65,000, the amount he believes other elected officials originally requested. Prince said the money for the increase is being generated by staff reductions to free up money to give those remaining raises to equalize their pay with their state-certified training. "This year I opted to ask for a raise for myself as well. I work a lot of hours. We are the second-largest county (by population) in the state and last on the pay scale of comparable counties," Prince said. Indiana's Gateway compensation database, which includes the value of all employee benefits, lists Prince's complete compensation package at $64,273; the Marion County assessor at $71,500, Allen County (Fort Wayne) assessor at $83,663 and Hamilton County (northwest Indianapolis suburbs) at $99,032. It lists Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder at $58,912 and LaPorte County Assessor Michael Schultz at $52,928. Calumet Township Assessor Jacquelyn Collins asked for her pay to rise to $57,023 from $54,308, a 5 percent increase. There is no pay increase stated for Center Township Assessor Joe Krnich. Hobart Township Assessor Randall Guernsey asked for a 3 percent increase and Ross Township Assessor Angela Guernsey and St. John Township Assessor Deborah Walters asked for 5 percent increases in their $49,273 salaries. No pay raises are listed for Lake County Clerk Mike A. Brown, who has a base salary of $56,050, or any of the seven county council members, who have a base annual salary of $30,218. Brown said he would like a raise and supports the requests of other elected officials for raises this year, but is deferring to what council members think is best. Together, raises for these elected officials' requests total more than $64,500 a year. Lake County government officials and employees saw their income frozen from 2007 to 2013. State-mandated property tax caps and the recession shrank government revenues. Pay raises were back on the table following the adoption of a 1.5 percent personal income tax on county residents and workers, and economic recovery. The council in July voted a 3 percent pay raise in July for 900 full-time county government employees, excluded elected officials, part-time employees and hundreds of other employees already receiving increases through collective bargaining agreements. The council, which made no 2017 budget decisions Thursday, is scheduled to discuss the matter again Tuesday. MUNSTER Italian Day was celebrated with the residents at Hartsfield Village. The kitchen made an Italian lunch and a variety of wines were served. So many came down dressed wearing Italian Colors. Italian music was playing for them. The residents who were Italian all received a bottle of wine. Later a travel log to Spain and Italy was shown. WEST GLACIER, Montana The Portage man who lost his life earlier this week hiking Mount Jackson in Glacier National Park was a grandfather-to-be eager to return home. Danny R. Pilipow, 56, of Portage, was killed Tuesday when he and his son fell off a trail on the east face of Mount Jackson, the Glacier County Sheriffs office said Friday. His 27-year-old son survived with minor injuries, officials said. He wanted to get home in time to see the baby, his mother, Jackie Stanley, 77, of Portage, said Friday night. Pilipow and his son, Chris, were no strangers to Glacier National Park. The father and son traveled there often for vacation, and Pilopow himself would return several times throughout the year to hike other Glacier peaks, she said. Pilopow who had childhood ties to Griffith and Hessville and attended Morton High School also had an unmatched fascination with the railroad that stretches to childhood, Stanley said. The day he turned 18, the [Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad] hired him on, she said. When he died, Pilipow was just three years from retirement from the Indiana Harbor Belt. He has traveled every Amtrak line, she said, and clocked in at least one million miles on the railroad. Ask anybody on the railroad. They all loved him. When I called and told the office, they announced it and they said they had all eyes crying there, she said. I had guys calling me, crying. Grown men crying. Glacier Park spokesman Tim Rains said Pilipow fell 80 to 100 feet. His 27-year-old son was able to self-arrest on the snowfield, a mountaineering term for using a combination of the climbers boots, hands, feet, knees, elbows and, if available, ice axe, to stop a fall down a snowfield, ice field or glacier. Pilipows son was unable to locate his father, and hiked to a backcountry campground at Gunsight Lake. The incident was reported to Park Dispatch at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday. The son was taken by helicopter from the backcountry to West Glacier, and transported by ambulance to North Valley Hospital in Whitefish. Two Bear Air and Minuteman Aviation helped park rangers locate Pilipows body Wednesday, and a technical rescue team worked with Minuteman Aviation to recover it Thursday. Mount Jackson is one of half a dozen of the approximately 175 mountain peaks in Glacier that are 10,000 feet or higher. At 10,039 feet, it ranks fourth on the list. Rains said Mount Jacksons climbing routes are considered arduous, with an approximate elevation gain of 4,800 vertical feet, high amounts of loose scree, (and) a significant amount of exposure on narrow ledges with steep drop-offs. In a photograph at the Glacier Mountaineering Society website, Dan Pilipow and Chris Pilipow are identified as two of nine hikers pictured making their way along a very narrow trail on a cliff face on Mount Clements during a different hike. Chris Pilipow is taking the train back to Indiana, she said. Funeral services are pending. He was the best. Im not ready to let him go, Stanley said. He was the most outgoing. Never raised his voice. He always wanted to make sure everybody was happy. The working people of the Region get it. We all have tight schedules. But most of us also understand stopping to give face time to the concerns of our friends, neighbors and family goes a long way in the sharing of common humanity. So it was good to see Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg, a southern Indiana resident, visit the site of a Northwest Indiana crisis Wednesday. Gregg visited East Chicagos West Calumet low-income housing complex to hear the concerns of residents affected by an alarming lead-contamination crisis. His Region visit followed The Times Sunday editorial criticizing current and prospective leaders of some of the states highest elected offices for not showing face in the lead debacle. Upwards of 1,200 people must be relocated from the complex, where lead levels in the soil have been deemed dangerously high by the EPA. Greggs visit was a nice gesture. But weve yet to see many other elected and prospective leaders make time for the concerns of West Calumet residents. Its unfortunately not surprising. A letter sent Nov. 21, 1985 more than three decades ago from U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky to the Environmental Protection Agency sounded an alarm about fears of contamination left behind by a lead smelting operation there. The letter refers to the immediate danger which this site poses. But it seems were just now hailing this problem as the emergency it truly is, and we still dont know why it took so long to conclude residents should be relocated and that an elementary school was dangerously close to the contamination. We need to know why. Our current and prospective leaders, including U.S. Senate hopefuls Evan Bayh and Todd Young, Gov. Mike Pence, Lt. Gov. and gubernatorial hopeful Eric Holcomb, Visclosky and others should be feverishly joining in this quest for truth. For now, we thank Gregg and U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, whos scheduled to visit the West Calumet site Friday, for offering face time to this problem and the people it affects. Weve also learned Visclosky held an extensive meeting with East Chicago officials in recent weeks, and Pence has pledged a staff member to help. But now its time for all of our current and prospective leaders to roll up their sleeves. Scientists have found evidence to support what many dog owners have long believed: Man's best friend really does understand some of what we're saying. Researchers in Hungary scanned the brains of dogs as they were listening to their trainer speaking to determine which parts of the brain they were using. They found that dogs processed words with the left hemisphere and used the right hemisphere to process pitch just like people. What's more, the dogs only registered that they were being praised if the words and pitch were positive. Meaningless words spoken in an encouraging voice, or meaningful words in a neutral tone, didn't have the same effect. "Dog brains care about both what we say and how we say it," said lead researcher Attila Andics, a neuroscientist at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, said in an email. "Praise can work as a reward only if both word meaning and intonation match." Andics said the findings suggest that the mental ability to process language evolved earlier than previously believed and that what sets humans apart from other species is the invention of words. While other species probably also have the mental ability to understand language like dogs do, their lack of interest in human speech makes it difficult to test, said Andics. Dogs, on the other hand, have socialized with humans for thousands of years, meaning they are more attentive to what people say to them and how. Researchers imaged the brains of 13 dogs using a technique called functional MRI, or fMRI, which records brain activity. The dogs six border collies, five golden retrievers, a German shepherd and a Chinese crested were trained to lie motionless in the scanner for seven minutes during the tests. The dogs were awake and unrestrained as they listened to their trainer's voice through headphones. "The most difficult aspect of this training is for dogs to understand that being motionless means really motionless," said Andics, who published the findings in the journal Science. While dog owners may find the results unsurprising, from a scientific perspective, it's a "shocker" that word meaning seems to be processed in the left hemisphere of the brain, said Brian Hare, associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, who had no role in the research. Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns cautioned that the study involved a small number of dogs. Before concluding it's a smoking gun for word processing, "they should have looked for other evidence in the brain," he said in an email. Though known for rehoming pets, the Humane Society Calumet Area also has several programs in place for children who want to take their love for animals a step further. One of the most popular, the Junior Lifesaver Program, offers local children the chance to join the shelters mission to lead the community in the humane treatment of animals. Designed for children ages 8 to 12, the program gives them the opportunity to learn about the humane treatment of animals, offers hands-on experiences with animals, encourages volunteerism and teaches children the value of giving back to the community, said Alyssa Leeson, volunteer coordinator at Humane Society Calumet Area in Munster. Throughout the year, Junior Lifesavers are invited to join HSCA staff and volunteers for a look inside the shelter to learn about various aspects of animal care and to spend time helping HSCAs furry residents, she said. Other activities include crafts, interactive presentations about animals and a humane education lesson, she said. Throughout the year as well, several members-only events are held at the shelter, including Sept. 17, when the shelter will host a craft, humane education lesson and other activities from noon to 2 p.m. at the shelter, 421 45th Ave. The Junior Lifesaver program is free and open to all children, but with a donation, children can receive other benefits as well, including access to exclusive events, T-shirts and buttons, Leeson said. A registration form is available at hscalumet.org. Also popular is the humane societys Critter Camp, now offered three times throughout the summer. Designed for children ages 8 to 12, the summer day camp provides a hands-on environment for kids to learn about various aspects of animal care. Though the summer is over, Leeson said registration will begin again next spring and close near the end of the school year. Only 15 kids are allowed per camp, so watch out for updates to make the deadline. Other humane education programs offered at Humane Society Calumet Area include on-site and off-site programs available to the community, as well as volunteer opportunities. If you wish to have a staff member bring an animal to an off-site program, the suggested donation is $3 per audience member or $50, Leeson said. If you would like a staff member to bring an animal, and do a craft to benefit shelter animals or a reading, the suggested donation is $5 per audience member or $100. If a persons organization, however, does a supply drive for HSCA, the off-site humane education program is free of charge, she said. Topics include responsible pet ownership, the power of compassion and abuse prevention, and dog bite prevention. Those interested should allow a minimum of two weeks to schedule an appointment. If kids are interested in volunteering at the shelter, a parent or guardian must be willing to volunteer with them. For more information, contact Leeson at (219) 922-3811, ext. 208. Many police officers may tell you what means the most to them is a simple thank you. When out in public places a handshake and show of gratitude may be a huge morale booster on a shift when they often deal with much more negative than positive. MaryBeth Witulski and her son, Zach, decided in 2014 to make gift bags to distribute to officers around Christmas. Witulski is married to a Chicago police officer so she knows firsthand what a toll the job can take. In the gift bags were items like mints and gum, bottled water, instant coffee packs, wipes, hand sanitizer, hand/foot warmers, breakfast bars and $5 gift cards to Dunkin Doughnuts or Starbucks. When she put a post on her Facebook page asking if any of her friends wanted to contribute, she was excited to get about 30 people donate items for the bags and also cash to purchase $200 in gift cards. The bags were delivered to officers in Lansing and Northwest Indiana. Its really great to see that since we gave out our bags almost two years ago more and more people are doing the same ... I hope that the encouragement continues for both law enforcement officers and firefighters, she said. It shouldnt take a national tragedy for us to appreciate all that they do for us on a daily basis. Delivering the bags in person was heartwarming for Witulski and her son. When we stopped them and gave them a gift bag, they were really surprised, said Zach Witulski, who was then 14. Thanking them face to face was a great morale booster for them. I wish that more people would do it daily because they need to hear it. My dad, who is a Chicago officer, tells me that it makes him feel really good when people tell him thank you. Here are a few things that families can do to show appreciation for police officers: While the thought of making homemade cookies or delivering a home cooked meal are a thoughtful gesture, some officers wont take a risk of eating food from unknown sources. Treat them to a meal by dropping off gift cards at a police station or arranging to have a meal delivered from a restaurant. Invite your kids to make cards to deliver to your local police department. Share your positive encounters. If you came across an officer who was particularly friendly or helped direct you through traffic or made your kids day by giving them one of those officer trading cards, share your positive experience. Post about it on social media or send a note to the police chief or mayor. Encourage your teacher or school principal to have a day to honor officers and invite them to school for a special assembly or adopt an officer than you can keep in touch with throughout the school year and invite him/her for periodic visits to the classroom. Showing appreciation to other public servants: Firefighters also have a difficult job and may not get a lot of kudos. Support them by keeping an eye out for fundraisers that often help buy needed equipment or provide training or often go to help families in need or other charities. Some departments hold pancake breakfasts, chili suppers or raffles. Call around to local departments and find out when their fundraisers are and mark them on your calendar and plan to attend a few each year. Public works and garbage crews do some of the dirtiest work in municipalities and may get little thanks for it. Their equipment also is mesmerizing to kids. When you see them out working, take the kids out to get a closer look and bring them some cold bottled water and a snack. A memorial on Staten Island was supposed to honor first responders who died as a result of working at the World Trade Center site, but many families are upset by how it turned out. NY1's Amanda Fariancci explains why in the following exclusive report. It is the city's memorial to first responders from Staten Island who have died from September 11th-related illnesses. It was created at taxpayer expense and erected without ceremony, overlooking the harbor and Lower Manhattan. But two years after it was built, something is still missing: the names of the people it is supposed to honor. "There should be some individual recognition given to all first responders from Staten Island who did this very great, honorable thing, and you got sick for it," said Bryan Ellicott, whose father, a paramedic, died of a September 11th-related cancer. "And the least we can do is scratch your name somewhere." The mother of first responder Ned Thompson, Deborah Thompson, was a driving force behind the memorial. She met with Assemblyman Michael Cusick and then-Borough President James Molinaro to discuss honoring heroes like her son, a police sergeant who died of a September 11th-related cancer in 2008. In 2009, Molinaro announced plans for the memorial. "Those brave men and women from Staten Island that led the fight to find survivors and injured people," Molinaro said in 2009. Deborah Thompson worked with city officials, designers and Cusick to hammer out a plan. Using $200,000 appropriated by Molinaro before he left office in 2013, the city Economic Development Corporation created the tribute but never etched the names into the marble slabs. "We never heard from anyone," Deborah Thompson said. "I just would like to have seen the names of those who have died since." The EDC claims it could not compile an accurate list of names, even though city agencies like the Fire Department keep such records. The agency also says that once two families declined to have their loved ones memorialized, it decided not to etch any names in the marble, a move that has other families fuming. "He's on the wall in Albany. He's on the wall in Washington. But he has four little girls," Deborah Thompson said. "I would just like something close to home for them." The former borough president declined an on-camera interview, but off-camera, Molinaro said he's deeply disappointed the memorial didn't turn out the way he envisioned it. Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who stabbed a Bangladeshi woman to death in Queens on Wednesday night. A funeral was held Friday for 60-year-old Nazma Khanam. The service comes while police are still working to track down her killer. Investigators put out a surveillance video, seen above, of a man they want to speak with about the attack. The NYPD's Hate Crimes Unit is looking into the killing. A viewing for Khanam was held in Ridgewood on Thursday. Members of her family say she did nothing wrong and believe she was targeted because of her faith. "Obviously I consider this a hate crime because she was wearing a hijab and someone is coming and they killed innocent people, she has nothing to do anything," said one. "We feel like it's not really safe for the Muslim community in general," said another. "This is the third attack, the third individual who got killed from the Bengali community. So what's next?" Officers found Khanam unconscious with stab wound to her torso near Normal Road and 161st Street in Jamaica around 9 p.m. Wednesday. She was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital. Investigators are considering the possibility she was stabbed during an attempted robbery. Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com Mayor Bill de Blasio warns that the city may see the worst rip tides in over a decade as Tropical Storm Hermine moves up the East Coast. Hermine hit parts of northern Florida as a hurricane Friday morning. It was the first hurricane in the state in over a decade. As the storm moves north, de Blasio is urging people in coastal areas to prepare for flooding and heavy winds. Officials said city beaches will be closed to swimmers Sunday, and bridges may be restricted if winds increase. "This phenomenon of the storm coming up the coast and then stalling, really for four days, and that is very unusual," de Blasio said at a press conference Friday morning. "That's why the rip current situation is gonna be extremely dangerous and unusually dangerous. "So that's why we have to be very clear: do not even put your foot in the water." Wind gusts might reach 50 to 60 miles an hour. Forecasters said coastal flooding is possible in communities like Howard Beach, Queens and Midland Beach on Staten Island. The storm could bring moderate to major coastal flooding during high tide on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, with 2 to 4 feet of flooding possible. National Hurricane Center officials said Hermine is expected to move away from shore as it barrels north, and then stall off the coast of New Jersey through Tuesday. 30 agencies are readying themselves for hazards like downed trees and power lines, and are positioning emergency equipment like generators around the city. Construction zones were ordered to stop work, and secure anything that could become a projectile. Some workers along the Coney Island Boardwalk already told their bosses they will not be in this weekend. The gloomy forecast deflated hopes that the holiday weekend would bring in some end-of-season profits. "We've been having a hard time with the weather, you know? We closed a few weekends that affect us with the numbers," said Giovanni Salazar, a local business owner. "And it was expected, you know, like give a last shot with this holiday."" Port Authority officials said they will open an emergency center in New Jersey on Saturday night to monitor the storm as it approaches. Agency officials said they are ready to deploy four miles of flood barriers and around 170 electrical generators. NY1 caught up with some beach-goers in Coney Island on Friday morning to see if the forecast is making them think twice about their weekend plans. "I'm going to walk my dog this Sunday," one resident said. "I do worry about it. Sometimes, the weather changes," one man said. "Maybe it's gonna be better." Something to get you through the weekend: city beaches and pools already were scheduled to stay open longer than usual this year, through Sept. 11. And Labor Day festivals and parades are still on for this weekend. For more information on how to stay safe in the storm, visit the city's emergency website at nyc.gov/notifynyc Stay connected on all the latest weather updates and temperatures at NY1's weather webpage, and with Weather on the 1s every 10 minutes. As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump ramps up the rhetoric on illegal immigration, it's creating backlash in the city against proposals critics say would affect hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. NY1's Lori Chung filed the following report. Speaking in Arizona, Donald Trump took a hard-line stance on undocumented immigrants this week, drawing praise from supporters. "Zero tolerance for criminal aliens. Zero. Zero," Trump said. "Day one, my first hour in office, those people are gone." The Republican presidential nominee also repeated his promise to build a wall along the Mexican border, hire 5,000 more border agents and implement an ideological screening test for anyone seeking American citizenship, which he says will ensure admittance only to those with certain values. "Frankly, it was a little bit scary to watch," said Anu Joshi of the New York State Immigrant Action Fund. Leaders of the New York State Immigrant Action Fund say Trump's proposed policies mirror those of anti-immigrant extremist groups. "What hes suggesting is ripping apart families, many of whom have American citizen children or parents," Joshi said. The speech also got reaction from City Hall after Trump vowed to defund sanctuary cities like New York, which he says provides a haven for violent immigrants. "Cities that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities will not receive taxpayer dollars," Trump said. During a radio interview, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the policy encourages the undocumented to cooperate with police to fight crime. "I think it is an absolute misunderstanding of the reality of immigration," de Blasio said. "We have to have an open channel between our police and our immigrant communities, regardless of people's documentation status." De Blasio also says an estimated half million New Yorkers would be affected by a mass deportation. Many others in the city told NY1 they can't get behind Trump's policies. "Not at all. Especially when he's talking about people who have been here for 30 years," said one New Yorker. "As somebody who's a child of immigrants in this country, I can't think, where does one draw the line?" said another. "His wife is an immigrant," said a third. "I mean, it is the most hypocritical, stupid, stupidest thing I've ever heard of in my life." The New York State Immigrant Action Fund says it will be working to get immigrants registered to vote and to the polls. A Manhattan mother is speaking out after she says JetBlue employees put her young son on the wrong flight. Maribel Martinez says she purchased a ticket for her 5-year-old son Andy to fly to the city from the Dominican Republic on August 17. But when she arrived at the airport to pick him up, she says another boy had her son's passport. She says she waited hours before locating her son and finding out that he was put on a flight to Boston. "I am told he is not there, and I say 'Oh my God, what did you do to him? Where is he at?'" Martinez said through an interpreter. "I stayed there for like three hours, desperate, crazy, and like three-and-a-half hours later, I am called that he is in Boston." Martinez was reunited with Andy hours later. She says she was given a full refund and $2,100 in credit for future travel, but says she will never fly JetBlue again. She's now calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct an investigation into the incident. Nathan Lyons, a photographer who helped elevate contemporary photography to its current status as a major branch of the fine arts and an important field of study through his work as curator, teacher, writer and editor, died on Aug. 31 in Rochester. He was 86. The cause was complications of pneumonia, his daughter, Elizabeth Lyons, said. Mr. Lyonss work was exhibited in galleries and major museums, including MoMA, and he published several photo collections, including Notations in Passing (1974), Riding 1st Class on the Titanic (2000) and After 9/11 (2003). His main influence, however, was as an organizer and proselytizer. As a director and curator at the George Eastman House in Rochester in the 1960s, he presented the work of Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Ray K. Metzker and others in the seminal exhibition Seven Contemporary Photographers in 1961; gave Lee Friedlander his first solo show in 1963; and was an early champion of the work of Robert Heinecken. Mr. Lyonss 1966 exhibition Toward a Social Landscape showcased younger practitioners of the documentary, on-the-fly snapshot aesthetic pioneered by Robert Frank, notably the photographers Duane Michals and Garry Winogrand. Bill Etra, an artist and inventor who, with a partner, created a video animation system in the early 1970s that helped make videotape a more protean and accessible medium for many avant-garde artists, died on Aug. 26 near his home in the Bronx. He was 69. The cause was heart failure, said his wife, Rozalyn Rouse Etra. Mr. Etra had spinal stenosis for many years and was mostly bedridden when he died. Mr. Etra and Steve Rutt created the Rutt/Etra video synthesizer, an analog device studded with knobs and dials that let a user mold video footage in real time and helped make video a more expressive art form. Among the artists who used it were Nam June Paik, regarded by many as the father of video art, and Woody and Steina Vasulka, who founded the Kitchen performance space in downtown Manhattan in 1971. Lots of CW shows will fit the bill here. (Im going to assume you already watch Jane the Virgin, too. This goes for all Watchers: Even if you think Jane is not typically your kind of show, give it a try.) The L.A. Complex, as recommended here a few months ago, is one such sudsy-but-substantive series. Reaper, from 2007, is about a slacker college dropout who discovers his parents sold his soul to the Devil, and now he has to work as one of Satans bounty hunters. Its sweet and funny, and Im one of dozens of people who watched it back when it was on. There are two seasons, both available on ABC.com. (Free, but it has an oppressive number of commercials.) But if you want a more traditional show for and about adults, try Sensitive Skin. Its a Canadian remake of a British series of the same name, but this version stars Don McKellar (Slings and Arrows) and Kim Cattrall as a couple trying to figure out what the post-parenting pre-retirement phase of their life is supposed to look like. Its billed as a dark comedy, but it feels more like a half-hour drama to me. So far only Season 1 is on Netflix, but Season 2 recently aired in Canada. Sensitive Skin, above, has only six episodes per season, which is unbearably scanty. Same goes for the low-impact but endearing The Book Group, a 2002 British show available on Hulu about an American expat (Anne Dudek; you know her from a million shows) trying to make new friends in Glasgow. Its not earth shattering, but it has well-drawn characters with clear ideas of themselves, which is way more than you can say about most shows. Finally, there are Ewan McGregors motorcycle-trip documentary series Long Way Round (2004) and Long Way Down (2007). In each, McGregor and his BFF take a motorcycle trip around the world, first the long way [a]round from England to New York City, then from Scotland to South Africa. The paperwork alone is enough to keep me couch-bound, but these two seasons are equal parts charm, adventure and the worldview that most people are mostly good most of the time. Plus, unlike The Night Of, no extended foot-lotioning sequences. That is the true palate cleanser. A second season of Narcos follows Pablo Escobar to the end of the road. Eat the World With Emeril Lagasse faces off against Chefs Table: France, but why not drool over both? And The Stinky & Dirty Show teaches preschoolers that failure can be a good thing. Whats Streaming NARCOS on Netflix. Last season charted the rise of the Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel in the 1980s, and trailed the Drug Enforcement Administration agents charged with stopping him. Season 2 no spoiler here, since the story recounts a historical event picks up with Escobars escape from La Catedral, the luxury prison overlooking Medellin, and tracks him for the 16 months until his death in 1993. In an interview with The New York Times, the Brazilian actor Wagner Moura, who gained 40 pounds and learned Spanish to play Escobar, admitted that he was looking forward to moving on. I was living in his body for two years, and Im not only talking about the physical body, but also the energy I was dealing with, he said. It wasnt nice at all. Still, Neil Genzlinger called his performance inscrutably brilliant. EAT THE WORLD WITH EMERIL LAGASSE on Amazon. How does a chef divine the connection between food and place? He asks another chef, naturally. In this new six-episode series, Mr. Lagasse nibbles his way around the globe with guidance from Mario Batali, who joins him on a quest for the best dumpling soup in China; Marcus Samuelsson, who introduces him to New Nordic Cuisine in Sweden; and Jose Andres, who takes him to Barcelona, where the modernist genius Ferran Adria and his army of thinkers dissect food down to the molecule. Theres enough food porn and zesty banter to keep viewers aroused, but not a single Bam! When you think of the Waldorf Astoria, you may think of its iconic architecture, its long history or even the salad invented in its kitchens. You probably dont think of villagers and rice paddies in eastern China. But The New York Times has uncovered that some small-time merchants and villagers in Pingyang County control multibillion-dollar stakes in Anbang Insurance Group, the company that bought the Waldorf and has been making waves with its enormous deals. If you have some questions about this, so do the American regulators responsible for approving the companys deals. And Anbang could come under further scrutiny as it prepares to sell shares in its life insurance business on the Hong Kong stock exchange, a move that has already stirred some debate among bankers considering working on the deal, according to Bloomberg. The one thing that does seem to link Anbangs many shareholders through a byzantine network of holding companies is their connection with Wu Xiaohui, Anbangs chairman and a native of Pingyang County, who married into the family of Deng Xiaoping. About 100 people seem to have stakes in Anbang through different companies, one in an empty, dusty office building and another above a post office. Read more about these mysterious shareholders here and the company that seemed to come from nowhere to go on a global takeover binge here. Democrats have had Republican senators on the defensive on trade in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. The Senate race in Pennsylvania recently has been a prime example. Senator Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania, one of the most endangered Republicans, in mid-August announced his opposition to the trade accord, after long being considered a supporter. Last year Mr. Toomey voted to give Mr. Obama the fast track negotiating authority that expedited final talks on the T.P.P., by giving Congress only a yes-or-no vote on the agreement, without the power to amend it. Mr. Toomey also had lauded its potential for creating jobs in Pennsylvania. This week the Senate Majority PAC, which supports Democrats, bought television time for an ad that hits Toomeys T.P.P. flip-flop, as Senate Democrats campaign committee described it in an email. The ad attacks Mr. Toomeys votes back to 2000 on seven separate trade deals that crippled our economy. Several of those deals were the work of Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Mr. Obama. And Mr. Toomeys switch from early support for the Pacific trade accord, like that of some other Republicans, was not unlike Mrs. Clintons change of heart once she was a political candidate. Mr. Toomeys Democratic challenger, Katie McGinty, wrote a column this week on trade for a Pennsylvania newspaper and called the Trans-Pacific Partnership an agreement that even its supporters admit will cost Pennsylvania tens of thousands of jobs. In Illinois, where Senator Mark S. Kirk is fighting for re-election, his Democratic rival, Representative Tammy Duckworth, has a new television ad on trade that does not mention T.P.P. specifically and focuses on China, which is not a party to the agreement. She is shown telling steelworkers at a union hall: Mark Kirk describes himself as an ardent free-trader, and that is a fundamental difference between us. I am a fair trader. While Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri has not rejected the Pacific nations agreement, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee this week seized on his ambivalent comments to a local newspaper to suggest he could become the latest Republican to perform an election-year flip-flop on T.P.P. The committee email to media said Mr. Blunt has been a reliable vote for job-killing trade deals. Lisa Linden, the president and chief executive of LAK Public Relations, had something to share with me something so important, something so exclusive, that it had to be presented in person. I trust her instincts, so I made a date. I was not expecting to see what came out of her bag, however. Welcome to Times Insider Events live programming for Times Insiders and their guests. Image Dean Baquet Credit... Illustration by Lara Tomlin On Monday, Sept. 12, Dean Baquet, The Timess executive editor, will talk with the media columnist Jim Rutenberg about how The Times covers all the news thats fit to print and how it decides what qualifies as fit to print. Times Insiders will be notified of the event location and the ticketing details over email. If you are not a Times Insider but would like to receive invitations to Times Insider Events, you can subscribe here. Anthony D. Weiner confirmed on Thursday that the New York City Administration for Childrens Services has opened an investigation into his treatment of his 4-year-old son, Jordan. The inquiry comes after Mr. Weiner was embarrassed yet again this week by revelations that he had sent sexually charged messages over social media to a woman he had never met. One message showed his son in a photograph that also included Mr. Weiners crotch. Though The New York Post reported on Wednesday that the child welfare agency had begun looking into the matter, citing anonymous sources, Mr. Weiner told The New York Times the same day that he had not yet been contacted. On Thursday, however, he said that the agency had left a bare-bones letter about the investigation at his mothers house. There is his reputation for tardiness and poor management. The state and federal investigations into his fund-raising. And, for some, a visceral dislike of the mayor as a figurehead who appears untethered from any specific policy. Image Bradley Tusk, a former aide to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, backed the ad, which was created by the group NYC Deserves Better. Credit... Christopher Gregory for The New York Times The efforts came after other public attempts to push back on the mayor earlier this summer that were more narrowly focused on issues of disagreement with City Hall: a string of ads from the Patrolmens Benevolent Association, the union that represents New York City police officers, knocking Mr. de Blasio over a contract dispute; and others from the Rent Stabilization Association, a landlord group, complaining over the mayors support for a rent freeze. But the outward rumblings of displeasure remain confined to neighborhoods like the Upper East Side and groups rank-and-file police officers, building owners, former Bloomberg acolytes that have long been skeptical of Mr. de Blasios leadership and eager for a viable alternative to emerge. Mr. de Blasio, whose approval numbers have dipped below 50 percent in recent polls, remains strong with the core constituencies that backed him in his 2013 campaign, including black voters and union members. But in the two Assembly districts that run from Midtown East to the Upper East Side, the mayor remains unpopular enough that the Manhattan Republican Party amassed the required 1,500 signatures in each district the 73rd and the 76th to add the Stop de Blasio ballot line for its candidates, Rebecca Harary and Jon Kostakopoulos. Those districts, unlike most of the rest of the city, voted heavily for Mr. de Blasios Republican rival in the 2013 race, Joseph J. Lhota. The man accused of the execution-style shooting of an imam and his assistant pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges including first-degree murder in the attack on a sidewalk in Queens that alarmed many of the citys Muslims. The man, Oscar Morel, was arraigned in State Supreme Court in Queens on an indictment that also included two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the Aug. 13 attack in the Ozone Park neighborhood. The authorities said that Mr. Morel, 36, approached the imam, Alauddin Akonjee, 55, and his assistant, Thara Miah, 64, from behind and shot each man in the back of the head. Mr. Morels parents, brother and cousins were at the hearing, as were worshipers from the mosque the victims attended, Al-Furqan Jame Masjid, which was just a few blocks from where they were killed after an afternoon prayer service. During the hearing, prosecutors said that investigators found the gun used in the attack, a .38-caliber revolver, hidden inside a wall in Mr. Morels apartment in East New York, Brooklyn. The gun was in a bag, along with five discharged shell casings. Mr. Morel, who was in police custody the day after the attack, had also been connected to the killing through video surveillance, his own statements and witness accounts. Dont be confused by the days of mixed messaging from Donald Trumps campaign, or the head-feint trip to Mexico, where he was polite to the president. Speaking on Wednesday in Phoenix, Mr. Trump did not retreat from, or in any way soften, his promise to make 11 million unauthorized immigrants targets for deportation. His speech in 10 points, embellished with statistics, ad-libbed asides and audience hollering and chanting was as clear a statement of hard-core restrictionism as any he has given. It was a mass-deportation speech, even if he avoided that phrase. Its intent was hard to miss. Leave aside the bit about the impenetrable wall, an applause line for an engineering fiction. To understand whats so appalling and frightening about Mr. Trump, focus instead on some things he could actually try to do, if America gives him the job and Congress gives the money: 1. Under my administration, anyone who illegally crosses the border will be detained until they are removed out of our country and back to the country from which they came. And theyll be brought great distances. 2. We will issue detainers for illegal immigrants who are arrested for any crime whatsoever, and they will be placed into immediate removal proceedings. At first glance, it seems like another tacit agreement between government and industry to rob consumers of our right to know whats in our food. But what if this backfires? What if the food industry has inadvertently opened the door to a transparency revolution? Could the acknowledgment implicit in the new law, that we should know what goes into making our food, be the thin end of the wedge? Has the argument that food production processes are as important as ingredients begun to make sense to policy makers? Biotechnology has allowed seed producers to modify or splice genes to grow crops with specific characteristics, like resistance to certain diseases, pests or weed killers. Up to 90 percent of the corn, soybeans and cotton now produced in the United States comes from genetically modified seeds. These foods produced with G.M.O.s have not been found to be harmful to people who eat them. (This isnt to say they wont be; our system for declaring products safe leaves much to be desired.) In some instances, the technology has yielded great medical benefits and will certainly lead to more. In industrial agriculture, the technology has led to lower applications of insecticides. But it has also encouraged the growth of weeds that have become resistant to herbicides after years of exposure, often forcing growers to turn to more and different herbicides in a cycle of chemical warfare. Another problem is that by simplifying the growing of almost unimaginably large tracts of crops, especially corn and soybeans, G.M.O.s have become an indispensable crutch for the fertilizer- and pesticide-dependent monoculture that is wrecking our land and water and generating the execrable excess of corn- and soy-based junk food that is sickening our population and decreasing our life spans. Trump argues that the flood of immigrants is taking jobs away from unskilled native workers. But this is mainly false, too. Theres an intricate debate among economists about this, but if you survey the whole literature on the subject you find that most research shows immigration has very little effect on native wage or unemployment levels. Thats because immigrants flow into different types of unskilled jobs. Unskilled immigrants tend to become maids, cooks and farm workers jobs that require less English. Unskilled natives tend to become cashiers and drivers. If immigrants are driving down wages, it is mostly those of other immigrants. Trump claims the rich benefit from immigration while everyone else suffers. Doctors get cheap nannies, everyone else gets the shaft. This is false, too. The fact is, a vast majority of Americans benefit. A study by John McLaren of U.Va. and Gihoon Hong of Indiana University found that each new immigrant produced about 1.2 new jobs, because immigrants are producers and consumers and increase overall economic activity. A report from the Partnership for a New American Economy found that immigrants accounted for 28 percent of all new small businesses in 2011. Between 2006 and 2012, over 40 percent of tech start-ups in Silicon Valley had at least one foreign-born founder. The cities that are doing best economically work hard to attract new immigrants because the benefits are widely shared. As Ted Hesson points out in The Atlantic, New York, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles account for about 20 percent of Americas economic output, and in those places, immigrants can make up as much as 44 percent of the total labor supply. Identity politics distorts politics in two ways. First, it is Manichaean. It cleanly divides the world into opposing forces of light and darkness. You are a worker or an elite. You are American or foreigner. The men of Troy have been slaughtered. The women, who watched their sons and husbands die as fighting raged through the city, are left to endure the aftermath. Prime plunder of a 10-year war they never asked for, they will be slaves to the Greeks, assigned one by one to masters and ripped from the land they love. Full of blame and bloodshed, Euripides The Trojan Women is a lamentation of war from 415 B.C., when Athens was engaging in one devastating military conflict after another. Ellen McLaughlins lucid adaptation, receiving its belated New York premiere at the Flea Theater, had a contemporary impetus, too, when Ms. McLaughlin wrote it two decades ago: the Bosnian War. Anne Cecelia Haneys semi-surreal production whose dozen actors are members of the Bats, the Fleas resident young company approaches the tale from a far greater emotional distance. Image Lindsley Howard, as Cassandra, in The Trojan Women. Credit... Allison Stock The play is about the waste of life that was the Trojan War, and the assembled crowd is familiar, including Hecuba (DeAnna Supplee), widow of the king and mother of the slain Hector and Paris; Helen (Rebeca Rad), the legendary beauty the Greeks went to war to recover; and the fiery Cassandra (Lindsley Howard), Hecubas vengeful and prophetic daughter. Whats missing from this staging is a sense of connection to the barbarities that torment all of the characters. A New Trip to Saudi Arabia Mountain Travel Sobek has just announced its first trip to Saudi Arabia. The nine-day trip, running Dec. 1 to 9, is a rare opportunity to tour the kingdom with an operator from the United States. The culture-focused trip visits Madain Saleh, a lesser-visited counterpart to Petra, Jordan, in the Nabatean kingdom with its own architecture carved into rocks, as well as the Murabba Palace, Fort Masmak and the National Museum in Riyadh, and the red rock canyons of Al Ula. Theres a strong element of adventure to the four days spent in the Rub al Khali, or the Empty Quarter, considered the largest sand desert in the world. Travelers cross the dunes in four-wheel-drive vehicles and sleep in tents in desert camps. The trip, led by Mountain Travel Sobeks chief executive, Kevin Callaghan, and the Saudi Arabia travel specialist Brid Beeler costs $11,195 a person. ELAINE GLUSAC Tours by Air in Alaska Floatplanes are a vital mode of transportation in Alaska, where even the state capital, Juneau, is inaccessible by road. Considered the busiest seaplane airport in the world, Lake Hood Seaplane Base in Anchorage handles more than 400 aircraft on a busy summer day. Regal Air, which operates from Lake Hood, is now holding a Talk on the Dock Q. and A. session with its bush pilots at the Lakefront Anchorage hotel on Lake Hood every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. until Sept. 15. After the 20-minute talk, which is free, travelers have the option of taking a 15-minute tour over Anchorage in a five-passenger floatplane for $30 a person. The program is open to the public, but rooms, for those interested in watching more takeoffs and landings, start at $199. ELAINE GLUSAC A Museum for Derek Walcott in Saint Lucia To commemorate the talents of the Nobel-Prize winner Derek Walcott, the poets childhood home in Castries, Saint Lucia, has become a museum. The two-level home houses Mr. Walcotts many watercolor paintings as well as exhibit photographs of his childhood and decades-long career. Called Walcotts Place, the pale yellow house with white trim is at the intersection of Chaussee Road and Grasse Street. Located a few blocks from the home of the Nobel-Prize winning economist Sir Arthur Lewis, the museum also honors Mr. Walcotts twin brother who died in 2000, Roderick, who was a playwright and theater director. In Donald Trumps telling, there are places across America that have become dangerous oases for criminals, where foreign lawbreakers roam the streets without fear of the authorities. Using the label sanctuary cities, Mr. Trump vowed in his hard-edge immigration speech in Phoenix on Wednesday to force such jurisdictions to abandon their policies protecting undocumented immigrants or face the loss of federal funding. We will end the sanctuary cities that have caused so many needless deaths, Mr. Trump said. No more funds! With his proposal, Mr. Trump is coming down on one side of a vigorous partisan debate over the degree to which local law enforcement should be involved in enforcing immigration laws. There is a deep split among law enforcement officials, not to mention elected officials. Just last year, after a young woman was shot by an immigrant here illegally with a criminal record who had been released by the authorities in San Francisco, the Republican-led House voted to withhold some federal funding from jurisdictions that shield undocumented immigrants from federal officials. In the Senate, Democrats this summer blocked a similar bill, which the White House had vowed to veto. WASHINGTON A top aide to Hillary Clinton at the State Department agreed to try to obtain a special diplomatic passport for an adviser to former President Bill Clinton in 2009, according to emails released Thursday, raising new questions about whether people tied to the Clinton Foundation received special access at the department. The request by the adviser, Douglas J. Band, who started one arm of the Clintons charitable foundation, was unusual, and the State Department never issued the passport. Only department employees and others with diplomatic status are eligible for the special passports, which help envoys facilitate travel, officials said. Mrs. Clintons presidential campaign said that there was nothing untoward about the request and that it related to an emergency trip that Mr. Clinton took to North Korea in 2009 to negotiate the release of two American journalists. Mrs. Clinton has long denied that donors had any special influence at the State Department. The exchange about the passport, between Mr. Band and Huma Abedin, who was then a top State Department aide to Mrs. Clinton, was included in a set of more than 500 pages of emails made public by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group that sued for their release. Melania Trump filed a libel lawsuit Thursday against the publisher of The Daily Mail, contending that it published an article that contained false and defamatory statements, including that she was once an escort. In the lawsuit, which was filed in state court in Montgomery County, Md., Ms. Trump, the wife of Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, said the defamatory statements in the article were attacks on her reputation which discouraged members of the public from having a positive opinion of her. The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, removed the article from its website, but by the time of the filing it had not issued a retraction and apology, according to the complaint. The Daily Mail published a retraction and apology after the lawsuit was filed Thursday. Ms. Trump also sued Webster G. Tarpley, who runs the blog Tarpley.net, for a post published Aug. 2. Tarpley.net retracted the post on Aug. 22 and issued an apology to Ms. Trump. On Thursday, we challenged Well readers to take on the complicated case of a 50-year-old woman who felt feverish and couldnt stop vomiting and who ended up losing a lot of weight. Like the doctors who saw her as she searched for a diagnosis, many of you focused on her recent journey to Kenya as the source of her symptoms. It was a completely reasonable approach, and one that was extensively explored by the doctors who cared for her. But ultimately it was incorrect. This was a really tough case. Indeed, only three of you got it right. The correct diagnosis was: Hyperthyroidism The winning answer came Cynthia Oltman, a lawyer from Edwardsville, Ill. She was trained as a nurse but says that her training as an investigator was just as helpful in figuring out this case. We had a little trouble with our comments software, but Cynthias answer came in just 35 minutes after our glitch was overcome. Well done, Cynthia! The Diagnosis Thyroid hormone controls metabolism. The more of this hormone flowing in the body, the harder the body works. Because this hormone plays such an important role in how we function, the body tightly regulates how much of it is released and when. But just like every other system in the body, that regulatory mechanism can mess up, releasing either too little hormone (hypothyroidism) or, as in this case, too much. The usual symptoms of hyperthyroidism are pretty apparent: The heart races; patients are sweaty, shaky, itchy and sometimes feverish. The appetite increases, but because the entire body is revved up, there is often weight loss. Bowel movements become more frequent and sleep harder to come by. Frequent and uncontrolled vomiting is less common but has been reported. This patient had all of these symptoms. Sometimes I want to kill myself, she said. I am frustrated, I am out of control, I am fighting with this world. This isnt my life. My soul splits in two when my kids beg for something for an ice cream, for a cookie and I cant give it to them. The most difficult thing is getting food. Victor Guilarte, 45, a mechanic from a Caracas suburb, said his work had vanished because his neighbors had become so poor they could not afford car repairs. Two weeks ago, he said, he visited his family in another state and found the situation even worse. I came back feeling destroyed they had no food, he said. I am tired of Maduro and his government, tired of crime, of hunger, of them telling us we have plenty to eat. I want a referendum, and if there is no referendum, I want him to resign. Mr. Maduro called on his supporters to take to the streets to stage a counterprotest, which drew crowds dressed in red, the color of former President Hugo Chavezs leftist movement. LIMA, Peru A Peruvian court on Thursday sentenced former army officers and soldiers to prison for killing dozens of peasants in an Andean village 31 years ago during the height of a conflict between the government and Shining Path rebels. In the 1985 massacre in the town of Accomarca, 71 villagers were killed, including 23 children. Soldiers stormed the town in search of subversive material but found no ammunition, explosives or Shining Path propaganda, according to a truth commission established by Peru. Troops led by an officer, Telmo Hurtado, then separated men from a group of women and children, and then shot them and set them on fire. Mr. Hurtado has admitted to taking part in the massacre but has said that he was following orders. The court sentenced Mr. Hurtado to 23 years in prison. He was arrested in the United States on immigration violations in 2007 and extradited to Peru to face charges related to the massacre in 2011. In the New Museums lobby on Thursday night, a circle of women, all dressed in red, swayed from side to side, clapping as they chanted a simple call and response: End the war on black people, followed by Its time. As the refrain continued, onlookers became participants. The event, presented by Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter, served as a balm at a time when the country is confronting painful questions about racial bias and police practices. The organizers said the aim was to provide a template for fellow artists looking for their own ways to respond and inspire others. Mario Moore, who explained that he had attended out of curiosity, said he was struck by the women in red singing a song. He added, Theres something about the presence of black people in this static space that feels like a family reunion. In a roundabout way, the event was a sort of extension of Simone Leighs summer residency and exhibition, Simone Leigh: The Waiting Room, at the museum. Her show, continuing through Sept. 18, explores and expands concepts of medicine and self-care. The acquisition is the latest attempt by Didi to consolidate control over the ride-hailing market. Just last year, Didi merged with what was then its largest rival, Kuaidi Dache, which raised competition concerns. Those worries were short-lived, however, as Uber grabbed market share from the new company shortly after it was formed with the introduction of Peoples Uber, which let regular Chinese chauffeur passengers around for a fee. Uber and Didi ratcheted up competition starting last year, spending increasing amounts of money to subsidize drivers and expand into more Chinese cities. Uber said last week that it lost $1.2 billion in the first half of this year, with China accounting for a significant portion. Such market-distorting incentive payments, which Didi also plowed into the market, may further complicate the investigation. For the ministry to have jurisdiction, the revenue of each company must be greater than 400 million renminbi, or about $60 million, and the combined revenue must exceed 2 billion renminbi, or about $300 million, according to lawyers. With Didi and Uber, that calculation may not be straightforward. Their subsidies to drivers reduce the amount of money they record as revenue, for example. The lawyers have grabbed control of the merger between Tesla Motors and SolarCity. They are blanketing the deal with legal process to try to smooth over the conflict of interest stemming from Elon Musks ownership interest in both companies. But will it be enough? Tesla filed what is called a Form S-4 Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week. The document contains the information necessary for Tesla to issue shares to acquire SolarCity, as well as for the separate votes from the shareholders of Tesla and SolarCity. In this document, Tesla and SolarCity are required to detail the negotiations with Tesla and other parties that led to this transaction. And in 13 pages, Tesla and SolarCity did this, describing all the top meetings and negotiations that led to this deal. (The disclosure starts on Page 55, if you want to read it yourself.) The background to the transaction is probably the most important, and certainly will be the most scrutinized, part of the document. In this case, three new disclosures were quickly seized upon, none of which were actually the most important disclosure in the document. The first was that Mr. Musk had discussions in February 2016 with the chief executive of SolarCity about an acquisition. These discussions were not disclosed in a subsequent $1.4 billion stock offering in May before the acquisition offer was made public. SAN FRANCISCO Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is dropping plans to create a customizable, or modular, smartphone with interchangeable parts, two people briefed on the matter said Thursday. The decision to shelve the effort known as Project Ara comes after the company announced plans in May to release an early version of the product for developers in the fall. Google told partner companies on the project that senior management decided to rethink the initiative as part of a consolidation of its hardware operations, said one of the people. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment. Reuters earlier reported the move to shutter the project. Its the latest sign of Googles attempts to bring more financial discipline to a company that had long encouraged ambitious projects without much thought to profitability. Last year, the company moved to a holding company structure, separating the profitable advertising business from the money-losing moonshots. By forcing those projects to report losses publicly, the thinking was that it would help to rein in never-ending investment. The idea of a customizable phone generated a lot of excitement, because it offered the promise of extending a products life with replaceable parts such as a new screen or battery. But it proved difficult to execute and move beyond prototypes. Google had planned to begin offering the phone in a test program in Puerto Rico last year, but it canceled the rollout. Jared Fogle, the former Subway pitchman who pleaded guilty last year to sex acts with minors and distribution of child pornography, is blaming the parents of one of his victims, arguing that their divorce and lack of supervision led to the girls emotional distress that they attributed to him. In a motion filed on Thursday in United States District Court in Indiana, Mr. Fogle requested that the parents be made liable for part or all of their lawsuit against him, which was filed in March and is pending. The parents suit against Mr. Fogle and Russell Taylor, who set up hidden cameras and shared images with Mr. Fogle, contends that the men caused their daughter emotional distress and seeks at least $300,000, according to The Indianapolis Star. In return, Mr. Fogles complaint places blame on the parents, who are divorced and had joint legal custody of the girl. It claims the parents maintained a hateful and abusive relationship toward each other, including physical abuse. Their fighting, arguing and alcohol use caused the girl to suffer from emotional distress, anxiety and depression, Mr. Fogle claims. That distress resulted in the girls engaging in destructive behaviors, including, but not limited to alcohol abuse, substance abuse, self-mutilation, and suicidal ideation, he claims, adding that her ability to engage in harmful behaviors was the direct result of her parents failure to properly supervise the girl. As what would become one of the most controversial deals of Mayor Bill de Blasios administration the removal of deed restrictions on a Lower East Side nursing home hung in the balance, the health care workers union, 1199 S.E.I.U., sought to exert its influence through a series of emails and text messages to the mayors top officials. The direct pipeline to City Hall was the kind of access that most unions could have only dreamed about; for two decades, successive mayors, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Michael R. Bloomberg, kept the citys unions at more of an arms length. But in 2014, with the election of Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat who counts those with union ties among his closest advisers, the door opened wide. Phone calls were returned. Concerns addressed. Contract disputes that languished under Mr. Bloomberg were resolved within months of Mr. de Blasios taking office. It was a new day for labor at City Hall. The good will went both ways. Early in Mr. de Blasios tenure, unions were among the biggest supporters of his political causes, including a nonprofit advocacy group for his issues and a failed bid in 2014 to push the State Senate to Democratic control. Three of the biggest unions 1199, the American Federation of Teachers and Unite Here, which represents hospitality workers gave a total of $1.25 million to the nonprofit, Campaign for One New York, before it closed early this year; labor unions gave nearly that much to the Senate bid in a fund-raising effort organized by de Blasio aides. It is any parents nightmare. Maribel Martinez of New York had arranged for her 5-year-old son, Andy, to fly home unaccompanied on JetBlue from the Dominican Republic on Aug. 17. But when she went to pick him up at Kennedy International Airport, she got the shock of her life. Airline employees presented her with a boy who was clutching Andys passport and luggage. But he was not her child. Is this your son? Ms. Martinez said she was asked, according to news reports on Thursday. She replied, No, this is not my child. Sept. 1 marked Uzbekistans 25th year of independence and the first national celebration of it without the president, Islam Karimov, in attendance. A few days earlier, the Uzbek government announced that Mr. Karimov, 78, had suffered a serious brain hemorrhage an unusual proclamation considering pronouncements about his health were often as glowing as those made by Donald Trumps doctor. Though the government has since reported his death, it was clear from the first announcement of his illness that Uzbekistan had changed. Uzbekistan was built largely around the cult of Mr. Karimov. Secretive and suspicious, he never named a successor. Roughly half of the countrys population is under 25 years old: These Uzbeks have known no other leader than Mr. Karimov, who became president in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed and Uzbekistan became an independent state. Under Soviet control, Mr. Karimov held Uzbekistans top post, first secretary of the Communist Party, but he assumed the presidency by co-opting the nationalist platform of anti-Soviet groups he had once fought. Under his leadership the Russian language and enforced atheism were replaced by Uzbek and a strict, state-controlled version of Islam. Statues of Marx were replaced by statues of Timur, the 14th-century Central Asian military leader, and a new slogan, Uzbekistan: a future great state, was plastered everywhere, along with pictures of Mr. Karimovs face. It takes courage to stand up for what is right, she said, to listen to the medical experts and not some self-appointed moral police who will look down on the rest of us from their lofty perches, terrorizing T.D.s with threats of hellfire and eternal damnation in the hope that this will cause political paralysis. This is not going to work! The irony is that if the self-appointed moral police had not pushed so hard to forbid terminations in any circumstance even in cases of rape or incest, exceptions that have been granted in predominantly Catholic countries like Poland and Mexico there would probably not have been any sudden urgency among legislators to face up to the realities of abortion in Ireland. The status quo has been shaken, however, by a litany of horror stories heard in court, from a series of women known only as Ms. A, Ms. B, Ms. C and so on, all the way to Ms. X and Ms. Y, involving rape and incest victims, suicidal asylum seekers, cancer patients and women who learn they have fatal fetal abnormalities, for whom traveling for an abortion was either too dangerous or expensive, or simply impossible. These cases represent only a tiny percentage of Irish abortions, but by exposing the inhumanity of our laws, they have slowly changed public opinion. There is undoubtedly a broad acceptance now in government and among the electorate that change has to happen, Ailbhe Smyth, the convener of the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, told me. The only question to be decided is how much abortion Ireland is prepared to allow. The coalition is pushing for legislation based on the Canadian model, which allows abortion at any time, for any reason. While this may be a distant hope, a tally of polls conducted over years suggests that there is a trend of growing support for less restrictive laws. A recent poll commissioned by Amnesty International found that fully 94 percent of respondents supported allowing abortion in some circumstances, and nearly 40 percent were in favor of allowing women the freedom to choose. What may ultimately tip the balance, as the Two Women Travel movement demonstrated, is that Irish women are no longer willing co-conspirators in a culture of secrecy that has helped sustain the laws that hurt them. Prominent journalists, actors, artists and ordinary women have begun shouting from the proverbial rooftops about their abortions. In the last year alone, women have demanded the publics attention by chaining themselves to buildings, tweeting at the prime minister about their periods and even risking prison by publicly swallowing abortion pills that were delivered by drones. At last, it seems that neither Irish voters nor elected officials are willing to look the other way. Women in Ireland may still face a long trek before they have full freedom of choice, but the direction of travel is clear. The Irish government agreed on Friday to appeal a record $14.5 billion European ruling against Apples tax practices in the country, as tensions mount over whether the technology giant paid a sufficient amount on its global operations. The move comes despite increasing division among Irish ministers over whether to appeal the ruling issued by Europes competition authorities. Several lawmakers have questioned such a move, given that the tax penalty is equivalent to what the country pays annually to fund its national health care system. That debate has intensified since Ireland has faced almost a decade of austerity after the financial crisis. Despite the tension, the Irish government unanimously backed the appeal against the tax ruling, though the countrys Parliament will be reconvened on Wednesday to debate the decision. SAN FRANCISCO Want to invisibly spy on 10 iPhone owners without their knowledge? Gather their every keystroke, sound, message and location? That will cost you $650,000, plus a $500,000 setup fee with an Israeli outfit called the NSO Group. You can spy on more people if you would like just check out the companys price list. The NSO Group is one of a number of companies that sell surveillance tools that can capture all the activity on a smartphone, like a users location and personal contacts. These tools can even turn the phone into a secret recording device. Since its founding six years ago, the NSO Group has kept a low profile. But last month, security researchers caught its spyware trying to gain access to the iPhone of a human rights activist in the United Arab Emirates. They also discovered a second target, a Mexican journalist who wrote about corruption in the Mexican government. Now, internal NSO Group emails, contracts and commercial proposals obtained by The New York Times offer insight into how companies in this secretive digital surveillance industry operate. The emails and documents were provided by two people who have had dealings with the NSO Group but would not be named for fear of reprisals. CEDAR KEY, Fla. Florida may have largely dodged catastrophic damage from Hurricane Hermine, which blew through the state on Friday, but you would not have known it by visiting this artsy village of about 700 people in the northwest, near the Panhandle. Teresa Gonzalez sat inside what was left of her pink and purple Beach Front Motel on Friday afternoon and started calling customers to cancel their reservations. The hurricane had knocked out one wall of her motel, and the storm surge left the place littered with debris. The sandbags she had laid around the property had been carried away. None of us expected anything like this, said Ms. Gonzalez, who moved to Cedar Key five years ago. There is a lot of damage on this island, and it wasnt until last night really that they told us the surge would be up to 11 feet. By then it was too late. She added: There is not much we can do but shut down and rebuild again. The police chief, Virgil Sandlin, said the town had been devastated by the wind, the rain and a nine-foot storm surge that coincided with high tide. The island had been under an evacuation order, and most people had left. WASHINGTON Documents released by the F.B.I. on Friday revealed new details about the Justice Departments yearlong investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server and whether she and her aides mishandled classified information. Among the documents was an 11-page summary of an interview F.B.I. agents conducted with Mrs. Clinton on July 2. Two days later, the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said the bureau had recommended to the Justice Department that neither Mrs. Clinton nor her aides should be charged with a crime. Here are six highlights from those documents: New details about the deletion of Mrs. Clintons emails According to the F.B.I., in December 2014 a top aide to Mrs. Clinton told the company that housed her server to delete an archive of emails from her account. The company, Platte River Networks, apparently never followed those instructions. On March 2, 2015, The New York Times reported that Mrs. Clinton had exclusively used a personal email account when she was secretary of state. Two days later, the congressional committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and Mrs. Clintons response to them, told the technology firms associated with the email account that they had to retain all relevant documents related to its inquiry. Three weeks later, a Platte River employee realized he had not deleted the emails as instructed. The employee said he then used a special program called BleachBit to delete the files. The F.B.I. said Mrs. Clinton was unaware of the deletions. The F.B.I. said it was later able to find some of the emails, but did not say how many emails were deleted, or whether they were included in the 60,000 emails that Mrs. Clinton said she sent and received while secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. The Republican National Committee had high hopes that Donald J. Trump would deliver a compassionate and measured speech about immigration on Wednesday, and prepared to lavish praise on the candidate on the partys Twitter account. So when Mr. Trump instead offered a fiery denunciation of migrant criminals and suggested deporting Hillary Clinton, Reince Priebus, the party chairman, signaled that aides should scrap the plan, and the committee made no statement at all. The evening tore a painful new wound in Mr. Trumps relationship with the Republican National Committee, imperiling his most important remaining political alliance. Mr. Priebus and his organization have been steadfastly supportive of Mr. Trump, defending him in public and spending millions of dollars to aid him. But the collaboration between Mr. Trumps campaign and Mr. Priebuss committee has grown strained over the last month, according to six senior Republicans with detailed knowledge of both groups, some of whom asked to speak anonymously for fear of exacerbating tensions. The comment came at a sensitive time for Donald J. Trumps presidential campaign. Several members of his Hispanic advisory council withdrew their support this week, saying they had been led to believe that Mr. Trump was shifting his hard-line tone on immigration. He used us as props, said Jacob Monty, who resigned after Mr. Trump reverted to his fiery language on immigration Wednesday night after returning from Mexico, where he had struck a more measured, even subdued, tone. During the interview with Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Reid quickly interjected, saying, I dont even know what that means, and Im almost afraid to ask. Yet, many say, at the same time he has elevated personal differences into political hurdles. Mr. LePage has created rifts with even would-be ideological allies like Senate President Mike Thibodeau, a conservative Republican, avoiding meetings with him after the Senate Republicans failed to support his budget last year. A lot of this is about relationships, and relationships are frayed, Mr. Thibodeau said this week. Mr. LePage has made no secret of his disdain for much of the Legislature, and one way he has shown it is by keeping a tight grip on the information lawmakers say they need. Legislators have banded together to act on things like the state budget despite his vetoes. Many of the governors actual broad policy goals, most if not all of us in the party agree with, said Senator Roger Katz, a Republican who has been critical of Mr. LePage for much of his term. But in many ways hes been his own worst enemy. After the events of the last week, Democrats called for Mr. LePages ouster. Many Senate Republicans wanted at least a censure, but balked Friday at Democrats open-ended call for a special session. Top House Republicans are standing by the governor. The discord will likely delay any action until the next session, in January. Assuming he stays in office, observers say, Mr. LePage could well finish out the rest of his second term more detached than ever. (He is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.) His combativeness ultimately further polarizes his enemies, and pushes away his allies, said Bill Nemitz, a columnist for The Portland Press Herald, a newspaper Mr. LePage once jokingly said that he would like to blow up. JAKARTA, Indonesia I.B. Agung Partha foresees an apocalypse, as he put it, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The threat is not a plague of locusts, nor one of Balis dormant volcanos springing to life. It is in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital several hundred miles away, where Parliament is debating legislation that would ban beer, wine and spirits across the thousands of islands that make up this country. For Bali, whose beaches, lush landscapes and cultural attractions drew four million visitors last year, the effect would be something like the end of the world, said Mr. Partha, the chairman of the Bali Tourism Board. Hotels have bars, restaurants have bars, and they serve alcohol this is just part of tourism, he said. This bill is just no good. PESHAWAR, Pakistan A suicide bomber killed at least 11 people at a district court in northwestern Pakistan on Friday morning, a senior police officer said. The bomber attacked the compound of the district court in the city of Mardan, throwing a hand grenade, opening fire at the main gate and then entering before detonating his explosive vest, said the police officer, Ijaz Khan. Twenty people were hurt, he said. The bomber managed to get seven or eight meters inside the compound, but the police engaged him, prompting him to trigger his suicide vest, Mr. Khan said by telephone. The dead included four lawyers and two police officers, he said. MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of lawlessness on Saturday after a powerful blast ripped through a crowded night market in the city of Davao on Friday, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than 60. Mr. Duterte said he was giving the military additional powers to carry out some police operations, like patrolling in urban areas and setting up checkpoints. I am declaring now a state of lawlessness, Mr. Duterte said after visiting the scene of the blast on Saturday. It is not martial law. It has nothing to do with the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Martin Andanar, the presidential communications secretary, said later that the declaration covered the entire nation, not just the southern Mindanao region, where the explosion occurred. MOSCOW Islam Karimov, a ruthless autocrat who ruled Uzbekistan for almost three decades, died on Friday in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent. He was 78. A joint statement by the cabinet of ministers and Parliament announced the death, saying he had a stroke that led to multiple organ failure. The announcement followed a long, strange interlude during which Uzbek officials refrained from confirming the death even while the leaders of Turkey and Georgia expressed condolences, mosque leaders were barred from offering prayers for the presidents health, and funeral arrangements were being made very publicly. A respected opposition website posted pictures of cemetery workers in Samarkand, the presidents hometown, digging a fresh grave in a prominent location. The likeliest reason for the official silence was that top government officials had been unable to decide on the succession and did not want to announce that Mr. Karimov was dead until they could also say who would replace him, at least temporarily. MUMBAI, India IT is doubtful when he wrote a letter to a medical journal about patients in Mumbai afflicted with an untreatable form of tuberculosis that Dr. Zarir Udwadia was seeking to become the source of controversy himself. But instead of provoking an all-out attack on the disease, as he had hoped, the letter set off a global health alarm and, at least initially, prompted a backlash from the government. Until writing the letter in late 2011, Dr. Udwadia was perhaps best known as the pulmonologist to the elite in Mumbai, where his physician father had become known nationally for saving the life of a Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan. Hardly anyone outside public health circles knew of the free weekly TB clinic that the younger Dr. Udwadia had run for more than two decades. Dr. Udwadia wrote about four of his clinic patients for whom none of the commonly used medicines worked to combat the disease, a deadly bacterial infection that can be transmitted through a sneeze or a cough. The idea that people could contract such a deadly disease sitting next to someone on a bus or on an international flight aroused concern among global health authorities and created a problem for the Indian government. TB is so old that it has been discovered in the skeletons of Egyptian mummies, was recorded by Hippocrates and is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, a collection of ancient Sanskrit texts. The disease disproportionately affects the poor because it spreads easily in crowded places among people whose resistance is low from malnutrition or illness. It has been curable for decades with a regimen of several antibiotics taken for six months. But often patients fail to follow the whole course of treatment, and the disease mutates into a more virulent form. BERLIN A year after Chancellor Angela Merkel threw open the doors to hundreds of thousands of migrants, that fateful move is haunting her politically, opening her to a strong electoral challenge from the far right this weekend and complicating efforts to forge a united response to Britains decision to leave the European Union. Ms. Merkel, chancellor since fall 2005 and Europes longest serving leader, has found herself on the defensive in a round of interviews on both the anniversary of the refugee influx and the effective start of campaigning for next years national elections. Germany will remain Germany, with all that is dear to us, she insisted in an interview this week with the Suddeutsche Zeitung, a leading newspaper. With everything in flux in Europe after the stunning British vote to exit the European Union, and elections also in France and the Netherlands next year, Ms. Merkel has come under increasing fire at home. Even if we make every effort and try to be integrated, we are constantly reminded that to be properly and completely integrated, we must give up our principles and our religion. In our homes, at work, or among our friends, there is a kind of pressure. We dont dare accept invitations from friends because were sick of having to say no to alcohol and to politely justify ourselves, walking on eggshells while making sure we dont say anything that could be taken the wrong way. At work, there have been little jokes along the lines of Did you help your cousins? after the terrorist attacks. And our families who curse the terrorists at mealtime are then insulted by these new laws. So then what? We isolate ourselves. And once you start isolating yourself, youre no longer integrating. Mira Hassine, 27, Orleans, France. Administrator at a construction company and a practicing Muslim who does not wear a veil. _____ To be a Muslim woman in France is to live in an apartheid system of which the beach bans are just the latest incarnation. ... I think that French Muslim women would be justified to request asylum in the United States, for instance, given how many persecutions we are subjected to. Karima Mondon, 37. French teacher who recently moved to Casablanca, Morocco, from Lyon, France. _____ I am a Muslim French woman. I live in London. As a Frenchwoman, I would never have achieved what I have in London while wearing the veil. I am a politician in local government, deputy leader of my borough, and I wear the scarf. If I were in France, forget about it. Saima Ashraf, 39, London. Twitter: @saimaashraf25 _____ I am a nurse and I wear the veil. At work, it is impossible for me to wear my veil. I remove it upon arrival. Nothing on the head, no long sleeves, nothing that might cover me up to adhere to my way of living. We are denied the possibility of going to the pool and now to the beach. What is the next step? Are we going to wear crescents to be recognized? Linda Alem, 27, Paris. Nurse at a dialysis center. _____ With its open-air marijuana stalls festooned in psychedelic colors and its freewheeling, self-governing structure, the Christiania neighborhood in Copenhagen has been for decades emblematic of Danish liberalism and tolerance. On Friday morning, however, a symbol of hippie hedonism came crashing down at least temporarily. At about 9 a.m., hundreds of residents began dismantling the drug market on Pusher Street in the heart of the city, where men in masks usually peddle marijuana and hashish from stalls. Video footage showed residents hauling away plants and using saws, drills and bulldozers to demolish the stands. Signs saying no photography allowed were ripped down. The decision to tear down the market, which for decades has been a popular spot for curious tourists and Copenhagen residents alike, came after Mesa Hodzic, 25, a Danish citizen born in Bosnia who was a suspected drug dealer, shot two police officers and a bystander this week, according to the authorities. Both officers and the bystander survived. The shootings occurred when officers tried to arrest him, the police said. Mr. Hodzic fled, and the police eventually confronted him on Thursday in a suburb of Copenhagen. Officers shot him when, they said, he resisted arrest. He died of his wounds on Friday. Mr. Rajoub said Mr. Halawas death would be investigated. Of course this was a mistake, he said. The officers should not have reacted this way. But Mr. Rajoub, who himself has been at odds with Mr. Abbas at times, said Palestinian critics were playing into Israels hands by undercutting the president. He vowed not to let up on what he called criminal elements, asserting: The Palestinian National Authority is getting serious on trying to enforce the law in the Palestinian streets. The instability has consequences for Israel, which depends deeply on cooperation with the Palestinian security forces, and for the United States and other countries that have invested in the success of the Palestinian Authority to establish security in the West Bank and serve as a negotiating partner with Israel. With the peace process long stalemated, many Palestinians see a calcified leadership plagued by corruption and financial problems and too aligned with the Israeli authorities and outside influencers. The coming municipal elections have highlighted the fault lines. Palestinians have not held national elections since parliamentary contests in 2006 resulted in surprise victories by Hamas. West Bank cities like Nablus last elected new councils and mayors in 2012, with Fatah posting mixed results, in some cases having its mainstream slates outpolled by renegade factions of its own party. Mr. Abbas, 81, and in his 12th year of what was supposed to be a four-year term, surprised many by calling the October balloting. In roughly half of the jurisdictions, the filing deadline passed with only one slate of candidates, or even none at all, making the elections something between a coronation and a joke. But in the most populous cities, like Nablus, rival factions will compete for office. Jamal Tirawi, a Fatah central committee member from Nablus, said Mr. Abbas should cancel the vote. I dont think this is the time for the Palestinians to have municipal elections, he said. The streets are restless. The streets in Nablus bristle with an edgy energy. Home to the Palestinian Stock Exchange, Nablus has a bustling center in a narrow valley surrounded by a sea of hillside residences. It was founded by the Romans and has a 2,000-year history marked by revolts and conflict. Its record of violent resistance to Turkish, British and Israeli rulers earned it the nickname Mountain of Fire. AFTER Mark Donhams wife, Chris, fell under the spell of early-onset Alzheimers, he doubled down on his marriage vows. He quit his job as a well-paid sales representative in the printing industry and became his wifes 24-hour caregiver: dressing her, doing laundry and scheduling social visits with friends. Faith, hope and courage became his new mantra. As Alzheimers slowly progressed and Chris became frailer, their lives narrowed. To explain their painful emotional journey to friends and family, Mr. Donham, who lives in Portland, Ore., began making videos and posting them on YouTube. When his wife didnt recognize him anymore, he said he felt as if his heart was ripping apart. But Mr. Donham, still in his 40s, was being ripped apart in other ways, too. One day, he landed in the emergency room because he thought he was having a heart attack. It turned out be stress and strain, said Mr. Donham, who also joined an Alzheimers support group for men. When youre in the middle of caregiving, you dont know what caring for yourself means. Can you accept the fact that we cant live the same life that you do? Plenty of parents hope that their children will climb at least one rung up the social class ladder once they are adults, and many more will fight hard to keep their children from slipping even a bit. So it can be jarring for parents when their adult children dont strive for the same things they do. A reader in Baton Rouge, La., who did not want to use her name because she didnt think her relatives would appreciate her sharing the story publicly, wrote in to describe the pressure she and her husband once felt to buy and spend and own and live the way that other, more established family members did. They ran up credit card debt before realizing they couldnt keep up and didnt really want to, either. Then, they had to gently explain to their family how they felt. Sometimes, I think its easier to talk about sex with your parents than money, she told me via email. We choose a simple life. Experiences over possessions. Her note reminded me of one of the most haunting things Ive ever read about families and money. In her book A Wealth of Possibilities, Ellen Miley Perry described the centrifugal force of abundance that swirls around financially successful families. And she described an acquaintance who summed up her relationship with her father this way: He cant accept the smallness of my dreams. What would you do if you werent afraid? In 2001, Daniel L. Anderson and his family were living in Reno, Nev., and loving the easy access to the outdoors, the low cost of living and the good schools. But he was slowly growing bored with his real estate job. He posted his resume online and soon had a promising job offer in Houston. He also sought advice from his old mentor, who eventually offered him a different job in San Francisco, and then put that pointed question to Mr. Anderson when he wavered. The Houston company had a reputation as a terrific place to work. The word on the San Francisco employer was much more mixed. His question caused me to re-examine my situation to make sure I wasnt doing what was easy and comfortable, Mr. Anderson recalled, adding that he had to get over a bit of macho denial about his own fear before he could really think it through. There were also the stories his mother told him about all of her retired friends who talked about their regrets over the roads not taken. I did not want to be that person, he said. PARIS Some cities mark time by natural events the year of the earthquake, the flood, the tsunami, the hurricane. But Parisians, being Parisian, tend to tell time by landmark exhibitions: Paris-Moscow 1900-1930 at the Pompidou Center in 1979, the Cezanne retrospective at the Grand Palais in 1995, Dada at the Pompidou in 2005. This fall, Icons of Modern Art at the Louis Vuitton Foundation may be the show that takes Paris by storm. No fewer than 130 paintings by Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin and Derain, among many others, from the collection of the renowned Russian cultural figure Sergei Shchukin will hang on the walls of this museum by Frank Gehry (itself designed like a building painted by Picasso). President Francois Hollande of France and President Vladimir Putin of Russia will open this exhibition in mid-October in a display of diplomatic handshaking: Culture remains a bridge connecting two countries that have not recently seen eye to eye. Shchukin crossed the Paris-Moscow bridge many times before, driven by a personal passion that became a cultural mission. A textile heir and magnate, he amassed his collection of 275 works from the late 1890s until the outbreak of World War I, a period when Paris incandesced as the world capital of artistic insurgency. His collection progresses through Impressionist, post-Impressionist and Modern art, displayed at the foundation in rooms designed to evoke the way Shchukin organized his masterworks in his Trubetskoy Palace. Many state institutions and several museums the Hermitage and the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, the Pushkin and Tretyakov in Moscow, each an ocean liner of bureaucracy proved surprisingly nimble in putting together this expansive show once it got its go-ahead in 2014. Image Picassos Friendship II (Study) (1907-8). Credit... Succession Picasso, via The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow The Shchukin is easily the most important collection of early 20th-century Modern art in Russia, and certainly one of the most important in the world, said Anne Umland, a senior curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Its an unparalleled and not-to-be-missed opportunity to see this group of work brought back together. The success is indisputable. But judged by the essays published in this collection, the comparison with Lu Xun, perhaps the greatest stylist in modern Chinese, is silly. Han Han is not a great writer, nor a profound thinker. His philosophy, if that is what it is, can be summed up in one sentence, written in a blog in 2012: Life as I know it means doing things you like and taking care of yourself and your family. No Jean-Paul Sartre, then. But this may not be an entirely bad thing. For what Han Han offers is not original thought, or indeed great prose, but attitude, perfectly attuned to blogs and tweets and other forms of social messaging. And his attitude is often attractive, even refreshing, in a blogosphere that is so full of cant and vitriol. Han Han has interesting things to say about the importance in China of social media. He writes: The little freedom and flexibility weve gained is actually convenience brought to us by technology; without it, I believe wed still be mired in an era of alternating restrictions and relaxations. Writings on the internet can be removed, but not instantly. Frequently, by the time an offending blog has been taken out of circulation, thousands will already have seen it. On subjects that often put young Chinese into a senseless rage Japan, for example Han Han is downright reasonable. He doesnt see the point of smashing Japanese products to attack a country for the horrors it inflicted in China more than 50 years ago, or over a petty territorial dispute. Instead, he writes with cutting grace, I want to devote my first demonstration to a place that has bullied me and violated my rights more frequently. Han Han is also funny and shrewd about corrupt officials and the pleasures of unearned privilege. He describes going for a ride with a friend who has bought police placards and a siren, allowing him to imperiously push other traffic aside: Yes, we despise privilege when were faced with it, but when were enjoying fake privileges, were secretly happy. HOW TO PARTY WITH AN INFANT By Kaui Hart Hemmings 225 pp. Simon & Schuster. $26. Comedy is the weird aunt of the extended family that is fiction. She may be sly, deadpan, wacky, satirical, but she is most often defined by what she is not serious. The nuclear (literary) family may occasionally invite her to dinner, but this is more likely to happen when shes escorted by a somber date history, war, environmental activism. Alone, she can seem aimless and ethereal, and she may threaten preconceived notions of what makes for valuable company. This is a shame. These days, we need all the laughs we can get. With her terrific first novel, The Descendants (also a terrific movie), Kaui Hart Hemmings gave us the tragicomedy of a struggling family in Hawaii. Hemmingss second novel, The Possibilities, also joined tragedy (a dead son) with comedy (an infomercialist mother) in a tourist locale, Breckenridge, Colo. Hemmingss third novel, How to Party With an Infant, set in San Francisco, leaves the somber date at home and rejoices in irresistibly dry wit. An entertaining portrait of an economically comfortable place and people, this novel gives us a rainbow of cringe-worthy parents, like the Pac Heights moms the kind of women who dont seem to see you they were like Range Rovers coming down a sidewalk, expecting everyone to scatter like pigeons. The irony of the setting isnt lost: Harvey Milk and Jerry Garcia are dead, moms shop cute boutiques in the Castro, and the mothers club of San Francisco has its very own political climate. Seven new paperbacks to check out this week. ORSON WELLESS LAST MOVIE: The Making of The Other Side of the Wind, by Josh Karp. (St. Martins Griffin, $16.99.) After years of self-imposed exile, Welles returned to the United States hoping to complete his grandest film yet: a tale of an aging movie director who kills himself on the anniversary of Ernest Hemingways suicide. (Welles maintained it was not autobiographical.) The unfinished film remains largely unseen, and Karp delves into the various factors that blocked the projects completion, including the Iranian revolution and Liechtenstein-based companies. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, by Paula Hawkins. (Riverhead, $16.) Rachel, the divorced, unemployed, alcoholic and unstable heroine of this novel, has developed a fixation on a couple whose house she passes every day during her train ride into town. But when the woman goes missing, Rachel involves herself in the investigation, and turns out to have surprising connections to the crime. GOD AND JETFIRE: Confessions of a Birth Mother, by Amy Seek. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $15.) After an unplanned pregnancy, Seek chose to give her baby up for adoption. As part of her arrangement, Seek and the adoptive parents maintained a relationship throughout the childs life. The author reflects in this memoir on the excruciating grief of parting with a child and surrendering her role as a mother. The woman writing about the travails of assisted reproduction, on the other hand, is in a somewhat curious position: She has seized the opportunity to document a new chapter in female experience, but at the same time she is in a sense putting into reverse the evolving contemporary discourse around motherhood. This woman doesnt cant fear what having a child will mean for her hard-won social and intellectual autonomy; she isnt concerned with the right to express ambivalence toward this oldest and strongest of binds indeed, she perhaps views maternal ambivalence as a somewhat grotesque luxury. No, this woman is unambivalent: She wants desperately, blindly, to become a mother, and while I.V.F. certainly offers some hope that her desire might be fulfilled, it can also feed that desire, feed it until it is rendered all-consuming and capable of exacting every mental, physical and financial cost. Image Julia Leigh Credit... Noah Sheldon The truth, Julia Leigh writes early on in Avalanche, was that many women had gone before me and found ways to lead a creative life and also be a mother. There were countless prams in countless hallways. It wasnt rocket science. It wasnt either/or. There was enough space. Writing has been a given for Leigh, a novelist and screenwriter of international standing. So it is surprising to hear her dismiss in a couple of lines replete, whats more, with cliches the honorable testimony of female literary history regarding what very much is the rocket science of combining artistic endeavor with family life. Her tone reminds me of the recent blitheness of the Brexiteers, assuring they would find a way to make British independence work, despite the evidence to the contrary supplied by people who knew what they were talking about. If this is the truth, it certainly isnt of an inconvenient kind: Women writers, of course, survive motherhood whether badly or well just as everyone else does, and in a different world Julia Leigh might have used her great gifts to illuminate for us something of what that survival actually entails. As it is, she is on a different journey, but like a climber heading into the mountains without the right equipment, this failure to interrogate the truth at the outset causes the reader to fear for her safety. And indeed, Avalanche is a harrowing and profoundly disturbing account of self-immolation in pursuit of an ideal, for what Leigh has failed to recognize about creative life is that it too seeks to concretize the ineffable, and that it arises in people of a single-mindedness and determination so strong it can destroy them. The child, the child. The child was there . . . nestled in among words of fear and hope and promise. Our child. Our beautiful child, our destined child was called forth as a possibility, conjured out of the ether. At 38, Leigh re-encounters and marries an old love from her student years: They have the good fortune to be impassioned lovers and soul mates, new to each other yet known, and the decision to have a child is quickly made. But Leigh then changes her mind; she wants to wait a year, to be sure our relationship was truly solid. . . . One of my inner eels had slipped loose, an eel that took the guise of reasonable caution but which really was a small wriggling mistrust. This first act of what might be called authorship the impulse to shape and control the story might seem insignificant, but Leigh is correct to identify the role self-will played from the very beginning in the events she describes. What she knows as the writers task to build something that resembles reality yet is entirely the product of choice becomes, when transferred to human actuality, a flawed and terrifying omnipotence. Or impotence: When Leigh and her husband finally embark on the arduous yearslong journey of assisted conception which begins steeply, in their case, with the attempted reversal of his vasectomy they find that the book of life is not so easily written. Events disobey them; the story wont move forward; indeed, the principles of creativity are almost entirely reversed. What is being created is a negative space, a void, into which everything of value love, affinity, trust, cash inexorably disappears. Language becomes a jumble of statistics and awkward medical vocabulary. Sex itself, in the bitterest of ironies, begins to fail, so colored by the desire for a child, as if that were now its sole purpose. Who is to blame? If one were not interested in the question of accountability, it would be simple merely to say that I.V.F. didnt work for Leigh and her husband. But what is most distressing about Avalanche is also what makes it important: It is the work of a palpably weakened author, a testimony of personal suffering whose legitimacy on this telling seems to have gone outrageously unquestioned. Leighs marriage reaches the breaking point in the most subtly brutal of ways: A film script she has written goes into production. A writers dream, a mothers nightmare. She tells her husband she wants to stop trying to conceive while the film is being made. The production is a great success, but when the time comes to resume fertility treatment, her husband expresses serious doubts about her ability to commit herself to a family. The night before they are due at the clinic, they stay up late talking about it, but I was bone-tired and soon begged off to sleep. When I woke up, Paul told me he was canceling the cycle. He said that if wed been talking about my work in the early hours of the morning, I would have managed to stay awake. This harsh, brief scene represents the core tragedy of Avalanche. Its more than being forced to choose between what one doesnt have (a child) and what one does (a significant career opportunity); its in fact a different version of that same rocket science Leigh waved away so blithely at the beginning of her tale, the head-on collision of motherhood with work. Any working mother will have experienced this and know it isnt always or automatically ones maternal obligations that take priority. Most women will probably feel a degree of guilt and anxiety and remorse over certain decisions they made, but for someone in Leighs position the cost is dizzyingly, incalculably high, the possibilities for self-forgiveness narrow. This interview with Ben Chestnut, C.E.O. of MailChimp, an email marketing service, was conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant. Q. What were your early years like? A. I grew up in a small town near Atlanta called Hephzibah. Its right outside of a military base, and my father was a military man at Fort Gordon. He met my mother during the Vietnam War in Thailand, so Im half Thai, half white. That probably has had the biggest influence on my life. How so? Growing up in the rural South, I was always just out of place. I didnt quite fit in with the white kids, didnt quite fit in with the Asian kids. But I was always the leader of the misfits. The people who were always out of place in school just gravitated to me for some reason. I think it was because I could bridge different worlds and connect people. Tell me more about your parents. My mother was always running some kind of business, including a salon in our kitchen. She was also a neighborhood nanny. So I helped her sweep the hair, empty ashtrays and babysit all the random kids in the neighborhood. And I was always running some kind of a business out on the playground myself. By awarding them the prize, the Nobel committee also recognized a fundamental shift in economic theory: from the model of predicting that free markets evolve from perfect competition to more robust versions based on give-and-take behaviors that acknowledge other factors, like hostile takeovers, trade wars and big government. Its like playing chess, Professor Selten told The New York Times when he was awarded the prize. You have to think hard about what you think your opponent will do, and then you plan your own strategy based on that. You may not always be right, but such thinking probably makes you play better and keeps you from making as many dumb moves. Or, as Peter Passell wrote in The Times at the time, While classical economics works for the international market in wheat with thousands of buyers and sellers, it takes game theory to try to figure out how Safeway will change the price of English muffins if the A.&P. marks down bagels. Alvin E. Roth, another Nobel laureate in economics, who teaches at Stanford University, wrote in 1999 that game theory and experimental economics were two of the most important developments in the field in the second half of the 20th century. Reinhard Selten is one of the pioneers in both of these endeavors, and he has been a leader in each of them throughout his career, Professor Roth wrote. This makes him unique: No one else in the world has made such important or such sustained contributions to both fields. After a decade or two of marriage, what could possess someone to hire a party planner, caterer, florist and officiant, and then surprise a spouse with a ceremony and reception in which they renew their vows in front of several dozen of their closest friends? With divorce rates being what they are, some couples who have stuck it out are finding ways to celebrate and possibly strengthen their relationships through a splashy, public affirmation. These recommitment parties, often called renewal of vows, are typically led by an officiant and are intended, said James Sacco, a wedding and events consultant, to signal to their family and friends that their marriage still works. And it represents a growing business for wedding spaces as well as planners like Mr. Sacco, who works at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City. Out of the 56 weddings we have done this past year, at least 16 were vows renewals, he said. Dr. Daniel Bober, a psychiatrist and assistant clinical professor at the Yale University Child Study Center, said, Whether couples renew vows to undo sins of the past, or add more romance to their lives by breaking up the routine of marriage, I see an uptick in this area. The genesis of the exhibition had as much to do with good timing as with scientific research. Two years ago, Dr. Raxworthy and his fellow scientists held a meeting to discuss the next project for Explore21, a comprehensive museum initiative that began in 2013 to promote a series of innovative scientific expeditions. The Explore21 program has sent teams to the Solomon Islands and to Papua New Guinea. On the same day that the scientists met to discuss Explore21s next destination Cuba was an option President Obama announced striking policy changes with the island nation, re-establishing diplomatic ties and making it easier for Americans to travel there. Everything was just perfectly aligned, Dr. Raxworthy said. It seemed like this decisive moment. So we said, Lets go for it. Last October, Dr. Raxworthy, Dr. Porzecanski and a team of scientists traveled to Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, on the southern tip of Cuba. Along with colleagues from the Cuban National Museum of Natural History, they explored forests and caves filled with animals such as birds, amphibians and a certain species of bat that exist only in Cuba Like many islands, Cuba is known for gigantism and miniaturism: species that grow very large or very small. Examples, models of which will be on view in the exhibition, include a now-extinct giant owl and the bee hummingbird. The owl, which disappeared from the island around 10,000 years ago, may have been one of the largest flying birds in the world at the time, standing around three feet tall and weighing 30 pounds. The bee hummingbird is currently the smallest bird in the world, weighing less than a penny. Summer unofficially ends on a Monday that is meant to glorify organized labor, but in New York, the days festivities focus more on celebrating West Indian heritage. Unionized workers unwilling to interrupt the holiday weekend for a parade will stage their own march five days later, which will be followed by the third of Septembers tributes, the anniversary of 9/11. Most New Yorkers have yet to visit the National September 11 Memorial Museum in Lower Manhattan. After all, they lived through the horrific terrorist attack 15 years ago. Now, New Yorkers and out-of-towners alike are able to take an armchair tour of the museum with No Day Shall Erase You: The Story of 9/11 as Told at the National September 11 Memorial Museum (Skira Rizzoli, $45). This official, coffee-table-format book makes the museums unique mission and evocative location more accessible. Edited by Alice M. Greenwald, the museums director, it tastefully and candidly presents highlights from the collection and explores the challenges in curating it. It is arguable whether a quotation from The Aeneid by Virgil, No day shall erase you from the memory of time (also an inscription at the memorial), makes sense as the books title, as the poet was referring to two brutally slain Trojan warriors, while the memorial inscription is on a wall that protects a repository of 8,000 unidentified remains. That said, the book persuasively explains how the museum became both a burial ground and a place of contemplation, commemoration and historical remembrance at the same time and in the same space. In the mid-1940s, Joel Teitelbaum, an eminent and charismatic rabbi, immigrated to the United States, colonizing a section of Williamsburg in Brooklyn for his Hasidic sect, the Satmar, its name taken from the Hungarian town of Szatmar, where Rabbi Teitelbaum had fought to resist the encroachments of a modernizing society. Subsequent decades have seen virtually no retrenchment in the sects mistrust of the larger world. Among the Satmar in Brooklyn, use of the internet is condemned and secular education is considered of little use. In recent years, though, it became the fashion among some Satmar women to pursue special-education degrees after high school, typically online or through religious colleges. The women often go to work not in philosophically suspect places like Greenwich Village, but in schools within their community. Now, even that minor advance has been rolled back; some Satmar leaders issued a decree proclaiming that the practice would no longer be tolerated. A letter from the United Talmudical Academy, the governing body for a consortium of schools, meant for girls entering the 12th grade and their parents, stated that they shouldnt God forbid take a degree which is according to our sages, dangerous and damaging. The letter went on to say that girls shouldnt learn college subjects and that those who refused to obey would be denied positions as teachers. Leaders, they said, had a responsibility to protect the religious educational system from outside influences. The notion is not an invention of the Hasidim, Allan Nadler, the director of Jewish studies at Drew University and a scholar of Hasidic practice, explained. The Mishna, a multivolume compilation of Jewish law that predates the Talmud, contains a prohibition against external books. Still, Mr. Nadler maintained, the recent decree reflects what he has observed over the years as a deepening fear of wider society. The Talmudical Academy did not return calls seeking comment. A history of pandering to the ultra-Orthodox in Brooklyn goes back at least to the days of Mario M. Cuomo. Politicians who might otherwise feel free to lecture black and Hispanic communities on the importance of grit, self-reliance and the sacred path of higher learning express remarkably little outrage over the habits of a group that essentially enshrines its own dependency on the system. According to a 2011 study by the UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish philanthropic organization, just 11 percent of Hasidic men and 6 percent of Hasidic women in and around New York City hold bachelors degrees, while the poverty rate among Hasidic households stands at 43 percent, nearly twice the figure citywide. This is the bottom-line reality; this is where the drain gets blocked. There exist groups, like the Club for Growth, that regularly pour money into a conservative challenger to an incumbent who is seen as betraying the cause. And of course the conservative media apparatus will all jump on board. These challenges rarely succeed, but the mere threat of them keeps people in line. There is one thing incumbent politicians dont want above all else: a tough re-election fight. And they especially dont want a primary fight. So why vote for an Obama or Clinton proposal, even if you agree, when you know you will be pulverized for voting yes but will pay no price for voting no? That is the problem. And thats what we need to change. If the problem is that Republican legislators fear a primary challenge from the right, the solution is to make them fear a challenge from the center. Thats what our political system needs: a Club for Growth of the center. It needs to be an extremely well-funded group that identifies Republican senators and House members who might be vulnerable to challenges from moderates, and groom those moderate candidates. It would funnel them money and staff; it might also back ads against their right-wing opponents. I suppose as a side duty it has to reinvigorate the very idea of moderate Republicanism. Yes, as I said, this will take time. But imagine how different our political situation would be if such a group existed right now, a group whose reach and wrath incumbents feared. We saw a version of this during the summer, when moderate groups helped Roger Marshall unseat Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas in the primaries. And that was Kansas hardly a swing state. In fact, the districts in which this group could be competitive are more numerous than you think. The Cook Partisan Voting Index gives all 435 congressional districts a score for partisanship; R+10, for example, indicates an extremely partisan Republican district, although there are some R+30s and a couple of D+40s (Charlie Rangels New York district is D+42). But anything at R+5 or lower can fairly be called a comparatively moderate district. For the 114th Congress, Cook listed 64 districts at R+5 or lower. Most of those districts would never elect Democrats but they could, conceivably, elect more centrist Republicans. Ms. Bresch was in many ways acting in accordance with a core strategy in the pharmaceutical industrys playbook take something old and repackage it to make it new and patentable and then see what price the market will bear. Sometimes extortionate prices are a predictable outcome. Yet the government has no real tools to curb them. Many other old medications have been delivered in new packages in recent years, with startling price increases. Basic asthma inhalers, which once cost under $15 (and still do in many countries), cost $50 to $100 in the United States. A portion of the big price rises for insulin in recent years is attributable to new types of injectors to deliver the medicine. Long-off-patent emergency rescue drugs delivered by auto-injector not just epinephrine, but also naloxone to reverse opiate overdose have seen particularly perplexing price escalations. New devices can make it more convenient and safer to deliver a lifesaving drug during a medical crisis. But when is new packaging often accompanied by bells and whistles of uncertain value worth an exponential rise in price? Thats something a nation struggling with a $3 trillion health bill must consider, and it merits a response beyond a few days of executive public shaming. Like so much in our overpriced medical system, todays EpiPen debacle evolved from a laudable idea: Though shots of epinephrine have been used for over a century, the EpiPen invented in the mid-1970s and approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1987 allowed a patient or a parent to easily administer the proper dose in an emergency. When an unlocked EpiPen is pressed against the thigh, a needle emerges to inject the medicine, even through clothes. In recent decades it has become an increasingly attractive idea commercially as well: Research suggests that the incidence of allergies has been growing (a trend relentlessly publicized by Mylan). Also, the social frenzy around allergies has spurred substantial demand, said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an author of an influential recent article about combating high drug prices, noting that many families buy multiple kits, for school, home and car. Schools and camps bought in it was easier (and legally prudent, perhaps) to have auto-injectors at the ready, rather than to draw epinephrine into a syringe. You are incredibly vulnerable when looking for a home, and your life is in the hands of an agent, somebody you have just met, said Jim Jermanok, a writer, director and producer for film and television who has moved three times in the past 10 years and now lives in Queens. In one case, I had a bad feeling that the agent was working for the commission, not for me, by continually steering me to properties that were above my budget and it turned out to be true, so I found someone else. Most real estate agents undergo ethics training throughout their careers. In New York State, it is part of the initial licensing curriculum as well as the mandatory continuing education. Large firms like Houlihan Lawrence, Century 21, Weichert, Douglas Elliman and others hold periodic in-house training sessions for new and veteran agents. And to be sure, most real estate agents are honest. Nonetheless, the home hunting process is so fraught with anxiety and second-guessing, its no wonder the profession is held in relatively low esteem. A 2014 Harris Poll on the prestige in which various occupations are held in the United States found that real estate broker/agent is the profession with the highest percentage of adults considering it to have less prestige (73 percent), with 50 percent feeling it does not have that much prestige and 24 percent believing it has no prestige at all. And a 2015 survey by the National Association of Realtors found that only 67 percent of clients said they would definitely recommend their agent to others. But if you find yourself dealing with an agent who is less than ethical, as I did, what are your options? I looked up the code of ethics established by the National Association of Realtors, an advocacy and educational organization with 1.1 million members. (There are an estimated two million real estate agents in the United States. The association makes a distinction between a Realtor with an uppercase R and a real estate agent with a lowercase R. A Realtor is a real estate professional who is member of the organization and subscribes to its code of ethics.) The association is not an enforcement body; that is generally the purview of local real estate associations or the state. Nevertheless, its code of ethics is nothing if not comprehensive. You could probably close the deal on a beachfront condo in the time it takes to digest the dense 8,000-word document, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Articles of Confederation, ratified by the 13 original states in 1781. It begins: Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. Reading the ads for the Standish Arms Hotel in Brooklyn Heights that were in newspapers at the turn of the 20th century, you might be forgiven for thinking they were published recently. Like todays ads for high-end developments in the area, most of them tout the quick commute to Wall Street by ferry and the views of Manhattan. But one ad that ran in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle in April 1935 highlights a stark difference: Monthly rent at the hotel, where rooms could be paid for by the night or longer, was $50, a far cry from the $2,000-a-month studios that were being rented in the building just a few years ago. Now the new owners of the building, DDG and Westbrook Partners, are turning the 12-story structure just off the promenade into a 31-unit condominium building. Rechristened the Standish, at 171 Columbia Heights, it will have apartments ranging from $1.3 million for a one-bedroom to $13.5 million and up for a five-bedroom. Everyone knows that the townhouse stock in Brooklyn Heights is incredible, but there arent a lot of places with a view, said Joseph A. McMillan Jr., the chief executive of DDG. Inequality of financial wealth goes up and down, but over the long term it has been reduced. Financial inequality was greater in 1800 and 1900 than it is now, as even the French economist Thomas Piketty has acknowledged. By the more important standard of basic comfort in consumption, inequality within and between countries has fallen nearly continuously. In any case, the problem is poverty, not inequality as such not how many yachts the LOreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt has, but whether the average Frenchwoman has enough to eat. At the time of Les Miserables, she didnt. In the last 40 years, the World Bank estimates, the proportion of the population living on an appalling $1 or $2 a day has halved. Paul Collier, an Oxford economist, urges us to help the bottom billion of the more than seven billion people on earth. Of course. It is our duty. But he notes that 50 years ago, four billion out of five billion people lived in such miserable conditions. In 1800, it was 95 percent of one billion. We can improve the conditions of the working class. Raising low productivity by enabling human creativity is what has mainly worked. By contrast, taking from the rich and giving to the poor helps only a little and anyway expropriation is a one-time trick. Enrichment from market-tested betterment will go on and on and, over the next century or so, will bring comfort in essentials to virtually everyone on the planet, and more to an expanding middle class. Look at the astonishing improvements in China since 1978 and in India since 1991. Between them, the countries are home to about four out of every 10 humans. Even in the United States, real wages have continued to grow if slowly in recent decades, contrary to what you might have heard. Donald Boudreaux, an economist at George Mason University, and others who have looked beyond the superficial have shown that real wages are continuing to rise, thanks largely to major improvements in the quality of goods and services, and to nonwage benefits. Real purchasing power is double what it was in the fondly remembered 1950s when many American children went to bed hungry. What, then, caused this Great Enrichment? Not exploitation of the poor, not investment, not existing institutions, but a mere idea, which the philosopher and economist Adam Smith called the liberal plan of equality, liberty and justice. In a word, it was liberalism, in the free-market European sense. Give masses of ordinary people equality before the law and equality of social dignity, and leave them alone, and it turns out that they become extraordinarily creative and energetic. On Saturday, Aug. 27, presidential elections were held in my country, Gabon, in West Africa, and I was the candidate who won by a substantial vote margin. Nearly a week later, I would have expected to be addressing the world as Gabons president-elect, ready and willing to work with the United States and all our international partners to fight terrorism, build our economies and improve the lives of our citizens through increased development and cooperation. Instead, I am hoping that the American people, and all others who care about democracy, will help my country through a crisis for our democracy. Im in Gabon where the current president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, is using our national security forces armed with valuable military weaponry provided by the United States to fight terrorism against our own people. In the reports Ive heard, at least a dozen are dead probably more and hundreds wounded; thousands have been arrested, including 23 of my campaign workers. In order to keep these people from telling their own stories, Mr. Bongo has been shutting off the internet for hours at a time. But thanks to social media and brave Gabonese citizens, the story will be told. Online it is easy to find images of the horror and violence that Mr. Bongos repression of protest has set loose over the past week. As I write, on this Thursday morning, helicopters from Mr. Bongos presidential guard are loudly circling above my campaign headquarters, and the streets are full of protesters clashing with Mr. Bongos security forces. Why is Mr. Bongo doing all this? Well, when the people of Gabon voted for their leader, they chose me. They chose a change from the dynastic regime that has ruled our country since 1967. Mr. Bongos father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, ruled from 1967 to 2009, when the son took over. Now Mr. Bongo is throwing a deadly and dangerous tantrum because the people of Gabon told him that its time for him to go. SAN FRANCISCO Gov. Jerry Brown is offering intimate gubernatorial dinners to donors who help defeat a targeted November ballot measure, at a time when the governor will be deciding the fate of all new state legislation, the state Democratic Party says. Proposition 53 would require statewide voter approval on projects that would require more than $2 billion in state revenue bonds to fund. That could complicate the future of two proposed Brown projects, for high-speed rail and for giant twin tunnels to carry Northern California water south. A fundraising letter by state Democratic Party financial chief Angie Tate on Aug. 9 calls defeating the proposition a priority for Brown and the state party. The Governor will be hosting a series of small dinners in August and September to thank those that are able to help on his priorities, Tate wrote. The letter also identified an unrelated measure regarding parole as the governors other campaign priority. Sent to lobbyists and other potential donors, the letter raised eyebrows for what some saw as an offer of access for special interests, during a time when Brown has the years legislation on his desk for signing or vetoing. The governor has until Sept. 30 to decide on newly passed legislation. So far, fundraising mainly is pitting Dean Cortopassi, the affluent Stockton farmer and factory-operator who organized the petition drive bringing Prop. 53 to the ballot, against an array of more prominent opponents. Those include the governor, the state Democratic Party, the state Chamber of Commerce, and construction-industry groups. Opponents say the initiative targets Browns proposed $15.7 billion water tunnels in particular, a charge Cortopassi denies. As of mid-August, Cortopassi and his family had provided all $4.5 million given the measures campaign. While both the state Republican Party and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association have endorsed Cortopassis initiative, its not clear how much they can devote to campaigning for it in a fraught election year. Asked about campaign plans, Cortopassi says he hopes for grassroots support. Despite Cortopassis deep pockets, campaign spokeswoman Marie Brichetto describes his effort as David vs. Golaith, given the forces allied against the measure. On the opposition side, builder trade groups and an organization representing the pharmaceutical industry which has critical legislation before the governor have supplied a total of more than $1 million to the No on Prop 53 campaign committee. No on Prop 53 committee spokesman Steven Maviglio promises a high-profile campaign against the measure. Although Brown has taken a position, he has not publicly campaigned against the measure. And while the governor has a campaign chest of nearly $20 million that he could devote to this or any other political cause, he has not done so to date. Brown has been notoriously stingy about dipping into his campaign fund, and has not indicated where he plans to spend it. Its an example of what is wrong with the process, Brichetto said in an email regarding the fundraising offer of dinner with the governor. Prop. 53 will give voters a voice and thats exactly why they are fighting so hard to stop it. Asked for comment Thursday on the donor-dinner offer, Dan Newman, a Brown spokesman, said Brown considers each bill on its merits, and no events have been scheduled. DANA POINT The city is suing the developer of the bluff-top community above Strand Beach, alleging he has not paid $553,754 of the citys legal fees, as required, in an ongoing legal battle over beach access with the California Coastal Commission and the Surfrider Foundation. In the complaint filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court, attorneys representing the city say developer Sanford Edward made verbal and contractual promises to indemnify Dana Point for any legal fees, costs or damages incurred in defense of the Strand at Headlands community. Dana Points complaint said that while Headlands LLC has paid legal fees since 2009, the development company abruptly and without warning ceased paying the legal costs incurred and paid by Dana Point after invoices in August 2015 were presented. Edward said Thursday that the citys claim is meritless and that he has paid the citys legal fees since 2003, for a total of $1,520,000. He said he stopped paying in September 2015 after he became concerned that he was being overbilled and had an accountant review the bills. In February he filed a formal claim with the city, he said. The dispute with the Coastal Commission and Surfrider Foundation began in 2009, when Dana Point officials approved an ordinance to limit hours of beach access through the neighborhood after requests by Edward and some homeowners. The Coastal Commission and Surfrider Foundation fought the ordinance in court, saying it could set a precedent that could limit beach access throughout California. A court ruled in the publics favor in 2011. The city sued the commission and Surfrider sued the city. A lower court ruled against the commission but last fall a San Diego County Superior Court judge reversed the ruling. Dana Points complaint states that as of May 12, Headlands owes the city $553,754 for work done on behalf of Dana Point by law firm Rutan and Tucker and the firm of Richards Watson and Gershon, which acted as special counsel during settlement negotiations with the Coastal Commission related to the access disputes. The city has paid all those costs, so the indemnity payments are owed to Dana Point, not to the firms who work for the city, the complaint said. The Headlands reimbursed the city for its legal fees for six-and-a-half years, Dana Point Mayor John Tomlinson said in a statement. But now that we are on the verge of implementing a settlement with the Coastal Commission that will provide the legal coastal access that is required under state law, while protecting both residents and visitors during the late-night hours, the developer has stopped underwriting the legal fees for a project that directly affects and benefits his development, as well as the public. The legal fees in this effort should not be borne by the taxpayers, but by the company that agreed to hold harmless the city and its taxpayers from legal entanglements rising from the Headlands project, he said. Edward said he stopped paying the city after they submitted a bill for $162,500 for one month. Edward said the unusually high amount drew his attention and he wondered if the city might be billing him above the standard municipal rate, which he defined as the rate the city pays for its own attorney fees. He asked the city for copies of its bills over 12 years and with the help of Squar Milner, CPA, determined that the city had overbilled him, he said. Were disappointed the council chose to litigate; we proposed mediation. Its a waste of taxpayers money, Edward said. Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini There was much fanfare on Main Street U.S.A., Thursday afternoon, as the Disneyland Resorts new ambassadors to the world for the next two years were introduced to the public in a small parade through Disneyland. Anaheim residents Mikey Trujillo, 31, and Alexa Garcia, 26, were selected from the group of finalists and will be the face of the Disneyland Resort beginning Jan. 1. Trujillo started working at the park in 2012. He is currently a Guest Relations Host and VIP Tour Guide. Garcia started at Disney in 2009 and now works at the Walt Disney Travel Company. The pair will spend the remainder of the year undergoing special training and learning details about the Disneyland Resort and the entire Walt Disney Company, including its other theme parks and resorts. I hope to see the other parks, Garcia said. Trujillo said his experience working as a VIP Tour Guide should help him. I can spend 12 to 14 hours a day talking to people while touring them around the park, telling them about the place, he said. Trujillo and Garcia will take up their duties as the new year rolls in, while the current ambassadors, Jessica Bernard and Allie Kawamoto, either move back to their old jobs or transition to another position within the company. Ill miss that right off the bat we were called the Diamond Duo because we were the ambassadors during the 60th anniversary, Bernard said. Walt Disney picked the first Disneyland ambassador in 1965 after he found that he was getting a lot of invitations to community events. Julie Reihm was the first ambassador. Now the Disneyland Resort selects two ambassadors, due to the demand. In all, there are 11 ambassadors chosen from all the Disney resorts around the world, including two each from Walt Disney World, Shanghai Disney and Disneyland Paris. There is one from Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland and from Aulani in Hawaii. Anyone working at the resort can apply for the position. They also serve as Emissaries of Goodwill to the community, official hosts to VIP Resort guests, and frequently serve as emcees for many of the resorts special events, on property and elsewhere. Doing that for Disney in a professional role is what drew me to the role of ambassador, Garcia said. Contact the writer: meades@scng.com or follow on twitter @markaeades In the latest sign that the seat of termed-out state Sen. Bob Huff is up for grabs, Democrats have gained a slight voter-registration edge in the tri-county district, which includes Anaheim, Fullerton and Yorba Linda. Thats a significant change from just four years ago, when the Republican Huff won reelection 55 percent to 45 percent, and Republicans had an 6-percentage point advantage in voter registration. Dynamics have been shifting quickly in the district and in the race. At the beginning of June 2015, the Republican candidate was Huffs district director, Tim Shaw, and the Democrat was former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang, who moved into the district shortly before declaring his candidacy. Then Shaw stepped aside for first-term Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang, R-Diamond Bar, who was recruited by the party as a stronger candidate. While they had a 3-point advantage in voter registration at the time, Republicans were concerned about Sukhee and his bankroll. He ended up spending $581,000 on the primary. Josh Newman, an erstwhile supporter of Bernie Sanders, was a virtual afterthought when he eventually entered the race. The Fullerton resident had never held elected office, he spent a relatively modest $104,000 and one of his biggest campaign claims to fame has been dressing up as a bear. Chang spent $430,000 and cruised out of the top-two primary and into the general election with 44 percent of the vote. But the two Democrats combined to capture the other 56 percent. Newman advanced to the general election with 29 percent. The voter registration shift in the district is part of an ongoing trend in the county. Last month, Fullerton became the 11th of the countys 34 cities to turn Democrat up from five of just over a year ago. Republicans have a 5.3-percentage point advantage in voter registration, down from an all-time high of 22 points in 1990. Orange County accounts for nearly three-quarters of Huffs 29th Senate District. In 2012, Republicans had a 6.5-percentage point advantage in that part of the district. The edge is now 1.8 percent. Ballot challenge The 29th Senate District race will be especially hard fought because it could determine whether Democrats pick up the single seat they need to reach a two-thirds supermajority in the legislatures upper house. They could also reach that threshhold in the Assembly, which would allow each chamber to sign off on tax hikes without a single Republican vote. So its not surprising to see a lawyer from the law firm of Charles Bell, the state GOPs general counsel, handle the challenge to Newmans use of veterans advocate as his occupational designation on the ballot. Newman, an Army veteran, is the executive director of ArmedForce2Workforce, a volunteer organization he formed to help veterans with resume writing, job searches and counseling on how to find work. Chang supporter Leroy Mills and attorney Thomas Hiltachk argued that because Newman did not use the title veterans advocate in his day-to-day life and because he drew no meaningful salary from the group, he should not be allowed to use that designation. A persons name, party affiliation and occupational designation might be the only information some voters consider in down-ticket races, and can make the difference between winning and losing. Lawyer and tax collector? Probably not going to win any stray votes. State Assemblywoman? Thats Changs designation and voters tend to like people with experience, everything else being equal. Veterans advocate? Well, it was favorable enough that Changs side sued to try to prevent Newman from using it. Last week, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Christopher Krueger ruled in Newmans favor. Contact the writer: mwisckol@scng.com @MartinWisckol CARRABELLE, Fla. Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Floridas Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain, high winds and thousands of power outages. Injuries were reported in Tallahassee as trees fell onto homes. The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Hermine later weakened to a tropical storm as it moved farther inland. Projected storm surges of up to 12 feet menaced a wide swath of the coast and an expected drenching of up to 10 inches of rain carried the danger of flooding along the storms path over land, including the state capital Tallahassee, which hadnt been hit by a hurricane since Kate in 1985. As of 8 a.m. EDT Friday, Hermine was weakening as it moved into southern Georgia, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the Hurricane Center said. It was centered about 35 miles northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, and was moving north-northeast near 14 mph. After pushing through Georgia, Hermine was expected to move into the Carolinas and up the East Coast with the potential for drenching rain and deadly flooding. In Tallahassee, high winds knocked trees onto several houses injuring residents inside, fire-rescue spokesman Mike Bellamy said. He said an unknown number were taken to area hospitals with injuries that werent thought to be life-threatening. Bellamy said his agency responded to more than 300 calls overnight. Mayor Andrew Gillum estimated as many as 100,000 area residents were without electricity Friday morning. At Floridas Keaton Beach, just south of the states Big Bend where the peninsula meets the Panhandle, about two dozen people waited on a road just after sunrise Friday trying to get to their homes. Police had the road blocked because of flooding. Taylor County Commissioner Jody DeVane said several homes were damaged. Dustin Beach, 31, rushed to Keaton Beach on Friday from a hospital in Tallahassee where his wife had given birth Thursday night to a girl. When my wife got up this morning she said, Go home and check on the house. I need to know where were going after we leave the hospital, Beach said. Cindy Simpson was waiting near her car, hoping her beach home and boats had made it. Its a home on stilts so I put everything upstairs. We have two boats in the boat house and I hope theyre still there, she said. In Pasco County, north of Tampa, authorities said flooding forced 18 people from their homes in Green Key and Hudson Beach. Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriffs deputies used high-water vehicles early Friday to rescue people from rising water. They were taken to a nearby shelter. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge that spans Tampa Bay remained closed Friday morning because of high winds. In Wakulla County, south of Tallahassee, a couple suffered minor injuries during the storm when they drove into a tree that had fallen in the road, County Administrator Dustin Hinkel said early Friday. He said storm surge of 8 to 10 feet damaged docks and flooded coastal roads. At least seven homes were damaged by falling trees, said Scott Nelson, the countys emergency manager. As Hermine moved north, Georgia Power estimated about 19,000 homes and businesses were without power statewide early Friday. Many of those were in Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County, about 15 miles north of the Georgia-Florida line. Lowndes County spokeswoman Paige Dukes said crews were dealing with fallen trees and snapped power lines, but no injuries had been reported. Winds exceeding 55 mph had been recorded in the county, with 4 to 5 inches of rainfall, she said. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma, a powerful Category 3 storm that arrived on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck heavily populated south Florida, causing five deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage. Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared an emergency in 51 counties. He said 6,000 National Guardsmen were poised to mobilize for the storms aftermath. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina also declared states of emergency. Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro and Curt Anderson in Miami; Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Jason Dearen in Keaton Beach, Florida; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report. Nearly two centuries after Georgetown University profited from the sale of 272 slaves, it will embark on a series of steps to atone for the past, including awarding preferential status in the admissions process to descendants of the enslaved, university officials said Thursday. Georgetowns president, John J. DeGioia, who announced the measures in a speech on Thursday afternoon, said he would offer a formal apology, create an institute for the study of slavery and erect a public memorial to the slaves whose labor benefited the institution, including those who were sold in 1838 to help keep the university afloat. In addition, two campus buildings will be renamed one for an enslaved African-American man and the other for an African-American educator who belonged to a Catholic religious order. So far, DeGioias plan does not include a provision for offering scholarships to descendants, a possibility that was raised by a university committee whose recommendations were released Thursday. The committee, however, stopped short of calling on the university to provide such financial assistance, as well as admissions preference. DeGioias decision to offer an advantage in admissions to descendants, similar to that offered to the children and grandchildren of alumni, is unprecedented, historians say. The preference will be offered to the descendants of all the slaves whose labor benefited Georgetown, not just the men, women and children sold in 1838. More than a dozen universities including Brown, Harvard and the University of Virginia have publicly recognized their ties to slavery and the slave trade. But Craig Steven Wilder and Alfred L. Brophy, two historians who have studied universities and slavery, said they knew of none that had offered preferential status in admissions to the descendants of slaves. Wilder, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said DeGioias plans to address Georgetowns history go beyond any initiatives enacted by a university in the past 10 years. It goes farther than just about any institution, he said. I think its to Georgetowns credit. Its taking steps that a lot of universities have been reluctant to take. But whether the initiatives result in meaningful change remains to be seen, he said. Wilder cautioned that the significance of the preferential status in admissions would rest heavily on the degree to which Georgetown invested in outreach to descendants, including identifying them, making sure they are aware of the benefits existence and actively recruiting them to the university. The question of how effective or meaningful this is going to be will only be answered over time, Wilder said. DeGioias plan, which builds on the recommendations of the committee that he convened last year, represents the universitys first systematic effort to address its roots in slavery. Georgetown, which was founded and run by Jesuit priests in 1789, relied on the Jesuit plantations in Maryland and the sale of produce and slaves to finance its operations. The 1838 sale, worth about $3.3 million in todays dollars, was organized by two of Georgetowns early presidents, both Jesuits. A portion of the profit, about $500,000, was used to help pay off Georgetowns debts at a time when the college was struggling financially. The slaves were uprooted from the Maryland plantations and shipped to estates in Louisiana. DeGioia said he planned to apologize for the wrongs of the past within the framework of the Catholic tradition, by offering what he described as a Mass of reconciliation in partnership with the Jesuit leadership in the United States and the Archdiocese of Washington. This community participated in the institution of slavery, DeGioia said, addressing a crowd of hundreds of students, faculty members and descendants at Georgetowns Gaston Hall. This original evil that shaped the early years of the Republic was present here. We have been able to hide from this truth, bury this truth, ignore and deny this truth. As a community and as individuals, we cannot do our best work if we refuse to take ownership of such a critical part of our history, he said. We must acknowledge it. When DeGioia invited questions from the audience, a man in a gray suit took the microphone. My name is Joe Stewart, he said, and I am a descendant of the 272. Stewart, a retired corporate executive and an organizer of a group of more than 300 descendants, expressed gratitude to the universitys working group on slavery and to DeGioia for their efforts. But he said that descendants, who had not been included as members of the committee, must be involved in decision-making on these initiatives moving forward. Our attitude is nothing about us, without us, said Stewart, who was flanked by five other descendants. The two buildings being renamed originally paid tribute to the Rev. Thomas F. Mulledy and the Rev. William McSherry, the college presidents involved in the 1838 sale. Now one will be called Isaac Hall to commemorate the life of Isaac Hawkins, one of the slaves shipped to Louisiana in 1838, and the other Anne Marie Becraft Hall, in honor of a 19th-century educator who founded a school for black girls in Washington. BEIRUT Once hubs of the Syrian uprising, the countrys rebellious capital suburbs are submitting to government control at a quickening pace, in a sign that the militarys grinding siege tactics are paying off. The latest Damascus suburb to fall was Moadamiyeh, which relented after three years of siege as food supplies dwindled for its estimated 28,000 residents and key infrastructure like hospitals were destroyed. On Friday, implementation began in the deal, under which rebel fighters will move to opposition-held territory in the north and government security forces will move into the town, just a short drive southwest of the capital. The neighboring suburb, Daraya, surrendered and came under government control last week. The accelerating pace of such surrenders points to how the Syrian military is tightening the screws on besieged areas, stepping up attacks on civilian infrastructure and refusing entry of critical medical supplies, despite sharp criticism by the U.N., which has tried to bring in humanitarian aid. Surrender under such deals is bitter salvation, forced on residents through collective punishment, said a former resident of the besieged mountainside town of Zabadani. The regimes strategy is clear, said Ibrahim Abbas, an opposition activist who was exiled to rebel-held Idlib province as a condition to receiving treatment for a war wound. A suffocating siege to foment hatred (among residents) toward activists and fighters, then an offer to evacuate. The deals at Daraya and Moadamiyah free up Syrias military resources for other fronts, including the defense of the central city of Hama, which came under unexpected attack by rebels this week, and the siege of opposition areas in the capitals eastern suburbs. The ultimate goal appears to be to wipe out the relatively isolated rebel-held pockets around central Syria, effectively leaving just the main opposition-held heartland of Idlib province in the northwest and enclaves in the south. The governor of the Damascus countryside province, Alaa Munir Ibrahim, said deals with other rebellious suburbs are under discussion. At least 16 areas around the country home to more than a half-million people are under siege, almost all by government forces except for a few locations. A U.N. humanitarian official warned Thursday that the town of Madaya, northwest of Damascus, and al-Waer, the last opposition neighborhood in the central city of Homs, could be the next to capitulate under siege, along with Foua and Kafraya, two pro-government towns in the north besieged by rebels. Jan Egeland in Geneva said the U.N. had failed to neutralize what he has previously called a medieval tactic. A siege is not broken by the population giving up after starvation and bombing; a siege is lifted by humanitarian access and freedom of movement, in and out, by the civilian population, said Egeland. Daraya residents say the destruction of the suburbs only remaining hospital earlier this month in a government strike was one factor compelling them to leave their homes in a surrender. An offensive launched this June against Daraya aggravated a siege in place since 2012. Last week, the remaining residents of the suburb about 4,000 people out of an original population of 200,000 were removed under the surrender agreement, drawing criticism that it was a forced displacement. On Monday, it was announced that Homs al-Waer neighborhood had entered into talks with the government, though no agreement has yet been reached. One of al-Waers last hospitals was bombed Aug. 21, according to Homs area media activist Abu al-Diya. The staff of another resigned en masse Tuesday night, saying they had no more supplies. We were reusing syringes, sometimes two or three times, said one doctor Abu al-Bishr. He and the activist both used nicknames to protect themselves and loved ones. A U.N. relief convoy reached al-Waer in August but, as with most U.N. convoys in operating in Syria, was prohibited by the government from delivering medical supplies. It was fortunate to get any aid: In August, convoys were unable to reach 15 of the 18 besieged areas. The back-to-back surrenders of Daraya and Moadamiyah and news of negotiations for al-Waer could trigger a wave of agreements as the psychological toll of defiance mounts. Moadamiyeh had endured a siege that included what a U.N. report said was an attack by toxic sarin in 2013. But it surrendered after resistance collapsed in neighboring Daraya, said Moadamiyeh media activist Dani Qappani. We became the last remaining opposition area in the area west of Damascus, he said. On Friday, more than 300 Daraya residents who had been trapped in Moadamiyeh were taken in buses to government-held areas, along with several dozen fighters who decided to lay down their weapons. Though the bulk of the population will stay, Qappani said he and hundreds of other activists would have to leave, saying he wouldnt feel safe under the governments fearsome security services. There will be no return until Assad leaves, he said. The government registered its first success in May 2014, against the old city neighborhoods of Homs. After bombardment drove tens of thousands of civilians out in 2012, the government enforced a siege so tight that residents were digging up shrubs from the cemetery to eat and gunmen raided homes for food. The districts gave up after 700 days. Fighters agreed to leave, and remaining residents accepted the governments authority. Hundreds of men were also arrested. One of the first areas to cast out the governments security forces in 2012, Zabadani had been under siege for years when it came under a powerful assault by government troops and allied fighters from Lebanons Hezbollah in 2015. Most residents fled to nearby Madaya, although some 120 fighters are still besieged in the town center. But Madaya, too, is under a crushing siege, enforced by snipers who pick off residents as they try to collect food from groves. Pro-government forces burned vital farmland in June. At least a dozen deaths due to under-nutrition and the scarcity of medical supplies have been recorded. Egeland, of the U.N., said there is believed to be a meningitis outbreak in the battered town. There is talk between people of returning to the nations embrace, said local media activist Abdel-Wahhab Ahmad, using the governments euphemism for surrender. The U.N.s special envoy to Syria, Staffan De Mistura warned the international community that agreements under these terms could lead to even larger displacements. If Daraya was a shock, al-Waer is 75,000 people, ok? Just to give an idea, he said, in Geneva Thursday. Like every American who came of age in the 1960s, playwright Robert Schenkkan retains strong memories of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. He always seemed like the quintessential Shakespearean tragic figure, said Schenkkan, 63, whose Tony-winning LBJ bio-play, All the Way, opens South Coast Repertorys 2016-17 season, with previews starting today. He was larger than life. Not just his physical size, but his ambitions and appetites and his virtues and vices a very complicated guy. But when Schenkkan was commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to write a play about Johnson, he had more than the presidents public image and the wealth of biographies, political journalism and other material to draw on. Schenkkan also had his own family. I grew up in Austin, and my dad had this odd little connection with LBJ, Schenkkan explained. He was a pioneer in public television and radio and had been hired to create the first public TV station in the Southwest. His first task was to get permission from then-Sen. Johnson. The request was tricky. Through the shrewd investments of LBJs wife, Lady Bird, the Johnsons controlled a powerful and lucrative local TV and radio empire affiliated with CBS. A PBS station would be a direct competitor. Johnson gave his permission, Schenkkan said. And he went on to sign a bill that created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In my family, he was thought of as one of the good guys. Schenkkan isnt old enough to remember a family visit to the Johnson ranch in the mid-1950s, but his older brother vividly recalls the senator helping them get the Schenkkan car out of a ditch on the ranchs rough back roads. I do very distinctly remember the first election I participated in, Schenkkan said. I wore my Johnson buttons and had stickers on my schoolbooks. It was the presidential contest of 1964, when Johnson won in a landslide over U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater. That turbulent year fascinated Schenkkan when he began thinking about his biographical play. (The playwright has a fondness for American history. The Kentucky Cycle, his group of nine related one-act plays that examine three fictional families over two centuries, won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for drama.) He started by going to Texas, visiting the LBJ Library in Austin and the Western White House in Johnson City. And he pored over old news accounts of the Johnson presidency. Theres a tremendous amount of information out there. This was the heyday of American journalism, when even smaller towns had two or three newspapers. Then you had Time, Life and Newsweek dominating everything. The playwright also read a wealth of books on the 36th president, including Robert Caros exhaustive, multivolume biography. Schenkkan discovered that Johnson had taped many of his phone calls in the Oval Office; they were digitized by the University of Virginia and are publicly accessible. I also made a real effort to speak to as many people as I could who had worked with LBJ. His family was very generous with their time. It was a wide-ranging investigation over a period of one to two years. The research did double duty: Schenkkan wrote a companion play that covers the rest of the Johnson presidency, The Great Society, which premiered in 2014. Master of the end run From Nov. 22, 1963, the date of President John F. Kennedys assassination, until Johnsons election to a four-year term Nov. 3, 1964, he was preoccupied with two challenges: enacting civil rights legislation and figuring out the complex calculus of the escalating conflict in Vietnam. The first task played to Johnsons strengths, Schenkkan said. Kennedy quite clearly couldnt get it done. He had been exerting considerable pressure, but only in the third year (of his presidency) did he submit a civil rights bill to Congress. It was almost immediately locked up and there was no indication that Kennedy knew how to get it out of committee, much less pass. Johnson was seasoned by decades in Congress, where he was a representative from 1937 to 1949 and a senator from 1949 until 1961, when he became Kennedys vice president. He served as Senate majority leader, Senate minority leader and Senate majority whip. The man knew his way around Capitol Hill. It took a Southern politician with LBJs unique legislative skill set to make it happen, Schenkkan said. And he skillfully used the emotion of the Kennedy assassination to move the country forward on race. After masterful end runs around the Rules Committee and a lengthy filibuster, Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law July 2. Even Johnsons most ardent fans acknowledge that foreign policy wasnt his strong point, and on Vietnam he made the wrong calls, Schenkkan believes, especially when he used the Gulf of Tonkin incident to escalate the war. He made an unfortunate foreign policy decision based on domestic policy calculus. But its also useful to remember that at the time, nobody saw what Vietnam would become. For everybody this was a blip on the horizon. All the Way won two 2014 Tonys, one for best play and the other for Bryan Cranstons mercurial and brilliant interpretation of LBJ (the part is being played at South Coast Rep by Hugo Armstrong). Cranstons uncanny understanding of the role came as a surprise, Schenkkan said. But in retrospect it shouldnt have. I dont think any of us knew quite how good he would be. But when (director) Bill Rauch asked me, What am I looking for in an actor? I said, He has to do two things. He must be incredibly funny and charming and charismatic, and he has to be utterly terrifying. If you think about Cranstons career on TV, from the hapless father in Malcolm in the Middle to the ruthless and terrifying Walter White in Breaking Bad, he has the range. But the role accommodates many shadings of interpretation, Schenkkan said. Ive now seen multiple productions with very happy results. The original actor in the role at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival was Jack Willis, and he was spectacular. American theater is full of wonderful, gifted leading men. What surprises most audiences, Schenkkan said, are Johnsons insecurities and neediness, qualities that were never hinted at in his public persona. He could drive himself well beyond anybody elses normal capacities, and then he could crash into a kind of depression that was really profound refusing to get out of bed. It was all bound up in this severe emotional insecurity. He grew up in a poor rural home. He had to fight his way up the political food chain, always feeling inadequate because he wasnt Jack (Kennedy), he could never be Jack. Insecurity, a distrust of old-money elites, a compulsion to be crass, crude and belittle people these were Johnsons faults. He carried deep psychic wounds with him all of his life, Schenkkan said. But those qualities made Johnson a fascinating figure for the playwright. There was something inherently theatrical about him. And so for that reason he was always in my head. Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@ocregister.com HONG KONG Sixtus Leung sees no hope for Hong Kong if it sticks with its current political system, which has governed it since the former British colony reverted to Chinese rule in 1997. So he is working to overturn that system by becoming part of it. Someday, he would like to see Hong Kong become a city-state independent of Chinas authoritarian government, which has been increasingly assertive here, despite its promise to allow the territory decades of autonomy. With megaphone in hand on a recent day, Leung who goes by a nickname, Baggio tried to persuade voters at a bus stop to back those ambitions by electing him to Hong Kongs legislature. Leung, 30, is part of a new, youthful force in Hong Kong politics that is on the cusp of acquiring a small measure of actual power. Polls indicate that his Youngspiration party has a real chance of acquiring one or two seats in elections Sunday for the 70-seat Legislative Council, whose influence is limited but which can block initiatives by the citys Beijing-friendly government. Other political parties dominated by young people, and supporting some degree of greater self-determination for Hong Kong, will also be on the ballot in districts across this territory of 7.3 million. The path to Hong Kong independence is hard to draw, Leung said, taking a break at a Japanese noodle shop in the far-flung suburb of Fanling before heading back out to meet voters. But if were elected, it means that Hong Kong independence is formally on the agenda. Four years ago, when the territorys last legislative elections were held, independence was on no ones agenda. Lawmakers who wanted more democracy worked within the parameters of the territorys mini-constitution, the Basic Law, which guarantees civil liberties not available in mainland China, such as freedom of speech and assembly. But that was before the so-called Umbrella Movement of 2014. After Chinas rubber-stamp parliament set rules on planned elections for Hong Kongs top job that all but guaranteed the ballot would be limited to Beijing loyalists, students led huge protests that shut down parts of the city for weeks. After the protests failed to achieve any of the demonstrators demands, many people who had taken part in them, including Leung, concluded that Hong Kong had to rewrite the rules that governed its ties to mainland China, which under President Xi Jinping has undertaken a widespread crackdown on civil society. The disappearance last year of five Hong Kong booksellers, who had published rumor-filled volumes critical of Chinas rulers, further convinced many here that the one country, two systems arrangement which guaranteed the territory a separate political system for its first 50 years under Chinese rule, until 2047 was in grave danger. More and more Hong Kong people saw that if we followed the Basic Law and one country, two systems we would see there is no chance for a democratic election, said Benny Tai, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong who was one of the leading figures in the protests. Beijing and the Hong Kong government have made it clear that independence is out of the question. But many residents appear to take little heed. A poll taken in July by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that 17 percent of residents supported independence. Among young people ages 15 to 24, that percentage rose to 39 percent, with about a third expressing ambivalence and only 26 percent opposed. Last month, in a move that many denounced as an affront to the rule of law, five candidates were barred from appearing on the ballot on Sunday because they were seen as supporting Hong Kongs separation from China. Candidates were required to sign documents pledging loyalty to the Basic Law. One of the barred candidates, Edward Leung, threw his support behind Baggio Leung, who was running in the same district. (The two are not related.) It is unclear why Baggio Leung and other candidates who have advocated self-determination were allowed to run; Baggio Leung said he was strategically avoiding any direct calls for independence until after the election. The apparent surge in support for so-called localists like Baggio Leung comes even as the broader pro-democratic bloc in the Legislative Council is in danger of losing seats. Thirty of the councils 70 seats are not decided by a vote of the general public, but by professional and social groups, including accountants, labor unions, travel agents, doctors and architects. Those functional constituencies are dominated by loyalists to the Chinese government. The other 40 seats are based on geography, but there are multiple lawmakers in each district. The upshot is that like-minded candidates often wind up running against one another. Many so-called pan-democrats will appear on the same ballots Sunday, which threatens to dilute their share of the vote and cost them key seats. That means they could lose their ability to block important legislation, said Suzanne Pepper, a longtime China scholar who analyzes Hong Kong politics. Meanwhile, local pro-Beijing parties supporters of a government that is avowedly opposed to free elections have in recent years become adept at the art of retail politics. They benefit from strong party discipline, support from Beijing and considerable financial backing from the local business community. But they also work hard to appeal to voters. One of their rising stars, Holden Chow, took part in a U.S. State Department program in 2012 that allowed him to observe President Barack Obamas re-election campaign up close. In my election platform, I make it very clear that I am against the independence movement, so I would uphold one country, two systems, Chow said. That would be the best for Hong Kong. This year, Chow, 37, could win a council seat for the first time. He is campaigning on a platform intended to appeal to older and more conservative residents, including opposition to same-sex marriage and unwavering support for the current government system. His picture is plastered on the sides of minibuses across Hong Kong. They have learned very well, Pepper said of the pro-Beijing parties mastering electoral politics. They have taken to it like ducks to water. For Baggio Leung, support for Beijing and its backers translates into a slow slide toward a future in which there are no elections. Fanling, where he campaigned Wednesday, is just two subway stops from the Chinese border. Across that border, in nearby Guangzhou, several activists who expressed support for the protests in 2014 were given long prison sentences this year. In Leungs view, such developments are a sobering view of a possible future for Hong Kong, one where political dissent is no longer tolerated. We thought China would become more like Hong Kong in the years that followed the handover, not the other way around, Leung said. On August 11, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced its rejection of petitions to reschedule marijuana, an unsurprising, but disappointing, decision. Currently designated a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the prohibition of marijuana has long been a central component of the vast web of federal, state and local government entities devoted to combating (certain) drug use. Alongside drugs like heroin and LSD, marijuana is in the most restrictive category of federal drug regulations. Officially, the DEA rejected calls to reschedule marijuana because it does not meet the criteria for currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, there is a lack of accepted safety for its use under medical supervision and it has a high potential for abuse. This determination has long been controversial, given the mounting evidence that marijuana use does provide medicinal benefits to at least some people and that marijuana use is certainly safe relative to many pharmaceutical drugs. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, over 2 million Americans are using medical marijuana in states that have legalized it for that purpose. Keeping marijuana in Schedule I shows that the DEA continues to ignore research, and places politics above science, Michael Collins, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, said in a statement following the decision. In reality, marijuana should be descheduled and states should be allowed to set their own policies. That latter point is critical. Theres an extent to which advocates should continue to push for expanded research of the medicinal benefits of marijuana, but restricting the debate and discussion to the terms and conditions of the CSA is needlessly limiting. The simple concepts of personal freedom and personal responsibility have been lost in drug policy. In a country where people are free to consume alcohol and tobacco, drugs without medical uses and with a high potential for abuse, using the force of government to punish individuals from ingesting substances like marijuana has always been peculiar. Earlier this year, Dan Baum, writing in Harpers Magazine, presented an important insight into the thinking that gave rise to modern federal drug control policy. John Ehrlichman, a key aide to President Richard Nixon, told Baum that the rationale for the war on drugs was always political in nature. We knew we couldnt make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities, Ehrlichman told Baum. Marijuana has long been the focus of the war on (some) drugs, which, over 40 years and $1 trillion later, is no closer to eradicating drug use than when it began. In 2014, there were more than 700,000 marijuana arrests, mostly for possession. Though down from the peak of 873,000 arrests in 2007, its difficult to see the public safety benefit of arresting that many people for what is at most a moral offense, depending on your perspective. Naturally, entities with a lot to lose like the DEA shouldnt be expected to voluntarily cede control over what has, in a sense, been a cash crop for them. At this point, the focus shouldnt necessarily be on rescheduling marijuana so much as descheduling it and allowing the states to decide for themselves how to deal with marijuana. Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed descheduling, and perhaps support can be mustered for that. In the long-term, its also worth considering whether its necessary for the federal government to be involved in protecting Americans from themselves, and revisiting the value of the CSA. Staff columnist Sal Rodriguez can be reached at: salrodriguez@scng.com NEW YORK For 45 years, many Americans identified the Muscular Dystrophy Association with one man and one event comedian Jerry Lewis and his annual Labor Day telethon. The MDA dropped Lewis as its national chairman and telethon host in 2011, then scrapped the telethon itself last year. So how is the charity faring in this new era, as a no-telethon Labor Day approaches? The report card is mixed. On the upside, the MDAs leadership brims with enthusiasm about steps taken this year among them, expanding online outreach and fundraising, and pledging to double spending on research toward drug development and clinical trials to better combat a range of muscle-debilitating diseases. We expect more new treatments and therapies in next five years than in the past 50 years combined, said Steve Derks, the MDAs president since 2013. On the downside is a challenging financial picture. In its latest report to the IRS, the MDA said it received contributions totaling about $135 million in 2014. According to data compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, thats down from a peak of $183.5 million in 2007. The data also shows the MDA slipping in comparison to other U.S. charities it ranked 32nd in 1991 in terms of private donations, and fell to 192nd in 2014. The impact has been tangible. The MDA says its staff is now about 800, compared to about 1,200 a decade ago, and the funds invested in research dropped from $37 million in 2006 to $18.5 million in 2014. Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, said the MDAs decision to abandon the telethon in favor of new, online-based fundraising methods epitomized the challenges faced by many long-established charities. Everything a nonprofit does these days could have the potential of turning off one of the groups thats been very loyal, she said. How do they reach a new generation of donors while not losing their longtime supporters? In the beginning The MDAs ties with Lewis date back almost to its founding in 1950. The next year, Lewis and his comic partner Dean Martin mentioned the charity on their NBC show, and they hosted a telethon in 1956. Lewis began hosting the telethon regularly in 1966 and continued through 2010. Guest stars over the years included Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and Celine Dion. In its peak years, the telethon ran for more than 21 hours, with the tuxedo-clad Lewis pushing himself to exhaustion before ending with his schmaltzy rendition of Youll Never Walk Alone. Lewis abrupt exit, announced by the MDA a month before the 2011 telethon, was never fully explained, though it was clear that the declining reach of broadcast TV was a factor. The rift was patched over last January when Lewis taped a message for the charitys launch of its new logo and motto, Live Unlimited. Families have disagreements, families make up, said the MDAs chief spokeswoman, Roxan Olivas. We would not be where we are today without him. Helpless victims Over 45 years, the telethon raised nearly $2 billion, according to the MDA. But the event had critics notably people with muscular dystrophy who said they were being made objects of pity. We objected to the telethons damaging narrative that depicted disabled people as nothing more than helpless victims, activist Mike Ervin wrote an online post last year. The MDAs current messaging emphasizes barrier-breaking and self-reliance. Embodying that spirit is 25-year-old Joe Akmakjian of Fort Collins, Colo., who this year became the first adult named as the MDAs national goodwill ambassador. Akmakjian, who has used a power wheelchair since he was 3, graduated from Colorado State University in 2013 and works as director of marketing and client relations at a pain management clinic. Akmakjian says that when he was little, his parents were warned by a doctor that he wouldnt live past age 12. Last year, he celebrated the doubling of that life expectancy by going skydiving, strapped to his instructor for the jump. His loyalty to the MDA dates back to childhood, when he attended summer camps run by the charity. Going to camp the first time was really scary for me Id never been cared for by anyone besides by mom, he said. Camp opened my eyes to the future I might have living independently, living life my way, on my terms. Camp serves 10,000 The camp program, which serves roughly 3,800 children each summer at no charge, is one of three main components of the MDAs work, along with funding of research and operating a nationwide network of more than 150 care centers. The centers serve about 100,000 people annually; the MDA hopes to boost that to 150,000 by 2020. The MDA was among numerous health-oriented charities which took note of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the 2014 phenomenon that become a social-media sensation. It raised $115 million to boost the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known in the U.S. as Lou Gehrigs disease. The MDA cited the challenge last year when it announced the end of its telethon, saying it would seek new, creative and organic ways to support our mission. One of the new initiatives was launched this summer: a six-week online awareness and fundraising campaign that included live music performances, online games, and opportunities for families affected by muscular dystrophy to share inspirational stories. The MDA would like to improve its rating with Charity Navigator , a charity-assessment group. It gives the MDA two stars out of four in its latest ratings, saying it could do better on various financial criteria, including spending less of its revenue on fundraising operations. Steve Derks, the MDAs president, wishes the charity-rating groups were able to gauge how well charities carry out their mission. Theres nothing to measure the impact that the MDA has had on the thousands of children whove gone through our summer camps the impact weve had on their confidence, their ability to live a full life, he said. Mission Viejo resident Michael Traynham can officially say hes done it all in the realm of Scouting. The 17-year old was recently honored by his Lake Forest-based Eagle Scout troop, as well as Lake Forest Mayor Andrew Hamilton, for earning every merit badge available as an Eagle Scout. Traynham, a Mission Viejo High senior, has a story for every one and along the way he learned the importance of having support and surrounding himself with those who aided him along his journey. In five years, Traynham earned 141 merit badges, five of which are no longer available. He is the newest member of about 320 Eagle Scouts in the history of the organization to earn all possible merit badges. To compare, earning the rank of Eagle Scout requires Scout members to earn 21 merit badges. Earning those merit badges has taken Traynham and his family to different parts of the country, including North Carolina, Texas and New Mexico. On Monday night, Traynham sat down with his troop leader, Dave Klein, at Saddleback Church to sign off on his final merit badge: backpacking. Traynham completed the task in New Mexico, where he hiked 75 miles in 10 days and set up camp in between. After meeting with his troop on Monday, Traynham and his father, Mike, along with other members of his troop, were on their way to San Pedro to take a bus to San Diego and hop aboard a naval ship. Its just another learning experience for a young man who never turned down an opportunity to grow, and never gave up in the process. We sat down with Traynham to ask five questions about his journey. Q. How did you get into Boy Scouts? A. I was a Cub Scout for a few weeks and that path just started falling apart, so I did something called Indian Guides, which was like Scouts, until I was in middle school. And then when I got into the seventh grade, my dad talked to me about joining the Boy Scouts. I thought, Ok, that gives me something to do. Q. Did you have an idea beforehand that you wanted to accomplish this feat or did it come about over time? A. At first, I thought, Im going to get the required amount of merit badges and be done, but after doing merit badges, I wanted to see what the others had in store, what different experiences were out there. Q. What was the most challenging merit badge to earn and why? How did you overcome the challenge? A. Probably backpacking, mostly because of the overnighters and three-day hikes. I think the only way I could accomplish that and what helped me accomplish it was the encouragement of friends and family. Q. Was there ever a point where you felt like giving up on earning a certain merit badge? How did you overcome that adversity? A. Multiple times, I thought about giving up, but the support from my friends, my family especially my mom (Vickie), shes been the driving force, the encouragement the whole way through. So, I think without the encouragement of my mom, I wouldnt have been here doing this. Q. What is the biggest takeaway from this journey of earning every merit badge? A. Most of the whole thing is, even though you think its not possible to finish, just take it slow, dont try to rush it. Take it step by step and just take as long as you need. Contact the writer: npercy@scng.com The art of wooing millennials is a pivotal scene in a much larger script for traditional employers looking to cast the next generation of workers. Millennials are demanding more from their employers, which is why industries such as teaching and banking are having a tough time recruiting them. But theres a lesson in store for those who think they can solve the problem by merely indulging these free spirits. Millennials personal approach to their work doesnt mean cutting loose for a long weekend or lowering dress standards, but rather raising moral standards to raise the workplace to a new ideal that of the benevolent institution. Millennials have allowed themselves to be analyzed and stereotyped almost to the point of caricature: Theyre social, tech-savvy, creative and unmoored from traditional institutions. Not surprisingly, the banking industry has struggled to enlist this generation of freethinkers. We go to conferences, and theres not a single person under 50 there, said David Misch, CEO of Community Bank, in a recent interview with the Register Editorial Board, voicing concerns about the future of a short-staffed banking industry. The banking industry has tried to solve this problem by looking less like a bank: Relaxed dress codes and references to banking apps rule the day. And this millennial-speak works to a point. Some millennials are entering banking careers, proving that independence is not always the cardinal rule for millennials. But something typically millennial happened to these new employees: They didnt stay, reflecting the trend of career attrition throughout their demographic. A May Gallup poll found that 93 percent of millennials have left an employer, and a LinkedIn study estimates that the average millennial will have four jobs in their first 10 years in the workforce. Its possible that millennials decided that, despite the relaxed dress codes and emphasis on personal relationships, careers like banking werent as fun or personally fulfilling as they were billed to be. But this interpretation doesnt hold up in light of similarly high attrition rates in teaching, a profession that seems tailor-made for a generation for whom making a difference is more important than making a million. The California Learning Policy Institute cites some of the same causes and solutions for the teacher shortage that Misch does. In 2014, fewer than 25,000 students were enrolled in teacher preparation programs, down from more than 75,000 in 2002. This leads some educators to think that education should be made more millennial-friendly to entice young people into the workforce. But the real problem for the teaching profession makes itself known after commencement. Young teachers, faced with complications inside and outside the classroom, are bowing out early. This career change isnt without cause. Life is certainly rough in the trenches for new teachers, who often start their careers in large classrooms in low-income communities. The LPI proposes some traditional solutions to these supposedly millennial problems: better pay, more institutional support and smaller classroom sizes. These solutions suggest that millennials desire to save the world one personal relationship at a time can be mollified by the same concerns that affect any employee. Young teachers move on from teaching to chase a career with a better income and a more supportive work environment which is reasonable, but doesnt fit the millennial martyr-for-change script. So what type of work environment will entice millennials to stay? Revisiting the study about millennials dream employers shows that their preferred jobs are not about working at the cutting edge of innovation, or even about finding independence. Theyre about grandeur on an entirely different scale: the moral status of entire institutions. In a 2011 Universum study about millennials preferred work environments, independent, cool companies like Google rated at the top of the list. But closely following them was an institution that is as entrenched as they come: the U.S. State Department. A 2014 Brookings report explains the studys findings in this way: Outside of the high-tech sector, the type of employers that were most appealing to millennials as a place to work were those whose mission is to change the world for the better. For a generation that no longer attends church or votes consistently, the weight of millennials social capital falls on their work, which they expect to provide not only personal, but societal, well-being. But studies of millennials financial plans show that this ideal is not divorced from the real; despite low investment and savings rates, they want the traditional house, car and retirement plan, just like other generations. Millennials are not casting themselves as baby boomers minus the suit jacket. For the next generation, the workplace is a playing field, a classroom and a mission field. For millennials, an office is still an office and then some. Hannah Niemeier is an editorial assistant at the Orange County Register. With Orange Countys median home price at $657,500 it was simply a matter of time for million dollar rental homes to be trending. Removing flips (buy, fix-up and immediately sell) from the query, 861 single family, 1-4 unit Orange County properties with at least a $1 million price tag were sold to investors in just the first half of 2016, according to David LaPlante, chief marketing officer at Property Radar. The million dollar rental questions I tend to get on a much more frequent basis are from folks who have a boatload of equity in existing rentals, not people plunking down significant savings. Mission Viejo resident Rob Earnest and his fiancee are planning on selling their separately owned Oregon rentals through the 1031 exchange process and purchasing one larger Orange County rental home with their tax-deferred proceeds. We see an opportunity in todays local market just above the $1 million level, said Earnest. It seems that properties in this price range are taking longer to sell, and we believe that there are some enticing choices. Take equity and buy something bigger. The whole game is (avoiding) income tax, said Jeff Hiphsman, CPA and partner at Tustin based HMWC CPAs and advisors. A 1031 exchange (Internal Revenue code section) may allow you to defer capital gains taxes when you sell your rental for a profit and reinvest the proceeds in a similar property. Hiphsman explained that you have to at least replace the equity and debt on the property you are selling and exchanging. For example, if your rental sold for $600,000 and you had a $300,000 mortgage on it, you must purchase another rental for a sales price of $600,000 or more and slap a $300,000 or larger loan on the up-leg property. To defer any capital gains taxes, dont touch the proceeds. If you are not concurrently closing the property you are selling and the property you are purchasing, then a qualified intermediary or accommodator must be used. Even though you might be buying one replacement property, Hipshman said, you should identify three replacement properties within 45 days of the sale of in case your first choice transaction falls apart. You must close escrow 180 days. Besides positive cash flow and property appreciation, you also realize an annual income tax deduction by depreciating the building value only (land value is not depreciable) of the rental over 27.5 years, which is considered the useful life of the rental. Assume the building value of your rental (according to the property tax assessors office, for example) is $1 million dollars. The deduction is $36,363 per year ($1 million divided by 27.5). Exhausting the depreciation (be at 27.5 years or sooner) is another reason landlords think about exchanging to more expensive rentals. Always consult with your tax advisor to be certain you are complying with the rules of the IRS road. Mortgage broker Jeff Lazerson can be reached at 949-334-2424 or jlazerson@mortgagegrader.com or on Twitter: @mortgagegrader_. CAMP PENDLETON Lt. Erick Pederson, leader of the 5th Marine Regiments recoilless rifle platoon, paid $250 for a small chestnut Mongolian horse at a Seoul racetrack during the Korean War. In Marine jargon, recoilless rifles were known as reckless rifles. And thats how the mare got her name Reckless. The Marines trained her to carry 75 mm recoilless rifle rounds. She would lie down during incoming fire and pick her way through barbed wire. Reckless would go into mess halls and eat pancakes with maple syrup, and shed hang out with Marines in tents and drink beer. She earned more than her stripes when the Chinese attacked the Vegas outpost about 60 miles north of Seoul in March 1953. Few Marines who serve at Camp Pendleton know the story of Staff Sgt. Reckless a heroic horse who some consider the symbol of an often-forgotten conflict. But in October, a bronze likeness of the highly decorated mare, who served beginning in 1952 with Camp Pendletons 5th Marine Regiment in Korea and later at the base, will be unveiled. Reckless is the only horse to be buried with full military honors at the Stepp Stables on the base. She also was awarded two Purple Hearts and is the only animal ever awarded an official rank in the Marine Corps. She came to be the symbol of the real heroic actions in that difficult war, said retired Marine Col. Richard B. Rothwell, president of the Camp Pendleton Historical Society. She persevered and didnt give up. The statue will be placed on a knoll overlooking the ocean at the Pacific View Events Center near the bases main gate. The statue is similar to one unveiled in honor of Reckless in July 2013 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia. It was dedicated as part of a 60-year anniversary commemoration marking the end of the Korean War. For Robin Hutton, a Camarillo-based writer who uncovered the horses story and in 2014 wrote a book, Sgt. Reckless: Americas War Horse, the quiet unofficial groundbreaking Monday at the base meant everything. In January 2014, after helping pay for the statue at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, she approached Rothwell with plans to permanently honor Reckless on the base where she last served and is buried. Rothwell knew the horses legacy well. It was his father, Col. Richard Rothwell, then commanding officer of the 5th Marine Regiment, who promoted Reckless to staff sergeant at Camp Pendleton. It took more than two years to secure the funds and get authorization from the base commander, the Marine Corps headquarters and the secretary of the Navy, but the $165,000 statue will be dedicated on Oct. 26 the day, 63 years ago, that Reckless started her service in the Marine Corps. The night before the groundbreaking, I thanked God and Reckless, said Hutton, who will contribute more than $50,000 from book sale proceeds and from her Staff Sgt. Reckless online store. Rothwell and the historical society will have raised at least $95,000. The Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group has contributed $5,000. Even at the groundbreaking, I was thanking everyone and the new base commander, Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, for coming, Hutton said. To see the love and support for her on the base is so exciting. Hutton considers Reckless story the greatest horse story ever, surpassing those of Seabiscuit, an undersized Depression-era racehorse, and Triple Crown winner Secretariat. She came across the story 10 years ago in Chicken Soup for the Horse Lovers Soul and was stunned to find only a few references to the horse from the 1960s and 70s. She started a website and tracked down Marines who served with Reckless in Korea or at Camp Pendleton. In 2012, she spearheaded the campaign for the monument at the Marine Corps museum and hired Washington state artist Jocelyn Russell to create it. Hutton remembers seeing Marines at the ceremony who served with Reckless choking back tears when they saw her statue. For Rothwell, Reckless is not only a poignant reminder of heroism but part of his family legacy. He remembers the stories his father told him about the horse when he was a teen. One of his fathers favorites was about the Battle for Outpost Vegas in March 1953, when the Chinese attacked the strategic position. The battle raged for five days, and more than 150 Marines were killed and 701 wounded and evacuated. Reckless went to the battlefront on her own. She had been taught to memorize the route, Rothwell said. During one of these days, Reckless took 51 trips carrying ammunition to the front lines and wounded Marines back, he said. She was wounded twice and she never stopped. It was such a heroic effort, her Marines made her a corporal. Later, she was promoted to sergeant. In 1954, the 1st Marine Division returned from Korea. Reckless was put on a ship and arrived in San Francisco on Nov. 9. She left the ship on Nov. 10 the Marine Corps birthday bound for Camp Pendleton. Thats when Rothwells father became part of Reckless story. He promoted her to staff sergeant. When she had her first foal, he held a naming contest among his Marines. He didnt like the selections and made himself the chief namer, calling the foal Fearless. Reckless would go on to have two more foals, Dauntless and Chesty. In 1959, Gen. Randolph McCall Pate, then commandant of the Marine Corps, awarded her a final promotion to a higher level of staff sergeant. Reckless continued to take part in regimental ceremonies until she died at nearly 20 years old, on May 13, 1968, after an injury on the base. Reckless recently was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal, considered the animal equivalent of the United Kingdoms Victoria Cross and the highest honor an animal can receive for military service. U.S. Embassy attache Lieut. Col. Michael Skaggs accepted the award on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps on July 27, marking the 63rd anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Lucca, a Camp Pendleton war dog, also was recently honored with the medal. The German shepherd had 400 successful missions protecting the lives of thousands of troops during her six years of service. She is retired and lives with her handler, Gunnery Sgt. Chris Willingham, and his family in Vista. I love that animals are getting this kind of notice, Hutton said. They both gave their all for their country. Both did what the men around them did. For Reckless, the Marines became her herd she followed anywhere. For Lucca, the Marines were her pack. Hutton said she has plans to work with Russell to create a statue to honor Lucca. But beyond the recognition for Reckless, both Hutton and Rothwell say, her statue will mean something broader. In a larger sense, it symbolizes the contributions of all Marines who fought in this forgotten war, Rothwell said. Its not just a representation of her but of the many men who fought and died in Korea. Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com or Twitter:@lagunaini SANTA ANA Two Orange County men were sentenced Thursday to more than four years in a Connecticut federal prison for their part in a loan modification scheme that bilked about 1,000 victims out of about $3 million. Serj Geutssoyan, 34, of Santa Ana, was sentenced to 52 months and Daniel Shiau, 30, of Irvine, received a 58-month term, according to federal prosecutors. The two defendants were part of an alleged scheme in California that targeted Connecticut residents, prosecutors said. They were salesmen who would cold-call distressed homeowners and offer adjustments to the terms of their home loans. The victims were charged about $2,500 to $4,300, but didnt receive any assistance with negotiating new terms for their mortgages, prosecutors said. SAN CLEMENTE Curator Barry Haun walks among the art and new products showcased this week at the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, an exhibit that tells a story about transformation and surf gear. One item of note: earrings. Theyre vibrant, the colors similar to what youd see in the sea; blue and teal and fushia. But theyre made of the thick resin that youd find on the floor of a surfboard shape room. Theyre surf goo reincarnated as fashionable jewelry. And thats the recurring theme in this exhibit of art, surfwear and surf gear called Plastics to Fantastic. Part of the message is this: Surfing isnt a particularly environmentally-friendly sport. A surfboard, for example, typically is created out of nonrecyclable foam and harsh chemicals. Wetsuits are made of neoprene, a petroleum-based rubber. Even sunscreen has compounds that damage microorganisms essential to balance the oceans ecosystem. But another part of the message is this: It doesnt have to be that way. Item after item shows how the surf industry is trying to reduce its footprint in nature. Haun, a surfer, indicated that its as much about mindset and consumer choice as it is about technology and innovation. We need to become more responsible. We as surfers, thats our playground, he said. Not only does (ocean pollution) affect us directly, it affects everybody. Its just becoming aware and responsible and making wiser choices. As surfers, we like to think of ourselves as eco-warriors., he said. But the products we use arent very environmentally friendly. Some of the exceptions are on display. Patagonias first-of-its kind non-neoprene wetsuit is made of natural rubber and plants sourced from Guatemala. The Ventura-based company says using natural rubber reduces the CO2 emitted in wetsuit manufacturing by up to about 80 percent. Neoprene is nasty stuff, but for a long time we had no alternative, said Hub Hubbard, Patagonias wetsuit development manager, in a press statement announcing the product release. Another item, part of the Ecoboard Project, is a board by San Clemente-based Lost Surfboards. Its made out of a plant-based resin and recycled Styrofoam from Marko Foam in Irvine. Pro surfers are winning contests on eco surfboards, said Kevin Whilden, co-founder of Sustainable Surf, a nonprofit that is setting eco-oriented manufacturing standards and testing for surf products. There are no drawbacks. If you can get a board thats environmentally friendly, why not do it? Whilden said his groups goal is to transform the surf culture into a force to protect the ocean. He said that while the surf industry has plenty of room for improvement, its also on the forefront of environmental innovation, in part because the customers surfers treat the environment as natures playground. Haun agreed. But he also said consumers shift culture, and surfers need to improve in this regard, too. Once the public demands (environmentally sensitive surf products), there will be a lot more of it, he said. Right now, the public isnt as discerning as they should be. Some of the products in this exhibit include boardshorts made up of recycled material. The makers include some of the industrys bigger brands: Hurley, Quiksilver, Vissla. Another was a mobile, a bit of hanging art made out of old boat parts. Haun noted that information is key to being a smart, environmentally-minded consumer. As part of researching the exhibit he learned that plastic supermarket bags initially were created as a safer, cleaner, recyclable alternative to paper bags. At the time, paper mills were viewed (correctly) as a key source of pollution, and plastic bags were seen as an antidote to that. Nobody knew that the bags would wind up in the ocean, and create a bigger problem. Its part of why he chose a non-artist group to exhibit at the show. The Surfrider Foundation is participating, offering information about ocean health and pollution. They are at the forefront, really leading public awareness that we need to recycle and make better choices, Haun said. Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com RIO DE JANEIRO The permanent ouster of deeply unpopular President Dilma Rousseff by Brazils Senate means that a man who is arguably just as unpopular is now faced with trying to ease the wounds of a divided nation mired in recession. Long known as an uncharismatic backroom wheeler-dealer, Michel Temer inherits a shrinking economy, a Zika virus outbreak that has ravaged poor northeastern states, and political instability fed by a sprawling corruption probe that has tarred much of the countrys political and business elite Temer included. So far, he has struggled in the nearly four months he has served as interim president after Rousseffs May impeachment, which suspended her from office while a final trial was prepared. The Senates 61-20 vote Wednesday to permanently remove her means Temer, who had been her vice president, will serve out her term, which ends in late 2018. Just hours after Rousseff was removed, Temer assured the nation his administration was up to the task. From today on, the expectations are much higher for the government. I hope that in these two years and four months, we do what we have declared put Brazil back on track, he said. Temer also denied the proceedings were a coup against Rousseff, which she repeatedly claimed throughout the process. Putschist is you, he said, referring to Rousseff. Its you who is breaking the constitution. Temer said he planned to attend the G20 meetings in China this weekend, mentioning bilateral meetings that leaders from Spain, Japan, Italy and Saudi Arabia already have requested. We are traveling to show the world that we have political and legal stability, he said. We have to show that there is hope in the country. Whether Temer can convince Brazilians he is worth a real shot is unclear. He appeared tone-deaf with his first move in May: appointing an entirely white, male Cabinet to oversee a nation of 200 million people where more than 50 percent identify as black or mixed race. Three of Temers ministers had to quit within days of being named because of corruption allegations. And so far he has struggled to build consensus around key reforms, such as slimming the countrys pension system. Government ministers are promising progress now that interim is no longer part of his title. With the end of the interim period and a vote of more than 60 senators, the investors will start bringing jobs again, said Cabinet chief Eliseu Padilha. So far, that message hasnt resonated with most Brazilians, however. Fourteen percent said they approved of Temers performance in a July poll by Datafolha. On the flip side, 62 percent said they wanted new elections to resolve the crisis. The poll interviewed 2,792 people July 14-15 and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points. New elections first would require that Temer resign, which he has no intention of doing. Rousseff on Thursday asked the Supreme Federal Court to annul her ouster, though legal experts said that was unlikely. The courts top justice presided over her trial. Republican John Cruz says he wants to be won over by Donald Trump, but the candidate is making it hard. And Trumps speech Wednesday outlining a self-deportation approach for the countrys 11 million immigrants here illegally didnt help. Its a more difficult decision than it should be for a partisan like me, the San Clemente lawyer said of his selection process. This is a real soul-searching time. Theres still the optimist in me that wants to believe well deal with immigration in a humane way, that he might allow people to stay after all. Cruz isnt alone among Republican Latinos torn between party loyalty and reservations about Trump. Huntington Parks Rosario Marin, U.S. treasurer under President George W. Bush, has called Trump a perilous threat to our party. At least one member of Trumps recently formed Hispanic Advisory Council jumped ship because of the immigration positions staked out by the nominee at a Phoenix rally Wednesday. Most of those positions were consistent with past statements, including his claim that he would make Mexico pay for a massive wall the length of the southern U.S. border and he would immediately deport immigrants living here illegally who had committed crimes once in the country. But many Latinos were hoping that Trump would back off a previously stated strategy of mass deportation of all 11 million immigrants here illegally and outline a path for legal residency. Instead, Trump said those in the country illegally would have to return to their country of origin before they would be eligible for legal status in the U.S., a plan similar to the self-deportation approach suggested by Republican Mitt Romney in his failed 2012 presidential bid. I gave Donald TRUMP a Plan that would improve border security, remove hardened criminal aliens and most importantly give work authority to the millions of honest, hardworking immigrants in the U.S., Trump advisory board member Jacob M. Monty, a Houston immigration attorney, wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday night. He rejected that tonight and so I must reject him. Tonight he was not a Republican but a populist, modern day Father Coughlin who demonized immigrants. San Clementes Mario Rodriguez, who last year co-signed a letter from Latino Republicans saying they would never support Trump, was the sole California member on Trumps advisory council. He did not return calls for comment. Solid supporters Trump trails Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton among Latino voters 66 percent to 20 percent nationwide, according to a Fox News poll. The numbers are likely similar in California, where Latino Democrats have a 57 percent to 15 percent advantage over their Republican counterparts in voter registration, according to Political Data Inc. Latino Republican leaders like Cruz, Marin and Monty have been encouraging the party to support a path to legal residency for immigrants here illegally. Many believe that would help the party become more attractive to Latinos. But there are also Republican Latinos, like Chino Hills Maria Dadian, who remain steadfastly supportive of Trump and his approach to campaigning. Hes outspoken, and what you see is what you get, said the retired Artesia city manager, a legal immigrant from Mexico. He cares for the people of this country. Im not offended by what he says. If you are, you need to deal with your own issues. Dadian particularly applauded Trumps Wednesday meeting and public appearance with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. It made me proud to see two mature men talking about mutual problems, she said. Santa Anas Lupe Moreno, a longtime Republican activist, says her backing of Trump was buoyed by his immigration speech. I was really worried about what he would say, that he would back down, said the office manager. He said everything I wanted him to say. Once you talk strong, you cant back down. Hes a mans man. He reminds me of John Wayne. Dan Schnur, director of USCs Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, said Trumps speech Wednesday was designed not to attract those on the fence but to shore up his base which is not Latino. Historically, white, working-class men have not turned out to vote in particularly high numbers, he said. Trumps only chance of winning in November is to turn out that support base in very large numbers. Experience worries Trumps immigration plan isnt what most concerns real estate broker and Lake Elsinore City Councilman Steve Manos. Although he agrees there needs to be more deterrents to illegal immigration, he isnt sure self-deportation is appropriate or that a wall is feasible. He applauds Trump for shining a light on the immigration issue and on U.S. trade deals. But he says hes considering a vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson because of Trumps inexperience. Hes clearly not very well-educated about the way the political system works, Manos said about Trump. Influencing politicians with campaign contributions is all he knows. Over the past year, hes not bridged that gap. He has a lack of knowledge of the military and foreign policy. Manos has family on both sides of the border. He said many Latinos passionate dislike of Trump can muzzle pro-Trump sentiment in the Latino community. If we seem like were dancing on a high wire if theres a reticence thats why. San Clemente attorney Cruz said that if he votes for Trump, it wont be so much because he likes the nominee but because he dislikes Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he calls a liar. He said the decision could come down to his desire to have conservatives appointed to the Supreme Court. Cruz also has weighed in on what Trump means for the future of the Republican Party. If Mr. Trump gets elected, the party will get remade in his image and that could be a good thing, depending on how he evolves, Cruz said. Most of the criticisms of past losses have been that weve been too moderate. If he loses, therell be the soul-searching of what we could have done better. That could mean working harder to attract Latinos. If Latinos could have provided a margin of victory, I think its only natural that we ask if we caused ourselves to lose the election. As for those on either side who predict doom for the country if the wrong candidate wins, Cruz is unworried. I have faith in this country and its ability to survive and thrive regardless of whos elected. Staff writer Brenda Gazzar contributed to this story. Contact the writer: mwisckol@ocregister.com SAN FRANCISCO A former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside a fraternity house will be released from jail Friday after serving half a six-month sentence that critics denounced as too lenient. Brock Turners case ignited fierce debate over campus rape and the criminal justice system. It led California lawmakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and prompted an effort to recall the judge. The 21-year-old told authorities he plans to live with his parents in his native Ohio, where he must register as a sex offender for life. Lawyers say the requirement will make it difficult for him to find jobs and housing. Here are some questions and answers about Turners impending release: WHAT WAS TURNERS CRIME? Turner sexually assaulted a woman in the early morning hours of Jan. 18, 2015. Turner and the victim drank heavily at a fraternity party before leaving together. About 30 yards from the frat house, she passed out near a trash bin. Two graduate students passing by on bicycles saw Turner assaulting her; they confronted him, then pinned him down when he tried to flee and called police. Turner, then an Olympic hopeful, unsuccessfully argued that the encounter was consensual. He was convicted of three sexual assault felonies, including digital penetration of an unconscious woman. WHAT WAS HIS SENTENCE? Six months in jail, three years of probation and registering as a sex offender for life. Turner faced a minimum sentence of two years in prison, and prosecutors argued for six years. Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the extraordinary circumstances of Turners youth, clean criminal record and other considerations in departing from the minimum sentence. The judge followed the probation departments recommendation for a moderate jail sentence, saying prison would have a severe impact on Turner and he likely will not be a danger to others. Critics argue the sentence minimized sexual assault on college campuses and called attention to inequality in the courts. They say Turners ability to hire an experienced criminal attorney set him apart from many defendants who rely on overworked public defenders. WHY DID THE CASE GENERATE SO MUCH ATTENTION? Buzzfeed published the victims powerful statement that quickly circulated on social media. She read it before Turners June 2 sentencing, noting probation officials took into account his lost swimming career in its recommendation to the judge. How fast Brock swims does not lessen the severity of what happened to me, and should not lessen the severity of his punishment, the victim said. The fact that Brock was an athlete at a private university should not be seen as an entitlement to leniency, but as an opportunity to send a message that sexual assault is against the law regardless of social class. CNN anchor Ashleigh Banford read the entire 7,200-word statement on air and members of Congress took turns reading it aloud on the House floor. Vice President Joe Biden wrote a public letter to the victim saying, I do not know your name but your words are forever seared on my soul. The woman has not spoken publicly. The furor grew after letters surfaced that Turners family and friends wrote urging the judge to be lenient. Turners father lamented that his sons life was ruined by 20 minutes of action and his grandparents complained that Brock is the only person being held accountable for the actions of other irresponsible adults. WHY IS TURNER GETTING RELEASED AFTER ONLY THREE MONTHS? Turner, like nearly all California jail inmates, will be released after serving half his sentence. As long as jail inmates stay out of trouble behind bars, they generally get two days of credit for every day served. WHATS THE FALLOUT? The California Assembly voted 66-0 Monday to make a prison sentence mandatory for the same crime Turner committed. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has not said whether he would sign it. Judge Persky is facing a recall effort, with organizers saying they will begin collecting signatures in April to try to qualify the issue for the November 2017 ballot. A womens advocacy group has filed a formal misconduct complaint with the state agency that disciplines judges. He also has voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. Prosecutors earlier removed him from an unrelated sex assault case. WHERE WILL TURNER LIVE? Turner is expected to return to his parents home near Dayton, where he grew up and excelled as a high school swimmer. Ohio prison officials have agreed to take over monitoring Turner, and he is required to register as a sex offender with the county sheriff. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time. He will be subjected to random drug and alcohol tests and required to attend substance abuse counseling. He is required to pay his victim restitution, which has not yet been determined. Most significant, he is required to register as a sex offender for life. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER? He must complete a sex-offender counseling class for one to three years. He cannot live near schools, parks and other places where children congregate. He will be barred from working with children in any capacity. He will be required to submit to random polygraph tests and waive patient-counselor confidentiality privileges. His name, photo and address will be publicly available on Ohios online sex offender registry. The local sheriff plans to send postcards to Turners neighbors informing them that a sex offender has moved in nearby. Turner has to check in with the sheriff every three months and is subject to random searches of his home. He must seek permission from law enforcement to travel out of state, lawyers say. IS TURNER APPEALING HIS CONVICTION? Turners trial lawyer indicated he would. Court records show Solomon Robert Wollack is representing Turner through the Sixth District Appellate Program, which provides court-appointed appeals attorneys to defendants who cant afford them. Wollack said the appeals court has not yet received the trial record, so we are still very early in the process at this time. He declined further comment. SAN FRANCISCO A few protesters jeered Brock Turner as he left a California jail Friday after serving half his term for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman at Stanford University. Turner left Santa Clara County jail shortly after 6 a.m. Turner, who kept his head down and didnt acknowledge the media, was carrying a large packet of hate mail sent to him during his incarceration. The 21-year-old must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation. A local television station followed the rented SUV that picked him up to a nearby hotel where he checked in with his parents. He plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. More protesters began gathering in front of the nearby courthouse to advocate for the ouster of the judge who gave Turner a six-month sentence. Turners case exploded into the spotlight when a statement from the victim swept across social media and critics decried the sentence as too lenient. He was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a trash bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party in January 2015. Turner plans to appeal. California jail inmates with good behavior typically serve half their sentences. The name Goat Yoga can be a bit misleading, but no, its not yoga for goats, but yoga for humans on a picturesque farm in Oregon where practitioners can relax in the presence of adorable friendly goats. Lainey Morse, who owns the No Regrets Farm, in Willamette Valley, Oregon, had worked as a photographer for 10 years, but last year, after dealing with some health problems, she decided to quit shooting portraiture and focus on starting a business around her farm. She has been hosting various outdoor events, and at a recent childrens birthday party, one of the parents, who happened to be a yoga instructor, asked if she could hold a class there. Morse agreed, and the class turned out to be a huge hit, with some people driving over 100 miles from Portland just so they could take part. Photo: Lainey Morse The No Regrets Farm offers great scenery and fresh air, but the stars of the unique yoga class were the friendly, attention-seeking goats walking among the yoga practitioners and asking to be stroked. Photos taken during the event show the adorable animals a mixture of Nigerian dwarf and pygmy goats interacting with participants, lying down next to them or even on top of them. Photo: Lainey Morse My goats are just very peaceful animals and everyone that comes over leaves stress free and happy, Morse wrote on her website. When they chew their cud its almost like they go into a meditative state and its very soothing to watch and its perfect to combine with Yoga Photo: Lainey Morse The feedback for the original Goat Yoga session was so overwhelmingly positive that Morse now has two more sessions scheduled for this month one on September 10 and the second on September 24. I think its really special but I do realize that it makes me look a little crazy, thats okay, she writes. Id probably agree that Goat Yoga seems a little crazy, but only if I didnt know several way crazier types of yoga, like beer yoga, laughter yoga, rage yoga or broga (yoga for dudes). So yeah, this is pretty tame on the craziness scale. Sources: Oregon Live, Wide Open Pets Tired of wasting 14 minutes driving to work every day, a crafty locksmith from the Czech Republic managed to cut his commute time in half by building himself an airplane and flying to work. 45-year-old Frantisek Hadrava, from the south-western Czech village of Zdikov, used to drive for 12-14 minutes for his 6 a.m. shift at Drevostroj, a small factory in the town of Ckyne, but he thought that was too long. So he spent the last two years building himself an ultralight plane based on the U.S.-design of Mini-Max planes. Now, whenever the weather permits it, instead of hopping in his car, he gets into the open cockpit plane and flies to his workplace in just seven minutes. It takes me about 12-14 minutes by car, Hadrava told Reuters. By plane, it would take around 4-5 minutes if I flew directly, but I take a bit of a detour so that I dont disturb people early in the morning. So it takes about 7 minutes. Photo: video screengrab Youre probably wonder where Frantisek parks his airplane when he gets to work. After landing on a meadow across the road from the factory, he simply pushes the aircraft to a parking lot just outside his workplace. Since the plane is made almost entirely of wood, pushing it is apparently a lot easier than it looks. It occupies about four car parking spaces, but his co-workers dont seem to mind too much yet. The 175-kilogram propeller airplane, named Vampira, is powered by a 3-cylinder engine, has a fuel consumption of 6 litres of petrol per hour and can reach a top speed of 91 km/h. Those are pretty impressive specks for a home-made plane that reportedly cost just 100,000 Czech Koruna ($4,150) to build. Hadrava, who has previously built a functional replica of the German World War One triplane Fokker Dr. I, says he first fell in love with airplanes when he was ten years old, after watching a television documentary on old war planes. Source: Reuters Located near Ismailia, about two hours from Egypts capital, Cairo, Serapium Forest is nothing short of an environmental miracle a 240-hectare forest of both native and non-native trees thriving in the middle of the desert. Advancing desserts have become a serious problem throughout the African continent, but a team of German and Egyptian researchers has come up with a very efficient way of stopping desertification and even reclaiming land from the dry sands. While forests have been used to stop the spread of deserts into fertile land for a very long time, the absence of rainfall makes nurturing the trees and keeping them healthy an almost impossible task in most African countries. But it turns out we dont have to rely on water falling from the sky, as waste water works even better for plants and trees not intended for human consumption. Photo: Business and Biodiversity Serapium Forest is a research collaboration between Egyptian and German scientists that started during the 1990s. They knew Egypt had important advantages over European countries, like the absence of harsh winters that could interrupt growth and fast-growing local tree species like eucalyptus, so provided they had enough water, trees would theoretically thrive even in a harsh desert environment. But compared to countries like Germany, Egypt has very little rainfall, so researchers had to come up with a sustainable solution to provide the trees with the necessary nutrients. They found the perfect answer to their problem at a nearby sewage treatment plant. Using mechanical filters and biological processes, the sewage plant cleans the wastewater from Ismailia, although not completely. Total water purification would cost too much, so compounds like phosphates and nitrates remain in the water, as do some toxins. But while the water is still contaminated for human use, for the plants its as good as any commercial fertilizer. You couldnt use it for crops intended for consumption, as the bacteria in the water could potentially contaminate fruits and vegetables, but for a forest, its perfectly safe. The water is pumped from the sewage treatment plant to Serapium Forest via hose pipes strewn across the sand dunes. Researchers found that thanks to the intense sunlight and the nutrients in the water, trees in Serapium Forest grow four times faster than they do in Germany. In only 15 years, the valuable trees are ready for harvesting, with a production of 350 cubic meters of wood per hectare. The same amount would take 60 years to harvest in Germany. That is actually one of the particularities of Serapium Forest not only is it helping the country regain desert land, but its also providing a valuable economic resource that Egypt would have otherwise had to import, while providing much needed jobs. That is key to sustainable forestation, according to Hany El-Kateb, a silviculturist at Munich Technical University, one of the masterminds behind the Serapium Forest project. We need to make it economically-viable, otherwise we cant achieve sustainability here, and thats why were also planting valuable wood here he told DW. Although 240 hectares of lush forest reclaimed from the desert may not seem very much, compared to the rate at which deserts are advancing across Africa, the phenomenon Serapium Forest serves as an example of what can be achieved through human ingenuity. Loading... OilVoice will be with you shortly... WASHINGTON Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook on Thursday aggressively fought back against a European Union ruling that the company owed Ireland up to $14.5 billion in back taxes, calling the case total political crap. In interviews with Irish media, Cook said Apple has done nothing wrong and was confident that European courts would overturn the ruling on appeal. Its maddening. Its disappointing. Its clear that this comes from a political place, Cook said in a radio interview with Irelands RTE News. When youre accused of doing something so foreign to your values it brings out an outrage in you, he said. Cook was blunter in an interview with the Irish Independent newspaper. He blasted the assertion by a top EU regulator that Apple paid a 0.005 percent tax rate in Ireland in 2014 far below the nations low 12.5 percent corporate rate. Its total political crap, Cook said of the figure. They just picked a number from I dont know where. Apple paid taxes at the 12.5 percent rate a total of $400 million in 2014, he said. After a two-year investigation triggered by a U.S. Senate probe, EU officials on Tuesday said Apple had struck an illegal deal with Ireland that allowed the tech giant to pay almost no taxes from 2003 to 2014 on profits for sales throughout the 28-nation region. Margrethe Vestager, the top competition official for the European Commission, the EUs executive body, said the deal amounted to illegal state aid to Apple from Ireland. The investigation found that Apple routed almost all the taxable profits from European sales to two Irish-based subsidiaries, which shifted the money to a head office that had no employees or facilities and was not taxed in any country. Ireland was ordered to collect up to $14.5 billion in back taxes, plus interest. The ruling drew bipartisan criticism in the U.S., with Obama administration officials saying the EU was trying to improperly wring more money out of American multinational companies. Apple is just the latest U.S. company to be targeted. Last year, EU regulators ordered the Netherlands to collect $34 million in back taxes from Starbucks Corp. Tax breaks from Luxembourg for Amazon.com Inc. and McDonalds Corp. are also under investigation. In both interviews, Cook said Apple remained committed to Ireland. The company opened its first factory there in 1980 and is breaking ground on an $800 million data center. There wasnt a special deal between Ireland and Apple, Cook said. We havent done anything wrong and the Irish government hasnt done anything wrong. Some people join a book club. Others might play cards, or find a softball league more to their liking. But about once a week sometimes formally, sometimes informally a group made up of mostly young mothers meets at Village Needleworks for some needlepoint and conversation. Yes, needlepoint the craft that involves threading needle through a canvas to create designs for pillows, stockings and frames. Most of the participants were recruited by Sarah Yale, 41, who picked up the hobby about five years ago. She finds herself doing needlepoint while waiting in the pickup line at school, between gymnastics and karate lessons and just about every night before bed. Its exciting when you find out somebody else does it. I definitely try to convince people to start. Its just so great and so fun, Yale said. Said Stacey Atlas, another 41-year-old group member: Its kind of nice to give yourself an opportunity to slow down and stop, to do something for you. Needle arts which include needlepoint, knitting and crochet were once mostly pastimes for grandparents, but younger people like Yale and Atlas are helping the hobbies and the shops that supply them make a strong post-recession comeback. The National Endowment for the Arts 2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts found that 31.5 million U.S. adults participated in needle arts, an increase of 2 million people since 2008. Sales are up 15 percent this year over last at Village Needleworks, owner Mary de Souza said. The business at Countryside Village will celebrate its 10th anniversary in February. It serves as a valuable resource for avid needlepointers, but also as a community for them. Were like a family. We know our customers, we know their family situation, we know when things dont go well, de Souza said. Were the place they come to get reassurance and comfort. Personal Threads, which sells knitting, crochet and needlepoint supplies, is seeing the same kind of resurgence. Sales are up more than 10 percent this year, owner Joe Wynn said. The shop near 86th and Cass Streets is frequented by more knitters and crocheters than needlepointers, but many of its customers are between the ages of 18 and 30. People use it for anxiety and stress. The younger generation is realizing the sense of peace and calm that comes with it, Personal Threads employee Meredith Wachter said of knitting. Like many small businesses, the shops felt the effects of the recession as many people were careful not to spend on non-necessities like yarn and thread. The number of yarn stores and their average revenue each decreased about 2 percent per year from 2006 through 2012, according to the National Needle Arts Association, a trade group. As the economy is getting better, were getting people back, Wachter said. Most enthusiasts want to see the thread or yarn in person so they can feel it and observe its true color. That gives local brick-and-mortar shops the upper hand over online retailers. For me, going into a yarn store is like going into a candy shop, said Jihan Najjar, a 27-year-old from Lincoln who has been knitting since she was about 8 years old. I want to touch everything and I have to like how it feels. I have to know exactly what color it is. Sales at ImagiKnit Yarn Shop, near 120th Street and West Center Road, have been strong this year, owner Karla Rasmussen said. Every month this year has been better than last year, Rasmussen said. She relocated her shop to Omaha from Hastings, Nebraska, about two years ago. I think honestly the Internet has a lot to do with it, Rasmussen said, citing Pinterest, Instagram and countless design blogs. For Sophie Schneider, a 23-year-old medical student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, needlepoint is a hobby that has turned into a business venture. Her Etsy shop, SeeSophieSew, has made about $1,000 since she opened in May. She also sold her designs at the Lincoln farmers market over the summer. Theres so much technology, I think our generation is starting to feel pulled to go back to simpler things, maybe to kind of balance all of the crazy, modern, hectic things, Schneider said. Several of her friends knit and crochet, and one even picked up calligraphy recently. I also think people really like knowing things are handmade and are not mass-produced, she said. The hobby is also a nice break from the rigors of medical school, she said. Its definitely a really nice study break. Its working a different part of my brain than the other side thats memorizing anatomy all day. Jean Matheny saw enough strength in the industry that, about two months ago, she purchased Wooly Mammoth Yarn Shop at Rockbrook Village. The shop opened in Omaha about two years ago but had operated in Kearney, Nebraska, for several years prior. The shop sells specialty yarn such as cashmere, mohair and bamboo. There is a need for it, and I just really did not want to see a shop that carried all of those close, and to lose that resource, Matheny said. She did not have sales figures to share because of the new ownership but said her customers are a variety of ages. There is a huge age range, and I think its growing, Matheny said. In addition to social media, online resources like Ravelry.com, an online community and knitting resource, and Pinterest have spurred more people to take up the hobbies. Different threads for needlepoint and small-batch dyed specialty yarns have also allowed for more creative designs and newer fashions. Its not your grandmas knitting or your grandmas crochet, ImagiKnit owner Rasmussen said. But the history and tradition of the hobbies arent lost on younger enthusiasts and sometimes help them feel closer to the moms and grandmas who taught them. Knitting has been passed down from generations of women in Najjars family. Shes made several sweaters for herself and enjoys knitting gifts for friends and family. Its cool to keep that family tradition alive. If I have kids I want to pass it on to them, Najjar said. Layoffs have put a blight on the Midwestern manufacturing sector in the past year, thanks to a commodities slowdown and global economic uncertainty. While food processors have helped lift the industry in agriculture-dependent states like Nebraska and Iowa, Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said it hasnt been enough to stem worsening manufacturing job losses on the whole across the nine-state region stretching from Arkansas to North Dakota. Goss latest Mid-America Business Conditions Index points to a continued economic slump as ag and energy markets remain stagnant. Weakness among manufacturers linked to agriculture and energy continue to weigh on regional economic conditions, Goss said. Due to the heavy dependence of the region on these two sectors, I will expect to see the regional economy to continue to underperform the national economy. The leading economic indicators August index of 47.8 improved slightly from 47.6 in July, but any number below 50 on the 0-100 scale means the economy is contracting. In Nebraska, where business conditions for manufacturers in June showed signs of slight growth, manufacturers reported downturns in July and again in August with a state-level reading of 47.3. Iowa manufacturers reported slightly improved conditions in August, meanwhile, with an index reading of 48.3. Last month was the second consecutive survey period in which the regional index failed to indicate growth. The index also indicated manufacturing job losses for the nine-state survey area for a third straight month. Goss said federal data show that regional manufacturers cut 22,000 jobs, or 1.6 percent of all such jobs, over the last 12 months. Manufacturers have cut 3.1 percent of such jobs in Iowa in the last year, and Nebraska manufacturers have increased employment by 0.5 percent. We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. Authorities in North Platte, Nebraska, were searching Friday for a 42-year-old inmate with just a few hours left on his sentence who stole a car and fled from the county courthouse. The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office said Troy OBrian of Gary, Indiana, fled from the Lincoln County Courthouses detention center in an employees 2011 Toyota Corolla around 3:25 p.m. Thursday. The Sheriffs Office said a maintenance worker at the courthouse reported that his car was missing from the north side of the detention center. The maintenance worker said he had left his keys in the vehicle. The Sheriffs Office said the detention center was locked down and it was learned that OBrian had left his work detail with maintenance personnel at the courthouse. OBrian had just eight hours left on his sentence, the Sheriffs Office said. He was to be released at 11:30 p.m. Thursday. OBrian had been serving a 60-day sentence for false reporting, obstructing a police officer and having a stolen vehicle. He was believed to be driving the stolen white sedan with Nebraska license plates 15-D614, the Sheriffs Office said. OBrian may be with a 27-year-old woman, Melissa Sancillo, also of Gary, the Sheriffs Office said. A 59-year-old Omaha man charged in connection with a fatal motorcycle crash appeared in court Friday. A judge set bail for Kevin W. Malone at $1 million. He must pay 10 percent of the bail amount, or $100,000, to be released. Malone is charged with motor vehicle homicide with a DUI prior conviction and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident resulting in death. The fatal crash occurred about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at 140th Street and West Center Road. The motorcyclist, Justin C. Hart, 43, of Omaha, was westbound on West Center Road when his motorcycle, a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan, crashed into a 2004 Nissan 350Z driven by Malone. Hart had the green light, police said. Malones car was eastbound and turning north onto 140th Street, violating a red-turn arrow, police said. Hart died from his injuries shortly after arriving at the Nebraska Medical Center. Malone, who was not injured, was arrested Wednesday night. Bill McGinn, Malones attorney, had asked the judge for a lower bail amount. He said Malone has lots of family ties to the area and is not a flight risk. Malones previous DUI incidents occurred close to his home, McGinn said. Prosecutors pointed to those previous DUI convictions and Malones pattern of causing accidents while intoxicated and then fleeing when they asked the judge to set bail at $1 million. Malone underwent a drug-recognition expert evaluation, prosecutors said. The evaluation, they said, determined he was under the influence of a central nervous system depressant at the time of the crash. Central nervous system depressants such as Valium or Xanax slow brain activity and are used to treat anxiety or sleep disorders. Prosecutors have not said what Malone is alleged to have had in his system. In court Friday, prosecutors said Malone also had two beers and the antidepressant Celexa in his system. McGinn said his client had prescriptions but he did not yet know whether those medications matched what was in Malones system on the night of the crash. A witness said Malone stayed at the scene for several minutes before fleeing. Police were able to track him down based on witness descriptions. Malone was convicted of third-offense DUI in 2014. He was ordered to serve 30 days in jail and two years of probation. He had his license revoked for seven years. In a plea agreement, prosecutors amended the charge from fourth-degree DUI. After Fridays hearing, McGinn expressed condolences to Harts family on behalf of Malone and his family. Malones son and daughter-in-law attended the court hearing but declined to comment. The motor vehicle homicide charge could lead to one to 50 years in prison. The charge of leaving the scene of an injury accident could bring up to four years behind bars. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Friday afternoon that its disturbing how many motor vehicle homicide charges his office has filed recently. It reiterates that if people are under the influence that they shouldnt be behind the wheel of a car at any time, Kleine said. We see the consequences of that unfortunately far too often. The ACLU of Iowa sent a letter to school superintendents Thursday warning them to carefully vet outside speakers or organizations coming in for school assemblies after a talk by a Kearney-based foundation ruffled feathers in March. Several parents complained that members of the Todd Becker Foundation handed out anti-gay and anti-Mormon materials and told some students that their religious beliefs were wrong after a school-sponsored assembly at the Logan-Magnolia high school in Logan, Iowa. The foundation also hosted an evening event for community members at the school later that night that included a heavier religious tone and more condemnation of gays, according to the ACLU. The way this school assembly was conducted reasonably led some parents and students to feel hurt, discriminated against, and that their religious freedom rights under the First Amendment had been violated, Rita Bettis, ACLU of Iowa legal director, said in a press release. While there is no indication that school officials intentionally exposed students to the religious and discriminatory messages at school, students and parents who did not adhere to the same religious beliefs as the presenters felt ostracized on account of their own religious views. Whats more, the message conveyed to some children at school was one of unacceptable discrimination against them on account of their sexual orientation. In the six-page letter to districts, the ACLU urged them to use due diligence to research organizations and ensure they wouldnt proselytize or weigh in on particular religions. While a school should let religious groups, including the Todd Becker Foundation, use its facilities on the same terms as others without regard to religion or viewpoint, it should not use its school resources to endorse or promote specifically religious events to students and parents, Bettis wrote. The Todd Becker Foundation travels the Midwest, putting on school assemblies that advocate against drugs and drinking. Todd Becker, a Kearney High athlete, died in an alcohol-related car crash in 2005 at the age of 18. His older brother, Keith Becker, created the foundation to warn teens against the bad decisions that contributed to his brothers death. Logan-Magnolia Superintendent Tom Ridder and junior-senior high school principal Christi Gochenour said the message is a worthy one. The initial piece of it was to get a good message out to the kids right before prom, Gochenour said. Dont make dumb choices. Dont drink and drive. How it morphed into this, it just makes me sad, she said. According to school officials and the ACLU, the district paid $1,500 for the high school assembly. It started in the afternoon and ended right at dismissal 2:30 p.m. Students were invited up if they wanted to continue to talk to members of the foundation. Thats when at least one student received religious materials that reportedly put down other religions, including Mormonism. The message in the afternoon, until 2:30, was well-received by our students, our faculty and our high school principal, said Ridder. And then it went off the tracks a little bit after school. There was never any intent on our part to push anybodys religion down anyones throat or deal with sexual orientation, the superintendent continued. The event later in the evening was held at the school and was more focused on the Christian ministry aspect of the foundation. Notice of the event was featured on the school website. In a statement, Keith Becker said the daytime assembly and community event at night were clearly defined and separate. The ACLU mischaracterized what occurred in Logan-Magnolia, he said. There was a clear separation between the daytime and evening events and no reasonable observer could have confused the private speech of the Todd Becker Foundation team with actions or speech of school officials. The foundation has not been contacted by either the ACLU or the Iowa Department of Education regarding the events, he said. The Iowa Department of Education did look into the incident and sent a letter to the Logan-Magnolia Superintendent recommending that the school tighten its procedures for outside speakers and make sure parents, students, staff and community members know the difference between school-sponsored events and those just held at the school. The Department of Education does not believe the district knowingly violated any state or federal laws, the letter reads. Our team does have concerns with the use of The Todd Becker Foundation during school hours to deliver content that may not have been appropriate for delivery at school. The Todd Becker Foundation has found itself in the crosshairs of the Nebraska ACLU before. In 2010, the ACLU warned school districts that inviting Christian-tinged speakers like Keith Becker could violate the separation between public schools and religion. Speakers from the foundation have appeared at dozens of Nebraska schools, according to its website. After the event and resulting complaints, Gochenour said the school refused to provide a reference for the foundation and asked for its money back, to no avail. The fallout has left a bad taste in her mouth, the principal said, and now, shes more cautious about bringing in outside speakers or groups. It does make you leery, it absolutely does, and thats the unfortunate thing about it, she said. There are good messages that can be had, but I dont know when or if that will happen again in the near future. Nebraska moved one step closer Thursday to giving all public high school juniors the ACT exam. Valorie Foy, director of assessment with the Nebraska Department of Education, recommended the ACT over the SAT to replace the junior-year state assessments. The ACT would cost less, Foy said, and it better matches the academic content the state currently tests: math, science, writing and English language arts. The ACT is a national college admissions exam that tests in the subject areas of English, math, reading and science. Nebraska would also administer the optional ACT writing test. Members of the Nebraska State Board of Education are scheduled to vote today to authorize entering into a one-year contract with the ACT organization at a cost of $47 per test. The state would have the option of renewing the contract in future years. With an estimated 22,000 students taking the ACT exam, the total annual cost would be $1.03 million a year. A 2016 state law requires the board to adopt a college entrance exam in place of the high school state accountability tests. The same law required the state to cover the costs. The SAT, a product of the College Board, would have cost $48.45 per student for a total of $1.07 million. The difference between the two proposals was $31,900. Foy said the cost of administering the ACT exam statewide would be about the same as what the state paid for the battery of junior-year tests known as the Nebraska State Accountability tests or NeSA. The 11th-grade math, science, writing and English language arts tests would not be given. Under the ACT proposal, schools would have the option of having their students take the test with paper and pencil rather than online. Foy said its likely that some districts would take that option. The test would be taken on a school day, most likely in the spring, Foy said. The per-student fee in the ACT proposal is $9.50 cheaper than the fee charged to individual test takers, according to the ACT website. Under a contract with ACT, the organization would help the state conduct an alignment study to gauge how well the test covers material in Nebraskas academic standards. The organization would also help Nebraska ensure that the test arrangement complies with the new federal education law. Correction: A previous headline misstated the body recommending the ACT. Staff from the Nebraska Department of Education recommends using the test. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) A week of lectures and events will be held in Taiwan from Sept. 22 to 28 to honor the achievements of this year's Tang Prize laureates and to celebrate the biennial award, which is seeking to establish its name in the international community. LINCOLN Nebraska has agreed to provide treatment for a transgender prison inmate who had filed a federal lawsuit seeking hormone therapy. Neither side will say what treatment the Department of Correctional Services will provide for Riley Nicole Shadle of Springfield, citing confidentiality of health records. But Shadles attorney, Jeannelle Lust, said the settlement includes Corrections acknowledging that Shadle has gender dysphoria, the medical condition in which people identify as a gender other than their birth gender, and agreeing on a treatment plan. The lawsuit is among the latest brought by prisoners around the country arguing that denying treatment for gender dysphoria amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit last week on behalf of Jessica Hicklin, a transgender prisoner in Missouri who is seeking hormone therapy. Courts have found for transgender inmates in several recent cases, ruling that prison systems can be held liable if they deny, delay or interfere with treatment for an inmates serious medical need. Its been generally accepted by the courts that gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition, so it is an obligation of prisons to treat that, Lust said. That doesnt mean necessarily that sex reassignment surgery or hormone therapy is required. W. John Thomas, a health law expert at Quinnipiac Universitys schools of law and medicine, said prison systems are facing increasing pressure to tend to the medical needs of transgender inmates. He predicted that the issue will make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nations prisons and jails. Federal inmates can receive treatment for gender dysphoria if an evaluation determines they need it, based on a policy enacted in 2011. The policy applies whether therapy was prescribed before or after the inmate entered federal custody. But state prison systems continue to have varying regulations. Thomas said state corrections departments often oppose treatment for transgender inmates for two reasons: the cost and the political and moralistic. Last month, the Iowa Department of Corrections enacted a new policy on inmates with gender dysphoria. Fred Scaletta, assistant corrections director, said the policy was developed to meet the needs of transgender inmates, not in response to legal action. He said seven of Iowas 8,136 prisoners have been identified as having gender dysphoria. The policy addresses the process for diagnosing such inmates and developing treatment plans, which are to be based on medical necessity. It says hormone therapy may be medically necessary, but it is silent about sex reassignment surgery. Scaletta said that issue has not been decided yet, although the department has ruled out cosmetic surgery. The Iowa policy also spells out that staff should use an inmates preferred gender pronoun and preferred first name and that transgender inmates should be asked which gender of staff they prefer doing strip searches. In addition, transgender inmates are to be allowed to buy clothing and cosmetic items for their preferred gender from the canteen. The policy says that housing of transgender prisoners, whether in a male or female institution, is to be made on a case-by-case basis. Dawn-Renee Smith, a Nebraska corrections spokeswoman, said she had no information about any Nebraska policies or regulations regarding transgender inmates. She did not respond to questions about the number of transgender inmates in the state prison system. In the recent lawsuit, Nebraska described Shadle as having alleged gender identity disorder and denied that it was constitutionally obligated to provide feminizing hormones or gender reassignment surgery. In a grievance form filed with the lawsuit, Shadle said she had been denied hormone therapy because she had not started it before incarceration. Shadle, 23, is serving 37 to 66 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2014 to first-degree sexual assault of a child younger than 12, possession of child pornography and two counts of visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. Shadle originally faced 62 felonies for child-related sex crimes. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a court filing that states must treat an inmates gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred. The filing was part of a lawsuit on behalf of Ashley Diamond, a transgender woman who was imprisoned at the time in Georgia. In the Missouri case, Hicklin is challenging a policy barring hormone therapy for inmates who were not receiving it when they entered prison. Hicklin, 37, is serving life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder under her birth name, James. In June, a federal judge ruled that California must allow transgender inmates to have more female-oriented commissary items like nightgowns and necklaces. The ruling was part of a settlement that will make California the first state to pay for an inmates sex reassignment surgery. In December, an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected an Arkansas inmates appeal seeking gender reassignment hormones to transition to a woman. It ruled that several mental health professionals evaluated Andrew Reid, who identified as a woman, and had not diagnosed a gender identity disorder. Perhaps the most well-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking treatment was that of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst serving a 35-year sentence at a military prison for leaking government documents to WikiLeaks. Last year, the Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning, who was previously known as Bradley. This report contains material from the Associated Press. LINCOLN A convicted copper thief won an unusual reprieve Friday from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ordered his freedom after voiding a 10-year prison sentence for being a habitual criminal. The ruling means Barney Meyer, 50, of Hartington got out of the Nebraska State Penitentiary about six years before he was eligible under his original prison terms for burglary and being a habitual criminal. Meyer ended up serving about one year more in prison than he should have, said his lawyer, Jerry Soucie of Lincoln. The court overturned his prison sentence after determining that he had been improperly convicted under the habitual criminal law. The position taken by the Department of Corrections and the Attorney Generals Office was just flat wrong, Soucie said. I couldnt be more pleased with the courts opinion. Assistant Attorney General John Freudenberg, chief of the criminal bureau, said there are very few cases like Meyers, in which the habitual criminal law was misapplied. Soucie agreed, saying his research turned up just one other similar case in recent years. The court clarified the way these types of cases should be decided in the future, Freudenberg said. In Meyers case he was sentenced in 2012 to two to four years for breaking into a rural Pierce home and stealing copper plumbing. Pierce County District Judge James Kube separately tacked on 10 years for being a habitual criminal. Under the law, habitual criminal is a sentencing enhancement that allows judges to add 10 to 60 years to the sentences of repeat felons who have served at least three previous prison terms. With good time credits, Meyer completed the burglary sentence on Aug. 19, 2015, but remained confined for the habitual criminal sentence. He petitioned the court for a writ of habeas corpus, which is a special legal action that allows those in custody to challenge their detention. Earlier this year Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson ruled that Meyer was improperly convicted of a separate charge of being a habitual criminal. Nelson cited previous Supreme Court rulings that defined being a habitual criminal not as a separate offense but an enhancement. The judge voided Meyers 10-year sentence for being a habitual criminal. The high court unanimously agreed with Nelsons finding on that issue. Habitual criminality is a state, not a crime. There is no such offense as being a habitual criminal, the Supreme Court stated. Because the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office intended to appeal the decision, the judge ordered what amounted to bail of $2,500 for Meyer. He had been unable to pay the bail amount. On appeal, the Attorney Generals Office argued the sentencing courts finding that Meyer is a habitual criminal was valid. It contended that the burglary sentence should have been voided while Meyer remained in prison as a habitual criminal. A unanimous Supreme Court disagreed. The high court judges said because Meyer had completed his sentence for burglary, it was too late for the state to block his release. The appellants cite to no authority by which the state is permitted to use the habeas statute as a sword against the petitioner imprisoned on a void sentence, the courts opinion stated. Souice had not been able to speak to his client as of late Friday, but was told that he had been released in response to the ruling. Most likely, Meyer will soon be on a bus bound for relatives in Tennessee, Soucie added. Godavari all set to flow in Hartford, CT Feature oi-Oneindia By Oneindia USA, Connecticut, Sept 02nd 2016: Godavari, the fastest growing South Indian restaurant chain is now opening at Hartford CT on September 3, 2016. Godavari Hartford will be the biggest Indian restaurant in entire New England with a banquet facility and bar setup. Commemorating Pushkaras back home in India, the restaurant will have a large 250 Seater banquet facility named "Pushkara". Besides, there will be two full bar set ups that are uniquely themed as "Godavari Kallu Compound". First time ever, Godavari is introducing authentic drinks section in a bar set up with attractions named like "Mandapeta Martini", "Bapatla Bacardi Blast", "Allam Whiskey" and many interesting drinks with a local flavor. The Mayor of East Hartford will launch Godavari restaurant with a huge lunch buffet called "Godavari lo Mee Istam". The buffet dishes out signatory items like "Bezawada Bread Vepudu", "Pakkinti Paalakora Pappu", "Amala Avakai Koramenu Pulusu", Seema Kodi Vepudu", "Bommidayala Pulusu", "Mamsam Roast Pulao", "Rayalaseema Raagi Sankati" and many more. The restaurant is conveniently located within a 10 Minute drive from Hartford Downtown that houses a lot of corporate offices and a huge Indian community. Elaborating on the launch Srikanth franchise owner of Hartford said Godavari chain was very excited to serve the Hartford area with authentic Indian food that was currently not available in the neighborhood. "The banquet hall, a large one, will be available for reasonable prices to our community". Teja Ravella other franchise owner of Hartford, expressed his happiness and excitement to be part of Godavari family which they found very unique with Godavari and their passion and innovation towards making Indian food global. Varun Madisetty, franchise owner of Godavari Chicago, and North East Operations Head, said "Team Godavari" is getting numerous franchise requests and demand to open facilities in several places in the World. "We are working hard as a team to flow Godavari everywhere possible across the globe," he said. He also added that "Godavari is coming up with great innovations and different concepts to excite the food lovers without forgetting our authentic flavors. The recently launched Godavari Morrisville has been receiving huge patronage and applause for the great food and the ambience, he added. Click on the link to view the trailer of the Godavari Morrisville launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jAG_GfLt0Q Godavari will expand to Rhode Island, Charlotte and Washington D.C next month with plans to launch more restaurants across the globe in the coming months. Godavari chain also invites food lovers and those who love to cook, to send authentic Indian recipes that are currently missing on their menu list. "This helps us enhance the menu list with more authentic Indian varieties, popularize Indian cuisine and serve the community better," the promoters said. Looking forward to flood Great Hartford Area with authenticity from September 03rd 2016. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 18:21 [IST] Centre urged to seal IB border under Army's eye Guwahati oi-PTI Guwahati, Sep 2: Assam government has urged the Centre to seal Indo-Bangladesh border under the supervision of the Army, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said. "Our honest aim is to seal the Indo-Bangla border as soon as possible. We have spoken many times to the Centre. We want that the work is done under the supervision and guidance of Indian Army," Sonowal said at a press conference here. Also the quality of current fencing is not good and to prevent illegal immigration completely better quality of fencing should be done, he said. Addressing the media on completion of his government's 100 days in office, Sonowal said he and his ministerial colleagues have been working with the motto of "zero tolerance to corruption". "People's lives were crippled under corruption during the last government. Our thrust has been to give people relief from it. Our ministers are not only talking against corruption but are acting against this menace," he said adding, they are working to make the administrative system efficient and corruption-free so that its regains people's faith. "We are also constantly monitoring the progress of the NRC update exercise. Our target is to update the document by 2017," he said. The BJP-led government, Sonowal said, has always rushed help to people in all types of disasters like floods or terrorist attack in Kokrajhar or the blast in Tinsukia. It is also working on controlling spiralling prices of food items, he said and claimed that the rates were lower in Assam than in Delhi. Hitting out at the erstwhile Congress government on the economic front, Sonowal said his government has inherited a committed liability of around Rs 17,000 crore. "CAG has pointed out that no accounts had been furnished for Rs 12,000 crore from 2004 to 2014. There was economic challenge when we took charge. This situation arose because of the mistakes by the last government," he said. Asked about the implications of the Naga Peace Accord, Sonowal said, "Our stand is to safeguard the interest of the people. Our mandate is to work for that and we will work for that." On the issue of big dams, he said the Assam government will follow the recommendations of the expert committee. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 11:30 [IST] How air pollution is the reason behind reduced lung growth among children in Delhi Air pollution causes 30 per cent of all premature deaths in India, says CSE study There will be 'zero tolerance' on air safety issues: Suresh Prabhu AIR draws flak for anti-Rahul Gandhi tweet, deletes it India oi-PTI New Delhi, Sep 1 A tweet by All India Radio targeting Rahul Gandhi for his RSS remarks kicked up a row tonight with Congress dubbing it as "unpardonable" and "shameful", and asking Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu whether the public broadcaster was being allowed to propogate the saffron agenda. In a series of tweets, party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewela reacted sharply to AIR's action, saying though the comments were later deleted, the broadcaster was caught sponsoring RSS agenda. Surjewala tagged the All India Radio tweet which said, "Why he got scared earlier. How he became daring to defame #RSS. He should stick to comments #RahulrattlesRSS." "All India Radio hurriedly deleted the outrageous tweet but caught red-handed sponsoring saffron propaganda. Unprecedented, unheard of that official broadcaster should attack Mr Rahul Gandhi! Shameful & unpardonable. "Does Information & Broadcasting Minister @MVenkaiahNaidu take orders from the RSS for tweets from AIR? So now All India Radio has officially become His Masters' Voice? So rattled by #RahulRattlesRSS???" he tweeted. After deleting the earlier tweet, AIR put another, saying "The said tweet has been deleted on the direction of DG News as it did not conform to editorial standards of AIR." Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi told the Supreme Court he stood by every word he had said at an election rally in 2014 about people associated with the RSS being behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and that he was prepared to face trial in the defamation case filed against him by a Sangh functionary in a Maharashtra court. Rahul Gandhi then withdrew the appeal filed by him against the Bombay High Court verdict refusing to quash the defamation case and summons issued to him by the trial court in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court a few days ago, the Congress vice president had said he had not blamed RSS as an institution for Gandhi's assassination. PTI Amit Shah holds meeting with party leaders India oi-PTI Ahmedabad, Sep 2: BJP chief Amit Shah today held a meeting with various state party leaders and ministers of Gujarat government to discuss and finalise various programmes to be held in the run-up to the Assembly polls next year. Shah held discussions with several top BJP leaders and ministers, including Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, newly-inducted state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala and several other leaders at party headquarters in Gandhinagar. "Our president discussed several issues pertaining to strengthening the party ahead of the 2017 polls. He had detailed talks about the programmes which the party would organise to reach out to people," BJP's state media convener Harshad Patel said. "He also took feedback about people's response to the Saurashtra-Narmada Avataran Irrigation Yojana (Sauni Yojana) scheme inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi recently at Jamnagar," he added. Shah is scheduled to visit Gujarat on September 8 again to attend a programme in Surat. "On that day, four Patel leaders of BJP will be felicitated by Patel community for their contribution to the society and the community," he said. These Patel leaders include Vaghani, Rupala, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and newly-inducted Union Minister from the state Mansukh Mandaviya. The upcoming event holds significance for the ruling BJP and the state government led by the party ahead of the state polls, as they have been facing wrath of Patels, a crucial vote bank in Gujarat, due to the ongoing quota agitation. Surat had witnessed large-scale violence during the agitation last year. The event is expected to send a strong message that the Patel community is no longer angry with BJP and ready to support it in the coming polls. PTI 18% GST on house rent for tenants? Govt clears doubts on new rule 90 Percent of Indias Online Skill Gaming Industry Says 28 Percent GST over GGV Will Be Catastrophic GST bill can now go for Presidential assent: Jaitley India oi-PTI New Delhi, Sep 1: Government will seek Presidential assent for the landmark Constitution amendment bill for GST as 16 states have ratified the legislation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today. 15 states ratified GST, a step away from presidential nod With Odisha approving the constitution amendment at a special assembly session today, 50 per cent of the states have ratified the GST bill. "The requisite number of states have ratified the GST Constitution Amendment Bill and now it can go for Presidential assent," Jaitley tweeted. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said that the government is ahead of schedule for implementation of GST. "Instead of 30 days kept for this (states' ratification), it is achieved in 23 days," he said in a tweet. The government plans to roll out the new indirect tax regime from April 1, 2017. GST, the biggest tax reform since Independence, will create uniform market for seamless movement of goods and services with one tax rate. Since Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment bill on August 8, as many as 16 states, starting with Assam, have ratified the bill. GST being a constitutional amendment requires 50 per cent of state assemblies to ratify it. The other states which have passed the legislation include Bihar (August 16), Jharkhand (August 17), Chhattisgarh (August 22), Himachal Pradesh (August 22), Gujarat (August 23), Madhya Pradesh and Delhi (August 24), Nagaland (August 24), Maharashtra, Haryana, Sikkim (August 29), Mizoram, Telangana (August 30), Goa (August 31) and Odisha (September 1). After the Presidential assent, the government will notify the GST Council. Union Finance Minister will head the Council, which will comprise state Finance Ministers. The GST Council will decide on the tax rate, cess and surcharges which are to be subsumed and also decide on the goods and services which would be exempted from the purview of the new indirect tax regime. The states and the Centre are working overtime and talking to stakeholders to draft the Central GST, State GST and Integrated GST laws, which are to be passed in the Winter Session of Parliament in November. The CGST and IGST will be drafted on the basis of the model GST law. The states will draft their respective State GST (SGST) laws with minor variation incorporating state-based exemption. The IGST law would deal with inter-state movement of goods and services. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 10:34 [IST] Hingonia cow deaths: Uproar in Rajasthan Assembly India oi-PTI Jaipur, Sep 2 Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Rajasthan Assembly today as Opposition members stormed the well of the House demanding a CBI probe into the death of cows at the state-run Hingonia shelter, prompting Speaker Kailash Meghwal to order their eviction. As soon as the House assembled at 11 AM, Congress members raised the issue, demanding a debate and a CBI probe into the death of cows due to alleged negligence of the caretakers. The protesting MLAs carried placards and shouted slogans against the government. Deputy leader of Opposition Ramesh Meena and Independent MLA Hanuman Beniwal rushed towards the the Speaker's dais. An annoyed Meghwal called the protesting MLAs "goons" and directed the marshals to evict them from the House. The MLAs also shoved and pushed the marshals as they dragged them out of the House. After they were evicted, the Speaker adjourned the House for an hour. When the House reassembled, Leader of Opposition Rameshwar Dudi alleged that the Speaker is "acting at the behest of the Governor". Subsequently, the Opposition members started protesting in the well of the House. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore said the Opposition members should follow the rules for raising their issues. Deputy chief whip of the government in the Assembly Madan Rathore said in 2000, over 5,000 cows died under the Congress rule. "They just want to be in news. That is why they are behaving like this," he said. When the protesting members did not return to their seats, the Speaker adjourned the House for an hour again. Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot was present in the House while Chief Minister Vasundara Raje gave a miss to it. PTI India forms crack team to track Dawood India oi-Vicky At a recent security review meeting it was decided that a crack team would be formed to track Dawood Ibrahim and also destroy his business. A 50 member team comprising officials from the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing would be formed to track the Karachi based don and his businesses. It may recalled that the don had recently sourced 6 bullet proof vehicles. Intelligence Bureau officials say that he has been sourcing such vehicles through Tariq his point man in Dubai since 2014. The ISI has instructed him to stay alert as there was a chance of a hit job on him, the official also adds. An official in the home ministry said that the plan was to track his activities. Several requests to have him extradited out of Pakistan have gone in vain, the official said. Following the security meeting which discussed a host of issues, it was decided that a crack team would be formed to monitor the don. The team comprises 50 officials both from the R&AW and IB. The entire plan is being overseen by the NSA, Ajit Doval. A blue print too has been formed, officials say. While on one hand the crack team would track the don on the other India would continue to build pressure on the international scene. Apart from sending extradition and judicial requests to Pakistan, India would also seek help of the international community to nab the don. Meanwhile IB officials say that the security for Dawood has been upped in Pakistan. He does not move around too much and remains at his residence in Karachi. Similar instructions have been given to his aides such as Shakeel among others. There is also a scanner on Dawood's Dubai network which remains active. A large number of his deals have been handled by his contacts in Dubai and if India is able to crack those networks then the don will become weaker. OneIndia News Why there is disruption in Cauvery water supply in Bengaluru today? Live & let live, release water to Tamil Nadu, SC tells Karnataka India oi-Vicky The Supreme Court on Friday directed Karnataka to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, telling the Siddaramaiah government to "live and let live", but allowed the state to "inform the court on Monday" how much water it could release. Tamil Nadu had petitioned the court for 50 tmc ft of water. Bandh in Tamil Nadu over Karnataka's refusal to release Cauvery water A bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud observed that the two states must maintain harmony on the issue. When there is a deficit in the release of water, some effort must be made by Karnataka so that Tamil Nadu can survive as an entity, the SC further observed. "You cannot say you are not bothered about the tribunal's decision. How can you get away from what the tribunal has said", the court said, ostensibly in response to comments made a few days ago by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Cauvery water release: Karna govt says no to TN, Oppn supports Tamil Nadu had moved the Supreme Court stating that it had received less water than it was supposed to. Karnataka, however, argued that it could not release any more water as it was facing a crisis of drinking water itself in the Cauvery basin. Tamil Nadu, however, maintained that water ought to be released as per the decision of the tribunal. Following the observations made by the SC, Karnataka will now have to take a call on how much water it can release. A member of the Karnataka legal team told OneIndia that they would speak with the Karnataka government before making a submission on Monday. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 14:35 [IST] Sacked RSS leader keeps up attack on BJP, camp tones down India oi-PTI Panaji, Sep 2: After revolting against RSS leadership, the organisation's Goa chief Subhash Velingkar today kept up his attack on the BJP even as several Sangh activists resented his move. With the RSS taking a tough stand against the rebels, Velingkar's supporters also toned down their protest, saying they have not rebelled against the Sangh but had only resigned from their posts, casting doubts if the parallel unit floated by him will be able to muster strength to take on the saffron force. "It is not a rebellion. We will continue saluting the saffron flag. We will work under Sarsanghchalak. But we will be Goa prant," Raju Sukerkar, former North Goa head of Goa Unit of the sangh told PTI today. Sukerkar was among the leaders who had resigned from their posts after the RSS axed Velignkar as state unit chief, after his Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), announced its intention to form a political outfit. Sukerkar, a close aide of Velingkar and a BBSM campaigner, said the formal proposal seeking to form the Goa prant has been sent to the sangh headquarters in Nagpur. "The detailed proposal has been drafted reasoning why the decision to detach from Konkan and form Goa prant by Velingkar," he said. Sukerkar said they had not resigned from the sangh but only from the posts which they were holding. Even as a large number of RSS workers and supporters, including some office bearers, have pledged support to Velingkar, many of the swayamsevaks appear to be averse to part ways with the Sangh. "I am still with RSS with Nagpur as headquarters. You cannot have a separate RSS prant like this. I am not with the group which has done so," Datta Bhikaji Naik, a senior RSS leader in Goa, told PTI today. Naik said, in his individual capacity, he has backed Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), floated by Velingkar to campaign for primacy of regional languages as medium of instruction and as part of which he has taken on the BJP government in the state but was against splitting the RSS . Ratnakar Lele, another senior functionary, said 80 per cent of the swayamsevaks would not go with the new prant. Velingkar was sacked as the chief of RSS in Goa after he crossed swords with the BJP government over the medium of instruction issue with members of his outfit even showing black flags to party chief Amit Shah recently. Velingkar, who claimed the support of hundreds of RSS workers, yesterday asserted that the Sangh unit in the coastal state will function independently of the parent body, at least till the Assembly polls. However, RSS was quick to debunk Velingkar's claims, saying none of its units can dissociate from the outfit and new office bearers for the state will be announced soon. PTI Why Prasar Bharti is right in asking PTI about its accountability No decision to close local programming at AIR, the claims are fake says Prasar Bharti CEO Social media question Prasar Bharti post for ex-IAS officer who figured in Niira Radia Tapes India oi-Vicky The recent appointment of a just-retired bureaucrat, Sunil Arora, as an adviser to Prasar Bharti, the public broadcaster, has been questioned by many on social media. The twitterati point out that Arora had figured in the Niira Radia tapes in at least three conversations with the now infamous lobbyist. Among other allegations against him is that he passed on to former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, through Niira Radia, pointers on the airline industry that he could use during his meeting with the then prime minister Manmohan Singh. The Outlook magazine had reported the conversation that Arora had with Radia. On the tape, Radia is heard telling the 1980 batch, Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer to speak to a certain journalist for a story critical of then aviation minister Praful Patel. "Then, I should return his call?" asks Arora. "Of course, of course," Radia replies. Dada @jawharsircar have immense respect for you. How can you allow #RadiaTapes man Sunil Arora to come back to @prasarbharati?What a SHAME! Aashish (@aashish_bhalla) August 31, 2016 While a key member of India's administrative steel frame shares an easy camaraderie with Radia, they also discuss a certain "Rajiv Singh" who is "in London". Now, the twitterati are asking questions about the reason behind Arora's appointment to the Prasar Bharti. Arora was the secretary, Information and Broadcasting, just before he retired this year. In August, the I&B ministry had sent a proposal to appoint Arora, which was accepted by Prasar Bharti. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 17:30 [IST] Delhi nurses' body threatens to go on strike over long-standing demands Is a new protest movement starting in France? News flash: Boycott me if you want" says AAP's Bhagwant Mann in PB rally News oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Sept 2: In what will be a week of diplomacy Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leaving for Vietnam with defence ties on his mind and then will attend G20 Summit in China. India meanwhile readies for nation wide strike by trade unions. The strike will have major effect on banking and public transport today. Get all news updates of the day: 7:24 pm: I dont even know if its the 4th front, I just know these are 4 good people who want to work for Punjab: Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Aawaz-e-Punjab. 7:20 pm: There will be interaction with Guv & CM of J&K; delegation will hold meeting with reps of all pol parties & other delegations in Srinagar. 7:10 pm: Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead an All Party delegation to J&K on Sep 4-5, 2016. 7:02 pm: Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi gets invitation to join All Party Delegation for Kashmir; Owaisi accepts the invitation and leaves for Delhi. 6:39 pm: Chhattisgarh: Car carrying CRPF jawans travelling from Kirandul to Karanpur turns turtle in Bastar. 1 died, 4 injured & 1 critical. 6:20 pm: Security forces apprehended 11 militants with weapons in multiple search operations in Assam in last 24 hours. 6:15 pm: 4 died, 5 injured after a pickup jeep buried under landslide in Kullu district. Injured taken to hospital. 6:14 pm: Trinamool Congress gets 'national party' status: EC. 5:58 pm: Rajasthan assembly ratifies GST Bill. 5:40 pm: Enough is enough as far as Arvind Kejriwal is concerned: Kiran Walia, Congress. 5.18 pm: Appeal Interpol to issue red notices for Raheel Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, DG ISI, Heads of FC/Rangers: Mehran Mari, Rep of Balochistan at UNHRC. 5.15 pm: In the past Pak has done this, I am sure this is what they plan to do again, says Mehran Mari. 5.00 pm: Raheel Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, DG ISI, Heads of FC and Rangers are war criminals in Pak; they must be arrested when they leave Pak: Mehran Mari. 4.49 pm: It's a platform for the people with honesty in their hearts to serve country and end corruption, says Simrarjit Singh Bains. 4.41 pm: "We don't need you (media). Boycott me if you want" says AAP's Bhagwant Mann during a rally in Punjab (Sep 1). 4.40 pm: Malayalam actor Sreejith Ravi granted bail by a Session Court in Kerala. He was arrested by police for misbehaving with school students. 4.19 pm: Petitioner submitted before SC that nearly Rs 2000 crs have been returned to Govt in past 3 yrs from designated fund. 4.18 pm: SC issue notice to Centre&States on plea stating money allocated fr SC/ST upliftment hasn't been used,instead returned to GoI fr past 3 years. 4.14 pm: PM Narendra Modi emplanes for Vietnam. 4.09 pm: Rajnath Singh with IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. 3.45 pm: Ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector (J&K), exchange of fire still on. 3.30 pm: Front formed by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Pargat Singh and Bains brothers to be called "Aawaaz-e-Punjab". 3.20 pm: NGT issues notice to Ministry of Environment & UP Govt on plea seeking demolition of Hajj House built at Hindon river bank. 3.19 pm: Along with Pargat Singh and Bains brothers we have formed a front, this will be against those working against Punjab: Navjot Kaur Sidhu. 3.18 pm: 6 pilgrims died and other 4 injured after their car turned turtle en route to Manimahesh in Chamba (Himachal Pradesh). 3.08 pm: Along with Pargat Singh and Bains brothers we have formed a front, this will be against those working against Punjab, says Navjot Kaur Sidhu. 3.00 pm: Malayalam actor Sreejith Ravi produced before additional session court , Palakkad, Kerala. Police imposed POCSO act against him. 2.58 pm: Supreme Court says to Sahara "we will close the entire Pandora's Box if you show us the source of refund money". 2.48 pm: Supreme Court says it is difficult to digest that so much money has been refunded in such a short span. Next hearing on 16th Sep. 2.37 pm: Hyderabad: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh speaking at National Police Academy. 2.27 pm: Before issuing red corner notice against Brahamdagh Bugti,Pakistan should think what its global image is, says Sher Mohd Bugti,BRP on Balochistan. 2.25 pm: Two killed in Gabon clashes with police overnight: AFP. 2:20 pm: CM AKhilesh Yadav felicitates people associated with Agra-Lucknow expressway. 2:15 pm: 3 More Dengue Deaths In Delhi, Death Count Climbs To 8. 2:07 pm: Hyderabad: Rajiv Pratap Rudy & K. Kavitha inaugurate the Telangana Jagruthi Skill Development centre in Ashok Nagar. 1.48 pm: Rajiv Pratap Rudy and K. Kavitha inaugurate the Telangana Jagruthi Skill Development centre in Ashok Nagar in Hyderabad. 1.29 pm: Karnataka Govt says they are deficit of 80 tmc water and can't give water to Tamil Nadu on Cauvery water dispute. 1.28 pm: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi's convoy was stopped by protesting Anganwadi workers in Gauriganj (UP) while he was on his way to Lucknow. 1.24 pm: Delhi Govt imposes Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against nurses' strike. 1.22 pm: Muslim Personal Law Board submits reply before SC that personal laws can't be re-written in the name of social reforms in Triple talaq matter. 1.15 pm: SC asks Centre to not take coercive action against Aircel for merger of Chennai and Tamil Nadu circles.Next date of hearing: September 19. 1.00 pm: SC issues notice to Centre on Aircel's plea against One Time Spectrum Charges levied by Dept of telecom. 12.56 pm: CM Raman Singh reviews work under district mineral foundation fund,work plan of Rs 2470 cr over next 2 years in Raipur. 12.50 pm: HM Rajnath Singh will chair this meeting. Also, the itinerary will be shared them with the members of all-party delegation in the meeting. 12.48 pm: CITU workers hold protest rally in support of their demands #TradeUnionStrike in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh). 12.45 pm: Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar calls meeting of all-party delegation on Kashmir tomorrow. 12.40 pm: Delhi Govt counsel tells SC that 6 SLPs(Special Leave Petition) have been filed against Delhi High Court judgement 12.36 pm: We put our point of view & so did he (Prakash Singh). Issue is over: Haryana CM ML Khattar on his stmnt in Assembly. 12.15 pm: Defence & Security is an imp pillar of our(India-Vietnam) strategic partnership: P Harish, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam. 12.14 pm: We believe that UNCLOS represents foundation aspect of Int'l law on seas and oceans & call on all parties to respect UNCLOS: P Harish. 12.13 pm: Have constantly advocated that freedom of passage in Int'l water is imp for trade: P Harish Indian Ambassador to Vietnam on South China sea. 12.01 pm: Gujarat Govt had filed plea against HC order quashing ordinance providing 10% quota for economically backward among the unreserved category. 12.00 pm: EWS quota: SC agree to hear Gujarat Govt's plea on Sep 9th instead of Sep 19th after the State Govt mentioned fr an early hearing on matter 11.58 am: Also agreed on co-op (India-Egypt) on challenges of cyber security &working together to fight transnational crimes&money-laundering: PM Modi 11.56 am: We agreed to further our defence and security engagement which would aim at greater info & operational exchanges to combat terrorism: PM Modi 11.53 am: We agreed that the UN security council needs to be reformed to reflect the realities of today: PM Modi 11.51 am: Your people,a voice of moderate Islam, your (Egypt) nation a factor for regional peace and stability: PM Modi. 11.43 am: Vijay Mallya cheque bounce case: Hyderabad Court to hear the matter on September 20. 11.41 am: Would volunteer my service for pubic interest but to say that I'm seeking re-employment is insulting to me: P Singh. 11.40 am: Next hearing on the matter on Nov 11. SC was hearing a PIL filed by NGOs over the poverty & inhuman conditions of widows living in Vrindavan 11.39 am: BCCI Annual General Meeting to be held on August 21 in Mumbai 11.38 am: SC says matter of deep concern how destitute women and widows are treated. SC ask National Commission for women to file a complete report. 11.37 am: Ab police reform ke baare mein toh main Haryana jane se raha,koi bulayega toh bhi nhi jaounga,kuch bhi kaha jaaye main nhi jaounga: P Singh. 11.30 am: Kolkata: CITU workers hold protest rally in support of their demands. #Tradeunionstrike 11.27 am: According to reports Haryana CM had said Prakash Singh was looking for re-employment by volunteering to give report on police reforms in Haryana. 11.25 am: Shocked. How can he (Haryana CM) make such a statement? I never sort any employment: Prakash Singh (Former UP DGP). EAM Sushma Swaraj leads Indian delegation to Rome for canonisation of Mother Teresa (pic:MEA) pic.twitter.com/0r51hhXaIc ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 11.17 am: SC issues notice to Maharashtra Government on complete beef ban in the state and its export. 11.15 am: Any organisation involved in some illegal activities or a case is pending, we don't renew their case: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home 11.11 am: We've taken action against some officers as they didn't follow rules & instructions of govt: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home 11.08 am: Two bomb blasts in Pakistan's Mardan city, several feared injured (Source: Pak media). North 24 Parganas (WB): Visuals of clash between CPM and TMC workers during #TradeUnionStrike in Madhyamgram pic.twitter.com/eRLRerIYbL ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Srinagar (J&K): Curfew re-imposed in parts of Kashmir Valley; Shutdown and restrictions continue for 56th day. pic.twitter.com/GG3GvCyVLW ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 10.47 am: #TradeUnionStrike Delhi Nurses Union protest outside Safdarjung Hospital demanding better wages. Delhi: Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/FJwTvnU3QZ ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Delhi: Ceremonial welcome for Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at Rashtrapati Bhawan pic.twitter.com/1IvM8pmCwQ ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 10.25 am: People say GST is biggest economic development in India since '91 reforms, I say its bigger than that, for me its biggest since '47: Jay Panda. BJD MP Jay Panda speaking at Indian Ocean Conference in Singapore pic.twitter.com/lkjZW5cwid ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Siliguri(WB) Municipal Corporation Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya arrested alongwith 15 other protesters #Tradeunionstrike pic.twitter.com/TREDUk4H8y ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 10.15 am: So difficult for one to travel within South Asia & should this be the face we want to show the world? : S Jaishankar. 10.11 am: India is a country big enough to work in neighbourhood & work beyond, if we don't harmonise in neigbourhood then cant work beyond: S Jaishankar. 10.08 am: For us the toughest problems in our foreign policy are in our neighbourhood: FS S Jaishankar at Indian Ocean Conference in Singapore. 10.05 am: Gangster Ashok Rathi's wife shot dead near Sohna road in Gurugram; Police at the spot. Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee and PM Narendra Modi welcome Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. pic.twitter.com/iHwwgNqNRq ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Shimla: Hundreds of apple-laden trucks stuck in Kharapathar & Patshal areas as heavy rains block State Highway 10. pic.twitter.com/PHyxHZeab4 ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 9.43 am: During the G-20 Summit, I will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges:PM Narendra Modi. 9.42 am: I will visit Hangzhou, China from 3-5 September 2016 for the Annual G-20 Leaders Summit: PM Narendra Modi. 9.41 am: We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens: PM Modi. 9.40 am: Today I will reach Hanoi in Vietnam,marking start of a very important visit that will further cement close bond between India & Vietnam: PM Narendra Modi. 9.37 am: #Tradeunionstrike: Siliguri(WB) Municipal Corporation Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya arrested along with 15 other protesters. 9.30 am: #UPDATE Pakistani media says four terrorists have been killed in exchange of fire with security forces in Peshawar. Varanasi: UP roadways employees' strike disrupts normal life; visuals from bus stand. #tradeunionstrike pic.twitter.com/M7PADBtIYU ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 2, 2016 9.18 am: Terrorists attack Christian Colony in Peshawar in Warsak Garrison, exchange of fire continues: Pakistan media. #Tradeunionstrike : Visuals from Bhubaneswar railway station in Odisha pic.twitter.com/1eCLzEdt5O ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 #Tradeunionstrike hit normal life in Bengaluru (Visuals from bus stand) pic.twitter.com/O9K0O5J6Lj ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 9.08 am: #Tradeunionstrike : Schools and colleges in Bengaluru urban district are closed today as a precautionary measure. 9.04 am: We or any groups associated with us are not supporting the #tradeunionstrike : Pawan Kumar, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh. 8.50 am: UP: 'Rognashak Yagya' performed in Kanpur to ward off dengue, malaria and chikungunya. #Tradeunionstrike: Passengers stranded at an inter state bus stand in Thiruvananthapuram(Kerala) pic.twitter.com/gWJICG2X4z ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 #tradeunionstrike Protesters vandalise a NBSTC bus in Cooch Behar district (West Bengal). pic.twitter.com/BVtkP0RmVK ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 8.09 am: UP: Man beaten to death in Amroha after he tried to protect his daughter from eve-teasers. 8.06 am: UP: Denied treatment at Badaun district hospital, pregnant HIV positive woman delivers stillborn baby in Bareilly. 7.55 am: There is zero occupancy in hotels, right from 5 stars to guest houses. Nobody is in Kashmir- Javaid Burza, Hotelier. 7.37 am: Was a long standing invitation,can expect very strong outcomes: Foreign Secy S Jaishankar on PM's Vietnam visit. Srinagar: Hotel industry badly hit by protests and unrest as tourists stay away pic.twitter.com/8QNtVdvxgA ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 #Topstory Trade unions call nationwide strike demanding better wages and against Govt's changes in labour laws pic.twitter.com/HAPyG3zJQg ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 Hyderabad: Clay idols of Lord Ganesha in high demand ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi pic.twitter.com/YUwUwwAwsn ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 7.00 am: Hyderabad HC to hear today AP CM Chandrababu Naidu's petition seeking quashing of pvt complaint against him in cash-for-vote case. OneIndia News BJP MP scolds official for cleaning Yamuna with 'poisonous chemical' ahead of Chhath Delhi air quality hits 'hazardous' levels in some places Auto, taxi fare in Delhi hiked over rising CNG prices | Check new rates 'Very poor': Delhi air quality remains at 309 Bharat Bandh: Medical services hit in Delhi hospitals India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi/Guwahati/Chandigarh/Srinagar, Sep 2: Essential services such as banking and transport hit on Friday due to dawn to dusk country-wide shutdown called by 10 central trade unions against "anti-worker" changes in labour laws and the Centre's "indifference" to their demands for better wages. " Shops, business establishments, markets, banks and financial institutions, government offices and educational institutions were closed and vehicles were off the roads. Here are live updates on nation wide bandh 1.40 pm: ESMA imposed against nurses strike in Delhi. Delhi Govt imposes Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against nurses' strike. ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 1.35 pm: Bharat Bandh hits ultrasound, CT scan, MRI centres, X-ray clinics in Agra. 1.15 pm: Train and road services were disrupted in Bihar due to trade union strike. 1.00 pm: Bharat Bandh hits public transport across Haryana. 12.50 pm: CITU workers hold protest rally in support of their demands in Shimla. Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): CITU workers hold protest rally in support of their demands #TradeUnionStrike pic.twitter.com/nRopXIaJue ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 12.40 pm: Nurses protest at RML Hospital in Delhi, demanding salary hike. 12.30 pm: Trade between Tripura and Bangladesh was also affected as the workers remained absent in the land customs stations along Bangladesh. 12.15 pm: SHimachal electricity board employees joined the protest. 12.00: Bharat Bandh: Banks and commercial establishments were closed across Himachal Pradesh on Friday 11.42 am: At least 1.4 lakh autos besides e-rickshaws, buses and lorries go off road in Bihar due to trade unions strike. 11.40 am: Bihar: The banks, government offices, telecoms, factories and other sector extended thier support to strike called by central trade union on Friday. 11.35 am: Delhi Nurses Union protest outside Safdarjung Hospital against Govt, demanding salary hike 11.30 am: Clash reported between CPM and TMC workers during bandh in Madhyamgram. 11.15 am: Municipal Corporation Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya arrested alongwith 15 other protesters in Silliguri, West Bengal Siliguri(WB) Municipal Corporation Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya arrested alongwith 15 other protesters #Tradeunionstrike pic.twitter.com/TREDUk4H8y ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 OneIndia News Supreme Court raps Sahara: Show and prove your source of funds India oi-Vicky Does Sahara do all its business in cash, the Supreme Court asked today. This was an observation made by the court when Sahara's counsel said that most of the refunds were made in cash. Sahara had claimed that it had refunded Rs 23,000 crore to the investors. The SC sought to know the exact source of the funds. The SC said that Sahara should tell it by September 16 about the source of the funds. During the course of the arguments, the stock market regulator SEBI's counsel said that according to Sahara they had collected cash in trucks. The counsel for Sahara, Kapil Sibal, however, shot back and told SEBI not to make bogus arguments and prejudice the court. The court then asked Sahara about the source of income. "It is difficult to digest that you paid Rs 23,000 crore to the investors in just two months. Prove your source of income," the court said. Further, the SC also said that on the next date of hearing, Sahara, apart from telling it about the source of funds, must also show proof of the same. The court also ordered that Sahara deposit Rs 300 crore with SEBI on September 16. Sahara then sought the permission of the court to bring money from London, where it had got an advance against one of its properties, the Governor's House Hotel. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 16:54 [IST] TMC hails national party status India oi-PTI Kolkata, Sep 2: Expressing happiness over the national party status awarded to it today, Trinamool Congress said it now aims to play a "bigger role" in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "It is a much awaited decision. We are very happy. The party will now play a much bigger role in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The national party status and Mamata Banerjee's victory in Singur will give us an edge," senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy told PTI. "Apart from West Bengal, TMC has presence in states like Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. In West Bengal, we are in power and in Tripura, we are the main opposition. Now we will try to spread to other parts of the country," Roy said. Besides TMC, there are six recognised political parties in the country - BSP, BJP, Congress, NCP, CPI and CPI-M. Also there are 64 recognised state parties in the country. Trinamool Congress was extended the 'national party' status by the Election Commission today. PTI BRICS must live up to commitments to sovereign equality and territorial integrity: Jaishankar Indian economy expected to grow by 7.5 per cent this year: PM Modi at BRICS Business Forum At BRICS summit, Putin slams 'thoughtless and selfish actions' of certain states that hurt global economy Two-day BRICS convention on Tourism begins in MP India oi-PTI Khajuraho (MP), Sep 2: Tourism Ministers of BRICS countries met at the world-famous temple city Khajuraho for a two-day long conference that began today. Although the 'BRICS Convention on Tourism' was scheduled to be inaugurated by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma, he could not make it to the event, which is a precursor to the BRICS Summit to be held in Goa on October 15-16. Speaking on the occasion, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Surendra Patwa said tourism would get a major boost with the participation of BRICS nations in this two-day long meet. "With the participation of all BRICS nations in the meet, tourism will get a major boost in the country," an official release quoted Patwa as saying. He said through this event, the state will get experience in boosting tourism. "It is a matter of pride for India that BRICS nations 'Tourism Ministers' conference is being held in Khajuraho...In future as well, Madhya Pradesh will get an opportunity to host such events," he added. Earlier, Union Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi said the purpose of the meet was to enhance tourism with the use of latest technology and information among the BRICS nations. Tourism Ministers of BRICS nations to meet in Khajuraho The tourism representatives of South Africa and China also expressed their views on the occasion. On India's 'Atulya Bharat' campaign, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar made presentations. Representatives of BRICS countries and Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) delegation also made a presentation. PTI Amidst bandh call over Agnipath, Kerala police has stern warning for protesters Is there a Bharat Bandh tomorrow: Here is what we know (Updates) How Bharat Bandh unfolds in South India India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Bengaluru, Sept 2: The 'bandh' call by the All India Trade Union against the "anti-worker" changes that the government has brought in its labour laws has reverberated across India. Schools, colleges and transport are hit, but emergency facilities continue to provide services in each state at the behest of the state and the central governments. Citing absolute apathy of the government toward their demand for better wages, close to 10 central trade unions unite to go on a one-day strike. However, the reaction is not the same in every state. South Indian states, specially, have a mixed response to the bandh. Let's see how: 2:50 pm: 1:58 pm: 1,200 workers in Puducherry arrested Today #BharatBandh STrike definitely affects #Bengaluru But a welcome relief ! What a hectic & stressful week.. Glad itz ending..#1 Priya (@priya13tw) September 2, 2016 1:12 pm: 1:01 pm: Workers strike back in Andhra Pradesh VIDEO: #BharatBandh Protesters stage a rail roko in Chennai pic.twitter.com/GKxhZjJhEE TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 2, 2016 12:55 pm: 4 youth from Nagpur on a trip to Tirupati stranded at Majestic. Instead of darshan at Tirupati, now doing #Bengaluru darshan #BharatBandh nolan pinto (@nolanentreeo) September 2, 2016 A story to tell: 12:26 pm: Banking operations came to a standstill in Telangana Bandh shows how barbaric we still are. Bandh benefit only political groups, for common man it's unrecoverable loss #Hyderabad #BharatBandh Man of Justice (@SuperGops) September 2, 2016 12:08 pm: Cyberabad not far behind BJP member killed in bomb blast in #Kerala ! Expect a bandh call by BJP? No? What?? OK OK. BabuSyed (@BeYess) August 21, 2016 #Kerala bandh Who gives you the right to shut down the state in the name of a bandh...cowards-not able to handle the national ruling party. Jayanth Jayaprakash (@jayanthkj) August 29, 2016 12:06 pm: Citizens of Kerala see politics in Bandh @SurjyaKMishra Stop this Bandh politics. #CPM ie ChiPeeM was kicked out of #Bengal by people now u wl b kicked out from #Tripura & #Kerala 2 TMC For India (@tmcforindia) August 31, 2016 Whishing everyone in #Kerala Bandh Mubarak!! rayin (@rayin) September 2, 2016 12:02 pm: Kerala speaks 11:57 am: 11:50 am: 'Magestic' grandeur in Bengaluru. 11:48 am: [Read: Sept 2 All-India Trade Union Bandh: South India showcases mixed response ] We or any groups associated with us are not supporting the #tradeunionstrike : Pawan Kumar,Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh pic.twitter.com/LZkOrRBKSU ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 We or any groups associated with us are not supporting the trade union strike : Pawan Kumar,Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh #Tradeunionstrike : Schools and colleges in Bengaluru urban district are closed today as a precautionary measure pic.twitter.com/necjlxCgpu ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 11:40 am: #Tradeunionstrike hit normal life in Bengaluru (Visuals from bus stand) pic.twitter.com/O9K0O5J6Lj ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 11:38 am: Trade unions hit normal life in Bengaluru. Deserted bus stops can be spotted across the city. #Topstory Trade unions call nationwide strike demanding better wages and against Govt's changes in labour laws pic.twitter.com/HAPyG3zJQg ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 11:15 am: #Tradeunionstrike: Passengers stranded at an inter state bus stand in Thiruvananthapuram(Kerala) pic.twitter.com/gWJICG2X4z ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016 11:00 am: [Read: Live: Dawn to dusk strike by trade union cripples life in north India] [Read: Bharat Bandh: In Bengaluru, BMTC, auto, cabs to go off roads] OneIndia News Donald Trump's an amateur in foreign policy: Kaine International oi-PTI Washington, Sep 2: Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine has described Donald Trump as an "amateur" in foreign policy and alleged that his not bringing up the issue of who will foot the bill for the 'Mexico wall' when meeting the Mexican President was a "choke". Kaine, in an interview with CNN, alleged that the Republican presidential nominee did not even have the nerve at the last minute to bring up the issue of who would pay for construction of wall along the Mexico border. "This is the central piece of his campaign, immigration and deportation, and we're going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. But when he looked President Pena Nieto in the eye, he couldn't even bring that up. That was a choke, and I think it shows that diplomacy is not for amateurs. Donald Trump's an amateur," Kaine alleged. Observing that diplomacy is fundamentally about honesty and candor and standing up for the values that one believes in, Kaine asked why Trump did not raise this issue with the Mexican President if he really believed this. We will find, destroy you: Donald Trump to terrorists "Trump's been saying for months, we're going to build a wall and Mexico's going to pay for it. If he really believed that, when he was sitting down with President Pena Nieto, why not even bring that up? And then he goes back, and then to the hometown audience, he gives this fiery speech, a language of division," he said. This is a language that there is a segment of demagogues that have used, Kaine said. "It's language of division. We're not going to be a great nation by being deportation nation. Eleven million people. Plus Trump has said he wants to take American citizenship away from 5 million kids who have been born in this country. So let's make it 16 million people. We're not going to be great by having a deportation task force to kick 16 million people out of this country," Kaine asserted. "It's not about deportation, it's about a comprehensive reform that can help our economy grow and that is true to our nation's values," he said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 12:21 [IST] Germany, France divided over EU-US trade deal International oi-PTI Paris, Sept 2: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has demanded a "clear halt" to negotiations towards an ambitious US-EU trade agreement as Germany's leader stressed her continued support for the contentious pact. The European Commission and US negotiators began work on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013, aiming to create the world's biggest free trade market of 850 million consumers. But the talks have become bogged down as widespread suspicion abounds in Europe that the deal would undercut the 28-nation bloc's standards in key areas such as health and welfare. Yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her support for the deal, saying it was not in Europe's interest "to fall behind other regions" such as Asia which had inked similar deals with the United States. "I believe that such an agreement would mean job opportunities for us and we urgently need jobs in Europe," she said. But the French premier demanded a halt to the talks, saying the agreement in its current state was not good enough. "The agreement on the table is, under these conditions, unacceptable. We need a clear halt in order to resume from a new basis," he said during a speech to French ambassadors, according to France's foreign trade department. "Since the beginning, France has made its demands very clear. But when we look where we are, none of these have been taken into account. "But where we are now, these have absolutely not been met. And there has been no progress." After UK, is English set to exit EU? France's junior trade minister who negotiates trade deals on behalf of France made similar comments earlier this week. Merkel's intervention came just days after her own deputy, centre-left vice chancellor and economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said the talks on the so-called TTIP agreement, were effectively dead. Asked about Gabriel's comments, Merkel said it was "at least unusual" to declare the talks a failure just as they were entering their final stretch. The talks were supposed to be in the final phase with a deal set to have been inked before US President Barack Obama leaves office in January. Instead, the treaty has become a "hot potato" as key elections approach in the United States, as well as in France and Germany -- the Eurozone's two largest economies. While the European Commission wants to continue the talks, experts said it was unlikely the negotiations would continue without the support of Germany or France. And even if EU foreign ministers decided to press ahead with talks when they meet later this month, chances of a deal are now slim, ING Bank economist Daniel Bosgraaf told AFP. "After all, neither (Donald) Trump nor (Hillary) Clinton support the trade deal. For now, TTIP remains barely afloat," he said. Sylvie Matelly, deputy director at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), told AFP it would be difficult to successfully conclude talks which have "repeatedly broken down over... different viewpoints, and a lack of public preparation, and transparency over what will be negotiated." AFP To boost economic relations with Pakistan, China to open visa office in Peshawar Stop prevaricating, act against those persecuted minorities: India to Pakistan 30 killed, 50 injured in suicide attack in Peshawar mosque in Pakistan Peshawar: Four terrorists among five killed in terror attack International oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Peshawar, Sept 2: At least one civilian and four suicide bombers were killed on Friday after terrorists attacked Peshawar's Christian Colony, Pakistani security sources said. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa confirmed "all four suicide bombers were killed" and a clearance operation is underway, DawnNews online reported. Firing reportedly began around 6 a.m., when the terrorists attacked the colony, the sources told DawnNews. The gunmen were wearing suicide jackets. Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets, and two others were killed by security forces, the sources added. The colony lies near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Peshawar has suffered numerous terrorist attacks but it was not immediately clear who was behind Friday's assault. The city suffered its worst terror attack in December 2014 when Taliban gunmen massacred more than 150 people, most of them children, at an army-run school. The last deadly attack in the city came in March this year when a bomb ripped through a bus carrying government employees, killing 15 people. Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar.Sec forces Promptly responded,all 4 suicide bombers killed.Search in progress. Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 2, 2016 OneIndia News In his maiden visit to Russia since Ukraine war, Jaishankar to hold talks with Lavrov Russia, US could reach Syria cooperation deal soon: Putin International oi-PTI Vladivostok (Russia), Sep 2: Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview aired today that Moscow and Washington could soon reach a cooperation deal on Syria. "In my opinion we're gradually heading in the right direction and I don't exclude that we'll be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Russian and American officials are holding negotiations in Geneva aimed at reestablishing a ceasefire in Syria and cooperating militarily against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups in the country. "The talks are very difficult," Putin said. "One of the key problems is that we insist, and our American partners do not object to this, that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organisations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra." Russia and US are on opposing sides of the Syria conflict with Moscow flying a bombing campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Washington demanding he go. Any military cooperation between the two sides in Syria could prove a game-changer but many in the US - which is leading a separate coalition against IS - are sceptical that Moscow can be trusted. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 17:17 [IST] Trump does not represent the US: Biden International oi-PTI Washington, Sep 2: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump does not represent the US, is irresponsible and is making America unsafe, Vice President Joe Biden has said. This is what he told foreign leaders during his just concluded trip to Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania. "I met at a conference with their presidents to reassure them that Donald Trump didn't represent America," Biden said at an election rally in Ohio where he campaigned for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee. "Because you know what Donald Trump said? Donald Trump said he's not sure he'd honour our NATO commitment. No. To protect them if Russia invaded them. They're scared to death with good reason that Russia will cross the border and annex them like they did Crimea," Biden said. "These are members of NATO. He said we're going to check whether they've paid all their dues. For the first time he's causing nations to actually wonder whether or not we'll keep our word," the US Vice President said. "The idea that I ever thought in my career I'd get in the plane to make basically an emergency flight to hold the hands of three presidents from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and say no, no, no. He doesn't represent Republicans or Democrats on this. Don't worry. This is the guy who admires Putin. Donald Trump's an amateur in foreign policy: Kaine This is the guy who doesn't know that Russian troops have already come across the border and annexed Crimea," Biden said. Biden said Trump was a guy who guaranteed that Putin is not going to invade a country that has already been invaded. "I guess because his campaign men are getting paid millions of dollars by the dictator who ran the place beforehand," said the US Vice President, who is considered as the country's top most foreign policy expert. Biden said he does not believe Trump is a bad guy. "I just think he is thoroughly, totally, completely uninformed. He has no idea what the hell he's talking about," he said. He said he has a military aide carrying a briefcase. "That briefcase has the nuclear codes in it and God forbid if something happens to the president and the decision had to be made I open it up for the nuclear codes are there. Just imagine giving this guy access. Imagine giving this guy access to the nuclear codes. A guy who says how he's consider using nuclear weapons," he said. "The Trump world is already making us less safe. When he stands up there and says, irresponsibly, that everybody here knows is ridiculous, that Barack Obama invented ISIS, you know what happened the next day? The guy who runs Hezbollah, a terrorist organisation, put out on all their networks that the nominee of one of the two largest parties in America who may very well be president soon has admitted that we started ISIS and that he has proof of this," Biden said. "If people believe we are supporting ISIS, what do you think happens to our kids in these countries? The man is totally irresponsibly," Biden said. PTI Pak, China team up again, say UN counter-terrorism mechanism being politicised UN condemns bomb attack at China's embassy International oi-PTI United Nations, Sep 2: The UN Security Council has condemned "the serious terrorist bomb attack" at China's embassy in Kyrgyzstan and called for the perpetrators, organizers and financiers to be brought to justice. A statement approved by the 15 members late yesterday urged all countries to cooperate with Kyrgyz authorities in the investigation. A suspected suicide bomber crashed a car through the entrance of the embassy in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek on Tuesday, detonating a bomb that killed the attacker and wounded three embassy employees. Kyrgyz authorities have offered no guidance on the attacker or a possible motive. The Security Council stressed that "any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed." Council members also stressed "the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 15:58 [IST] Vietnam visit aimed at boosting strategic ties: PM Modi International oi-PTI Hanoi, Sep 2: Underlining that Vietnam is a "very important pillar" in India's Act East Policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his visit to the country, the first by an Indian premier in 15 years, was intended to boost the strategic ties and speed up bilateral engagements in key areas like defence, security and trade. "Vietnamese Prime Minister (Nguyen Xuan) Phuc and I would also be discussing regional cooperation and stability and our multilateral cooperation," Modi told state-run Voice of Vietnam Radio network ahead of his two-day visit during which he will hold extensive talks with Vietnam's top leadership. "The thrust of our multifaceted relationship is to work towards stability, maintenance of peace, economic growth and prosperity in our countries, Asia and beyond," he added. Modi emphasised that India's Act East Policy is aimed at forging partnerships with its eastern neighbours to encompass security, strategic, political, counter-terrorism, and defence collaboration in addition to economic ties. "It was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbours of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy engagement," he told the radio, adding Vietnam was an integral member of ASEAN and is a "very important pillar in our Act East Policy". "My visit to Vietnam is a reinforcement of our friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation. The visit is intended to further boost our bilateral and multilateral engagement and cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, commerce, culture, human resource development, science and technology, space research, defence and security," he told the broadcaster. Vietnam is the ASEAN Coordinator for India for 2015-18 and the two countries have expressed their strong commitment in strengthening partnership within the India-ASEAN and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation frameworks. Underlining that trade was a vital aspect in bilateral ties, Modi noted the current trade stood at USD 7.83 billion, and pledged the two sides were committed to meet the target of USD 15 billion by 2020. "We would be deliberating on the thrust areas and new sectors for enhancing trade and the impetus required for enhanced investments. India has expressed keenness on increasing investments in Vietnam. Indian investments in Vietnam are currently at about USD 1.1 billion, and would be significantly enhanced upon implementation of large infrastructure projects such as Tata Power's Long Phu - II 1320 MW thermal power project with an estimated cost of USD 2.2 billion. Modi invited Vietnam to look at India as an attractive investment destination and urged Vietnamese entrepreneurs to invest in North East India which he said is a focus area for India's Act East Policy. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 2, 2016, 19:13 [IST] Four suicide bombers were killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Christian Colony of Peshawar today morning. Pakistani media has confirmed that four terrorists have been killed in exchange of fire with security forces in Peshawar. Heavy contingents of security forces were called in the area for operation. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Hull Daily Mail 23 Oct 2022 Our thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one Tamworth Herald 19 Jul 2022 The Birmingham 2022 Festival murals are the biggest ever seen in Birmingham and artist David Brown has found out the hard way why.. OK! Magazine 26 Jul 2022 Now that the FDA is banning all JUUL products, it is time to ditch nicotine and move on to something better. OK! helps you shop.. WatchMojo 02 Aug 2020 These products were dead on arrival. For this list, were looking at the most infamous and disastrous tech product flops in.. SeattlePI.com 16 Aug 2022 BERLIN (AP) Switzerland said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan on the return of $131 million seized as part of.. Rumble 15 Sep 2022 Dawn Jones of East Cleveland lives just 200 feet from the scene of a Labor Day multiple shooting that killed one and injured ten.. Daily Record 04 Aug 2022 Carr, who worked as a teaching assistant at the little girls' school, was jailed for 42 months and released from Foston Hall prison.. CBS 5 SF KPIX 04 Oct 2019 A former Stanford athlete is speaking out against the university. Abrahm Devine claims he was kicked off the swim team because he's.. The following members have been elected to the Executive Committee of the Board for two year terms, effective September 1, 2016: Chair: Michael Burns, Boden Ladner Gervais LLP Deputy Chair: Claude Perron, Cristalline Management Treasurer: Derek Hatoum, PwC LLP Legal Counsel: Darin Renton, Stikeman Elliott LLP Additional Executive Committee Members: Stphane Amara, Allianz Global Investors Steve Banquier, TD Securities Inc. Ranjan Bhaduri, Sigma Analysis & Management James Burron, AIMA Canada Anish Chopra, TD Asset Management Inc Jesse Kaufman, Richardson GMP Limited Belle Kaura, Third Eye Capital Management Laura Reid, KPMG LLP Claire Van Wyk, RBC Global Asset Management In announcing the composition of the new Executive Committee of the Board, AIMA Canada Chair Michael Burns commented This terms elections represented a record level of interest in the Executive Committee of AIMA Canada and I am excited to be working with such a talented and diverse group of individuals representing several sectors of the alternative investment industry. I am very much looking forward to working with our new Executive Committee members over the next two years to continue to expand AIMA Canadas contribution to the alternative investment industry, both in Canada and internationally, and continue to make AIMA Canada a valuable resource for our members, Mr. Burns said. Mr. Burns also expressed sincere gratitude to outgoing Deputy Chair Paul Patterson, Managing Director and General Counsel, Westcourt Capital, and outgoing legal counsel Tim Baron, Partner, Davies Ward Phillips and Vineberg LLP, for their distinguished service and important contributions to AIMA Canada. AIMA, the Alternative Investment Management Association, is the global representative of the alternative investment industry, with more than 1,600 corporate members in over 50 countries. AIMA works closely with its members to provide leadership in industry initiatives such as advocacy, policy and regulatory engagement, educational programmes, and sound practice guides. KM What's common to the bullet in the head of a Palestinian in Hebron in March this year and the 1995 Rabin assassination? When the regime is in need, who are you going to call? Prof Yeduda Hiss... (Image by public) Details DMCA March 24, 2016, shooting of a Palestinian in Hebron - still from B'Tselem video. (Image by NRG) Details DMCA OccupyTLV, September 1 -- Israeli media today report that Prof Yehuda Hiss provided in court an expert opinion in IDF soldier Elor Azaria's trial: That the Palestinian in Hebron did not die from Zaaria's bullet to his head... The testimony appeared more than a bit contrived, even for a layperson. It also contradicted the expert opinion of National Forensic Medicine Institute, which Hiss had previously directed. [1] Azaria is on trial for what appears to many as extra-judicial execution. The reason for the prosecution in this case is that the incident was videotaped by a Palestinian, working with Israeli Human Rights NGO B'Tselem, and generated worldwide attention. [2] Many similar cases go unnoticed and are never even investigated. The trial has evolved into an indictment of the occupation of Palestine, splitting Israeli society. It has also cost Defense Minister Yaalon his job and possibly his political career, after he supported the conduct of a trial in this case. On its part, the Israeli justice system, as usual, is trying to provide the fig leaf. [3] It appears that Prof Hiss's appearance was intended to assist in such purpose. After all, Prof Hiss has a long history in the courts... In one of his most controversial appearances, he provided an expert opinion in the 1995 Prime Minister Rabin assassination: The first post-mortem operation was performed by the Ichilov hospital pathologist, where Rabin died. However, later, the Shin-Bet called Prof Hiss to conduct a second post-mortem operation, which resulted in a report that contradicted the first one in critical points. Israeli law prescribes that all post-mortem operations related to criminal matters be documented by videotape. However, in the Rabin assassination case, it was claimed that no video recording existed of either operation. The official narrative of the Rabin assassination remains dubious. [4] In between the two appearances, Prof Hiss was dismissed in 2012 from the National Forensic Medicine Institute in the wake of a scandal, which also raised concerns of massive fraud in his expert opinions over his long tenure - all to serve the State Prosecution. [5] Judge (ret) Hila Gerstel, Commissioner of Prosecutorial Oversight (a newly created office, still in its formative stages), decided to look into the matter, primarily following the unusual conduct of the State Prosecution relative to forensic experts in the Roman Zadorov affair. Her initiative met staunch opposition by the State Prosecution, which eventually led to her resignation... [6] Gerstel's report regarding the collusion between the State Prosecution and the National Forensic Institute under Prof Hiss's tenure had already been written and was scheduled for publication. However, the State Prosecution petitioned the Supreme Court to block the publication of the report, claiming "it would damage our reputation". The report has never been published... Sounds incredible? It's only the tip of the iceberg. [7] LINKS: [1] 2016-09-01 Prof Hiss: Death of the Hebron terrorist was not caused by Azaria's bullet _Arutz 7 [Hebrew] 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). Bob Koehler (Image by courtesy of Bob Koehler) Details DMCA My guest today is author and peace journalist, Bob Koehler. Welcome back to OpEdNews, Bob. Joan Brunwasser: Your recent piece, Reflections on the Anthropocene, ventured into geology, not your usual beat. How come? What drew you in that direction? Bob Koehler: Hi, Joan. It's great to be dialoguing with you again. And no, geology is not usually a topic I address. But the idea that Planet Earth may have entered a new geological era has been in the news recently. A working panel of geologists, meeting at the recent International Geological Conference in Cape Town, voted unanimously that it's time to declare the planet's transition beyond the Holocene epoch, where we've been since the last ice age, 12,000 years ago. This new era is characterized by changes to what might be called the planet's geological infrastructure, caused by human activity: nuclear testing, the planetary spread of plastics -- all the technological changes that have been leaving their mark on the planet during my lifetime. The geologists mark the beginning of the Anthropocene as the 1950s. My interest in this is hardly scientific. I write about peace. I write about human culture. But this deep shift that we are undergoing, as a planet, is profound and puts, it seems, everything else into perspective. As the geologists put it: Human beings are now in partnership with nature itself, co-creating the infrastructure of the natural world. What does this mean? I decided to wade into the unknown and write about it. JB: I'm currently reading Timothy Egan's book, The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. It won the National Book Award in 2006 but that's not what I want to talk about. First of all, we don't really learn about the Dust Bowl, our nation's worst natural disaster. The only thing I knew previously was that the Dust Bowl provided the backdrop for The Grapes of Wrath. That's it. But the Dust Bowl actually affected millions of people over a huge geographic area for a decade. The continual drought, followed by catastrophic and terrifying dusters* that literally stripped the farmland bare. After reading your piece, I thought to myself, here's a perfect example of misguided government policies affecting nature on a massive scale. Lands that had been lush for thousands of years were converted in short order to a barren wasteland. So, I respectfully suggest backdating the beginning of the Anthropocene by another two decades. The fact that we as a nation know nothing about it means that we can't learn anything from what happens when we behave out of harmony with nature. What do you think? BK: What struck me about the concept of the Anthropocene is that it's an official acknowledgement by the world's scientific community that change on a deep and profound scale has occurred: not change caused by some outside force, e.g., a meteor strikes Planet Earth, or change as imagined by religious fantasy, e.g., God sends a flood to punish the human race, but change at that same absolute level -- nothing will ever be the same anymore -- caused by human behavior over a relatively short period of time. The phenomenon of the Dust Bowl is a perfect example of this sort of change. But my interest in learning about it and writing about it is political, social and spiritual, not scientific. If human power is so enormous that it is, in effect, godlike -- we can split the atom, we can blow the planet to smithereens, we can ravage and destroy the soil that nurtures life -- then it's time to link this power not to fear and greed but to our highest selves. I see my role as posing the question: What does this mean? JB: Okay, question-poser. Can you take us a little farther on this path, please? What does it mean? 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). Reprinted from Robert Reich Blog Apple Inc Logo (Image by DigitalRalph) Details DMCA For years, Washington lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have attacked big corporations for avoiding taxes by parking their profits overseas. Last week the European Union did something about it. The European Union's executive commission ordered Ireland to collect $14.5 billion in back taxes from Apple. But rather than congratulate Europe for standing up to Apple, official Washington is outraged. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan calls it an "awful" decision. Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, who's likely to become Senate Majority Leader next year, says it's "a cheap money grab by the European Commission." Republican Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, accuses Europe of "targeting" American businesses. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden says it "undermines our tax treaties and paints a target on American firms in the eyes of foreign governments." P-l-e-a-s-e. These are taxes America should have required Apple to pay to the U.S. Treasury. But we didn't -- because Ryan, Schumer, Hatch, Wyden, and other inhabitants of Capitol Hill haven't been able to agree on how to close the loophole that has allowed Apple, and many other global American corporations, to avoid paying the corporate income taxes they owe. Let's be clear. The products Apple sells abroad are designed and developed in the United States. So the foreign royalties Apple collects on them logically should be treated as corporate income to Apple here in America. But Apple and other Big Tech corporations like Google and Amazon -- along with much of Big Pharma, and even Starbucks -- have avoided paying hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes on their worldwide earnings because they don't really sell things like cars or refrigerators or television sets that they make here and ship abroad. Their major assets are designs, software, and patented ideas. Although most of this intellectual capital originates here, it can be transferred instantly around the world -- finding its way into a vast array of products and services abroad. Intellectual capital is hard to see, measure, value, and track. So it's a perfect vehicle for tax avoidance. Apple transfers its intellectual capital to an Apple subsidiary in Ireland, which then "sells" Apple products all over Europe. And it keeps most of the money there. Ireland has been more than happy to oblige by imposing on Apple a tax rate that's laughably low -- 0.005 percent in 2014, for example. Apple is America's most profitable high-tech company and also one of America's biggest tax cheats. It maintains a worldwide network of tax havens to park its global profits, some of which don't even have any employees. Sitting atop this network is "Apple Operations International," incorporated in Ireland. Never mind that Apple Operations International keeps its bank accounts and records in the United States and holds board meetings in California. It's still considered Irish. And its main job is allocating Apple's earnings among its international subsidiaries in order to keep taxes as low as possible. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). You should stop reading this, if you think that generally humanity is making progress. However, if you believe that humanity is heading toward a dark future, then read on. While I am a 72 year old, dual citizen who has currently resided in Canada for the last dozen years, I'm still deeply concerned with what I see occurring in my home country and, by extension, the world. I am quite concerned regarding the world that I am leaving to my children and grandchildren! I assume, since you have read this far, that you are of the same mindset. In fact, as I still have your attention, I don't think that it is necessary for me to elaborate on the long list of obstacles that we are all facing now and in both the near and far future. I must also assume that, since you are still reading, you are, like me, looking for solutions. Since I don't know what you know, let me fill you in with a few facts, as I see them, so that when I present this solution it will fall into a logical space and be comprehensible. A few years ago, I got into a rather lengthy email debate with my favorite political pundit/podcaster -- Mike Malloy. He contend ed that the primary cause of humanity's demise can be placed on the shoulders of capitalism. My position was, and still is, that it is the corporations that are at fault. Now consider that the basic historic path of international economic development went from the Barter System through Mercantilism (precious metals) to Capitalism. The system with the least amount of state or government regulation was the Barter System. The rest had various degrees of state controls. While the concept of the corporation can be traced back into ancient Roman times, the modern form of chartered corporations only began toward the end of the Mercantile period and with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Free Market advocates have held that capitalism is most efficient with no government intervention. However, it is generally understood that corporations should be regulated, if for nothing more than to be chartered. So, you may be asking yourself, what has all of this got to do with our central question? Well, it has to do with a capitalistic system, which originally contained corporations, being overcome and dominated by the very entity that was to function within its boundaries. In other words, corporations took control of capitalism, instead of the other way around. This was a long and deliberate process that began with a little noted US court ruling in 1886 and has recently asserted itself again with the Supreme Court ruling in the Citizen's United case. Corporations, as they are now configured not only in the US but throughout the world as well, have some very negative ramifications , relative to human life on this planet. Should you wish to look into the multitude of problems that corporations inflict on all of us, I'd like to refer you to the second website I ever put on the web -- click here. However, to explore the true reason that humanity is losing its grasp of life on this planet, I'm only going to elaborate on a few of the more destructive aspects of corporations. Obviously, a for profit corporation's prime directive is to make a profit. It is also apparent that, in spite of having all of the rights of a human being, as an artificial entity a corporation hasn't the ability to experience empathy. It must also be taken into consideration the fact that one of the primary reasons that humans gather together and form corporations is so that no one individual can be held responsible for the illegal actions of a corporation. So, what do we have when we combine just these three aspects of corporations? Well we have competitive, eternal, international, legal entities that are mandated -- often by law -- to make a profit. Our experience has been that in order to facilitate that mandate, they have subverted our political and economic systems in order to enact laws that are to their exclusive financial advantage. That these actions are often detrimental to the health and welfare of humans is of no concern to these parasitic legal documents posing as humans. Most importantly, and contributing to that lack of concern, is the absence of liability for any of the sociopathic humans who make these horrendous decisions " on behalf of the corporation. And there you have it, the psycho/sociopathic individuals who run these powerful corporations are rarely held responsible for their actions -- since it was the corporation who did it with no humans held liable. After all, if there will be no jail time, why not risk it? Similar to the mentality of a local cop, "If there will be no jail time, why not shoot?" Now you may be asking yourself, "What can be done about this lack of accountability?" Of course the world is full of people who have uncovered problems and put forth incredibly valid solutions. However, the very real difficulty is converting an imagined solution into a reality. That is certainly a major problem, in this case. The corporations are so expertly adept at thwarting our non-violent methods of politically and/or legally righting these wrongs that it appears that this is just another lost cause. On top of that, those of us who are still paying attention now know that our votes don't even count anymore! Even if our election processes weren't corrupted beyond repair, what will it take to overcome the rising voter apathy and disgust that has stagnated our trust in any solutions offered by anyone? There is a sheet of ice in Antartica that is the size of the country of Mexico. It is called the Ross Ice Shelf and it rests on a bedrock that goes deeply below the ocean's surface. There is a process which is called 'calving' which is relentlessly eating away at the underside of this shelf of ice. Because this enormous mass of ice is melting much faster than previously projected, scientists, just this year, are projecting that within a couple of decades that shelf could suddenly break off and fall into the ocean. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). 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. Fusion Analytics World Launches New Website, Offering a platform for learning and sharing content on Analytics www.fusionanalyticsworld.com Fusion Analytics World is recently launching its website which is poised to become The Analytics Encyclopedia. The site aims to assist analytics professionals and enthusiasts a platform for learning as well as sharing content on Data Science, Big Data, Data Mining, and Business Analytics.The process is quite simple. Readers should visit the new site and register with us by opening an account. Once you are done, from your account page you can post comment, rate, like or comment on posts, share your questions and get responses from community experts or give your expert opinion and be noticed and improve your brand value.The word Fusion stems from the word Data Fusion which is the process of integration of multiple data and knowledge representing the same real-world object into a consistent, accurate, and useful representation. Encyclopedia comes from Greek word meaning "complete instruction" or "complete knowledge". The purpose of an encyclopedia is to collect knowledge disseminated around the globe.About the Founder: Kalyan BangaA Post Graduate in Business Analytics from Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, a premier management institute, ranked best B-School in Asia in FT Masters management global rankings. Kalyan has 14+ years of rich experience in domain of business analytics, market research, management consulting and strategy. My multi-country and multi-cultural experience enhances my technical Analytics expertise to steer businesses towards facts and data supported decisions prime to the local business culture and environment. My work exposure spans from mature market like US to developing market like India. For the past 3 years, I have been instrumental in setting up of a Business Analytics & Intelligence team in a multinational Analytics company based on North America. During these years, I have worked on various tools like R, SAS, SPSS and XLMiner.For any questions, please feel free to reach out through our Contact Us page.Fusion Analytics WorldKalyan BangaFounder & Chief Data Scientistinfo@fusionanalyticsworld.com(800) 712-77772002 K Street, NWWashington, D.C. 20006 Roland DG to attend Media Expo Delhi with a wide range of print solutions for all businesses www.rolanddg.com www.rolanddg.co.in www.apsom.com India, August 2016: Roland DG will once more be attending Media Expo Delhi on the 29th of September to the 1st of October at Pragati Maidan, on Stand C67 in Hall 11. As with previous years, the Roland DG stand, supported by Master Distributor for India, Apsom Infotex, will be filled with live demos and applications for businesses of all sizes and requirements.With its first unveiling in India, the main draw the stand will be the TrueVIS VG-640/540, the latest generation of advanced wide-format, eco-solvent print-and-cut technology released under the TrueVIS brand name. Taking place on day 1 of Media Expo Delhi 2016, the grand unveiling will give attendees the chance for an exclusive first look at Roland DGs latest series, and more importantly, the exceptional quality prints it produces. With regular live product feature tours from Rob Goleniowski, Sales Support Manager for Roland DG UK; its sure to attract a crowd.TrueVIS VG series printer/cutters are equipped with four new Roland DG FlexFire printheads for a higher firing frequency and accurate droplet placement in three sizes, and an approx. 25% wider print pass compared to previous Roland DG models. Also launched for use with the VG Series is a proprietary new ink, TrueVIS INK; an exciting advance in eco-solvent technology, offering exceptional dual CMYK or 7 colour (CMYKLcLmLk) output in 500cc pouches, for vibrant colours, fine details and smooth gradations. TrueVIS INK also meets strict environmental standards being awarded full GREENGUARD Gold certification.Darren Penny, Head of Sales at Roland DG UK says The combination of the new FlexFire technology and new TrueVIS INK engineered specifically for the printheads delivers stunning fine details and vibrant colours at a production speed of 10.6m2 per hour in High Quality mode on vinyl and up to 34.8m2 per hour on banner in dual CMYK ink configuration*1.Also on the stand will be the SOLJET EJ-640, Roland DGs latest and greatest eco-solvent printer, which has been making waves in the print industry for its low running costs, thanks to Roland DGs economical EJ INK, and impressive production speeds. The EJ-640 allows businesses to unlock their full workflow potential, with the ability to produce up to 102m2 of media in just one hour.Darren Penny, Head of Sales for Roland DG UK, continues: Thanks to our latest advances in print technology, this Media Expo will be our best yet. Were very excited to be launching a whole new range of print-and-cut machines at Media Expo for the first time in India, and theres new technologies for all businesses; from those looking to enter the industry for the first time through to those who need that extra production power that lets them increase their businesses offerings even more.Alongside Roland DGs eco-solvent print technology, the successful VersaUV range will also be returning to the show, in the form of the VersaUV LEF-300. Offering creative versatility, the LEF-300 delivers flatbed industrial production on a large 770 mm wide by 330 mm print bed. With white and gloss EcoUV inks and the Roland DG texture library providing 72 ready-to-use texture patterns, personalisation is easy and thanks to the almost unlimited range of compatible media applications the LEF-300 is sure to add an edge to any customisation-based workflow.Joe Wigzell, Creative Centre and Roland DG Academy Manager for Roland DG UK will be attending Media Expo and running live demonstrations on the VersaUV LEF-300 throughout the 3-day show. Visitors to the stand will be able to see for themselves the versatility and quality possible using Roland DGs VersaUV technology.Finally, also available on the stand will be the VersaEXPRESS RF-640A, a machine that has formed the staple for many print shops across India. Affordable and adaptable for many types of print production, its easy to see why the dual CMYK printer is so successful.*1 For the VG-640 in dual CMYK ink configuration.About Roland DG CorporationRoland DG Corporation is a leading manufacturer of products designed to help professionals and hobbyists transform their imagination into reality, including SOLJET, TrueVIS, VersaCAMM, VersaUV and Texart series large-format inkjet devices, MDX milling and EGX engraving machines, CAMM-1 and STIKA vinyl cutters and MPX photo impact printers. In 2010, the company entered the healthcare market with Easy Shape DWX milling machines designed specifically for creating high-quality dental prosthetics. Roland DG also recently introduced the monoFab series of desktop 3D printers and milling machines for rapid prototyping and manufacturing. The company uses its proprietary cell production technology to manufacture products that are distributed worldwide.For more information, please visitAbout Apsom Infotex LimitedApsom Infotex Ltd is the master distributor to leading global brands, for Technology Products in the Large Format Digital Inkjet print markets. The main principals for Apsom are Roland DG and Colorjet India Limited. Apsom Infotex Ltd has a national distribution infrastructure, with offices across major cities in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.For more information please visitor email sales@apsom.comA 41, Arihant Apts.GH-4, Sector-56Gurgaon-122002 Global Luxury Furniture Market 2016-2021 : Duresta Upholstery, Muebles Pico, Valderamobili, Scavolini, Laura Ashley, Nella Vetrina, Henredon Furniture Industries http://www.qymarketinsights.com/report/696/request-sample http://www.qymarketinsights.com/report/global-luxury-furniture-market-professional-survey-report-2016.html www.qymarketinsights.com Notes:Production, means the output of Luxury FurnitureRevenue, means the sales value of Luxury FurnitureThis report studies Luxury Furniture in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2011 to 2015, and forecast to 2021.Download sample report atThis report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringDuresta UpholsteryMuebles PicoValderamobiliScavoliniLaura AshleyNella VetrinaHenredon Furniture IndustriesTurri S.r.l....By types, the market can be split intoModernTraditionalType IIIBy Application, the market can be split intoDomesticCommercialApplication 3By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaAccess full report atTable of ContentGlobal Luxury Furniture Market Professional Survey Report 20161 Industry Overview of Luxury Furniture1.1 Definition and Specifications of Luxury Furniture1.1.1 Definition of Luxury Furniture1.1.2 Specifications of Luxury Furniture1.2 Classification of Luxury Furniture1.2.1 Modern1.2.2 Traditional1.2.3 Type III1.3 Applications of Luxury Furniture1.3.1 Domestic1.3.2 Commercial1.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Luxury Furniture2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Luxury Furniture2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Luxury Furniture2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Luxury FurnitureQY Market Insights is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. QY Market Insights also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.QY Market Insights provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@qymarketinsights.comWeb: Aesthetic Devices Market Analysis on Growth, Share, Size, Forecast and Trends by 2020 http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/gdme0145epd/aesthetic-devices--medical-devices-pipeline-assessment-2015 http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=gdme0145epd http://www.marketintelreports.com/inquiry-before-buying.php?id=gdme0145epd SummaryMarketIntelReports Medical Devices sector report, Aesthetic Devices Market - Medical Devices Pipeline Assessment, 2015" provides an overview of Aesthetic Devices currently in pipeline stage.Browse Global Aesthetic Devices Market Research Report 2016The report provides comprehensive information on the pipeline products with comparative analysis of the products at various stages of development. The report reviews major players involved in the pipeline product development. It also provides information about clinical trials in progress, which includes trial phase, trial status, trial start and end dates, and, the number of trials for the key Aesthetic Devices pipeline products.This report is prepared using data sourced from in-house databases, secondary and primary research by MarketIntelReports team of industry experts.Scope of the Report: Extensive coverage of the Aesthetic Devices Market under development The report reviews details of major pipeline products which includes, product description, licensing and collaboration details and other developmental activities The report reviews the major players involved in the development of Aesthetic Devices and list all their pipeline projects The coverage of pipeline products based on various stages of development ranging from Early Development to Approved / Issued stage The report provides key clinical trial data of ongoing trials specific to pipeline products Recent developments in the segment / industryGet Sample Brochure of the Report @The report enables you to - Formulate significant competitor information, analysis, and insights to improve R&D strategies Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage Identify and understand important and diverse types of Aesthetic Devices under development Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying major players with the most promising pipeline In-depth analysis of the products current stage of development, territory and estimated launch dateInquire with our analyst for more information @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 PublishersA 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.Contact us:Sales ManagerMayur S2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statesmarketintelreports.comsales@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343 NSSTA Hires Abbey Hudson as Communications and Marketing Director www.nssta.com Washington D.C: The National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) is pleased to announce that they have added Abbey Hudson to the NSSTA Executive Team. Hudson will act as the new Communications and Marketing Director. Her responsibilities will include promoting events and programs, working on the NSSTA website redesign and helping create educational programs for external clients involved in the structured settlements industry.Im so excited to be part of such a dynamic and committed team, Hudson said. Im proud of the work that our members do for structured settlement participants and injured claimants through the settlement resolution process. The opportunity to promote the use of structured settlements as part of a comprehensive settlement plan is something I take very seriously, and I look forward to spreading the word about what a great asset a structured settlement can be.Hudson comes to NSSTA with eight years of experience in the structured settlements industry. Most recently, she worked at Pacific Life as a member of the sales department. As a NSSTA member on the life company side of the business, Hudson has worked on pricing quotes, reviewing documents and resolving case acceptability questions. Through this work she has built strong relationships in the industry. Her experience with project management and event planning will also prove valuable. Abbey is a fantastic addition to NSSTA, said Eric Vaughn, Executive Director. Abbeys passion and commitment to this industry is evident in the work that she does, and her background and experience will ensure an easy transition to our executive team. Abbeys office is in California, which will allow our association to have a west coast presence for the first time.Top communication priorities will include: Assisting with the NSSTA website update and redesign Promoting the upcoming 2016 NSSTA Fall Regional Conference on October 26-27, 2016 Developing a comprehensive social media strategy to educate external clients and increase member participationFor more information, please contact Abbey Hudson at 949-444-2549 or email ahudson@nssta.com.About NSSTA: Since 1985, the National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) has been the leading voice of the structured settlement industry, representing more than 1,200 professional structured settlement consultants, life insurance industry leaders, property casualty company claims officials and lawyers from across the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit1100 New York Ave., NWSuite 750WWashington DC 20005 Global Mental Health Software Market to Value US$ 4.51 Bn in 2021, Asia Pacific Fastest Growing Region http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/mental-health-software-market.asp According to a report published by Persistence Market Research, Global Market Study on Mental Health Software: Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015-2021, the global market valued US$ 2,203 Mn at the end of 2015 and is projected to register a CAGR of 12.7% through the forecast period to reach the value of US$ 4,509.6 Mn at the end of 2021. Government initiatives and growing ageing population are the major factors to which the market trend can be attributed.Spreading use of mobile devices and wearable gadgets, along with growing per capita expenditure on healthcare are major drivers in the global market. Rising incidences of chronic diseases of the ageing population is expected to fuel demand for remote patient monitoring. Healthcare organizations are opting for integration of behavioral healthcare services into care continuum to improve quality of healthcare services. On the other side, uncertainty in regards to privacy and security of data, and lack of awareness in emerging regions such as Latin America, MEA, and Asia Pacific are major challenges, restraining the global market.In terms of deployment mode, the market is segmented into on-premise and subscription method of deployment. Subscription segment is projected to grow at the fastest rate of 24.2% through the forecast period. In terms of mode of access, the global market is segmented into desktops/laptops and tablets/smartphones. The desktops/laptops segment is the dominating segment in the global market, estimated to account near 70% share in the global market by the end of the forecast period.In terms of function, the global market is segmented into telehealth, ledger, payroll, business intelligence, revenue cycle management, clinical decision support, and electronic health record (EHR). Telehealth segment in the third largest segment in terms of revenue, accounting for over 16% share in the global market in 2015.In terms of application, the global market is segmented into commercial and residential. Commercial segment is further sub-segmented into hospitals and clinics, and others. Others sub-segment is further segmented into psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurse practitioners, and group therapists.The global mental health software market is segmented on the basis of region into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Europe. Asia Pacific and North America accounted for over 65% share in terms of revenue, collectively, at the end of 2015. Due to rising amount of ageing population and growing incidences of chronic diseases in Asia Pacific is expected to drive the market at the fastest rate through the forecast period.Epic Systems Corporation, Netsmart technologies Inc., Credible Behavioral Health Inc., Cerner Corporation, Core Solutions Inc., Nextgen Healthcare Information Systems LLC., Qualifacts Systems Inc., Valant Medical Solutions Inc., Welligent Inc., and MindLinc are the leading global players in the mental health software market worldwide.Browse for more info@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 Natural Gas Refueling Infrastructure Global Market Trends, Emerging Growth and Forecast By 2022 http://www.mrrse.com/sample/780 This research study analyzes the market for natural gas refueling infrastructure in terms of volume and revenue. The natural gas refueling infrastructure market has been segmented on the basis of station type and geography. For the research, 2013 has been taken as the base year while all forecasts have been presented for the 20142022 period. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional as well as country-specific level for the 20132022 period. The regional segments have been further divided into country level segments, which include the major players in the global natural gas refueling infrastructure market. The report provides a comprehensive competitive landscape and features companies engaged in the natural gas refueling infrastructure business. This report includes the key market dynamics affecting the overall natural gas refueling infrastructure industry globally. The report also provides a detailed analysis of the global natural gas refueling infrastructure market with the help of the Porters Five Forces model. The Porters Five Forces analysis aids in understanding the five major forces that affect the industry structure and profitability of the global natural gas refueling infrastructure market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat from new entrants, threat from substitutes, and degree of competition.The high-level analysis in the report provides detailed insights into the natural gas refueling infrastructure business globally. Major drivers, restraints, and opportunities in the natural gas refueling infrastructure market were analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. There are currently numerous growth drivers for the natural gas refueling infrastructure industry. One of the most prominent drivers is the no emissions and government initiatives boost the demand for natural gas as transportation fuel. Apart from this, low cost of natural gas results in attractive return on investments. This factor also contributes to the overall growth of the natural gas refueling infrastructure market. Market attractiveness analysis was done on the basis of geography. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market in different regions.Get a Free Sample Copy of the Report @The natural gas refueling infrastructure market was further segmented on the basis of station type. Stations included in this report are compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The natural gas refueling infrastructure market was analyzed across six geographies: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Regional data has been provided for each sub-segment of the natural gas refueling infrastructure market. Key market participants in the natural gas refueling infrastructure market include Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Apache Corporation, BP plc, Indraprastha Gas Limited, Trillium CNG, Gazprom, PETRONAS, ENN Energy Holdings Limited, Gas Natural Fenosa, Fuel System Solutions, Inc., Blu LNG, Cryostar SAS, GE Oil & Gas, Clean Energy Fuels, and GNC Galileo. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial details, business strategies, and recent developments.MRRSE 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.Corporate OfficeState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United States At A CAGR Of 9.42% , Global Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials Industry will rise in the period of 2016-2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=800307 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=800307 http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG About Titanium Dioxide NanomaterialsSince the advent of nanotechnology, titanium dioxide nanomaterials have been at the center of research because of their low price and simple production process.To Get Sample Copy :These nanomaterials are synthesized at various purity levels from 75% to 99.97% and with diameters ranging from 5 nanometers to 250 nanometers. Although these nanomaterials are used in the commercial and industrial sectors, most of them are produced for skin care products, where they provide protection from UV radiation. They are also used as pigments or thickeners in many personal care products as pigments in paints and coatings, and in the production of solar cells in the energy sector. As these nanomaterials can degrade some types of pollutants, they are also being used to reduce atmospheric nitrous emissions through selective catalytic reduction systems.CoveredThe research covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global titanium dioxide nanomaterials research for 2016-2020. In order to calculate the market size, we considered the revenue generated through sales of titanium dioxide nanoparticles for applications such as personal care products, paints and coatings, energy sector, paper and ink, and others (catalyst, production of self-cleaning ceramics, production of self-cleaning cement, and glass industry).Segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEuropeMEAGlobal Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials Research 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth analysis with inputs from industry experts. The research covers landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The research also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating.Key vendorsAmerican ElementsEPRUI Nanomaterials and MicrospheresReinsteSigma-AldrichUS Research NanomaterialsOther prominent vendorsMeliorum TechnologiesnanoComposixXuancheng JingruiAdvanced Nano ProductsApplied Nanotech HoldingsDriverIncreasing acceptance of UVA/B filters in sunscreens and sun protection cosmeticsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportChallengeProduction constraints on titanium dioxide nanosheets and nanospheresFor a full, detailed list, view our reportTrendIncrease in penetration of doped and coated titanium dioxide nanomaterialsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMake an Enquiry :ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @ At a CAGR of 3.82%, Global Steel Casting Market 2016-2020, Competitive Analysis and Major Regions Development Report http://www.researchmoz.us/global-steel-casting-market-2016-2020-report.html http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=800326 www.researchmoz.us/ Global Steel Casting Market 2016-2020 Size and Share Published in 2016-08-23 Available for US$ 2500 at Researchmoz.usDescriptionTo Browse a Full Report at:A steel casting is a method where liquefied steel is poured into a mold, made of sand or ceramic plaster, to create a desired shape. The mold contains a hollow cavity of the required shape. After pouring the liquefied steel cools, solidifies, and is removed for cleaning. The product formed is subjected to heat treatment and further finishing. Heat treatment enhances the properties of the cast formed. Steel castings are preferred for applications requiring high strength, weldability, corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and serviceability under low and high temperatures. For instance, steel castings are used for making important components in the mining, construction, military, railroad, truck, and oil and gas industries.Technavios analysts forecast the global steel casting market to grow at a CAGR of 3.82% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global steel casting market for 2016-2020. In order to calculate the market size, we considered the revenue generated through sales of steel casting for applications such as automobiles and transportation, infrastructure and construction, valves and pumps, mining, and others (consumer goods and agriculture machinery).The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEuropeROWGet a Free Sample Copy of the Report:Technavio's report, Global Steel Casting Market 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.Key vendorsAnhui YingliuHitachiKobe SteelPrecision CastpartsJFJCPeekayOther prominent vendorsAmsteel CastingsESCOHyundai SteelNucorPacific Steel CastingMarket driverIndustrialization and development in APACFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeSluggish demand for steelFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendSteel as sustainable materialFor 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.Table of ContentPART 01: Executive summaryHighlightsPART 02: Scope of the reportMarket overviewPART 03: Market research methodologyResearch methodologyEconomic indicatorsPART 04: IntroductionKey market highlightsOverviewGlobal steel industry outlookPART 05: Market landscapeGlobal ferrous casting marketGlobal steel casting marketPART 06: Market segmentation by applicationGlobal steel casting market by applicationGlobal steel casting market for automobiles and transportationGlobal steel casting market for construction and infrastructureGlobal steel casting market for valves and pumpsGlobal steel casting market for miningResearchMoz 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.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ bit.ly/1TBmnVG Development of Soups High in Nutritional Value to Appeal Health Conscious Population in North America, says TMR http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3991 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The customer base of the North America soups market mainly comprises people aged sixty and above and one-person households, Transparency Market Research (TMR) finds in a new study. Leading soup companies are introducing new and premium flavors of soups to attract consumer attention.Download Free exclusive Sample of this report:Companies are mainly targeting the younger generation when introducing new flavors owing to the lesser popularity of soups among this consumer base. The growing appeal for healthy and natural-ingredient-based foods in North America is forcing manufacturers in the soup market to ensure that the newly launched products are made using fresh ingredients, with minimum use of preservatives. Campbell Soup Company is one of the key players operating in the North America soups market.The North America soups market is expected to be worth US$5.7 bn by 2020. The market was valued at US$5.5 bn in 2015. The U.S., followed by Mexico is expected to lead in the soups market. The U.S. soups market is expected to be worth US$4.6 bn by 2020. The soups market in the U.S. is expected to grow in the coming years owing to a rise in the demand for healthy and ready-to-eat food products. The introduction of new flavors to attract the younger consumers will also contribute to the growth of the market. On the basis of type, the dried soups segment is expected to witness a significant growth owing to the convenience offered by the packaging of the product.Increasing Preference for Convenience Foods Driving North America Soups MarketThe North America soups market is driven by an increased demand for convenience food products that help save time and effort of consumers. The demand for packaged soups has increased due to the minimal time required for preparation and the wide variety available. Vegetable, chicken, fish, tomato, clear soup, and mushroom are the different types of soups available, which are attracting consumers and driving the market.The increasing busy lifestyles of people and also a rise in the number of working women are driving the North America soups market. The increasing preference for quick meals and the easy availability of soups are helping the market to grow. The introduction of newer flavors in soups such as masala curry and red pepper are expected to attract more consumers, driving their demand.Negative Perception Regarding Packaged and Canned Soups being Less Healthy behind Declining DemandNegative perception among consumers regarding packaged soups being relatively-less healthy food products or about canned soups not being fresh and inferior in terms of quality acts as barriers for the market, said a lead TMR analyst. The demand for chilled soups and frozen soups is high during summer and declines as the temperature drops. Additionally, chilled soups require highly efficient cold chain management, including technology and timely delivery, to eliminate the risk of spoilage and foodborne illnesses. In Mexico, the preference for frozen soups is particularly low, as they needs to be refrigerated and stored. Moreover, frozen soups are perishable, thus impeding their demand.The less popularity of soups among the younger generation is one of the restraints affecting the market in North America. The monotonous taste of soups is one of the reasons behind the declining consumption among the younger consumer base.Frequent New Product Launches to Ensure Continued Interest in SoupsThe soups market in North America is highly competitive. Thus, manufacturers operating in the soups market strive to gain competitive edge by means of frequent innovation in soup ingredients and by introducing new variants of soups. One of the key trends emerging in the soups market is the development of soups that have high quality ingredients and also high in terms of nutritional value. These nutritional soups have high appeal among an expanding segment of the society who are health conscious.This information is based on the findings of a report published by Transparency Market Research titled Soups Market - North America Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014 - 2020.The soups market in North America segmented as follows:Product typeCannedDriedChilledUHTFrozenCountryU.S.CanadaMexicoAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Human Reproductive Technologies Market to Reach US$27.1 bn by 2019;Lifestyle Changes Linked to Growing Infertility Human reproductive technologies comprise operations and therapies used to conceive or control pregnancy employing semi-artificial and/or artificial medical solutions. Reproductive technologies are employed for both male and female infertility problems. In the last few years there has been a tremendous increase in the prevalence of infertility all over the world. Request Free Sample of Research Report: http://bit.ly/291RDwz Lifestyle changes in the urban population leading to delays in the first pregnancy, use of contraceptive pills, and excess consumption of alcohol and tobacco are some of the factors leading to increased infertility rates globally and raising demand for human reproductive technologies.The global human reproductive technologies market stood at US$23.0 billion in 2012, and, growing at a CAGR of 2.2% between 2013 and 2019, the market is expected to be valued at US$27.1 billion in 2019. With the rise in female employment, there has been a growing trend of a delay in conception. Factors such as pollution, smoking, stress, and obesity have led to an increase in infertile population. The growing prevalence of unwanted pregnancies, initiatives taken by governments and NGOs to promote contraceptive products, and the implementation of favorable policies such as the Affordable Care Act has propelled the growth of the global human reproductive technologies market. However, limited insurance coverage and the side effects of contraceptive drugs and devices might hamper the growth of the market during the forecast period. The global human reproductive technologies market has a significant opportunity to grow with the rise in medical tourism, government support for the treatment of infertility, and the presence of a strong pipeline of contraceptive drugs. The market for contraceptives stood at a valuation of US$16 bn in 2012. During the forecast period, the market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 5.5%. In 2012, the oral contraceptives segment witnessed the highest demand due to the availability of contraceptives as an over-the-counter drug. The key regions in the global human reproductive technologies market are Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World. In 2012, North America emerged as the leading region in the market, followed by Europe. North America is predicted to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. However, the market is projected to register the fastest growth in Asia Pacific due to the increasing awareness about contraceptives, high population density, and rise in disposable income. Browse Research Report: http://bit.ly/296ilqd Some of the major players in the global human reproductive technologies market are Bayer AG, Abbott Laboratories, Actavis Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Church & Dwight Co. Inc., Merck KGaA, Warner Chilcott plc, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, Merck Serono, Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Cook Medical Inc., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. The report discusses some of the key attributes of the market players including their business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Through a SWOT analysis, the report identifies the future growth opportunities for the market vendors. About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. Contact Us Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com This release was published on openPR. Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release. Textile Chemicals Market will reach USD 25.5 Billion in 2020, Globally http://goo.gl/sXfM08 http://goo.gl/jmj9TP http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/textile-chemicals-market-z37357 http://goo.gl/BGFYcN http://www.marketresearchstore.com Zion Research has published a new report titled Textile Chemicals (Coating & Sizing Chemicals, Colorants & Auxiliaries, Finishing Agents, Surfactants, Desizing Agents, Bleaching Agents and Yarn Lubricants) Market for Home Furnishing, Apparel and Industrial & Other Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast 2014 - 2020. According to the report, global demand for textile chemicals was valued at USD 20.5 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 25.5 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of around 4% between 2015 and 2020. In terms of volume, the global textile chemicals market stood at above 9,500 kilo tons in 2014.Request Sample Report:Textile industry requires various chemicals right from pretreatment to finishing of textile. Thus textile chemicals are indispensible part of textile industry. Textile chemicals can be a compound, intermediates or chemicals used at any stage of textile production. With the use of textile chemicals, manufacturers of textile can attain desired color, appearance, texture and properties in the final product. Some of the important chemicals used at different level of textile manufacturing include pretreatment chemicals, textile dyeing chemicals, dyeing and printing chemicals, finishing chemicals, antistatic agents and other specialty chemicals.The textile chemicals market has been segmented based on product types such as coating & sizing chemicals, colorants & auxiliaries, finishing agents, surfactants, desizing agents, bleaching agents, and yarn lubricants. Coatings and sizing chemicals dominated the global textile chemicals market with around 30% share fo the total volume consumed in 2014. Colorants & auxiliaries is the second largest product segment of global textile chemicals market. Desizing agents are expected exhibit fastest CAGR during the forecast period.Do Inquiry before buying:The textile chemicals market has been segmented based on applications that include home furnishing, apparel and industrial & other applications. Home furnishing is one of the largest applications for textile chemicals. It accounted for over 35% share of the textile chemicals market. However, apparel is expected to be one of the fastest growing end-user industry for textile chemicals during the forecast period.Asia Pacific dominated the global textile chemical market with over 50% share of the total volume consumption in 2014. It is also expected to be one the fastest growing market for textile chemicals. Strong demand for textile in Asia Pacific region owing huge population is the major driving factor for this industry. Strong growth of industrial sectors such as home furnishing and automotive which are leading end markets for textile are growing at a rapid pace in the region. Moreover, increase in disposable income as a result of growing industrial activity and economical activity in the region leading to growth of this industry. Asia Pacific was followed by North America and Europe respectively.The key players in textile chemical includes Huntsman Corporation (Singapore), BASF SE (Germany), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), Bayer Material Science AG (Germany), and Lubrizol Corporation (U.S.), Lonsen (China), Archroma (Switzerland).Browse detail report at:Textile Chemicals Market - Product Segment AnalysisCoating & Sizing ChemicalsColorants & AuxiliariesFinishing AgentsSurfactantsDesizing AgentsBleaching AgentsYarn LubricantsTextile Chemicals Market - Application AnalysisHome FurnishingApparelIndustrialOtherTextile Chemicals Market - Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeGermanyUKFranceAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaRead Report TOC:About Market Research StoreMarket Research Store 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. Market Research Store is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.Contact US:Market Research Store3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@marketresearchstore.comWebsite: Worldwide Papillary Thyroid Cancer Market Report 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1659 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1659 www.futuremarketinsights.com Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) also called papillary carcinoma is one of the most common type of thyroid cancer and it is most curable among other cancers. Follicular cancer, medullary cancer, and anaplastic cancer are other types of thyroid cancers. The prevalence rate of papillary thyroid cancer is 0.5-10 per 100,000 population. Papillary thyroid carcinoma presents as asymptomatic thyroid nodules, increasing the size of nodule in patient is the primary symptom for this disease. Cough, dyspnea and dysphagia are the severe stage symptoms of papillary thyroid cancer and lump or swelling in the neck parts are the physical symptoms of the papillary thyroid cancer. Age, gender and exposure to radiation affect the risk of papillary thyroid cancer. Itis more common in women than in men, and often occurs before age 45. People who have been exposed to large amounts of radiation, or who have had radiation therapy for medical problems in the head and neck have a more chance of getting thyroid cancer.To treat papillary thyroid cancer various methods are available which include surgical procedure, iodine therapy, thyroxin treatment and external radiotherapy. In surgical procedure, surgeon removes affected tissue from the neck. Iodine therapy is given to the patient post operatively to destroy normal thyroid remnants. External radiotherapy is indicated for the patients with age group 45 years and above.The growth of thyroid tumor cells are controlled by thyrotropin and is inhibited by thyroxin, inhibition of thyrotropin with thyroxin increase the recurrence of survival rates. The most commonly used drugs in the treatment of papillary thyroid cancer are levothyroxine and radioiodine and antineoplastic agents such as cisplatin, doxorubicin and these drugs are used after the surgery and radiation therapy.Request Free Report Sample@Papillary Thyroid Cancer Market has been classified on the basis of treatment and end user.Papillary Thyroid Cancer by TreatmentSurgeryIodine TherapyThyroxin TreatmentExternal RadiotherapyChemotherapyCisplatinDoxorubicinDrugsLevothyroxineRadioiodinePapillary Thyroid Cancer by End UserHospitalOncology CentresHospital PharmaciesRetail PharmaciesIn 2015, According to American Cancer Society (ACS), thyroid cancer accounts 47,230 in women and 15,220 in men in the U.S. and the incidence rate and mortality rate of thyroid cancer is high in women than in men. Thus, the increasing prevalence and incidence rate of thyroid cancers is expected to drive the overall papillary thyroid cancer. Increasing awareness about the cancer disease, raising government funds and reimbursement policies from Medicare and Medicaid are the key factors which are expected to propel the overall papillary thyroid cancer treatment market. The cost of the drugs and procedures is one of the major restraint for papillary thyroid cancer treatment market.Request For TOC@Depending on geographic region, papillary thyroid cancer market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to contribute maximum revenue share in the global market of Papillary Thyroid Cancer followed by Europe. Asia Pacific regions is expected to grow at a higher growth rate owing to high occurrence of cancer diseases. Middle East & Africa is expected to show a healthy growth rate in the forecast periodKey players of papillary thyroid cancer market are Mylan pharmaceuticals Inc., Baxter International Inc., Alara Pharmaceutical Corporation, Abbott laboratories, Bristol Myers co., Teva parenteral medicines Inc., Jerome Stevens Pharmaceuticals Inc., and App pharmaceuticals llc.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Polyester Fiber Market will reach USD 115.0 Billion in 2020, Globally http://goo.gl/pMctBU http://goo.gl/RDdMfz http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/polyester-fiber-market-for-carpet-z37560 http://goo.gl/8tp2wm http://www.marketresearchstore.com Zion Research has published a new report titled Polyester Fiber Market (Solid and Hollow) for Carpet & Rugs, Nonwoven Fabrics, Fiberfill and Other Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2014 2020. According to the report, global demand for polyester fibers was valued at USD 73.5 billion in 2014 and is expected to cross USD 115.0 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of slightly over 5% between 2015 and 2020. In terms of volume, the global polyester fiber market stood at 42 million tons in 2014.Request Sample Report:Polyester fibers are derived polymers. They are specially derived from the chemicals like napolyethylene terephthalate (PET) and monoethylene glycol. The nonwoven bonded fabrics provide frequent folding property to the product. The polyester fiber provides the features like good elasticity, wear and tear property, low humidity absorption, creases free, quick drying, abrasion free, and water resistance and low humidity absorption capability.Polyester fiber market on the basis of product is segmented as solid polyester fiber and hollow polyester fiber. The solid polyester fiber dominated the market and accounted for around 80% shares in total volume consumption in 2014. The polyester fiber market is mainly driven by rising demand for solid fibers. Owing to its unique characteristics, solid polyester fiber has been emerged as a potential substitute for traditional fibers such as cotton and nylon and expected to grow the market size for the years to come.Do Inquiry before buying:The polyester fiber on the basis of the application is segmented as carpets and rugs, nonwoven fabrics, fiberfill and others. Rising disposable incomes in addition to dynamic lifestyles is expected to drive the growth of home furnishings market. Thus, the carpets and rugs are accounted for a notable share of the home furnishings market. The rapid growth is expected in this application segment due to the growth of building and construction industry. In addition, the consumers focus on enhancing interiors, particularly in business and company environments, is probably going to boost the demand for wall-to-wall carpets and successively the polyester fiber market.Polyester fiber market is growing across different regions like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific dominated the global polyester fiber market in terms of volume as well as revenue. It accounted for around 80% in total volume consumption and revenue generated in 2014. Strong demand for polyester fiber from emerging economies such as China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. is expected to further trigger the growth of this industry in the region. North America, Latin America, Europe accounted for small share of the global polyester fiber market.The key manufactures profiled within the report include Alpek S.A.B de C.V, Indorama Ventures Public Company Ltd., Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Company Ltd., Far Eastern New Century Corporation, Jiangsu Sanfangxiang group, Reliance Industries limited, Mossi Ghisolfi group, Tongkun group, Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, Zhejiang Hengyi group Co. Ltd., and Zhejiang Hengsheng Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd.Browse detail report at:Polyester Fiber Market Product Segment AnalysisSolidHollowPolyester Fiber Market - Application Segment AnalysisCarpets & rugsNonwoven fabricsFiberfillOthers (Apparel, home textiles, industrial, etc.)Polyester Fiber Market - Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeGermanyUKFranceAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaRead Report TOC:About Market Research StoreMarket Research Store 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. Market Research Store is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.Contact US:Market Research Store3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@marketresearchstore.comWebsite: Cyclopentanone Market Analysis and Trends, 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1700 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1700 www.futuremarketinsights.com Cyclopentanone (CAS No: 120-92-3) is a cyclic ketone with a molecular formula C5H8O. It is also referred to as ketocyclopentane or adipic ketone. This clear, colourless organic compound is obtained by ketonization of adipic acid in presence of barium hydroxide at elevated temperatures. Cyclopentanone is a flammable organic compound characterized by a strong petroleum-like, ethereal odour. It is relatively stable and is insoluble in water. Commercially, one of the major application areas for Cyclopentanone is as an aroma chemical in perfumes industry. Moreover, Cyclopentanone also finds application as an intermediate in manufacture of a variety of chemicals. On the whole, Cyclopentanone finds application across a diverse set of industries such as pharmaceuticals, aroma & perfumes, rubber chemicals, pesticides industry - insecticides, among the othersCyclopentanone Market: Drivers & RestraintsGlobal Cyclopentanone market is expected to witness a moderate single digit growth during the forecast period. This steady growth in consumption of Cyclopentanone is expected to be driven, primarily, by increasing demand for the chemical from developing economies spearheaded by China.The relatively more prominent application of Cyclopentanone is its use as an aroma chemical in perfumes & aroma industry. As such, steady growth of end use industry is expected to in turn drive the growth of global Cyclopentanone market over the forecast period. Also, the growing demand from electronics industry, where the chemical is used as a solvent, is expected to drive the growth of global Cyclopentanone market during the forecast period. Besides, growth in other end use industries such as rubber chemicals industry, insecticides industry, and increasing use in pharmaceuticals industry is expected to further drive the growth of Cyclopentanone market over the forecast period. On the flip-side, however, relatively weaker economic growth in major markets across the globe in the initial part of the forecast period is likely to impede the growth of global Cyclopentanone market in the same period.Request Free Report Sample@Cyclopentanone Market: SegmentationOn the basis of end use industry, global Cyclopentanone market can be segmented into following key market segments:Perfumes & AromaPharmaceuticalsElectronicsRubber ChemicalsInsecticidesOthersAmong the above indicated end use industry based segments, perfumes & aroma segment is expected to retain a major share in overall global Cyclopentanone market share during the forecast period. Pharmaceuticals and electronics segments are expected to register relatively stronger growths vis-a-vis other segments during the same periodCyclopentanone Market: Region-wise OutlookOn the basis of geographic regions, global Cyclopentanone market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Among these, Asia Pacific region accounted for a major share in overall global cyclopentanone consumption in 2014 and is expected to witness a steady growth in its consumption during the forecast period. APAC region is expected to be followed by Europe and North America in terms of overall cyclopentanone consumption volume. Moreover, cyclopentanone market in Latin America is slated to register a robust growth during the forecast period.Request For TOC@Cyclopentanone Market: Key PlayersSome of the key major players operating in the global Cyclopentanone market are as follows:BASF SESolvay S.A.Zeon CorporationSHANGHAI PEARLK CHEMICAL CO.,LTD(QIDONG)Zhejiang NHU Co., LtdABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Base Transceiver Station (BTS) Market Forecast and Segments, 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1778 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1778 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/base-transceiver-station-bts-market www.futuremarketinsights.com A base transceiver station (BTS), also called as radio base station (RBS), is an equipment that enables wireless communication between user equipment, such as mobile phones, WLL phones and computers, and a network. The equipment sends/receives radio signals to/from user equipment and converts them to digital signals. These signals are passed on to the network to route to other terminals in the network or to the Internet.The term BTS is applicable for any type of wireless communication standards, it is generally used with respect to mobile communication technologies such as CDMA and GSM. A BTS is controlled by a base station controller.BTS offers several benefits such as faster telephony coverage to remote places, promotion of universal access to ICT services, easing information dissemination and supporting a broad range of value added services in under-served and unserved areas.Market Overview:Growth in maturity in voice communication market and declining ARPUs, has paved way for telecom operators to explore the new business opportunities, such as mobile data, to generate higher revenues. Over the past few years, mobile traffic has witnessed an exponential growth globally, adding load on existing telecom infrastructure. This increasing load is creating the need for new BTS installations.Request Free Report Sample@Market Dynamics:Major factors propelling the global market of BTS include expansion of telecom infrastructure, growing mobile subscriber base in rural areas and growth in telecom tower sharing business. The high growth in the number of mobile subscribers along with increasing data traffic and declining tariffs is continuously increasing the load on existing telecom infrastructure globally.Additionally, with stringent government regulations regarding restricting the harmful effects of radiations from new tower installations, increasing number of telecom players are adopting tower sharing business model. Moreover, growing 3G and 4G subscriber penetration and government initiatives to facilitate the achievement of the AMPE (Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion) Programs, is expected to fuel the BTS market during the forecast period.Market Segmentation:Global BTS market is mainly classified on the basis of components and geographies.On the basis of components, global BTS market is segmented into antennas, transceivers, duplexers, amplifiers and others (combiner and alarm extension system). The transceivers are further sub-segmented into single (sTRU), double (dTRU) and composite double radio unit (DRU).Request For TOC@On the basis of geographies, global market of BTS is segmented into 7 key regions:North AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific Excluding JapanJapanMiddle East & AfricaKey Market PlayersThe major players active in the Global BTS market include Nokia Solutions and Networks, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., ZTE Corporation, Advanced RF Technologies, Inc., GSTeletech Co., Ltd. Shenzhen Hexinkaiye Electronic Telecom Co., Ltd and Alcatel-Lucent.Browse Full Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: The World Medical/Diagnostic Imaging Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 5.1% by 2022 http://www.reportbazzar.com/request-sample/?pid=478779&ptitle=World+Medical%2FDiagnostic+Imaging+Market+%26%238211%3B+Opportunities+and+Forecasts%2C+2015+%26%238211%3B+2022&req=Sample http://www.reportbazzar.com/discount-form/?pid=478779&ptitle=World+Medical%2FDiagnostic+Imaging+Market+%26%238211%3B+Opportunities+and+Forecasts%2C+2015+%26%238211%3B+2022&req=Discount http://www.reportbazzar.com/product/world-medicaldiagnostic-imaging-market-opportunities-and-forecasts-2015-2022/ http://www.reportbazzar.com/ Medical/Diagnostic Imaging refers to the use of different imaging modalities to get visual representations of the interior of a body for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The medical imaging includes different types of modalities that are used to image the human body for diagnosis and treatment of a variety of diseases, and hence plays a vital role in improving health. The medical imaging industry has been revolutionized from bed-side monitoring towards high-end digital scanning.Request Sample Report @The world medical/diagnostic imaging market is expected to reach $45 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period. Technological advancements in diagnostic imaging devices, rising incidences of chronic diseases coupled with the rapidly aging population, increase in number of medical imaging procedures, and rising awareness for early diagnosis of clinical disorders are the key factors that are expected to boost the market growth. Furthermore, untapped medical imaging market in Asia-Pacific and LAMEA region is also expected to accelerate the overall market growth during the forecast period. Shortage of helium, high cost of imaging modalities and unfavourable reimbursement scenario in emerging countries may limit market growth, but the increasing healthcare spending in emerging markets will continue to boost demand for diagnostic imaging devices.The market is expected to gain traction in the developing regions of Asia-Pacific and other LAMEA nations. The reasons for the unparalleled market growth are large undiagnosed patient population, rapid urbanization, increase in disposable income, improved government funding towards chronic disorders, and growing awareness about early diagnosis of diseases. However, adoption of these high-cost medical imaging systems in countries namely, India and China would continue to remain a key challenge for the leading innovators.This report segments the medical imaging market on the basis of product type, application, and geography to provide a detailed assessment of the market. Based on product type, the market is segmented into computed tomography (CT) scanners, X-ray imaging systems, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, ultrasound imaging systems, nuclear imaging systems, and mammography systems. The X-ray imaging systems segment spearheads the product types market governing over one fourth of the world medical/diadnostic imaging market in 2015 and would continue to maintain its market position during the forecast period (2016-2022). The nuclear imaging systems market is projected as the fastest growing segment throughout the forecast period. Based on applications, the market is segmented into obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) health, orthopedics and musculoskeletal, neuro and spine, cardiovascular and thoracic, general imaging, breast health, and others. The report covers a geographic breakdown and a detailed analysis of medical imaging market across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The Asia-Pacific and LAMEA markets are expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.The strategic developments by these key players in recent years are set to further strengthen the market. A comprehensive competitive analysis and profiles of major market players such as GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Hitachi Medical Corporation, Hologic, Inc., Siemens Healthcare, Samsung Medison, Shimadzu Corporation, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Esaote S.P.A, and Fujifilm Corporation have been provided in the report.Enquriy For Discount:KEY BENEFITS:This report provides an extensive analysis of the current and emerging market trends and dynamics in the world medical imaging market.The medical imaging market scenario is comprehensively analyzed in accordance to the key regions.The market estimations are made in the report by conducting high-end analysis of the key market segments from 2015 to 2022.Extensive research is done for the market by product type which instils a clear understanding regarding the currently used medical imaging modalities and evolving role of imaging technologies.A detailed SWOT analysis enables to study the internal environment of the leading companies for strategy formulation.Competitive intelligence highlights the business practices followed by leading market players across geographies.MEDICAL/DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING MARKET KEY SEGMENTS:World medical imaging market is segmented into product type, application and geography.By Product TypeComputed Tomography (CT) ScannersHigh End SliceMid End SliceLow End SliceX-ray Imaging SystemsBy PortabilityStationary DevicesPortable devicesBy TechnologyDigital ImagingAnalog ImagingMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) SystemsBy MRI ArchitectureClosed MRI systemsOpen MRI systemsBy MRI Field StrengthLow to mid field systemsHigh field systemsVery high field systemsfield systemsUltrasound Imaging Systems2D Imaging Systems3D & 4D Imaging SystemsDoppler ImagingHigh-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)Nuclear Imaging SystemsBuy Complete Report @Reportbazzar.com is your trusted source for the most inclusive and informative assortment of market research reports designed to empower you with the latest in industry information that translates to time and cost savings for your business. We not only help you give wing to your latent business ideas but also facilitate you in taking the best informed and strategic decisions that guarantee success in your most promising business endeavors.ReportBazzarOffice # 203,Vishal Shopping Complex,DSK Ranwara, Bavdhan,Pune 411021, IndiaIndia: +91 20 66528525Email Id: sales@reportbazzar.comWebsite: Compression Therapy Market will exhibit a CAGR of 5.3% between 2016 and 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1537 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com For the majority of sportspersons and athletes, compression therapy is one of the most common procedures of treating injuries. Over the years, the therapy has been facilitating the healing process in various cases of musculoskeletal and spinal injuries. Besides this, the increasing number of orthopedic surgeries conducted worldwide also has been fuelling demand for compression therapy. With the increasing obese population, the global compression therapy market stands to reach US$4.24 bn by 2024, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.3% between 2016 and 2024.Request a Free PDF Brochure with Report Analysis:Transparency Market Research (TMR) has pegged the overall value of the global compression therapy market at US$2.69 bn in 2015. Holding a share of over 43.1%, bandages constituted the largest product segment in the compression therapy market in 2015.Prevalence of Obesity Creates Ample Opportunities for Expansion of Compression Therapy Market in Developed EconomiesThe American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) has stated that around 129,000 knee arthroplasty surgeries were conducted in the U.S. in 1990. The number had reached over 600,000 surgeries in 2010. Furthermore, the AAOS projects the number of arthroplasty surgeries to be conducted in the U.S. by 2030 to surpass 3 million. Considering the incredible rise in number of cases reported in the U.S. alone, the incidence of orthopedic conditions globally is projected to increase at a rapid pace. This creates ample opportunities for the expansion of the compression therapy market.As obesity increases the risk of vascular diseases due to the pressure exerted by the bodyweight on underlying organs, its rising prevalence is often linked with the increasing demand for compression therapy. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. With experts projecting the number to surge during the reports forecast period, opportunities for the global compression therapy market are likely to bolster.Lack of proper reimbursement policies will, however, limit the markets success to an extent, finds TMR. Nevertheless, the rising investments in emerging economies and widespread unmet medical needs in these countries will support the markets growth in the near future.North America Emerges Dominant with Most Attractive OpportunitiesRegionally, North America has been exhibiting the most lucrative prospects for leading enterprises in the market. The region held around 47.2% of the market in 2015, followed by Europe, which accounted for a share of 32.2% in the market in the same year. The prevalence of vascular diseases in both these regions is relatively higher. In North America, TMR finds the alarming rate of obesity as a prime driver of the compression therapy market. Among other regions exhibiting prospects for the compression therapy market, Asia Pacific is expected to report the highest CAGR.Some of the prominent companies operating in the global compression therapy market include 3M Health Care, Bio Compression Systems, Inc., BSN Medical, Covidien plc, Paul Hartmann AG, and others.Supported by Clinical Evidence, Static Compression Therapy Emerges as Dominant Market SegmentDemand for static compression therapy is forecast to rise at a rapid pace. The segment in 2015 held the largest share in the market and is expected to sustain its dominant position through the forecast period. The low cost and easy availability of static compression products have consequently boosted their sales. These products are also supported by clinical evidence, due to which doctors around the world seem to prefer static garments more. Besides this, the aesthetic appearance and comfortable material of static compression hosiery have made them a preferred choice among patients.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) 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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e 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.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: APAC Lateral Flow Diagnostic Tests Market to be worth US$3.22 bn by 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=7739 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Transparency Market Research has identified Alere, Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Becton, Bio-Rad Laboratories, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. as the key players in the Asia Pacific lateral flow diagnostic tests market. The market is consolidated in nature and thus highly competitive. To stay afloat in the cut-throat competition players are investing in developing technologically advanced lateral flow diagnostic test procedures.Download Free exclusive Sample of this report:A huge scope for improvement has created a perfect space in the APAC market for the new entrants, says the lead author of this research report. New players will have to counter the existing competition through intense research and development activities, strategic mergers and acquisitions, and building a solid brand value to grab a sustainable share in the overall market.Heightened Awareness of Diseases in APAC Boosts Lateral Flow Diagnostic Tests MarketA high prevalence of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other infectious diseases has increased healthcare spending, which has had a positive influence on the revenues of lateral flow diagnostic tests market. The rising disposable income and growing awareness amongst overall population to prevent infections are also providing an additional boost to this market. Furthermore, remarkable developments in the healthcare sector and the availability of improved devices and drugs are also expected to boost this market in the coming few years.The preference of patients and physicians to utilize the near-patient diagnosis options to get instant results, reduce treatment costs, and thus cut down on the hospital stay time is also working in favor of this market. These immediate diagnostic results are crucial in delivering immediate medical assistance to avoid delay in treatment and prevent complications. All of these factors are expected to augment the APAC lateral flow diagnostic tests market in the coming years.Inaccuracy of Results Remains Demerit of Lateral Flow Diagnostic TestsThe inaccuracy of results delivered by lateral flow diagnostic tests is the biggest challenge this market faces. Currently, the lateral flow diagnostic tests are only meant for diagnosis at home or for point-of-care testing. Furthermore, the incorrect sampling at home can also lead to poor disease management and worsen the actual diagnosis.Pregnancy Tests Poised to Exhibit Strong Sales GrowthThe report states that the opportunity in the APAC lateral flow diagnostic tests market was worth US$2.30 bn in 2015 and will reach US$3.22 bn by the end of 2023. Between the forecast period of 2015 and 2023, the overall market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.7%. Amongst the application segments, the pregnancy application segment held the largest share in 2014 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period. The growth of this application segment will be a result of the growing female population and a rising awareness about pregnancy testing amongst them.On the other hand, the hepatitis application segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 8.3% between 2015 and 2023 due to a sudden rise in autoimmune and contagious diseases across Asia Pacific.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) 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. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e 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.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Flexible Electronics Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 66.66% During The Period 2016-2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=800320 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=800320 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Flexible Electronics Market 2016-2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Flexible electronics refers to advanced electronic devices that can be folded and bended without getting damaged. Flexible electronics find applications in a number of sectors such as consumer electronics, healthcare, industrial, and military and defense. Flexible electronic devices are ultrathin, lightweight, compact, power-efficient, and have low heat emissions. However, flexible electronic devices are expensive and are less popular as compared to traditional electronic devices. This is resulting in their low penetration in the market. The report only focuses on flexible displays and flexible or printed batteries. The material mostly used for flexible electronics is plastic.Technavios analysts forecast the global flexible electronics market to grow at a CAGR of 66.66% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global flexible electronics market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report covers the sales of flexible electronic devices that include flexible displays and flexible or printed batteries worldwide.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEANew report, Global Flexible Electronics Market 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.Other prominent vendorsAU OptronicsBlue Spark TechnologiesCymbetE Ink HoldingsEnfucellLG DisplaySamsung DisplaySolicorePlanar Energy DevicesMake an Enquiry of this report @Market driverIncreased R&D investmentsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeLag in mass production of flexible OLED displaysFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendAdvent of conceptual flexible display productsFor 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?About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Global Physical Security Market In Retail Sector Will Grow Steadily At A CAGR Of 6.67% During The Period 2016-2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=800322 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=800322 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Physical Security Market in the Retail Sector 2016-2020" to its huge collection of research reports.The global retail market will grow significantly during the forecast period, driven by the discount, dollar store, food, and service retail concepts. Restaurants will be the strongest category in terms of overall unit growth among all retail concepts. The demand for physical security deployments will increase in line with the significant growth in the global retail industry. Retail stores face many challenges such as theft and inventory shrinkage, which lead to decreased profits. Retail surveillance using network video solutions such as IP cameras will help protect the business. By preventing crime, retailers can reduce losses and create a safer environment for staff and customers.Technavios analysts forecast the global physical security market in retail sector to grow at a CAGR of 6.67% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global physical security market in retail sector for 2016-2020. This report provides a list of vendors that are active in providing physical security in the retail sector across the globe. Vendors are identified based on their product features, geographical presence, customer base, and product portfolio.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEANew report, Global Physical Security Market in Retail Sector 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.Key vendorsAxis CommunicationsBosch Security SystemsCheckpoint SystemsCrossmatchHoneywell SecurityTyco SecurityMake an Enquiry of this report @Other prominent vendorsADT Security Systems (acquired by Apollo Global Management in June 2016)A2 SystemsALL-TAG Security AmericasAnixterASSA ABLOYAxxonSoftDelphiFLIR SystemsGallagherGenetecHikvision DigitalIntergraphKetecLenel SystemsNedapNetVersantNortekSecurity (acquired by Melrose Industries and Nevada Corp in July 2016)PanasonicS2 Security CorporationSalient SystemsSamsung Techwin (named changed to Hanwha Techwin)SiemensvideoNEXTMarket driverDecline in prices of security productsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeNon-uniform standards and certification procedures for manufacturing security solutions in EuropeFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncreasing integration of video with other physical securityFor 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?About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Now Available - Worldwide Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid Market Report 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1558 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1558 www.futuremarketinsights.com Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid also known as ensulizole is an organic compound largely used in sunscreens and cosmetic products worldwide. It has the ability to primarily block or absorb Ultraviolet radiations (UV). However, it doesnt give complete protection since it is unable to block long range UV radiations; hence it is often paired with other ingredients such as avobenzone, zinc oxide, Tinosorb or titanium dioxide. Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid has the characteristic quality and thus it doesnt degrade its potency upon exposure to UV rays. Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid converts incident ultraviolet radiations into less harmful infrared rays. It has a light and non-greasy finish. Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid is a water soluble compound and thus it is often used in the formulation of lotions and moisturizers. According to the Personal Care Products Council, phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid can be used in concentrations up to 8% in Europe and 4% in the U.S.Global Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid Market: Key SegmentationThe phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid market can be segmented on the basis of end-user industry such as- personal care, pharmacological formulations, and others. Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid has been considered to be non-carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).Request Free Report Sample@Global Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe market for Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid is expected to rise in future due to rising demand for personal care products in the market. The propensity to spend on skincare is not hugely impacted by a slowdown, rather consumer preferences during this period tends to shift towards lower priced mass-market products. Personal care industry is a very large and lucrative market and thus it is expected to flourish in the near future. Hence, demand for Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid is expected to grow from 2016-2026. Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid is considered as a safe ingredient for use in personal care products; however the Cosmetic Databases consider it as a moderate hazard. It can cause cancer related and cellular level changes concerns if used for a prolonged period. Thus, this is hampering the growth of Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid market and is the major growth barrier.Global Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid market is anticipated to grow at a substantial rate in the foreseeable future. China is expected to drive the demand for phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid in the South Asian region. China has set up of several medium sized companies which are indulging in the production of phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid. Mushrooming chemical industry in China is expected to swell the demand for phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid in Asia Pacific region. Demand for effective sunscreen products is expected to raise demand for phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid in developed countries such as the U.S, and hence North America is expected to increase its capacity for phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid production in the next few years. Eventual demand for phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid from personal care industry from Latin America holds considerable potential for growth of phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid market in the next few years. Better product formulation and extensive research and development are anticipated to boost the market in the foreseeable future, thus providing potential opportunities for growth to players.Visit For TOC@Global Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid Market: Key PlayersThe phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid market has several players which are involved in the supply, distribution and marketing of this compound. Some of them include Shanghai Hanhong Chemical Co., Ltd., J&K Scientific Ltd., BASF SE, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Berje Inc, Changzhou Sunchem Pharmaceutical Chemical Material Co., Ltd., and Xiamen Hisunny Chemical Co., Ltd.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Market Forecast Report on Aspiration Control Systems 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1571 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1571 www.futuremarketinsights.com Aspiration is a medical term that refers to the withdrawal of air and fluids from the body. Aspiration of body fluids is necessary for sample collection required for diagnostic and therapeutic application and to determine the future course of treatment for various disorders. Few key procedures in which the aspiration is necessary include: Aspiration of joint fluids (Arthrocentesis), Aspiration of ascitic fluids in the peritoneal cavity (Paracentesis), Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) Aspiration, Breast Cyst aspiration, bone marrow transplant procedures, and ophthalmic procedures. For instance, in bone barrow aspiration, a small amount of bone marrow is withdrawn from the bone and examined for various disease conditions.Aspiration control systems consist of a fully automated sterile system with a motor and vacuum pump that is being controlled to deliver precise and continuously variable vacuum within a vacuum chamber, and surgical hand piece for convenient aspiration of bone marrow and other fluids during surgery.The system is purely based on suction technology in which the adjustable mechanical vacuum controller maintains a favorable vacuity with sensitive suction power.Aspiration Control Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsAspiration control system market is gaining high traction owing to sophisticated surgeries being carried out worldwide that require high degree of precision. Also, aspiration control system is gaining wide acceptance among various biotechnological centers and diagnostic centers where there is a need for safe and efficient collection and disposal of biological liquid waste for research purpose.Aspiration control system market is mainly driven by increasing per capita healthcare expenditure, increase in R&D spending in various research and educational institutes, and substantial rise in various sophisticated surgeries such as bone marrow transplants and ophthalmic vitrectomy surgery. Furthermore, changing economic scenarios such as increasing FDI influx in healthcare sector in developing regions is expected to boost overall sales of these devices in these regions.Request Free Report Sample@Though this market is expected to witness substantial growth over the forecast period, high cost of aspiration control system devices, lack of skilled professionals for this sensitive surgical procedure, along with conventional alternative surgical devices could hamper the overall revenue growth of this market.The global aspiration control system market is classified on the basis of products, application, end-use, and geography.Based on products, the aspiration control systems market is segmented into:Basic Aspiration SystemMechanical Aspiration System with Integrated ControlBased on the application, the aspiration control systems market is divided into following:Body Fluids RemovalBone Fragments RemovalOthersBased on end-user, the global aspiration control systems market is divided into following:HospitalSpecialized ClinicsDiagnostic LaboratoriesPrivate Diagnostic LaboratoriesPublic Diagnostic LaboratoriesEducational and Research InstitutesVisit For TOC@On the basis of geography, the global aspiration control systems market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. North America contributes maximum share to the global aspiration control system market. European countries are expected to represent significant growth rates owing to high awareness and increased spending on R&D. Furthermore, there is high adoption rate of technically advanced equipment in North America and Europe, which in turn creates significant demand for aspiration control systems. In the Asia Pacific, China, Japan and India are promising markets for aspiration control systems.Some of the prominent players in aspiration control systems market are VACUUBRAND GMBH, INTEGRA Biosciences AG, Gilson Inc and Hettich Benelux B.V. VACUUBRAND GMBH holds a significant share in the global aspiration control system due to its diverse product portfolio and global presence through direct sales and it distributors.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Market Size of Life Science Multichannel Campaign Management, Forecast Report 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1639 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1639 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/life-science-multichannel-campaign-management-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Life science multichannel campaign management system helps companies to orchestrate, define and communicate their product offers to customers through social, mobile, call centres, direct mails and websites. Digital marketing is an integral part of multichannel campaign management that includes addressable advertising/branding, transactional marketing and contextual marketing. In short multichannel campaign management is a marketing process that extends through channels like video, web, mobile, kiosks, terminals of point of sales, digital signage and social applications. Global companies have urged for advanced version multichannel campaign management solutions to get the valuable information from the customers and plan for new ways for customer retention and acquisition of new customers. The traditional marketing practices have reformed due to the implementation of such kind of multichannel campaign management solutions implementations. The global life science multichannel campaign management market is expected to expand at a modest CAGR in the forecast period.Global Life Science Multichannel Campaign Management Market: Drivers and RestrainsThe major drivers for global multichannel campaign management market are trending digital marketing, technological advancements, advanced mobility solutions such as tablets, smartphones, and other kind of hand held devices. Also the ease of marketing through these multichannel campaign management solution and better service to the customer through these solutions are propelling the growth of this market.However, the restrains for this market can be the factors like rapid technological advancements, due to which the companies needs to keep pace with the upcoming technology and their costly implementation can hamper the global life science multichannel campaign management market. Also most of the customers are still not accessible to the technologies needed to avail the benefits of these kind of multichannel campaign management solutions, this can again act as a barrier in the growth of global life science multichannel campaign management market.Request Free Report Sample@Global Life Science Multichannel Campaign Management Market: SegmentationOn the basis of Services, the global life science multichannel campaign management market can be segmented as follows:System implementationSystem integrationTraining & supportConsultingOn the basis of applications, the global life science multichannel campaign management market can be segmented as follows:AdvertisingBrandingPromotionSellingOn the basis of end-use industry, the global life science multichannel campaign management market can be segmented as follows:PharmaceuticalsRetailHealthcareTransportationTelecommunicationsInformation technologyTourismVisit For TOC@Global Life Science Multichannel Campaign Management Market: Region Wise OutlookThe global life science multichannel campaign management market can be divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific is the leader in the global life science multichannel campaign management market due to the upcoming retail, transportation and tourism industry in this region. China and India are the major contributors in this region for the growth of the market. North America is following Asia Pacific in term of the market share in global life science multichannel campaign management market owing to its ever increasing pharmaceuticals industry and the existing information technology sector. Europe is the next major contributor in the market due to its significant automobile sector and the other retail industry flourishing in this region due to the automobile sector. Latin America and Middle East and Africa are at a nascent stage in global life science multichannel campaign management market but are expected to expand at a significant growth in the forecast period.Global Life Science Multichannel Campaign Management Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global life science multichannel campaign management market are:TeradataAdobe Systems IncorporatedMarketo, Inc.IBM CorporationSAP AGInforSalesforce.comSAS Institute Inc.Full Report Analysis@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Market Intelligence Report Web Based e-Detailing, 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1645 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1645 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/web-based-e-detailing-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Web based E-detailing is an interacting media platform wherein the pharmaceutical companies display their products sales presentation and brochures. Web based E-detailing allows the doctor or physician to look up to the medicines as per their requirement. The web based E-detailing is comparatively cost effective than the traditional methods such as sales representatives. Web based E-detailing gives high return on investment to pharmaceutical companies in terms of sales, previously the medical representatives used to meet with the physicians detailing about the product. The technological advances and internet penetration in every sector has changed the scenario for the conventional method of detailing. Moreover, the web based E-detailing eliminates the long waiting hours of sales representatives to meet doctors and web based E-detailing is found to be more effective than the conventional way of detailing. Web based E-detailing provides more profound details about the pharmaceutical drugs to the physicians which the sales representatives fail to do so in many cases thus affecting the sales of the company. Considering the above factors the global web based e-detailing market will highlight significant growth rate over the forecast period.Global Web Based e-Detailing Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe drivers identified in the global web based e-detailing market are the increasing adaptability of internet among the doctors. The efficiency of web based E-detailing to provide in depth details about the pharmaceutical drugs to the doctors without any error is increasing the sales ratio of the pharmaceutical companies compared to that of the traditional sales method. Thus, the return on investment for sales of the pharmaceutical companies is attributing to the growth of the global web based E-detailing market. The web based E-detailing provides the physicians to check out the details of the drugs as per their convenient time. The initial cost associated with the web based E- detailing are high and non-linear which might pose as a restraint to its adaptability among the medium and small pharmaceutical players globally.Request Free Report Sample@Global Web Based e-Detailing Market: Market SegmentationBased on the E-detailing formats, the global web based E-detailing market can be segmented into:Virtual Live E-detailingScripted E-detailingE-detailing websitesBased on the applications, the web based E-detailing market is segmented into:PharmaceuticalsBiotechnologyVisit For TOC@Global Web Based e-Detailing Market: Regional OutlookBased on the geographic regions, global web based E-detailing market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. The North American region dominates the market for web based E-detailing market. According to survey, the physicians in the region prefer web based E-detailing rather than interacting with medical representatives due to their busy schedules and web based E-detailing provides the exact informations as per physicians preference. The Western Europe market for web based E-detailing market is followed by the North American market and the adaptability in the region for web based E-detailing is increasing. Over the course of time and growth of pharmaceutical industries in the countries like China and India, the web based E-detailing market in the APEJ region will show considerable growth.Global Web Based e-Detailing Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players identified in the global enterprise laboratory informatics market includes, AstraZeneca, Plc., Abbott Health care, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Plc., Boston Scientific, Johnson and Johnson and Merck & Co. among others.Full Report Analysis@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: MES Applications For Process Manufacturing Market Forecast Research Reports Offers Key Insights http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1652 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1652 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mes-applications-for-process-manufacturing-marketm www.futuremarketinsights.com Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are on-line, computerized systems used in manufacturing. MES is basically applied to track the entire procedure of conversion of raw materials to finished goods. MES aids in analysis of the manufacturing. It helps in implementing solutions to optimize workflow. MES works in real-time to control multiple components in a production process such as inputs, resources, services and so on. MES is designed to create data by utilizing the input data, process protocols, outcomes required to provide the manufacturer with a comprehensive documentation of processes at the manufacturing facility. MES is an alternative to create the most appropriate manufacturing processes and a real-time feedback in terms of changes in existing work structures. MES reduces wastage of raw materials, gives a closer picture of the cost-structure allocation, reduces inventory, etc.MES Applications for Process Manufacturing Market: Drivers & RestraintsMES ensures manufacturing consistency through the production workflow with a focus on floor capabilities. This helps in maximizing the production flexibility and have a larger picture of the process workflow with smaller nuances. MES applications for process manufacturing improves process execution with clear, detailed definitions of the process. It helps in increasing plant efficiency, integrated planning and inventory management. Another most crucial feature of MES applications for process manufacturing is cost optimization by determining actual, detailed product costs. This increases profitability of organizations by capturing precise product costs and monitoring true product costs at every level. Manufacturer gets a better idea of how to optimize margins with multiple cost structure models considering the historical costs, inventory valuation, applied resource costs, and batch costs.Request Free Report Sample@MES Applications for Process Manufacturing Market: SegmentationThe global MES applications for process manufacturing market is classified on the basis of end use type and region.Based on end use, the global MES applications for process manufacturing market is segmented into the following:Food & BeveragesAutomotive & AutomobileOil & GasPower & EnergyAerospace & DefenceChemicals, Materials & PolymerHealthcareVisit For TOC@MES Applications for Process Manufacturing Market: OverviewMES is the most evolving tool for analysing production batches. MES technology can be applicable to a workflow which has a defined initiation time and end time, further opening up novel opportunities for the expansion of the global MES applications for process manufacturing market. The most important phase for a manufacturer is the product commercialization wherein management of the product from product conception to commercialization determines success rate. MES applications for process manufacturing also offers enterprise quality management feature. It aids in achieving the target standards set for a product, product consistency with quality controlled batch processing holds and inspections. MES assists in improving laboratory productivity and augments customer compliance.MES Applications for Process Manufacturing Market: Region wise OverviewGeographically, global MES applications for process manufacturing market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA).U.S. represents the largest region in terms of adoption of MES applications for process manufacturing. With major industries in U.S. and Europe adopting MES applications for process manufacturing, the regions are projected to hold more than half the share collectively in the global market by 2026 end.Full Report Analysis@MES Applications for Process Manufacturing Market: Key PlayersThe key players in global MES applications for process manufacturingmarket are Oracle, Aptean, GENERAL ELECTRIC, Dassault Systemes, SAP SE, Aspen Technology, Inc., Siemens AG, Rockwell Automation, Inc., Emerson Electric Co. to name a few.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Malignant Ascites Market Intelligence Report Offers Growth Prospects http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1658 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1658 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/malignant-ascites-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Ascites is the formation of excessive fluid in the space surrounding the organs in the abdomen, especially in the peritoneal cavity. It occurs because of the body is unable to remove fluids it produced. Ascites can occur in normal conditions as well as in cancer condition. When ascites occurs due to cancer, often called malignant ascites or malignant peritoneal effusion. Malignant cells causes irritation in the layers of the abdomen and it leads to production of excessive body fluids. Usually, lymph glands drain excessive body fluids from the body, but, in ascites condition, lymph glands become blocked and it leads to outbreaks of ascites symptoms include loss of sleep, skin problems, fatigue, low blood pressure, and problems with self-esteem. Malignant ascites caused by different health conditions such as, irritation of the thin membrane of abdomen, destruction in lymphatic system, and disturbances in the liver function due to the cancer cells.Symptoms of malignant ascites depends on various factors. Main symptoms in the malignant ascites includes swelling of the abdomen, feeling of bloating, abdominal discomfort or pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, weight gain, constipation and ankle or leg swelling.For diagnosis of malignant ascites, x-ray test, physical examination, ultrasound and CT scans are available. However, physical examinations is not effective in an obese patient cases.Request Free Report Sample@For the treatment malignant ascites, diuretics, chemotherapy, paracentesis and surgeries are available. Diuretics are used for the removal of more fluids from the body and it is effective treatment in this disease condition. Paracentesis is a process of removal of body fluid by using a catheter and it is used when the diuretics are not effective and the patients are suffering from breathing problems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recently approved PleurX catheter, for the treatment of malignant ascites. Chemotherapy drugs are used in the treatment of malignant ascites and physician give drugs directly to the intra peritoneal cavity of the patient for more effective.Malignant Ascites market has been classified on the basis of treatment and distribution channelMalignant Ascites by Treatment TypeChemotherapyDiureticsParacentesisSurgeryMalignant Ascites by Distribution ChannelHospitalsDiagnostic CentresClinicsRetail PharmaciesAmbulatory Surgical CentreVisit For TOC@Lack of awareness about the disease is major restraint for malignant ascites market, especially in the obese patient the diagnosis of disease is slightly difficult by physical examination.Increase in the prevalence rate of various cancers, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, mesothelioma in the peritoneum, lung cancer, liver cancer and womb cancer is expected to drive the malignant ascites market owing to the chances of ascites is high in patients who are suffering from these cancers.Depending on geographic region, Malignant Ascites market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to contribute maximum revenue share in the global market of Malignant Ascites followed by Europe. Asia Pacific regions are expected to grow at a higher growth rate owing to high occurrence of cancer diseases. Middle East & Africa is expected to show a healthy growth rate in a forecast period.Key players of malignant ascites market are BD, Actavis elizabeth llc, Sandoz inc, Mylan pharmaceuticals inc, Trion Pharma, GE healthcare, Siemens AG, and Fresenius Biotech.Full Report Analysis@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Solar Power - Most Affordable Source Of Energy In South Africa www.solarcapital.co.za www.phelanenergygroup.com In the Budget Speech on 24 February 2016, the Honourable Mr Pravin Gordhan, Finance Minister of South Africa, announced that the Department of Energys (DoE) Independent Power Producers Procurement (IPPP) Programme will be extended to include coal and gas power projects.The IPPP Programme will be rolled out in order to replicate the successes achieved in the South African renewable energy sector. Although the replication in other sectors will allow for further energy to be produced, a focus on solar power would allow for the supply of energy at a massively reduced rate.Not only is solar energy readily and freely available, but the cost of solar technology (internationally and locally) has come down substantially in the last few years. nternationally, the price has reduced as a result of technological innovation, the manufacturing learning rate, economies of scale and further competition.In South Africa, the solar industry is relatively new. The growth of a number of technology suppliers in the last few years has fostered a competitive environment in manufacturing and production of local solar technologies, as well as competitive installation rates.The Renewable Energy IPPP Programme (REIPP Programme) was designed to contribute towards the 2010 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) target of providing 17 800 MW of renewable power generation capacity to the electricity grid by 2030. More than 2 292MW of solar powered energy projects have been awarded preferred bidder status to date.According to Frost & Sullivan, the running costs of Medupi and Kusile, when taking into account externalities such as the cost of water usage and CO2 emissions, are approximately R2.35 and R1.94 per kWh. In comparison solar power in South Africa can now be produced at a cost of under R0.70.Additionally, the latest construction cost estimates for the Medupi and Kusile coal stations went from R149 billion to R326 billion ($12.1bn to $26.3bn). Not only do these costs have a negative effect on our struggling economy, but the stations will need to be powered by coal thus bringing into question their impact on the environment over the long-term.On 01 March 2016, a 9.4% tariff increase was granted to Eskom. This rising cost of electricity is needed in order to meet the interest of capital costs of building new facilities and the cost of coal, among other things. Instead, South Africa should rather invest in the expansion of renewable energy, in particular solar, which provides energy at a substantially lower cost to coal. This solar price is also fixed for a period of 20 years making the cost saving consistent and predictable. This cost saving would in turn assist in preventing the increase of Eskom tariffs in the future.Solar farms are commercially viable facilities funded by local banks and foreign direct investment and, unlike Eskom, do not need government funding and guarantees. It needs to be a priority in South Africa that we continue the investment in this source of abundantly free, green, sustainable energy.The Minister of Energy, The Honourable Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, is set to inaugurate the Solar Capital De Aar solar farm in the first quarter of 2016, which is the largest solar farm ever completed in the Southern Hemisphere, Africa and the Middle East Region. The power generated from this 175 MW facility, will produce enough electricity to power approximately 75 000 South African homes every year.About Solar CapitalSolar Capital (Pty) Ltd is a subsidiary of Phelan Holdings (Pty) Ltd a prominent South African based International Investment and Development Company, with the vision to become a market leader in the production of solar energy in Southern Africa. Based in Cape Town, Solar Capital has built up a local and international proficiency in renewable energy, in order to realize its mission. With Southern Africa having some of the highest annual solar radiation levels in the world, Solar Capital has invested in real estate and technology with the potential to develop the continents most valuable energy source the sun.47 Main Road,Green Point,Cape Town,South Africa,8005Paschal PhelanTel: +27 (0) 21 433 0366 Rethinking Energy Supply In South Africa Power-Gen 2016 www.solarcapital.co.za www.phelanenergygroup.com During South African Public Enterprise Minister Lynne Browns address at the POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa conference held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg in June 2016, she focused her attention on the current difficulties faced in keeping the country powered. As part of her speech, she highlighted the long-term need for the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity which would see 9.2GW of electricity being generated by wind, 8.4GW from photovoltaic sources (solar panels) and 1.2GW from concentrated solar power by 2030.We need to make a call for greater focus on renewable energy sources that will enhance opportunities within the Green Economy and, ultimately, help to boost economic growth in South Africa.South African Wind Energy Association Chief Executive Johan van den Berg, said that wind power is now 40% cheaper than new Eskom coal power and cheaper even than the average price Eskom is selling power at from its predominantly old and amortised fleet of coal plant.The renewable energy developers involved in the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Programme have funded their facilities largely through independently sourced international investors and local banks, making these projects viable in the SA market. About R47bn of the programmes awarded bidder status reached financial close in the first round and R28bn in the second round of the REIPPP Programme.As an example of this, the amount invested in the Solar Capital De Aar project totaled almost R5 billion to date. While this involved considerable startup costs, the company has budgeted for a five-year payback term.The solar farm further employed over 2,000 local people at peak, and will now produce enough electricity to power approximately 75 000 South African homes every year.Earlier this year the Department of Energy (DoE) sent out an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the establishment of one or more solar parks in the Northern Cape. Each farm is to generate between 400MW to 700MW of PV renewable energy. The EoI stated that there should be a primary focus on the industrialization of the Northern Cape by the establishment of industries manufacturing components linked to solar energy generation in the province. The construction of such large farms and the introduction of a manufacturing component, would introduce much needed long-terms jobs to the Northern Cape.During her presentation, however, Minister Brown said that the electricity grid in the areas that are optimal for wind and solar energy production are becoming increasingly constrained. She explained that this could negatively impact economic growth in the medium term, as electricity prices are determined by market forces and would result in signification increases in the price of electricity.South Africa has some of the highest irradiation levels in the world. It is important that we make use of the natural energy afforded us and enhance green energy production as far as possible in the country. South Africa is well positioned to deliver safe, green and affordable energy to its people through remaining focused on the upscaling of the REIPPP Programme.About Solar CapitalSolar Capital (Pty) Ltd is a subsidiary of Phelan Holdings (Pty) Ltd a prominent South African based International Investment and Development Company, with the vision to become a market leader in the production of solar energy in Southern Africa. Based in Cape Town, Solar Capital has built up a local and international proficiency in renewable energy, in order to realize its mission. With Southern Africa having some of the highest annual solar radiation levels in the world, Solar Capital has invested in real estate and technology with the potential to develop the continents most valuable energy source the sun.47 Main Road,Green Point,Cape Town,South Africa,8005Paschal PhelanTel: +27 (0) 21 433 0366 Global BF3 complexes Market Professional Survey Report 2016 Product Overview and Scope of BF3 complexesThis report is about Boron Trifluoride Tetrahydrofuran Complex.Boron trifluoride-tetrahydrofuran complex is used as a polymerization initiator and as a dopant in the semiconductor industry.Report SummaryThe Global BF3 complexes Market Professional Survey Report 2016 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the BF3 complexes market.The report provides a basic overview of the BF3 complexes industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.The report then analyzes the global BF3 complexes market size (volume and value), and the sales segment market is also discussed by product type, application and region.The major BF3 complexes market (including USA, Europe, China, Japan, etc.) is analyzed, data including: market size, import and export, sale segment market by product type and application. Then we forecast the 2016-2021 market size of BF3 complexes.The report focuses on global major leading companies providing information such as company profiles, sales, sales revenue, market share and contact information. Then the BF3 complexes OEM market and BF3 complexes production market status is discussed.Finally the marketing, feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.Ask a sample or any question, please email to:lemon@qyresearchglobal.com or lemon@qyresearch.comKey Topics Covered:1 Industry Overview of BF3 complexes2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of BF3 complexes3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of BF3 complexes4 Global BF3 complexes Overall Market Overview5 BF3 complexes Regional Market Analysis5.1 USA BF3 complexes Market Analysis5.1.1 USA BF3 complexes Market Overview5.1.2 USA 2011-2016E BF3 complexes Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 USA 2011-2016E BF3 complexes Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 USA 2015 BF3 complexes Market Share Analysis5.2 China BF3 complexes Market Analysis5.3 Europe BF3 complexes Market Analysis5.4 South America BF3 complexes Market Analysis5.5 Japan BF3 complexes Market Analysis5.6 Africa BF3 complexes Market Analysis6 Global 2011-2016E BF3 complexes Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Global 2011-2016E BF3 complexes Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of BF3 complexes9 Development Trend of Analysis of Market10 BF3 complexes Marketing Model Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of BF3 complexes12 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of BF3 complexes13 Conclusion of the Global BF3 complexes Market Professional Survey Report 2016The players list (Partly, Players you are interested in can also be added):BASFVoltaixHoneywellStella ChemifaZibo Shuanglian ChemicalSuqian Yongsheng Fine ChemicalShandong Wanbang ChemicalQingzhou Chenkai ChemicalDongying Xuben Kehou ChemicalWujiang Fuhua ChemicalDongying Heyi ChemicalGlad Pharmaceutical Technology(Nan Tong)Zibo Linzi Xinqiang Chemical...Thank you for your reading and interest in our report.If you need a report or have any question, please feel free to contact me~O(_)O~Lemon Koo | Sr. Manager - Global SalesQYResearch CO.,LIMITEDProfessional Market Research Report PublisherE*mail: lemon@qyresearchglobal.com / lemon@qyresearch.comWeb:qyresearchglobal.com/(US) | qyresearcheurope.com/(EU) | qyresearchjapan.com/ (JP)About QYResearch LtdQYResearch Focus on Market Survey and ResearchQYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. the company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience). Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team).Lemon Koo | Sr. Manager - Global SalesQYResearch CO.,LIMITEDProfessional Market Research Report PublisherApt 1408 1785 Riverside Drive Ottawa, ON, K1G 3T7 CanadaE*mail: lemon@qyresearchglobal.com / lemon@qyresearch.comWeb:qyresearchglobal.com/(US) | qyresearcheurope.com/(EU) | qyresearchjapan.com/ (JP) Overview of the Variety of E-Clinical Solution Software Systems in the Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/e-clinical-solution-software-market.html http://bit.ly/2cijX0W http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Unlike other industries, the healthcare industry on a given day generates overwhelming volume of sensitive and private information about millions of people. The sheer volume of data generated from hospitals, medical networks, insurance companies, and all the sources or parties connected to the healthcare sector needs proper management. With just medical records and paperwork making for a mammoth data volume, the additional data coming from sources such as remote monitoring devices, clinical trials, and online medical research makes the problem healthcare data management seem obvious.Description for E-Clinical Solution Software Market at:The pharmaceutical industry generates and maintains massive amounts of data related to patients and their health issues. This data is primarily generated from healthcare clinics, hospitals, insurance companies, and other medical networks. Pharmaceutical companies also have to manage large volumes of data coming in from clinical trials, remote monitoring devices, and online medical records. Managing such huge amounts of data through data management software has become a necessity. For the companies operating in the pharmaceutical industry, using different e-clinical solution software is a better way to manage clinical trials and relevant data.A clinical trial management system (CTMS) is primarily used by pharmaceutical companies to manage trials in clinical research. CTMS manages planning and reporting functions coupled with tracking milestones. An e-clinical solution refers to the automation of clinical trials and is a combination of IVR and EDC systems. At present, the healthcare industry uses various applications and software designed for recording and managing clinical data that is generated from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. As a result of the advancements in computer systems and internet networks, the global clinical trial industry has now become highly sophisticated. The increasing amount of data being collected from research activities has led to the rising adoption of e-clinical solution software.The global e-clinical solution software market is segmented on the basis of end user, mode of delivery, geography, and product. By mode of delivery, the global e-clinical solution software market is classified into cloud-based, web-based, and licensed enterprise. Currently, the web-based e-clinical solution software segment dominates the global market. The web based e-clinical solution software segment stood at US$2.18 bn in 2014 and is predicted to reach US$4.84 bn by 2020, progressing at a 14.20% CAGR from 2014 to 2020.Based on geography, the global e-clinical solution software market is divided into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World. In 2014, the North America e-clinical solution software market stood at US$1.77 bn and is expected to reach US$3.62 bn by 2020, progressing at a 12.60% CAGR from 2014 to 2020.Explore E-Clinical Solution Software System -Considering the growing number of leading players expanding their business in India and China, the Asia Pacific e-clinical solution software market is expected to witness tremendous growth in the years to come. By product, the global e-clinical solution software market is classified into clinical trial management, clinical data management, safety solution, randomization, trial supply management, and electronic clinical outcome assessment solutions. Healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and research companies are the major end users of e-clinical solution software.Some of the leading companies operating in the global e-clinical solution software market are PAREXEL International Corporation, BioClinica, OmniComm Systems, Oracle Corporation, and Medidata Solutions.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: The Time Tracker For Improved Project Management http://crocotime.com/en/ In the past, the basis of staffs time and attendance were the punch-cards and time clocks. All the information and data was stored as paper spreadsheets so that employees pay could be calculated. Now, everything has been revamped and modern time tracking software is very effective in making the work so much easier and faster.Features of The Best Time TrackerThere are different ways how time and attendance, and some project management systems have integrated their own time tracker. There are a few of the best features of the most useful and most widely-used time tracking tools:Converting hours into invoicesIn the past, when employees or project teams forgot to log in and out due to their very troubled schedule, theyd shortchanged themselves. With the automatic time tracker, the unbilled work hours are easily pulled out and turned into a well-designed invoice in only one click.Work and track from everywhereProject team employees who work from home enjoy the versatility of schedule so they can work anytime and anywhere. CrocoTime time tracker features include the ability to login from anywhere and from any PC because when you have CrocoTime on your PC, you just need to login in any browser and you can start tracking your time.Keep an eye on your progressSometimes, a project teams members are given their own time budget. With CrocoTime time tracker, it is easy to visualize ones progress because it can present the number of hours and software used in different ways you want it to be: as a list, or as a graphic bar. CrocoTime can easily adds up your hours giving you the remaining allotment you must have.Know your project teams scheduleWith CrocoTime time tracker shared by all employees, everyone can clock in and out from anywhere and you as a project manager can control your members attendance and work progress.Be in touch with time reportsCrocoTime time tracker provides work calendar that shows employees attendance as well as reports destined for that goal. It's easy now for project managers to stay updated with all employees tasks and see the updates in real-time.The Best Usability for The Best Time TrackingMost time trackers are beautifully-designed with a user-friendly web-interface that simple to use. Best of them come with a color-coded graphic bars with a centralized look that shows the work data that matters most. Finally, the right time tracker allows for quick access to clock time so it can be submitted for approval to a project manager or a customer.We, in CrocoTime, have been working to create the best time tracker which provides the above-mentioned features typical for great software as well as great service. Today, timesheets are replaced with the time tracker and these time tracking tools turn hours worked into invoices ultimately converted into cash. Such solutions make it easy to control your time and costs.CrocoTime has efficient time tracking features for project teams, powerful and is easy to use. Try it out now with our 14 days trial version (it's absolutely free).Today CrocoTime is approved by more than 500 of customers ranging from small companies to enterprises of different spheres of business: production companies, project companies, trading, and service companies have been using CrocoTime to become more productive and efficient.3, Severo-Vostochnoy Ave., Saransk, Mordovia, Russia, 430000 All capillary thermostat and limiters in stainless steel enclosures available Capillary thermostat (for trace heating) in stainless steel enclosure http://www.quintex.eu/en/IRBM2_en.html www.quintex.eu/en The long in use proven capillary thermostat and limiters with a 16 A switching capacity are now not only available in glass fiber reinforced polyester enclosures but also in stainless steel enclosures. This is also done for the combination of controller and limiter.All enclosures are approved to IECEx and ATEX, as well as meet standard requirements of NEMA 4X.You can use this controller and limiter also directly as a junction box of the heating system. This ease installation and maintenance of trace heating with constant wattage systems.On our website all the important data can be viewed and both sheet and operating instructions are ready for download.The IRB2M..VAEx series of fail-safe temperature devices consist of capillary type thermostats with mechanical change-over contacts in stainless steel enclosures. These are commonly used in applications for controlling and connecting single-core heating cables in hazardous areas. The combination of limiter & thermostat allows simple and space-saving connections for electrical trace heating circuits. These stainless steel enclosures are approved to ATEX/IECEx and NEMA 4X and have proven themselves extremely well under harsh environmental conditions and for food & hygiene areas. These rugged & robust enclosures stand up well to aggressive chemicals and severe mechanical impacts.Specifically, the combination of controller and limiter offers the possibility in the hazardous area to build up a trace heating system for 'controlled design' according to 60079-30.With 4mm capillaries the capillary tube reacts fast to temperature changes. All limiters are 'fail-safe' constructed i.e. in case of failure, the trace heating is switched off.With our approval for the controlled design everyone can build up trace heating systems with constant wattage heating tapes, heating cable in polymer sheathing or mineral insulated type. There is no need for further on site approval.Please contact us if you have questions about the equipment or the construction of a heat-tracing as controlled design.We will help you quickly and competently.Quintex GmbH manufactures and supplies material for trace heating (heating tapes, heating cables, controller, connection sets) and explosion protection ( Ex e terminal boxes, pressurized systems, line bushings,own range of local control function, local control stations - all can be specified and ordered online)We manufacture all our material in our own approved (ATEX, ISO, FM, CSA...) facility.By this we can guarantee our high level of quality, reliability and in time delivery.Quintex GmbHi_Park Tauberfranken 1397922 Lauda-KoenigshofenGermany+49 9343 6130 0 Global Electric Mop Market 2016: Industry Trends and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2022 http://goo.gl/t0qCVp http://www.mrsresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-electric-mop-market-2016-production-sales-supply.html http://www.mrsresearchgroup.com/ Available to the users on the site of MRS Research Group on the global Electric Mop market 2016-2021, the report is the detailed and thorough analysis of different factors surrounding and influencingthe concerned industries all around the world. The report gives detailed and large picture of different boosters, restraints and opportunities and probable threats that exists and expected to arise in future.Request For Sample:The report is created by the team of expertoffers a birds eye view of all the key performance indicators of the industry. The analysis in the report covers the industry on the basis of revenue, volume, wherever applicable and needed. This QY Research report has been created after takinginto consideration all the internal and external factors closely or remotely related to the given industry. Report has covered the key players of the industry along with current and potential competitors.User will not only get the highlightsand glimpses of Electric Mop market 2016-2021, but will also be able to understand details of the industry, current scenario, revenues (net and gross) of the competitors and key players and their position in the market 2016-2021 in terms of geography, monetary value and brand value or goodwill.Information available in the QY research is coupled with present and future opportunities hiding. Report considers the importance of R&D and estimates upcoming inventions too. It analyzes and compares the current status the industry with the future goals and growth. Apart from these factors possible QY Report is well equipped with information on threats having potential to hinder the growth of market 2016-2021 to have an all pervasive view of the market 2016-2021.Access Full Report With TOC:In the given report, made available on MRS Research Group site, the expert team has successfully delivered a complete and realistic picture of the future actions, that the Electric Mop is expected to take. The report covers all question that a business faces in a bid to sustain its industrial position.MRS Research Group provides a range of market 2016-2021ing 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.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 FREE (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803 FREEEmail: sales@mrsresearchgroup.comWebsite: Cold Chain Equipment Market will reach USD 118.0 Billion by 2020, Globally http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/cold-chain-equipment-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/cold-chain-equipment-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/cold-chain-equipment-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/cold-chain-equipment-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research has published a new report titled Cold Chain Equipment (Storage and Transport) Market for Meat, Fish & Seafood, Dairy & Frozen Desserts, Vegetables & Fruits, Bakery & Confectionary and Others End-Uses: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2014 - 2020. According to the report, global demand for cold chain equipment market was valued at USD 67.0 billion in 2014 is expected to reach USD 118.0 billion in 2020 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% between 2015 and 2020.Request Sample Report:Cold chain is an unbroken supply chain which exclusively serves storage and distribution facilities with a temperature-controlled range to extend and to help ensure the shelf life of products like vaccines, drugs and chemicals. In cold chain process, the cold chain equipment is a vital entity of the supply chain. The cold chain equipment and vaccine carriers ensure the safety, efficiency or quality of the products distributed/transported.The global cold chain market is primarily driven by increased need to reduce food wastage across the globe. Secondly, rapid growth of frozen food segment is expected to drive the cold chain equipment market. However, high installation cost coupled with stringent government policies and regulation is expected to hinder the growth of cold chain equipment market. Nonetheless, increased demand of food in emerging countries is likely to open new avenues for cold chain equipment market in near future.Do Inquiry before buying:Storage equipment segment dominated the cold chain equipment market in 2014, which accounted for more than 50.0% share of the global market. Storage equipment is followed by transport equipment segment of the market in 2014. Moreover, storage equipment is expected to continue this trend during the coming years due to growing need of storage equipment to fulfill the increasing demand for food coupled with strong demand of frozen food across the globe.Based on end-uses segment, the global cold chain equipment market was dominated by meat, fish and seafood segment. It accounted over 35.0% share of the entire revenue generated in 2014. Furthermore, it is also expected to remain prolong segment owing to robust demand for meat, fish and seafood on global basis. Moreover, dairy and frozen dessert is another important outlet that is expected to witness the significant growth in near future.Asia Pacific is expected to be one of the fastest growing regional markets for cold chain equipment market within the forecast period. This market growth is expected to be driven by the increase in the deployment of cold chain management in India and China. Thus, the increased demand for cold chain logistics in emerging economies is one of the major trends that are expected to contribute to the growth of the global cold chain market during the years to come.Browse detail report at:Key players involved globally in cold chain market include AmeriCold Logistics, Lineage Logistics, Preferred Freezer Services, and Swire Cold Storage, A.B. Oxford Cold Storage, Bring Frigoscandia AS, Burris Logistics, Claus Sorensen, Cloverleaf Cold Storage, ColdEX and Columbia Colstor amongst others.This report segments the global cold chain equipment market as follows:Cold Chain Equipment Market: Product Segment AnalysisStorage EquipmentTransport EquipmentCold Chain Equipment Market: End-User Segment AnalysisMeat, Fish & SeafoodDairy & Frozen DessertsVegetables & FruitsBakery & ConfectionaryOthersCold Chain Equipment Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of WorldRead Report TOC:About UsZion Market Research 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. Zion Market Research experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants uses 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.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite: Food Safety Testing Market will reach USD 8.04 Billion in 2021, Globally http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/food-safety-testing-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/food-safety-testing-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/food-safety-testing-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/food-safety-testing-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research has published a new report titled Food safety testing Market (traditional and rapid) by Technology, (pathogens, toxins, GMOs, pesticides and others) by contaminant, (meat & poultry, dairy, process food, fruit & vegetables and others) by Application - Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2015 2021 According to the report, global demand for food safety testing market was valued at USD 4.8 billion in 2015, is expected to reach USD 8.04 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% between 2016 and 2021.Request Sample Report:Globally, food safety is a major concern in consumers due to the constant threat of foodborne illness. Food safety testing is necessary to achieve a certificate of analysis of raw food products and ready to eat foods at several stages of food processing. Customers are provided with food safety labels on food products to ensure quality and safety of products.The global food safety testing market has been presenting tremendous growth with increasing foodborne illness worldwide. The market growth is driven by growing consumer awareness associated with food safety matters. Worldwide all regions experiencing food disease epidemic cases, the due occurrence of microbial pathogens and chemical contaminant. The key market players are experiencing escalating demand for food safety testing owing health issues and increasing awareness amongst customers.Do Inquiry before buying:Food safety testing market is segmented based on technology, contaminant, application, and by region. Different technologies used for testing food safety include traditional technologies and rapid technologies. Due to some limitations of traditional food safety methods, rapid food testing technology accounted for a significant share in 2015 market. Pathogen is a leading contaminant segment in food safety market. Furthermore, GMO testing segment is expected to fastest growing segment over the forecast period. The key application covered under this study includes Meat & poultry, dairy, process food, Fruit & vegetables, and others. Among all, meat & poultry were the largest application segments that accounted for a significant share of global food safety testing market in 2015 and are expected to be the fastest growing segment for the predicted coming years.Geographically, North America dominated the food safety testing market in 2015. The biggest share of this region can be attributed to various factors such as increased prevalence of food disease and rising government regulations. Europe is a one of the major players in the food safety testing market due to increased awareness about government food safety policies in this region. Asia Pacific represents a region with a very large potential for food safety testing market due to increases emphasis on food securities in this regions.Biocontrol Systems Incorporated, 3M Company, Roka Bioscience, Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated, Agilent Technologies Incorporated, Douglas Scientific, IDDEX Laboratories INC, and Ecolab Incorporated are some of the leading profiles in the food safety testing market.Browse detail report at:The report segments the global food safety testing market as:Food Safety Testing Market: Technology Segment AnalysisTraditionalRapidFood Safety Testing Market: Contaminate Segment AnalysisPathogensToxinsGMOsPesticidesOthersFood Safety Testing Market: Application Segment AnalysisMeat & poultryDairyProcess foodFruit & vegetablesOthersFood Safety Testing Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East & AfricaRead Report TOC:About Us:Zion Market Research 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. Zion Market Research is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading industry and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.Contact Us:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite: Power Rental Market will reach USD 20.30 Billion by 2020, Globally http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/power-rental-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/power-rental-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/power-rental-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/power-rental-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research has published a new report titled Power Rental Market by End-User (Oil & Gas, Industrial, Construction and Others) For Peak Shaving, Base Load/ Continuous Power and Standby Power Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2014 - 2020 According to the report, The global power rental market was valued at approximately USD 10.02 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach approximately USD 20.30 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 13.0% between 2015 and 2020.Request Sample Report:Power is generated by burning fossil fuels such coal, oil or gas to generate steam that drives large turbines that produce electricity. Power rental is referred as plant hire which provide flexibility, reliability, speed and cost-effectiveness. Power on rent can deliver complete operating power packages as well as provide scalable components within large power station installations to various industrial applications.The global power rental market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period on account of increasing demand for power across the globe. The increasing power consumption, development of power infrastructure, and increasing construction & development is anticipated to boost the demand for power rental in the coming years. Furthermore, increasing demand for power from oil & gas industry is also a major driving force of the power rental market. However, the presence of stringent regulations coupled with rising environmental awareness may hamper the market growth in the near future. Nonetheless, increasing demand for power in emerging economics is expected to open up new growth avenues for the power rental market in the years to come.Do Inquiry before buying:Oil & gas, industrial, construction, and others are the key end-users of the power rental market. Industrial segment emerged as the leading application segment by accounting for over 22 % of the total revenue generated by the power rental market in 2014. Construction is another key outlet of power rental market and it held over 20% share of the overall market in 2014. This is mainly due to grow infrastructural development in the emerging economics. Oil & gas is also expected to exhibit substantial demand within the forecast period.Based on application, the power rental market can be segmented into peak shaving, base load/continuous power and standby power. Base load/continuous accounted for 45.56% share of total revenue generated in 2014. Base load/continuous segment are expected to exhibit a significant rise in light of the increasing demand from various sectors such as oil & gas, mining and construction and others. Peak shaving is another leading application segment owing to rising awareness among energy-intensive industries in order to control the charged over high energy demand during peak hours.In terms of geography, Middle East & Africa dominated the global power rental market and accounted for 31.63% of total revenue in 2014. This growth is mainly attributed to growing construction and developmental activities in this region. North America was the second largest regional market with 21.32% share of total revenue generated in 2014. Asia Pacific holds immense potential for the industry growth over the forecast period. Recently, emerging economies including India, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia have been contributing significantly to the demand for power rental in industrial sector owing to rapid industrialization.Browse detail report at:Some of the key players include in power rental market such as Atlas Copco, United Rental, Cummins Inc, APR Energy Inc, Caterpillar Inc and Power Electrics.This report segments the global power rental market as follows:Global Power Rental Market: End-Users Segment AnalysisOil & GasIndustrialConstructionOthersGlobal Power Rental Market: Application Segment AnalysisPeak shavingBase load/ Continuous powerStandby powerGlobal Power Rental Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeGermanyFranceUKAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaRead Report TOC:About Us:Zion Market Research 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. Zion Market Research is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading industry and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.Contact Us:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite: Lucintel identifies and prioritizes opportunities for growth of adhesives in the South Korean automotive industry by product type, vehicle, and application type Insights that Matter www.lucintel.com www.lucintel.com According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the future of adhesives in the South Korean automotive industry looks good with opportunities in the passenger car and light commercial vehicle segments. Adhesive in the South Korean automotive industry is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% by value from 2016 to 2021. The major drivers for growth of this market are growth in the production of light commercial vehicles and passenger car as well as increasing demand for lightweight materials.In this market, epoxy, polyurethane, and acrylic are the major adhesives by product types used in the automotive industry. On the basis of its comprehensive research, Lucintel forecasts that polyurethane adhesive is expected to show above-average growth during the forecast period.Within the adhesives in the South Korean automotive industry, the polyurethane adhesives segment is expected to remain as the largest market. It has better mechanical properties and increase in automotive production are expected to drive adhesive consumption, which would spur growth for this segment over the forecast period.In this market, passenger car is expected to remain as the largest segment due to the growth of passenger car production.For business expansion, this report suggests innovation and new product development to reduce curing time, improve impact resistance and high temperature resistance. The report further suggests the development of partnerships with customers to create win-win situations and development of low-cost solutions for customers.Emerging trends, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the industry, include increasing use of composites and lightweight materials in automotive applications and development of fast cure adhesives. Henkel AG & Co KGaA, The 3M Company, HB Fuller, Sika AG, and Huntsman are the major supplier of adhesives in the South Korean automotive industry.Lucintel, a leading global strategic consulting and market research firm, has analyzed growth opportunities for adhesives in the South Korean automotive industry by product, vehicle, and application and has come up with a comprehensive research report, Growth Opportunities for Adhesives in the South Korean Automotive Industry 2016-2021: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis The Lucintel report serves as a springboard for growth strategy, as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions. The study includes a forecast for adhesives in the South Korean automotive industry by product, vehicle, and application as follows:By Product (Volume M lbs and $M Shipment from 2010 to 2021) Epoxy Adhesives Polyurethane Adhesives Acrylic Adhesives Other AdhesivesBy Vehicle (Volume M lbs. and $M Shipment from 2010 to 2021) Passenger Car Light Commercial VehiclesBy Application (Volume M lbs. and $M Shipment for 2015 and 2021) Structural components Non-structural componentsThis 94-page research report will enable you to make confident business decisions in this globally competitive marketplace. For a detailed table of contents, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or helpdesk@lucintel.com. Lucintel offerings include Chemical Market Research Reports, Chemical Industry Analysis Report, Capital Investment Analysis, Strategic Growth Consulting and Due Diligence.About LucintelLucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growth. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. For further information, visitThis report answers following 10 key questions:Q. 1 What are some of the most promising, high-growth opportunities for adhesives in the South Korean automotive industry by product type (epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, and others), vehicle type (passenger car and light commercial vehicle), and application type (structural and non-structural)?Q. 2 Which product segments will grow at a faster pace and why?Q.3 What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the drivers and challenges of the market?Q.4 What are the business risks and competitive threats in this market?Q.5 What are emerging trends in this market and reasons behind them?Q.6 What are some changing demands of customers in the market?Q.7 What are the new developments in the market? Which companies are leading these developments?Q.8 Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are being implemented by key players for business growth?Q.9 What are some of the competitive products and processes in this area and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share via materials / product substitution?Q.10 What M & A activity has transpired in the last 5 years in this market and what is its impact on the industry?Lucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growth. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. For further information, visitLucintel222 Las Colinas Blvd West, Suite 1650, Irving, TX 75039, USAPh: +1-972-636-5056 Fax: +1-877-883-5140marketing@lucintel.com Next Generation Cancer Diagnostics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Outlook and Forecast 2022 : Brisk Insights http://www.briskinsights.com/report/next-generation-cancer-diagnostics-market http://www.briskinsights.com/category/biotechnology-industry http://www.briskinsights.com/ According to a recently published report the Next Generation Cancer Diagnostics Market was estimated to grow around $2.95 billion in 2015 and is forecasted to reach around $20.93 billion growing at a CAGR of 32.30% during 2015-2022. The segmentation of next generation cancer diagnostics market is based on technology, function, cancer type, application and by geography. The report on next generation cancer diagnostics market forecast 2015-2022 (by technology, function, cancer type, application and geography) provides detailed summary as well as predictive analysis of the market.Detailed study on this Report :Rising healthcare industry across the world is the key driver for the next generation cancer diagnostics market. The main reason behind the growth is the increasing number of cancer disease such as sex related cancers, blood-born cancer, lung cancer and others which directly help in boosting the demand for next generation cancer diagnostics in near future. There is an increased focus on high investments by various end user industries due to escalating number of hospitals and rising demand for miniaturized advanced technological devices which is expected to fuel the next generation cancer diagnostics market. Another major factor which drives this market is the technological up gradations which help in increasing the demand for this market. This next generation cancer diagnostics market also helps in reducing the long stay of a patient in the hospital and acts as a major driver for global next generation cancer diagnostics market. These are the major factors which help in fueling the global next generation cancer diagnostics market. Some of the challenges that are faced by the next generation cancer diagnostics market are the stringent regulatory guidelines and rising competition among market players which immensely affects the (NGCD) market globally. The major restraints of this market are the raising capital investment and dearth of experienced and skilled personnel that directly impacts and hinders the growth rate of next generation cancer diagnostics market.SCOPE OF THE REPORT1. GLOBAL NEXT GENERATION CANCER DIAGNOSTICS MARKET BY TECHNOLOGY 2012 - 2022 ($ BILLION)1.1. Lab-on-a-chip1.2. DNA Microarrays1.3. Multiplexed assays1.4. RT-PCR & Multiplexing1.5. Protein Microarrays1.6. Cellular capture and identification1.7. Next Generation Sequencing1.8. Bench top Sequencers1.9. Other TechnologiesFor Same Category Reports Visit Here:2. GLOBAL NEXT GENERATION CANCER DIAGNOSTICS MARKET BY CANCER TYPE 2012 - 2022 ($ BILLION)2.1. Sex-related tumors2.1.1. Cervical Cancer2.1.2. Breast Cancer2.1.3. Ovarian Cancer2.1.4. Prostate Cancer2.2. Blood-born cancers2.2.1. Myeloma2.2.2. Leukemia2.2.3. Lymphoma2.3. Lung Cancer2.4. Solid tumors2.5. Colorectal Cancer2.6. Other Cancers3. GLOBAL NEXT GENERATION CANCER DIAGNOSTICS MARKET BY FUNCTION 2012 - 2022 ($ BILLION)3.1. Prognosis Diagnostics3.2. Companion Diagnostics3.3. Cancer Screening3.4. Risk Analysis3.5. Therapeutic Monitoring4. GLOBAL NEXT GENERATION CANCER DIAGNOSTICS MARKET BY APPLICATION 2012 - 2022 ($ BILLION)4.1. Proteomic Analysis4.2. Epigenetic Analysis4.3. Genetic Analysis4.4. Biomarker Development4.5. CTC Analysis5. GLOBAL NEXT GENERATION CANCER DIAGNOSTICS MARKET REGIONAL OUTLOOK 2012-2022($ BILLION)5.1. NORTH AMERICA5.2. EUROPE5.3. ASIA PACIFIC5.4. REST OF THE WORLD6. COMPANY PROFILES6.1. Abbott Laboratories6.2. Agilent Technologies Inc6.3. GE Healthcare6.4. Genomic Health Inc.6.5. Hologic Inc.6.6. Illumina Inc.6.7. Johnson & Johnson6.8. Myriad Genetics Inc.6.9. Novartis AG6.10. Opko Health Inc.6.11. Perkin Elmer Inc.6.12. Philips Electronics NV6.13. Qiagen6.14. Roche Holding AG6.15. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.Blog : pdfdevices.com/global-next-generation-cancer-diagnostics-market-is-expected-to-reach-20-93-billion-by-2022-brisk-insights/Contact Us :Jennifer SmithOffice 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottinghamNG1 6DQUnited KingdomPhone : +448081890034 (UK)Email : sales@briskinsights.comWebsite :About Us:Brisk Insights is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities optimize strategies.Office 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottingham Passive Optical Network (PON) Equipment Market Driven by Need for Higher Bandwidth http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4873 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/passive-optical-network-equipment-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com According to a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, the India passive optical network equipment market is estimated to expand robustly at a CAGR of 21.0% during the period between 2014 and 2020. The report, titled Passive Optical Network (PON) Equipment Market - India Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020, projects the passive optical network equipment market in India to reach a valuation of US$1,175.5 mn by 2020.The overall market was worth US$268.6 mn in 2013. In terms of volume, the market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 15.7% during the forecast horizon and reach a market size of 38.3 mn units by 2020. In 2013, the markets volume was worth 7.1 mn units.Download Free Brochure:Passive optical network, better known as PON, ensures connectivity from one access point to multiple end users. The system implements point-to-multipoint network or fiber to the premises (FTTP) where optical splitters accumulate and break down optical signals that are travelling through the network. PON consists of an optical line terminal at the service providers office and a number of optical network units near end-users.The report states that the growing demand for secure and reliable network operation has boosted the growth of the PON equipment market in India. PON equipment is an eco-friendly substitute to traditional networks. Low costs of ownership and high return on investment have further augmented the markets growth in India. However, high component cost at operators interface might negatively effect the demand for PON equipment in the India market. The rising need for higher bandwidth is securing robust demand for PON equipment in the coming years.On the basis of structure, the report categorizes the PON equipment market in India into Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) and Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON). EPON offers services such as residential broadband, IPTV and voice services, and enterprise services. 3G and 4G mobile backhaul carriage services are also offered by EPON. On the other hand, GPON services provide high-speed video, data, and voice services to residential and business subscribers. In 2013, the demand for EPON was the highest. In terms of revenue and volume, the EPON segment accounted for 51.3% and 63.6% of the overall market, respectively.Research Report:According to components, the GPON market has been segmented into Optical Line Terminal (OLT) and Optical Network Terminal (ONT). The ONT segment dominated the overall market in 2013. Volume-wise, the segment accounted for 73.1% of the GPON market in India.Describing the competitive landscape, the report profiles some of the key players in the Indian PON equipment market such as Adtran Inc., Alphion India Pvt. Ltd., Broadcom Corporation Inc., Ericsson Inc., Calix Inc., Freescale Semiconductors Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., Motorola Solutions Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and Verizon Communications Inc. The report further provides detailed information about the key players including their company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Savory Snacks Report Analysis Of Opportunities Offered By High Growth Economies http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/804672 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ SummaryThe Global Savory Snacks market in 2015 was valued at US$94.5 billion and is expected to post a value CAGR of 7.9% and per capita value CAGR of 7.1% during 20152020. Growth in the global market is expected to come mainly from the developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region followed by the East European regions, while countries in the Latin American region are expected to register marginal growth. Booming population in Asia-Pacific regions coupled with healthy economic outlook presents a significant opportunity for growth of Savory Snacks market. In developed markets (such as the US, the UK and France), novelty is crucial and consumers look for exotic and different flavors in Savory Snacks while in developing markets (such as Brazil, China and India) novel products as well as value deals remain high in demand. The Global Savory Snacks market is highly fragmented with the top 5 brands holding less than 16% of the combined market share. Lays, Doritos, Pringles, Cheats and Ruffles are the leading brands with the highest market share in 2015. Hypermarkets & Supermarkets is the leading retail channel for Savory Snacks across all regions followed by Convenience Stores. Flexible Packaging is the most commonly used packaging material in the Global Savory Snacks market accounting for majority of the market share.Key FindingsGlobal Savory Snacks market is set to grow, driven by increasing urbanization levels and growing demand from developing countries.Drivers for shift in consumption patterns: Increasing urbanization and emerging middle income group in the developing countries is driving the Savory Snacks industry growth.In East Europe region, Russia is the largest market for Savory Snacks products in value terms, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% during 2015-2020.Global Savory Snacks market is highly fragmented with the top five brands holding less than 16% of the combined market share.Ethnic/Traditional Snacks Bourbon Petit is one of the leading brands of Ethnic/Traditional Snacks in the Asia-Pacific region, with over 20% value share in Japan.Compared to other regions, private label brands have a strong presence in Western Europe and North America.Hypermarkets & Supermarkets is the leading distribution channel in the global Savory Snacks market.Flexible Packaging is the most commonly used containers in the Savory Snacks market.SynopsisCanadeans Global report on the Savory Snacks market provides insights on high growth categories to target, trends in the usage of packaging materials, types and closures category level distribution data and brands market shares.What else is contained?Market data: Overall market value and volume data with growth analysis for 2010-2020Category coverage: Value and growth analysis for Ethnic/Traditional Snacks, Meat Snacks, Nuts & Seeds, Popcorn, Potato Chips, Pretzels and Processed Snacks with inputs on individual segment share within each category and the change in their market share forecast for 2015-2020More extensive brand coverage: The report provides more extensive brand share coverage. Brand share data is also validated by inputs from industry experts.The Distribution data included in the report covers 11 distribution channels including Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Health & Beauty Stores, Department Stores, Cash & Carries and Warehouse Clubs, Dollar Stores and Variety Stores & General Merchandise Retailers.Packaging data: consumption breakdown for packaging materials and containers in each category, in terms of percentage share of number of units sold. Packaging material data for Flexible Packaging, Paper & Board, Rigid Plastics, and others; container data for: Bag/Sachet, Can- Composite, Tub and othersCountry Analysis: Trend analysis for leading high potential countriesRecommendations: Recommendations for manufacturers on key Dairy & Soy Food categories Milk, Cheese, Yoghurt, and Butter and Spreadable Fats on parameters including Formulation, Positioning, Packaging, Occasion, Consumer Targets, and Key Segments.Get Free Sample Copy atReasonsToBuyIdentify high potential categories and explore further market opportunities based on detailed value and volume analysisExisting and new players can analyze key distribution channels to identify and evaluate trends and opportunitiesGain an understanding of the total competitive landscape based on detailed brand share analysis to plan effective market positioningAccess the key and most influential consumer trends driving Dairy & Soy Food products consumption, and how they influence consumer behavior in the market which will help determine the best audiences to targetAccess to analysis on products launched in the market with Case Examples/Success StoriesOur team of analysts have placed a significant emphasis on changes expected in the market that will provide a clear picture of the opportunities that can be tapped over the next five years, resulting in revenue expansionMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Between battle and fun the Tomatina, an event like no other www.Costadevalencia.com Spanish language students from Valencia participate in the battle with tomatoes which is known all over the worldValencia. On the last Wednesday of the month August the Valencians celebrated the Tomatina for the 71st time. At said celebration the participants throw tomatoes at each other for one hour. This does not only sound crazy, in reality it is crazy as well: complete strangers crush the overripe fruits on the heads of the others and rub the red juice on body parts and clothes. People from all over the world come and turn the once local Spanish spectacle to an international one.It is no surprise that the Spanish language students of a language school in Valencia also found happiness and fun in this event. They had the grand opportunity to be one of the 22.000 participants and experience the event up close.In the early morning hours they went on their way from Valencia to the community Bunol, where the battle took place for the first time in 1945. There they were welcomed with typical Spanish tapas and Bocadillos, to be full of energy for the battle. In addition drinks from water over soft drinks to slightly alcoholic drinks were offered to loosen up the mood. Quickly the students got to know each other more closely and practiced their Spanish and together they went to the battlefield: the beginning marked a gun shot at 11 A.M., and the vans with the about 160.000 tomatoes rolled in. With slogans concerning the fight against homophobia and abuse they rolled through the streets while volunteers threw the fruits at the people. Armed with swim goggles or sunglasses and cups to collect the juice from the street the language students went in the battle. Here it was not important where you come from or what you were doing, the fun was the most important factor: the joined, once in a lifetime experience was enough to connect the masses.Also the Valencian locals had their fun. Once in a while the inhabitants of the surrounding houses purred a bucket of water on the people and on the Spanish language students. They experienced it refreshing and used the new energy to throw more tomatoes at strangers. Although it all sounds absurd, for the participants it was normal: Spaniards live la vida loca.As the last van drove by and the closing gun shot rang out the students dropped their weapons and went in groups to a little river close by. Here they could take a little bath to wash off the tomatoes from the skin and hair.But the celebration did not end here: now they went on a typical Spanish fiesta on the village square. Little huts were established to sell drinks and play Spanish music, which animated the language students to dance.As they slowly went back to the meeting point, typical Spanish food and more drinks awaited them. This way they slowly brought the afternoon to a close together with the new found friends of the Spanish language school Costa de Valencia. Little groups sat in the shade and shared their experiences with each other until they went back in the bus to drive to Valencia, happy but very exhausted; an exciting day which many will have in mind for a long, long time.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 Higher Preference for Remote Patient Monitoring to Drive Self-Care Medical Devices Market to USD 15.8 Billion by 2020 http://www.ihealthcareanalyst.com/report/self-care-medical-devices-market/ http://www.ihealthcareanalyst.com Self-Care Medical Devices Market 2013-2020 report estimates the global self-care medical devices market to reach nearly USD 15.8 Billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2016 to 2020 - iHealthcareAnalyst, Inc.Visit the Self-Care Medical Devices Market 2013-2020 reportThe global self-care medical devices market report provides market size (Revenue USD Million 2013 to 2020), market share and forecasts growth trends (CAGR%, 2016 to 2020).A self-care medical device is a product that has a primary physical mode of action in order to treat or prevent a medical condition. Self-care devices include monitoring and measuring devices that keep a regular check on the vital signs of a patient. These also include parameters such as heart rate, blood sugar, hypertension and other relevant medical issues.The global self-care medical devices market segmentation is based on device types (Blood glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, body temperature monitors, heart rate monitors, pregnancy, fertility test kits, sleep apnea monitors, nebulizers, pedometers). The global self-care medical devices market research report is divided by geography (regional and country based) into North America (U.S., Canada), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Rest of LA), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of EU), Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Rest of APAC), and Rest of the World.1. Device Type1.1 Blood Glucose Monitors1.2 Blood Pressure Monitors1.3 Body Temperature Monitors1.4 Heart Rate Monitors1.5 Pregnancy/Fertility Test Kits1.6 Sleep Apnea Monitors1.7 Nebulizers1.8 Pedometers2. Geography (Region, Country)2.1 North America (U.S., Canada)2.2 Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Rest of LA)2.3 Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of EU)2.4 Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Rest of APAC)2.5 Rest of the World3. Company Profiles3.1 3M Healthcare3.2 Abbott Laboratories3.3 Bayer AG3.4 GE Healthcare3.5 F. Hoffmann-La Roche3.6Johnson & Johnson3.7 Medtronic, Inc.3.8 Omron Healthcare3.9 Philips Healthcare3.10 ResMed, Inc.iHealthcareAnalyst, Inc. is a global health care market research and consulting company providing market analysis, and competitive intelligence services to global clients. The Company publishes syndicate, custom and consulting grade healthcare reports covering animal healthcare, biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, healthcare informatics, healthcare services, medical devices, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.iHealthcareAnalyst, Inc. provides industry participants and stakeholders with strategically analyzed, unbiased view of market dynamics and business opportunities within its coverage areas.Ana AitawaiHealthcareAnalyst, Inc.2109, Mckelvey Hill Drive,Maryland Heights, MO 63043United StatesPhone: (314) 736-9294.Email: sales@ihealthcareanalyst.com Social Networking Market - Growth, Trends and Industry Analysis 2020 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=199 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/social-networking-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Social networking has evolved from being a mere platform to bring together people who share activities, interests, real-life connections, or backgrounds. Companies today are using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to build brand images, expand client base, recruit potential employees, and engage with consumers.The popularity of social networking sites depends on and varies by the level of usage among different demographics and in different countries. The research report compares the most popular social networking sites, reviews them on the basis of active account usage, number of user accounts, and frequency, and offers a summary on the latest trends that govern the social networking market.Get FREE Sample PDF file of Social Networking Market :Details on which is the most popular social networking site worldwide, fastest growing network, and use of social network by different demographics are covered by the report. In addition, the report also offers a look at the leading players in the social networking market, their features, product strengths and weaknesses, business strategies, market size and share, regional breakout, and forecasts through 2017.Overview of the Social Networking MarketAs of October 2014, Facebook had an estimated 1.36 billion active monthly users. Market analysts, however, have indicated that although Facebook continues to be the top-ranking social networking site in 2015, it is no longer growing at the pace it was a couple of years ago. With a figure rounding off at 343 million, Google+ in 2013 became the social networking site with the second highest number of monthly users. Facebook, however, has managed to retain its surging revenues even today thanks to the introduction of video calls and the acquisition of WhatsApp in February last year.Social networking sites have opened up a world of opportunities for both enterprises and consumers. Vendors in the enterprise social networking space such as Broadvision, Atlassian, Jive, IBM, Salesforce, Microsoft, Telligent, Social Text, and Yammer, and players in the consumer social networking sphere such as Facebook, Badoo, LinkedIn, Google+, Qzone, MySpace, Yelp, and Twitter have not only presented a platform to engage users and expand their services, but also turned out to be one of the most promising methods of revenue generation. Opportunities for content management companies, social media advertizing agencies, social media managers, and social media strategists have received a boost thanks to the global growth of the social networking market.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :Growing penetration of internet connectivity, economic growth and rise in disposable incomes in emerging economies, change in lifestyle, proliferation of smartphones, development of the e-commerce industry, and transition from texted-based content to image-centric solutions has fueled the growth of the social networking market.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe leading players competing in the global social networking market today are Classmates, Tumblr, Inc, Google+, Meetup, Tagged Inc., Facebook, Inc., LinkedIn Corporation, Twitter Inc., MeetMe, Inc., Flickr, VKontakte, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, and Ask.fm.Some of these players are profiled in the research report based on parameters such as company and financial overview, recent developments, business strategies, and a SWOT analysis.Major geographies analyzed under this research report are:EuropeNorth AmericaAsia-PacificRest of the WorldThis report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsAbout Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: 3D Holographic Tapes Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14057 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Holography has advanced from security to packaging and its introduction in the packaging domain was first utilized for branding security. Nowadays, packaging industry requires safe and secure packaging of products and 3D holographic tapes meets this requirement. 3D Holographic tapes are not only used for packaging but also for sealing and decoration purpose in different commercial and industrial places. These tapes have an edge and advantages over other industrial tapes owing to its properties such as adhesiveness, environment-friendly, easy and safe to use and also provides premium finish on the end product. In the packaging industry, these types of tapes are used for sealing purposes in cartons, boxes and envelopes. Moreover, the demand is expected to rise owing to its tamper-evident packaging option. 3D holographic tapes provide an optimum solution for most of the end-use industries and helps brand owners to distinguish their products with a superior packaging concept that also provides a stimulating visual experience for their consumers. Moreover, the advancement of packaging technologies in 3D holographic tapes is not only aiding the manufacturers but also helping counterfeiters.Get Free Sample Report Copy :3D Holographic Tapes Market: Dynamics3D Holographic tapes are growing on the backdrop of impressive growth in the packaging industry. Furthermore, higher usability in the commercial and household places has collectively augmented the demand for 3D Holographic tapes worldwide. For instance, holographic packaging used in the pharmaceutical sector is gaining traction as it helps in preventing counterfeiting which is an authentication feature. The trend of adopting holographic tape as an attractive form of packaging material is expected to drive the demand for 3D holographic tapes market over the forecast period. Nowadays, transparent 3D holographic tapes are coming up in the market in order to make the packaging appealing while driving sales and also command significant share in terms of revenue generation. The demand for 3D holographic tapes is constantly rising among the leading FMCG companies and is now practiced as one of the distinctive ways of advertising. In addition to this 3D holographic tapes also provides an eye-catching visual impact for all the products it is used for. Furthermore, packaging companies are now offering 3D holographic tapes with customization option for its customers with the logo printed on the same.3D Holographic Tapes Market: SegmentationOn the basis of materials, the global 3D holographic tapes market can be segmented into,Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP)polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC)On the basis of colors, the global 3D holographic tapes market can be segmented into,SilverGoldenBlueRedOthersOn the basis of application, the global 3D holographic tapes market can be segmented into,Carton sealingPharmaceuticalTextileCosmeticsLubricantsDecorationOthers3D Holographic Tapes Market: Region-wise outlookIn terms of geography, the global 3D holographic tapes market has been divided into five key regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. The global 3D holographic tapes market is expected to witness an impressive growth over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to be the dominant market during the next few years, followed by Europe and North America. However, packaging companies in North America and Europe are grabbing opportunities to make a strong footprint in the near future. With introduction of advanced technologies in 3D Holographic tapes market in emerging economies namely China and India is expected to drive the demand for 3D holographic tapes.3D Holographic Tapes Market: Key-PlayersManufacturers are instrumental in offering 3D holographic tapes that are available in various colors and designs as per the customers requirements and meeting the global standards. Some of the key market participants in the global 3D holographic tapes market are Aspac India, Holosecurity Technologies, CFC International, Shanghai Henglei Hologram Co., LTD, Euro Tapes Pvt Ltd, Holostik, 3D LASER HOLO ART, BiofarChemicals.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Patient Warming Systems expected to account for a share of 71% of the Patient Temperature Management Market. Patient Temperature Management Market | Beige Market Intelligence http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-healthcare-market/global-patient-temperature-management-market-strategic-assessment-and-forecast-till-2021/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/contactus/ The Patient Warming System is expected grow at a CAGR of 7.99% till 2021- Says a recent report published by Beige Market Intelligence. The report Patient Temperature Management Market- Strategic Assessment and Forecast Till 2021 gives a detailed analysis of the growth aspect of the market.The patient temperature management systems are the medical devices used to regulate patient temperature i.e. to maintain normothermia. Normothermia is defined as a bodys core temperature of 36C - 38C.The patient temperature management systems are used for both raising and lowering the temperature of the body to bring it to an optimum temperature which results into enhanced health outcomes. These systems offer several benefits such as lesser surgical site infections (SSIs), less stress and pain, reduced hospitalization, and reduced loss of blood. The large number of surgical procedures globally is the major factor propelling the growth of the market.Patient Warming SystemThese systems are used to increase the body temperature to an optimal stage. There are two types of patient warming system Convective Warming Systems - These systems warm the filtered air passing through the hose of the warming system, which is circulated and distributed evenly through various delivery channels Intravascular Warming Systems - Infusion of the heat through the fluid or blood that flows through sterile, disposable, latex-free, and non-pyrogenic cassettes that are loaded on the device. Surface Warming Systems - Circulating water mattresses, gel pads, heating pads, table pads, and heated water bottles are used to induce heat.The patient warming systems account for the large share of the market and are expected to grow at a highest CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period -says the analyst at Beige Market Intelligence.Factors such as growing demand of warming systems owing to the benefits as compared to patient cooling systems is driving its growth. Rising demand for surgical procedures and guidelines set by the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) for adoption of patient warming systems in several indications is driving the market growth for patient temperature management solutions in perioperative care. The treatment of brain and CNS tumour involves surgical procedures or chemotherapy depending on the nature of tumour. These surgeries employ patient warming devices to provide warmth to the patient during surgeries. Patient warming therapy reduces the risk of complications in surgeries hence giving a major propel to the use of Patient Warming System.Patient Cooling SystemPatient cooling systems are the systems used to bring down the temperature of a persons body during emergencies to offer a better chance of survival. There are two types of patient cooling systems - invasive cooling systems - Inducing hypothermia and regulating it using femoral venous catheter or peripheral cannulanon-invasive cooling systems- Method of bring down temperature circulating cold water and cold forced air through blankets and cooling padsThe selection of these systems takes place depending on the health conditions of the patient.The patient cooling systems account for the 29% share of the market according to the report by Beige Market Intelligence.The treatment of chemotherapy used to treat cancer patients employs patient cooling systems to protect hair follicles and prevent hair loss. Thus, with the rise in number of cancer cases, the market for patient cooling systems is likely to propel.The various factors attributing to the growth of patient cooling and warming systems market are developing healthcare infrastructure, government initiatives increasing the affordability of patients for healthcare services.For More Information on the Report.To Purchase the Click HereAbout Beige Market IntelligenceBeige Market Intelligence is a provider of competitive business intelligence, working across various industry verticals. Our expertise and knowledge ensures that the market analysis Beige provides is comprehensive, detailed and complete. The analysis helps our client organizations become aware and to make educated decisions, as far as investing or devising a marketing strategy is concerned. The actionable insights delivered through our market research provide a comprehensive market analysis for every level of market segmentation in an industry.Our team of experts ensure the analysis you receive is not just analyzed and presented, but can also be customized based on the clients requirement. Our deliverables guarantee our current global client base do not look beyond Beige when it comes to competitive intelligence.Beige has an employee base present across the globe. Our analysts come with numerous years of industry experience, which ensures we not only understand our clients but deliver high quality reports as well.ContactBeige Market IntelligenceChinnapannahalli, Doddanekundi Main Road- Bangalore -560037: contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comUS: +1 347 903 9949UK: +44 20 323 99499APAC: +91 99 012 75473 Global ATM Market - Growth, Trends 2019 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1665 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/atm-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global ATM market has been growing at significant rate in the last few years. With a simple card, an ATM allows its user to make monetary transactions irrespective of geography and time. A customer can perform a transaction by inserting by entering a PIN or a personal identification number of a CVV number, cards expiry date, and its 3D security pin in case of an online transaction. All of these numerical combinations are unique to every ATM card, and thus unique to every ATM user.Get Free Sample Report Copy :Transparency Market Researchs report on ATM market provides a wealth of knowledge about the market dynamics, current trends, and the forecast for the coming years. The ATM market report gives its readers a comprehensive outlook on the market. These reports have been written by expert industry analysts and thus contain a worthy perspective of the market. To identify the factors affecting the market, the report is written with a SWOT analysis and a Porters five forces analysis. Both these tools will help the readers know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats the ATM market faces in absolute depth.The last segment of the report also provides its readers with company profiles of some of the important players in the ATM market.Overview of ATM MarketATM is an abbreviation for automated teller machine, which also popularly known as cash point, cash machine, cash line, or automated banking machine. Since the inception and introduction of ATM in the banking system, its market has only grown by leaps and bounds. The major factors driving the ATM market are the ease with which it allows its users to make cash transactions, withdrawals, check their balances, and make purchases both, online and offline. An ATM is also popularly used by foreign travelers as it allows them easy conversion of money in the required currency. As the ATM market allows a possibility of traveling cashless, it creates a chance for safety and security.However, the ATM market does face its own set of challenges. As the ATM card can be misused if it is not secured by a PIN. Additionally, sometimes ATM transactions dispense extra cash causing a loss to the bank. An ATM card can also be tampered with, which further leaves room for scams, frauds, and thefts.The report perfectly analyzes the market drivers and restraints for its readers. It also segments the market based on geographical market share. It states, North America is the biggest market share holder for ATM markets, which is then followed by Europe.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :Companies Mentioned in ATM Market Research ReportSome of the important players profiled in this report are Wincor Nixdorf AG, Diebold Inc, Triton Systems of Delaware LLC, NCR Corp., and among others. These players have been dominating the global ATM market for many years and are most likely the ones to impact it in the near future.Major geographies analyzed under this research report are:North AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsAbout Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Payroll and HR Software Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share 2020 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3108 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/payroll-hr-software-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The Payroll and HR (Human Resources) departments in organizations coordinate various functions like salary hikes, bonus payments, recruitment, benefit deductions, firing employees and vacation leaves. They also need to maintain data that is confidential in nature like employee information, home addresses, financial data and social security numbers. They need to take care that such confidential information is not accessed by unauthorized companies or individuals. The payroll and HR software is a fully integrated functionality that enables the payroll and HR department to operate, access, manage and process organizations various payroll and HR functions. It also helps decision makers to gain a clearer insight of organizations resources even in turbulent situations. The various modules in the software are customized depending upon the needs of organization and minimizes the amount of time spent on the administration work by the staff members. It helps manage everyday tasks more effectively, reduce duplication in work and make reorganization changes quickly and effectively.Get Free Sample Report Copy :Each organization has its own specific needs. The payroll and HR software market can be segmented depending on the size of businesses as small size, medium size and large size organizations. In small businesses, where the employee size is up to 50, every employee plays an important role in contributing to the companys revenue. Even one unproductive employee can have a huge impact on the bottom line of the business organization. For this purpose, payroll and HR department need to be properly managed to avoid any unpredictable circumstances. The payroll and HR management software is customized to cater to various small business functions like performance measurement, time and attendance tracking, and compensations and retirement plans among others. In medium size businesses, the employee size ranges from 50 to 500 employees. The requirements in these organizations are similar to small size businesses but the software is customized to perform additional functions like recruitment which includes hiring and retaining potential talent, and securely streamlining administrative load by simplifying payroll administration. For business organizations with employee size greater than 500, the software is customized to manage risks and contain related costs, production and distribution of pay statements and banking services.As the global economy is improving, companies are looking for latest software solutions that can cut down costs of upgrading systems every year. New user interfaces like mobile applications which enable carrying out operations outside office premises and other features like integration with the existing systems in the organization is driving the market for payroll and HR software market. Also, the payroll and HR is a data driven function and the need to create talent analytics for taking talent related decisions and workforce planning is driving the market for payroll and HR software market. Another driver is the ability to provide customized solutions considering the current workforce dynamics. Companies prefer to invest in these customized solutions as these are affordable and improve various functions like hiring and retaining talent. However, challenges like understanding the technical requirements of organizations and integrating various modules of software to perform various functions are some constraints affecting the growth of this market.Some of the prominent vendors in this market include Taleo Corporation, SuccessFactors, Halogen Software Inc, Kenexa Corporation, PeopleAdmin and SumTotal Systems Inc.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldBrowse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :This report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsAbout Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Warehouse Management Systems Market - Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2014 - 2020 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3004 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/warehouse-management-systems.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a software suite; an integral part of Supply Chain Management (SCM) that delivers the ability to map any warehouse structure (irrespective of the size) according to the specific requirements of the SCM process. It optimizes the management, storage and distribution of products or raw materials. It also helps to increase speed and efficiency in the internal movement of goods.The established (old) businesses have systems that are ten-plus years old and are too expensive to configure, maintain, upgrade and have outdated functionality. Currently, as existing solutions have matured and more replacements are expected in the near future, which is expected to drive the market demand for WMS systems. These solutions are evolutionary, with built-in enhanced functionalities and better integration with other supply chain management systems, to ensure quick modes of delivery. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is increased adoption of warehouse management systems by small and medium-sized businesses. But, the main challenge faced by these businesses is the high cost associated with the deployment of WMS solutions.Get Free Sample Report Copy :However, integration of software-as-a-service (SaaS) model in WMS has resulted in reducing the ownership cost. It provides WMS as a service by a third party, hosted via cloud-based computing, which these companies can outsource. This gives more flexibility to companies to focus on their core business. It not only brings efficiency in the overall supply chain inventory levels but reduces the allowances for holding executions and recalls at all warehouse sites, thereby contributing to the market demand.Demand for WMS is high in transportation and logistics industry, with many providers offering transportation management systems (TMS) as part of integrated WMS solutions. Huge demand from pharmaceutical and biotech, retail, food and beverages industry is seen during the forecast period due to the advanced customization capabilities of warehouse management systems with hand-held Radio frequency (RF) devices. Such integrations ensure high mobility among workers and increases productivity by providing high levels of accuracy in picking goods through navigational assistance for movement within the warehouse. In addition, many WMS vendors are now offering labor management systems (LMS).Integration of warehouse management systems with LMS can offer a significant return on investment with reduced labor costs, minimum dependency on temporary labor hired during peak periods, and other interface applications such as attendance of the employees. Semiconductor, automobile, and electronics industries too has high demand for WMS owing to growing trend of manufacturing units being set-up or outsourced in the emerging countries to lower the production cost. However, benefits of plant relocation or outsourcing can only be realized when there is accuracy in the delivery of right component at the required place without any delays in delivery. This is ensured with WMS, wherein such rich levels of WMS integration helps companies with agility and responsiveness in their businesses, with the changes in market dynamics.Asia-Pacific regions, such as China, India, Thailand and Mexico, among others, will be the most emergent markets for warehouse management systems due to a shift of manufacturing units to these countries for their cost-effective production advantages. Major MNCs have their base units and warehouses in North America, Europe and Japan and with consistently rising demand for delivery of important components to and from other warehouses, market for WMS will see tremendous demand in these regions.Some of the key vendors providing WMS solutions are SAP AG, HighJump Software Inc., Manhattan Associates Inc., Oracle Corp and RedPrairie Corp. Other prominent vendors include AGI Worldwide Inc., Reply S.p.A., Softeon Inc, Asgard Software Inc., Automation Associates Inc., Advanced Systems Consultants Inc., BFC Software Inc., Cadre Technologies Inc., HAL Systems Corp., Deposco Inc., Infor Inc., and Logitity Inc., among others.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldBrowse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :This report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsAbout Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Chatbot Market - Growth, Trends and Forecast 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13091 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/chatbot-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Chatbot Market: OverviewA chatbot is artificial intelligent chat robot designed to interact with human via textual or auditory conversation methods particularly over the internet. It is a computer software design that allows conversation between human and machine using artificial intelligence. It is designed and programmed to support animation and text or speech recognition to provide virtual user interaction.Chatbots use natural language processing to stimulate a conversation with user leading to better customer engagement in applications such as e-commerce, retail and healthcare. Chatbots are accessible on various platforms such as hypertext markup language (HTML) pages, social networking websites, smartphones and computers. They are able to interact with human in various languages and are available in various graphical design format based on the end user application such as cartoon character,animal, child or 3D animated creature.Get Free Sample Report Copy :Chatbot Market: Growth EnablersThe global chatbot market has been experiencing growth in recent years due to rapid development in artificial intelligence software market, innovation, digitalization, technology development and availability of messaging-as-OS platform. The other additional factors contributing to the growth of global chatbot market are consumers reluctance to install apps and availability of new interactive interfacing model with online services. However, the complexity and cost of software is hindering the market growth. Also, the lack of skilled resources, privacy and security are restraining the growth of global chatbot market. The chatbot are being trained and designed to retain and learn from past interaction and conversation between bussiness and individuals. This is expected to provide opportunities of expanding chatbot market and its use in various applications ranging from media publications to personalized assistance.Chatbot Market: SegmentationChatbots are used in healthcare, retail, banking financial services and insurance (BFSI) sectors for applications such as dialog systems, e-commerce customer service, internet gaming and call centers. Chatbots also offer specialized services such as Chatfuel a web based Chatbot is used for telegram services, Digit chatbot for banking, to allow users to interact with their bank accounts and Pana Chatbot is used as an online travel agency. Ultimately, chatbot would change the way customers apply for jobs and become the integral part of human like digital ecosystem.The global chatbot market is segmented on the basis of end use adoption, by type and geography. On the basis of end use adoption, the global Chatbot market is segmented into large sized enterprises and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). In terms of type, the global chatbot market is segmented into stand-alone chatbots and web-based chatbots.Stand-alone chatbots enable control of the functions of users computer such as retrieving documents or playing media files. Web-based chatbots usually run on a remote server and the control of personality, behavior and hosting is with end user. Moreover, on the basis of geography the global Chatbot market is segmented into North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.Chatbot Market: Competitive DynamicsAspect Software is a leading chatbot manufacturer. The integration of Aspect Software, Inc. with Facebook Messenger support the creation of chatbot in various languages using natural language processing and can be easily deployed on SMS and Twitter messaging platform. Some of the leading companies operating in the global chatbot market with the most significant developments include Microsoft Corporation, Apple Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Artificial Solutions Ltd., eGain Communications Corporation, Anboto Group, Creative virtual Ltd., Aspect Software, Inc., and Inbenta Technologies Inc.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: "Seasons" Art Exhibition Results Now Online & Ready to View http://www.lightspacetime.com/seasons-online-art-exhibition-september-2016 http://www.lightspacetime.com http://www.lightspacetime.com Jupiter, FL, USA -- Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is pleased to announce that its September 2016 art exhibition, the 5th Annual "Seasons" Art Exhibition is now posted on their website and can be viewed online. The theme for this art exhibition is Seasons art and artists were asked to submit their best abstract or representational art for this competition.An international competition was held in August 2016 which determined the art for this exhibition. The gallery received submissions from 18 different countries and also received entries from 28 different states. Overall, 366 entries were judged for this art competition.Congratulations to the artists who have been designated as this month's category winners, along with the winning Special Merit and Special Recognition artists. The gallery commends all of the winning artists for their artistic skill and their creativity, as this online art exhibition is indicative of their creativity.To proceed to the galleries 5th Annual "Seasons" online art exhibition follow this link:Each month Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery conducts themed online art competitions for 2D and 3D artists. All participating winners of each competition have their artwork exposed and promoted online through the online gallery and through social media to thousands of visitors each month.About Light Space & Time Online Art GalleryLight Space & Time Online Art Gallery conducts monthly art competitions and monthly art exhibitions for new and emerging artists. It is Light Space & Time's intention to showcase this incredible talent in a series of monthly themed art competitions and art exhibitions by marketing and displaying the exceptional abilities of these worldwide artists. The art gallery website can be viewed here:Media Contact:John R. MathLight Space & Time Online Art Gallery118 Poinciana DriveJupiter, FL 33458888-490-3530info@lightspacetime.com Lucintel identifies and prioritizes opportunities for growth in the global foam core materials market by end-use application, product type and region Insights that Matter www.lucintel.com www.lucintel.com According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the future of the global foam core materials market looks good with opportunities in the wind energy, marine, construction, and transportation industries. The global foam core materials market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2016 to 2021. The major driver for the growth of this market is increasing demand for composite materials in the end use industries.In this market, wind energy, marine, construction, and transportation are the major end use industries. On the basis of comprehensive research, Lucintel forecasts that the wind energy segment is expected to remain the largest application by both value and volume. Expected increase in wind capacity installation and growing demand for lightweight materials are the major driving factors, which would spur growth for this segment over the forecast period.Within foam core materials market, PVC foam core is expected to remain the largest product type over the forecast period due to its growing demand in wind and marine industries.Asia Pacific is expected to remain the largest market due to the increasing wind turbine capacity installations in this region.ROW is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to growth of end use industriesFor business expansion, this report suggests innovation and new product development for achieving superior mechanical properties, higher thermal and chemical resistance, lower water absorption, and good processability.Emerging trends, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the industry, include development of recyclable core materials. DIAB, 3A Composites, Gurit are among the major suppliers of foam core material.Lucintel, a leading global strategic consulting and market research firm, has analyzed growth opportunities in the global foam core materials market by end use application, product type, and region, and has come up with a comprehensive research report, Growth Opportunities in the Global Foam Core Materials Market 2016-2021: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis. The Lucintel report serves as a springboard for growth strategy, as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions. The study includes a forecast for the global honeycomb core materials market by end use application, product type, and region as follows:By end-use application [Volume (M lbs) and Value ($ million) from 2010 to 2021]: Wind Energy Marine Construction Transportation OthersBy Product Type [Volume (M lbs) and Value ($ million) from 2010 to 2021]: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) Others (PU, PEEK, PMI ,and PPSU)By region [Volume (M lbs) and Value ($ million) M from 2010 to 2021]: North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the WorldThis 118-page research report will enable you to make confident business decisions in this globally competitive marketplace. For a detailed table of contents, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or helpdesk@lucintel.com. Lucintel offerings include Chemical Market Research Reports, Chemical Industry Analysis Report, Capital Investment Analysis, Strategic Growth Consulting and Due Diligence.About LucintelLucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growth. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. For further information, visitLucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growth. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. For further information, visitLucintel222 Las Colinas Blvd West, Suite 1650, Irving, TX 75039, USAPh: +1-972-636-5056 Fax: +1-877-883-5140marketing@lucintel.com New Guyson Blast Finishing Equipment to be Exhibited at TCT Show Guyson Euroblast 6 with C600 Dust Collector Leading industrial finishing equipment manufacturer Guyson International will be exhibiting equipment from their blast finishing and Kerry branded ultrasonic cleaning ranges at the forthcoming TCT + Personalize show to be held at the NEC, from the 28-29th September 2016. This exhibition covers all aspects of 3D printing, additive manufacturing (AM) and rapid prototyping and Guyson can be visited on Stand No. J26.Showing for the first time at TCT + Personalize will be a variation of the Guyson Euroblast 6SF blast cabinet which has been devised especially for the additive manufacturing (AM) market. These particular Guyson AM bead blast systems, the smaller Euroblast 4SF AM was shown last year, are designed specifically for the Additive Manufacturing market where the blasting of Stainless, Aluminium, Titanium or Inconel built components is often undertaken as is often the case with aerospace and medical components. Some of these exotic materials have the potential to create explosive dust when blasted, so special provision is made with these Guyson blast systems to mitigate those risks.The Guyson AM blast systems can be specified with a variety of options that can be chosen from, depending on the level of perceived risk involved, options including: full earth braiding to the cabinet, gun, dust collector and hose and include ground nuts on all the main contact points to prevent any static spark generation and also anti-static fabric gauntlets to allows the operator greater flexibility when blasting whilst preventing media escape. Also externally located LED lighting, for good illumination of the blast area, so as to not create any chance of a spark within the blast chamber.The Guyson AM blast cabinets are complemented with the new range of AM specified dust collectors, Guyson will be exhibiting the mid-range C600-AM dust collector designed to accompany the Euroblast 6SFAM also on show. Again conscious of the explosive potential of some of the materials that can be involved in additive manufacturing the C600-AM dust collector has a host of features and options to minimise risks including; explosion relief valve, explosion isolation valve, secondary HEPA filtration, waste bin balance pipe - this enables dust collection in a plastic bag (located in the collection bin hopper) that can be quickly sealed on removal, minimising dust in the open atmosphere and a waste bin level sensor. Depending on the specific zone or environment, the AM dust collector range can be specified with fully ATEX compliant motor, controls and switchgear.Mark Viner, Guyson Internationals Commercial Director explains that the Euroblast 6SF-AM is just one of a range of seven standard cabinet sizes in which Guysons premier quality Euroblast cabinets is supplied, a range that also includes sit-down and variable height cabinet designs, together with choices of blast guns, suction or pressure fed operation and a vast range of options and special features to aid component handling. Mark continues, the additive manufacturing sector is a key market for us here at Guyson and we work with many organisations, both in the UK and globally, from equipment manufacturers to end users and rapid prototype organisations. It makes sense that we tailor our product to meet the exacting standards that this new and growing sector demandsGuyson will also display a Mediblast 1400, a fully 316L stainless steel constructed blast cabinet. This version showcases the type of high-end specialist manual cabinet that Guyson offers for blasting medical and dental implants (whether AM or conventionally manufactured) where no ferrous contamination can be tolerated. The Guyson Formula blast range offers three cabinet sizes, including a bench-top version, and is ideal for smoothing out striation lines, finishing SLS prototypes or creating the perfect keyed surface for painting on FDM 3D printed components.Also exhibited will be a KS525 ultrasonic cleaning tank, representative of Guyson's Kerry branded ultrasonic cleaning ranges, all of which provide fast and effective precision cleaning of prototypes in a fraction of the time required by hand cleaning. In addition, these Kerry ultrasonic baths and tanks can be used for support removal on certain prototypes.The KS525 ultrasonic cleaning tank is just one of their extensive ultrasonic cleaning tank range, with six standard cleaning tank sizes. These aqueous wash tanks capacities range from 21 to 275 litres and all are robustly constructed using AISI 316L polished stainless steel for durability, while Kerry ultrasonic generators ensure powerful parts cleaning and long equipment life. Standard KS ultrasonic tanks operate at 38 kHz (10%); however, the optional Kerry Guysonic generator with Primewave controls allows the operator to select switchable dual frequency (36/66 kHz 10%) and variable power control.Manning the stand will be a number of Guyson sales engineers able to answer visitors technical queries on the equipment or on application usage. Prospective users of Guyson equipment are also encouraged to submit sample components for free feasibility testing to the companys extensive Component Finishing Centre in Skipton, North Yorkshire.About GuysonGuyson International Limited is a privately owned family company with a world-wide reputation for excellence in the design and manufacture of blast finishing, spray wash and ultrasonic cleaning equipment. Formed over 75 years ago, the company is registered to BS EN ISO 9001: 2008 and BS OHSAS 18001:2007 and its head office is located at Skipton, North Yorkshire, in the north of England. Guyson has four international subsidiary companies: Guyson Corporation of the USA, located in Saratoga Springs, New York State; Guyson SA, situated near Paris, France; Guyson Sdn Bhd in Penang, Malaysia; and Guyson CN, in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China.Guyson International LimitedSnaygill Industrial Estate, Keighley Road,SKIPTON, North Yorkshire, England BD23 2QR When Hollywood produces a transgender film, you might expect LGBT activists to be happy their culture is being further normalized. No, the social justice warriors are annoyed because the actors aren't transgender enough. The actor is even openly gay, but that's not good enough. mo ADAM elements announces new iKlips DUO+: One-third the size of the original, up to 128 GB of storage www.adamelements.com Taipei, Taiwan, 2 September, 2016 After two successful Indiegogo campaigns for the earlier products iKlips and iKlips DUO, which raised just over US $560,000, ADAM elements launches its third generation Apple Lightning flash drive iKlips DUO+ with an improved design for thick and waterproof cases.iKlips DUO+ is the latest version of ADAM elements successful iKlips flash storage device for iPhone and iPad. At just one-third the physical size of the DUO, the DUO+ provides the same storage expansion and file transfer functionality for iOS devices, in the smallest, most stylish package available on the market.Manufacturer ADAM elements now offers the first ever Apple flash drive that also connects to iDevices that are protected by very thick covers and waterproof cases. After identifying this important need of users, the company has spent over a year in R&D to eventually design an unparalleled Lightning connector body. Advanced engineering makes the iKlips DUO+ easy to handle anytime, anywhere.The DUO+ is a flash storage device and file transfer solution rolled into one, instantly expanding your iPhone or iPads available storage by up to 128 GB. It enables you to take your entire HD movie collection with you on flights, record hours of 4K video without running out of memory space, or the ability to do serious video editing on the iPad Pro, and then effortlessly move, copy and share data between your iOS device and your desktop in the smallest package yet.The iKlips DUO+ is also fully MFi-certified by Apple as a product made for iPhone and iPad, adhering to strict performance and manufacturing standards.Complementing the sleek drive is the iKlips app, available for free on the App Store, for contacts, photos, music, and video data management, backup and transfer, and an optional connection to cloud.iKlips DUO+ is designed to cater any storage need and personal style. It comes in six gorgeous colours, Royal Orchid, Adam Red, Rebel Onyx, Adam Red, Glowing Amber, Rosy Bronze, and Wild Sapphire, and three storage capacities; 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB, and will be available to purchase on Kickstarter towards the end of September and through the ADAM elements website.For more info, visit us at:About ADAM elements ADAM elements is a leading global provider of intelligent lifestyle solutions. The companys products include mobile devices, smart mobile accessories, wearables, and smart health monitors. Integrated hardware and peripherals, along with intelligent software applications, provide customers with a vast range of products and services. ADAM elements is also an authorized distributor of various international smartphone brands.Press contact:united communications GmbHRotherstr. 1910245 BerlinPeter Link, Peter Seidel, Franziska SeitzTel.: +49 30 789076 0E-Mail: ADAMelements@united.deorADAM elements Co., Ltd.2F., No.85, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Daan Dist.,Taipei City 106, TaiwanBjorn FrohlingE-mail: Bjorn@Adamelements.com THE WALL OF SHAME "The only thing [Trump's] mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c--k holster." --STEPHEN COLBERT "[Ivanka Trump] Your father is a racist birther. Steve Bannon an anti-Semitic opportunist. You and your husband are enabling hatred. F--- your shoes." --BRADLEY WHITFORD "Melania [Trump] is a hooker." --JACOB BERNSTEIN "And my job is to shut other white people down when they want to interrupt." "We have to, at the DNC, provide training. We have to teach them how to communicate, how to be sensitive, and how to shut their mouths if they're white." --SALLY BOYNTON BROWN "And to our detractors that insist that this march will never add up to anything: F--- you! F---you! "Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House." --MADONNA "Barron Trump looks like a very handsome date-rapist-to-be." --STEPHEN SPINOLA "Barron [Trump] will be this country's first homeschool shooter." --KATIE RICH "Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick 'em all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts." --MERYL STREEP "There's a billion to one chance we're living in base reality." [That means we're almost positively living in a simulation, like a video game.] --ELON MUSK "When I would deny that there was a significant racist component in some of the politics on our side, it was because the people I hung out with were certainly not. When suddenly, this rock is turned over, there is this'Oh shit, did I not see that?'" ---------------------------- "In any other scenario, Hillary Clinton's lying about her emails, and her pay-for-play relationship with the Clinton Foundation would be disqualifying issues. The only reason they're not disqualifying is because Donald Trump is a fundamentally more repellent, dishonest figure." --CHARLIE SYKES "I made a mistake in recalling the events of twelve years ago... I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft." --BRIAN WILLIAMS "I'm here to tell you if you elect me governor of this state, I will end the civil war." --TOM BARRETT "I would not look to the U.S. Constitution, if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012. I might look at the constitution of South Africa. That was a deliberate attempt to have a fundamental instrument of government that embraced basic human rights, had an independent judiciary. It really is, I think, a great piece of work that was done." --RUTH BADER GINSBURG "Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now, do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?" --ROBERT DE NIRO "The death of Andrew Breitbart disproves the adage that only the good die young." --JULIAN BOND "The National Institute of Health has said that it is a danger to women's health and safety of their families that for 30 years to be exposed to the prospects of pregnancy." --GWEN MOORE "[Tea Party Republicans] have acted like terrorists." --JOE BIDEN "Why did- Couldn't the President have said at that moment, way back in December of last year, 'no game playing. No hostage-taking. No terrorizing this country with the debt ceiling. I'm not going to negotiate with you guys. You can't play it that way.' Could he have done that?" --CHRIS MATTHEWS "[T]he tea-party Hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor." --WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL "I remember distinctly an image of--we were sitting on his couches, and I was looking at [Obama's] pant leg and his perfectly creased pant, and I'm thinking, a) he's going to be president and b) he'll be a very good president." --DAVID BROOKS "I feel like calling her back and smackin' her around." --FRED CLARK, DEMOCRAT "The picture was of me, and I sent it." --ANTHONY WEINER "[I]f you go back to the year 2000, when we had an obvious disaster and - and saw that our voting process needed refinement, and we did that in the America Votes Act and made sure that we could iron out those kinks, now you have the Republicans, who want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws and literally - and very transparently - block access to the polls to voters who are more likely to vote Democratic candidates than Republican candidates. And it's nothing short of that blatant." --DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ "This is probably one of the worst times we've seen because the numbers of people elected to Congress. I went through this as co-chair of the arts caucus. In '94 people were elected simply to come here to kill the National Endowment for the Arts. Now theyre here to kill women." --LOUISE SLAUGHTER "The protesters have proven today that theyre not going away. It was a pretty rough night last night. You can imagine if people said, well, we just cant fight the power. Instead, this morning, they came by tens, by hundreds, by thousands. By midday today, it was easily more than 10,000, perhaps as many as 15,000 people on the square here in Madison. Not organized by anyone, just grassroots citizens who came out just like the Minutemen in 1776." --JOHN NICHOLS "They're sitting on the money, they're using it for their own -- they're putting it someplace else with no interest in helping you with your life, with that money. We've allowed them to take that. That's not theirs, that's a national resource, that's ours. We all have this -- we all benefit from this or we all suffer as a result of not having it. I think we need to go back to taxing these people at the proper rates." --MICHAEL MOORE "Why don't we just raise the taxes and let these folks have their collective bargaining, have their union representation and go back to their jobs? Raise the taxes on the wealthy." --DAVID LETTERMAN "In 1933, [Hitler] abolished unions and that's what our Governor [Scott Walker] is doing today." --LENA TAYLOR, Democrat State Senator "So I would urge my Republican colleagues, no matter how strongly they feel -- you know, we have three branches of government. We have a House. We have a Senate. We have a president. And all three of us are going to have to come together and give some, but it is playing with fire to risk the shutting down of the government." --CHUCK SCHUMER "Well, when you start off with the Preamble of the Constitution, you talk about the pursuit of happiness." --JOHN LEWIS "I'm Rebecca Kleefisch. I performed fellatio on all the talk show hosts in Milwaukee. And they endorsed me and that's how I became lieutenant governor." --SLY SYLVESTER "Do you think this Constitution-loving is getting out of hand? I mean, is it a nod to the Tea Party?" --JOY BEHAR "We cant just leave it up to the parents." "[Military leaders] tell us that childhood obesity isnt just a public health issue; they tell us that it is not just an economic threat -- it is a national security threat as well." --MICHELLE OBAMA "Actually, I did not take part in [the assassination of Sarah Palin]. I led it." --KATHLEEN PARKER "[The repeal of ObamaCare is] a kind of creeping genocide." --JESSE JACKSON "[Obama] has to realize that Mitch McConnell has virtually said so that politically he wants to cut out his heart and throw his liver to the dogs." --DAN RATHER "And the instructions are not to improvise a comedy sketch, but to elect a group of unqualified, unstable individuals who will do what they are told, in exchange for money and power, and march this nation as far backward as they can get, backward to Jim Crow, or backward to the breadlines of the '30s, or backward to hanging union organizers, or backward to the trusts and the robber barons. "Result: the Tea Party. Vote backward, vote Tea Party. And if you are somehow indifferent to what is planned for next Tuesday, it is nothing short of an attempted use of democracy to end this democracy." --KEITH "Reagan's dead and he was a lousy President" OLBERMANN "I gotta wonder when people are gonna start wearing uniforms. I mean they've got an army out there in Alaska of militia people. You've got these guys going around acting like street thugs. I mean it isn't far from what we saw in the thirties, where all of a sudden, political parties started showing up in uniform." --CHRIS MATTHEWS "[Sharron Angle] is a moron on top of being evil... I'd like to see her do this ad in the South Bronx. Come here, bitch. Come to New York and do it. I'm not praying for her. She's going to hell. She's going to hell, this bitch." --JOY BEHAR "So people have been hurting and I understand that. And it doesn't give them comfort or solace for me to tell them, you know, but for me, we'd be in a worldwide depression." --HARRY REID "And to play Dick Cheney, all I had to do was find my Dick Cheney. And you can find all the villainy in the world in your own heart, and that's what an actor's job is. I always say to kids, inside you is Hitler and Jesus. And you got to find the appropriate person and bring them out." --RICHARD DREYFUSS "Because I live in the District of Columbia which is so predominantly Democratic, I am a registered Democrat. But I am an avowed neutral. And to put that into practice, I take my young daughter into the voting booth and she votes for me. She's now 14. We've been doing this since she was about age 4. She's now quite informed." --BOB WOODWARD "Sarah Palin's an idiot. Come on. This is a remarkably, stunningly, jaw-droppingly incompetent and mean woman." "The Democrats may have moved into the center, but the Republicans have moved into a mental institution." --AARON SORKIN "Perhaps the greatest threat of all is the undermining of our Constitution and the systematic attack against the inalienable rights of the citizens of this nation, rights that are guaranteed by our Constitution. At the vanguard of this insidious attack is the Tea Party. This band of misguided citizens is moving perilously close to achieving villainous ends." --HARRY BELAFONTE "[Christine O'Donnell is] a witch who doesn't masturbate." --JOY BEHAR "Ah, the Tea Party, the nativist bed-wetters who somehow control our national dialogue. Yes, I call them the Pee Party, Jay, because they're always peeing in their pants about something. They're just, they're afraid of a mosque being built in New York. They're afraid of guns. You know, they think Obama, who like every other pussy Democrat has never said a single word about gun control, but they are very sure that he and his Negro army are coming after their guns. You know what? If you think that he's coming after your guns, you need to get out of your chat room and have your house tested for lead. He's not coming after your guns or your Bible or your fishing pole or your chewing tobacco." --BILL MAHER "That's a trade-off society is making because of very, very high medical costs, and a lack of willingness to say, you know, is spending a million dollars on that last three months of life for that patient, would it be better not to lay off those ten teachers and to make that trade-off in medical costs. But that;s called the 'Death Panel' and you're not supposed to have that discussion." --BILL GATES "NOT the 'whiteman's bitch'" --IESHUH GRIFFIN "[If Rush Limbaugh suffered a heart attack in my presence, I would] laugh loudly like a maniac and watch his eyes bug out. I never knew I had this much hate in me. But he deserves it." --SARAH SPITZ "You want freedom, you going to have to kill some crackers. You going to have to kill some of their babies." --KING SAMIR SHABAZZ "If this was Texas, which is the state that, that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this, saying that they had a major issue with, you know, with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would say I would have to look twice at this. "But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border. And, um, it just, it doesn't make sense to me that when you google this subject, if you put in 'Arizona S.B. 1070,' that you see a picture of the governor of Arizona meeting with President Obama in May of 2010. If you have direct linkage to the president, there are already National Guard troops on the border in Arizona." --PEGGY WEST "Tell [the Jews] to get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not German. It's not Poland. [The Jews] can go home. Poland. Germany." --HELEN THOMAS "After the last eight years, it's good to have a president that knows what a library is." --PAUL McCARTNEY "By the way, I just want to point out I'm wearing my splash shield because I was told I was going to be in the splash zone (during Harry Smith's colonoscopy on live TV)." --KATIE COURIC "And that Word is, we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word." ---------------------------- "Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance or that people could start a business and be entrepreneurial and take risk, but not job loss because of a child with asthma or someone in the family is bipolaryou name it, any condition is job-locking." --NANCY PELOSI "Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as 'yellow, slant-eyed dogs' that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what's going on today?" --TOM HANKS "The 'White Right' is trying to set Barack up to be assassinated.... Here are Christians praying for God to kill Barack Obama." --LOUIS FARRAKHAN "I refuse to accept the notion that the United States of America is not going to lead the world economically throughout the 20th Century." --JOE BIDEN "Obama's critics keep blasting him for Chicago-style politics. So, fine. Channel your inner Al Capone and go gangsta against your foes. Let 'em know that if they aren't with you, they are against you, and will pay the price." --ROLAND MARTIN "Martha Coakley is running to fill the rest of Ted Kennedy's term, and her opponent is a far-right tea-bagger Republican." --CHUCK SCHUMER "I tell you what, if I lived in Massachusetts, I'd try to vote ten times. I don't know if they'd let me or not, but I'd try to. Yeah, that's right, I'd cheat to keep these bastards out. I would. 'Cause that's exactly what they are." --ED SCHULTZ "We also see how revved up the tea baggers are at the thought of hijacking health care reform and every chance we have at making progress in Washington." --JOHN KERRY "A few years ago, this guy (Obama) would have been getting us coffee." --BILL CLINTON "I didn't realize I had written a column defending Roman Polanski and minimized his crime - are you sure it was me? I mean, I? There is, apparently, more to this crime than it would seem, and it may sound like a hollow defense, but in Hollywood I am not sure a 13-year-old is really a 13-year-old." --TOM SHALES "Joe Wilson yelled 'You lie!' at a president who didn't. But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!" --MAUREEN DOWD "One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game... During the 7th inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez." --DAVID LETTERMAN "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasnt lived that life." --SONIA SOTOMAYOR "We all considered sexual abuse of minors as a moral evil, but had no understanding of its criminal nature." --REMBERT WEAKLAND, Archbishop of Milwaukee 1977- 2002 "You know, you might want to look into this, [President Obama], because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was so strung out on Oxycontin he missed his flight." "Rush Limbaugh -- 'I hope the country fails.' I hope his kidneys fail." ---------------------------- "[Obama] told me I did a great job. The first lady said the same thing. I got a 'well done' from the president, I'm on cloud nine." --WANDA SYKES "Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less." --COLIN POWELL "[Tea Party goers are] just a bunch of wimpy, whiny, weasels who don't love their country." --PAUL BEGALA "I wouldn't want [gay marriage] to go to the United States Supreme Court now because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has too many votes on this current court." --BARNEY FRANK "Going forward, my mind will be open to every solution -- except one. We should not -- we must not -- and I will not -- raise taxes." --JIM DOYLE, Liar "He's a terrorist. Rush Limbaugh is a terrorist." --JOY BEHAR "You know, I just want to say to her (Sarah Palin), just very quickly...F--- you." --JON STEWART "Should I be worried about being a slave and being returned to slavery?" --WHOOPI GOLDBERG "I also believe that America is the greatest sin against God." --FR. MICHAEL PFLEGER "Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping and fake Israeli regime by throwing a birthday party are seriously mistaken. Today the reason for the Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation." --MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD "We'll be eight degrees hotter in ten, not ten but 30 or 40 years and basically none of the crops will grow. Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals." --TED TURNER "Look, [Mitt] Romney comes from a religion founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and a rapist. And he comes from that lineage and says, 'I respect this religion fully.'" --LAWRENCE O'DONNELL "Mexico does not end at its borders... Where there is a Mexican, there is Mexico." --FELIPE CALDERON "The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say, 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant." --AL GORE "Don't fear the terrorists. They're mothers and fathers." --ROSIE O'DONNELL "Is America ready for a black president? Well, I say we just had a retarded one. When did being black become a bigger deterrent than being retarded?" --CHRIS ROCK "Shut the f--- up! Shut up if you can't take a joke [about President Bush]!" --BARBRA STREISAND "Right, oh, yeah, Happy 9/11! Celebrate the day, right?" --JAMES BROLIN, Mr. Barbra Streisand "I think President Bush very well may have signed an authorization for the 9/11 attacks." --KEVIN BARRETT, UW-MADISON Lecturer "I said what I said. I am not guilty." --SADDAM HUSSEIN "Terri will not be starved to death. Her nutrition and hydration will be taken away." --MICHAEL SCHIAVO "On the eve of the election last month my wife Judith and I were driving home late in the afternoon and turned on the radio for the traffic and weather. What we instantly got was a freak show of political pornography: lies, distortions, and half-truths -- half-truths being perhaps the blackest of all lies. " --BILL MOYERS "I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for." --HOWARD DEAN "The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not 'insurgents' or 'terrorists' or 'The Enemy.' They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win." --MICHAEL MOORE "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs." --JOHN KERRY "F---ing retarded." "[Republicans] can go f--- themselves!" --RAHM EMANUEL "I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." --HILLARY CLINTON "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." --BILL CLINTON "And let me tell you something -- for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment." --MICHELLE OBAMA "If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a Jew, uh, as a janitor, makes me a warrior for the working class, I wear that with a badge of honor." ---------------------------- "If you love me, you got to help me pass this bill." ---------------------------- "[F]or most of my lifetime, the United States was such a dominant economic power, we were such a large market, our industry, our technology, our manufacturing was so significant that we always met the rest of the world economically on our terms. And now, because of the incredible rise of India and China and Brazil and other countries, the United States remains the largest economic and the largest market but theres real competition out there. And that's potentially healthy. It makes -- Michelle was saying earlier I like tough questions because it keeps me on my toes. Well, this will keep America on its toes." ---------------------------- "If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, 'We're gonna PUNISH OUR ENEMIES and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,' if they don't see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it's gonna be harder and that's why I think it's so important that people focus on voting on November 2." ---------------------------- "We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but THEY GOTTA SIT IN BACK." ---------------------------- "We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever... we absorbed it and we are stronger." ---------------------------- "We're buying shrimp, guys." ---------------------------- "We are the ones we've been waiting for." ---------------------------- "We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers so I know whose ass to kick." ---------------------------- "We're not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that's fairly earned. I mean, I do think at a certain point you've made enough money. But, you know, part of the American way is, you know, you can just keep on making it if youre providing a good product or you're providing good service. We don't want people to stop fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow the economy." ---------------------------- "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." ---------------------------- "It is a vital national security interest of the United States to reduce these conflicts because whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them. And that ends up costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure." ---------------------------- "But I -- I think that the most important thing for the public to understand is, we're not handling any of these cases any different than the Bush administration handled them all through 9/11." ---------------------------- "One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world -- Navy CORPSE-MAN Christian [sic] Brossard. And lying on a gurney aboard the USNS Comfort, a woman asked Christopher: 'Where do you come from? What country? After my operation,' she said, 'I will pray for that country.' And in Creole, CORPSE-MAN Brossard responded, 'Etazini.' The United States of America." ---------------------------- "I hear that Dr. Joe Medicine Crow was around, and so I want to give a shout-out to that Congressional Medal of Honor winner. It's good to see you." ---------------------------- "We are God's partners in matters of life and death." ---------------------------- "[T]he Cambridge police acted stupidly." ---------------------------- "I am going to teach [my daughters] first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." ---------------------------- "The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings, and INEFFICIENCIES to our health care system." ---------------------------- "Over the last 15 months, weve traveled to every corner of the United States. Ive now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it." --BARACK OBAMA The Small Business Administration and the Michigan Small Business Development Center Great Lakes Bay Region will offer a free TEAM SBA Financing Roundtable at Delta College, 1961 Delta Road, Room H113 in the H Wing, on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The roundtable is an orientation session conducted by local lenders, a business consultant from the SBAs network of Michigan Small Business Development Centers and a SBA representative. The roundtable demystifies the process of small business financing, explains how the lending process works and what is expected and explains how the SBA can assist local lenders with its SBA Guaranteed Loan Program. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Honeymooners seeking over-the-top accommodations and exotic locales have a new list to peruse. The U.S. News & World Report's Best Honeymoon Destinations of 2016-2017 ranking was just released, and it offers 20 destinations that range from secluded beaches to romantic cities. That publication considered user votes and expert opinions when determining the best places for couples to see together now. RELATED: How much the average wedding cost in 2015, item-by-item Not surprisingly, there were several tropical getaways and European landmarks in the mix. It contrasts with a recent Westin Hotels & Resorts study, which revealed that U.S. residents aren't venturing far from home for their honeymoon as often. That same report also showed that honeymooners now care more about health and wellness, even when on their romantic trip. "One of the most surprising things about the study was how many people went running on their honeymoon," Bob Jacobs, vice president of brand management for Westin Hotels & Resorts, told Skift. "Forty percent [of honeymooners] in the last five years went on at least one run during their honeymoon and they are using it as a way to decompress, disconnect, and be a tourist at the same time." SEE ALSO: Wedding faux pas; what not to do if you're a guest Wherever honemooners end up traveling, or what they do when they're there, the more pressing issue is that they go somewhere. A study reported that couples who have a honeymoon are 41 percent less likely to get a divorce. So go ahead and take that trip to Madrid, or to one of the other 19 places the U.S. News & World report suggests. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This week marked 11 years since Hurricane Katrina swamped the coastline. Two weeks ago, a nameless flooding in Louisiana fleshed out some 60,000 homes and lives. The South has seen its struggle with natural disasters. On Tuesday in Midland, five southern belles chimed quietly beneath the dull roar of after-work gatherers at Diamond Jims, 1,000 miles and five states away. The five ladies or as the acronym suggests, girls are part of GRITS, for Girls Raised in the South. Linda Malekadeli, the groups facilitator, said the Midland social club had 60 members at one point, and has met for at least the past 20 years to help women reconnect with others from the South. They all talked at the same time and they all got iced tea, Marie Thurlow said of her first GRITS meeting. Thurlow was a graphic designer who lived in Biloxi for a decade, a cosmopolitan city where a handshake is as good as a contract, she said. She also spent five years in Florida before moving to Michigan in 1994. Bright-eyed, their accents flutter when telling stories of southern youth. The feelings churned when recalling times theyd revisit displaced families in disaster zones most recently that of Allison Wilcoxs family. Wilcox met her husband at Texas A&M. She worked as a chemical engineer. She grew up in Georgia and lived a couple decades in Texas and Baton Rouge, where her mother-in-law, in her 70s, currently resides. The East Baton Rouge Parish is among the fountain of other flooded parishes socked with 2 feet of rain over three days during the Louisiana floods. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Aug. 14 issued a major disaster declaration for the state. More than 1,400 people remained in shelters Monday, the Associated Press reported. FEMA said it has more than 1,100 housing inspectors on the ground, and that it has approved more than $705 million in assistance. That Sunday, Aug. 14, morning, Wilcox said she got a message indicating her relatives woke up to 8 inches of water and sewage. That was, like, 2:30 in the morning, she said. Her relatives were without clothes and medications. Crews were evacuating by boat that afternoon, she said. Wilcox said her husband and son left the following Tuesday for Baton Rouge; she didnt join, having been sidelined by cataract surgery. They took a dry vacuum, gloves, and cleaning supplies. They worked for days in the home. Wilcox said the water reached 4 feet high. Drawers were swollen shut; they had to pry them open. Almost everything was warped or had completely fallen apart already, Wilcox said. They brought in 22 fans and four giant dehumidifiers. The home was dry by the next Monday, she said. The bill for cleaning mold, deconstruction, demolition and dehumidification ran $7,000. They were exhausted, Wilcox said. My car was just filthy with all the dust and drywall. She thumbed through photos of the wreckage. A cemetery underwater. Discarded sofas and siding. Clothing laid out to dry. None of the images gave a feel for what Wilcox was told was an overwhelming smell. But one in particular pinched a nerve for GRITS member Elizabeth Neithamer. It showed old photos hung high on a clothesline in a room, family portraits taken from five generations ago. Some were washed out. When you lose that concrete connection to a past generation, that is what hurts, Neithamer said. Neithamer, who calls herself a stay-at-home mom who never stays home, was born in Honolulu. She moved to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, in 1963 and lived there until 1990. She returned to family in Louisiana three times after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005. Considered the worst natural disaster in the countrys history, the storm left 1,300 dead, one million displaced and up to $150 billion in damage. Eighty percent of the city was flooded up to rooftops of many homes and small buildings. Neithamer said she helped collect money here, in Michigan, and visited schools in Louisiana. My parents survived in a tree, she said. She plans to return to New Orleans next month. Flowered in the cadence of southern confab, monthly GRITS meetings (which are an excuse to get together and talk southern, one GRIT joked) are usually spent catching up with so-and-so and current happenings. In light of the flooding, the most recent get-together had more serious undertones. They acknowledged a lack of response to the flooding from government, media and the public but its understandably so, Neithamer said: Katrinas death count was tenfold that of the most recent flooding, there werent rooftop rescues and it wasnt dramatic enough to gain much national media coverage. It was more a train wreck in slow motion, Neithamer said. Wilcox said because it was a storm without a name, just rain, the disaster was slow to gain attention. We need to remember the flood recovery will take a long time. They need our money and our help. We still need to remember, Wilcox said. Neithamer said she hopes people keep Louisiana on their radar. In the aftermath of Katrina, bonds tightened across the country, she said. Id love for Louisiana people in 11 years to say the same, she said of the 2005 hurricane. Sown far from afternoons of sweet tea and sun, some of the girls remain anchored to the South. On her right wrist, Neithamer has a tattoo of a fleur-de-lis, a French lily symbolic of the countrys royal arms and homage to some of the areas first settlers. She got it when she turned 50. Three months later, she added a magnolia, Mississippis state flower, to her left ankle. She said she misses sunsets over the Gulf, seafood, Mardi Gras and people who say yall. Theres still that pull South, she said. And for Josie Cote, Little Rock, Arkansas is still home. Its where she moved from Munich, Germany, in the mid-60s. She worked in real estate and then moved to Midland in 1998. Cote says shes returned to family in Little Rock every three weeks for the past three years. The GRITS members continue to help with flood recovery efforts. They ask others to send donations to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank (brfoodbank.org), which lost 500,000 pounds of food and forklifts and trucks; help flooded schools that lost supplies (lrceteacheraid.com); help the Capital Area Animal Welfare Society (caaws.org), which is collecting money to aid other animal shelters after rescued pets were moved to a state prison in Jackson; and donate to the Salvation Army. Locally, the social club isnt the only one lending a hand. Im urging Michiganders to please consider becoming a new virtual volunteer. People desperately need help right now. By working from the comfort of your own home here in Michigan, you can make a real difference for people in Louisiana who have lost theirs, Kimberly Burton, American Red Cross of Michigans Regional CEO, recently said. Visit redcross.org to learn about virtual and traditional volunteer opportunities and submit an application. Officials from both The Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. had hoped to see a $130 billion merger completed by the end of the year, but further scrutiny by the European Commission could push that deadline to early 2017. The European Commission announced Aug. 11 it had initiated Phase II of the merger investigation, citing concern about the lack of competition that could result, notably in the agriculture industry. The Commission had 90 working days, until Tuesday, Dec. 20, to release a decision but requested an extension from Dow and DuPont. In mirrored 8-K forms and press releases, both companies said the extension was granted. Extensions are routine occurrences under the EU Merger Regulation, and we are continuing to work constructively with the European Commission to address their concerns and to obtain clearance for the merger, which we are confident will be achieved, a Dow spokesperson wrote in an email. Dow and DuPont are very focused on working with the European Commission toward closing the transaction by the end of 2016. This extension represents the latest date for European Commission action under the updated timeline. In the event that the European Commission utilizes the full extension, closing would be expected to occur in the early part of 2017, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of all regulatory approvals. Dow and DuPont continue to believe the merger is pro-competitive and good for customers and consumers. The $130 billion merger would result in a combined company known as DowDuPont, which would then spin off into three separate, independent businesses within 18 to 24 months: Material Sciences, said to stay headquartered in Midland, and Agriculture and Specialty Products, to be based in Wilmington, Delaware, where DuPont is currently headquartered. Dow President and CEO Andrew Liveris called it the largest and most consequential merger in our sector at this years annual shareholders meeting. The new Dow will be able to meet even more of the industrys needs, Liveris said. We are truly excited about this new era of growth. We are speeding towards a future even greater than the past. In addition to the European Commission, the merger is being scrutinized by the Department of Justice and the Senate Judiciary Committee. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, serves as the chairman of the Senates Judiciary Committee and recently called for a hearing on the merger, and its effect on the seed and chemical industry. Details were not finalized for the hearing, set for late September, and it is unclear who will represent the two chemical companies at the hearing. The Food and Drug Administration recently advised blood banks to screen the entire U.S. blood supply for Zika virus. Eleven states would need to start screening next month, and all others have three months to comply. The amount of work needed to adhere to that timeline is titanic, an executive for Americas Blood Centers, which has more than 600 locations in the U.S. and Canada, told the Associated Press. It will be a significant effort, too, for Michigan Blood, which collects more than 125,000 blood donations each year at nine permanent donation sites and more than 3,600 mobile blood drives statewide and is the sole provider of blood and blood products for more than 60 Michigan hospitals. Its a significant task, but not insurmountable, said Dr. Lee Ann Weitekamp, Michigan Bloods medical director. Michigan Blood has centralized testing at an Indiana blood center, so the work wont be as big a burden; its more a matter of getting the samples, shipping them out and handling data, Weitekamp said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 43 travel-associated Zika cases in Michigan and zero locally acquired cases since Aug. 31. According to the FDA, there is still much uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of Zika virus transmission. The virus is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, and it can cause microcephaly and other birth defects, according to the CDC. The illness is mild with symptoms lasting several days to a week after being bit by an infected mosquito. People usually dont get sick enough to go to the hospital and death is rare, but many may not realize theyre infected, the CDC says. A mother already infected with Zika virus near the time of delivery can pass it on to her newborn around the time of birth, and a pregnant woman can pass Zika virus to her fetus during pregnancy, the CDC says. The FDA recently identified the virus as a transfusion-transmitted infection that could cause fatal or significant bodily harm met, which, among meeting other criteria, is what Weitekamp said prompted the call to screen all blood. They were forced to go to this action, she said. Its a hard thing for the blood industry to do, but I think the FDA is doing what they have to do given that Zika has met the criteria. But, its tricky the directive stems from an FDA guidance, and doesnt carry the weight of law, Weitekamp said. Rather it represents the FDAs current thinking. And inspectors like when we go by current thinking, she said. A task force at Versiti, a network of blood centers with which Michigan Blood is affiliated, will oversee testing. Michigan Blood isnt currently testing its supply for Zika, but will absolutely be screening and testing within the 12-week time period, Weitekamp said. The blood center for years has screened donors through a questioning process to prevent Zika from entering the blood supply. Compared to concerns of HIV, hepatitis, West Nile and other blood-borne viruses, Weitekamp said the worry of Zika entering the blood supply is not anywhere near the likelihood of any other potential infectious disease. Obviously its way less of a concern for us than it is in Florida, Puerto Rico and coastal areas, she said. And, with nucleic acid testing of genetic material for viruses, the blood supply is safer now than its ever been, she said. With the nations blood supply facing significantly low inventory levels, Michigan Blood in July sought donors to help collect all blood types. Weitekamp said the need is still there, particularly for O-negative (the universal red blood cell donor) and AB (the universal plasma donor, used in emergencies and traumas) blood types. See a list of upcoming Midland-area drives at http://bit.ly/2bH2QnU The Dow Diamond Donor Center, 825 E. Main St., collects blood donations from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. The Centers phone number is (989) 794-2815. A state-mandated switch in college readiness exams seemed to go smoothly for Midland Public Schools students, with a district official calling just-released results quite promising. We were in the top 5 percent in the state, MPS Associate Superintendent Brian Brutyn said Wednesday. Thats something were really proud of. Juniors across the state who took the SAT in the spring were the first group to take the test after many years in which the ACT was the norm. The shift from the ACT to the SAT was a big focus for us last year, as the two assessments have significantly different structures, Brutyn said. The Michigan Department of Education on Tuesday released results from a number of assessments taken by students in the spring, including the M-STEP, the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) and the SAT. The state average on the SAT was 1001 the combination of 508 in Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 494 in math. For MPS, the SAT total was 1122, with equal scores of 561 each for EBRW and math. The switch to the SAT was a huge shift for everybody, Brutyn said. The M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) results in 18 grades and subjects tested showed mixed results statewide, with gains in 10 areas and declines in eight. For MPS, areas of concern were social studies and 5th grade math, Brutyn said. Fifth-grade mathematics seems to be an area where we need to focus Social studies as a whole is an area that we need to target, he said. In 5th grade math, the percentage of MPS students ranked as proficient fell from 48.5 percent in 2014-15 to 38.5 percent in the test taken in the spring. The number considered partially proficient rose from 31.2 percent to 36.7 percent, while the number of those considered not proficient rose from 20.4 percent to 24.8 percent. (Statewide, the 2015-16 figures were: 33.8 percent proficient, 30.9 partially proficient and 35.3 percent not proficient.) For MPS 11th graders, the percentage of students proficient in social studies dipped slightly from the 2014-15 school year, from 67.7 percent to 67.1 percent, while the number considered partially proficient rose slightly from 29.2 percent to 29.8 percent and the number deemed not proficient was less than 5 percent in each year. (Statewide for 2015-16: 43.1 percent proficient, 45.7 partially proficient, 11.3 percent not proficient.) The percentage of MPS 5th graders proficient in social studies dropped from 40.2 percent in 2014-15 to 33 percent in 2015-16, with partial proficiency rising from 52.6 percent to 57.8 percent and the not proficient category going from 7.2 percent to 9.2 percent. (Statewide for 2015-16: 18.9 percent proficient, 60.1 percent partially proficient, 21.1 percent not proficient.) For 8th grade the only other grade in which social studies proficiency was tested the number considered proficient fell from 55 percent to 51.5 percent, the number considered partially proficient rose from 34.4 percent to 35.9 percent and the number deemed not proficient rose from 10.6 percent to 12.6 percent. (Statewide 2015-16: 29.3 percent proficient, 41.5 percent partially proficient, 29.1 percent not proficient.) Among the other results for MPS: In 3rd grade English Language Arts, the number of students considered proficient fell from 63.1 percent to 60.7 percent, while the number considered partially proficient fell from 26 percent to 25 percent and the number deemed not proficient rose from 10.9 percent to 14.3 percent. (Statewide 2015-16: 46 percent proficient, 24.8 percent partially proficient, 29.2 percent not proficient.) For 7th grade ELA, the number of students dubbed proficient rose from 59.4 percent to 62.8 percent, while the number considered partially proficient rose from 22.8 percent to 26.8 percent and the number deemed not proficient fell from 17.8 percent to 10.4 percent. (Statewide 2015-16: 47.1 proficient, 27.6 partially proficient and 25.3 percent not proficient.) In 4th grade science, the number deemed proficient jumped from 25 percent to 28.5 percent; the number deemed partially proficient fell from 40.4 percent to 36 percent and the number judged not proficient rose slightly from 34.7 percent to 35.6 percent. (Statewide 2015-16: only 14.7 percent were found to be proficient, 30.6 percent partially proficient and 54.7 not proficient.) In 7th grade science, the number deemed proficient fell slightly, from 36.1 percent to 35.5 percent; the number considered partially proficient rose slightly from 30 percent to 30.8 percent; and the number considered not proficient went from 33.8 percent to 33.7 percent. (Statewide 2015-16: 23.8 percent proficient, 23.8 percent partially proficient and 52.3 percent not proficient.) Brutyn said it was a blessing that the data was received four months earlier than last year. The data shows that we still have work to do in closing achievement gaps and sustaining growth in all subject areas. The blessing of receiving our data several months earlier than last year is that we will now have the ability to compare two years of M-STEP data to ascertain trends and identify any gaps within our curriculum, he said. Brutyn also noted that the results are a snapshot at one point in time. We look at multiple other measures of data graduation rates, number of students enrolling in college all kinds of different metrics we use to judge ourselves, he said. Elsewhere in Midland County, the SAT total mean score for the Bullock Creek School District was 1062.8 (529.1 for EBRW and 533.8 for math); the SAT total mean score for Meridian Public Schools was 987.7 (507.6 for EBRW and 480.1 for math); and the SAT total mean score for Coleman Community Schools was 962.7 (497.8 for EBRW and 464.9 for math. Data for each district, down to the individual school level, can be found at www.mischooldata.org. Michaela Steager really only had a little snag on her way to claiming a national title. The Fremont woman has been crowned Miss Czech Slovak United States. But she had a little catch literally during the talent portion of the competition in Wilber. Steager was singing a traditional funeral piece by Antonin Dvorak called, Going Home. On stage with her, she had a photograph, in the original heavy frame, of her second-great-grandparents. The photograph was on a table with a lace covering. During her performance, some beading from Steagers folk costume got caught on the lace. She finished singing the song in both English and Czech, but found herself in a tangle with the table cloth. The audience was applauding and I was trying to get myself untangled and it wasnt working, she said. It was taking forever. Audience members continued clapping and Steager could see her mom, Debbie, telling her to get off the stage. Michaela did get untangled and won the talent contest and the title. Now, Steager plans to travel, sharing her heritage with others and learning about their histories. Its a role thats taken a lifetime of preparation and one Steager wasnt certain shed receive. I thought the competition was very impressive and so I was competing for my family and to make my family proud, she said. I didnt mind if I would win or lose. I was there for them and so I was bracing myself to not win and I was going to be OK with that. But as winners of smaller awards were announced and she began winning honors, Steager started to realize that shed probably won. I was just trying not to cry uncontrollably, she said. And then she earned that honor during the competition in Wilber, the Czech capital of the United States. Steager began an interest in her heritage at a young age. Her family follows the traditions throughout the year. Ive been going to polka festivals ever since I could walk to finally say that I am the U.S. queen, its still very surreal to me and very humbling. Its pretty cool, she said. In June 2015, she won the Miss Nebraska Czech-Slovak title for 2015-16 in Prague. The Nebraska pageant does such a good job of keeping the girls involved and encouraging them to go out and travel and visit other states, she said. Steager would travel more than 14,000 miles. Something I learned is that no matter where you go across the country, everybody still has the same passion of celebrating their heritage, but to be able to see it portrayed in different ways is something that is absolutely incredible to see, she said. The way that Texans dance is different than the way people in Chicago dance and the music played in Missouri is different than Nebraska and to be able to see those different interpretations has been very fulfilling. Borek Lizec, consul general of the Czech Republic, who lives in Chicago, came to a festival in York. Steager, a junior at Doane University at Crete, shared her aspirations. She is majoring in international studies and minoring in business administration, speech communications and economics. Steager hopes to open a travel agency pared with genealogical studies. I would be hired to research a persons genealogy and to find the towns their ancestors came from and potentially even the houses they might have lived in, she said. After I found that information, I would put together a trip for them to be able to actually walk down the streets that maybe their fifth-great-grandfather actually walked down. Steager shared that with Lizec, whom she said told her that his best friend has a travel agency in the Czech Republic. Lizec bet his friend would be willing to help her. After passing the statewide honor on to the next queen this year, Steager began preparing for the national title. For the national title, Steager took part in private and onstage interviews. At one point, Steager was asked if she could go back in time, which historical event shed like to attend in the Czech Republic or Slovakia. Steager said shed like to be in Czechoslovakia at the end of World War I when the nation was given its official identity as its own country. To be there during such a period of patriotism would have been incredible, she said. She also was judged on her folk costume, called a kroj. She competed in the Americanized version of a kroj, which she and her mom handmade. Focusing on the fact that many of her ancestors worked in a vineyard, they made a kroj in maroon and gold colors with a variation of the Moravian flag as a salute to her mothers side of the family. Steager embroidered roses on the sleeves in honor of ancestors who planted that type of flower on a Prague-area farm thats now been in the family for 135 years in Nebraska. She was surprised when she won the title. Up until the awards were being handed out, I didnt think I was going to win, she said. At least 40 to 50 family members attended the event. Seeing their enthusiasm was great. I was thinking that could be an award in itself, she said. Now, shes looking toward the future. I really want to surpass my accomplishments from being the Nebraska queen, she said. I want to travel more and have more experiences. She hopes to attend multi-cultural events, teaching people about the Czech and Slovak heritage. At the same time, she wants to learn more about other cultures. Steager enjoys meeting and talking with new people. It usually starts with them complimenting your dress and leads to a 20-minute conversation in that you find out your ancestors may have lived five miles apart in the Czech Republic or Slovakia, she said. Its those unexpected things and those unexpected friendships that make this very fulfilling. Check out the headlines in recent weeks in the Midland Daily News or other media outlets and youll likely see some very scary news reports. Just recently, weve published reports about home invasions with homeowners still in the residence. In Michigan and other states, theyre been similar reports of home invasions, assaults, carjackings, break-ins and killings. We live in a very troubling time. So it should come as no surprise that gun buying and gun ownership is booming. A Pew Research Center poll released this week shows that 44 percent of all households now own a gun. This same poll showed that 58 percent of respondents viewed gun ownership as something that brings safety, versus 37 percent who believe such ownership increases risk. A study by the Crime Prevention Research Center noted that concealed-carry permits have boomed nationally, but particularly among women and minorities. In eight states where we have data by gender, since 2012 the number of permits has increased by 161 percent for women and by 85 percent for men, the report says. From 2007 through 2015, concealed-carry permits issued by state and local governments increased about 75 percent faster among nonwhites than whites, according to the report. Locally, a MDN news report in May revealed that there was a 70 percent increase in concealed pistol license applications over a five-month period from November 2015 to May 2016. As a result, a new part-time employee was added to the Midland County Clerks Office to process the applications. Statewide, from 2004 to 2014, the number of concealed pistol license holders in Michigan increased from 110,777 to 440,006, a 297 percent increase. A February news report stated that Michigan had a record high 516,612 CPL holders, 12 times more than a decade ago. Aside from crime, other factors that typically motivate a surge in gun purchases are terrorist attacks or the possibility of more government restrictions on gun buying. For instance, days after the Orlando terror attack in June, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ran 9,854 background checks over a three-day period on people hoping to buy firearms, more than double the 4,468 during the same time frame the year before. The FBI said a total of 23.1 million firearm background checks were conducted in 2015, the highest annual total ever. Gun buying in 2016 was on pace to break that record, the FBI reported. For more information on obtaining a CPL license in Midland County, go to http://bit.ly/2bGKFOY The U.S. military is a comforting and reassuring presence, said Maj. Gen. Conrado Parra, Jr., Philippine Air Force vice commander, during the fifth annual U.S.-Philippines Airman-to-Airman (A2A) talks, held Aug. 29 to 31 here at the Aloha Conference Center. His words reflect the importance of the ability of multi-national militaries to work, train and fight alongside each other in the dynamic security environment that characterizes the Indo-Asia-Pacific. The A2A talks were designed to not only foster military-to-military relationships with allied forces, but also to pave the way for future collaboration. Parra led a delegation of eight Filipino airmen that met with Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon, Pacific Air Forces vice commander, and 24 PACAF Airmen, Marine Forces Pacific and Hawaii Army National Guard personnel to discuss the way ahead for military cooperation between their two air forces. The goals of the three-day conference were synchronizing planning between the U.S. Air Force and Philippine Air Force, shaping engagement priorities, strengthening the bilateral relationship with the PAF and focusing on a 3 to 5 year outlook for PACAF-PAF activities. These talks help to determine activities that will help bridge the gap between the two air forces, said Parra. We are here to discuss our primary concerns, regarding recent security developments in the East Asia Sea and our hope is that this will be a fruitful engagement for us. In recent years, military cooperation between the two countries has expanded to include the Philippines hosting U.S. Pacific Command and PACAF exercises like Balikatan and Pacific Angel, and supporting the Pacific Air Chief Conference, the Pacific Rim Airpower Symposium and the Pacific Airlift Rally. Additionally, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and his Filipino counterpart, Voltaire Gazmin, announced in April 2016 that the Philippines will host U.S. military missions to increase U.S.-Philippines security cooperation. One of those missions included U.S. Pacific Command directing PACAF to stand up an Air Contingent at Clark Air Base, Philippines, in April 2016, to set the foundation for joint air patrols that complement ongoing joint maritime patrols between the two countries. The purpose of the Air Contingent is to provide credible combat forces capable of a variety of missions including force projection, air and maritime domain awareness, personnel recovery, combating piracy, and assuring access to the air and maritime domains in accordance with international law. Additionally, the contingent provides opportunities to expand cooperation and interoperability with Philippine counterparts and reassure partners and allies of our steadfast commitments in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. To date, the Philippines have hosted two iterations of Air Contingents, including A-10 Warthogs and HH-60G Pavehawks in April, and Navy EF-18 Growlers in June. Additionally, both nations recently signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which like the Air Contingent, demonstrates U.S. commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific by establishing a mutually beneficial agreement that provides rapid humanitarian assistance and helps to build capacity for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Many of these key engagements have been successful and talks such as these further enable PACAF and PAF leaders to streamline the tactics, techniques and procedures that are shared between the two countries, strengthening the U.S.-Philippine bilateral relationship. Our two air forces have accomplished a lot of great training, said Dillon. Our goal during these talks is to continue the momentum by strengthening and thickening the relationship between the two air forces by building on the successes of the past with a solid roadmap for the future. BLOOMINGTON A Bloomington man facing multiple counts of attempted first- degree murder in attacks in downtown Bloomington last year remains mentally ill and may be declared not guilty by reason of insanity at his next hearing in November, according to results of a Thursday hearing held to review the progress of his treatment. Jason Hopkins, 36, is accused of knocking a man down near the McLean County Museum of History and then stabbing a German tourist a block away before stabbing a Pantagraph employee in the 300 block of West Jefferson Street. He is charged with aggravated assault of the first victim and attempted murder in the stabbing incidents. An additional charge of aggravated battery was filed against Hopkins following an Aug. 27, 2015, arraignment when he spit on Judge Scott Drazewski. Shortly after his arrest, Hopkins was evaluated by a psychiatrist who deemed him mentally unfit to stand trial. Periodic reviews over the past year have determined that he requires ongoing care for his serious mental illness, but a substantial probability existed that he could be restored to mental fitness. In legal terms, mentally fit means a defendant can understand the charges and assist in the defense of his case. On Thursday, Drazewski noted that the most recent report indicates it is unlikely Hopkins will be restored to fitness within a year of his hospitalization date of Sept. 3, 2015, the legal time frame required by law in order for the case to move forward. Barring a major improvement in his condition, it is likely that Hopkins will be found not guilty by reason of insanity at his Nov. 1 hearing. If the judge makes such a finding, Hopkins would be returned to a state mental health facility for long term care. He could be released when doctors determine his condition has stabilized and he is no longer a threat to others. The criminal charges would be dismissed. Accompanied by two state officers, Hopkins sat at a table in the courtroom while his lawyer, Public Defender Carla Barnes, handled the case at the bench with Assistant State's Attorney John Shim. Wearing shackles, a polo shirt and sweat pants, Hopkins did not participate in the hearing. At the time of the Aug. 19, 2015, incident, Hopkins was living alone in an apartment in the 800 block of West Washington Street. His mother, who also was sent to a state facility after being found mentally unfit in 2015, is accused of setting fire to her apartment in the same building. After Hopkins' arrest, neighbors said he appeared despondent and in need of mental health treatment in the weeks before the downtown attacks. Hopkins' year-long stay at a state facility is not his first extended treatment for schizophrenia, a diagnosis he received when he was 19, according to police reports of a previous case. In 2000, he was found mentally unit for trial on theft charges and spent about 200 days in Springfield's McFarland Mental Health Center before being released because the law does not allow the state to keep individuals in treatment longer than their sentence would be for the offense. Five years later, Hopkins was arrested for arson after he admitted to setting a fire in his apartment in a Center for Human Services' transitional housing project. Hopkins was sentenced to five years for arson and ordered to pay $3,200 to the agency for the damaged carpet. In interviews with Bloomington police, two CHS counselors recommended that Hopkins be incarcerated rather than hospitalized. One of the counselors said Hopkins "is as good as he will ever be. Next time he may hurt someone," according to police reports of the 2005 incident. "Although I would love for the citizens to be able to have their say on the ballot ... my duty is to apply the law here," Circuit Court Judge Scott Kording said. DECATUR The parents of a Decatur woman who died after a high-speed collision with an Illinois State Police trooper has filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million in damages. Kelly E. Wilson, 26, the mother of daughters ages 7 and 2, suffered fatal injuries on May 7 when her van was struck in Decatur by an unmarked squad car driven by Master Sgt. Jeff Denning. Denning survived the crash with fractures to his pelvis and a foot; he also suffered multiple lacerations. The lawsuit claims the squad car was traveling at more than 100 mph without sirens activated and, at the moment of impact with Wilson's vehicle, was moving at between 88 mph and 90 mph after emergency braking. The crash followed reports of the shooting of a police officer in Mahomet. The suspect, Dracy Clint Pendleton, of Bellflower, was reportedly fleeing either east or west on Interstate 72 and, if he headed west, Denning's mission was to intercept. Denning was one of two troopers working that night in District 10, a vast police patrol area covering nine counties, including Macon and Champaign. Pendleton remained at large for another week. He was found by police and killed in a shootout with officers on May 15 inside an abandoned house in Shawnee National Forest. The officer recovered from being shot in the arm after another officer had stopped Pendleton on the interstate. Kelly Wilson's parents, Leo and Kathrine Wilson, the administrators of her estate, allege that Denning was driving negligently and carelessly and too fast. Their lawsuit names Denning, the state police and the state of Illinois as defendants. One of the goals of my Lincoln Highway journey was to stop at every town the route passes through in Nebraska. Even if that meant just a brief stop for a picture next to the community sign, I was there. From Omaha, the route passed through Elkhorn, then Waterloo and Valley before reaching Fremont. It entered Fremont along old Highway 8, downtown to Broad Street and then west on Military Avenue. Fremont was named after John C. Fremont while the Civil War general was running for president as the first Republican nominee. Instead of a temporary yard sign, he got a permanent sign a town named after him. In downtown Fremont, a Lincoln Highway sign can be seen near the courthouse. At the Louis E. May Museum on Nye Avenue, there is a piece of the cement marker that once lined the roadway. My journey started to take on the feeling of a treasure hunt, finding evidence that, once upon a time, was part of the route called the Lincoln Highway. Fremont is also where the Lincoln Highway merged with other earlier routes, such as the Mormon Trail and the Union Pacific Railroad that followed the Great Platte River Road. Countless emigrants, fur traders, gold seekers and dreamers traveled through Fremont on their way west. I arrived in North Bend at lunchtime, which was perfect timing to eat at the Corner Cafe. I never pass up homemade fried chicken and that was the special. The cafe has a lunch counter, which is a small detail that I appreciate. It offers the chance to have conversations and provide a small window into the towns world. I like living in a small town where you know almost everyone, Monica Glodowski said, as she took my order. Glodowski, who has worked at the Corner Cafe for 14 years, added, I couldnt imagine living anywhere else. I couldnt imagine anything more delicious than homemade fried chicken for lunch. Across the street from the Corner Cafe is a new cement Lincoln Highway marker, placed there in 2013 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the route. It is another small treasure recognizing the route of the Lincoln Highway. My journey continued west through Rogers. Anton Kracl and his younger brother, Frank, established a machine shop and car repair business here in 1916. The garage that bears their names along Highway 30 still stands; undoubtedly, it serviced many autos whose drivers were traveling along the Lincoln Highway. Electricity didnt arrive in Rogers until 1920. As I stood on the highway shoulder looking at the old garage, I imagined tires being repaired by kerosene lanterns. This section of the Lincoln Highway was not paved for several years. Before that, there probably had been challenging road conditions and mechanical breakdowns. I hopped back into my truck and continued west on Highway 30 to Schuyler. Named after Vice President Schuyler Colfax, the city got his first name and the county got his last name. A brief drive through downtown revealed what once was a thriving town, especially for its size. Large brick buildings, one with a clock tower, lined the streets. SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Department of Corrections has agreed to pay a former Logan Correctional Center inmate $450,000 to settle his claim that he was punished by staff after reporting being repeatedly raped by another inmate. A federal lawsuit, filed in 2012 by James Fontano, alleged that he was disciplined by staff at the Lincoln prison after he reported that a cellmate had repeatedly beaten and assaulted him over two nights in August 2011. Fontano, of Chicago, was serving a one-year sentence for a minor drug offense. He served eight months of the sentence at the Lincoln facility, according to his lawyer, Locke Bowman, executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center that represented Fontano. The settlement, announced Friday morning, is believed to be one of the largest awards in a prison retaliation case, according to the MacArthur center. Bowman called the case "a textbook example of everything you should not do in a position of authority when a sexual assault is reported to you." Instead of conducting an investigation, prison staff disciplined Fontano by putting him in segregation and accusing him of making a false report, said his lawyers. IDOC spokesperson Nicole Wilson said Friday that at the time the lawsuit was settled, Fontanos claims centered on allegations of retaliation by the two employees. More than a year prior to the settlement, Fontano dismissed allegations that staff failed to protect him from sexual abuse, she said. The department takes all sexual abuse allegations seriously, said Wilson, adding the agency has taken an aggressive approach to ensure all facilities are compliant with the national standards of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Under Gov. Bruce Rauner and IDOC Director John Baldwin, IDOC has put new policies in place and conducted specialized training to address the issues of sexual assault, said Wilson. As of June 1, all IDOC facilities have been audited and deemed compliant with the federal prison standards, she said. The two IDOC employees named along with the state in the lawsuit, former Logan warden Alex Dawson and former IDOC investigator Kevin Standley were never disciplined for their role in the bungled investigation that led to the federal lawsuit, said Bowman. The victim's cellmate, a man serving a lengthy sentence for armed robbery, also never faced criminal charges related to the sexual assault. Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown People's Law Center and part of Fontano's legal team, said in a statement announcing the settlement, that "men in prison quickly learn there are two things you don't want to be known for. First, if other prisoners believe you are a snitch, you are in danger of being beaten, stabbed and worse. Second, if you are viewed as a weakling and an easy mark to be used by another man, you will always be in danger of a sexual assault." In Fontana's case, the fear of being tagged as a snitch and a weakling caused him to endure the attacks before he managed to break away in the midst of a third attack, and seek help, said Mills. Fontana's rape claim was corroborated by DNA evidence from his cellmate's clothing, according to his lawsuit. More and more, acceptance of the LGBT community is becoming the favored stand in politics. A known Conservative judge just recently ruled against an anti-LGBT law that requires students and staff of the University of North Carolina (UNC) to use the bathroom of their assigned gender from birth. The Washington Post reports that U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder made a surprising decision when he took the side of three transgenders involved in a pending lawsuit. The Conservative judge forbade the UNC to implement some provisions of the House Bill 2 (HB2) that disallow transgenders to use the restrooms and locker rooms of the gender they identify to. Judge Schroeder emphasized that transgenders don't pose any threat to anyone's safety because there is no evidence that their homosexuality makes them "more likely to engage in predatory behaviors than other segments of the population." Their rights should be honored and protected as well. As per Huffington Post, HB2 was signed by North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory last March that offered no protection for LGBT discrimination. The bill banned discrimination among businesses and companies on the basis of color, country of origin, race, religion, age or "biological" sex. It stands as the state's standards and no local governments can pass any nondiscrimination policy that goes beyond the HB2's scope which currently does not enclose the LGBT community. Gov. McCrory has since received backlash from signing the said anti-LGBT law and has been suffering from polls on his re-election bid for North Carolina governor against rival Roy Cooper. To add fuel to the fire, he has released a controversial ad early this week that implies transgenders are involved in child molestation and rape (via WRAL). The ad was titled "The Truth About Roy Cooper" and features a sexual assault victim, Gina Little. She recalls, "At nine, I was molested by a teenager...When I found out that President Obama and Roy Cooper want to force school children to share the same locker room, shower and restroom with someone who claims to be the opposite sex, I was horrified." This drew criticism because it clearly implied that transgenders are potential child molesters. Early on May, Democrat Roy Cooper announced his opposition of the HB2 law. He said that the anti-LGBT law has negatively affected North Carolina's economy and reputation. "Set politics aside and undo this discriminatory law now," he said as quoted by Towel Road. In your opinion, what is the state of acceptance of the LGBT community in North Carolina and American society? Sound off your thoughts in the Comments section and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. Adult Swim offering "Rick And Morty" Season 3 by creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon could see a dangerous backlash on Rick Sanchez. Fans of the Adult Swim series expect Rick Sanchez to bust out of maximum security prison but the Galactic Federation, under the directive of a villainous, mastermind may bring grief in "Rick And Morty" Season 3. When "Rick And Morty" Season 2 finale ended, fans of the Adult Swim series saw Rick Sanchez under restraint and being led to a stint at the most secure prison in the galaxy. Parent Herald cites a conversation between Den Of Geek and Dan Harmon where the Adult Swim series co-creator made the assurance Rick Sanchez won't stay too long in prison. Got nothing to do today? Good. Rick & Morty Streaming Marathon - Every Episode - All Week https://t.co/k4DdlpVUNl pic.twitter.com/woUzAqgC9P Rick and (((Morty))) (@RickandMorty) September 1, 2016 Dan Harmon assured fans of the Adult Swim series that "Rick And Morty" Season 3 will not be completely spent on the fallout of mad scientist Rick Sanchez spending time in prison. However, Movie Pilot makes a strong case of why fans of the Adult Swim series should remain vigilant in "Rick And Morty" Season 3. Was gonna try 1 ep. of Rick and Morty before going to bed... 6 episodes later, Rick Sanchez is my idol. Tomorrow night the binge continues. Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) August 15, 2016 The media outlet cites a "Rick And Morty" theory that the Galactic Federation will not take kindly to Rick Sanchez escaping maximum security prison. As a result, the Galactic Federation under directives from a mysterious mastermind will go after Rick Sanchez and all his versions in the multiverse. #gamedevelopment #game 'Rick & Morty' Creator & Former Epic Producer Form VR Studio, Squanchtendo https://t.co/k3gjOSIb54 JustinRoiland Game Dev News (@GameDevel0p) August 25, 2016 Interestingly, another "Rick And Morty" theory proposes that Rick Sanchez will receive help from Gromflomite C-137 Krombopulos Michael (who is alive and killing) to skip prison. Because an escape by Rick Sanchez is a mockery of the Galactic Federation's credibility, "Rick And Morty" Season 3 could see the Fed at Rick's tail. The theory proposes that this will bring the fabled Liz Sanchez, former wife of Rick, into the picture as the mastermind of an elite squad of villains whose only goal is to capture all version of Rick Sanchez in the multiverse. Of course "Rick And Morty" Season 3 is still expected to make time for S3 guest star Vin Diesel and that touted trip to Hawaii as Parent Herald reports. Adult Swim is projected to air the "Rick And Morty" Season 3 premiere in the last quarter of 2016. Are you looking forward to seeing Liz Sanchez and Vin Diesel when Adult Swim brings in "Rick And Morty" Season 3? Two nations are having a crisis on pregnancy. Italy is launching a Fertility Day campaign to urge women to get pregnant since the birth rate is declining, while Venezuela is doing the opposite. Clinics in this South American country are offering "sterilization day" to ensure that women won't get pregnant. Both instances address one issue despite the differences in circumstances: being pregnant is very costly for many families. On Sept. 22, the government of Italy will spearhead the Fertility Day campaign to encourage young women to get pregnant and help improve on the country's dwindling birth rate. Quartz reports that campaign posters and advertisements in relation to Fertility Day have cropped up on the internet early on. But the drive has resulted in a backlash because the ads have been done in bad taste. Some cite the context of the Fertility Day campaign as "offensive, sexist and violent" to women, per this Twitter post. This particular ad says, "Beauty has no age. But fertility does." Should I really explain why I find the #fertilityday offensive, sexist and violent? Shame on @bealorenzin pic.twitter.com/jQLN4Wx2A6 elena biserna (@elenabiserna) August 31, 2016 Italian women have been delaying pregnancy or are choosing not to have babies because there is a lack of proper policies in the government to help support women's cause. As it is, mothers don't get a lot of benefits from the government when daycare, children's health care and education are expensive. Worse, working moms are also not expected to return to work after giving birth. Some companies in Italy can fire women if they get pregnant, per CBS News. If mothers don't work, how can they afford to support their children with just their husband's income? How can they advance in their career, if they wish to also do this aside from being a mom? Meanwhile, in Venezuela, women are trying to avoid pregnancy for a somewhat similar issue in relation to economics. Many families cannot afford food and medicine, let alone baby items and needs. But beyond these, there's also a social unrest in Venezuela as crime is high and the political climate is volatile, per Fox News Latino. Many believe the time is not right to bring a child into the world. But because they cannot abort babies nor use contraception, due to stringent Venezuelan government laws and culture, clinics are reportedly conducting "sterilization day" operations for women. The report notes that the slots for this are limited, but clinics already have over 500 women in the waiting list. Learn more about Venezuela's "sterilization day" in the video below. Knitted umbilical ties are becoming a baby fashion fad in Australia, but doctors are warning parents about its potential dangers. While some think the accessory poses no harm to infants, experts say the decorative piece might lead to an infection. Mothers in Australia are knitting personalized umbilical ties to adorn their newborns. The DIY fashion accessory is supposed to be tied on the umbilical cord stump until this piece falls off, which usually happens after a week. Some 80 percent of moms are apparently in the habit of clamping their baby's umbilical cord stump, per Courier Mail. But the newest fashion trend, which replaces regular plastic clamps, is making it more enticing for moms. The report further notes that knitted umbilical ties tutorials have increasingly become popular on the internet, as many share their patterns and design ideas online. Thus, doctors are raising the alarm about the dangers of going about this the wrong way. One doctor, Gino Pecoraro, expressed that the knitted umbilical ties could become easily wet and covered in pee and poop, whereas regular plastic clamps can be sterilized and are easier to clean. The knitted umbilical tie, though pretty to look at, could gather dirt that can seep through the umbilical cord's stump, when this should always be kept clean and dry. The area around the stump is sensitive and can be easily irritated. A photo posted by Julie Bell (@blissful.herbs) on Aug 29, 2016 at 6:33pm PDT However, some moms insist they have used knitted umbilical ties on their babies without any problems before and the plastic clamp doctors recommend apparently looks uncomfortable on the baby. "It has nothing to do with fashion," said mom Amelia Robertson, via News Corp. Australia. The personalized pretty designs of the knitted umbilical ties are just a bonus. The American Pregnancy Org cites swelling, redness, pus, bleeding and smelly discharge in the umbilical cord as signs of infection, apart from the baby's obvious pain. If not attended to, an infected umbilical cord could lead to series and life-threatening infection. Always consult with your pediatrician to be better guided, including using a knitted umbilical tie for the baby. Do you know that the U.S. Fire Departments respond to an average of 3,970 structure fires in school-related properties every year? As a matter of fact, almost 71 percent of these school-related property fires started in the cooking area or kitchen of dormitories, sorority and fraternity houses and other on-and-off-campus housing. In addition, almost 86 percent of structure fires in college campuses are linked to kitchen appliances. Based on the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) recent report titled, "Structure Fires in Dormitories, Fraternities, Sororities and Barracks," modern dormitories are more at risk for cooking-related fires due to its in suite-design apartments. To celebrate the Campus Fire Safety Month this September, the NFPA, in partnership with The Center for Campus Fire Safety (The Center), will be hosting an online Campus Fire Safety Quiz & Sweepstakes (Quiz). The Quiz, which will be available online from Sept. 1 to 30 on The Center's website, is the organizations' second national campaign that aims to raise awareness about the dangers of cooking fires among college campuses and other school-related housing. The quiz called, "What Kind of Cook are You in the Kitchen?," will reportedly make students aware of unsafe practices, as well as make them learn the proper and safe ways to cook meals, which could reduce the risks of fires and fire-related injuries. According to NFPA Outreach and Advocacy vice president Lorraine Carli, the campaign will also encourage students to learn about the preventive measures in cases of fire. Aside from the students, the campaign also aims to educate parents and educators about the dangers of unsafe cooking. Meanwhile, the organizations also revealed that the students who can complete the Quiz will enter a sweepstakes raffle. Two winners will then be randomly picked to win a $500 American Express gift card. So, are you ready to take the Quiz? For more additional information about NFPA and The Center's campaign, please check out the Campus Fire Safety website. The consequences of Zika virus outbreak grow as time passes. The world is facing a shortage of doctors and medical specialists trained to treat babies with multiple Zika-related birth defects. There is a shortage of neurologists trained to care for babies with Zika-related brain damage, particularly in rural areas, USA Today reported. Before the Zika virus outbreak, the United States is already in need of around 11 percent more neurologists than the ones currently operating in the country, according to a 2013 study from the American Academy of Neurology. Ann Tilton, a child neurologist in New Orleans and fellow at the American Academy of Neurology, said children with Zika-related brain defects require "an incredible amount of care" from multiple medical specialists such as occupational therapists and intensive, hands-on care from physical therapists, among others. Aside from microcephaly (a condition where babies have abnormally small heads and incomplete brain development), children affected with Zika can also have seizures and joint deformities, which makes them unable to fully use their arms and legs. Hearing loss and eye problems in babies are associated with Zika as well. Nowadays, children with seizures usually have a three to six-month wait to have appointments with pediatric neurologists, according to Edward McCabe, who serves as the medical director of the non-profit organization March of Dimes. Seizures and developmental delays can occur in Zika-affected babies in the weeks and months post-birth even though they don't have microcephaly, Scientific American reported. Experts found that Zika virus can remain in the babies' system two months after birth. The child displayed brain impairment by the time they turn six months, indicating that the virus stays longer in babies' bodies and causes problems to their health later on. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends regular assessments of babies exposed to the Zika virus in utero, according to Miami Herald. This involves tracking several factors such as head size, their ability to feed, and vision and hearing responses. These things can be tracked by regular visits and comprehensive communication between doctors and parents. Doctors advised children to have nine visits to physicians in the first 15 months of their life. Low-income families with Zika-exposed babies, however, have a harder time complying with regular preventive screenings and services. Medical care for the infants doesn't stop there. As Zika-exposed babies grow up, they have to undergo multiple health services such as speech therapy, rehab, and early intervention. Calls for a temporary halting of the proposed Costco/Lincoln Premium Poultry Chicken Processing Plant were denied by Judge Geoffrey Hall Thursday afternoon in Dodge County District Court. The Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Nebraska Communities United (NCU), filed a suit about a month ago stating that the 900-plus acres of farmland blighted for tax incremental financing (TIF) was done illegally. The issue at hand deals with a plot of 400 acres, said Brian Newton, General Manager of the Department of Utilities and interim City Administrator. Their contention is that 400 of those (acres) are rural and agricultural, he said. Newton said the defense (city of Fremont) argued that state statute allows agricultural land to be blighted and substandard, and that a similar process happened years ago with Eagle Distributing, Inc., to enable tax incremental financing. The first step with TIF is that you have to have the land blighted and substandard, he said. After that the Council can review the development plan and move forward. Judge Hall ultimately denied the motion for a temporary injunction stating that the plaintiffs didnt meet their burden of proof in regard to proving illegal activity. In addition, the NCU argued that federal and state due-process violations were made in regard to Fremont City Council Public Hearings, Newton said. Oral arguments were heard from both the plaintiffs and defense. Newton said that plaintiffs argued that Council members had their minds made up about which way they would vote before the July 12 meeting that designated the blighted land. If you look at the petition they filed, they say that because the Council voted 8-0 (in favor) that they were predisposed to vote that way, he said. Basically they are saying that they (Council) had their mind made up. One email the plaintiffs got through discovery (swapping case information) said they were supportive of the project. The defense argued that the council broke no rules in terms of discussing the poultry processing plant. Newton said that public meeting laws enable Council members to discuss issues with the public, and amongst themselves, as long as theres no quorum. Hall is currently taking both arguments into consideration, and both parties asked for an accelerated trial schedule, one that will end with a bench trial overseen by Hall. Back in 2012, Angela Formosa from London gave birth to adorable conjoined twins Ruby and Rosie Formosa by Caesarean section. The conjoined twins were separated by doctors after few hours of delivery. Four years passed, now the twin sisters are very excited to start school. Ruby and Rosie Formosa of Bexleyheath London, now 4-year-old, were born with attached part of intestines and abdomen. When the doctors discovered that the twins were conjoined, immediately they told the twins' parents, Daniel and Angela Formosa, that the twins had a small probability of survival. In spite of the tension and little hope about the lives of the twin, the operation went through and it was successful. The doctors and twin spent five hours for the emergency separation surgery in Great Ormond Street Hospital of London. Through that operation, the twin sisters are now enjoying healthy and happy lives. They are quite excited and thrilled to go to school in September. In fact, they have already met their teachers a number of times and have loved them already. "When I was pregnant I didn't think I'd ever see their first day at school," Mrs. Formosa said. But now they are actually really excited about starting school, according to Fox News. LOOK: Formerly Conjoined Twins Have Their First Day of School! https://t.co/gg5sjRE3wd pic.twitter.com/hkrR6qSAoP FoxNewsInsider (@FoxNewsInsider) September 1, 2016 Even the pediatric surgeon in GOSH, Professor Paolo De Coppi, expressed how happy he was about the latest achievement of the twins, The guardian reported. "We're thrilled that Rosie and Ruby are starting school this September," Professor De Coppi said. Mrs. Formosa said that the twin sisters are very similar, very bubbly girls, very determined, love reading and headstrong which she knew all along since there were just in her belly as the way they kept surviving and growing. She also said that the girls are looking forward to anything messy activities, painting, playing around the schoolyard and drawing. And because you have the money and success attached to your name, doesn't mean you don't have a heart. This is what fans are saying to Angelina Jolie's surprise visit to two children who were desperately trying to see an old toy get a new home. A garage sale in a Toluca Lake, California suburb, where twin boys' Allen and Brandon Alexander had put up on display a huge teddy bear for fifty dollars, was a quiet success after Angelina Jolie stopped over and took the load off the brothers by paying for the stuffed toy. Although it was a sort of surprise for everyone who knew who the star was, the people present didn't really have the time to scream nor jump for joy upon seeing Angelina at that moment, says Yahoo! Instead, the star and her daughter Shiloh even commended the brothers for a job well done, as their conversation can be heard on a YouTube video posted by the children's father, Tim. Their mother, Karen, also introduced herself to Angelina Jolie as well as their father, while holding the camera as proof of this rare on-site celebrity encounter. Jolie's driver also couldn't resist joining in on the fun. Angelina Jolie's daughter, Shiloh, was just candid with the entire experience. She was seen smiling all throughout, and stood close to her mother, according to the Daily Mail. One could tell how the award-winning actress/director easily brought smiles to the brothers when she paid double for "Big Bear". Though the twins had no idea who Angelina Jolie was at that time, pretty sure their parents couldn't wait to let them know who she was afterward. Not just generous, Angelina Jolie also went to the trouble of hauling the big toy bear unto the back of her car with the children. Say, if you were one of those boys who sold out a used toy to someone like Angelina Jolie (and you knew who she was), wouldn't you feel giddy inside as well? Let us know in the comments below! Every movie throughout time certainly makes it enjoyable with villains around. Although the "Doctor Strange" movie doesn't show in cinemas until a few months from now, every bit of information regarding Benedict Cumberbatch's latest role and the villains is as every bit interesting to know, especially among fans of the "Sherlock" actor. Major players of the Doctor Strange movie not only include big names such as Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benedict Wong (Marco Polo), to name a few. Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) has already been named as Strange's big fiend to battle, but numerous sources believe that there's more to his being Kaecilius in the said movie, according to a Yahoo! post. A recent clip of the Doctor Strange movie had been the talk on the Web a few days ago, where fans can see Mikkelsen talking about how his villainous role came to be in the film adaptation. As what Kevin Feige revealed about the villains being called as the Zealots, Kaecilius and his buddies are out to bring everyone presently living to the "other side". And people have a huge idea as to what that side ought to be, right? Varied Doctor Strange concept art were also featured in the snippet, and fan reactions have favored what Marvel has to offer for the upcoming movie. Remember the first Doctor Strange trailer with its mind-boggling visual effects? Fans would likely expect a lot more than that when the movie hits cinemas this November 4. Still, Mads Mikkelsen playing Kaecilius could also turn out to be a servant of Dormammu, a more dangerous spiritual villain, says the Radio Times. Apart from Mads Mikkelsen, other actors who would be playing a villain role in Doctor Strange also include Zara Pythian as Zealot. Actress Amy Landecker (Transparent) is also part of the movie, however, in a yet unnamed role. Doctor Strange continues to enrich the plot even more with its latest twists. Stay tuned for more 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 Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The 107th Holy Convocation of the Church of God in Christ will be held from November 3-11, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri and as a concerned progressive Christian of the millennial generation, I implore you that during this week of meetings, worship services and workshops that you lead this aggregation of people outside of the Edward Jones Dome toward the seats of governmental power in the city of Ferguson, the city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri and demand justice on behalf of the family of Michael Brown. Growing up in the institutional Black Church, I understand that as an institution that it was instrumental in the liberation of Africans enslaved on these shores both in the visible and invisible church as well as the liberation of the descendants of these same African slaves who never experienced the emancipation of their own bodies from the bondage of white racism and chattel slavery. I also understand that the Black Church, as an institution, has held the nexus of pneumatological power from the inception of this country as well as possession of a prophetic voice that produced both a Martin Luther King and a Bishop Charles Mason, a Malcolm X and a Bishop Gilbert Patterson, a Jarena Lee and a Jacqueline McCollough, a Prathia Hall and a Gertrude Stacks, a Thomas Dorsey and a Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. To plan a national convention that provides an economic boost to the city of St. Louis as much as $35 million in years past , but potentially miss the power of your presence to be in the city of St. Louis at such a time as this is the equivalent of Peter missing the Holy Spirit multiple times leading toward the conversion of Cornelius; to potentially ignore the plight of your own brothers and sisters a mere 12 miles away in Ferguson is tantamount to standing at the foot of cross and watching Jesus suffer not just a spiritual crucifixion, but a political lynching and say nothingand do nothing! We sit in churches week after week and hear about our own sisters and brothers succumbing to oppressive systems of politics and education, race and religion and we do nothingwe say nothing. Bishop Blake, et. al., now is your time and your opportunity to do something about it. The time is now to utilize the power of the Holy Ghost and the possession of the prophetic voice to turn the world upside down. I always look forward to the Keep Nebraska Beautiful Conference, its a time for learning, sharing and networking with other professionals who work to improve our local environments. This year, the annual meeting was held on Aug. 24-25 in the Historic Haymarket District in Lincoln and the theme of the conference was The Hard Work of Doing Good Well. This is how the theme was explained in the conference brochure: According to Doing Good Well author, Willie Cheng, charity is no longer simply about Just Doing Good but Doing Good Well. We all want to be inspired to do good in the world. But feeling good about what we do isnt enoughwe need to push ourselves and the organizations we support to ensure that our efforts actually do lasting, sustainable and respectful good. The cultivation of a clear purpose, with results that are measured and clearly documented can result in the expansion of programs, volunteers and sponsorsin other wordsDoing Good Well. The presenters, and the information they shared, acknowledged the good we do in our individual communities and that is important to note. However, they also shared information on the processes and steps involved in doing those good works well. At Keep Fremont Beautiful we have implemented programs that had all kinds of good intentions and the programs themselves performed well for a number of years. One example of a KFB program that performed well and then succumbed to changing conditions and attitudes was the School Neighborhood Litter Clean Ups. These litter clean ups were part of the yearly Keep America Beautiful Great American Clean Up that is held each year from mid-March through May. The original program had students from each participating school cleaning up litter in their neighborhood and then returning the bag of litter to their school for proper disposal. Participation dropped with every passing year not a lasting program. This past April, KFB offered the schools the option of cleaning up litter on the school grounds. KFB supplied bags for collecting the litter and the school was responsible for disposing of the accumulated debris. No names were submitted to KFBno prizes were awarded no measurements were taken. It was a pretty simple option for the Great American Cleanup. Each school could decide which students would participate and what time of day best fit into their individual class schedules. One school determined that they would conduct their litter cleanup during the after school programwhich was a good option for their school. So how does this relate to the conference? My take is that each affiliate needs to examine the programs they offer and determine if that particular program is designed in such a way as to offer lasting, sustainable and respectful good. So are the school cleanups doing good? Sure they arecleaning up litter each spring is a good thing. Is there a way to make this good activity a doing good well activity with lasting, sustainable and respectful good as the goal? The answer to that question yes. We have a great example of doing good well right here in Fremont. Trinity Lutheran School signed an agreement with Keep Nebraska Beautiful to become a Litter Free School Zone. This agreement acknowledges that Trinity has accepted the responsibilities for keeping their school grounds clean and litter free. As an adopter of this agreement, Trinity has agreed to check the campus grounds regularly and remove litter from the property. Trinity further agrees to call/mail/or email the Keep Nebraska Beautiful office a quarterly update on how many cleanups were completed and how many students, teachers and any other volunteers participated. And one last promise, Trinity will promote and organize any campus events as litter-free events whenever possible. The work is lastingthey have adopted this areathey know their responsibilities and they perform their duties on a continuous basis. It is sustainable as they have a ready work force always willing to get out of class and run around. Trinity is doing respectful goodas a group, they are doing good well. Arlington, Logan View, Howells/Dodge and North Bend Elementary have also signed the Keep Nebraska Beautiful Litter Free School Zone Agreement. We at Keep Fremont Beautiful appreciate every school that has entered into this program. We also appreciate every school that conducts a yearly Great American Cleanup in the Springyou are doing good! Now we challenge your school to do good well. End litter on your campuscall KFB at 402-941-6122 for more information on the KNB litter-free opportunity. Sue Reyzlik is executive director of Keep Fremont Beautiful. She can be reached at 1005 N. Clarkson St., Fremont, or at 402-941-6122. Patna: Despite clear signs of water receding in various rivers in Bihar, the death toll in the flood-ravaged districts went up to 168 following the three new deaths on Thursday. While two deaths were reported from Lakhisarai, a third one reportedly got washed away in Samastipur district, officials said. In Patna, water level was down by at least six inches from last week and many people in Digha area were seen returning to their homes or what was left of them. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Shahnawaz Hussain ripped into Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying he had utterly failed in providing relief to flood victims. "This is a glaring example of massive failure of the Nitish government. Relief works are far from being satisfactory despite the fact that Bihar has faced worse flooding situation in the past. The government has failed in providing relief to the victims and had it not for the NRDF workers, the casualty due to flood would be much higher today," Rudy said. Mocking the Nitish administration of playing politics over flood, the BJP leader said that in spite of the fact that Bihar had 'two Chief Ministers', read Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, the duo could not pull off satisfactory relief work in the state. Hussain, on the other hand, chastised the Chief Minister for trying to put the blame on the Central government saying the flood disaster was entirely the doing of Nitish Kumar who, he said, had no idea about governance or administration. "He (Kumar) very conveniently blamed the Farakka Barrage for the flood in Bihar. If he is really sincere about his opinion then he should talk to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and ask her to demolish the barrage to protect Bihar from flooding each year," he said. Russian President Putin urges compromise on Iran oil production 09/02/16 Source: Press TV Russian President Vladimir Putin has said a potential oil output freeze deal among oil-exporting countries should involve some compromise on Irans production levels. I think that from the point of view of economic expediency and logic, it would be right to find some sort of compromise on the Iranian output level, Putin told Bloomberg. Saudi Arabia's Oil Policy (cartoon by Javad Takjou, Iranian daily Ghanoon) Putin said countries now recognize that Iran should be allowed to continue raising production as sanctions have been lifted against the country. Iran is starting from a very low position, connected with the well-known sanctions in relation to this country, the Russian president said, adding, It would be unfair to leave it on this sanctioned level. Oil-exporting countries have been seeking a deal to cap production levels in an attempt to prevent a further drop in global oil prices, which in recent years saw a fall from a high of 147 dollars a barrel to a low of around 25 dollars. Saudi Arabia, however, has repeatedly hindered such a deal by insisting that Iran agree to the same low production level as that assigned for other countries. Blaming Saudi Arabia Putin further said, I would very much like to hope that all the participants in this market, who want to maintain stable and fair world prices for energy resources, will at the end of the day take the necessary decision. Elsewhere in his remarks, a transcript of which was published on the Kremlins website, the Russian president held Saudi Arabia responsible for failed attempts by OPEC and non-OPEC oil exporters to reach a pact on stabilizing production levels. It wasnt us who rejected a freeze on production volumes, it was our Saudi partners who at the last minute changed their point of view and decided to take a time out in taking this decision, Putin pointed out. He said he would convey his position to Saudi Arabias deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he may meet on the sidelines of a G20 gathering in China this weekend. If Prince Salman and I talk on this subject, I will of course lay out our position again: we believe that it (an output freeze) is the right decision for global energy. Iran has frequently said that it is ready to join an oil freeze plan that has been proposed by several key peer producers to help stabilize the market. The Islamic Republic has, however, argued that any such deal should take into account the special position of the country, which had been under sanctions impacting its oil production levels for a number of years. In early June, Reuters reported a rapid surge in Irans oil exports. It said shipping data showed that the countrys oil exports were close to the pre-sanctions level of 2.5 million barrels per day, stressing that it had been able to improve its export capabilities at a much faster pace than anticipated. Iran had made it clear before that it would not join a deal to cap production levels before reaching the pre-sanctions level. Iran says its oil exports have increased to as high as 2.5 million barrels per day - a landmark development that could mean the country has already regained a crucial global oil market share that it had lost as a result of multiple years of sanctions. In mid-January, a series of economic sanctions were removed after a deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - was implemented. The sanctions barred foreign investments in the Iranian oil industry and also limited a low ceiling of 1 million bpd on the countrys oil exports. 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 Edmodo plays a different riff on the education Learning Management System (LMS). Instead of catering to business or higher education, Edmodo is firmly rooted in K-12 education, and rather than offering tools for creating standalone online courses, its electronic features are complementary of traditional classes and conducive to blended learning initiatives. Best of all, students, teachers, and parents can create accounts for free. (Edmodo offers school districts custom SIS integrations and custom in-person training for a fee.) In addition to hosting the largest K-12 social learning network in the world, Edmodo (Visit Site at Edmodo)(Opens in a new window) offers an extensive electronic knowledge base (Spotlight) and a series of low-stakes micro-assessments designed to boost performance on Common Core standards (Snapshots). Edmodo's approach seems to have struck a chord. With more than 80 million members, the platform shares the company of only Blackboard, Instructure Canvas LMS, and Moodle when it comes to reach. Third-Party Integrations Unlike peer Schoology (Visit Site at Schoology)(Opens in a new window) , Edmodo does not support the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard, through which administrators might connect it with existing LMS. That said, I suspect this is more a concern for universities, many of which have invested in homegrown LMS, than Edmodo's core business, school districts. For example, Google Classroom, which is increasingly popular in K-12, also lacks LTI support. Furthermore, Edmodo integrates with the most popular K-12 School Information Systems (SIS), including Microsoft SDS, Classlink, Clever, and OneRoster. Edmodo also works with Identity Automation to offer custom SIS integrations, for a fee. Edmodo also provides tight integrations with Microsoft and Google that allow students to log in using Google or Microsoft credentials (via SSO) and access Google Drive or Microsoft Office 365 libraries within the LMS. (In fact, for mixed platform districts, Edmodo allows students to log into both platforms simultaneously.) The platform automatically creates digital copies of Drive and 365 documents, which students may submit as assignments. Connections, Communities, and Messaging Edmodo's interface ought to look familiar to anyone with a Facebook account. The most prominent feature is the Stream, which looks reassuringly similar to Facebook's activity feed. Unlike Facebook, however, Edmodo is organized around connectionsnot friendsand, in order to preclude cyberbullying, students can only post to classes. In addition to connections, Edmodo supports Groups, which can be classes or ad hoc learning communities, and Communities, broader subject-area groups organized by various publishers. For example, a Professional Development (PD) directory makes it easier to find groups and members across a school district. Edmodo LMS Communities ought to be a resource for teachers. If I, as an educator, had a civics question, I would start by taking it to the Social Studies community, which has more than 500,000 participants. Over the past year, Edmodo has also released a Messaging function to facilitate one-to-one and small-group communication between teachers, students, and parents. Messaging consolidates all school-related communication while protecting individuals' personal addresses and phone numbers, ideal for parent-teacher communication. To obviate cyberbullying, Edmodo integrates strict safety controls for Messagingand across all other platform communications. Educators determine who can message whom, and students cannot contact one another directly unless a teacher is present in the Group. Notes, Alerts, and Assignments Naturally, teachers can do more from the stream than students or their parents can. They can filter posts by social proximity (connections, as opposed to connections of connections), author (themselves or their students), or post type. Posts take a variety of forms, including notes that contain attachments, such as links or files. With a new group copy feature, educators can repurpose an entire group's posts and resources to jumpstart a subsequent class. Educators can use the stream to post assignments, complete with descriptions, due dates, and attachments. They can also ask students to resubmit assignments, and they can bulk-grade assignments based on who has and has not turned something in. With the release of Assignments Center, teachers and students can easily track what's been assigned or submitted. Teachers can see who has and hasn't reviewed an assignment via Read Receipts, and students can submit their work directly from Google or Microsoft. The platform automatically sorts assignments by state (ready to grade, not turned in, graded) and records grades in the Edmodo progress book. Outside of assignments, students can like replies, pin posts, and include @ mentions. Parents, meanwhile, can use the Edmodo Parent apps (available for both Android and iOS) to track their children's due dates and classroom activity or even sign up for emails or SMS updates, ideal for bookmarking open houses. Quizzes, Polls, and Snapshots Edmodo also features quizzes, which can be saved to and loaded from your library (Collection), or created on the fly. The process is dead simple: Name it, set a time limit, create some questions (they can be a mix of true/false, multiple choice, matching, short answer, or fill in the blank), and assign it to a student or group. Alternatively, teachers can send out a single question to a student or group using polls. Perhaps the most interesting feature for public K-12 educators is Snapshot. By assigning low-stakes micro-assessments (typically just a few questions), educators can gather formative, actionable data about their students' progress toward Common Core standards (Math or ELA, grades 3-12). All the teacher has to do is select the group(s) and standard(s) she wants to assign her class. After her students respond, she can see which students met the standard, which didn't, and which were right on the edge. Edmodo automatically reassigns Snapshot to students who are behind or borderline, and it also offers recommendations for free resources that students can use outside of class. Edmodo LMS Spotlight (Beta) Since I last reviewed Edmodo, the company has rolled its app store (Edmodo Store) into Spotlight, which has grown to more than 50,000 mostly free, teacher-submitted educational resourceslesson plans, worksheets, professional development courses, and even third-party apps. Edmodo describes Spotlight as Pinterest, Yelp, and Etsy rolled into one. I'm not sure it's all that, but it certainly is an interesting idea. To test Spotlight, I shared the Ben Franklin Papers(Opens in a new window) as a free resource, which I tagged as a link (Resource Type), suitable for 12th graders (Grade), studying the English Language Arts (Subject), particularly literature (Subject Area). Edmodo automatically recommended a host of possible Common Core standards, but knowing little of Common Core, I left those standards untagged. The UI still needs a little workI missed the Title and Description fields, and I had to circle backbut once I entered the basics, I was able to publish my resource. Edmodo LMS Appropriate for (Small) Business Although Edmodo is primary marketed as an LMS for schools, companies that conduct in-house training sessions might also find the tool useful. It won't work as an LMS for training companies that license out portals to clients, but it should be fine for companies that conduct occasional training sessions that need to be completed for compliance or certificate reasons. Edmodo has also begun to offer online Professional Development courses via partnerships with New York Partners for Technology Innovation, and the University of Virginia WISE. While those courses are education-focusedsome of the most popular include Tech Tools for ELL, Full STEAM Ahead, and Digital Citizenshipone could imagine how they might expand to include more instrumentalist courseware. Business users will appreciate Edmodo's single sign-on (SSO) support, inviting interface, and low price point, but don't expect Edmodo to be the LMS for the Fortune 500. It doesn't offer the storage capacity, the live-session functionality, or assessment-management system now available from competitor Schoology. That said, Edmodo could serve as an online business learning platform through which to deliver course content to a small group of professionals. LMS Meets Social Media Network Edmodo is one part education LMS and two parts academic social media network. Certainly, educators can administer, track, share, and report on e-learning, but given that Edmodo is a platform for K-12 schools, e-learning is tertiary to traditional coursework. While you could compare its ecosystem with that of Blackboard (Visit Site at Blackboard for Business)(Opens in a new window) , or its gamification features with those of Moodle (Visit Site at Moodle)(Opens in a new window) , Edmodo better aligns with Schoology, which is a PCMag Editors' Choice for pairing the face of a social network with the foundation of an enterprise LMS. Nevertheless, Edmodo is comparable to Schoology, and features like Spotlight might well endear it to many K-12 users. Moreover, given that Edmodo is free to students, parents, and teachers, there's little reason not to try it out. Edmodo LMS 4.0 (Opens in a new window) See It Visit Site at Edmodo (Opens in a new window) MSRP $1.00 Pros Affordable. Facebook-like interface with a promising new Messaging feature. Student, Teacher, and Parent views. Useful third-party integrations. Spotlight makes sharing resources simple. Common Core micro-assessments. View More Cons Lacks rigorous assessment-management tools. While the platform integrates with various Student Information Systems, it does not support Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI). The Bottom Line One part education LMS and two parts academic social media network, Edmodo gives K-12 teachers, students, and parents everything they need to transform traditional classes into blended learning initiatives. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is said to be looking to sell its software division, which would include the business from its disastrous acquisition of Autonomy in 2011, according to news reports. The enterprise IT company that emerged from the breakup of Hewlett-Packard has been restructuring its operations recently, including a US$8.5 billion deal announced in May to spin off and merge its enterprise services business with CSC. A sale of the software business would leave the company focused largely on servers, networking, storage, business critical systems and technology services. HPE is aiming at a price of between $8 billion and $10 billion for the software unit, reported The Wall Street Journal, quoting a person familiar with the situation. Reuters also earlier reported talks by HPE with private equity firms, including highest bidder Thoma Bravo, to hive off the software business. HPE does not comment as a policy on rumors and speculation, a spokeswoman said Thursday evening. The sale is in the possible but not probable category, wrote Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, in an email. Companies are always evaluating their options, even if its to gauge the value of a business whose value isnt indicative in the public stock price, he added. The sale of the software business will also help HPE put behind it the controversial acquisition of Autonomy, a software company in the U.K. The undivided HP took a $8.8 billion charge in 2012, alleging serious accounting improprieties at Autonomy before the acquisition. The charges were denied by the former management of the software firm, leading to legal claims and counterclaims. HPEs software division had revenue last year of $3.6 billion down by about 8 percent from $3.9 billion in the previous year, a decline it attributed to customers transition to SaaS (software-as-a-service) subscriptions. The unit being offered for sale is focused on software for managing business operations, with the company planning to keep software businesses linked with parts of customers key technology infrastructuresuch as software-defined networking, WSJ said. If they were to sell their current software business, I would expect them to make new software acquisitions at the PaaS and IaaS layer, Moorhead wrote. They have to be in software in some way, the only question is how. U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) recently announced her staff will be holding local office hours in Dodge, Washington and Burt counties on Wednesday. These office hours will allow constituents to meet personally with Fischers staff to receive help with casework and other issues at the federal level. Tiffany Settles, Fischers constituent services representative and outreach coordinator, will be holding local office hours at the following times and locations: Keene Memorial Library, Fremont, 10-11 a.m.; Blair Public Library, 12:30-1:30 p.m.; and Tekamah Public Library, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Five years after a security breach forced the Linux Foundation to take kernel.org offline and to rebuild several of its servers, police have arrested a suspect in the case. Donald Ryan Austin, a 27-year-old computer programmer from El Portal, Florida, was arrested during a traffic stop on Aug. 28 based on a sealed indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of California in June. Austin is charged with intentionally damaging four protected servers operated by the Linux Foundation and one of its members in 2011. More specifically, the programmer is accused to have installed rootkit and trojan software on the servers in order to steal the credentials of authorized users connecting to them via SSH (Secure Shell). Austin allegedly accessed the servers using the credentials of a system administrator from the Linux Kernel Organization, a public benefit corporation in charge of distributing the Linux kernel and other open source software. The indictment identifies the Linux Kernel Organization system administrator whose credentials were abused as J.H. but does not specify how the credentials were stolen in the first place. J.H. might be John Hawley, known in the community as Warthog9, who at the time of the attack in 2011 was the kernel.org chief administrator. He was the one who announced the breach on the kernel.org users mailing list on Aug. 29, 2011. The indictment also mentions a member of the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board whose personal email server was allegedly compromised by Austin. He is identified in the indictment as P.A. but is likely Linux developer Hans Peter Anvin, known in the Linux community as HPA. He is mentioned as the owner of one of the affected servers in Hawleys August 2011 announcement. The affected Linux Foundation servers are identified in the indictment as Odin1, Zeus1, and Pub3, and the rootkit is named Phalanx. This information matches the details that were already publicly known about the breach. The kernel.org website, home of the Linux kernel, was offline for over a month between late August and early October 2011 as the affected servers were rebuilt. Austin appeared in a federal court in Miami on Monday and was released on bond Thursday. He is scheduled to appear in court for a new hearing in San Francisco, where the Linux Foundation is based, on Sept. 21. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of US$250,000. Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Inland area Starbucks, at least for coffee drinkers willing to part with their mobile phone numbers and something like a five-spot. The popular Halloween-colored beverage makes its official 13th season debut on Sept. 6, but customers can order it today by getting a PSL Fan Pass or, according to a news release, they can just stop by a Starbucks store. To get the pass, visit pslfanpass.com, where youll be asked to enter your mobile number. A test run at a Riverside Starbucks drive-through yielded a grand iced Pumpkin Spiced Latte for $4.95. Starbucks customers will still have to wait for Chile Mocha, the beverage seasoned with ancho and cayenne that goes on the fall menu beginning Tuesday. Contact the writer: fbuck@scng.com Wildomar City Council candidate Dustin Nigg apparently wont face a fight in his campaign for the District 2 seat up for election Nov. 8. The only other candidate to qualify for the ballot Linda Gonzales informed City Clerk Debbie Lee this week that she is dropping out of the race. Lee, however, said it is too late to take Gonzales name off the ballot and withdraw her candidate statement. Gonzales, a registered nurse who works as a lactation consultant, confirmed in an interview Thursday that she does not intend to campaign. I have some health issues that are concerning me, she said of her decision to withdraw. Yet the presence of her name on the ballot and her statement in the sample ballot pamphlet mailed to registered voters likely mean she will get some votes. Not everyones going to know (she withdrew) if they dont subscribe to The Press-Enterprise or get emails from the city, Wildomar Mayor Bridgette Moore said. For all intents and purposes, it still looks like shes running. Political consultant Lori Stone said in an emailed response to an inquiry that how many votes Gonzales receives depends on how well-known she is in the district. Its really hard to predict, Stone said. She will get votes. Moore also was spared a council campaign in the competition for the only other seat whose term ends this year. No other candidate filed and qualified for the District 4 ballot. As allowed by state law, her council colleagues appointed her to what will be her third four-year term in office. Like Gonzales, Nigg is a resident of The Farm, a subdivision that occupies much of District 2. Recognizing that Gonzales still will receive some votes, Nigg said he will conduct his campaign as planned, which will include placing signs and visiting residents door to door. Im going to beat her on the ground regardless of whether shes into it or not, said Nigg, 32, a Marine Corps reservist and defense contractor who has lived in the city since 2001. Enhancing public safety and fostering business opportunities are two of his goals in running for a council seat, he said. The Nov. 8 election will be the first in the citys history conducted by district after holding previous votes under the at-large system, in which anyone can cast a ballot for any candidate. A legal challenge alleging the citys voting method violated the California Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Latinos led the council to divide Wildomar into five districts rather than go through a costly court battle to defend the at-large system. Though the district system theoretically encourages participation, the opposite has occurred. Only three candidates qualified, fewer than any of the citys four previous elections. As a result of districts, one candidate won by default and the other faces no real competition. The council definitely, and myself, didnt want to go to districts, Moore said. We hoped it was going to encourage more people to run, but unfortunately in this election that didnt happen. Stone, the consultant, said, It shows its not going to work as proposed. Contact the writer: 951-368-9690 or michaelwilliams@scng.com Re: Leave Colin Kaepernick on the bench [Letters, Aug. 31]: I just finished reading the responses to your article regarding Colin Kaepernicks national anthem protest. Im certain there were some positive responses to his protest, but apparently you picked only the negative responses to reinforce your editorial opinion. Well, as a 71-year-old black Vietnam War veteran, I support Colin and the message he is trying to convey. Unlike your other respondents, who probably were never in the military, I gave four years of my life to protecting and defending the ideals of the anthem and the flag that they supposedly represent. I personally stand and salute the flag to pay tribute to the thousands of black men and women who have fought and died in every war and conflict that this country has engaged in since the Revolutionary War. Im a proud, patriotic black man, who understands what Colin was protesting, and who has lived and experienced the racism that exists in both the military and the country at large. If youve ever been to a sporting event or seen one on TV, all people do not stand or pay attention to the national anthem or Pledge of Allegiance, and thats their right. So, for all those hypocritical flag and country lovers, get over it. Jim Blackman Winchester Trumps immigration plan? After waiting 45 minutes for Donald Trump to present his immigration plan, no plan was presented. As to how Mexico will pay for the wall, the president of Mexico said he told Trump just the opposite. Trump again lies, and he has the nerve to accuse others of lying. John Hartung Menifee President Barack Obama says he supports a congressional panels recommendation to create a veterans health care system that coordinates government and private care. The recommendation is among a total of 18 issued in July by the Commission on Care. Congress created the panel following a scandal over long wait times for veterans who sought care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Obama told Congress in a letter sent Thursday that he strongly supports 15 of the panels 18 recommendations. He says the VA is already adopting many of the proposals as part of a continuing overhaul of the department. In its July report, the panel said the VA needs fundamental, dramatic change to improve the health care it provides to more than 9 million veterans a year. The issue of rave-style events being held at a San Bernardino County-owned property was broached Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting with Chairman James Ramos vowing to take action in the light of three deaths last month at a electronic summer music festival. We are going to revisit it, said Ramos, who said he was considering a moratorium on such events held at the county-owned San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore. We are in favor of bringing that item back to the board. Ramos statements came after Supervisor Janice Rutherford, during Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting, said she could not bring a new proposal before the board because her initial proposal failed due to lack of board quorum in June. Rutherford spoke about the issue Tuesday in the wake of three deaths that occurred at the HARD Summer Music Festival at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on July 30-31. At least six people have died at festival events since 2013. I obviously dont think the county should have these events at a county-owned facility anymore, said Rutherford. But I cant bring it up for reconsideration. One of my colleagues will have to bring it up for consideration. So, Ramos has stepped up to the plate. Like Rutherford, Ramos said the matter can be taken up after the next weekendlong Nocturnal Wonderland festival scheduled for Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-4. It is the last electronic dance show that promoter Live Nation can hold at the amphitheater under its three-year contract with the county approved by the board in January 2013. In the past three years, more than 100, possibly hundreds, of residents from Devore and as far away as Crestline have complained about excessive noise, traffic and loitering generated by the raves, according to Rutherford. Concert promoter Live Nation hosts Nocturnal Wonderland and its sister events, including Beyond Wonderland, at San Manuel. Under its contract with the county, Live Nation can host four rave-style events annually at the amphitheater, the largest open air venue in the contiguous U.S. Until the county is in a position to renegotiate, it is hoping Live Nation adequately addresses resident complaints about the noise, traffic, loitering and rampant drug use that the events attract. Rutherford said she does not know what measures Live Nation will take to address the complaints. We will have to wait and see what they actually do in September and whether that makes a difference, said Rutherford, adding that she is considering again bringing to the table a proposal to have the events end at 11 p.m. instead of 2 a.m., as the original contract mandated before it was amended per Live Nations request. Since 2013, two attendees of rave-style events held at the San Manuel Amphitheater died of drug overdoses. Arrel Cochon, 22, of Hollywood, died after attending the inaugural Nocturnal Wonderland event in 2013, and John Hoang Dinh Vo, 22, of San Diego, died after attending Beyond Wonderland in March of last year. Live Nation spokesman Victor Trevino did not respond to a telephone call and an e-mail Tuesday seeking comment. Rutherfords push to end the county contract with Live Nation in June failed due to lack of quorum. Supervisors Ramos and Josie Gonzales were absent, and Supervisor Curt Hagman was against terminating the Live Nation contract, saying revenue generated from the rave-style events supports improvements at other county parks. Devore residents who have led the charge in pushing the county to ban such events at the amphitheater voiced their concerns Tuesday. Money for parks is a poor excuse for promoting drug use and endangering lives, said Valerie Henry. Resident Kim Bridgewater said the higher the body count gets, the greater the countys liability. It doesnt make sense to put ourselves in such a big liability, Bridgewater said. Ramos said a task force to monitor rave-style events approved at the June board meeting should be formed and ready to go to work in September. Well look at all the options in front of us, which could include a moratorium on any future negotiations on any contracts coming forward to the county, Ramos said. Until then, Ramos said the county will be keeping a watchful eye on the outcome of Nocturnal Wonderland in September. Were going to be monitoring it real close, he said. Rutherford said it is not an option for such events to be so neighbor unfriendly. If the county is going to continue to host these events, there cannot be negative impacts on the people who live in the neighboring community, she said. And obviously, none of us want any concertgoers to die at these events. Contact the writer: jnelson@scng.com; @SBCountyNow on Twitter Firefighters say they have the Bogart fire burning north of Beaumont nearly surrounded Friday morning, Sept. 2. The fire, named for Bogart Park in Cherry Valley where it started, was 95 percent contained Thursday morning at 1,470 acres, according to a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department incident fact sheet. More than 500 firefighters have battled the fire, including helicopters, air tankers and bulldozers. Four firefighters have been injured battling the flames so far. The fire ignited about 12:25 p.m. Tuesday at Bogart Park in the city of Cherry Valley and rapidly grew to cover hundreds of acres. About 700 people were evacuated from their homes for about eight hours and then allowed back in as the fire grew to cover more than 1,000 acres. Firefighters believe the blaze was ignited by humans possibly juveniles in the area on Tuesday. They ask anyone with information about juvenile activity in the area before the fire started to call the arson hotline at 800-633-2836. #BogartFire UPDATE: 09/02/2016 The fire remains at 1,470 acres and is 95% contained. CAL FIRE Riverside (@CALFIRERRU) September 2, 2016 RELATED What happens to historical artifacts when fire comes? 1,250-acre Bogart fire caused by humans, officials say PHOTOS: Bogart fire Day 1| Day 2 Live blog: Heres the latest on the Bogart fire near Cherry Valley This map shows where the Bogart fire is burning in Cherry Valley 125-acre Holy Fire burning in the Cleveland National Forest http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Hanjin Shipping Co. lost its funding Wednesday, leaving its ships stranded outside ports in Southern California and around the world. The shipping giants stunning shutdown snarled its entire supply chain, from retailers waiting for Christmas goods to exporters trying to get shipments to Asia. Hanjin ships up to 20 percent of all LG products to the U.S. LG opened a warehouse in Fontana a year ago. The (shipping companies) are really losing money right now because world trade is down. There is too much capacity, said John Husing, chief economist for the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. The Inland Empire is one of fastest-growing regions for handling imported cargo in the country. Husing, however, said he doesnt expect a big slowdown in imports. Although the carriers are under pressure, the system itself is handling more containers, he said. When you look at the (import) data for the two ports, you are approaching record levels. Hanjin, which also owns a majority stake in the Port of Long Beachs largest terminal, advised freight brokers in some Asian ports Wednesday that it would no longer accept cargo. Uncertainty spread as Hanjin vessels were turned away from the ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach. What we dont know is if that cargo is going to go somewhere else, said Michael Gold, a spokesman for the Port of Long Beach. We dont know what (the company is) going to do. People are confused, and its a really dynamic situation. At this point we are monitoring the situation and working with our customers, Gold said. At least four ships were affected at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, said three Hanjin ships were turned back into international waters Wednesday afternoon: the Hanjin Constanza, the Hanjin Greece and the Hanjin Boston are off the coast. The former was set to dock in Long Beach, and the latter two in Los Angeles. Reuters reported the news first that a funding plan by the parent company that owns Hanjin was rejected by banks led by state-run Korea Development Bank. Hanjin vessels also reportedly faced the possibility of seizure at some ports. At the Port of Long Beach, where Hanjin owns a majority stake in Total Terminals International, operators stopped accepting delivery of Hanjin containers. A note posted on TTIs website said it would discontinue delivery of all Hanjin import containers until further notice. The big question now is what happens to the goods coming in and what happens to the ships, said Robert Krieger, president of Krieger Worldwide, a boutique custom broker and freight forwarder. Thursday, Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., South Koreas second-largest container line, told Bloomberg News it plans to deploy 13 more vessels to the U.S. and Europe to help ease cargo disruptions, a person familiar with the situation said. Contact the writer: ruranga@scng.com or @racheluranga Two years ago, Hemet artist Brenda Underwood began making a greeting card per day. Years ago, one of my granddaughters spent some time in the childrens wing at Loma Linda Medical Center, said Underwood, 67. I stayed overnight with her and saw firsthand how the children reacted to even small things that helped to brighten their day. She said volunteers and staff who read books, played music and sang with the children or talked to them seemed to become the highlight of their days. On Aug. 27, Underwood turned over her cache to Ella Moler, who hosts an annual Cards 4 Kidz program at the Hemet Valley Art Association art gallery. Dozens of volunteers stopped by throughout the day to personally stamp, color, cut and sign cards for patients at Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital. Underwood, who has been a member of the Hemet Valley Art Association for more than 30 years, wanted to do what she could to lift the childrens spirits. When I heard about this special card project for the children, I felt this was a way I could give back for the wonderful care and treatment my granddaughter received, Underwood said. Making these cards makes me smile and hopefully brings a smile to each child that receives one. Moler, who teaches a card-making class at the gallery, started contributing cards on her own many years ago. In 2014, she opened it up for others to join in and was able to provide 1,000 cards to the hospitals Volunteer Services Cards 4 Kidz program. Last year she delivered 1,400. The volunteer programs guidelines note that the hospital becomes a home away form home for many children while they go through treatments and recovery. Daily mail deliveries, with a card that showing others are thinking about them, is a positive distraction. Moler, who joined the Hemet Valley Art Association in 2006, provided lots of scraps and items left over from other classes to dress up the postcard-style greeting cards. The rubber stamps, colorful stickers and fancy card stock pieces are all materials Moler has been collecting and also bought with donations from other association members. Because of my time limitations, doing a card a day is more manageable than trying to do them all in a few weeks or a month, Underwood said. The longtime Hemet resident has had extensive formal training and has won awards in Hemet and Idyllwild. Underwoods artwork can be found in many places around the San Jacinto Valley, including murals at Little Lake Elementary School and the local hospital. She has had several of her pieces registered with the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and her works have graced the covers of several national magazines. In addition to more than 30 years with the Hemet Valley Art Association, Underwood also belongs to the Art Alliance of Idyllwild and is a founding member of the Diamond Valley Arts Council in Hemet. Contact the writer: dianerhodes.writer@gmail.com PHILADELPHIA GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump arrived in North Philadelphia on Friday as protesters gathered outside a church venue where he was to meet privately with African-American voters stirring visible unwelcome for the GOP presidential nominee in the City of Brotherly Love. Trump arrived in an SUV with a police motorcade down Broad Street, giving a brief wave before entering a back door of The View, a catering hall run by People For People, a nonprofit operated by the Greater Exodus Baptist Church at Broad and Brown. Before he arrived, Carla Griffin, 54, sat on her front porch at Brown and 13th Streets, wondering how anyone could take seriously his brief dip into Philadelphia. Hes an embarrassment. This is a photo opportunity for him, Griffin said. This is what politics has been reduced to. Supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton meanwhile assembled local leaders City Council President Darrell Clarke, Council members Helen Gym and Maria Quinones Sanchez, state Rep. Dwight Evans and church pastors to discuss Trumps divisive rhetoric, dangerous agenda and embrace of hate groups, according to a notice from Clintons campaign. Outside The View, Black Lives Matter activist Asa Khalif said protestors arrived early, creating signs for a solidarity march against Trump. The Rev. Herb Lusk II, pastor of the Greater Exodus Baptist Church, is a prominent conservative and former adviser to former President George W. Bush. But Lusk said Trumps event is a rental agreement with the nonprofit, not an invitation from him or his church. Lusk said he has not decided which candidate to support for president. Im like a lot of Americans who thinks the best candidates are not running, said Lusk, who told reporters he learned about the Trump event Thursday from the media. Protesters gathered outside the church hall before noon, some holding signs saying Slavery made America Great, a play on Trumps campaign Make America Great Again. As many as 100 Philadelphia police officers were assembled on North Broad near Fairmount. Bobby Farms of North Philadelphia said men of color must be out of their minds to support Trump. A tiger cant change his stripes. Erica Mines of the Philadelphia Coalition for Real Justice said her group came out to let Donald Trump know hes not welcome in our community. She said the GOP candidate is only interested in raping, pillaging and bringing nasty-a diseases into the community. Her group and Juntos, a Latino immigrant advocacy organization, prepared long cloth signs, stenciled with black chain-link and red brick fence designs and the words #wall off Trump. In a news release, Juntos spokesman Erika Almiron explained the group would use the sign to wall off the Trump visit, a response to Trumps insults, threats and his promises of mass deportation and building a border wall The only walls we need are to wall off hate. A brief scuffle developed when a white-haired Bucks County man, Jerry Lambert, held a sign proclaiming I love walls and Khalif snatched it away. After police broke up the confrontation, Lambert said he wanted Khalif arrested for assault. I came here to express my First Amendment rights, peacefully, Lambert told police. That was not peaceful. He then took the sign across the street to shout his support for Trump. Many protestors, including Khalif, called out black leaders who agreed to meet with Trump in the city. I cant even understand why the church would host him here, said Derwin Ridley, 57, of North Philadelphia. Two people planning to attend the Trump appearance are James Jones, the Republican nominee for the Second Congressional District, and Deborah Williams, the Republican nominee for the First Congressional District. James and Williams said they were invited to the Trump event by the Pennsylvania Republican Party. State and city Republican Party officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The Trump campaign declined to comment. Clinton has cast Trumps campaign as built on prejudice and paranoia. Trump has been stepping up his outreach to minority voters, repeatedly asking from the podium at campaign rallies, What do you have to lose? in supporting his candidacy. Trump is scheduled to speak Saturday at a predominantly African-American church in Detroit. A side effect of one of the worst droughts in Califonia history is the spread of cyanobacteria better known as blue-green algae. This year, 32 lakes, streams and reservoirs throughout the state, including Riverside and San Bernardino counties, have been hit with significant algae blooms, the California Water Quality Monitoring Council reported last week. The incidents, primarily spawned by low water levels, excessive heat and high nutrient content, have prompted temporary shutdowns to boating, swimming and other activities or led to advisory warnings. In Southern California, Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County, plus Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake in Riverside County underwent temporary closures in late July and early August. Officials there continue to warn the public to avoid contact with areas that still appear to be affected. Pyramid Lake in Los Angeles County has been closed for much of the summer. The phenomenon is not a new one, as it has occurred in other areas of the U.S. undergoing drought, and Australia has an ongoing nationwide problem. Statewide, the California Department of Public Health on Aug. 24 issued an advisory that cautioned recreation water users to avoid contact with the algae. These blooms can produce toxins that pose a health risk if the affected water is touched or swallowed, State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith announced. Since June of this year, blue-green algae blooms have been identified in more than two dozen freshwater reservoirs, lakes and streams statewide. Here is some help understanding the impact. What is blue-green algae? It is not really algae, though it behaves similarly. It is cyanobacteria, a category of microscopic bacteria commonly found in water bodies. Cyanobacteria are prone to bloom in slow-moving warm water with high levels of nutrients. Such blooms can expand, shrink and disappear quickly based on conditions. As the bacteria deteriorate, they form scum, film or mats on the surface that can appear bluish green, white or brown. The material collects along shorelines and boat ramps, and its spores cling to solid matter. The toxic cyanobacteria found most commonly in California are microcystins, anatoxin-a and cylindrospermopsin. What is harmful about it? At moderate to high levels of toxicity, blue-green algae can be very harmful to humans, though not usually life-threatening. The state public health department cautions that contact can cause eye irritation, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, vomiting and diarrhea as well as cold- and flu-like symptoms. Children and adults can experience serious injuries to the liver, kidney and nervous system from swallowing such water. How do we avoid contact? The safest approach is to stay out of lakes, streams, ponds and coves where blue-green algae is present or when entering water. Children and pets should be kept away from water bodies with the bacteria and from blue-green algae washed ashore. Water from areas with a bloom should not be consumed or used for cooking. Purification methods do not make the water safe for consumption. What do I do if it gets on my body? Rinse off quickly using fresh, clean water. Health officials advise those with symptoms to contact a medical professional immediately. What happens if my pet drinks it? Call a veterinarian immediately. Consumption has been known to kill dogs, cats, horses, cows and birds. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, blood in stools or black tarry stools, pale mucous membranes, jaundice, seizures, disorientation, coma, shock, excessive secretions, neurological signs, skin discoloration and difficulty breathing. How is blue-green algae poisoning treated? According to health sources, there is no antidote. Immediate medical care for the treatment of symptoms is imperative for humans and veterinary care is required for animals. If I catch a fish in a lake with blue-green algae, is it safe to eat? The state Public Health Department advises people to avoid or limit consumption of fish caught from such habitats. If fish are consumed, the guts and liver should be removed and filets should be thoroughly rinsed with clean drinking water before cooking. If I see blue-green algae, to whom do I report it? If a bloom is spotted that you think might not have already been reported, contact local county health or water agencies. Contact the writer: 951-368-9690 or michaelwilliams@scng.com Evita De La Cruz talked about her husband, a veteran of the Iraq war, and the difficulties he encountered getting psychological help after returning from overseas. It was viewed as a sign of weakness, De La Cruz told a group of about 150 Wednesday morning at the one-day VA Loma Linda Healthcare Systems Clay Hunt-Mental Health Summit. Her husband, James, kept his mood swings and other issues private once he was out of the military. On Jan. 13, 2013, James shot himself, a tearful De La Cruz told the group. An average of 20 veterans commit suicide each day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for Americans Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2015, aims to reduce that number and improve mental health of veterans who are transitioning out of the military. Clay Hunt was a decorated Marine from Houston who committed suicide in 2011 at age 28, according to the White House website. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan and struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress. The summit is a requirement of the act, and another will be held next year. To improve mental health services to veterans, the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center wants to break down barriers that separate it from the community, said Dr. Marion E. Sherman, chief of the Loma Linda VAs mental health service. Today, as part of the outreach services for the Clay Hunt Act, staff and students from the psychiatry department at UC Riverside School of Medicine will be at the Moreno Valley Senior Center, 25075 Fir Ave., according to Dr. Christopher Fichtner, a clinical professor of psychiatry and neuroscience. A second UC Riverside psychiatric outreach will be set up in Hemet, Sherman said. The outreach services will provide scheduled long-term care at these two locations. There are approximately 311,000 veterans in the San Bernardino-Riverside County area, Sherman said, and only 75,000 are registered at the Loma Linda VA. Of those, just 20,000 receive some form of psychiatric services, she said. In addition to reducing veteran suicide rates, the program aims to mitigate destructive aspects of depression and post-traumatic stress that can lead to job loss, marriage issues and substance abuse, Sherman said. The Loma Linda VA hospital is the regional hospital taking lead on this pilot program, Sherman said. Besides the hospitals main campus in Loma Linda, there are also community clinics in Blythe, Corona, Palm Desert, Rancho Cucamonga, Murrieta and Victorville. VA hospitals in Long Beach and Los Angeles also are participating in the effort, she added. The region served by this pilot effort includes Arizona and New Mexico. If the pilot program here and elsewhere throughout the country is seen as successful, then the program will be rolled out nationwide, she said. Contact the writer: jsteinberg@scng.com; @JamesDSteinberg on Twitter President Ronald Reagan was famous for blaming trees for much of the nations air pollution during his tenure in office. Its not quite the same, but a UC Riverside researcher is busy trying to devise ways to keep farms from spewing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. Thats right. Not oil refineries or power plants. Farms that grow edible crops, green stuff that looks planet-friendly, are actually a growing source of pollution that contributes to climate change, scientists say. Darrel Jenerette, a professor of landscape ecology, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study and find solutions to air pollution coming from agriculture. The main culprit in all of this is nitrogen, a common staple in fertilizers. When that fertilizer is applied to crops, it doesnt just sit there. Some leeches into the soil to benefit the plants. But a good portion of it evaporates into the air. There, it combines with oxygen to form nitrous oxide and create ozone as a byproduct. Warmer temperatures and drier weather mean more nitrogen makes its way into the atmosphere from farm fields. So as global temperatures have risen, those amounts of nitrogen have increased. And Jenerettes research says that previous estimates of these amounts are low. A recent report from UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute said that nitrous oxide accounts for 4 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California. Of that amount, 32 percent is estimated to come from agricultural activity. Even if it is underestimated, were not talking about a major portion of overall pollution. But it is an increasing one. Jenerette and his colleagues who recently published two papers on the topic believe its worth addressing. Their studies, carried out in the Imperial Valley, show that adjustments in application and irrigation can reduce the amount of evaporating nitrogen by as much as 50 percent. The grant from the national institute is targeted at doing three things: Identifying farming practices that reduce nitrogen loss Evaluating those practices in order to create more efficient ones Creating a system for tying nitrogen loss into Californias cap and trade program for harmful emissions More trouble The downward spiral for ITT Technical Institute deepened this week when the company which operates 130 schools nationwide, including local campuses in San Bernardino and Corona and others in the Los Angeles area announced that it would stop accepting new students. ITT has been in trouble for the past two years because of a federal lawsuit and increasing sanctions by both the U.S. Department of Education and ITTs own accreditation agency. Other large for-profit colleges that have faced similar pressure have shut their doors in recent years. Corinthian Colleges, which ran 28 schools, including the Everest College chain, and had campuses in San Bernardino and Ontario, closed its doors in April 2015. Dangerous bug The polyphagous shot hole borer, a small beetle that attacks a wide variety of trees, is continuing its slow creep into Riverside. In March, a UCR researcher who studies the pest announced that he had found evidence of an infestation in trees in the Santa Ana Rivers riverbed near Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park. On Friday, a university official said trees in Fairmount Park, 4 miles to the northeast, have been hit by the beetle. There is no known treatment to effectively kill the beetle. It bores into the heart of the tree, carrying with it the Fusarium fungus, and possibly two other fungi. The fungi grow inside the tree, serving as a food source for the bug, while also cutting off the trees water transport system. An infested tree dies within two to three years. Contact the writer: mmuckenfuss@scng.com or 951-368-9595 Three people who allegedly evaded officers early Thursday, Sept. 1, first in a speeding vehicle and then on foot after colliding with a wall, are in custody on suspicion of multiple charges, according to a San Bernardino County sheriffs news release. About 12:45 a.m. Thursday, deputies tried to stop a car for speeding near Foothill and Day Creek boulevards in Rancho Cucamonga when it sped away from them, the news release states. During the ensuing chase, the suspect vehicle ran red lights and reached speeds over 100 mph before the driver lost control near the intersection of Church Street and Marine Avenue and collided with a block wall. The vehicles occupants two men and one woman then jumped out and ran, the news release states. Deputies soon apprehended the trio, identified as Aryanna Hosek, 21, of Upland, Tom Aihama, 32, of Diamond Bar and Christopher Zimmerle, 32, of Hollywood. The deputies then reportedly found stolen property inside the vehicle linking the three to residential burglaries and thefts in Rancho Cucamonga. Deputies arrested Aihama, the driver, on suspicion of felony evading, possession of stolen property and hit and run, the news release states. He was booked into West Valley Detention Center, where his bail was set at $100,000. Deputies arrested Hosek and Zimmerle on suspicion of possession of stolen property and conspiracy to commit a crime, the news release states. They, too, were booked into West Valley Detention Center, with bail set at $25,000. The Sheriffs Department asks anyone with information about this incident to call the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department at 909-477-2800 or the anonymous WeTip hotline at 800-782-7463. Tipsters can also leave information at www.wetip.com. For nine months, authorities say, 28 women lured from China with false promises of jobs and schooling were shuttled among motel rooms in Southern California, including Riverside and San Bernardino counties, where from early in the morning until late at night they would be forced to have sex with customers who ordered the women off a classified-ads website. The women would be delivered to the motels by a driver dispatched by a call-taker and then be told to pay the driver for the ride. They literally would be dropped off at motels with food and toiletries and stay there for several days at a time. I would say it was an extremely inhumane existence, just a tragedy, Ventura County sheriffs Capt. Garo Kuredjian said. Their nightmare ended, authorities say, in late August with the arrests of five San Gabriel Valley residents who the Sheriffs Department believes operated a nine-county human trafficking ring and laundered the money through real estate investments. The arrests capped a six-month investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the Sheriffs Department said in a news release. Through prostitution stings at Ventura County motels in February, detectives said they identified a victim and found evidence revealing the group was operating across the region. The women, recruited through advertisements in China, were in their 30s and 40s who came to the U.S. with legitimate visas and little or no knowledge of English. Once placed in a motel, they rarely came out for any reason, and were subjected to verbal abuse by their captors and physical abuse and robbery by the customers, the release said. The traffickers ignored the womens objections. The victims were advertised in the Escorts section of Backpage.com. Those solicitations, law enforcement officers say, are thinly veiled advertisements for prostitutes, some of whom are minors. District attorneys across the country have tried, without success, to persuade or force the website to remove the ads. The transactions ranged from $100 to $160, and investigators allege the proceeds were laundered through as many as 50 bank accounts. LIKE A CORPORATION Authorities allege Covina resident Hsin Chieh Jerry Wang, 40, oversaw the group and worked with Defung Hu, 33, of San Gabriel, who they say coordinated the transportation and lodging of the victims. Hu served as the dispatcher, the release said, taking calls from hundreds of men monthly answering the ads. She would negotiate with the men and direct them to motel rooms. Wangs sister, Yiwen Wang, 42, of Covina, laundered the money by investing in real estate, the release said. Two others, Jiuyin Cui, 63, of Rosemead, and Runan Xia, 33, of Alhambra, are suspected of transporting the women between different motels, as well as maintaining the motel rooms, and providing food, water and toiletries for the victims. The network was run much like a corporation, the Sheriffs Department said. Cui and Xia have pleaded not guilty; Hsin Wang, Yiwen Wang and Hu are due in Superior Court in Ventura on Sept. 21. All are being held in lieu of bail. The women have been offered assistance but have been largely uncooperative, possibly because of cultural distrust of law enforcement, Kuredjian said. SHOCKING SIMILARITY Authorities said they seized $350,000 cash from the suspects and froze assets that included $730,000 in bank accounts and three houses valued at $1.8 million. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations probe these kinds of cases, sometimes jointly, under federal civil rights statutes, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. A 2009 case bears similarities to the operation investigated this year. In 2009, five members of an extended family four from Guatemala and one from Mexico were sentenced to prison for their roles in a sex trafficking ring that lured young Guatemalan women and girls to the Los Angeles area and forced them into prostitution. The federal Department of Justice said the defendants intimidated and controlled their victims by threatening to beat them and kill their loved ones if they tried to escape. Some defendants also used witch doctors to threaten the girls that a curse would be placed on them and their families if they tried to escape. By partnering with federal and state law enforcement, were hoping to make a dent in this type of terrible crime, said Kuredjian, the Ventura County sheriffs captain. Hopefully we can make this a thing of the past. Staff writers Ruby Gonzales and Sandra Molina contributed to this report. Contact the writer: brokos@scng.com or 951-368-9569 Meridian Port Services (MPS) has secured the required financing to execute the Tema Port Expansion Project, enabling the development of an ultra-modern state-of-the-art port facility at Ghanas primary commercial hub. The project, valued at USD1.5billion, in addition to serving Ghana, will also expand trade flows and links across West Africa. Meridian Port Services Limited is a joint venture between the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and Meridian Port Holdings Limited, with Bollore Transport & Logistics and APM Terminals as the two main shareholders. A vast continent, with a rapidly growing population, Africa is still significantly under-represented in world trade, currently accounting for less than 5% of global container trade, but the establishment of modern port infrastructure such as this Tema Port expansion will help link African markets to the global logistics chain and promote new trade opportunities and economic growth, stated APM Terminals CEO, Kim Fejfer. MPS is executing the project within the GPHA Master Plan for the development of Tema Port, and building upon its success and achievements under the Concession Agreement that was granted in 2004, resulting in this latest massive expansion of Tema Ports capacity and infrastructure. Philippe Labonne, The Director General of Bollore Transport & Logistics, indicated that the new port infrastructure, and its future expansions, will propel Ghana into the global best in class, which will improve Ghanas competiveness, facilitate trade growth and improve tax collection. He said the expanded port will also result in increased foreign exchange earnings through servicing international shipping lines in the port. The project will allow Tema Port to accommodate some of the worlds largest container ships, and improve cargo handling services and capacity. These improvements will enhance the Ports competitiveness, and position it as a leading maritime hub in the West African region. The immediate cash flow need of the US$1.5 billion port development is $1 billion. MPS has signed a $667 million financing package with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, while the MPS shareholders will provide the rest of the funding as fresh equity amounting to $333 million. The financing package for the construction of a new Port in Tema represents IFCs largest port investment and biggest infrastructure mobilization to date in Sub-Saharan Africa. It includes $195 million from the IFCs own account and $472 million from three commercial banks: the Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Standard Bank, as well as the Dutch development bank, FMO. The IFC is the largest global development institution specializing in private sector investment in emerging markets. M PS has awarded the marine construction contract to China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC), and AECOM Professional Services (Ghana) Limited, to oversee the construction. CHEC is a Global Fortune 500 company with more than 60 branch offices and subsidiaries serving in 80 countries around the world. AECOM will provide design and procurement management services prior to the award of construction contracts, and then will supervise the construction of all of the port expansion facilities. Commenting at the press conference to announce the signing of the project finance agreement and the awarding of the marine contact for the expansion project, Mr. Richard Anamoo, Director General, Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority said "This expansion project takes the dream of our founding father Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to the next level and will remain for future generations to benefit from. Tema Port, in conjunction with Takoradi Port will enhance GPHAs contribution to the economic growth of our sub region." Mohamed Samara, CEO OF Meridian Port Services stated, This project clearly displays the strong commitment of MPS in the drive towards improving Ghanas competitiveness as a preferred destination for international trade and investment, adding, Bigger vessels means reduced freight charges, with significant savings and a tremendous benefit to the shipping community of Ghana. Mr. Samara noted that at present, the largest vessels which can dock at Tema Port are WAFMAX (West African Maximum Vessels) which can carry between 4,500 and 5,000 container Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). The impending expansion will, among other things, increase the depth of the harbour, and add 4 deep-water berths, a breakwater and a new access channel, enabling to port to accommodate vessels of up to 20,000 TEU capacity. Dr. Alhaji Asoma Banda, the Chairman of the MPS Board, said the project will also generate a vast increase in employment opportunities in the country. The expansion works will create around 5,000 direct jobs with industry experts estimating that the economic impact of such new infrastructure will translate into approximately 450,000 new jobs. Construction of the harbour expansion project will begin on 1st October 2016and is projected to be completed by 4th Quarter of 2019. - See more at: http://ghana-news.adomonline.com/business/2016/September-1st/tema-port-expansion-to-commence-in-october.php#sthash.Eja77kVu.dpuf Source: adomonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Most Reverend Gabriel Kumordzi, Bishop of the Donkorkrom Catholic Vicariate, has called for the police to continue to maintain strong presence in the Afram Plains to assure the people of adequate security protection. He said the threat by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor to withdraw all police officers from the place, if carried through, could have dire consequences for the security of the people. Whatever the excesses, provocation and criminality, the way to deal with the situation was not to deny the area state security protection, he added. The pull out threat is a fall out from the robbery attack on a GCB bullion van by two serving police officers that claimed the life of a driver and subsequent reprisal attacks and vandalizing of police property by the people. Bishop Kumordzi speaking at the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Saint Augustine Catholic Church in Asesewa, underlined the need for strong engagement between the police and the people to build trust. 50 years in the house of the Lord: our successes, challenges and prospects was the theme for the event. He urged the police administration to act firmly to clean the service of rogue officers to raise its public standing. He also advised the people to get right with the law and avoid any temptation to take matters into their own hands. Mr. Joseph Tetteh Angmor, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, applauded the church for the significant contribution it was making towards education development of the area. He encouraged it to sustain the momentum to transform the living conditions of the people. Mrs. Agnes Offei, Parish Pastoral Council Chairperson, suggested that the parish was split in two, for effective pastoral activities to grow the church. She appealed to the government to move quickly to improve the roads in the area to boost economic activities. 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 The Public Relations Unit of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) in a press release copied to Peacefmonline.com has set the records straight with recent issues emanating out of a press conference held by the outgoing moderator of the church, Right Rev Professor Emmanuel Martey. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey revealed that some politicians attempted to bribe him with $100,000 to prevent him from making negative comments on national issues. Prof. Martey, who failed to mention whether the politicians were NDC or NPP members alleged that the politicians also promised to give him a mansion at Trasaaco and a V8 vehicle if he remained silent on national issues. Prof. Martey is a known critic of the governing Mahama-led administration. He has on several occasions attacked the NDC government on various national issues. Read below the full statement: SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT The Public Relations Unit of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) attention has been drawn to media reports attributed to a former Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Osei Acheampong, in which he made false, malicious and defamatory claims against the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Rev Professor Emmanuel Martey. He was reacting to comments the Moderator made at a Press Conference on Tuesday to the effect that some politicians had tried to bribe him (the Moderator). Mr. Acheampong is quoted as saying on Accra-based Kassapa Radio that: Today marks a sad day for the Christian religion; the statement from Prof. Martey is one of the most unfortunate that I have heard in recent times, a leader should have ethical communication which will not escalate into violence. Jesus never talked this way. Prof Martey is speaking in the opposite way, when he came into office, he presented to us a statement from one of the strongest political parties, when we kicked against it, he sacked me. In July 28, 2013, around 8:15pm, he invited me to the office of one of the leading opposition parties, not the ruling government, when I got there he had received the 100,000 dollars and a V8 he is claiming to have rejected. And he gave me 50,000 dollars, I am speaking on authority that he received the money. Mr. Achempong claims he rejected the $50,000 dollars and that his politician friend who was at the said meeting later asked him to resign because a plan had been hatched to dismiss him for the fear that he would expose the moderator. He then went ahead to say that this was the reason for his dismissal. The Public Relations Unit would want to place the following facts: 1. Mr. Emmanuel Osei Acheampong appointment was terminated because of acts of misrepresentation and fraud. The Presbyterian Church of Ghana published the reason for his termination of appointment in June 2013. It is, therefore, false to link termination of his appointment to this ridiculous claim he is making. 2. In fact, the church issued a press statement/disclaimer on June 21, 2013, and addressed to all media houses when he was still holding himself up as the PRO after the termination of his appointment 3. During this period, Mr. Acheampong resorted to character assassination of some top officials of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, especially the Moderator, Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey. It therefore does not make sense that, on July 28, more than one month after his dismissal, Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey would invite Mr. Acheampong to the office of a political party to receive a bribe. The stories on termination of Mr. Acheampongs appointment and the dates can be found on the following websites and links: MYJOYONLINE.COM: Presbyterian Church issues strongly-worded disclaimer over former church PRO: PEACEFMONLINE.COM: Presbyterian Church Terminates The Appointment Of Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong: GHANAWEB.COM: Presbyterian Church issues disclaimer over former church PRO: 4. It is also not true that Mr. Acheampong's appointment was terminated so that he would not expose the moderator. He claims his politician friend told him after the said meeting on July 28, 2013, to resign because the moderator was determined to get rid of him. This is also false because his appoint had already been terminated and communicated to him, and the general public more than a month earlier. When Mr Acheampong's claim of July 28th 2013 was challenged, he quickly changed the date to 28th July, 2012. 5. The PR Unit also wants to put on record that the Communique of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana is not authored by the Moderator or the PRO of the church. It is authored by a committee called Committee on Church and Society who will then present it to the general Assembly which is the highest decision-making body of the church for approval. The communique is then presented to the general public by the Moderator on behalf of the church at a Press Conference. It is therefore false for Mr. Acheampong to claim that he was in charge of writing the communique and that the Moderator wanted him to write the views of a political party and he refused. 6. The PR Unit wants to reiterate that the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and its leadership do not support any political party. The church and its leadership are non-partisan in nature. In fact, there are members of the Church in almost all political parties. There are members of the church who are ministers and other high government officials in every regime in this country. For this reason, the Church does not take sides. 7. We, however, believe that the church should be interested in how the nation is governed and the clergy, like the Biblical Prophets of old, must be the moral conscience of society. Ezekiel 33:7-9 captures one of such charges: 7Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8When I say to the wicked, You wicked person, you will surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die fora their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved. 8. A church which does not have interest in the affairs of the state is an irrelevant church. Economic hardship, corruption, unemployment, power and water crises, as well as many challenges that arise from bad governance also affect members of the church. For this reason, the Moderator deem it as a moral and religious obligation to point out to leadership of the nation (irrespective of which political party is in government) to do what is right and beneficial to the nation. 9. It does not make sense for the Church to resort to prayers and fasting when the solutions can be found in commonsensical application of our human and natural resources for the good of society. 10. The Unit wishes to state that Moderator will continue to speak up on the affairs of this country, and no amount of intimidation, malicious lies and verbal attacks will deter him from speaking the truth. SIGNED REV GEORGE EZEKIEL LARBI PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA Source: 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 The new paramount chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area in the Gonja area of the Northern Region, Kpembewura Bismark Haruna, has said Nana Akufo-Addo, flag bearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party, will win the December presidential election by 53 percent. The former District Chief Executive for the West Gonja District from 2001 to 2005 under the Kufuor-led NPP administration told Nana Akufo-Addo during his tour of the area that: God has already done it because I have seen something you havent seen. I urge each and everyone here that that day, we should come out in our numbers and go and vote and I predict a 53 point something per cent victory for Nana Addo. We are here doing it and we will continue doing it for you. Reaffirming his support for the NPP, the Kpembewura said: As a soldier I will always be a soldier, you understand what I mean. You know something, you can take the dog out of the fight but you cannot take the fight out of the dog, and looking through the crystal ball I can see victory for the NPP. I want to assure you that I am still a friend and you can always depend on me. As I said, if God wants to do something, he starts from one and he has done it for me and you before. God will do it for you the same way as he did for me as you say: The battle is still the Lords. The people of Ghana are ready to hear from you and I hope that the next time we will meet like this, it will be His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. I hope and I think that the Lord God is listening to what we are telling him today. 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 The paramount chief of Kpembe Traditional Area in the Northern Region, Kpembewura Gbanbagne Ndefeso IV has unequivocally declared his support for the New Patriotic Party, and predicted a resounding victory for its flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Addressing Nana Akufo-Addo at his palace during a courtesy, Kpembewura Ndefeso could not hide his political colour as he declared: I want to assure you that Im still a friend and you can always depend on meA soldier will forever be a soldier, you know what I mean, he said, to suggest he is still an NPP member. Known in private life as Dari Bismark Haruna, Kpembewura Ndefeso contested the Salaga constituency on the ticket of NPP in the 2000 parliamentary elections which he lost. He was subsequently appointed district chief executive for East Gonja by former President J.A. Kufour between 2001 and 2005. In October 2014, he was enskined the Kpembewura having served as the Kijipouwura and later Labawura before becoming Lambowura. He told a cheering crowd of party supporters at his palace Thursday: I urge each and everyone here that they should come out in their numbers; go out there to vote and I predict 53point something per cent for Nana Akufo-Addo. You can take the dog out of the fight, but you cant take the fight out of the dog. Looking through the crystal ball, I can see victory for NPPAsI said, if God want to do something it start from one, He has done it for me and will do it for you. I dont need to talk so much, God will do it for you the same way he did it for me, the Kpembewura said. According to the chief, the election battle ahead of Nana Akufo-Addo is the Lords and said his prediction is grounded in a dream he had, saying There is not so much talk; God has already done it. I have seen it in my dreams, I have seen something you have not seen it. The people of Ghana are already to hear from you and I hope the next time we meet like this it will be His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-AddoWhat I want to advise is that tell the people of Ghana what you will do for them. He also urged Ghanaians to go into the December 7 elections with peace in order for us to maintain the peace being enjoyed. Meanwhile, Nana Akufo-Addo who was visiting the chief for the first time after his enskinement, congratulated him for his success. Nana Akufo-Addo also thanked the Kpembewura for remaining faithful to the New Patriotic Party even in their trying times. In a related development, at a mini rally at Salaga, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia called on Ghanaians to vote the NPP to power to rescue the health insurance policy, school feeding, capitation, trainee allowance among other policies started by the NPP. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Mahama-led administration is pocketing taxpayers money, major opposition flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo has told a crowd at Bunbongnaayili in the Northern Region on campaign tour there. Our country is not a poor country, Ghana is not a poor country; we are a rich country. If we get a government that will use the money for the people of Ghana, our country will develop. Now we have a government that uses the money of Ghana for their own pockets, and that is why we are suffering the way we are suffering, he said on Thursday, 1 September. The three-time flag bearer said: I want to tell you, if you give me the chance, we are coming to put in a government that is going to use the money of Ghana for the people of Ghana. Mr Akufo-Addo is billed to visit Damongo today, Friday 2 September. He will be calling on the overlord of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Tumtumwura Borinasi II. He is also expected to visit Bole, hometown of President John Mahama. He will later proceed to Sawla to wrap up his four-day tour before heading for the Upper West Region. 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 Boy howdy do we ever love a good Who is Banksy? yarn. Between that and what lurks beneath the Daft Punk helmets, there arent too many *true* artistic mysteries left in the world, thanks to the rabid investigating of the internet. For a solid handful of years now, weve all been circling humble Bristol public school lad Robin Gunningham as the mastermind behind the Banksy phenomena. But truth be told that always felt like too easy an explanation. Just some random schmo? With a store-bought name like that? Come on. A new theory posited by a British investigative journalists presents a far more interesting answer to the question: That Banksy is either Robert Del Naja of the gigantic UK band Massive Attack, or that Banksy is a collection of artists led by Del Naja. Banksy and Del Naja have been linked continuously throughout their respective careers; prior to forming Massive Attack, Del Naja operated as a street artist under the name 3D, producing work that Banksy has frequently cited as an influence. Del Naja has also stated on multiple occasions that he is close friends with the mysterious and elusive artist. But this new theory, from UK investigative journalist Craig Williams, claims that Del Naja and Banksy are one and the same; a Tyler Durden/Narrator type situation. And the evidence he has to back that up is pretty convincing. Williams plotted the movements of both Banksy and Massive Attack over significant periods of time, and the similarities are pretty apparent: On numerous occasions, wherever a Banksy portrait has popped up, a Massive Attack show has taken place in the same city either just prior, or very shortly thereafter. The coincidences come as early as 2003, when the band toured out here in Australia. In late March of 2003, the band played a show in Melbourne. In early April, a Banksy artwork surfaced in the city. From there, the research gets way more specific. On September 26th, 2006, the band played in Los Angeles. In October of 2006, Banksys much-talked about LA exhibition opened. As Banksys popularity exploded, the dating of artwork appearing became more specific, making the coincidences even greater, and 2010 was a particularly busy year for both. Massive Attack played San Francisco on April 25th and 27th. On May 1st, six Banksy works appeared. They performed in Toronto a week later on May 7th. On the 14th, more Banksys appeared. Bostons turn came later in the year in October, where Massive Attack played on October 19th, the same month in which Banksys Follow Your Dreams/Cancelled appeared in the city. Fast forward to 2013, and Banksys highly publicised month-long residency of New York City happily manages to coincide with Massive Attacks four night stint at the Park Avenue Armory between September 28th and October 4th. To that end, Williams theory states that, at least in 2010, Banksy was an art project spearheaded and curated by Del Naja that was executed by a street team that so happened to be following Massive Attack on tour as they traversed North America. What if Banksy is a group of people who have stencilling different locations both at home and abroad? Such a rich body of work done over a decade, across the globe, may allow for the suggestion. A rumour exists from 2010 that his work that went up around North America was his work but were not necessarily painted by him, but rather by a street team that happened to be following the Massive Attack tour. And on analysis of his North American work, this makes perfect sense. For what its worth, Del Naja has denied rumours of him being Banksy in the past, stating he only painted on the street for three years. And Banksy, in typically anonymous media appearances, has forever claimed Del Naja was too old to be him. Nevertheless, the pair are intrinsically linked in a way few artistic identities ever have been. And Williams believes the duo is gearing up to strike once again in the time around Massive Attacks hometown Bristol appearance tomorrow. Perhaps the assertion then that Banksy is just one person is wide of the mark, instead being a group who have, over the years, followed Massive Attack around and painted walls at their leisure. And perhaps, at the head of such a group we have Del Naja. A multi-disciplined artist in front of one the seminal groups in recent British music history, doubling up as the planets most revered street artist. Now that would be cool. As for the timing of the news, I believe a new mural is highly likely to appear prior to or after the concert. It might have some semblance of truth to it. It might be utter nonsense. But the mystery of Banksys identity will forever be far more interesting than the actual truth. And thats kind of the whole bloody point, isnt it. Source: Daily Mail. Photo: PYMCA, Carl Court, Jason LaVeris, Matt Cardy/Getty. Wilson Security, the security company that sub-contracted their services to the offshore detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island, have announced they wont be renewing their contract in 2017. In an online statement, the company said, In line with Broadspectrums future intentions Wilson Security can now confirm that it will also not tender for any further offshore detention services. The provision of security services at regional processing centres (RPCs) is not in line with Wilson Securitys long-term strategic priorities. Wilson Security will continue to deliver all aspects of its current contract with Broadspectrum until completion of the contract. While the companys long-term strategic priorities may well be the overruling factor in the decision-making, a major element would also have been the horrific allegations of guards committing acts of violence and sexual assault against detained refugees, which came to light in The Guardians hugely important expose The Nauru Files. Ever since, the company has faced severe backlash and protest from human rights groups. Some of the files in the high-profile series included stories of guards assaulting refugees, and included allegations of them sexually assaulting women and children, and attacking and choking children. The Nauru Files also spoke of guards pressuring workers to downplay incident reports of self-harm and suicide, and alleged that senior officials had misled a Senate enquiry over the number of children whod been sexually assaulted inside the centre. There was also the horrifying story from mid-2015, when three Wilson guards allegedly drugged and gang-raped a local woman on Manus Island they were flown out of Papua New Guinea before police could investigate. The official statement obviously did not mention any of these things, but ended with, Wilson Security has carried out its contractual obligations to the best of its ability and takes pride in its performance. The Australian company sub-contracted under Broadspectrum (formerly Transfield), who said in April that they would also not be renewing their contract. Wilson stated above theyd complete their contract and finish at the same time as the major contractor, which will ultimately leave the Australian government without any contracted security body for the camps. Source: The Guardian. Photo: Ian Waldie / Getty Images. Earlier this year, Meat & Livestock Australia ran into a speedbump after a releasing an advert for lamb that many believed was offensive to vegans. So this time, theyve decided to take a different approach instead basing a new ad on the excellent diversity and multiculturalism that our sunburned country should be celebrating. The ad starts with Luke Jacobz telling the camera that hes there to address concerns that too many perky white males are contributing to a lack of diversity on our our screens. He then walks past a tree and morphs into Indian-Australian actor Arka Das, who then walks around a park introducing heaps of different people from a range of backgrounds, to exemplify the vast range of diversity in Australia. He finishes Jacobz sentence by saying, We couldnt agree more Weve got everyone in the room, as Aboriginal model Samantha Harris hungrily breathes the word lamb. As well as introducing people from a range of different national backgrounds, Das also points out a gay couple with a baby, a deaf woman who asks for more tomato sauce in sign language, and transgender comedian Jordan Raskopoulos, who is introduced as Greek and proud. He also introduces a range of different white people, which includes, white whites, translucent whites, beige whites, red whites, and dark whites (who are darker than the light-dark guys). But the laugh-out-loud moment comes at the end of the video, after Das approaches the barbecue and announces the lamb is ready. Looking at the large group of people, he asks, Who was here first? To which, Cathy Freeman and Greg Inglis respond, Uhh that would be us. Seriously, watch the damn thing, because its a masterpiece: Meat & Livestock Australia marketing director Andrew Howie told Mumbrella that despite the ad being lighthearted and making jokes, MLA are treating the topic of diversity extremely seriously: We really thought it was important to highlight that when you watch TV and what you see in the broader media does not reflect what Australia truly looks like. Really what we were going for was to try to showcase as much diversity as possible. Why are we still talking about not talking about diversity? Its quite sad that we have to run a campaign to say hey Australia, you know what, we are really diverse and we should be accepting of everything and everyone. There is an irony in having to run a campaign in Australia that is multicultural; mix we have to try to showcase the multicultural mix we have. This ad comes out only a week after Screen Australia released their impressive Seeing ourselves: Reflections on diversity in Australian TV drama study, showing that non-white Australians were grossly underrepresented on Aussie television. Source: We Love Our Lamb. I must admit, this story has been difficult to write. It will undoubtably be difficult for you to read. If you are squeamish, frighten easily and dislike conversations that veer towards mangled peen, feel free to exit this browser immediately. BUT if (like the majority of the editorial team here at PEDESTRIAN.TV) youre a deviant hellbent on losing your appetite, then stick around as we take you through the most common sex-related injuries, and how you can avoid them like the plague. Your genitals and the areas that come into contact with them will thank you for it, I promise. 1. THE BROKEN PENIS We kick off with one of the most devastating sex-related injuries possible. The fractured shlong. So ya peen has two big tubes, and when you get aroused by something sexy and cute, they become engorged with blood. Thats how an erection happens. Now lets say youre slipping that erect penis in and out of somebody elses body, with some force, and you accidentally slip and hit their perineum. You will hear a loud pop or a crack (for real) and thats when you know youve obtained a freshly fractured disco stick. It will hurt so, so much. While nothing in life is 100% guaranteed as avoidable, you can try to minimise the risk. If you like having sex with girls, be wary in the woman-on-top position this is the most high alert for the dick break. In this posi, she controls the movement and her whole bodyweight is sitting upon your penis remember that. And finally, ensure youre as hard as you can get before entering another body. A slightly limp or flacid peen has more of a chance of twisting, bending and snapping. 2. THE STINGY UTI If youve never had a UTI, congratulations. Seriously, pat yourself on the vag. Well done. Urinary Tract Infections are very common, with one in five women contracting at least one in her lifetime. UTIs happen when bacteria gets all up in your urethra. The symptoms are stinging and burning sensations, as well as the increased need to use the toilet again and again and again, despite nothing (or very little) coming out. Its an awful feeling, similar to what I imagine purgatory to be like. Not only is it supremely uncomfortable, it can also lead to more serious problems, like bladder and kidney infections. There are three things you can do to lower your risk of copping a stingy UTI: + Dont wipe from back to front (wiping this way gives your turd bacteria more of a chance of invading your gash. Bad). + Always pee after sexual intercourse of any kind. + Avoid the use of feminine hygiene products, and instead clean your vag and butthole thoroughly every day with soap. Simple, but effective, friends. I know the beds warm and your honeys arms are yearning but get up and piss. Dont bother drinking tonnes of cranberry juice their healing powers are bullshit. aaron samuels, sexy and correct 3. THE NO-LUBE VAG TEAR Rick in the below clip may be a 50-year-old alcoholic, but his message is clear. Vaginas can rip; vaginas can tear. Its usually the result of the vagina-haver being a little too dry down there, or the inserter going too fast, too quick. Most tears are only small and if they bleed, it shouldnt be a monstrous amount. If the tear gets bigger or continues to bleed, get the doc on the line. Life hack: more lubrication. (Or, indulge in longer-lasting foreplay; usually an A+ way to whet a VJs appetite.) 4. THE TORSION OF THE TESTES Testicular Torsion is as horrible as it sounds, which is why I will be using the abbreviation TT throughout the following section. There are two testicles inside a scrotum. Theres a cord, known as the spermatic cord, that carries blood to these testies to keep them alive. TT occurs when this cord twists. This constricts blood flow, which can lead to a dying ball. It can happen when youre sleeping or engaging in rigours physical activity, like boning. Luckily, TT is relatively uncommon, with only 1 in 4,000 men affected by the unfortunate occurrence. 5. THE PENIS TEAR A few years ago I attended a school friend Toms 18th. Wed been drinking from the open bar for roughly four hours before speeches commenced, so when birthday boys boysy best mate took to the mic he was properly sauced and ready to deploy some bombs upon Toms unsuspecting family. So Tom was in the lift with this chick Danielle and she was giving him head, the eager best mate began, despite the aghast faces of Toms extended family signalling for him to stop. And suddenly she looked up at him and blood was streaming out of her mouth, she looked horrified because she ripped his dick open with her dry mouth. Call me naive, but that night I learnt that it is entirely possible to rip a mans penis open during oral sex, provided your mouth is not wet enough yet. Its also possible to rip off a foreskin with your bare hands with the help of a hard wristie. Similar to the ripped vagine, this injury is always always sustained when there is a distinct lack of lubrication. You can avoid this by using, you guessed it, lube. 6. THE LOVE BITE Hickeys are embarrassing, but they can also be deadly. Just last week it was reported that a teenager in Mexico City died after a hickey from his girlfriend caused a blood clot that lead to a fatal stroke. Its absolutely tragic and incredibly unlucky, given how long love bites have been a thing. A good way to avoid these are by not suckin on your partners neck. In most cases its pretty unappealing, anyhow. 7. THE CARPET BOOURNS Congrats on leaving the confines of the mattress and becoming acquainted with the floor. Regardless of whether youre down there for oral duties or some four-legged activities, if it involves carpets, naked bodies and friction, theres a fair chance youll get carpet burn. In an ideal world, youd throw a sheet or blankie onto the floor before you throw your body. Heat-of-the-moments arent always so methodical, so if you cop a graze, wash it with cool water and antibacterial soap then wipe on some Dettol followed by a bandaid. 8. THE MISSING CAROT Before I launch into the next point, I must stress that this is a judgement free zone. A P.TV member of staffs sister, Tracy*, is an emergency room nurse, and she kindly offered us the following story which wouldnt sound out of place in an ep of Little Britain. A man came into the emergency ward with a carrot lodged up his anus. When he was probed about how it ended up there, he said I was running through a field naked and fell on a carrot. Tracey nodded along, but couldnt help but point out a hole in his story. Dont carrots grow into the ground?! She asked. He simply replied Yes. Yes they do.' Moral of the story is, inserting fresh produce into your low-lying cavities is usually never, ever a good idea. Lash out and spend some dollars on a buttplug you can get them in all shapes and sizes and theyve got a base, meaning they cant wander and get lost. Heck, if youre that into veggies you can give this Eggplant Vibrator a go. Another common hiccup is the Condom Lost Up The Vaginal Cavity. If this happens to you, dont fret simply relax for 10 to 15 minutes and allow your vagina to adjust back to its unaroused, smaller state. Slowly insert your index and middle finger to try and pick it out, and if after a few goes you cant, go to the doctor and theyll get it out for you, easy. 9. THE ROGUE TURD APPEARANCE DURING ANAL PLAY Speaks fo itself. Try an enema. Photo: Theres Something About Mary. Today, on the fourth day after the VMAs where Drake declared his love for Rihanna and then yes, kissed her, right on her mouth (we have the proof), Drizzy and RiRi have gotten new, meaningful tattoos. In celebrity terms, this means theyre married with three bratty kids and a mortgage. NYC-based tattoo artist Keith McCurdy a.k.a. Bang Bang travelled to Drakes concert in Miami to ink up the pair (who shall now be known as Aubrih), and while Drizzys tatt remains a mystery, Rihannas is of a camo shark. Camo shark for my dear friend @badgalriri Also I just found out you can zoom on IG- enjoy A photo posted by Bang Bang (@bangbangnyc) on Sep 1, 2016 at 10:33am PDT The same camo shark that Drake gave Rihanna when he hired out Ripleys Aquarium of Canada earlier this month for a casual, late-night romantic dinner with the fishes Drake gave Rihanna a shark at the Ripleys Aquarium and shes carrying it with her ???? A photo posted by Rihanna-Diva.com (@rihannadiva) on Aug 30, 2016 at 2:52am PDT And yes, the very same shark that appeared on Drakes Instagram after the VMAs. This is a night for us all to be thankful for what you have done for us! You have affected so many of our lives in the best way possible. Tonight we celebrate you! @badgalriri A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Aug 28, 2016 at 11:41pm PDT Bang Bang wouldnt 100% confirm the tattoos inspiration, but he told Complex: I can only say its personal, Ive seen many people online guessing what the tattoo means, but its not my place to say. I will say Ive tattooed Rihanna many times and last night was my favourite. So the question today is, WTF did Drake get??? Nobody knows yet. Literally every comment on Bang Bangs Instagram right now is this: One can only assume that Drake will post a pic soon on his Instagram, declaring his love once again for Rihanna because thats kinda his mojo. Alternatively, hell never post a damn thing, and the mystery will go down as one of the greats. Were waiting, Aubrey. Photo: Look, the wider majority of us are pretty aware that the Nigerian prince is a lie. He doesnt have vast riches and if he did, he sure as hell wouldnt give them to you. But much to our horror, research done by the Friedrich-Alexander University in Germany found around half of the population will happily click on a bung link, as long as they are addressed by their name in the message. The researchers sent out 1,700 emails posing as a dicey phishing scam to see how many would fall for it. The first study involved sending out messages via email and Facebook that contained a link claiming to have pictures from a New Years Eve party from a week earlier. If opened in email, they would be redirected to an access denied page and in Facebook, a fake profile that contained some images with little information. The first bunch addressed participants by their first names and the second didnt address them at all. Of those addressed by name in email, 56 percent of them clicked the link because internet security means nothing to them. In the Facebook message, 38 percent clicked the bogus link. Those who were not addressed by name wanted much less of that shit, with only 20 percent of email respondents deciding to take the bait. However, 40 percent of no-name Facebook users clicked the link. Once each study was completed, the researchers interviewed all recipients. 78 percent of them said they were conscious of email phishing scams and a heap said they were unaware that they had even clicked the dodgy link. Pro tip Dont be clickin anything from someone you dont know. If it looks suss af, it probably is. Be safe out there, friends. Source: Gizmodo. Photo: The Simpsons. A rocket operated by Elon Musks aerospace manufacturer SpaceX has exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral during a test-firing, doing so with such force that it shook buildings several kilometres away. Look, Ill just let you watch it. The explosion begins at about 1:10. SpaceX confirmed that an anomaly had occurred around the upper stage oxygen tanks of the craft. No injuries were reported, but the rockets payload, an Israeli-built communications satellite owned by Facebook, was destroyed. That particular satellite was intended to provide internet services to sub-Saharan Africa, as part of Facebooks somewhat controversial Internet.org program. That satellite, named Amos-6, constituted a pretty hefty chunk of change: it was valued at more than $200M. Thats a fair bit of cash to lose in a fiery rocket explosion. I certainly wouldnt want to lose that much. As far as the Israeli communications satellite industry is concerned, this is a very severe blow which could place the future of the industry in doubt if it is not dragged out of the mud, said the chairman of the Israel Space Agency, Isaac Ben-Israel. This is not great news for the folks at SpaceX the goal of the company is cheap, widely available spaceflight, and this doesnt look good for the average punter. Given that Elon Musk is intending to unveil plans for a friggin Mars colony later this month, it might be worthwhile if they can sort out the exploding on the launch pad issue first. Source: BBC. Photo: YouTube. Chamber opposes Bullion St carpark sale Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has come out opposing the proposed sale of Umina's Bullion St carpark. It could be devastating to West St and the Umina Town Centre, according to Chamber president Mr Matthew Wales. "There will be traffic chaos and businesses will suffer," Mr Wales said. The Central Coast Council has called for expressions of interest from parties wishing to acquire and develop the land, which is currently zoned B2 for Local Centre. The former Gosford Council placed a covenant over the land before calling for expressions of interest, in an attempt to protect the 160 parking spaces. Mr Wales said the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce intended to seek an urgent meeting with Central Coast Council chief Mr Rob Noble. "We will request that the Council abandons the current expression of interest process and consults with Umina businesses and the community to come up with a positive covenant that works for the town and not just for the Council," he said. "My view is the current expression of interest, including the positive covenant, is totally inadequate," Mr Wales said. "Too many people have raised concerns directly with me as president of the Chamber, including business owners, and this current expression of interest fails to protect the interests of business owners and the future viability of West St," he said. "West St is successful because it has got the Bullion St carpark." The positive covenant, Mr Wales said, "has fatal flaws". Gosford Council's application for the covenant to be placed over the land was made by its Manager of Property and Economic Development Mr Christopher Redman on April 8 under the delegated authority of the then chief Mr Paul Anderson. "It is intended that the land be sold," Gosford Council's application for the positive covenant said. "This order is made to ensure that sufficient public parking is provided on the land for the community of Umina. "...parking for 160 motor vehicles must be made available on the land at no charge to members of the public between 7am and 9pm seven days per week," the covenant said. However, the first flaw in the covenant, according to Mr Wales, was that it allowed for reduced public parking during construction. "Where the owner undertakes construction for a development, the owner may reduce the parking available on the land to the members of the public to assist in the construction of the development where it obtains permission from council". "From the moment the developer gets a construction certificate until completion of the development, the car parking is lost to the town centre and that would be devastating to the main street of Umina,' Mr Wales said. "People will make a decision to go elsewhere to do their shopping and it would create the traffic chaos in Umina that Terrigal is faced with today. "I won't stand by and see Umina lose 160 parking spaces," Mr Wales said. He said the covenant, in its current form, could see the carpark closed for up to two years and that would be a reasonably positive scenario. "What if a developer acquired the land, commenced construction and then went broke? "I don't believe it is possible for the developer to substitute 160 car spaces in another location for the duration of a development. "The land cannot be developed in the way council is proposing because it cannot guarantee the community would not lose its parking." Mr Wales said if the Central Coast Council wanted to continue with the proposed sale of the Bullion St land it would need to provide Umina Town Centre with a multi-storey car park elsewhere to guarantee the existing 160 free parking spaces and have capacity for future growth. The second flaw in the current positive covenant, according to Mr Wales, was that it provided the new land owner with the ability to charge for the parking if it obtains permission to do so from council. "The owner may request permission to charge for public parking and council will not unreasonably withhold or refuse permission if a period of at least five years has elapsed since the date of the final occupation certificate for the most recent development of the land and the land has been developed in excess of 50 per cent of the maximum intensity allowable under the zoning for the land," the covenant said. The final flaw was that existing West St businesses that back on to the Bullion St carpark could lose their rear access if Bullion St was sold and the land developed. "At the moment there is no formal roadway; the existing laneway forms part of the property that runs right up to the back of the businesses," he said. Mr Wales said several of those existing businesses had development consents that had to provide rear access to their buildings for commercial reasons and for fire egress. Some businesses had their own parking that could become inaccessible if the carpark was sold and developed right to its boundary with the existing West St buildings. Business owners in the area were not notified by council prior to the Expressions of Interest being called. Because the land is classified as "operational", the council did not have to consult the community before it decided to sell it. The diversion of delivery vehicles to West St from the "informal" laneway at the boundary of the Bullion St land would be a traffic nightmare for Umina Town Centre, according to the Chamber. "It would be like telling Umina shoppers the council was going to put paid parking metres in; there will be a worse revolt than the Ettalong boarding house proposal," Mr Wales said. The Gosford Council did hold discussions with the Peninsula Chamber in 2014 about the future of the Umina Town Centre. "We did say that the Bullion St Carpark was important to the town centre and held prospects for future development for community benefit but at no time did we agree to its wholesale sale," Mr Wales said. "Umina is unique and successful because of Bullion St. "There is no other town centre in the former Gosford local government area that has a grid system to give traffic access to and from the town centre, the offers kerbside parking and the parking in Bullion St with its direct links to businesses. "Then we have excellent public transport in the form of buses so if you play around with that mix of unique circumstances you could ruin the town centre. "Every other town centre that is suffering retail problems has a shortage of parking. "We did not spend a decade encouraging businesses to come to Umina to see it ruined,' Mr Wales said. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture oversees restaurant inspections in the state. Inspection reports are "snapshots" of the day and time the inspections took place. In many cases, violations are corrected on site prior to the inspector leaving. The following restaurants and other establishments in Lancaster County that handle food were inspected during the week of Aug. 7-13 and were recorded as of Aug. 24. READ MORE: READ MORE: Aug. 12 ARBOR PLACE YOUTH CENTER 520 NORTH ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Raw eggs were stored above ready-to-eat foods in the reach-in refrigerator (corrected on site). HOOVER'S FARM MARKET 30 ERB'S BRIDGE ROAD, LITITZ Opening inspection. Egg wash sink is located close to the mop sink; numerous pre-packaged baked goods from third-party vendors are missing some of the following information: name of business, full address, count or weight, allergens; walk-in cooler does not have a thermometer to ensure a temperature of 41 F or below; food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips or test kit to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration. LANCASTER INN & SUITES 1475 LANCASTER ROAD, MANHEIM Regular inspection. Ice machine not cleaned at a frequency to prevent the presence of mold; paper towel dispenser empty at the hand-wash sink in the prep area. MARION COURT ROOM 7 MARION COURT, LANCASTER Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Raw eggs were stored above ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator. Corrected on site. PARK'S GROCERIES 201 W. VINE ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Food facility inspection indicates evidence of rodent activity in the grocery area, but facility does not have a pest control program. STARBUCK'S COFFEE 441 PARK CITY CENTER, LANCASTER Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Women's toilet room is not provided with a covered waste receptacle for sanitary napkins. Repeat violation. SUSHI BY JAY at WEIS MARKET 740 S. BROAD ST., LITITZ Follow-up inspection. (Out of compliance) (Original report, Aug. 5, 2016) Person-in-charge does not have adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection; facility is not following HACCP plan by documenting daily calibration of PH meter. Aug. 11 HOGAR CREA 26 GREEN ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Grease trap lid is missing - grease trap needs repaired by licensed plumber. O'HALLORAN'S IRISH PUB 764 HIGH ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Food facility operator failed to post an original, valid PDA food employee certification in a location conspicuous to the consumer; women's toilet room is not provided with a covered waste receptacle for sanitary napkins; floors in the food-prep area are not durable, smooth, non-porous, non-absorbent due to cracked tiles. TURKEY HILL #021 101 S. MAIN ST., MANHEIM Regular inspection. Three-bay sink had build-up of coffee residue and not cleaned before use and frequently throughout the day; ice chute at soda station not cleaned at a frequency to prevent the presence of mold. Aug. 10 CHARCOALS BAR & GRILL 701 OLDE HICKORY ROAD, LANCASTER Follow-up inspection. (Original report, July 19, 2016) Food employees preparing food were not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard cover (repeat violation); torn rubber door gaskets were on the small True Refrigerator cooling unit, the True Temp refrigerator across from the cook line, and the True Temp reach-in; chlorine chemical sanitizer residual detected in the final sanitizer rinse cycle of the low temperature sanitizing dishwasher was 0 ppm, and not 50-100 ppm as required (call was placed during inspection); women's toilet room is not provided with a covered waste receptacle for sanitary napkins (repeat violation); toilet rooms do not have a self-closing door (repeat violation). LEOLA PIZZA 23 W. MAIN ST., LEOLA Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Commercially processed refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature-control-for-safety food and held more than 24 hours is not being marked with the date it was opened (repeat violation); food handler was donning single-use gloves without a prior hand wash; food handlers preparing food were not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets or hats; internal temperatures of cut tomatoes and shredded lettuce in bain-marie measured 53 F and 47 F respectively (discarded); time in lieu of temperature being used in the food facility to control pizza without written procedures or documentation to verify disposition of food; kitchen hand-washing sink was blocked by boxes and large garbage pail; hood baffles contain an accumulation of grease. PEKING BUFFET 157 ROHRERSTOWN ROAD, LANCASTER Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Person-in-charge does not have adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection (repeat violation of 2015); employee's open beverage container was on a food-prep table in the kitchen; clams in the Leader cooling unit and egg rolls in the walk-in cooler are stored open with no covering; bag of sugar was stored directly on the floor in the food-prep area, rather than six inches off the floor as required; flour and tempura coating are not being sifted every four hours or covered and refrigerated as required; cups rather than scoops with handles are being used in bulk foods; floor in the walk-in cooler is pitted and eroded and is no longer smooth and easily cleanable; torn rubber door gaskets were on the Leader cooling unit; chlorine chemical sanitizer residual detected in the final sanitizer rinse cycle of the low-temperature-sanitizing dishwasher was 0 ppm, and not 50-100 ppm as required; facility is re-using #10 cans to store food -- cans are single-use items; a lot of old-food residue inside the bain-marie, including a brown-colored residue; entire cooking area above and below the wok area has a heavy accumulation of grease, old-food residue and debris hanging from the racks above the woks; old grease residue is hanging from the faucet lines above the woks; shelving below the wok area including switches for the gas line has an extreme amount of grease build-up on them; floor below the woks have spillage of old grease and food debris; areas under and on the sides of the fryers have old-food residue and grease build-up; heavy accumulation of grease and food debris in the pull-out trays below the woks on the cooking area (repeat violation of 2015); holes and no coving along the floor/wall juncture under and around the dish-washing area; missing floor tiles under the fryers and the cook line; old unused equipment stored in the back dining area and in the food preparation should be removed from food facility; ant-like insects in the food-preparation area and near the dish washer. RAILSIDE PRODUCE 25 W. MAIN ST., REINHOLDS Regular inspection. Jars of honey offered for sale from a facility not registered as a food processor. RUTTER'S #34 370 W. MAIN ST., LEOLA Regular inspection. A live fly was in closed doughnut case (all product discarded and case sanitized at time of inspection); internal temperature of some chicken in hot-hold unit measured 129 F - 132 F -- log not available for temperature verification (discarded). SUBWAY #07422 151 ROHRERSTOWN ROAD, LANCASTER Regular inspection. Tan slime on the metal, ice-release flap of the customer self-service soda machine; heavy accumulation of static dust on the air-intake vent above the baking center. TURKEY HILL #029 2673 LITITZ PIKE, LANCASTER Regular inspection. Boxes of food were stored directly on the floor in the walk-in freezer, rather than six inches off the floor as required; bottom right side of the exit door frame is rusted and corroded. V & S SANDWICHES/SUNOCO 1155 READING ROAD, NARVON Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Food facility does not have the original certificate for the certified food employee posted in public view; food employees in prep area were not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets or hats; fume hood was not operational at the time of inspection; three-bay sink had build-up of filth and food residue and not cleaned before use and frequently throughout the day; cooking and prep equipment in prep area had an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, debris on non-food contact surfaces; residue and mineral build up in hand-sink -- not cleaned prior to use; plumbing system not maintained in good repair - water was leaking at the drain line entering the floor by the hand sink; soap was not available at the hand-wash sink in the prep area; hand-wash sink in the prep area does not have single-use towels, continuous towels, or air drying device; food debris and litter under and around equipment on floor and walls. WAWA FOOD MARKET #275 2126 LINCOLN HIGHWAY E., LANCASTER Regular inspection. Ingredient list not available at the self-serve doughnut case; piece of bare wood is being used to support a pipe on top of freezer unit; sticky residue on food storage containers (cleaned). Aug. 9 FARMERSVILLE AUCTION 33 N. FARMERSVILLE ROAD, EPHRATA Regular inspection. The facility lost its CFM two weeks ago -- at least one person must successfully complete an approved food safety course within 90 days of this inspection report date; observed a rubber spatula with ragged edges which is not a durable, smooth easily cleanable surface (discarded); lights are not shielded or shatterproof in the food facility. LINCOLN BEVERAGE 2217 LINCOLN E. HIGHWAY, LANCASTER Complaint inspection. Ceiling tiles missing in the retail area and need to be replaced; dirt and dust accumulation under display pallets and around beverage refrigeration units. QUARRYVILLE FAMILY RESTAURANT 134 E. STATE ST., QUARRYVILLE Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Person-in-charge is not performing the duties as required by the PA Food Code to actively manage food safety in this facility (repeat violation); ice scoop was stored in a container of water which is not maintained at 135 F; TCS foods (chicken, beef, milk, etc.) were held at 50 F, in the walk-in cooler, rather than 41 F or below as required (discarded); walk-in cooler is not maintaining the minimum required temperature of 41 F or less; a food-prep employee was straining corn in the hand-wash sink (discarded). WILLOW STREET LIBERTY 2915 WILLOW STREET PIKE, WILLOW STREET Regular inspection. Food facility does not maintain food employee certification records as required; food facility does not have the original certificate for the certified food employee posted in public view. Aug. 8 CAPONE'S DINER & COFFEE SHOP 1325 FRUITVILLE PIKE, LANCASTER Change-of-owner inspection. Duct tape, which is not smooth and easily cleanable, is being used on the door of the chest freezer; raw wood which is not cleanable, is being used to support the table used for the pass-through; food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips or test kit to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration for chlorine bleach; chlorine chemical sanitizer residual detected in the final sanitizer rinse cycle of the low-temperature-sanitizing dishwasher was 0 ppm, and not 50-100 ppm as required - call for repair was placed during the inspection; leak at the elbow pipe of the hand-wash sink. COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT 1931 HOSPITALITY DRIVE, LANCASTER Regular inspection. Irreversible-registering thermometer or thermal strips are not provided for measuring the temperature of the utensil surface; torn rubber door gaskets were on the single True Temp refrigerator in the kitchen - repeat violation from 2015; tan slime inside the top portion of the ice maker; old-food splatter inside the microwave; grease build-up on the side of the mechanical dish washer and on the wall in back; static dust on the walls near the oven. GOOD N PLENTY RESTAURANT 150 EASTBROOK ROAD, P.O. BOX 249, SMOKETOWN Regular inspection. Food employee was drinking from an open plastic cup in the food-prep area (corrected); clean dish-ware stored under sink drain line; drain plug missing on outside dumpster unit; several ceiling tiles in kitchen areas are discolored and warped. KAUFFMAN & SONS, A L 3097 OLD PHILADELPHIA PIKE, BIRD-IN-HAND Regular inspection. Stained and buckled ceiling tiles in deli area - tiles need to be replaced. LA PROMESA RESTAURANT 52 E. MAIN ST., EPHRATA Regular inspection. (Out of compliance) Refrigerated ready-to-eat food prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours is not being date-marked (repeat violation); internal temperature of cooked chicken made and cooled two days earlier measured 68 F (repeat violation; discarded); TCS food is being cooled in plastic containers, kept covered in refrigerator rather than in shallow, metal pans; internal temperature of pork and cheese, and pork in commercial refrigerator measured 68 and 47 F respectively (repeat violation; discarded); some foods are being stored in plastic bags, rather than in a container that is durable, smooth and easily cleanable (repeat violation); kitchen utensils stored with food-contact surfaces up instead of handles. NEW HOLLAND EXXON 312 W. MAIN ST., NEW HOLLAND Complaint inspection. Facility does not have procedures for employees to follow when responding to an event involving vomitus or fecal matter discharge onto surfaces within the facility; food employee was touching deli meat and cheese -- ready-to-eat foods -- with bare hands. WENDY'S #6193 3995 COLUMBIA AVE., COLUMBIA Regular inspection. Food facility does not have the original certificate for the certified food employee posted in public view; food employees preparing food were not wearing a beard cover; torn rubber door gaskets were on the salad-cooling unit (work order was placed prior to this inspection). WILLOW STREET RESTAURANT 2601 WILLOW STREET PIKE, WILLOW STREET Follow-up inspection. (Out of compliance) (Original report, July 27, 2016) Person-in-charge is not performing the duties as required by the PA Food Code to actively manage food safety in this facility; food employee was preparing a sandwich -- a ready-to-eat food -- with bare hands; chlorine chemical sanitizer residual detected in the final sanitizer rinse cycle of the low temperature sanitizing dishwasher was 0 ppm, and not 50-100 ppm as required. Establishments with no violations. Aug. 13 SPOOKYNOOK GREENHOUSE 821 LANDISVILLE ROAD, MANHEIM Regular inspection. Aug. 12 COURTSIDE LOUNGE 37 E. ORANGE ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection HAMPTON INN & SUITES 2301 STRICKLER ROAD, MANHEIM Regular inspection. Aug. 11 CITY DELI 202 E. KING ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. GUS'S KEYSTONE FAMILY RESTAURANT 1050 W. MAIN ST., MOUNT JOY Follow-up inspection. (Original report, July 29, 2016) LANCASTER BREWING CO. 302 N. PLUM ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. LANCASTER REC. COMMISSION 525 FAIRVIEW AVE., LANCASTER Regular inspection. SCOOPS ICE CREAM & GRILL (MFF TYPE 3) XHG-7087 312 PRIMROSE LANE, MOUNTVILLE Regular inspection. Aug. 10 G&G DELI GROCERY 648 E. CHESTNUT ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. PEKING PALACE RESTAURANT 1025 DILLERVILLE ROAD, LANCASTER Regular inspection. SUNOCO BOWMANSVILLE 1155 READING ROAD, NARVON Regular inspection. VIE VIE'S 117 STABLE DRIVE, LANCASTER Regular inspection. Aug. 9 C TOWN MINI MARKET 451 E. KING ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. CENTRAL PA KOSHER MART 2249 LINCOLN E HIGHWAY, LANCASTER Regular inspection. CENTRAL PA KOSHER MART 2249 LINCOLN E. HIGHWAY, LANCASTER Regular inspection. DIPPIN DOTS CART #3 2249 LINCOLN HIGHWAY, LANCASTER Regular inspection. LOMBARDO'S RESTAURANT 216 HARRISBURG AVE., LANCASTER Regular inspection. O & J DELI GROCERY #2 101 PEARL ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. RACHEL'S CAFE & CREPENE 201 W. WALNUT ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. WEIS MARKETS #133 2600 WILLOW STREET PIKE, WILLOW STREET Complaint inspection. Aug. 8 BEILERS DONUTS II 398 HARRISBURG AVE., LANCASTER Opening Inspection. ESHELMAN'S FOOD SERVICE 1040 NEW HOLLAND AVE., LANCASTER Regular inspection. P & O MARKET, INC. 111 W. Orange ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. SUGAR ON TOP 126 126 N. GEORGE ST., MILLERSVILLE Regular inspection. TECK'S NEWS 19 W. CHESTNUT ST., LANCASTER Regular inspection. TOMATO BARN 65 PENN ST., WASHINGTON BORO Regular inspection. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture oversees restaurant inspections in the state. Inspection reports are 'snapshots' of the day and time the inspections took place. In many cases, violations are corrected on site prior to the inspector leaving. READ MORE: The following restaurants and other establishments in Perry County that handle food were inspected between August 7 - August 13 and reported as of August 23. SHEETZ No. 288 1550 STATE ROAD, DUNCANNON Regular inspection (Out of compliance) Proper precautions not taken to protect product during construction/remodel: exposed food preparation observed in areas of active construction/repair without effective protection or separation of food preparation; only one food shelf covered with plastic during remodel/construction -- floor tiles being torn out and replaced (voluntary disposal of approximately 25 lbs. of doughnuts and muffins at $71.33). Dust accumulation on vents, ceiling tile, and light shield above food prep areas. SUBWAY No. 57144 1609 STATE ROAD, STE 104, DUNCANNON Regular inspection - Out of compliance The person-in-charge does not have adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection. New food facility in operation more than 90 days and has not employed a certified food employee as required; employee also did not wash hands at all prior to putting on gloves and handling customer food; owner did not follow proper hand-wash procedures prior to putting on gloves and handling customer food as evidenced by checking for hot water at hand-wash sink immediately afterwards and not getting minimum 100 degrees F; water for three minutes; food employee (owner) observed in food prep area wearing watch on arm during food preparation; food employee and owner observed in food preparation area not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard covers. MARYSVILLE ALL-AMERICAN DINER 510 S STATE ST MARYSVILLE, PA 17053 Complaint inspection No violations Starbucks Starbucks will unveil a new fall drink, Chile Mocha, on Sept. 6. (Provided by Starbucks) You may be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte. But the coffee chain has another fall drink in the pipeline. A competitor to its popular PSL, perhaps? It's called Chile Mocha. The hot drink plays off of a Mexican hot chocolate with espresso and steamed milk infused with a cocoa and cinnamon powder and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. For a final touch, it's sprinkled with chile mocha, a combination of ancho and cayenne, chile pepper, cinnamon, paprika, sugar and a touch of sea salt. Chile Mocha will become available to Starbucks' loyalty members on Sept. 3 and officially be released to the public on Sept. 6. The real question is can the Chile Mocha top the popularity of the PSL as the chain's No. 1 seasonal drink? The drink was designed to emphasize the spice. "When we think about fall, often people think about warmth and spice, like cinnamon and apple pie," said Michelle Sundquist, Starbucks' senior product developer, in a press statement. "We decided to take that idea in a new direction with chocolate and a bit of heat." The PSL is now in its 13th season and officially arrives at Starbucks on Sept. 6, the same day as the Chile Mocha. If you want to make your own pumpkin spice latte at home, here's the how-to: marijuana.jpg (Shutterstock.com ) Change in marijuana legislation is coming fast to Pennsylvania, or at least it feels like it. Marijuana was decriminalized in Philadelphia in 2014, Pittsburgh in early 2016 and State College in August 2016. Decriminalization could even be statewide soon, if Governor Tom Wolf has his way. So what do all these changes mean for college students and their parents? Not much. Smoking marijuana is still not a great idea in college. Here's why: Decriminalization isn't legalization. Those caught smoking in public or in possession of marijuana are still being punished, admittedly with a fine rather than jail time. State College Borough police will fine individuals with a small amount of marijuana $250. Those caught smoking can be fined $350. It's also important to note that the borough ordinance does not include drug paraphernalia (bongs, rolling papers, vaporizers), possession of which is still a misdemeanor. Those charged with that could face a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. In Philadelphia, those caught with up to an ounce of marijuana are fined $25. Smoking in public results in a $100 fine. Pittsburgh follows the same monetary rule, although its fines are also summary citations, which stay on someone's record for five years. College campus police follow state and federal law too, not municipal. Campus police at Penn State are handing out misdemeanors, not fines for being caught with marijuana. This is in accordance with state and federal law. Until that changes, the university is sticking with the original pre-decriminalization rules. Students caught with marijuana could also get in trouble with their school's student code. Drexel University used to punish students with a mandatory suspension if they were caught violating the school's policy on marijuana. That has changed since decriminalization, however, and now students could instead be handed a deferred suspension with community service, according to Subir Sahu, vice president and dean of Student Life at Drexel. At Temple University, students who get in trouble with drugs (even if off-campus) can be fined up to $1,000 and expelled, depending on the severity and number of occurrences of the crime. All of that is in addition to whatever fines the city charges students. The same is true for University of Pennsylvania, where students could potentially lose their scholarships over marijuana use. The school cited federal funding as a primary reason for their position in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian in 2014. If the school doesn't follow federal drug laws it could lose money for research and financial aid. That being said, pot isn't going away from campuses anytime soon. "Kids are gonna do whatever they feel like regardless of the rules and restrictions that apply," said Ethan Fink, a sophomore at Temple. Mother Teresa will be declared a saint this Sunday, Sept. 4, and the significance of her canonization is not lost on the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania. "She's been dead for about 19 years," said Joe Aponick, director of communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. "Even before she died, people were saying, 'there's a saint. There's a living saint.' You didn't have to be a Catholic or a Christian to (see) that." Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia, and joined the Loreto order of nuns in 1928. She later started the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, which provided aid all throughout the world and helped build orphanages, nursing homes and hospices. Mother Teresa earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for helping the destitute and ill in Calcutta, work she continued even after she became sick. Mother Teresa died Sept. 5, 1997. Nearly 19 years to the day later, Pope Francis will proclaim her a saint in an open-air Mass in Rome. PennLive reached out to several Catholic dioceses to ask why her canonization is significant and whether there are any plans to commemorate Sunday's event. "The Diocese of Allentown rejoices that a woman who walked among us is becoming a saint," according a statement from the diocese. "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta visited Allentown in 1976 and Mahanoy City in 1995. A church in Mahanoy City now bears her name and sisters from the order she founded serve this diocese still. Her canonization is a blessing to the world and to this diocese." The Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish will commemorate the canonization of Mother Teresa Sunday in Mahanoy City. The parish will sound their bells at 4:30 a.m. when Pope Francis will declare her saint. They will then lead a procession through parts of the city before their 3 p.m. Mass of Thanksgiving, which will be attended by Bishop John Barres. "Even when her letters came out and she wrote of her own questions and doubts about her faith, we saw that she was human and we could relate to her struggles," director of communications Anne-Marie Welsh, of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, wrote in an email. "So many saints seem rather distant from us historically or culturally. So our personal experience of Mother Teresa's influence and her life make this particular canonization very meaningful." The diocese does not have any plans to commemorate the canonization of Mother Teresa, Welsh wrote. However, congregants can watch the event on EWTN, a Catholic television network; or listen to it on the Station of the Cross starting at 4 a.m. Sunday. Bishop Edward Malesic will lead Mass Sunday morning, Sept. 4, at Christ the King Catholic Church in Leechburg, where he will talk about Mother Teresa and her "ministry to the poor, forgotten and dying." Malesic was not available for an interview. "(Mother Teresa) gave herself totally for the benefit of those seemingly forgotten by everyone else," said Joe Aponick, director of communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. "Christians are called to serve the poor and to make room, if you will, at the table for everyone. Mother Teresa learned that God had a special love for most of us who we'd rather avoid. She administered to the poorest of the poor and the lepers in the gutters." The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg has no plans to commemorate Mother Teresa's canonization. However, Bishop Ronald Gainer is currently on an 11-day pilgrimage with about 100 congregants to Italy, where they will be able to observe the event. The pilgrimage includes visits to the four major basilicas, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. They left Aug. 27 and will return Sept. 6. "The canonization is a significant moment because, on one hand, it's an admission that she infallibly is a saint in heaven and, secondly, because she is now a more powerful witness and example of integrity and faith," said Rev. Dennis Gill, Director of the Office for Divine Worship. "We also have the assurance of her prayers in heaven." Gill has previously met Mother Teresa, who attended a Mass he once led in Nairobi, Kenya. He said the nun was very simple and straightforward, much like how she was in her other public appearances. "She was at home with herself and would bring Jesus into the conversation," he said. "I had a sense of her being remarkable when I was in her presence." Gill and about 60 congregants left for a 10-day pilgrimage Thursday to Italy, where they will observe the canonization. The visit will include a tour of Saint Peter's Basilica and a visit to Saint Padre Pio's tomb in San Giovanni Rotondo. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia does not have any plans to commemorate the canonization of Mother Teresa, but Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre will attend Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's event this Sunday. "Through her lifelong work ministering to the poor and caring for the sick and dying, (Mother Teresa) has modeled for us the essence of mercy," according to a statement from Bishop Joseph C. Bambera. "She treated every person she encountered with dignity, respect and compassion. Her canonization is an occasion of great rejoicing for all of us who strive to be faithful and to follow her example of selfless love for our sisters and brothers." The Diocese of Scranton has encouraged their parishes to commemorate the canonization, and several of its congregants are on their way to attend the canonization in Rome, according to executive director of communications Bill Genello. Congregants can also watch the canonization on Catholic Television (CTV). PennLive has yet to receive a comment about the canonization of Mother Teresa from The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and The Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown as of 8 p.m. Thursday. Joshua Perry.jpg Joshua Perry (submitted) A man wanted for robbing a string of Rite Aid stores in four midstate counties was captured at a northwestern Pennsylvania motel Friday morning after being spotted at the Erie County Fair, Middletown police said. Joshua Perry, 30, formerly of Columbia, is charged with robberies in Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. His 11:30 a.m. apprehension by state police came after officers received a tip that he was seen at the fair on Thursday night. Investigators tracked Perry to a motel on the outskirts of Erie where was nabbed without incident along with two other people, police said. They said one of those people, John Lebzelter of Lebanon, will face criminal charges along with Perry in York and Lebanon counties. heroin-and-opioid-addiction-in-america-overdose-deaths.jpg A 21-year-old Pa. woman was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this week on charges that she distributed heroin that resulted in a person's death. (Illustration) A 21-year-old woman in Pike County, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this week on charges that she distributed heroin that resulted in a person's death, according to the Pocono Record newspaper. Brittany Ann Banscher, 21, of Hawley, Pa., faces federal charges of distributing heroin that resulted in a death and possession with intent to distribute heroin, the newspaper reports. If convicted of the first charge, Banscher faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $1,000 fine, the Pocono Record notes. Meanwhile, the maximum penalty for possession with intent to distribute is 20 years in jail and a $1,000 fine. The grand jury found that between Sept. 3, 2015 and Sept. 4, 2015, "Banscher knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute and distributed heroin, resulting in the death of another person," the newspaper wrote. The OD victim was not identified in the report. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the heroin initiative that netted Banscher targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the newspaper reports. It is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. READ MORE: As Pa. mom swerves for deer, her son, 6, is killed in crash A stray pit bull attacked and severely injured a 9-year-old girl in Lancaster Wednesday morning, police said. Police responded to the report of an animal attack at a home in the 300 block of East Frederick Street at 7:43 a.m. An unattended pit bull entered the house and attacked the girl after an unidentified person opened a door to leave the home, police said. A family dog intervened and attacked the pit bull, but not before the girl suffered severe head injuries, police said. An adult in the house was able to separate the dogs. After it was separated from the other dog, the pit bull ran from the house and was last seen heading north on Liberty Street, according to police. The girl attacked by the dog was rushed to a nearby hospital. From there, she was transported to Hershey Medical Center for additional treatment. No information on her condition was immediately available. Police have not found the pit bull, which is presumed to be on the loose. The dog is described as a brown pit bull-style dog with a muscular body and white patches on its face, chest and parts of its front legs. Police do no know if it is a male or female. Information about the attack was sent to the state Department of Agriculture's Dog Law Enforcement Office. A dog law enforcement officer spoke with residents in the area who have similar dogs. But none matched the description provided by the victim's family. Anyone with information about the attack, or the whereabouts of the dog, is asked to contact dog law enforcement officer Yadira Garcia at 717-735-3453. If the dog is seen on the loose, do not approach it, police said. Instead, contact the police at 717-664-1180 or dial 911. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Lancaster County Crime Watch website. Kalen Vanpatten.png Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are searching for missing 17-year-old Cleona resident Kalen Vanpatten. (Cleona Borough Police Department) Cleona police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are searching for a missing 17-year-old girl. Kalen Vanpatten, 17, was last seen Aug. 12, but police didn't say where. Vanpatten is described as a Hispanic female who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 260 pounds. She has brown hair with blonde tips and half of her head is shaved. Vanpatten last lived in a foster home in Cleona. She could be in the Reading area, police said. Foul play is not suspected. Anyone with information on Vanpatten's whereabouts is asked to contact the Cleona Borough Police Department at 717-274-2510 or contact a local law enforcement agency. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A 3-3 deadlock on Pennsylvania's highest court means voters will decide this fall whether to let judges serve until age 75, five years longer than the current limit. The Supreme Court ruling Friday effectively turns down a legal challenge to the ballot referendum about amending the state constitution to extend the state's mandatory retirement age for judges. The proposed amendment was on the April primary ballot but the votes didn't count because of a last-minute measure passed by lawmakers. The Legislature directed at that time that a reference to the current retirement age of 70 be removed from the ballot question. That prompted the legal challenge that argued the wording would improperly mislead voters. The mandatory retirement age applies to about 1,000 justices, judges and district judges. Donald Trump Donald Trump went to Mexico and back to the United States Wednesday to deliver his immigration speech in Phoenix, Arizona. (Evan Vucci / AP) By Tom Marino The Department of Justice has proved time and again that it cannot act as an unbiased enforcer of the law when it comes to investigating the corrupt Clinton machine. Instead, the attorney general and the political appointees at the Justice Department have acted as a political arm for President Barack Obama and his administration. Their actions have continuously ignored our rule of law in order to protect Hillary Clinton and the White House. Unfortunately, this is not speculation. The facts are clear and they speak for themselves. For example, Attorney General Loretta Lynch held a private meeting with Bill Clinton while the Department of Justice's investigation into his wife, Hillary Clinton, was open and ongoing. In addition to this clear conflict of interest, Lynch was also a political appointee during Bill Clinton's administration. And while I could draw on my 18 years' experience as a prosecutor to conclude that their meeting borders on misconduct, this level of impropriety is apparent to even the most untrained eye. Lynch admitted this meeting was a mistake, but she, like many others within this administration, suffered no consequences and remained in charge of the investigation into Hillary Clinton. Keep in mind that the mere appearance of a conflict of interest is enough to justify the appointment of an independent, special prosecutor. Unfortunately, in this case, the fox is guarding the hen house. Since the expiration of the Office of Independent Counsel statute in 1999, only the attorney general can appoint a special prosecutor when a conflict of interest is present. In regards to the investigation into Hillary Clinton, the perception of conflict is undeniable. Still, Lynch refused to recuse herself to allow a truly impartial investigation. And even if we were to ignore this egregious lapse in judgment, we could then focus solely on the circumstances of this investigation and still reach the same conclusion. Hillary Clinton was appointed as secretary of state by Obama. She was part of the very administration charged with investigating her misconduct. The allegations _ the illegal use of a private email server, the extremely careless handling of classified information, the apparent pay-to-play scheme between Clinton Foundation donors and the State Department _ all happened while she was secretary of state. This alone proves a clear conflict of interest exists and makes the appointment of an independent, special prosecutor necessary. Any suggestion to the contrary flies in the face of logic. Yet the president is so clearly fixated on preserving his legacy through the election of Hillary Clinton that he has failed to hold our government officials accountable, even in the face of irrefutable evidence. I have no faith in Obama or his political appointees acting in the interest of our rule of law and appointing an independent prosecutor, but I do have faith in the American people _ faith that they will not tolerate such blatant disrespect for our constitution and for our system of justice. The voters have an opportunity to stand up against this flagrant misuse of power and elect someone who will put the American people before personal gain and self-promotion. They have the ability to return our government to one truly for the people, by the people. The only candidate who can do that is Donald J. Trump and it is one of the many reasons why I will be voting for him come November. U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, a Republican, represents Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He wrote this piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer. shutterstock_cyber school (Shutterstock) By Michael Conti In response to a recent PennLive opinion piece by Lawrence Feinberg, As students return to class, some recommendations to improve cyber-charter schools; we feel it absolutely necessary that we reply, as Agora was the only one of the Pennsylvania's 13 cyber charter schools that was mentioned specifically in this piece. First, it should be known that Agora admits it has endured a tumultuous year, however, our administration and Board have always done what is in the best interest of our students. In 2015, Agora severed its management relationship with K12 to become an independently managed school. When we open our virtual doors on September 6, our primary relationship with K12 will be limited and they will serve as a provider of curriculum and support services. To argue that cyber charters are alone in contracting with for-profit companies is quite misleading. School districts everywhere use for-profit companies to purchase textbooks for classrooms, keep technology on the cutting edge and stock vending machines in their brick and mortar cafeterias. These expenses are not unique or out of the ordinary- they are simply part of maintaining a successful school or district. Feinberg notes the millions of dollars paid to cyber charter schools, but fail to explain how those dollars get to us. For those unfamiliar with Pennsylvania's funding stream, every district determines a dollar amount based on per pupil spending specific to each district, of which cyber schools only see between 70-80 percent. "Tuition" paid to cyber charters is drawn from the per pupil allotment number (minus costs for food service or transportation, among other expenses) NOT as an added expense or vendor to the district. Last year Agora graduated more than 1,100 students, a class larger than most high schools in Pennsylvania. As a kindergarten through 12th grade school, serving thousands of Agora students does come at a substantial cost, but there has been no financial mismanagement of the funds collected to educate our students. A frequent claim of those who oppose cyber charter education is that schools inflate their special education numbers to receive more funds. Discovering that a child learns differently can only help their educational experience in the long run. With Agora, the school is paid for exactly the number of special education students that are enrolled each month, and only the amount mandated by law, no more and no less. As one of the largest online educators in the commonwealth, we, too, call for reform of the outdated and antiquated charter laws. Cyber-education does not look the same way it did in 1997. Our phones, computers, and even watches have evolved with technology -- and our education system should too, if the archaic laws that work against school choice in Pennsylvania did not hinder it. We want accountability and improved performance just like every other traditional, private, parochial or charter school in Pennsylvania so that we can best educate every child, not just the ones in a traditional classroom. Michael Conti is the CEO of the Agora Cyber Charter School. He writes from King of Prussia, Pa. teacher apple desk.jpg By Tillie Elvrum A recent op-ed piece by Lawrence Feinberg in Pennlive about public virtual charter schools was filled with half-truths that have been regurgitated time and time again. Tillie Elvrum (submitted photo) We really aren't surprised, then, that lawmakers in Harrisburg are pursuing funding cuts for these schools that serve as a lifeline to children across Pennsylvania. So let's address his points and examine public virtual charters with a more fair perspective. Virtual schools spend money on advertising: Pennsylvania state law requires virtuals to be statewide schools open and accessible to all students, no matter where they live. However, school districts don't allow virtual schools to contact their students. Until districts change this unfair policy virtuals will be forced to spend money on advertising to satisfy the law. For-profits are unique to virtuals: This defies common sense and is laughable. The $14 billion textbook industry isn't giving away its curriculum for free to school districts. Things like school construction, supplies, desks, and food services are paid to for-profit companies. Singling out one company over another isn't painting a clear picture. Virtuals fare worse in standardized testing: Some students enroll in virtuals to manage severe health conditions, escape bullying or address difficult family situations. Virtuals often inherit many students who have been failed by their previous schools and are already behind academically. When these students are immediately lumped into state assessment scores, the results aren't reflective of individual students' progress. Public virtual charter schools drain school district budgets: Let's be clear, it's not the districts' money. Parents are sending their tax dollars to the schools of their choice. But even if we agreed with Feinberg on this, the fact remains virtuals account for less than 1 percent of all public school funding in Pennsylvania. Of the 1.7 million students who attend public schools, only about 40,000 attend virtual charter schools. Stanford University study on charters finds shortfalls: This study uses a highly questionable "virtual twin" methodology. To put it simply, if this study was looking at the Harrisburg School District, it would've taken one child and assumed all students in Harrisburg were identical. How ridiculous. The study fails to analyze or account for factors in the lives of actual students, including enrollment dates, progress over time enrolled, or reasons why students enrolled. It also failed to interview a single parent about why they chose a public virtual charter school. National Alliance for Public Charter Schools calls study a wakeup call: A so-called charter advocacy group, it's nothing of the sort. The Alliance and their allies are funded by foundations that are spending millions to force Common Core and standardized testing on charter schools, concepts that led parents to leave traditional public schools in favor of charters. They are trying to diminish parent choice even though parents founded the charter school movement. These supposed charter advocacy groups have become a source and great talking point for those seeking to stifle charters and the value they provide to thousands of families. Mr. Feinberg goes on to call for some virtual charter schools to close, thereby killing the ability of families to choose the school that best fits their child's needs. I'm left to wonder why he doesn't call for the same standards for some traditional public schools that have failed their students for a half-century or more. The great thing about public virtual charter schools is parents have the ultimate accountability. If they don't like the school, they can choose to go elsewhere. Parents decide what's best for their children. That's the way it should be for all public schools. It's common sense that seems to go ignored by many. Tillie Elvrum is the president of PublicSchoolOptions.org, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group. CORNFIELD ART.jpg By Jonah Goldberg Since it's been seven months since the Iowa caucuses and it'll be another three-plus years until that hell is fresh again, this is the best time to talk about ethanol. Just in case you didn't know, ethanol is very popular in Iowa and other corn states, which is why most presidential candidates swear once every four years that they love ethanol so much they'd marry a jug of it if they could. If only for a moment, loyalty to this government moonshine becomes as fraught with political symbolism as a gay wedding in which both grooms refuse to wear American flag pins while declining to stand for the national anthem in support of our troops. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that for a little while, so let's tell the truth: Ethanol is stupid, wasteful and bad for cars (because it's corrosive and inefficient), the economy and the environment. The main case for biofeuels is twofold. It's supposed to be better for the environment, particularly global warming, and lessen our dependence on foreign oil. The assumption was that converting plants into fuel was "carbon neutral," and since we can do that at home, every gallon of oil we replace with corn is one less we have to buy from overseas. The fact that it also lines the pockets of agribusinesses and the politicians who love them is supposed to be a total coincidence and irrelevant to this good and noble policy. Nope. A new study from the University of Michigan confirms what pretty much everyone knew all along. Researchers found that biofuels actually create more greenhouse gases than simply using petroleum, because plants only absorb a fraction of the carbon dioxide released by burning the fuels in the first place. Moreover, ethanol production and distribution is energy-intensive, throwing off even more greenhouse gases. "When you look at what's actually happening on the land, you find that not enough carbon is being removed from the atmosphere to balance what's coming out of the tailpipe," University of Michigan professor John DeCicco said. "When it comes to the emissions that cause global warming, it turns out that biofuels are worse than gasoline." A study last year by the University of Tennessee found that in the decade since the U.S. imposed the Renewable Fuel Standard -- and after $50 billion in subsidies -- corn-based ethanol "created more problems than solutions" and hampered research on other kinds of biofuels. But even if you think, as I do, that caring for the environment means more than climate change, ethanol is a horror. Growing corn for inefficient fuel takes up farmland, raising food prices and encouraging deforestation. Science writer Matt Ridley has estimated that if all of our transport fuel came from biofuel, we would need 30 percent more land than all of the existing food-growing farmland we have today. All of the corn we grow requires vast amounts of fertilizer, which runs into our waterways and out to the Gulf of Mexico. Every year that runoff creates a massive -- and growing -- dead zone that kills sea life in one of our most valuable fisheries. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization, "Habitats that would normally be teeming with life become, essentially, biological deserts." This year's dead zone will be the size of Connecticut, researchers say. Meanwhile, in places such as Brazil, CO2-absorbing rainforests (among the biggest sources of biodiversity) are being clear-cut to make room for biofuel crops. The Nature Conservancy's Joseph Fargione estimated a few years ago that converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas or grasslands for biofuels releases 17 to 420 times more CO2 than it offsets by displacing petroleum or coal. One hears a lot about the great jobs that ethanol creates here at home, but this is broken-window thinking. Frederic Bastiat famously explained in his essay on the broken window that it's silly to talk about the jobs created by a broken window -- you've got to hire people to replace it, right? -- unless you also take into account that the money spent on a new window could have been spent on something more productive. Thanks to the shale oil revolution, America now has greater oil reserves than Saudi Arabia and Russia. Domestic oil production produces far more -- and far better paying -- jobs than ethanol production. Cheaper oil also cascades through the economy, creating more jobs. And we're better at producing oil in an environmentally safe way than most other countries. When we take production offline, we are in effect subsidizing foreign production. But hey, the Iowa caucuses are important too. Jonah Goldberg is a syndicated columnist. His work appears on Fridays on PennLive. readers may email him at goldbergcolumn@gmail.com. There are few people who have been around Pennsylvania politics longer - or who know it better - than Brad Bumsted. Author Brad Bumsted (PennLive photo by John L. Micek) For more than two decades, Bumsted, the ace state Capitol reporter for The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, has prowled the halls of power picking up scoops and telling the stories of Pennsylvania's most influential public officials. This month, Bumsted, of New Cumberland, is out with a new book "Keystone Corruption Continues: Cash Payoffs, Porngate and the Kathleen Kane Scandal." It's his second history of the colorful and often corrupt public figures who have risen to prominence in Pennsylvania politics and then abused the voters' trust. Bumsted's first book, "Keystone Corruption: A Pennsylvania Insider's View of a State Gone Wrong" was published in 2013. As we excerpt a chapter from his new book, Bumsted took a few minutes this week to chat with PennLive about the book, the saga of former Attorney General Kathleen Kane and what it is about Keystone State politics that so often lands its practitioners in shackles. The following is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation. Q: This is your second book about political corruption in Pennsylvania politics. Was that the plan all along? Were you always planning a sequel to your first book or did events just lend themselves to it? A: "I absolutely did not think I would be writing another book. I thought that was it. I guess corruption is pervasive in Pennsylvania that it requires more than one book, even though my first book went back to shortly after the Civil War "As cases started to develop in 2013 and I began to cover them and there were more and more, I eventually decided that I might have to write another book just to catch up. I never dreamed that Attorney General Kathleen Kane would be a big part of it." Q: Speaking of Kane, she was just convicted this month on felony perjury and other charges. She makes up a big part of the new book. What is it about her - and her story - that makes her such a compelling figure? It's a terrible story - yet we can't seem to look away. A: "Two things are immediately transparent - one is that she was not ready for prime-time. She had not been vetted by the media. She ran a TV-commercial type campaign where she rarely did interviews. "Her experience was solely as an assistant district attorney in Lackawanna County. Her opponent, Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed had run an office. She had no administrative experience. "She never ran anything. But as Larry Ceisler, a Philadelphia public relations consultant told me recently, she didn't have political or governmental experience. There were telling signs early on that there was a problem - mainly that she would not do sit-down interviews for the most part. "The second thing that everyone has written about by now - it is what you think of when you think of Kathleen Kane. It was how meteoric her rise was, to be leading vote-getter with 3 million votes. And [then], by 2014, to be crashing so rapidly when the Philadelphia Inquirer sting story hit. That was a legislative bribery case in which an undercover agent videotaped lawmakers accepting cash." " ... What jumps out at me about Kane is the two faces of Kathleen Kane. Under pressure and in public, she would maintain a cool demeanor and smile. You never had any idea that she was in trouble. "Facing a gaggle of reporters, she would look extremely serene, But in private, her one consultant described as being unhinged as the cover-up fell apart. Numerous personnel described her as abusive, screaming at employees. "Even the whole way through the trial, Kathleen Kane believed she was going to be acquitted. She smiled the whole way through - it was like she was above it all. Once the verdict came down, she wasn't smiling anymore." Q: You've written about every politician in Pennsylvania who's found himself or herself on the wrong side of the law. Is there one among them who stands out in their notoriousness? A: "I think former [state] Sen. Vince Fumo, D-Philadelphia, was the most intriguing. He had more power than any legislator than I'd ever seen, even more than some governors. "Governors couldn't get to first base without Fumo's cooperation - or they soon learned that they could not. He was one of a kind. "But he was intent on using what he called "OPM," or "other people's money" to do that." Q: So what is it about Pennsylvania anyway? Is there just something in the water here that causes our politicians to go astray? A: "There's a political scientist of some importance, James Salazar, who was at Temple for a while. He developed this theory of political cultures in each state. Some political scientists believe that, as states develop political cultures, that contributes to corruption "In Pennsylvania, we had ward politics in Philadelphia and big cities, where people were beholden to a ward chairman for favors. Gifts were freely exchanged and pay-to-play was in practice, but it was not called that. "In the coal region, you had company towns where people were beholden to the company store. New York is similar There are reform states like Minnesota and Wisconsin, others. The western states are independent of this. Is Pennsylvania the most corrupt state by far? The answer is that I don't know. Justice Department. stats don't include these [kinds of convictions]. Pennsylvania is No. 5 or No. 6 depending on the study that is being done." By Brad Bumsed March 13, 2013 HARRISBURG--The Pennsylvania Turnpike, carved through the Allegheny Mountains, opened shortly after midnight on Oct. 1, 1940 as "America's Dream Highway." At that time, the nation's first superhighway ran from Carlisle to Irwin. Grants from the Roosevelt administration got it rolling. Brad Bumsted (PennLive photo by John L. Micek) When it opened, drivers went joy riding. At least four motorists got so caught up in the experience they ran out of gas. In Irwin, the first driver on the turnpike was Carl A. Boe, 43, of McKeesport. Toll collector Morris Neiberg welcomed him. The first driver in Carlisle was Homer D. Romberger, a feed and tallow dealer, who took a 47-minute drive to Fort Littleton, according to The Pennsylvania Turnpike: A History by Dan Cupper. The toll highway was this state's version of the Autobahn (though there's no actual fair comparison) because there was no speed limit initially. It was celebrated in a 1970s country song "Pennsylvania Turnpike, I Love You" by Vaughn Horton. How did I miss that one? Sure it evokes nostalgic memories. Stopping for dinners at Howard Johnson's--a rare treat in the 1950s. And flat tires, misplacing toll tickets, operating by old-fashioned map when there were no GPS or directions via cell phones. Speed traps. Long lines of traffic. You name it. Fairly or unfairly, the turnpike has had a reputation for two things: providing your safest route in winter with dry roads--even after a major storm--and as a place where a nephew or cousin who knew the right pols landed a toll taker job or a summer paving job. Management jobs were available to really well-connected folks. But it was costly and inefficient. In his landmark 1993 book on turnpike corruption, When the Levee Breaks: The Patronage Crisis at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the General Assembly & the State Supreme Court, author William Keisling wrote of "outright lawbreaking, waste, two-party privilege and politics at the Turnpike." "Girlfriends, brothers, husbands, sons-in-law and other close relations and associates were still being hired left and right into well-paying Turnpike jobs. Two patronage chiefs, one for each party, were still employed by the Turnpike," Keisling said he was told in an anonymous letter apparently from a "mid-level employee of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission"--a device used to open the book. Critics complain of Keisling's exaggerations as a writer, but several lawmakers in the mid-1990s told me about his book and they said it was spot on. In the book, he gives names and calls into question the legality of hiring practices based on a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. In a 1990s series for Gannett newspapers, I was able to confirm many of Keisling's assertions. The practices continued unabated. "The politicians weren't about to merrily give up any piece of this pie," Keisling wrote. He noted the unusual degree of cooperation between the two major parties to share the spoils. According to Keisling, here's how it worked at the agency: New hires were "rubber stamped" by a personnel committee, comprised of friends and relatives of the pols. They in turn appointed more friends and relatives, he suggests. On paper it looked good. What Keisling unearthed was more than doling out toll-taker entry level jobs. He also showed the complex web between the Senate, the agency and then the Supreme Court. He revealed widespread "pinstripe patronage" where big law firms that donated thousands of campaign dollars to the party in power--and the party out of power at the Capitol--landed turnpike contracts with lucrative fees often for boilerplate legal work on bonds. Today, the Peter J. Camiel Service Plaza remains as a monument to the bond between pols and turnpike officials. Camiel was a former Democratic senator and former chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee. He was charged and convicted along with Sen. Vincent Fumo, of Philadelphia and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Nolan, of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, in a "ghost" payroll scandal. In 1981, a federal judge overturned a jury's guilty verdicts on mail fraud charges and acquitted all three men. Maybe it takes an acquittal to get a service plaza named after you. * * * Scandals and corruption had persisted at the turnpike for decades. In 1957, five people including two turnpike commissioners were convicted in a make-work scheme under a $19 million contract. Mine voids were needlessly being filled and bills inflated in the Manu Mine scandal. Former Gov. George Leader called it "literally highway robbery." The president of the construction company was the nephew of one of the commissioners. The nephew was also convicted in the nine-week conspiracy trial in Dauphin County Court. A turnpike commissioner appointed following the '56 scandal was charged with bribery, extortion and conspiracy in 1963. Six years later, the FBI arrested the agency's general counsel for taking cash to steer a company to a builder. Then in 1978, former Turnpike Commissioner Egidio Cerelli, whose case was mentioned in Keystone Corruption and which I covered in federal court in Pittsburgh, was convicted for extorting money from contractors for contributions to the Democratic Party when he worked as a PennDOT supervisor. Cerelli was a good-natured pol who stood trial after an earlier mistrial. He was a friend of then-Gov. Milton Shapp and a power in Westmoreland County politics. He drew a three-year prison term. At his death, he predicted the practice of politicians demanding money from contractors, often known as macing, would continue in one form or another. Another scandal I saw--well, fortunately I didn't literally see it--unfolded in 1999 after nude pictures of former Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer's wife were discovered on turnpike computers. His wife resigned from her $65,500 a year job as assistant deputy executive director. Jubelirer filed for divorce. A male turnpike worker who took the photos was fired. Earlier, a female turnpike employee won a $250,000 court settlement on grounds she had been passed over for the post given to Jubelirer's wife, saying his wife lacked credentials. By 2013, the romance of the grand opening was long gone. LICENSE TO BORROW Republicans controlling the state House were moving to abolish the Turnpike Commission and fold all operations into the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Rep. Donna Oberlander, a Republican representing Clarion and Armstrong Counties, said she considered it an "outdated" and "corruption-infested" commission running an "antiquated and mismanaged" agency. The bill didn't get traction. The commission's $9 billion debt proved problematic. Kudos to Oberlander and previously Rep. Mike Vereb, R-Montgomery County, for trying. But even if they won House passage, the Senate represented a steel barrier against such foolishness. Why? Because for decades, Senate leaders controlled it. As designed, the five-member commission running the state's toll road and major east-west highway was an independent state agency. If the Turnpike Commission became part of PennDOT, the debt wouldn't disappear. Taxpayers would be responsible for it. That's a bitter pill for most lawmakers to swallow. Staying in debt, oddly enough, assures the agency's survival. "The Turnpike itself remains in existence only so long as it remains in debt," said a presentment by the 33rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. "When all bonds, notes or other obligations and the interest thereon have been paid . . . the Turnpike and the connecting road, tunnels, and bridges shall become a part of the system of State Highways and shall be maintained by the Department of Highways free of tolls; and thereupon, the Commission shall be dissolved," the Grand Jury said quoting an incorporating document of the agency. "The Grand Jury finds this to be of particular note given the practices of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission regarding the expenditure of state dollars discovered during the course of this investigation." Note the free tolls never happened. Never will. The original planning called for the turnpike retiring its debt in 1954 and becoming part of PennDOT, according to The Pennsylvania Turnpike: A History, by Cupper. The agency was in effect given a free license to spend-- and borrow. And spend they did. PennDOT manages 41,000 miles of roadway. It's run by seven executives or one for every 5,857 miles of state roadway. According to Oberlander, the turnpike had nine executives at that time for 545 miles of roadway. That effectively is one executive for 60 miles of highway. There are different ways to calculate it but the comparison is apt. The turnpike is an extremely costly operation given the relatively small share of roadway it operates. Drivers pay a premium to ride on it. By 2014 after opening a section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway in western Pennsylvania, the road mileage crept up to 550. The agency employed about 2,100 people, about the same as 10 years ago despite the advent of electronic tolling and less need for toll takers. The debt and tolls have been increasing steadily since the enactment of a 2007 transportation law. That law used expanded turnpike debt to pump $450 million a year into highways, repair, transit and bridges throughout the state. The turnpike has forked over $4.5 billion for other state uses. Under a 2014 law effectively raising the gas tax and motorists' fees, the bulk of the $450 million will be spent on mass transit. In 2016, for a cash-paying customer, it cost $46.10 to ride from the Delaware River Bridge in Philadelphia to the Gateway Toll Plaza. Essentially that's from the New Jersey to Ohio state lines. The E-Z Pass electronic toll was discounted to $32.95. The cross-state distance is almost 357 miles. From 1956 to 2013, cross-state tolls increased from $3.90 and 1.1 cents per mile to $9.15 and 10.9 cents per mile in 2013, Turnpike records show. (The E-Z pass rate was $30.77 or 8.6 cents per mile.) * * * Few knew the outrageous spending by commissioners and other agency officials over the years. Tolls, a share of the state gas tax and vehicle registration fees, pay for the highway and its maintenance. The part-time commissioners, who are political appointees, traveled and entertained like medieval barons. They doled out jobs to friends and relatives. TURNPIKE EXCESSES A series of articles by the Tribune-Review in 2005 showed: Audits from 1987 through 1997 found weaknesses in hiring procedures but those audits were repeatedly ignored. Patronage and nepotism flourished. Former Turnpike Commissioner Jim Dodaro helped his son, Daniel, get a job as an operations auditor for $55,795 in 2003. Ex-CEO Joe Brimmeier hired his cousin, Ed Schauer, as a plumber for about $34,000. He also hired the son of former Turnpike Commissioner Robert Brady, the Philadelphia Democratic Chairman and now a U.S. congressman. Brady's son got a $74,637 job as assistant director of operations in the east. Dodaro stated he was proud of helping people get jobs, including the guy who cut his grass. "Hell yeah I'm proud of it," Dodaro told the Trib. "I've helped a lot of people." The problem with patronage: no one else has a shot at the jobs and we can't be sure the best qualified folks got the jobs. Brimmeier insisted he first made sure people could do the work. The influence of former Senate Democratic powerbroker Vincent Fumo and former Senate President Pro Tem Robert Jubelirer, an Altoona Republican, on internal agency decisions. Fumo was of counsel with a law firm that landed turnpike work. But it was "going too far to say they controlled the commission," said Mike Long, then Jubelirer's top aide. He called that "patently false" and said the commission ran the agency. However Long admitted "we weighed in" for a turnpike equipment operator whose wife worked in Jubelirer's district office to ensure a promotion and more than $5,000 a year raise. Long is now one of the most powerful lobbyists in Harrisburg. Jubelirer was defeated in 2006 after engineering the 2005 legislative pay raise. Mitchell Rubin, the former chairman, racked up $72,000 in meals and travel over five years. His expenses included $6,268 for trips to Paris and Madrid, according to a sidebar to the series by former Trib reporter Chris Osher. A $1,869 bill at Topper's at the Wauwinet Inn in Nantuckett included $125 for Beluga caviar, $76 for four quail salads and sirloin steaks for $46 each. He also dined at two four star restaurants in New York at public expense. Rubin didn't reveal who it was he treated. They were listed as unspecified legislators. On four occasions, Rubin billed the public for his trips to Manhattan for an annual political event called the Pennsylvania Society. One expense: a $3,277.36 dinner at Alain Ducasse. A former turnpike auditor told the Trib he flagged Rubin's expenses but no one did anything about them. It was later revealed in a federal indictment of Fumo that Rubin was a "ghost employee" of the Senate collecting $150,000 from taxpayers over five years. Rubin's wife, Ruth Arnao, had been Fumo's top staffer and co-defendant. THE TURNPIKE INDICTMENT All of this was the backdrop for the searing indictment Attorney General Kane and State Police Commissioner Noonan would deliver at the March 13, 2013, news conference. The hype surrounding Pennsylvania's Turnpike Corruption case was incredible. The Grand Jury's findings "open the window to the operation of the Pennsylvania Turnpike commission and many of their associates in the private sector," said Noonan. "It shows a culture of greed, corruption and political influence that is beyond imagination. The people of Pennsylvania deserve better." Kane, at that joint news conference with Noonan, called what happened at the agency "stealing from the public pure and simple." The indictment alleged a sweeping pattern of influence peddling and bid-rigging. Finally, I thought, someone was going to get to the bottom of the patronage pit and scandalous agency that was an anachronism and was on the table for elimination by the legislature. But getting any turnpike abolishment bill through the Senate faced an uphill battle, aside from the issue of dealing with agency debt. There's the treasure trove of political goodies that historically existed for a few select Senate leaders: jobs and steering contracts to donors. For decades, it had been the playground of Senate leaders of both parties. The Senate caucuses kept their influence because two-thirds support was required for confirmation of gubernatorial appointments to the commission. One party couldn't do it alone so deals on nominees were necessary. In fact, the grand jury presentment alleged a 60-40 split of the political spoils with the party holding the governor's office getting the majority. When Corbett, the former hard-charging attorney general, became governor he named Roger Nutt, the father of his campaign manager, Brian Nutt, as the turnpike's executive director. Roger Nutt had highway experience, but it smelled bad coming from the would-be reformer. Remember, it was Republican Corbett who launched a turnpike investigation in 2009 so he knew a lot about the inside dealings there under Rendell. "No bid contracts and pinstripe patronage have been common practices at the Turnpike Commission, but no serious reform has taken root since the institution serves up favors, jobs and projects to Democrats and Republicans," said Eric Epstein, co-founder of Rock the Capital, a political reform group. Eight former turnpike staffers were charged a little more than two months after Kane, a Democrat, took office in January 2013. The so-called "pay to play" case from the outset sounded like a winner. For one, any jury comprised of reasonably aware Pennsylvanians would know how much more they pay each year to ride on the turnpike. Politicians have been milking it since 2007 to pay for road improvements in other parts of the state. The average prospective juror might also be aware of longstanding rumors of corruption. So showing that some turnpike officials were showered with contractor-provided gifts, many of which were not reported as required on disclosure statements--from gift certificates at plush resort Nemacolin Woodlands to tickets for sporting events, limos, expensive dinners and travel--would be relatively easy. So the theory went. There'd be no question those vendors obtained or maintained their contracts with the agency. So what if each gift could not be linked to a specific contract or sponsored fundraiser for a favored politician? The grand jury investigating the case didn't make those specific connections. An insightful lawyer-legislator at the Capitol told me he had no doubt a Dauphin County jury still would make the connections on its own and convict all or many of the six defendants technically part of the "pay to play" case. Two other defendants, it later became clear, were a minor part of the case. Some of the principals were charged with commercial bribery, a statute that includes a subsection not requiring a quid pro quo. The big players: Mitchell Rubin, former turnpike chairman and former Democratic Senator Vincent Fumo's go-to guy at the agency; longtime Pittsburgh pol Joe Brimmeier, the agency's CEO and an appointee of Gov. Ed Rendell; former Senate Democratic Leader Robert Mellow, of Scranton; and another top-ranking agency official, George Hatalowich, of Harrisburg. Hatalowich faced 15 charges--seven ethics counts for not reporting. He had the most "gift"-type counts piled up. The other major figures faced nine charges. A defense attorney later told me it was consistent with what he considered the Fina case-building strategy: overcharge the defendants and hope one charge sticks. The defense lawyer's concern though was that Brandstetter, who was hired by Fina, would not entertain plea bargains and would if necessary take every case to trial and roll the dice with a Dauphin County jury. He was probably right. She had learned extremely well from Fina. For the record, under Pennsylvania law, statewide grand juries technically don't indict. They issue presentments. The presentments effectively are like indictments in the federal system. State prosecutors then decide whether to file charges based on the presentment. At the end of 2012, a lot of rumors were swirling that the turnpike case might be spiked altogether. Linda Kelly, Corbett's appointee as his successor, was handing off the case to Kane. No one knew what Kelly or Kane would do. It was secret grand jury material. Dauphin County jury pools, from in and around the state's capital city, provided the jurors for the major state corruption cases of Bonusgate and Computergate. It was quite a risk to go to trial there on political corruption charges. Of ten political corruption cases that actually went to trial, prosecutors won seven verdicts. Two defendants were acquitted. Those are bad odds if the outcome is prison; the vast majority of the others entered pleas to reduce their exposure to prison time. It's the way it works. The turnpike officials and vendors were supposedly part of an illegal fundraising machine raising campaign cash for favored elected pols. For some select few vendors, it meant big contracts at public expense. One big difference between the turnpike case and Bonusgate: more of the top turnpike defendants had top-shelf defense attorneys. And the office of attorney general behind the scenes was in turmoil as a result of a time bomb left by Kane's adversary, former Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina, and the constant internal issue of how to handle her investigation of Corbett's Sandusky investigation that she had promised to the voters. Capitol Hill wags were calling it the "investigation of the investigation." (Editor's Note: The defendants eventually convicted in the Pa. Turnpike scandal received no jail time and were allowed to keep their taxpayer-funded pensions.) Brad Bumsted covers Pennsylvania government and politics for The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The above is an excerpt from his new book: "Keystone Corruption Continues: Cash Payoffs, Porngate and the Kathleen Kane Scandal," now published by Sunbury Press in Mechanicsburg, Pa. So just where does Donald Trump stand on immigration reform these days? At first glance, that's tough to say. There's been so much "softening" and "hardening" in the Republican nominee's position over the last week that you want to tell him to see a doctor if he has a policy stand that lasts longer than four hours. Let's review: In a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday, the Republican nominee struck something like a conciliatory tone, reiterating a pledge to build a wall along America's southern border, but he declined to repeat his frequent pledge to get America's nearest neighbor to pay for it. But in an appearance in Phoenix, Ariz., later that same night, Trump returned to the fiery populism that's made him a darling of the nativist right. Employing some entirely creative math, he pledged to deport 2 million undocumented immigrants that he said had committed crimes. And then he ruled out a path to citizenship for the other, roughly 9 million who had entered the country illegally (Never mind that such a strategy would essentially turn America into a police state.). "Day one, my first hour in office, those people are gone," Trump said of undocumented immigrants. "And you can call it deported if you want...you can call it whatever the hell you want, they're gone." Then, speaking to conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham and Fox News on Thursday, Trump insisted that would be "quite a bit of softening" when it came to his campaign's touchstone issue. "Oh, there's softening," he said, according to Politico. "Look, we do it in a very humane way, and we're going to see with the people that are in the country. Obviously I want to get the gang members out, the drug peddlers out, I want to get the drug dealers out. We've got a lot of people in this country that you can't have, and those people we'll get out." "And then we're going to make a decision at a later date once everything is stabilized," Trump told the talk show host. "I think you're going to see there's really quite a bit of softening." While Trump's tough talk won him applause from the crowd in Phoenix and praise from such supporters as former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, it cost him the backing of some of his Hispanic advisors, who justifiably saw it as a slap in the face. "I don't want to be a prop like the Mexican president," Jacob Monty, an advisory panel member who resigned after the Phoenix speech, told The Washington Post this week. "We were out there defending him. And then to be just lied to like that -- it doesn't feel good. It's not okay." In fact, Trump's triangulation on immigration this week is a maneuver so cynical that perhaps even Bill Clinton would nod in appreciation. The nativist tough talk shores up the base, while the seeming retreat from it is clearly intended to win him the support of more moderate white voters who think (not without cause) that he's a bigot. The "decision at a later date" bit is a ploy to lure in Hispanics because it suggests that he'll just leave well enough alone when it comes to other undocumented immigrants. The thing is, Hispanic voters are smarter than that. And that's why, after months of insults and vilification, Trump is about as popular among Hispanics as George Wallace was at the NAACP Labor Day picnic. In reality, precious little has changed about Trump's position. He still wants a wall. He still wants Mexico to pay for it. He's still capitalizing on fear of the "other." And half-hearted stabs at diplomacy and statesmanship won't change that. Not when you say things like this: "Sometimes it's just not going to work out," he said. "It's our right, as a sovereign nation, to choose immigrants that we think are the likeliest to thrive and flourish and love us." That's nothing but a dog whistle to Trump's diehard supporters, the ones who have fully subscribed to the idea that he'll build a wall (he won't), that Mexico will pay for it (they won't) and that Trump will somehow magically turn back the clock to an America that, if it ever existed at all, breathed its last during his heyday of the 1980s (he can't). But when all you have to sell is snake oil, you have to at least credit Trump for grasping for that spoonful of sugar that will make it go down at least a little bit easier. Pakistani volunteers carry an injured person who arrived from Mardan, at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Northwestern Pakistan was struck by two separate militant attacks on Friday, when gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a Christian colony near the town of Peshawar, killing one civilian, and a suicide bomb attack on a district court in the town of Mardan killed scores of people and wounded many. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad) Heather Mogg to take plea deal in murder case Heather Mogg is scheduled to make a plea deal with Emmet County prosecutors for the murder of her boyfriend, Jonathan Tippett. MINNEAPOLIS As a social worker, Cathy Heying did what she could to help people in tough situations. Often a vehicle was involved. I kept hearing similar stories, she said: Cars would break down, and their owners couldnt afford the repair. Bus service wasnt available. Without transportation, her clients lost jobs, couldnt pay their rent and sometimes ended up on the street. Low-cost car repair could prevent a lot of tragedy, which led her to the realization: We need someone to do this. But no one was doing it, so Heying decided that someone would have to be her. In 2008, she got a student loan and enrolled at Dunwoody College of Technology, determined to learn auto mechanics. I thought about maybe fixing cars on my driveway on Saturday afternoons, she said. But she was out of her league a 38-year-old woman in an army of young guys and in way over her head. I didnt know much about cars, she admitted. The first quarter I cried regularly. Instructor Dave DuVal took notice. I could tell she was anxious, he recalled. Heying shared her vision, and DuVal resolved to help her make it happen. When Heying got discouraged, DuVal cheered her on. Id say, Cathy, you can do this. Hang in there.? Two years later, Heying graduated from Dunwoody and took a part-time mechanic job, honing her skills while continuing to work in human services. By then, her vision had grown. Intent on opening a nonprofit garage, she began recruiting a board of directors. The plans were in their infancy when she got an offer to sublet a repair bay in south Minneapolis. We didnt have insurance or a phone or credit history, Heying recalled. But my philosophy is, if a door opens, walk through it. It took us about eight weeks to get somebody to insure us. The Lift Garage (theliftgarage.org) opened its doors in March 2013. The need was there, and the Lift Garage grew quickly. Today it has an annual budget of $300,000, six full-time employees (one a volunteer) and three repair bays. Customers, who must meet low-income guidelines, pay $15 per hour for labor, compared with $100 to $130 per hour at a commercial garage, and parts are sold at cost. Since it opened, the Lift Garage has completed 1,246 repairs for 642 customers, saving them an estimated $454,000. The shop loses money on every repair, but makes up the difference with donations and grants. In addition to money, Our big challenge is demand, Heying said. The waiting list for repairs can be as long as three months. Repairs often take longer than anticipated because these are old, old cars that havent had maintenance, she said. Many of our folks with grinding brakes, by the time it gets to us, its not just pads, its pads, calipers, everything. A two-hour job becomes a four-hour job. Or we find 10 other safety issues, and it turns into a 10-hour job. One of the hardest parts of running a garage is having to tell people that their car isnt worth repairing. Folks are coming to us in poverty and crisis, Heying said. A fair number have mental illness. Sometimes they get angry. We dont take it lightly to condemn somebodys car. I dont want to waste money I know they dont have. My conscience wont let me. But on the plus side, its rewarding to provide a tangible service. You get to see how youre making a difference every day, she said. Cars are towed in, and they drive out. A small percentage of folks are living in their vehicles, so were fixing their homes as well as their cars. Alecia Howard-Fogg was juggling a toddler, two jobs and school when she came to the Lift Garage with a broken-down Honda and was told it wasnt worth repairing. While she was upset (Its a very stressful thing, losing your independence, she said), she appreciated the honest appraisal. She brought her next car in for a pre-purchase inspection. And after a brake adjustment, she was able to drive the car and find a new job that pays a living wage. The Lift Garage has lots of plans: adding a fourth bay this fall to reduce the wait for repairs; starting a training program; getting a mobile van to assess vehicles remotely, so customers dont waste money towing in junkers. Heying doesnt do much hands-on repair work these days. Quite honestly, I would not describe myself as a good technician, she said. It doesnt come naturally. Ive moved into the role of raising money and keeping the place going. DuVal, who serves on the board of directors, is still cheering her on. Cathy never quits, he said. Shes always looking to help people, and shell sacrifice to do it. South Jersey software developer Dorado Systems L.L.C. is shuttering the Old City office it opened just over a year ago in the hope of drawing on the city's pool of tech-savvy talent. A phone message left Friday with Dorado chief operations officer Michael Matt was not immediately returned. The company, which develops health-care-eligibility verification software and digital-invoicing tools, announced in August 2015 that it was opening the Old City space to serve as a research-and-development facility under the leadership of newly hired chief technology officer Scott Wasserman, a Philadelphia tech-industry veteran. The company disclosed in an October 2015 regulatory filing that it had raised $8 million in equity. Philadelphia Business Journal reported that that would largely be spent to expand the Philadelphia operations. Boston private-equity firm Spring Lake Equity Partners said in a release that it had participated in the funding round, for which Dorado was advised by Spouting Rock Capital Advisors L.L.C. of Radnor. Wasserman, whose previous venture Artisan Mobile was sold to Seattle-based marketing-technology firm Tune Inc. in July 2015, ceased working for Dorado in June, according to his LinkedIn profile. He did not immediately return a phone message Friday. Uzbekistan's cabinet issued a statement on September 2 saying President Islam Karimov is in critical condition after having a stroke. The statement was carried by Uzbekistan's official newspaper, Halq Sozi (People's Word), and was posted on the cabinet's website. It said Karimov was hospitalized on August 24 and that in the past 24 hours his condition "saw a sharp deterioration and is considered critical by the doctors." The statement was the first official word on Karimov since the cabinet announced on August 28 that he had been hospitalized, without saying what was wrong. His daughter said on Instagram the next day that he had suffered a brain hemorrhage. Uzbekistan celebrated Independence Day on September 1, with Karimov absent. The prolonged official silence had set off speculation that the 78-year-old had died. Some unconfirmed and unattributed media reports claimed that Karimov had passed away on August 29. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev will cut short a trip to China and fly to Uzbekistan on September 3. Adding to the speculation, streets in the center of Karimovs native city of Samarkand were blocked off as cleaning and apparent construction work were taking place on a central square late on September 1. There was also activity around the Chorraha Mosque in Samarkand. Security sources told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev had also made a trip to the city. In Karimov's absence, Mirziyaev led a commemorative event in Tashkent on August 31 that marked the start of Independence Day celebrations. Karimov has not been seen in public since mid-August. But Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, Karimov's younger daughter, suggested via social media on August 31 that her father was alive and could potentially recover. Uzbekistan's tightly controlled state media until September 2 had not mentioned Karimov's illness, and it also remains unclear who is currently in charge of the Central Asian nation of around 30 million. However, two days of public ceremonies have been scaled back and scheduled appearances by Karimov, who issued the Uzbek declaration of sovereignty 25 years ago and has ruled ever since, have been canceled. A holiday speech traditionally delivered by Karimov was read out by a state television anchor during an evening news bulletin on August 31. The message was read out in the first person as if written by Karimov, in what appeared to be an effort to indicate that he remains in charge. The presenter made no mention of Karimov's condition. Some Uzbek citizens, crossing the border into Kyrgyzstan on August 31, said they were unaware of Karimov's illness. Two women traveling with their children from the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon told RFE/RLs Current Time that "we know nothing about it, everything is calm where we live." In the absence of official news on Karimov's health, speculation raged for days that a secretive effort was under way to replace the only head of state the former Soviet republic has had since independence. Karimov has no apparent successor, and observers suggest any such decision would likely be made within the Uzbek president's tight inner circle. Mirziyaev, who has been prime minister since 2003, is seen as a possible successor, as are Finance Minister Rustam Azimov and National Security Committee head Rustam Inoyatov. International rights watchdogs and Western officials accuse Karimov of brutally suppressing perceived political opponents, and the country has never held an election deemed democratic by Western monitors. The Uzbek Constitution states that if the president is unable to perform his duties the head of the upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, assumes presidential authority for a period of three months. No public comments have come from Senate Chairman Nigmatulla Yuldashev, who has led the upper house since January 2015. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, TASS, Gazeta.uz, RIA Novosti, and Interfax rs/ab/ph/pmb FOREST CITY | A North Iowa man police say had prescription pills and marijuana in his vehicle faces criminal charges. Khristian Cronkwright, 20, of Leland, was charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, selling or transferring a prescription drug and a drug tax stamp violation. His arraignment is set for Sept. 13 in District Court in Forest City. Officers found 50 orange pills and eight plastic food-storage bags containing a green leafy substance in Cronkwright's vehicle on Aug. 10 while conducting a search warrant on an apartment on Cathedral Oaks Road in Forest City, according to court documents. Prosecutors wrote in court documents the pills contained amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which can be used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Molly Montag Must-Read Travel Guides EAST ASIA SOUTHEAST ASIA Featured Articles Contact Copyright Disclosure If you wish to contact me for questions, collaboration inquiries, comments, suggestions, reviews or just about anything, please send an email to. I will try my best to reply quickly! Unless, of course, I'm on a trip! :D All rights reserved. All photos and content in this blog are owned by(unless otherwise stated). Parts of the articles may be excerpted (a link to this site should be provided), but not reproduced as a whole. Photos may not be used without permission. Thank you very much!Unless otherwise stated, I personally write my blog posts and it expresses my own thoughts and opinions. I pay for all the expenses of my trips (unless otherwise stated). I welcome collaborations and reviews as long as they are beneficial to my readers. All reviews on collaborations contain my own views and opinion and were not influenced by anyone. For inquiries, you may contact me here . Thank you very much! The growing awareness of food allergies means the list of off-limits foods is growing, too. These treats are free from common allergens, so pa We have explained before that Dawn will never go closer to Ceres. There are several reasons. The rate at which hydrazine is consumed depends quite strongly on the altitude, so if the probe ventured lower, its lifetime would be significantly shorter. (Similarly, at higher altitude, it uses less hydrazine and so its lifetime would be longer.) Ceres has water (albeit mostly frozen, although perhaps some as liquid), energy (both from the distant sun and from radioactive elements incorporated when Ceres formed more than 4.5 billion years ago), and some of the other important ingredients for the development of life. We want to protect this astrobiologically interesting environment from the spacecraft's terrestrial contamination, so we cannot risk going low enough that it might crash, even long after the mission concludes. (And a controlled landing is not possible.) Also, at lower altitudes Dawn would orbit so fast that pictures and other measurements would be smeared, reducing the benefit of being closer. There are other reasons as well, but the bottom line is that this orbit is where Dawn draws its bottom line. Ever creative, the team has found new ways to increase the mission's scientific productivity. Once again, the strategy involves changes never anticipated and that may be contrary to what your intuition would suggest. For more than two years, your correspondent has been emphasizing that this would be Dawn's final orbit. Now, on Sept. 2, Dawn will begin flying to a higher altitude. The prospect of raising the orbit also raises several natural questions about what will happen in the coming months, including how, why and what kind of cake will be served at the team's celebration on Sept. 27 of the ninth anniversary of Dawn's launch. This month, let's look at how, and as the team refines its plans for the other key questions, we will discuss the answers in future Dawn Journals. To gain altitude, Dawn will take advantage of its remarkable ion propulsion system. Ion propulsion has enabled many bold missions from Star Trek to Star Wars to NASA's unique expedition to orbit Vesta and Ceres, which would have been not simply difficult but impossible with conventional propulsion. And like the spaceships that in science fiction fly wherever they want to go, now Dawn will use its xenon ions to maneuver to an orbit it would not otherwise to able to reach. (Despite the similarity, there are some ways in which Dawn differs from the fictional ships: our craft uncompromisingly obeys all the laws of physics and carries relatively few systems designed to destroy other ships in battle.) Gernot Wolfgang and bassoonist Judith Farmer photo Ian Evenstar Gernot Wolfgang was born in Austria in 1957 and currently lives in the USA , in Los Angeles. He was a member of the Austrian jazz ensemble The QuARTet and lectured in Jazz Composition and Harmony at the University of Music in Graz. He says in the CD booklet notes that ''. The results are in fact rather appealing and have little sense of cross-over, instead Wolfgang weaves his 'grooves' into textures which are very much typical of mid 20th century classical music with an admixture of later harmonies.(2011) was originally written for flute and piano and is here performed by Judith Farmer and Nic Gerpe in a version for bassoon and piano. It starts off rather high energy with a jazz-feel but also a sense of a different voice, things relax in a complex but thoughtful episode before the perky final section.(2013) is a four-movement work for string quartet, here played by the New Hollywood String Quartet. The first movement,(for Bela Bartok), starts all energy and rhythm with an interesting feel for texture. The music reminded me of mid 20th century works for string orchestra, not surprising in a work named for Bela Bartok. There are lyrical moments too, and an interesting sense of development.is a vibrant pizzicato movement, full of energy.is lyrical in a rather expressionist way, with intense moments. The final movement,, is again vibrant, rhythmically very appealing and full of excitement.(2011) is a three movement work for oboe and bassoon, played by Jennifer Johnson and Judith Farmer. The first movement,is characterful and perky, full of quirky humour, whilst the second movementis slow spare and quite intense at times. The final movement,combines rhythm and lyricism. All three movements, written in a highly effective manner for the two instruments, bringing out a real sense of character.(2008) is a four-movement piece for piano quintet, here played by the Eclipse Quartet and Joanne Pearce Martin. The opening movement,, has an appealing rhythmic figure from piano and lower strings under violins circling round, before moving to a highly effective piano unison melody with pizzicato strings.starts with slow bluesy chords, and then individual instrumental solos which develop into something rather powerful.is all rhythmic strings and jazzy piano, whilst the last movementis slow with almost consonant harmony.The final work on the disc(1999) is for oboe, bassoon and piano, here played by Jennifer Johnson, Judith Farmer and Robert Thies. Whilst all the music on the disc has an influence of jazz to it somewhere,seems to be the most directly jazz inspired. The first movement,, is an up tempo movement featuring a lively exchange of ideas between the three instruments, it relaxes somewhat in the middle before picking up in the final section. The second movement,is a bluesy slow waltz, whilst the final movementbrings the disc to an attractively catchy close.Gernot Wolfgang's writing combines a feel of mid 20th century tonality with jazz elements and streaks of modernism. His use of 'grooves' rather gives the music an attractive, toe-tapping element which I very much enjoyed. Certainly a composer to keep an eye open for.All the music on the album is published by Doblinger Music Publishers Gernot Wolfgang (born 1957) - Flurry (2011)Gernot Wolfgang - String Theory (2013)Gernot Wolfgang - Passing Through (2011)Gernot Wolfgang - New England Travelogue (2008)Gernot Wolfgang - Trilogy (1999)Judith Farmer (bassoon)Jennifer Johnson (oboe)Nic Gerpe (piano)Robert Thies (piano)Joanne Pearce Martin (piano)New Hollywood String Quartet (Tereza Stanislav, Rafael Rishik, Robert Brophy and Andrew Shulman)Eclipse Quartet (Sarah Thornblade, Sara Parkins, Alma Lisa Fernandez and Maggie Parkins)Recorded 22, 26, 27 May 2015 at Alfred Newman Recital Hall, University of Southern California, Loss Angeles.ALBANY RECORDS TROY1624 1CD [65.37]Available from Amazon.co.uk ANAMOSA Sen. Chuck Grassley on Thursday firmly rebutted reports he might hold confirmation hearings on President Barack Obamas Supreme Court nominee before the end of the year. My position has not changed. The new president should make the appointment, Grassley said in Anamosa, where he completed what has come to be known as the Full Grassley. He has visited all 99 counties every year since being elected to the Senate in 1980. The Jones County meeting was his 99th this year. The first question he fielded Thursday was about comments he made in Sioux City earlier this week indicating he would hold confirmation hearings on Merrick Garland if a large number of senators encouraged him to consider the nomination during the lame-duck session after the Nov. 8 election. Somebody asked me to speculate I probably should not speculate, Grassley said told Kathy Ulrich, a Linn County Democrat who was among about 90 people at the town hall meeting. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley wrote to colleagues 10 days after Justice Antonin Scalia died Feb. 13 to say that he would honor a longtime understanding among senators that Supreme Court vacancies in the final year of a presidents term would not be filled until voters could give senators some direction through the ballot box. I am saying that the letter I sent on Feb. 23 saying people should have a voice and the new president should make the selection has always been my position, Grassley said. Anything said beyond that was said because people asked me to speculate. Well, maybe people in office shouldnt be speculating. He wouldnt speculate on whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might change his position on delaying confirmation hearings until there is a new president. Ulrich wasnt the only one with an opinion on the Supreme Court vacancy. Charles Summers of Jones County thanked Grassley for sticking to your guns on the judges. A president on his way out shouldnt be able to nominate a judge on his way in, he said. Janae Stracke of Concerned Women for America, who was sporting an I stand with Grassley sticker, thanked him wholeheartedly (because) we dont need a Supreme Court full of judicial activists as we have been seeing. We need to make sure Justice Scalias position is filled with a strict constitutionalist. she said. As a millennial, Stracke said she understands the next justice will affect her and her children for years to come. Many people who disagree with Grassley think his decision to delay confirmation hearings is about the next four years, he said. But in the case of the Supreme Court, its about the direction of the Supreme Court for the next 40 years, Grassley said. During the hour-long meeting, he fielded questions and comments about members of Congress holding themselves to a different standard than whats expected of other citizens, Pentagon spending, legalizing cannabidiol oil, Zika funding, Veterans Affairs, climate change, bipartisanship in Congress and federal policies limiting the practice of Christianity. A mother and son are in police custody after they tried hiring a hit man to kill three officers, according to the Michigan State Police. Lakeisha Goodwin, 43, of Romulus, and her son, Jontele Goodwin, 26, of Monroe County, are charged with solicitation to commit murder and witness intimidation. They were arraigned Tuesday, reports ClickOnDetroit. An informant told Michigan State Police that Jontele Goodwin asked him to kill three individuals who were believed to be responsible for his arrest on narcotics-related charges by detectives with the Monroe Area Narcotics Team and Investigative Service. The informant told police the solicitation happened while they were both incarcerated in the Monroe County Jail. Police said a recorded conversation between Jontele Goodwin and the informant reveals the individuals that were to be killed and how he wanted them murdered. According to MSP, Jontele Goodwin offered to give the informant $2,500 to murder the three individuals. Michigan State Police said there are multiple recorded phone calls between Lakeisha Goodwin and the informant revealing that she encouraged the murders and provided advice on how to carry them out. The mother delivered narcotics to the informant as a down payment for the murders and offered to give him a ride to the airport after the hit, according to MSP. Photo: Facebook On Aug. 10, Oxford, AL, police Officer Andrew Miller walked into roll call at 6 p.m., then was immediately sent to a home on Eden Place in the Knoxville community, he said Tuesday. We were in the door and right back out the door, Miller told the Anniston Star, turning over a clear plastic case in his hand, a red pin with a gold cross inside. It came out as a basic shots-fired call. We didnt know what it was we were going into. On the way we got more information that people had actually been shot. When Miller arrived, he said, he discovered Sirita Spell on her front lawn, a gunshot wound in each leg. Miller pulled the tourniquet from his belt and another from a medical kit and put one each on Spell's legs just above the gunshot wounds, he said, a decision that ultimately allowed her to make it to UAB Hospital without dying of blood loss. Miller on Tuesday stood before the Oxford City Council, Oxford residents and several fellow officers as Oxford police Chief Bill Partridge bestowed the citys Life Saving Commendation upon him for his quick thinking. It is the first time the award has been given to an Oxford officer in the nine years Partridge has been chief, he said by phone last week. This photo of a Philly officer with controversial tattoos that some say have Nazi symbolism on his left forearm was circulated on Twitter. (Photo: Twitter) Mayor Jim Kenney on Thursday condemned a photo of a Philadelphia police officer with an apparent Nazi-style tattoo on his arm, saying the tattoo was "incredibly offensive" and not the sort of message police should be giving the community. The Police Department also said its Internal Affairs unit would review the photo, which was circulated on Twitter Wednesday night by a woman who has posted many anti-police tweets. It showed a bike-patrol officer with a tattoo on his left forearm of an apparent spread-winged eagle resembling a symbol used by the Nazis, and above it the tattooed word Fatherland in Gothic letters, Philly.com reports. The eagle in the officers tattoo does not have a swastika and the term fatherland was used in Germany before the Nazis and is still part of the German national anthem. The officer involved is of German ancestry. "The imagery on display in the tweet is disturbing," Kenney said in a statement, adding: "In this environment in which open, honest dialogue between citizens and police is paramount we need to be building trust, not offering messages or displaying images that destroy trust." In a text message, John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, wrote of the photo: "I've seen it. It's an Eagle. Not a big deal." "City not concerned neither are we," McNesby wrote before Kenney's statement. "I see people with panthers on their arm. Doesn't mean they are black panthers. People with crosses on arms doesn't mean they dislike any other religion." Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trumps entire presidential candidacy is built upon the idea that America needs to be saved from undocumented immigrants that are flooding into the country. It started when he kicked off his presidential campaign with a speech that denigrated Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists and promised to build a wall on the southern border of the United States. For those illegals already in the country, Trump has repeatedly said they need to be deported no questions asked. After several weeks of pretending to soften his tone on the issue, his fear-mongering ramble speech on Wednesday in Arizona only reaffirmed all the anti-immigrant sentiment Trump has spewed since the launch of his candidacy. For those here today illegally who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and only one route: to return home and apply for re-entry under the rules of the new legal immigration system, the Republican nominee said, suggesting once again that he is in favor of deporting 11 million people. After spending more than a year campaigning as the candidate of immigration, youd think Trump would at least poll well on this issue. Wrong. According to a recent Monmouth University poll, a whopping 69 percent of voters dont feel threatened by undocumented immigrants from Mexico, despite Trumps constant warnings that there is a violent, undocumented immigrant hiding under the bed of every American. A recent poll from Pew Research Center showed that a clear majority 61 percent are not in favor of his most notable proposal: a wall along the southern border. Trump may repeatedly propose the idea in front of angry mobs that applaud it, but most Americans dont want it. Even in head-to-head matchups with Hillary Clinton on this specific issue, Trump still loses. By a margin of 13 points (53 to 40 percent), voters say that they trust the Democratic nominee more to handle immigration issues, an ABC News/Washington Post survey from last month showed. On dealing with the specific subject of undocumented immigrants from Mexico, Clinton is favored over Trump by an even larger margin (58 to 36 percent), according to an August McClatchy/Marist poll. If Trump wants to continue making this issue the center of his campaign, he is free to do so. Im sure Democrats would be delighted, in fact. But its very clear that the vast majority of Americans arent embracing the signature plank in Trumps platform. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Vice President Joe Biden hit the road for Ohio today in his first solo campaign event for Hillary Clinton. During his fiery speech to a hall of union autoworkers, the VP urged blue-collar voters not to buy what the GOP is selling. In typical Biden fashion, he discarded his suit jacket before taking the stage and quickly proceeded to slam Trump and other Republicans for standing in the way of policies that would improve the economy and raise wages for average Americans. The vice president said, My biggest problem with Donald Trump is not his cockamamie policies. Its the way he treats people. Video: WATCH: VP Biden: Trump born with silver spoon in mouth and hes choking on it because foots in mouth with spoon. https://t.co/YQo1TVvPm2 NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) September 1, 2016 Biden said: Im so sick and tired I know Im not supposed to get angry, but Im so sick and tired of hearing people like Trump and the Chamber of Commerce, the National Chamber [of Commerce] talking about how we get paid too much. Give me a break. Give me a break. This is a guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth that now hes choking on because his foot is in his mouth along with a spoon. I have a message to all you kids: Dont make any excuse for where youre from or who you are! Dont make any excuse for our insistence that we get paid a fair wage. Biden added that Trump doesnt understand this any more than you understand what its like to live in a 30,000-square-foot penthouse 80 floors up in New York. He doesnt have any idea what its like. The vice president slammed Trump for saying wages are too high and criticizing the Obama auto bailout, which saved thousands of Ohio jobs. Bidens trip to the critical battleground state is a clear indication that Clinton is hoping to pick off white, blue-collar voters that Trump must win in order to have a shot at becoming president. For Trump, pulling Ohio back into the Republican column wont be easy. According to RealClearPolitics, Clinton is beating him in the state by an average of four percentage points. Something tells me this wont be Bidens last stop in the Buckeye State. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print A Democratic majority in the Senate is looking more likely as several changes in Senate ratings move toward the Democratic side, which means Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells (R-KY) days of obstruction could be coming to an end. Eight big Senate rating changes this week most, but not all, favor Dems https://t.co/FIyAYworjL pic.twitter.com/8RsBxOXt4b Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) September 1, 2016 Without Mitch McConnell obstructing the Senate, its possible Congress could act on things like funding Zika, the Voting Rights Act, a hearing and up or down vote on Supreme Court nominee Justice Merrick Garland, and so much more (though Republicans have suggested they would quickly confirm Garland if they were to lose the White House). Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelle analyzed the data and say it looks like this could be the shortest period of control for a party since the early 2000s, with Republicans likely to lose majority control in the Senate in November. They write, From the vantage point of Labor Day, it appears as though that 2014 flip could become a 2016 flop, and on Nov. 8, Democrats have a good chance to grab at least a tie (broken by the new vice president) and possibly a majority of as many as several seats. Of course, its an uphill battle as not all of the race changes favor Democrats. Marco Rubio in Florida and Rob Portman in Ohio moved toward the Republican column, moving from toss-up to leans Republican. So even if Democrats do take back the Senate, that majority could be quite small, small enough that Republicans could be poised to wipe it out in 2018, perhaps leading to another bare minimum stint in the majority. But a two-year majority or tie situation, with a Hillary Clinton win, would at least take Mitch McConnell out of the drivers seat for a few years. Maybe the Senate could do its job then, if even just for a few years. Senator Harry Reid said in a conference call with reporters Thursday, The Republican Senate will be remembered for how it did. The Senate is being run straight into the ground. Yes, indeed. MASON CITY | A Mason City man police say broke into a bar early Friday has been arrested. Johnny Baugh, 52, was arrested Friday on a warrant for five counts of felony third-degree burglary and one count of felony ongoing criminal conduct. Police say he is responsible for the 5:30 a.m. break-in at Tailgaters, 627 South Federal Ave. according to a Mason City Police Department statement. Officers say a search warrant was conducted at Baugh's residence Friday. Police did not say what they believe Baugh took or haven't said what he took or how he got into the business. Baugh was jailed Friday afternoon at the Cerro Gordo County Jail on a $100,000 bond, according to a jail official. His next court appearance is Sept. 9. Molly Montag Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump has taken what was supposed to be an appearance in front of an African-American congregation in Detroit and turned into a scripted interview that will be edited for broadcast by his own campaign. The New York Times reported: Instead of speaking to the congregation at Great Faith Ministries International, Mr. Trump will be interviewed by its pastor in a session that will be closed to the public and news media, with questions submitted in advance. And instead of letting Mr. Trump be his freewheeling self, his campaign has prepared lengthy answers for the submitted questions, consulting black Republicans to make sure he says the right things. An eight-page draft script obtained by The New York Times shows 12 questions that Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the churchs pastor, intends to ask Mr. Trump during the taped question-and-answer session, as well as the responses Mr. Trump is being advised to give. . The interview will be aired about a week later on the Impact Network, Bishop Jacksons Christian cable television channel. The official said several Trump aides would be working with the network to edit the taped interview so that the final version reflected the campaigns wishes. It now makes sense why Trump decided not to address the congregation and banned the press from the event. Donald Trump will use the scripted interview as propaganda. Trump couldnt take the risk of having journalists at the event who would blow the whistle on the con that he is trying to pull. When a campaign is editing an interview so that the final product reflects their wishes, thats not journalism. Its propaganda. This tactic is straight out the Roger Ailes school of presidential campaign media production. The Trump campaign doesnt want their candidate to face real African-American voters, so they are designing a set piece and hoping that the media gets fooled into covering it as real news. The Trump campaign thinks the free press should behave like state-run media, and staged propaganda interviews such as this one are an escalation of Trumps war on the First Amendment. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) intends to punish House Democrats for their peaceful protest sit-in on the House floor after the Orlando nightclub mass shooting. Politico reported that Ryan is preparing to reprimand House Democrats: The exact language is still in flux, and multiple sources said discussions are ongoing. But Speaker Paul Ryans office and other leadership staff have been researching ways they can punish Democrats for their controversial occupation of the House floor to protest the chambers lack of response to the Orlando, Florida shooting massacre. GOP lawmakers are expected to discuss the matter next week upon returning from their summer recess. While no votes have been scheduled, some members have been given notice that the response could come to the floor in September. Speaker Ryan could have chosen a number of different options to avoid making himself look bad. Ryan could have met with the Democrats privately to make his displeasure known. Rep. Ryan could have worked out an agreement establishing guidelines for any future protests by members or either party, or he could have compromised and worked with Democrats on allowing some votes on legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. Ryan rejected all of these plans and has chosen to punish the House Democrats who were involved in the sit-in. It will be fascinating to see if Speaker Ryan has the guts to punish civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis for the protest. Ryan is this step because he feels humiliated by Democrats calling him out for not doing his job, so he is going to punish the people who were taking action to get legislation passed that would combat gun violence. Speaker Ryan has failed to live up to the lofty promises that he made when he took over for John Boehner. As time goes on, it is clear that Ryan shares the same thin-skinned and petty vindictiveness that characterizes Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Ryan is more like Trump than the phony image of principled policy wonk that he created for himself. Whatever punishment Speaker Ryan dishes out, will only make House Democrats stronger. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Trump is getting crushed 70%-19% with Latino voters, and he is on pace to receive a record low amount of Latino support, but what should give Republicans nightmares is the long-term damage that Trump is doing to the GOP brand with Latino voters. According to the new poll done by Latino Decisions: Approximately 3-of-4 Latino voters (73%) say the Republican Party doesnt care too much about Latinos (45%) or that the GOP is sometimes hostile towards Latinos (28%), while just 21% say the Republican Party truly cares about the Latino community. When asked if Trump has made the Republican Party more welcoming to Latinos, less welcoming, or has had no effect, 70% of Latinos say more hostile vs. only 10% who say more welcoming (16% said no effect). Meanwhile, 58% of Latino respondents say that Hillary Clinton has made the Democratic Party more welcoming to Latinos vs. 10% who say more hostile, and 28% who say she hasnt had an effect. Overall, 68% of respondents said Trumps views on immigration and immigrants made them less likely to vote for Republican candidates this year (20% said more likely). Meanwhile, 64% said Clintons immigration views made them more likely to vote for Democrats vs. 20% who said less likely. Evidence of the damage that Trump, along with a decade plus of anti-Latino behavior is doing to the Republican Party is found in the fact that by a margin of 67%-19%, Latino voters are going to vote for the Democratic candidate for Congress. Republicans can also forget about split-ticket voting among Latino voters because 68% of them say that Trump has made them less likely to vote for Republican candidates. The 2016 presidential election is going to have consequences for the Republican Party that go way beyond Donald Trump. Republicans looked at the RNCs autopsy of their 2012 loss, tossed it in the trash, and then nominated Trump. The GOP has gone the opposite direction from what it needed to be doing to be successful in the future. By nominating Trump, Republicans may have turned Latino voters into Democrats for at least a generation. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print A desperate Donald Trump has hired for his new Deputy Campaign Manager, Citizens United President David Bossie, who The Washington Post, which broke the story, notes is a veteran conservative operative who has investigated the Clintons for more than two decades. Trump told the Post via a phone interview that Bossie, described by New York Magazine as a Clinton nemesis, is A friend of mine for many years. Solid. Smart. Loves politics, knows how to win. He should have added, a relentless foe of Hillary Clinton, for whom Trump used to have effusive praise. As End Citizens United pointed out, his hiring means Trump has doubled down on his special interest alliance. There is no disguising the truth: Bossie will be assisting Kellyanne Conway as an anti-Clinton character assassin, and Hillary for America Chair John Podesta released the following statement: David Bossie is so craven and maniacal that in the heyday of the overreaching, Gingrich-era Congress, the top Whitewater conspiracy theorist in the House had to fire him for doctoring evidence. He has devoted his career ever since to trying to tear down Hillary Clinton. For months now, Citizens United has been acting as an arm of the Trump campaign, and this hiring of Bossie now makes it official. This is just the latest sign that Donald Trump has put the most extreme elements of the right-wing fringe in the drivers seat of his campaign. Media Matters demonstrates that Podesta accurately describes Bossies role in releasing selectively edited transcripts and video of prison conversations by Clinton confidant Webster Hubbell. The transcripts and video, whose editing was overseen by Bossie, removed exculpatory statements from Hubbell that downplayed alleged wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton at their former law firm. Then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich responded to Bossies actions by telling then-House Government and Oversight Committee chair Dan Burton, Im embarrassed for you, Im embarrassed for myself, and Im embarrassed for the conference at the circus that went on at your committee. Bossie was forced to resign as investigator for the House Government And Reform Committee in 1998. Now he is back, hoping to finish the job he started then. George H.W. Bush, by the way, condemned Bossies Filthy campaign tactics during the 1992 presidential campaign, which only serves to recommend Bossies services to Trump, who positively revels in flinging dirt. And Bossie really wants Clinton to lose, telling Breitbart Radio in August, Look, conservatives havent been happy and together since Ronald Reagan, so I think what we need to do is put aside the small things, and look at the big global picture of a Hillary Clinton presidency, and that should frighten us all. If we support and get behind Donald Trump, we can impact him. We can have great impact, as conservatives, in a Trump Administration. We are in the icebox for four years with Hillary Clinton, and America goes down the drain, because four more years of the Barack Obama agenda is a dangerous thing for America. Trumps move shows his desperation as his campaign is increasingly run as a game of musical chairs, recently adding Steve Bannon, then Kellyanne Conway, and now David Bossie. Media Matters Research Director Matthew Gertz asked in a tweet, Maybe time to stop mocking Hillary over the vast right-wing conspiracy? Photo: Screen capture Fox Business Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The Washington Posts David Fahrenthold is at it again. The last 24 hours have been brutal for Trumps foundation on two fronts, one of which appears to be illegal. Front one: Donald Trumps Foundation claimed on its tax return forms that it gave $10,000.00 to The Giving Back Fund in 2008, but the organization says that donation does not exist, Fahrenthold reports. This is the third charity that told the Washington Post reporter that the Trump Foundations tax forms were wrong when claiming they gave them money. He said he gave them money but they got none. So this doesnt look like a mistake. Heres the story so far: 1/Funny. 299th charity I called was @givingbackfund. @realdonaldtrump's Fdn told IRS it gave them $10,000 in '08 pic.twitter.com/4tGjaKlyFR David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 2, 2016 2/@givingbackfund helps athletes & celebs run charities. @realDonaldTrump likes athletes & celebs. Seemed like a good lead David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 2, 2016 3/I asked: had @realDonaldTrump ever given any *other* gifts, not from his Fdn (which is other ppl's $) but from his own pocket? David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 2, 2016 4/ They said: @realDonaldTrump's charity gave us $? Looked back. No. This gift on Trump Fdn's IRS forms didn't exist pic.twitter.com/YCd8dnKele David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 2, 2016 5/This is the 3rd charity that's told me @realdonaldtrump Fdn's tax forms were wrong: he said he gave them $. They got none. David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 2, 2016 6/In this case, @givingbackfund has written to @realdonaldtrump, asking for the $10K they supposedly got in 2008. Updates when I get 'em.. David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 2, 2016 Also, on the personal giving front, Trump has misled people claiming hes given millions: 7/So: another dead end in my search for @realdonaldtrump's *personal* giving to charity. He says he's given millions pic.twitter.com/m4hejlrV0L David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 2, 2016 Front two: The Internal Revenue Service fined Donald Trump for using funds from his charitable foundation to make a campaign donation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, according to a Fahrenthold report from Thursday, in what appears to be a successful effort to launder illegal campaign donations. Trump paid a $2,500 penalty to the IRS because Trumps charitable foundation had violated tax laws by giving a political contribution to a campaign group connected to Floridas attorney general. The improper donation, a $25,000 gift from the Donald J. Trump Foundation, was made in 2013. And heres where it gets really bad, At the time, Attorney General Pam Bondi was considering whether to investigate fraud allegations against Trump University. She decided not to pursue the case. So as the media continues to spin the Clinton Foundation into a scandal even though it is not a scandal, it turns out Donald Trumps Charity is bursting at the seams with scandals, and at least one of them is actually illegal. In 24 hours, Fahrenthold has reported that Trumps foundation is seemingly guilty of a pay-to-play scam and false claims of giving on its tax forms, which begs the question if the money didnt go to those named, to whom did it go and why. In light of the Trump foundations illegal donations to Bondi, investigating where the other money went is a no-brainer. Once again, Donald Trump accused Hillary Clinton of doing something that she was not actually doing, but he himself was doing. The old accuse your opponent of what youre doing so when you get busted the public is desensitized and writes it off as he said she said. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The Washington Posts Matt Zapotosky just revealed that the U.S. Attorneys Office recommends putting former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell on trial again, and that the final call is up to Justice Department. SCOOP: U.S. Attorneys Office recommends putting Bob McDonnell on trial again; final call up to Justice Dept. brass https://t.co/8Q7Z9uqXUK Matt Zapotosky (@mattzap) September 2, 2016 As you will remember, McDonnell and his wife Maureen McDonnell, showed the true spirit of Republican family values when they were convicted on multiple corruption charges back in 2014, being hit with 14 counts and found guilty on 11 of them. He famously threw his wife under the bus, just another nod to the family values set. U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer sentenced the former Virginia First Lady to just 12 months plus one day in prison. The U.S. Probation Office recommended 10 years of prison for Bob McDonnell, and he was eventually sentenced to just two, with two years of supervised release. Later, his appeal attempt failed when the 4th Circuits three judge panel ruled unanimously that his conviction be upheld. His case eventually went before the Supreme Court, and SCOTUS unanimously vacated his conviction on June 27 of this year. At the time, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, If the court below determines that there is sufficient evidence for a jury to convict Governor McDonnell of committing or agreeing to commit an official act, his case may be set for a new trial. If the court instead determines that the evidence is insufficient, the charges against him must be dismissed. We express no view on that question. Of that ruling, Zapotosky reports, experts say makes prosecuting corrupt politicians substantially more difficult than it was before. It is possible more successful challenges could lead to a further narrowing of corruption laws and hamper other investigations. It is no wonder that the U.S. Attorneys Office is proceeding cautiously, given what is at stake. It is a contentious case: Trip Gabriel at The New York Times argued that the McDonnell trial symbolized growing political partisanship, and among the right wing media you see the suggestion that, If Hillary Clinton were Bob McDonnell, she might be on trial now, apparently on the grounds that the Republican talking point that Clinton is a crook is true because they say it is, despite all evidence to the contrary. According to Zapotosky, An attorney for McDonnell, a Justice Department spokeswoman and a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia all declined to comment, and the Justice Department has until September 19 to decide whether to proceed. 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. "...an inspired take on classic grill cuisine and a chic lounge all in one sexy rooftop package" A meal with a view is what we came for, and STK Rooftop delivered: a sprawling vista of the New York skyline and the Hudson river bathed in the golden hour of sunset, under the benevolent watch of the looming behemoth that is The Standard. The American Grill menu is casual, yet the crowd was anything but - impossibly beautiful Amazonian ladies and their investment banker boyfriends in crisp suits, all moving their feet to the DJ's thumping beats while keeping perfectly still (can't spill that cocktail, darling). Luxy and I enjoyed this display to some seriously danceable tunes from the '60s (sugar sugar, you are my candy girl) up to the latest club favourites (work work work work work). The food itself was incredible, if overly generous - we ordered meat from the small menu and received rib eyes and filet mignons (exceptionally cooked and presented simply, thank God - none of that 'drowning in sauce to conceal the overcooking' nonsense) enough to knock out the most dedicated carnivore, then we had to content with the crispy calamari, decadent mac n' cheese, and fat truffle fries dusted with parmesan - all of it cooked and delivered to a high standard that belied its minimal, humble presentation. STK Rooftop was the perfect blend of upscale, casual, and dynamic - the recipe that New Yorkers are so famous for. A couple of drops did threaten our evening with rain, but we needn't have worried - I learnt that the restaurant has a newly-installed retractable glass enclosure, which makes for a year-round, somewhat season-proof experience.was the perfect blend of upscale, casual, and dynamic - the recipe that New Yorkers are so famous for. ANAMOSA Facing criticism for a lack of accessibility, Sen. Chuck Grassley said visits to factories, high schools and civic clubs allow him to meet with more Iowans and a more diverse group of Iowans than simply having town hall meetings. Grassley completed this years edition of the 99-county tour he has been making every year for 36 years as a U.S. senator in Anamosa Thursday. If they are saying every meeting should be like the meeting we had here that you call an open town meeting, then Id be talking to roughly the same people all the time in every county year after year, Grassley said. I have a responsibility to get as broad a section of the population as I can, so when people dont come to me, I go to them. The Iowa Republican has come under fire this summer from Democratic challenger Patty Judge and others opposing his re-election to a seventh term who say he does not hold truly public events in some of the states most populous counties. Unlike Chuck Grassley, Patty Judge will hold open forums with Iowans from all backgrounds, Judge campaign spokesman Sam Roecker said. During her first year in the U.S. Senate, she will hold a public town hall in Sioux County, the county with the largest percentage of registered Republican voters in the state. According to Progress Iowa, which calls Grassleys travels the Fake Grassley, he hasnt had a public meeting in Polk, Linn, Johnson, Black Hawk, Woodbury, Dubuque, Story, Dallas, Jasper, Buena Vista or Fayette counties in the past six years. According to Census.gov, they comprise just over 45 percent of Iowas total population. When (Grassley) talks about being open and accessible to the public and his constituents, hes really being disingenuous, Matt Sinovic of Progress Iowa said at a Des Moines news conference. I think what hes doing is avoiding places where he could encounter strong opposition. Johnson County was the only one of those counties Grassley did not carry on his way to re-election in 2010. In Anamosa, Tammy Wawro of Cedar Rapids, the president of Iowa State Education Association, and State Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Dubuque, said the people in their communities should have the same opportunity to meet Grassley face to face as do Jones County residents. Our members should not have to drive to another county, quite frankly, on a Thursday morning to be able to talk with Sen. Grassley, Wawro said. Grassley was in Dubuque Wednesday, but it was a visit to a private business, Finkenauer said. Thats great, she said, All elected officials typically do that, but we also hold public forums. Its been at least six years since Grassley has done a public meeting there, Finkenauer said. My constituents deserve to be heard by their federal representatives. According to Grassleys schedulers, during the Senates summer recess, he has had three question-and-answer session in Dubuque and five in Cedar Rapids. In addition, Grassley has had tele-town hall meetings that included those counties and hes on radio public affairs programs every month in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids. Grassley found it interesting the criticism was coming from people who never criticized Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin because he didnt go to all 99 counties every year and do what Ive done for 36 years in a row. Harkin served 30 years in the Senate before retiring in 2015. Im the first one in the history of Iowa to do it, he said. The difference, Finkenauer said, is the way (Grassley) touts it. He acts as though he gives this 99-county tour, the Full Grassley, and acts as though he is as accessible, she said. Thats the problem. Hes not. When you call it the Full Grassley and you say thats what youre doing, then do it, Wawro added. After their news conference outside the Jones County Courthouse, neither Wawro nor Finkebauer attended Grassleys town hall meeting. As he faces re-election, Grassley is aware this could be his last Full Grassley. Ive given consideration that campaigns and elections and the people rule, and the people are going to make a choice, he said. I have to live by that choice. Im going to run a campaign so I can win. Dear Answer Man, why are there signs on the two park benches out in front of the Francis Apartments? I wouldn't think the benches are in high demand and require a warning notice. You must be kidding. Have you spent much time on that corner lately? It's ground zero for Pokemoners , who spend hours there staring at their phones, idling in cars, walking in circles around the parking lot at Fourth Street and First Avenue Southwest, and perched on the curbs. Gamers also tend to use those two benches in front of the Francis Apartments, the 17-unit building operated by the Olmsted County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Olmsted County Adult Services. The Francis is home to adult residents described as chronically homeless and diagnosed with a mental illness or substance abuse disorder. The signs on the benches say they're for residents only, which seems reasonable. Keep it classy, Pokemon fans, while playing your game. FYI, I think that corner is overrated as a place to capture Pokemons, though there's no disputing that it's a productive Pokestop. Also overrated is the "Boy with Dolphin" fountain in front of the Mayo Building as a place to find Pikachu. ADVERTISEMENT Also FYI, here's a good question about a common local acronym: Dear Answer Man, what does WFMC stand for? I saw it recently in an email about Mayo Clinic, but it wasn't clear to me if it was referring to a Mayo department or what. The whole world is a Mayo department, according to that acronym: It's shorthand for World Famous Mayo Clinic. Answer Man, I've heard there are more changes ahead for the Lord Essex Room in the Kahler Hotel. They're not closing it, like they did the Elizabethan Room, and using it just for parties, are they? No, they're rebranding it as "Lord Essex: The Steakhouse." The Kahler's new food and beverage guy, Tyler Kase, aims to make it the city's "premiere steakhouse" when it reopens to the public on Friday, after a few days of previews. You'd have to agree, there's an opportunity in Rochester to carve out a reputation as a classic steakhouse. That niche was left open when Michaels gave up the ghost. No need to worry about the suit of armor and stained glass -- they're intact for the latest incarnation of this venerable dining room. Authorities have identified the man who allegedly grabbed a woman early Thursday and tried to kiss and grope her. The man is a 21-year-old from Kuwait, said Rochester Police Capt. John Sherwin; he is here with his family for treatment at Mayo Clinic of a traumatic head injury. In addition to the brain injury, the man also has other issues, Sherwin said. The family is leaving soon to return to Kuwait, the report says. He likely won't be charged. The incident occurred about 1:30 a.m., when a 23-year-old woman was walking from her car to her home in the 100 block of Grande Isle Avenue SW. She was approached by the man, who tried talking to the woman but did not appear to speak fluent English. After several failed attempts to start a conversation, the suspect reached for his phone and attempted to have his sentences translated into English. He then made hand gestures of wanting to hug and kiss the woman. ADVERTISEMENT The woman declined his advances and attempted to go inside her home, when the man allegedly grabbed the woman from behind and kissed her. When he tried to place his hands between the woman's legs, she broke away and ran inside her apartment complex to alert authorities. RED WING Shopping for a home in Red Wing? Good luck. The city's dearth of available housing makes finding a place to live in Red Wing problematic, and the problem is only getting worse on a number of fronts. Whether you're looking at starter homes, apartment living, senior housing, or low-income housing, there's a growing need in Red Wing, said Randal Hemmerlin, executive director of the Red Wing Housing and Redevelopment Authority. "The last low-income project was built in 2004," Hemmerlin said, referring to multi-family dwellings such as apartments or condominiums. "We haven't had a market-rate development in 20 to 25 years." New home construction the single-family kind has not exactly picked up the slack either. The city saw about 80 to 90 homes built a year before 2000, and about 40 per year after that. Then came 2008, and the number of new homes built dropped to six before climbing to 18 in recent years. ADVERTISEMENT "These are $300,000 to $400,000 houses," Hemmerlin said. None of this comes close to meeting Red Wing's current needs or, especially, its future needs, he said. Squeezed out of town Alex Johnson lives in Hastings, but only because finding an acceptable home in Red Wing has proved problematic. "There isn't much selection for smaller housing, for a one- or two-bedroom place," Johnson said. "Not for someone like me looking for a small house or town home." Johnson, who has worked for the city's public works department for nearly two years, rented an apartment in downtown Red Wing. The one-bedroom apartment in an old building stood above a business and offered no off-street parking. So, when a friend suggested moving to Hastings and commuting, Johnson did the math and switched ZIP codes. "There are few places available, and at those prices I can get a much better place in Hastings," he said. Today, he lives in a three-bedroom town home in Hastings that was built in 2008. ADVERTISEMENT Johnson is part of a new employee engagement group of city workers who meet to discuss issues that affect them. Housing, he said, is a major concern. In fact, two of the six members of the group live outside of Red Wing, and one member lives with her parents. While he plans to work through the problem and stay in Red Wing, Johnson said he understands how people could get frustrated and simply look for a new job where the housing market is better. Plenty of demand Market-rate housing your typical three bedroom, two bath home or apartment has a vacancy rate of zero percent, according to the HRA-commissioned 2014 Comprehensive Housing Needs Analysis for the City of Red Wing. Affordable-rate housing rentals mainly for people in lower income levels had a vacancy rate of 0.9 percent. The city's Section 8 voucher housing assistance program was re-opened this spring to Red Wing residents in spite of its long waiting list. Still, holding a voucher is not much help for low-income individuals. "People shopping for a place with a voucher will tell us that apartments are hard to find," Hemmerlin said. Red Wing's problem is a problem throughout Southeast Minnesota. Joseph Wheeler, executive director of the Southeast Minnesota Multi-County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, said the organization's Section 8 program helps about eight new families a month find housing in its six-county region, but that simply offsets the individuals who leave the program. "The Section 8 programs utilized 97-100 percent of available funding," Wheeler said. "There is constant demand for affordable housing." ADVERTISEMENT Unless new homes and apartment buildings get built, the shortage in Red Wing and throughout the region is only going to get worse. Hemmerlin said due to wear and tear and other factors, a community needs to replace or significantly refurbish about 1 percent of its housing each year. For Red Wing, with roughly 7,600 housing units, that means replacing or rehabbing 76 units a year just to maintain the status quo figures. That's not happening. In fact, it's rarely happened in the city in recent years. "If you look historically at Red Wing, it's never been a community that's been dynamic as far as housing growth," said Paul Siewert with Siewert Construction and Star Realty in Red Wing. The housing study noted that Red Wing would need about 1,100 housing units combined single- and multi-family dwelling built in the next eight to nine years. At an average price of construction nearing $175,000, that would call for an influx of roughly $180 million over that time span, Hemmerlin said. No money, mo' problems Therein, lies the problem. Money, or the lack thereof, is killing the market in Red Wing. For market-rate housing, the current rental market can afford to pay about $700 to $750 a month, Siewert said. "To justify a new construction build, you'd have to have $1,100 to $1,200 a month. I don't see the average person in Red Wing able to afford that," he said. Affordable-rate housing has a similar problem. Apartments two bedrooms, one bath, about 900 square feet similarly are not renting at the price that it would take to build new ones, he said. The cost barrier has not stopped all construction. Keller & Baartman Properties has received approval from the city to build a 60-unit apartment building located on Red Wing Avenue South behind the Walmart. Still, Hemmerlin said, those 60 units are a small drop in a big bucket of need. Space for seniors While money might solve the problem to a certain degree, where that money is spent is equally important. Hemmerlin noted a lack of senior housing in the city- apartments, town homes and other down-sized dwellings that can get older residents out of their houses. "Seniors are staying longer and longer in their houses," he said. "They're staying in their homes as long as they can." When those seniors moved into their homes, they were middle-class wage earners with a spouse and kids. But the kids have moved out and, often, one spouse has passed away. That leaves one retired individual living in a home meant for four or more people, Hemmerlin said. "What that means is our population base is aging and declining," he said. What housing is available is generally older and in need of repair. "Some of these homes are needing rehabilitation," Hemmerlin said. "We need to come up with a program to help fund repairs." With so many factors senior housing, low incomes, too few builders, a need for capital conspiring to keep construction numbers down, Siewert said all the housing studies in the world simply point to the problems. No one, however, has come up with an answer. "Umpteen communities are searching for that answer," he said. "I wish I knew." Olmsted County has announced its selection for a new leadership position that will play a key role in county administration and succession planning. The county announced today it would promote Heidi Welsch to deputy county administrator. Welsch joined the Olmsted County staff in 2013 and serves as director of family support and assistance in the community services department, according to a county news release. The county began advertising in May for a deputy administrator to oversee several departments and provide support to the county administrator. The deputy administrator also would be first in line to potentially succeed county administrator Richard Devlin, who plans to retire in a few years. The position had not been staffed in several years, Devlin said in May. Welsch's experience includes public positions with Dakota and Hennepin counties, the Minnesota State University system, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Metropolitan Council and the U.S. Peace Corps. She holds a doctorate degree in public administration. ADVERTISEMENT "Heidi's many talents, enthusiasm and commitment are expected to serve the residents of Olmsted County well," the county news release said. As deputy administrator, Welsch will report to and provide support to Devlin and fulfill administrative duties in Devlin's absence when needed. The deputy administrator also is expected to oversee several county departments, but those departments have not yet been identified, according to the news release. Welsch also will be expected to contribute to countywide initiatives and special projects. The date for her transition is to be announced in the next week. The pay range for the deputy administrator is $113,505 to $175,676 yearly, plus benefits. When the search for a deputy county administrator was announced in May, Devlin told the Post-Bulletin there was no guarantee the deputy administrator would be a successor to the county administrator position. The county administrator is appointed by the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners. Devlin, who is 72 and has served as county administrator since 1973, said he would consider retirement in the next few years. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed lower court rulings Thursday that dismissed several cases alleging public officials improperly searched individuals' driver's license data. Among those cases were claims against Wabasha County officials . The three-judge appellate court panel found there were a few cases that required further explanation from local agencies. Those cases were sent back to the district court for further proceedings. Among those is a case filed against the city of Albert Lea. Several current and former Minnesota residents have sued cities, counties, police departments and other public officials statewide over incidents of license data lookups. The lawsuits alleged that officials violated the state driver's privacy protection act by accessing personal information without a permissible purpose. Most have been dismissed in federal court. The plaintiffs in the Wabasha County case included state Rep. Steve Drazkowski and former Wabasha County Commissioners Deb Roschen, Merl Norman and David Harms. Also listed among the plaintiffs in the case are Beverly Snow, Jerry Gelao, John Adams, Virginia Kautz and Julie Porcher. They were represented by Erick Kaardal , a Twin Cities attorney who has been associated with politically charged legal issues, including a lawsuit filed by conservative groups regarding a Minnesota campaign law. That one went as far as the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 2013 declined to take the appeal . ADVERTISEMENT The appeals court ruled in the Wabasha County case that the plaintiffs "failed to allege a plausible claim against any of the defendants named in their complaint, and so we affirm the district court's dismissal of the complaint in its entirety." Wabasha County Administrator Michael Plante said in a news release today that "while the county was not surprised byt he decision that was reached by the court, it is pleased that the decision should provide finality to the matter and fully clears the county and its staff of any alleged wrong-doing." The four cases that were sent back for more proceedings were against the cities of Albert Lea, Becker and Anoka, as well as Anoka County. In those cases, the appellate judges found that some municipalities needed to explain numerous license data lookups. It's no wonder Americans have a negative opinion of both major presidential nominees. Beyond their escalating rhetoric, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump continue to act as if they have something to hide, raising the prospect that voters may not know everything they should before Election Day. Investigators keep finding more Clinton-related emails, underscoring the former secretary of state's lack of transparency and her cozy, continuing relationship with the Clinton Foundation and its donors (though so far one that more exemplifies traditional Washington access of contributors than indicates improper impact on governmental policy). And Trump continues his refusal to follow tradition and release his tax returns, enabling him to keep many details of his complex finances from public view. Investigative reporting by authors and newspapers suggests everything from a history of housing discrimination to potentially serious conflicts involving major banks and foreign countries. Two separate events in the past week illustrated both their respective problems and the significant contrast between what we know of the one and the other. One was The Associated Press revelation that Clinton's appointment calendars, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, showed dozens of private meetings while she was secretary of state with foundation contributors. Clinton tried to keep the data secret, both by setting up her private email system and rejecting AP requests. But the AP found no ethical or legal violations. ADVERTISEMENT The other was a bizarre interview with Trump's doctor about his letter declaring the Republican nominee would be "the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." Dr. Harold Bornstein told NBC News he wrote the letter, largely devoid of specifics, in just five minutes while a representative of the candidate waited in his limousine outside, adding, "I think I picked up his kind of language and then just interpreted it to my own." Both the minimal content and the circumstances Dr. Bornstein related seemed surprising from a candidate whose campaign repeatedly suggests without any evidence that Clinton is covering up details about her health. In fact, while Clinton has also not issued full medical details, she has provided more than Trump, which has not prevented him from pledging now to reveal his details if she disclosed hers. That contrast in transparency seems generally to be the case. Though Clinton has often limited her disclosures, and continues to avoid full-scale press conferences, Trump has done less. Their tax returns are the main example. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have followed the traditional approach for presidential nominees by releasing returns for 30 years, at the cost of stories about their vast income from speaking fees and other outside endeavors. Trump has refused to release his tax returns, citing the fact that recent years are under audit. His son Eric said it would be "foolish" to release prior returns, because, "You would have a bunch of people who know nothing about taxes trying to look through and trying to come up with assumptions on something they know nothing about." Indeed, there is little doubt journalists would find fertile ground; the few years for which Trump was forced to release earlier returns showed he paid no taxes. But more significant than his tax rate might be any internal evidence of financial indebtedness to foreign countries that might influence his actions as president. An extensive study by The New York Times into Trump's real estate holdings showed his companies owed at least $650 million to institutions including the Bank of China, one of the largest state-owned banks in the country against which he has threatened a trade war, and Goldman Sachs, the firm whose large speaking fees to Clinton he assailed. ADVERTISEMENT At a 2008 real estate conference, Donald Trump Jr. disclosed his father had substantial interests in Russia, whose leader and policies Trump praised, while indicating he would be friendlier than Clinton. "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets," according to an account on eTurboNews' website. Disclosure of financial holdings and debt from countries like China and Russia would seem at least as important as seeking meetings for contributors who include some foreign leaders. The American people deserve full disclosure from both: The State Department should speed its release of Clinton's emails, and the Clintons should take steps to separate themselves from the foundation's management now. Both should release detailed reports on their health. Trump should release his tax returns. And Clinton should expand her press interactions to include regular opportunities for questioning by her traveling press corps. Voters deserve nothing less. Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. LAKOTA | A former North Iowa city clerk accused of stealing utility payments faces criminal charges. Amber Shelton, 41, of Lakota, was charged Tuesday with felony second-degree theft and nonfelonious misconduct in office, a misdemeanor. She's accused in court documents of taking $7,768 in utility payments made to the City of Lakota from July 1, 2013, to May 4, 2015. Lakota is a city of approximately 290 residents about eight miles west of Buffalo Center. A report from the Iowa Auditor's Office said investigators identified the missing money by comparing records of cash collected for utility payments with deposits in the city's bank account. Shelton resigned in March, 2015. City officials requested the audit after the new city clerk found what appeared to be inconsistencies in the records. Shelton, who has not been arrested, is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Sept. 14 in District Court in Algona. Molly Montag The Democratic Party is spending big money on Fran Bradley's opponent at least six mailings so far and radio ads. The latest mail warns voters about the "attack" that will be coming against Fran's opponent from "corporate special interests." Democrats love to warn us about special interests, as though they have none. According to Open Secrets, the last (2014) election cycle's top seven special interest spenders supported Democrats. Sixteen of the top 20 supported Democrats and spent eight times more than those supporting Republicans. For the 174 spenders I could find, spending for Democrats was three times more than for Republicans. The "horrible" Koch brothers are No. 29 on the list. The Democrats' Steyers are No. 2. Did you ever hear of them? In the 2006 election for the same seat now sought by Fran, the Democrats sent a late mailer that falsely characterized the Republican as a bully and worse. In 2013, Minnesota Senate Democrats were fined $100,000 for improperly coordinating independent expenditures. Fran Bradley and his campaign cannot control what others will say, for or against anyone, but Fran is serious about clean campaigning. This publication reported on his open letter on that very subject. It seems to me the Democrats are expecting certain things to happen because that's the way they have worked. ADVERTISEMENT Fran Bradley will be business as usual: decent and factual. Bruce Kaskubar Rochester Rochester School District has been honored in years past for giving students a quality education. When reading the reports in the Post-Bulletin, questions arise as to the sustainability of this quality. It is obvious that Rochester is growing and demographics are changing. When studies were made of the demographics of students in detention and suspension, was there any attention given to the behavior that placed students in this type of discipline? How were the numbers calculated? Do the numbers reflect students as repeated offenders? If not, the number of students will be lower? How does this reflect on our dedicated, competent principals, and staff using these methods? Yes, even other minorities are impeded in learning if a student is disruptive. How do police liaisons in the school building become "pipelines to prison"? Would not this partnership with law enforcement prevent poor choices from becoming major life patterns of poor choices? Would not the school be a great place for students to see police as friends? What was the admission of a $400,000 accounting error to convey to taxpayers? Was this carelessness, negligence or willful deception? The district sold iPads because of compatibility issues. Where was the foresight in the purchase of the iPads? Reports like these will cause taxpayers, especially those on fixed incomes, to never vote for another referendum. ADVERTISEMENT Char Derksen Rochester Secretary of the Air Force Hon. Deborah L. James visited Andersen Air Force Base Tuesday, and met with a B-1 crew from Ellsworth Air Force Base to discuss their mission and its importance. On Aug. 30, the B-1 crew met with James to talk about issues specific to their mission and their deployment to Guam. The newly arrived B-1 Lancer crew were deployed to the island in early August and swapped out with the previously stationed B-52 bombers that had been deployed to Guam for the past decade. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "The significance of this swap, in my opinion, is that now our B-52 crew will have the opportunity to have some downtime at home station, but they will also have the opportunity to participate more in the CENTCOM (Central Command) area of responsibility," James said in an interview with AAFB. CENTOM's area of responsibility includes countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. CENTCOM most notably includes the countries of Afghanistan and Iraq, where there have been near constant military operations since 2001. 'A really important region' The current mission the B-1 Lancers and crew are deployed for and that James spoke about is the Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP) mission. "The Pacific is a really important region for the U.S. and for our allies in the region," James said in the interview. "The CBP is really fundamental to our strategy in the Pacific." James expanded on the benefits the B-1 crew would reap in being stationed on Guam - opportunities for training with different allies and the experience of the different environment here in the Pacific. "The B-1s, who have not been here in 10 years, this crew will have the experience of the Pacific - the distances involved, the various threats we practice against and the opportunity to practice and operate with different allies and different air spaces," James concluded. James was touring the region discussing shared concerns with partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, such as the rule of law, freedom of navigation and upholding the peaceful resolution of disputes. Paul Mirengoffs tribute to the courage and the sacrifice of the Czech Olympic champion Vera Caslavska brought to mind one of my favorite passages in the works of John Updike that I have managed to read. Updike was a voluminous and accomplished writer in every literary form, though I think he was a master of the short story in particular. Updike wrote enough stories to fill three small volumes about Henry Bech (pronounced Beck), his fictional alter ego. Despite the fact that it was Updikes gift with the language for which he was usually either praised or damned, in the Bech stories Updike frequently wrote in a comic or satiric mode that displayed several other facets of his genius. When Bech wins the Nobel Prize for Literature in the story Bech and the Bounty of Sweden, Updike posits the headline reporting the news in the New York Daily News: BECH? WHODAT??? The thought was at the same time self-deprecating and self-aggrandizing. Updike was foremost among those who deserved the Nobel Prize for Literature in the past 25 years and failed to receive it. In Bech in Czech (collected along with the two other stories mentioned above in Bech at Bay), Bech is sent to Czechoslovakia on a cultural exchange program through the United States government in 1986, while the country is still Communist. Bech attends a party of dissident writers, one of whom had been imprisoned. Bech reflects: Jail! One of the guests at the party had spent nearly ten years in prison. He was dapper, like the cafe habitues in George Grosz drawings, with a scarred, small face and shining black eyes. He spoke so softly Bech could hardly hear him, though he bent his ear close. The mans hands twisted under Bechs eyes, as if in the throes of torture. Bech noticed that the fingers had in fact bent, broken. How would he, the American author asked himself, stand up to having his fingernails pulled? He could think of nothing he had ever written that he would not eagerly recant. That paragraph, buried in the middle of the story, was the product of a deeply humane sensibility. I cant think of another American man of letters who could have written it in the course of a story devoted to the ghosts of modern history. We havent been keeping up sufficiently with the meltdown of the Labour Party over in the UK under Jeremy Corbyn, who makes Bernie Sanders look like a Ripon Society Republican. (Actually, come to think of it . . . never mind.) Anyway, what till you get a load of Corbyns latest: Corbyn wants to ban sexist after-work drinks for quite sexist reason By Ashitha Nagesh Jeremy Corbyn has said after-work drinks are sexist and should be banned, because women will obviously want to look after their children. Launching his manifesto for women, the Labour leader said: Early evening socialisation benefits men who dont feel the need to be at home looking after their children, and it discriminates against women who will want to, obviously, look after the children that they have got. Now stop chortling. Deep down inside socialists are all reactionaries, so sooner or later this kind of recidivism was bound to come out. I especially love this extra bit of reporting: Unsurprisingly, the attempt at understanding gender inequality in the workplace fell quite flat. Do tell. Oh, and a separate report of Corbyns blooper has this: Following the event [where Corbyn made his remarks], held at Unisons offices, a drinks party was held. Labour men only I assume. At this point, Monty Python would just have to give up. Meanwhile, in other important UK news you can use, the good folks at Pol Roger, Winston Churchills preferred brand of champagne, will start selling it in pint bottles as a result of Brexit. Its worth it just for this alone. Jeremy Corbyn had no comment, but it makes sense since women shouldnt be out drinking champagne anyway, and the preferred drink of British lads already comes in pints. There were only two ways the mainstream media would portray Donald Trumps speech on immigration once he finally delivered it. Either Trump would be the same dreadfully inhumane guy hes been throughout the campaign or he would be a flip-flopper whose word cannot be trusted on anything. The meany option was always the preferred one. Voters seemed to have little problem with Trump flip-flopping to more reasonable ground on immigration. And why should they, given the fact that Hillary Clinton has changed her position on everything from gay marriage to international trade? Trumps speech was therefore inconvenient for the mainstream media. As discussed below, he substantially softened his position on illegal immigration. What to do? Easy pretend that Trump hasnt shifted. This is what Washington Post reporters Jenna Johnson, Robert Costa, and Philip Rucker have done in a dishonest piece called How Trump got from Point A to Point A on immigration. (The paper editions sub-headline states immigration views unchanged). With partisanship dripping from nearly every other word, they write: [Trump] spent days floating a series of possible changes and gauging the reaction, and even visited Mexico for a few hours Wednesday in a bid to appear more presidential. But later that night, he decided to stick with the far-right positions that were key to his success in the Republican primaries and could help him cement the support of white men one demographic where he beats Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Nonsense. Trumps original position on immigration had two main features: (1) build the big wall and (2) deport all illegal immigrants. The second feature was far and away the more controversial of the two. In his speech, Trump abandoned the idea of deporting all illegal immigrants. In what universe is abandoning ones signature position moving from Point A to Point A? Here is what Trump said about deportation: In a Trump Administration, all immigration laws will be enforced. As with any law enforcement activity, we will set priorities. But, unlike this Administration, no one will be immune or exempt from enforcement and ICE and Border Patrol officers will be allowed to do their jobs. Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation that is what it means to have laws and to have a country. Our enforcement priorities will include removing criminals, gang members, security threats, visa overstays, public charges that is, those relying on public welfare or straining the safety net, along with millions of recent illegal arrivals and overstays whove come here under the current Administration. To say that anyone who has entered the country illegally is subject to deportation is not to say that anyone who has entered the country illegally will be deported. Anyone who runs a red light is subject to ticketing but not everyone who does so will get a ticket. Being subject to deportation simply means you havent received amnesty actual or de facto. It does not mean you will be deported. As Trump made clear, deportation decisions will be driven by enforcement priorities. If he still intended to deport all illegal immigrants, there would be no need for enforcement priorities. In fact, Trump left no doubt that illegal immigrants would remain in this country in a Trump presidency. Thats why, later in the speech, he turned to the question of their status. He stated: In several years, when we have accomplished all of our enforcement goals and truly ended illegal immigration for good, including the construction of a great wall, and the establishment of our new lawful immigration system then and only then will we be in a position to consider the appropriate disposition of those who remain. Here, Trump isnt just abandoning his promise to deport all illegal immigrants; hes also showing a willingness to consider adjusting the status of those who have not been deported. This too is a big change in position. But even if, in a Trump presidency, illegal immigrants are only able to live in the shadows, this would still be an obvious departure from his past pronouncements. The Post ignores all of this. Johnson, Costa, and Rucker dont even bother to quote from his speech. There was a time when this would be considered malpractice. The Post relies instead on several members of Trumps Hispanic advisory council who were disappointed with Trumps speech and say they may not vote for him. Their disappointment is natural. Trump has not promised amnesty. He has insisted on effective enforcement as a condition precedent to any consideration of improving the legal status of illegal immigrants. He has promised to pick up significantly the pace of deportations. But the fact that Trump didnt give certain Hispanics what they wanted doesnt mean his position is unchanged. The Post also cites a statement from Trumps spokesperson Katrina Pierson, made before Trumps speech, that the tycoon hasnt changed his position on immigration; hes changed the words that he is saying. Apparently, Johnson, Costa, and Rucker construe this nonsensical statement as an invitation to ignore the words of Trumps speech. Less partisan, more honest analysts will focus on Trumps words and see that his position has changed significantly Finally, the Post relies on its own analysis which purports to find that at least 5 million immigrants would be subject to rapid deportation under Trumps latest proposals. (Note the deeply biased refusal to say illegal immigrants). Even if all 5 million were rapidly deported this would be a significant change in the position of a man who used to call for the rapid deportation of 11 million. Or does the Post consider the fate of 6 million people inconsequential? But again, being subject to deportation isnt the same thing as being deported. Here is what Trump said about rapid deportation: We are going to triple the number of ICE deportation officers. Within ICE, I am going to create a new special Deportation Task Force, focused on identifying and removing quickly the most dangerous criminal illegal immigrants in America who have evaded justice. Note first that tripling the number of ICE deportation officers will not enable the government to deport rapidly anywhere close to 5 million people. Note second that the people Trump says will be deported quickly are the most dangerous criminal illegal immigrants in America. There are nowhere near 5 million such people. The Post got to 5 million by counting all criminals, gang members, security threats, visa overstays, public charges. Its true that these are the groups Trump identified as enforcement priorities. But its fanciful to suppose that large numbers of people in the later two groups will be deported within the next few years (which is when Trump expects to reevaluate what to do with those here illegally). Thats why Trump limited his promise of quick deportation to the most dangerous criminal illegal immigrants. Trumps change of position on what to do with illegal immigrants in the U.S. has changed significantly. The change wont satisfy many Hispanics and it certainly doesnt satisfy the Washington Post, which is committed to seeing Trump lose regardless of the cost to its journalistic integrity. However, it increases the probability that I will vote for him and Im probably not alone on this. MASON CITY An Ohio real estate development company claims Kmart broke a binding agreement to sell its former store in Mason City. The lawsuit details at least two and possibly three companies in a sort of bidding war to purchase the property. Cocca Development has filed a lawsuit in Cerro Gordo County District Court against the holding company for Kmart, alleging breach of contract. Cocca also is seeking a temporary injunction to prevent Kmart from selling the Mason City store, which closed in 2014, to another company. The lawsuit states a Kmart representative sent Anthony Cocca, president of Cocca Development, an email on July 29 after Kmart had already allegedly agreed in writing to sell the store to Cocca for $2.5 million stating Kmart had an offer from another buyer and asking Cocca to bring a better offer to the table. Court documents state Cocca had negotiated a lease with a tenant to occupy the former Kmart store, but the documents do not name the tenant. A call from the Globe Gazette to Anthony Cocca on Thursday was not returned. Howard Riefs, a spokesman for Sears Holdings, which handles holding matters for Sears and Kmart, told the Globe Gazette the company does not comment on active or pending litigation. Cocca Development owns and manages commercial and residential properties in 22 states, according to the companys website. The website states the companys large number of free-standing retail stores are leased to Dollar General and Family Dollar. The companys past and current strip center tenants include Alco-Duckwall, Goodwill, Big Y Supermarkets, Pappa Johns Pizza, Dunhams Sporting Goods, Dollar Tree, Arbys, Dots, Pier 1 Imports, Family Christian Bookstores, Verizon Wireless, Comcast, Tractor Supply, Orschein Farm & Home, Aaron Rents, HHGregg and Guardian Protection. The lawsuit states Cocca first made an offer for the former Kmart store in Mason City in March but was outbid by another prospective buyer. After that other buyers financing fell through, Cocca submitted a new offer, according to the lawsuit. A copy of the sale contract was included with the lawsuit. Neither party had signed it, but Cocca claims it has an agreement in writing including email exchanges on every detail of the transaction. On July 29, Kmart representative Cheryl Schwartz sent an e-mail to Cocca stating, Another buyer has brought another offer to the table. Please submit your VERY best offer, term and conditions to me no later than Tuesday, Aug. 2. Bradley Triplett, Cocca legal counsel, stated in court documents this was astonishing and frustrating to all of us at Cocca Development as they believed a binding agreement already existed for Kmart to sell Cocca the property. Triplett alleges he corresponded with Kmarts legal counsel to try to resolve the dispute, but it ultimately became clear that Kmart intended to move forward with the sale of the former Mason City store to a third party. The lawsuit states the former Kmart property is uniquely valuable to Cocca because of its location, ample parking, proximity to other retail businesses, existence of an already-constructed building on the site suitable for Coccas tenant, and the size and layout of the building. Cocca alleges Kmarts actions are causing and will continue to cause harm to Coccas reputation, particularly with respect to the tenant who was to occupy the building. The new Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Usman, on Thursday said the Nigerian government had begun a review of the automobile policy which came into effect during the previous administration. Ms. Usman spoke in Lagos during a tour of the Tincan Island seaport, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, and NPA dockyard. We are discussing with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment regarding where we are following the automobile policy, because federal government needs to review some of its policies to determine the benefits that will accrue to the government following the period of implementation, said Ms. Usman, who was appointed last July. The automobile policy was introduced in October 2013 to encourage local manufacturing of vehicles and discourage importation of cars as well as gradually phase out used cars (popularly known as Tokunbo cars). Theres been a period of implementation of the automobile policy. Theres a need to relook at it to determine the opportunities lost by the federal government vis a vis the automotive industry. This is ongoing. Well aggressively sustain this discussion to ensure that in a timely manner the government concludes its assessment of this policy and takes a decision on the way forward as it relates to the revenue being lost within the Authority and also the development of the automobile industry itself. Last June, while speaking in Lagos, Okechukwu Enelamah, the Investment and Trade minister, said the federal government would not reverse the auto policy. We will build on what has been done and we want stakeholders to tell us what they want us to do to enable the policy work. Deserted ports, abandoned properties Ms. Usman, a former #BringBackOurGirls campaigner, also said the government would review the port concession agreement with port operators. We have had discussions with port operators, there are critical areas around port development that they have not complied, said Ms. Usman. There are outstanding fees and attendant issues we are going to aggressively pursue. The NPA boss tour took her around a largely deserted port that included Five Star Terminal, Sifax, Ports & Terminal Multiservices Limited, Tincan Island Container Terminal among others. At Josepdam Port Services, Travers Simon, the managing director, told the NPA boss his company had submitted an expansion plan to the federal government since January but have not received any response. According to Mr. Simon, the plan would boost governments revenue by $10 million annually. Ms. Usman also visited the NPAs transit truck terminal, along the Apapa expressway, that had not been put to use. There will be a review of the concession agreement, the issue around the holding bays might not be within the port complex, she said. Theres a need for holding bays to be outside the port complex, that way we regulate the traffic going into the port complex. So well holistically review all these and determine what it is that is applicable as it relates to holding bays inside the port complex and also outside. Because, indeed, the Nigerian Ports Authority has properties as weve sighted now, locations that are owned by the Nigerian Ports Authority that can be used to provide such services. Such services, of course, at commercial rates, where people will pay minimal amount for a service where they can keep their trailers pending when they are called upon to come and collect their cargo. At the NPA dockyard, Ms. Usman was shown a floating dock, used for ship repairs, that had been left to rot away in the sea, since 2010; and a survey ship, Argungu, that hitherto was used for surveying up to Calabar and Warri, but had been grounded since 2006. At the NPA Training School, she was told they had not had power supply from the national grid for over 18 months. The #BringBackOurGirls group has rescheduled its rally to the presidential villa, Abuja, till Tuesday. The march was billed for Friday, but the group said postponing it will allow Muslim members attend Jumaat prayers. The group is campaigning for the release of over 200 schoolgirls abducted by the extremist group, Boko Haram, in 2014. The new round of protest march began August 23 after Boko Haram released a video indicating the girls were alive. The group said it would only exchange the girls for their members detained by the government across the country. Although President Muhammadu Buhari said he would be willing to concede to the demand, the BringBackOurGirls group says the government has not done enough to rescue the girls. After the release of the last video, the group vowed to march to the presidential villa every 72 hours until the government makes clear what steps it was taking to get the girls back. Security operatives were seen at the Unity Fountain venue of the BBOG sit-out on Friday. Oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have threatened to resume their suspended strike if the Federal Government refused to enforce the implementation of the tripartite agreement reached with them and other partners in the industry. In a letter dated August 22, 2016 to the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, the acting General Secretary, PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa, said the agreement, signed over a month ago, had not been implemented. The agreement was reached at the end of the conciliation meetings held at the instance of the Federal Minister of Labour and Employment with PENGASSAN, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and other stakeholders on July 12, 14 and 21, 2016 in Abuja. The union urged the minister to intervene, by prevailing on the defaulting parties to implement the agreement to avert another round of nationwide strike. Copies of the letter were sent to the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS). The letter read in part, It is over a month now since the last Communique was reached and we can say in summation that no much progress has been achieved. This of course is making our members restive and we are under tremendous pressure to bring about a total resolution on all the contending issues. We are constrained therefore to note with great dismay that most of the companies are foot-dragging and have resorted to time-wasting tactics in order to deliberately frustrate the process. We are therefore, based on the above, requesting that you use your good office to intervene by calling on the managements of these companies to quickly implement these resolutions as it affects them. Else we will be left with no alternative than to succumb to the pressure from our members and do what needs to be done in furtherance of our mandate. The union listed companies refusing to honour their own part of the agreement to include Mobil Producing Nigeria Contract Staff Forum, Fugro Nigeria Limited, Petrostuff Nigeria, Tecon, Frontier Oil Limited, Universal Energy Resources Limited, Pan Ocean, Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited, CISCON, and Baker Hughes, among others. PENGASSAN National Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojugbana, said the agreement must be honoured, as it was the basis the oil workers called off the last national strike. There is nothing preventing the managements of the companies from respecting signed agreements as contained in the communique, Mr. Ojugbana said. This is not a pronouncement by the union, but an agreement reached by all stakeholders, including the managements of the companies involved. I dont see any reason why it is difficult for them to respect this agreement as contained in the communique. If the companies know that they cannot obey the constitution of Nigeria, the extant labour laws of our country and other relevant authorities in government, they should just pack and leave the business for those ready to do so. Mr. Ojugbana called on NAPIMS to take steps in ensuring that these managements implement the agreement while also calling on the Ministers of Petroleum as well as its Labour and Employment counterpart to intervene so as not to plunge the Nation into another fuel crisis. He also urged well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the erring managements of these companies to respect a legally signed agreement and do the needful to prevent Nigerians from suffering. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has explained that the looted fund recovered so far by government is a far cry from what the country needs to revive the economy. The minister said this on Friday when he appeared on a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja. According to him, the amount of money recovered is always being made public. What we have recovered and if my record is right is about N78 billion, and 3 million dollars. We have been able to block various accounts in which about 9 billion dollar is found but those are not money available to us because we are still in court over them. The government spends N165 billion every month to pay federal civil servants, even what has been so far recovered will not even pay 50 per cent of the salaries in a month. Mr. Mohammed assured Nigerians that every penny recovered will be judiciously spent and nobody could re-loot what had been recovered under the administration. The minister further explained that Nigerians should understand that what had been recovered was so little compared to what the people needed on a continuous basis. On budget release, he recalled that the Federal Ministry of Finance released N400 billion for capital projects, mostly on roads, railway, and power. N400 billion seems a lot, but you must also understand that for three or four years contractors were not paid. So, when we paid this money to contractors, they also use part of it to settle their own debt, they use part of it to recall laid off staff. But the truth of the matter is that many of them have been paid, they are yet to mobilise to site and they cannot do so until the rains are over. Mr. Mohammed said what the government owed the contractors was about N2 trillion. (NAN) Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, met with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa on Friday afternoon. Mr. Zuckerberg, 32, returned to the country to participate in the Aso Villa Demo Day, an event organised by the Buhari administration for Nigerians to showcase their ideas for possible investment support from the government. Mr. Zuckerberg had been in Nigeria since Tuesday. He later traveled to Kenya where he met with that countrys ICT minister. Some Nigerians thought he had left without meeting Nigerian government officials. State House social media handles have not released detailed information about the meeting. But a Twitter post by Bashir Ahmad, social media aide to Mr. Buhari, said Vice Osinbajo teased Mr. Zuckerberg during a closed-door meeting with the president, on why he was not wearing his signature T-shirt. Out of respect for the formality of meeting a president, he reportedly answered. A pilgrim heading to Medina, Saudi Arabia, to perform the annual pilgrimage has tested positive to narcotic ingestion at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement Friday. Basira Binuyo, 55, was arrested during the outward screening of passengers on an Emirate flight to Medina through Dubai. She has so far excreted 76 pellets of drugs that tested positive for cocaine, said Hamisu Lawan, NDLEA commander at the Abuja airport. Meanwhile, she is still under observation until the drugs are completely expelled. Mrs. Binuyo hails from Irepodun local government area of Kwara State and is married with three children. Mrs. Binuyo, a trader at Dosumu market, Lagos, was quoted as saying she needed money to expand her business. I wanted to expand my cosmetic business but I have no money,she said. My sponsor offered to foot my expenses to Saudi on pilgrimage. I was excited until I was asked to take drugs along. I wanted to decline but considering the offer of a million naira, I accepted. I swallowed the drugs in Lagos and took flight to Abuja on my way to Medina but I was caught in the process. The NDLEA said it also intercepted Henry Okpalanem, a 37-year-old father of three, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, who had inserted seven wraps of cocaine weighing 355 grammes into his anus. Both suspects were going to Saudi Arabia and China respectively where drug trafficking is punishable by death. Mr. Okpalanem was apprehended during an outward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight to Hong Kong, China through Addis Ababa. Ahmadu Garba, NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, said the suspect, who hails from Imo State, holds a dual citizenship of Nigeria and Mali. The name on his passport is Diara Sauduo while his Nigerian name is Okpalanem Henry, said Mr. Garba. The case is under investigation. The NDLEA said the suspect did not show any remorse upon his arrest. I know that there is capital punishment for drug trafficking in China but I was optimistic of safe passage, Mr. Okpalanem had told NDLEA investigators. Unfortunately, I was caught with only seven wraps. Maybe that is my destiny. Muhammad Abdallah, NDLEA Chairman, said the arrests were commendable. We will continue to be on the alert in protecting all exit and entry points from drug trafficking organisations, said Mr. Abdullah, a retired colonel. I am glad that the suspects were arrested here thus preventing them from untimely death and also protecting the image of our country from disrepute. Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communication, says a proposal by the Nigerian government to impose a 10 per cent tax on phone calls, text messages, data and more, would help enhance telecommunication services in the country. The plan has been widely criticised. But Mr. Shittu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Osogbo, Osun State, that the proposed tax would also help to improve telecommunication infrastructure. We have a lot of deficiency in the provision of infrastructure in the telecommunication sector. And I believe that those who proposed the bill must have thought that government centrally relies on tax because without tax, government cannot operate, he said. The minister said the ministry was proposing a workshop to sensitise the public on the new bill. We are proposing a workshop on the bill for all stakeholders in telecommunication services, operators and even ordinary man. I hope that at the appropriate time, when the figures are out, everybody will appreciate the need for such a tax in which at the end of the day will improve services and make everybody happy. Everybody is complaining every day over lack of quality and good services, drop calls and all of that. All these are caused by deficiency in infrastructure and Nigerians, I believe that we cannot shy away from what will provide government with resources to improve facilities, Shittu said. The minister promised that the government would continue to provide enabling environment for telecommunication operators in the country. (NAN) Our attention has been drawn to the media story making the rounds on the purported allegation of forgery against our officers by the promoters of Zone 4 Energy Limited. To set the record straight and for public Information, we categorically state that the allegation is untrue, staged for mischief and totally false in its entirety. It is pertinent to emphasize that Zone 4 Energy Limited has maintained a business relationship with First Bank and has been availed of Import Finance Petroleum Lifting facility following their request to support local purchase and importation of refined petroleum products, as well as the acquisition and renovation of a Tank Farm. The facilities are secured with a perfected All Asset Debenture over the financed Tank Farm located in Calabar Free Trade Zone. The Bank also in the course of its business relationship with Zone 4 Energy also availed facilities to three other customers; Reeico Nigeria Limited, Broadwaters Resources Ltd and Calder Crest Nigeria Ltd the proceeds of which were) transferred to Zone 4 Energy Limited accounts in compliance with transfer instructions from Reeico Nigeria Limited, Broadwaters Resources Ltd and Calder Crest Nigeria Ltd. After the disbursement of funds and passage of time and the failure of Zone 4 Energy to meet its obligations to the Customers and FirstBank, the Bank had at various times engaged with the Management of Zone 4 Energy Ltd and got an undertaking to repay the debts owed the Bank. However, after protracted engagements and the Companys failure to honour the term of its undertaking, the Bank activated a recovery process with the appointment of a Receiver Manager and instituted a receivership process to take over the financed Tank Farm. The allegation of a purported forgery against the Bank and its officers is a desperate attempt by the Management of Zone 4 Energy to scuttle the recovery process with spurious allegations by playing to the public gallery. FirstBank reiterates that the forgery allegation is untrue and purely staged for mischief. Sokoto state government has given approval for the transfer of 39 of its citizens currently in various schools in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, back to Nigeria. Spokesperson of Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, Imam Imam, said the move will enable the government save over N500 million based on existing foreign exchange. The government said this signals change of priorities in the payment of scholarship to study abroad. The transfer/relocation of the students was necessitated by the need to conserve funds and apply same to more critical areas in the education sector, Mr. Tambuwal, said Friday in Sokoto when he received the report of the committee instituted to advise government on the issue. He added that admissions have been secured for all the students in Nigerian schools, while arrangements have been made to ensure that none of them misses a grade level upon their return home. As at the time we sent the children to Dubai to study last year, the state government was spending over 400 million Naira per annum to maintain them there. The last administration had good intentions when it sent them to Dubai to further their studies, but the current financial situation of the state can no longer allow us to continue with this burden. We explained to the parents and guardians of the students that as at today, Sokoto state government spends over 500 million Naira to maintain 17,000 of its citizens on scholarship in various schools in Nigeria. So having to pay N400 million for 38 students in Dubai was weighing heavily on the scarce resources of the state. We thank them for their understanding, the governor said. Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Transfer/Relocation committee of the students, Deputy Governor Ahmad Aliyu, said government decided to bring them home due to the high cost of maintaining them in the UAE. He said government had ensured that admissions were secured for them in local universities and all is set for them to resume their academic programmes without delay. The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Niyi Pirisola, was in the early hours of Friday assassinated by yet-to-be identified gunmen. The former caretaker chairman of the council, was said to have been shot as he was arriving his Ilu Tuntun residence in Okitipupa from the church. The gunmen left the scene immediately after the shooting, witnesses said. They told journalists that the deceased was blocked by the assailants as he arrived home, before they shot him. He was said to have passed away as efforts were being made to take him to a hospital. The State Police Public Relations Officers, Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident. He described the shooting as an ugly development that would not be condoned in the state. According to Mr. Joseph, the state police command was working to bring those behind the killing to book. The deceased was coming from the church and the assailants attacked him and killed him, he said. We have commenced investigation on it and I am sure the killers will be brought to book. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state expressed shock over the killing of the former council boss describing the death as debasing. The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Banji Okunomo, called on the security agencies to investigate the killing and bring the perpetrators to book. While the PDP expresses shock at this inhuman act, we hereby call on all security agencies to bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act to book, Mr. Okunomo said. This is necessary because of the sensitivity of the times that we are in Ondo State, considering that the state is preparing for its governorship election come November 26, 2016. The PDP cautions against anything that could heat up the polity and impede the transition process that is being prepared for in our dear Sunshine State. Ondo State has been widely acclaimed as one of the most peaceful States in the country. We must not allow hoodlums to tamper with this track record or dent our image in any way. BRITT A flock of flamingos could be making its way to your yard. The pink flamingos are part of a month-long fundraiser sponsored by Westview Care Center to raise money for the Walk to End Alzheimers in Mason City Oct. 1. Admissions coordinator Sandy Shear said the flamingos will be moving from yard to yard in Britt, Kanawha and Wesley. Once the birds land in someones yard, they should call the care center. You give us a call and we pick them up. Then you give us a name for the next flocking victim, Shear said. The care center would like those who get hit with the flamingos to donate to the Walk to End Alzheimers. Its a fun little way to do a fundraiser, Shear said. The care center has raised money for the Alzheimers walk for a number of years. Weve exhausted the usual fundraisers like bake sales and silent auctions. We wanted to do something fun and different, Jamey Cassels said. The walk in Mason City is an important one for those at Westview as the care center has an Alzheimers unit. Its a cause close to our heart, Cassels said. The care center has a waiting list of community members waiting to get into the Alzheimers unit. The disease, Cassels said, is growing as more are being diagnosed every year. The money raised through the walk will go to help fund research and treatments. Cassels encouraged community members and businesses to think about participating in Westviews flamingo fundraiser. I think it will be something fun. Its a nice, visible fundraiser and I hope the whole community will join us, she said. The fundraiser will run through the end of September. LONDON Apples chief executive says the company has put aside several billion dollars to pay tax liabilities in the United States as it repatriates some of its huge overseas earnings. Tim Cook told Irish state network RTE in an interview broadcast Thursday that the money, part of profits from 2014, should be brought back to the U.S. next year. He did not specify how much would be repatriated. Apple holds nearly $215 billion in cash and securities outside the U.S., much of that generated by its Irish subsidiaries. Cook has complained in the past that high U.S. taxes have discouraged the company from bringing those earnings home. This week, the European Union ordered the company based in Cupertino, California, to pay $14.5 billion in back taxes to Ireland plus billions more in interest. The tax dispute is part of an ongoing fight over whether Americas largest global corporations pay adequate taxes throughout the world. Apple plans to fight the EU order, which Cook characterized as unfair. He told Irish television that the EUs findings are maddening and that the company had not received special treatment from Irish authorities. In Brussels, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager vigorously defended the legality and arithmetic of the tax clawback order affecting Apple. This is a decision based on the facts of the case, she told a news conference at EU headquarters. Vestager said figures used to calculate the amount of back taxes owed by Apple came from the company itself, as well as U.S. Senate hearings. MASON CITY | A Mason City man police say defrauded his insurance company faces criminal charges. Johnathan Francis Kofron, 47, of Mason City was charged Thursday with two felony counts of insurance fraud. He's accused of providing false information to his insurance company in order to get homeowner's insurance on a residence he was renting and filing a fraudulent claim for a lost ring, according to a Mason City Police Department statement. Police say the ring claim was made in March and that Kofron received more than $4,200 from his insurance company. He remained jailed Thursday afternoon. -- Molly Montag ATLANTIC CITY Shopping is often on the itinerary for Atlantic City visitors, and Thursday evening, the 52 Miss America contestants were no exception. One of the perks that come after the hard work of becoming a state titleholder and making the journey to Atlantic City is a chance to win gifts and take a shopping break at The Playground. We love shopping. This is a girls dream, said Miss District of Columbia Cierra Jackson. Theyre so great here, the owners really care about us. They embrace us in the pageant and the history of it and its the icing on the cake. It was a time to laugh and for the contestants to continue to bond as they shopped. Whether it was a conversation about The Bachelor or singing lyrics to an Eminem song, its one of the first events in which the contestants can relax, take photos with each other and enjoy Atlantic City. Honestly, its a girls day, said Miss Alaska Kendall Bautista. This time we get to do it as a part of Miss America. Atlantic City is good to us. The contestants visited many stores including White Lotus, Renees, Design Jewelry, Karinas, Zanes and Its Sugar. The contestants also stopped by Triax Studio and received royal treatment as the shopping trip proved to be an excellent photo op for both professional photographers and their personal Snapchat accounts. Sam Haskell, executive chairman and CEO of the Miss America Organization, joined in the fun as contestants tried on cowboy hats in Zanes. Surprised shoppers got a chance to meet some of the contestants and young fans were delighted to see the contestants power up with some sweets from Its Sugar. A mother shopping with her family leaned in to tell her daughter she could be next after snapping a selfie with some of the contestants. Store managers also enjoyed themselves as they got a chance to get to know the contestants they will see in person Sept. 11 at Boardwalk Hall or live at home on ABC. What an experience. It was terrific, said Zanes co-owner Casey Zeck. She said there was a lot of laughter and that she was happy to meet such down-to-earth contestants. Theyre a class act, said Zanes owner Denise Zane-Layton. It was just a wonderful experience and Id recommend it to anyone to enjoy the Miss America events, she said. They couldnt say thank you enough. Theyre just the most beautiful and intelligent girls, she said. Layton said it was the first year Zanes has participated in the shopping event since they have been in The Playground for only one year but its not likely to be the last. This is the American way, she said of all 52 contestants coming together from their respective states. This is what we are. This is what our country does. Robin Amjadi, who owns Design Jewelry with her husband, Matthew, said this years gift to the girls was multi-colored crystal bracelets. She said while she is originally from New York, her family had to watch the Miss America competitions each year. Miss America was big in my house, she said. Im so glad to be a part of it. The couple said as former New Yorkers theyll be rooting for New York titleholder Camille Sims. After an evening of photos and shopping the contestants filed into Phillips Seafood for a dessert reception. Prizes were raffled off including a cowboy hat from Zanes and a gift bag from White Lotus. Contact: 609-272-7209 Twitter @ACPressSchweder ATLANTIC CITY A store manager at the Zumiez skatewear shop was shot and killed Thursday after what police described as a domestic-related incident at Tanger Outlets The Walk. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Luis Maisonet, 55, of Somers Point, fatally shot Christopher Romero, 26, of Absecon, at the store where Romero worked and later shot himself at White House-Black Market, officials said. The shooting put stores into lockdown for an hour and detoured motorists heading into the resort on the Atlantic City Expressway for the start of the Zac Brown Band concert and Labor Day weekend. Maisonet survived the self-inflicted gunshot wound and was hospitalized in critical condition late Thursday night, prosecutors said. According to the Bellmawr Police Department Facebook page, an off-duty officer, Sgt. Christopher Cummings, wrestled the gun away from Maisonet. Cummings then walked outside with the gun and alerted Atlantic City police. This is not related to any other issue, gangs or terrorism, Mayor Don Guardian said at The Walk during a press conference that included police Chief Henry White and Daren Dooley, chief of detectives for the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. He fired a shot, hit another male who was transported to Atlantic City Regional Medical Center (sic) and he has since been pronounced deceased, Dooley said. The male then fled the area and appears to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and he is still alive. Dooley did not take questions. Guardian expressed his condolences to the victim's family Thursday afternoon and assured the public that the shopping area was safe to be reopened. This was an unfortunate domestic violence ... two individuals were involved ... I think since this is an active investigation it would be inappropriate for me to release any additional information, Guardian said. Stores began reopening just before 1 p.m. Hours after the incident, Guardian walked to different stores in the outlets to check on the employees. The shooting panicked shoppers. Dawn OBrien, 41, of Franklinville, Gloucester County, and her son, Eddie Valerio, 17, were in Bass Pro Shops doing back-to-school shopping just after noon when they were told to move to the back of the store. They heard on the loudspeaker police were putting the stores in lockdown mode. We had no idea why, OBrien said. Nobody knew, everyone was wondering what was going on. Valerio said everyone was fine during the lockdown that lasted about 10 minutes, but they werent able to hear any of the action going on outside. When they were released, they were told there was a shooting, that it was cleared and that they could leave. I'm kind of thinking, Do I want to get lunch here, or do I want to get the heck out of this city?' OBrien said. Kim Bernat, of Jamison, Pennsylvania, said her husband was in Bass Pro Shops when it was put on lockdown. The cops were all in full action with their weapons out, and they put the stores on lockdown, and they immediately had White House-Black Market putting caution tape up, she said. Sam Koch, 29, of Medford, Burlington County, said he comes to Atlantic City often to shop and was in a nearby store, Claires, when the action began. Several people came out of the stores saying someone had been shot near White House-Black Market, he said. This kind of activity in this area is uncommon, he said. Nothing like this, he said. Its nuts. Annie Beaudoin and her family were visiting Atlantic City from Montreal Thursday. They were walking out of the Nike store across the street this afternoon when police began shouting and some people were running. They said to get out of the way and take cover, she said. Tim Bateman, of North Wildwood, said he got a text message from his fiancee, Kelly Schaser, an employee at OshKosh Outlet, that said employees were told to get in the back room while the store was on lockdown. Bateman said this was his fiancee's first day working at the store. Expressway traffic was stopped, and police diverted inbound traffic on Fairmount Avenue. Police asked drivers to use Routes 30 and 40 to get into the city. The incident came about four hours before the Atlantic City beach concert featuring Zac Brown Band, to which 20,000 tickets had been sold or given away, according to Live Nation. Staff Writers Christian Hetrick and John DeRosier contributed to this report. Economically-challenged Bridgeton will have one less economic helper next year. Thats when the citys Urban Enterprise Zone designation expires, an action aided by Gov. Chris Christies conditional veto Wednesday of legislation to extend the life of each of the states 32 UEZs by 10 years. Millville-Vineland UEZ officials are fighting to keep the zone intact - while preparing to failure VINELAND - Officials with the Millville-Vineland Urban Enterprise Zone said Thursday they we That includes the UEZs in Vineland and Millville in Cumberland County, Pleasantville in Atlantic County and the Wildwoods in Cape May County. In his veto message, Christie called the UEZs a failed 30-year experiment to help revitalize the states struggling urban centers. Among the amendments the governor wants in the bill is a requirement that the state Department of Community Affairs consider alternatives to the UEZ program. That program, as created, allowed the UEZs to charge half the state sales tax and use that money for economic development projects. Bridgeton was one of the states first five UEZs. Those zones were authorized in 1986. Bridgetons UEZ covers about 30 percent of the city, and officials there say its loss will be felt. Its something thats going to hurt urban communities who have utilized it as a tool for everything from clean teams to downtown improvements, said Kevin Rabago, Bridgetons economic development director. Whats going to happen is were not going to have the ability to have incentives for businesses. It also has created some unusual situations. On Jan. 1, officials say Bridgeton UEZ merchants will charge the full 7 percent state sales tax. Shoppers for a while can drive a few miles on Route 49 to Millville or on Route 56 to Vineland to buy goods at half the state sales tax rate. Cumberland County officials begin "last chance" effort to save Urban Enterprise Zone Officials with the Millville-Vineland Urban Enterprise Zone began what they're calling a "la But that wont be a long-term advantage for Millville or Vineland, where the UEZs are scheduled to expire on Sept. 30, 2019. Its very frustrating for us, because weve been fighting this issue for so long now to keep it going, said Greater Vineland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dawn Hunter. Vineland really did an excellent job of managing the money that was collected. No one can say it wasnt a success for Vineland, said Vineland Economic Development Director Sandra Forosisky. We built industrial parks. It has so many benefits for small businesses that we were able to help and do projects for. They create a lot of jobs. Still, Forosisky said the nature of the bill, which would have diverted significant funds from the states coffers to the UEZs, probably meant its approval was doomed. Christie in 2011 stopped sending state sales tax funds back to the UEZs and opposed legislative action to change that decision, officials said. That included one bipartisan legislative proposal that include better regulation of the UEZs, they said. I would have been more shocked if it hadnt been vetoed, Forosisky said. Christies action also left the bills primary sponsor, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Hunterdon, Mercer, angry. Its clear that (Christie) doesnt care about New Jersey, her people, or her problems, Gusciora said. This move is actively detrimental to thousands of businesses across the state. Ending the UEZ program is going to force hundreds of establishments to close or move, and will cost thousands their jobs and livelihood. The UEZ program was first authorized in 1983 as a 20-year program. The Legislature in 2001 authorized a 16-year-extension to the program. The UEZs took their first hit under the Christie administration in 2011, when the DCA and the state Economic Development Authority recommended much of the UEZ program be scrapped. A state Department of Treasury report released after Christie delivered his February 2011 budget address suggested completely dismantling the zones. Christie wound up applying the sales-tax revenue that would have normally been returned to the UEZs to the states general fund to help balance state budgets. In his veto message Wednesday, Christie noted the legislation to extend the life of the UEZs by 10 years would result in $2.3 billion in lost revenue over a decade. He also noted an Economic Development Authority report that contends the UEZ program is bureaucratically cumbersome and costly to operate, and has yielded inconsistent and uncertain quantifiable results in terms of business expansion and job creation in the states urban areas. I cannot support such an adverse fiscal impact to the state, particularly given the UEZ programs lack of demonstrable success, the governors veto reads. The Christie administration has suggested that some UEZs use that money to finance programs with questionable links to economic stimulation. But UEZ officials contend the UEZs that comply with the programs guidelines shouldnt be punished. If it came down to we dont think theres enough of a return on the investment. you would think, OK, maybe we sit down, we revamp the program, we have different metrics to measure it by, Rabago said. If the goal is to have a more efficient and greater return on investment, lets work that out. Contact: 609-226-9197 ATLANTIC CITY City officials are calling an off-duty Camden County police officer a hero for tackling and wrestling the gun away from the man suspected of this weeks fatal shooting of a store manager at Tanger Outlets The Walk. This is a real hero in our midst, resort Mayor Don Guardian said Friday. Bellmawr police Sgt. Christopher Cummings was shopping around noon Thursday with his wife in the White House-Black Market clothing store when Luis Maisonet, 55, of Somers Point, walked into the store and shot himself in the chest. Police said it happened just moments after Maisonet fatally shot Christopher Romero, 26, of Absecon, in Zumiez, a skatewear store across the street in the popular outdoor mall. Atlantic City Walk shooter from Somers Point, victim from Absecon ATLANTIC CITY A store manager at the Zumiez skatewear shop was shot and killed Thursday af Maisonet survived the self-inflicted gunshot wound. Cummings wrestled the gun from Maisonet to prevent him from shooting himself or anyone else, Bellmawr police said. Maisonet remained hospitalized Friday at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus. Authorities have not yet announced any charges. Guardian said Cummings had the foresight to secure the scene by locking the door of the store before he left to summon help. The suspect shot himself but did not kill himself. He was getting ready to stand up again and go for the weapon, Guardian said. Thats when Cummings subdued him and recovered the handgun, Guardian said. Cummings was in town Thursday for the Zac Brown Band beach concert, where Guardian tracked down the officer to express his gratitude. The first thing I did when I got to the concert was to find him and thank him for the lives he saved, Guardian said. I made sure his wife knew what a hero he was. Cummings has worked for the Bellmawr department since 1993. Bellmawr police commended the officers actions in a public statement: Sgt. Cummings has the uncanny ability to be in the immediate area of calls dispatched while he is working, and thankfully for everyones sake, that same ability put him at the right place at the right time. Press of Atlantic City photographer Kristian Gonyea captured the drama as Cummings, clad in shorts and sandals, left the store waving his police badge in one hand and the apparent murder weapon in the other. Atlantic City police ordered Cummings to the ground, and he complied. On Friday, shoppers gawked and peered into windows at The Walk a day after the killing an attempted suicide. The outdoor mall quickly returned to normal, with shoppers getting a headstart on Labor Day weekend sales. But it was clear employees and visitors were still on edge. On Friday, Zumiez remained closed to the public. Its glass doors and display windows were blacked-out so passers-by couldnt see inside. It was not clear when the store might reopen. At the closed White House-Black Market clothing shop, pieces of drywall were visible on the floor through the locked front doors. Some shoppers peered through the doors while others went about their shopping. The rest of the 100 stores in the district were open Friday morning, said Donna Danielson, general manager of Tanger Outlets The Walk. The shooting put all the stores on lockdown for an hour Thursday and detoured visitors heading into the city on the Atlantic City Expressway for the start of the Zac Brown Band concert and Labor Day weekend. Were deeply saddened by the tragic event that had occurred yesterday, but right now, the police are handing it and its an ongoing investigation, Danielson said. Atlantic City Tourism District Commander Tom Gilbert said the shooting, which police described as a domestic dispute, should not discourage people from enjoying a long weekend of events and activities in Atlantic City. My wife and son were at the outlets this morning, he said. Yesterday was an aberration. Incidents like this happen. Were going to pull our share of them. You get up and dust yourself off. Gilbert said the quick response by police demonstrated the resorts ability to handle a crisis. He said the city needs to rebound and return to normalcy as other cities have done after public tragedies. And for the most part, thats what people did Friday at the Walk. Cashier Latia Williams, of Atlantic City, rang up customers as she was doing Thursday when shots rang out and chaos erupted outside the Puma sneaker store where she has worked for the past year. She watched through the door Thursday as emergency crews carried Romero out of Zumiez on a stretcher and tried to help him breathe. Then she saw someone run across the street into White House-Black Market, she said. I was scared. It was scary, Williams said. I didnt know if there were more shooters. I didnt want anybody to get shot inside here. Jamel Guy, of Brigantine, a supervisor at Puma, was in the back of the store doing shipping when he heard gunshots. Seconds later, I heard screaming, I thought something was happening in here, he said. Once he learned of the apparent personal motive for the shooting, Guy said he was not worried about his safety in Atlantic City. Once I found out what happened, that happens all over the world, Guy said, The Puma store and others closed for about an hour before reopening for the rest of the day. I feel a little better, Williams said. Yesterday, it was a lot. I was going through a lot of emotions. Barbara Tadley, 53, of Margate, said she comes to the outlets about once every month and shes aware about some violence around the city. It concerns me, she said Friday morning as she began her shopping day. But it didnt keep us away. Tom Horan, 75, of Atlantic City, said that while he heard about the incident Thursday, it didn't concern him too much to get his morning coffee at the Starbucks around the corner. It wasnt gangs, its domestic, he said. And that can happen anywhere. Ruth Schecter, 81, of Atlantic City, said she thinks there needs to be more security because of events like this one. On all public areas in the city, Schecter said, there should be more visible patrols to prevent this type of incident from happening. Its pretty frightening, it could happen anywhere, she said. Its early yet, its going to be a big weekend. Contact: 609-272-7239 PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Hello, J.C. here taking the wheel for Dan Skeldon on the daily forecast and column. I just wish the waves werent going to be so big. Actually, my sea legs are quite strong, as I once worked as a mate on a commercial fishing boat, the Miss Barnegat Light. Regardless, we have a very interesting and educational atmospheric setup unfolding. Hermine made landfall Thursday night into Friday morning as a near-category 2 hurricane. Original landfall expectations were just a strong tropical storm. The system picked up a little more energy out of the Gulf of Mexico, which it threw into the atmosphere over the East Coast. That energy could be used against us by enhancing the dynamics above Hermines remnants once it departs the Outer Banks of North Carolina into the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Hermine could rival Jonas, other major storms Hurricane Hermine has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it churns across the southeast Hermine is missing its chance to pull away to the northeast with a departing upper-level trough (long area of high pressure in the shape of a U). Now, a high-pressure ridge will jump ahead of Hermines remnants to the systems 1-2 oclock. This, along with a small piece of energy left behind from the trough, could stall the system just off our coast and worse, possibly retrograde it westward toward New Jersey before finally pulling away. Given the holiday weekend, most are concerned about rain and wind, and that is respectable. However, the coastal flooding impacts from this system should be much worse. As far as rain and wind go, most on the mainland and interior New Jersey should see just run-of-mill nuisance rain and wind associated with your typical noreaster. The rain might not even make it past the Interstate 95 corridor. Interior winds might not even gust above 40mph. That is all possible but less probable. What is probable is a prolonged onshore flow to the north of the system and south of the high. This should push a lot of water against the coast and into the back bays and lagoons. The area from Cape May through just north of Atlantic City is looking to see the highest water levels of coastal flooding from this system. The system should first show its face with increased winds and higher tides Saturday. Conditions should then go downhill into and through Sunday before, hopefully, starting to improve Monday. Ill be with you until Tuesday, so we can trace the evolution together each day. In the meantime, you should start preparing for moderate-to-severe coastal flooding along the coast and possibly points north. Tropical Storm watch in effect for New Jersey coastline TRENTON, N.J. (AP) A Tropical Storm watch is in effect for the New Jersey coast with rough Everyone have a great Saturday, and please be safe. The titles of congressional legislation often take liberties with the facts (such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act, however, precisely names the ailment for which it is the remedy. The Justice Department has negotiated "bank settlement agreements" whereby banks make restitution to the government for the damage they allegedly did in connection with the creation and sale of residential mortgage-backed securities in the subprime mortgage crisis. Our subject here is not, however, whether the sums extracted from the banks (Citigroup $7 billion, Bank of America $16.65 billion, JPMorgan $13 billion) are proportionate to their alleged culpabilities. Rather, our subject is what Justice does with millions of these dollars. Justice allows banks to meet some of their settlement obligations by directing "donations" to various nongovernmental advocacy organizations that serve Democratic constituencies and objectives - organizations that were neither parties to the case nor victims of the banks' behaviors. These donations are from money owed to the government, money that otherwise would go to the U.S. Treasury, money the disposition of which is properly Congress' responsibility. So the donations are, in effect, appropriations of public money. The pesky Constitution, however, says: "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law." Progressives, who favor expansive notions of executive discretion, and hence the marginalization of Congress, regard the "donations" as just another anodyne manifestation of inherent presidential discretion in enforcing laws. At a May congressional hearing, three constitutional scholars - Georgetown University law professor Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, the Heritage Foundation's Paul Larkin, and Boyden Gray, White House counsel to George H.W. Bush - disagreed. Because everything government does costs money, the appropriation power, Rosenkranz testified, is Congress' "most potent check on executive overreach" - "the ultimate backstop" against "a willful president." If presidents could disburse money without an appropriation, "the careful constitutional separation of powers would be thrown into disequilibrium." The current president relies on disbursements that circumvent the Appropriations Clause: The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has held that his administration has, in supposedly enforcing the ACA, illegally disbursed billions of dollars to insurance companies without a congressional appropriation. Although it is, Larkin said, "a federal offense for a government officer to spend money in excess of the sum that Congress has appropriated," he noted that the donations represent executive lawlessness known at the state level: When Chris Christie headed the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, he "negotiated a nonprosecution agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb in which the company agreed, among other things, to make a $5 million gift to Seton Hall University's law school - Christie's alma mater - in order to avoid prosecution for securities fraud." "In the end," Gray testified, "every other constitutional power runs into the appropriations power." This is why presidents have "consistently endeavored to seize the appropriations power from Congress." The Constitution was just 20 years old when, in 1809, Congress felt the need to enact "legislation designed to prevent the president from repurposing appropriated funds from one object to another." Subsequent presidents have obligated funds in excess of appropriations, thereby forcing Congress to choose between appropriating the funds or impairing the country's credit. Congress often has been complicit in its own diminution, as when it empowered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to commandeer funding from the Federal Reserve System. Base motives of self-aggrandizement have impelled many presidents to disregard the separation of powers. Progressive presidents do this as a matter of principle, which is worse. George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com. LELAND, N.C. Paula Rae Juhl (McEldoon) of Leland, NC, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016, at the age of 73. Paula Rae Juhl was born on Dec. 4, 1942, in Mason City, Iowa. She was the youngest of two brothers and two sisters. She lived a wonderful life with her brothers and sisters as her parents Paul and Leona McEldoon raised them in Clear Lake, Iowa. During childhood Paula was known to be a fun, laughing, and active girl. Paula graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1961 and immediately went off to Mankato College in Minnesota, where she studied to become a teacher. Upon graduation, she landed her first teaching job in Garner, Iowa. As she started her life in Garner, she braved to go on a blind date and met the love of her life, Doug. Doug was a pilot in the Navy and impressed her by taking her for a plane ride on their first date. It must have worked because they packed their warm weather clothes and left the frigid winter of Iowa and married in Hawaii on Dec 28, 1968. Paula and Doug enjoyed their time in the Navy as they lived in many places including Honolulu, Hawaii; Corpus Christi, TX; Monterey, Alameda, Long Beach and San Diego, CA; Brunswick, ME; Salt Lake City, UT; Atsugi, Japan; and New York, NY. She enjoyed them all and kept the home fires burning while her husband was away for many extended periods. One of the notable places was in Corpus Christi, Texas, where the first of their two wonderful daughters was born in 1970 during a hurricane. Their next notable assignment in the Navy was to Monterey, California, where Coleen was born in 1972 attended by an Army Combat doctor. Paula adored her girls and put aside her career as a teacher and raised them while the Navy put them in many places she often spoke of with fond memories. She restarted her teaching career in the Department of Defense School system in Japan. After Paula and Doug finished their career in the Navy they settled in Maryland where Paula continued teaching; obtained a graduate degree to further advance her career. She became the Principal at Leonardtown Elementary and finished her career as a Supervisor of Schools in the St. Marys County system. While Paula was wrapping up her career, she became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of a granddaughter, EmaLee in 1997. Unfortunately tragedy struck in 2000 when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This is when Paulas strength and determination came through and she beat the odds and survived the battle with cancer. It was meant to be as she was able to enjoy four more grandchildren. She so adored them as she spent much of her time attending as many of the sporting and school events as she could. It was time to pick a retirement location and Leland, NC was it. Doug and Paula went to the warmer weather in 2008. Soon after, another unfortunate tragedy struck and her daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her focus was being a caretaker and the fight and determination she learned with her previous battle helped her daughter beat breast cancer. Nicole passed away in 2015 when cancer struck yet again. Paulas story was an inspiration; she and her family were asked to be on the Today Show in New York City in 2011. The entire family went back to New York City and reminisced of their previous time there, but more importantly Paula was able to tell her story that inspired to those who faced similar challenges. Paula faced many challenges in her life and always took them straight on. She had a strong will and gave thoughtful advice to those around her and was always right. Paula gave her all and was fortunate enough to enjoy life to the fullest. Despite her difficult times, she always emanated a positive outlook. She recently went on a tour of Europe and was able to enjoy the time with her husband Doug as they traveled and enjoyed time together. Paula is survived by her husband, Douglas Wray Juhl; one child, Coleen Rae Alexander, her husband Garry and their two children, EmaLee, 19, and Joseph, 16, of Poquoson, VA; and her other three grandchildren Mason, 16, Riley, 14, and Nathan, 10, Chaney of Dunkirk, MD. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers. A Memorial Service will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, at St. Pauls Evangelical Lutheran Church, 12 N. 6th St., Wilmington, N.C. Burial in the family plot at Memorial Park Cemetery, 11495 265th St., Mason City, IA, will be held at a later date. Condolences to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com. I know, it's tempting. But before we rush to gawk at sexting former congressman Anthony Weiner's latest catastrophic embarrassment, and congratulate ourselves on our superior marriages and social media savvy, we might want to examine our own consciences a little more carefully. Our smugness about Weiner proves how quick we are to toss out our objections to invasions of online privacy and pry into other people's marriages when we have the opportunity to polish our self-righteousness and satisfy our own vulgar curiosity. Weiner's most recent self-immolation happened just days after hackers launched their latest salvo against "Ghostbusters" actress Leslie Jones. After Breitbart's Milo Yiannopoulos and denizens of the nastier quarters of the Internet aimed a tidal wave of racist, sexist vitriol at Jones on Twitter - fueled by fake tweets that Yiannopoulos used to paint her as homophobic - hackers took over her personal website and posted intimate photos of her, as well as images of her driver's' license and passport. That attack was widely and justly condemned. But Weiner's latest exposure has mostly prompted self-satisfied cackling. I understand the reaction. Weiner was trading pictures with the woman who seemingly provided them to the New York Post, while the photos of Jones were stolen from her. The latest round of ab and crotch shots from Weiner reveals a new level of tastelessness to his behavior. In one of the selfies Wiener sent, his young son had wandered into the shot. If we're being honest with ourselves, though, the disparity between our response to these two releases doesn't have a solid basis in principle. The only reason for this latest disclosure about Weiner's extramarital communications to be treated as news instead of something akin to revenge porn is that, having already judged him to be incomprehensibly reckless, we crave further proof. Maybe seeing these pictures reassures us that Weiner wasn't unfairly hounded for one or two small mistakes in his marriage; three times seems to be, if not charming, confirmation that Weiner is a sexting addict. And maybe these pictures justify a serious inquiry into Weiner's judgment as a parent. But even if intimate material reaffirms our previous conclusions or exposes unpalatable behavior, that doesn't mean we should feel terrific about how that material reached us. We can feel smug about Weiner precisely because we're not examining our own behavior too closely. If we did, the shame of reveling in another person's violated privacy, or the hypocrisy of justifying one person's humiliation while condemning another's, might just force us to stop. And where's the fun, or self-righteousness, in that? While the New York Post isn't exactly known for restraint or good taste, even a more highbrow Weiner expos turns out to have a queasy-making side to it. "Weiner," the documentary about his attempted 2013 comeback to run for New York City mayor, is one of the best films of the year, a wrenching portrait of a marriage under tremendous pressure. And when the movie came out this spring, it raised a different sort of question about Weiner's judgment: Why on earth would he and his wife, Huma Abedin, agree to be filmed even as the campaign crashed on the revelation that Weiner was still sending explicit messages to women? It turns out they did so because, it appears, they believed that Abedin wouldn't appear in the movie. Weiner has said that Josh Kriegman, the movie's co-director and his former chief of staff, promised that he wouldn't use footage of Abedin without her consent. Kriegman and his collaborator, Elyse Steinberg, sensing correctly that they had a sensational movie on their hands, seem to have decided that the footage was too good not to use, no matter the ethical implications. The more I learned about the making of "Weiner," the more culpable I felt as a consumer and a critic. Kriegman and Steinberg were responding to a hunger that I and others shared. In the process, they - and we - put Abedin in a position to be doubly exposed, both by her husband and the people her husband trusted and asked her to allow into their lives. So when we look at Weiner, be it through the lens of a trashy New York Post expos or a glossy, ambitious documentary, we should be clear with ourselves about what we're seeing. Pushing our noses up against the glass to ogle him can be a way to avoid examining our own voyeurism too closely. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will try to continue to improve his standing among black voters on Friday with a visit to Philadelphia. Philly.com reports Trump have a private meeting with black voters at a North Broad Street catering hall operated by a nonprofit controlled by the Greater Exodus Baptist Church. The move comes on the heels of Trump's speech Wednesday unveiling his immigration and border security proposals and ahead of another visit to Detroit to court black voters. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Performance Livestock Analytics of Osage, run by Osage High School grads Dane Kuper and Dustin Balsley, received first place and was awarded $25,000 at a luncheon at Drake University in Des Moines. Performance Livestock Analytics has created a data-driven, real-time analytics system for precision livestock operations management. Through its Performance Beef product, a farm management platform for livestock producers, and through its Cattle Krush profit management application, the company helps the worlds livestock producers efficiently measure and manage activities and inventories as well as provides software analytics support for the entire livestock life cycle. VENTURA A Ventura man authorities say intentionally ran over and killed a Canada goose with his pickup last month has been fined. Frank Randy Rayhons, 60, pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of restrictions on taking game and abandonment of a dead or injured animal. Rayhons hit and killed a goose with his pickup about 4 p.m. Aug. 11 on Park Drive south of Marflow Street, according to court documents. He was fined $150 and ordered to pay the state another $50 in damages for the death of the goose. Iowa Conservation Officer Ben Bergman said it is not against the law to accidentally hit an animal with a vehicle on a roadway, but motorists who run down animals on purpose face prosecution. If you strike a rabbit or squirrel or even a bird with unintentional means that is what it is. Its unintentional, said Bergman, who is based in Clear Lake. Theres a difference between an intentional act and an unintentional act. A message left on Rayhons home voicemail was not immediately returned Thursday afternoon. Clear Lake police assisted with the investigation. LONDON, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Repsol, Shell Oil, Tasnee, Black & Veatch, ADMA-OPCO, Statoil and Maersk Oil Qatar are among the 100+ oil and gas leaders that are gathering at the 6th Annual Operational Excellence in Oil & Gas Summit taking place in London this 19-21 September. Asset Managers, Operations Executives and Heads of Operational Excellence from EMEA's largest oil and gas companies will be attending to discuss how drive risk, cost and complexity out of their operations to optimise the performance of their facilities, assets and workforce. The summit will provide the framework needed to successfully navigate today's increasingly complex and volatile market. Delegates will walk away with the tools they need to: Build a High Reliability Culture Improve cost discipline Maintain asset integrity in a low $/barrel environment Leverage your Operations Management System to Drive Higher Performance Strengthen your Core Operating Processes Leverage technology to drive out operations costs Deliver Capital and Maintenance Projects with Less Risk and Superior Return Leverage Data in Process-Oriented Systems to Fast Track Continuous Improvement Initiatives Leslie Allen, Portfolio Director for the Operational Excellence event series comments: "Given the current market conditions, the need for operational excellence has never been greater. The Operational Excellence in Oil and Gas EMEA Summit gives industry professionals the opportunity to learn from and benchmark against their peers, to really address and eliminate critical sources of value loss and inefficiency in their own operations. Those who make the commitment to cost excellence, reliability and operational efficiency will emerge leaner, more nimble and more competitive." For full details on the conference download the official agenda http://bit.ly/OpexEMEA_Brochure or visit the website http://bit.ly/OpexEMEAWebsite Tickets and full event program are available online at http://bit.ly/OpexEMEAWebsite SOURCE IQPC TOKYO, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ADEKA CORPORATION announced on August 31 that it will join K 2016 in Dusseldorf, Germany, this October. Photo - http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M102218/201609013855/_prw_OI1fl_x3JGTKvN.jpg Overview of K 2016: Official site: http://www.k-online.com/ Date : Oct. 19 (Wed) - 26 (Wed), 2016 Place : Congress Center Dusseldorf Stand : Hall 06 / A11 K is the biggest trade show in the plastics and rubber industries, held every 3 years. We ADEKA group will participate in the fair again, as our French affiliate "ADEKA Palmarole SAS." The ADEKA group has strength in specialty products such as nucleating and clarifying agents and high-heat-stability UV absorbers. Additionally, now we are increasing our supplying ability of products like antioxidants and BDP-type flame retardants. Besides, we are also developing one-pack products mainly for the European and Middle East markets. Through these strategies, we will supply you with the best solutions and best products to meet your demand. We are looking forward to seeing you at our stand. SOURCE ADEKA CORPORATION MOSCOW, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aeroflot Group ("the Group", Moscow Exchange ticker: AFLT) today publishes its condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 June 2016, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150115/724686 ) 1H 2016 Financial Highlights for Aeroflot Group: Revenue reached RUB 223,824 million , up 26.8% year-on-year; , up 26.8% year-on-year; EBITDAR nearly doubled year-on-year to RUB 58,397 million . The EBITDAR margin increased 7.3 percentage points (p.p.) to 26.1%; . The EBITDAR margin increased 7.3 percentage points (p.p.) to 26.1%; EBITDA more than doubled year-on-year to RUB 30,035 million . The EBITDA margin increased by 5.9 p.p. to 13.4%; . The EBITDA margin increased by 5.9 p.p. to 13.4%; Operating profit increased four-fold to RUB 23,250 million ; ; Net income totalled RUB 2,467 million . Shamil Kurmashov, PJSC Aeroflot Deputy CEO for Commerce and Finance, commented: "Aeroflot Group's robust revenue growth of 26.8% during the first half of 2016 was driven by continued strong operational performance. The number of passengers carried increased by 10.3% year-on-year, thanks to continued strong demand for domestic flights and the launch of new international routes. The passenger load factor increased by 2.9 p.p. year-on-year to 78.6%. "We maintained tight control of operating costs to offset the ongoing effects of exchange rate fluctuations. In the first half of 2016, total operating expenditures rose at a slower pace than revenue: passenger revenue per available seat-kilometre increased by 18.9%, while costs per available seat-kilometre rose 8.6%. Other contributing factors included measures to increase fuel efficiency, leading to a 1.4% reduction year-on-year in fuel consumption per available seat-kilometre, to 22.8 grams. Increased fuel efficiency and lower unit consumption, combined with a decrease in the average cost of fuel, enabled us to hold fuel costs, the single largest cost line, almost unchanged year-on-year despite a 4.6% increase in Group flight hours. "As a result, EBITDA more than doubled year-on-year, reaching RUB 30,035 million. The EBITDA margin improved by 5.9 p.p. to 13.4%. "Continued optimisation across Group companies as well as the revaluation of investments resulted in additional one-off costs, but nevertheless Aeroflot Group delivered net profit of RUB 2,467 million versus a net loss of RUB 3,541 million a year earlier. "Our focus is on maintaining our current trajectory, and we hope that the positive net income in the reporting period will boost the financial outcome for the full year, allowing us to resume dividend payments to PJSC Aeroflot shareholders." SOURCE Aeroflot Internationally Known and Respected Orthopaedic Traumatologist Joins CoNextions as it Prepares for its anticipated FDA Clearance and the Launch of its Revolutionary CoNextions TR Device in the United States SANDY, Utah, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CoNextions Medical (www.conextionsmed.com) has announced that Attila Poka, one of the most experienced and internationally known surgeons in Orthopaedic Trauma, has joined CoNextions Medical as CoNextions Medical's Chief Medical Officer beginning September 1st, 2016. Dr. Poka was previously Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio and Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma of Ohio University. Prior to moving to Columbus, Ohio in 1993, Dr. Poka held numerous appointments while at Shock Trauma Center/MIEMSS, in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Poka has a very strong background in educating health care providers both as faculty at universities and as a consultant to multiple international medical companies. Dr. Poka has given hundreds of educational presentations at medical conferences worldwide, hundreds of book chapters and peer reviewed journal articles, and is widely regarded as a legend in orthopaedic surgery and at Shock Trauma. In his role as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Poka will lead CoNextions Medical in its development and practice of clinical education and training for physicians and distributors, oversee clinical research collaboration and educational grants, work with physical therapists in recovery protocols, support sales and marketing programs, and help guide product development initiatives to further improve and expand CoNextions Medical's products. "We are honored to announce the hiring of Dr. Poka, who I know will bring his focus and passion for excellence in patient care to CoNextions Medical above all else. Dr. Poka is an intensely disciplined, yet caring physician who demands the best in quality and will ensure that the focus of CoNextions Medical will continuously remain on providing the best care and outcomes for patients," said Dan Gruppo, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. Richard J Linder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of CoNextions Medical, said, "Dr. Poka brings us the critical perspective of a tremendous health care provider and patient advocate." Mr. Linder further stated, "Dr. Poka's first-hand experience in caring for injured patients will be invaluable as we maintain our focus on the achievement of our mission to dramatically improve patient outcomes, reduce surgical complications, improve the quality of life for patients, and improve the health economics of tendon repair worldwide." Dr. Poka said, "I am honored to move into the next chapter of my career where I have the opportunity to participate in the development, marketing, and sales of a pioneer product which we hope will provide a better means to repair tendons and provide reliable and more consistent patient outcomes." About CoNextions Medical Founded in 2011, CoNextions Medical is a privately-held company located in Sandy, Utah. They are an innovation-based medical device company dedicated to achieving safer, stronger, and more durable tendon repairs worldwide marked by faster rehabilitation, fewer complications, and lower long-term costs. Related Links http://www.conextionsmed.com SOURCE CoNextions Medical GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cayman Finance CEO Mr Jude Scott has welcomed the positive news that the Cayman Islands had been included on Italy's "whitelist". Mr Scott said inclusion on the whitelist will, among other things, allow Cayman Islands funds to invest in Italian securities such as bonds and securitization instruments and receive interest payments gross of withholding tax. Additionally, Cayman funds may benefit from full exemption from Italian tax on profits attributable to them where they own more than 5 percent of an Italian Real Estate Investment Fund. While statistics show Managers in the United States manage approximately 74% of net assets from Cayman domiciled regulated funds, Europe remains an important player in the alternative investment industry. Mr Scott said this decision was a positive step forward for Cayman's financial services industry in Europe, particularly on the heels of the European Securities and Markets Authority's (ESMA) recent deferral of its recommendation on the Cayman Islands' application for the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) passport. "We are optimistic that the pending legislation for the Cayman Islands AIFMD regime will be in place late 2016/early 2017," Mr Scott said. "Once the remaining legislation is enacted, we see no impediments hindering Cayman's AIFMD passport application. The creation of this regime will offer wider opportunities for Cayman domiciled funds and managers in Europe." The Cayman Islands continue to make positive strides as a reputable international financial centre as it co-operatively develops legislation for the AIFMD compliant regime to market into Europe beyond the national private placement regimes. Mr Scott said Cayman's financial services industry is encouraged by Italy's recognition of the Cayman Islands for its good tax governance and inclusion of the jurisdiction on its whitelist. "The inclusion of the Cayman Islands on Italy's whitelist echoes to the global financial services industry its recognition of our robust framework to combat corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion but as importantly, Cayman's commitment to comply with international standards of transparency and exchange of information," Mr Scott said. "It is encouraging to be recognised by many European countries and more recently Italy, on tax information exchange. We look forward to building a stronger partnership with Italy and other EU countries in an effort to combat financial crimes." This development will enable Cayman funds, particularly credit and real estate funds, to provide much needed inward investment into Italy. The granting of the right to receive interest income gross of withholding tax is very positive for Cayman funds investing in Italian securities. Mr Scott said Cayman's funds industry could play an increasingly important role in providing liquidity and credit to Italian businesses, to help offset the challenges faced by Italian banks as a result of the recent global credit crises. "Cayman funds have played this role with other major economies," he said. "As a premier global financial hub and allocator of global capital and financing, Cayman provides a cost effective, neutral platform to allow international investment to be made into economies that need that investment, while at the same time giving pension funds and other international institutional investors an opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio of securities. "The Cayman Islands enables parties from around the world who are domiciled in countries that may have differing laws, regulations, tax structures and customs to benefit from doing business with each other using Cayman as an efficient and effective global financial hub. "This inward investment from Cayman will ultimately help stimulate economic activity, create much needed jobs and generate taxable revenue in Italy." Mr Scott said if Cayman is granted the AIFMD passport, Italian resident investors and pension funds would be able to invest in Cayman domiciled structures including many of the world's best alternative investment structures. "As Cayman funds continue to market into Europe, all stakeholders can take confidence that the Cayman Islands Government, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and the financial services industry remain committed to building a vibrant alternative investment funds industry that safeguards its investors but facilitates growth and good business," he said. The Cayman Islands signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with Italy on 3 December 2012 which came into force on 13 August 2015. To date, the Cayman Islands have signed 36 tax information exchange agreements, two inter-governmental agreements, namely with the United States and the United Kingdom and more recently a multilateral competent authority agreement to implement the OECD Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information - Common Reporting Standard to improve international tax compliance and the exchange of information. Contact: Lynne Byles, lynne@tower.com.ky, +1-345-623-6700 SOURCE Cayman Finance MANCHESTER, England, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EDM, a leading global provider of training simulators to the civil aviation and defence sectors, announced today that it is to appear in the BBC's Inside Out North West programme. Running since 2002, Inside Out is a popular regional television programme broadcast on BBC 1 that focuses on real-life stories and investigations from the local area. EDM features in a programme about how leading companies in the North West are planning for life post-Brexit. Inside Out reporter, Peter Marshall, and camera crew visited EDM at its Newton Heath headquarters last month to interview Managing Director, Tony Bermingham, about the company's future growth plans and export strategy outside of the European Union. Inside Out North West airs on Monday, 5th September at 7.30pm on BBC 1. For more information about Inside Out visit: www.bbc.co.uk/insideout For more information about EDM visit: www.edm.ltd.uk About EDM EDM is a leading global provider of training simulators to the civil aviation, defence, rail and other industries. Combining the highest engineering standards with leading-edge technologies, EDM provides airlines with Door Trainers, Cabin Service Trainers, Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainers and Full Size Mockups and defence organsiations with Procedure Trainers, Maintenance Trainers, Ejection Seats, Simulators and Full Size Replicas. Serving organisations worldwide from its UK headquarters, EDM is committed to delivering exceptional quality and value to its clients to help them enhance safety and operational efficiency. SOURCE EDM Limited DUBLIN, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Market Report on 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone 2016" report to their offering. The Global Market Report on 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone (CAS 71526-83-5) provides comprehensive data on 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone global and regional markets including Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, etc. The report captures 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone market trends and pays close attention to 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone The report is broken into three main parts including manufacturing methods & technology development, market landscape & trend analysis, and distribution policy. In the manufacturing methods & technology development section, the main manufacturing methods of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone are introduced. Key Topics Covered: Part 1: Introduction of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 1: Brief Introduction of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 2: Product Identification Chapter 3: Physical Properties Chapter 4: Quality Specifications Part 2: Manufacture Methods and Technology Development of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 1: Introduction of Main Manufacture Methods Chapter 2: Introduction of Patent Manufacture Methods Chapter 3: New Progress on the Manufacture Technology Part 3: Application of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 1: Application Review Chapter 2: End Products(Downstream Products) of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 3: New Applications of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Part 4: Production Situation of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 1: Current Production Situation Chapter 2: Manufacturers in China Chapter 3: Manufacturers Outside of China Chapter 4: Production Trend Analysis Part 5: Market Situation of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 1: Market Supply Status and Trend Forecast Chapter 2: Downstream Consumer Market Analysis Chapter 3: Supply and Demand Analysis and Forecast Chapter 4: Price Analysis Chapter 5: Import & Export Situation Part 6: Distribution Policy of 4-chloro-4'-ethylbutyrophenone Chapter 1: Market Size in Major Use Segments Chapter 2: Major End Users Chapter 3: Potential Users Part 7: Reference For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pcp6x9/global_market Related Topics: Chemicals 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 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets Catterfeld brings more than 15 years of experience managing international teams in the IT and technology sectors, most recently as CMO and Managing Director for the midmarket human capital management businesses in Europe at Sage. Prior to that, he served as CMO and shareholder for baurer, effectively repositioning the German-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendor for strategic growth. "I'm excited to be a part of the IBS team. With its deep vertical industry experience, reputation for outstanding customer service, and strong performance in cloud and managed services, IBS is uniquely positioned for both short- and long-term growth," said Catterfeld. "I look forward to developing portfolio and brand, with its best-in-class supply chain tools and expanding suite of solutions, across our global markets." Catterfeld will apply his experience in driving operational transformation and strategic product and portfolio growth to the corporate, product marketing, and product development efforts of IBS, especially regarding its IBS Enterprise solution. "We are pleased to add Christopher's strengths to our already strong senior management team," said Jayne Archbold, IBS CEO. "His proven leadership in strategy, marketing and corporate development will further position us to accomplish our mission, to be the preferred global source for business applications in wholesale, distribution and manufacturer/distributor markets." About IBS International Business Systems (IBS) is a leading global provider of integrated ERP, WMS and supply chain management solutions to the distribution, wholesale and 3PL sectors. For more than 35 years, we have helped customers such as Cramo, MECA, New Wave Group, Eltex of Sweden, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Skanlog, Volvo, Oriola, Ardo, Rexel, Galexis, Stockhabo, Smeding and many more streamline, automate and accelerate their distribution network processes, and drive profitability and efficiency. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140902/142074 Related Links http://www.ibs.net SOURCE International Business Systems PUNE, India, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global mobile biometrics market growth is forecast to be primarily driven by healthcare industry (EHRs, HIEs) and software segment along with support from growing demand for smart devices, government initiatives, and increasing penetration of e-commerce and mobile transactions. MarkeReportsHub.com adds Mobile Biometrics Market by Component (Fingerprint Readers, Scanners, Cameras, Software), Authentication Mode (Single factor (Fingerprint, Voice, Face, Iris, Vein, & Retina Scan) and Multifactor), Industry, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022 to its growing collection of research studies. Complete report on mobile biometrics market spreads across 142 pages supported with 61 tables, 60 figures and profiles of 19 companies is now available at http://www.marketreportshub.com/mobile-biometrics-industry-research-marketsandmarkets.html . The market for biometrics software, which is the major building block of mobile biometric devices, is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. Biometric device manufacturers are actively investing in software, and the introduction of cloud delivery model in the biometrics industry is further expected to drive the market at a high rate. The use of mobile apps and cloud delivery model by industries such as banking, healthcare, and travel & immigration are the key factors contributing to the growth of the overall mobile biometrics software market. The mobile biometrics market in APAC is expected to witness prominent growth. The APAC region promises high growth in mobile biometrics as many countries are actively using biometrics for national programs such as voter registration, national ID, and others. India and China are leading in this field as they are developing countries and the most populous nations. There is significant growth in the adoption of biometrics in the consumer electronics industry, driven by the increasing use of smartphones by the people. The high factors such as demand for consumer electronics, emerging economies, large population, and so on make APAC a lucrative market. The major mobile biometric market companies in the ecosystem profiled in this report include Apple Inc. (U.S.), Nuance Communications, Inc. (U.S.), Safran SA (France), M2SYS Technology (U.S.), 3M Cogent, Inc. (U.S.), Precise Biometric (Sweden), Crossmatch (U.S.), BIO-key (U.S.), Aware Inc. (U.S.), Applied Recognition, Inc. (Canada), EyeVerify, Inc. (U.S.) and Fulcrum Biometrics, LLC (U.S.). Order a copy of this research at http://www.marketreportshub.com/purchase?rpid=4191 . Major objectives of creating this mobile biometrics market research are aimed in helping to define, describe, and forecast the global mobile biometrics market on the basis of components, industries, authentication modes, and geography; To forecast the market size, in terms of value, for various segments with regard to four main regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW); To provide detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the market (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges); to analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying high-growth segments of the mobile biometrics market; To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their market share and core competencies, along with the detailed competitive landscape for the market leaders; To study the complete value chain and allied industry segments and perform a value chain analysis of the global mobile biometrics market; To analyze the competitive developments such as joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions, new product developments, and research & development (R&D) in the mobile biometrics market and to track the competitive intelligence from company profiles, key player strategies, and game-changing developments such as product launches and acquisitions. On a related noted, another report on 5G Technology Market and Its Impact on Communication and IoT says total number of mobile (cellular) subscriptions for 5G is expected to increase from 35.0 million by 2021 to 89.0 million by 2022. Though 5G would have high penetration across all sectors, the major verticals that would adopt 5G-based applications include automotive, energy & utilities, healthcare, industrial automation, intelligent buildings & infrastructures, public safety & surveillance, retail, consumer electronics, and home automation. The key players in the 5G technology market include Cisco (U.S.), Ericsson (Sweden), SK Telecom (South Korea), Korea Telecom (South Korea), Nokia Networks (Finland), Samsung (South Korea), Qualcomm (U.S.), Intel (U.S.), NEC Corporation (Japan), Huawei (China), Verizon (U.S.), AT&T (U.S.), T-Mobile USA, Inc., LG (South Korea), and China Mobile (China). Read more at http://www.marketreportshub.com/5g-technology-industry-research-marketsandmarkets.html . Explore more reports by MarketsandMarkets at http://www.marketreportshub.com/publisher/marketsandmarkets . About Us: Market Reports Hub is your one-stop online shop for syndicated industry research reports on 25+ categories and their sub-sectors. We bring to you to the latest in market research across multiple industries and geographies from leading research publishers across the globe. Contact: Ritesh Tiwari UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune - 411013 Maharashtra, India. Tel: +1-888-391-5441 sales@marketreportshub.com Connect with Us: G+ / Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/110654518968238222746/about Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarketReportHub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marketreportshub/679736978808693 RSS / Feeds:http://www.marketreportshub.com/rss.xml SOURCE Market Reports Hub IRVINE, California, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Resolve Systems, the most widely deployed enterprise security and IT incident response and automation platform announced it will be hosting the Service and Network Operators (SNO) International Telecom Forum, October 18-20, in London, England. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150420/199820LOGO The Service & Network Operators International Telecom Forum is the only worldwide event that brings together network operations experts from telecommunications providers. The peer-driven event includes NOC managers, directors and executives who contribute to the agenda with best-practices, personal learnings and innovations. Sessions will focus on Network & Service Management, Security, Measurements, and Standards. The forum will be hosted at The Crystal, an award-winning London events venue. The intimate event is complimentary for approved attendees who must request an invitation from the event website. "Network Operation teams are tasked with increasing service performance while driving down costs," said CEO of Resolve Systems, Martin Savitt. "Our customers have demonstrated again and again that implementing new models for incident resolution with process guidance and automation can drive substantial savings and dramatically impact the customer experience. We are excited to join international experts in London to discuss the transformation of the industry and share success stories." Peter Sutherland, Network Operations, Telstra and Chairman, International SNO states, "NOCs, no matter the size or sophistication, share the same challenge of providing outstanding customer experiences in the most productive way possible." Peter adds, "SNO is a forum for NOC leaders to achieve this vision through sharing their challenges and solutions." SNO is organized in partnership with the Telecommunications Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, who encourages the development of Network and Service Management activities worldwide. Over its long history, the International SNO Forum has been hosted in a variety of cities including Milan, Beijing, Melbourne, Geneva, and New York. About Resolve Systems Resolve Systems is the most widely deployed Enterprise Security & IT Incident Response Automation Platform. Since 2008, the Resolve Platform has empowered teams by providing actionable dashboards and process guidance for end-to-end and human-guided automations. Fortune 500 customers rely on Resolve's unique onboarding process created to deliver value at a scalable, rapid pace. By leveraging pre-built automation content, Resolve can be onboarded in as little as 30 days. Contact: Marin Sakhri marketing@resolvsystems.com +1-949-954-6592 Related Links http://www.resolvsystems.com SOURCE Resolve Systems LONDON, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A Third of People Admit Digital Devices are an Extension of Their Brain, Sparking Concerns About the Security of our Memories The digital revolution is having an impact on how people manage their memories, a new study by Kaspersky Lab has found. The study reveals two-thirds of European adults (63%) believe that using digital devices enables them to achieve more, because storing information digitally frees up their brain so they can concentrate on the important tasks instead. People are adapting to use digital devices as extensions of their memories, with enhanced features and functionality meaning the large majority of people (79%) are more reliant on digital devices today for accessing information, than they were five years ago. Kaspersky Lab surveyed 6,000 consumers, aged between 16 and 65, in six European countries. The findings show that as the reliance on digital devices increases, it is affecting the way people deal with information on a day-to-day basis. But concerns exist about potential security threats and the impact of over-dependence. 49% of younger respondents across Europe, compared to 35% of over 35s, worry about their reliance on devices. This feeling is well justified considering that over half (58%) use no antivirus software and only 29% backup precious information stored on their devices, putting those memories in jeopardy should they suddenly become inaccessible due to loss, theft or cyberthreat. The study follows earlier Kaspersky Lab research into Digital Amnesia and its impact in the work place . It reveals that a majority of respondents in Europe (63%) feel their digital devices provide them with the ability to easily access and store information. In fact people trust their devices so completely to remember information for them that they no longer feel the need to remember it themselves. Four-in-five people surveyed prefer not to use their brains to remember information. Instead, half (53%) use the notes function on their phone to record and store information that they need to remember. People also use digital devices for memory reinforcement by sending themselves emails and texts (30%) or adding information to an online calendar (32%). Digital devices act as filing systems, allowing people to choose when they deal with the information they receive. 43% scan information they receive on their digital device as soon as it comes in, then return to it later when they have time. Almost one in five (18%) don't delete any information they receive via their device, and a quarter (25%) only delete things when their device tells them to. "We've uncovered evidence of a new world of digital synergy, where our minds and devices work in partnership", said David Emm, Principal Security Researcher, Global Research and Analysis Team at Kaspersky Lab. "Rather than being seen as a step into the unknown or something potentially negative, this increased reliance on technology means that people can in fact learn, remember, think and create more effectively. By offloading responsibility for remembering certain information to their devices, people can free their brains to deal with more important tasks and cope better with the sheer volume of data and information pushed our way. "In this new way of operating, people tend to place increased trust in their devices to do things their brains don't always have the capacity to do - such as prompting them to book or go to an appointment, renew subscriptions, record to-do lists, remember family and friends' birthdays or calculate the fastest route from A to B. But consumers must realise that alongside the many advantages of using digital devices to remember information, digitised thoughts can be lost, stolen or even hijacked by malicious third parties. We urge users to ensure they put in place effective levels of security to safeguard this vital digital data on which they now depend, or risk losing it forever." Commenting on the research, Dr Paul Marsden, Research Psychologist at London College of Fashion, said: "In our digitalised lives we use our memory differently. We seem to be remembering less information, but remembering more about how to find information. Instead of remembering who did what and when - something that Google does more admirably than us - we remember how to query Google to find out who did what and when. In other words, the digitalisation of memory means we're becoming increasingly proficient in the valuable skill of navigating the ever-expanding info-sphere. Beyond this, the digitalisation of memory may have a decluttering effect on our minds, freeing us up to understand the 'how' and the 'why', instead of only the 'what'." Arlington Research surveyed 6,000 consumers, aged between 16 and 65, split equally between male and female, with 1,000 each from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. About Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky Lab is one of the world's fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and the largest that is privately owned. The company is ranked among the world's top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users (IDC, 2014). Since 1997 Kaspersky Lab has been an innovator in cybersecurity and provides effective digital security solutions and threat intelligence for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab is an international company, operating in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 400 million users worldwide. Learn more at http://www.kaspersky.co.uk. Editorial contact: Berkeley Kaspersky Lab UK Lauren White Stephanie Fergusson kasperskylab@berkeley.global Stephanie.Fergusson@kasperskylab.co.uk Telephone: 0118 909 0909 Telephone: 07714107292 SOURCE Kaspersky Lab PUNE, India, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Vetronics Market by Application (Defense and Homeland Security), Vehicle Type (Main Battle Tank, Light Protected Vehicle, Amphibious Armored Vehicle), Subsystem (Communication, Navigation, C3 Systems, Power Systems) - Global Forecasts to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to reach USD 3.51 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 4.30% during the forecast period. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 73 market data Tables and 41 Figures spread through 150 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Vetronics Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/vetronics-market-150885501.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on report. Network centric warfare, situational awareness, embedded technology systems commonality, and shift towards COTS enabled improved SwaP specifications are the key factors driving the vetronics market. Defense segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period The vetronics market has been segmented on the basis of applications into defense and homeland security. The defense segment is estimated to lead the overall vetronics market in terms of market size, and is expected to exhibit a similar trend during the forecast period, owing to increase in defense spending worldwide. In emerging countries, such as India and China, there has been an increase in procurement of technologically advanced military land vehicles, which is fueling the growth of vetronics in the APAC region. The C3 systems segment is anticipated to witness highest growth during the forecast period Based on subsystem, the vetronics market has been segmented into communication, navigation, observation & display systems, C3 systems, weapon control systems, sensor & control systems, vehicle protection systems, and power systems. The C3 systems segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR owing to increase in demand for technologically advanced as well as lightweight vetronics systems. The demand for C3 systems is highest in North America and Europe, owing to rise in demand for military land vehicles systems with next generation vetronics systems. Vetronics market in APAC estimated to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period The vetronics market in APAC is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021, owing to increase in demand for technologically advanced military land vehicles in emerging economies, such as India and China. Rise in defense spending of emerging countries is one of the major factors driving the vetronics market in this region. Inquiry Before Buying:- http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=150885501 Thales Group (U.S.) is one of the key players in the vetronics market. Other major players in this market include Raytheon Company (U.S.), Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.), SAAB Group (Sweden), General Dynamics Corporation (U.S.), Curtiss Wright Corporation (U.S.), Elbit Systems (Israel), Leonardo-Finmeccanica SPA (Italy), Harris Corporation (U.S.), Rheinmetall AG (Germany), BAE Systems (U.K.), among others. Browse Related Reports Armored Vehicles Market by Application (Defense, Commercial), Defense Products (MBT, LPV, AAV, MRAP, IFV, APC, Others), Commercial Products (SUV, Sedan, Limousine, Bus/Van, Others), Technology (Active, Passive), Type, & Region - Global Forecast to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/armored-vehicle-market-6322755.html Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) Market by Application (Defense, Commercial), Mode of Operation, Size, Mobility, Payload, and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Rest of the World) - Global Forecasts to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/unmanned-ground-vehicles-market-72041795.html Know More About our Knowledge Store @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. 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Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Tel: 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://mnmblog.org/market-research/aerospace-defence Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets TEL AVIV and SYDNEY, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- HexaTier, provider of the leading comprehensive security and compliance solution for databases and Database as a Service (DBaaS) platforms, announced today that WebSecure Technologies is an official reseller in Australia. HexaTier delivers database security, sensitive data discovery, dynamic data masking and database monitoring on the cloud and off. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325331LOGO ) "With WebSecure's proven ability in the integration of security solutions and HexaTier's specialization in database reverse proxy technology to secure databases and assure compliance, the synergy between us is compelling," said Stewart Sim, Owner, WebSecure Technologies. "WebSecure is very excited about the partnership and growth potential for both companies based on this unique offering." HexaTier's unified database security and compliance solution protects SME databases running on Amazon RDS and EC2, SQL Azure, Google Cloud, and Rackspace, as well as within the traditional network infrastructure. Utilizing a patented database reverse proxy, sensitive data in the database is automatically discovered and dynamically masked. HexaTier also blocks SQL injections in real time, monitors database activity performed by applications and DBAs, implements segregation of duties, and creates rule-based restrictions for accessing, copying and detecting data based on user, IP, address geography, date/time and more. "We see ourselves as the critical component in database security, regardless of where the data resides," said Dan Dinnar, CEO, HexaTier. "WebSecure's philosophy strongly aligns with our approach, as they seek out the best security technologies to provide the highest level of service to their SME customers." About WebSecure WebSecure Technologies identifies high caliber security solutions to complex problems and works collaboratively with its clients to plan, implement and support the leading technologies, such as HexaTier. Its proprietary framework - the Four Sides - scales to ensure that its solutions fit any organization's size or industry. It is based in Sydney. About HexaTier HexaTier sets the industry standard for database security and compliance in the cloud with its unified solution that provides database security, dynamic data masking (DDM), database activity monitoring (DAM) and discovery of sensitive data. HexaTier is the first and only company to provide security for cloud-hosted databases and DBaaS platforms through a streamlined and simple solution. Utilizing purpose-built, patented Database Reverse Proxy technology, the company protects against both internal and external security threats. HexaTier was founded in 2009 and headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in Boston, MA and Irvine, CA. Media Contact Amy Kenigsberg K2 Global Communications amy@k2-gc.com +1-913-440-4072 (+7 ET) +972-9-794-1681 (+2 GMT) SOURCE HexaTier TOKYO, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ADEKA CORPORATION announced on August 31 that it will join the IRC Rubber & Elastomer Technical Exhibition at Kitakyushu city, southwestern Japan, in October. IRC Rubber & Elastomer Technical Exhibition Official Site: http://www.irc2016.com/exhibition.html Date: Oct. 25 (Tue) - 28 (Fri), 2016 Place: West Japan General Exhibition Center Annex Kitakyushu city, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Access: http://www.convention-a.jp/en/ Stand: No. 34 Seminar: Oct. 27 (Thu), 15:00-15:30 S1 site Title: "Advanced hindered amine light stabilizer for polyolefin elastomer" We will show our latest knowledge of HALS for elastomer application. Product: -- Plasticizers for rubber -- Light stabilizers and UVA for elastomer -- Intumescent flame retardants The IRC (International Rubber Conference) is one of the most important academic conferences in the rubber and elastomer industries. This year, the IRC and the exhibition are held in Japan for the first time in 11 years. We will showcase our technical knowledge and product information for rubber and elastomer applications in our booth and technical seminar. -- Plasticizer for rubber "ADK CIZER" series Meet various needs from heat/cold resistance to anti-migration, etc. -- Light stabilizers and UVA "ADK STAB" series Offer suitable formulation for your application -- Intumescent flame retardants "ADK STAB FP" series Low-smoke, low-CO, halogen-free flame retardants which do not harm the property of elastomers We are looking forward to meeting you at the venue. SOURCE ADEKA CORPORATION NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC is calling on the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to "conduct a thorough investigation" of UCLA's conduct regarding Milan Chatterjee, a law student and former president of the school's Graduate Student Association. UCLA actions constitute "a blatant violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)," AJC General Counsel Marc D. Stern wrote in a letter to the director of the DOE Family Policy Compliance Office. The DOE enforces FERPA which, among other things, prohibits schools receiving federal funds from releasing students' educational, including disciplinary, records. The controversy stems from a complaint against Chatterjee by certain groups over his handling of a student event. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) sought his removal as GSA President after he allegedly told a campus group that funding for a diversity event was contingent on a "zero engagement/endorsement policy toward Divest from Israel" or any related BDS movement organization. The university, responding to further complaints by certain student groups, carried out an internal examination and produced a report on the matter. Inexplicably, that report, clearly marked "confidential," was shared with the complaining organizations, notwithstanding the fact that the report constituted an educational record protected by FERPA. It soon became public, in the campus newspaper, and a senior university official blogged about it on the UCLA website. Although Chatterjee's name was blocked out in the released report he was identifiable by his title. "The identity of the student is now known by reason of the University's actions," Stern wrote. AJC, an advocacy organization with offices across the U.S., including Los Angeles, regularly advises college students about their rights in combating anti-Israel activity. Chatterjee received regular counsel from the AJC Los Angeles Regional Office, and he was honored at the AJC Global Forum in June with the organization's Campus Courage Award. As Stern pointed out in the letter to the DOE, AJC "cannot do its work if those students worry that their reputation will be harmed by deliberate violations of FERPA by college officials, especially officials who may not be in sympathy with their political positions." In light of UCLA's handling of this incident and its failure to observe Chatterjee's FERPA rights, he concluded that his continued presence on the UCLA campus would have been untenable. He is completing his law studies elsewhere. "Much of that poisoned atmosphere is due to the University's violation of FERPA," concluded Stern. He called on the Department of Education to "conduct a thorough investigation of the University's actions, and take appropriate remedial actions." SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org Alliance experienced a whopping 2,073% increase in revenue over a three-year period, reporting $28.1 million in revenue in 2015, which helped the company earn its Inc. ranking. Revenue for the first half of 2016 is already up by 110% over the same period last year, and is expected to exceed $60 million for the year, CEO Justin Magnuson said. "In 2016, we have been much more strategic about launching into new markets. Our business development team has allowed us to move at a much faster pace. We also remain optimistic about growth opportunities in the future, as we expand our sleep and neurodiagnostic platform across the continental United States," he said. Alliance is recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in healthcare, and the largest provider of neurological and sleep diagnostic services in the country. The company will also continue "to invest heavily in cloud-based technologies that will revolutionize the delivery of neurodiagnostic services, not only in the home, but will also make these services more accessible around the world," Magnuson added. About Alliance Family of Companies Alliance Neurodiagnostics is the largest provider of in-home video monitored EEG in the country. We offer diagnostic testing with an emphasis on innovating the delivery of healthcare services that enables doctors to create treatment plans and improve our patients' quality of life. We work with more than 500 physicians to serve patients in 35 states, providing comprehensive reporting for routine and ambulatory EEG services and monitoring patients and exam quality, 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Our services are supported by a cloud-based platform that allows physicians and neurologists to access and review patient data from anywhere in the world. We also operate sleep diagnostic testing facilities nationwide to assist in identifying and treating suspected sleep disorders. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160901/403729 SOURCE Alliance Family of Companies DUBLIN, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax, a global information solutions company with headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., today announced the official opening of its second location in Ireland. Officials from Georgia and Ireland, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, attended opening ceremonies for the new IT Centre. The new office, located in what is referred to as "Dublin's Silicon Docks," will serve as a key international location for Equifax's IT Research and Development efforts. The IT Centre, located in the Bloodstone Building on Sir John Rogerson's Quay, has made great progress in filling the initial 100 available positions and is continuing to hire for open opportunities. Given the deep pool of talent in the marketplace, Equifax is looking at continued expansion and expects additional personnel to be added in coming months. The global information technology needs of Equifax spans 24 countries across four continents, and the new Centre will support these offices around the world. According to IT Centre Leader Paul O'Dwyer, the Dublin office will focus on how the company's consumer and business data can be used to develop new products. Speaking at the Centre opening, Dave Webb, CIO of Equifax, said: "Equifax has been in this market for more than 20 years, since we added our Wexford office in 1994. This experience has taught us that the talent of the workforce in Ireland runs deep. Given this, and the support we have received from IDA Ireland, Dublin became a natural choice and will continue to present additional opportunities in terms of growth and development." Guests at today's opening included Equifax leadership, employees and Irish and Georgia dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Atlanta Kasim Reed, the President of Georgia Institute of Technology G.P. "Bud" Peterson, and IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan. Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr said "Research and development is a fast growing economic sector here in Dublin and I'm delighted to be welcoming Equifax to our captial city. 'Dublin's Silicon Dock' Grand Canal Dock has excellent business facilities, is within walking distance from the city centre and is a great place to do business." Speaking at the event Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor stated, "I am delighted that Equifax is continuing to invest in Ireland with the opening of their new state of the art IT Centre. It is a testament to Dublin being at the forefront of Innovation with a talented workforce that Equifax have decided to expand here. I am confident through ensuring Ireland has the right policies for job creation, FinTech companies such as Equifax will thrive by continuing to grow and develop over the many years ahead and I wish the team the very best for the future". "IDA Ireland has been working with Equifax over the last year on the opening of this new facility in Ireland and is thrilled to see it come to full fruition. We believe that the Equifax Dublin IT centre is a true endorsement of Ireland's research and development credentials," said Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland. "For half a century, Equifax has been a cornerstone of the FinTech sector in metro Atlanta. As Equifax has grown and thrived, Atlanta has emerged as one of the world's leading hubs for FinTech companies," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "I am pleased to join Equifax today as we celebrate the company's growing presence in Ireland, and as a champion of innovation, I am excited about the opportunities to strengthen our city's economic and cultural ties with Dublin." Equifax, considered one of Atlanta's original FinTech companies, was founded in Atlanta in 1889. Over the last 10 years, the company has focused on utilizing the data it has on hand to support the sustainability of the financial marketplace, as well as the needs of creditworthy consumers. Consumer credit data is the most accurate way to assess a consumer's financial health and a useful tool in assessing current economic performance. Equifax is working to revolutionize consumer credit information to enhance its offerings in support of consumers and economies around the world. About Equifax Equifax powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyzes data on more than 820 million consumers and more than 91 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide. Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes' World's 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060224/CLF037LOGO SOURCE Equifax Inc. Related Links http://www.equifax.com MIAMI, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 14, 2016, Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 (U.S.) per share. The dividend is payable on September 16, 2016, to shareholders of record on August 26, 2016. Holders of Carnival Corporation common stock or Carnival plc ADSs will receive a dividend payable in U.S. dollars. The dividend for Carnival plc ordinary shares will be payable in sterling unless shareholders elected to receive the dividend in U.S. dollars by August 26, 2016. 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 (US$1 = 75.49449 pence). Accordingly, the dividend payable in sterling on August 26, 2016, will be 26.42307 pence per share. 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 in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&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 Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and 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 www.carnival.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com, and www.fathom.org. SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc Related Links http://www.carnival.com DOVER, N.J., Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This September, Casio America, Inc. is excited to highlight Danny Bedrosian as part of its Artist Program. Bedrosian recently completed his concert tour in Europe with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and visited festivals and clubs in Serbia, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Ireland. Bedrosian will release his newest album this month, titled "My Oldest Friend," under the Bozfonk Moosick label, which will include some of his favorite works to date. The album will also feature artists Michael "Clip" Payne, Lige Curry, Garrett Shider, Ani Bedrosian, Sean Gorman, David Cobb and Adam Trull. "We are so proud to have Danny within the Casio Artist family," said Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio's Electronic Musical Instruments Division. "Accomplished musicians of Danny's caliber need high-performance tools to sound their best, and we're pleased that Danny prefers to use Casio's latest instruments during his creative process." Danny Bedrosian has been a talented keyboardist since a young age, with his first of many classical concert recitals taking place at the age of five. He released his debut solo album in September of 2005, and he is currently CEO, Producer & Engineer of his production and publishing company Bozfonk. Albums by Som'n Fierce, MoonChild, Secret Army, and Teresa Jimenez have come out through Bedrosian's work with Bozfonk Moosick production and publishing label, in conjunction with Wefunk South. Aside from producing music, Bedrosian is the current keyboard player for Tallahassee ska and metal act Chilled Monkey Brains. Bedrosian's latest venture led to international releases (Dutch, British, Australian, Italian and American) on vinyl for the first time this year, and he was featured on albums by Gotcha, Space Bugs, Ishan Cooper and Less-on. Over the years, Casio has been committed to providing generations of aspiring musicians with quality electronic musical instruments. Bedrosian, a veteran of Casio's Artist Program, is part of a multitude of artists on the current roster including Larry Dunn, Steve Weingart, Victoria Hermann, Tom Brislin, and more. For additional information about Casio's Artist Program or portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com. About Casio America, Inc. Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions. Established in 1957, Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, digital cameras, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to fulfill its corporate creed of "creativity and contribution" through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit www.casiousa.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336539LOGO SOURCE Casio America, Inc. Related Links http://www.casiousa.com During this time of the year, the park's Ballena Bay known for its whale-tail-shaped isthmus becomes a sanctuary for humpback, pilot, bryde and false killer whales since its warm waters are believed to be beneficial to the generation of strong and healthy offspring. This natural phenomenon provides visitors an once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the whales up close as well as the park's resident bottle nose, spinner and spotted dolphins and turtle species. In celebration of these awe-inspiring marine animals, the Costa Rica Tourism Board in partnership with the Association of Tourism Operators at Marino Ballena National Park, have named September Costa Rica Whales Month. In addition to whale and dolphin watching, visitors this time of year can take advantage of special rates at a wide range of area hotels and enjoy an array of activities including hiking, running, biking, beach volleyball, traditional food and guided tours offered by the businesses from the community. Park officials are also always on hand to inform travelers on wildlife conservation and the species that call Marino Ballena National Park home. For more information on the event, please visit, www.festivaldeballenasydelfines.com or for more information on Costa Rica, visit www.visitcostarica.com. About Costa Rica Costa Rica is located in Central America between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south; it is bordered on the east by the Caribbean Sea and the west by the Pacific Ocean. With an abundance of unique wildlife, landscapes and climates this small country proudly shelters approximately five percent of the known biodiversity in the world. In order to protect and preserve its wealth of natural resources, Costa Rica has become a global leader in sustainable practices with protected areas comprising 26 percent of its land mass. With a peaceful spirit, emphasis on education and an economy based on tourism, technology and exportation, Costa Rica offers one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Visitors to Costa Rica enjoy a highly organized tourism infrastructure among a tropical paradise of lush rainforests, mystical volcanoes and cloud forests and beaches that meet mountains filled with monkeys and macaws. Offering a broad terrain of activities and accommodations, visitors to Costa Rica will find a range of hotel options ranging from small beachside bed & breakfasts to authentic intimate boutique mountain lodges to major international business hotel brands and everything in between. Costa Rica's accommodations offer something appealing for everyone's desires. The phrase "Pura Vida" can be heard echoing throughout Costa Rica from coast to coast. Used as a greeting or expression of happiness, the phrase literally translates to "pure life," however its true meaning is "full of life," which accurately describes the adventure and wonder that await visitors. About Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) Established in 1955, the Costa Rica Tourism Board spearheads the vital task of regulating and promoting Costa Rica's extensive of tourism offerings. The ICT and its partners in the private sector work tirelessly to garner recognition, standardize practices, provide insightful research data and foster cultural development for the country's coast to coast one-of-a-kind tourism products and resources. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160902/403877 SOURCE Costa Rica Tourism Board Related Links http://www.visitcostarica.com SINGAPORE, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- China Yuchai International Limited (NYSE: CYD) ("China Yuchai" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer and distributor of engines for on- and off-road applications in China through its main operating subsidiary, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company Limited ("GYMCL"), announced today that it had, from January to July 2016, supplied over 700 engines to the bus market in Thailand. The orders were from Shanghai Shenlong Bus Co., Ltd. ("Sunlong Bus") for export to Thailand. Further to this, another order was received from Sunlong Bus for the supply of a further 264 engines comprising GYMCL's YC6L330 and YC6G240 engines, to be installed in Sunlong Bus' 10-metre and 12-meter buses. The YC6L330 engine is a turbocharged 6-cylinder diesel engine with an 8.4 liter displacement using FEV technology which target buses in the 11 to 13.7 meter buses. The model YC6G240 is a turbocharged 6-cylinder diesel engine with a displacement of 7.8 liters and FEV technology targeting 10-12 meter buses. Mr. Weng Ming Hoh, President of China Yuchai, commented, "Our excellence in emission control continues to set us apart from our peers. These orders confirm that our continuing leadership in the bus segment has been recognized by both the Chinese domestic and international markets. We continue to develop engines that meet the growing needs from our OEM bus customers." About China Yuchai International China Yuchai International Limited, through its subsidiary, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company Limited ("GYMCL"), engages in the manufacture, assembly, and sale of a wide variety of light-, medium- and heavy-duty engines for trucks, buses, passenger vehicles, construction equipment, marine and agriculture applications in China. GYMCL also produces diesel power generators. The engines produced by GYMCL range from diesel to natural gas and hybrid engines. Through its regional sales offices and authorized customer service centers, the Company distributes its engines directly to auto OEMs and retailers and provides maintenance and retrofitting services throughout China. Founded in 1951, GYMCL has established a reputable brand name, strong research and development team and significant market share in China with high-quality products and reliable after-sales support. In 2015, GYMCL sold 364,567 engines and is recognized as a leading manufacturer and distributor of engines in China. For more information, please visit http://www.cyilimited.com. For more information, please contact: Investor Relations Dixon Chen Tel: +646-726-6511 Email: [email protected] SOURCE China Yuchai International Limited Related Links http://www.cyilimited.com WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As the new school year begins, another class of graduates from DC's renowned College Bound program is entering college, thanks to the mentoring and guidance of local volunteer professionals. College Bound, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., celebrates its 25th anniversary this fall. The program prepares under-served high school students for college without the use of public funds. As part of its 25th anniversary, College Bound is launching a pledge drive for much-needed tax-deductible contributions to help provide college scholarships, books and training materials for hundreds of students now in the program. "We are serving a record number of students this year and they need our support," said former D.C. school teacher Kenneth Ward, the Executive Director of College Bound. "No other charitable organization does the amount of work we do and achieves the kind of results we do for students, their parents and the entire community." Regarded as one of the DC area's most effective charitable organizations, College Bound boasts a 100% high-school graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate. Each year, the program serves more than 170 students who commit to meeting weekly with volunteer mentors for study and guidance that continues through their enrollment in college. Four years ago, Ward secured a grant of $100,000 from Many Hands to establish a Virtual Mentoring Program that supports College Bound Alumni through college degree completion. "College Bound has challenged me to grow into an adult," said Monet, a participant in the program and a freshman at Savannah State University. "Even though they have my back, they push me to be independent and capable of advocating for myself. They have helped me to identify and develop my leadership skills." Ward notes that while College Bound provides direction and a meaningful future for students, the DC-area community also benefits greatly from the program. "Our mentored students are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, have better relationships with adults, and are less likely to start using illegal drugs or committing crimes," Ward said. "When you look at the facts, mentoring programs are now essential not only for our educational system, but for our urban community as well." To learn more about College Bound, or to volunteer as a mentor and/or contribute to the program, please visit www.collegebound.org SOURCE College Bound Related Links http://collegebound.org CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DRIVIN, a premier service for automotive dealers that utilizes data to help sell, source, acquire and deliver quality used vehicles for its dealer partners, is changing dealers' used car sourcing strategies by offering DealerSelect, an exclusive program that offers custom vehicle recommendations for dealerships based on customer purchase behavior, dealer demographics and local market demand. The first-of-its-kind program gives dealer partners access to previously untapped inventory before it goes to auction, and provides individualized recommendations optimized for their dealership speeding lot turns and increasing profitability. The program utilizes DRIVIN's proprietary algorithm to weigh more than 980 variables and delivers customized, real-time recommendations on ready-to-sell vehicles based on unique quality standards to participating dealer partners. The program is delivered via email twice weekly, and dealers are supported by DRIVIN's core service of acquisition, completed paperwork and transport once a dealer is ready to move forward with purchase. "DRIVIN is committed to providing real-time solutions that empower dealers to design their optimal lots by identifying the types of inventory that will generate the most demand amongst their customers," said Shannon Swierczek, VP, Marketing at DRIVIN. "We are confident our dealer partners are seeing positive results within their dealerships by stocking DRIVIN recommended vehicles for their lot based on specific data from their lot and local market. We continue to focus on providing valuable solutions that move the automotive business forward for dealers, allowing them to spend more time on the sales floor, less time sourcing inventory and realize increased profits in their used vehicle operations." DRIVIN plans to take this mission a step further this fall with the launch of DRIVIN Marketplace, which will include the ability for dealers to remarket unwanted inventory to DRIVIN's nationwide network of more than 25,000 dealers. The combination of both acquisition and sales functionality offers dealers the industry's first intelligent marketplace. Currently, more than 2,500 dealer partners are signed up to receive DRIVIN recommended vehicles via DealerSelect. This is a 100% increase in registrations month over month, with a significant increase in vehicles purchased via the program. For more information on DRIVIN and to sign up for DealerSelect, please visit the recently updated website at http://www.drivindealer.com. About DRIVIN DRIVIN is redefining the used vehicle industry by bringing data and technology together in a first-of-its-kind, high-touch fashion to help automotive dealers sell and acquire the right used cars, at the right price, right now. Combining highly personalized service with cutting edge technology and local market analytics, DRIVIN casts a nationwide net to find and vet quality, whole-sale priced vehicles, and connect them with dealers all across the country. Launched in 2015, DRIVIN is powered by CarCo Technologies. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150810/257183LOGO SOURCE DRIVIN Related Links http://www.drivindealer.com PUNE, India, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Electrical Insulation Materials Market by Type (Thermoplastics, Epoxy Resin, Ceramic), Application (Power Systems, Electronics Systems, Cables & Transmission Lines, Domestic Portable Appliances), and Region - Global Forecasts to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, The global market is projected to reach USD 9.58 Billion by 2021, registering a CAGR of 5.82% from 2016. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 58 market data Tables and 41 Figures spread through 152 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Electrical Insulation Materials Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/electrical-insulation-material-market-3599030.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. Upgradation and modernization of transmission & distribution network have led to the development of new insulating materials. The high global demand for electricity further drives the electrical insulation materials market. Thermoplastics and ceramics are the major types in the electrical insulation materials market The demand for thermoplastics and ceramics is rising due to the increasing energy demand from growing economies such as India and China. It is likely to lead to higher investments in T&D capital expenditure. The growth is also due to increasing use of electrical appliances in the region along with the need to explore cost-effective and high-performance insulating materials. Power system application represents the bulk of the demand for electrical insulating materials The use of electrical insulation in power systems helps to avoid transmission failure, thereby ensuring safety of the appliances. Electrical insulation also helps to avoid damage to the power system and makes it easy to repair and replace the disturbance of power supply in the appliances. These factors have led to the growth of insulating materials in the power system application. Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=3599030 Asia-Pacific is estimated to account for the highest CAGR during the forecast period Asia-Pacific is the largest market for Electrical Insulation Materials Market, followed by North America and Europe. China, the U.S., Japan, and Korea are the largest consumers of electrical insulating materials. Factors, such as augmentation & modernization of transmission & distribution network, increased global demand for electricity, upgrading of ageing technology, and growth of renewable energy have all led to the increasing demand of electrical insulating materials in the Asia-Pacific region. Key players in the Electrical Insulation Materials Market The key players in the global market include DuPont (U.S.), Elantas Electrical Insulation (Germany), ITW Formex (U.S.), Krempel GmbH (Germany), 3M (U.S.), Haysite Reinforced Plastics (U.S.), Vitar Insulation Manufacturer (Hong Kong), Nitto Denko Corporation (Japan), Tesa Se (Germany), and Teijin DuPont Films Japan Limited (Japan). Browse Related Reports: OEM Insulation Market by Material Type (Foamed Plastics and Mineral Wool), End-use Industry (Industrial, Consumer, and Transportation), and Region - Global Forecasts to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/oem-insulation-market-161776724.html Acoustic Insulation Market by Type (Stone Wool, Glass Wool, and Foamed Plastics), End-Use Industry (Building & Construction, Transportation, and Industrial), and by Region - Global Forecast to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/acoustic-insulation-market-41399747.html Know More About our Knowledge Store @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Tel: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets FARMINGDALE, N.Y., Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- John Samuel Jebaraj David of Skokie, Illinois, has attained recognition in Strathmore's Who's Who for his achievements and accomplishments in the field of Consulting/Business Services as a Professional of the Year 2016 and is slated for the same in 2017. To acknowledge his accomplishments, Strathmore's Who's Who will honor him with a special Times Square, New York City appearance on Friday, September 2, 2016. John Samuel Jebaraj David has 13 years experience in the consumer products field. He is an Independent Agent for Amway which sells and distributes consumer products nationally. He serves as an Accountant and Independent Sales Representative responsible for recruiting, training, troubleshooting and reconciliations. He is also responsible for sales, distribution and software consulting. Mr. David was born on January 31, 1975 in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. He earned his B.A. in Mathematics from Trinity International University in 1998 and received an Advanced Computer Science Certificate from Wilbur Wright College in 2002. His selection as Professional of the Years 2016/2017 is indicative of his professionalism and business ethics. In his leisure time, Mr. David enjoys decoding and deciphering the Bible. The Times Square honor is of particular significance because of the high visibility it offers. This visual celebration of John Samuel Jebaraj David's career will appear at regular intervals on two monitors attached to the landmark skyscraper at 3 Times Square, #1, New York, NY 10036. This structure is situated in what could be considered the busiest area of Manhattan. Strathmore's Who's Who is pleased to honor him. SOURCE Strathmore's Who's Who NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Ford Foundation today announced the appointment of Atila Roque as head of its Brazil office, which is based in Rio de Janeiro. A prominent civil society leader, Roque will succeed Nilcea Freire, who left the foundation in May 2016. Roque currently serves as executive director of Amnesty International Brazil. As head of that organization, he led the implementation of a comprehensive national human rights strategydoing so in a period when the whole organization was going through a major process of restructuring and strengthening its presence in the world, particularly in developing countries. Roque has become one of civil society's leading advocates in Brazil's national conversation about rights, inequality, and social development. Previously, Roque served as executive director of the Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESC), which conducts policy analysis and advocacy on public budget and human rights, and conducts research on inequality, gender discrimination, and racial justice. He served as executive director of ActionAid International USA in Washington D.C. and worked for 17 years in different roles at IBASE, one of the most important NGOs in Brazil. He also served as director of the Brazilian Association of NGOs and as coordinator of the Brazilian chapter of the Social Watch Network. For three years, Roque was a visiting researcher at the Pacific-Asia Research Center in Tokyo, Japan where he studied the environmental and social impact of Japanese infrastructure investment in Brazil. He also served as a guest professor at the Rio Branco Institute-Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, teaching a course on foreign policy and civil society. "Atila is a strong voice and advocate for justice and equality, and we are fortunate to have him join the foundation to lead our work in Brazil," said Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. "He has immense experience building strong relationships with a range of partners to achieve impact and improve lives, and will bring particular strength to our efforts to advance racial justice in the country." The foundation's work in Brazil aims to address inequality in all its forms, including economic, political, and social inequalities. With decades of experience in civil society in both Brazil and abroad, Roque carries legitimacy and authority to lead the Ford Foundation in Brazil. "I am honored to be trusted with this position at such a pivotal moment for Brazil," Roque said. "I strongly believe that the Ford Foundation has an important role to play in the struggle for social justice and equality. I am committed to working together with others to explore innovative and sustainable grant making strategies that reinforce a culture of rights throughout our society." Roque earned his bachelor's degree in history from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and his master's in political science at Instituto Universitario de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro (IUPERJ). He serves on the board of directors for International Budget Partnership, Just Associates, and Greenpeace Brazil. He is also a director of the Brazilian Human Rights Fund (Fundo Brasil de Direitos Humanos). Roque will begin his new position at Ford on January 9, 2017. He was selected after a broad international search. The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For 80 years it has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. SOURCE Ford Foundation Related Links http://www.fordfoundation.org BEIJING, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday in Beijing, China, economists, researchers, members of the development funding committee, and industry leading CEOs, including DHgate founder and CEO Diane Wang, gathered for G20 Night, the most impactful sub forum preceding this year's G20 Summit that will take place September 4-5th in Hangzhou, China. G20 Night was a closed-door meeting that sought to address world economic issues, such as innovation, the new structure of the global economy, and the role of China as a breakthrough player and leader on the global economic stage, with the Chinese economy accounting for 20% of global GDP. PROVEN METHODS The theme of this year's G20 is "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy." Chinese entrepreneurs have been markedly innovative and Chinese society as a whole has adopted technology on an unprecedented scale to overcome developmental obstacles and thrive. This has allowed China to bypass levels of development seen in the west and advance to a much more sophisticated stage, for example, skipping the mature retail phase of consumption and instead embracing highly developed e-commerce infrastructure. China has successfully transformed a developing country into the second largest economy on the planet and hopes to share their solutions and experience with the world. CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTIONS During the meeting, the leaders agreed that the best way to promote inclusive economic growth is to further promote innovation, not only in the tech industry but to reform the structure of the traditional supply chain. Leaders also reached a consensus to promote capacity-building programs such as the APEC CBET (cross-border e-commerce training) program, which was introduced to the B20 platform in 2015 and recognized by the B20 policy paper which will be submitted to G20 leaders as a case study of best practices for educating global SMEs (small-and-medium sized enterprises) on a large scale regarding how to leverage technology to upgrade their businesses. The APEC CBET program was started and facilitated by leading Chinese B2B cross-border e-commerce firm DHgate.com. "Witnessing Chinese enterprise owners submit their innovations to G20 leaders shows that China is playing a very important role in formulating global standards. The 2 main initiatives of the G20 SME Development Task Force are to help SMEs to enter the global market through cross-border e-commerce, and to encourage SMEs to utilize innovative financing mechanisms to scale up their businesses. The power of digitalization and the internet is boundless, easy access to trade and finance provide great opportunities for global SMEs to flourish, and for developing countries to improve their economies." -Diane Wang, DHgate founder and CEO, and B20 SME Development Task Force Co-chair ABOUT DHGATE DHgate.com is the first to market and the biggest transactional cross-border B2B e-commerce marketplace in China, aiming to provide global buyers with quality products at competitive prices. Founded in 2004, DHgate.com has approximately 12 million global buyers from 230 countries and regions, with 1.4 million global sellers offering 40 million products. DHgate.com's business enables buyers to directly access global manufacturers of the world's top brands with rich product selections. DHgate.com is an all-in-one platform with integrated services for international logistics, cross-border payments, internet financing, etc. DHgate.com's US, UK, Spain, and UAE product distribution warehouses allow for 24 hour delivery and convenient product returns & refunds, bringing great convenience to buyers at http://www.dhgate.com. SOURCE DHgate.com Related Links http://www.dhgate.com ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Greece concluded a first-of-its-kind auction for national television licenses following an international tender process that drew more interest than projected and raised far more for the country than expected. The process drew 11 participants. Four participants received broadcast licenses, which last for ten years and sold for an average of EU 61.5 million. This auction fell under the auspices of an agreement between Greece and its international creditors to streamline the TV media market. It ends 27 years of legal ambiguity, in which private TV stations operated under temporary licenses of dubious legitimacy. This legal ambiguity had been repeatedly criticized by Greece's top Constitutional Court. The new process provides 10-year licenses, brings revenue to the Greek government and ensures that media ownership is transparent and financially sound. "The Greek Government has acted decisively and fairly to open up and streamline the unregulated ad hoc chaos that existed within the TV market and we have done so in a transparent and unimpeachable manner,'' said Minister of State Nikos Pappas. He said the auction process "provides a blueprint of how Greece can move forward in attracting foreign investment, by allowing investors to know what the rules are and that they apply equally to all. "Greece is open for investment, and investors will seize these opportunities,'' Mr. Pappas said. "The success of this process and the staggering amount of 246 million Euros -that far exceeded any estimation prior to the auction- is a definite vote of business confidence in the country, one that marks a milestone as we move forward." Mr. Pappas said the unregulated media market, which had included eight broadcasters, encouraged corruption among public officials and institutions. He said that, rather than run broadcasting units with the intent of turning a profit, some of the stations existed as corporate loss-leaders whose only reason to exist was to influence political figures and events." In addition, Greece plans to set up a government agency to oversee the sale of all broadcast advertising. In return, the government will take a 30% advertising commission on all sales between broadcasters and advertisers, up from the current 10% commission. Mr. Pappas said the goal of a central, state-supervised advertising marketplace was to curb tax evasion. (Release issued by the Government of Greece) For more information, please contact: Dimitris Karamanis , PM's General Secretary Office Email +30 6982 959260 SOURCE Government of Greece SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP regarding the Matthew Edwards v. National Milk Producers Federation Litigation: LEGAL NOTICE Matthew Edwards v. National Milk Producers Federation United States District Court, Northern District of California Case No. 11-cv-04766-JSW If you purchased milk or other fresh milk products (including cream, half & half, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or sour cream) while a resident of Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wisconsin during the period of 2003 to the present for your own use and not for resale, you may be eligible for cash benefits from a settlement reached in antitrust litigation currently pending in federal court. For class members to ensure cash payment, you must file a claim online by January 31, 2017. This notice is a summary only. For the precise terms and conditions of the settlement and other information, visit www.boughtmilk.com. Para una notificacion en Espanol, llamar 1-877-417-4561 o visitar www.boughtmilk.com. WHY SHOULD I READ THIS NOTICE? You may be eligible for a payment from a settlement reached with defendants National Milk Producers Federation, aka Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Land O'Lakes, Inc., Dairylea Cooperative Inc., and Agri-Mark, Inc. to resolve an antitrust class action lawsuit pending before Judge Jeffrey White in federal court. This antitrust lawsuit alleges a nationwide conspiracy by CWT and its members to limit the production of raw farm milk by prematurely slaughtering cows, in order to illegally increase the price of milk and other fresh milk products. Defendants deny any wrongdoing or liability for the claims alleged. This antitrust lawsuit has already been certified by the Court as a class action. In a class action, one or more individuals, called named plaintiffs, file suit on behalf of others with similar claims, called the class or class members. These named plaintiffs represent and act on behalf of the class. You are a class member if you purchased milk or other fresh milk products (including cream, half & half, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or sour cream) while a resident of Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wisconsin during the period of 2003 to the present for your own use and not for resale. The Court has ordered that this notice be published to inform you of the settlement and your rights in the litigation. This notice is not an expression by the Court of any opinion as to the merits of any of the claims or defenses asserted by either side in this lawsuit. Read on for more information on your options, including how to claim your cash payment. WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT? Individuals and entities who, as residents of Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wisconsin, during the period of 2003 to the present, purchased milk or other fresh milk products (including cream, half & half, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or sour cream) for their own use and not for resale. Governmental entities are excluded from the class. To be a class member, you must not have purchased the milk or other fresh milk products directly from a defendant. Instead, you must have purchased the milk indirectly, for example, through a grocery store or other retailer. To be a class member, you must have purchased the milk for your own consumption or that of your household or organization and not for resale. Entities charging their participants for milk, for meals including milk, or for general programing with meals and/or drinks including milk are not eligible to recover. WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE? The settlement provides for $52 million in recovery for the class. You can submit a simple online claim form opting for cash, with no proof of purchase required. If final approval is granted to the settlement, Class members who have filed valid and timely claims will receive cash payments distributed directly into an online account of their choosing, e.g., Amazon, PayPal, or Google Wallet account. There will be two different levels of fixed cash payments, based on class member's purchases and the total number of class members making claims. Any class member whose claim form identifies it as purchasing milk and fresh milk products in an amount that exceeds normal household purchases will receive the higher fixed amount. For example, the regular fixed amount may be $30, or it may be higher or lower depending on the numbers of all class members making claims, with the higher fixed cash payment above that amount. Any remaining funds may be distributed in a second round using grocery loyalty cards to be automatically loaded with a fixed dollar amount, based on triggering purchases of milk or fresh milk products in the relevant states, or, depending on the funds remaining, distributed to the Attorneys General for the class jurisdictions for use in prosecuting consumer antitrust claims. Under no circumstances will the money go back to the defendants. WHO ARE RELEASED? The settlement releases defendants National Milk Producers Federation, aka Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Land O'Lakes, Inc., Dairylea Cooperative Inc., and Agri-Mark, Inc. from the claims made in this litigation. YOUR RIGHTS AND OPTIONS - Get a Payment File a claim online or by mail by January 31, 2017. The simple online claim form usually takes only 3-5 minutes. Claims may be submitted online at www.boughtmilk.com or by mail to Fresh Milk Products Antitrust Litigation, PO Box 43430, Providence, RI 02940-3430. - Exclude Yourself You can choose to exclude yourself from the litigation and keep your right to sue the defendants on your own. If you exclude yourself, you cannot receive any benefits from the settlement. Your written exclusion must set forth your name and a statement that you request exclusion from the class and do not wish to participate in the settlement. All requests for exclusion must be postmarked by October 28, 2016 and sent to Fresh Milk Products Antitrust Litigation, PO Box 6002, Larkspur, CA 94977-6002. - File an Objection You can ask the Court to deny approval to the settlement by filing an objection. Please note that you cannot ask the Court to order a larger settlement or otherwise change the terms of the settlement; the Court can only approve or deny the settlement. If the Court denies approval, no settlement payments will be sent out and the lawsuit will continue. If that is what you want to happen, you must object. You may object to the proposed settlement with a written objection filed or postmarked on or before October 28, 2016. All written objections and supporting papers must (a) clearly identify the case name and number (Edwards v. National Milk Producers Federation, Case No. 11-CV-04766-JSW); (b) be submitted to the Court either by mailing them to the Class Action Clerk, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612, or by filing them in person at any location of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California; and (c) be filed or postmarked on or before October 28, 2016. You may also appear at the Final Approval Hearing, described below, either in person or through your own attorney. If you appear through your own attorney, you are responsible for paying that attorney. - Go to a Hearing The Court will hold a final approval hearing on December 16, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States District Court, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, CA, Courtroom 5, 2nd Floor, to consider whether to approve the settlement as fundamentally fair, adequate, and reasonable, dismiss this lawsuit, and enter judgment or to deny the settlement and require the lawsuit to continue. The Court will also consider at the final approval hearing the request of class counsel for an award of attorney's fees, not to exceed one third of the settlement funds or $17,333,333 plus accrued interest; the request of class counsel for reimbursement of costs and expenses incurred in pursuing this lawsuit, not to exceed $2,400,000; a request for service awards to each named class representative not to exceed $5,000 per named individual and a total of $90,000; and the Court's approval to pay the costs of settlement administration, not to exceed $2,000,000.00, to the third party settlement administrators. These amounts, if awarded, will be deducted from the settlement fund. You may appear at the final approval hearing either in person or through your own attorney, at your own expense. If you do not do so, you will be represented in the case by class counsel. The Hearing may be moved to a different date or time without additional notice, so please check the Court docket in this case through the Court's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov or www.boughtmilk.com for any updates and additional information. WHO REPRESENTS ME? The Court appointed Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP to represent the class. You may hire your own attorney, if you wish, at your own expense. HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION? This notice summarizes the proposed settlement. For the precise terms and conditions of the settlement, please see the settlement agreement available at www.boughtmilk.com, by contacting class counsel at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro ([email protected]), by accessing the Court docket in this case through the Court's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov, or by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Court holidays. For questions about the settlement or the claims process, you may contact the Settlement Administrator at 1-877-417-4561, via email at [email protected], or visit www.boughtmilk.com. Please do not telephone the Court or the Court Clerk's Office to inquire about this settlement or the claims process. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with offices in 10 cities. The firm has been named to the National Law Journal's Plaintiffs' Hot List eight times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP Related Links http://www.hbsslaw.com HOUSTON, Sept. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) ("Targa" or the "Company") announced today that representatives from the Company will participate in the Barclays CEO Energy-Power Conference on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 and Thursday, September 8, 2016 in New York. Joe Bob Perkins, Chief Executive Officer of Targa, will present at the conference at 7:45 a.m. Eastern Time (6:45 a.m. Central Time) on Wednesday, September 7. The webcast and related presentation material can be accessed live through the Events and Presentations section of the Companys website at www.targaresources.com, or by going to http://ir.targaresources.com/trc/events.cfm, beginning at 7:45 a.m. Eastern Time (6:45 a.m. Central Time). The audio webcast will be available after the conference has concluded. About Targa Resources Corp. Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and is one of the largest independent midstream energy companies in North America. Targa owns, operates, acquires, and develops a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and selling natural gas; storing, fractionating, treating, transporting, and selling NGLs and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; gathering, storing, and terminaling crude oil; storing, terminaling, and selling refined petroleum products. The principal executive offices of Targa are located at 1000 Louisiana, Suite 4300, Houston, TX 77002 and their telephone number is 713-584-1000. For more information please go to www.targaresources.com. WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is responding as Tropical Storm Hermine slams into Florida and Georgia today and is preparing to widen the relief response as the storm threatens communities all along the East Coast over the holiday weekend. CRITICAL NEED FOR BLOOD, PLATELET DONATIONS CONTINUES Hermine has forced the cancellation of several Red Cross blood drives and may cause more in the days ahead. Even before the storm formed, the Red Cross was already experiencing a blood shortage as the summer months and particularly during Labor Day weekend are a difficult time to collect blood. All blood types are urgently needed right now. "It's important to remember that the blood already on the shelves helps during a disaster," said Chris Hrouda, executive vice president of Red Cross Blood Services. "We depend on generous volunteer blood donors to provide lifesaving blood for those in need each and every day not only during times of disaster. If you are not in the path of the storm, please give." To prepare for the storm, the Red Cross moved blood products into areas most likely to be affected to ensure blood products would be available in the event of widespread flooding. In the South, Hermine has cancelled at least seven blood drives in Georgia and South Carolina, causing approximately 330 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. RED CROSS RESPONSE "We have shelters open in Florida and Georgia and workers on alert all the way up the East Coast to be ready if needed as the storm moves north," said Brad Kieserman, vice president, Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross. "We urge people in Hermine's path to get ready; to build a disaster kit and make their evacuation plans now." "It's the last holiday weekend of the summer and many folks are heading to the beaches," Kieserman continued. "They should stay informed about weather conditions and be aware of possible rip current dangers." Red Cross workers in Florida and Georgia opened 46 shelters where almost 550 people spent Thursday night. The Red Cross is helping officials with damage assessment in those states to determine what additional help is needed. Hundreds of thousands of people are without power and many schools closed due to heavy rain and downed trees. Hermine is expected to move up the East Coast over the holiday weekend and stall in the Atlantic Ocean near Delaware and New Jersey. Red Cross chapters all along the coast are monitoring the storm and have workers and shelter locations on stand-by. The storm will bring heavy rain and strong winds, along with powerful storm surges in the ocean which could cause beach erosion and flooding. In Hawaii, Hurricane Lester is predicted to hit Maui and Oahu over the weekend with strong gales and heavy rain. The Red Cross has disaster workers and supplies on alert to respond if necessary. FIND SAFETY INFORMATION People in Hermine's path can find information on how to remain safe on the Red Cross web site. They should also download the free Red Cross Emergency App to receive emergency alerts and information about what to do in case of hurricanes, flooding and other disasters, as well as locations of shelters. The app also includes emergency first aid information and a Family Safe feature which allows people to instantly see if loved ones are okay. The free Emergency App is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps. HOW TO HELP All eligible blood donors in parts of the country unaffected by Hermine are encouraged to make a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). People can also help by donating to Red Cross Disaster Relief to support disasters big and small. You can help by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from these disasters. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO SOURCE American Red Cross Related Links http://www.redcross.org WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Hudson Institute released a report examining Israel's regional energy security, based on conclusions by the Commission on the Eastern Mediterranean. The report was developed in conjunction with the University of Haifa, and summarizes the conclusions reached by a consortium of senior Israeli and American military officers, policy practitioners and scholars. The report examines Israel's energy policies in relation to recent geopolitical developments affecting the Middle East since the Arab Spring, from destabilization caused by Islamic extremism to discoveries of large offshore energy reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean. Members of the commission gathered in Israel and Washington, D.C. in 2016 to discuss Israel's energy environment, security problems and opportunities in the region and the future of the US-Israel strategic partnership. "Israel's energy laws were developed largely when the country was an energy importer," the commission states in a summary. "Israeli officials now have to develop a way to handle energy matters that can allow Israel to become not only a substantial energy producer, but an exporter. They must balance antitrust, security, environmental and other concerns while safeguarding Israel's reputation as a fair and reliable home for foreign investment. The advantages of this approach include resulting diplomatic openings, domestic job and business opportunities, and energy tax revenues that can be used for the public interest." Hudson Institute and the University of Haifa jointly funded the report. Members of the Commission on the Eastern Mediterranean include Co-Chair Professor Shaul Chorev, Co-Chair Senator Mary Landrieu, Admiral Ami Ayalon (ret.), Dr. Seth Cropsey, Charles Davidson, Douglas J. Feith, Dr. Arthur Herman, Ambassador Ron Prosor, Admiral Gary Roughead (ret.), and Professor Eytan Sheshinski. The Commission on the Eastern Mediterranean report can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/HudsonHaifaReport. To arrange an interview with commission members Douglas Feith or Seth Cropsey, please contact Hudson Institute's Press Secretary, Carolyn Stewart, at [email protected] or (202) 974-6456. Hudson Institute is a research organization promoting American leadership and global engagement for a secure, free, and prosperous future. http://www.hudson.org Carolyn Stewart (202) 974-6456 [email protected] SOURCE Hudson Institute Related Links http://www.hudson.org Mr . Nopparat Maythaveekulchai , President of TCEB said, "The results of a study on economic impact in 2015 show that the Thai MICE industry helped generate total expenditure of 220 billion baht for the country's economy, while generating 164,427 jobs, and benefitting industry networking, as well as building our brand and capabilities. In the meetings and incentives sector specifically, more than 100 billion baht were spent to conduct MI events, benefiting more than 73,000 jobs. The strategic importance of the bustling sector effectively demonstrates the great contribution of MI businesses as economic growth drivers." During the first three quarters of the 2016 fiscal year, Thailand welcomed 750,742 MICE travellers, generating 60.593 billion baht MICE revenue. A total of 393,859 visitors, and 29.664 billion baht were from the meetings and incentives sector. The Top 3 MI markets for visitors were India, China, and Singapore, while TCEB's geographic targets for the MI sector also include primary markets in Asia; secondary markets in Europe, Americas, and Oceania; and new markets, where TCEB is currently conducting detailed studies, and actively raising awareness of Thailand as a premiere MICE destination, such as Eastern Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Encompassing the strategy to drive Thailand's meetings and incentives sector forward, TCEB defined its MI marketing plan for 2017 by emphasising new market segments focusing targeted customers and buyers with high travel and activity budgets, and identifying target industries as well as specifying key strategic approaches. Ms. Nooch Homrossukhon, Director of Meetings and Incentives, TCEB revealed, "In terms of target segments, TCEB has identified 3 high potential targets including 1) mega-size groups with more than 2,000 overseas delegates from direct sales and MLM, telecommunications, IT, automobile industries, especially from China, India, and APAC countries; 2) corporate meetings (such as board meetings, annual meetings, regional meetings, corporate training, and group plant visits) from the banking and finance, automobile, IT, telecommunications, and pharmaceutical industries, especially from Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, and Australia; and 3) premium incentives groups (such as executive retreats, high-tier incentives, and company outings) from direct sales, IT, telecommunications, and automobile industries, from China, Singapore, USA, Japan, India, Australia, and Europe." TCEB works to foster integrated collaboration among key industry partners to help enhance market opportunities, and showcase a wide variety of activities for MICE travellers through the five marketing plans, which include 1) Participation in international trade shows in key markets such as AIME 2017 (Melbourne, Australia), IMEX 2017 (Frankfurt, Germany), and IMEX America 2017 (Las Vegas, USA); 2) Thailand MICE Road Shows in target markets such as India, China, and Japan; 3) Sales Missions in new emerging premium markets; 4) Knowledge sharing initiative to offer an effective platform for knowledge, business, and experience exchange through the Thailand Incentive and Meeting Exchange (TIME); and 5) Market expansion through representative offices including Europe and Australia, apart from existing offices in China, India, Japan, Singapore, and USA. Especially for the high growth market in China, TCEB also reaches out to primary cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and secondary cities including Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing. Ms. Nooch also added, "In 2017, TCEB will also introduce the new Meet in Style, Meet in Thailand marketing campaign encapsulating five MI products and services ranging from 1) Meet at Delightful Destinations: which showcases a variety of MICE destinations from the five MICE Cities, to up-and-coming oasis such as Chiang Rai, Khao Yai, Hua Hin, Krabi, and Samui; 2) Meet at Breathtaking Venues: which features some of Thailand's fresh, unique off-site venues; 3) Meet with Energy: which highlights outdoor adventures, and treasured team building activities; 4) Meet the Sustainable Way: which provides the chance to host green meetings and CSR activities; and 5) Meet Around Great Flavours: which offers unique culinary journeys, from street food to fine dining, and traditional Thai cuisine." Complementing the key strategy to drive growth, the Meet Double Cities Package presents international corporate clients the opportunity to discover the diversity of Thailand. Requirements include a group size of more than 200 delegates, and staying in Thailand at least four nights in more than one city. The organiser will receive financial support of 100,000 baht. Applications are open from 1 October 2016 until 30 September 2017, and travel must take place by 31 December 2017. The Meet Sustainable Package helps promote sustainable MICE practices in Thailand. Requirements include a group size of more than 200 international delegates, staying in Thailand at least three nights, and incorporating CSR activities in the programme or organizing events at Thailand MICE Venue Standard-certified venues. The organiser will receive financial support of 100,000 baht. Applications are open from 1 October 2016 until 30 September 2017, and travel must take place by 31 December 2017. Additionally, the THAILAND BIG THANKS! campaign was created to help drive the MI sector through a financial subsidy scheme of up to two million baht for eligible Mega Size MI events with more than 2,000 international delegates staying at least three nights in the Kingdom of Thailand. Starting from 2015 until 30 September 2017, the travel must take place in Thailand within 31 December 2017. Moreover, TCEB also provides support for mega-sized events in Thailand by hosting the IT&CMA, and bidding for the SITE Global Conference. To help drive sustainable growth and equip MI operators with the tools they need, TCEB organised the seventh annual Industry Day 2016 at the AVANI Bangkok Riverside Hotel. Held under the theme of 'MI Dynamic : Share-Connect-Discover', TCEB's Industry Day 2016 also highlighted the outlook for the corporate meeting and incentives travel industry, as well as provided trends, information and inspiration to accelerate business growth. At the event, participants were able to share knowledge and engage with industry partners during the panel discussion sessions, connect with TCEB representatives from India, China, Japan, Singapore, and USA, with local expertise and global perspective on the dynamic business landscape, and discover insights by renowned global experts on how to enter into markets and win businesses. "According to the 2016 GBTA Global BTI Outlook which predicts global business travel spending to continue to increase over the next five years (2016 - 2020), driven by high growth countries including India, Indonesia, Turkey and China, and medium growth countries including USA, and Europe. This dynamic presents us with vibrant opportunities and great potential, especially in some Asian countries, and TCEB's target markets. To capitalize on this trend, TCEB is working alongside MICE operators to accommodate the increase in business travel. With our market development plans and destination promotional activities, we are confident in the potential for considerable future growth in 2017, Thailand expects to welcome 1,109,000 international business travellers, generating revenue of 101 billion baht." Mr Nopparat concluded. For further information, please contact: Corporate Communications Division, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) Ms Arisara Thanuplang Tel : +66 2 694 6095 Email: [email protected] Ms Kanokwan Kadeedang Tel: + 662 694 6006 Email: [email protected] Ms Titiwanlaya Thaimongkolrat Tel: + 662 694 6103 Email: [email protected] Ms Kwanchanok Otton Tel: + 662 694 6096 Email: [email protected] Ms Paniyada Mulalin Tel: + 662 694 6091 Email: [email protected] a publicist Tel: +662101 6860 Ms.Thittaya (Jang) +6683 668 1112, Mr.Kosin (Ton) +6681 566 2053, Mr.Sorasak (Earth) +6689 406 5544) Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160902/403779 SOURCE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau Related Links http://www.tceb.or.th LONDON, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumption (MT) & Market Forecasts ($) by Type (Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI), Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate (MDI), Aliphatic, Others) & Application Forecasts (Rigid Foam, Flexible Foam, Paints & Coatings, Adhesive & Sealants, Elastomers & Binders) Analysis of Top Companies BASF, Dow Chemical Company, Covestro, Chemtura, Evonik Industries, Huntsman Corporation Visiongain's new report assesses that the global isocyanate market will reach $30.31bn in 2016. Are you involved in the isocyanate market or do you intend to be? If so, then you must read this report It's vital that you keep your knowledge up to date. Market scope: This brand new report from visiongain is a completely fresh market assessment of the isocyanate market based upon the latest information. Our new market study contains forecasts, original analysis, company profiles and, most crucially, fresh conclusions. The report not only gives detailed forecasts and analysis of the global isocyanate market, but also breaks this down by type and application. The Isocyanate Market Report 2016-2026 responds to your need for definitive market data: Where are the isocyanate opportunities? - 101 tables, charts, and graphs reveal market data allowing you to target your strategy more effectively When will the isocyanate market grow? - Global forecasts and analysis from 2016 to 2026 illustrate the market progression - Consumption (MT) forecast - Production (MT) forecast - Market value ($) forecast Why will the isocyanate market evolve? - The global and submarket market chapters reveal the factors. To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected] What type of isocyanate will flourish from 2016 to 2026? - Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI) - Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate (MDI) - Aliphatic - Others Which isocyanate application will see the most growth from 2016-2026? - Rigid foam - Flexible foam - Coatings - Adhesives & sealants - Elastomers - Other Who are the leading isocyanate companies? - BASF - Dow Chemical Company - Covestro - Chemtura - Evonik Industries - Huntsman Corporation - We reveal capabilities, product portfolios, R&D activity, services, focus, M&A activity, and future outlook. Who should read this report? - Anyone within the isocyanate value chain, including: - CEOs - COOs - CIOs - Business development managers - Marketing managers - Suppliers - Technologists - Investors - Banks - Government agencies - Contractors Get the Isocyanate Market Report 2016-2026: Consumption & Market Forecasts ($) by Type (Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI), Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate (MDI), Aliphatic, Others) & Application Forecasts (Rigid Foam, Flexible Foam, Paints & Coatings, Adhesive & Sealants, Elastomers & Binders) Analysis of Top Companies BASF, Dow Chemical Company, Covestro, Chemtura, Evonik Industries, Huntsman Corporation today. Avoid missing out - order our report now. To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected] To request a report overview of this report please emails Sara Peerun at [email protected] or call Tel: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100 Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1718/Isocyanate-Market-Report-2016-2026 Companies Mentioned in This Report ADTECH Plastic Systems Advance Coatings Co. Advanced Materials Technology (Pty.) Ltd. AERONTEC cc Airbus Air Products AkzoNobel Aland (HK) Holding Limited Aliancys AG AOC Resins Argosy International Inc. Ashland Inc. Ashland Performance Materials Associated Industries Inc. Audi BASF Bayer Bell Helicopter BMW Boeing Bombardier Aerospace Bonstone Materials Corp. Borealis Boytek Resins BUFA Composite Systems GmbH & Co. KG CAE Inc. Cargill CCP Composites Changzhou Huarun Composite Materials Co. Ltd. Ciba Composites Canada Composites One Covestro Cooperativa Central de Pesquisa Agricola's Cray Valley Cubic Tech Corporation Cytec Dassault Divina Hitech Systems Dow Chemical Company DSM Dulux DuPont DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Co. LLC Dyna-Grout Inc. E.V. Roberts Enercon Eurotech ExxonMobil Fiberglass (A/Asia) Sales Pty. Ltd. Fiberglass Coatings Inc. Fibre Glast Developments Corporation Fibreglass Supplies Ford Fortitech, Inc. Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Co. FRP Resource Inc. FRP Services & Co. Gazprom GE Canada General Dynamics General Motors Glass Fiber Technology Co. Ltd. Gordon Shank Consulting Great Wall Motor Co Ltd Gruber Systems Inc. Havel Composites CZ sro Hepworth Hercules Inc. Heroux Devtek Hexion HK Research Corp. Hobas Honda Huntsman INEOS Infinity Composites Inc. Inhance Fluoro-Seal LLC International Specialty Products Inc. (ISP) Interplastic Corp. Italbeit Srl Johnson Polymer JSR Micro K & C Mouldings (England) Ltd. KemiKomp Inc. Kemrock Industries & Exports Ltd. Kirkco-Dopag Lightscape Materials Inc Lintech International LLC Lintex International Co. Ltd. Lockheed Martin Lonza Compounds Verwaltungs Lonza GmbH LyondellBasell MacDonald Dettwiler Magellan Aerospace Magnum Venus Products - MVP Mechemco Group Mercedes Mitsui Monsanto Nexeo Solutions Nissan Noah's Marine Nord Composites North American Composites Nuplex Composites Owen Corning PJ Hobbs Industries Ltd. Poliya Composites and Polymers Polymer Products (Phil.) Inc. Polymer Technologies Pte. Ltd. Polynt Polynt Composites Canada Inc. Quimidroga SA Reichhold Reichhold LLC2 Reinforced Plastics Lab Div. Revchem Composites Inc. Rostec RT-Chemcomposite Holding Company SABIC Sadara Saint-Gobain Satyen Polymers Pvt. Ltd. Scott Bader Company Ltd. Scott Bader-ATC SGL Carbon AG Shin-Etsu Chemical Siegfried Holding SikaAxson US Sorex Ltd, Widnes SprayCore Stealth Composites Inc. Superior Fiberglass & Resins Swancor Ind. Co., Ltd Syngenta Technip Tila Kompozit Temsilcilik Ic ve Ds Tic. Ltd. Sti. Tongun Elektrik Telekom Dogalgaz Mlz. San. Ve Tic. A.S. Tool Chemical Composites (TCC) Toyota Unitech Industries Limited Vestas Wanhua Chemical Group Wee Tee Tong Chemicals Pte. Ltd. Whitmire Micro-Gen Yantai Andre Pectin Co. Ltd. To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected] SOURCE Visiongain Ltd NEW YORK, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CRY, Child Rights and You America Inc. (CRY America), a 501(c)(3) non profit that works towards ensuring children their basic rights to live, learn, grow and play will host the 13th CRY Walk for Child Rights across 16 cities. The annual walk brings together people from varied walks of life, who feel passionately for children's cause. The event provides them a platform to help children secure a better future and reinforces the belief that the ability to change lives lies within each one of us. Walkers and runners alike, across New York, San Diego, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Orange County, Bay Area, Atlanta, Pheonix and Raleigh are invited to participate in 5K walks and runs along with 1K kids dash. Events across cities will include fun activities for both adults and children like yoga, Bollywood dancing, jugglers, music, food stalls and face painting. The participants will also be able to buy funky CRY merchandise like T-shirts to support the cause for child rights. The annual event is not just a space for families to have an outing but also to support and ensure opportunities are provided to all children and bring lasting change in their lives. The CRY Walk series commences on September 11 at Irvine, Orange County and concludes on November 13 at Bay Area. The national sponsors of the Walk 2016 are Star TV, TV Asia, Air India, Stratus, Shani International, Mera Sangeet and India Abroad. CRY America appreciates the generous support of their event sponsors, media sponsors and donors in enabling this event. The volunteers, fundraisers and team leaders across 16 cities who have relentlessly worked to organize this event in aid of underprivileged children, deserve a special mention. Speaking about the event, Shefali Sunderlal, President, CRY America said, "Only when children are given the right opportunities, do they realize their full potential, aim for their dreams and achieve them. Raising awareness and fund support by participating in CRY Walk is a step forward in ensuring that children get these opportunities and a chance at a healthy, successful life." CRY America has thus far ensured that 618,915 children living across 3,084 villages and slums have access to education, healthcare and are protected from violations through support to 70 projects in India and the USA. "The continued support of our donors and volunteers has helped us uphold children's rights. It is this support and belief in our work which propels us and will allow us to ensure many more children get access to quality education, health services, essential nutrition and are protected from child labor, child marriage, abuse, and discrimination," Sunderlal concluded. About CRY America: CRY, Child Rights and You America Inc. (CRY America) is a 501c3 non profit that is driven by its vision of a just world in which all children have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential and realize their dreams. With the support of over 25,153 donors and 2,000 volunteers, CRY America has impacted the lives of 618,915 children living across 3,084 villages and slums through support to 70 projects in India and USA. For more information about CRY America or CRY Walk 2016, visit http://www.america.cry.org, email [email protected] or call 6179591273. SOURCE CRY CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of more than 700 local fire departments across the country, led by the International Association of Fire Fighters, are set to kick off the busiest Fill the Boot fundraising weekend of the year. Their goal is to raise $5.6 million this Labor Day weekend to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association find urgently needed treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases that severely limit strength and mobility. For 62 years, fire fighters have been fanning out across hundreds of cities with boots in hand for MDA's iconic Fill the Boot campaign, an honored tradition in which thousands of dedicated fire fighters in hometowns across America hit the streets or storefronts asking pedestrians, motorists and consumers to make a donation to help kids and adults live longer and grow stronger. (Click here to download broadcast quality Fill the Boot B-Roll). "Thanks to the fire fighters one boot at a time and one generous donor at a time we are on the brink of life-changing progress and breakthroughs that can't come soon enough for MDA families," said MDA President and CEO Steven M. Derks. "I want to express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering generosity of the IAFF in support of our mission. So if you see a fire fighter collecting this weekend, we'd be very grateful if you'd donate." Spurred in large part by Fill the Boot donations, MDA yesterday announced the award of 25 new research, development and research infrastructure grants totaling nearly $7 million and targeted to make an impact on life-threatening neuromuscular diseases in its program. Contributions also help provide care for kids and adults at a nationwide network of more than 150 multidisciplinary MDA Care Centers, including 43 specialized MDA ALS Care Centers. The funds also provide individuals with services and support in hometowns across America, including sending nearly 4,000 kids with muscular dystrophy to "the best week of the year" at MDA Summer Camp in 2016. IAFF support for MDA began in 1954 when the organization committed by proclamation to support MDA until a cure is found, and the organization's unwavering commitment to MDA has remained steadfast to this day. The IAFF raised $100,000 for MDA in 1955, and $1 million in 1970, and fire fighters continue to raise the bar in their fundraising efforts. In 2015, more than 100,000 fire fighters participated in Fill the Boot events across the country and raised $25.5 million. To date the IAFF has raised $583 million for MDA. About the IAFF The International Association of Fire Fighters represents more than 300,000 professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 85 percent of the nation's population. More than 3,200 affiliates and their members protect communities in every state in the United States and in Canada. About the Muscular Dystrophy Association MDA is leading the fight to free individuals and the families who love them from the harm of muscular dystrophy, ALS and related muscle-debilitating diseases that take away physical strength, independence and life. We use our collective strength to help kids and adults live longer and grow stronger by finding research breakthroughs across diseases; caring for individuals from day one; and empowering families with services and support in hometowns across America. Learn how you can fund cures, find care and champion the cause at mda.org. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160728/393910LOGO SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association Related Links http://www.mdausa.org NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 1, 2016, Main Street Properties LLC (MSP) purchased commercial properties in Springfield Ohio. Main Street Properties is an affiliate of EF Hutton America Inc. (symbol: HUTN). The facilities are necessary for the expansion of EF Hutton's operating subsidiaries. Each subsidiary will lease space from MSP. The purchase closed on September 1, 2016. MSP purchased from SpringForward, an Ohio institution dedicated to development in the Springfield area. In connection with the transaction, EF Hutton issued Series A Preferred Shares and executed a Senior Note, both of which are described below. The Company is currently pursuing additional financing to fund the Company's expansion in financial technologies and digital media. The Company's growth plan includes: acquisitions, new facilities, implementing technology and marketing initiatives. Summary of terms for securities issued in connection with the facilities purchase. Securities Summary of Terms Senior Note 7.5 million Principal Amount 0% Coupon; Step-up to 4.00% on first annual anniversary 7 year Term Unsecured Guaranteed by certain directors Preferred Stock $1.35 million Liquidation Preference 0% Dividend, Stepping up by 1% per year to a maximum of 12% Perpetual Convertible at any time at the option of the holder into shares at 150% of the average of the prior ten consecutive closing prices. Guaranty of Notes Two directors of the Company have agreed to guaranty payment of the unsecured Senior Note. As compensation for the guaranty, the Company shall issue warrants to purchase up to 60 million shares of common stock with a strike price of $0.15 per common share. The warrants are exercisable for a period of five years after issuance. The securities purchase agreement and guaranty agreements will be filed with EF Hutton's next quarterly report. Springfield Ohio Facilities Information about the facilities in Springfield Ohio will be released at a press conference at the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce in Springfield Ohio 10:00am on Friday September 2, 2016. Not an Offer or Solicitation This press release is a matter of record only. It does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these or any other securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. A Form D relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission however, SEC has not approved the issuance or reviewed the offering materials. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. SOURCE EF Hutton DALLAS, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Capital, Inc. (the "Company"), a non-traded publicly registered business development company and affiliate of Highland Capital Management, L.P., today announced that it will commence a voluntary tender offer on or about September 2, 2016 (the "Tender Offer") for up to 2.5% of its outstanding common stock ("Shares") at a price equal to 90% of the offering price per Share in effect on the Expiration Date (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) (the date of repurchase) and any unpaid dividends accrued through the expiration date of the Tender Offer. This announcement is not a recommendation, an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell Shares of the Company. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a tender offer statement on Schedule TO and related exhibits, including an offer to purchase, a related letter of transmittal and other related documents (the "Tender Offer Documents"). The Tender Offer Documents will be sent by mail to holders of the Shares. Shareholders of the Company may obtain additional copies of the Tender Offer Documents for the Company, without charge, by contacting the Tender Agent for the Tender Offer, DST Systems, Inc., at 1-844-485-9167. Shareholders can also obtain the Tender Offer Documents free of charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. Shareholders should read these documents and related exhibits, as the documents contain important information about the Company's Tender Offer. Any questions regarding the Tender Offer can be directed to the Company's Tender Agent, DST Systems, Inc., at 1-844-485-9167. The Company's current offering price for its Shares, $10.48 per share as of August 26, 2016, as well as other information, including information about management and the healthcare-focused investment strategy, is available at http://nexpointcapital.com. The information on or accessible through http://nexpointcapital.com is not incorporated by reference herein. About NexPoint Advisors and NexPoint Capital, Inc. NexPoint Capital, Inc. is a healthcare-focused business development company sponsored and managed by NexPoint Advisors, L.P., an affiliate of Highland Capital Management, L.P. NexPoint Advisors, L.P., is an SEC-registered investment advisor to the closed end fund, NexPoint Credit Strategies Fund. About Highland Capital Management, L.P. Highland Capital Management, L.P. is an SEC-registered investment adviser which, together with our affiliates, has approximately $17 billion of assets under management. Founded in 1993 by Jim Dondero and Mark Okada, Highland is one of the largest and most experienced global alternative credit managers. Highland specializes in credit strategies, such as credit hedge funds, long only funds and separate accounts, distressed and special situation private equity, and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). Highland also offers alternative investments, including emerging markets, long/short equities, and natural resources. Highland's diversified client base includes public pension plans, foundations, endowments, corporations, financial institutions, fund of funds, governments, and high net-worth individuals. Highland is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and maintains offices in New York, Sao Paolo, Singapore, and Seoul. Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements may involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the performance of financial markets, the investment performance of NexPoint Advisors, L.P.'s or Highland Capital Management L.P.'s sponsored investment products, general economic conditions, future acquisitions, competitive conditions and government regulations, including changes in tax laws. Readers should carefully consider such factors. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only on the date at which such statements are made. NexPoint Advisors, L.P. and Highland Capital Management L.P. undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statement. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Neither the Company, nor the Company's Board of Directors, nor NexPoint Advisors, L.P., makes any recommendation as to whether to tender or not to tender any Shares in the Tender Offer. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission. For information on the Tender Offer: Financial Advisors: 855-498-1580 Shareholders: 844-485-9167 Highland Media Relations: 972-419-6272 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160901/403583LOGO SOURCE NexPoint Capital, Inc. Related Links http://www.nexpointcapital.com WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a panel discussion organized by the U.S. Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US), former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain and State Department Spokesman Adam Ereli, Vice President Al Gore's Communication Director and senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council Larry Haas, and NCRI-US Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh, discussed the Iranian regime's destructive role in the five-year-old Syrian Conflict. A new book, How Iran Fuels Syria War, was also made public. The event, held at the NCRI's Washington Office, was moderated by the Council's Foreign Affairs Committee member Ali Safavi, who said "the startling picture, showing the heartbreaking silence of the five-year-old Syrian child, Omran Daqneesh, covered in dust from head to toe after being pulled from the rubble following an airstrike, mirrors the stunning silence of the West regarding the Syrian tragedy." In his remarks, Amb. Ereli said that the release of the book, How Iran Fuels Syria War, was important "not only because what it tells us about what's going on in Syria, but because what it tells us more broadly about how the Iranian regime operates; it's a taxonomy of influence." Commenting on the extent of Tehran's regional interference, he added that by spending a lot of money, Iran is "not just controlling territory on the ground, but it's buying loyalty. And the people who they're supporting and their children and their children's children are going to be Iranian advocates for many generations to come." He added, "Syria is just the latest example to create client states." Offering a broad perspective on policy vis-a-vis the Tehran regime, Mr. Haas said, "Iranian involvement in Syria reflects its continued expansionist and hegemonic ambitions that start in the region and go beyond. If anything, the regime has grown more aggressive in the aftermath of this nuclear deal, not less." He added, "This shows the fallacy of two basic U.S. positions of recent years. The first, the hope that a nuclear agreement with Iran would moderate that regime. And that is a hope that drove U.S. policy toward Iran right from the start, going back to the reluctance to comment on the fraudulent election in 2009, reluctance to get behind the opposition Second, Syria shows the fallacy of the U.S. belief that a reduced U.S. role in the region and beyond would lead to a safer world." In his remarks, Jafarzadeh pointed to the critical role the regime in Tehran has been playing to keep Bashar al-Assad in power, disclosing that the Syrian dictator had been intent on leaving the country after suffering setbacks in September 2015, but was dissuaded at the last minute by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as Assad arrived at the Glass Building located in Damascus Airport to depart the country. NCRI Deputy Director revealed that Tehran had divided Syria into five military zones, and has established 18 military command centers across the country by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) Qods Force. Iran's military presence has increased to 70,000 IRGC, regular army forces, Iraqi, Afghan and Pakistani mercenaries as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah, Jafarzadeh emphasized, adding, "The fall of Assad would pave the way for the fall of the clerics ruling Iran; this explains Tehran's huge financial and human resources spending in Syria." He stressed that the international community must "end the Iranian regime's occupation of Syria, exclude Tehran from international talks on Syria, not partner with the regime to fight ISIS, provide political and financial backing to Syria's moderate opposition and establish a no-fly zone to protect the civilians." CONTACT: Ali Safavi, 1-202-747-7847 SOURCE National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) PINGTAN, China, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pingtan Islands, located in the middle of the coastline of Fujian Province, China, is the closest place to Taiwan on the mainland, land area being nearly 400 square kilometers. Its main island Haitan is the largest island in Fujian Province, with only 68 nautical miles from Xinzhu, Taiwan. Pingtan was established as a comprehensive pilot zone in July 2009. Since then it has become a prefecture-level administrative region directly under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province. On November 1st, 2014, the Central Government made the directive for the first time that these islands should be forged as a destination for international tourists. In April, 2015, Pingtan District belonging to the Fujian Free Trade Zone was officially established, and was positioned as the common homeland for people across the straits and international tourism islands . On August 8th, 2016, the State Council of China officially released the approval of the Development Plan of Pingtan as International Tourism Islands, and since then the opening up and development of Pingtan has escalated to a new height. Pingtan has multiple advantages in resources, policies and transportation. The resource advantages can be summarized as '7S': Sunshine, Sand, Sea, Stone, Strait, Shopping and Sport. The policy advantages can be seen from its position strategy as a comprehensive pilot region, a free trade region and international tourism islands altogether. It is the only place in China that enjoys three different preferential policies at the same time. In terms of transportation, it both has extensive networks within islands, and two strait bridges to reach the outside of the islands. On maritime transportation, there are freighters such as Haixia and Lina sailing along the golden seaway back and forth between Taiwan and Pingtan. Besides, there is another strait bridge on the northern side of the islands called Fuping Railway Strait Bridge. It is 16 kilometers in length, aiming to be used for both highways and railways, to be completed by 2018. By then, it only takes 30 minutes to reach Changle Airport. Other planned alternative airports will soon be under construction as well. As the approval of the Plan, Pingtan has become the second officially recognized international tourism islands after Hainan in China. It is embracing new great development opportunities. Image Attachments Links: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=275312 SOURCE Tourism Development Bureau of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Region NASSAU, Bahamas, Sept. 1, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism together with the Ministry of Health and the Department of Environmental Health Services will hold a special Zika sensitivity meeting with industry stakeholders on Monday, September 5th at 10am at the British Colonial Hilton. Invitations will be sent to industry partners. The objectives of the meeting are to further educate tourism stakeholders on the Zika virus and to encourage stakeholders to take preventive measures to mitigate the spread of Zika. Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe said the ministry continues to be proactive in the fight against the virus. "The primary focus of our meeting on Monday is to discuss precautions that we can take to combat the Zika virus and ensure that our visitors have a safe and healthy experience in our islands," Wilchcombe said. "The Bahamas remains a safe destination and we will continue to be. We have a lot of confidence in the work the Ministry of Health is doing to manage Zika and mitigate further cases." On Wednesday, Health Ministry Dr. Perry Gomez said that there are now eight confirmed cases of Zika on the island of New Providence. Health officials continue to fog on New Providence and the family of islands. The Zika virus is transmitted primarily through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. However, the virus is also spread from mother to baby during pregnancy and during sexual intercourse. Health Officials advise anyone travelling to The Bahamas who feel they may have symptoms of the virus to contact the National Disease Surveillance Unit at 502-4776, 502-4790, 376-3809 or 376-4705. Visitors to The Bahamas receive educational pamphlets about the virus at all ports of entry. The pamphlet includes symptoms, prevention tips and contact information for the Ministry of Health. Hotels and guest properties throughout The Islands of The Bahamas are also continuing their proactive measures. Proactive measures include: Providing staff and guests with information on Zika so that they are aware of the signs and symptoms, how Zika is transmitted and how it can be prevented. Having insect repellant available to visitors. Avoiding storing water in outdoor containers to prevent them from becoming mosquito-breeding sites. Covering water tanks or reservoirs so that mosquitoes do not get in. Avoiding the build-up of garbage, which can act as a breeding site for mosquitoes. Putting garbage in closed plastic bags and keep it in closed containers. Uncovering and unblocking gutters and drains to release stagnant water. All travelers are advised to: Stay informed about the Zika situation in countries they are travelling to. Use insect repellents on exposed skin. Insect repellents that contain DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or IR3535 are the most effective and safe when used according to the label. If also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second. Where possible, wear light colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants, socks and shoes to minimize exposed skin. When indoors use air conditioning and keep the doors and windows closed, unless they are screened, to keep out mosquitoes. If this is not possible, sleep under mosquito nets to prevent bites. What should you do if you feel sick and think you may have Zika? Consult a healthcare professional if you are feeling ill, especially if you have a fever. If you have returned home, make sure to tell them about your travel. Use acetaminophen or paracetamol to treat fever and pain. Get lots of rest and drink plenty of liquids. A person infected with Zika will have the virus in their blood for the first week of infection. The virus can be passed on to other mosquitoes if they bite you while you are carrying the virus. Therefore, be especially careful to prevent mosquito bites during the first week to avoid spreading the disease. Travelers are encouraged to visit Bahamas.com/pressroom for any updates on Zika. PUNE, India, September 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ReportsnReports.com adds "Iron Deficiency Anemia - Pipeline Review, H2 2016" market research report complete with analysis by indications, stage of development, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The report also covers the descriptive pharmacological action of the therapeutics, its complete research and development history and latest news and press releases. Additionally, the report provides an overview of key players involved in Iron Deficiency Anemia targeted therapeutics development and features dormant and discontinued projects. Complete report on H2 2016 pipeline review of Iron Deficiency Anemia with 21 market data tables and 15 figures, spread across 68 pages is available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/666453-iron-deficiency-anemia-pipeline-review-h2-2016.html. Companies discussed in this Iron Deficiency Anemia Pipeline Review, H2 2016 report include Galenica Ltd., Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, Panion & Bf Biotech Inc, Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Rockwell Medical, Inc. Drug Profiles mentioned in this research report are CSJ-137, Drug to Replace Iron for Iron Deficiency Anemia, ferric carboxymaltose, ferric citrate, ferric pyrophosphate citrate, JNJ-42905343, NSC-8679, Peptides to Activate Erythroferrone for Iron Deficiency Anemia and PRS-080. The report helps in identifying and tracking emerging players in the market and their portfolios, enhances decision making capabilities and helps to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. Furthermore, this report also reviews key players involved in Iron Deficiency Anemia targeted therapeutics development, features dormant and discontinued projects and latest news and press releases. Order a copy of this report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=666453. Scope of this report: The report provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Iron Deficiency Anemia and reviews pipeline therapeutics for Iron Deficiency Anemia by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources and key players involved Iron Deficiency Anemia therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects. The research covers pipeline products based on various stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages. The report features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which includes, product description, descriptive MoA, R&D brief, licensing and collaboration details & other developmental activities and assesses Iron Deficiency Anemia therapeutics based on drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The report summarizes all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects with latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Iron Deficiency Anemia. Reasons to buy: Gain strategically significant competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D strategies Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage Identify and understand important and diverse types of therapeutics under development for Iron Deficiency Anemia Identify potential new clients or partners in the target demographic Develop strategic initiatives by understanding the focus areas of leading companies Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players and it's most promising pipeline therapeutics Devise corrective measures for pipeline projects by understanding Iron Deficiency Anemia pipeline depth and focus of Indication therapeutics Develop and design in-licensing and out-licensing strategies by identifying prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope Modify the therapeutic portfolio by identifying discontinued projects and understanding the factors that drove them from pipeline Another newly published market research report titled on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Pipeline Review, H2 2016 provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. Companies discussed in this research are Addex Therapeutics Ltd, Amorsa Therapeutics Inc., Azevan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bionomics Limited, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Humanetics Corporation, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc., INVENT Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Neuralstem, Inc., NeuroNascent, Inc., Omeros Corporation, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., Polleo Pharma Limited, Pragma Therapeutics, Synchroneuron Inc., Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., TRImaran Pharma, Inc. and Turing Pharmaceuticals AG. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Pipeline market research report of 137 pages is available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/666497-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-pipeline-review-h2-2016.html. Explore more reports on Pharmaceuticals. About Us: ReportsnReports.com is an online market research reports library of 500,000+ in-depth studies of over 5000 micro markets. Not limited to any one industry, ReportsnReports.com offers research studies on agriculture, energy and power, chemicals, environment, medical devices, healthcare, food and beverages, water, advanced materials and much more. Contact: Ritesh Tiwari UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune - 411013 Maharashtra, India. + 1 888 391 5441 [email protected] Connect With Us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReportsnReports/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reportsnreports Twitter: https: //twitter.com/marketsreports G+ / Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/111656568937629536321/posts RSS/Feeds: http: //http://www.reportsnreports.com/feed/l-latestreports.xml SOURCE ReportsnReports CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dallas-based residential mortgage originator PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital company, announces the addition of Adam Dunn as a loan originator to the PrimeLending office located at 496 Bramson Court, Suite 120, in Mount Pleasant. Adam brings more than four years of mortgage industry experience to PrimeLending and previously served as a loan originator at Fifth Third Bank in Charlotte. In his new role, Adam will work with residents in the community on purchase and refinance mortgage loans needed throughout the greater Charleston area. "PrimeLending is excited to help even more families in the Mount Pleasant/Charleston area achieve their dream of homeownership with the hiring of Adam," said Mount Pleasant PrimeLending branch manager Ric Campeau. "Adam is a talented, caring, experienced mortgage professional and is looking forward to continuing his work with clients, REALTORs, builders and the rest of the South Carolina business community." About PrimeLending PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, is a residential mortgage originator with locations across the nation and the ability to originate loans in all 50 states. PrimeLending has listed in the top 10 for three consecutive years as a top mortgage lender in the nation in purchase units.* Offering fixed, adjustable rate, FHA, VA, USDA and jumbo loans, refinancing and relocation programs, PrimeLending is licensed to originate and close loans in all 50 states. Founded in 1986, PrimeLending is a member of the PlainsCapital Corporation family of companies. PlainsCapital Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings (NYSE:HTH). Find more information at PrimeLending.com. Equal Housing Lender. *As Ranked by Marketrac for purchase units nationally for Jan.-Dec. 2012-2015. All loans subject to credit approval. Rates and fees subject to change. Mortgage financing provided by PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company. Equal Housing Lender. 2016 PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company. PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company (NMLS: 13649) is a wholly owned subsidiary of a state-chartered bank and is an exempt lender in SC. V021216. 2016 PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140206/DA60438LOGO SOURCE PrimeLending Related Links http://www.primelending.com HOUSTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE: PWR) today announced that company management will present at the D.A. Davidson Engineering & Construction Conference to be held September 7-8, 2016, in San Francisco. Kip Rupp, vice president, investor relations, will present at the D.A. Davidson Engineering & Construction Conference on Thursday, September 8, 2016, at 7:45 a.m. Pacific time. Quanta's presentation at the D.A. Davidson Engineering & Construction Conference will be broadcast live over the Internet. Live webcast links will be available on Quanta's website at www.quantaservices.com and will also be archived for replay on Quanta's website and through the Quanta Services Investor Relations app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. GET THE QUANTA SERVICES IR APP AND FOLLOW QUANTA IR ON SOCIAL MEDIA The Quanta Services investor relations app is available for free for iPhone and iPad devices at Apple's App Store and for Android devices at Google Play. The Quanta Services investor relations app allows users to navigate the company's investor relations materials including the latest press releases, SEC filings, presentations, videos, audio cast conference calls and stock price information. Sharing functionality via email, Twitter and Facebook is available as well as the ability for investors to be notified when new information is posted to Quanta's IR app. Also, we encourage investors, the media and others interested in our company to follow Quanta Investor Relations and Quanta Services on the social media channels listed on our website in the Investors & Media section. ABOUT QUANTA SERVICES Quanta Services is a leading specialized contracting services company, delivering infrastructure solutions for the electric power and oil and gas industries. Quanta's comprehensive services include designing, installing, repairing and maintaining energy infrastructure. With operations throughout the United States, Canada and Australia and in select other international markets, Quanta has the manpower, resources and expertise to safely complete projects that are local, regional, national or international in scope. For more information, visit www.quantaservices.com. Contacts: Investors - Kip Rupp, CFA Media Deborah Buks and Molly LeCronier Quanta Services, Inc. Ward Creative Communications 713-629-7600 713-869-0707 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110810/MM50805LOGO SOURCE Quanta Services, Inc. Related Links http://www.quantaservices.com WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Torture is "A Plague on Both our Houses" because neither party actually has moved to end it or prosecute perpetrators of the practice, while the CIA continues it in foreign countries, assert former White House spokesman Robert Weiner and policy analyst Daniel Khan in Op-Ed News. The piece is featured as "H2", the number two op-ed in the nation. Weiner and Khan wrote the piece regarding the involvement of the CIA in torture programs. The CIA has been outsourcing torture for years, in addition to contracting and condoning it. Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Trump have offered highly contrasting views on torture, with Clinton opposed and Trump advocating "worse". However, neither candidate mentions the CIA's role in torture, only highlighting the Army's role. Weiner and Khan conclude, "The nation has yet to come to grips with its own truth about what we do about torture." Weiner and Khan said in the article, "The nation is divided as it continues to debate torture of terror detainees. Yet as much as torture is condemned by many, including the President, there really is "a plague on both our houses", since Trump wants "worse" but Democrats have prosecuted no one who created the program or CIA officials (and their administration high ups) who condone and contract it out to foreign countries." They wrote, "The presidential conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia and the ongoing campaigns have reflected the conflict. At a rally in St. Clairsville, Ohio, in response to a question about waterboarding, Trump said, 'I don't think it's tough enough.' He added later that he supported 'much worse.' To sound tough on terror, we heard 'law and order' repeatedly at the Republican Convention in Cleveland." They said, "The Democratic National Convention's platform voted by the delegates July 26 states, 'We reject Donald Trump's suggestion that our military should engage in war crimes, like torturing prisoners.'" Weiner and Khan elaborated, "On July 28, Clinton's Democratic nomination night, Gen. John Allen addressed the delegates: 'I also know our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture, and they will not be ordered to engage in murder or carry out other illegal activities.' Again, it is noteworthy that he referenced our armed forces, not the CIA's or executive branch accountability." The authors noted, "On August 31 in Cincinnati, before the American Legion, Clinton criticized Trump 'if our Commander-in-Chief orders our military to break the laws and commit torture or murder terrorists' family members. That is why it is so critical we get this right.' Yet there is no acknowledgement of the CIA's involvement." The writers pointed out, "At an August 15 rally in Scranton, PA, Vice President Biden said Trump 'knows it's illegal, and says he would still order it even though the military commanders said they would not obey his orders.' Once again, what's missing here from Biden is any mention of who is committing or subcontracting the torture, not the army commanders, but the CIA," according to Weiner and Khan. Weiner and Khan mention that "Despite House Dean and Judiciary Committee Democratic Leader John Conyers' (D-MI) call at the National Press Club back in 2009 for prosecutions, no one has been prosecuted under President Obama." The authors highlight that, "On his second day in office, January 22, 2009, Obama signed an order that an individual in U.S. custody "shall not be subjected to any interrogation technique or approach not authorized by and listed in Army Field Manual." However, the writers contend that "the issue is no longer the Army. The CIA who conducts or farms out the harshest techniques -- has never considered itself subject to the Army Field Manual. Senator McCain, a torture victim in Vietnam, got talked out of an amendment he was offering to mandate CIA adherence in 2006." The authors mention that, "This June 16 at the National Press Club, Morris Davis, the chief prosecutor for Guantanamo's military commissions, stated, 'Until we hold people accountable, we're talking the talk, butwe would consider these war crimes if they were being done to us.'" Weiner and Khan note, "In a March 13, 2015 interview with Fox's Megyn Kelly, CIA Director John Brennan said, 'There are places throughout the world where CIA has worked with other intelligence services and has been able to bring people into custody and engage in the debriefings.' According to the Open Society Foundation, the U.S. has conducted rendition -- farming out torture -- to 54 countries since 9/11. As confirmed by prosecutor Morris at the National Press Club, Guantanamo Bay's director of interrogation, Gen. Jeff Miller, was sent to Iraq's Abu Ghraib to 'Gitmo-ize' the questioning, which as we saw in photos, included bags on heads, prisoners dangled in contorted positions, electric shock to body parts, and extreme cold while forced naked." They go on, "Democrats are better on the issueat least they make statements opposing torture. Yet even this Administration, for whom President Obama issued a powerful statement on June 26 this year for the 'International Day of Victims of Torture', has prosecuted no leader of the practice." They point out, "While no legal action has occurred in America against the U.S. officials that ordered, condoned, coordinated, and engaged in torture, other countries are not so compliant." Weiner and Khan say, "In 2012, Kuala Lumpur, Maylasia's War Crimes Commission found Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and their advisors, Alberto Gonzalez, David Addington, William Hayes, Jay Bybee, and John Yoo guilty of war crimes after trying them in absentia. Spanish prosecutors brought charges against Gonzales. Italy's high court convicted 23 Americans for kidnapping a Muslim cleric, Abu Omar, who claimed to be tortured in Egypt. The United Nations Rapporteur for Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism said, "They are considered as war crimes." The authors explain, "Michael Ratner, a professor at Columbia Law School and former president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, who died this May, said: "The only way to prevent this from happening again is to make sure that those who were responsible for the torture program pay the price for it. I don't see how we regain our moral stature by allowing those who were intimately involved in the torture programs to simply walk off the stage." At the end, the writers point out some hope for transparency: "A civil suit authorized by a Spokane, Washington federal judge against two creators of CIA's interrogation has been brought by the family of Gul Rahman, an Afghan refugee who froze to death at a CIA black site. Steven Watt, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU says, 'This is the first step towards accountability.' The suit is current and documents are being filed." Weiner and Khan conclude, "The nation has yet to come to grips with its own truth about what we do about torture." Robert Weiner is a former spokesman for the Clinton White House and the House Government Operations Committee. He has served as senior staff for Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Congressmen John Conyers, Charles Rangel, Claude Pepper, Ed Koch, and Sen. Edward Kennedy. Daniel Khan is senior policy analyst at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-plague-on-both-our-house-by-Robert-Weiner-Bush_Democrats_Detainees_Interrogation-160902-76.html Head shots: Robert Weiner: http://www.weinerpublic.com/bobweiner2.jpg Daniel Khan: http://www.weinerpublic.com/dkhan.jpg Contacts: Bob Weiner/Ben Lasky 301-283-0821, cell 202-306-1200 [email protected] SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change New products exhibited by the Chinese manufacturer at the show included recently developed high-end washing machine products, including the Beverly II series (the Beverly II pulsator washing machine, the Beverly II drum washing machine and Beverly II dryer), the Smart Hybrid washing machine and the Disney retro washing machine, launched in partnership with the Walt Disney Company. Little Swan, which generally keeps a low profile at home and abroad, attracted extensive interest from visitors to the exhibition with several newly created high-end products. The luxurious and refined exterior and high-end customized interior are the most notable characteristics of the Beverly II line of products. According to information revealed at the show, for the Beverly II products, the manufacturer not only maintained the highly disciplined approach that Chinese artisans have towards its handcrafted goods, but also adopted the advanced European Kimber process as a component of the production protocols. The brand has combined the diamond cutting process with seamless welder technology when building the machine bodies, followed by polishing masters who spend more than 300 hours in polishing the machine surfaces. The highly refined exterior has won great applause from visitors, while the interior components fully demonstrate the power of "intelligently made in China". In addition to the features of the first generation of Beverly washing machines, the Beverly II series comes equipped with a brand-new smart customized system comprised of a personalized user interface allowing for customized clothes washing and aftercare processes as well as a more user-friendly and accurate detergent delivery system, creating an unprecedented experience for users in terms of the end-to-end laundry process. Visitors are not only getting to see new products, but also to catch a glimpse of what the future may look like! Little Swan, as a representative of Chinese brands, is at the forefront of the smart washing machine market. At IFA, the washing machine maker from China is showcasing to the world the fruits of its 38 years of craftsmanship, with the Beverly II series of washing machines as the latest masterpieces. Little Swan products exhibited at the event once again served to change the popular perception among foreign consumers that Chinese-made products are cheap and of poor quality. The finely-crafted Beverly II series of products also corrects the geographical prejudice on craftsmanship - the countries of Europe and North America are not the sole masters of technology, while Chinese engineers are showing themselves to be quite impressive in what they can design and deliver. At IFA and at similar events around the world, Little Swan is showing the world what defines a master creation, as well as the Chinese brand's determination to succeed in the international arena. Just maybe, the Beverly II lineup will be what leads a new trend in the world of domestic appliances. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160902/403783 SOURCE Little Swan HONOLULU, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) will announce today the launch of its large-scale effort to quantify the conservation benefits associated with well-managed forests stretching across North America from British Columbia to Florida. Forests certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard cover more than 280 million acres/113 million hectares. Millions more acres/hectares benefit from the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard. The SFI Conservation Impact Project focuses on developing metrics for climate change mitigation, water quality and biodiversity, to encourage forest health, conservation and sound management. Quantifying these environmental benefits will also enable the SFI community to understand and promote the conservation values associated with sustainably managed forests. "Having robust conservation data directly linked to sustainable forestry will help people take pride in the environmental benefits, like clean water and carbon storage, that we all enjoy from well-managed forests," said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. "We firmly believe that the future of forests and the environment depends on understanding the contributions of sustainable forest management." The SFI Conservation Impact Project will be launched at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress to reflect the importance SFI places on building networks with the world's leading conservationists. The IUCN's collaborative, community-based approach to conservation is consistent with SFI's conservation work. SFI became a member of IUCN in April. "SFI is well-positioned to make a contribution to our alliance of key scientists and decision-makers. We are looking forward to the results of SFI's work on measuring conservation values in working forests and how it will help deliver global conservation and nature-based solutions," said Stewart Maginnis, Global Director of IUCN's Nature-based Solutions Group. A large part of these conservation efforts are driven by SFI Program Participants. SFI certification standards require them to collaborate to support research to improve forest health, conservation understanding, productivity and sustainable management of forest resources. SFI is the only forest certification program in North America with a research requirement resulting in $1.6 billion of investments from SFI Program Participants since 1995. In 2015 alone, 400 different conservation and research projects were reported by SFI Program Participants. "By working closely with SFI Program Participants that are linked to millions of acres of forestland, we are helping to document how responsibly managed forests provide habitat for at-risk bird species, and to identify means of jointly enhancing this management to benefit birds still further," said Mike Parr, Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer at the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), an SFI partner. Parr will be present at the IUCN conference for the launch of SFI's Conservation Impact Project. He will be joined by Healy Hamilton, Chief Scientist and Vice President for Conservation Science at NatureServe, another SFI partner. SFI's partnerships with ABC and NatureServe are just two important examples of how SFI is collaborating with scientists to help quantify conservation impact. SFI is also formally engaging with the wider scientific community in other ways. "To guide the SFI Conservation Impact Project, we have brought together a diverse group of scientists and leaders from academia, public agencies, the non-profit conservation community, SFI Program Participants and the SFI leadership. This diverse group of individuals will act as a sounding board to help ensure credibility and transparency, and will provide direct input into how the project develops," said Paul Trianosky, Chief Conservation Officer at SFI. "SFI's Conservation Impact Project will ultimately facilitate continual improvement in forest management practices, help ensure that these forests contribute meaningfully to conservation goals, and help build confidence in the users of sustainably sourced forest products about their connection to conservation outcomes." About the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) stands for future forests. SFI is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting forest sustainability and supporting the links between sustainable forests and communities through grant programs, carefully targeted research, direct leadership of critical initiatives, and partnerships that effectively contribute to multiple conservation objectives. SFI's Forest Management, Fiber Sourcing and Chain of Custody Standards work to ensure the health and future of forests. Through application of these certification standards, SFI's on-product labels help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. SFI Inc. is governed by an independent, three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally. Learn more about SFI's conservation work at sfiprogram.org/conservation and download a printable factsheet. SOURCE Sustainable Forestry Initiative Related Links http://sfiprogram.org/conservation "Stamps Scholars have the opportunity to engage in extraordinary educational experiences at the University of Miami and around the world," said UM President Julio Frenk. "We are grateful to Penny and Roe Stamps for their generous support of these future leaders." The Stamps Scholarship covers all expenses for four years of undergraduate study and provides additional funds to support enrichment opportunities. Other benefits of the Stamps Scholarship include: participation in a national day of service; access to a growing network of scholars and alumni; and opportunities to attend biennial conventions, where Scholars are able to network with one another and learn from recognized leaders. Four incoming freshmen have been selected as Stamps Scholars across a range of disciplines at the University of Miami. These scholars include: Joshua Kleinman, Naperville, Ill., international studies; Alanna Muldowney, Ormond Beach, Fla., electrical engineering; Ezra Remer, New Orleans, La., motion pictures; and Rebecca Wagner, Menomonee Falls, Wis., marine science and computer science. "I am forever grateful for the generosity of the Stamps family for giving me a life-changing opportunity to pursue my dreams and attend the University of Miami. I am so very excited to become a member of the Stamps Scholars community and to connect with other passionate, like minded students," said Muldowney. Five incoming freshmen have been selected as Stamps Scholars at the University of Miami's Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music. These talented students benefit from a unique transformative academic and musical experience, and represent the Frost School when they perform at prestigious venues. The incoming Frost School of Music Stamps Scholars are Logan Butler, Glen Saint Mary, Fla.; Cameron Daly, Albany, Ca.; Thomas Graf, Succasunna, N.J.; Peter McFarland, Yorktown, Ind.; and Cameron Zhen, Coral Springs, Fla. As instrumental performance majors, the freshmen scholars will make up the Stamps Brass Quintet. The Stamps Distinguished Ensembles also include the Stamps String Quartet, the Stamps Woodwind Quintet and the Stamps Jazz Quintet. Daly, a Stamps Scholar in the Stamps Brass Quintet, said "the opportunities this scholarship affords meextra time with professors, more performance opportunities, travel, exposure to a quintessential style of musicare exciting both personally and academically. Music means everything to me, so being able to study it at a high level in a school as prestigious and innovative as Frost is really amazing." "The University of Miami appreciates the generosity and commitment to higher education by Penny and Roe Stamps," said Thomas J. LeBlanc, UM Executive Vice President and Provost. "The Stamps Scholars program provides UM with the ability to attract some of the most extraordinary students in the country and empowers them to realize their highest aspirations." "We're very excited about this new class of Stamps Scholars," said Roe Stamps, founder and chairman of the Stamps Foundation. "A hearty congratulations to the University of Miami for selecting and attracting such a wonderful group of students." Penny and Roe Stamps served as campaign vice chairs for Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami. Roe is a member of UM's Board of Trustees and the Visiting Committee at the Frost School of Music, and also recently served on the Presidential Search Committee. - www.news.miami.edu - The University of Miami's mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of our diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. About The Stamps Family Charitable Foundation In 2006, Penny and Roe Stamps created merit scholarship programs for undergraduates at their alma maters The University of Michigan and Georgia Tech. Since then, the Stamps Scholars community has grown into a nationwide network of colleges and universities with more than 1,300 current and alumni Scholars. Learn more at StampsFoundation.org. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160902/403800 SOURCE University of Miami Related Links http://welcome.miami.edu/ LILONGWE, Malawi, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the Malawi Police Service took joint action to secure evidence of theft, diversion, and resale of U.S. Government-funded antimalarial commodities. The police action resulted from information provided through hotlines under the USAID OIG's "Make a Difference" (MAD) Malaria campaign and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria OIG's 'I Speak Out Now!' campaign. The USAID OIG launched the MAD Malaria campaign in Malawi in April 2016, working with the U.S. Embassy and Malawi's Ministry of Health. The launch coincided with the start of the Global Fund OIG's campaign 'I Speak Out Now!' Both campaigns urge local communities across Malawi to fight back against the theft and counterfeiting of antimalarial drugs and other commodities. The MAD Malaria hotline is central to USAID OIG's campaign, offering individuals a reward of up to $10,000 in return for usable and previously unknown information on possible theft, transportation, resale, or falsification of U.S.-funded antimalarial commodities. To date, the hotline has received dozens of tips. "This week's action truly underscores the importance of the information we receive through the MAD Malaria hotline," said USAID Inspector General Ann Calvaresi Barr. "I commend the work of our investigative team, along with our local and international partners, in pursuing hotline tips to protect these life-saving commodities." "This police action shows that there are consequences when you steal drugs," said Global Fund Inspector General Mouhamadou Diagne. "The Global Fund has zero tolerance for wrongdoing in the programs it finances. We encourage all Malawians to speak out if they see drugs being stolen." Malaria is endemic in 95 percent of Malawi, threatening millions of lives each year. To combat the disease and help save lives, the United States has provided millions of dollars in commodities and other assistance through the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative and the Global Fund. In Malawi, U.S. Government support provides nearly all of the no-cost antimalarial drugs available to Malawians suffering from the disease. At this time, USAID OIG specifically seeks information pertaining to the logistics, operational methods, and procedures used in the theft of U.S. Government-funded antimalarial commodities and by the suppliers of counterfeit medicine. Any person with specific knowledge of theft or counterfeiting of antimalarial commodities in Malawi is urged to contact the MAD Malaria hotline immediately. By telephone, call 800 00 847 (toll free) By email, [email protected] Information is treated in confidence and USAID OIG protects the identity of each complainant to the maximum extent provided by law. MAD Malaria hotlines in Nigeria and Benin also offer monetary rewards for information about the theft and counterfeiting of antimalarial commodities. Individuals in those countries are urged to report information as follows: In Nigeria , call 8099937319 (toll free), from the Etisalat mobile network , call 8099937319 (toll free), from the Etisalat mobile network In Benin , call 81000100 to be connected via operator to 855-484-1033 (toll free) , call 81000100 to be connected via operator to 855-484-1033 (toll free) By email from any location, [email protected] http://oig.usaid.gov/ SOURCE USAID OIG AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Money Reserve president, Philip N. Diehl, was named the new chairman of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA) at the association's Board of Directors meeting last week. Diehl, also the former Director of the U.S. Mint, served as vice chair of the ICTA Board of Directors prior to being named chair of the association. The Industry Council for Tangible Assets is the "watchdog" for the rare coins, paper money, and precious-metals bullion communities. They maintain a favorable regulatory climate throughout all 50 states and provide a medium through which its members may confer, consult, and cooperate with and educate governmental and other agencies to achieve solutions to problems affecting their businesses. Diehl is credited with leading and accomplishing the most ambitious legislative effort ICTA had ever undertaken at the state level. The project involved reforming a 2013 Minnesota statute, which imposed unreasonable regulatory burdens on bullion and numismatic dealers and customers. Utilizing his experience in Washington and as a former state regulator, Diehl designed and executed ICTA's legislative and communications strategies. In the end, Diehl and ICTA successfully had the MN legislature pass their bill which Governor Mark Dayton signed into law in May 2016. As the new chairman, Philip Diehl's goals are to focus on increasing ICTA's value to its members, growing ICTA's membership base and financial resources, and improving communication and cooperation among major industry organizations. "I'm honored to serve in this capacity for our organization," said Diehl. "I'm excited about our strategic initiatives and the opportunity to move ICTA forward as the leading association for numismatic legislative and regulatory affairs." Diehl is considered one of the most accomplished U.S. Mint Directors in history, and as president of one of the world's largest private distributors of U.S. and foreign government-issued gold, silver and platinum legal tender products, he is widely considered a credible and trustworthy source for the precious metals market. For more information, or to speak with company leadership at U.S. Money Reserve, please contact Jim Warren at 512-583-6514 or [email protected] or Lacy Rushin at [email protected] or visit www.usmoneyreserve.com. About U.S. Money Reserve U.S. Money Reserve is one of the nation's largest private distributors of U.S. government-issued gold, silver and platinum products. Founded in 2001, U.S. Money Reserve has grown into one of the world's largest private distributors of U.S. and foreign government-issued gold, silver and platinum legal tender products. Hundreds of thousands of clients across the country rely on U.S. Money Reserve to diversify their assets with physical precious metals, primarily in the form of U.S. gold and silver coins. U.S. Money Reserve's uniquely trained team includes coin research and numismatic professionals equipped with expert market knowledge to find products that offer the highest profit potential for precious metals buyers at every level. U.S. Money Reserve goes above the industry standard to provide superior customer service, with the goal of establishing a long-term relationship with each and every one of its customers. U.S. Money Reserve is based in Austin, Texas. Like them on Facebook, connect on LinkedIn, and follow on Twitter @USMoneyReserve. Contact: Jim Warren [email protected] 512-583-6514 Lacy Rushin [email protected] 512-228-8563 SOURCE U.S. Money Reserve Related Links https://www.usmoneyreserve.com CHADDS FORD, Pa., Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vizant (www.vizant.com), a business intelligence and thought leadership firm, with a specialty focus in the areas of inbound and outbound payments, treasury management and financial operations, proudly announces a new partnership with Builders Mutual Insurance Company. Builders Mutual Insurance Company, (www.buildersmutual.com) headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a leading writer of commercial insurance for the construction industry in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Builders Mutual provides insurance coverage exclusively to the construction industry. They offer a complete line of property and casualty insurance products, from commercial to residential insurance, from workers' compensation to general liability. They work with their clients to reduce risks, prevent fines, and to ensure that construction projects go as smoothly as possible. Builders Mutual works with customers through safety education, risk management consulting, and offer complete insurance coverage. The company provides coverage to more than 19,000 policyholders through more than 4,000 sales agents. Vizant is excited to add this prestigious Company to its client portfolio in the Insurance Industry. "We are proud of our work in the insurance sector and we are very pleased to welcome such a highly regarded Insurance Company to the Vizant community," said Joseph Bizzarro, CEO of Vizant. "We are looking forward to working with Builders Mutual Insurance Company to provide their team of professionals with solutions to implement innovative and ROI driven solutions in the areas of payments, treasury and financial operations. I am delighted that Builders Mutual Insurance Company has entered into a partnership with Vizant." Vizant is an advisory, business intelligence and thought leadership firm. We specialize in the financial areas of inbound and outbound payments, treasury operations and management and financial operations. Vizant partners with its clients to implement actionable and real world solutions that maximize the efficiency and reduce the ongoing costs of their payments, treasury and financial operations. Vizant's business model is truly unique and it stands alone in the world of professional services and advisory firms. We stand behind our solutions with a 100% performance based professional fee model that clearly validates our expertise. Vizant currently has offices in Pennsylvania, Charlotte, Washington, London and Toronto. Contact: Amanda Bruton 1-610-358-3667 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160323/347329LOGO SOURCE Vizant Related Links http://www.vizant.com BRISBANE, Calif., Sept. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC:KBIO), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing medicines for patients with neglected and rare diseases, announced the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the companys Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, and its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. The filings mark an important step towards the achievement of one of the companys key near-term goals of regaining compliance with periodic reporting requirements of the SEC and to seek relisting on a national securities exchange. Our momentum continues to build due to our intense focus on executing our strategic priorities, said Cameron Durrant, MD, KaloBios chairman and CEO. We intend to be back in compliance with our filings as expeditiously as possible, as we also work to strengthen our financial position and accelerate our pipeline programs. KaloBios emerged from bankruptcy on June 30, 2016, with new management and a transformational strategy, including the Responsible Pricing Model. About KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC:KBIO) is an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing medicines for patients with neglected and rare diseases through innovative and responsible business models. Lead compounds in the KaloBios portfolio are benznidazole for the potential treatment of Chagas disease in the U.S., and the proprietary monoclonal antibodies, lenzilumab and ifabotuzumab (formerly KB004), for the potential treatment of various solid and hematologic cancers such as CMML and potentially JMML. For more information, visit www.kalobios.com. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect managements current knowledge, assumptions, judgment and expectations regarding future performance or events. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such statements are reasonable, they give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and you should be aware that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Words such as will, expect, intend, plan, potential, possible, goals, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements related to regaining compliance with periodic reporting requirements, re-listing on a national securities exchange and the companys future financial position. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the Companys ability to execute its revised strategy and business plan; the ability of the Company to regain compliance with reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission; the ability of the Company to list its common stock on a national securities exchange; the success of the Companys clinical trials for its product pipeline; the Companys access to limited cash reserves and its ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all, including the additional capital which will be necessary to complete the clinical trials that the Company has initiated or plans to initiate; the potential timing and outcomes of clinical studies of benznidazole, lenzilumab, ifabotuzumab or any other products undertaken now or in the future; the commercial viability of the Companys proposed drug pricing program; the ability of the Company to timely source adequate supply of its development products from third-party manufacturers on whom the Company depends; the potential, if any, for future development of any of its present or future products; the Company's ability to successfully progress, partner or complete further development of its programs; the ability of the Company to identify and develop additional products; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing; the timing, cost and uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals; the uncertainty of receiving a Priority Review Voucher; the Company's ability to protect the Company's intellectual property; competition; changes in the regulatory landscape or the imposition of regulations that affect the Company's products; and the various risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's periodic and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The company has no obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) successfully demonstrated their UAV optimization technologies using aerial command and control (C2) of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The demonstration marks another successful milestone in the joint WUT-Lockheed Martin advanced applied research program on optimization of diverse fleets of aircraft, and concepts associated with manned-unmanned command and control of airborne platform systems. "These technologies have tremendous commercial and military potential as the world moves toward greater and greater use of unmanned aerial systems," said Prof. Janusz Narkiewicz, head of WUT's Department of Automation and Aeronautical Systems. "Understanding how different assets can interoperate, communicate, and serve common objectives with maximum efficiency is a challenging task in the growing field of UAV technologies." Through the use of advanced mathematic calculations, and a systems-of-systems approach, the technology bolsters mission efficiency by adapting the fleet's commanded flight paths, speeds, division of duties, and sensor performance. Modeling all the constraints of the task at hand, the students calculate the "best answer," usually beating either the human best guess or simpler approaches by 10 to 20 percent. The goal of the team's latest project was to advance previous optimization work by incorporating airborne C2, improving user interfaces, and testing new methods for related subroutines. With a vision of ultimately developing fast dynamically adaptive approaches to live management of a UAV fleet, this work is an important contribution to the concept of manned-unmanned teaming, where manned assets operate seamlessly with surrogate UAVs, often controlling many at a time against specific tasks. This technology demonstrates that, with the right tools, an operator may adapt to changing scenarios, calculate new solutions, and deploy those new, optimized solutions to the fleet of commanded aircraft, whether for civil or military purposes. The recent demonstration can be equated to a search and rescue task, where every minute shaved off of a search pattern could be the difference between life and death. In another example, if UAVs were to be used to deliver small packages to consumers, the 10 to 20 percent performance improvement could be the competitive edge that keeps an operation in business ahead of the competition. The program builds on the strong industrial and academic partnership between Poland and Lockheed Martin aimed at motivating young Polish engineers to address tomorrow's defense and industrial needs. WUT and Lockheed Martin are seeking new Polish partners to further advance Polish research and development capabilities on manned-unmanned airborne platform system integration. For additional information, please visit WUT's website: https://www.pw.edu.pl/engpw About Warsaw University of Technology Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland and one of the largest in Central Europe. WUT continues the tradition of the Preparatory School for the Institute of Technology set up in Warsaw in 1826. The many generations of engineers it turned out and its significant contributions to the development of technical sciences earned the Warsaw University of Technology an acclaimed position in the country as well as international renown. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 98,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160210/331919LOGO SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Related Links http://www.lockheedmartin.com ORMOND BEACH, Fla., Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Security First Insurance advises Floridians with damage to homes in the wake of Hurricane Hermine to submit claims and avoid the use of contractors that arrive at their door unannounced. "We understand that homeowners will be looking to return their lives back to normal in the aftermath of the storm. The first step is to submit a claim and we strongly encourage any homeowner with property damage to refrain from signing any documentation they do not fully understand," said Werner Kruck, Chief Operating Officer of Security First Insurance. Unfortunately, insurance fraud increases significantly after a major disaster. It is important that homeowners refrain from signing over rights to their claims, especially to contractors who arrive at their door unannounced and make promises to take over the claim process. That's a red flag. The misuse of an Assignment of Benefits agreement by contractors is a very real threat. Security First Insurance has a team of professionals on call to help homeowners restore their home by hiring qualified, vetted professionals. The goal is to help return families to the lives they enjoyed in the great state of Florida before the storm. To learn more about Assignment of Benefits visit securityfirstflorida.com/aob To download a free guide containing important information on how to research and hire a contractor visit securityfirstflorida.com/contractortips Security First Insurance offers several ways for policyholders to easily submit claims: 877-581-4862 : 24-hour Call Center and Claims Hotline : 24-hour Call Center and Claims Hotline SecurityFirstFlorida.com : Online Policyholder Service Center : Online Policyholder Service Center Security First Mobile: free apps for Android and iPhone devices providing timely mobile claims submission and links to helpful resources Policyholders with a flood policy through Security First Insurance's partnership with Wright can report a claim at 800-725-9472. Additionally, Security First Insurance has established an SMS code to communicate with customers whose internet, mobile network and/or landline services have been impacted by the storm. Those customers can text MYSFI (69734) to start the claim process or request information. Because of SMS limitations, it's preferred that customers try to use other communication methods first. Security First Insurance encourages residents to continue to heed warnings by local public safety officials and to monitor news broadcasts for instructions regarding temporary housing, school cancellations, and other pertinent information. About Security First Insurance Headquartered in Ormond Beach, Fla., Security First Insurance is built on nearly 100 years of history and experience in the insurance industry. The company has an acute understanding of Floridians' vulnerability to natural catastrophe. Company founder, Locke Burt, was serving in the Florida Senate in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew made landfall. It was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, leaving behind more than $26 billion in insured losses and a crippled insurance industry. Locke wanted better for the state and its residents and created Security First Insurance. The company now serves policyholders living across the state, storm after storm, year after year. Security First Insurance has been assigned a Financial Stability Rating (FSR) of A, Exceptional, from Demotech, Inc. and is strongly committed to improving Florida's homeowners insurance market and initiatives that support and protect residents and communities of the Sunshine State. Follow the company on Twitter (@SecurityFirstFL) or Facebook (facebook.com/InsuringFloridaHomes) for updates. Media contacts: Kirsten Stroud [email protected] Office: 386.301.4994 Cell: 386.679.8761 Gail K. Warner [email protected] Office: 386.256.3273 Cell: 803.701.0316 SOURCE Security First Insurance Related Links http://www.securityfirstflorida.com COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For 95 years, grandparents have passed their love of the Crave onto the next generation of Cravers their grandchildren. September is National Grandparents Month, and this year, White Castle, through its Castle Shares initiative, is honoring the special bond grandparents and grandchildren share by investing in the next generations' future. Throughout the month of September, grandparents and grandchildren across the country are invited to enter a contest on social media for a chance to win one of 10 $250 cash prizes. Grandparents can put the money towards their grandchildren's education or use it to create more memorable moments together. "As a family-owned business, we understand the key role grandparents play in our lives," said Jamie Richardson, White Castle vice president. "At White Castle, we celebrate Grandparents Month by encouraging older generations of Cravers to share precious memories and valuable life lessons with their grandchildren." During National Grandparents Month, White Castle invites Cravers of all generations to share pictures and videos of their family's memorable moments on Instagram or Twitter, using the hashtag #WCGrandparentsContest. "We're very fortunate to have such a loyal, dedicated fan base," said Richardson. "Our Cravers are passionate about White Castle, and at White Castle, we feel strongly about giving back to the communities and people we serve on a daily basis. We celebrate memorable moments, and to be able to provide this special opportunity for grandparents and their grandchildren is priceless." The contest runs from September 1 to September 30, 2016. For contest rules and regulations, please visit https://www.whitecastle.com/promotions/grandparents. About White Castle White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain based in Columbus, Ohio, is celebrating 95 years as a family-owned business. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921 serving The Original Slider which was named the most influential burger of all time in 2014 by Time. All White Castle Sliders are made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 12 states and has two dedicated Crave Mobiles that attended hundreds of events in 2015. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries as well as three frozen food processing plants. The retail division markets White Castle signature products in grocery, club stores, convenience stores, vending operations and concessions across the United States and in a growing number of international locations, including military base exchanges around the world. WhiteCastle.com is a culture center for Cravers, the chain's loyal and passionate fan base, connecting like-minded Slider enthusiasts from around the globe in a social media setting. For more information on White Castle and to see the Craver Hall of Fame, visit whitecastle.com. About Castle Shares By feeding hunger, hope and dreams, the White Castle family helps build strong, thriving, Craver communities through the Castle Shares program. Founder Billy Ingram believed in taking care of people and giving back to the community. His philosophy still remains a focus of the family-owned business after 95 years. White Castle donates over $2 million every year to a variety of charities across the nation. In 2015, White Castle raised a record $940,000 through its Autism Puzzle Piece campaign, which was donated to Autism Speaks. The White Castle family supports more than 50 charities each year with volunteers, money and food donations. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130409/CL91655LOGO-b SOURCE White Castle Related Links http://www.whitecastle.com HOUSTON, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (the "Company") today announced the expiration and final results for its previously announced exchange offer and consent solicitation to eligible holders of its outstanding 8.500% Senior Notes due 2019 (the "Existing Notes") for up to (i) 76,590,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, of the Company (the "Shares"), (ii) $202.5 million aggregate principal amount of its new Senior Second Lien PIK Toggle Notes due 2020 (the "New Second Lien Notes") and (iii) $180.0 million aggregate principal amount of its new Senior Third Lien PIK Toggle Notes due 2021 (the "New Third Lien Notes" and, together with the New Second Lien Notes and the Shares, the "New Securities") pursuant to the terms of the offering memorandum and consent solicitation statement, as amended, and the related letter of transmittal (together, the "Offering Documents"). At a Special Meeting of the Company's shareholders held on September 1, 2016 (the "Special Meeting"), the increase in the Company's authorized common stock to 200,000,000 shares and the issuance of the Shares were approved. For more information regarding the Special Meeting results, please see the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2016. The Company has been informed by the information agent for the exchange offer that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 1, 2016, a total of approximately $710.2 million, or approximately 78.9%, of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes were validly tendered. The Company has accepted for exchange all of the validly tendered Existing Notes. As a result, approximately 60.4 million Shares, $159.8 million aggregate principal amount of New Second Lien Notes and $142.0 million aggregate principal amount of New Third Lien Notes will be issued upon settlement of the exchange offer, which is expected to occur on or about September 7, 2016. In addition, the requisite consents were received to approve the proposed amendment to the indenture governing the Existing Notes. The New Securities offered by the Company have not been registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities laws and, unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The exchange offer and consent solicitation was not made to holders of Existing Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to purchase or a solicitation of consents with respect to, any securities. About W&T Offshore W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. The Company currently has working interests in approximately 54 fields in federal and state waters (50 producing and four fields capable of producing) and has under lease approximately 750,000 gross acres, including approximately 450,000 gross acres on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf and approximately 300,000 gross acres in the deepwater. A majority of the Company's daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T Offshore, please visit the Company's website at www.wtoffshore.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events, based on what it believes are reasonable assumptions. No assurance can be given, however, that these events will occur. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, among other things, market conditions, oil and gas price volatility, uncertainties inherent in oil and gas production operations and estimating reserves, unexpected future capital expenditures, competition, the success of the Company's risk management activities, governmental regulations, uncertainties and other factors discussed in W&T Offshore's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and subsequent Form 10-Q reports found at www.sec.gov or at the Company's website at www.wtoffshore.com under the Investor Relations section. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosures and risk factors in these reports. CONTACT: Lisa Elliott Danny Gibbons Dennard Lascar Associates SVP & CFO [email protected] [email protected] 713-529-6600 713-624-7326 SOURCE W&T Offshore, Inc. Related Links http://www.wtoffshore.com BEIJING, Sept. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. ("Xinyuan" or "the Company") (NYSE: XIN), an NYSE-listed real estate developer and property manager primarily in China and recently in other countries, today announced that Mr. Guangrui Xiao has resigned as a director of the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") for personal reasons. Mr. Yong Zhang, Xinyuan's Chairman, commented, "On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Mr. Xiao for his service to Xinyuan. His experience and counsel contributed to our success and we wish him the best in his future endeavors." About Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. ("Xinyuan") is an NYSE-listed real estate developer and property manager primarily in China and recently in other countries. In China, the Company develops and manages large scale, high quality real estate projects in over ten tier one and tier two cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Xi'an, Suzhou, among others. Xinyuan was one of the first Chinese real estate developers to enter the U.S. market and over the past few years has been active in real estate development in New York. The Company aims to provide comfortable and convenient real estate related products and services to middle-class consumers. For more information, please visit http://www.xyre.com. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements". These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements includes statements about intended use of proceeds and can generally be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical statements are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, including, but not limited to, our ability to continue to implement our business model successfully; our ability to secure adequate financing for our project development; our ability to successfully sell or complete our property projects under construction and planning; our ability to enter into new geographic markets and expand our operations; the marketing and sales ability of our third-party sales agents; the performance of our third-party contractors; the impact of laws, regulations and policies relating to real estate developers and the real estate industry in the countries in which we operate; our ability to obtain permits and licenses to carry on our business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; competition from other real estate developers; the growth of the real estate industry in the markets in which we operate; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in the markets in which we operate; and other risks outlined in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or review publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statement is made. For more information, please contact: Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. Ms. May Shen Investor Relations Director Tel: +86 (10) 8588-9376 Email: [email protected] ICR, LLC Investors: William Zima In U.S.: +1-646-308-1472 In China: +86 (10) 6583 7511 Email: [email protected] Media: Edmond Lococo In China: +86 (10) 6583-7510 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. Related Links http://www.xyre.com KATY, Texas, Sept. 2, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Principal Management Group of Houston, an Associa company, recently hosted a training event focused on the challenges faced by HOA board members. The seminar, "The ABCs of Being a Director and Officer of a Texas Property Owners' Association," was presented by Bartley & Spears attorney Neil McLaurin on August 18 at the Seven Meadows Clubhouse in Katy. "We host similar seminars a few times a year so our board members can stay connected and up-to-date about the latest management tools, state laws, industry trends and best practices," says PMG Houston Vice President David Orr. "This industry is constantly changing and we're proud to be able to provide our board members and homeowners with unparalleled training opportunities and educational resources to better serve their communities." More than 30 board members from surrounding communities turned out to make the event a huge success. They were able to gain insight from the guest speaker and also interact with community management professionals from PMG Houston and network with other board members. Building and managing successful communities for more than 37 years, Associa is the worldwide leader in community management with over 10,000 employees operating more than 180 branch offices in the United States, Mexico, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. Based in Dallas, Texas, our industry expertise, financial strength and innovation meet the unique needs of clients across the world with customized services and solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more about Associa and its charitable organization, Associa Cares, go to www.associaonline.com or www.associacares.com. Stay Connected: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/associa/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/associamarketing Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Associaonline/ Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=41313 Sorry! The requested post has been removed or deleted by its author. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Dhaka, Aug 30 : The Supreme Court of Bangladesh on Tuesday upheld the death penalty for condemned war criminal Mir Quasem Ali. A five-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha gave the verdict rejecting Quasem's appeal to review his death penalty, reported the Dhaka Tribune. On November 2, 2014, International Crimes Tribunal-2 awarded capital punishment to then 63-year-old Jamaat leader over criminal charges committed by him during the 1971 Liberation War, reported the Daily Star. The Appellate Division upheld the verdict on March 8. On June 19, Quasem submitted his petition seeking a review of death penalty. The Al-Badr militia commander of 1971 can now seek President's mercy by repenting for his crimes, reported bdnews24.com. Quasem's family has branded the judgement a "judicial killing". A key player behind the formation of notorious al-Badr force in Chittagong during the Liberation War, Quasem had set up makeshift torture camps at different places. He was known as "Bangali Khan" for his atrocities. United Nations, Aug 30 : The campaign to elect a woman as the next UN Secretary General faltered with men keeping the top spots in the third preliminary poll of Security Council members on Monday that showed some dramatic shifts reflecting the intense lobbying. Portugal's former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres maintained his lead with 11 positive votes and Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak shot up with nine positive votes to the second spot from the second lowest ranking in the last poll on August 5. UNESCO head Irina Bokova got seven positive votes and moved up to the third spot from fifth. In the geographic rotation of the top UN job, it is the turn of a European and nations from the East have laid claim to it because all the three secretaries general from the continent have been from the West. Bokova fits the bill as both a woman and an East European. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has endorsed the idea of a woman succeeding him, saying "it's high time now" with so "many distinguished, motivated women leaders who can really change this world". More than 40 countries have come together in the Group of Friends in Favor of a Woman for Secretary-General to campaign for the cause at the UN. Last December General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft and the then Security Council President Samantha Power of the United States jointly called for nomination of women for the job of the world's top diplomat. But the Council made up of 14 are men and a lone woman, Power, has favored men in the three informal polls. The race is still open as more informal voting, known as straw polls, are to be held till the five permanent members with veto powers can agree on a candidate who also has majority support in the Council to recommend to the 193-member General Assembly. The Assembly has rubber-stamped the Council recommendations for the eight secretary generals so far. The two men topping the poll, who are the only ones to gain more than half the number of positive votes in the Council, and any one else who emerges in the lead still face the risk of a veto by a Council permanent member. All the candidates have received negative votes, with Gutteres receiving the least -- three. At this stage of informal voting, it was not known if a permanent member voted against them as Council did not use the customary coloured ballots to distinguish theirs. Vuk Jeremic, a former Serbian Foreign Minister, who was in the second place in the last poll dropped to the third spot, which he shared with Bokova. Two women candidates who were thought to have an edge did not make headway in the latest poll. Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, who is Ban's former chief of staff, was the top vote-getter in the last poll but came in at the fifth spot. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who heads the UN Development Programme, stayed at the seventh rank. Next month her country assumes the presidency of the Council and to avoid any conflict of interest its Permanent Representative Gerard van Bohemen will ask Russia to conduct the straw polls, according to New Zealand media reports. Russia is set to take over the Council presidency in October and this will enable its Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin to oversee the polls over two crucial months. Of the 12 who were nominated for the Secretary General post, two have dropped out and more may leave the race after seeing their performance in the straw polls. The election process began by breaking with the tradition of secrecy. Lykketoft had the candidates named publicly and put them through a series of meetings at which they presented their agenda and member countries and civil society organisation representatives questioned them. But the Council has retreated behind the traditional veil of secrecy where it can conveniently make deals. Malaysia's Permanent Representative Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, who presides over the Council this month, told reporters that he could not disclose the voting as the Council had decided to keep it a secret. Lykketoft criticised the Council saying it "does not live up to the expectations of the membership and the new standard of openness and transparency." The voting results, however, leaked and the World Federation of United Nations Associations cross-checked the various leaks and released the consolidated results within minutes. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) Moscow, Aug 30 : Russia on Tuesday said that reports of the death of Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov remain unconfirmed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they have no new information regarding Karimov, Sputnik news agency reported. "There are no new comments. We know that there have been various reports that remain unconfirmed. We have no new information at this point," Peskov said. The spokesman noted that Russian and Uzbek authorities maintain close contacts through diplomatic channels. Ankara, Aug 30 : Turkey has been accused of "expanding its occupation" inside war-torn Syria after dozens of civilians were killed in its recent push to oust the Islamic State, media reported on Tuesday. Rebels backed by Turkey have driven US-allied Kurdish forces from a number of towns and villages in northern Syria with Ankara looking to push the militants east of the Euphrates River in an operation which has so far claimed at least 35 civilian lives. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party has condemned what it said was international silence regarding "Turkish occupation" of Syria, the Daily Mail reported. Turkey's involvement in the Syrian civil war last week was aimed at helping the Syrian rebels drive the IS out of the border town of Jarablus. On Tuesday, the US Pentagon described clashes between Turkish and Kurdish forces in Syria as "unacceptable" and called on all sides to "stand down". "We are closely monitoring reports of clashes south of Jarabulus -- where IS is no longer located -- between the Turkish armed forces, some opposition groups, and units that are affiliated with the SDF (Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces)," he said. "We want to make clear that we find these clashes unacceptable and they are a source of deep concern." Speaking at a rally in the border town of Gaziantep, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his military is committed to fighting terrorism in Syria and Iraq to "uproot" the Syrian Kurdish group, calling it a terrorist organisation. Turkey is part of the US-led coalition fighting the IS, but the air strikes that began on Saturday marked the first time it has targeted Kurdish-led forces in Syria. Jammu, Aug 30 : A soldier was killed and another injured on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Jammu district even as the army foiled an infiltration bid from across the Line of Control (LoC), defence sources said. A defence sources told IANS that Lance Naik Rajender Singh of 2 Raj Rifles was killed in Akhnoor sector of the LoC in Jammu where an infiltration bid from Pakistan side by guerrillas was foiled, not Sunderbani sector in Rajouri district as earlier informed and the soldiers concerned identified as of 3 Raj Rifles. "Alert troops challenged intruding terrorists in Akhnoor sector of the LoC. Lance Naik Rajender Singh of 2 Raj Rifles sustained a gunshot injury in the firing exchanges with the terrorists. "The soldier later succumbed," said the source, adding that the infiltrators were forced to withdraw back in to the Pakistan side, thus foiling the infiltration attempt. New Delhi, Aug 31 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday extended his greetings to the Republic of Uzbekistan on the eve of its Independence Day and expressed confidence that bilateral relations with the Central Asian nation would continue to grow. In a message to Islam Karimov, the President of Uzbekistan, Mukherjee said, "It is with great pleasure that I extend warm greetings and felicitations to you and to the friendly people of Uzbekistan on the occasion of your 25th Independence Day." He said that during the last 25 years, Uzbekistan has made great strides of progress. In June this year, Uzbekistan hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tashkent where India signed the historic Memorandum of Obligations towards membership of SCO. "Our two countries are bound by our close historical and cultural linkages built over centuries of continuous interaction between our peoples. I am confident that the India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership will continue to grow from strength to strength in the coming years," Mukherjee said in his message. The Foundations of Pacific Stability WASHINGTON, DC This month, I completed a two-week, six-stop tour of the Pacific, beginning with a visit to the United States Armys 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. It was a fitting way to start the trip, a reminder that the US Army is critical to forming the foundation for security in the Pacific. The 25th Infantry Division, which in its early years earned the nickname Tropic Lightning, marks its 75th anniversary this autumn. The men and women stationed there and, indeed, all US soldiers in the Asia-Pacific region have been working to secure regional stability for much of the last century. Since US President Barack Obamas strategic rebalance to Asia, they have been doing even more. Today, the US Army has a lot on its plate outside the region. It is at the forefront of the US-led coalitions campaign against the so-called Islamic State, as well as efforts to support the people of Afghanistan. Yet we also continue to play a critical role in maintaining peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region. Though security in the Pacific is often associated with the efforts of the US Air Force and Navy, the Army is assuming an increasingly important role in strengthening regional partnerships. At a time when six of the worlds ten largest armies are located in the Pacific theater of operations, and 22 of the regions 27 countries have army officers as their defense chiefs, the need to invest in the US Armys mission in the region is clear. A key component of that mission is the Pacific Pathways program, which involves joining multinational partners to conduct a series of military exercises intended to increase Army readiness through additional training and strengthened partner-force relationships. Engaging with US soldiers participating in Pacific Pathways exercises in Hawaii, Malaysia, and Alaska, I saw firsthand how these efforts advance regional security. In Hawaii, American and Singaporean soldiers participated in their 36th year of joint exercises. From the newest privates to the most experienced generals, US soldiers have developed strong ties with their counterparts and deep pride in their shared security mission. In this sense, these soldiers are also serving as important ambassadors in the region. The US Armys partnership with Malaysia is more recent. But during an annual joint exercise, I witnessed our forces improving familiarity and interoperability, and noted growing satisfaction with the strengthening of ties. In the event of, say, a natural disaster in the Pacific, the bonds that the US and Malaysia have fostered could help save thousands of lives during a combined crisis response. We know that we must continue working to sustain and strengthen our engagement in the Pacific, even as US soldiers continue to carry out diverse and demanding missions in other parts of the world. One way we can help to meet this need is through the use of rotational brigades. At Camp Casey in South Korea, I had lunch with soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division, who had trained for nine months at Fort Hood, Texas, before embarking on a nine-month rotation to the peninsula. Over the course of the deployment, the readiness of these forces actually increases, because of the quality and rigor of the training they undertake with partners from the Republic of Koreas Army. Another way the US Army is maintaining flexibility, resiliency, and depth in the Asia-Pacific region is by placing pre-positioned stocks strategic stockpiles of critical combat equipment on allies territory. In Japan, for example, the US Army stores more than 100 watercraft that can be used to deliver supplies quickly in the event of a natural disaster or other contingency. Beyond storing the equipment, we train with our partners to use it, and we develop our logistical capabilities to distribute it effectively. In effect, the US Army provides rapid response capabilities to the US Joint Force (the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines acting in tandem) and our allies and partners. The US Army is also pursuing tactical innovation in the Pacific. While our budget for modernization is below that of the other US armed services, we must continue to develop capabilities rapidly and equip our people with the latest technology. That is why, for example, soldiers have been learning to fight in formation with robots in Hawaii, and we have engaged in bilateral training with unmanned aerial systems in Malaysia. A final element of our involvement in the Asia-Pacific region is the effort to improve our capabilities in difficult tactical environments. We engage in exercises in Alaska that develop our capabilities in extreme climates capabilities that will help us to ensure that the Arctic does not become a contested region. And, through our training in Hawaii and Malaysia, we have strengthened our capacity to fight in a jungle environment. The US Army has a broad array of missions and responsibilities. From Hawaii through Guam, to Northeast Asia and the Alaskan frontier, it is pursuing a crucial one: providing a foundation for security in a dynamic region and for Americas future there. Srinagar, Aug 31 : A teenager was killed and over 100 persons were injured in firing by security forces as fresh violence erupted across the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday, prompting the authorities to re-impose a curfew that was lifted two days ago for the first time in nearly two months after improvement in the security situation. Police and witnesses said Danish Manzoor, 18, was killed after he sustained bullet injuries in a clash between stone-pelting protestors and the security forces in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, some 60 km from here. Kashmir's Divisional Commissioner Baseer Khan said in a statement that a mob "of more than 900 people attacked an army convoy" with stones at Baramulla's Ladoora village. The army opened fire as the protestors refused to disperse after tear smoke shells and pellets were fired at them. Six others were also injured in the clash. Three of them were said to be critical and removed to a hospital in Srinagar. Khan said the police has initiated a probe into the incident. Anti-government and pro-freedom protests also took place in various areas across the valley, including the Srinagar city. A police spokesperson said security forces stopped demonstrators from marching on the main streets by firing tear smoke shells and shotgun pellets at the stone-throwing protestors. Nearly 100 protestors, including 60 in south Kashmir, were said to have been injured in the clashes. Protestors set ablaze the house of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Rajya Sabha member, Nazir Laway, in Chawalgam village of Kulgam district in south Kashmir, some 60 km from here. Nobody was present in the house when arsonists torched it. Police said the incident took place hours after security forces fired pellets at protestors shouting anti-government and pro-freedom slogans in nearby Katrusoo village. Violent clashes also erupted in Aishmuqam after security forces removed a marquee installed for a proposed protest sit-in on a road to the Pahalgam tourist resort. At least 40 protestors received injuries when security forces fired pellets to disperse them. The fresh violence came two days after the authorities partially lifted the curfew following improvement in the situation in the Kashmir Valley that has been on the boil since the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The curfew restrictions were re-imposed on Wednesday with heavy presence of police and security forces on the main roads. But there was no official announcment about it. Divisional Commissioner Khan said the "curfew was lifted from the entire Kashmir Valley" following an "overall improvement" in the security situation. The militant commander's killing has triggered an unprecedented wave of violent protests with people defying security restrictions to stage demonstrations and hurl rocks at security forces on a daily basis. At least 72 people, including two policemen, have been killed in nearly two months of unrest that has paralysed normal life in the valley amid the government-imposed curfew and separatist-called shutdown. Education institutions, private offices, shops and other business eatablishments remained closed on the 53rd day in a row after the strike called by the separatist Hurriyat Conference. Separatists on Wednesday extended their shutdown call till September 8, asking people to march on roads for pro-freedom demonstrations. Kolkata, Aug 31 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court's order setting aside the land acquisition for the Tata Motors' Nano project as a "landmark victory", adding that she had "tears of joy" on learning about the decision and can now "die in peace". "This is a landmark victory. We have been waiting for this day for ten long years, This is a victory of the people, victory of Ma, Mati Manush (Mother, land and people -- Banerjee's pet slogan)," an elated Banerjee told media persons at the state secretariat Nabanna. "The people of Singur suffered so much, they endured so much torture, but they never left me. I have tears of joy in my eyes. Returning land to the farmers of Singur was one promise my government could not fulfil so far. But now we can return the land," she added. Earlier in the day, the apex court set aside the acquisition of land by the previous Left Front government in the state for the Nano car plant in Singur of Hooghly district, saying due processes and procedures were not followed. it also decreed that land has to be given back to the farmers within 12 weeks. Then the state's principal opposition leader, the Trinamool Congress chief had undertaken a 26-day hunger strike in Kolkata in December 2006, against the "forcible land acquisition" in Singur, and demanding 400 acres taken from farmers unwilling to part with their land be returned to them. She later travelled to the rural pocket and laid siege on the factory for 14 days in 2008. The Tata group then moved the project out of the state and finally set it up in Sanand in Gujarat, on land assigned to them by the state's then investor-friendly Chief Minister Narendra Modi. "The acquisition was wrong and it was a historical suicide," Banerjee said, attacking the erstwhile Left Front regime. In contrast, Banerjee said her government never acquired land forcibly, and even for public purposes like roads and railway infrastructure it negotiated with all stakeholders. "It was because of our movement that the draconian 1894 law on land acquisition was changed. Now this verdict has yet again proved the success of our anti-land acquisition movement," she said. Banerjee said her government would obey the court order fully and a strategy meeting has been called on Thursday to decide on the follow-up action. The next administrative meeting of the government will be held on September 14 in Singur, followed by the main victory rally of Singur farmers the same day. Banerjee said "Singur festival" will be organised in all blocks of the state on September 2 to show respect to the peasant movement, and called for cultural programmes to be organised as part of it. The date September 2 is significant as 17 central trade unions, with the left parties in the forefront, has called a nationwide general strike on that day. A nostalgic Banerjee said she had coined her slogan of Ma, Mati, Manush inspired by the Singur movement. She recalled her hunger-strike and how she was beaten up in the Singur Block office as also at a petrol pump for leading the protests. "I wasn't allowed to move freely. Peasants were tortured." Banerjee said the first decision of her cabinet after the Trinamool came to power in 2011 was to return the land, but the matter got dragged in court battles after that. She said she did not want to make a distinction between "unwilling" and "willing" farmers. The "unwilling" farmers are those who had complained that the land was taken against their will and joined Banerjee's anti-acquisition movement, the "willing" farmers gave the land and took compensation cheques from the Left Front government of the day. "I am not vindictive. It was a matter of principle. I want to reach government services to all. We will talk to the locals and take people into confidence," she said. New Delhi : Following is the timeline of the Singur controversy. May 18, 2006: The then Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata announces small car-Nano project at Singur on the day Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is sworn in as state Chief Minister for another term. May 25, 2006: Farmers demonstrate protesting over "forcible" acquisition of land for the Tata car project. July 18, 2006: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee sows paddy near Tata factory site to protest "forcible" acquisition of land. December 3, 2006: Singur on boil, Mamata Banerjee begins indefinite hunger strike on Singur issue December 29, 2006 : Mamata Banerjee calls off her indefinite hunger strike following appeals by then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. March 9, 2007: Tatas and state government ink Singur land deal lease. May 24, 2007: Peace talks between state government, Trinamool fail. June 14, 2007: State government rules out returning land to farmers. Protests intensify February 15, 2008: Tatas announce Nano roll out by October. August 18, 2008: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee invites Mamata Banerjee for talks. August 20, 2008: Talks between state government, Trinamool Congress fail. August 22, 2008: Ratan Tata says Nano will move out of West Bengal if violence at Singur persists. September 3, 2008: Tatas suspend work at Singur, say alternative sites being explored. September 3, 2008: Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi agrees to play a mediator's role; state government and Trinamool Congress agree to meet him September 5, 2008: A meeting is held in Raj Bhavan September 7, 2008: A media release from Raj Bhavan says "the government has taken the decision to respond to the demands of those farmers who have not received compensation." September 14, 2008: West Bengal government announces improved compensation package for Singur landlosers. October 3, 2008: Tatas announce exit of Nano project from Bengal, shift to Sanand in Gujarat May 20, 2011: Mamata Banerjee sworn in Chief Minister of West Bengal. New cabinet at its first meeting decides to return 400 acres of land to farmers. June 9, 2011: The government brings ordinance and takes over 997 acres citing non-performance by Tata Motors. June 14, 2011: West Bengal Assembly passes Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act to reclaim 400 acres. June 22, 2011: Tata Motors moves Calcutta High Court seeking ex-parte relief on Singur land June 29, 2011: Supreme Court orders the state government to stop distributing land until further notice from the Court September 28, 2011: Calcutta High Court upholds the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 October 29, 2011: Tata Motors challenges Calcutta High Court order before division bench. June 22, 2012: A Calcutta High Court division bench holds Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 as unconstitutional and void. August 6, 2012: The West Bengal government challenges the Calcutta High Court order in the Supreme Court August 31, 2016: Supreme Court sets aside land acquisition for the Tata's Nano project in West Bengal's Singur, and orders state government to return land to all within 12 weeks Kolkata, Sep 1 : The West Bengal government will start land survey from Friday and complete within the Supreme Court stipulated time the process of returning land taken from the peasants of Singur for the Tata Motors Nano project, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here on Thursday. A day after the Supreme Court quashed the land acquisition, Banerjee chaired a high level emergency meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna to decide on follow-up actions for implementing the judicial order. Briefing mediapersons later, she said all land-losers will get the same plot of land which they owned before the acquisition in 2006. Banerjee said the state government has already given instruction for a survey of the land which would begin from Friday. "The notification will be issued today (Thursday) itself. We will complete the land survey in two weeks. The physical survey will be done in the next four weeks. Physical possession of cultivable land will be given to the land owners within the stipulated time frame of 12 weeks," she said. She said top bureaucrats and lawyers studied the judgement during the day ahead of the meeting where all the issues were thoroughly discussed. Banerjee said those who have not taken the compensation for the land acquired by the erstwhile Left Front government, will now get both the compensation and their land. "The compensation amount is deposited either with the Land Acquisition Collector or the Court." Those who had accepted compensation cheques, will now get their land back. "The agricultural labourers will also be benefitted. The sharecroppers will get the benefits exactly as per the position recorded before the acquisition". "Whatever and whichever land one had before the acquisition, exactly that will be returned as per record. There will be no discrimination," she said. Banerjee also announced that her government will make cultivable whichever plot of land has become uncultivable. In this context, she referred to two power transmitters set up on plots of 45 acres and two acres respectively. "Charity begins at home. These plots are no loger cultivable. So we will first make these two plots cultivable". Banerjee, who is set to leave for the Vatican on Friday to attend Mother Teresa's sainthood ceremony slated for September 4, said one of the senior ministers will constantly be in touch with the surveryos and helpe them out in case of any requirement. Describing Wednesday's court judgement as a "landmark one", she said it would help in restoring environmental balance and send out strong messages in protecting livelihood of the poor people. Asked whether an uncultivable land can be made cultivable within such a short time, she shot back: "Work is always a challenge. We will take all action. We respect the Supreme Court verdict. "Whatever manpower is needed will be provided. We will give all support.I will be very happy when all peasants get back their land". On whether her government will also considering setting up an industry on the acquired land, she said: "This is a different matter. There are a lot of industries coming up in Bengal. Across the country, industries are just not happening." The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the land acquisition, saying due processes and procedures were not followed. The land was acquired in 2006 for the car project, but met with stiff protests from peasants led by Banerjee's Trinamool Congress -- currently in power in the state. Eventually, the project was shifted to Sanand in Gujarat. The order said that the compensation that has already been paid to the land owners/cultivators should not be recovered,A and permitted landowners/cultivators who have not withdrawn the compensation to withdraw the same deposited either with the Land Acquisition Collector or the Court. It directed restoration of the possession of land to the landowners/cultivators within 12 weeks from the date of receipt of the copy of the judgment and order, and asked the West Bengal Survey Settlement Department to conduct a survey and identify respective portions of land which needs to be restored to the respective landowners/cultivators. The survey is to be completed within ten weeks. Washington, Sep 2 : Residents in Florida's coastal areas were issued warnings to brace themselves for hurricane Hermine, the first to hit the US state since 2005. Calling Hermine "life-threatening", Florida Governor Rick Scott on Thursday warned of the danger of potentially strong storm surge, high wind and large-scale power outages and urged people in the hurricane's path to hoard at least three days of supplies and to retreat to inland shelters if necessary, Xinhua news agency reported. "The most important thing we all must put in our minds is that this is life-threatening," said Scott at a press conference in Tallahassee. So far, a state of emergency had been declared for 51 of Florida's 67 counties. According to an advisory released by the US National Hurricane Centre, Hermine was expected to reach Florida's Gulf Coast early Friday. Washington, Sep 2 : Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's wife Melania has sued The Daily Mail and Tarpley, a US-based blog, claiming that the two outlets made false and defamatory statements about her involvement in an escort service. "These defendants made several statements about Melania Trump that are 100 per cent false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," attorney for the real estate mogul's wife, Charles Harder said in a statement. The suit was filed on Thursday in state court in Montgomery county, Maryland, CNN reported. "Defendants broadcast their lies to millions of people throughout the US and the world-without any justification," Harder said. "Their many lies include, among others, that Melania Trump supposedly was an 'escort' in the 1990s before she met her husband. Defendants' actions are so egregious, malicious and harmful to Melania that her damages are estimated at $150 million," CNN quoted the attorney as saying. Last week, Melania Trump placed The Daily Mail, Tarpley and other news organisations on notice for what she and her attorney said were false and defamatory statements in reports about both her employment and immigration history. Those notices were sent three days after The Daily Mail, a UK publication, published a report citing a story in a Slovenian magazine that claimed a New York modelling agency that once represented Melania Trump "also operated as an escort agency for wealthy clients", CNN reported That report was then picked up or referenced by other news outlets, including Tarpley. Less than two hours after issuing the statement on Thursday, The Daily Mail retracted its story. "The article... did not intend to state or suggest that these allegations are true, nor did it intend to state or suggest that Melania Trump ever worked as an 'escort' or in the 'sex business,'" The Daily Mail wrote in its statement. On Thursday evening, Harder told CNNMoney that Melania Trump would proceed with the lawsuit despite The Daily Mail's retraction. Ankara, Sep 2 : The Turkish army is building a concrete wall along the border with Syria to maintain security. Turkish Armed Forces units are erecting the 3.6-metre-high wall along the Turkish-Syrian borderline between Suruc, Sanliurfa and Karkamis, Gaziantep, Xinhua news agency reported citing authorities as saying on Thursday. A 4 km leg of the concrete wall will be built on the west of the Mursitpinar border crossing in Suruc and a 1 km section, east of Mursitpinar. The authorities said the wall will help enhance border security with barbed wire and watchtowers against the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey shares a 900 km border with Syria, which has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Mexico City, Sep 2 : A day after US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Mexico, attacks continued on Thursday against the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party's (PRI) decision to invite the controversial business mogul. Many, including Mexico's Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu, maker of "Birdman" and "The Revenant", were angered that the candidate most hostile to Mexico had been invited, Xinhua news agency reported. Mexican President "Enrique Pena Nieto's invitation to Donald Trump is a betrayal. It endorses and formalises the person who has insulted us, spit on us and threatened us for more than a year before the entire world," Inarritu wrote in an editorial published by Spanish daily El Pais. Mexico City Secretary of Economic Development Salomon Chertorivski echoed that sentiment. "Donald Trump's visit seems outrageous to me. The person, perhaps, who has most offended and inundated with insults our country, is welcomed. It is painful and incongruent," Chertorivski said. Mexico's leading left-leaning opposition figure Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador considered the political implications and called the meeting a mistake, saying it appeared to give the impression Mexico was meddling in US elections. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has been forced to repeatedly defend his decision to host the controversial candidate. "Why did I meet with Donald Trump?" Pena Nieto posted to Twitter, with a link to an editorial he published in the daily El Universal, explaining his reasons. The president said he extended an invitation to last week to both Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Trump, and the Manhattan billionaire was the first to accept. "It is important to meet with both candidates, but it was even more important to meet with Trump, because there are things he should hear from Mexico's president, beginning with the sentiment of the Mexicans," said Pena Nieto. He went on to detail his private conversation with Trump, saying "I was very clear ... in stressing that in Mexico we were offended and pained by his statements about Mexicans." On the campaign trail, Trump has frequently used derogatory language when referring to Mexicans and other Latin Americans who migrate to the United States, calling them "killers and rapists". During his visit, Trump did not apologise or make any concessions to Mexico, as many had hoped, and just hours later repeated his assertion that he would build a massive wall along the two countries' 2,000-mile border to keep out migrants, and have Mexicans pay for it. "Mexico will pay for the wall!" Trump tweeted on Thursday. "I repeat what I told him in person: Trump, Mexico would never pay for a wall," Pena Nieto responded on Twitter. New Delhi : Never drink alcohol before a job interview or you might do what my friend did and confuse the words "lecturing" and "lactating" in answer to the question: "How do you earn your living?" In fact, better to not drink at all, I reckon, after finding three news reports about alcohol in my reader contributions inbox. Staff working in a court recently realised that the heavy drinker in the dock spent more time at the premises than they did. "He's probably before this court more than I am," the court's duty lawyer said. The offender, who had clocked up 448 offences, apologised to court staff and admitted he no longer leased an apartment, preferring the cells. They should really start charging him rent. This UK report was sent in by reader J.S. Hawe, who said: "I can't decide whether the guy is very stupid or very smart." The same cannot be said about a drinker in Canada. He was making trouble at a Toronto gas station but police didn't need to grab him. He marched over to the police patrol car, mistaking it for a taxi, climbed into the back seat and demanded to be taken home. "Very helpful. Saved them a job," said my contributor, who did not want her name printed. The problem with substance abuse is that it makes you a) commit illegal acts, and b) deliver yourself into the hands of people paid to arrest committers of illegal acts. Reader Arnold Chen told me that in New Zealand last month, a woman realised she was drunk and would be committing a crime if she used her car. So she drove to the police station to tell them about her predicament, committing the exact crime that her few functioning brain-cells were trying to prevent. I could fill the rest of this column with examples of dumb-as-rocks people calling police to report that their stashes of illegal drugs had been stolen -- but that would be too easy. Instead, let's go back to where we started and talk about verbal mistakes non-criminals make after a few drinks. Like the time a colleague introduced a climatologist at an after-dinner speech as a "kleptomaniac", an easy mistake to make. In London, there was a fashion to buy large colourful houseplants called crotons. When fruit was served at a dinner party, one woman said: "I love fruit but never know what to do with the banana skin." The tipsy hostess replied: "My husband rolls it up and hides it behind his scrotum." But what I like best is to take notes when my drinking buddies start to sing. A colleague managed to turn the line "I can see clearly now the rain has gone" into "I can see clearly now Lorraine has gone". And Abba's biggest hit became: "See that girl, watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen." Nor should we forget the chorus of Toto's Africa: "There's nothin' that a hundred men on Mars could ever do." But of course, you don't need to be drunk to make verbal slips. You can be sober and stupid. Giving a school talk, I once confused necromancer (which means "wizard") with necrophiliac (which doesn't mean "wizard"). Luckily, no one was listening to a word I said. Thank God for small mercies. (Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send comments and ideas via his Facebook page) New Delhi, Sep 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described Egypt as a natural bridge between Asia and Africa following bilateral talks between him and visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. "In our conversation, President Sisi and I have agreed to build on multiple pillars of our cooperation," Modi said in a joint media statement with Sisi following delegation-level talks here. "Egypt is a natural bridge between Asia and Africa," he said. "As ancient and proud civilisations with rich cultural heritage, we decided to facilitate more people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges," he said. Sisi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on him in the evening, and during the meeting Sisi described ties between Egypt and India as old and "very resilient". Sisi will be hosted for a banquet by President Mukherjee on Friday evening. This is the first presidential visit from Egypt to India since the visit of then President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. There's a good chance you'll wash away if you step outside this weekend. But if you do manage to make it to a subway stop, note that there are a couple changes, especially on Monday for the West Indian Day Parade. Here's what's up: All 2, 3 and 4 trains will skip Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum from noon to 7 p.m. on Monday. 2 trains will operate in two sections, from Flatbush Av-Brooklyn College and E 180 St and then along the 5 line to/from Eastchester-Dyre Av; and from E 180 St to Wakefield-241 St; this change is in effect from 3:45 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday. Also during this period, trains will run express from Wakefield-241 St to E 180 St on the E 180 St-bound track. Flatbush Av-Brooklyn College-bound 2 trains will skip Jackson Av from 4:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday, and all trains will skip Church Av in both directions from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Monday. 3 trains will run to and from New Lots Av from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Sunday. 4 trains will not run at all between New Lots Av/Utica Av and Bowling Green from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Sunday. Trains will operate between New Lots Av/Utica Av and Bowling Green during this period. Manhattan-bound trains will make express stops from Burnside Av to 149 St-Grand Concourse from 6:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and again from 10:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Trains will run local in both directions in Brooklyn from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday. 5 shuttle service will be replaced by the 2 train from 3:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and again from 9:45 p.m. Saturday to 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Trains will not run between Eastchester-Dyre Av and 149 St-Grand Concourse in either direction from 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday. Inwood-207 St-bound A trains will make express stops from Canal St to 59 St-Columbus Circle from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, and then again from 11:45 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday. Downtown A trains will make local stops between 125 St and 59 St-Columbus Circle, with that change in effect from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday. 168 St-bound C trains will make express stops from Canal St to 59 St-Columbus Circle from 6:30 a.m to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Downtown D trains will make local stops from 125 St to 59 St-Columbus Circle from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday. All E trains will reroute along the F line between 21 St-Queensbridge and 2 Av from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Tuesday. All trains are suspended between World Trade Center and W 4 St-Wash Sq from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Monday. Manhattan-bound Q trains will run express from Kings Hwy to Prospect Park from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Tuesday. R trains will run to and from the Jamaica-179 St F station, with that change in effect from 6:30 a.m. to midnight from Saturday to Monday. During that period, Manhattan-bound R trains will run express from Forest Hills-71 Av to Queens Plaza. Mumbai, Sep 2 : On the occasion of the 75th birth anniversary of Sadhana Shivdasani, veteran actor Rishi Kapoor has paid a tribute to the veteran Bollywood actress by thanking her for her films and her style. Sadhana passed away on December 25 last year after a long battle with cancer. Rishi took to Twitter on Friday to remember the yesteryear actress. "Remembering Sadhanaji today on her birthday. Thank you for all the films and your style," Rishi tweeted alongside a black-and-white photograph of her. A top-rung Bollywood star of the 1960s and 1970s, Sadhana was born in Karachi, now in Pakistan. However, after Partition, when she was barely seven, her family migrated to India and settled in Bombay (now Mumbai). She entered films as a child artiste in 1955 with a minor appearance in Raj Kapoor's film, "Shree 420". Later, in 1958, she acted in India's first Sindhi language film "Abaana" in a significant role, on a token payment of Re 1. Sadhana is credited with introducing the famous 'fringe' haircut -- known as her trademark 'Sadhana Cut' -- and tight body-hugging churidar-kurtas as a much-copied fashion in Bollywood. Paired with the top heroes of that era, Sadhana starred in notable films like "Ek Musafir, Ek Hasina", "Asli Naqli", "Mere Mehboob" -- her first colour movie, "Woh Kaun Thi", "Rajkumar", "Waqt", "Aarzoo", "Mera Saaya", "Gaban", "Ek Phool, Do Mali" and many others till her voluntary retirement from Bollywood in 1994. Islamabad, Sep 2 : Pakistan's Punjab assembly member Sheikh Allauddin has suggested to invite novelist and human rights activist Arundhati Roy to brief the lawmakers on violence in the Kashmir Valley. Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said the next step should be taken in the light of the Foreign Office advice, Dawn online reported. Treasury benches member Ramesh Singh Arora on Thursday raised the issue of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's statement against Pakistan. Terming the statement regrettable, he demanded the Foreign Office summon Indian Ambassador Gautam Bambawale to protest. According to Arora, New Delhi was not only committing atrocities against Kashmiris but also accusing Islamabad of fomenting violence in the valley. Other members of the assembly also criticised India for the violence in the valley which started on July 9, a day after top militant Burhan Wani was killed in a gunfight with security forces, and supported Kashmiris' right to self-determination. According to parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has formed a committee to raise the issue at international forums. Opposition leader Mahmoodur Rasheed condemned the elements in Pakistan that were working against its solidarity. A man talked against the dignity and integrity of the country while sitting in Britain, he said in oblique reference to MQM founder-president Altaf Hussain. Rasheed lamented that the Pakistani government had not initiated any action against Hussain. Kathmandu, Sep 2 : A day after late King Birendra Shah's statue was removed and attempts were made to reinstall it in Nepalgunj city, the police on Friday sounded a high alert across the country to avoid clashes between supporters and opponents of the king. The bust of Shah installed at Dhambojhi Chowk in Nepalgunj was pulled down by security personnel on Thursday night as it led to an altercation between the police and the erstwhile monarch's supporters, the Kathmandu Post reported. Earlier on Thursday, a group of youths reinstalled the statue which was pulled down during the People's Movement-II in 2006. Some demonstrators, including cadres of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, gathered again on Friday morning to re-install the king's bust. But this could not be done as the police force was deployed at the site, The Himalayan Times reported. Many areas in the city were cordoned off by the police to avert any possible clashes between the supporters and opponents of the monarchy and the police forces. "No one should carry out activities that give rise to conflict and hampers the peace and security," said a senior police official. A statue of Birendra Shah installed at Dhambojhi Chowk in Nepalgunj was pulled down by protesters during People's Movement-II in 2006. The political parties could not reach a consensus over whose statue should be erected there. Srinagar, Sep 2 : Over 50 people were injured in clashes between stone-pelting mobs and security forces in the Kashmir Valley on Friday even as strict curfew was imposed to foil separatist-called protest rallies, police said. A police spokesperson said at least 35 stone-throwing incidents occurred across the restive valley, including in Srinagar where a 12-year-old boy drowned on Thursday after he was allegedly chased by security forces. The spokesperson said angry protestors defied the curfew and came out on the streets, pelting rocks at security forces. Police and paramilitary troopers dispersed the protestors by firing tear smoke shells and pellets at them. An old city area in Srinagar saw intense protests after the body of Danish Sultan Haroo, who drowned a day ago, was recovered from the Jhelum River. Residents and family alleged that the boy had jumped into the river after he was chased by the security forces. But Kashmir police chief S.J.M. Gilani denied the allegation and said there was no deployment of security forces in the area when the incident occurred. Authorities had imposed curfew in most places of the Kashmir Valley to prevent protests, crippling normal life in the valley for the 56th day in a row. Educational institutions, offices and main markets have remained shut for nearly two months now after the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani that has triggered an unending cycle of violence. Some 73 people have been killed and more that 11,000 injured in the violence. Thiruvananthapuram, September 02 : KPCC president V M Sudheeran has lashed out at the LDF government, accusing the latter of kowtowing to the managements of private self-financing medical colleges. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Sudheeran said that the seat-fee agreement the LDF government struck with the managements of private medical colleges resulted in the fees for medical seats in the private sector going north significantly. Last year 25 per cent students hailing from poor families were admitted to government seats in private medical colleges at a fee of Rs. 25,000 but this year only 20 per cent students would be able to do so, Sudheeran pointed out. This was nothing but stark injustice being shown to poor students and their parents, he charged. Medical and dental seats in the State have witnessed a fee hike in the range of Rs. 65,000 to 3.5 lakh, Sudheeran said. He called for a review of the seat-fee agreement saying that the move by the government has put medical education out of bounds for ordinary people, he added. Leader of the opposition Ramesh Chennithala charged the CPI(M)-led LDF government with being hand in glove with the private managements. The capitation fees the private managements used to levy through the backdoor has now acquired legitimacy through the seat-fee agreement, he said. The government in collusion with private managements have betrayed students by abruptly hiking the fee for 80 per cent of medical seats in the private sector, Chennithala stated. A consensus on the medical seat-fee agreement between the government and private managements was arrived at the other day following the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, the government had to do a bit of a climb down from its earlier position that the fee for management quota seats from last year should be retained. The new agreement allows the managements to levy Rs. 11 lakh for 35 per cent management quota seats as against the Rs. 9 lakh they levied last year. New Delhi, Sep 2 : Sharing insights about the stardom of Raj Kapoor across the world, his son and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor on Friday said that once the late legendary actor-filmmaker was welcomed in Russia without visa when he was in talks with a Russian circus troupe for his blockbuster film "Mera Naam Joker" in the mid-1960s. Rishi was in the national capital to attend the opening ceremony of the 1st BRICS Film Festival, where he was felicitated by Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathod and Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh for his and the Kapoor family's contribution to the field of cinema. While receiving the honour, Rishi got nostalgic and recalled a few of his late father's fruitful memories. "Raj Kapoor was making 'Mera Naam Joker' and I think it was in the mid-1960s when he was negotiating with a Russian circus to be part of the film. He was in London and certainly he had to be in Moscow, Russia -- which was then Soviet Union," Rishi said, adding that Raj Kapoor landed in Moscow thinking he had the visa. "But he didn't have visa to come into Moscow. Still they welcomed Raj Kapoor... There was no welcome committee for him because he landed unannounced. So he got outside and waited for a taxi... By then people started recognising that Raj Kapoor is in Moscow. His taxi came and he sat in. Suddenly what he saw was that the taxi is not moving forward and instead is going up. The people took the car on their shoulders," Rishi said. Sharing another anecdote of Raj Kapoor's life, Rishi said: "Much later in mid-1980s, we didn't really have great ties with China. So China requested the Indian government that they want Raj Kapoor to travel there." "When the ministry spoke to Raj Kapoor, he got excited like a young boy. He was very fond of Chinese food. He told my mother, Krishna Kapoor, that I am going to China and you are coming with me." However, he added, that Raj Kapoor didn't go to China. Rishi shared: "After five or 10 days, he became a little glum. He said to my mother that, 'No, I will not go to China'. When she asked why, he said that the people of China have watched that Raj Kapoor of the 1950s -- the young and handsome guy." "Today I have become old and become fat, so I don't want to break their heart with this look. He never went to China afterwards," Rishi added. Raj Kapoor, credited with films like "Awaara", "Shree 420", "Anari" and "Sangam", died at the age of 63 in 1988. The 1st BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Film Festival, which is part of the special events planned in the run-up to the 8th BRICS Summit to be held in India, kick-started here at Siri Fort Auditorium Complex with the screening of National Award-winning filmmaker Jayaraj's multilingual film "Veeram". The festival will end on September 6 with the screening of Jackie Chan's "Skiptrace". Hanoi, Sep 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here late Friday for a two-day bilateral visit to Vietnam. "Hello to Hanoi! PM @narendramodi makes a late night arrival in Vietnam to begin the first leg of his 2 nation tour," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. This is the first prime ministerial bilateral visit from India to Vietnam in 15 years after the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001. On Saturday, Modi will meet the top Vietnamese leadership, including General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Later in the day, he will depart for Hangzhou in China where he will attend this year's G-20 summit on September 4-5. Ankara, Sep 2 : The Turkish government has made official the final dismissal of about 40,000 employees, suspected of links with the network of conservative preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused of organising the failed coup in July. According to a decree issued on Thursday night in the official gazette of the Turkish state, the layoffs included 28,100 employees from the Education Ministry, 7,600 others from security, 2,000 from health and 1,500 from religious affairs, EFE news reported. Since the attempted coup in July, Turkey has suspended about 80,000 public employees in different government sectors, including the Army. We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today Gene McCullough Awarded ALTAs National Title Professional Distinction As a former title attorney and title underwriter executive, I am committed to helping the title industry and its agents with todays most pressing issuescompliance, ALTA Best Practices, and quality assurance. National certified public accounting and management consulting firm PYA is pleased to announce that Title Industry Service Director Eugene McCullough has been designated as a National Title Professional (NTP) by the American Land Title Association (ALTA). The NTP Program recognizes land title professionals who demonstrate the knowledge, experience, and dedication essential to the safe and efficient transfer of real property. We are pleased that Gene is the first and only NTP in the state of Tennessee, joining more than 60 other industry leaders nationwide who have earned this professional designation, said PYAs Managing Principal of Audit & Assurance Services Mike Shamblin. PYA also is honored that it is the only CPA firm in the nation with an NTP on its team. We could not be more proud of Gene and what this prestigious designation represents for our clients. The NTP distinction demonstrates that McCullough has met the particular standards and criteria of the NTP Program. Selection for this designation was determined through an extensive application process in which land title professionals demonstrate their knowledge, experience, and efficiency in/dedication to the land title industry. According to ALTA, the NTP represents a measure of achievement and commitment to career development. It is such an honor to be among this years NTP designees, said McCullough. As a former title attorney and title underwriter executive, I am committed to helping the title industry and its agents with todays most pressing issuescompliance, ALTA Best Practices, and quality assurance. My passion is enhancing communication between the title and closing community and the world of accounting. A 35-year title industry veteran, McCullough has served in numerous roles including past president of the Tennessee Land Title Association (TNLTA), president of a full-service title insurance agency, regional president of a national title underwriter, and president of two regional title insurance underwriters. He is a long-standing member of ALTA and the TNLTA, where he chairs the Committee on Pre-Licensing Education. In addition to serving as PYAs Title Industry Service Director, McCullough provides consulting and expert witness services to clients across the nation through his company, Title Experts and Management Services. McCullough also is a published author of Principles of Title InsuranceTennessee, Tennessee Pre-Licensing Education Manual (2015), and an online 400+ question test center. Further, the PYA Title Industry Blog, to which McCullough regularly contributes, has been featured multiple times on the Top 10 Lawyer Blog List for LexBlogs Real Lawyers Have Blogs. -- About PYA For over three decades, PYA (Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P.C.), a national professional services firm providing management consulting and accounting, has helped its clients navigate and derive value amid complex challenges. In addition to serving the healthcare and financial institutions industries, PYA serves the title industry with a comprehensive list of offerings, including: ALTA Best Practices implementation and assessment; strategic planning; mergers and acquisitions; tax compliance; and regulatory compliance. PYAs steadfast commitment to an unwavering client-centric culture has served the firms clients well. PYA is ranked 103rd by INSIDE Public Accountings Top 200 Largest Accounting Firms. PYA affiliate companies offer clients world-class data analytics, professional real estate development and advisory resources, comprehensive claims audits for self-insured Fortune 500 companies, wealth management and retirement plan administration, and business transitions consulting. PYA assists clients in all 50 states from offices in Atlanta, Kansas City, Knoxville, Nashville, and Tampa Bay. For more information, please visit http://www.pyabestpractices.com. 2016 Business Intelligence Buyers Guide: Big Data Analytics This buyers guide not only explains big data, but covers approaches, techniques, and solutions to help companies like yours manage itand leverage it into competitive success. TEC is pleased to announce the publication of its latest enterprise software buyers guide, the 2016 Business Intelligence Buyers Guide: Big Data Analytics. Written by Jorge Garcia, TEC Principal Analyst, Business Intelligence and Data Management, this guide provides the latest information on big data analytics solutions from the perspective of the buyer. The guide explores and explains the big data analytics software market, including the increasing role, importance, and value of big data analytics in an organization; an analysis of the big data analytics market; an overview of software solutions in this market; and considerations for evaluating a new big data analytics solution. This guide presents some of the most important functional components of todays popular big data analytics solutions. It offers a comprehensive comparison chart of the features and functions of the different data discovery and data visualization software solutions currently available on the marketbig data analytics solutions that can help organizations gain insights from large and complex sets of data. Guide lead analyst and author Garcia says: People keep hearing about how important big data isbut also how difficult it can be to manage effectively. This buyers guide not only explains big data, but covers approaches, techniques, and solutions to help companies like yours manage itand leverage it into competitive success. TEC Buyers Guides is a highly popular series of analyst-written, impartial guides that help end users understand the most important types of enterprise software solutions, and offer guidance on how to select the right software solutions for their organizations needs. TECs 2016 Business Intelligence Buyers Guide: Big Data Analytics is now available for free download. For more information please, contact +1 514-954-3665, ext. 404, or contact our Selection Services department. About Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) is the worlds leading provider of software selection resources, services, and research materials, helping organizations evaluate and select the best enterprise software for their needs. With its advanced decision-making process and software selection experts, TEC reduces the time, cost, and risk associated with enterprise software selection. Over 3.5 million subscribers leverage TECs extensive research and detailed information on more than 1,000 leading software solutions across all major application areas. TEC is recognized as an industry-leading software selection advisory firm offering resources and services both online and onsite. For more information, please visit http://www.technologyevaluation.com. Left to right: Dr. Leslie Pham, Dr.Vinh Tran, Dr. Vikrant Donthamsetti, Dr. Alex Gerber, Dr. Terry Alexandrou, Dr. Paul Koch, Mayor Allan Fung, Dr. Andrew Munro, Dr. Richard Sayegh. Koch Eye Associates, a CLARIS VISION company, hosted a ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony for its new, 6,000 sq. ft. LASIK & Aesthetic Center at Chapel View Shopping Center in Cranston, RI. Cranston Mayor Allan Fung was on-hand to celebrate the occasion, as well as many local dignitaries and elected officials. Dr. Paul Koch, a pioneer of refractive surgery, believes that this center will enhance the patient experience while helping to train the next generation of surgeons: This is a culmination of 35 years of practice and 20 years of doing LASIK procedures. Weve taken everything we have learned and put it into the development of this center, so the patients will receive the best care possible in a comfortable, elegant and state-of the-art-environment. Focused entirely on the patient experience, this innovative facility combines the best in eye care treatment and management, with the latest advancements in bladeless LASIK technology. Additionally, the aesthetic division offers the finest in skincare and a wide array of procedures from Botox and facial fillers, skin rejuvenation and laser procedures for skin resurfacing to lift and tighten aging skin and to remove red spots and brown spots. Dr. Andrew Munro, who specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive surgical techniques as well as diseases of the eye lid, will lead the aesthetic division: This center brings together the best techniques of facial surgery with the latest procedures in skin rejuvenation. It is one place where both medical and aesthetic issues can be addressed at the highest level. Koch Eye Associates is taking the same level of surgical excellence and customer service and applying that to the realm of facial aesthetics. The center will offer the newest technology in topography-guided LASIK. By combining the Alcon EX500 Excimer Laser, the fastest laser on the market, with the Wavelight TopolyzerTM VARIO, surgeons can design a unique treatment plan for every patient. Blending this refractive laser system with the FS 200 Femtosecond Laser has created a bladeless LASIK experience that is both quick and precise. Dr. Richard Sayegh, who will lead the surgical team at the new Koch location, is one of the many physicians that Dr. Paul Koch has mentored during the last three decades. This center is a testament to what the Koch family has built, not only as a practice in New England, but also as a pioneer in the field. I am honored to have learned from Dr. Koch and to be able to carry on the Koch tradition, Sayegh said, adding, Patients will still receive the same Koch family feel when they walk in the door while enjoying their experience in comfort along with the benefit of the best technology available today. ABOUT KOCH EYE ASSOCIATES & CLARIS VISION: Founded by Dr. Paul Koch in 1981, Koch Eye Associates, a CLARIS VISION company, is one of the largest eye care practices on the East Coast. With more than 50 doctors treating patients at many offices from Connecticut to Cape Cod, the practice also includes two laser vision centers and two surgery centers. Koch Eye provides comprehensive eye care and eye surgery services. Board-certified eye doctors offer state-of-the-art eye care services that range from basic eye exams to disease diagnosis. Other services include: vision correction services; LASIK eye surgery; cataract surgery; retina surgery and disease management; glaucoma diagnosis and treatment; aesthetic procedures; cornea surgery; dry eye management; and optical services. For additional information, please contact Sarah Grant, Patient Experience Manager, at 774.929.6883 or sgrant(at)clarisvision(dot)com. Our products, beliefs, and innovations are helping people protect their digital life by default, said Todd Weaver. This board will help us innovate even faster and fuel our immediate growth with collective thought leadership and passion. Purism is pleased to announce the creation of its Advisory Board, comprised of top-tier experts from the Free Software community: Kyle Rankin, Matthew Garrett, Aaron Grattafiori, and Stefano Zacchiroli. Together, they bring their visionwith decades of experience in cybersecurity, privacy protection, and digital freedomto Purisms product development, as the company continues to create products that finally address privacy and digital rights by default, rights that 86% of computer users cite as a concern. We are honored to partner with these industry experts I respect and have learned so much from, said Purism CEO, Todd Weaver. I look forward to their guidance during our tremendous growth, deepening our industry partnerships, launching new products and services, expanding into new markets, and addressing new customer needs. Kyle Rankin will chair the board and advise Purism in secure defaults, best practices in user security tools, privacy tools, and software choices that respect freedom. Kyle is a hardcore sysadmin and prolific author on security, privacy, GNU/Linux, free/libre and open source software, and speaks regularly on these matters. Ive been following Purism since the beginning of their Librem 15 campaign and reviewed both it and the Librem 13 prototypes early on. I was so impressed with the Librem 13 prototype that I placed one of the first orders, and have been using it as my primary laptop ever since. I am very excited to help Purism challenge the existing hardware market with products that put user privacy, security, and freedom first, said Rankin. Matthew Garrett is advising Purism on threats to security and privacy, and on best practices to solve them with Free Software. Matthew is a technologist, programmer, Free Software activist, and is known for his major contributions to Linux, GNOME, Debian, Ubuntu, and Red Hats product lines. He is a board member of the Free Software Foundation (FSF), and a recipient of the Free Software Award from the FSF for his work on Secure Boot, UEFI, and the Linux kernel. Privacy, security and freedom require hardware thats entirely under the owners control. I am honoured to be able to help guide Purisms efforts to achieve that goal, said Garrett. Aaron Grattafiori is advising Purism on various matters relating to security and privacy. By day, Aaron is a Technical Director at the NCC Group which has been hacking on computers for more than a decade. Aarons comprehensive security whitepaper was recently touted as the War and Peace of Linux container security. A regular speaker at leading security conferences, Aaron maintains a lasting passion for technologies that empower users with security and freedom. In this day and age, it is important to use security-centric and ideally privacy-respecting software. In the post-Snowden era, users who value privacy should understand the benefits provided by free and open source software, and the overall risks by closed source software and platforms. said Grattafiori. Stefano Zacchiroli is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Paris Diderot University and Inria. He is a co-founder and current CTO of the Software Heritage project. Stefano has been an official developer of the Debian Project since 2001, and was elected to serve as the Debian Project Leader for three consecutive terms from 2010 to 2013. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and is a recipient of the 2015 OReilly Open Source Award. I am excited by the possibilities that Purism and PureOS represent for defending users against current threats to their software freedom and for putting them back in control of their digital lives, said Zacchiroli. I look forward to help Purism navigate this complex ecosystem, continuing their promising journey to an entirely free software and hardware stack. Our products, beliefs, and innovations are helping people protect their digital life by default, said Todd Weaver. This board will help us innovate even faster and fuel our immediate growth with collective thought leadership and passion. About Purism Purism is a company based in San Francisco (California) devoted to bringing software freedom and independence to everyone's personal computing experience. As a leading manufacturer of premium-quality, freedom-focused laptops and tablets, Purism creates powerful devices meant to protect users' digital lives without requiring a compromise on ease of use. Purism designs and assembles its hardware in the United States, carefully selecting internationally sourced components to be privacy-respecting and fully Free-Software-compliant. Security and privacy-centric features come built-in with every product Purism makes, making security and privacy the simpler, logical choice for consumers. Patrick Carle FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wesley Woods at New Albany, an affiliate of Methodist ElderCare Services, is pleased to announce that Patrick Carle has accepted the position of Marketing Coordinator. In this role, he will be responsible for educating the community on a Continuing Care Retirement Community and more specific on this Life Plan Community in New Albany, Ohio. Mr. Carle brings a combined 30 years of experience in nursing home and home health care administration, sales and marketing of continuing care retirement communities including Life Care and rental options, hospice education and customer service training. His career opportunities over the past 15 years alone have taken him from Columbus to Palm Beach County, FL, to Brentwood, TN, and to the North Chicagoland, area before his recent relocation back home to Central Ohio. A full continuum of care allows our residents to live their best life, focusing on mind, body and spirit. I look forward to contributing to the highest quality of care for our residents, thus fulfilling the mission of Methodist ElderCare Services. I am excited to be part of the senior living community that Wesley Woods at New Albany has to offer, said Patrick Carle. Patrick earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a major in Public Relations at The Ohio State University. He currently resides in Powell with his spouse and three dogs. Margaret R. Carmany, CEO, said, Our mission is to provide the highest quality of services in a full continuum of care and we are excited to be part of the first class living that New Albany offers. The first phase of the development at Wesley Woods is scheduled to open in the fall of 2016 and will offer detached villa-style cottages with attached two-car garages and retirement living apartments on 37.8 acres alongside a nature preserve. The entire new development, Wesley Woods at New Albany community will provide full health services, as health needs change, which is planned to open in 2017. Call (614) 656-4100 for more information regarding Wesley Woods at New Albany. Methodist ElderCare Services is an affiliate of the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church that provides quality housing, health care and services for seniors in Central Ohio. Incorporated in 1967, Methodist ElderCare Services continues to be a not-for-profit Ohio corporation that seeks to promote a positive experience of community and wellness for residents, clients and staff. For more information call (614) 396-4833 or visit http://www.methodisteldercare.org For the first time ever, mosquitoes in the United States have been captured and tested positive for Zika, according to the Associated Press. Florida officials said three mosquitoes they captured in Miami Beach wound up testing positive for the disease, news that the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture called "disappointing, but not surprising." The finding confirmed the suspicion Florida officials had that the virus could spread from people to mosquitoes to people through bites. Sadly, the mosquitoes don't die when they pick up the virus from people. Today's news comes a day after the NYC Health Department announced that more than 500 New Yorkers have been infected with the Zika virus, including 56 pregnant women. It's not all bad Zika news today though. Japanese company Takeda Pharmacuetical has entered the vaccine-developing fray and hopes to begin testing their vaccine on humans in the second half of 2017, Reuters reports. This vaccine will use inactive Zika virus, as opposed to other vaccines currently being tested which rely on teaching the body to reject DNA associated with the virus. Sagitec Partner Ranjith Kotcherlakota (right) received the prestigious technology award at the annual Microsoft U.S. Public Sector Kickoff and Industry Solution University event on Aug. 9. This award is significant for Sagitec because it affirms our strategic direction in offering high business value and cloud-ready solutions that can work in the evolving hybrid cloud, said Ranjith Kotcherlakota, Sagitec Partner. On Aug. 9, Sagitec was named Microsoft State and Local Government Solution Partner of the Year for 2016. The award was announced at the annual Microsoft U.S. Public Sector Kickoff and Industry Solution University event held in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes Sagitecs excellence in providing public sector customers innovative and unique solutions based on Microsoft technologies. The annual award nomination process drew hundreds of applicants from the U.S. Public Sector industry, yet it was Sagitecs key performance indicators and relationship with Microsoft that garnered the most votes from the presiding judges. Since entering into the market in 2004, Sagitec has offered Public Sector technology solutions on the Microsoft platform, most notably as the basis for its application development framework. In addition to the Sagitec Framework, the Microsoft .NET technology stack underpins Sagitecs software design and development suite that provides business and technology users with the tools they need to design and maintain their tailor-made solutions. Microsofts .NET technology and the Microsoft Azure Government Cloud have helped Sagitec become a unique player in the markets it serves by offering unparalleled solutions for government agencies of all sizes, said Ranjith Kotcherlakota, Sagitec Partner. Building the Sagitec offering on top of Microsoft technology has greatly helped our growth as a company. Microsoft offers a dependable, easy-to-use, and continuously evolving technology platform that our customers can invest in and use to grow their critical line-of-business applications. In 2013, Sagitec expanded its collaboration with Microsoft Corp. by adopting the firms Azure Government cloud solution. While this decision was bucking the trend of conventional on-premises hosting at the time, the public sector is now seeking cost-effective, cloud-based solutions that meet stringent security and certification requirements. In the last two years, Sagitecs cloud-based solution offering has resulted in the company winning four of the last six statewide unemployment insurance tax and/or benefits procurements. By building on the Microsoft Cloud for Government platform, our clients get a reliable, stable solution that is backed by the companys ongoing commitment to and investments in serving the government community, said David Minkkinen, Sagitec Partner. As a result, our cloud hosted services solutions can support changing federal, state and local requirements, as well as the ongoing changes in business and technology trends in the public sector market for years to come. "Our award winners excel at providing our public sector customers with innovative and unique solutions built on the Microsoft platform, said Michael Donlan, vice president, U.S. State and Local Government, Microsoft. Sagitec has demonstrated that it is embracing Microsofts cloud-first mindset to provide public sector agencies the tools they need to create and deliver transformational solutions. The Microsoft award validates why Sagitec entered into the market more than a decade ago: to design and deploy scalable solutions that avoid technology obsolescence, said Kotcherlakota. This award is significant for Sagitec because it affirms our strategic direction in offering high business value and cloud-ready solutions that can work in the evolving hybrid cloud, said Kotcherlakota. About Sagitec Solutions Sagitec Solutions, LLC designs and delivers tailor-made pension administration, provident fund, health care and life sciences, and unemployment insurance software solutions to clients of all sizes. With broad industry experience, Sagitec helps their customers achieve strategic business objectives, enhance service offerings, and lower operating costs. They are headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Further information can be found at Sagitec.com or by contacting Rick Deshler at (651) 335-3406 or at rick.deshler(at)Sagitec(dot)com. After many years of trying to bring this invention to the market, we hit a brick wall. I thought we would never see a penny until I spoke with Blackbird Technologies. With them, I have seen real value from our patent. Blackbird Technologies has settled patent infringement lawsuits related to LED light bulbs. Blackbird Technologies (http://www.blackbird-tech.com) filed patent infringement lawsuits in January 2015 on United States Patent No. 7,086,747 in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The technology relates to LED light bulbs used as replacement bulbs for fluorescent tubes. Blackbird Technologies settled with Green Creative LLC (15-cv-00059), Home Ever, Inc. doing business as Lighting Ever, Inc. (15-cv-00061), Service Lighting and Electrical Supplies, Inc. doing business as 1000bulbs.com and Precision Lighting and Transformer, Inc. (together, 15-cv-00053). Sean Thompson, Senior Litigation Counsel at Blackbird Technologies, stated, It was gratifying to resolve these suits in a way that made sense for all parties involved. Norman Hess and Lyman Nielson, the inventors of this industry-changing technology, went down the same path of so many inventors and small companies. Excited about their invention and eager to move forward with it, they filed for patent protection. Their attempts to manufacture their product proved too costly and monies raised through investors proved inadequate to complete the effort. Finally, after years of trying to make money from their important invention, they gave up. Wendy Verlander, President and CEO of Blackbird Technologies, stated, This story is all too common among inventors and small companies. They have so few, if any, options to make money from their significant inventions. They are left watching others, typically large companies, make the money that should have gone to them. Blackbirds mission is to help these smaller players get what is rightfully theirs. We are very pleased to be able to make a difference for these inventors and companies. Norman Hess, co-inventor of the patent-in-suit, added: After many years of trying to bring this invention to the market, we hit a brick wall. I thought we would never see a penny until I spoke with Blackbird Technologies. With them, I have seen real value from our patent. About Blackbird Technologies Blackbird Technologies provides a unique opportunity for individual inventors and small companies to realize the value of their patents. By using in-house expertise, rather than expensive law firms, Blackbird Technologies is able to litigate at reduced costs and achieve results that equal or exceed what a law firm would recover. This company creates efficiencies that make it possible for individual inventors and small companies to see the end game realizing the true value of their patents. DisBeat is a new national communications initiative designed to coordinate and promote proactive messaging on disability rights issues. Much of inclusive, integrated emergency/disaster practice comes from old fashion community organizing and relationship building, notes Paul Timmons, co-founder and chairman of the board Portlight Strategies. In response to current floods in Louisiana, wild land fires out West, and National Disaster Preparedness Month (September), DisBeat highlights top emergency and disaster solutions to ensure disability inclusivity in every community, nation-wide. These solutions are focused on individuals and communities. DisBeat also celebrates creation of the "Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, designed to provide an infrastructure for communication on best and worst practices, training opportunities and educational products for members, and will activate dialogue and relationships between disability stakeholders the real experts - and emergency management organizations. Much of inclusive, integrated emergency/disaster practice comes from old fashion community organizing and relationship building, notes Paul Timmons, co-founder and chairman of the board Portlight Strategies. See full story here. About DisBeat: DisBeat is a national communications initiative designed to coordinate and promote proactive messaging on disability rights issues throughout the country. DisBeat uses a variety of communication tools, including social media, to bring attention to disability issues from an authentic disability perspective. DisBeat also maintains a database of subject-matter experts, fact sheets and talking points on a variety of critical issues facing 56.7 million Americans with Disabilities. DisBeat is a project of The ADA Legacy Projects. Initial Partners include ADAPT of Montana, Center for Disability Rights, Disability Rights Center, Disability Visibility Project, EIN SOF Communications, Nothing Without Us Media, and Shepherd Center (http://www.adalegacy.com/disbeat). About The ADA Legacy Project: The mission of The ADA Legacy Project is to honor the contributions of people with disabilities and their allies by preserving the history of the disability rights movement, by celebrating its milestones, and by educating the public, media and future generations of advocates. (http://www.adalegacy.com/) "Our goal is to form strong partnerships with local schools to help educators understand the skills students need in order to pursue high-paying careers in manufacturing, said Bruce Hagenau, President of Metcam. Metcam, an Alpharetta-based fabricator of sheet metal components and assemblies for OEMs, will commemorate National Manufacturing Day by hosting tours for schools, businesses and members of the community, October 7, 2016, at its manufacturing facility located at 305 Tidwell Circle in Alpharetta, Georgia. Special arrangements have been made so that students from five local high schools will tour Metcams facility the morning of Oct. 7. Tours will run every 15 minutes, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and will focus on advancements within the industry and the need for well-educated, motivated workers. Attendees will learn about education requirements, salary ranges and duties for a wide range of careers available in manufacturing. Each tour will conclude with refreshments and a question and answer session. This Manufacturing Day were looking forward to educating young people and the entire community about the great careers available in manufacturing. Our goal is to form strong partnerships with local schools to help educators understand the skills students need in order to pursue high-paying careers in manufacturing, said Bruce Hagenau, President of Metcam. Manufacturing Day is an industry-wide partnership created to highlight opportunities and progress in manufacturing by providing companies the support to promote and showcase their facilities. By working together, manufacturers can find solutions to the shortage of skilled labor, enhance the public image of manufacturing and connect with future generations to ensure the ongoing prosperity of the industry. The co-producers of Manufacturing Day are gratified to see that each year companies are becoming more engaged and expanding the reach of the celebrations they produce, said Ed Youdell, president and CEO of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association. In just five short years MFG DAY has grown from a few hundred companies hosting a few thousand attendees to thousands of companies and hundreds of thousands attendees all based on local, grassroots activity. Metcam provides a great example of this. Guests will be provided with safety glasses and hearing protection devices. Covered shoes (no sandals or high heels) are required. Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by parents or teachers. Student groups of more than five persons must register in advance at http://www.metcam.com/mfgday/. About Manufacturing Day Manufacturing Day is an annual national event, executed at the local level that supports hundreds of manufacturers across the nation that host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other local community members at open houses designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers. A panel of co-producers comprised of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), the National Institute of Standards and Technologys (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and guest producer Industrial Strength Marketing (ISM) provide the centralized support necessary to coordinate this nationwide array of simultaneous events. The national media partner for the event is the Science Channel and the national movie partner is American Made Movie. About the Manufacturing Industry Studies by the nonprofit Manufacturing Institute and others show that almost 80 percent of Americans believe manufacturing is important to our economic prosperity, standard of living and national security. Yet only 30 percent would encourage their children to go into manufacturing as a career. With the gap growing each year between the skills students learn in school and those they will need on the job, it is increasingly difficult for manufacturers to find and hire qualified employees. By participating in Manufacturing Day, companies like Metcam in Alpharetta, Georgia, are able to promote manufacturing as a solid, long-term career choice for qualified candidates-including the young people who will form tomorrows workforce. About Metcam Metcam is a fabricator of precision sheet metal components and assemblies for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) representing a wide variety of industries including telecommunications, electronics and HVAC. Metcams advanced metalworking capabilities include laser cutting, punching, forming, hardware insertion, welding (including robotics), powder painting, silkscreen and parts assembly. Metcam also assists clients with product design and manufacturability to reduce their total cost of production. Metcams award-winning service, combined with an aggressive focus on quality, environmental management and lean manufacturing, simplifies the outsourcing decision for firms worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.metcam.com. Contact (Press Only): Angela McMahon Michael Mackenzie Communications 404-543-9636 angelam(at)michaelmackenzie(dot)com Earthling Logo Earthling Security, a leading provider of Cloud Solutions, IT Security, Secure Application Development and Managed Hosting Solutions based in Tysons Corner, Virginia, has received its certification as a minority-owned small business under the Small, Women and Minority-Owned (SWaM) certification program with the Commonwealth of Virginia. The SWaM certification program is administered by the Virginia Department of Minority Business Enterprise (DMBE) and is the Commonwealth of Virginias initiative to help small, women- and minority-owned businesses conduct business with state government entities. This certification allows Earthling the opportunity to be recognized as a Minority-owned, small business within its home state of Virginia and to continue to its work bringing innovative solutions across customers IT enterprise. The SWaM certification is valid for an initial term of three years and may be renewed. Earthling Securitys SWaM Certification Number is 720543. Earthling Securitys President and Chief Executive Officer Yusuf Ahmed, said The Earthling team is extremely excited to receive this distinction from the Commonwealth of Virginia. As an entrepreneur and a minority, I appreciate the opportunity to build and grow an organization that focuses on results and a collaborative spirit of inclusion and outreach. From hiring to career development, we are dedicated to providing options to all of our employees while ensuring exceptional service to all of our clients. I am truly grateful that the Commonwealth continues to prioritize the small, woman, and minority business community in both word and action. About SWaM The SWaM Procurement Initiative was established On August 10, 2006, as Governor Timothy Kaine signed Executive Order No. 33, to enhance business opportunities for small, women- and minority-owned businesses and to ensure a level playing field for all small businesses in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Through this legislation, Governor Kaine set forth a 40% goal of purchases from SWaMs for the Commonwealth and established a Small Business Set-Aside Program, as well as several other initiatives for state agencies and departments to enhance SWaM participation in procurement activities. The list of SWaM certified businesses is published online. About Earthling Security, LLC Earthling Security, LLC is a minority-owned, Small Business Administration 8(a) certified small business dedicated to providing cutting edge technology products and services to public sector and commercial clients. Our elite team specializes in Cloud Computing, Secure Application Development, Cybersecurity, and Managed Secure Cloud Hosting. Our secure cloud hosting environment, EarthlingCloud, provides a cost efficient, compliant and secure way of hosting websites and web applications. Earthling Security is an Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure partner. Our customers love the fact that they are getting all-inclusive costs for managed hosting, security and compliance with a reputable and certified vendor. For more information about Earthling Security, please visit our website: http://www.earthlingsecurity.com or email us at info(at)earthlingsecurity(dot)com For more information about EarthlingCloud or our FedRAMP-as-a-Service offering, please visit the following links: http://www.earthlingsecurity.com/fedrampaas http://www.earthlingcloud.com "Veterans and their families make so many sacrifices for us all and I am so honored we were able to give something back to them. - Dr. Todd Britten Dr. Todd M. Britten and his staff at Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry are gearing up for their 2nd annual Free Dental Day for Veterans. The event will be held in Dr. Brittens Clearwater office on Friday November 11, 2016. Last year was the inaugural event and it was a great success. Dr. Britten, his staff, as well as volunteers from Clearwater Dental Associates and Britten Dental Associates worked together to provide four very deserving veterans with periodontal and general dental care. When asked about the previous event Dr. Britten said, It was such a great feeling to help these patients oral health improve and help them keep teeth that they were in danger of losing. Veterans and their families make so many sacrifices for us all and we were so honored we were able to give something back to them. For one veteran in particular, treatment included IV sedation (due to the need for extensive treatment and intense dental phobia), extraction of all of this patients remaining teeth which were badly broken and excessive bone growth throughout his mouth. Dr. Jim Hayslett of Clearwater Dental helped Dr. Britten restore this patients smile with complete upper and lower dentures. Dr. Britten stated, All he wanted to do again was eat a steak dinner. We were able to get a patient out of pain and help him to be able to chew again and smile with confidence. Dr. Britten and his staff have been working with The Community Dental Clinic to match patients with periodontal needs with the Clearwater Periodontists office. Allison Sapiega, the exectuve director at the clinic stated, "The Community Dental Clinic has enjoyed the privilege of working with Britten Periodontics for the last few years on their Free Dental Event for Veterans. We are so proud to call them a community partner as we strive together to serve those that fall into the dental services gap. Nearly 95% of veterans are without dental coverage, so events like Britten Periodontics' Free Dental Day for Veterans are imperative in serving those that have served us. Dr. Todd Britten explained how glad he is to be doing this the second year in a row and would like to do it annually for the entirety of his career. When asked why this is a cause so near and dear to his heart he stated that his grandfathers and uncles served in the military and giving back to veterans in need is a top priority for him. Dr. Britten said, The entire staff at Britten Periodontics is so grateful to the men and women in the military that make so many sacrifices for our freedom. We are happy to host this annual event, and hope to do it for many years to come. Britten Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is a periodontal practice offering patients personalized dental care in implant dentistry in Clearwater, Florida. Dr. Todd Britten received his Bachelor of Science & Doctorate of Dental Surgery from University of Florida, a Masters Degree and Certificate in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry; and completed extensive training at the Institute of Advanced Laser Dentistry. He is one of the only board-certified periodontists in Pinellas County. He is a member of the American Academy of Periodontology, American Dental Association, Florida Association of Periodontists, Upper Pinellas County Dental Association, Hillsborough County Dental Association, Hillsborough County Dental Research Association and Florida West Coast Dental Association. To learn more about Dr. Britten and his dental services visit his website at http://www.brittenperio.com or call (727) 586-2681. "Our people represent the true core of our company." - Farshad Fardad, CEO for GlobalWide Media GlobalWide Media, a data-driven digital marketing leader, has once again been recognized as a 2016 Best Places to Work in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal. As a leader operating in a fast-paced industry, GlobalWide Media has created a dynamic workplace providing each of its employees the opportunity to thrive personally and professionally. GlobalWide Media places strong emphasis on fostering a family-like environment where company culture is of the highest importance. We are very proud of this recognition from the Los Angeles Business Journal and above all else, extremely proud of our employees in building a world-class organization. We have an exceptional team who are incredibly passionate about what they do and where they work, said Farshad Fardad, Chief Executive Officer for GlobalWide Media. Our people represent the true core of our company, he added. The Best Places to Work in Los Angeles program is a county-wide program managed by Best Companies Group, who conducts a two-part process designed to gather detailed data about each participating company. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This honor has come just weeks after being recognized as a finalist for the Employer of the Year Award at the VIATEC Technology Awards. For more information on GlobalWide Media and its latest job postings, visit https://globalwidemedia.com/about/careers/ About GlobalWide Media GlobalWide Media is a data-driven digital marketing leader, providing premium media solutions for the world's leading brands and agencies. Powered by data science, GlobalWide Media connects advertisers with custom audiences through direct response and brand campaigns, activating proprietary and first party data. With offices in Los Angeles, Victoria, London, and Hong Kong, GlobalWide Media provides localized expertise for brands globally. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. is proud to announce Partner Jennifer L. Ashley is a recipient of the Lake County Journals 2016 Women of Distinction Award. The Women of Distinction Award identifies women who have made a difference in Lake County and who are representative role models as leaders in their fields and community. Ms. Ashley will receive the award at the 2016 Lake County Journals Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon on October 25, 2016 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Mundelein. Registration for the event begins at 11 a.m. and the lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. The award ceremony will provide honorees with an opportunity to share their stories and attendees with networking opportunities with other local women. In addition, Ms. Ashley will be profiled in the October issue of Lake County Magazine. Ms. Ashley joined Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard in March 2012 and was named partner in January 2014. She concentrates her practice of law in the areas of personal injury, which includes auto accidents, premises liability, wrongful death and products liability. Ms. Ashley has tried well over 100 cases to verdict before a jury. She also serves as an arbitrator in Lake County for municipal and small claims cases. In addition, she is involved in many legal associations, including the Lake County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and American Association for Justice. Ms. Ashley regularly volunteers at Prairie State Legal Services, where she does pro bono legal work for those who cannot afford an attorney. She has helped many people with legal issues including orders of protection, housing, divorce, and parenting rights. Ms. Ashley is also a trustee of the Lake County Bar Foundation, which is a charitable organization whose goal to allow all people access to the administration of justice. Ms. Ashley lives in Libertyville, IL with her husband (Mark Nazarof) and their two children, Henry (7) and Victoria (4). She is able to balance her roles as a successful lawyer and a devoted mother, while continuing her volunteer work for various charitable organizations of Lake County. Jennifer L. Ashley can be reached at (847) 249-1227 or at jashley(at)salvilaw(dot)com . The MIAMI Association of REALTORS (MIAMI) has partnered with Juwai, Chinas No. 1 international property search portal, to promote MIAMI residential and commercial listings. Asia is one of the fastest-growing segments of South Florida foreign buyers. Juwai, which means home overseas, boasts more than 2.4 million property listings spanning 58 countries, with more than 12,000 news stories. Juwai.com is visited by thousands of Chinese buyers each day from over 315 cities throughout China, as well as major Chinese communities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Americas youngest major city, Miami, has grown into a world-class metropolis with an economic output similar to Hong Kong and is now poised to become the next major destination for Chinese investment. Greater Miamis diversified economy, clean air, award-winning schools, stellar universities, international banking system, infrastructure improvements, name-brand shopping, port expansion and geographic proximity to emerging markets are encouraging major Asian investment. Miami is the city of the future, said Teresa King Kinney, the chief executive officer for MIAMI. With its proximity to Latin America, diversified economy and newly-improved port, airport and highways, Greater Miami is in position to attract major investment from China and other international countries. Greater Miami already produces more than $300 billion in economic output, which is similar to the economies of Singapore and Hong Kong. Chinese investors and residents see the value of being in Miami. China City Construction Co., a subsidiary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the Peoples Republic of China, is planning to build an 18-story tower on Miami Beach. Hong Kong-based Swire Pacific, which developed Brickell Key in Miami, is completing construction of the $1.05 billion Brickell City Centre, a 9.1.-acre mixed-used mega development that promises to transform Downtown Miami. China: A Fast-Growing Segment of South Florida Foreign Buyers Miami serves as the epicenter of the South Florida region, which includes Orlando and Tampa. The entire region produces more than $750 billion in economic output, which is similar to the Netherlands, according to data from the FIU-Miami Creative City Initiative. Wanting to be a part of this growing region, Chinese buyers have increased their South Florida residential property purchases from 1 percent of all international sales in 2012 to 2 percent in 2015, according to the 2015 MIAMI Profile of International Home Buyers. Two percent of international sales is an impressive figure considering South Florida foreign real estate buyers accounted for 36 percent or $6.1 billion of total sales volume in 2015. A 2 percent international sales figure for Miami is higher than most U.S. states have in total international sales. The Miami-Miami Beach metro area ranked as the top destination for Chinese buyers in Florida, according to NARs 2015 Profile of International Home Buyers in Florida. About 42 percent of all Chinese buyers purchased in Miami-Miami Beach, the total is 15 percentage points higher than the second-most purchased location (Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice.) The Asian-born population in Miami-Dade County increased 10.5 percent from 2010 to 2014, growing from 34,251 to 37,853, according to 2014 U.S. Census population estimates. Asian-born residents accounted for 2.8 percent of the Miami-Dade County population, according to 2014 U.S. Census population estimates. About 19.6 percent of Miamis Asian residents, or 7,425, identified as Chinese. South Florida Educational Institutions Attracting Chinese Interest Miamis Florida International University, the first U.S. university to establish campuses in China more than a decade ago, has about 5,000 Chinese students in Miami. The parents of these students purchase property for their children and for investment purposes. FIU has a partnership with the Tianjin University of Commerce in Tianjin, China. Each year, more than 1,000 FIU students study hospitality and tourism management while learning about the Chinese culture in China. The Marriott Tianjin China Program began in September 2006 and is FIUs largest program in China. The University of Miami has 942 students from China, the most among all foreign countries, according to the schools 2014 student enrollment figures. Venezuela ranks second with 212 students. The Chinese student population at UM has increased 88.4 percent since 2010-11, when 500 students from China were enrolled. Chinese students at UM participate in the University of Miami Chinese Students and Scholars Association (UMCSSA), which was founded in 2012. The UMCSSA facilitates the transition of new incoming Chinese students to University of Miami through monthly meetings, the Mid-Autumn Celebration and the Chinese New Year Celebration. FIU, meanwhile, recently began a 36 credit, interdisciplinary major in Chinese Area Studies, which is a branch of the Asian Studies B.A. degree. The major emphasizes Chinese language and culture as well as other courses in area studies. Greater Miami is the nations eighth-largest college town (438,000 total students), according to the FIU-Miami Creative City Initiative. More than two-thirds of Miami college students stay in the region after graduating the 16th best retention rate of the nations metros with more than 1 million people. Strong Trade Partner China has invested more than $100 billion in the United States since 2000. Locally, China finished as Miamis third-largest foreign trade partner with $6.4 billion in transactions in 2015, according to Miami-Dade County statistics. More than 400,000 passengers flew from Miami to Asia in 2015, according to Sabre Global Demand data and Miami International Airport. Miami is in position to increase its international investments, particularly from Chinese buyers. PortMiami, the top-ranked container cargo port in Florida with 900,000 TEUs handled each year, spent $2 billion to deepen its channel from 42-foot depth to 50-52. PortMiami is the only U.S. port south of Norfolk, Va. that can accommodate new, mega cargo vessels from the expanded Panama Canal. The larger ships are expected to start sailing through the newly expanded Panama Canal on June 26. PortMiami can become a transshipment hub for manufactured goods coming from East Asia. Another key development is the U.S.-Chinese reciprocal agreement to issue business and tourist visas valid for 10 years instead of visas that expire in one year. China-Miami Initiatives MIAMI has facilitated several partnerships and events to help its 42,000-plus members better advertise their properties in China. MIAMI has participated on several trade missions to Asia. MIAMI CEO Teresa King Kinney participated and presented at the 2016 Asian Real Estate Association of Americas China North America Global Summit on June 15-25, 2016 at Chengdu, Xian, Changzhou and Shanghai. A group of Miami-Dade County government officials and local businessmen recently traveled to China and Taiwan to discuss the creation of nonstop passenger flights to Asia. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department also created the MIA-Asia Task Force of 39 community and business groups, including the Japanese Business Association and the Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association. Recently, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. CEO Ivan Chu told Bloomberg News his airline is considering a plane capable of direct flights from Miami to Hong Kong. Cathay is Asias largest airline by passengers. The North Miami City Council recently approved plans to study and designate a Chinatown cultural arts and innovation district. The district would be on Northwest Seventh Avenue (U.S. 441) from 119th to 135th streets. There are no plans to displace established businesses and the idea is to involve Chinese motifs in the overall facade of the area. North Miami City Council staff noted the large number of Chinese students at Florida International University, which has a campus in North Miami. Other governmental entities, such as the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, are working to establish a branch of the Chinese Consulate in Miami. Currently, the Chinese Consulate-General in Houston covers Florida as part of its consular jurisdiction. A Miami Chinese Consulate would not only help local residents in obtaining visas to visit China, but it would also promote more Chinese investments in South Florida. About the MIAMI Association of REALTORS The MIAMI Association of REALTORS was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 96 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward Council, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents more than 42,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S., and has official partnerships with 136 international organizations worldwide. MIAMIs official website is http://www.miamire.com ### From center to right, Nicole Patrizzi, General Manager West Elm Providence, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, Diana Lewinstein, Stephen Lewinstein and Ronald Bates. West Elm, a Williams-Sonoma brand home furnishings retailer with 100 locations throughout the world, held a pre-opening celebration for its East Side Providence location on August 31st, from 6 pm 8 pm. Located in the bustling Wayland Square neighborhood, the store officially opened to the general public on September 1st at 10 am. West Elm Providence, Rhode Islands only location, is the latest addition to the Wayland Square community, which also recently hosted a grand opening ceremony for Pasta Beach, an Italian restaurant with locations in Newport and Boston. The Wayland Square shopping and dining district has always been a vibrant and eclectic blend of diverse, flourishing small businesses. Stephen Lewinstein, a real estate developer whose holdings include several Wayland Square commercial properties, believes the additions of West Elm and Pasta Beach will further enhance the allure of Wayland Square, stating: Together, they will bring the Square to a new level as a boutique shopping and dining destination. West Elms vast drawing power will bring a multitude of new shoppers to the Square. Pasta Beach provides an authentic Italian dining experience with its imported ovens and chefs. The Wayland Square Merchants Association, a non-profit organization comprised of small business owners whose goal is to positively promote Wayland Square as a shopping and dining destination, is pleased to welcome West Elm and Pasta Beach to the neighborhood. Wendy Brown, owner of Wendy Brown Home and president of the Wayland Square Merchants Association, stated: Wayland Square has had upscale shopping since the turn of the century. We are proving that we can survive and support main street shopping. The new tagline is: You can find it on the square. Its true. Everything you need, you can find on the square. Providences Wayland Square is home to a number of eclectic businesses and boutiques, including: Books on the Square; Clad In; Dixon & McAllister; J. McLaughlin; LArtisan Cafe & Bakery; McBrides Pub; Plaid & Stripe; Providence Perfumes; Reliable Gold; The Salted Slate; The Olive Tap; Wendy Brown Home; F. Bianco; Milan Fine Clothiers; Strands; Washington Trust; Comina; Haruki; Lims Thai Restaurant; Mrs. Robinson; Opt Eyewear Boutique; Paper Nautilus; Red Stripe; Simple Pleasures; Starbucks; Teas and Javas; Tropical Smoothie Cafe; Waterman Grille; Wayland Bakery; and Whole Foods. Police have released a surveillance video of a person of interest in the fatal stabbing of a 60-year-old Queens woman. The police are treating the slaying as a homicide, but the victim's relatives believe it's also a hate crime. Nazma Khanam had been walking home with her husband from their souvenir shop on Wednesday night when she was attacked outside of 160-12 Normal Road in Jamaica. The Post reports that her husband had stopped at one point: "His asthma acted up, and the 60-year-old retired teacher walked ahead of him while he caught his breath. Just moments after his wife was out of view, the husband heard her let out a blood curdling scream and sprinted to catch up with her. When he found Khanam, she was bleeding on the sidewalk with a piece of the knife sticking out of her, cops said." "Somebody killed me," Khanam reportedly told her husband as he held her in his arms. Khanam was rushed to Jamaica Hospital and pronounced dead shortly afterwards. The couple had come to the U.S. in 2009 and became citizens in June. Khanam was wearing traditional Muslim clothing, and her family doesn't think she was the target of a would-be robber. A nephew told the Daily News "They didnt take her phone, pocketbook, bag, nothing. We feel this is a hate crime... We want justice." Earlier in the month, an imam and his assistant were fatally shot, execution-style, in Ozone Park, stoking fears that they were targeted because they were Muslim. (The suspect, who pleaded not guilty on Thursday, has yet to be charged with a hate crime). "The thing that's very shocking is that this was 9 at night," resident Tahir Qayyum told CBS2. "The fact that a few weeks ago, an imam was killed, the election, the hate sentiment. I understand everything is going to say it was a hate crime, but I don't want to rush to judgement until the police clarify." The authorities released video of a male person of interest in Khanam's killing: Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. CollegeInvest logo We are determined to be inclusive in providing college savings resources for Colorado families, especially those of limited opportunity. CollegeInvest announced today that the administrative fees for its Direct Portfolio 529 college savings plan have been reduced by 8 percent, effective immediately. This is the fifth fee reduction for the Direct Portfolio plan in the last seven years. Overall, fees have dropped 52 percent. The reduction in fees allows account owners to apply more of their savings directly to college expenses and also attracts new account owners, further strengthening one of the best college savings options in the country. The Direct Portfolio plan is one of four 529 college savings options offered by CollegeInvest. A partnership between CollegeInvest and Vanguard/Ascensus College Savings, it has become an enormously popular savings choice for Coloradans resulting in 7 percent growth in new accounts over the previous year. More than 90 percent of all Direct Portfolio account owners are residents of Colorado. CollegeInvest is a not-for-profit state agency that receives no taxpayer funding. 100 percent of costs are covered by low administrative fees, which are set in direct proportion to the volume of assets under management. As the cost of postsecondary education has continued to rise, Colorado families have responded to CollegeInvests call to action in steadily increasing numbers, triggering reductions in administrative fees. This is a great example of the principle of strength in numbers, said Angela Baier, chief executive officer. More and more Colorado families are doing their part and saving as much as they can. As families college savings go up, fees go down. CollegeInvests robust account growth is also the catalyst for external funding of need-based scholarship and matching grant programs provided exclusively to low and middle-income families in Colorado. Completely underwritten by CollegeInvests partners, these programs are operated independent of administrative fees charged, and without any tax dollars. We are determined to be inclusive in providing college savings resources for Colorado families, especially those of limited opportunity, Baier said. The synergy created among all Colorado families saving with CollegeInvest expands our potential to serve the greater good. About CollegeInvest CollegeInvest is Colorados foremost resource designed specifically to help break down the financial barriers to attaining a higher education or vocational training. By providing expert information, easy-to-use planning tools, and an exceptionally diverse menu of tax advantaged college savings plans, CollegeInvest works to help Coloradoans maximize their potential to save for college. CollegeInvest currently represents $6.5 billion in savings, and more than 350,000 accounts, the majority of which are held by Colorado residents. Money saved in a CollegeInvest 529 savings plan can be used at any public or private college, university, community college or vocational school, anywhere in the country. For more information, visit collegeinvest.org or call 1-800-448-2424, or contact your financial advisor. Important Considerations To learn about CollegeInvests 529 program, its objectives, risks, charges, expenses, limitations, restrictions and qualifications regarding the Plans benefits and potential tax advantages, please read and consider carefully the Program Disclosure Statements (PDS) available at http://www.collegeinvest.org before investing. Also, check with your or your beneficiarys home state to learn if it offers tax or other benefits for investing in its own plan. Administered and issued by CollegeInvest. CollegeInvest and the CollegeInvest logo are registered trademarks of CollegeInvest. Copyright 2016 CollegeInvest. About Vanguard Vanguard, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, is one of the worlds largest investment management companies and a leading provider of 529 college savings plans. As of July 31, 2016, Vanguard managed nearly $3.8 trillion in U.S. mutual fund assets and $70 billion in college savings assets across 32 college savings plans and 6 prepaid tuition plans in 30 states. Vanguard offers more than 170 index and actively managed funds to U.S. investors and more than 170 additional funds in non-U.S. markets. For more information, please visit institutional.vanguard.com. About Ascensus Ascensus is the largest independent retirement and college savings services provider in the United States, helping over 7 million Americans save for the future. With more than 35 years of experience, the firm partners with financial institutions to offer tailored solutions that meet the needs of financial professionals, employers, and individuals. Ascensus specializes in recordkeeping, administrative, and program management services, supporting over 40,000 retirement plans and over 3.8 million 529 college savings accounts. It also administers more than 1.6 million IRAs and health savings accounts and is home to one of the largest ERISA consulting teams in the country. For more information about Ascensus, visit http://www.ascensus.com. View career opportunities at careers.ascensus.com or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ascensus. For the latest company news, follow @AscensusInc on Twitter. I am excited to join the benefitexpress team. Im impressed with what has been built to date and look forward to executing on our strategic direction, getting to know our clients and partners, and delivering innovative benefits administration services. Jocelyn Purtell has joined benefitexpress as Chief Operating Officer. She is responsible for leading all aspects of client service including operations and client management for benefitexpress, which includes the newly acquired benefitsCONNECT. Ms. Purtells extensive experience in operations extends benefitexpress ability to lead the benefits services industry. This appointment is another step in the companys building of the most experienced and successful management team in the industry. Michael Sternklar, CEO of the recently combined companies said, Jocelyn brings a wealth of leadership and hands on experience at a critical time for benefitexpress. Her ability to quickly impact our business and focus on the needs of our clients and partners is a testament to her deep understanding of what it takes to be successful in benefits administration. Ms. Purtell has 30 years of experience in the human resources outsourcing industry including benefits, HR, and payroll. She understands the importance of integration across all HR services. Prior to joining benefitexpress, Ms. Purtell was President, North America for NGA, Head of U.S. Operations for Mercer Outsourcing, and Senior Vice President, North America Operations Outsourcing Leader at AonHewitt. Her career has included managing 10,000+ employees, global operations management, and serving clients of all sizes and industries. I am excited to join the benefitexpress team. Im impressed with what has been built to date and look forward to executing on our strategic direction, getting to know our clients and partners, and delivering innovative benefits administration services, shared Jocelyn Purtell. About benefitexpress benefitexpress delivers industry leading benefits administration to employers and partners and is always at the ready for their employees. Delivering client-tested integrated benefits administration, benefitexpress provides technology, flexibility and customer services to the simple and most complex benefit plans. Services spans a suite of end-to-end solutions including a full service call enter, daily administration, integrated ACA administration, reimbursement account administration, dependent eligibility audits, and total compensation statements. NLN Education Summit "Both of these outstanding individuals have been at the forefront of our profession. They epitomize leadership, illustrated by their lifelong service and distinctive accomplishments. NLN CEO Dr. Beverly Malone The NLN Presidents Award recognizes leaders in health care who are exemplars of the NLNs core values of excellence, integrity, caring and diversity, individuals who have dedicated their lifes work to advancing the health of the nation and of the global community. This year, NLN president Anne R. Bavier, PhD, RN, FAAN, has selected two deserving recipients: Sheila Dinotshe Tlou and Pam Thompson. Dr. Bavier will present both awards at the Opening Session of the 2016 NLN Education Summit on Wednesday, September 21. As director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, based in Johannesburg, Dr. Tlou is uniquely positioned to offer an introduction to the theme of the 2016 Summit: Beyond Boundaries, with a focus on global health policy and solutions to challenges. In her current role, she provides leadership in the response to HIV/AIDS and ensures technical support to United Nations teams in 21 countries. Her pioneering work has earned her the coveted designation of United Nations Eminent Person for Women, Girls, and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. Throughout your career you have worked tirelessly to increase community awareness of HIV and AIDS in Botswana.Your efforts have had a vital impact on educating families on HIV prevention, on caring for people living with AIDS, and on human rights, Dr. Bavier wrote to Dr. Tlou in a letter detailing the selection. As AONE CEO and senior vice president nursing/chief nursing officer of the American Hospital Association for 16 years before her recent retirement, Ms. Thompson addressed issues specific to strengthening the health care workforce and the redesign of patient care delivery. Prior to joining AONE, Ms. Thompson had a long, distinguished career in nursing leadership and health care policy in her home state of New Hampshire and on the national level. In addition to serving as vice president of Childrens Hospital Obstetrics, Psychiatric Services and Strategic Planning at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, she held leadership roles at the National Patient Safety Foundation and was a founding member of the Behavioral Health Network in New Hampshire, also serving as the networks board chair. Noting that it is especially fitting to publicly recognize Ms. Thompson as she retires from the leadership of AONE, in a letter to her, Dr. Bavier wrote: You have played a pivotal role in AONEs development of emerging nurse leaders, your efforts aimed at preparing the next generation to meet future practice needs. You have led an invaluable organization that has advanced nursing practice and patient care, promoted nursing excellence, and shaped public policy for health care. On behalf of the NLN, I applaud Annes choices for this years NLN Presidents Award, said NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. Both of these outstanding individuals have been at the forefront of our profession. They epitomize leadership, illustrated by their lifelong service and distinctive accomplishments. Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its more than 40,000 individual and more than 1,200 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations. xAd - Location-Based Marketing, Without The Guesswork - www.xad.com Its a meaningful partnership with xAd, said Vincent Yan, the Founder and CEO of AdMaster. xAd, the global leader in location intelligence that drives sales, today announced its partnership with AdMaster, a leading marketing data technology company to provide its clients with a domestic measurement solution that links mobile campaign delivery to in-store visitation. The solution, AdMaster Store Visitation Measurement in xAd, leverages AdMasters online ad campaigns measurement technology alongside xAds proprietary Blueprints technology to enable advertisers to measure the reach of their mobile campaigns. This helps marketers understand how campaign delivery influences store visitation based on actual foot traffic data. This exclusive partnership represents a milestone in bridging online to offline campaigns. In 2016, the number of mobile users in China reached 650 million.* Advertisers have been quickly adopting to online behavioral shifts, as mobile advertising spending surpassed 50% of the overall digital ad spend in 2015 and is estimated to take up 60% in 2016.** Though e-commerce has been rapidly growing in China, 90% of the retail transactions still take place in the offline world.*** What does the discrepancy among these numbers mean for brands? Marketers are more hyper-aware of the importance of mobile ads and they need solutions to convert online traffic to offline sales. With the location-based precision ad placement, marketers can create solutions that combine online marketing activities with offline store traffic and sales conversion based on real-time foot traffic, as reported in an eMarketer report. In the research, advertisers indented to ramp up the location based marketing as one of the top three mobile marketing strategies that they would implement in the coming 12 months.**** Leveraging xAds proprietary Blueprints technology and AdMasters online ads measurement technology, The AdMaster Store Visitation Measurement in xAd solution solves the frustrating challenge for marketers and empowers them to measure the ad exposures impact on sales and optimize the campaign through valuable insights. Thanks to the rapid development of technology, many business challenges could be solved. Though, how to convert online advertising delivery to offline sales remains challenging for not only todays digital marketing efforts, but for the global advertising industry as whole. AdMaster, as a leading marketing data technology company, has years of expertise in digital marketing and data analytics with advantages in ads performance data, social data and consumers behavioral data; meanwhile, it also leads the trend in managing and applying brands first-party data, and in realizing the data hub strategy through collaborating with other leading data platforms. Through this partnership with xAd, AdMaster will leverage its strength in data technology and integrate the data from brands online campaigns with consumers offline behavior, so as to help advertisers make their digital ad performance measurable and further, optimize media strategy from the perspective of sales conversion. The AdMaster Store Visitation Measurement in xAd represents a more direct, instant and transparent measurement metrics, compared with the traditional GRP/Reach oriented media measurement. Accurate measurement solutions are critical in helping brands understand how advertising impacts sales, particularly in the relatively new and fast-growing sector of location based advertising, said Dipanshu Sharma, the Founder and CEO of xAd. By collaborating with AdMaster, we can provide trusted measurement ROI metrics based on store visitation. We believe xAd and AdMaster will help to establish a new standard for offline measurement while helping advertiser to create more precise and measurable campaign delivery. Its a meaningful partnership with xAd, said Vincent Yan, the Founder and CEO of AdMaster. By combining the technology from both sides, linking consumers media preference and ad reach, with offline location, moment and consumption behavior, we could co-create the first measurement solution that close the online to offline loop. We are looking forward to gaining insights from the mobile ad exposure to store visitation conversion, and pushing forward the innovation of performance measurement metrics in location based marketing. Currently, both companies have plans to launch the technology in verticals including Auto, QSR and Cosmetics through the new partnership. With the fast-pace growth in data technology, brands can leverage more insightful data to better understand consumers preference, needs, behavior and media consumption habit. In this regard, the partnership between xAd and AdMaster would also facilitate the communication between brands and consumers. We believe, the further development of location-based data technology can overall improve the accuracy of communication between brands and consumers with the right content, through the right channel, and at the right time. *CNNIC The 38th Statistical Report on Internet Development in China, August 2016 **eMarketer China Mobile Advertising Heady Growth Amid Economic Uncertainty, Jan 2016 ***2015-2020 China Retail Market Situation and Development Trend Forecasting Report, March, 2016 http://i.ifeng.com/news/sharenews.f?aid=107602390 ****eMarketer China Mobile Advertising Heady Growth Amid Economic Uncertainty, Jan 2016 About xAd xAd is the global leader in location intelligence that drives sales - unlocking opportunity in the 90% of retail transactions that are still completed offline. By leveraging a mobile device's current or past location data, xAd can provide in-store visitation insights by market, brand and even by specific competitors. It is through this first party data and intelligence that xAd can interpret the most relevant moments to introduce a brand's message, providing a more personalized and meaningful mobile ad experience to consumers while impacting the point of decision - driving in-store foot traffic and sales. Each month, xAds patented location solutions help marketers reach unprecedented scale with access to over 500 billion meaningful mobile moments, 325 million people at nearly 100 million unique places and points of interest globally. With xAd, marketers can finally close the gap between online activities and offline sales. Learn more: http://www.xad.com. About AdMaster As China's leading marketing data technology company, AdMaster uses cutting-edge technologies and big data to help brands plan their marketing strategies and predict their effectiveness. By connecting brands, advertisers and consumers, AdMaster acts as a data hub for the digital marketing industry. Our online ad measurement technology tracks over five billion impressions every day on computers, smartphones, tablets and smart TVs. We have long-standing relationships with key Chinese and foreign media providers as well as other industry players, which allow us to integrate data from multiple sources into a single data hub. Thanks to our experience in measuring and analyzing the effectiveness of online ad campaigns for brands from various industries and on multiple platforms, AdMaster is uniquely well positioned to provide advertisers with the insight, tools and expertise that will allow them to maximize their marketing ROI. Since we started in 2006, AdMaster has served over 80 percent of the leading domestic and foreign brands in China from various industries. We have five business centers and two R&D centers spread across Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Xi'an and Chengdu. Our competitive advantage comes from our cutting-edge technology. We have developed numerous patents and we have 50 percent of our personnel dedicated to research and development. We are AdMaster and we use data technology to build a happy world! Learn more at http://www.admaster.com.cn Business and Legal Resources (BLR), the leading provider of training and compliance solutions for multiple industries, announced the recent launch of HR Hotline, an all-new HR support product. This new subscription service gives expert answers from experienced law attorneys to the most pressing HR questions within one business day. Were excited to bring the HR Hotline product to market, said Patricia Trainor, VP of Content & Events at BLR. Our Ask the Experts tool on our portal products is a very popular feature, but many of our customers have requested quick deliveries for their many employment law and HR questions. Introducing HR Hotline allows us to deliver custom answers in a tailored subscription to our customers with a very fast turnaround time. The project will launch in four available subscription tiers with a range of questions per month. Existing HR.BLR.com, Compensation.BLR.com, and HRLaws subscribers will receive a discounted subscription rate. HR Hotlines launch adds to a busy 2016 for BLR, which included the acquisition of Thompson Information Services HR, Healthcare and Environmental divisions; the acquisition of Personnel Policy Service; a successful recapitalization; new professional development events; and much more. BLRs HR Hotline is now live. Visit HRSolutions.BLR.com/HRHotline to learn more. About BLR BLR (Business & Legal Resources) helps U.S. businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements. Expert in-house editors and an exclusive attorney network provide comprehensive, reliable state-specific information for businesses in all 50 states. Award-winning informational products including training programs, events, web portals, reports and subscription services give businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available at affordable prices. For more information on their offerings, visit http://www.BLR.com. Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect, announces today that Wade Jurney Homes, a home builder building affordable, quality homes throughout the Carolinas area and built upon a foundation of unmatched customer service, reliability, and trust, will donate six to eight homes to military families. Wade Jurney Homes is providing the homes and other support as part of Operation Homefronts Homes on the Homefront program. The first home is located in Salisbury, North Carolina, north of Charlotte. Construction will begin at the end of September. "Operation Homefront is absolutely thrilled to be working with Wade Jurney Homes as they clearly share our unwavering commitment to building strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect, said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront." Applications for the new home begin today until midnight on October 2. To apply for the home, please visit http://www.homesonthehomefront.org. Operation Homefront will select the recipient for the new home and announce their name on November 1, with keys to be awarded to the veteran home recipient before the Christmas season. "Wade Jurney Homes wanted the opportunity to give back to the community and the men and women who serve our country, said Wade G. Jurney Jr., president of Wade Jurney Homes. Partnering with Operation Homefront gives us the ability to build a home for those who have given so much for us. We are looking forward to a partnership now and for years to come. Wade Jurney Homes strives every day to make the dream of homeownership come true, added Jurney. We are especially honored to be able to make this dream a reality for a veteran." The Homes on the Homefront program began in 2012. Since inception, Operation Homefront has placed more than 550 veterans and their families in mortgage-free homes. Wade Jurney is the second home builder to join the program. About Wade Jurney: Wade Jurney Homes, Inc., founded in 2001 by Wade Jurney Jr, is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Company is one of the Southeasts largest regional homebuilders with over 150 communities throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and soon Georgia. As a builder of affordable homes, the Companys legacy continues by providing homebuyers with the most square footage at the lowest price. Every Wade Jurney home is built upon a foundation of unmatched customer service, reliability and trust. Our homes are built for todays lifestyleefficient, livable and comfortable. We stand behind our homes and have been recognized as a leader in the building industry, both regionally and nationally. You can count on us to stand by our commitment to provide you More Home. Less Money. Guaranteed. About Operation Homefront: A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families since its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefronts expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to http://www.OperationHomefront.net. ### The Quick Release Emergency Brake Pliers is an auto parts invention that allows people to repair or replace their car brakes quickly and easily. The auto parts industry is worth $55 billion," says Scott Cooper, CEO and Creative Director of World Patent Marketing. "More disposable income and newer technology has bolstered this industry by creating an increasing demand for auto parts. Past News Releases RSS World Patent Marketing Invention... World Patent Marketing Success Team... World Patent Marketing Invention... World Patent Marketing, a vertically integrated manufacturer and engineer of patented products, introduces The Quick Release Emergency Brake Pliers, an auto parts invention that helps people replace brake parts. "The auto parts industry is worth $55 billion," says Scott Cooper, CEO and Creative Director of World Patent Marketing. "More disposable income and newer technology has bolstered this industry by creating an increasing demand for auto parts." Cars are an extremely prevalent part of our daily lives but they can be very expensive to maintain, especially with newer technology making it harder for people to fix things themselves, says Jerry Shapiro, Director of Manufacturing and World Patent Marketing Inventions. This auto parts invention allows people to work on their cars much more easily and cheaply. Quick Release Emergency Brake Pliers is an auto parts invention that makes repairing car brakes much easier. This invention is a set of pliers that allow people to easily disconnect brake cables in order to repair or replace the brake parts. Car repair can be a very difficult task and this patent helps people very easily repair their car brakes. It saves a lot of time and effort for anyone who needs to work on a car, whether it be a regular car owner or a professional mechanic. "Finally, no more need to fight with those stubborn emergency brake cable adjusters, says inventor Ricky P. Simply Squeeze the fastening connector and disconnect the cable allowing you to replace and repair brakes or parts as needed. I have always tried to make a job faster, and this saves a lot of time. The Quick Release Emergency Brake Pliers is an auto parts invention that allows people to repair or replace their car brakes quickly and easily. ABOUT WORLD PATENT MARKETING World Patent Marketing is always looking for new invention ideas. The company provides invention services and is one of the only patent companies that engineers and manufactures its own products. The company is broken into six operating divisions: Patent Assistance and Research * Prototypes and Manufacturing * Distribution and Retail * Digital Marketing and Social Media * Direct Response TV and Internet Video Production * Patent Licensing & Investments As a global leader in the patent invention services industry, World Patent Marketing is by your side every step of the way, utilizing its capital and experience to guide the invention process towards a successful product launch so you can be one of the next World Patent Marketing Success Stories. World Patent Marketing Reviews enjoy an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (World Patent Marketing BBB) and has earned five-star ratings from Google and consumer review sites such as Consumer Affairs, Trustpilot, Shopper Approved, Customer Lobby, ResellerRatings, My3Cents and World Patent Marketing Glassdoor. The CEO of World Patent Marketing, Scott Cooper, is also a Director of The Cooper Idea Foundation is the founder of the New York Inventors Exchange and has also been a proud member of the National Association of Manufacturers, Duns and Bradstreet, the US Chamber of Commerce, the South Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and the Society of Plastics Engineers. Those who are wondering how hard is it to get a patent or how much does it cost to patent an idea, should contact the invention marketing experts. World Patent Marketing credits its invention success to it's powerful and influential advisory board and its controversial shock content approach to invention marketing. According to Scott J. Cooper, the CEO and Creative Director of World Patent Marketing, complaints from competitors are just part of the World Patent Marketing cost of doing business. To submit invention ideas, contact World Patent Marketing at (888) 926-8174. Corporate headquarters located at 1680 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139. There are a few fall season universal truths: we can finally look forward to cooler breezes, the swirl of crunchy leaves, and, oh no, a closet full of nothing to wear. (Put those jorts under your bed, people.) When you need to stock up on clothes you actually want to be seen in, it's time to get back to basics. And luckily, New York City's epicenter for everything functional, beautiful, and easy to wear is back in business, just in time for the holiday weekendthough things might look a little different inside! After an exciting renovation to mark their ten-year Soho-iversary, UNIQLO's flagship store re-opens today in celebration of "A new Tokyo in Soho." Enjoy a flurry of "shops within the shop," where each space tells a different story about UNIQLO LifeWear and the company's passion for innovation. Want to shop performance? Check out the Ultra Light Down and Jogger Pants alongside other items that focus on functionality. More into art and design? Head on over to a separate oasis of autumnal cashmere and flannel that honors the care and attention UNIQLO dedicates to its fabrics. The store's mezzanine level will also do double duty as an exhibition space, featuring products like SPRZ NY (Surprise New York), a collaboration between UNIQLO and MoMA that gives access to iconic artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Do yourself a favor and listen to what your closet is telling you: your threads need a fall update! So get ready to shop your passion at this weekend's UNIQLO grand re-opening. Today, Saturday, and Sunday, enjoy a few extra-special perks in celebration: for all you early birds, the first 1,000 people in line each day will receive a free mystery UNIQLO gift card, and all shoppers will receive a free UNIQLO x Pintrill limited edition enamel pin with any purchase. To learn more about UNIQLO's grand re-opening weekend, check out the Facebook event page here, and to explore "A New Tokyo in Soho," visit the website here. This post is brought to you by UNIQLO. Donald Trump has made a lot of noise during his campaign about his genius as a businessman, specifically a builder. He'll rebuild America, the same way he rebuilt the Wollman ice rink and helped make Atlantic City (uh maybe ignore that one). Of course, having made his name in the construction industry, Donald Trump's law and order bonafides could take a bit of a hit, since as the Wall Street Journal points out, Trump had to deal with a number of mobbed-up individuals and just kind of pretend they weren't mob-connected. The deep dive into Trump's mob connections takes a look at his old history of essentially sticking his fingers in his ears and yelling "LA LA LA LA LA" when someone would tell him one associate or another had mob connections. While the Journal points out that not dealing with mob-connected people was almost impossible for anyone in construction in the 70s and 80s, they did say it was possible to not directly negotiate with them by using a general contractor. Trump, though? "Mr. Trump said he preferred to negotiate business matters personally, because he made more money that way." This meant, for instance, that Trump dealt personally with two mob-linked figures when opening his first Atlantic City casino. Kenneth Shapiro, widely known as an "agent" of the Philadelphia mob's Nicodemo Little Nicky Scarfo, and Daniel Sullivan, a Teamster and known associate of mobsters, co-owned a site that Trump needed for his casino. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump negotiated with them directly to lease the land and told a New Jersey regulatory agency that "They are not bad people from what I see," in 1982. Trump's connection to Shapiro was scrutinized again in 1984. Shapiro told a grand jury that he funneled thousands of dollars in contributions from Trump to Atlantic City mayor Michael J. Matthews, who Trump was barred from contributing to on his own because of his casino ownership. While Trump denied the charge, telling the Journal "I'm not interested in giving cash, OK?", Shapiro's brother Barry said that Trump never reimbursed Kenneth for his illegal contributions on Trump's behalf. Trump refusing to pay a bill is of course, more believable than Trump not being interested in donating money to politicians. There was also the case of Robert LiButti, a major horse race gambler who talked about John Gotti as his "boss" and was a major gambler at Trump Plaza in the late 80s. Trump denied having anything to do with LiButti in an interview with the paper, but LiButti's daughter told Yahoo that she rode on Trump's helicopter and yacht, and that Trump came to her 35th birthday party. "I like Trump, but it pisses me off that he denies knowing my father. That hurts me," she told the site earlier this year. And while most of Trump's mob connections happened back in the 1980s, the Journal also brought up the case of Felix Sater, who worked with Bayrock Group, a real estate company that leased space in Trump Tower. Bayrock helped Trump brand his name on properties like the Trump SoHo condos and a Florida hotel, and the Journal reports Sater described himself as the number two person in the company. Sater also had been convicted in 1998 as part of a Mafia-linked boiler room scheme. Added up, it doesn't suggest that Trump knows where the bodies are buried. On the other hand, for a man who's been making his case that as a businessman and political neophyte he'll just hire the right people to help him make decisions, it's part of a pattern of a startling lack of vetting by the man. But hey, I'm sure that when he needs contractors and cheap labor for his big beautiful wall he'll do the the most fabulous vetting we've ever seen. Cookies What are cookies ? How do we use cookies? How to control cookies? Managing cookies in your browser see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis block third party cookies block cookies from particular sites block all cookies from being set delete all cookies when you close your browser X A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.Website use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help analyse the use of this website. 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You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.Most browsers allow you to:If you chose to delete cookies, you should be aware that any preferences will be lost. Also, if you block cookies completely many websites (including ours) will not work properly and webcasts will not work at all. For these reasons, we do not recommend turning cookies off when using our webcasting services. Joe DOnofrio will replace Don Linn as director of Chicago Distribution Center. University of Chicago Press director Garrett Kiely notified the approximately 50 academic and scholarly presses that CDC serves on Thursday, and D'Onofrio will start on Monday, September 12. Linn, who was named director of the CDC in 2012, left the organization in May. DOnofrio, who from 2011 until March of this year was director of supply chain operations for North America at Henry Schein, a global distributor of health care products and veterinarian supplies, has deep ties to the publishing industry. He was employed in various capacities at Simon & Schuster for 25 years, beginning in 1986 as director of corporate cost and inventory accounting, and culminating as senior v-p of supply chain operations, a position he held for eight years, from 2003-2011. During his long tenure at S&S, DOnofrio also served as general manager for Pocket Books for two years, and general manager for S&S Childrens Publishing Division for almost six years. He left S&S in 2011 after a reorganization of the house's operations and finance group. In his email to CDC client-publishers announcing DOnofrios appointment, Kiely said that among his accomplishments at S&S "were the reconfiguration of their fulfillment centers and the development and implementation of a master plan to upgrade and modernize the warehouse systems and infrastructure that resulted in increased storage capacity, improved shipping throughput, and gains in labor productivity." DOnofrio has been a member of the Book Industry Study Group board of directors and served on a number of BISG core committees, including supply chain EDI and the distribution executive interest group. He also served as chair of the Association of American Publishers committee on standards and best practices for affidavit returns. He has a deep and pragmatic understanding of both the book supply chain and the best practices and operations of the global supply chain network, Kiely added in his email. And, speaking to PW, Kiley added that D'Onofrio has "a great deal of experience in all aspects of publishing, distribution, and supply chain management." DOnofrio, a long-time resident of the New York City metro area, who holds a B.S. in accounting and marketing from Manhattan College, is relocating to Chicago this month. As the countdown begins for the September 20 air date of the latest Ken Burns PBS documentary, Defying the Nazis: The Sharps War, Boston-based Beacon Press is already going back to press for the eponymous companion volume by Artemis Joukowsky, who codirected and coproduced the film. This is starting to look like our biggest [tie-in] ever, said Beacon director Helene Atwan. Demand for the Joukowsky book has significantly increased as the documentary, which is narrated by Tom Hanks, begins to gain momentum. Late last week Beacon learned that there will be a special White House screening of the 90-minute film, and that it will also be shown at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Both book and movie tell the story of Joukowskys grandparents, Reverend Waitstill Sharp, a Unitarian minister, and his wife, Martha, a social worker. The pair left their two young children at home in Wellesley, Mass., and traveled to Prague to help political dissidents and Jewish refugees escape the Nazis on the eve of World War II. Among the people the Sharps rescued were Nobel laureate physicist Otto Meyerhof and writers Franz Werfel and Lion Feuchtwanger. The story of Waitstill and Martha Sharp is one of the most incredible tales of compassion, sacrifice and heroism that I have ever heard, and I was completely unaware of it until five years ago when Artemis Joukowsky first shared it with me, said Burns, who wrote the foreword to the book. Beacon will launch Defying the Nazis on September 6 with 10,000 copies in print after two trips to press. The press is working with DKC Public Relations, which is jointly promoting the book and the film. Atwan expects both to get major media coverage, ranging from TV plugs on shows like Morning Joe to print attention in papers like the Wall Street Journal. A number of other film screenings are also in the works, including ones at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie; New Yorks 92nd Street Y; and Birminghams APTV station. Both Cinema Village in New York City and Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles are planning week-long runs of the film from September 9-15. Atwan has known Joukowsky for many years and previously tried to sign a book he wrote about disability and sports, cowritten with Larry Rothstein. Instead Joukowsky, who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type III, when he was 14, self-published Raising the Bar in 2002. (The book features an introduction by Christopher Reeve.) Defying the Nazis is a book that Joukowsky has wanted to write since he interviewed his grandmother, Martha Sharp, for a high school project about heroes. He spent decades researching her story, and his grandfather's. The film is told through their letters and journals. Theres an amazing hunger for stories of Americans who tried to fight Hitler, said Atwan, who has wanted to publish the book since she first learned, years ago, that Joukowsky was writing it. Aside from the book's central theme, what makes Defying the Nazis particularly appealing for Beacon is its link to Unitarian Universalism, since the press is a department of the Unitarian Universalist Association. A number of UU organizations support the Sharps legacy and are developing an outreach campaign for the book and film. Gunfire broke out in the heart of Greenwich Village on Wednesday night, in Washington Square Park. Police believe the shooting may have been sparked by a drug deal gone bad... or romantic jealousy. Around 11:15 p.m. on August 31st, the NYPD says officers received a report that a male "displayed a firearm inside Washington Square Park, and fired a shot towards the 29 year-old male victim. The victim was struck by a concrete fragment that was sent into the air when the round struck the pavement." The victim was not injured and refused medical attention, according to the police. The Daily News offers a dramatic version of events, which suggests that the suspect and victim "had been arguing for the last few days ever since the suspect had made a pass at the victims girlfriend," with their clash culminating in the victim daring the suspect to shoot him, saying, Go ahead ... just tell my mother I love her." From the News' sources: The gunman struck his victim twice in the head with the pistol, then pressed the muzzle against the mans chest, threatening to shoot. After the victim stared him down and told him to pull the trigger, the gunman pulled back and aimed the weapon at the mans legs, officials said. He fired one round, which hit the sidewalk. The victim was hit with a concrete shard when the bullet impacted with the ground, cops said. The Post uses the shooting to revisit its past reports about the "open-air drug market" in the park, and offers a more lurid explanation: The gunman approached his 29-year-old victim around 11:05 p.m., accusing the man of selling him fake narcotics the day before, police sources said. An argument ensued, and at one point, the assailant asked for oral sex from the dealers girlfriend, who was also in the area, as retribution for the phony drugs, sources said. Police released images (below) of the suspect, describing him as about 5'5" and 25 years old. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577 Peter Ho Davies. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27 (282p) ISBN 978-0-544-26370-3 Though billed as a novel, The Fortunes could more aptly be described as a collection of four novellas, each of which explores a different facet of Chinese-American experience. The first section, Gold, is set during the mid-19th century and follows Ling, an orphan, from his childhood on Pearl River in China to Gold Mountain, Calif., where he works first in a laundry and then as a valet before becoming an unlikely organizer of Chinese workers building the Central Pacific Railway. In Silver, Davies imagines the lonely inner life of 1930s actress Anna May Wong, Hollywoods first Chinese-American star, who has affairs with many leading men but never marries any of them. Jade takes place in the 1980s, against the backdrop of the dying American auto industry, and focuses on the mistaken identity of a Chinese-American man taken to be Japanese in a deadly strip club brawl. In Pearl, the final section, a present-day middle-aged American writer, whose mother was from China, now finds himself there for the first time to adopt a baby girl with his Caucasian wife. The books scope is impressive, but whats even more staggering is the utter intimacy and honesty of each characters introspection. More extraordinary still is the depth and the texture created by the juxtaposition of different eras, making for a story not just of any one person but of hundreds of years and tens of millions of people. Davies (The Welsh Girl) has created a brilliant, absorbing masterpiece. Theater can be murder sometimes, and Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline will bring a killer script to life in its latest, "Deathtrap" by Ira Levin, opening next week. The dark comedy-thriller concerns the veteran Broadway playwright Sidney Bruhl, who's struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds, according to a Playcrafters synopsis. His luck changes when he receives a script from a student -- a thriller with the potential to be a Broadway hit. So Sidney and his wife, Myra, "devise a trap to scoop up the script and take credit for its creation," the synopsis says. "Murderous machinations result, the plot twists and turns with devilish cleverness, and you'll be left guessing until the final moments." "Deathtrap" ran on Broadway for 1,793 performances, from 1978 to 1982, and was adapted into a Hollywood film in 1982, starring Michael Caine as Sidney and Christopher Reeve, as his student Clifford. "I've always wanted to do this show," Jason Platt, of Davenport (who plays Sidney), said this week. "I've admired how this show was written since I was a kid." "This has a great level of suspense, some great thrills, also some funny moments, that audiences can really enjoy," he said. Of the show's veteran director, Mr. Platt noted: "With someone like Patti Flaherty at the helm, she holds those moments out." Sidney sets out from the outset what the play will cover. He explains there will be exactly one set, five characters, "a juicy murder in act one, and unexpected developments in act two," he said. According to Dramatists Play Service (which licenses the work for performance), the play "offers a rare and skillful blending of two priceless theatrical ingredients: gasp-inducing thrills and spontaneous laughter." The New York Post has written: "It is a classic thriller, a genre with a style, a manner and an audience of its own," and Cue Magazine: "Two-thirds a thriller and one-third a devilishly clever comedySuspend your disbelief and be delighted. Scream a little. It's good for you." Mr. Platt -- a frequent actor, director, and playwright whose stage credits include leads in "The Addams Family" and "Doubt" -- said "Deathtrap" reminds him of when he starred as another writer, in another intimate thriller, "Misery" in 2008 at the former Green Room. In both, "There are some jumps in it, some psychological moments in it," he said. "We really have to gel well together. You can't really hide behind other characters," he said of "Deathtrap." When Mr. Platt saw the movie over 30 years ago, he recalls "being amazed by it. It was thrilling; the plotting was just amazing," he said, adding of Ira Levin (who also wrote "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Stepford Wives"), "It's so brilliant. When I read his first book, 'A Kiss Before Dying,' published in the '50s, I had the same reaction." "What's nice with 'Deathtrap,' there's a cat-and-mouse thing going on," Mr. Platt said of Sidney and Clifford. "As an audience member, you have the thrill of watching it happen in front of you. It's interesting watching the characters flip back and forth between being the cat and the mouse." Clifford -- a student of his in a seminar Sidney conducted -- looks up to him as a mentor, but simultaneously seeks to upstage the mentor, he said. "With 'Deathtrap,' something that it's hard to talk about, they aren't the best characters, but that is fun to play, " Mr. Platt said, describing Sidney as "on the edge of desperateness, reclaiming who he once was, and showing what lengths he's willing to do go through to get there." "I think anybody can empathize with that on some level," he said. "We've all gone through anxiety and desperateness on some level. I don't think we're proud of those moments. When it comes to any mystery, whether it's fiction or true crime, the motives are usually the same -- usually greed, love or sex." Adam Cerny, of Bettendorf, plays Clifford. In the past year, he's been in two local musicals -- last October's "Rocky Horror Show" as the maid Magenta, and in February as the young killer Richard Loeb (of Leopold and Loeb infamy) in "Thrill Me." "Deathtrap" marks Mr. Platt's third role at Playcrafters -- he previously was in "The 39 Steps" in 2012, and "Noises Off" in '97. The new production features Pamela Briggs as Myra Bruhl, Nancy Teerlinck as Helga Ten Dorp, and Jason Dlouhy as Porter Milgrim. One of the greatest treasures of the state of Iowa -- and American art -- is traveling the world. And its story will be told in a new documentary premiering on Iowa Public Television this month. "Jackson Pollocks Mural: The Story of a Modern Masterpiece" -- produced and directed by University of Iowa videographer Kevin Kelley -- will air Monday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. and be rebroadcast on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. on statewide Iowa Public Television. The hour-long film features UI Museum of Art director Sean O'Harrow (former head of Davenport's Figge Art Museum), who has shepherded the restoration and international exhibitions of the 1943 work since it left the Figge in 2012. This painting by Jackson Pollock is the most important work of art in Iowa, and one of the most significant paintings in American art, Mr. O'Harrow said recently. "The whole world celebrates this painting and the (Iowa) art collection. It's often difficult for people to live here to understand the global impact. "We have a Midwestern view -- 'aw shucks, it can't be us. Everyone else has it better,'" he said this week. "This is why we have it, is explained in the film. The film gives you the background and history, that all people should know as part of their education." Mr. O'Harrow wants the documentary to be distributed to schools, for all students "to appreciate our cultural heritage," he said. "The Midwest and Iowa had a major role in the development of American art." "The Story of a Modern Masterpiece" features well-known and respected art collectors and scholars, examining and explaining the painting (now valued at $140 million), its enigmatic creator, and how it came to the University of Iowa. "Mural" was commissioned in the 1940s by renowned New York art dealer and collector Peggy Guggenheim. Pollock (1912-1956) was an American artist famous for abstract expressionist paintings -- large-scale works made by placing canvases on the floor and pouring and dripping paint from all directions. "Mural" (eight feet tall and 20 feet wide) was given to the UI in 1951 by Ms. Guggenheim, in recognition of the quality of the university's school of art and art history, Mr. O'Harrow said. She donated "Mural" among other works, that included Pollock's "Portrait of H.M." "There's a deep cultural sophistication we have, and that's why the film is really important," Mr. O'Harrow (executive director of the Figge from 2007-2010) said. "We do have a lot to offer the world, and 'Mural' is at the center of that cultural heritage. We are a culture that supported modern ideas and moving forward. There are people around the world that know about Iowa now." "What this film addresses, it informs, teaches, educates people who live here, about their own heritage," he added. "The film explains precisely why it's here. People think it was by accident. It was placed here as part of a deliberate program. We had the biggest art school in the country, for over a generation. Iowa was one of the birthplaces of modern America." Mr. Kelley -- who screened a version of the documentary at a private showing at the Figge during the past year -- said of the Pollock in a UI interview: "The piece changed contemporary painting in America and around the world." "Mural" is "a constant reminder that creating a work of art can have a profound effect on all of us," he said. "Every artist since has been influenced in some way by Pollock, and possibly by 'Mural.' It helped launch the abstract expressionist movement." "This is a story that has to be told far and wide," Mr. O'Harrow said. Since the 2008 flood on the Iowa River inundated and shuttered the former UI museum building, much of the university's 13,000-item collection has been stored at the Figge. "Mural" was on display here from 2009 to spring 2012, when it was shown a few months in Des Moines before undergoing a two-year restoration at the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. The new documentary includes part of that process, with institute research scientists and conservators from the J. Paul Getty Museum working to restore the painting to its original glory. "I kind of joke it was sort of an L.A. facelift," Mr. O'Harrow said. "It was definitely sagging; that was part of the problem." The work included removing varnish that was applied in the '70s to protect the canvas, which also dulled and homogenized the paint. "It's a very slow, meticulous, careful process," the museum director said of that removal, noting it "utterly transformed" the painting. "The colors are completely different, much more vibrant." While more than 150,000 people saw "Mural" at the Figge, the restored work was seen by over 304,000 at the Getty, a record for the L.A. museum, Mr. O'Harrow said. "Mural" then returned to Iowa, displayed at the Sioux City Art Center from June 2014 to April 2015. It took its passport and toured art museums in Italy and Germany, and is now at the Picasso Museum in Malaga, Spain. In late September, "Mural" and other works will move to the Royal Academy in London; in February 2017 they will be shown at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, then in May back on U.S. soil at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City for six months, Mr. O'Harrow said. The Pollock can't come back to Iowa City until a long-planned new museum is built, which is expected in 2019-20, he said. University officials have proposed a new museum location next to Gibson Square on Burlington Street, which would connect to the Main Library. Mr. O'Harrow said there are no design plans or cost estimates yet for the new building, noting that parking may be under the new museum, to elevate the building above the flood zone. A new Hancher Auditorium has been built on campus and will have an open house Friday, Sept. 9. These are Richard Roeper's mini-reviews (unless otherwise noted) of some of the movies currently playing in the Quad-Cities area. "Hell or High Water" (R, 102 min.). Veteran Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) pursue bank-robbing brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) in an instant classic modern-day Western, traveling down familiar roads, but always, always with a fresh and original spin. This is the best film I've seen so far this year. If you tell me you love movies, I can't imagine you not wanting to see it. Rating: Four stars. "Don't Breathe" (R, 88 min.). Things go horribly wrong for three teenagers trying to burglarize the home of a tough, blind veteran (Stephen Lang) in an impressively photographed, well-acted, relentlessly paced horror film sure to sicken some and delight others with its twisted sense of humor. Rating: Three stars. Currently on video "The Meddler" (PG-13, 100 min.). Susan Sarandon's performance as the needy mother of a newly single TV producer (Rose Byrne) is something lovely to behold. A sitcom of a premise is imbued with depth, intelligence and numerous sweet, melancholy moments that feel just ... right. Rating: Three and a half stars. "Money Monster" (98 min.). On live TV, a finance whiz (George Clooney) is taken hostage by a gunman who lost everything following his advice. Once the premise is established, "Money Monster" kicks into a high-energy, sometimes very funny and occasionally legitimately tense thriller. Julia Roberts co-stars. Rating: Three and a half stars. "Love and Friendship" (PG, 92 min.). Whit Stillman has done a marvelous job of adapting Jane Austen's novella "Lady Susan" and capturing the author's tart, rapier-sharp sense of humor. As a cruel widow scheming to marry off herself and her daughter, Kate Beckinsale delivers one of the best performances of her career. Rating: Three and a half stars. "Now You See Me 2" (PG-13, 129 min.). None of this smug sequel's impressive stars -- Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo -- escapes the chains of a nearly indecipherable plot, loads of clunky dialogue and so many special effects there's nothing magical at all about the magic. Rating: One and a half stars. "Me Before You" (PG-13, 110 min.). Though it stars Emilia Clarke and Charles Dance from "Game of Thrones" and Sam Claflin from "The Hunger Games," this tearjerker is nowhere near as entertaining. The beautifully filmed and well-intentioned weeper about a bitter quadriplegic and his cheery caretaker does everything to make you cry short of flooding theaters with the overwhelming scent of onions. Rating: Two stars. "The Jungle Book" (PG, 105 min.). Thanks to director Jon Favreau's visionary guidance and some of the most impressive blends of live action and CGI we've yet seen, "The Jungle Book" is a beautifully rendered, visually arresting take on Rudyard Kipling's oft-filmed tales. Rating: Three and a half stars. "Maggie's Plan" (R, 98 min.). Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore star in one of those movies where we eavesdrop on smart, self-involved, deeply flawed and consistently interesting people who remind us of people WE know. It's a fine brew, equal parts cynical and whimsical, dark and sunny. Rating: Three and a half stars. "The Nice Guys" (R, 116 min.). In this loony, blood-spattered 1970s period piece, Russell Crowe is a deadpan hoot as a hulking thug and Ryan Gosling scores big laughs with some perfectly timed physical shtick. They're the funniest duo of the year so far. Rating: Three stars. "Barbershop: The Next Cut" (PG-13, 112 min.). Almost everything clicks in the new story about the regulars at a Chicago barbershop, thanks in no small part to the wonderful performances from the deep cast, including Ice Cube, Common, Regina Hall and Cedric the Entertainer. Not only is it one of the funniest movies in recent years, it's a poignant and timely drama about neighborhood crime. Rating: Three and a half stars. "We're not doing anything wrong." -- Alicia Vikander's Isabel to Michael Fassbender's Tom, just as they're about to do something really, really wrong. In the history of movies, anytime anyone says, "We're not doing anything wrong," everyone in the audience is pretty much always thinking, "Oh yes you are!" This is one of the core problems with "The Light Between Oceans," a gorgeous but plodding and borderline ludicrous period-piece weeper. We're supposed to feel for Isabel and Tom and the plight they find themselves in, but they put themselves in that situation, and what they've done isn't just criminal; it's cruel. We'll talk more about that mess in a moment. Based on the popular novel from 2012 by M.L. Stedman, and adapted and directed by the gifted Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine," "The Place Beyond the Pines"), "The Light Between Oceans" is one of those movies announcing from the get-go you're in for some serious melodrama. At times it seems to be aiming for the Guinness Book of World Records in the categories of Most Sweeping Overhead Shots of an Ocean, as well as Most Scenes Involving Voice-Over Narration of Handwritten Letters. We open in Australia in 1918, as World War I (then known as the Great War) was coming to a close. Michael Fassbender plays Tom Sherbourne, a four-year combat veteran who appears numb and broken. Tom applies for the job of lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, a remote post some 100 miles from the nearest town. That'll suit him just fine. Ah, but living in that town is one Isabel (Vikander), a beautiful, sweet and plucky gal who lost two brothers to the war and is biding her time in her parents' home, just waiting for a Fassbender-looking guy to sweep her off her feet. (Though she's the one who makes most of the moves early in their courtship.) After just one semi-date, Tom and Isabel are goners. He goes back to the lighthouse, and they commence with a pen-pal romance. Before you can say, "Cue the happiness montage," Tom and Isabel are married, and Isabel is with child. We can't delve much further into the review without some SPOILER ALERTS, so there you have it. Isabel suffers a miscarriage, and then another. The tragedies are compounded because she's isolated on the unforgiving Janus Rock with just her husband. (The previous lighthouse keeper went mad after his wife passed away.) And then a dinghy washes up, and inside the dinghy there is a dead man and a baby girl who is very much alive. Tom says they must report this to the authorities. Isabel, who has just suffered her second miscarriage, says: What if we bury the dead man, and we pretend this girl is ours? And that's when she tells her husband, "We're not doing anything wrong." I suppose it's possible everyone, including Isabel's parents, will buy into the notion this quite large baby was actually born to Isabel in the lighthouse with only Tom to provide assistance. (You'd think after the first miscarriage, when Isabel was pregnant a second time there might have been some talk about her staying with her parents, in a town with a doctor, rather than remaining with Tom on a stormy island hours from civilization.) And I suppose the coincidences that begin to pile up in the second half of the movie could take place -- at least two of them awfully convenient in terms of triggering some big-time melodrama. But it's a stretch. Fassbender can be a mesmerizing screen presence, but he also can be something of a stiff, and that's the case here. Even when his Tom is experiencing some moments of joy, he has the smile of someone who's been told to "just smile for once!" Vikander is tasked with making us feel sympathetic for Isabel, even after Isabel flies off the rails. It's the kind of role actors love, filled with opportunities for the character to be movie-star charming, and then adorably maternal, and then shattering the windows with the strength of her grief. It's fine work, but when you're convincing your husband to bury that dead guy and to go along with a perhaps lifelong ruse pretending you gave birth to a baby whose mother believes her child is dead, well. Sorry, Isabel. Not a fan. The best performance in the film comes from Rachel Weisz as Hannah, the daughter of the wealthy and fabulously named Septimus Potts (Bryan Brown), who had disowned her after she married a German. (Leon Ford is wonderful in a small part as Hannah's husband.) It's possible Hannah is that little girl's real mother, and Weisz does a memorable job of capturing perhaps the most complex and definitely the most sympathetic character in the film. Writer-director Cianfrance has crafted a great-looking film with prestige project written all over it, from the cast that includes Oscar winners Vikander and Weisz, and two-time Oscar nominee Fassbender; the luminous cinematography by Adam Arkapaw; and the score from Alexandre Desplat, the ridiculously prolific composer ("The King's Speech," "Argo," "The Danish Girl," etc., etc.) I'm just not sure anyone could have turned this soap opera material into anything other than a sweeping, credibility-stretching, overwrought ... soap opera. DAVENPORT An Indiana man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on federal gun charges. Shawn Michael Wegmann, 39, of Indiana, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 150 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and failure to appear. In March, after being returned from Cuba, Mr. Wegmann pleaded guilty to three counts of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a stolen firearm and failure to appear. The plea agreement states Mr. Wegmann was involved in three burglaries involving guns and other property. His sentencing initially was set for June 17. He could have faced up to 40 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million. In a news release this week, U.S. Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel said that, along with the prison time, Mr. Wegmann was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, pay $300 to the Crime Victims Fund and to pay victim restitution of $2,811. In January 2015, Mr. Wegmann burglarized a house in Long Grove, Iowa, according to the release. A bass boat and 12 guns were stolen, with five of the guns later sold to a Davenport retailer, according to the release. Mr. Wegmann also sold one gun to an acquaintance in Muscatine, according to the release. On Feb. 17, 2015, Mr. Wegmann burglarized a Morrison home and took 11 guns, according to Mr. VanderSchel. Mr. Wegmann sold several of the stolen guns to a person in Muscatine County, according to the release. On Feb. 23, 2015, Mr. Wegmann burglarized a Bennett, Iowa, home and took a large safe containing about 15 guns. According to the release, he and others pried open the safe before pushing it into a river. The guns were distributed among the participants, according to the release. Mr. Wegmann had a 1996 felony burglary conviction in Clinton County, Iowa. On July 21, 2015, he was indicted on three counts for felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of possession of a stolen firearm. He was released from U.S. Marshal Service custody on Aug. 26, 2015, but ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor while living in Kirklin, Ind., pending a trial for the indictments. Two days before a scheduled October court appearance, Mr. Wegmann's GPS monitor transmitted tamper alerts, accoridng to the release. The device later was found cut, taped and zip-tied to the undercarriage of a van in Lafayette, Ind., and a warrant was issued for Mr. Wegmann's arrest. On Oct. 31, 2015, he was apprehended in Cuba. He was returned to the U.S. on Dec. 8. The matter was investigated by the Scott County Sheriffs Office, the Whiteside County Sheriffs Office, the Muscatine Police Department, the Muscatine County Sheriffs Department, the Muscatine Drug Task Force, the Wilton Police Department, the Cedar County Sheriffs Department, the Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the U.S. Marshal Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa. DECATUR, Ill. (AP) The parents of a 4-year-old Decatur girl who died at a local hospital face preliminary charges in her death. An affidavit from Decatur police Detective Erik Ethell says that Amarrah C. Reynolds died Wednesday after being brought to the emergency room unresponsive and with scabs and bruises covering much of her body. The Herald & Review in Decatur reported that the girls' 29-year-old father is being held on a $2 million bond on a preliminary charge of reckless homicide or manslaughter. He has not been formally charged. The girl's mother is being held on a $500,000 bond on a preliminary charge of endangering the life of a child. She, too, has yet to be formally charged. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will not allow a controlled deer culling in Moline. In April, Hunt Harris, of 901 46th St., and June Fahlenkamp, of 4826 5th Ave., told Moline aldermen about excessive damage to landscaping and shrubbery caused by deer. Besides property damage, they noted risks of disease and vehicle accidents because of the animals. The IDNR agreed to a controlled deer shoot on Mr. Harris's property if city officials approved the use of firearms within city limits, which they did in May. The IDNR permit targeted deer that severely damage property. But an Aug. 29 letter to Mr. Harris states the IDNR is reconsidering issuing the deer removal permit. In it, the IDNR officials state they believes not all mitigation options have been exhausted and only after that has occurred can a deer removal permit be considered. "IDNR feels that other abatement techniques could still be used successfully on your property," the letter states. Recommendations in the letter include consistent use of repellents, installation of fencing and changing out ornamental plantings that deer favor for ones they do not care to eat. In April, Mr. Harris said he does put out deer repellent and other items to make the animals feel unwelcome. He also said he would continue to do so if the shoot did not take place, though, at the time, he was referencing the city council blocking the operation. Those measures would just make the deer go somewhere else, he said. The letter states IDNR officials believe a broader deer-control program in Moline would ease the damage to property. That would involve the city getting a different kind of permit from the state for deer removal or a citywide hunting program similar to one carried out by Rock Island. Mr. Harris could not be reached for comment Friday. The bomber threw a hand grenade at security guards before storming into the compound of the district court in Mardan town in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Faisal Shahzad said. Nearly 40 people were taken to hospitals, rescue official Haris Habib said, where eight of them died of their injuries. People whose judgment is called into question by Anthony Weiners sexting: Anthony Weiner. Anyone who participates in sexting with Anthony Weiner. People whose judgment is not called into question by Anthony Weiners sexting: Huma Abedin. Hillary Clinton. Its just another example of Hillary Clintons bad judgment, Donald Trump said Monday. No. A guy texting photos of his crotch as his 5-year-old son sleeps next to him is an example of the crotch-texting guys bad judgment. Its not an example of his wifes bosss bad judgment. What about that wife, though? Shes leaving now, but she stayed before! He did this twice and she stayed! Surely we can judge her. Id rather not. First, its impossible to know the daily negotiations and dynamics and emotions in another persons marriage. Sure, theyre public figures. Sure, theres a documentary about them. But do we know them? We dont. Do we know what they privately agreed upon? What sort of verbal contract they struck? What sort of promises and hopes they expressed? We dont. Second, judging the spouse of every lawmaker brought down by a sex scandal would be incredibly time-consuming. Take Nebraska state Sen. Bill Kintner, whos deciding whether to resign this week after exchanging sexually explicit messages with a woman and pleasuring himself via Skype using his state-issued laptop. (Kintner went to the police after the woman attempted to extort money from him.) His wife is staying to pray with him about the scandal, according to Kintner. Or Jud McMillin, an Indiana state representative and staunch backer of the Defense of Marriage Act who resigned last fall after a sexually explicit video was sent from his phone to people on his contacts list. His wife stayed. Or Eliot Spitzer, who resigned as New York governor after taking part in a prostitution ring. His wife, Silda, stayed for close to six years before quietly filing for divorce. I could go on, but you see my point. There are a lot of wronged spouses out there. Why do they stay? I truly dont know, but I will say this: There are 100 different ways to betray your partner, and infidelity is just one. Deciding (and honoring) your own personal threshold for holding on to a relationship is powerful. Deciding someone elses? Petty. We can claim that Abedin and Clinton and every other spouse who sticks through a sex scandal exacerbate the problem. Theyre enablers. Theyre weak or worse, theyre calculating. But in so doing, were the ones deflecting the blame. Weiner has, time and again, exhibited horrendously bad judgment. For his own sake and, more important, for his sons, I hope he learns some healthy boundaries. Meanwhile, I hope the rest of us can lay off his soon-to-be-ex-wife. And her boss. G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now! However, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (Hart) may be granted some leeway concerning the submission of an official recovery plan for the project. The FTA previously required Hart to submit a recovery plan by the end of the year. During the meetings in San Francisco, the Hawaii delegation reaffirmed the citys commitment to build to Ala Moana and requested the FTA reconsider its end of year submission date. We are very encouraged by the FTAs response, Honolulus mayor Mr Kirk Caldwell said. Our meetings with the FTA were productive in that we sent a clear message to them that the city and Hart leadership are united and committed to build rail all the way to Ala Moana. In December 2012, the FTA and the city signed a full funding grant agreement (FFGA) committing the federal governments $US 1.55bn for Honolulu to build the elevated metro with 21 stations. Our federal partners made it clear that ending the project at Middle Street is unacceptable and would risk the full $US 1.55bn committed to the city through the FFGA, said City Council chair Mr Ernie Martin. However, both Caldwell and Martins request to the FTA for additional federal funds was rejected. City officials said the meetings ended on a positive note with an agreement that project costs will be contained, a project review by transit experts will be conducted by year end and an updated financial plan will be prepared by Hart as the FTA is reconsidering its recovery plan due date. The initial section of the line from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium is due to open in 2018 with the remainder of the line to Ala Moana Center scheduled for commissioning in 2021. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK This commentary is part of the American Worker series, which explores a range of critical topics that affect the American workforce. The series is sponsored by RAND Labor and Population. Many financial advisors tout the importance of encouraging young workers to save for retirement early in their careers. Through the power of compound interest, small sums saved at an early age can turn into large nest eggs for retirement. While saving early is critical, less focus has been placed on another important aspect of retirement savings: staying on track during job changes. Younger workers tend to change jobs more frequently than the rest of the population. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that median tenure at current employer for workers aged 2534 is approximately three years. Frequent job changes can make it difficult to keep track of retirement savings accumulated at previous employers and often result in cash outs where individuals withdraw money from their tax advantaged retirement accounts. In other words, job transitionswhich are a common feature of young adults' initial forays into the labor marketcan have long-term consequences for their economic stability. When separating from an employer, workers face a choice about what to do with their accumulated retirement savings. They can cash out, which will result in a 10 percent penalty (if younger than age 59 1/2) in addition to applicable federal, state and local income taxes. Alternatively, separating employees can rollover their retirement balances to their new employer's retirement plan (if available) or into an IRA. Finally, separating employees may be able to leave their retirement savings with their former employer (subject to plan rules). If separating employees don't make a choice, plan rules will determine what happens to their retirement savings. While rules vary across plans, in absence of direction by the separating employee many retirement plans will cash out small accounts (balances less than $1,000), rollover accounts with medium sized balances ($1,000 $5,000), and allow large accounts ($5,000 or more) to remain with the plan. Our recent work shows how common cashing out a retirement plan at job change can be. Using data from a large investment company on workers who were at a job for three years or less, we found that over half of these workers take cash out of a retirement plan when they leave a job. Over 80 percent of these separated employees who have small balances take cash out of their retirement plan. Put differently, the majority of young workers are potentially imperiling their long term savings at the same time they are trying to find jobs that best suit their skills and career goals. And as we know from the power of compounding, these small amounts of cash can have a large impact on retirement nest eggs. For example, a 25-year-old who takes $1,000 out of retirement savings could have over $10,000 less in retirement savings by the time she reaches age 65. It is important for young workers to pay attention to retirement savings when leaving a job, even though retirement is so far away. Depending on the retirement plan rules, retirement accounts can be cashed out for employees with small balances who don't make an active choice on what to do with their retirement accounts, and those employees will not only lose retirement savings, but will also have steep penalties and taxes to pay. Retirement might seem too far into the future for young workers starting their careers. However, by paying attention to retirement accounts when transitioning among jobs during these early years, young American workers can help ensure that they have substantial retirement savings by the time they end their careers. Jeremy Burke is an economist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, director of RAND's Behavioral Finance Forum, associate director of RAND's Center for Financial and Economic Decision Making, and a professor in the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Angela Hung is a senior economist at RAND and director of the RAND Center for Financial and Economic Decision Making. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Paraguay doesnt want to be the last to arrive at the DTT party in Latin America so has brought its analogue TV switch-off forward and started awarding digital frequencies. The South American country had scheduled the analogue shutdown for 2024, making it the last country in the region to convert to digital television. But Conatel, Paraguays telecom authority, has now moved the deadline to 2020."In principle, the analogue shutdown will take place in four years. That doesn't mean that any channel wanting to go digital can't do it now - they definitely can, said Teresita Palacios, Conatels president, in an interview with EFE news agency.In fact, free-to-air (FTA) channels Telefuturo, Paravision, Red guarani, SNT and RCP have already been awarded digital frequencies and are likely to start DTT tests before the end of the year.According to the Palacios, four years will be time enough to complete digitalisation. Conatel has said it should be before that, once the radio-electric space is well organised, so DTT and LTE technology can coexist. All the seven analogue networks that currently air nationwide will get a slot for digital TV.A significant investment has been made in some channels to enable their adaptation to digital television, and so we invite the analogue channels to join in and enter the digital era, added Palacios. With only an ambiguous explanation, the direct-to-home (DTH) operator Qualy TV has announced it will be leaving Costa Ricas pay-TV market. By the end of the month, the satellite platform, owned by Grupo Albavision, will abandon Central Americas largest pay-TV market. Qualy TV has been operating in Costa Rica since autumn 2014 During recent months, we have been experiencing several difficulties which are out of our control, which have led us to make this decision, the company announced on social media. Our TV platform will keep running until 30 September, without any cost for our subscribers.The company has declined to make any further comment on the decision, but one of the reasons could be its commercial relationships with some content programmers. Since the beginning of the year, Costa Ricas subscribers have been complaining about Qualy TV taking down some networks, namely, HBO, Discovery and Telemundo, without notifying subscribers.The DTH platform started out operating in Guatemala, where Grupo Albavision is based, and it also has an operation in Nicaragua. For the moment, both of these are staying open. Germanys RTL Nitro has gone 4K with the production of three episodes of its car show Nitro Autoquartett in Ultra HD resolution. German DTH satellite platform HD+ will simulcast the shows on its UHD1 by HD+ channel on Astra, in parallel to their broadcast in SD and HD resolution on RTL Nitro.The first Ultra HD episode will air on 21 October, with the other two to follow on 4 and 18 November.There is an increasing install base for 4K: according to research from Parks Associates , among broadband households planning to purchase a flat-panel TV, 59% in the UK, 57% in France, 53% in Spain and 49% in Germany plan to purchase a 4KTV even though content is not yet widely available. This resulted in an average of 54%. Moreover, 17% of such households were planning to buy a flat-panel TV in the next 12 months and over half consider 4K to be an important or very important feature of their next model. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on the website. The purposes of using cookies are defined in the Privacy Policy of RAPSI If you agree to continue using cookies, please click the "Confirm" button. If you do not agree, you can change your browser settings. As we see a surge in inflation globally, it is now critical that everyone is aware of the implications this will have along every step of the insurance and reinsurance value chain. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/02/2016 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. creator Mike Fleiss has explained why the franchise decided to publicly spoil the ending of Bachelor in Paradise by revealing Nick Viall will be the new Bachelor a week before Paradise's finale airs.Viall was officially declared 's Season 21 star during Tuesday night's Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise broadcast, but the timing seemed odd considering viewers are still seeing Viall looking for love on Bachelor in Paradise's third season, which was filmed in Mexico in June.Bachelor in Paradise's finale is set to air next week and Viall is still shown dating -- and getting quite serious with -- fellow cast member Jennifer Saviano . Previews even suggest Viall considers proposing. Due to the circumstances, Viall's Bachelor announcement was a huge spoiler things didn't work out for the couple!When a fan tweeted at Fleiss Wednesday that she was "honestly still lost" why the network would announce the Bachelor before Bachelor in Paradise is even finished, Fleiss explained producers' decision."For casting purposes... Need women who are interested in @viallnicholas28," Fleiss tweeted in reply.Fleiss' justification for the premature announcment makes sense since Viall was chosen to be the next Bachelor very last minute. ette's fan-favorite, Luke Pell , was the frontrunner for the lead role for weeks, and he'd probably attract different women than Viall.For starters, Viall is 35-years-old and therefore probably looking for a mature woman with life experience. He's also a software salesman and city guy, while Pell, 31, is a farm-loving Texas boy. The two men also have strikingly different looks, personalities and backgrounds.Pell was absolutely convinced he'd be the next Bachelor. He revealed to Us Weekly he had already checked in to his Los Angeles-bound flight to begin filming the show. His bags were packed and the war veteran admitted he had already agreed to the contracts.Fleiss apparently has "more official announcements to come," according to his Twitter account, one of which he dubbed "very important." Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Shadows dance in the flickering blue light of an acetylene torch as a workman prepares the basement of the Placer building for a loftier project. The downtown Helena buildings condominium association plans to replace the decorative cornice that overhangs from the roof, which is part of the Placers original construction dating to 1913, said Ed Stevenson, a condo resident. When the work is completed, no one will notice any difference from what is there now, he noted. Stevenson, who is also the liaison between the associations board and Dick Anderson Construction, said a sky breaking is planned for 10 a.m. on Sept. 13 in the buildings lobby. The public is welcome to attend, he added, and said work is to be completed by about Thanksgiving, which is Nov. 24. Before a tower crane with its 125-foot arm is set up for the work, which also includes removing an old fire escape on the buildings exterior, a basement wall required reinforcement. Wood planking and steel I-beams were being installed to ensure the basements rock wall, built without any reinforcement, wouldnt collapse because of pressure on the ground from the crane, said Stevenson and Brian Miller, one of the construction companys employees working in the basement. Two more 12-inch steel I-beams angled up from the concrete floor to the wall as further reinforcement to protect against collapse. A piece of the cornice fell back in the 1990s, Stevenson said as he searched his memory for a more exact date. Weve known weve had to do it for three, four years, he explained. The height involved in restoring the cornice is a challenge, said Mike Dunlap, project superintendent with Dick Anderson Construction. The crane will rise 112 feet into the air, and the lowest point of the cornice is about 85 feet, Dunlap said. Another concern for him is how the building was constructed. We dont know what were getting into, he said. A lot of it, I dont know until I get up and physically start. Dunlap anticipates a small piece of the cornice will be removed initially to learn more about its construction. Removing the fire escape from the building will present an even greater challenge, as Dunlap views the upcoming work, because the crane will have to hold on to it while a construction worker uses a torch to cut it for removal. The fire escape is no longer serviceable, Stevenson said, and the only time its used now is on dares from adventurers. According to the website Helena As She Was (helenahistory.org), the seven-story Hotel Placer was once Helenas finest hotel. As an unofficial headquarters for Montana legislators and lobbyists, the Placer was the scene of much political intrigue over the decades. Numerous celebrities called the Placer home during their visits to Helena, the website noted. Among old photographs of the building on the website is one showing eight empty chairs in the hotels barber shop, while another is of the hotels ballroom. The hotels cafe had white linen tablecloths and vases of flowers on each table. The lobby and mezzanine with comfortable chairs and rockers offered ample places to sit and talk or read. While 55 residential units and perhaps eight businesses now occupy the building, broken, blue plaster hangs from the arches in the buildings basement where the Rathskeller, a tavern or restaurant, was once located. The room was a place to meet and where deals and fights among legislators happened long ago, Stevenson said. Dark wood paneling with an ornate gold decorative strip still stands along some of the basement walls. Tools lie on the floor and lean against pillars beneath the 10-foot ceiling awaiting use by the construction crew. The work is projected to cost $300,000, and financing has been arranged through Bank of the Rockies with Stahly Engineering responsible for designing the project. Members of the condo association have been saving for a couple of years toward the project through their monthly dues, based on the size of units, that vary from a little more than $150 to nearly $550. Those monthly dues are projected to pay off the construction loan in six or seven years, Stevenson said. However, the uncertainty of renovation to a 1913 building can add to the cost of the work. Reinforcing the basement wall is a $30,000 expense that wasnt anticipated, Stevenson said. He calls the project a neighborhood investment. He and his wife moved to the Placer in 2011. Stevenson was a United Methodist Church pastor in Kansas City for 40 years before they made Helena their home to be near grandchildren and other family. Its been a great place for them to make friends, he added. The project is needed for safety concerns, he said, but its also to convey to people that the building is worth restoring and downtowns a great place to live and do business. It was built to be the nicest hotel between Minneapolis and Seattle, Stevenson said. When Amanda Dennis was four years old, she decided she wanted to play soccer. Her older brother Daniel was playing, and she wanted to be an athlete just like him. There was just one problem. She couldnt see the ball. Courtesy of Dave Jacobs Professional Guide Service Pictured this week is a very nice, fresh Sacramento River king salmon caught by Brant Adornato of Rocklin, who was fishing with Dave Jacobs Professional Guide Service below Red Bluff. SHARE Sacramento River salmon Fishing for king salmon continued to be slow this week after what looked to be a better showing of bright king salmon two weeks ago. Many of the king salmon from two weeks ago have moved upriver into Red Bluff and into the canyon below the Barge Hole. There may be a few signs of salmon showing in the lower river and anglers may see a few kings move through this holiday weekend. The salmon fishing bite in Hamilton City and Corning at Woodson Bridge has been dead slow this week with slow salmon fishing Sunday through Thursday. This is disappointing news as Labor Day weekend usually provides plenty of king salmon catching action. This could change anytime as many king salmon are still being reported in and around the Golden Gate lately. September and October could be the two best months to catch salmon on the Sacramento River this season. Feather River salmon Reports from the Feather River below Oroville have been coming in with better salmon fishing this week. There have been better groups of salmon to fish for as a good push of the fish has shown up below Oroville. Fishing has picked up for both the bank and the boat salmon fishermen in and around the Outlet Hole. The Feather River has had very good high flows for over a month now and it looks to be attracting more king salmon than are being seen on the Sacramento River. Fishing pressure has really spread out this past week with many anglers divided between the Sacramento and Feather rivers. This week's Sacramento and Feather River salmon fishing report is courtesy of Dave Jacobs Professional Guide Service. For more local river fishing information, call Jacobs direct at 530-646-9110 or visit his website at www.sacramentofishing.com. Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight An angry Robert Gibbs shouts at Superior Court Judge Dan Flynn before he's removed Thursday from the courtroom. SHARE Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight Deputy marshals and other law enforcement officials nearby, Robert Gibbs, spit hood over his head, sits in a hallway outside a Shasta County courtroom as his preliminary hearing is held. By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight A French Gulch man accused of threatening to kill law enforcement officers and hundreds of schoolchildren in a "Columbine-style" attack was ordered Thursday to stand trial after a loud and sometimes obscene tirade that forced his removal from the courtroom. But Robert Alan Gibbs didn't want to be there, anyway. The 44-year-old Gibbs, who refused to leave the jail for what was to be a morning hearing, was finally brought into the courtroom in the afternoon after Superior Court Judge Dan Flynn issued a cell extraction order to have him present. Arrested nearly a year ago, his preliminary hearing has been repeatedly delayed due a list of reasons, including his refusal to attend and once threatening to throw himself down the stairs that lead from the jail to the courtroom. As he was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair by a cadre of deputy marshals and other law enforcement officials, Gibbs repeatedly screamed "rough justice promotes injustice." And he didn't let up, saying his constitutional rights are being violated. "You are a tyrant, sir," Gibbs yelled at Flynn four times at the top of his lungs. "You are an unholy, despotic, despicable, disgusting unconscionable, inhuman, inhumane (obscenity) tyrant. I will not be railroaded. I will not be talked over. I will not be (obscenity) over." The judge ordered the marshals to wheel the still-shouting Gibbs into a foyer outside the courtroom so the hearing could proceed. On the way out, Gibbs spat upon defense attorney Shon Northam, who tried to dodge the wet bullet. "I knew you were going to do that," Northam said to Gibbs as he was rolled out of the courtroom, a spit hood then placed over his head. Flynn told Gibbs several times he was welcome to be present at the hearing if he promised to be quiet and non-disruptive, Gibbs did not take him up on the offer. Although the criminal proceedings against Gibbs had before been suspended pending psychological evaluations, they had been reinstated after those evaluations found him to be mentally competent. Gibbs is charged with five felony counts of making criminal threats and a series of enhancements. He's about 15 years in prison if tried and convicted on those charges. He was arrested Sept. 11 on suspicion of making threatening comments against law enforcement officers and schoolchildren in a recorded telephone conversation with Deputy Attorney General John Feser, who represented game wardens Brian Boyd and Dwayne Little in a lawsuit filed by Gibbs. Senior Deputy District Attorney Ben Hanna played that telephone conversation during Thursday's hearing. "I hate cops and I want to kill as many of them as I can," Gibbs is heard saying. "If payback is what they want, then payback is what they are going to get." It's been alleged Gibbs specifically threatened to harm game wardens Boyd and Little, as well as Shasta County sheriff's Sgt. Brian Jackson, Detective Chris Edwards and Sgt. Jose Gonzalez. Additionally, he is accused of threatening to harm hundreds of schoolchildren. "You are not really going to do that, are you Robert?" Feser asks in the tape-recorded conversation as he tried to calm him down. "It's on the list," Gibbs said, noting he drives by a school on a weekly basis. "This ain't about the law anymore," Gibbs said. "It's about a reckoning. I am going to make Columbine look like a (obscenity) tea party." Gibbs later wrote a letter to the Record Searchlight apologizing for his statements, saying it was never his intent to harm anyone. He remains in Shasta County Jail in lieu of $405,000 bail. Gibbs, who was also ordered to stand trial in a domestic violence case, is scheduled to have a trial date scheduled on Sept. 15. He will not be required to be at that court procedure if he does not wish to attend. U.S. Forest Service map The Gap Fire scorching the Klamath National Forest about 20 miles west of Yreka in Siskiyou County grew Thursday to more than 17,500 acres. SHARE By Staff Reports Update 8:15 a.m. Friday The Gap Fire on the Klamath National Forest west of Yreka continues to grow, reaching 18,862 acres as of Friday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Containment doubled Thursday to 10 percent though crews didn't make any progress on that overnight, the Forest Service reported. Cooler temperatures and increased humidity are aiding the firefighting effort. Crews will continue with building defense, maintaining current lines and scouting for opportunity to build more lines around the fire. More than 1,800 people are assigned to the fire. Original story The Gap Fire scorching the Klamath National Forest between Yreka and Happy Camp in Siskiyou County grew Thursday to more than 17,500 acres. The 17,509-acre fire was 10 percent contained, up 5 percent from the day before. U.S. Forest Service officials said Thursday the wildfire eased up a bit during the day, but noted a weak low-pressure trough passed through the area late in day and brought with it light to moderate winds. Firefighters are continuing to maintain current containment lines and mop up spot fires that have popped up, they say. With 1,822 firefighters battling the blaze, the fire is burning in a heavily wooded area with dead and downed trees, the Forest Service said. The cause of the fire, which broke out Saturday, remains undetermined. There are no mandatory evacuation orders in effect, but previous advisory evacuation orders remain in place. Those advisory evacuation orders are for the rural communities of Hamburg, Horse Creek and Scott Bar. Meanwhile, the evacuation shelter at the Siskiyou Golden Fair grounds in Yreka has been closed, but it could be reopened if it's required, Forest Service officials say. Highway 96 is now open with controlled, piloted traffic throughout the fire area, but the road could be closed at any time should fire conditions change. Drivers are urged to use extreme caution while driving through the area because burned material, rocks and vegetation loosened by the fire may fall onto the road. Fire officials issued a closure order Wednesday for the region surrounding the Gap Fire, including a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, and that order remains in effect. The fire has destroyed at least nine structures and 12 other outbuildings. Anyone with information on the cause of the fire is asked to contact Forest Service law enforcement investigators at 841-4474 and leave a message along with a call-back number. They may also call the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office at 841-2900. Smoke from the fires also forced the opening of smoke respite centers throughout the county so those sensitive to the smoke can get relief. They are at the Karuk Senior Nutrition Program building in Happy Camp, the Yreka Resource Community Center, the Scott Valley Family Resource Center in Fort Jones and the Weed Family Resource Center. SHARE Rakim Exavier Leedy Man held in gunfire that nearly hit kids A Redding man Thursday pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a pair of drive-by shootings last year that nearly hit sleeping children. Redding police Wednesday arrested Rakim Exavier Leedy, who was wanted in connection with the August 2015 shootings Leedy, 24, was named a suspect by Redding police after shots were fired into a residence in the 800 block of Montcrest Drive around 1 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2015. Officers said the bullets narrowly missed a sleeping 10-month-old child. About 30 minutes later, Leedy is accused of going to the 2900 block of Robert Court and firing shots into two apartments, one in which children were asleep. Officers said the shootings were thought to be retribution against one of the victims who reported Leedy as a suspect in an armed robbery. Officers collected 9mm shell casings from both scenes and sent them to the California Department of Justice for analysis. After officers identified Leedy as a suspect, who was on probation at the time for illegally possessing a firearm, investigators served a search warrant Aug. 14, 2015, at Leedy's residence in the 8700 block of Airport Road. There, investigators located a 9mm handgun and 9mm ammunition. The forensic examination of the casings and firearms matched the handgun found at Leedy's residence and an arrest warrant was issued charging Leedy with three counts of assault with a firearm and three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling. Leedy was arrested Wednesday in the 1600 block of Court Street and booked into Shasta County Jail where he's being held in lieu of $250,000 bail. Advisory lifted for water in Keswick Shasta County officials on Thursday said Keswick residents can safely drink their water again without boiling it. Recent testing showed the water passes safe standards. An advisory was issued on Tuesday after a leak was discovered in the water system that serves residents in the community west of Redding. The water no longer needs to be boiled before drinking, Public Works staff said. Call 225-5661 for more information. Uncle picking up girl causes kidnap scare A man picking up his niece from school prompted a kidnapping scare Thursday afternoon in the area of Churn Creek Road and Hartnell Avenue, according to dispatch reports. Witnesses about 1:45 p.m. reported a man ran a red light at the intersection, stopped at a crosswalk and grabbed a 5-year-old girl before heading west on Hartnell Avenue. Police responded immediately to the call, which was treated as a possible kidnapping. "It was a big misunderstanding," officer Nick Weaver said. He said whenever such calls come in, they treat it very seriously. Officers about 2:05 p.m. tracked down the girl's mother, who said the girl was at a friend's house and OK. She said she'll discuss the uncle's actions with him, according to dispatch reports. Warrants uncover pot operation Two search warrants served at the rental property of a Bella Vista-area man unveiled a large-scaled outdoor and indoor marijuana cultivation operation, Shasta County sheriff's officials said Thursday. The warrants were served Tuesday at a residence on Wilson Heights Road by agents from the Shasta County Marijuana Investigation Team and Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force. Authorities, who will seek criminal charges against Dennis Paul Bozzo, 46, said they found a metal shop-like building with 398 marijuana plants in different stages of growth. Another 55 pot plants were found growing in the backyard with most of those plants about 13 to 15 feet tall, sheriff's officials said. A second search warrant served at Bozzo's adjacent residence yielded seven handguns, three shotguns, seven rifles, about 5,000 rounds of ammunition and 81 pounds of processed marijuana that had been packaged for sale, sheriff's authorities said. Also found were illegally possessed prescription narcotics, commercial vacuum sealing machines, packaging material, scales and $13,812, authorities added. Felony charges of marijuana cultivation, possession of marijuana for sales, having firearms readily available during the commission of a felony, possession of a controlled substance, possession of an assault rifle and possession of high capacity magazines will be sought against Bozzo, officials said. Authorities said Bozzo has a criminal history that includes domestic violence, possession of methamphetamine and resisting arrest. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Les Begley, building manager for the Wintu Museum, removes graffiti from Bell's Laundromat, next to the museum. Both buildings were vandalized with graffiti on Wednesday. Other buildings in Shasta Lake were also hit with graffiti this past week. SHARE By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight Authorities are asking for the public's help to find whoever scrawled graffiti, including a racial slur, on several buildings along Shasta Dam Boulevard in Shasta Lake this week. "Shame" and a derogatory term for black people were scrawled across several businesses and buildings in Shasta Lake in the past several days. The graffiti has popped up within the previous week, said Larry Ramsey, whose father's building was tagged. Besides that building, the vandals hit others on several blocks of Shasta Dam Boulevard, he said. Shasta County sheriff's deputies are investigating but haven't identified any suspects yet, Lt. Tom Campbell said. Among those hit were the Wintu Cultural Resource Center and Bell's Laundromat, which previously was the target of bigoted vandalism in March 2015. "I thought we'd faced this monster and driven it back," said Stephen Bell. He spotted the word after dropping his son off at school. It had not been there when he drove by earlier in the day, he said. "The fact that it happened on several businesses shows it's not isolated," he said as a passerby loudly yelled "Oh, my God" while eying the slur on Bell's Laundromat. His neighbor, the Wintu Resource Center, had "Shame" on its side wall with an arrow pointing toward the laundromat, which he believes targets those who patronize his business. Les Begley, a Winnemem Wintu who volunteers at the resource center, washed the slur off. "He's been a lifesaver," said Begley, who listed several ways Bell has given back to the community. "He doesn't deserve this." They believe it could be the work of a local gang of youths. Deb Lootens, who owns Hair Design by Deb and Timeless Treasures in the building owned by Ramsey's father, said she had heard that on social media as well. What tips and clues deputies have unearthed don't point toward gang activity, Campbell said. It also appears a different style than the graffiti the gangs use, but they haven't ruled it out, he said. Whether it can be charged as a hate crime depends on the motives of the vandals, he said. "What's their intent, whether they're trying to go after a specific group," he said. "But we are definitely looking into it." As for Bell, he said the vast majority of people he's encountered in Shasta Lake are good, respectful people, though he still encounters prejudice. That includes a message telling him blacks weren't welcome in Shasta Lake in March 2015. The community responded with a rally against bigotry, which Bell said he appreciated. Now, however, he asked that people devote their energy toward treating each other with respect and dignity, because there is still much progress to be made. "I'm sure this will not be the last time," he said. Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Shasta College Emergency Medical Services instructor Lynnette Crowe, right, talks with freshman student Alek Pinnell on Thursday during the Shasta College Family Health and Safety Fair. SHARE Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Students make their way around campus Thursday during the Shasta College Family Health and Safety Fair. By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight September is National Campus Safety Awareness month, and to commemorate and spread the word, Shasta College hosted a campus health fair with an extra focus on safety. "The more knowledge we increase, the less likely this will occur," said Lonnie Seay, Shasta College campus safety director, about campus crime. "This is about preventing crime." Seay said his department will use the month to educate students about different campus issues what to do when an active shooter is on campus, a self-defense class, a situational awareness seminar by law enforcement, and an evacuation zone scavenger hunt. The month will close out with a screening of the documentary "Audrie & Daisy," which discusses the story of two teenagers who were sexually assaulted after becoming intoxicated, and footage of the assault was distributed online. Seay said he urges students to take an online program titled "Not Anymore" that's geared to promote campus safety by helping students identify bullying, stalking, dating violence, sexual assault and harassment and alcohol and drug abuse. Early last year, there were three reported incidents at Shasta College where women were approached by men who tried to get them into their car. The campus sent out warnings and alerted students and visitors about the incident. There were no further reported incidents and Seay said while crimes have been committed on campus, there have been no reported assaults. Seay said college officials have partnered with One SAFE Place, the local domestic violence shelter, to help promote more awareness. After scoring a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women, the college brought in an on-campus advocate about a month ago from One SAFE Place to speak to students about domestic violence, sexual assault and much more. The partnership program is known as Shasta CARES, which stands for Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education for Safety. It's already helped students. "Our students are now more informed, so they come forward more," Seay said. "One SAFE Place is an important part of our success to make sure a victim has resources here." April Maddox, the new on-campus advocate and prevention educator, moved into her office just a month ago, and consulted with people who stopped by her booth, redirecting them to resources in the city. Maddox and Seay agreed that the most important part of safety has to do with advocacy. "That's what's good about spreading awareness," Maddox said. "That's why we're here." For Shasta College student Mary Conner, 17, she doesn't feel unsafe walking around campus, but she does remain vigilant and observant. "Even if it means overcompensating, but it's better to be overcompensating than to be 'oops I'm dead now," she said. For Seay, campus safety for his students remains his very first priority. "These students are our future," Seay said. "We have to provide them a safe place to be so they can learn in an environment that is free of harassment." The one great service of Donald Trump's extended peregrinations on immigration policy is to have demonstrated how, in the end, there's only one place to go. You can rail for a year about the squishy soft, weak-kneed and stupid politicians who have opened our borders to the wretched refuse of Mexico. You can promise to round them up the refuse, that is, not the politicians (they're next) and deport them. And that may win you a plurality of Republican primary votes. But eventually you have to let it go. For all his incendiary language and clanging contradictions, Trump did exactly that in Phoenix on Wednesday. His "deportation task force" will be hunting ... criminal aliens. Isn't that the enforcement priority of President Obama, heretofore excoriated as the ultimate immigration patsy? And what happens to the noncriminal illegal immigrants? On that, Trump punted. Their "appropriate disposition" will be considered "in several years when we have. ended illegal immigration for good." Everyone knows what that means: One way or another, they will be allowed to stay. Trump's retreat points the way to the only serious solution: enforcement plus legalization. The required enforcement measures are well known from a national E-Verify system that makes it just about impossible to work if you are here illegally, to intensified border patrol and high-tech tracking. The one provision that, thanks to Trump, gets the most attention is a border wall. It's hard to understand the opposition. It's the most venerable and reliable way to keep people out. The triple fence outside San Diego led to a 90 percent reduction in infiltration. Israel's border fence with the West Bank has produced a similar decline in terror attacks into Israel. The main objection is symbolic. Walls, we are told, denote prisons. But only if they are built to keep people in, not if they are for keeping outsiders out. City walls, going back to Jericho, are there for protection. Even holier-than-thou Europeans have conceded the point as one country after another Hungary, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Austria, Greece, Spain, why even Norway has started building border fences to stem the tide of Middle Eastern refugees. The other part of the immigration bargain is legalization. What do you do with the 11 million already here? In theory, you could do nothing. The problem ultimately solves itself as the generation of the desert those who crossed the border originally is eventually replaced by its American-born children who are automatically legal and landed. But formal legalization is a political necessity. It gets buy-in from Democrats who for whatever reason self-styled humanitarianism or bare-knuckled partisanship have no interest in real border enforcement. Legalization is the quid pro quo. If they want to bring the immigrants "out of the shadows," they must endorse serious enforcement. Such a grand bargain could and would command a vast national consensus. The American public will accept today's illegal immigrants if it is convinced that this will be the last such cohort. This was the premise of the 1986 Reagan amnesty. It legalized almost 3 million immigrants. Because it never enforced the border, however, three have become 11. And that's why the Gang of Eight failed. They too got the sequencing wrong. The left insisted on legalization first. The Gang's Republicans ultimately acquiesced because they figured, correctly, this was the best deal they could get in an era of Democratic control. The problem is that legalization is essentially irreversible and would have gone into effect on Day 1. Enforcement was a mere promise. Hence the emerging Republican consensus, now that Trump has abandoned mass deportation: a heavy and detailed concentration on enforcement, leaving the question of what happens to those already here either unspoken (Trump on Wednesday) or to be treated "case by case" (Trump last week). The Trump detour into and retreat from deportation has proved salutary. Even the blustering tough guy had to dismiss it with "we're not looking to hurt people." The ultimate national consensus, however, lies one step further down the road. Why leave legalization for some future discussion? Get it done. Once the river of illegal immigration has been demonstrably and securely reduced to a trickle, the country will readily exercise its natural magnanimity and legalize. So why not agree now? Say it and sign it. To get, you have to give. That's the art of the deal, is it not? Charles Krauthammer's email address is letters@charleskrauthammer.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group. Analysts cautious on outlook, expect earnings to remain under pressure over medium term. IMAGE: Reliance Jio, a game-changer for the telecom industry. Photograph kind courtesy: Reliance Jio While the announcements made by Reliance Industries (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani at the annual general meeting (AGM) about the Jio project would be a game-changer for the telecom industry and consumers, it also means the break-even date would get pushed further ahead, believe analysts. For the telecom sector, the announcement has led to India Ratings revising its sector outlook to stable-to-negative from stable for financial year 2016-17. The rating agency said RJio will increase competitive intensity, squeezing market share, operating earnings margin and the credit metrics of incumbents. Adding, Voice revenue would moderate in FY17 on stagnant minutes of usage and further competition in call realisations. Analysts at Credit Suisse said, Jios launch has been one of our key worries for the past couple of years and this is turning out to be quite negative. We continue to stay cautious. RILs low price points mean its break-even is delayed. Dharmesh Kant, head of retail research at Motilal Oswal Securities, said, "The big concern arises on the time line of achieving operating break-even, in the context of the tariff (rate) policy deployed." Reuters on Wednesday quoted filings at the commerce ministry to say Jio has more than Rs 32,500 crore (Rs 325 billion) of long-term debt, and other liabilities topping Rs 58,000 crore (Rs 580 billion), as of March, 2016. In addition, Reliance has spent over Rs 29,000 crore (Rs 290 billion) on Jio and is expected to invest more - all adding up to more than what it has been spending on its core refining and petrochemicals business. For the first time, RIL revealed Jios plans for the fourth-generation (4G) technology business, announcing various data plans for prepaid customers (a large part of telecom subscribers in the country). RIL's plans to offer free voice services, as well as the low price point of data usage, at an average of Rs 50/GB compared to Rs 250/GB from the other players at present, will disrupt the market. Analysts say the average revenue per user (Arpu) and the number of subscribers are the two important data points that will drive Jio's revenue and profitability. While most analysts were working with an Arpu estimate of Rs 250 a month for Jio, most of them believe this number might be difficult to achieve in the near future. Says S P Tulsian of sptulsian.com: "Unless and until the company has 120 million subscribers with average billing of Rs 500 per month, when it will have a top line of Rs 72,000 crore, it might not be able to break even. I have my doubts that Jio will have 120 million customers in the first full year of operations, FY18. Given the high depreciation and interest costs, it is most likely to post losses in both FY17 and FY18." This means the focus will shift to actual customer acquisition. Manoj Behera, telecom analyst at PhillipCapital, believes it will not be difficult for Jio to achieve 100 mn in the next three to four quarters, given the under-penetration of data in the country. However, analysts at UBS Securities believe the addressable market for Jio is currently five per cent of Indias mobile users (50 million), and expect its data revenue market share to be 5.3 per cent, 8.2 per cent and 10.6 per cent in FY18, FY19 and FY20, respectively. This, it says, seems small when compared to the revenue market share of 31.2 per cent, 30.6 per cent and 30.1 per cent they expect for Bharti Airtel in those years. Another factor to watch is that RIL plans to offer free voice services for the initial period for local, roaming and national dialling. This means the company might have to bear the upfront cost of paying 14p a minute to the network where the call is being terminated, the current interconnect usage charge (IUC). The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has issued a consultation paper on whether to lower or abolish this but incumbent operators are opposed. If the IUC is reduced, Jio will benefit. However, most analysts believe that the plans announced on Thursday might not be the final ones, and that it could cut rates further. "Jio's one plan is at Rs 149 and the second one is at Rs 499. Bharti's Arpu is at Rs 194, while Idea's is at Rs 180. So, RJio is missing out on a huge chunk of subscribers," adds Behera. Another uncertainty around Jio is whether it will participate in the coming spectrum auction and the amount it would pay. If the capital expenditure for this business goes up, the break-even will get delayed further. On RIL's core business, analysts were also disappointed by the delay in commissioning of the pet coke gasification plant by three to six months. This could lead to minor downgrades in FY18 earnings estimates. Going forward, the core oil and gas business is expected to remain strong, but the stock price will move in line with the news flow around Jio. "To sum up, we expect the per-share price of Reliance Industries to remain under pressure in the near to medium term," adds Kant from Motilal Oswal. ANALYSTS TAKE ON JIO A coalition of hunting groups filed a federal lawsuit last week against the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest alleging that the agency failed to consider alternatives to controversial new big game security measures. Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Montana Wildlife Federation, Anaconda Sportsmans Club, Helena Hunters and Anglers Association and the Clancy-Unionville Citizens Task Force filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Missoula Aug. 25. The organizations say the Forest Service erred in its March 1 decision to eliminate big game hiding cover requirements for the Divide area west of Helena. Treeless big game security puts elk herds in jeopardy and sets a dangerous precedent, the lawsuit alleges. Simply put, (litigation) is our last tool in the toolbox, said John Sullivan, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Montana chair. If we accept that elk need security from hunters and predators, then that means dense trees or else theyll move onto private ground. If the Forest Service is lowering the security requirement of cover per acre, then we dont think thats appropriate action and the whole goal is to fight for public grounds and public sportsmen. Sullivan says his organization is not anti-logging and is not typically litigious. The decision to file came after extensive internal discussion sparked by a need to maintain elk security on the forest. The lawsuit alleges that the Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to adequately consider the effects and alternatives to the amended big game standard. The review process only looked at whether to adopt the amended standard, and the groups contend the agency is required to consider a range of alternatives. The lawsuit further claims that the agency violated the National Forest Management Act by using minimal analysis appropriate for a minor forest amendment when altering big game security is a major policy decision. The groups ask the court to remand the decision back to the Forest Service and revert to the original standard in the interim. The often-contentious Divide Travel Plan determined open and closed motorized routes for the MacDonald Pass and Elliston area. At the same time motorized and quiet user groups sparred over motorized access, the Forest Service brought the big game security amendment. For decades, hiding cover standards called for enough cover to hide an elk at 200 yards. The standards were linked to road density, meaning that the more cover available, the more roads could be present and big game still secure. The standard was problematic, the Forest Service said, because loss of beetle killed trees and open roads outside of its authority meant it only met the standard in about half of its herd units. That left the question of whether to exempt the travel plan from the standard or change the standard to something reachable. The agency chose the latter. The new security guidelines use blocks of road-free habitat but do not include a hiding cover standard. Guidelines do offer some flexibility, but the Forest Service must explain why the guidelines are not met, Forest Service biologist Denise Pengeroth said in a previous interview. Continuing elk monitoring would help determine if the new guidelines were successfully keeping elk on public lands, she said. Guidelines are unenforceable and can be ignored, says Gayle Joslin with Helena Hunters and Anglers, and the absence of a cover requirement means clearcuts qualify as secure big game habitat. Hiding cover standards are proven and based on mounds of scientific literature, she said. We think they need to revert to the existing science-based standard, she said. Joslin also notes that lack of security will drive elk from public to private lands and lead to more tolerance conflicts with landowners. With such a major directional shift in management policy, the Forest Service should have offered the big game amendment separately from the travel plan to ensure the latter did not get buried in the higher profile debate, Joslin said. The groups went through public comment and a formal objection hearing concerning the amended standards. When the Forest Service chose to move ahead, they were told litigation was the only other recourse, she said. How we got to this decision to litigate is we have no other opportunity, Joslin said. Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Supervisor Bill Avey defended the decision and the process that led to it. Analysis is open and transparent and provides several opportunities for the public to participate, he said. We had robust public engagement in the development of the Divide Travel Plan and (big game security) Programmatic Forest Plan Amendment, and I believe these decisions made last March reflect that, Avey said in an email. I also think that the decisions reflect the close coordination and work we did with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regarding the wildlife components of these decisions. I value the transparency of our process and I welcome the inclusive public involvement that occurred throughout the decision making process because this is the publics land that we are managing. He was accompanied by his daughter Isha and son Anant Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, on Friday, offered prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near Tirupati. He was accompanied by his daughter Isha and son Ananth. P Lakshmi Narayana, officer on special duty, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple, said Mukesh Ambani with his children participated in the celestial bath (Abhishekam) conducted for the main deity this morning. The RIL chairman had arrived at Tirupati after midnight last on a day's pilgrimage, he added. Ambani had, on Thursday, announced free voice calls and free national roaming along with rock-bottom data prices on his new Reliance Jio network that will debut on September 5. "Though we don't doubt the capacity of your client to pay crores of money to investors, that too in cash in two months, the entire explanation of the episode is difficult to digest," a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said. The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Sahara Group to come clean by disclosing from where it had raised Rs 25,000 crore (Rs 250 billion) and paid its investors in cash, observing that it is "difficult to digest" as such a huge amount "cannot fall from the heavens." "You (Sahara Group) tell us what is the source of this money? Did you get the money from other companies or other schemes to the tune of Rs 24,000 crore? Withdrew it from bank accounts? Or sold property to get it? It should be any of the three alternatives. Money did not fall from the heavens. You have to show from where you have got the money. "Though we don't doubt the capacity of your client to pay crores of money to investors, that too in cash in two months, the entire explanation of the episode is difficult to digest. Tell us the source of the cash and there will be no need to open the Pandoras Box," a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said. The bench, also comprising Justices A R Dave and A K Sikri, which will hear the matter on the issue again on September 16, said "you start the hearing on that date by disclosing from where you got the money." "Show us the documents. How the money was lying in other schemes," the bench said after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Sahara Chief Subrata Roy, submitted that the group had raised money and paid to its investors in cash and the market regulator SEBI was running away from finding out crores of investors. "This is your (Sahara's) claim. SEBI has a very simple question. Please tell us from where you got the money. You tell us and we will close the case. You tell us how you raised Rs 25,000 crore in cash," the bench said. Sibal said the group was open for any probe and even assuming that there is an apprehension that it is a case of black money, the group can be investigated but "if it's black money, who is SEBI to investigate? It is matter of Income Tax (Department)." However, the bench said the onus was on the business house to reveal the source of the money, whether it is accounted money or unaccounted money. "Was it lying in your bank account or you got it from schemes floated by you," the bench said as Sibal tried to convince that the Group drew money from others schemes in which the investment was made. "I have already filed an affidavit," Sibal said. Meanwhile, the bench also asked SEBI to respond after properly examining the plea made by Sahara group in its fresh application seeking permission to borrow money from a foreign entity for raising the amount for securing Roy's interim bail. For the interim bail, the court had put conditions on Roy like depositing Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) in cash and a bank guarantee of equal amount and tough terms, including payment of the entire Rs 36,000 crore, including interest, to be paid back to the investors. When Sibal was drawing attention to the fresh plea, the bench asked senior advocate Arvind Datar, who appeared for SEBI, to respond to the application after carrying out a thorough investigation. "You look into all the aspects with a pinch of salt. We are not convinced with the application. You investigate thoroughly and properly," the bench told Datar. The bench said it has never restrained Sahara from raising the money. The group's application had stated that Sahara needed to borrow money from Reuben brothers of United Kingdom for depositing it in the SEBI-Sahara account opened at the apex court's direction for refunding money to investors. It had earlier informed the court that the loan on overseas hotels that was given by Bank of China has been taken over by billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben of United Kingdom, whose main activities were in real estate, private equity and venture capital. Roy, on August 26, had offered in Supreme Court to pay an additional Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) to SEBI but said the amount should be adjusted as bank guarantee. Sahara had also informed the court that it was negotiating the sale of its three overseas hotels Grosvenor House Hotel in London, New York Plaza and Dream New York hotels. On August 3, the court had extended Roy's parole till September 16 with a condition to deposit Rs 300 crore with SEBI. Roy's parole, granted on humanitarian grounds following the death of his mother, was extended after he had deposited Rs 300.68 crores, giving him the opportunity to raise the remaining amount to secure bail in the case. The apex court had allowed Sahara group to go ahead with sale and alienation of their properties to raise an amount of Rs 5,000 crore as a bank guarantee which they have to deposit in addition to Rs 5,000 crore to get bail for Roy. The Sahara chief had earlier told the court that by December, the group would be in a position to fulfill all the conditions and that talks were going on with Canara Bank for Rs 1,500 crore bank gaurantee. The apex court had passed an order on March 29 stating that SEBI would not sell any property owned by the beleaguered group for a price less than 90 per cent of the circle rates for the area in question without the permission of the court. The court had asked SEBI to initiate the process of selling "unencumbered" properties of Sahara group, whose title deeds are with the market regulator, to generate the bail money for release of the group chief. As outgoing chairman A M Naik sets new goals for L&T, he leaves the task of fulfilling them to his successor, says Amritha Pillay. IMAGE: Subrahmanyan is known as someone who has the ability and motivation to commit long hours to work. Photograph kind courtesy:L&T SN Subrahmanyan is known to be a fitness enthusiast and loves taking long walks. Come October 2017, Subrahmanyans walks in the Powai campus would be in bigger boots. The civil engineer, whom A M Naik finally picked as his successor at the 71st annual general meeting (AGM) last week, has very large shoes to fill and ambitious targets to meet. Naik, the executive chairman of L&T, has set a goal of more than doubling the companys revenues over the next five years. This means Subrahmanyan, currently deputy managing director and president of L&T and set to succeed Naik next year, will have to summon all his skills to grow the company and steer it towards its new goal. Subrahmanyans selection is no coincidence. Naik had first spotted Subrahmanyan almost a decade ago when he was associated with the Hyderabad airport project for which L&T was a contractor. Naik has been preparing Subrahmanyan for his next appointment ever since then. Subrahmanyans expertise in the infrastructure and construction business, the largest revenue generator for L&T, played a big role in tilting the scales in his favour. In his three decades at L&T, Subrahmanyan has driven many of the companys large infrastructure and construction projects, including the construction of the airports at Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai. He also oversaw major international projects, including the Metro systems in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He has come up with the core business and has worked on the ground. He is also someone who contributes well to discussions, says MM Chitale, an independent director on L&Ts board. Currently, Subrahmanyan (or SNS as he is called within the company) is on an overseas business trip with Naik. While it is not clear what role Naik will assume at L&T after September next year(when he hands over charge), Subrahmanyan has slowly started to emerge from his shadows. Chitale says Subrahmanyan has been spending a great deal of time grooming a second line of command to take charge after his elevation. The civil engineer is known to be both result oriented and impatient. He is also known as someone who has the ability and the motivation to commit long hours to work. One can frequently spot him at some of the main airports in India which he himself assisted to build. Subrahmanyan, was elevated to being the companys deputy managing director and president last year. Prior to the elevation, he was senior executive vice-president for the companys infrastructure and construction division, which contributes close to 74 per cent of L&Ts total outstanding orderbook of Rs 2.57 lakh crore as of June 2016. Though Naik chose the companys 71st AGM to officially announce his appointment as the next executive chairman, he has been hinting at this move for some time. In May 2016, Naik called Subrahmanyan the number two man in the company. In the last two years, the shift of power has been evident at the companys press briefings, with Subrahmanyan turning into the face of the company at such interactions. Subrahmanyans tag as an insider makes him the perfect choice for Naik to hand over command to. He has lived up to Naik's expectations so far. Of his 32 years at L&T, Subrahmanyan has spent five years heading the infrastructure and construction division. Since 2010-2011, infrastructure divisions contribution to the companys total order book has increased from 36 per cent to 75 per cent. Yet, there are challenges. The last two financial years have seen the company revise its revenue and order inflow guidance primarily due to slow recovery in the infrastructure sector. Naik at the AGM last week set an ambitious target of achieving Rs 2 lakh crore of revenues and order inflows of more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore annually by 2021. For the financial year 2015-2016, the company saw order inflows of Rs 1.36 lakh crore and net revenue from operations were at Rs 1.02 lakh crore. Analysts say it will not be an easy task for Subrahmanyan to achieve these targets. For instance, L&Ts Hyderabad metro rail project is facing delays and the Kattupalli ship building facility is yet to pay off. The ship building facility's success would depend on defence orders which are likely to take longer to fructify. Its foray in the hydrocarbon business also remains a challenge, given the volatile crude price scenario. But Naik is confident L&Ts future is in safe hands. This is a very strong man here, you know, he said in response to shareholders request to stay on beyond his planned retirement at the end of September 2017. Though buses and trains plied normally in Bengal and TN, office attendance was less The nation-wide strike called by central trade unions, on Friday, hit normal life in Left-ruled Kerala with public transport vehicles staying off the roads and shops and business establishments downing shutters. Autorickshaws, taxies, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses are not plying on roads across the state with the workers of various unions taking part in the strike. Major roads wore a deserted look in the state capital where hundreds of employees of ISRO units, including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), could not reach their offices as the strike supporters laid a siege of an ISRO bus bay in Thiruvananthapuram. Train passengers had a tough time as they had to walk to their homes after alighting at the railway station in Thiruvananthapuram. However, police helped patients coming to the Regional Cancer centre by arranging transport. All major unions, barring RSS-associated BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), have joined the strike, terming as "completely inadequate" the Central government's assurances to look into their demands and the recent announcements for two-year bonus and hike in minimum wage. In West Bengal it was a different picture altogether. Government buses and other private vehicles were operating normally. Train services at Sealdah and Howrah sections, and Metro Rail services were also as usual. However, the rush of passengers was less. "So far, there has been no major incidents, except a few small incidents in some districts," said a senior police official. CITU-led Left trade unions claimed that the strike is going on peacefully and accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) of trying to incite violence at some places. "The people of the state have willingly participated in the strike. In most of the places it is peaceful but in certain areas TMC is using its muscle power to break the strike," CITU State President Shyamal Chakraborty told PTI. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, said while leaving for Italy, "The strike will be a complete failure in the state. I will be monitoring the entire work personally. Even though I will be out of the state but I will monitor the situation. My appeal to everybody is to reject the strike for the development of the state." Normal life remained unaffected in Tamil Nadu also. Bus and train services operated as usual while shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions are functioning normally. The ruling AIADMK's labour wing is not participating in the strike called by ten central unions. Digital extortion, in which hackers lock out all your data and seek ransom, is a real threat today, says Veenu Sandhu. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com. The employees of an ayurveda company in Amritsar recently came to office to find themselves locked out of their computers. Try as they might, they were unable to log in. Their usernames and passwords had been rendered null and void. When the companys IT team investigated, it found that the main server had been hacked and locked. Through a cryptic message, the cyber criminals let it be known that if the company wanted to retrieve its data, it would have to pay a ransom in the form of bitcoins, the digital currency, at its current exchange rate. This is not the first such case of digital kidnapping that has been reported in India. Advocate Prashant Mali, a cyber law expert from Bombay high court who prefers to use the term digital extortion instead of kidnapping, says there are many such incidents across the country. Ransomware was also used on Maharashtra government computers and the data encrypted, he says. Among the victims whose cases he has handled or is handling are chartered accountants, lawyers and other professionals whose computers were encrypted and an amount of up to $500 demanded. Financial organisations and web service providers are among others who face similar attacks. Secure yourself against ransomware Be cautious about unsolicited attachments. Cyber criminals rely on your dilemma of whether or not to open a document. If in doubt, leave it out. Dont give yourself more login power than you need to. And, dont stay logged in as an administrator any longer than is strictly necessary. Also, avoid browsing, opening documents or other unnecessary activity while you have administrator rights. Mali also advises against enabling macros in document attachments received via email. Microsoft deliberately turned off auto-execution of macros by default many years ago as a security measure, he says. A lot of malware infections rely on persuading you to turn the macros back on; so dont do it. Consider installing the Microsoft Office Viewers. These viewer applications let you see what the documents look like without having to open them in Word or Excel. In particular, the viewer software doesnt support macros at all, so you cant enable macros by mistake. So, what is digital or cyber extortion? A malware, or malicious software, such as Locky or CryptoLocker is sent to the target computer in the form of an email. Once this malware is downloaded into the computer, it encrypts the hard disk -- that is, it makes the files in the hard disk meaningless. The data then appears only as indecipherable characters such as $#*($&. The victim is able to access only one jpg (picture) file. This jpg file contains the instructions to pay the ransom in the form of bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency, says Mali. Once you pay up, the hard disk might be decrypted, making the data accessible again. However, cautions Mali, there is no guarantee that the data would be restored as many novice hackers buy ransomware from the dark web and many a time they are themselves duped by sellers who do not provide them the decryption key. Anyone who does not follow basic security practices, who clicks links found in unknown emails or who downloads files received from unknown senders is vulnerable to digital extortion. A cyber criminal can target anyone -- an individual or a company -- whose security is weak or who is negligent. So, the importance of keeping a recent backup copy off-site cannot be stressed enough. There are dozens of ways, other than ransomware, that files can suddenly vanish, such as fire, flood, theft, a damaged laptop or even an accidental delete, says Mali. Encrypt your backup and you wont have to worry about the backup device falling into wrong hands. In case of a cyber attack, retrieve the data from the backup or visit an anti-virus website such as Kaspersky that has a database of decryption algorithms. So far, the police across India have not cracked a single case of digital extortion, which is a multi-million dollar business with international cartels involved, says Mali. Since the money is paid in bitcoin, it makes these attackers virtually untraceable. Modis Vietnam visit is timely and crucial for several reasons. First, Vietnam lies at the heart of Indias vision for Southeast Asia as also its Act East policy. India also wants to boost its defence exports to friendly countries. And it is looking to increase trade between the two countries which now is only $7.83 billion, says Dr Rahul Mishra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a much-awaited visit to Vietnam on September 3. This visit has the potential to step up Indias presence in Southeast Asia and give a much-needed fillip to Indias Act East policy. After a one-day visit, he will be heading to Hangzhou, China, to participate in the G20 summit. He will be back to the Southeast Asian region to attend 14th India-ASEAN summit and 11th East Asia Summit in the Laotian capital, Vientiane, on September 6-8. Though there have been regular exchanges at the high level between the two countries, visit by an Indian prime minister after of 15 years makes Modis trip significant. The last PM to visit Vietnam was Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001. Other high level visits include Vice President Hamid Ansaris 2013 visit, and a visit by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014. From Vietnams side, notable visits include President Truong Tan Sang in October 2011, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen PhuTrong in November 2013, and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in December 2012 and October 2014. Modis Vietnam visit is timely and crucial for several reasons. First, Vietnam lies at the heart of Indias vision for Southeast Asia as also its Act East policy. Thus, it is high time that India shows that it attaches significance to its relations with Vietnam, particularly when the next year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of India-Vietnam diplomatic relations and 10th anniversary of India-Vietnam strategic level partnership. Also, this visit will provide India an opportunity to get familiar with Vietnams new leadership, which assumed power in early 2016. Second, Vietnam is Indias country coordinator for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations till 2018. Therefore, for further strengthening relations with ASEAN, it is vital for India to focus on bilateral relations with Vietnam too. Third, India is in the process of boosting its defence exports to friendly countries. As stated by Secretary (East) Preeti Saran on September 1 in a press briefing, Vietnam is an important strategic partner to India and central pillar of the Act East Policy. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikars Vietnam visit in the first half of 2016 may also be seen in this context. With the attempt to move the bilateral defence cooperation to up by a few notches, the visit was geared towards enhancing the defence industry networking, information sharing and exploration of possibilities for partnerships and collaborations between the two countries. One of the key highlights of Modis visit is likely to be the discussion on extending Indias defence exports to Vietnam, which is a vital defence partner of India. One of the major breakthroughs during Modi is likely to be the finalisation of the agreement for supplying four offshore patrol vessels to Vietnamese military under the framework of the $100-million line of credit extended during Nguyen Tan Dungs 2014 India visit. Discussions on the selling of BrahMos missile -- a short-range supersonic cruise missile developed by Indias Defence Research and Development Organisation in partnership with Russia -- would be high on the agenda too. However, there is still some time before India sells the BrahMos to Vietnam. One of the major hurdles India has to overcome is international restrictions. In order to deal with that, India has become a member of Missile Technology Control Regime; the operational range of BrahMos is 290 km, which is still 10-km less than the 300 km-permissible range under the MTCR. Indias defence cooperation with Vietnam is particularly important because India still has the tag of the largest arms importer in the world. Vietnams defence procurement from India would also place India in a category of defence equipment exporting countries. Fourth, the visit is taking place in the aftermath of the much-debated ruling on the South China Sea dispute by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. This visit will be the first by Modi to the East/Southeast Asian region since the the verdict. The ruling turned out to be in the favour of the Philippines discarding Chinas so-called historic rights on the sea. Though Indias stand on the issue of the South China Sea has been consistent, Vietnam along with the Philippines desire India to play a bigger role. India is viewed as a friend and a reliable long-time partner in Vietnam. A closer look at the recent developments, including regular exchange of visits and agreements signed in the past few years, indicates that horizon of bilateral relations has expanded to also include defence and security component. India-Vietnam bilateral relations are moving on the right track and India is no longer hesitant to display that Vietnam is one of its top foreign policy priorities. However, there still are a few issues that demand India and Vietnams attention. Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2015-16 was just $7.83 billion. Considering the complementarity, mutual trust and comfort, and desire to work together, the total trade is below potential and needs to be taken more seriously. Increasing people-to-people contacts also demands more attention as Vietnam still does not come close to Singapore and Thailand in terms of tourist visits. Linguistic unfamiliarity is a major bottleneck on that count. There are only a handful Vietnamese experts in India, and the language has not been promoted sincerely in India. One of the possible options on that count could be to introduce Vietnamese language courses where there is already a Chinese language centre. Similarity in the two languages would provide students with an option. India needs to be more proactive in its approach, keep a long-term view on trade and economic issues, and show more sincerity in implementing projects. Together, this would add more credibility to its Act East Policy and position India as a benign power of considerable strength in the region. Dr Rahul Mishra is a research fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. Views expressed are personal. Ramananda Sengupta explains how 'crap cannons' can be an effective mob-control weapon. Imagine a sonic weapon that could make everyone within a 100-metre radius involuntarily evacuate their bowels. Now imagine the impact that would have on a frenzied mob storming an embassy or a police station; or a crowd of stone-throwers in Kashmir. It has been variously described as a 'crap cannon' or 'brown note'. It has also been debunked as an urban myth. But sound, however, can be and has been used often as a weapon. And no, we are not talking about the loud bass at rave parties which has been known to induce heart attacks or collapse the lungs of those standing too close to the speakers. We are not even talking about Heavy Metal, used to good effect in places like Guantanamo to soften prisoners unused to such sounds before interrogation. More recently, Long Range Acoustic Devices, or LRADs, have been used effectively against pirates off the coast of Somalia. Then there's infrasound, which can scare the living daylights out of most of us, literally. Sounds between 7 and 19 Hz could induce fear, dread or panic. Moreover, a study by NASA asserts infrasound of frequency closer to 19Hz can resonate with the average human eyeball, leading to 'smeared' vision, where the eye vibrates just enough to register static objects as large, moving shapes. 'Sound can be deployed to produce discomfort, express a threat, or create an ambience of fear or dread to produce a bad vibe,' says the introduction to Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear, by Steve Goodman, lecturer in music culture at the University of East London. 'Sonic weapons of this sort include the 'psychoacoustic correction' aimed at Panama strongman Manuel Noriega by the United States army and at the Branch Davidians in Waco by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; sonic booms (or 'sound bombs') over the Gaza Strip, and high frequency rat repellents used against teenagers in malls,' Goodman adds. Ghost in the Machine, (not to be confused with Arthur Koestler's book, or the album by The Police) is a fascinating paper published in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research back in 1998, by Vic Tandy and Tony R Lawrence of Coventry University. Tandy had a personal experience with this 'ghost' while working in his lab, which produced life support and intensive care equipment. Workers there would often feel uneasy, and report sensing a 'presence' out of the corner of their eye, which would disappear the moment you looked directly at it. According to the paper, 'As time went on, VT (Tandy) noticed one or two other odd events. There was a feeling of depression, occasionally a cold shiver, and on one occasion a colleague sitting at the desk turned to say something to VT, thinking he was by his side. The colleague was surprised when VT was found to be at the other end of the room. There was a growing level of discomfort but the workers were all busy and paid it little attention.' 'VT was working on his own one night after everyone else had left. As he sat at the desk writing, he began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. He was sweating but cold and the feeling of depression was noticeable. The cats were moving around and the groans and creaks from what was now a deserted factory were "spooky," but there was also something else. It was as though something was in the room with VT.' 'There was no way into the lab without walking past the desk where VT was working. He looked around and even checked the gas bottles to be sure there was not a leak into the room. There were oxygen and carbon dioxide bottles and occasionally the staff would work with anaesthetic agents, all of which could cause all sorts of problems if handled inappropriately. All of these checked out fine so VT went to get a cup of coffee and returned to the desk.' 'As he was writing, he became aware that he was being watched, and a figure slowly emerged to his left. It was indistinct and on the periphery of his vision but it moved as VT would expect a person to. The apparition was grey and made no sound. The hair was standing up on VT's neck and there was a distinct chill in the room. As VT recalls, "It would not be unreasonable to suggest I was terrified".' 'VT was unable to see any detail and finally built up the courage to turn and face the thing. As he turned the apparition faded and disappeared. There was absolutely no evidence to support what he had seen so he decided he must be cracking up and went home...' The next morning, Tandy arrived early to work to fix a foil blade he needed for a fencing match he had entered. Locking the rapier in a vice, he went to find a bit of oil. When he returned a few minutes later, he was startled to find the blade 'frantically vibrating up and down.' A little experiment revealed that the vibration was caused by ultrasound emitted by an exhaust fan, which had turned into a 'low frequency standing wave.' The moment the fan was stopped, the blade stopped vibrating. And the atmosphere in the lab became measurably lighter. Infrasound, says the Skeptic's Dictionary, refers to extreme bass waves or vibrations, those with a frequency below the audibility range of the human ear (20 Hz to 22 kHz). Even though these waves can't be heard by us, they can be felt and have been shown to produce a range of effects in some people including anxiety, extreme sorrow, and chills. And sounds between 7 and 19 Hz could induce fear, dread or panic. But what about the apparitions? A study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on infrasound asserts that the higher end of that spectrum (closer to 19Hz) can resonate with the average human eyeball, leading to 'smeared' vision, where the eye vibrates just enough to register static objects -- like the frame of VT's spectacles, or even a speck of dust -- as large, moving shapes. This study helped VT crack the haunting of a nearby abbey, which had spooked several people. The culprit: Infrasound again, caused not by a mechanical device, but naturally due to wind in the corridors and tunnels of the abbey. So sound can be used to scare people shitless. Why not use it instead of, or alongside, the pellet guns which apparently blind protestors and stone throwers in Kashmir? Before writing this column, I discussed it with a friend who works for a government defence lab. While expounding the possibilities of an 'oily foam' which when sprayed on protestors prevents them from walking or running without slipping and falling on their butts, he was extremely sceptical over whether sound could indeed cause people to soil their pants. However, he said, with a thoughtful gleam in his eye, "certain gases certainly can." Investing in the adult diaper industry suddenly makes sound business sense. 'I believe Modi mentioned Balochistan only to embarrass Pakistan and also divert attention toward the situation in Kashmir.' Malik Siraj Akbar is one of Balochistans senior journalists and a respected political analyst and the founder and president of the Balochistan Institute in Washington, DC. He is the author of two books: A Broken Democracy and The Redefined Dimensions of Baloch Nationalist Movement. He has also worked in the Daily Times and The Friday Times in Pakistan. Sudhir Bisht spoke to Akbar over emails and Skype for this interview on Balochistan and India's interest in the region. IMAGE: Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the Red Fort on August 15, 2016, where he mentioned Balochistan. Photograph: PIB. There was so much celebration at the mere mention of Balochistan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. Why this euphoria? Is it because political analysts believe this is the beginning of the internationalisation of the Balochistan issue? Baloch nationalists have been struggling for several years to internationalise their cause. They have been seeking support from all countries of the world. They were super excited when Modi mentioned Balochistan. It was the first time ever that any foreign head of the government had officially mentioned Balochistan. In an op-ed in the Indian Express, I said it was a game-changer for the Baloch nationalists in terms of recognition for their movement at the official level. I totally agree with you that the Baloch were overexcited. I believe Modi mentioned Balochistan only to embarrass Pakistan and also divert attention toward the situation in Kashmir. The Balochs, on their part, are so upset with Pakistan, that they warmly welcomed Modis statement. I think the Balochs, India and Pakistan have all benefited from Modis statement. For the Baloch, the mere fact that a foreign prime minister spoke about them was a big deal. For the Indians, they just discovered the B-bomb (or the B word) and its magical powers. They can throw the Balochistan bomb now at any international forum, conference and diplomatic setting to embarrass Pakistan. As far as the benefits of these statements for Pakistan are concerned, now many serious people in Pakistan, not only conspiracy theorists, will begin to believe their governments claim that India is involved in promoting unrest in Balochistan (even if it is not). This will help Pakistan defame and discredit a homegrown Baloch movement. In the past, journalists and human rights activists continuously asked the Pakistani government to provide evidence if India was behind the insurgency in Balochistan. Now, Islamabad will simply quote Modis statements and the message from the Baloch leaders who thanked him, as proof of an Indian conspiracy against Pakistan. This will give Islamabad a stronger reason to accelerate military operations in Balochistan. I think from now on, India intends to raise Balochistan whenever Pakistan brings up Kashmir or upsets them on the issue of terrorism. Modi exhibited genuine friendly disposition towards the Nawaz Sharif government. But his gestures of friendship were unrequited. Now he can be expected to harden his stand on Pakistan. What is the view that prevails about Modi in Balochistan? The people of Balochistan have never had negative feelings about India although Pakistani textbooks teach too much hatred toward India. In provinces like the Punjab, which had a direct connection with the Partition, anti-Indian sentiments are deep-rooted. The Baloch people do not have any such feelings. They are mostly indifferent because Balochistan, unlike Sindh and the Punjab provinces, does not share a border or culture with India. There is little people-to-people interaction. The Baloch have relatives in Iran, Afghanistan and the Gulf region but no such connections with India. Balochistan has a sizeable Hindu population who are well integrated in society. I think the people of Balochistan have mostly welcomed Modis statements. The Baloch excitement comes from weariness toward Pakistans brutalities and injustice. Modi tried to improve relations with Pakistan but Islamabad did not reciprocate to that gesture. I think from now on, India intends to raise Balochistan whenever Pakistan brings up Kashmir or upsets them on the issue of terrorism. IMAGE: Quetta, the capital of the Baloch province, had been wracked by violence for decades. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images. There is so little known in India about the Balochistans desire to secede from Pakistan. What is the exact grouse of the people of Balochistan? To your admission that Indians do not know much about Balochistan, I will add that even most people in Pakistan dont know or acknowledge our history. What was known as the Kalat State in 1947 was forcefully incorporated into Pakistan as Balochistan against the wishes of the people. The Khan of Kalat was forced to join Pakistan although Baloch leaders were opposed to it. The first Baloch rebellion against Pakistan began in 1948. Prince Abdul Karim, the younger brother of the Khan, led it. Throughout these years, Pakistan has consolidated its grip over Balochistan. The Baloch nationalists say they have been forcefully occupied. Hence, one part of the Baloch population never considered Balochistan a part of Pakistan. Since 1947, the Baloch and the Pakistani State have been fighting. Pakistan has crushed the Baloch aspirations through brutal tactics. The Baloch complain that the government takes away their mineral resources and does not share the benefits with them. Islamabad extracts Balochistans gas and other minerals to help the countrys economy. Lack of equal treatment, representation and continued human rights violations against the Baloch people by the Pakistani army add to the Baloch grievances. Balochistan is the least developed of Pakistans four provinces. It is the least educated and least economically developed. People are agitated that a region so rich in mineral resources and a sea-port is still so poor. The common impression about the Baloch people is that they are brave, honest and loyal but far from progressive. That they believe in a preponderance of tribal laws and customs over any other set of modern laws. Many believe that an independent Balochistan will be a retrograde country which will force women to remain confined to their homes. People in India dont know much of your capital city of Quetta. Does it have the hustle and bustle of say an Islamabad or Karachi? Or is it just curfew, fear of violence and fearful quietude? Balochistan is the least developed of Pakistans four provinces. It is the least educated and least economically developed. People are agitated that a region so rich in mineral resources and a sea-port is still so poor. The British did not develop infrastructure in Balochistan. If you look at some of the educational institutions elsewhere in Pakistan, they were built almost a hundred years before Balochistan got its first university in 1970. There is a constant blame game between the Baloch and the central government as to who actually is responsible for this lack of development. Pakistan blames Balochistans tribal chiefs while the Baloch nationalists insist that Pakistan intentionally wants to keep Balochistan backward so that people are not empowered enough to resist Pakistans exploitation of their resources. Balochistan is a tribal and heavily male-dominated society. I think only education can lead to more democracy, an end to tribal influence and empowerment of women. Please note that there is a strong relationship between Balochistans corrupt tribal chiefs and Islamabad. They support each others interests. Islamabad does not question these tribal chiefs influence because they always serve Pakistani interests. Islamabad runs Balochistan with the help of these corrupt tribal chiefs. Quetta is the city of hope for Balochistan. People from all over region go there to get a university degree, find a job and it is the epicentre of political activism. It is big enough to have universities, cafes and hotels but it is nothing as compared to bigger cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Many times, when a new bank or a company launches operations in Pakistan, they hardly include Quetta among their top desired destinations. I think this kind of negligence has led to dissatisfaction among the people. Life in Quetta is difficult because it has experienced tremendous violence in the past one decade. The city has become the hub of religious, sectarian and nationalistic violence. On top of it, there is heavy government security. The city has been militarised where there are checkpoints to monitor peoples movements. If life is like this in the capital, you can imagine how everyday life is in the remaining 29 districts. In most districts, people have no access to 24x7 electricity, health facilities, education and drinking water. There are no industries and employment opportunities in Balochistans smaller districts. You have often written that that the commander of the southern command and the inspector general of the Frontier Corps have more authority than the elected chief minister. Why do you say so? After all in the last elections, 43 percent voters turned up, in spite of threats of violence by the Baloch National Front. The chief minister of Balochistan (Sardar Sanaullah Zehri) is the member of Pakistan Muslim League-N, the party of Nawaz Sharif. So what stops the CM and PM to ensure peace and progress in Balochistan? In Pakistan, the army has remained in power at least three times since 1958. The army is a strong political and economic power. It does not trust the political leaders because it views them as incompetent and insufficiently patriotic. Therefore, the army very closely scrutinises and dictates politicians. The army is zero tolerance for political dissent or criticism. Hence, it finds reliable allies in Baloch tribal chiefs or religious leaders who keep flattering army officers only to stay in power. Politicians in Balochistan represent an elite group that has remained in power for generations. In order to stay in power, they have remained loyal to everyone who was in power in Islamabad. Their politics is not based on ideology but determined on who is coming to power. Most of the people in the current Balochistan government were once with General Pervez Musharraf or former President Asif Ali Zardari but have switched loyalties to Sharif. The army looks at Balochistan solely from the national security point of view. It believes it has a responsibility to fight alleged foreign (Indian) agents who are out there to disintegrate Balochistan. Therefore, the real power still rests in the hands of the army commanders. But the fact is that the Balochistan government is also extremely corrupt and incompetent. There are of course issues for which the army and the Frontier Corps are responsible but there are also numerous issues that the provincial government can and should resolve but it does not. IMAGE: A family from the Bugti tribe evacuates the city of Dera Bugti in the Balochistan province. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images. Who are the main players in the freedom movement of Balochistan who believe in dialogue and a non-violent movement? Similarly, why cant all parties which believe in armed struggle unite under one banner? Why so many groups? I also read that children of some top Baloch leaders are in the US or Switzerland or Canada? The Baloch armed resistance is far more sophisticated than its political counterparts. The Baloch Republican Party and the Baloch National Movement are two known political parties, joined by the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO-Azad), which openly yet peacefully call for a free Balochistan. However, these parties have not been able to organise and mobilise support on the ground because of the Pakistani governments crackdown against Baloch activists. Prominent among Baloch armed groups are the Baloch Liberation Army, the Baloch Republican Army, the Baloch Liberation Front and Lashkar-e-Balochistan. They operate in different geographical parts of Balochistan. Given its vast territory and tribal structure, every armed group has a great understanding of the region where it operates. People in Balochistan do desire that all Baloch leaders should get closer and unite on a single platform. It does not seem likely because of competition among some big egos within the Baloch nationalist movement. Balochistan is known to be rich in mineral resources and natural gas. It has a long coastline and a port. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor runs through Gilgit Baltistan and connects with the sea at Balochistan. The Pakistan-China partnership in Baloch port area has the potential to create so many job opportunities for the local people. So it is not as if Pakistan isnt trying to develop your state. Am I right or just ill-informed? The Baloch have concerns about the CPEC. Even the government of Pakistan recently admitted that the details of this deal with the Chinese were secret. The CPEC is the brainchild of the Pakistani army. Here are some areas where the Baloch have concerns. 1. They feel that they will be converted into a minority in their ancestral land in Gwadar once the project begins because of a massive demographic imbalance. Non-Baloch from other parts of Pakistan will come to Gwadar and convert the Baloch majority into a minority. 2. The Baloch want to be given priority in job opportunities. The Pakistani government has not taken sufficient measures to train and prepare Baloch youth to be employable at these projects. Hence, it is very likely that people from other parts of Pakistan will come to grab these jobs. 3. The Baloch want to make sure that people who come from outside Balochistan will not be given the right to vote or register as locals. 4. There is a demand that any outsider must partner with a Baloch. What I worry the most about CPEC is its security plan. Under the disguise of this project, Islamabad will tremendously militarise Balochistan. Any development in Balochistan that does not benefit the Baloch will not be acceptable, secure and sustainable. Islamabad insists that Balochistan is not Bangladesh and there is no way it can break away from Pakistan. On the other hand, the Baloch think that armed resistance is a must to keep their movement alive. But the insurgency has not reached a point where Pakistan should officially feel threatened. Do you think that Pakistan will let go of this area without a long, protracted, fight? Do you think some kind of a middle path will be arrived at eventually? Forget about the minerals. Balochistan is half of Pakistans territory. It shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan and has a port that will soon connect Pakistan with Central Asia. No country easily gives up its territory easily. This is why there is so much bloodshed in Balochistan. No movement for independence is painless. The middle ground youre talking about sounds like a great idea but I think it is currently unpopular or unacceptable to both the Pakistani government and the Baloch. Both sides are (misleadingly) confident that they can accomplish their goals militarily. Islamabad insists that Balochistan is not Bangladesh and there is no way it can break away from Pakistan. On the other hand, the Baloch think that armed resistance is a must to keep their movement alive. The armed groups have bothered Pakistan more than the Baloch political leaders. But the insurgency has not reached a point where Pakistan should officially feel threatened. The generals in Rawalpindi still believe they are in full control of Balochistan. There is a middle ground but I wonder if it has any takers. That middle ground is maximum internal autonomy for Balochistan. If autonomy was offered a decade ago, this would probably be acceptable but today there is so much mistrust between Quetta and Islamabad, I am not optimistic that the stakeholders will sit down and negotiate. Violence is the new normal for the local people. Thats not a good sign. The Baloch are not tired of fighting and the Pakistanis are not weary of carrying out military operations against them. There are no advocates of the middle path. 'The case against the killers of Mahatma Gandhi never mentioned the RSS as an organisation being involved in the killing.' 'Sardar Patel believed that the RSS was not involved in the killing. Instead, he said it was the Hindu Mahasabha.' Rajesh Kunte had been hearing since childhood that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was allegedly involved in the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. The claim hurt him, as he had been a member of the Hindu right-wing outfit since he was five years old. He always wanted to prove this theory wrong, but never got an opportunity to do so. Then, in March 2014, just before the Lok Sabha elections, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi repeated the allegation at a public meeting in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. Kunte, now 45, had heard enough. The Maharashtra-based RSS leader filed a criminal defamation case against Rahul for blaming his organisation for the Mahatma's assassination. After initially doing a flipflop before the court, Gandhi on Thursday announced that he stood by the allegation and that he was ready to face trial. Kunte spoke to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com on why dragged the Congress vice president to court and why he believes that the RSS is being wrongly targeted in this matter. Rahul Gandhi has once again changed his stance in the Supreme Court, stating that men associated with the RSS killed Mahatma Gandhi. How do you react to this? There is no surprise in it. He has been changing his stance on this issue. He can again change his stance tomorrow. I welcome his statement regarding the fact that he is ready to face trial in the Bhiwandi court. What do you want to prove by dragging Rahul to court? I want the truth to come out as soon as possible. I filed the case in March 2014 and he was issued summons in July 2014. Rahul and the Congress were running away from this case since the last two years. If Rahul believed the RSS was involved in killing of Mahatma Gandhi, why was he running away from the case? The Congress went to the high court (to have the case dismissed), they lost the case. Then they went to the Supreme Court. Now let him prove the RSS's involvement. What was your first reaction when you heard Rahul speaking about the RSS's alleged role in the Mahatma's killing? I heard this statement on television when he came to Bhiwandi. I know for a fact that the RSS was not involved. This false allegation has been around for the last 70 years. I always felt that th truth needs to be told and society must know about it. The case against the killers of Mahatma Gandhi never mentioned the RSS as an organisation being involved in the killing. And still the Congress has been dragging its name into this since then. You mean to say the judgment against Nathuram Godse never mentions the RSS? Yes, the RSS is not mentioned anywhere in that judgment. Secondly, the RSS was banned soon after Mahatma Gandhi's killing; the ban was lifted in 1948. Why did they do that? The (then) Congress (government) did that because they knew the RSS is not involved in the killing. But is it not a fact that Nathuram Godse was an RSS member? By that logic Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was in the Congress before he founded the RSS. He was holding a post in the Congress party before he started the RSS in 1925. So will the Congress party claim responsibility for his actions? Therefore, the RSS cannot be blamed for Nathuram Godse killing Mahatma Gandhi. When Mahatma Gandhi was killed Godse had quit the RSS and had joined a different organisation, the Hindu Mahasabha. Gopal Godse, in an interview in 1994, claimed that he and his brother Nathuram never left the RSS. Do you want to believe Gopal Godse or the Indian courts? The courts wrote that the RSS is not involved and no one could prove in court that the RSS was involved in Mahatma Gandhis killing. We should believe in the courts, as it is the highest authority. Even the Jeevan Lal Kapur Commission, which was formed to probe Mahatma Gandhis killing, did not blame the RSS. But Gopal Godse was a co-accused in the assassination as well as the brother of the man who shot Gandhi. Whom do we need to believe? An individual or a court, you tell me. We all must listen to what the court says. Did Nathuram Godse actually resign from RSS to join the Hindu Mahasabha? Nathuram has written about this and on why he joined the Hindu Mahasabha. There is evidence about these things; it will come out before the court. Do you think there will be a closure in this case? Yes, I am happy. You will come to know that the RSS was not involved in the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. What about the fact that Sardar Patel, the first home minister of India, stating that the RSS was involved? Read the book on Sardar Patel, a life by Rajmohan Gandhi. On page number 472 of the book, the author has quoted a letter from Patel to Nehru dated February 27, 1948. In the letter, which was written a month after the assassination, Patel clearly states that he believes that the RSS was not involved in the killing. Instead, he said it was the Hindu Mahasabha. But is it not true that Sardar Patel wrote to RSS chief M S Golwalkar that the RSS had created an atmosphere of hatred that led to the killing of Mahatma Gandhi? I have not read this in any of the books (on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination) so far . Image: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Photograph: PTI Photo. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flew into the Vietnamese capital on his maiden visit to hold wide-ranging talks with the country's top leadership on ways to bolster strategic bilateral ties in key areas like defence, security, counterterrorism and trade. "Hello to Hanoi! PM @narendramodi makes a late night arrival in Vietnam to begin the first leg of his 2 nation tour," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. The visit, that marks the first by an Indian premier to the country in 15 years, takes place on his way to Hangzhou, China to attend the G20 Summit beginning Sunday. Modi will hold extensive talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and call on President Tran Dai Quang tomorrow. He is also scheduled to meet Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Defence, security, science and technology, trade and culture are some of the issues on the plate for the talks. The premier will also pay homage to revered leader Ho Chi Minh, whom he described in his Facebook post as one of 20th century's tallest leaders. He will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda. Ho Chi Minh, who is often called "the Vietnamese George Washington" by Communist Vietnamese, has a city named after him. After his death, Ho's followers embalmed his body and put it in a tomb, the mausoleum, where he is still worshipped on Friday. "Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc and I would also be discussing regional cooperation and stability and our multilateral cooperation," Modi told Voice of Vietnam Radio network earlier. The thrust of our multifaceted relationship is to work towards stability, maintenance of peace, economic growth and prosperity in our countries, Asia and beyond, he added. Modi emphasised that India's Act East Policy aimed to forge partnerships with its eastern neighbours to encompass security, strategic, political, counter-terrorism, and defence collaboration in addition to economic ties. "It was crystallised to underscore the importance of East Asian neighbors of India and to make them a priority in our foreign policy engagement," he told the radio, adding that Vietnam was an integral member of ASEAN and is a "very important pillar in our Act East Policy". India's ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. Vietnam is the ASEAN Coordinator for India for 2015-18 and the two countries have expressed their strong commitment in strengthening partnership within the India-ASEAN and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation frameworks. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people to people ties will also be my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," the premier said on his Facebook page on Friday. His visit comes after the July final award by the Hague tribunal on the South China Sea issue. India's position has always been that all parties adhere and respect the tribunal, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Officials in response to a question on Vietnam's request to India to supply Brahmos missiles yesterday said that both sides are engaged in "robust" conversation on stepping up cooperation in various areas including defence. IMAGES: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed on his arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi in Vietnam on Friday. Photographs: Vijay Verm/PTI Photo A suicide bomber on Friday blew himself up at crowded Mardan district courts, killing 12 people and wounding 52 others, hours after security forces killed four suicide attackers who tried to storm a Christian neighbourhood in Peshawar in Pakistan's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The attacker from the Tehreek-e-Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction apparently wanted to hit lawyers at the bar room, police said. The attacker detonated a hand grenade before exploding his suicide vest among the morning crowds at the main gate of Mardan district courts. "First there was a small blast followed by a big blast," chief rescue officer in Mardan Haris Habib said. "So far we have recovered 12 bodies of lawyers, police personnel and civilians. Besides this, we rescued 52 injured, including lawyers, police personnel and civilians from the spot," Habib was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. A state of emergency has been declared at local hospitals and security has been tightened in all adjoining areas. This was second attack on Pakistan's legal community. Last month, a blast in southern Balochistan province capital Quetta killed more than 70 people, nearly wiping out the senior lawyers of the city. Friday's attack on court occurred hours after four heavily-armed suicide attackers tried to storm a Christian colony in Peshawar, killing one person and wounding several others before being gunned down by security forces. In the predawn attack in the same province, terrorists struck the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, and killed one Christian security guard. Soldiers backed by army helicopters rushed to spot where they exchanged gunfire with terrorists. All four terrorists were killed during the encounter. Five persons including two Frontier Corps personnel, one policeman and two civilian guards were injured in the attack. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted that all four terrorists have been killed. "Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar. Security forces promptly responded. All four suicide bombers killed. Search in progress," Bajwa tweeted. Two of the attackers detonated their suicide jackets while two others were killed by security forces. No outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack, but such attacks are blamed on the Taliban. A Taliban suicide bomber had targeted Christians in Lahore at Easter this year, killing more than 70 people. Taliban militants stormed an army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's one of the worst terror attacks. Friday's attacks came a day after an army spokesman said that Pakistan had destroyed organised presence of militants on its soil. The army had launched operation 'Zarb-e-Azb' in June 2014 in a bid to flush out militants from the country's restive tribal areas and bring an end to the militancy that has killed thousands of civilian since 2004. IMAGE: Army soldiers stand guard at a street after suicide bombers attacked a Christian neighbourhood in Khyber Agency near Peshawar. Photograph: Fayaz Aziz/Reuters At least 12 people were killed and 24 others were wounded at a night market in President Rodrigo Dutertes hometown in the southern Philippines, despite the region being under a security alert because of a military offensive against Abu Sayyaf militants, officials said. The blast occurred in the centre of Davao, close to one of the citys top hotels and a major university. The blast occurred just before 11 pm (local time), leaving bodies strewn amid the wreckage of plastic tables and chairs on a road that had been closed to traffic for the market in the heart of Davao city. An improvised explosive device caused the explosion, presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said, adding drug traffickers opposed to Dutertes war on crime or Islamic militants may have been responsible. Witnesses gave contrasting accounts, with some saying that a cooking gas tank exploded while others suggested it may have been some kind of an explosive, Police Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan said. Police set up checkpoints in key roads leading to the city, a regional gateway about 980 kilometers south of Manila. Police forces in the capital Manila went on full alert at midnight following the deadly blast. Duterte, who served as a longtime mayor of Davao before assuming the presidency in June, was in the region but has not issued any statement. His spokesman, Ernesto Abella, urged the public to be vigilant. While no one has yet claimed responsibility it is best that the populace refrain from reckless speculation and avoid crowded places. There is no cause for alarm, but it is wise to be cautious, Abella said. The Abu Sayyaf extremists in southern Sulu province threatened to launch an unspecified attack after the military said 30 of the gunmen were killed in a weeklong offensive. Some commanders of the Abu Sayyaf, which is blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organisation for deadly bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings, have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Davao is the biggest city in the southern Philippines, with a population of about two million people. Image used for representation only. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Goa is divided over the move by its sacked leader Subhash Velingkar and his supporters to float a parallel outfit as the Sangh's "Goa prant" and function independently of the parent body. "I am still with RSS with Nagpur headquarters. You cannot have a separate RSS prant like this. I am not with the group which has done so," said Datta Bhikaji Naik, a senior RSS leader in Goa. Even as a large number of RSS workers and supporters, including some office bearers, have pledged support to Velingkar, who was removed as the state chief recently, a sizable number of swayamsevaks are averse to part ways with the Sangh. Naik said, in his individual capacity, he has been supporting the demands of the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch which was floated by Velingkar to campaign for primacy of regional languages as medium of instruction as part of which he has taken on the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state. "I don't know what the BBSM will do in future," Naik said, referring to its announcement to float a political party ahead of the Goa assembly polls in March 2017. Velingkar was "relieved" from his charge as Goa Vibhag Sangh Chalak by the RSS after he along with BBSM leaders announced the intention to form a political outfit to fight the BJP in the forthcoming polls. Another senior leader Ratnakar Lele also sought to distance himself from the move. "I am not with them," he said, adding that 80 per cent of the swayamsevaks would not go with the new prant. Lele said the decision to have a separate prant by Velingkar-led group was unfortunate. Velingkar was sacked as the chief of RSS in Goa after he crossed swords with the BJP government over the medium of instruction issue with members of his outfit even showing black flags to party chief Amit Shah recently. Velingkar, who claimed that hundreds of RSS workers and supporters have rallied behind him, on Thursday asserted that the Sangh unit in the coastal state will function independently of the parent body, at least till the assembly polls. He said the RSS in Goa will detach itself from the main unit (parent body headquartered in Nagpur) till the state assembly elections and after that they will request to get associated with the Sangh. However, the RSS had debunked Velingkar's claims that the local unit will function independently, saying none of its units can dissociate from the outfit and new office bearers for the state will be announced soon. Velingkar, the convener of BBSM which is fighting for withdrawal of grants to English medium schools and for the cause of promoting regional languages as medium of instruction, has been at loggerheads with the saffron party as well as Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar. Meanwhile, the Goa chief minister declined to comment on Velingkar's charge that Union ministers Manohar Parrikar and Nitin Gadkari were behind the action against him. "You can ask Parrikar and Gadkari about it. They are in Delhi. How can Laxmikant Parsekar who is in Goa comment on it? How can I comment on their behalf?" Parsekar asked during a press meet in Goa when questioned about Velingkar's statement. "Since last two days, I have been repeatedly saying, I would not like to comment on it (RSS action). It is their internal matter," he said. On his views as a RSS swayamsevak about the formation of new Goa prant by Velingkar and his supporters, Parsekar said, "There cannot be a new prant in Goa." "In the RSS, everything is decided by the central leadership," the chief minister added. Meanwhile, Subhash Velingkar has received support from the Shiv Sena, which said he has done no crime by demanding that regional languages be promoted in Goa schools. Sena said the BJP government came to power in Goa on the back of its election promise of promoting regional languages, but reneged from it now. "If he (Velingkar) asked the government to not give grants to English medium schools and promote Konkani and Marathi, what crime has he done? When Manohar Parrikar was Leader of Opposition, he had demanded the same thing from then Congress government," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana on Friday. "Parrikar, with help from Velingkar had also initiated a movement to press for their demands which resulted in them getting the reigns of power. But they (the BJP) went back on their words and supported English medium schools. They have broken their promise," it said. Sena said the recent events in Goa were a classic example of "attempting to bury the movement" to promote one's local language and claimed that the state government there was "plagued by corruption, adultery and anarchy." "If on one side sympathy is being shown for Baluchistan, how correct is it to cut the feathers of a bird that is toiling hard to promote local language in one's homeland. This is an attempt to murder Goa's culture," the BJP ally said. In Panaji, the local Shiv Sena unit said the decision to sack Velignkar will turn out to be "suicidal" for Sangh and the BJP. "The decision to relieve Velingkar from the post of Goa Vibhag Sang chalak will be suicidal for both RSS and the BJP. Parties like Shiv Sena are firmly behind Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch and Velingkar as he is fighting for mother tongue," Sena's Goa Chief Sudip Tamankar told reporters. He said the Sena would support the cause of mother tongue and Hindutva in the state. "The decision amounts to killing our mother tongue. He has been a crusader of education in mother tongue and Hindutva. Both the issues are very important," Tamankar said. The Madras high court on Thursday dismissed a petition by an independent candidate challenging the election of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa from R K Nagar assembly constituency in Chennai in a by-election last year. Petitioner T Suresh challenged the election of Jayalalithaa in the June 27, 2015 bypoll, contending that his nomination papers were wrongly rejected by the returning officer. His nomination papers were rejected on the ground that one of the proposers names was not found in the electoral rolls. He sought declaration of the rejection of his nomination papers as illegal and election of Jayalalithaa as null and void. Dismissing the petition, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayanan concurred with the submissions made by counsel for Jayalalitha and said, Once electoral rolls are published and the election is declared on the basis of the same, it is not open to challenge the election on the ground that the electoral rolls were defective. The finality of the electoral rolls cannot be assailed in proceedings challenging the validity of the election which is held on the basis of the electoral rolls, the judge said. He also held that the nomination papers filed by the petitioner were not valid and the defect pointed out by the returning officer was substantial and cannot be cured. Jayalalithaa had contested and won the by-election to the previous assembly in the aftermath of her acquittal by the Karnataka high court in a disproportionate wealth case. We are fighting to stay alive. Our boats are our life, we are better off dead without them. We borrowed money to buy the boats, how can we pay interest if the boats are in Lanka. Fishermen in Tamil Nadu staged a unique protest on Friday at the Rameswaram jetty demanding that their boats be returned by the Sri Lankan authorities. Rediff.coms A Ganesh Nadar was at the scene of the demonstration. IMAGE: The fishermen stood in the water and chanted slogans for over an hour demanding the State hear them and take action. Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com Bring back our boats. Restore our right to fish around Katchatheevu. Wake up, central government, wake up, state government. We will fight till we die. We will struggle till we get our boats back. Slogans like these could be heard from around the Rameswaram jetty on Friday as fishermen belonging to 11 different unions gathered to demand the release of their boats from the custody of Sri Lankan authorities on September 2. For those who think it was a regular agitation, think again. These fishermen were standing in chest-deep sea water for over an hour, raising slogans and demanding the release of their boats -- their livelihood. The Lankan authorities have around 108 Indian fishing boats in their custody, which fishermen dispute as unfair. Protesting this injustice, the fishermen gathered around 9.30 am even as a number of policemen also assembled to ensure that law and order was maintained. A boat belonging to the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard was also present. Soon, the fishermen were in the waters and one could a see a banner which read release 108 boats from Lanka. One of the leaders in the water could be heard saying, Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping in Modis Cabinet Pon Radhakrishnan should change his name to Poi (lies). A year ago, at a public rally, Radhakrishnan had promised the fishermen that he would retrieve their boats in a fortnight. The fishermen are still waiting. Another slammed External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for making promises but failing to deliver. A third leader said they were better off under the Congress government, as they had better ties with Sri Lanka and always got their boats back. After an hour of continuous sloganeering, the fishermen, drenched and tired, called off their agitation. Besides this agitation, one of the union leaders will also launch a fast unto death on September 12. IMAGE: Fishermen holding aloft a banner demanding that their boats be released. Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com S Emeritt, one of the union leaders, said, Today is Bharat Bandh because the unions want more money, more salary, more bonuses, but we are not striking for anything more. We are fighting to stay alive. Our boats are our life. We borrowed money to buy the boats, how can we pay interest if the boats are in Lanka? If the government doesnt help we will have to do something desperate and drastic. He added that the 1974 accord with Sri Lanka clearly states that fishermen from both countries can fish around Katchatheevu but the Lankans are disputing this and India does not object. He recalled the early days when there was no strife at all. From 1974 to 1983 fishermen from both countries fished together. In fact, Lankan fishermen would come and stay the night in Rameswaram and return the next day. However, all that changed in 1983 when the ethnic war broke out. The Lankans stopped fishing all together as they were scared of their navy and Indian fishermen were shot at for allegedly supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He adds that things changed for Indian fishermen in 2009 when the ethnic war came to an end. Earlier, during the war, the Lankan fishermen didnt venture out into the waters. However, after the war ended they started fishing and thats when they began to complain that we were stealing their catch. This prompted the Lankans to arrest Indians and jail them for a few months and then let them off with their boats. When they realised that this wasnt making any difference, they started to impound the boats. This caused heavy losses anywhere between Rs 10 and 40 lakh. However, one thing this correspondent couldnt help noticing was that even as these fishermen protested, another group returned from the sea with their catch of the day. ALSO READ: He spent 4 days in a Lankan jail Signalling a major shift in ties, India and Egypt on Friday decided to step up their overall defence and security cooperation to tackle the twin challenges of terrorism and radicalisation besides enhancing economic and trade engagements. IMAGE: Prime Minister Modi and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, spirit of friendship and extend cooperation . Photograph: MEA/Flickr A series of decisions to combat terrorism were taken in wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the two countries have been engaged in staving off the threat of extremism and radicalism. Identifying terrorism as one of the "gravest threats", they decided to have greater information and operational exchanges, apart from ramping up defence cooperation. Both sides also inked a pact on maritime transport which will facilitate maritime commerce and transit of naval vessels. The prime minister said the two countries agreed on an "action oriented agenda" to drive the engagements in a range of sectors while Sisi resolved to work towards a robust security cooperation with India and lay out a roadmap for intensification of trade and investment. IMAGE: President Pranab Mukherjee greets President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at Rashtrapati Bhavan. PM Modi was also present for the occasion. Photograph: MEA/Flickr "President and I are of one view that growing radicalisation, increasing violence and spread of terror pose a real threat not just to our two countries, but, also to nations and communities across regions. "In this context, we agreed to further our defence and security engagement which would aim at expanding defence trade, training and capacity building," Modi said at joint media interaction with Sisi. Modi said both sides have also agreed on greater information and operational exchanges to combat terror. Cooperation on emerging challenges of cyber security and working together to fight drug trafficking, transnational crimes and money-laundering were other key decisions taken at the meeting. IMAGE: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi inspects Guard of Honour during Ceremonial Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Photograph: MEA/Flickr Complimenting Sisi's leadership, Modi called him "a man of many achievements", both at home and abroad, and said "1.25 billion people of India are happy to see you here. Egypt itself is a natural bridge that connects Asia with Africa. Your people are a voice of moderate Islam." For India, Egypt is a strategically located country which is a crucial link between northeast Africa and the Middle East. After coming to power two years back, Sisi has initiated major reforms to strengthen Egyptian economy. On trade ties, the prime minister said it was decided to deepen cooperation in agriculture, skill development, small and medium industry and health sectors to diversify the portfolio of economic engagement. IMAGE: President El-Sisi said he considers terrorism to be one of the gravest threats to international peace . Photograph: MEA/Flickr "We recognised that strong trade and investment linkages are essential for economic prosperity of our societies. We, therefore, agreed that increased flow of goods, services, and capital between our two economies has to be among our key priorities," said Modi. A joint statement issued after the talks said, "The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They considered terrorism to be one of the gravest threats to international peace and security. They reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism at all levels. "They also reaffirmed their resolve to work together at UN on concluding the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism." In his comments, Modi said Egypt is a "factor" for regional peace and stability in Africa and the Arab world and that it always championed the cause of developing countries. IMAGE: Prime Minister Modi looks on as President Sisi signs an MoU. Photograph: MEA/Flickr "In our conversation, President Sisi and I have agreed to build on multiple pillars of our cooperation. We agreed to sustain and strengthen the momentum of high-level political exchanges," he said calling Egypt a "natural bridge connecting Asia with Africa". The PM appreciated the good work Egypt has been doing during its current term on the UN Security Council. "We agreed that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed to reflect the realities of today. We also welcome Egypt's participation at next week's G20 Summit. We believe it will add value and enrich the substance of discussions at G-20," said Modi. Calling the talks very productive, Sisi said a large number of issues ranging from tackling terror, expanding trade ties to dealing with challenge of climate change were deliberated upon, adding that there was "major conversion" of views on them. IMAGE: Prime Minister Modi and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in joint press briefing, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi. Photograph: PIB Photos The two leaders welcomed the recent exchanges on security cooperation and counter-terrorism at the level of National Security Advisers and the conclusion of a MoU for cooperation between the two National Security Councils. Referring to defence ties, the two leaders welcomed deepening and expansion of defence relations through high level visits, training, exercises, transit facilities and hardware cooperation. In the meeting, Sisi appreciated Modi's gesture of supplying 20,000 million tons of rice to Egypt at "friendship price" last month. The two leaders agreed to maintain the spirit of friendship and extend cooperation in other food items as well. On climate change, the two leaders highlighted the importance of a global approach based on the principles and provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement. IMAGE: President Sisi visited the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi to pay obeisance to the father of the nation. Photograph: MEA/Flickr Referring to trade, the joint statement said the two leaders welcomed the expansion of Indian investment in Egypt, which is currently about USD 3 billion. "Modi welcomed Egyptian investments in India under the 'Make in India' initiative, in the manufacturing and services sectors. President Al-Sisi invited Indian participation in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, particularly in sectors such as petro-chemicals, energy and agriculture," the joint statement said. Sisi, who arrived here on a three-day visit, invited Indian participation in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, particularly in sectors such as petro-chemicals, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, skills and IT. "The two leaders exchanged views on a number of issues of bilateral and international interest including the latest developments in West Asia and North Africa region, the spread of extremism and radicalisation and the scourge of terrorism. They also discussed the need for reform of the UN," the joint statement said. IMAGE: President Sisi stands alongside Prime Minister Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee during the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Photograph: MEA/Flickr Sisi and Modi "affirmed" the need for a comprehensive and permanent solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the UN resolutions, in implementation of the two-state principle on the establishment of an "independent and sovereign" PalestineState with East Jerusalem as its capital. "They also sought a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian refugees' cause in accordance with resolution 194 of the UN General Assembly and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a way that preserves security, stability and peace of all the countries in the region. "Both the leaders urged the two parties to start negotiations," the statement said, adding they also emphasized the need for cessation of hostilities in Syria and expressed concern over humanitarian crisis in the country. They called for a comprehensive and peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict through a Syrian-led political process and expressed strong support for the people and the Government of Iraq in their efforts to overcome the existing crisis to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sisi extended an invitation to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Modi to visit Egypt at a mutually convenient time, which was gladly accepted, the statement said. On Friday morning, readers of several news dailies woke up to a full front page advertisement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dressed in a blue jacket, staring at them from under the words Jio: Digital Life. On Thursday, Reliance launched its 4G plan -- Reliance Jio -- and dedicated it to prime ministers Digital India Campaign. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision for Digital India is a life changing moment, he said. Jio is a dedication to that Digital India dream of the Prime Minister, his vision for the 1.2 billion people of India. However, the advertisement with the PMs face has not amused social media. In fact, it wondered if the usage of the image was even legal. One Twitter user, identified as @ankitlal wrote, @narendramodi has once again proved that hes a reliance stooge. Wonder why he cant do this for BSNL and MTNL. Another tagging the front page of the national daily wrote, The reason why people call Modi Sarkar as Suit-Boot-Ki-Sarkar. Popular Twitter user @rameshsrivats wrote, Well, you do know that Im Jiod is an anagram of Modi-ji. Twitter user @pawankhera asked, If Jio doesnt work as well as promised, will @PMOIndia be liable for action under celebrity endorsement law? And heres another one, Other telecoms: Mere paas ideas hain, employees hain, capital hai.. Jio: Mere paas PM hai. Even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, Any more proof required to prove that Modi ji is Mr Reliance. Social media user @gulrayys raised the issue that the ad was a clear violation of the law. Front jacket of TOI for JIO ad carries Hon PMs Photograph. This clear violation of Names & National Emblems act which prohibits, such pic. According to The Emblems And Names (Prevention Of Improper Use) Act, 1950, No person shall, except in such cases and under such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government use... for the purpose of any trade, business, calling or profession... any name or emblem specified in the Schedule or, any colourable imitation thereof without the previous permission of the Central Government or of such officer of Government as may be authorised in this behalf by the Central Government. The only exception is: The name of pictorial representation of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or the Prime Minister of India, except the pictorial use thereof on calendars where only the names of the manufacturers and printers of the calendars are given and the calendars are not used for advertising goods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Sunday on the first day of the G20 summit in Hangzhou and are likely to discuss bilateral differences over issues including the proposed USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through PoK. The Modi-Xi meeting assumes significance as India-China relations have followed a southward trajectory over contentious issues like the listing of Pakistan-based terrorist groups in the UN, China stalling India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that criss-crosses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Delhi this month, India and China formed a mechanism led by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister to address their differences. The meeting between Modi and Xi -- their second in less than three months -- is expected to take place in the morning of September 4, officials here said. Modi and Xi had last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit on June 23 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The two leaders are to meet again in little over a month for more elaborate discussions during the BRICS summit to be hosted by India in Goa on October 15-16. Chinese officials say the two meetings between Modi and Xi could set a new direction to the bilateral relations. Modi will reach China on Saturday evening from Vietnam to take part in the two-day G20 summit. The Indian contingent will be putting up at Sheraton resort -- about 30 kilometres outside the city -- where Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too would stay. Modi is likely to hold bilaterals with several G20 leaders during his 48-hour stay here. Xi too is scheduled to have a number of one-to-one meetings including with US President Barack Obama. Top disarmament officials from India and China were also expected to meet to discuss issues of China "blocking" the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Beijing's opposition to New Delhi's bid to joining the 48-member NSG. Here is Rediff.com's selection of some stories from Thursday that you may not have read in the morning newspaper. * If records at a fair price shop in Farukhabad are to be believed, Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez and Rani Mukherjee are married to Farrukhabad natives Rakesh Chand, Ramesh Chand, Sadhu Lal and Ram Swaroop. A distributor at Sahabganj village in Qayamganj tehsil has names of these actors on the list of beneficiaries and ration is being taken on these names for quite a long time. * Days after the Ayodhya civic body declared the over 300-year-old Aalamgiri Masjid 'hazardous' and pasted a notice banning entry into the building, the Hanumangarhi temple trust, which is in possession of the mosque land, not only allowed its reconstruction and agreed to bear cost but also welcomed Muslims to offer namaz in the premises. * Subhash Velingkar, the sacked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief of Goa, has held Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari responsible for his deposition. In a sort of first-of-its-kind-revolt in the 91-year-old RSS, 400 office bearers resigned from their posts demanding that Velingkar be immediately reinstated for them to return to the Sangh family. * A classified 60-year-old Japanese government document on Netaji Subhas Chandra Boses death made public on Thursday clearly concludes that the legendary freedom fighter died in a plane crash in Taiwan on August 18, 1945, backing the official version. * The erstwhile royal family of Jaipur took its battle with Jaipur Development Authority over Raj Mahal Palace to the streets with 'Rajamata' Padmini Devi taking out a rally in which scores of her supporters participated. Accusing the JDA of highhandedness, Devi said that her family which was respected by the city had been hurt and insulted by the actions of the Jaipur Development Authority, which last week sealed the main entrance to the Palace claiming that it was on its land. *Days after accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of insulting gau rakshaks for dubbing them as anti-socials, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has now asked the Centre to tell states not to harass authorised people and agencies engaged in cow protection. VHP international president Praveen Togadia expressed confidence that the gau-bhakts (cow worshippers) in the central government and the Bharatiya Janata Party have taken a pledge for cow protection. Pakistani troops on Friday violated border ceasefire by resorting to small arms firing along the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The firing was still going on "intermittently" till the last reports came, army said. "Pakistani soldiers initiated indiscriminate firing at around 11.45am on Indian Army posts along the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector," a senior army officer said. The Indian Army responded appropriately in a controlled and measured manner, he said, adding the "intermittent firing is presently on". There has been no loss of life or injury to anyone on the Indian side of the border, the officer added. Representative image An ongoing dispute between Lewis and Clark County Coroner M.E. Mickey Nelson and other county officials is intensifying, with Nelson demanding that the county commission provide additional staffing and stop interfering with the operation of his office. His Aug. 31, six-page letter to the commission, with a three-page job description, demanded a temporarily assigned assistant within three days in conjunction with efforts to find a permanent replacement. Nelson also gave the commission five days to begin advertising for the part-time deputy coroner position, which is funded in the county budget for this fiscal year that began July 1. My duties as an elected coroner are prescribed by law. You will cease your encroachment upon them, Nelson wrote. In a three-page response also dated Aug. 31, the county's Chief Administrative Officer Eric Bryson refused to place staff back in the coroners office and said reassigning staff would further increase the countys liability. Nelson had said returning staff to his office was needed for him to perform the duties of coroner. The ongoing dispute between the commission and Nelson dates back more than a year and involves allegations by his staff that Nelson created a hostile work environment. State concerns with Nelsons management of the office date back to 2011. In July 2015, the commission removed an administrative assistant from the coroners office after she wrote to say Nelson engaged in tirades containing disparaging comments regarding race, sex, politics, religion, mental health and welfare recipients. A member of the county commission and representative of the county attorneys office spoke with Nelson shortly after the employee was given a different county job. The employee did nothing wrong in the administration of her duties, Bryson has noted. In late May of this year, the county agreed to a state Department of Public Health and Human Services demand to resolve 51 incomplete death certificates dating from 2011 to 2015 with the cause of death listed as pending. Death certificates are important for families to settle estates and to collect insurance policies. Had Nelson not completed the pending death certificates within the 45-day deadline that expired in mid-July, the county could have faced legal action. Also in July, the administrative assistant and deputy county coroner were removed from Nelsons office after the administrative assistant wrote the countys human resources director to request they be moved. These employees, Bryson said previously, did nothing wrong. At the request of the county commission, the state removed the duties of registrar from Nelson on Aug. 1 and reassigned them to a member of the Clerk and Recorders office staff. Nelson issued a statement on Aug. 2 to say none of his staff had ever complained or indicated his comments were unwelcome. While acknowledging the offensive nature of some comments attributed to him, he also said some were taken out of context. During an interview, he said some of the allegations made by staff were not true. On Aug. 9, the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and the Montana Human Rights Network called for Nelsons resignation. In Nelsons Aug. 31 letter to the commission, he again noted his regret at comments offending past or present staff and the public. He also stated It has become obvious to me that it is the intention of this commission to attempt to force me to retire from my elected office. He also said Bryson had asked him not to seek re-election. Nelson, who has 42 years in office, was elected to a four-year term in 2014. I was warned by a member of this commission a year ago that things could get ugly if I did not retire from my office. Things are now ugly, and the public is poorly served by this specter, his letter stated. Nelson said removing his staff has interfered with the duties of his office and said it drove a wedge between him and the support staff that the county is required by law to provide. You are setting me up to fall behind in the issuance of death certificates and be subject again to some threatened enforcement action and public ridicule, Nelson wrote. Claims that he has fewer duties now that the registrar function has been removed, Nelson wrote, is a fiction of your making. Brysons Aug. 31 letter defended the commissions move to have the registrars duties taken from Nelson and said it was both appropriate and essential because of the threat of court action regarding the 51 pending death certificates. Relocating the current staff to another office, Bryson wrote, was necessary because you created a hostile work environment by your unprofessional behavior and inappropriate comments. Your repeated actions left me with no choice but to remove the staff in your office. Bryson noted the liability to the county from Nelsons alleged behavior and wrote, You were advised, the last time we removed staff from your supervision that your behavior was in violation of generally acceptable standards and specifically in violation of our unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment policy. Yet for the next 15 months, you continued to make derogatory, discriminatory, sexually inappropriate, and racially insensitive comments to public employees assigned to your office, Brysons letter continued. The letters from Nelson and on behalf of the commission from Bryson contain numerous other allegations and denials. Among the issues raised in the letters is how the coroners office tracks its inventory from deaths that it investigates. Nelson wrote that he supported assistance inventorying and tracking items in a reorganization of his evidence room. He also noted that state law requires a county coroner to provide for the descent disposal of an unclaimed dead human body and unclaimed parts of bodies believed to be human. If human remains that have been cremated are not claimed, the coroners office must bury them, Nelson wrote, adding that these remains are held in a secure area. Brysons letter to Nelson doesnt address cremated remains of human bodies but instead the storage and disposal procedures for human remains and body parts that, he wrote, have caused considerable turmoil." I have asked the deputy coroner and evidence technician to inventory the materials in the morgue, Bryson wrote. You have failed to provide me with an explanation for the voluminous amount of tissue and organs, some of which date back to 1986, that remain under your direct control, his letter continued. Law enforcement has indicated that approximately 10 specimen samples should be retained for investigative purposes. The remaining 70 (plus) samples, as of this date, have no investigative purpose. Yet they remain in an unorganized fashion, unrecorded until I requested the inventory be conducted, in a fridge and cabinet at the morgue. Nelson wrote of his interest in being aware of all deaths that happen in the county, even those of people who have been recently treated by physicians where a coroners involvement may not be required. My office exists to protect both the dead and the living, he explained. It is unconscionable that someone outside of my office would question the wisdom and efficiency of coroner involvement that is intended to protect the most vulnerable segments of our society, his letter stated. Bryson wrote that he deferred to Nelsons tenure and experience but also stated, Your practice of responding to all attended deaths is an anomaly; and if you choose to allocate your limited time and resources performing non-essential field work instead of focusing your attention on the legal requirements of your office, that too, is your choice. As the nation woke up to images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi splashed across the front page of newspapers in advertisements issued by Reliance Industries to announce the launch of its 4G services, Shiv Sena's Member of Parliament from the tony Mumbai South constituency, Arvind Sawant, was not impressed. Sawant, who once headed the MTNL's trade union Kamgar Sena, soon tweeted, 'Who is in whose mutthi?', raising objections to "blatant misuse" of the Prime Minister Narendra Modis photograph by Reliance. "It is slavery. Let the whole world know kon kunachya muthit aahe (who is whose hand)," he reacted angrily while speaking with Rediff.com over the phone from Maharashtra's Latur district. "If Reliance has done it, any private company can use him as a brand ambassador for private profits. It will make the Indian people feel that Prime Minister Modi is the brand ambassador for Reliance Jio and this will happen at the cost of PSU companies like MTNL and BSNL." The fiery trade union leader-turned-MP alleged that every government and every telecom minister in the last three decades tried to strangulate government-owned telecom companies by adopting policies that did not allow them to blossom even as private telecom companies made billions in profits. "We are opposing such policies where a PM's photograph is allowed to be used by a private company at the cost of PSUs. Have you ever written about why various governments did not allow MTNL or BSNL to prosper? Why have they systematically strangulated these companies," he asked. Sawant's aggressive reactions come at a time when the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party are trying to build a rapprochement in Maharashtra against the backdrop of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections early next year. The two allies have been at loggerheads ever since October 2014 when the BJP emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra legislative assembly and consequently staked claim to the chief ministership. The two allies have spared no effort to slam each other in a game of political one-upmanship. The battle for the control of the prestigious and the richest municipal corporation has become a bone of contention between the two parties, who have been together since 1985. Sawant's fresh salvo against the prime minister comes a day after Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis worked out a truce between the antagonistic allies by sharing the stage for rechristening the Middle Vaitarna Dam after the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. Continuing with his criticism of Reliance as well as the NDA government at the Centre, which has ministers from the Shiv Sena too, Sawant said, "Are there no norms for using the prime minister's photograph by a private company? Do you want to sell the entire world to Reliance? There are more than 500,000 employees with BSNL and MTNL. Why aren't they allowed to use the photograph of the prime minister for free to promote their services? Is not BSNL owned by the Government of India?" Sawant further added, If the PM thinks this is a revolutionary event in India where people will be getting voice for free, then why cant you do the same thing with your own BSNL and MTNL? Why cant we plan such revolutionary ideas with these companies? Shouldnt there be a level playing field for all competitors? This government is following in the footsteps of Congress. Asked about his criticism of a government of which his own party MPs are cabinet ministers, Sawant said, That does not stop me from criticising the anti-people policies of this government. The Shiv Sena MP said that being a concerned parliamentarian, he will soon raise the issue with Modi. "I will be raising this issue with Prime Minister Modi and I am sure he will have already seen my tweet." "Isnt this a conspiracy to kill PSU telecoms? Why have they systematically strangulated these companies?" IMAGES: (Top) PTI file photo of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi hugging industrialist Mukesh Ambani at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit; (lower) A screen grab of Arvind Sawant's Twitter post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India will engage constructively on all pressing international priorities and challenges with world leaders as he is looks forward to "a productive and outcome oriented" G20 Summit in China's Hangzhou that begins from Sunday. The prime minister, who will travel to Vietnam on Friday before heading for China on Saturday, said his government attaches a high priority to bilateral relations with Vietnam and the partnership between the two countries will benefit Asia and the rest of the world. "Today evening, I will reach Hanoi in Vietnam, marking the start of a very important visit that will further cement the close bond between India and Vietnam," Modi said. "We wish to forge a strong economic relationship with Vietnam that can mutually benefit our citizens. Strengthening the people-to-people ties will also be an my endeavour during the Vietnam visit," he said in a Facebook post. Modi said he will have an opportunity to engage with other world leaders on pressing international priorities and challenges during the G20 Summit. "We will discuss putting the global economy on the track of sustainable steady growth and responding to emerging and entrenched social, security and economic challenges. "India will engage constructively on all the issues before us and work towards finding solutions and taking forward the agenda for a robust, inclusive and sustainable international economic order that uplifts the socio-economic conditions of people across the world, especially those who need it most in developing countries," the prime minister said. Modi said he looks forward "to a productive and outcome oriented summit". At the G20 Summit, India is likely to raise a host of issues ranging from choking terror funding and checking tax evasion to cutting cost of remittances and market access for key drugs. During the Vietnam visit, Modi will hold extensive discussions with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. "We will review complete spectrum of our bilateral relationship," he said. He will also meet the President of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong; and the Chairperson of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. "In Vietnam, I will have the opportunity to pay homage to Ho Chi Minh, one of 20th century's tallest leaders. I will lay a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs as well as visit the Quan Su Pagoda," the prime minister said. He also greeted people Vietnam on their National Day on Friday. "Vietnam is a friendly nation with whom we cherish our relationship," Modi said. India's ONGC Videsh Limited is engaged in oil exploration projects in Vietnam for over three decades and there may be announcements about new projects in the sector during the bilateral visit, which is taking place after a gap of 15 years. Modi will leave for Hangzhou from Vietnam on Saturday. "I will visit Hangzhou, China from 3-5 September 2016 for the annual G-20 Leaders Summit. I will arrive in Hangzhou from Vietnam where I would have concluded an important bilateral visit," he said in another Facebook post. After revolting against RSS leadership, the organisation's Goa chief Subhash Velingkar on Friday kept up his attack on the BJP even as several Sangh activists resented his move. With the RSS taking a tough stand against the rebels, Velingkar's supporters also toned down their protest, saying they have not rebelled against the Sangh but had only resigned from their posts, casting doubts if the parallel unit floated by him will be able to muster strength to take on the saffron force. "It is not a rebellion. We will continue saluting the saffron flag. We will work under Sarsanghchalak. But we will be Goa prant," Raju Sukerkar, former North Goa head of Goa Unit of the sangh told PTI on Friday. Sukerkar was among the leaders who had resigned from their posts after the RSS axed Velignkar as state unit chief, after his Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch, announced its intention to form a political outfit. Sukerkar, a close aide of Velingkar and a BBSM campaigner, said the formal proposal seeking to form the Goa prant has been sent to the sangh headquarters in Nagpur. "The detailed proposal has been drafted reasoning why the decision to detach from Konkan and form Goa prant by Velingkar," he said. Sukerkar said they had not resigned from the sangh but only from the posts which they were holding. Even as a large number of RSS workers and supporters, including some office bearers, have pledged support to Velingkar, many of the swayamsevaks appear to be averse to part ways with the Sangh. "I am still with RSS with Nagpur as headquarters. You cannot have a separate RSS prant like this. I am not with the group which has done so," Datta Bhikaji Naik, a senior RSS leader in Goa, told PTI. Naik said, in his individual capacity, he has backed Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), floated by Velingkar to campaign for primacy of regional languages as medium of instruction and as part of which he has taken on the BJP government in the state but was against splitting the RSS . Ratnakar Lele, another senior functionary, said 80 per cent of the swayamsevaks would not go with the new prant. Velingkar was sacked as the chief of RSS in Goa after he crossed swords with the BJP government over the medium of instruction issue with members of his outfit even showing black flags to party chief Amit Shah recently. Velingkar, who claimed the support of hundreds of RSS workers, on Thursday asserted that the Sangh unit in the coastal state will function independently of the parent body, at least till the Assembly polls. However, RSS was quick to debunk Velingkar's claims, saying none of its units can dissociate from the outfit and new office bearers for the state will be announced soon. Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, with whom Velingkar has been at loggerheads over the government's continued support to English medium schools, declined to comment on the development in the saffron camp ahead of Assembly polls early next year. "For the last two days, I have been repeatedly saying I would not like to comment on it (RSS action). It is their internal matter," Parsekar said. He, however, said that "there cannot be a new prant in Goa". "In RSS, everything is decided by the central leadership," he added. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena defended Velingkar, saying that he has done no crime by demanding the promotion of regional languages, which was one of the election promises of the BJP. StateForest Minister and RSS swayamsewak Rajendra Arlekar said the developments pertaining to RSS, including sacking of Velingkar, could be the fallout of "misunderstanding", even as he termed them as a "transitional phase". Uzbekistans President and former Soviet strongman Islam Karimov died on Friday, announced the government, ending over a quarter of a century of his iron fisted rule in the Central Asian nation. A state TV said, reading an official statement, Dear compatriots, it is with huge grief in our hearts that we announce to you the death of our dear president. Authorities said Karimov, 78, was pronounced dead at 8.55 pm local time after he suffered a stroke over the weekend and fell into a coma, following days of speculation that authorities were delaying the announcement of his death. Karimovs body was to be flown to his home city of Samarkand on Saturday and a funeral will be held in the central Uzbek city, the statement said. From Samarkand airport, the funeral cortege is to set off at 6 am local time, with people able to pay their last respects from 9 am on a city square close to the cemetery where he will be buried, Russian news agencies reported. Karimovs youngest daughter Lola wrote on Facebook he has left us... I am struggling for words, I cant believe it myself. As Uzbekistan begins three days of mourning, the country now faces the greatest moment of uncertainty in its post-Soviet history. Theres no clear successor of Karimov in place. Loyalist Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev is heading the organisation committee for the funeral, suggesting that he could be in line to take over long-term from Karimov. Under Uzbek law, senate head Nigmatulla Yuldashev should now become acting president until early elections are held. Lambasted for brutally crushing dissent, Karimov kept a stranglehold on power for over 25 years. The veteran leader played Russia, China and the West off against one other to avoid total isolation as he steered his strategic state out of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Karimovs authoritarian rule came under fire over accusations of heinous rights abuses, most prominently over bloodshed in the city of Andijan in 2005, but the most serious threats to his reign came from far closer to home. In a court drama with echoes of Shakespeare, the former Soviet apparatchik -- put at the helm by the then Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989 -- had his eldest daughter put under house arrest in 2014 during a family feud. She had also compared him to former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Karimov portrayed himself as guarantor of stability and bulwark against radical Islam on the borders of Afghanistan, crushing fundamentalist groups at home. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Karimovs death a great loss for the people of Uzbekistan in a telegram to interim leader Yuldashev, while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is set to jet in for the funeral. Virendra Singh Rawat discovers that this child prodigy has never been to school. Talk to her and Ananya Verma sounds like any other four year old. But put a book in front of her and the child reads it with jaw-dropping fluency. Such is her grasp over languages that the Lucknow district inspector of schools took it upon himself to grant special permission to admit her in Class 9 straightaway. Ananya, who lives in Lucknow, has never been to school before this. But now the girl who is three months shy of her fifth birthday is a Class 9 student at the St Meera's Inter College, which is located off the Lucknow-Kanpur highway. Ananya's father Tej Bahadur Verma has studied till Class 8. Her mother Chhaya Devi is unlettered. The family migrated to Lucknow from its native village in Tiloi in Rae Bareli district about two decades ago in search of a better life. Verma started working in a school. He is now employed as an assistant sanitation supervisor at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow. It was he who first noticed his daughter's extraordinary ability. "It was about two years ago, when she started reading the Ramayana on her own, without anybody guiding her," he says. The family was delighted, but not necessarily surprised. After all, Ananya's older siblings are also as exceptionally gifted. Her elder sister Sushma is pursuing a PhD from the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University at the age of 16. She had cleared her Class 10 exams in 2007 at the tender age of seven after the authorities made a special case for her to appear for the exam. She had then made it to the Limca Book Of Records as the youngest student to pass Class 10. Later, she completed her BSc and took admission for her PhD last year. The oldest of the three siblings, Ananya's brother Shailendra had completed his Bachelor of Computer Application at the age of 14. He is 24 now and works with a software company in Bengaluru. That was the first time that the Verma family had come to the limelight. Years later, the children continue to surprise. If Ananya does clear the Class 10 Uttar Pradesh Board exams in 2018, she would dislodge her sister to enter the Limca Book Of Records as the youngest person to achieve the feat. There is, however, a glitch. Her admission is still to be validated by the UP Board. She does not meet the age criteria, so the online system of the Board has not registered her as a student yet. The district inspector of schools and the school authorities will apply to the UP Board to seek special permission for Ananya. Having exhibited exemplary reading and grasping prowess for her age, and reading difficult texts in Hindi, she is now quickly catching up with English and mathematics as well. St Meera's Inter College Manager Vinod Ratra says the school is offering free education to Ananya. Some good Samaritans have come forward to fund her books, stationery and other academic material. "Her family used to live in the school premises when Ananya was born," says Ratra. "I am happy that she is now a student of our school and is on her way to create a new record." Photograph: YouTube A year on from Alan Kurdi's death, Mediterranean drowning rates soaring Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 2 September 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), A year on from Alan Kurdi's death, Mediterranean drowning rates soaring , 2 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c961fb4.html [accessed 29 October 2022] A year ago today, the world was moved by the photograph of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi who drowned when his family, like hundreds of thousands of other refugees, was desperately trying to reach safety in Europe. UNHCR estimates that, since Alan's death 4,176 people have died or gone missing on the Mediterranean - an average of 11 men, women and children perishing every single day over the last 12 months. During the first eight months of 2016, some 281,740 people have made the treacherous sea crossing to Europe. The number of refugees and migrants arriving in Greece has dropped dramatically from over 67,000 in January to 3,437 in August, following the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement and the closure of the so-called Balkan route. The number of arrivals to Italy, meanwhile, has remained more or less constant, with some 115,000 refugees and migrants landing in Italy as of the end of August, compared to 116,000 during the same period last year. The main change, however, has been the number of casualties. So far this year, one person has died for every 42 crossing from North Africa to Italy, compared to one in every 52 last year. This makes 2016 to date the deadliest year on record in the Central Mediterranean. The chances of dying on the Libya to Italy route are ten times higher than when crossing from Turkey to Greece. These numbers highlight the urgent need for States to increase pathways for admission of refugees, such as resettlement, private sponsorship, family reunification and student scholarship schemes, among others, so they do not have to resort to dangerous journeys and the use of smugglers. The death of Alan Kurdi resulted in unprecedented expressions of sympathy and solidarity for refugees all over Europe, with many people volunteering to help and spontaneously giving food, water and clothes to refugees and even offering to take them into their homes. To document and highlight some of these individual acts of solidarity, UNHCR and photographer Aubrey Wade have developed a series of portraits of families hosting refugees in Austria, Germany and Sweden. The arrival of over a million refugees and migrants to Europe last year has also given rise to hostility and tensions within the societies hosting them. Refugees and migrants have suffered racist and xenophobic attacks, prejudice and discrimination. The ongoing challenge for Europe is to make available the support and services that refugees need to successfully integrate so that they can contribute fully to society - bringing new skills, determination and a cultural richness, as they seek to re-establish their lives in their new homes. In this effort, UNHCR strongly urges governments and their national partners to commit to the development and implementation of comprehensive national integration plans. The numerous contributions refugees bring to their new societies need to be recognized. UNHCR also calls for a clear commitment to the prevention of discrimination, the promotion of inclusion and the combatting of racism and xenophobia. Upcoming visit a chance for the Security Council to see, firsthand, the challenges facing the people of South Sudan Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Upcoming visit a chance for the Security Council to see, firsthand, the challenges facing the people of South Sudan, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c962cd40e.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1 September 2016 - A delegation from the United Nations Security Council is expected to visit South Sudan next week. The visit comes after the 15-member Council recently approved the deployment of a 4,000-strong protection force responsible for providing a secure environment in and around Juba, under the authority of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in the wake of recent violence stemming from political differences. In a brief interview today, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for South Sudan and head of UNMISS, Ellen Margrethe Lj, spoke about the visit and its significance. UN News Centre: What will be one the key things you expect the Council to be interested in? Ellen Margrethe Lj: The Security Council visit is a chance for the Council to see, firsthand, some of the challenges facing the people of the South Sudan - especially those who are located in UNMISS Protection of Civilian sites - but to also meet and interact with ordinary South Sudanese, civil society, women's groups, etcetera, and to hear from them what their daily life is, so that all in all the Security Council will to get a picture of some of the security, human rights, and other challenges they face on daily basis. UN News Centre: In your own discussions with the delegation and those they will have with the government what do you hope to achieve? Ellen Margrethe Lj: First and foremost, I hope that will be having a very constructive engagement between the Security Council and the Government of Transitional National Unity. But we are also hoping that it will be an opportunity for the Council to hear from the government itself about any challenges or concerns that they feel they are facing in providing the necessary support, both to the implementation of our Mission's new mandate, but most importantly, to the implementation of the peace agreement. As you know the Security Council has been very concerned, as are we, here in the Mission, with the continuous fighting in parts of the country, as well as the overall security and humanitarian situation, so we are hopeful that the visit will provide an impetus for frank discussions on how best the Government and the UN can work together for the benefit of the people of South Sudan. UN News Centre: How important is the timing of this visit? Ellen Margrethe Lj: It is very close to the time where we have to provide the first report, or the Secretary-General has to provide the first report on the progress achieved in implementing our new mandate. So, in that sense it is very timely. And I think, the Council - and I hope the Council will be interested to hear, both from us and from the government - about the progress we have made through our discussions, in particular, on the deployment of the regional protection force for Juba. But regardless of the timing, let me say that, any visit of the UN Security Council is an important event. Because it indicates a firm commitment to bring, in this case, to South Sudan, the much-needed peace. But it also shows to the country that is being visited - and here, South Sudan - that the whole UN and all the member states of the UN, care about the circumstances on the ground, and what the people of South Sudan are facing. So, it is really an opportunity for the Security Council to reaffirm, to the government and to the people of South Sudan, that the UN is here to work with the Government, and to improve the lives of the people of South Sudan. UN envoy eyes new political initiative in Syria talks; his advisor says taskforce 'failed' people of Darayya Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN envoy eyes new political initiative in Syria talks; his advisor says taskforce 'failed' people of Darayya, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c962fb412.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1 September 2016 - The United Nations envoy for Syria said today that he plans to present a "quite clear political initiative" during the week preceding the General Assembly so that the stalled peace talks could resume by the time the Security Council holds another meeting on Syria on 21 September. "So that is the target date for making sure that everyone is actively involved in producing some positive outcome on this conflict," said the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, told reporters in Geneva. Having suspended the talks between the government and the opposition in April, the UN envoy had set two target dates in August for the resumption of the talks to end more than five years of conflict in the Middle Eastern country. Giving an update on the Russia-United States talks on a cessation of hostilities, he said "the discussions are ongoing at the very senior military, security and diplomatic level" between the two nations, adding that their talks may last until "probably Friday or Saturday morning." The US and Russia are the co-chairs of the international grouping known as the ISSG, which comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 other countries. In Geneva, the taskforces on humanitarian aid delivery and a ceasefire - created by the ISSG - have been meeting separately since early this year on a way forward in the crisis. Mr. de Mistura had earlier said that the outcome of the ongoing US-Russia talks would affect the course of taskforces' discussions. In addition, he said at today's briefing that it was likely that the international community is "going to be very much focused on what maybe happening" at the Group of 20 meeting in Beijing on Sunday. UN agency applauds US leadership on refugees as 10,000th Syrian refugee arrives Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN agency applauds US leadership on refugees as 10,000th Syrian refugee arrives, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c9652f40e.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1 September 2016 - The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed the news of the arrival of the 10,000th Syrian refugee in the United States. "The United States has long been a leader in welcoming people fleeing global persecution and the arrival on Monday of the 10,000th Syrian refugee is a further expression of this leadership," the Regional Representative in the US of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Shelly Pitterman, said in a news release. "We thank the communities in the United States that have kept their doors open and also our civil society partners for their tireless humanitarian efforts," Ms. Pitterman added. "Much more needs to be done for Syrian refugees and for the global crisis that has seen more people flee persecution than at any time ever recorded." UNHCR has called for greater global solidarity ahead of the UN summit on refugees and migrants, which will be held at the UN Headquarters, on 19 September, where the UN Member States will look at ways to increase efforts to deal with the unprecedented refugee crisis. According to UNHCR, at the end of 2015, war, conflict and persecution had forced 65.3 million people globally to flee for their lives, an all-time high. The crisis is worst in Syria where more than 4.8 million have fled, mostly to neighbouring countries whose resources are stretched thin so that increasing numbers of refugees live below national poverty lines. To aid the most vulnerable refugees and to share the burden of refugee-hosting countries, the refugee agency has called on governments to resettle those most at risk. It noted that around 478,000 Syrians are in need of resettlement - close to 40 per cent of the 1.19 million people who are in need of resettlement globally. UN Secretary-General calls for restraint amid electoral crisis in Gabon, supports call for transparent verification of results Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN Secretary-General calls for restraint amid electoral crisis in Gabon, supports call for transparent verification of results, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c965b340c.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1 September 2016 - Voicing deep concerns about the unfolding electoral crisis in Gabon, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for restraint and the upholding of international standards of human rights there -and expressed UN support for a transparent verification of its recent presidential election results. "I am deeply concerned and saddened about the crisis in the Gabonese Republic provoked by the electoral crisis, in particular the arson attacks and disproportionate response of security agencies that has led to unfortunate loss of life and property," the UN chief said in a statement. "It is essential that all political actors and the people of the Gabonese Republic exercise restraint and overcome their differences by peaceful means in the interest of national unity," he added. "The UN supports the call of regional and international observers for a transparent verification of election results." The UN chief has been closely following developments in the African nation in the wake of its recent and closely-contested presidential election. Earlier this week, he spoke with the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, and the presidential candidate of the Democratie Nouvelle party, Jean Ping, in separate telephone calls. Clashes have broken out between protesters and security forces after President Bongo was declared the winner with the release of official provisional results yesterday, reportedly winning by a margin of less than 6,000 votes. According to media reports, hundreds of people have been arrested and at least two people have been killed. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon (September 2015). UN Phot/Evan Schneider Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Jean Ping, former Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and President of the fifty-ninth session of the UN General Assembly. (September 2014). UN Photo/Mark Garten "I understand the frustration of the Gabonese people, and especially the youth, who aspire to better living conditions and democratic reforms," he continued. "The new government will have to take into account this message and the UN will be there to support these efforts." Mr. Ban also called on the government to immediately restore communications - especially the Internet, SMS and the independent radio and television - as well for the country's security forces to exercise the utmost restraint and to uphold international standards of human rights, and for the authorities to release political detainees immediately and unconditionally. "Those responsible for acts or incitement to violence will be held accountable," he said. "I call on the responsible institutions to deal swiftly, transparently and fairly with all complaints related to the presidential election. The Gabonese people deserve a credible electoral process." In 10 countries with highest out-of-school rates, 40 per cent of children not accessing basic education UN Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN News Service, In 10 countries with highest out-of-school rates, 40 per cent of children not accessing basic education UN, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c965ef40d.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1 September 2016 - As millions of children around the world prepare to return to school this month, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today highlighted that in the top ten countries with the highest rates of children missing out on primary education, nearly two in every five children - 18 million - are out of school. "For countries affected by conflict, school equips children with the knowledge and skills they need to rebuild their communities once the crisis is over, and in the short-term it provides them with the stability and structure required to cope with trauma," UNICEF's Chief of Education, Jo Bourne, said in a news release. "Schools can also protect children from the trauma and physical dangers around them," she added. "When children are not in school, they are at an increased danger of abuse, exploitation and recruitment into armed groups." The data analysis highlights the extent of an education crisis affecting countries already blighted by conflict, prolonged periods of drought, flash floods, earthquakes and high rates of extreme poverty. Of the ten countries, UNICEF noted that Liberia is home to the highest proportion of out-of-school children with nearly two-thirds of primary-aged children not accessing school. The second highest is South Sudan, where 59 per cent of children are missing out on their right to a primary education and one in three schools is closed due to conflict. A primary school in Hujjaira, Rural Damascus, Syria, damaged due to continuous violence in the area. Photo: UNICEF/M. Abdulaziz Afghanistan (46 per cent), Sudan (45 per cent), Niger (38 per cent) and Nigeria (34 per cent) also feature in the top ten, which, according to UNICEF, paints a clear picture of how humanitarian emergencies and protracted crises are forcing children out of school. Though not one of the top ten countries with the highest rates of out-of-school children, Syria is home to 2.1 million school-age children - between the ages of five and 17 - who are not in school. An additional 600,000 Syrian children living as refugees in the surrounding region are also out of school. The agency also flagged that recent, reliable data from countries including Somalia and Libya are not available either from administrative or survey sources partly due to the continuing conflicts. "UNICEF fears that without education, a generation of children living in countries affected by conflict, natural disasters and extreme poverty will grow up without the skills they need to contribute to their countries and economies, exacerbating the already desperate situation for millions of children and their families," the UN agency stated in the news release. Education continues to be one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals, according to UNICEF. In 2015, humanitarian agencies received only 31 per cent of their education funding needs, down from 66 per cent a decade ago. Despite a 126 per cent increase in education requirements since 2005, funding increased by just four per cent. Moreover, the agency added, education systems equipped to cope with protracted crises cannot be built on the foundations of short-term - and unpredictable - appeals. Time to improve governance in labour migration in Latin America and Caribbean UN Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Time to improve governance in labour migration in Latin America and Caribbean UN, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c9660740c.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1 September 2016 - With migrant workers representing 64 per cent of the 232 million migrants in the world in 2015, it is urgent to deal "correctly" with labour migration by implementing good governance mechanisms, a United Nations report on these movements in Latin America and the Caribbean has warned. The last five years have seen the number of migrant workers living in this region rise from 3.2 million to 4.3 million, according to a news release from the International Labour Organization (ILO) centred on the report "Labour migration in Latin America and the Caribbean." "The search for work opportunities is definitely the main motivation of the migrants," ILO Regional Director Jose Manuel Salazar said as he launched the report in Mexico City earlier this week. "Nevertheless, migratory policies are often seen from the border control and national security paradigm, and do not take into account the labour dimension." Furthermore, "there is a clear divorce between employment policies and labour migration policies, and now it is extremely urgent for them to complement each other," Mr. Salazar said. The ILO study identifies and analyzes a "complex system" of 11 main corridors used by workers, nine of them interregional south-south corridors which connect countries within this region, and two south-north corridors with the United States and Spain as destinations. The ILO suggested that labour migration must be urgently dealt with by implementing good governance mechanisms, and by linking it with the necessities and dynamics of the world of work. At the Casa del Migrante de Saltillo, a migrant shelter in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, a day's journey to the Texas border, migrants are given food, medical care and legal aid. Photo: Amy Stillman/IRIN "If we can handle labour migration, we can maintain and increase inclusive economic growth in destination countries and reduce poverty in origin countries," Mr. Salazar said. The Regional Director added that "history teaches us nothing can stop migratory flows, neither fences nor walls; we also know it is not easy for destination societies to adapt to the arrival of workers, but we need to take advantage of the opportunities and the potential these human resources represent for our societies." The report also underlined several features in the corridors: the "feminization" of labour migration, with women accounting for more than 50 per cent of migrants; the high proportion of irregular and informal migrant workers and the low access to social protection; and the frequently deficient work conditions as well as abuse, exploitation and discrimination facing many migrant workers. Better strategies needed The report highlighted fragmentation in regional migratory agreements, a weak labour and rights perspective in migratory institutions and governing, and lack of coherence between migratory and employment policies. The report stated that stakeholders of the world of work, including Labour Ministries, employers and workers' organizations, must participate more actively in creating migration strategies. It also warned that migrant workers do not participate enough in unionization and collective bargaining processes. The main action points suggested by the ILO for Latin America and the Caribbean are: Iraq: More than two-thirds of those killed in August civilians, reports UN mission Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 September 2016 Related Document(s) UN Casualty Figures for Iraq for the Month of August 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Iraq: More than two-thirds of those killed in August civilians, reports UN mission, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c96639412.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1 September 2016 - Civilians continue to disproportionately bear the burden of acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq, accounting for more than two-thirds of those killed or injured in the month of August, the United Nations mission announced today. "The bloodletting in Iraq continues without let-up," the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq, Jan Kubis, said in a news release issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which he heads. "Casualty figures remain too high and civilians again are bearing the brunt," he added. According to the UNAMI's casualty figures for the month of August, a total of 691 Iraqis were killed and another 1,016 injured as a result of violence, excluding the western province Anbar, for which the mission has been unable to obtain the August figures from the local health department. Of those killed, 473 of them - more than 68 per cent - were civilians, including 16 individuals who were members of the federal police, civil defence, personal security details, facilities protection police and fire department. Similarly, 813 of the victims - or about 80 per cent - of those injured were civilians, including 21 members of the previously mentioned civil security entities. The mission noted that 218 members of the Iraqi Security Forces were killed and another 203 were injured. In terms of casualties by location, the capital, Baghdad, was the worst affected governorate with 907 civilian casualties (231 killed, 676 injured). In the northern governorate of Ninewa, 116 were killed and 83 injured; in the northern governorate of Kirkuk 81 were killed and 13 injured; in the central governorate of Karbala 17 were killed and 25 injured; in the central governorate of Salahadin 14 were killed and four injured; and, in the eastern governorate of Diyala six were killed and five injured. In the news release today, Mr. Kubis also strongly condemned the terrorist attacks and violent acts, including recent suicide attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) at a wedding celebration in Ain Al-Tamr in Karbala that killed and wounded many, and bombings capital Baghdad. "[We] reiterate our call on the parties to undertake every effort to safeguard the lives of civilians and urge Iraqis in general to show strength in unity in the face of this unrelenting violence," he said. 2016 UN Casualty Figures for Iraq Month Killed Injured August 2016* 473 813 July 2016 * 629 1061 June 2016 382 1145 May 2016 * 468 1041 April 2016 410 973 March 2016 575 1196 February 2016 410 1050 January 2016 490 1157 Please note that all figures remain estimates until full investigation and analysis has been carried out. *All casualty figures in the table include Anbar casualty figures, apart from the months marked with an asterisk (*). 2015 UN Casualty Figures for Iraq Month Killed Injured December 2015 506 867 Novemer 2015 * 489 869 October 2015 * 559 1067 September 2015 537 925 August 2015 585 1103 July 2015 844 1616 June 2015 665 1032 May 2015 665 1313 April 2015 535 1456 March 2015 729 1785 February 2015 611 1353 January 2015 790 1469 Please note that all figures remain estimates until full investigation and analysis has been carried out. *All casualty figures in the table include Anbar casualty figures, apart from the months marked with an asterisk (*). 2014 UN Casualty Figures for Iraq Month Killed Injured December 2014 680 1360 November 2014 936 1826 October 2014 1089 2074 September 2014 1084 2084 August 2014 1533 1994 July 2014 1384 2122 June 2014 1775 2351 May 2014 798 1607 April 2014 745 1836 March 2014 640 1845 February 2014 862 2377 January 2014 756 1650 Please note that all figures remain estimates until full investigation and analysis has been carried out. 2013 UN Casualty Figures for Iraq Month Killed Injured December 2013 661 1201 November 2013 565 1186 October 2013 852 1793 September 2013 887 1957 August 2013 716 1936 July 2013 928 2109 June 2013 685 1610 May 2013 963 2191 April 2013 595 1481 March 2013 229 853 February 2013 418 704 January 2013 319 960 Please note that all figures remain estimates until full investigation and analysis has been carried out. 2012 UN Casualty Figures for Iraq Month Killed Injured December 2012 230 655 November 2012 445 1306 Please note that all figures remain estimates until full investigation and analysis has been carried out. UN Casualty Figures for Iraq for the Month of August 2016 Publisher UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), UN Casualty Figures for Iraq for the Month of August 2016, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c966714.html [accessed 29 October 2022] A total of 691 Iraqis were killed and another 1,016 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq, excluding Anbar, in August 2016*, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The number of civilians killed in August was 473 (including 16 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police, fire department), and the number of civilians injured was 813 (including 21 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police, fire department). A total of 218 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (including Peshmerga, SWAT and militias fighting alongside the Iraqi Army but excluding Anbar Operations) were killed and 203 were injured. According to the casualties recorded for August, Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate with 907 civilian casualties (231 killed, 676 injured). Ninewa 116 killed and 83 injured, Kirkuk had 81 killed and 13 injured, while Karbala 17 killed and 25 injured, Salahadin 14 killed and 04 injured and Diyala 06 killed and 05 injured. UNAMI has not been able to obtain the civilian casualty figures from the Anbar Health Department for the month of August. "The bloodletting in Iraq continues without letup. Casualty figures remain too high and civilians again are bearing the brunt," Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Jan Kubis said. "In the past few days, Daesh suicide bombers struck a wedding celebration in Ain Al-Tamr in Karbala Governorate, killing or wounding many, and bombs went off in the capital Baghdad. We strongly condemn these terrorist attacks and other acts of violence, reiterate our call on the parties to undertake every effort to safeguard the lives of civilians and urge Iraqis in general to show strength in unity in the face of this unrelenting violence," Mr. Kubis said. * CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas in some cases; UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents. UNAMI has also received, without being able to verify, reports of large numbers of casualties along with unknown numbers of persons who have died from secondary effects of violence after having fled their homes due to exposure to the elements, lack of water, food, medicines and health care. For these reasons, the figures reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum. [UNAMI has not been able to obtain the civilian casualty figures from Anbar for the month of August.] UNHCR chief pledges more support for Turkey refugee response Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR chief pledges more support for Turkey refugee response, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c9677f4.html [accessed 29 October 2022] UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed his commitment to bolster UNHCR's support for Turkey's refugee assistance and protection system on Thursday, the final day of a two-day visit. Turkey hosts the largest population of refugees in the world. Grandi used his visit, the second to Turkey in eight months, to express his condolences for the lives lost during the failed coup attempt and the repeated terrorist attacks over the past year. During his tour of the heavily damaged Parliament building that was hit by bombs during the night of July 15, Grandi expressed his appreciation to Turkey for continuing its support to refugees even in such difficult times. In his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Grandi recognized Turkey for generously hosting three million refugees, including 2.7 million Syrians. He noted the large financial expenditure Turkey had made to care for this population as well as the hospitality of Turkish people in welcoming them into their communities. He pledged his continued advocacy for more international support, including increased funding and resettlement. He expressed his hope that the upcoming UN General Assembly Summit meeting on refugees and migrants on September 19 would result in a significantly higher global commitment to share the responsibility for refugees with large host countries like Turkey. "Turkey alone cannot shoulder this heavy responsibility," Grandi told reporters at a news conference in the capital, Ankara. "This should be shared internationally. It is not just a financial issue. It is a moral international responsibility." With over 60 per cent of Syrian refugee children out of school in Turkey, the High Commissioner agreed with Turkey's Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, that preventing a lost generation should be a top priority. "Everything starts with an education," Grandi said to Education Minister, Ismet Yilmaz, highlighting the UN Refugee Agency's commitment to help overcome barriers keeping children out of school by providing targeted information, Turkish language training programs, skills training and greater access to higher education. He offered UNHCR's support for Turkey's campaign to give more refugee children access to the national education system. He was pleased to learn there was a 50 per cent increase in child enrolment in formal education during the last school year, and recognized Turkey's guarantee that all refugee children can access education. In pre-war Syria, 20 per cent of youth between 18 and 25 were enrolled in university. Just over two per cent of Syrian refugee youth in that age group are attending Turkish universities. To further his understanding of issues facing refugee students, Grandi met with 10 students who were recipients of UNHCR "DAFI" scholarships, enabling them to attend university. They were among 6,500 applicants for only 700 refugee scholarships in 2016. Many of the students were doing menial jobs to sustain themselves before receiving the scholarships, and most of their friends left Turkey for Europe. The students told Grandi their goal was to complete their educations here and give back, either as professionals in Turkey or as engineers, medical experts or journalists to rebuild their war-torn home countries. In his meeting with the Minister of Family and Social Policies, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, Grandi addressed issues facing the 80 per cent of refugees who are women and children, including growing numbers who are unaccompanied or separated. He praised the Minister's endeavours to offer social services to all vulnerable refugees, including the disabled and the elderly. "We see Syrians as our own family members," she said. With international funding levels for refugee assistance insufficient to meet the needs of families, Grandi noted the importance of Turkey's new legislation that enables refugees to access the labour market. Since the law came into force in January last year, 10,000 refugees were granted work permits. Ninety per cent of Turkey's refugees live in urban areas and making ends meet is becoming increasingly difficult for them, forcing many to resort to negative coping mechanisms. UNHCR is working with the Turkish government on a number of joint self-reliance projects to promote skills training and create work opportunities. A political solution to the Syria conflict "is the way to stop refugee flows." With the violence in Syria continuing unabated, Grandi acknowledged Turkey's security concerns and expressed his appreciation that the Government of Turkey was committed to continue to admit people in desperate humanitarian need. He also appreciated that there were large numbers of non-Syrians arriving in Turkey every day, mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq but also significant numbers from Iran and Somalia. UNHCR works to provide durable solutions for these groups, and has resettled 18,898 people to other countries in 2016. Over 270,000 non-Syrian refugees and asylum seekers remain in Turkey. Grandi further commended Turkey's efforts and encouraged them to continue to crack down on the human smuggling business, which he described as a criminal exploitation of the refugees. To formalize and strengthen UNHCR's long-standing cooperation with Turkey on refugee and asylum issues, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Grandi today signed a Host Country Agreement. The agreement will enhance UNHCR's ability to support the Government of Turkey in its delivery of protection and assistance to refugees. UNHCR has been operating in Turkey for 56 years and liaises with the government to find protection and durable solutions for tens of thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers. It also leads and coordinates the efforts of UN agencies to support the country's refugee response to the Syria crisis. Addressing the media following the signing ceremony, Grandi said he hoped Turkey would continue supporting efforts to find a political solution to the Syria conflict. "That is the way to stop refugee flows. Not building walls, but making peace." Fiji: Whistleblower attacked by men in police uniform Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Fiji: Whistleblower attacked by men in police uniform, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c9683d4.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Responding to a second attack on a Fijian businessman and whistleblower, Amnesty International said: "This is the second time that Rajneel Singh, a Fijian businessman who had alerted the authorities to politically sensitive computer files, has been attacked by men dressed in police uniforms in less than a year. This alarming development is the latest in a series of allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by the Fijian police," said Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International's Director for South East Asia and the Pacific. "The authorities must ensure that Rajneel Singh, his family and lawyer are effectively protected from any form of violence and intimidation, and that the recent attacks against him are promptly investigated." Background In a climate of impunity, complaints against Fijian police and security forces are rarely investigated or prosecuted effectively. Rajneel Singh's lawyer has said that there is a video apparently showing the attack at the hands of the Fijian police. A police jacket was left behind at the scene. The Fijian police have said that they are investigating the attack. Rajneel Singh, an internet cafe owner, was first attacked in November 2015, after he discovered computer files that included purported plans to destabilise the government. Rajneel Singh has said that he alerted the authorities to the computer files, only to find himself assaulted by them. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Gabon: Security forces must stop using excessive force amid post-election tension Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Gabon: Security forces must stop using excessive force amid post-election tension, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c9692d4.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. "Security forces in Gabon must refrain from using excessive force against protesters in the wake of the country's disputed election result," said Alioune Tine, Amnesty International's West and Central Africa Director, amid reports that several anti-government demonstrators had been shot and injured on Wednesday afternoon. "Such a brutal response violates protesters' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as inflaming an already tense situation following the vote. "The authorities must instead do everything in their power to allow for peaceful protest, in order to bring much-needed stability and security after the election period." "They must also independently, impartially and efficiently investigate any excessive use of force by security forces, and bring those responsible to justice. Background The election result announced on Wednesday gave incumbent Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba 49.8 per cent of the vote against 48.23 per cent for his rival, Jean Ping. Ping's camp said the election was fraudulent and have challenged the results in one of the country's nine provinces. The announcement of the result sparked demonstrations in the capital Libreville, after which Ping's headquarters were stormed by security forces. The opposition said at least two people were killed and several were wounded in the attack. A government spokesman said the raid was launched to find "armed criminals" who had allegedly set fire to the country's parliament earlier that day. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Honduras still a death trap for environmental activists six months after Berta Caceres' slaying Publisher Amnesty International Author Erika Guevara-Rosas Publication Date 1 September 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Honduras still a death trap for environmental activists six months after Berta Caceres' slaying, 1 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c969ef4.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Chills ran down Tomas Gomez Membreno's spine when he first heard about the brutal murder of his renowned friend and ally, the Honduran Indigenous leader Berta Caceres, six months ago this week. A fellow environmental activist and second in command at the Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), Tomas feared he would be next. Berta's work was widely and globally acclaimed and had earned her international awards - if someone could violate the sanctuary of her home and shoot her dead, it was too frightening to contemplate what could happen to any of the country's lesser-known human rights defenders. Tomas also knew the hopes to have a proper investigation and to ensure the crimes against human rights defenders would not be repeated again were slim, in a country where authorities rarely condone attacks on activists. Tragically, he has a point. Six months after two armed men walked into Berta's home one evening and murdered her in cold blood, Honduras has become a no-go zone for anybody daring to protect natural resources such as land and water from powerful economic interests. The numbers say it all. According to a recent survey by Global Witness, Honduras and neighbouring Guatemala have the two highest rates of murders of environmental activists per capita. An astounding 65% (122 out of 185) of the murders of human rights defenders working on issues related to land, territory or the environment registered across the world in 2015 were from Latin America. Eight took place in Honduras and 10 in Guatemala alone. Berta's killing marked a turning point for what was already a scandalous situation. But her tragic end was hardly surprising; it was a tragedy waiting to happen. Months before her murder, she had reported a number of serious threats related to her outspoken opposition of the construction of the Agua Zarca dam in the community of Rio Blanco, in north-western Honduras. The local Lenca Indigenous community complains that they were not properly consulted over a plan that would threaten the flow of the Gualcarque River, which is sacred to them and provides them with food and drinking water. COPINH says that if built, it would force the community to relocate as life in the area would become virtually impossible. But in resource-rich Honduras and Guatemala, it can be a deadly business to dare to defend natural resources that are highly valued in global commodity markets. Both Central American countries have become ever-more attractive to powerful extractive industries, partly due to increasingly lax laws governing what companies can and cannot do. Meanwhile local communities are continuously squeezed out of the lands on which their survival depends. The toxic cocktail of threats, bogus charges, smear campaigns, attacks, killings and crumbling judicial systems incapable of delivering justice has made the legitimate business of defending basic human rights a nearly impossible one. Crimes against activists are rarely properly investigated, which perpetuate further violence. The authorities often blame their country's weak institutions for the shocking injustice, but conveniently fail to ignore the fact that the absolute lack of political will to protect and support these activists is often what puts them in mortal danger in the first place. After a great deal of international pressure, the Honduran government initiated an investigation into Berta's murder and arrested five individuals - but the process is still marred with question marks over its fairness and impartiality. Meanwhile, members of COPINH and Berta's lawyers continue to be threatened and harassed. Tomas fears for what can happen to those linked to Berta. Other activists are so afraid they do not even dare to speak their names in public or discuss the threats they routinely face for protecting basic human rights. But they say stopping their work is not an option. They are the last line of defence - no-one else will defend their communities and rights. A country's natural resources - as well as the people who bravely protect them - are among its most precious assets. This is not just for financial considerations. . Without land to grow food or clean water to drink, entire communities will simply be erased without a trace. The solutions to this profound crisis are not simple, but they cannot be ignored. Investing time and resources in a much-needed overhaul of the Honduran and Guatemalan justice systems to ensure effective investigations into these crimes and putting in place proper protection for those at risk would go a long way to prevent the countries from losing more brave activists like Berta. There is no time to waste. This oped was originally published in IPS: http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/09/honduras-still-a-death-trap-for-environmental-activists-six-months-after-berta-caceres-slaying/ Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International In the Tracks of Boko Haram in Cameroon Publisher International Crisis Group (ICG) Author Hans De Marie Heungoup Publication Date 2 September 2016 Cite as International Crisis Group (ICG), In the Tracks of Boko Haram in Cameroon, 2 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c96adf4.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Two years ago, the Cameroonian government declared war on Boko Haram. Despite some progress, the group's violent impact is still seen and felt deeply in the remote north of the country. In March 2016, Crisis Group Analyst Hans De Marie Heungoup travelled for four weeks into an insecure area only few researchers are given access to: Cameroon's Far North Region. He was escorted three days by the military between the front-line towns of Ldamang, Mabass, Kolofata, Amchide and Ganse, before he went on to travel alone across the region: to Maroua, the Minawao refugee camp, Mokolo, Mora, Kousseri and Goulfey. During the four weeks he spoke to a wide range of people, including traditional chiefs, local inhabitants and administration staff, refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), vigilante groups, local NGOs, humanitarian actors, academics, the military, former Boko Haram members, former traffickers, and others, some in presence of the military but the vast majority on his own. He completed his research in April and May 2016 with additional interviews in Kerawa, Bargaram, Fotokol, Makary, Hile Alifa and Blangoua. An in-depth Crisis Group report on the crisis in the area will be published soon. This is the story of his journey. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Uzbekistan: Authoritarian President Karimov Reported Dead Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 2 September 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Uzbekistan: Authoritarian President Karimov Reported Dead, 2 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57c9924c4.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Uzbekistan's authoritarian president, Islam Karimov, whose death was reported on September 2, 2016, leaves a legacy of political and religious repression, Human Rights Watch said today. His death provides a moment for concerned governments to press for concrete human rights and democratic reforms, and accountability for past abuses. During Karimov's over 26-year rule in Uzbekistan, authorities detained thousands of people on politically motivated charges, routinely tortured those in prison and police stations, and forced millions of citizens, including children, to pick cotton in abusive conditions. On May 13, 2005, Uzbek government forces shot and killed hundreds of largely peaceful protesters in the city of Andijan, for which no one has been brought to justice. "Islam Karimov leaves a legacy of a quarter century of ruthless repression," said Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Karimov ruled through fear to erect a system synonymous with the worst human rights abuses: torture, disappearances, forced labor, and the systematic crushing of dissent. In terms of a single event in the last 27 years, he'll be defined by the Andijan Massacre." Islam Karimov was born on January 30, 1938, in Samarkand in the then-Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union. He joined the Communist Party in 1964, working his way up to finance minister before taking over as the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1989. Following Uzbekistan's independence in 1991, he became president of Central Asia's most populous country. From the moment Karimov took the reins of power, political repression defined his rule, including the arrest, torture, and imprisonment of actual or perceived opponents, and an over-reliance on the much-feared National Security Services (better known by its Russian acronym, the SNB). Dismantling the Political Opposition (1992-1997) Beginning in 1992, Karimov waged a campaign to eradicate all political opposition. The campaign took the form of politically motivated arrests, beatings, and harassment, primarily targeting leading members of the secular political groups opposed to Karimov's party, such as the opposition Birlik ("unity") party, the Democratic party Erk ("freedom" or "will"), the Islamic Renaissance Party, Adolat ("justice"), and the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU). Some opposition figures were jailed or blacklisted; others were forcibly disappeared, were beaten, or were forced to flee the country. Members of the Uzbek parliament who spoke out against Karimov's consolidation of power, faced prosecution and imprisonment. Under extreme government pressure, opposition party structures and organized political activity largely disintegrated. For the next two decades, Karimov continued to prosecute and imprison individuals affiliated with the now-banned parties and movements. Persecution of Independent Muslims (1997 onward) In the mid-1990s, Karimov's repression spread to the suppression of independent religious expression. The government justified the tightening of control on independent Islam as an effort to prevent the chaos that was gripping neighboring Tajikistan, which was in the midst of a civil war. In 1998, in the name of preventing extremism, the Uzbek government adopted one of the world's most restrictive laws on religion, outlawing most forms of public or independent worship, regulating religious clothing, and placing mosques under de facto control of the state. Following Al Qaeda's attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Karimov framed his persecution of the country's religious Muslims in the context of the "global war on terror." The government aimed to eliminate a perceived threat of Islamist fundamentalism and extremism by arbitrarily imprisoning thousands of Muslims and key independent religious leaders who practiced their religion outside strict state control. At first, those arrested included members of congregations, including those who had occasionally attended services, the imams' students, mosque employees, and their relatives. But soon any Muslim who engaged in private prayer, studied Islam, proselytized, shunned alcohol, prayed five times per day, observed religious holidays, learned Arabic to study the Quran, or wore a beard or a headscarf could be labelled as an extremist. By the end of 2003, according to Memorial, the Moscow-based human rights group, Karimov had already imprisoned nearly 6000 people on political or religious grounds, a number that continued to grow, with hundreds of new arrests each year. During this period, stories of political opponents tortured to death as a result of being immersed in boiling water made worldwide headlines, highlighting the particular cruelty of Karimov's rule. Andijan and its Aftermath On May 13, 2005, government security forces shot and killed hundreds of largely peaceful protesters in Andijan to suppress demonstrations of up to 10,000 people in the city's main square. Authorities sought to justify the violent response to the protests by casting the events in the context of terrorism and claiming that gunmen among the protesters were responsible for the deaths and injuries. The government propagated the view that the protest organizers were Islamist militants who sought to overthrow the government. Extensive Human Rights Watch research [hyperlink] found that while a small number of protesters had firearms, no evidence linked them or other protesters to an Islamist agenda. The massacre marked a turning point in government repression that resulted in the European Union and the United States imposing sanctions on Uzbekistan and calling on the Uzbek government to allow an international, independent investigation, demands that Karimov rejected. Following Andijan, the government unleashed an unprecedented crackdown on civil society, pursuing and prosecuting anyone believed to have either participated in or witnessed the events. The string of criminal cases against witnesses and victims of the events included numerous human rights activists and journalists, many of whom remain imprisoned more than a decade later. At the same time, Uzbekistan became increasingly closed to any scrutiny by independent media or international human rights groups. However, within several years, the US and EU, driven by an interest in Uzbekistan's geo-strategic importance, began to mute their criticism of the government's worsening human rights record and largely abandoned the firm stances they had adopted immediately after the Andijan massacre. By 2009, the US and EU (in particular Germany) had renewed close ties with Karimov, using Uzbekistan's transport infrastructure to supply international military forces in Afghanistan, including through the so-called Northern Distribution Network. Searching for New Enemies In the years since the Andijan massacre, Uzbek authorities have continued to persecute human rights groups, journalists, independent lawyers, and independent Muslims, dismantling Uzbekistan's civil society and perpetuating a climate of fear for the few courageous activists who continue to try to work in the country. Karimov's government employs total control of the internet, and prevents the International Committee of the Red Cross, independent media outlets, United Nations human rights experts and international human rights groups from working inside the country. Up until his death, Karimov increasingly relied on a narrative that Western powers and their internal agents had attempted to import alien social, cultural, or religious phenomena and destabilize the country. He continued to search for new enemies among the population to target, such as independent lawyers, migrant laborers returning home from abroad, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. "Instead of using the collapse of the Soviet Union to build a rights-respecting and democratic Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov created an increasingly authoritarian and corrupt state," Swerdlow said. "His death means his countless victims, and the Uzbek people will never see Karimov brought to justice for his crimes. As long as his abuses go unpunished, his dark legacy will hang over Uzbekistan for many years to come." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch SHARE By Loretta Fulton, Special to the Reporter-News A little bit of Thurber history will come to the Buffalo Gap Historic Village on Sept. 10, with a presentation on the town's famous bricks. "Thurber Brick: Paving Its Way Across Texas" is the title of this month's Chautauqua Learning Series program at the historic village. The program, which begins at 11 a.m., will be presented by Mary Adams, curator of the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas, located on Interstate 20 at Thurber, which is east of Abilene. Admission is free. The center has an exhibit that runs through December on Thurber brickmaking era, which lasted roughly from 1896 to 1933, Adams said. As part of her presentation, she will show slides of the era and will bring a few bricks but not many. "They are rather heavy," Adams said, averaging about 8 pounds each. Thurber bricks were popular for paving roads and streets and for construction. Many area towns used them, including Abilene. "Hickory Street was once completely paved with Thurber brick," Adams said, as was the Bankhead Highway, which ran through Abilene. Thurber bricks were easily distinguishable, Adams said, for their distinctive reddish-pink color. The W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas is a research facility operated by Tarleton State University. It is a combined museum and special collections library. According to its website, the center's exhibits explore the birth and death of a company town. The entire town of Thurber, "every nail, shingle and doorknob," was owned by the Texas and Pacific Coal Co., according to the website. Adams said three train cars in front of the center represent the three phases of Thurber's industrial history. Each car carries a different resource of the area coal, brick or oil. For more information about the center, go to www.tarleton.edu/gordoncenter. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Residents pack the Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday at the Scurry County Courthouse to show their support for the Scurry County Museum. Ronald Erdrich Ron Erdrich's BC Journal SHARE Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Laurie Odom holds her son Jake, 7, while her daughter Jada, 10, stands beside them Tuesday at the Scurry County Courthouse. County commissioners were meeting to discuss the 2017 budget, and the Odom family was there to show support for the Scurry County Museum, whose funding had been cut for next year. Odom, a museum supporter, said she home-schools her children and brought them to watch government in action. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Daniel Schlegel, Jr., director of the Scurry County Museum, speaks Tuesday during the Commissioners Court session. Funding for the more than 40-year-old institution had been cut from the 2017 county budget and a rally was held to convince the commissioners to put it back in. The court voted to restore funding to the museum, though it will come with a slight tax increase. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Scurry County Judge Ricky Fritz speaks with Precinct 2 Commissioner Marianne Randals during Tuesday's meeting of the Commissioners Court. Fritz wrote the 2017 budget that cut funding to the Scurry County Museum. The commissioners voted Tuesday to restore the $45,000 to the institution. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Williams (center) thanks the approximately 100 people who came to the Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday in Snyder. SNYDER Sometimes you've got to spend money to make money. On Tuesday morning, concerned residents and fans of the Scurry County Museum met across the street from the courthouse at the 1818 Arthouse gallery. What brought them together was the potential loss of the museum's funding from the county's proposed fiscal year 2017 budget. Fueled by coffee and doughnuts but mostly hope the 50 or so people filed out the door of the gallery shortly before 10 a.m., crossed the street and made their way to the third-floor courtroom. By the time commissioners walked in, the audience had swelled to 100. It was standing room only, with latecomers lining the walls or spilling into the hallway. County Judge Ricky Fritz welcomed the crowd, as did the four commissioners. "We appreciate you all being here; we expect you to be here every Tuesday at 10 o'clock," Fritz joked, and a rumble of laughter bubbled through the audience. Fritz then went on to briefly explain the county budget process. He invited two representatives from each group, in addition to museum supporters, to address the court in support of their individual causes. But because most were present for the museum, its director, Daniel Schlegel Jr., spoke first. "We know times are tough and it makes for tough decisions, but we just wanted to ask you to reconsider the 100 percent cut to the museum," Schlegel said. For more than 40 years, Scurry County has funded the museum. The proposed cut of $45,000 from the $17 million county budget is a third of what the museum needs to operate next year, commissioners were told. Located on the campus of Western Texas College, the museum offers free admission and events. "People who have visited from out of the city, county, state and country are all amazed by the museum and the fact that it is free," Schlegel said. "That's a big reason why we're asking to reconsider the cut, because I feel really bad asking a college student for a donation or an admission fee to see the museum that they walk by every day." Lynn Fuller, chairman of the museum's board, spoke briefly after Schlegel. "We can't believe the outpouring of community that we've had. I haven't seen Snyder or Scurry County come together on an issue like this in a long time," he said. "I want to thank everybody for keeping it positive and not (having a) negative approach to it." Fritz confirmed that those who contacted him about the museum had been extremely courteous. "That is quite refreshing," he said to laughter across the room. It was Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Williams who took up the conversation at that point. He again thanked the crowd for supporting the museum, then laid it all out. "This tells us that you don't mind paying the extra taxes to have this facility here and that's amazing," Williams said. "I've never seen this many (people) in 12 years of service in this courtroom, or outside this courtroom, either." Williams remarked that people don't realize the difference made by a 1-cent rise in the property tax rate. A penny increase in the rate will bring in $231,000 worth of revenue. But for a Scurry County home with an appraised value of $100,000 and a taxable value of $80,000, that additional cent equates to an $8 tax increase. With this in mind, the commissioners voted 3-1 to put the museum back in the budget. Precinct 2 Commissioner Marianne Randals voted no, saying later that, "I'm not anti-museum, just anti-taxes." Overall, the court voted to put $277,163 back into the budget. But members also said that Fritz's estimate for sales tax revenue was a little too optimistic at $2.5 million. Lowering that to $1.8 million meant the extra had to be picked up somewhere, so in the end it came down to a 4-cent increase in the tax rate. For that same home, it's about a $32 increase. Why the loss in sales tax? Blame it on oil. Fritz said officials have estimated that 4,500 people have left the county since the boom started fizzling. But oil prices still could come back, at least a little. "When it starts going up, the sales tax starts going up because the oil and gas guys start gearing back up," Fritz said Wednesday. "So I feel like the sales tax has bottomed out and it's going to go back up." Two additional wind farms also are coming to the county, along with the accompanying workers and the money they spend on everything from hotels to doing laundry. If it turns out to actually be a better year for sales tax, Fritz said the additional money will go toward the county's reserve fund. Tourism generates sales tax, too. That's one of the reasons why Barbara Brannon, executive director of the Texas Plains Trail Region of the Texas Historical Commission, came to Tuesday's meeting. "We understand the great economic impact that even small county museums have on the economy of our region and our state," Brannon said. "There was more than $11 million of economic impact of travel in Scurry County last year, and museums are a huge part of that." Ten percent of that figure, she said, was attributable to heritage tourism alone. "Those travelers come to every corner of Texas because they love history, they appreciate education, and they may be researching genealogy or local history," she said. "Our museums are the institutions that preserve that and bring new generations to appreciate it." Laurie Odom watched the Commissioners Court meeting with her son Jake, 7, and daughter Jada, 10. She said she home-schools her children and believes the meeting to be a great civics lesson. "The museum is important. We do a lot of things there," Odom said. "They have Dino-Camp and nature camps, the music (performances)." The tax issue was a concern, though, and she didn't quite know yet how the new rate would translate to her pocketbook. "That's probably fine I think," she said, laughing nervously. "It's concerning because everything is tight right now. "But we've got to work together. As long as it helps the kids because, well, that's our history. It's important to you know where you came from." Incident reports released Thursday by the Abilene Police Department: Assault, 1500 block of North Eighth Street, Wednesday A man was arrested after allegedly hitting a woman with a ball from a pool table. The suspect also struck the woman with his fist and pulled her hair, according to the report. Police said the suspect also had a warrant on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. Driving while intoxicated, 600 block of North Mockingbird Lane, Wednesday A man was arrested after a traffic stop involving expired registration. The suspect appeared to be intoxicated, according to police, and failed field sobriety tests. The suspect said he drank three beers and one shot of tequila, according to police. The suspect agreed to provide a breath sample, police said, and results showed his blood alcohol content to be 0.10 and 0.098 in two separate tests. Theft, assault, 1200 block of Pecan Street, Tuesday A man reported that he dropped $20 out of his pocket and a stranger picked it up and kept it. The man said that when he confronted the stranger, the stranger hit him with a chair. An Abilene man was arrested Wednesday night after his girlfriend reported that he knocked her unconscious with a wooden pedestal, according to the Abilene Police Department. Salvador Gonzales Jr., 31, was charged with second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to records at the Taylor County Jail. According to police, Gonzales and his girlfriend entered into a verbal argument that got heated in a home in the 5000 block of Capitol Avenue. She asked him to leave her residence and not come back, police said. She locked the door, and the suspect then attempted to force his way in, according to police. Eventually, the suspect grabbed a nearby '4x4 wooden pedestal' and busted a window of the residence, according to police. The victim attempted to open the door, thinking Gonzales was leaving, police said, but the suspect rushed the door and forced his way inside, grabbing the victim by the neck and choking her. A family member of the victim threw a frying pan at Gonzales, police said, which caused the suspect to stop and leave. But when the victim tried to close the door, the suspect forced his way back in with the pedestal in hand, according to police. He then struck the victim in the head with the pedestal, knocking her unconscious, police said. The victim said that when she regained consciousness, the suspect was gone. Police said officers later contacted the suspect at his residence, where he was arrested. Gonzales was being held at the Taylor County Jail on $50,000 bail, according to jail records. The goals of the Affordable Care Act included reducing the number of patients using emergency rooms for treatment instead of a primary care physician. But such decreases haven't been seen either nationally or locally, according to emergency room directors at Abilene's two major hospitals. Nationally, about 20 percent of U.S. adults seek care at the emergency room each year, a percentage that has remained largely unchanged in the past decade, according to a February 2016 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Locally, that trend seems to be largely holding at Hendrick Health System, but not at Abilene Regional Medical Center's ER, which actually saw recent increases in patient load. Hendrick sees on average 63,000 people a year in its emergency room, said Judy LaFrance, emergency room director at the hospital. 'We saw a 0.5 percent increase in 2013, and have been consistent since that time,' LaFrance said, noting that the hospital 'could not attribute any population changes to the ACA.' By contrast, ARMC has seen a 'steady increase' in patients over the past four years, including a 7 percent increase in 2015's total emergency department volume over 2014's numbers, said Greg Grim, ARMC's emergency department director. The hospital's emergency room had more than 28,000 visits last year. The ACA went into effect in 2014, and roughly 8 million people signed up for the first enrollment period, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About 734,000 Texans signed up during the initial period, a number that since has grown to 1.3 million in 2016, according to figures released in May. One of the goals of the program is to reduce the number of emergency room visits by insuring more people through private coverage or Medicaid expansion. Texas opted out of expanding its Medicaid program. At Hendrick, patients 'appear to be utilizing the ED in patterns consistent with historical trends,' LaFrance said. 'There continues to be a rather large population without a primary care provider,' which LaFrance attributed to a 'general lack of resources in our region.' 'Challenges associated with the emergency department census include daily volumes, surges, as well as increased numbers of those requiring admission, all of which contribute to overall congestion and lengthier wait times,' she said. Grim speculated that the increases seen at ARMC were because many people now have high-deductible insurance plans and that a certain number of patients use the emergency department as an alternative to a primary care physician because of cost. 'We do not ask for a co-pay prior to seeing the patient, but a primary provider or walk-in clinic will ask for payment up front,' Grim said. 'I believe this is the main driver.' By law, emergency departments cannot ask about or accept payment before a patient is treated by a provider, he said. 'Our patients already know this, and we have had several who will actually state 'I'm here for my free health care,'' Grim said. Eric Bruntmyer is officially the president. Of course, the new Hardin-Simmons president, who was hired in February, has been 'on the job' for months. On Thursday, he was inaugurated as the school's 16th president. Lanny Hall, the city's only twice-at-one-campus president, stepped into the chancellor's role June 1. This completes a leadership change at Abilene's three universities that dates back only to June 2010, when Phil Schubert officially took the reins at Abilene Christian University. That's just six years ago, but Schubert, ACU's 11th president, now is the dean of local university presidents. A 1991 graduate, he was a young hire at 40. In August 2013, McMurry changed leadership, choosing Sandra Harper to head the university. She is the city's first woman university president, and McMurry's 12th leader. HSU celebrated its 125th birthday this year and three years ago launched a record $60 million campaign, Transformation 2020, that is upgrading the campus. Just down the street, ACU is progressing through a $95 million initiative called Vision in Action; across town, McMurry is nearing a $10 million goal for its business school. All universities face financial challenges, yet cannot afford to stand still in a competitive educational environment and the rapidly changing world of technology. So, it would seem Hardin-Simmons valued Bruntmyer's background in selecting him to move the university forward. Bruntmyer, 47, came to Abilene from Dallas Baptist University, where he was vice president for financial affairs and chief financial officer. 'I'm a business guy,' he told the Reporter-News in February. Yes, he quickly said 'you can't sell something that doesn't have value, and ... Hardin-Simmons has value.' The fall academic term is underway with three presidents totaling just nine years in their roles here. We, however, have been impressed by Schubert and Harper, and expect nothing less from Bruntmyer. VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis is showing his profound concern for refugees by assuming direct responsibility for migrant issues in a new Vatican department that merges four Vatican offices into one handling peace, the environment and human trafficking issues. The Vatican issued the statutes Wednesday for the new Vatican dicastery, which puts the pontifical councils for migrants, peace and justice, health workers and charity under one roof. The reorganization is part of Francis' overall reform of the Vatican bureaucracy to make it more streamlined and responsive to the needs of dioceses. Francis named Cardinal Peter Turkson to lead the department. The Ghanaian cardinal currently heads the Vatican's justice and peace office and has been the front man for Francis' landmark environment encyclical. While Turkson is in charge of the overall office, the Vatican said Francis would personally oversee migrant issues. Francis has made clear that the refugee crisis facing Europe, the Middle East and the Americas is the priority of his pontificate and has vowed to fight what he calls today's "globalization of indifference." His first trip outside Rome as pope was to the island of Lampedusa, destination for migrants smuggled from Libya. He prayed at the U.S.-Mexico border and said anyone who wants to build a wall there isn't Christian. And most recently, he brought a dozen Syrian refugees home with him when he visited the hard-hit Greek island of Lesbos to show solidarity with new arrivals. The new Vatican office, which takes effect Jan. 1, puts the Vatican's social justice-minded offices together, evidence of Francis' keen aim to make better known the part of the church's activities as a "field hospital" for wounded souls. The fact that he also placed "Cor Unum," the Vatican's main charity arm, alongside shows that he wants to be able to provide material assistance as well to all those in need. The new Vatican office marks the fourth major phase of Francis' overhaul of the Vatican bureaucracy. He has created a new economy ministry to oversee the Vatican's finances; a communications secretariat to unite the Vatican's newspaper, radio, television, and press office operations; and an office for Catholic laity that merges previous offices of laity and family. The new office is likely to be the most high-profile since the issues it deals with the environment, migration, the sick, prisoners, modern-day slaves are those closest to Francis' heart. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Department of Corrections has agreed to pay a former Logan Correctional Center inmate $450,000 to settle his claim that he was punished by staff after reporting being repeatedly raped by another inmate. A federal lawsuit, filed in 2012 by James Fontano, alleged that he was disciplined by staff at the Lincoln prison after he reported that a cellmate had repeatedly beaten and assaulted him over two nights in August 2011. Fontano, of Chicago, was serving a one-year sentence for a minor drug offense. He served eight months of the sentence at the Lincoln facility, according to his lawyer, Locke Bowman, executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center that represented Fontano. The settlement, announced Friday morning, is believed to be one of the largest awards in a prison retaliation case, according to the MacArthur center. Bowman called the case "a textbook example of everything you should not do in a position of authority when a sexual assault is reported to you." Instead of conducting an investigation, prison staff disciplined Fontano by putting him in segregation and accusing him of making a false report, said his lawyers. The two IDOC employees named along with the state in the lawsuit, former Logan warden Alex Dawson and former IDOC investigator Kevin Standley were never disciplined for their role in the bungled investigation that led to the federal lawsuit, Bowman said. The victim's cellmate, a man serving a lengthy sentence for armed robbery, also never faced criminal charges related to the sexual assault. Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown People's Law Center and part of Fontano's legal team, said in a statement announcing the settlement, that "men in prison quickly learn there are two things you don't want to be known for. First, if other prisoners believe you are a snitch, you are in danger of being beaten stabbed and worse. Second, if you are viewed as a weakling and an easy mark to be used by another man, you will always be in danger of a sexual assault." In Fontana's case, the fear of being tagged as a snitch and a weakling caused him to endure the attacks before he managed to break away in the midst of a third attack, and seek help, said Mills. Fontana's rape claim was corroborated by DNA evidence from his cellmate's clothing, according to his lawsuit. Bou Rachana stands in front of an image of slain husband Kem Ley. The widow of slain government critic and scholar Kem Ley has taken temporary refuge in Thailand, sources familiar with the family's movements told RFAs Khmer Service on Friday. Bou Rachana and her children, who left Cambodia for Thailand on Aug. 28, have received refuge status from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and are waiting for the UNHCR's decision to move them to a third country, said the source, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the family's situation. Kem Ley was gunned down in broad daylight on July 10 when he stopped in a Star Mart convenience store beside a Caltex gas station in the capital Phnom Penh. Cambodian authorities have charged former soldier Oueth Ang with the killing, who has said he shot Kem Ley over a U.S. $3,000 debt. Kem Ley was buried in southwestern Cambodias Takeo province two weeks later after a weekend funeral procession that drew around 2 million mourners. Just days before he was gunned down, he had discussed on an RFA call-in show a report by London-based group Global Witness detailing the extent of the wealth of the family of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 31 years. Reported by Vuthy Huot for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Yanny Hin. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Baggio Leung from the political party Youngspiration distributes election flyers ahead of the legislative council elections in Hong Kong, Aug. 23, 2016. Pan-democratic parties in Hong Kong appeared to be falling behind ahead of elections to the city's Legislative Council (LegCo) on Saturday as a number of candidates effectively pulled out of the race to avoid splitting the vote. Labour Party candidate Suzanne Wu announced she was suspending her campaign for a seat in the Kowloon East geographical constituency, while independents Paul Zimmerman and Andy Chui said their supporters should vote for other democrats instead. Zimmerman called on his supporters to vote for democrats who "are almost in" to increase their overall number in LegCo. Two other pan-democratic candidates for city-wide seats, Sumly Chan for the Civic Party and Kalvin Ho for the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL) also announced their withdrawal. Political analysts said the withdrawals were likely a tactical maneuver aimed at maximizing seats for pan-democratic candidates in LegCo. The withdrawalswhich cannot be formalized at this stage of the electioncame after Liberal Party candidate Ken Chow suspended his campaign, saying he had received threats. One seat short Meanwhile, a public opinion survey carried out by the University of Hong Kong on Friday found the opposition camp would likely fall one seat short of winning a majority of the 40 directly elected seats in the 70-seat legislature. Sung Lap Kung, lecturer in politics at Hong Kong's City University, said a failure to secure a majority in Saturday's poll would have a huge impact on the political landscape in the former British colony. "If the results really do turn out that way, then the impact will be huge," Sung told RFA. "In the past, they were able to ensure that a lot of legislation from the government didn't pass, because they held a crucial minority in opposition," he said. "If they lose it in this election, they'll have to rely far more on filibustering and vote-gathering activity if they are to provide a check and balance to the administration," he said. Pollster Joseph Cheng said that a swing of just two percent will alter the result significantly, government broadcaster RTHK reported. A simple majority for the pro-establishment camp in geographical constituencies would make it easier for the government to pass controversial bills, including national security legislation that opponents fear could be used to muzzle peaceful dissent. Banned legislative council candidate Edward Leung speaks at a pro-independence rally in Hong Kong, Aug. 5, 2016. Citizenside City-wide row Saturday's elections come amid a city-wide row over discussions about independence for the former British colony, which the ruling Chinese Communist Party and the current chief executive Leung Chun-ying say is an illegal concept that should be banned from public discourse. Critics have accused officials of whipping up debate on the topic to boost their standing in Beijing by suppressing it. Authorities in Hong Kong have barred several candidates from taking part in this year's LegCo election, citing the candidates' support for independence. Election officials rejected the candidacy of Edward Leung of the Hong Kong Indigenous political group and five other candidates they said supported independence for Hong Kong. Edward Leung had already received more than 60,000 votes in a February by-election, and his candidacy was seen as representative of a groundswell of support for independence, particularly among the citys younger voters. The decision by Hong Kongs Electoral Affairs Commission came after Edward Leung had denied supporting independence, signed a controversial new declaration recognizing his home city as an inalienable part of China, and distanced himself from previous comments that were widely reported in the local media. Edward Leung's replacement Baggio Leung told RFA on Friday that Chinese officials have interfered in these elections on an unprecedented scale, in spite of promising Hong Kong a "high degree of autonomy" under the terms of its 1997 handover to China. "Hong Kong elections are clearly an internal political affair," Baggio Leung said. "This is clearly in breach of the one country, two systems policy, the Basic Law and the [1984] Sino-British Joint Declaration." "This is also the reason why 17 percent of Hong Kong people are now in favor of independence," he said. Pan-democratic camp Chung Kim-wah, assistant professor of applied social science at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said the polls are showing declining support for pan-democratic politicians. "The trend is very clear, so candidates whose support is less strong are withdrawing so as to concentrate the democratic vote behind a few candidates," Chung said. "That's the only way they have any hope of preserving their slight majority." Chung said the move wasn't surprising. "It will have the effect of galvanizing the pan-democratic camp and showing how unified they are, which in turn could attract more voters," he said. The survey of more than 5,000 respondents suggest that pan-democrats will take 17 of 35 seats in the geographical constituencies. However, about a quarter of poll respondents said they were undecided. Saturday's poll will return LegCo members to 35 directly elected seats based on five geographical constituencies, with a further five "superseats" returned by city-wide vote. The remaining 30 members are chosen via trade and profession-based "functional constituencies." A two-thirds majority is needed in LegCo for any constitutional change to pass. Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. North Korean citizens have recently been warned against the use in casual conversation of sarcasm directed against the regime of national leader Kim Jong Un, with state security officers threatening that even indirect criticisms of party leadership will not be forgiven, North Korean sources say. The warnings were given in mass meetings organized by central government authorities across the isolated, one-party state starting at the end of August, the sources said. One state security official personally organized a meeting to alert local residents to potential hostile actions by internal rebellious elements, a source in Jagang province, which lies along the border with China, told RFAs Korean Service this week. The main point of the lecture was Keep your mouths shut! the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Similar warnings were given at a meeting held in neighboring Yanggang province on the evening of Aug. 28, a source in the province said. Warning his listeners to guard against being dragged into internal hostile behavior, the official conducting the meeting pointed specifically to commonly used expressions such as This is all Americas fault, which when spoken ironically could be taken to imply criticism of the regime. This habit of the central authorities of blaming the wrong country when a problems cause obviously lies elsewhere has led citizens to mock the party, RFAs source said. Another expression, A fool who cannot see the outside world, has also spread quickly from government workers in Pyongyang who were shocked at Kim Jong Uns absence at celebrations held in Russia and China to mark the end of the Second World War, the source said. Expressions of public discontent with the North Korean regime have spread widely in the tightly controlled state this year, with graffiti mocking production slogans appearing at a construction site in Pyongyang and more serious scrawlings attacking Kim Jong Un personally found in areas near China, sources told RFA in earlier reports. Reported by Sunghui Moon for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Jackie Yoo. Written in English by Richard Finney. Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan speaks during the opening session of a forum on investment for sustainable development in Africa in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, June 21, 2016. Former United Nations chief Kofi Annan will meet with representatives from local governments and nongovernmental organizations in western Myanmars troubled Rakhine state next Tuesday to discuss the role of a special commission that will look into the states human rights situation, a Rakhine government official said Friday. Kofi Annan, who was appointed chairman of the governments new Rakhine state advisory commission last week by de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi, will be in Rakhine with the commissions other eight members on Sept. 6 and 7, said state government spokesman Min Aung. The commission is tasked with reviewing humanitarian and development issues, access to basic services, the assurance of basic rights, and the security of those who live in Rakhine. Among its other members are two international representatives, two Myanmar government representatives, and four Buddhists and Muslims from Myanmar. He [Annan] will explain to local people about the [commissions] year-long agenda and how it will conduct its investigation, he said. It will be possible for local people to ask him questions about what they want to know. He will also meet with civil society organizations and Buddhist monks at state government offices. Annan is also expected to meet with representatives from the Arakan National Party (ANP), the states largest political party, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported. The party has criticized the inclusion of Annan and two other foreign nationals on the panel, arguing that Rakhine's situation should be handled domestically. The ANP has also taken an uncompromising approach to the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority group which bore the brunt of anti-Muslim communal violence in 2012 that left more than 200 dead and displaced tens of thousands who were later forced to live in camps where they remain today. Many in Myanmar consider the Rohingya illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, though some have lived in Myanmar for generations. As a result, the Rohingya have been denied citizenship, freedom of movement, and access to basics services such as health care and education. Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing leaves the stage after delivering an address during the opening of the Panglong Conference in Naypyidaw, Aug. 31, 2016. Myanmars peace commission has sent a written apology to the head of the countrys largest armed ethnic group, whose delegates stormed out of a major peace conference because of a mix-up regarding badges, a government official said Friday. The delegation from the United Wa State Army (UWSA) walked out of the Panglong Conference on Thursday citing discrimination after they were informed that they had been accredited only as observers and not as speakers. The commission sent the apology to Pauk Yu Chan, leader of the UWSAs Special Region 2 in the northern part of Myanmars Shan state, requesting the militias understanding about the shortcomings of conference managers, said Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the Presidents Office. The peace commission has not yet received a response from the USWA, he said. The 20,000-25,000-strong USWA, led by ethnic Chinese commanders, has not been involved in any clashes with government troops in recent years. It has, however, been accused of producing and selling illegal narcotics in the region it controls along Myanmars border with China. The USWA was one of the armed ethnic groups that refused to sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) brokered by the former military-backed government last October. The current government run by the National League for Democracy (NLD) has organized the five-day Panglong Conference to try to end decades of ethnic separatist civil wars and forge national reconciliation in Myanmar. Proposal to rename country Also on Friday, Naing Han Thar, chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), another ethnic group taking part in peace negotiations, proposed changing the countrys official name during discussions about turning Myanmar into a democratic federal union that includes ethnic minorities. Myanmar is the old term; the term Bama was used when the British ruled the country, he said in a reference to British colonial rule in Myanmar, then called Burma, which ended with the countrys independence in 1948. We understand both terms represent the same nationality, he said. [But] it is not true that Bama represents all ethnic groups in the country. Most of the ethnic groups and militias participating in the peace conference, including the NMSP, seek the establishment of a federal democratic union in the country with equality for all ethnic peoples along with the right to determine their own fate and preserve their languages and cultures. Most of the groups are also calling for additions or amendments to the countrys current constitution of 2008, which was drafted by the military junta that ruled the nation for 50 years, to build a federal democratic political system that grants them federal autonomy. The NMSP, however, wants lawmakers to draft a new constitution, Naing Han Thar said. The army has a policy to protect the 2008 constitution because it was written by military with the points the military wants in it, he said. The best way is to write a new constitution, because it is impossible to amend the 2008 constitution without the militarys agreement, he said. It would take a lot of time to amend it. Reported by the Naypyidaw bureau and Myo Thant Khine for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. See-Yeon Kim defected to China and hid in a mud hut, but later was repatriated back to North Korea. She escaped again in 2008 and settled in South Korea. She recalls the food shortages and famine that began in 1995 as the beginning of human trafficking. Human trafficking began between North Korea and China when little boys and girls were spotted in the streets in search of food. If someone is reported sold or escaped, village security forces go around each house to investigate who is missing . The government had ordered officials to record missing or dead for those not present in the house, even though the police were well aware that these people went to China. Human trafficking smugglers emerged ever since traders along the China-North Korean border area asked to bring North Korean women in return for money. If the smugglers spotted woman who dressed up, they would approach pretty North Korean women and offer to buy them food. These smugglers often would put drugs or mix sleeping pills into the food to put women to sleep. There were instances when these women would wake up, not knowing how they ended up in China. The living condition of North Korean men became harder as the society became poorer. It was easier for women to survive by selling goods in markets, by selling their bodies or by depending on their husbands. But once men fell into hard situations, women did not have other ways to survive. When these men hit the streets to try to look for ways to survive, Chinese human traffickers targeted them, offering work in lumber yards or mines. In reality, these men were sent to either mines or lumber yards and got paid very little. To the Chinese, North Korean men were cheaper to manage. North Korean men were exploited, earned little to no money and faced the threat of being reported as defectors. Those without relatives were sold, exploited and overworked with no pay. Word of mouth spread as the time passed by about the suffering people go through after being sold. Ever since 1998, people started to demand a ransom first to financially support their families before getting sold. They were able to send money back home before being sold. Those who wanted to get to China crossed the Yalu River or the Tumen River without any knowledge of the conditions there. The crackdown wasnt as bad in 2005there were no barbed-wire fence or guns. Many women took this opportunity to blindly cross the Tumen River with no help. As soon as these women reached China, they began knocking on random doors whether it was a Korean-Chinese household or a Chinese household. Many Korean-Chinese were living along the frontier. Women who ran away were able to settle down if they met good people. However, there were also a lot of North Korean smugglers living near the frontier who knew the situation of these women very well. North Korean smugglers would take this chance to sell these women to earn more money. Many times, women defectors were sold without their knowledge. Then they would meet ignorant, old men whom these women had no interest in. These unmarried old men would buy North Korean women and force them to bear children. At first, women denied and complained but they had no idea how to escape and nowhere to run to. They didnt even know how to speak Chinese so they had no choice but to stay. There are still North Koreans out there who either defected or were sold, living in this condition. These North Koreans who are still living in Chinese households do not know anything about the outside world. They dont know how the country is run, and they dont know how to get out of their situation right now or where to go. They are unsure if their lives will be any better. They have no choice but to live their lives like this. Many of these people are still indicated as missing or dead back home in North Korea. However, the families still have hopes that they are alive. Reported by Won Hee Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated and written in English by Jackie Yoo. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Kyrgyzstan's President Almazbek Atambaev laid flowers at a ceremony to honor the tens of thousands who died in an anti-Tsarist uprising in 1916. He joined other dignitaries on September 2 at the Great Urkun memorial, just outside the capital, Bishkek. (RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service) Russian authorities are searching for two senior employees from the Moscow printing house where 17 people were killed in a fire on August 27. Russia's Investigative Committee said on September 2 that the printing house's director, Sergei Moskvin, and fire safety engineer, Anton Yatskov, were added to the federal wanted list. Both were charged in absentia with violation of fire-safety regulations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russian authorities would conduct a thorough investigation and that all of those found to be responsible for the tragedy would be held accountable. Three Russian citizens and 14 Kyrgyz migrant workers, all women, one of whom was pregnant, were killed in the blaze. Moscow officials have said that three other Kyrgyz citizens who suffered various burns remain in hospital. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax OSTRAVA, Czech Republic -- The flag of Russia-backed separatists from Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region fluttered from an ornate, two-story building in this otherwise gritty city on the Czech Republic's eastern fringes on September 1, as the separatists opened what they call their first official office on EU soil. Amid protests and vows by authorities to shut down the center, a Czech far-right activist said the office is aimed at rebuilding ties between Ostrava and Donetsk, both crumbling industrial centers that were once sister cities. "We want to aid and coordinate communication between the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Czech Republic," said Nela Liskova, a member of the xenophobic National Militia movement, referring to the separatist group in eastern Ukraine. Liskova addressed a cramped conference room packed with a few dozen reporters and a handful of supporters -- including a few allegedly from Donetsk. A self-described "honorary consul," she said she is disgusted with her government's support for what she calls the "junta" in Kyiv -- standard Kremlin shorthand for the pro-Western government of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Putting down stakes in the EU would be a feat for the separatists, who have fought Kyiv's forces in a bloody war that has killed more than 9,500 people since April 2014 following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula the previous month. Until now they have been recognized as an independent state only by South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia that itself is recognized only by Moscow and a handful of other countries. But any kind of recognition by the EU is wishful thinking at best. Brussels has sanctioned several separatists in eastern Ukraine, including Oleksandr Zakharchenko, the self-styled leader in Donetsk, as well as officials in Moscow over Russian backing for the separatists. In the Czech Republic, President Milos Zeman has departed from the common EU line on Ukraine and criticized sanctions against Moscow. But he has not offered the separatists in eastern Ukraine any public support. Meanwhile, Prague has repeatedly said that the separatists lack any legitimacy to open a diplomatic post in the country, while the Czech Foreign Ministry vowed on September 1 that their self-declared representative office would be shut down. The Czech Embassy in Kyiv said in an August 29 statement that "the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic cannot have an accredited representative office in the Czech Republic because the Czech Republic does not recognize its existence." According to official documents, the organization behind the center was officially registered on June 16, 2016. The opening of its office was met with a small public protest outside Ostrava's Mercure Hotel, where the press conference for the event was being held. Some 15 demonstrators held up placards reading "Stop Russian Aggression," and "Kremlin Theater." "I'm upset that they are opening up an office for a group that the Czech Republic, including the Foreign Ministry, does not recognize as legitimate, and is a terrorist state," said Radovan Blaha, who traveled from Prague to attend the protest. Mikhail Topolov, a Czech-based Ukrainian activist, said that "the pro-Russian terrorists should not have any representation in the Czech Republic." 'Historical Moment' Organizers had promised that an "official" from the Donetsk separatist-controlled territory would appear at the opening of the Ostrava office. Liskova explained, however, that the individual was forced to cancel at the last moment "due to the current political situation." Natalya Nikonorova, who styles herself as the separatists' foreign minister, did issue a statement handed out at the press conference in which she hailed the opening of the center as a "historical moment." While invitations for the press conference were sent to members of the Czech parliament, not one Czech politician appeared to be present at the event. Whether anyone from Donetsk had actually traveled to Ostrava was unclear as well. One of three people Liskova claimed had arrived from the eastern Ukrainian city whispered as she entered the conference room that she was from Volgograd, in southern Russia. And while numerous journalists were in attendance, gaining entrance was no small task. Local security -- made up mostly of beefy, bald-headed men -- scrutinized people's IDs and inquired about nationality before letting them pass. They then had to go through a metal detector on their way in. A few of the security personnel were monitoring reporters closely, with one filming the journalists who were filming the protesters outside. One reporter from the Czech weekly Tyden was first denied entry but later allowed in after he protested that the event had been publicized as a press conference open to the public. "I guess I'm on the separatists' blacklist," the reporter, Ivan Motyl, quipped. Liskova refused to answer questions about financing for the hotel event and the center itself, leaving some to question whether money may be coming from Russia. A Czech member of the European Parliament has said the whole affair has made the Czech Republic the laughingstock of Europe and called for Liskova to be arrested on terrorism charges. In an August 30 statement, Jaromir Stetina urged Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek to do his duty and arrest Liskova and shut down the center, saying it was "making a mockery of Czech diplomacy." Liskova fired backed at the press conference, accusing Stetina of supporting the "terrorist" Azov Battalion, a former volunteer militia in eastern Ukraine whose ranks included far-right nationalists and which is now part of the country's National Guard. Liskova has been photographed wearing military fatigues and packing firearms. The National Militia movement to which she belongs has ridden a wave of anti-Islamic feeling in the Central European nation to attract support. SPRINGFIELD An administrative law judge has recommended that the Illinois Labor Relations Board send Gov. Bruce Rauners administration and a union representing 38,000 state workers back to the bargaining table to continue negotiating over wages and health care benefits. The Rauner administration asked the labor board in January to declare that contract talks with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 have reached an impasse, which could clear the way for the administration to impose its terms on the union. That, in turn, could precipitate a first-ever strike of state workers. In a 250-page recommendation issued Friday, Administrative Law Judge Sarah Kerley found that the state and AFSMCE have reached an impasse on many issues, including wages and health care, but she recommends against allowing the state to unilaterally impose its final contract proposal in full. If the state were able to implement its entire last, best, and final offer, the implications and impact would be so enormous that, when applied to this case, it would be destructive of the collective bargaining process, Kerley wrote. While wages and health are among the issues on which Kerley believes the sides are at an impasse, she recommended that negotiations continue on those subjects because the state hasnt provided the union with sufficient information about its proposals. On wages, the state has sought a pay freeze and the implementation of a merit pay system, while the union has sought across-the-board raises for its members. On health care, the state has pushed for union members to take on a greater share of their insurance costs, but the union believes those proposals would shift too much of the burden onto its members. Negotiations had been ongoing for nearly a year when the Rauner administration moved to have an impasse declared. The union has said for the past several months that it is still willing to negotiate. The administration has accused the union of making unreasonable demands at a time of unprecedented fiscal challenges for the state, but AFSCME counters that Rauner has an ideological bias against the collective bargaining rights of public workers. While negotiations have been acrimonious, Kerley said both sides generally have bargained in good faith. Despite their many differences in philosophy and approach, I find that record before me, taken as a whole, reflects that each side sincerely hoped to reach agreement, though they had vastly different views of what that agreement should look like and had varying levels of optimism about whether they would actually be successful, she wrote. Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the administration appreciates that Kerley concluded that we have been bargaining in good faith for a fair deal on behalf of taxpayers. We are reviewing her opinion to evaluate the next steps as the rest of the agreed-to process continues, Kelly said in a prepared statement. Meanwhile, the union said it was largely vindicated by Kerleys recommendation. We are pleased that todays recommendation underlines what AFSCME has been saying all along, AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said in a written statement. The union said it too is reviewing the recommendation, noting that it doesnt believe the two sides are at an impasse on some of the issues cited by Kerley. We hope the labor boards final ruling will affirm the hearing officers recommended order to resume negotiations, Lynch said. But there is no need to wait Gov. Rauner should direct his representatives back to the bargaining table now, to work with AFSCME and develop a compromise agreement that is fair to all. The state and the union now have time to respond to the recommendation and to each others responses. The labor board could make a final determination at its November meeting. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says a cease-fire is holding in eastern Ukraine, where fighting between government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,500 people since April 2014. "We hope that this can constitute a good basis not only for the restart of the school year but also for a continuation of the situation in this respect," Mogherini said on September 2 after meeting the EU's 28 foreign ministers in Bratislava, Slovakia. The trilateral contact group on Ukraine, which comprises representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), struck a deal last week for a cease-fire to coincide with the new school year starting on September 1. A similar 2015 cease-fire held for less than a week. Mogherini also said the ministers agreed that the bloc would look into supporting a planned police mission by the OSCE to help the stalled peace process in Ukraine's east. She added that the lifting of the sanctions against Russia "is going to be linked to the full implementation of the Minsk agreements" aimed at resolving the conflict. Foreign leaders were expressing condolences to Uzbekistan on September 2 over the purported death of that country's longtime president, Islam Karimov, despite official silence from Tashkent since an announcement earlier in the day that the 78-year-old strongman's health was deteriorating. Preparations also appeared to be under way for a major state event in Karimov's birthplace of Samarkand, along the ancient Silk Road, and anonymous foreign officials were quoted as saying leaders from neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan would be attending a funeral for Karimov on September 3. Uzbek authorities keep a notoriously tight grip on information and speculation has swirled since the August 28 announcement of Karimov's hospitalization that he is already dead and members of his close inner circle could be vying to succeed the only leader in Uzbekistan's post-Soviet history. Uzbekistan's cabinet broke days of silence when it announced on September 2 that Karimov was in critical condition. But early on September 2, Reuters quoted three diplomatic sources as saying Karimov was dead. Hours later, Turkey's prime minister, Binali Yildirim, was shown at a televised cabinet meeting saying that "Uzbek President Islam Karimov has passed away," adding, according to Reuters, "May God's mercy be upon him, as the Turkish Republic we are sharing the pain and sorrow of Uzbek people." But it was unclear where Turkish officials had gotten their information. The presidents of Iran and Georgia all publicly expressed sadness over Karimov's passing. Meanwhile, a senior Kyrgyz diplomat and an Afghan government official were quoted as saying Uzbekistan is holding a funeral for Karimov on September 3. They were both speaking to the AP agency on condition of anonymity. The Afghan official said President Ashraf Ghani would attend Karimov's funeral on that date. The Kyrgyz diplomat said the country's prime minister also had been invited to the Uzbek leaders funeral. And diplomatic source in Tajikistan told AFP that the countrys president was to fly to Uzbekistan on September 3, without saying where he was heading or why. Reuters reported that Nursultan Nazarbaev, the president of neighboring Kazakhstan, will cut short a trip to China and fly to Uzbekistan on September 3. There were also signs that Uzbekistan could be preparing for Karimov's funeral. RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported that district mayors and other officials were instructed to wear white shirts and black suits to work on September 2. The instructions were issued late on September 1 amid what appeared to be rushed preparations in Karimov's birthplace of Samarkand, on the ancient Silk Road, where central streets were blocked off as cleaning and apparent construction work took place. A large red carpet was laid in the city's historic Registan Square and loudspeakers were being installed. There was also activity around the Chorraha Mosque in Samarkand, and public workers and university students were also being bused to Samarkand's airport. The Samarkand airport issued a notice saying it would be closed to all flights on September 3 "except operations officially confirmed for this date" and all previous permissions for this date were canceled, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. There was no official Uzbek comment on the multiplying reports of Karimov's death, which came a few hours after the September 2 cabinet statement carried by Uzbekistan's official newspaper, Halq Sozi (People's Word), and read out on state TV. It said Karimov was hospitalized on August 27 and that in the previous 24 hours his condition "saw a sharp deterioration and is considered critical by the doctors." The statement was the first official word on Karimov since the cabinet announced on August 28 that he had been hospitalized, without saying what was wrong. His daughter said on Instagram the next day that he had suffered a "brain hemorrhage." Uzbekistan celebrated Independence Day on September 1, with Karimov absent. The prolonged official silence had set off speculation that the only person to have led post-Soviet Central Asia's most populous country it declared independence in 1991 had died. Reuters did not name its diplomatic sources. "Yes, he has died," it quoted one of them as saying. The statement and the report came amid signs that Uzbekistan could be preparting for Karimov's funeral. RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported that district mayors and other officials were instructed to wear white shirts and black suits to work on September 2. The instructions were issued late on September 1 amid what appeared to be rushed preparations in Karimov's native city of Samarkand, on the ancient Silk Road, where central streets were blocked off as cleaning and apparent construction work took place. A large red carpet was laid in the city's historic Registan Square and loudspeakers were being installed. INFOGRAPHIC: How Does Karimov's Rule Compare? There was also activity around the Chorraha Mosque in Samarkand, and public workers and university students were also being bused to Samarkand's airport. Reuters also reported that Nursultan Nazarbaev, the president of neighboring Kazakhstan, will cut short a trip to China and fly to Uzbekistan on September 3. Security sources told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev had also made a trip to the city. In Karimov's absence, Mirziyaev led a commemorative event in Tashkent on August 31 that marked the start of Independence Day celebrations. Karimov has not been seen in public since mid-August. Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, Karimov's younger daughter, suggested via social media on August 31 that her father was alive and could potentially recover. Until September 2, Uzbekistan's tightly controlled state media had not mentioned Karimov's illness, and it also remains unclear who is currently in charge of the Central Asian nation of around 30 million. Karimov has no apparent successor, and observers suggest any such decision would likely be made within the Uzbek president's trusted circle. International rights watchdogs and Western officials accuse Karimov of brutally suppressing perceived political opponents, and the country has never held an election deemed democratic by Western monitors. Amid the reports of Karimovs death, Amnesty International has said Uzbekistans "repressive regime" is unlikely to change after he is gone. Denis Krivosheev, the London-based groups deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, said on September 2 that his successor "is likely to come from Karimovs closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated." "During [Karimovs] 27-year long rule, rights and freedoms were profoundly disregarded, with any dissent brutally crushed, and torture and arbitrary detentions became integral to the countrys justice system," Krivosheev said in a statement. "Any semblance of justice in the country will require deep political changes and a new, principled approach from Uzbekistans international partners, something which has been totally lacking in recent years," he added. The Uzbek Constitution states that if the president is unable to perform his duties the head of the upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, assumes presidential authority for a period of three months. No public comments have come from Senate Chairman Nigmatulla Yuldashev, who has led the upper house since January 2015. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, TASS, Gazeta.uz, RIA Novosti, and Interfax Pakistani authorities say armed men attacked a Christian residential area near Warsak Dam in the suburbs of Peshawar early on September 2. Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said on Twitter that the attackers included at least four suicide bombers and that the military "promptly responded," killing all four attackers. An RFE/RL correspondent said one civilian also appeared to be dead. There was a heavy exchange of fire between the militants and security forces, and the sound of firing and blasts and a helicopter hovering could be heard coming from the area at around 6 a.m. local time. The incident occurred near where the Army Public School in Peshawar is located. That is the school where a Taliban attack in 2014 killed over 150 people, most of them schoolchildren. With reporting by Reuters A group of women who blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Beslan school massacre have been sentenced to either community service or fined. At about 3 a.m. on September 2, a court in Beslan found the women guilty of violating the law on holding public gatherings and sentenced three of them to 20 hours of community service, while two others were fined 20,000 rubles ($305). Another woman, who did not wear an anti-Putin T-shirt but stood with the protesters to express her support, was also sentenced to 20 hours of community service. The women's protest was held on September 1, the 12th anniversary of the 2004 hostage tragedy at Beslan's School No. 1 that left 334 people dead, including 186 schoolchildren. As a school bell rang near the ruins of the school on September 1, the five Beslan mothers whose children died or were hostages at the school took off their jackets to reveal T-shirts that read "Putin is the Executioner of Beslan." Armed Islamic militants, mostly from the Russian regions of Chechnya and Ingushetia, stormed the Beslan school on September 1, 2004 -- taking about 1,200 children, parents, and teachers hostage and demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. Most of the victims died when Russian security forces used armored vehicles to try to rescue the hostages, who had been held in a gym that the militants had booby-trapped with explosives. With reporting by Novaya Gazeta Word on the health of a gravely ill Uzbek President Islam Karimov was slow to emerge in the Central Asian nation before his death was finally announced on September 2. But that's not really surprising. In totalitarian states where power is largely in the hands of one individual, the death of the countrys leader can send shock waves through the whole of society with the public uncertain of who or what comes next. For those jockeying for power, any delay can also be used to advantage. Here are some of the cases in modern history of an announcement of the death of a leader being marked by delays and deceptions. Yuri Andropov Soviet leader Yuri Andropov died at age 70 of kidney failure. He already had health issues when he became secretary general of the Central Committee of the Communist Party on November 12, 1982. He had diabetes and in February 1983 suffered kidney failure. At the time, however, the Kremlin did not disclose that fact. It was not until a few days after Andropovs death on February 9, 1984 that TASS finally reported details of Andropov's catastrophically failing condition, which the Kremlin attributed to kidney failure. TASS said Andropov had been receiving kidney dialysis therapy since February 1983 when his kidneys stopped working. For the public in the Soviet Union, it was the first glimpse into some of the details of the Soviet leader's ordeal that incapacitated him for much of his short term in office. Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev's rule during both the Soviet and post-Soviet eras was marked by a string of health issues, although little of that was officially reported. Aliyev suffered a heart attack in 1987, and in 1999 traveled to the United States for a heart bypass. People in his oil- and gas-rich Caucasus nation got their first real glimpse that all was not right with the veteran leader when he collapsed not once but twice on live TV in April 2003. The presidential press service downplayed the incident, saying Aliyev had merely lost his balance after suffering a drop in blood pressure. But in August 2003, Aliyev was hospitalized in the United States for treatment of congestive heart failure and kidney problems. It was at that time that Aliyev's administration began the first dynastic succession in any former Soviet state. Heydar Aliyev's son, Ilham, was elevated to the post of prime minister on August 4 and won the presidency in October in an election criticized by opposition leaders and the international community. Opposition leaders alleged during campaigning that officials covered up the extent of Aliyev's illness to facilitate the process of handing power to his son. Heydar Aliyev died on December 12 of that same year, after leading post-Soviet Azerbaijan for more than a decade. He was 80. Saparmurat Niyazov Independent Turkmenistan's leader created one of the more bizarre personality cults in the former Soviet Union. Statues and portraits of the self-styled Turkmenbashi, Father of the Turkmen, were omnipresent. Cities, airports, and even a meteorite bore his name. Niyazov was said to have suffered from heart problems for several years, but media in tightly controlled Turkmenistan never made mention of it. It wasnt until November 2006 that Niyazov himself acknowledged he had heart disease. A month later, he was dead at 66. Turkmen state TV announced on December 21, 2006, that Niyazov had died of a sudden heart attack. Opposition activists, however, said Niyazov, had died three days earlier, according to a RIA Novosti report at the time. Niyazovs death created an instant power vacuum in Turkmenistan, as he regularly rotated officials so there was no one in the country who was an obvious replacement. As it turned out, a trained dentist and deputy prime minister, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, would be named acting president and Turkmen officials would rewrite the rulebook to allow him to stay on as president. Josef Stalin The Soviet dictator died on March 5, 1953, at one of his dachas Moscow-area dachas at the age of 74 after suffering a massive stroke. Several conspiracy theories claim he was poisoned by his entourage, but scant evidence has emerged to support that claim. News of his illness was published only a day before his death, when Stalin was already unconscious. After his stroke, Stalin was left alone for a few hours by his staff, who were too afraid to disturb him for fear of being accused of worsening his condition. The Soviet leadership at the time was in a quandary about what to do, since the death of Stalin was considered unimaginable. In the four days between his stroke and death, Stalin received practically no medical attention while Soviet leaders jostled for power. The Kremlin waited six hours to announce his death to the world and then to the Soviet people two hours after that. Kim Jong Il The North Korean dictator who drove his country into destitution and famine died of a heart attack on December 17, 2011, at the age of 69. State media in North Korea, however, did not announce his death until two days later on December 19. The delay was chalked up to political infighting and discussion on the makeup of the all-important funeral committee for the deceased leader. On the morning of December 19, the public was notified that a major announcement was coming in the afternoon. At noon, a TV news broadcast announced the death of Kim Jong Il and read out the 233 members of the funeral committee, topped by Kim Jong Un, his son and ultimately his successor. A year after Kim Jong Ils death, rumors still swirled about the circumstances surrounding it. A 2012 report in a South Korean newspaper said Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack sparked by a "fit of rage" over poor construction work at a hydroelectric power plant. A court in Kazakhstans northwestern city of Aqtobe has jailed a man for calling for a series of terrorist attacks to be carried out in neighboring Russia. The court said on September 2 that Almas Abdiraev, born in 1982, was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail. According to the court, Abdiraev tried to persuade two acquaintances to organize terrorist acts in Russia "as a response to Russia's military operations in Syria." On August 31, Kazakh authorities said they had apprehended 11 Islamists in the Aqtobe region, of which Aqtobe is the capital. In June, the government said a group of 25 alleged Islamic militants carried out a series of attacks that killed five civilians and three members of Kazakhstan's security forces in Aqtobe. Security forces who confronted the group killed 18 gunmen and arrested seven others who are awaiting trial on terrorism charges. Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has unveiled a memorial to victims of 1916 tsarist Russia's mass killing of Kyrgyz. Speaking at a ceremony for the memorial's opening near Bishkek on September 2, Atambaev called the events "a national liberation uprising for the preservation of native land and the struggle for freedom." He added that Kyrgyzstan and Russia share a common history and will share much in the future. During World War I, Russia decided to draft the indigenous peoples of Central Asia into the army as unarmed workers who would build trenches and fortifications. Many Kyrgyz and Kazakhs refused to go and openly rebelled against Russian authorities. It is believed that between 100,000 and 270,000 ethnic Kyrgyz were killed by tsarist Russia's punitive battalions, as hundreds of thousands of others fled to the neighboring Chinese province of Xinjiang. Last month, a public commission in Kyrgyzstan concluded that the 1916 mass crackdown was genocide. In April, Russian State Duma chairman Sergei Naryshkin rejected the genocide allegations in regard to the uprisings, saying that "all nations suffered 100 years ago." With reporting by Interfax At least 13 people were killed and 50 wounded in a bomb attack on a district court in northwestern Pakistan. Haris Habib, the chief rescue officer in the city of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, said on September 2 that the bodies of police, lawyers, and others were recovered. Reports say the attacker first threw a grenade at the court entrance and then blew himself up at the main gate. Some of the wounded are reportedly in critical condition. A spokesman for the extremist Muslim group Jamat ul-Ahrar, an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the bombing would "not shatter our unflinching resolve in our war against terrorism." "These receding elements are showing frustration by attacking our soft targets. They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," he said in a statement. Mardan city police official Faisal Shahzad described the attack to Radio Mashaal. "[The suicide attacker] was intercepted by police at the walk-through gate of the session courts...[and] threw a hand-grenade at the policemen, who [were] injured in the blast. The injured policemen opened fire and chased him." He said one policeman shot him dead and that the attacker's suicide belt exploded at that time. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said Moscow sees no need for talks with other major oil exporters on freezing output as long as prices stay around $50 a barrel. If prices fall, then Russia will consider resuming discussions with the OPEC oil cartel, Novak said on September 1, according to the ministrys press service. His comments helped send oil prices down by $1.44 to $45.45 a barrel in London trading. Novak last month said he was open to discussing an output freeze with OPEC despite their failure to agree on such a measure in April. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is due to meet again in Algiers later this month. After the April freeze proposal failed, Russia said it may boost crude output to a new post-Soviet record of almost 11 million barrels a day this year. Russia set its preliminary target for next year at 10.5 million to 11 million. The state is now weighing a new tax increase for its oil industry in 2017 with a decision possible in the fall as the nations economy struggles with its longest recession in two decades. Based on reporting by Bloomberg, AFP, and RIA Novosti Russian officials mostly shrugged off the impact of a new round of sanctions announced by the United States on September 1 targeting 37 individuals and companies involved in Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Companies helping to construct a bridge to Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, were among the biggest new targets, but the officials said they don't expect any impact from the sanctions. "The sanctions will not affect the construction of the bridge," said the project's Crimea Bridge infocenter, which noted that the bridge is being built without Western help. "The contractor has all the resources necessary for the timely completion of the project," it said. Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Aleksei Likhachev told TASS on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok that the economic loss from the sanctions would be "minimal," although he said Russia "regrets" the "hostile spirit" shown by the sanctions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the sanctions a "dead-end track" that fails to solve any problems. He suggested that Russia will respond in kind after analyzing them. "Generally, the principle of reciprocity is used in such cases," he said. Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax ON MY MIND Vladimir Putin appears to be scrapping the governing model he has relied on for the past 16 years. He's culling his inner circle, purging the elite, and trying to set some limits on the widespread graft that pervades the Russian system. In my latest Power Vertical blog post (featured below), I argue that, in doing so, Putin is essentially conducting a battle with himself. And on this week's Power Vertical Podcast, which will be online later today, my guests and I will look at what the "new Putinism" is likely to look like. Joining me will be Moscow-based political analyst Nikolai Petrov of the Center for Political and Geographic Studies, who has written extensively on the topic, and Sean Guillory of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies. So be sure to tune in! IN THE NEWS In an interview with Bloomberg, Vladimir Putin called the hack of the Democratic National Committee's e-mail servers a "public service" but says Russia didn't do it. The U.S. Treasury has expanded its list of Russian companies subject to sectoral sanctions. Russian officials, meanwhile, have mostly shrugged off the impact of a new round of sanctions. Iranian news agencies are reporting that Iran and Russia have agreed to start building two nuclear power plants in Iran's southern city of Bushehr this month. A group of women who blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Beslan school massacre have been sentenced to either community service or fined. Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said Moscow sees no need for talks with other major oil exporters on freezing output as long as prices stay around $50 a barrel. Russia's disabled athletes won't be allowed to compete as neutrals at the Rio Paralympics after their country was banned over doping allegations. Russian intelligence services are conducting "an information war" in the Czech Republic, warns the Central European country's counterintelligence agency, the BIS. Violence has abated in Ukraine's east as the warring sides made a fresh attempt at a cease-fire in a separatist conflict that has killed more than 9,500 people since April 2014. LATEST FROM THE POWER VERTICAL BLOG In the latest Power Vertical blog post, Putin Vs. Putin, I argue that the most consequential battle going on in Russia today is between Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Putin. WHAT I'M READING History As Scripture Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague and a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, has a piece in OpenDemocracy arguing that "education in Putin's Russia isn't about history, but scripture." "Russias new history is really about today. It is about everything from denigrating the status of Kyiv to shutting down historical debate," Galeotti writes. The Troops On The Border And the ever-prolific Galeotti also has a piece in Vox explaining why we shouldn't panic about Russia's troop buildup on Ukraine's border. "Russia is sending tens of thousands of troops to military installations near its border with Ukraine and holding snap military drills, sparking fears that a Russian invasion is imminent," Galeotti writes. "These fears are overblown, however, for one major reason that everyone seems to have overlooked: The Ukrainian military of today is very different from the ramshackle, demoralized force of 2014." Georgians And Ossetians Maxim Edwards, an editor at OpenDemocracy specializing in nationalism and minorities, has a piece looking at historic relations between Georgians and Ossetians and why they broke down in the 1990s. "Ossetians spoke Georgian, worshiped alongside Georgians and married Georgians. That they took up arms in the 1990s does not reflect the 'narcissism of small differences,' but a failure to compromise after these small differences had been institutionalized by the Soviet state. Weak states could not prevent the escalation to war," Edwards writes. Eastern Europe's Political Prisoners The new issue of New Eastern Europe looks at the plight of the region's political prisoners, including Andrey Sannikau of Belarus and Rasul Jafarov of Azerbaijan. NATO And The Black Sea Area Denitsa Raynova, a research associate with the European Leadership Network, has a piece on NATO's approach to Ukraine, Georgia, and the Black Sea area in the aftermath of the Warsaw summit. "Despite the rhetoric of the Warsaw Summit, NATO is yet to fully develop its approach to the partner countries in the Black Sea region and devise a viable strategy for its long-term relations with Georgia and Ukraine," Raynova writes. "Unless a more concerted effort is made to reshape the Alliances long-term vision for the two partnerships and project power in the region, the Black sea area risks becoming a permanent vulnerability and a potential source of instability." Moscow On The Vltava The new report by the Czech Republic's Security Information Service (BIS), the country's main intelligence agency, contains several morsels about Russia's increased activity in the past year, including a stepped-up disinformation campaign. The Lives Of Ministers Slon.ru has a piece, with a helpful infographic, taking a look at the average amount of years Russian officials remain in various top posts. The French Far Right In The Donbas War Euromaidan Press has translated into English a piece in the French publication Street Press looking at the participation of far-right French groups in the war in the Donbas. The Czech Far Right And The Donbas Separatists RFE/RL's Anthony Wesolowsky has a nice piece on the unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic opening a representative office in the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. The effort is being spearheaded by Czech citizen Nela Liskova, a member of the xenophobic National Militia movement. Like rivers, wars surge and recede; like oceans they move in tides. Early this month, the tide of Syria's civil war appeared to turn sharply in favor of the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad when they managed to break the regime's siege of the strategically vital city of Aleppo. It was a serious setback for Assad's forces, a loose coalition consisting of Hizballah, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Iraqi Shi'ite militias, potentially more than 2,500 Russian private military contractors, Russian soldiers, the remnants of the Syrian Army, and Kurdish splinter groups. Since then, the Russian air-powered fightback has begun. Much of the recent media attention on Syria has fallen on Russia's entry last year into the war to help prop up Assad. Its air strikes have been devastating -- especially to Syria's beleaguered civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to secure Russia's naval facility at Tartus, which will enable him to continue to project power in the Middle East. It also provides yet one more imperial adventure to distract his people from the contracting economy and increasingly lower standards of living they are now facing. And of course, he gets to thumb his nose at U.S. President Barack Obama, who has repeatedly stated that Assad must go. Iran Spends 'Billions' On Assad The fear of a revanchist Russia, threatening European stability with its interference in Ukraine and now threatening Middle East stability with its meddling in Syria, has transfixed observers. Turkey's recent foray into the conflict, on August 24, when its tanks and soldiers, backed by U.S. coalition air strikes, crossed the border to attack positions held by the militant group Islamic State (IS) near Jarablus, has only broadened -- and complicated -- the spectacle. But largely lost in all of this has been the role of Iran, which has supported Assad since almost the moment that his brutal crackdown on demonstrators turned mass protest into a civil war. The Syrian military, especially its air force, was always more of an arena for politicking than an effective fighting force. Without Iran -- and specifically the IRGC, led by the supremely gifted military strategist Qassem Soleimani -- there would be no Assad for Russia to prop up. Just days ago the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an exiled Iranian opposition group, presented a dossier to MailOnline, which claimed that, as well as running Iranian operations in Syria from a secret HQ in Damascus known as "the Glasshouse," there are, in fact, 60,000 fighters under Iranian command in Syria -- far more than the 16,000 previously thought. It also asserted that Iran has spent "billions" -- possibly as much as $100 billion -- on supporting Assad since 2011. Regional Outsider Given its hostility to the Islamic republic, the NCRI has most likely inflated these figures, which, the MailOnline article concedes, have not been independently verified but have been deemed "credible" by "intelligence experts." Matthew McInnis and Paul Bucala, analysts from AEI's Critical Threats team, told RFE/RL that those numbers are high. They estimate that at any given point in time, between 13,000 and 15,000 Iranian proxies -- including fighters from Hizballah and Shi'ite militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan -- are overseen by approximately 3,000 Iranian military officers and other personnel in Syria. "These numbers are not static and fluctuate based on rotational cycles and changing military requirements," McInnis noted. AEI estimates that beyond this there are at least 100,000 fighters who make up the Syrian National Defense Force (NDF), which the IRGC and their paramilitary Basij force have helped to establish to prop up the Assad government. What is not in doubt is that Iran has -- at a time when sanctions (since lifted following the deal struck last year to curb Iran's nuclear program) have bitten deep into its economy -- invested precious resources into a quagmire that it cannot afford. Its economy is in disarray, and even with the return of frozen assets and the possibility of increased global trade it is struggling with a host of serious domestic problems -- some of which, particularly the youth of its population and the state's inability to provide adequate employment for them, may yet prove existential. The question is why? And the answer is integral to understanding Syria's civil war. Iran is, like Israel, a regional outsider: a Shi'ite, Persian state in a predominantly Sunni Arab Middle East -- something it discovered to its cost when almost all the Arab states lined up behind Iraq during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. Syria was an exception. The two countries are long-standing allies. But it is more than that; Russia is not the only revanchist nation in great power politics today. Iran, increasingly guided more by the concerns of the IRGC than the clerics of the holy city of Qom, now seeks to dominate the Middle East. And for that Syria is vital. As Jonathan Spyer, the director of the Rubin Center at the IDC Herzliya, observes: "Iran wants to build a contiguous line of Iran-aligned states between the Iraq-Iran border and the sea. Syria forms an essential component in that. Syria is also essential for the maintenance of supply lines from Iran to its main proxy organization, the Lebanese Hizballah. It is Hizballah which gives Iran its physical connection to the struggle against Israel, a struggle to which Iran is committed both for pragmatic and ideological reasons." 'Assadistan' With its traditional adversary, Iraq, now to all intents and purposes a failed state under huge Iranian influence, and "the great Satan" -- the United States, as it is known by some of Iran's hard-line conservatives -- seemingly determined to pivot away from Saudi Arabia toward Tehran, the geopolitical map has re-formed almost perfectly in its favor. But maintaining this status quo is largely dependent on keeping Assad in power. As long as the supply routes to Hizballah remain open it can continue to harass and pressure Israel, Iran's only regional rival of any real power. More than this, if Assad falls he will almost certainly be replaced with a Sunni regime utterly hostile to Iran, both for sectarian reasons (since Sunnis make up more than 70 percent of the country's prewar population and because its likely constituents will have spent years being killed by Iran and its proxies. With Russian air power now in the fight this scenario is unlikely unless, as Spyer further observes, there is an opposing "commitment of Western air power to aggressively advance the rebels' cause." This is something he rightly assesses "almost certainly will not happen." At the same time, Assad remains too weak to reconquer most of the regions in Syria he has lost.The most likely scenario is a truncated "Assadistan" that allows Iran to keep both its supply lines to Hizballah and the contiguity of allied states. And Russia naturally gets to keep its air base. The losers are, once again, the Syrian people. Realpolitik in the Middle East is a dirty and nasty business, and Iran is its master practitioner. Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who ruled Central Asia's most populous ex-Soviet republic with an iron fist for a quarter-century, has died at the age of 78. Uzbek state television said on September 2 that Karimov died at 8:55 p.m. local time in Tashkent, five days after his daughter reported he was in intensive care after suffering a "brain hemorrhage." A former Communist Party boss, Karimov maintained his grip on power with the backing of a feared security apparatus accused of widespread rights abuses, a geopolitical balancing act between Russia and the West, and an unremitting expansion of presidential authority. He presided over what activists said was the systematic suppression of political dissent, forced labor in Uzbekistan's cotton fields, and the frequent use of torture by law enforcement and security forces. Karimov's death invites uncertainty over succession in a country where one man has been in power since before the Soviet collapse, encouraging a system of opaque government and a lack of experience with democracy and the rule of law. Born in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand in 1938, Karimov was trained as an economist. He rose to political preeminence in 1989, when he was elected first secretary of the Communist Party of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1990, amid his shift to the still-Soviet republic's presidency through a rubber-stamp vote, Karimov laid out the vision that would dominate Uzbek politics in the emerging state and for decades to come. "If you elect me president tomorrow, then I need the right to dissolve parliament. Then I would have the final word," he said. INFOGRAPHIC: Karimov's Lengthy Reign (click to expand) Karimov declared Uzbek independence on August 31, 1991, as the Soviet Union lurched toward collapse, and subsequently won the country's first presidential election. Each of his landslide reelections over the next two and a half decades -- with around 90 percent of the vote -- was dismissed by the West as neither free nor fair, and two were disputed by critics citing a constitutional ban on Uzbek presidents serving more than two terms. A wily political operator, Karimov consolidated power in the newly independent Uzbekistan, eventually used dubious public referendums, neutralization of the political opposition, and elimination of critical media to keep potential rivals -- and the public -- at bay. Allegations Of Torture In its annual human rights report in April, the U.S. State Department said that in Uzbekistan "the executive branch under President Islam Karimov dominated political life and exercised nearly complete control over the other branches of government." Karimov's tenure saw the Uzbek judicial system come under frequent criticism from international watchdogs for its allegedly routine use of torture against detainees. In 2007, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report titled Nowhere To Turn: Torture And Ill-Treatment In Uzbekistan. HRW's Geneva director, Juliette De Rivero, told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service at the time that "the main point of this report is to show that [torture] is a systematic practice [and] to show that at all stages of the judicial process detainees are put under pressure and put in situations in which they are likely to be tortured." Karimov was accused by some of using the threat of Islamist militancy to justify ruthless security practices. Brutal crackdowns on Islamic groups followed bombings in 1999 and 2004 and twin incursions by the banned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in 1999 and 2000. Berating lawmakers for a perceived laxity in combating Islamist radicals in the late 1990s, Karimov told parliament: "If you dont have the will to do it, give me a gun and I'll shoot them in the head myself." Karimov also leveraged Uzbekistan's location to build ties with Washington, offering logistical assistance for U.S.-led military operations across the border in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda. Rights activists accused U.S. officials of turning a blind eye to the Uzbek president's abuses in return for transit privileges, a charge Washington rejected. In May 2005, large protests and lawlessness in the eastern city of Andijon were brutally suppressed by Uzbek security forces, reportedly leading to hundreds of deaths. Karimov refused to allow an international investigation and continued to allege that the unrest was fomented by Islamic militants who had been trained abroad. Regional Hegemon Uzbekistan -- which borders each of the region's post-Soviet republics, as well as Afghanistan -- is Central Asia's most populous country with its largest armed forces. It also sits atop considerable oil and gas reserves. Under Karimov, the country sought to mold itself into a regional hegemon -- sometimes leading to adversarial relations with its neighbors and breakdowns over border and water issues in particular. Tashkent has repeatedly cited an Islamic extremism threat in closing Uzbek borders, complicating life for residents at home and in adjoining states in the culturally kaleidoscopic Ferghana Valley. Uzbek gas exports gave Karimov considerable leverage over poorer neighbors Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and there have been frequent gas cutoffs over unpaid bills and other disputes. Neighboring states accused Karimov's security forces of masterminding attacks on their soil or crossing their borders to seize people sought by Uzbek authorities. Despite criticism of its human rights record, Uzbekistan's location and energy resources have generally led Russia and Western powers to seek closer ties. But Karimov's policies have variously created friction between Tashkent and Russia, the United States, the European Union, and international financial institutions. During the 1990s, Tajikistan fell into civil war while Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were paralyzed by protests and standoffs between presidents and parliament, and many of Central Asia's emergent states were dependent on international aid for their survival. Uzbekistan, however, avoided major instability and was able to provide its people with basic goods and services, including utilities like electricity and natural gas. But observers say the combination of ruthless repression and poor living standards has provided fertile breeding ground for violent resistance. Uzbekistan has been criticized for a perceived lack of economic reform and condemned as riddled with rampant corruption and nepotism. It has also faced repeated criticism from international rights group for forced labor in its large cotton industry. A Family Affair Karimov's two daughters, Gulnara and Lola, are believed to have immensely benefited from the system. In 2011, the Karimova siblings were both included in the list of Switzerland's 300 wealthiest residents published by the Swiss business magazine Bilan. Karimov's elder daughter, Gulnara -- a prominent socialite and businesswoman once seen as a potential successor to her father as president -- has not appeared in public since 2014 amid reports that she had been placed under house arrest in Uzbekistan amid a corruption scandal. A day after the Uzbek government announced in a rare statement on August 28 that the president had been hospitalized, it was Lola who communicated with the world about her father's condition. "At the moment it is too early to make any predictions about his future health," read the August 29 post on Lola Tillyaeva-Karimova's Instagram. The post, written in Russian, Uzbek, and English, said her father was admitted to the hospital on August 28 and that his condition was "considered stable." Tillyaeva-Karimova, Uzbekistan's ambassador to UNESCO, called for people to "refrain from speculation" and to respect her family's privacy. With contributions from Antoine Blua, Bruce Pannier, and Carl Schreck In Uzbekistan, the zero hour has finally come. For the first time in 25 years of independence, Uzbeks awake to a country not ruled by Islam Abdughanaevich Karimov. This is the day that many in the diaspora and the opposition have longed for, that analysts and academics like me have been asked to game-plan for years, because it was clear that the most likely -- and possibly only -- pathway to political change in one of the world's most consolidated authoritarian regimes was that Karimov might finally succumb to the laws of nature. I have lost count of the conversations I have had with Uzbek friends over the years that trail off with "maybe after Karimov dies..." as they wonder aloud when they might see their families again, travel outside their home country, start a business, study abroad -- all things that became impossible or fraught with danger for many as Uzbekistan steadily grew more isolated, its economy and society coming under ever-tighter control. A few weeks ago, I drove with an ethnic Uzbek friend in southern Kyrgyzstan along the tall barbed-wire fence that marks the Uzbek border and looked across at the weapons-toting guards on foot patrol. We had both lived in Tashkent for several years and both talked about how much we wished we could return. He shook his head and smiled: "After Karimov dies..." INFOGRAPHIC: How Did Karimov's Tenure Compare? (click to expand) Today is that day. The new era has suddenly arrived, but what will change? No matter how many panels and think pieces have been devoted to predicting this moment, no matter how many dozens of articles are written following the 78-year-old Karimov's death, claiming to predict his successor and lay out the potential directions for the future of a volatile region's most populous country, the uncomfortable truth is that we have very little idea. A scenario many pundits warned we should fear has become reality: Karimov has passed without choosing an "heir" or leaving a clear road to succession. Those who have focused their attention on him personally, rather than the system that developed under him, long warned this could have nightmarish consequences: Islamists that only Karimov's steady hand could supposedly keep in check would erupt from the ever-"simmering" Ferghana Valley; or the country would devolve into open warfare among the country's "clans" that Karimov -- an orphan raised by the Soviet state without political family connections -- had "masterfully balanced" against one another. While there is a grain of truth in these prevailing narratives, their real commonality is that both are myths used to justify claims that the people of Uzbekistan cannot be trusted to govern themselves. These are the founding myths that justify the existence of Uzbekistan's version of what political scientist Alena Ledenova has called sistema in Putin's Russia -- another highly personalized authoritarian system that has evolved a logic of power that far exceeds the personal reach of a single man or likely the limits of his lifetime. Today Karimov is gone, but the vast security state and strict political economy that developed in the period when his portrait watched over every classroom and office is likely to survive him -- in no small part because the myths that justified them are alive and well. As Central Asia scholars like Larry Markowitz and Scott Radnitz have described, the political economy that developed in Uzbekistan stands in marked contrast to its neighbors for the degree to which it created a centralized state and loyalty to it as the locus of the entire economy, protected by a security apparatus that could discipline and punish local actors who refused to submit. Outside that "coercive, rent-seeking state" few opportunities exist for advancement, which means the remaining elites -- with or without Karimov -- have little to no incentive to change the political economy from which they all benefit, and the overwhelming reach of the security apparatus ensures that no one else is in a position to challenge them. Everyday life under this sistema and the coercive power of the country's dominant myths can be seen in a case that unfolded earlier this year. Aramais Avakian was a small-time local entrepreneur in the arid Jizzakh region who owned a property with two small ponds. He attempted to make his livelihood by raising fish in his ponds and had moderate success -- a small aquaculture operation with a few employees -- until his business caught the eye of his local hokim (district mayor), who exercised his authority in the "coercive, rent-seeking" state to demand Avakian sign over his land. He refused. Before long, Avakian was stopped by the police and arrested on charges of being a supporter of Islamic State (IS), after which his family and lawyers attest he was beaten and mistreated until he "confessed" that he and all of his employees were a secret IS cell that were determined to overthrow the government. Among the many problems with the narrative is that Avakian -- an ethnic Armenian and Orthodox Christian -- is not even a Muslim. For the system that has taken root in Uzbekistan, however, this was no obstacle to sending him to jail for years as an Islamist. This, then, is the system that remains, and one that is unlikely to change with or without Karimov. As political scientist Eric McGlinchey put it earlier this year, "The Uzbek ruling class...has a strong incentive to maintain the autocratic regime that is the wellspring of financial wealth." The security apparatus that supports this regime -- which many argue long ago grew more powerful than Karimov himself -- is predicated in no small part on the argument that without them an Islamist uprising would engulf the country and from there, overwhelm the region. As we watch events unfold over the coming weeks -- especially if we see the hopes of so many Uzbeks dashed with little to no change in their everyday lives save the portrait on the wall -- remember the story of the fish farmer from Jizzakh as pundits and defenders sell the false dilemma of "autocracy or Islamic State." There are other choices: In 25 years, the Uzbeks have never had an opportunity to find out what they are. Noah Tucker is managing editor at Registan.net and an associate at George Washington University's Elliot School of International Affairs Central Asia Program In a country whose government kept silent for four full days after revealing that its only post-Soviet leader was in the hospital with an undisclosed ailment, it's tough to read the tea leaves about who might come to power in the wake of President Islam Karimov, whose death was announced by Uzbek state TV on September 2. There have been hints, however, that Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev could be the most likely candidate. Experts outside Uzbekistan spoke of Mirziyaev as a main contender for the helm in the first days after the government's August 28 announcement. There were further indications later in the week when Mirziyaev led a procession to lay flowers at the Independence Monument in Tashkent on August 31, the eve of Uzbekistan's Independence Day. That task had previously been reserved for Karimov. And on September 1 -- a day before the government announced that Karimov was in critical condition after a stroke -- Mirziyaev abruptly flew to Samarkand, the president's native town. Reports from RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik, showed there was frantic activity under way cleaning streets and digging in the cemetery where Karimov's mother and one of his brothers are buried. Mirziyaev, 58, has been in his post since 2003, making him the longest serving prime minister in Uzbekistan's 25-year history as an independent country. Prior to that he was the governor of the Samarkand Province (2001-03), and the Jizzakh Province (1996-2001). He was reportedly born in the Jizzakh area. His parents were doctors. In his university years Mirziyaev trained in irrigation and mechanized farming. He became a local leader in the Komsomol, the Soviet-era youth group. 'Hot Temper' Mirziyaev has spent his time as prime minister in the shadow of Karimov, drawing little attention despite what some who have known him say is a hot temper and a stubborn streak. Sharaf Ubaidullaev, who served as Karimov's spokesman during the 1990s and is no longer in Uzbekistan, described Mirziyayev as an "unpredictable" man and one "who always believes he is right." During his tenure as governor of Jizzakh, Mirziyayev was reported to have beaten up a farmer who dared complain about the situation in the province. Ubaidullaev told RFE/RL that this happened to more than one farmer, and that it was known that people who failed to meet state production quotas were likely to be punished once Mirziyaev found out. Asked whether he thought Mirziyaev would be a better or worse president than Karimov, Ubaidullaev was quick with his answer: "Worse." He also expressed doubt that Mirziyaev could lead Uzbekistan effectively on his own, saying: "He is not independent like Karimov." Ubaidullaev suggested that made it all the more probable that Mirziyaev would lead an "oligarchy," granting informal power to tycoons in what he said would be one of the worst scenarios for Uzbekistan. Uzbekistans constitution says that if the president dies or is unable to perform his duties, the head of the upper chamber of parliament assumes the president's authority for a period of three months, and a new election is held. The current head of the upper chamber, Nigmatulla Yuldashev, is not widely seen as a likely contender for the presidency. In addition to Mirziyaev, others viewed as potential successors of Karimov include Finance Minister Rustam Azimov, 56, and National Security Committee (SNB) chief Rustam Inoyatov, 72. With reporting by RFE/RLs Uzbek Service and Reuters Mohammad Nayeb-Zehi was among the hundreds of worshippers who gathered on September 30 at the Great Mosalla, a religious site in Iran's southeastern city of Zahedan, for Friday Prayers. Just hours later, the 16-year-old's family learned he was dead. Nayeb-Zehi was among the scores of people gunned down by security forces in a brutal crackdown following anti-government protests in Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan-Baluchistan Province, which is home to the country's Baluch minority. "He was a simple laborer and not political," Nayeb-Zehi's brother, Ahmad, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda in a telephone interview from Zahedan, adding that his sibling had been shot in the heart. "We're in pain, and we cannot accept it." The crackdown in Zahedan came amid weeks-long nationwide protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who died on September 16, days after she was detained by Iran's morality police. In Sistan-Baluchistan, public anger at the authorities escalated amid reports that a 15-year-old Baluch girl had been raped by a police official in the province's southern port city of Chabahar. The violence erupted soon after protesters gathered outside a police station near the central mosque in Zahedan. Members of the crowd chanted anti-government slogans, and some threw rocks. Security forces responded with deadly force by firing on the crowd from the station, according to witnesses. Security forces also raided the central mosque and the nearby Great Mosalla and opened fire on worshippers using live ammunition, rights groups said, adding that many were shot in the head, heart, neck, or torso, revealing a clear intent to kill or seriously wound. At least 94 people were killed and 350 wounded on that day, referred to as "Bloody Friday," according to the U.S.-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. At least 13 minors were among those killed, including Nayeb-Zehi. The victims were overwhelmingly Baluch -- a mostly Sunni ethnic group that has long faced disproportionate discrimination at the hands of the Iranian authorities. "He was martyred inside the Mosalla while holding his prayer mat," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. Nayeb-Zehi's family first visited Zahedan's Khatam al-Anbia hospital, hoping he was among the wounded. They later found his body in a seminary at the Great Mosalla. "We entered a room there and saw about 10 bodies," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. "[Mohammad] was among them." He said the authorities prevented the family from filming the scene. "I told them this has to be documented, it has to be published by international media," he said, adding that footage later emerged on social media showing the gruesome scene at the seminary. The family refused to send Nayeb-Zehi's body to the morgue. Instead, his body lay in the living room for around 24 hours before he was buried. "We said he was martyred and there was no need for an autopsy," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. The authorities accused Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group, of attacking the police station. The group is recognized as a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States and has previously claimed deadly attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan targeting Iranian security forces. But local and independent sources have rejected the authorities' claims. The authorities have also reported a much lower number of fatalities, announcing that only 19 people, including several members of the security forces, were killed. Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi said the authorities were "rubbing salt into the wounds of the people" by claiming "terrorists" were involved. He said he witnessed a military helicopter shooting at civilians near the Great Mosalla. "I haven't even seen such scenes in Hollywood movies," he said. "A helicopter was shooting at people. A lady was shot in front of my eyes." RFE/RL could not verify his account. But activists have accused security forces of shooting at protestors from helicopters. "I don't know what the intention of this crime was," he said. "Our only demand from the establishment is for the murderers of our [family members] to be punished." The killings have led to widespread anger in Sistan-Baluchistan, one of Iran's poorest provinces. Anti-establishment protests have been reported in Zahedan since the crackdown, including on October 14 and October 21, when protesters took to the streets after Friday Prayers and chanted "Death to the dictator." During his Friday Prayers sermon on October 21, influential Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi said senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were "responsible" for the September 30 killings. "We are surprised by the silence of the high-ranking officials," he said in his sermon, which was posted on his website. "Scores were killed here without any reason. I don't have the exact number. Some have reported 90, some say less, some say more," Ismaeelzahi added. He also said people will not be satisfied until "those who killed the people" are brought to justice. The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center said the events of September 30 amounted to "a massacre of protesters by security forces." "The government's total denial of responsibility for the massacring of citizens by its security apparatus is consistent with similar past denials and is evidence that internal calls for investigation of such crimes are insufficient," said the rights group, which documents human rights violations in Iran. Islam Karimov, 78, was one of the longest-serving leaders in the post-Soviet era. Let us look at the 27 years of the leadership of Karimov, who was born in the Soviet Uzbekistans Samarkand region. Virginia launched a newly designed program this week for thousands of people with disabilities as part of a years-long negotiation with the federal government. The new program takes Virginia one step closer to completing the requirements laid out in a 2012 settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice over the way the state distributes money for services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. An advocate for disabled Virginians said the new program is a positive development for a system she believes is in crisis, but she worries that more will be needed from the state to adequately meet the needs of the 12,255 families on a waiting list for services. Under the new program, the states roughly 40 community services boards will serve as the single entry point for all families seeking waivers, or slots, for services, said Connie Cochran, assistant commissioner of developmental services for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Also, starting this week, the waivers have been recategorized so that theyre no longer specific to certain disabilities, and the state has increased the payments for some services in the hope of attracting new providers. The three new categories are called community living, family and independent support, and building independence waivers. They replace the intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities and day support waivers. The term waiver means the federal and state governments are paying for community-based services that prior to the 1980s could have been purchased only if the disabled person lived in an institution, said Dawn Traver, director of waiver operations for the department. The switch was designed to be seamless for people already receiving services, Traver said. Families did not have to reapply for one of the new waivers. The state has worked with the people on the waiting lists to make sure theyre prioritized based on the urgency of their needs, Traver said. As of last week, there were 12,255 people on waiting lists for the three old waivers, said Maria Reppas, spokeswoman for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The number of people waiting after the change took effect on Thursday was not immediately available. Some people on the list need intensive help, such as in-home specialists, but many need less expensive services, such as a wheelchair ramp or a backyard fence to keep autistic children from running away, said Jamie Liban, executive director of the Arc of Virginia, a nonprofit that advocates for people with disabilities. What Virginia has done for decades is wait until a family is in total crisis before it offers even an ounce of help, Liban said. Either the caregiver is very old, aging, or passed away until help has been provided, which results in a very expensive array of services. Providing less expensive services early on would prevent caretakers from burning out, which in turn prevents costlier services for families that wind up in crisis, Liban said. There arent enough service providers for families now, Liban said, and she worries the new system doesnt go far enough in attracting new ones. You can have services in a waiver program, but if you dont have providers, that service doesnt mean anything to families, Liban said. Cochran said the new system is supposed to better match the people on the list with their specific needs, which should allow more people to be served, but that remains to be seen. Redesigning the waivers was not designed to address the backlog of individuals waiting for services, Cochran said. Also, the department has given grants to eight-day providers to promote community engagement and reduce the use of group day programs, Cochran said. The grants also require the providers mentor others looking to shift their models. After a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1999, Olmstead v. L.C., the federal government has been pushing states to offer more community-based services so fewer people with disabilities are forced to live in institutions. In 2012, Virginia settled with the Department of Justice over its handling of disabled residents and agreed to make changes. ALEXANDRIA A federal judge Friday rejected an effort to question Harold W. Clarke, the director of the Virginia Department of Corrections, in a suit filed against a corrections officer by one of two prisoners involved in an inmate-on-inmate assault three years ago. However, U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson had a suggestion for the Virginia Attorney Generals office about considering a settlement in the case: The issues are significant and could have an impact beyond this case. I think the defendant should take that into account. Anderson also expressed concern over the recent deposition of an official with the Department of Corrections that appears to undermine the account of an officer who said missing video evidence in the case was inadvertently erased from his computer during a refresh by a third-party vendor in 2014. Lawyers for inmate James H. Raynor are focusing on the Department of Corrections policy or lack thereof on the retention of video surveillance recordings and allege that the department is not following state document and video retention requirements set by the Library of Virginia. Raynor, an inmate at Sussex II State Prison, alleges his rights were violated in 2013 when a corrections officer failed to protect him from another inmate who knocked him down with punches and injured him. Raynor argues that video surveillance recordings he asked to be saved support his claims, but that they were lost or destroyed in violation of state law. Prison officials questioned in the case said copies of the recordings were inadvertently erased from a computer or otherwise lost over the years. They said they were unaware of the Library of Virginia requirements that recordings of certain events be kept for a period of five years. An assistant attorney general earlier said the loss of the recordings was accidental as if they had been destroyed in a fire and, in any case, there is no audio on the recording and it would be of little or no value to Raynor. Raynors lawyers, who are with McGuireWoods, contend that the department is systemically violating state law on preserving video, which is automatically recorded over and lost every 30 to 60 days unless saved. They wanted to question Clarke, who signed the Library of Virginia document retention schedule in 2011, of which other prison officials are unaware. At Fridays hearing before Anderson, J. Michael Parsons, an assistant attorney general, argued against the subpoena for Clarke to give a deposition on the video retention issue, telling Anderson, Weve gone down a rabbit trail here. Anderson responded, Its turned into something really pretty serious. However, Anderson said that if Clarke had no additional knowledge of the specific incident in question he could not see why Clarke would need to give a deposition. Larissa Sneathern, one of Raynors lawyers, said it was Clarke who signed the state librarys retention schedule for the Department of Corrections in 2011. He is the only person in the department who is tied to the document retention schedule of the state library. However, asked if Clarke had any personal knowledge of the 2013 incident, Sneathern conceded she did not know. Anderson reminded the lawyers Friday that the need to file analyses with the court by Tuesday on how the recent deposition testimony from the departments go-to guy on questions about prison video surveillance bears on their positions in the case. The judge said he was troubled by the deposition testimony, which appears in conflict with the states earlier position that the video was erased inadvertently from an officers computer; that efforts were made to retrieve the video; and that the officer did not know the video clips could be erased from his computer during a refresh. That is some serious discrepancy there. ... Ive got to say thats really very concerning to the court, he told Parsons. Anderson recalled that another representative of Parsons office likened the loss to a fire loss and the new deposition suggested otherwise. A prisoner civil rights suit in federal court in Norfolk filed by an inmate who alleged officers used excessive force against him was settled in July after his lawyer sought sanctions against the defendant as are Raynors lawyers over missing video that the inmate said would have supported his claim. The Virginia Attorney Generals office had denied that the Department of Corrections fails to follow established document retention guidelines. Chesterfield County police said they apprehended a suspected heroin dealer who authorities said eluded capture when officers tried to arrest him Wednesday. Chesterfield officers, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, arrested Gary M. Woodson, 27, about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the 2400 block of West Main Street in Richmond. He was taken into custody without incident, Chesterfield police said in a release. Police said Woodson, who has no known permanent address, was being sought on two counts of sale of a controlled substance (heroin). When officers attempted to take him into custody about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 7000 block of Tim Price Way, Woodson struck three police vehicles to elude arrest while driving away, police said. Woodson fled east on Midlothian Turnpike into Richmond with officers in pursuit. Police terminated the pursuit when they lost sight of Woodson in the area of Midlothian Turnpike and Rodman Road. During the pursuit, an unmarked police vehicle struck a resident's vehicle, but no one was injured in the crash. Police obtained warrants for Woodson charging him with the sale of a controlled substance (heroin); conspiracy to violate the drug control act; maintaining a common nuisance; assault and battery of a police officer; felony hit and run; obstruction of justice; felony eluding police; resisting arrest; and driving while suspended. UPDATE: A 53-year-old Chesterfield man who was reported missing Thursday has been found. David Ricky Coleman was found Friday, Chesterfield County police said in a statement Saturday. Earlier story: Police are searching for a Chesterfield County man who has been missing since 11 a.m. Friday. David Ricky Coleman, 53, was last seen at his home in the 6100 block of Kim Court, not far from where Chippenham Parkway crosses Walmsley Boulevard. Coleman, who has numerous health conditions and likely needs his medication, could be on foot, police said. Coleman is a black man, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing about 190 pounds. He's missing some teeth and walks with a distinct limp, dragging his right leg, police said. He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt that says America on the front, brown khaki pants and blue tennis shoes. A Richmond man has been indicted on multiple charges in connection with a homicide last month in East Richmond. Daquan W. Morris, 24, of the 1800 block of North 23rd Street, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Morris had been arrested shortly after the shooting, which happened just before midnight on Aug. 26, according to police. Two people were shot during the shooting in the 2300 block of Bethel Street, near Whitcomb Street, police said. Joseph C. Johnson, 44, of the 1900 block of Whitcomb Street died of his injuries at a hospital, police said. A female was also shot and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The police investigation revealed that a fight broke out at a party and gunshots were fired. CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 1, 2016/ -- The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, has announced that Canada will contribute CA$22.6 million over five years to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI) to train African mathematical scientists to develop climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions. With the funding, AIMS will expand its successful model of training African post-graduate students in advanced mathematical sciences to incorporate a greater focus on climate change. The funding will be delivered via Global Affairs Canada (CA$19.6 million) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) (CA$3 million). IDRC will manage the funding on behalf of the Government of Canada. With this Government of Canada funding, AIMS will develop a specialized program in climate change at AIMS-Rwanda and a climate change course option will be offered at all AIMS centres. AIMS will also support up to three research chairs to lead some 50 African researchers to build a specialized body of knowledge in addressing the impacts of climate change in Africa. AIMS will create a climate change internship program for its students and alumni, as well as research fellowships for outstanding African women mathematical scientists to conduct climate change research. An additional AIMS centre will be opened in Francophone Africa. advertisements Already, AIMS alumni have demonstrated their impact on climate change research. For instance, alumni have developed crop models to estimate the future of food security in the face of a changing climate, used mathematical modelling to help industry convert waste to energy, and developed models to understand the diffusion patterns of infectious diseases as warming climates lengthen transmission seasons. Quotes This initiative demonstrates Canadas commitment to Africas youth and their ability to find lasting solutions to the worlds most pressing challenges, like climate change. AIMS will make great strides to increase the recruitment and advancement of young mathematical scientists, especially women, in Africa. - Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions depend on expert mathematical scientists who understand the local and regional context. This investment by the Government of Canada will build local capacity in science and mathematics that will contribute to solutions for Africa as it faces the challenges of a changing climate. - Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science We support AIMS belief that the next Einstein will be African. This initiative is of that spirit and will show that Africans are both better able to understand and solve their regions unique climate challenges as well as capable of producing the worlds next big climate change innovation. - Jean Lebel, President, IDRC We are thrilled to receive this investment from the Government of Canada at a time when the world and Africas efforts are focused on the sustainable development of the continent and its most valuable human resourceits youth. - Thierry Zomahoun, President and CEO, AIMS Quick facts Canada is contributing CA$22.6 million over five years to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI) so it can train African mathematical scientists to develop climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions. This funding includes CA$19.6 million from Global Affairs Canada and CA$3 million from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). AIMS has six centres, located in South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Rwanda. AIMS has produced 1,211 graduates, 32% of whom are women. This new funding builds on past contributions, managed by IDRC, from the Government of Canada (CA$20 million, 2011-2015) and the UKs Department for International Development (CA$29 million, 2012-2017), in addition to CA$2 million in IDRC funding, to expand the AIMS network. IDRC has supported more than CA$190 million in climate change programming since 2006, while strengthening the capacity of more than 165 institutions and more than 1,000 researchers to conduct climate change research. Home Email ABINGDON Feeding America Southwest Virginias Abingdon location was host to a number of state representatives and local government officials Thursday for its sixth annual Elected Officials Day. The event is an opportunity for representatives from the national, state and county level to assist with sorting, packing and salvaging donated food. State Sen. Bill Carrico, R-Galax, U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, and Virginia Delegate Israel OQuinn, R-Bristol, were among those who emphasized the importance of helping those in need in Southwest Virginia. The bottom line is, our children shouldnt be going hungry in the United States of America, said Griffith. He added that its crucial that those who are dealing with hunger get the help they need. When youre hungry, you just cant enjoy life, Carrico said, adding that organizations like Feeding America make a huge difference. OQuinn presented the group with a proclamation signed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe that says September is Hunger Awareness Month. He added that some studies show a direct correlation between student grades and the amount of food available to them. To help combat the problem, programs that provide meals for impoverished students have been implemented in many areas in Southwest Virginia, he said. Abingdon Mayor Cathy Lowe and Washington County Supervisor Phil McCall worked with more than two dozen other volunteers to unpack and salvage pallets of donated food, sorting the boxes and throwing away anything that was outdated or damaged. Derek Kitts, Democratic candidate for the 9th District congressional seat held by Griffith, stressed the importance of the event. It [hunger] is one of the biggest problems that we as a society have that we can fix , he said. Pam Irvine, president of Feeding America Southwest Virginia, said more than 150,000 people are food insecure in Southwest Virginia, and its important for the community to come together to help those in need. Shirley Dawn McCormick, 84, of Wytheville, died Tuesday, August 30, 2016. She was born to Alvey Hovey and Leola Clark McCormick on October 6, 1931 in Waiteville, W.Va. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by an uncle, several aunts and cousins.Her formal education consisted of public school, Waiteville, W.Va.; degrees from Concord College, Athens, W.Va.; and Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Va. Her professional life centered around teaching; 15 years Pearisburg [she taught at Pearisburg Elementary School from January 1953 until June 1953 and she taught at Pearisburg and Giles High Schools from August 1953 until June 1968] and 24 years at Wytheville Community College [from September 1968 until her retirement in June 1992.] After retirement, she devoted her life to volunteer work. All involved activities of a dedication to others which included Hospice, Boyd Museum, Relay for Life and church activities and classes at St. Paul United Methodist Church.During college and her teaching career, she was a member of many service, professional and honorary organizations. In 1957 she was initiated into the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, an international organization for women educators, and remained active for many years. After retirement from WCC she was designated the honor of Professor Emeritus by the college president and local board in 1998.From an early age, Miss Cormick was a believing Christian and attempted to model her relationships and actions on Christian principles. Her first church membership was at New Zion Union Church, Waiteville, WV; then First Methodist Church, Pearisburg; and from 1968 until her death, St. Paul United Methodist Church, Wytheville.Survivors include cousins, Clara Ferguson of Rock Camp, W.Va., Bobbie Jean Spangler of Peterstown, WV, Jane Harrell of Houston, Texas and their families. Since childhood her parents provided a home for foster children and regarded each as members of the family. These include Mable M. Martin of Pearisburg, Dorothy M. Lafon of Pikeville, Ky. and Bobby Massie of Blacksburg. She is also survived by many special friends and thousands of former students.Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul United Methodist Church, 330 Church Street, Wytheville, VA 24382 or to the Wytheville Community College Educational Foundation, Inc., 1000 East Main Street, Wytheville, VA 24382 for the "Shirley McCormick Scholarship Endowment "that she established in 2014.Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, September 2, 2016 at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Interment will follow at New Zion Union Church Cemetery, Waiteville, WV. The family will receive friends one hour before service time at the church.Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.highlandfuneralservice.comBarnett Funeral Home, Wytheville, Va. is serving the family. "The HoseMaster is the funniest satirist writing about wine in the world today." --Karen MacNeil --Terry Theise HoseMaster HoseMaster HoseMaster --Robert Parker "...With sometimes crude analogies and occasional droppings of f-bombs, Washam cleverly uses satire to expose the underbelly of the wine business. It's often hilarious stuff as long as you're not the one being lampooned. Washam takes no prisoners in skewering all that is silly, stupid, frustrating and pretentious about wine, and his favorite targets are other bloggers and writers. No one is immune." -- Linda Murphy in "Vineyard and Winery Management" -- JancisRobinson.com " Hosemaster of Wine First: Im not sure if there is anyone better at cutting through the confidence trick that is often intrinsic to the business of wine. Second: in a world where offending people appears to border on the illegal, the Hosemaster piles in. No one is safe." --Joss Fowler "Vinolent.com" "As serious as the world of wine is, it does allow time for humor. Each Monday and Thursday, Ron Washam customarily posts a commentary on his needling wine blog HoseMaster of Wine . Washam, a former sommelier and comedy writer he might say they are closely related is the most opinionated, humorous and ribald observer in the wine world. His body of work is irreverent and remorseless. Its almost always satire and parody, though he occasionally drifts into straight commentary, sometimes even with tasting notes. This past year, one of his posts was named the best of the year in the Wine Blog Awards. His success has spawned several imitations, which in their awkwardness show just how difficult satire is." --Mike Dunne, Sacramento Bee Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/01/21/6089630/dunne-on-wine-wine-blogs-and-bloggers.html#storylink=cpy "Please let this guy write the scripts for Saturday Night Live which has gotten so lame...his newest "wisdom" is worth an Emmy....I wonder if he is the genius behind all those Hitler/Parker,etc. clips? No one else is remotely as funny or as talented.And the wine world sure needs someone to poke fun at all the nonsense and phoney/baloney unsufferable crap out there." --Robert Parker " Washam uses his own blog, HoseMaster of Wine , to skewer the industry in general and wine blogs in particular. If your mouse scoots to your browser's close box while reading a wine blog, Washam may be the blogger for you." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Ron Washam, former sommelier, is easily the most bitingly funny blogger/wine writer that we have ever come across. He is an equal opportunity crusader who pillories big wineries and amateur bloggers alike, as well as everything and everyone in between...One needs a sense of humor and a tolerance for earthiness to enjoy reading The Hosemaster . We must have both because this guy deserves a wider audience, in our humble opinion." --Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine --Steve Heimoff "This site should carry a warning label. It's sort of a Dave Barry/George Carlin approach to wine. The Hosemaster (real name Ron Washam) skewers fellow bloggers and industry savants with glee, while offering hilarious wine guides such as his Honest Guide to Grapes... --Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times "Washam is a skilled wine judge (I have judged with him) who is willing to judge wine double blind, in public . To my knowledge, Parker does not do this and never has. So Ron's credentials are in place, and so is his sense of the absurd." --Dan Berger, VintageExperiences "...I consider Ron a talented writer and Ive long been an admirer of his scathing wit..." --1WineDude "And if any free sites think they can conquer the world, theres always the Hosemaster to take em down a notch." --Tyler Colman "Dr. Vino" --Jo Diaz "Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz" "I must say you are an idiot. I've never liked you. I have no idea why people find you funny." --Reign of Terroir --Will Lyons (WSJ) on Twitter --Levi Dalton on Twitter very Metropolitan Council The inability of Minnesota lawmakers to hold a special session will not result in the doom of the Southwest LRT project. The Metropolitan Council (Met Council) said the project is officially moving forward, after securing the remaining local funding commitments. The Met Council, Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) and Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority each approved additional funding commitments to position Southwest LRT to secure more than $900 million in federal funds for half the construction costs. Met Council voted Aug. 31 to authorize the future issuance of Certificates of Participation for $103.5 million. CTIB and Hennepin County each agreed to contribute an additional $20.5 million. These contributions will together fill a $144.5 million funding gap, made up by the remaining necessary state match of $135 million plus $9.5 million in local delay costs caused by the legislatures inaction in May. Met Council will issue the certificates in July 2017, which gives time for the legislature to weigh in during the next legislative session, at which time the council hopes it will vote to approve increased transit funding and make the certifications unnecessary. If the certificates are issued, the council will finance $91.75 million of the certificates, while CTIB will finance $11.75 million. The federal government will now prepare to execute an agreement next year to pay half the projects costs, which amount to nearly $929 million of the $1.858 billion project, as a result of these actions. We are close to completing the design and beginning to prepare final specifications for the blueprints for potential contractors to examine and prepare their bids, said Met Council Chair Adam Duininck. Restarting the project at a later date would have been nearly impossible and abandoning the work would have jeopardized our relationship with the Federal Transit Administration. Quitting now would have left uncertain the fate of other regional transit projects such as the Metro Blue Line LRT Extension, the Gateway bus rapid transit line and the entire transitway system. The local funding commitments were made following a public discussion on Aug. 25 called by Gov. Mark Dayton, where he expressed support for the option. As laid out at the meeting, without the stopgap funding, the project would have been forced to lay off 45 agency staff and permanently reassign 86 consultants, incurring $5 million in shutdown costs and likely permanently killing the project. To date, local partners have spent more than $140 million on design and environmental work. There was a huge show of support at that meeting, from business, labor, local elected officials, and communities of color, who together advocated for SWLRT, said Duininck. They understand that we need to expand the Green Line to connect people in St. Paul and Minneapolis, as well as those along the future Blue Line Extension, to the jobs-rich southwest communities. This line will connect people with jobs and provide another transit option for southwest commuters. It will also advance equity, providing transit options to the many people of color living along the corridor throughout Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Minnetonka, Hopkins and Eden Prairie. Certificates of Participation function similar to bonds. Duininck says while they were not an ideal path forward, it was a better option than shutting down the project or facing additional delay costs, amounting to $1 million a week since the end of the previous legislative session. I remain hopeful that the legislature will act next year to approve a regional transit sales tax. This would not only make it unnecessary to issue the certificates, but would provide the capital and operating costs necessary for SWLRT and future transit investments, he said. The Japanese government will propose wide-ranging cooperation in the energy sector with Moscow that could even include investment in a Russian state-owned oil giant, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. The Nikkei reported that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is considering investing up to 1 trillion yen or $9.68 billion in Russian oil company Rosneft through the government-backed Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., known as Jogmec. However, some other report quoted Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko as saying that it was not true that Japan was considering investing in Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft. Earlier, Nikkei reported that Japan presented an eight-point plan for economic cooperation to Russia in May including partnerships in energy, the development of small and midsize businesses and industrial diversification. With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visiting Russia on Friday, Tokyo seeks to craft a framework for even stronger energy-related partnerships. Japan will consider joint surveys for oil and gas projects in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Resource development projects in the Arctic Ocean would violate sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and other nations, so Japan will focus on Russia's resource-rich eastern regions. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Fitch Ratings maintained the sovereign ratings of Qatar at 'AA' with a Stable Outlook, citing its large sovereign assets and fiscal adjustment efforts. The agency, however, said that the hydrocarbon dependence is a key rating weakness, with oil and gas extraction averaging 50 percent of GDP and 80 percent of external receipts and government revenue. Other weaknesses include a government debt level above those of rated peers, and mediocre scores on the World Bank's measures of governance and the environment, Fitch said. The fall in oil and gas prices has resulted in sharply lower government revenues, but the agency observed that a fiscal adjustment is under way. Fitch assumed that the full-year spending to be close to budgeted amounts. Fitch also noted that the authorities are financing deficits by issuing debt instead of drawing on assets held by the Qatar Investment Authority. Assets of QIA, which are not officially disclosed, are forecast to rise to an estimated $338 billion in 2016 from $318 billion in 2015, Fitch said. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. European stocks held steady on Friday, as oil prices rebounded from overnight losses and survey data from Markit showed the downturn in U.K. construction activity has eased considerably since July, following Britain's June 23 vote to leave the EU. Also, the pace of decline in Eurozone producer prices eased for a third consecutive month in July. Oil prices recovered some ground after losses of more than 3 percent Thursday, but remain on track for their biggest weekly losses since mid-January amid signs of inventory builds and doubts over potential OPEC action to freeze output. Market attention remains focused on the upcoming U.S. jobs report, which could provide important clues on the timing of the next increase in the Fed funds rate. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index was up half a percent in midday trading after closing largely unchanged in the previous session. The German DAX was rising 0.2 percent, France's CAC 40 index was moving up 0.9 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was gaining 0.8 percent. Hotels group Accor rallied 3.5 percent in Paris after Barclays lifted its rating on the stock. Transport firm Go-Ahead Group jumped more than 9 percent in London on reporting a rise in annual profit and lifting dividend. Property group Segro fell over 2 percent in London. The company unveiled plans to raise 340mln through a share placement to fund its pipeline of development opportunities. SBM Offshore plunged more than 12 percent after federal prosecutors in Brazil rejected the leniency agreement signed by Brazilian authorities, Petrobras and SBM Offshore in mid-July. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Chinese regulators have opened anti-monopoly investigations into Didi Chuxing Technology Co.'s acquisition of Chinese from ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. amid concerns over whether the deal complied with the nation's antitrust law, reports said. China's Ministry of Commerce reportedly said Friday that the investigation was initiated after it received questions over the proposed merger, which would be creating a $35 billion market-leading giant. The ministry's antitrust unit has already held two meetings with Didi and asked to submit documents and related information on the deal, ministry spokesman Shen Danyang told reporters Friday. The agency also asked Didi the reason for not applying for antitrust review, reports said, citing a transcript on its website. It was in early August that Didi agreed to buy Uber China, for which Uber Technologies would be receiving 5.89 percent of the combined company with preferred equity interest equal to 17.7 percent of the economic benefits. Didi's decision to buy out Uber's Chinese operation would give it control of almost 90 percent of the ride-hailing market. The Ministry of Commerce's Anti-monopoly Bureau is the primary body for assessing the antitrust impact of deals. The spokesman said, "As a next step, the commerce ministry will continue to investigate this case in accordance with the law, to safeguard fair competition and consumers' interests." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News With Donald Trump losing support among some prominent Hispanics following his fiery immigration speech, a supporter of the Republican presidential nominee likely did not do the real estate tycoon any favors with controversial remarks on Thursday. In an interview on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes," Latinos for Trump co-founder Marco Gutierrez warned of the problems the U.S. will face unless illegal immigration is addressed. "We need to understand that this is different times. We have problems here. We need reform," Mexican-born Gutierrez told MSNBC's Joy Reid, who was guest-hosting for Hayes. "My culture is a very dominant culture, and it's imposing, and it's causing problems," he added. "If you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner." Also appearing on the program, New York state Senator Adriano Espaillat said he was offended by Gutierrez' comments. Espaillat, who is running to become the first Dominican-American elected to Congress, touted the tolerance of the Hispanic culture and argued that Trump is the one being "aggressive and bullying." The comments from Gutierrez come after several conservative Hispanics withdrew their support for Trump following his highly anticipated immigration speech on Wednesday. Trump's speech was widely seen as a doubling down on hardline immigration policies despite recent indications that he was softening on the issue. The GOP nominee reiterated his claim that he would make Mexico pay for a wall on the southern border and called for the establishment of a deportation task force to remove illegal immigrants currently in the country. (Photo: Gage Skidmore) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News